Banana Bran Muffins (Phase 1)
2 cups oat bran
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teapsoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup skin milk
2 egg white
2 tablespoons light olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425. Spray muffin cups with cooking spray
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl
3. In another bowl, mix the banana, milk, egg whites, and oil together until well blended
4. Add the wet to the dry and mix well.
5. Put into muffin tins (i used the pan that makes 6 large muffins)
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden

Mock Cornbread (excellent, goes good with chili)

-1 can great northern beans drained and rinsed
-4 eggs, eliminate the yolk for Phase I
-1t salt
-1t baking powder
-2T olive oil
-1/3 C sugar substitute

Combine all ingredients in the blender and process until smooth.Pour in a 11x7 pan and bake at 400 until toothpick is clear when inserted in the center(25 min in my crazy oven.)Works well as muffins too!

Smashing Oatmeal Pancakes (Phase 1)
Prep Time: Approx 5-10 minutes.
Servings: 2 (3 pancakes each)

Ingredients:
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
2 tbsp. unsweetened apple sauce (optional. I just like the added sweetness. Bananas or berries might be good too.)
3 packets splenda or stevia
3 oz. milk (6 tbsps)
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions: Grind the oats in a coffee grinder or food processor. Combine oat powder with all the other ingredients in a bowl and mix well until a batter forms. If you use large eggs you may find you needs to add a spoonful more of oatmeal to keep the batter from being too runny. Spray pan with Pam or lightly oil the pan. Spoon batter into pan and cook over medium heat just like regular pancakes.

Topping suggestions:
Warm crushed pineapple - my favorite!
Applesauce
Fresh berries
Yogurt

Compiling some recipes from the fatsmash cite.

Guess we know what I am gearing myself up for..

Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:
2 1/4 Cups Dry Oatmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup skim milk
1/3 cup Splenda
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup Applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cinnamon to taste

Optional additions:
blue berries (frozen or fresh)
Banana (mashed or cut into small pieces, you can use less applesauce if you add banana)
Any small diced fruit of your choosing!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray or add cupcake liners

3. In a big bowl, mix oatmeal, baking powder, salt and cinnamon

4. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until incorporated (t resembles slightly runny oatmeal)

5. Fill each muffin 3/4 full, bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.

use one of those flexible silicone mini muffin pans for this, makes about 30 mini muffins (probably 12-14 regular sized muffins). Very moist, and cake like. Great change of pace if you're craving a bread like substance.

oatmeal cookies


1 c oatmeal
1/4t salt
1 ripe mashed banana (the black ones add the most flavor)
1 egg white
1 T Splenda
1/2t cinnamon
A few apple chunks and/or applesauce-optional

Mix and pat onto cookie sheet
Bake at 350 for 9 minutes for chewy cookie (for crisp cookie, turn off oven and leave in for about 5 more minutes).

Oatmeal Pancakes (Phase 1)
Tastes great with non-calorie pancake syrup.

1 cup dry oats (oatmeal)
4 oz egg whites (about 4 but play around until you find what texture you like; more egg whites = thicker pancakes)
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
water


cook oatmeal in microwave with water for 1 minute.

blend with all other ingredients and spray frying pan with nonstick spray.


Top with Berries or whatever you like. (Note: these pancakes turn out more like crepes but are really tasty.

Sweet Potato Fries! (Phase 1)
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled.
1 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Halve potatoes and cut into ½ inch wedge. Toss with the oil, salt and pepper in medium bowl.
2. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake, turning once until browned and crip. About 35-40 minutes. Serves 4.

** This tastes great with plain yogurt mixed with a squirt of lime juice for a dip.


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Easy Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) (Phase 1)
• 16 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or dry garbanzo beans, soaked, drained and rinsed)
• Cooking spray (I have been using Olive Oil flavored cooking spray)
• Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Spread chickpeas on baking sheet.
3. Season to taste
4. Roast chickpeas on bottom rack of oven, shaking the pan every 15 minutes, until brown and crunchy, about 45 - 50 minutes. Maybe longer. They should feel kind of hollow and crisp.
5. Cool before serving.

Variations: Chili powder or other seasonings that you like

NOTE: lightly spray the peas and pan fry them on medium heat for 10 mins before baking and that helps them to crisp up.

Thank God for the person that posted this recipes at the old FS forum...

I think that I may do Extreme just because I am going through my phase where I dont want to worry about what I am goiing to eat. When I go through these phases its easier to actually go by fat smash books because you already know what you're going to eat.

The reason I am leaning more toward Extreme for a bit is for the portion control, the meals are already planned out.. and the exercise is pretty high, even though I got that part downpacked anyway.

Anyway.. it will pretty much be a combination between original and extreme just so that I can live and be happy with the plan. This should give me the break that I need right now. I already planned my exercise change earlier, so this will go right along with that.

The best part is -- following the plan results in weightloss!!! Duh!

This is what I love about doing what works best for me - NO STRESS! Go by the book when I want.... when I get tired of that - go on my own while counting calories. I love it. As long as what you are doing works for you - you are doing the RIGHT thing

Muah!

Goodnite!..morning.....sigh

oK. So today I will start the new plan EFS style

I worked out for 50 minutes cardio this morning...so far.
Remember I said I was feeling bloated... well 149.. I dont know.. Luckily I feel good, I can feel muscle in my leg, so I'm ok. Normally if I dont sleep, I won't weigh in because you lose weight when your body recovers from sleep, but I weighed anyway so I can have the day 1 weigh in on the plan...

I am about to have my coffee but I am switching to decaf so let me go get that now

I'm happy about the switch because I need it. My smaller clothes are still fitting though the scale has been all over the place but with everything that I have been doing, I deserve to have the scale go down down down, so a tighter hold on my plan will do me good

TTYL! Umm??? When I am going to see 145... Hello? Is this still period bloat or what?

1 ounce left over tilapia... 3 or 4 small shrimp ( didn't want to chew meat again... lol)
smashed cauliflower
coffee
=========
250 calories.

rest of shrimp / shredded lettuce / fresh salsa salad
======================================
200 calories

3/4 cup oatmeal- 300 cals
cottage cheese - 125
banana - 105
=========================
530

Total so far: 980.
That'll be all before the gym. I should be going to burn another few hundred cals.

Dinner tonight will be small once I leave the gym. I am tired from not sleeping too well last night. I wouldn't mind just having yogurt at this point but a small lettuce salad would be fine as well.


I realized for the fat smash menu - I need to go to the store and beans and brown rice.. Actually I have rice in there but I got spoiled with the steamable freeze bags. I guess it just boils down to me having to do a little preparation like I normally do if I want to follow the menus.... and I dont feel like it! LOL!

Sometimes my TOM bloat and subsequent weight gain can last for as long as a week after it's over! Your doing great...I'm getting jealous with all the working out your doing...I'm startin to feel like a slacker..haha!

It totally sucks because I want to see my reward from all of this hard work!!!!! I another 45 minutes to do (hopefully a jog) at 4pm... Hopefully tomorrow with a good nights rest this bloat will go away!!!!

You have been doing grrrreeaat so you have nothing to worry about...

FRIDAY

Slept 12 hours last night
Thank goodness for that!!!! I have a hankering for a tuna sandwich but no tuna. LOL. I dont even have the things I need to successfully follow the EFS program.. I guess I will need to go to the store. I was really trying to eat what's here until I go grocery shopping. I think I spend too much money in the store. I do have food and its not off plan food but its just not exactly what I need for FS or EFS. I think I used all the beans the last time I made spinach caserole. Guess I will have to break down and go shopping this weekend.

Last night's dinner was all over the place.
veggie burger sandwich
serving of gluten free pasta with fat free cheese.

dessert/snack - banana & yogurt

Even though it wasn't bad, I felt guilty. I was just so tired from not getting much sleep the night before I just wanted to go to sleep and hit the sack.

My body needed that sleep.. but not all those carbs !

Anyway... moving on
I have a little headache this morning. Today may be a rest day at the gym, but I'm not sure yet. I definitely am not exercising this morning. We'll see how I feel throughout the day

mmmmmm...now you got me thinkin "tuna wrap" with a nice low carb wrap, fresh dill & other herbs, onions (yup...lots of onions..lol), fresh spinach and lettuce, sprouts, and maybe a nice side salad with raaaaasberry vinegrette!

Uh oh! I think I am definitely going to have tuna now!!!!! Thanks Joy..