I'm trying to prepare by starting the diet part first. So far all I've done is cut way back on the obvious fatty things. No bacon, no ice cream, no fried foods. I'm cooking a little more now, too.

One of my favorite simple things is to bake a potato, dump some vegetables on it, and add plain fat-free yogurt instead of the sour cream I really want. It's fast, most of it happens in the microwave, and it tastes pretty good.