Rennie, I just googled and found a site called Build A Menu - ha, it does exist! Claims to be everything you want, the only drawback is you have to join for 8 or 10 bucks a month - I hate memberships! LOL

Sum yay on losing more bloat :high: I so LOVE LOVE LOVE the sound of 130 (I'm day dreaming :)). Heck I'm dreaming about anything below 160, huh truth be told I'm dreaming of 160 ... ok I'm done ... I'm not but I don't want to get on you alls nerves :hug:

Cattails thanks for the site. :) I wonder if they have a trial!? that would be great :) Glad you got another day to rest :hug: Feel better soon :hug:

I saw a new low today 162.0 ... HAPPY HAPPY I AM :) I have 8 days to go till I am 48 and I want to see 160/159 sooooooo bad :crossed: However I just keep eating stuff, whyyyyyyyyy?????? Did my treadmill walk 3.02 miles burn 374 ... that makes me smile a little. I am trying though it does't seem like it.

Have any of you heard of organic dandalion root tea? If so what's your take on it?

Hey everyone.....nothing to report here...rough days...eating too much...more of the same.

Love2b: I have had the dandelion tea in the past...it supposedly acts as a diuretic and makes you lose bloat....it tasted nasty...I would rather just pop a diurex.

Zumba I've been eating crazy (and too many carbs) also, but for some reason the extra carbs seem to be what my body needs, idk :dizzy: I actually like the bitterness of the dandalion tea, weird huh! I am trying to ween myself away from splenda. My Pastor said to stay away from the artificial sweeteners, another member (a nutritionist) said to stay away from it, and then I just read in Woman's World to stay away from it. Now if I can just stop with the water flavor packs ... water just gets so boring by the end of the day, :shrug: Sorry for the ramble :hug:

I'm not familiar with that one but there is another subscription service called Plan To Eat where you put in what you like and create your own menus from those lists....I used it for 6 mths but decided pen and paper worked about the same, lol

Rennie, another google search (Google is my friend!) showed that dandelion tea can interact with a few medications so you may want to check that out; other than that possibility, dandelion seems to be a good thing to use. On the water flavorings, do what you need to do. Though I'm not thrilled with artificial sweeteners, I do think they are better than a big load of sugar. I went from heavily sugared drinks to diet sodas and splenda-sweetened tea, then eventually to plain tea, water, and coffee with a bit of creamer, no sugar. Took some getting used to but now I really enjoy the taste of unsweetened tea and coffee.

Oh, yeah, almost forgot: CONGRATS ON THE NEW LOW!! :cheer:

Zumba, :wave: How's the puppy doing?

Hope everybody's week is wonderful! :)

Today's food:

B: got up too late for breakfast
L: 1/2 of portabello mushroom chicken from TRH
L#2: spicy asian chicken salad
D: parmesan chicken, roasted veggies
S: coffee with creamer, dark chocolate

E: 1 mile walk

There is nothing good about artificial sweeteners, and they don't keep us from gaining weight either ....when Splenda first came out years ago I believed that it was made from sugar and natural (like the commercials said) and I was using it every day, baking with it, etc. Come to find out it is poison just like all the other packets....now I am using Stevia and trying to buy the organic kind. Truvia is not pure stevia (something I just learned). At this rate I'm probably better off going back to real sugar and just chalking up the calories...at the end of the day putting sugar in my coffee is not the end of the world and it isn't what made me fat.

Cattails: puppy is doing okay, she has gotten bigger :) She's sleeping all night for the most part (this morning she woke me up extra early, not sure what that is all about) and she's going outside although she piddles alot in the house still.....thanks for asking. right now she's a good diversion for me....maybe i needed something to take care of and love.

Happy Monday everyone......I keep telling myself there is a lot of time until May...I binged the whole weekend....won't go near the scale today. My ankles feel swollen too......not sure what that is about.

Thanks Shannon I'll check that one out :). I want something that will break out the net carbs, protein and calories for me, if there is such a site. I use MFP but it doesn't give the breakdown I'm looking for without doing extra work (some people have entered net carbs, which is quite helpful) ;) Years ago when I went to a dietitian she gave me menus that told me how many net carbs were in each item. I have no idea what I did with all of that stuff since it was many years ago but that is what I'm looking for. Something I can enter the amount of carbs I want to consume and then enter the foods and it breaks them out (I'm probably looking/asking for a bit much huh :D) The exchange list, I guess is what I need/am looking for.

Thanks Cattails :), the only prescribed medication I take is metformin, everything else is a supplement. Do you recall it mentioning anything about that one? You are a good one on the drinks. I put a little honey in my green tea and in my pu'erh tea. And I use the sugar free creamer in my coffee which still gives it a sweet taste. I just need to get away from the flavor packets in the evening. :)

Zumba, I bought Truvia once, used two packets and threw the rest away. I had never had something so awful except for sweet n low years and years ago. I don't think I have ever tried Stevia. Does it have a bitter after taste (or did it to you when you first used it?). I thought about going back to full sugar but that isn't wise for me with diabetes so idk :shrug: and Zumba you are not fat :hug: and we do have time until May ... we'll do better :hug:

I maintained today not happy. I thought for sure I'd see 161 point something but nope :(

Rennie Hmm, I thought MFP would do that but maybe not, what about sparkpeople? I used that a long time ago. Not sure on net carbs but maybe by now. I bought a huge box of Truvia and don't really care for it. My favorite sugar substitute (with no glycemic impact) is erythritol bc it is the most natural but it is expensive ($13/lb before manufacturer coupons) so I try to reserve it for baking. Stevia extract (liquid) alone is a bit too bitter for me. Truvia is a combo of erythritol and stevia so I had high hopes :-( I am very anti-artificial sweeteners but it is just a necessary evil at this point with being prediabetic. I get migraines from aspartame so fortunately I never have used that regularly (I think it is worse than splenda in terms of toxicity) but I have been using splenda in my coffee (1/2 cup of coffee per day) and in my tea (about once a day, sometimes twice, sometimes none)....coffee I really cannot tolerate without sweetener but the tea I drink often without anything, just depends on my mood. I get a little nauseous when I think of all the tea I drank as a child (made by my mom) with saccharine! She only uses Truvia now, lol! She even had me sew her a special holder for her Truvia so she can carry it in her purse!

Shannon I was just looking at lowcarbkitty and there is another website I was on that called for stevia drops and/or erythritol I think and I really don't want to spend a lot of money on something that I won't like. I am gonna buy the smallest box/pack of Stevia eventually but I have a lot of Splenda left so I want to use it up. I don't know what damage it has done thus far and before that I was using Equal. I stopped using that because I was told it wasn't good for me. BIG SIGH ... The sugar free coffee mate creamers are really good and the International Delight ones also. Maybe use those instead of the Stevia. Too many decisions. MFP will only do net carbs if the item is entered that way, so what I can do is reenter everything that I use but how time consuming :) and I'm too lazy. I've been using MFP so long I'd say 90% of what I use is in there and correct :)

love2b: Fatsecret is free...and it will tell you how many net carbs are in foods..that is what i use when i'm doing low carb....it will tell you calories and whatever else it is you want to know...i think its a great site, i've been using it for years now...on and off....check it out and tell me what you think...

oh and y'all are talkig about stevia...i found it in Big Lots believe it or not..my friend has cancer and the doctor told her to use that....and not truvia....truvia has dextrose in it, it isn't pure stevia.....i don't blame you love2b not buy it if you don't know if you're going to like it...try and find the smallest box you can, or write to a company and ask them to send you a sample, i'm sure if you do enough research online youi can find a stevia company...

Zumba I use to use fatsecret then changed to MFP, not sure why though. I'll sign on and check it out, thanks Chica ;) LOL I just went to the site ... I'm love2b150 on there also :) It's been 86 days (1/11/14) since my last check in and I weighed 173.4 so it will be nice to see the change on their screen :) I hadn't thought about that I will google that also, never thought to ask for a sample of some thing, thanks again :hug:

Wow did I run you all away :(???????

... I'm up .2 to 162.2. I went to the gym and hit that treadmill as hard as I could almost fell off once (really) good thing I hit the pull cord and it paused ... I was trying to go faster than I should have and got winded. Anyway I did 4.14 miles and burned 514 calories and it helped :)

Hope everyone is well :hug:

i'm up to 152.8 ...surprised it isn't higher after last weekend's binge......

I will be logging into fat secret from here on out to pay attention to what I'm eating......just winging it isn't going to work...the Overfed Head is a good concept, but not really for me...emotional eaters don't or should I say can't listen for hunger signals......eating isn't about that for them......it brought up some interested theories though....

Love2b: Look on your graph for your weight loss history and you will se a major dip....!! That will put some perspective on your weight loss......just like it gives me the harsh reality of my weight GAIN.......i have my weigh on there for years...its pretty sobering...

Im glad that you didnt get hurt on that treadmill!!!

Thanks Zumba :hug: I think yesterday must have been binge day because so many people ate off plan ... :dizzy: me included but I am making up for it today :)

I am drinking water with cucumber, lime and lemon. I thought I would need to add honey to sweeten but the cucumber took over so no tart taste at all, who knew?

My boring, non progress life continues, nothing new and exciting to report :lol: Weight hovers between 142 and 144. I did have a binge last night.

I was not having a good time at my volunteer position yesterday, a crazy lady was out to get me and she got to me, ugh. So I ate trough my sorrows.

But today is a new day and I am not letting some unstable old hag get to me any longer. I know the FCA likes what I do and all the effort I put into it...

End of binge, end of rant.

The weather is amazing here. 61 F and sunny, feels like heaven. I will walk my pup in a while.

Eating wise I have been OP today. No bfast, as usual. Girlfriend and I stopped for lunch and I had a Chicken Cobb salad. Might have high calorie count because of the egg and bacon, but I feel really full. I may skip dinner or just have a light salad.

My baby boy is in FL, DH out of tow, so it is just three girls; DD, me and our Cujo. House is too quiet. What am I going to do when both of the kids are gone.....

I am been fighting the urge to being and fall off the lifestyle change wagon for nearly 5 days now. I have stayed strong but I am afraid I will bend....UGH.

Its amazing to me that there are people out there without food issues!

FatAbbi I know!!! But only a few....

Once again I have lots of reading material! I only work Mondays and Tuesdays, so that's when I have plenty of time to check in. I tend to keep myself busier when I am at home and don't hit 3FC as often.
Interesting morning on the scale, I was around 171.5. I weighed myself after my run and with out eating, so I'm sure that had something to do with it. But today is also the 1st day of TOM, so I was expecting my weight to be up! So now I'm going to keep away from the scale for a few days because that ws probably just a fluke.:D
Been a bit lazy about exercising. I've only been making 2 rowing practices a week instead of 3, and running once a week if that. I really want to pick up the running!!! I should really sign up for a race so I have a stronger motivation to get out there, but I'm feeling a little to busy right now.
We adopted a dog over the week-end! He is a Rottweiler, about a year old. Our other dog is a Rott mix and she is only half his size. This dog is huge! He is such a sweet dog though. I have fallen in love. He does have a medical issue and I am kind second guessing our decision to adopt him because of it, but like I said, in love.He had broken his leg at some point and his previous owners did not care for it and now he has very little use of that leg. It doesn't seem to hurt him, which is good. The rescue lady wants to amputate it but that seems extreme to me. Maybe it can be repaired with surgery, or maybe if he had some kind of brace. I don't know. We haven't taken him to our vet yet. The rescue group says they will pay for it but we will see how that goes. I don't have too big an issue with the potential financial commitment, but I know my husband will. Behavior wise he has been great. He has peed a few times in the house but It is only because he is marking his territory. He is nice to the other dog (wants to play and she will most of the time), nice to the cats and loves the kids. Well, welcome to my new adventure.
FatAbbi, hang in there, just get back on that wagon!!
Sum, thats probably the most common binge, when someone gets under your skin. I know it is for me.That and being nervous about something.And you are not boring, you are consistent.;)
Zumba and love2b, I think I will check out fat secret....sorry the book didn't help. I find self help books to be annoyingly vauge.
Hi everyone else! Have a great week!

Rennie, you goof - of course you didn't run anyone off! :D Sometimes I just don't have anything interesting to say, but I check in often to see what others are up to. There's a lot to be said for living vicariously!

The water with citrus and cucumber reminds me of a Vietnamese restaurant in town we go to sometimes. As a rule, I NEVER drink city water (I'm spoiled, we have a well here), but that restaurant keeps lemon and lime and cucumber in all their water pitchers and it tastes so good that we don't order drinks!

Zumba, I mentioned it before and don't mean to pester you, but have you looked at any of Geneen Roth's writings? She has written a few books, you could probably find some at the library. I like her style, and she is all about emotional eating. Hope you can find some peace. :hug:

Sum, I'm sorry somebody gave you a hard time yesterday. Too bad that's the way some people cope with their own difficulties, by passing along the bad.

Stay strong, Abbi, you can do it! Like somebody said (was that on this thread?), everybody's got something; those with no food issues undoubtedly have issues in other parts of their lives. Look at the progress you've made - you're doing fantastic!

Apple, a new dog, how nice! Sounds like a real sweetie, and a good fit for your family. Hopefully something can be done about his leg; it's good that it doesn't seem to bother him though.

Happy Tuesday all!

Cattails, I think i bought one of her books years ago, but this weekend i'm going to make it a point to get to the library and look for her books...thank you for reminding me...

Apple Blossom Congrats on your new fur baby!!! He sounds like a real doll, and bless you for taking a dog that has medical issues. There are plenty of times i second guess my decision to adopt my puppy but thats only because I'm having a really hard time with housebreaking her and she wakes up at night....but then i look at her little face and I know she isn't[ going back.....I'm sure you feel the same way and will weather the storm with this dog and the leg issue, whether it is amputated or not. Shame on those people for not taking care of this poor dog!!! Makes me so angry and sad...:(

FatAbbi Don't do it girl! Don't fall off!!!

LOL Sum, love your post (funny part), sorry she was so mean :hug:. Good for you on being OP today ... quite house. My kids go upstairs sometimes and you don't even know they are here. It's funny though because if one comes down to hang with Mommy the others minus the youngest boy follow suit ;)

Abbi I think it's something in the air :) ... the binge monster will pass, you're doing great :hug:

Apple Blossom, thanks for being so caring (your newest family member). :hug: Hope the scale number sticks :crossed:

LOL Cattails :), well I don't think there has ever been a time when no one has posted in the evening :) LOL I think if there is ever a time I haven't a thing to say someone had better check me out ;) I got this water recipe from Woman's World only to find out it has been around for years. I had never heard of it before, but I like it :)

Well I am feeling the bloat from all of the water but my rings are sliding around my fingers like they belong to someone else. I hope that means that I will have a good weigh in tomorrow :crossed:

Thanks ladies! I bumped my stair machine time to 45 mins a day.... I enjoyed skinny cow fudge bar. I. Can. Do. This.

Whoo, good going Abbi! Skinny Cow rocks...

LOL right back atcha, Rennie! :crossed: for a :goodscale.

Zumba, hope you can find some of Geneen's books, looking forward to hearing what you think.

I mentioned something about coffee and stomach pain a while ago, been meaning to report in about that. Got some Kava coffee (acid reduced) and it has been very kind to my stomach, and it is smooth too! That makes me pretty happy. Though it's getting so warm here lately that I may have to switch to iced tea for a while. :)

B: coffee with creamer, wasn't hungry
L: salad with marinated beans and a bit of chicken
D: steak chicana on a tortilla, chips and salsa, guacamole, 1/3 of a tamale
S: coffee with creamer, dried cherries, dark chocolate

E: 40 minutes walking, 50 minutes strength circuit (look, Zumba, I'm getting quicker at it!), 10 minutes yoga/stretching

Down a pound from yesterday..find that I'm a bit more mindful now that I'm logging into fat secret. trying to do my own version of low carb, following a structured plan would probably be a better idea for me at this time but I can't get myself in that frame of mind plus I don't have enough grocery money this week to buy what i would need to do belly fat cure.

Have an appt with the lawyer this morning, I'm exhausted and I"m dreading the long drive there...I feel emotionally drained.

Cattails the scale didn't have mercy :( the bloat is still lingering and my rings aren't as loose as last evening :( but thank you :hug: Glad you found a coffee that is easier on your stomach :)

Zumba good job on the pound :high: I just told my daughter and her husband that it's expensive to eat healthy, smh. Doing your version of low carb is still better than no version :). What do you try to keep your carbs under? I was trying for less than 100 then I was on some site so I am now trying for less than 50. Today will be fine since I'm doing Radiojane's Meat/Egg fast. Only 18 carbs today but I don't know about the rest of the week :)

cattails...LOL..I see that, you are getting quicker at it...good job! just don't go faster and forget your form...This coffee that you are talking about, does it come in k cups? I have been having heartburn lately, really rare for me.....and i'm wondering if its all the coffee I drink finally getting the best of me!!!

Love2b: I heard people say that before, that eating healthy is more expensive...but I see all that processed junk costs a bundle too!!! I try and keep net carbs to around 20...some days its less, some days more....any less than that and i feel groggy and stupid..and get that stinky low carb breath...im not trying to get into ketosis....i think my atkins days are long gone..although the diet definitely worked for me in the past this time i want to have more carbs.

I'm looking for a small indoor grill....anyone have any suggestions? Other than the george foreman grill?

Zumba my Mom bought this little hibachi grill for indoors from Bed bath and beyond I think. Pretty neat.

OK I had a bad bad afternoon :( so I'm admitting

I HAVE AN EATING DISORDER
WHEN I TRY TO EAT RIGHT
I EAT WRONG
EVEN WHEN I PLAN IT SOMETIMES I STILL DO WRONG
TODAY STARTED OUT WELL AND I BLEW IT
IT ALL WENT WRONG :(

How on earth do you blow your own birthday present? Tell me that isn't just plain stupid :mad: I am so disappointed in myself. :( I think I am actually losing control of the late afternoon/evenings, smh.

Aw, Rennie, :hug: You are doing great - look how far you've come! Every day is a NEW DAY - every new choice is yours to make. Every moment counts, and you can do this - you CAN and you ARE! Now go do something (non-food related maybe) for yourself - a wonderful bath, or a walk, or talking on the phone with somebody you love - whatever you enjoy. You deserve it!

Thanks Cattails :) I'll probably be 165 tomorrow and have that much more to work on :(. I really thought I would be out of the 160's by now ... we have Bible study this evening so I won't be here to do more damage. Shower and bed when we get back.

Check this out, Rennie:

AND:

And then there's yesterday:

This is awesome progress! There are always and will always be bumps in the road but that's all they are - the overall is what counts, my friend. :)

Zumba, I don't think Kava comes in single servings - looks like it's instant only (which works for lazy me), but there is Puroast, which is acid reduced, in K-cups. Don't know how it tastes but it might be worth a try. I've learned that darker roasts naturally have less acid, fyi.

Happy Wednesday all.

Cattails, thank so much :hug: I needed that pick me up, you've made me smile seeing my old post. :hug: I will dust off, pick my chin and lip up and look forward to tomorrow and prayerfully get it right. Zumba here I am trying to give you advice that I can't/don't even follow, smh. But I am sure you look great and YOU just don't see it :hug:
ha ... it's so much easier to preach it than to practice it at times on this journey for sure.
Thank you all for being here :grouphug:

Awesome going Rennie!

good morning ya'll..since the weather has gotten nice again I am going to start my walking in the evenings....Im also going to start the 21 Day fix routine again, but leaving out the cardio because its so boring and stupid.....atleast i have zumba for that.

Puppy had me up at 5 am today, I am exhausted.....

Mini goal, to be below 150 by the end of next week.....