JAYAREDEE, ya, I also would recommend that you do some sort of exercise like walking or whatever else you like to do. Just start out slowly if you haven't been exercising. Decaf coffee isn't bad. When I SS'd before I gave up caffeine, but when I went off it I went right back to it. Once all the "high octaine" stuff is gone, I will buy decaf. I did Richard Simmons too, but that only lasted a couple of days because I kept forgetting to close those windows. Plus, I was always hungry. How did your weigh in go?

nikkic, sorry about your ankle. How did you break it? The cardioglide you have, is that the equipment that you stand on and swing you legs forward and back? If so, that would be great where you are still having trouble with your ankle. Do you like your torsotrack? I also have a torsotrack that I have to dust off and start using again. I bought the ultra-track, because you can do more exercises on it, and gave my torso track to a friend. One day I was doing lunges on the ultra-track and did something "bad" to my right knee.

Everyone enjoy your Sat. Aleka

Hi everyone,
Aleka, I call the torso track a torture track. I can't get up and down from the floor very well, and even when I get down there, it feels like it is not worth it. DH uses it sometimes and has notice some results. I think the abdoer is a much better way to exercise the waist and back. The cardioglide is an old piece of equipment that I've had about 5 or 6 years. It's basically like a glidder on a kids swingset. You push with your feet and pull with your arms. It is more fun. The orbitrek is an elilptical machine. It looks like it is fun on the commercial and easy, it's not! My DH who is a nut when it comes to the treadmill-he runs for 3 miles on it-has a hard time doing 20 minutes on it. It kills my ankle so I stay off it.
I fell down the basement steps and broke my ankle. It's been really hard to get around. The first year, the Dr. just wanted me to basically lay down all the time. It sounds like a good deal, but I was in agony all the time and it got really boring. And the worst part is my ankle is still broke. Also, I gained a lot of weight from just laying down and my muscle tone is aweful. For awhile, I could barely sit up my muscles were so weak. Anyway, the pain is not as bad anymore, so that's a blessing. And now, I can get up and go places again. I have to wear a boot all the time, I've had 7 casts on this leg and a boot is better.
My advice is, if you can walk, walk while you can. You never know what you have till it's gone.
Take care everyone and talk to you later, Nikki

Hey Aleka
Im happy to say I lost three pounds this week, that's amazing since I ate tons of fat and meat and was still able to slip the carb in. Im glad I did this diet and I know I'll be able to stick to it!

Nikkic, It is possible to lose weight on this diet and still go out to eat you just have to decide if you want a carb meal or pro-fat meal. I know its hard because at restaraunts they do mix in some combinations that do not follow the plan but you got to do your best.

Once again Im happy to have a team here to do the diet with me along the way.
have a great day

Hi Everyone!!!!
Congratulations Jayaredee! Three pounds thats so awsome.
I took my weight as well today and I am down four pounds!!!
I am just thrilled. Four quite awhile now I have experienced
a very hard time trying to reduce my weight. Now I know
carbs are the culpret. The exercise I am using is the Gazelle.
I love this because it is easy on the joints. All in all I feel
wonderful. Lets just hope the good news continues, at times
it feels too good to be true!!
Anne.

Hi again,
Jayaredee, I know what you mean about the restaurants. I really need to stay away from the fast food places though. I think they sneak stuff in like sugar, when your not aware of it.
Hey wonderful news about your weight lose you guys. Your really getting me psyched up.
Anne, is the Gazelle the same machine that Tony Little (I think that's his name) uses? Is it the one that you stand on and move your legs back and forth and hold onto the handles on top? I've want one for so long, but I wasn't sure if it was easy to use, fun and really as easy on the joints as they say. QVC has one for $121. It doesn't look bad. How long do you use it a day? Man, am I a product junkee. The ups man and mailman see me almost everyday. I have to quit watching QVC and HSN so much. I just ordered an ice cream machine so I can make ss ice cream. I looked at walmart, but they were sold out.
Nikki

Hi Nikkic!
Yes, It is Tony Little's product and it is excellent. What I love
the most about it is that it is not hard on the knees. Now I
weigh more than 200 pounds so I am a big lady so I can't
do anything overly strenuous. I too am a shopping-
channel junkie. I also like Joan River's jewlery
Anne.

Congrats on your 4 pound loss Anne!!!!!!!!! Thats just amazing!!!!!!!
Even though I am obviously not on Richard Simmons diet anymore I still do his exercise videos. The gazelle is also a great machine. Tony Little has had some good workout equipment that is designed for all fitness levels.
Have a great evening everyone!!!!!!

Anne, I love jewelry. I haven't bought any of Joan Rivers pieces, but I do love her eggs. I'm really in love with the diamonique line right now. It is so much more realistic than the absolutes, although I have seen some nice things there too. Why I buy jewelry is a mystery, I only go to the grocery store and out to eat once in awhile. I guess if I ever go to Las Vegas again, I'll be set.
I spent the morning cleaning out all my cabinets and fridge to get rid of the nonlegal food. I threw away a lot and gave my youngest daughter the rest of the food. I feel better. Tomorrow, I'm going shopping for the ss woe. I would go today, but the town is full of race fans and the stores are empty of just about everything. I have too many things to do to go out of town today to shop. So tomorrow is day one for me. Talk to you all later, hope your weekend is going well.
Nikki

Nikkic:
Diamonique must be like our Toronto Channel's Diamonelle.
I just purchased a 14 carot gold ring with a diamonelle stone
that looks identical to a 1 carot diamond ring. It is gorgeous.
It cost me a hundred bucks Canadian and I will be paying for
it for four months!!!! I shouldn't have done it, but I could not
resist. I try hard not to watch shopping channel. I love
Joan's line bracelets. I have a few I have rec'd as Christmas
and mothers day gifts from my sons. They know how much I
love these bracelets and pool there funds to buy me one on
special occassions.
My diet is going great! I love it. I can't wait until amazon
delivers my cook books! Hi Aleka, Hi Jayaredee

Anne.

Nikkic
you'll do just great on this diet I know it and we'll be here to help you out through any troubles you may run into which is hard to do.

Anne you live in toronto too. we could be neighbours you know!
Hey aleka havent heard from you in a while
The diet is going great for me!!!!!!!!!

Just got back from the store, made it there afterall. I have to relearn everything about shopping and read a lot more labels, but I know in a few weeks, it'll be second nature. The vegetables are just really poor quality, sad since it's summer and they should be wonderful. Will go out of town next time.
Does anyone have any ideas about cheap meals that are ss? My daughter wants to start too, but she is on a really tight budget. I've looked over at ss website and found some recipes, wondered what you guys are doing for your meals. I just spent $125 bucks for one week (for 2 people) and I still need to get some stuff. A lot of the things I bought I won't buy again for awhile like spices, whole wheat flour, vinegars. Anyway, any ideas for cheap and easy meals would be appreciated, no matter how simple they may seem, I'll take whatever you can give me. Thanks in advance, Nikki

Hi Nikkic:
I can relate. I always study the flyers and shop the meat deals.
Protein is pricy. Ground Beef is King around here and I buy alot
of ready made 100 percent beef patties. I am anxious to get
my cook books because I want to see what you do with beans.
Beans are a carb on SS program but I also know they are a
great source of protein. We have several grocery stores in
my area and I study all flyers. Tonight I am having hamburgers
with bacon and melted cheese, mushrooms and sliced tomatoes,
I still can't believe I am eating this way and losing
weight
Anne.

I hope you all had a great weekend.

ANNE D, congratulations on your 4 lb. weight loss that's fantastic!!! I also love jewelry. DH bought me an Diamonique Eternity ring for our 30th anniv. Of course, I had to pick it out. After pricing the real thing, I opted for the Diamonique, and I think it looks just as good. I've also gotten Absolute from HSN and I like that also. I own a few of Suzanne's pieces. As a matter of fact I have 2 rings coming very soon...I hope.

JAYAREDEE, congragulations on your 3 lb. loss! :sheep: That's fabulous for your first week!
Do you have Richard Simmons, Dancing on Broadway video tapes? I bought the Food Mover pkg. from QVC a few years ago. I only did the tape a few times, but I really enjoyed it.

nikkic, I'm glad that you made it to the grocery store. I usually just shop the outside perimiter (sp?) of the store, and only go down the cereal aisle and frozen foods aisle. That's great you D wants to do this with you, this will work for the both of you. We usually eat a lot of hamburgh. You can make tacos using Romaine lettuce leaves as the "shell". You can also make meatloaf and meatballs. For the filler you use pork rinds that you finely crush. You can even use the pork rinds as a coating to fry chicken or anyother meat. My favorite meal is hamburger cooked on my GF grill, I put turkey bacon and cheese on it, and while the hamb. is cooking, I spray some pepper & onions w/olive oil and throw them on the grill until the hamb. is done! Since you will be starting SSzing today, you will have a great eating day.
I hope some of these hamburger tips will help you & your D.

Have a great Monday everyone! It's awfully hot in the 90's with humidity. UGH! Aleka

Good day everyone!
Yes I have another Diamonique coming too Aleka. I love those cz's. If you buy something around 1-2 carats, it does look believeable. For my birthday, DH bought me a 1 1/2 carat solitaire and two bands with inlaid rounds to go on either side. It looks real, but it is a lot bigger than my real wedding set. It would cost as much as a good used car to afford something like this and I don't want and can't afford to go into debt for that. I like it just as much.
I wasn't thinking Anne, I forgot your in Canada. We get QVC and HSN down here. Joan Rivers is on QVC and that's where they sell Diamonique. Your right, they're cz's.
Thanks for the food suggestions, if you can think of anything else, let me know. I'm making a little journal for DD with suggestions of what to eat that is cheap and quick. She works full time at Walmart and she is just scraping by financially. There are no jobs in this town, so she's lucky to have one. She needs to lose about 75 lbs.
Well, I began to exercise this am, did the abdoer with the beginners video. I feel a lot better too! I don't feel stiff like I usually do in the morning. Ate my breakfast, eggs and bacon, forgot about the drinking thing that I couldn't stop thinking about a few days ago and drank tomato juice with it. Then when the meal was half over, I remembered. Gosh, I hope this helps with memory loss too. Ha.
Hi Jayaredee, thanks for the encouraging words.
Talk to you later, Nikki

I just remembered...talk about memory loss I believe at one time on Suzanne's website, someone started a thread about eating cheaply on this WOE. I'm not sure how many people posted, but if you go back aways you might find it. I honestly don't remember if it was under the topic of FOOD, HELPING ONE ANOTHER, or RECIPE SUGGESTIONS. Maybe you could try looking there for some ideas. If anymore ideas come to me, I will let you know.

Is it hot where you live? It's really hot...90's where I live in NH. It's supposed to be like this the rest of the week. We are in a drought, which is surprising, because I didn't think it would ever stop raining this spring. It's almost time to turn on the air conditioners.

Aleka