Hi Tina! Do you own a crockpot? I LOVE to cook in my crockpot. Easy clean-up and no heating up an oven. I like to cook all types of meat because they cook up so tender and it's easy on my pouch. I do whole chickens with an onion inside and lots of seasoning or chicken breast with a jar of salsa for fajitas, just shred up the chicken when it's done and serve with low carb tortillas and whatever you like on your fajitas. You can also use left over chicken for chicken salad, soups, or add mustard and eat plain (one of my favorites!) I especially like to do roast with a can of stewed or diced tomatoes, and mushrooms. I use the left over to make a tomato beef soup with rice, tomato sauce, water, and whatever vegetables I want. I also do alot of the traditional pot roast with carrots and potatoes. Or you can do pork chops, roast or steak just seasoned or shredded with a bit of bbq sauce or whatever marinade you like. I also like to do spaghetti sauce, I use the no sugar added Hunts spaghetti sauce in the big can and add diced tomatoes, hamburger, and seasoning. If I have left over sauce I turn it into pasta e fagioli soup like at olive garden by adding more hamburger, water, carrot, pasta, red and white beans, and more tomao sauce if it needs it. I love to experiment with all types of soups usually using the meat left over from the last crockpot dinner. We also make lots of chili, navy bean soup with ham, calico beans w/ hamburger, etc. I couldn't live without my crockpot and the list of meals could go on forever. The best benefit for me is that the crockpot makes the meat so tender and I've never had any problem eating any meat I've ever cooked in it. Another benefit is that I throw it all in the crockpot in the morning and by evening it's done and ready to serve. Good luck! Julia

I love the Eddy's No Sugar Added Butter Pecan - it is delicious and tastes sinful as well. I have had trouble since surgery with not tolerating milk products so I just bought some over the counter laxtaid (not sure of the spelling) but you chew one at the time you are eating any dairy products and my problem has been solved. I too do not dump on sugar but was happy to learn that I could have a scope of this and feel normal again. Good luck.

Marianne - Don't beat yourself up! You are doing awesome! Our surgeries were one day apart and we have lost the exact same amount, 110 pounds! And I don't dump from sugar either. Actually I may post that question separately because I used to dump from sugar right after the surgery but then it stopped. Wonder if that happened to anyone else? Anyway, getting back to your question. The surgery is a tool which is helping us lose and then eventually my goal is to eat "normally" which will include an occasional small bowl of ice cream. Of course i said "small," not eating the whole pint which I would sometimes do before the surgery, LOL! But something to think about is whether the ice cream every night is interfering with reaching your goal? If not, I would say, have a small serving if that is making you happy. Several of my friends are doing some kind of French Women's diet. Not sure of the details but they are eating small amounts of great food and feeling very satisfied and losing. I personally would rather eat small amounts of something fabulous than alot of something that tastes like cardboard! Have you tried the sugar free Joseph's cookies? (http://www.josephslitecookies.com) I have a few every night after dinner, they are delicious. Or I have an Edy's SF popsicle or some SF FF jello pudding that I make with the Carb Countdown FF milk. I need a little something sweet at the end of the day, and then I don't eat after 8 pm. (Even thou I don't dump from sugar, I have the SF desserts because of the lower carbs.) Good luck! Hugs, Sandy (268/158/136)

Hi Tina! How're you feelin' sweetie? Lunches for me are something easy, usually chunks of meat (turkey, salami, low-sugar ham and cheese), sometimes a Lean Cuisine. Occasionally when I'm too lazy to pack a lunch I'll buy 2 oven roasted wings in our cafeteria with a small salad. You're in Florida and it's so hot so the less cooking you do the better you'll feel, right? How about nice salads? Keep bags of those ready to eat salads in the house and just throw in some other veggies, tomatoes, cukes, yellow and red peppers etc. and some protein like tuna or canned salmon or you could grill up a bunch of chicken breasts and then freeze them individually. I've been doing lots of salads and trying to have a variety. One night last week I did a greek salad with spinach, feta cheese, and cukes, red onion, etc. So good and quick/easy! Another easy dinner that we have often is omelettes! I cook whatever random veggies I happen to have in the fridge in a little olive oil first before I add the eggs and some cheese at the end. My whole family enjoys breakfast for dinner for a change and it's packed with protein and also quick/easy! Good luck, hope this helps! Hugs, Sandy (268/158/136)

I'm bored with cooking also, but have been in this mode for about 9 months (hubby had surgery in August 2004, and I followed in Septebmer 2004). Since then, I've hardly cooked. I am also fortunate that my children are older and, in fact, only one lives with me yet. She's independent (19) and does her own thing most of the time, so I don't ever have to worry about her for dinner. My hubby and I shop together and buy things that are high in protein and can easily be made in a toaster oven. One of our favorites is scallops wrapped in bacon. We also eat chili a lot (as do others, I'm sure). We know all the spots with the good chili, and we also make it at home. We also keep lots of cheese and lean lunch meat in the house. And don't forget the shrimp and crab. The next time you're at the grocery store, really browse those ready-made items. You can find great sources of protein out there in things you never imagined.