Well since I have been doing the reward meal wrong I need some ideas of what you eat...thanks!

Kappini,
I didn't think your meals looked too bad except for the fact that they did not contain too much protein.

If I'm not mistaken, and I certainly could be, when protein is referred to it is meat, chicken, eggs, etc. not beans or milk. Your meals just look a little lacking in the protein unless you used enough of a cheese serving to acquire the balance.

That said, you really need to try to feel less frustrated with the process. It's not an exact science and you will have to find what works for you. I attempt balance and more times than not fall short, but the plan is working for me. I'm much too apt to be lured in by desserts which truly are not part of the balance of my meal. They are in addition, thus virtually throwing the balance a bit out of whack.

Have you gone to any of our journals for a peek at what we eat? If not, you can get to journals by clicking on the journal icon at the bottom of each post. Many of us post our meals. You are welcome to come to mine, but warning....I do not proclaim to be a poster gal for CAD. I just eat and enjoy and I have lost.

Deb

I've only been on this plan for a week after being on Atkins for a few months, so I'm not exactly an expert. However, I have been posting my daily meals for the past week. You are welcome to look at the last page of my journal where they are posted.

After being on Atkins I'm a bit burned out on salads right now but if I find myself eating too much at the RM I will defintely start my meals with a salad as the book suggests. Right now I think I'm doing okay. So I'm just making sure that my plate looks right. If I look at the plate in thirds I see 1/3 meat, 1/3 starch or carbs, and 1/3 low carb veggies. I'm finding that my dessert portion is getting smaller each night because my appetite seems to be shrinking along with my waist. I even eat in thirds. I take a bite of veggies, then my carbs, then protein, then back to veggies, etc. Otherwise I would eat my favorites first, of course that is carbs. I measure out what I eat out of curiosity, but its not required.

Although I'm not required to do this either, for me it feels better to just stick to protein only for my 2 CM rather than even trying to add any carbs at all. I found that when I eat protein only I forget about food between my meals, but even a little carbs in veggies I found myself checking the time a lot to see when I could eat again. So I'm going to stick to protein only because I like the freedom of not being focused on food all day. I eat my two CM whether I'm hungry or not because I believe, for me, I need that protein to keep my system from craving carbs. And I also think it stops me from being compulsive at my RM. I believe we all need to find our own balance and accept that we are all a bit different here and there. For now, this is working for me.

Thanks for all of your help! Once again I had a loss, so today I am in good spirits. But now I am starting to understand more, like why it is I am having major headaches and stomach problems. So tonight I will be better at being balanced. I am a bit nervous about eating today because I am a stress eater and there is no school today so my ds's are home and already fighting....I feeling like just crawling back in bed....by the way I am going to start a journal..but seriously..thank you for your help with my reward meals...I feel like a have a support system! Have a great day!

Try being a stress drinker....reach for your water instead of food. It'll keep your hands busy but contains no carbs. (smile) Have a great day.