South Beach Dieters Group Meet Here!

[adoptmom]

Shelia- I probably DO look like Bridget Jones. :D I cant' wait to see the sequel. I loved that movie. I actually tried to read the book but my reading time is practically nil right now.

Juli- I had to laugh when you mentioned that my mom must be a good cook. Uh No! Mom is tolerable cook with a core set of recipes. She had no clue how to cook when she got married the first time and so far has managed to find 3 husbands in a row that like to cook. :rolleyes: My dad cooked like I do. Grab some ingredients, throw them together and see if anything blows up. If it doesn't...Serve it! :D Step-dad #1 was a mean jack@$$ but he made awesome noodles and fried chicken. #2 is much nicer and a great cook, although he has a fondness for fat and butter that's more than I can handle some days. He does almost all our big holiday dinners. He makes a ham with peaches and brandy sauce that will rock your world. I shudder to think about the carbs!

As for the simple syrup, I don't think it really matters. The main thing is to make sure that all the sugar crystals are dissolved and don't stir it while it's boiling. I just always let it boil 5 minutes because I know it's done then. Sugar syrup thickens just a bit but I haven't noticed that splenda does. It really doesn't matter though. It works just fine.

Tami

[WeirdEyes]

Tami, I was referring to Bridget Jones because there is a skiiing (sp?) scene in the sequel that is hilarious. I won't give you any details. I love those movies. I will tell you that I laughed AND cried while watching the sequel. I haven't read the books either, but plan to now that I've seen the movies. I don't like to do it the other way around because I normally don't like the movies after I've read the book.

My mom isn't a great cook either. Bless her heart, she does try. I grew up on spaghetti, hamburgers, fried chicken, etc. We were going over our Christmas menu yesterday and she started rattling off things she was going to cook. After eat item, I said, "starch." EVERYTHING was a starch! Therefore, I am bringing some actual non-starchy veggies. :rolleyes:

Juli, how in the world did you lose 4 lbs? I'm just trying to maintain and have been eating pretty decent and I gained a pound. Yes, I'm mad! :mad: LOL I'm very glad for you. I think my problem is that I haven't had time to exercise.

[adoptmom]

Shelia- Don't feel like you're alone. I've been stuck in this exact spot for 6 months now. :mad: :( :mad:

Tami

[WeirdEyes]

Thanks, Tami! I hear your frustration, girl. I hope that after Christmas that all of us will begin to see the scale move in the RIGHT direction. :D

[irislady]

Juli, Congratulations! 4 lbs at this time of the year is quite a feat! Just think what you'll be able to do once all the holiday temptations are gone! We can all try to post recipe suggestions more often.

Sandy, thanks for checking in with us South Beachers. How are you doing?

Tami and Shelia, you're being too hard on yourselves. At this crazy time of the year just do the best you can. It's easier for me because since I'm retired I don't have all that peer pressure to eat all those tasty, high carb goodies, and I'm not surrounded by temptation the way I used to be in the office. DH is on SB WOE, too, so we usually avoid places where we can't make healthy choices whe we eat out. I'm not sure how successful I would have been if I'd been going it alone.

My friend seemed really happy with the little cookbook I put together for her. It really was a little photo album with plastic sleeves. The 4" X 6" recipe cards fit in there just perfectly.

One of the recipes was for the grilled chicken I get at the Greek restaurant where we meet for lunch. I realized I had forgotten 2 of the ingredients... so I added them while we were there. I think I probably posted that recipe here with those ingredients missing-- crisp bacon and onion. You only need about 1/2 a slice of bacon for each breast. Sorry for the omission. Here's the corrected recipe: (Brown boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been rubbed with a little garlic powder in olive oil. Drain, put the breasts in a baking dish. Top with thinly sliced fresh mushrooms, bacon pieces,thinly sliced onion (I like to sautee mine in the olive oil to soften first), and cover with Mont. Jack cheese and/or Colby cheese, preferably reduced fat. Spoon SBD tomato sauce or any low-sugar spaghetti sauce over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30-35 mins or until cooked in the center. Uncover, sprinkle on a little more cheese. When I make Chicken Parmesan now I use nearly the same recipe but use parmesan cheese and low fat Mozzarella instead of Jack or Colby, and I leave off the mushrooms, onion and bacon. We really don't miss the bread crumb coating at all. If you think you really need the coating try crushing Breton crackers instead of regular bread crumbs. They're relatively low carb and give a nice texture & taste. I use them in my Phase 2 meat loaf, too.

Bon Appetit. Shae

[WeirdEyes]

Shae, thanks for your encouraging words. I'm trying not to be too hard on myself. Heck, last year this time, I weighed 15 pounds more than I do now. :D

[adoptmom]

I weighed 30 pounds more last year. It's just frustrating because I dropped the 30 so quickly and then did nothing for 6 months. Hopefully this new exercise program will help. I've done 3 days in a row so far.

Tami

[ColoradoJuli]

I have only been checking in here once a day, but things seemed to have picked up. Guess I need to check a little more often.

I did the entire Metroplex yesterday. I put over 100 miles on my car running around and doing errands. Not one of the errands was for Christmas presents. I then ended the day with baking totally illegal cookies. I sent a good portion of the cookies to my Angel Tree Family and sent the rest with DH to work. He is much loved and appreciated today.;)

Don't congratulate me too fast on the 4 lbs. I am guessing that I weighed wrong or something because 3 of the lbs are back. It might be water I don't know. I do need to get a new scale. Mine is the old type that has a marking every two pounds. I think I want to get one of those digital displays with large easy to read numbers. I have a dickens of a time trying to read my current scale.

Shae - Thanks for the recipe. It sounds great. I will definately try it in the next few days. I am always looking for something else to do with chicken besides just grilling it.

Thinking of that, I think I am going to go drop some chicken in the crockpot and throw some cream of mushroom soup on top with camelized onions. That should be good for dinner tonight. We can do that with a salad and green beans. Thanks for helping me figure out dinner. Everyone have a good day. I will check in later.

[irislady]

Juli, I often do my chicken in the oven (covered) with the reduced fat mushroom soup (thinned only slightly with skim milk), and add fresh mushrooms, parsley, and sometimes some lite Swiss or mild cheddar cheese. I'll have to try it in my crockpot which has been collecting dust.... I just never think to use it.

I have bought... and taken back... at least 3 of those digital scales. I would have loved to have kept the first one. It weighed nearly 20 pounds light! That was a cheapy so I bought a more expensive one next. It gave a different weight every time we stepped on it from 5 lbs too light to 5 pounds too heavy. The third was priced even higher. It was consistent, at least, but 6 pounds too heavy. (DH was at the doctor's and checked.) It went back too. All 3 were different brands. I'm back to using my old spring version. It weighs 2 pounds or so heavy, but at least we can adjust the dial. It's still reads a pound heavier than the doctor's scale, but we can live with that. I just have to be sure to put my glasses on when I weigh since it's hard for me to see the lines and numbers without them.

Is anybody still keeping a food log? I stopped, but I think it might help to keep track again during the holidays.

I made choc. chunk cookies (definitely not a SB version) for the roofers who have been here all week. Of course, I had to have one... just to make sure they were okay, right? I really enjoyed it, but then had a horrible time falling asleep last night. I even got the "twitchies". Darn sugar rush. I thought DH was going to make me go sleep in the guest room, but they finally stopped. I let DH keep 6 cookies for himself and gave the roofers all the others. No point in fighting temptation all weekend.

Shae

[WeirdEyes]

Juli, don't worry...those 3 lbs will probably be off by Monday. Like you said, they are probably water weight.

Tami, losing 30 lbs is great! I'm sure your exercising will get the scale moving down again.

Shae, I'm making chocolate chunk cookies this weekend. However, I'm also making some sugar-free cookies for myself. ;)

[ColoradoJuli]

Have you all tried the Splenda mix that is made with sugar and Splenda? I tried it in my pies over Thanksgiving and got rave reviews. People didn't even know that I had made it 'diet' food, they just loved it. I should have made my cookies from it last night, but it was late and I was not thinking correctly.

Shae - I love my crockpot. It is only the two of us, but I find all sorts of stuff to stick in it. I love to throw a roast in there and let it cook all day. Or we have a charity organization here called The Women's Bean Project. They make dried bean mixes and sell them. The profits go to help battered and homeless women. The mixes are really good and I put them in the crockpot and viola dinner is ready before you know it. I really like the crockpot, it keeps me out of the kitchen and people think that I worked all day on the meal.

[WeirdEyes]

Juli, I have not tried the Splenda/sugar mix yet. I've been tempted to. I guess I need to pick some up and give it a try. Thanks for letting us know how it turned out.

[adoptmom]

I live by my crockpot. I even have one in my camper although the crock got broken and I have to replace it before next season. Can't use cream of mushroom soup anymore though due to DD's allergies. I used mine to make lamb stew today, although we didn't get to eat it. I browned some lamb chunks and then tossed in some whole wheat flour and cooked it down while the meat was still in the pan. Then I put it in the crockpot with a cup of red wine, a bay leaf and salt. I tossed in carrots and eggplant for veggies and let it go. We ended up eating burger king on the way to visit my granddad at the hospital but it smelled good. Hopefully we can eat it later in the weekend.

Tami

[ColoradoJuli]

Let's just say that I am enjoying my 'break' this holiday season. OOO! I just remembered that I have the makings for spiked egg nog. Here is the recipe. It is completely illegal, but oh so good:

Eggnog
Peppermint Schnaps
Parrot Bay Coconut Rum

In a talk glass add the eggnog and then shots of the two liquors. Mix well and enjoy! We have a friend that calls it Caribbean Holiday Punch.

I won't tempt you with anything else. I am going to attempt to be pretty good this week, but we will see.

3 weeks until the cruise. I am getting very excited!

[WeirdEyes]

Juli, I bet you are getting excited!!! I'm excited for you. Have y'all heard anything about Scott's interview yet? I'm sure my DH will like your eggnog recipe. I don't like eggnog, but I might make some for him.

I baked and baked yesterday. I made some sugar-free chocolate chip cookies that were actually better than the "real" ones. :D

[adoptmom]

I would have never thought of peppermint schnapps in eggnog. Sounds interesting. I love amaretto in it though.

Well, between family Christmases, a party at the children's museum and Granddad being in the hospital it was a horrible weekend for eating. You know it's been bad when your 7 yo son says "mom, tomorrow can we not eat junkfood at all?" :D Gack! I'm still not hungry so I'm having green tea with splenda for breakfast.

Granddad is doing better. I just talked to mom and she said that he ate everything on his breakfast tray that wasn't nailed down except the banana peel. That's a good sign because he hadn't been hungry in months. Hopefully that means things are looking up. He's never sick so it's really scarey when something like this happens.

My new exercise program is shot to heck already. I did 3 days but was just exhausted by everything that was going on. I went to bed before 11 last night and didn't wake up until almost 9! i'm going to try to get back on track today.

Tami

[WeirdEyes]

Tami, I'm so glad to hear that your Granddad is doing better. I'm sure your Christmas will be better because of it. Oh and I love Amaretto also!

[adoptmom]

Oops! Shae I just posted to the wrong list for you. :rolleyes: Chalk it up to too dang much going on. Are you stocked up for the big snow? We're only in the 2-4 inch band but looks like you are going to get a boatload. I'm supposed to go down Thursday to get Grandma and she's in that 7-9 inch band. I hope I can get there!

Happy Yule to all those who celebrate it.

Tami

[irislady]

Hi, everybody. It sounds like we're all in the middle of the pre-Christmas whirlwind. We got the bad news Sat. that B-I-L does have cancer in his bones now. Bless his heart. He's been battling colon cancer that has metastasized to his liver, spleen, lungs, etc. Now this. He's a fighter, though, and there is still a chance that he can beat this. We're staying positive that he'll have the strength to do so. It's also been a reminder to count our many blessings, and to stay strong when things don't go the way you want them to. A dear friend is battling breast cancer, and her positive attitude has been such an inspiration.

Tami, I'm so glad your granddad is doing much better. A return of his appetite is such a positive sign. I hope he is out of the hospital soon.

Shelia, we're doing the cookie baking thing again this weekend. DD asked if we could please bake and decorate more sugar cookies since she missed out on the first batch, and do some of my old gingerbread recipe and some spritz, too. DH wants more of the choc. chunk cookies like I made for the roofers. Since he's also a few pounds below his goal I think the request is reasonable.

Juli, we're going on our next cruise in 3 weeks, too. This one is just a "quickie"... 4 days with sister, B-I-L, and 2 of their good friends, plus the day before in Tampa. Where are you going?

My granddaughter is spending the night here tonight since her Christmas break starts tomorrow, and her mommy and daddy both have to work. They're predicting we'll get over 6" (maybe up to 10" of snow by tomorrow evening. D-I-L better pack an extra day's worth of clothing just in case we can't get out of here tomorrow evening. We live out in the boonies and have a driveway that's 365 feet long and like a rollercoaster! DH has the only 4 wheel drive vehicle, and he's out of town. If it's just snow my car will do okay, but if we get freezing rain first we'll have to stay put! Tami, your post just showed up as I reviewed mine. Hopefully, "they" are wrong about our snow totals... they often are. We didn't get anything but flurries this weekend and they had predicted 1-2".

Shae

[WeirdEyes]

Shae, I'm so sorry to hear about your BIL. I'll keep him in my prayers.

I'm beginning to think that I need to bake more junk. I normally bake a lot more than I have so far and was trying to get out of it this year. However, my family acts like they are suffering because I don't want the junk around the house. I have about "0" willpower though and the temptation is too much. I guess I'll have to bake at least 1-2 extras to satisfy them. :rolleyes:

[cruiserforlife]

Hey guys,

Thought I'd get involved in this thread from a man's point of view.We are set to sail on the Sun on 1/28 and bought the SB book about a month ago.

I can't really say that I've read through it or followed what it says but I have basically followed as close to a zero carb diet as I could since then with my wife as well.She is not as regimented as I and even though it's the holidays,I'm finding it pretty easy to eat the right foods and portions without cheating since I don't drink coffee,soft drinks,or care for desserts.I lost about 10 lbs. the 1st. week or so but I always figure much of that could be water weight.I also stopped drinking alcohol completely except for 3 Xmas parties we attended.The problem with that is if you don't drink and then you do for one night and you don't eat foods that help absorb the alcohol (ie.breads,pasta,potatoes,etc.),you can get quite buzzed!

After the last party,I was shocked to find out I gained about 4 lbs. seemingly overnight.I haven't weighed myself since then (would rather not because if you don't lose what you think you should,you might get depressed and after all,it's just a number) but I'm sure I've lost that and more since everything is getting loose.

I expect to tweek it even more after the holidays in preparation for the cruise.Hopefully,I'll still be able to eat right on the cruise and if I drink the right no-carb alcohol's and use the stairs like we always do,will come back in fine shape.That sea air always seems to put us on a eat-every-two-hour schedule but I have enough willpower to eat only the right foods.My wife says forget it,she's eating what she wants and doesn't want to hear it but she's allowed,she's only 115 lbs.

We exercise everyday and have always pretty much eaten the right foods.For dinner we usually have a chicken breast with a green salad so all we've really done is cut out the starch.I've found myself eating more red meat than I'd like and will try to supplement that with more fish.

My biggest obstacle was eating breakfast since I usually just walk out the door after a glass of OJ and some vitamins.Well,I've eliminated the OJ of course and instead,I prepare some egg beaters at night and microwave them in the morning at work.

I'm the kind of person who'd just as soon stay in Phase 1 forever and just allow myself small amounts of fruit & veggies as I see fit.Right now,no snacks and no desserts.

I realize my plan wouldn't work for everyone but it's pretty easy right now to do what I need to get done.

I hope everyone out there is successful with their diet this holiday season and for the new year.I like to use this as a tool to get started correctly but in general,don't like to use the word "diet" but rather "lifestyle" because that's what it's really going to take for it to be successful for life.

Good luck to all.

John

[ColoradoJuli]

John - Welcome to the group. I too had a major change for breakfast. I would drink a large glass of OJ and call it breakfast. I couldn't believe that drinking a glass of OJ was as bad as a soda pop! Cut that out and it really help to boost my weight loss. Sounds like you have a good plan. I do suggest that either you or your wife read the book. I was amazed at some of the foods that I thought were good foods, but were really not good. My DH did not read the book, but I did and was able to help him understand the WOE (way of eating). Good luck and I look forward to chatting with you.

Shelia - DH just phoned me and told me that he talked to the guy that he interviewed with last week. The guy is still interested and is trying to work out the salary price. The position was orginally for a 'lower' position, but the guy wants Scott and knows that he is more senior. Anyway the guy is headed on vacation starting Thursday and will be gone until January 3rd. He is very interested in working something out with Scott and wants to meet with Scott before we head out on our cruise on January 8th. So it looks like Scott will be able to complete his contract on January 7th (get his completion bonus) and then start his new job the Monday we return home from the cruise! Things are looking really good!

Shae - So sorry to hear about your BIL. I am lifting your family and him up in prayer. Our cruise: We leave out of New Orleans and go to Cozemul, Cancun, Belize and Roatan. We are going with a group of 10 people. Should be an awesome time. We have been in such financial straits for 4 years and this will be our first vacation in the same amount of time. I AM SO EXCITED!:D

DH just arrived home, I need to go heat up the bean soup. Everyone have a good evening.

[WeirdEyes]

[QUOTE]I'm the kind of person who'd just as soon stay in Phase 1 forever and just allow myself small amounts of fruit & veggies as I see fit.Right now,no snacks and no desserts. [/QUOTE]Welcome John! (That is my DH's name.) I'm glad you've decided to join our discussion because we are lacking in men around here. :D About your above statement, please don't take this wrong, but staying on Phase 1 is not good for your body. You body needs carbs to function properly. Why do you think you gained so much weight after eating just bad one meal? Do you honestly think that you can live without carbs for the rest of your life? Good carbs are a must and like Juli said, please read the South Beach book. Also, tell your wife that staying on Phase 1 longer than one month can cause your hair to start falling out, your nails become dry and brittle, and your skin will not look good either. I'm not trying to scare you, but please read the book and you will see why I'm telling you all of this. You've done great so far, and since you exercise, you can still lose 2-3 lbs a week on Phase 2. If you lose more than that, you body will not keep it off. Just take this advice from someone who has been there and done that....LOL! Good luck and keep coming back. I promise I won't preach to you anymore. ;)

Juli, that is GREAT news about Scott! What a wonderful Christmas present for both of you. Now, going on the cruise will be even sweeter. :)

[irislady]

Welcome, John,
DH and I have been on a SB WOE since late August, and like you, we normally don't have a problem staying legal. Staying away from Holiday treats has been a little bit of a challenge, but we've learned how to have our moments of indulgences and then get back on the regimen of healthier eating. As we've all discussed on this thread, for most people that involves planning, and not having a lot of temptations around on a daily basis. Shelia is right that Dr. Agatston does not recommend that anyone stay on Phase 1 for any longer than 3 weeks. The body needs some carbs... the "trick" is to choose healthy ones that nourish the body and don't lead to weight gain. For each person the amount of carbs needed and/or tolerated varies. DH and I stay in a low carb range, usually less than 50 per day.

There were quite a few healthy choices available all day long when we cruised in October, and DH and I walked as much as possible and nearly always used the stairs instead of the elevator.

Thank you all so very much for your prayers for BIL. He and my sister own their own business, so they're in for a very rocky time. We all booked this next cruise with them after the dr.'s report in Sept. was so positive. Luckily, it's a short Carnival cruise and not very expensive. They got inexpensive air fare from NY, too.

Juli, your cruise sounds wonderful. Our only port will be Cozumel, but we're looking forward to the sunshine and warmer temps. Congratulations, too, to Scott. I hope 2005 is full of all kinds of great things for you.

We went from a high in the upper 40's yesterday to 6" of snow on the ground this morning and a temp of 24. (Our average yearly snowfall is only about 16" here). Now they're predicting that the snow will last all day, then there will be a brief break and then another 4" or more overnight. My granddaughter did spend the night, but Daddy forgot to send her snow boots. We're going to make her some with some baggies over her tennis shoes covered by some of Pop's old socks. I'm pretty small boned, so my mittens won't be terribly big on her. We're going to get out our sleds which we only got to use once last year, and not at all the year before!

Tami, I hope you had no trouble getting down this way to pick up your Grandma. There's even more snow just north of us... 9" already in Wadesville and Princeton. DH decided not to stay in W.KY yesterday and was home before the rest of us got back from dinner. We should be able to get our granddaughter home in his Suburban. Before she leaves today she is going to make a quilt block for me to add to the quilt I'm making for my son. We'll stitch her initials onto her block so Daddy will know which one she made. I won't have the quilt finished by Christmas, but we'll show him the quilt top Christmas morning.

Well, we're going to bundle up and go play.
Shae

[adoptmom]

Shae- wow! We don't even have the first flake up here. The kids are traumatized! :D Grandma lives in Franklin though so I'm sure she's up to her eyeballs. I don't pick her up until Thursday afternoon though so I'm hoping they'll have had enough time to clear the highways. My mission is to get back on this side of 465 by 4pm when all the people who don't have to work christmas eve are getting off work.

Well, I'm off to call mom and check up on Granddad today. Looks like he will be being moved to a rehab hospital after the release him. Then he will either move in with my mom before returning to his home or, more likely, to an assisted living condo. We had really hoped he'd make that decision for himself a few years ago. I hate that 's going to be forced upon him but he can't live alone in that big house for quite some time.

Tami