Healthy Weight Loss

[JustJo]

Congrats Thinker! :rrose:

I've been tempted to try WW....I know it works. Last year I had been counting my points with a chart I found online. Not as slick as WW Online, but still effective.

The grrrr part for me is that I always resist the restrictions....I really should be following my diabetic diet strictly (better for my diabetes, and I lose weight too)....it's just no fun. Sigh....

Can't wait for the Mobia to arrive. I know that weight loss is really a mathematical equation...calories in minus calories out. At least with that I can get working on the calories out side. :)

[AtLast]

Same here. :(

Good luck to you and Scoote!!


I just started my 4th week on Weight Watchers Online. I weigh in on Mondays, and this past Monday showed another loss for a total of 8.8 pounds. My goal when I started was to lose 24 pounds.

In addition to keeping track of my points for food, I do 10-15 minutes of stretching and 30 minutes on the stationary bike everyday. Most days I also do 20 minutes of basic yoga. I lift weights every other day.

With the way it is going now, I feel very hopeful that I can reach my goal. :)

Who else is doing WW?

Between WW & OA over the last 5 years, I have taken off and kept off about 70 pounds. WW just became the way I eat all of the time. Yeah, I will enjoy some fav foods at times, but, this whole thing was a life-style and food addiction thing for me. Along with leaving denial in the dust about having an eating disorder. That used to contribute the yo-yo and dumb diets I used to do. Gradual weight loss and nutrition works!

[Starrynightaw]

Hello everyone,
I'm also in the process of loosing the weight. I used to be a size 4-6, doctor put me on birth control and my weight shot up like crazy. Now that the meds have ceased I've dropped from a size 16-18 to a size 10 within 2 months. Apparently running has helped alot and I've cut back on alot of sugar.

Hopefully it goes away. I'd love to be a size 6 again.

[JustJo]

Okay, so the Mobia arrived. It's assembled in our bedroom, so we can exercise in the air conditioning and be distracted by the TV. It looks cute and harmless...

http://www.runreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/nautilius-mobia.jpg

...but this thing is kicking my butt.

The ads say "just 30 minutes 3 times a week"...which sounds pretty simple. However, on the first day I managed 5 minutes before I was huffing and puffing and sweating and feeling like I was going to die.

At the risk of sounding horribly out of shape, I can normally walk for hours. I go to Disney with the family and walk all freaking day.

I'm up to 9 or 10 minutes now, but holy cow....

[sylvie]

i've made some really big, and hard changes in my life, and am doing the hard work right now and it's difficult, but i'm celebrating some small successes.. This is why i haven't been around for a bit, though around just not "around", being active here, i guess are the right words.

i've sought out help with my eating disorder - i'm a binger...(was once binge AND purge) but for the passed 6-7 years it's been binge only... i keep falling off course with my wanting to lose weight and be healthy, because i go back to binging and i needed to get to the point where i recognized i have a real problem here and it's not only making me unhappy, but hurting my health.

what causes me to binge? stress, sadness, happiness, anger, exhaustion... in other words, many things, but sadly i pushed a lot of people out of my life both friends and family, due to the binging.. food has become my peace in life, and so i've finally taken some steps to work through this eating disorder of mine and making some changes..

1/ OA - difficult beyond belief, i've mixed feelings about this.
2/ counselling - i have 2 more sessions and then i start counselling at another level..
3/ Crisis and Coping Skills course - for panic, anxiety and relaxation & stress
4/ frequent visits with a dietician who is helping me reshape my entire food plan, way of thinking, portion control, etc.
5/ frequent online OA meetings
6/ blogging, lots of blogging...
7/ Abstinence from lots of foods and drinks i love - is my greatest challenge right now.

i have never in my life taken such steps nor wanted to, admitting i had a real problem was the biggest step i've taken until recently, and putting all of this in the works has been extremely overwhelming and emotional for me.. i 'am' proud of myself, and hope now i can really work at taking the steps i need to be a healthier, happier and thinner me!

i'm extremely lucky for Mtn in my life, He's been the most amazing support & encouragement, and literally holds me together in my weakest moments.. i have just started to tell my family who have had no idea all of these years and am finding some support through them as well..

-----
so my goal with all of this is to keep at my healthy eating plan, use all the wonderful tools i have in place, couple all of that with some exercise each day and really be successful at doing this!

Admitting all of this, is one of the hardest things i've had to do in these passed couple of weeks, and doing this helps me be held accountable to keep doing my work ...

[sylvie]

Today i've been working on a little project!
gathering all my tools i've learned over the last couple of weeks and writing them down, getting all my information together, and really working out a plan of action for me.. (eating plan, rules to follow for a healthier me, exercise plans, "me" time, all of it..) when it's all in writing it's all making sense and now to put it all in motion altogether, rather than trying this one day and that another day..

i'm feeling very good about this.. and feeling hopeful, that i'm on the right track which feels great! i've learned a lot in 2 weeks! overwhelming, indeed..

i just want to say a huge thank you for the reps i received, i really really mean it.. some were so touching, encouraging and could relate.. and it makes me feel really good about putting it 'out there' for all to see.. ((hugggz))

[Zimmeh]

Congratulations on all of your successes. I to, had to learn how to let negative friends go and learn how to live my life for me.

Hugs,

Zimmy


i've made some really big, and hard changes in my life, and am doing the hard work right now and it's difficult, but i'm celebrating some small successes.. This is why i haven't been around for a bit, though around just not "around", being active here, i guess are the right words.

i've sought out help with my eating disorder - i'm a binger...(was once binge AND purge) but for the passed 6-7 years it's been binge only... i keep falling off course with my wanting to lose weight and be healthy, because i go back to binging and i needed to get to the point where i recognized i have a real problem here and it's not only making me unhappy, but hurting my health.

what causes me to binge? stress, sadness, happiness, anger, exhaustion... in other words, many things, but sadly i pushed a lot of people out of my life both friends and family, due to the binging.. food has become my peace in life, and so i've finally taken some steps to work through this eating disorder of mine and making some changes..

1/ OA - difficult beyond belief, i've mixed feelings about this.
2/ counselling - i have 2 more sessions and then i start counselling at another level..
3/ Crisis and Coping Skills course - for panic, anxiety and relaxation & stress
4/ frequent visits with a dietician who is helping me reshape my entire food plan, way of thinking, portion control, etc.
5/ frequent online OA meetings
6/ blogging, lots of blogging...
7/ Abstinence from lots of foods and drinks i love - is my greatest challenge right now.

i have never in my life taken such steps nor wanted to, admitting i had a real problem was the biggest step i've taken until recently, and putting all of this in the works has been extremely overwhelming and emotional for me.. i 'am' proud of myself, and hope now i can really work at taking the steps i need to be a healthier, happier and thinner me!

i'm extremely lucky for Mtn in my life, He's been the most amazing support & encouragement, and literally holds me together in my weakest moments.. i have just started to tell my family who have had no idea all of these years and am finding some support through them as well..

-----
so my goal with all of this is to keep at my healthy eating plan, use all the wonderful tools i have in place, couple all of that with some exercise each day and really be successful at doing this!

Admitting all of this, is one of the hardest things i've had to do in these passed couple of weeks, and doing this helps me be held accountable to keep doing my work ...

[sylvie]

Congratulations on all of your successes. I to, had to learn how to let negative friends go and learn how to live my life for me.

Hugs,

Zimmy

it's a difficult task! i can soo relate..actually dealing with some situations in my life that i am learning to let go of, so i can completely focus on my well being - some people really drag me down, down and then down some more.. toxic!

thank you Zimmy bunches! As hard as it all is, it's the positive outcomes that have me smiling! it feels great =)

[sylvie]

i soooo struggle with motivation for exercise..
i get out and walk when i need to go places, but i need motivation to get up and moving every day, more than just walking to work and back..

i have tons of things i could do, i have a gym membership, i have an elliptical here at home, ive DVD's, i have a stepper and other small exercise tools, weights, i have a bike i could ride the trails at the lake here near home - the list goes on and on...

what things get you all motivated to just do it!?
i know once i get at it, i feel great about doing so.. i need to be consistent though, thats where my motivation lacks!

[Kelt]

i soooo struggle with motivation for exercise..
i get out and walk when i need to go places, but i need motivation to get up and moving every day, more than just walking to work and back..

i have tons of things i could do, i have a gym membership, i have an elliptical here at home, ive DVD's, i have a stepper and other small exercise tools, weights, i have a bike i could ride the trails at the lake here near home - the list goes on and on...

what things get you all motivated to just do it!?
i know once i get at it, i feel great about doing so.. i need to be consistent though, thats where my motivation lacks!

What do you like to do that involves moving around? Do any of those things bring you true pleasure? Maybe you just need to do your favorite thing often enough that it becomes a habit and a reward together. You have mentioned some of the challenges you are overcoming with the mental associations, could there be a denial of pleasure involved? Don't worry too much about which is the best workout for now, just do what is fun and form some new associations to physical activity.


:thumbsup:

[Zimmeh]

I enjoy power walking and what motivates me to do it, is the fact that I can forget the world exists an hour a day!

Have a great day!

Zimmy

i soooo struggle with motivation for exercise..
i get out and walk when i need to go places, but i need motivation to get up and moving every day, more than just walking to work and back..

i have tons of things i could do, i have a gym membership, i have an elliptical here at home, ive DVD's, i have a stepper and other small exercise tools, weights, i have a bike i could ride the trails at the lake here near home - the list goes on and on...

what things get you all motivated to just do it!?
i know once i get at it, i feel great about doing so.. i need to be consistent though, thats where my motivation lacks!

[Gemme]

i soooo struggle with motivation for exercise..
i get out and walk when i need to go places, but i need motivation to get up and moving every day, more than just walking to work and back..

i have tons of things i could do, i have a gym membership, i have an elliptical here at home, ive DVD's, i have a stepper and other small exercise tools, weights, i have a bike i could ride the trails at the lake here near home - the list goes on and on...

what things get you all motivated to just do it!?
i know once i get at it, i feel great about doing so.. i need to be consistent though, thats where my motivation lacks!

What works best for YOU? Do you need an immediate reward or can you work towards a reward goal?

For example, I could go buy a dress that I really wanted if I worked out for x number of days continually or on schedule. Or I could allow myself a half an hour of personal, just for me time after each workout of a half hour or more. Or for every day you work out, put x amount of money aside for a future pleasure.

It's nice to say that the workout is motivation enough, but sometimes it's not. Sometimes you need that extra push to get you there and through it, even though you know it is good for you.

I do agree that doing something you enjoy for the workout is important, otherwise you'll come to resent the workout and that's not the path to follow.

[JustJo]

What works best for YOU? Do you need an immediate reward or can you work towards a reward goal?

For example, I could go buy a dress that I really wanted if I worked out for x number of days continually or on schedule. Or I could allow myself a half an hour of personal, just for me time after each workout of a half hour or more. Or for every day you work out, put x amount of money aside for a future pleasure.

It's nice to say that the workout is motivation enough, but sometimes it's not. Sometimes you need that extra push to get you there and through it, even though you know it is good for you.

I do agree that doing something you enjoy for the workout is important, otherwise you'll come to resent the workout and that's not the path to follow.


I love this idea.

I'm not a person who enjoys excercise...unless flopping around in the pool in slow motion is exercise.

I like walking on the beach, but we don't get to do that as often as we like due to work schedules....at least not often enough to qualify as regular exercise.

We got the Mobia, and I just need to get my rear up on it and walk every day. It (clearly) will work....it just isn't fun. I can distract myself with TV and it's in the air-conditioned house - which helps a great deal. But that's like removing some of the pain...not a reward.

I think I need to set up a reward system for myself. Maybe I'll print up a calendar and check off every day I get on the Mobia....and give myself a new book on the Kindle for every x number of days or something. Details to be arranged. :)

[amnesia.bfp]

Do I think it's healthy to obsess about calories?

I can't remember.

Who am I?

[Thinker]

WW is still working for me. I admit that I'm getting a wee bit bored with it, but that's only because it is way more fun to eat whatever it is I want when the mood strikes. But... That's life; I would be happy in that moment and kinda miserable the rest of the time.

Anyway... Back to the positive.

After 7 weeks I've lost a total of 12 pounds; that's half of my goal.

Good stuff...

[foxyshaman]

I like WW, I like having a witness. Between that and CBT I am making real changes that are lasting real time. I have lost 25 lbs, and inches off everywhere. I am fitting back into my 'older' clothes. This time I am throwing out the clothes I shrink out of. I really feel like I got it this time. The CBT has really worked for me.

I also have worked the gym into my routine. It is a six block walk from the office, classes start at 5, I am off at 4:45. It works perfectly. I try to go Mon - Thurs every week, but lets face it that is not always possible. I do go a min of twice a week. I love my Zumba classes, love to dance & my weight lifting class. I am not looking for muscles... like I need more bulk <geesh>. And I *try* to get out to walk every weekend, but again that is just not always top on my list of things to do. And there is a GREAT gay yoga class on Sundays and if I have no patients I go to that one. And he does make me sweat.

Each day is a new day. Every week is a new week. I don't expect miracle weight loss. It took me years to get this way, its not going to go away in a jiffy. I feel great. My goals are in 5 lb increments. The end goal is going to get there when I get there... in the mean time I have lots of mini goals to accomplish.

[Thinker]

I like WW, I like having a witness. Between that and CBT I am making real changes that are lasting real time. I have lost 25 lbs, and inches off everywhere. I am fitting back into my 'older' clothes. This time I am throwing out the clothes I shrink out of. I really feel like I got it this time. The CBT has really worked for me.

I also have worked the gym into my routine. It is a six block walk from the office, classes start at 5, I am off at 4:45. It works perfectly. I try to go Mon - Thurs every week, but lets face it that is not always possible. I do go a min of twice a week. I love my Zumba classes, love to dance & my weight lifting class. I am not looking for muscles... like I need more bulk <geesh>. And I *try* to get out to walk every weekend, but again that is just not always top on my list of things to do. And there is a GREAT gay yoga class on Sundays and if I have no patients I go to that one. And he does make me sweat.

Each day is a new day. Every week is a new week. I don't expect miracle weight loss. It took me years to get this way, its not going to go away in a jiffy. I feel great. My goals are in 5 lb increments. The end goal is going to get there when I get there... in the mean time I have lots of mini goals to accomplish.

Sounds good.......and right. Good luck!

[Gemme]

.... I do go a min of twice a week. I love my Zumba classes, love to dance & my weight lifting class. I am not looking for muscles... like I need more bulk <geesh>. And I *try* to get out to walk every weekend, but again that is just not always top on my list of things to do. And there is a GREAT gay yoga class on Sundays and if I have no patients I go to that one. And he does make me sweat.

Each day is a new day. Every week is a new week. I don't expect miracle weight loss. It took me years to get this way, its not going to go away in a jiffy. I feel great. My goals are in 5 lb increments. The end goal is going to get there when I get there... in the mean time I have lots of mini goals to accomplish.

Excellent point of view and mindset! It does take time and conviction to get where you want and need to be.

I did want to throw this out there, if someone was considering weight training and was also concerned about bulking up. The female body just does not bulk up like a guy's will. It takes twice the time and dedication for a female body builder as it does for a male body builder.

What it will do is speed up one's metabolism a bit and make the muscles you do have more dense and defined. There will be toning and sculpting but nothing bulging or super prominent unless that is the goal, even with folks (like me!) who are made up of more dense fibers and do tend to bulk up easily.

As a pear shaped person, it's a bit of a requirement for me in order to work to balance out the bottom and top halves.

Good for you, foxy!

[Zimmeh]

I have found counting calories and portion control helps me to maintain my weight.

Zimmy

Do I think it's healthy to obsess about calories?

I can't remember.

Who am I?

[Rockinonahigh]

I found a way to get the weight to go away but it takes some time for it to work,for me it ws 2 weeks.Since the doc said I was as colse to being diabetic as I can be I had best watch it by cuting carbs,I thought I was doing a good job cause I was loseing weight with the exersiseing I was doin but when I took my ac1test it was a 6.6...yeah right.So I told the doc I wanted a meeter to track how my body uses carbs or am I cuting enough carbs out to do any good with out doing harm..I mean the bod dose need some carbs,Useing the meeter by testing three times a week both day and night I have found the carb leval that works to keep my suagr levals anywhere from 85 wich is right on to 104( I fudged that day and ate something I shouldnt have) mostly I stay about 90to 101.I had to change a lot of my fav friuts to only the ones that are as low as possable in carbs to only haveing bread once or twice a week,no cereal ect,ect.Anyway its working just fine,I also joined a wellness center and am going as many days as I can, usely four days.I am loseing a bout two pounds a week last weigh in was down to 264 from the last weigh in a t 266.What I have found that really burns calories for me is the rowing machine,I can go into zen mode and row my little hearts content,I use the other stuff to keep body balance but I dig the rower.

[Zimmeh]

Congratulations!

Zimmy

I found a way to get the weight to go away but it takes some time for it to work,for me it ws 2 weeks.Since the doc said I was as colse to being diabetic as I can be I had best watch it by cuting carbs,I thought I was doing a good job cause I was loseing weight with the exersiseing I was doin but when I took my ac1test it was a 6.6...yeah right.So I told the doc I wanted a meeter to track how my body uses carbs or am I cuting enough carbs out to do any good with out doing harm..I mean the bod dose need some carbs,Useing the meeter by testing three times a week both day and night I have found the carb leval that works to keep my suagr levals anywhere from 85 wich is right on to 104( I fudged that day and ate something I shouldnt have) mostly I stay about 90to 101.I had to change a lot of my fav friuts to only the ones that are as low as possable in carbs to only haveing bread once or twice a week,no cereal ect,ect.Anyway its working just fine,I also joined a wellness center and am going as many days as I can, usely four days.I am loseing a bout two pounds a week last weigh in was down to 264 from the last weigh in a t 266.What I have found that really burns calories for me is the rowing machine,I can go into zen mode and row my little hearts content,I use the other stuff to keep body balance but I dig the rower.

[PinkieLee]

Good morning everyone... I hope your Thursday morning is off to a happy & healthy start!

Like others here, I joined WW 3 weeks ago. I've had multiple friends that had major success with the program and honestly, they motivated to join. As of today, I've lost a total of 8 pounds. I haven't been exercising, just following the points program. I know, it doesn't seem like a lot in my head, but then I pick up a couple of sacks of potatoes and remind myself "this is what you aren't carrying around anymore". It helps me keep it in perspective that yes it might seem like a small amount, but feeling it tells me that I'm going in the right direction.

Last night, D and I went walking at a park by our house that has a 1.25 mile track. It was 7 pm and still 102 degree (gotta love Texas). Luckily, the track is partially shaded and there was a nice breeze. Anyway, we were 1/2 way through the first lap, and my honey said, "let's jog from the next tree to the park bench". I looked at her like she had lost her mind... ME RUN?! I can't tell you the last time I actually did anything past a walk. I didn't even think that I knew HOW to jog.

I know that sounds silly, but after I did it I smiled. We continued walking and doing the random jog sprints for a total of 2 miles! HOLY CRAP is all I can say! D said, "I've never seen anyone smile when they jog". To me, it was the journey of a thousand miles, that began with that one step!

Anyway, I wanted to say congratuations to everyone for taking those daily steps for a healthier life!!

[Thinker]

Good morning everyone... I hope your Thursday morning is off to a happy & healthy start!

Like others here, I joined WW 3 weeks ago. I've had multiple friends that had major success with the program and honestly, they motivated to join. As of today, I've lost a total of 8 pounds. I haven't been exercising, just following the points program. I know, it doesn't seem like a lot in my head, but then I pick up a couple of sacks of potatoes and remind myself "this is what you aren't carrying around anymore". It helps me keep it in perspective that yes it might seem like a small amount, but feeling it tells me that I'm going in the right direction.

Last night, D and I went walking at a park by our house that has a 1.25 mile track. It was 7 pm and still 102 degree (gotta love Texas). Luckily, the track is partially shaded and there was a nice breeze. Anyway, we were 1/2 way through the first lap, and my honey said, "let's jog from the next tree to the park bench". I looked at her like she had lost her mind... ME RUN?! I can't tell you the last time I actually did anything past a walk. I didn't even think that I knew HOW to jog.

I know that sounds silly, but after I did it I smiled. We continued walking and doing the random jog sprints for a total of 2 miles! HOLY CRAP is all I can say! D said, "I've never seen anyone smile when they jog". To me, it was the journey of a thousand miles, that began with that one step!

Anyway, I wanted to say congratuations to everyone for taking those daily steps for a healthier life!!

I can't even tell you how much this made me smile.....from deep inside to the outside. :) Your focus and positive attitude is all over this post.

Eight pounds in three weeks is perfect too!

You're all over it, lady!!!!

[PinkieLee]

I can't even tell you how much this made me smile.....from deep inside to the outside. :) Your focus and positive attitude is all over this post.

Eight pounds in three weeks is perfect too!

You're all over it, lady!!!!

THANK YOU so much Thinker! Honestly, I know how easy it is to get discouraged on a weight loss journey...luckily we all have eachother to motivate us to keep pushing through.

It's crazy, one of my close friends started WW six months ago, did the walking/jogging combination and now she's lost about 40 pounds. What's amazing to me, is that she is now running at least 8 miles a day and running freakin' marathons! WOW is all I can say!

[Leigh]

Hi everyone,

Well its summertime, and I've decided to kick-start My weight loss now even though I will be indoors most of the summer watching My sister. I don't mind it, but I also need to work on getting some of this weight off. I know that I will be supported greatly here, and just want to look for ideas to help Me in getting started but also to have that support that I may not always have here. I do have My parents and a couple of friends to support Me, however I think being among friends here too is going to benefit Me in the long run.

I put on My facebook status the other day that I was thinking of joining Weight Watchers, what do you all think of that? Should I just stick to trying exercise and eating right or would that be a good idea too? Does anyone have experience or know someone who has been to WW and if so, what was your overall opinion of it? Right now this is just a thought in My head but I'm just looking for feedback whatever it may be. I plan on using the summer to read over this thread, write down idea of things to try plus I'm also thinking of buying a bike this summer and getting a gym membership. I have a doctor's appointment next week and plan on getting weighed but three months ago I was 374 ~ thats the highest I've ever been.

I look forward to having this thread, and My Planet family, there to help Me to finally begin getting healthy :-)

[PinkieLee]

Hi Matthew

First, CONGRATULATIONS for taking that first step to living a healthier life! WW is a great program... for me, it keeps me accountable for what I eat and how much physical activity I do.

I would first suggest keeping a food journal and writing down every single thing that you eat. Sometimes, as we go about our day, we don't even realize how much & when we eat (out of boredom, stress). Once I started keeping track of it all, I was more aware of when/what I ate and was able to control eating habits.

Another thing that I've always had a problem with is protion control. Go to any restaurant... the plates are the size of platters now and can easily be split between 2 people, or saved for 2 meals! At home, we've switched to eating meals on salad plates. It tricks my mind thinking that I've got a full plate!

Another thing... drink TONS of water!! I can't stress this enough!

You mentioned about exercising over the summer. Even indoors, you can exercise. There are millions of workout videos or tv exercise programs on every single day. If that's not your thing, just grab your sister and take a walk around the block. It's good for both of you... and let's you enjoy some quality time with her :)

GOOD LUCK my friend!

[foxyshaman]

I really like WW. I like it because it is a witness on my journey. I have good weeks and not so good weeks. I joined last year for the first time and did not fall off the wagon...nope I lept off the wagon.

This year is different because I started at the same time with a therapist and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to find out WHY I overate, or ate my emotions. I never realized that I was an emotional eater until January. In hindsight I can't imagine why I never saw it before <shoulder shrug> but I did not. I like the points system of WW. I love that fruits and veges are zero points that makes it simpler. I am a vegetarian and I have cut out dairy, which was hard but has really helped me physically. I tried eating Raw, but the most I could do and sustain for any amount was 70% raw and the rest cooked or processed.

I do think combining my process with exercise is key to me. I feel good. I have only had three overeating episodes since January and that is pretty darn good.

Good luck Matthew!! And PinkieLee...jogging... girl that is my "in the future I will" idea!! That is inspiring. 8 lbs is fantastic! Keep it up.

[Thinker]

THANK YOU so much Thinker! Honestly, I know how easy it is to get discouraged on a weight loss journey...luckily we all have eachother to motivate us to keep pushing through.

It's crazy, one of my close friends started WW six months ago, did the walking/jogging combination and now she's lost about 40 pounds. What's amazing to me, is that she is now running at least 8 miles a day and running freakin' marathons! WOW is all I can say!



Wow-Wee!!! That's fantastic!

[Thinker]

Hi everyone,

Well its summertime, and I've decided to kick-start My weight loss now even though I will be indoors most of the summer watching My sister. I don't mind it, but I also need to work on getting some of this weight off. I know that I will be supported greatly here, and just want to look for ideas to help Me in getting started but also to have that support that I may not always have here. I do have My parents and a couple of friends to support Me, however I think being among friends here too is going to benefit Me in the long run.

I put on My facebook status the other day that I was thinking of joining Weight Watchers, what do you all think of that? Should I just stick to trying exercise and eating right or would that be a good idea too? Does anyone have experience or know someone who has been to WW and if so, what was your overall opinion of it? Right now this is just a thought in My head but I'm just looking for feedback whatever it may be. I plan on using the summer to read over this thread, write down idea of things to try plus I'm also thinking of buying a bike this summer and getting a gym membership. I have a doctor's appointment next week and plan on getting weighed but three months ago I was 374 ~ thats the highest I've ever been.

I look forward to having this thread, and My Planet family, there to help Me to finally begin getting healthy :-)

Congratulations, Matthew, on making that decision!

Pinkie's suggestion about water is so perfect! You will be amazed at how much better you feel once you start doing it.

I highly recommend head-to-toe stretching......at least 10 minutes.....every morning and every evening. Do every stretch you can think of for every part of your body and hold each stretch for about 4 deep inhale/exhale breaths. I like doing that instead of counting because sometimes I find myself holding my breath while I stretch. Concentrate on the breathing as well as getting a good stretch on the muscles.

Good luck, brother!

[sylvie]

wheeeeeeeeeeeee !!

look at you all!! *smiling big* congratz!!

it always tickles me pink to see people making lifestyle choices for better health, because it not only motivates me to keep at it, but reminds me of when i first decided i needed to do something.. it's still a struggle of mine, but i'm really on the right track finally..

one thing that helps me, is like Tonya said, to record everything you eat in the run of a day.. i'm much like she said, eating things i didn't even realize i eat and makes a big difference in the calorie intake..

Water, is the biggest thing for me as well.. i cut off my sodapop some months ago, as well as any sugary juices and drinks, and i drink lots and lots of water.. That alone makes such a huge difference in my energy level each day - i can't believe how much the sugar weighed me down.. Not to mention it just makes me feel healthier overall..

Something i could suggest is to make a list, of rules you want to follow each day, or a chart to follow each day and mark off as you do things.. i have mine hanging right next to my pc on my wall, so every little thing i accomplish each day, i mark it off.. i have set a weekly goal, and a monthly goal, to reward myself if i am successful in following my rules and doing everything like exercise, drinking water, eating breakfast, etc etc..

Oh and speaking of breakfast, make sure you eat a good breakfast each day, thats something i rarely did but now, i do and it makes a big difference as well.. Lots of fruits and veggies too!!

Good luck to those of you who started your healthy journeys too and keep coming back - cuz if we all motivate and encourage one another, it will be a huge help for us all..

and Tonya, super big congrats on the 8 lbs, thats wonderful!! so proud of you xoxoxo!

[sylvie]

Another thing that I've always had a problem with is protion control. Go to any restaurant... the plates are the size of platters now and can easily be split between 2 people, or saved for 2 meals! At home, we've switched to eating meals on salad plates. It tricks my mind thinking that I've got a full plate!

GOOD LUCK my friend!

i sooo hear you about portion control, it was one of my biggest problems (still is).. my dietician actually helped me with portions just recently, and my meal plan..

just as the suggestion, she said meat should be 2 oz.. that vegetables should cover half of the plate, the protein and starch should just be small bits.. this was a huge adjustment for me, i was doing the opposite lots of times lol..

she also said it's important to eat snacks between meals.. morning snack is fruit, afternoon snack is fruit and a protein, and evening snack is anything from 100-150 calories.. Along with my meals, breakfast (protein, starch and fruit), lunch (protein, starch and vegetables) and same for supper..

i find following that food plan (which is possible is much like ww) - i don't feel hungry, and even in the evenings which is when i would do most of my binge eating, i dont even go for food, i feel content and full .. it amazes me, i never thought i would ever get my night binging under control..

i have always been very interested in trying ww.. Just curious, are they meals you have to buy (ww meals) or is it a book of recipes that you follow? i know they do a point system right? do you just get points for eating what you want sorta thing and have to stay within a certain amount?

i'm starting to be in a safe place emotionally where i can maybe start following a plan like that as far as eating goes..

[sylvie]

What works best for YOU? Do you need an immediate reward or can you work towards a reward goal?

For example, I could go buy a dress that I really wanted if I worked out for x number of days continually or on schedule. Or I could allow myself a half an hour of personal, just for me time after each workout of a half hour or more. Or for every day you work out, put x amount of money aside for a future pleasure.

It's nice to say that the workout is motivation enough, but sometimes it's not. Sometimes you need that extra push to get you there and through it, even though you know it is good for you.

I do agree that doing something you enjoy for the workout is important, otherwise you'll come to resent the workout and that's not the path to follow.

Gemme!!
thank you! its kind of funny, my counsellor just suggested this very thing for me yesterday, even. to set some goals, if i complete the things i want as a way to motivate myself, and i have to say it works.. today i jumped right to it =)

but i also love your idea of putting money aside too, for someone who lives pay to pay and has 2 teenagers eating me out of the home - money has been a struggle of mine.. but putting a lil aside here and there, would be the best idea because then it wouldnt be so hard come reward time ..

you always have such great ideas!! ♥ *smiles* thank you!

[sweetfemme247]

I am having a issue with exercising to lose weight, I dont want to walk alone, if I have to I wont do it. no one in my family will go with me.... it is hard for me to lose weight also due to my thyroid and it doesnt work very well.

[PinkieLee]

Hi Sylvie :)

WW does not have required eating plans or meals that you have to follow. They do have the Smart Ones frozen dinners in the grocery store that are awesome for lunches, though. Depending on your current weight and goal, you have a target number of points that you should stay under per day (like 45). WW online has a nifty little calculator that you plug the nutrional label info (fat, carbs, protein & fiber) and it tells you how many points each serving is.

My honey has the app on her phone, so when we are grocery shopping we can make smarter choices what to buy.

Going out to eat can be tricky, but I found a website that you can pretty much type in ANY fast food restaurant and it gives you a points breakdown for everything on their menu. http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/weight-watchers-points.html

They even have these little cheat sheets for like mexican restaurants, chinese buffets, beer/liquor happy hours... where you add the things to your plate and it shows you the actual points and better choices that were on the menu!

Fruits & veggies are 0 points... so having a salad and/or fruit with your meal is always a good filler.

I do the online program, but I have a friend of mine that actually does the local meetings. Like with anything else, it's a lifestyle change. It's forcing me to focus on what I eat, when I eat and how I feel when I eat.

[sylvie]

I am having a issue with exercising to lose weight, I dont want to walk alone, if I have to I wont do it. no one in my family will go with me.... it is hard for me to lose weight also due to my thyroid and it doesnt work very well.

sometimes it isn't fun to walk alone for sure.. i was the same way, but then i started making some walking buddies which was great at first, but then when the novelty wore off for them, i had no walking buddy again..

i eventually found it better to just get up and go.. if i know i need to go walking but dont feel motivated, i find things i can do , ex: running an errand, ill walk and go do it.. its much easier if there is a reason to get yourself moving sometimes..

or maybe get yourself an mp3 player or ipod, if you are a music lover like i am.. i dont have one yet, but think i will get one , one day soon.. because music makes me boogie and i enjoy the walk much more.. so just find reasons to get out there, because once you DO get out there, you'll feel wonderful for having done it! promise! =)

[sylvie]

Hi Sylvie :)

WW does not have required eating plans or meals that you have to follow. They do have the Smart Ones frozen dinners in the grocery store that are awesome for lunches, though. Depending on your current weight and goal, you have a target number of points that you should stay under per day (like 45). WW online has a nifty little calculator that you plug the nutrional label info (fat, carbs, protein & fiber) and it tells you how many points each serving is.

My honey has the app on her phone, so when we are grocery shopping we can make smarter choices what to buy.

Going out to eat can be tricky, but I found a website that you can pretty much type in ANY fast food restaurant and it gives you a points breakdown for everything on their menu. http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/weight-watchers-points.html

They even have these little cheat sheets for like mexican restaurants, chinese buffets, beer/liquor happy hours... where you add the things to your plate and it shows you the actual points and better choices that were on the menu!

Fruits & veggies are 0 points... so having a salad and/or fruit with your meal is always a good filler.

I do the online program, but I have a friend of mine that actually does the local meetings. Like with anything else, it's a lifestyle change. It's forcing me to focus on what I eat, when I eat and how I feel when I eat.

thank you so much Tonya, i appreciate the information.. i'll check out the website for sure.. i'm definitely onboard for the lifestyle change, ive been making a lot of changes recently and feeling pretty motivated that i can finally take this on and have some control, i know once i got going with it, or anything for that matter, it continues to feel good and is encouraging to keep at it, and makes us feel so positive and happy for doing so..

TY TY !! for the sites and information! xx

[PinkieLee]

You are so very welcome Sylvie!

I guess with WW, I'm having to hold myself accountable for everything I eat now. Most of my adult life, I've been a binge eater, so having to write down every single thing I eat is helping me take back control of my eating habits.

I wish you the best of luck on your continued journey for a healthier life...mind, body & spirit!

xoxo

[PinkieLee]

I am having a issue with exercising to lose weight, I dont want to walk alone, if I have to I wont do it. no one in my family will go with me.... it is hard for me to lose weight also due to my thyroid and it doesnt work very well.

Like Sylvie said, try listening to music to get you motivated. If you don't feel like walking alone, put on your headphones or crank up the music and dance your booty off in your room. Hey, 30 minutes of moving your body does wonders for your mood & burns calories, too!

GOOD LUCK honey!

[sylvie]

You are so very welcome Sylvie!

I guess with WW, I'm having to hold myself accountable for everything I eat now. Most of my adult life, I've been a binge eater, so having to write down every single thing I eat is helping me take back control of my eating habits.

I wish you the best of luck on your continued journey for a healthier life...mind, body & spirit!

xoxo

i, too, have been a binge eater, for the last 10 years or so.. Which is why im in counselling now.. i can definitely relate with needing to hold yourself accountable, i know i find charting what i do each day a huge help, so definitely is why i'm interested in ww and this point system. i find i'm very emotionally attached to my food, it's been my source of peace for so long now, so letting go of my food is letting go of my peace..

these last few weeks, since counselling, OA meetings and alot of inner work has already proven much change for me, it's an incredible feeling.. so if i can match it with exercise and the healthy eating, i would be successful, so that's where i am at now.. it's a lot of work, so HUGS to you! i soooo relate, and am proud of you!

[PinkieLee]

i, too, have been a binge eater, for the last 10 years or so.. Which is why im in counselling now.. i can definitely relate with needing to hold yourself accountable, i know i find charting what i do each day a huge help, so definitely is why i'm interested in ww and this point system. i find i'm very emotionally attached to my food, it's been my source of peace for so long now, so letting go of my food is letting go of my peace..

these last few weeks, since counselling, OA meetings and alot of inner work has already proven much change for me, it's an incredible feeling.. so if i can match it with exercise and the healthy eating, i would be successful, so that's where i am at now.. it's a lot of work, so HUGS to you! i soooo relate, and am proud of you!

And honey I am so very proud of you! You are making positive changes in your life right now... and I have all the faith in the world in you. YES, YOU CAN DO IT!

[JustJo]

Thanks for the inspiration all....and for the idea of walk/run Pinkie Lee. :)

I can't run due to nerve sensitivity in my feet from the diabetes, but I thought I could use the technique. I just did 10 minutes on the Mobia (my max at the moment), relaxed until my heart rate and breathing was normal again...then hopped back on for another 5 minutes.

It worked great...and I managed a total of 15 minutes instead of 10.

Now I'm thinking....hmmmm....if I did that twice a day, there would be my half an hour session. Sure, it's spread out...but that's better than not doing it at all....and will certainly help build up my endurance, too.

[Licious]

Thank you for starting this thread. Have some pounds I added over the last year that simply must go for health reasons. :) *subscribing*

[Kelt]

I was just crunching my data again (surprise) and came up with something truly weird, at least to me. I measure myself quarterly at 9 different points in order to see where the pounds are coming from, this time I tallied it all up from the start and so far I have lost a total of 74 inches in girth. What is weird/creepy about this is that I am only 65 inches tall. And still have more to lose.

:|

As far as accountability goes, since my last check in with you all, I have dropped another 26 lbs.

I think I am funding orthodontics for my tailor's daughter.

:cheesy:

[Medusa]

I've become enamoured with smoothies over the last couple of months. A smoothie for breakfast isn't as heavy for me as eggs or something hot and in the summertime I really appreciate a cool breakfast.

My current fave:

My modified "Chocolate Elvis"

1/2c Blue Diamond Chocolate Almond Milk
One whole banana
1 tbsp of reduced fat organic peanut butter
crushed ice

This smoothie has 3 - 4 points depending on your peanut butter and is delicious. GREAT protein and super filling.

[PinkieLee]

Like Medusa, I LOVE smoothies in the mornings. It's so damn hot, I can't eat a hot, big breakfast. What I usually make is...

a few frozen strawberries
a few frozen pineapples
a whole banana
and a splash of the 50/50 orange juice

I've never figured out the WW points on it, because it would pretty much just be for the juice. Sometimes I'll make a piece of toast or a bagel thin with a lil' bit of butter, too to fill me up.

[Medusa]

Pinks - Do you use a hand mixer or dump it all in a blender? I got a Cuisinart hand blender and it has made alllllll the difference and SUCH a time-saver!

[PinkieLee]

Pinks - Do you use a hand mixer or dump it all in a blender? I got a Cuisinart hand blender and it has made alllllll the difference and SUCH a time-saver!

I just dump it in a blender. I have been wanting to get a hand blender instead of pulling the big ol' blender out all the time and only having to dirty up the glass I make the smoothie in!

[Medusa]

That was my big thing with the smoothies...hell, it's my thing with the whole idea of putting more thought into what I eat.

It takes TIME! And time is something that is as precious as platinum in my life these days. I'm used to ripping open packages and boxes when it's dinner time and it's a new habit to get into to actually marinate chicken or defrost something.

One thing I have been doing a lot of is marinating chicken the night before and then coming home after work the next day and popping it on the grill. It's easier that way (and pretty yumz too!)

[Scorp]

I should have lost more than I have so far for being on the WW online program for 4 months now.

I've fallen off the wagon and it's no one else's fault but mine. When I get like this I usually sabotage myself and figure wtf, I'll just eat this and that and tomorrow I'll get back on the wagon. Never happened. I gained 4 lbs, which to some it isn't a big deal. To me it is, as there is no gray area. I have to apply myself and go all or nothing which is surprising because I'm usually very self disciplined with a lot of things.

Prior to the gaining, I was strict and doing well. It was actually fun (believe it or not). Now, 4 months later, I'm starting to go down that road of slowly eating the bad things again, and/or allowing more of those foods with a higher point range. I know when this downfall all started, which was the weekend we got married (back in May). I figured it's ok to celebrate and eat what I wanted, but poor excuse, I knew what the outcome would be from that point on.

I need to convince myself to get back on and get into the mindset I was in when I first started this off again/on again journey. I hate dieting and it sucks because I miss all kinds of foods. I've never enjoyed eating vegetables, I would always have to force myself to eat them and it's worse being on this diet. The same applies to fruits, but I do enjoy summer fruit and always have.

It doesn't matter what anyone says or does, I know the drill and the formalities of what is expected as well as the program I am (should be) following correctly. It's always been a bit of a battle. The worse thing anyone can say to me is "oh you've been doing fine and are able to cheat and enjoy what you like". I know folks mean well, but in my book NO to me that isn't acceptable because it's like a drug, the first little taste of something makes me end up going on an eating frenzy. I know myself better than anyone and I have to control it. I'm just pissed at myself because I should have at least lost more weight at this point and should be down 2 sizes from when I originally started this. And, let's not forget about the hormonal issues I have that adds difficulty to losing weight. Fuckin' sucks. :rant:

I'm not sure what it's going to take for me to get back in the "mindset" and I know I gotta do it. Maybe a fuckin' Hanibal Lecter mask :bondage: and wear it 24/7 to prevent me from eating all kinds of crap.

Lastly, congrats to everyone for doing so well. I think I may need to visit this thread more often for inspiration from all of you.

Best,
-Scorp-:scorp:

[PinkieLee]

awwww Scorpie, please don't beat yourself up too bad! You have done amazing with your weight loss ~ hey 30 pounds is a fuckin' unbelievable start! You will regain your focus again and get back on track!

I know this weekend was rough for me, too. It was a holiday weekend AND D's birthday, which meant birthday parties with lots of fattening foods, not to mention beer with very little water, which has left me feeling groggy and guilty. I stepped on the scale and noticed a weight gain, but I refuse to let that discourage me!

Last night, I packaged up all my goodies for work (celery & carrot sticks, veggie chips and yogurt). I made a batch of tuna fish (with a little bit of light miracle whip & mustard) for lunches for a couple of days, and cut up fruit for salads.

I KNOW that if I don't have the food ready when I'm hungry, I'm gonna binge on crap food.

This is a journey for all of us... sometimes we get sidetracked or life gets in the way, but we have the power to take the control back! I am so proud of everyone here who is making smartier, healthier choices and for motivating us to stay on track!

[Medusa]

Scorp - Don't beat yourself up so much! It's a process, one that we all have to move through one day at a time. I think many of us have had ups and downs with food and eating and there are so many outside circumstances that can affect our commitment.

Just remember that everything you put in your mouth is a choice. Some days the bad choices are going to win out over the better ones but we can move through that with every meal!

[Gráinne]

Those of you pressed for time (all of us), like me-invest in a slow cooker. It will become your best friend. You can pop in your ingredients in the morning, turn it on, and go to work. Dinner's ready when you get home! Best of all, in this heat, it doesn't heat up the whole kitchen.

I especially like the Fix It and Forget It series-they have a "Lite" version, but all the recipes can be modified.

I have the kind that has a removable inside unit; it is easy to pop in the dishwasher, and sometimes I mix everything in the night before (like a marinade), and pop it in the fridge overnight.

[Medusa]

Im a huge slow-cooker fan but it seems like all the recipes I know are chock full of calories and such. Would anyone care to post their tried and true recipes?

I love chicken and would eat pretty much anything with chicken!

[atomiczombie]

I have found a couple things about my own struggles with weight that I figured I would share here:

1. The bigger my stomach (how much I can fit into it) the hungrier I get. The stomach secrets hormones, I have read, that cause hungry feelings. The bigger the stomach, the more hormones released.

2. My body gets accustomed to doing the same amt. of exercise daily, then I stop losing. So I have to change it up every few weeks if I want to continue to lose. That means longer cardio workouts, or different cardio machines, more frequent work outs, etc.

I stopped going to the gym last December because I got really depressed and just quit doing what I needed to do to take care of my body. I used food as a palliative measure and my stomach got huge. I was then hungry all the time and I easily put on 20lbs. I have that taken off now, and my stomach is smaller so I don't feel so hungry all the time. That was very tough to do. I have still not gone back to the gym, and my chest reconstruction surgery made that not possible for a while. However, I am feeling depressed again now due to certain stresses in my life, and with my agoraphobia getting worse, the gym is the last place I want to be. *sigh*

I wish you all good health and success with your goals!

[Galahad]

I've been off work a month. I go for an hour long walk most mornings. I haven't lost weight or inches. My back is getting better though.
I've been making smoothies with a cup of turnip greens packed, a banana and an orange. Pretty good way to get the greens I need. Spinach is tasty, but turnip greens are cheap right now. I have a Ninja to blend them and I like it alot. It's really easy to clean.

[Thinker]

Im a huge slow-cooker fan but it seems like all the recipes I know are chock full of calories and such. Would anyone care to post their tried and true recipes?

I love chicken and would eat pretty much anything with chicken!

Not a slow-cooker idea, but...

I buy the big bags of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. When I grill, I grill enough for 2-3 days. I use the uneaten breasts in salads, with rice & beans, shredded on a thin bun, etc...

I'm on a tuna kick right now too. I season it up just a little and eat it on the multi-grain thin buns.......toasted.

[Medusa]

I LOVE tuna! Jack won't touch it so I can mix up a bunch and it's all for me!

My fave way:

tuna
purple onion
hot mustard
the tiniest dash of miracle whip
relish
lots of black pepper

WEE!

[Queerasfck]

We have been eating much healthier in the past month or so. Last night I made broccoli my favorite way. Take a bunch of florets and put them on a sheet pan and spray them with some of that olive oil spray (if you want to use more you can toss them with a few tablespoons in a bowl first) then add coarse salt and pepper generously. Roast in the oven on a super high temp, 470 degrees for about 12 minutes (depending on the size of your pieces you can actually flip them over if they are large and cook for about 7 more minutes). When done the broccoli should be roasted nicely with brown flecks on it. It's crunchy and delicious and will taste nothing like raw broccoli which I am not a huge fan of!
I have found roasting this way at a high temp with minimal oil or fat is a great way to cook many different types of veggies. You can add them to other dishes or eat them as a side dish.

I've had really good success increasing my fruit and vegetable intake and it has really helped me feel satisfied. Watermelon, strawberries, other berries are so plentiful right now it's really been much easier for me to stay with my plan on Weight Watchers. I am grateful to have the momentum right now and keep my goal in focus. I go to the weekly meeting and even though I don't share I feel the meetings help me stay on track and make me feel accountable.

Good luck to everyone and keep eating healthy!

[Zimmeh]

Good Morning Pinkie,

I am the same way in the morning. I usually, have Greek Yogurt, coffee and chocolate soymilk for breakfast. I got a compliment the other day, when one of the girls I worked with said, it looks like I have lost weight. I thanked her and she asked me how I did it, and I told her, that it was from laughing so hard, that I was having asthma attacks.

Have a great day,

Zimmy

Like Medusa, I LOVE smoothies in the mornings. It's so damn hot, I can't eat a hot, big breakfast. What I usually make is...

a few frozen strawberries
a few frozen pineapples
a whole banana
and a splash of the 50/50 orange juice

I've never figured out the WW points on it, because it would pretty much just be for the juice. Sometimes I'll make a piece of toast or a bagel thin with a lil' bit of butter, too to fill me up.

[Zimmeh]

Good Morning Atomic,

You can do it and if it takes just to go walking to help then, do it. I know when I start to feel like crap, I grab my iPhone and I go power walking. I have also found that when I lost my original 60lbs, that my stomach shrunk and I eat like a bird now.

Have a good day,

Zimmy

I have found a couple things about my own struggles with weight that I figured I would share here:

1. The bigger my stomach (how much I can fit into it) the hungrier I get. The stomach secrets hormones, I have read, that cause hungry feelings. The bigger the stomach, the more hormones released.

2. My body gets accustomed to doing the same amt. of exercise daily, then I stop losing. So I have to change it up every few weeks if I want to continue to lose. That means longer cardio workouts, or different cardio machines, more frequent work outs, etc.

I stopped going to the gym last December because I got really depressed and just quit doing what I needed to do to take care of my body. I used food as a palliative measure and my stomach got huge. I was then hungry all the time and I easily put on 20lbs. I have that taken off now, and my stomach is smaller so I don't feel so hungry all the time. That was very tough to do. I have still not gone back to the gym, and my chest reconstruction surgery made that not possible for a while. However, I am feeling depressed again now due to certain stresses in my life, and with my agoraphobia getting worse, the gym is the last place I want to be. *sigh*

I wish you all good health and success with your goals!

[PinkieLee]

I really like EZ's way to roast the veggies. I'm gonna try it out tonight!

One of my favorite ways to cook veggies is on the grill. I cut up a random mixture of zucchini, summer squash, tomato, mushroom, red/yellow bell peppers (that way we can both pick what veggies we want). I make little foil packets, put the veggies in with either a dab of butter with seasonings or fat-free italian dressing. Close up the packets and throw them on the grill. Then we grill either chicken, shrimp or boneless pork chops.

I LOVE corn on the cob cooked on the grill...yummy!

[little_ms_sunshyne]

My Name is Sunshyne...and I am an Choco-holic!!!!! Actually I am a anything "food" holic!!!!

Yay for this thread! I have started to follow it and am still catching up!

Just wanted to share with you that I am working on living a healthy lifestyle...and since its a lifestyle change I am sure slip ups will happen! I found this website...Ginas Skinny Recipes...if it has already been shared, sorry for the repeat. If not, check it out! I love these WW friendly recipes. They are really yummy! I even thought about starting a "food porn" thread with pictures of the meals and how they tasted.

Anyhow, I look forward to following the thread and hoping that I can join in and help hold eachother accountable!!!!

Alright Beautiful Ladies...We can do this!!!

[Scorp]

Well, the good news is that I started to journal again today. I haven't done that for at least the last 3 or 4 weeks . It feels pretty good slowly but surely going back to "doing the right thing".

[Medusa]

Ok, SO. I brought lunch to work today and it was a wonderful tuna fish mix and some rosemary Triscuits on the side with carrot sticks and an individual ranch thing to dip them and a banana. I had alllll these intentions on eating a healthy lunch and relishing in the glow that it would surely cause.

Instead, my coworkers decided that today was to be "Cheap Mexican" day. (our coined phrase for the day we all go eat at a local Mexican restaurant where no entrees are over $5!! And it's all homemade WONDERFUL food).
At first I was nervous because Mexican food for me usually equals BINGE!

Instead I won a little victory. I had a chicken taco salad with no guac, no sour cream, and no cheese. It was basically chicken, lettuce, pico de gallo, salsa, tomatoes, and onion. I used the salsa as my "wet sauce" and did not eat the shell like I usually do. It was amazing and good and I don't feel like I "blew it". :)

Victory!

[Thinker]

Ok, SO. I brought lunch to work today and it was a wonderful tuna fish mix and some rosemary Triscuits on the side with carrot sticks and an individual ranch thing to dip them and a banana. I had alllll these intentions on eating a healthy lunch and relishing in the glow that it would surely cause.

Instead, my coworkers decided that today was to be "Cheap Mexican" day. (our coined phrase for the day we all go eat at a local Mexican restaurant where no entrees are over $5!! And it's all homemade WONDERFUL food).
At first I was nervous because Mexican food for me usually equals BINGE!

Instead I won a little victory. I had a chicken taco salad with no guac, no sour cream, and no cheese. It was basically chicken, lettuce, pico de gallo, salsa, tomatoes, and onion. I used the salsa as my "wet sauce" and did not eat the shell like I usually do. It was amazing and good and I don't feel like I "blew it". :)

Victory!

Wow!! That *is* a victory! Good job, Ang!!!!!!!

[little_ms_sunshyne]

Ok, SO. I brought lunch to work today and it was a wonderful tuna fish mix and some rosemary Triscuits on the side with carrot sticks and an individual ranch thing to dip them and a banana. I had alllll these intentions on eating a healthy lunch and relishing in the glow that it would surely cause.

Instead, my coworkers decided that today was to be "Cheap Mexican" day. (our coined phrase for the day we all go eat at a local Mexican restaurant where no entrees are over $5!! And it's all homemade WONDERFUL food).
At first I was nervous because Mexican food for me usually equals BINGE!

Instead I won a little victory. I had a chicken taco salad with no guac, no sour cream, and no cheese. It was basically chicken, lettuce, pico de gallo, salsa, tomatoes, and onion. I used the salsa as my "wet sauce" and did not eat the shell like I usually do. It was amazing and good and I don't feel like I "blew it". :)

Victory!

Whooohooo!!!!

I have to tell you that this is one of the hardest things for me. When I get put in social setting, I always think "What the hell? Why not? Everyone else is eating, I have no choice" And that is how I initially fall off the wagon..EEKS!

Way to go Medusa! Victory fo sure!!! And being a latina, I can never pass up good Mexican food! :)

[Medusa]

Whooohooo!!!!

I have to tell you that this is one of the hardest things for me. When I get put in social setting, I always think "What the hell? Why not? Everyone else is eating, I have no choice" And that is how I initially fall off the wagon..EEKS!

Way to go Medusa! Victory fo sure!!! And being a latina, I can never pass up good Mexican food! :)


Me too, little ms! Eating out with friends at work every week, I always have to try to figure out if there is anything on the menu that I can do. Sometimes I have to get realllllly creative. There is a place that many of my coworkers LOVE that is your basic "Southern Comfort Food" type of place with everything being fried or smothered in gravy. The last time we went I ended up eating a bowl of green beans, a small side salad, and a cup of white rice. :|

It was random and not nearly as good as that yummy-looking chicken fried steak with gravy but I didn't regret it. :)

[Rockinonahigh]

Well the forth of july is over so I need to get back on the food wagon,not that I was off it much but ate way to much of the free foods I could get away with.I ended up giveing half a watermellon away cause it has to much sugar in it,I did eat a couple slices with salt and warm french bread..I know weired..anyway its gone righ along with the half a canteloup I put in the trash.I mean one small bowl was over 30 carbs and the half of canteloup I did eat with cottage cheese was 27 carbs.Im trying to stay somewhere around 50 to75 a day but the last coupl of days its been80 to 95 carbs,im allowed 130 but it takes me being at the lower end of the amounts of carbs to begain burning carbs and not storeing them in my fat cells or godess forbid make another fat cell.Sometimes its difficult to stay on this low carb thing the doc has me on but im doing it one day at the time..I also keep a food journal with my trusty carb counter book close at hand.

[JustJo]

Well the forth of july is over so I need to get back on the food wagon,not that I was off it much but ate way to much of the free foods I could get away with.I ended up giveing half a watermellon away cause it has to much sugar in it,I did eat a couple slices with salt and warm french bread..I know weired..anyway its gone righ along with the half a canteloup I put in the trash.I mean one small bowl was over 30 carbs and the half of canteloup I did eat with cottage cheese was 27 carbs.Im trying to stay somewhere around 50 to75 a day but the last coupl of days its been80 to 95 carbs,im allowed 130 but it takes me being at the lower end of the amounts of carbs to begain burning carbs and not storeing them in my fat cells or godess forbid make another fat cell.Sometimes its difficult to stay on this low carb thing the doc has me on but im doing it one day at the time..I also keep a food journal with my trusty carb counter book close at hand.

I hear you on this Rockin....being diabetic I have to watch my fruit intake as well. I love melon, but it does have a lot of sugar in it.

My most recent efforts are small, but I know it helps. I used to be a huge soda drinker (3 or 4 Cokes a day), which I cut out when I was diagnosed with the diabetes. Unfortunately, diet soda replaced it far too often...and it's addictive for me. I've read an awful lot about how the chemicals in diet soda still make you store fat, and also crave sugar (irony)....so I've cut it out now too.

Instead, I'm brewing a pitcher of iced tea (unsweetened or with the tiniest bit of agave nectar) and drinking Sobe Life Water instead. Baby steps! :)

[Rockinonahigh]

Im still battleing the coke/diet coke thing,I use to dring a 12 pack of regular coke a day now in drinking three diet coke a day,tho I will admitt to leting more than a fue turn to a watery mess after the ice melts tha go down the drain.I do my best to drink as much water or sugar free ice tea as possable.

[JustJo]

Im still battleing the coke/diet coke thing,I use to dring a 12 pack of regular coke a day now in drinking three diet coke a day,tho I will admitt to leting more than a fue turn to a watery mess after the ice melts tha go down the drain.I do my best to drink as much water or sugar free ice tea as possable.

Good for you! Going from 12 regular cokes a day (yikes!) to a few diet cokes is a huge step forward.

I think it's important that we all have to just keep plugging away and taking what steps we can, when we can, towards our goal of being healthier.

For a lot of folks, trying to make all of the changes at once just leads to failure and frustration.

Keep up the good work! :)

[Scorp]

Day 2 and I'm continuing to journallllll! Woo hoo gettin' back into it!!!

Thank you to all of you who sent me little messages :)

Nice that we can all be inspirational to one another. That really helps and especially the NON-Judgement if some of us have a bad day or not...

Thanks friends.

[Scorp]

I forgot to mention some of my favorite things to eat have low points (for anyone doing weight watchers) or if you want to cut down on calories, etc.

I LOVE "beef" hot dogs which are big in the point range. However, an excellent alternative to an 8 point hot dog is:

Hebrew National Reduced Fat (Beef) Franks. It sounds nasty, but....surprisingly these are awesome and taste like the regular ones, EXCEPT they are only 3 points versus 8 or 9 for a regular one! Trust me, if these tasted crappy I would tell you folks.

Vegetarian Baked Beans - 3 points for 1/2 cup...These go a long way. One would think 1/2 cup is not much, but, it is and satisfying no more, no less.

I am a MAJOR Cheese-It FREAAAK :freak: I absolutely LOVE these and the reduced-fat cheese-its are awesome...Every night I have to have these while watching the boob tube...(as in TV) not boobs on TV...However, I bet there are no calories in watching the real ones *ahem* Anyway, back to the cheese-its... You can have 29 cheese-its for 4 points. That may sound like a lot of points to use..BUT...They are VERY satisfying and do the trick for your snacking fetish...Matter of fact, I'm eating them now as i'm typing this. I can't tell you how many boxes I go through in a month. These totally satisfy me big-time.

If you LOVE popcorn, go for the "Homestyle" Pop Secret (94% fat free) and it's only 3 points per bag and it's SOOOO damn good...Not like the other fat free popcorns, amazingly good.

Reduced-fat Fig Newtons: Only 2 points for both!

I am not a huge water drinker. Never was and usually have to force myself to drink it. But, I LOVE lemon Crystal Light and live off that. I also love to drink Diet Polar Raspberry-Lime tonic (soda) and add a wedge of fresh lime or a key lime. That is my drink of choice and I'm addicted.

[Rockinonahigh]

Im on th no or low carb thing,its working pretty well so ive managed to be able to keep the carbs at a reasonable number each day.Eggs,meat,fish and fowl are trace or 0 carbs,cheese has 0 carbs,veggies have 0 except fpr the root kind.To night I had kept my carbs down fairly low so tonight I cooked spagettie with italina sasuage with garlic bread.The bag said 2cups were 39 carbs so I onlyhad 1 cup of skettie,1 sasuage and half slice of garlic hread for 11 carbs.It was real good and worth skiming carbs for but im glad I wont need todo this but once in a while.I am reading the info list like never before zero or very fur carbs work for me.

[Thinker]

Weigh-in: Just wrapped up week 9 and showed a loss of 1.8 pounds. That's a total of 13.8. It's not the 3 pounds I was shooting for, but I'm beginning to see that my 2 and 3 pounds weeks are behind me.

I'm following the program perfectly and getting in great exercise, so it's gotta be the muscle gain that's slowing things down. Oh well. I accept that. I'm over the halfway mark and have 10.2 pounds to go to make my goal weight.

[JustJo]

Weigh-in: Just wrapped up week 9 and showed a loss of 1.8 pounds. That's a total of 13.8. It's not the 3 pounds I was shooting for, but I'm beginning to see that my 2 and 3 pounds weeks are behind me.

I'm following the program perfectly and getting in great exercise, so it's gotta be the muscle gain that's slowing things down. Oh well. I accept that. I'm over the halfway mark and have 10.2 pounds to go to make my goal weight.

Congratulations!

Look at it this way....go in the kitchen, pick up a 10 lb bag of flour and about 4 cans of veggies. That's what you're not carrying around all day, every day, anymore. :)

[Medusa]

Water!

How many glasses of water do you drink every day?

My goal has been to gradually reduce all soda from my diet. Yes, even Diet! I am trying to remove aspartame from my diet completely so even my beloved Diet Cokes had to go.

I have been drinking lots of water, the occasional half-cup of coffee in the morning with sugar-free hazelnut creamer, the occasional glass of unsweet tea (usually at restaurants when eating out) or grape juice (no sugar added!)

I can tell a noticeable difference in my skin and my joints feel happier and more lubed (dirty!).

I drink about 80ounces of water per day. That is about 3/4 of a gallon.

[Thinker]

Water!

How many glasses of water do you drink every day?

My goal has been to gradually reduce all soda from my diet. Yes, even Diet! I am trying to remove aspartame from my diet completely so even my beloved Diet Cokes had to go.

I have been drinking lots of water, the occasional half-cup of coffee in the morning with sugar-free hazelnut creamer, the occasional glass of unsweet tea (usually at restaurants when eating out) or grape juice (no sugar added!)

I can tell a noticeable difference in my skin and my joints feel happier and more lubed (dirty!).

I drink about 80ounces of water per day. That is about 3/4 of a gallon.

Water makes an amazing difference, doesn't it???

Some days I am allllll about the water and will drink anywhere from 6-10 glasses. And some days it's a mix of water and Crystal Light tea.

[foxyshaman]

I have not checked into WW in two weeks. I had a couple bad eating days, but generally I am still doing well with eating. I will go back next week, and am excited to do so.

I use my slow cooker all the time. It is my lifesaver. I make alot of vege chilli, vege soups and vege stews (not too different from chilli). I invested in small plastic containers and freeze my food in portion ready sizes. That has helped me tremendously. I am incredibly lucky to have always hated pop, so that was one addiction I did not ever have to deal with. I drink at least two litres of water a day. I had lupus at one time and the only long term affect was damaged kidneys, so I totally baby them now. The practice of drinking water has kept me off antibiotics for kidney infections for close to 17 years. I do have my super duper strong soy coffee in the AM and count all six points for it. Then I drink water the rest of the day. I also take my cal/mag to help with my digestion. I did not know that I was mag deficient my entire life, and the difference in my body is HUGE.

I am grateful to hear others talk of their emotional eating and thank you for the private messages. They made my heart smile.

I was out of exercise this week due to a viral intestinal thing I caught...ooohhh joy. And then I got tired of all the pain did 1.5 hours of tantra breath work and voila right as rain. Then I scratch my head and think "why didn't I just think of that in the first place?".

Keep up the good work everyone. I am encouraged by your thoughts, triumphs and celebrations!!! :canadian:

[Scorp]

I actually need to think when the last time I had water...Sad, I know... :blink:

I'm a camel....

I have to force myself to drink it. You know how many of those cool, funky water bottles I own just to get me motivated...At least 5....It still doesn't help. :doh:


Water!

How many glasses of water do you drink every day?

My goal has been to gradually reduce all soda from my diet. Yes, even Diet! I am trying to remove aspartame from my diet completely so even my beloved Diet Cokes had to go.

I have been drinking lots of water, the occasional half-cup of coffee in the morning with sugar-free hazelnut creamer, the occasional glass of unsweet tea (usually at restaurants when eating out) or grape juice (no sugar added!)

I can tell a noticeable difference in my skin and my joints feel happier and more lubed (dirty!).

I drink about 80ounces of water per day. That is about 3/4 of a gallon.

[Leigh]

I hear what everyone is saying about water, I'm not a water drinker either and no matter how much I force Myself to drink it I just can't do it. I've started to keep small pop bottles and use those to put water in and use the Crystal Light drink packets in cuz thats the only way I can (and will) drink water. I am also Type 2 diabetic and have been put on double My medication cuz My last blood sugar text was 8.1 (and I should be around 6). I'm terrible for drinking only pepsi and such, so I'm working very hard to cut down drastically on pop intake (and for now I'll switch over to Diet while I get used to cutting back).

I'm sure there are other diabetics here so, what are some of your secrets if you have any? How do you satisfy your sweet tooth? I'm working on changing My eating habits, upping My amount of exercise per day, as well as taking on many more chores around the house than normal (including laundry). Any little tips/tricks that anyone has to help out would be greatly appreciated cuz I'm no good with this kinda stuff. I'mnot snacking at night like I used to, I'm eating less at meal times but eating abit more often, am cutting out My trips to 7-11 for slurpees and fountain drinks as well as quitting My late night trips for candy and chocolate (doesn't help that the store is LITERALLY across the street from My house).

I'm working slowly and getting things going, so slow but sure I'll get this weight off of Me!!!!!!!!!

[PinkieLee]

I hear y'all about the water issue! Somedays, I'll crave it and be able to drink nonstop. Other days, it's the last thing I want and have to force it down. It either has to be in a cup with ice, or ice cold. I cannot drink water if it's not COLD.

On my bad days, I know I drink at least 2 glasses down while I'm getting dressed for work, and another big one right before bed. For the most part, I've cut out Diet Coke (which was a freakin' killer for me & I had the worst headache for a week) and have switched to a half sweet half unsweet tea with my meal or when we go out to eat.

I like some Crystal Light, but some of it has a funky aftertaste. I do like the Walmart brand Cherry Limeade, it's the shiznit! Only thing, it turns my mouth a pretty shade of red like I've been drinking kool-aid all day ;)

[Leigh]

Pinkie, even if its cold sometimes I can't stomach it but after drinking pepsi for many years its gonna take Me awhile to get used to anything else on a regular basis. I absolutely love the Nestea Pomegranate Blueberry drink crystals (the singles) but the White Cran-Raspberry is the one with the aftertaste ~ guess I'll stick with the other one since I love both pomegranate and blueberries :-)

[PinkieLee]

Pinkie, even if its cold sometimes I can't stomach it but after drinking pepsi for many years its gonna take Me awhile to get used to anything else on a regular basis. I absolutely love the Nestea Pomegranate Blueberry drink crystals (the singles) but the White Cran-Raspberry is the one with the aftertaste ~ guess I'll stick with the other one since I love both pomegranate and blueberries :-)

No matter what flavor it is that you like, if you can find one that helps you get your water intake, then you are doing good.

Cutting out sodas is a BIG change. I know that I feel a lot less groggy than when I drank sodas. Like Medusa said, my joints are less achy, too! If you can cut cold turkey off the regular Pepsi it would be better than switching to Diet Pepsi. Sure, you would save some calories, but "they" (weight loss studies) say that diet sodas actually make you crave sugar and are so much worse for you than the regular ones.

Cutting back and alternating with water is a good start my friend. YOU CAN DO IT!

[Thinker]

I hear what everyone is saying about water, I'm not a water drinker either and no matter how much I force Myself to drink it I just can't do it. I've started to keep small pop bottles and use those to put water in and use the Crystal Light drink packets in cuz thats the only way I can (and will) drink water. I am also Type 2 diabetic and have been put on double My medication cuz My last blood sugar text was 8.1 (and I should be around 6). I'm terrible for drinking only pepsi and such, so I'm working very hard to cut down drastically on pop intake (and for now I'll switch over to Diet while I get used to cutting back).

I'm sure there are other diabetics here so, what are some of your secrets if you have any? How do you satisfy your sweet tooth? I'm working on changing My eating habits, upping My amount of exercise per day, as well as taking on many more chores around the house than normal (including laundry). Any little tips/tricks that anyone has to help out would be greatly appreciated cuz I'm no good with this kinda stuff. I'mnot snacking at night like I used to, I'm eating less at meal times but eating abit more often, am cutting out My trips to 7-11 for slurpees and fountain drinks as well as quitting My late night trips for candy and chocolate (doesn't help that the store is LITERALLY across the street from My house).

I'm working slowly and getting things going, so slow but sure I'll get this weight off of Me!!!!!!!!!

Matthew, my brother-in-law quit drinking sodas (cold turkey) and dropped 20 pounds in 3 weeks. That was it......just the sodas.

Hope you don't mind me talking in a stern manner to you... You need to cut those things OUT.....not only to drop weight but, more importantly, because of the diabetes.

Russell Stover makes some DELICIOUS sugar-free candy. I have an embarrassing sweet tooth, and I still crave something small after every meal.....even if it's just a bite-size candy bar. Those little sugar-free candies fit the bill perfectly.

My in-laws are both diabetic, and that is the candy they keep around for themselves. The peanut butter cups are better than Reese's (kid you not), and the chocolate covered coconut is pretty wonderful too.

You've added testosterone to the mix, buddy, so it's time to step up your game. You can do it!!!!! Just start with one change. Once that's a comfy fit for you, add another change.

[Rockinonahigh]

I keep a water bottle nerxt to my diet coke can,when I reach for something to drink I make a choice to go for the water first,I figure im drinking about four sixteen oz. of it a day.I also like the cristal packets of ocean diet light wich is 5 carbsa 12 oz glass but its a bit strong so I add water to it to lighten it more so its still good.Finaly I live in a place where the water is drinkable right out of the tap,the last place had awful looking and smelly water comeing out of the tap so I was buying bottled water to drink.I only drink two cups of coffee in the mornig wich will probly change when it gets cold again,if I need sugsr for anything I use splenda.Gonna miss my hot chockolat this winter.

[starryeyes]

Hey All..

I am SO glad to see this thread! I have recently been struggling with my weight loss. I lost 60lbs over the course of a year with Weight Watchers, exercise and a lot of motivation. I have been going though stress in my life, which has resulted in a 15lbs gain over the past 7 months. I am really trying to get back on track, but I am STRUGGLING!! I was only 20 lbs from my lifetime goal back in November, and I have just given up! I don't know if it was because they changed the plan and that screwed me up, or if it just because I got comfortable. I am still active, I play on a soccer team and I have just taken up boxing. I guess I am taking it day by day, but wow I am getting frusterated!!!

Weight watchers worked for me when I followed the program, so I know thats what I need to do. I was a point NAZI with the old program. I need to relearn this new program and back to my ways of tracking again.

:-)
Starry

[starryeyes]

I keep a water bottle nerxt to my diet coke can,when I reach for something to drink I make a choice to go for the water first,I figure im drinking about four sixteen oz. of it a day.I also like the cristal packets of ocean diet light wich is 5 carbsa 12 oz glass but its a bit strong so I add water to it to lighten it more so its still good.Finaly I live in a place where the water is drinkable right out of the tap,the last place had awful looking and smelly water comeing out of the tap so I was buying bottled water to drink.I only drink two cups of coffee in the mornig wich will probly change when it gets cold again,if I need sugsr for anything I use splenda.Gonna miss my hot chockolat this winter.

Propel power packets are awesome keep me drinking water all day long. on WW, one packet is 1 pt. They also make Propel 0, which is 0 points and also are good. I love the grape flavor.

[Nina]

I drink a lot of water...

I drink water which I call 'crack-water'....it is MetroMint Spearmint water...I have tried all the other stuff and didn't like any, the spearmint is perfect for me...it is not cheap...one could make water by brewing some fresh spearmint and adding it to water in a bottle or glass or whatever container you like...
you can also put leaves of spearmint or mint, or other herbs you might like, into bottles of water and it will do some infusion...

there are other water infused with essences I like...they are all sugar free, and chemical free...the others I like are fruit-y, a nice change sometimes...

just a water drinking thought...

of course, water drinking has it's resulting reaction so it's sometimes worth being aware when we drink the most water...

[JustJo]

I hear what everyone is saying about water, I'm not a water drinker either and no matter how much I force Myself to drink it I just can't do it. I've started to keep small pop bottles and use those to put water in and use the Crystal Light drink packets in cuz thats the only way I can (and will) drink water. I am also Type 2 diabetic and have been put on double My medication cuz My last blood sugar text was 8.1 (and I should be around 6). I'm terrible for drinking only pepsi and such, so I'm working very hard to cut down drastically on pop intake (and for now I'll switch over to Diet while I get used to cutting back).

I'm sure there are other diabetics here so, what are some of your secrets if you have any? How do you satisfy your sweet tooth? I'm working on changing My eating habits, upping My amount of exercise per day, as well as taking on many more chores around the house than normal (including laundry). Any little tips/tricks that anyone has to help out would be greatly appreciated cuz I'm no good with this kinda stuff. I'mnot snacking at night like I used to, I'm eating less at meal times but eating abit more often, am cutting out My trips to 7-11 for slurpees and fountain drinks as well as quitting My late night trips for candy and chocolate (doesn't help that the store is LITERALLY across the street from My house).

I'm working slowly and getting things going, so slow but sure I'll get this weight off of Me!!!!!!!!!

Hi Matthew :)

I'm a type 2 diabetic with a sweet tooth also, so I hear you!

A few things that have helped me....

Stevia and agave nectar....natural sweeteners that won't mess with you like sugar or artificial sweeteners will. Stevia even has a stabilizing effect on my blood sugar, so it's good for me to sweeten things with it. :| There is a soda called Zevia that's sweetend with Stevia that you might like (can be ordered through Amazon with free delivery).....and I've recently started drinking Sobe Life Water which also has sweeteners I can handle.

Unfortunately diet soda makes me crave sugar and fat and all kinds of things I shouldn't be eating....so I'm trying to eliminate even the diet soda.

The other is mindful eating. How often do we eat chips or candy or whatever our downfall food is and just wolf it down....or eat it and then realize that we only tasted the first bite or two?

When you do eat a sweet....savor it. Look at it, smell it, take tiny bites and let it melt on your tongue (sounds naughty....I know :) )...but seriously. Really be mindful of the whole experience. When I do this....I'm actually satisfied with the tiniest bits of chocolate (like the individual Dove chocolates that are 1 oz.)

Don't eat while you're watching TV or on the computer or anything. If you're eating, especially sweets if that's your weakness, only eat....slowly and with your whole self. I bet your cravings are satisfied with less.

Best of luck!

[Leigh]

Matthew, my brother-in-law quit drinking sodas (cold turkey) and dropped 20 pounds in 3 weeks. That was it......just the sodas.

Hope you don't mind me talking in a stern manner to you... You need to cut those things OUT.....not only to drop weight but, more importantly, because of the diabetes.

Russell Stover makes some DELICIOUS sugar-free candy. I have an embarrassing sweet tooth, and I still crave something small after every meal.....even if it's just a bite-size candy bar. Those little sugar-free candies fit the bill perfectly.

My in-laws are both diabetic, and that is the candy they keep around for themselves. The peanut butter cups are better than Reese's (kid you not), and the chocolate covered coconut is pretty wonderful too.

You've added testosterone to the mix, buddy, so it's time to step up your game. You can do it!!!!! Just start with one change. Once that's a comfy fit for you, add another change.

These are the kind of suggestions I was looking for, so thank you very much for that Thinker. Yes I do have to just cut things out, but I'm going one day at a time cuz the last time I tried quitting pop cold turkey it worked for a couple of days and then poof it was gone again. My parents are both type 2 also and certainly don't drink pop, I'm working on more water and less pop which I've been doing good at over the last couple of days so I know its a beginning. Those russel stover candies sound perfect, I will look for those the next time I go shopping and keep some around for those sweet tooth cravings! :-)

Propel power packets are awesome keep me drinking water all day long. on WW, one packet is 1 pt. They also make Propel 0, which is 0 points and also are good. I love the grape flavor.

I've never heard of this stuff before but I love grape so I will have to try that out :-)

I drink a lot of water...

I drink water which I call 'crack-water'....it is MetroMint Spearmint water...I have tried all the other stuff and didn't like any, the spearmint is perfect for me...it is not cheap...one could make water by brewing some fresh spearmint and adding it to water in a bottle or glass or whatever container you like...
you can also put leaves of spearmint or mint, or other herbs you might like, into bottles of water and it will do some infusion...

there are other water infused with essences I like...they are all sugar free, and chemical free...the others I like are fruit-y, a nice change sometimes...

just a water drinking thought...

of course, water drinking has it's resulting reaction so it's sometimes worth being aware when we drink the most water...

I know water is good for us and I am working on drinking more, but I actually have a friend who was diagnosed like 2-3 yrs ago with water diabetes (he drank nothing but water all the time). So yes drinking water is very good for us but if we drink it too much that could happen, so its something to think about also *nods*

[Dominique]

Hi everyone......hope I can drop in like this.

Mathew, honey, I worry about your heart. I just read in another thread the changes that you want, are happening! (GREAT) then i scroll through and see you have diabetes. Please go for a walk every day, that T scares me all by itself.

I have neuropathy in my feet, both feet. Not from diabetes, from frost bite. :sock: yes, perfect! my feet turn blue and the pain is insane. Its called reynauds. When I was in the hospital (for the burns) they had me in therapy with the diabetics so I could learn about neuropathy. Going from the hot outside into an airconditioned store will set it off, its bizarre, so I always have socks on. Why am I talking about neuropathy except to say..you don't want that, its part of diabetes. (I do not have diabetes)

Another thing to warn you about is kidney issues.all that soda, and diabetes is REALLY hard on your poor kidneys. YOU have to take care of yourself dude. Your embarking on a new life....do you want to start out sick?

So go for a walk, and take water with you, and drink it while you are walking. Its the best place to start.

[Tommi]

Water is my good for me Mantra....

I used to struggle to get a glass down. Partially because I was a Diet Coke addict, thus water was boring. I quit buying Diet Coke by the case. Now it is infrequent, and usually when I know a huge bowl of popcorn is the selection of the night.

Now, water is easier, straight, on the rocks, or with a packet of Crystal Light of some kind. I am getting about 60 to 80 oz /day now versus zero.

Vegetables and fruit are now part of my daily diet too. Learning to cook, making veggie soup with kale in almost everything.

Kale was recommended by a nutritionist at the cancer mentor program I go to. She made smoothies with banana, kale, and almond milk. It was awesome. So I now own a blender and make smoothies too. :hangloose:

[Thinker]

Hi everyone......hope I can drop in like this.

Mathew, honey, I worry about your heart. I just read in another thread the changes that you want, are happening! (GREAT) then i scroll through and see you have diabetes. Please go for a walk every day, that T scares me all by itself.

I have neuropathy in my feet, both feet. Not from diabetes, from frost bite. :sock: yes, perfect! my feet turn blue and the pain is insane. Its called reynauds. When I was in the hospital (for the burns) they had me in therapy with the diabetics so I could learn about neuropathy. Going from the hot outside into an airconditioned store will set it off, its bizarre, so I always have socks on. Why am I talking about neuropathy except to say..you don't want that, its part of diabetes. (I do not have diabetes)

Another thing to warn you about is kidney issues.all that soda, and diabetes is REALLY hard on your poor kidneys. YOU have to take care of yourself dude. Your embarking on a new life....do you want to start out sick?

So go for a walk, and take water with you, and drink it while you are walking. Its the best place to start.

Welcome! Wonderful post!!!

[justkim]

According to my belt... I have lost 3 inches... :blink:
I can still pull my pants down with my belt cinched up...
All this from changing my eating habits and drinking more water...
I try to walk at least every other day sometimes it is just too warm for me so I get on the elliptical trainer in the garage and go for about 30 minutes...

Good luck everyone!!!

[Scorp]

Nexttttttttttt....

Weight In: Lost 4.4 lbs this week!!! (Sound the trumpets)!!!

OMFG I'm so damn happy....:cheer:

And, this my friends is what will make me continue to move forward and do everything I'm suppose to be doing while on the program. And, not to mention, everyone else's support and posts with their progress, and sharing their experience(s).... :nixon:

Woo hoo!!!!!!! :happyjump:

[lillith]

OK...I think I need to subscribe. In the last 6 weeks, I have lost 10lbs. I cut out the soda, and last Sunday, cut out most high bad fatty foods. I also started walking a mile everyday. I weighted myself this morning and saw that I lost two pounds, and it made me almost cry. I have been a fluffy girl for 13 years, and I didn't think I would see the scale move even one pound less. Today is about affirmation, and I believe in every single one of you who are seriously out there kicking ass. I am proud of our community and what we do to support each other within it! Thank you.

[Medusa]

Congrats to the folks losing (and winning!)! This thread has been pretty amazing for support and encouragement and it is at the top of my 'thankful' list lately. :)

I decided to make a splurge today and went out to Whole Foods before heading out to lunch with guihong. I love me some Whole Foods but only buy certain things there for its propensity to become "Whole Paycheck".

Here's what I grabbed:

a can of garbanzo beans (I don't know if I like these so I'm going to try them. Any yummy recipes accepted and appreciated!)
several different kinds of wheat pasta
a nice sundried tomato tapenade
a sugarless, saltless peanut butter
dehydrated strawberries
2 pounds organic sweet cherries
black cherry concentrate (to add to the club soda I also bought)
a chipotle ranch dressing
some sticks and twigs (pretzels with chipotle flavor!)
more chocolate almond breeze
2 huge bottles of banana juice (on sale for $2!)
2 huge things of coconut water (I've never had this and don't know why I bought it other than it was on super cheap and I've seen a lot of people hooping about the potassium bennies)
a 4-pack of diet Izze black cherry (NO aspartame!)
dried apricots
dried pineapple
limes

I got all that for $70. Yes, really.

A lot of it is stuff I've been wanting to try so I went ahead with it. I think it's super important for me to keep the food interesting and entertaining. I get bored very easily eating tuna fish and salads every week so having some pretzels or something interesting to drink will make all the difference.

I'm still completely off the sodas and I have to say, it's not nearly as bad as I had thought. Granted, I've been slowly tapering off but I'm almost 4 months clean off the Diet Cokes!! WEE!

I appreciate all of you talking about your "process". I think that has been the single-most helpful thing for me in this entire thread. :bunchflowers:

[Medusa]

P.s. I also went to my favorite thrift store and picked up a huge gaggle of low-salt/low-sugar/low-calorie/vegan/healthy eating cookbooks.

There was a special with buy 4/get one free AND they were already half-price. I might have indulged. A lot. :|

[little_ms_sunshyne]

Terrible 2 days for me!!! My sister and nephew's birthday parties....CAKE!!! MY WEAKNESS!!!!

Anyhow, tomorrow back on track for sure!!!!

Happy to see everyones' success and Medusa's great shopping deals!

[Queerasfck]

Today was my weigh in day for WW. I was getting myself all keyed up for a big loss on the scale. I have noticed I can already fit into some things I wasn't really comfortable in even just two months ago and my jeans are loose! At the meeting the scale only showed a 1lb loss so I admit I was a bit disappointed. I realized as the day went on it wasn't that big of a deal. I've continued going to the gym and a diligently tracking my points and staying on target. And I know I'm doing all the right things.
Next week is SD Pride and I realize that sadly I will not be a size 34 with abs of steel by then! It's ok I realize that it took awhile to put on these extra pounds and it will take a while to lose them. Tonight I relaxed and had a glass of wine and even had dessert. Tomorrow I will be hard at it again counting points and eating healthy.
I hope everyone is hanging in there and working their program, stay strong friends!

[Mister Bent]

Today was my weigh in day for WW. I was getting myself all keyed up for a big loss on the scale. I have noticed I can already fit into some things I wasn't really comfortable in even just two months ago and my jeans are loose! At the meeting the scale only showed a 1lb loss so I admit I was a bit disappointed. I realized as the day went on it wasn't that big of a deal. I've continued going to the gym and a diligently tracking my points and staying on target. And I know I'm doing all the right things.
Next week is SD Pride and I realize that sadly I will not be a size 34 with abs of steel by then! It's ok I realize that it took awhile to put on these extra pounds and it will take a while to lose them. Tonight I relaxed and had a glass of wine and even had dessert. Tomorrow I will be hard at it again counting points and eating healthy.
I hope everyone is hanging in there and working their program, stay strong friends!


It's important to remember (and SOME people who are maybe hard on themselves, Ezee, need reminding more than others) when on a program like weight watchers - designed for long term results, not a fad "diet" with quick (and usually short term) results - that after initial/early big losses, your weekly weight loss will decline. Generally, the most you can lose - and keep off - is about 2 lbs a week. It's difficult to maintain big losses steadily, as your metabolism is readjusting and adapting to account for lower calorie intake, and if you include exercise, higher energy output.

Slow, steady progress, even if it's only .3 lbs a week is better than + .3 lbs or losing 0. Try not to be hard on yourself and stay focused on the positive. Even Ezee managed to do that!

I hope all of you who have made healthy dietary changes are not only noticing loss in lbs and inches, but are feeling better overall - more energy, less soreness in legs and back, clearer skin. Celebrate yourself for all the changes, even those no one can see.

[Rockinonahigh]

To morrow is my weigh day,as sick as ive been the last couple of days I may have lost a fue from hanging out in the room down the hall.Ive been on this change of diet for nearly a month so havent had heavy starches at all,so a couple of days a go I had a small serving of skeiit with meat balls...no prob when I at it but give it a day or so it was on revenge mode.Im not shure if it was the starch in the skettie or the red sause..im not toughing either again.Since I changed the eating habbits I have less and less stomach probs as it has gone on,I also had a bad reaction to kashi cinnamaon cereal why I dont know..its in the trash.Anyway im getting better and should be ok by monday so I can go to work feeling some what well.Its nice not to have stomach pain and discomfort like I had before.

[Leigh]

Hi everyone......hope I can drop in like this.

Mathew, honey, I worry about your heart. I just read in another thread the changes that you want, are happening! (GREAT) then i scroll through and see you have diabetes. Please go for a walk every day, that T scares me all by itself.

I have neuropathy in my feet, both feet. Not from diabetes, from frost bite. :sock: yes, perfect! my feet turn blue and the pain is insane. Its called reynauds. When I was in the hospital (for the burns) they had me in therapy with the diabetics so I could learn about neuropathy. Going from the hot outside into an airconditioned store will set it off, its bizarre, so I always have socks on. Why am I talking about neuropathy except to say..you don't want that, its part of diabetes. (I do not have diabetes)

Another thing to warn you about is kidney issues.all that soda, and diabetes is REALLY hard on your poor kidneys. YOU have to take care of yourself dude. Your embarking on a new life....do you want to start out sick?

So go for a walk, and take water with you, and drink it while you are walking. Its the best place to start.

I agree with you 100%, and after all of these years of not taking care of Myself its about high time that I do. I'm at an exciting time in My life, increase in T and possible surgery in the future, but with that I need to work on taking better care of Myself. I have been doing alot of things lately that I never did before, including a good number of chores around the house (I was always so used to just sitting around, its taking getting used to). But I have to admit I'm proud of Myself for cutting down dramatically on My intake of cola over the last couple of days, have gotten out for a couple of walks over the past 3-4 days and have not allowed Myself to just sit down and do nothing.

Little changes, but I'm proud of Myself :-)

Water is my good for me Mantra....

I used to struggle to get a glass down. Partially because I was a Diet Coke addict, thus water was boring. I quit buying Diet Coke by the case. Now it is infrequent, and usually when I know a huge bowl of popcorn is the selection of the night.

Now, water is easier, straight, on the rocks, or with a packet of Crystal Light of some kind. I am getting about 60 to 80 oz /day now versus zero.

Vegetables and fruit are now part of my daily diet too. Learning to cook, making veggie soup with kale in almost everything.

Kale was recommended by a nutritionist at the cancer mentor program I go to. She made smoothies with banana, kale, and almond milk. It was awesome. So I now own a blender and make smoothies too. :hangloose:

Water is the one thing I can't seem to get used to drinking, even the flavoured stuff. I'm working hard on just getting the stuff down but I just tell Myself to simply drink it, I may not like it but if I want to work on getting healthier I just have to do it. I've been wanting to get a blender for awhile now, and I think now the next time I have extra money I will invest in one instead of wasting it on cola and chocolate as well as other things that are bad for Me!

OK...I think I need to subscribe. In the last 6 weeks, I have lost 10lbs. I cut out the soda, and last Sunday, cut out most high bad fatty foods. I also started walking a mile everyday. I weighted myself this morning and saw that I lost two pounds, and it made me almost cry. I have been a fluffy girl for 13 years, and I didn't think I would see the scale move even one pound less. Today is about affirmation, and I believe in every single one of you who are seriously out there kicking ass. I am proud of our community and what we do to support each other within it! Thank you.

I think this is one of My biggest problems, I'm so used to being "fluffy" that I've been sabotaging My attempts at weight loss just cuz I'm afraid of big changes. I'm working on this because I don't want to end up having something bad happen to Me, all because I was too stubborn to actually do the work ....... slowly but surely I'm getting there, and it feels pretty good :-)

Congrats to the folks losing (and winning!)! This thread has been pretty amazing for support and encouragement and it is at the top of my 'thankful' list lately. :)

I decided to make a splurge today and went out to Whole Foods before heading out to lunch with guihong. I love me some Whole Foods but only buy certain things there for its propensity to become "Whole Paycheck".

Here's what I grabbed:

a can of garbanzo beans (I don't know if I like these so I'm going to try them. Any yummy recipes accepted and appreciated!)
several different kinds of wheat pasta
a nice sundried tomato tapenade
a sugarless, saltless peanut butter
dehydrated strawberries
2 pounds organic sweet cherries
black cherry concentrate (to add to the club soda I also bought)
a chipotle ranch dressing
some sticks and twigs (pretzels with chipotle flavor!)
more chocolate almond breeze
2 huge bottles of banana juice (on sale for $2!)
2 huge things of coconut water (I've never had this and don't know why I bought it other than it was on super cheap and I've seen a lot of people hooping about the potassium bennies)
a 4-pack of diet Izze black cherry (NO aspartame!)
dried apricots
dried pineapple
limes

I got all that for $70. Yes, really.

A lot of it is stuff I've been wanting to try so I went ahead with it. I think it's super important for me to keep the food interesting and entertaining. I get bored very easily eating tuna fish and salads every week so having some pretzels or something interesting to drink will make all the difference.

I'm still completely off the sodas and I have to say, it's not nearly as bad as I had thought. Granted, I've been slowly tapering off but I'm almost 4 months clean off the Diet Cokes!! WEE!

I appreciate all of you talking about your "process". I think that has been the single-most helpful thing for me in this entire thread. :bunchflowers:

Sounds like you got alot of good things, and thats not a bad price to pay for everything. Congrats on being off the Diet Cokes, I'm still working on being off of the colas too but I'm starting to slowly ween Myself off them. Its a slow process since I was drinking almost nothing but pepsi all day everyday, but even just small changes are good :-)

Today was my weigh in day for WW. I was getting myself all keyed up for a big loss on the scale. I have noticed I can already fit into some things I wasn't really comfortable in even just two months ago and my jeans are loose! At the meeting the scale only showed a 1lb loss so I admit I was a bit disappointed. I realized as the day went on it wasn't that big of a deal. I've continued going to the gym and a diligently tracking my points and staying on target. And I know I'm doing all the right things.
Next week is SD Pride and I realize that sadly I will not be a size 34 with abs of steel by then! It's ok I realize that it took awhile to put on these extra pounds and it will take a while to lose them. Tonight I relaxed and had a glass of wine and even had dessert. Tomorrow I will be hard at it again counting points and eating healthy.
I hope everyone is hanging in there and working their program, stay strong friends!

I know its very easy to get discouraged when there is either no weight loss or only a loss of a pound but even just a pound means thats a pound less than you had before. I know for Me personally I get discouraged easily but I'm trying not to, any small victory is a greater part of a whole new Me and thats most important. As long as your doing things right and sticking to what you need to do, you will be successful :-)

[foxyshaman]

Coming into this space is like taking a breath of fresh air. There are many aspects of our process I draw strength from. Today however what I absorb and resonate with the most deeply, is the honesty. We all have successful days and the not so successful days.

I have had to re-evaluate my thoughts on success during my journey to lose weight. What is success for me?

Today I had both a successful day and a ___successful day. A friend and I drove to Jasper, about 400 KM each way from where we live. We left at 8 am and got back at 11:30 pm. She doesn't speed like me, nor was I driving and I llllooovvveeee to drive, I would have had us there and back a smit quicker!!

Anyway... I ate crap. Totally. Everything I shouldn't eat. I did it in small portions. I enjoyed it. I am wwwaaaayyy over my points. The success was to hang out with a good friend and get some heavy thoughts off my chest. We both did. Am I an emotional eater. Absolutely. Was I eating my emotions today. Absolutely not. I was in control. I had a fantastically successful day. Change is happening. Not just to me, but I see it here everyday when I read our conversations, our sharing and our support.

My initial intention of my post is to share a water drinking friend with you. I found these wonderful pure oils of the rinds of lemons, limes and oranges. I only put three to four drops in my water. The company that makes them is Boyajian.They are quite inexpensive. I love them....alot. If you don't like plain water, and don't like chemical additives try them.

[Medusa]

Weigh-in today revealed a 7-pound weight loss.

I have significantly increased my activity this week. Before I started paying attention, most of my day was spent in an office chair - either at work or here at home. As part of my "reduce stress in all areas of your life" crusade, I am working 20-less hours a week at my job (still working 50 though!) which means I have more time for other stuff. Part of that "other stuff" has meant time with the treadmill, working on household projects, a little fishing (YES, I love to fish), and more general outside time.

I had thought that reducing my stress would mean hours laying in that biggo recliner that I complain so much about and reading or snoozing. There has been a tiny amount of that but I have discovered that I'm a "busy" person - as in, I like to be "doing something", whether in a chair or up around the house. I don't really know how to relax all that much by traditional standards so I've been taking advantage of my extra time and energy this week. It's apparently paid off.

I've been doing treadmill for about 20 - 25 minutes a night. I'll probably switch back to my bike this week just to keep it interesting.

[Nina]

I pride (?) myself at being a Loner...I think it is not so good, and nothing for me to be prideful of...

I am close to 100 pounds less than I was many years ago...still I am not small, just smallER (I have the last 15 pounds to lose and they are the most challenging I find)...being smaller is comfortable and fun and good for me, and it is scary and exposing and complicated for me...

(oh, this Isn't the bare your soul to internet strangers thread??)

all the nina-babble aside, I feel, this morning at least, that in a few days I want to, and will, take charge of what I am eating...there are Reasons I need and want to do it and there are reasons, I need and want to do it...

I did join WW on line a month or so ago...even bid on, and won, a points calculator on ebay...I have a big book of what foods equal what points...sad truth is that I don't do things by format...I should, and wish I did, but I know I won't...my goal is to do it by nina-matt...I will take the basics and see what I can do with it all...mostly for me I need to eat on a regular schedule and eat more protein...I wait way too long in between eating and then I am too starving to eat and it's a whole ugly cycle...

I think I am going to be in a one way competition with Medusa...she won't know, but I will...perhaps it will be less 'competition' and more inspiration 'n stuff...

I really do admire folks posting and being kind to others and kind to themselves by honoring and nurturing the earthly body...

[Sachita]

Cake is my weakness too. Actually anything that contains sugar or carbs. I'm an emotional eater so if I get depressed or sad I will eat massive amounts of sugar. Therefore in order to approach healthy weight loss I have to have a spiritual and emotional plan. Lots and lots of meditation. Lots of days waking up and pushing myself in the right direction. Sometimes I get tired of the up and down. I can gain 20 pounds rapidly.

What has been working for me quite well is eating every 3 hours. I started with eating whatever I wanted but no more then 8 oz but every three hours. Then I focused on what I was eating. I can't get into diet foods and I rarely drink diet soda any more. I cant keep bad things in the house. I have zero will power. But I can eat every three hours and when I'm busy Healthy Choice makes quite a few 8oz healthy frozen dinners. I also juice using green veggies. This give me quite a kick and easy to pick stuff from my garden. I may not have time to prepare it properly but I can juice and guzzle.

I also buy 8oz containers and keep food ready to eat. It can be rice and beans or anything. Even ice cream! But I try to make wise choices and things that will sustain me because I know I'll get hungry. Beans are great for filling you up and keeps you healthy.

But the most important thing for me is to be active. Sometimes I get really busy with my blogs and online work that I have to hire people to help around the farm. Every time I do I gain weight. So now I wake up at 5am, drink coffee and try breaking my work up throughout the day. Even if it's walking across the lawn to water some flowers or pull a few weeds. I have to stay moving.

But I honestly swear by juicing and consuming as many fresh green veggies as you can. Some more then others. The micro nutrients will push you into high gear. Within a few days you start feeling better and over time you naturally see and feel a shift. The more live your food the better.

[Mister Bent]

Weigh-in today revealed a 7-pound weight loss.

I have significantly increased my activity this week. Before I started paying attention, most of my day was spent in an office chair - either at work or here at home. As part of my "reduce stress in all areas of your life" crusade, I am working 20-less hours a week at my job (still working 50 though!) which means I have more time for other stuff. Part of that "other stuff" has meant time with the treadmill, working on household projects, a little fishing (YES, I love to fish), and more general outside time.

I had thought that reducing my stress would mean hours laying in that biggo recliner that I complain so much about and reading or snoozing. There has been a tiny amount of that but I have discovered that I'm a "busy" person - as in, I like to be "doing something", whether in a chair or up around the house. I don't really know how to relax all that much by traditional standards so I've been taking advantage of my extra time and energy this week. It's apparently paid off.

I've been doing treadmill for about 20 - 25 minutes a night. I'll probably switch back to my bike this week just to keep it interesting.

That's great progress, and not so much the -7 lbs, but the ability to make the really important changes in activity and decrease in stress (which, ideally, will also lower your cortisol levels, leading to easier weight loss). I think that's your real victory - it's harder to make those changes than to switch from soda to flavored water!

It's no secret that I am a huge Weight Watchers proponent, and one of the reasons is because it is about behavior modification, not "diet." It operates on the notion that humans are omnivores, not designed to eat solely meat protein, or solely vegetables. It also emphasizes the importance of increased metabolism. It's why the personal points calculator asks how active you are during the day. Even standing most of the day earns more points than someone mostly sitting.

Household projects, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, mowing your own lawn, going fishing, even getting up and tidying around the house are all far more beneficial than sitting on the computer, or watching tv. "Doing something" ANYthing, is as important, or more so, than simply eating less.

[Medusa]

Woot!

I had posted in another thread about these a while back but wanted to re-share.

These bottles are awesome:

http://www.amazon.com/Base-Brands-16-Ounce-Reduce-WaterWeek/dp/B001QVGEBQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1310318745&sr=8-3


They are plastic, reusable water bottles that are bpa-free and sit neatly in that little caddy thing. These are showing $20 on Amazon.com but I got mine (3 sets now) for $5-$7 for each set at TJ Maxx. :) (which made my cheap little heart go pitter-patter)

Also, Target has the exact same size/shape/everything water bottles right now for 1.99. They aren't the "Reuse" brand but they fit the caddy and are great to help rotate.

Just having these bottles filled and cold in the fridge has been a HUGE help when I want something "convenient" to drink!

[Rockinonahigh]

Today is weigh in day so I just got off the scale and it said I am down to 252 thats four pounds less than nearly 3 weeks ago.I think it could have been a bit less but this last week I havent works out as much as the weeks before..havent felt to good so I rested more,I feel better today so tomorrow im back to the gym to lose some more chub.
I want to thank and congradulate the folks hear who are doing what it takes to be healthy,give incouragement to each other,give plenty of advice and ideas for us to try and share.Good job and cary on.:hangloose:

[Medusa]

Are y'all tired of me blah-blah-blahing yet?
I dunno. I usually don't share anything about my exercise routines or eating plans because it's such a personal and private journey but I did hit a pretty major milestone tonight and want to share.

I just got off of my treadmill and was able to walk 3/4 of a mile pretty vigorously.
I was able to do 20 solid minutes without feeling scared and, more significantly, without much more than mild pain.
Im pretty proud of that.

My goal is to do a mile. I'll be there by the end of the week.

Now if everyone would post their favorite workout music mixes, that would be great because Janet Jackson's "Feedback" and Petey Pablo's "Raise Up" are getting OLDDDD!

[lillith]

Are y'all tired of me blah-blah-blahing yet?
I dunno. I usually don't share anything about my exercise routines or eating plans because it's such a personal and private journey but I did hit a pretty major milestone tonight and want to share.

I just got off of my treadmill and was able to walk 3/4 of a mile pretty vigorously.
I was able to do 20 solid minutes without feeling scared and, more significantly, without much more than mild pain.
Im pretty proud of that.

My goal is to do a mile. I'll be there by the end of the week.

Now if everyone would post their favorite workout music mixes, that would be great because Janet Jackson's "Feedback" and Petey Pablo's "Raise Up" are getting OLDDDD!

So proud of you! I pushed myself pretty hard today too. I did mile walk, and then tried to run a half mile. I didn't do the half mile, only a quarter, but God bless, it was so much more than I thought I was going to do. You are absolutely right! It is scary as hell to do this. You are beautiful and amazing, and thank you for sharing!

P.S. I had a really emotional day today because of how much it feels good to do this. Sounds kinda crazy.

[Rockinonahigh]

Are y'all tired of me blah-blah-blahing yet?
I dunno. I usually don't share anything about my exercise routines or eating plans because it's such a personal and private journey but I did hit a pretty major milestone tonight and want to share.

I just got off of my treadmill and was able to walk 3/4 of a mile pretty vigorously.
I was able to do 20 solid minutes without feeling scared and, more significantly, without much more than mild pain.
Im pretty proud of that.

My goal is to do a mile. I'll be there by the end of the week.

Now if everyone would post their favorite workout music mixes, that would be great because Janet Jackson's "Feedback" and Petey Pablo's "Raise Up" are getting OLDDDD!

Medusa
I use anything with a good rythum and drum beats,Jerry Lee Louis,the original Rocky sound track esp the one with servivor on it,Ray Stevens is good I really like the corney ones cause it keeps me up beat...and sometimes the big band and music by Glen Miller and Benny Goodman yeah I telling my age a bit.Dont forget some of the old rock and rockabill stuff works really well to.
I never could feel comfy on a tredmill so I sold mine cause it just didnt feel stedy.At the wellness center I use a rowing machine,a recumbant bike I went 61/2 miles the last day I went to the club.I laso do a lot of weigh lifting as well as some balance stuff.The center is haveing tichi class start next week gonna give it a try being im a stumbling triping over my feet fool maybe I can gain some balance.
Take care
Rock

[Rockinonahigh]

P.S..Medusa
Go to the goodwill store and check the cd's and casets they have I got a whole lot of my music for .99 each..workout and motivation stuff a dollar or two.I love shopeing in the place
Rock

[Leigh]

I was pretty proud of Myself yesterday, only one small glass of cola and the rest of the day nothing but water! The water was cold so it actually was not that bad, so thats a step in the right direction :D

[Medusa]

I was pretty proud of Myself yesterday, only one small glass of cola and the rest of the day nothing but water! The water was cold so it actually was not that bad, so thats a step in the right direction :D


This is awesome! Make sure you taper off slowly because the caffeine headache is NO FRIGGIN' JOKE! I had a low-grade headache for a WEEK after I quit Diet Cokes. Some of it might have been the artifical sweetener but was probably more about the caffeine than anything.

Squeeze a little lemon in your water or a lime to make it interesting. After a week or two you will find that you crave water over anything else :)

[Mister Bent]

<snip>

Now if everyone would post their favorite workout music mixes, that would be great because Janet Jackson's "Feedback" and Petey Pablo's "Raise Up" are getting OLDDDD!

Great idea!

I need to make a new playlist, myself.

[PinkieLee]

Happy Monday everyone!

What a fabulous way to start the day, than to see so many people with weight losses and folks making smarter choices for a healthier lifestyle. I'm telling y'all... that's even more motivation for ME!

For me, it's all about making smarter, healthier choices. If D wants a burger, I drive 15 minutes out of the way to go to Wendy's so I can get one of their salads that I absolutely LOVE (chicken almond berry). She wants ice cream, so I stocked up on the Smart Ones ice cream cups that are only 4 ww points (the cookie dough & brownie ones are the bomb) instead of going to Dairy Queen for a blizzard. We went to see Transformers on Friday night, so instead of the tub of popcorn we opted for the small (which was more than plenty).

Yesterday for lunch, we were both craving sloppy joes. Instead of the hamburger, I used ground turkey. Instead of the big ol' buns, we used the honey wheat sandwich thins. We each had a cup of Baked Cheetos (my favorite) and fresh fruit for dessert.

I know ultimately it's up to me to succeed on this journey. I can no longer blame friends/partners for encouraging my bad eating habits. I freakin' control what I put in my mouth... no one else.

I just wanted to say keep up the GOOD WORK y'all! We can do this!!!

[Medusa]

Ok Pinkie - Help a girl out! I am SCARED of ground turkey. Does it have a funky taste? How's the texture?

That is next on my list of things to convert in our diet because we were eating WAY too much red meat. I have several recipes that look like they might be good with ground turkey but I've been scared to take the plunge for imaginging that it will taste FUNKAYYY!

[PinkieLee]

Ok Pinkie - Help a girl out! I am SCARED of ground turkey. Does it have a funky taste? How's the texture?

That is next on my list of things to convert in our diet because we were eating WAY too much red meat. I have several recipes that look like they might be good with ground turkey but I've been scared to take the plunge for imaginging that it will taste FUNKAYYY!

To me, ground turkey tastes almost the same as hamburger. Sometimes, I'll brown onion with it at the same time for a lil' more flavor. It works great in tacos, spaghetti, and chili.

I can tell you, I do NOT like the ground turkey BREAST. Even after browning it for spaghetti, it was still white. It was too dry and had no flavor. Maybe my mind wouldn't get past the way it looked... who knows.

[Nina]

when I am on the treadmill, which I enjoy since I do my nina-power-treadmill, which means I do the incline at 4.5 or 5.5 and the speed is a little under a 20 min. mile (I like to do a 17 min. mile, but there are times I don't make that goal), which I know is slow, but I like the intensity of the higher incline, rather than upping the speed...and I try for several miles, or at least 40 mins...BUT--there was a point, I watch movies on my i-touch...for me, it's much more engaging than music...also, the gym music I had for Years are all on, and remember here I. Am. Old., the music is on tapes!...I miss them, the tapes that is since a wonderful departed friend was a genus at making tapes for people...we all still have them, he made them with each of us in mind, and they are all of them, for all of us, perfect....so, since I can't listen to john's tapes any more, I watch movies...just a thought is all...

(now, if I could figure how to get my beloved dave 'n cody on the touch you'd never see me any where but at the gym, watching them!) :)

[Queerasfck]

Ok Pinkie - Help a girl out! I am SCARED of ground turkey. Does it have a funky taste? How's the texture?

That is next on my list of things to convert in our diet because we were eating WAY too much red meat. I have several recipes that look like they might be good with ground turkey but I've been scared to take the plunge for imaginging that it will taste FUNKAYYY!

To me, ground turkey tastes almost the same as hamburger. Sometimes, I'll brown onion with it at the same time for a lil' more flavor. It works great in tacos, spaghetti, and chili.

I can tell you, I do NOT like the ground turkey BREAST. Even after browning it for spaghetti, it was still white. It was too dry and had no flavor. Maybe my mind wouldn't get past the way it looked... who knows.

We eat a lot of ground turkey and I agree with Pinkie, after awhile it tastes just like hamburger to me (well, almost!). We don't eat a lot of red meat at all anymore. If you do take the plunge and buy ground turkey Medusa, I have a few tips for you. I like a turkey burger on the grill. So we buy ground turkey and mix it with somethings to spice it up before I throw them on the grill. I have used combos of the following: salt and pepper, or seasoned salt, granulated garlic, Worcestershire or like an A1 steak sauce, chopped green onions, or my personal fave diced red onions, even fresh herbs (whatever you like). This stuff adds zero fat and zero or maybe one point to your food (if you're doing WWs) but adds great flavor. I have also added an egg and bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese to make meatballs but now that I'm on WWs I don't. Very tasty! Really, ground turkey is a great addition to those of you who want to get away from red meat. I get the 93/7, that's some very lean meat folks. And there's really little or no fat to drain off!


It would be great if we could share some new music ideas! I have two ipods and I am burnt on all my music these days! I'm open to almost everything and will come back and post my some faves later. I'd love to hear about everyone's ideas for good work out music. Thanks for sharing and reading everyone!

Back to the salt mines!



:koolaid:

[turasultana]

I'm doing Weight watcher's at work. Today was the first weigh-in day and (for two weeks since last week was a holiday monday) - down 4.2lbs. Not bad considering I ate chocolate every day and mcdonald's yesterday (yes I counted the points).

Need to cook more but it's a good start.

[Rockinonahigh]

Today is Monday..Yes, I worked out.At the moment my body is cusin me big time for the two hours I put in at the gym.After 30 minits on the cross trainer then another 20 on the epilitical I should have been dead..but I went upstairs to the weight room wich is my curse in life cause if I dont go there I dont feel ive done a work out.After mega amount of ab crinches,leg presses with 140pounds,then the weigh bar thingy and then the squats with 125 pounds in the bar plus various other things I did a fue of hear and there..I quit for the day.tomorrow is a work day I prolly will be crawling but I will be there.Today was the day to go for broke or stay home day.If I have any good sence tomorrow I should go swiming but I will have tp stop by the weight room to do what I didnt do today.Yeah I know im a gluton for pinishment and pain..it takes me to a zen place after a while...really it dose.

[Medusa]

If anyone in here has purchased a "shake-weight", I miiiiight reserve the right to make fun of you :)

Seriously, anyone wanna talk about their exercise routine? Do you bike or walk? Lift weights? A combo of everything? What has gotten you the best results?

[Medusa]

p.s. Im about to head over to the Farmer's Market. I'll post back what I pick up! :)

[JustJo]

Just did 15 minutes on the Mobia...working my way up to 30 minutes....and drank a whole bottle of water while I was at it. :cheer:

Dripping sweat...and now headed to the shower.

[PinkieLee]

If anyone in here has purchased a "shake-weight", I miiiiight reserve the right to make fun of you :)

Seriously, anyone wanna talk about their exercise routine? Do you bike or walk? Lift weights? A combo of everything? What has gotten you the best results?

No shake weight here ;)

We've been walking/short distance jogging at the local park a couple of nights of week. We have gym memberships, too... but for some reason I cannot get into working out there. When she does convince me to go, I usally do about 15 - 20 minutes on the eliptical (when I started, I could only do about 5 minutes before my legs gave out). Then we switch it up and do the arm & leg weights. I cannot do the treadmill for very long, because it feels like I'm pounding on the damn thing and my knees kill me!

Years ago when I lost quite a bit of weight, I did it doing Richard Simmons tapes. Laugh all you want folks, but that crazy man helped get my ass moving! At first I was like, oh this is gonna be easy. The warm up started... not to bad. But then his sequin tank top ass jumped into high gear! Over the course of 6 months, I lost about 65 pounds! I bought about 6 different tapes and used one 30 minute tape a day. I actually gifted them to a friend on the site that was wanting to start an exercise regime... I hope that she's enjoying them.

Crazy thing... when the Wii Fit first came out, my honey was like we HAVE to get this. Well, over 2 years later the damn thing is stillll in the box, never been used. I really think it's about time, don't you?!

Lately, I've been thinking about walking early in the morning, like 530ish... but D isn't very comfortable about me walking alone in the park at dark. She is soooo not a morning person, so the idea of her coming with me before work is a hell to the no! A friend of mine says that she likes to work out in the morning, because by the time she gets off work the last thing she wants to do is exercise.

Exercise.... what motivates you to just do it?!

[nycfem]

Seriously, anyone wanna talk about their exercise routine? Do you bike or walk? Lift weights? A combo of everything? What has gotten you the best results?

For the past 1.5 years, I have kept up with averaging 4 hours per week minimum of exercise. That's my requirement for myself! I keep a calendar just for exercise, and I put a sticker for every 30 minutes of exercise. Thus if I have a week where I don't exercise at all, then I have to exercise over 4 hours until I get back to averaging 4 hours! It helps so much to have this system because I can't lie to myself!

I love exercising! I know a lot of people don't but as someone who has struggled with depression and anxiety, the endorphin rush and overall calmly energizing effect it has on me is not to be beat! If I have the time, I will exercise straight for three or four hours. It's not true that full-figured people can't rock the gym. It just takes time and practice.

I have a few favorite exercises. I love to use a recumbent bike and to lift 3 lb weights the whole time while I do it. For anyone who has knee problems (me) or is full-figured and is thus at risk for knee stress, a wonderful way to achieve a high heart rate is too lessen the level on the bike (thus putting less pressure on your knees) while lifting simultaneous with riding. I do this for 1 to 2 hours at a time (with a bottle of water at my side).

I love to swim and usually swim laps for an hour, sometimes two. It's fun to do after biking. I have had problems in the past with sinus infections and figured out all kinds of great ways to avoid them should anyone ever need to know. Swimming is very meditative and anonymous, and really nothing compares to it for me. It is the exercise that is least injurious to the body, particularly the knees.

I love to do thirty minute sessions on the floor where I do sit-ups and stretches. I do this after doing my cardio. It is very relaxing and the stretching helps prevent injuries.

Since I exercise at a gym, one of the most helpful things I've found is to spend a lot of time watching other people exercise. I always learn something new to try.

We do have a bike at home that BB uses but I like to exercise at the gym. I love having a clear separation from home, where I generally do my art, and the gym, where I work out. The gym feels like a church to me. I feel that it is my time to be in touch with my body and not think about all my worries. I also find that I eat better when going to the gym because I'm more in tune with my body.

Usually when I go on a binge or a period of insomnia, my eating and exercise go out the window together. That happens for about a week total every month (actually 6.5 days, as I've been tracking the average number of days per month for six months). If I could lessen these breakdowns, then I'd be able to go from maintaining my weight to losing weight. Sometimes I just get so stressed that I completely break down in an unhealthy way. Life is rough that way, but I'm gonna keep trying and not be too hard on myself either!

[Sparkle]

Seriously, anyone wanna talk about their exercise routine? Do you bike or walk? Lift weights? A combo of everything? What has gotten you the best results?

At the moment I can't afford a gym membership so I've gotten creative with finding aerobic and strength training exercises I can do at/near home.

Dog walks - 3x a day. Good for him, good for me.
15minutes in the morning, 15minutes before bed, and somewhere between 30-60minutes in the late afternoon/early evening (depending on my work schedule). The longer walks are no less than 4x a week. It can be challenging to get an aerobic walking pace going with a dog, but I've been training Cosmo to keep pace on our longer walks. I'm fortunate to have miles and miles of bike path running right outside of my back garden. On average we do 2-4miles at a rate of 4-4.25mph

Hula Hoop!
It makes me laugh and its great aerobic exercise when you can sustain it. I hula-hoop 20-30min.

Balance Ball
I love the balance ball because I can do core strengthening exercises without straining/harming my neck.
The balance ball takes a little bit of time to find your center of gravity on - but once you do, it is fantastic. I rarely do floor/mat exercises without it. Here is a page I have bookmarked because it has some great core strengthening exercises with the balance ball.
http://www.ehow.com/video_7524692_stability-ball-exercises-abs.html

Pilates
For core strength. Pilates are hard-core, though you might not think it from observing. Small, controlled exercise in repetition that target the core. There are a lot of pilates programmes on on-demand type channels. Though I recommend starting out with a class or two so that an instructor can correct you position, so that you get a truly effective work out. Taking a pilates class is also GREAT for people with injuries to the neck or back because all of the exercises can be adjusted to suit your needs.

Couch25k
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
I hate running, but I am trying this because running would be the most time efficient and cost effective aerobic workout I could do. I still dislike running, but this programme does allow you to slowly increase your endurance.

Swimming
I love love love the water so this time of year is great for me.
An all-over body work out that you can do at your own pace, with very little stress on your body.

[Medusa]

Ok folks! Just got back from the Farmer's Market!

Here's what I got:

a huge ripe cantelope - $1.50
a huge sack of red new potatoes - $3.00
green bell peppers - 5/$1
purple onions - 3/$1
a pound of strawberries - $2
a pound of peaches - $2
a jar of salsa that I will probably give to someone here at work - $5

And it was ALL organic!


There weren't too many people there today because it's like 150 degrees outside but the lady at one of the booths who I fell in love with said that if I come at 8am I can get pretty much any fruit or vegetable you can imagine.

DEFINITELY going back on Thursday. I love the idea of buying local and also, many of the vendors are elderly so I kinda love handing over my dollars to those wrinkled palms rather than Wal-Mart or the grocery store.

WEE!

[jelli]

I'm not sure if this is the only thread talking about WW tips, recipes, encouragement, but if so I'd like to jump in. :cheer:

[PinkieLee]

I'm not sure if this is the only thread talking about WW tips, recipes, encouragement, but if so I'd like to jump in. :cheer:

Jump on in jelli! A few of us here are on WW and others are on other plans designed for their needs. We have one common goal ~ a healthier lifestyle with healthy weight loss & motivating eachother to keep up the good work. No fads, no magic wand... just good ol' diet & exercise!

[PinkieLee]

Last night while working my 2nd job, one of the girls brought in a big ol' bag of chips, salsa & queso dip. OMG... my freakin' weakness! It took everything in my power to say NO. I texted D when I was about to cave in, and she sent back, "THINK SKINNY"! I got home and she had popped us a bag of 94% fat free popcorn and said it was "popcorn date time". That little bit of encouragement kept me on track today.

Living in Texas, we have some of the best Mexican food around... and honestly, I crave it constantly. I even got on the WW website before lunch to use the Mexican food cheat sheet, trying to convince myself that I could eat within a certain point range. I KNEW better... chips & salsa are my crack ~ no lie!

I'm telling y'all... I felt like I was in full blown addiction mode.

I got in my car, drove up to Wendy's and ordered one of my favorite salads (chicken cobb), ate my lunch in peace & quiet, and gave myself a pat on the back for making a smarter choice.

Tonya - 1
Temptation - 0

[jelli]

Feelin' Shakie!

http://www.hungry-girl.com/uploads/section_image/471/HGsDreamsicleShiver_web.jpg

"Knock, knock! Who's there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you craving a creamy new concoction that combines orange and vanilla? This new sipper is AMAZING! Grab a straw, people."

Ingredients:
2 tsp. fat-free nondairy powdered creamer (like the kind by Coffee-mate)
1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda or Truvia)
1 cup Trop50 No Pulp orange juice beverage
1/2 cup fat-free vanilla ice cream
1 1/2 cups crushed ice or 8 - 12 ice cubes

Directions:
In a tall glass, combine powdered creamer and sweetener with 2 tbsp. very hot water; stir to dissolve. Add Trop50 and mix well.

Transfer contents of the glass to a blender. Add all remaining ingredients and blend at high speed until thoroughly mixed. If needed, remove blender from the base, stir mixture, and blend again.

Pour into the glass, stick a straw in it, and slurp away!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Serving Size: entire recipe (about 16 oz.)
Calories: 164
Fat: <0.5g
Sodium: 65mg
Carbs: 38g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 20g
Protein: 3g

PointsPlus® value 4*

[jelli]

HG's Ultimate Movie-Viewing Snack Mix

http://www.hungry-girl.com/uploads/Image/HGsUltimateMovie-ViewingSnackMix_web.png

PER SERVING (1/4th of recipe, about 2 1/2 cups): 187 calories, 3.5g fat, 235mg sodium, 35g carbs, 3g fiber, 14g sugars, 3g protein -- PointsPlus® value 5*

Wanna snack on something large, sweet, AND salty!? Smuggle in a serving of this stuff...

Ingredients:
1 standard-sized bag 94% fat-free butter-flavored microwave popcorn
2 1/2 tbsp. peanut butter chips (found in the baking aisle)
1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 cups Chocolate Cheerios (or another low-fat chocolatey cereal with about 130 calories per cup)

Directions:
Cook popcorn according to package directions. Meanwhile, place peanut butter chips into a small sealable plastic bag; using a meat mallet or another heavy utensil, finely crush chips through the bag.

Once popcorn is just cool enough to handle, measure 8 cups and place in a large microwave-safe bowl, discarding any unpopped kernels. (Save the rest of the popcorn for another time.) Evenly sprinkle crushed peanut butter chips, brown sugar, and cinnamon over the popcorn.

Microwave for 30 seconds, or until the crushed peanut butter chips have partially melted.

Gently but thoroughly mix contents of the bowl to evenly distribute the toppings. Add chocolate cereal and mix well.

Serve it up (or pack it into sealable bags) and enjoy!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

[jelli]

http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/1033/dynamic/foodandrecipes/2008/11/hambeanwraps_n_lg.jpg

PointsPlus™ Value: 7
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 18 min
Cooking Time: 6 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients


1 spray(s) cooking spray
1 cup(s) cooked lean ham, diced
1 cup(s) canned refried black beans
1 cup(s) canned black beans, rinsed and drained

4 medium whole wheat tortilla(s), warmed

1/2 cup(s) fat-free black bean dip

2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped

1/4 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, or low-fat shredded Monterey Jack
2 medium scallion(s), chopped
Instructions

Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over high heat. Add ham; sauté until browned and crispy on edges, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in both beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 3 minutes.

Place a tortilla on a dinner plate and spread with 2 tablespoons of dip; top with 1/2 cup of bean mixture, 1/2 tablespoon of cilantro, 1 tablespoon of cheese and 1/4 of scallions. Fold in sides of tortilla and roll up; repeat with remaining ingredients. Yields 1 wrap per serving.

[Medusa]

Last night while working my 2nd job, one of the girls brought in a big ol' bag of chips, salsa & queso dip. OMG... my freakin' weakness! It took everything in my power to say NO. I texted D when I was about to cave in, and she sent back, "THINK SKINNY"! I got home and she had popped us a bag of 94% fat free popcorn and said it was "popcorn date time". That little bit of encouragement kept me on track today.

Living in Texas, we have some of the best Mexican food around... and honestly, I crave it constantly. I even got on the WW website before lunch to use the Mexican food cheat sheet, trying to convince myself that I could eat within a certain point range. I KNEW better... chips & salsa are my crack ~ no lie!

I'm telling y'all... I felt like I was in full blown addiction mode.

I got in my car, drove up to Wendy's and ordered one of my favorite salads (chicken cobb), ate my lunch in peace & quiet, and gave myself a pat on the back for making a smarter choice.

Tonya - 1
Temptation - 0


Tonyaboo - This is such a good thing that you recognized your weak spot and asked for encourgement. I love me some chips and salsa and get the desire for the crunchy/spicy goodness.

I think there are a lot of salsas available that are actually pretty low in calories or you could make one at home with the basics. The chip part would be the hard one but maybe some baked chips or a few Rye Crisps would do it?

To satiate my Mexican food craving, I have done a "taco salad" with lettuce, black beans, a few sprinkles of corn, salsa, cilantro, onion, and baked chicken. It REALLY satisfies. :)

[jelli]

http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/1033/dynamic/foodandrecipes/2003/03/31/31_blackbeansalsa_lg.jpg

PointsPlus™ Value: 3
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 21 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Sure, you can buy salsa in a jar, but our homemade variety is bursting with the flavors of juicy tomatoes, crisp red onions and freshly chopped cilantro.
Ingredients
19 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
14 1/2 oz canned crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted, drained
2 medium tomato(es), chopped
1/2 cup(s) red onion(s), chopped
1/4 cup(s) cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp table salt
8 medium tortilla, flour, fat-free
1 spray(s) cooking spray, or enough to coat tortillas
2 tsp chili powder
Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a medium bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, onion, cilantro and salt; set aside. (Note: If you cannot find fire-roasted tomatoes, substitute any type of canned crushed tomatoes, with or without additional flavors.)

Slice tortillas into 8 triangles each. Place on 2 nonstick baking sheets and lightly coat with cooking spray; sprinkle with chili powder. Bake until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Yields 8 chips and about 1/2 cup of salsa per serving.

[Rockinonahigh]

Ok salsa lovers I got this to say,make it at home.as some of you know in on the low carb diet so I watch the carbs and usely can keep them at 50 to 75 a day with something like 1200 calories or less.If you make salsa at home it has very little carbs cause its made of veggies,to season it use sea salt or light salt..I think I saw some light sea salt at the store but I didnt check it out.Any way,for chips use pork skins they have lots of crunch together they taste really good.If you ever need to use something to replace sugar I use splenda,it taste the same,I can use it to cook with and all is well.The thing that makes store bought salsa so bad to eat for us trying to lose weight is they use all kinds of preservativers and inhansers that have lots of calories.Since I have been watching carbs I have felt better as each day has gone by.I didnt start on the Adkins diet plan where you start with no carbs at all but am following the diabetic food plan wich at first I thought was going to be hard,in a way it is only cause I do miss the sweet stuff I use to like

[Rockinonahigh]

Today I managed 8 laps of the pool,when I started I couldnt do but 3 or four so I am improveing,I am not much of a swimer but I try as best I can.I didnt do anything else to day cause its suposed to be my easy day but I just feel I need to do something more..so when I cools off some tonight im going to walk up the block and back its a little more than a half mile but will have to do.This afternoon when I was leaveing I was ask by the desk person why I go to the weight room nearly every day,I told her I need to build up the muscels cause I didnt want the weight im loseing to end up being hanging fat that I have seen happen to so many when they lose a large amount of weight...by time I get to 200 I would have lost 103pounds..and as I have 54 more to go I go to the weight room as much as I feel nessary.Her reply was..but u will turn into a muscel bound weight lifter..women arent supose to look that way..I told her I didnt have time to educate her on my reason as I wasnt a teacher nor did care to be.She looked so clueless its not funny..maybe oneday a light will blink on in her head.

[Medusa]

Rockin - When I did Atkins, I would often eat salsa on pork rinds in my desperation to have something crunchy :)

[Rockinonahigh]

Rockin - When I did Atkins, I would often eat salsa on pork rinds in my desperation to have something crunchy :)

I got ya on wanting something crunchy,I thought missing sweets and fruit would be the thing I missed most but it was wanting crunchy stuff,You should try them with peanut butter..yumm.They r good as a subsitute for crutons for soups and salads.

[nycfem]

It's funny that you mentioned rye crisps because that's exactly what I use. "Finn Crisp Original" is my favorite kind: tasty, not high in sodium, and pure whole grain. I melt a little organic mozzarella on top and dip it in a spicy green salsa so that I drink a lot of water with it to fill myself up. It's one of my favorite snacks!

Tonyaboo - This is such a good thing that you recognized your weak spot and asked for encourgement. I love me some chips and salsa and get the desire for the crunchy/spicy goodness.

I think there are a lot of salsas available that are actually pretty low in calories or you could make one at home with the basics. The chip part would be the hard one but maybe some baked chips or a few Rye Crisps would do it?

To satiate my Mexican food craving, I have done a "taco salad" with lettuce, black beans, a few sprinkles of corn, salsa, cilantro, onion, and baked chicken. It REALLY satisfies. :)

[Rockinonahigh]

First off I want to thank the person who high lighted some words in a post I made a bit ago,it really is a lot of reinforcement to keep on with what im doing.Again tks a bunch.
A fue moments ago I gess I got a taste of reverse parenting,yes u know when the kid who is 38 give u the over the glasses look I use to give him when I wasnt happy about something.Not that it did him any good to do that..well I was out in 95 degree heet doing a mini work out on the patio after I got back from my walk.I mean the stuff looked lonley from me not using it so much..sooo I did 60 bench presses,75 quick steps on the stepper,then rode my exersise bike for a hard 10 minits then cooled dowm just walking around shooting hoops.I told him that he is doing the same thing I did at his age when I put on the first fue pounds right in the old bread basket.I also sugested he start doing a fue things to keep it in check now rather than later..or end up doing something about it at 65 on the edge of diabeties wich he has a huge chanch of geting cause his dad has it and so dose his brother.Then I came in to refill my water jug.

[little_ms_sunshyne]

Tonite we are definitely back on track...

For dinner Skinny Sloppy Joes w/apple string fries (actually yummy)

Dessert: lowfat Strawberry Squares ( they tasted like sugar cookies with strawberry filling...yummola!)

The meal kept us on calorie budget! If there is one thing I have learned about myself is that I have to have dessert to keep me from cheating. So I am always searching for new recipes to keep that sweet tooth in Check :)

Keep it up everyone! I made it through Tuesday!

Pinkie~ way to go on beating temptation!!!!

[nycfem]

Can you say more, both about Skinny Sloppy Joes and about apple string fries? All of this sounds delicious!

Tonite we are definitely back on track...

For dinner Skinny Sloppy Joes w/apple string fries (actually yummy)

Dessert: lowfat Strawberry Squares ( they tasted like sugar cookies with strawberry filling...yummola!)

The meal kept us on calorie budget! If there is one thing I have learned about myself is that I have to have dessert to keep me from cheating. So I am always searching for new recipes to keep that sweet tooth in Check :)

Keep it up everyone! I made it through Tuesday!

Pinkie~ way to go on beating temptation!!!!

[little_ms_sunshyne]

lol I am telling you I swear by Gina's Skinny Recipes! They are awesome and make healthy eating bearable!

Recipe for Strawberry Squares:
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/11/strawberry-squares.html


Recipe for Sloppy Joes:
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/10/skinny-sloppy-joes.html

For the straws: we bought these made. You can have Veggie Straws which taste like potato chips or Apple straws. 38 straws have about 130 calories. I dont eat 38 but they make a nice chip substitute. Bought them at Wal-Mart


I have also made her no-bake cheesecake, chicken cordon bleu, lasagna rolls, santafe crockpot chicken, and chicken parm. All really great!

The site was created to give people great Weight Watchers recipes that do not compromise the taste. Check it out and let me know what you think. Points and calorie information included for each recipe :)

[Queerasfck]

Seriously, anyone wanna talk about their exercise routine? Do you bike or walk? Lift weights? A combo of everything? What has gotten you the best results?
My exercise routine consists of work outs at the gym mostly. I go super early. I am usually there by 4:45 a.m. Monday-Friday and then sometimes on the weekend, later of course. I do weights first, usually targeting a specific area of the body depending on the day of the week. I do my lifting for about 30 minutes. Then I do cardio. I like to do three miles on the elliptical trainer but sometimes I'll just get on the treadmill and try jog. I'm not as young as I used to be and knees can get a little cranky. I think it will really help as I drop more weight too. Today just to change it up I only did two miles on the elliptical and then hit the Stair Climber for a mile. It almost killed me!

Besides helping with my weight I have always relied on exercise to help with depression. I think it helps my mood. It gives me time to think about things, I tend to zone out on cardio. And I definitely like that buzz I get afterwards.

[Nina]

I've lost 5 more pounds...I was sitting in the car, talking and watching the bay, and I had my legs crossed under the steering wheel...might not sound like much to some people...to me it was fun...I remember when I couldn't comfortably cross my legs...and then when I could, and now as I get smaller I can do it in more confined spaces and make myself smaller in many ways...

it feels good, and I like it and it also feels weird and it scares me...I know that the smaller I get, the more visible I am and that is challenging and complicated for me...

I want to be healthier, and I am in many ways...and, on a purely superficial level, I want to wear way cuter dresses...I am the junking queen and I sigh a little sigh of heartbreak when I come across the sweetest dress, at the best price, and I can't wear it...

I am going to do better with eating protein and eating on time than I have been...that will save me from the crazy eating events, and I will feel much more human...

thanks for all you say and do and share...I find this thread to be inspirational and love how folks are kind to each other...

[Medusa]

Besides helping with my weight I have always relied on exercise to help with depression. I think it helps my mood. It gives me time to think about things, I tend to zone out on cardio. And I definitely like that buzz I get afterwards.



THIS! A thousand times THIS!

So, I've only been exercising for about a month. Mostly treadmill but I have also used Wii fit and some bellydancing dvds I have had for years. (bellydancing is NO JOKE :|) and have noticed a HUGE upswing in my level of energy. Tonight especially I am bouncing around the house looking for things to clean and after working all day, this is a pretty noticeable difference.

The other thing I have noticed for me is that I crave the "unplugged" time of my treadmill. I usually stick the earbuds in and crank my iPod up pretty loud and I am totally unplugged from people for 20-30 minutes. It's a nice break from the cell phone and internet and I get to think pretty much uninterrupted for that time. It's a nice recharge and I feel calmer and less stressed at the end of my routine.

[JustJo]

thanks for all you say and do and share...I find this thread to be inspirational and love how folks are kind to each other...

Just wanted to second this...when I started this thread it was because I was hoping for a place to share hints and tips and be supportive with each other about losing weight in a healthy way....and I really love what this space has turned into for all of us.

I love to come in here and read about your victories (large and small), to get some good ideas (definitely going to check out that website sunshyne!), and to share my progress or lack thereof and know that everyone here is understanding and supportive.

Bravo, and thank you, to all of you!

[JustJo]

Today is a rough one...

I got on the Mobia with plans to do 15 minutes again, but only made it to 10 even though I was drinking water and focusing on my breathing. Just having one of my "tired" days that comes with the diabetes. I keep telling myself that 10 minutes is better than 0 minutes....and, if I feel like I can, I'll try for a little more time later.

Back on FitDay too....tracking what I eat. It works when I work it...it's just challenging to be that disciplined when the emotional eating kicks in.

So far, for today only....I'm on track. :)

[Medusa]

Keep your head up, Jo. I had one of those nights the other night with one of those icy-crushed-glass headahces and felt likie doo-doo most of the night and couldnt make myself get on the treatmill.
I made it up last night and had a good workout.

We're all going to have days where we are feeling yucky or just unmotivated. The key is that we recognize it's one day in a long line of many. Don't be discouraged! You can get back on that horse tomorrow and work it out. :):hangloose:

[little_ms_sunshyne]

Today is a rough one...

I got on the Mobia with plans to do 15 minutes again, but only made it to 10 even though I was drinking water and focusing on my breathing. Just having one of my "tired" days that comes with the diabetes. I keep telling myself that 10 minutes is better than 0 minutes....and, if I feel like I can, I'll try for a little more time later.

Back on FitDay too....tracking what I eat. It works when I work it...it's just challenging to be that disciplined when the emotional eating kicks in.

So far, for today only....I'm on track. :)

Agreeing with Medusa...Dont let this get you down. Remember, we are going for a lifestyle change and with a regular healthy lifestyle comes our off days. We are only human! You've got this! Hang in there!!!

[PinkieLee]

(((((JO))))))))) honey, please don't beat yourself up. We are all human and are gonna have those kind of days. At least you are able to recognize those emotional eating days, and are able to put yourself in check. Keep up the amazing work... you are right, 10 minutes is better than 0 minutes anyday!

I was poking around on the WW community blogs today, and I found a lady that came up with a WW Bill of Rights. It's a nice reminder of staying focused on the greater good and the outcomes from our healthier choices.

#1
We remain positive and support each other in doing so.

#2
We realize weight loss is not linear and it takes time, patience, and perseverance.

#3
We vow to track what we eat.

#4
If we falter on our plan, we will not beat ourselves up; rather, we will make a note of why we needed to eat and begin again.

#5
We will make movement a significant part of our lives, planned and unplanned. We will use the stairs instead of the elevator, when we can, for example.

#6
We will celebrate every victory and give ourselves credit for every positive step we take.

#7
We will eliminate the words: can’t, failure, ugly, self-hatred, should, but, and bad.

#8
We know there is no secret to losing weight; just good hard work and plenty of support.

#9
We take comfort in knowing we are not alone in this struggle, and we ask for help when we need it.

#10
We do not deprive ourselves, we build favorite treats into our program

[Rockinonahigh]

The one thing that has bothered me im my efforts to lose weight has been that over time I have moments I get to wanting to eat more than my ammount of carbs says I am suposed to.Not that im eating the wrong foods just I need more of what im eating,with me working out nearly everyday with as much getup and go as I can muster after a while eating salads with baked this and that as well as so many veggies its just not enough.Like today,unfourtunatly I got sick at work on something one of the clients made and brought to the staff..no one else did just me..im not talking about just an upset tummy im saying near food poisioning.I barely made it thrue my shift then went home and tryed not to die with it all.At dinner I had some cottge cheese with some peach juice,ice water( I have been drinking water like crazy)a fue crackers.I know im gonna get one of those foodbinges comeing..I feel as empty as a barrel.I ate half a sammie,some cheese and crackers with a diet coke..first one in days.Im ok for the moment..but I see/feel it comeing.Tomorrow im going to the gym early and do my best to take this out on one machine or the other or in the weight room.

[Medusa]

Small victory tonight at Outback Steakhouse:

After my tiny steak portion (no salt!) and broccoli and salad, I was realllly craving some cheesecake but chose to wait it out until I got home and am now enjoying one of these:

MUCH fewer calories and still pretty yummy:

http://www.bluebell.com/images/Press-Release-Strawberry-Fruit-Bars.jpg

[little_ms_sunshyne]

Stayed on track today and feeling great!

Dinner tonite: Baked lemon & garlic tilapia on a small serving of four cheese rice :)
Dessert: TCBY yogurt...a kids cup serving. (still in calorie budget)

I have to say that getting back on track since my trip home has been hard! I came back feeling sluggish with no energy. Today, much better. Feeling like myself!

[Zimmeh]

I have been power walking when I get the chance since I spent the last few days unpacking from moving last Friday. I have been reading my Prevention magazine and I just had a cup of blueberry Greek Yogurt for breakfast. I am going power walking when I get home tonight.

Have a great day,

Zimmy

[JustJo]

In keeping with the "baby steps"...

I'm working from home and, instead of sitting on my office chair, I'm on a big exercise ball. I've had it for ages, been meaning to use it...and just haven't. So, instead of just sitting....I'm moving...at least a little bit. :)

[Medusa]

Jo - Oh, the office chair! How I can relate.

I am in an office chair 8 - 12 hours a day (either at work or a combo of work and Planet stuff at home) and often feel by butt going to sleep because it's just getting pancaked flat in this chair.

One of the things I have been doing is putting my laptop on a tall shelf at the office or on the bar at home and standing part of the time. This allows me to do modified leg lifts while reading or typing and it definitely keeps my behind in better form. :)

In other news, EXERCISE REALLY DOES WORK. I have worked out more this week than I have in a while and pushed my intensity way up and when I sneaked a peak at the scales this morning, I was down another 5 pounds.
I know I wont always have weeks with big losses like that but Im definitely celebrating it when it happens. Once my weight loss slows down (and it will!) I will probably only weigh in every 2 weeks instead of every week.

[PinkieLee]

Good morning everyone!

WOOHOOO I sure do love logging on here and seeing so many small victories every single day! Congrats everyone on the weight loss, exercise goals and healthier choices!! Y'all motivate me more than you know!!

Well, last night durrrrrrrr & whimsicalgirl came over for dinner. I made pasta, but had two different kinds of salads (light ceaser & a garden salad with lots of veggies), and dessert was a pudding pie (made with reduced fat graham crackers, sugar free pudding & light Cool Whip). I sent the leftover pie home with durrrrrrrr and brought most of the leftover pasta to my boss today! It was nice to be able to enjoy a dinner with friends but still know that I was making healthier choices.

Today was my weekely weigh in and I lost 3 more pounds!

[turasultana]

I REALLY want a toasted bagel with salmon cream cheese. But instead I had Kashi heart to heart with skim milk.

much less points. (not even sure how much the bagel w/cc would be) but I still want the bagel dammit.

just venting.

[JustJo]

One of the things I have been doing is putting my laptop on a tall shelf at the office or on the bar at home and standing part of the time. This allows me to do modified leg lifts while reading or typing and it definitely keeps my behind in better form. :)


I love this idea, and bet that our breakfast bar is a decent height for it. :)
Thank you!

[PinkieLee]

I REALLY want a toasted bagel with salmon cream cheese. But instead I had Kashi heart to heart with skim milk.

much less points. (not even sure how much the bagel w/cc would be) but I still want the bagel dammit.

just venting.

I searched on the WW website for your bagel craving...

salmon cream cheese - 2 points
bagel - 4 to 8 points depending on the size of your bagel

To save you some points, you can do the bagel thins. I LOVE them! They are only 3 points.

[Leigh]

I am sad that I can't get onto the website and this thread more often than every couple of days, but even with that being said I am glad that I can use this thread not only as a source of insporation but also as a motivator for Myself when things get tough. I'm so often in a position like Jo; I get frusterated very easily when I'm doing so well and then I have an off day and suddenly its like I just can't seem to get back on track. I drank water yesterday like I've been everyday but it seemed like I put more pop in My body than water, which My goal has been to drink more water and less pepsi. I got mad at Myself yesterday but calmed down long enough to grab a bottle I had and filled it with water knowing that I was still doing better than normal.

I picked up a magazing today that has a plan to walk off weight, and its by Prevention no less! It has things in it like a 14 day meal plan to get started, a plan for all different fitness levels to incorporate walking into your diet, 30+ take-charge tips to weight loss success, healthy recipes and more. I am starting to read it, am going to start the walking tonight and bought a book the other day to track My eating habits and exercise. I want to learn to cook, so I want to cook one thing every week (say on the weekends) just to try new things and also to learn to cook for My family. I also am going to be looking into investing in a treadmill to put in the basement and then I can have one thing to do every day and/or night. I want to someday invest in a Wii system and Kinect so I can get some of those dance and exercise video games as well ~ this all I hope to get by say October.

I'm still also looking into a gym membership but finding a gym for Myself is hard to do, so I'm going to at the very least start the walking and see where that takes Me. I also found that we have two weights here in the house that I never knew about, so I'm going to start using those as well to work out My arms. I'm also going to look into subscribing to Weight Watchers online so that I can use that to lose weight also ~ motivation can be hard for Me, but coming in here keeps Me going so thank you to everyone for sharing your stories and know that I appreciate every single one of you :-)

[PinkieLee]

GOOD FOR YOU Matthew! You have some good ideas, ready to be set into motion. Just remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with that first step. Once you get going, nothing is gonna stop you!

I know that it might seem overwhelming at times when you think, damn I've gotta lose 100 pounds. DO NOT think that way. Start with small goals, & treat them as milestones... say 5 pound increments. It's a lot easier on the mind to recognize those victories in order to stay focused on the long term goal. I give myself little stars for each 5 pounds I lose & for days I exercise at least 30 minutes.

Cooking can be tough... especially when you live with family or friends that do most of the cooking. Not everyone in your household is gonna be interested in changing eating habits, so you are gonna be forced with temptation. My suggestion, go to the store and buy yourself a big ol' bag of pre-made salad & veggies you like. Load up your plate with that FIRST, then add whatever it is that they might have prepared. You'll fill up on the good stuff first! That way, you still get the things that you like that they cook, but in a smaller portion.

Trying new receipes are fun and might be a new way to introduce your family to healthier options. Have your sister help you cook or make it a family adventure. You never know, they might be inspired by your enthusiasm and jump on the healthier living bandwagon.

[turasultana]

I searched on the WW website for your bagel craving...

salmon cream cheese - 2 points
bagel - 4 to 8 points depending on the size of your bagel

To save you some points, you can do the bagel thins. I LOVE them! They are only 3 points.

This would be a NYC bagel so you know it's the 8 point version. And at the deli they pile on the cream cheese so double or triple the 2 points. I could say just a smear, and scoop out the bagel before toasting - but then I sound like my mother...eeek.

But I think i will have one every other friday and just count up the points and use it toward the 49 weekly ones. Otherwise I'll go nuts. I can't give up bagels, i'm a jewish girl in brooklyn, they'll kick me out of the borough.

[Sachita]

This is a good article covering the basics

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/07/02/cherie-calbom-on-juicing-part-1.aspx?np=true

The biggest hurdle for me is always cravings. I am the classic gourmet cooking diva. I use only the best ingredients and even though most is fresh and natural, my weakness is overindulging.

Juicing helps me with cravings, energy and healing. I might consume 3 pounds of veggies a day, all fat free and full of micro nutrients. When I stick with this I always lose faster and feel better. The moment I start cutting corners, eating to many processed foods my weight loss is slower and I get headaches and my sleep isn't as good. So when I look at my life changes and long term goals I need to keep this in mind.

Today I'll cook a steak. I eat red meat now and then and I want it to be perfect. I'll cut it up and eat over several hours. Eating every three hours works for me. It keeps my blood sugar stable too. My juicing sometimes counts as one of those 3 hour meals but not always.

I have a hard time working out. I'm trying to stay active on the farm gardening, walking, bending. I tried doing my gizelle and my ass hurt so bad. I wish I didn't have this block about working out. I can't wrap my head around making time to do something I really don't enjoy. Maybe its all in my head...lol , I need to play more.

I need to find a kayak buddy who likes to fish.

[Kelt]

Howdy all,

Sorry I’ve been absent for a bit; Wow! 4 pages of great posts to catch up on. I see that everyone is making great progress and a normal few setbacks, overall the group is in excellent form. :balloon:

I hit a milestone (not weight related, just hit the half-century mark) and decided to treat myself to a 10 day road trip up through Ca., Or., and Wa. and back. This included a digital sabbatical so I have been reading like crazy to catch up since returning last night.

How this relates to healthy weight loss is that I wanted in part to see how I would do with:

a) No computer tracking of foods, weight, or activities that I usually use.
b) Limited food choices to just what I could pick up along the way and little to no refrigeration. No restaurants allowed, roadside fruit stands and grocery stores only.
c) A couple of days visiting my (remarkably still alive) parents and no real control over what they might feed me.
d) Much less exercise than usual, just some day hikes, and rock scrambling for fun; I did include these things everyday though.

I did take some precautions to give myself a good chance of staying on track. I took along my small food scale and a notepad so that I could at least record what I ate and review it after returning home, naturally:glasses:. I also took along some homemade jerky and dried fruits, as well as nuts to fill in any blanks along the way and avoid stupid decisions out of plain old hunger.

My only real goal, weight related, was to not gain more than a couple of pounds and hopefully just maintain weight with no other pressures and to just enjoy the trip. A great advantage was that I was by myself and did not have to deal with anyone else’s food expectations or temptations.

Well, the results are in and on average my calorie intake and macronutrient balances all stayed within 20% of how I would eat at home, some variation by day, but the overall average was good. And, I seem to have dropped 4.4 lbs. over the 10 days, so I stayed on my normal track in spite of myself and had a great time to boot!

I really want to thank everyone for being here. A good part of what keeps me on course is knowing that I will come back here and let you know how it is going; and both receiving and giving encouragement and hope.

Thank you.

:thumbsup:

[lillith]

I feel off yesterday. I have been having a couple of rough personal days, and I broke down. I ate a Burger King Whopper and fries. I feel like shit for it. Outside of this thread, I don't have much support. My family is addicted to this type of eating. I do all of the cooking, and everyone eats, but if there is a day that I don't feel like cooking, Burger King here we come. Under normal circumstances, I am really good about cooking. I just couldn't find the energy or the want to. I still don't want to...lol, but I know I need to. Sorry for dumping, but I need to own this, and well, seeing it in words, certainly makes me have to own it. Thanks for letting me be here.

[JustJo]

I feel off yesterday. I have been having a couple of rough personal days, and I broke down. I ate a Burger King Whopper and fries. I feel like shit for it. Outside of this thread, I don't have much support. My family is addicted to this type of eating. I do all of the cooking, and everyone eats, but if there is a day that I don't feel like cooking, Burger King here we come. Under normal circumstances, I am really good about cooking. I just couldn't find the energy or the want to. I still don't want to...lol, but I know I need to. Sorry for dumping, but I need to own this, and well, seeing it in words, certainly makes me have to own it. Thanks for letting me be here.

((( lillith ))) ....don't beat yourself up about a bad day. We've all had them (at least I know I have :) )

Sometimes, you just have to say...okay, that sucked. I'll do better...and let it go. :rrose:

[PinkieLee]

I totally agree with Jo, lillith. Please don't beat yourself up too badly about yesterday. We have all been there... there are gonna be good days and bad days. Just remember, today is a new day, a clean slate and an opportunity to begin again. (((HUGS))) I hope that today has been a better day my friend.

[lillith]

((( lillith ))) ....don't beat yourself up about a bad day. We've all had them (at least I know I have :) )

Sometimes, you just have to say...okay, that sucked. I'll do better...and let it go. :rrose:

I totally agree with Jo, lillith. Please don't beat yourself up too badly about yesterday. We have all been there... there are gonna be good days and bad days. Just remember, today is a new day, a clean slate and an opportunity to begin again. (((HUGS))) I hope that today has been a better day my friend.

Awww, thank you, Ladies! Your words of support and encouragement do amazing things. I am sitting here searching for words to express my gratitude, but the only words that I can think to say are thank you! :)

[Rockinonahigh]

Today I rode the exersise bike for 61/2 miles in 19.03 minits,I was sweating big time but the calorie chart says I only burned 123 of those little buggers..felt like more.Then I went to the weight room and cranked out a bunch or reps on several things useing 40 to 50 pounds.The guy that works the weight room says I shouldnt be useing so much weight..I says why not?! He says Well mam, women of your age must becareful.This boy must have a death wish is all im going to say about him.I contenued pumping iron a then tuned him out...he was a good boy and went back to his ipod and desk.THere were other people in there that didnt say a thing,but when I was going to the elevator two of the other people that were in the room gave me a pat on the back then said for me to keep doing what ive been doing....and I will.

[Zimmeh]

I found a sugar free dessert in a cookbook that was given to me.

Enjoy!

What you will need:

3 small boxes of sugar free strawberry jello
2 containers of strawberry fat free yogurt
5 to 6 fresh strawberries <optional>
cool whip <sugar free or low fat>
1 pie shell

Directions:

Boil 3 cups of water, take off stove and mix jello; after it starts to get thick, blend in yogurt< don't add any additional water>. Pour in pie shell, cut the strawberries into pieces and let it cool for a few hours. Put the cool whip on top and if you want, add a few more strawberries on top.

Enjoy,

Zimmy

[Zimmeh]

((Lillith)),

I agree with Jo Jo and Tonya. I suffer from depression and sometimes it is hard for me to go power walking. But I go anyways and I forget the world exists. If you want to start cooking healthier, I have a cookbook from Shape Magazine, which teaches you how to cook better. I like having Lean Cuisine or Weight Watchers TV dinners in my freezer on the days when I don't feel like cooking. If your going to eat at Burger King, just ask for a side salad instead of the fries. Do you have a Chik-Fiil-A near you? They are much better than Burger King.

Have a great night and you have all of us here to help support you..

Zimmy

I feel off yesterday. I have been having a couple of rough personal days, and I broke down. I ate a Burger King Whopper and fries. I feel like shit for it. Outside of this thread, I don't have much support. My family is addicted to this type of eating. I do all of the cooking, and everyone eats, but if there is a day that I don't feel like cooking, Burger King here we come. Under normal circumstances, I am really good about cooking. I just couldn't find the energy or the want to. I still don't want to...lol, but I know I need to. Sorry for dumping, but I need to own this, and well, seeing it in words, certainly makes me have to own it. Thanks for letting me be here.

[Medusa]

Daily Overshare Alert!


Another small victory today: This one wasn't about battle against the food per se, but more about battling against unhealthy thinking patterns.

We had to endure a 4-hour-long session with human resources today at work. It had the potential to be super-stressful and uncomfortable for our team and many of us were wringing our hands about the possible conversations. Our unit administrator decided to order pizza to try to ease tensions. He had said yesterday that they would "provide a healthy lunch" so I didnt pack lunch today and opted for packing just snacks and water.

I kinda freaked out a little in my head when I heard that the healthy lunch was pizza because my head is super black and white about what I can and can not do on my plan for better health. The black and white stuff says I have to go cold turkey off of anything resembling pizza, hamburger, ribs, ice cream, fettucini etc. (the stuff I love!). The real me knows that it is simply not reasonable to go the rest of my life without ever eating another piece of pizza or cup of ice cream so today I turned off the yakking in my head and ate ONE piece of pizza and used my snack cup of cantaloupe as a side item.

I ate that one piece of pizza and did not feel guilty and did not feel shame and THAT is truly a victory for me. The guilt-feelings and shaming stuff usually would have meant I ate the pizza, felt guilty and decided "Fuck it, I've ruined everything and I suck so I might as well cram my face with....you guessed it....MORE PIZZA!". Self-sabotage, front and center.

I refuse to do that ever again. I will not use shame and guilt as an excuse to let unhealthy thoughts take over so that I can sabotage some more. What I WILL do is say to myself "Is eating one piece of pizza reasonable?" When I can answer "Yes, that is reasonable" (taking into consideration that I have eaten a healthy breakfast and had plenty of water), I will proceed with the food (in moderation of course). I plan to walk a little longer tonight, not because I feel like I need to "work off the pizza" but because that's what I think will make me feel balanced.

Woman can not live by salad alone! We also can not live on shame, guilt, or self-sabotage. Sometimes we gotta turn that love-mirror on ourselves and say "A piece of pizza for lunch does not mean the end of a healthy lifestyle!".

Baby steps toward health. Whoomp!

[jelli]

I searched on the WW website for your bagel craving...

salmon cream cheese - 2 points
bagel - 4 to 8 points depending on the size of your bagel

To save you some points, you can do the bagel thins. I LOVE them! They are only 3 points.

I love to have a bagel thin, with a WW cream cheese and a bit of Polaner's all fruit.

Depending on how you like your cream cheese, you can get away with using only half the cream cheese. I mix my cream cheese and Polaner's in a tiny ziploc container use half and save the other half for the next day or share with another family member.

[jelli]

I am a huge fan of wraps. Wraps for any meal or snack. I love the Ole-Extreme Wellness High Fiber Wraps.

http://www.theledvinas.com/Pictures/tortillas.jpg

These can be a little more pricey than a lot of tortilla brands, but worth every penny in my opinion. They don't get hard or mushy. There's no after taste. Whether I am having breakfast on the go, a banana and peanut butter snack, or turkey Caesar, this wrap can get the job done.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 tortilla (45g)

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 22
Calories 71
Total Fat 2g
Saturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 234mg
Total Carbohydrate 17g
Dietary Fiber 12g
Sugars 0g
Protein 8g
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Calcium 6%
Iron 4%

[jelli]

Butterball Deep Fried Turkey Breast - Thanksgiving Style

http://www.butterball.com/system/product_photos/0000/1057/df_thxgvg_zip.JPG?1265987229

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 slice - 28g
Amount per Serving
Calories 30
Calories from Fat 9.0
% Daily Value *

Total Fat 1g
1%
Saturated Fat 0g
0%
Cholesterol 15mg
5%
Sodium 260mg
10%
Total Carbohydrate 1g
0%
Dietary Fiber 0g
0%
Sugars 0g

Protein 5g
10%


http://www.butterball.com/product/thick-sliced-thanksgiving-style-deep-fried-turkey-lunchmeat

I will often times take my wrap, my turkey, load up on veggies, and use 1/2 a serving of Ken's Light Options Caeser Dressing and wa-la!

http://sweetbay.gsnrecipes.com/GetImage.aspx?vector=ol3PtMuP8Tq1zZo3wQJc8uNgRpRqC xtWAZbG+kWHrkke21xRZClo8jdaqitFi03g

[Medusa]

EEK! Seeing that photo above reminded me that I bought a package of whole wheat tortillas last week and completely forgot about them!

I still have some chicken that I grilled the other night so I think tomorrows lunch will be grilled chicken, lettuce, purple onion, cucumber, fat free cheese, and that friggin' AWESOME tomato basil vinaigrette on one of those whole wheat tortillas!

[little_ms_sunshyne]

Soooo, today I think I had a small victory as well. T has been working really hard at work, and I show people I care through food. Working on that as well lol Anyhow, I seasoned some ground beef and we made burgers. However, I eliminated the buns and had small side of potatoes to come to a 500 calorie total for dinner, WHICH, gave me a grand total of 1000 calories today including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 2 snacks!

I can relate to Medusa's pizza post. I usually say "screw it" if I am going to cheat I am going to go nuts with it. But tonite, I eliminated the things that I knew would put me over my daily allowance of calories. Even though it wasnt the greatest choice for dinner, I was able to enjoy a meal with T knowing that I made some "healthier" choices. :)

Tomorrow a new day! Wish me luck! We leave for South Dakota tomorrow night and I am dreading "vacation food"...I can do this..I can do this!!!!!

[Medusa]

Ohhhhhhh hell.

So Jack has a serious snack addiction and loves to munch on snacks after dinner pretty much until we go to bed. This often has her rooting through the kitchen for cookies, chips, nuts, etc.

Tonight, she got out the trusty yellow popcorn bowl and was in the kitchen popping some popcorn. Imagine my surprise when she sad a small bowl down at the dining room table for me and said, "I'm about to dump a ton of butter on mine and wanted you to have the low-calorie scoop before I ruin the rest of the bag". Im like "LOW CALORIE? It CANT be if it's KETTLE CORN!"

"Read the bag", she says.
Sure enough, I checked the nutritional panel and this popcorn (Act II Buttery Kettle Corn) only has 30 CALORIES per popped cup and it tastes amazing.

I had it in my head that it must be terrible since it's kettle corn but they apparently used sucralose as the sweetener! GREAT snack!

[jelli]

Crystal Light Sugar-Free Drink Mix + Fat-Free Plain Greek Yogurt


PER SERVING (half an On-The-Go packet + 6 oz. yogurt): 105 calories, 0g fat, 80mg sodium, 7g carbs, 0g fiber, 6g sugars, 18g protein -- PointsPlus® value 2*

OMG. Why didn't we think of this sooner?! Just mix a serving of the powdered drink mix (about 1/2 tsp.) into a 6-oz. cup of the yogurt (Fage ROCKS!), and mix, mix, mix. (Then mix some more.) Once the color is uniform, spoon away!

[JustJo]

Loving all this good information :)

And amen to the portion thing...I'm one that normally would say "I can't have *insert favorite food here*" and then get depressed, and then eat tons of that same food, beat myself up and (you know the rest of the cycle).

It makes such a difference when I say, yes...I can have that food and simply watch the amount.

Scoote and I went to the movies the other night. Instead of eating the movie popcorn loaded in butter and a diet coke (both not great choices), I smuggled in (yes, I admit it :) ) a Sobe Life Water and a sandwich size zip lock bag of Smart Food cheese popcorn. At that size, it was only about 130 calories.

Not only did I get to enjoy a little snack at the movie, but I didn't feel guilty (or sick to my stomach) when we left.

[Thinker]

Weigh-in after 10 weeks: Dropped 1.2 from last week for a total of 15 pounds. Belly measurement is down a total of 3 inches.

Nine pounds away from goal weight.

[Queerasfck]

Daily Overshare Alert!


Another small victory today: This one wasn't about battle against the food per se, but more about battling against unhealthy thinking patterns.

We had to endure a 4-hour-long session with human resources today at work. It had the potential to be super-stressful and uncomfortable for our team and many of us were wringing our hands about the possible conversations. Our unit administrator decided to order pizza to try to ease tensions. He had said yesterday that they would "provide a healthy lunch" so I didnt pack lunch today and opted for packing just snacks and water.

I kinda freaked out a little in my head when I heard that the healthy lunch was pizza because my head is super black and white about what I can and can not do on my plan for better health. The black and white stuff says I have to go cold turkey off of anything resembling pizza, hamburger, ribs, ice cream, fettucini etc. (the stuff I love!). The real me knows that it is simply not reasonable to go the rest of my life without ever eating another piece of pizza or cup of ice cream so today I turned off the yakking in my head and ate ONE piece of pizza and used my snack cup of cantaloupe as a side item.

I ate that one piece of pizza and did not feel guilty and did not feel shame and THAT is truly a victory for me. The guilt-feelings and shaming stuff usually would have meant I ate the pizza, felt guilty and decided "Fuck it, I've ruined everything and I suck so I might as well cram my face with....you guessed it....MORE PIZZA!". Self-sabotage, front and center.

I refuse to do that ever again. I will not use shame and guilt as an excuse to let unhealthy thoughts take over so that I can sabotage some more. What I WILL do is say to myself "Is eating one piece of pizza reasonable?" When I can answer "Yes, that is reasonable" (taking into consideration that I have eaten a healthy breakfast and had plenty of water), I will proceed with the food (in moderation of course). I plan to walk a little longer tonight, not because I feel like I need to "work off the pizza" but because that's what I think will make me feel balanced.

Woman can not live by salad alone! We also can not live on shame, guilt, or self-sabotage. Sometimes we gotta turn that love-mirror on ourselves and say "A piece of pizza for lunch does not mean the end of a healthy lifestyle!".

Baby steps toward health. Whoomp!
Great post and I am really enjoying your comments and everyone's contributions in this thread.
I believe what I and maybe others are striving for isn't just about being on a "diet" but trying to eat healthier overall. It's not about denying yourself everything all the time. If I deprive myself of things like pizza or a sandwich on a REAL piece of bread then after a while my head goes out of the game. "This sucks, it's not fair, it's not fun, what's the point, it's taking too long to lose the weight, what's the point, etc....." I start to feel like it's too much to give up everything and get that fuck it attitude and then ultimately to a big binge pig out. It's a fine line. As Pinkie said in a post (http://www.butchfemmeplanet.com/forum/showpost.php?p=378415&postcount=407) a few days ago, WW rule #10-we do not deprive ourselves, we build our favorite treats into our program.
I think like most things moderation is the key.

Weekends are definitely harder for me. I don't have the structured time to eat like I do at work. And this weekend we are doing some fun things and I know we will be eating out at least once. So, I don't plan on depriving myself of fish tacos. But I won't get the fried ones, I will opt for the broiled ones without the breading. It will do the trick just fine.

Keep up the good work everyone!

[always2late]

Daily Overshare Alert!


Another small victory today: This one wasn't about battle against the food per se, but more about battling against unhealthy thinking patterns.

We had to endure a 4-hour-long session with human resources today at work. It had the potential to be super-stressful and uncomfortable for our team and many of us were wringing our hands about the possible conversations. Our unit administrator decided to order pizza to try to ease tensions. He had said yesterday that they would "provide a healthy lunch" so I didnt pack lunch today and opted for packing just snacks and water.

I kinda freaked out a little in my head when I heard that the healthy lunch was pizza because my head is super black and white about what I can and can not do on my plan for better health. The black and white stuff says I have to go cold turkey off of anything resembling pizza, hamburger, ribs, ice cream, fettucini etc. (the stuff I love!). The real me knows that it is simply not reasonable to go the rest of my life without ever eating another piece of pizza or cup of ice cream so today I turned off the yakking in my head and ate ONE piece of pizza and used my snack cup of cantaloupe as a side item.

I ate that one piece of pizza and did not feel guilty and did not feel shame and THAT is truly a victory for me. The guilt-feelings and shaming stuff usually would have meant I ate the pizza, felt guilty and decided "Fuck it, I've ruined everything and I suck so I might as well cram my face with....you guessed it....MORE PIZZA!". Self-sabotage, front and center.

I refuse to do that ever again. I will not use shame and guilt as an excuse to let unhealthy thoughts take over so that I can sabotage some more. What I WILL do is say to myself "Is eating one piece of pizza reasonable?" When I can answer "Yes, that is reasonable" (taking into consideration that I have eaten a healthy breakfast and had plenty of water), I will proceed with the food (in moderation of course). I plan to walk a little longer tonight, not because I feel like I need to "work off the pizza" but because that's what I think will make me feel balanced.

Woman can not live by salad alone! We also can not live on shame, guilt, or self-sabotage. Sometimes we gotta turn that love-mirror on ourselves and say "A piece of pizza for lunch does not mean the end of a healthy lifestyle!".

Baby steps toward health. Whoomp!

Awesome post! And so very true....we can be our own worst enemies, and for no good reason! We hold ourselves to a near impossible standard, and then beat ourselves up for not holding to it. When in truth....we have AMAZING willpower and strength! Let's face it....how many of us have been on insane starvation diets? Diets that wouldn't satisfy a gnat? If that doesn't take willpower, I don't know what does! In my younger years I was a gymnast, until I blew out my knee. As a result I have an amazingly screwed up metabolism born of years of starvation. Now, like most on the thread, I am trying to eat better and get to a place of better health....but some of that old mentality still exists. The "You CAN'T eat that, and if you do you're a failure and you might as well just not even bother trying to eat healthy or better. Now go get a whole gallon of ice cream" mentality. I have to re-train my brain to believe that having a small portion of something I crave ISN'T a criminal act and, in fact, will benefit me in the long run by helping me to stick to a healthier eating plan!

[nycfem]

It has been helpful for me to separate "overeating" and eating something unhealthy from "bingeing." For me the goal of reminding myself of this is ultimately to see that I can on occasion overeat or eat something unhealthy and that that is really alright. It doesn't need to turn into a binge. Instead of getting upset with myself I try to sit with the anxiety and say to myself, "This means absolutely nothing bad, UNLESS I get frustrated and allow it to turn into a binge." I find it very hard to do, but it helps me to have awareness of this as a trigger for bingeing/ continuing to eat unhealthy or in large amounts for a prolonged period of time. I try and reframe eating one meal or one item out of my plan as a good thing, an opportunity to retrain my brain, to practice not operating in an "all or nothing" way of thinking. It also helps me to write it all down in my journal. I often find that what I thought of as a huge transgression was really not, and I can calm myself down and go back to eating healthy instead of feeling like a failure and bingeing out of hopelessness and a sense of not having control.

The other trigger for me is when I have been doing well with eating, and the scale doesn't show it. It's tough not to binge but to instead think realistically the same thought, that a few pounds up or down means absolutely nothing bad UNLESS I use it as an excuse to binge out of frustration. When I feel that frustration and urge to "jump ship" I sometimes write in my journal, "The only way out is through." To me this means that as long as I stick with my plan despite these hiccups, I WILL succeed. I can't do it by magic. I have to do it through overall steady commitment, even when I hit a bump on the road.

There are a few foods that I've successfully managed to cut out entirely, and I've found that helpful. I don't need to think, "Should I have this?" / "Should I not have this?" I am able to truly say to myself, "That food is not for you." Then my brain doesn't struggle back and forth over whether or not to indulge. With time and experience, my brain adjusts to ignoring what it's no longer used to accepting and over a few years, the cravings generally diminish. I had confidence that I could do this from knowing that I managed it as a teenager when I became (and still am) a vegetarian (no meat, chicken, or fish). I didn't do that for diet. I did it due to the ethics of factory farming, but it helped me in my eating because it showed me that it really is possible to adjust to abstinence from certain foods that don't feel like a positive part of my life.

When my mom had a heart attack with quadruple bypass surgery four years ago and I saw her attached to machines (She's healthy as ever now!), I was shocked into being able to follow through with a change that I've stuck to ever since then. I gave up all caffeine, including chocolate. I know that dark chocoate is healthy but I had a very hard time with just having limited quanitities of dark chocolate. I would find myself eating lots of candy and ice cream. After I gave up chocolate, while sweets have their allure, their really not as exciting without chocolate. Giving up the caffeine meant that I gave up Coke, which had been an addiction for a long time. Also, since I have a sensitivity to caffeine, I am able to sleep so much better and have less jitteriness and less anxiety.

About six months ago I also succesfully gave up "movie theater popcorn." Now I always bring my popcorn, like Jo discussed, and my drink. It also helps save a lot of money. I have tried giving up sugar but haven't nailed this one during the times I've tried, and the same goes for simple carbs (all the bad for me, tasty, white stuff). Since I can't seem to give them up at this point in time, I just try to do what I talked about in the first paragraph: Indulge now and then, and strive for it not to turn into a binge. It's an ongoing challenge!

[always2late]

I've just subscribed to the thread and haven't had a chance to read all the posts...so at the risk of repeating what's already been written...is anyone using stevia as a sugar substitute? I've found its really good and doesn't have as much of a "weird" aftertaste as many of the artificial sweeteners. I usually buy mine in the health food store, the pure stevia extract. It seems a bit pricey initially, but not so in the long run, because it is SO sweet you just need to use a tiny sprinkle. The bottle I buy lasts me for months and months. Its a great alternative to sugar...and even helps with my water drinking. I sprinkle a little in a water bottle with a squeeze of lemon when I am craving something sweet to drink. :)

[Medusa]

I use Stevia! Also have a bag of Splenda that I am trying to use up.

Im not doing much baking lately and dont use sweetener in my tea or anything so the only time I really use it is for baking or very rarely, a smoothie. (learned my lesson with unsweetened pumpkin!)

[Zimmeh]

Good Evening Everyone,

I normally don't add sugar to my coffee or tea. If I pick up my coffee at work, I try to find the sugar in the raw packets. I have found that the natural sugars, mess my stomach up.

Have a great night,

Zimmy

[Nina]

if I wasn't so mad at myself I would be laughing...

G had been here visiting for 5 days...we had a grand time and my eating was in control and fine...the plane leaves and, for the next 36 hours all I can do is eat..or think about eating...or take bites out of things and throw them away...it's food, food, food....

if I had ANY thoughts that food and feelings and stress and all that weren't connected for me, even I --Queen of Denial, can not miss it ...

and, the thing I really notice is how unsatisfied I feel...I'm not full, since truth told I am not eating as much as I think I am...and I am not numb, which is probably my goal...

I guess, as I think about it, I find that my disconnect button is not working so well...and thank goodness for that...I want to eat and I have been eating worse, but it doesn't work as well as it once did...and I am not willing to give up on my desire to be smaller...and my yearning for lots of new cute dresses...and to win the Bet...

mostly I don't want to slip...I am okay with a stumble but there really is little to no point to Fall...typing this out has really helped me process...and, I thank you for that...

I no longer have to eat my feelings...and that feels pretty fucking good!

[little_ms_sunshyne]

Today was an ok day. Went out on a date with T to a mexican restaurant. Didn't over eat and made sure that all of my meals today were low calorie.
Feels good to not feel like I have eaten my way to the other side lol

One small step...but feels like a leap for me!

[jelli]

Hello, my name is jelli and I am an emotional eater.

I am currently starting this book:

http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309202095l/39169.jpg

[jelli]

“Hunger and satiation are the guides to natural body weight…to feeding oneself with integrity.” ~Carol Bloom

[Medusa]

I'm glad Juney isn't in this thread because she'd probably shriek at the fact that I'm about to sing the praises of Sam's Club.

Went this morning after the Farmer's Market because I didn't find any greens there and also needed to stock up on some fruit.

I picked up a HUGE bag of Fuji apples at Sam's for around $4, 3 pounds of bananas for $1.50, pineapples for $2 each, some of that wonderful Laughing Cow cheese (the wheels that are garlic and herb flavor!) for $7.98 for 3 wheels.
Also picked up a 2lb bag of frozen mixed berries for making smoothies - $7

The thing I am most excited about is the 4-pack of EGG BEATERS! ($4.98)

I've been reading up on them and supposedly they taste just like regular eggs but without all of the cholesterol. I'm kinda stoked about trying them and am looking forward to some omelets loaded with onion and bell pepper and fat free cheese!

Anyone have any experience with Egg Beaters? Good recipes or tips?

[girl_dee]

I have used Egg Beaters before, or was it egg whites in a carton? Anyway I would cook down some taters, onions etc and throw the EB around that, like you would an omelet. You will need something binding, like taters to bring it all home.

[Dominique]

Anyone have any experience with Egg Beaters? Good recipes or tips?[/QUOTE]

Freezer friendly!

[girl_dee]

I prefer just real egg whites, with a lil yoke thrown in, the yoke has the bad stuff but tons of the good stuff. It's about balance. Most stuff where man has interfered is just not as good as nature intended.

[Dominique]

The egg (in the past) has gotten a really bad rap. They have revisited

just how good an egg is for you. I know for one, it's good for your brain.

I think frying it in butter or bacon grease is what made the egg bad (cast iron skillet days)

I try to use real eggs when I need to use eggs.....as I want the egg shells for my worms, but I don't use the yolk. I do keep egg beaters in the freezer, for those times I need eggs, and don't have any.

[girl_dee]

Perfect! I use the egg shells in the garden and the hens are laying about 5-6 eggs a day. I could MAKE egg beaters!

[Dominique]

Perfect! I use the egg shells in the garden and the hens are laying about 5-6 eggs a day. I could MAKE egg beaters!


excuse the two minute derail. I can never pass up an opportunity to save the earth. Egg shells that have not been boiled, are a constant source of nitrogen for the soil. And doing just as Sassy said, crushing the shells into the soil (any soil) will be a constant source of nitrogen.

Thank you!

[always2late]

I've used Egg Beaters, and I have nothing but good things to say about them. They make GREAT omelets!

[PaPa]

I purchased two quarts of egg beaters with peppers one day. I will say they are good and they are able to be frozen. Later they can be thawed and used as if it was just bought. :-)

[Rockinonahigh]

Yesterday I was on a hight about my new job,then I found out they had someone from another of the casinos pproperties come fill the job,so now I dont have the job I thought I had.Now that was bad enough but betweem the time I was told I had the job and then didnt was about four hours...I had already called the place I was working and already told them I had a new job.Where I was working is a place that gets ppl jobs working for non profits at minimum wage,at first we were working 20 houre a week,then cut the hours to 17 then recently to 12 hours a week...after taxes that aint squat.But I was hanging in with it till something cam in...it did then it didnt so now I had told the place I was working I had the other jiob,so now I have nother cause of the hireing freeze that came with the cut in hours.Its enough to stress out anyone.Im not worrying about paying my bills cause I have some income to cover them and then some.plus I saved most of what I made while working for the non profit.Needless to say I was very stressed out last night,had one of thise stress attacks I havent had in a very long time and nearly went to the hospital.I did eat more than I should but a bite hear and there then pitched it in the trash.Today im better but still feel like ive been sucker punched.the place said they will hire me back when the hireing freeze is over..till then I can pick up a fue bucks hear and there doing some catering and there are a fue places I want to check out.Im gonna make it but feel like I could puke again..

[Sachita]

Nothing is more healthy then a fresh egg. I'm talking right from the coop and has not been refrigerated yet. It is packed with aminos and vitamins. The best is raw but if you can't do raw soft cooked.

Is it realistic to have your own hens? If you can then you should because the health benefits of farm fresh just laid eggs are amazing and really yummy.

[Medusa]

That's our goal is to have at least 2-3 hens! We have been talking about it for over a year now and being super envious of friends who have coops.

We have the land to do it (almost 3 acres) but will need to build a super-secure coop because our land is COVERED in raccoons, opossum, squirrel, deer, and the neighbors beagles are known chicken-killers and have a bad habit of busting out of their pen. We caught one on our back deck last year with someone's dead hen. :(

I'd love to have fresh eggs! The omelets I would make!

[Dominique]

Nothing is more healthy then a fresh egg. I'm talking right from the coop and has not been refrigerated yet. It is packed with aminos and vitamins. The best is raw but if you can't do raw soft cooked.

Is it realistic to have your own hens? If you can then you should because the health benefits of farm fresh just laid eggs are amazing and really yummy.

I just (within the last month) found out that the city of Pittsburgh allows you to have three hens per every 2000
sq feet of property you own. So I have been researching
everything hens. (the chicken manure is super excellent for soil). No roosters allowed in the city, I can understand that.

I'm sure you've seen my postings all over the place, that I don't like meat and my father did a very good job of teaching me ways to get protein into my diet. He used to
put very cold orange juice into the blender and a raw (but fresh) egg and blend them. You can not taste anything but the cold juice. We didn't have chickens on our farm, he grew grain (mostly). We did the barter thing.

Eggs that go to the store go through a series of washings, and each *wash* if you will, washes away vital nurishment and vitamins. Fresh is best.

[Dominique]

That's our goal is to have at least 2-3 hens! We have been talking about it for over a year now and being super envious of friends who have coops.

We have the land to do it (almost 3 acres) but will need to build a super-secure coop because our land is COVERED in raccoons, opossum, squirrel, deer, and the neighbors beagles are known chicken-killers and have a bad habit of busting out of their pen. We caught one on our back deck last year with someone's dead hen. :(

I'd love to have fresh eggs! The omelets I would make!

They actually sell some nice hen *huts* on the internet (of course) I've borrowed several ideas that I intend to incorporate into my hen house.
Mine also has to be super secure. Not so much from other animals, although thats always a concern, but from ASS HOLES. Living in the city
come with it's share of issues. I had a hell of a time keeping the passerby drunks from raiding my garden, imagine what they'll do to my chickens. I installed motion detector flood lights and bought three imitation security camera's one moves constantly, one is in a dome and has a red light that is always on and one is a boxed camera mounted to the side of my house,,,,, as if I have some kind of compound here (its a 6 x 12 sq ft garden sheeze):fastdraq:

And its a proven fact that fresh eggs are healthy. I am imagining those omlets!

[Sachita]

I have raised hens for over 10 years. I'm happy to help. You don't need a fancy pen but if you have predators you need to protect them. Obviously the best and most healthy will be a chicken tractor. This is a pen that can move across your land/yard providing fertilizer for your lawn and fresh bugs, grass and grit for your hens.

Recently I saw where someone modified a 4 foot chainlink dog kennel, putting a top on, a set of wheels on one end, a few nesting boxes. It was very simple and they put a top on it for weather and shade. The nesting boxes we're hanging on each side by the gate. The water supply was a hanging bucket with open top they could fill. When moving they just lifted the non-wheeled end and pulled it.

This would work just fine for maybe 4 hens. In the winter cover 3 sides and add a heat lamp.

[Sachita]

That's our goal is to have at least 2-3 hens! We have been talking about it for over a year now and being super envious of friends who have coops.

We have the land to do it (almost 3 acres) but will need to build a super-secure coop because our land is COVERED in raccoons, opossum, squirrel, deer, and the neighbors beagles are known chicken-killers and have a bad habit of busting out of their pen. We caught one on our back deck last year with someone's dead hen. :(

I'd love to have fresh eggs! The omelets I would make!

get 4 hens for two people. Some days they lay a little, some none at all, some a lot. I eat eggs sometimes everyday. They are a complete food source and I make omelets for dinner all the time, especially when I'm growing fresh tomatoes and veggies.

Raccoons can grab a hen through the fence and will work hard at trying to do this. There is an expensive fencing system that is easy to put up, some poles and a netting that is electrified by a plug in or solar panel. Its great for keeping coons, dogs, etc out of your yard. If you start gardening you probably want this. Or motion activated sprinklers. Coons and beagles hate water,

[Medusa]

WOOT!

I love pesto and have been kinda sad about not having any lately. Most of the pestos I have seen in the store are BAAADDDDD calorie-wise so I found this one on the WW site:

Artichoke pesto!

1 1/4 cup(s) canned artichoke hearts, without oil, drained and rinsed (about 5)
1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), quartered
1 1/4 cup(s) basil, packed
1/4 cup(s) pine nuts, toasted*
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, fresh, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp table salt
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade; pulse a few times, then process until well-chopped but coarsely-grained. To refrigerate up to 2 days, spoon into a small bowl and press plastic wrap right against the dip's surface to minimize the dip turning brown. Yields about 2 tablespoons per serving.
Notes
*Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, to release their aromatic oils.

[Leigh]

Sounds like everyone is talking about getting hens ........ My family lives in the city so I know we'd have nowhere to put them, plus we don't eat eggs much anyways so that wouldn't work but for those of you who are working on setting things up I say good for you ~ anything to get healthier sounds good to Me! I went out to a chinese buffest-style restaurant with My friend Lisa last night and its the first time we've been there together since sometime last year. Usually I'd get more meat than anything else, but last night I tried to change that and I was quite proud of Myself ~ I only had maybe 5 or 6 small pieces of sweet and sour pork, a small portion of cantonese noodles, a small portion of fried rice but a HUGE pile on top of veggies! Mushrooms, celery, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots ........ My friend was very impressed with Me and I was quiite proud of Myself too :-)

It was a small step, but every small step helps!

[Medusa]

Just got off the treadmill.

I walked a MILE without stopping! Made my goal!

[lillith]

My brother is awesome! He brought over this super high-tech treadmill for me to use cause his wife is not using it! I am super excited! Gonna take some Ibuprofen for my knee and get on the sucker and walk for a mile and half, and try to run the last half mile.

[Softly]

I don't recall if we can post links to websites here!

I joined a place, my fitness pal, on April 11th and lost 24 pounds so far :)
It's a website to track calories and exercise. I downloaded the APP on my phone because I am barely ever on my laptop anymore.

It's free and SO simple and fun! (big community)
basically, it gives you calories to keep at to lose/maintain or gain
and you track exercise and such :)

I also go to the gym 3-4x a week, sometimes more.

Going to JAMAICA in August and I wanted to have a bit more confidence walking about half naked.

I do feel totally sexy-feeling right now at the weight I am at, but I do feel mentally and physically better since I started eating better and going to the gym. So! I am going to keep it up.

[girl_dee]

That's our goal is to have at least 2-3 hens! We have been talking about it for over a year now and being super envious of friends who have coops.

We have the land to do it (almost 3 acres) but will need to build a super-secure coop because our land is COVERED in raccoons, opossum, squirrel, deer, and the neighbors beagles are known chicken-killers and have a bad habit of busting out of their pen. We caught one on our back deck last year with someone's dead hen. :(

I'd love to have fresh eggs! The omelets I would make!

Yes it's so worth it and organic! I throw in two fresh eggs for an omelet and they fluff up so big there is always way too much.

Do. it. !

Our hens are retired old girls that were going to be slaughtered, so they are lazy arses. 14 hens give us a few eggs a day, and they lay them whenever they wake up LOL. But the eggs are wonderful and I enjoy knowing they are happy in retirement. I also like to make egg salad and LOTS of angelfood cake, which is a really good treat.

[girl_dee]

I don't recall if we can post links to websites here!

I joined a place, my fitness pal, on April 11th and lost 24 pounds so far :)
It's a website to track calories and exercise. I downloaded the APP on my phone because I am barely ever on my laptop anymore.

It's free and SO simple and fun! (big community)
basically, it gives you calories to keep at to lose/maintain or gain
and you track exercise and such :)

I also go to the gym 3-4x a week, sometimes more.

Going to JAMAICA in August and I wanted to have a bit more confidence walking about half naked.

I do feel totally sexy-feeling right now at the weight I am at, but I do feel mentally and physically better since I started eating better and going to the gym. So! I am going to keep it up.

Congrats ((( FC ))))

Yes you can post a link here! I would like to see that site. :rrose:

[Zimmeh]

I have been watching everything that I have been eating. While moving and the following week afterwards, I was eating stuff that wasn't good for me and I gained a few pounds. On Friday, I went grocery shopping and picked up several things. I eat like a bird and I love to space breakfast out. I usually start with a cup of Chocolate SoyMilk, Greek Yogurt and coffee with just a tablespoon of French Vanilla creamer. Since I have been working the 6am shift, I usually eat breakfast around 5am. Around 8am, I am hungry again, so I bought a package of Everything Bagel Thins with whipped cream cheese and that is what I have. I drink a ton of water during the day and then with dinner, I have a 12oz glass of orange juice.

It feels like I have lost a few pounds, but I am not sure since I don't like to step on a scale.

Zimmy

[msW8ing]

It was a small step, but every small step helps!

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” ~Lao Tzu

[JustJo]

Last night, instead of munching on chips or ice cream or other such things during TV watching, Scoote and I had fresh strawberries.....and then, when that wasn't enough :) ....I made us a big salad with 2 kinds of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber (hers got the tiniest sprinkle of cheese)...and, yes, I made some homemade croutons just because...and went easy on the ranch dressing.

[Leigh]

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” ~Lao Tzu


I love that quote Ms, I think I will write that somewhere and tack it up on the wall so that I can look at it when I get frustrated and need a boost :-)

[PinkieLee]

GOOD MORNING & Happy Monday folks!

Once again, it's a great way to start the day seeing friends hit milestones & making healthier choices. Y'all ROCK!

Ok, I have to admit that I LOVE ice cream, y'all. It's been a comfort food for me for a long time. Luckily, a new frozen yogurt place opened up (the yogurt spot) that has at least 7 different flavors at all times ~ all fat free & sugar free. Then there is a lil' bar for you to add toppings. Thank goodness they always have fresh fruit & granola, not just the nuts & candies. It's been a treat for us on our date nights!

But, I have found some great alternatives at the grocery store, too. My new favorites...

http://calissaleigh.com/write/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/WeightWatchersStrawberrySmoothie-300x300.jpg

http://www.smartcouponing.com/wp-content/uploads//2011/02/wwicecream.jpg

YES, WW folks... ONE POINT EACH! I can indulge my ice cream sweet tooth for ONE freakin' point! And they are fabulous!!!!

[Zimmeh]

Good Morning Tonya,

Thank you and I will look for these ice cream treats when I go grocery shopping. I have also found that Publix grocery store makes a delicious frozen yogurt that I truly enjoy...

Have a great day,

Zimmy

GOOD MORNING & Happy Monday folks!

Once again, it's a great way to start the day seeing friends hit milestones & making healthier choices. Y'all ROCK!

Ok, I have to admit that I LOVE ice cream, y'all. It's been a comfort food for me for a long time. Luckily, a new frozen yogurt place opened up (the yogurt spot) that has at least 7 different flavors at all times ~ all fat free & sugar free. Then there is a lil' bar for you to add toppings. Thank goodness they always have fresh fruit & granola, not just the nuts & candies. It's been a treat for us on our date nights!

But, I have found some great alternatives at the grocery store, too. My new favorites...

http://calissaleigh.com/write/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/WeightWatchersStrawberrySmoothie-300x300.jpg

http://www.smartcouponing.com/wp-content/uploads//2011/02/wwicecream.jpg

YES, WW folks... ONE POINT EACH! I can indulge my ice cream sweet tooth for ONE freakin' point! And they are fabulous!!!!

[JustJo]

Like you Pinkie, I love ice cream. These are very good too. I don't know how they stack up on WW points, but just 130 calories, so probably not too badly - and they are very rich and creamy and decadent tasting. :)

http://www.musesofmegret.com/reviews/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Screen-shot-2010-07-23-at-2.24.02-PM.png

[girl_dee]

Great stuff! Just remember that artificial sugars and stuff have a reverse affect on weight loss.

Clipped :

Diet Soda Drinkers Gain Weight
By Lloyd de Vries

S
(WebMD) People who drink diet soft drinks don't lose weight. In fact, they gain weight, a new study shows.

The findings come from eight years of data collected by Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio. Fowler reported the data at this week's annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

"What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to overweight and obesity," Fowler tells WebMD. "What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of obesity was even higher."

In fact, when the researchers took a closer look at their data, they found that nearly all the obesity risk from soft drinks came from diet sodas.

"There was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day," Fowler says.

More Diet Drinks, More Weight Gain

Fowler's team looked at seven to eight years of data on 1,550 Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white Americans aged 25 to 64. Of the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning of the study, about a third became overweight or obese.


Your body knows what to do with sugar, it is confused by fake sugar......the pancreas is tricked when artificial sugars are introduced, resulting in an opposite affect.

Just a tidbit for anyone who is interested.

[JustJo]

Thanks Sassy!

I've read several studies that all point to this (unfortunately)....so I really try to limit the number of artifically sweetened things I consume. The diet soda is gone, replaced by Sobe (sweetened with stevia) and home brewed ice tea (unsweetened or a touch of agave nectar). Both the stevia and the agave are natural sweeteners that aren't as bad as regular sugar.

Scoote and I hit a new farmers market yesterday...absolutely fabulous. We got peaches, red grapes, lettuce, corn on the cob, oranges, apples, watermelon, plums, broccoli....and more that I can't remember. Scoote had a fresh-squeezed orange juice while we were there (pulp and all). I only tried a sip since juice is not my friend due to the diabetes. It was delicious.

I also got some of the most amazing honey....local tangerine honey. Magnificent. I'll have to be very, very sparing with it, but for those times when I'm craving sweet it's at least a natural, healthier choice.

Great stuff! Just remember that artificial sugars and stuff have a reverse affect on weight loss.

Clipped :

Diet Soda Drinkers Gain Weight
By Lloyd de Vries

S
(WebMD) People who drink diet soft drinks don't lose weight. In fact, they gain weight, a new study shows.

The findings come from eight years of data collected by Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio. Fowler reported the data at this week's annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

"What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to overweight and obesity," Fowler tells WebMD. "What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of obesity was even higher."

In fact, when the researchers took a closer look at their data, they found that nearly all the obesity risk from soft drinks came from diet sodas.

"There was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day," Fowler says.

More Diet Drinks, More Weight Gain

Fowler's team looked at seven to eight years of data on 1,550 Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white Americans aged 25 to 64. Of the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning of the study, about a third became overweight or obese.


Your body knows what to do with sugar, it is confused by fake sugar......the pancreas is tricked when artificial sugars are introduced, resulting in an opposite affect.

Just a tidbit for anyone who is interested.

[girl_dee]

mmmm honey,, I cannot say enough about honey.

It's a wonderful sweetener, and it's also a natural antihistamine. Buy as local as you can get, so the bees are into the same pollen that you inhale, it's great!

Stevia is great and we grow it here on the farm, pretty good in lemonade too.

My Sister makes lemonade freezie pops, MMMMMM

[msW8ing]

Since it's "salad time" of the year I thought I would share my favorite ranch dressing recipe. It's almost fat free and really low in calories and carbs. It's great for salads, veggie platters, on baked potatoes in place of fatty butters.

1 1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk
2/3 cup fat free (you can use low-fat depends on how much fat you want to consume) mayonnaise
2/3 cup fat free (again you can use low-fat depending on you) sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt ( I use 1/2 this amount and only sea salt is used in my home)
1/4 teaspoon pepper ( I double the pepper because I'm a pepper freak)

Keep in mind this is a recipe that was handed down to me. You can adjust it to your taste. One of my friends adds fresh blue cheese crumble to it and has a low fat blue cheese dressing recipe.

[turasultana]

WW weigh in day. lost 1.8 lbs this week for a total of 6lbs in three weeks.
Got my little 5lb star! :)

not bad so far. Like having the 49 extra points, try not to use them but makes me feel like I have a buffer if i go over the 29/day.

Now if I could just get off my ass and work out. :)

[ReDo]

I have read this thread a couple times and decided I needed to join. I have battled eating disorders in the past and clearly won. I show horses and I have been to some really large horse shows and have seen time and again that

(this is harsh but my observation)

fat girls are out of place in the show ring and they will never place.

That is my view I am not saying that to be mean its just what I tell myself.

I am wanting to show in the dressage ring and well... "fat girls" are really out of place there. So it is my goal to lose 80 pounds and be a size two by next summer. Its a year away so less than 10 pounds a month. I want to do this in a healthy way this time. I want to do it in a way that keeps it off and teach myself how to be a healthier person.

I figure if I join this thread I will have some accountability for my actions and choices and keep me motivated.

So wish me luck I have a year to be a size 2.

*note to self... you look sick smaller than an 8 so really all skin and bones not attractive*

[turasultana]

I have read this thread a couple times and decided I needed to join. I have battled eating disorders in the past and clearly won. I show horses and I have been to some really large horse shows and have seen time and again that

(this is harsh but my observation)

fat girls are out of place in the show ring and they will never place.

That is my view I am not saying that to be mean its just what I tell myself.

I am wanting to show in the dressage ring and well... "fat girls" are really out of place there. So it is my goal to lose 80 pounds and be a size two by next summer. Its a year away so less than 10 pounds a month. I want to do this in a healthy way this time. I want to do it in a way that keeps it off and teach myself how to be a healthier person.

I figure if I join this thread I will have some accountability for my actions and choices and keep me motivated.

So wish me luck I have a year to be a size 2.

*note to self... you look sick smaller than an 8 so really all skin and bones not attractive*

Hey -
good luck working towards your goal! 10lbs a month is still a pretty aggressive goal - that's more than 2lbs a week, so be patient.

Also curious - you put a note to yourself that you look sick smaller than a size 8 - yet your goal is a size 2? Why not just aim for a size 8 then where you feel you look healthy?

[PinkieLee]

Welcome to the thread ToKissAgain!

turasultana is right... focusing on 10 pounds a month is a pretty aggressive goal to set for yourself. But, by making healthier choices and continued exercise, you'll be well on your way to seeing some positive changes. I wish you much success my friend!

We all have a common goal here of losing weight the healthy way, whether it is losing 10 pounds or 200 pounds... all the while with continued support and encouragement for one another. Many of us continue to struggle with eating disorders on a daily basis, so we all have our ups and downs along the way.

I only ask that you remain respectful of each & every one that is on this journey. Here, we are focusing on the POSITIVE... no negative talk of "fat girls" or needing to fit in a pretty little box that society wants to put us in. We praise mini milestones, celebrate healthier choices & give encouragement when we backslide. It's about changing our self destructive behaviors and living a healthier life.

I know for ME, there isn't a magic weight or dress size that I need to be in by a certain date. It's about changing my entire way of living, my relationship with food and learning to make smarter choices. I know that I didn't put the weight on overnight, I'm surely not going to be able to lose it overnight either. In the past when I've done that, I've always gained it back, plus 10 pounds more.

I hope that everyone's day is off to a great start!!!

[Medusa]

Hey ToKiss -

Are you a small person naturally? What I mean is that a size 2 is tiny, tiny, tiny - Is that a reasonable expectation for your body frame?

I am a large-framed person. I have broad shoulders and hips and know that my body would probably never be smaller than a size 10 just because of how I'm built and how I carry my weight. (big boobs and ass - SHAZAAM!)

I encourage you to give yourself reasonable time to be the size you want - Or hell, don't even focus on the size but rather what makes you feel good. :)

And I'll tell you something else - I am hearing you say that dressage is important to you and you want to be "seen" in the ring. I say fuck the idea that fat girls are out of place! Who made that rule? Who says that fat girls, or medium girls, or girls with small frames aren't all deserving of being in that ring if they've worked hard for it! I think you should get in that ring no matter what size you are and show those people how a fat girl works it. :)

Don't let someone else's idea of beauty control what you do! If you want to be in that ring, get in there - No matter your size! (and not in spite of your size, but BECAUSE of your size.)

You are perfect just the way you are. I think it's totally ok to want to be healthier, but do it for YOU!:moonstars:

[Leigh]

I love how positive and motivating everyone is in this thread, which is why I keep coming back ~ makes Me not only accountable for My own actions but I know that if I need positive advice or just some encouraging words to keep Me on track I can get that here anytime I need the boost :-)

I come in here for everyone's wonderful advice and recipes; to watch us all reach small goals is much more rewarding to Me than trying to be unrealistic in our goals only to be disappointed and fall off the wagon again. I especially love to read posts by Pinkie, Jo, Medusa and more because there is so much positive thinking between them that its bound to rub off (and thats a VERY good thing). Thank you to everyone who posts here, I wouldn't be working this hard if it wasn't for My friends here ~ your constant support and encouragement are inspiring to Me :-)

[Tommi]

I am learning fresh vegetables are edible after all.... and I will survive without Diet Coke.

I made the best chili (with a lot of phone directional assistance :)). Me, numero uno non-cook made a hella mess in the kitchen, but wow, what fantastic chili.


Kidney beans (soaked N washed), big juicy red tomatoes all smushed up in the blender...kale, sweet corn, brussell sprouts, broccoli, celery, carrots, Chipolte chili, yellow onion, and a package of Morningstar veggie sausage patties.

I let it cook in a big pot for hours and Mmmmm. :hangloose:

[Thinker]

My food/points is/are all under control, but I have fallen off from working out like I was.

Because I'm still losing, I'm not feeling the sting of it; but I do feel disappointed in myself.

So here's the plan... Tomorrow I'm taking my new project (vintage trailer) out to the place where we'll store it, but I can't go there too early because I'll wake up everyone. I will do my full round of exercises, have my protein shake, and then hook up the trailer for the trip out there.

I said it out loud. Accountability......to myself and to you, my witnesses. ;)

[JustJo]

mmmm honey,, I cannot say enough about honey.

It's a wonderful sweetener, and it's also a natural antihistamine. Buy as local as you can get, so the bees are into the same pollen that you inhale, it's great!

Stevia is great and we grow it here on the farm, pretty good in lemonade too.

My Sister makes lemonade freezie pops, MMMMMM

Is stevia hard to grow? And do you just mush up the leaves or let it steep in the beverages or??

I'm curious to see if that's something we could grow down here in south FL...we're zone 10.

[Medusa]

Someone that I don't even know at work came up to me just now in the break area and said, "Are you losing weight? You look great!"

Talk about a nice headrush!

[JustJo]

Someone that I don't even know at work came up to me just now in the break area and said, "Are you losing weight? You look great!"

Talk about a nice headrush!

Oh that always feels so good! :)

[PinkieLee]

WOOHOOOO Congrats Medusa! Nothing like a lil' compliment to keep you motivated that not only you are seeing results, that other people can, too! Keep up the awesome work!!!!

Well, tomorrow evening, I am going to attend my first ever WW meeting. I've been doing the online thing, which is great. But, a local friend of mine goes to actual meetings and she's been wanting me to come with her. Each week they get little handouts with receipes, exercise tips and general info.. which she always grabs me an extra copy & drops it off at my house :)

I don't know why I have this huge fear of going tomorrow. Being on this journey with y'all is one thing, but being in a room full of strangers seems different. I guess I'm envisioning some scale in the front of the room (like the Biggest Loser) where people are gonna be taking turns weighing in.

My weekly weigh ins are on Thursday mornings, naked in the privacy of my own bathroom.... and I like it that way. Ugh, I know, I'm a creature of habit!

Oh well, we shall see how it goes! Wish me luck!

[Queerasfck]

Kudos to all of you for the incredible strength, resolve and will power. Keep sticking to your plan!!

Had a great weekend beginning with our WW weigh in on Saturday. I am making more progress towards my goal and lost 2.4 pounds. Even better, finally can wear 38's in my Levis comfortably again. I used to be a complete clothes horse. So as the years have added on pounds I have hoarded away my smaller clothes and am so thankful for that as it is helping me stay motivated to get into things I haven't been able to wear in quite awhile. For all the grief I got from apretty about being a clothes hoarder it's paying off now! But in the ultimate anti-hoarder move I am also enjoying getting rid of my larger sizes and hope that it helps my motivation to never go back to size gigantica jeans.

My workouts last week seem to be more intense and I added some new exercises at the gym. I know we've talked about how music is really important to some of us when we get our cardio going. I finally got around to listing some favorites on my ipod.

I hope that some of you will share your favorite musical choices for workouts as I'd love some new ideas! Have a great day everyone. Thanks for this thread!

Punk:
Kiss Off-Violent Femmes
California Uber Alles-Dead Kennedys
What do I get?-Buzzcocks

Oldies:
I’ll be Good to You-The Brothers Johnson
Lowdown-Boz Scaggs

Rock:
White Room-Cream
You’ve got another thing coming-Judas Priest
Ironman-Black Sabbath
Rock & Roll-Led Zeppelin
Ladies & Gentlemen-Salvia
Master of Puppets-Metallica
Enter Sandman-Metallica
Sabbra Cadabra-Metallica
Testify-Rage Against the Machine
Guerilla Radio-Rage Against the Machine


Dance/Electronic:
Absolutely Not-Deborah Cox Queer as Folk Soundtrack 2nd Season
Underwater (Mauve’s Dark Vocal Mix)-Queer as Folk Soundtrack 2nd Season
Hold It Don’t Drop it (Club Mix)-J Lo Moto Blanco Mixes
No More Drama-Mary J Blige (from the Dance For Me EP)
Tush (Anthony Acid X-Rated Club Mix)-Ghostface & Missy Elliot
I Wasn’t Kidding (Freemasons Vocal Club Mix)-Angie Stone
Boys wanna be her (tommy sunshine mix)-Peaches
Beautiful Liar-Shakira & Beyonce
Weapon of Choice-Fatboy Slim
Downhill Racer (Kenny Dope Remix)-Everything But The Girl

[Sachita]

Hey ToKiss -

Are you a small person naturally? What I mean is that a size 2 is tiny, tiny, tiny - Is that a reasonable expectation for your body frame?

I am a large-framed person. I have broad shoulders and hips and know that my body would probably never be smaller than a size 10 just because of how I'm built and how I carry my weight. (big boobs and ass - SHAZAAM!)

I encourage you to give yourself reasonable time to be the size you want - Or hell, don't even focus on the size but rather what makes you feel good. :)

And I'll tell you something else - I am hearing you say that dressage is important to you and you want to be "seen" in the ring. I say fuck the idea that fat girls are out of place! Who made that rule? Who says that fat girls, or medium girls, or girls with small frames aren't all deserving of being in that ring if they've worked hard for it! I think you should get in that ring no matter what size you are and show those people how a fat girl works it. :)

Don't let someone else's idea of beauty control what you do! If you want to be in that ring, get in there - No matter your size! (and not in spite of your size, but BECAUSE of your size.)

You are perfect just the way you are. I think it's totally ok to want to be healthier, but do it for YOU!:moonstars:

Damn right! I get so sick of the ideal of what pretty is suppose to be. I think health is essential to overall wellbeing. I don't weigh myself because I need to focus on how I feel.

I'll never be a little girl. I know I would like to lose 50 pounds and my back and knee would feel better but the most important thing is my health. If someone find me less sexy because of it then that's their problem. I am attracted to people smaller then I am. Its not about the weight. It's more of an Amazon thing. My lifestyle also requires someone to be active. It's still not a weight issue. Hell I'm overweight and I'd like to see someone keep up with me around here. lol

The thing I love about this forum is that its about health. Sure we want to lose but I think we all want better health and lifestyle changes.

[Sachita]

Is stevia hard to grow? And do you just mush up the leaves or let it steep in the beverages or??

I'm curious to see if that's something we could grow down here in south FL...we're zone 10.

I grew and sold Stevia in Florida zone 10. It will have a hard time in summer. You need to grow it in part-sun part shade there and maybe even consider a small screenhouse for it. Otherwise its really easy to grow.

To use it, you can crush and soak in beverages or you can distill it:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4843789_distill-stevia-leaves.html

Keep in mine that Agave and Stevia are still sugar and even if they are slower, they still are sugar just like honey. Stevia just cant be good for you in large amounts. No plant or herb is. I'm not saying not to use it but use it in moderation.

I make lemonade with it and tea, crush it with mint leaves and put in my drink. The taste is ok but does have an after taste.

[Jett]

Great thread... proud of you all! I don't think a lot of ppl here know this about me but through my teens I struggled against anorexia, and as fickle fate would have it many years ago I weighed 100lbs more than I do today (which is around 150-155)... so eating disorders have bitten me in the butt both ways. I have been eating pretty healthy for years but still fluctuate here and there but am where I worked and wanted to be.

I think over the years the most important things could share about my experience is moderation, don't keep up a harsh diet regime you can't continue once you lose the weight, learn to eat right from the get go! Other than that just eat healthy and take it slow you WILL get there! :)

J

[little_ms_sunshyne]

Hello Everyone! Doing some catching up here! Back from our little vacation.

First off, Congratulations for pounds and inches shed! Whooohoooooo!!!! Great job on healthy choices and food adventures!

WARNING SLIGHT DERAIL!
I have to say that the hen topic made me giggle a little because I have been harrassing T about that the last 2 months. I keep telling him I want a few chickens and duck (no idea why the duck! I am an animal lover and want to include a little pig in the mix). Anyhow, I had to inform T that I am not crazy and listed all the people who want or own hens! SO :P T if you your threadstalking and reading this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok progress through vacation. We did well with meals. I had 1 awful meal!!!! But all other meals if naughty we split. It was great not to walk around feeling grossly full. I had to try the state foods, but made sure to eat half. So far that is an accomplishment for me. Usually I come back 10 pounds over and feeling pretty terrible!

Hopefully this week brings better progress for me.

Question: I have issues with becoming stressed and emotional eating. Does anyone have any tips/suggestions/ideas??? I feel like I sabotage myself with this and am sick of going through that cycle!

One more thing...Curves are hot!! Own them! :girldevil: That is all!