Deen - Cook yourself thin faster: have your cake and eat it too with over 75 new recipes you can make in a flash!

Potential results will vary. Consult with your healthcare professional for health and nutritional information and before undertaking any new diet.

The inspiration for this book came in response to the enormous enthusiasm of all the readers and viewers of the first Cook Yourself Thin book and television series. Thousands of you clamored More! More! More!, and this book is for you, created by a number of talented people whom we would like to thank.

Lauren Deens creative and editorial vision led us through the first book and series, and continues herethank you for your delicious recipes and tips, and for all of your wide-ranging talents. Anne Petito project-managed the entire book process with enormous enthusiasm, professionalism, and grace. Stephanie Lyness and Genevieve Ko-Sweet provided invaluable help with recipe development and testing, and got us to the finish line!

Special thanks to Evan Sung, who once again captured gorgeous pictures with his keen eye and inimitable calm manner. Morgan Haas skipped her honeymoon to continue the delectable food styling. Many thanks to Christopher White for the lovely prop styling, as well as his Texan charm. And a big thank-you to Adam Wayson, Eddie Roche, and Rhonda DeGarmo, who all lent a critical hand at our shoot.

An enormous thanks to the Tiger Aspect USA/IMG team for all of their incredible help and support: Christine Connor, executive producer, and Adam Steinman, VP of development. On the business affairs and legal end, thanks to Peter Devita, and many thanks to William DeMayo for his efforts with our shoot. From the Tiger Aspect UK team, who created and originated the show, special thanks to Andrew Zein, managing director; Jo McGrath; and Jenny Spearing.

Its been a privilege to have another opportunity to create a book with Hyperion, who indeed are the perfect partners. A very special thank-you to Ellen Archer, president, and Barbara Jones, Voice editorial director, and our fabulous editor, Sarah Landis.

At Lifetime Television, special thanks to Andrea Wong, JoAnn Alfano, Jessica Samet, Sandy Varo, Julie Stern, Linda Rein, Beck Sloca, and Doug Strasnick.

Lauren Deen would also like to thank all of the guests who participated in the show and shared their stories here. You were the ones who did all the hard work! And a very special thank-you to her familyAnthony, Mathias, and Natashawho often found themselves eating a slightly different version of the same dish night after night, and all of the Bank family for their various kitchens and comments, and for all of their love and support.

Heres the most important thing you need to know:

This is not a diet bookwe dont believe in dieting. We dont want to tell you what not to eat. This is a book filled with delicious food that we want you to cook and enjoy so you can have your cake and eat it too!

We dont want you to give up your guilty pleasureswe just want you to eat better versions of them, which weve created for you. Everything is designed to come together quickly and simply, with style and of course big flavor and great taste! Theres no reason to feel guilty about these dishes, and theyre nothing like rabbit food. A few clever changes and some smart swaps will have you whipping up everything from Pasta with Sausage and Cherry Tomatoes to Shrimp Scampi and impressive desserts like Mocha Mousse in a flash.

These recipes are quick to prepare, and they dont require exotic ingredients or a trip to the health food store. Weve cut the calories and the fat out of your favorite recipes, and added new dishes for you to experience and devour guilt-freelike Chilaquiles, Cod Saltimbocca, and Meringue Clouds.

Good food thats good for youits that simple! Theres no need to look for a quick fixits all right hereso get ready to Cook Yourself Thin Faster !

Whats It All About?

Eating is one of lifes greatest pleasuresand we dont want to take that away from you! The problem starts when we think losing weight means that we have to deny ourselves everything that isnt a green vegetable and give up all our favorite foods (wave good-bye to chocolate). We make ourselves miserable until our cravings give way to temptation. Sure enough, suddenly the diets a disaster and were back on a vicious cycle of deprivation and cheating.

The great news is that we know theres another way. If you want to drop a jeans size for good, you just need to become calorie aware. The key to weight-loss success isnt a magic potion or only eating six raisins a day. Its simply knowing how many calories are in the foods youre eating and how many calories your body needs. In this book weve done the math for you with calorie and fat counts for each recipe. Our tips and ideas show you clever ways to cut calories so you can start losing weight right away. If that sounds too difficult, just turn to some of the success stories from our first book and television show to read the real testimonials from people whove done it!

This is not a diet manual or a nutritional guide. Its a cookbook. We really believe that if you want to lose weight for good, the only way is to cook yourself to your goal. After all, if youre the one doing the cooking, youre going to be in control: Youll be mixing great ingredients together in the pan, not pouring in extra fat, sugar, or salt to perk up the flavor. And when youre the chef, you can make sure you cook smart.

None of us wants to follow a diet that tells us we cant even look at a piece of bread. You really can eat what you wantyouve just got to be clever and creative about it, and watch your portion sizes. Thats why were here to help. Love cheese on your pasta? Then look for a really strong Cheddar or real Parmesan, and you wont need to use as much. Want to have chocolate cake? Lets face it: Who doesnt! So preheat the oven for our indulgent Chocolate Volcano Cakes. Cook Yourself Thin Faster is all about showing you how small changes in the way you cook and shop can help you cut your calories.

What about the quick and easy bit? If cooking is going to be a regular part of your life, then you need to make sure that it never becomes a chore. Recipes that are delicious to eat but can fit into a busy life of work, family, and friends are essential. To help, weve even picked out recipes that are ultraquick for those of you who like to be in and out of the kitchen in less than twenty minutesjust look for the lightning bolt! Most of these recipes have very short prep times and dont require a laundry list of ingredients either.

Counting Your Calories

The most important thing to remember is that the only way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than you use up. Once you are consuming fewer calories than your body uses, you will start to lose weight.

A calorie is a unit of measurement that tells you how much energy is in food. We need that energy to breathe and for our body to function, as well as to walk and to exercise, but if we eat more calories than we use up, then we store that energy as extra weight.

One pound of fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. So in order to lose a pound of fat a week, you need to reduce your calorie intake by around 3,500 calories a week. On a daily basis, this could mean cutting down 500 calories. Five hundred calories may sound like a lot, but just one midmorning croissant with butter and jam and a latte will take you over that amount, so cutting down might not be quite as hard as you think. To lose two pounds a week, you would need to reduce your intake by 1,000 calories a day.

Depending on your current intake, most women will lose weight at a healthy rate of one to two pounds a week on a calorie intake of 1,500 calories per day (for men, it should be about 1,800 calories per day). Consult with your doctor for your ideal calorie intake rate.