Hi All!
Jacqui Fingers crossed that Ichabod continues to get better. You are doing so great with the diet through all of this. Exercise is good for a lot of reasons, but you can lose weight fine without it. You have earned quite a team of ticker cheerleaders with your fantastic numbers! I guess those would be Buckeye cheerleaders? ::

Bewildered Looks like you are doing great! Pesky water weight begone! I hope you get a break in the weather soon. Your tickers look great--you've made great progress!!!!! I like the Halloween goal. That might be just the ticket for me too.

Re PB, fwiw, I can't lose weight with it, even with a good overall calorie reduction, even when I was a lot younger. Same with avocado. Personally I'd keep that coffee back on the menu, lol. I would absolutely cave without coffee! I salute you for working to make all aspects of your diet/exercise. It looks like your mother will be able to cruise to Cuba fairly soon--pretty amazing! I haven't done any traveling for a good while. This yr's will do it for me for awhile, though I surely would like to go back to SE Arizona desert again.

Rennie You go girl! Btw I love your competitive spirit!!! You are doing so great--yayyy for sticking with it, more so with your challenging schedule. I loved reading about your Dad & his Cuban friends. It sounds like you totally inherited his sense of fun.

I'm having good days and bad days and I feel heavier. Today was a good day, but the other days have deteriorated by day's end. I'm out of excuses for latitude. I know that shortening daylight can trick me into wanting sweets, so I might need to jack up the healthy carbs. I'm using my SAD light now, too.

B broccoli/evoo omelet, whey shake/coffee, apple
L salad w corn, beans, chicken, evoo
S (too many) tastes of protein bars--this time I found a winner, B-up brand that tastes okay but doesn't make me crave them.
D chicken, a little turkey chili, steamed zucchini, cauliflower/evoo, sprinkle of parmesan

Bewildered: "Pout" everyone is allowed to do this.

Yesterday:

B: Eggs, spinach, coffee
S: cucumbers, almonds
L: Employee Appreciation Luncheon, pulled pork (no bun no sauce), Cole slaw, mixed veggies, pickle, and yes I had a small piece of cake
S: Yogurt
D: Zucchini crust taco pizza with fresh avocado and tomato (yes people, you can eat the crust - all of it)

Today:

B: Eggs, Leftover meatloaf
S: cucumbers, almonds
L: cheese burger no bun, small salad
S: yogurt
D: leftover pizza salad

I have decided to up my ACV intake, don't know by how much, but I will increase it. And I need to get back to the CO everyday. I need something different for lunch, I don't get a lunch so it has to be quick - kind of like finger food.

Next week I will find out if I have to be concerned about exercise (that is the main reason I have stayed away from it, BP issues the other reason, doing exercise just is not natural. To me walking up the steps, mowing the lawn by hand, doing yard work or housework is natural - I know I will not keep walking on a treadmill for the rest of my life. I know I have an issue here, so I need to work on that. (ya think!)

You guys are all so committed and just keep at it. Today I dressed up for a meeting and when I got home from work, all I could think about was how I hate baggy pants - duh, a silent reminder to self this low carb gig is working (but then I think, I must have had really really fat thighs!

Thanks Jacqui

Thanks Chicky I'm glad someone could open your eyes to tell you what we have been telling you. YOU ROCK LADY

Bewildered, I drink the Pepsi Max because of the boost from the ginseng I've been drinking diet soda so long the taste doesn't bother me.

gotta finish catching up later but wanted to post this

Stealing a minute from shelling dried beans....I'm a glutton for punishment. I so love all my homegrown goodies in the winter though.

Jacquigood news about kitty....hope that his health continues to improve.

Tomorrow's Friday! Hope everyone is geared up for the weekend.

Hi All, Ichabod didn't do so well today (Thursday). At the beginning of the day he couldn't move his legs at all. By the end of the day, he was moving his stronger leg, his left leg, to push himself along. I discovered tonight that I can hold him upright by his tail (it doesn't seem to bother him) and he will walk on his feet, although I have to watch his right foot because sometimes he curls his toes under. He's losing muscle in his back legs and at least this way he's working those muscles. I only do it for a few minutes though because I don't want him overdoing it. I don't know why he is able to use his legs on some days and not at all on other days. He has feeling in his feet and legs. I don't know. I'm supposed to call the vet tomorrow but I have a few more days of meds left, so if he doesn't take a drastic turn for the worse, I'm going to wait until I give him all the meds. I'm not ready to give up on him yet. Anyway, I just wanted to update you. Now back to our normally scheduled thread!

I went shopping today. I am going to a baby shower for my daughter-in-law on Sunday, and I had nothing to wear. I have some nice blouses that fit but they require black dress pants. So off to Kohl's I went and I was surprised to fit into a size 12, and not a tight 12 but a proper fitting 12!

Thanks Mars! I really do want to get the exercise in, but it's just not my top priority this week. : I'm sorry your winter blues are hitting you and causing you to have some sweets-craving days. I assume you are taking vitamin D, right? I know it's hard, and I hope your body adjusts and that light starts working better for you! I'm glad you found a protein bar that works for you!

Bewildered, thanks! Wow, I knew the scale was being kinder to me this month than last month, but I didn't make the connection that it was dropping that quickly! Hopefully, it's not muscle loss from not getting to the gym! Carol Sue's book's advice not to miss a day sure sticks in my mind! Congrats on the 3.6 lb loss this week and yay on the walking! Keep that "good day" streak going!

Chickadeee, yay on the baggy pants! Your roll-ups sounded awfully good for lunch! And oh my, zucchini crust taco pizza, YUM! I could never do a treadmill forever either. I'm surprised the gym motivates me but somehow it does. Maybe because I'm paying for it, so I want my money's worth, lol!

Rennie, glad to see you posting even though you are pressed for time! Now that I have reached the low 180's, I am hoping you are right and I will hit the 170's this month! I never would have believed I'd stand a chance, and it's probably too much to ask, but I have my fingers crossed!

PrairieQueen, thanks, I hope it does too! Your garden must be amazing! I can only imagine how nice it is to have all those fresh garden foods in the winter!

Hi Carol Sue and Mary! I hope y'all are doing well!

Thursday's Update:

Week 18: High 190.5, Low 186.5
8/30--190.5
8/31--189.5
9/1--188
9/2--187
9/3--188
9/4--187
9/5--186.5 Carb Day

Week 19: High 186; Low 183.5
9/6--186
9/7--186
9/8--185
9/9--184
9/10--184
9/11--184.5
9/12--183.5 Carb Day

Week 20:
9/13--184
9/14--184
9/15--182.5
9/16--181
9/17--181.5
9/18--
9/19--

Today's Meals
Breakfast
2 fried eggs
A slice of ham
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Lunch:
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Snack:

Dinner:
Fried chicken with the crust removed
Green beans
Water with Mio

Today's Exercise:
None

Jacqui Sorry about kitty But great losses for this month!

I had a whoosh today.... 162.6 lbs bringing this week's loss to 2 lbs! I'm so excited that I could possibly see single digit clothing around the New Year.

Yesterday:
Breakfast - my usual McD's sausage burrito w/hot sauce and iced tea w/Stevia
Lunch - organic chicken/cheese burrito from Costco
Dinner - 2 fajitas (yellow & red bell peppers, onions, Dubliner cheese, homemade taco sauce, homemade guac)

Have a great weekend everyone

It sounds like everyone is doing so well! Congratulations to all!

A few weeks back I announced that I was no longer going to concentrate on weight loss. Although I get jealous when others have good losses, it was getting too stressful for me to try to lose without success. Since that time I have realized that it is my natural tendancy to avoid or limit certain foods, probably since I have been "dieting" for so many years. To me, that's a good sign that I have made a lifestyle change. Some foods that I thought I was missing still don't taste that good to me. I think the biggest change has been that I am once again eating bread now and then, and I've been having some ice cream. I do feel a little guilty when I do it, but I consider it part of normal eating. It's not a binge, but just something that I eat now and then. Recognizing that this is not causing a binge is an eye opener, and I finally got on the scale yesterday morning to see how much damage I had done, and my weight has stayed exactly the same! I really expected to see a gain of at least a couple lbs. So now I'm ready to cut back a bit. Continuing to eat the way I am, but aim for smaller portions. Portion control and in-between snacking has always been my main problem, and I think now that I know my real eating patterns, I'm ready to work on that.


My take on exercise. Although exercise is not necessary for weight loss, from what I've read, it is important for other reasons. It lowers blood pressure and blood sugar, bad cholesterol, raises good cholesterol, increases lung capacity, increases muscle strength and balances hormones. But it does not have to be formal exercise. Just move! Incorporating movement into your lifestyle is great, IMO. Just recently DH and I were discussing how so many people today need walkers, canes and scooters, when you didn't see that as much before. We have so many modern conveniences today that weren't there in days past. and we are not active like our ancestors were. DH's grandparents didn't even own a car. Grandpap walked to the mill to work and back, rather than spend money on bus fare. They walked to the local grocery store several times a week and carried the groceries home. They didn't take time out of their day to exercise. Life was their treadmill. Grandpap never had a surgery and took no meds. He lived to be 92 and was still getting around without assistance when he died. Maybe someone needed to hold his arm as he went up and down the steps, but that was it. So I think if you have an active lifestyle, that's your exercise.

Being a sedentary individual, living in a 1 floor home, I need my treadmill. I walk while I'm watching my soaps on TV, or else I'd be bored stiff. But that's just me.

Rennie, I too have been drinking diet soda for years, since the 60s, and I actually don't like the taste of regular sweetened soda.

Jacqui, before we had to put our little Pupper dog to sleep he was losing use of his back legs and was limping badly. I would hold him in my lap and massage his legs and he would be better for a while. I think it helped him.

Thanks Jacqui. I'm getting my Vit D and plan to spend more time outdoors than previously. The last decade I have been either too obese or strictly dieting & either way did not have the stamina to get outdoors to play. This is my 1st winter where neither of those things are factors.

Yesterday was pretty good but I grazed a lot in the evening. At least it was all healthy things at home.

Tomorrow I will weigh in. Probably 3-5 lbs up.

PrairieQueen, thanks, and on the whoosh! Yay!

Carol Sue, wonderful discoveries, especially that eating some of your favorite foods doesn't lead to bingeing or weight gain! I wish you much success on your plan to work on portion sizes and snacking! I couldn't agree more with you on how the older generation exercised much more than we do today and they weren't trying; they were just living! Your opinion of daily exercise and the information you stated from that book has influenced me so much. Recently, I haven't been getting my daily exercise in, but I'm very cognizant of it now and I want to exercise each day. That's a HUGE change in attitude for me from every other time I've ever dieted (and I've yo-yo dieted all my life)! So thank you for that! I'm sure you were a wonderful mommy to your pup! I try to massage Ichabod's legs multiple times a day too. I don't know if it makes much of a difference but he seems to like it.

Mars, fantastic! I hope you find lots of fun outdoor winter activities to do this year! I hope the scale is kind to you tomorrow!

Bewildered, woohoo on another on plan eating day! Keep that up and it will pay off! And good job on the 5 hours of activity! It may not have shown on the scale but it will show in good health and inches!

Rennie, Chickadeee, and Mary, I hope y'all are having a good day!

It occurs to me that I can never post without editing! I either forget something or I need to correct something, but I rarely get a post out on one try! Of course, y'all are probably used to me by now and know to read it again (or a 3rd or 4th time) to see if I've added something, lol!

Week 18: High 190.5, Low 186.5
8/30--190.5
8/31--189.5
9/1--188
9/2--187
9/3--188
9/4--187
9/5--186.5 Carb Day

Week 19: High 186; Low 183.5
9/6--186
9/7--186
9/8--185
9/9--184
9/10--184
9/11--184.5
9/12--183.5 Carb Day

Week 20:
9/13--184
9/14--184
9/15--182.5
9/16--181
9/17--181.5
9/18--181
9/19--

Today's Meals
Breakfast
2 fried eggs
A slice of ham
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Lunch:
Field greens and veggies salad with chicken, walnuts, and ranch dressing
Mio water

Snack:

Dinner: @ local pizza place with friends
7 chicken wing drummies with ranch dressing
Water with lemon

Today's Exercise:
None

Bewildered, I forgot to respond to your comment yesterday: YES! All my cheerleaders are Buckeye cheerleaders, lol!

Yesterday.....
Brekkie: McD's sausage burrito w/hot sauce, large iced tea with Stevia
Lunch: leftover chicken fajita
Snack: guacamole w/Skinny popcorn (less Calories than chips)
Dinner: 2 slices homemade pizza (yellow bell peppers, onions, turkey pepperoni, Canadian bacon, Swiss and soft mozzarella cheese)
Evening: 4 light beers!

No loss today, but happy to maintaining low weight from yesterday. We're having ribeye steak tonight on the grill, and I'm thinking of only doing 2/3 of mine and having rest as part of steak and eggs in morning.

Such a funny story! Yesterday, we went to the casino. DH and I found these new slot machines that were fun to play. They were called Takes the Cake and it was all cupcakes, and 7's topped with icing. When you won, the cupcakes danced around on the screen. To win, you had to get either all chocolate, all pink, or all 7's. I loved seeing those cupcakes dancing around on the screen, especially the chocolate ones with chocolate icing, which were always my favorite back when I ate sweets. By the time we were done, I was looking forward to stopping at the store on the way home and buying some chocolate cupcakes. Unfortunately, by the time we left we had lost all our money and couldn't stop at the store. From the experience I've been having with food lately, I suspect that those cupcakes would not taste as good as they used to, so I was better off without them, but I would have liked to have brought some money home!

Jacqui, I think the reason why my favorite foods are not making me gain is because I am eating them occasionally, not daily, like I used to in the past. Moderation is key!

EDIT: Here is a video of the cupcakes dancing! LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtsNZqyP0rw

Ichabod update: He's walking today!

Carol Sue, so funny! That does look like a fun game. Way to go on keeping your favs moderate!

PrairieQueen, a steak and eggs breakfast sounds good!

Week 18: High 190.5, Low 186.5
8/30--190.5
8/31--189.5
9/1--188
9/2--187
9/3--188
9/4--187
9/5--186.5 Carb Day

Week 19: High 186; Low 183.5
9/6--186
9/7--186
9/8--185
9/9--184
9/10--184
9/11--184.5
9/12--183.5 Carb Day

Week 20: High 184, Low 180.5
9/13--184
9/14--184
9/15--182.5
9/16--181
9/17--181.5
9/18--181
9/19--180.5 Carb Day

Today's Meals
Breakfast
2 fried eggs
2 link sausages
1 piece of whole wheat toast
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Snack
Pumpkin doughnut

Lunch: Late (during the Buckeyes' game)
Ham, turkey, cheese, tomato, and mayo lettuce wrap
Potato salad
A piece of pumpkin roll
Redd's Apple Ale

Snack:
A piece of pumpkin roll

Dinner:
None (ate lunch and snacked later than usual)

Today's Exercise:
2.4-mile walk around the walk park

Jacqui Great news about Ichabod!

Well, I ate the whole steak, why wait I thought.

Breakfast - 1 piece leftover homemade pizza & Coke Life
Lunch - small avocado tomato cheese melt
Dinner - ribeye steak, lyonnaise potatoes, butter sautéed sweet red peppers and onions

No snacks unless you count the light beers I plan on having later.