Hi Jacqui, is it the caffeine addiction in the soda? maybe stop the soda point blank but buy some caffeine pills to take the edge off the withdrawl? that would get you off soda then slowly reduce the caffeine pills til you wean off? Not sure but just a suggestion??

I had horrible hot flashes. oh the wonders of getting older. but I went A72/ZC and they are gone. not a one. over and done. boy did I hate those hot flashes then the severe cold right after. diet related? no idea, but one thing I know, is they are gone and I don't asky why really.

----------------good morning everyone, happy March~
DOWN 1 LB. YIPPEE! I needed to see some movement. I just do my thing and finally the clouds open up and the scale drops. I got my gift from the scale gods I love seeing the collarbones coming out sharper for sure!

today is very simple
big ribeye with butter
dinner change. family wants pizza....I will eat a ton of delish buffalo wings at this place. sodium hit but that doesn't worry me.


not sure on exercise. 1 med. hard short exercise tape to get the blood flowing.
then instead of inside, will probably take dog to mountain trail and hike. outdoors for me. I hope I can arrange my day to get this fit in.

Eating less again. not hungry at all. I think the warm weather getting me outside in the sun is effecting me again. winter cold shuts me down and I am bored and eat more. Getting outside in that wonderful sun just keeps me moving and occupied and happy as a clam.

Everything is running smooth.

everyone enjoy your day!!

Well, scratch everything I've said recently about finally "getting it" about my weightloss with the eating in 3s crapola and why I was starving. I think I'm finally in perimenopause. Twice this year now I've had "phantom periods" where I've had cramps, weight gain, bloating, headaches at the time I should have been getting my period. My normal day to start was Saturday - Monday and the systems were right on cue starting with the cramping and headache Saturday and Sunday, jumps in weight Saturday and Sunday. Now the cramps/headaches are gone and the weight is starting to go back down. The last time this happened I did get a symptomless period a week later. I will be 51 this month, but I do not know when my mom went through all of this because of all of her problems and surgeries since her 30s..... endometriosis (sp?), hysterectomy, pelvic sling, etc., etc. I have had zero problems, happy to say. TMI I know, but I'm done now.

PrairieQueen, thanks for the info. I wish I had known about it on black Friday also. I read a thread or something with some pretty good reviews for it. It was $80 then. Though I think I would need two so I could get everything done Maybe a nice birthday present Good news regarding your brother always good to hear How long does the water taxi take? Is it a fear of being on the water that your Mom has of being on it that makes her prefer to drive? PQ, same here on family history and menopause with the bulk of the women in my family. I have only cousin that I can talk to and her hot flashes are off the chain, she'll be 56 this year.

Jacqui you have probably said and I just don't remember ... Are you having trouble sleeping? staying in bed too long in the mornings? Why are you up so late? or is this normal and I forgot ? It's almost time for me to get up when you're posting . Nope Mama-Hen, I had a big mac that I only ate half of (it taste funny) I have never been fond of McD's burgers but will eat their fish no bun just plain (don't know why but it has always been that way), I ate a medium fry, a hot fudge sundae and 2 diet Dr Pepper's (my only drink when at McD's unless I get coffee She is a wonderful little (tall girl) she's 5'8 now thanks to hubby. She just asked me, "have you had any sugar today?" I told her nope only an Atkins snack bar, closest thing. I've been having really bad hot flashes here lately not sure why all of a sudden. I was doing good for awhile. I don't drink water when I wake up though for that very reason. I will go to the bathroom almost every 20 minutes it seems. Drives me nuts My cousin suggested black cohash to me but the side effects were a little scary when I looked it up. Glad to hear it works for you (and her). Well I'm at 173 today so I've got some work to do to catch up to you. Today has been OP. I'm even on my last bottle of water

ZCA72, good job on the pound and yay for collarbones

I am sorry to hear of those of you having the menopause issues. I went through it in my early 50s without much fan fare other than irregular heavy periods for a while. No hot flashes to speak of. I also didn't have mood swings, although I would imagine DH would disagree. ha ha ha I get up to pee at least once a night and usually more. The dog looks at me like I'm nuts, but stands guard at the bathroom door so nothing bad happens to me, and escorts me back to bed.

PQ glad to hear Bro is improving and walking more. Yay Bro!!

Evening all!

Rennie mom loves the water but probably wants to have a car while we're down there. I would be happy to walk everywhere but she's not into that.
Carol Sue I'm happy to say that I've not had a load of other symptoms except for dry skin and slightly thinner hair. And I don't know if that's from meno or from the winter air and dieting. I still get my occasional pimple though.
Congrats ZCA!
Hey there Jacqui I used to be such a night owl before I moved to the country. Now I'm in bed by ten almost every night

Break - baked beans and two sausage links
Snack - cran water
Lunch - buffalo meatballs, blue cheese dressing, carrot sticks
Dinner - grilled wings, two lite beers

Carol Sue, not many hot flashes? I am SO jealous! My sister-in-law was like that. Mine aren't unbearable, just a hassle and no fun, kind of like TOM.

Rennie, I'm a bit of a night owl anyway, but I go through phases where I am up for most the night. I rarely go to bed before midnight, so it's not at all unusual for me to extend that and be up to 2 in the morning. I try not to stay up past that because I know that a good night's sleep is really healthy, but sometimes I'm up to 3 or 3:30. On extreme nights, I go to bed between 4 and 5 am. It drives my DH crazy. He's always scolding me about coming to bed, lol! Sometimes I clean house, except for running the vacuum. Sometimes I watch tv. I don't really watch tv during the day, so I tape some shows and watch them late at night. Sometimes I jump on the computer and piddle around on Etsy, Ebay, Pinterest, and AuctionZip. Of course there are those times when I've had long day and I'm in bed by 10, exhausted. I don't have a set time that I get up. Usually it's right around 8 but it has been as late as 10, usually 8 though. I was concerned about the weight gain side effect of black cohosh. I had read it can lead to weight gain and so I started out with reduced dosages to see if it was going to affect me that way, but it seems to be fine. It may be my imagination but I like the Nature's Way brand the best. I'm on GNC's brand right now and it just doesn't seem to be as effective, but again, it could be my imagination! Rissa is a doll for looking out for you. She's going to make a wonderful mother some day!

PrairieQueen, lol! Oh, I have no doubt you are in bed by 10 with how much you do in a day! You amaze me!

ZCA72, replacing the caffeine is a good suggestion. I drink hot green tea which has lots of caffeine in it, so when I am mentally prepared to give Diet Dr. Pepper up again, I may make a point of drinking green tea and see if that helps.

I got a nice whoosh today and am back down to my pre-Carb Day weight! I hope it keeps going!

Week 41: High 172.5, Low 168.5
2/23--172.5
2/24--171.5
2/25--170.5
2/26--169
2/27--168.5 Carb Day

Week 42:
2/28--169
2/29--170.5
3/1--168.5
3/2--
3/3--
3/4--
3/5--

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
2 slices of bacon
Mio water

Lunch:
Protein bar
Mio water

Tea Time:
Yogurt

Dinner:
Ham
Raw veggies with ranch dressing
Mio water

Today's Exercise:
No formal exercise but again I stayed on my feet all day out and about.

Jacqui, I've cut way back on caffiene, and somewhat on diet cola, but not completely. I think it's the carbonation that cleans out some of the congestion in my throat.

Hmm, I never had a problem with TOM either. It was just a minor annoyance. I think there's a connection. No problem with TOM, no issues with menopause, and vice versa.

ZCA, I've seen that picture before!! I believe I have posted with you on another forum. Welcome!

Rennie, when I worked, I did a 5AM shift and had to get up around 3. Not as bad as your shift, but bad enough. It was the worst in the summer when I was going to bed and the neighbor kids were still outside playing. Now my body still wakes up early, but mostly I can fall back to sleep.

Jacqui, good way to experiment with yourself later when ready. green tea replacement and if you feel weird, you still could buy some caffeine pills and even cut in 1/2, try that and see if you can work it thru. ya never know

Wannabe--yea I am on some other forums. one thing I love is that you can find SO many different experiences from people who are doing LC. one thing I needed was alot of help in changing over to this lifestyle, I seek out those who are doing it well and learning all I could
this is a nice forum by the way!

----------good morning everyone
busy and fast day gonna happen. some days are crammed, get annoying but what can ya do

ribeye later with butter
ribeye or pork chops on grill tonight

I am not hungry point blank. I hit into that ever so wonderful zone of content and no hunger pangs.

I stopped snacking. I went to cans of sardines and cheddar if I wanted snacks but lately there is no need for them.
2 meals, alot of hot tea which I love to sip for warmth and I am finding myself happy as a clam

have to sort thru shorts soon. what fits, what doesn't. might need to buy after flinging some or not? we shall see.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and ditch the carbs to the curb LOL

Hi everyone! Had a wonderful on plan day yesterday UNTIL evening. I'm really mad at myself. I picked up some single serve packs of almonds (2 carbs) to see if I can start adding some nuts to my plan.

Ummm NO! I ate one pack, ate another pack and was immediately very hungry so I ate a mini chocolate candy bar. What is so crazy is that I've been in a place where I wasn't hungry at all. Basically making myself eat to make sure I'm getting fats and proteins.

Don't want to weigh for a while.

So, no more nuts for me.

Today:
B: Coffee/HWC/Splenda
L: L/O Philly Cheese steak in a bowl
D: Maybe nothing

ZCA, yes it's a low carb forum. Not to give anything away, but your name there starts with a T.

yes Wanna you got it!

Melissa I feel for you on the nuts. ohmygosh nuts are so addictive. one after the other, I had to stop all nuts. I said 1 oz and ate an entire can in a flash. boy they are good but not something I can ever control. You aren't alone in that one, the nuts can make us insane

Hey Jacqui_D! Congrats on another 0.5lb down! I think it's so great that you're planning your meals for the day. I find that really helps with accountability and to stay on track. Start filling your plate with fruits and vegetables - they are a great low calorie option to keep you full. Get at least 5 servings a day - more if you can to keep you full on good stuff. It's all low calorie. I stay ahead of hunger by snacking on fruit all day, and then when my favorite junk food is around it's less tempting. Or at least I have less.

Hello ALL

Carol Sue glad to see LOL on your hubby and whether or not you had mood swings. You had a calm body re: menopause. Lucky YOU Carol Sue working these hours my husband says I am the only person he knows that can get in the bed and as soon as my head hits the pillow I'm out but if I wake up and want to talk to him I'll start talking, he answers and falls back asleep again when he's here. I don't hear much of anything when I'm asleep, you pretty much need to shake me OR cook something I'll wake up

PrairieQueen, didn't think about not having a car I was thinking the car would go across the water with you, so I understand

Jacqui I use to be quite the night owl when I was home. Oh and they were so use to it I could vacuum and no one not even my husband when he was there would wake up. He would look up but the kids would sleep straight through. They sleep through anything thank goodness. Thanks re: Rissa She's a lovable person I'm at 171.9 as of this morning but it probably won't hold ... the cookie monster got me this afternoon

melissa I buy the Archer Farms honey crunch cashews (I think the flavor is correct) and I tend to always finish those. It's only cashews that I do that with in any form. But hey it is a good fat to have right? Yeah I know in moderation (is the key) It's hard for me to get in all of my protein also. I'm not big on eggs. Though I've been trying to eat at least one for breakfast

Nope, Rennie, you're not the only one. DH: Head. Pillow. Out. Annoying! Me: Toss/turn. Flip/flop. Ugh! ... 'least he does not get annoyed with me....much....for that....

At lunch, I had a nice Greek salad purchased from the Farmer's Market this morning. It had olives. I ate them. And I've been suffering from too much salt all evening. Dehydration headache. ow ow ow.

I skipped breakfast today. I used to be a breakfast-free person until I started trying to lose weight....I'm not sure if this is a new goal of mine, or if I just miss my oatmeal. (The box was emptied some time ago, and I haven't purchased more.)

Still working too much...still stressed....but having success at work, so there's that.....

...."the nuts can make us insane".....

Okay, I'm on late night/early morning again. It's still Wednesday night for me, so this post refers to Wednesday!

Melissa and healthylivingalways!

Melissa, I know that is so frustrating, but I have to admit, I chuckled a little because that is SOOO me! I have the worse time with nuts! I love them but I go overboard with them so easily! Even today I had some Emerald Cocoa Almonds and I was determined to have only 10, and I kept picking up the jar and picking up the jar until I ate half the jar! I about make myself sick! So, yeah, beware the nuts!

Healthylivingalways, that is very good advice! And usually I do eat loads of veggies. But there's just something about the colder weather that makes me want to eat comfort foods and sweets. During warmer weather I want salads. I just wish I'd want salads all year round! But yes, I need to be more disciplined and stick with eating the foods I know work best for me.

Carol Sue, I have read that caffeine is really bad for hot flashes. I didn't have Diet Dr. Pepper yesterday or today, so maybe I can get a little streak going, although I'm not making any promises, lol, and keep my fingers crossed it will help!

Rennie, yay on the 171.9! No cookies for you tomorrow, no nuts for me, lol! I dread getting on the scale tomorrow!

SeeMyFeet, I think olives affect me the same way. My taste buds love them. My joints don't. Too much salt holding water I think. ;yes: I had a pickle with dinner tonight. That might not have been a good idea either for the same reason. We'll see if I wake up all swollen tomorrow! Well, you know, more than usual. I do my Tim Conway walk to the bathroom EVERY morning when I wake up, lol, but usually I can start moving more normally pretty quickly, but not when I've had too much salt!

ZCA72, ugh shorts! I'm happy it's going to be warm enough before we know it to wear shorts again, but oh my legs look awful, especially since losing weight! Are Bermuda shorts in this year? Lol!

PrairieQueen, where you at? Lol!

Week 41: High 172.5, Low 168.5
2/23--172.5
2/24--171.5
2/25--170.5
2/26--169
2/27--168.5 Carb Day

Week 42:
2/28--169
2/29--170.5
3/1--168.5
3/2--168.5
3/3--
3/4--
3/5--

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
2 slices of bacon
Mio water

Lunch:
Protein bar
Yogurt
Mio water

Tea Time:
Emerald Cocoa Almonds (too many!)

Dinner:
2 cheeseburger patties
Baled beans
Pickle
Mio water

Today's Exercise: