Wow Jen, that is amazing, way to go on the pics. I would love to see them as well. I have thought of doing that for my husband many of times, but I would be so worried that the photographer would just be shooting away and I have would have rolls or cellulite showing everywhere. I can only imagine how gorgeous you looked and felt after being completely pampered.

I have been running on the treadmill yesterday and today. It feels so good to do it, I don't know why I put it off for so long. Hoping for a loss this week.

Hope everyone is doing well this week.

Hey all,

Glad to see that you guys have had some good experiences this week! My week has been so-so. Eating ok, exercising ok, nothing spectacular. I am working more than usual and I have so much to do and I don't want to do any of it. Do you think the dishes will wash themselves? I keep hoping they'll walk off....a few more days and there might be enough life energy growing on them that they can!!!

Have a good one, y'all.

Hi y'all:

I signed up at The Daily Plate to track my food, but I really don't like it! I think I will look into Fit Day. I had an account there a long time ago.....

Midwife, I'd settle for so-so on the exercise thing! I have done NOTHING at all this week. I've THOUGHT about it alot though! But thinking doesn't burn calories like a walk on the treadmill, does it? LOL

Newstart: At first I was concerned about the photographer being judgemental of my body, but he wasn't at all! He has been a photographer since he was 11 and had his own dark room in the basement! And his favorite subject to photograph is WOMEN--regardless of shape, size or age. He is awesome! I've already seen what he can do with raw photographs to make them absolutely gorgeous, and I cannot WAIT to get them back!

Here is a link to his site: www.imagesphotographystudios.com

The low carb eating is going pretty well! The weight is not dropping off like I thought it would though. I have had a few more carbs than I should in a day, which is probably why I haven't stayed in ketosis very long. That's why I wanted to start logging my food at TDP. Too bad I don't like it!!

Jen, I have used both TDP and Fitday. They both have their ups and downs. I prefer TDP now only because Fitday's food database is so limited. I know you can add custom foods, but unless you find yourself eating the same things all the time, that gets pretty old very quickly. With TDP, I almost never have to enter my own foods--I just pick the one they already have that matches the label on my product.

Of course, my beef with TDP is that it's hard to figure out your serving sizes sometimes. For example, if they have something listed with 2T as the serving size, you have to enter how many servings you had. Well, if you were doing a recipe that had maybe a cup of that product, then you've got to figure out the number of tablespoons in a cup and divide by 2 to get the number of servings you consumed. And that's a straightforward example--some servings are in grams or ounces, etc....can get pretty mathematical! In Fitday, however, it lets you pick the measurement of the product. So if you enter a salad dressing with nutritional info in tablespoons, when you log it for the day, you can change it to cups, and it will do the math for you.

Anyway, that's my bit on that

I'm feeling a bit better today--much more human, if nothing else. I was still up at night coughing, so I'm tired, and my chest and stomach muscles hurt, but my throat is feeling better, and my nose isn't running or completely stuffed. Hurray!

I found some sugar-free maple syrup last night to try. I know there are many brands out there, but this one is by Walden Farms, and the ingredients list looked much better than any of the others. For one, it doesn't contain any sugar alcohols, so I have less fear of eating it since I've had *ahem* gastrointestinal issues as a result of sugar alcohol consumption in the past

I also discovered that Bloom (grocery store around here, incase they're not in your area) carries plastic pouches of already peeled hard boiled eggs. SCORE! Now I know that if I don't have a lunch, I can go to the store and grab a pouch of those and make my own egg salad. I've purchased egg salad at grocery deli counters a few times, but they all have sugar, so making my own would be much better.

OH, and I FINALLY found some no sugar added ketchup made with Splenda. I've found the hardest part of the lower carb eating for me is the lack of my favorite condiments. I tried following a recipe I found here on 3FC for a no sugar added ketchup, but it didn't come out so hot (very runny). I've also come to make my own tartar sauce from mayo and no sugar added sweet pickle relish. Now if only I could find a no sugar added barbecue sauce...again, I tried making one at home with a recipe I found on here, but it was really nothing like barbecue sauce in the end

Yay for the egg find, Jill! The Publix markets around here do the same thing. Very handy!

What brand of no sugar added ketchup did you find? I found a bottle of Heinz at the store the other day.

Sometimes us low-carbers have to IMPROVISE! LOL

Forgot to add: I'm trying something a little strange on the exercise front. I work in a building where I am the only female, so I get my own bathroom! Anyway,yesterday, every time I went to the bathroom, I would do 20 squats before I walked out. (This is a pretty roomy bathroom, so I could do this with no problem.) Yesterday I was able to do 80 squats! Granted it's not much, but it is something!! I plan to do a minute of some kind of exercise each time I am in the bathroom today--let's see how it goes!

Jen, good idea on the squats. I work in an office of about 20 females with one bathroom. And it is the size of a small closet, so I would have to be creative in doing squats! ha! But things like that can really make a difference! Good, creative thinking there!

Jen, mine is the Heinz "one carb" ketchup--probably the same one you have. I did find a no sugar added ketchup at Whole Foods, but because it was Whole Foods, there were also no artifical sweeteners of any kind. It tasted like seasoned tomato paste Great going with the squats! Every little bit adds up!

Slash, I share a bthroom with MANY women, too. Plus, it seems like half the time when I need to go to the bathroom, the cleaning people are in there cleaning, which would be fine, except they're MEN, so they prop the door open, and you can't go in there while they're cleaning. Damn these 2 liters of water I drink each day at the office!

I'm on Day 4 of Phase 1 (round 2!), and I'm still doing pretty well. My scale was still pretty happy this morning, though I'll wait till Monday for my "official" reading.

I brought the puppies to the vet this morning for their big snips--when I pick them up, I will have 2 genderless puppies and no fear of mutant incestuous offspring!

No posts yesterday, where was everyone?

I am here mostly to vent. I know that I shouldn't be stepping on the scale as often as I do, which I probably do at least 3 times a week. I am still waivering 1-1.5lbs back and forth during the week, so probably not a true loss yet. I do realize that there are things I could be doing differently and number one is drinking more water, as well as probably eating a bit more. I am loosely following the weight watchers plan and I know that I am not consuming my full points in a day. I believe that I am allowed 28 points and yesterday I consumed 18. I still ate three times a day, but ate a lot of veggies and they are not high point counters. I don't get a chance to eat while at work so it is breakfast, lunch and dinner for me those days. I realize that eating less slows my metabolism, but I am not starving myself so what is going on?
Feb is almost half over and I have lost only 1lb so far. I still celebrate the pound gone, but truly would like to meet my goal for each month.

Vent over, hope everyone is having a better week than I am.

Newstart: Sorry to hear about your frustrations. I know how that is. I think you just need to keep on it and keep trying. When I hit those times... which happens a lot... I try to remember that there isn't any other option than to keep trying. We can't stop now! If I went back to the old ways, how much more weight would I have??

I definitely feel your pain, though. My problem has been trying to get over this flu thing I have had. I'm going into my 4th week and it is getting better, but the cough kills me sometimes. With the weather being cold, it makes it difficult. I am so tired of snow!!!!!!! I can't believe that I keep wishing and praying for 40 degree weather. Usually by now we're in the mid 40's, approaching 50's. Oh well, nothing we can do about it, I guess.

Hey Jill, midwife, Jen, anyone else: How's it going??

Have a good weekend.

Whew, we certainly are dying off here, aren't we? Hopefully, that just means people have found other places to post, not that they've completely fallen off the wagon!

I know I have been posting a lot in the South Beach section. I went off plan for Friday night and Saturday, but I'm back on now. I'm still at a lower weight than I was when 2008 started, so all has not been in vain!
I have had quite a productive weekend. We went and picked up Bean (our female puppy) from the vet yesterday morning--she'd had to stay there 2 nights after she got spayed on Thursday (we were able to pick up her brother on Friday evening). They're both doing well--we're just trying to keep them from playing too rough while they recuperate.

Anyway, after we brought her home, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen. I chopped some veggies, made 2 sugar-free salad dressings (posted my recipes in the South Beach recipe section if anyone's interested), went out for dinner with Jeff, stopped at the grocery store on the way home, put the groceries away at home, and made some egg "muffins" last night (egg, cheese, turkey sausage, bacon, chopped spinach, and onion in muffin tins).

Today, I have already gone out and raked up all the leaves in our front yard and bagged them for the trash and cut down some dead plants in the garden. Now I'm crunching on a big salad, then head up to take a shower, and then we're off to dinner with friends tonight (I've already planned on what I'm going to order, and I'm even bringing my own salad dressing!).

I'll weigh in tomorrow morning as planned, but I'm not expecting much of a loss, if any, due to the time spent off plan and the few days when I was ON plan but ravenous and eating way too much food.

So yeah, I've been a bit busy! Hope everyone else is doing well!!

Hi, Ladies

I have been trying to keep up with you over the past week, but have not been very successful ! I must make a point of taking a few minutes for myself at the end of the day to check in.

I was travelling a few days last week, so hopefully this week will be somewhat normal !

Take care and chat soon

Hi all,

Jill congrats on the weight loss!!!!!!!

Life seems to be a little crazy these days. I'll try to pop in more often. I had my weigh in on Friday at curves. My weight is up 1/2 a pound, but tom is due any day so I will not worry to much. But I am also down another 1/2 inch. That brings me down a total of 13 inches!! As long as the inches go down I'm happy, hopefully the weight will drop soon too.

Hope your all having a great day!!

Hi y'all....I'm still around, but reading more than posting. I haven't felt like I have had much to contribute lately, so I just stay quiet. I am staying away from the scales because they do my head in.....I give it way too much power, so I am skipping it for as long as I can. I'm tired of a hunk of metal and springs judging me every day! Whether I lose a hundred pounds or never lose another pound, I am ME and I am WONDERFUL!!
(/rant) Now that that's over....

Jill: Great job on the loss!
Slim: You're gonna be in no time!
Newstart: Not sure if you watch the Biggest Loser, but eating too few calories was addressed when three people on the same team admitted to practically starving themselves. Jillian really let 'em have it for that one! You can't eat too few calories--eventually it catches up with you.
slash: thanks for asking about me!

Hi all,
I'm still around, too! Working a lot and very busy with the kids. I have mostly been working my plan. I did have a small binge with chips, dip and ice cream yesterday, but it is a small speedbump and I am moving on.

Yes, Jen, you are wonderful!

Soontobe, strong work on the lost inches!!

Go, Jill! You are doing such a great job staying on plan. I know you will be out of the 300s very soon!

Hi Louie! Just make sure you are taking time to relax and take care of yourself. I shall take my own advice!

Newstart, I am a BIG believer in eating enough calories. Sometimes just adding in some avocado, a drizzle of olive oil, a few olives or some nuts will bump your calories and help you get to that sweet spot!

Diane, I am SO done with winter! And I'm south of you, where we don't have too much snow or freezing temps. Come on, summer!