Hi everyone! Great to see folk coming back. The Atkins is really popular in the UK too. It seems there are now a few of us at work slimming down and I can see results everywhere. I caved last night to about 1 cup of popcorn. Tonight is movie night and PIZZA HUT (I thought that was NEXT weekend!!!!) I'd better behave myself today. I know a slice of pizza is about 7 points (a whole meal)...so I will start with the salad bar (skipping the pasta portion). Going to get some flavoured water to sneak into the movie and skip the high priced coke. Might even bring a bag of sliced, crunchy NO CAL veggies (yep - good plan) - like celery, peppers and carrots. Going to drink lots of water BEFORE going out to fill myself a wee bit. Pizza Hut and I are squaring off today - I HAVE TO BEHAVE. For those of you stalling - that has been my weight loss for the last few months and still the same - 1/4 to 1/2 pound and then stay there. I know part is my body and part is my eating but I am eating better, losing slowly, changing shape and generally feeling better. Got home last night and my stepping machine was at the back door from my ebay purchase. Today is my Saturday morning stroll - library, grocery - with my wheelie shopping bag - NO BUSES - and then carry on to visit two very young friends (5 & 7) to get my hair and makeup done (lots of fun). Finally drag my wheelie cart back home to get ready to go out to P.H. and movie. Keep in mind my neighborhood is HILLY, I will be carting a large box of laundry soap and other things that are usually heavy and library books. Will be very interesting over the next month to see how I get on with that stepping machine. I need to change my physical routine to get my metabolism going again. Even the lightest setting is not easy and I can feel the muscles I forgot about. This will be great since we are back into windy, cold weather again. YEACH. Candy - glad to read your post - you are doing great! It's good to see the Atkins on here too as the results are encouraging. I am not much of a meat eater and prefer more fruits/veg. Keep us posted you are helping us think about choices. Teresa I have heard about the South Beach diet. It sounds similar to Atkins. Great choices there too. Do you feel better as well cutting down on the carbs? Looking forward to hearing more from you too! Yellowhair - never hurts to reassess your habits. We will have to maintain our successes after all of this, so looking at your routine and checking yourself is probably something we will all have to do. Planning empowers you towards making that goalpost. Last week was last week. You are still here, still making progress. If I showed you my graph of weight loss since xmas it goes down, up, sideways, down, up, up, up, down, across - basically all over but in the LONG HAUL slow loss and it is moving down. That's fine with me. I mentally started this thinking - at least 6-8 months before getting close and then another 6 months of making sure I have healthier habits without thinking about it. Overall I am targeting 18 months of 'taking better care of myself'. We deserve this. We have looked after our families all these years, it's time to look after ourselves. Best part is, our efforts seem to cascade around us and everyone else seems to pick up on better habits to. It is true/proven that the meals we serve our families are the meals that set things - they eat what is infront of them. Really, no offense to the guys, but I feel the fellas see us as their 'mom' when it comes to meals. If we put a balanced meal in front of them - they just eat it. Also, Kathy posted a very interested link on an earlier Diet Pals thread about spreading the food around on the plate instead of piling it, using flatter soup bowls instead of large deep bowls - mentally folk generally thought they were eating the same amounts when in reality they were eating less. Is this a strategy/tool we can use at parties or events out? Instead of piling up the plate from the buffet - flatten the food on your plate, spread it out - eat slower, put your fork down - chat with your pals, drink some water and by the time you finish your meal the food should be registering in your bloodstream and you should start to feel satisfied. Do your homework - today I searched on nutrition portion control - here's a link with good reading. Have a fabby day - I have to get moving! McPeg Here is a link that might be useful: Portion Control

Everything I've read about the South Beach diet says to have snacks in the mid morning and mid afternoon and dessert after dinner - nothing about snacks in the evening. Seems to me you might sabotage all your good efforts during the day by eating a snack late in the evening. I like lowfat deli ham and turkey rolled up to snack on, also, celery pieces with cream cheese stuffing, plain yogurt with some Splenda and vanilla, and sugar free jello. Deviled eggs are allowed and 2 TB of peanut butter on some celery or simply eaten off the spoon. Nuts are a good snack also. A thin slice of deli cheese, lowfat if you can get it, on top of a thin slice of ham or turkey, rolled up and cut into slices is my favorite snack.

I would like to add a vote for the South Beach Diet. I've lost 14 lbs and hubby has lost much more. (of course) This must be an unsettling time for you, I'm sorry your pain. Now you have this major adjustment, not fun at all. The good news is, this board is visited by many helpful and friendly people. I don't post often, but I thought I could help. This blog, www.kalynskitchen.com, is a great resource for low glycemic (won't mess with your blood sugar) recipes! One of my favorites: White Bean and Artichoke Dip with Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips (Makes about 2 cups of dip, recipe from Cooking New American.) 6-8 whole wheat flour tortillas (can also use pita bread) olive oil for brushing on tortillas (I used a mister) salt for sprinkling on tortillas (I used Vege-Sal) 1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans 1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts (I used artichoke bottoms which have hearts only, no leaves) 1 small clove garlic, chopped (about one tsp. chopped garlic) 2 T fresh lemon juice 2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on top 3 T freshly grated parmesan cheese 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary (I used frozen rosemary, if you only have dried rosemary be sure it's completely crushed) salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste sweet paprika, for garnish Preheat broiler and get out a large cookie sheet for toasting tortilla chips. Brush or spray each flour tortilla with olive oil, then cut into triangles. Arrange in single layer on cookie sheet and toast under the broiler, about 3-4 minutes per side. Watch them carefully, because they get too dark rather quickly. Chips will seem soft when you take them out of the oven, but they harden and crisp as they cool. Drain beans into colander and rinse well, until no foam remains. Let drain at least 5 minutes. Drain artichokes. In food processor, combine beans, artichokes, garlic, and lemon juice and blend until fairly smooth. Keep food processor motor running and add the olive oil in a stream. Add parmesan, and finely chopped fresh rosemary and pulse about 10 times to blend. Season dip to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper. Place dip in a serving bowl, sprinkle with a small amount of paprika and drizzle over a small amount of olive. Arrange tortilla chips around bowl and serve. This printable recipe from KalynsKitchen.com. Another favorite website is skinnytaste.com. Chicken Piccata Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes 2 (16 oz total) chicken cutlet halves, all fat trimmed freshly ground black pepper 2 large egg whites 2/3 cup seasoned whole wheat dry bread crumbs olive oil spray (about 1 tbsp worth) 1 tbs light butter juice of 1 lemon, lemon halves reserved 1/4 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup fat free chicken broth 1 tbsp capers Sliced lemon, for serving Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving Cut chicken into 4 cutlets, then place cutlets between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. In a shallow plate, beat the egg whites and 1 teaspoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs in another plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the egg, then bread crumbs. Heat a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Spray a generous amount of olive oil spray on one side of the chicken, and lay it in the pan, oil side down. Spray the top of the chicken generously to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Set aside until you make the sauce. For the sauce, clean the saute pan. Over medium heat, melt butter, add the lemon juice, wine, chicken broth and the reserved lemon halves, salt, and pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Discard the lemon halves, add the capers and serve one chicken cutlet on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley. I truly hope you are able to turn this around and get your heart healthy. Sissy

This recipe is taken from a glycemic index weight loss diet ! But it does use spinach and cheese again. SPINACH & PEPPER STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS Serves 4 2 TBS olive oil 2 chopped onions 1 clove garlic chopped finely 4 cups (125 grams) chopped spinach leaves 1 TBS chopped fresh leaves of mint 1/4 teasp herbes de Provençe 1/2 teasp sea salt 1/2 teasp freshly ground black pepper 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 4 oz (125 grams) each 2 oz (50 grams) light Boursin cheese 1 TBS freshly grated parmesan 1 red pepper, seeded, quartered and roasted 1/2 cup (4 oz or 120 ml) white wine 1/2 cup (4 oz or 120 ml) chicken stock 2 x 15 ounce tins of chopped tomatoes 1/4 teasp crumbled strands of saffron 1/2 cup large-flake slow cooking porridge oats 1. Prepare red peppers and put into toaster oven or grill to roast. Chop spinach and set aside. 2. Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and cook half the onion and all the minced garlic for about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook a further 2 minutes or until wilted. Stir in the mint, herbes de Provençe and 1/4 teasp each of the salt and pepper. Remove from pan and put all into a bowl to cool. 3. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board between two sheets of cling film and beat with a mallet or rolling pin until they have spread and are about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. (Here I trimmed the edges of each one to make more of a tidy rectangle and put the cut bits into a ziplock in the freezer.) 4. With a fork, mix the two cheeses into the spinach mixture to combine. Spread the filling mixture over the chicken breasts, nearly to the edges. Cut the red pepper into strips and lay them across the filling. 5. Starting at the short end, carefully roll up the breasts and place them seam-side down on a large platter or cutting board. Sprinkle them with the rest of the salt and pepper. 6. Heat the remaining 1 TBS olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the remaining onion about 5 minutes, then add the wine, chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron and a little more seasoning. Simmer on low heat, covered for about 8 minutes, then add the oats and stir. 7. Place the rolled chicken breasts on top of the sauce in the pan and continue to simmer, covered, for 20 - 25 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through. 8. To serve - place the chicken on a plate and spoon sauce around and over the top. Serve whole if rolls are small, or even better - slice them thickly with a sharp knife to display the colourful filling. Source: Adapted from Rick Gallop's GI Diet Green-Light Cookbook This dish could stand a bit of heat for those who would prefer a few pepper flakes or the addition of a mildly hot pepper. I halved the recipe, doing only two large breasts for the two of us, but used one whole red pepper, halving the rest of the ingredients except the oil for cooking. ********************************************* And why not stuff fish into something like a small red pepper rather than the other way around. Here's a well-known Spanish tapa of cod fish which is often served as a first or even a main course light meal. are small, sweet and slightly piquant Spanish peppers which are sold tinned, skinned and ready for stuffing. (PIMIENTOS DE PIQUILLO RELLENOS DE PESCADO.) 2 tins piquillo peppers, each 185 grams/ (6 1/2 oz)..about 15 small peppers (I used 1 tin of 390 grams=18 peppers) 200 grams/7 oz cod or any cooked white fish 3 cloves garlic chopped 1 TBS onion, minced 2 TBS olive oil 1 1/2 TBS flour 200 ml/7 fl oz (3/4 cup + 1 TBS) milk salt & pepper to taste grating of nutmeg 150 ml/1/4 pint (2/3 cup) cream pinch of cayenne 1 teasp vinegar Allow 6 - 10 for stuffing and reserve the remainder for the sauce. Shred or flake the codfish or cooked white fish, discarding any skin or bone. In a saucepan, sauté the chopped garlic and onion in the oil until softened. Add the fish, then the flour and cook for two minutes. Then whisk in the milk. Season with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Cook, stirring constantly, until the fish mixture is thickened. Remove from heat. Stuff the piquillo peppers with the fish mixture and place them in an oiled baking dish. Bake in a medium-hot oven for 5 minutes. (Alternately the peppers may be dusted with flour, then dipped in beaten egg and fried in olive oil, turning them to brown on all sides.) Meanwhile, purée the remaining peppers in a blender with the cream, cayenne and vinegar. Spoon the sauce onto 6 dishes (if serving 1 pepper to 6 persons as a tapa - we had 3 each) and place 1 or 2 of the stuffed peppers on each plate. Serves 6 as a tapa, 2 or 3 as a first course. Source: 'Tapas and More Great Dishes From Spain' Janet Mendel 1997 SharonCb