How I Lost 20 Pounds in a Month

I met an old friend the other day who wanted to know how I lost 20 pounds in a month. Well, first she was all a gush at how good I looked, how much younger...you know how it goes. I'll admit right up front that I just loved hearing all that. I mean, let's face it, we all like it when other people notice how good we look, and I'm no different. And because I lost all that weight the smart way I didn't mind telling her.

I was at my wits end. I was completely fed up with being heavy and was sick and tired of not being in control of my own life anymore. So I did it. I stripped down, totally naked, and took a long hard look at myself in the mirror and said, "Girl...This time you're going to do it!" I hope it doesn't take you to reach rock bottom before you decide to do something about your own weight.

\"What Is The Quickest Way To Lose Weight\"

I knew it was important to start the day with a good breakfast so I would begin every day with a whole wheat bagel and low-fat cream cheese. I knew from this diet book I was reading (more on that later) that it was perfectly fine to combine fats with carbohydrates. Some mornings I'd have fresh fruit with warm granola...all those healthy whole grains and nuts.

How I Lost 20 Pounds in a Month

I've never been much for exercise but I knew the combination of a smart, well-combined diet with even moderate exercise was going to be the ticket for helping me lose 20 pounds in a month, which was my goal from the start. So I began a little walking regimen. Nothing too strenuous at first, just down to the corner and back. Later I was able to pick it up and walk around the block.

Every day I made it a point to eat more than three times a day with smaller meals. Each meal combined the proper calories together that enabled my metabolism to actually burn the fat on my body instead of storing the calories I was consuming as fat.

I have to be honest it was learning how to eat properly and how to correctly combine the calories, that let to such rapid weight loss for me. It really was that easy to lose 20 pounds in a month.

How I Lost 20 Pounds in a Month

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Healthy Pasta Recipes - 3 Quick To Cook Tasty Meals With Asparagus, Clams, Green Beans & More

Is pasta good for you? There are two answers to this question "Yes" and "No.". Like with most foods pasta is no different. So long as the pasta is the best type, cooked right and that no bad foods are eaten with it, then yes it's good.

Things to watch that can ruin a good food being healthy for you.

\"What Is The Quickest Way To Lose Weight\"

If food is over cooked losing all its goodness then that food if you like becomes useless. Then there's the matter of pretty foods. Don't fall into the trap that just because something looks nice means it's good for you. Most fancy dressings and toppings are unhealthy and fattening, and something the dieter needs to avoid.

Healthy Pasta Recipes - 3 Quick To Cook Tasty Meals With Asparagus, Clams, Green Beans & More

For those watching their weight, although the way a particular food is cooked plays a large role in keeping the goodness there, a lot depends on eating the right food for it to be classed as healthy and not fattening.

If you want to change your diet and eat more healthily, then bear in mind that no matter how much something is promoted as good for you, that is not a guarantee that it is. Too much of a good food can cause considerable harm especially when it's eaten with bad foods.

Pasta

If you ask someone where pasta comes from the likely response is Italy, while this is easily understood with the Italians eating a lot of it, however, according to Greek mythology it gives credit to the Greek God Vulcan for inventing a gadget that made the first spaghetti from strips of dough. But then other study traces pasta's roots back to the Etruscans in 400 BC, where the first Lasagna was thought to be made out of whole grain spelt flour.

Who cares where it came from, the important thing is we have it now, so let us get on and enjoy it.

Is Pasta Healthy Food?

The unhealthy side of pasta would include that it is made with white flour, and swimming in a thick creamy sauce. Whole grain al dente pasta with an unsweetened tomato sauce is by far the healthier option. Whole grain al dente pasta is fabulously high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. It is gradually absorbed into the bloodstream and not listed to cause a blood sugar spike.

The benefits of the nutrition, gradual absorption and fiber content helps protect against insulin resistance, constipation, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Pasta is quick and simple to cook but has a lot of carbs, so keep portion size sensible and add more lean protein and vegetables to the dish.

Treat your body to the healthy benefits and try the quick to make tasty pasta meals below.

Healthy recipes

Farfalle with Zucchini and Parsley-Almond Pesto

Ingredients

1lb farfalle
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup unsalted roasted almonds
1 1/2 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1lb zucchini (2 medium), halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/8 inch thick
Crushed red pepper
Cooking instructions

Bring a big pot of salted water to the boil. Add farfalle and cook until it is al dente. Drain the farfalle. In a food blender, pulse the garlic. Add the almonds and pulse until they are coarsely chopped. Add the parsley and 1/2 cup of the olive oil and process until the parsley is finely minced. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and pulse just until the pesto is combined. Add salt and pepper and scrape the pesto into a large, shallow serving dish. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the zucchini and cook over a high heat until soft and browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the zucchini to the bowl with the pesto. Add the farfalle, toss well and serve.

Penne with Asparagus, Sage and Peas

Ingredients

1/2lb penne
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1lb thick asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 cups chicken stock
10 ounces shelled English peas or frozen baby peas, thawed
1/4 cup thick cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
Salt and pepper
Cooking instructions

Add the penne to a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and asparagus and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add stock and boil over high heat until reduced by half and the asparagus are soft. Add peas and cream to skillet and boil over high heat until the sauce has thickened, 3 minutes. Stir in the penne and cook until heated through. Remove from the heat and add the butter, sage and the 1/2 cup of cheese. Salt and pepper to preferred taste. Put pasta in to serving bowls and dish up right away.

Spaghetti with Clams and Green Beans

Ingredients

10 ounces green beans
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 large plum tomatoes (1/2 pound), coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
24 littleneck clams (2 pounds) washed
10 large basil leaves, torn
3/4 pound spaghetti
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving (optional)
Cooking instructions

Add green beans to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook until soft. Using a slotted spoon, remove beans and leave aside. Bring the water back to a boil. Using a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 60 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to break, about 5 minutes. Add white wine and clams and bring to a boil. Cover skillet and simmer until the clams open. Remove the skillet from the cooker and add green beans and basil.

Add spaghetti to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the spaghetti, keeping 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Return the spaghetti to the pot and add the clam and green bean sauce and the reserved pasta cooking water. Toss over moderate heat until the sauce coats the spaghetti, about. Transfer the spaghetti and clams to shallow bowls and serve.

Healthy Pasta Recipes - 3 Quick To Cook Tasty Meals With Asparagus, Clams, Green Beans & More

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What Foods Should I Avoid to Lose Weight? Two Conceived "Healthy" Foods That Actually Make You Fat

Unquestionably, this article will surely surprise you because I will discuss two of the conceived healthy foods that are actually culprits for having a fat body. In my entire years of being a Certified Personal Trainer, my clients constantly ask "what foods should I avoid to lose weight?" and once I utter these two foods, they simply can't believe that these foods should be off from their diet.

Due to the global awareness regarding harmful and fatty foods, you probably have an idea on how trans fats as well as fructose corn syrup can disrupt your diet. With my purpose to provide nothing but quality lectures concerning the matter, reading this article will serve as your eye-opener to see the real food culprits behind your unwanted fats.

\"What Is The Quickest Way To Lose Weight\"

1# Food Type
Primarily, the first type of food that I desire to highlight is wheat products. It is quite normal to me hearing people stating that cereals, crackers, muffins, breads, and pastas made from wheat are healthy. That is why I'm fairly sure that once you know that wheat products are part of the fattening foods, you will be totally surprised.

What Foods Should I Avoid to Lose Weight? Two Conceived "Healthy" Foods That Actually Make You Fat

Hence, it will be prudent to consider them as part of your "what foods should I avoid to lose weight" list. Why? Though a great percentage of human population across the globe have developed intolerance to gluten on grains particularly in wheat, you should know that we are never meant to consume large sums of wheat in our daily diet.

Wheat in human diets can be traced as early as the formation of primary civilizations, but consuming it in great amounts for the sake of diet was only apparent for the last century. This is actually alarming because for hundreds of years, a human diet only comprises foods such fresh fruits, meats, vegetables, seeds, and nuts.

Based on my professional experience, as soon as I advised most of my clients to keep wheat products off their diet for 2-3 weeks, they literally see the big difference and they are satisfied with the results. Also, they realized that losing body fat is just a fraction of its copious benefits because some of their headache, digestion, and skin problems are also addressed the moment they eliminate wheat products from their daily diet.

2# Food Type
Furthermore, to completely answer your question on "what foods should I avoid to lose weight", I also recommend avoiding fruit juice products. I am not saying that I support "no carbs" campaign or something, because I genuinely believe that fruits are very healthy and they should be integrated in your diet. What I'm trying to say is that the juice should not be separated from the actual fruit.

If you choose to drink fruit juice only, the fruit's fiber and other essential components are obviously left behind. Commercially produced orange and apple juices are some of the prevalent culprits in the Western diet nowadays. You should know beforehand that fibers in fruits are very beneficial in diets because it satisfy your body's appetite, ergo, inhibiting your carbohydrate cravings over time.

Furthermore, fibers in fresh fruits are known to lower your blood sugar. The main point here is that fruit juices will only make you fat. Therefore, try to consume whole and fresh fruits as much as possible, for you to savor all of its nutrients and benefits. Once you place these two conceived healthy foods to your "what foods should I avoid to lose weight" list, plus you eat unprocessed foods, you will surely notice that fats will be easier to eliminate as well as your body will feel healthy and revitalized.

What Foods Should I Avoid to Lose Weight? Two Conceived "Healthy" Foods That Actually Make You Fat

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