[Pipsicle]

Home from the trip. No harm (scale the same), no foul (FBS the same). Also, to clarify I use food for my emotions and does not meet the criteria of binge eating. We're talking 1-3 oz (essentially 1-3 servings of chips) and a candy bar across a four hour period. In the end, it is really a meal replacement. Also learned in-laws may be coming for Christmas. I won't know until the last minute. It will be an added layer of stress on multiple levels. First getting the guest spaces up to stuff. Secondly, my kiddo has a significant cosmetic issue she works hard to cover up around other folks. Usually it is just the three of us for Christmas so she doesn't feel the need to hide it. If there are others in the house it will definitely take away some of the unbounded joy. She'll be fussing with her appearance instead of flying down the stairs at a 100 million miles per hour.

I really want to focus on doing better this month. I would like to end the year better than when I started it.

[Wannabehealthy]

Pipsicle, I'm sorry to hear that your daughter is self conscious about her appearance. Family should accept her as she is, but I understand that it bothers her.

You did well if there is not change in your weight or blood sugar. That's means there was no increase!

Trish, I know how your DH feels, they they keep changing what is healthy and what is not. I'm still not sure how I feel about saturated fat. Many times I hear it said that it is not good for diabetics. I will not eat low fat, but will not specifically add sat fat.

I forgot to take my water pill this morning. I wanted to wait until I was home from Walmart, but I forgot to take it when we got home, so I took it around 4PM. So I might be up all night going to the bathroom, even more than I usually am. Maybe I could just take my pillow and blanket into the bathroom and sleep there. LOL

I bought a rotisserie chicken and ate a little bit and then got full. DH doesn't want any, so I will just pull the meat off the bones and put it away. Tomorrow is another day.

[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, how is the availability of frozen cauliflower in your part of the country? I am having a terrible time finding it. I have one bag left. I am in Walmart a couple times a week and I look for it each time, but the bin is bare. I can get it at one local supermarket in their store brand but I avoid buying theirs because it is little tiny pieces. I like bigger pieces. DH tells me to just buy fresh, but I like being able to take a small amount out of the bag and just cooking that. The fresh usually goes bad before I can eat it all. Maybe I could cut it up, parboil it, and put it in vacuum seal bags.

[pattygirl63]

Pipsicle It is good that you weren't binging just eating comfort food and that it didn't bother your weight or FBS. You came through it very well. I am sorry the IL will be there to put a damper on the Christmas holiday. Do they stay very long? Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Carol Sue I don't know about the cauliflower. Walmart doesn't always have it, but the other store usually does however, the amount comes in spurts. I did notice that they were constantly having to replace frozen foods when I was in the store last Monday. I think there were just so many people buying for the holiday. I will know when I go to get more cauliflower Friday.

I went on the IF support for 16:8 for weight loss today and found 2 books recommended to read. I don't know if this person is over this FB group, but I went to Amazon and found both books and I can read them for free. I am starting them today. You are supposed to read the 1st book he wrote before and then read the one that gives 7 steps to doing it. May be same old same old, but I will spend tonight and tomorrow reading them as they are pretty short books.

I did do the 16:8 today.

[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, I know Walmart is usually short of frozen foods over a weekend, but when we were there today the other items were filled to capacity, like the broccoli, brussels sprouts, corn etc, as if they had just stocked them, but there was a huge empty space and I read the tag and it said cauliflower. It is store brand and usually satisfactory. I would even buy Birds Eye if they had it, but all they had in birds eye was the mixture of cauliflower, carrots and broccoli, and they had tons of caui rice. In the other grocery store, their Birds Eye is pretty expensive but they were out of that, too. They had lots of the store brand that is little tiny pieces, but probably no one else likes it either.

I went online and saw how to freeze fresh cauliflower. You cut it into florets and blanch them in boiling water for 3-5 min. Then you plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking, then freeze them flat, like on a baking sheet. Then when they are separately frozen, you put them in portion bags and freeze them. I could use my Food Saver Vacuum sealer. I will do that if I can't get it somewhere after my last bag is gone. It seems like such a strange thing not to have it frozen when they have fresh.

I ate some mac and cheese tonight. I don't know. I just can't stay away from the carbs.

[pattygirl63]

I finished the 1st book. Actually the book I started reading first said not to read it until I read the 1st book. It gives a 30 day plan for doing 16:8 IF as a beginner. It says to pick a time and stay within that same 8 hr window every day. It says to spend the 1st week just focusing on staying within the 8 hrs we choose and if we mess up not to worry about. It is also says to do the fast for Mon - Friday. I don't know how I feel about that. It says not to exercise for the first week or two. Any way, I'm going to start it and follow the steps it suggests. However, I've already built up to the 4 days a week exercise so not sure if I will stop that, but just go on with it. There is one sweetener that is allowed and it is stevia. Oh and quality sleep is also very important. I will read the other book tomorrow.

[Wannabehealthy]

Wt still 193.5 but FBG was 190. That was the mac and cheese, probably. Next time I make it for DH I will make half as much. DH always tells me I'm not making enough, no matter what I'm making, then he never finishes it. So guess who eats it. He got that from his father. His father always said if there's no food left after everyone has eaten then it's possible that someone is still hungry and didn't get enough. So his mother always had to have leftovers from dinner. I am used to judging how much is going to be eaten and just cooking a little bit more. If he won't let me do that, I will have to become more accustomed to throwing food away. That's throwing money away IMO.

Trish, that plan sounds interesting. Who wrote these books? Actually, you are not really a beginner since you have been doing IF for a while now and have even had a smaller eating window from time to time. And you also have been exercising through that time period. But this seems to make it more official, that you are doing it consistently. The problem I would have with the exercise is that if I stopped even for a week, I would have a hard time getting back to it, so I would continue on with it. I don't see how that would matter. I wouldn't stop what I'm already doing. Will you actually continue to schedule meals during the 8 hours? The reason I ask is because sometimes your eating window turn out to be 5 or 6 hours.

[fatmad]

Staying at 158 nicely, I should change the ticker. Toady will be a fasting day again. I was going to do that yesterday, but had a nice high fat supper with DH. Tomato soup with cream, cheddar cheese, lettuce and cucumber salad with blue cheese dressing, salami.
Told him to plan for me not eating today, and we have little food in the fridge for me to worry about. He will likely have his big meal of the day at lunch with office mates, then soup for supper.
Pipsicle, welcome home, hope things settle out ok after the stress at the in-laws. Make sure DH helps get the house ready, they're his parents! And of course, lots of preparation and they may not come, or let you know until the last minute? doesn't seem very fair.
Trish, good luck with the change. IF fits with all WOEs and while you can do lower carb, you can't get too high fat, so this can help.
Carol, I can't stand throwing away good food either. I have been so pleased with myself, getting used to DD being gone and buying less, and now buying less since I am fasting frequently. I am good about using stuff up, but DH is not, and if I am fasting and not using stuff up, things may go to waste. So I am trying really hard to cook just enough. thats really difficult, because I have great hunger when I plan to eat, but my eyes are bigger than my belly and I tend to think I will eat more than I actually can. But I also can't plan too much in advance. I don't want to plan tomorrow's food yet, since its hard to fast if I am thinking too much about food. SO I will wait for tomorrow morning to make those plans. Have a good day.

[Wannabehealthy]

Mad I just have to stick to my guns with cooking less food. DH does not eat a lot and his eyes are bigger than his stomach. Unfortunately it's my stomach that ends up with the extra food. That is my problem to deal with. I should tell him he would have more money to gamble with if so much wasn't wasted on food. At work they told us if you watch your pennies the dollars take care of them selves.

[Pipsicle]

Thanks for all of the supportive thoughts. Had a nice surprise on the scale this am- down 2 pounds! When I was away, I felt like I was losing a lot of water weight and am glad to see it on the scale. DH family never stays long, usually about 4 days. It is his siblings and their SOs. His folks are no longer well enough to travel. DH is a rock star with helping out around the house. He is under terrible stress right now though. Taking care of wrapping up his dad's business obligations fell to him.


I am still working through my grumpiness from the trip and not sure why I just can't let this stuff go. Most of it is silly and petty. For example, they kept the house at about 55 degrees while we were there. They had the sliding door wide open the entire time. I mentioned I was cold and closed it half-way a couple of times to cut down on the draft. However, within 15 minutes it was wide open again. Their elderly aunt and uncle wore their coats the whole time when they came over for dinners.


Carol- I was wondering if you've answered your own question re the cauliflower. Maybe the shortage is related to all of the cauli-rice that is being made. Do you know why it should be parboiled before freeing? I put some in the freezer without parboiling before I left for my trip. I haven't tried it yet to see if it came out ok. I just didn't want to throw it away.

[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue I think I'm not going to worry about the eating window as long as I stay within a 5 to 8 hr eating window. Also Friday's have to be flexible because of going to the beauty shop. I can do one of two things. I can either take something with me in case I need it so I can keep from having to eat before 11 am while attempting to fast until lunch and make that a longer fasting day or back up my eating window to 9 on that day. Or I could take something to eat or drink just going in to see Daddy since I usually get to the facility around 11. I have not been breaking my fast until 11 am. That way if I need something to eat later, I can have a protein snack before 7 and just make it an 8 hr eating window.

I also have decided not to change what I have accomplished so far. I will continue the bike and I will work at adding some High Density exercise etc. It is suggest to do that 3 days a week at first and eventually work up to 4. I am afraid if I stop exercising for even a week that I will lose what I have gained.

Oh the book is written by a Robert Paxton. He says he wrote the book because there is so much info out there and he wants to help others do this so they don't make the mistakes he made. It pretty straight forward and explains things like he says there are 2 electorlytes we need such as potassium and magnesium and explains why. One thing is they help get rid of leg cramps. He says there are others that are important but these 2 are very important. I don't know if he goes into more detail in the

He mentions Resistant Starches which suggests Sweet potato & yams instead potato, oats instead of cereal, I don't understand this one cooked & cooked rice instead of warm and green bananas instead of other fruit.

He shared that a there was a research on Stevia that helps lower insulin and glucose levels. So I am switching to Stevia. The funny thing is DH asked me last night if I could cook with Stevia instead of Splenda so I feel like that is a sign I need to use. I put it in my coffee this morning to see and sure enough when checked before breakfast, it had come down about 15 pts.

[Wannabehealthy]

Pipsicle I don't remember why it said to parboil the cauliflower. If you Google how to freeze cauliflower you will get a lot of info. Let us know how yours is When you use it. The shortage seems to be only the frozen and people use fresh for caulirice. I don't care for it. I like bigger pieces and don't think it tastes like rice.

Trish there are some snacks near the packaged deli meat at Wal-Mart. I think they are called P3. Google that. They might help you on Friday.. Why are you to do this only M-F?.

I thought I had one of his books but I don't. Thank you for sharing what you have learned.

[Wannabehealthy]

I am getting close to bedtime without eating. DH made some egg salad and I really want some, but I am not hungry and don't want to eat it. I need to get my blood sugar down from my earlier indiscretions and don't want to take more meds. I forgot to take my water pill again today. I didn't want to take it before we went to the car dealership, then forgot to take it when I got home. I took it around 5PM. I took it late yesterday too and I was OK overnight so I will be ok now.

Trish, I meant to mention that I read that soy is ok in it's natural state, such as soy beans, but to be careful of things MADE with soy, such as soy milk, tofu, etc. I love edememe but I forget to eat it. There are so many foods that I like that DH won't go near. I tend to eat what he wants to keep peace, then I can't fit the foods in that I want. This is how I got so fat and diabetic, and I wish I hadn't allowed that to happen. Also, since I tend to eat his way during the day, evening was when I would fit in my foods. That won't work now that I am trying to stop the evening eating. I COULD move my eating window to late in the day, but I still want to eat the eggs for my firsts meal. Also, I don't want to go to bed with a full stomach. I don't want to be digesting food overnight. DH eats all day but eats small amounts. It works for him, but not for me. Once I start eating I end up eating too much. I'm better off not eating at all, and that's what Dr Fung says. It's easier to not eat at all than to eat small meals. And healthier.

[pattygirl63]

Fatmad I did see from this book and the blood work I've had since I was in the hospital shows I need magnesium. I cannot take the magnesium from Walmart. I used to buy a quality magnesium from The Vitamin Shoppe but can't remember which one I bought. Could you tell me which one you would recommend. I am going to order a better quality from there in the next few days and I thought you mentioned one to Carol Sue a while back. I appreciate your help.

Carol Sue No regular cauliflower in frozen section in Walmart. In fact there wasn't much frozen veggies. I was disappointed in the fact that they only seemed to have a lot of riced cauliflower and spiraled frozen veggies. Not the usually broccoli, cauliflower etc. I will go to main TX store, HEB Friday and see if I can get some frozen veggies there. I like cauliflower/broccoli and DH like broccoli. I get the baby broccoli cut because he likes it better, but I don't think he would like riced cauliflower. I bought something when they first came out with frozen cauliflower foods like mashed cauliflower to replace mashed potatoes and neither one of us like it. I'm sorry but I don't care what you do with cauliflower to make resemble potatoes.... for me I still am eating cauliflower. It does not fool me into thinking I am eating potatoes. When eat any cauliflower dish, it is a new cauliflower recipe plain and simple.

DH had me get a package of Stevia. It has a recipe on there for peanut butter cookies. I read to see what it uses for flour and it uses whole wheat so I also got 5 lb bag of whole wheat. I will see if I can find a cookbook for cooking with it so DH can have some of his favorite sweet foods. I got me some B6 to see if that helps my hands and I found the Cherry Tart Extract to take when I go to bed.

I've decided that what I am doing is okay as long as I stay within the 8 hr window. I read on the FB support group that some people mix up their windows. One person shared that she mostly does 8 hr eating with 16 hr fast, but that she there are times when she does OMAD or OMAD with snacking within her 8 hrs making it less than 8 hrs eating. So what I could do on Friday is either lengthen my fast until 3 which would be one way to get a 20 hr fast one day a week. Or I could make a couple of boiled eggs and a cheese stick to eat on the way to see Daddy after I leave the beauty shop. I used to go too low when I fasted longer and I've been afraid of doing that again when out by myself. However, I haven't had one of those feelings in a long time so I'm thinking my body has adjusted to those low readings so I probably would have no problem at all. I may just take a cheese stick with my Friday and try fasting. I have time to decide. I didn't see your note about the snacks at Walmart till I got back home, but I will see if HEB has something like that when I go there Friday.

I've decided that using his guidelines that I have already done almost 2 weeks of IF with a few days over my 8 hrs. The purpose for the 1st 2 weeks is to establish and adjust to a habit of 8 hr eating. I feel like that is what I've been doing. What the book has done to help me is that when it looks like it isn't working.... KEEP ON KEEPING ON because it really is working. I just can't see it yet. I saw that today by reading other IFers experience. So I am already getting better at staying within the 8 hrs plus I already do the exercise. I will add other exercises and hope to get myself up to 45 min 3 or 4 days a week.

I don't know why he said Monday through Friday, but I will continue doing this everyday. It is my goal to make the 8 hr limit a lifestyle and taking 2 days off does not appear to be a lifestyle to me. I figure if I'm hungry for only a 5 hr eating window one day then I will only eat 5 hrs. If I'm hungry for 8 hrs, then I will eat within 8 hrs. There might even be a day I only need one meal. That is where a slight IF/IE conbo will be helpful. The main thing I think I need to do right now is adjust to eating healthier foods. For me eating healthy foods is eating foods that has the chance to heal my body such as build up my bones with dairy, etc.

I talked to the RN at the nurses station and asked her to see if the doctor will okay the B6 for Daddy's hands. She agreed that it might help him with the pain and it won't hurt him at all. Thankfully he has been approved for the occupational therapy for his arms and hands and started that today. It seems to lift him up because he like doing therapy. DH found his cushion that he needs to sit on to help with that bed sore he gets. We had to lift him a little to get it under him and I have to say it was really hard. His legs just aren't strong enough to help us any more and that is due to no exercise. He is losing what he had gained. So sad.

My baby sister and her DH came by yesterday on the way to see Daddy. I called her today to thank them for coming by and she told me that Daddy told her that he is ready to leave us. He told her this isn't living and he has had a good life but there is no reason for him to stay here. He has been telling DS and me for a long time. I told her that I had told her son when he was going to get Daddy for TG that it is getting close to time for us to let him go. I had promised Daddy when he started going down hill that I wasn't ready to let him go, but that I would let him go when it is time. I started preparing my nephew because he fell apart when Daddy had the stroke and begged Daddy not to leave him. I think Daddy is preparing us for his departure. He told DS and me both one day, "You know there is going to come a day that you have to let me go". DH Mother told me for a year before she died that when she died everything in our house would belong to me. She prepared me for a year. That blessed woman lived for 4 yrs after we married and we became so close as Mother and daughter and she spent that year preparing me. She was a wonder MIL.

We took Daddy some chili for his dinner and he really enjoyed it. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting with him and I treasure every visit. It gets harder and harder to leave him, but I thank God for every day we still have him.

Sorry I'm so wordy tonight.

[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, I'm curious to hear Mad's answer about magnesium. There are a lot of different forms. Many people on low carb take it to ease constipation. I think that's probably the one you got at Walmart, and I don't think you need that feature. I know I do not. It's very rare for me to be constipated. I don't even know if I have a shortage. The only sign that I do is the leg cramps, and I haven't had them for several nights. I am back to eating a half banana daily and I occasionally use the magnesium lotion on my legs at bedtime, when I remember. I hate putting things like that on overnight because they I have to go to the bathroom and wash my hands. I touch my face and eyes during the night and don't want to have anything like that on my hands.

I saw the P3 snacks in our Walmart, but I don't have any need for them. They contain things like deli meat, cheese and nuts...several varieties. They are in a refrigerated case, so I don't know if they have to be refrigerated. They would be good for me to take in the car for longer trips, but I am not usually away from food more than a couple hours. We have just developed a habit of snacking in the car.....crackers or pretzels. We stopped buying the pretzels we used to buy. I became addicted to them. I am amazed at the number of foods I used to eat all the time that I never eat now. It's amazing that I haven't lost more weight. I guess I'm replacing them with other foods. I am losing, but painfully slow. 6 months ago I was bouncing around 206, and I have been in the 190s for all this time since. Not a big drop, but I'm maintaining it.

I know it will be so very hard for you to lose your Dad, but I know you realize that it is part of the life cycle. He has had a very long and enjoyable life.