Good morning,

Judy - bravo for being back OP! How exciting for the girl, and for the whole town, that she did you all proud. The extra money will mean so much to her. Cancun sounds heavenly! The best part will be time spent with your sons.

Trish - yw ((HUG)) YAY for you, having a successful 1st day back OP. I think checking in here daily will help each of us stay OP, especially if we aren't feeling very strong.

retiredone - haha, thanks for the funny visual of you with your head in a pot. I love your sense of humor! I've scraped the pot with a wooden spoon so hard to get the last of the RC treat out of it, that it's a wonder the finish didn't come off.

MBN - your exercising is impressive! Guess you just weren't meant to lift or go to bootcamp yesterday. Shopping is a good way to get our minds off of food - I've done it many, many times and have had an empty wallet to prove it, lol.

I went nearly 300 calories over yesterday, from just feeling too hungry last evening. Might have been from raking the walnuts, and doing extra work in the utility room, I'm not sure. Anyway, I feel strong today, and have my plan in place.

It's dreary here today, so I have extra lights on. Not very "green" of me, but the lights help keep me cheerful.

Have an OP day!

Great Judy Lynn I am proud of both of us. You have a great Day 2.

Hi Everybody.

I had a great day yesterday. The plan I'm on is supposed to give my pancreas and liver an 8 week vacation and then teach my body function better with the carbs as they are added in slowly. Have to eat the meals and snacks using allowed carbs at the right times and keep the metabolism stoked as I train the metabolism to function properly again. Best way I know how to explain. Have to do 30 min exercise 5 days a week. The neat thing too is that the program I'm on now has it's own support group online so I'll know if I'm doing the plan correctly or not.

Since I have back, knee and neck problems, I am doing my 1 hour Sit and Get Fit dvd's by Michael Horn 4 days a week hoping to strengthen them. Also have a dvd called Zookinesis for seniors that I plan to work in on Wednesday and Saturday as it looks like it would be good for my knees.

My day has been great so far today. I can't remember who it was on here that stressed the importance of planning ahead writing everything down, but you were definitely right. I am a routine person any way and I know that once I get the routine down that I will do fine.

Jane I read somewhere that many times when you have a busier day that your body does ask for more food. So you probably worked off more food than you thought that you did. I bet you will find it works in your favor. It is good that you have kept going OP. And I agree that having this place to come and encourage each other will help us stay OP.

Hope everybody has an OP day.

Trish - how did the rest of the day go for you? I think several of us mentioned planning ahead. In the past, anytime I haven't written down what I'm going to eat, it has lead to a problem. Since I plan our menus a week ahead, planning my daily meals is fairly easy.

I'll be out of town tomorrow and will be having a lunch out with my sister. I'll let you know how it went.

Ack! A co-worker brought the giant Costco muffins to work today for the communal table in the kitchen. When someone brings something for the table it is for sharing. Lord give me strength.

Yesterday went pretty well, not 100%, but better than it has been.

Have a good day everyone. Jane, have a good time with your sister.

Hi Everyone,

It has been an interesting day. I had BSF today which means I get up really. I had to go to the store after the meeting before I came home. On the program I'm on, I eat 5 g carbs for breakfast then a snack before lunch and then I have to eat 5 g every 5 hours during this 8 weeks. I forgot to take anything for my snack. I couldn't have eat it until after the meeting on the way to the store. By the time I got home for my next 5 g carb, I was really feeling bad. I think not being able to drink my water during the morning didn't help either.

Actually the first 3 days are the detox days and it could have been worse. I am actually happy with the way things have been going.

Jane Hope you had a really good visit with your sister.

Judy Lynn Things happen. No one is 100% all the time. In fact, I realized yesterday when I got ready to put dressing on my salad that I couldn't have it because I would end up with 11 g carbs instead of 5. Then I realized that my 1st day was not perfect. So I went online and asked the people on the support group, if I should make yesterday Day 1 and start over. They told me "No" They said I wasn't far enough a long and just keep on keeping on. I think as long as we get back OP the next meal or snack is what counts and it is what will work for us.

Hope everyone has had a great day.

Well, I made it through the work day muffin-free. Yikes! At almost 700 calories and 38 grams of fat I am sure glad I didn't indulge. Imagine a half a day's calories in one treat!

Trish, that program sounds interesting. Do you also eat protein? I would imagine you must. After the detox stage it should get easier. It will be hard to stay off the scale for that long.

Today should be another 1300 calorie day for me, so Yay! I am finding posting here helps me, so thanks!

Have a good evening, talk to you tomorrow.

Hi all,

Judy - YAY for you, besting the muffins. That's quite a coup!

Trish - sounds like you're doing fine! Can you take water to the meetings?

Two of my sisters ended up going, and I stayed POP at lunch, having a salad with cottage cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, a tad of shredded cheese, and some baked chicken thrown in. It wasn't even difficult, because I know how much better I feel when I eat healthily. I only hope this determination lasts.

You know, the magazines are full of recipes for low cal/low fat holiday foods. I've been known to sneak in some lighter fare but generally make the same foods with traditional recipes for the family for T'giving and C'mas, and try to practice portion control. Just wondering - how do all of you handle holiday food cooking?

I've had a great Day 4 OP and I've done 3 hrs of exercise so far this week. Will do another hour tomorrow. Only have to do 30 minutes 5 days a week, so I'm ahead.

Jane I just found out today that the 5 g carbs every 5 hours is optional in Step 1. So I just need to be sure and take me some nuts and or a cheese stick with me next time I am going somewhere after class.

Judy Lynn Great job passing up on the muffin. That gives you a victory you can build on next time. You know if you did it once you can do it again.

Hope everyone has had a great day.

I had another good day too eating-wise. The darn muffins were still there, and now there is an open dish of peanut brittle too! Now that exercise thing is another matter; just can't get back into it.

I am about the same. I lighten up where possible, but just use portion control. I figure it is just one day. We have already had our Thanksgiving here in Canada.

Have a great evening.

I try to keep the vegetables as fat free as possible. Anyone wants butter or margarine on theirs it's on the table to use. Then I can eat a large servings of cabbage, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. That really fills up the plate. Then I take it easy on the potatoes. But it is only one day so I'll usually cancel all that out with the dessert...sigh...Anyway, I don't have to worry about that until Christmas as I too have already done Thanksgiving.

Good morning,

Trish - well, that's good about the carbs being optional! I see you're planning ahead for next time. I think we all do so much better when there is a plan in place. I just love cheese sticks, and can make them last awhile.

Judy - peanut brittle would not be safe around me, lol. You're doing great so far with avoiding these temptations. Keep it up! I hear you on the exercise. I really, really don't like to do it, but have made myself get on the recumbent bike, do outdoor walking, and just got a weights DVD in the mail. I'll try that out before my shower this evening. I think as I lose, it will be easier for me to exercise, and then I'll do better with it. Btw, Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

We took the new dog, Lucy, in to be spayed yesterday, and she's back home, and resting. I fixed her a scrambled egg, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

I've have a good week, food-wise, and hope the scale is kinder to me tomorrow than it was last Saturday.

Toodles,

Judy Lynn Don't worry too much about the exercise. You'll do it when you are ready. You might just start out with just moving around more instead of formal exercise right now.

Retiredone I also like a lot of veggies myself. I've been thinking about making a low carb cheesecake using the freebie foods on my program so I can have a desert for Thanksgiving, if I need it. That way I will still be OP. Plan to eat only protein and veggies otherwise.

Jane I am really enjoying this way of eating. Even enjoy making my meal/snack plans ahead of time. I only planned two times for the 5 g carbs since I have the option choice.

I had a really good day today. Didn't exercise formally, but did move around a bit more. My back has been hurting last night and today, so thought I might need to give it a break since I really feel it in that area when I exercise. I may decide to do the other hour tomorrow unless I decide that my back can only do 3 days a week right now. I am required a minimum of 3 hours 5 days a week so one hour for 3 days is already more.

All the cravings and hunger is gone. I have eaten less today not because I intended to but I actually forgot to eat everything today. It has been a looooong time since I forgot to eat. lol

Have a great evening!

Trish, glad to hear you are over the hump and have no more cravings. That is great! Sounds like you are rocking that program. I will have to read up more on it when I have time. What is the website for it? Thanks for your words of encouragement about the exercise. The thing is I used to be a regular exerciser, went to the gym five days a week without fail. Well, had an injury and got out of the habit, and just can't seem to make it happen. It is crazy. Every week I make up my mind that I am going for sure, but just don't. I think part of it is that I have gained so much weight I don't feel like I fit in there any more. Stupid, I know. Maybe I should just start doing my videos at home again. Or bite the bullet and buy a treadmill. I have kept paying for the gym membership because I keep thinking I am going to use it.

Jane, I hope you had a good weigh in. Isn't it amazing how a machine can validate that we are doing well? What kind of dog do you have? We have a little cocker spaniel that is a very sweet dog. I am not much much of a dog person normally as we didn't have pets growing up (sister was allergic), but this dog has me hook, line & sinker.

retiredone, hope you are having a good weekend. I visited Newfoundland as a child, but about the only thing I remember is that there were a lot of trees! Being from the prairies, that is what left an impression on me. lol!

I will stay out of the treats if you will!

Hello,

retiredone - that's the same I do with veggies - add the butter on the table for anyone that wants it. Dessert and ham will be my 2 most challenging foods at T'giving. We can draw strength from each other, right?

Trish - I am so happy that your craving and hunger is gone! What a milestone! Refresh my memory: do you have family in for T'giving? There will be my kids and grands, for a total of 16 of us here. Not sure if they will all be here at the same time, though, since they all have other places to go, too.

Judy - yes, it is amazing how much control the "iron monster" has over us! Sometimes it makes me happy, sometimes in makes me frustrated. The new dog we have is a dachshund, beagle, coon hound mix, according to the vet. She has the muzzle of a dachshund, but is taller than that, and has the coloring of a coon hound. Cocker spaniels have a special place in my heart - we had one years ago that was so sweet. Btw, I also have a dog, Molly, that is about 12 years old. She is in my avatar, and is the best dog I ever had.

Carree - hope you join our group here. I've missed you!!

The scale showed a 1.6 pound loss for the week. I'll tell you, it isn't as easy to lose now as it was 20 years ago.

Stay out of the Halloween candy!