Support Groups - Summer Starters #2 - 8/1

I wish I had the motivation to exercise that so many of you seem to have! I had myself all ready to get moving on Friday, but my husband's 90 year old aunt fell Friday evening and I've been at the hospital with her all weekend (she lives alone and doesn't have children so a lot of her care falls on us. She's banged up and very sore, but no broken bones.), so once again exercise has been put on hold. I'm home for the afternoon and I'm going to get some groceries and try and get the grass cut, so pushing the mower around the yard will count towards my exercise this week. I did weigh in today and I am 2 pounds lighter, so the weight is still coming off...of course I've been so busy that I haven't had a lot of time to over eat! :lol:

Movement is movement. Yard work, housework, it all counts as movement. I even stood the entire time of folding laundry instead of sitting to do it because that meant I had to bend to get the next piece. With all my little ones and extremely limited funds, I have found creative ways to get my body moving. Sorry to hear about your aunt. My mother takes care of her mother who is 91 and fortunately her health is excellent and she has a mother in law cottage in the back so Mimi feels the independence but still has mom right there. Congrats on the pounds lost-you must be doing something right!
Melissa

Good morning ladies!(Afternoon almost!) I have been sitting here thinking about my last 4 months of non-existent exercise and just needed to share with someone.
Before we moved-4 months ago-I was walking 2-3 miles/day, it helped me lose 43 lbs. Since we moved I have probably walked a total of 8 miles and gained 10 lbs back :( I have lost 3 of that so far, but it makes me very upset that I just can't seem to get the motivation to get off my behind and walk! I have a treadmill in my bedroom, calls my name everytime I walk by (evil thing :devil: ), but I have done a darn good job of ignoring it's voice for the last 4 months! I talked my hubby into buying me the treadmill because with 6 kids it's hard to get away and go to a gym, or to even walk down the road and back, by myself. This way I could turn on a cartoon in the living room for them and turn on a video in my room and walk away, the problem is I have been walking away from the treadmill!

I am going to start walking again today! My 2 middle children start school tomorrow, so that will ease up my days some. I will still have the 2 little ones-until I find a preschool-but they are not hard to please with a video. I will do this, I can do this!! :tread:

Thanks for listening! You all are the best!!

Kathy
PS-What is the best site(s) for finding calories, fat and such for food??

Fitday.com is excellent for tracking calories ect and it is free to use. You CAN get on the treadmill! Once you get going, you will wonder why you waited. Course with school schedule starting up that helps too. My son goes back the 7th and my other two are easily entertained and I do plunk them in the stroller and walk around my long block when weather permits.
Melissa

Kathy, focus on knocking off what you've gained back then keep going...and don't look back to that number ever again! You can do the treadmill...you can! "I have no time" is the number one excuse for not doing what we should for ourselves, but there is almost always a way to get it in. I have been getting up an hour before the kids and making sure I get in at least 1 mile before the day starts...that way if I don't make it back for more, at least I got something in. 1 mile is always better than none, and only takes me 14 min. on the gazelle. Just set a small goal for yourself and stick to it until it becomes a habit or routine. Then you can add to it.

Keep us updated as you get moving.

Theresa

Cadwell- Good luck tomorrow. They must have been impressed to call you back.
Theresa-Your posts help keep me going. I have a shepard and he is wonderful, except for the dog hair. I have to keep brushing or it's all over the house. I brush him outside and supposedly, the hair keeps away the deer.
Kathy-I love fitday.com. It tells you everything and there is an exercise componant for when you are ready.

We are back from a weekend with friends. It took us almost 6 hours to go 220 miles cause traffic was just awful. We got there in time for a dinner party with 6 of their friends. I ate a lot of shrimp, 15 chips, a little bit of cheese, tomato salad and the bad part, 5 glasses of very dry champagne and 4 tiny cookies. I put everything onto fitday and I'm at 1900 calories including breakfast, so I won't gain, but not lose either. I paid for the champagne with a splittiing headache, cause I almost never drink and 5 glasses as we chatted and stood in the pool is a lot. The pool was 93 degrees, so we stayed in for a long time. Coming home today was easier, 3 1/2 hours and I am only at 750 calories before supper.
I knew I would have to come here when I got home, and that helped too. Does anyone else feel that way about reporting in daily?
Laura

I feel lost if I don't come here-it is a way to see how others are, talk about anything that is bugging me and I know there will be several suggestions on how to tackle it. I really don't think I would be doing as well OP without all of you there for me so no, you aren't alone. We have a new gal joining us and she will be posting soon to introduce herself. So let's all give her a huge hello when she posts like I know you all will on account you guys are all so awesome!
Melissa

Oh I had another thought-I know scary huh? We will start a new thread on the first of each month cause otherwise I fear we would get so huge that we would never read through it all. It will say our name then for example 9/01/05 so as long as we all know the month and year we will be ok to find us.
Melissa

Good idea Melissa.
It' s almost September and the days are getting shorter, which I dislike so much, but by the time the days get long again, next spring, we will all be so much closer or at goal.
Laura

Hi all!
Back from our long weekend and I did pretty well considering all of the temptation!
I did splurge on a small sundae and a couple of onion rings and two Vodka tonics.
LauraB - "I paid for the champagne with a splittiing headache" - Ditto here.
I rarely drink because every time I do - I end up with a hangover/headache - even if I have ONE!!! In a way it is good because the calories aren't good ones anyway!!
I have a girlfriend who can drink 12 beers in 6 hours and never get drunk or have a hangover!! She drinks it like soda! It's unbelieveable!!! Not healthy at all!! I've tried to talk to her about it, but to no avail.
Also had to sleep on an old pull out couch at the motel and my god am I sore today!! -So no excercise for me - I will be back on plan tomorrow! I promise!! ;-)

Congrats on the shorts Melissa!

Glad to hear that Allie adjusted to school and is looking forward to going back!

Congrats on the 2 lb loss SuzyMc!

Caldwell – Good Luck on the call back! That’s Great!

Laura B – I feel the same way about being accountable to you all.
It keeps me on track most of the time – so it’s great for me!

Glad to hear we will have e new member of the group!

Melissa - i tried to find the ravioli recipe the other day and couldn't - could you either post it here or PM me? Thanks!

Have a great Monday everyone - keep up the great work!!

Here is the ravioli recipe.

1 9oz package refrigerated reduced fat cheese ravioli
2 cups chopped cauliflower florets
2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 28oz can petite diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 teaspoon Itallian seasoning
1 cup shredded fat free mozerella cheese
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesen cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray 1qt. baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Bring lg pot of water to a boil; add the ravioli and cauliflower and boil just until the ravioli float to the top, about 2 min. (pasta will continue to cook in the oven). Drain and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over med. heat. Add the garlic and saute' 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and Itallian seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered 5 min.
4. Add the pasta and cauliflower to the skillet and toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake until the mozerella is bubbly about 20 min. Let stand 5 min before serving.

Per serving (about 1 cup)
243 calories
7g fat
2g sat fat
0g trans fat
70mg cholesterol
1228mg sodium
27g carb
4g fiber
19g protein
POINTS 5
__________________

:eating2: I have to give my 2 cents.. the rav. recipe is so yummy- we used broccoli cause no one in my house will eat cauliflower. but it was soo good.
Thanks again Melissa!

way to go!! it sounds like everyone is doing great! I am just too sleepy to go into a long post - needless to say I didn't get any exercise in today- we are helping to get the disaster (sp??) relief packages ready for the trip to New Orleans / or Katrina hit areas. They will be sending people from our association to help with food trailers and clean up and help however they can.
I fear New Orleans will be "gone" tomorrow.

I just now got home but I did eat pretty good today and will get up tomorrow early to exercise.
But as everyone else I feel if I don't check in I will not be accountable and I can just eat whatever. the suppoprt here is so fantastic and I know I'd be lost w/o it.
Crashing now- :faint: I am going to be so busy this week and don't know where to start at times..
Have a good night all
Sandi :tired:

I am so glad you enjoyed it! I will try it with broccoli next time. I know my kids sure woofed it down-even Joshua who is king of the picky eaters. I would say that putting together packages would count as excersize which is why you got so pooped out. I am always looking for new things to cook. I don't think I have duplicated a dinner since I started this. I put leftovers in gladware and freeze it for lunches and then just pop it in the microwave plus then I am not tempted to eat more-out of sight out of mind. Good luck this next week!
Melissa

:moo: grrr. i feel like i weigh a zillion pounds right now. it was someone's birthday at church today and there was all this yummy korean food and cake and before i knew it i was so stuffed. then i went out in zillion degree heat and i thought i was going to pass out. i didn't feel at the time like i ate that much.. maybe it is from that little sliver of cake i had. my body is just not used to sugar and refined flour anymore. ugggh. :barf:
:cry: i am worried about katrina. my aunt lives in new orleans, so i hope she left. the news is saying a lot of people are not evacuating or they are stuck in all the traffic.

quick check in!
diet sucks-I'm a cheater
hope all is well with everyone else!

carrie

:lol: Carrie :lol: get back OP little cheater...nice to hear from ya, even with that news.

Cadwell, this bad feeling is actually good...you can remember this whenever you look at sugary foods and say "no, I don't want to feel taht way anymore" then go for a big glass of water, that makes you feel full.

I have been watching the news about Katrina in New Orleans and I hope everyone who knows someone there is able to account for them soon. So scary when things like this happen and your loved ones are in the line. My hubby is a truck driver and he's in Miami today, so I'm glad this one isn't hitting Florida. He'll be getting out of there this afternoon, and I told him not to stop and sleep just get home. Whenever I see something like this, I hate for him to be anywhere in the general vicinity, even when I know it won't likely turn his way.

Allie is back a preK today, and she cried as I drove away. They didn't call for me to come deal with her, so she must have calmed back down...thankfully. It feels strange being here just me and my son...who wen to sleep on me already, the little booger. Getting up at 6AM is hard on him, so I'll have to get used to the silence I guess. Dr. Phil and a pile of laundry to fold aren't helping me much :lol:

I feel I'm up a pound or two because I ate wrong yesterday. I wasn't over calories, just the wrong things that don't make me feel good. Plus, I am very dehydrated feeling, haven't been drinking ANY water...so today it's salad all the water I can suck down. I should be feeling better tomorrow.

Theresa

Must be something in the air! I ate more than I needed yesterday too. Not so much bad things just more than I needed. New day, dust off everyone, and do what we need to do without looking back! Drink that water, get the body moving! Weigh in day is coming up!
Melissa

Hello!

We had a lightning storm take out our DSL modem on Friday morning and we've been without internet ever since....so I had Summer Starter withdrawal all weekend long and I am so glad to be back online!

The family get-together went fine. Hubby and I both tried to go out of our way to be nice to MIL but she completely ignored ignored us so that is that. She didn't even say one word to the kids! It is her loss and that's all I have to say about that. FIL seemed fine, though, and acted like he had missed us lately, so that was nice. We had a nice time and enjoyed talking to everyone else and I'm sure that bothered MIL to no end.

Well I have about 4 pages of posts to catch up on so I'm gonna go get started reading. I had a good weekend staying on track with food and exercise AND I haven't been obsessing about the scale and weighing myself daily, either. It's TOM so I don't really expect to lose anything this week and I'm ok with that for once.

Hope everybody is doing great and can't wait to read and catch back up!!

Glad to have you back, KayElle....super great job being right OP during TOM, you are a goddess ;) As for MIL...nothing gets to me more than people who put children in the middle of adult issues. That's what she's doing by not even speaking to them. Just let her be a big baby and move on with your life. She probably wants you to grovel and crawl to her, begging forgivnance. Just keep going with life and don't reduce yourself to that. Seems like you will all be better off in the long run anyway. Sure is sad though... sorry she has to be that way.

I did good today everyone but haven't exercised yet. Allie's school worked out good and she had a good time today...so, I'm off to finish the laundry, put kids to bed, and hopefully find some energy for exercise. Didn't get any in yesterday and I have just 4 miles to make 100 miles this month...I have to make it now that i know how close I am.

Theresa

Well I'm glad eveyone is staying on OP, me on the other hand have not since Wednesday. :devil: Have watched what I ate kinda but have not drank any of my water, except for Saturday cause I was hangin. I am going for my walk tonight and back to Curves tommorow I only have 13 days till weigh in and I dont think I lost anything, so I figure if I giver real hard for the next 13 days it might accomplish something.
I have been reading the stories in the success and wow some are very inspirational, can't wait till I can post my before and after pics and my story to inspire. :cheer: I hope you all can't wait to do the same. The was one that lost 80 -90 pounds in five months, its like man if I could do that, I'de be jumpin for joy. :dizzy:
I hope every one has a great evening :grouphug:

This was a dumb kind of day for me. I feel like I touched too many things, like a cracker with jelly, and the edge of a cookie, and an extra bite of cheese and you know how that can become a roller coaster. I have to stop now. Yesterday I stayed within my calories, but it was not good healthy food and that leads to no good also. I need to get on target again.
I just came back from a lovely swim with my friend and my dh is chopping veggies and cooked chicken to stir fry with tomatoes. I'm not really hungry but he is working hard and if I don't join him he will be insulted and I will be too tempted later tonight to finish off my calories.
I sound like a big complainer, But that's how I feel today. Sorry,
Laura

Get back on that wagon Ice! You can do it. Don't worry about complaining Laura-I have been the same way for the same reason. Of course dealing with Ex hasn't improved me any. Still no support. I did rat him out to support enforcement today though. He changed his name legally awhile back and hasn't told any of our creditors from the marriage or support enforcement. Support enforcement knows now. The thing that really gets me is he only has to pay me 215.00 a month for our special needs son. He owes me over 1000 in back support but he has money for video games, new clothes, guns, or whatever else he fancies. Just bugs the stuffing out of me. I did stay OP today. Tomorrow is supposed to be the fair if it doesn't start raining. Had thunder and rain last night and it was sprinkling when I got home again today. Josh is so looking forward to it, I really hope it doesn't rain. Already picked out what I am having and so I feel like I will be ok. Of course the fact that weigh in is the next day doesn't hurt either.
Melissa

i lost that extra 3 lbs, yay! now i am back down to my "ticker" weight. i am starting training for my insurance job tomorrow, and i had my follow-up interview this morning at that other company. don't know how that is going to work out. they are considering three people for one position now.

Melissa-sorry you have to fight to get your money from your miserable ex. I hope enforcement chases him down. Did he change his name to escape? My ex DIL runs to enforcemant all the time, lies like crazy, and he pays. $215 surely is not enough to pay for any child, much less a boy with special needs. Perhaps you can go back when he is a bit older and demand more.
Ice- don't worry so much about water, There are some new studies that say it should be the liquid you drink, rather than soda or juice, but it doesn't make you lose weight, just feel like your doing something good for you. When you are ready to drink more water you will. Just try to stay OP.
Laura

In the state of Washington, I can get it raised every 3 yrs. He is supposedly going to school next month for costmetic tattooing and I will be requesting substantially more money from him. He is self-employed so it is hard to get it from him. He also had his old name under support enforcement so he wouldn't care if they pulled his driver's lisence because it would be under his old name or even with a warrant, the name would be wrong. He is slick when it comes to not paying his bills. I got stuck with them all in the divorce-still paying on the darn things. I have to go back to court again in Oct for yet another one of his debts-the only reason why I am going is so that he doesn't pull that yes that is me when it isn't cause you know who will get stuck with that bill too.

On a happier note:By George I think Odessa has it! One accident and that was while my Mom was watching her while I had Josh at therapy today. Only one left in diapers now-woohoo. It felt so weird just buying the one bag today. Hopefully Amanda will just want to be in the group and decide to join in. She isn't much on talking. Nothing gets past her but she doesn't say much and she will be 2 next month. She has made alot of progress since I got her at 8 months. She couldn't even sit up when she first came to live with me and it took 3 days for her to decide it was ok to be held while she had a bottle or just held in general. I can live for while with the one in diapers-saves me alot of money I tell ya.

Congrats on the poundage loss Cadwell! I will be happy to break even this week with TOM. My body just hangs onto water something fierce. I keep wondering why we don't come with on and off switches. Switch on when we are having our families and then when done, switch off. Wouldnt' that be nice?? Or in my case, I am in my forties and I think I have just put in enough years and am completely not interested in having more babies so switch off. Will have to ask that question when I get to heaven even though I probably won't like the answer.
Melissa

:hyper: :hyper: :hyper: Sleep deprived, maybe!

Seems like stress is the theme of the week now--hang in there everybody!
:goodvibes :goodvibes
I read through some posts today but didn't have a chance to post anything myself, but I was thinking about you guys all day today! I know what you mean by withdrawl, kayelle! I messed up yesterday and really thought about going awol on the diet today, but I knew I'd just have to come in here and 'fess up to it, so it kept me straight for another day. :^:

Tonight I watched an Oprah rerun--all about the body and what foods we should be eating and all. They really stressed insoluble fiber because it absorbs extra water and gets everything moving out of the body. Some of it was kind of graphic, but it was really neat to have everything explained in such detail. I'm going to start to pay more attention to fiber! 25grams seems like so much! Has anyone else seen this show? I feel like I just learned a lot about my body. Also, eat bananas, tomatoes, whole grains and watermelons!

I did GREAT on my exercise today--I'm sure my arms and thighs will be a little sore tomorrow, but wooo! My husband says he can already feel my guns! :lol: :strong:

theresa~you should TOTALLY keep track of your miles every month! That's great! Maybe you could keep a tally in your signature? I tried that with the situps and pushups, but I haven't really kept track since I've been doing this new program. But 100 miles! yay!

iceprincess~Sounds like you found some new motivation to get back on track! I love checking out the success stories--they really do make you want to get going.

Okay-so how many hours till weigh-in, cause I think I hear a plateau breaking!

Hey guys--should we have some sort of challenge for ourselves this week? I am going to challenge myself to consume more fiber! And take my daily vitamin! (i'm so bad about that!) :s:

Well thanks for all the support ladies, just been really stressed and worn out the last couple days. So stressed I think I'm leaving my hubby, we've been together since I was 14, 16 years together and 9 married. Just cant take the s&*^ anymore. I will post more later let you know exactly whats goning on in my life. Its hard to stay focused with all this but trying my hardest and I figure if I can do this thruogh this I should have no prob to get to goal. Thanks ladies.

hey everyone! :wave:
I have been so crazed these last 2 days - no time to post -so now while I am at lunch I am gonna catch up..

Laura: I have to be so careful not to start nibbling because before I know it I've eaten more than I should have. I try to be careful and measure everything But there are those times it's right in front of you and I just grab one or two,... 5, 10, 12 pretzels.. goldfish etc..and don't worry about complaining- that is what we are here for. ;)

YAY Cadwell! Whoop 3 pounds down.. :cheer:

Ice Princess- I am sorry you are having stress right now- I agree that reading the success stories are motivational. It still sounds as if you are staying focused!

Kayelle:glad it wasn't too bad with MIL. I used to be sooo sweet to my ex MIL and she hated it.. Drove her crazy because I was so nice and she couldn't complain that I was mean to her..

Melissa: YAY Odessa!!! It is so great when they finally "get it" about potty training. I wil Mentally smack your ex upside his head - I have a good friend who is going thru the same thing- her ex is 4 months behind on Child support but yet he went out and bought a new car with payments of 400 a month..he took a cruise- But can't pay child support- she finally turned him in and he is heading for jail if he doesn't pay.

Melra- My doctor told me not to eat anything white unless it has 3 grams or more of fiber per serving. it took me a while but I am getting a lot in everyday..( gas -x works really good when getting used to fiber increases :lol: )

Theresa- Ok you have inspired me to exercise.. 100 miles is unreal.. I am impressed!

I feel fat today.. I know I haven't put on any weight at least I hope I didn't .. but i feel fat.. :moo:
Have a good day all and if I missed anyone I am sorry- :grouphug:

Regarding trying to eat healthy-I started reading ingredients a while ago and I was shocked at what was in things that I thought were ok. I know it's easier when the kids are out of the house and it's just us 2, but I don't go down the aisles in the supermarket anymore, just for tea, paper goods, cleaning and pet food. Fruits and veggies, fish, meat, chicken and dairy are all around the perimeter. It makes shopping easier and I don't see all the junk that I might still want and I know is full of additives and chemicals and make believe things. I don't buy bread cause I don't have to make sandwiches, and I will want it. The less temptation there is in the house the better for me. A friend sent over home make cookies for my married son and I put them in the car cause if they are in the house, it will make me crazy. Maybe that willl change one day, but right now I have to put temptation out of my way. Silly, huh?
Laura

I don't go down the aisles in the supermarket anymore, just for tea, paper goods, cleaning and pet food. Fruits and veggies, fish, meat, chicken and dairy are all around the perimeter.

I read this advice a few weeks ago somewhere and it really is true...all the junk is down the aisles! By not going up and down the aisles you not only save calories, but it saves a lot of time at the grocery store too!

Thanx for the kicks :drill: ladies! I am walking again! I have been doing very well with water and food, but like everywhere else-THE FAIR IS COMING! We will be going Saturday, and hubby is trying to talk me into entering my to-die-for chocolate pie in the "Chocolate Extravaganza" contest, the only problem is, I haven't made it in a LONG time and I would want to make a test one first, and then I would have to taste it :hungry: then I would want another taste and another-you get the pic? AAAHHHH! Might have to tell him I forgot the recipe yeah right!He probably knows it by heart!! :lol:

Cadwell- WOOHOO!! 3 lbs!!

Melissa-I am so glad you reposted the ravioli recipe, I searched through about 10 pages the day before after everyone said how good it was!! I have bought everything for it and will be making it tonight for hubby's birthday dinner. My family likes broccoli and cauliflower so I bought both to put in it!
I hope the weather cooperated so Josh could go to the fair!! :p

Laura-Complain away-we all need to once in awhile! We're here for you and understand the ups and downs, not only of dieting but of just being us! Hope tomorrow is a bright, shiny day for you!!

Ice Princess-You can do a lot in 13 days!! Get going!! Be Strong for YOURSELF! Yu can do it(((HUGS)))
I love reading success stories, makes me hopeful! I don't think I could lose 80-90 in 5 months-she completely cut out all junk and fast food and ate TONS of veggies-If I don't cheat once in awhile I feel really deprived and over indulge-not good! Losing slowly is better for you anyway!

Well, I better get moving, gotta finish the :devil: :hb: :devil: Hope everyone has a great night, and a good WI tomorrow!!

Kathy

Thanks ladies I know I can do it, and by it I mean EVERYTHING :grouphug:

Well the weather cooperated! Odessa rode her first ride this year and loved it! I had 1 corndog and a kiddie cone while we were there but I skipped breakfast and will have salad for dinner tonight. Believe me I think it is the first time I have ever left the fair not feeling sick and bloated. They had a petting area and I took two of the kids in and they just loved that too. It is first time Odessa has been up close and personal to animals. It was a great time and Josh was pretty much under control the whole time too.

My Mom said to me today that you can tell I am losing weight and looking good. Made my day! I am wearing a pair of jeans that I haven't been able to wear before. I am worried about what the scale will say tomorrow cause I think I am up a couple of water pounds.
Melissa

neo~sounds like you guys had a great time at the fair! Good for your mom for noticing all you've done and congrats on the jeans fitting! I'm also a little worried about water weight for tomorrow's WI--do you think our bodies know what day it is?

fancyfrog~i don't think I could handle the temptation of making such a rich dessert. Just skip it and instead experiment with a low fat low cal dessert--there's a ton of them listed on this site. Resist! :)

iceprincess~hang in there. I'm sorry things seem to be going wrong right now. Keep focused on what you are trying to do for yourself. :grouphug: Good luck!

I've already finished dinner and I'm only at about 800 calories now. Lots of FIBER today! :lol: I am going to have a great big glass of milk and a multivitamin. I haven't worked out yet today and I'm not really in the mood. I'll try to get out and at least walk once the temp drops a little. And abs...ugh...I have to do abs tonight. :halfempty

Thanks for the Ravioli recipe Melissa - can't wait to try it!

I have been pretty much on plan the past two days but am up 1.5 from last week??? :?: I guess this weekend did more damage than I thought :mad:
We have not been able to walk at work at all this week either- raining every day! :mad:

Caldwell - Great Job on the 3 lbs!! :)

Teachers are back at school this week and a few noticed that I had lost some weight, so that felt good - can't wait till I lose even more!

Keep it up everyone - you are doing great!

I only have a minute but somebody mentioned the importance of fiber and I wanted to say I how important fiber has been for me in my weight loss this time around. I feel like eating a high fiber diet has made the biggest difference for me as compared to the other times I lost weight. I eat more than the recommended 25 grams daily (I recommend working up to that amount gradually instead of just suddenly increasing your intake by a whole lot, though). It has greatly reduced my cravings and I don't feel hungry when I'm eating enough fiber every day. For me, getting enough fiber is as important as not eating too many calories.

What kind of things are you eating for the fiber? I know I am not getting enough in my diet.
melissa

I get a lot of the fiber from all the fruits and veggies I eat, but I also eat a lot of high fiber breads, whole wheat pastas, whole wheat pizza crust, whole grain soft tortillas, high fiber cereals, etc. I never eat the regular, low fiber versions of those foods. In the first place...the whole grain foods taste better to me. Oatmeal and Fiber One are great sources of fiber and I love them both. Fiber One has something like 14 grams per half cup serving so if you are low on fiber for a day a big bowl of Fiber One can fix that in a hurry and it makes me feel really full and satisfied. I know a lot of people aren't wild about the taste of it, and I didn't like it all that much at first but now I get cravings for it if I don't have it for a while. I have it with skim milk and a little Splenda and I think it's great. I love oatmeal, too....I usually just make it with water and sweeten it with a little Splenda or Equal. Sometimes I'll throw some raisins or other fruit in my oatmeal, too. I always check labels for fiber content and look for the highest fiber/lowest calorie that I can find for any food. Also with most fruits, leaving the skins on adds more fiber without calories, and the same goes for potatoes.

Hi All
I was just clicking around on fitday and I discovered so many more things. Did you see the exercise part? You can enter your exercise of the day and it will tell you how many calories you burned, even housework. This is such good motivation. It can also tell you about the nutrients you've consumed, or not. I love it.
Laura

hi y'all. well i'm beat. had insurance training today. i was totally frazzled by the time i even got there.. 20 min late! keep forgetting about the durned traffic in l.a. county. grrr... hate it!! am also up a pound. probably just coffee weight as usual, but still i'm ticked. still in the 160s though. woohoo for me.
blah blah blah.
ice princess.. big hugs to you. hope things get better soon. sounds like you need some r&r (mentally beaming virtual e-pedicure to canada). but it's really great you're committed to staying op. you go girl.
fiber is terrif. i love it to stay full. i like soynuts b/c they have hella fiber and protein. but whole wheat bread and stuff is yummy too. i burnt out on oatmeal. any tricks to make it fabulous and entertaining again? would appreciate any tips. all i want for breakfast these days is bacon :devil:

Okay everyone--I don't really get into my e-mail very often, so I'm not sure how everyone else is doing for their various weigh-ins, but I met my first short term goal! I'm down now to 162 and I'm totally excited! I can't believe 3 weeks in a row with no change and then bam! down 3 pounds. Bodies are crazy.

I made a list of high fiber foods and serving sizes and tacked it to the fridge. I'm with you Cadwell on the oatmeal--I kind of go in fits and spurts with it. I've been throwing in bananas to sweeten it up and I've also tried almonds and blueberries.

kayelle~thanks for the fiber testimony! :lol: How long did it take for fiber1 to not taste like twigs? ;)

I did not do my workout last night and it felt weird--by the end of the night I had all this energy that I needed to burn up. (my dh and i figured out a way how, though-wink!)

How's everybody else doing?

Hey gals... been MIA for the last few days... busy getting everything ready for DD's first day at preschool. A week 2 go. Ack.

WI went ok... down another lb which brings my total this month up to 7lb lost. I'm still 5 away from my birthday goal and less than a week to make it in... but will just try to get as close to it as I can. I just want so bad to be outta the 140's, seems like forever since I last saw the scale read anything with 13_ in the first two digits!

Sounds like you're all keeping well... busy, no doubt! Congrats on all your hard work and dedication, it's really paying off! :)

Anyone interested in setting a goal for September? Can be whatever you want... but we'll work hard every day to reach it by Sept 30th. Just an idea.

Well ladies, I hafta run. DD is splashin' water all over the bathroom! I hope you all have a great day today! Take care and very best wishes sent to each and everyone one of you!

~mel

macdeez~congrats on the 1pound loss! Don't worry about making the exact number by your birthday, just don't give up on the progress!

I can't speak for everyone else, but I would be game for a month long sept challenge. I've got 7 pounds and 7? weeks for my hot tub goal, so every day is going to count in Sept. Plus I've got a 5k run in early Oct., so I've got to stay on track (literally!) with my running and other cardio. I might even copy Theresa and keep track of my miles...So many possibilities!

Melissa~Just curious, are we moving this to a new thread for Sept 1? And if we do, will it still be called Summer Starters?

Yes it will say summer starters 9/01 so there is no confusion and we aren't hard to find for ourselves.
Melissa

Met my goal for August!!! :goodscale
Check out my tracker!!! Boy does that feel good. :dancer: :cb: I couldn't have done it without htis group. You guys are the absolute best :flow1: :grouphug: :flow1: Tomorrow I'll start a new goal. today I'll just keep looking at the scale! LOL :lol:
Keep on being losers!!!

Hey everyone, I couldn't get online yesterday I was so busy and fighting off a huge headache...still fighting it actually. TOM started yesterday but I don't feel bloated at all...yet. Don't get to move my ticker this week, but am happy I didn't gain either. I am going grocery shopping tomorrow and will get nothing but healthy foods so making wrong decisions just won't be possible. I'm going while Allie is in school, she's the one who wants all the sweets and I give in to her. It will be easier to stay on list without her.

BTW, she is doing wonderful in preschool. Teacher said she's a "social butterfly" and loves to hug and hold hands with the other kids lol she's always been loving like that. She did come home with a bit of a runny nose, so hopefully something isn't going around already.

I am not going to try and read all that I missed, this group is just too active. I'll just say congrats to all who have lost or shrunk inches or met mini goals or anything else wonderful. Keep going to all that have been having a rougher time. Catch you all in the new board tomorrow.

Theresa

Great job, Misty Dreamer!!!!! 10 lbs. in a month is wonderful.I only lost like 3 this month...how pathetic is that with 100 miles of exercise??? Shows what a HUGE part eating plays in this journey. I am back on track for September though...I am determined and have a fresh sense of motivation. I think I'll turn my mini goal into a September goal...hmmmm not sure I can do it LOL

Theresa

Anyone have an idea for a challange we can all do together?
Laura

Not sure-we want to keep it attainable for all and make it feel like a group effort. We could set a specific amount of pounds lost as a group for the month or set up a certain amount of days/time per week we all excersize(can be any type). No fudging for a week-lol. Not sure and am open to suggestions.
melissa

There are about 27 of us or so give or take so if we set a group loss of 50 that would be about 2 pounds a piece for the month-we could double that if we all wanted to work a little harder or go higher and see what we can do! I know one of my goals is to be UNDER 200 by the holidays so I am serious about getting some poundage off-even though both girls have birthdays coming up.
Melissa

what about # of minutes for exercise? we could all contribute to the total and maybe keep a running tab like weekly of the top three contributors?

Either one is fine with me - exercise in minutes or pounds for the month.

Congrats to all who have lost pounds!!! :cheer:

My personal goal this month is going to be exercise. I have not been consistent - but the girls at work have promised that we will be back on track starting next week!

I refuse to change my ticker because of this 1.5 gain from last week - As I mentioned in my e-mail - I started TOM - AGAIN - :mad: I am 10 days early? So I hope that is why I am up in pounds because I really thought I did pretty well this past week.
This long holiday weekend will be hard, but I am commited to staying OP, hubby and I have already talked about a BIG salad instead of Macaroni salad - he is really beginning to realize that I mean business. He started to suggest takeout for this Friday and then stopped himself!

Take Care everyone!

hey all!
I am so swamped with everything- only had 2 minutes to read and no time to post today until now.

I am all up for a challenge and please count me in! Either one is ok with me too. the exercise one may make me exercise more but pounds lost is good too! I still have slacked on the exercise.. although loading boxes and bagging stuff may be a tad bit of exercise. and I ran around today instead of sitting on my butt today like normal. and they have the free dental bus at our place the next two days so I will prolly be very busy with finding stuff for people and answering questions etc..

One of my "jobs" at work is to buy monthly supplies (like cleaning supplies and for the nurseries etc..) so I had fun shopping tonight and loaded up 3 carts at walmart with stuff- I ran into a couple who had evacuated New Orleans and came here to family and they said they had what was in their car and and some money, but wouldn't be going back. I felt so bad for them- they were still in shock and worried about finding jobs but at least they had a place to live.

we are planning a BBQ for Sunday afternoon and I figured if we had it here then I can control the food served and make sure I have lots of healthy foods on hand and let others bring whatever. The kids are going to disney for the weekend with grandma & grandpa. Hubby and I will have some alone :o time ;) for once. (Love those grandparents!!!)
See ya'll tomorrow and I can't wait to start a new month and a new challenge!

How about 4 lbs each and a minimum of 10 hours of exercise for the month. That's 30 minutes 5x a week or some combination.
And for those of us who use fitday.com, how about entering everyday, including exercise.
I think I can do this.
Laura
PS I'll post this on the new thread tomorrow so we can discusss, or should I email it?

I will open the new thread now since many are on different time zones.
Melissa

I am up for whatever challenge everyone else wants to do. My own personal goal is to reach my ultimate goal of 150 by November 1st. That might be a little optimistic but I should at least be close by then, so I am going to try.

Got our first watermelon out of our garden last night. I've been buying them at the grocery store and they aren't half as sweet as this one. Of course they are all getting ready at the same time in the garden so I will be eating lots of watermelon for a while!

I have a question for everyone...does anyone else notice that your friends and acquaintances treat you differently as you get smaller? Some people who never seemed to know I existed now go out of their way to be friendly with me...and others who I used to be friends with now act like they barely know me. Sometimes it really just bums me out because I miss talking to them. I have really made it a point not to act any differently and NOT to talk about my weight loss with any of them except when they ask (and sometimes I think some friends ask about it just because they think they should and not because they are happy for me), so I don't really understand what the problem is. Thank goodness I have a few really awesome friends who are happy for me no matter what...but I still feel bad about the other friendships that seem like they are ending for no good reason that I can figure out.

I almost hate to watch the news today....all the Katrina devastation is enough to make anybody with half a heart cry. How terrible.

Did ok with exercise today. I walked for a half hour before and a half hour after work, then I came home and got on the NordicTrack for 20 minutes and the bike for 10 minutes, and followed up with my ab workout. Food was ok even though we went out for supper. I had a huge grilled chicken salad, and they gave me tons of cheese, croutons, and boiled eggs but fortunately all that stuff was piled up on the sides of it so I could just put what I wanted on the chicken and veggie part of it.

Hope everybody has a happy and healthy rest-of-the-week.