Fitdayfreshstart: Thanks everyone for all of these great ideas. :D I'll be adding some of these to my diet.

Lately I've been eating quite a bit of plain Fat Free Greek Yogurt (around 3.50 at WalMart per pound) and add my own sweetener (splenda). I add a 1/4 c of it on top of sugar-free jello to really satisfy my sweet tooth and the whole snack is fat free, low carb and high protein. greek yogurt is creamier and richer than regular yogurt has around 27g of protein per cup. A little goes a long way and so I add it to my salad dressing for a tasty protein boost. If you're able to eat fruit (I can't yet-still in phase 1 of South Beach) you could cut some up in the plain with artificial sweetener to keep the carbs down or buy it their honey & various fruit flavors (but they do have more carbs/calories).

My fav before I found the Greek yogurt is to make a plate of a few nuts, a few ounces of fat-free or low-fat cheese, a few green olives and a bunch of celery wands. The protein in the nuts and cheese make the snack 'stick' to my ribs and the celery fills me up.

Roast Pork Loin is wonderful, I have a marinade I use: 1/2 c soy sauce and 1/2 cup lime juice with about 3 tbs ground cumin. Before I roast it I cut slits in the pork and stuff it with slivers of garlic. Totally delicious and with pork loin there is very little fat.

Thanks for the encouragement Shell. I'm feeling a little defeated tonight. I couldn't start my car, so I ended up leaving it in the parking lot and walking home from the drug store. This is a recurring problem I've been trying to ignore-some weird electronic wiring thing with the anti theft protection system. This has been an occaisional problem since May (about 1 x month until recently). If I can get it started tomorrow I'm driving straight to the dealership and trading it in.

Hi Desertmountain, Great snack ideas! I love greek yogurt too, it is so delicious and satisfying. Mandevil, The marinade sounds really good, I will try that next time. Sorry about your car, that is stressful, nothing worse that car problems!

I am feeling strong this week. Geesh I want to report a loss Friday! :)

I just made spaghetti squash and a meatless sauce loaded up with veggies, it was fantastic! 360 calories for a heaping plate of spaghetti!!

Mmm, that sounds GREAT WayneG! Need to put Spaghetti Squash on my grocery list, I love it!

Snack idea: Frozen grapes. My favorite are concord grapes, found a package in my freezer today that I had forgotten about!

Just wanted to share this link. I am sort of thinking along this line this time around. I may not lose weight as quickly as I originally had planned, but for now, eating healthy 'most' of the time helps me to shift into healthier eating habits. I like to think I eat healthy 90% of the time! :)

Is It OK to Eat Unhealthy Sometimes? - thatsfit.ca

Well, this is advice I give to clients who are getting their dogs to lose weight, but I think it applies to humans too. Treats are an important part of life, but you have to keep them in balance. Treats should make up less than 10% of your diet. If you eat more treats than that, you are either going to get fat or not get the nutrition you need.

Now I just need someone to feed me lol!

Hi all, thanks for posting all the tips for healthy food, I am loving it! I am finding it much easier as time goes on just to make the right choices, and especially easy during the work week when I have a good routine going. Weekends are a bit trickier, but still a hell of a lot healthier than they used to be! Friday weigh in is almost here already! :eek::D

Homemade Granola
 

Hi Everyone.

I made my own super healthy granola. Oats, ground flax seed, roasted soy nuts, pumpkin seeds (pepita), amaranth seeds, maple syrup, dried cranberries and dried blueberries. 1/2 cup =141 calories. I eat it with 1/4 c plain soy milk. Good start to the day!

I've been walking alot this week since my car died :( but I think I've finally got the new one lined up, loan from credit union. I should pick it up today. I ended up getting a Honda Insight- a hybrid that gets 40 miles/gal. My last chore is walkiing back to the pharmacy to meet the towing company for the donation of old car to charity. Hoping all this walking = increased weight loss.

Mary, Your granola sounds excellent! :) Well..that is one benefit to your car breaking down=more walking! lol I'm kidding, I know what a pain car troubles can be.

Lizzy, So true! This really is all about moderation for me. Making changes that I can live with forever, and in the process improve my health and lose weight.

Can't beleive tomorrow is Friday, time flies. Have not snuck on the scale this week. Will see where I am at tomorrow. I feel I had a successful week!!! :)

Walking challenge?
 

Hi Y'all,

Spring is definately coming and I want to look good in shorts and t-shirts. No more flab hanging over the waistband or flapping from my triceps. I'm adding extra weight to my workouts. Can't wait to get outside for walking, gardening, kayaking. This year thin is where I want to be. Who's up for hiking? Should we start a competition for the number of miles walked each week?

Currently I walking inside on my lunch hour, my friend gave me a pedometer. Anybody game?
__________________
Mary
Start Weight 185
Goal Weight 135-140