Robin: oooooh airbrushing!!! Let me know when you start doing business, there are tons of things I'd love to have airbrushed, even my phone!! BTW I've never heard of a dinosaur bbq, you must explain!!

Brenda: good luck with the caffeine withdraw, I think the Robins tea idea sounds great!

Tenn: Do you like craft shows?? I've only been a vendor at one and I spent
more money on everyone elses' goodies than I made

Falon: sorry that TOM is visiting, maybe when it leaves you'll have lost a little more. You are doing wonderful!!

Sherry: good luck girlie, way to jump on the wagon

Susan: grab my hand and hop back on the wagon girl!! Write down somewhere how crappy you felt after you ate it all, that helps me sometimes

Jackie: you're so lucky that you're doing something fun for vacation, and what a good incentive to lose weight! I bet when you jump back on the scale after TOM you'll weigh even less than before TOM

ilovemike: I'm sorry I keep forgetting your name, but AWESOME job! And what a great mom you have to encourage you to go!!

sue:

plb: you must have NERVES OF STEEL!! Welcome aboard!!


Well, I went to a plastic surgeons office yesterday. I went with a friend who had constructive surgery after breast cancer. Anyway, I couldn't get in for a consult on such short notice, but I did get to look at the before/after tummy tuck pictures and they were amazing!! I also got a lot of literature and made an appt. for a consult so that's an incentive to lose these last 23 lbs!!!

What kinda scared me was the office, it was elaborate and huge, a mondo fresh flower bouquet on the center table, little cookies in little pretty wrappers sitting out with fresh iced tea in a gorgeous pitcher that I'd be afraid to even touch and a whole bunch of other flashy things. So that kind of scared me...kind of afraid to see what the cost is LOL but it will be fun to go

got 5 miles in this morning and have tons to do!

Squeeze every bit of goodness out of today (you deserve it!) and see how many people you can get to smile today (I dare ya!)

(can you tell I'm still on my aerobic high? LOL)

Lacey

Its this evil little place in Rochester NY, that has smoked everything!! I told dh, if they had one of these in buffalo, it would be seriously dangerous!! I love it.....its always a special treat when we go, because its about an hours drive away. (good thing too)

I dont think I can post a link, but if you google it, it takes you right to their site....not a very diet friendly place....but nice for a treat

Morning Ladies. Sorry I haven't checked in, I've had a bit of the flu. I mentioned before that I couldn't tell whether it was coming off the carbs/sugar or if I was getting it. Well, I got it. I still haven't weighed in yet, it's almost like I am scared to. It's not something I feel a huge desire to do (yet) so I won't push it. Maybe I will wait until I am two weeks into induction... We'll see.

Oh, and about my business I mentioned before that I am trying to start. Everytime I got up this weekend/Monday (which wasn't often...) I tried to work on the website. Ok, php kicks my a$$. I thought it would come easy, since I am pretty good at html. HA! I need a book. Can anyone recommend a good one?

Sorry I can't catch up on the personals right now. This is my first day back to work, and I have lots to do.

Have a great day everyone!

Hi everyone.

Scale was down by two pounds this morning. Good. I needed to see something better than yesterday's weight!

My son got up early today, we all did, but we still were rushing to beat the clock at the last minute. Frustrating situation. I had bought the kids some insulated cups that I wanted to be able to use to send them to school with something hot. Well my son's was missing the lid today. I had it all ready, but no lid, and he didn't know where it was. Finally admitted he probably lost it at school!

So after school I went thermos shopping. The two I finally decided on I am going to have to take back, because they have glass in them and knowing my kids they will get broken. Isn't life with kids fun????

I made my daughter a little jacket last night. It was kind of fun. I bought some pretty blue Asian looking brocade yesterday and some blue satin. I made the jacket reversable, and without using a pattern, I was terrified that I would screw it all up, but it looks pretty good so far. All I have to do left is to hem it, and that is going to involve making sure it is even on all sides first.

It is to go over a beautiful white dress I bought her not long ago. The dress is rather adult looking. Looks lovely on her, but not something I want her wearing without a jacket over it. It is strapless. The jacket will cover that so you wouldn't know. Funny though I thought the brocade side would look good with it, but it looks like the satiny side will be better. So she is excited.

We were up late last night sewing it and trying it on her to make sure it was all right. I got the most terrible pain in my back though, right below my right shoulder blade. I couldn't wait to get to bed so I could rest it. It still hurts today, but not as bad. I've been trying to stretch to get rid of the tightness in it, but it is only helping in a limited way. Must be the weather. We are having storms which get blown away by pretty weather and then the storms come back.

Anyway my first day back on plan went almost well. I did well until I had my daughter make dinner while I was sewing for her. She made orange chicken, and it was breaded (frozen package). I've made it before without breading the meat and with limiting the amount of sugar in the recipe, but this wasn't like that. So I didn't eat very much of it.

Afternoon ladies!

Robin - the Dinosaur BBQ has no dinosaur on their menu -- bummer!!! That would be a lot of protein!

I have a recipe for elephant stew. It calls for one large elephant, one rabbit, a couple of gallons of water, salt, pepper and garlic. You put the elephant in a very large pot, add water and spices. But throw away the rabbit because no one likes hare in their stew!

By the way, all my jokes are bad!

I feel fat today. I don't know why, but I do. Must have been all the junk food the other day. Or I'm holding water from not having drunk any for 4 days while I was home with DH.

John is doing better today. He can drive starting today. He's now developed a large bruise right below the incision -- it took 4 days to pop up. So I'm putting Arnica gel on him to get rid of it. He actually slept all night without tossing and turning and groaning and waking me up.

We scheduled a vacation for June -- we're going to Ohio to my parents' house with a friend of ours and we are going to Cedar Point. The two guys want to ride roller coasters. I haven't seen my folks for a little over a year, so it will be good. My brother will come up from Kentucky too. I saw him last year when he met us in Maryland. I miss my Mommy!

Dinosaur started in Syracuse as a biker hang out and has really progressed to a several restaurant and mobile food cart. (they do the fairs and many big get togethers) they also have thier own line of seasonings you can buy at the store rubs and sauces all really good.

Yes my ticker is down by 30 (though there is some water hanging out this week) I am keeping the ticker the same!! I worked hard for the right to be in virgin territory!

Sherry you do need to take a picture of the outfit and post it. I think it sounds just beautiful!!!

Susan I know the feeling of missing Mommy (and Daddy) I see mine so rarely and for such short times. I get the phone bill raised every time It gets to be a while since I have seen them!!

dahliameow I hope you are feeling much better. the flue will kick butt!! take it easy for a few days before you jump right in to the diet.

robin my house is from 1875 so you can guess I have nucks and crannies and tons of cob webs spiderwebs and anything else you can think of in my (basement that is)

Well working hard to dump that 4 lbs of water we will see how today pans out, DD1 started to exercise with me so I can not slack!1 UGH what a slave driver!!!

let me ask you Sue, since your house probably has the same types of walls as mine.......whats on them? I have paper, and when I peel it, the wall crumbles underneath Any ideas?

This stinks. The scale is back up the 3 pounds. Lack of water and too many carrots w/ranch dressing (they were calling to me!!) I'm guessing. Dang!!! I'm trying to figure out how I'm supposed to up my carb intake (when I'm finally LOSING weight and go into OWL) when I can't eat carrots or stuff like that. This happened last time as well. Yes, I jumped into eating more now before I even STARTED to lose weight. Yup, my own fault. I think it's because of when I first started this WOE I dropped all the weight but when I added carbs I GAINED weight so I gave totally up and ate junk (figured if I was going to gain I'd eat something "good"). So now I'm not LOSING it like I want and back to wondering what IS going to happen if I get back down to where I want and start adding carbs. How to prevent the gain again. Suggestions?
Basement is wet (again) and still a problem so I've go to head off to make phone calls on that. Sorry no personals everyone

good morning to you all.

Brenda - I'm so sorry your 3lbs keep haunting you....they WILL go away for good, I know it. Hope you get the basement dry!! Wet basements stink!

Sherry - I would love to see the outfit also. Sewing is such a great talent. and I hope your back pain is gone.

Susan....WAY TO GO on the 30 lbs. I can't wait to get there.

Lacey - I can't wait to hear how your plastic surgeon visit goes. I'll probably never be able to affort it, but I would love the tummy tuck too. And probalby a boob lift. Ohwell....I can dream. Please let us know how the consult goes.

Hey everyone else..... and have a great day.

Just a quick hello this morning

Brenda~ are you keeping track of everything on fitday? You're weighing yourself everyday again? Carrots and ranch dressing shouldnt make you gain 3 lbs, even if it is water weight. Sometimes keeping track will help you see something that is doing this. For me, when I come off induction, and into OWL, I have to lower my fats. Otherwise, nothing moves. Its almost as if Im adding more veggies, but giving up the sausage or bacon..kwim?

Jackie~ have a good sleep!

Morning Ladies:

Lacey - I want to hear all about the boob lift consult! Ok, at least that part of it.. Tummy tucks scare me, but i'll take a titty lift anyday. I can't seem to get mine to come back from their long vacation in Cancun.. not since my last child was born anyway (9 yrs ago).. *sigh* Are things getting better at home btw? Suuuuureee hope so.

Brenda: Logically you know you didn't eat enough carrots to gain weight. Just hang on, as you've already been doing, and the water will come off. It wasn't ho-ho's for crying out loud! LOL

Susan: Glad DH is better. Bruises are a funny thing. They can show up so long after that you can't even remember what you did to get it in the first place. That gel is awesome! I use it on the kids when they need it..

Nothing to report on here. Just a regular day. Oh, Zane started class with Chelsea yesterday, and loved it! Also her teacher asked me to sign her up for a compitition on the 23rd of April, so we'll be preparing for that. I also have to force Andy to sit down to night and start mapping out our holiday. Dates, etc!

Anyone know of a hotel (resonable in price) that is local to the sites in D.C. so we can be in walking distance of the metro or even of the sites themselves? I know a few of you have been there..

Have a great day ladies!

Falon....your vacation sounds like fun!! Isn't it exciting to have something planned? I just love the anticipation and planning...and it is such great incentive.

Morning girls,

Don't you hate the see saw ride the scale takes us on sometimes? I've become convinced that our "normal" weight is about 5 to 7 pounds higher than whatever the scale says. On Atkins we lose so much water weight at the beginning and keep it off as long as we are on plan, that the minute we eat carbs 5 to 7 pounds of water comes back.

I figure that depending on how fat we are, 3 to 7 pounds up on the scale is nothing to worry about. Brenda, your weight is pretty low already. How tall are you? Have you taken fat percentage measurements? It could be (depending on how muscular you are and what size frame) that you are closer to goal than you think. Or it could be that with some serious exercise you could tighten up what you have and reach a goal that looks right without losing any more weight.

It depends on your age and your height of course, but if I was as low as you are in weight, I think that is where I would put my focus. Start lifting some weights, build some serious muscle and even without losing more pounds you will probably firm up to the point where you look like you want to. Sometimes we focus so much on a number that we forget the real goal is to look good. Numbers on scales don't determine that. No one is ever going to see that number but us anyway. The do see what we look like however. And lifting exercises can make you look really good even if your weight isn't that low.

Anyway I thought the scale would be down today and it wasn't. As much water as I've been letting go of I really expected to see a change. I had a muscle cramp last night so got up in the night and took some potassium. I had a weird feeling all day yesterday, I guess it was the transition again from carbs for fuel to ketosis, a headache that kept nagging at me, pain behind my eyes and in my forehead where I usually feel it when I add or remove sugar from my diet. Probably ketosis will be here soon if it isn't already.

My boss increased my hours yesterday. I'm going to be working 6 hours a day instead of 4, and may go to 8 a day when things get more busy. I really value this gradual thing. I do need more money, and all, but I'm not really ready to be full time yet. I like that I can get used to the idea more slowly. Maybe I can get organized enough to handle it when it comes.

Today I plan to be much more tight about diet. I've been good for the last two days, but I think a little flour crept in the first day and then yesterday I used cream of mushroom soup as gravy for our meat. I think it has some (not much, but a bit) of starch in it. So today I'm going to be a little more rigid. I'm sure it wasn't more than 20 grams anyway, but the third day is always easier for me than the first two. Move into ketosis gradually rather than all at once seems to help not have the extremely rotten feeling accompany it.

Afternoon ladies!

Sherry, I'm glad to see you are working through this and coming up with some good insights. Cream of mushroom soup definitely has wheat in it which means carbs. There really aren't any commercial soups that don't. I can pretty much tell you every food out there that has flour in it.

Falon, you might find a better price on a hotel if you stay in Maryland. There are tons of Metro stops there that will get you to DC quickly and easily. I would suggest pulling up a Metro stop map on the Internet and looking for hotels around them. I never stay in a hotel -- we have family right there.

Robin, be careful how much paper you pull off those walls - don't want them falling down on you.

After breakfast and lunch, I'm about ready to fall asleep for the afternoon. Thank goodness there's only 2 hours of work left for the day. And I ate mostly protein too. Must be the weather change.

Hi guys, I dont have time to read everyones posts right now, but I will catch up on them later. I just wanted to check in and let you guys know that I am seeing major changes in my body and I am so excited. I decided this week to amp up my cardio at the gym and do more of it to see all over fat burning and let me tell you, I worked my fanny off. I will get my weight this saturday morning since TOM is gone now. Hopefully I will have made my goal. I am trying for 6.3 lbs a month. Ok I have to head to work, so I will catch yall later.

-Sandra