Hello ladies,
We'll today i'm trying to get back on South Beach and let me tell ya the cravings are there. Trying to drink lots of water. Tonight I'm getting on that treadmill no matter what.

Cat - Hope the A/C get back on soon. Can't believe the one in the car is also out.

Nita - Angels and prayers are being sent your way. I know how much you wanted to be with your sister, but with Gene in the rehab you weren't able to go. Keep the faith, things will get better.

Shad, Hal, Mooz, Thin - Hope to hear from you guys soon!

Ummmm yes of sorts Halgal. Never tried it though since I love whole grains and wholemeal bread and mostly make my own in the breadmaker.

While I agree we should eat more grains, fruits, veges etc etc., I am a great believer in everything in moderation. No fads, nothing forbidden, moderation in all things. I find that when I say I will not eat any more xyz product, then the thing I crave the most is exactly that. I also eat natural foods mostly. By natural I mean butter not margarine (but it is limited), fresh veggies, free range eggs and chicken and fresh baked goods (nothing wrapped in plastic). I grow my own lettuces, tomatoes, spinach, beetroot, herbs and refuse to buy anything in the fresh fruit and veg line from the supermarkets - always from the greengrocer (fruit and veg shops). In fact these days I buy very little from the supermarkets - tins maybe, cat food, cleaning stuff etc., but my fresh stuff comes from the local butchers, farmers markets, fishmonger, cheesemaker etc. It sometimes costs me a little more, but at least it will keep for more than a week (veges) in the fridge. I'm afraid the supermarkets hacked me right off with their advertising of fresh food people when you had to process the food immediately you got it home or the leafy veg went all limp and horrible overnight and the beans went limp and mushy in a day or two. So much for fresh.
Actually funny story there. I live in a big country. The State of Queensland for example takes more than 24 hours to drive from one side to the other and nearly two days to drive from top to bottom - that's continuous driving I'm talking about - and we're not the biggest state. Anyway I was living in Townsville - around a 1000 miles north of here - where there is a huge industry in growing bananas and tropical fruit such as mangos. The so called fresh food people in the supermarkets bought the bananas from the growers, shipped them to Brisbane to their market and storage places (3 days drive allowing for the transport industry driving regulations) put them in the store (maybe a week) and then shipped them out to the rest of the country - including the supermarkets in the area they had come from - where is the logic in that???? The darn things could be anything up to 3 weeks old when they hit the stores! I rarely buy beef these days as I have seen the feed lots they put the poor beasts into. The stench can not be described. Thanks but no thanks, I'll pay more and get organic.

I best get off my soapbox about the fresh food people.

Anyway it is now time to get on with work. Not sure what surprises are here for me today, but there will be one or two. That I can guarantee. As someone once remarked: That's what you get paid big bucks for!

Hello Ladies,

Just a quick hello, got my 20 minutes on the treadmill. I know I should do more, but this is a start for me. I have not exercised since Jan? or was it Dec?

need to run and water the tomato plants.

Good Afternoon Ladies,

Having a hard time with drinking my water today. Here it is noon and I have barely drank 8 oz. Need to get going on that. Getting ready to have lunch. Work is going to be hetic the next few months, one of my co-wokers quite and of couse all his work load is coming to me.

Shad - Wow you grown your own, tomatos, spinach, lettuce etc. I'm just getting into gardening. I don't have a garden in backyard but I have some tomatos in some big planters. Next year I'm going to try herbs. I agree with you on the freshness of fruits and veggies from the grocery store. We have a few local fruit & veggie stands and I try to get from them when I can. I'm also concerned with the pesticides they spray on our food.

Hal - Seems like there's always something to be done around the house. I had a new patio poured back in April and on 1/2 of the patio I have 6 very large pots with tomatos in them and a few flowers. The other side is a patio table and 4 chairs. I have been eyeing one of those patio heaters/burners for it. Right now prices are high and i'm waiting for them to go on sale. The ice ceram bars sound good, but i'm going to have to pass right now. Started up on SB yesterday. Got to get rid of these cravings.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Hi Ladies,

1-Day -- I have a suggestion on how you can get rid of your cravings. Since tomorrow is my colonoscopy, I started yesterday eating very light. I had oatmeal and one piece of diet toast in the morning and the rest of the day until about 5:00 p.m. I drank only liquids--for lunch I had a chicken boullion, tea and some white grape juice. I wasn't going to have anything for dinner, however, I opted for two softboiled eggs and one hamburger bun toasted. I also had some sugar free jello. This morning I had my coffee without creamer, grape juice, water, jello and I put some apple juice in the freezer and probably drank most of it while visiting the rehab center. I have to tell you I really don't feel bad and when I was in the grocery store I didn't have any of those cravings and only bought good stuff. Today was senior day at our store and they always have coffee and some type of dessert. Today it was cookies--I really didn't want it but I took one and wrapped it up in a napkin and thought I would have it tomorrow after the test. I am even going bowling today since I only have to pay $3. The only thing I am not looking forward to is having to drink 3 oz. of that awful tasting stuff. But I am planning on doing that about 7:00 this evening. I did read after you do this cleansing thing it is a very good time to get on some type of diet program.

At this time we are looking into moving to where family is--it is called East Palestine, Ohio and it is on the border of PA and Ohio and W. Virginia. It is a new development and there is a five-year tax abatement where you only pay about $150 per year on the land. I do believe when you get older being around family is very important, even if it means living where it is cold during the winter. When you are retired you really don't need to go out. Gene still does not have his balance back but he is still working hard. I talked to my sister yesterday and she is still in a great deal of pain but she did sound like herself.

Thanks again for your wonderful support.

Take care,
Anita

Me that is - just had this entry all written out and then added a link to my new photo album and previewed everthing and LOST THE LOT. Hello, Shad....... brain is where???

Anyway it is sunny Thursday here. The weekend is looming and I’m ready for it. The living room project is at the stage where you can actually see results and not demolition anymore. I love it when things get to this stage.

Been having a long think about my whole eating/ exercising/ working/ playing/ rest thing. I have been putting on weight again, which I am a tad unhappy about and the measurements from the end of June were a little depressing to say the least. So yesterday I decided to have a sort of fasting day. I ate only apples and the mussell/ tuna steak salad for dinner. I drank lots of water and went for a walk in the Botanical Gardens and took photos at lunch time. Today I find I am down one kilo and I feel more like my old positive energetic self again. So...... maybe there is something in the things I have been eating that are not doing my any good at all. It has to be water retention to drop that amount in a 24 hour period. So what have I been eating that contains salt. I guess I have not been reading my labels too well. I don’t use salt much at all (generally only with an egg) and never in cooking. I flavour food with things like herb mixtures (herbes de Provence, Tuscan herbs, Greek herbs) and spices (Chermoula, szechuan, paprika, lime and chili, Thai flavours and Chinese 5 spice) and I am now wondering if there is more salt in those than I realise. Check the labels Shad. You keep advising others to do it, now do it for yourself.

Anyway to cut a long story short, I think I will cut back a little on the food, check the contents carefully, drink more water (again) and eat more fruit and veg than bread or meat and watch what I buy in the lunch places very carefully.

I took some photos of Brisbane City, Brisbane River and the Botanical Gardens yesterday. If you are interested, try this link http://community.webshots.com/album/88183822Qpezml

Hello Ladies,

Very sad to wake up this morning to the bombings in London. I pray that all this will end. Doing good on my eating, and tonight i was planning on getting the treadmill and I really don't feel like it. If not tonight then I have to do it in the morning.

Shad - I need to experminent more with herbs. I really don't season my food and maybe that's why it's bland. I would like to use fresh herbs.

Hal - yes you can have milk on the first 2weeks, but I seem to have a problem with ice cream, I just can't have one. So i know not to buy otherwise I eat them til there gone. When does school start? I just love watching some of the food network shows.

Nita - I agree, it's good to live close to family. Is this close to your daughters? Hope your test went well.

we'll I better run, need to make something for dinner and pay some bills.

Yes, terribly about London. I think of Pres. Bush saying, "We fight them in Iraq to keep us safe here." Um-hum.

Getting new compressor for a/c tomorrow. The company thinks maybe it was struck by lightning.

Excited about vacation. One more day of work, and then another whole, lovely week and a day of no work!!

Hi Ladies,

Well, the test is over and I came out clean as a whistle--they said I won't need another screening for 10 years. The day before wasn't too bad and the test was really a piece of cake since I had no clue what they were doing even though the lady who gave me demoral and another drug explained what was going to take place. If any of you ladies have been putting this off, please get it done.

Gene is coming home tomorrow even though he says he is not ready--evidently the physical therapists say there is nothing more they can do for him. He still does not have his balance but hopefully he will be able to get up on the walker and do what he has to do. They are going to give him in-home therapy three times a week. The social services person said his progress is going to take a long time. I already received the shower bench and had a hand-held shower installed by my neighbor. For some reason I am very apprehensive about this. On the other hand being home might spur him to do better. Only time will tell.

In our newspaper today there is an article about Fly Lady--she is a home organizer and now she has turned her attention to weight loss. You might want to check out her website flylady.net. She talks about taking baby steps not only for decluttering your house but also for getting rid of body clutter. The fly in FlyLady stands for Finally Loving Yourself.

Well I had better get to bed--tomorrow is going to be a particular hectic day!

Take care,
Anita

Hello ladies,

Nita - I have had two of those test. I'm not sure what you had to do for the pretest but I had to drink about a gallon of this mix to clean me out. The drink was worse than the test. I'm glad you were able to get some items to help you out at the house with Gene. I'm sure your both are anxious with him coming home. Can you get anytype of home health care to assist you?

Cat - going anywhere on vacation? If it was lightning that hit your a/c, i'm glad it didn't hit the roof. Could of really caused some damage.

Just got back with a friend of mine from whole foods. I think i might run back some time this weekend and get some veggies. They looked so good. Gee didn't think I would be saying that.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Just been watching a cooking program on the Lifestyle Channel. Now I never cook anything from these - just watch. The amount of salt that they put into everything appears to be enough to clog the arteries and stop the heart. Just a pinch of salt I hear him say taking half a handful from a bowl and throwing it in. I know that a certain amount of salt is necessary to maintain the blood but from what I have read and understand, the majority of it can be obtained naturally from the foods we eat. Anyway enough of the soap box stuff.

Fireworks - Halgal was asking me about fireworks?? We have firework displays on the river several times a year. New Year, Australia Day, Riverfire festival, gala nights etc. Australians love fireworks and will gather in their thousands for a good display. I have to admit the displays are done well.

Patty, I have fresh herbs in the garden. There is basil, coriander, chives, oregano and thyme as well as different varieties of parsley. At the moment for some reason, they are all shooting off to seed. I think I might have put too much fertiliser in the soil and they think life is too good.

The news from Britain was not good. However who ever did this is seriously underestimating the British. They will not be beaten or cowed by this. They have lived through the IRA and WW11 & WW1 bombings. Their anthem Rule Britannia says it all - Britons will never be slaves. They always pick themselves up, patch themselves up, suffer in silence and find a sneaky way to put the perpetrators out of action. Gotta admire the British stiff upper lip.

Got out of work yesterday around 3.00 which was nice. Got in the workout and came home, proceeded to bust the cold water tap in the kitchen so have some work to do on that today. Should be fun. Weather this weekend is supposed to be rotten so work will proceed inside. The two new roses I put in a couple of weeks back appear to be dead. I'll give them another week to put out leaves and then replace them.


Weight is at 71.5 today. Thats down from 74 earlier this week and yesterday was at 70.5. Usual fluctuations again. However it would seem most of the retained water has gone. I can see and feel the bones in my wrists again. Hallelujah. In case you are wondering, I measure in Kilograms. A kilogram = 2.2 pounds so you can see that I was definitely carrying a lot of water.

Off to gym again soon for the body balance class. Then home for housework etc. Back out again to get the tyres done on the car for 1.30 and then pick up the niece and nephew for the third and final Rugby test against the British Lions. Will end a bad week for the Brits no doubt.

With that, I am off to have a shower, get dressed and start my day.

Hi Ladies,

Well Gene is home and is doing quite well. He still is pretty unsteady on his feet when it comes to standing up and sitting down. However, they are going to give us some in-home nursing as well as in-home physical therapy.

I even went bowling. Since he still has the catheter he was able to sit and watch TV while I was gone. I had fed him lunch before I left. I just hope the night goes well. The catheter they gave him does not hold a whole lot and he thinks he needs to empty it during the night. This I don't think he can do.

I did have my diet breakfast today but I fudged a little at lunch. I think once I get organized and now that I will be cooking for two it will be a little easier.

Wishing you all a "wonderful" weekend!
Anita