Ok so I'm nearing the end of my first 2 weeks and I'm really happy with the results. But I'm noticing the same thing that always happens...is happening.

Really, I'm bored. I'm not a cook. I do good during the day but I hate dinner. Grilled chicken or grilled fish? Broccoli or asparagus? And that extent of it. Ive never been big meat eater so pushing myself to eat protein has been a struggle.

So I need tips and tricks to keep going. Please....

I know what you mean. At the beginning of my journey I just stuck with the absolute basics - which makes things easy - but also boring after awhile. I found a website Gina's Skinny Recipes. It's been a really great resource when I am looking for filling and delicious and not just steamed.

There are a lot of new recipes here that you can try - and also, think outside the box. Eat breakfast for dinner! Or lunch for dinner. Make Taco Bake - easy leftovers so there is no effort. Reinvent dinner!

My suggestion is the same as Jenn's. Look through our recipes section and the recipes in the SBD cookbooks for recipes that sound good to you. Also, Kalyn's Kitchen.com has lots of great recipes that are SBD friendly. Cooking and planning ahead goes a long way towards keeping you motivated and on-plan, and will keep you from getting bored with your meals.

Inspiring myself with new recipes really kept me going. otherwise, phase one gets pretty darn monotonous. Heck, phase 2 can as well since you're only adding in fruits/starch slowly.

What really kept me going was browsing the recipe section here, and also www.kalynskitchen.com

Boredom makes it easy to give up. Don't let it come to that point, and don't give up!

Look at the crock pot recipes on this forum too. Super easy. We love the Crock Pot Creamy Mexican Casserole.

I agree with Anne. Just had the mexican casserole on my eggs this mornin! I always have chicken salad in my fridge in case I'm not in the mood to cook, yet I always prepare veggies... they're mindless!
I understand feeling out of ideas... but think about casseroles to have in the fridge. Make them 2-3 times a week and you'll be set. I find myself reverting to the same 4 or 5 things and I need to get out of the rut myself.
Let us know what you come up with! We love ideas around here.

Well I am probably a bad person to add my thoughts here since I am on a perpetual roller coaster of on and off plan (usually it's one extreme or another).

BUT I will say that when I am doing well - and what I see working out for me long term for the future - is to budget the time I need to: plan, shop and prepare for each week. That means looking at what I already have on hand, planning what I want to have on hand, procuring what I need from stores, markets or gardens, preparing whatever I can in advance (washing and/or cutting up veggies and fruits, cooking steel-cut oats/beans/whole grains and refrigerating or freezing them, boiling eggs, whipping up a soup or salad that keeps or a baked casserole of some sort) and then writing out the plan for the week so there is no thought involved.

The "no thought involved" part is critical. If I have my plan written out it is much more likely that I will make on-plan choices. I have a bad habit of waiting until I get too hungry and then "deciding" what to eat

It does take some time but at least the time is in one big chunk (say a Sunday afternoon or evening) and I have fine-tuned my checklists and lists of ideas. I keep a weekly planning document that lists: everything I have that I need to use (fresh stuff), what is residing in the freezer and pantry that could be used, what I need to purchase and a whole bunch of ideas for meal-planning and some copies of planned days that I think worked out really well. Also I note if some days will have particular challenges, like on the road or a dinner/lunch out.

Anyway, all of this planning ahead - for me at least - has become like a game and makes it fun. What is not fun for me is winging it and getting too hungry, and flipping a switch that opens the floodgates into mindless binge-y grazing.

I'd also like to hear more tips & tricks...

Thanks for all the amazing comments! I was gone for a few days and came back to all this!!! I'm gonna start looking through more recipes....right now!

I had a little slip up this week...phase 1 just over then I went back to work and my son had surgery. Back on track now and I know, for me, planning is KEY! I need to try some new recipes to help me stay/get back on track. Amazing how a bag of stupid vending machine pretzels can send you spiraling down!