Tips from Curtis Stone's Cooking segment on BL last night. I thought this might be useful for everyone:
Here is the info from the cooking session:
Portion Control
Lesson: Curtis Stone shows off a 3-4 oz. piece of chicken, this is the PROPER portion size!
Fact: Typical restaurants are way off, sometimes two to four times higher than the proper portion size.
Solution: Curtis Stone suggests using a smaller plate. Then draw the plate in quarters where half of the plate should be vegetables, a quarter of the plate should be whole grain starch and a quarter of the plate should be food lower in water. Meanwhile, the vegetables should have a higher water content like green beans, spinach, tomatoes, onions, etc. Use garlic and ginger to make the vegetables more flavorful.
Tip: Compare different sizes of meats that are equal in the same amount of calories. Look for skinless fish, white meat, lean pork tenderloin, very lean red meat such as filet and ground beef.
Cooking Oils
Curtis shows how much lard should go into making a certain dish.
Lesson: Curtis Stone explains that lard and butter are examples of saturated fat, otherwise known as the "bad fats."
Fact: These saturated fats are solid at room temperature, for example, fat outside a steak, the fat found in butter, fat found on chicken skin. If the fat comes from an animal source, it also contains large amounts of cholesterol.
Solution: Try using cooking methods such as baking, broiling, grilling or poaching because it doesn't require adding fat. Remember, not all fat is bad. Your body needs "good fat" that can be found in avocados, nuts, seeds and olive oil.
Salads
Curtis prepares a healthy salad, minus the unhealthy condiments.
Lesson: Salads sound nice and healthy, but once you add the bacon bits, cheese, and "crispy" chicken, you also add fat and calories.
Fact: Such restaurant dressings you might want to avoid are blue cheese, ranch, and thousand island. These dressings are loaded up in fat and calories.
Solution: Curtis suggests checking out some healthy dressing suggestions on The Biggest Loser website. Remember to add protein to your salad; this could be egg whites, shredded chicken, or shrimp and don't forget to load up on the vegetables.
Starches
Curtis prepares a pasta dinner without the extra calories and fat.
Lesson: There are always smart and clever ways to make healthy pasta without losing the flavor.
Fact: Pasta that contains cream sauce, white flour noodles and sides of white bread are also filled with fat and calories.
Solution: Use whole grain noodles, tomato-based sauces, and load up on the vegetables. To avoid more kinds of unhealthy starches, use brown rice instead of white rice, use whole grain tortillas instead of white bread and avoid potatoes.
Beverages
Contestants on the ranch learn just how many calories are in a typical serving of soda or sweet tea.
Lesson: Curtis Stone shows how much actual sugar goes into a typical can of soda or sweet tea by dumping heaps of sugar into a glass and presenting it the players on the ranch.
Fact: Some players would drink up to four liters of soda per day and with that routine, soda drinkers begin to think soda needs to accompany every meal.
Solution: Substitute soda with unsweetened iced tea, green tea, water and even skim milk, since that provides calcium, as well. Also stay away from alcohol at mealtime since that lowers inhibitions when it comes to food choices, as well.
Snacks
Curtis suggests ways to snack and also provide the protein your body needs.
Lesson: Snacking isn't always a bad thing. In fact, The Biggest Loser encourages three meals and two snacks a day, but each one of those meals and snacks must have protein, since that helps with losing fat and not muscle.
Fact: It's easy to grab a snack like chips, cookies, and candy because of the easy-access. These snacks must be avoided at all times. When a snack contains high protein, it aids in the feeling of being full.
Solution: Try snacking on a low-fat mozzarella cheese stick with an apple, a tangerine with almonds, or even a fresh fruit smoothie, which, when prepared right, can be low in calories and act as the perfect supplement.
Dessert
There are actual healthy substitutions for dessert.
Lesson: During the first few weeks of detoxing your body from unhealthy food, you must avoid the temptation of sugary, high-caloric desserts at all costs.
Fact: While introducing your body to a whole new world of healthy living, it's also the best time to introduce your body to the sweetness of fruit to make up for missing those sugary treats of cookies, cake, etc.
Solution: The perfect dessert after a meal would be fruits like berries and melon.
http://www.nbc.com/the-biggest-loser/exclusives/nutrition/healthy_eating/cooking-bootcamp.shtml
haha and love nightmare before christmas season as well 
I generally like it from September time up until after Christmas. So not strictly Fall (or Autumn) as we say here but mostly.
(and if theres something you want to know, just ask me!)
to all the biggest losers!!!!!
and 
for shewelch. Fantastic. Congratulations to you! 
And the competitive nature. 
For some reason I feel like I can do this today!! I have to - its insane that I can't get back on track when I KNOW how to do this. 
that is FANTASTIC!!!
3-4 WEEKS in Europe.....ohmygosh that sounds heavenly
i have YOU on a Diet, Dr. Phil's original book, Jillian Michael's Making the Cut (which i only use workout program b/c eating is way restrictive) and I think that's it. someday I need to map out what I like about each book and combine into a plan for me 
