A friend wants to meet at Ihop for breakfast and I have no idea what I can order there. I'll try looking up their website...but what do you all order there, if there is anything? Remember, no sugar.

mj--I am so proud of you! keep going.

Nicolen--the cold is not as bad as I thought last night. I was very tired and drained, so passed on cardio and went to bed with the kids. I felt bad this morning, but now it's just an annoying stuffy nose.

hellokitty--great job throwing out those snacks. the kids do not need them anymore than you do! I stopped buying all the bad snacks awhile back and my kids never noticed. long as they have something here to snack on they are fine...of course, they have always lvoed fresh veggies, fruit, yogurt, etc.

You got me purplefly, at Ihop I kinda throw my diet out the window and get some sweet pancakes with fruit on top, or the stuffed ones. Though I guess I am improving coz I used to get the chocolate chip pancakes every time without fail. Maybe you could just get a simple dinner with 2 strips of bacon, scrambled eggs (if you love cheese, maybe you can get it on the side so you can control how much is put in?) and some toast?

YAY! According to the website they have a menu called Ihop for me, and it is healthier choices, some under 600 calories, some under 15 g fat, and others for carb conscious people. I will order the Garden Scramble, which is basically scrambled eggs made with egg substitute, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and tomotoes...yummy! It comes with pancakes, but I will get the fresh fruit bowl instead. Now I can't wait

I will check in here tomorrow to let ya'll know if I resisted all the sugary things, but I KNOW I CAN, I will keep telling myself that.

Wow! Cool, I'll have to check that out. It's always good to have a repertoire of restaurants one can go to without gorging oneself.

Hi Everyone! Got home about midnight last night. Just spent the last three days in the Twin Cities of Minnesota for training. The class was tough, but the evenings were fun. Each night, we went to dinner and had one or two drinks. No, I didn't stay on-plan. Maybe I shouldnt say this, but I'm not feeling very guilty. I never ever go out of town or hang out with friends. Since I'm a full-time telecommuter for my employer, I hardly ever leave the house. I guess I just felt entitled to "let my hair down" and enjoy myself. Watching what I ate and drinking water just wasn't my idea of a good time. Of course, I'm now paying for my lack of discipline from this week and in the previous weeks. My jeans are getting uncomfortably tight in the waste.

Now that all trips are out of my way for a while, I plan on getting back on the treadmill. I've been holding off as I didnt want to hurt my knees before I had to do a lot of walking around airports, amusement parks, etc. Also, Hubby and I got a home gym for Christmas. He found it on Craig's list for cheap. So, now I can work out the muscles that support my knees...and get toned all over! I know that working out will have the added benefit of helping me get back on-plan. Afterall, who wants to expend all of that effort, then blow it all on something full of sugar and calories....and very very brief pleasure?!

MJ- Congrats on the 2 pound loss this week! How are the knees?
Diane - Congrats on your pound loss!
Sandi - So glad you decided to join in with us. Congrats on making it to week 7!
Melissa - Congrats on your 5 pound loss!
Purple - Sounds like you're doing great on the sugar detox. I know how hard it is...I'm a fellow sugaraholic. You will feel so much better without that sugar in your body. (Reminder to self.....remember how good it feels!)
Cheryl - I'm really sorry to hear that you're struggling. Do you think its the time of year? I'm really having a hard time, too. The traveling and work stress have been over-the-top for me lately, but this time of year just seems to be harder on weight loss and exercising. Glad to hear that you're not giving up. You've been a dedicated part of this thread for a while and I've loved sharing your journey. Thanks for sticking with us even during the rough times.

To everyone that I haven't written a personal note this time, I have read each of your posts and I am wishing everyone tons success!

Hope you have another great on-plan day tomorrow.

Cut a long story short: I had a very stressful night and we ended up at Jack in the Box instead of Subway. I did not go over my daily calories and did not eat sugar, but still feel I cheated somehow since it was I'm sure a fattening burger I ate. They gave us a large coke I didn't order, and I took it I guess out of habit of gettin gone. When I reached for a drink I thought "Oh, no! I can't have that!" I didn't even put the straw in the hole, came home and had to dump it out immediately or it would have been gone in two minutes.

Stress = sugar cravings, very bad ones. The kids are in bed now and there is nothing sugary in the house, so I am safe, but just very exhausted and wanting some sugar. I kept staring at that coke all the way home, wondering if it might be Dr. Pepper, how it would taste, etc. Then I felt like crying watching it go down the drain. I am INSANE to be so upset over a stupid coke, but it is just so hard when I am so stressed out.

And...my reasons to be stressed out are so stupid, I should not even worry about these things. I am wondering if it's a hormonal thing, but I still have 2 weeks to my period every little thing is just making me want to cry today, no idea why.

Sebas: I think it is okay once in awhile to get out and let your hair down, long as you are conscious that you're doing that and are willing to face consequences later. Sounds like you know what to do now and will get back on track quickly. Being home all the time is hard, it was probably so great to be out with friends!

Hi folks...yes - you are all right - it helps to plan. Sometimes plans change...but, with a plan my head doesn't spin with "what will the next food be".

My plans for today.

work in my office today
go to the pool
grocery store
meditate, journal food, plan,stretches

breakfast - ff cottage cheese, pears, pnb toast, tea

snack - carrots

lunch - turkey pastrami, open face with mustand, veggies and dip

snack - yogurt and flax, crackers

dinner - homemade turkey soup, veggie

snack - cherrios, 1/2 banana, milk




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Good Morning everyone..
Welcome back Rhonda..Purple congrats on not going over your calories at a fast food place.
I did much better yesterday, I didn't snack on junk... I didn't count calories, but think I did ok.. For dinner I did eat the amy's veggie lasagana, but also had one dolmo( a grape leave stuffed with rice and herbs), and 2 spinach rice balls( golf size balls with rice, spinach , and low fat feta cheese)... I don't think this messed up anything, because it wasn't alot, it was a little. I had yogurt , and pear and rice cakes for snacks.So I am feeling good. I can do it today too.
I am going to exercise soon, and then eat bkfst..
bkfst will be the 7 grain hot cereal, banana, and honey
lunch will be 2 veggie hot dogs( smart dogs) and 2 wheat buns with mustard( 250 calorie total)
dinner... tylapia with chayote squash
snacks.....yogurt, fruit , rice cakes and more yogurt if I get hungry!!
I can do this today!!!!!
Have a great on plan day everyone.
cheryl

Morning chiclets,
It's so helpful to come here in the morning and write down the plan for the day. So, here's today:
B - deviled eggs, 1/2 cup chili, coffee
S - turkey/lettuce rollups
L - Chicken Noodle Soup, salad
S - peanut butter apple and a latte
D - custom ww pita pizza and salad
S - yogurt with almonds

Kind of weird, I'll admit, but today is grocery shopping day and the pickings are slim!
Cheryl, glad you had a good day!
Rhonda, I'm glad you don't feel guilty, what's the point? When I go off, I just pick myself up and get back on, no looking back. You are back on the right track!
beverlyjoy, you're so right, doesn't it make the whole day easier?
purplefirefly, you are awesome for pouring out that coke when you were feeling so weak! I hope you are feeling more up soon. We all have those times and just have to ride them out. Sounds like you are doing great!
Have a good one chickies!

I had breakfast with my friend at IHOP and think I did okay I didn't see the healthy menu anywhere, but I normally eat an omelet at home, so I had a spinach mushroom omelet without the sauce, and instead of pancakes had the fruite bowl. Let me tell you, it was so so good. The omelet was big so I didn't eat all of it, but it had mushrooms and swiss cheese inside, then the whole thing was wrapped with spinach on out the outside, then there was a little more swiss cheese and some fresh chopped tomatoes on top. I asked about sauce and it did come with something, but I told them to leave it off. The fruit bowl was SO worth it, a big bowl with big chunks of pineapple, cantaloupe, green melon, grapes, and I think something else, I forget now. It was so much I shared with my friend.

My friend actually said "Wow, you eat too healthy for me, girl" and that made me feel good. i told her about going off sugar and all...but get this, she has lost 10 lbs. in a month without much trying here I am eating half the calories her skinny butt is taking i, and I might lose 1 this week if I am lucky. Just not fair sometimes

I have no idea how many calories that omelette was guess I'll count it 600??? The menu is on their website, but I can't find nutrition info there. How would you all count it?

Hi everyone. Hope you're all having a great day. My day is really good because I took the day off! I'm having a somewhat lazy day, but I'll be getting a few Christmas things done today. Not going to worry about it much... ... because it's a "special" day... Not all that exciting to me, but I'm taking advantage of just being home and relaxed!

I'll still stay on plan though! I'll have to find some other way to exercise because it is pouring rain here. Yes... rain. Snow in the mountains, but rain here.

Rhonda: Glad you're back! Enjoy that new gym!!!
Purple: Sounds like you chose well at IHOP. Good for you!!
Schmoodle: Do you have an "on plan" recipe for deviled eggs? How do you fix them?
Cheryl: You sound so much better today!! Glad to "hear" it!
Beverlyjoy: Planning is good! (Wish I was better at it!!)
Nicole: I understand scale frustration!!! Hang in there!

Hope everyone else is doing well!! Have a great day!

Slashni, I am on South Beach, and mayonnaise is okay for us beachers, so it's on-plan for me. As a matter of fact regular mayo is preferred over lite or reduced fat because the regular is made with healthy fats and the others replace the fat with sugars. Of course, portions count too, so I just use the minimum amount I need to smoosh up the yolks and help it along with a little water, vinegar, and mustard. Then S&P and that's it! Just your basic deviled egg recipe. I usually make up a platter every week, but I don't have to worry about overeating them because I'm lucky if I get more than 3 or 4 before they're gone!

Happy birthday to you! Hope you have a great day!

I think I'm going to have to make myself some deviled eggs, Schmoodle. It never occurred to me to eat them for breakfast, but now I will!

Here's me today, a little behind as usual. A "little behind"...I should be so lucky!

Anyway:

Breakfast: mocha-latte, mandarin orange (6)
Lunch: open-faced turkey sandwich, light mayo, Diet Pepsi (5)
Dinner: vegetarian chilli, mashed potatoes, tea with honey (7)
Snack: ice cream sandwich, tea with milk, Asian pear (6)

I did a blog post about devilled eggs almost a year ago--- this is my recipe. When using light mayo, I once calculated it out to be about 100 calories an egg (50 calories per half) ... they are super good and easy to make. I usually whip up a batch every month, it's a nice treat once in awhile, and as long as you don't eat the whole plate full, it's really not off plan or anything. I'd imagine using regular mayo might add a few more calories but probably not that much actually.

http://rakel.vox.com/library/post/th...iled-eggs.html

Game plan for tomorrow:

Water--AT LEAST 1.5 liters throughout the day.

I'm going out with the boyfriend to do some Christmas shopping; he wanted some help picking out presents for the women in his family, and asked me to tag along, so we're trekking out to a bigger city and seeing what we can come up with.

He's letting me pick where we eat, though, which I genuinely appreciate. I wish I could say that I have a solid game-plan for exactly what I'm eating, but I really don't. I'm not all too familiar with the area we're heading to, so I'm kinda just going to have to go with the flow.

I've set guidelines for myself though:

1. Control carbs and salt as much as possible.
2. No heavy sauces.
3. NOTHING FRIED OR BREADED.
4. Get fruits and veggies wherever possible.
5. Try to keep away from sugar as much as possible.

Now that I think about it, I do believe there is a little bistro-type cafe right down the street from the mall, so maybe I'll pop in there and see what it looks like. I'm sure they'll have soup and salads that I could enjoy, and probably some kind of seasonal fruit.

Not going to worry about exercise too much, since we'll be walking all day. He wants to do the big Midnight Ferris Wheel too, which is kinda sweet, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I just hope I don't venture too far off-plan.