Thursday 27 March 2008

McDonald's

We are not a prepared, processed food household. Very nearly every night I prepare our family meals from whole foods using in season vegetables although I do keep a stash of frozen veg in the freezer. And I must confess to using tinned (aka canned) sweet corn and green beans.

We do not have dessert (pudding) unless we have guests round for dinner.

We are not a fast food household. We may once/month indulge in McDonald's or pop into Pizza Hut for a treat after a trip to the cinema every six months or so.

My diet has upset the normal rhythm of the house though. Marc, like many men I know, is wholly incapable of preparing a meal consisting of more than one dish in under 1 hour and will never ever get it all on the table at the same time piping hot. He has tried on numerous occasions and failed just as many.

Marc doesn't really get the whole 5/day rule. It is not unusual for him to prepare a meal with absolutely not a single vegetable on offer.

Marc wholeheartedly believes that a quart of ice cream is dessert. Every night.

Because my loving, supportive (albeit culinary challenged) husband has agreed to prepare every meal for our children during my weight loss challenge, I have decided to let it go and just put it up to the universe. If I can eat nothing for 100 days then my children will certainly survive the gastro adventure that is their father's meal preparation philosophy.

I have taken it upon myself to prepare weekly menus for the next 10 weeks. I have taken extra care to ensure that nothing is especially challenging. All meals are fairly well balanced and should take under 40 minutes to prepare - start to finish. He can choose to use these menus or feel free to veer off course.

I have also prepared corresponding grocery lists. They contain all the items he will need to purchase before the week begins in order to prepare the food for that week's menu. It takes into consideration the contents of the cupboards, freezer, etc. This works unless he veers off course.

Which has led me to my white knuckle moment. Tonight Marc decide to veer off course and get the children and himself dinner from McDonald's. Have you ever smelled a hamburger and french fries right under your own roof and not been able to partake in the debauchery?

My knees buckled and I was salivating. I wanted to rip my children's greasy messes right out of their hands and gobble the calorific mountains in 2 second flat. Heck, I reckon I could eaten it all in under a second.

Sheer torture. I am now contemplating enforcing the meal plan. Not sure how I would manage that but I am plotting my revenge.

3 comments:

Janell said...

Yes, the fries and burger aroma could drive anyone to gobbling. Bless your heart for hanging in there. Your willpower puts mne to great shame.
On the other hand, have you read the book "French Women Don't Get Fat"? (Can't remember the author, but there is alos a cookbook) You might want to take a look at that before your 100 days are up and you go back to full feed.

LaDawn said...

I have heard of the book but haven't read it. I figured French women don't get fat because they only eat 1 meal/day, smoke copious cigarettes, have sex with married men and walk everywhere in excruciatingly high heels. Not sure that is a diet I want to go on. But if you recommend it I'll give it a go.

Janell said...

LOL! The book didn't say anything about smoking, adultery or high heels! I wouldn't want to be on that one either!