Do you need to shed a few pounds for summer?

You may remember me posting, last year, about a weightloss book by Cynthia Sass entitled “Cinch!: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches!” Cinch! told us how to eat whole foods in order to lose weight in a healthy way. Well, Cynthia Sass has a new book entitled “s.a.s.s! yourself slim”

In “S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim“, she uses 5 powerful super foods to help you lose weight quickly. There is a 5 day jump start that can help you lose up to 8 pounds in those 5 days! I’ve mentioned before how I struggle with my weight and I have found ways that work for me, losing 26 pounds in the process! When my husband was laid off from work last fall, we had a very limited income and resorted to eating lots of pasta dishes that we could stretch over the course of  2 – 3 meals. (Supper and lunch the next day or super 2 nights). Because my family will NOT eat whole wheat pasta, I put some of my weight I had lost, back on. About 10 pounds!

I have healthy new recipes that we can stretch if need be. But for now, things are good and I am going to try out the S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim 25 day (with 5 day jumpstart) plan to get myself back on track and to get those 10 pounds back off my body. I just received the book so I can’t do a full review yet. But I can tell you a bit about it and share some cool downloadable information with you.

S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim is a 30-day plan in two parts. Part one is a 5-Day Fast Forward option that jump starts your results. It calls for four simple meals a day, made from just five foods: spinach, almonds, raspberries, eggs, and yogurt (or vegan-friendly alternatives). Cynthia selected these foods because each is filling, rich in detoxifying and health-protecting nutrients, and has been scientifically shown to specifically support weight loss. Using these five superior foods in various combinations daily for five days gives your body, mind, and taste buds a fresh start and will help you shed up to eight pounds quickly.

Part two is a 25-day plan (30 days if you forego the Fast Forward option) which also calls for four meals a day, but now draws from a broad but specific array of food choices. And with this part of the plan, you can easily drop a size in just one month. The Core is based on cutting edge research and three key rules that work in synergy to provide real and lasting results:

• Rule #1: Eat Like Clockwork. Meal timing is important — you must eat breakfast within an hour of waking up and space the remaining meals evenly throughout the day, no sooner than three and no more than five hours apart, in order to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels and hunger hormones; reset and rev up metabolism; and keep feeling energized.

• Rule #2: Think 5 Pieces 4 Times a Day. Each meal in the S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim plan is constructed as a unique “puzzle” made from five pieces: produce, a whole grain, lean protein, plant-based fat, and specific seasonings — or, as Cynthia refers to them, SASS (more about that below). Following the plan is as easy as knowing what the five pieces of the puzzle are and how much of each one to include at every meal. This becomes second nature within the first week. This simple approach allows you to consistently S.A.S.S. yourself whether you’re at home, at a restaurant, or on vacation. It’s as easy as choosing from Cynthia’s 100 delicious recipes or using the DIY chapter to build your own ‘5 piece puzzle’ meals.

• Rule #3: Make Flavor Your Focus. S.A.S.S. — the fifth piece of the puzzle (above) — stands for Slimming and Satiating Seasonings: vinegar, citrus juice or zest, hot peppers, tea, and herbs and spices. These five additions not only add flavor to the meals without excess calories or sodium, they are scientifically proven to maximize your body’s fat-burning furnace and are rich in antioxidants, which have been linked to lower body-fat levels, even without dieting.

The book also includes chapters on emotional eating, falling in love with walking, and an entire chapter devoted to the health and weight loss benefits of the daily dark chocolate escape. On this plan you can shed pounds while enjoying satisfying recipes, such as Berry Almond French Toast, a Smoked Gouda and Grilled Onion Salad, Ginger Pear Smoothie, and Shrimp Creole. Vegetarians, vegans, and those following a gluten free diet can also follow this plan to achieve sustainable weight loss success.

S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim teaches you how to get your body back, and refocus your attention and energy where they should be — on living and enjoying your life.

I’m not a fan of raspberries so I’m not sure how well I’ll do on the 5 day jumpstart but I plan on giving it a try and then moving myself back in to my vegan/vegetarian lifestyle I had last spring. That plan worked REALLY well for me and was how I managed to lose 26 pounds in 6 weeks!

Check out these great downloads offering some tips from author Cynthia Sass.

Surprising Tips about Weight Loss from SASS! Yourself Slim (38)

SASS Yourself Slim Chocolate One-Sheet (30)

SASS Yourself slim - Almonds (29)

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim as a member of One2One network. all opinions are my own. No monetary compensation was received.