KEEP THE SCALE GOING DOWNTON CHALLENGE

[Buffy45]

That's a good idea Judy, he really is more into savory items than sweets. He would hide his halloween, xmas and easter candy and then they would find it months later, he seldom ate any of it.

BJ, I know where you live now , we are not that far away.

Sandy posted a great picture of their snow on FB, very pretty!

Feel a little better today, enough to do my 20 minutes on my treadmill, I felt so washed out the past 2 days that I didn't even do it. I NEED to keep that up to build up my strength and to lower my BP through exercise.

[sjl330]

Buffy, I'm very interested in your neuralgia, bp, DGS's diabetes, just everything really. Friends are interested in friends lives, right???

Cindy, that flu you described sounds like the "food poisoning" my DH had one night and day in Mexico. It was brutal! Luckily I've avoided that one, so far. Now we're dealing with bad head cold/coughing symptoms. Which I already had BEFORE vacation! No fair getting it again.

Those cheez-it crackers sound so good. As does all the things you make Judy. I really need to get into making more goodies. Not so much sweets, I like savory better too. I just need some new "go to" items.

Time to pick the chicken off the bones. That's my least favorite part of making the broth. Bailey is enjoying one of the beef marrow bones right now though. I hope she doesn't break a tooth. I usually only give her raw bones but I knew she'd really like it.

I got good news yesterday. My dad does not have to do chemo or radiation!! I'm so relieved and of course he is too.

[rosewoodb]

Judy- Those cheese-its sound yum. I will try to make them at some point.

Buffy- Neat that we live close! We actually just moved to the area from the east coast a couple months ago. I LOVE it!! I'm glad you got on the treadmill for a bit. I am not fabulous about the exercise. I wish I was more motivated. I'm working on it...

Sandy- Great news about your dad!!!!

I had an avocado for lunch. OMG, my favorite food, I think!!
BJ

[CarolynF]

Hi ladies..

Lots of fun chatter..No school here tomorrow, too..I'm sure in KCity also, so dd will be happy...happy..

Yes, I am waiting for the results of the lupin flour..waiting..) 9 pounds is a lot..

Buffy, you and BJ need a meetup when you are feeling better.

Snow and slush..mostly slush here..I do think Gary will get to try out his huge snowblower tonight..I hope it works and doesn't throw rocks all over the yard and through the windows.

Hope your doctor's visit tomorrow goes well, Buffy..

I made some Italian Sausage soup, with chicken broth/spaghetti sauce base and just
veggies/cooked sausage.. It should last 2 days..for sure.

[Buffy45]

Yes, the worst part of making the stewed chicken, broth is picking the meat off the bones.

Oh BJ, you just moved to TX? Where on the east coast? We will talk again in July and see if you still like TX. July and August are pretty brutal.

Carolyn, report back on snowblower!

[JMCM1]

Originally Posted by Buffy45

Yes, the worst part of making the stewed chicken, broth is picking the meat off the bones.

Oh BJ, you just moved to TX? Where on the east coast? We will talk again in July and see if you still like TX. July and August are pretty brutal.

Carolyn, report back on snowblower!

I'm in Oklahoma.
I generally prefer to dream of spending July & August in Colorado.
Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't....

[sjl330]

Well I couldn't stop him! DH went out to blow the snow off the drive and shovel a path on the deck so the dog can go down. And his umpteen year old snowblower handle broke. I told him he needs to go buy a new one or call somebody to come do it. Did he listen?????? You all know the answer to that.

[CindyCRNA]

Originally Posted by rosewoodb

I had an avocado for lunch. OMG, my favorite food, I think!!
BJ

I eat an avocado every day. I like the ones from Coscto. Haas I think.

[CarolynF]

Oh, Sandy..We all know the answer to that.. Let's hope my dh's snowblower doesn't throw a rod..or anything else..We don't have as much snow as you poor KC peeps..

I love avocados..I need to start buying them and look for good ones..Thanks for the reminder, Cindy..

Judy is right..We are very hot where we live in the summer..and Buffy is even hotter in TX along with BJ..

[rosewoodb]

Originally Posted by Buffy45

Yes, the worst part of making the stewed chicken, broth is picking the meat off the bones.

Oh BJ, you just moved to TX? Where on the east coast? We will talk again in July and see if you still like TX. July and August are pretty brutal.

Carolyn, report back on snowblower!

I moved from Pennsylvania- just 10 minutes from the Delaware border. I'm originally from upstate NY.

I plan on taking my kids back east for all of July through August 14 to visit my husband's family, friends, etc. All the Texas natives tell me I'm smart to do so!

Thanks for the reminder that I need to make broth from the roasted chicken in my fridge!!

BJ

[CarolynF]

Snowblower was a big success and no digits were lost.

BJ, I'm originally from NH, so I enjoy cooler summers, too.

[TuscanGirl]

Hi!

The Book of Mormon was great!
Dinner was yummy!
No shopping though - we had to leave St Louis before the big storm came.
We made it home about an hour ahead of it - and now it's a white-out!
I'm so glad I'm at home!

DH however HAD to go to work - so he said!

Originally Posted by rosewoodb

Hello! I posted a message about being new here. As I read through old posts, I see that most of the talking happens here. Would it be okay if I joined in? Does it help if I, too, love Downton Abbey??

Thanks!

BJ

[JMCM1]

Originally Posted by TuscanGirl

Hi!

The Book of Mormon was great!
Dinner was yummy!
No shopping though - we had to leave St Louis before the big storm came.
We made it home about an hour ahead of it - and now it's a white-out!
I'm so glad I'm at home!

DH however HAD to go to work - so he said!

HA HA! VERY glad you are home!!!

[DebbyL]

Hi girls,

Sorry you're having such bad weather there.

I had a successful day at work. Catching up on all the extra preparation for the annual meeting on Sunday.

Yesterday I started getting migrating joint pain again. (the Dr told me to lower my thyroid meds). Today the migrating joint pain is backing off a bit. But this afternoon I had a bad case of "tired & unmotivated"... didn't "feel" like exercising, but pushed through it. Its sure a good thing that the Dr's show got me distracted long enough to "get into" my exercise.

Oh, yesterday I finally received the Christmas box my sister mailed on Dec. 16th! I think it must of been delivered to someone's box, that was on vacation. Anyway, it was so amazing that it arrived! And fun to open it all. She sent me a whole bunch of sensitive skin cosmetics.

Yeah, tomorrow's Friday.

See ya!

[JMCM1]

Hi Debby!!
How funny about the Christmas box, but it sounds like it was delivered at just the right time.

Hope you are feeling like you are supposed to.

[DebbyL]

Originally Posted by JMCM1

Hi Debby!!
How funny about the Christmas box, but it sounds like it was delivered at just the right time.
Hope you are feeling like you are supposed to.

Thanks Judy
I'm tired. Will be going to bed early...
How's swimming going? What time of the day do you go? Is the class every day? (20 questions)

[JMCM1]

Originally Posted by DebbyL

Thanks Judy
I'm tired. Will be going to bed early...
How's swimming going? What time of the day do you go? Is the class every day? (20 questions)

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday. 8AM except the Sat. class is 9AM.
1 hour class.

But no class today as we had thunder sleet! If it's thundering, they do not allow anyone in the pool. So I stayed home today.

[DebbyL]

Wow that's pretty good, 4 days a week. Its so good you got back to swimming. Bet you're feeling better?!

Bummer about the closure today. Very strange weather, huh?

Have a good night, I'm done!

[JMCM1]

Originally Posted by DebbyL

Bummer about the closure today. Very strange weather, huh?

Oh - not really.
Our favorite son, Will Rogers is the one who said, "If you don't like the weather in Oklahoma, wait a minute and it'll change.”
And it does.

Good night all!

[CarolynF]

Good morning ladies,

Trying to decide if I want to go today. Lol. The roads are probably pretty good, but the parking lots might be icy. Hmmmm

Judy, 8 am for swimming!!! Good for you. I love the Will Rogers museum in Claremore.

Debby..hope you are better today. Pain is no fun and didn't realize that your thyroid meds were involved.

So glad you had fun in St. Louis at The Fox. My Columbia, Illinois friends go there a lot.
How much snow did you get??

I wonder if Sandy and Cindy have dug out yet.

Be safe everyone. Good luck at the doctor's office.

[rosewoodb]

Good morning! Nice to see some chatter here.

Debby- Sorry about your migrating pain! Is it in your joints? I have psoriatic arthritis and I have migrating joint pain (although the doc said it's not typical in PsA, but with me it's the case). I don't know much about thyroids. I do hope you start feeling better! Great you got to workout. I'm heading to the gym in a few myself! That leads me to:

I FINALLY feel not tired and motivated this morning after about a month (aka when I was eating more carbs, especially sugar) and will get to the gym without fighting myself!! Also, I am down yet another pound, getting me almost to my previous maintenance weight. That's 4 lbs in 5 days.

Also, I read through Living the Low Carb Life by Jonny Bowden. Has anyone else read it? I found it a quick, informative read. I especially liked his list of things to do when you plateau. I am going to note them down and refer back to them if I hit the wall again. I think staying at the same weight for a month will be my indicator for a stall. Opinions? Too long? Too short? Thanks in advance.

LOVE the Will Rogers quote! All the native N. Texans I meet tell me that the rule of thumb here is wait a day. Too true!

Have a great day!!

BJ

[JMCM1]

Good morning,

BJ - good for you!!
What a great loss in 5 days. So are you at maintenance weight now? Or are you where you were maintaining for awhile and you wish to lose more?

I am not an expert on how long qualifies for a stall.
If you google ATLCX Long Term Stalls and Weight Gain you'll find a Jimmy Moore Podcast with Stephen Phinney - I've downloaded it but haven't listened to it.
I keep all those podcasts on my little mp3 player and listen to them while I'm on my noisy treadmill, so I keep them like money in the bank!
Let me know if you liked this one -

I forgot the difference I felt last year starting this way of eating - it is invigorating for sure.

Carolyn I hope you have avoided ice today!

Hello to all!

[DebbyL]

Originally Posted by JMCM1

Oh - not really.
Our favorite son, Will Rogers is the one who said, "If you don't like the weather in Oklahoma, wait a minute and it'll change.”
And it does.

Sounds like Kansas!

Originally Posted by CarolynF

Good morning ladies,
Debby..hope you are better today. Pain is no fun and didn't realize that your thyroid meds were involved.

Yes, I seem to get that symptom as soon as my level drops. At least I know what it is now!

Originally Posted by rosewoodb

Good morning! Nice to see some chatter here.
Debby- Sorry about your migrating pain! Is it in your joints? I have psoriatic arthritis and I have migrating joint pain (although the doc said it's not typical in PsA, but with me it's the case). I don't know much about thyroids. I do hope you start feeling better! Great you got to workout. I'm heading to the gym in a few myself! That leads me to:
I FINALLY feel not tired and motivated this morning after about a month (aka when I was eating more carbs, especially sugar) and will get to the gym without fighting myself!! Also, I am down yet another pound, getting me almost to my previous maintenance weight. That's 4 lbs in 5 days.
Also, I read through Living the Low Carb Life by Jonny Bowden. Has anyone else read it? I found it a quick, informative read. I especially liked his list of things to do when you plateau. I am going to note them down and refer back to them if I hit the wall again. I think staying at the same weight for a month will be my indicator for a stall. Opinions? Too long? Too short? Thanks in advance.
LOVE the Will Rogers quote! All the native N. Texans I meet tell me that the rule of thumb here is wait a day. Too true!
Have a great day!!
BJ

Hi
Sorry you have migrating pain & arthritis, not fun... mine just gives me very strange pain, like carpel tunnel one day, then moves! Very weird. It is a typical low thyroid symptom.
Great you're feeling so good & having such progress
I call 2-3 weeks at the same wt. a plateau. Hope you don't face one too soon!
Have a great Friday everyone!

[rosewoodb]

Thank you, Debby and Judy for the encouragement!! I am very pleased!

Debby- That's miserable about the pain that your thyroid condition causes. Are there any forms of relief? Does this WOE help? It absolutely helps my PsA. Sugar is truly not a friend to my joints.

Judy- Thanks for the podcast tip. Sounds PERFECT for the treadmill!!

I am now ready to drop 10-20 more lbs. I maintained the loss at 160 (I was 160.5) for 18 months, but I was really busy with work that I didn't bother to look into losing additional weight (my goal is 140 by the end of 2014, but would be pleased if I hit it by the end of 2013!!). I feel reinvigorated as I am no longer employed (due to the move- husband's letting be take a break after 12 intense years in education. I'll go back to the work force at some point. I just get to work on ME now. Oh, and my kids, ages 6 and 9 who like seeing mom more ). I have to keep telling myself "Carpe Diem". This WOE has motivated me. I'm finally ready to reach my goal!!

BJ

[JMCM1]

BJ, sounds like you have the tools you need - you've read and you are already losing, so that's great.

Do you track your food intake? That's very eye-opening and helpful if not.

[rosewoodb]

Judy- Yes, I track with an online program (also on my phone). It is crucial for me, I'm discovering, because I can EAT!! Seeing exactly what I need to eat (I have it set at 60% fat, 25% protein, and 15% total carbs) really keeps me focussed and lets me feel somewhat in control.

BJ

[Buffy45]

Quick check in for today. Have had company this morning and now getting ready to go to cardio Dr. for recheck. Then need to hit a sale at Belk, get a gift, get some birthday cards and pick up chicken thighs which are on sale at our Tom Thumb. Then I am sure it will be home to my chair for the evening.

Did hit the treadmill for my 20 minutes after company left.

BJ, sounds like you are all set.

Judy, hope your pain is better. Have never noticed an increase in pain when my thyroid is off, but pain seems to come and go at my age, never know what causes it.

[JMCM1]

BJ it does sound like you've got your groove going. Well, how will I meddle in your affairs if you are handling everything so well?????
I'll come up with something....

Buffy my dear you sound like you were before all the high BP stuff! Well done you on the treadmill. I didn't swim yesterday or today so I will treadmill in solidarity with you!

This morning we woke up to water running down an interior wall. Called the roofing company and the company who installed our new heating/air in the attic last summer. It's slightly alarming, but it's not arms and legs, so.... we'll see who points at whom and see how it all shakes out.

Anyhoozle, you all probably have favorite chili recipes. I've had this recipe sitting out on my counter for weeks waiting to try it. Since I started cooking for kiddos-to-be I often just make double of whatever I'm making them.

This is Maria's recipe, I'm sure you've seen or already have it, but can tell by the "Healthified". If you like spicy, you will like this. I don't know if I can wait the 2 hours for it to get even better.
I did not have 2lbs. of ground beef, so just used 1 and used 1 lb. ground sausage. After I got the onion and garlic in with the meat mixture, I put all my dry spices in and let it cook with the meat for about 10 minutes before adding any other liquid. I had a previous recipe that recommended that method and I think it makes the flavors seem very deep (or maybe I'm just ready to start my own TV show and needed some jibber jabber!)

This is going to be very good for many days, even if we have workmen here tearing up drywall and roofing. But it IS spicy.

"HEALTHIFIED" TAILGATE CHILI

2 pounds grass fed ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage
2 (28 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 oz.) tomato paste (Judy omitted)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
2 green chilies chopped (Judy used a can of chopped chilies)
4 pieces bacon (fried, drained and chopped)
1 cup beef broth (homemade if possible!)
¼ cup chili powder
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp stevia glycerite (optional) (Judy omitted)
1 (8 oz.) block Cheddar cheese, shredded

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground beef and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chili peppers, bacon bits, and beef broth. Season with chili powder, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and stevia. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.

Serve with "Healthified" Cheez Its! Makes 12 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Chili = 409 calories, 21g fat, 23g protein, 28 carbs, 6 g fiber (22 effective carbs)
"Healthified" Chili = 396 calories, 20g fat, 31g protein, 12 carbs, 4 g fiber (8 effective carbs)

[DebbyL]

Originally Posted by rosewoodb

Thank you, Debby and Judy for the encouragement!! I am very pleased!
Debby- That's miserable about the pain that your thyroid condition causes. Are there any forms of relief? Does this WOE help? It absolutely helps my PsA. Sugar is truly not a friend to my joints.
I am now ready to drop 10-20 more lbs. I maintained the loss at 160 (I was 160.5) for 18 months, but I was really busy with work that I didn't bother to look into losing additional weight (my goal is 140 by the end of 2014, but would be pleased if I hit it by the end of 2013!!). I feel reinvigorated as I am no longer employed (due to the move- husband's letting be take a break after 12 intense years in education. I'll go back to the work force at some point. I just get to work on ME now. Oh, and my kids, ages 6 and 9 who like seeing mom more ). I have to keep telling myself "Carpe Diem". This WOE has motivated me. I'm finally ready to reach my goal!! BJ

Thanks BJ, Thanks, I only get that pain when my meds aren't right. Still regulating them... it was only 1 day last month, 2 days this time.
Its great that you are so motivated & have the time to work at it too.

Originally Posted by rosewoodb

Judy- Yes, I track with an online program (also on my phone). It is crucial for me, I'm discovering, because I can EAT!! Seeing exactly what I need to eat (I have it set at 60% fat, 25% protein, and 15% total carbs) really keeps me focussed and lets me feel somewhat in control. BJ

Sounds like the pal I use.

[JMCM1]

Originally Posted by DebbyL

Sounds like the pal I use.

I see what you did there!