Sugar Shakers - Sugar Busters Weekly Support Board 2/3-2/9

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This is the
SUGAR BUSTERS WEEKLY SUPPORT BOARD where all of you who are following this WOE, or are thinking about doing so, are welcome to come join in and be a part of our wonderful group.

Other than finding support and friendship on this board, we also try to do something during the the week to add a little difference to our board.

MONDAY-MOTIVIATIONAL MONDAY
TUESDAY-TUESDAYS TIPS & FACTS & CHAT AT 9:15PM EST
WEDNESDAY-WEIGH-IN WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY-THURSDAY RECIPE DAY
FRIDAY-FRIDAY FUNNIES


Please take some time to check out our extensive recipe boards. Our RECIPE BOARDS can be located at the link below:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=89


We have SEVEN INFORMATIVE BOARDS!!!! Please take a few minutes to visit them! New information is continually being posted, so please make sure you visit them often!!! The boards are listed below as well as the link that will take you to the boards:

THE RECOMMENDED READING BOARD
THE TOOLS & TIPS BOARD
THE FOOD INFORMATION BOARD
MOTIVATIONAL & INSPIRING THOUGHTS BOARD
MY FAVORITE SB LEGAL FOODS
SB 2002 BIO BOARD
SB 2001/2002 PHOTO ALBUM BOARD

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=87

We also have a SB WEEKLY EXERCISE BOARD that you can log your daily/weekly exercises on which is located on our weekly support board:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24464

Then there's our latest addition to the SB BOARDS which is called OFF THE EATEN PATH This board is for everything NOT related to SB. You can use this board to post questions or comments on just about anything (okay, within reason). A book you recommend, a cleaning tip, a great website deal, etc. etc. Here's the link:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=90


NEWBIES! (aka new members) If you would like to REPLY to any of our threads, please hit POST REPLY not NEW THREAD, then type your message in and hit SUBMIT REPLY. If you need to edit your reply, just click on edit located in the body of your post and make changes as you need to, then hit SUBMIT NOW.


WELCOME! :D

http://members.aol.com/debelli/welcome_bear.gif

GOOD MONDAY MORNING EVERYONE!

Will post my usual morning post sometime later, but wanted to make sure I got our
MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY done early in the morning, so here's my contribution for MM, I think they are all good, and I hope you read them and in between the lines as well:)


http://members.aol.com/debelli/monday_morning_thought.jpg

SMALL STEPS TO BIG GOALS

If you have trouble achieving the big goals, then break them down into smaller, more manageable goals. If you have trouble getting to work on the small goals, remind yourself of the bigger goals and purposes to which they lead.

The big goals are what will drive you, motivate you, and compel you to go forward. The smaller goals are what will actually move you steadily there.

When you have a big reason to take a small step, you're much more likely to find a way to take that step no matter what. String those small steps together and they'll add up to the big, important achievements you so earnestly desire.

Any accomplishment can be broken down into steps so small as to seem trivial. But put them all together, and the results are anything but trivial.

Keep putting one foot in front of another, and you can walk a thousand miles or even more, as long as you're motivated enough to keep going. Stay focused on those big goals, while persistently working through the small, day-to-day goals, and anything is within your reach.

-- Ralph Marston


**************
"The journey is the reward."

-_Chinese Proverb
********************

How are you going about achieving your goal?_ Is it with a smile
on your face or are you grumbling the whole way to your goal?_ If
it is the latter, how does this affect your long-term happiness?
Think about it._ If you hate every moment of making your dream
come true, then are you really going to be happy once you reach
your goal?_ Plus, if you are so miserable striving for your goal
what are the odds are you are actually going to follow through on
your goal?_ In other words, is your attitude towards your goal
sabotaging it?_ Take a step back and make sure that the goal you
are pursuing is the one you actually want._ If you are on fire
for your goal, then the success journey will be a quest for
personal growth and achievement and not just a trial of
endurance._ However, it is up to you to make your success journey
an enjoyable one._ Focus on your happiness by reminding yourself
often of why you want to achieve your goal and reward yourself
for each milestone.

by Edel Jarboe
*****************

Have a wonderful day, and a fabulous week!!!!!

Debbie
194/1??/129
SB since 3/22/00
Reached goal 6/10/01

Here's a quickie Monday Morning greeting!

I hope you all have a wonderful day today. It's the start to a brand new week and there's all sorts of possibilities ahead of us. Come on, friends, there's weight to be lost. So let's get busy. Tonight when you post, be proud of your efforts today. Think about how great it will feel to say you stayed on the wagon and have nothing to feel guilty about.

I was up on the scale this morning. Makes no sense, except perhaps my water intake wasn't enough yesterday. Not to worry. Nothing that a good trip to the bathroom won't fix! LOL! I have my dr's appointment today. Am eager to see what I weigh on her scales. But I won't be upset if it's not down. I know that I'm doing the right thing. It will just take time.

DEB, I love the poll this week. Interesting question.

Later,
Kim

MORNING ALL YOU LOSERS!!!!


Just want to question the poll......TROJAN...a condiment? The only one I've ever seen is a CONDOM????? Must be a northern thing!
;)

I'm at work so this will be brief...just want to second what Kim said. Everyone be accountable.....

Have a good day....

BOB

Good Monday Morning.

Hope everyone is ready to jump into this week and have a great OP week and see some losses this week.

I mentioned Friday that we were having dinner with a friend at their country club Saturday night. Was I mistaken. First off, DH wanted to go to church Saturday night. We didn't want to go to our regular mass on Sunday b/c it was scout Sunday and it takes forever. So at 4:30 he jumps up and says get ready. I really didn't have enought time as I wanted to take time to get ready for the dinner as one of the couples going I haven't seen for a long time and she dresses to the nine's. So I hurried and got ready and off to church we went. After church instead of going to these people's house, Dh went home first saying he needed some asprins. By this time I'm getting annoyed, thinking we are going to be late. The girl had told me her son was having friends over so I didn't think anything of all the cars and it was dark too. I go in and she says I want to show you something come here a minute and proceeds up to the kitchen. Well, the lights come on and about 65 people yell Surprise!. They had planned this party for my 50th birthday (which I was trying to forget about)/ Talk about surprised. I truly had no idea whatsoever. My nieces and nephews were there, friend from work, my best friend from high school, plus all the friends that we normally run around with. We karoke'd all night and had a ball. I had waay to much wine and was slow moving yesterday. I got so many nice gifts and only 1 or 2 of those "over the hill" things. I did have one sandwich on a bun that was illegal, but I never ate any cake or the other desserts there. So I was glad. I was worried how I was going to avoid eating it and not hurting the guys feelings that made it. I don't think anyone noticed that I didn't have any.

Yesterday was a lazy day mostly. Went and bought window shades with DD for her new house. SIL 2B will move in this weekend.

Enought about me, on to you.

Bob, hope that WM doesn't cost an arm and leg.

Deb, I'm not a good proofreader. Glad I made you laugh. Hope you are back on track today. You must exorcise that sugar demon that possessed you. :devil:

Quilter, My heart just broke for you reading how depressed you were. Boy your DH was so sweet. Mine would run the other way. Don't worry, you are going to do it this time. I can tell from the attitude you have. It takes time. Enjoy yourself along the way. That really helps. Love what you are doing for you. Deb's MM is so true.

Fillise, Hope your conference was a good one.

Got to run to a meeting. Sorry I didn't get to everyone. Hugs and kisses to all.

Jackie

QUILTER--I really like what you said this morning about us being proud of our efforts and staying on the wagon. It's a new day and a new week and I definately need a new start!

I had a really bad week last week. I can't shake this darn cold and then DS who also had a cold developed an ear infection last week. I thought I was getting better Saturday night, but then Sunday morning I felt like I had taken a step or 2 backward. I have to take DS to the doc today for a follow-up, so I'll get the doc to check me out too. The cough I have is coming from deep down, not like the usual tickle like thing in the throat. I don't want it to develop into something really serious.

So, since I was sick last week, I really wasn't in the mood for cooking or eating much. What I did fancy eating was definately NOT OP. I made DH's fave--corn chowder. Main ingredients are corn and potatoes! :yikes: I had a real :ink: fest--chips, chocolate, pop! I rarely have pop and had a can of it nearly every night!

It just makes no sense. I know what I should be doing--I just don't do it. I can make up every excuse in the book. I guess the one good thing is that I recognize I'm doing the wrong thing and get back up and try again.

So here I am, once again, STARTING OVER. I really liked DEBELLI's MM about taking small steps to get to the larger goal. It makes so much sense. Those of you who are familiar with the Flylady will know about the 15 minute timer and how much can be accomplished in a short period of time. I'm going to have to take my day a little bit at a time.

Let's all do like QUILTER said: let's stay on the wagon and be proud of what we accomplished today!

BOB--I've only heard of TROJAN as a condom too! Never heard of it as a condiment way up north here!

Have a good day everyone!:grouphug:

We were posting at the same time.

How WONDERFUL that your friends had a party for you and a big SURPRISE at that. Sounds like you did ok with your eats. You only had what was there to work with cause you had planned on ordering OP at the country club. And you're probably right--with all those people there, no one probably noticed you didn't have any cake or desserts.

Glad you had a nice evening!

Morning all! Belle and I are cuddled up in front of the computer reading the morning's news and sipping coffee.

Last night I put all the stuff in my breadmachine and set the timer before I went to bed. I didn't know how it would work since the water in the recipe is supposed to be 110 degrees (f). When I got up this morning I had a gorgeous loaf of bread waiting for me! This is the best loaf yet. It was nice waking up to the smell of baking bread. I had 1/2 grapefruit and PB on a slice of bread for breakfast this morning. Yum.

BOB--I'm with you on the Trojan!!!! Now I'm having these mantal pcitures of Trojan as a condiment EEEEEUUUUUUUWWWWWWWW!:eek:

Zanne--goodness, I hope you can shake that cold soon. It's the season for the lingering ickies!!!! Sorry they got you.

Jackie--What a great surprise! I'm sure you had a great birthday--as for being 50--enjoy it! Do something nice for yourself and embrace your age. I subscribe to a magazine called "More." It's for women over 40 and I really enjoy it--a good reminder that women over 40 are beautiful, smart, wise, funny, and less insecure about things than we were in our 20s and 30s.

Kim--I'll take you up on that challenge! Let's go get'em!

I hope everyone has a good week.

Susan

Jackk - I did not know it was your birthday, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Meanwhile, I got all mushy reading about the surprise, that was so wonderful!!!!!! And, to think you were getting annoyed with DH, hahaha!!! too funny!!!!

Quilter - I am on the wagon with you, holding on tight! I am proud of myself because not only did I hold on tight, I did not even over indulge on the legal items I had the house stocked with.....

BOB - Good Morning!!!!! Skeeter is a cutey, even if he did turn away from the camera!!!!

Fillise - Oh that sounds so wonderfully yummy and perfect for winter - hot fresh bread!!!! I have not had any breakfast, so I will nibble a brown rice cake I bought at the health food store....but dream of your breakfast :)

Zanne - I sure hope you get to feeling better....I know it is rough trying to kick these super bugs we are exposed to these days!

Well better get busy - Sabrina

When my husband was in Navy boot camp, his company commander used to say to the men:
inch by inch, it's a cinch; yard by yard it's hard.
I have found that to be true. :)

Monday Morning

We had a terrible storm here this weekend that started late Saturday night. We woke up on Sunday morning to freezing rain and everything had a sheet of thick ice on it. Sunday school was cancelled and then morning service. This is a big deal in our family since hubby is a Pastor...not often we get to sit around on a Sunday and lounge. That is just what we did. Played with the kids, watched a Bible video, I did my Avon order and just relaxed. Evening service was then cancelled and it was a very odd feeling Sunday indeed. Our daughter held a *Sunday school* class for us with Bible Story and a craft that all of us did..it was very sweet. Today school was cancelled because the hail/sleet turned into snow and now we have lots more snow over the sheet of ice. My goodness it is nasty out there. Our poor trees are all bent over with the weight of the ice and snow so we are hoping we don't lose them. Anyways...that is my weather report for New Brunswick!

I lost another pound over the weekend and am feeling really great. My motivation is UP and I am so thankful for it.

JACK-K- Your surprise birthday sounds wonderful. Glad you had a great time and stayed basically legal. You are 50 years old now but considering you have lost over 90lbs in this past year I bet you are looking fantastic and better than you did when in your 40's! Be positive about it girl. Not many 50 year olds can prance around in Size 8 jeans like you are!!!

QUILTER- I can relate to your blues because I have gone through them countless times in the past. Even now, so close to goal I still wonder why I keep struggling on. Like MONET said, sometimes I just want to enjoy my food and eat what I want. Then reality strikes and I remember how miserable I was when I was 60 lbs heavier than I am now and think about how far I have come. Whatever amount you have already lost, just think about how much better it is for you NOW than it was when you were at your heaviest. I know I will always struggle but I want to struggle around my goal weight so I will keep going...and so will you! You will do it and you have such a supportive hubby to help you along. Regarding self esteem....your esteem should come from who you are in Christ. You are a Christian and He loves you, He died for you...rest in that fact. Live to bring glory to Him and *that* will help motivate you to eat well. That helps me a lot when I go through the valley of wanting to just eat. {hugs} Don't mean to preach but hey, can't help it sometimes! ;)

FILLISE- Oh my, your bread sounds yummy. I can almost smell it!

BOB- What kind of dog is Skeeter? He looks like a daschund kind of but toffee coloured.

ZANNE- Sorry you and your son are feeling awful. I hope you can get fixed up quick.

FRUIT- Yes, those weekends can ruin a week long of being good but I stayed on the wagon 100% this weekend...I am determined! Thanks for the encouragement with my Avon. I am enjoying it thus far so I hope it lasts!

I better get going. I have a mountain of laundry to fold.

TRANQUIL- We posted the same time. Congrats on staying on plan all weekend!! We sure do need to support each other in this because it is hard to do. It will pay off for you on WIW.

DAWN- So true. Baby steps will get us there without feeling overwhelmed. Excellent reminder for when things are going slow.

Good morning everyone. Thanks for the well wishes about being sick. It was the strangest thing. Lasted about 12 hours and then I was feeling much better. Wish I could have said the same about my eating. Send the wagon my way, folks. It started with a Dr. Pepper on Thursday, then another, then another. It was downhill from there. Back on track this morning, though. Gosh I hate saying that; not that I hate being back on track but why do we jump off in the first place. We know what it does to us, how it makes us feel. Why can't we just stay put. Aaaarrrrrgggghhhh!!!

Saturday morning we took Seth to the middle school for band tryouts. Well, not really tryouts, just letting them try different instruments to see what they might like. He really wants to do percussion, but you do have to try out for that because so many kids want to do that. The teacher was so sweet and helpful. He tried trombone and trumpet and actually did pretty well with both. If he doesn't make percussion he'll probably do trombone. Joe played trombone in high school and is thrilled. Also, he'll probably end up with braces on this teeth pretty soon and the teacher said that trombone is easier to adjust to.

When we came home, we saw the news. So very tragic. I know this is petty and I'm certainly not making light of the situation, but why oh why does the news have to pick the most ignorant looking people they can find to interview when they are talking to people in the South. I kept waiting for one of them to spit out a wad of tobacco on national TV. I promise, everyone from Texas is not like that. Lyn, back me up here.

Deb - Sorry I missed you Saturday. Seth was spending the night with a friend so Joe and I took advantage and went to dinner. You're going to have to explain the Trojan thing.

Jack-K - How cool was that to have a party thrown for you. Sounds like you have a great hubby and a terrific group of friends.

Quilter - You are doing so great. I know how you feel and good for you for recognizing it and getting it out there. That's half the battle.

Tranquil - WTG staying on plan all week-end. You should come to Texas and kick my sorry behind.

Fillise - What a great idea having warm bread to wake up to. It's supposed to get cold again here this week, so I might do the same thing.

Zanne - Hop on the wagon with me.

Gracious - Yikes, be careful with all that ice around. It can really be dangerous. Sounds like you really enjoyed your day. Even the pastor needs a day to rest every now and then.

Sorry if I missed someone. It's another crazy Monday. Have a good one everyone!

Trish

JACKIE....I won't rush your BIG 50....it will get here soon enough! It's not so bad...I didn't have a meltdown or anything...
But so glad you got a party...it really helps...I had a party all day
and after work....friends make it easier....Don't dispair....it only happens ONE TIME ;)

GRACIOUS....Skeeter is a red doxy...has way too much gray and
it has really changed his color....

BACK TO WORK

BOB

Zanne- I know exactly how you feel- I really blew it this weekend- I had chips,white bread, chocolate, and ice cream- and too much of it. I knew the scale would be up, but never would I have thought it would be up 6 pounds!! I know most of it is water retention, but it still sucks. I get disgusted with myself when I sabatoge my WOE like this. I feel so weak,guilty, etc. All I can tell you is that today is a new day, a new start. Pick yourself up and give it another go. We're only human and mistakes are bound to happen,lol. Okay guys, I'm fixing to go fix myself and the kids some lunch...

I am at work - I don't smoke, so this is my break:

Gracious – Your Sunday sounded wonderful and your daughter sounds like a real gem! Though I am sure you are lost without your normal Sunday routine – it sounds like you had a nice quality time with your family. I do not miss the Northern Winters!! Snow and ice is so pretty, but now that I have been away so long from it all, it sounds so scary! GOOD FOR YOU ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS!!!!!!

Trish – I am pretty sure that you have probably already given yourself that kick!!! You have been so succesful, and I am sure you will jump right back on that wagon – so as to not ruin all the good work you have done!!!!!! If anyone does not know, I have to toot Trish’s horn –– she has lost a lot of weight and looks terrific!

DawnStorm – that is was a really cute saying!!! And how TRUE!!!!!!

Went and had a veggie plate for lunch which consisted of ½ a baked sweet potato, small side salad, stir fried vegetables and eggplant, with an unsweet iced tea – and I feel terrific!!!!

Tomorrow for lunch I will be at the gym, and will probably pack myself a very legal lunch for afterwards…

It is supposed to be in the mid 70s today!!! It is gorgeous here!!!!

Sabrina

Boy did I miss ya'll last week. We were on vacation. And let's just say you don't want to jump on board when you are eating everything in sight. Not sure why but I had the munchies like I haven't had in years. Once again chips were my biggest down fall. So between losing six and gaining five I am still down 1 pound since the first of the year...I'll take it..not that I deserve it. No exercise and tons of good eats. I know it sounds odd but I think I needed the time away to get back on track. Eating well today and plan to continue. I've also decided not to focus so much on my eating and weight. The first part of January brought up some bad habits from my past that are not healthy. Yes the weight dropped, but it's not all about being thin. It's just hard to remember that when in my heart I want so badly to be just a tad smaller.

I'm sorry that I didn't keep up with ya'll and hope all of you are doing okay. Extra hugs to those who are trying to get back OP.

Love,
Crystle

GREETINGS LADIES!!!

I'm so far behind that I will just post what's going on with me quickly and try to get caught up with everyone this week....

had the MRI done on my ankle and found 2 reasons why I'm in so much pain. Going to have arthroscopic surgery soon - at least, I hope that scheduling lady calls soon! I'll be off my feet for a week and already told that Meister will have to provide tough love because of the pain I'm going to be in for the first day or so and then having to make me walk on my ankle the 2nd week.

I will be working from home that first week. Vixen is NOT going to understand why Mom is home, but won't play with her and take her outside. :rolleyes: YES, the child is spoiled rotten!

Vixen did win at the last dog show (beauty pageant) and got 2 points toward the 15 she needs for her Championship. I was encouraged to read that another "blue and tan" border is winning the Terrier group consistently up north.

ZANNE - Why is all that forbidden food the best comfort food when we don't feel good? I love CHicken Corn Chowder and absolutely must have it when I've got a cold or something like that.

QUILTER - Send soem of that motivation and good vibes this way, please!!

{{{{{HUGS}}}}}} Gotta run! I miss y'all!!

Hey All:wave:

Quickie-better than nothing!

If you saw the time of my starting the new weekly boards you'll see I sure as heck wasn't asleep when I should of been, up at 3am on, don't know what happened:shrug: This of course left me too poop to walk which isn't so bad since I felt like I had pulled some muscle in my upper thigh yesterday, though it seems to have faded today:shrug: Feeling barfy on top of it all! THEN I was on the phone all morning with my friend Debby who has a multitude of troubles. Finally hopped in the shower and had to go to the kids school to p/u a list of testing dates for the end of this month and all of March that I have to find parent's to volunteer for. Michael has to stay after for an hour, so had to bring Lauren home, only to now have to run back for Michael in a few minutes to bring him home, then get him to his guitar lesson by 4:30pm only to have to pick him up an hour later. Maybe afterwards I can wind down!:eek:

Will do my darndest to get back on the computer later and catch up with all the posts!!!

Have a great week everyone!

{{{HUGS}}}:grouphug:

Debbie

Good Afternoon

I've got some homemade turkey soup simmering on the stove.

Good news is: doc says I'll be ok.
More good news: I am still OP!:D

I'm going to try something a little different with my posts. Coming to the board to "report in" helps me stay OP better. I usually have a few minutes here and there thru-out the day that I can quickly pop in, but I usually find it very overwhelming to respond to every individual and it kind of makes me feel bad (cause you all are so nice) when I can't get to everyone and this has kind of been keeping me away.

So I'm going to pop in and "report in" when I can and respond when I can. Just remember that I'm thinking about ALL of you ALL the time.

A little earlier I got this urge to make cookies just so I could eat the dough! (don't know where that urge came from :shrug: ) but instead I washed a sinkload of dishes and I didn't want the dough any more!

HEARTMOM--I'm doing ok today--still OP. Hope you're doing the same. We can do this. We just have to keep trying and not give up.

Till later gang!
:grouphug:

Getting ready to head home. Got chicken breast thawing out. Don't know what I'll have with it. Got to get to the store tonite. The cupboard is really bare. Probably won't get to walk, looks like rain, but at least it was warm again today.

Zanne, Another cold? Seems like you just got over one. Hope that cough isn't anything else. We don't know why we do the things we do to ourselves. It just seems right at the time. Just shake it off and start again. We don't mind if you don't respond to everyone. Some have time, some don't. Not a big deal. It's more important that you pop in when youi nned us and say hi. If that's the way you can do it. soo be it. Just glad to have you around. WTG on being OP all day.

Fillise, that bread sounds delish. I just can't get mine to come out right.

Tranquil, My BD isn't until the 16th. I guess that's why I was so surprised since it was early. That lunch sounds great. Good for you. You can boast about your legal day. Keep up the good work.

Dawn, Good motto to live by.

Gracious, you are too sweet. I can prance around in those size 10's but watch out when I take me clothes off. I look the lady that does the Hallmark cards (can't think of her anme, begins with a M). Pretty scary. What a horrible storm. Hope it melts soon. Good for you staying 100% OP.

Trish, they put those same people on TV here too. I guess all the intelligent sounding people are working or something else. I do have a wonderful DH and friends. DH could be more sensitive or affectionate, but I guess you can't have everything. :lol:

Bob, I ussually don't leg age bother me. I guess now I realize that there are less years ahead with those I love and I don't want to be 80.

Heartmom, Most of that 6 lbs is water. Don't gret, just take it a day at a time.

Country, Glad you are back from vacation and had a good time. I think a big blow out like that can help you get back on the straight and narrow. It helped me get going again.

Solshine, Sorry to hear about your upcoming surgery. Take it easy and let Meister wait on you. Sometimes we deserve that attention.

Deb, sounds like you are the taxi today. Hope you get some time to wind down and crash tonite.

Have a good OP evening.

Jackie

They say it is always darkest before the dawn...and that sure was true about my mood the last few days. According to my scale, I had lost at most three pounds since my last doctor's visit. I went today,and was shocked to step on his scale and find I had lost 10! I am contemplating throwing my scale out.

I have a meeting tonight, and I am taking the entree for dinner for it. It is for establishing a drama team at church. It ought to be fun.

I have a wedding cake to make for Saturday, so I am hoping I can psyche myself into not cheating by tasting it, or the icing. It is going to be hard. The week will be stressful, with everything else going on, so I am trying to think ahead here.

I have to leave in a few, so I will try and get back to address individually later...

Good thing I had the turkey soup simmering. Poor DH has now got the cold, so he had some soup when he got home from work.

Dinner was legal mac and cheese. I had a cup of soup for a snack earlier. I'm going to go soak in the tub and read some of Montignac's book for a bit (that should help motivate me!). Then I think some strawberries for dessert. The berries are actually good. Usually at this time of year, the imports are all white inside and tasteless, but these ones are pink inside and taste like strawberries.

SOLSHINE--Sorry about your ankle. I hope you get/recovery from surgery quickly. We'll have to find ourselves a LEGAL comfort food!

JACKK--Same cold, it just won't leave! I feel like I'm getting better and it comes back! Doc says no pneumonia or anything like that. Thanks for being so understanding. As you can see, today I had a lot of time to pop in.

Ok, gonna run get me some "me time" and lock the bathroom door!

Goodnight all!

Well, DS had to go to the drs for a strep culture, has a sore throat and temp, but it came out negative, doing the 24 hr one, doc says just the same virus we have shared back again! I say OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zanne - turkey soup sounds fantastic!!!!! Hope you are feeling better and your DH gets better quickly!

SolShine - I hope you have an easy time with that surgery and a quick recovery! Kudos to little Vixen for winning some more!!!!!

JackK - I am glad I did not miss your birthday!!! I am proud of myself for the good lunch and staying OP - of course, I sat there and bragged at the table to everyone about it - hahaha - they probably could not wait for me to go back to the office!!!! ;)

Monet - WOW, THAT IS WONDERFUL ABOUT THE 10 LBS!!!!! You must be so thrilled!!!!!!! :cb:

Country - Hope you had a good time on vacation - and Quilter has us riding around on the wagon again - and so I am sure she will stop to pick you up :)

Deb - Hi!!!!!

I am making brown rice to go with the black beans I made...and I had a hard boiled egg for a snack because I was starving and did not want to over do it with munching before supper....

Got to go make sure the little one is tucked in nice and cuddly in a blanket and has something to drink.... have a good night all!!!

Sabrina

Debelli - Did I see some where that your story is going to be in a book? If so what book were you referring to.

Well, poop! I came home and fell asleep on the couch and now I don't have enough time to get in a decent post to everyone. So very sorry!

I had a pretty good day. Eating was good, actually, I didn't have much of an appetite. So no threat of overeating there. Went to the doctor this afternoon. My weigh in with her was two pounds lighter than when I saw her 12 days ago. That was a nice bonus, you can bet. She said she thinks I might have an ulcer and wants me to continue with the nexium in an effort to heal it. She said, she won't do a scope unless we have to. That's okay with me. Don't like the idea of any scoping on my bod.

Okay, I'm going to wimp out and hit the sack. I really want to address everyone, because there's a lot of great things going on. Hugs to you all!

Catch you tomorrow night.
Kim

Well, I had my first 100% OP day in a long time yesterday! Yeah Me!

The strawberries we had for dessert last night were really good. Usually I cut them up and add a wee bit of sugar and dish them out and top with whipped cream, but last night I just washed them off and put the whole berries in bowls. DS commented that there was no whipped cream, but after biting into a berry, he said "these are good" and "good dessert mommy". I think we'll be having fruit for dessert more often!



MONET--HOORAY for you for losing 10 lbs! You're doing something right.

QUILTER--WTG! on your 2 lbs gone! Keep up the good work!


Time for my coffee. Catch you all later!

Good Morning Everybody. Just a quick hello for you to take with you today. I hope we all have great days. I am super sleepy, but it's just too darned early for this chickadee. I have a long post started and will try to finish it tonight before chat.

ZANNE---WTG on your 100% day. That's so great. I find that I feel so much better when I eat some kind of berries a couple times a day. It helps my digestive process immensely. That's why my freezer is usually stocked with bags of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and mixed as well. My favorite thing to do is eat them with some milk. If the berries are still frozen, the milk kind of freezes and you ends up with this very cold, very yummy ice creamy kind of treat.

Okay, hugs to the rest of you. Take care on this Tuesday. Mind what you eat. Let's hold each other accountable for having successful days. That way we can all do the happy dance tonight before we get into bed.

Later,
Kim

Good Tuesday Morning,

It was 60 here yesterday, today 25. Go figure. That's life in the Ohio Valley.

Got to the grocery and got some good food in the house. I peeked at the scale this morning and was not happy with what I saw. My battery may be gettinhg low as it is taking a while to come on. But nonetheless, I think I need to watch my portions and count my calories. Think I'll look back into fitday or one of the others for journaling. I got to get this last 15 lbs moving.

IT stormed all night so didn't get out to walk and by the time we went to the grocery I barley had time to get my workout in. It was a little modified as I was not in a good mood. I think it is contagious on here.

On to you all,

Monet, what anice surprise. You think 3 and you get 10. WOW. That should be motiviation enough to keep you out of that cake and icing.

Zanne, Hope you enjoyed your tub break. Sorry DH has the cold now. Good thing you had that soup going. We can't even get strawberries here. They are my favorite. Yeah for you having a 100% day. Let's make it 2. :cb:

Tranquil, I think you need to get some of those face masks to keep the germs away from each other. Hate that your son is sick again. Try not to catch it back. You brag all you want. You deserve it.

Quilter, 2lbs is something to cheer about. :dance: You go girl. Hope you got a good night's sleep.

Have a great day, be back later.

Jackie

Happy Tuesday morning! I'm hanging in there although I did have too much wine on Friday night. I'm ready to crack down and really work on my eating--watching portion size, sugar grams, limiting carbs, etc. I read the piece on the board about pasta but am still a little confused-do you all at pasta made from 100% durum even it is not whole wheat?

Kim-I'm with you on staying "legal" this week. No room for guilt.

BOB-I'm a northern gal and have never heard of a condiment called Trojan-is Debbie messin with us?

Jackie-The party sounds like so much fun. DH did a good job of surprising you. They had it all planned to the last detail, even telling you the teenage son was having friends over. It sounds like a blast. BTW, I just had my big 5-0 a couple of months ago--welcome to the club. Sorry about the storms and not getting to exercise. You are such a motivation to me with all of your exercise (and we are the same age:) and weigh close to the same),

Susanne-How are you feeling? Did you go the doctor? Never mind-I read ahead and see you have nothing serious. Everyone has days like yours, now you got it out of your system, let's get back to basics. I read in the paper this a.m. that a diet like SB will help us keep our memories. That is motivation for me. Legal mac and cheese--is there a recipe for this?

Susan-That bread sounds to die for!! Do you have trouble staying out of it--I would probably eat it all really fast, one bite at a time.

Sabrina-Thaqt is so great that you were legal all weekend. Any tips for us "Cheaters?" The veggie plates sounds so good-do you work at a hospital?

Gracious-what a bad storm! Are you out and about yet?

Trish-My boys all played in the school band. Trombone, trumpet, and percussion here. Only one stayed in all the way through high school (my first born, of course), but he had a lot of fun and good friends through band. I'm glad you are feeling better.

Laurie-Love your attitude about being human, and mistakes will happen. We need to be kind to ourselves.

Crystle-Sounds like you have done a lot of soul searching. I'm glad you figured out what you need to do,

Solshine-Sorry about the surgery, but maybe you will feel better. It is nice that you can work out of your house. Congrats to Vixen!!

Monet-10 pounds is wonderful. Do you make cakes for a living? Sounds like fun--I love to bake, but like you, I can't keep my
hands out of the batter.

Let's be strong today and fight all our cravings for carbs. I'll check in later,

ARGH!!! I was sitting here, nicely typing my post when we had a power surge! I lost EVERYTHING:cry: Gosh darn it!

Okay, going to try to at least get some of this back on - a bit of it that I started was saved (started it yesterday):

Didn't sleep well again last night though this time I know what it was from-night sweats! Not liking that one darn bit, I tell you. Tired once again today! Taking it easy and hoping to have an OP day.

I am still contemplating what my favorite condiment is. Hard one for even me to answer as I'm not really crazy about any one of them and only use stuff like that once in a while. Mayo I only use in egg/tuna/chicken salad sandwiches or salad dressings like Ranch, otherwise I think it's the grossest stuff, hate even getting it on my hands! Ketchup I only eat on plain/hard boiled eggs, mustard only on hot dogs, etc. etc. For those of you who chose "OTHER" what could that be???

I was over on the ST board over the weekend, just posted a few short messages, as well as reading some stuff. I can see where people are still getting some terrible advice from those who think they are experienced enough to hand it out. One person mentioned that since strawberries are low on the GI that they can eat them til their hearts content - WRONG! Another person said that SB says you can eat 2oz of chocolate and make that a serving - WRONG! Another post was getting nasty about something, I see where those of you who mentioned that recently got it from though I'm sure it was from another post all together. I'm so glad we have our boards:D

LOL! I wanted to see who would get the trojan condiment! Figures, BOB posted about it first, then TRISH - I know where your minds are, right behind mine! LOL!

Very excited to have quite a few new (but old) books coming my way. I just got a new (but old) book the other day that's wonderful. Of course, the books are all recipe books that I can utilize on this WOE, but as you all know that I don't cook, they are more of an investment for the board and particularly, the recipe boards. I do have to admit, there's quite a few recipes that almost have me wanting to actually make them! Fear the thought!!!:eek: Still searching for a few more, not that I need any more at all-any of the gals who've come to my home can tell you I have waaaay tooooo mannyyyy cookbooks!!!!!! Can't wait to see what the new ones that are coming have in them - to me, this is better than Xmas!

JACKK, sounds like you had a nice surprise birthday party. Guess it was such a surprise because you had almost 2 weeks before the actual big day! Congrats on avoiding the cake, you really held strong, kudos to you for that!

ZANNE, hoping you are feeling better. Sounds like you are back on track and going strong!!!

FILLISE, what kind of bread did you make? I thought about buying a bread machine but know that it would just be more of a novelty, use it once and that would probably be it. I see them all the time at garage sales-cheap too. PLUS, I don't have room for another appliance in this house, though the thought of having hot bread in the morning for the kids is inviting.

TRISH, forget the wagon, how about a plane to Miami? not that I hate being back on track but why do we jump off in the first place. We know what it does to us, how it makes us feel. Why can't we just stay put. Aaaarrrrrgggghhhh!!! you took the words right out of my mouth! Heck, wish you could of taken the food right along with the words!

SOL, hoping this surgery will aleviate all the problems you've been having and will allow you to walk without pain from there on. Hey, does this mean while you are recuperating we'll be seeing lots of posts from you while you whittle away the time at home??? Hugs to both VINCE & VIXEN! CONGRATS on her win!!!!

MONET, WOW, 10lbs since last Dr. visit is awesome! When was the last time you went? That's great, no matter how long, it's 10 steps in the right direction!

TRANQUIL, oh no, paleese don't get sick again! Tell ZACH to keep it to himself this time and just let the flu bug die already!!!!

SUGARLESS, the book has been out for almost a year, I think. It's called WIN THE SUGAR WAR, your library should have it. I'm on page 144:D

QUILTER, cool beans! Another 2lbs down from last Dr. visit! Keep up the great work!!!!

To everyone else I send a big hello!!!!:wave:

Have a few things to get done today, little piddly things, nothing exciting at all. I have to go find my cousin a shower gift. My Aunt's friends are having a shower for her in the middle of the week at the PALM BEACH COUNTRY CLUB which I'm not going to, I'm not going to be among these rich high society women. Somehow, my Aunt isn't like that at all, but the friends she has, at least the ones I've met are. I'm not in the mood to hobnob. I couldn't believe how fancy this invitation was, just for a shower and then to top it off, they put that she's registered at Tiffany's and Williams-Sonoma!:eek: PALEEESE!!! Her parents have money, she does not. I think they did that for all the rich women who don't shop at stores like us normal people. I think there's a difference between THE HAVES, THE WANNA HAVES and THE HAVE NOTS. Anyhow, there's going to be a family get together on Sunday the 16th and I have to find her a gift. Nothing from either of those places - did find out she's registered at Bed Bath and Beyond-more my style, plus I have a coupon!;)


PLEASE REMEMBER TONIGHT IS CHAT AT 9:15PM EST!!!! Hope to see you all there. Unless the computer is needed for homework, I plan on being on - right after AMERICAN IDOL!!!


Have a wonderful day!!!

Debbie

Here's my contribution for TUESDAY TIPS from Global Health website:

Weekly Fit Tip

SETTING YOUR GOALS
By Brian Tracy

In my conversations with hundreds of very successful people over the years, I have found that they all have one thing in common. They have taken the time to sit down and create a clear blueprint for themselves and their future lives. Even if they started the process of goal setting and personal strategic planning with a little skepticism, every one of them has become a true believer.

BECOMING A TRUE BELIEVER

Every one of them has been amazed at the incredible power of goal setting and strategic planning. Every one of them has accomplished far more than they ever believed possible in selling and they ascribe their success to the deliberate process of thinking through every aspect of their work and their lives and then developing a detailed, written road map to get them to where they wanted to go.

THE DEFINITION OF HAPPINESS

Happiness has been defined as, "The progressive achievement of a worthy ideal, or goal." When you are working progressively, step-by-step toward something that is important to you, you generate within yourself a continuous feeling of success and achievement. You feel more positive and motivated. You feel more in control of your own life. You feel happier and more fulfilled. You feel like a winner, and you soon develop the psychological momentum that enables you to overcome obstacles and plough through adversity as you move toward achieving the goals that are most important to you.

DETERMINE YOUR VALUES

Personal strategic planning begins with your determining what it is you believe in and stand for-your values. Your values lie at the very core of everything you are as a human being. Your values are the unifying principles and core beliefs of your personality and your character. The virtues and qualities that you stand for are what constitute the person you have become from the beginning of your life to this moment. Your values, virtues and inner beliefs are the axle around which the wheel of your life turns. All improvement in your life begins with your clarifying your true values and then committing yourself to live consistent with them.

FUZZY OR CLEAR?

Successful people are successful because they are very clear about their values. Unsuccessful people are fuzzy or unsure. Complete failures have no real values at all.

BUILDING SELF-CONFIDENCE AND SELF-ESTEEM

Values clarification is the beginning exercise in building self-confidence, self-esteem and personal character. When you take the time to think through your fundamental values, and then commit yourself to living your life consistent with them, you feel a surge of mental strength and well being. You feel stronger and more capable. You feel more centered in the universe and more competent of accomplishing the goals you set for yourself.

ACTION STEPS

Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action:

First, decide for yourself what makes you truly happy and then organize your life around it. Write down your goals and make plans to achieve them.

Second, begin with your values by deciding what it is you stand for and believe in. Commit yourself to live consistent with your inner most convictions – and you'll never make another mistake.

We were posting at the same time. Good to hear from you. The baby shower sounds a little nauseating. The family get together will be more fun, I'm sure.
Very funny about Trojan :) I will look up that book you are in . See you at chat (if I'm still awake).

Here's another post which I thought had some good information in it. It comes from a site called MUSCLE DEFINITION DIET:


Sugar Substitute Information:

- TABLE-SUGAR FACTS -
1 Tablespoon = 12 __Grams Carbohydrate, __47 Calories.
1 Cup =____________ 201 Grams Carbohydrate, 780 Calories.



Sucralose: * * * * (SPLENDA Brand sweetener) Is one of our top sugar substitutes of choice based on the price. It only costs about twice as much as table sugar for the same sweetening equivalent. 1 Gram / 1 Packet = 2 teaspoons of sugar. 1.5 Packets = 1 Tablespoon of sugar. 10.5 Packets = 1 Cup of sugar. 200 Packet Box = 8 Cups of sugar. It is not zero carb 'in our book' because it has a bit of maltodextrin and dextrose mixed into the packets as filler(Figure about 1 gram of carbs per packet) so use it sparingly, but it is still VERY LOW IMPACT and nearly zero calories. The pure form, found as an ingredient in manufactured foods does not have these fillers and it IS zero carb and zero calories. In this case, Splenda is excellent! Get Splenda Here (On the page that opens after clicking on this link, search for "Splenda Individual Packets") This sweetener is the only sugar substitutes that is derived exclusively from sugar. It is 400 times sweeter than sugar It is very close to sugar in taste and in heat tolerance. It has a lower impact on insulin than its main competitor - Aspartame (Nutrasweet / Equal.) The little yellow packets are better for you than the type that measures like sugar which has even more added fillers. We give it 4 stars.

Keto Sweet * * * * ( Absolutely one of the BEST QUALITY sugar substitutes you can buy - ZERO CARBS, ZERO CALORIES, NO impact on insulin, very sweet, keeps its sweetness in baking too. It is about 3.5 times the price of Splenda for the same sweetening equivalent. 1/2 teaspoon, 2 Grams = 2 teaspoons of sugar. 3/4 teaspoon, 3 Grams = 1 Tablespoon of sugar. 12 teaspoons, 48 Grams = 1 Cup of sugar. 122 Gram Container = 2.5 Cups of sugar. Acesulfame potassium is combined with the amino acid glycine to taste just like sugar! It is absolutely safe with wide usage world-wide. It's more expensive than some of the others but worth it if you want one of the best, lowest impact sweeteners available.) Here.

Acesulfame-potassium, acesulfame-K, or ace-K for short: * * * (Keto Sweet, Sunette, and SweetOne Brand Sweetener). This sweetener is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It has only a slightly bitter aftertaste. It is most commonly found in combinations with other sweeteners and it works well in this role. It does tolerate heat well and does not significantly affect insulin. It is approved for use in most applications except for soft-drinks by the FDA at this time. In Canada it is used extensively. It gets 3 stars from us.

Maltitol: * * * * ( Steel's Nature Sweet [Syrup] - Works as a Honey Substitute made from pure Maltitol Syrup and Vanilla Extract also Steel's Nature Sweet [Crystals] -Table Sugar Substitute made from pure Maltitol in crystallized form). Maltitol is used in the majority of the low carb chocolate and candy recipes. It is almost identical to honey, not quite as thick. It has 24 calories per tablespoon, 384 calories per cup but practically no impact on insulin. Steels Nature Sweet [Syrup] is about 2.5 times the price of Splenda, [Crystals] are about 3 times the price of Splenda, for the same sweetening equivalent. Measures the same as sugar, practically the same sweetness equivalent for all practical purposes. 1/2 teaspoon = 1/2 teaspoons of sugar. 1 Tablespoon = 1 Tablespoon of sugar. 1 Cup = 1 Cup of sugar. 12 Ounce Container = 1.5 Cups of sugar. Maltitol is one of the most gentle sweeteners on your system. Some people do experience a laxative effect if too much is consumed, most people do not. Steel's Nature Sweet-Crystals Table Sugar Substitute (2 lb ) is available here. and Steel's Nature Sweet-Sugar Free Sweetener (12oz.) is available here.. Both are equally low in calories with only 2.1 calories per gram as compared to 4 calories per gram of regular carbohydrate. 90% as sweet as sugar with only half the calories. Maltitol is one of the preferred low carb sweeteners. It is not bitter, holds up well in cooking and It has a consistency which makes it ideal as a honey and fat substitute in syrup form, or as a table sugar substitute in crystallized form so it is the most common choice for certain kinds of candy and chocolate making. We give it 4 stars.

Erythritol / Steviva Plus * * * * Nearly identical to sugar in every way except that has ZERO CARBS and ALMOST NO CALORIES. It is about 6 times the price of Splenda for the same sweetening equivalent. Measures the same as sugar, practically the same sweetness equivalent for all practical purposes. 1/2 teaspoon = 1/2 teaspoons of sugar. 1 Tablespoon = 1 Tablespoon of sugar. 1 Cup = 1 Cup of sugar. 1 Pound Bag = 2 Cups of sugar. This is one of the best things to come along in the low-carb lifestyle! It is the closest thing to sugar we have available but with ALL of the positive things we want. Steviva Plus is a blend of high quality stevia extract and erythritol which is naturally occurring in a variety of foods and derived from fermented glucose. With a calorific value close to zero ( 0.2 calories per gram, 3 calories per Tablespoon, 40 calories per CUP!) it is 85% - 95% lower in calories than other artificial sweeteners and has only 5% of the calories in sugar. It does not affect insulin in any measurable way either! With the appearance and properties very similar to sucrose but offering about the same level of the sweetness of sucrose, Erythritol by itself is 70% as sweet as sugar (Steviva Plus has Stevia added which is 200 - 300 times sweeter than sugar so it is sweeter than plain erythritol and it is just as sweet as sugar. Erythritol and/ or Steviva Plus is an ideal choice for many applications. It is granulated like sugar and dissolves quickly and measures like sugar. Erythritol / Steviva Plus is ideal to bake and cook with. It is safe for diabetics and may be used in hot or cold liquids, sprinkled on cereals and fruit, or in any way that you wish to use it. Compared to other polyol sweeteners, erythritol has a high digestive tolerance (no laxative effect). In fact, it has the highest digestive tolerance of all polyols. As an example, erythritol has a digestive tolerance 3-4 times better than that of sorbitol and 2-3 times better than xylitol and maltitol. Erythritol does not cause undesired gastrointestinal effects under its intended conditions of use. Based on clinical studies in which erythritol was administered with foods and beverages at daily doses up to 75-80 grams, a laxation threshold cannot be defined. Is it safe? Yes. Clinical studies have consistently demonstrated the safety of erythritol, even when consumed on a daily basis in relatively high amounts. Based on the entire safety data package on erythritol, it is concluded by qualified food safety experts that erythritol is safe for its intended use in food. Over the past 10 years, erythritol has built up a history of safe use in Japan. In the USA, erythritol was given a GRAS-status (Generally Recognized as Safe) in 1997. Is is tooth friendly? Yes. Since mouth bacteria cannot metabolize it, erythritol does not promote tooth decay. This is our favorite sweetener in general since it is treated just like sugar. Erythritol may also be mixed with other more intense sweeteners to kick its sweetness up a notch and to give the other sweeteners like Splenda the texture of sugar just like as Steviva Plus accomplishes by adding Stevia to it. It masks any bitter taste created by some other sweeteners such as Stevia and Saccharin very well. We give it 4 stars. Purchase Steviva Plus here.

Glycerin: * * * * It is an excellent sugar substitute which helps you retain the water you drink (low carb diets often have a diuretic effect so this is good.) Plus glycerin grams are counted as a type of fat, not as carbohydrate since it has similar characteristics. We give it 4 stars.

Polydextrose: * * * (Litesse Brand) It has only 1 calorie per gram, as compared to 4 calories per gram of regular carbohydrate, and is considered fiber. It contains traces of Sorbitol so it should not be consumed in high amounts (14 grams or more) but it is a very low impact carbohydrate. We give it 3 stars.

Saccharin: * * (SWEET'N LOW and SUPEROSE Brand Sweetener) - This sweetener is 300 times sweeter than sugar but has a slightly bitter taste, still better tasting than Stevia. It works fine in some foods, in small quantities. It does tolerate heat well and is lower than Nutrasweet in how it affects insulin. (SWEET'N LOW in the pink packets has Dextrose as an added ingredient which bumps up the insulin response somewhat. It is still better than Nutrasweet for insulin response however when you have a choice. SUPEROSE brand [comes in liquid form] does not have Dextrose so it is superior to SWEET'N LOW as far as the impact on insulin. This is the other sweetener that we use in our house as the commercial sweetener with the lowest impact on insulin. You can buy it in liquid form.) Saccharin got a bad name a few years ago due to the specific reaction of mice which received it in massive quantities (more than a human being would ever dream of taking) getting cancer in laboratory tests; however this controversy has been cleared up. It does not appear that humans have the same response and this sweetener was officially given a clean bill of health in 2000. It is a very low impact sweetener but it gets only 2 stars from us due to the bitter taste.

Xylitol: * * The main advantage with this sweetener is it is actually GOOD FOR YOU! It helps repair damaged teeth and fights strep infections in the mouth and so you find it in sugar free chewing gum quite often! If you had to choose a beneficial carbohydrate this would certainly be a good one. It is lower in calories (about 40% less than sugar) and does cause a lower insulin response than sugar, being more complex, taking longer to break down, making it a more sustained energy release; but it still has a higher impact on insulin than some of the other sweeteners which does not make it the best choice for a low carb diet. It has the same sweetness and consistency as sugar. (But if you had to choose between this and sugar, this would be the winner!) It gets at least these 2 stars because it is so beneficial for your health - you could almost justify having a few carbs of it in your chewing gum. (Take your Carbohydrate Blocker first and enjoy!)

Aspartame: * (NUTRASWEET, EQUAL, & NATRATASTE Brand Sweeteners) - Each gram should be counted toward carbohydrate. This sweetener is 200 times sweeter than sugar but not as close to sugar in taste. It tastes fine in small quantities. In large quantities it has a slight bitter taste. It does not tolerate heat well. Aspartame, though safe for most people, cannot be metabolized by a few with a generic disorder called phenylketonuria (PKU). There seems to be more of an insulin response with this sweetener which has been noted by Dr. Atkins and others. (Nutrasweet, Equal, and Natrataste have Dextrose and Maltodextrin as added ingredients which bump up the insulin response.) We give it 1 star due to the insulin response potential and the other factors discussed.

Stevia: * Is two to three times as sweet as sugar but it can taste bitter in some forms. It has a very low impact on insulin and is often used because it is "natural" but most people do not find it desirable unless it is mixed with other sweeteners. We give it only 1 star due to the taste. However when it is mixed with other sweeteners it can work very well. This rating is only when it is used by itself. When mixed with *Steviva Plus (Erythritol - above) it works very well!

Lactitol & Sorbitol: * Faintly bitter, but barely noticeable. Lactitol is only 40% as sweet as sugar, Sorbitol is 60% as sweet as sugar but they both still taste very sweet and good. The problem with these is they will almost always create a strong, unpleasant laxative effect. Avoid them in any significant amounts. We give them 1 star due to the side effects.

Maltodextrin: (Not to be confused with Maltitol.) It has a low molecular weight (bad) which means it is very simple (not a complex sugar) and is considered "high glycemic" - it has a larger affect on insulin. It gets no stars.

Dextrose: Considered "high glycemic" - it has a much greater affect on insulin. It has fewer calories than sugar and is a bit slower to absorb than sugar but it still has an even lower molecular weight than Maltodextrin (bad) and acts more like sugar than the others as far as an insulin response. It gets no stars. It is our least favorite sugar substitute, due to the high insulin response, that we have sufficient information on.

Neotame: This is a new high intensity sweetener that is the strongest yet compared to sugar at about 8,000 times as sweet as sucrose. This is offered by the same company that manufactures Nutrasweet Brand Sweetener. It is not widely used at this time. The jury is still out on this one.

Alitame: This is another new high intensity sweetener. It is about 2,000 times as sweet as sugar and was originally discovered by Pfizer Inc. The rights to it are now owned by Danisco Sweeteners. Still not much info available on this sweetener.


(For Even More In-Depth Information on Sugar Substitutes ["Sugar Alcohols" or "Polyols"] Click Here:

http://www.xylitolworks.com/global_sweet/xylisite/xylisite.htm?xylisite_pages/info_frm_erythritol.htm~mainFrame

LIN, it's actually a wedding shower and to think, the wedding isn't til August!!!!

Morning!

I have had a somewhat laid back morning. I did get my treadmill time in. I think that has been key for me in the last month. I have lengthened the time I spend on it, but kept the pace moderate. I can read while I walk, and the time just flies!

I am probably going to have to head back up to the doctor's today. (he is about 45 minutes away, but worth every minute and mile of the drive) My daughter is having some very unusual symptoms that need to be checked. Her whole body is kind of jerky, and she has been complaining of visual problems and headaches. I am hoping the problems can be explained as results of her running 6 miles every day for track. The last time she had problems like this, she tested positive for an autoimmune disease, but they could not diffentiate as to which one.

My meeting last night was fun, though I don't think it accomplished anything. My hubby says meetings are dark cul de sacs in which great ideas are herded down and lost! Sadly true sometimes! I took shepherd's pie, which was not totally legal, but I ate around the potatoes as much as possible, and tried to eat a lot of salad.

TRAN: I hope your son gets better soon. Sounds like you are passing that virus back and forth. Break out the lysol! ;)

ZANNE: Congratulations on staying on program 100%! I hope it felt SO good you do it again today! :)

QUILTER: I can relate...when my hubby woke me up this morning, I was really sound asleep. I wish he would have left me alone! That is great about the two pounds in less than two weeks!

JACK: Wow, 60 to 25 is a big difference! I use a program called Diet Power to journal in. You can download a free trial of it from their website. It has a feature that tracks your metabolic rate, which I find kind of fun and amusing. Of course it is based on the old, calorie in, calorie out theory. I tried fitday a long time ago, but like DietPower enough to purchase it.

To everyone else, :wave: have a good day!

Good morning everyone!

It's turned cold here again--ick! Though we certainly don't have the snow and ice that Gracious is dealing with in New Brunswick!

Tomorrow I am heading to Washington DC for a conference. I thought we were leaving Friday, but found out last night we are leaving tomorrow--soooo I have to get the laundry done, buy the cat food and pack TODAY!!!! I have an out of town meeting tomight--so can't wait until evening to do it. This concerence is one where they are providing all our meals--soooooo I know I will ahve to be picky. I think I will keep the emergency cheese, fruit, and triscuits in the room as well.

Deb and Jackie--I have a Breadman Rapid Deluxe breadmachine. I use the whole wheat recipe they have in the book that came with the machine, only I substitute WW pastry flour for the bread flour and agave for honey. I posted the recipe on the recipe board. The loaves come out really pretty and oddly, I haven't pigged out on warm bread. I do enjoy knowing exactly what is in my bread. I haven't tried any of the other recipies, but when I get back from DC I'm going to work on a WW sour dough recipe. I will also try using to make a legal pizza dough. It is easy and as long as I put the ingredients in in the order given (liquids first, then dry ingredients, keep the salt and yeast apart) the loaves turn out OK. So far I'm making about a loaf a week. In the spring, when it gets to be cookout time, I'm going to experiment with putting the WW bread on the dough setting and making homemade WW hamburger buns.

OK that was a longer discourse on bread than I planned!

Monet--WTG on the 10 lbs! I think I would pitch that scale! I hope the Dr. can figure out what is ailing DD and gets her back in the pink soon!

Linworth--here's what I do about pasta. When I'm at home I try to eat the WW or the 100% durum I found at Sam's (one of the few that is not an enriched durum semolina). When I'm out I don't really worry about it. I try not to have any other starchy carbs with the meal. One thing I have noticed is that pasta, while often with a moderate GI level, seems to have a higher GL, so I may have to rethink the pasta strategy!

Zanne--Congrats on the OP day! The turkey soup sounds good!

Tranquil--I hope you and DH stop passing that virus back and forth--perhaps you ought to give up the smooching for a while!
:lol:

Solshine--Congrat's on Vixen's victory! You and DH must be so proud!!!!

Country mom--Welcome home! Hope the vacation was good and we missed having you on the board!

Got to go start the laundry. I hope to get on tomorrow morning before I leave, but if not I'll talk to you next week!

Susan

Date: Tue, 04 Feb 2003 02:58:50 -0600
MIME-Version: 1.0

Today's thought is:
Strange feelings. ... Just a sort of unexplained sadness that comes each
afternoon when the new day is gone forever and there's nothing ahead
but increasing darkness.
- Robert M. Pirsig

Just as each day is a new beginning, so is each night also a new start.
Each night can be a chance to recharge ourselves after our day's
batteries have run down. Each night can be a chance to start anew on
our goals, our growth, our good thoughts.

Instead of reflecting on the past events of the day, we can look forward
to the moments to come. We can be unafraid of the darkness of the
night as we prepare for tomorrow by using positive energy.

Although the day is done, tomorrow is yet to come. There are plans to
make, places to go, people to see, and projects to do. Tomorrow can
begin with hope and strength and energy directed to all our forthcoming
events.

I can see tomorrow as a new beginning.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Today's meditation comes from the book
Night Light by Amy E. Dean copyright 1986

Gotta make it quick- I was 100% OP yesterday and doing good today. Did my 2 mile tape yesterday and plan to do it this evening. I 've been drinking lots of water, but only down 2. Hopefully, tomorrow's weigh in will be better. Gotta go get Ashley's RX filled- she has strep throat. BTW- any advice about her birthday(eating) being held at McDonald's this Sat? I know I won't be legal- but what should I choose that might not make me gain? Just a chicken sandwich and diet coke and 1 small slice of cake?

Monet-I hope your dd feels better-those are strange symptoms.

Susan-The bread machine sounds like it is really working for you. Have fun at the conference.
LD-I found your meditations very meaningful to me--thanks for sharing.
Laurie-You are doing great. Why not get a shaker salad and diet coke at the party? I would probably eat before I went and just spend the time refereeing the party :) Have fun with the tape.
Deb-thanks for the sweetener ideas.
See you at chat.

Checking in. Took my son to the eye doctor's today and it seems he is near sighted and colour deficient. Curious! I know my dad is *colour blind* but they like to call it Colour Deficient nowadays. It is genetic so I will blame my dad! ;) We can hold off on glasses and re-check in August since the teacher agreed she will keep him in the front row...where I like my kids to sit anyway! *read keener*

Can't reply. Have to get ready for 15 people coming over for a Bible study tonight and just got home a half hour ago. Have a great day!

Well, it has been a very busy day for me, and I am taking my NonSmokers Break at the office....

It has been a good day of eating - only salad for lunch and a bottle of water with that salad :)

Heart - Good for you staying OP!!!!! Hope the little one feels better...

Fillise - Have a safe trip to Wash DC and that is a great idea about making sure you have something safe to fall back on in the event of non-legal substance being offered!! hahaha!!! I am trying very hard not to smooch, but it is hard when they are only 12, hahahaha.... :lol:

Monet - That is terrific about the treadmill - and I agree if you give me something interesting to read the time flies on treadmill or bike!!! Hope they find out what is happening with DD!!! So far, I am not sick again, and will be praying it remains so!!!

Deb - I told Zach to keep his germs to himself :) but meanwhile, oooh la la, have fun rubbing elbows with the rich and/or famous!!!

Linworth - I just think the best tip is the one I got from so many on the board: It isn't any fun losing the same pound twice. That is definitely true and I am planning on losing the weight again and this time keeping it off...because it is NO FUN losing it over again = especially when the scale this morning would not budge!!!!

JackK - I am sure it will budge downwards for you tomorrow - positive thinking!!!! It is so hard with kids to keep their little grubby germy paws off of ya! hahaha - but when they look at you with that pitiful little sickly face, heart turns to mush and I want to just hold him and take the germs away - oh and boy do I do that - the germs say Hey She Looks Like a Really Cool Place to Hang Out!!!!

Zanne - Kudos for such a good Op day you had yesterday!!!!!! Strawberries are my favorite!!!!!!

Quilter - Keep up your good work - I am right there with you - and I will be on chat tonight as well, as long as I have no problems getting into it.... :)

back to work, my break is over - have a good afternoon!!!

Sabrina

HiedieHo All!

Just to let you know I have been in the hospital since Friday morning. Severe bout of gastritis, esophagitis and a UTI. Am home now but feeling weak yet. Catch you when I feel up to it.

Shirley

Shirley--That's horrible--you were really hit!! I'm glad you are back home now.
I too am soooo tired of losing the same pounds -- I've bounced around the same 4 pounds for about a year now.

Just got back from taking my daughter to the doctor. He had a name for what he thinks it is, but I have forgotten it. He said it is common in teens and they out grow it. It can also be from low oxygen, so he is changing her inhaler and how she uses it to see if that helps. He also gave her something that will help calm it down and allow her to sleep. We give this treatment four weeks and then reevaluate.

I am planning on making cod fillets for dinner, so I need to go find an exciting recipe for them! Catch you all later!

OK Ladies, I'm out of here for the day. It's just been too busy at work these last 2 weeks.

Good luck on the scale tomorrow. :lucky:

Linworth, I eat the 100% duram semolina pasta. But I only eat pasta about once every 2 weeks. It hasn't bothered me. I just can't handle the ww. I'm with you on limiting those portion sizes. That wine can be a killer. I can't drink the red stuff. Have to stick with Ziffendale.

Deb, I don't blame you not wanting to go to the shower. I like to go to that stuf sometimes just to make fun of the people. Gee my Dd registered at Target & Bed Bath & Beyond. I was having trouble picking a favorite condiment as I like them all. Of course, that's why I am fat, Hope to see you at chat. Hope you have an 100% OP day. We are counting on you.

Monet, good for you getting that treadmill in today. Hope your DD doesn't have anything terrible. Best to have it checked out though. Keep us posted.

Fillise, I use my bread machine to make the ww pizza dough. I always make 2 crust out of it though. If not, it's too strong. Enjoy your conference. Good luck on your eating.

IDblond, Thanks for the motivational piece. Very inspiring. Hope things are going well with you.

Heartmom, Good for you haveing a OP day. Don't plan on messing it up. Take a legal hamburger bun (if you can get them there) and substitute that on the chicken and salad. Or just get a salad. I would bypass the cake. That could set off some big sugar cravings. Take a piece of legal cheesecake for yourself. Hope yur dd feels better soon and doesn't give it to Boogie.

Gracious, Good luck at your bible study. Color blindness is male dominant.

Tranquil, OK I'm holding you to all that positve thinking for tomorrow. Get you a big can of Lysol and keep spraying.

Sef, hate to hear about all yur medical problems. Hope you are feeling better soon. Keep us posted.

Monet, Glad to hear your DD didn't have anything too serious. Hope these changes help her. COd sounds yummy for dinner.


Hope to see you all at chat tonite. Got lots to do so better get my butt in gear so I can get there.

Jackie

SEF--Oh my Gosh! Sorry you've been so sick, but glad you're well enough to be home. Take care of yourself.

MONET--Glad the doc seemed to know what was wrong with your DD. Hope she's feeling better soon.

HEARTMOM--I agree with LINWORTH-eat BEFORE you go so you won't be tempted. If you HAVE to eat there, just eat the chicken and toss the bun. What about brining baggies with veggies and triscuits to munch on?

GRACIOUS--are you de-iced enough for people to venture out? Saw N.B. on the news last night and it looked awful for everyone. and so many people without power/heat. You didn't say you lost power, so I hope you are ok.

DEBELLI--I love cookbooks too! I own over 200 of them. Didn't help that I used to work in a library and that the staff got first choice when they were withdrawing them!!! Plus we also got a good discount if we ordered thru the library. I hope you can get some sleep soon!

LINWORTH--I use WW pasta. DH likes it better than the regular and DS will eat anything. Guess I'm lucky they're not picky eaters. My mac and cheese was basic. I cooked up some onion and celery in a pan with a bit of oil till they were soft, but not brown. Tossed them in a casserole dish with precooked pasta, a bit of milk and some cheddar. Then I topped the whole thing with cheddar and baked. Sometimes I add peas and diced ham.

I better get going. We're having a terrible wind storm and I can hear our gate pounding away opening and closing . It's been ripped from it's latch. Thought I had fixxed it but guess I'll have to try something else.

Having pizza with WW crust for dinner. Have been OP all day today. Wanted chocolate but made a coffee instead. Bought some more of those amazing strawberries too!

Big HELLO to any I missed!

Take care all!

This is the LOW CARB version of Mac N Cheese. You can substitute your low calorie ingredients...I've had this without the tofu (which I can't stand) Just add more cauliflower for volume.



Mock-A-Roni & Cheese

16 oz firm tofu (450 g) {Nasoya brand 15oz = 10g total}
1 head of cauliflower, about 3 cups cooked(720 ml)
4 cups of grated Xtra sharp chedder(1liter)
4 eggs {1.2carb/egg =4.8g total}
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream (120ml) {1carb/Tbsp=8g total}
1 tsp salt or pottassium salt (5ml)
1Tbs freshly ground pepper (15 ml)
1 tsp garlic powder (5ml)
1/2 cup crushed pork rinds (120 ml)
1/4 cup Parmesian cheese(60 ml) {1carb/Tbsp=4g total}

Grease on large, or two small casserole dishes, and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (180 C). Press and drain excess water from the tofu in a paper-towel lined colander. Chop drained tofu into 1/2 inch chunks (bite sized) and scatter in the casserol dish. Top (I mixed it in) with cooked bite size pieces of cauliflower (it give it another texture besides tofu), and top this with the grated cheese.

Beat the eggs and cream and seasonings and pour over contents of casserole dish. Sprinkle parmesian cheese and crushed pork rind crumbs over the top. Bake 45-60 minutes, until top is well browned. If necessary or desired, place under broiler briefly to crisp top.

Tips: - Steam the cauliflower beforehand, it will be less soggy than boiling
- I added red pepper flakes, italian herbs and a dash of ground paprika and dry mustard and onion powder to the "white sauce" . Seasoning the sauce makes all the difference in flaver.
- The sauce should just about cover the tofu, cauliflower, and cheese, with a little sticking above.
-I mixed the parmesian cheese with the porkrinds to more evenly coat the top. I can use less Parmesian that way
-I baked it for 45 min. and let it cool and settle for 10-15 min.
*To figure the carb count I just added everything up for the total dish without the fiber included and divided 12. That way I could personalize the dish and still know if it's induction legal.



BOB

Greetings all

A quick note before I dash out the door for school pick up. Very busy at moment there just aren't enough hours in the day.. I'd especially like a couple more between school drop off and pick up!!!

Laurie - what about taking a legal fruit salad or similar to the party? I like the idea of eating first too as that will fill you up a bit and you'll be busy with the kids. Have fun!

Cheers catch you later. Gotta run

Anna

Hi Everybody!

We just finished supper and it?s time to check in with you all. I hope all of you had a great day. Was it a better than usual Monday? I surely to goodness hope so.

I had a good surprise at the doctor?s office today. I was down TWO POUNDS from when I was there almost two weeks ago. Yippee!!! That was a nice way to end the workday. I?m excited to see what happens on Wednesday with my scale. Thank all that?s good that I?m going the right way . . . finally!!!

I just have to say thanks to all for your kind words about my moments of blue. You all are so great at picking people up and helping them get clear. Please know that I am no longer down. I have been feeling great. I?m not sure if that little bit of sadness that night had something to do with being so sad over the huge tragedy that happened in our skies that morning. That may have made me sad to start with and then I just got stuck down there. Anyways, I really want to reiterate the power of communication. I truly feel that if we?re upset or low, we really have a good chance to dismantle that upset by speaking about it. By giving it a voice. So thanks so much. You make it easier to stay on the wagon.

BOB----I saw that word ?Trojan? and I knew our fearless leader was up to no good. She?s a tricky person to set us all up for these jokes. LOL

JACKK----What a great night you had!!! Oh, that husband of yours is quite the clever boy. I loved his excuse for not going to Sunday mass and I really love that you bought it. If anybody deserves a big surprise party it?s you. You do so much for others, that it?s time you kicked up your heels in celebration of you. Congrats! Sounds like you have a lot of people down there in L?ville who love you a lot. That?s so great. And amidst all that fun, you did really good with your eating. That one sandwich isn?t going to do any damage. Way to stand firm on the not eating the cake. GOOD JOB!!! Hey were you as disappointed as I was in the temp drop today? I just want to tell who?s ever in charge of that kind of thing, that it?s not one bit funny. The wind was blowing like crazy today. I?m so ready for spring.

ZANNE---Girlfriend, you had one LOUSY week last week. Thank goodness, history doesn?t have to repeat itself. I hope you and your fam are on the mend. It?s reallly hard to focus well you feel like crap. Get healthy and then get back in the Sugarbuster Groove. When you said, ?I know what I should be doing---but I?m just not doing it,? I was nodding my head and saying a healthy AMEN. I was there (in that very spot) for probably six months. It was very ugly for me, featuring mega weight gains and all sorts of temper tantrums and pity parties. I?m still amazed that Paul didn?t give me a swift kick in the seat. Anyways, I feel your frustration. Here?s the thing: what?s already happened has happened and we have no control over that anymore. BUT WE DO HAVE CONTROL ON WHAT HASN?T HAPPENED YET!!! This is the golden part. So let go of all those ?should haves? and grab ahold of right this minute. You can do it!!!!! Hey, sister, you do whatever it takes to keep you on this board. Don?t feel like you must respond to everybody. It makes it nice for us, but we totally understand. We all have different lifestyles. Like me, for instance, no kids and only a dog and husband to tear me away from you guys. It makes perfect sense for me to keep posting. I have the time most days. We know you are with us. I know I speak for the group when I say, we?d rather see a small post from you than none at all. Keep in touch with us. It?s another key to success.

FILLISE---You homemade bread sound wonderful. We are all breathing a sigh of relief that we aren?t on the Adkins diet, when you describe something as delish as that. I have a bread machine, but don?t use it much. But I?d love to see your recipe. Can you post it when you get a chance? What size loaf is it? Hey, glad you are up for the challenge! We are all rockin? and rollin? this week to thinner thighs and tiny butts and all sorts of good things. (Can you tell my problem areas?) LOL

TRANQ----I?m glad to hear your tiney hiney is firmly planted on the wagon of success. Fantastic!!! I?m proud of you for staying focused and for staying away from the illegal things. WTG!!!!! It?s going to pay off in the end. We must remain patient! Your veggie plate sounded wonderful Good choices being made by you. I predict good things on the scale. (You didn?t know I was psychic, did you?) I love to hear that you are planning ahead on those meals. That?s got to be one of the keys to success. You are cracking me up with those non-smokers breaks! I used to work with a bunch of smokers, and it would tick me off that they could get up and leave for 10-15 minutes at a time. I used to just go sit in the bathroom to make things even. Not very good atmosphere, but at least I got my break. Should have taken some reading materials.

DAWN----I love the ?inch by inch? quote. What a great visual! Thanks for sharing.

GRACIOUS----You guys really got pounded this weekend. Glad nothing really catastrophic happened. Hearing about your Sunday morning made me smile. So glad you daughter is creative enough to handle Sunday School on her own. My brother has been a minister for 35 years, so I know all about the busy Sunday mornings. No time for anything before you?re out the door for a full morning. What a change for you this past weekend. Now don?t you get used to that kind of thing. Wouldn?t want your attendance to lapse! LOL Congrats on the next pounds. Keep going. You are doing great! Isn?t it fun to step on that scale and see something we like. Remember to celebrate that pound hitting the curb! Hey, thanks for your wonderful thoughts on getting to goal and about how to view my self image. You are right. I have many things to be grateful for. Those elements of my belief can motivate me to do the right thing and to remember how awesome I am. You?re not preaching, just giving me more to ?chew on? that?s really legal. LOL

TRISH----Sounds like good old Dr. Pepper bit you in the butt! Well, perhaps you got it all out of your system and won?t want anymore. Girlfriend, you really raised a good question. Why do we jump/fall/cartwheel off the wagon when we know it?s the absolutely 100% wrong thing to do? I f we could get an answer to that one, we?d all be doing less picking ourselves up and dusting ourselves off. It is strange, that we know what?s best and still stray from that. Guess that?s part of what it means to be human. Messing up. Don?t sweat the slippage. Just get back on track. You can do it!!!!! BTW, if I was advising anybody who was choosing an instrument, I would suggest the flute or the piccalo. I paid the trumpet in a very small high school band. And it was a pain (literally and figuratively). My arms would get so tired of pointing that horn up into the stadium seats. I hated it by the time I got done. I did switch to french horn for concert season and loved that. But I always wished I ?d have gone for the flute or piccalo. Something small.

BOB----Do you suppose the flash on the camera hurts our little darlings eyes? Maddie usually give me a profile when she sees the camera.

COUNTRY----We get back on track in the weirdest places. I was glad to hear that you found the track while on vacation. That gives some of the rest of us hope. We are striving for healthy and happy, right? Give those old bad habits a swift kick to the curb. You don?t need them. We?re here to encourage you.

SOLbaby!!!!!-----It was so good to see your post! I?m just heart sick that you have to have surgery and will be laid up for a while. That must be driving you nuts. Please keep us posted. So that we can send up all sorts of prayers and good thoughts before, during and after the surgery. Huggs!!! Here comes a boatload of motivation with a hefty side order of good vibes. Did you just get them? Hey, Miss Vixen sounds like she has the perfect name. She?s becoming quite the celebrity. Have you ever seen the movie, Best in Show. Since you are a dog person and are now into some competitions, I think you would REALLY appreciate it.

DEB----You can?t be premenopausal yet? what are you doing up at that wee hour? That?s a time reserved for us oldy moldies who are dealing with hormone issues and changes. Hope that goes away soon for you, because it can really screw up a perfectly good day.

MONET-----TEN POUNDS??????!!!!!!! That is awesome, spectacular, wonderful. An this from the woman who was talking about giving up and eating whatever she wanted! You are doing great. Just sounds like you aren?t giving yourself enough credit. You know that you?ve just reached my first short-term goal. Good going, but would you mind letting me do it next. LOL. Just joking with you. Keep on doing what you are doing! You are definitely going in the right direction!!!!! I like to hear that you too are planning your meals even when you have meetings to attend. I?m telling you, when we really, truly take charge of our lives, it?s incredible. Don?t you feel so empowered when you make provisions for yourself to eat what you are supposed to? Good job!!! Hey, good going on the TM. Shoes on from now on, right?

LINWORTH---Glad to hear you are going for no guilt this week. You?ll do it. just remember to stock up on good food and plan ahead. Are you journaling your food?

DEB----I loved the condoment question. I?ll tel you mine is mustard. It?s so good. I even use it as a salad dressing. I don?t squirt it right on the salad, but I put in in a little side dish and them dip my fork tynes in it before taking a bite of salad. I prefer the spicey brown. Paul was reading over my shoulder Monday morning and he said, ?Trojan, what?s that all about?? I said, ?Deb.? He said, ?Oh, okay.? I guess that one word answered his question. Ha!!! When you are talking about cookbooks, it made me think of something. I am usually a voracious reader. Two to three books going at one time. But when I get myself back on program, I can only read stuff on weight loss. It?s kind of like I?m obsessed. I even watch info mercials about weight loss programs that I will never do or buy. The other night I was watching QVC as they sold nutrisystem. Not because I was interested in that food, but because I loved hearing from people who had lost weight. Isn?t that kind of weird. A woman with a one-track mind.

SEF----In the hospital!!!!! Oh my goodness, was that the result of getting what was going around your house? I?m glad you are out. When did you go in? Didn?t we just IM over the weekend? Take care of yourself.

Well, that?s it for me. Keep up the good work. Catch you later.
Kim

I am excited. I could not find a decent cod recipe, so I improvised, and it turned out really good! I promise I won't dislocate my arm trying to pat myself on the back..... I am going to post the recipe when I am done here. After dinner, and a few 'words' with my hubby, I decided I needed something creative to do, so I made chocolate truffles with all SB legal ingredients. I will post that recipe too. They are not done yet, as they have to cool before you can roll them into balls, but they taste pretty good! :)

QUILTER: Nope, no shoes on the TM. I did wear socks, but not my shoes. My husband is about 1/16th Cherokee Indian, and has a thing about shoes. He holds firmly to the believe that God did not intend for us to wear shoes all the time. His line is if we have to wear shoes to support our feet, then we need to wear special gloves to support our hands, and supports for our knees, etc. He jogs barefooted, and wears sandals as much as possible when shoes are required. I do find walking on the TM with no shoes easier. My shoes get in the way when I wear them. The socks are protecting my feet pretty well, so I will continue wearing them. The ten pound loss was a shock to me. It is very hard for me to lose, due to my thyroid and insulin resistance. I hope I can continue to lose, and if I do, it may be a sign that my pancreas is no longer pumping out great quantities of insulin, and my cells resistance to insulin is healing. I am praying that is the case....

LIN: I don't do cakes for a living, but I have done them as a side job for years. I did work for Publix for a year as a cake decorator, and I have taught classes too. I love doing it, but I find it hard to keep my fingers out of the bowls! :( Because of my weakness, I really backed off on cakes. I had to make this one, since it is my good friend's son. I have known the boy since he was a tyke, and he and my son used to be great buddies.

BOB: What's the verdict on your washing machine?

Ok, I am going to go post recipes. Catch you all later...

Hi all,
It seems lately that Tuesday night, when dh is out playing poker, is the only time I get to catch up! The surgery on my gums Friday went well - except I don't remember the weekend at all! The oral surgeon said he feels he got all of the infection - I sure hope so - this was the third time that site was opened! The swelling is almost gone - no one is laughing too hard when they see me now!

Fillise - You have a cat that breaks things and mine likes to wake me up! He cries every morning from 7:30 on until I feed him. And after he eats, he chases his imaginary friend around the house for a while - even behind our dressers!

Linworthlady - Hmmmmm. I have made the Ranch Chicken several times and never had runny sauce. I don't know why you did! I used Duke's mayo - wonder if that makes the difference? But others use Hellmans and it works. I will ask on the folder where I got the recipe.

Debbie - Volunteering is one of the nicest things we can do in life! And thanks for the t-shirt site - I ordered one for my gd. Your joke on Sunday about the gastro dr - roared! I am sending it to my dh who will pass it on to our dr friends! And then I come across your post about one of the other boards. Funny - I just said the same thing on the AOL SB folder. IMHO - that folder and this one are the only to that give the right advice - and I feel that after doing this WOE for 2 1/2 years and posting on AOL for that long - I can say that! I thought that I had all the "Sugar" books out there - but not theone you are in - next trip to the library!

SEF - feel better.....sick is icky!

SOL - Hopefully your surgery will be a big success and you will be running around soon!

Sugarless - You asked if there are any tips for not falling off SB - or how to start again. First of all - don't get down on yourself. Honestly - each and every one of us has done it too! The gals in my support group that I lead here are so thrilled when I tell them about something I ate that I shouldn't! The important thing is - when the scale goes up - get legal fast. Then the weight will come off again. The 30 pounds I have lost have not come back. Yes - at times I will go up a few - but then I know my weight limit now and get right back on track! Keep coming here - even if you don't post - just reading helps! And - re-read the books! Or Rissa's web site.

Jack-K - Happy 50th! What a great surprise party. Sounds like lots of fun.

Zanne - Hope you start feeling better soon. The hard thing about feeling awful is that yen for the wrong foods. Last night, feeling sorry for myself, I had dh take me to a restaurant for meatloaf - didn't feel like cooking and still hurting - now I know that meatloaf there is made with filler and their sweet potatoe mash must have tons of butter and while it has no sugar - some sweetener. But then I took home a mango cobbler and ate it all.....Today I have been a good SBer!! You can do it too!

Gonna see if the chat is still going on.......Night all! Keep losing!

Hey!

Just a quickie! I haven't even had time to read the boards. I've been working my 2 jobs and I am super busy! I've got a computer in my new office with the internet so I should be able to post from my night time job! That will be good! I think I'll be down 2 from last WIW which makes me happy! We'll see tomorrow! Well, I'll talk to y'all very soon! I miss ya!

Missy

Good Morning!

Well, I had another OP day yesterday! Hopefully I can keep it up.

Wasn't going to jump on the scale this morning, but did anyway and my eyeballs nearly popped out of my head:eek: :yikes: I'm down to my low of 165!!!! I had to get on and off a couple of times to make sure I was seeing the right number. Said the same thing every time.

I hope everyone had a good WIW. If you don't, just keep OP and try to be patient. The scale will go down. At times I didn't think I'd see my low again any time soon, but my patience has paid off.

Gotta go. DS decided he was getting up at 6am and is bugging me for breakfast.

Bye for now!

WIW Report

This is my first official WIW report since getting back on track. As of this morning I am down 3 pounds. That's really a two-week tally from when I had originally gone to the dr's. My scale seems to be agreeing with hers. Feeling really great about the loss. Let's hear it for going in the right direction.

MONET---That is really interesting about your husband and shoes. I've never known anyone with that sort of passion against them. I'll bet your floors are a lot cleaner than ours. It was good to chat with you last night. I will try to remember to post that URL on coral calcium tonight when I get home from work.

NMS---So glad to hear that your surgery went well. You take care.

FRUIT----Be careful. Don't overwork yourself and get overtired and get sick. I'm anxious to hear your official WIW report.

Hope you all have great WIW reports. And if it's not so hot, just remember, there's always next week.

Catch you later. Must get ready for work. Ugh. Another sleepy day. Too cold again to get out from the covers.

Kim

Quickie-I am sorry I disappeared from chat last night. My ds called from Ohio and it was too hard to type and talk. Sorry I missed you gator. But I enjoyed talking to Kim--got lots of good advice from her as always. I'll check in later.

Another quickie . . .

MONET----here's the link to the Q&A about Coral Calcium. Let me know what you think and if you find out anything bad about it. I'm thinking of ordering some.
http://www.1-coral-calcium.com/FAQ.htm

Okay, I'm out the door. DEB, TRANQ, SERENE . . . missed you guys on the chat last night. We had a new person asking all sorts of questions. MONET and the others did a good job answering her questions and explaining SB. I was on the phone for most of the chat. Never fails.

Kim

Happy WIW Everyone! :wave:

Hope the scale is good to everyone today. Those 2 lbs that appeared yesterday are gone today (thank you Quilter for all that positive thinking) and I'm down 1 from last week. Only 1 away from my all time low. Just got to get out of these 60's though.

Sorry I was such a short timer at chat last nite. That UK-FLA game was to good to miss. (sorry Gator) But I enjoyed what little chatting I had.

I mad Deb's cheesecake for a girl in our office birthday today. I cooked some strawberries and added some agave to make a topping. It was really good. She is a SB too and has lost about 40 lbs. We have another guy here that is v ery overweight and he is doing it to and has lost around 45 since around Oct. I also think he is taking some kind of pills from his Dr too. So see this WOE does work.

Zanne, I never heard of putting onion and celery in mac & cheese. Interesting. WTG on getting back to your low. Makes you feel good doesn't it! Now just keep on going. Have another OP day.

Bob, I think I'll pass on your mock mac & cheese. Sounds like and lot of work and not too appetizing.

ACW, Hope you are doing good. I thought about you last nite. On our news they wre discussing a study on stuffed animals containing so much bacteria they are making kids sick and sick over. The study was done in New Zealand.

Quilter, WTG on those 2 lbs. I bet your Dr. was proud. And that extra one on yur scale. 3 lbs is awesome. You ARE going in the right direction. Just keep up the good work. I'm glad you are not blue anymore. I agree that the tragedy can have an affect on our moods. Thanks for the sweet words. It was good chatting with you all last night. Sorry it was short lived, but that game was a good one. Hope the scale is good to you againt today.

Monet, you were in a creative mood. Can't wait for that cod recipe. I love fish. I can't believe your DH jobs barefoot or thatyou only wear socks ont he TM. Remember the flylady? Putting on your tennis shoes is empowering. BUt I guess you have to do what suits you. I truly hope that 10 lbs is a sign your thyroid is working again. That would be so wonderful.

No more sugar, I'm glad your surgery went ok. I hope they got all that infection this time. Who is Rissa and what is here web site about?

Fruit, WTG on those 2 lbs. Sure hope you can get on here more with your new job. We miss you.

Linworth, Sorry I missed you at chat last night. I got and and you were on the phone and I had to leave to watch that game.

Congrats to all the losers today. Others, hang in there, stay legal and you will see results next week.

Have a good day. Be back later.

Jackie
257/163/145
10-10-01

Not sure what to claim on the scale this week. I am down four pounds from what I was at the doctors on Monday, since I reset my scale to his. Of course, I was fully clothed at the office, and it was afternoon. If I do the arithmetic, I am down one pound from what I was before I reset the scale. It is all rather confusing to me, cause I am DEFINITELY not a math person! So I guess I will claim one. :shrug:


QUILTER: I did a bit of research after reading the page on Coral Calcium. I tend to be skeptic of claims that a supplement will cure everything from diabetes, lupus to cancer. The pages I found were not supportive to the claims made on the page you left me the link for. Here is one of the ones I found that criticized it.
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/html/ds/dsCoralCalcium.php
My advice would be to pass on the coral calcium. Or at least wait a while and see how your friend feels after a bit more time. My experience with these kinds of miracle supplements has always been a disappointment. They DO work for some..but then, so do placebos...

ZANNE: Congrats on being at your all time low! You are smokin' girl! Isn't it great to see results to reward your diligence to being OP!?

LIN: I wondered what happened to you last night! I was afraid I put you to sleep with my pontificating! ;)

NOMORE: Glad your gum surgery went well! I hope you have a speedy recovery!

FRUIT: That is great that you will be able to get on at your night job now! How are you doing? Still staying OP?

SEF: I hope you are feeling better. I was wondering about you,and worried! Get well soon! We need your Friday Funnies! And YOU of course! :)

I need to go get a cake in the oven....will return later! :wave:

A quickie for me too! I'm trying to get ready to leave. Got to pay bills and pack. I hope everyone has a good rest of the week.

My bread machine recipe is posted on the recipe baord under--breads. I have two up there--the second one is the better one.

I have no idea what time we are leaving today--the woman I am going with is driving and is not big on structure--I need structure!!!!

I'll talk to you next week! Be good y'all.

Susan

WIW...

I am still down but sitting in the same spot and haven't moved for 2 days now. That is alright though. I think I have to shift my plan around a little to confuse my poor body a bit more. Maybe I should just get my butt moving with some exercise. I hate thinking about it but I always enjoy it once I have done it..weird..I guess I just have to motivate myself to do it.

MONET- I am so happy for you! :cb: 10 lb loss is awesome. I especially celebrate for you because I know how you have stuggled...it is an extra special loss!! See, it has paid off for you in the end. Hope your daughter is okay and this treatment works for her.

QUILTER-I am glad you are feeling better. Three lbs is terrific and great incentive to keep going. We will do it!!!

ZANNE- Yes, it is crazy here in New Brunswick. They say it is worse than the 1998 ice storm. Moncton was hit the hardest and they are still without power in lots of places. We live closer to Fredericton and weren't hit as bad. However, it is an ice sheet out there so I took my kids out of school early yesterday and kept them home today. We don't have an ice rink but my son is out there skating on the driveway as I type this!! :eek: It is crazy. We have a woodstove so we wouldn't freeze but cooking would be kind of dismal on that...but do-able. I hear you have it bad there. My folks were staying in yesterday because you were to be getting our bad weather from 2 days ago.

I am house bound so I will make certain to catch up on my folding. Laundry is unbelievable! It is always clean but getting it folded and put away is my challenge. Off to fold...

I've decided to stick with Deb and not get on the scale for awhile. But I love reading about everyones' losses.

Susanne-That is great that you are at your all time low. I am going to try to take your advice and be patient.

Jackie--So sorry I missed you last night. Rissa has a SB website: http://prettyimpressivestuff.com/sugarbusters/. It has a alot of good stuff on it, recipes, info, etc. You are melting away--those losses really add up. Thanks for the info on pasta. Do you limit your starchy carbs to 2-3/day? I'm having a couple over for dinner Sat and am thinking about making the cheesecake. Did everyone in your office like it? Maybe I'll make that and a full sugar dessert.

Kim-I'm glad you had a big loss. Makes everything seem better, huh? I don't miss the Ohio weather, but I do miss family, friends, kids' school so much. Charleston is pretty, though. Have you ever been here?

Monet-YOu surely did not put me to sleep last night. I really enjoyed our chat. Congrats on seeing the scale go down. Are you making the wedding cake?

Gracious-the ice storm does sound bad. But the ice skating sounds like fun. Do you have skates--maybe you could join the kids for exercise. Good luck with the laundry.

I'm planning on painting the outside shed today so I better get moving. I'll check in later.

Lynworthlady,
The gal I got the Ranch Chicken recipe from asked if you used low fat sour cream. That could make it runny. I used regular sour cream and Duke's mayo and it was perfect. Let me know exactly what you used so we can figure this one out!

LIN: Yep, I am baking the bottom tier of the wedding cake..all 16 inches of it! I am hoping it raises well, and I can use one 3" tier, but if it does not do well, I will have to bake two, and I kind of don't want to! sigh.

GRACIOUS: Yeah, get your skates and go skating! The cold will speed up your metabolism too! I remember an ice storm we had in Chicago when I was in middle school. It was on top of snow, and you could skate on the streets, and sidewalks...everywhere. We had a blast!

I need to go post my recipes. I forgot last night!

I'm not quite ready to weigh yet--I want to wait until I have had a good week, and not feeling quite so bloated--although I know it will be good to chart my progress--I just don't want to know right now--I'm afraid it will send me into a tail sping, and I will be depressed and eat and eat and eat. :(


I was pretty good Monday and Tuesday, but not quite 100%--but it is getting a little easier....:crossed:

I just put on a crockpot of baby limas and some ham chunks, it will be difficult to not have cornbread--my dad just brought me some "home" ground cornmeal from a local ?grist? mill--it makes the BEST cornbread--normally not something I like.....
Speaking of cornmeal...I have a question about a recipe that I made over the weekend--I fixed REAL DEAL chili, that is supposed to be "authenic" Southwestern chili--according to Martha;)
Anyway, it was delicious! It has no tomato sauce, so it is not as acidic (bothers me w/ regular chili) I took 2 slices of bacon -diced, and after browning that (gives it a smokey flavor), then added the 92% lean ground beef onion and garlic. Then it is just your spices: cumin, oregano, paprika and cook for a few miunutes until all brown and smelling good! The you add water and a T of cider vinegar (??) and here is the question part.....it calls for 2 T of masa harina fine corn meal (like they use to make tamales). I know this is an illegal ingredient, but I cut it down to 1 T, and cut down on my water some too (the masa is supposed to help thicken it). The flavor is wonderful, and I think the masa helps give it that "authenic flavor" too..Do you think that 1 T for a whole pot is enough to make a big difference? It was soooooo good! :T but, I might should wait and fix that when I am better at staying on the wagon....:^:


GRACIOUS, I don't know how you do it with all that cold and ice!! It was 39 here this morning, and I was miserable :)

DEBBIE, thank you so much for the sweetner info! I had wanted to try some other things that I saw at the whole foods store,, but was not sure if they were worth the $ or not.

'Hope I get to post more later--I will at least try to read all the other posts!

Happy Hump Day!

It is very busy here, so I cannot respond to all - not much of a post, really, but I did not lose a pound or gain a pound, the scale just won't budge...but that is ok....I did not gain....DS is pretty sick - his tonsils look like golfballs, and doc said to keep him home for the rest of this week, unless he miraculously bounces back...I am ok - feeling great....Congrats to all you losers and those who have maintained an OP Week!!!! For those of us who did not lose, there is next week!!! :) Last night I missed chat, I fell asleep at 8:30 pm!! I was exhausted!

Sabrina

Monet, Don't worry about what to claim as a loss. It was a loss. :cb: Good for you. Keep your fingers outof that cake. Carry a dish towell with you.

Susan, have a good trip.

Gracious, I wouldn't worry that I haven't moved in 2 days. It takes your body awhile to adjust. I'm like you on the exercising. Never want to do it, but always feel better after I did. Just jump on in there and do it. I hope you get out from all that ice soon. Ice is so much worse than snow. Funny about your sun skating in the driveway. :lol:

Linworth, I try to stay at 2 carbs a day. Sometimes it doesn't happen and I have 3. Yes everyone liked the cheesecake, even non dieters. I really liked the strawberry topping on it.

Mom starting out you should try to avoid all no-no's. Just tell yourself you can't have that. You wouldn't eat something that broke you out in welps would you. Eating something off plan will break you out in fat. Keep that in mind and think about what you want most. You can do this, it is easy. Today have a100% OP day. As far as the corn meal, I don't think 1T in a whole pot of chili would make much difference, but I wouldn't make it a habit.

Tranquil, staying the same is ok. It beats the alternative. Hope you can get back during your "smoking break" Where is Serene? Is she doing OK? Tell her hello.

Jackie

ruth-I did use lowfast sour cream and Dukes on the ranch chicken. What was the consistency of your sauce--was it like a gravy?

Still catching up from vacation. The kids are slowly getting back into the school routine. We finised 3rd grade but are gonna work on English and spelling before we move on to the 4th. That's my middle two kids. The other 3 are in different grades. I've been OP. The scales have been doing a number on my head..LOL I woke up to a nightmare on the scales yesterday...but back to normal this morning...157.

Deb...for me the other was salsa. I love hot sauce also so it was a hard choice. I put one or the other on almost everything...if not that I have jalapenos with the meal.

Quilter and everyone...thanks for the welcome back and the encouragement.

Monet...praying for you daughter. I hope she is okay.

Susan....enjoy your conference. I hope they have some good eats you can enjoy.

HeartMom....I would get one of their salads..or if I really wanted a sandwich I would just eat the insides and give one of my kids the bread...(Jessie can eat bread till the cows come home..he is gonna be 10 Sunday) I would skip the cake but IF I was gonna eat a piece I would be bad and get a tiny piece of the corner...I'd have to go for the frosting. :) Seriously though..the one thing I've found is..if I know I'm gonna eat something off plan on purpose I try to enjoy it so I don't over indulge. Taste and savor each bite. I tend to be a vacuum if I don't watch myself. You'd be amazed at how many chips you can eat before you know it....they are my weakness. :)

Jack-K...WTG on reaching your all time low again!!!!! Now just send some prayers my direction...I'd love to get back to my all time low since starting this plan. I'd love to reach my all time low I got before getting larger also...but that ain't happening...118...not.

Sabrina....hope your boy feels better soon. Congrats on not gaining. That's as good a loss girl..next week the scales are coming down! ((hugzz))

momof3reds....I hear ya..cornbread and beans...the stuff I grew up on. If we could just find a good substitute.

I've missed half of you and I apologize..but I did read..promise.

Have a super day. Congrats to everyone..because losing staying the same or even gaining..you are doing the best that you can do to be the best you that you are. Love who looks back at ya in the mirror..she's a great gal.

Love,
Crystle

235/157/140-135

Eating something of plan will break you out in fat


This is a good one! I'll definately remember this one ;)
rb

Good Wednesday. I've dropped 2lbs since last week, it was such a surprise when I stepped on the scale this morning! Still awaiting further treatment and hopefully a consultation with a specialist at USC. I'll let you know when. Meanwhile I still am very limited to what I should be doing. We adopted a dog this week, a little 3 month border collie mix, to our demise she is showing signs of kennel cough and possibly distemper, but they say that if she gets better in the next week, than it's kennel cough and she should recover fully. My poor children went off to school this morning thinking she was going to die, good thing we got a second opinion before taking any unnecessary actions. She is such a good dog.

SEF: I hope you are up and around soon. Take it easy and get well my friend.

I'll drop in soon :)

Hi Ladies

Getting ready to go home and grill out a nice rib-eye and fix a sweet potatoe and some other veggies.

Got some errands to run afterwards.

IDblond, Keep us posted on your Dr visit. How sad about your new puppy. Hope it isn't serious.

Country. I bet it is hard to get the kids back in routine. Those scales can do anumber on you. That's why I don't weigh everyday. I still have 1 more pound to go to get to my low. But I'm gonna catch up with you I hope.

Hope everyone has a great nite. Talk to you all tomorrow.

Jackie

Linworth.
Try the recipe next time with regular sour cream. The sauce will be thicker....more like a gravy. It has become a big favorite here.

You can catch up as long as I start losing okay? Pretty please *smile*

Love,
Crystle

Work was busy, did well on eating, and now I am home with sick child....used George Foreman to grill a burger, with a slice of cheese, and some SF Ketchup...exhausted and ready to clean up and hit the sack early again.....

JackK - thanks, I definitely am happy staying the same rather than a gain...but I have been too good to not see a loss soon! :) Not much of a chance for a "Non-Smokers Break" today!!

Country - Good for you on the scale! DS is still home sick, doctor says that she noticed that it can take up to 3 to 4 days to stop running a fever, just to keep him home and rested...so that is what I am doing....and praying I don't get it.

ldblond - Sorry about your pupper, I hope she gets better! Congrats on your loss!!!!!

Well I am calling it a night and going to get some sleep -

Sabrina

Hi Friends!

What a day! It was going really well and then on my way into work I called a good friend who told me that another one of our old friends is losing his battle with cancer. In September he found out he had non-Hogkins lymphoma. Surgery and chemo did nothing to help, and now he's near the end of his life here on earth. I was stunned that he'd gone down hill so fast. I just talked to him last month and he sounded weak and unsure what would happen. At least now he knows. So that news threw me for a loop this morning. I cried off every bit of my mascara and tried to get my eyes less red before I went into the office. I'm just really sad about his death. He has a very strong faith and knows he's going to a better place, I just don't understand why he has to leave so soon. You just hate to see one of the "good guys" leaving.

Well, sorry to be such a downer, but I have to share with you all what's going on. I don't really feel much like talking tonight. So I'm going to sign off and not address everyone individually. I know you all understand. I will catch you all tomorrow night after work. Please know that you all are in my thoughts. I am hoping that we all have another great eating day tomorrow. Does anybody have any tips for staying on program? I keep thinking about the question that Moms raised about why do we fall/jump off the wagon when we know how much trouble we will have when we make that wrong choice.

Take care.
Kim

Hey All:wave:

I don't have but a minute to write, I'm only on the computer because Michael has me holding for Lexmark because our printer is down and he's in dire need of it to be fixed.

Sorry I wasn't at chat last night, the computer was being utilized for homework by Michael with Lauren waiting her turn. I just went to sleep a bit after 9pm.

I was MIA all day. Mom called me at the last second and asked if I wanted to shmize (run around) with her today, so jumped in the shower and off I went, getting home a bit after 5pm.

Going to go to the church and volunteer tomorrow and hopefully will be able to get on at some point without having to fight for the computer. At least it does pay off when it comes to the kids, both got their report cards, Michael straight "A"s and 1 B on hit mid-term in French, the rest A's. Lauren 4 "A"'s and 2 "B"'s - I'm happy:D

Gotta run - seems like Lexmark isn't answering, not sure what to do!!!!! Oh here they are!! YEAH!!!!!

Debbie

Praying for you and your friends. It's never easy to lose someone you love and cancer is such a cruel disease.

Love,
Crystle

HiedieHo All!

Just a quickie. I did browse a bit. Thanx for the good thoughts and prayers. I am feeling better, but tire easily. Anything I eat hurts my stomach for an our or two afterwards.

So just taking it easy. Proud of myself, I emptied dishwasher today and threw chicken breasts in pan to bake. That was it!

Will check in again.

Shirley

Thursday....

I am organizing a church shower for one of my friends tonight. She had a due date of Feb 16 but the doctor said she was already engaged on Tuesday so it could be coming earlier. I told her that is fine, just as long as it is AFTER the shower! :lol: It is her first baby and she is so excited about everything, including this shower. I said, *Of course you are excited. Who wouldn't be excited about being the centre of attention and getting all kinds of gifts for you and your baby?!* I used to love all my baby showers so I want this to be a nice one for her. She is my *friend* here at the church. Sometimes it is hard for the Pastor's wife to get real friends in the congregation without others being jealous and silly things like that. However, she has turned out to be wonderful and I enjoy mentoring her through Bible studies and now she will have a baby so it will be even more fun to share stories and advice. Okay, enough babbling about that...

My weight is the same again today and that is okay. I plan to keep it that way even with this shower tonight and all the goodies. I will prevail!!!

QUILTER- I am so sorry to hear of your friend. Cancer is a wretched thing and it happened so quickly. It is good to hear he is a believer and knows where he is going. It takes the sting out of death knowing that you will see him again but it still hurts and he will be missed. Try to rest in the comfort that He provides and which surpasses all understanding. Wrap yourself in His love. I will pray for you and his family. {hugs} You know where to go for true comfort, Kim, don't go to the food.

DEBELLI- Your kids did great again! Bragging rights go to you girl as the Mom!!

SEF- Glad you're feeling a little better. Perhaps today will be the complete turning point for you.

TRANQUIL- Hope your son gets better soon. How terrible for him to have to go through this for so long. I remember having my tonsils out at age 16 because I kept getting sick....not fun. Hopefully the meds will get him back in order sooner!

I can't remember what else was posted on the other page. Gotta post here!

Oh, I remember LDBLOND! Your poor new puppy. We had a Border Collie that was fanastic. She was the smartest little thing and lived to be nearly 14 years old. I took her to Agility classes and she learned how to run through tunnels, jump over things, climb walls and all of that. I hope she is okay. Your poor kids getting all excited about their new puppy don't need to have her taken away already. Distemper is bad but the kennel cough can be resolved. Let us know how it goes.

Just a quick note...

Scale is up a pound today...but since it is PMS time, no sweat on it. Wanted to do treadmill today, but decided to take a day off. Maybe I will hop on it later.

They asked me to develop curriculum for the children for the all church retreat, so I have been doing some research this morning, and looking over resources. I am still baking cakes, and have the mother of the groom, my friend, coming over any minute to visit, and make pimento cheese and other things for the reception. Busy busy!

Daughter is doing ok...too soon to tell if medication is helping much...

Catch you all later!

Good Thursday Morning,

Well we are expecting snow again today. Hope it passes over us and we don't get much. Every channel is predicting a differnt amount.

DD has now joined the world of debt and the American Way. THey closed on their new home today. We will be moving SIL2B in on Saturday and hanging curtains, painting, etc.

Bob, Quickly ran thru Wild Oats last nite. Didn't see what you are so excited about. Didn't see anything good for SB. No ww breads or tortillias. They did have agave for $2.79 which is a lot cheaper than what I paid. Let me know if there is something I should be looking for there.


Tranquil, hope your dear son is feeling better soon.

Quilter, So sorry to hear about your friend. Just keep in mind that he doesn't want to go through life like he is living it now. He will be in a much better place. Reflect on the good times and good memories with him,not that you are losing him. I think the reason we get off program even knowing what it does to us is that we really don't think about it at the time. We see something we want to eat and eat it without thinking about the consequences. If we stopped and thought about it and asked ourselves what we want most, that to eat or to be thin, I think we would pass most of the time. I just don't think we think.

Deb, Give Lauren and Michael a big pat on their backs for those great grades. That is awesome. Hope you got that printer fixed. I had trouble with my Lexmark. The cartridges are slamming against the sides. My sister's is doing the same thing.

Sef, take it easy and don't overdo. Just get some rest.

Gracious, How sweet of you to throw a shower for your friend. I'm sure it will be nice and I know you will prevail.

Monet, Good attitude about that lb. It will be gone tomorrow. Have a fun day making all that "stuff".


Going to lunch with a friend. Probably taco salad from Taco Bell.

Have a great OP day. Be back after lunch.

Jackie
257/163/145
10-10-01

Recovering from bronchitis, but I am ambulatory...All that's left is the dry hacking cough that spits up nothing :mad: and just makes my throat sore. :( At least it's not as bad as my first bout with it back in 1998. My doctor told me then that my allergies make me prone to bronchitis. Guess my luck had to run out sometime though: this is the first infectious condition I've had since 1998. :tired:

Well guess what? I caught his bug! I have serious sinusitis and a sore throat from the sinus yuch - and starting to feel pretty ichy....I have a prescription coming to me of new antibiotics and sinus meds - and hopefully I will kick it!

JackK - Congrats to your DD and SIL2B!! Hope you just get a dusting of snow...something that will dissolve fast and not cause too much havoc!

Monet - Glad to hear your DD is doing better, and has meds to help. Enjoy your wedding festivities....and don't worry about the # if it is pms time :)

Gracious - what a lucky friend you have to make sure she has a wonderful shower!!!! Hopefully my kidlet will be on the mend after today - he is up and eating soup from the chinese restaurant. My Gram is taking care of him while I work.

Sef - I am glad to hear that you are feeling better - hey, on the bright side, the scale might be really good to you :) Take care!!!

Deb - Give the kids a high 5 from me! That is terrific!!!!!! I guess you and me were on the same wave length Tuesday night - I missed Chat because of sleep!

Quilter - {{HUGS}} I am sorry to hear your news! It is hard to know you are losing a friend or loved one to a type of cancer that cannot be cured/contained! And I have had another great OP day and today as well, even though I could easily run out and grab a smoothie loaded in sugar just to soothe my throat! hahaha - but I did not give in - instead I am having a Low Fat Cafe Latte with sweetnlo....so you have given great encouragement to all of us and hope that you are doing as well too!!! We are all right here for you!!!

Hello to all I have missed, my time has run out, must run!

Sabrina

Hope you feel better soon!!!!! We were posting at the same time :)

Sabrina

Well, the scale said 210(my low) this morning- but I think it's lying:s: I haven't exercised the past 2 days- but I've been so busy. When I get off the computer, I will pop the 2 mile tape in and walk away those pounds,lol. I really haven't ate that much the past 2 days either because I haven't been home as much as normally. Today, it's raining and I've been here all day so I've had breakfast(orange and nsa yogurt), lunch(leftover spaghetti meat and sauce with a salad) AND a legal sandwich. Finally, I'm full:ink: I bet it will be at 211 tomorrow- but that's still good considering it was 216 Monday morning. I think I will eat before I go to Mickey D's Saturday. Although, I might have a little piece of cake:hb:
I don't know what's wrong with Boogie today, but he's being a total whiny butt,ugh! I can barely type cause he's clinging to me.

QUILTER- It's so sad when someone we love passes-especially when they have to "suffer." I'm always deeply saddened when I hear of a heart child's passing- it's so unfair. I don't know why it has to happen. I don't know why my Boogie had to be born with this and sometimes the uncertainity of his lifespan gets to me but then I have to remember that we are never promised tomorrow, only today. There is a reason and purpose for everything. You can bet that when I meet God, that's going to be my first question.

This is driving me crazy. I saw a recipe yesterday on the web for spicy chicken that included agave, worcestershire and spices--and I can't remember where I saw it. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
I also got a recipe for banana spice cake from our Suzanne --from a loop. Did everyone get that one, and if not, would anyone want it?

Hi there!!! Miata here..I have been MIA. My daughter was here from Louisana and I just spent every minute with her I possible could..did bad the first week she was here, jumped off the wagon and gained 1.5 lbs...I was not thrilled but I knew it was coming. We went out to dinner/lunch, had marguritas, and stuff. Then right before she left we went out parting tog..(with designated driver of course) and boy did I have fun.. I have wanted to do that for 4 years. But it was never the right time. This time it was and It was fun..She took real good care of me..I don't do that ever so just going out and haveing more than 1 margurita was fun. After she left I tried to get back on track and lost 1.75 lbs but I think it was only 1.5. I think the tops lady was very leniant and I think it was only 1.5. But I wil take the 1.75. Trying to stay op now. started drinking my water today, did't drink any yesterday.

Quilter I am really sorry about your friend. It is hard to see your friends die. One of my neighbors died and I had a lot of regrets..I didn't go visit enough. I wish I had gone to her house just to visit and talk more.. I always came up with excuses like maybe she didn't want to be bothered. I think she would have like to be bothered. I made her a quilt that had all her grand childs pitures on it and she liked that . I should have started and finnished it as soon as I found out how bad the cancer was so she could have enjoyed the quilt for longer than she did...It did hang at her funeral. I think I will have the quilt hang at the quilt shop during Breast Cancer awareness month at the local quilt shop. Go see your friend, he he is still here, go see him.

Bye for now..

Kathy/Miata

Just a quickie before I head home.

No snow here yet. :dance: Still predicting it though.

No big plans tonite, may go to Sams for the office.

Dawnstorm, Sorry you are under the weathr, hope you are feeling better soon.

Tranquil, I can't believe you are sick too. You better start popping some major vitamins and "C" and get over this one quicker than the last.

Heartmom, Yeah for 210. :dance: Hope Boogies isn't coming down with something too.

Linworth, yes, please post the banana spice recipe.

Miata, Glad you had a great time with DD> SOmetimes you just have to let your hair down and PARTAY!! Those lbs. will drop right off.


Have a great night

Jackie

I posted the cake recipe -- it is from Jennifer, not Suzanne. It sure looks good.

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERY BUDDY!!!


Thought I better drop by or the DUNGEON MISTRESS would be looking... :eek:

Everything still going well here...haven't gained, but haven't lost either! Started going to TOPS as Debbie suggested. It turns out that one meeting is within walking distance of my house! Monday nights at 7pm...

Kim..so sorry about your friend.. it's hard to let go of the good ones..I'll keep him in my thoughts for you.

Jackie..I just like WILD OATS..there are a lot of good things there.
You have to pull a Debbie and handle everything in there. Does yours have produce? I'm to the point where I like the organic stuff better. It has a better taste, and knowing that there isn't any pestisides is a relief..

My Neice went to see CHICAGO and she said it's the best movie she's seen in a long time..I'm going to break my general rule of not going to the theater and go see it...anyone else going?

I'm off to feed the furbaby....I'll check in later...

BOB

Good Afternoon All

Well, I've been OP for 3 1/2 days. Tonight I'll be having a wee piece of cake--It's DH's 40th!:hb: :hat: I'll try to send the rest of the cake to work with him tomorrow. It'll be just the 3 of us tonight, but we're going to a dinner/dance on Saturday with a bunch of friends so we'll celebrate then.

I've finally got most of my energy back. This stupid virus really knocked me down. I put in a full day of work yesterday (I clean my aunt's house every couple of weeks--she has a bad heart) and was pooped. Today I was running around getting some things to decorate and then cleaned our house a bit. I think I may try some exercise tomorrow!:yikes:

I had packed up a cooler with all legal foods to eat yesterday, but my aunt came home with lunch. I was kind of dreading it cause she likes Wendy's. But she came home with a chicken breast and a salad for each of us. She said "we don't need the fries" I gave her a thumbs up on that one.

I've found a "salad" that I quite like. I had some leftover brussels sprouts in the fridge and didn't quite know what to do with them. So I put a few drops of Italian dressing on and mixxed it up and BOY! was it good! So I have a new snack.

QUILTER--So sorry about your friend. I'm glad he's somewhat at peace knowing he'll be going to a better place. Just be there for him however you can. We have a friend who's been 3 rounds(hopefully no more!) with the non-hogkins and it was really rough each time. I'll keep you and your friend in my thoughts. :grouphug:

LINWORTH--Sorry, I can't help you out with the chicken recipe, but when you do figure it out, can you please share. It sounds good! Also, I'd love the banana cake recipe. I have loads of bananas in the freezer!

HEARTMOM--keep up the good work. Your persistence is paying off! WTG on the low! We can weigh different from day to day and even hour to hour. I jump on the scale almost every morning but my "official" weight is WIW. I try to not let the little daily increases get to me (though the decreases make me feel good!). I keep reading about you doing the WATP tapes and you've inspired me to try one tomorrow!!!

Ok, gotta go finish making dinner. Have a good evening everyone!

Boy was this a long day! I baked cakes, went to the store, made pimento cheese, visited with my friend, ate, cooked, and researched for my curriculum project. I did not even get a chance to nap! :EEK:

I made Hungarian Goulash for dinner. I love that stuff... I served it on ww pasta mini shells. I was very good about the portion size, but I still feel stuffed! I think that is a good sign. I am eating less and feeling fuller. Don't know why, but I'll take it! :shrug:

It is cold and wet here. They are saying there is a chance of sleet tonight. My daughter and her friend are praying for snow or ice, so there is no school tomorrow! I wouldn't mind sleeping in, but I have things to do tomorrow to get this cake done! One of them is to run over to the SugarCraft store and get supplies. Can't do that in snow and ice!

I am going to go post a few recipes....I will try and get back on later and do some individual posts...if I don't make it back, sweet dreams everyone!

:wave:

Checking in- I stayed OP today but I ate waayyy to much Smuker's Peanut Butter. Man, is that stuff good. I drain the oil off and keep it in the cabinet instead of the fridge. Hope it didn't make me gain. Tomorrow is Ashley's bday although, we're having her party on Saturday. We plan on going to Ryan's to eat and then we have to go see a friend of mine in Jackson(almost 2 hours away). She had brain surgery(tumor) a little over a week ago. We visited her last week- she can't pick up her left leg or arm on her own. She can feel though, hopefully with therapy it will get better. She's my age(27) and has 2 kids. This is her second surgery for the cancer. I hope it's gone for good now. Okay guys, talk to u later.

Hello, everybody!

I hope you all had great days! One more day until the weekend. Let's hear a huge sigh of relief over that.

Well, thanks for all the nice thoughts and prayers regarding my friend, Mike. He did pass away last night a little after 11 p.m. The ambulance got him back to the hospital near his home, so he got to see his family and tell them goodbye. I'm sad, but yet thankful that his suffering is over. He'd had a very long, very difficult six months. I'm glad he's a peace now.

My eating has been really good. Today my boss wanted to go to lunch. So we picked an irish pub. Oh, let me tell you, I've eaten there before and they have some very yummy, very illegal stuff. But I opted for a fantastic salad with chicken breast, pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese. It was so good. I ate only half so I could bring the rest home for supper.

ZANNE---So glad to hear that you are feeling better. Sounds like your energy is almost back to normal. That has to be great for you. Hey, I loved your brussel sprouts idea. I love them, but haven't tried anything like salad dressing on them. Thanks for the idea!

BOB----Good for you for going to TOPS. I think sooner or later, I'll have to join up for something like that, just to have something here to keep me accountable. I've even thought about RE-joining weight watchers at some point. I have a digital scale, so it's not for an accurate weigh in, but just for the knowledge that I have to go somewhere and get weighed. I hope you see a loss soon. Keep on working, we'll get there.

DEB---I knew your computer was being used on Tuesday night. Those kids of yours are working hard and their grades are great. How can we begrudge them their computer time when they are needing to keep up those grades. You have to feel so good that they are doing so well in school.

SEF---Good to hear from you again. You take care of yourself and let somebody else do the cooking. I hope your strength comes back soon and that you get all rested up. Thanks for checking in with us.

GRACIOUS----I know just what you are talking about with your friend. My brother has been a minister for over 30 years and sometimes it's very hard for them to get really close friends in their congregation. Kind of an awkward position. Like you said, not wanting to play favorites. Thanks for your kind words.

MONET---Don't worry about being up today on the scale. Remember, you have been doing a lot of walking, so the upped scale could be because you're building muscle and losing fat. You go girl!!!

JACKK---It's been snowing off and on here all day. Nothing accumulating yet. Hey, good luck with your move on Saturday. I hope the weather cooperates for you. I'm going to start painting tomorrow, soo. I'm just doing one room, so that's not going to be nearly what you all will do. i totally agree with you and your theory of why we can fall off the wagon so easily. You are so right. We just don't think beyond that one moment and that urge to splurge. I guess we should work for clear heads and smart thinking, keeping our eyes to the future and our goals.

DAWN----So glad that you are recuperating. You did go for quite a while without any sickness. So I hope you don't have to have a "pay back" for all those sick-free months.

TRANQ---Oh, that DS of yours sharing everything he has! Not very nice. I hope you can shake it fast and get healthy. Is is warm enough down there to open all your windows and get the germs out? I hope it doesn't last for you. I am sooooo glad to hear that you are OP and doing great. Awesome, chick! Keep going and keep trying to foil all those foods that are trying to plot against us and what we want. Reject the smoothie and prepare for a healthy legal drink. Good for you, for making smart choices!!!!!

HEART---So glad to hear that you are down to your low weight. Get with Leslie and keep walking away the pounds. She can give us great results. When I think of what you've had to go through with Boogie's illness, I am truly humbled. You have had such an ordeal, yet you keep on going and loving life. I have to give you a big old virtual HUG and say, thanks for your kind words. There are a lot of questions that come up for us all every day. Someday we will "get" the answers.

Girls, my computer has locked up twice tonight while I've tried to write this. So I'm going to stop and get this much posted. So sorry to miss some of you. I'll catch you later.

Take care.
Kim

It is a quiet gray morning here. It rained off and on all night. My daughter was hoping for ice, but it didn't happen. I have lots to do today....I have to start icing cakes and before I can do that, I have to go buy the boards, and supports I need. So far, it has been easy to resist...everything is still in pans or intact. Once I start trimming and putting them together with icing, it is going to be difficult. I am going to try chewing gum while I am working.
Hopped on the scale today, and was back down that pound. I'll take it! :) It is PMS time...so I did not expect any GOOD news...I rather expected to see another gain.

QUILTER: I am so sorry to hear about your friend. My prayers are with you and his family...for comfort. I wish I knew just what to say to comfort you, but since I don't, I will pray God will do that for you. What a good job you did at the Irish Pub!

HEART: I can relate on the peanut butter! I love the Smuckers, and Publix here has their own brand that is great...especially the chunky. I love peanuts...in any way. Maybe that is why I am such an elephant?! :lol:

It's Friday!!!

Well, I had a nice long post all done and my blankety-blank computer froze up and I lost it!!!

So here's the Readers' Digest version:

To those of you that are sick, feel better; if you're losing, good job; if you're not, keep trying. Have a good week-end everyone and I'll catch up later.

Trish

Good Morning Ladies!

I agree with Trish, Yeah it's Friday.

We did get some snow, but our roads were clear so that is alright. THey delayed schools for 2 hours. I don't know what they expect people to do that work.

Didn't doe anything last night but go to Sam's to get stuff for the office. Got home and did nothing. No workout at all. So will have to work that in sometime this weekend.

BOB, You can get a double beneift from the TOPS meeting. The meeting and exercise ifyu walk there. Yes Wild Oats had a produce section. ANd a cafe. They did have lots of crackers to choose from. I need to spend more time in there.

Zanne, :bravo: for you making it 3.5 days. Just a bite of that cake. Don't let it get you in a tailspin. Wishes to your DH on his big 4 0. Glad you are feeling better.

Monet, boy you did have a busy day. Can't believe you had time to eat. Keep those fingers out of that icing today.

Heartmom, Good for you having an OP day. Prayers for your friend.

Quilter, sorry about your friend. Yes, he is in a better place. Kudos to you for choosing so wisely at the pub. That was tough to do. See how easy this is when we think about it.

Trish, loved the condensed version. Have a great weekend.

Need to run to a meeting. Be back later.

Jackie
257/163/145
10-10-01

Just a little note to let you know I'm reading post. The kids are keeping me busy. Yesterday the propane ran out and then the batteries on the thermastate so it was nippy in the house...burrr. But the propane is refilled. Forgot the batteries last night but will work on that today. Missed having that back up.

well I need to print some math for the munchkins. Catch ya'll later.

Love,
Crystle

A Friday Quickie . . .

Started painting finally. I have one coat on the ceiling and am going to finish that now. I'm really wishing I had been lifting my weights for the past six months to assist me in this upper arm exercise. Ha!!! My "wings" are aching. LOL

Hope you all are having a nice day. JACKK, I thought of you when I woke up and saw the snow this morning. We only got 1-2. Nothing drastic. Just more slush and slop. Yes, I am definitely thinking about my food. It's going great! MONET, good luck with the cake decorating. I hope the gum works. Sounds like a great idea. Perhaps try to brush your teeth everytime you want to take a bite. That way you won't eat and your teeth will be getting extra special treatment.

Hugs to the rest of you.
Kim

Sorry I've been MIA so much lately. Life just hasn't slowed down much for me and I haven't had the time or energy to post lately. However, I have been eating OP and dropped at least 2 lbs, so that is the good news. I'm hoping to be able to get in a long post this weekend, in between the 9 appointments that I have for my part time job of pet sitting, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

I haven't had a chance to read through this weeks posts except for the last one from Quilter, so Lucky you girlfriend, having Friday off to be home painting. I'm going to start work on changing my kitchen to the Coca Cola theme that I've wanted to do since last spring. I have a weekend coming up with no pet appointments so I plan to start then. I may have to extend the theme beyond the kitchen now as I have a lot more items in my collection......too much for just one room.

Sorry I have to run and can't take time to read other posts to respond to. I did find a cute joke that I'd like to share for today.

Take Care,
Wendy



:lol: :lol:

New Career?

A Gynecologist had become fed up with malpractice insurance and was on the verge of being burned out. Hoping to try another career where skillful hands would be beneficial, he decided to change careers and become a mechanic.

He found out from the local technical college what was involved, signed up for evening classes, attended diligently, and learned all he could. When the time for the practical exam approached, the Gynecologist prepared carefully for weeks, and completed the exam with tremendous skill.

When the results came back, he was surprised to find that he had obtained a score of 150%. Fearing an error, he called the instructor, saying "I don't want to appear ungrateful for such an outstanding result, but I wondered if there had been an error which needed adjusting."

The instructor said, "During the exam, you took the engine apart perfectly, which was worth 50% of the total mark. You put the engine back together again perfectly, which is also worth 50% of the mark." The instructor went on to say," I gave you an extra 50% because you did all of it through the muffler!!

HiedieHo All!

Last night was the first night that I ate without having pains afterwards! HooRay for that!

I am trying to do some things. Am changing the bed and doing wash. Took pork chops out of freezer to broil for supper. Problem is I still get weak and tired. So it's do....rest...do....rest. Slow going.

I wasn't feeling too hot when I was talking to Kim a week ago. That night it just hit and by morning I could hardly walk. DIL and GD were in midst of a relapse of their problem, so at 6a DIL called DS to come to take me to Dr. when office opened. I was dehydrated and doc put me in hospital. I went thru a battery of tests and scopies at both ends. Basically I'm healthy, just had UTI and a couple of "Itises". Just don't realize how much 2 days of diarhea takes out of you!

But I saved some strength for a couple of FFs, if you don't laugh you cry!

This has been on my mind of late! LOL

A physician claims these are actual comments from his patients made while he was performing colonoscopies:

1. "Take it easy, Doc, you're boldly going where no man has gone before."

2. "Find Amelia Earhart yet?"

3. "Can you hear me NOW?"

4. "Oh boy, that was sphincterrific!"

5. "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"

6. "You know, in Arkansas, we're now legally married."

7. "Any sign of the trapped miners, Chief?"

8. "You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out. You do the
Hokey Pokey...."

9. "Hey!_ Now I know how a Muppet feels!"

10."If your hand doesn't fit, you must aquit!"

11. "Hey, Doc, let me know if you find my dignity."

12. "You used to be an executive at Enron, didn't you?"

13. "Could you write me a note for my wife, saying that my head is not,
in fact, up there?"

This has definitely not been on my mind of late!

A WEEK AT THE GYM

This is dedicated to every woman who ever attempted to get into a
regular workout routine.

Dear Diary...
For my fiftieth birthday this year, my husband (the sweet dear) purchased me a week of personal training at the local health club._ Although I am still in great shape (from playing on my high school softball team), I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.__ I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Bruce, who described himself as a 26 year old aerobics instructor, and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My husband seemed pleased with my sudden enthusiasm to get started._ Well, the club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress, so here it goes:

MONDAY:

Started my day at 6:00am._ Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Bruce waiting for me. He is something of a Greek God with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!_ Bruce gave me a tour and showed me the machines._ He took my pulse after five minutes on the treadmill. He was alarmed that my pulse was so fast, but I attribute it to standing next to him in his Lycra aerobic outfit. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring. Bruce was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!

TUESDAY:

I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Bruce made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air-then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill,_ but I made the full mile._ Bruce's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT!! It's a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY:

The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying on the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals._ Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Bruce was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Bruce put me on the stair monster. Why the_#$& would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Bruce told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other_#*$ too.

THURSDAY:

Bruce was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late, it took me that long to tie my shoes. Bruce took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the men's room. He sent Lars to find me, then, as punishment, put me on the rowing machine-which I sank.

FRIDAY:

I hate Bruce more than any human being has ever hated any other human being
in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it. Bruce wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the &*@*#$ &*@*#$ barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich._ (Which I am sure you learned in the sadist school you attended and graduated magna cum
laude from.) The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and
nutrition teacher._ Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

SATURDAY:

Bruce left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing him made me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the *$@#&&&&&&&& Weather Channel.

SUNDAY:

I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy!

Hmm!

An elderly spinster called a lawyer's office and told the receptionist she wanted to see a lawyer about having a will prepared. When the lawyer sat down with her, his first question was, "Would you please tell me what you have in assets and how you'd like them to be distributed under your will?"

She replied, "Besides the furniture and accessories you see here, I have $40,000 in my savings account at the bank."

"Tell me," the lawyer asked, "how would you like the $40,000 to be distributed?"

The spinster said, "Well, as I've told you, I've lived a reclusive life, people have hardly ever noticed me, so I'd like them to notice when I pass on. I'd like to provide $35,000 for my funeral."

The lawyer remarked, "Well, for $35,000 you will be able to have a funeral that will certainly be noticed and will leave a lasting impression on anyone who may not have taken much note of you! "But tell me," he continued, "what would you like to do with the remaining $5,000?"

The spinster blushed and replied, "As you know, I've never married, I've lived alone almost my entire life, and in fact I've never slept with a man. Before I die, I'd like you to use the $5,000 to arrange for a man to sleep with me."

"This is a very unusual request," the lawyer said, adding, "but I'll see what I can do to arrange it and get back to you."

That evening, the lawyer was at home telling his wife about the eccentric spinster and her weird request. After thinking about how much she could do around the house with $5,000, and with a bit of coaxing, she got her husband to agree to provide the service himself.

She said, "I'll drive you over tomorrow morning, and wait in the car until you're finished."

The next morning, she drove him to the spinster's house and waited while he went into the house. She waited for over an hour, but her husband didn't come out. So she blew the car horn.

Shortly, the upstairs bedroom window opened, the lawyer stuck his head out and yelled, "Pick me up tomorrow! She's going to let the county bury her!"

Will try to start answering posts, tomorrow.

Take care, Shirley

Hi ALL! So sorry that I have not been able to get to the board lately. Too much going on here. Have really missed all of you though! :D

Would not be posting today either, but I woke up with a BANG this morning & had to call in sick. Woke up with severe cramps, ran to the BR & sat on the throne, but feft so nauseated that I debated which end should be down if you know what I mean... well, next thing I know my head's in the waste basket & I feel like I'm going to faint, so I called out to dh & he came in & sponged my face with a cold cloth to keep me conscious. He said I didn't have a drop of color in my face & later when I could think straight, I looked in the mirror & he was right. Checked my pulse cause I was still feeling soooo weak & found that it was in the low 40's. What a difference from my usual mornings cause I have a history of tachycardia (fast heart rate) which I take medication for each morning! As a matter a fact, when I did finally make it out of bed during the late morning, my pulse was back to it's usual before medication, in the 120's. Don't know what that was all about, but it was NOT a good feeling. Anyway, after dh put me back to bed, he called & told them to find a replacement for me today, so here I am. Feeling better this afternoon, but still not great. No energy what-so-ever.

Well as usual I'm really behind on posts so I will try to catch up, but starting with WIW instead of Monday. Sorry if I miss anything or anyone, it's not intentional.

QUILTER/Kim, Sorry to hear of your friends' passing. I had a dear friend, a Pastor's wife who was buried Monday also. Such a beautiful loving person, always put others ahead of herself. I really admired her, but like you, I know she's now in heaven so that is a comfort. Prayers for you!

Debelli, Thanks for the info you emailed about the books on ebay! I did get "A Taste of Lebanon" & excited to try some goodies from it. DH was excited that I was able to get one at a good price, altough mine is paperback, it's new. I also got a canning without sugar book coming.

SEF Sorry to hear that you were in the hospital! Glad you're up & about, even though it's slow going. Take care!! :flow2: Have been battling a UTI here too, but don't think it or the medication had anything to do with this morning's episode. :love: the FF as usual.

DawnStorm, Feel better soon!

Tranquil, Girl, you need something to boost your immune system! You have been soooo sick this winter. Do feel better soon!

Heartmom, Congrats on getting back to your low!! Keep up the good work. Don't eat the cake :nono: :D I love pb too. It's an easy & quick breakfast if I don't have the time to fix something. Just spread a little on a slice of SGWW toast & go with a cup of coffee. Holds my energy level up during a busy morning at work.

linworthlady, I hate that when I don't save something right when I find it cause it's so hard to find it again. I do that all the time. You'd think we'd learn by now huh? LOL

miata1997, What part of Louisiana is your dd from? I live in SW LA, near the coast. Sounds like you & dd had a good visit.

Zanne Hope your dh's BD was enjoyable without too much cake intact on your part LOl The outing Sat. sounds nice. I love the Chicken salad from Wendy's. I just ask for the ranch dressing instead of the honey mustard that comes with it. I also love their Taco salad there, just leave off the chips & salsa. I find that is a better choice than Taco Bell's Taco salad because I'm too tempted to eat the shell. LOL

Monet, Sounds like you had a really busy & fun day yesterday! Sounds like you're a great cook.

Trishaloo, You sound busy too. Have a great week end. Having been thinking about calling you, but have not got around it yet. Hey, I found the seasoning you told us about when we were shopping in FL that first night. I used some last night on some stir fried veggies, really good flavor!

Jack-K Glad to hear that you didnot get toooo much snow :)

Country, oh girl, it's too cold to be without propane. Glad it's filled up again. Stay warm!

Serene,I can relate with the MIA due to being busy. That's how I feel lately, like life is moving too fast for me to get here & catch up with friends & posts, but that's life & it goes on wheather we catch up or not. LOL Glad to hear that you're still OP. Me too, but the weight is not coming down as much as I would like it. Well, at least it's down compared to last week. LOL

Well, I've managed to catch up with the last 2 pages. Horrah! I have accomplished something today. Now I'm gone to finish with the crochet baby blanket for my great nephew, so that I can give it to him tomorrow. He's almost a month old now & I have yet to see him. I have one more side & then the last round to put on it.

My dh, Vickie is pretty much settled in her new home. We are giving her a House Warming Party tomorrow afternoon to help with the things that she still needs to replace from the hurricane. It looks like it should be a good turn out. Several of the ladies at church suggested that we do it there & they plan to help with the refreshments.

Will try to stay in touch more often, but if I'm not here, please know that it's not because I don't want to be, it's just due to life passing me by :shrug:

Hello ladies,

I'M BACK! We survived the marathon trip to Atlanta. Really liked the dermatologist we consulted with and we'll be starting laser treatments within a couple of months. Marshall's inter-ocular pressure was back up in his bad eye, so he's on eye drops again. So far he's not fighting me much on it, but once he realizes this will be happening twice everyday I know the fight will start.

We had a really nice visit with DH's family on the way back. His dad just bought a farm and they're getting ready to start building themselves a new home there. It's going to be beautiful when it's done.

I did pretty good on my eating this week. I did have a few problems while eating dinners with the families, but I was on the wagon the rest of the trip.

I'm feeling really frustrated right now. I'm sick and tired of being a working mom. I want to be with my baby full-time! Right now I have to work because DH doesn't have a full-time job or any benefits. He's been talking about moving back to South Georgia and I'm seriously considering the idea this time. He's been trying for two years to get a career-type job in Tallahassee and it's just not happening. He hasn't even been able to get an interview around here. Since it's a big university town, they want to see lots of experience before most places will even call you. That's tough when you're just out of the big university. He's already had a couple of nibbles up near Tifton where his dad lives so we're looking into it. Please be praying for some guidance for us in this.

Sorry, I haven't ready ANY posts! I'll be keeping up from here on out.

--Kat

This story happened about a month ago in a little town in Louisiana, and even when it sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock tale it's real.

This guy was on the side of the road hitch hiking on a very dark night in the middle of a storm. The night passed slowly and no cars went by. The storm was so strong he could see hardly a few feet ahead of him.

Suddenly he saw a car slowly looming, ghostlike, out of the gloom. It slowly crept toward him and stopped. Reflexively, the guy gets into the car and closes the door, then realized that there was nobody behind the wheel. The car slowly starts moving again.

The guy is terrified, too scared to think of jumping out and running. The guy sees that the car is slowly approaching a sharp curve. The guy starts to pray, begging for his life, sure the ghost car will go off the road and he will plunge to his death when, just before the curve, a hand appears thru the window and turns the steering wheel, guiding the car safely around the bend.

Paralyzed with terror, the guy watches the hand reappear every time they reach a curve. Finally, the guy gathers his wits and leaps from the car, and runs to the nearest town.


Wet and in shock, he goes to a bar and, voice quavering, orders two shots of tequila, and tells everybody about his horrible, supernatural experience.

A silence envelopes everybody when they realize the guy is apparently sane and not drunk.


About half an hour later two guys walked in the same bar.


Thibideaux says , "Look Boudreaux, that's the
idiot that rode in our car when we were pushing it!"

Just a little cajun humor! :joker:

Getting ready to head out to happy hour and then over to a friends house to help her with her twins. They are so precious.

Moving my SIL2B tomorrow. That should be an all day job. DD has school so she won't be involved. Lucky her. Need to hang blinds, etc. Sunday we have to go order the cake and invitations.


Quilter, look at al lthat exercise you are getting today. You'll be burning off the calories. Instead of walking away those pounds you are apinting away those pounds. Have a great weekend.

Serene, It was so good to hear from you. I justed asked Tranquil about you a couple days ago. Sounds like you have been so busy. I'm glad you are doing good and have lost 2 lbs. That is great. I was worried about you that you might be off plan and that's why you weren't posting. Hope you have more time to join us soon.

Sef, Glad you are getting some better. Don't worry about how much you rest. That's what you are supposed to be doing. Thanks for the FF. Cute as always. Take care of yourself this weekend.

Melf, sounds like you got bit by a nasty ole bug. Take it easy and get your strength back. What a good idea to throw a housewarming for your DD. I'm sure she will appreciate it.

Mom2Marsh, Glad yuor trip was successful and your eating good. Maybe make a game out of those eye drops and he won't mind. Prayers and good vibes coming your way for your big decision.

You all have a great weekend. I'll try to check in sometime over the weekend.

Jackie :love:

Here's an amazing little tidbit.....

One gram of carbohydrate causes your body to retain 3 grams of water. Protein, however, eliminates water. It has also been demonstrated that protein boosts tryptophan levels in the brain helping to make you sharper. :eek:

BOB

Just a quick post to say that I was off from work today sick, went to the doctors for the scale to show a 5 lb loss, what is up with my scale I don't know! I have to use flonase, some horsepills to break up the junk in my sinuses and an antibiotic...I am wiped out! Doctor said she was going to start charging me rent! She also ordered a cat scan of my sinuses...maybe a polyp causing the problem to keep reappearing over and over....oh well.....but at least the scale was down so that was a big rush for me....no matter how sick I feel!!!!!

Sabrina

Hi Everyone:wave:

Contrary to the rumors, I haven't died, well, I feel like I've died from lack of board'em (okay, just trying to be cute), but I'm still here and breathing. The kids have hogged the computer day and night and in to the wee hours (you can find Michael oh at 3am sometimes) and I've had to take a back seat. I can usually get in a post during the day, but I've been on the run non-stop every day. ELI was off today and we were up and out of the house early because I've had car trouble and we had to get it over to the mechanic. Didn't pick it up til after 6pm and then found my brake light warning is still coming on and also, need to have a major tune-up which can be done at a later time, either way, I have to take it back and see why that light is still coming on after he said he put brake fluid in.

Anyhow, I am hopping and praying that after I run around tomorrow I will have an opportunity to get on here and get a long, overdue post in, not that I have much to tell about what's been going on, but more to reply to everyone, I've sure missed you guys!!!! Tomorrow I have to take Michael to his film class downtown, kill a few hours before going to pick him up then drop him off to volunteer, go back about an hour and a half later to pick him up and THEN, I can come home!!!!:D

Hope all is well with everyone!!!!!

{{{HUGS}}}:grouphug:

Debbie

Hello Everybody!

Happy weekend to you all! My body is so sore this morning. I feel like an old woman. Yesterday I painted. I got the ceiling finished with 2 coats and then got one coat on the walls. Whew! Doesn't sound like a lot, but I was pooped by 5 p.m. I think that up and down on the ladder and the ceiling work is what has gotten me really sore. I could stand an intense back massage. Oh well, today Paul will help with the second coat. Then we have to attack the built-in bookshelves which are painted a white gloss. It's going to look fantastic. I already love the new colors. It will feel great to have this job finished.

Tonight we are going to see a Beatles tribute band. That will be fun. We really enjoy the Beatles music and have been to one other show like this. Some friends are going, and I look forward to seeing them. Then tomorrow is the funeral for my friend. It's about 3 hours from here, and I am going with an old friend. She and I worked with him for many years. So that will take most of the day.

Eating report is good. I feel like I am doing really well right now with the eating. I think the journaling is going well. One evening this week, I did eat peanuts straight out of the jar without counting out a portion size. That's about the first time I've done that. That little splurge put me over my ceiling for the day, but I don't think it's been that detrimental to the efforts. Didn't weigh yesterday. May go down and do it in a bit. I really like my new digital scale. It seems to be reliable and right on target with my doctor's. Honestly, I will like it better when the first 10 pounds is gone. But I'm not going to moan and groan about that.

DEB---Sounds like your life is in whirlwind mode right now. Hang in there. You know we will all be here when you get a chance to get the computer all to yourself. It's just that you will have a lot of catching up to do.

TRANQ----Good job on the minus FIVE!!! That had to be a good feeling! Is there anyplace to take scales to get them calibrated to the correct size? Perhaps you could do that. You certainly don't want to have to keep going back to your doctor to find out what the progress is. That's an expensive weigh in. We got our digital scale at WalMart and I think it was abotu $40. Not bad, considering our old one had the shakey needle syndrome and I could never get an accurate read. Hope your meds work and that your head clears. That can be so miserable. Are you taking vitamins? Perhaps there is something missing that is causing your immune system to be low.

BOB---I am all for my brain being sharper!!!! LOL. Thanks for the tip.

JACKK---Good luck with the move today. You will be moving pretty fast, because it's freezing out there. I hope it all goes well. Be careful.

MELF---Boy, you sure got me on your funny. I was getting kind of scared there for a minute. I should have known you wouldn't really frighten us! Very funny.

MOM2----Way to go on keeping your eating in check! It's not easy to stay on the wagon when going away for a few days. You should feel great about that. Sorry you're feeling down about how your life is going now. I'm not a mom, but I'm sure it's hard to leave the little guy every day if you don't want to. Hang in there. Perhaps you and DH are on the right path to start looking outside where you are right now. Finding work is very difficult. My brother has been looking for full-time work for a year now. And he hates what he has to do in the mean time. Just keep your spirits up and be happy about the things you can have control of. I believe that things happen for a reason and our job is to learn as much as we can from everything. It will work out for you all. The idea of moving closer to family sounds great!

MELF---Your morning sounds like a real downer. I hope you are feeling better today. Do you think you have a touch of the flu? Sending you comfort HUGS to help the yuckies go away. So sorry to hear that you too lost a friend this week. It's hard to know why these wonderful people are taken so early, when you know they had years of service out there in front of them. But God knows best. Sometimes I feel that some people are too good for this world. Like they are so good that God knows what their limit of time is here on earth because they can't stand all the bad. I know that my friend didn't want to suffer any longer. He told us all that he didn't fear death, it was the act of dying that wasn't any fun. It's such a relief to know that now he is whole and painfree. One of my friends who took care of him a lot found one of his poems on heaven. She read it to him the day he died. I can't wait to read that poem. Perhaps it will be read at his funeral. He was very close with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans while they were alive. I mean, like VERY close. Like go to their house and spend time with them all the time. So their son, Dusty, is supposed to sing at the service. What a fitting tribute to my friend.

SEF---So glad to hear you are feeling better. I hope by the time you read this, the pain will be gone all together. I wondered after hearing about your past few days if you were sick when we were talking. Keep taking it slow and just do as much as you feel up to. Pamper yourself. Put your feet up and relax. I haven't gone to the post office this week to mail your stuff. It's been so cold that I only want to be outside as little as possible. I will try next week. I found a great book that I think you will love too! It will probably take a few days to reach you because I will have to send it book rate. Or I could send it UPS. Do they drop off to you or make you come and get it if nobody is home? Let me know, because there's a UPS place right around the corner from my work.

SERENE----I wondered where you'd been keeping yourself! Girlfriend, you'd better watch out and not get all worn out and tired and sick. This is the perfect season for that kind of thing. Lucky for you, you are at least in a warm state! You kitchen plans sound great! I know somebody who did a red coca cola kitchen. Thats a cute way to go. I am always off on Friday unless we are really busy at work. I like only working the four days. That extra weekend day really helps a lot.

Okay, well it's time to weigh and eat my breakfast. We are out of milk and eggs and I don't know what to have. Perhaps a grilled cheese sandwich. Gotta go put on those lovely painting clothes and get busy. Paul is still snoozing. He'd better get up soon or he'll be in the dog house. Have a great day.

Later,
Kim

Good Morning!

Well, I fell rather heavily last night - the siren call of the cake and icing was too much for me and I succumbed. Trying to get back on track this morning. The cake is almost ready to transport, then once I get there, I will have to assemble it and put on two more borders. I tend to obsess about these things....don't know why!

MOM: Is your hubby from the Tifton area? Mine is from Moultrie, which is about 20 miles from Tifton. We lived in Tifton for a year while my husband taught at Abraham Baldwin College. Back then, we used to laugh and say you could know all you had to know about it by spelling it backwards. Last time we really went through the town, we were amazed at how built up it has gotten. If you don't mind a small town, Tifton certainly would be a nice area to live in. I would not mind retiring to the Moultrie area. Land is cheap, and the weather is pretty good. The people are the salt of the earth....

QUILTER: I am impressed at how much painting you got done by yourself! Last year, when we were preparing for my daughter's wedding, I pulled wallpaper off the hall, and kitchen and painted the hall, kitchen, and great room. It took me weeks! Now I am looking at the yellow in the kitchen and thinking about repainting it! It turned out a bit darker than I wanted. The thought of pulling out all the 'stuff' to paint puts me off!

TRANQ: Congrats on the five pound loss! Sorry you are sick! Take lots of vitamin C... I hope you get over this soon!

Quilter- Actually DH is from Alapaha. Itty-bitty little town just outside of Tifton. His mom's family lives in Nashville and Willacoochie. He'd never admit it, but I think Tallahassee's too big for his comfort sometimes. On the other hand, Tallahassee's the Smallest town I've lived in :) I've warned him that if we move, the first few months will be rough for me, but I will adjust and be happy. I'm just desperate to be with my baby more!

We almost moved to Tifton about a year ago. We'd even found an adorable house to rent right next to ABAC. And it cost less than the rinky-dink apartment we live in here! That's another reason I want to move. Real Estate here is ridiculous! The census report showed that Tallahassee is the most expensive town it's size to rent in.

--Kat

Saturday afternoon quickie----

Taking a quick break. Coat number two is on the walls. And then we put coat one on the stairway walls. There was a lot of "cutting in" today which took too much time. So glad Paul was able to help today. Many hands make . . .

I did take a moment out of the work fun, to talk with DEB. She sends her greetings. Of course, she was in the care picking up and transporting Michael somewhere else. She's feeling so bad about not getting on the board. I assured her that we all understood. But she sends her greetings to you all and says not to give up on her. She'll be back on soon.

Well, I'm having a yummy afternoon snack. I took 140 grams of blue and raspberries (one serving) and defrosted them in the microwave and used a little splenda on them. Yum!!! Candy doesn't get any better than this! Usually I pour a little milk on top and have such fun with that. But we are out of milk. So I just found out the berries are good all by themselves.

Take care. Enjoy your weekends!
Kim

AFTERNOON BUDDYS!


Been out and about...Took Kate to get a perm, and I went to BooksAMillion and bought a couple of books. Went to the HFS and got 6lbs of KALE , stopped at PUBLIX and got some fresh green beans , got chicken marinating in the fridge to grill...I'm set!!!

MONET....listen for the strands of ROCKY TOP ...I'm on my way for some of that PIMENTO CHEESE!!!!
You know better than to dangle that in front of me :p

KIM...sounds like I better stay away from your house....you might put me to work!!!
I'll let you know how the TOPS meeting goes on Monday...It's a lot cheaper than WW's and the weigh in is what I need the structure for... ;)

KAT...I love the TIFTON area..it's so quaint..I love to stop at the pecan store there...they have the best selection of no sugar jellies and jams that I've ever seen!

Well, since the washer is fixed...(switch) I've got a lot to do...

BOB

The day is shot to you know where eating wise. I tried to stay away from the sweets at the wedding reception. I did not eat any cake, (I had enough while making the dang thing!) and I went easy on the finger sandwiches, since they were probably not 100% whole wheat bread. I tried to concentrate on the veggies with a tad of dip, the spinach dip and sausage balls. Once I get the kitchen clean, I am not going to look at anything with sugar in it for at least two months! I feel like crap...



MOM: I guess you were talking to me actually, when you mentioned your hubby is from Alapaha, though you put Quilter on the reply.... I do know where Alapaha is...we lived in Tifton, and my hubby is from Moultrie. He has an uncle in Nashville who used to be a judge there. When my husband was teaching at ABAC, we lived in an apartment. We were used to the amenities of Athens, though, and found Tifton boring. A lot has changed in the 25 years since we lived there! :)

BOB: I have the window open so I can hear the wagon...please hurry! That bowl of icing in the kitchen has been pulling mind games on me since I walked in the door from the reception! As for the pimento cheese...I will mix you up a batch. Easy peasy...

EVENING,

I see I'm the only one "out" and "about"....

I'm headed to the four poster to watch THE PATRIOT for about the umptenth time...I just love American history!

Hope you all have a good evening.

BOB

Bob - wherever do you get those cute pics to post!!! I love em!

Monet - I have been taking vitamins every day religiously but have started on Vitamin C tablets along with my multivitamin...hopefully things will get better :) GOOD FOR YOU not eating any cake!!!! Kudos!!!!!

Quilter - I think my son has knocked my scale out of whack - he has been getting on and off of it - and I am kind of wierd about other people using my scale, like my toothbrush or hairbrush - hahahaha - so I think I will be running out soon and getting a new one and let little guy have the old one....but the weight loss does make me feel a lot better - a lot more positive! Hope you had fun with your Beatles night!!!

Mom2marsh - I remember seeing that sign Willacoochie when driving to pick my son up from his gramma's last summer - had to drive through GA, Tenn, KY and all to get to Southern Illinois - and we thought wow, what a funny name! hahaha

Well, I am off to my bed again now that I have read emails, refilled my drink, and taken more medicine...DS has gone to his Dad's so the house is just quiet with my hound and cats - and the cats are so funny, they have both been getting up on the bed together and sniffing me out and crying - wierd because they don't ever get near each other without a big fight - then come to find out, hound ate all their food, so I think (of course, I humanize them) they were telling on the hound! Food was important enough to risk being close together....

Night, Sabrina

Oh, what a wonderful husband I have.... He knew I was struggling big time with the leftover icing, so he cleaned it all up and threw it all away for me! Tomorrow, I can start out fresh, with nothing to tempt me.

TRANQ: I bet your cats were trying to tattle! They were probably wondering why you bother to keep such an uncouth animal as a hound! After all, you could have another cat!

BOB: Guess I need to watch that... My daughter brought My Big Fat Greek Wedding over last night. She works at Blockbuster, and they can watch new releases before they are available to customers. I hadn't seen it yet, and really enjoyed it. I especially loved the scenes where the brother is teaching him Greek.... :lol:

Hi All!

It's been a busy day, but a good one. Had dd's house warming party this afternoon with a great turn out & lots of nice gifts & fun. She's all set now with towels, washclothes, dish towels, & other nice things. Even got a nice gift basket with candles & bath salts from a friend of hers. 2 other friends got together & gave her a $90 gift card from WalMart so that she can get an entertainment center that she's been wanting. What a blessing!

It was also my baby girl's 28th BD today, so we had cake for her. My Mom stayed over to spend the night & we took her to a Gospel Singing. We enjoyed that.

Saw the board was a little slow today. That's surprising, so I thought I'd post before I go off to bed.

Kim, that's a hard way to exercise those arms girl. But painting is sometimes necessary. Hey, when you're done...I need my bathroom painted if you want more exercises for your arms. ;) Yes, I agree with what you said about some good people dying young. But we never know when our time will come, so we should all make the best of each & every day. What a nice tribute to your friend to have Roy Rogers & Dale Evans son sing at his funeral. I've already told my dd that I want her to sing for my funeral. I told her that if she doesn't think that she can handle that, then she'd better record my favorites ahead of time. LOL

Monet, sorry to hear that the cake & icing gave you such misery. That was awefully sweet of your dh to get rid of it for you. It must be hard to make cakes & NOT taste them.

BOB, we saw the Patriot the other night for the first time & loved it. It was such a moving film. Last night we saw Galaxy Quest & :lol: ourselves silly. It was too funny. Can you tell we're kind of behind time here? :D

Tranquil, Funny story about your cats telling on the hounds. :lol: Feel better girl!

Well I'm off to bed. Still having a back ache, not sure if it's from the UTI or what, but it sure has been giving me fits today. Will try to check in tomorrow. Night all! :wave:

Good Morning Everybody!

Just popping in to see how you all are doing. Not much going on around here. Last night we went to that Beatles Tribute show and it was terrible! First of all, they looked goofy in bd fitting suits and ever worse fitting wigs. Fake British accents. I thought if I closed my eyes, then it wouldn't be so bad, but musically they stunk. So it was terribly disappointing, but they were so bad that it got kind of funny. We didn't even stay until the end. Plus the smoke was terrible there. I really hate that part of going out.

MONET---I've done that wallpaper peeling thing and it's the pits. Luckily our room had none. Personally, I will never used wallpaper because it's a bear to get off when you grow tired of it and I think it's a bad selling point for a house. So your work on that room was much harder than mine. Luckily Paul helped yesterday and that made the process much faster. The only thing left is a second coat on the stairway walls and then priming and painting the white gloss paint on the built-in book shelves. That will take the longest to do. Hopefully next Friday I can do the priming. So sorry to hear that the sweets got the better of you. I don't see how you do it. That's like working in a candy store and trying to live SB legal. Do you get nervous when you're making the wedding cakes, worried that something will go wrong? I'm just wondering if there's some stress-eating going on there for you. I would think there'd be a lot of pressure on the cake maker to have a perfect cake ready for such a momentous occasion. But now that I have brought up that point, I have no suggestions for how to solve the problem. Sorry! But thankfully, your wonderful hubby helped you out. That was great!

TRANQ---I think a new scale that belongs only to you alone is just the ticket. Go and splurge because you are worth it! Feel better soon.

MELF---Glad to hear your daughter's big day turned out well. How much fun for her and you! I had to laugh when you offered up y our bathroom for painting. That's next on my list. When I first moved in here, I painted the bathroom, but didn't know I should prime that oil-based surface. So now I have beautiful sponge painting on one part of it and not-so-beautiful peeling paint in the shower area. Ugh!!! But there's not much to do, so it won't take long to do. Good luck with yours. Sorry, I don't do house calls. LOL!

Well, I'd better go hop in the shower. We have to leave pretty early since it's a three-hour drive to where the funeral is. Thank goodness, Paul will go with me, because my other friend woke up with a fever yesterday and can't go. So that's going to be an all-day trip down and back.

Take care. How's that guilt-free weekend going for all of you?

Kim

My son is coming over for dinner today. I am making salmon wellingtons at his request. I am worried about him. He lost his job on Friday, and now has to find another. The job market is so tight, I am afraid it may take a long time, and he just can't afford to be out of work. His car needs a new fan belt and a new tire, so instead of driving the 7 miles over here, his father is going to go pick him up. Sigh. Parenting sure is hard. He is an adult, but I still worry about him.


QUILTER: I think you are right about the stress involved with making a wedding cake. Of course I worry a bit about it turning out right. So much can go wrong! When I was doing a lot of cakes, I was not as uptight, since I hadn't had any problems. But you forget that things rarely go wrong and start worrying about the things that can...like what if you drop one of the tiers? What if you cut it and there is a terrible 'sad streak' in it? What if it leans too much, then falls over? :EEK: The cake turned out beautiful, the bride was very happy with it, which was a relief. I think when I got home, my desire to eat was another emotion...relief maybe? haha! All remnants of the cake are gone now...I even got all the pans and equipment put away now. About two years ago, I did a cake and did not taste a bit of it..I even cut and served it to the over 500 guests. I think that time, it was easier because I was 'helping' the mother of the bride do the cake, though I ended up doing it all with her watching me. That was ok..she is a dear friend. Anyway, it was HER headache to get the cake to the church and all set up, I was just helping, and not totally responsible. What a difference!

MELF: That is great that your daughter is all settled, and her house warmed properly by family and friends! Parenting never ends, does it? :)

MORNING ALL YOU LITTLE CHICKIES!!!!

Yucky day here...cloudy...looks just like a cold winter day....

MONET>..Better check the fridge...I snuck in during the night and took the pimento! :lol:
Can't wait to see BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING..;.I have a list going..next weekend looks like a marathon..

KIM...what can I say??? I don't envy you and your remodeling!!!

TRANQUIL...I just see these around the cyber...and save them!

Got to go to the grocery for Kate...I'll check in later.


BOB

Melf- I hope ur feeling better today. My heart flutters and races at times and it's scary.

BOB- thanks for the tidbit- that explains why everytime I binge on bad carbs I'm always up several pounds the next day and puffy.

Well,guys I did "okay" yesterday. I had a chicken caesear shaker at McDonald's and a small slice of cake. I've been really trying to watch what I eat and drinking LOTS of water. Today I'm at a new low of 207!

HEART: Congrats on the new low! Nothing like a loss for motivation! :)

Confession time: I need to post and stay on this board more! I have had just the worst month ever since trying to change my life, body and health a year and a half ago. I think I've had mabe 7 days of clean eating out of the last 28. I don't know what's going on- everyday I say "this is it- I'm done with the garbage and it's back to clean living", then I blow it. This morning I had Trail Mix (um, peanuts, raisins and m&m's) for BREAKFAST :yikes: I've officially gone back up a size in jeans, and they're starting to get tight. The only good thing is that I haven't missed a single workout, and can set some new personal bests lifting, but I'd gladly give them up for some self control. I never did want to look like those powerlifter babes....Gotta get back to staying OP! I'm too scared to get on a scale- that will wait til the jeans are fitting again. I can't even remember how to eat anymore, it's gotten that bad. I may try to go back to regular SB eating with just a little more protein for the lifting. If I can remember....

I'm sooo far behind- have only read the last 4 pages. You all have been so busy!
Quilter- Are your arms aching from painting? When we bought this house 3 years ago, it had either horrible filthy paint in weird colors or multiple layers of filthy wallpaper everywhere. Luckily I had 2 months before we movedin and I spend every day, all day, stripping wallpaper, replastering because the previous owners not only were slobs, but didn't bother to size the walls first, and repainting. I did hire a painter to help a bit- we have two story foyer that had wallpaper, and a cathedraled family room that was in terrible shape. I discovered I just couldn't work at the top of an extension ladder. I lost 10 pounds without changing anything else just working on the house. hmmm....maybe I should repaint :lol: I did do my living room window treatments this weekend- after tree years of naked windows, iI finally figured out what I wanted. I know noone will believe that was what I used to do for a living. I used to tell my clients who wanted their homes "done" before they even moved in, to live in them for a little while- even if it was only a few days to see how the light moves, etc. But I never told anyone to wait 3 years. Would have been real bad for business. :dizzy:

Monet: Glad your cake turned out beautifully, sorry bout your icing tasting problems. I catered a couple of weddings- never the wedding cake, but lots of other desserts. It is really stressful, and the stuff is so yummy. My specialty was a rasberry hazelnut cake w/ cream cheese frosting, done to look like a linzer torte. OMG it's good, but I'm not sure I could ever go back to doing that.

Heartmom: The carb and water thing works both ways. That's why when people start a diet and cut the quantity of bad carbs, they have an initial huge loss and then get discouraged because it doesn't continue.

Deb- You sound frantically busy as usual. I'd be begging Michael to get a driver's license by now. Oh yeah- I do remember what traffic was like in SoFLA! Maybe not.... it was traumatic enough with Amy living here in suburbia. I still worry endlessly about her and driving even tho she's almost 21.

Melf- Glad your daughter is settled in. Boy, that was a long process. I hope mother nature never dumps on you like that again. Here, we just have a snowstorm every other day. Making up for the last 3 winters with NO SNOW!

OK, that's all I remember. Someday I'll get smart and use word while I read posts, but I don't seem to get much smarter these days.

Somebody kick my spreading butt into the wagon please,

mel

I apologize if I have posted this question in the wrong place. I'm still trying to get used to this format.

A little about me. I'm a former Atkid. I have lost 32lbs on the Atkins plan. Unfortunately, my cholesterol has gone up since being on Atkins, so I needed a new WOE that would give me more of a lower fat variety of foods. I have been doing SB for almost two weeks now & doing very well.

My question is I understand that Sourdough bread is legal. Does it matter what kind of sourdough you buy? I haven't come across any that state they are made of 100% whole grain or wheat. Most have wheat flour in them or enriched flour. What ingredients should I be looking for exactly or does it even matter in this case?

I also have to confess that since I was previously doing Atkins, it is definitely taking some adjustment to the fact that I'm ingesting all these carbs now. LOL! Any tips will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.:)

HiedieHo All!

I had good plans this a.m. I was going to church. By the time I showered and was partially dressed I gave it up for a bad idea. I was pooped! Wish I would spring back to normal, whatever that is!

FILLISE: Haven't forgotten you. Just haven't been out yet.

QUILT: Don't worry about when you get pkg out. P.O. will leave pkg at door.

Hope all is well. I did skim board and am thinking of you all.

Shirley

Letty: I'm not the best one to answer this considering my recent eating, but I doubt you're going to find 100% sgww sourdough bread anywhere. The white stuff is supposedly legal because the acidity lowers the glycemic load. HOWEVER: treat it with a lot of caution. Especially if you've been doing Atkins, adding in a lot of carbs all at once is going to swell you up like a balloon. If bread is a trigger food, I'd stay away from it at least until you've gotten used to the higher carb level with really healthy carb choices: oatmeal, sweet potatos, 100% stoneground whole wheat products. And remember the 2-3 starchy carb rule if weight loss is your goal. Most of us find that 2 per day is the limit for losing. Hope this helps :) Also remember to eat your vegetables! Those good crunchy greens ones are carbs too, but will help you lower your cholesterol, fill you up, and keep things moving.

mel

I've been given 5 minutes on the computer while Michael goes to eat something. He's been on here since this morning and I haven't had a chance to get on as I had hoped. If I had the $$$ you could be well assured I'd have dsl and networking in this house, we need it, but alas, I can't afford it, so I'll have to suffer.

Will be on early in the morning to start the new weekly board. I'm hoping that this week won't be so hard to get on. The day time shouldn't be too bad, I only have something later in the morning tomorrow and all day on Wednesday, otherwise, I should be able to keep up this coming week. It's been **** on my end-I've missed you all!!!!

Will see you all tomrrow!;)

{{{{HUGS}}}:grouphug:

Debbie :queen:

LETTY, will give you a proper SB HELLO tomorrow, but a quickie, you have Trader Joe's I presume, in your area? If so, they have a whole wheat sourdough I believe. Also, if you can find RUDIS SD BREAD at Whole Foods/Wild Oats in your area, I can get it at mine here in Miami. SD doesn't HAVE to be whole grain, but better if it is, but just look to make sure it doesn't have a bunch of other junk in it, the Rudi's is NOT made with whole grain, it doesn't have to be. If you look at the FOOD INFORMATION BOARD within the SB INFORMATIONAL BOARDS you will find info about SD and why it's considered legal.

Gotta run.....