Well, end of the month is here! I had some ups and downs, but overall, according to my Fitday, I am up 1 pound for the month. I suppose that's not too bad considering I spent a good 2 weeks just eating with reckless abandon (first from being sick, then from being so busy) Actually, technically, I suppose I shouldn't determine how much I've gained/lost for the month until I weigh myself tomorrow morning, since I still have today to go. Maybe I'll be down a pound and break even

February will be a better month.

But as for today:

• Kashi Heart to Heart cereal w/banana and skim milk
• chocolate (mini Hershey Krackel bar and 100-calorie Hershey chocolate pretzel bar)
• pbj sandwich
• orange chicken and broccoli
• ham, turkey, and cheese sandwich
• boneless skinless chicken breast tenders marinated in Italian steak marinade (Mami, it's by Lawry's and only has 10 calories per Tablespoon) served with Trader Joe's organic frozen brown rice (may also add some veggies--have to see what I have in my freezer)

That comes to about 1700 calories for the day. With TOM rearing its ugly head, I may add a snack after work if needed--just an orange or some red seedless grapes at home--something less than 100 calories.

B-2 Kiwi
S-cheese string
L-salad, chicken noodle soup & slice of ww bread
S-98% fat free ice cream
D-chicken, 1/2c stove top stuffing, 1 potato, 3/4c of baby carrots & salad
S-100 cal popcorn
water-3.5 L
exercize 30 mins on bike

b - yogurt and kashi

s - fruit gel

l - rice, black bean chili, broccoli

s - apple

e - 30-40 min. strength

d - pasta w/ more broccoli (i'm out of veggies)

d - ff chocolate pudding

Did good yesterday - dinner wasnt that healthy but was within calorie range

B- 3oz srambled egg whites; two mini begals with burchetta (sp?)
S- coffee; orange; thinsations
L- half a can of tuna with mayo and hot pepper relish; 3 crispbreads; cheese string and maybe some miso soup (been wanting it all week, but never had it yet, haha)
S- two rice cakes with peanut butter
D- I think we are getting subway - I think I want a salad with extra extra chicken! mmmm and hot sauce for dressing
W- 4L
E- did 75min this am

I think I'm finally off my plateau. Eating on my new menu plan seems to be working. I didn't get my exercising done this morning, though. Too cold and rainy.

B~1/2 blackberries, 1 c steel cut oats with 1/4 c raisins
S~tangelo
L~not sure, probably some soup (remember it is cold and rainy)
S~6 lf Triscuits and 1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese
D~turkey burgers with light goat cheese, carrots, celery and snow peas to dip in veggie dip that has had the fat content halved with Z Trim.

Have been having a good week. I'll keep it up!!!!

B: 1/3c steel cut oats w. 1/3 egg whites w. splenda and frozen rasberries and blueberries= 200cal

L: went w. a friend to Longhorn. Got a small side salad w. bals. vin. on the side, and a baked sweet potato plain w. cinnamon and butter on side. Sprinkled cinn and used 1t of butter. Also had some peanuts= 350cal

S: 1 med orange= 80cal, carrots and hummus= 75cal (notice a trend with eating food that is the color orange. hmmmm)

D: finally eating the last little bit of my chilli= 150cal

S: 2c puffed cereal= 140cal, 2c unsweetened almond milk= 80cal

Thanks Jilly, I will be purchasing more marinades at my next shopping trip.

Allinell, what is your new plan that got you off the plateau? suggestions are always helplful

Reminder to all: stay away from grandmother's houses while you're on a diet. That visit yesterday was unplanned and I just ate too much of the Ferraro Rocher chocolates she offered after the deep fried pork chops and humungous serving of rice. Alas, let's hope tonight goes better because this morning the scale showed a 1 pound increase; hope it was water!

Mami~I spent an hour on Friday going through my old Cooking Light cookbook to get some recipe ideas. I'm usually pretty good on breakfast and lunch choices, but lack ideas for dinner. I made up a 2 week menu plan. Then I printed out 14 copies of it so each day all I have to do is highlight the foods I ate (I left a place at the bottom to write in unexpected foods I ate during the day). I have the calories next to all the foods, so I can very quickly add it all up (and I can add it as I go so I know how many calories I have left at any point in the day). I have about 6 choices for breakfast, my standard lunch, and 5 snacks from which I choose 2 or 3 per day. Then there are about 8 or 10 dinner ideas (I will do some twice).

Anyway, I find this was easier than using fitday (which I've used off and on for the past year). I don't like getting on the computer in the evening, so I was finding that I wasn't logging any food consumed after 4:00 PM when I usually leave work. I finally sat down and did log a couple days worth and discovered I was eating in the 2500-2800 range! Now I'm sticking much closer to 1400!

Thanks Allison! I wish I could stay off the computer at night. It becomes a bit addicting.