Good Morning everyone,
It's a rainy day here in upstate NY, and I've chained myself to the computer to get a bunch of prep work done for tomorrows educational program, plus some other stuff. Stayed semi-OP over the weekend, didn't go too crazy. Will head off to the gym later and do my usual workout.
I couldn'r believe how big that house is! We have a cleaning lady, but for something like that you need a staff!
i also completely understand about eating everything in sight, even though I haven't had a majpr breakdown like that in quite awhile.
Prayers to all the victims of the wildfires...

Barbara
270/227/135

oops--Monet I didn't get a reply in to you. I have a DR. appt this afternoon too and since it has been more than a year since I've seen this Doc, I know I will be up over my last visit--ICK!

Hello Everyone!

I was very OP this weekend, despite all the (self-induced) stress. WHen I am writing, I crave munchies. GingerMen from Peppridge Farm to be exact. Must be superstition -- I ate them for my thesis writing too! LOL! Unfortunately, Triscuits are too salty for my tastes, so I will have to search for another 'legal' munchie to replace the GingerMan army.


Pancho-- My prayers are with your sister & family. Bill has a friend whose house was less than 3 miles from the fires leading edge on Saturday. We haven't been able to reach him (even with the techie Blueberry, cell phone, email etc...) We are worried, yet hoping for the best.

Fillise!! OMG-- you have been through this? Any suggestions, thoughts or secrets to pass to this apprentice? TPs might be bogus, but necessary for the applications. I have sent out the least complicated applications today-- and it felt GOOD! No! GREAT!

Debelli-- Your motivational Monday hit the spot. It feels good to avoid this difficult task, but getting a good academic job will be soo much better!! Just like being a size 12 will feel better than the GingerMen taste!!!

Gotta run, I am finishing the New Orleans presentation & then I will work on the poster. 9 days & counting down....

Emma
morning break at the lab, with Chai tea & an apple. OP

Jack-K
I'm going to be doing the South Beach (SB) (oh my gawd they even stole the Sugar Buster initials!) The Monday after Halloween.
I need to kick up my weight loss a bit!
According to the book, first 2 weeks (phase 1):
all Low glycemic veggies
Avoid:
beets
carrots
corn
potatoes (white)
tomato (limit to 1 whole or 10 cherry)

Avoid ALL FRUIT (and juices)!!!
Avoid all starchy food! All bread, oats, rice ect.
No alcohol at all!!

Avoid all dairy, no yogurt or milk, no soy milk even

Can eat:
lean beef
skinless poultry turkey and chicken breast
Lunchmeat: fat free or low fat only

Cheese: fat free or low fat

Oh man Deb those picture were unbelievable!
I have a lot of cleaning to do also. I've been sick the past week, my house is just, ugh

I haven't been eating bad, just a lot! I tend to eat when I'm sick. Must be a leftover from hearing my nana "eat something you'll feel better"
Well except for my low life husband bringing home not one, but 2 bags of oreos!! Evil evil man! I ate 8 of them!
Ok gotta clean!!

HELP!

Quick Question gals....I HAVE NEVER COOKED EGGPLANT! Do I peel it?? Does it have seeds that have to be removed?? I bought one yesterday.....but don't know what to do with it. (Pretty Pathetic....I know!)

Hi,

I did manage to stay on program all weekend and the results....down 2 pounds. I told my daughter that it wasn’t really a true loss and she said that I would have considered it a “true” gain if I had gone up the 2 pounds rather than down. So, I’ll take it.

Teensybean: I love eggplant and even grew some this summer. The eggplant can be peeled but I usually leave it on if it seems fresh and tender. The seeds do not need to be removed. The way I prepare it is to just brush it with some olive oil and a few herbs and grill it outside. Also I have used it in an eggplant parmesan dish that I will give you the recipe if you like. I don’t bread the eggplant in this recipe.

Fillise: The Wheat Montana flour sounds interesting. I have found that the flour brand really makes a difference. The Hodgson Mills is very course while the Bob’s Red Mills is fine and they are both SGWW. Sometimes I mix them in my bread to give a different texture. Yes, I am lucky to have such a view. This morning, after the rain, the leaves are a much darker color.


CountryMom: Somehow, I don’t think of you as ever having the time to be lazy. Thanks for sharing the sunset pictures...so pretty. I will be seeing Texas skies soon now.

Monet: Now, you know that I never would have thought you weird. As I recall, we were running really behind the schedule that day because of terrible thunder showers. Next time, though, I will make it happen. I will be investigating a place to stay the first night out of Dallas that will let the girls (cats) stay and be further along on the road. That way we can arrive earlier in Atlanta so we can play. We had such a good time visiting with your husband also that we are looking forward to seeing you two again.

Chrisd: I did make the Chocolate Cheesecake and it is really good. My husband wanted a taste of mine but since I wouldn’t share, he decided to just taste on another dish of it. Well, he just raved about it and ate the whole serving. (I had put the mix into individual serving bowls.) I substituted milk for both the cream and the water. Thanks for the recipe. I feel I could serve it to anyone and they would love it.

JackieO: You will be my inspiration this week to get in 5 exercise sessions. Let’s see, I stayed on program with my eating starting Friday, started Saturday with the water, exercised Sat (not Sun., it rained and I probably would have melted if I had gone out). So, now it is time to be serious about walking. Having popcorn around me would be a problem. Luckily, I don’t care for ice cream!

Jack-K: Boy have a lot of us been there.. ...even down to reading a diet book while indulging. It sounds like you now have a plan to get yourself on a better path.

Good afternoon:

It's me for a quick check-in before I have to take dd to doctor. I talked to my sister, and they are staying with a friend that she works with for now. She has a central air system so they can breathe some clean air for a change. My sister was really coughing and needed to get ahold of an inhaler to help her breathe better. They were having a difficult time getting the 2-year old to keep his breathing mask on. They stayed at a hotel last night near the Mexico border, and woke up to the smoke being nearly as bad there as it was near their home the day prior. I am continuing to pray that they don't lose their home. They may be heading here for a few days, if the freeway between Yuma and SD re-opens.

I forgot to mention that I tried some home-made pumpkin ice cream at the festival Saturday. It was pretty good. I also had a chocolate chip cookie....I think that's all the bad stuff. I have been good so far today. I had shredded wheat for breakfast with skim milk, a slice of zucc. bread and chicken/beans/cheese/lettuce/tomatoes for lunch.

Jack-K: Loved the boob-sizing post. Also had to laugh at you eating over your garbage can looking at a fitness magazine. I've so been there. I also get into that frame of mind....what else am I going to endulge in before the strike of midnight, and then I'll do better tomorrow. I really had a "free" weekend and kept telling myself that the nutritionist that I met with really encourages one free day a week. I don't take one every week, but don't beat myself up for doing it every once in a while. Today is a new day....and so is tomorrow and the next (ha).

Deb: Hope all is well with your cousin in SD. The BM sounds like a lot of fun. It is hard to imagine living like that. I'm sure they have a cleaning crew to clean it, and a landscaping crew to keep the outside nice and clean. I can't imagine having that much house; you know a lot of space is wasted!

Country: I can smell the aroma from your house right now....yum! I love this time of year for baking!

Filllise: Sounds like you are busy "Fall" cleaning. I need to get on the ball and get some closets and rooms cleaned out before Christmas, and the big jolly elf shows up.

Emma: I hope all goes well for Bill's friend. The fires are so unpredictable with those winds. You think one area is safe and then the fire turns around and scorches it. As long as I can keep track of where my sister is and know that they are o.k., than I will be o.k.

Teensy: You can just wash the eggplant, and cut it and cook it. I have made eggplant parmigiana before and I just slice it, and keep the skin on and seeds in. Enjoy it!

Yellow: Good job staying OP over the weekend; I wish I could say the same. Even looking back, I doubt that anything was worth it, except for the few bites of that funnel cake; it was yummy!

Well, I better get a few things done before we have to leave again!

Take care,
Nat

Yellow: On the chocolate cheesecake, what kind of milk did you use? I was thinking of replacing the cream and water with skim milk but wasn't sure how much to use. The pudding says to use non-fat milk anyway. I guess I could try the full amount of cream and water as skim milk and see how it turns out. Glad you liked it; I plan to make it in the next week or two.

I'm holding on..
 

Well made it through 2 meals and a snack so far.

Breakfast was yogurt and coffee. Snack was carrots and dip. Lunch was chicken salad, cauliflower with dip, 1 pc ww bread and sf jello. Chewing away on sf gum as we speak. Dinner will be spaghetti (1/2 C) and 3 meatballs with a big salad.

Going to straighten out my recipes or exercise book so I don't think about food tonight.

This bowl of kisses on my desk hasn't called my name once today.

Pancho, how horrible for your DS. Praying that all is well with their home. It may be material things, but it is still their home and the financial loss would be devasting. It is supposed to get cooler there so maybe the fires will die down and their place will be safe.

Deb, how come some people have homes like that and we don't? Doesn't seem fair. I think they should have to share their money with us less fortunate. Maybe we should have hooked up, sounds like we could have saved each other.

Ashley, Oh how I've been there sifting through the garbage. ARe we nuts or what??

Country, that goal just keeps getting further and further away. I'm back on track today so far. But I will make it. All that baking and you didn't partake? You go girl. I want to be like you.

Fillise, Nothing going on that I know of. I guess it was just leftover vacation splurge. Who knows. I was alone and that is a license to eat. Friday I got a minute candy bar here at work, snuck it in my pocket and ate it out of the drawer. Burried the wrappers in the trash so no one would know I ate the candy. Whacko! I need to clean out my closet and drawers and switch clothers around. I could have been doing that instead of gorging myself. Is your surgery going to be the vaginal or incision kind. Hoping for the first one. Recovery is easier. Sure hope you can get it in before Jan 1. I would insist on it.

Woodfrogs, Don't sit in front of that computer too long, it's not good for your eyes.

Emma, how about some nuts when those munchies hit? Good luck with all those applications. Now work on a hard one and you will really feel great.

Cherylco, thanks for the info. I thought that was the idea, didn't realize no dairy. May give it a try after tonight, already fixed spaghetti & meatballs for dinner.

Teensy, sorry I can't help you, never bought an eggplant before either.

Yellow, Congrats on those 2 lbs. And your DD is right. So take them and enjoy them. Congrats for making it through the weekend. That's my goal for the next one.

Pancho, at least your DS has somewhere to stay. Hope she can come visit you. You deserve a free day sometimes. You have done so well. When I get to gaol that is the way I want it to be. I just have to learn to make it just one day and not 2 weeks.

Bob, I thought about you so much Sat night during that game. How awesome it was. Sure thought they were going to lose it for awhile. Did you see that pass Peyton threw yesterday. It was beautiful.

Need to get busy here, but I just needed a support fix for a minute.

Jackie

Pancho: I used 1 3/4 cup of 2% milk and 4 oz of the 1/3 less fat cream cheese and 4 oz pudding mix. I think I would try to mix the pudding with the cream cheese before I added the milk since I had a hard time getting the cream cheese to blend well when I added it last. It was at room temp but I finally did get it to blend and it tasted great. I wonder what it would taste like with other flavors? It is very quick to make...enjoy.

Ok, I had my doctors appointment. I don't care what HE said, I was ticked! I had only lost 8 pounds on his scale in like five or six months. He was trying to be real encouraging, but I was really hoping the scale would be more encouraging. My insulin levels were down a bit more, and he thinks they will continue to come down, and as they do, I will be able to lose more. My thyroid meds needed adjusting too. It was as usual, a weird, rushed appointment. I go back in three or four weeks, to recheck the insulin and see what is going on. Hopefully, it will be improved by then.

I am working on this goldfish cake. It has been fun so far. I went to the cake decorating supply store and got all kinds of fun stuff to use...like edible glitter, and orange and black sugar sprinkles. I splurged and got fall leaves sprinkles, ghosts and pumpkins. They are SO cute! Not sure what I will do with them, but I may use the leaves next month when I cater the dinner for church....

I have not eaten anything since I had a bowl of cheerios for breakfast. Not the best breakfast I know...but I was out of just about everything I like for breakfast. I am dreading fixing dinner tonight. I just don't feel like cooking! I may get Laura to zip over to the store and get a rotisserie chicken for dinner....

Hello to everyone! Will try and get back on later with replies....<hugs>

Begged MICHAEL to allow me to check my mail for 5 minutes, so I'm sneaking in a quick post while he's in the kitchen...

I'm happy, or at least I'm hoping I will be...I found 2 mirrored sliding closet doors a few months ago at a garage sale for $2 for LAUREN'S closet,but didn't have the tracks. I tried to find them locally and on-line, to no avail. Figured I was going to ditch them and take the $2 loss. They've been against the wall in the dining room and when I was cleaning this morning I thought about once again trying to find something on line. With some other "words" put in I came across a site, contacted them, sent them a picture of the hardware (there's no manufacturer's info anywhere) and they said, from the pics that the tracks they have seem that it could be a fit. They are shipping the tracks, price included with the shipping $32. If they fit, not only will I be thrilled, but so shall LAUREN-will also be thrilled to get though out of the dining room!!!!

The table is clean in there though I do have some of the stuff now on the kitchen table to go through but I think I can tackle that later today.

Many have asked me about the SOBE diet, as we call it here, being it originated on South Beach. It is very much like Atkins BUT has a few differences during Phase I, a few that come to mind is that you can have beans, you can have a tad of milk in your coffee, which you are allowed as well (the caffeine type) you can have cottage cheese, but JACKK, no fruit.:nono: What I don't understand is why you are allowed the beans, which are high carbs but high fiber but yet, not allowed to have other high fiber foods, like raspberries, or Fiber One. Then you ease in to SB, not really much difference. You will lose most likely on Phase I since you restrict your starchy carbs, but why do that if you can do the same on SB?


JACKK, I hadn't read your post, just the funny. Guess the post wasn't funny, but know YOU ARE NOT ALONE, unfortunately.:shrug: I think we need a good talking to each other, when's a good time to call? Ummm, I checked that I though Halloween had started. Usually I don't have a problem, this year PROBLEM!:shrug:

COUNTRY, funny you should mention the toilets - they had a problem with them being stopped up and over flowing yesterday. What was more interesting, they seem to have maintenance people full time for this development of 32 homes on call all the time because the guy was there! Kitchen - nice, but too much white for me!!!!

PANCHO, my cousin e-mailed and said the following:

Hi Deb!


Yes, San Diego is devastated pretty much. Not all parts, and thank God
not my immediate area. There were several homes (10)
that were burnt down in 2 exits north of me off of Interstate 15. There
was also a fire in Mission Trails Park that is right off Mission Gorge
Rd., a couple miles from me.

There are so many communities being affected by this. In Scripps Ranch
and the Poway area, 150 homes were burned down.

Right now as I'm writing this, the Governor is about to speak on T.V.
They're saying San Diego will be named a Disaster area.
President Bush agreed to send funds of reimbursement for the expenses.

There isn't enough manpower or those planes that drop fire ******ant,
but they are looking to other states to help provide.

I'm off from school tomorrow, also. The air quality is extremely poor.
The whole night_ smelled like burnt fire, even with all
my windows closed.

Well, that's the report for now!!

JACKIE, I unfortunately seem to get side track, or actually, I should say bored. I can't stay focused on one area to clean and then go do something else, thus, never finishing anythig totally. I'm that way with just about everything! Hope you can get your closet done!!

FILLISE, didn't get to read the board last week, but I take it from your post you got to see MONET????

WOOD, I do believe she has a staff to take care of that house. I can tell you right now, she doesn't do any cleaning and if I could afford that house, either would I!!!!

Okay, my time is up, not because of MICHAEL, but I have to run BACK to the school to get LAUREN who stayed after.

Will try to get on later, but more than likely the computer won't be free and I"ll have to wait til tomorrow morning.

To all I didn't get to:wave: Will try to catch up with you in the next post.

{{{HUGS}}}:grouphug:

Debbie

I downloaded Smiley Central(with all the smiley's) but where the heck is it? Can't find it. Anyway, I stayed OP this weekend although I overdid it on the new Blue Bell NSA Dutch Chocolate ice cream. I weighed myself this morning and it said I'm down a couple of pounds but I don't know..waiting for WIW to make it official. Went to the thrift store today and they were having a 1/2 price sale. Got a very pretty dress outfit(top with skirt) for $2.50. It looks new and is soft feeling and red with print. Has a tailored look(by Sag Harbour). It's a size 12 and fits. I'm sure it just runs big though. I also got a pretty and soft navy blue sweater for a buck, a green sweater that zips with a hood(by Cherokee) for a buck, Robby a nice sweater for a buck, a dressy black shirt for a buck, didn't find the kids nothing this time. Halloween- I've already planned to be bad:devil: with my eating. I'm going to have chocolate candy, barbecue ribs, potato salad, all the stuff I shouldn't. I'm going to enjoy it and be at my exercise class bright and early the next morning:lol: Okay, guys gotta cook supper. Still not sure what I'm cooking. I think we will have hamburger steak, salad, and some butter beans. Maybe. Alright that's it for now.