Grr..dont you just hate it when you see a dreamy recipe for a One minute mug brownie thats low carb and sugar free and gluten free and you go make it and end up with a pile of cocoa looking greasy glop?? Yah..that was my attempt. Today i woke up with cravings for chocolate and found a recipe and thought "yes! perfect recipe to make" and then made it and not only did it look grose and un-hrownie like...it tasted nasty. I guess im sensetive to tastes cause i could taste the ground flaxseedy taste.. Oddly though, i could have eaten the batter raw(no eggs) So i thought it was bound to be a winner..but nope! Sigh...

Porthardygurl— On the subject of your gas pains: actually, it might be a gall bladder issue after all. That is, not having a gall bladder might be causing you to have indigestion, because the gall bladder is responsible for making bile, which is involved in the digestion of various foods, especially fat. Have you tried an over-the-counter gas pill? The generic ingredient is simethicone. It's marketed as Gas-X, among other brands.

I'm happy to report that Grace—my 15-yr-old great niece, mentee & art student—was able to come over this morning and spend about six hours talking & making collages with me, and playing with our adolescent oriental cats. Oscar and Grace have a special relationship: as soon as she meets him, she scoops him up high in her arms and caresses him all over. We let the cats into my collage studio, where they both enjoyed knocking over the waste basket and the recycle container, looking for cat toys...and finding them, of course. Grace made two collages, and I made one. She always works faster than I do.

And then Oscar did something funny, after Bob left with Grace to drive her home. He ran around every room of the house, crying loudly. I was sitting on the bed in our bedroom, and Oscar jumped up in front of me, staring into my face with wide, distressed eyes. Then he looked carefully in all corners of the room, continuing to cry out as if he had lost something. By then it was manifestly obvious what the problem was: Grace was no longer in the house, and Oscar wanted her back. =smile= It was so sweet...I tried to make it up to him with cuddles and kisses, plus I threw one of the paper balls he'd found in my studio trash can, for him to bat around the hallway and bring back to me for "fetch," his favorite game.

For those of you who are so kind as to enjoy seeing my collages: today's piece is titled wegman and more. (Click on the image for a larger version.) I sure wish I could show you Grace's collages, too. Maybe some day...

Fi - Cool hobby! I used to love doing collages when i was younger. About the gas pain..yah i have a script for a really good acid reducer so we shall see.

Porthardygurl— Acid reducers can be very helpful, but be aware that they are not the same thing as a gas pill. Simethicone specifically targets those gas bubbles you've been complaining about: it helps them coalesce with each other and leave your body as gentle farts. =smile=

Porthardygurl— Sorry to keep going on here, but since I, too, have had my gall bladder removed, I have sympathy for your situation. And it occurred to me that I hadn't yet mentioned probiotics. As anyone with intestinal issues will tell you, it's important to have balanced gut flora (bacteria). Probiotics are live bacterial cultures that promote the "good guys," the bacteria you want to have down there. You can buy them at a health food store, but an easier & cheaper shortcut is acidophilus (Lactobacillus acidophilus), the live bacteria in yoghurt. You can either eat plenty of yoghurt—plain yoghurt, not the kind with sugar in it—or go the even easier route of taking an acidophilus pill once a day: that's what I do, and it works like a charm to fend off gas pains caused by the "bad guys."

Thanks Fi. I am taking probio capsules for awhile now. Will be interested to find out how the tests come back.

Well good morning all... i am not suprised my scale stoped moving today. Its moved every day for 14 days so i guess my body had to adjust to the drop. Trying to not get discouraged about it..

Good morning everyone. Winter blah type day here, but at least it's not raining.

Terra -- Hope you got your chores done and some exercise. You always have something to do each day and sounds like you keep busy.

Porthardygurl -- Fi has given you much good advice on the gas front. I can say that the probiotic capsules are wonderful. I took some after having a colonoscopy in October and still having tummy problems in December. They got all those nice "good" germs back in my system and things back to normal in 5 days. My sister used to use Gas-X, too -- don't know why I didn't remember that. There's definitely a difference between "we can live without it" and removing an organ and "we can live easily and well without it." Good news on the weight loss and not having an appetite does help! I did get a chuckle out of the brownie mess -- I see all these recipes on Facebook that look so wonderfully easy and then when I do them there seems to be something missing. Sorry because when you've got your heart set on something, a misfire is the pits!

Fi -- What a wonderful day for you to have Grace there. Our pets are definitely sensitive and aware to what is going on around them. Hopefully Oscar is back to being satisfied with playing with you, Bob, and Nene for now. I loved your latest collage and loved the Wegman and more reference. Maybe someday your Wegman will be part of an exhibit at the Whitney!

Hi to Ubee (getting worried about you!), Donna, and Sam. And Cindy, where are you these days?

Being back on IF has really helped me get back into dieting mode. And when the weight is coming off, it seems to make it so much easier to stay in the game mentally.

Time to head off to the gym and then I need to start working on updating the Lions Club website for this years Arts Festival. It's one of my volunteer projects, and I'm already late getting started on it. Oh well, it will all get done! Hope everyone has a great day.

Hi everyone.
I am alive. struggling with the desire to care about my weight. Keeping you all in the back of my mind as I work through this. Sorry I have not been supportive.
No need to worry about me as it is almost more like a confusion type of feeling. Enjoy the little breather from me because I will be back to my old self eventually.

Sorry to hear Ubee. I understand how it feels not to care..been there so many times which is why ive never made it to my goal weight even with surgery..its up down up down up down..Im hoping this time its just down.

That sounds like a great opportunity Betsy. I am looking into becomming a hospice volunteer here at the hospital. My shooling requires it as part of the program.

Gah! I am so struggling to eat properly today. Started out good with my tea and cream. Then came home and was so hungry i munched on 2 of my low carb/sugar free/gluten free birthday cake batter cookies i made yesterday dipped in a little sugar free whip. I was just sooooo hungry and i am glad its not a cheat or off plan but eating cookies instead of my usual scrambled eggs is not good. I need protein first and i let myself get so hungry that im in a panic when i get home..too hungry to slow down and make anything. I think i need to make somthing for those "in a hurry..grab and go" kind of things.

In other news..this scale not movingtoday was a bummer and im still feeling down about it. Trying not to get discouraged but its hard not t when you work so hard and put tons of effort in only to see it at the same # . Tonight and tommorow will be interesting. I have to survive 2 social gatherings. The first one is a birthday party and i know the menu-pizza and junk food...so i have resolved to make my own pizza crust and my own toppings that i know is on plan and take it with me. I will take a bar of sugar free chocolate for my dessert instead of cake..so thats good.. but its wednesday night that i have no idea how to get around. We are going to a sushi restraunt and the only thing not deep fried or slathered in sauce is sashimi(raw fish pieces) or a salad(sigh). I hate paying for a mediocre salad in a restraunt when i can make one for less at home that tastes better too.. So i dont know..could do sashimi but the idea of contracting a parasite from raw fish groses me out. I did think of purse smuggling my own food in..but dont know if i could pull it off...hmm..thoughts??

Hello everybody!
In case you thought I had dropped off the edge of the world over here in Wales...or sunk from all the rain, which is a distinct possibility! I am happy to report 2 consecutive days without rain! It is -3 today which is really quite cold for us........no idea what that is in your numbers!
What a pleasure it was to take the dogs out and not get soaked!
Well, yesterday was the first day that I woke up actually WANTING to get out of bed instead of dragging my a$s out and wanting my bed all day. I think I have had a proper flu despite the flu jab as you can still get a lesser version. ALL my joints ached even my hands and elbows. I am used to my knees aching and even my ankles but this was terrible.
So that was then and this is now.
Does anybody else find themselves overwhelmed with stuff....not just weight loss? I have a real mould problem in my house, in every room bar one which is not helping my chest as you may imagine. I also have lots of "handyman" type jobs....big and small....some of which I may be able to tackle but some I most definitely can't... and I sometimes feel so totally buried under all these important jobs( I am not talking decor it is more fundamental than that). It paralyses me....I have so much to do that I don't do anything. So I find escape in my friend food and so on and so on!!
Please please tell me it isn't just me and if anybody has ANY advice as how to tackle this big pile of jobs on a very tight budget, please share!
God Bless you all. Off to de-poop the garden...much easier when it is cold as the poop is frozen....sorry if you are having breakfast!
Love and Hugs,
Donna

Betsy ~ Yes I do keep myself busy, I usually have somewhere to go every week day but on Saturday I'm home, I did get my chores and work out in yesterday and I'll do it again today.

Good morning. Let's just say that winter continues in the Pacific Northwest.

Porthardygurl -- There are going to be some days where nothing comes off. I think of them as "body readjustment" days. You're working hard on this and it's so much more gratifying when the scale nudges downward. Just tell yourself there wasn't a weight gain. Sometimes those show up for no apparent reason other then to start off your day on a sour note! In terms of having something quick and easy -- hard boiled eggs. They are cheap, easy to prepare, and can be grabbed and best yet come in their own container! In terms of going out to eat.......I hate sushi so my experience is limited, but do they have any kind of soup on the menu? If so, I'd get a bowl of soup and a salad and just chalk it up to an expensive meal with not much in it. Tell yourself you're paying for the pleasure of getting out and enjoying others company. Hope you have a good time.

Ubee -- OK. I understand but I bet you have spent the day taking care of everyone else. Tell yourself that you are worth taking care of, too. If you truly just can't bear to think of eating on plan or tracking everything, then try to watch the portion sizes. And please get through this. I need your sassy attitude back here. I've pulled out our old cheerleader outfits to let you know I'm rooting for you! I'm down in the splints now and am pressing my Medic Alert button for them to come get me up out of them.


Donna -- The mold in the house sounds dangerous -- no wonder you continue to have chest problems. Scrubbing with bleach will help, but I'd google this one and see what is recommended from the over 200,000 hits you'll get. I checked on your temp and it's 26.6 degrees in farenheit. Definitely nippy to go walking especially if there's a little breeze. In terms of all the household repairs. I just make a list, prioritize it by what needs to be done most (before it causes further damage to the house) and start working my way down. You might want two lists -- one for things you can do and one that will need to be hired out. Then see if you can find someone who will barter instead of having to be paid. I did get a kick out of your description of cleaning the garden -- it is a lot easier when it's frozen!

Terra -- Glad you got your chores done. What's planned for today.

Time to go get ready to go to the doctor for a six-month checkup. Then to the gym. Then to get my hair cut. Typical day in the life of a retiree! Have a good one.

I forget who it was—maybe it was more than one person—but someone recently mentioned that they were having difficulty with cravings for food not on their diet. I want to share with y'all my own experience of getting rid of that problem.

I have a sweet tooth (and have lost a couple of real teeth because of it!). Quite some time ago, I found myself "addicted" to three big no-no foods: cookies, candy & donuts. Now if you look down at my signature, you'll see where I listed my first mini-goal: to go 30 days without binge eating. Well, it was a bit of a stretch to call myself a binge eater, because I've never been bulimic, nor am I one of those people who raids their kitchen and eats some 5000 calories. My "binges" were more on the order of a big package of cookies or a dozen donuts.

Nonetheless, classifying my cookie monster behavior as binge eating was very helpful to me, because it led me to a book that proved to have an amazing technique for overcoming what I think of as compulsive &/or emotionally driven food cravings. That book is Kathryn Hansen's Brain Over Binge.

As it turned out, I was so thrilled with my success in using Brain Over Binge to banish my cravings for sweets and achieve my Mini-Goal #1 of going 30 days binge-free, I went to the Brain Over Binge blog and wrote to Hansen, telling my own story about using her technique. As you can see by clicking on that link, Hansen put my story up on her blog. Some of you on this thread have already read that story. (I'm the anonymous person with the "yappy dog scenario" mentioned by Hansen in her intro to what I'd written her.)

The comments that people made about my story are worth reading, too, because they contain some excellent testimonials and further advice.

So I thought I'd pass on that info for the people on this thread who weren't here when I first described my experience. Again: you do not have to be bulimic or a binge eater to benefit from Hansen's technique. In fact, her technique works as well for not just food cravings, but also any kind of compulsive/emotional behavior you might want to get rid of.

I poked around that blog just now, and discovered that Hansen has now published a workbook to go with her original autobiographical book. It looks quite useful! You can find the info about it by clicking on "Home" at the top of the page.

Best wishes to all!

Well good morning or shall i say good afternoon. Slow day here...Yucky weather too.. Well my scale went up .2 today...so discouraging but after re-calculating my calories and macros i dont think i actually gained "fat" My calorie intake was 1005 yesterday and carbs were 15Net... The day before was even lower so your'e right Betsy..i dont think its fat.. But it would be nice to see it go down.

In other news...i attended the birthday party last night. I made an individual low carb gluten free almond flour pizza crust and topped it with spinach and ricotta. It was a great little pizza. I brought it to the party with me and while everyone else was eating the typical full fat full carb gluten filled pizza, i felt content eating mine and not feeling bloated or grose after. I also enjoyed a sugar free chcolate bar while others were eating cake. All in all...it worked out. As far as sushi tonight..i think i might try and sneak my pizza leftovers in. The soups all have sugar stuff in them and even the salad has a sugar filled dressing. So..will bring my own food and pray to god the waitress doesnt notice.

Well im thankful i can finally afford to go to the pool now...time to start swimming laps!
Hopefully everyone is feeling better (((hugs)))