Oh, that is so true!

Beth

The concept of loving one's own body is very unfamiliar to me.

Oh, Spiny, me too. I "practice" loving/liking my body every day. Some days I fail miserably and others I do pretty well. Today is a good day. I had to go out to help DH blow out our 1/4 mile long driveway so threw on my ski pants. I haven't worn them since last winter when they were skin tight. Today I could pull them on without un-doing velcro or zippers. They are baggy! I'll have to buy new ones and give these to DH. I stood in front of the mirror laughing. What a great feeling. I still have lots of body fat and am working on getting rid of that but boy did it feel good to remind myself that I'm better off today than yesterday. Now tonight when I get ready for an evening out may be a totally different story.

Beth

Welcome to all the new people!

I've been busy (as usual) so haven't had much time to post. But it's sure fun to read what's going on with everyone else. It really brightens up my day.

Hi IE Pals -
Obi, I thought of you because I went to Applebees for lunch, with a co-worker who is no longer a co-worker as of the end of today, and I am very sad about it.
The intensity of our discussion and my emotion caused me to not be attentive to my satiety, and it was only after the lunch that I realized that I felt uncomfortably full, although I did not eat all of my lunch.
Well I am feeling very melancholy tonight, and of course I am drinking wine, and thinking how I might have been too blabbery here lately, (but thanks for listening!) and I have rediscovered a quote I like, for amusement purposes:

"'Shut up,' he explained." - Ring Lardner

Hope everyone is doing well,
jo

I'm feeling a little off tonight. Its after 1am and I can't seem to make myself go to sleep. With all the good stuff happening seems like I can't stop mourning my relationship. It isn't officially over, but it is definitely on life support. I almost want it to over for closure, but there is still the spark of hope it will all work out...Also I think I medicated with food tonight...Didn't realize till I typed this post. Blah....well at least I recognize and know for next time.....

-obie, awake and wishing she had tivo'ed more Monk.

I was right about the Rock and Rye being too sweet. I have now had my year's worth of high fructose corn syrup in that one bottle of "pop." Those little-girl taste buds are long gone.
And another thing. Why does Applebees not have any vegetarian choices on their menu? I've never seen a restaurant like that. And what the heck does spinach have to do with bacon, anyway? Can't even get a salad without animals on it.
Well, good morning everyone. It's back to my own home cookin'. Have a good weekend.....

LOL, maybe thats why I love it and all the chain restaurants are like that by the way...I think their vegetarian options are...salad Their one concession to weight loss is the weight watchers menu. It is a total guilty pleasure because it is complete crap ....crap I only eat when I go there.....Poor Spiny...

OMG Obi - I just realized that you live in NY/NJ and so I assume near NYC - and you eat at Applebees!!??? I am imagining all the funky/wonderful/exotic/ethnic choices you must have out there. And you pick Applebees!!!

I guess you remind me of myself though because as soon as I typed that I was reminded of how although I don't like to eat meat much, I would love to have some of that Institutional Meat Loaf like only the cafeteria at University Hospital North at OHSU could do!!!!

(Sheesh. There's something the matter with us.)

Actually my favorite cuisine is Indian and next Jamaican and then Thai. I just discovered Brazilian BBQ (totally decadent experience). I think living in NY after while you just take all the cuisine for granted. Applebees is my favorite "American chain" place. So when I'm out in the suburbs I eat there. When I am at work in the city (NYC) I eat all kinds of different things, but eating out is how I get to 357 LOL. My favorite home cooked dish is a toss up between meatloaf with mashed potatoes and lasagna. Favorite dish cooked by grandma is baked macaroni and cheese, potatoe salad, and collards green.

Ah Food Porn Police.....Spiny made me post this. She held the HFCS gun to my head and made me post all those yummy food.

Its funny whenever I eat at an ethnic restaurant outside of NY I think it is so watered down...My friends think I'm a snob...but I'm a new Yorker (insert accent here) through and through.

My favorite food changes from time to time. Awhile ago it was crab ragoon. Got over that. Now it's Wasa crisp bread. Obi, Did your parents and grandparents grow up in NY, too.?

Jo, you are in luck because you can find that same meatloaf here!!! Check the Von's deli in A-town.

I, too, am feeling melancholy and lonely tonight.

And I miss being in a relationship. I sympathize with you, Obie. It's hard when you get to the point where it's on life support. Maybe even harder than when it's completely over.

I would be crying in my beer right now...except I don't like beer

Thanks for listening to me whine....

There ain't nuthin' wrong with the "whine" -- it is so much more than that- It is a complex set of emotions that one short little word can't sum up. And I agree that it is harder when a relationship is on life support than when it is completely over. (I sort of vaguely remember that sort of experience - or maybe it was just a bad dream.) So Obie and Fiddler, I know how much it sucks.

As for food - I want to try that Jamaican and Brazilian stuff - I just may have to take a trip to NYC.

More on food - I am experimenting with recipes to enter into two recipe contests - there is a Pillsbury bakeoff contest and a Cooking Light contest going on. Thankfully I have a friend who is like a goat in that he will eat 95% of whatever I make even if it is horrible, and I can eat the other 5% for quality control purposes. What this has to do with IE I have no idea. And I have to try to be psychic and try to determine what most people would like, which is probably not anything like what I would like (as demonstrated by my look when I see an Applebees menu. ) But it gives me something to do (the contests.)

jo

Hello ladies!

Big to all you melancholy girls. Keep your chin up, all will sort itself soon.

Well I had a lovely weekend, met a friend on Friday for dinner (salad no dressing and half a small dessert), then we went to a comedy show.

Saturday I went back to my old school for their careers day - I'm about 60lbs lighter than I was when I went to school and most people were very impressed! I had a really good lunch out with my friends, I had a chicken breast with peppers and goats cheese on the top, with ricotta pasta parcels and salsa. It was truly amazing, and there wasn't too much pasta, and there wasn't too much food, it was just right! I skipped dessert, but mainly because everyone else was!

I did some shopping and bought some new handbags and a few clothes. I visited my grandma and took her a big creamy banoffee pie!

Yesterday we went to the library on the bus, in the rain. We got very wet! Then I tidied the house, and I can get one wardrobe door shut now, which is progress!

The scales are being good to me, they are ROCK STEADY! Which is really really odd! Usually when I am "dieting" or at least trying to lose some weight they go up and down and up and down. They haven't even fluctuated by a quarter of a pound! Spooky!

I think I am going to try and hold onto my hunger for a little more to see just what it takes to lose a pound on IE. A small part of me would like to lose some more, now I know how easy it is to maintain. I think if I can lose a little bit, with just a little bit more effort and a little bit less food, I might be able to painlessly lose a few pounds and that would be good. If I have to be starving hungry most of the day then it's not worth it, but if I can drop a few easily, then it's worth doing!

I've just borrowed some whole food recipe books from the library and they look yummy! I can't wait to try them out, can I buy some more time please????