Weekly Challenges:


1. Try a new recipe and post it with a review.

2. Share what your biggest problem in the temptation area is, and let others help with creative solutions.

3. Drink your water!


Now go out there and make this a good week!

Good morning all my sugarbusting buddies!

I am so happy to report that I do have a super geek in the house, who found my pst file and all my other missing data and figured out a way to set it up so I can pull it off the harddrive onto my new one at my leisure. SO, all my emails, addresses, favorites, etc. are back!

My new harddrive and optimized system runs much faster than the old one, and I am over the frustrated tears and loving it!

THIN: I use cream soups some, but read the label. I figure the amount of white flour in each portion is negligible, but I only use them occasionally, when there is a specific recipe I want to use. For instance, I put cream of onion in my last squash casserole- which was killer I might add, the best I had ever made according to my daughter- and I make a family comfort food which is a chicken casserole, now and then that uses cream of chicken and cream of celery. I think its better if you can use alternatives, and only use the canned soups now and then. I use the ww low carb tortillas they have sometimes at Publix. If I can't find them, I buy 100% whole wheat ones at Harry's. I don't buy the La Torilla Factory brand, because they are chocked full of soy, and other junk, and make me ill when I eat them.

HEART: I am so sorry about that boy at church. I agree that comfort like the father is feeling comes only from God. My daughter's best friend was killed in a car accident a few years ago, with three other teens. I knew her mother well, and watched how difficult it was for her to deal with the pain. (as well as the pain my daughter and even I felt) The girl was a strong believer, and wanted to be a missionary. Her mother is a believer as well, but those deep times of pain are when we meet God best. Strange as it seems, he is always there. Spiritual growth seems to happen best when we are so down we have no where to turn but Him. I hope and pray the family will continue to feel God's comfort.

TONI: Those burritos do sound good...I think I will get some ww tortillas.

FILLISE: Yep, we do go through the laundry! My kids would probably kill that machine in a month! I am always fussing at them to not overload my large capacity machine! I may start sending them to a laundry mat... I feel sure we won't be able to pull together an Atlanta meet until after you get back. Whatcha gonna do in NYC?

Ok, I am off (but only slightly!) Time for breakfast and hopefully a walk!

Just a fly by. Have to go work out at the gym in about 20 min. And still have to brush my teeth, etc.
Lost just 1 pound this past week. I weigh in on monday mornings. It was a scant pound, but I have a balance scale and it is difficult to tell to the quarter pound. I can see that even with my constant vigilence to be "perfect" it is going to be a long haul and a fight for every pound lost. It certainly is easy to be tempted to throw in the towel. I was hoping the hard part would not come so soon.

Breakfast: meusli--homemade about 300 Kcals.

I only have one more flower to cross stitch on my afghan and then I'm finished. I started this about 25 years ago and worked on it only when we traveled. It is almost a memory blanket with all the history that was going on through those years. I am planning on working on it DURING the week and maybe I can get it finished by the weekend. Then I'll just have to knot the fringe.

Hope everyone has a good SB week.

Hello all--welcome to the start of a brand new week!

I've been slowly weeding stuff out of my house. Since I work at home I tend to accumulate a lot of paper and it gets junky pretty quickly. I've been tacking one problem spot a day for the last week and it is going pretty well. If I keep this up I might actually be able to restore order!!!!! It also helps that I'm working through the pile of clothes on my bedroom floor too. I can actually see the floor now!!!!

This morning for beakfast:

1/2 cup fiber one cereal, 1/2 cup 1% milk, and 1/2 cup blueberries.

Last night I made a fritata for supper--with all the fresh zuchhini around I think that's going to be a summer staple!

Monet--I am taking my youngest niece to NYC for her 13th birthday. I promised both my nieces that I would take them to NY the summer they turned 13. Her birthday was yesterday and we leave on the 14th for NY. After this trip I have to STAY HOME and work for a while!!! The coffers are getting waaayyy depleted with all the traveling I've been doing. Of course that doesn't preclude a trip to Atlanta on a weekend.

I hope everyone has a good week. Let's keep working towards our goals!

Susan

Gator, we were posting at the same time! Don't think of it as just a pound---there's also the one or two pounds you didn't gain! I know if I'm not vigilant, it's not a matter of staying the same, I gain--rapidly! So a small loss is a bigger net--because I know it would have beena gain otherwise!

Still, it stinks that it goes on so fast and comes off so slowly!

Susan

Good morning everyone! Shock and Ahhh here cause we got rain. Missouri is having a heck of time with hot temps and no rain. It was so dry and awful out. Of course we were trying to barbeque chicken out when it started. Couldn't believe my DH got it done.

Jack-K- Wanted to tell you thank you for the offer to send me some South Beach food. My daughter in law in South Carolina asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I gave her a list of stuff I couldn't get here and shes going to hunt them down there for me. Hopefully she'll find them.

Fillise- What a nice thing for you to do for your nieces for their birthday. Wow what a clean up you're doing. Wish I would start something like that.

Gatorgal- Oh my gosh what a long time to do an afgan. But what wonderful memories it holds. It must surely be a lovely prize.

Monet- Thank you for starting us off this morning. I sure need to get with the water. But oh this good coffee is so nice this morning. Glad you have one of those geeks in your house. My DH is ours....

Guess I'd better get busy and get my shower. Have a great OP day....

Good Morning:

We will be leaving here in about an hour for swim lessons, although I have debated taking Lane; she has a little bit of a cold. Doesn't it figure? My kids have been well all summer, and here we are a few days before our summer vacation and they get sick. Britt was sneezing when she woke up, so I think she is getting it too. Hopefully it will be short lived cold. We've got to go get the oil changed in the truck after that.

I got up at 4 a.m. to get to the gym, and will go again on Wed. That will be it this week, since we leave early on Thursday for our trip. I am sure we will be doing a lot of walking, etc...I am going to eat what I want but not go overboard, and then get back to being more stict when I get home. I have been too lenient over the past 3-4 months.

I hope to check in again, but the next few days will be very busy...doing laundry, packing, running errands, etc...

Talitha: So good to see you again!! Welcome back and Congrats on the birth of Jacob. For most people, pregnancy is far from being a great weight loss plan . We look forward to seeing your posts more often now.

Monet: So glad you were able to recover that info.; that would have been very sad to lose all that. We are leaving early Thursday.

BOB: I can't believe that I have "met" someone more accident prone than myself . I am glad that you weren't hurt any worse than you were. I hope you are feeling better soon! At least you were wearing new panties !

Gator: Sounds like you made some great progress in your yard. Your steps are very impressive! That afghan sounds AWESOME!!

Heart: Congrats on staying legal all weekend. I am sure you learned your lesson about skipping BF. I am so sorry to hear about the death of that precious child. I can't imagine the grief.

Toni: So sorry to hear about your dog being ill. It is so tough to lose a furry member of the family. We lost 2 dogs 4 months apart, and it is still with me.

Cindy: I am glad that your dd has agreed to some hospice care to give your dm some relief. Caring for a sick one must be so difficult. I am sure your dm appreciates all that you do for them.

Thin: I am sure that the tortillas are fine. Sometimes the lc stuff tends to be a little higher in fat, so just watch for that. I think cream soups are questionable, due to modified corn starch and other ingredients. I use them occasionally and don't worry too much about it. You are usually using one can for an entire recipe, so it is well broken out.

Well, I gotta get the girls to get dressed and brush teeth and get their hair pulled back.

I'll try to check in later!

Take care!
Nat

Just a fly by...took James to work, and then ran to the store. A friend is coming over with her two girls in a bit...she just called and told me she is bringing another five year old with her, because the mom called and asked her to keep the child a few hours. She asked if I minded...told her no, but if the kid was a pain, I might ask her not to bring her back!

Breakfast was whole wheat waffles with agave, and four strips of bacon. I drank a Pepsi One for caffeine. I need to get off milk products for a few days, and so no espresso. ( )

I need to go finish putting stuff away and clean up a bit in the kitchen. I also need to pack up some crafts to mail to my niece. I am hoping they like them and pay me lots of $$ for them!

I will be back later!

Happy Monday Ladies.

I love short weeks. We leave Friday morning so I only have to work 4 days. But I have tons of stuff to cram in those 4 days after work.

Had a busy but good weekend. Eating was great, except for some wheat thins at a birthday party. That was the only cracker other than a Ritz so I thought it was a better choice. Plus it was my only starch for the day. I also had 3 ritas, We had some good food Saturday. Grilled Grouper and squash and zuchini. Yum! Didn't take any water pills over the weekend. Last week I was only taking 1 a day trying to cut back. The scale was up 6 pounds. I find it hard to believe it was from the ritas.

Got up this morning and got my treadmill and bun roller done. Don't know how much wts I will get this week with so much to do before vacation.


Monet, I'm glad your computer is up and running and you love it again.

Toni, if there is something your SIL can't find, I'll be glad to send it to you. Hope we get some of that rain here soon. Our grass is getting brown.

Gator, 1 pound is great. much better than a gain. Can't beleive you are getting your afghan finished after 25 years. Has it yellowed or anything?

Susan, When you finish your clutter, come to my house. I have a desk that could use cleaning out. What a great aunt you are. NY is a awesome place for 13 year olds to venture. Will you do some shows?

Nat, sure hope the girls are not getting colds. Maybe it is allergies. Have a wonderful trip. I hope Sara Lee has a smaller bun, those others are huge. I keep seeing all the stories on the fires there. That is so sad. Hope they get under control soon.

Heart: Who Hoo! I knew you could do it. WTG on making it a legal weekend.

Cindy, Hospice is a wonderful organization. They will help everyone in your family. Still sending prayers for your DD and your family.

Talitha, welcome backand congrats on your new son. Looking forward to "talking" with you again.

Bob, hope you have recovered from your fall.

BF: mini bagel with light cream cheese.
Snack: celery 7 PB
Lunch: tuna w SB crackers, peach
Dinner, steak, salad, aspargus, another veggie.

I'm trying to get the fridge cleaned out and am running out of fruits and veggies. It will be lean eating this week.

Have a great day. Off to eat some lunch.

Thanks, gals, for the encouragement on the "just one pound" loss. It would have been easy to have a cookie or something as a defiant gesture toward my recalcitrant body. I went to work out this morning and I was so sore from the weeding that we did last night that I couldn't do the dead lifts. My back is really sore right now, along with my hamstrings. In fact, I'm gonna take a day off from walking. Just need a rest. I got 9500 steps in yesterday, and 16000+ each of the two days before that. The steps are not hard to rack up if you pay attention to it.

I saw an old acquaintance this morning at the gym. She is probably in her 50's and was a TINY little thing, probably weighing barely over 100. Tiny waist, etc. etc. She has gained about 20 pounds since I last say her about 9 months ago, and as we talked, she mentioned that she has been totally fatigued and discovered that she had very low thyroid function. In fact, she is seeing an endocrinologist for her thyroid problem. So we exchanged tales about our thyroid meds. It just reminded me how challenging keeping weight under control is for anyone with thyroid problems. MONET--how have you TSH numbers, etc, been doing?

Susan--How nice to take your neice to NYC. And how fun.

Jackie--It probably has yellowed slightly, but it is 100%acrylic and so it looks OK. I was gonna try to attach a picture, but need a new battery for my digital camera.

One other thing I forgot to post. I love avocados and occasionally have an avocado and tomato sandwich on 1/2 WW pita. It is yummy, and sticks with me. I noticed that florida avocados are now selling in the grocers as "SlimCado" Lite, with 35% fewer calories and 50% less fat than the Haas California avocado. Even though I'm from Fla, I prefer the California fruit because of the taste. But today I tried a "SlimCado" and, yep, it was lower in calories, but still really has no taste. So I'm going back to the California variety. However, for you avocado lovers out there, you might want to give "SlimCado" a try, and you may like it just as well. 35 Kcals vs. 55 Kcals might be very appealing.

Checking in to post my menu so far: Lunch was a hodge podge... I had chicken and brown rice cooked in the pressure cooker, several fresh cukes from the garden, a slice of apple with a bit of pb on it, and a Pepsi One. I also ate a nectarine to keep it from going bad...

GATOR: I have not had my TSH or other levels checked in almost a year. My doctor was booted off my insurance, and I am having a mental crisis about finding another...

Ok, I'm officially back. I can't remember what I wrote before, but did I mention that I was in a car accident 2 weeks before JAcob was born? Well, someone remind me if you need more details. I got a second opinion on Friday and they confirmed this morning that I most likely need back surgery. I'm devastated. It's been 6 months and I was really holding on to the belief that it would heal. Now I'm looking at needing to hire a nanny for a month for my recovery. It feels like a pretty imposible situatioin. Did I also tell you that Travis lost his job the same day, well really the same HOUR as the accident. It's been a pretty long haul. We almost lost our house and everything, but we are coming out of it.
As far as my eating, I am using the weight loss shakes that I sell. I made sure that they are SB legal. They are made with protein from yellow peas and sweetened with stevia. So I will list that alot for meals. I never felt happier than when I discovered SB. I feel like I've kind of forgotten a good bit, and I may not follow it exactly, but I'll tell you what I'm eating. I'm too busy with working and 2 small kids to reread the book. I don't even have it!! I've been reading The Maker's Diet, and I feel like it even expands upon SB.
I jsut signed up for an online program to become a PRofessional Nutrition Specialist. I'm so excited!
I've become a 'Knit-aholic' and Crochetting too. I love it. Did you know that Parenting Magizine did a study that found knitting to be a s theraputic as Yoga? What a relief for me with a back injury, right?

Does anyone know if Ezekiel Bread is legal? I'm sure it is, since it is sprouted whole grain.

B- Just Go Fiber shake w/ blueberries
S-2 pieces of Turkey bacon, 1 hard boiled Egg
L- Curry Chicken Salad with Field Greens, Quinua Salad
S- Grapefruit, WW Pancake
D- Go Easy! Protien Shake


BOB- You're just as crazy as you always were. I love it!!

MONET- Did you know the Dekalb Farmer's Market has the large size of Agave Nectar for $4.99?

GATOR- I was reading the remarks above ARe you knitting or crochetting? Avacodo is one of the few things I can feed to Jacob. He loves it!! It was one of Selah's first foods, too.

Jack- Thanks for the welcome!!