New and would like a buddy

[Denise78]

I don't think your meals are boring YH. I am living vicariously through you with all that wonderful fresh fruit you are eating!!

What's with the no water? Is your whole bldg out??

[HoneyBera]

Still lurking...WB, T and C! Glad your trips went well.

Been trying to come down with a cold. I sound like Gravel Gertie today. Couldn't walk for the last two days (napping instead - need that rest more right now!), but with proper rest this weekend, I should be back to it by Monday! <fingers crossed!>

We bid on our routes for the next 3 months last night. I took the same route so I could continue my walking/cooking/eating routines. I can really feel the difference if I don't do the walking. Besides, that run pays a bundle! (We can choose how much money we make by bidding more hours per run, and I have seniority by now.) Eddie (another driver who assisted with the bid) whispered to me that when I bid my same run, several other drivers were seen scratching its number off their lists. That made me feel better about taking it. It's a difficult run (what we call a "worker"), but if all of them wanted it so badly, I guess it is a good run after all.

I'm buying a new BBQ (small portable gas Weber) and a new pressure cooker. Does anyone have any recommendations for me on the pressure cooker? My neighbors here at the yard are going to hate me when I fire up that BBQ! I just bought some Walden's Original BBQ sauce, but it's not 'all that'. I think I'd like to try to make my own with some Heinz LowCarb Catsup.

C- how do people get consistent??? That's the handle I can't seem to find. Is HB right, do we always have to take things to the very last inch??? Her final push was such a bad doc's report. I don't really want to wait til that happens and yet my actions say I do........

T- HB, I did see a comment you made about true hunger which spoke to me. I have heard it before and addressed this issue re my food addictions, and I am asking myself again, so thanks for bringing it up. I have been doing some journaling the last couple of days to try to see why I want to eat when I am not physically hungry. I have sought the answer many times before, and never got a satisfactory one, but I have to keep trying, and have found that just the journaling process has been helpful.

I hear your confusion and pain. I found something on here (this site) that really addresses your concerns. Your Cure. Have You Tried To Discover Why You are Overweight or Obese?
It really helped me. And keep up that journaling, T! Your answers are all within you.

Must run to work now!

HB

[Denise78]

Finally got the computer back from ds2. I hate sharing sometimes.

Well the snow is still coming down and is pretty wet and sticking now. I had to turn the heat on again. Had it off all week and thought maybe that was it for the season, but no such luck.

Tomorrow is our day of rest, dh and I will just hang out and watch tv. Sunday I have a baby shower to attend about 50 mi away. Dh will come for the ride. We'll shop beforehand and go out to lunch and then he will drop me off at the shower and run some errands while I'm gone.

Today's menu:

B-2 scrambled eggs, coffee
L-cheese omelette, sm dinner salad w/ranch dressing, ice tea (restaurant)
D-1 veggie burger, 2 veggie sausages, 1 cup eggplant, lettuce w/low-carb dressing
S-pork rinds, garden salad mix

YH just thinking of how you got into those capris. That is so excellent. My summer capris are staring me in the face and I am hoping they will fit once we are back to nice weather again.

Hope everyone is up for a great wkd! This week seemed to have flown by!!

---D

[Teresa3]

Hi, All--
Congrats on getting into those capris, YH! We all love to hear a story like that--it gives us hope! What a demoralizing tale about your bf and ds. It's terrible to be caught in the middle. It sounds like you need to set some boundaries for yourself, put them on a board for those two to see at all times, and if either one of them violates your rules, they need to go to their rooms or out of the house! It's your house and you come first! Hope your dental work comes out well--you probably have some more appointments? DH has had to have a few root canals and crowns replaced the last few years, too. He also got an infection under a crown--it seems to be a common occurrence. In the last case, they were able to just inject an antibiotic into the infected area, and that cleared it up so he didn't have to have yet another root canal. I hope it all goes perfectly for you! You are doing so well with your eating in the face of all the turmoil at home!

Denise, congrats on going back to curves! Sounds like you have a real fun time there, and apparently you've found a way to do it that it's not making you too sore? Your menus look delicious, too! So you must have found some veggie burgers you like! And thanks for reminding me to do some venting here; it does help to get out the frustrations, and get support. Most of us do share emotional eating habits, or we wouldn't be here, huh!

I'm wondering if my legs got worse because I was eating too many carbs on my trip and since I returned. I have read that neuropathy can result from high blood sugar, so this should be a good motivator for me to get back to low carb and see if I have less burning pain. And thanks for the suggestion on the brushing--I'll try googling it.

I got into eating French toast every morning on my trip. It was always my favorite breakfast food, and they had it on the buffet every day! Too hard to resist! But then I thought, maybe if I try making the revolution rolls, and got some sugar free syrup, I could have a lc version. Do any of you who have made the rolls think they would taste good as French toast? Does anybody have a good sf syrup to recommend?

Corrisann, I'm glad your dad's surgery went well, and that you had a nice visit. It's too bad about your dh's family. I grew up in a nice family too, and it's such a shocker to discover that an awful lot of families don't get along! I always wonder why people are so mean! I guess because they were treated that way, and it just perpetuates. Your menu looks spartan today, but yummy! I never heard of pink and orange grapefruit, but it sure sounds good! We had Japanese food tonight, which is very salty, so I have a craving for fruit!

Good luck getting the route you want again, HB! And hooray for you for staying committed to your exercise! You are staying on the road to success! And thanks for the link re emotional eating--I'll check it out.

Have a good night, and another great day, everybody! T.

[Denise78]

Hey T - I have neuropathy too but doesn't sound quite as bad as yours. Actually, that is what started me on the path to discovering I had MS. I had that burning tingling feeling in my torso, numbness in my feet and fingertips, and thought it was diabetic neuropathy. My diabetes dr thought otherwise. She didn't think my sugars were high enough to be causing that so she sent me to a neurologist, who started the first of many xrays, tests and MRI's, finally a spinal tap (ugh) and the rest is history. I've been fortunate that the neuropathy hasn't been much more of an irritation than very painful so far. I'm sorry you're getting hit with it so hard. Does that med really work? I've given up on those heavy-duty meds. The side affects were killing me and sometimes worse than the actual problem. I do hope it works for you and gives you some much-needed relief.

Fridays are difficult for me during Lent and while the veggie burger was a little higher in carbs than I wanted (9), I didn't have any fish in the house and I was HUNGRY for meat!! So the veggie burger was a good enough substitute for tonight.

I really am enjoying Curves and where it doesn't work my feet (which are my toughest contender these days), I'm not getting anymore pain than one normally would after working out, thank goodness. I think the fact that I'm only on each machine for 40 seconds is a huge reason. My only wish was that Curves was closer. 40 mi is a long trip to go more than a couple of times a week, especially with gas prices what they are. If it was in my town, I'd be tempted to go almost everyday! I feel very energized when I leave there.

I use Vermont SF syrup. Pretty good IMO but I'm not a huge sweet-eater so C or YH might know of a better brand to recommend. I don't know how much you are limiting your carbs, but Sara Lee makes a good low-carb bread. 9 carbs per slice. For me, it's a little too high because I am focusing on lowering my sugars, not just losing weight. But for a once in awhile treat, it may work for you since it is half the carbs of regular bread. I imagine you could play with the syrup and mix it with other things you are allowed to have, cream cheese or ricotta cheese for instance, to get that "french toast flavor" without having the bread. Might even be good as a carmelizer for a bland veggie like cauliflower. Sometimes just the "flavor" of a goodie will satisfy our cravings for the high-carb food itself.

Well as usual, I'm rambling..so off I go!

D

[yellowhair11]

The gal I share my office with just went thru the numbness,pain and tingling in the fingertips and she ended up in surgery-compression of vertabrae(sp) diagnosis-it was no picnic but she is much better now.

Thanks for the congrats on the capri's. I have a zillion clothes but wore these 3 times in 1 week to work. I now have a just below the knee bermuda dress shorts that I have staring at me in my bathroom-my next wear to work goal. I have to get to all these clothes one day-piles everywhere-but then I think of what C said about gaining and I have some really nice fat(fatter) clothes-I would like give the quit smoking a try sometime in 2008 hence the hesitation to dispose of. I think the few Callanetics i do contributes to fitting into these as I have no great weight loss.

French toast - I love it! I am glad there is not a Perkins restaurant near me-they have great french toast. I know they are in CA.-when the kids were small we went on a 2 wk CA trip and I remember eating French toast at a Perkins everyday.

The Gorton's fish fillets were a bomb last nite-I won't buy anymore-s3 and bf disliked-of course i woofed them up as I was starving. My snacks were pretzels and a fruitie. I then wanted a 100 cal. ice cream sandwich but just went back to sleep. When I have done my turtle walk on the treadmill it took almost an hr. to burn 100 cals. according to the machine reading. Thats very little and a long time.

Thats great news about your workout at Curves D - they sound so nice and supportive. Did your GF join too ? I dont know what to tell you about the gas and the long drive-that's tough. Ashby looks so neat on that google earth, I dream of living in a small town like that. How did you end up in Ashby ? Up at 230am today-geez- ill try and lay down again-my appt. is at 800am at Curves-knee feels a bit better but ill pass a machine if it puts pressure on the knee. I hope to do the pool this weekend but I won't put the zoomer fin on the bad knee leg-foot. Not much exercise for me this week because of knee and dental bru ha ha.

Have a nice Sat. ! When BF brings up s3 (just one remark) im going to tell him seriously it has to stop-if that does not work I guess I will go ballistic-I hate to do that ands its unlike me but it usually works. You guys are right-I should not have to leave my home because of those 2. Sometimes I just leave and drive-now i dislike driving and the gas is too much-then that puts me in some store spending money i don't have. S3 actually gave me 200 yesterday and said he knows he owes me mega dollars, was pleasant-he has been working the last couple of weeks-but I don't get my hopes up-he does well for a while then slips - Jeckle/Hyde. I guess im more tolerant than most as I was a screw up in my youth and can relate to addictions.

Rambling again but it helps-no one knows what I deal with here-I dont discuss personal things at work and dare not tell any of the family or it may be in the front page of the Milwaukee newspaper. Two of my brothers never moved out of mom's house-or paid a bill until she died last April. I have another brother who is perfect, perfect wife, perfect home, perfect children.

[Denise78]

It's nice and quiet in my house. Dh and ds2 are still asleep. Can't believe I am up before them, although I did hear dh up earlier and then went back to bed.

Winter wonderland outside. Tons of snow. Does look very pretty but darnit, I am so OVER it already!!!

Glad s3 came across with some $$. That's always a good thing even if it is not all he owes you, it's something. Shows that he is aware of what you're doing for him and at least is trying to make a dent in what he owes you. Addictions are a powerful thing and I'm sure he's got some demons he's struggling with and whether he shows his appreciation or not, in his he knows how much you are helping him. Main thing is to get s3 and bf to get along or at the very least, tolerate each other and calm down. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Should be the main rule in your house. Another rule is if Momma ain't happy, ain't no one gonna be happy!

Yes my friend joined Curves too. I think she is going because I am going and she wants to help me lose but she is pretty big herself, about a 2x, and where I am a 3x she said as she loses weight, she will give me her "fat" clothes. This woman spends huge amounts of $$ on clothes, very stylish, so I am determined that BOTH of us lose weight!!

Speaking of clothes...I have an idea YH. Sort thru your bigger clothes and keep some special outfits and then give the rest to Goodwill. Then you will have some clothes to fall back on if you gain a little when you quit smoking, but not enough to keep you comfortable staying at that higher size. I am the opposite...have lots of smaller clothes, very limited wardrobe in current size. And I am getting envious of seeing people wear such nice clothes so it's making me want to get thinner so I can get back into nice things too.

Yeah...families. Mine is not too bad in the scheme of things, other than brother and I not getting along. But I have to bite my tongue alot. Talking to mother about sister's current probs and mother is so upset, wishes she could do something. Will sell her house and move into sister's house to be her babysitter, says she will drop everything to help sister out because she has a 12 yr old and works full-time and how can she do it now alone. Huh? I had a 4 yr old and 9 yr old when my ex-husb & I split, and practically had to beg mother to babysit and always had to bring kids to her house, she never once came to mine. Never offered to quit her job or give up her house for me. I had to put ad in paper and hire 13 yr olds to babysit them till I got home from work because it was too much for mother to do everyday. But like I said, just bit my tongue. Water under the bridge now. But my family is good and have helped me out in the past many many times so I cannot begrudge any of them now. I know if I asked, they would give me the shirts off their backs. I just don't ask.

I had lots of spinal and leg xrays when I first had the tingling in my fingers. They thought it was a pinched nerve or spinal injury of some kind. Even sent me to a neurosurgeon, who sent me right back to the neurologist stating that it wasn't my back that was giving me the nerve ending probs. I'm glad your co-worker was diagnosed so quickly so at least they could start treatment. Took them about 6 mos and lots of tests to figure out I had MS.

Ramble all you want YH. You see how much I yak here but it does help to get it off our chest.

Am stiff and sore this morning from yesterday's workout, but nothing an ibuprofen can't handle so that's good.

---D

[Denise78]

You probably are going to be sorry you asked me one little question and here I'm writing a novel to answer....

....but I am in Nebraska because dh and I met online and fell in love. Just one of those things, we were both on an astrology message board (similar to this) and he read my post and wrote to me and we became "penpals," which led to IM's (instant messages) and finally telephone calls. Never thought it was more than an online friendship till he told me one day that he had fallen in love with me and wanted to meet in real life to see if it was a real feeling. We were both single parents and lonely and I thought...what the heck, what could I lose by meeting him and I needed a vacation anyway. He offered to pay airfare for me to visit him. My friends told me not to go. I remember one friend telling me he might be a serial killer for all I know. I told her I had spoken to his son and his mother on the telephone. She nicely reminded me that even Ted Bundy had a family! But I was thick-headed and went anyway and yep, our feelings for each other were real.

For a yr and a half we flew to visit each other, back and forth from New Hampshire to Nebraska, spent hours online and on the phone, and he eventually asked me to marry him. The saying yes part was easy, the moving part was extremely hard. He didn't want to move to New England. He had a job for over 20 yrs with same company, owned his own home, had deep roots here. It was a heartbreaking decision to leave my family and friends, take the kids away from their family and friends, but they wanted to go. I had brought them here to visit and they liked it. It was tough taking them from their dad. He was a great father. But I made a deal with him, cut child support in half (he was struggling at the time and finding it tough to make ends meet and pay support) and promised to fly the kids back every other month and over vacations. He agreed.

I was miserable here for many yrs due to stepson but my kids love it and didn't want to move back so I stuck it out and I'm glad I did because life is so wonderful now that stepson is not disrupting our lives and causing turmoil anymore.

Ex-husb moved to Florida several yrs ago w/girlfriend & makes over $100,000 a yr and owns $300k home in gated community now. So 2 yrs ago I told him, your turn to pay airfares, the $$ was killing us as we are definitely NOT making $100k a year. So the kids see him 2-3 times a yr now. He has all the bucks but doesn't want to spend them on airfare. Sends the kids lavish gifts, gives them $1000 towards cars, calls them almost every single night but doesn't see them much. Kids don't mind because they are so busy with their lives and school and jobs as old as they are now, it's hard to get away anyway so ex-husb has taken to coming here for visits which works out better for them.

So next month....dh & I will be married 9 yrs.

Small town life...was hard to get used to at first. Grew up in a town of 33 thous ppl and now 30 ppl. HUGE difference. But it's so peaceful. Everyone knows everyone. No traffic. No pollution. No crime to speak of. Houses are $20k to $60k. Lots of wide open space. Very simple carefree living. Come live with me YH, I have an extra room for ya!!

(Sorry I got so long-winded. Too much coffee this morning!)

[MI CHICK]

Oh all the lovely long posts & no time to respond uuurrrgghhh!!!
Great to read them & will be back later on today I hope. Sun is
shining in good ole MI & it's suppose to be 50!!!!!

[Denise78]

Got on the scale and am down 3 lbs this week. Good enough!

Anyone else weighing in this week??

[yellowhair11]

Wow D - your "how I ended up in Ashby story was so great". You are very fortunate to have an ex like that. I ended up alone, no family support when the boys were 2,3and 5-got nothing from ex-worked my butt off to buy food-kids with sitters-daycare-I was never home-the boys were on their own alot as they got older- hence i have this guilt that 2 of them have issues now-like maybe i should not have left the abusive ex and the boys would have turned out better, but I know thats stupid too. I started drinking in part of this time frame too and made bad choices in 2 boyfriends. I even killed myself once-i was so overwhelmed-screwed that up too-I was revived from the dead at the hospitalIt was the most peaceful feeling i ever had in my life-I saw relatives, my dad, and past pets that died like floating in a bubble-waving-smiling at me to come forward-I don't recall the "light-tunnel". I woke up 6 days later with a zillion tubes in me. The ex had to watch the boys for a few days then.
Ex is doing well now but does not help with anything-he is punishing me for filing for divorce to this day. To this day he calls me filthy names to his sons-I have not spoken to him in years. He started this bashing of me when s3 went to see him recently, he calls up s3 to go to a club when he knows darn well s3 has drinking problems so he(ex) can meet young women. s3 was drunk and beat him up when ex badmouthed me-i had to go get s3 at 500am in Palm Beach and ex was ballistic-of course everything is my fault. My stories are endless.The final straw was when ex insisted we join some swingers club.

Geez, the sister story and your mom-the child is 12 for cripes sake and your sister has a good job-I got nothing and had to go to a church to get food/meals for the boys, black sheep because I left MKE where if you are born there you must stay and die-you made your bed ly in it. Well enough of that but I thought you guys would enjoy my out of body experience.

I will tell s3 and bf like you said " Nothing nice to say don't say anything". BF and S3 don't speak or acknowlege each other at all. BF is very bitter as S3 beat him up once when I was on a trip 3 yrs. ago-I believe BF provoked S3 while S3 was high/drunk. The last vacation i took in Nov. BF left the house while I was gone because he is afraid of S3.

Got to Curves this am - they were so nice there! I really like it-I could not do 2 of the machines because of knee-the squat one and a stepper one. Looks are deceiving-my first visit i thought these dont look very hard-but whoa-i got a workout. There were 4 other ladies. One about 65 who looked like a muscle builder-she told me she come 5xs a week, another about 70, a 40, and then a 35-2 very overweight. I felt very comfortable. I am going back on Tues.

My weight loss for this week is 1 pound-well better than none and exercise was limited. I think the curves will be good for my lousy bones-osteoporosis. Thanks for the encouragement to go - I was pleasantly surprised- no men, no weights to change, no positioning of seats for equipment, not worried about hurting myself for new potential ailment.

[yellowhair11]

Good for you D - 3 pounds - thats great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Denise78]

I am SO happy you had a good experience at Curves!! I wonder if we have the same machines? How many do you have? We have 10 and that is capacity in this small place so doubtful we will get others. I do think it's not just the workout, but also the motivation and encouragement they give so it does make you feel good when you walk out. You look foward to going back, it's not a chore. I can do the squatting one but am very ready to move onto the next machine after 40 sec on it!! They tell me that it's also how you position yourself on some of the machines and you will get a different workout each time. Like those ones that you lift over your head and pull down. If you put your hands one way, it works the flab on the underarms, if you position your hands a different way, it works the outer/inner part of your arms, etc.

Congrats on the lb loss. That is awesome! A lb of butter, that's a good solid chunk from your thighs or belly. That's how I think of it and it makes me feel better if it is not a huge loss each week.

Wow at your story too. Made me tear up to think how lost you must have felt back then. I am under the firm impression that what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger. You are living proof of that!! Everything happens for a reason. I know, too many cliches...but I do believe that.

Talked to mother again this morning and she starts in on how sister is on her way over so they can discuss things. Possibly mother will move in with sister M-F to get son on/off school bus. I couldn't take it anymore and told mother that she needed to stop telling me these things...hurting my feelings badly. I lost house because I couldn't afford mortgage alone. Why did I have to hire babysitters and rearrange hours and take different jobs? Where were her offers to help back then? She doesn't remember. Selective memory. I told her that 12 yrs old, will be 13 in May, is old enough to get on/off bus himself. She can call him at 7:30 and tell him to stop watching tv and get to the bus stop if that makes her feel better. Nephew is a baby because they treat him that way and they need to stop, they are hurting him by not letting him grow up. But...I am 1800 mi away, so I guess I should just mind my own business and stop dwelling on what is/isn't fair and things that happened yrs ago. Life is not fair, sh** happens, we do what we gotta do to survive.

Geez, I am chatting way too much today. Sorry 'bout that gals!!

D

[Teresa3]

Hi, Gals--

Wow, YH, you sure have been through a lot, which I am sorry for, but I am glad you are still here and doing much better. It sounds like your ds3 really loves you and wants to protect you. Maybe that's why he wants to live with you? It's great he has a job now and gave you some $$. Well, you are right--I do love to hear out-of-body experiences. I'm sorry you felt so bad that you wanted to leave, but that is entirely understandable. And now you have an experience to share that is helpful to others. Have you ever watched John Edward Cross Country on the WE channel? He's a psychic that brings across messages from loved ones who have passed on. It's fascinating the accuracy of the information he brings through. It just blows me away. I have always been interested in the other world, from inner journey work to lucid dreaming. But I hope the rest of your time here will be much much happier!
So was this your first time at a Curves? Glad you enjoyed it. I did try to go once, but I have short arms and legs, and I did not fit the machines! But dh and I belong to a gym, so I do light workouts on their machines. Went today actually, and had buffet salad bar afterwards. It was a nice afternoon.

Denise, that's a lovely story about how you met your dh! Also, you and your kids are sooo lucky to have an ex that cares, communicates, and sends support! My older dd who has my grandd's ages 4 and 8 took them, with her ex's permission, several hundred miles away, thinking that he would fly or drive down and see them a lot. Well, of course he does not make much $$ or have time to be going to see them, so now the girls hardly ever see their dad, and we don't see them that much either. It's very hard to travel these days unless you're rich and healthy! He is not able to pay child support very often either, so she is really struggling to make ends meet. The kids really miss their dad and other relatives that are up here. I feel sad for them, and for us because we don't get to see them much! I'm glad it all worked out well for your family!

You know, I am a little worried about this burning, prickling pain. It started out as just some numbness in my toes, and burning and tingling in my lower legs. And now it has become this incredible burning and prickling in my entire legs, and I do sometimes feel it in my hips and hands. The neurontin has not helped that much yet, but I just started back on it and I have to build up the dose. It does make me feel woozy, D, and gives me strange dreams. I don't care for it, but the burning is so bad I can't sleep. I think I better go back to the neurologist and tell him about this new symptom. He had told me I probably had nerve damage from my autoimmune condition. But I know that if you have one autoimmune problem, you are at risk for others. I am still hoping it just flared up because I had been eating off my diet and was taking in too many carbs, including quite a bit of starch, which makes my spondylitis worse. I am so sorry you have had to deal with MS, D. It is admirable how well you cope with it, and how positive you stay about it! Glad you had a good time at Curves and that it is not making your feet act up! I sure can sympathize with the difficulty of making a 40 mile round trip, esp. with these gas prices! A couple of times a week might be enough, though, if you do a little exercise at home, too.

Corrisann, I'm glad it warmed up in MI--Spring is not far off! How's the eating been going?

I'm starting to do better, easing back into it. I got to the store today to buy some lc snacks so I wouldn't cheat so much. I had a craving for pizza, so I got some salami, provolone, and tomatoes, and grilled tomato slices with the cheese and salami on top--amazingly good and pizza-like! I'm going to try to get a little more creative with snacks so maybe I can feel more satisfied on this WOE.

Have a great Sunday, everyone! T.

[Teresa3]

P.S. Congratulations, D on your 3 lbs. lost! And YH, on your lb. loss! Great going! You gals are awesome! I hope to have something to clap about by next week. TTYL, T.

[yellowhair11]

T - I would have the new pain checked out if no relief in a few days, and sorry your feeling worse. I had a craving for pizza last nite too and BF called and said should he bring one home ! I said no. Your pizza idea was a good one. S3 lives with me because he can't afford his own place-his debts/obligations are outstanding. Ex has huge place but kicked S3 out. Just to keep his car on the road (excluding gas ) its like 550 a month. High insurance, a thing he has to blow into for the car to start, and the supervision appts.-result of dui #2. 20K credit card debt, etc. I got the opposite deal that your dd has with S1-he does not make that much money and pays child support hence he always needs help. Miss my grandson too. Thats weird about the Curves, how tall are you T ? No, I have not heard the guy who communicates with the dead but ill check it out.

Sat:
AM - yogurt and banana

Lunch - none - took a nap-4 hrs.

Dinner and beyond - 2 scrambled eggs w 2 sl. whole wheat toast
Claussen pickle
1-fruitie and pretzels-more pretzels than i should have

Knee not bothering me any more or less from the Curves xpedition. I dont know how many machines D- I will count them if I am capable the next time. They had 2 machines you use in place of the bouncy thing-one was an arm deal and the other the stepper-I did the stretch exercises too after-I like those.

I went to a weight loss class many years ago, we sat in these schoolhouse old fashioned desks and they placed a pound of fat on each desk - a mold of real fat - it was really pretty big and disgusting. I thought of that mold with the one pound loss this week, funny how things from long ago pop into your mind,.So we shall keep plodding along.

Hope to get in the pool today as it will be 88, only 60% humidity and clear skies.

Have a relaxing Sunday !

PS : BF has not mentioned S3 this weekend as of 230 am Sunday and I did not enough announce the " Nothing good to say dont say it " - geez, ive been waiting too.

[Denise78]

Good morning ladies!

I wonder what is going on with your body, Teresa? I will be interested to know if the burning pain subsides now that you are back to low-carb eating. I would check back with the dr about your new symptoms. Sounds very painful I'm thinking I've heard of a topical cream that helps with neuropathy...maybe you can ask about that and use it when the sensations get too bad. I sometimes got "zinging" sensations going up and down my legs or arms. Like an electricity feeling......zzzzz!!! My dr has me on a high dose (2000 mg) of Vitamen D a day. It helps with leg pain. Ask your dr if that would help you at all. I am on potassium too but it just wasn't enough and the Vitamen D is an added bonus because it specifically helps with immune system problems so it might be helpful to you too.

I've noticed that I'm not getting the overwhelming fatigue since I started low-carb eating. Don't know if it's just a coincidence or if the lack of high carbs is giving me this boost of energy and positive feelings. Or maybe it's just because I'm losing weight and looking towards a brighter future for me. All I know is that the fatigue and depression usually come out of nowhere, so I'll enjoy this feeling of euphoria while it lasts.

My friend is also very short. Our Curves has cushions to put on the backs of machines in case you need to get closer to reach. I don't need them but she sure does. I wish I could do the walking, but that is what kills my feet and hip sockets and wears me out really fast. Most of the Curves machines are sitting ones, so it helps to only be on my feet just in between the machine stations, 40 sec at a time. I think we have only 1 machine that requires me to stand.

Yesterday Dh had a grilled reuben on marble rye for lunch and even though I'm not a big fan of corned beef...it looked so darn good!! So I made my own version with some leftover roast, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese on low-carb tortilla shell. Not as good as his, but it definitely made me feel like I was having a reuben too without the high carbs. For supper, ds2 requested fettucine alfredo. I cooked up some boneless skinless chicken tenderloin and made an alfredo sauce with cream, parmesan and Smart Balance butter and simmered the cooked chicken in it for awhile to take on the flavorings. Ds2 had his over fettucine pasta. I had mine over broccoli. Very good!

Yesterday's menu:

B-2 scrambled eggs w/spinach, coffee
S-3 oz tomato juice, 3 grapes
L-beef "reuben" on low-carb tortilla shell
D-chicken alfredo over broccoli, lettuce w/low-carb dressing
S-1 sl pepperoni, 12 olives, 6 almonds

Teresa -- great idea with the salami, cheese & tomato "pizzas." Sounds really yummy and very low carb. I'll have to try that next time I am craving pizza.....which is usually very often. In fact, now that I think about it...I dreamt about pizza last night, thanks to your post!

YH -- such a long nap! That must have felt good! I don't think we have the stepping machine you are talking about. We have the bouncy boards and also steps in between machines. I don't do the steppers, just the bouncy boards, because I have a hard time lifting my right leg and would probably trip myself up trying to lift it up and down consecutively on a stepper.

The lb of fat sounds really disgusting. You know that's all I'm going to think about now as I lose every lb!!

Yesterday afternoon was so warm and sunny that all the snow melted. Woke up this morning to another round of that darn white stuff. It's actually quite the blizzard going on now, heavy snow falling and high winds. You have fun in your pool, YH!!

Going to the baby shower today (weather permitting) and am hoping I can resist the goodies that are sure to be there. Dh & I will go out to lunch first so that should help, not going hungry to the shower. I used to love going to these things...now I am just wanting to get it over with.

Hope everyone has a great day!!

---D