"Greek-Style Pasta" by Melissa Schwab, Gold's Gym Challenge Participant

Who else watches the Biggest Loser? I love to watch that show. I call it my “motivation”. It makes me want to head to the gym in the morning. It’s so amazing to watch the transformations. I wish I could drop 10-15 pounds a week like they do! I’d be done already! But if you think about it, those of us on the challenge are doing our own “real life” Biggest Loser minus the giant scales. (Thank goodness!) I recently got the Biggest Loser Simple Swaps book and it has a lot of good ideas and recipes. Here’s one I tried and liked. I’d love to see what everyone else is eating, so feel free to share your favorite recipes in the comments.

Greek-Style Pasta With Fire Roasted Tomatoes and Feta

6oz. Whole Grain Pasta (Penne, fusilli, or rotini)

2 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

28 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes

1 pkg frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and quartered ( I used canned artichokes in water)

¼ cup crumbled feta

8 kalamata or black olives, sliced

Fresh Italian parsley or oregano (optional)

Prepare the pasta as directed.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in skillet. Add onion and cook until soft (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and simmer without allowing it to brown. Add red bell pepper and cook until soft.

Add tomatoes and simmer for 4 minutes. Add artichokes and cook for 1 minute longer.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sauce and pasta. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with feta and olives.

Makes about 8 one-cup servings.

Calories: 140

Fat: 3 g

Carbs: 27g

Protein: 7g

Fiber: 6g

Comments

[Jess M. Howland]

Dear Melissa,

I know how appealing it would be to lose 15-20 lbs of bodyfat in a week, and watching "The Biggest Loser" is great motivation for many people; however, in the long run it is better to lose weight slower. Slow and steady is easier for the body to adjust to your new body mass and it will be much harder for it to revert back to previous set-point for body mass. The quicker you lose it the easier it generally is to put back on. The body has a very set system for keeping everything at homeostasis (normal level). You try and lose weight at such a pace and it will come back when you stop dieting so hard and/or take a break from the gym and exercise.

Advice (just my .02) take what you have learned in the challenge and stick with it. Exercise, proper nutrition, and fitness are lifestyle choices that one has to live with everyday. Stay dedicated, be committed, be persisitant, and never stop remodeling yourself and you will succeed--despite the many pitfalls life may throw at you. If your workouts become boring or you become complacent, switch your workout, change something, set a new series of STG, MTG, LTGs, listen to a new form of music (as Darcy said), watch YouTube videos of your favorite workouts, etc. Something that adds the spark back into your workout...

At any rate, don't think you are failing because you are not losing 10-15 lbs every week. The people on The Biggest Loser have one goal in mind, and one objective in their lives right now. They train! That's it. How easy would it be to lose weight if all you had to do was workout and eat properly. All too easy. No kids to worry about. No family concerns (being around at any rate). You've got a trainer kicking you into gear everyday--motivating, pulling you, driving you to succeed. Working out for several hours a day. Yeah, someone had better lose some weight from all that. Reality proves a different story with obligations all over the place. It is a fine lesson in time management as well as commitment. The determined will succeed...

v/r

Jess M Howland
(Past Gold's Gym Wenatchee Trainer--Still one of the best gyms I've ever been a part of--I could use one here in Korea.)