Hey all-- I am sorry that I have been MIA, but I have been really busy and now I have come down with another cold. (or it could be allergies.....) I just know that I am all stuffed up and miserable.

Last week was spent doing all kinds of fall clean up.....we pretty much lost our garden due to some frosty nights....so we cleaned most of it up and cut back the old raspberry bushes. Mowed the lawn again, and washed all of the windows inside and out. Cut out all of the dead foliage and dead headed all the flowers. I still have to mow down the wild flower bed, but need to get some line for the weed wacker.

My youngest son, Bill, took off Sunday to head back to the ship. They will be leaving the 1st of Oct for Alaska again. This will be his short trip out for King Crab. He will be back the second week in Nov and then be off until the second day after Christmas. I love having him home and I will miss him now that he is gone.

I have got to go down to the lake tomorrow with dh and help him bring the boat home. Our slip is up on the 30th of the month. It is just too big of a job for one person to do, so no matter how crappy I feel I will go down and help him.

Eating has been good excepting for one day last week.....(Saturday to be exact!!) Got my hands on some low carb brownies that my aunt had brought to our weekly potluck..... but ohhhhh nooooo I didn't stop there......had to have some of the wonderful Apple and Walnut Loaf (SF and WW) that I had made out of the apples given to us by our thoughtful neighbor.........then decided that I just had to have one handful of dh's trail mix!!!

Here is my story to share, this is from the article done for TLC newsletter back in Jan.

I have been overweight for most of my life, and have lost a lot over the years. If only I'd had enough sense to not put it back on each time!

In September of 1999 my father was diagnosed with lung cancer, and a month or so later, I promised him that I would quit smoking on New Year's Day. My father did not live long enough to see me keep that promise. He passed away on December 2, 1999. But I kept my promise, and I made myself another one: If I could stay smoke free for one year, I would then start working on my weight.

In October 2000, ahead of schedule, I started a low fat diet. After 6 months of eating low fat, and riding a stationary bike 24 miles a day, (8 before breakfast, 8 before lunch, and 8 before dinner) I had lost a "grand" total of 11 pounds! I was so frustrated - frustrated, and MAD. A cousin of mine showed me the Protein Power book and said I might want to check into a low carb eating plan. I didn't do that right away, but later my best friend from high school mentioned that she had lost 35 pounds on a low carb diet a few years ago. She had stopped, and so naturally she gained it all back, but she said she was going to get started on it again. She called me after she had been on it for just one week and told me she had lost 5 pounds already! I practically broke my legs trying to get to the store and find the Protein Power book, and I started low carbing the next day, May 15 of 2001, weighing a whopping 270 pounds.

I swore then that I would not quit low carb until I had lost at least 100 pounds. Keeping my carbs under 30 grams a day, and alternating walking and riding the stationary bike, I lost 65 pounds in the first year. Very slowly, I lost another sixteen pounds by the first of September, 2002. By then I was up to walking 4 miles per day, but in spite of the exercise and being very strict with my carbs, I then stalled completely for six very long months! I stuck with it, but I was feeling very frustrated and was almost ready to give up. After all, I had not lost any weight or inches in over six months. But then, at the suggestion of a friend (Carol from the Low Carb Cafe ), I started researching other low carb plans. I didn't want to quit the low carb lifestyle, I just wanted to get back to losing again. I ultimately decided to give Sugar Busters a try, even though the very thought scared me to death. (Add more carbs?? Eeek!) But after talking to our very own near and dear MONET I decided to give it a try!!

I started Sugar Busters on March 2, 2003, at 189 pounds. I saw no change for the first whole month, and this made me very nervous. It was a bit harder for me since I had to start watching my fat intake, while adding more carbs than I had eaten in a long time. I just knew I was going to start gaining weight back. But to my surprise, after the first long month with no change, I then lost 4 pounds. Then two weeks later, I lost another 4 pounds. Then I started doing weight resistance training instead of walking five days per week. I lost about 2 pounds a week doing that, plus a whole lot of inches.

Over the course of weight loss journey, my waist has gone from 46 inches to just 29.5. My hips have gone from 52 inches to 41.5. I weigh 158 pounds - I have now lost 112 pounds! I have gone from wearing a stretch size 28 pants to a pair of size 10 jeans! I would love to lose 8 more pounds, but would be happy with inches, and being able to wear a size 8 pair of jeans! I will never quit eating this way. I am a true believer in the low carb lifestyle.

Will check in tomorrow after we get home!! See ya!!

Good Morning! I just finished making blueberry oat bran muffins for Tom. I ate one for breakfast. (they are legal...) That and a protein smoothie made with almond milk, and I feel nice and comfortably full.

Today I need to get some stuff done, to get ready to leave tomorrow. I also need to go shopping, and get cat food, and some pjs. We are all bunking together at the hotel on this trip, so I may end up in a room with Tom and two single guys. I don't want to scare them! tee hee!

COUNTRY: The wedding is in San Marcos, and the bride's parents live in Martindale. I believe that it is near Austin? Do you know where it is? We will be driving in Friday morning, going to the rehearsal dinner, Saturday going to the breakfast, and wedding, then leaving as soon as the bride and groom do, to drive back. Its going to be insane, but hopefully fun.

TEENSY: Good to see you posting! I missed you and wondered where you were. I know it must be hard to see your son go off for months at a time. Even for the King Crab he brings, its not worth it, is it? I loved reading your story again. Thanks for the mention...I will try not to get smug about being the one to talk you into trying SB. ;)

KENG: How did your chicken turn out? I really need to use my crockpot more. I just never think to defrost the meat the night before!

Ok, gotta go get dressed and get going here! Later!

I don't have much time as we will be leaving here in about 15-20 minutes. Britt is learning about Noah and the Ark today at school and was supposed to bring a stuffed animal and forgot, so I will bring it by to her on my way to my Mom's ClubGeneral Meeting.

My WIW weight is 120#'s. I didn't eat much yesterday. I didn't have time to eat before I left for the movies, so I had a soft pretzel w/ nacho cheese at the movie, as well as a snack size m&m. We saw Vanity Fair; I wouldn't waste your money! It was nice getting out, but I was so tired and just couldn't wait to hit the bed. I got to sleep, probably around 11p.m., and then got up at 4 a.m. to go to the gym (this is usually my only early morning gym day now).

My steps yesterday were 16,607; I took it off before going to the movies since I knew I'd just be sitting anyway. Today, I am up to 8,031.

Country: Sharing "weight" stories is not easy for anyone, and I'm sure disclosing that information takes a lot of "guts." Thanks for sharing that personal journey with us. I'm so glad your weight is manageable now and you are in such a happy place in your life.

Monet: Good job on those steps!! Enjoy your little trip...we will miss you.

Teensy: I remember reading your story in the newsletter; it was nice to re-read. Thanks for sharing....you are truly an inspiration and should be so very proud of your accomplishments.

So far today:

1/2 Trioplex bar
Plum
Water - 30 oz
Lunch: Will be a salad bar and pizza at Peter Piper Pizza (I'll try to limit to two slices only ;) ).
Dinner: Sloppy Joes on WW bun w/pickles & red onion
This is a good recipe that I will share when I have some time; I got it out of my Taste of Home cookbook.

Have a great day!
Nat

Happy WIW everyone,

Hope everyone weigh-in is good. I didn't lose or gain which is totally fine. It is cloudy here and nice temperature :) Here's my menu for today :

Breakfast : Egg and sausage casserole (with some veges) that I assembled yesterday night and cooked it in the oven this morning. Water.

Snack : Mixed fruits.

Lunch : Creamy Crockpot chicken (recipe from Betty Crocker slow cooker magazine), mixed green salad and basmati rice.

Snack : Mixed fruits and nuts.

Dinner : Might be crockpot chicken with green beans (can) and basmati rice.

Some replies :

TONI : Thanks for sharing your story. It is great to learn more about you. It is definitely "faith" that brings you to SB. I have not met anyone who does SB and never heard of SB until my diagnosis. I agree whole-heartedly that SB is so good for our health :)

GATOR : I am glad Jeanne is out of your path and that you and your family is safe. My FIL gets hit by Jeanne too and more shingles damage and not to mention his fruit trees were all gone :( I had some illegal stuff last week and more than I would usually eat so I am going to do better this week.

BETH : Welcome back!! Please hang on to us...anytime!! When dh was away to Jamaican few for 1 week few months ago, I really missed him terribly. Dh actually was miserable leaving us behind and he didn't enjoy the trip much. I understand how hard it is without your husband, afterall he is a BIg part of your life. Well... Friday is only 2 more days away...come hang out with us and vent, cry whatever you want. I love reading your story...I love your determination and praised you for sticking around and keep moving forward despite any setbacks. You can do it!!

FILLISE : Glad your trip at NC went well. What is Pig- pickin? Is it some sort of pork BBQ thing?? I am just making a wild guess...lol. Purse fetish?? LOL. I have cookbook fetish instead..lol.

Got to go put dd to nap. She is not listening too well at this moment so I got to go make sure she didn't miss what I said earlier...lol. Hope to be back after she naps...if she naps..lol.

Julia

Afternoon, everyone! I went to Wal mart. One of my least favorite places to shop. I found a zip up robe to take to the hospital, and some extra large underwear, so it doesn't bother the incision. I found a gorgeous red hat, that fit well, and just could not resist. Its a wide brim, with some ribbony rose things to decorate it. I have a red dress I have not worn in ages that it matches well, so I am going to iron the dress, and wear it to the wedding. The wedding is supposed to be rather formal, so this will fit the bill, and be comfortable to boot. Many of my clothes are more binding on the abs, and I just can't stand that right now. I hope once I get past the surgery, the pain will be gone! Laura approved of my dress and hat...its so nice to have a member of the fashion police living with you! :lol: I also found a nice loose black and white print cotton dress to wear for the reheasal dinner. It was only $11, so I got it too. I think I am all set now...and I can find the nighties I need for the hospital after I get back. Where can you find a good selection of sleepwear? Seems no one has much these days...I even looked online and found nothing of interest!

My steps are up to 7032 so far today! All that walking around Wally world helped I am sure...plus I put the pedometer on almost as soon as I got up this morning. I am feeling encouraged. I may go do some more shopping this afternoon. There is a Hanes Bali Outlet at Discover Mills, and they may have some nighties that will fit the bill. I love walking at Discover Mills. The mall is a big oval, all on one level. The oval is .85 miles long, so walking the loop once gives you almost a mile. Its not hard to add enough to it to get over a mile of walking in. I am not the slow window shopping type of shopper either...I tend to head off as fast as I can to hurry and get were I am going. People who amble along are in danger of being trodden down by me! ;)

Right now, I am cleaning out my lingerie drawer. I am determined to get it organized. Its been a mess for years!

Will check in later! :wave:

I am back again. The crockpot chicken is yummy! It feels so homey and so comforting eating it. I guess that is one of the effect of long slow cooking :) I will post the recipe sometime today. A little fattening but worth the treat once in a while :)

More replies :

TONI : WTG on your walking!! Your heater is on already? What temp? It is nice and cool here and usually in the morning, I wake up to 76 degrees in the house, sometimes 75 plus minus.

PANCHO : How's Lane doing today? Hope she is feeling much better already. The first time Jess threw up, I believe she was a little over 2 and she was scared as she didn't know what was going on. She just cried hysterically after she threw up and I had to assure her that it was okay to threw up especially when she is not feeling well. I spent the whole night sleeping with her and holding a big bowl for her when she threw up. Not fun!! LOL...hate me?? Take a look at yourself...you look awesome!! I remember you posted some pics a while back and my, my...I thought to myself, she is gorgeous and skinny!!! :) You are so right, knowing that I am feeding my family healthy food, that really feels good. Hopefully Jess will continue to eat good.

MONET : You are on a roll!!! LOL. Curves, uncluttered your house, walking etc etc. WTG!!! Nesting sounds like a good thing, spread some of that nesting dust over here, I need it badly!! LOL. I know we will miss you when you are off tomorrow. I enjoy reading about your menus, the kittens (lol), how your day goes etc. Sounds like you are ready for your trip and I bet you will have lotsa fun. Oh, the crockpoit chicken turned out great! The recipe calls for "heavy whipped cream" but it is so good and worth the ocassional treat. I will post the recipe soon. I try to use my crockpot every week and so far so good. I love my crockpot!!

COUNTRY : Thank you for sharing your story. I know it is not easy to share a part of you that you are not comfortable with. You have certainly went thru a lot but you continue to move forward and look at you today!! 3 years??!! Wow, you should be very proud of yourself as I am with you :) I am getting more comfortable with driving now than before. At least my legs are not shaking as much as they were...LOL. Something has definitely happened to me. A week ago, I was really terrified and had such a negative experience driving with dh (I am sure you remembered me vents :). It just made my whole driving experience worst but I had no choice so I hanged on. Last week, I started to feel a sense of peace coming over me. My extreme fear was tamed to a certain degree. I am now more relax when I drive. Yesterday, I decided to practice reversing straight on my driveway. 5 times I tried and 5 times I managed to reverse straight!! I couldn't believe it!! My dd who was in the car with me told me "mommy, you are driving straight!!"...lol. I trusted her judgement because she was in the car with me the last few times when I practiced my reversing...lol. I know I still have a lot of "humps" to overcome but at least I know now that all I need to do is hang on when I reach those humps. That feels great!!! Thanks for asking about my driving, it sure feels good sharing this discovery. I don't know what I will do if I don't know "Him" :)

TEENSY : Glad to see your post. Sorry you caught a cold, hope you get some rest and take this chance to nourish your immune system. Wow, all those cleaning, my goodness, you are good!! I really need to be better at keeping my house clean...sigh...still in work in progress. I know you really enjoy Bill being at home and seeing him leave again will be hard. Hey, we are here for you and Nov is not too far away :) Focus on how long he will be at home then. Thank you for sharing your amazing story. I am sure your story has inspired many in the past and will continue to do so. A women of strength, that's sum who you are :)

Guess that's for now. Got to check on my dear dd. Have a good day everyone!!

Julia

Hey, guys. I've been sooo bad today. I went and ate Chinese buffet for lunch! I NEVER eat Chinese. Don't know what got into me. Hubby suggested it and I was game. I ate fried rice, sesame chicken, 2 egg rolls, and black chicken and mushrooms. I feel myself expanding as we speak. I WAS 160 this morning. No telling what it will be by tomorrow. Also skipped exercise for the day. UGH. But I'm already back on the wagon. Not going to give myself the excuse to do anymore damage. Supper tonight will be legal hamburgers and coleslaw. Anyway, thanks for all the compliments. I am determined. I know I will reach goal...one day. I've enjoyed reading all the stories. As for the ring not falling off my finger, I had a ring guard that took about 2 sizes out, but it was still falling off so I finally had it sized. KENJW- you can get repairs done at most jewelers, but usually pawn shops are cheaper. I have a bracelet and a chain I just dropped off today at the pawn shop for repairs. They charged me half of what the jewelry store in the mall would have.
I got a digital camera a couple of weeks ago. Took a couple pics at the fair the other night, so I'll see if they will post. Also will post a pic I took of myself, which is NOT good, but hard to do when you're taking one of yourself. My eyes look dorky in the pic and it's just not "me" but you get the idea. I'll have hubby take one of me one day soon and I'll post it.

Heart, I love chinese food and buffet style too...lol. What is done is done and all that count is you are back on track now. I have been using a ring guard but it is no longer doing me any good. Now I have to wear one of the rings in my middle fingers to prevent it from falling off. I will have to resize it soon. Thanks for the tips.

Julia

Back from my next shopping expedition. I found a nice pair of black PJs made from a stretchy material. They will be perfect for lounging around in after surgery. I feel like I am obsessing over this preparation for surgery. I have never had any kind, so its all new to me, and I guess I am a bit apprehensive.

All the walking around has been good today...I am already up to 10,874 steps. I am thinking it is a little high and the pedometer messed up when it got dropped. I counted steps to check it, and made sure the setting was correct. I don't think it is off more than 10 to 15%, so I will have my 10k for the day, even so. Unless I sit here the rest of the day, and that is not likely, since I have to go make dinner, and clean up some stuff! :)

KENG: I am looking forward to seeing the recipe for the chicken. I know SB is low fat, but I don't worry about that as much as I do sugars. As long as you don't over do it constantly, fats don't hurt. They don't cause an insulin response, which is what we are trying to avoid.

HEART: I would have had a hard time resisting the Chinese buffet too...I love any kind of Asian food....

PANCHO: Did you keep your luncheon pizza to two slices? I admire you for that. I tend to inhale pizza, so I try not to have it much. Once or twice a year is all I can handle! Is Lane feeling better now?

Ok, off to find something to fix for dinner. :o Why don't I think of these things ahead of time? Will check in later!

Wiw
 

Good afternoon. I was at 152 so I stayed the same from two weeks ago. :)

Monet...it's okay that you are thinking so much about after your surgery. Better to think of the details now than afterwards. A bell really comes in handy if you can't hear from one end of the house to the other. Praying you heal quickly.

Julia...woo hoo WTG on backing up straight! How awesome God is filling you with peace instead of fear. You will accomplish so much more now that you are at ease.

Heart...skinny minnie! 160 that is so great!

Colleen...you and me could be twins :) we have almost the same measurements. Thanks for sharing your story again. My daddy lost his battle with lung cancer also.

Poncho...WTG getting in that early workout. I'm so lazy these days. I walk for about 30 minutes. I'm hoping as the weather cools off I'll have more umph to work out again. Winter seems to be a lot easier since it's so much harder to walk.

Love and hugs,
Crystle

235/152/140

Here's the crockpot chicken recipe I made yesterday. The only illegal ingredients are all purpose flour which you can replace with ww flour and Yukon Gold potatoes which I believe you can omit it. I didn't as I was craving for some potatoes. I only ate half of a medium potatoes and it was delicious as it soaked up the great taste of the gravy. This dish is a little fattening as it calls for heavy cream but so worth it for treats :) I also browned the chicken in a pan before I put into the crockpot but it is not necessary. I only cooked it for 6 hours as that was the time I had and it still turned out great :) Julia

Creamy Herbed Chicken Stew

4 cups baby-cut carrots (or regular carrots but cut into 2-inch lengths)
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 medium stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups fresh snap pea pods
1 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1/2 cup Gold Medal all purpose flour (I used cornstarch instead and use about 1 to 2 tbsp which is not legal)
1 tsp dried thyme leaves

1) Place carrots, potatoes, onion and celery in 5 to 6 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with 1 tsp spoon of thyme, the salt and pepper. Top with chicken and broth.

2) Cover and cook on LOW heat setting 7 to 8 hours, adding pea pods for last 5 to 10 mins of cooking.

3) Remove chicken and vegetables from cooker to serving bowl, using slotted spoon, cover to keep warm. Increase heat setting to HIGH. Mix whipping cream, flour and 1 tsp thyme in a small bowl, stir into liquid in cooker. Cover and cook about 10 mins or until thickened. Pour sauce over chicken and vegetables.

12 servings (1 1/2 cups each).

KENG: It sounds really good! I will have to try it! I like cooking a big amount and freezing it for another meal, so the 12 servings will work well for that. Thanks for posting!

Just flying by...gotta go work on dinner. :wave: Oh and steps are up to 12,224!

FRUIT--There is an article in the Sept. 28 Wall St. Journal, first page of the "Personal Journal" section that has the headline "U.S. Adoptions Get Easier." Here's part of what it says:
It is a problem the natiion's adoption agencies haven't seen in 30 years: 'We desperately need couples who want to adopt babies in the U.S.' . . . The organization's plight reflects a remarkable shift in the adoption world. Some agencies say it is becoming considerable easier for some couples to adopt a healthy infant born in the U.S. While there still are challenges, the pool of healthy infants available for adoption appears to be experiencing an uptick in some parts of the country. (Fruit, the agency they interview here is in Illinois.)
"The key: the growing interest in so-called open adoptions . . . Many adoption agencies report that open adoption is being embraced by pregnant women who previously might have been reluctant to consider giving up a boby if it meant no chance of contact later in life. . . . " It is a lengthy article. I thought you'd be interested.

Didn't count my steps today. Worked at the Pregnancy Center and then this afternoon my DH and I replanted the trees that either fell, or that we had laid down for the hurricane. We have a ton of work to do in the yard, but it will just have to wait until we get around to it. BTW, my DH says that maybe we can take that trip to France after all :) .

Eating--not so good.
Just got home from church. We had our Sunday service on Wednesday this week, as everything was cancelled because the latest hurricane went through here on Sunday. There was an all-day curfew, so no driving anyway, but it was impossible in all the wind and rain anyway.

Take care, everyone. Have a good SB day tomorrow.

Dinner was not too bad! I had a hamburger patty on one slice of bread, with a bit of mayo, ketchup, pickles and a slice of cheese, and some cooked spinach. I had too many starches again today, but I think everything I ate today was totally legal..just portions were too much.

Steps were good today...so far, 13,201! I am sure I will get a few more in before I go to bed, too. :)

Tonight, I cleaned my silver jewelry I want to wear over the weekend. Its been a long time since I got dressed up for anything! I still need to iron the red dress and try it on, to make sure its ok. If not, I am going to have to go shopping! ;) I need something to go with the hat!

I will probably check in before I hit the pillows... :wave:

This will be quick, but a piece of advice for Monet. . .

They didn't let me out of the hospital gown the whole time I was there. They give you one to wear backwards as a house coat for when they get you up and walking. I was in only a little over 48 hours (was supposed to be 72, but I was eager to go home and had met all my goals). Have fun at the wedding!

Susan