Monday, March 14, 2011

Lose Weight With Cookies







Sounds absurd, right? In short, it is. But with the right recipes, eating habits and exercise, losing weight with cookies is possible.Expand your definition of a cookie to incorporate a grain-based dough baked in cookie form, and you open your options a little more than just chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and peanut butter. You can put almost anything into a cookie. And the cookie doesn't have to be overwhelmingly sweet. Be creative and dedicated, and you'll find that losing weight with cookies is a real possibility.


Instructions


1. To lose weight with cookies, you must have the right cookies, and you will NOT find those at the store. Seek out cookbooks with low-sugar cookies, full of fruits and whole grains. Or better yet, take a favorite cookie recipe and experiment. Rather than 1 cup of chocolate chips, use dried cranberries or dried apples. Use a combination of whole-wheat flour, whole oats and soy crisps. Experimentation is the key to finding the right recipes for low-calorie, nutrient- and protein-rich cookies.


2. Cut back the sugar and fat. In fact, you could cut both out completely by using pureed fruits instead. One cup of applesauce or mashed bananas can replace the butter or vegetable shortening and the sugar.


3. Try a coffee-cake-style cookie. Shred and then puree carrots, combine with wheat flour, whole grain oats, cinnamon, applesauce, baking soda and eggs. Carrots are rich in vitamins and nutrients. The whole grains provide healthy carbohydrates. Eggs contain protein and can help lower cholesterol.








4. Try out savory cookies. Mash some cauliflower with fresh garlic and Parmesan cheese, or puree tomatoes with fresh garlic, basil and olive oil. As long as you have a base (your whole grains), a binder (such as an egg), fat (as in pureed fruit or vegetables or vegetable oil), baking soda and flavorful ingredients balanced to create that familiar cookie dough texture, you are on your way.


5. It is imperative. In fact, exercise is how you burn calories. If you haven't exercised in a while, start slow with walking, stretching or low-impact aerobics. But don't stick in this routine. Continuously push yourself. If you start out walking every day, switch to jogging within 10 days of your first walk. If you increase your appetite for exercise, you will burn pounds quickly.

Tags: weight with cookies, whole grains, baking soda, flour whole, fresh garlic, losing weight