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Interior and Cover Designer: Amanda Kirk
Art Producer: Meg Baggott
Editor: Laura Apperson
Associate Editor: Maxine Marshall
Production Editor: Emily Sheehan
Photography 2020 Andrew Purcell.
Food styling by Carrie Purcell.
Illustrations 2020 Mat Edwards
courtesy of Nerissa Lowicki
ISBN: Print 978-1-64739-752-4
eBook 978-1-64739-453-0
R0
To my family, for always supporting my dreams and trying my recipes. And to the victims and their families who lost their lives, jobs, or well-being due to COVID-19, my heart and prayers are with you.
CONTENTS
I was raised in the 1990s, and growing up, I ate either Southern fried food drenched in butter and cooked by my grandma or run-of-the-mill processed food. I distinctly remember coming home from college and asking my grandma to make cauliflower soup. She was confused, so I described it as cauliflower, butter, and Velveeta cheese. She laughed and said, Oh, darling, thats just cauliflower.
I am now a registered dietitian and personal trainer, and I became those things because of how little knowledge I had about nutrition. I spent a long time trying to figure out what good nutrition actually means.
At first, I thought it meant starving yourself of calories and all flavor in your food. I learned the hard way that it isnt a sustainable approach. I counted calories, which naturally led to restricting calories, fat, and carbs. I ate a lot of fake, low-calorie processed foods, and while it worked initially, it then backfired in a major way. My hormones didnt just rebel, they shut down entirely, which made it hard to maintain my weight even at only 1,200 calories a day. I had to do a lot of painstaking work to rebuild my metabolism and rebalance my hormones. If I had taken a more sustainable approach to start with, I would never have had to go through that. I will share this better approach to weight loss with you in .
Did you know that the average American starts a diet multiple times a year? I share this fact every chance I get because it shows that diets arent sustainable. So if diets dont work, what should you do? Most people who want to adopt a healthier lifestyle dont know where to start.
Thats what I love about this 30-day weight loss plan. Its all about getting started, and it isnt intended to be a one-and-done. It generates powerful momentum and results that will last well beyond 30 days. This is because while you are following the 30-day plan, youre learning valuable lifestyle skills and habitsincluding cooking, nutrition, and exercisethat you will take with you beyond the 30 days.
This awesome 30-day program is complete with weekly meal plans and shopping lists to make it as easy as possible for you and to keep life from getting in the way. It also includes simple exercises you can do at home with minimal equipment. And then, of course, there are healthy recipes that use everyday, affordable ingredients, many of which use just five ingredients (not counting the salt, pepper, and cooking oil), use just one pot or pan, are baked on a sheet pan, take just 30 minutes from start to finish, or require no cooking at all. Honestly, thats just how I cook! I may be a foodie/food blogger/dietitian, but I dont have time to spend all day in the kitchen trying to get a healthy dinner that tastes good on the table. If you want to fit healthy eating into your life, then it has to be fast and efficient, or it wont stick.
Luckily, this plan is just that: Its fast, its efficient, and it gives you all the tools you need to jump-start your healthy lifestyle. Remember what they say: Dont look back in 60 days and wish you had started 30 days ago. Start now! I cant wait to accompany you at the beginning of your journey to optimal health and fitness!
Congrats on committing to a healthier you! Sometimes, we need a jump-start to get us going on the right track. This book will not only be your guide to a healthier you but will also give you the road map to help you reach your goals. Lets dive in!
ITS NO SECRET THAT THE STANDARD AMERICAN DIET IS composed of mostly low-nutrient, calorie-dense foods such as refined flours, added sugar, excess preservatives, and addictive flavor enhancers. These foods, although they provide calories, offer us very little in the way of actual nutrition. So even when we arent hungry, our body lacks nutrients and begins to crave more energy-dense foods. In response, we keep giving it more of the same empty-calorie foods meal after meal after meal, feeding the cycle of endless cravings.
