Good morning! Going to be a busy day here at the office but I have my priorities straight.

Sassy - thanks for the tip, I will go and check out that place when I get a minute. I love hearing about what the rest of you are eating, gives me ideas. How exactly do you do this thing with pumpkin and can I do it on Ph 1 or do I have to wait? Sounds nummy!

Bright - for me the hard part is having my meal plan ready to execute whether I'm tired or not, and having the right stuff in the right place at the right time so I don't get too hungry. This diet is a lot like the Zone to me - the even energy level all day is a great feeling - makes me stronger to resist temptation.

[I really think I would have succeeded on the Zone and never looked back if there wasn't so MUCH exactitude to it. ]

Jello - the second I read blow insulation I started to giggle. Sorry, not funny when it's you and you're trying to HEAL, doggone it. Hopefully, you can get the chaos contained before you go back to work.

Tiger - I'll be grilling tonite!

OK time to check posts and get the heck to work.

Edited to add: SEMO, it was the same with me. I was so excited to get that darn book and it took me several days before I could sit and really read. I doubled the egg beaters on my latest batch of quiches and they turned out good. Still pretty spinachy, but maybe some ham would help balance that. Hospital stuff is hard, hope you're getting enough sleep. {hugs}

Sassyus - I adore the ricotta and I thought I'd hate it. I got the fat free - only 40 calories for 1/4 cup. Made the mocha with cocoa, vanilla, and a bit of real coffee. Also love the lemon and lime.

I really like SoB - so much I actually bought the book and read it from cover to cover. I'm down 7 pounds in 10 days and have lost 2 inches from my waist/tummy area - carb bloat I guess.

I never thought I could give up carbs and it is so easy. The other morning for breakfast I made cottage cheese with 1/2 cup diced celery and 1/2 ounce of chopped walnuts - I was surprised how good it tasted. I don't even miss my cereal but I may try a bit of Fiber One - helps the internals pass a little faster.

I made the quiches, too, but only made 6 from the batch. Easy to adapt to other seasonings and veggies.

For lunch, I roll up tuna salad or turkey breast, a bit of cheese, and mustard in Boston Lettuce Leaves. I've also made my BLT without bread the same way using Morningstar Farms Bacon.

Finally out of the mess at work and now tackling the insurance company. The lightening did $50,000 damage in all.

Glad to see all of you doing so well.

I'm wearin' my "little" jeans!!!! The washed a hundred times ones that I haven't been able to get into!!!

Granted, they're a bit tight. And they're not going to stay on too long because they press against my incision site....

.... but still.....

Go Jello! ....so, after reading your post I have to go try on jeans. I have a pair that my little sister gave me. She wore them post pregnancy. I know they wont fit me right now...but maybe by the holidays.

The boys have football practice 5 to 7. It's really mess'n up my supper time. I'm starved, but try'n to wait for them to get home. The dogs leg is starting to look like a big 'ole chicken thigh.

Well, after a day of pasta and entirely too large portions, I'm at 183.4 - up a pound from yesterday. Bummmer. But today's a new day. Maybe those tight jeans packed me in real good or something???

Anyway, I'm going to Curves this morning and have to get weighed and measured. I'm just looking at it as a new start.

Tiger, how were your jeans? More importantly, is the dog OK!?!?

One of the things I did while I was recuperating was write letters (you know, the snail mail kind) to some people I hadn't heard from in a while - a girl I knew in college, one I used to work with about 15 years ago, etc. I've heard from 3 or 4 people so far that I haven't seen in a very long time. We're all talking about the possibility of getting together "soon". Me, I'm thinking I should keep in touch - and - but not meet face to face for a little while. That'll give me some incentive, don't you think? Oh the games I play....

Well, I'm off to dress and head to Curves. Then it's off to the grocery store armed with the recipes Cafe provided. Talk to you guys later.

Everyone is doing great! Sounds like South Beach is the hit of the season here!

SEMO: If and when I get my info I will let you know. I have never done this and dd is handling everything so who knows!

I am so excited. Jack wants so badly to go to the Cubs convention some year. It is 3 days in January and you can go to symposiums and seminars, meet players and get autographs that kind of stuff. Tickets are only $40 and go to Cubs Care charity for children. DD is getting him tickets for his Christmas present for he and I to go and I am booking a hotel downtown. The event is at the Hilton and you can get tickets now if you book there, but the hotel is $265 a NIGHT! I don't think so! We are staying a mile down the road at a Red Roof Inn in a suite for $99 and I can take Fortune with us! If the weather is not bad (like it won't be in January in Chicago!) we will walk now that I have found I have legs that can do that! If is is bad it is a 2 mile taxi ride!

Has anyone tried the Slimfast snack bars. Man they are great if you need a candy bar fix. Low in calories and fat too! I have tried the one that is like a butterfingers and the one that is carmel and crispies. I am going to get them for snacks to travel to Chicago the end of the month. Only three more weeks! Man I hope the Cubs can hold on and overtake the Astros !

Those quiches sound yummy and you could even stick meat in there if you want. I have found ff deli ham that is like 25 cal a slice and you could probably get three quiches out of one slice. I am going to HAVE to try those!

Thanks for the recipes cafe! I am going to include them in my recipe section of my website!

Have a freaky Friday ladies and Annex!

Faye

Happy Dance for Friday!
Jello, the jeans were "ok". The 16's...they fit, but I would like them to be looser. I like my jeans loose. And, I actually crammed my butt into the 12's my sister gave me. I couldn't walk, but I was in 'em.
I had a little bit of pasta last night too. I fixed steak on the grill, mushrooms and a pasta side dish for the crew. I was SOOO hungry by time they got home from practice...that's my only defense.
Weigh-in today~193.5j
Down 6lbs!

Goooooodddddddd Morning!! It's Friday, it's Friday... For a short 4 day week, it's been long for me.

9/5/03 SoB day five - wt 167.2 (knew it was the peanuts! )

I made chili last night and it was pretty good. I was looking at the prevention site yesterday and there were several recipes for chili, and you know how you get to thinking and then I was hungry for it. Didn't really follow a recipe just mixed together: x-tra lean G.chuck, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chopped onion & green pepper, can of black beans and kidney beans (drained and rinsed) boullion cubes (4 or 5) celery, water and seasoned with chili, onion, oregano, garlic powders, salt & pepper to taste. Guess what I'm having for lunch!

You all are all out bright an early this morning! Started back exercising and so far I haven't missed a day. Everyone sounds so positive and cheery, love it.

It's beautiful here in Missouri, it was 62 degrees on my way to work and it's just going to be a beautiful day. I'm really thinking about skipping out at noon.

Better get busy, everyone have a great day and weekend.

Happy weekend to all! SoB must be working, I was able to get into a pair of pants I couldn't wear before and they are a little loose even. Maybe I'll get into my winter clothes after all!

Beautiful day without much humidity and cooler temperatures - supposed to last for several days. Wonder if we'll get anything from Fabian? We had a bad lightning storm last night -- I was worried about the darn computer system. I don't think I could go through that again.

Going to Sully Plantation in Chantilly, VA Sunday for a big quilt show (about 3 hours from here). Stopping at the quilt shop in Occoquon in case there is something we need to buy after this huge show...okay we just have to hit every shop on our route.

Could anything sound more delicious than wearing smaller pants and quilting in the fall?? Congrats to those with pants success. I was stoked about my jeans too... until I washed them again. Still, just give me a couple of weeks on the SBD.

See, I'm not even calling it the SoB diet anymore. But gimme a coupla weeks. (Can you believe Cafe still thinks that joke is funny?!)

Quilter, I'm only on day 4 but I gotta say I LOVE the SBD too. I feel kinda silly, but it's good.

Faye - I like the sound of all the trip planning you're doing. I was in a nice blizzard in Chicago in January once. Made everything look so fresh and clean, it was fun. It was fun to roam around in all that snow, too, and good exercise. Different perspective when you're not going about the daily grind in the stuff.

SEMO - Chili!! You said the magic word. But I'm gasping now as I realize that, I think there is corn flour in Carol Shelby's spice mix which I love. I'll work around that. If Carol can do it, I can do it. You have really got me going! I love to add a little fresh cilantro and a lil squeeze of lime at the very very end. MMMM. Chili.

Jello, congrats again on the little jeans. Double happy Friday Dance for Jello.

OK, outdoor film fest Saturday night. A friend does this annually for about 50 people... I'm bringing my own food darn it. After all, I can't have popcorn anyway and with my mocha ricotta creme I am proof against the passing out of the candy bars. I can do it!

BTW, Malt Shop last week WAS a train wreck. Attendance at the study group was sparse and everyone was tired, so DH and I were among the few that went... and we did have ice cream. We both woke up with sugar hangovers and said "never again."

But that was BEFORE the SBD! I'm looking forward to a good, on plan weekend. Saturday afternoon I will plan next weeks menus. That seems to be the key for me.

Saturday morning at 182.8. Reprieve!!!

It's going to be a busy day homewrecking .... uh, homeworking ... uh, well you know. I'm counting that as plenty of exercise!

Went to Curves yesterday but there was only one person working and she was measuring someone and had two people waiting for interviews so I just worked out and left. Have to get weighed and measured on Monday. Another reprieve!

Faye!! By Cubs, you mean .... Chicago Cubs!?!?! Oooh, I wanna go! Been a big Cubbies fan for years. Go Sammy! I believe in you! I knew you were innocent!

Semo, recipe sounds good. And when the weather starts to get cooler, it's a great time of year for chili.

I'm off. Still cleaning up that insulation! It's a real SoB!!

(Cafe, that was just for you. )

Later.

Hee hee hee; Jello; ha. {{hugs}}

Keeping strong on Day 5. Weighed in today at 215.5 which is down 3 pounds from where I've been hovering on good days. [I saw something even higher last weekend but Aunt Flo came to town on Wednesday so I was attributing it to that.] So I'm pretty stoked.

But I can't get too stoked because this is a project to take me through the winter. I'm kind of excited about this long-term thinking. Its making the idea of winter more fun. The colder it gets, the winter clothes will be like my cocoon.

That being said, it's beautiful late summer weather outside, almost hot even. I'm going to put on some capris and go for a walk.

P.S. being off the corn, the recently tortuous first days of my cycle have been a breeze. Guess that was it all right.

Have fun homewrecking, there, Jello! Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.

Well in about 3 hours I will be on my way to Seattle, WA. Going to see the sights and and my nieces. BUT...I have 80 pages of Chemistry to read plus homework problems so don't be jealous. I have about 2-3 hours of studying to do each day.

Jello: 182.8, well if I were that weight now I would be so happy, but I guess if anyone is not as heavy as me I always want to be their weight!!!...and you sound like you are back to your old self. Boy your house is going to look so great when your done.

Semo: I use the Carol Shelby chili mix and when I throw in chopped tomatos it thickens by itself. Also I have been using turkey because it has more flavor than the beef...but that's just me. It's not that it has a turkey taste...it's just not so bland.

Quilter: You're inspiring me again!!!! And do i wish I had the time to take up quilting. I love quilts and watch the quilt TV shows when I can.

Faye: You go girl!! A 5K is a real accomplishment!

Cafe: I know what you mean about Zone diet and "exactitude. It is a great plan but right now reminds me too much of my exacting Chemistry class.

Sassysus and Brighter: As usual you both have great suggestions and brighten the thread whenever I read it.

Anyway the most amusing thing about this vacation is that the weather in Seattle has been beautiful for the past 4-5 months and today is the first of about 7 days of straight rain to come.

Conversely today is the first beautiful day we have had in NJ and we are due for sunny, beautiful and cool weather until next weekend when I come home. Go Figure!!!!

Talk yo you all next week!

Hey all,

Research done....day 1 South Beach Diet and it is going well! Much better than the high fat of Atkins!

We have sunshine and football games starting----I love fall weather! Need to buy some more bright mums for my porch--now that's what I call gorgeous!

Hope everyone's having a great weekend---no time for shout-outs but here's wishing everyone a safe journey whereever you are...



Bright

Sunday morning and Jello's grumbling at 183.4. Worst part is I don't know why it's up again. Can't even blame PMS anymore. Oh well, it's another day.

And, as Cafe pointed out, it's another season!! Cafe, what'd you come up with for enjoying the cooler weather? I'm with you in that I've decided that this year, instead of coming home and "tucking myself in" for the evening, I've got to find things to do even if it's cold and dark outside. And I need winter exercising that extends beyond the occasional shovelling of snow.

DNW, I guess you're probably gone already but hope you're having a great trip. Use the travel time to study and then go out and play!!!

Well, guys, gotta run. Rich has sworn that things will be straightened up enough by the end of the weekend so that I can actually get to my dresser drawers, closets and makeup table before I have to go back to reality (job ) on Tuesday.

The end is near.