YOU: On a Diet - and other Oprah inspired diets - Hi all

Just thought I'd pop over and say Hi. I've been reading over the posts for about a week but have yet to post (I usually post on the 100+ Club).

My name is Dawnyal, I'm married (DH Jeff) and have three beautiful children. Christopher (my darling stepson), Lilly (15 months), and William (2 months). I live in very rural Oklahoma with our three dogs and two horses.

I've been watching Dr. Phil's weight loss challenge from the beginning. I was preggers at the time it started or I would've loved to submit for it. I asked for his book for Christmas and got it. I started reading it the last month of my pregnancy and started working on the first couple of keys. Then I even gave away most of my larger winter clothes away while PG so I wouldn't have them to fall back on after I had the baby.

I got stalled and overwhelmed. I vowed to read the book from cover to cover and not jump ahead to read about the food portion yet I couldn't figure out how to follow the book and lose weight without changing what/how I eat. So I bought the quick start book and was going to start doing it. Well DH isn't ready to give up all his foods yet and the situation we are in now I can't totally create a no-fail environment in the kitchen. So I'm still implementing Dr. Phil's keys to change my behavior and way of thinking about food but I'm using weight watcher now to control what I eat since I need more structure.
What I am doing to create my no-fail environment in the kitchen is this--as we run out of salad dressing replace it with FF or low-fat, same with mayo and everything else. That way it's not such a shock to the family either.

I've really enjoyed reading the chapter posts and look forward to losing the weight with ya'll. I have to say his key four is what is really helping me along, getting through those few moments and not getting overwhelmed.

Dawnyal, I was thinking about your problem with the no-fail environment and I also have that problem because I have this really really thin 17 year old son and so he has his chips and his breakfast bars, and his cup o noodle stuff he likes, and he shouldn't have to suffer because of me. But what I did was to take a cupboard that was full of stuff like old dishes and mugs I never use and moved all that stuff out and that is "MY" no-fail environment.
same thing with the refrigerator, my sons have their pop and whatever, so I took the shelf that is eye level to me, and I put all my no-fail stuff on that shelf for "ME" like my pickles, and my sauerkraut, and my no suger ice tea, and all the stuff I pack for my lunches for work.
so maybe you can just section off a place for you to have your no-fail zone.
but I don't yet have the Dr. Phil books at all because I record his shows when I'm at work to watch later and I go into his web site for lots of weight loss information, so I feel like I have the just of the idea he presents..

Hi Dawn and Welcome!

Before the book and creating a "no-fail environment," I got resistance from my family members because they were skeptical of yet another diet. I did the same as partytime - I took a cabinet I used for baking stuff, got rid of it and moved in my food. Same with the frig - I took the 2 bottom produce drawers for my food, and no one was to touch it.

As the weight came off, my DH not only became very cooperative, he wanted in on it too. Unbeknownst to him, though, he had been eating healthy right along with me except he had his bread and potatoes. You'd be surprised how easiy he addapted to the new tastes AND when he saw the results, didn't mind trying new things. He was also pleased to see I was spending less at the grocery store.

This is the attitude I took - It's my kitchen. I shop for the food, I cook the food, and I serve the food. Therefore, it is my responsibility for what not only goes into my my mouth, but also that of my family. I hold myself accountable for not only my obesity, but that of my DH who gained right along with me, and my adult son because now I can see it was because of the way I fed him that he has a problem as an adult.

THEN, Dr. Phil's programs and the book came out, and I was reassured I did the right thing. By that time, we were well on our way back to health.

I hope you both will join us on the weekly discussion thread.

Best,

dip

Thanks for the welcome all. I should've mentioned, when I first approached DH about this I got the resistance. Now I pretty much have a no-fail environment. I do still have raisins and gummy bears for my daughter but I don't touch them.

Since I've been eating differently for two weeks, he is already talking about when he gets his weight down and he is a great help at measuring out food for me when necessary. We both take turns cooking lunch and dinner. I'll probably be going back to work in a couple of weeks and most of cooking for dinner will be up to him. You bet I'll be coordinating with him on what to have though.

I'll be sure and hop on over to the weekly discussion with you.