New and would like a buddy

[Denise78]

Not that I needed to write even more....

But just wanted to ask for a couple of extra prayers here for Vonn. He is in extreme pain -- they found that each kidney has a stone in it -- so he is having a surgical procedure done today to put stints in the tubes leading to the kidneys and hopefully that will help to pass the stones. Poor little guy. He's been thru so much lately!!

[harley g-ma]

I'm back from my walk Don't worry D,I am NOT giving up! I go to the Dr.in Aug.for my yearly check up and I want to get on the scales with pride I am trying to adjust my stride when I'm walking.I have long legs(I think thats why everyone thinks I'm taller than 5'5) and I take long steps.I have read that it's better to shorten your stride and take more steps.It's suppose to burn more calories It's hard when you've walked a certain way all your life. My dh is ALWAYS saying SLOW down
YH,did I read that you are taking on another kid? Boy,you are either a saint or have lost your mind! What kind of drugs are you on Another short day at work? Thats my kind of job Bf should be fine.I had no after effects.I came home and took a nap until the drug wore off and went out to lunch I hope your rib is feeling better today.
C,thanks for the tip on the sea salt.I have a Kroger in the area so I'll look for it. I know I have to start looking at this way of eating as a lifestyle instead of a diet.I want it to come natural and not think about what I'm giving up all the time and it is so much better to lose it slow.I think it gives your body time to catch up and not sag so much,at least thats what I hope.Don't do too much and wear yourself out before you go to work
I bought the cutest T-Shirt yesterday.It has a buzzard on it and it says"So Far,This is as OLDest I'v ever been"

[harley g-ma]

D, I will definately say some prayers

[miss.amaryllis]

Darlings - (pronounce this in manner of oldie English film) - that's it!

Well, I am so cross! Yesterday, I extricated TRoATU from the Sunday Telegraph and put him to work at the computer to reproduce the pic of fatface me and the only thing that seemed to be standing in our way was shrinking the pic to "200x150 pixels or 29.3 kilobytes". Where are your children when you need them? ! If not ! Still, I shall not give up. By the time I've mastered this mystery, I might even need a more streamlined picture.

Oh yes! I've always had a fat face. Chubby cheeks! Old ladies used to pinch my face when I was but a tiny child. ! Even in my slim days, still a fat face.

My eating has been very restrained. But now I am feeling more energetic - very very nearly healed up - so I put on my treasured Tamla Motown Gold triple CD's and, there being nobody to laugh at me, danced like a mad thing and did some exercises. Well! Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - how can you not get dancing?

I've had some leftover roast beef so today's menus -

Mid morning - an avocado

Lunch - some cold roast beef, lettuce, tomato, carrots, homemade dressing

and dinner will be

(for me) last of roast beef, some hot vegetables + something else for TRoATU.

I can't bear to throw away food. It comes from having a much older wartime-conditioned mother. His mother, much younger, just about the age of my sister, allowed him to leave food/throw it away! Shocking!

Denise, I'm so impressed by the story of your aunt. What a fantastic attitude with which to confront an illness! I had tears in my eyes when I read that. And you've taken to hairdressing in the dark!! What a magnificent job you do with your sorority. I had no idea that that's what the word could mean - I thought it was a school or college thing - so sorry.

Elaine - is diet Coke so much worse than plain water? Though I suppose plain water is irreproachably better than anything else. I was very pleased that there is somebody else who can't give up salt. I love salty food!

A friend recently went on a terrific holiday to Thailand. "What a place!" he said. "I did think of you". Of course, I was excited thinking he was going to pay me a lovely compliment of the beautiful/exotic type. "It was every time we went out to a restaurant" he said. "It was so humid, that all the salt cellars were clogged up. I kept thinking how annoyed you would be". True. But then you could wade through my blood pressure and never even get your ankles wet. And never a sign of fluid retention... pass the salt, please?

Yellow Hair! So looking forward to seeing your latest svelte picture! And in size 8 capri trousers! I don't have any fat clothes - I've been a fairly slim size 12 until the past year, when this stone and a half suddenly went on, so I've mostly been living in the baggiest of my size 12's, trying and trying to lose it. Although I was fat as a teenager, and in my early twenties until my first husband walked out - suddenly I was thin with grief. (Every cloud... etc)

English size 12 would be be a size 8 or 10 in American sizing? There is a mail order catalogue here called "Land's End" which has your sizing and I was thrilled, well utterly thrilled when the white jeans I ordered were a size 6! How I wished I could have worn the size label hanging out! Another wonderful thing with this company - you could get your jeans "low-rise"! This was a revelation. If I buy hipster jeans, they come up to my waist! Tight round the bottom and loose round the waist. I want to get back into those white jeans - preferably with some white cowboy boots with fringing, heels and rhinestones... oh yes! *sighs with longing*

Mi Chick - I don't suppose you would part with your cocktail sauce recipe? It does sound delicious. 16lbs... 16lbs!!! That's fantastic! If you can do it, I can do it! Such great encouragement from you girls. A punnet is an old fashioned expression for a little basket of fruit. Used to be woven out of woodchips in the olden days, now a plastic box, but we go on saying it. Holds about a pound. Now my question! What is pulled pork?

There are no South Beach products in the shops here. Everything is "low fat" in the diet dept and when you read the ingredients, you can see there are all sorts of strange bulking out ingredients.

Well, you'll be tired of reading all this! Much love to all!

[Denise78]

Well I guess when you think about it E, it does sound logical that if you take more steps, you will burn more calories. In any event, 3 miles is 3 miles and I can't see how you aren't getting your rate up with that kind of hike, no matter how long your stride is, so keep on walking, baby! I wish I could join you! Years ago, before my health issues, my co-workers and I used to power-walk on our lunch hour and boy did we move fast!! I was a skinny-minny back then.

I gave up the diet soda again. I read so many things about how it stalls your weight loss and causes you to be hungrier. Whether that's true or not, who knows? But where I have so much still to lose, I may as well cut it out just in case it's true. At this rate, I may not have much left to eat or drink except for water!!

Dh popped in for a quick lunch. He asked me if I was going swimming tonight. I think he just wants to see me in my new bathing suit. Poor guy doesn't know what he's setting himself up for. Strongs winds out right now so I hope they die down before long. I think I'll go anyway. Shivering burns calories, right??

How are your ribs feeling today, YH? I hope they're getting better! How long will s3's friend be staying with you? Was bf upset about it??

Well gals, guess I need to get the clothes in off the line. In this wind, it dried really fast today!

Catch ya later! D

[harley g-ma]

Quiet day today.I just didn't feel like doing much.Didn't feel bad just didn't have any energy.Thats why I like to get my exercise in the morning.I would never get anything done in the afternoon I'll check back later and post my menu

[Denise78]

I went to the pool and I absolutely love it!!! It only cost me $2 and there were only 3 other women there the whole time. It's a HUGE heated pool, olympic-size, with the shallow end going down to 3 ft and the deep end going down to 11 ft. The water was so warm, the perfect temp. I swam and swam and chatted with the other ladies and also the lifeguard, who happened to be a gal that went to school with ds1. I feel exhilarated -- what an awesome feeling!!! I didn't want to leave when our time was up (adult swimming is from 5 to 6 pm only) but the kids started showing up and jumping in and splashing so it was time to get out. I am going back tomorrow! YH, now I know why you love it so much!

[harley g-ma]

I guess I'm the first one to post this evening.You ladies all stay up later than me D,I forgot to tell you how great the homemade Jerky sounded.I love jerky and it's such a great snack.I wish you were here to walk with me too.I need a buddy to keep me busy.All the women around here are young with babies and small kids.I didn't do so hot with the nuts today.I ate too many,just snacking.I believe you said they were one of your trigger foods and you didn't keep them around.I won't buy anymore either.My menu for today was B-2 sausage patties,1 egg
S-almonds
L-2 small chichen thighs,did I say SMALL? Salad
S-low carb yogurt,more almonds
D-2 small pork chops
I did drink more water today YH,what up? Missed you this afternoon,but I guess you got off early.
T,and SC I hope your day went well.I know C is still working,and A,we could never get tired of your posts.It is such a treat to converse with someone from another country!
Everyone have a wonderful evening

[harley g-ma]

D, that is wonderful! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.it'such great exercise.Even if you just tread water its so good for you.This may be what gets the last few lbs to get you to the big 50!

[Denise78]

Guess you went to bed already E! I had to wait for ds2 to get off the computer and go back to the ranch before I could get here tonight. I just can't stop at 10 almonds like T can. How about string cheese? Have you tried that for a quick snack? I was in a snacking mood today too for some reason. Must have been in the air today. Good job on drinking more water!

Today's menu:

B-drink potion, coffee
S- hardboiled egg, 2 sl turkey breast
L-turkey meatballs, zucchini
D-pork, ribs, salad
S-cole slaw, 1/2 SB protein bar

Water-80+ oz

Miss A, pulled-pork is a pork roast or tenderloin slow-roasted till very tender and then shredded. Most ppl eat them as sandwiches but I don't eat bread so I have mine plain or in a salad.

I didn't count laps today but I swam the entire hour I was there. I'm tired now. It really wore me out but so far, no pain. Friend and I are going to Curves in the morning and then I will go to the pool at 5 pm tomorrow.

Well ladies, I guess I will say good night as it seems I need to wait till the rest of you post before I have something more to say!

D

[Teresa3]

Hooray, D, for going to the pool and discovering that you love it! And going to Curves tomorrow--you're having a big exercise week. I'm sure it will pay off for you on weigh-in day.

Thanks for setting a place for me at the BBQ; sorry I wasn't able to make it! Can I have a rain check? Homemade roast beef jerky sounds amazing! But doesn't it require a lot of salt, or can you use less to suit your taste? How long do you have to dry it?

So sorry to hear about that poor little child. I will certainly keep him in my prayers.

D, I set a specific time to get into those jeans because I wasn't making much progress the last few weeks, so now I am really pushing it! Summer has always been my best time to lose weight; I have a much harder time when the weather gets colder. So I've got to get 'er done now!

Y, glad your rib pain has eased up a bit. I'm sorry you have had to be waylaid like this. But on the plus side, it looks as if there has been a minimal kind of truce between ds3 and bf! Offering to drive him to the hospital; that's kind! Have the meds made him more mello? I hope this warming trend continues! How is bf after the colonoscopy? Hope it all looked good.

E, you are doing an amazing job with all the walking; it's sure to pay off in the long run. I think it's so much harder to lose when you get in your 50's; just take C's advice and make healthy eating your lifestyle and you will get the weight off--it just may take longer. But hey, you've got great company, right? BTW, I hear all the time that artificially sweetened drinks stall weight loss. Have you ever tried plain iced tea? It acts as a diuretic.
Dandelion tincture in a little warm water works real well, if you're into herbs at all.

C, sounds like you're getting back in the swing of things. Having to work until 11:30 p.m. sounds hard, though. How long do you have to do that? Although I recall you have stayed up late to watch sports, eh! Maybe that was good training for this job!

I rode the bike a couple of times here at home, and did some floor exercises. It seems like my flabby thighs are getting a bit firmer. Monday mornings I always get a little more exercise, too, because I have to go up and down stairs picking up the house and I do laundry. My feet are quite sore from this and the biking, but I am determined! Here's today's menu:

B - egg, spinach, sausage
L - salad, 2 shrimp enchiladas, no tortillas
D - roast chicken thigh, asparagus
S - string cheese, 10 almonds

Have sweet dreams, everyone, and may all your thighs shrink while you sleep! T.

[yellowhair11]

Left work early yesterday even tho S3 would have picked up BF but he wanted me to do it. He was very hungry so we bought steaks and I grilled him one when we got home. They took one polyp out and he has a large one that they did a biopsy on. So now we have to sweat it out that its not cancer, not sure why they did not remove right there, maybe they cant remove a large one in a colonoscopy. He did not ***** very much about new guest but thats because of his day. Yes, I take drugs, have lost my mind, and am a saint I guess, H. He ended up homeless in the middle of the night and s3 fetched him. He told me he joined the army and is waiting for a report date and overheard him pleading with some aunt to take him in. I told s3 he needs to find somewhere to go soon - I could not put him out on the street.
So I grill the rest of the steaks later with corn and baked potatoes and he was very gracious for the nice meal, he hit a good day for food here

T - I see your getting on the floor now for some exercise too - way to go and good for you. The ribs feel much better today as I have done nothing for 3 days exercise wise.

D-if you moved the whole time you did great - you dont need to count anything-if I go by the clock I would do more - just a mental thing with the counting of laps, even just treading water is good. I am so glad you enjoyed the pool !!!! I notice your getting the water down too, something I should work on !! Vonn is in my prayers.

C - yes to the cocktail sauce recipe, I dont think a little will hurt, I do have a jar of something, crosswell, but not sure about it. I buy the shrimp when its on sale. You think seafood would be chep in Fl. but it is not.

Miss A - it sounds like you are in an American 6 if the Lands Ends 6 fits. So what English size are you aiming for and pardon me but what is a stone again?Your chubby face is probably a good thing, as I have all new wrinkles and sag since losing the weight in my face. I think Lands End has pretty consistant sizing.

H - keep it up with your walks - you are doing great - now are you walking around the whole camp ground place ? When I use a treadmill I think the same thing should i go fast with no incline or slower with - so I play with the buttons and do both as I have heard its good to mix up the exercise you are doing even if its the same one.

My work desk is bad since i have not been there that much lately hopefully I can get thru T, W, TH and no Friday - holiday July 4 th ! I am nervous that I have not moved for 3 days but I guess thats just what my ribs needed.

Mon
POTION, mix of raspberries, blueberries,red grapes
rib eye steak and green beans
fruiti, pretzel, skinny cow cone

PS: This was a first for ebay and ive had many, I open my package and I see the ugliest prs. of capri's - seriously- i mean UGLY. There is a note in there that she could not find the talbot's one and sent these instead and I should enjoy !! Not one pr but 2 hideous ones. Well ill tell her to refund and im not sending these back-why did she not just tell me she could not find the ones. Too funny

[harley g-ma]

Good Morning, Thanks for all the support I seem to feel better this morning.I have a purpose in life today(I'm going to Wal-mart) It's funny,no matter how many times you go there,and they all have the same stuff,I can spend hrs.in there.
YH,you are a very good Mom.I'm glad ds3's friend has a place to stay until he can go in the sevice.It sounds like this will be a good thing for him if he doesn't get shipped overseas in the middle of the war.Things must really be bad at home.Maybe ds will be on his best behavior for fear of you kicking friend out.Good Luck. I would have had to do the same thing. I'v been ordering a lot off Ebay lately too.I can't believe what that seller pulled.Did she have a good rating? Sometimes I forget to check that. You are doing so good on your eating.Take it slow on the exercise and maybe you'll be good as new in a few days
D,What does your son do at the ranch?Do they have horses? You do so good on drinking your water! I will make that extra effort today.I found a crystal light that I really like but I know thats not the same.Gotta get busy.Will post more later

[Denise78]

Good morning gals!! Hope everyone is raring to go today!

E, I noticed you seemed a little blah yesterday. Was it the heat or just one of those days?? I hope today gives you some more smiles! I can always find something to buy in Wal-Mart, no matter how many times I've been there. Sadly we are 2 hours from the nearest one but I think we are going to visit dh's sister on Thursday and she has one right near her.

We might be going car-shopping with ds2 on Saturday. Always fun to do (said sarcastically) since dealerships are 2-6 hours away in any direction and none of them are really close together. It's like if you drive the 2 hours and find nothing, then you have to turn around and go 4 hours in the opposite direction to get to the next set of dealerships.

YH, I would take the boy in too. You've got a good , mom!! What a good night for him to show up -- ribeye steaks -- yum! You didn't tell me you had an extra one -- I would have been there in a flash! Sorry to hear about bf. Did he realize he had those polyps before? That is a very scary deal. I hope everything turns out okay for him. Had to laugh over the capris. Aw c'mon, why don't you wear them to work and show witchie-woman what a fashion plate you've turned into!

T, I am glad you set a goal for those jeans. I think we do better when we have some mini goals and not just long-term ones that seem so far off and unattainable. You are doing so great with your exercising -- keep it up -- I'm sure you will see results by your deadline!

C, I worked 2nd shift before and 3rd shift too at a hospital when I lived back East. I didn't mind the 2nd shift so much because I could still get to sleep at a decent hour but with 3rd shift, I felt like I wasted the next day sleeping. And ppl couldn't get it thru their heads that I was sleeping and kept calling or coming over and it about drove me crazy so I had to quit that job and go back to 1st shift. How many days a week are you doing this new night shift? I guess that means you'll be sleeping in the next morning and won't have coffee with me?? Not to worry, I'll keep your cup warm!!

SC, where are ya, gal?? Hope everything is going okay with you and that dh is sticking with the WOE too! Maybe you can make a contest out of it, although men are known to lose faster so that might fustrate me all the more!

I am off to Curves this morning and swimming this afternoon but I will be in and out before and after so if you're around and bored, E, give me a holler!!

Have a happy sunshiney day ladies! D

[Denise78]

P.S. (I always find an excuse to write more, don't I?)

E, my son works on a cattle ranch from May till school starts in mid-August. He is the ranch owner's hired hand and the rancher and ds2 go around the ranch (which is hundreds of acres) everyday and repair fences, fix tractors, check on cattle, anything that needs to be done to get the ranch in shape for haying season, which just started this week. Ds2 now will be on a tractor for the next few weeks mowing the hundreds and hundreds of acres of hay so the cattle have food for the next year. It's not too bad of a job, he gets paid around $65-$75 a day and for a 16 yr old kid, that's not bad $$. They put him up in a bunkhouse so that he doesn't have to commute everyday. It's a cute little guesthouse right next to their house and he has a livingroom, kitchen, bathroom and one bedroom all to himself. The job comes with 3 meals a day and the rancher's wife is an awesome cook. All my sons have worked for this particular ranch thru-out their high school days since after-school jobs in this area are hard to come by.

[harley g-ma]

D, the ranch sounds wonderful! That's why I love the west.Keeps the boys out of trouble
and their not sitting in front of a computer all day like my 16yr old grandson.He stays up all night and sleeps half the day.It drives me crazy when I'm there The west really makes men out of boys,not to mention all the physical exercise I'm so glad your're getting to Curves and getting to go swim too. I love summer I realized while I was walking what my problem was yesterday.I took those OTC water pills and there nothing but caffeine,and when they wore off I was just dragging I will know better today!I am going to look for a heart monitor at W-M. I want to make sure I'm
getting the most out of these workouts

[Denise78]

I notice that with me too, by the end of the day I am pooped out!! Funny you should mention that. Just yesterday I started cutting my coffee down to only 2 cups per day. That's a tough one for me since I love my coffee and tend to drink almost a pot by myself everyday. But maybe that's why I felt so energized yesterday afternoon. A heart monitor is a good idea. I still say a 3 mile walk is a great workout, no matter what your speed is, plus you said you have hills and like YH said, inclines are good to factor into a walk since it changes things up a bit.

[MI CHICK]

The worst part D is that you can't just lay down & go to sleep the minute you walk in the door LOL so you end up being up pretty late. Was up til 1 & then slept til 9. And yes I have surely stayed up late watching sports T....matter of fact after Charlotte went to sleep I turned the tv on low & watched the baseball game til her son got in from work. LOL!!! When you are at a clients 4/5hrs you are ripping & running the whole time but when you have a 9hr shift there are times when the client is sleeping & it can be tedious to fill the time I find. You're not ever completely comfortable in someone else's home.
I read a couple chapters & watched the game while playing with her darling tiny Yorkie! Charlotte is in a hospital bed in the living room & I like that as I can be right next to her & always know that she's ok.

My eating has been on track but I know my portions are still too large. So I have not went near the scale. Am off today & tomorrow so can get my exercise in---one thing I had thought about the Callanetics is that I could do some quietly on the job some times--like while sitting on the floor w/the doggie last nite.

D isn't the water the BEST!!! That's why I just love it! You are tired the next day but never sore. And I never feel like I'm exercising!! Am always so jealous of Y's pool time, all year long!! With giant lizards lying along the side watching I'd be on welfare if I lived there so I could be in that pool all day long!

Well Ms A I had a "moment" there where I was trying to figure out just what your problem was if you were wearing an American size 6 Why were you here complaining about needing to loose??? Then I re-read your post & saw how badly you wanted to get back into those darling jeans LOL!!! Now I know what you're talking about! You will get them back on & love love love every moment of sliding up that zipper!! I have a really cute pair of pants laying on the floor by my side of the bed....there are about 40lbs away & as slow as I've been losing they won't be on my behind til 2010....

Don't tell bf but that's not good that the polyp was too big to take out thru the colonoscopy Y. My mom had one that was too big--wasn't cancerous that's not the problem it's the size. She had to have bowel surgery to remove it. Sure hope it turns out to be another issue!! Just what you need huh, more stress.... for you! Think we've all taken in a kids friend that was in a bad spot. You look at them & think how on earth can I open the door & say out you go...?? I never could. And am lucky I guess that nothing bad ever happened. Your condo is so full of people now that you have a real excuse to just be in or by that pool every moment you're not at work

Don't know about eBay. Never even been there. Figured why start the temptations...LOL!! I agree with D--demand your refund yes, but don't toss those uglies--wear 'em to work like you think you are styling!!

I agree Harley! Not good for our city kids to have all the indoor time that they do. Not sure how to change it though. And my ds was never into sports so I couldn't get him out on the field playing something even. Course it has turned out that he hates driving in all the crazy city traffic & has a bike and rides that to work/classes whatever. We don't have good mass transit here in MI. His friends have been good about picking him up for the things he can't bike too. So he is certainly getting his exercise. His goal after college is to get a job in a state where they have good mass transit & everyone rides and walks.

Well I must get going or I will have lost my whole morning to the 'puter--& that after complaining about kids doing too much indoor time LOL

[MI CHICK]

This recipe is from WW's 20some yrs ago. I have always used it cause I loved it. With the invention of Splenda & lc products I have made adjustments & it was still great.
Will give the original first.
1/2C catsup
1tbsp prepared horseradish
1tbsp lemon juice
1 thin slice onion
1 1/2tsp brown sugar
1/2tsp Worcestershire
1/4tsp salt
3 drops Tabasco
Mix together & let set over nite. This makes 3/4C & will keep for many weeks in the fridg. 1tbsp=14 cal

Now I use:
1/2C Heniz Low Carb or Lower Sugar catsup
1tbsp horseradish
1tbsp lemon juice
1 thin slice onion
1 1/2tsp Splenda brown sugar mix
1/2tsp Worcestershire
1/4tsp sea salt
3 drops Tabasco

Enjoy ladies!!

[MI CHICK]

This is the best 1000 Island on the planet!! This is only for the lc group though--sorry Y! I ate this on every single salad when I lost the wgt before!

1C mayo
2tbsp whipping cream
1/4C lc or lower sugar ketchup
1tbsp dill relish
1tbsp minced onion
2 small pinto olives chopped fine
1 hard boiled egg chopped fine
Combine & store in fridg. Makes 2/3C.

I think it would be fine with lf mayo & ff half an half but I've not tried it that way yet.

Eat Yourself Thin Like I Did by Nancy Moshier RN
1tbsp=.7c