Support Groups - CCRRMM Demon Food 21-Day Challenge

ALL HAIL THE CCRRMM DEMON FOOD SLAYERS WHO'VE GATHERED IN THE GREAT HALL O' THE PALACE O' IMPERIAL FIT FOLK TO HEAR OF THIS QUEST!!!!

Oh, was I shouting? Sorry. It's just that it's come to the attention of the palace guards that in this Season o' Pre-Valentine's Day that hath descended on the empire, the evil Demon Food Gang hath been seen in increasing numbers in our previously demon-free environment. Why, the Empress of Everything In the Whole Universe hath herownself been accosted not 24 hours ago by SEVEN PB cups (actually 14 as there are two in a package), which floated into her royal carriage whilst she was doing errands and sang their lovely siren song, making the empress feeleth she be safe and happy to see them, BEFORE they turned fiery red and :hot: and attacked her before she knew it, forcing themselves down her throat and depositing unwanted calories within her virtuous fat cells and thoughts of MORE pb cups she could buy in the a.m. ...

Accordingly, the Imperial Food Police Athletic Association is challenging all folkettes in CCRRMM land to a 21-Day Demon Food Challenge to strengthen the public resolve before Valentine's Day. Any :queen: who wisheth to post a personal Bad Food Demon(s) that they will pledge NOT TO EAT AT ALL for 21 consecutive days, starting with their first post on the thread, be invited! If thou eatest the Demon Food during the challenge, thou must start counting all over again. Sorry, them's the rules! Participants are asked to check in now and then to update what day they are on and to vent or chat on the quest if they desireth!!!

Note, this be not a competition with the CCRRMM's NOLA challenge ... it's just an extra fun demon-fighting thingie!!!! The empress hath pledged to step into the Great Hall herself (she's on the road to Atlanta right now but can magikally be two places at once, 'cause that's how she is) and post a DF (Demon Food) of her own that she wisheth to deflate. No Demon Food will be hurt doing this exercise ... they will only be banished to a far-off comfy land of skinny folk where their services will no doubt be appreciated more ...

Signed ~ The Imperial Food Police Athletic Association Demon Food 21-Day Challenge Committee

;)

Ok, dokey, Imperial Food Police Athletic Association Demon Food 21-Day Challenge Committee, yur on ... I, Amarantha, Bad Food Slayer, pledge myself to EAT NO CANDY OF ANY KIND for 21 days, starting today (donuts are ok, I'm just targeting CANDY)!!!!

Amarantha's 21-Day Candy NOT Challenge: DAY ONE!!!!

Send in them clowns ... ;)

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Hail, Empress-- for starting this much- needed thread. For a queen, I must confess that I haven't been behaving well lately. Too much food! And unfortunately, the demon scale sees and records all. Maybe I proclaimed getting down to my goal weight too soon, as I'm up to 139. :o :( Maybe it's a fluke, maybe not. I do know it's time to spring into action! :wizard: I'll need more than the magick wand though.

At this point I want to tally up 21 'good' days. If I come up with anything more elaborate, I'll let you know. Hey, I'm going to take a leap of faith and join you on the no-candy thing. Baked goods [the grainy organic ones!] will be allowed on my program, just no crappy candy! As I speak it, so shall it be!!!

We can do this! :strong:

Thanks for joining the challenge, :queen: E!!!! Yes, yes, yes, I hear thee and it goes for me as well: NO CRAPPY CANDY!!!! NO CRAPPY CANDY!!!! NO CRAPPY CANDY!!!

Candy Demons, be afraid, be very afraid.

No wine...red or white or rose...however I do reserve the right to self medicate with a shot of rum if I need it!
Ceara

Yowza, :queen: Ceara, thanks for being in like the Flynn ... thy self-medication reservation be duly noted!!!!

My p.m. report: Down with the sun on Day One and not a Demon PB cup be in sight in this house ... peace at last from the Crappy Candy Monster!!!! Huzzah! On to Day 2.

I'm off to bed. No wine or whine yet today ...I'm off with my bottle of...water.

Ceara

:D Ah, what a difference a day makes! I feel better already...
Here's how the deal went down today:

Breakfast: coffee w/ fat-free 1/2 and 1/2
hi-fiber tortilla w/ egg sub., fat-free cheese, soy bacon, brocolli, onions and peppers
clememtine

Lunch: potato-veg. soup
veg.-pesto pizza

Dinner:1 1/2 slices Mexican pizza topped w/ lettuce

Snacks: apple***banana
lo-fat ice cream cone

I figure today's calories to be about 1400 and I got in 125 min. of exercise too!

All hail the Demon Food Slayer Trio :queen: s Eydie, Ceara and Amarantha!!!! This dream team hath powered through the first day of the 21 in fine fettle with no whine or wine for :queen: C and a totally fab food menu for :queen: E, not to mention no crappy candy for :queen: A!!!! Hooray!!! Let's keep going, Trio, or Quadra if anyone else joins us!!!! We have two weeks and six days to go!!!! Woooooo!

Amarantha's Candy NOT Report: Day 2, Counting!

Methinks 3FC hath taken away my clown! (: Sigh! That's ok, 'cause I'm still gonna play and stay! :rofl:

Ok, I'm with you... since I heard that the Cadbury Eggs are out early...

I too, will not have any candy... in fact, I will do my darndest to avoid any processed white items but for sure, the biggest problem for me is candy.

And so proclaimed.

Now, if I may have ruling on "crappy?"
Would that mean Godiva? or some of the Belgian varieties?

Yowza!!!! :queen: K be with us and so now we be the Fearsome Foursome o' Bad Food Demon Slayers!!!!! Huzzah!!! No bad food be gonna sneak past this thread!!!!!! :rollpin: No way, not today!!!

:queen: K, I'd be loathe under any circumstances to call Godiva or Belgian chocolate crappy! But the Imperial Food Police Demon Food Division expert is being called in from the countryside for that ruling!!!!

Amarantha's Candy NOT Report: Day 2, On To Day 3!

Losin' it...I think we are onto day 4 right...anyway that's where I think I'm at...Thurs, Fri and Sat Yup onto day 4!!!

Ceara

Happy, happy, joy, joy, joy! This and the NOLA challenge have enabled moi to drop down to 152 ... virgin territory, at least for the past few years!!!! I'm more enthusiastic than ever about NO CRAPPY CANDY!!!!!!

Hmmm, Ceara, I'm on Day 3 because I see I started on the 16th, but I think it should only matter what day YOU started on ... even if the thread wasn't up ... also there's a time difference and I'm not sure which day I actually put the thread up here ... but anyhow this is all about our individual goals, so I'd say CONGRATULATIONS ON DAY 4!!!! Yowza!

I know I'm on the third day because it's Sunday and on Thursday I was on the road for 16 hours covering stuff all over this freakin' county and I had 14 evil PB cups (opening the door to a bunch of other BAD FOOD DEMONS)!!! :s:

And the nice thing about a 21-day challenge is if one falleth off the wagon, well, there's always another Day One loping over the horizon to find us!

Avanti all!!!

Amarantha's Candy NOT Report: Day 3, Counting!

BREAKFAST:coffee w/ ff 1/2 and 1/2
banana

LUNCH: veg. quesadilla
lettuce w/ guacamole
beans

DINNER: soy 'chic' patty w/ pizza sauce and lite cheese
lentil pasta w/ pesto and vegs [1 cup]

SNACKS: fat-free fudgesicle
6 asst. homemade cookies

Had lunch at a mexican restaurant today. I think I did okay. Didn't have any of those chips they bring around.
Only bad thing about the day is I had too may cookies. I try to comfort myself by saying they were whole grain and all that, but I'm not buying it!

Then I'm on Day 3 too! Told ya I 'm a little discomboobulated!

Ceara

Discomboobalated's ok, Sword Bearer! It's only important that you're here 'cause we need thy trusty blade to see us through the dark and scary forest where Bad Food Demons have been known to hide out!!!! :yikes:

Huzzah to :queen: E for making it through lunch at a Mexican restaurant without eating the chips ... I can never do this, so I'm in awe!!!! Thanks for posting thy menus, Eydie, it's enjoyable to read them.

Slayers, I'm halfway through Day 3 and looking good on points but there are no evil thoughts in my head of going to the village apothecary for PB cups!!!! NO CRAPPY CANDY, NO CRAPPY CANDY, NO CRAPPY CANDY!

Amen!

Still Day 3 and counting!

Yes! I echo the Huzzahs for :queen: Eydie.....'cause I certainly ATE the chips at Jose's last night...and the potato munchers and the 1/2 order of fahitas [I split with my mother] and the caesar salad. No Wine though or any alcohol...just 2 huge glasses of water!
So I feel a little full still...have had coffee, 3 dried figs and a plum for brekkie...am debating whether I want protein or oatie meal...such a dilemma!

So am off!

Ceara

Huzzah, Sword Bearer, for hangin' in another day on thy 21-er!!!! :cheer:

I be cooking a health lunch, posting here and trying to do laundry because I have to work tonight, so I'll just say I made it through another candy free day ... The BFD (Bad Food Demons) be lurkin' in the Scary Convenience Store Forest but BFD Slayer Amarantha be not goin' there. Huzzah! :nono:

Candy NOT Challenge, Day 4, Counting!

Jan. 18

coffee w/ fat-free 1/2 and 1/2
whole wheat bun w/ scrambled egg sub, lite cheese

3 oatmeal cookies
3 veg. pizza appetizers

ww bagel w/ lite cream cheese. peppers, lettuce, carrots
1 oz. tortilla chips
lo-fat ice cream sandwich

Exercise: 30 min. bellydance video***15 min. thigh workout** 200 crunches** 30 pushups

Jan 19

coffee w/ ff 1/2 and 1/2
3 oat bran pancakes w/ lite syrup, cooked apples
2 soy 'sausages'

potato-veg. soup
lo-fat ice cream sandwich

2 hi-fiber tortillas w/ beans, fat-free cheese, onions, corn, salsa, lettuce
clementine

exercise: 45 min. walk

Yah-Ha! Onto Day 5.... :D

Am now adding another component...Day 1 of no food :devil: after 7 pm

Food so far today.

2 coffee/5% cream
1 2 egg omlette, with 2 mushrooms and 1 oz cheese.

I have storytime so need some energy. :dizzy:

Ceara...the slow learner :lol:

Huzzah, BFD Slayers!!!! Seems we're making those ol' Bad Food Demons (hiss, boo) sit up and take notice ... rumor hath it in the pubs that the demons have been restless and talking amongst themselves about an armed insurgency ... Demon PB cups and Cadbury Eggs have been sharing bottles of Demon Whine and Wine in the After-7-Pm shadows, muttering and hissing ineffectually ... because they KNOW they are doomed to banishment from this land ... 21-days of this, Slayers and these BFDs are history! Huzzah!

Thanks to Slayers E 'n C for the menus ... I'd list mine for yesterday but it was crazy ... I don't write down what I eat, just the points ... happy to say that I am eating lots of good stuff and am on DAY FIVE of NO CRAPPY CANDY!!!! Yowza!!!

The demons have been very cunning. At work, I very absentmindedly unwrapped a peppermint and as I started to pop it in my mouth I came back to my senses. Close call! And again at Wal-mart they tried to cloud my mind--I was at the checkout and was going for my usual peppermint patty and thankfully I remembered my 'no candy' vow. So I remain "pure" :?: , but for how long......?

Yea, they be cunning, :queen: E!!! I had a rotten day traveling and inteviewing and a coworker was rude to me and on the way home, I felt like stopping for some PB cups ... well, I did NOT have candy, but needless to say this has become yet another metabolism raising day of eating high on the hog when I wanted to be low on the hog ... but knowest thou this, that the power we be a'building just by refraining from the automatic ingestion of candy (if that be our demon) will help a lot, methinks, in helping us maintain our goals ... even if my choices weren't the best today, just the fact that I didn't calm my nerves with the usual PBs lets me know that soon PBs will only be another object to me ... I don't need them to make me feel better ... I may still eat too much, but I will not NEED to eat PBs at least ... even if I gain weight in the short run, I'll gain power in the long run ... bought whole wheat flour today and plan to emulate Kaylets and start baking more healthful foods that will do good things for my body so I won't need to drug myself with candy! Avanti!!! Good job on resisting today!!!! :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

DAY SIX AND COUNTING~!!!!! Huzzah! :jig:

It is Day 6 right? And day 2 of no food after 7. I did have a medicinal shot of rum last night with a diet cranberry pop....at 1 am...spent evening in hospital...my friends' DH is down to hours.

So will motor onwards

Ceara

Day 6 it be, Sword Bearer, and thou be doing great, especially with the stress thou be under at the moment! I'm trying to imagine what rum and cranberry pop taste like ... hmm ... :chin: ... onward, indeed!

Well, OD (Old Dog) be whining outside my office door, so ...

Breakfast: coffee w/ ff 1/2 and 1/2
whole wheat bun w/ egg sub., fat-free cheese, soy 'bacon'

whole wheat bagel w/ lite cream cheese. spinach, peppers, onion
1 c. potato-brocolli soup
clementine

boca burger w/ ketchup
chopped veg. salad w/ ff Italian, almonds
2 choc.-covered strawberries

snax: 1/2 fat-free apple muffin
lo-fat ice cream sandwich w/ 1/2 c. strawberries
[Hey, cut up an ice cream sandwich into cubes and layer it in a wine glass w/ strawberries and it makes a surprisingly elegant dessert!!! :chef: ]

Exercise: 4 1/4 miles treadmill**20 min. dumbells**15 min. yoga** 200 crunches**40 pushups

breakfast: coffee w/ fat-free 1/2 and 1/2
2 oat bran pancakes w/ honey butter, apples
1 soy sausage

lunch: bean soup
lo-fat ranch dip & cucumbers, carrots, peppers
3 choc.-covered strawberries

dinner: brocolli-ramen salad
2 whole wheat w/ humuus, spinach, peppers, onions
orange sorbet bar

snax: 1/2 fat-free apple muffin
clementine
1 bottle Propel

exercise: 4 miles treadmill
15 min. lower body stuff
40 pushups**200 crunches

water: 10 cups
calories: 1510

Eydie, thou beith the :queen: o' menus ... I like the idea of the strawberry dessert made with lowfat ice cream sandwiches ... also thou gavest me an idea of getting ff cream cheese to put on my lowfat whole wheat herb biscuits! Thanks for posting these ... if my eating hadn't been so chaotic today (major stress), I'd post mine ... maybe tomorrow. I am eating much better w/out the candy to get in the way ... I know I've had several clementines ... I like to eat these with an EAS Carb Control vanilla or fudge shake (2 clementines + the shake equal only 3 points)!!!

Methinks this be the 7th day and counting of the 21-day BAD FOOD DEMON SLAYING CHALLENGE! (drumroll) Howsomever, Slayers, let us always remember that the 21-day challenge thingie be hard and if we slip, there be no law that saith we can't start over and be on a different day than the other challengers ... (drumroll) SOOOOOO ....

The Empress Amarantha would like to announce smugly that she hath succumbed to the siren song of (gasp) a PB cup on the way home from yet another stressful day in the battle of life ... so tomorrow will be day one again!!! That's ok, she saith, as she had six candy free days and feeleth she hath strengthened herself for a successful battle ahead with the BAD FOOD DEMON (ta-da)!!!!! Hope she hath not let the troops down and that the troops won't go away in disgust but continue on ... we don't all have to be on the same day ... and Amarantha WILL complete this challenge ... barring accidents such as colliding with a PB cup truck or something when out in the royal carriage ... onward

Hello all!

Everyone is doingn really well!

Ceara- I am sorry for you and your friends. They will never forget how you are there with them. Sometimes it is all we can do and I think, it is one of the hardest things to do. I am glad to know you.


Empress-- how about your recipe for the bisquits you made?? Wonder if I can get DH to make some loaves of wheatbread... sure do miss them... its time consuming but we can get about 5 loaves made w/in 2-3 hrs...
we got out of habit once spring came and it got warm...


Eydie- I would like to know the FF cream cheese your using... all I've ever tried taste like paste... I' d love to know a tastier brand.....

I remain candy free... But I am well aware the Cadbury Eggs are out there... waiting...

Amarantha, it happens, dear! Now here's some help getting back on the wagon. ;)

I've seen coupons in magazines lately for 3 Musketeers candy bars--buy one get one free. There's a part of me that says I'd be crazy not to do it, being a basically thrifty soul---but I've been able to resist so far. Sneaky, sneaky demons.... :devil:

oops, I'm afraid I've misled the queens; I don't use the fat-free cream cheese--I cheat by mixing one package of fat-free cream cheese, and one pkg. of neufchatel [lite] cream cheese. Not completely fat-free, but close!

Breakfast: coffee w/ 1/2 and 1/2
9-grain bagel w/ peanut butter
clementine**apple**banana
[Had this at Panera Bakery--I smuggled in my own fruit! :devil: I know it sounds like alot, but we lingered there for almost 3 hours visiting witha friend.]

Lunch: sm. cup mushroom-miso soup
tofu-veg. horapa w/ rice
[had this at Thai restaurant]

Dinner:low-fat frozen yogurt w/ caramel and almonds [at ice cream store]

There. I had all 3 meals out today. What do you think? I feel pretty good about it. The only places I can see to improve is maybe having 1/2 a bagel instead of the whole, and having fruit on my yogurt instead of caramel. Always fine-tuning!
Today I'll have 2 meals out. We'll see how it goes. Stay tuned for the next stirring installment!

Exercise: 15 min. dumbells
1 1/2 hour walk

Yo, :queen: E, my recipe for bisquits is just the standard one my ol' granma made ... it's not written down but is just self-rising flour, shortening and baking powder ... she put grated cheese and herbs in them ... I switched the shortening to canola oil and cut it by half and cut out the cheese altogether, adding ff milk powder, a few sprays of butter spray and more herbs. Now I've switched half the self-rising flour with the whole wheat and increased the baking powder. I mix and work the dough like she did, with my hands ... she put oil on her hands but I spray them, the dough and baking sheet with a little canola oil spray (no calories). I don't roll them out, just divide the dough into chunks and shape into rough balls. Bake at 365 for approximately 15 minutes. According to WW, these are still 5 points, but according to me, they are 4 points (200 calories ... that may seem high but they are low in fat ... for bisquits and a filling way to kill my carb cravings)!!!

Tons of work to do today and late meeting two hours away! So, I'll just say, I'm on DAY ONE of my Candy NOT journey (again!!!) ~! :)

Amarantha, know what they call those kinds of biscuits in my neck of the woods? That is, the kind you don't roll out, you just tear off a piece from the dough? They're called cat heads, because the chunk is about the size of a cat head!!! :lol: Next time you give kitty a head scritch, you'll see what I mean!

Your "cat head" recipe sounds great--I'm going to give them a try, seems like the recipe would lend itself well to all kinds of variations. Hmmm....cinnamon raisin, chocolate chip?

coffee w/ ff 1/2 &1/2
2 oat bran pancakes w/ honey butter, apples***1 "sausage"

1/2 baked potato w/ lo-fat veg-ranch dip
sm. salad w/ ff French
3 chocolate covered strawberries**clementine
[Had this meal at "Wendy's" w/ MIL. I 'smuggled' in the dip and the fruit, and I had a great meal there! I could get really obnoxious with this...]

2 tortillas w/ veg. fajitas
beans, rice, small salad and salsa
[Had this at a Mexican restaurant. Didn't have any chips--hoorah! The only thing I should've done differently is to have only one tortilla. Huge amount of food---lots of leftovers for lunch tomorrow, where I'll load them into proper whole wheat tortillas!]

I'm officially tired of eating out now. 5 meals in 2 days is waayyy too much. I look forward to dining at home!

EXERCISE; 45 min. step tape
40 pushups
200 crunches [you'd think my belly would be flat as a fritter, but it's not! :o ]

Okay, last time! :) Just wanted to say that i'm amazed at how automatically I'm still reaching for candy. I've been able to catch myself so far, but IT'S EVERYWHERE! I was at the library tonight with Garry and the librarians always keep a jar of candy there and I gravitated toward it, it's like being pulled by an unseen force. Must......resist!

Am still whine/wine free....however the no eating after 7 is dead...so will just continue with the one for now...but I have no clue what day I'm on...is it day 9 today? Arg!

The friend's DH died Thursday eve...5ish. Visitation Sunday and funeral Monday...what a nerve racking ordeal...interesting the way the family works and doesn't work....

Oh and diet cranberry with rum tastes just as bad as it sounds...I didn't drink it for fun...it tastes like medicine!

Ceara

Ceara, sorry about your friend's dh ... you are doing really good to stay whine/wine free! Good idea not to push the envelope with the after 7 challenge right now! One step at a time seems good!

And, yup, you and Bad Food Demon Slayer Eydie are on Day 9 ... Slayer Amarantha be on DAY TWO of Candy NOT!!!! Thass ok, though!!!!

Yes, Slayer Eydie, the candy demons be everywhere ... I'm actually overeating in compensation, but it's good because the power of the candy to alleviate my stress will gradually lessen.

I think cat heads is a hilarious name for chunk biscuits ... actually, though my chunks seem more the size of a newborn kitty's head but the biscuits come out rather large, at least large enough for me. I like thy idea of a sweet variation ... chocolate made with cocoa powder maybe? ... these could also be a base for strawberry shortcake. I suppose I could bring the fat content down even more, but I am not so concerned about eating a healthy oil as WW seems to be ... that's why I just count the biscuits 4 points (at 50 cal each) rather than the 5 they technically come out on the WW calculator. I think olive oil would also be good with the herbs.

Gotta work! On to day 2 for me, day 10 for everyone else!!!!! Yowza!

Hey Amarantha, I knew someone who used to make perfectly serviceable biscuits using only self-rising flour and fat-free buttermilk. They weren't as tender and succulent as traditional biscuits, but still really good. And no fat. I'd totally forgotten about these--not to mention the less fat you put in them the more fat you can put on them! No, Bad Eydie! I'm also plagued by the slippery butter demon---I dare not even have the first taste of butter.... :devil:

Coffee w/ ff 1/2 &1/2
2 whole wheat toast w/ humuus and spinach, peppers, cucumber
clementine

1/2 Clif bar
apple
sm. yogurt-fruit parfait [from Mcdonald's---these really aren't bad!]

1 1/4 c. brocolli-ramen salad w/ 1 tbsp. cashews
2 soy hot dogs w/ whole wheat buns, mustard, ketchup, onions

snax: 1 c. strawberries w/ lo-fat ice cream sandwich
3 ww crackers w/ 1 tbsp. peanut butter

Calories: 1560
exercise: 40 min. walk

I'll be posting that brocolli-ramen salad recipe--later when I'm feeling more ambitious! It's so unbelievably good, I want it all the time! There's something so satisfying about it.

Eydie, great minds must think alike!!! :lol: Actually, I bought some buttermilk powder that's just for baking. I'm going to replace some of the oil with that, although I do think some fat is good for us to eat ... but I'd still like to bring the points count down on these!

Not weighing in today (need a break from that) but restarting my program and my CANDY NOT challenge to Day 1 because it's easier for me to keep track of things if I start them on Sunday ... the first day of the week!

So, 21-day challenge for Amarantha (Candy NOT) is at Day One and counting! I WILL REACH 21! Demon Slayers Eydie and Ceara be on Day 10 (unless the palace hears otherwise) ... Slayer Kaylets, be thou there? Inquiring minds ... :callme: :)

Gotta work after I check in on NOLA, which has slipped off the first page! Can't be having that, can we!!!!?

Yowza! Greetings to the Demon Food Slayers!!!! I'm on Day 2 of my 21 days of CANDY NOT and feelin' strong. I don't write down everything I eat (just the points/calories) but my best nutritional meal yesterday was salmon baked with dill sauce and butter spray, corn in lowfat butter sauce and brocolli in lowfat cheese sauce, followed by a clementine and a carb control shake (EAS). Possibly I'll repeat that today ... dunno, very busy.

Eydie, I get good results by just spraying the biscuits (or any bread) with zero cal butter spray ... it's just like slathering it in butter ... I do realize that if you use too much of this, it DOES add up to a calorie or two and a fat gram or two, but it's still much better than using butter ... and I can't tell the difference taste wise. It satisfies the part of me that wants to put butter on everything.

AMARANTHA'S CANDY NOT, DAY TWO AND COUNTING!

DAY 11 AND COUNTING FOR DFS EYDIE & CEARA (participants asked to please notify the Palace Police, Demon Food Division, if there's been any changes in that number)!

DFS Kaylets, the palace wasn't sure which day thou starteth but thou be stalwart nevertheless!!! :) How beist thou doing on thy march to 21 days!!!!!? Inquiring minds wanna knoweth! Yowza!!!! :wave:

Avanti, Slayers! Be careful out there as the BAD FOOD DEMON GANG is out in full force and effect on Mondays preying on unwary Mondayites! :yikes: :fr: :rollpin:

Amarantha, I see that the Universe is pressing me to use this butter spray---You're the second person to recommend it to me in the last 2 days! Thanks! :)

Snowed yesterday all day long and I wanted to eat ALL DAY LONG, and so I did. Oh well, it happens sometime. I have to make this a big workout day, because I did some serious slacking yesterday--only 20 minutes with my dumbells.

Sunday--Jan. 25, 2004

coffee w/ ff 1/2 and 1/2
migas [egg sub., 'fajita; vegs., corn tortillas, salsa, lo-fat sour cream, lite cheese]
1/2 c. potatoes

1/2 oat. breakfast bar**clementine

1/2 c. brocolli-ramen salad w/ 1 tbsp. cashews
3 ww crackers w/ 1 tbsp. peanut butter

cucumber and carrots w/ lo-fat ranch

Slim-A-Bear ice cream bar

2 servings oyster crackers

Salad [spinach, vegs., soy 'chik' patty, 1 hard-boiled egg w/ ff Italian
1 weight watchers peanut butter mousse thing

So that was 1955 calories....the good news is I at least measured everything and kept it below 2000.

Eydie, the butter spray also comes in flavor varieties ... I'm really sold on it.

Re the biscuits, I didn't actually buy the buttermilk powder, I accidentally bought cornstarch! So I made the same recipe as above today but left out half the fat, using only 3 tablespoons of canola for the recipe instead of 6. They actually rose higher and taste better and are a solid 3 points (135 cal, 3.5 fat, 1.5 fiber) ... butter spray on top is free, as far as I'm concerned! :)

Amarantha, I'm dreaming of biscuits now.....Big fluffy catheads!

coffee w / ff 1/2 &1/2
whole wheat bun w/ egg sub., ff cheese, soy 'bacon'
1/2 c. potatoes w/ ketchup

Mexican bean soup
2 whole wheat w/ lite cheese, spinach, onion, pimentos
clementine***almond-choc. biscotti

2 ww crackers w/ 1 tbsp. peanut butter

1/2 c, brown rice w/ vegs.
ww tortilla w/ fajita vegs, lite cheese, salsa, lo-fat sour cream
'skinny cow' ice cream sandwich

water: 11 cups
calories: 1495
fat: 43 grams
fiber: 28 grams

exercise: 40 pushups**200 crunches
20 min. Pilates**4 miles treadmill
80 min. shoveling snow

:) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Just to confess--

I was miserable at work this afternoon and heard the vending machine calling 4 floors away. I resisted but not w/o thinking of the thread here..

Thanks all of you!!

Eydie!! Must have the recipe for Mexican bean soup!! Must!!
Please!

And Empress, I see your post below... perhaps 60 days...??? for sure, since Nov 11 when I nailed myself onto the the wagon seat.....

But.... I saw a big display in BJ's of BELGIAN CHOCOLATE.... WHEN WILL IT END!!!!

Empress, what kind of butter spray is it? Is it butter flavored Pam?


Must be gone! Off to the showers!

I am struggling with the demons, Slayers :queen: s!!!! But not the demon of the candy that I'm abstaining from, just the desire to overeat in general ... seems the more I stay away from PB cups (which I now don't desire), the more I'm stuffing myself with healthy food. This must stop! I'm pledging to stay strict with my modified Flexpoints program for the rest of the week and hope for the best on my next weigh in ... continuing on with the Candy NOT 21-day challenge as well.

This thread seems to be evolving into a general food discussion thread and I think that's great ... I love seeing what others who are struggling with these issues are eating and I've so appreciated the interest in my crazy whole wheat herb biscuits ... really determined this year to eat well and get my health, as well as my weight under control. Really am massively pleased with the new biscuit recipe which is sooooo much healthier than the previous one!

Kaylets, 60 days is fantastic ... you are an inspiration to me ... I know my desire to switch to the whole wheat owes a great deal to things you've said ... good save on the candy machine ... actually, though, I don't think chocolate should always be considered a bad thing ... a piece of good chocolate now and then is a part of life and dark chocolate has more antioxidants (so I hear) than oranges ... for me, it's the 14 pb cups on a stressful day that is the problem ... when my friends from back east were here a few months ago, we took a day trip to the mission in Tucson ... I noticed he carries a huge bar of dark chocolate around everywhere and eats a little now and then ... I had a square when we missed lunch (don't ask!) and it was the best, most basic food I'd ever had and only 5 points ... But I can get that same taste and satisfaction from one of the "rich dark chocolate" carb control shakes I like ... 2 points and no sugar plus more filling than a square of pure chocolate.

I like a lot of the different butter and oil sprays, but for topping biscuits, I use 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray' ... I really can't believe it's not butter! :)

Eydie: I'd also enjoy having the recipe for Mexican bean soup ... since I've been focusing on eating better and cooking more, I've been keeping a running personal cookbook in my computer with meal ideas, recipes and points ... what flavor of Skinny Cow did you have ... I've never really liked those but am wondering if the pb ones would quell my Reese's ice cream cravings ... if you've never had this, don't ever buy it! :)

Didn't mean to write a book ... seems I have food on the mind ... the catheads are calling from the fridge ... these really are good with the whole wheat, a far cry from grandma's but healthier ... I want to save some to take when traveling tomorrow ... the increased fiber is so good for keeping blood sugar stable ...

Rambling. Good night all.

On to Day 3 of my Candy NOT! Yowza!

Queens, thanks for asking about the Mex. bean soup. Once again, I don't really have a recipe, it was one of those use up things in the fridge deals, but here's the basic outline---very easy!

Dice and boil in a kettle: 2 carrots, 1 sweet potato, 1 potato. Let it cook until tender. Then add 1 diced zucchinni, 1 jar of salsa, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can black beans, 1 can dark red kidney beans, 1/2 c. frozen corn, and a couple of handfuls of chopped spinach. Add enough water to all this to make it soup-y and cook until the zucchinni is done. And that's really all I did and it was quite good--even better the next day of course!
To give it more body you could stir a bit of cooked rice into it or you could add some soy crumbles or TVP or chicken. I don't think you can go wrong.

Amarantha, I'm delighted as well that we're talking about food here. Any ideas to make the quest go easier is always welcome. BTW, I've come up with a smoothie recipe that's superb and very PB cup-py!
1 cup Silk chocolate soy milk
1 frozen banana
1 tbsp. peanut butter

Tha's all! Just whiz it up in a blender and it's done. Very creamy and reminicsent of the dreaded cup. Roughly 340 calories [makes a big glass!] and 6 grams of fiber, I think. :)

[color=bluue]Yowza, :queen: E, that pb smoothie recipe might just fit the bill for tomorrow ... I'm starting day one again on the Candy NOT challenge ... got trapped into interviewing an old nemesis today and had to be polite and ... guess what? There were drugstores on the way home and guess what they have in drugstores in the last week of January ... pb cup Valentine's hearts!

Except I can't tolerate bananas very well so am thinking of maybe cottage cheese with the soy and pb? Hmmmm.

I had one of the biscuits and a low carb shake for lunch, thought I was safe ... then bang, there went Candy NOT again!!!! No, :queen: K, it will NEVER end ... the world hath decreed that we shall be assaulted at every fork in the road by globs of white sugar and hydrogenated oil wrapped up in colorful paper and displayed in dazzling array and monumental quantities throughout all business establishments! Hast thou checked out the size of the candy displays at Walmart?

Sheesh!

Today I said to myself (after eating the pb heart), self, why do you need this stuff? If you want candy, you need to make your own candy ... perhaps fudge made with brown rice syrup (which is a complex carb and not so bad for blood sugar) and a bit of protein powder thrown in ... hmmmm. But why is not a nice piece of fish, brown rice and asparagus enough for you? Do the fat/sugar globs in pretty paper make the bad people nicer to you, does it make thy problems go away?

The answer, dear Slayer Queens is obvious.

I shall preservere ... and I do think we should go on making this a separate food discussion/idea thread as we pursue the 21-day challenge ... I've gotten a lot out of just focusing on food here as I attempt to slay the sugar demon!!!!

Again, I don't think a bite of candy here and there is bad ... I think it's actually good ... but the question beith, am I eating the candy or is the candy eating me ... does the demon control me or do I control it ... am I eating what my mind tells me is what my body really needs or am I listening to the Hershey candy company telling me Reese's will make it all better?

Hmmm. Anyhow, the biscuit traveled well and I ate it cold ... it was quite fluffy ... I love the combination of the whole wheat taste and the herbs. I'm sure that the extra fiber in that helped me stop the candy binge in its tracks ...

I am now retiring from the universe for awhile! Bye! :wave:

Yeah, Empress--I've seen the candy display at Wal-Mart--an entire aisle!!! :o Actually, I haven't seen it; I'm boycotting it this year. See, I always like to wander along and see whatver's 'in season' on that endless candy aisle. I like to see what they have for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's, Easter, etc. It truly fascinates me--and I always end up wanting to try something simply because it's tricked out in some fancy seasonal dress. This year, I'm saying no. This is the plan anyway. Anything could happen. :devil: I think the thing that's helped me most is my being properly horrified at how automatically I reach for sweets!

In case anyone thinks that I'm absolutely heroic at this, let me assure you that I salivate at the thought of grabbing a handful of chocolate chips. ~~drool....~~It'll never end, I just want to master it.

Amarantha, You're still doing spledidly in my eyes. Remember the Japenese proverb: Fall down 7 times, get up 8!

Thanks, Eydie! I know I can do it!!!! I know we ALL can do it!!!! I'm not sure where we are in the 21-day thing ... I'm on Day 2 ... I'm wondering if everyone would agree to ending the 21-day thread starting a new one that just says "CCRRMM Demon Food Challenge" ... then we can set time parameters as we see fit ... the challenge being simply to discuss and conquer Demon Food ... and Angel Food (not the cake kind) ... e.g., just focus on food challenges and the topic of eating well? I still think it should be a separate thread from the main CCRRMM and the NOLA ... the NOLA is about exercise, the main thread about support and then we could have the food thread about challenging ourselves to eat well ... and posting recipes and menus as well.

I'll post this on the main thread as well. Thoughts? Does anyone object? :)

Yes, the point is to keep trying....

And yes, the shiny paper and cute designs are very much like the toys and designs on the cereal boxes....
All sizzle, no substance.... ( Thought I was going to say it didnt you!)

Brings to mind the way folks get ready for night's out... hoping to for "cupid's arrow" as one young lady at work likes to say.....
Just another form of marketing....

hmmm, there I go...

Really need to hit the shower.. but thanks for the food for thought

OK....started 16 today is 28...(counting on fingers here) Ah! Today is day 13 for me. Yippee...!!!

Am hoping that I can get back into the swing of things...have been a little side tracked. Have Dr. Appt this am so must get going....may add new challenge to self for tomorrow....am weaning off the medicinal rum tho! Have stayed away from that demon wine :lol:

Ceara

Amarantha, It's fine with me, and I'd love to see more of the queens on this thread! Maybe if we offered a buffet they'd come? :chef:

Ceara, great to see you, and you're doing so well with your no-wine challenge! Let us know what the doc says.

Kaylets, your thought about folks making thenselves up for a night out was really interesting. Yep, it's all about marketing--I'll have to ponder how I do that.

Wednesday morning, another day to be gloriously healthy in every way! :)

coffee w/ ff 1/2 and 1/2
9-grain bagel w/ lite cream cheese, spinach, carrots, onion
clementine

Mexican bean soup
2 ww toast w/ lite cheese, spiinach, carrots, onion

Mexican bean soup
ww bun w/ soy hot dog, mustard, ketchup, onion

Snax: smoothie [choc. soy milk, banana, peanut butter]
apple quesadilla [ww tortilla, sweetened crean cheese, cooked apples]

calories: 1635
fiber: 39 grams
fat: 42 grams
water: 10 cups
exercise: 30 min. bellydance**15 min. abs**4 miles treadmill**25 min. dumbells**15 min. yoga

OKAY DOKEY, SLAYERS OF DEMON FOOD, POST HERE NO MORE!!!! WE ARE STARTING A NEW THREAD, MEETINGS TO BE HELD IN THE IMPERIAL KITCHEN! Elberta Crone, 100-year-old-healthy-palace-chef-with-body-of-20-something-because-she-only-eats-healthy, will be the guest speaker! All CCRRMMs, wandering strangers and neighbors be welcome!

Endeth!