Hi, we were getting too long.

I'm doing great on WW so far. Believe it or not, hubby is doing it with me. I didn't really think he would do it but he has asked me to count up his points for him the last 2 nights and then had a snack that was within his left over points. The tools on the WW site are really easy to use. You just select your foods and it figures the points and adds them all up. It tells you how many you have left for the day and banks left over points then saves it all. You can even print it out. Or, you can plan a day ahead and print THAT out to go by the next day. It even figures in your exercise for you and adds the points. I'm glad I joined on-line instead of going to meetings. That was going to be hard for me to do anyway and I'm not sure I would've went every week! I have a digital scale that is right with the Dr. office...it doesn't show ounces but does show .5 pounds so I should be able to weigh myself accurately every week...weigh in is on Monday. My daughter needs to lose weight and I wish she would go on this, too. I think she'd like it as much as I do...but she swears she will never go on another DIET! She was the coordinator of WeighDown Workshop for several years and says it is the only thing that will really work...but guess what...it isn't working for her because she stopped doing it! NOTHING works if you stop doing it!!! Weighdown worked for me too as long as I did it. On that you eat only when you are hungry and stop as soon as you begin to feel full...you NEVER eat unless you are stomach growling hungry and you NEVER overeat...that is so hard to do! Even with prayer it is hard and that is what it is based on. You PRAY, read certain scriptures and listen to tapes when you get a craving and are tempted to eat but you aren't hungry. But it is like everything else...you have to be disciplined and do it ALL THE TIME or it won't work.

Ally...you go girl...have a good time with your new friend...just tell him to leave the little kiddies at home! Don't be too hard on the boys...they're young!!! Some day they may have to take care of you...scary thought isn't it!

We are having the most beautiful weather...in the upper 60s and lower 70s and sunny...I should be feeling better but I'm still hurting quite a bit. I HATE this new time...it is dark before 6 now!

Hello. I woke up at 4:30 and feel tired. Need to accept this clock change and hope my body catches up with it soon. Went for a great walk with Auntie and it wasn't cold but today my back hurt. Haven't been like this for a while and I'm doing the right things. I was hoping to go to senior yoga this am. Heven't been counting my pts. but really getting extra from walking. I'd better go to WW next week. Good luck meme-that sounds good for you and hubby is doing it also-great support.Have a good day everyone. Gonna eat breakfast. Mima

Before you eat that candy check here!


HALLOWEEN CANDY POINTS
Almond Joy 2 snack size bars 4 points
Baby Ruth 2 fun size bars 4
Bit O Honey 6 pieces 4
Butterfinger 2 fun size bars 4
Candy corn 26 pieces 3
Caramello 2 snack size bars 4
Double Bubble Gum 2 pieces 1
Fifth Avenue 2 pieces 4
Heath Bar 5 snack size bars 6
Hershey Bar (plain) 2 snack size bars 5
Hershey Bar (w/ almonds) 2 snack size bars 5
Hershey Kisses 8 kisses 5
Hot Tamales 1 box 1
Kit Kat 3 (2pc) snack bars 6
Lifesavers 4 candies 1
M&M plain 1 fun size pack 2
M&M peanut 1 fun size pack 2
Mars 2 fun size bars 4
Mike & Ikes 1 snack package 1
Milk Duds 4 fun size boxes 4
Milky Way 2 fun size bars 4
Milky Way Lite miniatures 5 pieces 3
Mounds 2 snack size bars 4
Nestle's Crunch 4 fun size bars 5
O' Henry 2 fun size bars 5
Pumpkin Pop 1 sucker 1
Raisisettes 3 snack size boxes 4
Reese's Crunch Cookie Cups 2 snack size 4
Reese's Miniature PB Cups 5 pieces 5
Snicker 2 fun size bars 4
Starbursts 8 pieces 4
Sugar Babies 2 snack size pouches 4
3 Muskateer 2 fun size bars 3
Tootsie Roll Midgees 12 pieces 3
Tootsie Roll 2 snack bars 2
Twix 1 snack size bar 2
Whoppers Malted Milk Balls 2 snack size pouches 5
York Peppermint Patties 3 patties 3

Didn't touch it! I'm so proud of myself. I poured all the leftover candy into a ziplock bag, zipped it up and put it away. I then had a WW dessert for 4 points, took a hot shower and did 15 minutes of Oxycise. Guess what...hubby didn't touch it either. We both had points left over at the end of the day! I sat down today and figured out how I could make our favorite (chicken fried rice) for as few points as possible. I got it down to just 6 points a cup and a cup is quite a bit of that! I'm going to work on reducing stuffed peppers tomorrow. Love those things and they can be frozen for another meal, too. I think I can use lean ground turkey and fat free cheese and get by for just 5 or 6 points each. I bought a lot of WW frozen meals for lunches and the WW frozen desserts for both of us. They are kind of expensive, though. I've got to try to find my old recipes from when I used to go to meetings. There was one with angel foodcake torn in pieces with (I think) strawberries and whipped cream that was really good...hope I still have it. I need to look up some of the recipes on the WW site if I ever get time. I'm already settling sore from the Oxycise...I am soooo out of shape!!!

Got some bad news tonight. The Dr. told my cousin that my Uncle in Michigan isn't going to make it...said there was NO CHANCE of recovery so it is just a matter of time. He said it could be sudden or he could linger for a few days but either way I'm going to have to make the trip to NC for a funeral. Hubby and my son said they were going. My son was really close to him when he was younger. He even went up there and stayed with him for a month one summer. He isn't really my Uncle but seems like it...closer than a lot of my uncles related by blood. Two of his brothers married two of my mother's sisters...confusing - but family nonetheless! When we lived in Michigan he had dinner at my Mom's every single Sunday when I was a kid and then transfered that to MY house after I got married. After we moved to TN he'd come down every summer and stay a week or two with us until he got so sick he couldn't drive. What's so sad is he never got married...doesn't have anyone now except one brother and his nieces and nephews. My cousin, who is a minister from NC, is up there with him now...his dad is Ralph's brother and his mom is my mom's sister. He will be buried in NC...that's only about 4 hrs. from here. Thank goodness I won't have to go all the way to MI...don't think I could make that trip!!!

Hope you all had a good Halloween...my little gobblins came over and got their candy and cards...we always give them money on Holloween. I had a bowl with some little finger puppets, snakes and worms and such in it for them to choose from, too. They were soooo cute. I had (from oldest to youngest) a Spiderman, a Batman, an Angel and the cutest little Barney you ever did see!

Meme.......I'm always looking for new good recipes with points so feel free to send me some!

PUMPKIN FLUFF!



1 box fatfree/sugarfree butterscotch pudding
1 15 oz can 100% pure pumpkin (not filling)
Fat free Cool whip

Mix the pudding into the pumpkin, whip and add 1 cup of cool whip(or you can
omit this and add a dallop of cool whip on the fluff).. Place in fridge for several
hours to get flavors to blend. Enjoy!!
0 points!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How in the world can that possibly be 0 points??? One cup of canned pure pumpkin is 1 point and one cup of fat free sugar free pudding is 1 point...there'd have to be at least 1 point per cup !!!!!!! That's still good, though. Could you use some other flavor of pudding? I don't like buttescotch! And...do you mix the pudding with milk like it says on the box? I've been looking through the recipe files on the WW site and found several dessert recipes I want to try out. One for frozen strawberry-pineapple mousse - 2 pts per serving, one for mini chocolate cheesecakes - 1 pt., one for mini chocolate mousse tarts - 2 pts. and one for strawberry shortcake popsicles - 2 pts. If they're any good I'll send you the recipes. I'm going to get the ingredients for one or two of them this weekend and try them out.

Hey meme-you are on a roll-Diet sugar free jello is 0 pts. but fat free Cool whip has a little -I make the jello with some fruit and the Kol Whip-gotta start writing in the journal again-it's so easy to get off track-I had a small stick of licorice-a peppermint patty -and a tootsie pop. No kids come here so I went to my girlfriends and we split a tuna grinder and had a little wine and it was fun cuz her daughter and children live with he temporarily. My back hurts today-yoga class was changed to 9 so I missed it but I will swim tomorrow. I'm going to a sculpture exhibit tonight with my friends. Happy All Saints Day. Mima Anyone know how to get rid of raccoons who are living in our dumpster?

Candice- Too late for me.. I hit the bag for a few pieces of tootsie rolls. It is hard to hold that bowl in your lap and not touch. I weigh in this a.m. I have since put it away. I will take it to my daughter to use for treats in her classroom.
Meme- Good for you. It is nice you have your hubby to do this with. I always have to cook 2 different meals. I am used to it.
Sorry about your uncle. Think about all the good things you did with him.
Hello Ally- Have fun...
Bye you all... Joanne

Well Meme, seems like you are doing good on your diet. My daughter made some cupcakes using angelfood cake mix and a can of drained pineapple, then baked them in muffin tins. Tasted really good and only had a point, I believe she said. She is doing so well, has lost 67 pounds and has just a few left to go. She looks wonderful, and along with the diet, she joined the runningroom last year and runs 3 times a week, and then goes to the gym and works out a couple times a week.

My problem is I can't eat aspertame, and all the good desserts call for sugar free and have aspertame. I just get such an upset stomach when I eat it.

Mima - hope your back feels better soon. I have, at last, gotten rid of the pain I was having. I knew that when I inflamed the muscles in my lower back, that it would be enough to have the FM kick in, and it was. The pain left as quickly as it came - exactly 1 week. Can now breathe again without pain.

The funeral I went to the other day, sparked a FM attack. I didn't think I was stressed at all, then all of a sudden the pressure on the chest started and sure enough, it started. Carried through to yesterday, and I feel somewhat better today.

Joanne - I hate cooking two different meals. My hubby will have to go along with me. Thank goodness he is easy to cook for.

Hi Candice and Alley. Hope you had a good halloween. We had about 55 kids. The one that was the cutest was not quite 2 and she was dressed like a ladybug. Her face was painted red and she was adorable. Of course, the other little ones where as well; she just stands out the most.

Have a good day.

Well...Uncle Ralph died at 1 PM today, right after they took him off the respirator and dialysis. My cousin (who is up there) made the final call on that one and I don't fault him at that. The Drs. told him yesterday that there was no possibility that he would ever get any better. So...I'm on my way to NC to a funeral! I dread this trip so bad. It really isn't that far away but we are going on Saturday and the funeral isn't until Monday at 11 AM. We are going 2 days early so I'll have time to visit some of my other relatives (who I haven't seen in 4 years.) I have so many relatives over there...I'll still never get around to them all. I'll wind up just going to see the ones I'm really fond of and the ones that are really old or sick. It's a shame we can't all get together more often and visit...it always takes a death! And, I guess, shame on me for not going more often. These trips take their toll on me, though. I'll be back sometime Monday night so when you don't hear from me this weekend you'll know why!

Sure wish I could've lost about 20 pound before I had to go over there!!!!!!! Oh well...maybe I'll go back for decoration in June and WOW them!

Hi-Happy, I also cannot eat aspertame -but I get away with a little. Right now my body HURTS! Going swimming this am. I've got to remember to do my stress tapes. But I went to a nice art exhibit last night and they had wonderful Asian food. Oh yeah-I have been eating things I'm allergic too. DUH!!!!It's going to be warm today and snow showers next week. I'm glad none of you live out west-what a scary time. Keep praying!I woke up at 4:30 . That will work when I have to be at work at 7 for 2 days next week. Hi to all-sorry about your uncle Meme. Be good everyone. Mima

Sorry about your uncle Meme....and yes, isn't it awful to have get togethers only when someone dies. I always feel wierd when my same age cousins and I get together at a funeral and all start giggling and reminiscing. But a funeral should not be a bad thing, it is about celebrating life.

Is anyone else having this instinctive need to fill their bodies with carbohydrates and then go look for a cave (or a couch) to go hang out in? I hate how early it gets dark. I want lots of heavy pasta and potatoes and I know that to eat that way means I'll gain weight and feel awful...
I'm going back on 5-HTP.

hey Ally, I've been craving carbs and sugar-especially at night.And I haven't been walking as much.My friends invited me out to a Japanese restaurant-oh was it good. They cook right in front of you.It was nice and I will walk today. Today I'm cooking meatballs and sauce for my family and my Japanese friends. It should be fun.Hope everyone is good. Joanne-hope that hurricane goes out to sea!!!Mima

Ally- I still have all that candy left over- I have it put up and know where it is. All I could think of last night,was just a couple pieces! I didn't get it though. I just will have to put it out of sight.
Mima- I doubt we will get any of the storm although we do need the rain here in Tarpon Springs. My flowers are in sad need. We don't need the wind that comes with it.
Hello to Happy- You must be having cold weather now. We see a lot of cars from Canada down here now. You should come to Florida for the winter ,if you haven't done it yet.
Meme- How is the new eating plan going? Send us a happy face for all your pounds lost. When you get to 10 send us a angel.
Hi Candice.. Hope you are having a good weekend
I have not been staying with my points as I should lately..It doesn't help my ego when my scale says one thing and WW says 2 lbs more.. I am still under goal but want less. I tried walking more but all I did was cause my knee to flare up. ... Bye You All, Joanne

Each day, doctors prescribe millions of pills to treat everything from hypertension to digestive complaints. In 1998 alone, Americans spent $94 billion on prescription drugs.

And rather than being the healthiest country in the world, America has the highest rate of chronic degenerative diseases in the world. Something is wrong.

46% of the total population uses prescription medication on a daily basis
83,481,683 of all adults use prescription medications
84% of consumers used an over-the-counter medication in 1996

Unfortunately, in the rush to treat specific symptoms and conditions, overall health is overlooked. Many prescription and over-the counter medications disrupt vitamin and mineral absorption, use and storage in the body. Often, patients are prescribed additional medications to alleviate symptoms caused by the depletion of vital nutrients.

If you take medications, it's important that you know and understand how they may be affecting your body and your overall health. Increased consumption of essential nutrients may be needed to counteract the nutritional depletion caused by drugs, especially when they are used on a regular basis.

The table below shows the types of drugs and brand name examples that can cause the depletion of essential nutrients.

Type of Drug Examples
- Brand Names Nutrients Depleted
Antacids Pepcid®, Tagamet®, Zantac®, Vitamin B-12, Folic Acid, Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, Zinc

Provacid®, Prilosac® Vitamin B-12

Antibiotics Amoxicillin®, Erythromycin®, Penicillin®, Tetracycline® Beneficial intestinal bacteria

Antidepressants Adapin®, Aventyl®, Elavil®, Tofranil® Vitamin B-2, Coenzyme Q-10

Antidiabetic Drugs Dymelor®, Micronase®, Tolinase® Coenzyme Q-10
Glucophage® Vitamin B-12

Anti-inflammatories Aspirin® Vitamin C, Folic Acid, Iron, Potassium

Advil®, Aleve®, Dolobid®, Feldene®,Indocin®, Lodine®, Motrin®, Nalfon®, Naprosyn®, Orudis®, Relafen®, Voltaren® Folic Acid

Betamethasone®, Dudesonide®, Cortisone, Dexamethasone®, Hydrocortisone,Methylprednisolone®, Prednisolone®, Prednisone® Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Folic Acid, Calcium, Magnesium,Potassium

Blood Pressure Lowering Drugs Aprasoline® Vitamin B-6, Coenzyme Q-10
Bumex®, Edecrin®, Lasix® Vitamin B-1, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Calcium,Potassium, Selenium, Zinc

Aquatensen®, Lozol®, Zaroxolyn® Coenzyme Q-10, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc

Dyranium® Folic Acid, Calcium, Zinc

Blocadren®, Cartrol®, Corguard®, Inderal®, Kerlone®, Lopressor®, Normodyne®, Sectral®, Tenormin®, Viakin® Coenzyme Q-10

Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Baycol®, Lescol®, Lipitor®, Mevacor®, Zocor® Coenzyme Q-10

Colestid®, Questran® Vitamin A, Beta-carotene, Vitamin B-12, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Folic Acid, Iron

Hormone Replacement Therapy(HRT) Evista®, Prempro®, Premarin®, Estratab® Vitamin B-2, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin B-12, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Zinc

Oral Contraceptives Estrastep®, Norinyl®, Ortho-Novem®, Triphasil® Vitamin B-2, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin B-12, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Zinc

Tranquilizers Ormazine®, Mellaril®, Prolixin®, Thorazine® Vitamin B-2, Coenzyme A-10

Haldol® Coenzyme Q-10


Source - Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion Handbook, by R. Pelton et al.; Physician's Desk Reference

Fortunately, you can counteract nutrient depletion easily and quickly:

Be sure to incorporate at least five servings of fruits and vegetables into your diet every day
Get the rest you need - at least seven to eight hours every night

Avoid processed foods which are lacking in essential nutrients
Stay active - moderate physical activity increases digestive efficiency and helps your body purge toxins
Drink your water - while it may not add nutrients to your body, it is necessary for efficient digestion
Supplement your diet with high quality nutritional supplements your prescriptions medicines may be depleting