What a gorgeous day it is! I feel like I should go outside and have a Julia Andrews "The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Music" moment. Twirl around and sing my lungs out. But it might scare the neighbors. So I won't. But it is really sunny and gorgeous out there!

Ok, so, time for some honesty. I have lost 35 pounds now. My friends, family, and acquaintances are starting to say things like, "You did such a great job getting your weight down!" and "You look great." When I say something about needing to lose another 20 pounds, they protest immediately and say, "No way! You look perfect right now! You don't need to lose any more!"

There is a part of me that wants so badly to believe them. My lazy-over-eating side wants to say, "Oh I don't? I look great now? Well! If everyone says so, I'll just settle into this weight then. After all, I throw on a pair of Spanks and I look like I'm a size 12. Pass the macaroni salad please!"

Then my newly trained THM brain takes over. Here is what my internal THM dialog sounds like:

• You need to just say "thank you" and say nothing about losing more. It invites the very polite responses, and it messes with your head.
• You are more than half way to your goal. 
• You are too close to give up now.
• This is NOT like all the other diets you've tried. This is a life style change. A long term commitment. 
• Giving up after eating off plan for one meal is like slashing three other tires because one is flat. 
• This is a marathon, not a sprint. You have come so far already, but think of crossing the finish line and it will keep you going.
• Your kids are seeing your healthy choices. Your kids are copying your healthy choices.
• Bacon. You can eat Bacon. Bacon makes you leap out of bed like a gazelle in the morning!
• Others are only seeing what I present to them. They cannot see the scales, or my BMI, or what I see when I step out of the shower. (Again, no need to scare people off!) 
• I want to be at a weight that I feel confident and healthy. I want to model that kind of body image and confidence to my daughter who will be into that soon enough. (8 years old)
• This. Works.

So friends... that was some brutal honestly for you! Some of you are doing amazing. You are 100% on plan and losing like crazy. Give yourself a huge pat on the back and keep it up! But some of you are stalled, or losing motivation, or finding that your head space is contaminated with negative internal dialog. To those ladies I ask: Are you ready to be brutally honest with yourself? What is it that you are not wanting to admit to yourself? What is holding you back from being 100% successful on this plan? If you can admit it, you can change it! 

So stick around! The next 20 pounds are comin' off! 

Your THM buddy,

Stacie

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Bread in a mug chicken,cheese and tomato sandwich

Bread in a mug made in a waffle maker, chicken, tomato, lettuce, mayo, Swiss cheese, Good girl moonshine.

S because:
1) there are less than 10g of carbs in this meal.
2) There are healthy fats in this meal.
3) I used non-starchy veggies on my sandwich and two slices of tomato.
4) my protein is my chicken.
5) Good girl moonshine is good with anything and keeps me satisfied!

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Gouda Omelet

S because:

1) There are less than 10g of carbs in this meal.

2) There are healthy fats.

3) Berries are the only acceptable fruit in an S setting.

4) My protein is from my eggs, bacon and cottage cheese.

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Cheesy Chicken Soup

S because:

1) There are less than 10g of carbs in this meal.

2)There are healthy fats in this meal.

3) I used nonstarchy veggies.

4) My protein is the chicken. 

Cheesy Chicken Soup

You will need about 1-2 cups of pre-cooked chicken for this recipe. 

Cut up one onion, 2 carrots, 3 stalks of celery. Add to a pot with 4 cups of water. Add one natural, no msg or weird ingredient chicken bouillon cube. Add salt and pepper to taste, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and a tsp of parsley. Boil and then simmer until veggies are tender. 

Use an immersible blender to blend until smooth. 

Add 1/4 cup of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded chicken. Stir until cheese melts. Enjoy!

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Egg white omelet with mushrooms, onions.

Egg white omelet with mushrooms, onions and spicy pepper medley, Ezekiel bread with lite laughing cow cheese and tomato.

E because:
1) there are less than 5 g of fat in this meal.
2) there are between 20 and 45 g of carbs in this meal.
3) My protein is my eggs. (Admittedly a very small amount of protein. I am out of turkey bacon!!!)
4) I used a small amount of tomatoes and onions, and some nonstarchy mushrooms.
5) I cooked the omelet in a spritz of olive oil.
6) I used only the egg whites. Whole eggs are saved for an S setting.

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Salad with bacon and egg. Raw veggies and dip.

 Salad with bacon and a hard boiled egg, raw veggies and ranch dip, berries, cheese, peanut butter fudge, green tea, water bottle.

S because:
1) There are less than 10 g of carbs in this meal.
2) There are fats, but that's ok in an S setting.
3) my protein is the egg and bacon.
4) I have lots of non starchy veggies.
5) I am trying to stay well hydrated. It helps my weight loss!!!!

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Spaghetti Squash Casserole

• S because:
  1) there are less than 10 g of carbs in this meal.
  2) there are healthy fats in this meal, which are great for you as long as they are not mixed with more than 10g of carbs. Add too many carbs, and this casserole will show up on your hips for sure!
  3) My protein source is the chicken breast in the casserole.
  4) GGMS (good girl moonshine) goes with anything and keeps you feeling full!!!

Spaghetti Squash Casserole with Grilled Chicken, Bacon and Garlic Cream Sauce

Ingredients

·         2 chicken breasts

·         6 slices bacon

·         salt and pepper or creole seasoning

·         3 tbsp. butter

·         4 cloves garlic, chopped

·         ½ onion , chopped
.      1/3 cup low fat cream cheese

·         1 egg

·         ¼ cup FF chicken broth

·         1/2 cup almond  milk

·         1 cup mozzarella cheese

·         1 spaghetti squash. ( I cook mine in the slow cooker for ½ to 1 hour then I split it and remove the seeds, put it back in the slow cooker until it is tender and pulls apart with a fork.)

1.    Preheat oven to 450.

2.    Line a small pan with parchment paper. Place bacon slices on parchment and cook for 10-15 minutes or until crispy.( Or you can use bacon bits for us drive thru Sue’s)

3.    Season and grill chicken. Set aside to cool.( I fried mine on the stove)

4.    For sauce:

5.    In a skillet, melt butter.

6.    Add garlic and onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes.( until onion is opaque)

7.    Add cream cheese and cook for 1 to 2 minutes stirring frequently.

8.    Add broth. Stir.

9.    Add almond milk slowly and stir.

10.  Salt and pepper to taste.

11.  Stir and cook for 2 more minutes over medium heat.

12.  Add chicken and bacon and slightly whipped egg to the spaghetti squash. Pour into a greased oven proof casserole dish.

13.  Top with shredded mozzarella.

14.  Bake at 375 for 20- 25 minutes.

Notes

I always like the cheese to be browned a little so I cook it under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes or until bubbly and brown.

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