The ones I was talking about are the meal bars but I was only basing my comparison on taste - I haven't compared the calories, nutrition, etc. I really like the Lites and I signed up for the whole program's worth at the beginning, so I haven't done much looking for alternatives. I figured if I made the investment in a year's worth of bars right at the get-go, that would be one more thing keeping me from giving up halfway through.

Has anyone every compared the calories and nutrition in the LA cereal bars versus Nutrigrain or generic cereal bars? I like the LA cereal bars for something quick to grab for breakfast and they taste just like my grocery store's generic bars, so I'd rather buy those at $2.50 a box instead of whatever exorbitant sum LA charges.

Amy:
I think the nutri-grain bars are about the same, I think there is not much of a difference. Just watch the different flavors.
Hi Beach how are you doing?
Diane

Hi everyone!
Sorry I haven't been around for a couple of days. Been busy at work and kid stuff. My food hasn't been that great, so it has been interesting reading about your cheats. For awhile there I thought I was the only cheater. I have to do better though. I wish the plan didn't feel so black and white. Know what I mean? When I go to a restaurant it feels like my only options are salad and protein. I don't want to have to think about what starches I had already this week. Also, how come we can't somehow legally have one cookie, or a bite of cake or something. When I cheat it messes with my head and I want to blow the whole day. Question: I am tired of fruit only for breakfast. I don't want to use a starch or protein because I only get two of each and want to have them for lunch and dinner. That way if I get rushed I can always have a frozen meal. What do you all do for breakfast?
I have a dumb question. How do you all put your weights by your name on the left? Sorry, but I am new at all this.
Welcome Happy and Tam! I am also new to all this. On the second week now and still confused.
Great to see all your posts today. I needed the encouragement. Sammy, you are doing so great! I can't wait to get back into size 8.

Kim, I usually split one of my proteins between breakfast and lunch. I'll have four ounces of chicken or something at lunch (I'm on purple and for that plan, the protein portions are pretty big - a single serving of chicken is 8 ounces - I think some of the other plans might have smaller protein portions) For breakfast, I came up with kind of a breakfast sausage substitute as follows:

1 pound ground turkey breast
1 container of egg beaters (one of a three pack, I think it equals 2 eggs)
2 slices of lite bread
1 apple
3 green onions, ends trimmed
*about 1 - 2 teaspoons of poultry seasoning (it's mostly sage and black pepper, no salt)

I bake the two slices of bread at 200 for about 20 minutes to dry them out some, then run them through the food processor to make bread crumbs. Then I run the apple and onions through the food processor until they're finely chopped. Then mix everything together until completely blended.

Divide mixture into 12 patties on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350. I bag them into six individual servings of two patties and freeze them. Every morning I stick two of them in a pie tin with a little Pam and stick them under the broiler for a few minutes. You could probably nuke them, but I like the little bit of crispness I get from the broiler and the Pam. I also sprinkle them with a little lite salt after I've heated them.

Between the turkey and the egg, it comes out to about half of a protein for two patties - if your plan calls for smaller portions of protein, you could just have one patty at a time. Yeah, there's the bread, onion, and apple in there, too - if you feel guilty about them, just skimp a little on a starch and a fruit later in the day - two triscuits instead of three, eight grapes instead of ten, etc. It's only a third of a slice of bread per serving, a half of a green onion (only 1/10 of a veg since a full serving of these is five!) and a sixth of an apple per serving.

*About the poultry seasoning: I really love sage, especially in breakfast sausage so I use a TON of poultry seasoning. If you're not so big on the sage, you can use less or leave it out all together.

Hi everyone!

I haven't been here in awhile. I have been sick (still)

I finally went to the Dr. My allergies turned into a bad sinus infection. I am in so much pain. I am not really sleeping, either. More like resting.


I am eating pretty well and staying on plan. I have been a member of LAWL for almost 2 weeks and have lost 15 lbs!

I am incredibly happy! I am feeling terrific.

I hope everyone is losing and doing well! I will check in reguarly soon. Hopefully, this medicine will kick in soon.

Hi everyone (Diane, I'm still here). Re:breakfast bars. I tried a sample at my center and I could hardly swallow them - they are soo.. dry! Even my counselor agreed. Maybe they were stale?? I went to see the "American Idol" show last night and as we just had time to grab a bite beforehand, I grabbed the WRONG bite. You got it - the dreaded McDonald's. Of course it didn't help that I had a coupon for a meal for 2 - 2 hamburgs, 2 fries, 2 drinks. Oh and the free muffins! I didn't eat everything but I sure wasn't op. BTW, the show was great! So today I think I'll just coast. Have a good day all.
Beachlover

For me it's Friday, I'm taking off tomorrow to hang with out of town relatives from Texas.......
Wow, I want to thank all of you for the info on replacement ideas for the LA Lites. With that said, I have decided to buy some more LA Lites. I don't really want to spend the cash, but I think having the bars really keeps my sweet tooth under control. In the long run, it will be worth the investment.

For the past week or so since I was out of bars I have not been on plan, well maybe half on plan. We know that doesn't work. I haven't been eating all my food and the scale is going in the wrong direction. Saturday I will go by the center get weighed and purchase the bars. I will go back on the Gold plan, journal and measure food. I guess I thought I could do it my way and still lose, but that ain't workin...

Sammy, tell me some more about your mom and her story, how much has she lost and is she at goal yet? The weekends are really hard for me also, too much social stuff going on then.

Aim, I never tried the Clif bars but have tried the SlimFast. Now my seach will be over and I can have those wonderful double chocolate and chocolate crunch twice a day......

Diane, you probably did the right thing by buying all your bars up front, you'll never have this "bar shortage" problem...

Kim, the bars are the next best thing to cookies and cake and I think it was Sy that said that's what keeps her cheats just to on plan foods,which is great (as far as "cheats" go).

Sy, Was it you that said you have a problem with peanut butter and don't even allow yourself reduced fat peanut butter? I need to follow in your footsteps there too, becuz I tend to overdo the serving size with the rfpb too. If it's not in the house we can't eat it right

Pink, Can I come live with you? 15 pounds in two weeks is FANTASTIC

Karen, Are you okay down there in Alabama? Hope the hurricane didn't get you...I'm gonna call you when I get off here. I noticed your computer is off

Okay, I have gone on for long enuf......later chicks........Hi to everyone I missed.....

Well good news (so far)....
Talked to Karen and she was outside looking at the strong winds. The hurricane hasn't reached her area yet and they won't get the full effects for a couple hours yet......
I told her I'd call back later and keep a check on her.....I'll keep you informed.

Hugs....

Hey gals!
I am still undecided about whether to purchase the LA lites. I've already paid so much!

Silly me thought I was doing so well yesterday as I had a hamburger patty, green beens and field peas for dinner. Well I forgot that I wasn't suppose to have red meat yet!

I guess I'll get reprimanded on Saturday. I hope when I go I will have lost at least 5 lbs.

A couple of years ago I was on WW and lost 6 lbs the first week. WW is much easier than this!

Good morning everyone! Sounds like we are all doing good! Star, thanks for keeping us posted on Karen!

I've been 95% on plan so far this week, which is pretty darn good I think! Yesterday was me and DH's third wedding anniversary, and I did NOT let him talk me into ordering pizza to celebrate (we couldn't go out as we had no sitter). We are going to the Renaissance Festival on Sunday anyway, where I hope I will balance out a lot of walking and a lot of food and wine! Trying to stay on plan there will be interesting, cause I LOOOVE all the junk food stuff (funnel cakes! Pizza on a stick!) that you can only get in that fair environment. We started going to Ren Fest while we were dating and it's become our tradition to celebrate our anniversary there every year. This year we are going on "chocolate and romance" weekend and on top of that we have tickets to the "royal wine tasting." It's going to be a ton of fun, but I know I'm going to pay for it later!

Have a great day, everyone - I'm off to my weigh in, in about 15 minutes.

Fiona

Fiona, Hope you have a wonderful anniversary weekend, it sounds great. Chocolate and Romance - can't get much better than that in my book....
it sounds like one of those "Life Happens" weekends, which are always a huge challenge. Maybe someone else will have some good advice for you on this one. I usually choose to live for the event and pay later....

I'm off tomorrow, so I just wanted to wish you all a great weekend. I guess the best thing I know is that I'm not the only one that has to struggle with this "weight" issue and now we have our own little problem filled family here. Ain't life grand

When I come back from lunch I'll try to get Karen again and see about any updates.......

Hugs.......

Was anyone bloated and gassy on their first week? I'm on the gold plan and I'm wondering what it could be?

Anyone experience this?

TIA

Your body releasing stored toxins...adjusting to a (probably, if you're like me!) radically different diet...starting to really cook away that fat! It's got a name...they talk about it in the South Beach book...ketosis, that's it! It should taper off after the first week or two as your metabolism adjusts. Try drinking more water (yes over the regulation 8 glasses a day), that may help too.

Well, I refuse to change my stats because this is only a temporary setback, but I'm up 1.6....again!!! I've been at 4.8 pounds lost half a dozen times in the last four and a half weeks, and it's really starting to drive me batty! Amazing how just like a good weigh in makes you really want to stick with plan, a bad one makes you want to eat everything in sight!!! My coworker who is doing LAWL with me suggested I drink mooooore water - she drinks probly 120 oz a day - almost double the requirement - and has lost more weight than me even though she started a week after I did. So we're going to give that a whirl. Thank goodness I DIDN'T eat the pizza last night - think how cranky I'd be today!!!

Good luck to all of you...I'm sure I'll be checking in often...

Fiona

Thanks Fiona,

I know you will lose next weigh in!!!!!! Don't let it get you down.

Hi Ladies,

I had my weigh in today, and Im down a pound since Tuesday. Very exciting. So that makes a total of 5.4 gone since I started on the 3rd. Im so jealous of pink, wow 15lbs thats sooooo awesome. You must be very motivated, & excited.

Fiona your weekend sounds like its going to be too much fun, and romantic. Defenitly difficult to navigate through all that yummy food. Good Luck with that.

Sounds like everyone is doing great, have fun with the out of towners star. Where in Texas are they from?

hope everyone has a great day & talk to y'all soon!

take care
Holly