Nice reading everybody and seing that we all face the same challenges. It is a slow with for me, my energy level is not at its best but I still go to the gym to do the exercices at a lower pace it is better than not doing them at all. I Will feel better in a few days and pick up the speed.

I had set a goal and I am almost there but I feel that once I am there that I will want to go a little further. It feels nice to give myself that option. When I started my goal was 140 made it, lowered it to 125 will make it, then...might decide for another 5 or concentrate on the toning and maintain the weight.

This weight loss of mine is taking a lot of my time, made me refocus my priorities. I use to sit in front of an easel all day and night, now I am more balanced. I still spend a lot of time with paint tubes and brushes since it is my profession but my body comes first, then art takes care of my soul and all this process makes me whole.

Have a great day ladies

Hello friends!

I spent the last couple of days with an awful headache and I don't know if that's because I've lowered my carbs or what but there it is I will say that today it has been much better.

I decided to follow phase one of the SB plan. It's pretty much what I was doing before but I never did the phase one plan of anything to break the hold sugar has on me. Other than the headache, I am loving this. I feel back in control. I can't wait to see the results at the end of the two weeks of phase one. Of course I am hoping for that big weight loss but honestly if it sets me up to be free of the hold sugar has on me I will consider it a success.

I want to thank all of you for the encouragement you've given me. I have to run--company is here Maybe I'll be back later this evening....

Hello All,

Michou - Sounds like you are listening to your body & I'm betting that it will naturally settle at an appropriate weight for you as time goes on.

Jane- WOW! 52 weeks on plan & losing weight during December. Now, that's impressive. And, you are a Grandma X9? You must be a very busy woman. It makes me appreciate even more the time you take to be here to support and give feedback to the rest of us. Thanks for upping the font size. I tried to with this post, but all I got was font size 3 printed out & enclosed in brackets. What did I do wrong?

ANewCreation - I am so glad to hear you are feeling back in control. The Sugar Monster is hard to tame, but it can be done & I agree that to accomplish that, with or without weight loss, is a major victory. Keep up the good work.

Have a great day & God Bless to everyone.

Hi all,

ANewCreation - your headaches should disappear within a few days, once your body gets used to the new WOE. It sure is a good feeling to be back in control. We thank you, too, for your input here!

JoyfulR - I didn't think my font looked bigger but maybe it does to you others. What you do is, highlight the whole message, then click on the "size" bar at the top of the message box where you type your response, and then click on 3. Thank you for your kind words. I get as much support as I give around here - that's why I love it so!

A big hello to anyone reading this.

I have a busy weekend planned. Five of the grands will be here tonight, and stay over until tomorrow evening. We have several projects planned, including some science experiments. Hope we don't blow the place up, haha. After church on Sunday, I'll have a family dinner, then scoot off to a bridal shower. But I'll be able to check in.

Have a good weekend.

Gwen's Addictive Chicken Fajita Wraps

1 pkg whole grain tortillas (or tortillas of your choice)
1.5 lb sliced chicken breast (butcher will slice for fajita's)
1 ea. red,green, and yellow bell peppers
1 med sweet yellow onion
1 tbsp cajun seasoning
1.5 tsp cumin
1.5 tsp black pepper mix (red/white/black)
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 jar chunky salsa (I use medium - but use what you like)
1 - 2 cans black beans drained & rinsed
1 can white kidney beans drained & rinsed - or -
1/2 cup White Kidney Bean Hummus ("supposed" to inhibit carb uptake)

• Slice onion and peppers in food processor -
• saute in evoo or chicken stock - covered in large pot to sweat
• when veggies are softened add seasonings, garlic and chicken
• stir well and cover again
• when chicken is about 1/2 way done, add salsa and beans -
• simmer til flavors mix well & sauce thickens - about 15-20 min
• Wrap burrito style into tortillas

Optional (but not necessary) toppings before wrapping:
avacado slices
mexican cheese blend


White Kidney Bean Hummus

3 cans Cannonelli Beans (white kidney beans)
3 roasted red peppers
8 cloves garlic (from salad bar)
3 red hot peppers (mixed with garlic on salad bar in grocery stores)
1.5 tsp pepper mix (white/red/black)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water +/- - add slowly until proper consistency is reached.

~ Blend in food processor until mixed well.

Serve with low carb tortillas
Use as sandwich spread

Thanks Gwen for the recipes

Good morning,

Size 3 is our regular font, so use size 4 if you want to increase it a bit. Not sure what I was thinking!

ANewCreation - I am so, so happy that you've found a WOE that is working well for you, and more importantly, one that you like. Yay for the loss so far! You are doing great. How I stay OP is that I am not nearly as strict as I was in past weight loss efforts, and that makes me happy. Which movie did you see?

Gwen - thank you for the recipes. I've never made hummus with anything but chickpeas, and this looks good. I like new recipes.

JoyfulR - I feel blessed to have each of you here, too.

Michou - hello!

Well, my weigh-in today was great, and I can officially say that I am down 55 total pounds now, after completing my first year. One year of healthy eating down, the rest of my life to go. I've never felt better!

Have a good weekend!

Edited to correct my math.

Good Morning Everyone,

Jane - Congratulations! 55 lbs down in a year is great.

ANew Creation - Sorry to hear about that sugary coke episode. You'll be just fine & it's a good opportunity to learn how your body reacts. You are still in Phase 1? See how you feel at the end of Phase 1, even with that 'blip', you may be fine to go on to Phase 2 as planned. I suspect that it's a very individual thing. If I understand South Beach correctly, you can go back to Phase 1 at any time, as needed. Good luck.

Have a great day & God Bless to you all!

Good Morning All,

Hopefully, we all had a good weekend & are prepared with our food plans for this week. Looking forward to hearing from you all.

Have a great day & God Bless.

Good morning all

Jane, I've been researching SB and can't find an answer to my question so I guess I'm just going to move on. I'm not sure that it has really had any impact on me. I have been a bit hungry this weekend but I've also been exposed to a lot of food that isn't allowed on phase one. We had a lot of company over the weekend and ordered in some pizza. I was good and enjoyed my SB Cobb Salad but the smell and sight of pizza left me jealous So, I guess I'm just going to play it by ear....

I must get to the grocery store and run some more errands before the snow hits. I will spend part of the day doing laundry and prepping some veggies, salads and veg quiche cups for the week. I am in love with the quiche cups and I have some leftover crab from the cobb salad so I'm going to throw that in the quiche cups and freeze some for later use. Yummy!!!

Stay warm and on plan my friends :-)