O.K. maybe not O.K. Just had some tummy/gut upset, maybe just fleeting.

On the plus side, maybe having hardly eaten for two days I will have lost some weight?!?!

Toomany cats: (Joking here....I would kill to go #2!!). Seriously, tho - I did get a bug while on IP - and DID think it was IP -- but it went away after a few days. Does one run a fever when the pancreas acts up? Elisha?? Lilita? Anyways...I keep hoping that my pancreas is healing (or is healed!) - and that it would act like a normal pancreas -- and people can eat sugar with a normal pancreatic system, right? (believe me, I know nothing about medical stuff....just thinking out loud here!).

OK - so here is my Lindora story. I have now had 3 things from Lindora...the pudding with the toffee bits, the vanilla pudding and the peanut butter bar. The puddings are not as thick, therefore, not as filling as the IP puddings...so they don't hold me as long. Also, I notice there is sugar in the 3 things I have tried....(is there sugar in IP?) - and was wondering if that would keep me out of ketosis. I think it is so cool that you spent time with your sister. I usually take a bar or some IP thingy to the movies with me, but it is hard not to smell that buttery popcorn. A lot of pizza places have salad...but again, it is hard not to smell the pizza. Smells get me....I was in the mall yesterday and had to walk by Mrs.Fields cookies...and the smell...omg!

I think I own every Atkins book ever written, so I will go see what he says about ketosis...

On the bright side....I slept 10 hours last night!! I have been so stressed and worked up, that sleep has been hard. Maybe just elminating the whole car issue, will lessen up my stress, huh?

I bet you all are cooking up a storm for SuperBowl today. I gotta go take some stuff out of the freezer. Go Saints!

Heh, I slept almost 10 hours last night, too... it felt great! And it's actually sunny today, which is soooo nice. Maybe I'll study outside today.

Anyways, you run a fever any time your body is fighting off something. Your body is basically going into "overdrive" to fix itself, which is why you get so hot.

And theoretically, with a properly working pancreas you can eat sugar without becoming hypoglycemic, but really the best thing to do is if you have to have sugar, have some protein a few minutes beforehand.

Toomanycats: Hope you're feeling better. If it had been pancreatitis you wouldn't improve. The hallmark symptom of pancreatitis is PAIN in the upper mid or left abdomen (under the ribcage.) And nausea but not necessarily vomiting and very rarely diarrhea.

So it sounds like you had a "tummy flu."


Also high fevers that come and go are more likely caused by a virus.

The smelly poop? Oh yeah, when I do "strict IP" and I am in weight loss mode (great feeling) my poops smell "metallic."

Go Saints! It should be a great game. To all of you: Have fun and enjoy your protein snacks. We are really getting good at planning our food-eating "events" aren't we? If you think about it, our snacks taste better, look better and are better than the typical junky appetizers.

Speaking of "planning" I remember while on Weight Watchers that they really emphasized "planning" as part of our wt. loss strategy. But I am not a "planner" which is a great trait for an ER nurse (we take whatever comes through the door.)

So I really failed at planning for my WW meals and that is one of the reasons I love IP.... I never plan ahead of time. I just pick a package based on my cravings/mood (do I want something crunchy? smooth? salty? sweet?) But maybe if I can "plan" my special events I can put it all together. That is not having to plan my daily life balanced with making sure to plan for my special events (like vacations, birthday, superbowl, out of town visitors.)

Does this make sense to anyone else? I think we are GETTING THERE y'all!

I'm thinking about a balanced life in which we eat healthy most of the time and have some planned indulgences some of the time. We are all learning together. Yay!

Torchlaker: congrats on the new car. My boyfriend believes in buying used only. But he's "a guy" and doesn't worry about getting stranded in the middle of nowhere. My sister (age 66) just got a brand new 2010 Ford Taurus and it is her first new car ever! She is so happy and just glowing! She said she might even drive from Texas to California to come see me, LOL.

Thanks all for the good thoughts. I do hope it was just a tummy thing. Still feeling kinda yucky but well enough to go to the grocery store today.....and I am down 2 lbs. But I don't recommend it as a weight-loss method!
And glad to hear that I'm not the only one with an odd smell sometimes
You all are the best!
Happy superbowl day!

Congrats on the new car! I just bought my first new car back in November, warranty and all. My dad wanted me to buy used and my boyfriend said the warranty was a waste of money, but I didn't care. I had 3 TERRIBLE used cars before that; the first one actually caught on fire while I was driving it on the highway. The last one I couldn't turn the steering wheel to the right anymore (trying to plan a trip around left hand turns is VERY interesting). So, needless to say, I wanted a car that I started with and that I could make sure was well taken care of and that I knew I didn't have to worry about. So, congratulations on your decision, and I hope that your stress begins to melt away!

Wow -- that was a great SuperBowl game, wasn't it? I made chicken wings...EchoBaby's stuffed mushrooms, meatballs and deviled eggs. Didn't get to eat the deviled eggs, tho.....While I was on the phone, my DOG got the egg white shells off the counter!! She has NeVER done that. Boy, she knew I was mad!! (I rarely ever raise my voice to her). All in all, I had plenty to eat. Thought I had some fresh veggies, but I only had lettuce....and couldn't figure out what to do with it.

Actually, we bought my 1999 Envoy is 2001....and it lasted until now...so I hope this car lasts as long (doubt it -- I am sure as I get older, I will hate having to wash it all the time...it is a black Ford Escape with all the bells and whistles.....White, Black and Red cars really show the dirt....but I think all of those colors are classy. Tomorrow will be spent cleaning out my car (I LIVE in my car, calling Secretary of State, insurance, credit union.....yuk).

Toomanycats - I am glad it was a virus or flu...and that Elisha and Lilita gave you their input. Since most of us have been on this quite long, do you think our pacreases are healed? How would we know??? (Elisha? Lilita??)

Well, still not in ketosis. Wish I hadn't bought those stupid sticks...cuz now I am getting upset. Still haven't gone to the bathroom, but took 2 laxatives tonight and 3 fiber pills.....(weigh in is Tuesday...if I get there in time after all the paperwork with the car). Tuesday it will be a WEEK since I have gone!! (is this too much info??)

CONGRATULATIONS Torchlaker on the new vehicle!!! I have found, when I was single and had no-one that I could call to help me with car problems, other than CAA (or AAA- for you non-Canadians) that driving a new vehicle gave me great peace of mind. I was not afraid to go anywhere, anytime and I think this decision will help with some of your stress levels!!!!!!

Good luck to everyone this week, keep up the good work!!!

Busy day, got to run!!!!!!!

Wow what a game last night. I watched it just as much for the commercials as I did for the game. Although most of the commercials were a dissappointment for me. Anyone else? I also only cheated with a little bit of the mayo/cheese in the stuffed crab....sorry echobaby, I didn't catch your recipe until this morning....and a tiny bit of homemade spinach dip (made with 0% fat, low carb greek yogurt). So, all in all I didn't do that bad cheat wise. The buffalo shrimp were a hit, along with the turkey pepperoni chips, which my dogs loved the most...LOL.

Torchlaker, congrats on your new vehicle. Hopefully that part of your stress is nill now!!

Toomancats, how are you feeling? Is it passing? I surely hope so, being sick sxcks!!

Torchlaker: congratulations on the new car!

Toomanycats: hope you are feeling better!

What a game last night! Got 2 love football!

Only did very minor cheats this weekend and the scale did not jump up, but also did not go down since friday. Still, I can not say that I am unhappy with the 5# lost since last monday! I will sure stay on strict phase 1 for another week, to see what comes out of it... But I am getting sooooo bored of IP foods that I constantly crave over regular food like peanut butter, chocolate, cheese... Will sure have to watch what I eat in Disney!!

SylvieG, way to go on those 5#!!! And the scale not jumping up is defintely something to be happy about. Although the foods aren't exactly the same, both Lindora and NewLifeStyleDiet have some nice alternatives if you are getting that bored with IP foods. I recommend the chicken noodle soup and the chicken broth, both low in carbs and very similar to IP ingredients). They aren't a creamy type soup either. Just a nice sub for chicken soup (fake chicken soup). I also have tried the cheesy steak sandwich, vegetarian sloppy joe and chik'n in tomato sauce from NewLifeStyleDiet. All VERY good, but have to be treated like Chili or even spaghetti as they have higher carbs. Worth it for the variety in my book. And the costs are outstanding compared to IP.

Toomaycats:
You had a bug. That was NOT pancreatitis. You cannot stop vomitting and it's only from one end I mean it would be unrelenting for more than 24 hours, and wouldn't be able to keep even water down. And you would have to have gone to the emergency room/urgent care.

Torchlaker: Way to go!!!! I'm proud of you. And I thought a good sign that my pancreas was at least better was that after being off I.P. for a while, when I got back on, it only took me 24 hours to get back into ketosis. Speaking of ketosis, Torchlaker, see if you can try to remain within 20-25 carbs for a couple days in a row. That should do it. Then, when you add more back(if you do) it will be more difficult to come out of ketosis. Just read carefully the carb counts on your boxes, and only eat meat and salad for dinner.

Hey, just as a guess, roughly how many days do you think the majority of the adults of New Orleans will remain drunk? You think all the way to Fat Tuesday?

Have you been drinking enough water? Fiber pills will actually plug you up more if you don't drink enough water with them.

i bought some ketostix too and yesterday tried them out yesterday morning. it read trace amounts - i guess i'll have to go boot camp to get things working again.

torchlaker - congratulations on your new vehicle - very exciting!

Crying a lot:

Yes, what a great game. I started crying at the end......unexpected tears. Then later in the evening when my boyfriend started telling me how much he loved me and enjoyed our life together, I started crying again. Then I watched a new TV show "Undercover Boss" and when the boss became emotional and teary- eyed I became a blubbering mess! I guess I needed a release and it felt good.

The Crab Stuffed Mushrooms were delicious! Thanks Ogdog and Echobaby for the recipes. I also served BBQ Chicken Wings and Broiled Shrimp.

I did indulge in some beer and the scale went up this morning. My body is soooo sensitive to carbs, especially wheat. I am sure I am gluten intolerant.

I have a lot of the red pepper sauce left and a can of crab so I am planning on making some crab cakes. I will have to figure out how to make them without breading, though.

My boyfriend liked the red pepper sauce so much that he used it on his chicken wings.

Torchlaker, I am still thinking about your new car for some reason. It is a great feeling to feel safe and stress free when driving. And you deserve that so much.

Sorry, I didn't emphasize the VOMITING that goes along with pancreatitis. When we get a patient with pancreatitis in the ER, they are retching so loudly we can hear them down the hall.

Today is Monday and we (the boyfriend and I) are going down the street (1/2 mile) to sign up at the gym. It is a huge gym with an indoor pool, an indoor hot tub, a sauna, outdoor tennis courts, indoor racquetball courts. And a lot of aerobics, stretch and yoga classes. Beautiful views from the treadmill/elliptical/bike room. Surrounded by pine trees. I used to be a member there in the late 90's and I remember feeling great after each workout.

We have been talking about joining for about 2 months but we were waiting for the holidays and vacation trip to Texas to be over. So this is the big day. Another turning point in my life towards good health. We are both in our late 50's and we want to be able to use our bodies for many decades to come (longevity runs in both our families.)

I love the stairmaster and I especially want to do some strength training to tone up my muscles.

The Winter Olympic games start soon and watching those always inspires me to improve my fitness level. So all is good.

How many of you are exercising now? Do you eat an extra protein serving before or after your work out?