That's what I've been doing, lately. Altering the low-carb recipes that I've fallen in love with. And do you know what? I still love them. I've done away with some of the fat so that, once P4 arrives, I can still enjoy them along with the higher carb content I'll be incorporating (but, not much higher if I can help it). Besides, I also want to save my arteries too. Pumping all that fat and cheese through has got to be tough work for my wee little heart. (The picture to the right is of the original recipe. I didn't take a new picture of the lower-fat version. It looks more golden brown and less white-cheese filled).

Today, I made our beloved Cheesy Enchilada Bake (this family is all about that dish). The chicken I sauteed earlier in the day to save time. Consequently, I missed eating lunch because of it. Bummer. Not good. Won't happen again.

Anyway, I used neufchatel instead of cream cheese and half the amount of whipping cream. That made a huge difference and I think that I will nix the cream all together, next time. I can't seem to find a reason to keep it, what with the cream cheese and cheddar already thickening things up. I'll also try cutting the chicken into tinier pieces because my youngest was struggling with her fork, poor thing.

Here's what I had today (all two meals):

July 12th, 2010

Calorie goal: 959; calories consumed: 627; calories burned: 0 Net calories: 627 Write in your diary: How do you feel today?

Mood:	- choose - Hungry Full Guilty Tempted Motivated Frustrated Content Okay Tired Hyper Excited Relieved Hungover Stressed Anxious Happy Pleased Sad Sick Healthy Good Proud
Notes:	Today, I feel...
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Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
3 Egg Whites	1.00	57	0g	0mg	165mg	1g	0g	0g	12g
Louis Rich Turkey Bacon	3.00	105	8g	45mg	540mg	0g	0g	0g	6g
1/3 Fat Oopsie Roll	1.00	70	5g	0mg	0mg	3g	0g	0g	5g
Folgers Classic Decaf Instant Coffee 8 oz	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Meadow Gold Half & Half	0.50	18	2g	8mg	8mg	1g	1g	0g	1g
Enchantress's Creamy Chicken Enchiladas - Low Carb	1.00	377	28g	147mg	327mg	4g	1g	1g	26g
Totals:		627	42g	199mg	1,039mg	8g	1g	1g	50g

Today is my sister's 26th birthday. She's been on a plan my hubby put her on for the past few months (non-hcg). She has lost 46 pounds and looks pretty fantastic. I think she's probably celebrating her birthday well, today.

I was 141.4lbs this morning (just barely under the naughty line).

I kind of knew it was coming, after I saw yesterday's salt intake. I should have had a double salmon order at Red Lobster rather than the crab legs. They have so much salt that it just blows my mind! Crab legs need to be saved for days when the salt intake is low, or one plans on drinking buckets and buckets of water.

It's all good, though. I just ate my steak and apple and will drink some coffee and tea before bed.

July 11th, 2010

Calorie goal: 965; calories consumed: 490; calories burned: 0 Net calories: 490 Write in your diary: How do you feel today?

Mood:	- choose - Hungry Full Guilty Tempted Motivated Frustrated Content Okay Tired Hyper Excited Relieved Hungover Stressed Anxious Happy Pleased Sad Sick Healthy Good Proud
Notes:	Today, I feel...
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Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Sirloin Steak--i.e. Petite Sirloin	1.50	255	9g	113mg	83mg	0g	0g	0g	39g
Guacamole	2.00	120	5g	0mg	260mg	12g	0g	0g	3g
Golden Delicious Apple	1.00	80	0g	0mg	0mg	22g	17g	5g	0g
Folgers Classic Decaf Instant Coffee 8 oz	2.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Meadow Gold Half & Half	0.50	18	2g	8mg	8mg	1g	1g	0g	1g
Stash Vanilla Chai Tea	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Meadow Gold Half & Half	0.50	18	2g	8mg	8mg	1g	1g	0g	1g
Totals:		490	17g	128mg	358mg	35g	18g	5g	43g

My weight was 142.2lbs (just like my last steak day). Oops! I forgot to add my two, 7.1 ounce sugar-free slurpees from 7-Eleven. It's 7-Eleven day! Go pick one up and enjoy!

(A fun video a friend sent to me. So sweet! http://www.flixxy.com/dog-loves-cat.htm)

Today was my sister's swim "party" at the local amusement pool (it boasts two pools and one that simulates waves every fifteen minutes). We had a good time and I was doing major swimmer legs, the most exercise I've had since round one's phase four. It felt great to be in the water and it makes me that much more anxious for our trip to at the end of the month.

After the the swim, we went to Red Lobster for dinner. I had the garden salad with ranch dressing (I removed all the carrots and croutons, even though this is not reflected below in the totals), the wood-grilled salmon and the snow-crab leg cluster. I had unsweetened tea to which I added Stevia. Oh, so good. When the bill came, I tried to help my mother pay to which she quickly dismissed me. What a gal! I'll be buying breakfast for us all in the morning to try and return her generosity.

Here's what else I had today:

July 10th, 2010

Calorie goal: 965; calories consumed: 1,511; calories burned: 0 Net calories: 1,511 Write in your diary: How do you feel today?

Mood:	- choose - Hungry Full Guilty Tempted Motivated Frustrated Content Okay Tired Hyper Excited Relieved Hungover Stressed Anxious Happy Pleased Sad Sick Healthy Good Proud
Notes:	Today, I feel...
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Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Louis Rich Turkey Bacon	3.00	105	8g	45mg	540mg	0g	0g	0g	6g
3 Egg Whites	1.00	57	0g	0mg	165mg	1g	0g	0g	12g
1/3 Fat Oopsie Roll	1.00	70	5g	0mg	0mg	3g	0g	0g	5g
Enchantress's Taco Bake (low in carbs)	1.50	423	28g	258mg	675mg	6g	1g	0g	37g
Guacamole	2.00	120	5g	0mg	260mg	12g	0g	0g	3g
Folgers Classic Decaf Instant Coffee 8 oz	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Half & Half	0.50	20	2g	8mg	15mg	0g	1g	0g	0g
Stash Vanilla Chai Tea	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Half & Half	0.50	20	2g	8mg	15mg	0g	1g	0g	0g
Red Lobster Garden Salad W/ Ranch	1.00	200	14g	0mg	315mg	14g	0g	0g	0g
Red Lobster Broccoli (3 oz.)	1.00	24	0g	0mg	10mg	5g	1g	3g	3g
Red Lobster Wood-grilled Fresh Salmon	1.00	210	9g	0mg	235mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Red Lobster Snow Crab Legs	1.00	262	5g	130mg	1,630mg	1g	0g	0g	33g
Totals:		1,511	76g	448mg	3,860mg	42g	4g	3g	99g

No change. Still 140.8lbs.

Without meaning to, I had more salt today then I should have. I am glad to report that I really wasn't hungry at all. Every meal I ate was very satisfying and so good. Tonight, I tried a new recipe and it turned out to be pretty good. I would have liked to have added the additional meats but, putting in sausage would have been risking a lot. Perhaps I'll try it again with sausage during P4. Corn syrup rules all sausage production, unfortunately and cured meat like ham is a no-no.

Tomorrow, we'll be going to the pool for my sister's birthday. I still have this blasted cough that just won't die so, I won't be getting my head wet (just the rest of me). It should be fun but I'm not looking forward to the crowds and crowds of people. We're headed to Red Lobster after wards for her birthday dinner and I think I'll be sampling their salmon or crabs. Yum!

July 9th, 2010 Calorie goal: 965; calories consumed: 1,071; calories burned: 0 Net calories: 1,071 Write in your diary: How do you feel today?

Mood:	- choose - Hungry Full Guilty Tempted Motivated Frustrated Content Okay Tired Hyper Excited Relieved Hungover Stressed Anxious Happy Pleased Sad Sick Healthy Good Proud
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Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Louis Rich Turkey Bacon	5.00	175	13g	75mg	900mg	0g	0g	0g	10g
3 Egg Whites	1.00	57	0g	0mg	165mg	1g	0g	0g	12g
Folgers Classic Decaf Instant Coffee 8 oz	2.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Half & Half	1.00	40	3g	15mg	30mg	0g	1g	0g	0g
Golden Delicious Apple	1.00	80	0g	0mg	0mg	22g	17g	5g	0g
Enchantress's Taco Bake (low in carbs)	1.50	423	28g	258mg	675mg	6g	1g	0g	37g
1/3 Fat Oopsie Roll	1.00	70	5g	0mg	0mg	3g	0g	0g	5g
Enchantress's Chicken Jambalaya (Low carb)	1.00	88	3g	22mg	302mg	6g	3g	2g	10g
Guacamole	1.00	60	2g	0mg	130mg	6g	0g	0g	1g
Sazerac Taaka Platinum Vodka	1.00	78	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Totals:		1,071	53g	370mg	2,201mg	44g	22g	7g	76g

I had just a slight increase today. I came in at 140.8lbs. What's crazy is the scale was on our bedroom carpet because hubby mopped all the floors, yesterday. When I put it on the floor for the first time and weighed, it displayed 144.2 pounds. I was mortified! I was sure I'd have to do another steak day (and couldn't understand why). So then, after brushing my teeth, I tried again and got the "true" weight. I remembered what a poster on the message boards said about moving your scale or what the numbers will display, based on who's weighed on it last. I'm sure that's what was going on since, after getting the "good" number, I weighed three more times and received the same results. High protein definitely works.

I was down 1.6lbs today. Woohoo! Kind of wondering what tomorrow will bring, since I've been eating very well today. Hooray for taco bake! Everyone in the house was happy, my eldest getting seconds and asking for thirds was a nice compliment. I altered the recipe to a lower-fat version (although, I'm not watching my fat). I figure it's important to think about some of those aspects even now.

So, here's what I had:

July 8th, 2010

Calorie goal: 965; calories consumed: 1,175; calories burned: 0 Net calories: 1,175 Write in your diary: How do you feel today?

Mood:	- choose - Hungry Full Guilty Tempted Motivated Frustrated Content Okay Tired Hyper Excited Relieved Hungover Stressed Anxious Happy Pleased Sad Sick Healthy Good Proud
Notes:	Today, I feel...
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Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
1/3 Fat Oopsie Roll	3.00	210	15g	0mg	0mg	9g	0g	0g	15g
Sirloin Steak--i.e. Petite Sirloin	0.50	85	3g	38mg	28mg	0g	0g	0g	13g
Bigelow Green Tea	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Dottie's Green Bean Casserole	1.00	111	8g	23mg	480mg	6g	1g	2g	4g
Helen's Potato Salad (cauliflower)	1.00	127	11g	5mg	356mg	5g	0g	1g	3g
Enchantress's Taco Bake (low in carbs)	2.00	564	37g	345mg	900mg	8g	2g	0g	50g
Sazerac Taaka Platinum Vodka	1.00	78	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Totals:		1,175	74g	410mg	1,763mg	28g	3g	3g	85g

I was 140.6 pounds this morning