Winter Plan - It's whatever you make it!
 

I am late getting our winter plan thread up. I have been quiet I know. But I am ruminating and thinking about my winter plan. Of course my first plan is to get the scale to match up with my ticker. That will probably be the first month of winter if I am lucky. I have been off kilter a while but have slowly been getting myself back in the groove of things. Workouts this week have been great. Food has been, well holiday food, though I was really much worse last month around my birthday and Thanksgiving. I scoured the house today of the last of the treats. They are all gone now, delivered to my lovely mother who can control herself around sweets. Wish I had inherited that natural ability! Anyway, I will be back with thoughts on my goals for the new year. Not that much different than any other year, but I am closer to that one particular goal than ever so maybe this will be my year. More later. Hope everyone can hop on and post and I will try to be better about posting too.

Thanks for a new thread, ledom. I also will try to be better about posting. I've been in sort of in a funk lately and lost interest in a lot of things. But, things are starting to look brighter now. I want to start walking again and I have an idea of what type of eating plan I want to do, and I'm mulling things over now. There have been a couple of new diet books out that I've read that have good advice. I don't think I can follow either plan, but I can make use of their guidelines.
Maybe we all can meet our goals in 2007!

Ledom. thanks for the new thread. i like it. yes i to will try to come in more often also. we can do this. glad holidays were good both your ways. I had a very nice one. yes aleka i to am trying to get my plan together also. i read alot of plans and to use the things from them and fit to me. so lets get our acts together this new 2007 year. our year to do it.. i want to start more exercise also. i love the fresh air for my lungs to. well good luck this new year and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU. LaDean

Have A Happy New Year
 

aleka, also wishing you and the others a :newyear: :wizard: this i wish is a good year for all of us. LaDean::cheer:

Hi, all~

I'm not sure what the focus is for these seasonal plan threads, but I'm looking for a place to post what I plan to eat for the week. Please redirect me if I shouldn't be doing it here.

My signature is outdated. My diet fell apart last summer when my knee had a variety of problems that kept me from walking. I love to walk and couldn't get myself to switch to other forms of exercise... anyway, I don't have the heart to adjust that pounds ticker upward, so I'm going to leave it as is as motivation to get back to that point.

Anyway, I don't know that I have a seasonal plan. The diet I like to follow is my own: heavy on vegetables, low in fat, nothing actually forbidden, loosely tracking calories, though the idea is to get in the nutritious stuff before allowing any extras.

Anyway, this week's dinner menu (most of these are multiple portion recipes, which I freeze and take to work for lunch):

Chicken & Eggplant in Garlic Sauce over Rice

Cabbage Roll Casserole (cabbage, onions, tomatoes & tomato sauce, lean ground sirloin, seasonings)

Adas be Sabanigh (a Middle Eastern dish of lentils, potatoes, spinach, onions, lemon, cilantro, and I sometimes mix in a little plain yogurt for creaminess)

African Yam & Peanut Stew (this week's experiment, as I'll be adjusting a recipe, but it'll have onions, carrots, peppers, yellow squash)

Shrimp Tacos (salad greens, onions, peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, seasonings, and yes, some cheese)

London Broil, Baked Potato, Broccoli

Tofu Stirfry (bok choy, bean sprouts, celery, carrots, onions and peppers) over Rice

Breakfasts are usually oatmeal (the real kind, not instant) and fruit or a fruit & milk smoothie. But a couple mornings a week I have eggs or low-fat waffles or French toast instead.

I'm actually pretty excited about this week's menu. I plan a menu every week, diet or no. (I stick to it with varying degrees of success, depending on whether I'm up to cooking or not, but I'll cook most of these over the long weekend to start the New Year right.) I notice there are lots of peppers this week, but I love them in most things and actually bought too many and need to use them up.

Okay, that's enough for now.

Hi Siena - you are very welcome to post here. There are no rules and everyone is welcome. Man, I love your menu. It sounds like you are a great cook. I have never heard of Adas be Sabanigh, but it sounds very interesting. I make a few Middle Eastern dishes, I love that kind of food. From time to time I list menus but mine get pretty monotonous as I tend to make the same things over and over. I also like to cook once on the weekend and then have things ready in the fridge for the coming week. I ALSO have an outdated ticker. Jan. 2 is my get serious date. I tend to follow a body builders diet and I have a pretty rigorous workout plan which includes a lot of weights and cardio as well. I love outdoor sports of kayaking and hiking. More so in warm weather than in winter but I keep both up as time and weather allows in the winter. So glad to have you here.

Hi Siena,
Welcome! It's nice to meet you. It sounds like you enjoy cooking and your menu sounds really tasty. I tend to cook and eat the same things over and over. I like what you're doing for an eating plan, which is on the idea of something I would like to try. I'm leaning towards eating whole foods, nothing processed, eating when hungry, and stopping when satisfied. I also like to walk for exercise. I had been walking quite regularly, but for one reason or another I stopped haven't been able to get back into the swing of things. But, starting Jan. 2nd I'll be back out there walking again, as I have found a walking partner and we can keep each other motivated. I'll be looking forward to your posts.

Hi, siena, WELCOME... so glad you joined us. your menu's sound good yes. its fun to share our menu's as we get different idea's and all. i get to eating same things alot to. so thanks so much for sharing. yes that is a good idea to fix it ahead like that. we are retired so i tend to just fix when were hungry. but when i do plan ahead works out better. i love exercising and have gotten behind with mine. but this new year i will get with it again. i walk the dog but going to add my walk to that. then i ride my exercise bike some. and starting after first of year start line dancing again. love my dancing. i loss 33 lbs and have kept it off for 2 years now. but i need to lose some more. so loss on the atkins. but cannot face it again. so now its watch portions for me eat what i want. and allow for with calories and carbs i watch. well good luck to you sounds like your doing good. LaDean

Thanks, all, for your welcomes!

Ledom, I actually am not a great cook. Not naturally talented, and can mess up even when following a recipe I've made for years. <sigh> I tend to be better at bowl-type meals, so I make a lot of those.

Aleka, I actually don't like to cook, but I like to eat, and the best way to get the food the way I want it is to cook it. Especially when I'm trying to lose weight.

LaDean, the reason I try to make food ahead is because I just can't wait when I'm hungry. In fact, I had the best of intentions to diet yesterday and it totally fell apart. By the time I ate, I was starving and ate all wrong. This morning, too.

But I re-started my diet at noon and made the shrimp tacos. Will make the chicken & garlic sauce for dinner (before I get too hungry!!) and the cabbage roll casserole & adas be sabanigh today for tomorrow's meals and to freeze.

Ledom, I couldn't tell you what adas be sabanigh stands for, but it's a much tastier dish than it sounds from the ingredients. Also tastes better than it looks (at least, better than mine ever looks). If you're interested, I can post the recipe.

Btw, one of the reasons I'm so pleased with this week's menu is that I tend to eat the same things a lot, too. Some of the things I'll make this week will have 4-6 portions, so I'll be eating them again and again. But they're different from the things I've been making lately, at least.

Everyone's exercise plans sound good, too. I will walk as I'm able, will do yoga stretches and I've resolved (which is optimistic, because I haven't done it yet) to do my Pilates, Susan Powter, t'ai chi and qi gong exercise videos. Maybe posting here will make me more accountable.

Oh, me again.

After signing off, I kept thinking about how all three of you said you make the same things over and over. So I wondered, what do you all make? And when you're not dieting, do you still make the same things? A different set of things, but repeated over and over? Please share.

I had to pull my recipe for Adas Be Sabanigh out of my humongous, messy recipe collection, so I figured I'd post it.

1/2 lb. lentils, washed and picked over
1 cup sliced or minced onions
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped (I use pre-minced)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
10 oz. spinach, either a box of frozen (thawed) or freshly steamed
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chunked
salt & pepper
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Place lentils in a saucepan, pour in enough water to top the lentils by 1-2 inches, and bring to a boil.
2. Cook, covered, about 20 minutes. (They won't be done, but they'll continue to cook in Step 5.)
3. Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic, then stir in the cilantro.
4. Add the spinach, and saute 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add the potatoes, lentils, and enough of the lentil cooking liquid to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
6. Lower the heat and simmer 1 hour or until thick and soupy.
7. Stir in the lemon juice.

I often serve this over rice (yes, rice and potatoes in the same dish) and stir in plain yogurt.

:newyear:

Happy New Year, everyone.

Hi, carol. same to you. have missed you. glad to see you back. this new year we are all going to do this.. good luck to all. LaDean

I had a little trouble finding it so just searched the words. I've been forgoing sweets and trying to eat more veggies but my DH likes to cook and is sabotaging me. ha! He's so funny. He tells me not to eat certain things and then feels bad when I don't eat his baked goods. Hope I can resist temptation. On the sad side, I saw a man die yesterday. We always go to a fun gym day on Jan.1 where some play basketball, others volley ball and others board games. After one round of bball a 55 yr. old man had a heart attack. Such a shock. We didn't know him too well but his wife and 16 yr. old daughter were there, too.

Whoa Carol - how horrifying. Such a sad start to a new year for that poor family. If one needed a lesson from that experience I suppose the importance of keeping yourself healthy is one.

My week/year has gotten off to a good start. I have been able to jump back into clean eating and exercise with minimal trouble. The start date of Jan. 2 seemed to do the trick - I was relieved to see it roll around. Though I ate a lot things that I should not have over the last month or so, I think I threw away even more food. It just got crazy there for a while. I'd buy a pint of ice cream, eat some and then throw away the rest in a sort of nightmarish war between old ledom and new ledom. Not fun. I am not weighing for a while but I hope by the time I go back to work in a couple of weeks my jeans will be fitting again. I have been getting rid of clothes as I shrank out of them. I wondered at the wisdom of that and as I started reaching for one size back I really began to see why it was a good thing. I have cute new clothes - I like wearing those cute clothes and I am unwilling to buy larger sizes so there you are. I am getting my confidence back that it won't be long until I'll be looking good in them. Once I get back in my "skinny jeans" I plan to buy a size smaller to work my way into.

Hope everyone else is finding things easier in the new year as well.

Thanks for the recipe Sienna - that sounds good.

I don't think I mentioned here that I recently joined a gym. It is less than a mile from my house. Though I have a nice setup in my basement I felt I needed something to knock me out of my rut. I am loving this gym. There are so many machines and varieties of ways to workout there and it is easier. With my home gym there is a lot of work involved in setting up the equipment for different exercises, not so at the gym where you just walk from one specialized piece of equipment to another. It is taking a while to learn just how to use everything. There is a pretty good vibe there too. After the initial couple visits when I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb I am really enjoying the energy I get from working out with other people around.

So I'll say it once again, with meaning. This is the year I plan to hit my goal weight.

Carol, what an awful thing to happen to that poor family, especially his 16 yr. old daughter. What a terrible way to start the new year.

Siena, thank you for the recipe. It really looks yummy. Does the recipe make a lot and does it freeze well? It sounds like something I would like for my lunch during the week. I tend to eat the same things whether or not I'm dieting. Because of my DH's schedule it's very hard to prepare any decent meals for dinner. Sometimes we don't sit down to dinner until 7:00 pm or 8:00 pm. So, I usually prepare something light like a salad or soup. The days he comes home early or on his days off are usually when I make a meal.

ledom, glad that you like going to the gym. At least you'll have different scenery and be with other people. With your determination you'll be in your "skinny jeans" in no time.

LaDean, hope you had a good holiday. When will you be starting line dancing? That sounds like a fun way to exercise.

I am becoming friendly with my neighbor across the street and we're about the same age. We have been chatting on and off for the past few months. We have started walking together in the mornings. Both of us have things coming up later in the year that we want to lose weight for and are thinking about joining WW together. I know I've joined and dropped out of WW a number of times, but I think it will be different going to meetings and doing the diet with a friend. So, 2007 has started out great.

Everyone, enjoy your day!

Hi, yes what a sad thing to happen. i had 2 deaths during christmas and all sudden ones not sick. so strange and sad. can hardly believe it still. I am doing good with my plan. tuesday was up at tops for over holidays 2 weeks in fact not having meetings. so today i was down 2.50 so a tickled one i am.. oh it feels good to be on a downward trend again. so long just a stand still. oh Aleka so happy you have a friend to work with now. that always helps yes. i have one i got to call. we have free fitness center at our elks lodge my hubby is member. so can go to it. so indoors. so going to see if she will start going again with me and all. i walked beau this am as most every day. my daughter got him a raincoat for christmas. oh so cute on him he does not care to much for hood as it falls down on eyes. so i am going to pin it some way so does not. i got some pictures. he does not mind wearing them. i am adding to my exercise also. that always helped me and i got so behind with it. good luck to all. we can do this and will do it this new year. LaDean

Carol, how sad that that man had to die so suddenly. How terrible for you to have to see it happen, and how awful for his family.

LaDean, I am so sorry to hear also that you had the two deaths so unexpectedly and so close together. OTOH, how nice that you're OP and doing well! Now, since I'm rather new to this thread, would you catch me up on who Beau is? And will you be posting those pictures of Beau?

Oh, you said it so well! I haven't followed my diet as well as I'd like, but I'm better at it each day, and the scale is going down already.

Aleka, the recipe makes 4-6 portions. It's very filling, and yes, it freezes very well. I freeze it for work lunches -- had it today, in fact. If you make it, do let me know how you and your husband like it.

Ledom, congratulations on getting back on track so nicely, and on finding a gym that's right for you. I'm betting you'll be posting soon that you're back in those jeans.

La Dean, I am so sorry about the 2 deaths you had which are especially hard during the holidays. You have my condolences. Congratulations on your weight loss. That is terriffic you lost during the holiday season. Good for you!

Siena, Thank you for letting me know how many servings in the recipe and that it freezes well. I am sorry to say that my dh will not eat lentils. I love them so I'll be able to have this dish all to myself. ;) Congratulations on your weight loss. Each day will get better and better for you.

Hi ledom & carol

Tomorrow dh & I are off to Whole Foods market in Sarasota. I love going there.

Enjoy your weekend everybody!

Hi, beau is my big baby,haha hes a boston bull terrier and is 10 years old. have had him a year. loss my other one at 12 years. so hes the baby. ha ha he is also over wt. trying to cut down with him. scales just are not budging. ha ha so glad you joined the board. thanks to all of you. i am so glad to have friends to share with here and lose wt together. good luck to all of you.. LaDean HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND..

Without going into detail, I'll just say i've had some terrifying life stresses these last few days. Naturally, following my diet hasn't been my uppermost priority. The problems are not over (and may never be), but there's absolutely nothing I can do about them for a week. After tears and fear, I've decided to control what I can and get back to the diet. I haven't totally been off (hard to eat with all the upset anyway), but I haven't cooked.

So, tomorrow lunch will be the tofu stirfry I've been planning. I hope the bean sprouts haven't rotted yet... and then the African yam and peanut stew. Both of these are from last week's menu plan.

Also want to make:

-- a veggie wrap with cream cheese that someone in another thread mentioned. I guess that'll be one lunch, not a freeze-for-other-times meal.

-- Flounder & Broccoli in Cream Sauce (I use skim milk. There is butter in it, so it's still fattening, but amazingly, I've always lost weight with this dish.)

-- Vegighetti (veggies in Ragu sauce with ricotta cheese)

That should do me for the week.

What I really need to do is my exercising. OMG, it makes such a difference when I do it! My body is looser and everything feels more comfortable. I lose weight a bit faster. I sleep better. And it'll keep my mind off my problems while I'm doing it...

Siena - so sorry you are in distress. Whatever is going on, I hope abates soon. I agree that exercise can be a huge distraction/endorphin to make you feel better. Good luck.

Hi, sorry the stress. but you will over come it. seems we always do. just human and our eating goes out of bounds. mine does sometimes with no stress.ha ha loss 3.25 lbs this week so a happy girl here. just was eating what i wanted but less and lots of fruit and vegies. well i got to thinking how hungry i feel all the time. so on my atkins i never felt that empty feeling. i felt full. so back to it i am going i decided. it worked and kept it off 2 years so decided that shows me that is the answer for me now.. so i wish all of you a good week. we will get with it. its early yet in the year. ha ha so together we can and will. LaDean

Siena, so sorry about all that you are going through right now. I hope things get better for you real soon. :hug: That's good you're keeping with your plan and you're right about exercising, it does take your mind off of things and make you feel better.

LaDean, congratulations on your weight loss. Keep it up!

Hey ledom!

hi, Aleka. thanks so very much. yes i was ready for a loss. had been awhile. you and everyone have a good week. LaDean

Hi, all.

For the most part, I haven't been OP. I took the good things I cooked last week for lunch, so that was okay. Then I'd come home and have soup (canned, not so good) or a sandwich for dinner and munch. Not bingeing, but not good eating.

Exercise would be so helpful, but I've been exhausted all week, staying awake long enough to eat dinner, then falling into bed. (Okay, I notice I managed to stay awake long enough to munch, too!) This is a real problem, part of my health issues, but I MUST break the cycle.

So tonight I will go grocery shopping for a few things, come home and prepare them, and start my diet again in the morning.

I'll be following FlyLady routines, too. (http:flylady.net for those who haven't heard of her)

I'm craving roast beef, so we'll see what I can find along those lines. I prefer lean cuts anyway, so no issues there.

But for tonight, I'll buy ground turkey for turkey chili (with beans) and black beans for black bean soup or fajitas or something.

And per the FlyLady dictum of "You can do anything for 15 minutes" I'll get in 15 minutes of exercise tonight no matter what. Stay tuned. I'm going to make a commitment right now to reporting back tomorrow and saying what I did for my 15 minutes of exercise.

Hope you all had a good week. LaDean, congratulations on that 3.25 pound loss! Now, have you weighed Beau lately?

And thanks, all, for your good wishes and support.

Hi, yes weighed beau and hes still not loss anything. guess just like me is going to take time. ha i have to keep eye on him as i have the dr. scales type and he puts front paws on them and slips his back ones off on floor. so cute. like hey mom i am down. ha ha i am glad your getting back to your planning and all. i need to do this. got some meat yesterday so going to be on atkins again. loss on it and have kept the 33 lbs off for 2 years now. so figured hey i need to get with it again. eating the protein i find i do not get hungry as much as i do when i have lots of fruit and vegies.. well have a good day to all. LaDean

Morning - flylady. Boy do I need a dose of her. Housekeeping is not my strong suit.

I had a pretty good weekend in terms of healthy eating and exercise. I weigh less this morning than I did Friday morning so I call it a success. Just one slip on Friday night but I was able to rein myself in pretty quickly.

We have had about 8" of rain this weekend. Yuk. Luckily it has also been warm but today it is turning cold again - rain is supposed to stop though so maybe we won't have icy weather as those just to the west are having.

ledom, I heard about all nasty weather and though immediately of you. Are you in any danger of floods where you live? I hope everything is ok in your neck of the woods. I couldn't believe the ice in OK. Congratulations on you weight loss.

LaDean, that's great you've lost again. Lacee went to the Vet last Thurs. for her annual shots, heartworm, & dog license. She weights 16 lbs. She's always in the 16-17 lbs. range.

Siena, I need the flylady too. Hope your roast beef was good. I find if you're craving something and have it, you can get by with a smaller amount to feel satisfied.

I hopped on the scale this morning and I'm down 3 lbs. My neighbor & I are into week 3 walking and I'm not following any particular WOE, I'm just eating less.

Have a wonderful day.

Aleka, good for you. so happy about your loss. that is good. that is the way i am really no special plan. thinking back to atkins though.. trying to do it some with protein and so.. i am glad you have your friend to walk with and all. it sure helps. i am waiting on a friend to be ready. ha her mom passed away and shes busy now for few weeks with all that. oh i wish beau weighed that. did when we got him. ha ha now is more. i have him on less food to but takes awhile to come around. ha ha snow still on ground. but not on sidewalks ourside. so a walk today is warmer out and all. he loves his walks. well i wish everyone a good good day. keep it up girl. your doing good. LaDean

Wow, did I get behind....... a lot to read. I have lost a little but had gained so much before that that I hardly feel like I've made a dent. I did go for a BEAUTIFUL walk today even though it was only 15 degrees. The snow was falling so softly and it was so serene.

Hi, so good to see you carolr glad your back to plan and all. I am doing so so. finally starting to lose some again. at a standstill for 2 years now. so trying to stick to a plan. no walking today snow and is froze or was and all this on it... so taking no chances. glad your walking. iwill get on ex bike here today. good luck to all. LaDean

Hi, i am missing everyone for sure. hey where are YOUUUUUUUUU????? come back soon... i am having a good week. jsut got walk in and feel so good today . got a dr. appt the 6th so new dr. so anxious to see the goal they have set for me. ha ha but going to talk about my debetic thing to and get with it. LaDean I never wanted our board to go off this section. ha ha

Hi, LaDean. We just returned from Portland this week from a visit with our daughers family......2 darling boys, 4 and 6mo. What did your dr say? I wonder a lot about diabetes as I get older and what kind of diet most dr. recommend. Have a good day!

LaDean, good luck with your new Dr. Hope you get some good news about your diabetes. Glad that you're doing ok. I'm still walking 5 days a week with my neighbor. It's good because we keep each other going. Winter has finally found us down here, it's awfully cold in the mornings.

Carol, how are things going with IE? It sounds like you had a nice visit with your DD's family.

Hi ledom Siena! Hope you both are doing well.

Enjoy your day!

Carol. oh so neat visiting your daughter and family. i know you had so much fun with them and the little ones. i live 100 miles from Portland. my family are all up there close over in washington .. but i do not go up much. since she passed away and all. I go tuesday 6th to dr. i am anxious yes to find out all about it. i finally decided i need to get down to business with it.. will let you know what he says and all

Aleka, hey glad your walking daily now. makes us feel better . i walk with beau once a day. yes we had our winter. warmed up some but still winter. love the fresh air. beau loves his walks and he needs them to. told him this summer hes getting this wt off for sure we are never going to be inside to just lay and sleep alot he does. well hes 10 so expect some of that. haha I am so glad to see you both on here. Hope Ledom is ok and all. and aback soon. LaDean

Hey there - sorry not have posted sooner. I am good. I am back at work and busy. Trying to keep up with my workouts. Seems I need lots of naps these day to regenerate.

Alice - congratulations on finding a walking buddy. They make all the difference in enjoying walking I think.

Good luck with your appointment LaDean.

I wish I could say abracadabra and be back in Portland Carol. I had so much fun there last summer.

Judi - if you check in please stop by long enough to say hi and how you are!

Hi, oh Ledom glad all is ok your way and just busy. it payes to stay busy. i am trying to more myself. have a good week to all. LaDean

Hi everyone,

ledom, glad to see your post. I've been wondering how you're doing. I'm taking quite a few naps myself trying to catch up on sleep. Some nights I only get 4-5 hrs. sleep and everyone my age that I talk to has the same problem.

LaDean, I am enjoying walking and we are walking in all kinds of weather. It was in the 30's here yesterday morning and I was bundled up. Then another time it was raining and we both had umbrellas. As I said, we keep each other going.

Hi Carol & siena.

I am having a bit of a problem with Lacee. I believe she has some sort of allergy. Around the holidays she developed dry, itchy skin. The Vet wasn't sure if she had an allergy or if she had some sort of infection. So he gave me some antibiotics, just to be on the safe side, and some Omega 3 vitamins, which she has to take for life. I had to bring her back and he put her on antihistamine meds after he determined she had an allergy. Anyhoo....I gave her a bath on Sun. with some Oatmeal doggie shampoo and now she's got all these itchy bumps on her body. I don't know if it was the shampoo or not, as I've been using it right a long without any problems and the expiration date is 2 yrs. away. I am taking her to the Vet later this afternoon and hopefully he can determine what is going on. The poor little thing.

Hope all of you are having a good day.