Today I cooked chicken in the oven to freeze, got cucumbers, mushrooms, celery, strawberries prepped to have all ready to go in the fridge. How about you? Got any ideas to make our week easier?

Sounds good! I have cooked a lot of chicken, shredded it, and put what I will be eating into 4 oz serving sizes. I have done the same with taco meat. What I won't use this week I freeze. I find this diet takes a lot of planning but it has been worth it. You are really doing great! When I weighed in today there was a woman who has been in stabalization for 4 weeks and is still losing weight.

I bought a frozen turkey breast yesterday to cook up tomorrow and break into 4 oz protion sizes. Plan on also cooking up some ground turkey for taco meat and chili this week also. Prep time is definitely the key to staying OP on this diet...I found that out early on. Here's to a great OP week for everyone!

i grilled 8 turkey burgers on my George foreman and packed them individually in ziplock bags, and bought cucumbers and those handy broccoli and cauliflower bags. Also bought cottage cheese.

I hadn't thought of shredding the chicken. Good idea. When you say taco meat--is that ground turkey breast or ground turkey? You're doing great too. I have been losing weight in stabilization too, although they tell you not to expect to. The hunger comes back a bit more but it's doable. Not the "sugar drop hunger" which requires instant eating. I feel a lot better off sugar surpisingly--although still enjoy my OP treats occasionally.

You're doing great! I hadn't thought of buying a frozen turkey breast-I get so used to buying chicken. Do you use ground turkey or ground turkey breast? Tell me about your "chili" please.

Can you tell me more about your turkey burgers--do you buy them already in patties or do you do?

This is the first week I have bought the turkey breast...I'm at a loss lately for tasty ways to prepare chicken so thought I'd change it up a bit. I buy both ground turkey and ground turkey breast for taco and chili meat (also turkey burgers), really depends what is on sale (haha). And I am one of the few (well I think anyway from reading past posts) who enjoys the tomato basil HNS and the cookbook texas chili on page 102. I make it at least once sometimes twice a week.

Hoping to hit close enough to goal in the next 2 weeks so I can start stabilization - have really enjoyed your stabilization posts and am looking forward to a few new OP treats soon

I use ground buffalo meat, which really does taste like hamburger. I also use very lean hamburger, anywhere from 93 to 96% fat free. I put it on a La Tortilla Factory Smart tortilla which is only 50 calories and you don't have to cut it in half! My center said 50 calories was fine.

Good to know you're losing using the ground turkey (vs. turkey breast)--the ground turkey breast is like $4.00 more if I looked right. I also like the tomato basil HNS. I'll try the chili you mentioned for a change.

We had a barbecue and I had my dh grilled me several chicken breast and I weighed and put them in freezer bags, ditto to preparation being the key.
When I go to work without a plan it's hard for me to stay OP.
I am so close to my goal and now struggling with the emotional issues of keeping it off and still feeling fat. Is that normal?
sexyrene

I think it is very normal and I've heard others say the same thing. You're doing wonderful! I am at a point where I could to probably buy some new pants but I'm not convinced that this new size will "really stick"....it's funny. I bought a pair at the "new size" a few weeks ago, but only because they were on sale for $9.00--I felt confident enough to gamble $9.00. In my case, I still have belly fat which is frustrating.....BUT....I'm in a healthy range fat wise and I see tackling the belly fat as "round 2".....but with a lot more food choices.
We'll all get there in time. I'm convinced of it!

I hope so cuz that's the part I'm dealing with now too - I'm still "sad" about all the food I probably can't/shouldn't/won't eat again knowing I will need to in order to maintain - guess it's time to analyze the whole eating for want and not need issues

I know. I am still seeing "those foods" in my diet for occasional and won't totally ban them....just for the most part I'm trying to focus on food as fuel andhow much better I feel when I use it that way. I also am learning new ways to cook vegetables, etc....and that is exciting. Tonight I did sauteed mushrooms and they were great! For me crossing roads when I get there helps frame things....I would have NEVER thought I would be off diet Coke (except in rare exceptions) and be drinking Diet Rite. If I hadn't gone forward because of that I would have missed out on all the other great things that have come with this. one meal at a time....

I never thought I would have kicked my soda addiction either. I do call it an addiction because it was something I told myself I 'had' to have but really the headache withdrawls weren't even there...I feel so much better now that I am off soda - its just hard with the temptations of everyone but I just keep thinking that being thinner and healthier is more important to me than soda!