Diet Cookbook

I picked up this book yesterday only because I was curious. I am so glad I made this purchase. I really think this book will direct me on where I need to go with my eating habits. I am definitely a "FOODIE". I love to try different foods, and if they taste good, "I eat them" (over-eat them). Do you own at least one Taste of Home cookbook? If you do then you know how important pictures are. I don't know about you, but I will not purchase a cookbook unless there are good pictures. This book provides pictures of the recipes so you know exactly what the food will look like. I have included a tour of some of the highlights in this book.

There is a portion size chart that tells you how big your portions should be. Once you get a handle on the portion size it will come natural. Portion size is very important when it comes to dieting. I have seen this success with my own eyes. My significant other was sent to a dietitian. He learned how to measure his foods as far as size, calories, fat, and sodium. I witnessed him losing 70 pounds in one year.
How do you think Nutra-System does it? They have all the meals portioned as far as calories, and then they charge their customers hundreds of dollars for something that can be done at home. Being a Taste of Home faithful user, I know first hand that all of their recipes have tons of flavor.

There are success stories in this book too. I don't know about you, but success stories are a motivator to me. If someone else can do this and have success, then I can too. The success stories offer personal tips and tricks that were used during their diet. It is easy to get caught up in a routine, but it sure is hard to change it. There are certain habits that we do daily. Do you know how hard it is to change a habit? One of my habits is drinking coffee. I get up in the morning, and instead of eating food like I should, I drink coffee. I usually don't see my first meal until about 1 or 2 o'clock in the afternoon. This is going to be a tough habit to break. We create the habits, we can break them.

Oh Lord, eating out....I love to eat out!! It seems like restaurants compete on the amounts of food that are served. If the food is dripping over the edge of the plate, that will guarantee return customers. "Oh my gosh, did you see the serving size at A'lil Country Sugar? Tons of food, I will definitely go back there. You sure do get your money's worth."

Did you know that a restaurant's portions are enough calories for one entire day? So when you eat out you shouldn't eat anything more for that day (bummer). I have been given a tip about eating out, and here it is; When you eat out only eat half of your meal. Take the other half home to eat later or the next day.

EXERCISE....Who likes to exercise? I have found it easy to question my destination. Can I walk there? A little bit of exercise every day is better than none. I live with a faithful exerciser. Every day he full fills his routine, and with amazing results. Yes, he should be my motivation, but I find too much enjoyment in cooking and working on my blog (another habit I have to work on breaking). If I can find time to sit in front of my computer, I can definitely find time to walk, dance, stretch, etc...They say it only takes 20 minutes a day to get some kind of exercise in. Can I spare 20 minutes? Sure I can.

There is a six-week meal plan in this book that will get you started with the correct foods, and it will also lead you in the direction of proper calorie counting. Once you learn the calories and amounts you should be able to mix and match different recipes. One thing I hate is having to eat the same foods over and over. This book offers over 430 different food options. Who says you have to eat breakfast in the morning? I think it can be eaten any time of the day. Breakfast foods are one of my favorites, and there are awesome looking recipes for crepes, breakfast burritos, and omelette's...I'm getting anxious to get started.

I told you there are amazing pictures in this book. They also have the calorie amount right on top of the picture. They even give you the serving size to match the calories. AWESOME!!

This is another option that I think I will enjoy. I love to take notes, plan, and experiment with my creations. To stay within a 1400 calorie a day diet, there is a column to total the calories. Love it!! I really think that if this book is followed there could be amazing results. Another plus, if this book is followed, everything will eventually become a habit. Who's willing to try this with me? I will be sure to post my results.

Good Luck~Happy Eating~Enjoy