Mrs. Snark, I say AMEN to everything you just said. What you described about working out till you drop while simultaneously gaining weight? That's been me the past 2 years. I would come out of the gym dripping with sweat, limping to my car, proud as anything about all the calories I'd burned, and go home and blow it by eating an unhealthy lunch. I thought I had earned the calories, and even stopped counting calories, figuring that I intuitively at this point knew how much I was eating. Wrong!

I'd forgotten that the first leg of my initial weight loss journey, where I lost most of my weight (40-45lbs) I didn't exercise AT ALL! I just focused on changing my diet and counting calories and monitoring nutritional information (not too many carbs, sugars, sodium, fat). I've said before that you can't out exercise a bad diet - and oh how I've tried. So frustrating. But, work smarter not harder. I'm back to focusing on nutrition, and am spending less time killing myself on cardio and more time on splitting cardio and strength. I'm starting the strength slowly. I'm at the gym exercising now for about 45-50 minutes instead of 65, and I'm only on a cardio machine for 30. I leave not quite as sweaty, but my muscles are aching the next morning - in a good way. I also feel like I am getting firmer (maybe it's in my mind). But, the scale is moving again in the right direction - very slowly, but my food choices are paying off in a way that solely focusing on exercising never did.

I had one procedure this morning. Not fun at all, but its over. My instructions are to take it easy for the rest of the day, and I'm doing just that. Tomorrow a CT scan. Not fun stuff, but at least that test isn't painful (I'll need an IV though for contrast dye, but I can handle that).

Have a great day!

I am really shocked by how little food I need, once I've been choosing reasonable portions for a while, my stomach (and hunger) really shrinks. The availability of food has changed, exercise levels have changed, even plate sizes have changed. Most people just take in much more than they need, I think.

magicsusan - I cut out sugar and lowered salt 3 weeks ago, and I am shocked by how it has affected my appetite. I actually was starting to feel a little concerned about my lack of hunger, until I realized that it wasn't so much a total lack of hunger as a lack of cravings. I think that white flour, sugar, salt, and non-whole grain carbs really trigger craving in me - oh and joint pain! I have felt so much better in terms of joint pain and arthritis. Maybe these foods cause inflammation of joints?

That's great, that your diet has made such a difference in your hunger and cravings.
I find having junky carbs totally throws me into wanting more and more. I do feel a difference in my cravings since starting my diet again, but I have to watch because I get spacey if I don't eat at regular times.

Do you ladies pack snacks in your purse for emergencies? I totally needed one today. I went to a lecture which ended at noon, but I wanted to run to a store before heading home and I could really feel that I needed to eat. (not stomach grumbling, but it was hard to concentrate.)

I'm going to pack some nut in my bag now. ((sigh))

I do find it wise to have a few healthy, easy, fast options for both snacks and meals around. Making up several meals worth (like Snarkles did with her tabouleh) keeps me from reaching for dangerously fast food-like substances when I've left it too long.

Also, bananas. I'd make such a good minion.

That's interesting about the cravings, Guac. I find that extreme salt and sugar seem to play off each other. I've noticed it in my kids, too. If they eat a bunch of candy they are desperate for chips afterward and vice versa. Another good reason to cut out excessive sugar and salt, I guess.

I know it simply takes more calories to maintain a larger body, but I wonder how much I'll be eating to maintain when I've reached my ideal weight. Betcha I'll be like a camel and I can eat a spoonful of peanut butter once a week or so.

I made some white bean patties today (aka. veggie burgers). I have 4 left, waiting in the freezer, so one meal a day is planned. I had wanted to make them earlier in the week, but I need to be in the mood for cooking/baking.
I haven't had tabouleh in ages! Yummm! I like bananas too...especially with peanut butter. And, now I'm hungry! LOL

The kids are home because the school buses aren't running. (freezing rain warning) It's coming down pretty good at the moment, but I'm not sure how much is freezing. Oh well, the kids are enjoying the day at home.

Have a great day!

How are you doing Guacamole, now that you are into the better, back-half of the week! (yay!!!)

Vdawg - I eat alot of white beans, and always mean to make them into patties but never end up doing it, because: lazy. What was your recipe?

MagicalS - Salt, Fat, Sugar. If an item has all of those properties, it is like catnip for me, I can't stop. Like Kettlecorn, for instance. The eating of Kettlecorn would NEVER END.

Well, I looked at a bunch of recipes online and just put together the beans, an egg, garlic, onion, bread crumbs and cayenne pepper. The hardest part was getting them out of the patty mold. I needed breadcrumbs on top and bottom--of course, I was trying to go easy on the breadcrumbs. Oh well. I think next time I'll buy a jalapeno pepper, I wanted spicy!
Do you have a favorite bean recipe?

The kids are off yet again! It's just messy out there.

Doing ok Mrs. Snark. Still rattled by healthcare stuff, but moving forward day by day. I just made quinoa stuffed zucchini for Friday's dinner. Amazing, if I do say so myself! I'm learning and improvising new vegan recipes to incorporate in my diet. It's been good, because moving to a 70-80% vegan diet hasn't been that difficult since I'm making filling and tasty foods I really like.

Mmmmm! I will google that recipe, Guac. I love quinoa and also zukes, provided they aren't just steamed to the point of slime.
Going shopping in a couple minutes; I need to think of somthing I can buy to make tomorrow that I can eat all week...

Hope you all are having a good weekend!
I had a crappy dinner yesterday, but I'll be back on plan today.

On friday, I watched an episode of My 600 lb Life (where people go through weight loss surgery) and the woman had the surgery but simply would not work to lose weight! It blew my mind. She wouldn't walk, so they had to do a 2nd operation to prevent blood clots. She wouldn't go to physical therapy. She went back to lying in bed eating fast food. Arrrrgghhh! So frustrating to watch.
And here, I was looking for motivation!

I am obsessed with 600lb life! I seem to gravitate to a lot of weight related reality tv shows - not so much the weight loss competition shows, but people struggling to lose and being shown in their everyday environments. I suppose I relate all too well!

Happy today because despite some calorie heavy meals the scale went down another pound to 168. Also happy because I bought a dress for a function I am attending tonight on clearance from a designer that usually runs small on me and 1. I got the gown for $25 and 2. It's a size 12 with room to spare! Small victories!

Yay pretty dress, that's exciting Guac! I'm sure you looked great!

Veggiedawg : I don't do anything exciting with bean due to my general kitchen laziness. I mash chicpeas into hummus, so that it is more nutritious, I dump beans on salads, and I mash them for burritos. And that's about it. I need to find a good bean burger recipe that's vegan and takes little effort. I've been eating portabello (portobello? portobella?) mushrooms as my "burger" insert for a while, and that's good, but occasionally I'd like something with more texture!

There were toooo many empty-calorie snacks in my house this weekend. Snack creep, the struggle is real. I have sent them in with Mr. Snark to work, and am going for a junk-snack-free week.

Magicsusan - couldn't agree more! I find it so supportive to keep healthy snacks and fruits and vegetables with me wherever I go. I keep a big bowl of fruit on my desk at work, table at home, and always a banana in my purse! If I don't control my environment, I reach for sweets and unhealthy options. Plus, if I'm full from my healthy snacks I am less tempted by the sweets anyway.