[thatsok]

Good Morning Ladies,
Congrats Marian on the great weight loss and hitting the 100's, I am also doing low carb and was just going out to find some canned souos and such that are low carb. Mostly I cook freash but would love to find some prepared food when I want a change or don't have time' Any suggestions of products?
I know a lot of people are doing low carb so anyone that has suggestions would be appreciated.
My back is much better and the sun is shining so it should be a good day!

[Wannabehealthy]

Sharon, I think if you focus on clear soups rather than cream soups they would be lower carb. I don't use many prepared foods, but just read the label and pay attention to portion sizes. Another thing you could do is make your own soup, like vegetable soup, and freeze it in portion size containers. We usually eat most of the soup when I make it, but I do try to freeze a couple cups for emergencies.

Marion, congrats on reaching Onederland! I am struggling toward that goal, too, for about the 10th time. I keep bouncing back into the 200s, but I'm determined, and I will make it eventually!.

[teati]

Thanks everyone for the kind words.

Wannabehealthy - keep going...keep going...

thatsok - check out Progresso light. You might find a few low carb.

[Wannabehealthy]

Hi everyone! I hope all are doing well. I am up a couple lbs but they will come back off. I'm like a see saw. I have not really resumed my exercise, but I did do some while lying down in bed watching TV. Some arm exercises and leg lifts. Every little bit helps. And I've been doing a lot of walking in the stores. That's the extend of my exercise for now.

I follow low carb mostly due to my diabetes, but not Atkins low. I try to keep my carbs under 70 for the day, and try to keep my portions small. That's the main problem for me.

Everyone have a nice weekend, and stay warm!

[glynne]

Good afternoon GG's,

(Thursday) It is a nice sunny day. I should have gone out walking this morning ~ would have been nice. It was only 48*, but the cool felt nice for a change. It is up to 56* now.

Instead I went out early and ran some errands. Now, for some reason, I just feel pooped.

Wow, it has been quite a few days since I have posted. I have been keeping busy. Maybe today, I just need to kind of rest up a little. I got the mini quilts finished and sent off. My friend got them. I was so thankful that they got there ok. My sister had sent me a package in October and I didn't get it until the beginning of January. And when I finally got it, someone had taken out the little book my sister sent me ~ the box was empty except for the note my sister had written to me. It had to have been a postal employee as opposed to someone getting into the mail boxes, because our mail boxes are locked.

Good evening GG's,

(Friday) I got interupted or side tracked ~ can't remember which now, and didn't get this finished.

Finished another project today (envelope pillow case and heart shaped pillow my son asked me to make for a gift he was giving). Then helped him wrap them. Pinned up a pair of work pants for him and have to hem them, then put patches on the knees. Got to visit with him a little before he went on.

Steve wanted me to go to some gathering where the local politicians are going to talk about what their plans are now. It would probably be interesting, but it is probably a 45 minute ride (to downtown Houston). When I ride in the car, it aggravates that sciatic pain ~ even shorter rides that that set off that pain. Then this gathering is an all day thing of more sitting for ????? who knows how long of periods. I told him I was sorry, but I didn't want to get the pain and then deal with it all day long. I thought he would probably give me a hard time, but thankfully, he didn't say anything. I feel bad, but not bad enough to have to have that pain.

Besides, I have things I can and need to do here at home. So, no problem keeping busy.

I have been feeling so frustrated with this weight loss thing. I am kind of stuck. I lose tenths of a pound ~ and just go up and down the same couple tenths. I have been real good about not buying snacks when I go to the store. No cookies, candy, chips, that kind of thing. And at home pretty much eating the right things. I started trying to make my portions smaller. I started walking last week, but then got busy with other things and haven't kept up with that. I don't know what the answer is. While the lack of progress is frustrating, I haven't thrown in the towel. I have been feeling better ~ not eating so many wrong things. And I have felt more motivated and have been accomplishing things around here. That is a good feeling. So, the feeling better and getting things done ~ is what keeps me from giving up completely. But I still wish that scale would move.

Forgive me for leaving off the personals tonight. I've gotta get my PT exercises done ~ then almost bed time. And it had been so many days since I have posted, I didn't want you all to think I went missing or something ~ LOL.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

[Wannabehealthy]

Gayle, I'm sorry someone stole from your package from your sister. I don't understand why people would do that, unless they are looking for valuables. Anyway, postal employees are well paid, so they shouldn't need to steal.

I have the same problem as you with the weight going up and down the same pounds. Recently I did lose a little more and keep most of it off, but that was because I discovered that I have to go way smaller with my portions that I had thought. It was not easy to do, as I am just accustomed to eating larger portions. I didn't get hungry, so I guess what I was eating was enough, but I would still feel as if I wanted to eat more, even though I wasn't hungry. Now I realize that my portions are starting to get bigger, and I've gained back a couple pounds. For me, it's not what I'm eating, it's how much. I never seem to really feel hungry like other people mention.

[thatsok]

I have been doing well. Have even seen the 240's. But that is after I work crazy Fridays and Saturdays. I think I have realistically lost 8.8 #s.Now I am going to put the scale away until March. Just had to see what I was doing was working.
For those that are talking about lose .10 of a pound or losing then gaining and losing the same pound, I m just curious how often you weigh yourself? It is normal for our bodies to fluctuate from day to day. I know you ladies already know this but I can never understand how people get hung up in a .10 of a pound when that is what are bodies are meant to do . By worrying about these minuscule #s it leads to the diet mentality of I'm up I'm doing bad when often I'm not. Sometimes that leads to determination but for me that thinking usually lead me down the path of this isn't working and towards giving up. Just a thought and just talking about how I feel.
Have a great day.Finally feels like winter in NJ and the sun is finally shining.

[Wannabehealthy]

Sharon, I don't weigh myself every day, more like once a week. I don't have a specific weigh in day, but seem to weigh when I think the scale may have gone down. Also, I round to whole numbers, rather than counting tenths. I tend to round down. LOL I think going up and down tenths of pounds is called maintenance, and it's better to maintain than to gain.

[teati]

Hi Everyone, I weigh my self daily and defiantly round down. Why oh why do we have to look at tenths of a pound - I mean really. I weigh myself most days but only document on Monday - because of the fluctuation. Averaging a little more than a 3lb weight loss per week since I stated on low carb about 6 weeks ago. So motivated.
Two goals:
Reverse lab values that are trending up
Look better for my daughter's wedding in July
That's all I ask - let's have a good week! Marian

[Wannabehealthy]

Losing 3 lbs a week is great, Marion. I did the weight loss for my step-daughter's wedding, too, but I did not maintain it after the wedding. That was 24 years ago. It's so hard to believe that she was married than long ago!

[teati]

I see what you are saying Wannabehealthy. I hope I keep it off this time because of my health instead of my looks. The change in my looks will be a bonus!

[Wannabehealthy]

Marion, it was my own fault that I did not keep the weight off. Maintenance was too big a struggle for me. I learned my lesson.

[glynne]

Good evening GG's,

Day didn't start out very good ~ slight headache when I went to bed, but was worse by morning. It took most of the day to get rid of it. I was able to get some stuff done that I wanted to get done. Just frustrating.

Because of the headache, I didn't do my walking. I also don't eat very good when my head is aching. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Marian ~ I usually don't get upset about the small flucuations in weight on the scale. But I think the reason that the tenths of a pound are getting to me now, is that I have a doctor appointment coming up toward the end of February with the endocrinologist. At my last visit the end of November, my weight was up. I started with her 3 ½ years ago and I think she must think I should have done better by now. She increased my metformin, and put me on a new med ~ Trulicity. She said that along with helping with the blood sugars, it might help me lose weight by supressing my appetite. I tried to tell her that my eating/overeating has nothing to do with being hungry ~ it is bad habits of dealing with my emotions by munching. I had lost about 20 pounds doing that plant based diet with my husband and had kept it off until this fall. There were some difficult family things and I fell back into old habits of stress eating. Once I start to slide down that slippery slope, it is not easy getting back on track. So, by the time I saw the doctor, my weight was up about 20 pounds from the same time last year. I am not thrilled about the increase of meds, and I am kind of afraid of the new one. I took it once in December (it is a once a week med), and had a bad headache a couple days later. Don't know if that had anything to do with it. But between that and the other scary side effects of that med, I decided I wanted to try to lose the weight without that med. And for about a month and a half, I tried really hard. I did not buy junky snacks at the store. I ate the right things at home. A guess I just felt like for my efforts, I should have been losing and not just creeping along. The tenths of a pound may seem trivial to others, but right now for me with this upcomming doctor appointment it is upsetting.

Sorry for the long saga ~ I guess I just wanted to be understood. I feel somewhat like you ~ my goal is not for my looks, but for feeling better. And aside from this worry about how the doctor thinks I have been doing ~ I have been happy ~ feeling better, more motivated and doing/accomplishing things every day.

Sharon ~ I weigh daily. Read up above in my paragraph to Marian ~ it explains why right now, the tenths of a pound are upsetting to me. Usually, I don't get all stressed out by the little flucuations.

Carol Sue ~ I had been able to lose without all the measuring and all. But, because things don't seem to be moving along very well, I have started to try to be more aware of how much my portions are and trying to cut them down like you have been doing. And I had been thinking, when the scale isn't moving like I hope it will ~ that it is maintainence like you said.

Hope you all have had a good day. Thanks for listening/reading.

[thatsok]

Hi all,
Gayle totally understand thanks for filling me in on your situation. Sorry wasn't trying to tell telling people what to do, was just sharing my experience and how the scale is a tricky thing for me. I, like you, eat for everything not necessarily for hunger. To me it is a habit/addiction just like alcohol. cigarettes etc... Lots of times doctors don't hear what we are saying. Hope you continue to lose and any loss is a loss! You should be proud of it!
I'm plugging along and to my surprise have been able to eat on program pretty easily. I can't believe I haven't felt the need to eat junk especially sweets but I don't want to get too cocky. I know it will hit and it will be hard. I am following the program pretty well. Only eating allowed foods but a probably eating higher fat foods than I should. Though I continue to lose. But I don't want to end up with higher cholesterol so I am going to start watching fat content and probably cut back on cheese and red meat. I have been eating a ton of cheese way too much. Eating the full fat cheese is probably why I don't miss the junk, lol.
Other than that nothing much new. Taking a break from job search today going to enjoy my day off. Going to dinner with some friends from HS. Had them pick a place easy to stay on program, salad bar and an entree w/ vege.
OK, out of here need to get dressed and out of the house because my bed is calling me back.
Have a good one!

[glynne]

Ladies,

I apologize if I came across as irritated in my post on the 31st. I appreciate that you shared your experiences and encouragement not to worry over the small normal fluctuations that happen day to day. I am just feeling stressed about the upcoming doctor appointment and so my post didn't come out very well.

Thank you for your understanding.