I have a house full of pickey eaters. Including myself. How do I do this, most of the recipes I have seen on the Alli menu have stuff that no one in my house would eat or stuff that I would not eat. How do I deal with this problem.

Make our own menu .. just make it healthy.

Give us an idea of what you and your family eat on a normal day.

Pork, Chicken, and Beef. Green Beans, Corn, and Potatoes. I do not like mushrooms, tomatoes, fish, peas, broccoli, califlower, alcohol, and any other COOKED vegies. I only can eat the three I listed cooked.

On a normal day, we eat pizza, fried potatoes, mac and cheese, pork, chicken, beef, corn, green beans, rice, flavored rice, flavored potatoes, augraten potatoes, cheese, grilled barbequed meets, baked potates, fried foods.

Well .. what about making "wraps" using chicken, rice, some cheese, etc.  Do you eat lettuce ???

 Wow you sound so much like me 1 year ago. I had to retrain my taste buds to like foods. Figure out what makes you dislike something-  is it taste or texture or even smell?  If it is texture then you would be very suprised how easy this is to overcome. If it is taste then you can start with disguising the taste with sauces and foods you like(same with smell). But either way I would advise you to really convince yourself that you will try new foods that are less starchy and higher in nutrients. I pick a new veggie or fruit a week and try it every day cooked a different way- usually within a few days I can find a way to get myself to eat it.  Do you like V-8? or even V-8 splash? (which is fruity instead of tomatoey) How about stews or cassaroles that incoorporate a variety of veggies- will you consider trying them mixed in?

I just give you these suggestions since I know where you are coming from: last september my diet consisted of meat, pastas and breads, and green beans.  No other fruits or veggies at all in any form. I am still learning ways to bring more fruits and veggies into my diet but I am doing so much better every since I told myself that I can do it and I will do it for my health and for my family.

 My diet before alli was pretty close to yours.  I've tried to incorporates some of the new ideas, ingredients and cooking techniques that I have learned from the website, the book and the companion booklets.

Here's what I have done to enjoy some of the same foods that I did before (or at least trick myself into thinking I'm eating the same things :o))

Pizza:  Lean Pockets (1 pizza kind and a big romaine salad with light italian dressing)

Fried Potatoes:  Diced red potatoes tossed with light italian dressing and italian seasoning

Mac & Cheese:  I make it just like they taught us in home ec without the butter.  Skim/lowfat milk and flour to make a "roux", whole wheat pasta and fat free cheddar cheese.  <~~~One of my favorites.

Green Beans:  This was a big one for me b/c I used a lot of butter before alli.  I've found that Worchestershire sauce and a little minced onion make all the difference in the world.  There's lots of days that I just take a can of green beans with W sauce for lunch.

Rice:  I completely got rid of all of my white rice and now, brown rice has become a staple in my house.  I make "fried" rice at least once a week.  Start with a little bit of EVOO (gotta love Rachel Ray!!!) or vegetable oil.  Sautee chopped green onion, minced garlic and green pepper in a large skillet.  (That is one of the best smells ever!!)  While that is sauteeing, microwave your brown rice.  In another skillet, brown some lean hamburger or chicken breast with a little soy sauce.  Mix everything together and there you go!   <~~~another one of my favorites!!!!

Corn: I don't do a lot of corn but my husband LOVES it so I have to every so often.  I went to our local farmer's market a couple of weeks ago and found some sweet corn on the cob. IT IS SOOOOO GOOD!  A little bit of salt and it's good to go.

I hope that helps!!!

SW: 335 (6/1/08)   CW: 322 (8/6/08)   13 lbs GONE FOREVER!!!