Maintainers May Goal Challenge..Anyone? - Page 2

BellaHMB · 05-09-2008, 09:03 AM

Laurie,
I found that it was with alcohol that over time I put on quite a bit of weight. It wasn't until I stopped that I could lose all the way....so I wonder if your couple glasses a night have contributed to your gain? I stopped entirely in Jan 07 and it was a great decision!

Bella

LaurieRobo · 05-09-2008, 09:19 AM

Bella,

I hear you and that is why I am looking at it... While I was losing I didn't drink at all or maybe a glass once and a while... but I really like the taste of wine but it was just more the bad habit... so my decision to cut back is that if i CHOSE to have a glass it will be a GOOD glass of wine, not mediocre crap and I will fully enjoy it IE style without guilt.

I know the gain is from working out HARD and that is a good gain and I look better now than I did at a lesser weight. Honestly I was feeling like I was overtraining. I enjoy working out but extreme there isn't good either.

My goals are more HEALTH driven and getting rid of the final CRAP that I don't need.

There is a balance... I just haven't found it yet!

JuliaL · 05-11-2008, 06:50 AM

Good morning Maintainers - Happy Mother's Day!

I'm so happy to see so many people posting on this thread. The maintenance threads have been kind of slow in the past so maybe we can kick it up a notch and keep each other motivated!

I'm back from a week's vacation and happy to report that I only gained 1 lb. That's huge considering I drank wine every night and ate off plan several times during the week. We also got lots of exercise though - bike riding and walking every day, so I know that helped.

Christin - wow, a cake decorating and dessert business! That's awesome, but I'm sure it is difficult. I probably should know this because I've read your blog and a lot of your posts, but have you had your thyroid checked?

Laurie - your plan sounds like a good one. I can't drink every night and lose weight, so a long time ago I decided to do exactly what you're doing and cut back to one or two nights a week. It's helped me a lot. I also think aspertame stalls me, so I don't touch the stuff. Awesome job gaining 11 lbs. of lean muscle!

Have a great day everyone!

LoraJR72 · 05-11-2008, 06:53 AM

I decided to quit the belly-aching, the feeling sorry for myself attitude and to simply do my thing and have fun. I have a month to go for my trip and I want to look great!

I hope everyone else is doing great!

Ailuros · 05-11-2008, 07:32 AM

Happy Mothers Day to the Americans - we had ours in March

.

I've been a bit lax with my exercise for the last few days, so doing that is going to be my plan for this afternoon - I just need to wait a little while to digest my lunch first (well, that's my excuse for being on the computer instead of the mat

).

LaurieRobo · 05-11-2008, 08:27 AM

Julia welcome back!!! Thanks... I've worked my butt off to get there!!!

Happy Mom's Day to all you Moms!

Goals met this week...

Only worked out Tues and Thurs w/ Personal Trainer and Sat & Sunday T-Tapp... Tomorrow is another planned day off! I WILL take 2 days off a week if it kills me...

Was going to have a glass of wine last night with dinner but Jim wanted a beer so I didn't bother opening a bottle

-

IE going well... berries (strawberries & blueberries) and yogurt have been the kick of the week with yogurt - YUM...

I went to step on the scale this am... battery dead - LOL oh well! Knowing me it should take me months to remember to buy a battery!

Off to the Pawtucket Red Sox with the Boys this afternoon (hey I thought it was mothers day) and out to dinner - not sure where!

Have a great day everyone!!!!!

LaurieRobo · 05-11-2008, 08:30 AM

oh yeah...forgot... The house and desk at work are Aspartame free... even gum. I picked up some SF aspartame free and Whole Foods yesterday.

I also picked up some fresh ground almond butter... portion control for sure... it is like candy from the spoon

another one down!!!

BellaHMB · 05-11-2008, 09:47 AM

Laurie great choices! I have a jar of almond butter in the bottom of the fridge and I eat one serving per day. It takes me 12-14 days to eat the contents and I even mark the days on the calendar to keep myself in check. I hope eventually that I can internally know how much is too much rather than counting, but for now it allows me to eat something I love!

Bella

Ailuros · 05-11-2008, 10:30 AM

I always have a jar of almond butter around, too. I love it, though I don't find I have problems with portion control. I was distressed when my local shop switched brands recently, but I've adjusted to the new one now - it's a bit more chunky, and I quite liked the smooth texture of the other one, but the oil doesn't separate out so much with the new brand, and now I'm used to it I quite like the crunch.

LaurieRobo · 05-11-2008, 05:22 PM

I always have almond butter too.. Usually a jar of TJ's and I only eat it occasionally... I will NEVER buy anything but fresh ground again! There is a huge difference even thought the TJ's brand is good just can't compare it to the one I bought at Whole Foods (and $$ for)... It was a whim purchase because I was hungry - but it was sooo worth it... Hey I haven't even had any today LOL---- the day isn't over yet!

TaDa! · 05-12-2008, 09:53 AM

Is the almond butter as addictive as peanut butter?! If not, then it might be a good thing for me to try too!!!

Julia - Wow!!! Way to go on your trip!! Only a 1 lb gain is fantastic!!!!! You must be happy!!

Something weird guys ... I had decided that I could easily cut back my saturated fat to recommended levels since I eat as a vegetarian + fish .. not that I do not believe Dr. A or anything, but to just hedge my bets .. so I found Smart Balance (to replace my liberal use of butter, lol!) with 0 transfats, and seemed to have good stuff in it - flax oil, etc that I already eat ... WELL!!! Every day I ate foods with the smart balance in it, I gained like a half pound a day!!!

I had not even treated it like a carb ladder add-in or anything, cause I figured, fat is fat, what difference could it make ... what a shocker!!! I whooshed down a pound and a half this morning after finally deciding to ditch the muffins I had made with the smart balance and make a batch the old way with butter ...

Totally weird, huh??!!

I have a bunch of "stalling" foods - that are fine on Maintenance, but only a handful of foods like the smart balance which actually must cause me to retain water (maybe an allergy of sorts?):

smart balance
lentils
sweet potato

Weirdly I can eat other foods from those ladder rungs and lose or maintain, but not these specific foods ... bizarre, huh? Thought I'd mention it.

BellaHMB · 05-12-2008, 10:35 AM

Laurie,
I agree about TJ's almond butter- its "OK" but not great. I bought a jar at the local
store and it was $12 but SO much better. Much thicker and not as much oil.
I do find it addictive but it is so thick that I can have a small spoonful on my flax muffin
and that is enough. Also my agreement with myself re how long I have to keep it in the fridge before opening the next (2 weeks) helps me moderate myself.

Bella

JuliaL · 05-12-2008, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaDa!

Something weird guys ... I had decided that I could easily cut back my saturated fat to recommended levels since I eat as a vegetarian + fish .. not that I do not believe Dr. A or anything, but to just hedge my bets .. so I found Smart Balance (to replace my liberal use of butter, lol!) with 0 transfats, and seemed to have good stuff in it - flax oil, etc that I already eat ... WELL!!! Every day I ate foods with the smart balance in it, I gained like a half pound a day!!!

TaDa - the second ingredient of that stuff is soybean oil. Are you hypothyroid? Soy products stall me big time due to my slow thyroid. When I quit eating soy I lost 7 lbs. in two weeks without changing anything else.

Soy blocks absorption of thyroid hormone, so if you have hypo the soy will only make it worse. Just a thought.

Ailuros · 05-12-2008, 12:45 PM

I thought the effect on thyroid was just from soy protein, not the oil? I don't eat either, so I don't worry too much about the details, but that was what I thought I'd read.

JuliaL · 05-12-2008, 02:03 PM

I'm not really an expert, but I thought the only safe soy to consume was fermented soy, like soy sauce. The Smart Balance also contains soy lecithin(sp?), which I know is bad.

Ailuros · 05-12-2008, 02:05 PM

I think the problems with soy oil are more to do with excess omega 6, and the way it's processed - so it's still not a great thing to eat, but for different reasons.

TaDa! · 05-12-2008, 03:47 PM

Thanks so much Julia

Thank God ... my thyroid is normal so far! yah, the weird thing is that I eat soy daily, but it is tofu or veggieburgers, not soybean oil. I also eat a LOT of ground flax daily - like 1/2 cup and take flax oil ... that is what mystified me .. maybe it is the overall quantity of Omega 6 like you mention Ailuros..

Thankfully, I am quite happy with butter .. heh heh I actually like it much better! I just never imagined that a different form of fat would affect me so so much!! Maybe it's some weird processed chemical in it or something ..

I was just so surprised that I thought I'd mention it in case it might help anyone else!!! I am so glad I figured it out!!!! I had started eating this no-bake oatmeal cookie and thought it was the culprit, but there was the smart balance in that too .. so I'll be giving it a couple of weeks and trying that recipe out again (with butter of course! lol!)! I really did like it pre-workout

homestretch · 05-13-2008, 01:01 PM

Hi everyone! I see from reading through the posts I am going to have to give the almond butter a try. Like TaDa I have to be so careful with peanut butter. I think I am going to try to give the aspartame the boot for good. I drink one diet Lipton Green Tea every day and even though it might kill me I am going to try to cut it out. I just don't like the possibility of Aspartame causing health problems.

Prairieprof · 05-13-2008, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ailuros

I think the problems with soy oil are more to do with excess omega 6, and the way it's processed - so it's still not a great thing to eat, but for different reasons.

This is also my understanding. Soy oil does not contain the part of soy that is goitrogenic, but it's supposedly not considered a good oil for anyone -- though unlikely to do harm in a small amount (say mayonnaise).

TaDa! · 05-13-2008, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homestretch

Hi everyone! I see from reading through the posts I am going to have to give the almond butter a try. Like TaDa I have to be so careful with peanut butter. I think I am going to try to give the aspartame the boot for good. I drink one diet Lipton Green Tea every day and even though it might kill me I am going to try to cut it out. I just don't like the possibility of Aspartame causing health problems.

LOL! I was in Trader Joe's today picking up some items for dd who has major food allergies and is a vegetarian and is rather skinny (shall we say I picked up good carbs, lol!) ... I stood in front of the peanut butter and almond butter and could not get myself to purchase .. I am too afraid of bingeing. It is one of those foods for me. So, even though I plan on making those no-bake cookies again, I think I am giong to bite the bullet and buy the Byrd mill peanut flour to get the peanut flavor in. I won't try it probably til next week or so, but I'll let you know what I think

I also stood in front of the Trader Joe's sf chocolate ... right near checkout <sigh> and convinced myself not to buy any just yet ... at least until I am down to 133 or so. I still feel on the precipice of the danger zone.

Doing really well otherwise .. and hanging in there!! Just had a nice snack of half avocado, cheese and sliced onion on half lc pita. I had forgotten how yummy avocado is! I've been trying to incorporate some of my favorite veggies lately ... avocado, mushrooms .. somehow I seem to forget about "other" good lc foods, lol! On my list for th near future: stir-fried cabbage, and a nice artichoke!

TaDa! · 05-16-2008, 04:26 AM

May Maintainer Challenge Update ... Down half a pound so far to 134, lol!! 2 pounds to go for the month of May ...

How are you all doing on your May goal?

I went to the doctor for my physical the other day. He ordered some blood tests, one of which is a glucose test ... anyone know what he's testing me for??!! I have to call the lab and see what tests he ordered .. the only one that I heard him say was glucose (it's not the tolerance test where you drink sugar, it's the fasting blood test).

JuliaL · 05-16-2008, 04:39 AM

Good morning, TaDa (what is your real first name, do you mind sharing?)

I'm doing well on my goal so far. I've lost the 1 lb. I gained on vacation plus one more. Now I just have to get through this weekend - I'm attending a family wedding out of town and I don't know what the food is going to be like. I'm bringing healthy snacks, and hopefully there will be something acceptable served at the reception.

I've had a really rough work week and have only been able to work out twice so far this week. I'm hoping to get a workout in today. Next week should be easier, so I'll be exercising every day.

Keep up the great work, May Maintainers!

Julia

LaurieRobo · 05-16-2008, 07:40 AM

On track for may!

Still no AS's other than a bit of Stevia - check

Excercise cut back - two days off per week - check

I did have two light beers at the Paw Sox game on sunday - so only alcohol only once last week - check

Eating on plan - check

Still haven't bought a battery for my scale yet

But feel good! Since I have been cutting back in my workouts - i have been giving it more in the ones I am doing and feel great... Killer circuit yesterday with my Personal Trainer and I breezed through it.

Funny story: for our circuit routine we do 4X by 6 exercises a minute each 4 are weights (light high reps) and 2 cardio. One is jump rope, I have a deal w/ my PT if I can do 45 secs without missing I don't have to do the full minute (much harder than you might think).. well I did all 4 sets without missing, (3rd workout) and next time told her I would keep going until I miss up to the minute (way improved on the cardio/coordination portion)

Ready to step it up a level!!!

Ailuros · 05-16-2008, 07:43 AM

I've been pleased with the way things are going this month - I'm feeling more energetic than I have done for a while. I haven't made much progress with my goal of adding in regular meditation, though. It's been pretty sporadic so far

.

TaDa! · 05-16-2008, 10:27 AM

Wow Julia! You took off the vacation pound + one ... ok, I'm now officially jealous of someone here

My name is Pauline!

Laurie - jumping rope is a killer! 45 secs without missing is very impressive. I've been thinking of getting a jump rope for those non-gym times, etc but will have to wait a bit - I have a heel spur so it probably is a bad thing to jump up and down on it - I have an app't with an ortho the beginning of June, so hopefully he'll have some kind of plan and I can get on with the running, jumping and other impact stuff.

Ailuros Glad your month is going well!

Keep up the great work all!!!!

Prairieprof · 05-20-2008, 08:00 AM

Hey everybody, just thought I'd check in. I'm realizing now I didn't need any fancy new goal for May, my challenge is maintaining my weight despite a week-long visit from my parents (last week) and a nearly week-long visit to my best friend in California (leaving Thursday). I never consciously go off-plan but all the eating out or lessened control over the exact foods around is a challenge -- and on the upcoming trip I won't have the gym. (I did ask to visit Whole Foods the afternoon I arrive -- that's a real treat for me as there isn't one where I live, and I'll be able to get critical things for my visit.)

Anyway, I'm feeling good this morning as my weight is back down to 117.0 after several days of clean eating - I'm trying to be really disciplined in these in-between days.

My other challenge concerns the friend whom I'll be visiting. She is 41, very overweight, though strong and active, and she isn't particularly bothered by her weight from an appearance standpoint -- and/or she's very scornful about society's messages to women about how they need to "change their bodies" to be acceptable. But I am worried about her health, especially now that I've read about all the damage carbs can do; she has high BP which runs in her family, and her father died young of a heart attack. And she is the worst sugar addict I've ever seen -- she chugs soda and sweetened tea in truly ma

05-09-2008, 09:19 AM	#32
LaurieRobo Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 758 Gallery: LaurieRobo Stats: Pregnancy High 237 175/155/150-155 WOE: Fueling my workouts and running with plenty of FAT Start Date: March 2002	Bella, I hear you and that is why I am looking at it... While I was losing I didn't drink at all or maybe a glass once and a while... but I really like the taste of wine but it was just more the bad habit... so my decision to cut back is that if i CHOSE to have a glass it will be a GOOD glass of wine, not mediocre crap and I will fully enjoy it IE style without guilt. I know the gain is from working out HARD and that is a good gain and I look better now than I did at a lesser weight. Honestly I was feeling like I was overtraining. I enjoy working out but extreme there isn't good either. My goals are more HEALTH driven and getting rid of the final CRAP that I don't need. There is a balance... I just haven't found it yet! __________________ Laurie Happily Maintaining - 43 Fit and Fantastic! http://s111.photobucket.com/albums/n140/lbrobo77/ I XanGo Juice!

05-11-2008, 06:50 AM	#33
JuliaL Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: May 2003 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 17,214 Gallery: JuliaL Stats: 190/145/140 16/8/6, height 5'8", age 48 WOE: Atkins/BFFM Start Date: 4/22/03	Good morning Maintainers - Happy Mother's Day! I'm so happy to see so many people posting on this thread. The maintenance threads have been kind of slow in the past so maybe we can kick it up a notch and keep each other motivated! I'm back from a week's vacation and happy to report that I only gained 1 lb. That's huge considering I drank wine every night and ate off plan several times during the week. We also got lots of exercise though - bike riding and walking every day, so I know that helped. Christin - wow, a cake decorating and dessert business! That's awesome, but I'm sure it is difficult. I probably should know this because I've read your blog and a lot of your posts, but have you had your thyroid checked? Laurie - your plan sounds like a good one. I can't drink every night and lose weight, so a long time ago I decided to do exactly what you're doing and cut back to one or two nights a week. It's helped me a lot. I also think aspertame stalls me, so I don't touch the stuff. Awesome job gaining 11 lbs. of lean muscle! Have a great day everyone! __________________ *"Our limitations and success will be based, most often, on our own expectations for ourselves. What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon." -Denis Waitley*

05-12-2008, 09:53 AM	#41
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 10,054 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5/128.5/128-133 & 5'3" tall WOE: Atkins (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	Is the almond butter as addictive as peanut butter?! If not, then it might be a good thing for me to try too!!! Julia - Wow!!! Way to go on your trip!! Only a 1 lb gain is fantastic!!!!! You must be happy!! Something weird guys ... I had decided that I could easily cut back my saturated fat to recommended levels since I eat as a vegetarian + fish .. not that I do not believe Dr. A or anything, but to just hedge my bets .. so I found Smart Balance (to replace my liberal use of butter, lol!) with 0 transfats, and seemed to have good stuff in it - flax oil, etc that I already eat ... WELL!!! Every day I ate foods with the smart balance in it, I gained like a half pound a day!!! I had not even treated it like a carb ladder add-in or anything, cause I figured, fat is fat, what difference could it make ... what a shocker!!! I whooshed down a pound and a half this morning after finally deciding to ditch the muffins I had made with the smart balance and make a batch the old way with butter ... Totally weird, huh??!! I have a bunch of "stalling" foods - that are fine on Maintenance, but only a handful of foods like the smart balance which actually must cause me to retain water (maybe an allergy of sorts?): smart balance lentils sweet potato Weirdly I can eat other foods from those ladder rungs and lose or maintain, but not these specific foods ... bizarre, huh? Thought I'd mention it. __________________ Tada! Stats: 43 Years Old, 5'3," WOL: Atkins Semi-Vegetarian Maintenance Goal Reached May 2006! Weight: 236.5 / 128.5 & 22.3% BF / 128-133 (size 6) Current Goal: Master Maintenance 130-135! Friday weigh-ins. Very Lowest Weight Reached on LC: 123.5 & 20% BF ... face became too bony! My Weightloss Story and My Journal

05-16-2008, 04:26 AM	#51
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 10,054 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5/128.5/128-133 & 5'3" tall WOE: Atkins (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	May Maintainer Challenge Update ... Down half a pound so far to 134, lol!! 2 pounds to go for the month of May ... How are you all doing on your May goal? I went to the doctor for my physical the other day. He ordered some blood tests, one of which is a glucose test ... anyone know what he's testing me for??!! I have to call the lab and see what tests he ordered .. the only one that I heard him say was glucose (it's not the tolerance test where you drink sugar, it's the fasting blood test). Last edited by TaDa! : 05-16-2008 at 04:29 AM.

05-09-2008, 09:03 AM	#31
BellaHMB Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Northern California Coast Posts: 3,225 Gallery: BellaHMB Stats: 210/143/140 original goal met 5.27.07 WOE: Maintenance Atkins Start Date: 1-16-07	Laurie, I found that it was with alcohol that over time I put on quite a bit of weight. It wasn't until I stopped that I could lose all the way....so I wonder if your couple glasses a night have contributed to your gain? I stopped entirely in Jan 07 and it was a great decision! Bella

05-11-2008, 06:53 AM	#34
LoraJR72 Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Over the river and through the woods... Posts: 4,584 Blog Entries: 1 Gallery: LoraJR72 Stats: 186/132/127 - 5'6" WOE: Egg/Protein Fast Rotation Start Date: October 20, 2008	I decided to quit the belly-aching, the feeling sorry for myself attitude and to simply do my thing and have fun. I have a month to go for my trip and I want to look great! I hope everyone else is doing great!

05-11-2008, 07:32 AM	#35
Ailuros MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,697 Gallery: Ailuros Stats: Maintenance (since 2003) WOE: Controlled carb, real food Start Date: 2003	Happy Mothers Day to the Americans - we had ours in March . I've been a bit lax with my exercise for the last few days, so doing that is going to be my plan for this afternoon - I just need to wait a little while to digest my lunch first (well, that's my excuse for being on the computer instead of the mat ).

05-11-2008, 08:27 AM	#36
LaurieRobo Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 758 Gallery: LaurieRobo Stats: Pregnancy High 237 175/155/150-155 WOE: Fueling my workouts and running with plenty of FAT Start Date: March 2002	Julia welcome back!!! Thanks... I've worked my butt off to get there!!! Happy Mom's Day to all you Moms! Goals met this week... Only worked out Tues and Thurs w/ Personal Trainer and Sat & Sunday T-Tapp... Tomorrow is another planned day off! I WILL take 2 days off a week if it kills me... Was going to have a glass of wine last night with dinner but Jim wanted a beer so I didn't bother opening a bottle - IE going well... berries (strawberries & blueberries) and yogurt have been the kick of the week with yogurt - YUM... I went to step on the scale this am... battery dead - LOL oh well! Knowing me it should take me months to remember to buy a battery! Off to the Pawtucket Red Sox with the Boys this afternoon (hey I thought it was mothers day) and out to dinner - not sure where! Have a great day everyone!!!!!

05-11-2008, 08:30 AM	#37
LaurieRobo Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 758 Gallery: LaurieRobo Stats: Pregnancy High 237 175/155/150-155 WOE: Fueling my workouts and running with plenty of FAT Start Date: March 2002	oh yeah...forgot... The house and desk at work are Aspartame free... even gum. I picked up some SF aspartame free and Whole Foods yesterday. I also picked up some fresh ground almond butter... portion control for sure... it is like candy from the spoon another one down!!!

05-11-2008, 09:47 AM	#38
BellaHMB Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Northern California Coast Posts: 3,225 Gallery: BellaHMB Stats: 210/143/140 original goal met 5.27.07 WOE: Maintenance Atkins Start Date: 1-16-07	Laurie great choices! I have a jar of almond butter in the bottom of the fridge and I eat one serving per day. It takes me 12-14 days to eat the contents and I even mark the days on the calendar to keep myself in check. I hope eventually that I can internally know how much is too much rather than counting, but for now it allows me to eat something I love! Bella

05-11-2008, 10:30 AM	#39
Ailuros MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,697 Gallery: Ailuros Stats: Maintenance (since 2003) WOE: Controlled carb, real food Start Date: 2003	I always have a jar of almond butter around, too. I love it, though I don't find I have problems with portion control. I was distressed when my local shop switched brands recently, but I've adjusted to the new one now - it's a bit more chunky, and I quite liked the smooth texture of the other one, but the oil doesn't separate out so much with the new brand, and now I'm used to it I quite like the crunch.

05-11-2008, 05:22 PM	#40
LaurieRobo Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 758 Gallery: LaurieRobo Stats: Pregnancy High 237 175/155/150-155 WOE: Fueling my workouts and running with plenty of FAT Start Date: March 2002	I always have almond butter too.. Usually a jar of TJ's and I only eat it occasionally... I will NEVER buy anything but fresh ground again! There is a huge difference even thought the TJ's brand is good just can't compare it to the one I bought at Whole Foods (and $$ for)... It was a whim purchase because I was hungry - but it was sooo worth it... Hey I haven't even had any today LOL---- the day isn't over yet!

05-12-2008, 10:35 AM	#42
BellaHMB Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Northern California Coast Posts: 3,225 Gallery: BellaHMB Stats: 210/143/140 original goal met 5.27.07 WOE: Maintenance Atkins Start Date: 1-16-07	Laurie, I agree about TJ's almond butter- its "OK" but not great. I bought a jar at the local store and it was $12 but SO much better. Much thicker and not as much oil. I do find it addictive but it is so thick that I can have a small spoonful on my flax muffin and that is enough. Also my agreement with myself re how long I have to keep it in the fridge before opening the next (2 weeks) helps me moderate myself. Bella

05-12-2008, 12:45 PM	#44
Ailuros MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,697 Gallery: Ailuros Stats: Maintenance (since 2003) WOE: Controlled carb, real food Start Date: 2003	I thought the effect on thyroid was just from soy protein, not the oil? I don't eat either, so I don't worry too much about the details, but that was what I thought I'd read.

05-12-2008, 02:03 PM	#45
JuliaL Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: May 2003 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 17,214 Gallery: JuliaL Stats: 190/145/140 16/8/6, height 5'8", age 48 WOE: Atkins/BFFM Start Date: 4/22/03	I'm not really an expert, but I thought the only safe soy to consume was fermented soy, like soy sauce. The Smart Balance also contains soy lecithin(sp?), which I know is bad.

05-12-2008, 02:05 PM	#46
Ailuros MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,697 Gallery: Ailuros Stats: Maintenance (since 2003) WOE: Controlled carb, real food Start Date: 2003	I think the problems with soy oil are more to do with excess omega 6, and the way it's processed - so it's still not a great thing to eat, but for different reasons.

05-12-2008, 03:47 PM	#47
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 10,054 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5/128.5/128-133 & 5'3" tall WOE: Atkins (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	Thanks so much Julia Thank God ... my thyroid is normal so far! yah, the weird thing is that I eat soy daily, but it is tofu or veggieburgers, not soybean oil. I also eat a LOT of ground flax daily - like 1/2 cup and take flax oil ... that is what mystified me .. maybe it is the overall quantity of Omega 6 like you mention Ailuros.. Thankfully, I am quite happy with butter .. heh heh I actually like it much better! I just never imagined that a different form of fat would affect me so so much!! Maybe it's some weird processed chemical in it or something .. I was just so surprised that I thought I'd mention it in case it might help anyone else!!! I am so glad I figured it out!!!! I had started eating this no-bake oatmeal cookie and thought it was the culprit, but there was the smart balance in that too .. so I'll be giving it a couple of weeks and trying that recipe out again (with butter of course! lol!)! I really did like it pre-workout

05-13-2008, 01:01 PM	#48
homestretch MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,347 Gallery: homestretch Stats: 206.5/153/155 WOE: Lost 35 on SB/Now Atkins and calorie counting Start Date: 5/26/06	Hi everyone! I see from reading through the posts I am going to have to give the almond butter a try. Like TaDa I have to be so careful with peanut butter. I think I am going to try to give the aspartame the boot for good. I drink one diet Lipton Green Tea every day and even though it might kill me I am going to try to cut it out. I just don't like the possibility of Aspartame causing health problems.

05-16-2008, 04:39 AM	#52
JuliaL Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: May 2003 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 17,214 Gallery: JuliaL Stats: 190/145/140 16/8/6, height 5'8", age 48 WOE: Atkins/BFFM Start Date: 4/22/03	Good morning, TaDa (what is your real first name, do you mind sharing?) I'm doing well on my goal so far. I've lost the 1 lb. I gained on vacation plus one more. Now I just have to get through this weekend - I'm attending a family wedding out of town and I don't know what the food is going to be like. I'm bringing healthy snacks, and hopefully there will be something acceptable served at the reception. I've had a really rough work week and have only been able to work out twice so far this week. I'm hoping to get a workout in today. Next week should be easier, so I'll be exercising every day. Keep up the great work, May Maintainers! Julia

05-16-2008, 07:40 AM	#53
LaurieRobo Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 758 Gallery: LaurieRobo Stats: Pregnancy High 237 175/155/150-155 WOE: Fueling my workouts and running with plenty of FAT Start Date: March 2002	On track for may! Still no AS's other than a bit of Stevia - check Excercise cut back - two days off per week - check I did have two light beers at the Paw Sox game on sunday - so only alcohol only once last week - check Eating on plan - check Still haven't bought a battery for my scale yet But feel good! Since I have been cutting back in my workouts - i have been giving it more in the ones I am doing and feel great... Killer circuit yesterday with my Personal Trainer and I breezed through it. Funny story: for our circuit routine we do 4X by 6 exercises a minute each 4 are weights (light high reps) and 2 cardio. One is jump rope, I have a deal w/ my PT if I can do 45 secs without missing I don't have to do the full minute (much harder than you might think).. well I did all 4 sets without missing, (3rd workout) and next time told her I would keep going until I miss up to the minute (way improved on the cardio/coordination portion) Ready to step it up a level!!!

05-16-2008, 07:43 AM	#54
Ailuros MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,697 Gallery: Ailuros Stats: Maintenance (since 2003) WOE: Controlled carb, real food Start Date: 2003	I've been pleased with the way things are going this month - I'm feeling more energetic than I have done for a while. I haven't made much progress with my goal of adding in regular meditation, though. It's been pretty sporadic so far .

05-16-2008, 10:27 AM	#55
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 10,054 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5/128.5/128-133 & 5'3" tall WOE: Atkins (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	Wow Julia! You took off the vacation pound + one ... ok, I'm now officially jealous of someone here My name is Pauline! Laurie - jumping rope is a killer! 45 secs without missing is very impressive. I've been thinking of getting a jump rope for those non-gym times, etc but will have to wait a bit - I have a heel spur so it probably is a bad thing to jump up and down on it - I have an app't with an ortho the beginning of June, so hopefully he'll have some kind of plan and I can get on with the running, jumping and other impact stuff. Ailuros Glad your month is going well! Keep up the great work all!!!!