Where to start, where to start?

Let's start fresh.

I'm George Stella, professional chef and champion of fresh, healthy foods that taste great! I call itStella Style.

It seems like only yesterday that I tipped the scales at a whopping 467 pounds. That's right, 467 pounds!

Now, I'm healthier than I've ever been!

What doyouhave to lose?

Over the past seven years, my family and I have dropped a combined total of 560 pounds. We've exchanged our old habits for new, healthier ones, and we've never felt better! I'm traveling in airplanes without having to ask for a seatbelt extender. I'm fitting into smaller and smaller clothes, and no longer have to shop from specialty "big men's" catalogs.

I feel like I'm finally living the life I always should have had.

Even now, after losing more than 260 pounds and keeping the weight off for years, it's still painful for me to think back to what my life was like then. When my whole family was overweight, we couldn't do anything without attracting attention -- the stares of strangers were something we came to expect! Now, when I'm spotted in the fresh produce section of my local grocery store, I'm not getting glaring looks, and children aren't hiding behind their mother's legs. When people point at me, it isn't because I'm fat; it's because I'm the low-carb chef from TV.

Sometimes, when I need a few ingredients for my newest recipe, a trip to the store can take hours! Seems everyone knows my name! Seems everyone has been inspired by my family's weight loss and are hungry for more. More often than not, they'll ask --

Where should I start?Or...

How do I get started?Or...

How did you start?

Stella Style...A Fresh Start

Stella Styleis, quite simply, how we did it. It is our recipe for weight-loss success.

My family's fresh start began the moment my wife and I decided to give the low-carb lifestyle a try. We swapped our sugar-filled highly processed packaged foods for wholesome fresh foods that were naturally low in carbohydrates. We rethought the way we cooked, shopped, and ate. We rethought the way we lived.

Over the years, our eating philosophy evolved into something we callStella Style. What began as a strict low-carb "diet" has grown into a flexible lifestyle that allows us to eat a broad range of healthy and fresh foods that taste great.

For me,Stella Stylemeans preparing simple meals using the best kind of food -- fresh food. There's no reason to sentence yourself to tasteless, monotonous menus: WithStella Style, you'll eat low-carb meals, snacks, and desserts that are delicious and satisfying. Most important, you'll eat food that you love, without pinching on the portions!

WithStella Style, you'll learn to:

• Eliminate all the "white stuff" from your diet. This means refined sugars, white flour, and potatoes.
• Replace processed foods with fresh, healthy choices.
• Shop the outer aisles of your grocery store for fresh, healthy foods.
• Select the right, high-fiber veggies.
• Get into your kitchen and COOK!
• Reinvent your high-carb favorites with low-carb alternatives.
• Eat well-rounded meals.
• Surround yourself with a strong support system.
• Identify the right foods without obsessing over each and every carb.
• Keep menus simple while still staying creative.
• Eat until you're satisfied.

Living by these simple guidelines gave my family and me a fresh start and a new lease on life. I want this book to do the same for you. I want to giveyouyour fresh start toward success. Hey, I feel so great, I'm eating such delicious food, how could Inottell the world?

This book is put together for anyone who's trying to lose weight.

InStella Style, I'll give you all the information you need to make each and every recipe your own. I'll show you how to reinvent old favorites and create a few new ones along the way, so you'll never get bored or hungry. I think you'll findStella Styleto be simple, satisfying, and extremely flexible. I wouldn't have it any other way! What Iknowworks for everyone is food that just tastes good.

I've included not only carb counts for each and every recipe, but the calories, fat, protein, and fiber content as well, so whether you're just starting out or heading into the home stretch, you can tune the recipes to your liking. My sons have stepped in to offer someHealthful Hints,so you can lower some of those calorie and fat counts without sacrificing flavor.

The recipes in this book are for everyone. They all make the most of fresh, wholesome ingredients. Once you give them a try, I'll bet you never go back to your old eating habits again.

I sure didn't.

How to Get a Fresh StartStella Style

Step One: Welcome Change

Seven years ago, I experienced the unforgettable indignity of being wheeled outside a hospital -- down to the back dock -- so that I could be weighed on a flatbed laundry scale.

I was sick yet again. It was pneumonia, for the third time in a little more than a year. But this time felt different.Ifelt different. By the time I made it to the emergency room, I felt lifeless.

They wheeled me out to that laundry scale and I was way too sick to care.

I remember sitting in the wheelchair in a hospital gown that didn't fit. There were several laundry room workers gathered around, and one of them announced, "He weighsfour hundred and sixty-seven pounds!"

That's when my doctor sat down and told me that I had congestive heart failure. He told me that I had to take this medication, and that medication, and this medication over here. I had no idea really what these medications were, or how I could possibly afford them.

That was when he said it.

My doctor looked me in the eyes and laid it out plain and simple. He said, "You are going to die."

I had too much body for my heart to supply with blood, and that was going to be the end of me.

I was sent home with a lecture and many, many pages of dieting instructions. Menus, recipes, everything, but I was more demoralized than ever. I was dwelling on the fact that I was going to die. In fact, I had accepted it.

But the worst thing, worse than my own health problems, lack of direction, and hopeless feelings, was that my family was following in my footsteps. Making the same bad decisions. Feeling that same hopelessness.

Somewhere along the line we had become...a fat family.

My sons had tried this diet and that diet and had always failed. Anthony weighed in at 225 pounds, my wife at 200, and my youngest son, Christian, was well on his way to a future like mine. At fifteen years old, he was already over 300 pounds and growing. Christian had even been pulled out of public schools and was now being home schooled, because he couldn't fit in with the other kids.

My wife, Rachel, tried to make better choices at the grocery store, but it was too little too late, and it didn't keep us from ordering out for pizza. We all seemed to be resigned to the way things were, to the way we were.

But with that doctor's words always in the back of my head, I realized our life together wasn't going to last long if things didn't change.

Soon after, my father died. I didn't attend his funeral because I couldn't afford the two plane tickets I was required to purchase because of my size.

Things finally became clear. I needed help. We needed help.

But as I sat in that wheelchair, all 467 pounds of me, I didn't know where to start. I didn't know what to do. I was living off disability, so a dietician was out of the question. Most commercial diet plans seemed confusing and ultimately unsatisfying. As a chef that had his start in some of Florida's best restaurants, for me, the idea of eating prepackaged frozen dinners that I counted out on a calculator was just another kind of death sentence. My health was failing and my wife and sons were bigger than they'd ever been.

We were at the bottom and we were ready to listen to anything.

They say that you have to hit the bottom before you can work your way back, and I am living proof of this. Sometimes, my weight loss is so sweet -- the only sugar I really need -- that Ialmostforget just how hard getting started really was.

When I heard of low carb, everything clicked. Here was a diet that said, the way we understood it at the time, that you could eat all the meat and cheese and butter you wanted and still lose weight. Rachel always says that she thought low carb was a joke, and that she only gave it a chance because -- what other choice did we have? We laughed, and we thought it would never work, but we still gave it our all.

If anything, running across an Atkins book was fate. Low carb came into my life when I was at my lowest, and I was ready to do anything. I finally had that courage tostart,but even more important, I finally had something that I thought I could start. Even though we thought it was a joke.

So nowadays, when people ask us how we started, I like to tell them...

We started laughing.

Step Two: Choose Your Best Approach

The basic concept behind all low-carb diets is this: Carbohydrates are the simplest, most accessible fuel your body can burn for energy. So what happens when those carbs are taken away? Your body burns fat instead. First the fat you eat, and then your own stored fat.

There are many low-carb diet plans out there, but for the most part they can all be boiled down to two basic approaches. One is the well-known Atkins approach, which is how we began. I call this one the "Fat Burner." With Atkins, your body takes in so few carbohydrates that it burns your fat for energy instead, helping you to shed pounds. With the other approach, the "Calorie Burner," carbohydrates are limited to small quantities of high-quality carbs only, cutting down on calories in the process, so you can lose weight.

Of course, both approaches ultimately help you to burn fat and calories. For our purposes, think of the Fat Burner as the approach that keeps empty carbs from being stored as fat, and the Calorie Burner as the approach that cuts down on calories so you can enjoy those tasty whole grains.

How doyouwant to lose?

Approach 1: Fat Burner

Carb counters know something that people who live by the USDA's food pyramid don't: Our bodies were not designed to eat so many carbohydrates. When your body has too many carbs, it kicks up insulin production, and stores the excess energy as body fat. On the other hand, when you're eating few carbs, your body goes into an accelerated fat-burning state. For your body to stay in this fat-burning state, you'll need to watch the types of food that you eat, making sure that they are naturally low in carbohydrates all around. A bad-carb indulgence like real sugar can knock you out of the fat-burning state for as long as a few days and you'll once again be storing fat! I recommend sticking to under thirty to forty carbs a day, and make sure that most of those are coming from good sources like high fiber veggies.

This approach toStella Styleis how my whole family began their journey; with this method, you won't have to obsess over portion sizes. When we first started, we ate to our hearts' content andstilllost weight rapidly.

All of the recipes in this book are perfect for this approach, just as they are.

Approach 2: Calorie Burner

My son Christian lost his first eighty pounds eating low carb before adding a more controlled calorie and fat approach to lose the rest -- another eighty pounds!

Christian had realized that adjusting and lowering his calorie and fat intake allowed him the luxury of enjoying wholesome whole grains, such as brown rice or oatmeal (not the instant kind!). Eating a low-carb diet that included any kind of grain was unheard of at that time, when low carb was synonymous with bacon fat and pork rinds. But halfway through their weight loss, Christian and Anthony starting paying more attention to their portion sizes and saturated fat intake with dramatic results. They were still losing weightandable to eat more and more good carbs like whole grains and fruit.

Choosing lean cuts of meat and low-fat dairy products instead of the full-fat versions used for the Fat Burner also cuts calories and fat so you can incorporate more of thehealthy,high-fiber carbs such as whole grains. The lack of processed or "empty" calories keeps your calorie count low -- and you keep losing weight, slow and steady.

Keeping a close eye on the "Healthful Hints" at the bottom of the recipes in this book will help lighten the load on this approach.

I'm not a dietician and I'm not trying to invent a new miracle diet here. I'm just trying to put the focus on becoming independent in the kitchen and independent of a long list of eating rules and regulations that may or may not suit your particular body. Hey, we're not all the same! So why not embrace our differences?

The traditional low-carb diet worked for me, and it still works for me. It's easy and it honestly doesn't leave me asking for more. But my solution isn't the solution for everyone! I've been around long enough -- as a husband, father, and chef -- to know that it isn'tmyparticular way or the highway. While we started with this approach, my family found it too restrictive for the long term. So each of us stepped back to look at the big picture, modifying our eating plans to better suit and better motivate us.

This is howStella Stylewas born.

Stella Styleis so flexible that you can approach it the way you want and still eat the same great food. The main principles ofStella Stylelisted earlier apply either way. Breaking your dependence on processed foods and goingfreshis the key, no matter what.

Eating Outside the Box

Not all carbs are considered equal!

When I was 467 pounds and eating processed junk, I'd sit on the couch for hours, getting up only to grab more boxed foods from the pantry. What I didn't know then is that when you eat high-carb processed foods, you create a roller coaster of up and down blood sugar that leaves you in a constant state of hunger. Insulin stores excess energy as fat, like I said, and it works by getting sugar -- the stuff that gives you an initial "high" when you've had a sweet treat -- out of the blood. Once the insulin has done its job, the sugar is packed away, and you're tired again -- and stuck in a vicious cycle of being hungry, eating and feeling guilty for having eaten. By the time that guilt sets in, the carbs have metabolized and been stored as fat, your blood sugar is low, and you're ready to comfort yourself with...more processed food.

This is whyStella Styleputs such an emphasis onfreshfoods. They're alive with vitamins, fiber, and what they were intended to have! In fact, no matter how you choose to lose weight, fresh foods are fundamental! They metabolize slowly and give you energy over a longer period of time. Most important, they leave you satisfied and full, so even if you're eating higher-calorie foods, you end up eating less of them. Whether you're making a snack or giving your girlfriend a diamond ring, any path you follow will run smoother if you just choose the real over the fake. Fresh over processed. It's what nature intended!

Besides, isn't that why they invented the refrigerator? So that we wouldn'thaveto eat from boxes and cans anymore?

Most of the things that people eat these days have been so overprocessed, boxed, canned, chemically preserved, artificially flavored, hydrogenated, and soaked in corn syrup that it's barely even food anymore. In fact, think about how many "foods" you associate with their packaging instead of their contents. Highly processed breakfast cereals are a perfect example. Could you tell what they were made from if they were outside of their colorful boxes? They're so processed, artificially colored, and flavored that they bear no resemblance to natural foods.

When I talk about "eating outside the box," I mean eating fresh foods, not processed. I'm talking about getting into your kitchen and actually cooking your own meals instead of thawing or microwaving. Giving shopping and cooking their due respect. Taking pride in the delicious food that you can make for yourself and your family.

Recently, there have been a lot of news stories about low-carb eating going the way of the dinosaur. I've noticed that articles are always quick to cite the dwindling sales of low-carb products. But it's not the low-carb lifestyle that's going away; it's that the people doing low carb know better than to buy any processed foods. It's what low carb has taught us! Just because it says low carb on a package of cookies or candy doesn't mean that it's healthy, and we now know it.

Think about a pantry full of boxed and canned foods or a freezer full of frozen dinners -- the food that is just sitting there, preserved. You could leave them for months and return to find them in the exact same state. You can depend on them to stay exactly as you left them, because they're loaded with chemicals! All the vitamins and fiber are left in the factory, and you're left with "food" that serves only to raise your blood sugar and convert to fat. It's food you can't use. It's barely even food at all.

You deserve better.

Step Three: Get Organized

To giveStella Styleyour all, you'll need a carb-proofed kitchen filled with a variety of fresh foods and the right tools to prepare them with. The less you have to worry about, the better, so it's important to get organized early.

Start on the right foot and you'll be prepared for anything. Start strong and you'll be sure to succeed!

Creating a Temptation-Free Environment

I put a lot of emphasis on carb proofing your pantry -- your whole home, for that matter -- and there's a good reason. You can't eat what isn't there! So get that white stuff out! Throw away those bags of sugar! Do this at your strongest moment. You can do thisright now.(Go ahead. I'll wait for you.)

For you to see success, you have to see the foods of successful, healthy eating all around you, whichever cabinet you open. You have to nurture yourself with an environment that makes your new lifestyle easier. Before startingfresh,you'll have to fill a garbage bag or two. Don't be afraid to get rid of everything that isn't designed forStella Stylesuccess.

If you don't want to waste the food, give it to a neighbor or friend. You can box any packaged food that's unopened and drop it off at your local food bank. Others may not have a choice about the foods they eat, but youdo.

Remove the Refined

Refined flours, grains, rice, and everything made from them are processed by your body in almost the same way that sugar is, which is to say, quickly and with few benefits. Removing them should be your very first order of business.

Clear your pantry of any white flour, bread, pasta, rice, crackers, salty snacks, cereals, cakes, pies, muffins, and any other processed grains.

Watch Out for High-Carb Produce

I love my fruits and veggies and who doesn't? But not all of them are naturally low in carbs, making them better left for maintaining your weight (maintenance).

If you're just starting out, you'll want to avoid potatoes and all of the products made from them, as well as peas, carrots, corn, beans and legumes, raisins or most any dried fruit, pears, plums, bananas, apricots, oranges, and watermelon.

Don't worry, though. Many of these can be reintroduced as you near your desired goal.

Always Read the Ingredients

When I weighed 467 pounds, those nutritional labels may as well have been written in Latin. At first, they truly were daunting, but then I learned the language. I started recognizing the code words for the added fillers and sugars in the packaged food Ididpurchase. You have toalways, always, alwaysread the ingredients. It's important to watch for carby fillers like:

• maltodextrin
• dextrose
• modified food starch
• cornstarch

Almost as prevalent as hidden fillers in processed foods are hidden sugars, so toss anything made with these often overlooked forms of sugar:

• high-fructose corn syrup or most any "syrup"
• fructose
• glucose
• sucrose
• evaporated cane juice

It goes without saying that you should always keep a watchful eye out for the simplest to spot, just plain "sugar."

In the beginning, we had some missteps, but we quickly learned from them. We learned to watch out for bacon cured with sugar. We learned that even vanilla extract can have added sugar. We learned that the only way you can truly know what is going into your body is to turn over a package and see what it is made with. You have to look! Checking the carb count alone won't help. Small portions or trace amounts of sugars and fillers that are under the regulated marks can be omitted from the nutritional label -- which is why you need to read the ingredients!

What was at first daunting became quite simple in a relatively short amount of time. Personally, I can now look at a product and tell you what's in it -- even before I glance at the ingredients! I've read so many labels that I can just anticipate which foods will have corn syrup solids or modified food starch. Sadly, these are the staples of most food manufacturers today. The only way we can get that to change is to just stop purchasing the stuff!

So be diligent and read those labels! Even a little added sugar here and there is counterproductive, especially when you're just getting started.

Make Your Life Trans-Fat Free

You've probably heard about "trans-fats" in the news. Fats like shortening and margarine are made by hardening liquid vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation. There's a reason you won't find any hydrogenated oil in fresh foods -- hydrogenated oil isn't natural! Hydrogenated oils raise LDL, or bad, cholesterol, and decrease HDL, the good cholesterol. They've been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and are now considered worse than saturated fat!

Since there aren't always enough trans-fats in a product to be listed in the Nutrition Facts, always check the ingredients for hydrogenated or "partially" hydrogenated oils of all kinds.

What to Do with Whole Grains

When you're just getting started, you should keep your distance from whole grains for at least the first two weeks. That said, whole grains are far more wholesome than their refined cousins, and a suitable addition to the Calorie Burner approach outlined earlier. Just be sure to check the ingredients to see if what you're eating truly is "whole" grain, with the bran and germ still intact, because many breads and cereals make the claim but only usesomewhole grains in the product.

If you're a Fat Burner, you should be able to bring all whole grains back into your life as soon as you've reached your goal!

Once you've tossed the temptation from your cabinets, you'll have plenty of room for fresh, healthy food. You'll have taken your very first step toward success and you should feel proud. But teary good-byes? Who needs 'em? What's to come will be far more satisfying than a cardboard box full of processed foods.

Now, you're ready for action!

Grocery ShoppingStella Style...Infinite Possibilities!

If the kitchen is your castle, then let the grocery store be your playground.

My saying is --shop the outer aisles first,because that's where all the great, fresh, naturally low-carb foods can be found. Hey, it's where they'vealwaysbeen! Grocery stores go through great trouble to keep them fresh for a reason -- they'reworthit!

The Produce Department

When I walk into a grocery store, the first place I head for is the fresh produce section. Call me crazy, but I can never say enough about my veggies! How can you go wrong when so many of them are naturally low in carbohydrates?

Just some of the vegetables that are lowest in carbs and great every single day are:

• all lettuces
• artichokes
• asparagus
• bean sprouts
• bell peppers
• broccoli
• brussels sprouts
• cabbage
• cauliflower
• celery
• cucumbers
• eggplant
• fresh garlic and herbs
• green beans
• leeks
• mushrooms
• onions and tomatoes -- great, but only in moderation because of their high sugar content (natural sugar, that is)!
• snow peas
• spaghetti squash -- my favorite alternative to pasta!
• spinach
• yellow squash
• zucchini

You may find great deals in bulk on your produce department's reduced rack. A package of assorted vegetables can be taken home and turned into a stir-fry in minutes! Eating fresh foods,Stella Style, doesn't mean breaking the bank! In fact, when we first started, we noticed that our grocery bills actually wentdown.

You can also save time, money, and effort by purchasing chopped veggies right off your grocer's salad bar. If you're planning a small meal, why buy a whole bunch of broccoli, a whole head of cauliflower, and a whole package of green beans? Prechopped ingredients mean a quick, easy vegetable medley for one or two.

Canned and frozen vegetables are just fine if you're in a hurry, as long as they don't have any added sugars or sauces. But remember that fresh is always best!

These days, I love shopping -- and it's only now that I can see how grueling a trip to the grocery store used to be for me! Just shopping for all the junk that I ate was exhausting, never mind that at my weight, trips anywhere were few and far between. I could never decide between a box of this or a box of that, and so I always got both. We had no idea how quickly all of that processed stuff added up, especially when it never left us full or satisfied.

When it comes to fruit, you should stay away from the ones that are high in sugar, such as bananas, watermelon, grapes, and oranges. Over time, you'll be able to add apples, pears, peaches, plums, and more as you get closer to your goal -- or, if you're watching your calories and fats, even sooner! Fresh fruit is so delicious that it's important to remember not to overdo it, especially if you're just starting out.

Great low-carb fruits we use all the time are:

• blackberries
• blueberries
• cantaloupe
• cranberries
• honeydew
• lemons and limes
• raspberries
• strawberries

The Deli Counter

Though I usually slice my own lunch meats from fresh roasts and turkey breasts, I still can't escape the deli counter! If you're in a pinch, or if you're in the mood for some Italian favorites like mortadella, capicola, and salami -- always check the labels for added sugar, even if you have to ask to see the package before they start slicing! Usually, it's the better brands that are your best bet. Get a little of this and a little of that, and you'll have a last-minute antipasto platter in no time!

If I'm running late, I'll also grab one of their rotisserie chickens for dinner that night. It's quick and the closest I'll get to "fast" food.

Meats, Poultry, and Seafood

The sky's the limit in the fresh meats, poultry, and seafood departments. You'd be hard pressed to find carbs there! Plus, protein stimulates your body to turn fat into energy and it stabilizes blood sugar levels. You can't ask for more than that!

Be on the lookout for sugar added to sausage, hams, or anything store-bought that is pre-marinated.

If you're controlling carbs and watching your fat, you can't go wrong with:

• beef tenderloin
• fresh fish
• lean ground turkey or chicken
• lean pork
• lean veal
• shellfish
• shrimp
• skinless chicken breasts
• turkey breast

Dairy

Making the correct dairy choices can get a little bit tricky. If you're on the Fat Burner, you'll want to look for the full-fat forms of dairy (which tend to be lower in carbs) and stay away from milk until maintenance. If you're a Calorie Burner, you'll want to do the opposite because low-fat dairy isn'tthatmuch higher in carbs. But remember to make sure that any lower fat cheese, sour cream, or cream cheese isn't full of an abundance of added sugars!

Good full-fat dairy choices/low-fat alternatives:

• butter / light or fat-free trans-fat free margarine
• cheese / low-fat or fat-free cheese
• cream cheese / low-fat or fat-free cream cheese
• eggs / egg whites or Eggbeaters
• half-and-half / skim milk (in moderation)
• heavy cream / unsweetened soy milk
• sour cream / low-fat or fat-free sour cream, plain yogurt
• whole milk ricotta cheese / part-skim ricotta or cottage cheese

Wholesome Whole Grains

As I said, when it comes to processed foods, the bran and germ are removed from the grain in the refining process, taking away nutrients and fiber. Once ingested, the processed, refined carbs turn right to sugar in the body, raising insulin levels and slowing down the calorie burning. On the other hand, whole grains are starches that still contain their natural bran, germ, and loads of fiber. What that means is that whole grains are still intact and that's what makes them so good for you! Fiber is crucial when it comes to starches, and the more the better. Remember that fiber hel

Introduction: Getting Started

Where to start, where to start?

Let's start fresh.

I'm George Stella, professional chef and champion of fresh, healthy foods that taste great! I call itStella Style.

It seems like only yesterday that I tipped the scales at a whopping 467 pounds. That's right, 467 pounds!

Now, I'm healthier than I've ever been!

What doyouhave to lose?

Over the past seven years, my family and I have dropped a combined total of 560 pounds. We've exchanged our old habits for new, healthier ones, and we've never felt better! I'm traveling in airplanes without having to ask for a seatbelt extender. I'm fitting into smaller and smaller clothes, and no longer have to shop from specialty "big men's" catalogs.

I feel like I'm finally living the life I always should have had.

Even now, after losing more than 260 pounds and keeping the weight off for years, it's still painful for me to think back to what my life was like then. When my whole family was overweight, we couldn't do anything without attracting attention -- the stares of strangers were something we came to expect! Now, when I'm spotted in the fresh produce section of my local grocery store, I'm not getting glaring looks, and children aren't hiding behind their mother's legs. When people point at me, it isn't because I'm fat; it's because I'm the low-carb chef from TV.

Sometimes, when I need a few ingredients for my newest recipe, a trip to the store can take hours! Seems everyone knows my name! Seems everyone has been inspired by my family's weight loss and are hungry for more. More often than not, they'll ask --

Where should I start?Or...

How do I get started?Or...

How did you start?

Stella Style...A Fresh Start

Stella Styleis, quite simply, how we did it. It is our recipe for weight-loss success.

My family's fresh start began the moment my wife and I decided to give the low-carb lifestyle a try. We swapped our sugar-filled highly processed packaged foods for wholesome fresh foods that were naturally low in carbohydrates. We rethought the way we cooked, shopped, and ate. We rethought the way we lived.

Over the years, our eating philosophy evolved into something we callStella Style. What began as a strict low-carb "diet" has grown into a flexible lifestyle that allows us to eat a broad range of healthy and fresh foods that taste great.

For me,Stella Stylemeans preparing simple meals using the best kind of food -- fresh food. There's no reason to sentence yourself to tasteless, monotonous menus: WithStella Style, you'll eat low-carb meals, snacks, and desserts that are delicious and satisfying. Most important, you'll eat food that you love, without pinching on the portions!

WithStella Style, you'll learn to:

• Eliminate all the "white stuff" from your diet. This means refined sugars, white flour, and potatoes.
• Replace processed foods with fresh, healthy choices.
• Shop the outer aisles of your grocery store for fresh, healthy foods.
• Select the right, high-fiber veggies.
• Get into your kitchen and COOK!
• Reinvent your high-carb favorites with low-carb alternatives.
• Eat well-rounded meals.
• Surround yourself with a strong support system.
• Identify the right foods without obsessing over each and every carb.
• Keep menus simple while still staying creative.
• Eat until you're satisfied.

Living by these simple guidelines gave my family and me a fresh start and a new lease on life. I want this book to do the same for you. I want to giveyouyour fresh start toward success. Hey, I feel so great, I'm eating such delicious food, how could Inottell the world?

This book is put together for anyone who's trying to lose weight.

InStella Style, I'll give you all the information you need to make each and every recipe your own. I'll show you how to reinvent old favorites and create a few new ones along the way, so you'll never get bored or hungry. I think you'll findStella Styleto be simple, satisfying, and extremely flexible. I wouldn't have it any other way! What Iknowworks for everyone is food that just tastes good.

I've included not only carb counts for each and every recipe, but the calories, fat, protein, and fiber content as well, so whether you're just starting out or heading into the home stretch, you can tune the recipes to your liking. My sons have stepped in to offer someHealthful Hints,so you can lower some of those calorie and fat counts without sacrificing flavor.

The recipes in this book are for everyone. They all make the most of fresh, wholesome ingredients. Once you give them a try, I'll bet you never go back to your old eating habits again.

I sure didn't.

Copyright © 2006 by George Stella, Inc.

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Excerpted from Eating Stella Style: Low-Carb Recipes for Healthy Living by George Stella, Christian Stella
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.