Sandy,
I ate, (and still do) oatmeal almost every morn. It really helped. I love to cook, so I always thought I wouldn't be able to lose weight, but I've been able to continue to be creative in the kitchen by tweaking my previous recipes, some work, some don't. One thing I learned, if you want cream cheese that holds it's shape after blending or processing in the food processor, don't use fat-fee, opt for the low-fat!

Here's some more of what I do:

Here's the great pasta dish a friend made us. We now make it once a week or so!

GREAT PASTA FROM CLAIR
Buy the alouette (they sometimes sell a light version) soft cheese. You can find it in the specialty cheese area that is usually in front of the deli dept at grocery stores. They have a garlic and a spinach and I think one other. Boil some pasta. Sauté some mushrooms in Pam with whatever else you want or nothing else, ie, shrimp, chicken breasts cubed, onions chopped, chopped bell peppers. (This can be as involved or simple as you want, we often eat it using just mushrooms) Add some of the soft cheese, one friend adds the whole container, I count the fat grams so I add according to how many I want using the Total Fat number on the back of the package. I think the Light has 3 or 4 per 2 Tablespoon serving and the regular has 7. Thin with a little skim milk to the consistency you want. Stir til cheese melts and combine with cooked pasta. Yum!

MASHED TATER ENCHILADAS

Boil some taters, mash with 1/3 package fat free cream cheese and 1 can diced green chilies (or jalapenos) if desired. (You want kinda stiff mashed taters). Heat red or green enchilada sauce. Dip corn tortillas one at a time in warm sauce, roll some of the mashed taters up in them and place seam side down in a baking dish sprayed with Pam. Fill dish with enchiladas and pour remaining enchilada sauce over. Sprinkle some 2% cheddar shredded or a mixture of 2% cheddar and 2% monterary jack. (sold by Kraft). There are also some pre-shredded 2% cheeses out there. I stay away from the fat free cheese, it doesn't melt well and I find it rather disgusting anyway.Bake about 30 minutes at 350 or so until hot and bubbly. Serve with fat free sour cream and chopped onions. We really like the Knudson fat free sour cream, it also has a much longer shelf life than the other fat free ones, and is really nice and creamy.

We have french fries, I just cut baker taters into whatever shapes, sizes I want. Spray a heavy baking sheet with Pam, put the taters on in a single layer, lightly spray with Pam and bake 20 minutes on the bottom shelf of the oven preheated to 450. Turn, lightly spray again with Pam and bake an additional 20 minutes or until done. One of Oprah's previous lowfat cooks, Rosie, whips an egg white and mixes it with the taters before putting them on the baking sheet. It helps hold spices on if you want to sprinkle any salt or seasoning on them before baking.

WONDERFUL CHICKEN BREASTS

Take boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves. Place between two sheets waxed paper and pound thin, flattening evenly. (You can use a meat mallet using the flat side or a heavy skillet) Pour some egg substitute into a pie pan, in another pie pan (or on waxed paper) put some flour seasoned with salt and pepper and on yet another put some plain or Italian dry bread crumbs. (found in the baking section, top shelf). Put chicken in flour, coating both sides lightly, then into the egg substitute, then finally the bread crumbs, covering each side. Spray an oven proof skillet or heavy baking sheet with Pam and place chicken in it, spray top of chicken lightly with Pam. Bake in a preheated 450 oven on the bottom rack 5 minutes, then turn, spray again lightly and bake 5 additional minutes. You only need 10 minutes because you pounded it flat. You can serve with bbq sauce, gravy or whatever. I use this chicken for a base, placing them in a Pammed pan, top with heated lowfat spaghetti sauce (check the total fat, some have 0, some have 2 or more per serving), then with thin slices of part skim mozzarella . I put the pan in the oven just until the cheese melts. Serve with pasta and warm bread.

More later-Micha