Bewildered, I like low cut tops. I think they make my neck look longer and thinner. I just don't want anything peeking out over the top of them. LOL

I am amazed that you are going back to the mountain and do it all over again!! YGG!!

Mary, I think you still lost the 1.5 lbs, but your new scale is just a little off from the old scale. Get on two different scales and you will get 2 different readings. Get weighed on the same scale every day at the same time. Now that you have a new scale, use that one all the time.

My SIL used to come to my house and get on my scale and say "Your scale's wrong." Just because it weighed her different than her scale at home. She probably got weighed in the AM before dressing, and weighed at my house later in the day with clothes on, and that was the difference. But I just couldn't make her understand that. She was right and I was wrong. I'm so glad she moved away.. LOL

I have done so well today. This morning when DH made eggs I told him not to make me a lot. He gave me this little plate with just a bit of eggs and 2 slices of tomato and laughed. But it was just enough for me. That was around 10:30. I haven't eaten since and I am starting to feel hunger. I rarely feel hunger. I have meatloaf cooking and will make it til dinner. I know that eggs are a good low carb food, but it seems that if I eat too much, it just gets my appetite going for the rest of the day. I expect to see a drop on the scale tomorrow.

I also exercised for 40 min again today. Treadmill, elliptical and recumbent bike. When I started taking off my exercise duds I took off my shoes first then decided to do a cool down on the treadmill. I just slipped on my slip-on shoes that I wear around the house. Immediately, I got pains in my feet. The Nikes I wear for exercise give me so much more support. I think I am going to start wearing shoes with more support around home.

Carol Sue, woohoo on eating well and 40 minutes of exercise! Fantastic! The comment, "I'm so glad she moved away," made me bust out laughing!

I actually went bra shopping today at Target. (The power of suggestion, lol! I had a gift card and needed bras, so....) There is nothing to make you realize how much MORE weight you need to lose than a dressing room mirror!!! Ugh. Anyway, Target had nothing above a D in any of the sizes so I had to go with a 38D. I could have sworn I used to buy a 38C, but apparently not at Target. The 38D barely worked and was too small in some styles. I really need to make a trip to Nordstrom's, but I'll wait until I get down to the weight I want to be! My mother had my little brother and me by old school cesarean section and they cut vertically through her stomach muscles, and I know that she was always frustrated by that. I had 2 cesarians also, but they cut horizontally across my lower abdomen leaving my stomach muscles intact, so my biggest complaint is my scar, which is usually hidden. I'm lucky. I'm sorry you had to go through that!

Mars, I hope you got a good report at the Dentist!

Mary, I also believe you have lost that weight. Your old scale is just calibrated differently from your new scale. When I went back home, my Dad's scale had me like 3 lbs lower than my scale. The Y's scale has me 1.5 lbs lighter than my scale. I'm losing weight according to all of them, but since my scale is, well, my scale, its number is the one I use when I say how much I weigh. You are still losing weight, so try not to let the number discourage you!

Rennie, it will come back down (hopefully with a whoosh)! Keep your chin up!

Bewildered, oh geesh, that's right. You're in a hotel right now. I don't blame you! But when you get your own place, you are going to love epsom salts in the bath water. It's so soothing! As for MCT oil vs coconut oil, the way I see it coconut oil is natural, MCT oil is not. Plus, coconut oil actually contains medium chain triglycerides and is absolutely loaded with lauric acid. My vote is coconut oil. Yay on being back down to last week's weight! I cannot believe you are already planning another mountain, lol! You are a crazy woman, lol!

Chickadeee, us? Bounce around on topics?

My scale has been awfully generous the last few days, which I really appreciate! I am down another half lb!

Week 9: High 199.5, Low 198.5
6/28--199.5
6/29--199
6/30--199
7/1--198.5
7/2--198.5
7/3--198.5
7/4--199.5 Carb Day
Week 10: High 200.5, Low 196.5
7/5--200.5
7/6--200
7/7--198.5
7/8--197
7/9--196.5
7/10--197
7/11--197 Carb Day
Week 11: High 198.5, Low 195
7/12--198.5
7/13--198
7/14--198
7/15--196.5
7/16--196
7/17--195
7/18--195 Carb Day
Week 12: High 195.5, Low 194
7/19--195.5
7/20--195
7/21--194.5
7/22--194
7/23--194
7/24--194
7/25--194.5 Carb Day
Week 13:
7/26--194
7/27--193.5
7/28--193
7/29--192.5
7/30--
7/31--
8/1--

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
2 slices of bacon
Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Lunch: @ the Casino Buffet
A small salad with ranch dressing and a little cottage cheese on the side
2-3 bites of each of the following:
Turkey
Pulled pork
Meatloaf
Steamed broccoli and cauliflower
Green beans
Navy beans
2 glasses of water with lemon

Snack:

Dinner:
Turkey and string cheese roll-ups
Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Today's Exercise:
5-mile walk around the track! (I keep trying to mix up the exercise a little bit. I don't know if it actually helps, but I'm pretending it does, lol!) 3 sets of 12 reps each on 10 arm and chest machines

Too true! You'd think they would design the mirrors to make you look thinner and buy more clothes! We used to hear that Nordstrom's actually did that.

Congrats on the continued fantastic weight loss! Great job at the buffet--wow!
Thanks, dentist appt. was ok, got scolded for not brushing enough so I might add a brief session on the mini-stepper, in front of the TV, with my toothbrush----a twofer! Hmmm, I might have to have a spitoon handy. I love my dentist--he does everything himself & is passionate about preserving pts' teeth. He's a happy guy and it rubs off on me, especially once the appt is over, lol!

I agree re sticking to more natural products with oils. It's a little scary to me when they mess with oils. I always wonder if there will be some bad news yrs later. We're guinea pigs for the food industry.

Bewildered I'm in awe!! And I would like to feel that soreness of newly-discovered muscles! Maybe today it will be an easier soreness that you can feel proud of.

I read on another thread about someone making a big pot of vegetable soup, filling & not likely to nudge the scale up. That's what I'm going to do today. I hope I don't eat the whole thing up tonight, but it won't be the worst thing to fill up on. And chopping all the veggies should burn a few grams of fat

Carol Sue, I am sorry but I will take whatever cleavage I can get these days as long as it is not from a too small bra. I buy Soma bras, they are nice and the sizes are great and great return policies.

Mars: I have a visual of you brushing you teeth while on the stepper holding a small spit-tune! Be careful, you know what they say about running with sharp objects, toothbrush in hand or mouth could be dangerous if you fall while stepping.

Jac: you rock!

Rennie: what is the saying out of the mouths of babes! You gotta love kids and comments.

Bewildered: soup sounds good and it is filling. And yep, I agree cutting veggies is exercise.

Mary: I had the same issue with my new scale reading different than my old and the one at the clinic. But since I use the new one when I weigh, that is the one I go with. Crazy.

Ok, I found out today that coffee makes you hungry. For the past 3 months I have been drinking tea at work for noontime, the last two days I have had coffee and I find I want something to eat within a 1/2 hour. So, I am going back to tea - problem is I can't find one I like, not a good selection at the stores around here, I love Oblong Tea.

We are having pizza night tonight, so off comes the crust and a salad on the side. I was going to make a batch of low carb brownies, but I can't get the cover off the coconut oil !!!! (so here I am mouth watering for a brownie and I can't get the darn jar open. - I am just weak!)

chickadeee If it's a glass jar/metal lid, here's a suggestion: use the blunt end of an old-fashioned bottle-opener and gently pry the lid away from the jar in 3 or 4 different spots.--hope that makes sense. Then you can twist it off. I always use a dishwashing glove for traction--not necessary to wear the glove, just use it to grip. I can't wait to try that pizza salad!

Thanks for the safety reminder--that is smart. Made me laugh too. Can just imagine explaining this to the ER doc after they bring me in with a protruding object in my palate: "million to one shot, doc"

Hey ladies. After having my crying pity party today, I have decided a couple things. First off, my 8 year olds helped me exercise...one did dancing and one walked over a mile with me in south Texas heat. I need to quit acting like my life is crap because I am not losing weight.

So after talking to my sister and husband I am going to do what my husband says "trust the process" and keep going knowing my body will release the weight if I do right. My sister says I need to ditch the artificial sweeteners altogether (even stevia, GASP). My husband thinks thats bad advice since he lost a ton of weight and drinks coke zero, but I am going to give up my coffee and diet mountain dew just to see if it works. I want to lose weight more than I want to drink coffee right now and I am desperate!

Chickadeee can I just come eat with you every night? Everything you say you are eating sounds delicious. Your hubs is really lucky.

OIL DEBATE: I would do the coconut oil myself...I just bought another misto and am using that with olive oil. I wish I could trust coconut oil not to clog in it. Coconut oil is awesome. I have some in the bathroom and some in the kitchen.

Yeah mars stay away from the stepper and the toothbrush LOL You would definitely have X-rays circulating around the hospital for that one!

Today after the worst day yet I:
-stayed on plan
-drank 80 plus oz water
-got 10k plus steps
-had 50 plus active minutes between my awesome twins helping me.

Dairy Fairy, I agree stick with it. Are you taking measurements or just the scale reading. I have been at this since May and I have lost a total of 10lba and 11 inches. The inches mean more to me than the pounds. And it has been slow, but I know over the last few years it creep-ed on slowly so losing it slowly is the best way to lose.
I try not to talk about my lifestyle change much, I don't want to jinx it, I feel so much better eating less carbs, and my special day is not a carb day, but something I really want when I want it - and it better be worth it!

Hang in there, I love making good meals, and learning to cook things that are different. I do not use artificial sweeteners, don't like them and I don't believe there has been enough research done on them, at least not for me. Remember everyone has to find what works for them, but learning what everyone else is doing on this thread is so helpful, and Jac is always around to keep us in line!
My DH has starting following my eating habits, tonight we talked about why some pizza company doesn't make a crust-less pizza, you know they would sell it for big dollars because it is healthy!!
Our meals are always a surprise, but it needs to be fun not boring. I am really missing cucumbers this week, so have to pick some up.
Coconut oil, I just used it in my brownies tonight, they turned out real nice, will have to see how they taste the next day, but so far very chocolatey.
Hope I did not ramble to much, just stick with it, what can it hurt. (I need to get a tracker and post it, but putting off how to figure that out.)
Anyway have a good evening.

Yep, I am a glutton for punishment. I don’t know why I always feel worse in the afternoons muscle wise. We’ll see how I feel on Monday as to whether I climb another mountain soon. Also, the news is saying there has been a rash of car break ins at all the local parks and I’m amazed by that because they are so crowded. I did spot a guy lurking around the vehicles picking up trash and he was gorgeous, but that would be a good cover.

Carol Sue, great job on the exercise! Woot!
I’m guilty of wearing flats or NO shoes around the general area or two high when I am out and it is terrible for our feet. I have high arches and had heel spurs once which were miserable. My Ped doctor said we should ALWAYS wear supportive shoes and heels no higher than one inch. They make so much money from our footwear, but I love those beautiful strappy high heels, high bootie wedges or going barefoot.
Great thinking on the low cut = the illusion of a longer thinner neck. No one ever seems to be looking at my neck when I wear them though?

Jacqui, Mars and Mary, thanks for the input regarding the oils. That is 4 of us that are in agreement now compared to one MALE (in my short survey) and the body building sites, so, yeah. I’m sticking with the natural.

Jacqui, I hear you on the mirrors. It doesn’t make sense, does it!? I feel like deja vu, did I already congratulate you on your daily half lb lossage? If not, WTG! I agree, you are a rock star! Awesome 5 miler and shocking control at the buffet.

Oh and Mars, no Whole Foods around here after all. Closest is over in Bend and next up in Portland so...Trader Joes it is. And once again, I have never been there so I’m excited; I was going to go when I was in Dallas and plum forgot. I will go on Carb Day in case I get froggie.

Chickadee-e, ETA: I just saw your other post. You need to post that brownie recipe. I've got to figure out something that I can put the Coconut Oil in that I actually like. Someone mentioned mixing it with natural peanut butter. I hope you enjoyed your crustless pizza! Coffee doesn’t have the hunger effect on me unless I don’t eat anything for breakfast. I think the only way I got my plastic Coconut Oil lid off after it had been refrigerated was by letting it sit out for a sec. I have always done that burp thing with hard lids by hitting the bottom even if it isn’t glass. And I use plastic gloves for the really hard lids to get traction.

Mary, great attitude and healthy outlook about the process. I have heard that artificial sweeteners and even some OTC meds can slow things down for some. Sounds like a good plan and then you’ll know. And I forgot to say, great job today, too!

Everyone!

Mary It sounds like you have good support on the ground. WTG for not letting the weather keep you from exercising! I like what your DH said about trusting the process.

Bewildered I'm looking forward to hearing what you found at Trader Joe's! If you are driving back, you will surely encounter a Whole Foods somewhere along the way. There is even one on the Las Vegas Strip, albeit not much there in the way of 'whole' food! "5 days and a mountain" to get back to your low scale number--you have such a way with words! You are doing fantastic with your food while on vacation. I only hope I am half as focused as you on mine, coming up in 3 wks.


chickadeee on 10 lbs since May, and with such great meals! Your brownies w coconut oil made my mouth water!

Jacqui, Rennie, Carol Sue!

Week 1 June 9 169.9
Week 8
7/25 166.4 Carb Day High Low
7/26 167.8 (+1.4)
7/27 166.0 (-1.8))
7/28 165 (- 1.0)
7/29 165.4 (+0.4)
7/30 165.4
7/31

Yesterday;
B veggie omelet, whey shake in coffee
L salad, beans, chicken, quinoa, evoo
S roasted cauli, butternut sq, onion, coconut oil
D Turkey chili
S Homemade vegetable soup, whey shake
2L Egyptian licorice cold tea/stevia
no exercise

I did very well with my food yesterday. Then at bedtime I shoved a bunch of stuff in my mouth. I think I felt that I deserved it after being good all day. I weigh the same today as yesterday...200 and a smidge. Trying again today.

Jacqui, I have some DD bras I bought at Kmart, and also the ones I recently bought at Kohls. I don't think I ever saw any bras bigger than that, but I have never been to Nordstroms. Even the name sounds too expensive for me. I told DH that I wanted to go to Kohls once a week to try on clothes because it would keep me on my diet after looking at myself in those mirrors.

Mars, TJs and also Whole Foods are too far away from me for me to visit them. Maybe an hour away. That's too far for me for a grocery store. I'm spoiled. I have 2 different ones about a mile from here, and and Aldi's 3 miles from here. That's my kind of shopping.

Chickadeee, you just let it all hang out, girl! LOL We've got you with your cleavage and Jacqui with her thongs.

Jacqui, if I was going to worry about scars I would never take my clothes off. I have one that goes down my chest from the heart surgery, then a couple inches lower I have the one from the 2 bowel surgeries. Like a zipper all the way down the front of me. The one from the heart surgery is faint, but visible, and looks better when I have a tan. Right after the surgery, I started wearing high tank tops under my v neck shirts, but then I got tired of that and I just let it show. It's a battle scar from living longer than any of my other family members.

Jacqui, good job on your .5 daily losses, GO YOU

Chickadeee I wish I liked brownies. I have a jar of coconut oil just sitting in the pantry . Congratulations on the 10lbs GONE and the inches. You are doing very well Chickadeee, yeah you do

Bewildered hope your muscles repair soon

Mary I'm sorry you aren't seeing what you have the need to see to feel good about this journey (it's hard I know) but know that as long as you keep doing what you're doing everything will fall into place soon. You've got this and and an awesome support team at home and here Now me ... I know why I'm not seeing results like I should. But you soon will be

Mars, if you were me I'd wouldn't use that toothbrush on a stepper. My husband says I'm as clumsy as can be but since you are you and you know that brushing on the stepper would give you an advantage both ways go for it

Thanks Jacqui Walking alone did it for me, on an incline and a great pace, kept the scale moving and the body toned. I remember looking very good if I do say so myself. The boys are going to the gym today and said I should go with them but I'm working by myself tomorrow and that is not the time to be sore. I have to be able to move quickly.

Carol Sue

Got a full 9hrs of sleep (I actually woke up at 2:30am an hour after I normally wake up) I thought to myself, Girl you are crazy, You'd better lay your tail back down . So I did. Got up and cooked breakfast just in time for my husband to come in clean up and sit at the table The kids said it's not Sunday!! I said when is the last time I was home to cook a Sunday breakfast??? So this is your Sunday, let's pray and eat! It's a great day .... I haven't had a day off since 7/3 So I'm gonna enjoy it weight down also maybe the sleep since I ate like a kid yesterday, smh.

Week 01: High 175.5, Low 171.5, -4.0

7/10 ~ 175.5
7/11 ~ 174.2 (-1.3)
7/12 ~ 173.2 (-1.0)
7/13 ~ 172.2 (-1.0) only .3 lower than where I started 7/1 and 1.5 higher than on 7/3
7/14 ~ 171.7 (-0.5) LTTOM
7/15 ~ 172.1 (+0.4) TOM
7/16 ~ 171.5 (-0.6) TOM

Week 02: High 175.3, Low 169.9, -5.4

7/17 ~ 171.2 (-0.3) LTTOM
7/18 ~ 173.8 (+2.6)
7/19 ~ 173.9 (+0.1)
7/20 ~ 175.3 (+2.4)
7/21 ~ 174.1 (-1.2)
7/22 ~ 171.7 (-2.4)
7/23 ~ 169.9 (-1.8)

Week 03: High 173.8, Low 169.6, -4.2

7/24 ~ 169.8 (-0.1)
7/25 ~ 170.5 (+0.7)
7/26 ~ 169.6 (-0.9)
7/27 ~ 171.2 (+1.6)
7/28 ~ 172.2 (+1.0)
7/29 ~ 173.8 (+1.6)
7/30 ~ 172.6 (-1.2)

Month end weight (I've got to be under 172.5 tomorrow in order to show a loss for the month. )
7/31 ~


Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
4 strips of bacon
2 eggs w/ a slice of American cheese
2 biscuits, 2 spoons of grits

Lunch:

Snack:

Dinner:

Rennie I ma so happy for you that you got a good night's sleep. That's a looooong time to go without a day off. Enjoy it EXTRA! No, I think the TV remote is the only thing I'll be holding while on the stepper. Not one of my best ideas, lol!