Secondhalf I have always liked eggplant but only fried. I've been wondering how I could work it into my food plan. The eggplant pizza sounds great. I will be trying it. Thanks for sharing.

Carol Sue, that sounds painful.

I love recumbent bikes, wish I could find a decent one for $20. Great score.

We follow attachment parenting principles too.

Lettingslenderin, the recumbant bike I bought was not in great condition. It does not appear to be a newer model and is well used. But it works and is comfortable for me and that was my only requirement. The digital read-out works, but I don't even turn it on. I just want the movement. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to use it after the problems I had with upright exercise bikes. The $20 price tag made it worth a try. I recommend buying used exercise equipment because so many people buy things and don't use them. You just have to be able to try it out and be sure it's what you want. If you see something in a store that you want, check want ads or Craigslist for someone selling the same item.

I can remember when I could run up and down stairs. That was at least into my 50's. Once the knee started to bother me that was the end of running anywhere.

Trish, I would love to make more things with eggplant as I love the unusual taste of it, but DH won't eat it at all. There are so many eggplant recipes online. Here is one site.

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/fruits...bles/eggplant/

Nothing new here. FBS and weight still the same as it was last few days.

I bought my recumbent bike about 4 yrs ago after using one at the Y. We have one of the bikes with the handle bars that move back and forth. DH had it when we married and I had always thought I wanted. I did use it for a while, but the seat was uncomfortable. DH tried to lower and even cut it down but still hurt me and it was not helpful to my back. I also love a treadmill, but we have no place to put on so I decided to go with recumbent bike which I love using and it is good for my back and knees. I remember the person who told me about it said that the recumbent bike is easier on the knees than the regular stationary bikes.

Carol Sue Thanks for the link, I will check it out.

Trish, my first exercise bike was a regular one. The seat hurt my butt, and bending over to reach the handle bars hurt my back. We gave that one away. Then we got one that the handle bars moved back and forth and also when the wheel turned in the front, it was like a fan, and air blew up to cool you off. That was just uncomfortable. Leaning forward on it made me feel like I was going to fall off. Then I had a rowing machine for a while. I liked that, but eventually that hurt my back, too. I think I was using it wrong. So I settled on a treadmill, and that worked for me. The incline broke on the first one and I sold it and bought the one I have now. When I went to cardiac rehab, the exercise physiologist got me interested in the elliptical. Mine has handles that go back and forth, and it works more muscles. We have a game room in the basement where the kids used to entertain their friends when they were teens. We don't use that anymore so it has become my exercise room. I have hand held weights, a weight bench, a weight station machine, a thing called a body glide, and something called a cloud walker. A punching bag, and a torso track, a set of steps for step aerobics and a lot of exercise videos. I have collected all this stuff over time, and I'm still fat!!! I guess you are actually supposed to USE the stuff! LOL I shouldn't be laughing. It's not funny.

The past few days of tracking my food has shown me that I am eating in the 1600 calorie range. I usually lose at 1500 or below, so now I understand the wavering between the same couple pounds. If I am just a little more diligent about how much I'm eating I can change that.

Yesterday, for lunch, I was hungry for chicken salad. I made it from a can of chunk chicken that I bought, and I will never buy that again! I thought it would be something good to have in the house for emergencies, but it was terrible. I would have been so much better off taking the time to cook a chicken breast and have something really good. Lesson learned.

I recently bought a package of 4 cod fillets and decided to try different ways of preparing it. DH only likes it fried with breading or batter. The first time, I tried a recipe I saw them making on TV, baking it with Shake and Bake coating. I didn't like that, and I'm not surprised because I don't normally like the seasoning in commercial coating. Yesterday, I cooked it on my grill pan, sprayed with olive oil spray, and sprinkled with salt, pepper and paprika. Yummy! I have 2 more pieces left, and I will probably try making a batter and frying a piece, just to see if I can make it the way DH likes it. He won't even try it cooked any other way. Usually when I try frying it, it gets brown on the outside, but still raw inside. I have to find the right temperature.

I stayed relatively low carb, and my blood sugar was better this morning, with only 1/2 a glimiperide at breakfast and dinner. Right now my goal is to keep my carbs low enough that I don't need that 1/2 pill at dinner. I know the exercising is helping.

I have been trying eating something as soon as I get up, as recommended in Diabetes Miracle. I have been cooking 1 scrambled egg. Today, I had 2 eggs, and now I feel stuffed. My body has become accustomed to just 1 egg. My mind wants two, but my body likes one.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Carol Sue I had a good laugh when I read your " I guess you are actually supposed to USE the stuff" statement about your exercise equipment. If I've had to stop putting things on my recumbent bike because it gives me an excuse to just pass it up and not use it. LOL

I'm glad you are finding what is causing your weight bounces. You will figure it out. My DH and yours must be kin. LOL However, mine only eats cod at home and he will eat it when I pan fry in lemon butter no breading, but he really like the battered and I don't even try to cook it with breading any more because he always complains about it. Right now I'm having problems with the fact that he doesn't want pork or bbq. I used to make a variety of meat, but since he doesn't want fish but once a week and no pork, it makes it hard to know what to fix. I've got ground meat out for today and not sure what to do with it. He isn't big on meatloaf. His cousin posted a cabbage casserole made with ground meat that i would love to try, but he doesn't like casseroles either My first 2 husbands would eat anything so this is a whole new ball game for me. He is just too darn picky. But having 2 deceased hubbies, I'm just thankful to have him so I will adjust.

My fbs was 114 this morning and my weight was down to 215.6, but I won't change my ticker until I see the 215# a few more days. I am just so thankful that my fbs is down in a safe range and hope that it will keep improving.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Trish, this is my first and only DH and I got a picky eater! LOL I always tell him, next time I'm marrying someone who will eat whatever I put in front of him. I am amazed at the changes my DIL has made with my step-son. One time I noticed that they had Smart Start Heart Right Lite spread and asked him about it and he said "That's what she makes me eat." He was always a butter lover when he lived at home, like DH. I buy the Smart Start, but if I didn't buy butter DH would go to the store and buy it himself. There is no changing him.

DH won't eat BBQ. He will only eat pork if it's cooked in sauerkraut. I've started cooking different things for him. Last night when I made my cod I made potato pancakes for him. He loves them, and is happy with just a big plate of them for dinner.

You have done very well with your blood sugar, and now your weight is starting to come down, too. Sometimes it just takes a little longer to effect your weight. Whatever you're doing is working....keep it up!

Happy Friday ladies!

Spent preschool time today cleaning the living room and on the phone with various medical insurance related companies. I have a dr office giving me a serious run around about $230 they owe me. I have been trying to get them to refund my money since October. I had made some headway until before the holidays some idiot told them it was an error and they really didn't owe me. I had to start from scratch again today, once again confirming with insurance they indeed did pay the dr office for charges I also paid for. Sooo sick of dealing with this. I am hopeful though. The chick I talked today seemed to make it her personal goal to get them to pay me. Keep your fingers crossed! I also found another $170 in a health savings acct from the old job that we never claimed so yay! I hope I can do better in 2015 with staying on top of medical reimbursements. After the mess of being overdrawn I am trying to make sure we get back any money due to us!

Eating is just not going well at all. Wednesday I stayed low carb all day then ate a bunch of nuts before bed as a snack since I had a terrible headache. I am not sure what happened but I woke Thursday horribly sick, bloated, full of gas, nausea, etc. since then I haven't even tried....I felt awful and have no interest in feeling like that ever again! Sigh....someday I am going to find the happy medium.

I bought some paint today to paint my new peg board for my sewing room. I also bought chalkboard paint for a wall where we enter the house from the garage. Lots to do!

Shannon So sorry about the problems with the drs office. I sure hope things get better soon. All the stress is probably playing havoc with your eating. Praying for you.

FBS was 116 and weight is down to 115 down 1.2 lbs this week which is supposed to be the best way to lose so I'm pleased. Headed out to the beauty shop.

I ordered the Magic Foods book and will get it in a few days. Decided to get it because the sticky said that there was a lot more info about other foods. I decided that I want to know about those too. Carol Sue You might want to get that book from the library because when I went to Amazon to get it the actual title says it is Magic Foods for Diabetes. Not exact name but I like the idea that it is actually written for diabetics.

Have a great weekend eveyrbody.

Trish, I already checked the library website and the Magic Foods book is not available anywhere in their network. I saw a couple online for $1 plus shipping, but I am going to read through the sticky again before ordering. I have so many books I've bought, so I'm not sure I want to buy this one, too. Too bad I've never seen it at Goodwill. Their hardback books are $1.99.

You are really doing well with your new eating plan. I know I keep repeating myself saying that, but I have posted with you for quite a while now and I know how you have struggled with this over time. I'm very happy that you have worked this out. I must say I do believe you made a typo when you said your weight is down to 115. If not, I want on that eating plan right away! LOL

Shannon, I hope you get your medical/insurance issues worked out satisfactorily. I need to knock on wood, but I have never had a problem like that with all the medical procedures I've had done. It's very hard to get money back from anyone after you've already paid it.

Carol Sue I wrote that on the run and didn't proof read. Yes it was a typo. LOL I sure wish it was 115 but that that fast.

I understand about buying any more books. I had to think long and hard before I decided that it would be worth purchasing. I think if it wasn't for diabetics that I wouldn't have.

What makes it more frustrating is that it happened with two other dr offices and both of those immediately cut a check to us as soon as the insurance co. paid and it became a double payment. I called to check in Sept when this started and the checks were already in the mail. Just this one office is being difficult. Three different insurance reps have called them and faxed proof of the payments over the past few months.

Quick flyby. Today as official WI day and I am down 2 lbs and FBS is 108. Looks like my personal plan is working.