I had a good meal yesterday -- not a combination I've tried before and it worked out very well! I had some chicken, green beans and a small helping (1/4 cup or maybe less?) of applesauce. Kept me going with great mental acuity and energy for several hours! :great:

Bren, are you still out there? It's kind of a drag just talking to myself...

Oh, and I finally made those dehydrated refried beans. They were definitely better than canned! They needed more salt and were too spicy for my tummy, but tastewise, I'd recommend them over canned any day...

Really! Better than canned. Wow! I'll have to "get me some of that."

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

Let me know if you find it! I'm curious if they are widely available or if they are just a "curiosity" from my neck of the woods!

A funny: There was a "recipe" for making the beans on the bulk bin -- it was 1.5 cups of dried beans to 2 cups water. I guessed at the 1.5 cups and figured I'd just fudge the water up or down as needed.

Guess what?

I measured out exactly 1.5 cups of beans!

I guess all this measuring for writing these cookbooks has had some "practical" benefit to my life after all!!!

I found another great breakfast -- you might even like this one Bren! (You could reduce fat it, if you would like the recipe, I'd be happy to share )

I couldn't find anything that sounded interesting and I still had that chunk of Havarti hanging around -- it hadn't worked well as a snack and that is primarily what I use cheese for, so it was just sitting there beginning to go the way of all cheeses....

I also had some leftover Rice-Aflower, eggs, etc., so I made a sort of cauliflower souflee (casserole) sort of thing! It was very yummy and kept me going for 4 hours strong. Besides that, it was yummy!

:great:

Sounds absolutely wonderful! Yup, I'd like it!

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

I sent it to the email I have for you on file

Here was a good bed time snack: cottage cheese, 1/2 apple and 5 or 6 peanuts.

I seem to have the biggest trouble with my evening snack. I KNOW I need it and it needs to be in the Zone, but wanting to eat right before bed just isn't there, yanno??

well....here I am
A couple of questions...
1. What else can I use for salad dressing besides oil and vinegar and how many blocks would it be?
2. I made some fat free ranch dressing with plain nf yogurt and ff mayo, with some hidden valley dry mix...is this going to be ok for dipping my veggies in? I have just recently started eating some raw veggies like broccoli and cauli which is a big step for me, I tell ya...LOL...so I would like to keep noshing on the raw veggies, but I gotta have some dip, still. Maybe someday I will get to the point I can nosh sans dip

anyway, I prolly will have more questions, but for now, I'm just zoning right along.

Thanks guys

Shell

__________________
~~~~
Shelley
~~~~

Visit Kassie's Korner



Life deserves a treat now and again, but life also deserves being healthy[with required disipline] to make it worth living!

Shell,

Welcome

I'm not a good one to answer this, but I can tell you how MY body works -- I don't "count" fat blocks. I've found them to be of no consequence, and I do badly with "fake fats" -- they can actually make me ill. That is why I morph WAP and the Zone.

But, to answer your questions as Zonily ( ) as I can, just check your labels. Ranch has XX grams of fat per tablespoon. You just figure that into your meal.

My ratios, when I'm in the Zone and doing fitday are like 40P : 20 or 30C : 40F roughly. Sometimes more fat, rarely more carbs than that.

I've also learned that if I want to do bread or the like, that I have to have a veggie with it or I have troubles. Sometimes apple pieces work, but a veggie is better.

I eyeball things, really. I have a hunk of meat, a couple of veggies or serving of veggie and fruit and make sure I have some fat somewhere in the meal. A great meal for me is some steak, 1/2 ear sweet corn with butter, salad with full fat dressing. I usually combine a higher GI veggie with a lower one. Sometimes I combine 2 lower GI ones, like green beans and salad, but I find I don't have as much "go" as I need. I especially need the fruit before bed. It really seems to work in conjunction with the whole adrenal thing we were talking about elsewhere.

This plan has a steep learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, even kids can do it! My kids understand that if they want something "carby" like, oh, say crackers, that they need some protein and fat with it.

HTH, and I'm sure Bren will pop in here too

Hey, Bren, I finally did that lentil soup: http://www.lowcarbeating.com/bb/show...253#post120253

It probably would have been a "better" meal with a glass of raw milk and some salad, but it worked as it was

Thanks Sharron for your input
I'm really trying to go by the book and the website; like you say, a very HIGH learning curve I poked around last night on the Zone site, and found some alternatives I might can use for salad dressing and dip. So far, so good; I got a little hungry in between breakfast and lunch, but I stuck it out this am at work, and ate lunch around 1230(had brekki at 0600) I hope our first really crazy day at work doesn't throw me for a loop with my new woe. Tomorrow may be my first *test*...LOL.
I also started omega 3's; I got the coromega orange gel like Bren mentioned in the other thread. I think I had more energy today!....woohoo!!!!


Shell

__________________
~~~~
Shelley
~~~~

Visit Kassie's Korner



Life deserves a treat now and again, but life also deserves being healthy[with required disipline] to make it worth living!

Hi Shel!! I've been away for a few days, and look what happens, a new Zone buddy!!!!

Shel, the zone probably has the highest learning curve of any plan, so don't get frustrated! It's perfectly ok to have questions and make mistakes. The nice thing is that when you learn the principles, you can make whatever adjustments you need to make, in order to feel at your optimum. Sharron has her own version, as do I. However, I orginally did the plan pretty much as written for the first year or three. At this point, I'd say I'm at about at an even split between carbs, protein, and fat--a 33/33/33 on average, LOL, but that can vary.

Nothing is "disallowed" but as we all know, some choices are better than others, as far as basic better nutrition. So as far as salad dressing goes, or any other food, for that matter, you look at the carbs, protein, and fat, and see how those totals work into your balance for the snack or meal.

It will be great having another Zone buddy here Sometimes I do get lonely out here in Zoneland and could use a little encouragement myself, ya know. After 6-1/2 years I occasionally get complacent (or defiant?) and it always has helped to have others around. I help myself most when I'm helping others and when I have someplace I can be accountable.

Welcome to the Zone. I hope it will change your life as much as it has changed mine :great:

Sharron, that lentil soup sounds great, especially since it has turned cold here!

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

Shell,

I'm not recommending you "tweak" anything just yet. I just wanted to let you know that this plan is actually highly "tweakable" :great:

I've actually tried to do the Zone 3 times before and always didn't make it. It wasn't until I learned a few of the things I mentioned to you already that I was able to succeed at finding my own Zone.

Remember, it is very important not to get hungry. That means either your lunch was too far away from your breakfast or that your breakfast wasn't in the Zone.

A good "snack" for me is 2 eggs cooked in lard/coconut oil and butter and about 5 grapes. It lasts me for about 2 hours. I need more protein in my snacks, and seem to need just a bit more than the "prescription" say I do. A really good breaky for me is eggs, bacon, leftover veggies from teh night before and a bit of apple (1/2 small) with peanut butter. See how my fat is higher than "recommended?" I'm not slathering anything on, but having "some" with whatever is appropriate.

Have fun! :fork: