Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
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This is so funny! Last year I must have been angry about something that happened over Christmas holiday. This morning DH turned the calendar over to December, and on Dec 1 I had written "No Christmas Tree and No Cookies!" LOL I must have been angry about something so I wanted to remind myself not to do a tree or cookies. Of course, I'm doing a tree and cookies. I don't eat sweets, but I bake a lot of cookies and my family loves them so much they actually fight over them. I put out a tray on Christmas and I also pack up a tin of cookies for each of them to take home. Last year I remember my step-daughter was complaining to me that she didn't get enough of the apricot cookies. None of them even think about baking. I think I really bake a lot of cookies, but I guess I will have to make a double batch of the apricot ones this year. They are DH's favorite and I always make sure I put some away for him before the others start grabbing.
We have our outside decorations up because the neighbors put theirs up. We had a few warmer days and everyone took advantage of that rather than waiting until it was freezing cold. Our tree won't go up until mid December. We have a small living room and it gets really crowded with the tree. I will probably start baking cookies to put in the freezer later this week. I have been buying the ingredients throughout Nov, any time I saw something on sale. It's so much nicer to do this now that I'm retired than trying to fit it in while working a 40 hour work week.
Lucinda, I am very sorry to hear about the fire at your home, but I am thankful that no one was hurt. There is never a "good" time to have a fire, but around the holidays has to be the worst. All that clean up to be done. It is understandable that you would have some stress eating over this, but I know you will get right back to your clean eating. On Thanksgiving and the day after I overindulged and felt sick, but I'm getting back on track. You and your family are in my prayers.
Deelou, I googled that book and it looks interesting. Actually, they said that people eat an average of 4300 calories on Thanksgiving, so at 1700 or 1800 you are doing very well! When I was in the hospital, they put me on an 1800 cal per day diet and I did lose weight on it, but I was probably eating so much more before that. The calories have been creeping back in over time. I lose best at 1500 cals per day. A gradual loss without much hunger.
Mary, I always add soy sauce to rice. I love Asian food although I have not had a lot of it lately. DH prefers potatoes instead of rice, and I try not to eat a lot of either of them. When we go to the casino they have an Asian station on the buffet, so I can get a little taste of several things without going overboard.
Love2garden, when I was a kid we were very poor. This was back in the 50's. We did not have a television set. The only time I got to see television was at a friend or relative's house. Then a woman who lived across the street gave us a used TV. The first thing my Dad told us was that there wouldn't be any popcorn or snacks purchased for watching TV. It was funny, because I just wanted to see the shows...I didn't care about the popcorn. Even when I was a kid and we were given money to go to a movie there was no money to be spent at the concession stand. I was thin as a child and teen. It was after I grew up and was out in the world where food was so plentiful that I started to gain weight.
I married into a Slovak family, and I would love to know more about this Polish Dressing you mentioned.
I'm so sorry for your loss Lucinda, but happy all family is OK...
Just for new ones if you wonder why 1800 and 1700 cause me to gain...I have thyroid which is controlled for the most part, a year ago I was feeling terrible, but need to keep calories between 900-1000 to maintain and lose vvveeerrryyy slowly!
Carol Sue, I bet you would like that Polish Dressing. Lots of butter and onions to begin with, of course. I use whole wheat bread, stale, broken into small pieces, then moistened with milk. Stir into the transparent onions and brown it all to develop unique taste. Then when pulled off the two big iron skillets, I mix in 1/2 inch cubes of cut up skinned thighs, (Used to use gizzards) Lots of chopped parsley from the garden, pepper and salt, Mix thoroughly. Stuff turkey cavity, and put rest in slow cooker. Pour turkey broth over dressing in the slow cooker then start it same time as turkey in oven.
The toasting of the stale bread in the butter and onions gives the dressing a very unique taste.
We had no TV growing up either. When I babysat in the neighborhood, and the kids were settled in, I could watch what programs the kids at school were talking about. Never felt deprived because I had plenty other things to do. Loved being outside, and had friends who joined me in "exploring" Mom and Dad would have been upset if they knew how far I wandered, but no harm came, thank goodness.
Asian food!!! We were fortunate enough to have a young man from Korea live with us several years. He taught us lots of foods that we still use regularly. I prefer the rice our son-in-law introduced us to, brown Basmatti, rather than the sticky rice Koreans like. When we eat out with our son, daughters, etc, we choose an Asian restaurant to please us all.
Deelou, I have low thyroid issue improved with medication. Is this your problem or do you have overactive thyroid?
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,395
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Height: 5'2
My thyroid is low, but apparently not low enough for meds. My Dr put me on low dose meds and the thyroid went the other way and I had to stop taking it. I take Kelp tablets now and that seems to ease the symptoms. I feel lousy if I forget to take it.
Love2garden, when we were young you could go out and wander all over the place all day and you were safe. Things were different back then. Eventually we would get hungry and knew it was supper time and came home.
I use a lot of butter and onion in my dressing, but I use store bought croutons, Brownberry Ovens brand. My mother used to use stale bread but I never mastered that. My mother and also my mother in law used to add the gizzards, but I don't. DH told me he wouldn't eat it if I did. Actually, he would never know the difference once it was chopped up. I just simmer the gizzards to make the stock for the dressing.
DH never used to eat Asian Food. Sometimes when we wanted to go out to eat I would suggest the Chinese Buffet and he would choose another place. One time he surprised me and we went to the Chinese Buffet. He was surprised at how many foods they had that he liked. I don't know what he though Chinese Food was. The only thing he missed was his french fries. LOL
Been busy here and haven't had a chance to post ~ just read.
Carol Sue and Love2garden ~ the way you describe playing when you were young brings back memories of how I grew up. My dad worked the night shift and slept in the day while mom worked, so they had no idea where we kids were. We played in the woods building forts and making tree houses. We used to go out picking black berries then come home and make a pie. We were all over the place, but like you said ~ times were different and you could do that with no fear of anything bad happening.
Deelou ~ way to go getting back on track after your birthday and Thanksgiving.
Lucinda ~ so sorry about the fire at your house. So thankful that you and your family are all ok. You'll get your eating back under control. Hang in there.
Mary ~ I need to do like you and find other things to do and spend less time on the computer.
Love2garden ~ glad you got to enjoy time with your family at Thanksgiving and your little great grandson.
Carol Sue ~ glad you had some warmer days and were able to get your Chrismas decorations up before it got cold again.
Deelou, perhaps your info explains my difficulty in getting weight off. Even keeping track of my calories, the scale doesn't go down. I am "maintaining" however, but who wants to maintain over 200 pounds?
CarolSue, I used to put Kelp in sauces, gravy and soup to add nutrition but never thought about any other reaction within the body. I hid ground up carrots in lots of things, wheat germ, and powdered milk.
I've never been able to bake cakes, because I added too much extra's into it. Kids had German chocolate cake SOUP for one birthday. Those young adults still kid me about it.
Gayle, we can be very thankful for the freedom on childhood as we keep close eye on our grandkids and greatgrands, too.
Mary, are you OK?
Lucinda, how is clean up progressing? SO thankful you all escaped the fire.
We finally found a dentist we like and can afford without traveling quite a distance to a larger town. He is far less expensive than the one DH tried last month and actually listens and doesn't run people thru like cattle.
Hi everyone! I've been so busy trying to get all my gifts bought and maintaining my house as turns out I am the one preparing the holiday meal this year afterall! I hope I can remember how to do it and hope I don't wear out! So I like to have everything else done a little at a time so I can near the holidays feel more rested and relaxed and just spend time planning my meal. My son and his fam will be coming around the 20th I think and I want to make it a special time. I have been spending quite alot of time removing myself from sweep groups and unsubscribing from emails related to my sweeping. So with all that and shopping both on and offline, so far I have still been online too much, but once that's all done I hope to much more disciplined about my time.
I can't seem to get the whole house cleaned in one day anymore so I'm doing a room or preferably two each day along with other tasks I want to do. Today I cleaned the spare bedroom but didn't get the main bath because we went shopping. I got three gifts and think I have almost 1/2 my shopping done. I have done a lot online. Those who are not local and are over 16 will just get a check as I have done the last couple years. I have one 14 year old who usually just wants a gift card per his mom....funny last year it was Target that was requested, this year it's Macy's or Nordstrom....what?!!
Love2 - I am just maintaining but have to be satisfied as a few days ago I was going up, up, up, but definitely not where I want to be. I have been doing pretty well at listening to my tummy and not eating more when I feel that full feeling. I think German chocolate cake would be good as a soup or really about anyway. Gosh I haven't tasted that for so long. When we were first married I made it from scratch quite frequently. Then when I was busier with kids and later with a job too, I made it from a mix. Now, sadly, I never bake anything usually, however with my one kid who loves cookies I will be baking this year. Probably just from a mix though. They are even less healthy but he seems to enjoy them. Glad you found a good dentist. My dh is going to start his visits for his dental work...this is the work I saved for...he is having his last five teeth pulled and implants put in. Then he will have a lower plate attached to them. Right now he has a partial plate attached to his natural teeth and he really hates to lose his natural teeth but they are cracking and the dentist says he can't fix them anymore. I hope it goes well for him, it sounds painful to me. He's just been waiting to get over this surgery. His incision is almost all healed now, just open a little bit still and still draining...I guess it's going to drain until it's fully closed. I'm still packing it but it is getting harder and harder to get it in so I think by next week it'll likely be healed. He still has some pain but not too bad. About TV, I was 12 when we got our first TV. I still remember I was walking home and saw from a distance the men installing the antenna on our roof. I knew my dad had been watching TV in the stores on Sat nights when we'd shop. Strangely I actually didn't want it, but I did occasionally go to a neighbors and watch and eventually I got hooked like everyone else.
Glynne - My parents usually knew where I was (or what I told them but I was a truthful child) but my goodness I could go several blocks away and be gone for hours. Like Carole said I'd go home when I was hungry or could tell by the sun is was dinner time. It's too bad that the bad guys have cause today's children to lose their childhood freedom. Even my kids were pretty free to roam our neighborhood compared their kids. Maybe I allowed them to be freer than I should have but I'm glad they did it and were ok...sometimes today I think wow, maybe I shouldn't have allowed that. I just wasn't that aware of all the sickos out there as I am now.
Carole Sue/Love2 - Your dressings sound so good. For the first several years of our marriage I added giblets but the kids didn't like and neither did dh and I really...just thought that was the way it had to be, so then I stopped doing that. The gizzard is the worst!! I sorta liked the chicken livers but that was it.
My dh is from the Philippines so we usually eat some type of Asian/South Pacific food mostly but we also eat a wide variety of other types esp American and Indian. Dh would prefer I cooked mostly Filipino but even he likes American now and then. He used to eat anything I'd cook without complaint but after we retired he got more picky. I was trying to cook Filipino at least once a week and then he got picky even with that so I stopped worrying about it and just let him cook more..that way he can make it the "right way," and we are both happy. I am still the main cook and really try to please him and occasionally he actually likes my cooking.
Carole Sue - Sweets are really my problem...I can get along without meat but the carbs esp sweets but also potatoes and at times bread are what really draw me. Meat and rice I can usually eat moderately. I really hate to have sweets around me this Christmas, but want to make my son and his fam happy as they are so seldom here. And I have always had the habit of eating while reading or watching TV or movie. Guess because my parents did the same. And on Sat nights, going for ice cream was our weekly treat.
Deelou - the book sounds like something I'd like. Will check it out. I lost 33+ # with Prism, a Christian weightloss program over 11 years ago. I've always felt my overeating is a spiritual problem at least to some extent. I am happy to know this has helped you and I appreciate your prayers. I really want to be like you with the cake.
Lucinda - Is there a lot of fire/smoke damage? So sorry about the stress, but can certainly understand. I hope your insurance is covering most of it. I'm sure you will get your eating under control. You have been so disciplined and come so far you can do this. I am praying for you.
Love2garden...I felt for years when MD after MD told me, "never eat less than 1200 calories a day" and WW points only worked when I did not use the extras! That I should eat less. This past year after a year of thyroid misery both MD and Endrocrinologist said I neede to eat less than 1000 a day to lose....I was relieved and mad at the same time!
However I tried it and at first was a bit hungry, but 7 months later 19 pounds gone....I know what works for me!
I have also learned that each person needs to tailor their eating plan to wha they like even including a few, not as healthy treats. For about the first 3 months I did not eat any sugar filled items like cake etc....now I can juggle and put tiny ammounts in but ONLY occaisionally!
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,395
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Height: 5'2
Mary, those exercises are a little bit late for me. I have a very hard time getting down on the floor, and it's close to impossible to get back up. I used to clean my kitchen and bathroom floors on my hands and knees, but now DH does it, but he just mops. Right before Thanksgiving I got down and cleaned in the corners and the baseboards where the mop misses. I didn't let him know I did that because his feelings would be hurt. He thinks he is really helping by mopping, and he is, but I don't like the dirt in the corners. Even when I'm in the grocery store, sometimes I can't get things that are on the bottom shelf in the back. DH is usually with me to do that. It's my knees that are bad that prevents me from doing these things. I do not want surgery unless I really need it. I've heard of some who had good results, but also some who did not.
I used to eat a lot of sweets, but after I increased my vegetable intake I lost the craving for sweets. Mostly, for lunch, I just eat a big plate of cooked vegetables. All kinds. I cook onions, cabbage and kale, all sauteed together in a frying pan. Or I cook baby carrots, brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower all together. I buy a lot of frozen veggies that makes it easy to do this. At dinner, I try to eat my meat entree, along a lot of vegetables. When we are in a restaurant, I usually order a meat entree and 2 vegetables sides instead of having 1 vegetable and 1 starch. DH eats a lot of sweets all day, but I can easily stay away from them now. Yesterday I made a cheese cake for him from scratch. I tasted a bit of the filling while I was mixing it, but I had a small piece of the cheesecake after it was done and chilled and it just nauseated me. There's still more than half of it left and I have no desire to eat any. I say eating all the vegetables has given my body the nutrients it needs so it no longer craves the sweets. I have no scientific proof that that is true. I have read that you can train your taste buds to desire healthier food and not the sweets. It takes a little time.
When I left the house I would usually tell my mother where I was going, but after I got there, if all the kids were leaving to go somewhere else, she didn't know. She used to get mad about that, but I still did it. I can remember when my brother and I were in the 8-10 year old range, we would get up early on Saturday when mom was still sleeping. We would pack a lunch of cheese sandwiches and go to wade in the creek, a mile or two away. We would tell my mother we were leaving, but she was sleeping and even though she would mumble "OK" she said she didn't hear us and would get up and we were gone. When you didn't have a TV you spent your day outside playing. My son has a big yard, but they don't let my 6 year old grandson play outside unless someone is out there. That's a shame. You never know when someone is going to pass by and grab a child.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,395
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Height: 5'2
Mary, since I was hosting Thanksgiving, I got my house all thoroughly cleaned before the big day. I made a vow to keep it up by doing 1 room each day and thereby keeping it cleaned without having to do it in one day. This is day 6 after Thanksgiving and I have not done a lick, so I have to do it all in one day again, or let it get dirty. The best laid plans of mice and men, often go awry.
Last edited by Wannabehealthy; 12-03-2014 at 09:52 AM.
Cleaning for holidays: Recently we had unexpected company and I was shocked that I didn't apologize for mess as I once did, or even think about it until they left! Perhaps these are the golden years.
I agree, I clean one or two rooms at a time. Like Mary, I no longer scrub on my hands and knees. Instead I pray I don't fall because I may not be able to get back up again. DH mops kitchen and bathrooms, but I do tackle the corners. Wish they had a little device with a handle that would get into those corners and behind the commode easily.
Today I had the best Greek Salad (by a Greek chef) with his meat a combination of lamb and beef - lots and lots of flavor, color and I'm going back for another soon.
I've made several dozen calls and more to go to let church members know that the code to enter the church is changing tomorrow. With it locked up after the secretary leaves about 1:00 PM, many like to come in and pray in the quiet Chapel that has candles burning all the time for those who like to pray in solitude.
Having trouble finding time to get here, so busy. Got up early this am because serviceman came to do maintenance check on dishwasher. Trying to play catch up on cleaning with lots of interruptions. With no kids you wouldn't think it'd be so hard to get things done. Got a package I'd ordered this morning...a 3 pack expensive gift but it will be split between three of my men so not so bad.
Love2/Carole Sue - I use a Swiffer Vac for cleaning the hard floors..kitchen and baths. I like that it is vac as well as a duster. At last once a week I use it to mop the floors too using a spray cleaner. It does a pretty good job getting up close to the baseboards and in corners if I really try. I prefer the disposable cloths but use both sides to save a bit. If I have one of my regular vacs out I use the hard floor setting and just use it. And about once a month I use steam mop instead. It's a free one I got with my Shark vac. Not their best but it works ok. I'm sorry about your knees but do understand about not wanting surgery until you have to. I've had enough surgery and feel the same way about my hernia but do feel it's getting worse so may have to do it again one day. I have one knee that gives me a bit of trouble but otherwise I've been spared that way. That said, these days I am having a lot of trouble getting up and down and yes with those low shelves...I just have to get down on one knee, can't squat (dh is almost 80 but he can still squat!)...but I think I just need to get back to the gym.
Carole Sue - I like veggies and love them sauteed as you mention, but have to admit I am lazy about doing it just for myself at lunch. But I always get a little veggie of some kind at lunch and more at dinner. I get three servings a day at least plus usually a couple fruits. I have heard that eating a lot of veggies eliminates your desire for sweets before but guess I don't eat enough.
Deelou - I have a couple nodules on my thyroid but they tell me my labs are ok. If I ate as little as you I'd lose for sure, I know I can lose at 1200, even as high as 1500, maybe even higher now that I've gained back some. These days I just can't get myself to track and I am eating too much I'm sure. I'm maintaining but not losing. We go out to eat a lot plus I still snack too much although I'm doing better.
I had a case of the Crazies from having to be home all day with 12 working men in the house doing rip downs and clean ups.. I binged binged binged but today I woke up and said STOP. So here it is 5:40 pm..and I am finishing my last meal for the day and HOrray No binges!!!
So I like to have everything else done a little at a time so I can near the holidays feel more rested and relaxed and just spend time planning my meal. My son and his fam will be coming around the 20th I think and I want to make it a special time. I have been spending quite alot of time removing myself from sweep groups and unsubscribing from emails related to my sweeping. So with all that and shopping both on and offline, so far I have still been online too much, but once that's all done I hope to much more disciplined about my time. 
Gosh I haven't tasted that for so long. When we were first married I made it from scratch quite frequently. Then when I was busier with kids and later with a job too, I made it from a mix. Now, sadly, I never bake anything usually, however with my one kid who loves cookies I will be baking this year. Probably just from a mix though. They are even less healthy but he seems to enjoy them. Glad you found a good dentist. My dh is going to start his visits for his dental work...this is the work I saved for...he is having his last five teeth pulled and implants put in. Then he will have a lower plate attached to them. Right now he has a partial plate attached to his natural teeth and he really hates to lose his natural teeth but they are cracking and the dentist says he can't fix them anymore. I hope it goes well for him, it sounds painful to me. He's just been waiting to get over this surgery. His incision is almost all healed now, just open a little bit still and still draining...I guess it's going to drain until it's fully closed. I'm still packing it but it is getting harder and harder to get it in so I think by next week it'll likely be healed. He still has some pain but not too bad. About TV, I was 12 when we got our first TV. I still remember I was walking home and saw from a distance the men installing the antenna on our roof. I knew my dad had been watching TV in the stores on Sat nights when we'd shop. Strangely I actually didn't want it, but I did occasionally go to a neighbors and watch and eventually I got hooked like everyone else. 
) but my goodness I could go several blocks away and be gone for hours. Like Carole said I'd go home when I was hungry or could tell by the sun is was dinner time. It's too bad that the bad guys have cause today's children to lose their childhood freedom. Even my kids were pretty free to roam our neighborhood compared their kids. Maybe I allowed them to be freer than I should have but I'm glad they did it and were ok...sometimes today I think wow, maybe I shouldn't have allowed that. 
And I have always had the habit of eating while reading or watching TV or movie. Guess because my parents did the same. And on Sat nights, going for ice cream was our weekly treat. 
