I would like to add a vote for the South Beach Diet. I've lost 14 lbs and hubby has lost much more. (of course) This must be an unsettling time for you, I'm sorry your pain. Now you have this major adjustment, not fun at all. The good news is, this board is visited by many helpful and friendly people. I don't post often, but I thought I could help. This blog, www.kalynskitchen.com, is a great resource for low glycemic (won't mess with your blood sugar) recipes! One of my favorites: White Bean and Artichoke Dip with Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips (Makes about 2 cups of dip, recipe from Cooking New American.) 6-8 whole wheat flour tortillas (can also use pita bread) olive oil for brushing on tortillas (I used a mister) salt for sprinkling on tortillas (I used Vege-Sal) 1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans 1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts (I used artichoke bottoms which have hearts only, no leaves) 1 small clove garlic, chopped (about one tsp. chopped garlic) 2 T fresh lemon juice 2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on top 3 T freshly grated parmesan cheese 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary (I used frozen rosemary, if you only have dried rosemary be sure it's completely crushed) salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste sweet paprika, for garnish Preheat broiler and get out a large cookie sheet for toasting tortilla chips. Brush or spray each flour tortilla with olive oil, then cut into triangles. Arrange in single layer on cookie sheet and toast under the broiler, about 3-4 minutes per side. Watch them carefully, because they get too dark rather quickly. Chips will seem soft when you take them out of the oven, but they harden and crisp as they cool. Drain beans into colander and rinse well, until no foam remains. Let drain at least 5 minutes. Drain artichokes. In food processor, combine beans, artichokes, garlic, and lemon juice and blend until fairly smooth. Keep food processor motor running and add the olive oil in a stream. Add parmesan, and finely chopped fresh rosemary and pulse about 10 times to blend. Season dip to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper. Place dip in a serving bowl, sprinkle with a small amount of paprika and drizzle over a small amount of olive. Arrange tortilla chips around bowl and serve. This printable recipe from KalynsKitchen.com. Another favorite website is skinnytaste.com. Chicken Piccata Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes 2 (16 oz total) chicken cutlet halves, all fat trimmed freshly ground black pepper 2 large egg whites 2/3 cup seasoned whole wheat dry bread crumbs olive oil spray (about 1 tbsp worth) 1 tbs light butter juice of 1 lemon, lemon halves reserved 1/4 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup fat free chicken broth 1 tbsp capers Sliced lemon, for serving Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving Cut chicken into 4 cutlets, then place cutlets between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. In a shallow plate, beat the egg whites and 1 teaspoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs in another plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the egg, then bread crumbs. Heat a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Spray a generous amount of olive oil spray on one side of the chicken, and lay it in the pan, oil side down. Spray the top of the chicken generously to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Set aside until you make the sauce. For the sauce, clean the saute pan. Over medium heat, melt butter, add the lemon juice, wine, chicken broth and the reserved lemon halves, salt, and pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Discard the lemon halves, add the capers and serve one chicken cutlet on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley. I truly hope you are able to turn this around and get your heart healthy. Sissy

thanks Linda. No, I don't have any before and after pictures because I'm not 'after' yet, I'm only half way to my target weight. Then there is the every day job of maintaining it. Also, I don't know how to post pictures :~) Mush:"...It takes awhile and lots of patience to discover what causes you problems and what you can eat to stay feeling good..." I vow, truer words were never spoken. My Dr said it took him 40 years to find out what works for him, and he drinks two big glasses of instant breakfast every morning! ( first ingredient? sugar.) I'd be 310 if I tried that. Every body is different. What works for me is to eliminate any kind of sweetener, some protein each time I eat along with some healthy oil because it keeps you satisfied for such a long time in addition to the other health benefits. Everything I eat I want it to be nutrient dense. So that means the most vivid colors I can eat in fruits and veggies, add healthy nuts, avocados, olives. Funny how your tastes really do change, and what used to look good just looks like super glue for the veins now...and doesn't even look like it would taste good. The smell of food was my biggest obstacle. Fried foods, sweet foods, they smelled wonderful. That doesn't bother me too much any more, as long as I'm not past due to eat. Everyone just has to find their own way. Normal people can moderate amounts of not-so-good stuff. I can't. I guess that is an all or nothing kind of personality. My Dr is addicted to exercise so can eat more freely. That just isn't going to happen for me in this life. I hate it, always have, always will. Nasty stuff, exercise. Blaugh!! j

I was diagnosed with varicose veins about four years ago, don't recall how, as I don't have much if anything showing on my legs. I've had blue veins on my feet for quite some time, but they don't seem large. They prescribed a diuretic to reduce some of my water. Anyway, they felt that I needed some vein reduction, so I was slated for a series of four shots, using MRI to guide the needle carrying a foamy stuff that was to shrink the vein. After the first shot, I was to walk for a half hour, and two half-hour walks daily for two weeks. On the day after the last one, I did one half-hour walk, and on the next day another. On the following morning, I was wakened early by a pain in my chest. I could take a small intake of breath without trouble, and when I pulled in a little more, there was some pain, which increased as I pulled in more, until I couldn't stand it. Thinking that I needed to do something, without delay, I headed for the living room ... but, first things first, of course, visited the bathroom ... and, while sitting on the john, found that I could breathe without pain. So - back to bed ... but couldn't breathe there without pain! Didn't have handy the 800-number of the consulting nurse, so called police, they gave me hospital number, they gave me nurse's number. Called it, we had a discussion covering various aspects ... did I have pain all the time, had I had it for 5 min., etc., she said the decision was up to me, but she recomm. calling 9 1 1, I said that I didn't like to dispute an expert's testimony, but (sitting upright and having no pain) I didn't think that it was that bad, so she said that I should go to a hosp. emergency room, I agreed. Sun. morning, I had some veggies to take to a couple of churches, had some tomatoes unpicked that were near death, I figured that whatever didn't get taken to church that morning were dead, so picked some, paying close attention to what my body was doing. It has spoiled me, over the years, seldom, gives me trouble over anything that, within reason, I ask of it: rarely tells me, "Listen, you darned old fool - I can't do that for you, any more!". Dropped the veggies off at two churches, at 10:30 the choir and minister ready to process up the aisle of the second when I went in, I went to hosp. emerg. After checking in, I sat for some time, was taken to a cubicle about 2 ... so figured that I should have signed in, then gone back to church. They did an X-ray and some tests, including of blood, plus MRI, I think, and I sat for some more time, a nurse came in about 7, saying that they had found something in my blood, and gave me a shot, telling me that I should give myself some for several days, with a nurse to come to my home the next day to get me started, and with several blood thinness tests. Also told that I was to go on pill-style blood thinner, Warfarin, and have been on it since, with tests of blood thinness, about every two-three months. Scheduled a CT-scan the next day. When the folks who'd done the shrinking of the veins heard of it, they took no time at all in cancelling the other three slated vein-shrinking sessions: convenience is one thing; life-threatening is another! Seldom have needed adjustments in dosage for upwards of a year and a half or so, and it's to be the third anniversary of the blood clots in the lungs late this coming September. If cut or scratched, I bleed a little more than I used to, but nothing of consequence ... thus far, at least ... but haven't had a major cut with which to deal. I'm still on the diuretic pill for the veins that I began using well before the clot trouble. I've had next to no reduction in lifestyle since those problems - for which I'm very thankful. I said on here some time ago that I hoped that, if I were on the Warfarin for a long time, that I wouldn't start looking like a rat ... ... and one of the habitués here said that her Dad had been on it for (5+?) years ... and they hadn't seen any sign of a tail sprouting, thus far. Having some osteo-arthritis, my doc put me on Glucosamine Sulfate, that I've been using for over a year ... and it has helped my arm movement substantially. ole joyful

practigal-oddly enough, I have pretty much completely given up the diet pop and the issues are worse than ever. I'm still on the hunt for figuring out why I am having so many issues. Oddly enough, a Workmans Comp agent called me today (I have an open case due to a minor fall in the field) and she noted she may have connected the dots that the further issues I've had (the MRSA, and the blood clot) may be related to the fall-since they occurred right after. So who knows how that will all work out-it is rather curious-but with the lymphedema that I have, all it would do is to take a scratch and infection sets in-and who knows, maybe the fall could have triggered a clot. The gout-if indeed that is what it is, could also have been triggered.