About

Hi!  I’m Kelly.  I was born and raised in the south where our traditions, celebrations, family gatherings, and the beginnings of new friendships are all centered around.. you guess it.. FOOD!  “What do you want to eat?” is always the first question asked before planning any social event.  It’s in our culture!  And THAT is one thing about Alabama that I love.

For me, food is something of enjoyment but also something that I love to hate.  Weight has been an issue in the past and, judging by certain members of my family, it could be in the future if I’m not careful. But even though I try to follow what I believe is the most healthy diet choice, that doesn’t mean that I have to resent food or deprive myself of tasty treats.

I could count on one hand the number of food items that dislike.  I love seafood, LOVE ice cream, anything spicy, vegetables of all kinds, and I strongly feel that all things chocolate were sent here by God Himself! However, when it comes to eating I follow the advice that Paul gave the church in Corinth “Everything is permissible–but not everything is beneficial”.

My husband and I recently found the paleolithic diet and the more research we find about it, the more we believe in it.  After losing 35 pounds 2 years ago on a high protein diet and being cured of a thyroid problem, we explored the idea that a healthy diet can keep you looking good, feeling good, and reduce your doctor visits.  So for us, we believe in the Paleo diet and make an effort to follow it as closely as possible.

My hope is not to convince blog readers to abandon their nutrition plan and eat like me.  Although I think it’s RIGHT and you would be better off for doing it, I understand that opinions differ and there are doctors providing research to back any idea we can create.  Rather, I hope you will try my recipes and hear my reviews of good food.  This diet choice has allowed me to open my mind to creative meal options and I am happy to be able to share them with you.  I may not eat exactly like you, but I know good food and will not let you down.

Hi! I’m Amanda. Like Kelly, I too was born and raised in the South. My family and I mostly consumed good home-cookin’, rarely eating out unless for a special occasion. While my mother was a very good cook, dinner time was always tough for me. Like many children, I was a picky eater. My dinner came out of a Campbell’s soup can, more often than not. My mother and father tried to make me try new things but I would not relent. If certain foods were ugly to me, I wanted no part of them.

After graduating high school, I began eating out more and began trying new things. I was fearless compared to my past. I was not afraid to try asparagus, feta cheese or even sushi; foods that had been foreign to me until then. The list of foods I tried continued to grow and I started experimenting with different flavors as I learned to cook. Now, I’m not scared to try new foods at least once (Unless Raw). I don’t like seafood but try at least some form of seafood once a year, to reassure myself that I still do not like it. (It’s tough growing up on the coast and not eating seafood.. oh the ridicule!)

As my love for food continued to grow, so did my waistline. This became a problem for me and now I find that I have to be very careful with what I eat. To lose and maintain my weight, I’ve decided to use the PointsPlus® system from Weight Watchers. After trying many different diets this seems to be the perfect fit.  I have a certain number of points that I am to consume each day. Those points are to be consumed from mostly Power Foods (fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean protein). I like WW because I can eat what I want and still lose weight. I try to eat mostly Power Foods  but every now and then, the Southern girl in me needs some fried chicken! Weight Watchers gives you the freedom to have it, too, and that’s what I love about the program.

My main concern is to be healthy and if Weight Watchers is the the vessel in which to take me to my healthiest, then I’ll ride it all the way! You can read about my journey. I will post WW friendly recipes and review the kinds of foods that work best when I go out to eat. I’m no expert and new to the program so I’m sure there will be bumps along the way but hopefully we’ll all learn a little something about eating healthy and eating GOOD food!