November Challenge - Regroup

[i.am.jenn]

I joined this challenge April 2008.

Since April
I have lost 30 lbs (294 starting, 264.0 today)
I have fallen off the wagon twice
I have jumped back on the wagon three times
I have learned that eating the occassional breaded fast food = not so good for my body
I have learned that cooking my own food = RAWKS!
I have learned that sharing my creations with my friends = RAWKS even harder!

Goals for November
Lose 8 lbs (down to weight 256.9)
Stay clean
Find fun LC stuff to cook for Turkey Day (and I will be pigging out for Turkey Day!!!)
Eat my veggies EVERY day (the body seems to like them)
Try to keep my carbs at 20-30g/day (I've been under quite a bit but I don't want to pump them up with Frankenfoods)
Cook something new at least once a week
Start drinking at least a little bit of water every day
The ever dreaded, learn to work out daily (just 20 minutes!)
I will support my friends daily and be accountable to them daily (or at least weekly depending on how hectic things get at school)

I will assess my goals weekly and of course be accountable to you as to how I'm coming along.

We need a name.
We can still be losing 100 lbs by November. It's basically 2lbs a week as a goal.
We can be a different challenge each month group (like Meg suggested!)

Lets hear your suggestions and we'll figure out what route we'll take!

[i.am.jenn]

I checked my mail at 5:00am (I checked too early yesterday and didn't think about it for the rest of the day).

There was a letter from the School of Nursing.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I'm accepted assuming I make the grades I need in the classes I'm taking right now!

[Meg056]

Oh yeah..thanks Jenn for starting November

Names..Living LowCarb...since none of us are trying to starve our way there...just livin' it every day. Well livin' it every day works best for me.
Another name...Healthy Hotties...'cause we are!

I was actually a good girl this past weekend! No binges, low carb and plenty of veggies. Keepin' it legal but livable. Hey there's another
Legal but Livable.

[COLOR=sandybrown]Wonderful weeks always start on Mondays.[/COLOR][COLOR=black] Have a great one![/COLOR]

[SUNSHINELADY]

CONGRATS JENNB

You will make an awesome nurse! That or you could sign up for cooking school as an alternative.

The weather here is forcasted in the lower 70's for the next 3-4 days, unheard of in November, and then 30-40's this weekend with snow! Crazy change...that's for sure.

I was good this past weekend too. I have a doctor appt. this afternoon. Looking for lower blood pressure, especially as I have worked out the past 5-6months, something I never did before.

Have a nice day all.
Cindy

[i.am.jenn]

Meg - yup, we all eat. NOM NOM NOM! I really like the Living LowCarb.

Sunshine - After dropping 30 lbs my blood pressure is no longer borderline high and my fasting blood sugar is no longer borderline high. All in all doing well. Congrats on the weather. It's gorgeous here. I'm enjoying it.

[i.am.jenn]

[COLOR="Black"]NOVEMBER CHALLENGE[/COLOR]

Lets vote on it.

Find a few dishes to cook for Thanksgiving so you can eat delicious and still be "Cheat Free" for the holiday!

We have, of course:

Turkey (in all it's glory: baked, fried or smoked )
Fauxtatoes (Loaded or not)
Green Beans (mmm... fried in bacon grease...)

And then there are desserts to think about:

LC Pumpkin Pie
LC Pumpkin Fudge

Okay, so it's almost 6am and that's all I can come up with off the top of my head. I haven't started the research yet, but I thought it would be a fun challenge for all of us.

My big challenge is dressing (you might call it stuffing, depending on what strange non southern part of the country you live in ). I will definitely be looking into dressing recipes and seeing if I can find a decent substitute.

So... what do you think?

[Greer'sGal]

Good morning, gals... I had a bad couple of food days. Not proud of myself. I let myself go where I hadn't gone in months. I went on mini binges for a few days. Nothing extreme, but I'm up 6 pounds from last Thursday, so it was bad enough. I suck!

Jenn, CONGRATS! That's awesome!

[ChaiLatté]

I'm still trying to think of some good names for us, I'll try to post some this afternoon!

I made an awesome pumpkin pie over the weekend.
Totally crustless, but totally tasty. and simple simple simple!

* 1 1/2 cups fresh or canned pumpkin
* 3 eggs
* 3/4 cup Splenda sugar substitute
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon clove or 1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
* 3/4 cup cream

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Pour into a well sprayed pie pan.
3. Bake at 350' for 30 to 40 minutes.

DONE!

[Greer'sGal]

YUM, Chai.... Any clue on a carb count?

[Meg056]

O.K. I've been eating but I'm back to eating healthy right now! Though I slide a thousand times, I'll not give up forever!

Mmmm gonna try that healthy pumpkin recipe this year.

[ChaiLatté]

Recipe said 4.8g (with 1.5g fiber)
But that does NOT include the Splenda.
Makes 8 servings.

[ChaiLatté]

You guys better feel SOOOO special!
I don't ever, ever, ever post pics of myself on the internet! But, I trust you ladies, and so, I updated my avatar!

I got a new laptop for my birthday, and so Jenn, I took this for you! -

[Meg056]

Chai...glad to see your pretty young face! My avatar is also a picture of myself.

[ChaiLatté]

Hehe well Meg, I secretly (desperately) want to rub your belly!!

[Greer'sGal]

Meg - you crack me up. I wanna rub yer belly, too!

Chai, I love the new avi.

I'm having such a blah day today.......... I'm afraid I've fallen off the wagon. I haven't completely binged, but I fell off a little bit for 5 days in a row. Seeing that I'm not in Onederland any more made me feel like such a loser. I hope that the shock of the scale puts me back on track.

I need to make a bunch of hb eggs tonight. I haven't had any for almost a week now, maybe that's messing me up. BLAH!

[ChaiLatté]

Greer'sGal, I've been kinda feeling the same way.
I haven't been *bad* but I haven't been great, and I'm feeling a little bit defeated :-/

[Greer'sGal]

Defeated is the perfect word. It blows my mind that it took 2 months to lose 30 pounds and 5 days to gain back 6. I'm just scared to death of falling back into the "I don't care" mindset.

[ChaiLatté]

Ditto.

I'm reminded of all the times I started a diet saying "this time is different, this is IT!" and then falling right back into my old habits. I VOW that it will not happen this time, but that doesn't stop me from feeling the pull of it.

[Greer'sGal]

Exactly. Up until last Friday, I thought this time I was in complete control. I allowed myself a little mess up every now & then, but always recovered from it right away. It was always just a little of something bad, but 5 days in a row of a little something bad adds up to alot of bad.

[ChaiLatté]

Here are my name suggestions -

Never Giving Up - No Matter What

Future Hot-Bodies

Slowly But Surely (since we all seem to lose that way!)

One Way Wagon (that wagon we keep crawling back on to, only has one destination!) :-)

Conquering The Century Mark

Road to Onederland

The Bras - Ladies Supporting Each Other

Luscious Ladies Lovin' the Low-Carb Life!

:-) I could go all day!

[ChaiLatté]

Well Greer'sGal. Let's get back motivated. Let's shake on it!

*shake*

[Greer'sGal]

*SHAKE*

[i.am.jenn]

I love coming home and seeing that you ladies have been busy.

Chai - you are GORGEOUS!!! Nice to meet you! And yeah, I suppose we could be sisters (if I had the GREAT skin that you do... dang... I need to start wearing a little foundation... )

GG - Thank you! And I hope your 6lbs is water weight. BACK ON THE WAGON WITH YOU!

Chai - Pie sounds yummy! Well, since it doesn't do anything weird to the pumpkin I might actually like it (not a fan of pumpkin pie).

Chai - Again, GORGEOUS picture! And I love my Warhol Chai. Did you ever see my self portrait like that?

Meg - I'll rub your belly, but I'd better get some money out of it... or some good luck or SOMETHIN'!!!

GG & Chai - :handsmack: BACK ON THE WAGON! NOW! NAUGHTY NAUGHTY GIRLS!!!

GG & Chai - We are always going to wrestle with our bad eating habits until we figure out what it is that drives us to eat the wrong stuff and deal with it. Don't give your demons that power over you. Kick their @$$es to the curb and do the right thing. When you eat better you feel better (physically AND mentally!!!). You can do this. Both of you. You are ONLY defeated when you give up. Until then you ALWAYS have the option of doing the right thing.

Chai - I like your suggestions.

Now, I have to go out and celebrate tonight and I expect you ladies to be well behaved tonight.

[SUNSHINELADY]

GG, Maybe you need to eat a tad more tomorrow, all low carb and the withdrawls will not be so harsh.

You know, that's why we are all here....bigger bootys are us! We're all in the same boat and if we were not falling off the wagon occasionaly, we really wouldn't be here...we cannot do it 100%, we can only try to do our best. Take tomorrow and re-cleanse yourself....you will feel so much better.

As for me, I am going to have a few carrots from my pot roast which is at home cooking. Not too bad, but I just want them today.

Chai, cute pic!

JennB, homework done?

Have a nice night and don't forget to vote.
Cindy

[i.am.jenn]

GG - I agree with Sunshine. Eat a lot of LC goodies...mmmm... totally helps me through the cravings. (usually)

Sunshine - I have to study for a test Thursday, read a chapter for tomorrow and start writing a paper (6+ pages, but it's double spaced) due on Friday.

I feel compelled to go out because it's with my new friends that are accepted into the nursing program for the spring and we are going out to celebrate. Not for the entire night, but like, an hour. They are having margarita's. I might have a shot of tequila. Otherwise, Diet Coke it is! I wish I could have the margarita (because I DO the Rita!) but they have TOO much sugar in them.

[ChaiLatté]

Hahah thanks Jenn! It's the power of foundation, and very flattering lighting. I actually have REALLY horrible skin. I have an obsessive-compulsion that causes me to pick at it, which causes worse break out, which causes more picking. Basically, my face is ALWAYS covered in wounds and scabs :-( More info than you needed :-) But basically, don't be jealous, it took me a long time to find a picture that didn't detail every crater.

But don't worry! My behavior is always wonderful, it's just my thought process that isn't the greatest. I feel like I'm failing, even when I'm not. It's not very fun!

[i.am.jenn]

It's a GORGEOUS pic! And don't worry, you know TMI doesn't bother me (remember the POO!!! )

Sorry about the OCD. I work hard to not fall into the patterns. Still can't resist picking a scab. And when I do resist I think about it constantly.

I have (self diagnosed) acne rosacia(?). My Mom had it and she had her face lasered a few years ago and it worked wonders. I'm looking forward to getting it done but that's a long ways away.

Until then, I still refuse to wear make up.

[i.am.jenn]

Looks like Cleochatra read my mind!

Low Carb Examiner: Get stuffed: savory turkey stuffing recipe uses low-carb staple

I'm soooo excited, I'm going to make a couple batches of oopsies soon so I can make this!!!

[ChaiLatté]

Heh yeah, I have rosacea as well. I keep meaning to buy some stuff I saw a commercial for called Prosacea. If I get it, and it works, I'll let you know :-)

I actually bought some low-carb stuffing mix online. I can't wait to try it out!

[i.am.jenn]

Ohhh, yeah keep me informed. Seriously, I stuffing. I would willingly eat 100 carbs in dressing (stuffing)... I would... I wouldn't feel too bad about it either.