Oh how I lauhed about the mango happy. I think I know what you tried to do and that is cut the thing in half.
If you hold it pointy end down (ie the stalk bit is at the top) you will see that it has a sort of line down it. Do not cut on this line.
I think I will have to go grab a mango to describe the rest of the procedure but generally speaking you cut the cheeks off either side of the mango and can either scoop the flesh out of those with a spoon or make it pretty and decorative. The big stone in the middle you need to cut the skin off, hang over the edge of the sink and gnaw off the flesh. (Even better if you have several of them, sit naked in the bath and slurp) I'll see if I can find some pictures of cutting and eating a mango tonight.

Tip from a Mango recipe site from the Northern Territory Mango Farm:
Eating Mangoes
The very best way is to cover your self with a towel, peel
the mango and just hoe in.
A more socially accepted method is to slice the unpeeled
mango lengthways off each side of the stone. Score the
halves into cubes, flip inside out and either eat or slice
of the cubes into a dish and eat with a spoon.
You can, also peel and slice the mango flesh off the stone
and eat .
[Cook's Comments - Any mango left on the stone can be scraped
off and pureed for future use]

Thank you for the instructions. I can relate to sitting in the tub and slurping

Well now that I am educated, I think I may have another go at it. I did make a total mess of it, and did wind up scooping some of it from the skin before I got too slippery and decided to stop before I cut my hand off - which is a definite possibility and I just could not TOLERATE the look on DH's face while I was bleeding all over the floor so I stopped short. Should have let him try and cut the little bugger.

I was mumbling and grumbling and thinking this sure makes cracking a lobster quite easy. All the more reason I would not last even 3 days on a show like Survivor.

But thanks for your help. And how do you tell when they are ripe enough? It was sort of soft feeling with the outer skin just loosing it's taughtness yet the soft part of the mange was only a hair on the inside - most of it was still rock hard - not counting the pit in the middle of course.

I don't know about ripeness. I tend to get them when they are a bit firm but not rockhard. I don't really like them too soft. They should not be mushy nor rockhard. Guess it takes a bit of getting used to. A bit like Avocado. I have a friend who can pick a good one at 20 paces, I am a bit hit and miss unfortunately!

By gee it is quiet around here at the moment I'll check back later

Oh oh, I thought I posted here last night. Must have been dreaming. Last night DH convinced me to go out with him. He had some errands to run and we needed to get a new kitchen faucet to replace the leaky one and we stopped at the bookstore to use some gift cards we got from my nephew at Christmas.

I picked up the South Beach Diet book - been toying with getting that for a while. I also picked up a Bill Phillips cookbook. Bill's big out here and I have a few of his books. I like him because he is really sensible and incorporates emotional eating, food and exercise into his program. The cookbook has alot of good looking things, low fat, low carb - stuff I could deal with. It's just that he uses alot of spicy stuff which will be great for DH but a little too much for me. I'm not into jalapeno peppers even if they do boost your metabolism.

Good news is I'm down 2 pounds for the week. The result of being focused I suppose and the fact that I had a crown replaced on my tooth and it's not right. It hurts to bite down hard so I've been chewing soft and carefully this week. Will call the dentist and get it fixed next week. These teeth are driving me crazy lately. Still have 5 pounds to lose before I get back to where I was in October when I started working from home full time. But I'm happy, it's a good start.

I plan to spend this weekend cleaning up and decluttering. And it won't get done sitting in front of the computer as I have for the last hour so I'd better get hauling. Will check in later...

The site keeps logging me out. Have no idea why but it's no get hassle to log in again I suppose.

Happy I am so pleased that you have lost 2lb. That's great news. It means that you are getting back on track again. We will get there one day this year, I can just feel it. Not that I have lost anything this week. I seem to be holding water again despite the tablets.

I've heard the name Bill Phillips but from where I don't know. Guess it has come from somewhere round the weight loss forums somewhere. We have a tv program starting up here called Bill's food. I thought it was Australian, but I'll have to watch it to check it out.

Haven't heard from Teel again. Maybe I'll drop her a line tonight to see how she is. She is making me nervous!!!!

Had a long chat with MEL from the journals on the phone today. It was real nice to chat with her and find out a bit about her situation and circumstances. She sure is one gutsy lady.

We have a living room full of furniture at the moment. Simon has brought his lounge suite home from the house he and a friend were buying together. He and the friend have come to the parting of the ways. I did try to warn them to talk about what they wanted from this property. One wanted an investment, one wanted a home to live in!! But they are young men. They know everything I think!!!!

Been a bit lax today and haven't achieved half of what I set out to do, but I guess one has to have a bit of a slack day at some stage or other. Yesterday was busy getting a whole stack of little jobs out of the way. I may go and paint the bathroom ceiling later but the problem with that is that you have to clean up afterwards, maybe I'll leave it to tomorrow.

Anyway I best go get this finished and go fix dinner. Very plain fare tonight - pork steaks with peas, beans and potatoes. Simple meal. We have some lo fat icecream to finish off with and I bought some mangoes today so one for after dinner is a good idea.

Have a good Sunday when you wake up to it. See you soon.

I dunno - we're going to have to rename this the Happy and Shad thread soon - will sound like a couple of drunken sailors

Teel - do you hear? Subtle hint to check in again. Also Shaker you said you'd be joining us in the new year and it's here! ** Nudge, nudge... ***

When I saw Mel's journal about the phone call, I figured she was talking to you Shad. She sounds like quite the wild woman and highly entertaining. Boy I sure do hope you have a good calling plan on your telephone!

So does this mean Simon will be taking up residence with you again full time? Sorry to hear things didn't work out but sometimes it works that way with housemates.

I kind of blew away yesterday planning our April trip to the west coast with DH's sister and her husband. Needed to get some hotel info and touristy things covered so he could discuss with her and we can finalize our plans so I can forget about it and move on to other things.

Today I need to sit down and plan my meals. I think I'll have the best success if I go to the WW planning I did in the olden days which means figuring out ALL the meals for the week. A bit tedious but it does help keep one on the straight and narrow. Then it's grocery shopping, cooking, laundry and before I know it the day will be over.

I have procrastinated terribly on my class. If I don't do a bunch of catch up work tonight, I might as well drop the class. I do admit I hate the subject topic (a particular programming language which I can't seem to comprehend yet need for the on the job work) so I have been ignoring it.

My focus for today is also exercise and I want to try a new video that I got for use with the exercise ball which I need to find and dig out of the basement. You are doing quite well at the gym Shad and I feel I must keep up with you or rather follow your lead...

Best get the old butt into gear and get rolling. Have a good Sunday!

Looks like we're going down the the evening shortly. Good, guess that's no excuse NOT to study then, right? I need a beating...

Hah, I glanced to the right and there's an adverstisement for an art school - "do you like to draw, can you draw this?" Geez, I used to do that all the time as a kid. Was pretty good too as mom told me but she never sent me to art school

I meticulously planned my meals for the week - am going to try and go back to the high protein, low carb, 5 or 6 mini meals that I started when I first began because that did work for me provided I stuck to it. Was hard to do the mini meals when I had to go back to the office but now that I'm working from home, no excuses. I had a good talk with myself and my biggest downfall is no self discipline. So, like you said make a check off list and like Mel will actually make one, I think I'm going to try that do. Like you said if it's in your face you may try to ignore it anyway, but it's harder if you're always reminded.

Have a dinner of grilled salmon, asparagus and a salad planned. Will do my exercises once DH is done with the footy games.

Shad you are just rising now to greet the day, actually more like you're probably heading out the door for another week of thrills on the job. Have a good one.

G'night all...

Mel is not quite as she sounds. Sure she is highly entertaining, but there is doubt and hurt under all that - same as most of us I guess. We all put up a front to the world and show our best bits off and keep the other bits tucked away and only show them to close friends and family.

Simon has always lived with me. He bought into the house as an investment, but as previously said, things don't always go to plan. He is a bit upset about it and although he has his money back, he made no profit or interest on it, and to make a sorry lot worse it has broken a good friendship. A valuable lesson to be had by all there, in that you must communication your expectations and outcomes before you decide to go into partnership or contract with someone.
I know the feeling on procrastination. Brendan did that with a lot of his classes when doing his degree as well. I had to speak very sternly on occasions about payment of semester fees not forthcoming for failure etc etc. If you need the language, then you had better get on with it. If not then drop the class. Only two choices here buddy.

I like those exercise balls, although I have to admit that I wasn't very keen on it at 6.45 this morning. Picking it up with the legs isn't the problem, swinging the hips around with the ball between the calves was. It's all fun isn't it. We are keeping up with each other not following. You work as hard at this as I do. I wonder why fat is so easy to put on and so hard to get off.

Oh my goodnight!!!WE are back!!In one piece, I think...oh well done well done to the 3fc's for glueing us together again!!

I have been very VERY bad. I got on the scales last Monday. I have put on 7lbs over the Yuletide season so that on top of the 5lbs I had already gained means I am nearly a stone heavier than I was a couple of months ago.I am really cross with myself. I know having nearly three weeks of doing nothing might have something to do with it, but 12 lbs....12 POUNDS! I amreally disheartened and don't know where to start. Not helped by going out to dinner tonight with a couple of old friends.It took me SO LONG to lose it in the first place that I know how long it is going to take 2nd time around.STUPID STUPID GIRL.

Ooops I pressed the wrong button. Good job it was to submit it!!!
Physically I am not very well, still plagued by diffuse chest pain which is controlled by a pain killer but still manages to break through from time to time. The central, crushing chest pain has gone but I wonder if it is still hiding there but covered by a blanket of Oxycontin twice daily.The drug is a controlled drug here, so it should be effective. I have yet to see the pain man again and I have not seen my cardiology consultant yet. This is getting quite tiresome, like the rest of my life. As for money from the benefits lot....well what can I say????How long can they possibly delay for?? Are they going for the record???

I have skimmed through your posts but have not retained any info except something about eating mangoes in public..(needs investigating) and the fact that I think you are all alive and well. The new site looks rather good, does it not? Perhaps if we all rub the lamp at midnight GMT, we can magic up Shaker and see what she has been up to!!!
Well I had better go and make myself look as if I am happy to be going out tonight. I'm not, actually.Don't know what has got into me.I'm too miserable to come out today!!

[Yes, I did get your email, thanks very much for passing it along. I hope she will be ok too. And back posting soon. just don't tell her we don't have all of our new smileys back yet


Ha ha ha ha ha !!!!!I have just seen this bit!!!!

Teel!!!! So glad to finally hear from you. Shad and I have been worried about you. Things are not quite as colorful when you're not around.

Sorry to hear about the gain but you MUST put that behind you and strengthen your resolve that a new month has begun and the holiday eating is over. Do not dwell on anything other than a new plan. And you can go out with friends, it just means you have to be aware of making better choices for food rather than what your eyes immediately decide on. I must admit, easier said than done as I have that problem myself which is why I have cut back on the eating out.

I know you have medical issues but I have found myself that when eating fattier foods, I also have constant chest pain. When I go back to eating as I should, the pain disappears. I know this may not be the case with you, I simply mention it because I think in some ways it contributes to the distress. Please be of good cheer, we can all hold hands and help each other on our journey.

I'll be back later, must go earn a few pence...

Hey Teel, great to see you back. I was about to send out the hounds again to see where you'd gotten to this time.
Sad to hear the chest pain is still there and even worse that some of the weight has gone back on and the good work is undone, but hey, it's a new year and we can all get it off together - the weight I mean. Geez I'm glad MEL's not in this thread, she would have a field day with that one!.

Scrappy, crappy day today. I've been rushing around to get things done and managed to forget to put the neutraliser in my contact leans case and therefore have managed to burn one eye. Such a stupid thing to do. It will stop being red by tomorrow but it really is a stupid thing to do. Then I managed to bash myself with a weight doing pump this morning. Bruise appearing on neck. I really do look like I have been in a fight today.

The Body Pump today was quite a workout eventually. I didn't think it was going to do much at first, but by the middle, I was feeling it in my legs and shoulders and was quite pleased to get to the end eventually.

Thanks for that tip on eating before exercise Happy, it seemed to work just fine this morning although I only had the banana - chicken or meat is too much for this fat chick at 5.00am. Tonight I may boil an egg or something to take with me. I'm going to do a body balance class after work - sort of mixture of Pilates, Yoga and Step (I think) to see how that goes. I don't just want to do weights and treadmill for ever. It gets boring, so I sort of thought that a couple of classes through the week would break it up a bit and also a couple of days doing exercise at night and not always mornings might help. Got any other ideas??

Guess I better get back to this doco yet again. One day I may be finished with it. I'm totally, totally sick of it. If there are any more rewrites and updates or reformats I think someone should do it - someone else except me!!!

I owe, I owe, so it's off to work I go (again)

Well, there's no saying you can't invite her over to our merry little group. However she did say her eyes are acting up again and she has to cut back on the Internet time. But no harm in asking...

I enjoyed your journal entry today Shad regarding the body pump class. You are a stronger person than I. When I was taking water aerobics, one of the ladies there tried to get me into body pump. I did make one session but was so intimidated I never went back. I kept asking the club to periodically start up beginner sessions or even have a few special 1 hour classes for those of us clumsy and shy by nature who were unfamiliar with the routines. They did accomodate my request, however they scheduled these 1 hour intro sessions mid morning or mid afternoon when the majority of us were working and could not get to the club. So much for that.

Glad the eating tip helped your workout. I was told to eat a protein to fuel the muscles and a carb to give you an energy boost to get you through the session. If you can't handle an ounce of chicken, tuna or turkey that early in the morning, an egg will do. They also have protein bars but you have to read the labels carefully as many are full of fat and sugar. Sugar is BAD before a workout. Gives you that quick energy boost then drops the sugar levels and tires you out half way through the routine. Good carbs are a 1/2 bananna, 1/2 cup of oatmeal (you can make it ahead of time and just microwave a small portion for your pre-workout meal), even a slice of multigrain toast - no butter or jam. The protein was the hardest part. I didn't want to eat an egg every morning although you could if you don't eat the yoke, so I got used to the bit of turkey or chicken. Another option is a protein shake/smoothie but this takes a few minutes. Get a cannister of protein powder. Take a scoop of it, 6 ice cubes, a cup of cold water, a bit of yogurt and a handful of berries and toss them on the blender while you are getting your stuff together. The berries, banana or rockmelon provides the carb, the protein is in the powder. When I was going to the club, I was leaving the house at 5:15 and DH was still in zombie land so this was not an option for my early morning workouts. I did do it a couple of times when I had a lunchtime session with the trainer. Fruit juice is a bad choice - too much sugar in it.

Morning vs evening exercise? Depends on you. I HATED getting up at 4:30am for my workouts, but it got me done in time to not be late for work. I found myself that I made far more excuses to skip the evening workouts, so I'm better as a morning exerciser. They say mornings also give your metabolism a jump start all day long rather than in the evenings when your body naturally slows down to prepare for sleep. So you get the benefit of an increased metabolism for a longer period if you're a day exerciser. Of course, it all depends on your schedule. When I had to go into the office more, I had to stop the health club and then force myself on the treadmill at night. I find now that the best time for me is right after I quit work at 5 - I do my thing for 30 to 45 minutes and then start supper. Since I plan ahead, we don't eat later than 6:30 and that's ok with DH or he will start things for me.

As for the type of workout. My trainer said to be fit and healthy you should do 30 minutes of cardio 3 times a week and 2, 20 minute weight sessions. This was the minimum. If you wanted to lose weight, add more time but don't go overboard - you just get tired and burned out. Like you, I needed variety. In levels of intensity from low to high your choices are 1)treadmill, 2)running on treadmill, 3)bike, 4)swimming (swim laps not water aerobics classes which are basically just stretching or as my doctor says keeps your face out of the refrigerator for an hour). The best thing if they have one at the gym is the eliptical glider. I tried it a few times and not only do I not have the coordination for it, but the slightly bent skiers type of posture you need irritated my back and knees. Then there's step classes (I was a klutz at this), dance aerobics and even just walking laps on the track for more cardio choices. I need music to keep me motivated and in with the beat so I make my own music tapes to listen to. Have been known after a treadmill session to do a 15-20 minutes stint of good old fashioned disco dancing to keep the blood pumping a little longer. DH laughs upstairs because I wear my walkman on the treadmill and like Mel, sing my favorite songs. He doesn't hear the music because I have headphones on but my off key singing does drift up through the floor. Doesn't stop me though

There is no getting around the strength exercises though you can use free weights, the gym "weighted machines" or the trainer showed me some exercises like leg lifts where you use your own body weight as resistance. I would alternate the 3 for variety.

Pilates is great for stretching, strengthening your abs and improving your posture. But it works the abs and legs only. Crunches are great for ab work and since the abdomen recovers the fastest of all the muscles, it's the only exercise that focuses on a single muscle group that is safe to do every day. (Walking uses many muscles and is more gentle so it doesn't follow that day of rest rule). I would also do yoga for stretching and I have some exercises from physical therapy that use a resistance band.

My core program is walking 5 days a week, twice a week 20 - 30 minute weight sessions, two flexibility sessions (1 Yoga, 1 body stretches) and 2 Pilates sessions. That works everything and keeps me the most fit. It's what I'm trying to work up to now.

My advice is give everything a try, find the stuff you like since you're most apt to stick with things you like. If you can do the bike or treadmill and a stretching or weight routine and then combine it with a lunch time walk, you'd have a great plan for yourself.

There, now after all that advice you'd think I'd have a body of iron, don't you? Just goes to show you, I know what I have to do, just need to get my act together and DO IT!