PippaJo_ Member

Isn't it great?! I'm actually ordering some of the cold drinks, so I have an option that should be 'lighter' for those times when I do feel quite full and have to make myself get that last meal in.

I think it is, however, I wouldn't make a regular habit of it. You really shouldn't be terribly hungry all that often, if you're eating on an every-2-3-hour schedule, and if you're not accidentally getting more carbs than you're allowed. Keeping your carbs in that "ideal" 80-85 range is what keeps you in ketosis. The…

I thought I would like the mac & cheese more than I do. :-( The prep is kind of labor-intensive (stir, nuke, sit, nuke, stir, sit) - and so far, I haven't gotten the water ratio right yet. Too little, and it doesn't cook well and clumps, too much, and the sauce is quite runny. If you're really craving pasta, it'll do, I…

Oh, it's so hard to choose. I think if I had to pick *only* one, it would be the brownie. It really doesn't taste 'diet' at all. If you need something sweet and chocolatey, the brownie's your man, ha ha. I don't know if I could eat it for every meal though, because it *is* so dessert-y. I actually like the foods that most…

Listen to these ladies! :-) You'll be just fine - just get back on plan, that's all. :-) What's the worst that could have happened, from one day of going off-plan? You *might* have knocked yourself out of ketosis, but there's a fix for that. It's called......starting again tomorrow (or, right this minute). Sure, it might…

This isn't perhaps the 'easiest' meal (although, it is for me, since my hubby does most of the prep, ha ha!), but I am finding that I looooove it. I have my hubby make a couple of steaks the night before - we can never, never remember to defrost meat for anything, and even if we try, it seems it's still frozen when we need…

I don't think the timing matters beyond trying to keep your blood sugar at a steady level - you don't want the wild dips and peaks you can get if you space them out too far (which also contribute to hunger). Sometimes you can't fit a meal in where you normally would - just eat it when you can, and move on. The other day, I…

Yeah, no sugar withdrawal! I hadn't even thought of that, but you're right! The couple of times that I really felt like I needed something 'sweet', I had a brownie or soft serve or pudding - took care of it. Wow. I am a sugar-holic, and giving it up before was pretty painful. This stuff isn't sugar-free, but I'm not…

I've had a couple of days so far where I did feel kind of full - where, if I didn't know that I needed to get in my 6th meal, I might have not eaten anything more. I don't know how you can be "full" on less than 800 calories, but there you have it. I always do eat all the meals, because I know I need the nutrition, but I'm…

That's a good question. 'Sauce' of any kind, really - I have some spaghetti squash at home, and should use it (though I used to prefer butter/salt on it anyway....) Does it just need to fit into one's 'carb limit' and take the place of some of the 'green'? At what ratios?

I just made the mango soft serve into 'cookies' using the recipe at http://www.sandyskitchenadventures.com/2011/09/soft-serve-cookies.html They were surprisingly not bad. They turn out more like thin slices of cake. And warm-n-chewy sounded much better tonight than cold-n-sloppy. :-) I think I'll spray the pan next time…

Oh, I understand! I need remedial cooking help too, LOL. So I often use recipes, even for the simplest things. I can never remember the instructions, it seems, because I'm using those parts of my brain for other things. :-) Here's one recipe I found - the basic process is, well, basic.…

Oh good - I think I will try adding straight hot water to a few things - it kind of doesn't make sense not to. What's the True Lime? That sounds like a nice fix for the mango (I'm not a huge fan of it, but it's passable). I've been using the coffee soft serve made as a shake, with some ice and a cup of brewed coffee for…

Thanks! I'll check out those websites. As for 'friending' - I'm still debating whether I want to do that or not. While I love chatting on the boards, I use the site mostly for tracking.....and it just feels weird to have anyone 'looking over my shoulder' when I do that. (Also, friending strangers just to bump up your…

Are you tossing your veggies in a little bit of oil first? That should help them crisp up, rather than get soggy. I've always done that, then used a glass baking dish in the oven, though a metal pan with edges should work well too. They may not be *technically* grilled, but they're 'roasted', which I see as essentially the…

I've only just started, but I think that three scrambled eggs, with 2c of chopped spinach leaves and 1/2 cup chopped peppers/mushrooms/maybe onion will be a go-to meal for me. But then, I love eggs. So nutritious, filling, and tasty! That meal at breakfast the other day kept me going for literally the entire day - the MF…

Oh, awesome veggie conversion chart! I had no idea that was out there. In a lot of ways, I like using volume measurements on MFP (for regular calorie-counting), not because it's accurate, but because it's easy - I can *picture* what a cup of something is, even if I didn't measure. But if I'm trying to make sure that my…

This is day 3 for me, and I haven't looked at the scale yet - go me! (ha ha.) I won't weigh in until day 8 - and I'm trying to lower my expectations....

I like simple oil and vinegar, with maybe a sprinkle of salt. But for store-bought, one of my favorites is Kraft's Mango Chipotle Vinaigrette. It's lightly sweet, but with a kick.

Good crock pot idea - how long would I cook something like that for? (I told you I have basically no kitchen skills, LOL.) Also, tomatoes are on-plan? For some reason, I thought they weren't.....need to go read again, apparently!

Ooh, three eggs = one lean. I think I just found one of my go-to meals. Add spinach and mushrooms, and I should be a happy camper. :-) Thank you!

Yep, I know I need to change some habits. But I also am realistic, and I know that it's not going to happen instantly, or perfectly right away. I need a few basic fall-back meals, so that there's less likelihood of me, in a moment of stress and exhaustion, going 'that's too freaking hard tonight, where's the bread and…

I would look to your water, too. I can't apply this directly to MF, yet (since I haven't scraped up the cash to start just yet), but I have done things like intermittent fasting (which I did find to work), and I know that it's totally possible to push off the 'hunger' and deal with it. I would a) drink more water, b) have…

Cost is an issue to a degree - I mean, I can't go grab a restaurant meal every night, ha ha. The other trouble is that I live in the relative boonies - my local grocery stores are the 'just the basics, ma'am' type...they aren't likely to stock pre-made salads. (And even so, what about the 'lean' part of that?) Pre-cooked…

Yeah, that's my only suggestion - make sure you're wearing a swimsuit designed for athletic activity, not just a 'fashion' suit with some support. The fabric isn't designed for the same kind of wear and tear. Also, never, ever put a swimsuit into the dryer - even machine washing can stress the fibers. (You didn't say you…

I had some decent success with Leslie Sansone. What I liked best about it is that it's not hard on my knees! When I tried 30DS, Jillian's moves could be murder on my knees. Also, I believe that the 3-mile-with-weights is the BEST of all her videos. I feel that it gives the best, most consistent workout, and the weights add…

Ha - well, I used to be, enough, anyway. It's been years, but I was in good shape when I tried to run, and it just never worked for me. Actually, my running was really quite slow. I could swim at a really good pace though (both my speed and endurance were good), and while I wasn't a fantastic cyclist, I would do the…

Not to hijack, but if I may ask - When 'learning to run' - what can I do about side stitches? That's what's always stopped me from running in the past - I get *terrible* side stitches. In high school, I decided that I was *going* to learn to run, signed up for the P.E. running class, and spent the summer working up to it -…

Yes - a squat is really more of a 'butt thrust', LOL! Also, lift your toes inside your shoes. This will put your weight further back, where it needs to be to keep your knees over your ankles, and not over your toes.

Kohls *bites* in jeans lately. I used to buy their Sonoma jeans, because for whatever reason, they fit - I'm wearing a pair now that's size 8 (though I'm probably more a 10), and they're the perfect amount of stretchy, so they don't cut into my still-very-flabby waist. But they're starting to wear out, so I went shopping…