NO FOOLING AROUND APRIL CHALLENGE

[CarolynF]

Cindy: This was a 15 minute sauce that was very nommie...butter, grated onion, crushed garlic, 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, touch of sweetner,
oregano, and basil and some olive oil. It did very fresh. I'll have to look at the price of the can, ..it might be cheaper than buying ready made. Yours sounds very good, too.

Phat: Well, take the 59 as your basic amount of protein. You can go probably
to 69 or a tiny bit above that. It's amazing to many of us that protein acts as carbs. Not good.

Jem: Another hormonal woman. My blood tests were $800 for the bio stuff..So, I won't be doing this every few weeks..Luckily, we only have to pay $169.
Gary didn't know I was on hormones.

Idol was great tonight..I love Adam.............so cute.

[TuscanGirl]

After all this hormone talk, I feel like I should find a doc that does that 'just in case'!
Maybe you all are contagious!

Sandy - Idle hands - exactly! Plus if I stop for a minute, I might have to clean!

Today is an Honors Luncheon for DD22, then she makes her presentation, and then she gets her honors cord for graduation.
I can't believe my baby is graduating!

[phatgirl18]

Thanks again CarolynF!!!
Well, I love fat, love it love it love it....kinda worried that it won't make me lose, just cause...you guessed it...i love it.
Well, I'd love to eat just the yolks from the eggs to cut down on my protein. I hate, hate, hate egg whites and dump loads of seasoning salt just to eat them.
I'm scared that my truvia has brought me out of ketosis. My sticks are only light pink now.
I can't wait to have some lamb breast. It's soooooo full of fat.
I can do Zero carbs except for diet drinks and I really love coffee with truvia, but do I have to stop it? Could the keto reading be a mistake? I thought Truvia had no effect on blood sugar. Wahhhhh
Congrats on your baby graduating, TuscanGirl! Yea!!!! *smiles*

Has anyone ever eaten cow foot or chicken foot?
I know it sounds disgusting but it's really good!
Barely any meat, so I guess it's mostly fat.

[CindyCRNA]

Phatgirl, My personal opinion is that Truvia is quite harmless. It is a combo of stevia and erythritol (the least absorbed SA there is) so I would think that Truvia would be great. I used to live by Ketosticks but found that deep ketosis didn't equal weight loss. Barry Groves states that his wife was pegged at the purple end and didn't lose a pound for 4 months. For me, I'm never in ketosis in the am and generally in light in the evening or after a workout. As for protein, Carolyn is right. 59 grams is probably low balled. 70's would probably be more reasonable. And I've never had feet!

Gem, girl , I'm on a mission! I have been running around here for 2 days after starting bhrt 5 days ago, it helped that quick! Try meleatonin for sleep. I take 9 mg every night and I sleep like a baby.

Carolyn, that sauce sounds great. I have 12 basil plants but need some oregano and rosemary (my cats name!) I bought a jar of roasted garlic to try also. I have a big container of sauce in the freezer I think I'll take out for Thursday as my BF and I are both on call tonight. I give him speggetti but I'll have tofu noodles. And lamb. I have only made lamb chops but want to get a leg with rosemary and garlic. Ok, time for breakfast! Too much talk about food.

MK, major congrats on your daughter graduating. You may have said but what is her degree in?

[TuscanGirl]

Hi!
This is from today's Senior Honors Recognition Luncheon!

She's getting 2 degrees - A BA in English and a BA in Theatre and a minor in Dance.

She presents her honors project this afternoon, so I'm off to walk the dog and then back to her school to watch!

BBL!

[CarolynF]

Hi everyone..

Mary Kay...Love that picture alot..You look darling as does your smart dd.. and your handsome dh..I'm sure you are soo proud of her..

Phat: Fat is your friend......I can't say as I have eaten the feet of any animals lately. But, good for you.. Gary had some chicken soup once in Mexico that had a big old
chicken foot sticking out of it. I'm thankful I wasn't with him..

I am being very good today, ladies and Gord.

My exercise group went out for lunch today at a new "diner" place. I was good and had a nice chef salad...But the other ladies had the special: A big old scoop of homemade
tater salad and a fried pork tenderloin with a huge bun. Can you see the "halo" over my head?

We have a play tonight at the Inge Festival..Five of William Inge's little known plays.

I found some nice pictures for my bathroom today. It's getting there..and I will take some pictures.

[sjl330]

Yes Carolyn, I see this faint glow coming from the southwest. It must be your halo glowing. Really, good for you!! I need to follow your lead.

[CindyCRNA]

Carolyn, I know you've answered this but did you peel your radishes before you fried them? I have to stop at the store tomorrow morning to pick up a few things for a cheesecake request and thought I might get some. The regular red ones? That sounds good witha little fried onion!

[jem51]

hey you guys, i think gord has left us for ummm, less green pastures. he's been losing .5#/day doing zc.

i saw my ARNP today and she prescribed the minimal amt of est/prog cream. i'll pick it up tomorrow. my estrogen is so low that it was below the lowest #. also will restart DHEA.
they do saliva testing so will do that in 2 mos to recheck.
cindy, i gave up on melatonin after months of no help. will try again if no help from the BHRT.

as i mentioned, i've reduced my meat intake at night and guess what? the scale rewarded me by dropping 2# of my winter coat. and i feel so much better w/o all that food still in my stomach at bedtime.
i'm eating more vegies to fill the gap and still am doing okay. not too much gurgling.

it's been sunny and in the 80's for 3 days so i'm trying to fit all the outdoor stuff in. not completely successful since i keep adding to the list.

[TuscanGirl]

Morning!

Today - Get preschool pics together along with a pic from today and a memory from preschool for all 4 kids because the preschool teacher is retiring and they're doing a book for her! (Are they kidding?!) I've found some pics but sheesh!

THEN the sorority has Senior Week next next week and they need a heartfelt letter from both DH and I AND a small gift for DD. So I'm meeting with the sorority rep this morning.

AND I have to teach Junior Achievement this morning.
THEN DD has been selected to receive an award at the Honors Convocation tonight.
So we have to go to that.

I feel like I'm meeting myself coming and going!

jem - that's great about Gord!! Guys are so lucky!
Have you tried the sublingual melatonin drops?

Carolyn -

[Low-Carb Chicklady]

Good morning thinning people I'm having a heck of a time getting fat up and protein down. Fat doesn't have that filling effect on me that it's supposed to! I would LOVE any advice or suggestions you all can give!

[Buffy45]

Morning everyone and welcome chicklady!
MK, wow, congrats to your talented, smart, hardworking DD. I know you are so proud of her!
Carolyn, yes, your halo is a shining, so bright it almost blinded me while trying to drive yesterday, wow, turn that thing down GF!

Last night some friends of DD#3 gave her a bridal shower, it was a total surprise to her, she thought she was going to meet her regular bunch for their monthly gathering. It was so fun and she got some fun clothes, sandals, beach wear for their upcoming trip to the Dominican. We leave on May 5th and that is rolling right up on us. These are friends she has had since 5th grade, really nice gals.

Today office work, will I ever get it all done? and laundry, my 2 things. I did some shopping for DGS 9 on my way to the shower last night.

Eating much better this week and I did great at the shower last night, Carolyn, send that halo over , thankfully she had some cheese, meats, etc. that I could eat and I skipped the punch and desserts.

[Buffy45]

jem, WTG on the 2 lbs.

[jem51]

chicklady, if you eat dairy, make sure it's full fat. also in your cooking add generous olive oil, butter or whatever you cook w (no need to make it greasy). don't be afraid of salad dressing and condiments like sour cream. stay away from anything low fat.
i use 1-1.5 T CO in my morning smoothie, as well.
it takes some adjustment and don't worry if you're protein is a bit over. i try to stay under 100 but there are times i eat more, like if i go out or go crabbing.....

[CindyCRNA]

Also, LC Chicklady, we post some menues on a thread called No Fooling Around Food and Exercise log. It may give you some ideas. One of my favs is cream in a smoothy and Oopsies with melted cheese. Today, I bought some brie because the fat is 9 grams but the protein is only 4 grams per ounce. Actually, I'm getting ready to post today's and it looks REALLY good numbers wise so take a gander.

Gem, how much meltonin were you taking? I'm taking 9mg at a time, a prescription dose. I didn't think it helped until I took a whopping dose but YMMV.

[CarolynF]

Hi..

June and I did our 2 mile walk plus exercising for an hour this morning..She sold her house already....I'll miss my exercise buddy. She is moving back with her ex-dh to Springfield, MO..

Thanks for the halo kudos, guys..LOLOL...I'm enjoying some lemonade Koolaid made with Splenda..It's 85 here and I know Buffy is sweating, too..and maybe you KC gals.

Hey..Jem..congratulations..

Buffy: You might have to check your suitcase when you go to the Dominican
Republic..you know how much Sandy loves the beach. We can't wait to see the pictures..

Cindy: Yes, I peel my radishes as I think the skin has some tang plus I don't like the red color very much.

I think tonight will be a Nathan's hotdog night. I could light the grill for extra flavor..I guess..or not..

Beth/Shawn are coming down tomorrow night for the Inge Festival. The playwrights they are honoring are the ones who wrote the Fantastiks. Tom
Jones (not the cute one) was here last night for the funky never published
William Inge plays. They were very funky. William Inge was rather funky, too.

[TuscanGirl]

The day is almost over. Only DD22's Convocation to go! *phew*

Carolyn - it's was a horrible day here until about 3:00. It was supposed to be warm, but wasn't!

Buffy - can I come too?

LCChick - snack on pork rinds!

[sjl330]

It's very warm here! Hot even!
I bet you're so proud of DD, MK. Is she your oldest? Enjoy your evening.

[CarolynF]

Mary Kay..Wow..what a day you had. How exciting for ya.. It seems that the end of the year everything always bunches up, doesn't it?

[TuscanGirl]

Morning!

It was so cool last night. the jazz band played a couple of numbers - they're amazing and the speeches were good. It was an hour and a half and it flew by!

DD22 is daughter #2. I also have a DD25 (along with DSalmost20 and DS16!)

Carolyn - it does bunch up at the end of the year!
I'm hoping I don't have to leave the house today - except for a walk!

[TuscanGirl]

One day, long, long ago, there lived a woman who did not whine, nag, or b1tch.






But it was a long time ago, and it was just that one day.

The End

[jem51]

hi everybody. so glad the weather is beginning to change. winters here are so hard for me. i can't wait for the RE market to upturn so i can sell my houses and get the heck out of here.

cindy, i don't remember the amt of melatonin...it's been some years.

started my BHRT cream last night. you guys would laugh at the strength. from what i read there are some pretty high doses.
i told my ARNP that i would rather die than have my periods again. also there's the breast cancer issue....so we started small and will check levels in two mos and symptoms as well.
they also swear by saliva test.

[CarolynF]

Hi everyone..

Sitting here with my hair dye on..LOLOL..I dyed it in the downstairs bathroom..Certainly don't want to dye my new walls and sink upstairs..

Oppss.I have to go take my hormones..Jem: I think if you take too much progesterone you will have your period or something like that. It's good to be careful. The saliva test is much cheaper than the blood test and I do think it's pretty close to the results.

MKay: I loved that cartoon..That was a fairy tale, right???

Cindy, Sandy and I are planning a "meet up" the end of May...Should be very fun.. LOLO..

Big kids are coming home for the weekend. So, I have a bit of cleaning to do before 3:00...I like waiting..

Hey, I drove though Arby's for a salad and they have some new fruit teas with no calories. They had blackberry and peach. The girl didn't know what they are sweetened with..I'm hoping for Splenda..will check their website.

[TuscanGirl]

Oh Carolyn - let me know about the fruit teas! Are they herbal?

And yes, it was a fairy tale!

[sjl330]

Just for the record, anybody is welcome to join us at our meetup. Not just us KS gals.

I cleaned my shower doors this a.m. and then went upstairs to take a shower so I wouldn't mess 'em up, lolol. I always rinse out my hair dye in the one upstairs too. Just in case, I sure don't want to mess up my new shower downstairs.

[CindyCRNA]

Sandy, I'm so excited! I was hoping we could do something like that!

Jem, I'm not convinced by the saliva test but the jury is out so if they like it, go ahead. As for for the breast cancer issue, the preliminary studies feel the likelyhood is less on natural than with the synthetics. Either way, I 'm stepping up my mammograms to yearly but won't stop taking it, even if the risk is slightly increased. I feel too good. I know of women in their 60's and 70's who are still on hormones because they feel like heck off them.

Just got back from my fav place, Costco! I read on a thread that Costco is the US's largest retailer of organic, grass fed, no hormone Australian lamb so I bought a boneless leg for Saturday. I want to pierce it and shove garlic cloves deep into it, rub it with rosemary, olive oil and kosher salt and roast it. I've never made a leg, always chops so I'm excited. Also bought 2-20oz wheels of brie for 1/3 what i paid at the store. I like brie because the fat is twice as high as the protein so it is my new favorite cheese. They also had a big 6 pack of dark pink dianthus to plant so tomorrow is weeding and planting day!

[sjl330]

Yes Cindy, we'll have fun! And it'll be nice to meet you in person as well.
I love Costco too but always spend too much. I've only had lamb one time that I liked it so I'm afraid to try it again. Every other time I ever had it, it was terrible. JMHO, of course, lol.

I potted up 24 geraniums today. I kept my pots cheap this year. When we go on vacation they all end up dying anyway.

[CarolynF]

Hi everyone..

Kids just left for the Gala dinner in town..Hope they have fun.

The tea Arby's is regular iced tea with fruit flavorings..erythritol and Splenda are the sweeteners, so there should be no tummy upsets. It was good and different than a Diet Coke or plain water.

Yes, we would love commuters at our get together.. May 28th..9:30 in Lawrence, KS.

Cindy: I love Costco, but don't belong cuz we are so far away. Beth and Shawn go there alot for cheese, etc..

I'm cooking out some little steaks tonight and will throw together a salad.

Wedding tomorrow..

[ebheffernan]

Hi all! Carolyn invited me over and this sounds interesting, I'm going to go over to the eating and exercise thread to see what you all are eating in a day I'm a 30 year old weighing 147 lbs and want to get down to 130 (I'm 5'6") My lowest weight was last summer at 136. I almost got there! Then I just fell off the wagon and gained 15 lbs :P So I"m back at it! I think if I read the info right I"m aiming for 50-65 gms protein a day. It hasn't been that hard to make decent food choices once I figured out what certain food types do in ****** but I"m sure I'll be adjusting as I go and with lots of questions! Thanks for letting me join!
Becky

[TuscanGirl]

Morning!
I was up at 6:30 but there's a book I'm trying to finish!
It's about 5 days overdue at the library and I just can't seem to sit down long enough to finish it!

DH and I watched Quantum of Solace last night and part of The Pursuit of Happyness (I watched 1/2 and went to bed) DH finished it. He liked it.

Becky! I'd say more protein than that, but I leave it up to our experts!

Carolyn - Lawrence, Kansas? Could you have picked a more out of the way spot!?!
Take pictures please!

Cindy - the lamb sounds wonderful!
We don't have a Costco, just a Sam's - and I usually don't think to go there - I should, I know!

Sandy - I haven't even looked for flowers yet - maybe this week!