Weight Reducing Cookbooks are Simply too Good to Ignore

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NEWS FEATURE:

The health of billions of people is compromised every year by obesity and being overweight. Medical experts estimate that more obese and overweight people die from their affliction than people who are underweight. However, there are solutions, and in many cases this is as simple as knowing what to eat and controlling portion sizes.

Obesity and being overweight are preventable, and yet, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that there are more than 1.5 billion adults, over the age of 20 years, who are struggling to maintain their weight.

WHO  also state that more than 65 percent of the world’s population reside in countries where obesity and being overweight kills more people than those who are underweight.

Annette Sym, author of the ‘Symply Too Good To Be True’ low-fat cookbooks, who works as a lecturer for Weight Watchers, says that her life experiences with being overweight have driven her to help others.

“I have been writing low-fat cookbooks for 14 years now,” said Sym. “So I know a huge amount about cooking healthy recipes and also how to lose weight and keep it off,” she said. “My own life experience of losing 35 kilos in 20 months has given me so much ‘inside’ information. I have maintained my healthy weight range for over 19 years.”

“I was a chubby child, a cuddly teenager, and for many years, an obese adult. My life was completely ruled by ‘food’,” said Sym. “I changed my life for the better when I lost weight and got fit and healthy,” she said. “I am passionate about helping others to do the same, hence my low-fat cookbook series.”

“I am fit, healthy and happy, and I want everyone else to know how good it is to have abundant energy and to be proud of yourself.”

The ‘Symply Too Good to Be True’ series of cookbooks is about eating yourself slim says Sym.

“So many people think that ‘low fat’ is tasteless and boring. I wanted to prove to everyone that my way of cooking means you don’t have to miss out on the food you love,” said Sym. “You just cook or prepare it differently and you can remove the guilt from cooking and basically ‘eat yourself slim’,” she said.

“Life is good when you can eat guilt free chocolate cake. You don’t have to be deprived or miss out any longer,” said Sym. “This is what helps people to be able to stick at a long-term weight loss program.”

“My recipes are super easy to make so even the busiest person can cook my recipes,” said Sym. “Plus they are economical, and all the ingredients are available in the supermarket,” she said. “People often say how great this is and how it helps them be more motivated to cook my healthy low-fat way”.

Sym says that she turned a weakness of hers into a strength.

“I turned my greatest weakness ‘food’ into my greatest strength. I want to help as many people as I can to do the same,” said Sym. “Just looking at the stats on how overweight Australian’s are becoming motivates me to make a difference. 60% of Aussies are overweight, so I have a big job ahead of me. I say ‘bring it on’. If I can do it, so can others,” said Sym.

“I am constantly striving to give people as much information, motivation and skills to be as healthy as they possibly can be, ” said Sym. “This is why I run my 3-day workshop retreats. Then I can be with these people for three whole days and get into their heads, which is where all the decisions are made,” she said.

The ‘Symply Too Good to be True’ series consists of six books that teach you how to cook healthy foods, as well as shop for the right ingredients and understand what you are eating. The recipes include guilt-free low-fat delights such as chocolate and black forest cakes and mango cheesecake.

Sym firmly believes that to effectively lose weight and keep it off you have to think and act like a healthy person. This means that dieting is out of the question because it makes you fat and unhappy.

“If you aim to have at least 40% raw foods in your diet each day that means you are making a lot of healthy choices. Fruit, vegetables and salad should be a major part of your eating regime,” said Sym. “For example on your dinner plate you want to see lots and lots of colours, and less white and brown.”

“PORTION CONTROL is also really important,” said Sym. “Make sure you look at having the right amounts of food. We have upsized so much with our food that we need to get back to normal portions,” she said. “I would suggest if you are unsure and need a helping hand then follow a menu plan.”

To keep herself fit and active Sym says she has learned to prioritise and find exercise that she enjoys.

“I find if I put exercise into my diary that means it will happen,” said Sym. “We are so time poor these days that by entering this into my diary means I am committed and it is included in my busy schedule,” she said. ” Plus, when I finish work I make sure I close the door behind me. I have a home-based business, so once that door is closed this means that work is over and I am home.”

“I walk with my husband and two dogs at least four times a week. We have a small gym in our house so I do a weight session at least once a week, and when it rains or it is really hot outside I crank up the air conditioner and I do a Wii fit workout,” said Sym. “It keeps me fit.”

“I don’t like to mix weights with cardio though. I feel you get better results if you do them separately,” she said.