BAB's - 3 Amigos

[Snowangel81598]

This is the Summer Edition of the Bay Area Babes - 3 Amigos

We are a group of 3 women in the Bay Area of California that met here at LCF about a year and a half ago and became friends and diet support buddies. We've been involved with larger challenge groups in the past and felt overwhelmed by them, so we want to keep this to just the three of us.

Why don't we start this thread by talking about our goals for this summer.

[pri17cess72]

Hi Ladies!

Thanks for setting up the thread. What a great idea!
I just have a few min to post.

My summer goals are to lose 20lbs in 16 weeks. I will pull out my calendar and get the specifics.

Since tomorrow is my bday and Yes I want to eat my cake I wont start the challenge until probably Monday the 7th. Yes I know I am bad.

Have a great night ladies. I am so excited to be reunited with the 2 of you/

[skinhealth]

Thank you so much Angel for setting this up
This feels really good to back here with the two of you again.

Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you Liz - do you leave this week for your
surprise vacation?
And please....don't feel bad about that cake...you only have one birthday a year - live it up!

So my goals for the rest of the summer...
it seems that I've been losing roughly 1 pant size every 2 months (3 pant sizes so far since Thanksgiving - I also subtracted one month from this due to the fact I fell of the wagon 2 or 3 times for at least a week each time) - I'm a 10 right now and think that it should be perfectly doable to be an 8 by the end of August, if not the end of July.

I'm also going to get more veggies into my diet (this was part of the last
goal and I'm getting slightly better about that), start smoothies tomorrow, and also eat more fish.

Haven't exercised since last Wednesday and can really feel it.
Was so sore after that Callanetics session that I had to take
a few days off and then the weekend came...grrr..

Am starting back again tomorrow (Wednesday).

Food today was the Egg Cream (starting to get sick of these),
3 slices of cold tri-tip, some celery with almond butter,
and rainbow trout dipped in garlic butter, some strawberries and cream.

Started taking Cod Liver oil again yesterday - great to be back on track again with that - I always feel so good.

Okay nighty night everyone.

[pri17cess72]

Thanks Angela! My vacation starts at noon tomorrow. I will be back to work on Tue 7/8. I will keep you ladies in the loop while I am gone. I do get to take my laptop! Yay!

I have been eating so many sweets...people are bringing in cakes, cookies, and stuff for my bday. I really need to get back into this WOE.

Bf is making me dinner tonight.
steak and eggplant and artichoke. He also got me a pink champagne cake....my favorite bday cake of all.

Angela, sounds like you are doing so well. I am so impressed with you.

Well, I will bbl to check in again.

So happy the 3 Amigos are back!!

[skinhealth]

Sounds like your having a great b-day, Liz.
Oh - and you're very welcome.
so is your BF taking you on this surprise vacation?
I didn't even know you had a BF right now.
For some reason I thought you broke up - is this someone
new or the same guy?

I do have my days of not doing the greatest with this WOE -
but that's called being human, right?

I did a half hour of Tae Bo today and took the GNC Burn 60 an hour
before (I think it really works - it's a thermogenic)
and then also did Callanetics Evolution.

Food so far...
B: Perfect Food bar and multi-green kombucha
D: Smoothie...
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. frozen wild berries
1/2 bar frozen acai
3 TBL flax/borage/evening primrose combo
2 egg yolks
1 tsp cinnamon
1 TBL agave
2 scoops Nutiva Hemp protein powder
1 scoop Garden of Life Super Seed fiber powder
then poured in 3 TBL melted coconut oil in at the end (I keep it on the stove and the pilot light keeps it liquid)

I'm debating if I should throw some frozen veggies to the mix or some green powder...I'll probably be experimenting the next few weeks...I also want to add powdered goji/wolfberries.

Will probably have the rest of the fish and garlic butter tonight - yum

Hope you're doing well Angel and hope you have a fabulous vacation Liz!!

[pri17cess72]

Same BF. We did break up but we got back together. It is a long story but I will fill you ladies in one day.
Yes, BF is taking me on the surprise vacay. He cooked me a beautiful dinner and we sat outside on the patio with candles...

Your smoothie sounds good. How do you keep your CO in liquid form? I dont understand can you explain more? Yes, I am a little dense sometimes....

I cant tell you all enough how much I love having this thread. It is nice to have just the 3 of us. Not so overwhelming.

[Snowangel81598]

Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday dear Liz!
Happy Birthday to you!

I hope you have a great time on your vacation! Let us know where you end up. I'm excited for you. I wish someone would take me on a suprise vacation.


I am doing well, Angela, thanks for asking. I've been really busy with work, the 4th of July show my church put on and try to work on writing music. My weight has been bouncing around 143 to 145. I might be about ready to claim 142, but we'll see if it sticks around more than just this morning.

My goals for this summer are to lose about 3 more lbs and continue adding new foods to my WOE to see what I can eat without gaining. I'm starting to get into maintaining mode, and that presents challenges of its own.

I, too, am glad to be back with you, ladies. I hope you will forgive me if I'm here every day, though. I just have so much going on that I can't spend that kind of time online. I'll come as much as I can, though.

[pri17cess72]

Thanks Angel. No problem about not coming everyday. I understand. I may not be here everyday but I may pop in and just say "hi" and then leave...is that okay?

Feel free to do that too! I dont mind if you dont mind.

Yes, I will let you know where I end up.

I am so proud of you both. You are doing such a great job. I, on the other hand need to get my head in the game. I get to 160 and then BAM...I blow it.

[pri17cess72]

So what is everyone's plans for the 4th?

[Snowangel81598]

Originally Posted by pri17cess72

I, on the other hand need to get my head in the game. I get to 160 and then BAM...I blow it.

I was thinking about this the other day and I wondered if you have ever tried not weighing. If it is mental thing for you when you get to 160, maybe you can stop paying attention to the number and fly past it without realizing it. What do you think? Worth a try?

I saw on myspace that you two were talking about getting together for dinner. Do we want to try and plan something?

[skinhealth]

Liz - would love to hear the BF story sometime.
He sounds sweet.

The smoothie is really good - I've made pretty much this same one for the last 2 summers. The eggs and coconut oil are new though. I wasn't sure if it'd work to add the coconut oil since it's solid at room temperature - but it never did solidify in the 10 minutes it took for me to eat the smoothie - it may have something to do with the lecithin in the eggs - apparently it emulsifies the coconut oil.
I keep it liquid by keeping the jar in the center of the 4 burners of my gas stove. The pilot light is always on so it's always very slightly warm on the stove top - does this help? I understand that newer gas stoves don't keep the pilot light on all the time, at least that's what I've been told.

Angel's idea about not weighing sounds like a good one - what do you think of it? It makes sense.

Angel - totally cool with you not writing everyday. I'll be the same.
They'll be days like today where I can write as much as I have and then they'll be others where I won't be able to write anything.
I think we're all in that same boat.
BTW - I meant to tell you when I saw you write on the other board about following your dream of becoming a singer/songwriter how excited I am for you. I'd love to hear more about that!
Perhaps at our get-together?
Maintenance scares me as well - not that I'm there yet - but, of course we'll be here for you when you need the support...


Yes, it's sooo good to back to the simplicity of just the 3 of us again


So I bought frozen broccoli and asparagus to add to my smoothie...we'll see what happens...I also would like to add kefir...I need to check into that next...


As for the 4th...I'm going to a BBQ at a friend's house in Campbell...she eats low carb too so there should be lots of low carb fare in addition to what I'll be bringing...

[pri17cess72]

Just sayin' Hi! *waves*

[pri17cess72]

Happy 4th of July! I am in Hawaii!!!

[Snowangel81598]

Hawaii! I'm so jealous!

I was going to ask how everyone's 4th is going, but if you are in Hawaii, I guess that answers it for you, huh?

We'll be going to a local park to see fireworks later this afternoon. Nothing big planned, but it will be fun.

As for being a singer/songwriter, I'm not sure what you want to know. It's been in my heart for a long time, but I thought it was too crazy a dream to follow, so I haven't been doing anything about it until recently. DH and I are writing songs together in the evenings, and we are trying to put a band together to begin performing. I'm also taking voice lessons to help me be a stronger singer and have more control. I've been surprised how quickly the lessons have made a difference in my singing. I'm going on 1 month now, and I'm really excited about the progress I've made. DH and I both work full time, so the writing is taking longer than we would like, but we have 1 song basically done and several more in the works.

This is a big part of the reason I don't have as much time to be online. I'm trying to spend as much of my "free" time writing and working on my music as possible. We can talk more about this when we get together, as well.

Do we want to try to set a date/time for that? Is Sunday still the best day for everyone? Saturday's are better for me, but I can probably work out a Sunday, especially if it is in the afternoon.

[pri17cess72]

Originally Posted by Snowangel81598

I was thinking about this the other day and I wondered if you have ever tried not weighing. If it is mental thing for you when you get to 160, maybe you can stop paying attention to the number and fly past it without realizing it. What do you think? Worth a try?

I saw on myspace that you two were talking about getting together for dinner. Do we want to try and plan something?

Thanks Angel, I think I will try the no scale thing although it will be hard. Yes, we should get together. My days off are so random due to this job (which I dont like) that I am not sure. I try to take off Sundays and Mondays but I am losing some mgmt which makes it hard for me to pin down a day. I could try for a Sat if that works better for you ladies.

[pri17cess72]

Originally Posted by Snowangel81598

Hawaii! I'm so jealous!

I was going to ask how everyone's 4th is going, but if you are in Hawaii, I guess that answers it for you, huh?

We'll be going to a local park to see fireworks later this afternoon. Nothing big planned, but it will be fun.

As for being a singer/songwriter, I'm not sure what you want to know. It's been in my heart for a long time, but I thought it was too crazy a dream to follow, so I haven't been doing anything about it until recently. DH and I are writing songs together in the evenings, and we are trying to put a band together to begin performing. I'm also taking voice lessons to help me be a stronger singer and have more control. I've been surprised how quickly the lessons have made a difference in my singing. I'm going on 1 month now, and I'm really excited about the progress I've made. DH and I both work full time, so the writing is taking longer than we would like, but we have 1 song basically done and several more in the works.

This is a big part of the reason I don't have as much time to be online. I'm trying to spend as much of my "free" time writing and working on my music as possible. We can talk more about this when we get together, as well.

Do we want to try to set a date/time for that? Is Sunday still the best day for everyone? Saturday's are better for me, but I can probably work out a Sunday, especially if it is in the afternoon.

Good for you Angel for following your dreams. They say if you dont follow them, they wont come true.

Well, I am sick of the restuarant biz and I am looking to change careers. I want to be a dental hygienist. I have called some schools and am waiting to hear back from them. I might shoot for a dental assistant first and then work on my school for the hygiene. The dental assisting is for 9 months. I will have to quit my job and I will need to get health insurance. I hope my student loan will cover my living expenses. Do either of you know anything about this? I hope to start this asap.

How was everyones 4th?

[Snowangel81598]

My fourth was good. We went to see fireworks in Santa Clara last night. The kids had a great time. It was fun to see thier faces light up in the glow if the fireworks. I went off plan, though. I ate half the bun on a tri-tip sandwich and way to much kettle corn. That stuff is addictive! Once you start eating it, it's really hard to stop.

I have a headache today, probably a bit of a sugar hangover. Back on plan. No excuses.

Liz ~ What made you decide on being a dental hygenist? Is it something you've always wanted to do? What did you want to do when you were a child? I think it's brave to make such a big change and I commend you for doing it. It's scary to walk into the unknown.

As for studen't loans, I don't know. I haven't dealt with them in a long time and things have probably changed since then.

The only weekend I won't be available to meet this month is the 25th - 27th. I'll be out of town for my cousin's wedding.

How was the 4th in Hawaii?

[pri17cess72]

The 4th in Hawaii was beautiful. I am coming home on Monday. It is so nice and relaxing here.

I love kettle corn too and I know the addictive powers it has on people.

As far as the dental hygienist, I have always prided myself on my teeth and have always taken good care of them. No cavaties! I have no idea why I want to go into this profession. I do know that I dont have any issues (at least I think) of digging around in peoples mouths, I want a career where I feel like I am contributing to their health, I like the clean and bright enviroment of a dental office, I like the fact that I can work F/T or P/T and still make good $$, I like that I will have a set sched and no nights or weekends, I want to be able to take a lunch break and not have anyone knocking on my door to have me help because they got a rush of customers, I like that I wont have to be on my feet for 50-60 hrs a week.

I just need a change and maybe the 10 month dental assisting program appeals to me bc it wont take too much time. I just need to figure out how I will pay for living expenses and health insurance while I am in school for the 10 months.

When I was a little girl I wanted to be a nurse. Now that doesnt really appeal to me. I have lots of nurse friends and they work weekends and graveyard shift. They do make a ton of $$$ but I just dont want that lifestyle. I dont like blood that much but for some reason dealing with just someones mouth doesnt bother me even if I do see a bit of blood. It is just hard to describe. I really want this and I want to get started on this fast.

[pri17cess72]

Good Morning Ladies! Happy Sunday!

Just spending a lot of time contemplating my life changes. I told my Mom I wanted to go to school for dental assisting or hygiene and she said "it is a very regimentted job...you have to do what you are told" I dont feel like she supported my decision. I have always been in a mgmt position (since I was 18) and my jobs have always been managing people. Well, it might be hard getting used to someone bossing me but I am done managing people. I want something different and if my personality shines through I can always be an office mgr for a dental office.

I will probably move to SF next summer a 50/50 chance. That is another long story that I will tell you when we meet up but things are changing in my life and I am happy for that.

The only thing I am stressing about is how will I survive if I will be in school FT? I hope that I can get financial aid to cover my living expenses. I was offered a job in my friends salon on weekends to make some extra $$$ so at least I have that to fall on. Although, I am not too sure how serious she is about me working there. And of course about my weight.

So hope you all are enjoying your weekend.

Getting ready to have a cup of coffee...which reminds me...Angela, why did you give up coffee? Do you feel better without it?

[skinhealth]

Happy 4th of July weekend!
Hope you're having a good, fun, relaxing one...
I did NOT eat low carb on July 4th, had a couple of buns with my hamburger, too much wine, and WAY too many chips and fries.
Oh well, It was fun and I'm back again.
I am not enjoying this heat but other than that, it has been good.
Didn't get as much done as I had hoped but I have a couple more days
off this week so hoping to get some things out of the way then.


Liz - Wow...that's so awesome with all the changes coming up. I'm so excited for you!!
And dental hygienists make really good money.
A co-worker of mine just graduated from dental hygiene school - she's so psyched
As for student loans, I don't know if it's different for a technical school or not.
For university, you get between 8500 to 10500 a year in Federal Stafford loans and for Graduate school it was about 19500 a year.
But you can also apply for additional loans through different programs.
Have you looked into scholarships?
Hope that helps.

Hawaii huh? Hope you're getting plenty of R & R.

As for the coffee...the only reason I gave it up was because I was sick of the Egg Creams I was making (putting the egg yolks and coconut oil in my smoothie instead). I'll definitely have a cup when out with friends but it won't be something that I'll stop for. Can't say that I feel any different without it though I did go through serious withdrawals on Thursday - headache, irritable, nervous (which felt like icky insecurity),...glad that's over.


Angel - How did your show go on the 4th?
I'm so excited that you're taking the time right now to write songs, take voice lessons, pursue your dream,...most people are unfortunately too scared to do that...I'm happy to see that you are not.

We all seem to be making our way to big changes in our lives...for the better.
Liz with dental hygiene school, possibly a move to SF.
Angel with singing and songwriting.
Me with the Tao Te, building my referral network (which is going VERY well).

It's starting out to be an interesting year for all of us.
So glad we're sharing it together.


As for getting together on a Saturday afternoon...
I'm working this Saturday...though may be able to leave early.
I added myself to work in Saratoga on the 19th but will probably cancel that.
Available on all the other Saturdays after that as far I know.
I do have a wedding in August (my first gay wedding!) but I have to check the date on that.
As for Sundays - I work every other. So next Sunday I work, off the next, and so on.
Is anyone planning on attending the gathering on the 20th?


So I added a small handful of broccoli to my smoothie today - couldn't even taste it!!
Will add more tomorrow to see what happens.
Not sure what I'll be having for dinner.
Meant to get to the store and buy a whole trout but dont' know
if they'll be any left by the time I get there this evening.

Cardio and callanetics today.

K...that was a long one

[Snowangel81598]

Liz ~ I'm sorry that your mom didn't seem to supportive of your change in plans to change careers. Sometimes I think that some people in our lives don't know how to take it when we announce that we are making a big change. It makes them uncomfortable. Try not to take it too personally. Moms, especially, worry about their kids and want to make sure we understand what we are getting ourselves into.

Angela ~ The show was 6-29, and it was GREAT! I played Shoreline Amphitheater! How cool is that?! We had a great turnout and the show went really, really well. I don't think I could have asked for it to go better. I meant to invite you guys, and I'm really sorry I didn't. I'll let everyone know ahead of time about the Christmas Spectacular we'll be doing in December.

Writing songs has given me new purpose in my life (as cheesy as that sounds). I don't stress out so much about work stuff, because I have something else that is my priority. It's hard, too, though. I get frustrated with myself that I can't always do the things I want with the music, because I don't know how, yet. I'm ultra-self-critical of my work, but I just want the songs to be really good. We are starting to get a band together, now, and we're beginning to let other people hear our songs. It's pretty scary. The fear of rejection is strong, but I'm learning that I won't get anywhere by letting it stop me. My new motto is "Feel the fear and do it anyway". Risk taking is new to me, but a successful, significant life isn't going to drop into my lap. I have to go out and get it.

Sorry, I could go on and on about everything that's been going on with me and DH lately. It's just too much even to process, sometimes.

I realized recently, though, that I don't think I would have the courage to do this if I was still 205 lbs. So much has changed for me since I started losing weight. It shouldn't make this much difference, but it does. I feel so much better about myself and what I can achieve because I have been successful with getting my weight under control and reaching my weightloss goals.

Well, I went way off on a tangent there, but it is good to talk about this stuff. I've only found one other person in my life (other than DH) that understands me when I talk about following my dreams. Others kind of look at me like I'm a little crazy.

Thanks for being here. I really appreciate both of you, ladies.

Let's have a great week getting back on plan!

[pri17cess72]

Hi Ladies! Just a quick hello! Not on plan yet