I am glad that I am not alone in my scale addiction.


I didn't eat any protein for breakfast and I am paying for it today. I haven't gotten to my workout yet, I guess I really need to get it in!

Hey ladies. I hope everyone is doing awesome! Not too shabby here. My knee is starting to feel better again so hopefully this is it and I won't need to go to the Dr. Had fun scrappbooking last night and decided I'm gonna go Friday too with the girls and scrap. Just have to find a baby sitter and get hubby to go and do something for himself too. It's so hard for me to get him to take a break and do something he loves. Not sure why, but it's driving me crazy though and making me feel guilty, but I'm not going to let it. I need to stay focused and this is how I do it. Have a great Wed. everyone!

No budge on the scale this morning, but like I said I think TOM is lurking so I'm not going to worry that much about it.

I fell on some ice this morning and really banged my knee. It was fine through my swim, but I've noticed it's starting to hurt pretty bad now.

MEM ~ I'm hanging in there; so glad they are mild and short-lived too. There are about a dozen common side-effects; I've had almost all of them here and there; seems to be an order/sequence from the time you take the chemo, so I know what's coming now. I think that was the scariest part of all -- after hearing what others went through, I was a bit anxious. It's that UNKNOWN FACTOR -- not knowing what may happen.

I prayed about it a lot and had peace that all would be OK -- and esp to have a wait & see attitude becuz everyone's experience is not the same. While we may have similar symptoms in varying degrees and length, we are getting different mixes and amounts that can be modified too. So, the big lesson learned here is that my experience has been different than others. I found after talking to other patients that this is very common. I mean it's not always easy; sometimes, it's scary; but most often, they are all bearable, esp when they are in short spurts like they have been for me.

We went out for a walk today; it's nice and out there and the roads are clear. The wind isn't as bad as the last two days, so it was refreshing and enjoyable. DH thinks we walked at least a mile and back. That's pretty good for me at this time.

Congrats to all of you who are doing so well; welcome to the newbies. I am behind in my reading -- hope to catch up eventually. I hope you all have a wonderfully successful month of April.

Are any of you following a specific diet or eating plan.

I can't seem to settle on one..

I'm counting calories. At first I was paying attention to calories and just watching my portion size. I'm still watching my portion size but now I'm keeping up with calories with My Fitness Pal instead of calculating in my head. It's working out pretty well. This is my third day actually keeping account for what I'm eating on record. Someone had some sour patch kids and I would've ate way more than I did if I didn't have to put it in there.

Third day on plan and exercise. Baby steps.

Rose -- Hope you're doing okay. *hugs*

isles I keep my calories below 1500 (usually between 800 and 1100 net- I eat back my exercise calories). I also keep my carbs very low, and I do not eat any wheat, sugar or processed foods. I follow the primal plan as closely as possible

roseyour attitude and outlook amaze me. I hope you feel 100% very soon

Jane – That is awesome that autopilot is being on plan. That is no small thing.

Working – I just got a super accurate scale and I have been terrible about getting on and off all the time. At the same time, it is amazing to see the difference throughout the day. That sucks abut the asthma.

WatchOut – I had forgotten about the pic thread! Thanks for reminding me. Since it has been such a long journey it is easy to forget where I started.

Sandy – Sparkpeople has some great recipes and that one looks especially good.

Sassy – You definitely need some you time. It is so weird how we are wired to feel guilty about that when it is a basic human necessity.

Rosebud – Wow, you are truly inspiring. Glad to hear the chemo is getting easier now that you know what to expect.

Isles – I would also vote to start with calorie counting. First, it doesn’t restrict anything as long as you can fit it into your daily/weekly total. When I started, that short-circuited one of the issues I had had in the past of saying I couldn’t eat this or that. As soon as I put something off limits it was all I thought about. Later on you will likely want to refine that for percentages or protein, simple carbs, etc, but it is a great place to start. Secondly, it is a great way to get a feel of the “cost” of food. “Wait – you are telling me that I can eat this entire bag of snow peas or five jelly beans for the same amount?” Our brains tend to work by comparing costs and if we don’t know the value, it is hard to compare. I started out around 2000 calories at my highest and am now between 1400 – 1600, but I also cycle to keep my body guessing (will sometimes have a 1200 calories day and then an 1800).


It’s been a good couple of days except for the fact that my knees are just not happy. I dislocated my left kneecap back in September. I then proceeded to favor it and stress out the right knee and damage that one too. Yoga was good, but really painful in parts and I had to modify all over the place. I am still so angry this happened and with it would all just go back to how it was. I didn’t know how good I had it. At the same time, I don’t know what a doctor is going to tell me except ‘lose weight’ and I am already working on that. Now if s/he telling me that would make it happen faster, I might make an appointment, but I doubt it would have any effect.

I braved the pool this morning, even though my friend called to tell me that they were having issues with roof collapse and to stay away (she works there). They did have one change room closed down, but the pool was open. I don't know whether I have that much faith in the city, or if I just really really really wanted to get my swim in!

My scale is still stalled, so I'm going to play around and see what I can change. I made stuffed peppers with left over turkey last night. My man is a SUPER picky eater, and always finds what he calls "room for improvement" in my meals, so I was skeptical about this one, but he liked it. (When I expressed shock though he did say it could use more pepper- loser ).

He works at a power plant on rotating shifts, but since November he has been on "relief" which means 8 hour days during the week, or in school getting more training. He'll be going back to regular hours at the end of the month, so I need to get my freezer full of food for him to take to work, especially since I'm going to be busy with the wedding preparations. I'm actually quite proud of how frugal I've been when buying groceries and how healthy both of us are eating. I think I'm finally in the mental place where there will be better things in the freezer than leftover spaghetti and freezer burnt pork chops!

Hey all!

Welcome Isles and welcome back Nancy! Also: I am counting calories, too. I'm also a (mostly) vegetarian. I work out regularly and have been focusing on that since January. I lost the first part of my weight with less exercise. If you have Weight Watchers as an option I think it is a great intro to calorie counting without the calorie counting. It depends on what you need!

Nancy - ouch, so sorry about your knee. A very good friend of mine had a similar accident a couple of years ago.

Workinghard - hah, I don't think you HAVE to check in like that. It is meant to be supportive, not so much a chore. Check in when you can! Sorry about the asthma, though, such a bummer. Oh, I also get part of my work-out in first thing in the morning. That makes it easier, as it is harder to cheat and make excuses and SKIP when you are too tired to know what you're doing. It also wakes me up, so bonus.


Devon - thank you! Also: brilliant for being on plan, you must be feeling so proud of yourself. It is ALWAYS baby steps, I've found, because you have to put together such a long string of babysteps for it all to work. Though it does get easier when habits get ingrained and then (like Jane said!) autopilot kicks in just a bit.

Jane - OUCH, so sorry about your knee. I HATE ice for just that reason, I feel so unstable and always end up hurting myself. Can you ice/elevate it? I hope it is nothing serious.

sassyangies - I hope you convince hubby to take the time for himself. That's really hard, you should both be doing things you like! Glad, too, that your knee is feeling better.

Rosebud - you're right, the unknown is one of the most frightening things, about the whole process. Once you are in there - in the trenches, so to speak? - and feel like you are bearing it all and just, getting through, though, I think it does get easier. So glad that you were able to enjoy such a long walk, too, and bright sun and clear roads!

--

Hee. I had a great mini vacation. I went: hiking (a wee bit); shopping (way too much); to my concert (the band Garbage, if any of y'all are familiar. they put on an amazing show.); to the Zoo; a bit more shopping; dinner at a brew pub (I had half of a blood-orange hefewiezen. I wish you could just ORDER half-pints here in the states); and a bit more shopping.

I never would've gone to that concert if I hadn't lost weight. NEVER: I wouldn't've felt okay standing for three and a half to four hours. Or being in that space. Instead, I felt great and had a great time and it was brilliant.

Hi all. I'm slowly getting accustomed to living with this a fib until it can get regulated. At least the cardiologist said I can go back to the gym. The hardest part right now is figuring out menus as now I'm counting calories, carbs, and sodium. Thank heavens for the dieting apps!!!!!

Sandy, your chicken recipe couldn't have come at a better time. I've been feeling fuzzy headed and initially chalked it up to all the new meds. It finally dawned on me that protein would be a nice thing to have in my life! The recipe sounds delicious and it's easy to modify for just one chicken breast.

RadioJane, have you been looking in my freezer (the left over spaghetti and freezer burned pork chops reminded me of mine the last time I cleaned it out!). Sounds like you've discovered another benefit to eating better -- it doesn't have to cost more, in fact with not buying all of the packaged dinners and the junk food, my grocery bill has gone way down.

Love this thread........next year when I'm hopefully in the 200s, I will probably still be coming back. Of course, we may have started a different thread by then and some of you will be joining it very soon!

Mnem Wow - Garbage is a huge blast from the past for me! I'm actually playing their music now that you've mentioned it, and it's been ages!

My knee is ok. Scraped and a little tender, but I don't think I did any serious damage. It just locked up yesterday when I was sitting so long.

Betsy Mine was a NIGHTMARE when I cleaned it out. Actually, when I moved in with my boyfriend, I had a fridge, huge pantry and full size deep freeze to cart down the stairs because it was all out dated, freezer burnt etc. He and his ex just shopped and shopped and shopped and wasted sooo much! I've actually bought a smaller fridge so that I CANT have it stuffed with stuff that will go bad. I work down the hall from a grocery store. There isn't any reason I can't buy fresh veggies every few days!

radiojane - I can't even remember the last time I went swimming. Probably since I was a kid. Definitely jealous.

mnem - You know what I am proud of myself. And as always when I'm on plan all the way the scale is always in my favor. I just get down on myself and give into food which has put me in this position anyway. Giving up seems way easier than giving in. And I always try to keep that thought in my head that the year is going to pass anyway and I'd rather use that to lose weight. But am I the only one that thinks that the year goes by SLOWER when you're losing weight...lolol.

Also, so glad you had fun at your concert! Another motivation I have is that Mr. Justin Timberlake (so obsessed with this guy) will be doing a solo tour in the fall and I definitely want to lose weight for that! I'll have to keep reminding myself of that point. Also, I have a guilty pleasure for Justin Bieber and he came around oct/nov of last year and I didn't go because no way would I feel comfortable at the weight I was then. So basically it will open me up for my concerts I'd want to attend...haha.

Hopefully I'll be able to continue this stretch and continue my exercise for the next two days. Planning to exercise Mon-Fri. I always say that and then there will be one day that I talk myself around and out of it. But so far so good.

Day Four of being perfectly on plan. The exercise today was lifting to say the least. I worked out like someone half my size. I had sweat dripping down and I felt encouraged. I have never felt like that before I don't even know what came over me. But I loved it. And this is coming from someone who would rather get teeth pulled then exercise. LOL

Workinghardatlosing: I tend to go over in protein at every single meal. I am a big meat and cheese girl. I need to lower mine.

Sassyangies: I haven't scrapbooked in ages, I used to love it. My current addiction is crocheting blankets, keeps my fingers busy for a while. Hope you can get hubby to do something for himself, my hubby used to be like that, now it's the total opposite...usually I'd give my right arm to have him stay home with me. He works a lot, he is a lobster/fisherman and he is our towns fire chief and he is the head of his local ODD Fellows group a/k/a old mans group....they do a lot of good stuff...but goodness they take up some time.

Radiojane: Hope the scale budges and your knee feels better. Glad you got your swim in and the roof didn't come crashing down. Glad your man like what you made. My husband will usually try anything I make and if he doesn't like it he will usually say "that was ok, nothing I'm in a hurry to have again" He's gentle about it. I'm working on using up the meat in our deep freezer...we have a side by side in the kitchen, those freezers don't hold a lot...but it does tend to get filled up and things pushed to the back. I've finally got the fridge cleaned out and it looks nice, it looks pretty bare because I haven't been buying all that processed stuff to put in it...just fresh veggies and fruit, milk, butter...the basics. I've also been using up the leftovers for lunches or the next meal...trying to be no waste.

Justwant2bhealthy: Sorry your having so many of the side effects. I'll keep you in my thoughts and hope that they are bearable. Glad you got out in the beautiful sun for a walk.

Isles: I use sparkpeople trackers to track my food and it tracks my calories, fat, sugars, carbs etc...it's free and easy to use and has a diabetic version and I can get to it on my phone if needed.

Watchoutforthatcar: Happy 3 days on plan!!! Good job.

Nancy: I hope your knees feel better today. I've never had knee issues thank goodness but lately they have been starting to hurt sometimes, this was another reason I decided it's time to lose this extra weight again.

mnem: Glad you had a good time on your mini vacation. I'm going to an outdoor concert in August...can't wait... "Miranda Lambert, Deirks Bentley and Kixx Brooks" I would like to be comfortable.


Betsy: Hi there, nice to meet you.