Right now I didn't freeze the kale. I processed it dry in vacuum bags. It's amazing how small those bags got. I just put it in the refrigerator to see how long it stays fresh without any air in the bag. If it's OK, I will just rinse it in a colander and steam. I think what I do to it is steaming. I saute some onions in a bit of olive oil, then I add the kale, with the water clinging to it from rinsing it, then put a lid on it and turn the heat down. It just wilts down and gets soft in several minutes. I saw on a cooking show that a woman used unseasoned meat tenderizer on her greens to help them soften but I never tried it.

Carol Sue, ooo, that sounds good! :hungry:

PrairieQueen, yep, Donatos will definitely quench that salty craving! :jeno: Be sure to drink lots of water! :cheers: I hope Tom doesn't give you too hard of a time. :crossed:

I finally get to change my ticker! I hit a new low 167 flat this morning! :carrot: Of course, today was my Carb Day, and no kidding, I think I ate the equivalent of a lb bag of mint M&M's! :ink: No doubt I'll be back up into the 170's tomorrow, lol! :shrug:

Even though I got 10 hours of sleep Friday night, I was "out" before 10 last night. We ran into our farmer friends at grocery and decided we'd all go out for dinner together, so my food choices were poor again.

Yesterday's menu....

Lunchfast - 1.5 cups homemade tomato soup (more salt), Coke Life, pita strips, grapes
Snack - 1 serving of Skinny black pepper popcorn
Dinner - fried chicken wings and handout fries. (At least I brought half of wings home), 2 lite beers

My calories were still at deficit, but sodium numbers were high. And I didn't get my usual 2 liters of water in. I made a choice not to weigh this morning :) I'll try to be "good" today and drink lots of water and take in less sodium.

We have a little bit of snow on the ground. I've got the firewood in and got the 'big fire' going.....the temps are dropping again. I'm going to make some beef veg soup to freeze and bread buns for the week. And then Downton Abbey tonight. I need to wash my five outfits for school. I refuse to buy any more clothes until I'm at my "final" weight, even if that means wearing the same thing every work week. Nobody notices anyway.

PrairieQueen, another woman on another thread said she was going to make cabbage soup. That made me decided to make home made vegetable soup, to which I add lots of chopped cabbage. And you're making it, too. LOL My soup has a beef bone, short ribs, cabbage, onions, celery, barley, tomatoes, mixed vegetables and 2 whole peeled potatoes for DH. He just has to have his potatoes! LOL

It was snowing last night in Cincinnati when the Steelers stomped on the Bengals. Today it's been raining here all day and later on when the temps drop it's supposed to turn to snow. I hope we get a foot!!

I'm upset. I've been telling everyone I am 5'4" for years. At the doctor they measured me and said I am 5'1 1/2. DH measured and I stood up as straight and tall as I could get and I was 5'2". All that does is raise my BMI.

PrairieQueen glad to hear your brother is eating, still in my prayers :hug: and thanks on freezing kale. I wish I lived near you ... I'd help you with your extra/abundance of veggies, if allowed of course :)

Thanks Jacqui and YAY on being back down to your low and changing your ticker :high: You never know the M&M's might surprise you and not show on the scale ;)

Carol Sue I like the sound of a meat seasoning on the kale :) Well I guess that's 3 of us on the cabbage soup. I made it also last week but I blended it ... taste like the homemade vegetable soup that my Mom makes :) but no corn, potatoes, peas or lima beans :) I like 5"2 you don't have to worry about the length on pants. It will always be petite :) Sorry about the BMI number.

I have 3 more days of this part of the consecration. I have been really good. My Pastor even said something about different foods he's rebuking right now ... we all thought that was funny since the bulk of the congregation has eliminated something for the consecration. I got 7 hours of sleep and was rewarded with a 1.2lb drop. I can't wait till he 14th. I really want to see how my body does when I add the fish and eggs. Weigh in this morning 168.9

Carol & RennieMy soup has beef stew meat and meaty soup bones from our side we get in summer ( I needed to start using both of these up or that's all we're going to be eating in May before our next small side is ready in June). Veggies are diced tomatoes, green and wax beans, limas, corn, onions, and carrots. I just added a cup of ditalini. I forgot that I had meat thawed for lasagna I needed to make as well. I had planned on putting it all together last night for tonight's dinner and one for freezer, so I did that as well. It's nasty outside here anyway....nothing else to do but clean and I'm not in mood for that!

Rennie if you did live close, of course I'd share :). I take stuff to a widow friend of ours (she's also English) and my adult kids. There's always plenty it seems.

PrairieQueen sounds really good. I'm not doing any meat right now though. I would have probably added chicken for sure :)

... it's been cold and rainy here also but today turned out to be 60 degrees and sunny, what a blessing :)

Wfhew! What a week! I've been doing a pretty good job with the diet and exercise, but it's been tough. Been busy working, keeping up with all these challenges I've joined, repairing things and keeping a houseful of teenagers fed, but the youngers are back in school and we took DD to the airport early this am :cry:. Food would have been Great, except I made cookies for the kids Fri night, and I had a few...lots of calories in them. Hopefully, this new exercise regime will knock those calories out. (don't worry, I don't have issues with insulin/diabetes)

Catching up:
--keep your snow, please
--I have some cabbage in the fridge...maybe I should make some soup, too
--That's interesting about the kale affecting your hip pain, hair and nails, PQ. I got some over the weekend for a Mediterranean veggie casserole. Relief of your hip pain is the best reason I've heard to join the kale craze! (tho, I suspect bok choy and cabbage would also work.)
--I'm not vegetarian, Jac, but am not eating much meat these days. I did eat the pistachios with a meal, but that seems weird, so I listed them as Snack. I put quinoa in the veggie casserole, and am planning to break out the tuna for lunches next week, so don't worry. I've also seen reports that a vegetarian diet is good for RA. Overall, I feel better when I'm exercising and hungry. (and losing weight)


...time to get some more things done around the house...

Today's menu...

Breakfast - Coke Life, 2 sausage links, fried egg, 1/2 English muffin
Lunch - 4 wings, small side salad
Snack - pineapple slice
Dinner - 1/2 serving lasagna, small roll

I haven't been here in a few days. Busy last few days. Went to a campaign rally at the college coliseum where DGS graduated high school and will graduate from college in May. I've been dreading going there because it sits on a hill and it was really hard for me to walk up to the building and going up and down the stairs. Almost had to crawl up the steps to go potty and when we left. That's why I've been riding the recumbent bike to try to strengthen my legs to get me ready to walk it.

My best friend and beautician wanted to go to the rally and wanted DH and me to go because she didn't want to go alone. I planned to use the hugo walker at the coliseum, but once we got there we had to park on the grass and I decided to just use my cane. What little exercise I've been doing has been helping. I was so surprised at how well I did. At one point I was huffing and puffing, but I didn't have to stop. The line in was very long and slow up into the building which made it easier for me. Of course, I had DH to hold on too. The steps probably were not as hard as they were last time although I have to admit that I have a fear of falling that I need to learn to overcome. I have bumped up my exercise on the bike to 4 miles in 30 minutes today so I hope by the time May gets here that I will have no problem at all going to DGS graduation.

I guess today and the last few days have been carb days since I have over done them. I finally put the Townhouse flatbread I had leftover down the garbage disposal. Sometime I have to do that as much as I hate throwing food away. I think it was the salt in them. Tomorrow is my WI day and that should be interesting.

Back OP tomorrow. I've been reading about DASH online. I may use it on my carb days and track the starchy carbs on MFP. I do like eating oatmeal, but I also really enjoy eggs and bacon. I will either alternate them for breakfast or just have the oats on my carb days.

I'll do Indies tomorrow.

Hi. New here...trying to get motivated....it is so easy to fall off that wagon! Flour and high carbs definitely fuel the inflammation for RA and other inflammatory issues.

Yay :carrot: on the walking, PattyGirl! Isn't it great when you realize that exercise is making you stronger? Keep going!....and I'm hoping that you and PQ and everyone else who has issues with bs/insulin can successfully stay away from carbs and sugar. (I know it's not just a weight loss issue for you!)

Welcome SoupNut!

Oh, I forgot to mention that the dryer trick did not work on my pants....soooo....now I have a give-away box in my closet :carrot:. Fortunately, I have some smaller sizes lying around, so I don't have to go to work pants-less.

So far this year, I have had a rabbit-like weight loss, which is my usual pattern. At this point, the rabbit usually lies down and rests for a few months...then I have to start the race all over again with a bigger rabbit. We'll see if these changes I've made will keep this one on the race track for a while longer. And, ugh, I have been so consumed with weight loss and keeping my head afloat with work and house chores, that I am forgetting to take my RA meds and vitamins...the hands are feeling it and my brain is mushy (more than usual, ha!)....gotta make another resolution to be more compliant...

:welcome: SoupNut! Yes, it really is very easy to fall off the wagon. That was always my problem before I started following a diet plan with one day each week when I can eat whatever I want! :yes:

PrairieQueen, I'm a Downton Abbey fan too! I'm so sad that this is the final season. It's such a spectacular show! :queen: I was hoping for a warm winter based on how it felt in October and November, but it's feeling like an Ohio winter now! :brr:

Carol Sue, oh my, finding out you're a couple of inches shorter than you thought you were would be distressing news! People have always said I am 5'9" while I have said I am 5'8", but now with age, I'm positive I'm 5'8"! So how much of a difference is there when it comes to your BMI? :?:

Rennie, wow, you are doing incredibly! Congrats on being another half-lb down! Keep it up! :dust:

SeeMyFeet, I used to be a semi-vegetarian (I ate fish) back in my teens and 20's, but I didn't have RA then so I can't really say if it did good things for it, other than...I didn't have RA then! :lol: Yay on needing smaller clothes! :high:

Trish, I love oatmeal too, but I definitely limit it to my Carb Days. In fact, I used to eat it every morning, and now I eat eggs every morning and I forget to eat oatmeal, even when I can! :dizzy: I do love it though, with cinnamon, bananas, and blueberries. Yum! :T Great job on increasing your exercise! :ebike: Your DGS's graduation location will be a breeze for you by the time May rolls around! :flow2:

Mars, where are you?! :hug:

I was going along so well today, until I ate salted nuts for a snack! :devil: I'm drinking a lot of water, hoping I can offset the inevitable water gaiin! :cheers: Hopefully I won't hold enough water to jump back into the 170's because I'm on a roll right now of 5 days in a row in the 160's! :woohoo:

Week 34: High 170.5, Low 167
1/3--169.5
1/4--169.5
1/5--170.5
1/6--170
1/7--169
1/8--167.5
1/9--167 Carb Day

Week 35:
1/10: 169.5
1/11: 168.5
1/12:
1/13:
1/14:
1/15:
1/16:

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

Lunch:
Large field greens salad with chicken and ranch dressing
Mio water

Snack:
Roasted, salted mixed nuts

Dinner:
Nothing (Fell asleep with a bad sinus headache! :stars:)

Today's Exercise:

SeeMyFeet you are busy busy busy, WOW!

PrairieQueen, Carol Sue :wave:

SoupNut :wel3fc: and to the thread :)

Trish I need to get caught up with regards to you my friend. Sorry I've been out of the loop :hug: praying things get better with your walking :hug:

Thanks Jacqui :) I'm trying to keep up with you. ;) Though I don't know how things will go starting on the 14th :crossed: I continue to do well :)

Evening all!

Hubs and I are "computing" in dining room tonight in front of the wood fire. You are so right Jacqui....our normal Ohio winter is back. Tonight we watch the DVRd "The Good Wife" and our Monday sitcoms.... We can live :) Fingers crossed for a delay tomorrow. It's going to be snowy and windy and cold. It was not fun this morning in five below wind chill.

Menu today....

Break - McD's burrito and ice tea w/stevia
Lunch - 1/2 portion lasagna
Dinner - 1.5 cups beef veg soup, roll, pineapple slice
Snack - maybe slice of choc/zuke bread, got some out of freezer for hubs