Almost forgot - someone asked about Greek yogurt yesterday (I do read in the evening - just don't have time to write!). Other than the taste and texture, which are fabulous IMO, Greek yogurt has less milk sugar, i.e. carb, and more protein per serving. Apparently the whey, the liquid that is strained out, has most of the lactose. It's also the more bitter part of the yogurt. It does taste really decadent, like it should be bad for me :)

Morning chicks! We are suppose to get that crazy weather here today with hail & tornados .

Cottage I hope Audrey gets to feeling better soon

Cat glad to hear yall are safe. Did any damage happen to your property?

Spirit I hope day 2 is just a s good as day 1 was for you

Ruth you be careful in that crazy weather

Kara I hope you get all done today thats on your list

Good luck LC

Hi Loriann, Cyndi & Stephanie

Tonights bowling night and I am thinking I better go but we shall see as the day goes on.

I hope you all have a safe & very productive day!

Hello chicks. havent been here awhile. Im so discouraged with my weight. Im stuck at 205 and cant get any lower. the weather is cold here. Our puppies are getting big and i think we'll be getting rid of some of them this week. We've decided to keep one. Haven't been on plan at all. Nothing. but I have had some NSV's. Im gonna try to attach pics of a cake i had to do about 2 weeks ago and the pic of our new puppy.

TK sorry your having such a hard time :hug: I think a solid interaction on this site is what keeps me focused even if I'm not loosing alot I still stay focused on whats right. Keep at it and you'll do fine - don't give up on your self we haven't. Love the cake you did a great job! and what an adorable furbaby

Cottage: Have fun cuddling with Maggie. I hope that she feels better soon. Don't worry about that brownie - if you knew what I've eaten in the last 5 days, you'd probably pass out!!

Cat: I'm glad that you're all safe. Hope your gardens are all alright. I'm sending "blocking" thoughts to your inbox - maybe that will keep some clients away!

Spirit: I'm glad your week has started off well. How much longer will the immigration process take you? I hope it's not that bad! The Republic of Tea (just google it) has some GREAT green teas. DH and I order from them all the time.

Loriann: Sorry about the caffeine situation. DH and I are super-strict about our grocery budget. It used to top out at 150-200 a week, but now we average 80 a week. We just had to put our feet down about certain things and it worked!. Be careful travelling to the funeral - I hope it is a peaceful grieving time for everyone.

Cyndi: Thanks for the info on the yogurt. I hope you don't have to get out and drive in all this ice. Congrats on how close you are to goal! I hope you find the right workout regimen for you!

Kara: SO glad that you get to see Tom today! I bet the excitement at your place is almost unbearable! Stay warm!!

LC: I'll definitely have to read back and find out what's going on at the dance studio. I hope your tea offers you some relaxation and that you have a fun day of cooking!

Ruth: I'm glad you have the freedom of driving again! I agree that it would be too dangerous to drive in that weather just for a check-up. I hope they're willing and happy to reschedule for you!

Stephanie: Wow! That's terrible about your coworker, but I'm glad that he's okay! I'm dreading going back to work tomorrow - I don't even want to know what my desk looks like right now!!

FluffyK: I know what you mean - I love the winter, but I'm ready for the Spring. Could luck conquering Mount Foldmore!!! Hope DH and the kids are safe.

Gonna: Yikes! I hope you don't go bowling if there's tornadoes and hail! Well, of course you wouldn't! I hope the weather isn't too bad and that you have a great day!

tkglenn: I'm sorry you're stuck in a weight-loss rut. We've all dealt with them, so I can tell you confidently that if you just stick it out and get back on plan, you'll see that scale move down again!

Me: Well, what can I say? Ruidoso was wonderful! We barely left the cabin (for more than one reason! ;)) We almost stayed an extra night, but decided to head home so we could get some rest. This is the cabin we stayed in. Oh, it was SO nice! King-sized bed, jacuzzi tub, pretty secluded. We ate out on the back porch every morning to watch the deer who would drink morning and night from the creek that ran behind the cabin. We came back with some leftover money (actually, about $500) and I went this morning to open a new bank account - it's our "Ruidoso fund". We loved it so much that we're planning on going back next year. Don't ask about the food - let's just say there was a certain Italian restaurant that we ate at twice. I did work out while we were there, though.

Today I lucked out and am off due to the vote-counting occurring in my office, so it's laundry, cleaning and bill-paying, plus a trip to the post office and the library. Well, I'd better get busy! Thanks for listening to my rambling!!

Kim that cabin looked awesome I wouldn't have wanted to leave either. Glad you had a great time and came back with $$ for next years trip. Dh & I save five dollar bills for our vacations - 2 years ago we went to vegas on a whole lot of 5's - people do tend to look at you funny but it spends. Welcome Home!

Kim, now I am jealous! :p That cabin looks like just the perfect place to spend some quality time with your DH, I'm so glad it was everything you had hoped it would be! :)

GONNA, I hope that crazy weather misses you! Be careful if you do go out bowling, but have fun!

Tk,You have a real talent! The cake is adorable, and I really like the shape of the cake pan, too. Try not to get too discouraged about your weight stall. Going off plan is not going to help, only make you feel worse. Just try to eat clean and be patient, and eventually you'll see the pounds start melting away again. How's your DD since the surgery? I hope she's all healed up nicely and everyone else is healthy in your family.

I'm sneaking some time on Cindy's laptop while Audrey is dozing, poor thing. At least she isn't as sick as Maggie was. But we have her all cozily installed in Cindy's bed, with the TV on, and I think she's actually enjoying her sick day. I'm going to have to go pick up Maggie here shortly, though, so I'd better go wake her up to see if she's up to coming with me, or I can see if one of her grandparents can come up to the big house to stay with her until we get back.

I'm up early but I seem to miss all the early am chatter
 

Hello, all of my fellow beach chicks.

First order of business, I must extend an apology to all of you regarding how I exploded about Phase 1. I did further explain myself to MandiK in a PM that it was not my intent to suggest that it was the wrong question to ask but to say that Phase 1 is NOT all there is to South Beach. It is a speed bump on the road to good health. It gives great gas mileage but it might be cramped like a sub-compact if you do it too long.

Phase 2 is the meat and well, sort of "potatoes" (if you can handle that carb) of this program. Like a mid-size car, it offers comfort, decent mileage and a panoramic view of things to come.

MandiK, my apology to you if you took offense to my soap box. I want all of us to reach that finish line and you are no exception. :hug:

I am level headed but I am also a passionate person especially about something that is soooo good for me---and you and you and you.

To all the rest of you ladies, have a good and "fruitful" (maybe grain?) SBDay!!:hug:

I decided to work from home today rather than deal with the accidents on the roads from the weather. We only got about an inch of snow and most of it is melted already but there were some icy overpasses this morning and that made for lane closures on the roads to work. The boys were thrilled to come out of the den meeting last night to snow!

Today is election day in Texas but luckily I vote in the primaries at Brian's school so it didn't add an extra trip. Just some waits in lines.

Tonight I have a Roundtable staff meeting. We only meet three times a year so it isn't too bad. I'll be bringing Brian with me so I've got dinner in the crockpot. The paella last night turned out really well and I'm looking forward to having it for lunch today.

Hello chatty chicks!
First thing this morning I found out about a meeting tomorrow at Picatinny Arsenal that I should attend, but I wasn't kept in the loop as promised by the Army, so I've been scrambling to get travel approved and arrangements made all morning. I should be ready to get out of here in another hour or two - I want to try to leave asap, since we're supposed to be getting heavy rains later in the day. Good thing DH is home, so I at least don't have to worry about getting someone to take the kids.
Anyway, it means I won't have time for my exercise, but if I get in early enough I can at least do some time on the treadmill at the hotel. I also have a meeting scheduled tonight at the hotel in preparation for tomorrow. Hope to be back home tomorrow night.
Kara, I had everything on hand so I tried your latest brownies last night. The only difference from your recipe is I added a little vanilla and about 1 T of oil. Oh, and I didn't have any chocolate to add, just the cocoa. I thought they turned out really well. DH and DS liked them, but DD took one bite and asked if they were "fat free." She wasn't too impressed. More for me!

I am going to bypass personals today so I can go get packed and be ready when my travel approval comes through. Hope I can find some snacks to take along. I hate being on the road unprepared. Have a great day chicks!

Just had my lunch: avocado, tomato and muenster tossed with a little lime juice. Then some red pepper in Hummus. Getting used to my vanilla tea without sugar in it. Only a really minor headache today. Ooops, just remembered that I forgot to take my supplements... got to go do that now.
As soon as my food settles, I'm going to try the 2miles WATP. I've done the 1 mile, but I think I can easily handle the 2M.

Ruth, it's nine days until Tom arrives in New Jersey. Single digits. We're a little excited!

LC, I hope this whole dance thing blows over without too much more turmoil! What a mess! What are they fighting about?

Krystal, our routine always goes wonky when Tom gets back in town, but it's so worth it. I'd take him with a wonky routine over a day right on schedule but no having no one to share my bed. Hope you liked the 2 mile Walk Away the Pounds! We've got a good group on the forum now doing the workouts!!!

Stephanie, you are truly the glue that holds many together! Hope you can dig out from under the mountain of paperwork soon!

Gonna, I'm hoping for a strike for you!

Tawnya, that cake is adorable but your puppy is even cuter! Here's to getting back on plan for you!

Kim, I'm glad you had such a nice time! The cabin looks so cozy, just what I imagine Ruth's place looks like!

Pam, I'm sure your passion will spill over into great success for you! Thanks for sharing your tips.

Barbara, I'm glad your paella came out well! I've been taking your lead with some crockpot cooking these last couple weeks and it's been fun experimenting with a new mode of cooking.

Schmoodle, I also added vanilla. I can't believe I forgot to put it on the list. Did you know that beans can be used to substitute for the fat in a recipe? So you really don't need the oil. I was kind of half trying to get a decent low-calorie dessert as well as making it Phase 1 friendly, so I didn't use any. Glad yours came out well!

Kara

Jeez, NO ONE ever calls my house!! Would you believe that I had TWO phone calls during the WATP? You'd be proud of me, though - I kept right on walking, while I was talking! :lol:

Kara - how long has it been since you and Tom were in the same zip code? DH usually leaves for about 10 days when he goes. That's about my limit, I would think. Plus, you're living with relatives right now, aren't you? That alone would drive me insane. I like to be in my own house, own rules...

Krystal, Tom's in the Air Force. He's finishing up a year in Korea. The kids and I were supposed to stay in California, where he was last stationed, but we decided to trek across the country to be near family instead. All of our family is within about two miles...I'm talking aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparets...everybody! Tom's dad offered for us to stay at his place, which worked out perfectly because after about a month of us being here and Tom being there, we decided enough was enough and bought plane tickets and moved over to Korea. Had we gotten into a lease in an apartment, we wouldn't have been able to do that! So, we left New Jersey about two months after we'd gotten here, and then the kids and I came back about a month before Tom's tour was up because all his stuff was getting shipped out and it would have been difficult to spend a whole month with no cooking tools or toys with the three young 'uns! We haven't seen him since the 6th of February. I'm a big whiner. I know there are plenty of people who don't see their spouses for loads longer, but I just hate being without him. (Clearly...I moved to Korea for him!) He's leaving on Sunday but has to stop in California to co-ordinate the movers picking up our things from our storage unit out there, and then he'll be here next Thursday. Nine days!

Kara

I don't think it's being a whiner. It is what it is. You can't help how you feel - I'm sure the people whose family are away a long time would still be unhappy about a shorter time!

I just officially registered for my first class for next fall. My youngest is heading to kindergarten, so I decided to go to school. I have a bachelor's, but decided I want to follow a different path, so I'm going to get another bachelors (biology) and then onto a Masters (biomedical research). I'm only taking one course in the fall - don't want to jump in over my head at this point. I'll need about 28 classes for a BS and about 25 for a BA. I'll probably take 2 classes next spring (8-10 credits) and then a summer session. I'd like this undergrad part-time thing to take about 4 years total. Toward the end I"ll probably go low-range full time when the kids are older. Who knows, so much always changes here.