Down a lb today!

Oh my, my upper body is killing me today because of the tree trimming I did yesterday. Actually, I'm surprised my body didn't hold extra water to repair those muscles, but I must drink so much water each day that I have enough without holding on to more.

Week 5:
5/31--(202.5) Cheat Day
6/1--(203)
6/2--(202.5)
6/3--(202)
6/4--(201)
6/5
6/6

Today's Meals: (I ate out all 3 meals.)
Breakfast: (IHOP)
2 eggs over easy
2 link sausages
Water with lemon

Lunch: (Wendy's)
Dbl cheeseburger patties, no toppings besides the cheese (removed the bun)
Small chili
Water

Snack:

Dinner: (Bob Evans)
Grilled salmon filet
Broccoli
Garden salad
Water with lemon

Today's Exercise:
1.2-mile walk and 3 sets of 10 reps on the lat pull down and leg press machines, 6 sets of 10 reps each on the slalom skier and cross country skier machines (I focused on the leg machines because my upper body still hurts from tree trimming and hauling yesterday. I did the lat pull down but I had to put my feet on the ground instead of on the bar to lift my body weight. I was too sore. I just couldn't do it. And I didn't get to use the elliptical because someone broke one of the foot pedals off it, so they have yellow tape around it. )

Chickadeee, I'm so glad you are feeling well with your healthy eating! I'm like you, I am not a big fan of exercise. Some people love it and even miss it when they don't do it. I have to make myself do it every single time, and so that's what I do. For me, being on a diet takes determination, but exercising takes even more. The difference is I like what I'm eating. I don't like exercise. Still, I do it because I know it's good for me!

Today:

B: Scrambled egg w/cheddar
S: cucumber slices and nuts
L: Chicken with tomato, pea pods
S: Yogurt
D: Pizza, I just eat the toppings with a salad.

PS, I made a rhubarb dessert -because our garden has it, so that will be my cheat.

Chickadeee, looking good! And it sounds like you are making a delightful rhubarb dessert!

Rennie, please don't disappear! You may not be ready to start the diet again yet, but I know you are struggling with your new job schedule and I'm sure that has everything to do with why you are struggling with getting going again on eating healthy. We know you need to cut back on quick carbs. When you eat them, you crave them, and when you crave them, you eat them. All of us who are carb-sensitive are vulnerable to that, and it's a vicious cycle that takes us around and around in one giant circle of weight gain. I know! Look what I did! I gained ALL my weight back and then 10 more lbs when I got caught back up in that vicious cycle! It happens. But the question is, what can we do to help you step off that ride? Maybe the solution for you is to ease back into healthy eating, as in eliminating one type of quick carb food at a time. It will still take determination but I know you can do it! The slow carb diet says to avoid

--breads and grains (including rice and corn)
--pasta
--dairy (except for cottage cheese)
--fruits (except veggie-like fruits)
--potatoes
--sweets

So maybe start with one of these types of food and avoid it. Then add another food to avoid and so on until you have wiped out all the problematic carbs. Once you have it down pat for at least 5 days, if you want to have a cheat day, then you can start incorporating cheat days. Of course you don't have to if you are afraid it will just throw you back into the cycle. So what do you think? I don't want you to end up where I ended up--right back where you started and then some! With your diabetes, you just can't afford that and carbs are indeed your nemesis, so you really do need to address your addiction to them. Please let me know how I can help you! I care about you!

Jac you are the best support giver.

Rennie, come on, I need support people and you are one of them. We can learn from each other.

Aw, thank Chickadeee! Once a teacher, always a teacher I guess, not to mention I'm a confessed mother hen! I can't help but want the best for others, and I think I am more proud of them for doing well and more concerned for them when they slip, than I am of and for myself!

So my Dad's scale was off by 3.5 lbs, so I am adding that difference back to my weight now. And I'm still quite happy! I lost 5 lbs while I was in Nashville, which is fantastic! And I've lost 15.5 lbs in the last month and 2 days! Now I finally get to change my ticker and profile weights and add another cheerleader in my signature!

Week 5:
5/31--(202.5) Cheat Day
6/1--(203) 206.5
6/2--(202.5) 206
6/3--(202) 205.5
6/4--(201) 204.5
6/5--204.5
6/6

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
3 link sausages
Mio water

Lunch:
large salad with lots of veggies, shredded cheese, almonds, with ranch dressing
Mio water

Snack:

Dinner:
10 mild chicken wings
Water with lemon

Today's Exercise:
I won't be doing any formal exercise today. My body is quite stiff and sore, and I have so much housework to do now that I'm home after 10 days. I've already been on my feet all morning, grocery shopping, doing dishes, cleaning the refrigerator, and cleaning the kitchen, and now I have to dust, run the vacuum in all 12 rooms, and clean the bathrooms. I love my big old house, but wow, it's a job! Somehow I think with how achy I am, today's housework is going to spill over into tomorrow!

TGIF

B: Farm fresh eggs, coffee
S: Sliced tomato and nuts
L: Small dish veggie lasagna, tomato juice
S: Rhubarb torte (have to freeze this now!)
D: either taco salad or leftovers

I came home today from work and was totally stressed, wanted to chow down on anything, but didn't, stopped at the torte. I don't handle work stress very well.

Jac, good to see your home and taking it easy to get back in the grove. I am glad I can come here and post. I will be be checking my loss progress tomorrow, I am hopeful. But I won't trade anything for how much better I feel with my change in food choices.

Happy Weekend - and if you need more housework to do, stop on over!!!

Jacqui, I can't thank you enough for your support You're the best

Chickadeee, thank you for your kind words they mean a lot

I didn't do great with my eating yesterday but I didn't eat as much junk, I drank 5 - 20oz bottles of water and weighed in this morning at 173.8 that's a 1.3lb drop from yesterdays 175.1.

here are today's eats

B ~ green beans, a cup of green goodness
L ~ green beans, 1/2 cup scattered w/ onion tater tots
S ~ sour cream & onion chips snack size, 3 musketeers bar
D ~ kale, arugula, spinach, 1/2 cup potato salad, lump crab meat
S ~ smart food delight popcorn

Chickadeee, Good for you avoiding that stress eating! I have my fingers crossed for you for a good weigh-in! You did great today! And I think I might have my hands full with the housework for the next couple of days, but thanks for the offer!

Rennie, yay! Congrats on the big drop! And look at you! Your menu today is such an improvement over the last ones you posted! I am so proud of you! At this rate, you will be back on top of your game in no time! Just keep eating healthier and healthier each day, and you're going to feel so much better! And great job on the water! It makes a difference!

As for me, I'm pretty sure I've aggravated my RA with all the labor-intensive activities I've been doing the past few days. I can hardly walk right now. I'm afraid I'm going to have to slow down. I hope that doesn't affect my progress in a negative way! If I can walk at all tomorrow evening, I'll go out to the walk park and take a lap, but I'll stay away from the machines. It may be a very slow walk, but at least I'll be moving!

Jacqui, I am so glad to see that you're back! I spend a bit of time here in 2014 and heard so much about you from Rennie. (Hi Rennie! ) All I've done for a long time is spin my wheels. I need a thread that is active, with lots of support to get me moving, and keep me moving. At first I had a hard time understanding the cheat day, thinking it would just cause a binge, but recently read an article about leptin. It said that cutting back on carbs causes leptin to go down, and having a cheat day once a week helps to bring it back up. Not a carb fest, but just a small increase. Now that makes sense to me and I think I can do this. Being diabetic, I need to cut carbs out of necessity.

I'm going to go back and read over the old threads again. And I'm going to get back to exercise. I recently read that exercise doesn't really burn enough calories to be effective for weight loss, but does cause changes in body chemistry and hormones that truly help. As much as I have to push myself to do it, I love the feeling afterwards.

Good Morning Girls, as we grow in number! Yeah!

I did my numbers today for the first time in 2 weeks, lost of 4 lbs (I started cutting carbs on May 1st and I forgot to weigh myself to start - I know I have lost more but I will stay with the 4 lbs - because I feel so much better since starting this lifestyle change) And are you ready for this, 5.5 inches overall lost. (I knew I felt better for a reason.) Too me, inches are better than pounds.

Carol Sue, I have such a hard time getting on the treadmill, I have it all set up with music available and everything, but I just look at it.

Here's to a good weekend, we are garden plant shopping today. Yeah!

Carol Sue, oh, I am so glad you want to get back on track and that you're joining the thread again!! I'm sorry I missed you last year, but I am not going anywhere now! I learned my lesson the hard way, so you can count on this thread staying active! Some people stay on track using myfitnesspal, but I stay on track by posting on 3fc! And I couldn't agree with you more on cheat day. I definitely think it helps! I know it helps me stay on plan. However, I used to go really crazy on cheat day and I found through trial and error that the more heavily I cheated, the harder it was for me to go back to low carb the next day, so now I cheat more moderately, but I always take a cheat day! It's great you want to get back to exercise! Like you, I have to push myself to do it, but I do think it contributes to our overall health, and that's what I'm all about this time around. I intend to get off the yo-yo dieting rollercoaster once and for all. I am not in this for my looks as I was for so many years. I am not in it for a special event like a wedding or reunion, as I was the last time. This time, I'm in it for my health. I walk for exercise right now, but I really want to build some muscle. That's never been one of my goals before, but 1) I think to will help a tad bit with sagging skin, 2) it's supposed to keep one's metabolism revved up, and 3) I don't want to be weak the older I get. I already have rheumatoid arthritis, which has an effect on my strength, so if I can offset that deficit through building some muscle, I want to do that! Again, welcome back! I'm so happy you're here!

Chicadeee, Those are fantastic stats! 4 lbs and 5.5 inches! I am so proud of you! You are doing so great! Now, we just have to get you on that treadmill! If you can just do 5 minutes in the morning, that's all, and 5 minutes in the evening, you'll have 10 minutes each day, and that's better than none each day! Then just increase minute by minute as it gets easier for you, up to 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening, then you'll have 30 minutes of exercise each day! If you're like me, you'll never think it's not boring, lol, but if you can just get going, you will feel even better, and those lbs and inches will keep coming off! I know you can do 5 minutes, right?

I am up a lb this morning. Not what I would have chosen for myself, lol, but it's just water so no big deal! I'm sure my RA inflammation is contributing to that! I need so badly to continue doing housework, but DH is putting his foot down and not letting me touch the vacuum cleaner today. If I can walk this evening, he may think that's okay. Rheumatoid arthritis is funny. Exercise is good for it, but not too much exercise. (Oops! The tree trimming probably wasn't a good idea!) What's worse is I'm going to have to break down and take some medicine. I hate that! I'm not a fan of meds to begin with, but also, it's probably going to make me hold more water. Water, of course, can't hurt me, but it does get in the way of my scale, lol! :

On a fun note, today is cheat day! Yay! I had a piece of toast and a farmer's market peach this morning with my eggs and sausage, yum! Later, I'll have a piece of strawberry dessert a neighbor made for us, which I haven't been able to have till now. And for dinner, we're going to have hamburgers and I'll be able to eat it in a bun! Of course, cheat day will add even more water weight, but that's just how it goes! I'm not giving up my cheat day just because I'm already holding water and may hold even more with meds. Water will fall back off as soon as my body gets all straightened out again. Hopefully resting today will help with that.

Rennie, Chickadeee, Carol Sue, and anyone else following the thread, I hope you all have a wonderful day!!

Week 5: High 206.5, Low 204.5
5/31--(202.5) 206 Cheat Day
6/1--(203) 206.5
6/2--(202.5) 206
6/3--(202) 205.5
6/4--(201) 204.5
6/5--204.5
6/6--205.5 Cheat Day

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
2 link sausages
1 slice of whole wheat toast
A peach
Mio water

Lunch:
Large salad with lots of veggies, egg, shredded cheese, turkey, with a mixture of ranch dressing and oil and vinegar (There was only about a half teaspoon of ranch left in the bottle. The mixture turned out very nice though!)
Mio water

Snack:
a piece of colby-jack cheese

Dinner:
Hamburger in bun with ketchup, mustard, cheese, and pickle
Baked beans
Strawberry delight dessert
Mio water

Today's Exercise:
1.2-mile walk (Longest walk EVER! It took me 45 minutes to walk it! And oh, did my feet, knees, hips, and even my elbows as I swung my arms, hurt! But hey I got through it! )

Chickadee, I loved seeing your post where you said you eat the toppings from the pizza with a salad. I do that and I call it a pizza salad. DH thinks I'm nuts, but I get the "taste" of pizza without the crust.

I did pretty good today even thought I haven't really started slow carb. I need to go back and read things over to refresh my memory before I get started.

B-avacado with lemon juice
S 2 imitation crab legs
L salad of iceberg lettuce and romaine with tuna salad mixed in
D 2 hotdogs on bread with 4 fried potatoes

Since I haven't actually started, I'm calling this a cheat day, and thus the bread with the hot dogs. I don't plan on eating anything this evening so that should be it for the day.

EDIT I'd like to add that I know I'm not supposed to start this WOE with a cheat day! LOL I went back and read the basic rules in the first thread and that is how I normally eat, but I probably have more than 1 cheat day per week. There are things that I do eat occasionally, such as pasta, but it's never more than twice a month and I can fit it in on a cheat day as long as I remember to keep my portions in line. Portion control is my worst problem.

Carol Sue, for not having reminded yourself of what this diet entails, you came pretty close! Great job! The first post of this thread will give you a quick glance of the Slow Carb Diet (plus my version of the diet). There's also a link at the bottom of the post to a website that will tell you if a particular food is allowed. All you have to do is type the food in. But it looks like your memory is serving you well!

So I broke down a few minutes ago and finally took some medicine for my RA. Yes, it takes me that long to convince myself that I'll be better off taking it, lol! So what's this major pharmaceutical I'm trying to avoid? Aleve! Yep, just a double dose (RA dosage) of naproxen sodium. I used to take prescription meds for it, but as soon as I started feeling better, I weaned myself off and never went back to it. That was 15 years ago! I'm just really bad about taking ANY meds. I do well just to take my vitamin D everyday! I'm just lucky that I have a mild case of RA and not a more serious case, because then I wouldn't have any choice but to take the prescription meds. Oh, and you know, I may not be moving much today, but our 1st floor commode started leaking yesterday, so my DH turned off the water to it until we can get it fixed, so every time I want to go to the bathroom, I have to go up our 19-step staircase to the 2nd floor! Along with other reasons I've gone upstairs, I've already been up and down 9 times today! That's 171 steps up and 171 steps down again! We aren't in a hurry to fix the downstairs bathroom because we have some other projects we want to get to first, and that actually may be good thing. It's kind of a sneaky way of getting some exercise in without thinking of it as exercise!