Jen, glad to help if we can. Do you get Weight Watchers magazine in your area? library? I weigh 145 pounds at present, started at 157 pounds. I use about 18 points a day which works for me. I don't miss meals, I actually eat when I am hungry during the day but I annotate what/how much I eat in a diary so I don't forget. I know I am hungry mainly in the afternoon so that is when I 'graze' on healthy foods - fruit salads, low fat yogurts, low fat chips (small portions) and I count everything. At night I am more tired than hungry so I usually have a nice veggie/broth soup, some fish/meat (about the size of the palm of your hand and fruit or veggies. Some nights I just have soup and a slice of toast. Most of my food is in the afternoon. Do check the link above. Someone on one of these threads has posted a points calculator link online. Start reading food packages - avoid hydrogenated oils of any type. There is a lot on WW website but I can post more info for you. Please feel free to join us on the Diet Pals thread. Later on I will start posting more info on portions and points. If you can tell me a basic list of foods you enjoy eating, I can give you the points for them from my books. I have a family funeral today, so I may not be posting again until tomorrow. I will start a new thread about Weight Watchers basics. Cheers, McPeg

Thank you, Dr. Henry, for that paper on toxic GM-effects on goats. Corn & soybean & canola & cottonseed are genetically modified, the Republic Magazine stated that other grains are safe: "Other than corn, no GM grains are sold on the market. Look for 100-percent wheat pasta, couscous, rice, quinoa, oats, barley, sorghum, and dried beans (except soybeans). Most GM ingredients are products made from the “Big Four:” corn, soybeans, canola, and cottonseed. Sugar beets and 50% of Hawaii papaya are genetically modified." **** from Straw: That's why I buy sugar-cane products, rather than sugar made from beets. I fed my kid those Pepperidge Farm cookies (made from cottonseed oil) and she broke out in rashes and scratched herself bloody. I ate those cookies and had the worst hayfever: runny nose & sneezing. Went shopping yesterday: They had strawberries for $2.50 versus organic strawberries for $3.45. I sniffed both: the organic strawberries was more fragrant, versus the regular with a slight chemical scent. After sniffing both for several times, my nose was in pain (I stuck my nose too close). I realized that it's the pesticides sprayed on that inflamed my nose. My nose burned for hours afterwards Two years ago I tasted grape at the store, and had a tummy ache. Strawberries is known for the most pesticides I'm very sadden by UK’s Daily Mail report that an estimated 125,000 farmers in India have committed suicide because of crop failure and massive debt since planting GM seeds. Recent Center for Human Rights and Global Justice report: "Indian farmers bought genetically modified Bollgard Bt cotton seeds from the Gates Foundation-backed Monsanto corporation ... 85 percent of cotton grown in India being Monsanto-controlled Bt cotton by 2009. However, the seeds were expensive, and spiralling prices (coupled with planting restrictions from the multinationals selling the seeds) led farmers to hefty loans. Almost 300,000 cotton workers have committed suicide to date, some of them by drinking the same insecticides they were sold by multinationals." From Straw: Years ago I watched a documentary film "Seeds of deception" where Mexican agriculture scientists voiced concern with GM seeds corrupting the bio-diversity of local seeds, which are well-adapted to drought and adverse local conditions. Dr. Frank Lipman, from http://www.drfranklipman.com/basic-questions-on-gmos/ stated, "The major benefit of all commercial GMO’s is that they are bred to either tolerate direct application of herbicides and/or have the ability to produce their own pesticides. They have not been bred to increase yield, become drought tolerant, improve nutrition or to have any other benefit to the consumer. So at present they have no health benefit, their benefits are purely economic." *** From Straw: It's about power, money, and control. Politics and economic factors are factors, besides ill health. The vindictive dirt-throwing, defamation attacks against international scientists, and bullying tactics of big corporations made me more sick than the ill-effects of GM-foods. We are saved from our wheat being genetically-modified, thanks to the farmers voicing concerns that our wheat can't be exported, if genetically modified. More from Dr. Lipman: "In Europe, over 175 regions and over 4500 municipalities have declared themselves GM-free zones. And in 2009, Germany along with France, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Austria, Poland and Romania banned Monsanto’s MON 810 GM corn because of its documented dangers to biodiversity and human health. Additionally, states in Australia, regions in New Zealand and Brazil and the countries like Venezuela, Zambia, Sudan, Angola and others, all want to be GM-free.The balanced reporting of the press in Europe of the dangers of GMO’s made a significant contribution to the decision to reject GMO’s. Below link is a detailed list from Republic Magazine on which foods are GM-tainted: Here is a link that might be useful: List of GM foods vs. non-GM This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Sat, Mar 1, 14 at 15:06

I've been following a GF diet for over 11 years now. I remember how daunting the transition into this new world was. It does get easier as time goes by and we adjust to a new way of doing things! It's only been my husband and I in the house, but Mom just moved in. My rules are: colander for GF first, then regular pasta, then to the DW, on the days I don't drag out two colanders. I am the only one who can use the wooden spoons (for my GF cooking). I also keep separate spoon rests set up when I'm cooking "both ways". I've adapted many recipes to be GF, so unless it's pasta, all meals are GF. I generally roast poultry unstuffed now, and bake separate stuffings. We have separate toasters; I keep a separate shelf in the pantry for my pastas, flours, etc, but that's only because I can't find things unless they're organized. LOL We use the same pots and pans and cutting boards and just wash them well with hot water and soap or the DW. I've always been conscientious (ok, a bit excessive) about wiping down countertops, so crumbs aren't usually a problem. My husband has been wonderful about no "double dipping" butter, jelly, PB and the like, but now we're going to have to keep containers of "mine" and "theirs". Having more people in the house does make things a bit more complicated. I love the color coding idea. I follow it at work and will have to move it home. My husband also suggested using a label maker to mark things. I have a Zojirushi bread machine, bought in the "early days" that is working fine. I love the Bread from Anna mix. It tastes good, has some whole grains, holds up well, and acts like wheated bread in sandwiches. Welcome to the club! You're going to feel better and gain a new lease on life. :-)

talley_sue_nyc- I think baked goods can be part of a balanced diet, and they don't need to be fattening - it's how much and how often..... I've believed it as a certified nutrition instructor as well as a homemaker. On the down side, not many of the gluten-free recipes give you nutrition information, so you have to do some detective work yourself to figure it out. What kinds of things would you like to make, and what are some of the brands of ingredients you have "hoarded" away? Maybe all you need is a "good" recipe and inspiration go give some things a try. Wasted food is the most expensive food we buy! A recipe example: I had one banana that needed a new-lease-on-life this morning, so I made a recipe for Super-Simple Banana Cookies (1 small ripe banana, 1 c. oats, 2 T. dried dates - chopped fine, 2 T. chopped pecans, 2 T. coconut oil, vanilla and a pinch of salt (optional). Form into 12-dollops - I use a #50 portion scoop - flatten until they are 1/4" thick and I baked them in my convection/microwave oven - 350° 23-25 minutes. As hubby likes to put it, it's how we can eat 1 c. of oats without it being oatmeal ;-). The twelve 2-inch cookies will last us for 3-4 days. I usually make this recipe once or twice a month. I'm also a stickler about serving sizes and the number of servings from the 4 food groups we consume each day. I have a short list of recipes I use 1 banana in, like a G-F Banana Snack Cake which uses 1/4-cup butter for an 8-inch cake, which at our house is 16-servings. Serve it with some fresh fruit and you won't require large pieces. Wolfing down food without savoring each lovely bite is one cause of over-eating, so slow down and one small piece of cake will be most satisfying. This recipe is generally made on Friday or Saturday morning for the weekend drop-by traffic. People who eat it love it and never realize it's gluten-free. I make small silver dollar pancakes using 2 eggs and 1 ripe banana. It's more than enough pancakes for the two of us. I also make Buckwheat Banana Pancakes (using 1 ripe banana) and the fat is from 2 T. of peanut butter - not even an egg in the recipe. We have pancakes every Monday morning and the recipes are made from a variety of ingredients - cooked quinoa, soaked oats, and sprouted lentils. None are high-fat or high-sugar, and I always keep a stack in the freezer. Some pancakes will actually work as a sandwich wrap, in a pinch.... if you add some chopped chives and dill weed the pancake wraps are a substitute for the much loved dill bread. One loaf of g-f banana bread makes twelve 1/2-inch-slices and has 2 T. oil and the fat from 3-eggs in the recipe. But those three eggs, along with the almond flour and coconut flour also make them high in protein and fiber, and the 2"x3"x1/2" slice is more satisfying than eating two or three slices of traditional banana bread baked in a 9x5-inch loaf, with all it's sugar and empty, addictive, carbs from wheat flour. Carbs make us fat as well. That loaf of banana bread will last us for 6 Sundays. We have one slice of a quick bread as part of breakfast each Sunday. We have one regular-size muffin as part of breakfast on Saturday morning. Another place to get whole grains like oats and quinoa, and I make sure it's also high-protein, low-fat, and low-sugar. So one recipe making 12-muffins will last for 6 weeks. Once again, serve it with fresh fruit. Baked goods are just one source of fat in our diets, and it all adds up no matter what the source is, but fat is also an essential element for good health and we should include "good" fats in our diet. Eating too much of anything is a waste of food, so I would start there for inspiration, rather than worrying about one type of food in the diet. In truth, over-eating is not much of an option on a $125/month food budget for 2 adults (I typically allot $10/week for meat, and try to keep meat purchases to $2 per pound, or less). Hubby takes his lunch to work, and we rarely eat out, but there are home-baked goodies available as part of our regular diet. If you haven't discovered Elana Amsterdam's web site - http://elanaspantry.com/ - you might give it a look. I've used so many of her recipes from her web site, and I also have copies of "The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook", and "Paleo Cooking from Elana's Pantry" by her. -Grainlady