**November Zone check in**

[Shelleyg]

Bren,
Actually those pancakes I posted about were pretty tasty
You are supposed to blenderize the oats first(til it's oat flour), then whirl the cottage cheese, and egg beaters and add the vanilla, sweetner to taste and cinnamon and fry 'em up. Makes 2 nice size pancakes for 2P and 2C blocks; just add your fat and you're good to go. I will make them again The hot cinnamon apples on top was the crowning touch...LOL. I may try adding just a little touch of baking powder next time and see if the will rise a little more.

Unpacking your living room???...did you move???...or do I remember something about you were installing new flooring? We had a hard wood floor installed in our dinning room in September; I love it!!! Just breeze over it with my little swiffer dust mop thingie, and it's done The older I get, the more I'm into *low maintence*...from floors to haircuts

We are going to our favorite Mexican food restaurant tonight. Hopefully, I will get my portions right using the *eyeball* method...wish me luck!

Shell

[BC]

Yum, Shell, that is a good recipe. When you have a minute (LOL) you can post it in the Zone recipes above. I never post anything there, because you know me, I can't cook!!

You know, when I do Mexican (and I do love it), I just steer clear of the shells and wraps, the rice, and usually most of the beans. A taco or fajita salad always works, too. Love chicken enchilada soup, fajitas with an extra helping of the grilled veggies, hold the wrappers, etc. If I can keep my paws off the tostado chips, I'm home free!!!

Yes, we are putting in wood flooring, Shell. DH and I just finished the living room , dining room, foyer, and most of the hall. I'm trying to get that back together before we proceed further. You are so right, it is just wonderful!!! And I think really adds such a warm touch--I'm actually starting to like my house again. Oh love that Swiffer. And I just got the new Swiffer Vac. WOWOWOWOW. Do I really love that!!!!

[Shelleyg]

Well,
I ended up with the fajita salad with my own ff catalina dressing. It was very "meaty", so I may have had to much protein after adding in the cheese I didn't eat any of the shell it was in(a pretty tempting thing, I might add), and opted for 8 chips with salsa. I dipped the tines of my fork in the sour cream a few times with a bite of salad just for that wonderful taste sensation I think all in all, I probably stayed close to my 4 block dinner?...maybe 1P over. Went over the top on the water for the day...96oz...glug....glug.
I am striving to stay in the zone all day today. I'm off to work :o

Shelley

[BC]

I think you did great, Shelley. If I'm going to overdo it anywhere, I pick protein, too.

[Shelleyg]

Well, I'm bummed! Did a little *sneak peek* mid week weight check, and I'm up 2 lbs!
I don't know why; I've been cheat free and keeping track of every zone block I eat.
It's so discouraging. This is how it usually goes with me; lose well in the beginning, and then totally stop, or worse yet, start gaining it back :(
Well, I'm just going to stay the course here; and one way or the other get this to work.
My numbers have been around 33-35-32-ish for fat, carb, pro, respectively, and around 1350-1450 on the calories.
Also, been good on the water at 80-96 oz a day.
I'm puzzled.

Shelley

[Shelleyg]

I think I went to long between breakfast and lunch today :( After lunch, it seemed I was hungry all afternoon. I made the Zone taco soup recipe last night, except I didn't have any black beans to put in it, so it was beanless...LOL. Nonetheless, tasty I thought. I had leftover soup for lunch today, which was a 4 block lunch instead of 3, so why I was hungry I don't know.
Anyway, I continue to pass up the cookies and candy at work...cool, eh?
So i'm hoping yesterday's little set back won't be around long

Thank the Lord tomorrow is Friday; this week has been a beating. The OR schedule has been crazy and some of the patients and/or their families have been totally off the wall...heh. Repeat after me...next week will be better...next week will be better...hehe.

Shelley

[BC]

Shell, it's not a weight race, hon! First, it takes some time to determine how to stay in your personal Zone "most" of the time, or as much as life allows. Then, weight loss for Zoners is very known to be slower than other LC plans, but generally fairly steady.

Taking a "sneak peak" in the Zone is really going to tell you more about how much salt you had yesterday, or the state of your bowels, than what's happening with your fat cells, ya know??? IMO, that's an "old" mindset that perhaps isn't to your advantage?

Hugs and hang in there!!!! Heck it took me a few weeks just to figure out what the heck blocks really were in the first place. You are doing fine!!!

[Shelleyg]

Thanks, Bren
I am probably more in a hurry to lose this weight than I should be. I also know patience is a virtue; sometimes I am *virtue-less*...LOL. I would be thrilled with a slow but steady loss at this point. It does shake one's confidence in what they are doing when the scales go the wrong way, ya know?
And, yep, you are sure right about that old mind set and I should not be so obsessive with the darn things(scales that is). I had told myself I would only weigh once a week, so I need to enforce my own rules here

Anyway, I am feeling pretty comfortable with the zone blocks at this point.
Doing good on the water also, so I guess I just need to chill out, relax and let my bod do it's thing

TGIF...in more ways than one..LOL

By the way, Sharron, where are you, girley???

Shell

[Shelleyg]

I did some *zone*cooking today I made the pumpkin custard cups; they are a 1 block snack. Then for dinner, I tweaked the chicken cannelloni recipe and served it over zucchini noodles with a side salad....yummers. I will end up with 13 blocks today if I do my night time snack :(
I plan on cooking up some things tomorrow for the work week...haven't a clue what it will be at this point

Shell

[BC]

Yum, sounds good, Shelley!!! I've love any recipes you've found that work well for you. I'm not creative in that way and tend to do rather plain meals.

[Shelleyg]

Bren,
I'm sure you've probably seen this section of the zone site, but this is the main *cookbook* page. Both of the recipes I made yesterday, I found here...I almost always end up *tweaking* a little...just can't help myself...LOL.

http://www.zoneperfect.com/Site/cont...ook_search.asp

I have some Atkins corn muffin mix in my freezer; I'm going to check the label and see how many blocks a serving would be, and if possible, I might use it for the dressing for Thanksgiving. Cooking for 2 can be a bit difficult if you don't want a ton of leftovers or off plan temptations I have the turkey part figured out; I am going to get the turkey breast cutlets and just bake them with a little sage, salt and pepper. Then add some green beans, and the zone pumpkin *pie*, and I will be a happy camper.
Anyway...I'm feeling good about making this holiday dinner and not *blowing* it to high heavens...heh.

I'm also pleased to announce, the 2 pounds I found at the middle of the week sneak peek are gone, and they took another half pound with them!
Yipeeee skipeeee

Still no Sharron??? Where is that girl????

Shell

Sorry, ladies, I've been mia. I'll probably be that a lot more lately...

I had some s/f dessert that a friend graciously brought to B. Study on Thursday. Ack! Bloated 5 pounds the next morning

Then I started on a medication that the Dr. wanted me to try for pain on Friday. Oh my goodness -- I was not "in the Zone" all day -- I don't even know if I was on earth By bedtime I was feeling better, though still grumpy! Needless to say, I won't be taking that again!!!!

I'll tell you about my dinner -- I really think it was in the Zone .

I made Ecuadorian shrimp soup with popcorn for appetizer. It is a simple dish: just chicken broth with some shrimp thrown in and some fresh (or dried) parsley and the teensiest bit of chili/chipotle powder. Garnish with popcorn. I had about 1.5 cups of popcorn on the side. Then dinner was 1/2 Octoberfest sausage (they were big!), salad and a couple of baby carrots with ranch. Raw milk to drink. It was about 5 blocks, all together. I was feeling pretty good before bed, so I think it was a good choice, that plus the fact I'm down a pound this morning

I'll try to check in more often. I was getting notifications, then stopped getting them. Now I see that you started a new thread! Silly me :cook:

I seriously waited too long to eat this morning. I hope it doesn't mess me up all day!

Have a happy day!!!

[Shelleyg]

Hey, Girley!
Glad you dropped in...I was missin' ya! Sorry the medicine didn't work for you :( I can sure identify with that *medicine head* feeling..ackkkk!
The soup sounds yummy....and I have some shrimp in my freezer.....<light coming on here>
Well, guess I'm off soon to the hfs for some organic oats, vanilla, and whatever else jumps in my shopping cart...LOL.
Have a good day

Shell

[Shelleyg]

Well,
I went to the hfs today and got some things...organic oats and was going to get some vanilla, but EGADS.....I really couldn't make myself pay over $8.00 for a 2 oz bottle of organic pure vanilla extract. I may at some point, after I recover from *sticker shock*...LOL.
I did, however score some Zone perfect protein powder. Soooooo, this is going to be breakfast(going to try a 2 block brekki): 2/3 cup organic oatmeal, 2 scoops of protein powder and 1tsp natural pnb. The other serving is the same except I'm changing the fat to some smart balance with some cinnamon and stevia. Just in case you ever have to, making the oatmeal the night before(I make several servings at a time), and putting it in separate tupperware bowls in the fridge works just fine. Pop it in the MW and it tastes fresh cooked Anyway...a little tidbit of info you may find useful, or useless...hehe.
I think I was in the zone pretty much today; felt good, had lots of energy, didn't really get hungry til right before dinner. DH and I went on our dinner date to Red Lobster.
I had the broiled salmon with fresh steamed and seasoned broccoli, and a salad.
Had some sf jello when I got home.
Night time snack will probably be half an apple, some natural pnb and 1oz of deli turkey breast.
I'm off to get ready for "Desperate Housewives"

Shell

[Shelleyg]

Hey, Bren...where are ya??...LOL....just got Sharron back in here with us, now you go AWOL hehe.
Today was pretty good. I did get a little hungry between breakfast and lunch, despite having a 1 block snack :( don't know where it came from, unless the protein powder is not as substantial as the real deal of 2 oz of ham for brekki. Looking at my food journal just now though, I had breakfast at 0615; snack at 0930; then lunch at 1145, so I guess that was about right, eh?
The rest of the day has been good I think, and I've gulped down right at 80 oz of h2o.
Got to go get my lunch stuff ready for work tomorrow...I'm thinking a tuna salad whole wheat pita pocket might do the trick, and build on it from there
I'm off......and not just mentally ...I knew what you were thinking...LOL
Shell