PO'D but back with a vengeance.

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

Thanks JayLyn!

I stepped on the scale this morning and I saw another 2 lb loss! I'm not sure it'll stick, but I'm hoping upon HOPE!

I don't know why I'm suddenly losing again. For the past month or so, I felt like I was fighting for every pound.

I did cut out some of my excess salt intake in the form of processed meats and sausages for lunch. They may be the culprit for my sluggish weight loss in December.

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

Day Eighty-eight:

My last day at work before a week's worth of holidays with my hubby! YAY!

Yesterday I decided that I would take a long planned trip to Italy when I lose 100 lbs. My husband and I have been wanting to take this trip (we have two free European travel vouchers) but we were just saving for 2 weeks lodgings. I think by the time I lose another 70lbs, we'll have the money saved for our hotels.

Breakfast:
2 boiled eggs with kosher salt
1 cup of decaf with 5% cream
1 cup of green tea

Lunch:
4 chicken legs
1 oz mozzerella
1 diet soda

Dinner:
1 trout filet w/2 tbsps mayonaise
1 diet soda

Thanks to everyone who has come by to check my progress and cheer on my 30lb loss.....I love you guys!

[JayLynn]

Wow another 2 lbs! It will stick, when your body is ready to let go of it. Who knows why we all have different weight loss patterns. If anyone knew for sure, they would be rich! Our bodies are such complex mysteries. The thing is, you are doing it. How cool is that!

A trip to Italy sounds great. What a perfect "reward" for 100 lb loss. You will have so much fun and feel so good at your new weight. You go girl!

I love going to europe. I've been in Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, and France. I am going back next fall. I have a cousin in Munich and we are going to do Oktoberfest. I can't wait!

Have a great weekend and enjoy your time off. I'm sure you will!

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

We go to Europe every 2 years or so because my husband is originally from the Netherlands. I've traveled to Europe a lot, but because we mostly visit my inlaws in Amsterdam, my European travels are limited to Amsterdam (of course), Paris and London.

We like to explore on foot and use public transportation, so it will be MUCH more comfortable for me to be 100 lbs lighter when we go to Italy. I'm so tired of being EXHAUSTED when we travel!

Oktoberfest sounds fun! I'd love to go to Ireland, but that'll have to wait until after our Italian vacation....if I lose this weight, there will be nothing stopping me (except for money, lol)......

Have a great day!

[nomorepepsi]

Congrats on going to Europe with your husband... I always wanted to go to Amsterdam (the clean section, naturally.) How will you maintain your WOE during your trip? When I went to visit relatives in Atlanta, GA -- many years ago -- I packed on at least 15 pounds from the Taco Bell and Popeye's Chicken places... the American South is the capital of fast food joints... I cringe at the thought of the crap I ingested... but it tasted good! Behlor

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

Hi Pepsi...it's very easy to keep on plan in the Netherlands because they have a lot of fish. When I go, I eat tons of raw herring with onions which is sold on every street corner. Restaurants are different because they won't do substitutions but I try to eat around the carby stuff. Paris was just about the easiest place I low carbed in...they sell boiled eggs with mayo everywhere!

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

Day Eighty-nine:

All is good! I slept in until 9 am today and now Hubby and I are having brunch at Dennys.

My husband started low carbing a week after I did and he's within 2lbs of bis 20lb goal. It's great having a dieting partner.

Breakfast:
1 cheese and veggie omelet
3 slices bacon
1 diet soda

Lunch:
Don't know yet

Dinner:
Don't know yet

[nomorepepsi]

Mellie,

Amsterdam and Paris sound like great foodie places to me... I'm not a big fan of mayo -- except in salads like egg, shrimp, and tuna -- but it gets a bad rap in America, and that sugary lite mayo is poison. Speaking of lite crap, I was shopping at Target today, and had a tough time finding salad dressing that wasn't processed to be "good for you." Yeah it's good -- if you want type 2 diabetes. I ended up buying Ken's chunky blue cheese dressing -- yes. I also bought something the French would be familiar with: brie cheese. I'm eating better than I ever had than when I was chomping on bread, pasta, and rice. I ate lunch at 2:30 PM, and I'm still feeling full. Maybe I'll get hungry an hour for now! How has your WOE changed your hunger pangs? Behlor

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

I used to suffer from really intense hunger pangs even when I was eating thousands of calories a day. These days I don't get them very often and when I do, a cup of tea usually cures them.

Eliminating sugar does wonders for hunger pangs and cravings.

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

Day Ninety!

WOW..3 months and I'm still here and taking my health and my weight loss seriously. Amazing.

As of today, I am a quarter of the way through my commitment to blog about my diet every day. For my efforts, I've been rewarded with a 30lb weight loss.

Summertime is important to me because I Iove to garden. This May, I hope to be at the 70 lbs lost mark. If I meet that goal, I'll post before and after photos.

Breakfast/Lunch:
3 fried eggs
3 slices bacon
1 cup decaf coffee

Dinner:
Homemade chicken curry
Roasted string beans

Dessert:
Chocolate cheesecake dessert

[JayLynn]

Wow 3 months already. Amazing. And you are doing great!

Your menus look simple and delicious. How do you cook your string beans? I love them but when I try to make them from scratch, not frozen, they just don't turn out as good as I'd like. Any secrets?

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

So glad you asked about string beans!

I take fresh washed beans and dry them then I spread them on a jellyroll pan and roast them with olive oil and kosher salt on 400f for about 15 minutes. The result is a sweet and slightly crispy bean that reminds me of sweet potato chips.

If you try it, let me know how it turns out!

[dipgal]

Melle's Sweetheart, I was thinking of you and your recent stall... I am reading a book called Diet 101 - Low Carb Diets by Jenny Ruhl. She also has a website with lots of articles you can google. She says that everyone (almost) has a stall after 20 or 30 lbs lost. She explains a lot about why this occurs.. I haven't gotten to the part about what to do about it yet, but I thought you may want to look into it.

Congrats on the 30 lbs gone FOREVER!!! Keep it up!

[JayLynn]

Originally Posted by Melle's_Sweetheart

So glad you asked about string beans!

I take fresh washed beans and dry them then I spread them on a jellyroll pan and roast them with olive oil and kosher salt on 400f for about 15 minutes. The result is a sweet and slightly crispy bean that reminds me of sweet potato chips.

If you try it, let me know how it turns out!

I LOVE easy recipes like this. I will try them for sure and let you know.

I have sauteed them in EVOO with just S and P. They are okay but not as tasty as I know beans can be.

If you have any other easy peasy veggie recipes, let me know!

[nomorepepsi]

JayLynn,

I add vinegar to my greens... adds a yummy bite to the veggies and the fat... I like EVOO, but I'm getting less afraid of going the Paula Deen route and cooking with butter... I think Anthony Bourdain is cool, but he cooks high-fat too, so why does he hate Paula? Never figured that out... Behlor

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

Day Ninety-one:

First day of vacation!

Hubby and I aren't doing much but we are cooking! Just finished a load of home made chicken wings. This is my ex-husband's recipe and it's delicious.

Breakfast:
Fried eggs
1 cup of decaf coffee

Lunch:
Homemade chicken wings

Dinner:
Indian curry

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

Dipgal:

Thanks for the recommendations. I will definitely look for the book.

JayLyn:
Let me know if you like chicken wings! I have a great cw recipe!

Pepsi:
I didn't know Anthony Bourdain disliked Paula Deen. I've only made her Gooey Butter Cake which is awesome!

[nomorepepsi]

Hi, Melle,

Yep, Tony's feud with Paula has been long-running... he's a rich, NY snob, but I like his food anyway... and I haven't tasted Paula's food, but I'm a sucker for Southern cuisine, so I might gobble it up Have fun in Europe... it's going to be 15 degrees F tomorrow here in NYC.... Behlor

[JayLynn]

Sure Melles, I love chicken wings. I bet your recipe is awesome. You sound like a very good cook. I can be, if I'm in the mood. On LC its best to have a few good basic recipes and stick with them, for me anyway. So yeah, I'd love the recipe.

Anthony Bourdain has a big mouth. He has said HORRIBLE things about Paul Deen and Rachel Ray. And they didn't do a thing to deserve it. I think he's a big azzzzzzz! LOL

[nomorepepsi]

Jan,

I pay no mind to Anthony Bourdain... if he could be like Paula and Rachael, he would be... but his good looks faded long ago and he's reduced to complaining... he's brilliant, in a perverse way, but he's also a reason why kids shouldn't drink and use drugs!

Behlor

[JayLynn]

Originally Posted by nomorepepsi

Jan,

I pay no mind to Anthony Bourdain... if he could be like Paula and Rachael, he would be... but his good looks faded long ago and he's reduced to complaining... he's brilliant, in a perverse way, but he's also a reason why kids shouldn't drink and use drugs!

Behlor

I totally agree! well said, nomorepepsi!

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

Day Ninety-two:

Today I had to do some work on my side projects. Thankfully, everything worked out.

My husband and I decided to try a new restaurant in our area that has a Mediterranean menu. We had grilled calamari, a caesar salad and a samples platter of avocado chicken, chicken shwarma, lamb kabob and a pork souvlaki. It was yummy!

Breakfast:
1 decaf coffee

Lunch:
2 calamari tubes
1 chicken breast
1 lamb kabob

Dinner:
Veal chop with mushrooms

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

Sure Melles, I love chicken wings. I bet your recipe is awesome. You sound like a very good cook. I can be, if I'm in the mood. On LC its best to have a few good basic recipes and stick with them, for me anyway. So yeah, I'd love the recipe.

Hey JayLyn:

Now that I'm on a real keyboard, I can give you the recipe for the chicken wings:

What you need:
2 lbs chicken wings, split
Kosher salt
Pepper
Oil for frying
Frank's Red Hot Sauce
Butter

Put enough oil into a deep pan and set it on med-high. In the meantime, salt and pepper the wings in a big bowl. Check the oil (I usually dip a bit of a chicken wing in to see if it sizzles) when the oil is hot enough, put all the wings in and watch them cook until they get crispy and golden brown. (This took about 10 minutes for my wings--I pulled out the biggest one and checked it near the bone).

When cooked, remove from oil onto paper towels. Take 1/4 cup of melted butter and 1 tbsps of Frank's Red Hot and mix together. (Taste along the way--you may want less hot sauce). Toss the wings and the butter/hot sauce mixture in a large bowl until the wings are coated.

I love the vinegary/peppery taste that the hot sauce gives these wings (and I generally don't even like hot food).

Enjoy!

I'm not sure that I'm a GOOD cook, but I sure like to cook. Other than gardening, it's my only true hobby.

There's one thing about low carb dieting, if you don't like preparation and cooking, you're going to be behind the eight ball.

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

Yep, Tony's feud with Paula has been long-running... he's a rich, NY snob, but I like his food anyway... and I haven't tasted Paula's food, but I'm a sucker for Southern cuisine, so I might gobble it up

I like watching his show "No Reservations" and I like the fact that he's really "in your face" but I'm not so sure about his cooking. He certainly seems like he has a good palate, considering the foods he eats on his show!

I just read up about the fight with Paula Deen. Seems like he blames her cooking for her diabetes and he feels that she uses her diabetes to profit by doing advertisements for diabetes meds.

Have fun in Europe... it's going to be 15 degrees F tomorrow here in NYC.... Behlor

I'm not in Europe this week--LOL...I'm still saving for my Italian trip so my husband and I are just staying home and relaxing this week.

BTW--we've been to NYC--I REALLY liked it! I think if I had to move to another city, it would be New York, even though I think it would be very expensive!

As it stands, I don't live far from you---I'm just on the other side of the Canadian/US border near Niagara Falls

OH! I need to know--is Behlor your name?

[dipgal]

YUM on those wings.. do you do delivery to Illinois???

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

It's only 14 hours by car!

[nomorepepsi]

Melle,

Yep, my name is really Behlor... my father's from Liberia, a country in West Africa... they eat rice, millet, and fufu, starchy stuff... but balance it with fruits, veggies, fish, meat, and palm oil... it's not perfect low-carb, but it's way better than the SAD... if you ever go to a West African restaurant -- heck, they probably have some in Toronto or Montreal -- the cuisine is similar... Behlor

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

Behlor...that is really cool! Is the Liberian diet anything like Ethiopian? I love Ethiopian food! I love vinegary tastes so injera is one of my favorites!

[Melle's_Sweetheart]

Day Ninety-three:

Weighed in at 326 today so I've gained 1lb. No big deal..I think it's just fluid left over from TOM.

Breakfast:
Greek omelet
4 slices bacon
1 decaf coffee

Lunch:
None

Dinner:
1 chicken breast with salsa, bacon and cheese
1 c roasted green beans
1 diet soda

[nomorepepsi]

Melle,

Liberian food is a bit more carb-based, with lots of fruits, veggies, fish, meat, and the aforementioned palm oil... palm oil has saturated fat, so it gets a bad rap from the health police... but it's great in stews, especially with a green named cassava... I hadn't had West African food in a while (that's probably why I blew up!) I should go to eating it on occasion... Behlor