Hi Everyone! Today is day 15 for me, so I am gently easing into Phase II and I'm going to eat some oatmeal this morning. I'm very proud of myself, the first 5 pounds are gone. I think there's a bunch of us in this thread that are "graduating" from Phase I this weekend - let's have a graduation roll call and we can celebrate! Maybe we can start a Phase II beginners thread.

Today is my first day of Phase 2 as well...

I lost a total of 9.0 lbs on Phase 1... I am very happy with that...

I'm also slowly easing into Phase 2... My plan is to add an apple for my afternoon snack everyday this week. I'll watch the scale and pay attention to my cravings to see how it affects me.

Good luck Schmoodle, I'll join you in a Phase 2 thread.

Good luck you brave Phase 2ers! Can't wait to hear how it goes! I've got five days left on Phase 1, so be sure to check back in here and pass on your tips!!!

Kara

CONGRATULATIONS, YOU MADE IT!

Congrats to all who made it through Phase I, lost some weight, and are ready to get moving on to Phase II. You are our role models now, and we will keep your success in our sights as we follow you down the road to better health.

Yesterday was my Day 3, and I did okay. I flipped back and forth between first and second shift this week so I was really really tired, and that usually triggers overeating for me. But I stayed on plan (except for yet another couple bites of bread) and took in about 1700 calories because I ate a lot of meat. I work at a clinic and a drug company rep brought in boxed lunches, one of which my friends dutifully saved for me (even though I didn't ask) when I came in at 4pm. It had a roast beef sandwich, chips and a cookie. Because I had forgotten my frozen SB Entree at home, I took off the meat and rolled it around the lettuce and tomato to eat. Then I gave away the chips and cookie. I did have a couple bites of bread crust but then threw that away too.

Bread is my weakness and will likely be a lifetime battle but I have to make peace with it and learn to live with it. Years ago I told a friend that bread is "the gateway drug" for me and he laughed at me. But I really meant it. I once heard marijuana referred to as a gateway drug because kids start to smoke it, thinking it's harmless, and then move on to the harder stuff. Bread is like that for me: first "harmless" slices of bread, then tempting wedges of cake, then full-blown addiction. Unfortunately, you don't need to find some back-alley dealer to get a loaf. <sigh> I kinda wish it was illegal...

Anyway, Good Luck Ladies Of Phase II! We'll miss you, but we'll soon be joining you -- after we kick butt here and make you proud!

Happy Weekend to All.

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to share the yummy lunch I made today--a crustless personal pizza. I baked it in a little glass pan I have (slightly bigger than a DVD or CD) after spraying it with olive oil spray.

I layered:

very thinly sliced zucchini strips (to form the bottom crust), then
crumbled cooked Italian sausage, then
1/2 cup of sauteed (with spray) chopped onions, bell peppers, garlic,
1/2 cup of Barilla chunky pasta sauce (no added sugar!),
1/2 cup finely shredded Sargento mozzarella,and
sprinkles of oregano.

I baked it for 20 minutes at 400 and let it cool about 5-10 minutes. You can't eat it with your hands like a pizza but it was AWESOME anyway. And only something like 350 calories.

YUM YUM!

I did really well today despite some stumbling blocks. The first, and hardest to deal with, is PMS. My usual way of dealing with it is to eat a whole bunch of chocolate and fatty meat, so finding new ways to get through has been rough. The second is that I thought I had made hard-boiled eggs last night, only to get to work and find that they were actually soft-boiled. But instead of being overwhelmed and not eating them I just found a spoon. My third, and proudest, is that I went to the party tonight and didn't eat any cake or drink any alcohol. I did eat 3/4 of a piece of briskit with a tiny bit of barbecue sauce though, but I didn't drown the meat in sauce and I only had the one piece.

Questions: I still have some of the soft boiled eggs, can I cook them for a few minutes more to get them to be hard boiled? Does anyone out there live at a higher altitude? I live at 5,000 ft. and I suspect that I need to cook my eggs longer because of it. Am I right?