Yesterday was my second day in a row of staying on plan. I'm just taking it a day at a time. This morning I had a whoosh, back down to my ticker weight. Now to get that ticker moving lower!

Hi Kristina. I remember seeing you by recognizing your avatar picture. If you change that, I won't know it's you. LOL Pretty picture. Good luck with your new plan.

I don't do any particular plan. I guess it's reduced carb. I try to eliminate starchy carbs, but do eat vegetables and a bit of fruit here and there. If I eat starchy carbs it's just a taste when I prepare it for DH. Right now I'm on this kick of making a salad and adding some tuna to it.

Congrats Carol Sue!

Today's chow...

Breakfast - pasta W/chicken & macadamia nut pesto
Lunch - stuffed mushrooms
Snack - green grapes
Dinner - cheeseburger, French onion soup

I went from 214 a couple days ago, to 215.1, and today 215.7. I've stalled for the past week and now am going up, even though I've been eating the same meals that brought my weight down from 224 at the beginning of the year. I had to look up what a whoosh was. I wish weight loss was linear! I'm so afraid I won't see the scale going down despite eating well and limiting my calories. I am expecting the TOM in a few days, and I do feel a tad bloated. I'll try to be more conscious of my water intake tomorrow.

SeeMyFeet I wish I had learned about the concept of "closing the kitchen" sooner. It helps me be on top of cleaning AND prevents me from snacking late at night. It's so simple but it works!

Wannabehealthy I also find it easier to limit my variety but I think I get tired of eggs and egg whites. I just don't know what to do with them to make them interesting.

Upandaway, it's normal to have fluctuations especially if you're expecting TOM. (Tell him I said hello and that I don't miss him one bit! LOL) I don't like to weigh every day because the fluctuations make me feel that I'm failing. Then there's some people who need that daily weigh in to stay on track. You just need to decide which category you are in.

Thanks, everyone!

Sum! I'm so glad you're back and joining us! You are on fire with your diet and exercise! Great job! Keep it up! That 30 lbs will back off in no time!

Carol Sue, CONGRATS on consecutive days OP and on being back down to ticker weight!

SeeMyFeet, I agree, kitties would be better, lol! I would be quite entertained if they would have posters of cats up around the track. I have been so busy, I haven't had a chance to get back to the gym, but I'll get there when I can! The crockpots are all in the bottom of my kitchen cupboard. It's like working a puzzle, lol!

PrairieQueen, The Crown Room of The Rusty Keg is where my daughter had her rehearsal dinner. Good food!

UpandAway, oh yes, stalls and fluctuations can certainly be frustrating. What I do is just try to focus on how much sweeter the reward is when they straighten back out! Hopefully you'll get a nice whoosh once TOM leaves! Oh, btw, I think this is a really good website for
recipes: http://www.sugarfreelikeme.com/2013/...ini-chips.html. (I bookmarked it at the zucchini chips, lol, but if you click on the menu at the left, it will lead you to more recipes.)

Trish, I'm so glad SBD is working for you! The foods you're describing sound tasty!

Hi Rennie, how's it been going after Consecration? Well, I hope!

Mars, still missing you! Is your schedule going to slow down anytime soon?

I ate so much on Carb Day, so I was so surprised to be only a half lb up yesterday! Today, I was back down to 166.5, which is awesome! Tomorrow, I expect to be up again. I stayed so busy today and didn't get home until 7:30, at which time I started making chili. So not only did I eat later than I like, but I ate 2 huge bowls of chili, and I am stuffed!

My DH and I just can't seem to stay away from buying and selling antiques! After we closed our shop because it took up too much of our time, we sold off most of our antiques and said we were going to stop for good, and we can't stop! It's like an addiction! Lol! We just opened up a booth in an antique mall here in town, so now we are on the go, either buying, picking up, organizing, rearranging the booth, or taking other things to auction. At least with a booth, we don't always have to be there. That got to be WAY too much. This way, it's fun again. Still, I was on my feet for so long today, my feet and knees hurt!

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: High 169.5, Low 166.5
1/10: 169.5
1/11: 168.5
1/12: 168
1/13: 168
1/14: 167
1/15: 167.5
1/16: 166.5 Carb Day

Week 36:
1/17: 167.5
1/18: 166.5
1/19:
1/20:
1/21:
1/22:
1/23:

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

Lunch:
Protein bar
Water

Snack:

Dinner:
Chili
Mio water

Today's Exercise:
None today--stayed busy

Morning all! Another 2-hr delay for me due the wind chill. Thankfully, we were told last night.

Jacqui I saw the room...they had the dour open and lit...maybe getting ready for an event. I saw the mileage sign for your town...I didn't realize WCH was halfway between!

I had too many crap carbs all weekend and my weight is up. I've got some tea and very few floury carbs on the menu today to "release" some of this water. My face looks puffy as well (allergic to a soap I just got, yay.)

Stay warm and have a great day!

I woke up with a half swollen face. -- I cooked with coconut oil last night; about a month ago I had cooked with coconut milk, and the same thing happened... I will test coconut again in about a month to see if I am allergic to it. It would be a shame since it is supposed to be great what comes to dieting...

Plan for today:


Meals

BFast ~ Egg muffins w/loads of veggies and some bacon
Lunch ~ Big salad w/baked chicken breast, skinless. Apple cider & olive oil as dressing
Dinner ~ Zucchini-ground chicken burgers on tomato as a bun, lettuce, avocado and onion; baked (homemade) sweet potato fries
Snacks ~ TBD (nuts like almonds, most likely or cucumber "sandwiches"; between cucumber slices; tomato, avocado and some lunchmeat)

Exercise

Walk
~ It is VERY cold and windy here; don't know how long I can stay outdoors.
Gym
~ Lift weights for 30 min. Walk there (1.2 miles) and back.

Weight
167.4

I remember you from your avi too, Wannabehealthy. I guess we can never change them.

upandaway42; TOM always adds 3-5 pounds for me, and ovulation at least for 2. But then the glorious whoosh happens Hang in there!

Jacqui; Where do you buy your stuff from?

PrairieQueen; I made this detox tea, and it works wonders...Dandelion root tea, cranberry juice (just cranberry juice, no sugar... I buy it from whole foods) and squeeze some lemon in it. I drink it cold. I make 64oz and drink it in a day, and swelling leaves so fast!

I am calling yesterday day 3 of staying on plan. I did have some brown rice, but not a lot and don't consider that as falling-off-the-wagon. I was reading a book yesterday and it said that day 4 of a new diet/food plan will make you or break you. That's when your body starts to react to the change in foods and it causes some people to throw in the towel. I have noticed that myself in the past. If you can stick with it through that change, you can continue on. I'm going to make it through day 4 today.

Kristina, where do you get your dandelion root tea? I would like to try that. I tend to drink a lot of tea rather than water in the winter with our cold weather. I wonder if I could switch to hot lemon water since it's so cold here.

I wake up with a swollen face once in a while and I always figure I'm just retaining fluid. Never thought about allergies.

You're doing great with your exercise and walking to and from the gym is a very good idea. What is your temperature like today? It's only 11 degrees here and the high is going to be 17. Yikes! I definitely would not be walking outside today. LOL

Jacqui, the antiques are in your blood, I think. You just can't get away from them. DH collected records for years. Vinyl 45's mostly. He had thousands of them. Finally one day he felt that the market was dying out for them and he sold the whole collection. Now he sees some occasionally at Goodwill and has started buying them again. I don't mind a few here and there but I sure hope he doesn't get back to where he was before. I am trying so hard to downsize our "stuff." I don't need him adding to it again. But he enjoys it and there are worse things he could be doing.

Wanna; I buy it from Whole foods, but I have seen it at Walmart etc as well.

Bro update: one week in rehab ..... Gets around well with walker, still can't swallow but doing therapy for that. I couldn't understand the details (mumbly) and didn't want to ask him to repeat. Possibly going home after 24th if all his blood tests, etc. come back okay. We'll see. He's quite depressed right now which I know is normal, esp. since it's been 7 weeks since he's eaten (8 weeks hospitalized).

Today's choices...

Break - 1/2 salami cheese sandwich
Lunch - bunless cheeseburger
Dinner -BLT wrap, cup of black bean chili, Saratoga chips

So happy I'm still hanging in with my OP eating. When I do have starchy carbs it is a very small portion, like 2 forkfuls, and that is part of my plan...not to eliminate, but also not to go overboard. Not setting any weight loss records, but haven't been back over 200 in a while. That's success for me. Now to work on exercise and water.

Prairie Queen, I think DB will be happy to be home. I can understand the depression over not being able to eat. Hopefully it will come gradually and he will get back to his old self. It's amazing how far he's come.

Kristina, I will look in Walmart. I have never been to Whole Foods. It's a bit of a drive for me, in a direction we never go.

My body is off somehow. I drank and drank (TMI) and barely nothing came out. My face is still swollen. Somehow my body is hanging on to the water I am giving it. There must be a reason. So this morning I am starting my day with a tea that is called Detox tea, splashed a bit of cranberry juice and lemon in it. -- I have basically given up coffee. I get about a cup per week as a treat. I usually drink Green tea in the mornings.

I did not make it to the gym, yesterday. So I need to remedy that today.

Plan:

Meals
Bfast ~ Eggs, tomato slices, 2 sausage patties
Lunch ~ Big Salad w/tuna
Dinner ~ Prime rib, sweet potato fries, asparagus, salad.
Snacks ~ TBD

Exercise

Walk ~ 4 miles
Gym ~ Weights

Weight
168.4

There are so many things that can cause fluid retention it's hard to say what this could be. I say just continue drinking the fluids and watch sodium and carbs. Exercise will help, too.

I love salad with tuna!!!

Carol Sue way to go staying on plan. After this past weekend and last night, I really need to stay focused for awhile

Jacqui I had a snow day today and the UPS lady delivered my Instant Pot! I made Mongolian Beef from a recipe I tweaked from a pressure cooking website. It was do good and only took 12 minutes to turn tough (but lean) round steak into something fabulous.

Sum I'm going to look for that tea. I actually have some unsweetened cran juice (got a Ollies discounted...great place to find bargain food like ices, teas, etc.)

Rennie, SMF, Patty hey there.

Today's menu...

Break - 1/2 salami sandwich
Snack - white grapes
Lunch - salami/cheese wrap
Dinner - Mongolian beef, brown rice, carrots/broccoli