Finally joining in... First of all Bobby, it really sounds like you're going in the right direction. When I read your comments from 6 weeks ago to now, you seem to have evolved to eating in a more sustainable way for the long term. I've been following, but instead of starting with the food, I started with the exercise side. I had been feeling that age and gravity were taking too much of a toll. Now that I've been doing "boot camp" for 1 hour, 3 mornings a week since early December, I can see the changes in toning, but it's still hard to get rid of the gut. My instructor said the best results she sees in people is when they cut out wheat products. So that's my next step. I'm not a big sweet or junk food eater, but I do like my bagels, pasta, croissants, good bread... So my plan is for no predominantly wheat products (not going totally gluten-free). I'm not going to worry about everything, or totally diet (I don't believe that works for the long run). Just going to make one change at a time until it's a lifestyle change. I've heard often that it takes about a month to really change a behavior. And that seems to hold true for me, so first, I'm just going for changing breakfast from a bagel w/cream cheese to oatmeal and banana or yogurt or ?? (Breakfast ideas anyone? I get really hungry after the morning workout!)

Lol Bobby! Keep trying darlin! Eileen, 32 miles is impressive. I wish we had some of your weather right now... Good job Pam! 4.5 pounds that was fast! I think I am only down 6 pounds since the beginning of the year. But I am way healthier and my measurements are showing it. I've lost 2 inches off my waist. My pics from the beginning sickened me, but now my tummy is so much flatter! Great job FOAS (thanks Pam!) keep us informed - hope you get the exercise clearance - what a difference it makes in how you feel. Deanna, how did you survive that day? Sometimes, I think you just have to go with it and do your best. And not beat yourself up over stuff. I read recently that you should eat "clean" 80% of the time at first and the other 20% let yourself eat waht you are craving - so you don't feel deprived. There are so many darn theories out there, it confuses me. "Eat more! If you don't your metabolism slows down in starvation mode..." "The only way to lose weight is with a calorie deficit - you're eating too many calories and not working out enough!" "You're working out TOO hard - you need to lighten up a bit and let your body repair!" "All you need to do is WALK - just move." "You have to have variety in your activities - otherwise your body adapts and plateaus..." "Get all the junk food out of your house - no more junk!" "Allow yourself cheats or you will binge" sheesh. No wonder nobody can lose weight. Who was it that posted the food journal on the Daily Plate? I started using it and am curious to see if I had been eating too many calories ...or if my proportions were off (protein-carbs-fats). It is a cool site and I am enjoying entering things in and keeping track. At least it makes me more aware. I can't eat a handful of almonds 6 times a day - even if they are good for me - lol. Stacy

Thanks for the encouragement Sherry. My body is still hanging on to weight like grim death. It's certainly not coming off as quickly as the first 10 did. I've been lifting weights aggressively 3x a week, so I'm certain it's muscle gain. I'm paying less attention to the scale now, and more attention to my measurements, which continue to reduce, so that's more important than the scale. dedtired, what's up? Are you taking a break, or throwing in the towel completely? I hope it's not frustration that's making you throw in the towel. Or if you fell off the wagon, because you can get right back up there again. I made a dozen cupcakes with buttercream frosting, for DS's birthday on Sunday. I'm so proud that I only ate one. But there have been 3 leftover ones sitting under the cake dome since Sunday and I'm tempted to throw them in the trash so that I don't have to look at them any longer. I made some lovely beef vegetable soup with bulgur last night. We had leftover rib steaks from the weekend, and they made a wonderful soup. So filling, and less than 200 calories a bowl. The last of the leftover steak went into my egg white omelette this morning, with red peppers and onions, and filled with 2 tablespoons of Annie's salsa. Huge breakfast for less than 300 calories. Who said dieting had to be hard? :-)

I know my daughter who has had two blood clots and takes blood thinner should not drink green tea. Here is part of an article I found: People with heart problems, kidney disorders, stomach ulcers, and psychological disorders (particularly anxiety) should not take green tea. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also avoid green tea. Possible Interactions If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, you should not drink green tea or take green tea extract without first talking to your doctor: Adenosine. Green tea may inhibit the actions of adenosine, a medication administered in a hospital setting for an irregular (and usually unstable) heart rhythm. Antibiotics, beta-lactam. Green tea may increase the effectiveness of beta-lactam antibiotics by reducing bacterial resistance to treatment. Aspirin . Green tea and aspirin should not be mixed because they both prevent platelets from clotting. Using the two together may increase your risk of bleeding. Benzodiazepines. Caffeine (including caffeine from green tea) has been shown to reduce the sedative effects of benzodiazepines (medications commonly used to treat anxiety, such as diazepam and lorazepam). Beta-blockers, propranolol and metoprolol. Caffeine (including caffeine from green tea) may increase blood pressure in people taking propranolol and metoprolol (medications used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease). Blood Thinning Medications . People who take warfarin, a blood thinning medication, should not drink green tea. Since green tea contains vitamin K, it can make warfarin ineffective. (See also the aspirin listing, above.) Chemotherapy. The combination of green tea and chemotherapy medications, specifically doxorubicin and tamoxifen, increased the effectiveness of these medications in laboratory tests. However, these results have not yet been demonstrated in studies on people. On the other hand, there have been reports of both green and black tea extracts stimulating a gene in prostate cancer cells that may cause them to be less sensitive to chemotherapy drugs. Given this potential interaction, people should not drink black and green tea (as well as extracts of these teas) while receiving chemotherapy for prostate cancer in particular. Clozapine. The anti-psychotic effects of the medication clozapine may be reduced if taken less than 40 minutes after drinking green tea. Ephedrine. When taken together with ephedrine, green tea may cause agitation, tremors, insomnia, and weight loss. Lithium. Green tea has been shown to reduce blood levels of lithium (a medication used to treat manic/depression). Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) . Green tea may cause a severe increase in blood pressure (called a "hypertensive crisis") when taken together with MAOIs used to treat depression. Examples of MAOIs include phenelzine and tranylcypromine. Oral contraceptives. Oral contraceptives can prolong the amount of time caffeine stays in the body and may increase its stimulating effects. Phenylpropanolamine. A combination of caffeine (including caffeine from green tea) and phenylpropanolamine (an ingredient used in many over-the-counter and prescription cough and cold medications and weight loss products) can cause mania and a severe increase in blood pressure. The FDA issued a public health advisory in November 2000 to warn people of the risk of bleeding in the brain from use of this medication and has strongly urged all manufacturers of this drug to remove it from the market