Well, Hello...Dolly - and Welcome! Kind of jealous that it's summer now down under; we just got a few inches of snow!

April put an idea in my head about Atkins, and I'm trying a modified version of it. Yesterday went well, and I noticed my appetite was down, since I'm eating a lot of protein. Fortunately we have Greek Yogurt cups now, unavailable the first time I tried it. You really have to watch the sugar and carbs on the label before buying them, as some are just loaded with sugar. Whether we do Atkins, south beach, or any other diet, what seems to work best is low carbohydrates and sugar, in my opinion.

Tennis was good this weekend, but I was paired with a lady who wasn't very good and didn't get to run around as much as I'd like.

I finally received my "FatBit" and set it up last night. It seems to do the same things that the FitBit does, so we'll see how that goes. It's too cold/snowy to walk outside today, but maybe I'll do some treadmill tonight to get some steps in.

Going to a restaurant after work today to check out menus for my older son's rehearsal dinner event in September. It's a very nice restaurant ($), but they said they can work with me to keep within a budget...we shall see!

Have a good one!

Andi

Good Snowy Evening:

Sandy: I'm glad your asthma is improving. It's a terrible impediment to exercising, I know. As a matter of fact, one of the terms I hear associated with asthma is "exercise intolerance." It's great that you were able to get out and get some steps. I didn't wear my fitbit today. I stepped on what I believe to be slivers of glass that I must have somehow missed when I broke a mirror a couple of weeks ago. I limped all night at work last night and have been trying to determine if I have a glass splinter in the ball of my foot. My right foot and even my toes were swollen, it was painful to walk on so I spent the majority of the evening walking on the side of my foot which caused my ankle to stiffen up and ache. Sheesh. One more obstacle on the path to fitness. Oh well, this too shall pass. What kind of fishing did you do? I've fished for rainbow trout in beautiful mountain lakes in Colorado, and we enjoy bass fishing for recreation here, as well as bluegill and crappie, white bass and saugeye for eating. I'm thinking it's time to start doing some pre-spring yard work in preparation for the gardens to come! Of course there's just one small problem....about 4 inches of snow! I'll bet your no-longer-shady garden will be beautiful. Did WVU win? We didn't watch basketball as DH was watching politics live from the New Hampshire primaries. March Madness will be here soon. We love watching the tournaments and fill out brackets every year and get into a pool at work. My bracket is always hopelessly busted early on, but I still enjoy doing it. We are UK fans in BB and Ohio State fans in FB. As for Golden Corral...baaaad place for anyone trying to take a sensible approach to eating. LOL. But I never claimed to make good decisions...

Well, the hot water heater exploded today, the wood pile was wet so only a few meager logs for the stove, my foot is throbbing and looks like one of popeye's forearms, my DH upset about water heater and went to bed, I've managed to gain pounds instead of losing pounds, even the dogs look grumpy. I'm still grateful. We are blessed.

Andi: I'm interested in how you do with the modified Atkins. Just realized I've been spelling it wrong. Lol. I'm actually looking forward to getting started. I hope your restaurant research went well.

Stay warm...

April








April

cals-2105 (400), ex-step class at the Y.

Good Morning Everyone!

I love the Atkins diet discussion. I remember those from years and years ago. It was very effective for me but I hated it the entire time. The one diet type book I found especially effective was Wheat Belly. I definitely do much better if I stay away from wheat products. I used to love toast for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch but those are both exceptions for me now-a special treat.

For me the most effective "diet" is to not have goodies available in the house, plan my meals and make most of my meals at home. I also track my calories otherwise I quickly become lax and indulge in extras that result in weight gains.

On the subject of exercise, I find I do better all around if I exercise. It is a good thing I enjoy it because without it I turn to mush very quickly and have all kinds of aches and pains, especially back pain. I think it definitely helps with weight loss but I do not equate calories burned with pounds off the scale. I just know I gain faster if I don't exercise but I don't necessarily lose weight. I guess it all comes down to how very easy it is to gain weight by going over your calorie requirements. High calorie food can be very tiny-an ounce of alcohol, one cookie etc. I can eat a dozen cookies (1200 calories!) in a day easy peasy! However, staying under my calorie requirements to lose weight is a real chore. Reducing my calorie total for the day by 1200 calories would be extreme and not easy at all. Even 150 calories burned exercising is going to help.

Good Morning Campers!

I'm excited to say I've lost at least a pound so far this week. I've been really careful and have been eating things like boiled eggs, chicken tenders (w/o breading) and the like. I've also cut back on eating in general, hoping to jump-start this high protein plan and maybe re-set my weight into the 160's for a while. I've been taking a fiber pill a couple of times a day when I'm usually the hungriest....you know those times, when you circle the pantry and fridge like a shark looking for food! Fiber makes you feel full.

I don't count calories, but this morning I got on the treadmill and walked/jogged for about 20 minutes...I think I burned just over 100 calories is all :-( That will make me think twice when I start to crave something - it's just not worth the effort to burn it off!

Unfortunately we couldn't meet with the restaurant rep as she was sick - rescheduled for Thursday.

April, so sorry to hear about your glass splinters in your feet and your water heater. As they say, when it rains, it pours. Maybe you can use some very sticky tape like duct tape to try to pull the glass out? I know how that can hurt. I'm sure that soaking it in Epson salts would feel good.

Terepet, I've heard of the Wheat Belly book - I think my sister read it, and I agree with it. I keep all my bread in the freezer now and basically use it for guests only. It took some getting used to, because we see bread as one of the staple foods growing up, but once we wean ourselves from it, it's not so bad. So Lunch does NOT equal a sandwich. :-) Have you seen the weight watchers commercials where Oprah says she gets to eat bread every day? I wonder how small a slice HAHA.
I also admire you for getting to the Y for exercise so often!

Keep at it everyone!

Andi

April We've always dreamed of fishing in Colorado, but have fished primarily in the WV mountains that are not too far away to drive. Any kind of trout is appreciated but I seem to enjoy eating Brook Trout the best when I'm lucky enough to have a choice.

For one of our anniversary treats, we took a john boat on a friend's lake to bass fish. My sister kept our 3 early grade school kids. We had a ball!!!
When we got back, sun burned and happy, she decided that next anniversary we were to go on a "decent" celebration. She came the next year, our kids were delighted, and we went to a lodge, ate good meals, and walked around lost with what to do. She made me bring ONLY dresses!!!

Having a beloved sister 16 years older can be a handicap. We enjoyed having some time to ourselves and did lots of talking. However, even going for a bike ride with a skirt would have been a problem. I learned to tell her "NO" we are going to celebrate how we want to.

Good Morning Cheerful Chicks!

Sandy: I think we are a lot alike. I'd have much preferred the fishing trip to the Lodge. LOL. I don't own a dress, even now. I have two brothers and no sisters and my poor mother still wishes she had a girl! We both enjoy gardening, so that must mean you like getting a little dirty, too! I hope your asthma continues to improve and you are able to step to your hearts' content.

Andi: Fantastic that the low carb / high protein diet is working for you! How exciting! It makes me want to start right now, but I have to keep reminding myself I have to prepare for it if I want it to be successful, so I'll take the weekend to get ready.

Terapet: You mentioned how not having snacks around is important. That's my main concern, not so much at home, but at work, where co-workers and patient's family members bring in high carb snacks all of the time. I'll have to figure out what sort of low carb snacks I can keep in my locker. Nuts I imagine. Can't think of anything else right off hand.

Keep the faith!

April

April Did the exploding water heater do much damage? What next?
Yes, I've never paid attention to being dirty, so many things I've enjoyed has made taking a shower a real blessing. Mom had no clue the trees we climbed, the baseball games we snuck into, the grape vines we enjoyed swinging from and the general tom boy activities that would have made here very uncomfortable if she new. Luckily my husband has shared his love of mountains and fishing with me.

When Mom came to live with us after Dad died, our older kids were early teens. She expected a quiet house after 7:00 PM - We built an apartment for her off the Dining room so she was stuck having to hear the normal noise of a family of 6 doing normal things.

She once asked me "do you suppose **** begins on earth?" No wonder she thought that!!!

Andi Your experience has convinced me that I'll hit treadmill as soon as I finish here. I have plenty of time before Supper.

Sandy

cals-1853 (180), ex-step/strength combo class at Y. Another good day. I just need to string a bunch of those together and then I might see some progress.

Andi-Congrats on taking off a pound WTG!

April-I understand the temptation of work snacks-especially if they are homemade. When I am being very, very good, I can ignore them by telling myself they are for someone else. I also try to avoid looking at them. It is a good idea to bring your own from home. My bring along snacks of choice are a piece of fruit (bananas are really easy), an apple or a hard boiled eggs. I like protein snacks like cheese or nuts but those are a bit on the high calorie side. I often can get by without snacks between meals but it is nice to have one available just in case.

Sandy-It sounds like you enjoyed a lot of fun outdoor fun when you were a kid. I think maybe I spent too much time watching television!

When you're diabetic you have to cut carbs and sugar even when you're not dieting. It really hasn't helped me lose weight, though. My biggest problem is eating between meals. Even too much healthy food will keep you from losing weight. I try very hard not to eat unless I'm actually physically hungry, but DH makes breakfast every morning and it taste so good when someone else cooks it. I'm not usually hungry until closer to noon.

DH eats regular white bread and I have some bread in the freezer that I eat occasionally. It's small, thin slices of sprouted grain wheat bread. I can understand Oprah eating bread every day and still losing. She is figuring it in her WW points. My problem with bread is that it triggers a binge. Before diabetes, I could bake a loaf of home made bread and eat the whole thing in one sitting, still warm from the oven, with a stick of butter. I love bread. But it really spikes my blood sugar.

Andi, good luck with Atkins. It's a little too rigid for me especially long term. Eating protein and fat does seem to kill your appetite.

I'm wondering about your Fakebit. Does it give you your daily calorie burn? The Fitbit does. It's an estimate actually, based on the information you supply, your height and weight. Sometimes I try to keep my eating around that calorie count.

Terapet, what does the number in parenthesis mean after your calorie count? Just curious.

Exercise is supposed to be an appetite suppressant, and I do feel that way sometimes after exercise. Also, after exercising, you become hesitant to eat something "bad" and ruin the good effects of the exercise. I don't think exercise actually burns off any significant calories, but it is said to keep your metabolism stoked for hours afterward. Maybe these are just things they tell us to make us want to do it. LOL

Sandy, my mother would never have been able to come to live with us. She would have expected everyone to conform to her rules. Period. She was very rigid. She couldn't even stand her neighbor kids yelling and playing outside.

April, you got hit with a lot all at once. That happens sometimes. I hope you get everything fixed up including your foot. It sounds painful.

TGIF, Girlfriends!

Terapet: Speaking of work snacks: I'm working "at work" today (I usually work from home), and you wouldn't believe what they have here on the "snack" table....a whole Carrot Cake, 2 boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and candy... ARRRGGGHHH! In addition, they were taking orders for Jimmy Johns for lunch. I politely declined and ate my homemade salad with egg/chicken and a yogurt. (but boy does that other stuff smell good!)

Carol Sue: I'm a little encouraged that I've lost another 1/2 pound, making it 2# so far this week, without feeling starving. I still like a glass of wine or 2 in the evening, so I could have done better, but it's ok.

We visited the restaurant for my DS's rehearsal dinner, and although it's not a cheap place, they worked very well with us to keep the prices within budget. It should be a very lovely event (Rib Eye, Salmon, Short Ribs, BBQ spare ribs...YUM)

Hoping to burn some calories tonight at tennis, tomorrow at Ex. class and Zumba, and again tennis on Sunday. Have lots of organizational things to do at home as I'm attempting to de-clutter! (I'm becoming a pack rat!)

Sandy: I think even 20 min of exercise is 100% better than just sitting around watching the boob tube!

April: How are things with your poor feet and the water heater? With all you gardeners, I hope to get some good advice building my raised garden this spring!

Keep on Keeping on!

Andi

Cals-2330 (755) ex-none. Fridays! LOL

Andi- I would have had a terrible time ignoring the work goodies you mentioned. Is it like that all the time? Be strong! (Easier said then done )The rehearsal dinner plans sound great! I have been getting rid of lots of stuff in my house. Probably too much. I just don't want to deal with it anymore though. I read the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up for inspiration.

WannaBe-the number in parenthesis are for the calories I coulda and probably shoulda skipped. I call them my bad calories. Yesterday it was primarily two shots of bourbon and tortilla chips! My "bad" calories are my real problem. Most of the food I eat for meals are good choices but the drink(s) before dinner often accompanied with chips or crackers or nuts and the dessert after dinner are my downfalls. I am working on it though. I have a bourbon belly!!!

April-Miss you! Hope your foot has healed and your water heater is working again.

Terapet, I'm glad I asked. I never would have thought of that.

Andi, the rehearsal dinner menu sounds scrumptious! Good choices!

I never ordered lunch at work because they always split the bill equally, and I always ordered something small. I got tired of paying for everyone else's big lunch! LOL

Hope things are working better for you April.

Good Sunday Afternoon:

Thanks to all of you for your concern about my recent difficulties. My foot is still bothering me quite a bit. It seemed better initially, but now it appears as if there is still (glass?) lodged deep enough to elude easy tweezing and tentative needle questing. The weather is supposed to deteriorate as the day progresses, so there are things I have to accomplish outside (filling chicken box with straw, filling automatic feeders, fresh water, etc., as well as bringing in enough wood to last for a couple of days and filling bird feeders for my little chickadees, cardinals, nut hatches, woodpeckers, titmouses, finches and sparrows) before I can soak it and re-start the process of trying to remove "the thorn in my flesh".

The hot water heater- Ours is gas and when we replaced it, my DH discovered that the vent pipe was rusted completely through where it ran up against a cinderblock type wall, and it was completely blocked with debris above the rusted out portion. So.......it seems we have been breathing low levels of carbon monoxide for a long time. We have a detector, but it was mounted in the stairwell leading to the upstairs area, and we have been sleeping downstairs. The house is over 100 years old and very drafty, so the consensus is that the carbon monoxide has been dissipating before it reached the upper floor. It makes sense in retrospect, because we have been so tired for such a long time, and just chalked it up to getting older. It will be interesting to see if we begin to feel better in a couple of weeks or so, as that is how long it takes your body to clear the effects of chronic carbon monoxide poisoning. We have added a carbon monoxide detector to the basement area where the furnace and hot water heater live, and moved the upstairs one to the main floor, which we should have done long ago anyway, because we burn a lot of wood over the winter.

Andi: I'm very happy for you that your plan is working so well! I went to Kroger yesterday and got some things to prepare for my upcoming induction phase. I have gained two more pounds. I ate Jimmy Johns at work three nights in a row. I had to laugh when I saw that you mentioned them in your last post. I did make a lettuce wrap last night at home, just to see what that was like, as I've heard of them for years, and had never tried one. It was surprisingly good. Jimmy Johns sells those, so in a pinch, I do have a take out/delivery option.

Terapet: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying up book sounds so interesting to me. My goal is to live a minimalist lifestyle, but my DH has tendencies that could lead to a hoarder lifestyle. It is daunting to try and get rid of my junk only to have my DH drag home other people's junk from garage sales, etc. LOL. Thanks for the kind words about missing me.

Sandy: How are you faring with your Lent observance? I'm not Catholic, but often feel as if I might benefit from some of the spiritual growth that can result from introspection and self-denial. I sometimes wonder if my sugar addiction is an attempt to quiet the "inner-man" (or inner-wo-man) by feeding myself a bunch of junk instead of addressing the real source what I'm hungry for. I think that's why no matter how much ice cream I eat, it's never enough.

Carol Sue: I don't know if you take metformin, but I recently read where it may be a "fountain of youth" of sorts!

Sorry about the long post....didn't intend to run on and on when I started. I'm going to get out and do my chores. Stay warm and God bless you guys!

April

April Scary to realize the carbon monoxide has been releasing. Bet you both will begin to feel better. I do wonder how long it will take. Keep us posted.

CarolSue Just finished snacking on Hershey's kisses while waiting on Pat's delicious butternut squash soup. Wish I snacked on healthy food, I used to.

Lent is a great opportunity to "regroup" in my thinking and certainly my actions. Even if I weren't Catholic I would use this time to determine what really needs adjusted in my life. actually is exciting.

Carol Sue:

I'm sitting by the woodstove waiting for DH to come down and eat cabbage rolls I made for him. I was bored and decided to check out the Golden Girls thread, and saw you mentioned metformin to someone yesterday! LOL. Maybe carbon monoxide poisoning makes one clairvoyant! I did read an article recently that said metformin seems to slow the aging process....

April