Good morning Ladies - here it is Memorial Day morning and all my holiday activities are over. Had all the family (all eight of us) together Thursday Friday and Saturday to celebrate my mom's 79th. I was reviewing my quiktrak today and I'm not feeling very optimistic about my next weigh in, which is supposed to be today (which coincidentally is probably the first day of my period). Maybe I'll just eat a few carrots here and there until 5 (and then find out they're not doing the weigh in because of the holiday). This will be the end of my fourth week on the plan. One thing I have noticed was that in my "honeymoon" first couple of weeks of WW, I had rediscovered what it felt like to be somewhat hungry, and that it didn't kill me. In the last week or so, I haven't been letting myself get hungry. I know it's not good to get so hungry we can't control our eating, but I need to get back to being able to tolerate low level hunger without panicking. I want that honeymoon glow back! OK, I'm done whining - hope you all are doing better and have a day of sunshine ahead.

Good morning everyone! I realize that it's the 19th and this thread goes through the 18th, but I didn't want to be the one to start a new one. I guess it's been close to a year since I've been here, at least it seems like a long time. I just sort of surfed in yesterday and read some of the posts and decided that this week should be the time for me to get back with the program. I'm not happy with my weight and all my clothes are tight. I refuse to buy a larger size so I'm uncomfortable! I usually have no will power in the Summer, and the Fall is when I feel motivated to get in shape. I guess I'm just getting started earlier this year. I use the WW program although I've never been a certified member and never been to a meeting. I really like the points system and feel that it helps me make healthier choices since I'm usually a junk food person. My co-worker and I recently moved into our new offices and we have a full kitchen, so I plan to stock it with healthy, low point foods. I've been picking up a cinnamon roll every morning on the way to work for breakfast. This morning I'm going to buy oatmeal - only 2 points for a bowlful! Yes! Maybe I'll get some fruit and carrots too. It's good to see all of you here!

Ruthie, been thinking about your plateau a lot. Some random thoughts: Last time in WW, I set my goal at 145. What happened? I stopped right there. I do not know why but it set a mental block in my mind that anything past that was not achievable. (You know they always say it's just the 'lifetime' goal but you can go further if you want). So this time they also wanted to set 145, but I asked them to make my LT 141 :-) Just figured once I get there I'll need that extra push. So here I started at 170, I'm currently at ~162, feel way better although NOWHERE near how I feel when I"m at LT goal. After reading your thoughts, I thought about myself. So for me what's the diff between 145 and 135 that might give me my own internal push to hit the next 'goal'? I think 145 to me means somewhere between a 10 and a 12. 135 would mean a solid 10! So for me, to push myself past that mental wall, I am going to set a size goal and not a weight goal. That way my mind wont play tricks on my weight!!! Ruthie, hope my random thoughts help you to evaluate what type of 'goal' you can define that will mean the difference of getting past the wall. I mean "passing 145" isnt really enough of a goal - at least so far it hasnt worked for you. But maybe a size goal? Maybe a weight goal? Maybe an exercise goal? You just need a new goal!!!! Maybe a weekly goal. "By this time next week I will do ______". That way you do it in weekly increments. At least you'll have something defined to shoot for!! Hope this is helpful.

foodonastump - There are technical differences between whole grain (or wholegrain, or whole-grain) and whole wheat, in accordance with the laws that dictate such things, when you talk about commercial "whole wheat" flour and labeling. And to add to the confusion, there is also "whole wheat" flour called whole meal or unbolted flour, and graham flour. Most of these names have been used interchangeably for "whole wheat flour". For all practical purposes, because these commercial flours have a certain percentage of the whole grain in it, by law it can be called "whole wheat". "The original "Definitions and Standards for Food Products" published by the Department of Agriculture specified Graham flour as "unbolted wheat meal" and further described meal as "the clean sound product made by grinding grain." This means nothing added and nothing taken away. Graham flour was also a coarse flour, instead of being milled into the superfine flour most flours are milled today. This definition would exclude the reconstituted whole wheat flour products by modern roller mill factories." Bolted flour (or reduced bran flour) is whole wheat flour that has about 80% of its bran sifted off. Some "whole wheat" flour is nothing more than white flour (bran and germ removed) with some of the bran raked back into it to make it "brown", which occasionally is directed by law to meet these standards, to give the flour longer shelf-life without refrigeration. The wheat germ oil quickly oxidizes once the grain is milled into flour and the oil goes rancid quickly. The bran is the "coat" that protects all of this from happening to grain. Once that bran is cracked/shattered, the oxidizing starts to degrade the oils and the nutrients in the grain within 3-hours of milling. In some instances, commercial whole wheat flour is processed like white flour, with the bran and germ separated from the endosperm. Then bran, germ, and white flour are recombined according to some standard formula. This gives the flour consistent results in baking and flavor. This flour is NOT 100% whole wheat flour. King Arthur and Hodgson Mills mill their whole wheat flours from the whole grain into 100% whole wheat flour, nothing removed and nothing added. This is also known as 100% extraction. Then you can get into speciality flours like Irish Wholemeal Flour, which is a coarse grind of American whole wheat flour. It can often be milled from a soft wheat, or low-protein wheat, which is a traditional wheat variety used for making scones and quick breads, without as much gluten in it as in high-protein hard wheat flours. The endosperm can be milled into a fine flour, but the bran and germ milled into a coarse grind and the 3 recombined to certain specifications. All commercial flours are milled from a combination of wheat with different protein levels to give it a standardized protein level. Within the same field you can have wheat that is 14-16% protein, and in an area where it gets run-off water and sits in too much rain water, or it gets a bit of shade from trees, it might be 8-9% protein. So the protein level is based on a mixture of wheat proteins. -Grainlady