\+/ South Beach Check In - November 24th ~ November 30th \+/

[rose1]

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Welcome to the South Beach Forum and to the Weekly South Beach Check In, where Beachers gather for support, advice, and just to chat about the South Beach diet and life in general.

Come on in and join us - whether you are brand new to the diet, switching from another plan, a long time poster, or a complete newbie, there is a place for you on this thread!

We're very friendly and supportive, and we'll never 'jump' on you about anything, unless you ask our advice or opinion. You can post as little or as often as you like - anything goes![/COLOR]

[vfCookie]

marking my spot.

[Radmom413]

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Hope we can all hang tight this week!

[luisafernanda]

Hi beachers,

I'm back after being MIA all last week (too much work!). I pretty much stayed on plan, though, and am down 2.2 lbs. I've now lost 41 lbs. total.

More news: I have given up on the running because I couldn't deal with my legs being constantly sore (hamstrings), and I mean sore to the point where it actually hurt to even sit in my computer chair. I spend a lot of time working at the computer, so I ended up fidgeting like a first grader after a while, trying to find a comfortable position. Not a lot of fun. I gave it three months and put up with the soreness all that time, but finally decided heck with it and went back to my walking. My legs are starting to feel better now. I think it was running on the hills around here that caused the trouble.

I haven't decided whether I'm going to make turkey on Thursday or not. They are few and far between here right now unless they're specially ordered (although I can get turkey drumsticks and wings and breast fillets most of the time). It's an ordinary work day here, so I guess I'll see what my schedule looks like.

Hope you all have a great week.

[California girl]

Good Morning Everyone

I blew it on the weekend. We had a work session on Saturday and I made a sour cream coffee cake. Didnt touch it on Friday nite, but come Saturday... So no weight loss this week...and I was doing well...at least I did do another hour of callanetics. It was easier this time around...like always.

Luisa - glad to see you back on the thread and that is wonderful news about your weight loss. Hope you are not overloaded this week with work. You need to be careful you dont pull your achilles tendon overdoing...its what happened to me and I am still feeling it.

Cookie - sounds like you are doing well with the little vice you are working to get rid of. I smoked 3 packs a day (and that was just at work...I dont smoke in my home). It was difficult, but I am one of those all or nothing people and went cold turkey. That was 10 years ago. I still have a cig once in a while, but dont crave the nicotine.

Rose - Thanks again for the start up.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. As Luisa already said...its a normal work day here, but we will be thinking of you all enjoying getting together with friends and family.

[vfCookie]

Hey Beachers.

I did great this weekend and only had one off plan meal the entire weekend. (last night... business dinner with one of the directors from our US office...networking. Great guy!) and even that meal wasn't as bad as it could have been.

However, I have some chocolate cravings going on today. (would love some peanut m&m's) I have not given in, but I have eaten double my almond allowance because that is what I keep in my desk for snacks.

Menu-
B - 1 egg omlette with ham, green onions, gouda
S - almonds
L - egg drop soup, roasted chicken breast
S - 1 slice ham, almonds
D - omlette with veggies. (don't feel like cooking tonight)
Dessert - sf jell-o

Cali - having a little more trouble on the weekends with the vice but do ok during the week. again, it is the munchies at "break" time that get me.

Luisa - I had to give up jogging when I blew out my knee. I also had trouble with shin splints.

Happy Thanksgiving week to All!!! Thanksgiving day will be no problem, but all bets are off for the Saturday evening celebration. I am trying to be excessively strict until then to ward off the cravings and possible damages.

[Danipower714]

Had a great moment on the scale Saturday...I was down another pound, so I've now lost a total of 60 pounds and am just 15 lbs. to goal.

My 10 year HS reunion is this weekend...I will definitely be looking a lot better than I did back then.

Luisa- WTG on your loss!

Cookie, Cali Girl and anyone else checking in-

Have work tomorrow and then off the rest of the week!

[Rebecca130]

I had a good day on P1!!!! I THNK. Here's what I had, cottage cheese and tomatoe for breakfast. For lunch, I had a huge salad with boiled ham and cheese on it with LF ranch and Newmans Light Lime dressing and some green beans on top. For dinner I'm having pork loin and a medium size salad (I do love salads and I know like I'm not getting much variety but I LOVE them). I don't know yet what I'm having for a snack this evening, I will have to look on the list to see what I'm allowed.

I feel good about my first real day. Let me know if I need to tweak anything. Otherwise, I'm happy with what I had.

[rose1]

Good deal. Don't forget your morning and afternoon "snack".

[wiz]

Hi gang!

I just got back from a grueling all-day meeting (including 3 hours of driving to get there and back...) I had 7 customers fly in from Sweden. This big executive session went well, although I still haven't closed the deal. I have 3 action points to work in the next week, and then I just have to keep my fingers crossed...

I had a pretty good weekend. Stayed mainly OP and got lots of exercise in. I still have this 1 lb of vacation weight to drop and it needs to come off before Thanksgiving dinner (so I can gain it back, of course! )

I don't know if it was the jeans I had on this weekend, but people kept asking me if I've lost more weight. (which, as you guys know, I haven't! I've been the same since the end of September and I'm really not trying to lose any more for now.) But my jean were really loose, it could be all the exercise firming me up

Wow, Dani, 60 lbs is amazing. You are truly my hero!! So what are you wearing to the reunion?? I bet you cannot wait to show off your new figure!!

And Luisa, you go MIA for a week and come back even skinnier!! Nice work...

Cookie, those business dinners are always tough. I always seem to bend the rules a bit when out for work, mainly because I can't control where the dinner will be held. When my husband and I go out, we have our favorite SB friendly places, we can really stay very OP. But with business stuff, it can be SO challenging.

Cali Girl, I am drooling...I haven't eaten anything remotely like a home-made sour cream coffee cake in 11 months. I would find that tough to withstand - which is why I am using the Cindy rule - if I bake, it goes right out the front door to someone else's house immediately.

I had to be on the road at 6 AM, so no exercise this morning. And tonight, I am just too darned tired...I plan to hit the sack early and get a good night's sleep.

Later!!

[Serena11]

Hi, All--

I see we have some things to be thankful for even before Thursday! Wow! Dani--60 lbs! Woo-hoo--slow and steady wins the game! You'll go to your reunion with a pride! Have a great time.

Luisa, congrats on your weight loss of over 2 lbs. Walking is a fine way to keep the lbs. off and improve your health and tranquillity. I imagine you hae some interesting scenery to enjoy while walking, too.

Cookie, congratulations on getting through the weekend mostly on plan--weekends are such a challenge! Re the chocolate cravings--have you tried any of the low carb (no sugar) chocolate bars? I have major chocolate cravings and these save my life!

Rebecca, your menu sounds perfect--Congrats for staying on plan! Thursday will be over before we know it.

Wiz, doesn't it feel great when people tell us we look slimmer! You are so disciplined, and it has really paid off.

Cali, I guess we are going to have to try a little harder this week! Who can resist sour cream coffee cake! Now, I hope it is all gone so no more temptations.

I did fine on the weekend, but had my fall at lunch with a piece of key lime pie. At least I avoided the crust. I've had a tough time lately staying OP, at least on Phase 1. I'd say I've been on more of Phase 2 with a few cheats. Thankfully, my weight has stayed the same. I hope I can get back to Phase 1 after Thursday.

Thanks Rose and Cindy for your continuing positive influence! Serena

[Radmom413]

Watching the Packer game and ready to call it a night; already! I am beat!

Becky - looks great, but as Rose said; eat some snacks. You know where to find me if you want suggestions..... Salads are a way of life for me. I have one almost every dinner and try to eat one most days for lunch.

Wiz - I like that - the Cindy Rule! My DDs always say, if my mom bakes, that means there is something going on at work!

Dani - you are doing SO WELL!!! Slow and steady wins the race, and GF you are heading for the finish line!!!

Serena - I think a lot of people have a hard time this time of year - I know I do.......I am really going to stick as close to OP for me as possible Thursday. I always make homemade caramel rolls for Tday and Christmas morning, so only have them twice a year. I was debating about NOT making them this year, but the family whined......so I am debating about whether or not to have one (two) . It is a constant battle that I have to stay aware of all the time!

Cookie; do you eat dark choco? It is my saving grace alot of days.....

Luisa - so sorry to hear about your legs!!! There is nothing wrong with walking; and I am with you! I prefer walking to running!

Hi's to the rest of you........I guess I better pay attention to the game!

[Jess_Beachtown_NC]

Ummmm.... So this past weekend... Friday was pretty good, Except for the goat cheese and spinach pizza (I did get an hour of callanetics in on friday afternoon)

Saturday.... was ok..... Except for all of the alcohol and the resulting 2am pizza

Sunday was GREAT, except for the 6" turkey sub (which i NEEDED since I felt like crap from the previous night's shinanagans).

In all reality though, last time I drank more than one drink was in FEBRUARY so this is not the norm by any means. I won tickets to a gameshow and I was required to wear a slutty outfit so I needed some liquid courage. My boyfriend ended up winning $500 so it wasn't ALL bad.

Yesterday I put in a 12 hour day at work to try to beef up my hours so I can get out of here early on wednesday... Stayed OP but I didn't get a chance to premake my meals for this week so I had a cheese stick for breakfast and a turkey wrap from harris teeter for lunch and a chicken breast with some veggies for dinner.

Today I'm sticking with my coffee, then I have a SB lunch wrap thingie I found at walmart (I mean for processed food I guess it's ok) and I'm out early to tutor tonight (multiplication.... FUN) ... I'm having a lemon garlic turkey tenderloin with a big salad and some cooked greens for dinner.

Then tomorrow I'm heading home to the fam in Maryland. Probably not going to be around again until Tuesday of Next week...

So we'll see how it goes. I'm not actively trying to lose weight.. I'm in the maintaining stage right now (5'4" and sitting at 127) and hopefully it won't be so bad when I get back from family time. (did you notice how I tried making excuses for my bad weekend???) Yikes!


Hope everyone else did better than me!

P.S. Guess who's going to the Skins-Giants game on sunday!!! 30 yrd line... 20 rows up. Super excited. HTTR.

wiz rough game you guys had this weekend... I bet you are a little irritated with Reid right now. I know I would be.

[TryinSBDagain]

Hi, all! Just checking in to say hello and Happy Thanksgiving. We have a houseful of relatives this week and way too many events planned around food, so I'm just hoping to maintain. I'll check back in next week; just wanted to let you know I hadn't dropped off the planet.

[luisafernanda]

Hi beachers,

Found a turkey yesterday! It's the perfect size for the two of us, just 6 lbs. I won't make any stuffing, since DH won't eat it anyway (just as well!), just mashed potatoes for him and mashed cauliflower "potatoes" for me, with green beans. I've never tried the mashed cauliflower stuff before, and I sure hope I like it (I am NOT a cauliflower fan). I am going to try to find some wild rice before Thursday, too.

It's COLD here right now and looks like it may snow any minute. There was a dusting of snow on the car this morning, but none on the ground. I did my 2.7 mile walk then another 0.8 mile walk into town and back for a total of 3.5 miles, so at least I got that in.

Serena - I am lucky, because we have a nice footpath that goes through open country, then a dirt/gravel road to the reservoir. You can see some photos here: luisafernanda_bucket/walk to Valmayor - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting (of course, it's not as pretty now - those were taken in the spring).

Wiz - good luck on closing that deal, and hurray for the loose jeans! Mine are getting just a little loose, too.

Dani - 60 lbs. !!! WOW! great job!

Rebecca - way to stay on plan!

Cookie, like Cindy said, dark chocolate can help. I have an emergency stash of individually wrapped 1 oz. pieces in case of need.

Cindy - I don't think a couple caramel rolls a year will do any harm, really! As long as you stay aware of what you are eating, as you say, I think you should be fine.

Rose, Cali Girl, and anyone I missed -

Hope you all have a great day!

[KimYnot]

Dani -- I just wanted to poke my head in for a sec and tell you that you look absolutely beautiful! You should be very proud of yourself and such an inspiration to me!

Congratulations!

[wiz]

Good morning!!

It was a wet one here, just pouring outside...so I dusted off the treadmill and got moving. I did a nice 4-mile jog while watching a movie (1st half of Casino Royale) on the DVD player. I know it's been a long time since I used my treadmill because when I saw my weight programmed on it (which of course, I always lied about ) I almost died. It was nice moving that baby down to the 140s!!

You will be happy to know that I am back to my pre-vacation weight, so back down again to 42.5 lbs gone. I bet that will change after Thanksgiving dinner , but I am meeting my personal goal. I promised myself that I would lose any vacation weight prior to Thanksgiving, so there was no chance of things snowballing on the scale. My next goal is to ensure that any Thanksgiving weight is gone before the Christmas festivities start. That way I stay on top of things throughout.

Luisa, That's great you found a little turkey Let me know how the faux mashed cauliflower is. I've never made it, my husband is not a huge cauliflower fan (unless of course it is loaded with some fattening cheese sauce and no longer tastes like cauliflower )

Traci, Glad you stopped by. It is a BUSY time of year. Maintaining your weight this time of year takes discipline!

Jess, I can't believe you describe yourself as wearing a "slutty" outfit, but don't post a photo?? Too funny. Hey, as long as you are maintaining, don't beat yourself up too badly. I, too, have my bad weekends - but then I jump right back on plan on Monday AM.

And about those Eagles, OMG, I am outraged at Andy Reid. How do you bench your franchise QB in the middle of a game that you are only losing by 3 pts??? I know Donovan was playing like crap, but jeez...

OK, Serena and Cindy, yesterday it was coffee cake, today it is cinnamon rolls. You ladies are killing me It's like a virtual bakery...

Where oh where is our lovely Tina??? Hope all is well.

Talk to you all tomorrow!

[Radmom413]

Originally Posted by luisafernanda

Cindy - I don't think a couple caramel rolls a year will do any harm, really! As long as you stay aware of what you are eating, as you say, I think you should be fine.

I think so too; plus I am going to try and get a work out in somewhere during the day!

Originally Posted by wiz

OK, Serena and Cindy, yesterday it was coffee cake, today it is cinnamon rolls. You ladies are killing me It's like a virtual bakery...

[batty]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING
I can't get on the computer much here lately.My son is finishing up some work before holidays.I've got to get me a laptop because I have alot of neck problems and here lately my neck kills me when I use the computer.i've got to put my Christmas decorations up,because my Gd can't wait.I'm trying to get into the mood so with her help I'm sure I can.I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Dani-I'm so proud of you I can't wait to post that news.
To all of you who are losing and all of us that are stalled we are still here.and that means alot.

[Rebecca130]

Well... in the daycare that I work at, I'm not allowed to snack on the clock and I work morning hours, but i can have evening snacks, or would it work if I had one in the afternoon and evening? Just can't do morning.

Had a good day OP. Was in the ER with my mom cuz of low bp, so I didn't get my lunch til 6:30. yep, 6:30. I was called at 10:30 and we have lunch at the daycare at 11. I even went to the vending machine to see if they had peanuts, I was sure when I was there last that they did cuz I remember getting them, but all they had was candy bars. DIDN'T get those though, I was proud of myself. YAY for me.

[Danipower714]

Thank you for all your sweet compliments! It feels really good to hit the 60 lb. milestone!

I'm now on Thanksgiving break. Looking forward to the time off from work. My DH has the week off too so it will be a nice mini-vaca for us.

Got in an hour of Callanetics this evening. Planning to do 5 hours this week.

[vfCookie]

Yesterday was just abysmal on the eating front. Had meetings all day and we were fed to death...and EVERYTHING had bread, rice, and/or sugar in it. and not in a way that you could pick it out. Oh well, I knew it would be like that so I just have to move on. I am absolutely exhausted today. We had a cocktail party at the end of the meetings and thank heavens I only drank perrier or I would feel even more exhausted this morning. The highlight though was the dancing lessons at the cocktail party. We had salsa dancers teaching us a few things so it was fun and I definitely got in my exercise.

Dani - I did cardio Callanetics Monday but only did the salsa on Tuesday. You know I am so proud of you. It has been really cool to "be here" through your journey.

Rose - I have decided to attempt to heed your advice on the coffee thing and am going to try tea for the next few days.

Has anyone tried "fasting" (so to speak) to get back on track or do you just revert to phase 1? I've been checkin out the egg/protein fast thread for a couple of weeks and am going to give it an honest try before this weekends festivities. The idea is that you do the fast for 3 days - meaning eating protein and eggs with very limited other stuff - and then integrate the other stuff back in.

I just felt so disloyal posting to another WOE thread and wanted to let my Beach Babes know that I've not abandonned them.

Luisa - I can't believe you found a turkey! We have to special order them way in advance from a butcher and they cost a small fortune. We stick to chicken now. Though, I did see a big turkey breast at the store last weekend. That would be great for just me and the family, but I've invited half of France, so I need food for about 25.

Cindy - I love dark chocolate. I now prefer it to the others. I had a bar of sf dark chocolate in the house but my kids have eaten it!!! grr

One of the ladies on the other thread posted a flourless 3 minute choc cake for me and it really hit the spot. Has a cake consistency, is cooked in the microwave and was great! My 7 year old even liked it.

[vfCookie]

Originally Posted by TryinSBDagain

Hi, all! Just checking in to say hello and Happy Thanksgiving. We have a houseful of relatives this week and way too many events planned around food, so I'm just hoping to maintain. I'll check back in next week; just wanted to let you know I hadn't dropped off the planet.

Darlin Traci - ca va, ma belle? Joyeux fêtes! J'èpsere que tu passe a très bon fête avec ta famille. Don't be a stranger. I miss you!! (and don't critique my writing...I speak it FAR better than I write it. OH...I had a dream in French last night! Woohoo! Five years here and I am FINALLY getting into this language.)

[luisafernanda]

Originally Posted by vfCookie

Luisa - I can't believe you found a turkey! We have to special order them way in advance from a butcher and they cost a small fortune. We stick to chicken now. Though, I did see a big turkey breast at the store last weekend. That would be great for just me and the family, but I've invited half of France, so I need food for about 25.

Cookie, I found it in Lidl, frozen. It was €4.99 a kilo--not too bad, about the same as chicken breasts. It even has a pop-up thermometer! They had them last year, too, all little ones like this one. I know there are Lidls in France, but don't know if there are any near you. I love this chain--lots of good stuff and always good prices.

They'll have fresh ones in all the stores in a few weeks for Christmas, so no trouble finding one then.

[vfCookie]

Luisa - I do, in fact, have a Lidl right up the road. I'll be sure to check it out tonight. Thanks so much for the tip!

[Radmom413]

Morning!

Cookie - I would not recommend fasting at all......

And here is a good piece of advice for those of us thinking about doing it before our meal tomorow. I used to do this anytime a special meal/occassion came up - thankfully, I got wise!

Daily Dish

No Fasting Before Thanksgiving Dinner!
Employing a plan to avoid eating too many unhealthy foods on Thanksgiving is a good idea, but there's one strategy that's actually a recipe for failure: fasting before the big meal. Total deprivation actually leads to extreme hunger, cravings, and, inevitably, overeating at mealtime — everything that the South Beach Diet principles work to prevent. Fortunately, there are alternative tactics you can use to avoid overeating on Thanksgiving and throughout the year.

Eat healthfully throughout the day. Enjoy full and nutritious South Beach Diet–friendly meals at breakfast and lunch, opting for healthy foods like lean proteins, veggies, fruits, fiber-rich whole grains (in Phases 2 and 3), good fats from foods like nuts and extra-virgin olive oil, and low-fat or fat-free milk. As always, don't forget to include your snacks. The trick is to keep your eating as routine as possible so that you arrive at dinner no hungrier than usual. With hunger pangs at bay, you'll be better able to pass up highly processed carbs and bad fats (like buttery mashed potatoes) and choose South Beach Diet–approved foods (like lean skinless turkey breast and roasted broccoli) instead.

Engage in physical activity. Immediately after exercise your appetite is suppressed. Physical activity also helps keeps blood sugar in the normal range, which helps curb cravings.

Enlist help. A like-minded spouse, coworker, or even a Beach Buddy (whom you can find on SouthBeachDiet.com) can motivate you to stick with the lifestyle changes you've made. He or she can be the friendly voice inside your head — or on the Web or telephone — that reminds you to stay the South Beach Diet course. At the very least, your "helper" can encourage you to get back on track should you splurge.

Bring snacks along to parties. While there is usually plenty of South Beach Diet–friendly fare at the Thanksgiving table (just be sure to make the right choices), predinner appetizers are generally another matter entirely. Pack a few healthy snacks to eat before the meal so you don't wind up consuming the chips and dips your hosts may be serving. Or bring your own hors d'oeuvre, like hummus and whole-grain crackers, caponata (an eggplant-based dip), or a colorful crudités platter.

Allow yourself a few indulgences. Go ahead and have a small slice of traditional pumpkin pie, a few pieces of dark chocolate, or whatever family favorite you look forward to during the holidays. Because it's a lifestyle program, the South Beach Diet allows — believes in — occasional treats. Just be sure to enjoy a small portion, savor every bite, and get back to your healthy lifestyle first thing in the morning.

[wiz]

Hello Fellow SBers!

I had a great 5-mile jog this morning along the boardwalk. Although cold, it was a beautiful morning sunrise over the ocean. And I know that yesterday's weigh-in was not a fluke because I was at exactly the same weight this morning. It's good to see that vacation weight off for good...

We're off to a little Homecoming party tonight. The 2 local high school football teams play each other Thanksgiving morning and our friends throw an outside tailgating party the night before. I made some whole wheat wraps rolled up with some cooked chicken, guacamole, and taco-seasoned lite cream cheese. I'll have some salsa for dipping as well. Certainly not Phase 1 friendly, but not bad for Phase 2.

My parents arrive tomorrow morning and are staying over, so I've got some heavy-duty cleaning to do! I'm pretty tidy, but my Mom puts me to shame. She is the queen of clean

Cookie, you know I run into these business meal challenges all the time. I'm with you, do the best you can with what is in front of you. I can't imagine a bunch of US business people doing salsa dancing...that is great!

Dani, Enjoy your time off! And let us know how the reunion goes.

Becky, That is tough not being able to eat all morning. I find that to be one of my times of day where I NEED a snack. Probably because I run in the mornings, so I tend to be pretty hungry!

Batty, Sounds like you need to be in a more ergonomically friendly chair, desk while working on your PC!

Luisa, Enjoy that little turkey!

Not sure if I will check in tomorrow, depends how busy things are here in the morning! So if I don't "talk" to you all tomorrow, have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends. Indulge a little but maybe get some exercise to offset it!! Cindy has provided an excellent article with some great tips for us all.

[vfCookie]

Darlin Cindy - thank you so much for your input and very sound and sane advice. I have become very impatient with the stall in my weight loss but also know that I have been straying pretty far off the mark. Had a great week last week and then have not done great this week. of course, this is only Wednesday. Rationally, I know that it is not even a food issue. Honestly, it is a homesick issue. Sunday was my late daddy's birthday, tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I am away from home for the 5th year in a row and without my oldest DD for the second year. Just a tough time and I try to focus on anything else to distract me.

Also, it was this week last year that my ex boyfriend, the love of my life, kissed me for the first time...on Thanksgiving day. There were fireworks and a whole fairytale full of feelings. Sad. I've been married twice and have 3 kids but he was the first person I was ever truly head-over-heals in love with. But rather than deal with the pain of that relationship being over, I am focusing on anything else. It was during my relationship with him that I lost all my weight. I didn't try. I didn't think about it. Everything was just so easy. He distracted me from everything that was difficult or painful and everything was just sunshine and roses.

Sorry for the ramble.

Thanks for the advice.


Wiz - non of the "businessmen" participated. They were all stoic and professional. But it was fun. I need to find out more about what you do and where you are located. I don't know if I mentioned it, but I have officially thrown my hat in for a promotion in our Philadelphia office. Wish me luck!

[Danipower714]

Cookie-

[rose1]

To Cookie.

Cindy's post is good and something we all need to keep in mind, but I can see that your problem is a bit different. SERIOUSLY, the m/e thing is not healthful and really not even a quick fix. My best advice is to do South Beach phase 1 exactly by the book. ( But then you knew that, right? ) It will be tough for a few days, but gets easier. And you know that, too, right? Eating won't solve homesickness, loss of a love, or heartsickness. We just get fatter and the pain is still there. Take the best care of yourself by eating right. THAT is something you can control. I just feel so sad for you, wish there was something I could do to help.