Mars, I remember when I first started going to this doctor, 15-20 yrs ago he sent me for a chest Xray 3 years in a row. He would listen to my lungs, say "Hmmm" and then schedule an Xray. They always came back negative. The last time he did it I got a statement from the lab for it and the doctor's name who checked the results was the same as his...it was his WIFE who is also a Dr. It was then that I thought he was trying to drum up business for her. Since that time, when I was in the hospital, I learned that my lungs are hard to hear on the lower left. They always check it several times, and have done a lot of chest xrays while I was in the hospital. When I had pneumonia, I had gone to the ER instead of the doctor. They did a chest Xray that showed nothing, but then did a CT scan and that showed the pneumonia. So I guess it is something with my left lung. I didn't think of bronchitis because I thought that includes fever.

I have never been to Costco's but I hear from so many people about all the samples. People say they have their lunch there. LOL DH will never eat any samples they are passing out in stores. I do. One time they had this delicious dip with crackers at the deli. I couldn't stop eating it and DH had to pull me away. LOL

Jacqui, I just realized that I have a cardiology appt on the 14th. That's just a few weeks away and I have not lost any weight or brought my blood pressure down. I'm in big trouble. I'm half tempted to do that salad diet that my neighbor did to crash off some pounds. DH says I can't do it. Does that sound like a challenge to you? LOL

Mars, thanks! Oh yes, I definitely enjoyed myself, haha! Way to go on not bingeing after your unexpected Costco samplings! EDITED TO ADD: No, we are not flying. We are driving and it's going to be a LONG drive!

Carol Sue, oooo, that does sound like a challenge, lol!

Yay! I dropped back down 2 lbs!

Week 23: High 179.5, Low (175)
10/4--179.5
10/5--(177)
10/6--(176.5)
10/7--(175.5)
10/8--(177)
10/9--(176)
10/10--(175) Carb Day

Week 24: High 177, Low 175
10/11--(177)
10/12--(176)
10/13--(175.5)
10/14--(175)
10/15--(174.5)
10/16--176
10/17--175 Carb Day

Week 25: (High 178, Low 175.5)
10/18--177.5
10/19--176.5
10/20--176.5
10/21--175.5
10/22--DNW
10/23--177 Carb Day
10/24--178

Week 26:
10/25--176
10/26--
10/27--
10/28--
10/29--
10/30--
10/31--

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
2 slices of bacon
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio Water

Lunch:
Large field greens and veggies salad with walnuts, pumpkin seeds, turkey, and ranch dressing
Mio water

Tea Time:
Hot green tea

Dinner:
A bowl of chili
2 hamburger patties with cheese (no bun)
Mio water

Today's Exercise:
20 minutes on Weslo CardioGlide at home

It's a good thing I"m not tempted by food porn, else I wouldn't be able to read any of the posts here! But I do skip over them pretty fast, so I'm sure I missed some things. I do not know how you guys can have a carb day. I've been strict for 45 days, except for when we had a visitor, and boy howdy, did I pay for those coupla days...still paying.

I keep checking up on the definition of "low carb". The "typical" diet is 45-65% carb. It looks like I'm between 30-40%, so I guess that's considered moderate carb. (I need my fruit, so I"m not willing to go lower.) This week, I've kept total carbs to around 100.

Good news: I can move my tickers down But the slow pace of weight loss is killing me. I know to be grateful for losing anything (this is the best I've been all year), but it's taking over too much of my brain. Not posting much as I'm feeling kinda down. But at least the weight loss is moving in the right direction.

SeeMyFeet
Wow your ticker shows great progress!!!! It's never fast enough, is it? Sorry to hear you're feeling down. Is it possible that your brain needs a little more carbs? The rule of thumb my Wt loss coach told me is 50-70 NET carbs is low. Below that is ketosis, above is moderate & on up. If your total carbs are 100ish, your net could be a lot lower since fruit has a lot of fiber.

I did fast weight loss with restricted carb, cal, fat. It was pretty easy to stay in ketosis & be strict until I phased off. At the end of the day, I was bingeing a lot once I phased off, and gained back 25 lbs.

In the long run, it would have come out the same way if I'd lost slowly and avoided binges. But on the way down, those dropping scale numbers are so reinforcing. And ketosis produces a mild state of euphoria so that you think you never ever are going to be tempted by food ever again. That works great until maintenance. I think slow and steady will win!

Personally I have a hard time with fruit except apples and pears. I was doing great on WeightWatchers until they allowed unlimited fruit. I din't eat all that much, but it was enough to keep me from losing, plus I was always hungry. So it works for me to avoid them.

Looks I'll be gabby enough today to compensate for our MIA posters!

Jacqui I can't think of anything more fun than a road trip. It's a long one, but what an adventure! I love going where i want and stopping where & when I want, well hopefully your sister is like-minded! My sister would be stopping at the Fast Food eateries and I would be on the lookout for the Whole Foods

Carol That looming doctor's appt sounds stressful. I hope your cardio is nice. About 15 yrs ago, my rheumatologist told me I should lose a bunch of weight or my knees would go. She came across as very judgemental, didn't acknowledge I had lost 60 lbs. She may have been right about the knees but her delivery led me to get a new doc.

Way back when, I learned that the bible of BP guidelines is the JNC (Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, & Treatment of High Blood Pressure). They establish guidelines based on the latest evidence, incl. lifestyle modification. Last year their latest, JNC8, was published. I tried to link it but googling only would turn up the news that they have relaxed their target BPs. At least in some groups of people. You may already be familiar with their rec's.

I was googling it to see if they recommended walking to lower BP & if that would be less stressful than crash dieting. I used to avoid the doctor because of my weight. I still do, but at least the last time he said I was maintaining the loss and didn't seem bothered by the 25 lb gain. Who knows what he'll say next time!

I think if a doctor ever again makes me feel bad because of my weight, I will educate them! N.O.T. helpful!

Re Costco, I can't imagine counting those freebies as a meal, even though the calories add up to one pretty fast. They are things that just make you want to eat more--it's a very triggering situation. And when I really like the sample enough to buy, it never tastes as good when I get it home.

It's late afternoon here, with a light quality that gives me a sinking feeling. So I have preemptively turned on all the lights in the LR. Already had my feel-good taters.

EDIT Carol I'm never heard that about bronchitis. I was taught that those in our age group tend not to spike fevers as much as younger people, so we can be pretty sick without running a fever.

Today's menu...
Morning - Coke Life
Brunch - Goetta, egg, bechamel sauce, and arugula on toast w/side of nitrate-free bacon
Dinner - steak sandwich w/o lid and half cup potato soup

Mars, none of my doctors ever say anything about my weight. Years ago I switched gynes because he commented on my weight, and that was when I weighed 135!!

Walking does help lower BP, but for me, weight loss drops it drastically. The only reason I know that is because I have a really really good memory! LOL

oh, ha!, Mars....I just changed the high weight on my ticker to reflect where I started in Sept. Doesn't look as good, but an accurate reflection of what's going on......I don't keep track of fiber. That's a good way to get folks to eat healthy fruits and vegetables and avoid white carb junk--a good trick, but I'm doing about as much secretarial work for this diet as I care to do! White carbs are on my NoNo list anyway.....Wish I experienced some of that ketone euphoria! I just get tired and fuzzy-headed. Fruit helps, and I'm focusing on pineapple for the RA.....Low cal, low carb, low fat is the only thing that works for me to lose weight....Lots of work for less than 1.5lb/week--I can't go any slower or I'll lose my mind...whoops! too late for that!...

My off-plan day....I usually have a big salad....
Br--2 eggs, coffee
L--Chicken breast, apple w/ cheese
D--bite of chicken breast 3C mixed vegetables
staring at 1C juice as a snack later...still have some vitamins to take.....

Carol--sounds kind of like the sinus issue that went around my office a few weeks ago. Everyone else got over it pretty fast, but mine moved downward. Felt like bronchitis. I hear folks coughing now in the corridor, so it's still being passed around. Hope yours is just something like that, and nothing more serious.

...RE weight comments in physician office...on the other hand, I find it kind of weird and irresponsible that the drs I visit NEVER mention anything about weight...the rheum doesn't even have weigh-ins....I obviously need to lose and would be irritated with lame suggestions/snooty comments that I don't need (cause I'm working on things), but at the same time, it seems like they're not doing a thorough job with their patients.

Prairie---I hope you're taking vitamins. "steak sandwich w/out life"...trying reeel hard to not imagine you eating a steak sandwich w/ life?? I think I'm missing something?

I remember losing weight for MD appts, and also when I was in the Naval Reserves for the annual fitness assessment. You had to be below a certain wt or else. Good thing they don't have an A1C-type test for weight, lol.

SeeMyFeet, that's a good point about not even bringing up weight when it's relevant to the problem at hand. When I had plantar fasciitis at my highest weight, the podiatrist did not mention that losing weight would help until I flat out asked him. At HMOs like Kaiser, I think some docs are afraid they will get a negative review, and their salary & tenure are linked to pt satisfaction surveys.

Re ketone euphoria, it's great while it lasts, but once out of ketosis, all the old cravings return. Thats good the fruit helps. Tired & fuzzy-headed sounds like low blood sugar.

I still think your ticker progress is great. It's only October! Is the meal plan you listed your typical day?

Sunday's food:
B broccoli omelet, whey shake/coffee
L salad, chicken, croutons (whoops) evoo, pear
S piece of See's choc
D chicken, potatoes, roasted vegs/evoo
2L cinnamon spice tea, no exercise
WI 167.4

SeeMyFeet, Carb Day is definitely not for everyone! I agree with Mars on your progress! 8.8 lbs lost since September is excellent! And it's doubly impressive considering the stress you've been under! I hope you'll give yourself a little more credit for how well you're doing!

Carol Sue, can blood pressure be affected quickly by dieting and/or exercise? Do you have enough time to get it to a level low enough to appease your cardiologist? (I'm afraid I don't know anything about blood pressure.) As for your weight, you're back in Onederland and I'd think he'd be happy with that!

Mars, like you, I do don't so well with fruit, although I don't think blueberries have ever caused me problems and I've considered adding them back in because of their antioxidants. But other fruits definitely affect my cravings and I tend to overeat them, If they're sugary enough, like bananas, they make me want to overeat other carbs as well, so it's best if I just avoid them unless it's Carb Day. I know my sister and I are going to have great fun! I've never been to Boston so I'm looking forward to it! Yay on the 7 in your number! I hope it morphs into a 6 very soon!

PrairieQueen, good menu! I hope it brings you another drop! Lol, I have to wonder what "steak w/o life" is also!

I just read this new ABC News article on beans and weight loss: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/easy-sw...ry?id=34691215. The suggestions for how to add them to your menu reminded me of Chickadeee's bean brownies. (We miss you Chickadeee! ) Also, it has never occurred to me to roast beans on a baking sheet for a crunchy snack! What a great idea!

Yay! I'm back down to my ticker weight today!

Week 23: High 179.5, Low (175)
10/4--179.5
10/5--(177)
10/6--(176.5)
10/7--(175.5)
10/8--(177)
10/9--(176)
10/10--(175) Carb Day

Week 24: High 177, Low 175
10/11--(177)
10/12--(176)
10/13--(175.5)
10/14--(175)
10/15--(174.5)
10/16--176
10/17--175 Carb Day

Week 25: (High 178, Low 175.5)
10/18--177.5
10/19--176.5
10/20--176.5
10/21--175.5
10/22--DNW
10/23--177 Carb Day
10/24--178

Week 26:
10/25--176
10/26--175
10/27--
10/28--
10/29--
10/30--
10/31--

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
1 slice of ham
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio Water

Lunch: @ local pizza place with friends
Salad with ranch dressing
Water

Tea Time:
Hot green tea

Dinner:
Baked beans and franks
Mio water

Today's Exercise:
Workout with my exercise bands

Ha! I just fixed the typo It should be w/o lid.....I didn't eat the top portion of the roll.

No, Mars, I mentioned it was off-plan--I didn't get my shopping done over the weekend so in scrambling for something healthful to eat, I found the frozen mixed veggies. Today's plan:

B: 1/2 C oatmeal+1/3T butter+1T brown sugar+1/4C 2%milk and coffee
L: salad w/ 1egg
S/D pineapple and apple, maybe some cheese

...annnd I'm thinking of adding a fruit juice to help with taking vitamins...although I'm hesitant as I don't want more carbs. Such a tough decision...I'm not taking my vitamins as frequently as I should because I don't like to take them with water. (I know that sounds like a whiny baby.)

Not a bean fan, Jaq...never have been...there are so many things that are touted as being good for weight loss/good for you. Gaw, if we ate all the recommended stuff to improve our health, we'd all weigh 2 tons! But I'm mindful of the bean hype and they're not on my NoNo list anymore...just as long as I don't take too many. (Haven't had any since the split pea soup.) Even as a kid, I thought of beans as a paste of empty calories--can't get over that.