Good morning all. My meeting went extremely well and I felt really confident in my new clothes. Lots of people noticed my weight loss which I think is good feedback because most of them only see me one time per year.

Fatmad, way to go on managing your food yesterday. Your experience shows and serves you well. I still struggle with those kind of days.

Ruth, I have the same pudge problem. I agree that the plank type excercises are supposed to be better for trimming the waist. There is the whole core strength issue that helps with posture and overall strength also. I try to look at it as getting stronger.

My upper abs are slimming and shaping nicely. I can pull in my muscles and see some results! My theory is that I am doing the core strenth because it is toning the muscles under the fat. Hopefully, as more fat melts away, my pudge will dissappear and I will find muscle under there. LOL

fbs was good last night at 87 and 91. I think that is ok since I have a bad cold and that always makes my sugars rise.

This morning I am going to the Mother's Tea for my 4yr gs. My son has full custody because his mom was abusive. She has unlimited supervised visits but has not seen or spoken to him in over 4 months. All the mother's day commercials and talk have him asking questions that I can't really answer to a 4 year old. I hope and pray that when he looks back and realizes that I was a substitute, he will think I was a good one. Today, in the way of children, he is simply happy that I am going to come to his school. Maybe there is a lesson in that.

Thanks for listening..... Have a lovely day.

Fatmad, good going on the meeting food strategy. I hope you got a good night's sleep.

Montana, that is so very sad about your grandson and his absentee mother. In my opinion, the person who looks after you is your "mother" so I guess you are. It sounds as if he recognizes some of that.

Pattygirl, where the hoody-who are you? I need someone to call me Ruthie today.

BGL was 3.5 this morning. Haven't seen that in a while! Glugging some 5-Alive helped and I will have a proper breakfast before I hit the gym. (I've been going in a bit later to avoid some of the Chatty Cathies on the treadmills!)

Once again, I did not cook the darned fish! It's in the freezer. I just can't get my head around fish and probably should just stick for salmon oil capsules. Right now there's enough fish in the freezer to make a huge chowder and feed half the Village but I won't.

Happy Friday!

Ruthie Thanks for the support. What kind of fish / how are you thinking of cooking it? I LOVE baked tillapia and salmon.

I am at 86 this morning but I am not working out because this head cold is seriously kicking my rear end!

I plan to eat lightly, rest and do a little work today. I will check in later.I hope that everyone has a good day.

Well, Ruthie, if you don't really like fish, you can't make it so. I like it on the grill, as none of us likes the lingering odours in the house. So do it this summer, and in the mean time, stop buying it!

Montana, I am willing to bet that there will be a variety of different "mothers" at this event. With the mix of families that we have now, your grandson won't be the only one with a special Mother in his life. In the end, the loving motherly person will do him just fine. What's important is that he remembers being loved. I hope his birth mother won't confuse him but will keep in some contact.
ON another note, got to yoga last night, had a full night of sleep, but am getting off to a slow start this am, still sluggish, and had too many carbs yesterday. Weight is up a bit, I know mostly water from the extra carbs, but my whole being is sluggish. Bs this am was an acceptable 5.4, so no worries there.
Its dull and rainy here, but did get out with the dog a bit, maybe yoga tonight if things are quiet.
have a good day everyone

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I've been MIA. Couldn't believe that I hadn't been here since May 1st. I've really been trying to get this new way of eating organized so I can get to losing weight again.

Fatmad You are right about planning. I tried just eating Intuitively which I believe I still can do eventually, but I realize that #1 I'm learning to eat differently because I need to get fiber in my diet and Resistant Starch is new to me and #2 it is really true that we don't really realize what normal portions are. To answer your question about Resistant Starch foods, I made a copy of the list of Top Resistant Starches and marked off the higher ones that DH and I could or would eat. (Tony has IBS and I'm sure I do too so we both need to make these changes in our eating.) The book says you need at least 10 to 15 grams of RS a day. And it doesn't really take special expensive foods like a lot of diets. I now eat rolled oats oatmeal which can be cooked normally, but I toast it and add 1/2 oz slivered almonds, a green banana which is the food that has the most grams of RS and then add Fiber 1 yogurt. That way I get 17.1 grams of RS which is a little more than minimum recommendation just for breakfast. Today I'm cooking white/great northern beans (only beans DH really like... he is such a picky eater) for our main meal. I can have corn polenta, but not sure I would like that so I'll make cornbread with flaxseed added to it and get more fiber. My supper will be a salad with boiled shrimp. It seems to me from what little I know about the Mediteranian diet to be similar to but not exactly like the Mediteranian diet. They do have a website CarbLovers.com if you would like to check it out. I am learning that PLANNING had to to be done in order to be successful. I do have to count calories to keep the portions under control and I don't follow the plan exactly as planned since I cannot eat as much carbs as they seem to recommend. I ended up with a 3 1/2 lb loss for the
1st week which worked out good since I did not count calories and ate more that the 1200 calorie a day for the kickstart week. I do want to keep my calories between 1400 to 1600 a day thus starting to count this week.

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I've been MIA. Couldn't believe that I hadn't been here since May 1st. I've really been trying to get this new way of eating organized so I can get to losing weight again.

Fatmad You are right about planning. I tried just eating Intuitively which I believe I still can do eventually, but I realize that #1 I'm learning to eat differently because I need to get fiber in my diet and Resistant Starch is new to me and #2 it is really true that we don't really realize what normal portions are. To answer your question about Resistant Starch foods, I made a copy of the list of Top Resistant Starches and marked off the higher ones that DH and I could or would eat. (Tony has IBS and I'm sure I do too so we both need to make these changes in our eating.) The book says you need at least 10 to 15 grams of RS a day. And it doesn't really take special expensive foods like a lot of diets. I now eat rolled oats oatmeal which can be cooked normally, but I toast it and add 1/2 oz slivered almonds, a green banana which is the food that has the most grams of RS and then add Fiber 1 yogurt. That way I get 17.1 grams of RS which is a little more than minimum recommendation just for breakfast. Today I'm cooking white/great northern beans (only beans DH really like... he is such a picky eater) for our main meal. I can have corn polenta, but not sure I would like that so I'll make cornbread with flaxseed added to it and get more fiber. My supper will be a salad with boiled shrimp. It seems to me from what little I know about the Mediteranian diet to be similar to but not exactly like the Mediteranian diet. They do have a website CarbLovers.com if you would like to check it out. I am learning that PLANNING had to to be done in order to be successful. I do have to count calories to keep the portions under control and I don't follow the plan exactly as planned since I cannot eat as much carbs as they seem to recommend. I ended up with a 3 1/2 lb loss for the
1st week which worked out good since I did not count calories and ate more that the 1200 calorie a day for the kickstart week. I do want to keep my calories between 1400 to 1600 a day thus starting to count this week. Hope you heel is feeling better. Mine used to hurt me and learned to put a pillow under my legs and hang my heels off of the pillow and the pain went away. Sit with feet propped up but not on hard surfaces... have to have a soft pillow.

Ruthie I do like fish, but just can't usually find a good way to cook it that DH will eat and he is picky about it... doesn't like any of it that is good for him. However, he will eat scampi and use the buttery sauce lightly just enough for flavor. I fried shrimp, but found that I like a salad with the boiled shrimp just as well. I was thrilled to find frozen boiled shrimp without the tails at one of the local stores all the other stores had the tails on them. I also like chowder, but never tried making it. Is it easy?

Riemontana I think it is great that your meeting went so well for you. How super to see people that see you only once a year and have such confidence because you've lost weight. I look forward to that happening for me. Won't happen when I go home to see my family back in TX, but DH grandson graduates from high school next year and it sure would be nice to have at least half this weight gone by the time we go back to FL next year.

DH has a VQ scan next Tuesday to check his lungs. Doc says everything else has checked out normal and this is the only thing left to check. His blood doc had suggested that he needs to start walking and build up his strength, but when he tried working in the yard, he would have to come in the house and lie down for a few minutes and go back out and it would happen again. So the primary doc decided to do this test to be sure nothing else is going on with the lungs and that the clots have dissolved as they should have. If that turns out okay, then the next step will be to start exercising to get his health back to normal. I really pray that is what they will find. We could walk together and work at getting our life back to normal. Tony's A1c was 5.5 so that was good. We also went to see his diagestive doc and he has released him until 2013 when he will have to have another colonoscopy.

Guess that brings me up to date.

Y'all have a good weekend.

Hello All,

TrishI am going look up resistant starches. It sounds really interesting

Well I had a productive day despite the fact that I woke up feeling terrible from this darn cold. fbs pretty good in the low 80's all day.

I did some shopping for my Vegas trip. I always like to leave with new shampoo, etc. I bought several types of meal replacement bars. I am still worried about how I am going to manage my food while I am there.

I ate sparingly today because I wasn't hungry. Tonight I feel a little better. I gave myself a mani and a pedi. I never wear sandals, but I see my toes and I feel better when they look better. Crazy.

I am going to rest and watch a movie tonight. Take care all.

Good morning. I faced the scale this morning and seem to have "found" two pounds. Grrr! I have been a bit too carby, I guess, although the BGL is back to the normal-for-me range. I know I've been too "seldom" on vegetables and sort of doing it up too much on lovely grapes.

Finally took the time to make a beef stew last night, not for supper but for later. I think stew is so much better after a day in the fridge. I even put in potato and carrots. I'll add green beans today. Victoza has not only killed my appetite but my enjoyment of cooking. I'm trying to get that back. The salmon filet I froze is going to get cooked and transformed into salmon salad tomorrow.

Today I work a huge plant sale in the morning and then the group will go for lunch at the diner. I plan on having a Caesar salad with my own dressing when I'm there. Salad is a vegetable, right?

Fatmad, you are right. I may as well accept the fact that I just don't like fish. I find it OK when done on the BBQ but have decided to eat it just when I'm out at someone's house for dinner. Of course, eating grilled sardines with red wine on the beach in Portugal would be different!

Patty, fish chowder is really simple. I make a clam chowder with canned clams that folks rave about. Google for recipes. I'll try to remember to post mine although it's so simple I'll be embarrassed.

Montana, I read your post and then looked at my feet. I definitely need either a pedicure or a foot transplant. Poor piggy toes! Right now, they'd call 911 if they saw me walk into a salon with these poor feet. I may have to "pre-pedi" before I go which is like cleaning before the cleaning person comes.

The day is calling em to get things in gear. Have a good Saturday and do something nice for yourself.

Good Morning!

Fbs at 94 this morning, not too bad but probably up due to the cold / cold medicine. Still pretty respectable. I slept for 8 1/2 hours last night which is wonderful for me. I did 1 hour and 20 minutes of aerobics, then stretch routine for 15 mins this morning. I feel relaxed but my muscles are tired. I am attending a birthday party today and I was hoping to create a little room for myself with the extra excercise.

Ruth, sorry about the 2 pounds but you will lose them along the way. Maybe they are actually "just visiting" I also think that stew is always better as a leftover. The salad sounds like a good way to eat the salmon. That is also how my son got me started on eating more fish because the only way I used to like it is fried. But, in the end, If you don't like fish, you don't like it.

I hope that everyone has a good day.

4.1 this morning after a less than stellar day. I indulged in a bacon cheese dog after the garden sale yesterday - yummy but not on plan. Of course the weight is still up but I got honest this morning and changed my ticker. Now I can enjoy the fun of changing it down!

Gardening and walking is on the exercise menu. It's supposed to be a lovely spring day ... but they've lied before.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hi all: had trouble getting to sleep last night, slept in on Saturday morning, and had an afternoon nap so was up late, but got up early with the sun this am, its lovely out. I am doing a walk-a-thon this am, fundraising for the "white ribbon alliance" for maternal health. Its part of getting ready for my trip to South Africa in June. I hope my heel holds out. It is a short walkathon, just 5 k, so its not like I will be all day. That is just a good hard walk. I plan to take my dog, who isn't great on a leash, but love the exercise. I will bring snacks for her for treats to keep her on her best behaviour.
Well, remember earlier in the week when I went off the metformin for a few days to see if it was causing my heel pain, (it wasn't)? I forgot about starting it up again, and having abdominal discomfort! I had terrible cramps yesterday and Friday. LOL I forgot about this, I was very much used to the meds and didn't have any problems with it anymore.
Happy Mother's day to all of us, I think everyone who visits regularly is a Mother, as we haven't heard from mr z for a while, or the young woman who visited for a bit. sorry to forget the name. is it Cassandra?
Anyway the weather is lovely here, sunny and warming, so it will be a lovely mothers' day for me, though I miss my own Mum.

Good Morning Fellow Travelers!

I slept well but only for about 6 and a half hours. Still a little stuffy. fbs was at 94 despite good eating last night. I think it is the cold.

I worked out on the wii for 36 minutes doing strength and boxing, then 45 minutes on the Walk it Out. I burned almost 450 calories. I was dripping in sweat but I felt like I accomplished something.

Yesterday I thought that I found a great meal replacement bar. I ate it and couldn't believe how filling it was and how great it tasted. Well, as I checked the package again, it was for TWO servings. I mean really, why would they do that with something that looks like an individually packaged product. GRRRRR.

Fatmad, I forgot about that little problem with the metformin, also! Hopefully, it is better. It is so great that you are doing a 5k! I hope to lose enough weight so that the Dr. will allow me to do more outdoor exercise on this worn-out knee. And, how nice for your dog to go along! Let us know how you did.

Ruth, at least the bacon cheese dog wasn't totally carby! I hope you enjoy gardening for the day.

I am going to do my skin pamper Sunday routine, and then have dinner with my mom tonight. I am eating sparingly to prepare. In the meantime, I am going to watch a movie and have a fairly lazy day.

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

Really expected a scale drop today as I was perfectly on plan yesterday and sure got in my exercise out in the garden. Why can pounds go on so fast and take so much longer to go? No fair! BGL was fine though.

Off to the gym this morning and will do extra cardio. Maybe that will help.

Had a lovely Mother's day. Nice gift from younger DD and DH, they made a lovely supper for me. (on plan too). I had my 5 k walk with the dog, who was pretty well behaved. We run her on trails and around our large place, so she isn't well leash trained, and is a collie cross, so wants to herd the cars, but the village was pretty quiet and we stuck to back streets, so not much traffic, so I was pretty pleased with her. The heel did well actually, and feels better today, so I am thinking of doing more not less walking. I was finding the trail walks a bit of a problem, but maybe I just have to stretch it. Resting it sure wasn't helping, so I may as well exercise more.
Stuck to plan yesterday until the evening. Apparently "smart food" cheese popcorn is on the list of things not to allow into the house. I am having trouble lately with stuff being around, so will have to get strict with myself and clear everything out, as I am not dealing well with temptation.
I am off Toronto again for the day, looks like its not an overnight thing, and I didn't pack a lunch, so will have to hope for good food for lunch, although there is a swiss chalet nearby where I can get chicken and salad at least.
The early morning plays havoc with my schedule though, so hoping to get a nap on the way home this evening.
Ruth, hope you get to the gym and have a good day. I am really happy for you Montana, getting on the wii and walking fit. you go!
happy monday everyone

Fatmad - congrats on the walk and on the well behaved dog I am glad that your heel is doing ok. Is it perhaps that the level surface walking is better for you than the trails? Or perhaps, the type of surface that you are walking on?

It sounds like everyone had a nice mother's day.

Ruth, I hear you! Pounds seem to just jump on and then you have to scrape, claw and push them off! GRRRRR.

fbs at 88 this morning and I had a good hour of aerobics. I hope you all don't get tired of hearing about this - it helps me to stay on track.

Pattigirl I hope you are doing well.

Have a great day!