It was a fun holiday visit with the folks. Most of the food was on plan. My Mom made an amazing lasagna with roasted eggplant and zucchini strips. She used ww noodles on the top and bottom to hold it together. Shockingly even my picky father loved it. Once again SBD improves the food choices of people who don't even know the plan It's really been amazing over the years to see the effect of my eating on other people. I'm so happy to see more whole grains, fruits and veggies at my parents'.

And if the lasagna and roasted veggies were all I'd had I wouldn't need this thread I'm not going to delve into food porn but let's just say there were some unfortunate choices made and I need to get back on track right now.

I know I'm not the only one so let's share tips and tricks, how do you get back on track.

Some of my favorites:

• I made a huge pot of veggie soup based on the old WW free soup - low sodium veggie broth and lots of low carb, low calorie veggies. I have a bowl with some protein at lunch and a bowl before the main dinner course. Not only does it help keep my portions in control it ensures my 4.5 cups of veggies.
  
• Speaking of veggies, the fridge is stocked and I'm back to the minimum 4.5 cups a day. If I do that I'm almost never hungry and off plan foods are less appealing.
  
• Beans! Yesterday I prepped kidney and black beans for the week. If I get 2-3 servings of beans every day my carb cravings are under control.
  
• Daily exercise, even if it's only 15 minutes/day
  
• ETA - almost forgot planning and writing everything down

What works for you? With so many of us getting right back on plan and newbies joining now is a great time to share some of the tricks you've learned with SBD.

Great thread, Cyndi!

I'm like you, we made some very good choices during the holidays, but I have some unfortunate choices, too. I'm already back on track and am focusing on writing down my comprehensive daily plan so I can check things off. I'm not a calorie counter but I am going to loosely track calories for the week so I have a better idea where I'm at right now.
~I'm making sure to drink a glass of water before each meal. I'm one who believes that a bunch of water WITH food dilutes the digestion process.
~veggies aren't a problem with me since I have 1/2 vitamix smoothies per day, eat lots of veggies with lunch and always have veggies as a main focus with dinner.
~I'm going to make sure I get an afternoon snack in since I sometimes forget and think it contributes to my unplanned eating after dinner. Yogurt will get some dairy in and I'll make some hummus and bean dip to go with veggies.
~I'll continue to automate 2 meals per day.
1. my breakfast smoothie which includes veggies, raspberries and a scoop of protein powder.
2. my lunch is a giant salad with lots of veggies, a serving of nuts (thai trail mix), and a protein of my choice.
~ for this week I'll automate dinners switching between an OP pizza(the crust being an Ezekial tortilla), spaghetti squash w/salad, and a third yet to be determined choice.

Despite good intentions, my exercise hasn't been regular. I'm going to walk at least a mile per day which will probably be inside with a Leslie Sansone video. If it's nice I'll go outside.
I think if I can ditch the unplanned eating and get back into the exercise mode I'll be fine.

I have been eating so poorly for so long now that I know for me getting back on track means returning to basics - a clean and complete PH1 and then slowly back into PH2. I have to really make an effort to eat veggies, too. And I am trying to drink lots more... hello flavored decaf teas.

starting NOW, I am back on track. I need to plan to do P1, but until I am fully planned , I am doing a P1.5 and then a strict P1 for another 2 weeks. I have gone crazy, and am at the end of my rope.

DH talks about a New Year's resolution, but those never work for long. I am hoping I can set a good example for him.


I know I can do it.

I got a tiny slow cooker for Xmas, and plan to make single meals for myself for lunches and such.

Good luck everyone!!!

Over the past month or more, I have already incorporated new behaviors to help me maintain my current weight. 1. I weigh every day, no matter what
2. I have not had any kind of soft drink (soda pop) diet or otherwise
and now for the past 4 days I have stopped the late night nibbling. I am working hard to get through at least 3 weeks of concentrated "just don't do it" So far, so good. Although I quickly scarfed down half a fruit cake before 8 pm. last night. I can be my own worst enemy.

For me- I just do it. I don't wait until I've had a chance to stock up on veggies, or go grocery shopping or even plan it out necessarily. Despite the fact that my fridge looks pathetic, I woke up this morning and it's back to plan. Mostly, for me, I think it's just switching on my mindset. I will have one meal that I'm not committed to staying on plan for, but will otherwise do phase one for the next two weeks.

I'm also going to pick small weekly goals to start working for. This week's will be to walk our dog for atleast 30 minutes each day, with one day off. Starting small, but it's more important to start than to start big.

Hey Cyndi and thanks for starting this thread. When I started SB last October I may have mentioned that when I am good and eating on plan, I am very very good but when I fall I am very very bad. For some reason understanding the way of that alludes me, but for my entire life, I have never been able to find that middle ground. That being said, I was doing great up until Christmas eve and then all #$%# broke lose and let's just say the words "food porn" and "it's all a blur for three days.

Enough said, I'm back on the beach and ready to go again!

Like you Southlake, it has a lot to do with my mindset. It will be phase one for me again for a while until I get the "porn" out of my system. First things first, I am making myself my number one priority even if that means DH and our dog have to wait for their breakfast until I get back from my walk. Today I'm cleaning out the frig and getting rid of lots of stuff even tossing it in the garbage. Rather than than in me! Then I'm going to sit down, pick out some recipes and go shopping. Oh yes, I also walked this morning after not even thinking about exercie for the past three days.

Debbie, I know you put veggies, fruit and protein powder in your breakfast smoothie but can you give me a better idea of what goes in and portions? Do you use water, ff milk or ? Also what do you mean by automate dinners?

I am back on track myself. I found that I did not make THAT bad of choices, but not great ones either.

I am doing P1.5 for the next few days while the parentals are still here, but once they are gone tomorrow night,it is to the store I go and Hardcore P1 for at least two weeks. Mostly because I am in a bad place and yeah food porn cravings.

Good luck ladies.

Too much candy and cookies. I actually had an upset stomach and was sick on Christmas morning! (Wine, lasagna, chocolate cheesecake, etc.)

It's incredible how much water I retain when I eat that way. Back on Phase I for about a week. Knowing I will feel so much better in a few days. That's what I love about SB!

TallandThin, here's a link where I discussed my breakfast smoothie.http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/3095482-post4.html Since I got my vitamix I add fresh veggies and a knuckle sized piece of ginger root. My veggies are usually spinach, cucumber, bits of green or purple cabbage...just about anything works. I don't use milk, etc, because I like it without and they're just added calories.
Automate is a term used when the same meal is used over and over. I first found it suggested by Dr Oz in one of his books. He suggested automating one or two meals when someone started dieting. His suggestion was it made it lots easier when you didn't have to come up with entirely new meal plans every day. I love my breakfast and lunch and have the same thing every day. When getting back on track, I pick 3 dinner choices and rotate them.