Eat At Home Open Challenge - Starts Sun Jul 24!

NikkisNewStart

Everyone is invited... the rules are simple...

Sunday July 24 through Sunday July 31 you will eat and prepare all of your meals from home.

This means no restaurants, no fast food, no takeout, no delivery, no supermarket deli counter... lunches at work will be brown bagged and date night will have to revolve around something other than food outside of the home!

Starbucks? That's out. Quick doughnut from the gas station? That's out too. All food and drink shall be prepared and come from your home.

We'll lose weight, we'll save $$, and we'll discover the value of a family dinner around the table WITHOUT unwrapping a burger!!!

We'll work on the honor system... you can "check in" with as little or as much information as you'd like... feel free to share new recipes or creative ways you achieved your restaurant favorites from your own kitchen!

Who wants to join me?!?

stefv86

Oh gosh, I do! I do!
My husband will be happy, he's always whining that eating out costs us so much money.

Bellum24

I'm in!

Ocarina

I will join you as well!!! I eat at home all the time and this will be a great way to keep that up!

jluthersw

I want to but my job involves me visiting people's homes :sad: which means no fridge or way to keep anything cold!! I am really going to try this tho!! That is an awesome idea!

msteadham

Count me in~!

msteadham

Count me in~!

mrstrivette

That's how I eat on a typical day to day basis. Usually only eat out to celebrate something. And hubby takes a packed lunch to work daily.

NikkisNewStart

Awesome! I'll be bumping often to recruit more people and of course will remind everyone on Saturday! Get your coupons clipped and meal plans prepared...

That's my #1 advice that I'm going to follow as well... plan, plan, plan... and have some "quick" healthy meal options on standby for those times that you would opt to hit the drive thru.

We have a few days before the challenge to prepare... so if you want to add how you're going to prepare- let's have it!

odie02

oh, this is an easy one...lol. No one is working currently, so there is no money for going out! All our meals are prepared in home always... Good luck to those of you who will be trying this one! When you first have to change your ways, it is HARD!

NikkisNewStart

I want to but my job involves me visiting people's homes :sad: which means no fridge or way to keep anything cold!! I am really going to try this tho!! That is an awesome idea!

Got a cooler and some ice packs?

Topsking2010

Add me to the list!

mialsya

I want to but my job involves me visiting people's homes :sad: which means no fridge or way to keep anything cold!! I am really going to try this tho!! That is an awesome idea!

I had a job like that too - invest in an insulated lunch box/bag and a couple of gel freezer packs to throw in there to keep it all cold. On the weekend, divide up your fruit and veggies and whatnot into single serving containers and label it so all you have to do is grab what you want to eat that day and throw it all in your bag with the frozen gel pack. It's easy and you will see a huge difference in your diet.

wickedcricket

I'd like to but .. that's the week of my birthday party & I KNOW there will be junk food =( damn birthdays - you only turn 55 once y'know

NikkisNewStart

We eat at home 98% of the time but I've found myself hitting up the Starbucks drive thru this week b/c my husband is out of town...

This challenge can work for everyone... if you already eat at home- this will be an easy one! If you eat out a lot... it's a great way to have support to 'clean up your act.' If you go every now and then, like me, it's a good way to push your limits and prove that you can make the effort, no matter what!

Good luck!

TooFine4MFP

I'll do it cause this will definetly push me thats for sure! I need the push!

audram420

I'm in and this will be very hard, for I am not a cooker. My husband and I eat out most of the weekend, though I can usually control myself during the week except for the few Sonic drinks here and there!! I'm pumped about the challenge though!

amarie35

GREAT idea!! I'm in.

Thursday will be my only downfall. My hubby & I go out to eat every Thursday; it's our date night aka our night out away from the kids. LOL! But, I will try my very best to talk him into eating @ home next Thursday. :bigsmile:

jluthersw

I want to but my job involves me visiting people's homes :sad: which means no fridge or way to keep anything cold!! I am really going to try this tho!! That is an awesome idea!

I had a job like that too - invest in an insulated lunch box/bag and a couple of gel freezer packs to throw in there to keep it all cold. On the weekend, divide up your fruit and veggies and whatnot into single serving containers and label it so all you have to do is grab what you want to eat that day and throw it all in your bag with the frozen gel pack. It's easy and you will see a huge difference in your diet.

I honestly never thought about this or the cooler!! I will def do this then!! I normally either have to go through the drive-thru or go home really quick for a sandwich or what not!! Awesome idea!! I'm so excited now!!!

NikkisNewStart

I'm in and this will be very hard, for I am not a cooker. My husband and I eat out most of the weekend, though I can usually control myself during the week except for the few Sonic drinks here and there!! I'm pumped about the challenge though!

Great point... this will be a great way we can share ideas for the non cookers too! My favorite thing in the world has to be a bag of 'steam in the bag' vegetables... without the sauce and butter... etc. You just have to microwave. Even a caveman can do it! :laugh:

Would love to see tidbits from others on how they eat at home even if they are cooking challenged. :drinker:

NikkisNewStart

GREAT idea!! I'm in.

Thursday will be my only downfall. My hubby & I go out to eat every Thursday; it's our date night aka our night out away from the kids. LOL! But, I will try my very best to talk him into eating @ home next Thursday. :bigsmile:

What about a candlelit dinner? Tablecloth, candles, light music... the works... could be an opportunity to do something really romantic... orrrr... just do a regular dinner at home and go out and do something else non-food related for your date (bowling, movies, dancing)... ? I'm just thinking out loud... lol

JoanWill

I am in.

If you don't cook or can't cook, there's a lot of things you can still whip up that's healthy and easy to do:

Let me share what I had for lunch:

Steamed green beans
Cucumber, peeled and diced
Cherry tomatoes
Low fat cottage cheese

All in one plate: I can't have pepper so I seasoned it with dried basil and salt with parsley.

Dinner:
Baked in a foil:
Tilapia fillet
Red potato
baby carrots
some slices of onions
season to taste

mbeach1977

I'm in!! This will be a great excuse to tell the husband "no" to eating out. Already have some yummy meals planned for next week.

Thanks, this is a great challlenge idea! :flowerforyou:

amarie35

GREAT idea!! I'm in.

Thursday will be my only downfall. My hubby & I go out to eat every Thursday; it's our date night aka our night out away from the kids. LOL! But, I will try my very best to talk him into eating @ home next Thursday. :bigsmile:

What about a candlelit dinner? Tablecloth, candles, light music... the works... could be an opportunity to do something really romantic... orrrr... just do a regular dinner at home and go out and do something else non-food related for your date (bowling, movies, dancing)... ? I'm just thinking out loud... lol

Well, as far as the candlelight dinner goes, it would be nice and romantic if we had the house to ourselves. But w/ 3 kids running around, the'd be no romance there. We don't bowl and if we were to go dancing, I'd end up drinking a couple of drinks. LOL! The movies sounds good but everytime we go to the movies, my hubby has got to get the biggest bucket of popcorn. And I am a such a sucker for popcorn. The smell itself kills me.

Maybe we can get away for an hour or so and do some shopping. We've not been shopping in a while & we can always use new clothes. Either that or we can just stay home and eat, go to bed early, & watch a movie in our bedroom. That sounds good. Yeah, we'll do that!

NikkisNewStart

I am in.

If you don't cook or can't cook, there's a lot of things you can still whip up that's healthy and easy to do:

Let me share what I had for lunch:

Steamed green beans
Cucumber, peeled and diced
Cherry tomatoes
Low fat cottage cheese

All in one plate: I can't have pepper so I seasoned it with dried basil and salt with parsley.

Dinner:
Baked in a foil:
Tilapia fillet
Red potato
baby carrots
some slices of onions
season to taste

Foil packets... genius!!! Going to think on this one... how to 'change it up' and get my kids involved... maybe set out some spices/toppings and have them create their own packet... now... gotta think about what to include and what protein... love this!

SUNNY613

IM IN!!!

THIS IS GOING TO BE VERY HARD FOR ME AS IMA A FAST FOOD DISTRICT MGR. AND IM AROUND FOOD ALL DAY BUT LETS SEE WHAT IM MADE OF

NikkisNewStart

Welcome to the challenge spate... I know it will be tough but the best part is proving to yourself that you're capable of doing it! I know you can!

gpatwardhan

I am in, Nikki!
Sounds exciting
Will start brainstorming about the new ideas!

NikkisNewStart

Bump

Going to prep some meal plans for the challenge and hit up the grocery store later. Excited to push it with this challenge!

NikkisNewStart

Bumping up if anyone wants to join!!! Starts Sunday!

NikkisNewStart

Alright everyone... get your cookware out... challenge starts TOMORROW!!! Good luck and stay strong... please try to check in if you're participating and let us all know how you're doing!!