Okay, does just posting mean I've "joined" Golden Girls? I just registered on the board last week and was advised on another thread to join here. I started (on my own because I've been out of work for seven months, and money is tight) on Jan. 9 with my old materials from a few years ago. I lost 14 pounds in three weeks, but gained two back and haven't lost anything for the past two weeks. I know the bright side is that I haven't gained any either, but it's hard to rest on that laurel.
I need a cookbook with plain old recipes. I bought a WW cookbook the other day, but I have discovered that the recipes are all really more gourmet-like and not my style. My style is cutting up a bunch of multi-colored peppers and sauteeing them with shrimp and cajun seasoning and serving it over rice. Or crock pot dishes. I made chicken cacciatore from a fat-free recipe I have, and that was good, too. I am really getting sick of chicken, tho, and believe it or not, shrimp. (I cornered the market on it a few weeks ago when Acme had a good sale.) But shrimp is so low in points, it's usually the best choice for me. I've only had beef twice since Jan. 9. I really miss a really good cheeseburger and DO NOT tell me to try veggie burgers, I have. God did not intend burgers to be made from vegetables! I've also been limiting my grains to WW or double fiber bread, lite English Muffins and brown rice and no-yolk noodles. Haven't even SEEN a potato for five weeks until today when hubby made a dish with them in it. I also make up a big batch of the cabbage soup every two weeks or so and freeze it.
So basically, my problem now is finding new, easy, tasty recipes, preferably spicy ones. I have resigned myself to the fact that 90% of the time, I am going to have to make separate meals for my husband. He does try what I make, but he's first-generation Italian, and wants his pasta and gougutz (sp.) and of course it must be smothered in Italian cheese!
I have arthritis in my feet and legs, and COPD, so exercising and walking is a problem for me as well.
Well, right now that's all I can think of to introduce myself. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Last edited by Phillygirl2; 02-18-2008 at 12:39 AM.
Good Morning GG's, I worked all weekend, so missing in action here. I went to work Sunday morning in an ice storm. when I got to work i put one foot out of the car and it went "zoooom" . Took baby steps the rest of the way into work. Walked in the snow when I could to miss the solid ice. I made it in ok, but one of the other nurses took a nasty spill. It has warmed up now and it's just wet.
Read all the posts but there's no way I can answer them all. We have such a lively bunch, isn't it wonderful!
Welcome Philliegirl2, I hope you'll share your name with us when you become more confortable with the group. Welcome!!!! If you've read the posts you know what a bunch of wonderful, supportive, positive people hang out here. I love cookbooks too, but you're right, most of the recipes are too complicated or too expensive for me. I like simple things. I go to a local library and cookbook shop. I might get one or two recipes out of each book I take out, but i'm building my own book of recipes.
Karen, Happy belated birthday. Did you wish your house would sell soon when you blew out your candles? Don't tell anyone, or your wish won't come rue!
Rosey, bless you for taking your mom's dog. You will get lots of unconditional love and kisses for that. We adore our dog and have made our son and DIL promise to take him if anything should happen to us. I know they would anyway, they feel the same as we do. And we would take thiers also.
Birgit, Congrats on wearing the red sweater. And didn't that feel so great?!!!
Welcome Phillygirl2 From your cooking descriptions it sounds like you are already well on your way (weigh) to a healthy life style. I have been posting here for over a year now and really love coming to visit my GG friends and get and give support. In my case I am realizing that I need to focus less on the scale and more on getting healthy. I love to walk and try to get in about 2-3 miles a day. With COPD can you start out slow with the exercise? If not, maybe some strength building would help. Hey, I never knew that about Kosher salt having less sodium Thanks for the info.
It's very windy today and I'm off from work (hooray) I am charing my ipod right now so that I can go out and take my music with me as I walk. Then my DH and I plan to work on taxes.
JaxBarb - The book is "Gone to Soldiers" by Marge Piercy. Join us! I am almost through the first section....so far I love it.
Good morning y'all....Am stopped dead in my tracks. Have a trillon things to do and don't wanna get moving. Walked the mall yesterday and today my knees are snapping like rice krispies...oh no more cereal! Must admit did not eat cereal this morning.
Hello Phillygirl....wecome to a group of super supportive ladies. Having a place to go and admit the truth about your struggles and know they fully understand will help keep you motivated and on track. I love to cook and am constantly revamping old favorites to South Beach diet eating. Not always successfull.....Took awhile to get used to ww pasta. But when you get frustrated log on and tell us. (got me thru a hellish day last week)
Rosey...Happy puppy day....May your cheeks be licked clean!
Just scared me to death! Today is weight checking. Jumped on scale and had gained 20lbs. Jumped off and realized scale had been bumped and was way off balance. Visions of that wine and pear flashed before my eyes! No loss this week. So the pear/wine did their damage. I'll try bourbon and branch this week if we have any drinks when we eat out at the tournament.
Well the adrenaline rush has got these old bones moving...off to tackle packing and cooking DH meals for the week. Take care of yourself, eat healthy and hugs......karen3
Phyllygirl - glad you found us. WELCOME! And yes, you have successfully passed the membership test - you are now officially in good standing . I am like you when it comes to cooking: plain hearty fare with a few spices thrown in. If the recipe calls for more than 5 steps of directions, I'm lost.
Karen31 - looks like you just had a birthday as well - my best wishes to you, belatedly. Hope you had a good day. Mine was yesterday (which is why I missed posting), and I had a very nice day.
Everyone else - ohmygawd... I miss one day (or was it two?) and you all just leave me in the dust with your posts. I've read them all, but there are too many to respond to. Looks like everyone is doing pretty well, though.
Well, I had a bit of a blip last Saturday. I went to the supermarket, intending to buy groceries, and while there could find nothing that interested me - except the bulk candy aisle. So I dipped into each bin and bought a relatively small collection of assorted candies and... had that for dinner! Truly, I don't know what the heck came over me.
But it also wasn't as bad as it could have been. Firstly, the bag of candies was much, much smaller than it would have been in the past. Secondly, I did not start in on them in the car on my drive home from the market. Thirdly, I did not sit in front of the TV and scarf them down. Fourthly, I did not eat a bag of candy and then follow it up with a full-course dinner. So all of that is a step in the right direction.
I am not justifying my behavior, though. I know it was the wrong set of decisions to have made around food. Still, I can't say that I felt/feel altogether bad about it.
On my way home from the market that day (I live in a rural community and have about a 30 min drive home), I had plenty of time to reflect on having bought "garbage" for dinner. I remembered that when I was a kid, Dad was home for dinner pretty much every night and Mom cooked dinners essentially to please him. Once in a blue moon, Dad had meetings or whatever, and wasn't going to be home for supper. That's when Mom went nuts with the dinner thing: One time she took us all to the supermarket and told us to pick out the biggest most delicious looking candy bar that looked good to us, and just have it for dinner. Another time she created a bizarre concoction where she lined the bottom of a casserole dish with uncooked bacon strips, followed by a layer of canned pear slices, followed by some sort of yellow cake batter - and baked the whole thing in the oven till it the bacon was crisp and the cake was done. She served this thing with a vanilla sauce and called it dinner. It was absolutely delicious, and of course, never to be repeated. Another time she made "cherry soup" (don't ask me how) with Farina pudding...
So those were special, oddball treats for when my Dad wasn't coming home for dinner. It was also her way of giving herself permission to either not cook at all, or get creative in the kitchen in a very different sort of way. Kind of like throwing paint at a canvass and calling it art, dontcha think?
Fast forward to 2/16/2008 - my BF had been here for the past nearly 2 weeks and I'd been cooking dinner for us each of those nights. Last Saturday he had someplace else to go and wasn't going to be home for supper. So I guess my Mom's "go nuts" button got pushed and I suddenly convinced myself that eating nothing but candy was a perfectly reasonable thing to do. There's something just a little disturbing about seeing Tom in the "Daddy not coming home" role, and yet - there it is... Truth is, while I was eating the candy, I enjoyed every single piece of it. When it stopped tasting good, I threw the rest in the trash (there wasn't much left). Afterwards, of course, I was tripping on sugar and chocolate and felt totally crappy - but also a little proud of myself for noticing that and being aware that it really wasn't something I wanted to repeat in a hurry.
So yesterday, Sunday, was the "day after" and also my birthday. I woke up sick to my stomach and hung over from all the sugar. Poor Tom - he just couldn't do anything right for me yesterday morning, even though he tried. It wasn't till a few hours later, after I've had a chance to put some decent wholesome food in my stomach, that I began to feel myself again - and from then on really enjoyed my birthday. Some friends of ours had invited us to go to a Gospel concert (one of their daughters was in it) yesterday afternoon, and they'd made a wonderful birthday dinner for me involving everything from soup to nuts. It was a really nice day.
Today is President's Day and I have the day off. The weather is way crazy out there, which means to I probably won't get out to do any sort of exercise. But I think that's OK - it's nearly 10am and Tom and I are still in our PJs and neither of us is anxious to do anything about that. We may just hang out here and be lazy all day. Plenty of good solid food in the house and nothing to binge on - life is good.
Welcome Phyllgirl...you'll love it here and probably get plenty of cooking tips.
I have a Betty Crocker cook book that has tons of easy, reagular foods. You just need to change some of the ingredients to be diet friendly. Also there are tons of internet sites like Campbells, Kraftfoods, all recipes.com. are a few I use.
Brigit, I never thought of having a "candy" dinner but sounds like your Mom had fun making those dinners when you were young. I lost my sweet tooth when I had hypnosis, I didn't lose much weight but I sure don't want sweets anymore.
Rosie, I know your happy having your Mom's dog now and he will get settled in quickly. Dogs really adjust in a couple days. Have fun!
Linda, how are those kitty's doing? Haven't heard any good stories for a bit.
I'm sure your very tired of all that snow, that is something I will have to get use to again when we move.
Lynn, glad the shoulder feels better...I hear those shots hurt and I sure wouldn't want one unless it was a last resort. How about posting a new photo since you've lost all your weight, we might not recognize you. How did the Asso. meeting go? So much fun aren't they.
Zoe, I am going to try to make some pictures smaller to post but what size do I make them??? I can't find that anywhere. Guess you have a 3 day week-end, I use to look so forward to those....enjoy.
Lyn, a picture with flowers...maybe we could all try that. I might get one in my garden that I get to have in Ohio, it wouldn't be flowers but can tomatoe plants count?
Karen 3, if my scales showed 20 lbs. heavier I would have had a heart attack!!! Thank goodness you discovered out why. Usually mine get turned down and I think I have lost only to find out the bad news....no fun.
Marylynn, I love your energy woman....we are living on raw nerves right now and probably some dancing would be a good thing! Would be quite a site all of us doing some belly dancing don't ya think...
Freda, how is everything? Barb, good to see you back with us. Hi to all the GG I missed.
Started out the day with the gym & some PT. Then stopped by my daugher's to take her some supplies - she's been sick for a few days from all the antibiotics she's been taking. Association meeting was not too horrible & I managed to avoid being voted onto the Board. Finished getting my tax stuff together yesterday & dropped it off at the accountant's this morning. For the rest of today, I'm going to work on my mid-term and read some more of our book.
Hi Linda, I have read that such small things as "how one enters the ocean" - walk slowly or plunge - are genetically determined.
Hi Karen3, I'm actually starting to remember who's who in the book, but took me around 100 pages to get here. YUK on the Kamut!!!! I'll be sure to stay away from that!
Hi Lyn, I just changed the wreath on my door from the Winter one to the Spring one. I'll be at a family reunion in March with a cousin who's a photographer. I'll try to get her to take a photo of me with flowers.
Hi Rosey, hope Willie got to you OK & that everyone's settling in.
Hi Laurie, do you have a Walk Away the Pounds tape/CD? It comes in a 1 mile; 2 mile; and 3 mile version. Pretty useful for days when you're stuck in the house.
Hi Karen, Happy Belated Birthday!!!
Hi MaryLynn, I've been thinking about getting an IPod/MP3 - I don't really know the difference. What I want it for is to download audio books & listen when I walk outside (when the Spring gets here). However, it all seems like just too much new stuff to figure out!
Hi Barb, the book is "Gone to Soldiers" by Marge Piercy. There's a "book discussion" thread on this site where people who want to discuss the book are to check in when they have the book in hand.
Hi "Phillygirl," WELCOME!
Please let us know your name. I live in Bucks County - around 30 min from Philly. There are some good recipes up in the "Sticky" area of this site. Also, try doing a search (I use Google) with keywords "chicken" (or shrimp) and "calories" and "carbohydrates" and "recipes." Putting in the words "calories" and "carbohydrates" typically pulls up recipes that are low in calories and carbs. If you're trying to avoid fat, stick that in as a keyword.
If you want to get to know about us, most of us have information posted up in the Sticky note titled, "Introducing --- Us!!!"
Hi "the slim me," I'm sorry - I have real problems keeping everyone's name with their 3FC login. Would you do an old brain a favor & post your name in your profile or at the bottom of your posts? Be careful on that ice! Right after I had back surgery, I fell on the ice & panicked. Luckily, no damage. I guess nurses have to go to work regardless of the weather. Take care.
Hi Birgit, and a Belated Happy Birthday to you, also!
My childhood was just the opposite of yours. My father was home for dinner ONLY on Sundays. That was the 1 day each week that we had a regular "meat and potatoes and gravy" dinner. The other 6 nights, my mother and I were alone (my older brother & sister got married when I was around 12). So, she and I most often had a roast beef sandwich or a hamburger & then went to a movie.
Hi Phyllis, I still haven't cancelled the appointment for the shot (couldn't see that doctor until the end of February) just in case. Be sure to take lots of deep breaths during this stressful time. Moving is right up there on the "stress-meter" with death and job loss.
Have a great day everyone,
Lynn
Last edited by ladyinweighting; 02-18-2008 at 12:30 PM.
Hi again, Just popping in for a min. It's still raining off and on outside today, but the temp. has greatly improved. Getting warmer, and i think I smell spring in the air (ok, not really, but if I lie to myself often enough, I might convince me)
Lyn, My name is Freda. I know, I am bad with names too, but never forget a face. (isn't that what most people say?) I usually put it on the bottom of all the posts, must have forgotton this time.
Birgit, Hope your birthday was fun.
got's lot of things still not done. Got to go do them! Unlike Birgit, I just don't have help.
Morning GG's..the weather has warmed up and i actually had my brm window open last night..im' not holding my breath for spring yet..willie will be here tonight..my youngest dd is picking him up at her sisters today..my dd said hes a happy dog and slept with her last night.. daisy's going to have to share bed space..the story of the candy for supper tickled me..my folks had a canoe outfitting business in northern minnesota and in the summer my dad was the guide for alot of folks wanting a wilderness experince..when he was guiding we ate pot pies and sandwhiches etc no formal meals..it was great..nothing on my agenda today..hope u all have a great day making good choices for your selves (((hugs))) rosey
Hi y'all...Boy once I got rolling I rolled! Took package across town after remembering today was a holiday and no mail. Got home and UPS delivered 2nd package so back across town again. Didn't I keep back tracking yesterday, too! Mage egg plant parma for DH. Oven fried the eggplant, cooked big pan of chicken sausage, along with chicken salad made yesterday he should have enough choices to not starve while I'm gone. None of this stuff tempts me. So it isn't the problem I had doing bridge food last week
You all sure did wake up dormate memories of food as a kid. My Mom could not cook and we ate pretty much what patients paid my Dad instead of money. His office was on the 1st floor and had backsteps to our quarters. You did not touch any food on the 1st or 2nd step as that was graciously given but tossed because of possible nastys.....I can remember drooling over homemade German chocolate cake from a lady who had vd.....Yeah grew up knowing everyone in town medical history and to this day have kept secret. Only 2 things my mother could cook were Thanksgiving turkey and blueberrys'n dumplings. Go figure that out????
Back to packing....be kind to yourself and eat healthy... hugs karen3
Update on that, Freda: Apparently "Gwendolyn" popped a gasket over the weekend. I have no idea what happened, but I'd set her up and turned her on to bake me some bread yesterday - came home and once again, nothing but a lump of soggy flour. Since that's the second time it's happened since I brought her home 2 weeks ago (was it 2 weeks?? I dunno... lost track...), she is going back to the store ASAP. Clearly, the bimbo is just not reliable... (The sad news, of course, is that in a fit of clutter-free obsession I threw out the box she came in, so now I'll have to get creative about making the store take her back - but not to worry, I'll make it work).
Phyllis, Hypnosis? I'm so glad that worked for you - at least to excise that sweet tooth. I tried it once. In fact, a close friend of mine is a Hypnotherapist. But frankly, it did nothing for me. Maybe my sweet tooth is just too deeply rooted, along with the salt tooth, the crunch tooth and the fat tooth. The wisdom teeth, of course, were pulled decades ago...
Lynn, that's good advice about plugging carbo, fat or calories in the Google recipe search. I'd never thought of that. Thanks for mentioning it.
Rosey, wow - sounds like you've pretty much spent most of your life (or all of it?) surrounded by the great outdoors. If your family ran a canoe guide business, I assume that wilderness and nature must have been a significant feature in your childhood. Is that why you're living in Alaska now? How did you come to be there? I've never been there, but imagine it to be a beautiful wild place. Do you like it?
Hi again, Just popping in for a min. It's still raining off and on outside today, but the temp. has greatly improved. Getting warmer, and i think I smell spring in the air (ok, not really, but if I lie to myself often enough, I might convince me)
Lyn, My name is Freda. I know, I am bad with names too, but never forget a face. (isn't that what most people say?) I usually put it on the bottom of all the posts, must have forgotton this time.
Birgit, Hope your birthday was fun.
got's lot of things still not done. Got to go do them! Unlike Birgit, I just don't have help.
Freda
Thank you, Freda - now that you tell me, of course I remember
Okay, my name is Patti. Bucks County Lyn, I live in Fox Chase, within viewing distance of the Montco border, near the Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Thanks for the welcome. I am jealous of all you people who live in areas where you actually got snow this winter. We've had a real dearth of it, and I am a snowbaby! I am crossing my fingers that we get a February or March storm.
Nothing really interesting to say today, not as depressed as I was last week, but still not in a really good mood. No job offers and no weight loss for two weeks is a real bummer.
Hope that you get a nibble on the house!
I've also been limiting my grains to WW or double fiber bread, lite English Muffins and brown rice and no-yolk noodles. Haven't even SEEN a potato for five weeks until today when hubby made a dish with them in it. I also make up a big batch of the cabbage soup every two weeks or so and freeze it. 
. I am like you when it comes to cooking: plain hearty fare with a few spices thrown in. If the recipe calls for more than 5 steps of directions, I'm lost.
Birgit, Hope your birthday was fun. 
(The sad news, of course, is that in a fit of clutter-free obsession I threw out the box she came in, so now I'll have to get creative about making the store take her back - but not to worry, I'll make it work).
