Hi,

I just started the low carb diet today. I'm hoping to drop 20 lbs before going on vacation the first week of June. Am I a dreamer, or what! I'm a junkfoodaholic...... so I have no idea if I can pull this off. But hey... it's day ONE so I'm hopeful and enthusiastic.

Not liking eggs is a bit of a drawback. For breakfast I scrambled two, and then added some chunks of ham and provolone cheese... it was filling and quite satisfying. I wouldn't go so far as to say it took away my desire to have a big fat blueberry muffin along with it... but it's now 3 p.m. and I haven't been hungry all day. Not that hunger had anything at all to do with the candy munching that caused me to need this blasted diet in the first place.

Check the market for low carb bars. They're kind of like a candy bar... very handy to eat while driving. They also have low carb tortillas. They're perfect for filling with meat and cheese. You actually feel as if you've consumed a high carb meal.

These days everyone has jumped on the low carb band wagon so you shouldn't have any trouble at all eating in fast food places... and buying enough low carb products in the market to get you through this diet. Atkin's the old fashioned way was brutal... but the new and improved low carb diets are working really well... and they don't require you to suffer quite at much.

That whole "diet for life" thing is beyond my comprehension. Life without mass quantities of candy... and apple pie all gooey and loaded with carbs... would be too dreary for me to even contemplate.

But I suspect I will now be more mindful of the carbs and therefore make substitutions when preparing meals. I think that's the best I will be able to do :)

Keep us posted on your progress... if you look decent in shorts by June 1st... wanna take my vacation for me?

Another newbie here!! After about a month of planning and ridding the house of the "bad" stuff, I started yesterday. I crave sweets and chocolate soooooo bad, I don't know how I'm going to survive this. Yesterday went pretty well, but today, I've had a terrible headache all day. I guess it could be work-related stress, but I really doubt it. I've heard that the first three to four days are the worst, so I guess I'll continue to plug away....

Janet (who'd be willing to commit a felony for a Hershey bar right now)

I started a low carb diet 3 weeks ago and I've taken off 12 lbs.! I feel like I've lost even more. It is actually starting to show! I find breakfast is the hardest meal to prepare. I cook up bacon or sausage the night before and just heat it up in the morning. I don't mind eggs so I keep a dozen hard boiled in the fridge each week to grab for quick breakfast or toss into a salad. I munch on pumpkin seeds for snacks, diet Jello, and I do eat strawberries with cream! I even bought some low carb ice cream this week made with Splenda. It's not the same but tastes real good when I know I can't have the real thing. Drink lots of water during the day. Dinners are easy. I eat whatever meat I've prepared for everyone, steak, pork, fish, even scallops wrapped in bacon or try some kabobs with meat or fish and veggies on the grill. Then some green beans, sauteed mushrooms or a salad. Cheese seems to satisfy me as well. I still crave bread and pasta and always will, but now I know what foods got me here! Good luck. The first few days are the worse and then you'll start to feel really good!

Please keep the tips coming, here are some of mine:

I've been buying those low carb wraps, filling them with cheese, roast beef, avocado and having them for lunch with a side of pork rinds. It's very filling.

I bought some Atkins muffin mix this past weekend - they aren't wonderful but will do in a pinch.

I do like the Atkins breakfast bars - Cinnamon Bun is the best.

For dinner I fix a HUGE salad filled with cheese, egg, bacon, avocado and anything else I can throw in, DH grills some type of meat and we eat a lot of broccoli and cheese. I have the hardest time coming up with low carb side dishes. Any ideas?

I tried the low carb pasta and alfredo sauce last week --- it was the most awful stuff I've ever eaten in my life! Makes me particularly mad when I think about how much I paid for it.

A GREAT recipe that we love is stuffed mushrooms - take a pound of bulk sausage and brown/drain it, add in an 8 oz bar of cream cheese and stir until melted. Spoon into mushroom caps and broil for about 5 minutes --- they are delicious!!

I also bought Atkins ice cream this weekend (chocolate with peanut butter) and I've really taken a liking to it - it helps when I have sweet cravings!

Good luck.

Not to scare you, but I had serious problems with the Atkins diet. It simply doesn't work for some people.

You must be VERY attuned to what's going on in your body, and "listen" very closely to what it's telling you.

I was on it for about a week and a half before I realized that every day I was feeling a little bit worse, even though I was losing a lot of weight.

At about 2 and a half weeks I started having stomach pains, and I began hearing things and having vision problems.

When I went to the doctor for some testing, my liver was beginning to enlarge, liver functions were completely out of whack, and I was dumping amazing amounts of protein in my urine.

I immediately went onto a low fat low protein diet for almost 2 months until my liver returned to normal.

Some people just can't handle the protein and fat loads that the Atkins plan puts into their bodies.

If it works for you, great. It works well for a lot of people, and in fact it was my doctor who originally suggested that I try it!

Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. You're absolutely right, this diet is not for everyone. I tried it last year with no problems, just didn't stick with it long enough - lol!

I agree -- I'm a firm believer that different things work for different people due to individual body chemistry. I have a friend who does great on Weight Watchers, but I don't. I lost weight and felt great on Phen-Fen, another friend wasn't as successful.

I was wondering if anyone has been on Xenical or thought/heard about combining it with an Atkins diet. Three or four years ago, I was on it for a year -- didn't lose a lot of weight, but lowered my cholesterol by 40 points. It evidently acts as a fat blocker and reduces the amount absorbed by the intestines. I've never heard of any pharmaceutical claims that it lowers cholesterol, but I thought if mine started going up, I'd ask the doctor about putting me back on it (assuming I don't have any other problems with the diet). Some people have trouble taking it, but I didn't.

Also, someone e-mailed me information about a great low carb website -- recipes, a message board, etc. I'm not sure if it's appropriate to post it here, but if anyone wants it, please e-mail me. And, to the kind person who sent it to me.....THANK YOU!! (tried to respond to your e-mail, but it bounced back).

Janet

Janet are you losing weight....If you are only 1 week into the diet as you said, you shouldn't even be eating things like the wraps.....the first two weeks are very strict.....almost no carbs at all........

I read your list of goodies up there and not very many of them should be on your diet if you are just going into the second week....

I've been doing South Beach since mid-January and have lost 20 lbs. and my husband has lost 28 lb. I'm 1.5 lbs. from my goal weight! My tips would be to try to fill your plate with as much fresh veggies as you can. Breakfast is usually eggs, sausage, ham, Canadian bacon, cottage cheese, yogurt or smoked salmon (not all at once! ). For dinner we usually have fish, chicken, turkey, or buffalo as the main dish, a big salad (some combination of romaine, arugula, tomatoes, olives, feta, artichoke hearts, capers, peppers, nuts) and one or two veggie dishes. I like to make pesto, olive tapenade and roast red peppers to have on hand. If you roast your own red peppers (easy, easy, just broil til the skin turns black, stick in a paper bag and close while they steam, then the skin peels right off!), after a day or two they give off a delicious juice. I use the juice with a bit of balsamic vinegar to dress the salad, toss with the tapenade, yum! We snack on pistachios rather than chips. I'm a dyed in the wool chocoholic, so I reward myself with a small piece of Trader Joe's Carb-Safe chocolate at night. I'm really shocked that I don't crave carbs anymore, because we were real bagel, pasta and chips people before. But I don't. Both of us love the tasty, nutritious food we're eating, and we're happy with our new-found waistlines! What I like about South Beach's Phase 1 is that you do lose quite a bit of weight those first two weeks, and it really pumps you up and makes you want to see what you can do! It does take being organized, and having the right foods on hand. Another thing that worked well for us (and this was during winter) was to have a cup of soup before dinner. Then we'd have the main dish, a salad and a veggie. Very satisfying. Cauliflower works well as a side dish, although I thought the cauliflower "mock potatoes" dish in SBD was awful. I agree that not every diet is for everyone, but I don't think you can go wrong by eliminating sugar and refined carbohydrates from your diet. We're all trying to make a change for the better ! Good luck!

Just remember all you Atkins people that nothing says that you have to pig out on the fattest highest calorie meat you can find......Sticking to all the good meats is a good thing.....

Janet where are you....I am dying to know about your diet..

Rainebeau,

You Go! Congratulations!

BigMama, you're absolutely right about that. I didn't appreciably change my eating habits when I tried Atkins, other than to drop the carbos. I still stuck with basically lean meats, which is what I prefer to begin with, especially chicken and turkey (I'm not a big beef eater). It was the protein that got me. I couldn't metabolize it quickly enough.

Bigmama - I'm doing okay - haven't lost a ton of weight (4 pounds) but can feel a change in my clothes. The way I read the book the first two weeks are no more than 20 carbs each day. I haven't been exceeding that. The wraps I buy are only 6 net grams of carbs - so one wrap a day isn't going to kill me. The breakfast bars are 2 net grams of carbs and are my salvation in the morning.

The hardest part about this diet is the hidden carbs when you eat out. Went to lunch w/friends yesterday and ordered a mozzerella/tomato salad - the restaurant sprinkled it with some sweetened dressing - I had to send it back and ask for olive oil instead.

Well a ton of weight is what to you janet? Most people would think 4 pounds in one week was pretty darn good...I have read Atkins many times and Perhaps the 20 grams of carbs of your choice is something new but as I recall, Induction was always very strict...no bread, no wraps, no muffins...just proves everyone has there concept of what Atkins is and the important thing is that it works for you..

Well, hubby lost 8 pounds and he ate at least 3 little debbie cakes last week PLUS he refuses to give up milk. So, considering how strict I've been on myself I was hoping to lose at least as much as him!!!

Have you checked out the Atkins website? It's very informative and has all the do's and don'ts, including the number of carb counts during induction and the weeks following.

Day 5... weakening.... Janet KS... commiting a felony for a chocolate bar is beginning to sound reasonable!

You need reinforcements!! When you want a chocolate bar, grab an Atkins bar instead. Or, grab a low carb fudgesickle (they are really yummy).

Saturday morning, in the midst of a huge tornadic thunderstorm here in Houston I just wanted to eat - there were doughnuts in the house (kids had a sleepover). Instead I pulled out the Atkins ice cream and savored each and every bite --- it got me over my sweet craving.

Oh Candy, I'm so sorry I missed your post on Friday!! I hope you've regained your strength and didn't get picked up by the "Diet Police". Can you imagine trying to explain to a judge why you beat a vending machine to pulp just for a little bit of chocolate -- or why you just had to hijack that semi loaded with Blue Bunny ice cream??? Speaking of ice cream, where do you find Atkins -- checked a couple of grocery stores yesterday and couldn't find it?

I'm trying to use sugar-free jello gelatin and whipped topping to satisfy my sweet cravings. I tried making whipped cream (whipping cream and Splenda) last night, but it was a little on the runny side, so I'm thinking I'll go with Cool Whip (I think it's 2 carbs per serving).

I don't quite understand the "net" carbs vs. total carbs. I'm not sure how it's calculated or which one I should be using. Was looking at some of the "low carb" bars (I think Russell Stover makes one) and the total carbs were like 16 or 18 and that won't fly since I only get a total of 20 each day. Can anyone shed some light on it for me?

Thanks,
Janet

I think the ice cream is called carb solutions or something like that - I bought the chocolate/peanut butter type, the fudgesickles and ice cream sandwiches. I have to have this stuff or I will not make it on Atkins -- I have a huge sweet tooth.

To figure out net carbs you deduct certain items from the carb count - mainly, you deduct fiber, glycerine and sugar alcohols, which either are not digested or are digested but do not impact blood sugar. Most low carb grocery items will list the net carbs on the label for you, which is helpful!!

Hello to all!

About a year and a half ago I tried the Atkins diet and had great success, lost 22 pounds in 2 months, felt great, lowered my cholesterol, my doc was very happy with me, had lots of energy, people noticed, etc. Then, what happened? Months later, life got stressful, job got completely despicable, son got sick, quarrantined with me over Christmas, bah humbug. And I forgot to stick with my Atkins.

Now I'm getting myself psyched up to try the South Beach diet. It does appear to be healthier overall. I got so used to my eggs everyday for breakfast, I'd feel deprived if I couldn't have them. Not only do I want to lose the weight, but I want to stablize my blood sugar as diabetes runs in my family. I stopped drinking fruit juices years ago - I eat the whole fruit instead, because the fiber is assimilated more slowly by the body. I can still remember how the cravings for bread, potatoes, and crackers (Cheezits to be specific!) did leave about the third day. And the SBD says unlimited eggs! At present, I'm clearing the kitchen of the unmentionables and reading up on SB. I love to do research to get my head on straight about my new endeavor.

My favorite snacks are string cheese, ham/cheese or turkey/cheese rollups, yogurt w/ fresh fruit and splenda (for P2), nuts, turkey pepperoni, or a little cup of tuna salad - I make mine with cottage cheese, so creamy! I plan to try the ricotta desserts popular on SB and the sf orange jello with cottage cheese whipped in with a touch of vanilla. Yum!

I have lots of Atkins friendly recipes I can post if anyone is interested. It seems to me that many of my Atkins recipes could fit in with SB, just using lower fat ingredients. I'll be checking in here for support and to see how everyone is doing. I'm a big Garden Web fan and supporter.

Teresa

Teresa, you sound like me -- I spent about 3 weeks getting myself emotionally prepared, reading up on low carb diets and cleaning out the pantry. I'm just completing my second week, minus 3 or 4 days I didn't follow any diet.

I did well on Friday when I went to lunch with my sister and parents. Went to Wendy's and I had a side salad and Diet Coke. The hamburgers looked soooo good, but I knew if I got one, I'd end up eating the bun, so I just avoided the temptation. Last night, we took my SO's mother out for dinner. It was a steak house where they bring you loaves of hot bread. I really wanted some, but did not give in and was very proud of myself. I had my salad, 8 oz steak and in place of the potato, I ordered French Onion soup. I completely forgot that it had a slice of bread in it, so I kind of messed up there, but I suppose it could have been worse. I was so addicted to sweets, I can't believe that I haven't had any candy, cake, cookies, ice cream or other "goodies". I still want them, but I don't crave them like I use to.

Tonight's dinner was really great!! My sweetie loves tacos (as do I), so I fixed the taco meat and let him do his own thing while I started with a big bed of lettuce, topped it with shredded cheese, taco meat and spicey ranch dressing mixed with salsa. Near as I can tell, the dressing and salsa cost me about 12 grams of carbs, but breakfast was 2 scrambled eggs and lunch was a couple ounces of cheese, so overall, I think I had a pretty good day.

I'm thrilled that I'm not hungry all the time and cravings are managable, but I'm disappointed that I haven't had this burst of energy that others seem to experience. I don't have a set of scales at home (not yet anyway), but when I went to the doctor this past week, I'd lost about 3 pounds in 10 days (including the 3-4 days I wasn't careful about what I ate). I need to see him again on Thursday, so we'll see where I'm at then.

Hope everyone has a good week!!

Janet

Can someone tell me if it is really important to do the induction period when starting Atkins? Jammer needs to loose weight and he has several friends who have had success with Atkins. He is thinking seriously about starting the program, but I'm just wondering if he could just start limiting his carbs without being so strict at first.

Janet... the vending machines are safe... DH, on the other hand, is in grave danger!

He began Atkin's 8 days after I did... cheated his brains out... and still lost more than I have in two full weeks of NO carbs and NO cheating. If he wasn't so darn good looking I'd hate him!

Today, the first day of my third week, I'm adding a few carbs. I'm a carboholic so controlling myself won't be easy. (My favorite foods can be found at the dessert exchange!)

Teresa, I'd love some of your Atkin's recipes.

I'm one of those people who can't read books about dieting. When I do, it sounds too hard so I quit before I begin. Or I do the pre-diet binge thing... eating EVERYTHING the book says is off limits. Of course then I bag the idea of going on the diet.

So this time I just launched into it without thought or preparation.... and so far so good.

I love seeing all of your ideas and hearing of your successes.

MaryAnn - DH did not follow the induction rules at all and he's managed to lose 13 pounds in 3 weeks. I know that they say it's important and you HAVE to do it. But it seems that men lose so quickly, just cutting back on the carbs might do the trick.

Every morning my "snack cake and milk, curly fry eating cheater" walks out of the bathroom with a smirk on his face and announces at least another pound lost.

Well ladies, perhaps we need to send Candy's diet cheating husband and Janet's "Little Debbie Man" to Siberia along with my guy. We needed just a few items from the grocery store last night (actually, late afternoon). As I was picking out salad dressing, he disappeared. Found him at the bulk candy counter filling a bag with chocolate covered peanuts. I gave him a look like, "I can't believe you're getting that -- you know I can't resist chocolate". He read my look and said, "Don't worry, they'll be gone before you know it". Well, the bag was still sitting on the counter this morning, untouched. I cannot understand how he can just let chocolate sit there for more than 12 hours without devouring it!! Men -- I just don't understand them. OK, enough ranting for now.

Teresa -- If you happen to stumble onto a low carb strawberry smoothie recipe, I'd LOVE to have it. They're my favorite in the summer.

Thanks,
Janet

Siberia sounds good to me! The most annoying part is that men still look pretty decent with 30 extra pounds. They move up a size in pants and that's about it. Other than that they wear the same kinda things they always wore.

For me, 30 lbs overweight means I can't wear cute clothes. I have no waist!

Does anybody else hate exercise?

I know that I could lose faster if I'd exercise... and we recently bought the Total Gym... and even left it in the family room as an incentive to actually use it.

Sadly I've begun referring to it as the hat rack cuz Max tends to hang his ball caps on it.

We sold our "coat rack" (the nordic track) at a garage sale a few years ago. We really did think we'd use this new gimick... but there it sits... four feet away from me.... with a Mariner's ball cap hanging on the handle!

I think I'll go to JoAnn's and do some credit card damage.... you guys have a great day...

Hi everyone! I'm doing o.k. on my first day of South Beach. I've got another major physical problem going on which is trying to sabotage my diet. But, I'm trying to hang in.

Mary Ann - I think it is important to go through induction on Atkins, because really cutting your carbs down to only 20g a day lessens the cravings for sweets, pasta, potatoes, and bread.

This morning I had to repeat to myself "it's o.k. for you to have two eggs, scrambled!" I wondered if just eggs and my lean homemade sausage would be enough to hold me til lunch. But I was so busy at work that I didn't have time to think about eating. Tomorrow I'm taking a ham/cheese rollup to have for a mid-morning snack.

Here are a few T&T recipes suitable for Atkins and SB:

Sausage and Egg casserole
1 lb. sausage, browned (I use less)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 small can chopped green chiles, drained
4 eggs
2 TB chopped onion
dash of hot sauce
salt and pepper

Mix all. Pour into a small square or round baking dish or pie plate that has been greased. Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes until lightly browned.
I make this on the weekend, then reheat the other servings for a fast breakfast on work days. I count 1/4 of the recipe as a serving.

Taco Salad for one
2 cups shredded lettuce
4 oz. lean ground beef, browned, drained, crumbled
slice ripe olives
chopped green onion
grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
2 TB sour cream
2 TB Old El Paso Taco sauce
Pile lettuce in a bowl; top with beef, olives, onion and cheese. Add dollops of the sour cream; drizzle taco sauce over the top. Eat immediately.

Easy Tuna Salad
1 can or foil package tuna, drained
1 dollop mayonnaise
1 dollop sour cream
1 dill pickle, chopped
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
celery, finely chopped
onion, finely chopped

Mix all together and season with salt and pepper. Chill to blend flavors. Serve on lettuce leaves with slices of cucumber and green pepper.

Salmon Patties
1 foil pack of salmon
3-5 saltines, crushed
1 egg
onion, minced, just a little
s&p
Mix all well; shape into 4 patties, pan fry in a little butter/oil together.

Salad
2 cups romaine lettuce
1/8 cup sliced zucchini
1/8 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/8 cup sliced cucumbers
add any of the following:
hard boiled egg, cubed ham or turkey, chicken, roast beef or steak, olives, cheese, bacon, 1/4 to 1/2 sliced avocado

Pork Chops and Onions in Cream Sauce
Season and brown pork chops (as many as will fit in your skillet). Cover with sliced onions, put lid on, reduce heat to low. Simmer for about an hour. Uncover, cook down the juices, then add 1/2 cup heavy cream. Simmer until reduced and thick. Serve.

Pineapple Fluff
4 oz. cream cheese
10 oz. pineapple chunks, drain
2 small boxes orange sugar free jello
2 cups boiling water
1 1/4 cup cold water
Pour boiling water over jellow. Add cold water. Stir in cream cheese and pineapple. Stir well. Chill until firm. One of my favorites!

Cajun Pork Chops
1 TB paprika
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. sage
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/2 TB oil
1/2 TB butter
4 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick

Mix seasonings, coat chops on both sides. Heat oil and butter in a skillet very hot. Put chops in, reduce heat to medium. Cook 8-9 minutes, turning over half way thru the time.

Thanks for the recipes! They all look great!!

I'm so depressed, I actually gained a pound last night. I guess the Mother's day hamburger did more damage than I thought it might. I left the room when DH came out of the bathroom, I didn't want to hear about any more of his weight loss.

I think my biggest problem is exercise - I haven't been walking like I should. Gonna get back out there and walk tonight!!

Here are a couple of recipes that got a thumbs up from my husband and me:

Ratatouille Soup

1 small eggplant (abt. 1#), left unpeeled and cubed
2 medium zucchini, cubed
salt
2 t. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 lg. clove garlic, finely minced
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 c. canned chopped tomatoes, with their juices
4 c. defatted chicken or vegetable broth
1 lg. or 2 small bay leaf
2 T. chopped fresh basil leaves
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
freshly ground pepper
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Combine eggplant and zucchini in a large colander, sprinkle liberally with salt, toss, and allow to stand and drain for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a heavy 4 or 5 qt. saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggplant, zucchini, and red pepper and stir well to combine. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini and eggplant begin to lose their raw appearance, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Add the tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf; stir to combine, and increase the heat to high. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, partially cover the saucepan, and simmer until the vegetables are completely tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in 2 T. of the basil and parsley and cook 5 minutes longer. Remove bay leaf.

Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender or use an immersion blender, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and reheat before serving. Garnish each serving with parmesan cheese, as desired.

6 Servings
77 calories, 2.3 grams fat

I think the soup would be good cold as well, like gazpacho.

Turkey Scaloppine

1 lb. turkey cutlets
c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 7.5 oz. can tomatoes, cut up
2 T. dry white wine
2 t. capers, drained
3 oz. slice mushrooms
¼ t. dried oregano, crushed
1/8 t. pepper
Nonstick spray coating

Place each cutlet between 2 pieces of clear plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound meat to about 1/8 inch thickness. Sprinkle meat lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside. Repeat with each cutlet.

For sauce, in a medium saucepan, cook onion and garlic, covered, in 2 T. water till onion is tender but now brown. Stir in undrained tomatoes, wine, capers (if desired), oregano, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Keep warm.

Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray coating. Saute mushrooms 3 to 5 minutes, till slightly browned and softened. Remove mushrooms from pan and keep warm. Spray skillet again with NS coating, if needed. Cook meat, half at a time, over medium-high heat for one to two minutes per side or to desired doneness. Transfer meat to a serving platter; keep warm. Repeat with remaining cutlets.

Serves 4
196 calories, 22 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat

To serve, spoon sauce over cutlets.

Sautéed Salmon with Zucchini Noodles and Red Bell Pepper Coulis

These sautéed, julienne-cut zucchini strips are a lower-calorie alternative to pasta. A coulis is a thick purée or sauce.

Red Bell Pepper Coulis (recipe follows)
4 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cracked pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, divided
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Freshly ground pepper (optional)

Prepare Red Bell Pepper Coulis; set aside. Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips, stopping at the inside part of the zucchini containing the seeds; discard middle portions. Cut strips lengthwise into long, thin "noodles"; set aside.
Combine lime juice and next 4 ingredients (lime juice through garlic) in a small bowl. Rub salmon with juice mixture. Dredge salmon in flour. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon; sauté 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove salmon from skillet. Set aside; keep warm.

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in skillet. Add zucchini noodles; saute 4 minutes or until wilted, tossing gently.

Spoon Red Bell Pepper Coulis onto 6 serving plates. Top with zucchini noodles and salmon. Garnish with chopped parsley and freshly ground pepper, if desired.

6 servings
CALORIES 376 (45% from fat); FAT 18.7g (sat 4g, mono 8.7g, poly 3.6g); PROTEIN 38.9g; CARB 12.3g; FIBER 1.8g

Red Bell Pepper Coulis

This recipe goes with Sauteed Salmon with Zucchini Noodles and Red Bell Pepper Coulis

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cups coarsely chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, shallots, jalapeño pepper, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Add broth; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.
Place pepper mixture in a blender, and process until smooth. Strain purée through a sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Stir in vinegar and salt.

Yield: 1 cup (serving size: 2 1/2 tablespoons)

CALORIES 40, FAT 2g (sat 0.3g, mono 1.1g, poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 1.1g; CARB 5.4g; FIBER 1.3g

I use the zucchini noodle trick a lot.
Good luck to all!

I hit the 30 pound loss today. Yeah!!! I didn't follow Atkins to a tee, and I lost a steady 1 pound per week. I never gave up the diet cokes.

My tip for the week:

Don't buy the 1/2 gallon carb smart ice cream unless you can adhere to the 1/2 cup serving. I couldn't. I do better with the fudge bars, it's a controlled portion.

Very good tip, Kim! I agree with you on the portion control!
Teresa