Simple answer: no.

1. "Breads, pies, and [some] real butter" are not the biggest culprits in the bad-eating world. Fats are. And they come from many sources (especially red meats).

2. There's a word that fits here: "moderation".

3. ... and another word: "exercise".

Start looking for recipes that involve LOTS of layers of flavor without the need for "bulk".

Have fun with ethnic cuisines and their recipes.

Dance. Or find an exercise that you REALLY LIKE (gyms are BORING).

Eat your veggies. And your fruits. LOTS of them. Get excited baout veggie and fruit recipes (I have a ton of them).

Maybe olive oil -- instead of butter in some recipes -- will find a place on your palette.

Drink LOTS of water -- not just "eight glasses a day". Double that. And "water" is found in all kinds of drinks (exceptions: don't do the caffiene and alcohol routes.)

Do you have recipes for pies that use a substitute for real sugar?

Do your bread recipes call for whole grains and lots of goodies that add FLAVOR.

I have lost over 50 pounds in the last 2 years. The stresses of a divorce caused me to indulge in WAY too much comfort food. But the fact is, I know I eat more now that I did then but I now eat much healthier. And I also get all kinds of special exercise.

Joe

My husband and I decided we each needed to lose weight. We had several friends who had been successful on weight watchers so we tried it. We joined online, did not go to meetings and each met our goals within about 6 months. I lost 25 lbs and he lost about 35lbs.

I think what helped me the most was my passion for food and cooking. I really stepped up to the challenge of cooking tasty, healthy and interesting meals.

I made a lot of food for each meal so we never felt deprived and I discovered that soups and salads were ways to be quite creative. It helped a lot to have soup as a first course at dinner and to have salads at lunch and dinner. I also served several fresh vegetables at dinner and lunch. So instead of a protein, a starch and a green vegetable, I had soup, salad, a chicken,fish or veggie main, and 3 green vegetables like brocoli, green beans AND zuchini. We ate roasted baby red potatoes a lot and brown rice rather than white (more fiber, fewer points) I learned to add lentils to the rice to increase the fiber and the nutritional value. We ended up having lots of left over veggies, potatoes and rice dishes in the fridge that were easy munchies for all those times when you want to be chewing on something.

Having soup and salad first helped in 2 ways. It gave me a place to be really creative and it helped take the edge off the hunger for almost no points. There are a lot of things you can put together in soup that are 0 points. If you measure your olive oil and use either good wine vinegar or fresh lemon or lime juice you really can cut way back on the salad dressing. A tsp. of olive oil goes a lot further than you think when you toss the greens in it before adding the other ingredients to the salad.
I used the "recipe builder" tool on the WW site for every meal, whether or not it was an actual recipe. That way I learned a few tricks to lower the point values of favorite meals by figuring out what to combine with what. For instance I learned that the higher the fiber content in a recipe the lower the points. So, I made sure to add some extra fiber (often in the form of 2Tbs. of Fiber-One cereal) whenever possible. Breakfast was (and still is) a handful of fresh berries, 1 cup fat free plain yogurt, 2T fiber one. 1 point! Creamy, tasty and healthy. (without the fiber one its 2 points - go figure!)

I discovered Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches and fudge bars. I like those better than the WW brand. Arnolds Bread makes a product called Sandwich Thins. The multi-grain ones are 1 point, taste good and let you have a real sandwich. I like those better than the WW breads too. The WW bread products are puffed up with air and taste: eh.

I also walk about 30 minutes everyday. That is pretty easy for me, given that I live in an urban environment. I don't own a car so my daily chores, errands, work etc. are all opportunities to walk.

I guess I went overboard in this post. I am sorry but I did get a bit obsessive about the weight watchers thing and maybe I still am.

Good luck on your quest for the best way to do it for you.

I'm another person who lost a substantial amount of weight while posting regularly to the cooking forum and maintaining my passion for cooking and eating.

My "diet plan" is simple. I eat anything I want, whenever I want, but I can only eat half of it. When gas went up to $3 a gallon I started walking to work, walking to church, walking to the grocery store. If I wanted a candy bar, I could have one. Well, I could have HALF of one, but I had to walk the half mile to the grocery store to buy it first, LOL.

We all know what is healthy and what isn't. I'm the type that immediately wants whatever I'm not supposed to have, so I didn't deny myself anything. If I wanted a cookie, I had one, but not six.

Moderation in all things, except that exercise thing. I didn't join any clubs, buy any special food, go to any meetings, buy any expensive exercise equipment or join a gym to take a class. I just started walking everywhere and ate half a serving of everything except fruits and vegetables which I could have as much as I wanted of. Half a burger or half a cupcake or half a cup of popcorn instead of a cup.

The equation is simple. Eat less, move more. It worked for me.

Annie

I'm a firm believer in the "newer" trend that believes sugar and caffeine are the bad guys. I've never been a sweet eater or a soda drinker, and I've never been over weight. I've been interested in natural foods since I was 20 years old, now 39, and have worked hard to eliminate processed, chemical, high fructose corn syrup products from my diet. This is what led me to cooking from scratch so much. I do, and have almost always, used real butter, occasional bacon fat, etc. I do not feel that I deny myself in anyway when it comes to food.

I do think that some people are just naturally heavier than others. That's just like some people have blue eyes and some have brown. Also, different ages produce different weights. I weigh 40 pounds more than I did at 18, but I'm still "healthy" according to my dr's. I also think that you really have to look at what you are eating because if you feel you are over weight then it just isn't working for you. Carbs, may be the culprit... maybe fat. I love food and I love good food. But, I do not love food so much that I eat when I'm not hungry or eat until I'm miserable (unless it is chicken fried steak, lol).

I love bread, but I rarely "crave" it. This year I decided to only eat home made bread and not any store bought. I like pasta just fine, but also don't crave it. The starch I crave most is potatoes. I've seen nutritional charts that list them as the most nutritious veg/starch and yet they get such a bad rap. We have mashed potatoes twice a week, usually. I think that mashed or whipped potatoes have less fat than a baked one. Per spoon full, my whipped ones have less butter than a baked one. As well, I like baked potatoes with sour cream. So that's quadruple, if not, more the fat.

I'm rambling... My point is that I really believe the right way of eating is different for each person. I think we probably fall into certain types of groups... but it's different for each of us.

Here's an example of a few regular working night meals.

Baked chicken breast, on the bone, drizzled with olive oil over sliced raw sweet potatoes with garlic, onion, and hot peppers. All baked in the oven at the same time. Served with a romaine and arugula salad.

I made a pot roast on saturday. Tonight we had corn tortillas heated and filled with shredded roast, refried beans, lettuce, tomato, and salsa, with avacado slices on the side.

Last night was split pea soup, with one link (4-5 inches long) of cooked, sliced sausage added to it. Potato flat bread, made from left over mashed potatoes and flour. Sliced cucumbers with a greek dressing. And... parmesan cheese to top the soup.

Another favorite is steak milanese. Just very thin sliced steak, cooked in olive oil with salt and pepper. Mashed potatoes and salad (with whatever vegie we have convenient on the side - green beans, dried beans, squash, cucumbers and tomatoes, etc.)

Sometimes we just have a baked omelet (with onions and cheese) with garlic bread and a salad.

I feel like we are eating like kings most of the time. Please correct me if your opinion differs. I don't even know why I'm talking about this... Please don't anyone get mad at me. I have friends with weight issues (or so they think) who just hate me sometimes. But, they eat at McDonalds 5 times a week for lunch and 4 for breakfast. And then hit restaurants for supper. I often wonder if there really is an answer. There were heavy people even back when most of us had to labor hard all day and didn't have much to eat. So, what does that tell us?

I've lost about 25 lbs in the past year, and was diagnosed recently with high blood pressure. This was after the weight loss, adding walking and exercise to my daily activities, and having a husband who's a heart patient as of this past January. Well, we're both over 50 - DH has heart-health issues in his genetics, and I have hi BP issues in mine.

Learning to cook healthier doesn't change ones passion for cooking - it just challenges it. It also challenges the pocketbook a little as many of the "reduced fat" convenience foods are higher in price than the regular ones.

I've found two cookbooks and a magazine that I love - we have hardly found any bad recipes in any of the three. One is called "Homestyle Cooking Made Healthy", the other "Cooking Healthy Across America," and the magazine is "Cooking Light." I found the two cookbooks at the library and then later found almost new copies in my favorite used bookstore for $3 each. I just tried one issue of Cooking Light from the store, and sent in a subscription form.

Eating out isn't always the problem. It's what and where you choose to eat. Fast food places are notoriously for high calorie, high-fat foods. Yet some are making some changes - Carls Jr and Wendy's both offer a salad in place of the French fries in the "value meal" - now if only we could get Wendy's to offer a better selection of reduced or no fat dressings to go with it. Sit down restaurants ... when you order a meal, order all dressings, sauces, whipped butter and cream, etc on the side.

We just got back from a 6-day trip to the LA area. You'd think that with 3 days in Disneyland, and two days in the Hollywood area, eating out every day, I'd have gained some of my weight back. But no, I didn't gain anything. Yeah, I walked a lot - Disneyland and California Adventure make you do that. Every morning I went to the hotel's continental breakfast, and got a piece of fruit (apple) and a bowl of oatmeal. The only thing in that oatmeal was Equal. When we went to a sit-down restaurant, most sauces-butters-creams-dressings were ordered "on the side". My biggest problem was at one restaurant where I was given a choice - here it was 7 at night and I could choose lemonade with no caffeine but full of sugar, or a diet soda with no caffeine. I didn't see the choices ahead of time or I would have opted for water. So my advice is - check out the drink dispenser if your drinks are self-serve.

DonnaR/CA

Great question!

I actually find that it's easier for me to keep my weight under control when I cook, vs. eating out. But that's because I have a pretty big appetite, and love food; so I usually cook things that are healthier/lighter than restaurant fare, so that I can eat the quantities that I want.

I have had some success with weight watchers in the past. But I find it hard to eat enough vegetables to satisfy my appetite while still keeping points low enough to lose weight, so I tend to re-gain when my motivation fades. BUT I think it's a great program, and like the fact that nothing is off limits. And I think that if I had more weight to lose, or if I exercised more, weight watchers might be more effective.

I think there is a common belief/expectation/perception that 'light' food will be bland or taste bad, or use a lot of artificial products. I definitely find that with friends, and some relatives. But with the right cookbooks/recipe sources, 'light' food can be delicious. I frequently cook things for friends, and many of the things that they think are particularly fattening are recipes from cooking light or similar sources.

If you want to lose weight -- either with a serious weight loss program or just gradually scale back some recipes --- I'd really recommend browsing some health-oriented cookbooks or cooking websites. I've liked the handful of recipes I tried from cook's illustrated's "the best light recipe," and their testing process has given me ideas for lightening my own recipes (and also tips on which 'light' products to avoid). Cooking light is also a good source, as is Eating Well. Ellie Krieger and Robin Miller's foodnetwork recipes tend to be nutritious and relatively light. Devin Alexander's most recent cookbook does a nice job of lightening more traditional comfort-type foods.

Dessert is the hardest. Most 'light' dessert recipes that I've tried are a lot lighter than full fat recipes, but not really light enough to eat every day while still losing or maintaining weight. I love my daily dessert. So I usually try to mix it up and eat light ice cream, small quantities of chocolate, or french butter cookies as lower-calorie alternatives.

That's probably far too much information! It's a topic near and dear to my heart.

I'm certainly in the "needs to lose weight" boat, but it's mostly because of my lack of time and motivation for the past umpteen years. During college, a meal was whatever I could throw together from the fridge or pizza in the middle of all night study sessions. Once I finished school I was working too many hours and didn't like cooking for one, so I ate poorly. Then I met the man who is now my DH, and I did ok for a while, cooking for the two of us and enjoying getting out hiking, geocaching and just enjoying life. Then he convinced me to get a masters degree and I was back to having no time. Working 10 hour days and coming home to 4 or 5 hours of homework didn't leave me much time or inclination to cook. After two years of this, and 20 pounds gained, we finally finished last month.

Since we finished school, I have made a point of not eating fast food (aside from an occasional grilled chicken sandwich or subway) and making more of my meals at home. I'm also catching up on work around the house, so I spend my weekends raking and cleaning and hammering instead of sitting on my butt writing papers. I've started seeing the weight drop off, but it's very slow going. Now I just have to get back to the gym in the mornings, that will help a LOT!

I tried weight watchers, but found that I lost more weight off program than on because I simply couldn't eat all my points every day. My tastes run more to fruits and vegetables so I found I had 10 or 12 points left over every day. I was told that I had to eat the points to lose weight, so I would, in the form of junk I really didn't want or need. Needless to say, this wasn't the most successful strategy!

I think "eat less, move more" really is the key, and one I'll be working on more as I catch back up in my life. Making my own meals allows me to make conscious decisions about what I'm eating and how much I'm taking in, so I think that having a passion for cooking is a great benefit in keeping meals interesting. Thanks for the ideas on where to look for healthier recipes, finding inspiration seems to always be my problem with making dinner!

Bri

I lost more than 50 pounds last year and have kept most of it off. I did have to take a bit of a break from the CF and I'm still not cooking like I used to, which is a good thing. I think body types may throw different things into the equation but for the most part, I believe any reputable diet will work if you stick to it. Starting a weight loss program is the hardest, sticking to it can also be difficult and actually hardest of all is keeping it off.

I lost mine through a low-carb, low-fat diet. I started off by walking 45 minutes a day and now I exercise a lot, 5 to 7 days of pretty hard exercise. I don't love it but I've got to do it so I do it. I'm sitting here all sticky with sweat from an hour of spinning and I just grilled a steak, made salad and roasted vegetables with a minimal amount of olive oil. You just adapt. I find it easier to limit my choices than cutting back on really delicious food so I eat really clean, simple and healthy for the most part. I love to eat and I like rich things like butter and cheese and creams and stuff. I rarely eat them any more (reduced calorie cheese I'll have... I really love butter but try to avoid it).

My downfall is a) luscious dairy products, b) portion control and c) processed carbs. If I don't have the dairy and carbs, I don't miss them so I try and avoid them except for complex carbs in whole grains and fruits and vegetables. But I can still eat a pint of ice cream. It's a serving, right? See, that's why I stay away from that. It's dairy, carbs and lack of portion control.

When I was losing weight, I brought my lunch to work every day except for the occasional work-related lunch. In that case, I vetted the restaurant... if I could get what I wanted there, then I would go. If it was a place filled with lousy choices or temptations (pizza for sure), I skipped it. Almost any place will accommodate a dietary request... ask for something without sauce, low-calorie dressings, grilled, steamed, whatever... they'll mostly do it without fuss. Honestly, I don't know what I was dreading previously, that part wasn't hard at all. And once you've lost the weight, you'll definitely know what are good choices and what aren't (which I'm sure you know already) and I'll be very surprised if you go back to bad.

I have a friend at work who just passed the 40 milestone and refuses to believe she can't eat like she used to and keep her weight off. It makes her very sad, too, to realize she can't have what she likes. It makes her so mad, she rebels and eats things that are definitely not good for her goals.

The secret to weight loss? It's diet and exercise. It works. Everyone hates to hear that but that's what it is.

We're going through a similar thing.

I am concentrating on a Mediterranean diet minus the pasta and vegetarian items. Instead of conventional carbs I'm substituting more complex ones like bulgur or farro. And I'm exploring antipasti as entrees that provide much smaller portions along with some variety.

Here's tonight's dinner, a tomato stuffed with Italian sausage, mushrooms & bulgur and zucchini carpaccio:

Last night we had a curry made with sweet potato, peas and garbanzos. We didn't even miss the rice:

We're coming up on week 5 and, so far, we're satisfied and, in eliminating the starchy carbs, we've eliminated the constant craving and sense of "hunger". We're also starting to work backward through our wardrobes to things we had to abandon as we expanded.

Good luck to everyone in your efforts!

Very interesting topic indeed!
I have lost about 30 lbs in the past year. I workout (dance) twice a week, and it doesn't feel like a workout since I love dancing :-) Also, I eat mostly soups, salads, veggies/fruits and very little carbs during the week, but indulge in the weekends, which is when I actually do cook anyways.
I read somewhere that the French stay thin as they don't gulp down food but eat very slowly savoring their small portions. if we eat fast and gulp it down, it seems we have to eat more to relish the taste.
good luck!

It's not MY cooking that causes me to gain weight, it's the food I grab because I don't have time to cook or shop or pack it. Also, for me, it's really almost totally the results of lack of exercise. Exercise also does a whole lot to curb your appetite. At leat that is my experience. I am commuting two hours a day, three days a week now, and it is KILLING me in the weight department.

This time of year is really the perfect time to diet, with all the luscious fresh fruits and vegetables available. You do have to cook differently, but not necessarily less passionately. Say what you will about chocolate, a fresh, tree ripe peach is my ticket to nirvanna.

Imrainey, I would LOVE that curry recipe. I tried a sweet potato curry last week and mine was less than stellar. Yours looks fantastic!

I too am struggling with my weight. My eating habits aren't so great and temptation is everywhere. From my office I can see a container of Swedish Fish and one of Sour Patch Kids, on a counter next to my assistant's desk. I swear I eat a fish every time I walk by.

I work in the suburbs and drive 40 minutes each way to work. Before this I worked in the city and took the train. Then I had to walk several city blocks to my office building and I went out to walk around at lunch. Ten pounds dropped off with out even trying. Ten pounds came right back when I came to work here. The power of exercise is huge.

I try to go for a walk after work, about a mile and a half, but that depends on the weather and time of year. Summers here can be ungodly hot and from December through mid-April it is dark and cold when I get home. I keep saying I will join the gym but I don't partly because it intimidates me and partly because I'm afraid I won't go and that will be $800 down the drain. Excuses, excuses!

I think if I would take more time to plan and prepare light meals I'd be better off than grabbing whatever's available.

One thing that seems to help is to keep an ongoing list of what I've eaten. I can look at the list and decide what I should or should not eat for the rest of the day. So far I have eaten some Cheerios, a banana, a cereal bar (90 calories) and a low fat iced coffee with sweetener. I am off to get lunch in a moment. Not sure what that will be.

Right now I have a bunch of peaches at home and am dying to make my favorite peach pie. I know I shouldn't but when fresh fruit is in season, I want pies and buckles etc. I love them "as is" too.

By the way, I have met Lpink and she's not heavy at all!

I totally hear you ladies! I struggle too as I'm hypothyroid and my metabolism is as efficient as a Toyota Prius! Some people are SUVs, me....sigh....my body saves every calorie and I have to work twice as hard.

For example, up to a few weeks ago, hubby and I were getting up at 5 a.m. 4 mornings a week to power walk 2 miles before work. I was eating mostly veggies, salads, fruits, plus working out on the weekends (bike riding, yard work, etc.). We've been doing this for about 3 months. Went to the doctor the other day and I GAINED 10 lbs!!! Waaahhh! :-(

So I stopped and have lost 6 lbs so far (go figure). I've also have recently went off birth control pills (no, we're not trying for any babies!) as they really are bad for your body in so many ways. In combination with hypothyroidism, I've learned that BCPs have really interfered with how my body metabolizes engery...just baffling. So, I'm hoping I'll start seeing a steady downward trend in numbers.

On top of all that, portion size is probably the biggest thing that gets me. Been working on that too.

Actually if you eliminate white flour, white rice, Sugar, pasta, etc you will be amazed at how quickly the weight will come off, and your cholesterol and blood pressure and glucose levels will normalize. Refined carbs are the enemy.

That said, clearly, eliminating those things is easier said than done. So drastically reducing them in your diet as much as you can would be a great start. I say that as someone who loves to bake, and is addicted to flour and sugar. I have had to change my ways.

Get rid of the refined carbs and load up on healthy meats (even lower fat red meats), chicken, fish, and veggies will do wonders. There are many tasty ways to cook healthy.

And of course, as others have said, Exercise. I Jazzercise (aerobic dance) 4 times a week (OK - I confess, I'm an instructor), and take 1 or 2 dance classes a week as well. But walking works, too. Start moderately - and gradually pick up the pace.

It's one of those 'Just do it' things. It's a lifestyle change, but it beats the health problems you will likely suffer down the line.

/off soapbox now :-)

Bonnie

Chickpea & Sweet Potato Curry

Recipe By: adapted from a Williams-Sonoma recipe
Serving Size: 4

2 tablespoons canola oil
 1 small onion, chopped
 2 cloves garlic, minced
 1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
 1 jalapeño chile, cleaned and finely chopped
 1 tablespoon curry powder
 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
 salt and freshly ground pepper
 1 large sweet potato , peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
 1 14-oz. can light coconut milk
 1/2 cup water
 1 cup cauliflower florets , bite-sized pieces
 3/4 cup frozen peas
 1/2 cup canned diced tomato pieces, drained
 2 tablespoons cashews, chopped, for garnish
 1 tablespoon parsely, chopped, for garnish

Make the curry base:

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chile and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the spices and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Cook the vegetables:

Add the sweet potato, chickpeas, coconut milk and water to the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high, bring just to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sweet potato is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook for about 5 more minutes. Add the peas and tomato and cook until heated through and the liquid is reduced to a thick sauce.

Serve in bowls, over rice if desired, sprinkled with parsley and cashews for garnish.

I didn't use cauliflower in the curry pictured but I added it to the recipe because I think it would be good and add bulk without calories.

Great topic - I've often wondered how people here maintain a healthy weight when I see some of the recipes and all the baking some people do.

I love to cook though I don't have as much time to really get into it as much as I'd like. I've found it to be a fun and interesting challenge to find healthy, tasteful new recipes. I will say I do not bake though - very rarely - because I love that kind of stuff and DH and I would eat it all if it was around.

In my opinion I think it's really hard to maintain a healthy weight without regular exercise - especially if you like to cook and eat. When I was getting close to 50 I realized I needed to start exercising and have done so 4-5x a week for about three years. That combined with a taste for healthy foods (nothing greasy, fried, nothing with cream, very little red meat - lots of whole grains, vegies and fruit, etc.) has allowed me to eat pretty much whatever I want and stay slim. I lost about 12 pounds when I started exercising - no change in eating habits.

I've been going to post a weight watcher's support post....
I joined in May and have lost 17 pounds.
Love the core plan where I can eat until satisfied from the list of Core foods.

I haven't changed anything as far as exercise because I hate it!! I wanted to see if I could lose weight without doing anything different. That said, I never have been one to sit very much. I don't do strenuous things, but am constantly moving. Gardening, canning, and "busy-bee" type stuff around the house. I might sit down around 9pm. Bedtime is usually around 9:30.

I love to cook and eat! Using the Core ingredients to make things that taste good has been a rather fun challenge for me. I can make a pie crust from oat flour, water, canola oil and salt (all core), fill it with fresh fruit (thicken with a little cornstarch if needed) and put an oatmeal topping on it. Yep, it's pie!

Any interest is starting a Conversations Thread to swap recipes????

Deanna

Deanna -

I'd love that pie crust recipe!

Bonnie

I find it helpful to fulfill my cooking or baking passion by cooking/baking things that i dont like. I hate peanut butter so i will make lots of treats for my kids using that. My DH really likes red onion. I do not. So i will cook with that so i keep my hands out of the food. Hope this helps.

My philosophy is that anyone can make something taste good if they use butter, chocolate, cream, etc. It takes a real cook to make something crave able without these things. My advice would be for you to investigate cooking traditions from cultures with more healthful diets. Japan for example.

I guess I have to give a plug to weight watchers here too. I joined in Jan and have lost 35 pounds, only 19 to go!

It taught me to read labels and to alter recipes. I am now cooking much more than I ever did. I used to rely on fast food and restaurants far too much. The biggest thing it taught me was portion control. I love food so much that I was eating enough to fuel a 200lb man. Now I have leaned how much it takes to fuel a 5' 2" female. Once you start eating the smaller portions you start getting full on much less food. I don't feel deprived at all. I rearranged all my cookbooks and I put the low fat and diet cook books on the bottom shelf so I reach for those first. Reading those recipes teaches you about substitutions that you can make and barely even notice a difference in taste.

I also exercise. I walk on the treadmill 4-5 days per week and I go to yoga 3 times a weeek. I have to say I feel so much better now that my clothes are getting looser instead of tighter. And I probably could have achieved the same results by cutting my portions in half like someone suggested but I like the education that I got learning about the food and weighing and measuring in the begining. Now I can eyeball 3/4 cup of cooked rice and I can guess how many ounces my meat is. Moderation is everything and skinny cow is pretty tasty :->

No real recipe, Bonnie, sorry.
Just use a "normal" pie crust recipe and make Oat Flour by processing plain oatmeal in the FP. It takes about 1 1/4 cups oatmeal to get 1 cup flour. You'll have to adjust the water a bit too. The oats seem to soak up more....but not much.
I mostly just eyeball it.

Deanna

Oh how nice to have "only" 50 lbs. to lose. I am double what I should be (about 130) and not only would need to stop eating, but drinking too. I'm sure I imbibe 800+ calories worth of alcohol on top of the day's food. Both have such a pull, and of course the drinking undermines dieting will power. It's daunting and the few short aborted starts I've made lasted less than 48 hours. I think about my weight pretty much constantly, yet manage to be cheerful and interested in the rest of my life, main interest being food reading.
This is OT, there are 2 other forums here, both under "Health", one is Diet one is Exercise & Nutrition. I suppose one could 'roll' on over there.

What a timely thread! You know, I've been scaling back my time here on the forum because of my need to lose weight. I used to check in here at least 4 times a day, especially if working. Well, I was isnpired to try many of the recipes on here... some of them not so healthy. Now I check in about once every 3 days or so. It took a lot of self control!

Sadly, I did have to curb my passion for baking in an effort to lose weight. I haven't made any sweet treats in about two months... I think... I can't even remember the last time I baked something. I've wanted to several times, but had to resist the temtation. My stand mixer is now growing a layer of dust... he gives me the evil eye every time I walk by, feeling neglected I'm sure. I've also been drinking only water at work and home (maybe an occasional glass of 1 percent milk, but nothing sweet). I've been forcing myself to exercise 3 times a week for 45 minutes (on the Gazelle glider or riding a bike that a co-worker gave me). I've gone from going to fast food restaurants while working 3 times a week to not at all. If I'm at work and didn't have time to pack a lunch, I'll run out to my car and get a granola bar (I keep a stash under the seat). I obviously need to do more because the scale isn't moving.

The Jack Daniels sampler platter at TGI Fridays has been calling my name for a while now, but I've been good about resisting lately. I LOVE it, and like to get it once a month. Haven't had it for a month or so now. The last time I got it, I split it up into two meals and only ate half at at time. That's a tip I've learned on this forum and have been using it quite a bit lately. A couple days ago, I was cleaning out some closets and got hungry. I was tired from the physical work, and it was emotionally draining to see the memories of the past as I was cleaning. I wasn't really hungry, but I still wanted to eat. I drove to Long John Silvers to place a big order to take back home and feast on. While I was waiting in line to order, I realized that I was getting this food because I was upset or frustrated and not because I needed it! I scolded myself saying, "Bobby, you just spent 10 minutes sewing a button back on your pants that you've popped off with your gut, and you're in line at Long John Silvers! Something is wrong with that!" I got back in my car without ordering, went home and made a salad with some boneless skinless chicken pieces on top.

OK... Most of my response hasn't been about cooking, so let me get on topic for a second! I did try a new thing in the kitchen that helped me with overeating. I deciced I wanted to try to make some homemade peanut sauce and fried tofu. I bought all the ingredients (incluidng peanut oil and rice vinegar which I'd never used before). Well, I don't love tofu so I will never over eat it! The peanut sauce was a little bland, so I added a lot of red pepper and made it really spicy. I'm not big on spicy foods, but I liked the sauce spicy! I just coudn't eat a lot of it. I've also read that spicy foods boots the metabolism, so double bonus. Can't handle a lot of it at a time, and it boost metabolism!

It could be a good thing to start a support group here for people who want to lose weight... With the great collection of people here, I'm sure we'd encourage each other.

I'm afraid Diana's right - after a certain age, dieting alone just won't cut it - you MUST exercise, and I'm not talking the suggested 20 minutes every other day. It has to be more, a lot more.

An acquaintance just lost 30 pounds on Jenny Craig - but now she has flabby skin all over. I suggested Pilates to her, along with some line dancing she's starting.

The Jenny Craig ads using Marie Osmond just kill me though - Marie lost a bunch of weight while she was on Dancing with the Stars - and Jenny Craig's trying to act like it was because of their diet. Not truthful at all.

Carrigan, those other forums have never developed any community - they are slow.

My problem is my sweet tooth, and the fact that I hate exercise. I do force myself to use our exercycle, but not as often as I should.

However, I have lost 10 pounds, and my husband has lost 17, by making the following changes: cutting out coffee (mainly because we both love our coffee with cream and sugar and, in my case, coffee seems to increase my appetite), and cutting out carbs for the most part. I am also a chocoholic, so I buy very dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate and only have a little piece when I crave it.

We also eat way less bread, using low carb wraps for sandwiches instead. I've never used many processed foods, so that wasn't a problem. We often have meals with just a protein and vegetables and/or salad, and fruit for dessert. If we crave potatoes, I cook reds with the skin. We've switched to brown rice and whole grains, eaten in moderation. When we do have pasta, we have whole wheat. We no longer add sugar to foods or drinks, tea, oatmeal, etc. are eaten unsweetened. It's amazing how naturally sweet foods taste once you stop sugaring everything.