When I cleaned out my pantry, I took unopened food to the food bank. They were thrilled to get it, I felt good, it didn't go to waste, and you can count it as a charitable deduction on your income taxes. What was opened went down the disposal and I didn't fell bad at all about not being a human disposal for bad food.

I am on my second reading of the book...don't want to miss anything. I've been doing a combination of WW Core/SBD so the plan is not too different. I will lose 20 pounds this year so that I am healthier. My husband gave me a year's membership to Curves (at my request) and it is a 10 minute walk from my house. On the days I don't go to Curves, I'll walk at least 30 minutes.

The way I deal with the munchies for the wrong reasons (anything but true hunger) is this...I made myself a jar and put alternatives to eating on slips of paper...read a book, call a friend, go for a walk, quilt, etc. When I feel like eating because I am bored, stressed, etc., I draw out a slip and do it for 30 minutes. If I still feel the need to eat, I have a piece of fruit of some veggies. I know that if I don't want the fruit or veggies, I'm not really hungry but "wanting."

QuilterinVA you are right up the road from us. We are just south of the James River Bridge in IOW county.

I mentioned the food bank to DH last night. He just kind of listened without saying much. I cleaned up the kitchen this morning and I think I will go through the cupboards and pull out all the no-no's and see what is really needing to be thrown out and what good choices we have already made. I think there may not be as much as DH thinks there will be. But ya never know until you really look I guess.

Here is my biggest issue.... we just bought 150lbs of beef and a whole pig in Nov. and our freezer is FULL! I am more of a chicken eater but DH is a farm boy and likes his red meat. I will say that these cuts are all super lean but yep they all came from 4 legged creatures right off DH's dad's farm in Iowa. Do you think it is possible to stock up on chicken and turkey and then once or twice a week make a healthy meal with the meat we already have?

HELP I know DH will not give the meat away.

H

I think it would be fine to give him some good, lean red meat once or twice a week. We have to have something we enjoy. I love pork chops. I'd not give the meat away, either.

I am so glad someone else thinks Oprah should keep her mouth closed and let her guests talk. She does this all the time, and always bring the attention back to her, I can't watch her show anymore because of this.
I just had to say this, am so glad I am not the only one who notices this!!

I was given the book as a christmas present (along with a nifty new scale and some exercise equipment) I started reading it last night, but I'm only in the 50s page wise (I have a ways to go, eh?). I'm enjoying the read so far, but I'm kind of impatient and tempted to skip ahead. I won't though. I like that they're going by waist measurments, but there's no way I'll be able to keep myself from jumping on the scale.. heh.

Hm.. as for cleaning out the bad foods, I really can't do that. I live with my parents and there's no way they'd throw the stuff out. They don't mind buying me the foods I need.. so I can deal with their stuff being around. I would love for my whole family to get in on it so they could all be healthy as well, but that'll never happen.


Suppose I should get back to reading the book. Hoping I'll post more now.. haven't posted much around the board 'cause I'm a little shy, hehe.

Pantry is cleaned out and the fridge is tomorrow.

The kids were mortified and what was being stolen from their kitchen...LOL.
I made a deal with them though about the pancake mix, the canned peaches and the fruit snacks. They can eat them but when they are gone they are gone! Sunday is pancake dinner at our house so that one is a bit hard on all of us but they have 2 boxes to go through before they need to come up with a new tradition. I guess DH and I will settle for eggs and veggies while they eat their pancakes.

I need to re-read the book in parts...can anyone tell me what the word is on potatoes? Good thing or Bad thing? I say good - but then my opinion put me in a size 14/16 when I was in a size 8 just 2 short years ago.

One thing you could try to get your household to follow suit is to offer to cook once or twice a week. My DW was "absolutely" not going to do this with me, but since I'm the chef and was making meals this way, she realized that the meals tasted great and yesterday SHE cleaned out the cabinets. It also helped a bit when she realized Oprah was a proponent of the plan (My God! Oprah should really just run for world dictator and get it over with )

My wife is a meat and potatoes kind of girl and I can take it or leave it, so I compromised with her. We have Beef night every other week. If they are lean cuts, why not? The books says preferably... not it must be this way

I LOVE this idea!

I just wanted to check in. Just found out that I am pregnant with number two! Wooo HOooo! Luckily, making good choices is a "diet" I can do while pregnant. I'm sticking with YOU but obviously not taking waist measurements anymore. My goal is to only gain 20 pounds while pregnant (recommended is 15-35, so a perfectly healthy goal) and then in a good 9 or 10 months, hit it hard and get down to goal.

I want to tell you all about my perfect lunch that I've found. I found some whole wheat tortillas (Mission brand, but I'm sure there are others) and they are full of fiber, don't have any of the naughty ingredients, and do not taste like tree bark. I spread on some Laughing Cow Light cheese spread, chicken and a ton of spinach. Fills me up and is something I can truly eat every day.

For those of you with families, my husband and toddler are eating my foods. Obviously the little one gets things like whole milk, pastas, and some snacks like crackers, but she is under average weight so I need to keep some things in her diet. I've always refused to be a short order cook, so she always eats at least a variation of what we are eating. We are eating healthy, fresh meals and all happy about it.

Congratulations!!!! I'm so happy for you! And that's great that your family eats with you. Toddlers aren't so hard to introduce new foods to, as long as Happy Meals aren't one of the first ones they try. I had a really hard time getting my son to eat whole foods until he got that Mctaste out of his system. He loves it now. He's 13 and reads labels on everything.

Sweet potatoes are always good, but I'm thinking you mean white ones. Russet potatoes are included in a recipe given on page 292, "Turkey Tortilla Wraps with Red Baked Potatoes" and 1 large potato is considered 2 servings. I noticed that in the sample eating menus given, white potatoes are only listed once per week, and this recipe is it. I personally wouldn't usually pair a tortilla dish with a baked potato, and have saved mine to serve with a grilled chicken and broccoli topping at times.

Time for thread number 3!!