Good morning Wow, the cats let us (well me) sleep in two days in a row. I really needed it this week too.

Debbie - That could be fun though, as Twynn said, I'm now sure how you will fit it in!

Karen - I'm glad you made it through the day with a solution that worked for you. These Chicks are the best around here

Ruth - Sounds like a nice, relaxing post vacation day. Wow, 20 years, congratulations to them.

Cottage - Is it warming up there? It actually was pretty nice here yesterday so I'm hoping that happens again. Maybe the rain will hold off for you too.

It's waterbird migration time so we are off birding this morning. Nothing distant, just up and down the Connecticut a bit. There are some nice flooded fields that we check every year about this time. Looking forward to getting back to the birding thing. We took it easy this winter with DW's focus on fitness and working out and my dislike of cold it was easy to just stay in most weekends. Now we are building up to warbler migration - sort of the birder Olympics

If the rain holds off I've got some yard work to do. If it doesn't there's no shortage of housework.

This week's mock snack cake is a success. I know most of you don't have dehydrated strawberries but powdering some and mixing in was a really good idea.

Okay, time for some coffee!

Good morning ladies. Just checking in while our house-guests still sleep. They will be having bagels for breakfast, which some of you know I LOVE. I will stick with my beans.

Have a great Sunday.

Good morning friends!
I spent the day with my parents yesterday and was too tired to read or post last night when I checked in to the spring challenge thread. I had a great time but the one day visits always wear me out. I'm so glad I was able to go though, we had a great visit and got a few things done that I wanted to do with/for my mom and I introduced them to crack slaw. (Of course they loved it. lol)

The scale finally budged, too. I'm not sure if it was the shock of having me hop on at 4:30 am yesterday or the surprise of the 13 degree weather but whatever the reason I'm down a little over a pound and very happy about it.

I enjoyed reading through the thread this morning. I'm hoping to get back with some personals after my shower but I have a few odds and ends to get ready for Sunday School this morning and I can't really relax and enjoy my online time til I get that taken care of.

Hi everyone! A quick wave hello before I eat some breakfast and go out for a walk. Hope everyone has a great day.

Good Morning

Just checking in. I had a rough evening and ate something I didn't really want to and yet wasn't willing to stop myself, either. DH's daugthers are pretty self centered and the younger one went off on me last night telling me I'm an uncaring b****h (among numerous other things). My head is trying to tell me it isn't personal but in fact, it was very personal...I'm going to try to take care of myself today. Funny, I had gone to the library and checked out the Beck Diet Solution, which I think I am going to try to incorporate into my plan. I feel like I have the good eating tools down through SBD, but am missing the tools I need to deal with the (sometimes extreme) details of life that lead me to overeat in the first place.

So, the daughters aren't coming here for Easter and she left the phone conversation with the "whatever" line which is just so incredibly rude.

I'm going to deal with just today. Church and a good day with DH and the pups. We'll try to get the dogs out for a walk. I'll plan my food and stick to it. Sorry to blather, but it's not good for me to come here and just say I'm great when it kinda sucks right now.

Morning ladies!

Just popping in to say Hi before heading out to church!

So sorry Debbie. In laws can be incredibly difficult!

Debbie -

Hugs Debbie! I hope you have a nice day with hubby and the pups. I was thinking about getting htat book also. I think MMC had a thread and someone was talking about the book. I wanted to read it.

Congrats Heide on the pounds lost.

My scale isn't showing a loss this week. I am so confused. On Monday I weighed 211 and now it states I weigh 216. I haven't gone off plan except for one day. I didn't plan lunch and end up eating some fries. I have started exercising. I haven't drank enough water. I am not "backed" up.

I just don't think I have gained 5 pounds. Could it be because of not drinking enough water? I had lost 6 pounds in the month of March. I did weigh on a different scale and it weighed me as the same thing.

My pants that were really loose seem tighter around the belly.

Ok enough of the pitty party for me.

How is your Sunday? On a happy note I have little shoots sticking out of the dirt were I planted onions. I love watching my little baby veggies grow!!!

Tammie- you would've had to eat what...15K extra calories to gain 5 lbs??!! I don't think so!! Give yourself a day or two off the scale, and then look again. (It happens to me a lot!)

Debbie - sorry about the daughter. How old is she? If she's not a teenager, she's acting like one!! Nessa from here did Beck as well, and I should look into it too! Everyone here knows you're a wonderful person

me- off to make the menu for the week. What should I do with some pork tenderloin? It's been a lovely morning so far.

Have a fabulous day!

Debbie I started Beck and loved what I read but didn't stick with it. I'd like to give it another try because I also have some attitudes and behaviors that just need adjusting. I did notice that just the little bit I did stuck with me. I'm so much better about being hungry now. I actually pat myself on the back instead of freaking out and looking for food.

tammie - I saw Cat pop-in on another thread with her famous scale advice. Sometimes you just have to step away from the little monster. Increase the water, watch the sodium and keep on keeping on.

Heidi - I always introduce my parents to recipes from here. Last visit I got my Mom hooked on mock snack cake. Now she takes it to work when she subs so she can get everyone else to try it

Now that we are back from birding and it's obviously not going to be a yard work day (windy and bitter) I need to get to my inside list. Anyone else planning a visit back to P1 this week? I've got some serious planning to do.

I'm not going back and doing a Phase 1 over, but I am cracking down more on the starchy carbs. I've been going a tad bit overboard with them lately, although it's still fully within the Phase 2 guidelines. I'd like to read that Beck Diet Solutions book, too. And another book that I'm interested in reading is Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint.

It's cold, windy, overcast, and downright ugly outside and looking like rain any minute. All I feel like doing is curling up under a quilt with a pot of tea and my laptop. We did go out earlier for breakfast and I got my new pans (Calphalon is on SALE at BB&B!), and stopped at Mom & Dad's for coffee, but I'm in for the rest of the day. The kids will be here later, and they want rigatoni & meatballs for supper, so that's easy enough. I'll have leftover spaghetti squash pie.

I got 2 quarts of strawberries for .99 @ yesterday and am thinking about using the mock snack cake recipe to make a shortcake. I'm not sure if anyone will eat it if they know it's made with beans, but I think I'm going to try it anyway. I won't tell them, but they know by now that if I'm eating it, then there's something "funny" in it.

Debbie, don't let your stepdaughters get you down. You are a treasure, and we all love you!

Tammie, I'm a firm believer in not trusting the evil scale. I don't even own one, although I will occasionally weigh in on the Wii scale, just to see my progress. Even that is goofy, though, and goes up and down for no apparent reason.

Hey girls! Just another Manic Sunday!

Debbie I hope you're enjoying a nice day with Kirk and the pups.
FWIW, I wish I could come visit you over Easter....

I was so glad to read Cyndi's question about going back to phase 1. I've been thinking about it for a few days and almost started a thread to get some help with this.

Is there much point in going back to phase 1 if you're not having any cravings? I have no cravings and I am OP most of the time. (I might have half a cookie or half a brownie or something once or twice a month, usually at a classroom party.) Twice since October I've gone more than a week without losing any weight but the rest of the time I've been losing a steady 1-2 lbs/week so I've never felt the need to go back to phase 1.

I really wanted to be down 50 lbs by Easter (April 4) because that will also be my 6 months on South Beach anniversary. I think that's why I can't just shrug my shoulders and say, "Ah, what's another week?"

I'd happily go phase 1 for the week if I thought it would zap those last 3 pounds quickly, but I am not convinced it will speed my weight loss at this point in the game. What do you think?

Heidi, the first time I did Phase 1, I lost 11 lbs., but hardly lost anything whenever I redid it again. I've always read that the reason for Phase 1 is to rid your body of any cravings resulting from sugar and refined carbs, and Phase 2 is where the real weightloss begins. If you aren't having any problems with cravings now, I don't think it's necessary to do a Phase 1 at this time.
I know for me, the closer I get to a healthy weight, the slower the weight comes off, and that may be what's happening to you, too.