Oh Skyra ... you're very welcome. You see how well Featherweights works? I had over 20 lbs to lose when I came back here

Haven't made it yet, so I can't yet comment on the results, but the lighter version is made with Italian-style turkey sausage rather than pork sausage and fat free half and half instead of the heavy cream. I'll let you know how it turns out!!!!!

Welcome, Skyra...this board is helping me to stay on track. I love having a "group" I feel I can belong to, and others who totally understand

ICU...I've had weekends like that, where stress got the better of me and I made some bad choices. You can do this.....just get right back on it and forget about the weekend!

Ms. Perception, I'm sorry to hear about your Grandma! But WTG on continuing your workout schedule. That should really help with your stress levels.

Here's my Oatmeal recipe for the crockpot:

2 cups Steel Cut Oatmeal (Not rolled oats)
6-8 cups water

Optional:
1/2 cup brown sugar (I don't because everyone has their own taste in sweetness and I prefer truvia on mine.)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
apple chunks
raisins
nuts added at the end to warm up

Cook on low 8-10 hours. I cook it overnight. I start it about 8-9pm because I get up early. Be prepared it makes alot. DD22 doesn't like it with 8 cups of water because it's too "mooky"--her word not mine. It refrigerates and warms up well so I make a big batch. You can cut it in half. I buy it in the organic bulk bins ($1.99 lb) of my local grocery store. DH, I and DD like it. DS14 does not which is ok, he's not much of a breakfast eater. I however like it so much, that I sometimes bring it for lunch.

Hi Skyra! Yes, there's a little more sympathy here for the "pound that won't die"!

Did better yesterday and will do better today. December's a bad month for me - I'm transitioning out of the insane consumerism and meeting quite a bit of passive-aggressive resistance. I'm NOT anti-Christmas ... I've just had it with the 2 months of run-up and then spending most of January trying to figure out how to pay off the bills. It's like a riot mentality or something.

But just as I get completely torqued out of shape for the nth time, I log on here and find ... losermom's solution to the breakfast problem. Beautiful! Now THAT'S a gift. Thank you!

Skyra, welcome!

losermom, thanks for the recipe, I'm adding steel-cut oats to my shopping list. I've been eating cold cereal (Kashi GoLean) with a banana sliced in it, but now that it's wintery I've been thinking about oatmeal a lot.

ICUwishing, I admire your rebellion against the consumerism of the season! This year I'm making a lot of gifts (mostly food-based)... partially to save money because I just don't see the POINT of buying all this stuff to somehow prove that you care.

Yesterday was... okay. I ate a couple of cookies at school that made it hard to stay in my calorie range. But I ate my baked beans for dinner, with a slice of light bread, and a grapefruit for dessert... the boys got Taco Bell before I came home, so luckily I didn't have to see or smell it. (Yes, the friend is still at our place.. I have no idea when he's going home.. for all I know, he's trying to move in, lol!)

Then, despite being at my calorie limit, I went a little crazy with some honey-roasted pecans I had at home. I was a little hesitant to buy them last week, but I just wasn't SURE if I could handle eating 1/2 ounce at a time or whether I'd end up devouring a third of the can in one night. Well, now I know it's the latter. They're going on to my mental "DO NOT BUY" list. But they're gone and I'm moving on!

Despite the nuts and all their sodium, I was down to 128.0 today. Right about where I was before Thanksgiving! My next mini-goal is to get back down to my lowest recent weight (126.6).

mayness-I buy these almonds (by Blue Diamond) that I've miraculously been able to eat only a serving of at a time, but they're a perfect sweet snack. The kind I like best is cinnamon and brown sugar. I know it sounds bad, but they're actually about the same fat and cals as regular almonds and then I get my "healthy" fats in and feed my sweet tooth, so there's no guilt! You're close to that low weight! Good luck with the friend who's not leaving. I hope you get along well with him!

losermom-Thank you! That sounds great. I will probably half it since I'm the main (sometimes only) oatmeal eater in the house. I like the add-in ideas, too. That'll be on my list of things to try during Christmas break.

ICU-I'm super proud of the fact that we've scaled back and have not "charged" a dime of this year's Christmas or birthday gifts! We just asked what people wanted and bought within our budget. We mostly scaled back with our kids and ourselves since the kids already own PLENTY and they receive tons from everyone else.

This Christmas, I know some could judge us. Since we're building a house, I think people think we're rich or something and should give expensive gifts. That's not the case, but people can think what they want. I'm not going to go into debt to please people's perceptions of us. I LOVE Christmas and enjoy every moment of time with my family and friends and celebrating Jesus. That's what it's about. And it's FREE!!! YAY!!

No change on the scale again today, but since I'm already where I wanted to be for the month, I'm fine with it. I will still be striving for the 120's (or at least a glimpse of them) by the month's end, but it probably won't happen this week. Presently, I'm just hoping for the forecasted snowstorm to hold off until we're home from DS's birthday meal out! I can't believe my baby is turning 10 today!!!

Was down to 132lbs today, so that made me HAPPY!!! Then I went and had a really bad eating day. Go figure! My kids were off school and we ended up meeting my husband for both lunch and dinner. This was fun, but not so good on the old diet...LOL. I finally got that pizza I've been craving, but I need to be back on plan tomorrow, that's for sure!

My "Zuppa Toscana" soup turned out pretty good! If anyone wants the recipe, let me know and I'll post it tomorrow.

My work week is finished again, i hate having long weekends...not much to do. so far i have cleaned the house, bleached all the walls, and floors. I need to do some sorting of clothes, then working on my BF's birthday present.

I have been feeling a bit depressed/tired. not a good feeling. i think i will feel better if i loose more weight, i feel like i have these bursts of weight loose, then nothing. I guess i have alot on my shoulders right now as well...trying to figure out your future is really tough, especially when you and your long term BF disagree by 5000 miles (literally).

I hope you are all doing well, so many of you have been cooking! Thought i would add to that!
yesterday: Penne pasta with homemade light tomato sauce, broccoli and baked chicken.
Today: zesty lentil soup (tomato, garlic, lentils, cumin, perprika)

Mostly I cook pretty simply. Yesterday was salmon and asparagus.

This morning ... I've lost another little sniggle. I suppose that adds up pretty well over time

Mayness, you could add bananas to your oatmeal too!

Kellost, I would love your "Zuppa Toscana" soup recipe. Can you post it?

ICU, I'm right there with you regarding Christmas. I would like to be done shopping, but I think I have a few more things to get. DH & I have gone strictly cash and carry for Christmas for about the last 15 years and it does make January easier. I try to get in the mood for the season, but I'm usually not feeling it. I even started to cry at work yesterday (really unlike me) because I just don't like the craziness surrounding Christmas--the shopping, the work parties, the food! I'm taking the week after Christmas off of work and I was thinking about working instead this year, but I think I need the time off to decompress.

Ms. Perception, I gave up worrying about what other people think about what we give as gifts to others long ago. I'm not willing to go into debt so that I can look good to others.

Well, my scale is not moving. It looks like this will be a month for maintaining. There have been too many parties, with good stuff, this week and next week is not looking any better. I'm still within my range so it's all good. I ordered myself a jump rope. I remember how much I loved jumping rope as a kid and want to see if I can do it as an adult. I like to change up my exercise from time to time--we'll see how I do with it.

losermom-Oooo, jump roping! I used to love it as a kid. I could even "double dutch" jump (2 ropes) back then. Ahhh, the memories!

SusanB-Yay on being down...it all adds up!

maenad-Hmm, sorry to hear you and BF aren't quite on the same page. I'm sure things will work out. Hey, if you want to do more cleaning...come on over! I got a bunch to do today!!

kellost-I'm looking forward to the recipe! DH and I are gaga over that soup at OG. It'd be nice to be able to make it at home and save some cals and cash.

I'm feeling good today. I did go a touch overboard at supper last night, but I'm making today a very active day cleaning and organizing, not to mention eating OP, so I'm good to go. I really need to get some gifts wrapped and clothes packed for our trip this weekend. It's so much easier to do a little each day than to squeeze it all into one crazy morning.

losermom, I bought the oats last night, and they're cooking in the crock pot right now!

My weight is up a bit, but it's probably TOM related. Well, that and the fact that I ate Chinese food for lunch and Indian food for dinner yesterday. I made good choices, but geez, that sodium is probably a killer.

I've been much less hungry than usual for the past few days, which is weird, because TOM is on its way so I should be eating everything in sight. I'm still craving chocolate (I bought some more of that 25 cal hot cocoa) but I'm making it from meal to meal without going insane thinking about food. It's a pleasant surprise!

I went grocery shopping last night and bought almost all really good, healthy stuff. I was looking in my cart and felt proud of myself, lol... I had fresh veggies, frozen veggies, coconut milk, steel-cut oats, tofu, skim milk, cocoa powder... the only questionable stuff was for my husband (cherry coke) or for Christmas gift making (marshmallows, beer). Well, except my sugar-free hot cocoa.

Here's the recipe.......

FYI, I added 1/2 can additional beans to bump up the protein and another cup or so of chicken stock when it started looking a little too thick. I also added extra Italian seasoning. For me, I like a little bigger portions, so I turned this into 5 servings rather than 10, but it's still very healthy at that portion size. I also did the bacon in the microwave to eliminate more grease.

"Zuppa Toscana"
Prep Time:30 min
Start to Finish:55 min
makes:10 servings (about 1 1/4 cups each)

2 slices bacon (lean, center-cut)
1/2 lb lean raw Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
2 large russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups water
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cups chopped fresh kale or Swiss chard leaves
1 can (15 or 19 oz) cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup fat-free half-and-half or regular half-and-half

1. In 4-quart nonstick saucepan or Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp; drain on paper towel. Crumble bacon; set aside. Remove and discard drippings from saucepan.
2. In same saucepan, cook sausage over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink. Drain well on paper towels; set aside.
3. In same saucepan, mix potatoes, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, pepper flakes, water and broth. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cook uncovered about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in bacon, sausage, kale and beans. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and kale are tender. Stir in half-and-half; cook just until heated.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.



Nutritional Information

1 Serving: Calories 190 (Calories from Fat 30); Total Fat 3 1/2g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 530mg; Total Carbohydrate 29g (Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 3g); Protein 12g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 80%; Vitamin C 35%; Calcium 10%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 Very Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Hi guys, thanks for the warm welcome.

I LOVE oatmeal in the mornings -- thanks for the ideas about apples & raisins; I'll have to try those. They sound so yummy! Up until now I've only put in light brown sugar, so it'll be nice to experiment.

I'm feeling really good today. I've been strictly on-plan for 3 days now and it always surprises me how much more energetic I feel when I can stay on plan. I struggle with binge eating (that's what got me here needing to lose weight in the first place), so I'm hoping I can really stick with this for a while. Today I was doing dishes, and thought, "Wouldn't it be great if I could feel this good all the time?" -- and I thought -- whoa! I can feel this good as long as I eat right and exercise! I think I'm finally starting to realize it's worth it!

Small epiphany, hope you don't mind me sharing.