Morning girls!
It's Friday!! Anyone got any exciting plans for this weekend?
I'm feeling very proud of myself for being extra good since Monday. Day 5 of lots of water, lots of fruit and veg and lots of exercise. I'm going to try and keep it up for 10 weeks (I've yet to see results on the scales but I'm sure it'll happen!). Of course, BF is back tomorrow so there will be more tempting goodies around our apartment. But I'm hoping my willpower will hold. I find it really helps to write down all the things you know you're going to eat that day and add up the points. That way you have no excuse for going over cos you know exactly how many spare points you have, so it makes you more likely to stick to your points. Planning what you'll eat in the evenings also helps.
I also like to "comfort eat by proxy". BF loses weight just as easily as I put it on (grr!), so I buy nice things and give them to him to eat. For some reason just being able to buy cookies, muffins and creme eggs means I don't crave them so much. And if I do want a tiny taste I don't waste it by throwing it away - cos BF will still eat it!!
I loved that bit in Sex and the City where Miranda replaces men with cake (and then eats the half cake out of the trash). Please don't anyone go digging in the garbage for food!! eurgh! well done lisa on resisting cheesecake - a personal favourite of mine!
Oh, just wanted to say how much I appreciate all you girls and how much I enjoy chatting to you, hearing about what you do and all the advice bouncing around. You girls are great.
Speaking of advice - is anyone from (or been to) New Orleans? My best pal is going there for a conference and as a new WW she's worried about what she can eat out there. She really wants to try the hash browns and other foods famous in the area. Any recommendations of where to go, what to try and what to avoid? Anything good for points/bad for points? Any advice appreciated!
Back later hopefully,
Kirsty

Morning All,

I am here and I have been really good this past week. We had a career breakfast yesterday morning and I resisted the muffins and stuff (I decided to eat before I got there, everything was so unhealthy, a doughnut for breakfast? I don't think so ). I looked at the layout of food and thought "I don't want any of this" so I didn't have any.... It's weird to think how often people eat just to be sociable (I never did that, no never, never ever )..

Kirsty: I too am back on track. I am 5lbs lighter than I was after christmas and this was weighing in at night as well!! Though to be honest I think I am gaining muscle. My aim is to have about 116 lean mass and to weigh about 145. I'm not far from either. I went to my first WW in a long time, that will help too I am sure.

See Y'all later!

Ali

Oh, I am addicted to peanut better crunch slimfast weight maintanence bars. In canada, they're 2 points per bar (120 cal/ 4g fat/ 2g of fiber). They're really yummy!

Take Care!

Ali

Hi everyone! I am up early today because I am going to a spa to get my hair done. It is located in town, so I have to leave 45 min early to make it through the traffic. I think I am going to chop it all off in one of those cute, trendy, choppy styles that flips up on the ends.

On the job front, things are going really well. It looks like I am up for 3 different jobs, so I should know something next week. I'm starting to get excited about a job, but at the same time I kinda like the stay at home lifestyle. Its been fun doing all of the household planning and such.

Hi Kirsty and Ali ~ I am jealous at your dedication! I need some of that my way. I am still maintaining, but I know I need to do better at the program. I was bad yesterday and had Mexican food for lunch. I am so addicted to that stuff. Here in TX we have so many good family mexican food places where the food tastes like some fabulous grandma is cooking her recipes in the kitchen. At least I only ate a few chips, half of the enhchilada, and half of the tostada. Not too bad.

Kirsty ~ New Orleans (NOLA) is not too far from me, so I've been quite a few times OP. My hubby is from there and we try to visit every so often. If your friend likes seafood, you can get a lot of great seafood there. I would recommend asking the locals for places to eat. Anything in the french quarter will be pretty good but expensive. My favorite restaurants are: Dragos in Metarie(they are known for their oysters, but they have lots of other stuff too), Camelia Grill (Very american diner in uptown. They have burgers, fries, breakfast foods, etc. All is greasy but worth it), and Pascal's Manale (tourist place, but really good). She also needs to go to Pat O'Brians piano bar. We go in the afternoon to avoid the crowds and it is such a blast. Hope she has a good time. The key is just to ask how things are prepared and ask for sauces on the side.

Well I need to go! Ttyl,
K

Kirsty -

I am from near New Orleans and let me say, it won't be easy. New Orleans is famous for begneits, po-boys, jumbalaya, fried catfish and my personal favorite - muffalattas. The best food in the world, but the reason I am the way I am.

Also, most of the seafood that would otherwise be healthy is fried or blackened. MMmmmmm! I love blackened swordfish.

HOWEVER - there is a lot of seafood. And while most of the menu might be fried variations... there will always be grilled versions. Lots of shrimp and crawfish too. SHe should be fine ordering non-fried shrimp and crawfish. Also - you can get oysters almost anywhere you go. Oysters on the half shell are ridiculously low in points. Seafood gumbo isn't all that bad either.

Tell her to stay away from muffalattas, an italian-cajun deli sandwhich with olive salad.... 1/4 of one (but they're huge, so 1/4 of one is abuot the size of a regular sandwhich) is something like 18 points. Also, have her say no to corn bread and hush puppies and biscuits too. The buscuits in NO are usually soaking in butter... but soooooo good!

She can go with red beans and rice as long as she gets it without the sausage.

So her best choices: broiled shrimp or crawfish. oysters on the half shell, grilled fish, seafood gumbo, red beans and rice. Also, if she's brave.... alligator and frog legs are very lean and most likely low in points. A lot of places have alligator soup and frog legs. Also, a turkey or ham po-boy might not be that bad. Any po-boy that has meat that isn't fried should be fine.

I'm so jealous she's going.... I'm going in march and not taking my own adive... I can't wait to get a muffalatta!!!!

Oh - I miss home!

LIsa

What part of town are you from? My hubby is from a suburb called metarie. It is a great town! Its a shame that most people only know the quarter when the rest of the city is so nice

TXAggie!!!! I remember we talked about this once before - but I LOVE CAMILLA's grill!!!!! For breakfast - you can get an enormous full breakfast for like $4 - it's awesome. And they really have the best burgers which has soemthing to do with frying the buns in the skillet! MMmmm.


Kirsty - another great brunch/breakfast place that may have alot of lighter choices and once of my favorite places to get breakfast is Petunia's. She should defiantely try Ralph and Kacoo's. ANd also Cafe Maspero's on Decatuer. The best places for po-boys are Mother's or Jonny's.

Lisa

TX Aggie - I'm actually from Mississippi - but about 45 minutes from New Orleans.... we were there practically every weekend and every summer. My family used to have a loft on Conti.

But I have family in Meterie and it really is a great area.

LIsa

Hey-hey-hey!!!!! I've just whizzed through all the posts for the last few days, giggled at the talk of rescuing food from the dustbin (oh, I've been so sorely tempted!), and cheered all the motivated people, of whom I am DESPERATE to be one. You go, girls!

Have had my head down all week, I gave a paper at a seminar on Tuesday and since then I've been writing it up so I can send it to a journal, plus finishing the chapter I've been working on. And now it's all done, so all i have to do is take them in to my supervisor - which I am going to do right after I have a bath. It's such a good feeling! I wanted to get it all done by today, because tomorrow we're going down to Devon to visit my sister for a few days, and I knew if it wasn't finished I'd just be thinking about it all the time. But that's not going to happen. WOO HOO!!!!!!!

Ooh, Kay, Lisa, I'm desperate to go to New Orleans - ever since I read Longfellow's poem 'Evangeline' about the 'Cadians. I nearly got there this Christmas because there was a conference I wanted to go to, but in the end I couldn't afford it. But jsut as soon as I get a proper job (!) it's right up there on my list. But I have to ask - what's a po'boy??? And a muffelatte???

BTW, have any of you ever read anything by Isabel Allende? I have to teach a couple of classes on her in a few weeks' time, and I'd never read any of her novels before, but I'm reading The House of the Spirits right now (in Spanish though) and it's amazing. Keeps making me feel all tingly - haven't read a book like that for ages (the last one was Andrea Ashworth's 'Once in a House on Fire', which I totally recommend - she was at my college when I started there!).

Ok, better go and have that bath, but it was ace to catch up with you all. Hopefully I'll have more time from now on (as long as I organise myself properly ... that's the problem with working on your own - you need discipline. Which I am .. ahem .. not the best at.)

Oh - and WELCOME! to the newbies

hugs,
Lxxx

cheers for all the advice on new orleans - i want to go too! i read a book set there ages ago (about witches but for the life of me i can't remember the title). i think it was by mary rice (the author of the vampire chronicles). maybe i'll go one day! maybe we should all meet there?!
kay - get your hair cut! i got mine cut just before new year. it was pretty much straight down to my shoulder blades but i decided to go for a chop and it's now just below my shoulders (so about 6 inches shorter) with shorter layers at the front and it's been cut all choppy so it flicks out or in as i choose. i love it! oh, and good luck with the job interviews.
lolly - hello!! have a fab time in devon! hooray on finishing that chapter.
ali - hooray on the 5 pounds! it feels so much nicer to be back on track doesn't it?
lisa - unfortunately i don't think my friend likes seafood, but i do know that the muffalattas will tempt her (she worked in milan, italy for a while). it all sounds divine to me.
better get my nose back to that grindstone! back later,
kirsty

All of this talk about food in New Orleans is making me hungry and it is not even 9 AM here!! I just spent a week in New Orleans over New Years and gained five pounds! Of course, I lost it right away when I came back, and I didn't watch what I ate there at all because I wanted to try all of the yummy foods!! Now if I could just get myself to stop making pralines now that I am back, I would be fine... I also love po'boys, and have never eaten that much fried food in my life! But I had a great time and would like to go back someday.

Kay - It is good to hear you say that the rest of the city is nice... one of the things I really hated while there is how RUDE everyone was... I couldn't believe it.

Lisa - Do you ever make red beans and rice? I took a cooking class while I was there and got a great recipe... and it is a good thing for us singles because you can make the beans ahead of time and then make the rice when you are ready to eat... Yum!

Kirsty - I also comfort eat by proxy (I think you and I are a lot alike!) I love to bake and do so often, but the act of baking is usually enough for me. Then I just give things away to other people!

Lolly - Good to see you! Have fun visiting your sister. How is your hamster??

Ali - You mention eating to be social - it is funny, but whenever I am at a meeting or something else where a lot of food is provided, it practically makes me sick how people attact the food as if they've never eaten before. That is usually enough to keep me from touching anything, especially since I used to be one of those people!

Not much is new with me. I just bought a laptop (which I will need in August when I start law school) so I now have a computer at home for the first time ever and have done nothing but play on it! I have a DVD drive and a CD rewritable drive so there is a lot to play with!

Hi to all that posted while I was writing this novel!!

OK, I know there was some discussion yesterday about the WW 2 points bars. I personally have never had them--I think they're outrageously expensive and won't buy them. If I want a YUMMY 2-point snack, I buy the M&M Kudos bars. They're 2 points apiece, you get like 10 in a package (as opposed to the 4 you get in the 2 points bars at WW), and they're cheaper. Oh, and since I love M&M's, they help with the occassional cravings that I get.

No exciting plans for the weekend (although I'd really like to just get drunk--haven't been able to do that in months!), I'm just glad it's Friday.

Kirsty--Way to go being back on track, that's great!! I work with a girl who's husband was raised in New Orleans and she's been there a number of times. I'll ask her later this afternoon and ask her if she has any additional advice.

Ali--Good job resisting all that food! It doesn't even sound like you struggled with it--I would be debating "Mmmm, doughnuts. They taste so good. I know they're probably a lot of points. But they taste so good. Points, taste good, oh gosh, what should I do?" The debate would last so long it wouldn't even be worth it if I did decide to have the doughnut...

Lisa--What does red beans and rice taste like? I mean, is it kind of spicy like dirty rice? Speaking of dirty rice, can you make dirty rice without the meat? Is it good with soy crumbles in it? (I'm learning so much about cooking, it's just unbelievable.)

OK, I have work to do (actually, it's time to go to break...)

I'll check back later...

Jess... I LOVE the Snickers Kudos!!!! I also will not pay that much for the WW bars. And after sampling one... Blechhhh!

I want to go to N'awlins also, but not at Mardi Gras time. Now that I am married with kids, the party and boob showing doesn't thrill me one bit! I think I like to travel so I can eat. Is that pathetic???

Ahhhh back to work for me...

Jen - Not pathetic at all. That is exactly why I like to travel - to eat. Okay, maybe it is pathetic but at least we are pathetic together!!

I am going to Italy in June and cannot wait to eat there!!

OOOOOOO Let me know how the food in Italy is!!! I never care if I gain weight while on vacation, as long as it is a reasonable amount. In Nov. I gained 3 pounds, but enjoyed every one!!!! People ask me what I did on vacation and I tell them where I ate. HA HA!