Good afternoon,
 

Kathy, welcome :balloons: I think the creme brulee is a pro/fat and should only be eaten after a pro/fat meal, as well as most of her desserts (I'm not too sure about the cakes). I see you are from the Bronx. My late aunt was a nurse at Columbia Presb. Hosp. and lived in the Washington Heights section. I love NYC!!!
How long have you be doing LAWL and what is the diet like?

mauvaisroux, I keep looking at my new SS book too. The recipes look so easy to prepare. I think this is the best one she's done. What type of SSized foods will you prepare for your buffet?

Su, you will be below 200 in no time. My goal is to get to my goal weight, and stay OP.

ANNE, I'm so sorry that you Dad has to go through that. I will be thinking of you and your family.

nikki, how are you feeling? Having your back out of whack is not the least bit fun. Did your chiropractor tell you why you were having a problem with your back? Please rest and take care of yourself. Hope you're better soon.

Jennifer, how are you doing?

Take care and have a great afternoon.
Aleka

Good day everyone,
I'm doing better today, spent the night on the heating pad and it helped. Go see the chiropractor tomorrow and that should do it. Aleka, he says I have scoliosis plus some other things, but when he started to explain it all to me, my eyes started to glaze over and I started to make a shopping list in my mind. I know I should be more interested, but it basically comes down to, I'm getting older and my back has been screwed up for years.
Hey there Kitkat, we have all ss'ed on this thread, (I think). Mauvaisroux still is, the rest of us have moved on to other woe's or still use ss'ing as a base and then add to it from other programs. I think the creme brulee is pro/fat too. You can eat it right after your pro/fat meal and don't have to wait. Welcome to our little group.
Well, got to go, the old man just got up. Our Christmas present came today, the Total Gym. All I can do is look at it for now. Guess I'll go tell DH that it's here. I know he's forgotten all about it and will give me a long speech about how we can't afford it and 'why do we need more exercise equipment'.:rolleyes:

PS-HSN's clearance gemstone jewelry is 15% off today if you use coupon HSN3794. I had to pass, but it helps pay the s&h if your getting jewelry anyway.

Nikki and Aleka, thanks so much for the welcome! Also, thanks for clearing the creme brulee issue up for me.

LAWL is a good program, it's very expensive though. Most centers are always trying to get you to buy their bars (I swear if I have to eat another of their bars, i'll gag!) shakes, etc. They do give you results but it's so hard! I did't find any fun in the program, it's definately a "diet" and not a WOE! I just couldn't take it anymore and I gained 11# back recently. The diet just got stale for me so I decided to move on to SS which is what I wanted to do in the first place, but needed the support from a counselor at the time.

Aleka, I live in the Pelham Pkwy section of the Bronx. I love NYC as well and couldn't see myself living happily somewhere else.

Thanks for the welcome guys!

kathy

Welcome Kit Kat! :)

I am doing SS but not religiously. I plan to eat along the SS woe as much as I can over Christmas and then get serious about it in January. I have slipped up lately on the white bread and occasional potato as I am so busy lately that I have had neither the time or energy to cook. When I was OP I was cooking up a storm and really enjoying it. I just bought the Fast and Easy cookbook and have enjoyed the recipes from her previous books.

I believe that the creme brulee is a pro/fat too as Aleka and Nikki pointed out but I don't really eat dessert that often so I've never had to think about it. I love this woe because you get to eat real food!

Nikki-DH and I bought ourselves an electric blanket for Christmas, we can't seem to Christmas shop without getting ourselves something too:rolleyes:

Aleka-I haven't got my menu together yet but I am working on it tonight. On Christmas day I am making the turkey with sausage stuffing from "Eat Great, Lose Weight" and the shredded brussell sprouts (from the same book), mixed green and yellow beans, potatos for the rest of the family, and maybe one more dish. I am planning on having whole wheat rolls too.

My only cheat will be my Mum's sherry trifle :)

Hi Su, Anne and Jennifer.

Good morning,
 

From what I've been hearing on the radio & TV, we're in for some very nasty weather tomorrow. They say we may get snow, but the freezing rain isn't very far away, so we'll have to wait and see what happens.

mauvaisroux, that sausage stuffing from EGLW is awesome. My neighbor and I were Somersizing together, and she made that dressing. It was really good. I found a dressing on SS website using ground turkey, which you fry, then make the stuffing like you would if you were using bread. I'm going to give that a try. Can you buy celery root where you live? If you can, you can use that as mashed potatoes for yourself, or cook some cauliflower and mash it with cream & butter. :T It's funny how ingrained SSizing is in my mind. Yesterday at WW we were talking about serving sizes. She took out an 8 oz. potato and a 14 oz. potato and asked which one of these would you eat. I thought to myself, NEITHER!!

Kathy, I envy you living in NYC this time of year. I love the city at Christmas time, it is soooo beautiful. My cousin and I have been there at Christmas time to see the sights and catch the Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall. Have you logged onto Suzanne's website? You will get a lot of good tips and recipes there. I hardly ever post there, but I do find some good recipes. It's www.suzannesomers.com

nikki, glad that you're feeling better, but don't overdo it too soon. Have you put together your Total Gym? I'm going to start looking regularly on HSN website to see when Tony Little will be on, hopefully selling his newer gazelle.

ANNE, hope you Dad is feeling ok.

Hi Jennifer & Su :wave:

Have a great day.
Aleka

Hi Ladies!

Welcome KitKat! It's good to see you here. I've only done the SS a bit. I'm on a modified low carb with WW, so I'm doing some of one thing and some of another! I get a lot of hints from the SS cookbooks however. She got me to cooking omlets all the time, and I have to say I eat better with the variety.

I'm back on track today, after dealing with digestive issues all last week. It is so hard to start eating again, but if I give in to not eating, then I snack later on. So, I'm back to big breakfasts, and I feel better for it. (whoops! Forgot the vitamins!)

Mauvisroux, the dinners sound delicious. You must really like to cook. I do sometimes, and have my favorites, but being single I get to be lazy a lot too :D Shredded brussels sprouts sound interesting!

Nikkic, I know it is hard to not exercise, particularly when you got in your new present! Take care of yourself.


Aleka, I'm thinking about a trip to NYC when I get closer to goal. Some folks from work are talking about a joint trip with one co-worker who is from that area. I just can't imagine Never going to NYC, although if I have a bad experience, I might wish I had.

Hi Jennifer! I hope you are feeling OK still.

HI everyone,
Hey, check out the thread by MamaJ, it is really cool.
I went to the chiropractor this morning. He thinks I'll be better by friday, I sure hope so. This is miserable.

Aleka, I haven't done much but lay around. I went to Walmart last night and shopped a little. Saw my old head nurse and she kept going on and on about how good I was getting around. I'm literally hobbling. I don't get some people. The total gym comes completely assembled, just pull it out of the box and unfold it. It is leaning against the wall right now. My chiropractor says they have one and use it to hang clothes on. His wife sounds like me, she has practically every piece of exercise equipment made too.

The weather here has been very warm. Highs in the 50's and low's in the 20's at night. Doesn't seem very Christmasy, but I've enjoyed it. Hope you all are staying warm and not getting plastered by big snow storms. I know we will get some winter weather before you know it. Iowa is not a place people move to because we have good weather. In fact, I'm not sure why people move here, I do know why they move out though.:chicken: :ink: :moo: :)

Well, take care and talk to you all soon, Nikki

Hi Everyone!

I was looking on the web at shopping channel here in Toronto and they have some great deals jewellery and other wise!

My pearls and watch arrived yesterday and they are just lovely. I
still have last minute shopping to do and I am trying to keep busy
and keep my spirits up for my kids and husband.

We have lived with my parents for over 20 years so in a sense
I never really left home. We have our own kitchens, bathroom
etc. but the tie is there to be sure. I am glad I will be there to
support my mother throughout this ordeal and what ever is
coming our way. When my dad was diagnosed all those years
ago CT scans of the brain, liver etc. were done. In all these years
that have passed they were never repeated. I am sure he will
have to have all those done to see if there has been any
spreadage.

Diet is going well, I am eating this huge breakfast every morning
now to get in my 6 oz of protein. That is the only part that is a
little hard.

Weather is great in Toronto, no wind chill or anything like that.

Talk to you all later.
Anne.

Anne,
Your jewelry sounds great. That is very interesting that you have lived with your folks all this time, even though it sounds like you are in your own areas. Must be great support and a closeness with them that most people never know. A real comfort for all of you.

Do you use whey protein powder or soy? I make smoothies with whey sometimes, it helps to get more protein in my diet and it's great for when I don't want to mess with cooking.

Oh, I got my copy of Suzannes new book today. That was so fast! I ordered it from Amazon just a few days ago. HSN takes so long to ship something to you, I can't believe how much faster Amazon is and since I spent over $25 it was free s&h and the book was cheaper. I'm going to spend the rest of the day reading and making up new menu's with my new recipes.

Hi everyone!

Thanks for the warm welcome! I'm so eager to do SS officially, I have to wait till I go food shopping this weekend to get everything I need. My kitchen is just full of sugar! Everything is too floury or just plain wrong! lol

Aleka- I've been reading a whole bunch and also posting at SS website and I found a few links to other members doing SS, but it's not as active as this one.

Have a great day all!

Kathy
192/167.4/130

Good morning,
 

We got about 5" of snow overnight. DH has been out plowing and snowblowing. It looks like a winter wonderland outside, very Christmas-y. This has given me the incentive to write out my Christmas cards, which I keep putting off.

Kathy, good luck with your grocery shopping this week. Living in the city you should find a lot of neat stuff. I live in the boonies, and I have to drive 10 miles to the nearst grocery store.

nikki, aren't the recipes fabulous in Suzanne's new book? I am going to make the shake & bake fry mix and have fried shrimp, and also the "french-fries" for Christmas Eve. I don't have a deep fryer, so I hope they come out as well in the frying pan. What do you plan to make out of the book? What did you say to your old head nurse when she told you how well you were getting along? Your Dr's wife sounds like a lot of us, I think.

ANNE, that's great your pearls & watch arrived before Christmas. They sound very lovely. I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of them. That's nice you share living space with your parents, and you are able to support one another. Do you live in a duplex?

Su, you will have a great time in NYC. I really haven't had any bad experiences there. The few times I've been there in the last 5 yrs. or so, there seemed to be more police on the streets.

Hi Jennifer, hope you're feeling ok.

Have a great day.
Aleka

Hi Everyone:
Aleka: Sounds like you are going to have a lovely white Christmas!:) Our weather has taken a turn for the mild!
We live in a bungalow, it is big and the downstairs is completely
finished. I am delighted I will be able to support my parents for
the fight that lies ahead. At least my mother knows she will
not be alone through this ordeal.

Nikkic: I have not tryed whey powder, is it good? I find these
giant omellets hard to get back each morning!!!
Where would I get whey powder?

Friday is my last day at work until January 2003! I can't beleive
I won't be seeing

:devil: until 2003!!:lol:

Anne.

Hi everyone,
I am doing better everyday, will be able to start to exercise tomorrow. I previewed one of the new yoga tapes I got today and almost laughed. It is the most laid back yoga I've ever seen. The girl is barely moving, almost looks like she is asleep most of the time. Several minutes of it are her sitting cross legged breathing. It is suppose to be for relaxation, so I guess that's it. At least I know it will be an easy way to start to exercise again. If that's what you call it.
I also skimmed through Suzannes new book. I was surprised at a lot of what she is now saying. She was gaining weight and called Dr. Swarzbein, who told her to eat a potato a few times a week. She then started to lose weight. I thought-hmmm, we'd already talked about that and figured that one out. She also has a section on vitamins and supplements. The manufacterer will be New Chapter, I've heard a lot of good stuff about them, you can buy their vitamins on line, but they are really expensive. I am not surprised she is getting into this, it is a very lucrative business. I saw a lot of recipes from former books, kind of disappointed about that, but I was glad to get the recipe for the ketchup, I really like it, but not the high price. I'm going to try the shake and bake too, Aleka. Also, the lasagna looks really good. There are several really good looking recipes in there. Like Mauvaisroux, I'll be setting a ss table for Christmas, using this new book. Also, I bought a Bravettie deep fryer last summer, when the s&h was .25. I've always wanted one. Wish I'd never bought it. You have to use a lot of oil, I mean a lot. It can be reused, but it doesn't keep for very long. Also, the instructions say you can't put stuff in there that is wet, or the coating can't be wet. That was the main reason I got the thing. Wish I'd sent it back, but I thought I'd use it more. The women on the HSN bulletin board say that the digital one, like mine, goes bad after you use it a few times. I think using oil in a pan is a lot better and less expensive. Plus, the results are the same, if you have your oil hot enough.
Anne, whey protein powder is either natural, vanilla or chocolate, there may be a strawberry too. I use the natural and it has very little taste. You can buy it at GNC, which is probably cheaper than on line. I have also seen it at Walmart. I use Designer Whey Protein Powder. You get 18.5 g of protein per scoop and a scoop is about 1/4 cup. I put a scoop of whey, 8 oz. water, some ice, 3/4 cup frozen strawberries (or any fruit), splenda to taste in a blender and mix it up. It comes out like a dairy queen soft serve. It is very good. If you want it more liquid, use more water/less ice. You could add cream and it would be extra good, but I'm non dairy right now. I've been reading a lot about the differences between soy and whey. It looks like soy protein isolate powder is better than whey. But I have a large jar of whey, so that's what I'm using right now.
Kathy, I've never been to NYC. I've been to Chicago several times and was never so glad to get out of a place. But, then, we only went to my exhusbands family to visit and it was always a
miserable trip. I live vicariously through Sex and the City. On tv, it looks like a great place.:)
Talk to you all later, Nikki

Hello!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow, I miss the LC threads so bad I can't stand it! I had to pop in here and on the dailies. I have been so BUSY lately, and I can't seem to get caught up. Working OT, Christmas shopping, family obligations, working on the site, trying to get my house ready for a big family get together, being sick, etc etc! I hope to be in a groove when Christmas has passed. Still no word on surgery, etc. I have a CT scan scheduled for Monday. We'll see how it goes. I have so many questions and conversations that I'd like to jump in to, but I can't right now. I need to read my mail, visit with my family, take Cody to Karate, eat dinner, wrap presents and plan appetizers for Saturday! I'll be back though. Miss ya!!

Good Morning all!

I'm just back from the LAWL center, I told them earlier this week that I wanted to leave and wanted a refund of the weeks and supplements I had left. So they made me wait 4days till today to speak to the reginal manager who hasn't shown up yet. I hope they are not giving me the run around!

Well, I haven't really started SSing yet, really need to go shopping but i'm just trying to watch what I eat in the meantime. Can't wait till the book arrives.

Nikki- so Suzanne says in her new book that we can now eat potato's a few times a week? Do we need to buy her book everytime she releases one to find out updates? Seems to me that she should update us on her site since most of us would've had one of her books. Does that mean I need to buy past books?

Is Designer protein sugar free? I ordered Naturade a few days ago, should be shipped soon. I do like Designer protein though.

Aleka- 10ml drive to the grocery store? Man i can't even imagine that! I walk outside my door and I am bombarded w/ stores. lol Shopping is frustrating cause it's always crowded everywhere!

Have a nice day all!

Kathy

Kathy,
I'm sorry, I think I've given the wrong impression or information. Suzanne says that on level 2 you can incorporate a few potatoes a few times a week in your diet if you need too. I guess she was gaining weight and that's what Dr. S told her. Every book she puts out has new updated information in it. I don't think you need to buy all of her past books, everything you need to know is in the new book. The only reason I would get the past books would be for the recipes. If I didn't already have all of them, I'd go to the library and just copy the recipes at home. From what I've read in Dr. Swarzbeins book, she says 1/2 a potato is ok a couple of times a week. But, compared to SS or Atkins, her woe is more for health benefits rather than weight loss. Weight lose is a by product of her woe, and it doesn't seem to be as rapid as the others. SS was great, but I stalled for awhile, so I went to Atkins. Atkins helped but, I wasn't losing as fast as I wanted, so I cut out some things for awhile (like drinking a 1/2 glass of cream every night, man that was good. That is not part of his plan, just my own out of control eating habits.) and my weight loss was then kick started. Eventually, I'll return to SS, I love the food on that plan. I think your body gets use to what your doing and that's why you stall. JMO. If you stay on the woe your doing, eventually, the weight loss will continue. I am just impatient. I really do believe SS is a very good woe and very healthy. I am a little disenchanted with her commercialization of everything anymore, but I suppose that's what capitalization is all about. Which is why she will continue to write books about new information rather than share it on the website. I'll probably keep on buying them, just for the recipes.
When you go shopping for food, make sure you read all the labels very closely. I will always be thankful that SS taught me this. There is so much sugar added to everything, I had no idea. Even stuff you would never expect it to be in. I have a lot of information that I printed off the old SS website before it went down. So if you need anything, like what brands are sugarfree or a recipe for something, I might be able to help you. Even though the ss boards are a great resource and wonderful support, always remember that the book is the place for the best, most accurate information. Including anything I might say. :o Sorry about that.
I don't know if all whey products are SF. The one I have is.
Hope I've cleared this up. Nikki

Happy Friday everyone!

Things are quiet today, so I'm getting my breath back. How about all of you? There is so much to do for the holidays, but we live through them every year :)

I agree about the SS recipes... they are usually very good. I use a lot of her ideas in my meals even though I'm not doing the plan right now. I find she has an honesty about her approach that makes me willing to try her ideas. I'm interested in the vitamins. I'll have to read that further.

Jennifer, it is so good to see you again! I'm glad you seem to feel better. Don't run yourself too hard!

Nikki- I'm glad you're back to being well enough to exercise. I'm trying to stay with the very low intensity exercises right now too. I've decided I kept overdoing and then re-injuring or getting sick. A bit like that burnt- out adrenal gland syndrome Schwarzbein discusses. So, this time it is very slow. But, it is hard to be this slow!

Anne, the house sounds great! I tried living with my parents for a while, but we didn't have separate areas. Two adult women need separate kitchens, LOL! Anyway, it is so great that you have each other and no stress in staying with them during an illness. I hope all is going well with your dad.

Aleka, how are the cards going? I've been so bad for years that I just don't do them anymore. I kept ending up not mailing until later, so I've really cut back. I hate to be so antisocial, but it is hard to get everything done.

KitKat, I hope you are enjoying getting started. It really is fun to try out all the new food ideas and see yourself start to feel better. I love how I feel so much more in control.

Have a great day everyone! Su

Nikki- Thanks for the info. I didn't realize that adding a 1/2 potato was on level 2 only,lol I'm going to be staying clear of these thing for a while anyway. I have about 30# to go. One thing unclear though, you said that when your weight stalled you went on Atkins and that jump started it? On SSing do you just stick to the more pro/fat meals and not eat too many carbs? Were you cutting out desserts completely when on Atkins? What was the difference, if you don't mind. Thanks.

Su- I'm having the best time, can't wait to get officially started! This is so much better than LAWL, I can eat till i'm contented and not feel like i'm starving.

Kathy

Kathy,
It wasn't really SS, it was me. I have some food issues I guess. I was eating no carb meals at all. Not that your suppose to do this. I didn't like them. You can eat desserts, but she says basically, to be moderate about it. Such as, have a bite or a piece, I was eating dessert several times a day, big bowls of it. I wasn't eating enough vegetables. There should be a balance, you know? I would sit down and eat a big plate of meat and cheese and dip it all in a bowl of sour cream and cream cheese. But, despite the fact that I wasn't really doing it right, I was losing weight. I think cutting out sugar is a major reason. After awhile, I started to stall or my weight loss slowed down. I figured I needed to be stricter, so that's when I went to Atkins. I'm learning or relearning, how to eat again. I've since gone beyond Atkins, but it is only temporary and just what I'm doing now. I cut out dairy and added fat. The reason I cut out dairy and fat is because I couldn't seem to stop eating it. I was just replacing my sugar cravings with dairy cravings. So now, I've replaced them with vegetables, more uncooked than cooked, or at least that's what I'm trying to do. I still eat fat, like fat that is present in the food, such as I don't eat low fat meats or worry about white or dark meat. I sometimes eat some butter with my vegetables, just not like I was. I've replaced my dairy with soy. I am now eating oatmeal every morning with soy milk. Which apparently is ok with ss, according to the new book.
I think I need to get myself better under control before I will ss again. I'm trying to learn when I'm hungery and when I'm full. Sounds like it's just something any idiot would know, but I have to actually have my brain tell my body what is going on. I'm getting better at this. I've lost 38 lbs. and I have 86 lbs. to go.

Nikki- congrats on the weightloss! I understand now why you switched Atkins. I myself am a sugar/carb freak! But what drew me to SS was knowing that I could have my pro/fat desserts while having chicken and salad for lunch. As long as I can have some kind of sweet I can stick to anything. lol I'm glad you saw that you were overdoing it (for weightloss) and cut down on the things that were holding you back. I'm also trying to stay as low of a carb as I can probably just grapenut cereal & skim milk for breakfast w/ veggies and protein for lunch and dinner w/ a pro/fat dessert for dinner. This I can handle. lol

Thanks for the response!

Kathy

Sounds like your doing great.:)

TGIF,
 

Had my annual mammogram done this morning. Afterwards DH & I went down to Mass. to visit his parents and drop off their Christmas gifts before they leave for FL next week. We just got back.

I got the result of my cholesterol test I had done a few weeks ago, it was 191. I was very happy with that!

We are supposed to get another snow storm tonight into tomorrow. I don't know how much we're going to get, it varies depending on who you listen to.

nikki, you really have done great in the weight loss dept. 38 lb. is fantastic! Glad you are starting to feel better. How did the exercising go? Thanks for the info on the deep fryer & a regular frying pan. I saw on SS site that someone made the zucchini fries in a frying pan and they were rather greasy, and someone else wrote in saying they come out better in a deep fryer. I don't do a lot of frying, so I don't want the expense of a deep fryer, plus I have no where to put it on my counter.

Jennifer, I am so glad to hear from you. Hope you can take some time out and relax a bit.

Su, I have my cards all written out, I did it in shifts:lol: THEN...I get two unexpected Christmas cards from family members, so now I have to send them one too. Now I have to wrap the rest of my gifts.

ANNE, your house sounds lovely. You're lucky to be able to get along so well with your parents. I don't think I could've lived with mine because my mother was a tad bit critical of the way I did things, or didn't do things.

Kathy, Yup, 10 miles to the grocery store. There is one a bit closer, about 7 miles, but it's a smaller store and they don't have the best stuff in the world there. I'm not used to crowds in stores, nor crowds in general. But, once I get to NYC I push my way through with the best of them;) I got tired of the food combining on SS, and also trying to find "legal" foods. So, I just use SS guidelines, I've eliminated sugar and white flour, and try to eat low carb most of the time. Once in awhile I will have some brown rice or sweet potato with my dinner.

Have a great evening.
Aleka

Hi Everyone:
I am finally on vacation!!:dance: I have lots to do in
preparation for Christmas but at least I don't have the stress
of the office and you know who:devil:

We have a big breakout of Norwalk Virus here in Toronto so I
am so glad I won't be on the subway while this is going on!!!
Several of our hospitals in Toronto have closed their emergency
departments due to this illness.

Diet is great, I am staying away from the goodies. Nikkic does
this whey powder have any carbos?

Aleka: we are expecting snow tonight too. I don't mind the
snow its freezing rain I can't stand:faint:

I got my Christmas Cards done and this week I will make the
cookies!!:T

Talk to you all later. Housework calls! (loudly):lol:

Anne.

Good Morning Everyone::wave:

Got weighed this morning and I am down another 3. This
PP plan seems to be really moving me along!! I was on a one
month stall. Perhaps I was still losing on Somersizing but I
really want to see 5-10 off per month. It was working for a
few months then one long plateau. Nikkic like you, I quit
eating nuts, I have about 3 teaspoons only of cream per day
and I weigh and measure 2 oz. of cheese.


Today I will be making my shortbread cookies but this news
will keep me from cheating:lol:

I am going to use my vacation time to get my sorry hide back
up on my gazelle. Don't get me wrong I walk a couple of miles
a day with my friend on my lunch hour so I am in reasonably good cardio condition. Since I am on vacation
I will start on my gazelle routine to get me going for the new
years resolution!!!!!!

Anne.

Hi everyone,
Anne, I'm so happy your on vacation and you get to take it at a wonderful time of the year. I hope you get to really relax and enjoy yourself. Do all the things you want to and have a great time off.
That Norwalk virus is everywhere it seems. I wonder if that's what was wrong with me a month ago, I had the same symptoms. I have always been meticulous about hand washing, but I guess you could easily get it from eating out at a place where the people that work there are not too good about it.

Whey has a few carbs, mine says in a 24 g scoop there are 2 carb grams. I see SS now lists whey under dairy in the pro/carbs. I think the amount of carbs varies with the brand.

Aleka, good cholesterol numbers:bravo: You are really getting the snow. It is still dry here and in the 50's. I really need to get outside and enjoy some of this weather. If nothing else, clean the inside of the car before the winter weather comes our way.
I don't fry much anymore either. Like I said, if the oil is hot enough, but not too hot, that's what makes the difference. It just takes a little experimenting. The first ones never seem to turn out, then you get the hang of it and the oil the right temperature and away you go. I tried the zucchini sticks in the oven and they were soggy, but tasted good. DH said they were a good alternative for french fries. I coated them in parmesan cheese with a few spices. I've tried this with eggplant and fried it in oil and it was great. Stinks when it's cooking, but tastes great.
Watch it closely, they brown pretty fast. I have a really hard time anymore frying, I bought an electric stove after years of using gas and I can never regulate it like I could gas. First it isn't hot enough, then it stays too hot for a long time. I had my last stove for over 20 years, so unless something goes real wrong with this one, I'll probably have it way longer than I want to.

Su, Mauvaisroux and Jennifer, Hi I miss you all and hope your doing well.
Kathy, I talked you leg off yesterday, I can get long winded when I'm wound up. Hope you get your book soon, it is full of great information.

Well, I haven't exercised yet. I was going to start, but DH just got up and decided to try the total gym. If you follow the video, it is really simple and easy to use. He is like most men and doesn't want to follow instructions, he is not enjoying his first experience right now. I just had to go help, he never wants to learn how to do anything. I guess he thinks he was born with the knowledge. He never has learned how to use the remote control for the satellilte, just uses the up and down buttons. I fully expect the total gym will be thrown out the back door before I can even use it.

Oh, well, I have learned how to deep breathe and count to ten since we have gotten together.

Good morning,
 

We were supposed to get snow overnight, but it's 40 deg. and raining.:cb: They say it may end as snow later on this afternoon.

nikki, thank you for the tips on frying. I have made "hash browns" with cauliflower, and it does stink up the house.:snooty:
Went to the grocery store this morning, looking for some fresh clams out of the shell to fry along with the shrimp, but couldn't find any. They had some canned clams, but I'm afraid they'd be really tough.

ANNE, way to go with the weight loss!!:bravo: :high: :cp: Glad you have some time away from your job and your boss. Have a great vacation. Are you planning anything special, or just hang around and relax? Did you get any snow? We really lucked out. I will be mailing our Christmas cards tomorrow. I plan on wrapping gifts this afternoon.

Hi Su, Jennifer, mauvaisroux, & Kathy. :wave:

Have a great day.
Aleka

Well, I went and popped in the video and helped him do it. It was good for me too, I have a better idea of what to do when I do use it. It is a real work out, at least it looked that way watching DH. He is overweight, but has always had big muscles. He was struggling with it and by the time he was done, felt that it was a good work out and something he will be able to do.
I exercised then, did the cardiosculpt video and 20 min. on the gazelle. I haven't exercised for a week and I can tell, lost a little muscle strength and endurance, but not to much. Man, it sure feels great to be able to exercise and stretch out again.
Tomorrow, I'll do some pilates and then the total gym too. Today, I was just testing myself to see how it felt.
Aleka, I've never had fresh clams. I've never even had fresh seafood. I see some live lobsters in the big grocery stores in Des Moines, but they are so expensive. I always thought clams were like rubber bands. If their fresh their not? Also, how do clean scallops? I like the flavor, but they are always full of sand. I can only get them frozen too.

nikki, I've never cleaned scallops. Do they come in a shell? The only ones I've ever seen have been in the fresh seafood case at my grocery store, they look like big and/or little white lumps. Clams are a bit like rubber, some more than others. But, I absolutely LOVE fried clams. Good to see you back exercising. You really put me to shame. I can think of every excuse not to exercise.:s: I forgot to tell you. Yesterday I got Suzanne's pancake and waffle mix, and today I got the Pots de Creme. I'm dying to try both. Take care. Aleka

Aleka, the scallops I've gotten were frozen and not in the shell. They had a flavor similar to lobster/crab I guess, not exactly the same texture. But they were sandy and I didn't see any sand in them and I rinsed them too. I made a really nice cream sauce (kind of runny) and served them over zucchini noodles. I want to eat more seafood, but it's hard to get. I love orange roughy, but since it's become popular, it is really expensive too.

I didn't use to like to exercise, I think what they say about doing something for 30 or 45 days, and then it becomes a habit, is true.
I'm use to it and so it's become a big part of my life. I'd rather execise than go shopping, can you believe it?:lol:

Good Morning Chicks.
5:35 am, Sunday, Ready for work. Just a few questions, What is the name of this book by Suzanne, please? I have gone to Amazon and tried everything, maybe it is not avalable in Canada??? And how is the Gazalle on your joints??? Legs and knees?? I don't know too much about it. What is it good for?

Ladies I have to tell you something, living in N.S. we have all of the sea food you can imagine, I don't like it. Scallops, lobster, clams etc.
I know seafood is good for you but I can't get over that fish taste.Ha ha.
Anne great weight loss.
well all for now.
Tazcat

Found the books Thanks, but would still like to know what one is best to start with? and a bit about this Gazell, Thanks a bunch,
Tazcat, now 5:55am must go to work, :)

Hi everyone,
Taz, I'd have to say the new one is the one to get, Fast and Easy. Just because it has the newest information in it. Plus, there are some recipes for just basic stuff like ketchup, bbq sauce, things that are staples but expensive to buy and the recipes are -fast and easy.:)
I have a gazelle and I use it almost everyday. I have severe arthritis in my right ankle joint as well as my knees. Oh, the pleasures of getting older. Anyway, there is no impact on your joints. I find I feel like I'm running on the thing, something I haven't done in years. It has no impact on your spine either, now that I have messed that up too, I can say for sure it doesn't hurt your back. It folds up flat and doesn't require a lot of room. It is well made. It is a great cardio work out, my heart rate really gets up there. It has helped my leg muscles and arm muscles become much stronger. It even works on your bottom, chest and back muscles. If I could do only one thing, this would be it.

Today, I used the total gym for the first time. It was a good workout and I feel pretty good after doing it. It is going to take a little getting use to, I folded my finger up in the thing when I was putting it away, but other than that, it's great.

Anne, I'm glad your losing again. When your stalled, even if your losing size, if your not losing weight, it sure makes a person feel like something isn't right. I'm sure I'll stall again, I just hope it doesn't happen too soon, I'm really enjoying seeing the scale move down.

Well, have a good Sunday, we should probably start a new thread tomorrow for the new week. I don't know, but I wonder if it costs more to have longer threads like this one.

Later, Nikki

Hey there!
 

I believe I've hit a plateau in the weight loss dept. It never fails, the first 10-12 lbs. comes off fairly easy, then BOOM! Usually when this happens I give up, but this time I have vowed not to. At this point, I don't really care because all my clothes fit me again, and I know I can stick it out.

tazcat, it's nice seeing your posts again. Glad that you've found Suzanne's newest book. Actually, all her books are basically the same, going over the rules of the diet, only the recipes and photos are different in each book. Her earlier recipes are more gourmet type recipes, which are delicious, but the newest book is for busy people who either don't care to cook, or don't have time to cook. She also has a dessert recipe cookbook, which I have and there are some fabulous things in there. One of the best cookbooks though, if you can find it, is her recipe contest cookbook where people who are Somersizing developed the recipes.

nikki, last night I made the spiced whipped cream in Suzanne's newest book. It was YUMMY!! :T Yesterday I was watching HSN and they were selling Wolfgang Puck's hand blender/chopper. Debbie, who does a lot of cooking when Suzanne is on, demonstrated making whipped cream from skim milk. I couldn't believe it! So...I bought one. On WW, it costs me a lot of points for real whipped cream, so if I could make it out of skim milk, that would be great. It's weird, real whipped cream has a high point value, but for Cool Whip, which has so many things in it that I can't pronounce, has a very low point value.:?: It's funny you should mention that in Suzanne's new book Dr. Swarzbein told her to eat a small potato for ther seratonin (SP?) level. I have this one diet book in my diet book library, called "The Last Diet You Will Ever Need", I forget who wrote it. It was a low carb/low sugar diet, and she said to eat a potato, cook it anyway you want, except fried, every night before you go to bed. HMMMMM!

Hi Jennifer, Su, mauvaisroux, ANNE, & Kathy.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Aleka

See you on the new thread!