No red meat, no condiments, no frozen meals, and replace 1 protein and 1 starch with a slim down or slim fast for 5 days. Also, extra water and a little lemon water couldn't hurt either.

hi all....I may be out for a couple of days but I will be thinking of you all...WI today and down .8 AS long as I am going in the right direction....keep up the good work.....this is truly worth it....nance

Hmph. I was up .2 lbs today at WI. I shouldn't be surprised after the spaghetti/popcorn on Saturday! I sit here now, puckering up for my HLW, which I neglected to drink over the weekend. I'm gearing up for a POP week.

I'm really trying to mix things up in my menus. We should have a menu-trade day or something. Just draw names and plan a menu for a day for someone else, and try out another person's ideas.

I'm curious too, about how often others use carb cravers or the frozen entree options from the menu guide? I just started using carb cravers last week, on Thursday, but they are totally yummy and such a great deal at just 1P!

I hope everyone is doing well!

Kristin - where are my ponytail pictures???

Candace - thoughts and prayers go out to your family. It is truly amazing how far science has come. Be positive and be strong. I often think that I need to eat healthy, not just to get to an ideal weight, but also, in the event something does hit me down the road (be it cancer, diabetes, whatever), I want to be healthy so I have a better chance at fighting disease.

Alannah - Chancy is quite handsome. Give him a kiss on the nose for me.

Wendalina - You seem to fit in here quite well. You come up with some of the wittiest stuff.

Katie (Repo) - I can't seem to catch up on all the posts. I knew you had a potential fungus/black mold problem. Any updates on that?

Well, stress had me down a couple pounds, but apparently, I'm not stressed today and I really needed the pig police in my house, cause I was a total pig. I'll be too afraid to step on the scale tomorrow, but I'm going to get back on track. I also have to get in 168 minutes of exercise in the next 2 days to make my exercise goal. But, since I can't seem to get to my goal weight, I am bound and determined to meet my exercise goal!

Something new- This is as good a place as any to discuss it...

Think about your routine immediately following TO.. What do you do? Could very well be that you're putting it back on with water.. Are you keeping up with your water intake during TO? Could be that if you're not, your body, starved for water, is sucking it all in and not letting it go.

Also, once you're done with TO, don't go back to your regular menu with the heavier foods right away... Ease back into your regular menu (but still stick to your portions).. Just make good choices.

Also, remember your lemon water and watch your sodium intake..

Geez.. I sound like I work at a COD, don't I?

Angie - I don't do frozen/carb craver selections more than twice a week.. I usually save up the carb cravers for pizza..

Down .8 at WI this afternoon, need to move the Valentine ticker :-) Hope everybody is having a great night!

Good job!! Keep it going in the right direction..

Oh.. I forgot to mention... This afternoon, I won a mexican food party catered for 20 for the Super Bowl this weekend. A local Mexican joint will bring the food to our house... Considering the kind of food we'll be having, as God as my witness, I don't know what to do.. .. My head may explode...

Good lord Dan, I would have to hide in the basement until it was all gone or something, I've got pretty good willpower, but sheesh! LOL Good luck with that!

Let's all go to Dan's house on Sunday.. what time???

Joni.. new photo just for you!

How bad does cheating on your diet affect you? For example...me: Not this past Sunday, but the Sunday before I had a few bacardis and diet Coke. After a few (12-14) drinks, I got the munchies and ate around 4 or 5 slices of meat lovers pizza. I did pretty good all week and then Friday evening I had around 5 slices of pizza at work. Saturday, I ate around 25 fried chicken wings. Will doing this sneak up on me? How much damage is done if I go hard on my plan again? I'm pretty active...exercise hard about 7 times per week. My home scales aren't showing any gains yet...not losing either. I've been avoiding my WI's...over 2 weeks since i checked in. This Saturday I'll be making a visit for sure...but i was just wondering how an occasional binge or frequent picking can affect my results in the long run...thanks! I appreciate any answers...

From what I understand, typically, if you're going to gain, it will show up 2 to 3 days after you cheat..

I'd say that in your case, because you're so active, that your metabolism is burning it faster than it would for the rest of us, aided by your recent change to a more healthy, metabolism boosting diet.

I have no doubt, however, that if you maintain the cheating, it will overwhelm the good you're doing and you'll start to see the changes go in the wrong direction..

What you're in real danger of, however, is getting complacent with your success and developing a sense of invulnerablility, especially if you don't show much gain for your cheating... This is a problem I've faced in recent weeks..

While I'm not going off the deep end and drinking a lot and munching down on pizza (God, how I wish I could), I've been cheating more and more, here and there, especially when they put me on the Blue plan and I was getting hungry more frequently. But now I'm on Red again, and the cravings are going away...

Then again, I may test your theory and let loose this weekend on the Mexican feast we're having...

Y'all come!! BYOB, however, and your host enjoys strong, dark beers!!

Mmmm.. dark beer.

I know that if I cheat that badly, I will keep cheating and find a way to rationalize. 25 chicken wings?? Man.. those sound good. :-)

Jason - I hope you are kidding about all the food and drink, but if not, I think Dan says it best.....in short, you need to get back on track with the program....I don't think eating 5 pieces of pizza and/or 25 chicken wings is good for anyone....whether or not you are even on LAWL!

A bad day or week might not show up right away on the scale. But you shouldn’t think you’ve gotten away with something, because it will show up at some point. This is why it’s important to get right back on the program as soon as you stray from it. Don’t give it up.

Are you still trying to lose more weight? Cheating on your program can cause plateaus. Let’s say you’ve been good about following the program, and you’ve had consistent weight loss. Now you have a bad eating and/or exercise week. This may or may not make you gain weight, but it could easily result in a prolonged plateau. This type of plateau can last as long as you are cheating on your program.

This is your official kick in the butt to get back on program!!!

Kristen - thanks for the picture....as always, I smiled!

Dan - congrats on winning the prize and GOOD LUCK!! Can you possibly call the restaurant and see if they can bring some healthy items such as:
Chicken, beef, or shrimp fajitas, with black beans or salad on the side instead of rice; Carne asada — steak with onions and peppers; Grilled fish tacos, with one corn tortilla rather than two; Taco and tostada salads with chicken, beef, or shrimp for protein — don't eat the taco bowl!

Momof3Teens - congrats on your loss.

Everyone keep plugging away!

Dan -- Thanks for the note on how you use your carb cravers. I think I'll also post it on the main board to see how everyone else is doing it too. I like the idea of saving it for pizza...my favourite! I think, if it were me, I'd indulge a little in the mexican food...sample a little of everything in moderation. It's your prize after all.

Jason -- Sigh, sounds like it was a good weekend! I'd put that in your past and move right along with the program. Afterall, you spent A LOT of money, so make it work for you. Maybe you should reconsider the lites, because they do help to fill you up, making cheats less likely, or at least smaller. I'd also get your butt back to the COD on a regular basis. Those people are paid, by you, to keep you in line,and to give you advice. I'm sending out lots of 'stay strong' vibes to get you through this superbowl weekend with as little damage to your weight loss as possible.