CHRIS, here's the recipe I posted 3 years ago. I'd say now, with having agave syrup, you could probably use that instead of the apple juice conc. if you wish, maybe a tad watered down possibly?

APPLE BROWN BETTY

Ingredients:

4 cups apples
1 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup frozen concentrated apple juice
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 lemon


Directions: Slice 2 cups unpeeled apples into quart baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 the juice from 1/2 lemon.

Mix together in a bowl: wheat germ, rolled oats, cinnamon, thawed apple juice, and butter.

Sprinkle 1/2 oat and wheat germ mixture on top of apples. Slice the rest of the unpeeled apples on top; sprinkle with remaining lemon juice; and then sprinkle the remaining oat and wheat germ mixture over the apples.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until apples are soft and the topping is crunchy.

Serves 6.

Hey all!

This will be quick as I have dragged myself to the computer after a night of pure H**l! It's my TOM and last night I was is so much pain that I literally could not get out of bed--I couldn't walk. I took two pain pills that had no effect what so ever. If there was any doubt in my mind about the surgery it is gone now! The pain gets worse every month. The pain is better this morning, but still there. As soon as I have the tests run on the 13th, I'm calling to schedule that dadgum surgery!

I'll try to get on a little later to respond to everyone, but now I'm just too wiped out! I'm thinking about all of you and hoping you have a good OP day (ahem--that means you too Monet!!!!).

Love you all!
Susan

Deb--thanks! Ive been wanting some Apple Brown Betty and knew it was on the recipe board but didn't have the time to look for it. The best part is that I think I have everything to make it in the house--when I can stand upright again, I'll make a batch!

S

Gosh, it's time for lunch and I'm just now getting to make a post. Too busy here. Well another major test of willpower this a.m. I had to stop at Krispy Kreme and get 20 dozen do-nuts. The smell all the way to work drove me crazy. Plus I had to turn down the free one the guy tried to give me. I kept drinking my coffee while everyone was eating away. It was hard since I only had a quick pudding for breakfast.

I feel silly telling you all this, b/c I feel too old, but DH has been wanting me to get some leather pants. A friend of ours has been hounding me about it too, like I'm not going to do it. So last week DH said we had to find some. He even asked a girl at work where to get them. SO we went to Fashion Shop last night but they only had a size 2 (don't I wish). Then I saw some in Meijers (a grocery/dept store sorta of like a Super Wal-Mart). They had some for $80. I hated for him to spend that much. But he said get them. Luckily when we got to the you scan (I was too embarrassed to go to the regular check-out) they were on sale for $60. Now I have some big motivation. I bought them very tight (why were leather if they aren't tight right?) plus they stretch out so every time I think about eating off plan I think about getting into those pants and it will keep me legal.

We are going to Keeneland (race track in Lexington) tomorrow and he wants me to wear them.. The friend is going to so I'm not going to tell him and just come out in them. I do feel silly, like an old lady trying to look young, but what the heck.


Heart, glad you liked the aerobics class. It sounds like fun. I'm sure you will be in those 170's next WIW. You go girl.

Chris, I think those pitas count as 1 bread so 2 breads is fine. I always split mine and make 2 out of one. That way you get more topping than bread. I usualy eat 3 halves. Have fun on your night out.

Sef, Soory abut your car, glad it wasn't serious. Prayers for your friend's family. How sad. Will be sending for you Sat during your friend's funeral.

Talitha, Good idea for your reward system. Some of it is for your family too. Good idea on your Friday fasting and praying. Sometimes we need to refocus spiritually too.

Deb, glad you got that micro-wave taken care. I bet poor Micheal is wasting away to nothing w/o it. Poor Eli. I know good help is hard to find, but the man needs some reliable help. We are going to holdyou accountable on those chocolates. Does Eli try to sabatoge you on purpose?

Monet, I'm sure som,e of that 7 lbs is from the wt of the mexican food last night and will be gone in a day or 2. You have faced the music so now you can move forward and fix it. Sorry you are stiff and sore. The weather change really doesn't affect me like that. I wondered if my hip could be the RA, but it soesn't seem to be in the joint area. I got some kind of shot, not sure what it was but it only lasted about a month. I will get another tomorrow.

JackieO, I sent a private message to Fruit along with my cell #. I will do the same to you. Hopefuly we can arrange a lunch on Sunday. I am very cold natured so I will bring a jacket.

Melf, WTG on that exercise. You are doing great. I'm sure you are enjoying that grandbaby. Those are the best kind of babies.

Jenn, it really wouldn't be running a business if you just did it by word of mouth and told your friends about it.

Pancho. Hope DH's surgery goes ok today. I need to watch that show next week. I can't tell you young people on the board enough about how important it is to lose this extra wt while you are young. I sure wish I ahd done it sooner. Now at 50 the elasticity is gone from my skin and after losing 100 lbs there is no where for all that saggy skin to go. I definatelly need a tuck here, and here, and here. So doe it now while you can get back in shape. I have had numerous trainers tell me that other than surgery, there is no way to tone all that skin especially at my age.

Bob, big football weekend ahead. I'm pulling for the Vols. UK has a by. Lots of baseball too. I love the playoffs.

Got to go eat. I'm starving.

Jackie

How cool to get leather pants!!! Don't for a minute think you are too old to wear leather. How cool to be small enough to wear leather. I love wearing things that cool and cute....things some people would say are for the younger ladies......PLEASE! Our hearts and spirits are alive we should wear things that make us feel good. When you look in that mirror see all the hard work you have put into being able to wear those pants. If we ever meet I'll wear my leather skirt.

Have a blast and enjoy every minute of it.

Love and hugs,
Crystle

Jack-k- my goal is a size 10- when I get there I plan on buying me a pair also. And hey, I'm sure you will look classy in them. Put a nice sweater with it. You talking about being too old is silly- guess what I saw the other week while at Walmart? A woman who was around 60 wearing a skin tight Hooter's tank top. She actually looked good though, considering she probably just had a boob job(hence the shirt to show it off).

Plastic surgery- I personally am against it. And believe me, my body is a mess. I need tucked, liposuction, laser surgery for stretch marks, a boob job, etc...BUT- what's going to be my response when God asks me why I did that to my body he gave me? I know that the best thing I can do is to eat right and exercise- to be healthy. The world has become so superficial now. Everyone is caught up in their looks so much that plastic surgery is so common now. It shouldn't be. I can see where some incidences of plastic surgery are necessary- too correct birth defects or burns,etc.. but America is getting carried away with it. Okay, I'm off my soapbox now. Sorry if I offend anyone- just my entitled opinion.

SUSAN- I really feel for you. Are you thinking about a hysterectomy? Female problems run in my family. My Mom had one when I was around 10 or so and all of her sisters(she's got 5) have had them along with a couple of my cousins. I really hope that I don't have to get one. I used to have extremely painful periods where I thought I would pass out from the pain. But for some reason, after having kids it got better. Although now I have cysts and fibroid tumors- but the pain is manageable. Hope you get to feeling better.

I'm starting to wonder if I should have done the 3 mile tape today after the 2 workouts yesterday. The soreness has set in and my thighs are killing me! It hurts just to sit down and get up.

Talitha- I have to agree with Deb about you not eating enough. Need to make sure you're giving your body proper nourishment. Remember that slow and steady weight loss is good on your body than losing it very fast and taking a chance it'll come back on too easily. It gives your body time to adjust and adapt to it. BTW- How do you pronounce Selah's name? Is it like Seelah? I've wondered that for awhile now and thought I would finally ask,lol.

Going to play 1 round of solitaire then eat lunch--and again, don't take personal offense to my post about PS(please)...

Just have time for a quick post. I am so happy that I did not go home last night and self destruct after my disaster of a day yesterday. I made burgers on the grill, heated up some chili and we had chili cheeseburgers on Nature's Own SGSFWW buns.

Not sure what are plans are for tonight. Joe's working late, I think, so Seth and I may go to the high school football game and root on the Pflugerville Panthers. The last game we went to was 4 days after Jordan left for bootcamp and I started bawling during the National Anthem. I'll try and do better tonight.

Better run. No big plans for the week-end, just watching the Horns play tomorrow and the usual week-end laundry and chores. Have a great week-end everyone.

Trish

This article really ticked me off!

Sugar Busters

Con Review



Authored by H. Leighton Steward. Sugar is the cause of excessive weight. It increases the level of insulin in the body and increases the likelihood of food being stored as fat. Foods that ranked high on their glycemic index (index of how fast food appears in the blood as glucose) should be avoided, such as white bread, pasta and low-fiber carbohydrates.

Con: There is no evidence high insulin levels causes people to store excess fat. But there is plenty of evidence that shows it causes heart disease. Carbohydrate consumption only causes a temporary increase in insulin levels, which the body deals with easily.


The following excerpt regarding insulin is from a review written by Kathy Goodwin, a registered dietition for The Diet Channel:

...Insulin Insanity

Low carb plans arouse an irrational fear about the hormone insulin. Insulin, like other hormones in the body, has many vital functions. One function is to enable our cells to take up glucose from the bloodstream and use it for energy. This gives us the ability to do everything from lifting a finger to recalling memories to running a marathon. Insulin has become unpopular (in obese countries) due to the fact that it helps the body store fat. Because of this fat storing function, low carb plans have condemned insulin to eternal damnation. Unfortunately, it's a very undeserved reputation based on false and twisted truths. One false theory is that only carbohydrate in the diet will stimulate insulin production. The truth is that all ingested foods stimulate insulin production. The second false theory is that insulin stores fat only when high carb foods are eaten. The bottom line with regard to the body's biochemistry is that fat will only be stored if too much food (from any source) is eaten. If the body takes in less calories than it uses in a day, all those calories will be "burned" or used for energy. It does not matter what percentage of those calories came from fat, protein or carbohydrate. On the other hand, if the body takes in more calories than it burns, insulin will help to store those extra calories as fat. Again, it does not matter where the extra calories come from. In fact, if the extra calories are from carbohydrate, the body actually burns some calories in order to turn carbohydrate into fat for storage. In contrast, extra fat calories can be immediately stored as fat. To blame insulin as the sole contributor to obesity is not only ludicrous, it's irresponsible thinking. What about all those days when we got into our cars, sat at the office all day, got the supersize meal from the drive-through, "remote-controlled" the TV all night while devouring ice cream to comfort our stress and emotions? Might this be a better explanation for rampant obesity in America? Obesity is an extremely complex issue. It has to do not only with excess calories and lack of exercise, but also genetics, psychological issues, social issues, medical problems and so many other things. The fact that normal portion sizes at restaurants are growing ever more outrageous, and that high calorie, high fat foods are cheaper and more accessible than ever doesn't help either. Obesity is not a simple issue and insulin is not the cause...

The real issue with low carbohydrate diets is their sustainability. They are effective in the short-term, but rarely in the long-term. Do you really believe you are going to be able to give up sugar, white flour, pasta, most bread, etcetera... for the rest of your life? For weight loss and general fitness we are much bigger fans of lifestyle exercise activities such as tennis, hiking, walking, cycling, dancing, climbing, etcetera... These are the type of activities that you don't think of as exercise and sustain themselves in the long-term. Add a basic food program or one of the simple and inexpensive online programs for structure and support, and you have the best possible option for success.

Here's Sugar Busters

Pro Review



Go directly to Sugar Busters Con Review

Authored by H. Leighton Steward. Sugar is the cause of excessive weight. It increases the level of insulin in the body and increases the likelihood of food being stored as fat. Foods that ranked high on their glycemic index (index of how fast food appears in the blood as glucose) should be avoided, such as white bread, pasta and low-fiber carbohydrates.

Pro: Review of Sugar Busters

Note that I am not using the word "diet". I am of the school that considers "diet" to be a 4-letter word. Rather, Sugar Busters for me is a way of life.

First things first- Sugar Busters is not a low-carbohydrate way of eating. I think there are a lot of misconceptions about Sugar Busters. It is nothing like the Atkins plan (which advocates low carbohydrates) or any of the other weight-loss plans that advocate high-protein, low-carb eating habits that force your body into an unnatural metabolic state.

What Sugar Busters advocates is a low refined sugar, low white flour way of eating. From now on, I will refer to all the "evils" as just sugar (white flour is metabolized in the body in the same way as refined (white) sugar is). I'm not going to re-write the entire book here, but to summarize- when you eat sugar, your blood sugar rises and your body releases insulin to lower the amount of sugar in your blood. Elevated insulin levels cause your body to store extra fat. The theory is- cut down on the sugar, and you will stop storing so much fat.

Sugar Busters does advocate eating plenty of "good" carbohydrates. These include things like most fruits (apples, oranges, berries), most vegetables, and products containing whole grains (i.e. Whole Wheat bread that doesn't contain sugar in the ingredient list). These carbohydrates do not cause your blood sugar level to rise nearly as much as the bad sugars do.

The Sugar Busters book

For the most part, the book is well-written. I read through it surprisingly quickly. The authors go into a good amount of detail about why eating sugar and white flour cause you to gain weight. They provide plently of scientific evidence and detail to convince you that their theory is a valid one. But the science isn't so detailed or complex that the average reader can't grasp it.

One problem with the book itself (and the reason why I give it 4 stars, not 5) is that it did leave me with a lot of questions. For instance, you will find a lot of foods at Whole Foods or other natural food stores that are sweetened with Cane Juice or other natural sugars. Are these foods OK? (the answer, I have since discovered, is no. Foods sweetened with fruit juice, however, are OK). Furthermore, while the book does give pretty good lists of what foods are acceptable and what are not, there are still plenty of foods that are not found on the list. To answer my questions, I did a lot of research on the internet, and was able to find lots of "Glycemic Index" lists (The Glycemic Index is how foods are ranked based on how much they elevate your blood sugar).

My experience with Sugar Busters
First of all, let me say that weight loss was not my primary reason for following the Sugar Busters way of eating. I am not overweight, though I had gained a few pounds that I wanted to lose. My main reason for following Sugar Busters is that I am borderline hypoglycemic, and get migraine headaches when my blood sugar drops too low. I have been told many times in the past by doctors to eat less sugar, but not until I read Sugar Busters and learned all the science behind what happens in your body
was I motivated to really cut down on my sugar intake (Sugar Busters includes an entire chapter devoted to hypoglycemia).

When I stick to Sugar Busters, my hypoglycemia symptoms are basically gone. No migraines, moodiness, shakiness, etc. Furthermore, I did lose the little bit of weight I had gained. I also don't get the ups and downs that come with eating sugar (big bursts of energy followed by big "down" times where I feel exhausted).

I will admit, Sugar Busters is not always easy to stick to, especially if you eat out a lot. Furthermore, you will really have to be careful at the grocery store and be adamant about reading the labels- you wouldn't believe what they stick sugar into. I only stuck 100% to the guidelines for a few weeks. But I have made a lot of lifestyle eating changes thanks to Sugar Busters that I still stick to to this day- I only buy whole grain bread, drink absolutely no sugared beverages, etc. A few weeks ago, I was on my honeymoon and basically ignored Sugar Busters- within a few days, I was getting headachy, lethargic, etc., and wound up with a 24 hour long migraine. Wow, was that a big reminder of why I started doing Sugar Busters in the first place.

In conclusion, Sugar Busters gave me the motivation I needed to switch to a healthier lifestyle. Although I always considered myself a healthy eater before (vegetarian, no fatty foods, etc.) I was way off with the amount of sugar I was eating. I highly recommend this lifestyle to anyone, regardless of whether you are trying to lose weight or not. Read the book, and it just might change your perspective.

Commentary: The biggest problem with "low carb" diets like The Zone, the Atkins Diet or Sugar Busters is the fact most individuals don't follow them as prescribed by their creators. They sacrifice healthy, complex carbohydrates at the same time that they dramatically increase consumption of the worst kind of fat (saturated). Those in the minority who follow low carbohydrate plans correctly have a dramatically higher long-term success rate. eDiets, the leader in online weight loss now offers low carb plans that are much more user-friendly than these long, complicated books.
a Pro review---

Well the weekend officially has started. Finally.

Heading out to happy hour. Planning on ice tea again.

I made chips out of ww tortillas in case we go Mexican to eat tonight so I will be set.

Tomorrow they ahve sandwiches at the track so I will take my ww bread and switch it.

Fillise, sorry you are feeling so bad. Just think how great you will feel after the surgery.

Country, thanks you are so sweet. We can wearf our leather together and be biker babes. I also bought a leather jacket, simply b/c I didn't have a coat to wear at all except for a heavy long wool one. So All I need now is a Harley.

BOb, if I see one that reminds me of you, I will put $2.00 on it and send you the winnings.

Heart, when you get up and it hurts, just think about no pain no gain and the results you are getting. That will make the pain less. If I wore a Hooter's shirt I would have to tuck it in (& they're not long enough) just so they don't fall out the bottom Heck I figure I'm 50, happily married and DH love me no matter what I look like (I hope) so why waste the money.

Trish, Bless your heart. I hope you make it through the National Anthem tonight. Just be very proud of your son.


I won't be back until Monday, so have a great, relaxing and OP weekend.

Jackie

Afternoon, everyone!

I have concentrated on sticking to on program foods today. So far, I have managed. I have been tempted terribly, but have not caved in. The chips were calling to me, but I told them to shut up! Instead, I had some triscuits with cheese and chipped beef.

FILLISE: What time are you pulling that Apple Brown Betty from the oven? Have I got time to get there? What is it? Three hours? Send me directions!

BOB: Um, so who are you pulling for? Dawgs or Tide? (gosh there seems like there is so much to learn when it comes to college football! I feel like a dunce!)

DEB: I may need the DD. I will give it a few days and see what happens! You could bring the traveling one here, and enjoy the cooler weather.... I can empathize about the kids and leaving their mark in mess...mine are all terrible! I thought making them do all the housework would teach them to be better, but it did not work! They are all still slobs!

HEART: Those anti SB articles really burn me. That dietician doesn't know SQUAT about how insulin works! How do they get through college with such ignorance??? Of course excess insulin causes weight gain! Any idiot can figure that out. I thank God my doctor is not one of the idiots! Finding a goal weight is a pain these days! There are so many charts out there! I sure hope your hubby eventually gets on the SB bandwagon! Men are so dense when it comes to healthy eating! Mine is such an exception...but then, he watched his father suffer and struggle with a heart condition and did not want to deal with that if he could help it. He made it his life long goal to be as healthy as he could be...his self discipline can be disgusting at times! Especially when I am falling off the wagon, like last night!

TRISH: I hope you can make it through the game with out losing it. I have to admit just the thought brought tears to my eyes, and I started giggling at the same time. I cry at everything. Crying is good for you though...and it means you are not numbing your feelings, which is healthier than stuffing them! I guess you can call them proud tears...so cry away. Jordan deserves those tears!

JACK: Hey, go for the leather, baby! If your hubby suggested it, paid for it, and WANTS you to wear them, do it! Who else matters? Leather is not just for young chicks. Old chicks can wear it too. You strut that stuff, and have a blast! By the way, when my hip was bothering me, it did not seem to be in the joint either, but it was. The hip joint is weird... Hope it improves soon!

COUNTRY: Can't wait to see you in your leather skirt and Jack in her leather pants! I hope some day, I can fit into something leather! Right now, the only leather I can wear is shoes....

DEB: Thanks for posting that recipe. I am getting apples next week, and will have to try it out. I wonder if it will crisp up with the agave? I find agave tends to make stuff soft and not crisp.

CHRISD: There is a very good article on mercury poisoning in last month's Reader's Digest. Symptoms that were sighted in the article included brain fog, hair loss, and extreme fatigue. I get all that from being hypothyroid!

JECRITES: I would think if you don't do many cakes, just a few here and there, it would not be considered a business. If you are planning on advertising, you may have to consider it more officially a business, and check out the rules and regulations. If you can approach the powers that be on base and ask them if your doing a few cakes for people constitutes a business to them, I bet they will tell you no. After all, if you knitted sweaters and sold them here or there, no one would consider it a business... Can you decorate a plain round cake too? Or do you only do the character pans?

PANCHO: What is eye revision surgery? Is it that laser surgery? I am considering having that done, but I have a very bad astigmatism. I used to wear contacts, but now my eyes are too dry and I can't tolerate them. I miss them! Especially since I hate wearing glasses!

Ladies I will address you all I appreciate the kind remarks on my picture, and if you could see me I am blushing some.

About leather pants, I think they are cool and sexy and age has no right to dictate who can or can not wear them. Enjoy them. To a certain degree we can not control what people think or say, so you do what you want and enjoy life. A woman in church the other day made a comment on a lady who always wears a hat, by saying I wonder why she always wears a hat, women do not do that any more. I said she does and they look good on her and apparently makes her feel good, at least she's different . Boy did I get a glare.(knowing men think they get in the last word) I said guess they don't look good on you huh.in a huff She just walked away.
Now I did not feel good about that as I really did not intend to hurt feelings especially in church.


Hope everyone has a good weekend and here in DFW stands for Dallas fort worth area the weather is just beautiful.
Tommorow I have to go take my Spanish lesson, at 1Pm go watch my grandson play soccer, then turnaround 2 hrs later and go watch my Granddaughter play soccer. So eat right and keep a smile on that pretty face and believe me it does make it pretty.

SuperDave

JACK-K: Just to let you know - I got your message and I'll be sure to call you. I'll contact you either Friday or Saturday.

DEB: I'll work on him this weekend....I never had brought it up again.

Mis