Just a quickie tonight, ladies, Richard Simmons is still a prisoner in my cabinet and I have severe cake withdrawals. Maybe I should have penned myself Marie Antoinette! You did well on the calories yesterday, Shiela and Willow, thanks for the website and recipie - I went into them trawling for a low-fat cake one but they were not the kind I am craving. JoJoJo2, I find it harder to eat healthy when it's cold but well done for getting out there and exercising. Good night girls, good luck on the weigh in tomorrow, Willow. x

Hi girls!
WOW!! It looks like everyone is doing just super!
JoJo, I agree with you. I think we kind of consider the weekends a reward for working all week and kind of let that spill over into our eating too.
Our weather has been rather cool for this time of year too, but I'll take it. It makes it easier for me to move without breaking out in a sweat and getting out of breath.
We are suppose to be getting a lot of rain in the next few days, and I can feel it in my arthritis too. It has been really painful today.

Puss,
Hey! That must give you SOME KIND OF FEELING of power to refuse the choc. I love it! Good for you!
That was cute with the milk. I've done that with oil or butter and for a second I think,"NO WAY!' But then I realize it has entered a liter instead of a Tbsp.

Maybe if you take Richard out of the cabinet on Friday night and put him next to the TV, it will be easier to get started with him first thing on Saturday morning, when you don't have to think of work on top of the exercising.
Hey! I have an idea! Maybe you could get your hubby to dance to the oldies with you!
If I had a dancing partner, I'd be skinny as a rail, because I absolutely LOVE old time rock-n-roll. I could spend the whole day and night dancing to it. Sometimes, I pull all the blinds and dance by myself, but I really crank up the sound, and if someone walked in, I wouldn't hear them, and my kids have keys to my house. I'd probably get embarrassed if I got caught dancing by myself.

Sheila, I'm really happy for you that you're seeing results from your working out. Congratulations! I can't wait till I can see some results.
It's getting so close now. I start tomorrow evening.
Mmmmmm, your foods sound yummy.
And speaking of eggplant hummus, is that bought or did you make it? Never mind, I just went back and looked and I see you got it at Trader Joe's. Also, do you, or does anyone else know, can egg plant be frozen? I was thinking of making some shish kabobs and using egg plant as one of the veggies, then freezing them for future use. I love to marinate pieces of chicken breast or beef steak in soy sauce or teriyaki sauce, then make kabobs with it and green peppers, onion, cherry tomatoes, button mushrooms and zucchini. Yummy!
I've never seen a trader Joes. Is it a grocery store, or a specialty store or a restaurant? Sounds like they have some scrumptious foods. But, are they low fat or low calorie? What are veggie potstickers?

The store I shop at has lots of fruits on sale this week, and I'm going to get some. I like it with cereal, grilled, or just by itself.
This morning I had a piece of ham and some large curd cottage cheese for breakfast. For lunch I had the chicken breast and Kashi pilaf again. And for supper I had leftover hamburger gravy and mashed potatoes and peas.

I suppose I should get off of here.

The next time you hear from me, I'll have had a session at Curves. I'll let you know how it went.
Take care and everyone have a wonderful day tomorrow.

P.S. Here is a site that has some good recipes too. Their dietitions take every day recipes and make them over into low fat and low calorie recipes.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm...D1416&rdStop=1

Man, is it hot here! It's not supposed to be this hot. It was 85 and I missed my A/C, especially living in an uninsulated house. I moved to western WA from Boise, ID, where it was routinely 100 degrees in the summer. I was so tired of the heat in the summer and snow in the winter. But I did have my A/C!

Okay, I'll quit whining! One thing about hot weather is that I don't want to eat. I could easily have skipped dinner, but I ate a small one.

Had a short workout this morning because I had to go change the dressing on my dad's leg. He's diabetic and got an ulceration near his ankle. Talk about hot--at 9:00 am, his room at the assisted living facility was 80 degrees. Sweat was dripping off me by the time I was done. Luckily, in the next couple of weeks he's moving into an addition that we built onto our house, which actually is his house. His addition is totally insulated, and is now the coolest place in the house. Okay, I was whining about weather again, wasn't I?

Looking forward to reading about Curves, Willow. Also looking forward to my weigh-in. And especially looking forward to our trip to a B&B to celebrate our 22nd anniversary. We're taking two ferries to get there. Just one night, but I'm looking forward to some time away.

Oh, Trader Joe's is a grocery store that carries a lot of healthy foods. There are a lot of low-calorie, good-tasting foods--I love the place!

Looks like everyone is doing well and still motivated. I had four straight days of good food, water and exercise. Blew it today but tomorrow is another fresh start.

Willow, I take Mobic for arthritis. Was on Celebrex for years (including testing before it was on the market) and it was a godsend but eventually - as with others I've tried - it seemed to lose effectiveness. With all the rainy weather here this spring, I've been so achy, saw dr for routine check yesterday and he reminded me that I can double dose. Duh! I knew that but the brain isn't always in gear.

Fatpuss, I just love shepherd's pie. A local restaurant features it every Tuesdy and we often make a point of going then. But nowadays, I bring half home for lunch the next day.

Good Morning! It is 6:00AM in upstate NY and a gorgeous day. Hope there is room for one more newbie to squeeze in. Not sure if I am doing this right, but I have been "lurking" for several weeks and really enjoy the posts. Sometimes I feel like I could be the one writing, as we all fight the same battle. I have lost 13 lbs (took me six months!) and have 30 more to go. Actually, I have been losing these same 30 pounds for thirty years!! Does the word yoyo come to mind. I sit here very hungry this morning. Up at 5:30 and cannot eat until at least 8:30 after blood test for liver function. I am hoping with the extra weight off, I will be able to get off the cholesterol meds. I had a bit of a time trying to find this forum, so I will post now to see if it worked OK. Everyone have a great day!
P.S. Name is rather long, how about "Sue" for short!

My Goal for the day: A salad instead of chicken nuggets when I take the grandkids to McD's tonight. And NO fries.

SUE

Welcome, Sue and isn't it gr eat McD's (and others) now have salads to make our battle a bit easier? Good luck on getting off the meds and thanks for making us your first post.

Good evening, ladies and welcome Sue, did you manage to stick to the salad at McDs? Young girl next to me at work has a full set of burger, chips (US fries, ha) almost every day and is as skinny as a whippet. Little darling always offers me some chips but I find McDs easy to resist, prefer Burger King. Sheila, you'll be vanishing down one of those post holes before long, doing that hard graft in the heat! Well done Anagram for four straight days on the plan, until now I have never gone more than four days ever and today is my 6th day and tonight I am feeling the strain. Willow, you made me laugh about the rock and roll dancing - hubby is 9 years older and can do it good but I can't do it very well. My mother used to r&r holding the door knob when we children were younger. Insanity runs in the family ha ha. Willow, how did you do on the weigh in? You sound like you have made a really focussed start this week. I haven't eaten enough today - 800 odd calories - ran out of the meals I cooked Sunday - so I am going to have a weetabix before bedtime or my stomach will stop me sleeping. x

Hi girls!
I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and post something.
A big WELCOME to you Sue! I love your avatar!
Of course there is room for one more, ALWAYS! We're happy to have you in our group.
Congratulations on the 13 pounds lost. Doesn't matter how long it took. What's important is that you've kept it off for 6 months! That's wonderful! It shows that you're learning how to keep it off at the same time.
I hope your blood work came back ok. Is your elevated cholesterol something new with your health, or is it a long time thing? Some peoples bodies just make more cholesterol in their liver. My one DIL's sister is skinny and had high cholesterol when in her teens. And then there are others who's high cholesterol is because of dietary reasons.
You know, you can put this thread into your favorites, and then all you would have to do is click on it and you would be here. All you have to do is put your cursor up in your ADDRESS search engine at the top of this page, and right click on it, then when the window drops down, just left click on COPY, then put your cursor over on your FAVORITES on ADD and left click again, and it will be in your favorites. Just like that! Easy!
I certainly can relate to what you said about yo yoing. Guilty!
How did you do at Mc D's? I have heard a lot about their salads lately, but I haven't had any yet.

Hi Sheila!
Oh Lord! I don't think I could survive without my AC now days. I guess we get spoiled by it because as kids we weren't bothered by the heat that often, but now, I just can't breathe in hot AND humid weather. I remember one time when I was a kid, and it was really hot in the house, and we all went outside and laid on quilts in the yard because there was a little breeze out there at least. We lived in the country. My Mom and Dad had a huge garden in the back of the house and down the hill on one side of the house. Anyway, we were just settled down and almost asleep, and all of a sudden my older sister just went straight up in the air, screaming bloody murder and swinging her arms and stomping her feet. We all thought she had lost her mind because she kept screaming "it's a snake! It's a snake!" Well, all it was, was a big fat green tomato worm, with that thorn on it's head. She really got mad at us younger ones because we couldn't quit laughing at what she had looked and sounded like.
Anyway, I guess if you don't lose weight from loss of appetite from the heat, you'll lose it from sweating it off, huh?
How did you do at your weigh in? I assume you are going to the B&B this weekend. HAVE FUN!

Anagram, thanks for the info on the anti-inflammatories. I've never heard of Mobic before. I've been taking a double dose of Celebrex for a week now, and the last couple of days it has been as if I'm not taking ANYTHING! I truly believe that the weather affects it, because the weather changed the day after it started being painful, and it has happened that way before.
I still think it's wonderful that you had 4 days in a row without missing anything on your plan.
And I bet you didn't go off plan really extremely either. But, I hope you can have a better day tomorrow, but if you are on a retreat with your hubby, just eat normally if you want something, then have a real good week next week again. I don't think you're going to do a lot of harm, and a person needs to feel pampered sometimes.

Puss, I am just rubbing my hands together in joy for your 6 days of staying on your plan. That's so terrific! You said that you're starting to feel the strain, but that will go away in a day or so. Just please hang in there! Don't forget to drink water and eat carrot sticks! LOL!
Are you going to make up some meals for the week again this week? It does help, doesn't it? I sure hope you can stay on it.
Don't worry about not knowing how to rock-n-roll! If you can shake your booty, you can rock-n-roll! Just move and shake in time to the beat. No wonder I was skinny when I was young!
As for my weigh-in, I weighed 242.75 pounds. I've gained a lot recently. Well, we'll see if I can't get THAT taken care of soon! I had been up to 261.5, so I've taken SOME off.
Puss, what is a wheatabix? Is that a biscuit?

I put in a long week this week, and I'm sure glad it's Friday.
I worked 8 hours on Monday, but the rest of the week I went in at 5 Am and worked till 3 PM.

After work I did all my running, ordered my new subscription to Norton antivirus and Symantecs, then cleaned up and went to Curves to get all registered and get my first day of the circuit.
I'm only taking it for a month to start out, just to see how I do with this arthritis, then if it works out ok, I'll take out a years membership.

I was surprised that it didn't cause any more pain than I've been having the last couple of days. I think it's the change in the weather. Rainy as all get out!
The girl signing me up took me around and demonstrated each station, then had me hop on right after her and do a few repetitions, and once we made the complete circuit, then we went around twice right along with the other clients.
She took measurements of my bust, waist, hips, buttocks, thigh and upper arm, and also weighed me. Then once a month they will re-measure and weigh me.
The only thing I found I had to modify was the stretching after the exercises were done, and the only part of the stretching I had to modify was when I had to sit on the floor and put my legs in a froggy position. I can't rotate my left leg in or out when it's bent at the knee, so I just modified it by straightening my legs and touching my toes.
My heart rate was higher than it should be, but she said that as long as I felt ok, we could keep going.
The girl who took me through it all is as cute as a bug, and she has lost 60 pounds in the last year.
I asked what is the most anyone at this local curves has lost, and she said that there is one woman who had weight loss surgery and has been using curves to tone and get in shape, and she has lost 120 pounds, but there is another woman who is my age who has lost 90 pounds since joining Curves here. So, there is hope for me yet, maybe, huh?
I know I'm going to be sore tomorrow because I can already feel myself stiffening up.

Well, I need to get moving and answer some e-mails, then hit the sack.

After Curves, I went grocery shopping and got some cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberries and a couple bananas. I'll be having some good snacks this next week at work!
I also got a couple thick pork chops, and some eggs and some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and salad fixin's.
I know that it is said that butter isn't good for you, but, I got some anyway because I DO NOT like margarine, and if I'm going to have to watch my calories, I'd rather have a smaller amount of something I like than have more of something I don't enjoy and end up feeling like I wasted my calories on something that wasn't good. I won't be using that much of it, but, if I need it for toast or something, I want something I enjoy the taste of.
I also got some california blend veggies for stir fry's. So, I'm pretty well set for a while. I almost forgot, ... they had tuna for $.48 a can, so I got some of that in spring water.

I'm back again and realized that I accidently started a new thread. I guess it will take me a few times to get the hang of this. Garage sales were a bust - it is pouring rain . Did I say I was not going to McD's today. Well . . . when you are not the driver . . . I guess a quarter pounder with no cheese, and no fries, and a glass of water are better than a Big Mac and Supersize fries. I just love all the smilies. Weekends are the worst time for me. During the week, my meals are much more structured. 5 out of 7 isn't too bad I guess!

OK, let's try this again.

Hi Ladies, everyone seems to be doing well with the plans - we all seem focussed this week. Willow, I am so proud of you, you've had a long working week yet you stuck to your plan at Curves. Can't be easy with the arthritis and you must have been tired working the extra hours. I almost feel sorry for R Simmons but not enough to let him out of the cupboard! Weetabix is a cereal in biscuit form - I didn't have it last night after all because I was low on milk! I did a big shop for weekly menus tomorrow and had a recipie for fisherman's pie ie cod, smoked haddock, shrimp with a low fat sauce of leeks, dijon mustard, white wine and skimmed milk topped with mashed potato. A big serving had 258 cals and 2 gm fat. First slip of the week though, I had half a chocolate sandwich biscuit (cookie) and it was lovely! Worked out your weight in stones, Willow, you used to be 18st 10 lb and now you are 17st 4lb which is brilliant. When you drop another 5lb you will be 16 stone something instead of 17 st something. When I need to lose weight I think these little markers in stones and pounds feel better than grouping all the pounds together. Ha ha. Am weighing myself tomorrow because I started this last Sunday morning - Willow, you will remember because you were there when I really needed someone special.

I think my hatred of exercise is genetic, this chap must have been my long-lost uncle!

"The secret of my abundant health is that whenever the impulse to exercise comes over me, I lie down until it passes away"
J P McEvoy (1938) American Mercury

I decided to re-post this and delete the new thread. Hopefully, I don't blow up my PC.

Thank you all for the warm welcome! I knew this would be the best place to post. I did have the salad at McD's. Only at McDonald's would theygive yuou a 210 calorie salad with a 290 calorie packet of dressing. I like mine on the side and I just stick my fork in it. And, they top off the salad with grated cheese and bacon bits. OK, OK, I did have three french fries. My three-year-old grandson made me eat some of his french "eyes".

Willow, the cholesterol problem came up when I had a physical last year. I am on the 2nd lowest dose of Lipitor and if I get the extra weight off, the doctor said he would see how I do without it. I will get the results Tuesday. I really don't like taking pills daily.

WOW, now there are two other people, besides me, who eat weetabix. Haven't had any in a long time. How about Carr's Wheatolos (sp?) - are they still in the UK? They are kind of like a wheat cookie/cracker.

I notice you all mention weigh-ins. Do you go to classes like WW, DW and Curves?

Have a great day everyone. And again, thanks for the kind words. My spirits were lifted and I know, this time, I will succeed - AS WILL WE ALL

It started during the night and it has been raining on and off ever since. No yard work for me today!
I'm doing some laundry though.

Sue, I'm like you. My weekends are my worst time for grazing. I think a term for it in my case would be "boredom". I need to start doing more outside of the house.
I guess your quarter pounder with a glass of milk is about as good a choice as you could make, but, did you feel satisfied? I know that some people would be, but I have a problem with this huge appetite I have and I try to eat more veggies to fill me up. I envy those of you who can eat normal amounts and feel satisfied. I should definitely eat slower too and wait for a while after eating a normal-size meal before I tuck into more food.
I think it's all bad habit formed over years of trying to hurry and eat meals so you can get the dishes done and kitchen cleaned and straightened so you can get other things done with a family. Then wolf down a lunch at work because you don't have time to have a leisurely lunch, and then go home and start all over again with the supper scene.
As for weigh ins, I used to weigh myself on a weekly basis, but I got too tempted to start weighing myself every day, which was discouraging and caused me to get off track a few times, so, with joining curves, I've decided that I want to do this to become healthier and in the process of doing that I will just naturally lose weight along with strengthening my heart and lowering my cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar. So, I'm going to stay off the scales until it's time to get weighed and measured at Curves every month.
I just wish I had realized sooner that this life and body I was given is a one-time thing. It's not a dress rehearsal that I can go back and do again because it didn't turn out the way it should have. I only get one chance, and I better start doing a better job of things before that chance is gone.
I don't know if any of the rest belong to WW or any of the other weight loss plans or not.

I'm glad you decided to come back here and join us. So far it sounds like a common-sense group here and I really enjoy coming every day to see how you all are doing.

Puss, I love your quote!
And I really laughed when I read what you said about Richard S. Too funny! I wonder how many others have him locked in their cabinets too.
I'm going to start being more consistent with using my tapes every day, but I'm not going to be so foolish as to try to do the whole tape every day right out of the gate. I'm going to do a few minutes of it each morning for the first week, then add 5 minutes a day for a week, every week until I'm doing the whole tape. If I didn't do it that way, I'm afraid I'd burn out and quit completely.

Your "slip" of half a cookie wasn't so bad. You are a strong person. I wouldn't be able to stop at that half a cookie.
I'm dying to hear about your weigh in. But, even if the scales doesn't show a loss, don't lose heart because sometimes the fat cells fill in with water for a few days after the fat leaves, so just stay with it and you'll see. Besides, just the healthy foods are a benefit to your body and health. This isgetting to be fun; you just made it through your first full week of staying on a health plan. Now, how cool is that!! Now you're challenged to do it another week! I know you can do it! What is your hubby saying about things about now? I bet he's happy as can be for you!

Well, I just wanted to pop in and give everyone a big WELL DONE for today.
I hope the rest show up to post soon.
Have a wonderful week all!

Hi everyone, Sue - you did brilliant having only 3 'french eyes"! I don't recall Carr's Wheatolos but they still do really nice water biscuits for cheese. Willow, I know what you mean about normal versus big appetites - I am half the height of my friends but can eat them under the table ha ha. I also eat too quickly which may be why I often have hiccups. My big news is I lost 5lb this week - been weighing myself every day which I know is wrong but I can't help it. I am thrilled with a good kick start to the plan but i know that this level won't last and it will go down to 1 or 2 lb a week if I am lucky. Just shows how much cake, chocolate and other high fat goodies I usually consume each day normally. Did a huge cook in yesterday and today for the week ahead. Only one disaster - leek and potato soup was so vile I threw a huge pan down the toilet! This planning is essential for me because if it's not ready to microwave in 4 mins after getting home from work I know I will hit the cake tin. I am missing fat though, stuff like cheese which I normally wouldn't thank you for,I am begining to fancy ha ha. I treated myself to a chocolate tea cake this evening in place of something else. I didn't set my target weight too low because it would daunt me but I want to get down to 147lb for my 50th in July to fit a frock I bought years ago and couldn't get into. My husband will take me out to dinner in it and I promise myself I will have a shark's feeding frenzy over the dessert trolly. That's the plan anyway but I have been down this road before! Also, my daughter said she will take me to a youngster's dance rave (hubby hates that music) which goes on until 6.00am. I am 159lb now (5' 1" so heavy for me) so have to shift just over 2lb a week to do this. Experts would say target of 147lb is still too heavy but I will see what I feel if I get there. I tried a slimming club some years ago but it was just a case of pitching up to get weighed and a 10 min talk about what we all know anyway. I was paying them for me to do the work. I have friends though that find them really good for support .

"I have not failed 10,000 times. I have successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work" Thomas A. Edison

I just had to post right now and say CONGRATULATIONS!! I couldn't be happier if I had lost the 5 lbs myself, Puss!
Hey, if you can weigh every day and not get discouraged, go for it. Whatever works for you! I just think that's so great!

The missing the fat is one of the reasons that I have decided to have butter instead of margarine. I would rather have a smaller amount of something I like than to have more of something which I don't like the taste of. I guess if I have to have smaller amounts, I want to enjoy the amounts I DO get and not feel like I was cheated, or that I wasted the few calories I CAN have on things I don't like. And I think our bodies do need a certain amount of fats, otherwise we start to crave them. And, cheese is a tricky one, because it's good in that it has calcium as well as fat, but it also has a lot of salt which can make us retain fluids.

I think you'll come close to your goal for July. And even if you don't make it all the way there by then, just think how much healthier you're going to be and how much better you're going to feel.

Like I said, .... this is getting to be fun.

Fatpuss, sure it can be done. Keep your eyes on that birthday goal and stick with it.

I agree with everyone that weekends are difficult. That's why I am posting instead of eating at the moment. It is a good distraction.

As for the margarine vs. butter, yes we need good fats in our WOE. Can't do without them, can we? Nope! Just gotta limit them a bit.

Everyone, stick to what we are all doing so well, and keep smiling -