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great going! just be careful that you don't make yourself feel TOO deprived or you'll bust out big time {ask me how i know}.

try to stay out of restaurants when you're not eating for work. make it a habit to pack your own {unprocessed} food. you have total control of what goes in it, and it's so much cheaper and healthier.

keep up the exercise. that's really key. and you might want to consider taking up the suggestion of going to weight watchers. they teach valuable skills like how to measure portions and how to keep track of what you're eating. one of my friends dropped 40 pounds using the WW points system and is keeping it off just by weighing and measuring her food and being vigilant about keeping track of what she's eaten. i've lost 50 pounds, i have 30 more to go, and have been thinking about doing it myself.

I think you did very well for your first week with the controlling and monitoring of your intake, and I'm glad that you were able to "taste, not devour" temptations like the bars!

Do you have a calorie limit per day and are you counting EVERY calorie? This (and excercise) is the only way.

Good start, though!

harrison, I think we're in the same meeting and I totally agree that Ed should join us! Ed, you're doing a great job. Make sure you're drinking enough water!

I dont want to be mean, but one pound in one week is too small a sample size to tell. My weight fluctuates by as much as 5 pounds from week to week, and one or two pounds from day to day. Your weight will vary like this based on your hydration.

To accurately track your weight, you need to weigh yourself on a regular basis and write it down with the date and time. Also, it is best to weigh yourself in the morning, on an empty stomach and before ingesting anything, even water, and also preferably after a good #2.

Your weight is not significant in and of itself either, as it does not reflect body composition. Get yourself a Tanita scale that measures body fat percentage with electrical impedance. Write down your body fat percentage along with the overall weight and the date / time info.

To lose weight you need to drink lots of water, cut out caffeine and alcohol, and also seriously restrict your intake of sugars. Sugars include:

- grains such as rice (including brown rice), wheat (including whole wheat), potatoes (except for yams because they are very good for you in other ways), all corn products

- certain vegetables that become very starchy and sugary if overcooked, like broccoli, brussel sprouts, onions, beets, cauliflower

- fruits like melon and banana

Eat tons of leafy greens like spinach, kale, and chard.

Eat tons of cruciferous veggies as close to raw as possible, broccoli and co. are fine when quickly sautéed in very hot oil or gently steamed, but they must remain bright green and crunchy. Once they loose their color and go soft, they are overdone and are big starch bombs.

Eat tons of protein, leanness is not that important if you dont eat them with starches, as fats and sugars are immediately stored by the body as fat.

Eat fruit in the morning on an empty stomach, preferably not too acidic, like apples.

Eat lots of yogurt, goat cheeses, and whole eggs, preferably poached. DONT THROW AWAY THE YOLKS!!! The yolks have just as much protein as the whites per weight, and contain all the good fats (omega 3) and tons of other nutrients that the whites dont have.

If you absolutely must have something sweet, eat dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa butter.

It's tough, I myself am struggling to get with the program, I need to lose 20 pounds. But I have faith in you Ed, and you are my inspiration. If a Serious Eater such as yourself can do it, then there is no reason why I shouldnt.

Thank you, stay strong, and keep us informed on how it goes!

Woot, go, Ed, go! A pound in a week is awesome, so you should be proud. I've been on the get healthy/lose weight track for just over a year. It's a tough road, but I've always managed to get back on track when I've stumbled off and have managed to lose 50 pounds in a year. Forty more, and I'll be in the healthy BMI range.

My humble advice: Add weight training, even if its tossing around some free weights at home, to add muscle--it comes in handy when burning calories during your cardio! Add flexibility exercise, too, like yoga--strengthen your joints, especially if you're activity is up a lot; you don't want to injure yourself! And 2,000 calories is plent, maybe even a lot, especially if you're eating healthy--2,000 calories in veggies and fruits is a LOT! I'm a big eater, so I rely on high-fiber, savory dishes like healthy chilis and stews with legumes to fill me up and satisfy my tummy. Cook and pack as many of your own meals as you can--avoid temptation and know what you're eating!

Good luck! I'm looking forward to seeing how you'll progress. Everyone's cheering for you, and you're inspiring us in turn!

Good start! Just watch your saturated fats and increase your fiber intake -- you'll feel full longer.

You can do it!

And we have our winners!

They are:
KIMBERLYMCK
JSALERN
KIMBERLY
KUHLIMUH
KIMBLYL

Someone from Serious Eats will be contacting you all shortly for shipping info.

Thanks to everyone who commented, and tune in again for next week's Cook the Book.

sear roasting

Baking!

Wow! Almost any of the above could be mine, but to settle on one for the sake of the contest, here's my current favourite:
For roast potatoes, to be roasted in the pan with a chicken.
Peel the potatoes and slice into pieces somewhat larger than a single bite.
Boil 6-8 minutes; drain; shake the pot to 'scrunch up' the edges.
Place alongside a roasting chicken until done, in oil or goose fat if you have it; top with a little drizzle of oil and some rock salt.

So, the technique is the boil-scrunch-roast technique of what I call 'melting roast potatoes'.

Roasting -- it just seems to bring out the best in everything. =) Unless baking counts as a technique as well? Because that's also up there ...