Sugarbusters Weekly Support Board 6/27 - 7/3
 

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! :drill:

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! :dance:

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

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!

:wave:

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.

Good Monday Morning!
 

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 :lol: !

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! :lol:

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. ( :cry: )

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! :D

:wave: 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! :dance: 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!!

Well, guys. I'm here with my tail between my legs. I had a total binge day. Yep, what good did I do staying legal thru the weekend and I ended up treating Monday like a weekend day? I'm feeling really crappy right now and I'm so mad at myself. I don't even want to think about what damage I've done in one day. All I can say is that I'll be back on track first thing in the morning. I'll need to buckle down and be VERY strict the next few days just to get the weight off that I piled back on today. I haven't done anything with my life today but watch tv and eat. I didn't even exercise or clean this messy house. So tomorrow I'll be up early so that I can clean and get 2 workouts in for tomorrow. I "rented"(Netflix) Leslie Sansone's 3 mile Express and will try it out tomorrow. I have the 4 mile Express, I didn't even know there were other versions. It's only 37 minutes long, so it probably moves very quickly. Her 3 mile WATP is around 43 minutes. I've watched Miss Congeniality 2 and Hitch today and both were good. When I went to the funeral home yesterday, we had to wait in the chapel, in rows, before we could go into the parlor. It was the biggest funeral I've ever seen. Tons of people. So while waiting, I got hot flashes and got very nervous feeling. I think I was having anxiety. Then when it got our turn, I lost it when I saw the pics of Josh smiling, etc...You would have thought I was close to him or the family. I looked around and there were a few people teary-eyed but I looked a wreck. My eyes were swollen and puffy and I was crying. Even the preacher, was like "it's going to be okay..." I sobbed on the way home. I think it was knowing and really understanding the parents pain and also knowing that could just as easy be me in their place. So now I feel a little embarrassed at my reaction, considering the whole church seen me(and it's a big church). Oh, well.

Talitha- Good to see you back. I'm sorry that you have to go thru surgery. Have you gotten a second opinion? It seems that when bad things happen, they want to happen all at once. We've also been going thru a tough financial time.

Good Morning! I slept very well last night, which was nice after a few weeks of waking up repeatedly all night. Not sure why, but it may be that I never really ate dinner. I just had a small serving of chicken and brown rice and snacked on a few fresh cukes...

There is a lot on my list of things to do today...but I intend to get in as much lazy time as I can! :s:

HEART: Its understandable that you would identify with the parents pain. Your reaction just shows you are a sensitive person. I think your eating also shows you are an emotional eater. Gwen Shamblin, who wrote the Weigh Down Workshop, suggests that we often eat emotionally when we are feeling empty and the proper place to get filled is by turning to God. She had participants use prayer and Scripture reading before eating anything to see if it would help fill the void without food. I wonder if you could try that. Next time you feel like eating off plan, grab your Bible instead.... <<hugs>>

TALITHA: Are you shopping at the DFM much? I have a lot of friends from church down there. The large bottle of agave there is not the Sweet Cactus brand. Its made from wild agave instead of the Weber blue, and has a much higher GI. A friend of mine picks up the Sweet Cactus Farms stuff for me from Sevananda. They have it at Harry's still, but it costs more. I am not sure if the DFM carries Sweet Cactus Farms or not... but they DO have those Eden Foods brown rice chips...they cost too much, but are SO good! :) Where are you living now in Midtown? (main intersection..just so I can picture it!) I am so sorry about your back. I think Laurie is right, get a second opinion. And a third! I had surgery in October, and I wish I had not been rushed into it. Not for my back, but with any surgery, you can never go back....

Good Tuesday morning Ladies.

Well I did get my wts in last night and my bun roller again and some leg exercises too. This morning I missed my treadmill as I normally get up when DH leaves, but today he had to leave at 4:30. So I slept right through untill the alarm went off. It's going to be hard the rest of the week to get much exercise in. I have lots to do to get ready for vacation.

I keep forgetting, I tried the SB pizzas. I didn't like them. The crust was funny. I reminded me of an English muffin. I love the Amy's ww pizzas and Atkins. Now the SB cookies are to die for.

bf: 2 eggs, coffee
lunch 1/2 pizza
dinner, steak, aspargus, salad. (this was last night's dinner but we had a change in plans. We had chili dogs (no bread) and beans instead so we could get out the door quickly).


Gator, some days our bodies just need to rest. It was telling you so.

Bob, I swear someone needs to watch you. Maybe a straight jacket would be better than rails. Hope your are better today.

Talitha, I am so sorry to hear about your accident. Back problems are the worst. I have 3 bulging discs and as soon as I exercise theystart bothing me. Sorry to hear about DH job too. I take it he has found another one?

Heart, you were supposed to get on the board when you were tempted to cheat. But back on track today will help. I'm sure any wt from yestrday is not fat. You will be fine. Hey I am a big blubbering idiot. I don't even have to know the people or anything on TV makes me sob.

Got to get some work done.

Good Tuesday Morning!
 

Morning all!

B-1 WW english muffin. 1 tsp natural PB, 1 tsp SF blackberry jelly.

I've cut waaay back on the amount of PB I use on toast. I make myself take it out of the jar with a teaspoon and that's all I use.

I cooked an extra chicken breast last nght so I could make chicken salad for lunch today. I love it when I think ahead! :lol:

Jackie--Are you fighting the "I'm mentally on vacation already" syndrome? I always have to fight that before I leave for vacation.

Monet--Get some lazy time in for me today too!

Heart--I'm not surprised that it was a difficult day for you yesterday, after all you had to confront your worst fear Sunday evening. It is understandable that it threw you into an emotional tailspin on Monday. But let me ask you this--did the eating ease your fears? If the answer to that is "no" then you can cross it off your list of coping mechanisms try something else. I know that's easier said than done, but the eating doesn't help, it only makes you feel worse.

Talitha--I'm sorry to hear about your accident and back. I have always found that when the "sh*t happens" it makes a really huge pile! Sorry yours is so stinkin big! I also echo the "get a second opinion" advice. It never hurts to be sure. Your menu looks fine. You know the basics--white, bad; brown good, whole grains are best, and keep it below 3 gms of sugar (actually the newer book says 5 grms, so I use that as an outer range).

BOB--um, just what sort of activity were you engaging in that would cause you to fall out of bed? Is BOB holding back on us?????:s:

Gator--I'm with you on the california avacado--much better! I love them too and they are a good fat and packed with vitamins. I make a salad that is good:

salad greens (whatever is your favorite)
1 small avocado cubed
1 small apple, chopped
a sprinkle of chopped pecans or walnuts
bleu cheese crumbles
Bleu cheese dressing (although with the cheese I often find I don't need or want the dressing).

The flavors of this salad are really intense and it is soooo good!

I'd really love to see a photo of your afghan--it sounds so beautiful!

Nat--Hope the girls are feeling better!

Toni--I am shamelessly bucking for the world's "coolest aunt" award!!!!

I hope everyone has a great OP day!!!!

Susan

Good morning all.... Just having my morning coffee and enjoying the computer. Yesterday was another bad eating day for me. Hopefully today will be better. I need to keep coming and reading so I can get encouragement... And hopefully get back on track. I feel so much better when I'm eating right. And sick of my days being filled with guilt over not making the right choices. Well I've whined enough for now....

Good Tuesday morning:

I hope you all are having a great day so far.

I kept Lane home from her class; it would have been her last one. I told her that her teacher got sick and had to cancel class; she would have been upset to miss it over being sick herself. It's not worth the 40-minute tantrum. She and Britt are packing their backpacks and picking some videos for the road (as they sneeze and blow thier noses.....ARGH).

I am going to take the girls to Peter Piper Pizza to meet their dad at noon, and then go to my Gastro appt. at 12:30; I sure hope he is able to figure something out. I will then take the girls with me to Target; I have to try to find a plastic bedrail to take with us; we left the last one at Six Flags in March. I also wanted to buy a $5 Fourth of July tee for me to wear on the 4th. They also have a small bag of popcorn and medium drink for $1.

I guess that's it for now.

Monet: Hope you enjoyed your friend and all the little ones; that is probably why you slept so well :lol: . Did they wear you out? Have you rec'd the book on your pressure cooker yet? I just ordered a chocolate factory set today off the infomercial....double broiler and a bunch of candy making stuff; the kids will enjoy it, and it will help with our Christmas baking. I am such a sucker.

Jack: Have a great time on your vacation! When will you return? Let's make a vow to get right back on track when we return. Sometimes after missing a week or two of working out, it is tough for me to get back on track! Well, it is not allergies; the girls have full blown colds....at least we still have a few days. The fire smoke is all over the valley; you can smell it when you are outside, just about anywhere.

Gator: I have always preferred the taste of the California avocado...it seems to have a smoother texture. Maybe I could use the others when I am making guacamole or something.

BOB: Gheez woman; what's up? I am going to try to find a bedrail for Lane today...do you want me to get one for you ;) . You must sleep very sound...I would wake up if my piggy toe wandered :lol: . Buy a bra without trying it on? I can never find a good fitting bra! Maybe you can buy some more panties with the money you get back from that...hee hee.

Talitha: So sorry to hear about all the misfortunate things that happened all at once. Thank God you all are o.k. and have your health (with the exception of you back). Please look into it as much as possible. I have an aunt that had back surgery that ended up requiring more and more back surgery. I'm not sure what your symptoms are or the diagnosis, but back surgery is very tricky! Your son didn't receive any injuries from the accident, did he? You didn't go into premature labor, did you? Was Selah with you? I have heard that knitting and crocheting is very therapeutic. Ezekial bread is legal; they also have tortillas. I found a sprouted grain english muffin too by Food 4 Life; they are good.

Heart: At least you are confessing. I am sure that this wake contributed to your eating binge. BUT YOU ARE IN CONTROL! You should really get that food out of your house....the kids and DH don't need it either. Don't ever be ashamed of your feelings; your body needed a good cleansing, and you should feel free to show what you are feeling at a tragic time like that. Hang in there.

Fillise: Howdy!!

Toni: It's a new day ;) !!

Gotta go get dressed and ready.

I'll try to check in later!
Nat

I'm feeling really gross today. I have a huge get together tonight at a coffee shop near my house to celebrate my promotion to District Manager. I'm determined not to loose control, but I will let myself eat a little. I ordered a cake, I have chocolare dipped cheesecake bites and Homemade Chips and salsa. I got champagne, and other than that people can buy drinks from the shop. With Jacob's food allergies, I got used to not eating any wheat (while I was Breastfeeding)
I've been eating a lot of tortilla chips, but that's not SB legal, is it?

B- Just Go! Fiber shake.
S- Grapefruit
L- Zaxby's Buffalo Bleu Salad and a few of Selah's fries :(

I shouldn't have eaten the salad or the fries. The chicken was fried and I feel bloated and gross now.

Selah was with me in the car accident, but was perfectly fine. I had contractions for 8 hours after teh accident, but only dialated to 2. They put me on strict bedrest for 2 more weeks and did a C-section at 37 weeks. Jacob is fine, other than his food allergies. He can't have any dairy, soy or wheat. THat's been hard, but I am only breast feeding once a day now. I have to special order his formula from ahomeopathic Dr because he can't have event the expensive formula. His is $35 a can!!!

I am working on getting a second opinion for my back. I'm really hoping for some other options to come up. the pain is constant. Iv'e been on Percocet for almost 6 months, and they just switched me to Lortab.

Monet- I have been shopping at the DFM, but Sevenanda is closer to me. I haven't been there yet, but I mean to go soon. I didn't know that my Agave had a hight GI. They don't carry Sweet Cactus Farms. It never occured to me that there was a difference.

Heart- I totally understand. Something like that can trigger your emotions when you identify so well with the situation. It's heart breaking.


PONCHO- Are you sure BOB didn't steal your bed rail? I hear she's been needing one...

Heart--Just hop back on the wagon. We all support you in this and can empathize with your emotions at the wake. Fillise's questions were really good ones that you should consider as you go forward. As you learn how you handle stress (possibly by eating food tht is not good for your bod) you can find other healthier ways to cope. You can also make each eating episode an event by putting what you are choosing to eat on a plate. Serve it with a napkin and knife and fork, and a glass of water or tea. Sit down at a table and eat your food, like at a meal. That way you won't be just standing at the kitchen counter putting whatever into your body. Also, I agree with Pancho: get the cookies and junk out of the house because it's not good for your kids either. They will grow up learning that cookies and chips are the way to go, and will miss out on the chance to eat fresh apples, salads, fruits, whole grain bread with PNut butter, etc. when they are hungry.

It has been raining most of yesterday afternoon and lots this morning. I did get my walk in and am 400 steps short of my 10000 goal today. This afternoon the only walking will be in my house. But I hope to be able to sit and finish the afghan today and tonight. It will take about 6-8 more hours, and then all I need to do is knot the fringe. I will take a pix of it and post it as soon as I get a new battery for my digital camera. I will try to take a close-up of a couple of the squares with the flowers. It is really pretty and I'm really proud of it.

Food today:
B: 1 boiled egg, 1 oz. slice WW sourdough toast with 1 tsp butter and t tsp SF jelly, 1 cup melons
L: 3 1/4 oz. beef filet mignon (DH leftovers from his dinner out last night with clients), 1/2 pkg frozen broccoli spears, 1 small lettuce salad with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and lo cal dressing.

Talitha: I agree with everyone else--get a second opinion. It's possible that you will need the surgery, but it never hurts to get that second opinion. Also, will you have time leading up to the surgery, if you HAVE to have it, to prepare at work so that your month of recovery won't be so difficult for your job? My neighbor had back surgery and they made just a tiny incision and he was back up and around later that week. I, however, don't know exactly what kind of surgery it was.

Jackie--Good going on the weights. I watched the Oprah show yesterday, a repeat on how to look 10 years younger. Almost all the women really were into exercise of some sort, and one was really into lifting those weights. They all looked fabulous.

Gotta go stitch.

Um, as for the binge yesterday, none of the food I binged on was in the house. I raided the convenience store and hit McDonald's up. I'm paying big time for it today, more than I thought I would. 8 pounds!! One step forward to take 3 back! I'm so puffy that even my knees are hurting today from the fluid. Here's my menu for the day:

BF- was plain yogurt with splenda and a peach
Lunch- sounds weird and looked funny, but it was pretty tasty. I steamed a plate full of veggies(squash, zuke, tomato, brussel sprouts, and brocolli)and then I spooned leftover taco meat on top and threw a little cheese and salsa on it. My kids hollered "ewww", but it was good. I originally planned on just veggies, but knew that I would need protein to sustain my appetite until supper.
Supper- 2 eggs and 3 slices bacon with a cup of skim milk. (I have blackeye peas and sausage in the crockpot for everyone else)

I'm trying not to eat any starches today, hence my supper. Oh yea, I did that video of Leslie Sansone's, the 3 mile Express. I normally love her videos, but I wasn't cranky about this one, glad I just rented it. I have the 4 mile Express and it's good. But this one just didn't "flow" right. And it was longer than it said. It was 46 minutes plus stretching. So that's about 3-5 minutes longer than the 3 mile WATP. It also used a strech band, which I didn't have. I tried to improvise with 3 # weights, but it wasn't the same. So if you were debating on buying it, don't. Stick with the 3 mile WATP or buy the 4 mile Express which is just a few minutes longer and better. I have to teach exercise this evening at church. My knees are really hurting and it's step day. I normally do 2 sets of cookies under the step. Not today, one will be enough and I'll probably cut the step part of the workout short. Alright, the laundry is calling my name...

Just flying by....we have friends coming for dinner, and the husband is going to help Tom get the ballisters on the deck done. He has only been putting it off for a year! :lol: Of course, he had other things to deal with in that year...an invalid wife after her surgery, plumbing, and more plumbing!

I am trying to decide what to fix for dinner. I am at a total loss...stupid me. I just can't decide!

Nothing much else to report...I will be back later! :wave:

OK, I e-mailed Monet a couple of pictures of two of the flowers that are on my afghan. I never am able to upload on my computer as it has too many kb's for the 3FC to take. I have about 3 more hours of the last flower and then on to the knotting. Yea!!

Here are Gator's two pix...

We had friends over for dinner. The husband helped Tom put up ballisters on the deck...wow...they got it almost all done! It looks great!

Dinner was Chinese style beef stew with nappa, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots, a fried fish concoction that needs work, and brown rice. We also had cookies that the wife made...whole wheat, but with some brown sugar. They were fabulous! :)

I am reading a new book, called the Rosedale diet- it is supposed to help Leptin resistance, and sounds rather promising. Anyone hear of it?

On to the pix....

Gator those pictures are beautiful! ;)

Thanks for all the suggestions about the tortillas and the cream soups. I really don't use the soups that often, but Sunday night I made a dish that was basically the inside of a pot pie without a crust. It was reallly good! :T
We use the low carb tortillas all the time and no one seems to have any ill effects from it. The kids use them for traditional mexican foods, to roll up sandwiches in, and you can cut them into wedges and bake them for just a few minutes and they come out crisp like a tortilla chip. I even put spices on them=homemade doritos. I know they have to be better than the real thing! :lol:

Our power went out Sunday night/Monday morning, and the next time we tried to get on the internet, our modem wouldn't work. I don't know why the power was off for a couple of hours like that. It wasn't storming, so I don't know what happened, but we got a new modem today and are back in business now! :D

Well, good night sleep tight!:wave:

Flying by this morning ....

We have a friend of James' coming tomorrow morning to stay for the weekend. Its a girl, so I am very curious as to what she will be like. He met her online and they have talked a lot, but this will be the first face to face meeting... I need to clean the house some. And you all know how much I like house work..... :lol:

THIN: Are they doing construction around you? We have lost power at times due to construction going on nearby. They were placing new power poles and replacing the lines, and they would turn off the power while they were moving stuff. Sounds though, like your modem got fried... Do you use a surge protector? I like that idea of baking the tortilla wedges to make chips! I never thought to try that. I will have to...

Just hopping on a minute. Today the lady comes to clean house, which I need badly! I need to get the sheets started in the wash. Now that the furniture store exchanged our matteress and box springs, we're loving our bed. Bought a new matteress pad I'll put on today.
Gator the pictures are wonderful. Your afgan I'll bet is beautiful. Guess I'm off to do wash... Have a good day....

Yes, they are doing construction in our neck of the woods. They are also working on widening the road, but I would not think they would be turning off power at 4am, but who knows!:shrug:

I'm going to clean house for a while this morning and then begin painting our porch. Yippee! :lol: Our dog and cats have worn some of the paint off back down to the wood, so it's time for a refresher! I will probably be blue myself by the end of the day! :D

Happy WIW

Do we have a bunch of losers today? I'm not one of them. I am so frustrated. My goal was to be in the 160's before vacation and the scale has hardly budged (other than up). I have been 98% legal for the last month and worked out 95% of that time. That bun roller that promised 2 pants sizes smaller in 10 days didn't pan out either. :?:

Get my nails and pedicure tonight. I need to start packing. Had a house full for dinner last night (I felt like Monet). The girl that is staying with the dog came and another friend of my DD whose parents are on vacation. The steaks were great. We had aspargus, cauliflower and a mixed veggie,(green beens, brocoli and mushrooms) and button mushrooms and a salad.


Susan, I love it too when I am prepared. I especially love having my meals planned out for the week and my clothes planned too. Of course cooking ahead is a bonus. I think I am getting that attitude today. Most of my work is caught up and I'm bored. Think I'll make a list of things not to forget.

Toni, you were doing great. You can get right back there. I believe coming here really helps.

Nat. sorry the girls have developed colds. Hoperfully by the time you leave they will be better. Let us know what the Gastro doc says. Have a great vacation. We get back on the 8th.

Talitha, I get epidurals for my back and they really do help. Maybe see a paint doc. It takes awhile to get back on track. I'm sure you can do it. I'm glad Selah was not hurt in the accident. Thank goodness for car seats. I'm glad everyone was okay.

Gator, you should be proud of your afghan. 25 years is a long time to stay with a project. It is really pretty, that is alot of work and hard to do. I agree wt training is important, especially as we get older.

Laurie, it is amazing how much water we can retain. Mine is hormonal (so they say) but you are too young for that. Hang in there, one day at a time.

Monet, never heard of that diet. Is is similar to SB?

Thin, I make the chips out of the tortillas too. Pretty tasty. I even take them to the Mexican restaurants with me.

Off to find some work to do. Have a great day.

I wasn't as good aws I thought I would be last night at my party. I only had 6 schips w/ 1/2 cup homemade pico de gallo. That wasn't so bad. It was the 1 1/2 slices of cake that made me feel sick for the rest of the night. Why do I do that? I know sugar makes me miserable. I just want it!


Back on track this AM!!

B- 1 c puffed millet w/ /2 c rice milk
1 c detox tea, 1/2 grapefruit
S- 3oz rotisserie chicken

Jack- I already did a full set of epidurals. They only helped for a few weeks each. I also did 4 months of physical therapy, electrostimulation and heat therapy. HAve you found anything else to help?

TALITHA: Check the GI on that puffed Millet...I am thinking its high.... The siren call of sugar is hard to resist...I am not very good at it. :(

JACK: Yes, it is a bit like SB, but has some very different parts too. Like, he says NO trans fats, and lots of healthy fats like avocados and olives. I think I am going to try it. It just makes so much sense when I read it. There has to be some breakdown in the system for you to gain with such ease, but have such a hard time losing. I will let you know how it goes.

THIN: Oh! When you are doing painting your porch, want to come finish the painting in the hall bathroom here? The girls said they would do it, but they have not touched it in weeks. :(

Thin and Monet--Often when the power goes off, it somehow "locks up" your modem and computer. A trick to try before you panic is this:
1. Unplug the cable connection cord from your modem to your computer or to your router, if you have one. You can disconnect on the back of you modem. Just unscrew it.
2. Unplug your modem from the electrical connection (the wall). Shut down your computer and unplug it.
3. Leave all off for about 2 minutes or so.
4. Replug everything back in in reverse order, ie. plug in your computer into the wall, then plug in the modem, connect the modem to your computer, turn on your computer.

If you use a good surge protector, it often is not that your modem got fried.

Thin, those tortilla chips sound good. I often do the same with small wedges of WW pita bread, separated into the two parts.

Jackie--glad to hear that you don't need pain therapy any more. Or I hope I understood you to mean that.

I got in my walk this morning, but since I work at the Preg. crisis center on Weds. I usually only get in a 1 1/2 mile walk instead of my normal 2 miles. I just got home, and now it is raining, hard. We've had about 15+ inches of rain in June.

Food today:
B. homemade meusli with sk. milk
L. 3 shrimp with garlic and parsley, leftover from last night; 1/2 cup plain tiny green beans; 1 small wedge of crustless leek quiche (no crust) left over from last night; large bowl of cut up melon.
Dinner will be baked fish, sauteed fennel, and probably a salad.
I also had a snack of 10 cashews.

Gotta go finish the afghan.

Thought this was funny...


I want to thank all of you who have taken the time and trouble to

send me your chain letters over the past two years. Thank you for making me feel safe, secure, blessed, and wealthy.



Because of your concern...

I no longer can drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.



I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans.



I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.



I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.



I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.



I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.



I no longer receive packages from UPS or Fed Ex since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.



I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our troops.



I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a Stupid number for which I will get the phone bill from **** with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.



I no longer eat prepackaged foods because the estrogens they contain will turn me gay.



I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.



I no longer go to bars because someone will drug me and take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.



Thanks to you, I have learned that God only answers my prayers if I forward an email to 7 of my friends and make a wish within 5 minutes.



I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl who has been dying for the past seven years.



I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

Thought this was funny and should be passed along.

I will now return the favor. If you don't send this e-mail to at least 1200 people in the next 60 seconds, a large bird with diarrhea will fly over your head at 5:00 PM and the fleas of a thousand camels will infest your armpits.



I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of a friend of a friend's neighbor's cousin, and he's a lawyer.

WIW sucks for me. I'm up 4 pounds from last week, back to a total of 10!! What was a real eye-opener for me this morning was I went to put on a pair of pants I hadn't worn lately and I couldn't even get them buttoned, even while sucking my gut in! So then I tried on another and another, all the same thing. Only 1 pair fits, the pair that I WAS wearing with a belt(no more). I've got to get this under control for not just my physical and emotional sake, but my pocketbook's sake. Here's my menu for the day:

BF- peach and plain yogurt
Lunch- 2 sl bread, 1 sl cheese, 2 sl bacon, and 1 egg(sandwich)
Snack- not sure yet
Supper- Beef and cabbage casserole(meat, cabbage, tomatoes, cheese) and probably a sweet potato

Although I ate lunch less than 2 hours ago, I'm feeling hungry. I need to do my workout and that might take my mind off food. Or it might make me hungrier by the time I'm thru. Hmmm...guess I will need a good afternoon snack. Maybe an apple with PB and a cup of milk, or a strawberry smoothie? Dunno, we'll see. Alright, I've procastinated enough, need to do my workout for the day(sigh).

Another fly by! Went to the post office then the store. The store was having a sale on Coke products, so I got a lot of Diet Coke with Splenda... Yum! A young friend from church just got here...she is going to swim with her nine month old. I am going to go join them outside in a minute.

GATOR: We don't have modems, as we use DSL. Thankfully, I can leave all those hardware problems for my son to solve...he tests computer equipment in his job, so if it doesn't work, I yell for him! :)

We use DSL too. The little box that connects to your computer acts as a "modem" that's what we had to replace. We get our service through our phone company so no charge for the new box. I just had to drive to the office and pick it up. Tonight we are having baked cod, brown rice pilaf and wsome veggie. Don't know yet, will have to check out my fridge! it looks like it's about to storm, so I better get going!