kathy, your snack idea sounds good. so does your dinner. enjoy!!

Well dang it, it's raining ... so if at dinnertime it's still coming down, I think I'll save the steaks and just suggest going out to dinner. I'm not that excited about standing over a grill in the rain.

Now I'm thinking about switching to Core for the week. My week doesn't exactly start until Tuesday (after the holiday) so I can still decide. Even though my weigh-in will be Saturday, I think I would be okay switching on Tuesday. I'm not exactly eating according to either right now anyway! I just made a big pot of pinto beans which can be eaten all week, and have chicken breasts / filet mignons to grill ... plus baked potatoes. Sounds like Core to me!!! I'll decide soon because this going back and forth is putting a strain on me! Again ... you'd think I was trying to make a major life decision!! Good grief, it's only a eating plan -- get a big grip!! :lol:

Kathy your last post cracked me up!! :lol: God do I understand where you are coming from. The two of us are too much are we :lol: As soon as I read the one about the Filet Mignons I thought..that sounds more like Core, why 'waste' those points of beef....as delicious as it is...
You are too funny..with the remark of "you'd think you were trying to make major life decision" That just cracked me up because I can so relate! Couldn't help but notice you also changed your registered user to Chubby Chick....you are so funny :lol: I bet you'd be a blast to hang out with.
Anyway.....Thank goodness we have the option of switching, and since yours doesn't start till tomorrow...go Core...for at least the week.... it really IS simpler,except for dessert (well for me) that is my downfall. Frank told me he feels and STILL believes I SHOULD do Core, and allow for 5 WPA a day for 'treats' if need be. ...I Flexed these past few days but actually ate most core foods myself. It's weird isn't it. If you look at the journal the Points are there for the point count, but most being Core there aren't many points at all.......i-yia-yia :fr:
Good thing we can't really get kicked out of the group cause the Lord knows I would have been out a long time ago :lol:
I was not good at all today but I planned on it that way. Tomorrow I will be back on program. I want to feel a little lighter on Monday if you all know what I mean.
I have good stuff in the house and have gotten rid of all the crap that sucks me in. Good choices are best no matter which program we are following. Core did teach me one thing, to make better choices even when counting points.
Angela I have been meaning to say how great you are doing. You should be so proud. You seem to have it all together. Are you still weighing in once a week or every other?? As for one non Core day, I think it's a good idea as long as you stay in control. I think someone said it can lead to wanting to do it more...I am paraphasing but you know what I mean. I did not cheat for entire year, then allowed myself once a week..Saturday night!!
I did great and then as you all know messed up somewhere between last Oct and now.....I am very committed to getting this off. I know it will take time but it is what I have to do, even if I choose to switch each week.
I hope everyone else had a great weekend end. I am chalking today up to a lost cause, and not feeling bad about it at all. I will continue my journaling for the rest of this week and enjoy my ice cream tonight. It is pouring here right now, tis the season!!
Can't wait to hear how every one did this weekend. You all are so good!!
Thank Goodness for all of you.
I have noticed nothing from Deborah or Terry in a while. Perhaps busy over the weekend.
Take care chicks.....see you all tomorrow..

Kathy I am still laughing at that post :-) :-) Just had a thought too.. How about you and I doing Core 100% the next six days and see what the result is on on Saturday weigh in?? We can of course use our WPA.
Whatdaya think?? Anyone else who tends to slip a bit is welcomed too.
Just a thought.....Maybe 'together' we CAN do this....

OHH! Frap! A challenge? You and I do Core 100% for SIX WHOLE DAYS???

%^&*(!!! Is that possible????

Oh ... okay. Starting tomorrow morning. I will do Core for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. That's five days, but then on Saturday when I weigh in, we'll see what has transpired. I need to drink water and not beer. Period, end of sentence.

So are you in???

Oh yeah, it is 5 days :D ..AND yes it is possible ....and Yes I am in....Let's Do It......starting tomorrow then!! We CAN do this you know, we really can. Maybe by the end of the week we'll figure out what our freaking problem is :lol: After all like you said "Good grief, it's only an eating plan" :dizzy:
I know we're stronger than it!!
And maybe JUST maybe we'll have a good result next Saturday!!

In the meantime enjoy your evening with Judd and your company!!

:D Thank you, my dear! They are pretty much slugs right now, but that just means they're easier to deal with! :lol:

So tonight is a blow-off day ... tomorrow is new. I will DO IT! Me and you, baby ... let's race!

I just have to be down next Saturday, otherwise I think I might just give up completely.

:yikes:

Oh my goodness....can I join????!!! You guys are expressing exactly how I feel...so confused and wanting to do better but also engaging in self-defeating behaviors...I really want to do serious strict core-ing to see if I can! As long as I have been doing ww I have yet to do it well enough to see just how good it can be! Does that make any sense? Can I join you Linda and Kathy? I think I can do it (especially if I have to answer to you guys). :lol: I'll do Core strictly and 5 wpas a day. I think I can, I think I can!! I've even been planning a menu for the week, so surely I can manage to get through 6 days. Right?? :?:

Kathy, thanks for sharing about your experience with crochet. I enjoyed your "tangent". :D I think that I am going to just wait until my friend can show me how to do it...I got so darned frustrated I thought that I might throw the hook across the room. :hot: Anyway, your scarf project sounds really wonderful. That is so great of you to do that. Maybe if I get good enough I can do something like that too. Do you think crochet is hard?? You think I can learn?? :dizzy: Also your post about deciding what plan to follow is cracking me up. I keep saying I might go back to flex but now I have gotten used to not counting things, like the steak or chicken....like Linda said it takes up so many points and on core you don't have to worry about it. I don't know.

Linda, you sound like you are doing really great. Your attitude is so good. Thanks for posting your challenge, I hope you don't mind if I join in. I agree exactly with what you said about points, like I said above...its so hard to go back to counting points for meat, etc. after you do core for awhile. The desserts and what-not really get me too. That and eating out, I am terribly lacking in self-control in that area. Core does teach us to make better choices doesn't it?

Anyway, after a major downfall AGAIN tonight (in-laws brought over veggie pizza), I am up for the challenge tomorrow! I have no special holiday parties or anything, DH is working/sleeping tomorrow, so I don't think I'll have any temptations. But something always manages to find us doesn't it? :p

Okay, so we're a threesome now!!! Woohoo!!!

I am in a snit ... self-made, of course, but still a bonafide snit. The friend helped me clean up the kitchen after dinner, and I casually said "Oh, you do things around the house?" He said if it gets done, he does it. I said I would love to have some help ... which I have zero right now ... and then we started talking about the lazy spouse. I hope Judd was listening. That's my biggest gripe about him, that he expects me to do it all. And I just can't!! He even had the nerve to start criticizing the ribeyes I bought. He said they cooked up too thin ... and then said "you get what you pay for." Well, I paid a little over $10 for those two smallish steaks, and I don't think that's cheap. The filets I bought that were about $2 each turned out better, probably due to their thickness. Which ... I believe points to the cooking method. He cooked the snot out of the ribeyes and if they were overdone, then that's not the fault of the cut.

But anyway ... I'll get over it. He just has to grow up someday and I hope I'm alive to see it!

Now where was I? Oh yes, starting bright and early tomorrow morning, we are 100% Core. I will go and sit down and think about my menu right now.

Kathy, I'm glad you're excited!
Helping out around the house has been an issue with me and DH since we got married. He does not complain or gripe about what I do, in fact he tends to praise me more than I deserve. But it seems like he just never takes initiative to do things. He wants me to tell him exactly when and where and how. That's frustrating. But its minor, considering how truly wonderful he is! I hope that things get better for you guys. At least you had a sympathetic ear, attached to a mouth that talks to your DH! :lol:
I am going to work on my menu too. I'm headed to the grocery store first thing in the morning, hopefully before the memorial day crowds.
DH is gone to work so I am kind of lonely. Anybody out here?? :^:

i'd like to jump in, too. what exactly does core 100% mean? (guess i should have asked before i jumped in but i'm a jumper.) at first i thought it meant no waps. then i saw where we could have waps. does it mean making sure to get 5 fruit/veggies, 2 milk, etc.....? or just eating core foods and not getting off track?

we just got home from our friends'. dinner went well. of course, i'm wanting another piece of cake now. it's talking to me from the fridge. do ya'll ever hear food calling your names? i made some fruit salad. i'll try to just eat fruit and no more cake. i'm guessing i had about 15 waps tonight at dinner. i'm not sure i had that many to eat. i know that if i stop eating point foods now i'll be all right. this is my difficult time, though. dang that food for knowing my name!!!!!!

Sandra, I think we are just eating 100% core foods, using our waps....you know, doing it like you're supposed to. :lol: Although I personally want to really work on eating more veggies.
It sounds like your dinner went pretty well. You should have left the cake there. ;) It definitely knows our names!! What are you up to tonight?

Okay chicks, count me in. These last few days have shown me how far I've fallen. I can't even make it through the day without cheating now. :o Right now I'm sitting here with a big handful of M&M's (darn things!) :m: . In the beginning, I was SO good. I can do it! Maybe if I have you all to keep me accountable, it'll be better. This week will be hard for me, but I am still going to do it. We're taking a 2 day family vacation to a nearby amusement park and will probably eat at mostly fast food places. But I can bring fruit and oatmeal packets (they'd give me hot water if I asked, right?) for breakfast, have salads for lunch, and maybe dinner can be at a Country Kitchen type place where they'll have some Core choices. I just want to do it to show myself I still can. Plus, I'd really like to get down another 5 pounds or so, so I have more breathing room at my WW weigh-ins. And yes, I am going every week still. I know better than to stop going, plus my Mom wants the company still.

Should we start a thread just for us in the challenge? That way we can keep close tabs on each other.

I'll start our conversation with a request for food ideas when you're traveling. I already know about fruit, but what else Core travels well? I think I need to see if our hotel suite will have a fridge/microwave.

Thanks for starting this guys, I really appreciate it.

Angela

Angela, don't be too hard on yourself for the m&m's. I have a hard time keeping my hands off of those darned things too. I think that starting a new thread would be a good idea, that way those who aren't interested don't have to wade through our info if they don't want to.
I am impressed that you want to do this when you are going on vacation this week! What discipline and determination!
I honestly haven't traveled while on core, so I probably won't be much help in that area. But oatmeal is probably a good idea. Maybe a cooler full of fresh veggies and ff dip for snacks? If you had a microwave in your room you could take popcorn for snacks too.

I made the thread a "One-week" challenge. Hope that's okay. I know Kathy originally said 5 days.

I have a question that I'm sure has been asked before (heck, I may have asked it before :lol: )....what do you working women take to eat for lunch?

melissa, i have avoided that cake. i think i have it made now. i stayed outside till a few minutes ago so i couldn't hear it yelling at me from the fridge. i watered and fed my rosebeds (i have over 100 rosebushes for the deer to nibble on in the evenings), then i did a little weeding. curtis and i just finished soaking in the hot tub. now that all my reality shows have ended and my foot's better, i'm getting outside more. i love this time of year. it stays daylight soooo late.

angela, i am very proud of you for getting a grip on this early. i didn't. i think i was at goal about 15 minutes. even at the end of my 6 weeks toward getting lifetime i regained almost 2 lbs. it's been uphill and upscale ever since. i like your idea about a separate thread for the challengers. also, i wanted to tell you that i have requested a fridge and microwave for hotel rooms and gotten them. you could tell them you have to have special foods on hand. if they can, they will accommodate you and they usually don't charge extra. now for traveling snacks. hmmmmm? off hand i can't think of anything besides the fruit either. i'm anxious to see what others suggest.

melissa, i don't work outside the home. do you have access to a microwave and fridge, or do you go out to eat? if you have a microwave handy, you could have about anything from leftovers.

well, i'm excited about the challenge. thank you for having it. this should give us a muchneeded boost.

i'm going to get off here and have a little bit of fruit salad while watching tv. have a good evening. i'll catch ya'll tomorrow.

Boy lots of catching up to do - and I should be in bed by now! but nooooo....why get some rest when you can check in on your buddy chicks? ;)

Well I am happy to report that 2 of the 3 lbs I gained the previous week are gone - despite some challenges last week - I did get on the treadmill friday night after the wine and cheese extravaganza which I think helped!

Sandra - congrats on keeping up w/the boys - and I suggest you banish that talking cake!

kathy - hope Zuki is feeling better and glad dh is back safe and sound despite his non-helpfulness. I think this is a common complaint as I just spoke to my dh about the same thing - like he can walk into a room and just "ignore" things that obviously need doing! He does help when I delegate, but I just wish that he would sometimes just see what has to be done and do it!

Vickie - hope you had a successful shopping trip.

...and as for the challenge - I'm DEFINITELY IN! While I tried to stay op this weekend it was a bit hard for me as I am still in the clutches of the bad sugar beast I think.

Yesterday was pretty okay altho we did have popcorn at the movies. The worse was my "late night snack" of light havarti cheese and a glass of red wine - very yummy!

While I started out okay, and even had a sf/lf orange vanilla bar when visiting Dairy Queen w/ds and dh, I lost it after the trip to the bagel shop where we got still warm bagels straight from the oven - sorry but I just can't resist those!...which led to more carb binging (some party sandwiches, lf chips).

Then took dd to dress rehearsal and could not stop eating! Like a machine - had some snacks in my bag (diet pepsi, giant apple, rice krispie square, baggie of popcorn) but when that was done I approached the vending machine right across from where I was sitting reading my library book (yes I was there for over 3 hours tonight) and got a COFFEE CRISP!!! Can you believe it? and you know it was sickly sweet but I did manage to finish it. So you can see that a pure core challenge is something I really need to do!

Poor dd I think is still up finishing up her Italy project due tomorrow but I know she could have done it sooner if she had not proscrastinated so much! She will be a wreck tomorrow.

First recital this thursday and I am already nervous and excited for her. Have family and friends coming to watch her (7 of us).

I am also expecting company for the weekend as my gf and her 10 yr old daughter will be here from Toronto - to see the dance recital (sat night show) and we have theatre tickets to see Oliver on Friday night - plus visits to the canal and the market area and a festival on Sunday - I can't imagine how we will fit this all in...and I am a crazy woman trying to get everyone to CLEAN UP THEIR JUNK and make the house presentable for company. Thank goodness cleaning lady comes this wednesday! - the hard part will be keeping the place clean longer than 24 hours! :lol:

Now that I have described this I can see that I am feeling somewhat stressed by the whole situation - I always find end of May and June to be hard due to how busy everyone is - we wind up w/2 graduations - dd graduates from middle school on June 27, ds graduates from hs on june 30th - and then we're off to see Mickey a week later! YIKES - no wonder I feel like a basket case! Will need a vacation after my vacation :o

Definitely need that challenge to keep me on the straight and narrow!

Frouf:)

Good Morning Chick-a dees!!!

Alrighty then Kath, weee'rrreeee OFF.....Hey Melissa jump in with us, Sandra you too....being 100% is just what Melissa said...it's being 100% can be quite a challenge at least for me. ...it will only be 5 days before Kat and I w/i on Saturday though. I think this would be so good for us since we 'seem to slide' during the week. I don't feel it's a contest though, it's a way of owning up and being responsible to let those who TRUELY understand know how we did. And at the of 'this' week we'll see. Then and MAYBE then we can do the next week....so let's give it at least a shot....Ok?? I know Kathy and I are starting today...right Kath????
I'll have to check out the One Week Challenge board Melissa did. There are so many post here from when Kathy and I "talked" last
Angela....jump on yes indeed. You are in a situation now that needs all your dedication. Believe me. Looking back.....doesn't 'getting there' seem easier than staying there!! Even though it was hard, staying there can be harder. I think we start to think 'we have arrived' It's a never ending battle and we have to do this, all of us for our own reasons. Don't slip come join Me, Kath and the rest who want to 'at least try' for 100% week.
Frouf so you're definately in too? GREAT!! You seemed to have done a good job losing 2 of the 3 you gained though, so you must be doing something right :D

Melissa as for lunch (when I am good) I usually take tuna salad or chicken salad (mixed with FF mayo) and a side of vegetables. Since I do most of my eating at my desk...this works for me. I do like to bring soup too, and when I am good, I add some extra vegetabels and barley to the mix. I HAVE to STAY away from CousCous a BIG RED LIGHT food for me....can you believe that AND I never ate CousCous in my life...Go figure!!
Oh and I drink at least 2 liter of water and a liter of flavored water. I have not problem with that at all.
We all need this. And I think it will good for us. We're asking 1 week (5days for some) and see how we do at the end of an entire 100% Core week!!
Again 'challenge' seems like we are competing and I don't believe we are. I feel we are making ourselves accountable for what we chose to do this week and letting the rest of us know how we did.....so a big ole high-5 to everyone.....and Let's Do It..
I too am going to journal my day...talk with you all later........Linda

Linda, I'm glad that you originally challenged Kathy to a week of totally core eating. It seems like its so much easier to say, "For this week I am going to stay totally on plan." A week seems doable!! I named it a week, even though I know its less for you guys, just cause it seemed like an easier description. I think its a challenge because we are challenging ourselves, not each other. Thanks for the lunch ideas. I am really tempted at work because we cook for our clients and I always want to eat whatever I have to prepare. We usually have some salad though, so at least I can have a little bit of that.

Frouf, good to hear from you, wondered what you were up to yesterday! Sounds like you have been really busy. Congrats on losing those 2 pounds! With all that you have going on, that's a real achievement. And the next couple of weeks sound so nuts. So I'm glad that you are joining our little challenge for the week.

Well I have my meal plan for the week so I am off to the grocery store after I get cleaned up this morning. Then I will probably go visit my grandparents, since DH will be sleeping. I think that he has decided to give a one-week notice tonight. They are working him like a dog, not giving them appropriate breaks, etc. We really feel like he will get this job that he is interviewing for, but even if he doesn't, he can't keep going like he has been with this job. I know lots of people do it all the time but we just aren't used to it, and its been really emotionally/physically/spiritually draining for him (and for me too, honestly!). So anyway, I think he's going to give his notice and apply for other positions until he figures out what is going on with the job at the church. Talk to you chicks later.

Question: Do you all know if there's any difference between regular quick oats you buy in the canister and the individual packets of plain oatmeal? I want to take some oatmeal on our vacation, but don't have any packets right now. If I can just put some quick oats in a baggie, it'd be easier.

Thanks!
Angela

I think they're both okay, but I've heard people blech at the consistency of the packet oatmeal. I would go with your "quick oats in a baggie" plan; it'll be easier and taste better too!

Sandra, I can hear jelly beans calling my name all the way from the store! I can resist the chocolate all day long -- the bowl of Hershey's kisses from Easter is still on the bar -- but fruit flavors like Skittles and Starburst and yes, jelly beans just do me in! I can't explain it.

Melissa, for your work question: I take leftovers, tuna or chicken salad, canned tomato soup, a baked potato (already baked) to heat up in the microwave, salad, canned FF refried beans, black or pinto beans, and fruit or veggies. Applesauce cups are good to keep around, as well as little fruit cups like pineapple and peaches. Once a week I make SF/FF pudding in four little containers, and take one a day. If it's the cheesecake flavor, I add sliced strawberries. You can't beat it for a good dessert -- it is incredible!

Frouf, it does sound like you're going to need a vacation after your vacation! That's a whole lot going on at once!

If this challenge is successful, I'll go for another week. Then another and another ... and maybe it will become a habit! There's always hope!

So I'm spending the next week on pins and needles. My DDs are going to the coast with their dad (I might have already mentioned this) but there's no room for everyone, so my little DD is driving her own car. It's a 10 hour drive -- and I just don't have a good feeling about it. I'm not concerned about an accident ... okay NOW I am, I hadn't thought about it before ... but am more concerned about her car making it that far in one piece. It's a decent car, a 2000 Mazda Protege, low miles and in great condition, but last night she told me she needs new spark plugs because it's misfiring?? They were just replaced in November so I'm worried that there's something mechanically wrong that's making it eat spark plugs. Her dad is a mechanic for American Airlines, so I know if something goes wrong he can fix it, but we just can't afford to have a huge problem with it and have her either without a car or paying a big repair bill. I was up until 5:00 this morning, sitting in the family room making potholders and trying to be quiet. There was some GREAT television programming on though; Hawaii 5-0, Cops, The Preacher's Wife, infomercials ... :lol: You'd think that would have put me right to sleep! The friend was in "my" bed upstairs, and besides DH has put forth a declaration that I will henceforth be sleeping downstairs with him. Fine and dandy, but could he please be quiet? His snoring sounds like a front-end loader in the bed next to me. There's no drowning it out with my little sound-making machine either! PLUS ... and oh this really chaps me bad ... he wakes up every hour or so, usually after or in the middle of a wacky dream, turns on the light, and starts looking around. Sometimes he's looking for snakes and spiders, sometimes he thinks the room is flooding, sometimes he takes the covers off of the bed and piles them in front of the door. He's psychotic, I tell ya. Needs professional help, IMO.

I suppose I should get in there and figure out what I'm going to do today. I have no idea what I'm supposed to eat but fortunately I'm not hungry right now. Maybe by lunchtime I'll have a plan.

Oh and I have a question: There's this really great Lean Cuisine ... hold on, I'll find it. It's Steak Tips Portabello, just the meat and two servings of broccoli. I'm sure they use a thickener to make the gravy, but it's not really thick, more like see-thru juice that's a teeny bit thickened. Otherwise it's just lean meat and broccoli. If I were to eat this, would you count all of the points (4) or maybe just 1 for the thickener. Here's the link:

http://www.leancuisine.com/Products/...roductID=10381

I would hate to use nearly my whole day's allotment of WPAs on something that really shouldn't cost me that much but if you guys think I should count the whole thing, I just won't eat it! Simple enough!

Angela in the CFC page 20 it says...Oatmeali packet 1 pt NOT checked off Core, 5 3/4 zo packet 3 pts.....BUT..... under that is reads...Oatmeal Plain I think the one in the Big Box (Quakers Oats brand) cooked 1 cup CHECKED Core and also list it as 2 pts. I don't think the prepacked are considered Core. So go with the Good Stuff and fill those baggies up!!!
Have fun!! I know you'll do great!!

Hey Kath, how 'bout rinsing or patting it off a bit and then add your own beef broth to juicy it up again. Just a thought!!
Oh and the JellyBeans..............NOT!!!!

Angela, I am clueless about the oatmeal. Sorry!

Kathy, Boy its no wonder you sleep in your own bed. That would drive me nuts. This might sound silly, but has he ever considered getting professional help? Not that I think he's crazy or anything....don't mean for it to sound like that. I just mean, maybe there is an intervention that would allow him to deal with this and be able to sleep?? Gosh he must be tired all of the time. And you too! Thanks for the work food ideas. I do keep the applesauce and fruit cups around at work. I guess my main problem is planning ahead. I need to do the pudding thing like you said. That sounds good, and might keep me from eating cookies at work! :o And I have the same question about the Lean Cuisine meal. I have seen that one and almost gotten it, but then didn't know what to do about the points.

Vickie, I need help! I am planning on making cornmeal crispy chicken tonight, but wasn't planning on using an indoor grill (I have one but all of the non-stick has come off, everything sticks). Do you think I can just bake it? Thanks!

I'm off to go visit my mom for awhile. I love being off of work! :beach: Catch you chicks later.

Vickie I'm fixing the same thing but no GF grill??? So same question here.
I "finally" found your recipe on the Core Recipe board for it....and I am sooooo ready to make it now...only hope the oven can surfice :crossed:

boy, am i behind? i'm trying to read and catch up, but i don't have time to respond to each of you now.

have a great day. i'm off to work in the yard. lots of weeding to do. i love this time of year. i need the exercise----definitely!!!

i'll be back to check on you later. i'm anxious to read how the cornmeal chicken cooking goes.

Kathy I was just reading what you bring for lunch and there is NO WAY you can fail!!
I know from your other post you whip up great dinners too!!
You're going to do great!!
Did you choose to eat the Lean Cuisine??

You can tell I'm not working.....been on and off line today..it's kind of nice to be able to do that. I am hoping someone starts a Tuesday Menu thingy, I don't quite know how to do that..or is it just a matter of starting a New Thread?? I want to post my Tuesday menu too.. THIS will help aid me in my committment if all of you see what I write. I will write in my 12 Week WW journal too, that's me...obsessed :lol:

I had a good idea with my left over ground chicken and I have some ground sirlion...what if I mixed it together and make a meatloaf???? Good idea or not??

Oh, does anyone know how to change the "registered user" to somthing else. I went to CBUser and tried it but it remained the same.....just courious :D

Terry, Deborah where are you???? Hope all is well!.............Linda

kathy, your take to work lunches sound good. jelly beans don't usually call me. i get more communication with chocolate. :lol:

linda, i love it when you can get on here often. i'm retired and live at this old puter sometimes. i enjoy reading and getting reinforcement all day long.

kathy, i agree. your meal ideas are great. you're going to get to goal soon.

melissa, i hope you're enjoying your day at your mom's.

angela, did you get some good ideas for portable snacks?

i'm baking a lasagna for lunch. the only thing in it that's not core (i'm using waps) is the sauce. i had a bottle in the pantry and am using it. does anyone have a good core spaghetti sauce recipe? i'm thinking there's one in our beginning ww materials. i'll go take a peek. if i find one, i'll start using that from now on.

frouf, i took most of the cake over to a neighbor's today. dh wants the rest. i don't hear it talking to me today. i think it's that "right after the event" talking is what it was doing. today my mind's made up to stay core--and i'm pretty stubborn. :lol: frouf, this week challenge is our key to success, isn't it?

well, i hear the kitchen timer going off. lasagna needs attention. i'll be back later. let's keep on keep'n on.

Linda, go to your User CP up at the top, then to "edit profile". There's a place to put a custom user name in there.

I decided on a baked potato. I made a lot of them last night, so just heated one up and topped with FF sour cream and cheese. Good stuff! If we're home tonight, we'll probably grill hamburgers and so I'll have one but without the bun. So far, so good!

tennis girl, sounds like you have a good plan going. are you going to join this week's challenge with us?

I have taken the challenge....I am hoping it will help kick-start me into more consistent weight loss again. I seem to be in a serious plateau.

Hey chicks! I'm back from my visit, and it went well. While I was tempted, the only thing I ate was watermelon. Now I have to figure out what to do with this chicken. :p

Linda, you and I are in the same predicament tonight? Have you started yours yet? It looks like Vickie is still gone to her bbq. Has anyone else made cornmeal crispy chicken w/out an indoor grill?? Linda and I need help!! :lol:

TennisGirl (is it Caroline? Or did I make that up?), thanks for all of the info about what you take to work. I could never eat salad everyday like that. I would get so bored that I would eat everything in sight. But I like the idea of soup. I never think about making something like that just for me to take to work. But that is a good idea. And welcome to the challenge!

Sandra, CONGRATS!!! :bravo: :cp: :woo: What a loss! I noticed that your ticker had changed dramatically as soon as I logged on. Way to go!!

melissa, i may be wrong but i'm thinking you can grill the chicken in your skillet. just spray with pam and cook thoroughly on both sides. isn't this the same as a gfg except you have to turn the chicken to get it to cook on both sides.

also, i have a recipe for southern-style oven fried chicken. you bake it @ 375* in a sprayed baking dish for 20 minutes. you might try that.

welcome to the challenge, tennisgirl.

melissa, thank you for the bravo. i appreciate it. i've been smiling ear to ear today. i was very pleasantly surprised at this weightloss. now i'm expecting more surprises for all of us. ain't it great!

Sandra, thanks for the tip. But I actually decided to make a refried bean casserole tonight instead. DH and I are both starving and it was faster. Its a recipe that I got off of another website. The directions are kind of sketchy, but hopefully I can fill in the gaps. If its good I'll post it here. But I think your ideas for the cornmeal chicken would work. I will make it sometime this week, maybe tomorrow.
And Sandra, you deserve a bravo! You are inspiring me to press on!

thank you again, melissa. please post your recipe. i just posted a homemade core granola recipe over in desserts. i'm about to have some on some sf/ff chocolate pudding. life is good.

Hi everyone ! Busy weekend here. :dizzy: Trying to catch up on everyone's posts. Am doing the Wendie plan this week; WI on Wednesday so depending on the outcome I may join your CORE challenge if you do it again next week.

Frouf - sounds like you have a busy next couple of weeks. Been there and done that. Still need to plan my Disney vacation. Have everything planned, just need to sit down and book the airfare and hotels etc. :o

Kathy - Can DD take your car to the coast and you can use hers? Didn't know if that would be a better deal? A friend of mine's husband woke her up one night and said, "do you see it?", she says, "see what?", He says, "on the ceiling", She's half hiding under the covers and says "what's on the ceiling?", he says, "don't you see it?", she says, "no, what is it?", He says, "a huge spider"...............nothing there, he did not even remember the next day. :s: Dr. says, it's called "night terrors"., I don't know if he still has them or not., but scary for her.

Angels - I agree. The quick oats I think taste better. ;) I would bag them up and take them along.

Sandra - congrats on the loss! Woo Hoo! :D

Linda - here's a soup recipe:

Here's a good one: Broccoli / Cauliflower cheese soup 1 cup = 1 pt.

20 oz. frozen broccoli florets
10 oz. frozen cauliflower florets
10 oz. frozen carots
6 tsp. chicken granules
1 tsp. dehydrated onion
12 oz. velveeta light cheese (comes in box of 16 oz., will have to cut off 4 oz.)

Boil all ingredients (except cheese) in 5 cups of water with chicken granules for 20 minutes. DO NOT DRAIN Mash veges, add cheese, stir until mixed. ENJOY.

Posted this in the CORE recipe thread for soups., too.

Kiddies are fighting. When is bed time??? :lol:

Lisa