Farmers Cheese Pancakes

Here on "The Beach," as the South Beach Diet is known, breakfasts can be hard. Many people don't even EAT breakfast (which I have never understood), and then many people find giving up their bad carbs for breakfast one of the hardest parts of the program. Since starting almost four weeks ago, I have eaten an egg of some shape or form almost daily and I'm pretty "egged" out... and I'm an egg lover! Lucky for me I found some AWESOME South Beach recipes in the magazine "First for Women." This particular issue has Jenny McCarthy on the cover and I HIGHLY recommend picking it up the next time you're at the grocery store.

My wonderful husband makes these "pancakes" for me on the weekends, and I think they are GREAT! I had never had farmers cheese before, but you can find it with the other cheeses at the supermarket. It's kind of like a cross between cheddar and mozzarella, but softer like mozzarella. Instead of topping the "pancakes" with the remainder of the cheese like the recipe says, I put a tablespoon of Lite Cool Whip on top and roll it up with a piece of turkey bacon in the middle. Can you say YUM?! Makes me want one NOW! Try these if you are jonesing for a traditional pancake. You will be pleasantly surprised!

Farmers Cheese Pancakes
* 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 1 cup grated farmers cheese, divided
* 2 tsp. granulated sugar substitute

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, 2/3 cup farmers cheese and sugar substitute.
2. Lightly coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into skillet; cook 2 minutes, or until pancake is set and edges start to turn golden. Flip pancake and cook 1 minute more.
3. Transfer to oven proof platter; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat to make 8 pancakes. Top with remaining cheese.
Serves 4

Per serving: Calories: 206 Protein: 19g Carbs: 2g Fiber: 0g Sodium: 340mg Total fat: 12g Saturated fat: 5g

Week One Results

Okay, I was going to begin this post with some "before" pics, but time has gotten away from me and well... I guess that will just have to wait. Believe me, your eyes will thank you for this! LOL!

I have been on the South Beach diet for my 12th day now and am pretty pleased with my results. This is pretty much my "go-to" diet whenever I want to shed some weight. I have been pretty successful in the past, losing as much as 23 lbs on South Beach. My problem in keeping it off is when the stress comes, and let's face it... it ALWAYS comes, I reach for the Blue Bell instead of the dumbbells. :) During the first 2 weeks (Phase 1, as they call it), you cut out all sugar and most carbs. After week one I lost 6 lbs...yea! But sometime since Sunday I have gained a pound! It's time for my monthly, er, "visit," so I'm going to chalk it up to water weight.

I've been really good in sticking to the diet, but I've only exercised once (my new Jillian Michaels DVD "30 Day Shred"). I could barely walk the next day and was sore for over a WEEK! I've been meaning to get back to it, but of course LIFE happens (Anna had 4 seizures in the meantime and now the kids are out of school due to inclement weather) and I've not had the chance. This type of stuff is what has discouraged me in the past and I would just give up and drown my frustration in some chocolate chip cookie dough. This is where I hope to change that pattern of behavior. If I can't work out today... I'll just plan for tomorrow. And so on... :)

I was really hoping to beat my personal best of 8 lbs lost the in first two weeks, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I added a weight loss tracker to my blog this morning, trying all that I can for motivation. It hasn't been that bad, really... only the occasional "jonesing" for some bread. :) And I think I'm going to try to stay on Phase One through the entire month of January. The reason is two-fold, actually: For one, if I can DO it, why not opt for MAXIMUM weight loss right off the bat? And two, Chuck and I have been invited to attend a Mardi Gras ball on the 29th. I don't really want to feel like a sausage link in a formal, know what I'm sayin'?! So there it is: PROGRESS! Feels good. Rome wasn't built in a day, ya know. Maybe I should have named this blog "Baby Steps to Rome!" LOL! Until next time.....