cool, a lot of the recipes I mentioned are not in the cookbook but they are in the recipe thread in this forum.

I would cut out the lunch meat, even if it is low sodium.... and yes, citrus would be like oranges. yes, a whole orange.

I would change to either a toning exercise like yoga or pilates or cardio like running.

I don't know what pills you are taking but yes, the drinks help. You have to understand though; the reason you are drinking the HNS is for the protein. It's high in protein and low in calories. When you drink one, your body goes out looking for food to burn; when it can't find food, it burns your stored fat. You want it to burn stored fat and not your lean muscle. Because of this, the drinks help with your skin and your hair. It helps so you don't have sagging skin as you lose and so your hair won't fall out. That's the reason I asked if you were getting enough HNS.

so if no turkey....grilled chicken?

You can do turkey, just don't do turkey lunch meat.... grilled chicken breast is fine too. Do you have your menu plan? It lists all the lean proteins you can have on plan. Basically, you want to stay away from foods that are processed or have preservatives (like lunch meat, turkey dogs, etc)

If this making sense?

yes makes sense and I appreciate the help!!!!!
the whole hair loss and no cycle thing has been a worry
and then not getting to 110 has been a major stress..

also, what about having a cream when i want a snack....the choc pudding, or hot chocolate...or the mini crisps...
before bed or when i wake up and want something?
was told by center to have them...
but scared it will make me gain weight even though they say it wont..

No, you can have them. I have mine at night before bed. I usually make the creamy hot cocoa into the gooey brownie recipe. So tasty!

Hi all - maybe I should share this on the recipe board or perhaps it's already there, but I've been using the Walden Farms Russian Dressing to marinate chicken breast in (along w/some dill and Southwest Chipotle Mrs. Dash) and then grill it - and it is really good. Just using the serving size recommended - it's enough to coat both sides of a large breast and then I have 2 meals from that - truly delicious. Just thought I'd share!

I went to w/i yesterday and was down 2.5 since Thursday. I needed to drop 1/2 pound to meet 10 pounds down and I surpassed that and am down a total of 12 pounds! I wish that I could say this has been easy, but each day I have at least a few challenges... I work my way through them and am proud of myself for doing so. The only thing that is going to get me to my goal is my dedication and perseverance.
I have been looking on the recipe forum and need to try out some new ones as my menu is looking almost the same each day. Thank you ladies for all of your posts.... I really enjoy reading them. This site is so wonderful and the support is amazing!

Wendi, that is so great. You only have 11 pounds to go? That is amazing!

Congratulations on losing 12 pounds so far.

Have you found something new in the recipes yet? I am looking for something other than chicken! LOL

I am really struggling! I was on vaca for three weeks and been back a week and have yet to get mu butt back on plan. what the heck am i doing???

Hi Mel.. I'm in the exact same boat. I've been back from vacation for a couple of weeks, and have had a heck of a time getting back on program. I didn't eat that bad on Vacation, and stayed the same, but so far I have not lost anything since I've been back. I started this week back on program, and so far 3 days on program. I'm struggling SOOO much at night. When I sit in front of the TV, I just want to snack. UUGGGHHH!!

Just remember those first couple of weeks when you first started. It is very tough, but eventually those cravings go away if you stick to it. Maybe shake up the routine a bit until your cravings are under control. For example, I would suggest not TV watching but doing something else if TV watching is your trigger. If you have favorite shows that you don't want to miss, you could always record them or watch them on hulu the next day. You are probably out of ketosis, so the carb monsters are trying to get more food! Once you break through that tough part, you'll be home free.

Good luck!

I know how hard it can be to get into 'the groove'. I have a tough time also at night and really want to snack. I try to eat dinner a little later than usual and save my creamy for around 9pm. I really look forward to that last snack of the day and usually make a cup of tea to have with it.
You have done so well so far so you know you can do it. Getting back to the basics and drinking all of your water and planning meals ahead may help. I know that it is bathing suit season so that is a definite inspiration for me as I have a 4 yr old and a 5 yr old and they are ALL about the neighborhood pool
Those first few days were REALLY tough for me, but you can do it!!!!