New and would like a buddy

[yellowhair11]

Today is my weigh day - but i have to have some coffee and go to the bathroom first ! I did not do that great yesterday watching all those movies with bf i fear. He picked up a baked chicken and a couple pounds of shrimp - if i was on an atkins type plan i would have been ok. I munched on that in addition to some sugar free candy, the pretzels, and had some low fat ice cream.

Hello C and HB !

T-I have reverse insomnia but i do start work at 530AM also so im sure thats a big part of it. I sleep around 5 hrs. during the week and tend to nap on the weekends to make up. I have tried every sleeping pill and they just keep me up or give me a hangover headache the next day. I take a xanax to get to sleep and for anxiety-stress. What will you be doing in Tucson-a fun trip ? Thats great you only gained a pound or 2 in your slump-it could have been 5 or more !

D-you did so good at the Chinese buffet-im glad you mentioned the chicken and broccoli as s3 ordered delivery the other day and i could not think of anything to order so i passed and had the WW microwave meal-ughh. As far as the drink goes-yes-you dont even have to put juice in it-sugar free is fine or none. I use grapefruit to cut the taste-probably dont even need it - im sure i chose grapefruit thinking subconciously of the grapefruit diet from 30 yrs. ago. I take a couple of the omega 3 capsules a day. I have the high choles. pills too - but i stopped taking when i started this diet - my plan is to see the dr. in another month and see if thats improved-previously i ate sausage alot and those cape cod chips every day. Planning for that occasion is a great idea-it may not be so hard then.

BF has to work a half day today and asked if i would go to a Brazilian restaurant today-he gets these half off certificates. Anyway ive been there before and the waiters keep coming with mounds of diff. meats that they carve off for you at your table. Its a very pricey joint. His certificates are expiring soon, I cant deal with this place on my plan, it would be a waste $$ for me, plus I hate going to Miami. I just told him I cannot do it-take one of your friends. BF is in good shape - eats whatever he wants.

You guys would laugh if you saw me right now - I was looking for something the other day and ran across a device I must have bought 3 yrs. ago. Its called the melt belt-you wrap it around your stomach, plug it in, and sit,lay down, for 30 minutes. Infrared ions heat that attacks fat-burns 600 calories per session. So im sitting here typing with the melt belt on and yes i know about device bs but I will say that my back has been way better since i started using this-my back was killing me the other day and felt alot better after my session. Its actually not a piece of junk.

What is everyone going to do with the fatter-fat clothes as we lose weight ???? I have mounds of clothes all over the place - lost closet when s3 moved in. I have clothing in 8 diff. sizes at least !!!! Most with tags still on ! I donated a bunch last year but that did not even make a dent. I think "well what if i gain the weight back due to illness - injury" and then can I afford new clothes if this happens. Why do i keep clothes from 35 years ago - thats funny -as they came and went back in style at least a couple of times. I sold some stuff on e bay but by the time you take the pic, post, ship, its not worth my time. I keep cooler climate clothes too "in case" I retire to a diff. climate. Its awful-I need a boot to do something about this mess.

Sundays AM i go grocery shopping-it took me a long time last week because i started label reading. I may go to gym 1972 as gym 2002 is closed on Sundays. Gym 1972 does not have the nice amenities that I like so much. All i can manage is the treadmill and yesterday I felt im burning more calories doing the pool thing vs turtle treadmill walk. I am debating on whether to buy a food scale or not.

Just got on the scale and I lost 1 pound this week- not real excited and somewhat disappointed I must admit.

[Denise78]

The party's over and I survived! Ds2 had 18 kids here last night. All the girls left at midnight so at least I was asleep by 12:30 am, with the last boy (not sleeping over) leaving at 1:30 am. Two boys slept over so that worked out well. The kids had a bonfire (was in the 50's all day so perfect weather to toast some marshmallows!) and they played the new XBox 360 game, Guitar Hero, that we gave Colby for his b'day. Then they watched movies. It was good to see them all have such a great time!

I made the kids lots of munchies...pizza rolls, mozzarella sticks, quesadillas, buffalo chicken bites, pigs in a blanket, pepperoni, cheese & crackers and chips & dip. I was so good and only had some pepperoni slices although my mouth was watering for everything else!

Yesterday's menu:

B-scrambled eggs, 4 sl bacon, coffee
L-unbreaded chicken, broccoli, 5 sm shrimp (Chinese restaurant), ice tea
D-skinless chicken thigh w/mustard in low-carb pita
S-10 sl pepperoni

YH, one lb is a weight loss!! Do that for a year and it's 52 lbs. But I know if you were expecting/hoping for more, it can be a disappointment. It's probably just a stall this week and I'm sure next week the scales will be even better for you.

I don't know anything about the WW points system. Last time I did WW I lost a good amount of weight but it was with their regular "counting calories" plan. I'm thinking they do a "well-balanced" approach with the points system? So you probably can't go overboard on the proteins like you can on Atkins. I'm trying for more of the well-balanced approach too. Too many proteins can affect your kidneys and I don't need anymore health issues than I already have! Can you have popcorn on your plan, YH? I think it was Corrisann that told us that air-popped popcorn is really low in carbs so I was thinking of buying an air popper as that's a nice "munchy" snack to eat while watching movies. Or maybe next time a nice veggie tray with several different selections, carrots, celery, peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, etc., so you don't feel like you're missing out when bf starts in on his snacks.

Well guess part of one of my posts to you YH was deleted. I see so many people putting in website info and I didn't realize it was against TOS to suggest to do it the way they did, till I got a nice little email from the moderators. Sorry about that -- won't happen again!

I'm not a good sleeper either. I can fall asleep good if I stay up past 11 pm but then I am tossing and turning all night, pain in legs and hips, never a solid sleep the night through. I did read where lack of sleep slows down the weight loss process.

Good for you for opting not to go to the Braz. restaurant with your bf. If you knew you couldn't stay on plan there, best not to put yourself in a situation where you would be defeated! We have enough day-to-day challenges without adding to the pressures of overeating!!

I don't have a lot of fat clothes. I guess because I don't want to stay this weight so I buy as little clothes as possible in my current size. I have lots of clothes in smaller sizes so I am keeping those and I think once I start going down in sizes, I am going to toss out what little fat clothes I have. If I get away from this size, I don't ever want to see it again for the rest of my life!!

I would love to try that weight belt out. That sounds intriguing! Did you buy it at a store or online? Does it seem to be working? Also...just adding this in here....my sister bought me a really nice food scale for Christmas and I have not even taken it out of the box yet!! I will have to try it out because I'm sure there are some things I am "eyeballing" that probably are not correct. My slow walking on the treadmill burns only 5 calories per 5 minutes. Almost not even worth it!!!

Hi to the rest of you! Hope you are all enjoying what is left of the wkd before your busy weeks start up again!

---Denise

[Teresa3]

Good Morning, Gals--

That is awesome, Denise, that you were able to go to the Chinese buffet and not take anything off your plan! Buffets are so tempting--that's major willpower! And then, on top of that, to fix all those amazing goodies for the party, have them in front of you all night, and not pig out! I could not have done that!

And good for you to stand your ground and insist your dh's son get out on his own. No way should you have to live with that kind of stress and abuse. I hope your son is not stressing you out, YH!

I had two daughters--it's so different to hear how boys are! But they have their own kinds of difficulties; there's no getting away from it--I guess it's all part of being human. Seems like we all should have been more educated when we were young to realize that most families are not like Ozzie and Harriet or Donna Reed! We don't see or hear from one of ours very much at all and I don't really know why she does not seem to want to see us. It's sad, but there isn't much I can do about it except pray!

Congratulations, YH on losing a lb.! That's progress! I know you'd like to have had it be more, but if you weren't losing, you could be gaining! Re the clothes--I read that if you keep your fat clothes, it sends a subconscious message (or maybe not so subconscious ) that you could put the weight back on! If you don't have any fat clothes, you have to be more committed to maintaining your lower size! I try to make a rule that if I buy new things, I have to give away about the same amount that I bought. Fortunately, I have some wonderful housecleaners who take all my giveaways and whatever they don't want they give to their church. Before that, I just used to give it to the Goodwill or House of Hope women's recovery centers.

I take xanax for sleep sometimes, too, but only because I can't take Ambien all the time, which works really well for me, and no next day drowsiness; but I only take 5 mg. Have you ever tried it?

We are going to Tucson for their annual 8-day chamber music festival. We go every year, stay in an old 30's Hollywood style inn with beautiful grounds in the heart of Tucson. I just love it. The sun is warm, we just relax around the pool with all the other old folks, then go to the concerts in the evening. Sometimes we drive out to the mountains, go for a little walk, enjoy the scenery and the birds. There's constant dining out, though, and I always put on weight, even when I try to stay on plan. This year I am going to try harder not to go off! Take care, all--TTYL, Teresa

[HoneyBera]

Hi all...

I am not in a good spot today. I have good news and bad news. They say if you are in need of SUPPORT you should ask for it, so I intend to do just that.

But first of all:
D - I wholeheartedly AGREE with you! Your WOE is your business. You'll hear nary a word more from me on it. Sorry I apparently got up your nose. No further comment on it is necessary from you. Thanks.

To the rest of you: Dear Friends, I am in a quandry. I have lost 40 lbs. I just saw my eye doctor. He said that if he didn't KNOW I was diabetic, he would never be able to tell that I am by my eyes! I blessedly am in good health! My blood sugars are running between 119-135, down from the high 200s and the low 400s. I found out from my eye doctor that the reason I can't see with my glasses anymore is that b/c of my reduced blood sugars, my prescription has improved by 2 "steps". My glasses are too STRONG for me now! That amazes me!! WOW!

The tingling and pain in my toes, hands, and legs is GONE (pretty much)!!! Only at night do I have to wear my "c0ck-up" braces to bed so I won't bend my wrists wrong and exacerbate my carpal tunnel syndrome. But this is only 40 lbs. worth off, and I have 124 to go! Imagine how wonderful I'll feel then! I KNOW I CAN DO IT! But not if I have to listen to lots of negative permission giving to CHEAT, day in and day out!

My potentially sabotaging mom doesn't know about my "doing Atkins" yet (Thank God!), and it is easy for me to forego "temptations". How can I be "tempted" by something that will reverse my fantastic accomplishments? FOR A COOKIE?? I have no overwhelming urges to sabotage myself. I used to eat out ALL THE TIME, but no more. I strive to only eat out when it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, and then eat at In-N-Out for a Protein Style (totally legal!) or a Steak House (where I at least have a chance at a legal and yet filling meal!). This has come up a total of TWO TIMES in 3 months, not daily.

This miracle of Atkins and my successes (FOR ME) have been enough to elimate those urges in their tracks, and I am GRATEFUL. There is plenty for me to eat, I am NOT hungry, and if I am, I choose something appropriate. Atkins is the easiest (AND tastiest) thing I've ever tried, AND IT WORKS! And it's not like I'll never see or taste a piece of bread or pie or whatever again. I'll just have to wait a while, until maintainance, and then just count the carbs. I thought I had NO ANSWERS available to me, and I was ready to face my life, however shortened it would be by my obesity, as a hugely overweight woman with barely the ability to BREATHE, or to WALK more than a few steps without gasping for breath, and not much chance to continue working for much longer. THIS ISN'T A GAME FOR ME!!!!!!! THIS IS MY LIFE!!!

I am, however, finding it harder and harder to find real motivation here anymore. All I hear is how it's OK TO CHEAT! And for me, it's not.

Yes, I walk every day (GRATEFULLY!! b/c I couldn't do that when I began this WOE 3 months ago)!! And YES! I built that into my daily routine, but I DON'T HAVE TO! There is a Driver's Shuttle both in the yard and once I hop off that Light Rail train, eager to give me a ride, BUT I WALK!

And I have arthritis of the spine and the knees! And it HURTS sometimes. So I take an aspirin and walk it anyway.

And I drink water daily (56oz. + 20oz. + even more oftentimes - and my ONCE daily 20oz. coffee, too!) I even do my water correctly.

In short, I am working my WOE! IT WORKS FOR ME. But I am frustrated beyond words to come here every day and hear how you all are failing. And not just one little slip, but day after day after day. With no end in sight.

I went to some other threads to see how they were doing. Just as badly. Do you, any of you, know of a place where there are SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE working hard at this, and not just flopping over at the mere suggestion of a pastry? And do their exercises daily? And are PROUD of their accomplishments? With some sort of consistency? All this negativity and wishy-washiness is getting me down.

I am NOT downing you or your WOEs, however, and you can do them in whatever way you want to do them, cheat 12 times a day if you wish, BUT I am not into that, and I would like to be in that successful group. EVEN ONE PERSON I could write to would do! Like I said, I can finally breathe again, I can walk again, and I can see way better already! I can't give this up for a donut. I need some sort of support to keep going, but a total and recurring pass on cheating isn't it.

HB

[Denise78]

HB, maybe it is not for me to decide, but perhaps a different board would suit you better. I do want to say that I am speaking only for myself here. The others may or may not feel as I do, I have no idea. That's up to them to say.

I think it's wonderful that you found the WOE that is best for you and that 3 months into it, you have lost 40 lbs. Absolutely wonderful and congrats on that!

But....support is not just for people who are successful in their weight loss. It is also for people who are struggling to lose weight. Probably even more necessary for those people. It's for people who lose 10 lbs, 5 lbs, even 1 lb. Not just for those whose weight drops drastically and quickly. Remember the plateau you hit and how frustrated you were then? I think you were given a lot of support from here and that's not to say you'll never hit another plateau again. Three months and 40 lbs averages to about 3.33 lbs per week. Again, an excellent number but not a miracle by any means. And three months is only three months. You may not see that weight loss every single month. I pray you lose all the weight you have to lose, 124 lbs is a lot and you seem extremely motivated to lose it so I hope you will. But you have to remember that there are people here who have been working at this for a lot longer than you, and have a lot less to lose too, so they aren't in that "wow this is new and exciting" phase like you are still. And they don't have to lose 5 lbs a week in order to reach their goal because they don't have over 100 lbs to lose like you and I do. But if it is a struggle for them to lose 100 lbs or 50 lbs or even those last few lbs, I for one will be here to support them every step of the way!

You also live alone and don't have the challenges that those of us with a spouse and/or boyfriend have. You eat what you want, when you want. If you don't want to go out to dinner, it's your choice alone. You're not having to consider a partner's or children's feelings at all. Your life is centered totally around you, so you can be selfish. I do think it is easier to say no to restaurants and donuts and goodies when you live alone like that. I think you said your son even eats alone in his room on the rare times that you are home with him. Fortunately for me, my family sits around a table and eats meals together and I'd rather have it that way. We enjoy eating out as a family or even my dh and I alone. We go places. We live life! There's no need to become a hermit and live a lonely lifestyle, sitting at home alone every night, just because I want to lose weight. I may not lose as quickly as you (although 9 lbs in 2 weeks is definitely nothing to sneeze at) but I have a wonderful life and I wouldn't trade it for any amount of weight loss. Actually, I'm finding that I can do both. Live my normal lifestyle and still lose weight. You are choosing differently and I don't begrudge you for that. So please don't put down those that make different life choices than you. It's not about whose WOE or lifestyle is right or wrong, it's about what works for each of us, as individuals.

If your health permits you to walk a lot, then I am very happy for you. But some of us have a little more than simple arthritis issues and walking a great distance is not possible no matter how much we would like to. It's not a "cop-out," it's real-life when you live with real diseases and real pain that "taking an aspirin" won't cure and I do take exception to that comment, whether you meant it towards me or another person on this board. I wish an aspirin would take away my pain. I wish painkillers would. But living with MS, an incurable disease, means living with pain and most times not being able to walk or exercise a great amount. There are days when I cannot walk at all beyond simply getting around my house, and that's not a CHOICE of mine. That's real life. That doesn't make you a better person, just because your pain is not as great as ours and you are able to walk more. If I lost 100 lbs, I'd still have MS and I'd still have trouble walking. And I know this because I was 100 lbs lighter with MS and my activity level was not any greater than it is today.

Atkins seems to be a good choice for you. But again, you're only 3 months into it and you haven't had to deal with the repercussions of a heavy protein, high fat diet yet. And I hope you never do. But there is the chance on that diet that you will have health issues worse than being overweight to begin with. So not everyone chooses Atkins. But again, it's an individual choice and yours works for you, so I am very happy for you. I just wish you could give that same support and encouragement to the rest of us here.

I am not trying to down you or your WOE. But your attitude seems like your WOE is the miracle cure and unless we all hop on board with you, you don't want anything to do with us. That's not being supportive of anyone but yourself so you probably will have a hard time finding a board with that attitude. These are SUPPORT boards, meant for all types of WOE's and all types of people, successful and not-so-successful at weight loss. I like to think that if I give helpful suggestions to someone struggling, it will help them to gain the momentum and motivation to lose weight, rather than toss them aside because their weight loss is not as fast or as great as mine. It's sad that you don't think that way also, especially given that 3 months is not a very long time in the grand realm of things and you don't know if there will be struggles ahead of you in your weight loss journey that you may need someone to motivate you or help you overcome another plateau or challenge. I would be extremely surprised if you lost those 124 lbs without even one struggle ahead of you. Life just doesn't work that way.

I wish you luck, wherever you end up, and if it's still here on the boards with us, I will support you all the way!

---Denise

[MI CHICK]

Well I see that lots of issues have been being discussed while I was enjoying my weekend. Life is hard for everyone, for different reasons, & no one gets away w/o struggles. It is the human condition. Support is needed by all of us at some point in time. At other times we are on the upswing & are the ones to give support.

Congrats on the weight losses to all of you!!! One lb a week is 52lbs this time next year and 3-4lbs a week feels even better!!!

I have sizes 14/16/18....LOL!!! When I lost weight 4yrs ago I gave away all my 16/18's cause I was just sure I was never gonna put it back on cause I felt great.....so I have proven how human I am by putting it all back on. But I am very happy that I have been smoke free for so long now! And I will get the weight off again--I have not given up. Then I will be smoke & fat free

That creamy taco soup recipe sounds really good. I will give it a try for sure. I have found if I take the fiber pills I am just fine. And I love the water arobics!!! No harm to my joints at all!! Have known a number of women that have been able to get exercise that they never could have any other way for a variety of health reasons. I am hoping to be able to start a class the first of April.

I have tomorrows menu set.
Bkf=2eggs & 4 sl ls ns bacon
L=lf ham slices w/lf cream cheese pink grapefruit
D=pork loin roast & veggies
S=? hopefully I won't feel the need for one

One thing I really liked about the low carb eating is that my cravings for so many foods just went away!!! I just couldn't believe it when it happened!! It made my life so much easier!!!

MS is a tricky thing Denise that's for sure. Was surprised how it varies, and how it doesn't seem to follow a certain pattern. I do know that being active in whatever form you can manage is good for you. A very slow walk is a good thing if you can still do it. It's not about burning calories it's about keeping yourself as mobil as possible for as long as possible. I would think water would would work good for you as it so cushions our joints. But your dr can tell you best.

I am envious of your 8 day trip Teresa!! Was telling my dh about it, he would really enjoy all that chamber music!!! What is the temp there this time of the year??

Well ladies enjoy the last of your Sun!! It will be up & off to work again before we know it.....thank God I'm not awake at 3a.m. though LOL!!!! How do you ever survive that YH?!?!??

[Denise78]

Glad to hear from you Corrisann! See what happens when you leave us kiddies to play alone for a few days??

Anyway, you are right about me exercising as much as possible and I should focus on the fact that I'm even able to walk on the treadmill and not worry about how many calories I am burning. I've been doing about 5 min here and there, so every little bit helps! I am definitely going to try the swimming this summer because I think that is one form of exercise that will not leave me with sore aching feet, plus give my whole body a workout!

That taco soup I made was really good. I had one cup left in the refrig and ds1 had it today and really liked it, didn't even realize it was low-carb!

We decided to have our larger meal at noon, not knowing when ds1 was heading back to college but here it is, after 8:30 pm and he's just packing up now.

Today's menu:

B-scrambled eggs w/spinach, coffee
L-2 sm steak filets w/sauteed peppers & onions, 1 cup broccoli, lettuce w/oil & vinegar, sugar-free jello, cool whip
D-1 1/2 turkey burgers on 1 low-carb pita w/mustard and lettuce
S-1 pickle

Your menu looks good for tomorrow Corrisann! Do you just spread the cr cheese on the ham and roll it up? My friend does that but she puts a pickle in the middle first and then cuts it up to form little pinwheels. Looks pretty with the green pickle in the middle, surrounded by white cr cheese and pink ham. And good eating too, yum!

Had to laugh about you wanting to be smoke-free and fat-free Sounded funny, fat-free, but I hear ya and I'm right with ya!

YH, I tried the hot water and lemon today. Was a nice change from all the coffee.

Have a good night --- Denise

[yellowhair11]

C- Good to hear from you - the clothes - you have a point there - I have yet to tackle the smoking - the thought of it overwhelmes me.

D- Your reply to HB was target.

HB - Thats good news from the doc ! I am relatively new here but I am not hearing that we are failures - yes I only lost 6 lbs. in 3 weeks but thats success. If I did not have people depending on me , an extremely stressful life, I would weigh 125. I can't be 100 % focused on my diet when I am about to contact the Intervention tv program for a drug addicted child, etc. I dont think any of us are living for a freakin donut. You strike me as a selfish person. Pain ? take a couple oxy's and pray you can fall asleep.

T-Your trip really sounds nice-chamber music-not familiar-Is that like classical but not the orchestra ? I like all kinds of music except jazz. With 3 boys I even like rap, boyfriend listens to salsa-reggae, I like the Yanni/Enya stuff. I went to Ozfest last year. I am an old hippie gal.

Last nite I made a beef stew with boullion cubes. I ate mostly the carrots and celery - one small potato. I had yogurt and an apple in the am. I am researching food scales !

Off to work - some new person starts today - just what we need in there - another menopausel woman.

[Denise78]

Morning Gals

Hope everyone is having a good day! We had such a gorgeous wkd here. Weather was in the high 50's. We grilled out yesterday. Food always tastes so much better on the grill, doesn't it? Today...woke up to snow flurries Darnit, I am SO ready for Spring!!

That stew sounds yummy YH! I have a roast in the freezer that I was going to cut up into stew meat. I can pick out the potatoes and have the rest. Would be nice to have that this week, especially if we are back to Winter weather!

YH, sorry to hear of your probs with your son. Been there, done that with stepson. I'm hear if you need someone to talk to. Life can be so stressful at times. Wish I wasn't such an emotional eater but I guess we just have to deal with it one day at a time...or one meal at a time!

YH you made me laugh over my coffee this morning...one more menopausal woman!

Well, just wanted to check in and say good morning to you ladies. Have a Happy Monday!

---D

[MI CHICK]

Well I've made it to 3:30 cheat free....

Walked in the door at 3 & threw 8 chicken wings into my deep fryer & cooked & ate 'em w/2 slices turkey ham. Was so hungry I was afraid that I would do something stupid.....now that I'm full of protein I can relax & get on with the rest of my day. Need to have a protein snack all set for afternoon if I'm going to succeed this time.

Denise we are expecting more snow tonight, 3-6". Only a problem if we hit the 6"mark. But it was 40 Sun & about 35 today so it's hard to be hit with the snow again. Oh well it is almost March so not much longer. I use to keep my grill in the garage & cooked on it all year long cause food does taste better on the grill!!!! And yes that is the same roll up, & I use a pickle in the middle sometimes too. Last year I was able to get the little sweet gerkins made with Splenda & they were so good in those roll ups!
Can't find 'em anymore....pooh! I can still get the pickle relish w/Splenda. There was even a brief moment when they had the bread & butter pickles w/Splenda. The bit of crunchy so fills the chip urge & to have them sweet sometimes too really was nice. Hate it when a product I love doesn't fly & disappears....

Well it's time to put my pork loin in to bake. Will post the recipe if it's tastey

[yellowhair11]

Ok, here's what I ate today so far:

AM: Handful of grapes and a plum
Whey Drink
Lots of black coffee

Lunch: Oatmeal w blueberries made with water.
Raw Broccoli

Dinner: Dinner: Baked breast tenders with a few breadcrumbs and drizzled with I Cant Believe Its Butter 94% fat free

Carrots from last nites stew

Snack : Don't know yet

Exercise-none-back hurts today

Talking about pickles-I was having a fit for something sweet the other night and the Clausson pickle took the edge off.

I managed to get 3 - 12oz. glasses of hot lemon WATER down today.

D & C - those temps. sound lovely to me - we have not had any kind of winter this year - its been mid 80's-usually get some cool fronts but just a couple 60's days this yr. so far.

[Denise78]

Hey YH...it's MONDAY not Friday. You did make me stop and think though!! Your menu sounds awesome and very healthy. Claussen pickles are the only kind I like to eat. They are so fresh and crunchy and I feel very satisfied when I have one for a snack, you're right, they do take the edge off!
Good for you on drinking your WATER I am now onto the cold water this afternoon and stuck a wedge of lemon in it and it's nice and refreshing for a change of pace. Hope your back starts feeling better soon!

Corrisann, we are thinking alike today! I have a pork loin roast in the oven too Am slow-cooking it all day so that when we eat supper tonight, it will just fall apart...mmmmm. It's still early here for me. I'm in Mt time zone so 2 hours behind the East Coast. Never saw sweet pickles with the Splenda though. I'll have to look next time I am at the stores. That is awesome that you're doing so great today! I really have to plan ahead so that I'm not hungry and reaching for the wrong thing in a pinch. That's why I like to make roasts. The leftovers are great to have when you need that bit of protein right now!

Oh I have to tell you about my awesome lunch! I bought these Black Angus Philly shaved steaks a few wks ago and just never got around to having them. So today I opened the pkg, expecting to see this thin frozen slice of beef. It was more like a thick patty, 4 individual servings to a box. You fry it up and it separates as you cook and turns into the "shaved steak." I tossed in some onions and 1 tsp shredded cheese and put it on a low-carb pita and boy did I feel like I was eating a Philly cheese steak sub!! I think this would be something we could have no matter what food plan we are on, don't you think? 160 calories and 0 carbs per serving and you could probably toss them in a salad too if you didn't want the bread and you don't really need the cheese either. I heard that the generic brand isn't as tasty, so you'd have to buy the good stuff. I am waiting for them to go on sale again and will buy more. Quick and easy lunch!

Anyway, tonight I am mashing up a cauliflower with skim milk and Smart Balance butter to make my "fake" mashed potatoes to go along with the pork roast. I hate cauliflower but it's pretty good that way and I don't feel deprived when the others are eating the real thing!

Today's menu:

B-scrambled eggs w/spinach, coffee
L-cheese steak sub!!
D-pork roast, cauliflower, salad w/low-carb dressing
S-?? maybe a pickle later!

Corrisann, our snow is off and on all day long but so far, no accumulation!

Hey Teresa, how is your day going?

---D

[Teresa3]

Hi, All--

Well, I guess my day has gone pretty well. The sun finally broke out after the storm and I was able to go up to my beloved arboretum and meditate and go for a little walk. It was beautiful!

Eating went pretty well, today, too:

B - 2 egg yolks, spinach
L - salad, cucumber dressing, 1 shrimp and 1 beef enchilada, no tortilla
D - roast chicken, eggplant sauteed w/tomatoes, onions, and asparagus, mayo
S - havarti cheese, almonds, lc choc

I am trying to get back down to 153 before we go away. Corrisann, it's usually in the 70's during the day in Tucson, and it gets cold at night; so you have to take a big suitcase full of clothes for all kinds of weather! YH, yes, chamber music is classical, without the orchestra. It is usually a string quartet or quintet. Sometimes harp and vocalists, in a smaller venue. More intimate and charming. I like rock music, too, and I guess you could say I'm an old hippie, too, since I was at Woodstock!

HB, I appreciate the pep-talk--I know I need to do better! At the same time, I am weak and cannot be perfect on this journey. I can understand your frustration because I know it isn't very motivating to hear about weaknesses and failure to hit the mark, but I feel it is also important to be truthful and share our struggles. Perhaps that helps others feel accepted when they feel low in the inevitable fall off of the wagon, and hopefully will help us all to stay with the journey because we know it's OK when we just can't get ourselves to do it, even when we want to! I know I will feel more motivated than I do right now; I am looking forward to it. In the meantime, I am sharing my journey just the way it is. I am very happy for you that you have lost so much weight and are feeling so much better and getting healthier! That is awesome, and I do hope you will remain just as successful as you desire to be! You might check out some of the induction threads for added support--that's where people are either just starting out on the diet, or restarting in order to lose lbs. quickly and are feeling highly motivated, at least for awhile!

Have a good dinner, everyone! T.

[MI CHICK]

well the pork loin recipe wasn't anything to waste typing. I usually cook any meat like that in the crock pot or 200 degree oven all day so that I get that falling apart yumminess!!! Am putting a small round steak in the crock tomorrow w/ onions & mushrooms, spices & beef broth. It's always good & then I make egg noodles for dh to use all that good broth on.
I am glad to hear that everyone seems to be on track again. Those Blk Ang Phil steaks sound so good!! Is that the brand name??
It's 10pm & I'm off to bed as this is the time of nite I start getting into trouble.....better to be sleeping than snacking!!! My hands will be happier tomorrow I hope!

[Denise78]

Corrisann, the ones I bought are by Farmland but I think you could get any brand name as long as they are Black Angus Philly Shaved Beef and not a by-product or anything like those thin steak-ums. I liked that the portion was already set and it's not cooked yet but takes about 2 min to fry up quickly in pan spray. It's something you can keep in the freezer for when you want a quick lunch and have run out of leftovers. These were normally $7 a pkg and I got them on sale for half-price. Four servings for only $3.50, you can't beat that. Even 4 servings for $7 isn't bad when you think of it as 4 meals.

I made my pork roast very simple tonight. Just threw some garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and sliced onions on it, a little water in the bottom of the pan (sometimes I use wine or beer) and slow-cooked it in the oven on a low degree all day. We didn't even need to slice it, it was so tender we just used a fork to break it apart. The cauliflower came out great too. I tossed a couple of chicken boullion cubes in the water as I was boiling the cauliflower. Really added to the flavor of the veggie. Then I used butter and milk and mashed it up. I even had a cup of the broth with supper since it smelled (and tasted) so yummy!

The round steak sounds really good. I make a swiss steak similar to that only I use canned tomatoes instead of the mushrooms and serve it over rice for my dh.

I'm really glad to get these recipes and/or meal suggestions. It helps to vary my menu! Thanks!!

Looks like we all had a really good "healthy-eating" day!!

---Denise

[yellowhair11]

Last nite the breast tenders were no good-cooked for 30 min at 350 and baking with the fat free I can't Believe gave it a strange consistancy-I have always used real butter and am new to margarines or fat free whatever it is.I also sprayed the dish with fat free cooking spray which is new also. I ate my carrots and then had a WW ice cream, WW fruitie candy, 12 mini pretzels. I am wondering if i need to get off these WW snacks at nite even tho im still under my pt. allowance ?

The breast tenders must have really been bad- I make 2 plates for s3 and bf daily so they can nuke whenever - I heard microwave and door slamming, swearing (s3) and then the aroma of MC D seeping under my bedroom door shortly thereafter. bf put in a nice bowl in fridge. Ha !

I just know you gals will make a cook out of me shortly! I am almost at the point of telling everyone they are on there own since i throw alot of food out. Now then id have to give s3 money for fast food, gas, etc. since he is still not working, bf would not care, and I am happy eating scrambled eggs for dinner. It would probably be a break even dollarwise, plus sometimes I just feel like breaking all the dishes after work

Im going to have to try the steak things, sounds yummy. The roast too ! You did great Monday D !!!!!!!

Trip to Tucson sounds so nice and relaxing - I would like the chamber music too- Woodstock - im jealous, I remember i was suppose to go but something happenned but I did go to the Monterrey Pop ! The last time I was in AZ it was July - hot - but love the cooler air at nite. I am of the opinion the dry heat is better than this humidity.

I wanted to come right over for those wings C ! I love chicken wings-and a cheat free day- you get a gold star. C - you have nice hair ! My real hair is white too, color every 3 weeks. My white hair is an ugly shade, not pretty like yours- i let it go natural once and it really aged me. I am into reds now as I was a blonde forever but the hair lady insists the blonde makes me look to washed out. I dont sit in the sun like days past.

Well off to work now - more excitement yesterday - another co-worker got sick and left - she was laying on the floor in extreme back pain and chest hurt. There are 4 of us with the same job title - down to 2 now if she does not show today. No mention of OT.....sit on millions so they dont have to pay me OT.

C & T - what do you do for work ? I may have been late on the board or Alzheimer's kickin in.

[Denise78]

So YH, I have to ask...you and 3 others with same job title....2 have fallen deathly ill recently....are you knocking people off to get the position yourself??

Sorry your chicken didn't come out good. I don't use butter. I just throw spices on mine and bake it plain. Lots of time I add a little wine or even beer to the baking dish for whatever meat I am cooking. Adds a nice flavor and comes out so juicy and tender. Yep, we will make a cook out of you yet!

I cook a lot of separate things because I have a kid who hates fruits and veggies. And a husb