Penpal match? Just turned 50, want to lose 75!

[sleepysue07]

SHOOT! I don't know what on earth I just did, but I may have a partial post floating around out there somewhere!

Well, I have not been doing well with eating this week. Tired of lighter summer fare my guys have been demanding their favorite meals this week and I have been cooking and eating them all as well. I have also been baking, and eating those too. I plan to crawl back on the wagon with you on October 1st Sue.

I got the news today that MIL is coming back not this coming weekend, but the next! Oh, good grief! Enough already! She has been here a total of four weekends since May! She is extremely rude, nosy, and pushy. I cannot take her anywhere that she doesn't offend someone....not even to church! My friends avoid her as if she were the plague when she is here. She is just a lunatic. I am seriously thinking of being out of town when she comes. My sister has been asking me to visit her, and that may just be a great time to go. My DBIL has liver cancer and I need to visit with them before he is too ill for visitors.

Well tomorrow is Friday, and that always turns out to be the busiest day of the work week for me. DS1 is coming home for the weekend, so I am looking forward to seeing him. DS2 has a football game a hundred miles from home tomorrow, so we will be on the road tomorrow evening, so I won't be around to post anything tomorrow.

Sue, what a beautiful place! Oh my goodness, how many square feet is it? In the avi it looks aboslutely huge! I never give up the coffee. I can't. I can give up caffeine in everything else, but not coffee.

Leslie, it sounds as though you have been burning calories out in the garden as well. Good for you! Have you girls always been this active?

Where is Kayann? Hope all is well.

Have a great day tomorrow everyone,

Carolyn

[Suji]

Hi Carolyn,

I think overall the area under roof might be 4000sf BUT remember one of those wings is a pool building and most of the house is "under construction" inside. The outside looks really neat though, huh? The eastern orientation hides the third wing (the current kitchen and "whatever it once was" room--summer kitchen?) I am looking forward to returning to that work after the garden peters out--speaking of which--I just finished peeling the last batch of paste tomatoes to make a sauce to freeze. I don't think I'm active enough to get all the things done that I would like to, kiddo. I spend a fair amount of indolent time with my eyes glazed over staring out windows -- for real!!!
I do love coffee-but going off it gives my teeth a chance to whiten and I feel improved. But it is a comfort ritual I share with my DH who does not like tea.

DS2 came home last night. He tries to come home 1x per month. It's nice to see him but from his sniffle/coughing it sounds like he needs some vitamins or something while he's here.

I'm sorry about your adversarial MIL. Don't you have any say in how often she comes to visit? My DH wouldn't dare invite without running it by me first so that I have a chance to prepare things or suggest a different date! He's learned it is worth it to ask! SOrry about your DBIL--cancer scares the heck out of me.

You and I will make it a date for Oct 1, OK? We'll need to make sure we have our easy to make/eat personal stash ready to avoid temptation...

Hi Kayan, Pam and Leslie!

Sue

[Dreamcometru]

Hi Sue and Carolyn:

I think by scheduling Oct 1 as a start date, you guys will do great! Jump in and take off.

Carolyn, sorry about your DBIL. I hope the best for him. Like I said, my MIL is suffering from cancer right now. I hope things go okay with your MIL. It's really tough sometimes. When I first married DH, I had so much trouble getting along with my SIL. She's very well to do, but for some reason the jealousy factor comes out in her. DH and I would scrape by to make ends meet (heck, we still do) and she would still find something to get jealous about. We would buy a car, she would buy a car, our DD1 went to UofO, they sent their son who is 10 years older to UofO, my DS mentioned going to University of Hawaii, now their son is talking about going to University of Hawaii, we bought a new TV, they bought a GIANT big screen TV, etc. etc. It's really weird. But I don't let it bother me and SIL and I are actually good friends now.

Good luck tonight at the football game. I know your son will do well.

My DS didn't do so well at jazz tryouts and got beat out by another kid. I hope it was a wakeup call for him that he needs to take this very seriously. We'll see.

Sue: I am a caffein addict. I drink about 3 cups of coffee every morning. I was told caffein could affect weight loss so I switched to decaf. It didn't make any difference so I switched back to regular. I also drink at least one cup of green tea a day and sometimes in the afternoon or evening herb tea or black tea. I went through the teeth whitening process b/4 the wedding. I was told to give up coffee and tea during that time but I didn't. I just couldn't. Sounds like you are still really busy on the farm.

I'm meeting my friend from high school tonight. We try to get together at least once every other month. DD2 came home for the weekend. I was so excited to see her. She applied at about 20 places. I hope someone calls her soon for a job. She's also decided to participate in student government. She was turned down for a general scholarship this year (she still has her academic scholarship though). But we think it's because she didn't participate in any on campus activities last year, so she's going to try to become more involved this year.

Have a great weekend ladies. I will probably check back on Monday.

[Pam in TX]

Morning all,

Sorry to have been MIA this past week..... It has been a really stressful time.....

Went to see my sister last Sat and twice they had to call their "Dr Fleet" which is their equivalent of a code blue.... the first time I was there by myself (has finally talked my parents into going home for a while)..... I had stepped outside so she could use the bathroom and when I came back to check on her she was passed out.... took them about 10-15 minutes before she responded to them..... then a couple hours later it happened again (at least this time she was in bed).... So I ended up spending the night there in the hospital waiting room..... Then on Sunday I got home about 10pm and then about midnight my dad called and said she was running a temp of 104.8 and was asking for my mom (we had convinced her to sleep at home).... He didn't want my mom to drive up there in a panic so asked if I would go get her.... Got to the hospital about 2:00 am and ended up spending the night Monday night again.... but at least this time I talked my mom into going home and I stayed at their house.... Can't get my dad to leave for anything.... She ran temps off and on this whole week, and they have done MRIs, CAT scans, and aren't finding out anything really..... The fungal infection has now gone 10 days with no new growth, which is good..... but now they say she has a bacterial infection as well.... and believe that the picclines may be part of the problem, so that has been removed again..... Her blood volume and red cell counts are low so last night she got a transfusion of 2 units.... Hopefully that will help..... I am going back up today and planning on spending the night tonight.... I asked my dad to consider that if all is going well let me spend the night, him go home and then he and mom can go to church together Sunday morning then come up.... Well, he didn't immediately say no, which is the usual response.....

Carolyn: I can totally relate to the not staying on plan..... October 1st sounds like a good starting point to me.... How was the game?

Leslie: You continue to be such and inspiration..... How was the visit with your HS friend? and DD? Sometimes our kids have to learn those lessons the hard way.... My DS is one that always seems to excel without trying really hard.... One of these days it will hit though..... He refers to it as "winging it" Well, those "wings" need a little clipping at times.....

Sue: I never gave up the caffine when I started LC eating..... It hasn't prevented me from losing..... I only drink about 2 cups a day though, so don;t know if that matters..... I agree that the picture of the farm is gorgeous.... looks so peaceful....

DH just got up so I need to go get some laundry going, and get some housework done before heading out of town....

Have a wonderful weekend ladies......

[Dreamcometru]

Hi Ladies:

I'm coming off of a quiet weekend. My selfish son got upset with me for wanting to spend time with DD2 while she was home instead of going driving with him. He didn't speak to me for a day and a half. But ha, I hold everything over him. Unfortunately he needs me. Too bad, so he had to save face last night and apologize. I knew if I held out, it would come soon.

Anyway, that allowed me to get lots of fall yard cleaning done. To get ready for the onslaught of leaves to come. I cleaned out my beds, trimmed the roses, cut down stray walnut and maple trees (phew they grow fast), etc. The yard looks a little better. I still want to give it one last blow with the weed wacker and attack all the areas where weeds grow freely with roundup before the leaves fall now that I'm not planting anything else until next spring. My oak tree was baron of acorns. The squirrels had a hey day.

Pam: Its good to hear from you. I'm so sorry the troubles continue with your sister. I will continue to keep you and your family in my prayers.

Okay, so Sue, Carolyn and Pam, you have all jumped on the band wagon for October 1st. Let's do this. I hope I can still tag along.

I have started to drop the weight again though. Especially this last week. Changing things up has really helped. I've also found a great website that computes how many calories, protein, fats, etc. I should consume but will still enable me to lose weight. I will PM you guys with it if you want. Just let me know.

Until later.
Leslie

[Suji]

Wow-I forgot to post yesterday.

I am going nuts--that after school volunteer garden club adventure has landed directly in my lap and I need to come up with 6 weeks worth (1x per week) of gardener related craft activities for anywhere from 1st to 6th graders that can be completed in one hour or less. Arrghh. I figured I was going to be someone's helper and get my bearings that way, but I'm suddenly the lead--apparently. If you guys have any thoughts on things I could do with these kids--please hold forth! I'm supposed to give the school an idea of what I'm going to do by this Friday although the event doesn't start until Oct 8. So, HELP!!! (I have some books from the library but most of the books are in other branches. If I'd known I was going to have to be lead, I would have spent mucho time researching ideas.

DS2 went back to VT yesterday and will be home in around 4 weeks again to see his GF mostly. :-) I always worry about those long drives back and forth on heavily travelled roads (concern over trucks mostly). He's fine with it.

Three lots around us have sold already. That's fast. The house crew started putting the roof on yesterday and are almost done with it--are cladding now on the far side. COnstruction crew is working on the water/sewer systems for the hill.

DS3's birthday is tomorrow. I have to shop for food items and gifts. I have no clue what to get him since he doesn't even know what he wants.

5 days to go before LC re:Induction guys!
Have any of you been following the hoopla on this Kimkins thing (large number of posts by irked persons) and some of the lowered metab rates some of the participants are complaining about? I don't know if *all* followers would eventually get that problem or just some.(??)

Sue

[Dreamcometru]

Hi Sue:

Yah, I've been reading the Kimkins stuff. I'm in a challenge and one of the ladies who was right in the middle of it started her own thread because she got so frustrated. It's so hard to tell from posts on this site what is true and what isn't so although I read some of it, I never comment because I consider myself very uninformed.

Wow, the gardening thing. First, I'm well aware of how things like that can get dumped on you. It's happened to me many times. I had to design crafts for five days related to various bible stories at vacation bible school years back. It wasn't my idea to head up the whole thing, but it ended up that way. I will give it some thought and ask around. But no guarantees on cool ideas.

I know about the commute and the worries. I worry about both my DD's. One travels about 120 miles to school and the other about 65. Now, not nearly as far as your son, but still, until they call to tell me they got back safely, I don't rest.

Hi Carolyn, Kayan and Pam.

[kayan]

morning Ladies

Sorry to have been missing in action.
I didn't make it to the wedding DFIL was so worked up that I stayed home with him so my DMIL could go. DFIL has Alz. It seems that since I "only" work 3 days a week, I have plenty of time, to be available to cook, and run errands and get their supper on the table every night. Don't get me wrong, I love my DIL's but DSIL is all about her Husband
and in denial about her parents needing help. DH says don't do so much make DSIL do something, but I told him then it is your parents that are losing out because she doesn't just get it.

I am doing pretty good getting my eating back on track, Have had no Ice cream for 2 weeks and no real urge yet.

Maybe its the time of year, I don't know, but have been in a real funky mood, I don't want to do anything.

Pam: How is your sister doing? Hopefully they can figure out what the problem is for once and for all. Just hang in there

Leslie: Kids!!!! always a challenge. My mom and her sister just got bqack from Oregon
I don't know what area they visited will have to ask

Sue: Pleaaaaase send me some of your energy. I need a giant kick in the butt. My yoga class has started back up so hopefully that will get me in gear again.

Carolyn: I think Oct. 1st sounds like a plan. I need to start taking better care of myself and will aim for that. Apparently??? I swapped a day at work with someone I had yesterday off and am working Sat for her. That puts me on a 4 day stretch. a 14, 14, 9, 14 . I found out Mon. just before I left for the day, which was a good thing, because I would of not been happy to go in Tuesday and found out I made the trip for nothing

Everyone have a good day

off to help DMIL clean house and floors Her housekeeper just cancelled this week

Kayan

[Suji]

Hi Guys--
I'm waiting for the oven to heat up. I guess the gas went out or something since I had to light it (generally the oven pilot is on all the time). I have made my DS3 a bundt chocolate swirl poundcake for his birthday and am about to continue with a jello dessert too (ambrosia). Sounds so LC, huh?! I am eating tomato sandwiches daily since giving up both bread and tomatoes is going to be hard with so many wonderful huge ones still coming from the farm. Arrgghhh!!! I think I really have a problem with wheat and weight gain. I don't eat a lot of daily starches, but I notice that when I do, right away I start to retain significant water. I'm looking at wheat since that is the regular daily starch lately.

I still am strugglng with the crafts. I have some general ideas but not being a craft making person, I don't have a clue how long it takes to make things. I've seen some good ideas, but can they be finished in under an hour and how much will the cost be for materials, etc? This is my problem...

Well--back to birthday doins'!

Sue

[Suji]

Well, it's me posting again I see! I went to the farm yesterday to help harvest some things (eggplant, peppers, wax beans) and to pull up spent plants followed by sowing cover crops (rye). Tomatoes are still ripening on the vines plus okra, summer squash, some melons, corn, beets, winter squash, peas, lettuces, kale and raab coming on too. I am no longer deadheading in order for some things to set seed for me to collect.

Tomorrow I will be at the Harvest Festival volunteering with DS3 in the scarecrow making department put on this year by the CC Historic Society. Next week is garden club so I need to get a bunch of dried goodies collected from hither and yon to take in for an activity. Speaking of which I did get an outline together to submit for the after school thingy starting the second week of October. I am going to continue to solicit advice from the old hands to supplement my ideas.

SO, three more days until D-day, gals. Monday Oct 1 is get back on the wagon day. My diet is going to be totally weird for the next 2 weeks as I have decided to go mono protein daily plus lettuce, switching to the new protein source each day. So Monday for me is egg day. (rolls eyes). I will be taking a TB or so of olive oil for fats if the protein source is LF. Like I said before, I have to make transition as easy to prep as possible so that I occupy my thoughts with other things than missing tomato sandwiches!!!

Later gaters,

Sue

[Dreamcometru]

Hi Sue: Sounds like you are still busy as ever. Don't know how you do it. The harvest festival sounds really fun.

I spent last night with my mom, bro and SIL. We took her to Red Lobster for dinner. It was really good, but I didn't eat clean. I had two bisquets and some breaded shrimp. Ooops. Oh well, the scale didn't show a gain this morning so I'm okay with it.

Perhaps while you guys get back on the wagon Oct. 1, I can make it an "eat clean" month. I really want to drop a few more lbs before Nov. 9th which is my anniversary date from when I started this whole journey.

Hope all is well with you guys, Carolyn, Kayan and Pam.

[Suji]

Hi Guys,
Time for participating Pals to check in for re-induction!
I haven't eaten anything--just my obligatory coffee which I cam going to wean myself off from over the next few weeks. Gotta start with something normal! AS mentioned--today I'm doing eggs every which way. And I'll have green stuff--I need to look up how much I'm allowed per day as I don't remember exactly. And water...

The scarecrow making volunteering was good. There were quite a few of us together and we'd go from slow to mad onslaught of people with kids coming in. DS3 and I collaborated on making two of them. A bunch of scarecrows lined up in a seated position do tend to look like a bunch of drunks, ya know???!!

I'll be cleaning up the house today. I did not go to the farm yesterday as DH was involved in a project and I was served an annoying headache that lasted from Saturday through half of Sunday. Was it a food allergen? I dunno.

Well, I'll be looking for the rest of you to chime in today on whatever mode you've chosen to get back into the swing of things...

Later,
Sue

[Dreamcometru]

Hi Sue:

Although I'm not going back to induction, I want to try to make October my month to lose. I started my morning right and brought only LC low calorie foods for lunch. I hope I can stick to this. I'm going to try to drink more water which I was not so good at this weekend. In addition, I kind of cheated bad saturday and sunday. Darn that cheesecake. And, of course my weight is up. Oh well, the cheesecake is gone now, so not to tempt me any more.

Okay, we got rain, rain rain and more rain. Unusual for us this time of year, but our region needed it so badly. We had been dry for so long. Unfortunately it means DH isn't working. Oh well, we always manage to make ends meet.

DD1 and I spent the day together Saturday. Her husband was in town doing something else so she really had nothing to do. We ended up going to the zoo. I bought her the same kind of camera I have for graduation so we spent the time taking photos and comparing notes, trying new things with the cameras, etc. It was really fun.

Carolyn, Kayan and Pam, hi.

[Suji]

OK. I'm an idiot!!
I did so great today with staying LC. Then, my DH gets home and As Usual he makes a beverage for the two of us. Unthinkingly, I down half a white Russian before I remember that I'm not supposed to have anything like this now. I gave the rest of the glass to him, but the damage has been done.
*SIGH*
Back to the beginning...

[sleepysue07]

Oh good grief! I forgot that today was our start day and I had a burger and chips for dinner. I am not going to be going to be doing induction. I once lost 70 pounds in four and a half months following this plan, and managed to keep it off for many years, so I though that I would give it another try:

No more than 45 grams of sugar per day
No more than 25 grams of fat per day
No more than 2400 mg sodium per day
8 8 oz. glasses of water
70% of calories from non starchy fruits, veggies, whole grain products
Daily vitamins
At least 180 minutes of excercise per week.

This is the plan that my doctor put me on back in the 80's, and it worked very well for me, so I am going to give it a try again.

I weighed in this evening at 216. My goal is going to be to lose 80 pounds by October 2nd of next year. This will put me at 136. I know that sounds like a lot, but I can do anything that I determine to do, so I am going for it. I need to be healthier, and right now I do not feel very healthy.

My son is taking me to his gym to work out tomorrow, so I am sort of looking forward to that.

I will check in tomorrow.

Carolyn

[Pam in TX]

Hi all,

I started again yesterday also..... Was really tough, since we were having lunch at work yesterday for my bday..... I did well though... A coworker made me a cheesecake with splenda and I had a very small piece of it....

Spent Friday and Saturday at the hospital with my sis..... Looks like we have 2 more weeks to go.... She has to go 2 weeks with no fever and clean blood cultures...

Work is pretty busy right now, so am heading in early..... Have a good day everyone....

[Suji]

Hey Carolyn and Pam!
Whatever you can stick to the best is what works, hey?
I'm off to the farm today where I get to explain to our friend that I can't eat the stuff he made for me. Ooops. I think it's a sweet/sour cabbage something or other. I'll be harvesting tomatoes for the next bout of canning today.
What am I having--uh tuna? Boiled eggs? Thin salami? Whatever--it has to be travel food.

Pam, that's nice of your friend to use the Splenda stuff so you could have some! Here's hoping your sister can get that stuff out of her system.

Kayan and Leslie--Hi!

I've got to find dried plants/grasses for the garden club flower arrangement activity tomorrow!

TTFN!
Sue

[razberry]

Hi ladies. Ventured onto the pen-pal section, and noticed your group of middle-aged (45-55 year old) pen-pals. Sounded just like what I needed as I'm turning 46 next month and am bummed at having gotten off plan and gained recently. Can I join your thread? I'm trying to find my best program for long-term success, but what I'm doing now is combining calorie cycling with the Carb Addict plan. I do best if I post regularly, keeps me accountable.

Well, hope everyone is doing well. Today I had a lean sausage patty for bkfst and brought a green salad and sausage pattie for lunch (made a bunch of sausage patties yesterday to have ready in the AM since I usually grab and go and can't take anymore eggs right now). For supper will have Dreamfield's pasta with homemade sauce, zuchinni, and a piece of diet chocolate.

[Dreamcometru]

Hi Ladies:

Welcome aboard razberry. The more the merrier. Jump right in and post away. I've been carb shifting. Sometimes it works and my body lets go and other times, I can't seem to drop anything. I'm unfamiliar with the carb addict plan, so I need to learn more. Okay, do you have kids, where do you live, give us the scoop on you.

Okay, so I ate clean yesterday except for the wheat thins. But I counted those toward my carbs. I'm was up considerably in my carb count, but the rest of my eating was good. My weight remained the same. So today, let's see if I can do better.

Pam: Happy birthday! I didn't know it was your birthday yesterday. I hope you were able to enjoy it. Wow, that was so kind of your co-worker to make a splenda cheesecake. My birthday is next Monday. I hope your sis continues to make progress. Two more weeks. Hang in there. Perhaps these two weeks will make all the difference in the world for her.

Carolyn: Today is another day. Wow, the plan you are going on looks great. You can do it. My goal is 136, but everyone tells me with my 5'8" frame, that's too thin We'll see. It depends I guess on how long it takes me to get there, if I ever do. Everyone says I should settle for around 160. That still sounds like too much. But I can take my losses in 10 lb increments and go from there. The cool thing is right now, I can buy regular clothes. The sad part is I don't have any winter clothes that fit.

Sue, it sounds like you did good otherwise. Yes, I agree, portable foods are difficult. Fortunately we have a fridge at work so I can make something and store it here. Look at it this way, at least you will have tons of tomatoes to enjoy all winter long.

Hi Kayan: I hope all is well.

[Suji]

Wha? Pam's birthday? How'd I miss that? And Miss Leslie too! Libras like my son. :-)

So far, so good-'cept the water which I am just drinking NOW at 4:15. I had eggs for breakfast, tuna for lunch. Prolly eggs for dinner with a bit of ham. Salami for post farm snack!

I picked more tomatoes which are not ripening as fast. COme the frost we will have a lot of greenies! There are many peppers but DF (Dear Friend?) wants more of them to turn color. Did you know it takes at least an extra month or more for green peppers to turn red (or yellow, sometimes orange)? That's one reason they are expensive, I guess.
I'm so glad the jalapenos are producing like mad so they can get canned up!

THe plants were gorgeous around the porch today, Some huge purple and blue morning glories were clambering up and over the yew bushes in concert with orange-y yellow nasturtiums. My asters are looking really nice as were all the salvias--just buzzing with huge black bottomed bumble bees today. We were getting a breeze from the southwest and it was a partly cloudy day with moments of overcast. Very nice! I just sat on the porch steps for a while and admired the chaotic tumble of contesting flowers. You can see some of the nasturtiums in my avatar pic.

I am getting antsy to get the back patio cleared off. We haven't made much progress in the heat and the money to fix things is kinda tight at the moment so I have to be patient. But all the old wood timbers could surely be cleared off and the slates discarded! I am wanting to get back to plastering too and cleaning things out. The desire to "change centers" is on me!

Ah, I see another Texan is here in Razberry's stats. Howdy do. I'm a former Texas resident now in the mid-Atlantic and Pam and Carolyn are the official TX gals. We also have a New Englander (Kayan) and a west coaster (Leslie). Welcome to you and like Leslie says, it's your turn to "dish"!

Sue

[sleepysue07]

Doing great today. I have been trying to keep really busy to keep myself distracted (you know keeping my hands busy)

Leslie, we have the same goal weight. I am sure that 136 will look smaller on you because you are two inches taller than I am. At the rate you have been going, I have every confidence that you will make it! I am so very impressed with your ability to wear regular clothes! You are definitely my inspiration.

Sue the new avatar is beautiful. Thanks so much for the pepper info, I never knew that and found it really interesting. I have a new pink begonia in a pot. Will this survive indoors, or does it need to be outside in the sun?

Kayan, are you starting up again with us? I have been interested in yoga myself. I bought some DVD's and a mat and other gear, but that's as far as I ever got. Maybe I need to dig it out of the closet. I am afraid to join a class at this weight.

Pam, Still keeping you and your family in my prayers. Can you suggest a good at home tutorial that I could use to improve my Excel skills?

Razberry, we are so glad to have you join us!

I hope that you all have a wonderful tomorrow,

Carolyn