December Week 1 Thread
 

Petra, ask and ye shall receive...

ICUWishing, which of the Penzey salts do you use? I sometimes sprinkle their Sandwich Sprinkle onto an egg, which is heaven! And, my DS10 would rather forgo a sandwich than have a sandwich that forgoes Sandwich Sprinkle. Too funny... I am a huge Penzey fan; they have a store in the city, so every time I go in, I swap out one of my old spices to theirs...

Life is good here, although chilly, at 34. And I had to literally ARGUE with my sons to get them to wear a winter jacket. What's with that??! I'm drinking my coffee, doing a little work, and then heading down to the elliptical. I have 2 new large print books to choose from, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood or Paint It Black (which is by the woman who wrote White Oleander, which I really enjoyed).

Oh! And for those of you using Mozilla Firefox -- I installed an add-on last night called Ad Block Plus, and it has gotten rid of the banner ads and makes loading a whole lot faster... you may want to check it out.

newleaf - thanks for the heads-up with Mozilla! I've been using that one with this site for a while and it does make a HUGE difference. I'll have to get the ad blocker tonight!

Oh, gosh - it might be easier to answer what salts I DON'T use, :lol:! There's a Penzeys near my piano teacher's place, so we have an opportunity to go almost every week. The 4S blend is the one I started with, and then they brought out the Spicy version. That's just fantastic on eggs, and it's also stunningly wonderful on popcorn (with just a smidge of butter to hold it on). Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle gets big play on salads and Northwoods Seasoning goes in almost every soup. Turkish Seasoning ends up on virtually everything that hits the grill, be it pork or chicken or even fish. :) I should take a picture of our spice drawer - I think the only thing you don't find is curry because Head Chef is not a fan! Living with a total foodie who knows how to cook has its advantages, like having to sign up for 3FC membership! ;)

Hi all, sorry I've been MIA for a while. The site being down so much got me out of the habit of posting. Perhaps their attackers have stopped???:p

Newleaf, I will download the add-on right after posting here. Thanks for the heads up.

I'm not a salt connoisseur. I just like sea salt but as I'm hungry, ICU's post was making me hungry.

Thanksgiving was good and I overate. First time in over 1.5 years. And I got right on track Sunday. Yaa-hoo!!! So that was a worry eradicated.

Marie

Good to see you, Marie. I was wondering where you were... I'm glad all is well and you were able to bounce right back on track.

Marie: :wave: Welcome back!

ICU, I think I remember reading on the old thread your question about Lose It! calorie counts being too high. I thought that too. But then I started wondering. So I began weighing some items in grams then multiplying them by calories/gram and was so sad to see they were right based on the Govt food database. The saddest was the "cost" of my beloved peaches. Second was naked potatoes. So now I know the cal amounts for Lose It are right as they're pulling from that same Agricultural database. Bummer, huh???
Marie

Hi Ladies! I'm home...i'll read through and catch up tomorrow - I have good news, and I have even better news!

The good news for me is the scale didn't budge. I went a full week at Disney and didn't gain a pound....

The even better news is that I traded 7 pounds of fat for 7 pounds of muscle, and lost close to 4 points on my BMI...which made my Doctor give me a big thumbs up! (last checked in with her 2 weeks ago)

I'll play catch up tomorrow.

Marie - nuts!!! I guess the good news is that it can only get better for me, because I've been doing just fine with the old values. Such is life! :) Seems like the allowance to lose 1/2 pound a week is higher too, so maybe it all evens out. :shrug: Thank you for the correction!

lambchop - congrats! Those are some very, very impressive numbers!

Lamb-that is awesome! Keep up the good work!

Marie-welcome back. We missed you.

ICU-I'm a total foodie too but unfortunately I have moved to a cultural dessert here in Mississippi. It can be difficult to find some things here. Your husband doesn't know what he's missing with curry though. I think I could eat curry powder on a car bumper as Emeril says.

Only 24 hours more of call. It's almost over. At least for a few weeks.

Hi to everyone...

Today I have to get back to working out. I haven't for the last two days - as breathing has been an issue...I came home with a sinus infection and have been super congested

I am looking forward to getting moving again, because I feel like a slug after all the walking I did last week. I did get 1 run in during the trip, but then did mostly walking

Glad to see everyone, read and caught up with a bunch of stuff, and i'm ready to take on this Dec to January challenge posted on the other thread.

Lambchop, congrats and doing so great on vacation. I love coming back from vacation and having not gained or have lost. It’s like a special welcome home treat.

ICU, I was thinking the same thing when I realized that some of my intakes were higher calories than I’d originally thought. If it’s working, don’t fix it is my thoughts. And I don’t look at their allowances – I know my calorie limit and just use it to track it.

Petra, I’m just picturing you chopping on a car bumper sprinkled with curry. I suppose it’s not high in cals… You’ll make those final 24 hours. You’re almost there.

I also like the visual of the car bumper. :D I happen to love curries - the spicier the better - so I usually get them when we go out to eat. That way I don't have to listen to the inevitable "I could make that better at home," nor do I have to worry about my leftovers disappearing! :lol:

I don't know if - or think I've ever had curry?? Or have I? is it in a typical dish i wouldn't expect???

Funny, I hear people talk about it, but I don't think i've tasted it

You can find it in Indian food or Thai food... so, if those aren't cuisines that you typically eat, chances are, you haven't had curry...

Me, I love curry. I make a curried chicken salad that is scrumptious!

Lamb-curry is usually not something you run into by accident. Unless you eat a lot of asian/ethnic type food, you probably haven't had it. There is a restaurant in Bethlehem on Broad St. that serves a lot of thai and other asian food including curries. It's a converted house and I can't remember the exact name but if you wanted to venture over there and try it, it's a good example.

I'm in the home stretch on this call. I think I'll make it. I ordered some game meat which arrived today. It comes packed in dry ice. I got a couple squabs. I don't think I'll get those again-they are tiny. I also got some guinea hens-they look like good size birds, and a couple rabbits. The big surprise is I ordered a wild boar tenderloin and was only expecting it to be about 12 oz and it was almost 2 lbs so I cut it in half and will get two servings out of it. Hope it is good. I'm still a little perplexed about what you serve with rabbit although some of my recipes are all inclusive-have vegetables as part of the recipe. I should get to try one of the tenderloins by the end of this month. Haven't quite figured out when the others will make it into the menu yet. I'll let you know what I think when I try them. Hope I haven't grossed anybody out.

Good evening! As usual, this has been a busy place!

I've had a little trouble these last couple of days with snacking after school. Made a salad for dinner cause I knew I had overdone a bit earlier.

Work has been very hectic, we got a new student right before Thanksgiving and another new one Monday.

Finally came to an agreement with our insurance about our floors so will be going ahead with replacement in the next couple of weeks. Oh Joy!

Add me to the curry lovers, I love it in tuna or chicken salad and I have a chicken divan recipe that also has curry in it.

Have a great evening! It's cold and wet here, we have a nice fire in the fireplace, Life is good!

petra - congrats on surviving the call! You haven't grossed me out - not by a long shot :drool:!

lambchop - Curry is a wonderful, wonderful flavor(s). Some of them are blends, and there's a big range of heat level. A great place to give it a try, if you can find one, is an Indian buffet. I've been to several, and the staff is always thrilled to answer questions and help with learning the terminologies. Once you figure out if you like it or not, experiment! The world is a kaleidoscope of flavor, and it's so much easier to eat well when you're excited about new tastes. DS10 got into his first pomegranate over the weekend :lol: - it was cute and it was messy, but he loved it! The kid even likes okra - who'da thunk?

OMW - Yippee for the upcoming new floor! My goodness, am I to understand that an insurance company actually ruled in your favor? Will wonders never cease? :rolleyes: ;) I know what you mean about the snacking. I've been lucky lately because spouse is arriving home just a few minutes before me, and is usually in the kitchen getting dinner rolling when I arrive. That was my PRIME misbehavior time. I've started having a small snack in the late afternoon before I head home, and that seems to derail the urges pretty well. It's definitely getting colder here too. Supposed to have a high of 31 tomorrow. :p I'm NOT READY!!! The first snowflake is going to be traumatic!

newleaf - I see your ticker's moving in the right direction again - yay!

Marie - forgot to congratulate you on the vacation victory :cheer: Are we going to see some pictures?

Nothing new here beyond getting settled in the new "decade". I must be getting close because being stalled here doesn't make me a bit unhappy! I got back in the downward trend last month by the usual smidge, but I lost an inch and a half off my waist - yay, I'm under 30" again!

Petra- we have a thai restaurant right in Clinton (5 mins away), but yeah...until i'm on a regular eating plan again, it's going to have to wait!

OnMyWay - glad you worked out something for your floors...as for snacking, i've found these little baby gherkins that seem to keep me out of trouble when i want something..not sure if it's soemthing you'd like, but kills any cravings for me

ICU - awesome on losing the 1 1/2 off your waist!!

About trying new tastes - i retried strawberries the other night, something i've hated all my life, and think I could eat a few mixed in with other fruit...i'm experimenting tiny bits at a time, becasue my tastes are changing so much on this protein shake plan....very odd to me...my husband laughs because i'm like a little kid trying new bites of stuff, where before i was like, NO THANKS, now i'm like...what else might i like now?

woke up with a nagging cough...but the sinus infection is clearing out...changing to healthier colors (TMI? sorry), so i know it's almost done...just frustrated because I want to run, and i can only see myself walking at most as i'm coughing about every 3 minutes.

Marie - Good to see you again. I had no idea what was going on with the boards while I was away. It got to the point that I didn't check in because it was so frustrating. Glad they resolved the issues..... I need this group.

OMW - Great news about the floors. I'm with you on the snacking... some of my vacation habits followed me home.

ICU - You really are getting close, congratulations. I'm 4" shorter and 149 is not ideal for me but it is comfortable; maybe a bit too comfortable. I've bounced between 140 - 150 for about six months now.

LC - sure hope you are better soon.

Congratulations to those that were able to keep it together while on vacation. Your experience gives me the determination to get through the rest of the year.

Although my eating hasn't been perfect since I got home I do feel good about where I'm at. It was the 15th of December that I started my journey and in the last year I have learned a great deal and found a way of life I can live with. My primary goal when I started all this was to get healthy, I feel that I have achieved that and now it is time to focus on those extra pounds that contribute to poor self image.

Thai food – eeks I hated it. :p When DD and I were in Bangkok for 3 weeks last May I lost 3.5 pounds. Both of us got used to being hungry as we hated the food. We finally figured out the pizza delivery. So I’m guessing curry was the flavor scent I hated. I used to hold my breath walking past the street vendors because it made me nauseous. :p:p:p

Petra, you are much more adventuresome than I on foods. Your list reminded me of being surrounded by yucky food in Thailand. ;)


OMW, great news about the insurance settlement and new floors. Although holiday season with carpenters could be overwhelming.

ICU, it was 20 out this morning and I’ve been in 4WD several times this year already AND I’m still not ready for winter. Brrr! And I didn’t go on vacation recently. I was just gone from 3FC because of the inconsistency of the site.

Lamb, are you only having protein shakes? If yes, I didn’t realize that. I’m a big fan of protein powder but I LOVE food and chewing on food. I hope you feel better. :hug:


Cindy, you are almost at your 1 year anniversary. Isn’t it mind boggling what we can accomplish in a year? You are doing great! :carrot:


I spur of the moment decided to take tomorrow off as I haven’t had the house to myself since DH came home. He has guard weekend this weekend so it will be like a 3 day mini-retreat in my own house. I like that after the hectic Thanksgiving weekend with all the visitors. Saturday is my day to begin daily weigh ins again. I stopped over the long weekend because I retain water when I travel, including driving over the mountain pass to shop in Medford (80 miles away). I’ve been frustrated with the plateau and figured that wouldn’t help. So two more days and I have to face my nemesis.

Marie

CAT - I'm glad you're getting back into your regular groove again, and it sounds like you enjoyed your trip. Your old habits will be back soon, because you'll get into your regular zone now that you fall back into home routine. I've had vacation brain for the last few days...

Marie- yes, i'm on protein shakes 5x a day and a regular meal (i see my doctor weekly for it), usually a veggie stir fry with protein, or a salad with protein...the days i run, i have a piece of multigrain toast and 1/2 cup of cottage cheese

I've done protein shakes before on my own - used "designer whey" (brand name) when working with a trainer, but this is a program called "center for medical weight loss" and i go to an internist/family doc so we can keep a close watch on how i do, adjusting things as we need

she also put me on fish oil, vitamin d, cinnamon (for diabetes), a multi-vitamin and I choose to get Vitamin B shots -- I feel great, and have been very happy wiht it so far. I'll add in more meals as I go. If i eat out dinner, i trade 1 dinner for 3 shakes, and work at about 1000 calories right now

--

how's it going with your DH home, i know it was going to be an adjustment again

Lamb-I make smoothies with designer whey, yogurt and frozen berries. Had one for breakfast this morning. I'm curious how you decided on this particular diet program. This is my personal opinion but I am leery of any program you can't do for life and I don't know too many people who can live on protein shakes or Jenny Craig food or Nutrisystem or whatever specialized low calorie program for life.

Marie-you would not do well at my house with food. I think thai and japanese are probably my two favorite asian cuisines and moroccan is my favorite mediterranean cuisine. I'm making an authentic moroccan dish this weekend which requires me to make a special spice blend. Tunisian is also close-its that north african thing.

CAT-I bet you'll have all that vacation weight off by the time you get to your 1 year anniversary. My birthday is the 14th. I hope to be at my goal weight next year by my birthday. Big ambition. We'll see how close I get.

It's good to be off call. Might go out with one of the nurses from work tonight for a little while.

Hi everyone! Glad to see everyone back and doing well after the holidays : ) The TSO was an awesome start to the holiday season as always, and the visit with my best friend was great, but too short. Life has been crazy and hectic with ds 18 back in the house and I have totally fallen off the wagon, but am determined to get back on starting today! Out of the blue he's decided he wants to go back to school. Went to talk to one of the local colleges yesterday, he aced the assessments and starts classes on december 14th. Total turnaround from 24 hours previously when he spend the day telling me all the reasons he can't do anything with his life! So it looks like I have a roommate for the next year-and-a-half while he completes this accelarated associate's degree program in electronic engineering. Now he just needs to find a job because I can't afford to feed him and keep him in cigarettes! So today I'm going to plan my eating and eat op. Awake since 3am so it's going to be a long day, and the insomnia thing is part of what throws me off. For some reason when I'm overtired I can care less what goes into my mouth. But if I have my food planned and packed for the day I'm less likely to give in to impulse eating the way I have all week. I did discover while I was out of town that in addition the the unhealthy food I've stopped eating by giving up fast food, I also save a ton of time and aggravation : ) Today's the first day of my workweek, hope everyone has a great weekend!

Kathi

Marie - Enjoy the house to yourself.

LC & Petra - Thank you for the support, even with the evening snacking the vacation weight is falling off, I'm down another pound this morning.

Petra - I want to come eat at YOUR house. I love different foods but I'm not very adventurous in the kitchen; fact of the matter is I cook very little. It was something that I had planned to work on when I started this WOL but really haven't done much. I still eat mostly chicken and fish.

WLW - You can do this.... make that meal plan and stick to it. As for your son maybe if you don't buy his cigarettes he'll quit or find the motivation to support his own habit. I have a step son that sounds a lot like your son. The 180 degree turnarounds from day to day may indicate the need for a professional. Sorry if I have crossed the line... I just want you to know that you are not alone and more importantly not responsible for your son's future.

I'm off to research options for hiking this weekend. If there is snow up at Big Bear still we may go up there.

petra - I agree with CAT - there's nothing better than new foods! I am especially partial to Middle Eastern, and Lebanese makes me swoon. I'm very fortunate to live "near" Detroit, because of the hole-in-the-wall authentic cuisines. Name it ... we have a grocery market for it and at least one restaurant within an hour's travel. I'm not quite as good with cooking it myself, but I do want to branch out.

Marie - thanks for reminding me about your non-vacation. I've been branching into too many threads, I think, and I'm not keeping people straight. I joined Featherweights, and am also beginning to dabble in the Maintainers. Too much info. I need to spend a little LESS time here surfing EVERY forum, methinks! We share the travel water retention, btw! Your weekend at home with the puppies sounds wonderful!

CAT - I'll bet your homecoming was impressive - doggies happy to see you? Just a little? ;) That vacation puff doesn't have a chance - good to hear it's abandoning you the way it should!

lamb - your plan sounds aggressive, but if it's working for you ... cool. I hope it will include transition time to real life, because I agree with Petra that it doesn't sound like something you'd want to do for a lifetime. Marie's right - chewing, tasting and the social benefits of good food are one of the great advantages to living! Glad to hear you're working closely with medical professionals and trainers. :)

wlw - Cigarettes? Are you serious???? Feeding and sheltering and supporting while he's getting educated, sure ... but why would you shell out your own money for something so trivial? Idea for Christmas gift - anti-smoking program! Yes, I'm militant anti-tobacco, but I will shut up. I promise! I know you two are feeling each other out and developing a new relationship, and you're the adult. I will shut up. :) I totally respect what you're trying to do and how difficult it is!

I'm just groovin'. I drank an extra glass of wine last night, but still wayyyyy under calories, pretty much for the week. I am LOVING LoseIt!!!! I do wish it had the ability to do meal/recipe entries on PC instead of the iPod, but it's not that bad. I'm able to retire the paper journal, and that's a huge plus.

ICU-I am so jealous of all the ethnic cuisine in your area. We do have several mediterranean restaurants in this area-more greek style and a really good italian restaurant in town but none of the more exotic stuff I really like.

wlw-the one thing I have found that really gets to me is sleep deprivation. If I am sleep deprived I have a really hard time staying on plan. Otherwise I really don't find this difficult at all. That is something I only discovered recently but I have a feeling that is not unique to me. Probably happens to a lot of people and they have no idea that is what is happening.

Lamb-I'm not trying to be critical of your plan. If there is somthing I can learn from you I am always interested in learning new things. I'm just curious how you decided on this program. Maybe there is something to it that I have not thought about. I'm always suspicious of programs that are based on the idea of being "on a diet" to lose weight and going "off your diet" when you've lost your weight because we all know what happens when you "off your diet". And I'm even more suspicious when there is money involved because they may have another motive for you to "go off your diet." I have what I call my 5 commandments of weight loss. The first 1 is: The best diet for you, is the one you can do for life.

Well I screwed myself today. I had something Japanese for dinner last night-involving soy sauce which means I retained water and my weight is exactly where it was this time last week so I don't get to move my ticker this week. Note to self: no Japanese food on Thurs. from now on. Hope everyone has a good day. I have the last of my baby showers to go to today. Glad these will be over.

Cough was bad yesterday, but MOSTLY GONE today! woohoo...

lost another pound, made it to 20 pounds lost so far, big smile. I've been stuck since Nov 22nd, though I'm not complaining too much, since i survived vacation without gaining...just happy to see a downward trend again

Petra - I've done about every plan out there...went for a gastric bypass consult and was turned down because i have malabsorption issues (read chronic diarrhea, all foods, 7 days a week, all meals, since gallbladder out 15 years ago). I cried and cried, and said...pfft, now what. I then went to a personal trainer and dietitian. I ate clean, and worked out with my trainer 2-3x a week for an ENTIRE YEAR. Didn't lose any weight...we found I'm insulin resistant, and my doctor said my body stays in starvation mode...and I just was so overwhelmed..i couldn't lose weight, no matter how i tried...and I TRIED! so I stopped for a year....just started getting depressed about my weight again, and was about to go for a second opinion on the gastric bypass when my husband found this...said...can't hurt to give it a shot...so the goal right now is this...

5 shakes, 1 meal...when i stabalize, 4 shakes - 2 meals...3 shakes, etc..so that I gradually am back on food and still losing. What's happening more than anything is as i'm building healthier habits, my tastes are changing, my metabolism is starting to fire back up again, and we're seeing a loss - that previous I couldn't see with clean eating and working one on one with a trainer before .....my internist things i may have food allergies that weren't apparent, and we're going to see how i react to each food as i add them back in. She in no way says you must use 5 shakes..she asks me where i am, how i feel, and we'll add more food back in as i choose...we've also added toast/cottage cheese on workout days...so we're guiding this week by week based on how i feel, and how i adjust.

If i go out to eat, i trade 3 shakes (160 calories each) for a dinner out...when i get under 200 pounds, i'm looking at switching to 3 meals/3 shakes...in essence, it's high protein/low carb right now...but with high nutrients.

Hope that explains - best i'm able - and just grateful at this point, my body is responding...i'm about about 1000 calories a day

Will go back and respond to rest of postings now..

WLW - Today is a new day...how's it going so far? Making good choices? I hope school helps your son focus on a productive goal

Cat - can't wait to hear about your weekend hiking. You always find such cool places - hope there's no snow

ICU - yes, it will absolutely transition me smoothly...in fact, I'm eating more veggies than I ever have, and eat out 2-3x a week as it is (ex: a salad with protein, or a filet with asparagus)...my goal is to be fully back on food. I do not want to live on shakes. :) Not my goal, not my doctors...just need my metabolism moving again...and hopefully the running will continue to help.

:) Don't worry girls, I'd be saying the same thing to people - but I promise, I'm a smart cookie, and a realist.

I do appreciate the concern...TRULY - I do go to the doctor every single week, and all ready I feel great, AND she's brought my average blood sugars down 20 points too! She wants me off medication - and I believe with her help I'll kick the meds too

I am ALL about lifestyle, not gimmicks...:) it's been a 20 year journey. We just hit a wall and didn't know what else to do at this point. In fact, my FAMILY doctor wanted me to go back for a 2nd opinion on gastric bypass...my internist...she wants me to go as natural as possible, adn THAT feels right...vitamins, slowly adding good healthy foods back in, teaching me about protein/carb ratio, etc...

Lamb-thanks for the info. When you eat your meals are you eating low carb? I'm trying to make sense of this metabolically. Glad you are feeling better today.

so for now, i'm taking it one day at a time, and each week I make decisions about what I want to do. Because I have over 100 pounds to lose, I want to continue on the shakes for another 30+ pounds, then transition in more and more meals..

I'm all ready looking at what a good trade is...example - to replace my morning shake, an egg white omelet with veggies -- for a snack, yogurt + 1/2 cup of cereal, etc..

My family is so grateful this is working. They've seen me bust my rear and struggle for so long with no results...so we're grateful I can get to a healthier weight, and they know I've always been willing to put the work in - and have in the past...so the exercise sticks, the better food will stick, etc...

k, i'm done for now

again...((GROUP HUG)) thank you so much for your concern. I do not feel defensive in any manner, and appreciate your thoughts. IF I saw a 20 yo severly limiting her calories, or someone doing something like this without knowing any background, i'd be right there with you --

Cheers, Deb

my favorite meal right now is this:

ex - veggie stir fry - i have broccoli, mushrooms, onions, peppers, garlic, and mix in protein, ex: i use 2 hard boiled eggs (or chicken)

k, jumping off for awhile, i'll be back later if you have any questions

lamb - my gosh, I knew you had some "challenges" - but WOW!!! You have my utmost respect for your persistence in figuring this out, and it sure doesn't sound like you had any other choice than this. Thank goodness your DH found this program - I really hope that it heals your system and gets you back into the land of the healthy!

Wondering - are you posting in some of the other threads, like in the Dieting with Challenges forum? I'd imagine that there are many other people like you who could benefit from knowing that there just might be help out there - it must be an awful feeling to go through what you did and to have NOTHING work. :hug:

yeah, that's pretty low carb. Also curious if you ever tried South Beach. Being insulin resistant I know you will need something low glycemic/low carb to work for you and most low carb diets have a lot of fat. The fat will be a problem with your gall bladder. South Beach is relatively low in fat and might work. There might be some foods you can't eat due to sensitivities like gluten or dairy and would have to adjust around those. Just throwing out options. I wish I had known you before-might have been able to help you think through some options. There's another diet plan that's not popular here and you may not have heard of called Fat Flush. It is both low carb and low fat. People typically lose very briskly on it but it is extremely structured and involves some odd things but it is based on sound nutritional principles.

I've thought about surgery too cause I've been fighting this battle a really long time. I even went to a little info session here for people considering surgery. I was thinking about lap band. I can lose weight, I just can't seem to keep it off but that's cause I don't consistently do what I know I need to do. My insurance won't pay for me to have it until 2011 because of some particular requirements here and I figured if I have to wait that long I may as well it lose it myself by then-thus I am back on the wagon and determined to do it this time.

Trying to be helpful. I want you to be successful long term. I know how frustrating it is to keep losing the same weight over and over again. Been there, done that.

Thanks ICU

Petra, yes, i did do an Atkins years ago and could get about 20 pounds off, then my body stops. Same with things like WW, Nutrisystem -- my body adjusts to the change, then stops...that's what has been hard.

We think i'm ultra sensitive to some carbs, and i seem to respond when many are let go, and she wonders about celiacs, but i've been tested for it...so that's why she wondered about other allergies, ingredients, etc..

I'll tell you my colonoscopy story one day..ROFL, it's hysterical and I can laugh about it NOW, but i've been through a gammit of testing over the years

yes, fats- gall bladder trigger also..agreed. :)

Also been tested for dairy, they say i'm not, but i've always reacted to high fat dairys like milks or ice cream...

I went for consultation for bypass, and then went to the GI doc, cardiologist, etc...it took me 5 years to get to that consult finally (emotionally) so i thought when I decided that would be it...ha, didn't realize i wouldn't be able to have it!!! that was a hard reality to face

Yeah...losing weight for me has been a journey -- when i reach a lower goal, i do believe in programs like WW, and healthy lifestyle eating...it has to fit into my lifestyle, and it has to be realistic...at this point, my weight just kept going UP..and that was a huge concern

honestly, i feel like it's a blessing i met this doctor. I have a very trusted, warm feeling with her, and feel like i'll find my answer. She has practiced for years, and she said she got tired of seeing her patients gain weight and have to increase their medcations, and after she lost her husband, she changed her practice to reflect help in aging and weight loss, even though she keeps some patients of her other stuff...she is a family doctor and internist...just love her - can't explain it. She's a warm soul, and I trust she has my best interest...she wants me off meds, and trusting myself to make good healthy choices with good foods, exercise and vitamins

Okay-I trust you have made a good a decision for you and I will support you in any way I can. If you want my opinion, ask.

It's supposed to snow here tonight. I'll believe it if I see it. I go for my massage tomorrow morning and am looking forward to that. I had wanted to go to yoga tonight but didn't get home from work in time to cook and eat dinner and get there and I didn't want to be eating dinner at 9 tonight so I opted to skip the yoga tonight. Post call sometimes I just have to choose to chill out.

I'm thinking about getting a new car-a hybrid in addition to my jeep which is paid for. I have an issue with owning two cars but I really don't want to give up my jeep-it's good for the dogs and for going ATV riding but it is terrible on gas and I drive a lot down here. I've thought about trading it in for an SUV hybrid but I'm not sure the mileage on those is good enough to justify it. I just go around and around in my head about it. Anyway, I'm going to go look at a Ford Fusion tomorrow-doesn't mean I'm going to make a decision but I'll look. Like most women, I hate buying cars.

On Sat. mornings they have a little open air market in our downtown area. I haven't been for awhile but I'm going to try to go tomorrow. My recollection is that there was someone there who sold local goat meat. I'm going to have some very interesting things in my freezer to work with for the next month or two.

Thank you so much...

yeah, wouldn't have been my first choice out of the gate, but i'm grateful something is triggering my metabolism at this point.

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We keep our Jeep for the same reason -- great dog car, and it's still running fine. When I first met my husband - he had 3 cars! (the bachelor life, eh?), but he eventually took it down to 2 cars, and I have mine as well. He's looked into trading the Jeep, but it's paid for, works well, and the seats lay down completely flat which is ideal for hauling 3 dogs.

Good luck with your car buying -- just remember -- you are the customer, and if you don't like who you are working with, ask for another person. Let it be a great experience, rather than one you don't look forward to.

OK -- that all behind, I've got a fun story for you...I went for a colonoscopy -- when they were doing my GI testing, etc...

I go into the hospital room area (common area) where all the patients are there that day, and nobody warns you everyone is extremely flatulent, and in that section - it's a good thing. They want that extra gas/air out of you...so i'm sitting there, not doped up yet, and I hear all these people passing gas, and I'm like a little kid, trying not to crack up, but i'm like DUDE (inside my head) do you hear this?? LOL

Okay, so they get me into the procedure, and for some reason my doctor performing it (not my current internist) can't see the entire area, there's a problem, a blockage, who knows (because lord knows you've drank that stuff and pooped your brained out the last 12 hours before and there's NOTHING left in you)...either way, she has to break it to me that it wasn't successful, and they're sending me down to X-ray in a little while for extra testing...

...but first I have to wait in the recovery area, and pass gas- etc...well, i'm coherent enough to feel self-conscious, and the nurse says from across the room to me...hon, I don't hear you passing gas...i'm like..ummm, trying? so she tells me to roll onto my left side and sure enough...man...so you think the embarrassment is over? no...that would be too easy...

....so they send me down to xray and to get a barium enema...excuse me? yep...so i have to get this enema, not like my dignity isn't all ready gone, and they do the picture to make sure everything is okay...i get the all clear, all the pics are done..and they put me in this bathroom and go...

...it's going to be loud and violent, but that's okay. it's supposed to be, and don't worry about the noise (i kid you not, they tell you not to worry about the noise!) - there are paper thin walls, and i'm dying a little bit inside -- trying to squeeze my cheeks together the best I am, so I can be quiet, because they are standing RIGHT THERE at the door waiting for me...

...so I let out just a tiny bit, sigh a deep breath thinking, it will be okay - i'll have some control...when the biggest, loudest experience took place about a second later..

..i wanted to lock myself in the bathroom and not come out. I was mortified. I don't care if they hear this stuff everyday, I don't experience it every day...and then the noise kept coming and coming...

...I think i slithered out of the hospital that day.

:) and i've passed gas on a chiropractor's table too...there is no end to my embarrassment...i guess it's a way of life..LOL

LC - I was hoping for snow up at Big Bear, a little snow hike would have been nice. It's early in the year so I'm sure we'll get one in, maybe even two.

Petra - I can relate about having a vehicle for the dogs. I drive a Suburban because I usually have a minimum of two dogs with me, one of which weighs 145+. With all four it's the only option. We also have a Jeep but it's a Wrangler and used only to go out and play in the desert (no top or doors). Mack has a Co. truck so we are thinking no new vehicles (or payments) for us..... ever. The two we have will go to Mexico with us in seven years. Both have under 25K miles; the Suburban gets about 6K a year put on it and the Jeep less that 2K and it just had the motor rebuilt 2 years ago.

No hiking for us this weekend. Mack has an injury to his foot from running so we have decided to take it easy this weekend. As much as I hate the treadmill guess that will be my only exercise.

LC - Cute story.... my embarrassment happens with my massage therapist. My DIL has her certification and I won't let her work on me below the shoulder blades. I don't care how normal it is, some things should not to be shared with family.