WoooHooo...I get the first post!

Do you remember the teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoons? Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah...That's just what I was hearing at my meeting today!

I usually try to find new foods to experiment with and the last couple of days I found 3. Dehydrated mushroom crumbs (wild porcini mushrooms) Yum! Kelp granules (to give a salty flavor and add calcium) couldn't really tell how it was, maybe have to use more the next time, and Pacific Arame, a kind of seaweed (also very high in calcium), which I haven't used yet. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm not normally to adventurous when it comes to my food, but with this new plan I thought I had better.

On that note, my dinner concoction was disgusting... I was rummaging around just looking for something to get the taste out of my mouth. It was a cod fillet simmered in a mix of no salt tomato sauce and chicken broth with a mix of wild mushrooms and artichoke hearts. Now I like all of the above...but something about them together, just not happenin'!

Anywhoo, hope everyone had a good day!

Hi Karen, Yeah, getting adventurous and getting burned stinks.... but don't let it stop you! Next time... or the time after... you'll concoct something you love.

Well, I stayed OP today, although I did not succeed in exercising twice. It's bonus exercise for now, the evening stuff, but I've GOT to get the habit before school starts. One good thing about having an 8-5 job (when I had one) and being married (when I lived with him) was that I had a routine. Now, those of you who have routines are prolly thinking, stop complaining! And I love the flexibility of my job (though not the single life)... but since I don't seem to have any discipline, every day is different, especially in summer, and it makes it hard to develop habits that would be good. Valerie's got it much tougher, schedule-wise, so I feel like a fool talking about this. I'm not complaining, I'm just disgusted with myself.

Maybe getting myself into therapy will help. That's not my main reason for going, but I really am starting to think I need some outside perspective to get my life together. Look at weight loss. Six years ago, I lost 50 pounds. Then gained most of it back. Last year, I lost about 20. Gained most back. What in heaven's name is wrong with me?

Okay, freak out over for now. Tomorrow I'm going to call the therapist a friend recommended. If I don't report having done so, please nag me about it?

WHERE'S GINGER'S FOAL?

Hi Girlies! I've been a terrible cheerleader lately so I thought I would post you all a little challenge.

Ok, don't roll your eyes at me!!! This is NOT going to be hard and quite frankly it's NOT about pounds or exercise.

Since alot of us, myself definitely included, have such a hard time with eating out and grabbing stuff on the run, I would like to challenge each of you to find something you could have for lunch at a fast food restaurant that's let's say, right around 500 calories. With our sizes, a 400-500 calorie lunch should be something we could shoot for. We did this once in my WW meeting, of course we looked for point values, and it was great being able to walk away with meal ideas that could be grabbed fast, on the road and still be working our programs. I would like to suggest that we post our meal ideas in a different color, or bold so that they will be easy to copy/paste and make a list for ourselves. Preparation is a good part of this battle we're fighting. What do ya say????

Here's my contribution from McDonald's:
Asian Chicken Salad with grilled chicken and lowfat sesame ginger dressing:Salad: 290 Cal., 10g Fat, 890mg Sodium, 23g Carbs, 6g Fiber, 31g Protein
Dressing: 90 Cal., 2.5g Fat, 680mg Sodium, 14g Carbs, 0g Fiber, 1g Protein
The sodium is high, but the protein stays with me for the afternoon. The salad is very tasty with a combination of Spring mix and iceburg lettuce, julienne carrots, Mandarin oranges, snap peas, red peppers, and edamame. Very nice and my new favorite lunch.

Anybody else?

Hello, I am new to this site. I weigh 318. I am down from 328. I need support and enjoy reading your posts. They are very helpful. I going back to weight watcher points (I belonged 2 years ago) always a diet.
have a great day.

My favorite is a subway sandwich 6" or course, but I don't have time to look up the nutritional values right now, Maybe later

Other than that I went to the healh club Mon & Tuesday mornings and rushed to make the water class yesterday afternoon. When I got there I found out it had been cancled, but there were about 6 of us who got in the water and did it ourselves without an instructor. I've GOT to go this morning cause I'm so sore from Tuesday morning I've got to work it out!!!

Work is sorta in a holding program this week. Everyone is tiptoeing around wondering when (and IF) the other shoe is going to fall. Some think there are going to be BIG changes comming up, others like me think this episode is over and it's on to the next crisis, but the doctors have not had their 2x a month meeting and the "head" doctor has been on vacation and knows nothing of this lates drama. Again, some think when he finds out about it he will "do something', but I think the will ignore it cause it didn't effect him or his MA. We'll see.

Good morning ladies,

Not much time this morning. The farrier is due here soon. As he doesn't work past 5 pm (WTF?) I had to take off a half day to have horses feet trimmed. My old farrier has disappeared and he would do evening appointments. When you could actually get him there. We'll see if I like this guy. So I got up before 6 am and laid on the couch watching Spencer's Mountain with Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Sullivan (I think that was her). What a good movie. I've been out to feed the beasts and get Ginger in the round pen. Still no baby. I hope the farrier can help her feel better.

It has turned into July. The humidity is hideous and its going to 100 degrees this next several days. I WILL be in that pool tonight.

to everyone. I'll do replies later tonight. Time to go catch horses.

Have a great day!

Good Morning Ladies!

I did it! I got on the Infernal Machine! (For you new ladies, it's also known as my eliptical trainer / torture device.) I only did 6 1/2 minutes...pretty disgusting really, when I'd gotten up to 15 on the thing before I quit doing it in May. But I got on, my legs went round and round, I even sweated! Victory for Lilion!

Bigger victory - I stayed OP yesterday! I ended the day very, very pleased with myself. I did dip into flex points a tiny bit, because I underestimated my breakfast points and also I was starved about 9:00 p.m. But instead of getting chips or something I got two slices of lite whole wheat toast with no sugar added spread - 1 tiny point.

Angela: I know exactly what you mean. Of course, I have a schedule - work 8 to 4:30 M-F, dog school Sat. at 11 a.m., archery Sun. at 1p.m. rapier Thurs. 7 p.m....etc. Everything happens at the same time each week. But, weekends, just not having work and knowing that I can skip those classes/practices makes it much harder to stick with the schedule. Certianly harder to stay OP, too easy to laze around and think "I can do it later." Of course, it's pretty obvious that if I have time off I do NOTHING! As for "Six years ago, I lost 50 pounds. Then gained most of it back. Last year, I lost about 20. Gained most back. What in heaven's name is wrong with me?" Why - the same thing that's wrong with ALL of us! I've lost 40+ lbs at least three times I can remember - and in 6 years I gained 100+! I doubt many of us got where we are without losing/gaining over the years. It's a tough cycle to break.

Barbara: Good for you and your classmates doing your water class without the instructor! That's dedication!

Endthereign: These ladies are full of inspriation! I also do WW and it's certainly worked for me - as long as I worked at it, that is. I stalled out a couple months ago, but I'm back now! I found it very helpful at first to eat BIG low-point meals, like stir-fry and salads, tons of veggies, to keep from feeling hungry. My best pointer, write it all down, and total those points, before you sit down to eat! That way you don't surprize yourself at the end of the day!

Terri: I hope the horses are easy to catch - the heat and humidity is AWFUL here and I hear it's worse up your way, with rain on the way for tomorrow. I knew I'd miss the 80's, even though I complained about the heat then!

Karen: My DH and I were pretty much plain food folks until we started this weightloss journey. I mean, we had Mexican and Chinese on occasion, but we never cooked anything new. Now we experiment all the time! Some aren't so good...(like DH's combination of terriyaki sauce and pomegranate syrup ) Some are GREAT! (like my version of pad thai, using cabbage in place of the noodles!) We live with our WW sliders and books, trying to calculate the points of the new stuff we make. We recently bought a Middle-Eastern Cookbook from our favorite international grocer - and have tried a couple recipes from there. Amazing what you can come up with when you branch out!

Thin: Like your idea of a challenge. Everyone needs to be able to get a quick and easy lunch at times. My favorite place may not be available everywhere - Roly Poly sandwiches. They have all their nutrition info on line -http://www.rolypoly.com/menu/nutrition.html You can have just about any of their 6" sandwiches with a cup of soup for under 500 calories. I have to admit, I often have a 12" sandwich with no soup...but that isn't nearly as good for you. My favorite sandwiches are the tuscan turkey, thai hot tuna, chicken cordon bleu and best of all - basil cashew chicken! (Having just realized that one has over 10 grams of fat per 6" makes me very sad! )

Ruth, Sue, everyone else:

Well, I started this post at 8:15 and now it's 9:40 - of course I did do a hearing in the middle and three other phone calls - but still I imagine I should stop it now and get back to work! I have yoga again tonight - yep, going back, even if I did discover last time I have all the balancing ability of a weeble standing on its head! I expect my rapier/fencing practice will be cancelled due to heat tonight. So I may actually get some housework done - we'll see! Hope everyone else has a great day!

Angela - I did the therapy thing, it helped, although I wasn't doing weight at the time, just men. I suspect, though, that it's just easier to gain weight in this society than it is to lose or maintain, unless I really pay attention.

thin - well, on occasion, I have been known to zoom into Taco Bell - 2 hard shell tacos, and a Diet Pepsi fill me up, although I usually go to the gas station next store and pick up a V8 to go with.

Regular Style Taco - Taco Shell, Shredded Lettuce, Shredded Cheese, Mystery Meat
Calories - 170
Total Fat - 10 g.
Sat Fat - 4 g.
Trans Fat 0.5 g
Cholesterol 25 mg.
Sodium - 350 mg
Carbs - 14
Fiber 1 g
Vitamin A 4%
Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 6 %
Iron 6 %

End - Welcome. On the whole, we are getting better, plus we're all nuts, so it's a lot of fun to post here.

Barbara - way to go on exercising!! I know that some of us in my water aerobics class can be found doggedly jogging back and forth across the pool while we wait for the instructor. I fear I'm being bad in this area - after 4 days of working out for over an hour a day, I turned into an errand-running couch potato (well, chiropractor, allergist, dry cleaner, etc, etc). So glad tonight is my class, so I can get back into going. I knew there was a reason that I'm always taking a pay-for-it class!

Terri - I don't mean to sound like a scaredy-cat, but what does the vet say? I know Ginger is an old hand and all that, but you have a vet on call, right? Like people, sometimes mares need a little help.

Lilion - Yeah, it's really hot and sticky here too. Don't forget "Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down" - I wobble in all the crane poses too.

I bought a book called The New 6 week Cholesterol Cure, which I'm reading, and which is very good about the latest research, what this means for your diet, etc. Actually, not that different from South Beach, really, which means my knowlege is pretty good.

FitDay is a pain! The reports show where I could improve my diet, how I skip exercise, and, what's worst of all, how I sometimes blow it just by opening the refrigerator and saying, hmmm. Seriously, logging is one of the best things I've ever done for myself, although I feel a little bit compulsive.

My goal tonight is to get the loose books corralled, so we can sort, return where borrowed, keep what we like, and dispose of the others. At our house, this is a major project - I had my husband clear up all the books on his side of the bed after I tripped over them in the dark in a nightly bathroom expedition, and I swear 3/4s of them are back.

Talk to you all soon.

Sue

Good morning ladies!

The sun is shining for a change (we live in a very foggy area) so I am going to root around in my garden some this morning. I went to the gym (Curves) and went around the circuit three times instead of the proscribed two times. Next week I'm going to try 4x. For breakfast I had my favorite under 300 meal: one egg scrambed in Pam on small slice of WW toast spread with a scraping of Lite margarine dusted with some Parmesan cheese along with an orange and some black coffee. It is hard to believe such a delish meal has so few calories. Before The Diet I used to eat the same meal, only with two slices of buttered toast, two eggs and an unseemly amount of cheese. But the skinny version has about 280 calories, less if you don't use whole tablespoons of the margarine and Parmesan. Yum!

Terri, the suspense is killin' me!

EndtheReign, Welcome! I am new here myself. These are very nice ladies in here. I am looking forward to getting to know you better as we struggle along together on our path to weight loss. What does your screen name signify?

AgeOldie, I have a relative who is a doctor. He used to be a rather difficult person, to put it mildly. One day a few years ago his entire office staff got up and walked out on him.

Thin, I don't eat at fast food places too often but I do admire Subway's six inch veggie sandwich. It's an awful lot of bread, though. No cheese. Lately, if I find myself at a FF restaurant due to circumstances beyond my control I order unsweetened ice tea (or water) and wait for the day to present me with something better to eat. I find myself at Boston Market now and then. I just eat the string beans and the apples. Not too exciting.

Angela, it is heard to develop good exercise / diet habits when our days have no structure. During the rest of the year I tutor high school students so I have to follow their schedules but in the summer there is no rhyme or reason to the days except for Church on Sunday and a prayer meeting on Thursday PM. Sometimes I struggle to fill the days with meaningful and not self-indulgent activities. Good for you for staying OP.

Karen, I never thought tomatoes and fish went together very well.

Ok! Good luck to everyone today and God bless you all.

-celery

Well, I don't really do fast food, though I do eat out way too much. When I go to my fav local restaurant, I used to do the following for lunch or dinner, and I'm sure it could be done most places where there's a salad bar:

Soup and salad: unlimited greens, cukes, carrots, tomatoes, etc.; about 2 tbsp. fatfree dressing; skip the croutons and go for a couple whole wheat crackers instead (croutons are full of fat and calories, deceptive little buggers); a spoonful of chickpeas OR chopped egg OR cheese, on the side about a half cup of cottage cheese. For the soup, go with a clear one if possible; if cream is all they have, make it about a half a bowl. A trick here: Eat the soup first. Warm foods with lots of liquid are more filling than drier or colder foods. So if you eat your soup first, then your cottage cheese, by the time you're eating your salad, you'll be starting to feel full. If you've made a big heaping plate of veggies, by the time you finish all that you should, with luck, feel full. I always just go for calorie-free beverages (black coffee, iced tea, water).

Assuming about 3 cups of veggies, 2 T fat-free dressing, 20 chickpeas, .5 cup of cottage cheese, 2 wheat crackers, and 1 c. chicken noodle soup, this lunch comes to approx. 398 cal., 9 g fat, 57 g carb, and 25 g protein. The carbs are probably high b/c 3 cups of veggies is a lot.

Thanks for asking that, Thin, it got me thinking about a habit I need to WORK on.

endthereign--Welcome! Stick around.

Barb--Good job getting in that pool w/o the instructor!

Terri--Still no baby????? I'm on the edge of my seat here!

Lilion--Thanks for commiserating. I usually think, oh well, can't think about the past, just focus on now.... but I'm starting to think I really need to understand WHY I failed in the past, so I can avoid doing it AGAIN.

Sue--Glad Fitday's helping. I find it helpful too, but so far I haven't gotten SUPER motivated yet, so I just log so-so eating and exercise days and then think, oh, is that all? But I'm hoping if I keep it up it'll help motivate me to improve at least a little.

Celery--Well if you have any great ideas for adding structure to the day, pass em on--can't say as I have any sage wisdom there.

Hi all!

You know, being the Old Hens we really do have a responsibility to all who see us to set a good example. Many of us "Old Folks" (especially those over 50, WAY over 50, or hovering near 50) are quite confused about how we
should present ourselves. We are unsure about the kind of image we are projecting and whether or not we are correct as we try to conform to current
fashions. Despite what you may have seen on the streets, the following combinations DO NOT go together and should be avoided:

1. A nose ring and bifocals
2. Spiked hair and bald spots
3. A pierced tongue and dentures
4. Miniskirts and support hose
5. Ankle bracelets and corn pads
6. Speedo's and cellulite
7. A belly button ring and a gall bladder surgery scar
8. Unbuttoned disco shirts and a heart monitor
9. Midriff shirts and a midriff bulge
10. Bikinis and liver spots
11. Short shorts and varicose veins
12. Inline skates and a walker

And last, but not least...my personal favorite

13. Thongs and Depends

I hope this clears things up for you and gives you some insight on how current fashion and our age may NOT go together quite as well as we think it should. Have a good night.

I went through a wierd spell when I used to get zits on my liver spot. Very strange.

RUTH, Every time “I” think of me I hear that song, too. <BG>

ENDTHEREIGN – (I like that screen name!) HOWDY and WELCOME!!! I’m thrilled for you that you’re already off to a great start!

LILION – WHOO-HOO! You conquered the IM? You go girl!!!

THIN – I just HAD to send a copy of your dress code guide lines to my mom in Florida. She may even feel the need to post the list in the central Rec Center…. You know, for those that need more guidance. After all, the place has a rule prohibiting the wearing of T-shirts in public areas.

TERRI - Do we have a baby yet?????????

Hello to Celery, Barb, Vortex, Sue, Angela, Karen and y'all!

I've just consumed 60 calories of unadulterated BLISS! Yes, sugar free Chocolate pudding. Heaven.

I'm home now thru the end of the month. YIPPEE!!! Except that exercising is rather difficult because I've come down with broncitis. Last time I had this it took from September to January to cure. My stars! It was miserable!! I'm going to take care of myself and beat this thing!

Well, Sad news. The step-daughter-from-**** has nailed some poor sweet unsuspecting boy and will be making his life **** starting next May. Yes. They're getting married. =( I wish I could warn him - RUN! SAVE YOURSELF!! But you know how they are - can't tell the difference between love and lust. I wish I could believe she actully felt something for him, but I know her 'plan'. He's doomed.

Enuf of that ugliness! I have over 2 weeks OFF the truck, and I intend to make the most of it!

Good evening everybody!

Angela, i'm right there with ya! Single woman, no real "structure" other than work and school, up and down the scale. As Lilion says, there's nothing wrong with you that isn't wrong with all of us! And btw, i've had LOTS of success with my cooking but that was probably the worst! And FYI, there may be a bit of carbs in the veggies, but it's the chick peas, crackers and noodles and I would suspect the FF dressing, since it's usually got sugar, that are the major players.

Thin, I can't go to fast food places (unfortunately) but Whole Foods has a salad bar and deli to die for! I could eat there every day. It's not any slower than a drive through since you make it yourself and they have dedicated registers. I also carry my own homemade salad dressing with me, so where ever I go, i'm ready

to Endthereign12! I'm sure you're going to like it here!

Barbara, as to "the other shoe falling"..."Who shot J.R.???"

Terri, I hope Ginger feels better! And as to the (WTF?) My virgin eyes!

Lilion, "terriyaki sauce and pomegranate syrup" on the op day!

Sue...I don't remember, did I tell you about nutritiondata.com? They have a much broader range of services. You keep your own "pantry" and then you can put ingredients together to track either individual recipes or a days worth of food. They break it all down into about 100 different things and give a link for "healthier alternatives" if there are any areas that are "out of whack". I love it! Talk about obsession!

Celery, well, I kept thinking about all those Italian places that do it. Of course I never tried it there either!

Valerie, Welcome home! Relax...

Have a great night!