Days 45-46: Creeping

So my weight loss is creeping downward but seems like things are going better: another -1.1 this time (and not even my regular weigh-in day until Thursday). I'm not 100% at tracking my food intake but every day I'm tracking something. Drinking a lot more water, which I really seem to need in the hot climate. I think I'm just not snacking mindlessly (even with the added stress I'm under this week -- and by the way there's nothing wrong with me personally, I'm fine, just concerned about someone else I know and love). And the greatly reduced snacking habit is helping me a lot to balance the fact that I don't have total control over the way meals are being prepared, whether at home or in a restaurant.

Today I had a delicious lobster ravioli dish at lunch, which I enjoyed, but it was a bit too salty so I think I'll be paying for that in water weight gain tomorrow. But I skipped the appetizer course so I could eat my main course without getting too full. The French tend to eat their big meal of the day in courses, and if they go all-out (which they do NOT do on a daily basis), they would have an appetizer, the main course, a salad afterward, then cheese followed by a dessert and coffee. We pretty much only do something that extensive on holidays, so when we eat out we limit ourselves to either an appetizer + main course (skipping dessert), OR main course + dessert (skipping the starter) to balance things out. Today, I went for the dessert which was supposed to be 3 scoops of ice cream; I asked to have just ONE.

It's not about being perfect and depriving myself; it's about moderation, balance, and making an informed decision. I'm on vacation so I want to enjoy what I am eating or drinking, without guilt. So far, that's working pretty well because I haven't felt very guilty AT ALL. :)

It's kind of fun weighing myself in kilos instead of pounds because 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds, so in metric I weigh less than half of what I weigh in American. A silly mental game, but kind of fun. Thank goodness I have a US/metric conversion app on my iPhone so I know what I'm REALLY doing.

Tomorrow will be a mixed bag: swimming in a pool in the morning, so I can get in some low-impact exercise. Then lunch at the beach followed by vegging out all afternoon on a beach chair under an umbrella (with swim breaks here and there to cool off). Then what I hope will be a very light dinner since we'll be lunching at the beach-front restaurant.

And now, back to my siesta...

Days 40-44: Ahhhh

We've been in the south of France since last weekend and the non-stop sunshine is doing us a world of good. (Although I'm not much of a hot-weather person and at times the heat is a bit too much for me, if there is no breeze. But I am a lot less needy of air conditioning than I used to be, so there's that.)

One of my challenges on this vacation is that my step-son and my sister-in-law both need to gain weight. So my husband, who is doing the cooking at the moment, is cooking to fatten them up: lots of meat and potatoes cooked with oil. Not precisely the best formula for weight LOSS (although it all tastes wonderful). We do try and off-set those heavier meals with lighter fare when we can. For instance, at lunch today my husband made one of his trademark amazing salads, and although he makes his own vinaigrette and there were avocados in the salad, it was still something I felt much better about eating. (Plus, in the heat, who wants to eat a big heavy lunch anyway, right?)

Sometimes, when we're eating out, I get lucky with the restaurant menu, too. The other day I had an amazing salad that had tiny shrimps and chunks of mango and grapefruit in it, and yesterday I had this:

Jumbo shrimp (gambas) cooked in pastis (!) over sauteed zucchini and sugar snap peas, a little steamed rice with little chunks of cucumber, and a mini-quiche. Delicious, and I didn't even eat much of the quiche (it was good but I don't really like eggs).

On days when we're at the beach, I make sure to get in some swimming and water "toning" exercises. It's been very hot so we haven't been getting in quite as much walking as we normally would, so I try and take advantage of the water when I can.

I'm drinking a lot of extra water to stay hydrated... but I do admit to having a little wine or pastis each evening. 

When I weighed in yesterday, although it wasn't my normal scale, I had lost 0.3 lbs. That's not much but it's not a gain, and with the heat I know I've been retaining a bit of water so this was a good result.

I had one more "victory" today. Although I am on vacation, I have been extremely stressed by a personal situation which I can't elaborate upon at the moment (and where it will be a few days yet before I know what's going on whether good or bad), and today while I was in the supermarket I went (on purpose) into the candy aisle, intending to buy some chocolate so that I could stress-eat later. But when I got there and looked at all the candy... I suddenly didn't want any of it! (Wow, that might be a first!) I don't know why, but it just didn't look appetizing to me in that moment. So... I walked away and bought NO junk food for myself whatsoever. If the situation in question will end up being bad news, it could be VERY bad; but it also could be nothing, or at least not be as bad as I fear. In the meantime, until I know more, I don't feel like eating to cope with the stress. That, right there, is HUGE for me.

Still, we're in a lovely part of the world and enjoying ourselves, and life is for enjoying in the moment. And that's what we're doing.

Day 38-39: Breakthroughs come when least expected

Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend the entire day with my step-daughter. She is nearly 21 and goes to university in another part of France, so we usually only see her once every so many weeks (or months). We get along well, but for whatever reason we have never gotten in the habit of spending time together doing things on our own. But yesterday after she helped me out with a personal favor, I asked if she wanted to go shoe shopping with me and I got an enthusiastic yes!

Shoe shopping turned into clothes shopping, and that turned into dinner out. During which time I was finally able to get up the nerve to approach her about a very touchy subject: her substantial weight gain during the two years she's been away at school. It's something that we have noticed for a long time, but haven't felt sure of how to talk to her about it (or whether we even had the right to bring it up at all, as she IS an adult). We know she is happy with a lot of her life: nice boyfriend, nice apartment, studies going well, likes the town she lives in. So we haven't been worried about there being any deep, dark secret she wasn't telling us; we just figured being a normal college student, she might be developing lazy eating habits, partying a little too much, and buying cheap food to stay within a budget.

Weight Watchers proved to be the thing that helped me break the ice with her about it. Last time she was home, I casually mentioned to her that I was on Weight Watchers, but I didn't say anything about HER weight. Then yesterday while we were walking around, I told her about the whole "I'm fatter than a Tongan" thing. I figured if I was open with her about my own struggles, it might eventually lead to an opening where I could either ask her about her own weight, or she might decide to volunteer something.

That opening came over dinner last night, and without sharing too many of her personal details (because this blog isn't really about her), the long and short of it is, she decided to take me up on my invitation to join Weight Watchers (I told her I wanted to support her and so did her father, and we'd pay for her to join the program). It exists in France and the system (and food lists) have been adapted to the French marketplace (and metric system), and once she understood how it worked and I showed her the tracking system, she decided to do it! She seems really excited about it, and she also told me what a good time she had spending time with me, just the two of us!

I think this is a HUGE breakthrough in our relationship and we feel closer to each other than ever before. It is not lost on me that the Universe generally gives you who and what you need most in your life, and so it is no accident that I am her step-mom and she's my step-daughter, and that we both have this weight thing in common. I also thing an added benefit for me is that this will encourage me to be more mindful of what I'm eating and of being on the program myself, because I want to be a better role model for her.

I am SO stoked right now, I can't even begin to tell you what a big deal this is in our family. I can't think of a better way to start my vacation. Which reminds me, the taxi arrives in 13 minutes so I better get going!

Days 34-37: Coasting to the coast

This week has involved the resurfacing of bad habits, mainly my habit of not taking the time to prepare meals when there are no kids to feed. My husband, apparently, has the same habit when the kids aren't around; instead of either of us preparing a meal for ourselves, 9 times out of 10 we'll either eat out, or nibble on whatever is handy - that might be something healthy, like carrot sticks and other raw veggies in season, but it also might be potato chips (him) or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (me).

With the older kids living out of the house now, and the youngest away on his summer holidays with his mom (until this weekend when he comes back with us), our mealtime habits have been pathetic. Also this week, I've gotten less exercise from cleaning our rental apartment, because the guests who are staying there have stayed longer than the guests in the preceding six weeks.

However, help is on the way, and it's called Summer in the South of France. We're heading to my sister-in-law's house for three weeks, and while we eat and drink well when we're there, I tend to lose weight there. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, although it's usually a pretty relaxing environment (Beach! Sea! Sun! Sand!), I tend to get more exercise. We walk nearly everywhere. My SIL's house is a 15-minute walk from the beaches and restaurants. I swim a lot when we're there (the Mediterranean is usually pretty calm, so I can really swim instead of just jumping up and down in the waves the way I do in New Jersey). We go places and we do things instead of sitting home in front of the computer or TV.

Secondly, we're eating mostly a Mediterranean diet and a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in season. We don't eat many fancy desserts; typical desserts are fruit or yogurt after lunch or dinner. Our food choices are just plain healthier, without us even thinking much about it.

Thirdly, because there are four of us, we prepare meals instead of lapsing into grazing mode. Both my SIL and my step-son actually need to gain some weight, so my husband and I make sure we all get good, well-rounded meals. Although there is bread (hey, this is FRANCE) and often cheese (I repeat: FRANCE) as well as wine (don't make me say it again), we shop and prepare meals, instead of grabbing whatever is handy.

Last but not least... I am busy all day long. When I'm home in Paris, I have busy periods and quiet periods, and sometimes during the quiet times (or when I'm trying to avoid working), I will snack to fill the void. When I'm on a vacation, I don't snack much and frankly, I don't miss it.

So I'm looking forward to the next three weeks and although I may not be rigidly tracking my every mouthful, I feel confident that I can get my weight loss on a better path. If I can have a bit more success, I'll feel even more motivated to keep going when I come back home.

I leave on Sunday. I can't wait. :)

Day 33: Although this feels LESS pretty

The BBC health news web site published a VERY scary depressing interesting little gadget that only calculates your BMI (body mass index, the indicator of obesity) based on your age, gender, weight and height -- but also shows you where your body fat percentage RANKS on a global scale and compared to those in your own country. It also tells you what other country you most closely match.

I (ahem) currently rank off the charts. Although I know there are many people fatter than me, right now *I* am fatter than someone from... TONGA, the fattest nation on earth. And even though the United States ranks as the 11th fattest country at 30.46 mean BMI (do you hear that, America?), my BMI is higher than 88% of American women in my age group (which is 45-59). I would have to lose 45 lbs. to match the mean BMI in the U.S. of A.


To add further insult to injury, they have a "Did you know" blurb on the site, which told me that if everyone on earth had my same BMI, it would add 174,070,898 tonnes to the world's population. Thanks so much for that, guys... I feel so much better now.

France, on the other hand, has a national average that is BELOW the global average with a mean BMI of 24.85, which is also the lowest BMI in all of Europe (Denmark is also below the global average). I would have to lose 77 lbs. to match the French BMI. Japan's mean BMI is 23.13, and after that you start getting to the list of countries where poverty and malnutrition are what most likely accounts for the decreasing BMI rates. Bangladesh has the lowest mean BMI at 19.01.

According to the World Health Organization, a BMI of 30+ is obese, 25-30 is overweight, 18.5-25 is ideal and anything under 18.5 is underweight.

Ready for a jolt of reality? Visit the site and check your own stats here. 

Yep. Wake-up call. Back on program and taking a walk today for sure. I'm sure people from Tonga are very nice but I don't want to look like one of them.

Days 30-32: I feel pretty, oh so pretty

So here's a secret (or maybe not-so-secret) tip to feeling pretty even BEFORE you lose a significant amount of weight: get a great haircut and/or color and highlights to freshen your "look". When your hair looks like a million bucks, you FEEL like a million bucks. It works every time!

For years I have dabbled with different hair lengths. Often, I want to grow my hair out because I like the way longer hair looks on OTHER women, especially in France where women often wear their long hair "up" in a twist or chignon. However, longer hair doesn't really do anything for someone my age except drag down your features, and I've never looked good with my hair "up" (and wouldn't know how to pull off a chignon if my life depended on it). So who am I kidding when I grow my hair longer?

I have finally come to terms with the fact that I do look much more attractive with short hair. I still want it to look sassy and feminine, but shorter is better in my case. The challenge with shorter hair is that you have to have it cut more often to maintain the look, and when I'm feeling pressed for funds I will sometimes take scissors in hand and try to trim it myself.

It never really works out well. And then I am left to apologize to my stylist the next time I go in and they exclaim, "WHO did this to your HAIR?" I should just save myself the embarrassment and let the professionals do the work.

Then there's the color. Mine is naturally a dark, rather mousy brown, and now it's mixed with a lot of steely grays that don't really look good on me at all. I do envy women who are able to pull off gray or even white hair and still look young, hip and fabulous... but that's not me. I've been doing the home hair color thing for years (again, to save money) but the past few times I've been very disappointed in the results, even though I'm using brands I've used for years. They just don't cover the way the professional products do.

On Thursday, I went back to the stylist across town who gave me a really good cut, color and highlights back in the spring. Of course, now it's 3 months later -- much too long to have waited -- so my hair was shaggy and overgrown, and the dark/gray roots at least 2" grown out. Every time I would look in the mirror, I would notice how tired and worn out I looked. I felt like I looked older than my 51 years, and who the hell needs THAT?

Three hours and 130€ later (and believe me, that's VERY reasonable), I feel like a whole new woman. I feel (and have been told) that I now look younger, thinner, sexier, more gorgeous, smarter and even RICHER with my new "do". I think that's time and money very well spent.

You know how when you start to lose weight and see results, you begin to carry yourself differently? You feel good about your progress and how you're looking, so you stand a little straighter, and you start to walk a bit more confidently?

You can also get the same results from making the most out of your appearance OTHER than with your weight. I have stopped wearing any clothing that doesn't fit me well (even though I haven't dropped a size yet) or that I just don't like how it looks. I'm back to wearing at least some makeup every day when I go out of the house. And now I've got this fabulous new hair.

To me, this is going to fuel my desire to drop the excess weight and to get healthier. I now feel like I look my best at my present weight; it's a natural next step to getting leaner and even more attractive. It's all part of taking care of myself in all the RIGHT ways (as opposed to, say, "treating" myself with the foods that got me fat in the first place).

If you haven't had a great cut and color in a while; if you've been walking around in frumpy, baggy sweats or yoga pants; if you've stopped even putting on lip gloss or mascara... maybe it's time to change that. Why wait until you've lost the weight to look and feel pretty? Who says you're not allowed to feel pretty TODAY?

Days 27-29 & Week 3: In the right direction

This week's weight loss: -1.4 lbs (!)
Total loss to date: -2.8 lbs

Finally, I am feeling like I'm back on track, although I'm not following the plan to the letter most days. That's where I need to do more work: being more consistent in sticking to the program. I don't want to require myself to be rigidly perfect (that doesn't work for me because "perfection" is an impossible standard to maintain, and I set myself up for disappointment if I am then NOT perfect - so I strive to be consistent and moderate in my choices, instead of "perfect"). But I could certainly be more consistent, I will freely admit that.

Today, however, there is something to celebrate even more important that having lost weight: my  wedding anniversary! We have made a reservation at a nice restaurant for this evening, one I have not tried before. I do know they serve fish and seafood as their particular specialty, so my plan is to choose something from that part of the menu, to skip the bread and to have no more than 2 glasses of wine... and no dessert. I think that will be the best strategy, and I feel good that I'm thinking this through in advance of showing up at the restaurant. Food in France can be a minefield for someone like me, trying to lose weight (I have a weakness for foie gras, for example). But eating out doesn't have to be a disaster.

I'll also be doing a bit of pampering today: a full haircut, color and highlights (a bit overdue judging by the look of my roots!) and a pedicure. We're starting our 3-week summer vacation next weekend, so I'd have been doing these things anyway, but what better day to make the effort to look and feel extra-pretty than on one's wedding anniversary?

I wish I could say I still fit into my wedding dress but I think it would be just a bit too tight. However, I'm not THAT far off, and in a few more weeks and minus a few more pounds, one of the milestones I will look forward to is trying it on and having it (a) fit and then (b) become LOOSE over time. It's such a pretty dress -- a spring-green tea-length dress instead of a traditional white wedding gown -- and one of the reasons I chose it was that I wanted a dress I actually COULD wear out to other special occasions from time to time. So although I won't be able to wear it TODAY, I'll be able to wear it AGAIN. :)

Days 23-26: Pas Mal

In French, "pas mal" means "not bad". The French use it when they literally mean "not bad", as in: "How are you today, Jean-François?" And if J-F is feeling fairly good that day, he might say, "Ah, pas mal, pas mal."

The French also say "pas mal" when they mean FANTASTIC! SUPER! LIFE IS FABULOUS! THIS IS THE MOST DELICIOUS THING I EVER ATE! THINGS COULDN'T BE BETTER AND I JUST WON THE FREAKING LOTTERY! The French are kind of understated in that way, and they don't like to rave about anything (especially the Parisians, who specialize in being blasé no matter how excited they might actually be about something). Excessive enthusiasm is not commonplace in France. Except maybe when they're eating; then it's all yummy noises around the table.

I would say my weight loss efforts over the weekend fall somewhere nearer the first definition of pas mal -- literally, I was not bad. I was not necessarily perfectly good, either, but we ate out only once in a restaurant and although I indulged a little here or there, it was minimal. I tracked my food intake about 70% of the time. I drank a lot more water (if my numerous overnight trips to the WC are anything to judge by) and no wine at all. I got in more fruit and veggies than in the 3 or 4 days prior, too. I also got (sorry, men) my period, which being in pre-menopause is an on again-off again thing more and more, and the unpredictable nature of my hormones and yo-yo-ing water weight gain is, I believe, at least a little bit to blame for my slow weight loss.

This week I'm just planning to lay low, work quietly (I have a lot of rewriting of my manuscript to catch up on, now that school is out and my family duties are temporarily suspended for a few weeks), and eat moderately. We have two weeks until our beach vacation in the south, and my goal is to focus on achieving that first full 5 lb loss and to make a dent in the second 5 lbs as well. I might not get 10 lbs off by the start of vacation but by the end of it, around mid-August, I ought to be at least that first 10 lbs lighter! (We do a lot of walking when we're in the south and we tend to eat a lot of seafood and fresh fruits and veggies since they are so plentiful and delicious there!)

So that's the latest. I'll probably be blogging here a few times weekly instead of daily for a while... but I'm still here and my goals have not changed!

Day 21 & 22: Regrouping (slowly)

Weigh-in today: 223.6
Lost this week: -0.2 lbs. 

So that's not spectacular... but it's not a gain, either. And considering that on Tuesday night we took all the kids out for raclette (that's a whole lot of melted cheese plus meat and potatoes, a specialty of the alpine region of France and also Switzerland, and it's delicious!) I think even a small loss is something I can be satisfied with.

I'm kind of paying for all that cheese 48 hours later, though. I don't normally eat much cheese, although I do like it, but my body can't handle too much of it. So... no more raclette for the rest of the summer (it's really a winter dish but there is a great restaurant that makes it just near our house and the kids wanted to eat THAT as their last dinner with us before summer vacation).

I have been drinking more water and getting in a lot more walking. Getting out of the apartment is key; I can tend to kind of hole up in here sometimes with very little outdoor exercise. I've been meeting friends at different place around town this week and that has not only been fun, but good exercise, too.

I'm not doing as well as I could with tracking my meals and planning ahead. Those of you who have commented about the need to plan, at least a little in advance, what you're going to eat? Are absolutely right about that, and it's something I don't do very well at normally. Then I'm home during the day and lunch time rolls around, and suddenly I'm starving and there's nothing healthy in the house! (Breakfast isn't an issue; I kind of stick to a healthy cereal with skim milk every day, and that's enough for me.)

I'm looking on this next week - mostly kid-free, as my young step-son is on vacation with his mom for the next 2 1/2 weeks - as an opportunity to focus more on myself and get back on track. I have to believe I can do this!

Day 19 & 20: Treading water

First off, thanks for sharing your ideas about things I could be cooking with my new oven. I like the roasted veggies idea a lot, and of course chicken is always a winner in this house. Will be trying some new things this weekend. If anyone else has some good health-conscious recipes to share, chime in!

No need to turn me into "Hoarders" quite yet, though.

I feel like I am treading water at this point. Each day consists of making good decisions... and bad ones. Part of the issue right now is that my house is extremely cluttered and I think the clutter has clogged my brain. I have never been the neatest, most well-organized person, but until a few months ago we had a fabulous cleaning lady who helped me keep things reasonably neat and tidy every week, and since she quit and we moved into a smaller place, things haven't been the same. Not only do *I* tend to be cluttered but I am living with other people who are exactly the same. So you can just imagine - when everyone just leaves their stuff where they like and nobody wants to be the one to pick it up, what happens? Chaos. Yesterday as I was sitting on the sofa reading the day's mail (the ACTUAL mail, not email), a curtain rod literally collapsed, curtains and all. It's still there, right where it fell.

What does the clutter having to do with what I'm eating? Technically, they are two separate issues. But I think that external clutter is partially about one's internal state of mind, a reflection of whatever is going on within us. The house is cluttered because I've got mental clutter, and part of that is conflicting emotions about losing weight. I want to do it, and on some level maybe I don't want to, too. It's easier to eat what I want. It's fun to eat certain foods that I love. There's the little kid in me that likes the sense of rebelling, of saying "But I WANT it, and I don't care!"

The house is also cluttered because -- at least I suspect this is the case -- I can use the clutter as an excuse NOT to take the time to take care of myself. When the kitchen's a mess, gee, how can I focus on preparing meals? It's easier to eat out or snack. When the rest of the house is piled high with disorganization, I can tell myself I am too busy picking up (which is a lie) to worry about food shopping and menu planning.

It's a scam. I'm scamming myself. I don't need to be Suzy Homemaker in order to put the focus back onto making healthy choices in my diet. Yes, ideally I function better when the house is orderly. But once again I have caught myself in the act of creative excuse-making.

I received an email from my niece today, who has lost 20 lbs on Weight Watchers Online. She's one of the reasons I decided to start back on the program again; she's not at all obese but she just wanted to get her weight under better control (college students often gain weight because of bad habits they develop at school). I thought that if SHE were taking control of her health, why wasn't I? So hearing that she's found losing this 20 lbs to be "easy" makes me realize that, as usual, I am WAY overcomplicating this whole thing.

Buy healthy foods to keep in the house. Take the time (and it doesn't take MUCH time) to prepare good things to eat and keep handy so that I don't get tempted to snack on crap out of convenience. Track what I'm eating. Drink more water.

How freaking difficult is THAT? Answer: It's NOT.

Weigh-in on Thursday. Will report in.

Day 17 & 18: Finally - an oven!

Since we moved into our apartment in April, we have been sans oven. It's very common in France, even for rental apartments, for homes to be sold without fully equipped kitchens. In some instances, you might have nothing more than the kitchen sink - literally. Our last apartment came with the sink and some pretty decent kitchen cabinets - but no stove or oven, so we had to buy one. We also had to supply our own fridge, washing machine and dishwasher, and fortunately we already had those and they fit in the space provided.

When we moved this time, that stove/oven wouldn't fit in our new kitchen space, which was already also fitted with all the cabinets and this time even the gas stove top. Again, our fridge and two washing machines fit, no problem. But the space provided for the built-in oven was set up in such a way that we couldn't fit our old one (we thought it might work although we wouldn't have been using the stove unit). So we planned to buy a new built-in after we moved in.

So here it was the end of June. Three months had passed, and we still hadn't gotten around to buying a new oven (this should tell you something about our cooking style; we both cook but not often with an oven). One of the reasons was the space itself; an odd size, with (God only knows why) a plumbing pipe at the back, which meant the depth of any oven we bought had to be less than most of the available models... or at least the affordable ones. Which led to the second issue: cost. I had a hard time parting with 300-400 or more euros for an oven when we have no idea where we will be living in four years. Our next move will be when we buy something instead of renting, and when we do that we might have completely different needs for that kitchen.

About a week ago I came upon the solution: what they French call a mini-four. It's a smaller oven, designed to stand on a counter or cart, but larger than what I used to call a "toaster oven". They come with a variety of features (including rotisseries, convection and self-cleaning) and accessories. I realized that we could easily get one of those for a fraction of the cost of the full-sized (but shallow) expensive built-in models, and if we no longer need it in a few years, we can bequeath it to one of the kids or easily sell it to someone.

And as luck would have it, the semi-annual SOLDES (sales) started this week! So yesterday, we headed to one of the big appliance stores and came home with something we think will work fine. I can bake in it, roast a chicken in a pan or on a rotisserie, make a pizza - whatever. It was one of the lower-priced models, so lacks some of the high-end stuff (no convection, for example), but it will get the job done. Last night we test-drove it using a frozen lasagne from the market across the street, and it came out as expected. All for 119€. What's not to love?

So here's where I could use some help. I am NOT much of an "oven-person" when it comes to cooking, and cooking healthy stuff. Georges loves to cook but most of what he cooks involves chopping things for incredible salads (a TOTAL plus for me right now) or using a frying pan (maybe not such a plus). What I need is some great, tasty, easy and Weight Watchers-friendly recipes for things we can make. No big turkeys (it's not large enough for that) and nothing involving a baking or roasting pan longer than 40cm or wider than 33cm (won't fit). And I don't eat eggs. Ever. (Don't like them.) So quiches and things like that are out.

Otherwise the sky's the limit. What have you got? Share your favorites and if you happen to know the Weight Watchers point values, include that. But they don't have to be Weight Watchers recipes; if I can measure the ingredients I should be able to figure that out. Keep in mind if the recipes involve ingredients like American brand-name products, I might not be able to find them here in France (example: Progresso soups - don't exist here).

Thanks and I'm looking forward to having some new things to cook for me and the family!