No worries Harold!! :)

Betty, I'm with you. I went out to lunch with dd yesterday and had fish and chips and a beer. Looked up the calorie count after I got home. 900 Calories - just for the fish and chips. Oh my.

Still at 135. Not bouncing down anymore... will do my weigh-in tomorrow!!!

Hi guys

I don't think my scale will be going down tomorrow. I had 2 days of training sessions and then a mother's day weekend all in 1 week.:-))
Hoping to at least weigh in the same tomorrow morning. Plus , I did not concentrate on my water in take this week.

SS--my eyes almost came out of my head when I saw that 131. I've only been offline a couple of days and was just about to ask for your phone number to pick your brain. Sorry it was a typo. But you're still doing great.

Way to go, Jasmi! I know you're glad to see the scale move. You're going to pass me.

I'm weighing in tomorrow. I have been so good, I really deserve a loss, but the scale has been really weird. (I made it through DD's birthday without eating cake or ice cream--didn't even lick my finger while decorating.) I was at 141.5 this a.m., which is a half pound down from last week, but my clothes are definitely looser so it seems like I must have lost more than a half pound. We're leaving in a week for camping at the beach. I am SO looking forward to it, and there will be lots of activity. But I had set a goal of getting below 140 before we left. Unless I have a big WHOOSH between now and then, that will be unlikely.

Harold, glad you didn't get the memo!

Keep on keepin' on, everybody. I am excited about wearing summer clothes this summer, for the first time in a long time.

Good morning!
Had a lovely weekend with my high school best friend from Vancouver (she was in Ottawa for a business event). We enjoyed a lovely day together which started off with DH surprising us with a restaurant breakfast - let's just say I was so excited to see my pal I treated myself to (fill in your imagination here....). It was more like a brunch so we didn't eat until dinner which again turning into (fill in your imagination here....not a diet meal by any standard)...followed by very bad homemade squares which I had to immediately freeze the morning we took her to the airport.

Okay, I had my fun and may not physically see her again for a few years...I actually gained a pound back up to 146.

Here's the trick to long term strategies - don't beat yourself up and don't fret over spilled milk! I have my lovely home made veggie soup, salad made and fresh strawberries for today's adventure and back in the saddle again.

I'm working on better eating habits. I know the weekend was the extreme end of over indulgence but I can safely say right now I could not look at any rich food with any sense of yearning - I actually made myself sick of it because -

and here' the beauty of it all....

I'm not used to eating like that any more! One of my favorite expressions is -

No damage, DRIVE ON!

That's how you deal with lifelong healthier goals. Don't sweat an off day or two.

I'm glad to be here. I hope my honesty (I'm not posting what I ate so I don't deter anyone's will power) helps you not beat yourself up for any misgivings! LOL

Have a wonderful day today,
Peggy

Well, it looks like Mother's day has taken its toll on us this week. Even I had to snitch a few pieces of dark chocolate out of my wife's candy assortment. She doesn't like the dark ones. Well, we'll recover as best we can and give it hell next week.

I may be a little late checking in next week. I'll be going out of town to my daughter's graduation then having a cataract operation on Monday. If necessary, somebody else might have to start the thread.

Ok, I worked really hard on that treadmill and still only dropped 1 lb!!
And the only thing I ate that wasn't on the SB diet was some sausage dip that I made with low fat cream cheese(which is ok on SB), and VERY well drained sausage,and a can on Rotel (brand) original tomatoes and green chiles(yummy), and a slice of sugar free lemon pound cake Sunday.

If I had been this good just 10 years ago I would have dropped at least 10-15 pounds.
I wrote that to encourage the younger people reading this to do whatever they have to do to get healthy now while they are younger and their bodies will respond quicker. It sure is discouraging to work so hard for such a little loss.

But, I am not giving up. I want to live to see my grandchildren grow up and watch my great-grandkids being born.
Wasn't feeling too well yesterday. I still did the treadmill, but only ran the dishwasher, and did the usual Monday laundry. Most of the rest of the day was in bed. Was asleep by 7:30 pm. Probably just allergies. Had to take Rx for it before I could even get the day started. They are still kicking my head pretty badly today. Once the pollen calms down I should be better, thank God!

I was trying to stick to the strictest first 2 weeks of SB so I could lose more up front, but I think I am going to move into the 2nd phase to get more carbs. It will probably help my lack of energy. I was totally zapped yesterday. Ate a large helping of fresh steamed kale, and a big helping of raw asparagus and green peppers, which helped some. I haven't been giving my body as much fuel as I need to. 5 helpings of veggies a day is a lot for me.
Before starting this diet I was lucky if I ate 1 veggie every 2 or 3 days. Bad habits!
I'm proud of us, though. When I read of how far you have come it gives me courage to hang in there. Thanks again, Harold for starting this thread.

Oh, forgot to share... Pastor's daughter-in-law brought me a couple of pieces of sugar free Dove dark chocolate to try.
I really liked it, but will try to hit a healthfood store to just find some nice organic dark chocolate that I can just snitch a piece of occasionally. I really don't like to use those artificial sweeteners any more than I have to. The dark chocolate does seem to satisfy that urge for chocolate and it has some healthful properties that doesn't make it totally bad. :)
Betty

Down 1 pound at 169.
Nothing to sneeze at considering on WW I would never lose more than 1/4 pound a week.

I did have that 'off' day last Thursday. But on Mother's day at brunch, I had a veggie omelette that was delish, and very filling (I could not even eat the whole thing).

and the restaurant's famous honey croissants? I put it out of site on my hubby's plate.

On the subject of desserts, I did order their coconut cake, but it's in my fridge, and I'm eating a forkful a day.

I'm still having the occasional white wine, but not nearly as often.

Funny, when I started going back to the gym, I just felt like I didn't want to undo all that good work with a glass of calories.

Hi Guys.. Good work on ur weight loss this week. Ek and Silver , how are you doing ?

My current weight is 141.2
My last week's weight was 142.2

I am still surprised to see 1 pound going down inspite of all the food I had on my training sessions and Mother's day .
By the way, I Joined this thread on April 8th and as of today , my stats are
148 >>>>141.2 , a total of 6.8 pounds . That is very motivating for me. Thank you again for all your support. I am SO waiting to hit that 139 number.My target date to hit 139 is end of this month.

Can't wait to be back in the 160s. Way to go Karen! I don't drink, but I use cooking wine a lot to flavor foods. BTW, y'all may be able to help me out with the wines. I need to get a bottle of dry red and a bottle of dry white for a lot of the SB recipes, but I don't know what is dry and what isn't. I stood at the wine section for about 30 minutes the other day looking, but none of them had "dry" on them. The only thing that had the word dry on it was some champagne. That's why I've stuck with the cooking wines. But, they have salt added that I really don't like adding to my foods.
Can anyone tell me some names of dry red and white wines? I'm clueless!

Had to share with y'all a website I stumbled on by accident.

www.whfoods.org (Stands for : World's Healthiest Foods)

I would post a link, but I don't know how!!

This site has multiple recipes that are exceptionally healthy. I had the steamed kale with poached egg yesterday and it was delish! Did the oatmeal this morning. Wasn't too sure about the molasses, but it was good. Didn't have any black strap, so I used reg.

I just made a grocery list so I can try lots of others. I am allergic to onions and garlic, so that deletes a lot of flavor. But, I gotta do what I gotta do. My allergic reactions are not a pretty sight or a good feeling.

I'm going to try the brussel sprouts with the mediterranean dressing today. DH doesn't like brussel sprouts and hopefully my 15 year old DS, 6' 2" skinny as a rail,(who inhales everything I cook for him plus most of what I cook for me), won't like them either so I can eat them! :)
There are so many recipes that I still haven't had time to look at them all. Didn't even check out the desserts yet.

I was reading the SB book today (discouraged at the measley pound) and there was a statement in there that said most successful dieters are the ones who will try every recipe imaginable and take advantage of all the foods and ingredients permitted. They use lots of herbs and spices, especially the more intensely flavored ones.
I had to laugh at that statement because I bought some horseradish to try a new recipe and now have no clue what recipe it was!! (Saw it on the cooking forum and can't find it now. Should have written it down!)
So, if anyone has a good diet recipe using horseradish, please help a sister out here!

Keep up the good work everyone.
Betty

Jasmi, I have my fingers crossed for you. I need to concentrate on my water intake too.

Ek, how did you not lick your fingers? That is a secret I must know!!!! Last night we were baking apple pie (my neighbor wanted to learn how and had a ton of apples) and I licked every crumb of the sugar/butter crumb crust off my fingers. If you're losing inches, that's better than pounds IMO. Pounds are deceitful... water weight... fat vs. muscle... but inches are a true measure of achievement.

Peggy "No damage, DRIVE ON!" You are an inspiration. I think your philosophy is sound and your honesty is appreciated :)

Harold, congratulations on your daughters graduation. You must be proud. I hope your surgery goes well, and we'll start it for you if you're not back yet.

Betty, I eat the health food chocolate too. I don't like fake sugar either. In general, the healthiest kinds of chocolate (in order) are:

1. raw, organic, unprocessed cacao beans (called "nibs") or cocoa mass;
2. organic and unroasted cocoa powder not treated with alkalis;
3. organic dark chocolate with the highest percentage of cocoa liquor or cocoa powder and the lowest percentage of refined sugar (bitter or semi-sweet dark chocolate).

Helen, you have such a good attitude! And congratulations on being able to scale that mountain. Getting stronger feels so good!

Trekaren, I know what you mean about that "glassful of calories". At 160 calories a beer just isn't worth it. I'd rather have something extra to eat! I made coconut cream pie the other day and am liberally snacking on it. I figure it's just cream, eggs, sugar and coconut... all good things. I don't eat the crust though.

One pound a week is healthy... It may not seem like much, but it is the best amount to lose because it means we are not starving ourselves, and will be more likely to keep it off!

That being said, I am happy to announce...

133, 1, 22

I have a month and a week to go before June 20th... at one per week I should be able to get to 128 which is extremely close to my goal of 125 at that time!!!

Hi Betty,
I asked over on the Wine forum, hopefully you will get some better responses than what I can give you :)Click this link to go to the thread with your question re: brands/types of dry red/white wines And here's a pretty easy website Exploring Food and Wine.

But here's what I know. Yellow Tail ($5-12/bottle) from Australia is inexpensive, found in the grocery store and a wine I would both drink and cook with. Do not use cooking wines.

White Wine: It's hard to do better than a white Vermouth for general cooking purposes. They can be found as cheaply as $3 a litre and it lasts much longer. Vermouth is stronger and more alcoholic than dry white table wines, so you might use a little less.

If the sauce is:

butter/cream and fairly heavy or rich: chardonnay
very heavy: chardonnay aged in oak
light with herbs: Sauvignon blanc
light and fruity, fume blanc or pinot gris

Red Wine:
Light-flavored dishes: Chianti or a Pinot Noir.
Strong-flavored meats such as lamb would need more powerful reds, such as a Zinfandel.

In addition, fortified wines have more intense flavors: Madeira, Sherry, Port and Marsala are commonly seen in cooking with wine recipes.

Oh, and thanks for the website!

Here's how you post hyperlinks in the threads:

First, replace the ( ) with . I have to put ( ) in, in order for the text to show, if I used it would hyperlink on me.

(a href="www.whfoods.org")World's Healthiest Foods(/a)

This reads:
(Hey This is what I'm referring to="web address")Description of website(/and that's all)

Once you replace the ( ) with you will get:
World's Healthiest Foods

Betty, I posted a new thread about the HTML cheat sheet on the Diet Club main page if you want to check it out.

Betty, I'm not a gourmet cook but I usually lean towards very dry whites as I don't like very sweet wines. My favorite whites are Chateau San Michelle, Clos DuBois (chardonnays) and Ecco Domani (pinot grigio)

Sounds like everyone is doing well, despite a Mother's Day weekend.

Jasmi! Congratulations! You're really truckin' now!

The scale did move for me. Nothing dramatic, but I was at 141 this am. I was hoping for more, but I'll take it. Get this, though: my bustline measurement was down an entire inch from last Tuesday. Waist is down about a quarter inch. Hips about a half inch. Even my thigh is down an eighth. I never lose off my thighs because there isn't much there to work with. All my weight is in my midsection. So, I'm pleased, but I really don't get how I can lose noticeable inches and the pounds still seem to hang on.

I think I'm going to be the tortoise in this fairy tale. SS is sailing along. Jasmi will pass me by tomorrow morning. I can't even try to keep up with Harold. We'll see how it goes with the rest of you, but I know I am in this for life, so I'll take the slow pace. And I don't get sidetracked. I am truly committed to my w.o.e. because I know it's working, my body does not hurt, and I am satisfied. I never have to be hungry on this diet. That's great.

Betty, I experienced low energy for several days when I started on Atkins. That can be a sign that your body is using up all the available glycogen (sugar and starch based energy source in your blood) before it converts over to seeking out lipids (fat) as its primary energy source. There's a low-energy time period until your body goes, "Duh! I can use fat for energy!) and then starts to metabolize the fat. Hang in there. Once that happens, one's energy level usually picks back up very rapidly. But you do have to eat at regular intervals to keep your energy up--don't go more than 6 waking hours without some food intake, or your body can stop metabolizing fat out of fear of starvation. Then your energy will really plummet again. That's no good.

I just finished writing an article on Milton Hershey. Afterward I wanted chocolate. I resisted, but then came here today to find the main conversation centering on, what, but CHOCOLATE! What are you tryin' to do to me! ;P

start date 2/2/09
152/141/119 11 pounds lost

Wow, Ek.. Congratulations. You are melting ..Its just your scale is not being sweet to you. You will probably see a difference in next week or so. I believe as long as you are working out, your body is changing every second, even if the scale doesn't capture that. Don't get discouraged.

My problem areas are my hips and thighs. I do not have any significant fat at the mid section. But when I start working out, I lose all the fat from my mid section first and then the fat from my thighs comes off and finally from hips. So its very tough for me to lose weight over all with just diet . I have to really work out to tone up and lose fat . Anyway, I am not in any hurry. I do not want to starve myself. So I am making sure I eat 1200 calories in a day and then burn 250 calories exercising. For me the most healthy way to lose is to lose around 1 pound by eating small and frequent healthy foods every 2-3 hours, which is of course very tough than just starving yourself on a fad diet.

Coming to "Chocolate " , though I am not a chocolate person, I did end up eating them on this weekend. But hey, I had it in moderation. I think eating food in moderation and working out is the key to lose weight and maintain it too.

By the way, Ek, we both weigh the same as of today and am hoping we both hit 139 at the same time. That would be fun, rt ???

Ek, you've been doing this 13 weeks, right? And you've lost 11 pounds?

That is fabulous!!!

I've been dieting since beginning of December. That's 17 weeks. And somehow I had one week where I lost around 4 pounds. I don't know how it happened, but that's the only way I zoomed ahead. If I hadn't we would be on nearly exactly the same schedule. Don't dispair! I'm plodding along at 1lb a week too. :) I'm looking over my shoulder at Jasmi, she seems to be the hare!

This is so motivating for me, to be among like-minded friends! Thank you all.

Silver , I am pasting the hare and tortoise story here .
One day a hare saw a tortoise walking slowly along and began to laugh and mock him. The hare challenged the tortoise to a race and the tortoise accepted. They agreed on a route and started off the race. The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he'd sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race.

He sat under the tree and soon fell asleep. The tortoise, plodding on, overtook him and finished the race. The hare woke up and realized that he had lost the race.

The moral, stated at the end of the fable, is, "Slow and steady wins the race."

You said I seem to be the "hare ". Does this mean, I am going to lose the race ????

Sorry about the typos, Jasmi. You're doing even better than I thought. Doesn't matter who wins, just so we all finsh the race.

I am just trying to pull Silver's legs. :-)))

Good Morning,
I typed a nice long (as usual) post yesterday afternoon, encouraging and upbeat, addressing everyone. Then DS got home from school, flopped across the bed where I was sitting, stretched those long arms and hit my escape button and killed EVERY WORD!!!!!
Don't you just love that age when they are all arms and legs (don't forget huge feet) and they don't know how to work everything until they finally grow into that strange new body?
When he broke his wrist at a track meet the ER nurse asked him if anyone in his home was hurting him.
I said, "He is 6'2" what do you think?" (His dad is 5'10" and I am 5'4"!) He could easily hurt us if he wanted to!
Anyhoo, back on topic.(Early morning caffine makes me talk a lot!)

Great job everybody!

Thanks all,for the info on the wine.
Silver,I read on the cooking forum that cooking wines were the junk that was so bad they couldn't sell it for drinking, so they sold it as cooking wine. But, being ignorant I didn't know what else to do 'till now. I will check out the links as soon as I finish this post. Thanks so much for the instruction sheet. I will be playing with that soon.
Talking about carrying weight on different body parts, my problem is all over but really bad on my lower half. My legs and ankles are larger. I was at a Mother's Day cookout wearing a mid-calf skirt and sandals and a lady said, "Your foot is swollen". It wasn't swollen, just fat. She was large around her middle, but had the prettiest little legs, ankles, and feet.
Betty

Just finished with the sites you posted for me, Silver.
I added the red/white wine recommendations to my grocery list.
Those recipes at the food/wine site added a couple of lbs just reading them!! Never thought you could add wine to a cake.
I think I will stick to the SB recipes for now.
In the SB book he mentioned a dieter came up with a new soup using everything green in his kitchen. Since I needed more energy and vitamins I said, "Hmm..."
Grabbed a big pot, added some fresh asparagus,green pepper,frozen green beans,sweet peas,few limas,spinach, water, a little red wine and spices. Brought to boil,reduced heat and simmered 'till tender. Added chopped kale and simmered a little more. Added 1 can diced tomatoes,small can of tomato sauce, few drops of soy sauce, and enjoyed a bowlful. Would have added celery, but was out. Yummy! For those of you who aren't allergic to onions and garlic, this would be a powerhouse healthy, tonic-type, food. It may not be to everyone's taste, but I need very healthy stuff right now. Especially since I've abused my body for so long. (Can we all say just a lot of chocolate ice cream for dinner.)
Betty

Oh no Jasmi!!!!! I guess I didn't think very far ahead. :( I forgot there were winners and losers (do you think that's a result of the new "everyone is a winner, we all get ribbons" mentality?). Anyway, I predict you will soon be out in front. That's what I was trying to say :)

Betty your soup sounds very good. I love kale, and it is so good for me! Do you ever cook with bok choy? It's really tasty too, and I like that the white stem and green leaves give two different textures. Very good sauteed with a little sesame oil (I put onion in there too) or in soups.

Glad you found some info you can use. I usually can't drink a whole bottle of wine before it goes bad (DH doesn't drink it) so I use the half bottle of my drinking wine for cooking. But if you don't drink, that doesn't help!!! McManis wine is usually pretty inexpensive and very good too.

Last night I was hungry at around 9pm. Not ignorable hunger. So I bypassed my rice krispie treats and had a square of tofu with soy sauce. One of my favorite snacks, only 60 calories and I get a big portion so I feel satisfied. I know, raw cold tofu probably sounds gross,... but I love it.

Got on the scale this morning (I swear I need a lock on that thing!) and was still at 133. I cannot believe this. I feel like I peeled off the impostor who was wearing my clothes and I can see me again. Ran/walked for 1.5 hours yesterday, then stretched for 1/2 hour. Going to try to go hiking this afternoon.

I had salmon and corn cut off the cob for breakfast (leftovers from last night). Trying to eat dinner for breakfast more often as I heard that's a good way to jump start my metabolism. It's actually not bad. (although I really should not have put so much garlic on it!!! Good thing I have a toothbrush at work so I can remedy it a bit!)

Hi Silver

I am sorry if I sounded rude. I was trying to tease you. Guess I am not good at that.Sometimes, what we type on internet does not sound the way it was Anyway, as you said, there are no losers here. " Everyone is a winner ".

Anyway, you seem to be doing great with your workouts and protein based food.You should hit 125 in no time. I get very motivated from you and Ek, as all we three are of same height and have the same target weights.

Jasmi, not at all. I got your teasing tone :) You and EK motivate me too. I just try to ignore Harold's 2-3lbs a week loss as it infuriates me and makes me crave ice cream!!!

I haven't done cardio in a week. I feel like such a slacker. But I've been walking a lot. My dress slacks that were tight on me last week now fit perfect, so I can actually feel the difference clothes-wise.

Quick question: Where are you carrying your weight? Mine was mostly around my hips, so walking really works for me. I just wonder if "apple" weight would be different/require different exercises to lose than "pear" weight.

Silver
I think walking is the best cardio exercise. I know walking is the best exercise to lose weight and keep it off. This is from my past experience.

It is such a coincidence that you talked about " apple" weight and " pear " weight. Last night I was explaining my husband that I would fall under " Pear " weight category. And it needs lot of hard work for people with pear shaped body to tone up and lose weight because women tend to deposit fat at hips and thighs and its hard to tone up those areas. It is very easy to lose weight if you have fat at the mid section/upper body rather than in the lower section.

If you scroll up the messages in this week's thread, I did talk about my problem areas which are my hips and thighs. When I was pregnant I did not realize I was gaining all the fat around my hips. I hate the way they look. They were always out of shape for me. As far as I know, cycling, walking and elliptical take good care of the fat around the hips and thighs. Also, if we can add lunges( which I never do ) and squats ( which worked great for me in the past ) to our workouts , it tones up and trims those areas.

So dont worry about not doing cardio . Walking is the best and if you can do HIIT in walking and also walk for atleast an hour , you will lose weight faster. I always thought walking is the easiest exercise to do with out getting bored.
From couple of weeks, I have had some problems with my left leg . So I am not able workout in the gym or do any weights. The only thing I am doing is walking. I live in Irvine, CA which is the best city with those walking trails all over the place. For ex, I walked for 4.2 miles on Monday in 1 hour which was pretty good, though it hurt my leg more and made me stay at home yesterday :-)))

By the way , ek is true. I was 140.8 this morning .:-))))
I just hope to be 140 on next Tuesday . No hurries......

Thanks Jasmi! And congratulations on being 140.8. That is really great :)

I live in N. SD County. We could go walking together!!! You start in Irvine, I'll start in Oceanside, we can meet in San Juan Capistrano...

I also gained my pregnancy weight around my hips. And thighs. And I really don't like the way they look at all. It's horrible! Lunges and squats, eh? You slave driver! I hate both of those... but if it were easy everyone would be fit, right?

What is HIIT?

I wish they all could be California
I wish they all could be California
I wish they all could be California girls

Yes, we can walk together:-))))Its just that I workout late at nights starting at 9:00 PM. Thats when I get time for myself. :-))

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. I am pasting some info on this here. You can google and find out more about it. It really really really works.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) or sprint interval training is an exercise strategy that is intended to improve performance with short training sessions. HIIT is a form of cardio which is beneficial to burning fat in a short and intense workout. Usual HIIT sessions may vary from 15Â30 minutes. Most HIIT sessions have a 2:1 ratio in terms of time. For example, for running, a HIIT session may be something as 60 seconds jog, 30 seconds sprint.

A HIIT session consists of a warm up period of exercise, followed by six to ten repetitions of high intensity exercise, separated by medium intensity exercise, and ending with a period of cool down exercise. The high intensity exercise should be done at near maximum intensity. The medium exercise should be about half-maximum intensity. The number of repetitions and length of each depends on the exercise. The goal is to do at least six cycles, and to have the entire HIIT session last at least fifteen minutes and not more than twenty.

HIIT is an excellent way to maximize your workout if you are limited on time.

Hey Guys

Not sure if you guys ever got a chance to use www.mapmywalk.com site. I find it very very helpful. I can't go out far from home hiking or walking on mountain trails. So what I do is just walk on the streets around my apartment complex and then calculate the distance I walked on this site. From past week, I am actually walking in my apartment complex itself for 1 hour. Walking on treadmill is very boring for me.

Ohhh... I know what that is. I do it, but not with timed or anything. Just sprint/run as fast as I can/as much as I can and then walk it off until I can breathe again. :)

I LOVE the map walk! Thank you so so sososososo much. I just mapped my walks and I've been walking much further than I thought I was. The day I thought I walked 5 miles in two hours I really walked 8. I don't know how I did that.

Yeah.. I love that site too. Have funnn...

Okay so I take a day off and look at all I missed!

Trying hard to take it one bite at a time today. I had to make chocolate chip cookies for DH for work today....I had to throw out the dessert I made for my pal on the weekend because my will power was getting sucked out an airplane door with those puppies. I hate wasting food but it was just too much. May the starving children of Africa forgive me! LOL

I have to get on with work...will let you know how I'm doing today a little later.
Cheers,
Peggy

Well it's official. Despite my best efforts, I'm sick with a raging sore throat. I am going to go to the doctor to make sure it's not something like strep because tomorrow is my birthday, and my daughter's 5th grade banquet, and I have been so looking forward to it.

Yesterday, the throat felt better with motrin but today the motrin isn't doing any good. That's a little concerning.

Also I'm bummed about getting off my gym visits. Obviously can't go (didn't go last night) because I don't want to pass this bug around.

Everyone in my office has been sick, bunch of typhoid mary's not staying home when they should have. It's so irritating - even with my hand washing, etc, I still caught something.

But I am NOT going to let it get me down. The minute I feel better, I will get into my routine again. And I plan as much as I can to do some ab work and glut work at home with some of the moves I learned in sculpting class.

Eating right is not a problem. I'm in a good place at the moment, mentally, to make good choices, as I'm seeing my body respond to the good work I'm doing and I don't want to undo it.

Good Morning,
Harold, Before I forget, my Mama had cataract surgery on both eyes. Sailed through both. They wanted her to eat something before she left. She had a problem with things settling on her stomach. The first time she ate a tossed salad and it didn't settle too well on her nervous stomach. The 2nd time she stayed away from the salads and she was fine.
When you recover you can go crazy posting because you will really see them!!
Peg, Smart girl, throwing those goodies away. I worried when I bought DS a gallon of chocolate ice cream (my weakness), but he scarfed it down in 2 days! The starving African children statement brings back memories. When I was growing up I wouldn't let anything green go past my lips. Mama and Daddy tried the starving children line on me. I would excitedly tell them we could box it up (the green veggies)and ship it to them!! I had a smart mouth back then. LOL
Funny because I LOVE green veggies now!
I was sharing with DH this morning that my scales finally dropped some and he told me not to lose too much. When I asked him how much was too much he said he didn't think I should go below 130. Knowing how far I had to go to get remotely close to that number I told him I didn't think there would be any danger of that happening!
SS and Jas, I've never been to the west coast. Would love to see the Pacific Ocean before I die. I'm about 4 hrs from the beach in central Va.
Jas, We've never camped at the beach. Do you rough it (tents) or do you have a camper? My DD and SIL just bought a nice bump-out camper and they want us to go camping with them sometime this summer. She is pregnant and we probably won't make it to the beach this summer. She is huge (in the belly) and miserable and still has to go to the end of July.
Helen and Karen, Don't let us hog this thread. Check in and share your ups,downs, and tips with us.
I think I will have great numbers next week. My scale finally learned how to move backward. Several reasons why: I've been really faithful to my treadmill, doing what Jas and SS said to do with the short spirts of high speed and try to do 1 hr daily, NO cheating on diet, concentrating on lots of healthy veggies, cut out snacking after dinner, and my allergy Rx has a great side-effect of curbing my appetite! I'm going to enjoy it while I can, because I know I will slow back down soon.
SS, I used a little tofu years ago, but never did come to like it. I would cube it and stir fry with veggies.
I really appreciate all of you. When I read how far you've come, I get jazzed up and believe I can do it too.
Have a great day.
Betty

So here are my up and down for today:

DOWN: Went to doctor and IT IS STREP. UGH. Glad I followed my instinct yesterday and stayed home from gym and church. Guess no spinning this week.

UP: Went to doctor and weighed, and their scale said 168! Less than my weight last visit on their scale 3 weeks ago for my physical, at 174!
Also got my lab results from 3 weeks ago.
Total Cholestorol, 196! (down from over 200 a year ago)
LDL: 106 (ok need to nip that in the bud)
HDL: 65 - WAY GOOD!
Blood sugar (not fasting): 91!

She said it was a model lab!

Sorry about the strep!

That is so great about everything else though! Six lbs in three weeks!!??? Wow!

Wow! I can't keep up with all these posts! This is great.

Thanks, Harold. Now I have California Girls in my head and can't shake it. I'm a "Carolina" girl, though, so I guess I need to shake up the lyrics.

I was at 140.0 yesterday morning. That was exciting! Back up to 141 again today, but that's OK. That almost always happens. Just to see the 140 means that it is possible.
Jasmi, you and I are just neck and neck, aren't we?

Trekaren--congrats on those good numbers all around. That's got to be encouraging.

I too am getting a little something--sore throat, woozy head, a little tired. I hope I can beat it, because we are going camping/kayaking on Tuesday-Friday of next week and I do not want to be miserable during that trip!

EK, that's how i felt yesterday. This morning it was a raging throat though, that nothing would help. So go get tested if you get worse.

wow..trekeran, you should be proud of your self. hope you feel much better by the weekend.

Betty, I live very close to Newport beach ..like...15 minutes drive.Most of the time I go to beach, I carry my beach umbrella and chair. I do not have a camper, though. By the way, you are doing great with your workout routine and eating healthy.

Heyyyyy, Ek, I am so happy for you. As I told you, I am just following you to 130s. Though I haven't worked hard this week, I should be hitting 139 some time this month. Lets keep up the spirit and hit that 139 and then ..you know..129....:-))))))))

Okay, guys, my leg is still hurting. I actually bought a indoor walking dvd by Leslie Samsone( 4 miles) yesterday. Lets see if I can get any benefit from it. I get bored very easily with routine workouts..so just hoping to keep up at least the calorie counting this week and hoping to see 140 on my scale this Tuesday.

Betty,
I'm kind of looking forward to getting a new pair of eyeballs. Then maybe I won't have to zoom in 5 or 6 font sizes to read anything on my computer screen. It's going to seem strange because I have been nearsighted for most of my life. I have to put on my glasses as soon as I get up in the morning. The new lenses will correct that. I'll still need reading glasses.

Eklektos, this is for you.

Well east coast girls are hip
I really dig those styles they wear
And the southern girls with the way they talk
They knock me out when Im down there

Let's see if I can make this come through. This is my avatar from my facebook page. It's tongue-in-cheek the look I'm going for, and Harold has brought this on with all his musical encouragement of the last few posts.

{{gwi:1501360}}

Man, I want a waist like that! Who cares if the head is 3 sizes too small!

Oh, I also wanted to say, regarding workouts: if the weather keeps you from going outside, or if you have body pains (nothing serious--just short-term injuries or muscle soreness), I really recommend the Mari Windsor Pilates video for an intense 20-minute basic Pilates workout that gets results fast. My mid and lower abs look noticeably tighter in just 3 days of doing the basic workout, and it works wonders on those little soft spots on the sides of my low hip/upper thigh. (Saddlebags, some people call them, but I prefer not to.) Plus, I have had some low back trouble in the past, and this program really strengthens everything I need to support that low back and keep it in good shape. It's a great program.

ek...I think I have the Mari Windsor Pilates Video for 20 minute basic pilates work out somewhere in my collection. Its time to dig it out. Thanks for reminding. It definitely tones ur legs not sure abt weight loss though.

Good morning,
Karen, take care of yourself and up the vitamin C. I hate strep. Being allergic to most antibiotics I have to go every day for a shot of the only antibiotic I can take. Such a pain. Let's look at the bright side... You may feel too bad to eat and lose a few extra pounds! :) Poor Baby. I'm not trying to make fun of you. Just trying to make you smile.
Jas, 15 minutes from the beach! How awesome is that!!!! We started camping with a tent. Then a friend gave us a good deal on a older pop-up. Nothing fancy, but has air conditioning. The older I get the less I can handle these hot, muggy, sweaty days.
Harold, I know what you mean about the glasses. I take mine off and turn off the light at night , wake up and reach for them first thing in the morning. Otherwise my world is REALLY fuzzy!
Ek, That waist is so tiny I got my magnifying glass out to see it! Encouraging is what Harold does best. Which Carolina are you from? I love both. Our favorite vacation is Nags Head. If it is just the 2 of us we like the off season so we can have the beach to ourselves. Snuck away one New Years and it was GRAND! We were all alone on Pea Island and the sea shells were fantastic!!!! Dh and I have a running contest of who finds the biggest seashell and biggeat piece of sea glass. He ALWAYS wins. One year after a storm I found a gallon vinegar jar washed up and claimed the biggest sea glass for the day!! He said I cheated,but I don't care!! His favorite was when I found a tall wooden step ladder washed up and dragged it forever to reach the truck. Hey, it was already salt treated!
I spent a week in Chapel Hill with my niece last May. Loved the shopping. It's a beautiful town.
We finally made it to Hilton Head year before last with another niece. Even sneaked down to Savannah and had lunch at 'The Lady and Sons' and checked out the beautiful homes while we were there.
I'm dreading starting to work out to tone and tighten. I really need inspiration for that. I can do the treadmill, no problem. But, I don't even want to talk about all of that ab, thigh, etc. I am lazy,lazy.lazy.
I will get off of the treadmill and stand in front of the mirror and do maybe 10 bicep curls, tricep extensions, and side leg raises and that's it.
Hopefully when I lose a little more weight I can get motivated.
I've got this lower stomach thing going on that I've had since I had my hystorectomy 22 years ago. It almost looks like the Dr forgot to bring the muscles back down and sew them back together and they 'pouch' out, for lack of a better word.
My niece says she has the same little area since her cancer operation.
Maybe the Pilates would help with that?
I hope everyone has a great day.
Betty

Well folks, I went to a dinner party and oh boy, did I ever eat ! I ate until I thought I would burst. It was sooooo good. But the good news is, I am only 1.4 lbs up from the other day. I think that will come off in no time. I am back on course and back on track. I know that one day won't be the demise of my journey. It is only a pit stop in a foreign land for me.

It is a lovely day, and I don't have anything pressing that needs doing, so I am going to go for a nice hike up to some bluffs overlooking the river.

Supper for me will be roasted chicken and a nice salad with low cal dressing. The dinner was fun, but the uncomfortable feeling it gave me and the lethargy it brought on made is something I don't care to experience often.

Helen

EK, Harold, you guys are cracking me up!

Helen, I know that feeling well, and lately it has helped me stay on program, even at my Mother's Day lunch. I enjoy myself but am able to moderate, because I can overcome it with the mental imagery of the feeling you're talking about.

Betty, thanks for the good thoughts! I feel much better today. The drugs really are helping. I had been walking as my workout, until this month, when I hit the gym.
I'm trying all kinds of things, but the biggest thing I see is that I am being forced to use muscles that clearly have not been used in years LOL

I'm taking it slowly, low weight, high reps sort of thing, to get going. But Im already seeing a difference and I feel great.

And I'm reminded of the lessons we learned in WW, that lean tissue burns calories more efficiently than fatty tissue. So I keep chanting that to myself in sculpting class, when I feel the burn and want to quit (especially those evil lunges) LOL

Happy Friday Folks!
We're off to the in-laws this weekend - looking forward to the trip. Happy to report my weight has settled back down to 142/143 area. I don't fret over 1/2 pound here/there because I fluctuate a lot with water all the time. That's the extra eating last weekend gone and a wee bit more. It's that woman water holding week for me and now it's moved. I remain the turtle in this journey because it works best for me.
Sorry to hear about the sore throats and bugs going around - sometimes I think of illness as mother nature's weight loss program. Hoping you recover quickly and get back to your normal routines.
Yeah, I don't sweat the odd crazy dinner with friends because deprivation is not a successful way to go. It's just enjoying yourself and then returning to your routine that keeps you on your merry way. Any long term healthy eating plan recognizes these events. It's a part of life. In the long haul, you may find you actually make wiser choices on your plate - mine is always get a salad and water early on in the meal. Bulk up on that first. And I never have room for dessert when eating out so that's not a problem.
I love this thread - you are inspiring. Hugs to all of you to get well and hugs for the power of positive thinking!
Cheers,
Peggy

I actually stepped on the scale today and was at 132. Of course, it went right back up to 134 later in the day. How can I gain and lose 2-4 pounds a day!!!???

Just seeing it there was motivating. I hit exactly 1200 calories today. It's pretty exciting. Usually I go a bit over. Hiked for 2.5 miles, took one hour fifteen minutes. Not too bad considering I haven't been hiking in a week. It's the hills that kill me, with all the sand. It's hard not to fall! Tomorrow will do my usual 3-4 mile sprint walk. I'm actually really enjoying it now. When I started walking I would take my paperback and read while walking slowly. Now I'm running!

I do need to tone up some areas though. Anyone have any good ideas for the thighs???? That's the one spot that's killing me. If I could get rid of that chunk on the side I'd be really satisfied. I heard Pilates above... I need to get out my tape. I'm finding it easier to walk/run though, than to do tapes. I'm just not inspired. (hello? tapes... who has tapes anymore? I meant DVD's. I'm showing my age ;)

Betty, sea shell hunting is my favorite pasttime. It sounds like you and your husband have a really good time :) On mother's day I was super excited to find a handful. The shells here in so cal are nothing like the ones in Hawaii. they're mostly broken and bleached. But it's fun anyway!

Silver, I'll let you know in a couple of weeks how my flabby thighs are doing, but I can tell you this sculpting lady comes up with very creative ways to kick it in my gluts, butt, thighs.