This is probably my 5th "rejoin" here (please note my self-imposed title of serial rejoiner). I'm never far from off-plan and have learned a lot from my trips to the Beach. I've been defeated on previous attempts by time pressures -- it's just easier to rely on processed foods or quick, not necessarily healthy, meals. I love vegetables, if someone else chops and cooks them for me.

Those are my challenges, but I have strategies to combat them. I hope!

I'm a teacher, among other things, and have a 2-week break from school so I can focus on getting it together. I restarted right at Thanksgiving and have lost 5 pounds (on top of the 45 pounds I've lost over the past 7 years).

I look forward to catching up with old friends and meeting newcomers.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas week!

Welcome! I don't remember you, but then I joined in 2006, seven years, after you joined. I'm back, after, a long absence myself, so we're in the same boat. Merry Christmas and drop by often. I know, I plan to!

Welcome back I can identify. This is a tough time of year so kudos to you for having strategies.

Thanks, Bella! Best of luck.

Karen, it's not difficult for me, as I have no family and have learned to say "No, with regrets" to friends. I always have the (true) excuse of work! Thanks for the welcome. You have done wonderfully!

I read the boards even when I don't post. (And I don't post during the periods that I'm off plan, or not completely on plan, which is why I'm such an off-and-on poster.) So I've kept up with most of the stalwarts, I hope

Welcome back (and me too!)!

Welcome back!

Good for you! I'm no stranger to South Beach. I started South Beach today and plan to make it a lifestyle not just another diet.

Here's to all of us in the coming year!

Hey Xan, welcome back! It's always nice to see you around these parts.

Thanks Jenne, Lexxiss and Cyndi, and welcome lastchancecafe!

My first day seriously back on plan, I got a horrible gallbladder attack (Not SB related, I'm sure! I get them occasionally. I've had a miserable few days but it has to be over soon! I get red flags when I think of anything hard to digest, so I'm eating eggs, yogurt and minced things. Good to be back, otherwise

Hope you're feeling better. I rebooted today too. Already I'm feeling less hunger by not shoveling in the starches. I just know this way of eating is best for me.

For dinner we are having homemade coleslaw and rotisserie chicken from the store. I'll take off the skin and will probably eat some dark meat (even though we're only supposed to have chicken breast). But my favorite quote about this way of eating is from Kalyn Denny who has a South Beach recipe blog. She says she basically follows the spirit of the diet and occasionally has some butter, etc. This time around that's the approach I'm going to take. My past perfectionism has always done me in!

This is me exactly; I'm not a teacher, but I had two weeks off and it seemed like a good time to make some changes. I don't want to think of this as a New Year's resolution (I've heard statistically, those don't tend to last past the end of January) but this is when my two weeks off happened to be.

I'm new here, but I'll say "Welcome Back" anyway!

Thanks!

I can empathize - I had my gall bladder removed in 2006 (a month and a half before my wedding!!!). Have you seen a GI doc?

Ouch! My GP says I have gall stones. (She punched me in the stomach and it hurt. I am not making that up.) She loves recommending operations. I do not want any operations or medications that I don't actually need. She respects that They did some sort of scan, and she said I have gallstones. I asked her if there were any that were particularly large, or that looked as though they were about to dive into the duct, and she said no, so we've left it there.
There's more, but I think I'll leave it there Thanks for your concern, though.

For what it's worth, gallbladders are removed via laparoscopy these days. So it's not a traditional "operation" with an incision and all that. You may already know that, but I had it done about 16 years ago and recovered very quickly. It's done on an out-patient basis.

When I had gall stones, eating even the smallest amount of fat would set off an attack. If that's not happening to you, I guess I understand why you'd leave it alone.