hey sumisan, a great low cal ice cream snack is the Klondike Slim-a-Bear ice cream sandwiches...theyre yummy and in WW theyre 2 pts compared to the 6 pts the other Klondike bars are.
I also love black tea and when first tasting green tea, all i could think was it tasted like feet lol so i went to the store and picked up Lipton's Green Tea with cranberry and pomegranate-great as an anti-oxidant and good even without sugar. I personally think ppl underestimate rice cakes cuz theyre filling and if youre looking for some taste pick up the apple cinnamon (i buy the store brand for a dollar each-yummy n cheap!)

*think bathing suit season*

Hi all:

today is going okay--not doing exercise because I ended up doing some housework etc and was really tired to day! But eating was good--stuck to small portions which is the name of my game!

Sumi: why are you giving up tea--it is very good for you unless you put sugar in it of course. There are some good decaf black teas out there if caffeine is the isssue. I like herbal teas and I drink Red Zinger and Tazo's African Red Bush. Green tea is supposed to be good for weight loss and actually you get used to the flavor and start to like it. White tea is the most healthy. String cheese, carrots sticks, yogurt, hardboiled eggs and fruit are my local snacks. Really anything as long as you watch portions--if Ihave something that tempts me like nuts, I will divide them up into 100 calorie bags so that I will be able to know right away how much I have eaten.

Dolly: I started taking fiber supplements to keep things regular because I was on a medication that slowed things down. Then I found that the supplements made me feel really full and I didnt want to eat for several hours after I took them. So I can have a fairly small dinner and then have the fiber supplement and I am good until bedtime with only drinking herbal tea. Or I had some turkey and cheese for breakfast (I was in a rush) and I took the fiber and I was good until 130! I read somewhere that fiber is really great for diets and makes your blood sugar stable.

Tracy: good luck with your goals--I am sure you will achieve them. You and I are almost the same weight! I cant exercise that much because of my knee so I wont lose as fast as you but I know the desire to get to onederland. We can do it!

Take care everyone--we are all doing great!

Sno

I am a tea fanatic! There is no way I can give up my tea....but I have taken to drinking flavored teas that I don't need to sweeten much (I use a little Splenda). I used to hate green tea too, but I found I was over steeping it and it was becoming bitter. I read that green tea only needs to steep for 1-2 minutes. Now I like it a lot more.

When I find myself staring into the pantry for a snack, I heat up some water and make a cup of tea. Usually I am just looking for *something* to do because my mind needs a distraction (from kids/hubby/bills/life) I find that the process of making a cup of tea and drinking it helps me not snack so much.

I also started buying individual bottles of water. In the past I didn't because the gallons were so much cheaper. But, I never drank it. With the little bottles, it is so easy to grab a bottle when I take the kids to the park or whatever. Yes, I end up with a lot of trash, but it is recyclable (sp?) so my son is taking that to school for his class fundraiser. (My hubby was very against this as he said it was a waste of money...then I pointed out that MY 24 pack of water was costing less than HIS 12 pack of soda!) Now I drink water all day long!

oh, and my favorite snack right now is roasted cauliflower & broccoli. Just cut the florets apart (or buy the bag of them already cut) toss them with a little bit of olive oil and steak seasoning (or whatever seasonings you like- it's also good with some garlic and a little salt) and toss it in a 450 oven for like 30 minutes. Stir every 10 mins or so, that helps them cook evenly and get all brown and crispy.

This totally changes the way the veggies taste. I know someone who does this with green beans too. My kids will even eat the cauliflower this way!

Evening Chicks,
Coool Bridget, I've never thought of roasting veggies other than potatoes and carrots, and I bet I can get them extra crispy on my convection setting. I'll try this tomorrow.
Hey Dollypie good to here from you . I think we ALL have weeks like that once in a while but you caught your tail spin before it turned into a month. I take fiber periodically because as I progress with my weight loss I end up with a slower than normal system even while eating 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day in my food. I never thought about using it to help with feeling hungry until Sno mentioned it but tried it last night and tonight and it definately helps.
My favorite snacks include ultra low fat cream cheese and salsa (myfavorite salsa right now is mango salsa) on cheddar rice cakes or low fat whole grain crackers. I aso like cottage cheese and mixed frozen berries with stevia.
Sumisan almost all types of Tazo green tea taste great. My favorite is Tazo Zen. It has a hint of mint and is very smooth without turning bitter. I'm a bit of a tea fanatic. Some green tea can be realy nasty. It's finding the right brand that is the trick.
I've done well today with my eating and made it to the gym for the usual cardio and weights. Still having increased hunger but should calm down soon and the fiber seems to help in the evening, which is my weakest time.

Nina

hey everyone no workout today didnt have time this am and after work just was too tired also i didnt eat the best today either ill try harder tomorrow

Hi all, I am sitting at 210. I can live with it, that is 3 pounds down. I am back on my diet and am doing very well with not having snacks. Once I give in and eat outside meals I am lost. I have been dealing with some of my stress issues so that has helped. I heard that Monday was the saddest day of the year so now that it is over and done with I can move on to all the good times. They calculate it by the day of the week, Christmas bills, lack of sunshine, etc. I also have a busy work week. I had a course on Monday and a board meeting on Wednesday and then another course on Monday again. Needless to say the house has already started to fall around my ears, and I will be cleaning all weekend. I have managed to catch up a little on the bills which I totally let go to buy more Christmas presents, I hate it when I do that. I had a talk with our board president and she says the director will be out in less than a year so I should just tough it out. I will try it for a while and see how it goes. She was not nearly as bad today as she has been recently, maybe I'll catch a break for a while. I'm due for some luck here.

Talk to you all soon.

hi everyone,

sumi,tgvirgo, elle, welcome...!

cubb-congrats!!! onederland...that is a milestone...!

thanks to all for the green tea info...i drink lots of tea...but have only had green tea a couple of times...i know the benefits...but thought it tasted awful...i will try it again...i think i must have steeped it too long...it was always so bitter...i wrote down the brand suggestions...thanks...!

lux-i feel guilty when i buy individual water bottles because i thought it was an expense i didn't really need...!...but you know..i won't anymore!...because let me tell you...i never gave another thought when i purchased unneccesary junk food for myself...and when i buy the individual bottles..i will drink water when i'm out and about...also thanks for the tip on roasting veg..i'll try it..sounds delicious!

card,dolly-nice to see you..!

take care,
kate

i am eating well...i did tae bo and it nearly killed me..and it was only 20 minutes...!...even without the bands...but i liked it..am going to do it again today

Sno- I think it is why I am not absorbing my prescription iron. I drink black tea with just some equal. But I drink it ALL day, probably about 8 glasses a day! It has tannins that bind with it, I think. I hate to give it up but I need my energy back, I just can't go on like this anymore. So I am going to try all those other you guys suggested The only other tea I ever liked was good earth and the mothers milk tea when I was nursing. As long as its herbal or green tea it should be fine I think.

Thank you for all the snack ideas everyone! Have any iron rich ideas for someone who doesn't care for straight beef and liver? We eat beef, just dont usually buy due to the fat. I am trying to include more and more animal iron but it is hard, expecially on a budget! I looked up a beef stew recipe but OMG the calories were nearly 50% from fat! I guess a leaner cut of beef would help that?

Good Morning Chicks,

Well let me say it feels so great to be back at the gym every morning. It really does get me through the day at work. I just wish all the new members (New Year's Resolution people) would stop coming. Don't get me wrong I wish them the best with their weightloss efforts, but goodness the gym has been so busy since the new year. Had a victory when DH wanted to order pizza last night, which is a big temptation for me. He ended up with frozen pizza and I had a slice of turkey breast, bread and veggies. Here is a good tip that I learned from a friend over Thanksgiving. Around that time you can get turkeys for like $5 so I bought three of them and baked all of them. I cut the breast meat off of two of them and froze them individually. Now I have whole turkey breasts for the next few months.

Here are some snack ideas:
fruit, fruit, and more fruit
string cheese
yogurt
popcorn
almonds, I limit myself to only 10 at a time no exceptions.
boiled egg
two corn tortillas with salsa, you can crisp them in the microwave

Link to iron-rich foods:
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/nutri...iron_foods.htm

Good morning everyone! Today is the best morning. After a water weight struggling TOM I finally hopped on the scale this morning and was SHOCKED to see it sitting at 155. That puts me down a full 11 pounds since January 1. I think it is the Turbo Jam workouts that have burned everything up so fast. Hope everyone else has a super fabulous happy weigh in today as well.

HI all:

Yippee--I am down another pound--and I had a piece of pie last night for my anniversary--just really watching portions and the fiber really helps with that!

I love the great tips on snacks--nice to get some ideas! Another tea I really enjoy is the Tazo Lotus--it has decaf green tea in it, and I like the decaf vanilla rose by celestial seasonings. I made a wonderful chicken brocolli casserole the other day--it was atkins friendly--lots of fat but low in carbs.

Boy, I wish I had done that with the turkeys, dolly--I will remember that for next year. I love turkey breast.

Sometimes when I am wanting a treat I will go get myself a Fiji water--that is my favorite--it feels like I am having a treat but no cals.

great job aimin and card--always feels good to see that scale move.

Nina and dolly you are always right on with the exercise!

Take care everyone and have a great day!

BTW I read that drinking 90 oz of water a day raises the metabolism. I am still managing to drink at least that every day.

Way to go Snowbrocade on your water and your pound!

Dollypie, good for you on denying your pizza temptation! Pizza will always be there after you reach 135!

Fiji water is my favorite as well Sno. I always try and think I am on a beach drinking it. I only get it on special occasions as well. Here is something funny, when DH and I went to New Orleans right before Katrina for our anniversary they had bottles in the room. I thought what a great treat, a small bottle to take out during the day. It wasn't so great when I saw the hotel bill, $10 for a bottle of water and I had 3 of them. DH about died and of course he let his thoughts be known....he said it should be from the fountain of youth!!!! hahahaha

Hello All. I have been very busy with sick hubby. Which means I am dead and giving into eating what ever everyone else is having. Luckily no one else has caught the stomach bug, but hubby has informed me he is going for round 2! This is not fun. Hopefully it won't be as bad.

I just remembered my daughter needs a ride home from school and I don't know when to be there.

Well, even through all this (plus TOM) I have managed 1lb!

Hope all is well.