A Crazy Idea/What this Blog is All About

The days when my husband and I are at home, we can usually be found on our couches, working on our laptops, with the tv on in the background. One particular rainy day, a show titled "Too Fat for 15" came on. Since we were both busy working, we didn't bother changing the channel, but let it play on. Soon, we became interested in the show. It was about a teenager from the UK who weighed over 400 pounds and her journey to lose the weight. During the show, she and one of the other girls made a comment that their overeating was similar to that of an addiction, and how hard it was to battle this particular demon since food was something humans needed to live, unlike alcohol or heroin. As my husband and I listened, I queried how difficult it would be to have such an addiction, or just to sustain a lifestyle where one overeats, if it was not for the plentitude of pre-made, ready-to-go snacks & meals that we have everywhere. Junk food is EVERYWHERE. If there weren't snacks or chips that we could just pick up and munch on, if we had to actually prepare every single meal, would we be so overweight? We agreed that it would probably be unlikely (if for no other reason than one does not want to be constantly cooking). Then, my husband looked at me, and said, "Why don't we try it? Just for a month?"

After some hesitation, I decided I was game. My husband also added, "we should blog about it." Well, why not? So, for a month, beginning on Monday, we will be eschewing prepackaged foods, and making every single meal (except for those times we dine out at restaurants--because social lives are good, too). As a couple who already cooks plenty, I hope that we can dominate this challenge we've set for ourselves. However, as I look around my kitchen, I'm surprised by all the prepackaged foods I find. This should be interesting.

The Rules:
1) Nothing prepackaged: a short but not exhaustive list includes: frozen pizza, frozen dinners, cereal, cookies aisle, patoato chips, canned foods, etc. The only things to be found in our kitchen will be "ingredients."
2) If it's available from the edge of the store, it has to be bought there. This includes cheese, meat, fish, and produce. (This rule mainly came about after our discussion of cheese)
3) Eating out, or ordering in, will be limited to once a week (otherwise, that's a convenient loophole to exploit--my husband & I are quite good at loopholes).
4) And, as it was a weight-loss program that inspired this whole idea, most, if not all, of our meals will be healthy ones. So, no fried chicken...or donuts...or ice cream...the blog will still be exciting, though, I promise!