Joyful, can I ask how you prepare your meals after they've been frozen? Do you just take them out of the freezer in the morning and put them in the fridge so they are defrosted when you get home for dinner (for example)?

Hey Emme! I take both lunch and dinner out of the freezer the day/night before to let it thaw out a bit in the frig. Pop in the microwave for about 3 mins and DIG IN!!! It's already portioned and in microwaveable trays, so all I need is a plastic fork and no dishes!:D

Hey Joyfulloser, Thanks for the drop by. Yep your right on the slow and steady. Grats on your lab results and getting to 163. I lurk alot but take a look each morning to see how your doing. Love that you run. Cant wait till I get my endurance back, use to run 7 miles a day. Its a great filling when you hit the runners high. :)

Breakfast - Pumpkin Raisin Muffin, 2 Jimmy Dean Turkey sausage links -229 cals.
Snack - Pumpkin Raisin Muffin - 149 cals.
Snack - 15g unsalted cashews - 80 cals.
Lunch - Spicy Garlic Shrimp over brown rice, brocolli - 278 cals.
Snack - Blueberry High Protein Flax Muffin (homemade) - 131 cals.
Snack - Baked Whole Chicken (breast meat only) - 100 cals.
Dinner - Sesame Chicken over Rice sticks, brocolli - 360 cals.
Snack - 15g unsalted cashews - 80 cals.
Snack - small Navel Orange - 45 cals.

Total Calories: 1,452 cals.

EXERCISE:

Running - 5.4 Miles!!!! Not gonna lie...tonight's run was MURDER!:eek: I don't care what nobody says...running 5 miles for 65 minutes does something to the body that running 5 miles in 35 minutes could NEVER do!!! Actually...I'm finding that running the full 5 is sooooo much more than running a 4 miler...it's almost as if my kicks into "high gear fat burning mode" only after about the 4th mile...and its "bombs away" after that. If I don't go further than 4 miles, my fat loss is extremely impaired.:( I think this is because my body has adapted (rather quickly). I can feel my body about to work some wonders...as it should...I'm pushing the heck out of it!:p

So happy I have the day off tomorrow.:)

Breakfast - Pumpkin Raisin Muffin, 2 Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage - 229 cals.
Snack - Pumpkin Raisin Muffin - 149 cals.
Lunch - Spicy Garlic Shrimp over brown rice, brocolli - 278 cals.
Snack - 15g unsalted cashews, few raisins - 100 cals.
Snack - Blueberry High Protein Flax Muffin (homemade) - 131 cals.
Snack - small Navel Orange - 45 cals.
Snack - Chicken Leg & Thigh-Baked Whole Chix (Meat Only) - 250 cals.
Dinner - Homemade Chili over brown rice, corn & green beans - 400 cals.
Snack - 15g unsalted cashews - 80 cals.
Snack - Pumpkin Raisin Muffin - 149 cals.
Snack - 15g unsalted cashews, few raisins - 100 cals.

Total Calories: 1,911 cals.

EXERCISE:

DAY OFF!!

Yup...I cheated and checked my weight..down again...150's here I come....WOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!:carrot:

**EDIT** Oh MY!!!!:o I've been soooooooo hungry today...not really hungry for a big meal..just really...really SNACKY!!! Like whatever I eat processes and then I'm hungry again in an hour!...Uggghhh...oh well...maybe my body needed it.:(

Breakfast - Pumpkin Raisin Muffin, 2 Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage links - 229 cals.
Snack - Pumpkin Raisin Muffin - 149 cals.
Lunch - Peanut Chicken over spinach quinoa, steamed spinach - 375 cals.
Snack - Blueberry High Protein Flax Muffin (homemade) - 131 cals.
Snack - 1/2 Atkins Protein Bar - 120 cals.
Dinner - Sesame Chicken over Rice sticks, brocolli - 360 cals.
Snack - 1/2 Atkins Protein Bar - 120 cals.
Snack - Activia Light Yogart - 70 cals.
Snack - small Navel Orange - 45 cals.

Total Calories: 1,599 cals.

EXERCISE:

Running - 5.4 Miles!!! I DID IT!!!...21+ Miles this week...WooT...WooT!:carrot:

Will run 5+ today!!!:carrot:

***EDIT***I finally went grocery shopping...so happy about that because I ran out of my favorite snacks (ergo the 50 muffins I've been eating daily..lol!) Well...at least the muffins were "homemade" so they were healthy!;) Anyhoot...I'm tryin some new "snacks" this week. I've added some 100 cal microwave popcorn, and flax blueberry muffins. I've also managed to get a "little" cookin in this week and made some thai peanut chicken...YUM! I'm soaking some black eyed peas and will make my famous and MOST DELISHOUS dish EVERRRRRR...Carribean black eyed peas with plantain with authentic (and I meand AUTHENTIC!!!) Jamaican curried chicken. This time I'm going to lessen the fat content substantially and use boneless chicken breasts. I'm also making more salmon w/red pepper coulis. That will be all that I'm cooking this week. Need to find some andouille sausage for some GUMBO I wanna make later on in the week! Enjoy the rest of your weekend ALL!!!:hug:

Oh yeah...new recent discovery...brown rice that you cook for 40 mins taste 50,000,000,000 times better than the instant!!!:D

**EDIT-2** Ok...I'm officially EXHAUSTED!:( I donno, but the cooking bug took hold of me. I made the following:

1. Grilled Salmon w/Red Pepper Coulis
2. Carribbean Black Eyed Peas & Steamed Plantains
3. Jamaican Curry Chicken
4. South African Curry Chicken
5. Mock McDonald's Grilled Chicken

Sheesh...I went through 2 LARGE packs of chicken breasts! That's alot of cleaning, fat trimming and cutting up!:o Tomorrow will need to finish up cooking and make more Pumpkin-Raisin Muffins. Now...after all that cooking...I've GOTTA go downstairs and run 5 miles! Taking 5-hour energy...determined to get out of the 160's...GRRRRRHHHHH!!!!!:mad:

I used to notice, especially when I was consisting losing with low carb that before I had a whoosh, I would get reeeaaaallly hungry! So this may be a good sign!!!! :carrot:

Can't wait for your next weighin! ;)

Hope you are enjoying the beautiful day!

your happiness is contagious!!
good job on everything so far!! you OWN that dancing carrot, lol :P

Go gurl.... Go! You are killing it!!! :carrot:

How do you like the 5 hour energy? Do you get jittery?

Official Weigh-In Day: 161.0 lbs. down 2.8lbs from last Monday...so I'm happy!:carrot:

Breakfast - Pumpkin Raisin Muffin, 2 Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Links - 219 cals.
Snack - Pumpkin Raisin Muffin - 139 cals.
Snack - 1/2 Atkins Protein Bar - 120 cals.
Lunch - Jamaican Curry Chicken breast over Carribbean Black Eyed Peas, steamed spinach - 340 cals.
Snack - 1/2 Atkins Protein Bar - 120 cals.
Snack - 4 prunes, 4 cashews - 80 cals.
Snack - Pumpkin Raisin Muffin (new batch!) - 139 cals.
Snack - Activia Light yogart - 70 cals.
Dinner - Salmon w/Red Pepper Coulis over spinach quinoa, steamed spinach - 375 cals.
Snack - Grapes, small navel orange, few raisins, few cashews - 150 cals.
Snack - few unsalted cashews, few pumpkin seeds, few raisins - 150 cals.

Total Calories: 1,902 cals.

EXERCISE:

NO EXERCISE TODAY:( - friend came over...got to talking and said...ooh well...tomorrow's another day!

Today starts a new week...will run 5+ miles...going for another 20+ mile week!:carrot:

Thank you soooo much DediKayted & SummerLove for your support.:hug: Ya...I do love that darn "dancin carrot"!:carrot::D

Grrrrrrhhhh...I'm so "close" to being in the 150's I can taste it!:mad: This is going to be my LAST week in the 160's...sorry 160's, we've had a nice run...but it's time to move ON!!!!:D

[b]***EDIT***Uggghh...Yet ANOTHER SNACKY DAY!!!:mad:

Funny that you mentioned new snacks. I too was at the store yesterday trying to find some other 100 calorie snacks besides my Fage. I have been doing half a protein bar here and there but sometimes its hard to eat just half because its like 2.5 bites!! LOL

I picked up some sweet&salty almond bars which are gluten free. I was going back and forth about the popcorn, but I ended up leaving it since I have an airpopper at home. When I got in the car, I thought, MAN, I should have bought it because its not like I have my air popper at WORK! I guess I can just bag some from home. But its good when its nice and hot!

I think popcorn is a good choice though because it takes more than 30 seconds to eat! LOL.

161!!! You are sooooooooooooooo close!!!! 150's by week's end!!! Yes!

I get the 5-hour EXTRA Strength! Soooo much better than the original to me. Oh and NO...not at all...no jitters! Just nice clean energy and NO CRASH!!! I love it!:D The only thing I hate is that it's soooo expensive. It costs $15 for 6 at Walmart. But it's totally worth it as it's loaded with all the B vitamins and some important amino's...it's not like most "caffeine" driven energy drinks, althougth it does have the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. I only use it when I'm exhausted, but still need enough energy to power through a late night...or very early morning run!

Oh...and on the popcorn...I fought it too (for a long time). The problem with me and popcorn is that I can easily get OUT OF CONTROL and consume a couple hundred calories without even realizing it!:^: When I found these Orville Redenbacher (sp?) 100 cal packs...I was like..BOOOYAAAH! That's exactly what I need...portion control..haha! I too have an air popper...haven't used it in about 10 yrs though....haha!:p

ooo I don't know why I haven't popped into this thread before. Meal ideas, exercise, meal planning. Great thread! :) Going back to page one to read

ConGrats :carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot: You are working it. :D