Congrats Aphil!! I'm just looking to hit my first 10, and like Hottie, get below that 200 mark! And yes, I know I need new shoes, Mom. ;) I'll be ok with these for a couple more weeks though, till after I pay off a few bills and pick up that starter freeweight set. Priorities, yaknow.

Raventoy-if you stay on plan...you should be under the 200 mark next month no problem...I did a big happy dance when I hit 199-and I will do one for you both when you get there!
(commences to shredding her size 18's one by one)
Aphil

Way to go Aphil!! :flow1: You are on a roll girl!!

Holly, I can't wait to get down to the weight you are. You are doing great!!

RavenToy, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we are going to keep having these warm temps...couldn't believe how windy it got later in the day though. Just no more rain for a while, I hope.

Tryin'hard, I am eagerly anticipating my little veture out to the Chinese restaurant...I'll see if they have a "low cal" option...never even thought about that. Before I starting trying to lose weight, my husband and I would visit a Chinese buffet about once a week...boy was that a big no no!! I didn't realize how many calories we were eating and thought it would be hard to give up. I like the idea of going somewhere and ordering just what you want and paying just for that. The whole buffet concept is not good for me...I wish I could go to Outback and order ala carte and half-portions. I have the most awful time not wanting to waste food...I was raised to clean my plate and that is so hard not to do when you go out!:cbg:

Hope everyone's week is off to a great start!!

K.C.--lots of strategies for eating out:
1. order an appetizer and a salad. Most appetizers are big enough for a dinner!
2. do not be afraid to ask for stuff on the side and don't be ashamed to send it back if it doesn't come the way you ordered it. remember--you're paying big bucks!
3. share an entree with someone.
4. ask the waiter to immediately put half in a doggie bag.
5. enjoy yourself! remember, this is a life long journey and we need to be able to go out to dinner!!
We can do it!

Hello everyone! First of all..WAY TO GO APHIL!! That is great! 30 lbs. gone FOREVER! And to tryin' hard that is some good advise about going out to eat. One of my problems is that I used to implement "cheat night" where I could eat anything I wanted for one meal per week. Problem was I was using it way more than needed and it would become an excuse to pig out. So it's best for me to just stick to a regular plan that I can live with.

Holly, I was thinking about weighing in on Fridays. That way if I do slip a little on the week-end (if I am going to have a slip up, it is usually on the week end when I am not at work and not in a regular schedule) I'll have the week to get my body back on track.

Well, I'm at work and getting ready to go home. Then hubby and I are going to the gym. Everyone have a great day!

Hello everyone!
Here is a little advice I have about eating out:
Look over the menu and see if they have a fresh fruit salad or grilled chicken salad and when you find a restaurant that has low fat/healthier choices available-talk your spouse or friends into going to that certain restaurant!
Here are some great finds I have found-to save all of you the work:
1.) Bob Evans fresh fruit plate-it is HUGE and low calorie/low point-full of fresh strawberries, watermelon, cantalaupe, and fresh pineapple-not canned. They also have a lowfat chicken stir fry-higher in calorie, but this is where the doggie bag comes in-1160 calories and 9 grams of fat for all of it-but eat half now and box the other half for tomorrow's lunch-and it is 580 calories and 4.5 grams of fat per serving.
2.) Dairy Queen's small strawberry Breeze-290 calories and 1 gram of fat. It is like a blizzard, but made with fat free frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. Their sugar free and fat free bars in various flavors also run between 50-60 calories each, or 1 WW point-and they have a grilled chicken sandwich for 310 calories and 10 grams of fat. Nice to know we can have a little ice cream now and then, huh?
3.) Fazoli's SMALL size spaghetti and marinara/tomato sauce-345 calories and 6 grams of fat-pair that with a breadstick for 130 calories and 4 grams of fat, or a cup of theri minestrone soup for 90 calories and 1 gram of fat-and you have a reasonable supper out for less than 500 calories.
4.) Red Lobster shrimp cocktail-at 80 calories and .5 grams of fat
5.) Steak and Shake single steakburger-at 280 calories and 7 grams of fat-one of the lowest fat "burgers" in popular restaurant chains-the key is to avoid the shakes and fries when you go in there...wink, wink.
6.)Subway, Subway, Subway...lots of choices here and the nutrition info is on the napkins or easily found on their websites.
7.)Wendy's Grilled chicken sandwich-290 calories and 7 grams of fat, or their small chili-at 210 calories and 7 grams of fat. They also have tons of great salads and carry fat free dressing-info can be found at their site.
8.) Applebee's full size low fat blackened chicken salad with honey mustard dressing-411 calories and 5 grams of fat-or their lowfat chicken quesadilla at 510 calories and 10 grams of fat.
When in doubt, order ala carte from restaurants like Denny's, Waffle and Pancake houses, etc. if you have your calories or points guide with you, you can figure up good choices for yourself-because bagels, plain toast and jam, an egg-things like this are pretty much the same calories or points no matter the brand. A small or child size orange juice is equal to about a 1 cup serving size-a large one is usually equal to about 16 oz.-or 2 cups-so you have to watch that.
Aphil

Way to go Amy, you deserve the 3FatChick happy dancers,,, :dance: :cb: :dancer: You are going to be at your goal in now time!! You are doing wonderful!!!

Welcome home Jacklyn,, nice to see you are back with us!! :wave:

Well girls, I am a nervous wreck about my WW meeting on Wednesday, but I know I have to go face the music. Ill just have to get over it and move on right???

I am also going to the doctor on Wednesday morning, as since I have been on my new Thyroid medicine, my heart just races and races. So going to see what he has to say about that. And also it will be my last visit to the big "loser" doctor. I do hope once I get to Calgary Ill be able to find one that I really trust and feel comfortable with.

Bruce will be home friday night WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And then the whole next week we will be packing up the house and then we fly back to Calgary on the 23rd. I am so excited.

Well going to run for now,, got some more packing up to do.

Have a a great night everyone and keep smilin :)

Nancy:df:

Eating Out
 

Thanks everyone for all the great advice concerning how to eat out without blowing the dieting. How wonderful it will be to actually get to take a break from cooking and spend a little time with DH and not LOOK like I'm watching every calorie. You don't want to be so obvious that everyone can tell you're counting calories. I have really missed getting a "treat" now and then too. Poor DH has had to go along on this ride as well since I really did not know how to deal with the selections in the restaurants. (I actually think he's lost a little weight too but I haven't said anything to him lest he think I thought he needed to.) :lol:

At home, I stock the cookie jars with "pinwheels" which I cannot stand. I know a lot of people like them but they remind me of "moon pies" and I just am not tempted to eat them. When DH gets home from work each evening, he has to get a cookie or some M & M's before heading for the shower. I keep the peanut M & M's on the counter and don't eat those either as I like the plain ones.

My son, who is a junior in H.S., has decided that eating in the lunchroom is just too "greasy" so I have had to go back to packing his lunch every evening for the next day. I do this after dinner so I'm not tempted to "sample" any chips and also try to buy items he likes (but I don't) so I won't eat those during the day.

If it is halfway decent tomorrow morning, I'm going to the park to walk instead of down to the "dungeon" and onto the treadmill. Maybe I'll watch the squirrels running around and pretend it's already spring.:hyper:

I'm ready!
 

Ok.. I'm back.. in diet mode!
Today was my 6 week post partum appointment. I now have the go ahead to exercise. Dr suggested I start on the treadmill 10 minutes a day. I started counting calories today too. Didn't quite hit 1500 for the day! Not too bad :)

I was down 19 pounds but I'm back up 2 so my official start weight will be 174lbs. I have 21 more pregnancy pounds to lose and then I'd like to lose at least 20 more on top of that. I'm hoping to be able to accomplish this by my 29th birthday (I'll be 28 this month)...

It's good to be back!
Wish me luck!

Christine
174/174/130
first goal: 169

Good mornign everyone!
Nancy-it sounds so good to hear you back in a better mood again! I know you will feel much better and more motivated when you are with him full time again!
GeorgiaLady-I am so glad all of our restaurant advice helped. I always try to coerce my dh to take me to restaurants where I have found good choices, and then we can eat and I don't mention my watching what I eat-I just order and enjoy it. I also do what you do with the at home snacks for Jason and the kids...I buy ones that they like but I don't care for, so they areen't deprived and I am not tempted. Kudos for buying the peanut M&Ms-I like the plain ones too-I can have a whole bag of peanut ones there and I won't eat them!
Silence-welcome back! Your doctor is so right! Taking it slow with 10 minutes a day at first is the way to go...and as that sweet baby is sleeping longer and you are more rested, you can slowly ease it up bit by bit...if you have a good stroller I am sure you will have some nice walks with that baby when it warms up a bit. :)
Guess what? My dance teacher has asked me for help with her performing dance troupe's new costumes! She just emailed me, and wants me to bring pics of costumes I have made to class tonight! I am going to get the details tonight on what they want, when they want it...I am so excited. When I progress after a year or so, I am hoping to join her troupe, so this is a great way to get in their "good graces." :D it will also be neat to say-"look, I made those" while they are on stage! Yahoo!
Well, I best be going-I have to work on these abs and get the house straightened before my sister in law gets here later.
Aphil

Way to go Aphil....you'll be teaching a dance class one of these days!!:cb:

Aphil, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Way to go!!! We are all so happy and pumped for you!!

hottie - I love your Grommit avatar! :D

Christine, Welcome Back!!! So good to have you back with us. I think you have set a very reasonable and do-able goal for your birthday next year!

Nancy, I'll be wishing you a good meeting tomorrow night. And HOORAY for you to be with your dear husband Friday!! On your last visit to the jerk-doctor, think of something crazy to do to him - like swipe one of his "diplomas" off the wall on your way out :devil:

Thanks, Jacklyn, I will also weight and post the weight on Fridays. So I will be good and not peek at the scale 'til then.

Hello tryin'hard, GeorgiaLady, and RavenToy!

The "words of wisdom" I'm going to take with me today from Aphil, is about stepping up the pace when things get too easy. I realize now that for a LONG time I was doing exercise routines, and not even breaking a sweat. Just being able to complete them comfortably, and I thought it was OK. On my cheesy "Buns of Steel" video Greg tells me, "gotta put the work into it, to see the results!" and if that means going "argh! ahhh!" while it feels like there is a FIRE in my muscles, then that is good!!

Have a great day!

Your friend, Holly

Holly,,, You are crack me up :lol: :lol: :lol: I can just see myself dashing out of the doctors office with his cracker jack box medical diploma tucked under my arm...see ya doc!!!!!!!!!!! :wave:

Thanks for the laugh this morning, I'm at work, so Ill check back later on.... have a great day everyone !!!

Nancy :df:

Nancy-Holly's idea gave me another joke you can play on that doctor...I have seen these "gag envelopes" in gift stores like Spencer's-and I am sure if you can't find any you could use the computer or a typwriter and make one yourself. The idea of the joke is to send a business sized letter to the doctor's office, but instead of your name/address being in the left upper corner, there is something else, like:
The Transvestite Rights Organization
P.O. Box 000
Make up a city, state and zip code
at the bottom have: Your welcome package enclosed!
You can make up any old thing you want, and there are many fields that can delve into-use your imagination. The idea is the emberassment when he recieves it, knowing that his mail carrier, secretary, nurses, etc. have seen that envelope and are wondering about it... :devil: I am SO terrible. :lol:
Aphil

Good morning everyone!
Class lat night was great-we started dancing with veils, and learned to do a "barrel roll" where two women get together holding 2 veils-(with each of you holding the opposite ends of the same 2 veils-so you make a rectangle with your bodies and the veils if you were looking from the ceiling.) Then you both sortof twirl in the same direction, flipping one veil up in the air, and the other down below, both of them creating a full circle-so the veils make a full circle around as you both twirl. It is hard to explain, but really gorgeous.
I hopped on the scale this morning-and I am down another pound to 180!!!!!
:strong:
It is so great to know that the next pound down will have me in the 170's-I am so motivated-I am really on a roll!!!
Holly-I did the Buns of Steel old Greg Smithey tape Monday for lower body strength training-and then did my regular abs and upper body routine-I was thinking of you the whole time! My inner thighs are STILL sore! I like to keep that old tape around for a change of pace now and then...that man just about kills me every time! :lol:
Something I wanted to talk about-I read and research a lot-is "superfoods" or extremely nutrient dense foods. I have been reading a lot about it lately-and it totally rings true. Americans are the most "overfed" but "starving" group of people there is. We have plenty to eat, ut we usually choose such poor foods, that our bodies are starving for the proper nutrients.
I have been trying to eat very nutrient dense foods whenever possible, and keeping my "treat" foods limited to about 100-150 of my calories a day-trying hard to make the rest of them as healthy as possible. Here are some very nutrient dense foods that we should all try to get in our diets regularly.
1.)Broccoli-contains tons of antioxidants that help prevent some cancers by helping the body detoxify carcenogenic (cancer causing) substances from the environment and diet.
2.)Tomatoes and Tomato sauces-contains lycopene, which helps the body fight disease and prevents cell damage.
3.)Nuts-a lot of dieters avoid nuts because they are high in calories for such a small servign size-but they are loaded with nutrients, so it would be a good idea to include them now and then-the fat that they contain are actually a good kind of fat, that helps to lower your bad cholesterol levels, and they help to prevent abnormal blood clotting-which can cause strokes. They are loaded with fiber, and have a ton of B vitamins like meats do-so it is a great source of this for those of us who do not eat much meat.
4.)Citrus fruit and juice-the pectin in it can help reduce bad cholesterol levels, and it has a ton of vitamin C. It also has antioxidants which help prevent the narrowing of arteries-in layman's terms-it helps prevent heart problems and stroke.
5.)Oats/oatmeal-the fiber can help reduce fat absorption into our bodies from food if eaten regularly, and helps prevent the constricting of our arteries, and can help lower your cholesterol.
6.)Eggs-one egg contains a high amount of the most complete and usable protein in our bodies. Don't throw away the yolks if you are eating a plain egg, and not using it in a recipe-most of the beneficial nutrients are there. Remember the days before all of the fancy protein supplements? Rocky's trainer knew what he was doing when he had him drinking those raw eggs! They contain tons of protein, properties that are essential for brain development and maintenance, and lutein, which helps age related eye damage.
7.)Legumes-(beans, peas) packed with fiber and loaded with folate, which prevents birth defects and heart disease, they also help stabilize high blood pressure, and help regulate blood sugar.
Eat up!
Aphil :D