Gail's Weight Loss Journey

[JMacB]

I am so grateful that wings are a low carb option! My no-time-to-cook stand-by is to grab chicken from the deli at the grocery, and the wings are so delicious. My only issue is they changed the sauce and I think they added sugar! I need to find out.

I woke up early this morning and feel semi-motivated. I *need* to go to work and get some things accomplished while there are no customers in, but it is also a cold, gray day here and I'm just so comfy in my pajamas. We shall see what wins out!

[Garden]

Originally Posted by GailyGail

We ended up by not cooking yesterday and instead ordered from a favorite local place that has plenty of low-carb options (thank God for places like that!). We got steak salads and chicken wings which really hit the spot. Funny, I never ate things like chicken wings before I met Tony (thought they were gross) and now I like them. Isn't it funny how men can introduce you to new things you would not have tried before and vice versa. I ended up falling asleep early while Tony watched the Packers versus Vikings football game on TV so here I am, up early. Actually, I am glad to be up early so I can tackle a new business proposal today.

I will probably cook this afternoon after I get more work done. It is shaping up to be a cold, gray day here in Boston but maybe the sun will come out later.

Frankie, I love your avatar! You are so pretty!

sounds so yummy! RE: pizza options - use large portabello mushroom caps as individual pizzas. Remove gills, oven roast to tender them up, add your pizza toppings and bake until bubbly. Knife and fork kinda pizza.

[GailyGail]

Susan, portobello mushroom pizzas sound delicious and Tony will love those! Thank you! Julia, if your body needs a rest, I see no reason why you can't lounge in you PJs for a bit. I am a firm believer in rest -- it is good for your body, soul and mental clarity.

I just finished making a good low carb meal that I want to tell you about. I think I mentioned that on weekends, we only eat one meal per day -- usually in the early or mid afternoon. If we get hungry at night, we snack lightly on nuts. If Tony has a sweet tooth later, I might make him sugar free chocolate or vanilla pudding with homemade whipped cream while I have a french coffee (decaf with a splash of good quality brandy or Grand Marnier topped with sugar free whipped cream). I find this one meal per day helps me lose weight because you get to do the intermittent fasting of at least 12 hours and kind of refresh your body so to speak.

Anyhoo, I found this great recipe online for sauteed chicken in brandy cream sauce with tomatoes and basil. It may sound like a bit much but it is super flavorful. I simply sauteed cut up boneless/skinless chicken breast in butter. Once it was cooked up a bit. I added one cup of fresh chopped basil and let it cook, covered, for 10 minutes. I removed the chicken from the skillet and added two chopped fresh tomatoes and 1/2 cup of brandy. After one minute, I removed the tomatoes and added heavy cream and salt. Once that combined, I put the chicken and tomatoes back in the skillet, stirred and voila -- a very flavorful and filling dish. To accompany that, I sauteed fresh green beans in butter, garlic and ginger. The combined meal had a very Thai feel to it -- Tony asked if I used coconut milk in it but I did not, of course. I think the flavor combos of basil, ginger, garlic and tomato had a nice Thai taste and smell to it. Anyway, at least we have something delicious and filling to eat while we watch the Ravens versus the Colts. Usually people serve this dish with rice or noodles -- instead, I sauteed shallots, zucchini, summer squash and mushrooms in butter and served that underneath the chicken dish. We did not miss starch at all! A victory over starch is a victory for mankind.

The sun is now out here so hooray! I hope everyone has an excellent Sunday -- always a good day to rest, recharge and get ready for the upcoming week. xo xo xo! Wishing everyone a truly productive and fulfilling week!

[scalestepper]

Your dinner sounds yummy! I hope you have a good week GG!

[GailyGail]

Thank you Scalestepper! I hope you have a great week too!

[GailyGail]

Busy day today. I had coffee for breakfast and then lots of water and a handful of almonds. Making dinner now -- turkey burgers and a green salad. I am really trying hard to stay on plan -- I know it is the right thing to do.

[Hills]

Hi there! Just stopping by to say I've enjoyed reading your journal-you are very inspiring! I love the energy of all the people posting here-very positive and encouraging. Keep up the great work, you are doing amazing!!

[Phranquie]

Gail, your chicken in a brandy cream sauce sounds so good. Definitely a Thai flavor with the basil and ginger flavors. I get some great tequila lime wings in a big bag from Sam's. They are really handy when you want something you can just pop in the toaster oven for a snack or with a salad. I have become a fan of turkey breakfast sausage but I have not tried a turkey burger yet. Staying on plan is so worth it, keep up the good work.

Re the avatar. I hate pics of myself. This was taken New Years eve so I decided to give it a try. At 52 years old I really need to stop shying away from the camera.

[GailyGail]

Frankie, are you kidding? You are so pretty! You remind me of an actress named Maria Bello who is really gorgeous. Thanks for the tequila lime wings idea -- I may have to try that. I love turkey burgers because they are healthy and easier to digest than hamburgers (at least for me anyway!). Ground turkey in other recipes works well too because it absorbs the flavors of the ingridients that you use.

Hills, thanks so much for stopping by and I really appreciate your words of encouragement! It means a lot.

We have another cold day here in Boston -- I've been watching the sun come up for the past 30 minutes while I get ready for work. Winter can be hard but hopefully this particular winter will go by quickly.

[AnnF]

Hey there, Gail! Your meals sound delicious! I have been obsessed with roasted green beans lately! I drizzle fresh green beans with olive oil, sprinkle them with sea salt and pepper, chopped garlic and a little bit of red pepper flakes... then pop them in the oven at a fairly high heat (450 or 500, my oven is weird, so it's always a guess) for about 15 or 20 minutes. YUM! With a burger or chicken it's the BEST! Must have some for dinner tonight!

[JMacB]

Mmm roasted veggies are the best. I love almost anything roasted or grilled. Will have to try green beans!

[GailyGail]

Ann, those roasted green beans sound delicious! Both Tony and I love green beans -- I love the crunch and the savory taste. I am much more of a "salt" person than a "sweet" person when it comes to cravings so cruncy flavorful green beans always do it for me.

I have not weighed myself in a while for fear of seeing the damage I did when I went off plan over the holidays. I was good until two days after Christmas and then I went on a mini snack binge from Dec. 27 to New Year's Eve. I know it is only five days but I bet I put on a good 5 pounds over that period. Now that I've been back on strict low carb for the past week, I think I've lost some of that poundage.

Before the holidays, I found these gorgeous cashmere dusters (very long cardigan sweaters) on sale at Neiman Marcus. The price and the quality were too good to pass up so I gave a bunch away as Christmas gifts to my sisters, best friend, cousin and the girlfriend of my best guy friend. They all loved them so I bought two for myself because I wasn't sure what size would fit me. The reviews said that the dusters tend to run small and to get a size larger to be on the safe side. So I ended up buying a Large (size 12-14) and an Extra Large (size 16). The extra large is way too big and the large is even a little big on me so I was thrilled. Now mind you, I'm still fat but maybe I'm not as large as I think I am in my very warped mind. Anyway, I am happily wearing the large black duster today with a new necklace -- and that has put me in a very good mood.

One thing I miss about being thin is this -- I miss looking good in clothes and the happiness/excitement you get from wearing something new and different. I have a very undesirable body shape that only looks good when I get thin or reach an ideal weight. I have broad shoulders, large breasts and tend to gain weight around my back and upper torso/stomach -- then I have skinny hips, legs and bum. Boo! If I could live my live over, I would love to have Jennifer Lopez's body but that just wasn't in the cards for me.

So this weight gain soon became really rough for me from a vanity standpoint. It has been a long time (five years to be exact) since I really liked looking at myself in the mirror and felt good about how I looked. I hate admitting that but it's true.

[Portia]

I completely hear you on the body shape. I am a "triangle", too. I kept my weight b/w 140 and 150 most of my life ( I am 5'6") and that kept me slim enough to pull it off. I hate how I look now.

However, happiness is a great new sweater! Hang on to that size 16 - maybe I will buy it from you when I get closer to goal.

Holiday gain happens to many people - I'll bet when you get on the scale, the "damage" is minimal.

[GailyGail]

Jes, if you get to goal, I will give you the sweater! You won't have to buy it! And I will dry clean it first -- LOL! It is a great layering piece -- perfect for winter, spring and fall. I don't know where you live but I am in Boston and so a piece like this makes sense except during the hot months of June, July, August and September.

[Portia]

Originally Posted by GailyGail

Jes, if you get to goal, I will give you the sweater! You won't have to buy it! And I will dry clean it first -- LOL! It is a great layering piece -- perfect for winter, spring and fall. I don't know where you live but I am in Boston and so a piece like this makes sense except during the hot months of June, July, August and September.

No way! I am totally buying it! But thank you - so sweet. When I get to a size 16 which will be about halfway to goal, it should fit. 50 lbs - put it in away for me.

[GailyGail]

You can pay for the postage but that's it! It will be a celebration for both us as it will represent that we are both getting smaller and making great progress!

[Phranquie]

Originally Posted by GailyGail

One thing I miss about being thin is this -- I miss looking good in clothes and the happiness/excitement you get from wearing something new and different. I have a very undesirable body shape that only looks good when I get thin or reach an ideal weight. I have broad shoulders, large breasts and tend to gain weight around my back and upper torso/stomach -- then I have skinny hips, legs and bum. Boo! If I could live my live over, I would love to have Jennifer Lopez's body but that just wasn't in the cards for me.

So this weight gain soon became really rough for me from a vanity standpoint. It has been a long time (five years to be exact) since I really liked looking at myself in the mirror and felt good about how I looked. I hate admitting that but it's true.

I so know what you mean about wanting to look good in clothes. When I am a "normal" size I know how to dress to make the best of my body shape (used to be all boobs, butt and thighs with a smaller waist, who knows what I'll end up being). It has been eight years since I felt pretty good about how I looked in the mirror. I love clothes and have hated buying pieces because they were the only ones that fit rather than being able to select a style I like. I cannot wait until I am at goal and have maintained for a year and then I will feel comfortable getting a high quality wardrobe that I really want to wear and that I feel great in every piece. I also want to have anchor pieces I can wear from one year to the next. Right now I have another gigantic pile of clothes for donation that I pulled down from the attic last week. It is all different sizes that I no longer fit or that I no longer care to wear the pieces. I want to have very few pieces left when I get to goal.

I am finally dropping the pounds I did not lose from my trip to Miami. I did not gain much, but I also did not lose for a week. I hope when you weigh that you see a number that reflects your clean eating this week.

@Anne- I love some great roasted green beans. I might have to get some this week. I also love roasting cauliflower too.

[Velvet]

@ Gail: I so understand what you say about clothes. It would be so nice to buy clothes and just rock them. But we will get there! Just keep going.
The cardigan sounds lovely. Buying new clothes in a smaller size is so much fun when you are losing. Even if you are not at the size you want yet, just beeing able to fit into something smaller feels great!

Winter is starting to come to an end. Yesterday a co worker showed me the "sun-up" chart where you can see when she sun will be up at what day. By the end of februari I should be able to go to work with the sun coming up. :-)

[JMacB]

I am clothes-inept. I wear jeans and t-shirts to work, and as I lose I realize I want to wear nicer things sometimes. I notice what my customers wear, and think "will I be able to pull that together?" I may need you to be my clothes consultant when I get to goal! I was so excited before Christmas to go to old navy and buy size 16s and XL and have everything fit!

[Portia]

Originally Posted by GailyGail

You can pay for the postage but that's it! It will be a celebration for both us as it will represent that we are both getting smaller and making great progress!

OK, deal! But I warn you - I have a nasty habit of reciprocating lovely, sweet behavior.

[Portia]

Originally Posted by JMacB

I am clothes-inept. I wear jeans and t-shirts to work, and as I lose I realize I want to wear nicer things sometimes. I notice what my customers wear, and think "will I be able to pull that together?" I may need you to be my clothes consultant when I get to goal! I was so excited before Christmas to go to old navy and buy size 16s and XL and have everything fit!

My mother recently convinced me to do some high-end shopping even though I am far from goal and you would be surprised what you can pull together. You're at a weight now where lots of things would look great on you. I bet you can pull together a couple of nice looks right now! It really gives a boost - I'm getting ready to put one on myself right now.

[GailyGail]

Julia, I agree with Jes -- size 14-16 is a good time to start pulling some good outfits together. Lafayette -- a nice brand that includes plus sizes -- has some really lovely pieces that you can coordinate. Even buying and wearing just a few new pieces will give you a boost -- and I feel like we all need then when we are working so hard at staying on low carb!

Frankie, I can totally relate to your wardrobe and body image dilemma -- I am in exactly the same boat. Be grateful that you have a small waist - I would LOVE to have a small waist. Your waist will get smaller once you get closer to goal too.

Sanni, hooray for the sun! The days are already starting to get a bit longer. It will be a while longer before it feels warm in Boston though -- we have to slog through January, February and March before it gets halfway decent here. Not complaining about today as it is sunny and unseasonably mild (40 degrees or so).

Yesterday was a good eating day:
Breakfast: coffee with half and half
Lunch: grilled chicken with salad greens, choppped asparagus, radishes and tomato, balsamic dressing
Dinner: Low carb quesdadilla filled with mexican-spiced ground pork, onions and peppers, topped with sour cream and cilantro

Today, I need to jam on several proposals so I will be working late. Plan for today is:
Breakfast: coffee with half & half
Lunch: turkey and provolone roll-up
Dinner: turkey sandwich on low carb roll with green salad tossed with olive oil and lemon juice. I might have a glass of white wine and a small handful of cashews for a treat

My boss and very good friend is doing one the Master Cleanses this week --- literally just drinks 5 bottles of fresh juice for four days. He loves this and tends to lose about 7-10 pounds on the cleanse and his skin looks great. I am always tempted to try those. I would love to try the egg fast that Dana Carpenter does. Supposedly it works like a charm when you need to get rid of the last stubborn 5-10 pounds.

I hope everyone has a great day today! xo xo xo

[JMacB]

I love Dana Carpender's fat fast. I've used it to break a three-month stall. I look forward to needing those last five or 10 pounds off.

[GailyGail]

Julia, I love the idea of doing Dana Carpender's fat fast -- I must try it. Thank you! Today was interesting. Here is how it really unfolded:

Breakfast: coffee with half and half
Lunch: actually skipped what I brought (turkey & provolone rollups) because I was busy
Snack: was spontaneously invited to after work cocktails so I had a Cosmopolitan. I asked them to make a skinny version, light on the cranberry juice and cointreau. They did and it was vodka and lime juice-heavy but still very good. I also had a handful of nuts because I was starving. I know -- I am an idiot.
Dinner: turkey and provolone sandwich in a low carb roll with grainy mustard, mayo and pickles. The bun was toasted and then grilled in butter. I had that with a side salad (leafy greens, cherry tomato, onions) in olive oil, fresh lemon juice and sea salt.

I know I was kind of a bad dog (woof) but please know that I wasn't a total mangy hound so please cut me some slack! It was a minor screw up and hopefully I won't do it again. I am still a little hungry but trying to distract myself from eating. Please wish me luck. There are times like these when I either need a hug, a voice of reason, polite nod/agreement or a very swift kick in the pants. Or maybe all of the above?

Thank you for listening.

[JMacB]

How about this: tomorrow is another day, and you will be fine. Honestly, you weren't far off from plan. Think of it as being a maintenance practice run.

[Velvet]

Originally Posted by GailyGail

There are times like these when I either need a hug, a voice of reason, polite nod/agreement or a very swift kick in the pants. Or maybe all of the above?

Thank you for listening.

I'll do the hug! I am not one for kicking. Today is a new day to start over. Do not look back, look forward.

And I think an egg fast is a good idea! If I am not getting back on loss soon I might give it a go. I am just affraid that the trassition back to mimimal carbs will cause gain after a fast? Do you know anything about that.

[Garden]

Gail -

[GailyGail]

Thanks Susan, Sanni and Julia!!! Sanni, I know people who have done the egg fast for three days and then then go right back to their low carb plan when it is over. They did not gain weight. From what I hear, you only gain weight if you go back to high carb eating after the egg fast.

I need to make a plan for eating today! I don't have one yet. I think I will do another salad with grilled chicken for lunch today. I still need to think about dinner. The idea of Susan's meatball salad or low-carb lasagne sounds good.

[AnnF]

Hey, Gail! I'm a believer in egg fasts! Will likely be doing one later this month, if you want to join me!

In other news, I just found a recipe for Buffalo turkey balls (seriously bad name), where you make meatballs from ground turkey (or chicken) and then use the lc dipping sauces you would for wings. Sounds much easier to eat!

[scalestepper]

Originally Posted by GailyGail

Julia, I love the idea of doing Dana Carpender's fat fast -- I must try it. Thank you! Today was interesting. Here is how it really unfolded:

Breakfast: coffee with half and half
Lunch: actually skipped what I brought (turkey & provolone rollups) because I was busy
Snack: was spontaneously invited to after work cocktails so I had a Cosmopolitan. I asked them to make a skinny version, light on the cranberry juice and cointreau. They did and it was vodka and lime juice-heavy but still very good. I also had a handful of nuts because I was starving. I know -- I am an idiot.
Dinner: turkey and provolone sandwich in a low carb roll with grainy mustard, mayo and pickles. The bun was toasted and then grilled in butter. I had that with a side salad (leafy greens, cherry tomato, onions) in olive oil, fresh lemon juice and sea salt.

I know I was kind of a bad dog (woof) but please know that I wasn't a total mangy hound so please cut me some slack! It was a minor screw up and hopefully I won't do it again. I am still a little hungry but trying to distract myself from eating. Please wish me luck. There are times like these when I either need a hug, a voice of reason, polite nod/agreement or a very swift kick in the pants. Or maybe all of the above?

Thank you for listening.

Hi Gail!

Just a thought....since work cocktails seem to be part of a lifestyle for you and your employment, I think it would be a good idea to include that into your woe guilt free, not consider it going off plan. It sounds like you handled it well, kutgw!