OgDog13 - I feel your pain - well not really because i hate chocolate covered cherries. although maybe after all this deprivation i love them now who knows...

so - it's our local Trapper's Festival here this weekend - started last night. There are dog races, trapper contests, jigging and the whole nine yards. BUT there's also pancake breakfasts and stew with bannock is a tradition. warm bannock with jam - you just can't get any better than that...unless it's the beerfest...

Actually, I've been on and off east coast swing dancing for about ten years now. At one point while I was at Tech I was going every week, but then the people who drove me had to graduate and move away for work... such priorities. I stopped going once I broke my foot, because I managed to break my pivot foot (yeah, also the foot I drive with) and it just hurt too much. I've gone once or twice since I started losing weight, though, and while I definitely feel it the next morning, I can go three hours and barely notice it now. I've already scheduled myself to go to another dance in mid-March, and I'm very much looking forward to it.

I had a friend teach me the basics of salsa once before, and it was a lot of fun. The next thing I want to learn is blues dancing, it's so sexy!

What is bannock?

When you say big pudding, do you mean 2 packs? hint hint...

bannock - lots of people make it differently but basically it is like a big baking powder biscuit. instead of cutting it up into small biscuits it's left in a big piece and baked. some are more like the baking powder biscuits and some are more like a dough. "stolen" from the scottish probably.

OgDog13 i know you posted some pudding recipes but i've had a look and there are just so many pages on the recipe section - off the top of your head, what's your suggestion for making pudding using this bulk protein i bought. should i just mix a scoop into the unsweetened pudding mix? I know, i know, it's sweetened with aspartame - but that seemed like more of a personal preference of Dr. tran's - he doesn't "trust" it.

Birman...I like the way you do this and still have great results. Do you stay in Ketosis? Thanks!

I am here...I am here. Had to stay away from the internet for a few days...cuz I want to get on and check or research something ALL day long. . I was trying to set a timer to only stay on a halfhour....but that didn't work....so now I turn it off completely.

Wow...I loved all the balloons and all. Yeah, my birthday isn't until Monday....but I have been pretending it was my birthday all night long (cuz I got a free dessert at the Mexican restaurant our Red Hat group went to)....and YES...I ate it (bread pudding...my comfort food....altho I just couldn't eat in at one sitting....had to break it up in 3's -- but I got thru it...and it feels like a rock in my stomach.

Red Hat function.....The Red Hat Society was started a few years back...it is basically a bunch of old ladies dressing up in red hats and purple dresses (there is that poem....When I am old, I shall wear purple with a red hat that doesn't go......" or something like that. It is an international society. I started our small group 4-1/2 years ago when I moved back to Michigan....we are from a very SMALL town (9 in my graduating class!!)...so I just called up old schoolchums and my mom's friends and got the word out. We have about 25 members. I was queen of the group (yeah, tiara and all)...but once Eddie went to Iraq, I found I just couldn't focus on all the planning and the "nitpicking." So I resigned....I only go once in awhile now....But I was in a good mood tonight...The way I look at it...I am gonna be 63...so God gave me another year. My hubby died at 59....he didn't even get to see 60! The last 2 years I cried a lot on my birthday cuz Eddie always tried to make it special. This year....I am just glad to be alive (must be all that therapy, huh??).

I am overwhelmed with all I have to do here before I leave again for 3 weeks...I am finding it very hard to focus and am all over the place. Gonna lock myself in the house AGAIN for the next 3 days...I only got 1 tshirt and 1 pr of capris done last weekend (too slow of a sewer). BUT -- Yesterday -- I did find a bathing suit!! And a bra!! It took me 5 hours of trying things on...I got the suit at Kohls (never knew they carried suits). Hard thing was....I am a 10-12 on the bottom....and still a 16 on the top (why can't my boobs go down to my butt??!). So I had to keep going from the Misses department to the Womens Plus department...back again...trying to find TWO pieces that kinda matched! Still that is a big load off my shoulders.

I got roped into driving to the function tonight....Yesterday was the first time I have driven my car for more than 10 minutes....and I thought I knew where all the bells and whistles were. I don't drive well at night since my cataract surgery 4 years ago. Anyways....I found out there are LOTS of things I still need to learn (like...where are the highbeams?) How do I answer my bluetooth off the steering wheel (I kept cutting people off on the phone? Stupid car locks all the doors everytime I put it in drive....so everyone riding with me was constantly locked in!! I was pretty stressed once I got home. Oh and get this....I found out my car can parallel park by itself!! (Yeah, right...like I would trust a car to do that!!), Well...if it can parallel park...why can't it just drive me? I ended up passing up the restaurant -- so I didn't think the car was so smart after all. (Plus I told the girls that I didn't want a car that was smarter than me....lol!!)

OK ...it is 1:45am....I really gotta go to bed. The bread pudding feels like a rock. Yesterday...I broke down and stopped and got breaded perch and mashed potatoes "for my birthday." How come it didn't taste as good as I imagined it would? (it is one of my favorite meals at this restaurant). Probably cuz I knew I shouldn't be eating breaded perch...mashed potatoes...bread. So between these 2 days.....I really goofed up my plan.

I did make pudding with the added whey powder early in the diet. It tasted yucky to me!! I followed the recipe that Ogdog had put up on the recipe section. We gotta find another answer for me.....I like the idea of a BIG pudding at night!!

I miss you all....but trying to keep my nose to the grindstone.

Hi everyone and happy belated birthday to all of you February babies!! THings are going a little better for me. I finally moved to the next stage of my weight loss. Into the 70's now, so happy to finally moved the scale. Still working on the motivation aspect, and the fact that i seem to do perfect throughout the work week and get a "little" careless on the weekends. Either way, it seems to be working, maybe slower, but with things going on in my life right now i am kind of content with this. Not hugely happy mind you, but content! lol

Thanks for all the info on the egg whites and stuff - looked at those containers in the store on more than one occasion. The IP omelettes are one of my favorite and it would be nice to have something cheaper if it works the same.

Nice thing is that my hockey boys are finished for the season next week. Although i will miss them, it will be nice not to have to cook such "hardy" meals. My husband still has 6 weeks left in the city, so I can (for once) only worry about my meals!!!! VERY excited about that!!! I have been cooking for 3 -20year old boys and a husband for so long.....this will truly be a treat. Every time i think i will miss them, this huge smile keeps appearing on my face! Does that make me bad? haha

By the way, ironically i just read a post on the other thread suggesting that us "alternate plan" people form another thread so as not to confuse them.....thought we were chastized for doing this once before already?? anyways there was plenty of feedback and seems the general opinion is that everyone has a goal to lose weight, and that the 3FC forum is not all about strict IP and that everyones needs should be supported. Interesting read. Something we have never talked about much before - Do some people get really "*****y" doing this diet? My goodness, i just like to read all the posts to keep me focused. Holy heck, imagine if they would have read all the posts about the robot vacuum!! LMAO!!

Okay, the recipes for puddings start on page 26 in the recipes section. What would I do? Let me see if I can make some tonight with almond milk and protein powder. It still has carbs but not as many as cow milk.

We can't win can we? Haha. Oh well, most people seem to be supporting our learning to eat healthy, using whatever ways work for us!!

Most of us, including myself, on the other board appreciate you all and your feedback, knowledge & insight - no matter what food you're eating. The principles are the same so who cares what means you use to achieve the end result as far as I'm concerned. Please don't let a few opinions chase you away

And I ♥ my roomba and love that you all talked about it for so long

Thanks Jordanna. Do you have the roomba that vacuums or washes? I want the washing one. How good are they at going over humps though. I have some "humps" between floors.

I am going to a big Salsa dance on Feb. 27 with a live band! East Coast Swing is very popular in my town. There's a lot of high school age kids that dance like that! It is great to watch.

I danced Salsa with an experienced partner at a street fair last Sunday and I didn't become breathless even though it's been about 2 years since I danced.

I also climbed a big hill without difficulty a few days ago. It's great to be in a lighter body!

As soon as I get over this 10 day (day 6 and I feel terrible) head cold I will get back to the gym and really kick it up on the aerobics and weight training.

I want to be ready for short sleeves and shorts! And I will need a new swimsuit.

Hey Ogdog I have the vacuuming roomba and while I don't have carpet (all hardwood) what I do have is a living room that is half rubber mats for my little guy to play on...the rubber mats are about a half an inch thick and it goes up and down on and off there no problems. It's super great for getting pet hair out of the corners where it likes to collect. I find if I do it everyday it keeps the dog hair down to a minimum. My guess would be that yes it would go over the humps fairly easily...unless I have the heavy trekker version or something lol.