Hello,

Please join us here where we discuss our weight loss efforts, as well as our daily lives. We share support, friendship, and accountability. All newbies welcome!

So, pull up a chair, make yourself comfortable, and jump right in!

Daisy - you will find lots of support here!

A big HELLO to everyone else. I'm off to find some lost files on my hard drive! Frustrating! I'll chat more later.

Thanks for the new thread, Jane!

Seven is a lucky number, so we'll all have success in this thread.

Hope you all have a lovely evening.

Hi everyone! Welcome to the newest member and any others I might have missed! It's been a busy day for me. Mowed the yards today, watered and did some weeding. Tried to catch up with some housework but all I got done beyond daily work was clean the inside/outside of our little kitchen window and clean a couple light fixtures also in the kitchen. Still need to swiffer and mop the kitchen floor. Oh and I dusted the master bedroom. I'm about 2 days behind in my inside work for some reason. Guess I spend to much time online.

This cute little guy came to our door. Very polite, soft-spoken, not at all pushy so of course he sold me on his product. It is EcoFirst...anyone ever heard of them. I did check them online and they look/sound ok. They do pest control. We don't really see many bugs and have no mice inside but we have had issues with carpenter ants in the past and want to be sure they stay away...and there are a lot of ants (other kinds) and spiders outside. I'm tired of running into spider webs. They also spray trees and plants and around gardens so thought might help them grow better too. Will even check out the attic and crawl space if we want. So am giving them a try. Was surprised that dh agreed but he agreed to try them for a year. We can always quit after that. He warned us that there maybe "increased activity" the first couple weeks in response to the creepy crawlies looking for new homes! YIKES! They are coming tomorrow.

So talking to him took a good chunk out of my day. Did a little more housecleaning and yard work but here I am back on the 'puter. Need to rest before dinner.

Again maintained my weight much to my surprise...usually go up and down a lot during the week. Hope I can stay this way or go down more before Sunday.

I forgot to thaw out the chicken for the chicken curry I was planning so tonight will be something from the pantry/freezer/fridge. I think I'll have a frozen dinner and my dh is having some leftovers he cook and froze a few months ago. Hopefully they are still good. His choice.

Hope everyone has a good evening. It got up to 90 I heard today but it's really nice now.

Good Morning, all!

Maryea, it's nice to get the bugs out of anything. Hope that works out well! Congratulations on not going up on the scale.

I have a nice, non-scale victory to report. Have finally managed to reduce my tea drinking to one cup of orange pekoe or one-two cups of oolong in the morning, and can now drink my tea, made with fewer tea leaves, and without anything in it. This is quite something for me. I've been a serious tea drinker for decades and come from a tea-drinking family. I feel so rotten when I drink more tea that I've had to cut back. One of those absolutely-have-to changes. I'm one of those who uses specially prepared water, just the right temperature, and wonderful, fancy teas, just the right amount of milk, etc. No tea bags here. (It's a bit like being a gourmet-wine drinker.)

So, this step in taking more responsibility for my health, rather than indulging in something that has been a large part of my lifestyle, for my entire adult life, and full of memories of the adults in my family doing the same thing, when I was a child, is going outside the habits and zone of comfort. I couldn't keep trying to pretend to myself that I could get away with something that wasn't helping me feel better.

Have been reading about how caffeine "messes up" blood sugar, stimulates an insulin response, and exhausts the adrenals, basically just throws everything out of its natural functioning. I know it can make one's heart race, and cause headaches, due to its constricting the blood vessels, disturb sleep, etc.

Am not quite ready to give up that one cup yet. But, to get from two-four cups down to one, for a few days now, is an amazing feat for me.

Today's food plan is to cut back a bit on how much I eat and enjoy being more in charge of myself.

Hope you all are having victories, too!

Happy Friday!
OK, so calling this my 1st day of changing my way of thinking about food. I sorta started yesterday but oops.... STRESS...the munchies got me. Did I mention I work full time, have a wonderful husband of 38 years and caregiver for my Mom with moderate Alzheimer’s... So on 2 hours of sleep I have been at work since 7am. So for breakfast I had eggs, turkey bacon and 1 slice of whole grain bread. So glad its Friday. Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

Daisy. You are a busy girl. Glad to have you here.

Well, all the BS testing I've been doing definitely makes it clear that my body does not tolerate starchy carbs. There is no doubt about the fact that I have to do low carb more like Atkins. Got the New Atkins book and it makes things really clear as to how and why my body reacts like it does. It helps to have the clarification. I eat mostly protein with salads. I learned from the book and also my DD whose DH is diabetic that greens helps lower BS so now I make my salads with more greens than lettuce. The nice thing about the new Atkins plan is that you eat when you are hungry and eat till satisfied more like Intuitive Eating. Just not supposed to go more than 6 waking hours without eating something. So I am glad that things are finally coming together with my woe.

Em - I just read all that about caffiene today. Mine was coffee. I went from regular to decaf when I experience heart flutters. Stopped the caffiene and it went away. Now I only drink 1 cup of decaf green tea most days. Don't do that everyday.

Mary - You can come do my house when you get through. lol I've been doing more housework these days so that I can get to moving around more.

Jane - Hope you were able to find the files.

Y'all have a great weekend.

Trish, I'm glad you're finding things that help with the blood sugar. I use Dr. Richard Bernstein's recommendations for carbohydrates and find they help me tremendously. His first book was The Diabetes Solution (some online to read here). (I'm waiting for my turn to check it out from the library.) I am currently reading his book, The Diabetes Diet, which is his low-carb plan for diabetics and anyone else int'd in a low-carb diet. I had read good things about him on a low-carb forum and checked it out. I don't have diabetes, but I do like his recommendations. I feel much more stable and even eating this way. I think blood sugar effects us all much more than we realize.

Did you get the Atkins Diabetes Revolution? I'm waiting for it from the library and will compare it to Dr. Bernstein's plan.

I know some who drink decaf green tea and like it. I don't know what chemicals are used to decaffeinate it, and have never cared for the taste, so I often drink just warm water, or bouillon, or water with fresh lemon, either hot or cold. I'm glad you like the decaf green tea. Some really find it nice.

Hope you all have a nice evening!

Em, I read what I could print out of Dr. Bernstein on his website and was very impressed with him. Especially since he has controlled his Type 1 Diabetes for so many years. I felt that he knew what he was talking about. I didn't buy it because I have so many diet books as it is. I do have Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution and learned a lot from it. I consider him as kind of the leader of low carb mainly because he was the first I ever read years ago. I never could get through the 2 week Induction when I tried it before. Years ago when I first tried it, I thought it didn't work because the ketostix never turned for me. However, the past few years I have come to believe that I didn't do it right. JersyGirl on the low carb thread here on 3fc helped a lot when I read all the info she has shared.

The new Atkins book recommends drinking regular boullion not low salt to keep from being too tired and other symptoms in the Induction phase. Then I remember Dr. Atkins saying in the original book that we might need salt if we felt weak, dizzy etc. I'm not sure how they decaf drinks either. I've thought of that as well.

You know I always had a library card back in TX, but have never gone to get one here in Rock Hill. I was thinking today that I might should do that too. That way I wouldn't have to purchase so many books. In fact, I told Hubby today that if I had bought the new Atkins book before I ordered the Diabetic Bible book that I would not have ordered it. Can't cancel it as it is already on its way. However, it is supposed to explain some things I won't get in this book like "the dawn effect" where we get high fasting blood sugar readings in the mornings.

Good for you taking care of things even though you aren't diabetic especially if it is any where in your family. Although my family had no history of it and neither did my DH. I think it is the way we eat these days... too many simple carbs. My hubby has just learned that his BS is too high and from things I've read it is absolutely possible that he has been prediabetic for a long time. I read that being prediabetic or what some used to call borderline diabetic but didn't diagnose as diabetic is dangerous because it causes a lot of problems for our organs before we even know we are diabetic. I think when he get the BS corrected that his health will improve tremendously. As I was reading this book today, realized that I probably was pre or borderline when I was in high school. I would pass out or almost pass out and it was all I could do to drag myself to school. The doctor could never find out what was wrong with me. My symptoms were the same as what I experience today, but they didn't know what they know now.

Trish, I'm so sorry you have to deal with so much with the blood sugar. That is hard. So many people have it now, and because there are/have been some diabetics in my family, I realized I wanted to do all I could so I wouldn't get diabetes.

I really enjoy the library. Being able to look online in the catalogue, and ordering interlibrary loan books online, too, is very handy.

Dr. MacKarness' book, Eat Fat and Grow Slim is dear to me, the way some feel about Dr. Atkins' first book. I have a hunch that Dr. Atkins based his plan on Dr. MacKarness'. I really like how Dr. Bernstein explains how eating too much protein can spike the blood sugar or cause fat storage. And having the steady carbs that keep the blood sugar even is really stabilizing. He explains the Dawn Phenomenon, as well.

Do you read things at Dr. Bernstein's forum?

I wish you all a lovely morning.

I just found out last night that DD Katie is expecting!! She and her hubby have been trying for a little over a year, so this is very happy news!! Just wanted to share my joy with you!

Em I haven't read on is forum in a while. I probably should go back and check it. I didn't know about the too much protein raising bs. Maybe that is why the new Atkins book limits it to 4 to 6 oz per meal. I know that was another problem I had in the beginning of doing low carb. I got to where the thought of eating any protein at all made me nauseous. I will have to check out his forum and may have to get the book. I remember reading somewhere that anyone with diabetes "reading Dr. Bernstein's book is a must".

Jane CONGRATULATIONS!!! A new Grandbaby. I'm just as excited for you and Katie.

Have nice day everyone.

Jane, congratulations! How lovely for them.

Trish, I think some folks can eat more animal flesh than others. I'm glad I like eggs. Having one piece of meat a day serves me well. I do think Dr. Bernstein's book is a must-read. If I had diabetes, I'd be studying it as I would for a comprehensive exam or some kind of knowledge and put-into-practice test. If I run across any other quite useful things, such as too much protein raising blood sugar, or causing weight gain, I'll post it.

Hope you all have a nice afternoon. We're hoping for some rain, which we dearly need.

Hello all. Well I am actually OFF today, which is rare for me to get a day off AND I am home alone!! Hubby is working in one of the shops and he had a helper there, so I am enjoying the me time. Have a blessed day. Tammy

Good morning! It's a beautiful day in the NW supposed to get very warm but so far it is just nice with a nice breeze. I went out early and watered our little gardens. I really enjoy being out there at that time of day just walking our land and I feel so blessed. Not much garden this year since Joe didnt' get much planted but want to keep the plants we have going. We have several green tomatoes and cucumbers. Almost picked a couple cucumbers but we don't need them yet and they may grow a bit more so will wait at least until tomorrow.

The pesticide guy is coming back today as we weren't satisfied with what he did yesterday. Today we intend to walk around with him and make sure it all gets done as we were told it would. If we don't feel satisfied with the first two sessions, we will pay the fee to break the contract as we will probably have gotten at least our money's worth by then since we got it at a discount. Hopefully it will prove to be a good service.

Trish and Em - Interesting discussion. We eat only small amount of meat although we used to eat more. I don't like the way things are being handled with the growing/handling/processing of animals and their flesh. That said, I do not feel it is wrong to eat meat just don't think it was ever meant to be our main source of nutrition and as a culture it has become that. Like I grew up thinking of meat as the main dish and I think this thought still prevails. Not just in the US, but pretty much worldwide. My dh is from the Philippines and when he grew up there he got very very little meat to eat. Always told me that and I was very surprised how much meat was served in the restaurants when I finally visited there around '98 or '99. Also again when we returned last Nov. When he grew up he ate a lot of vegetables and now it is mostly meat that is served. In the poor people's homes (his relatives), there is not much meat served daily but there are still few vegetables eaten. The biggest share of their food is still white rice. The more wealthy people eat more meat.

When we gave them (dh's relatives who are very poor) money to be able to buy food to serve us and our son and his gf, they bought mostly meat as they seem to see that as the good stuff. The meat and the cooking involves a lot of fat too. There were a few vegetables but relative to meat it was very little. There seem to be a lot of health problems too..all kinds...from skin conditions, infections and inflamations, poor healing of bones to heart disease.

My diet includes 2 oz of meat or some kind of protein at lunch and 3 oz at dinner. I can mix it up as long as I do not exceed about 5 oz total. My dh is allowed up to 6 oz I believe.

I believe in eating as simply and naturally as possible, the least processing and added chemicals as possible and eating everything in moderation. I notice now when I occasionally overeat, I don't feel so good and I feel disgusted with myself! Despite knowing this, I am a work in progress.

My goal is not simply to lose weight, but to be as healthy as I can be. Though I have always (even as a child) had a lot of aches and pains, I have never been sickly and feel blessed in that regard as I know I have in the past terribly mistreated my body by gluttony and inactivity. I think a lot of my aches and pains are due to not being active enough. I feel better the more I move.

I always ate mostly fairly healthy foods but just ate too much for many many years. Diabetes has in many ways been a "wake-up" call to me and my dh because we have been much more aware of our eating since we got the dx. I don't want to follow any diet that prohibits certain foods but I want to learn to eat everything with responsiblity and discipline.

Tammy - glad you are enjoying some time to yourself. We all need that at times.

Jane - congrats on the new grandchild coming! We have one expected in Oct. We won't get to see the little guy until Dec probably.

I hope you all have a wonderful day! I have to get off this 'puter and get some work done!!