It's time for another week in South Beach land Come on in and share your menus, your struggles and your questions no matter what phase you are on.

What's working for you? What challenges are you having? Got some great tips and tricks to share? Join us in this thread where we deal with the day to day nuts and bolts of South Beach living.

My favorite tips:

• Get those veggies in! 4.5 cups of real vegetables (I don't include iceberg lettuce in that list) really helps me stay on track and feel full.
• Beans, I love my beans, at least one serving a day, sometimes more
• Drink plenty of water. For me that's at least 100 oz a day.
• My newest trick - add chia to my breakfast. Currently I'm using 2 T ground chia with my morning egg to make a pancake. It keeps me full until lunch, something I've never experienced before. It also keeps everything moving along and reduces bloat.

Today's plan, Phase 2 without grain:
B: chia pancake with chard, veggie sausage, rf cheese & hot salsa
L: green monster smoothie
S: not sure yet, maybe string cheese or kefir
D: grilled fish, asparagus, eggplant & squash
wine!

exercise: 60m walk, hooping

Phase II

B. lf cream cheese, ww 1/2 bagel, 1 slice peameal bacon
L. green salad, HB egg and asparagus, strawberries
GrandBaby Shower: I'll pass around the goodies and avoid eating them unless there's a veggie tray
D. ??? but I will be mindful when I am at the dinner party. I'm hoping for a BBQ with lots of salads. I will NOT eat any of the rum cake I'm bringing

Saturday, June 25, 2011 - Phase 2

Breakfast: 2 egg omelet with tomato, red peppers, onions, 2% cheese, LF sour cream and salsa; 6-8 oz V8; 2 cups coffee with ¼ cup 1% milk and artificial sweetener

Lunch: Salad with lots of veggies; tuna and homemade Italian dressing

Snack: Apple with peanut butter - Vitamins

Dinner: Baby Back Ribs, Broccoli Salad

Snack: More broccoli salad (man… this stuff is good!)

Snack: NSA Fudgesicle

Phase 2
B: omelet with spinach and rf swiss cheese, 1/2 grapefruit, nf milk
S: 4 brazil nuts, V8
L: leftover chicken, leek and barley soup
S: veggies and hummus
D: salmon, roasted cauliflower and broccoli
S: nf greek yogurt, blueberries

soooooo it turns out I go nowhere fast if I don't log and track every day. Hi again ladies.

1: strawberries, scrambled eggs, 2 chicken sausage, laughing cow cheese
2: salad, sunflower seeds, cauliflower, lf cheese, lf ranch
3: chicken broc curry, strawberries
4: roasted chick peas, pickles, coke zero

P1.5
B grilled steak and veggies, 2 pork ribs, whoops! Coffee w truvia and 1%
L pb&j smoothie
S masala chick peas
D leftover steak with salad and rf feta
S edamame and cheese stick

Sunday - we had a LONG birthday party (unexpectedly long) with basically no OP foods. Ah well - did the best i could!

B: scrambled eggs, onions, green peppers, turkey bacon, V8
S: 1/2 avocado
L: triscuits, hummus, slice of lf cheese, 3 slices of roast beef, 3 tortilla chips, 1 in X 2 in slice of birthday cake
S: other 1/2 avocado (a bit much on the avocado, even though it was small)
D: salad - I can feel my nose twitching already given the size of the salad I need to eat . . .

Be well -

Keeping on top of my calories this week:

S 1272
M 993
T 1355
W
T
F
S

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I've got several dinners ideas for the week, but, since I'm only cooking for myself right now, it will be a bit trickier than usual.

1. Chickpea & vegetable stew - Made on Tuesday. Always so yummy.
2. Spaghetti squash with vegetarian bolognese sauce & chicken meatballs
3. Ground turkey taco bake
4. Clean Eating chicken, spinach & ricotta quesadillas - made Monday. They were just okay.

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Today (Phase 2)
Wt: 160.6
B: PB & banana in a whole wheat tortilla; skim milk
L: Warm Tru Roots Sprouted Bean Trio mixed with RF goat cheese stuffed in a WW pita with arugula, spinach & cherry tomatoes.
Sn: 2T hummus and mixed veggie sticks
S: Leftover madras lentils with quinoa mixed with spinach and cauliflower.
Sn: Fresh berries & greek yogurt with a splash of SF vanilla syrup.

Well I just made tomorrows meals.....

B: hard boiled egg and 5 oz V8
S: lettuce wrap with small piece chicken left over and half slice cheese (yum my favorite)
L: 1/2 pork chop over romaine
S: hummus and veggies
D: small sirloin with greek salad

Sunday, June 26, 2011 - Phase 2

Breakfast: Oatmeal Pancakes; 2 slices turkey bacon; V8; 2 cups coffee each w/ ¼ c 1% milk and sweetener

Lunch: Chicken Crackslaw

Snack: Apple with peanut butter - Vitamins

Dinner: Chicken Strips with Blue Cheese dressing; broccoli salad (lots!)

Snack: NSA Fudgesicle

Ultimatebea, so nice to see your picture. I keep meaning to tell you that I went to college with someone meant to be very famous in the ultimate world. His name (or nickname) was Skip and I don't remember his last name, but my school had no athletic teams but a championship ultimate team. This was SUNY Purchase circa 1984-1987.

I'm on Phase 1.5 today:
B: chia pudding with blueberries
S: edamame and nf greek yogurt
L: chicken/chickpea/zuccini salad, pickle
S: 15 almonds, 1 pc. smoked gouda, 3 olives, 1/2 pickle
D: chicken andouille sausage and mashed cauliflower

I'm on Phase 1.5 today, too, since I'm adding in fruit. I may start adding in a grain for breakfast later in the week.

B. flax muffin w/yogurt & berries
S. greek yogurt w/chia & sf vanilla syrup
L. kale salad
S. raw veggies w/hummus
D. chickpea ragu

Not sure where I will be for lunch so a filling breakfast and solid dinner plan will keep me on track.

Phase 1.5, the choc. hemp powder is sweetened with coconut palm sugar and I'll probably have wine after dinner
B: PB chocolate Green monster with added chia
L: depends on where we are, probably a salad of some kind
S:string cheese if we are home
D: sauteed mushroom, peppers & "beef" chunks, sauteed greens
wine

exercise: weights, bike or walk

Phase II

Yesterday worked out pretty well. Dinner was pulled pork and green salad. I had my pork on half a ww bun. I'm up a bit this morning but know it's water weight so won't change the ticker.

B. strawberries, Fibre 1, yogurt
L. salad with greens, goat cheese, walnuts and strawberries
D. pork tenderloin medallions, mushrooms, red pepper, ww noodles, Swiss chard

P1.5

1: cottage cheese w/ sf jam and stevia
2: "weekend glow" kale salad
3: red peppers and hummus
4: pasta sauce w/ lots of veggies, not sure what i'll be serving it over yet.

exercise: 60 min. zumba, 60 min. step class (teaching) + 30 min. step choreography prep. this teaching is whipping my butt. i'm so tired!

stomach is feeling a little upset this weekend due to a weekend of relative excess compared to what i am used to. let's hope a few days of high veggies and lots of water gets me back to normal.