Herbal Magic #3
 

Ok, so this is the 3rd official thread for HM. At 500 posts they close the thread so we are just a bit ahead (10) with this one.
....

THE 1 WEEK CHALLENGE

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tips..prepack your lunches the night before....write down on a pc of paper what you will eat the night before for the next day so you can follow it without thinking an getting frusterated!:carrot:

So we have started the 1 week Challenge!
How is everyone doing? If my roomie doesn't stop offering me home made cookies I am going to go and hide in my bedroom! hahah.
So far today, It has been a good day with NO cheats! I am working on finishing up my water now...

So far so good, Done 6 of my 8 glasses of water. Ate on plan .. going grocery shopping right after my weigh in. Made a list so i dont stray :) Aside from that all's well.

good job girlie!!!!
how was your w.i?

Glad to see you've both stuck to the plan so far!! It's always easier to feel good about yourself when you stick to the plan.

I'm just about to make supper (fish, sweet potatoes and some peas). I've finished off everything else for today except for my FE... I like to leave it for last!

I've gotten in the habit of drinking all of my water on my commute to and from work (1 bottle each way) and the rest during the school day. That way I get to have my coke 0 with supper!

I'm hoping that my sticking to the plan this week leads to more than one pound. Last wi they told me that my journal looked good and my body must just need more time to allow the supplements to kick in... here's hoping! Don't think I have the willpower to stick to this program with no cheats and lose less than 1 lb per week...

Good luck (or good planning?!) to everyone tomorrow!

Haha Lady, roomie issues are a shame! I've watched my hubby go to the cupboard in search of snacks at least twice now. Even the Triscuits he had looked tempting, and I don't normally even like them!

It sounds like you are all pretty on track. I am not. I have been so busy lately that I haven't been able to get in all of my food. Tomorrow is a new day and with not much going on a little pre-planning should help me out.

I guess my situation is better than overindulging non?

Does anyone else have a Timmie's weakness? *sigh*

Hey Lady, my W.I was less than good lol. I was up, 1.8lbs i think?? They looked over my journal and said that it was most likely due to the fact i had a very big drop friday (1.8) and that i had veggie pepperoni over the weekend. Its pretty high in sodium so she figured it was due to those things together. Im still way above the plan as far as total lbs lost so thats still good.

I find myself sneaking in little things here and there and im STOPPING that now lol because at the time yes an extra half oz of cheese doesnt seem detramental but all those little extras will eventually compile into me thinking "oh its just one whole pizza, no biggie" lol which is the same mentality that got me to the weight i was 3 months ago, and i will NOT go back!!!

I also find myself, mostly on weekends, saying well if i have this popcorn tonite, i will just cut out my starch(s) tomorrow?? Like exchanging things almost, and i know thats a total no no!! I have been on HM for 4 months at the end of march and this has just started recently, i think its just a focus issue for me. I didnt cheat yesterday at all so im aiming for another solid 3.5 months on plan now ha ha. The ONE thing i tend to sneak in all the time is coffee. Which is fine but i use a bit of fat free french vanilla coffee cream in it...which is probably NOT ok but i figure one little bit a day cant be too bad???

...see there i go again with my 'little cheats' ha ha damn it!!

im having that same problem! iv been on program since november and now i just feel like im slowly starting to slip, like an extra glass of wine one night, an extra FE another, all small but i think they are adding up, the worst is going out for dinner and all the salt they use but ive started a new job and am commuting alot and therfore am eating on the run a little bit wich is hard to learn what to eat since iv been home for the most part since i started this plan, bu im learning, any tips?
as for the challenge, im already out i had ice cream yesterday lol and that is definatly not herbal magic approved lol.. but it was homemade and oh so delicious lol, but im not gunna let that stop me and im going to carry on the rest of the week as good as i can! im going to go grocery shopping this afternoon and pick up lotsa veggies pre cut them so i have easy snacks for work..and i wanna make this cheesecake recipe that was posted yesterday at my weigh in lol..ill let ya know how that goes!! xx

Good job on making the realization that the little cheats add up and on resolving to change!

Meme: I am also a big fan of Timmies, but fortunately I don't have one where I live. When I go into the city for my weigh ins I usually have a large one for the way home (with 2 milk and 2 sweetener). At HM they said it was fine as long as I take my dairy into account. (I count it as half - but not really sure?!)

Really wishing the center was in my town, that way I might get there more than once a week and would have a better idea of how I'm doing!

Darn those little cheats! We all have done it.

Michele, I live out of town too. Plus I am at home with a back injury. So once a week is the best I can do. I call in if I am really having a hard time. The staff at my centre said that they do ALOT of phone counselling. When you are in a pinch give them a ring. They don't mind at all!

So I am having a lack of appetite problem. It is really making it difficult to get all of my food in. Is this related to the supplements I am on or am I just bummed out? I don't know...

Bride2b: Preplanning your meals is the key. When I was on program and going to work I had to make my brekkie, lunch, and snacks on the go. IF that doesn't appeal you can ask your centre for their eating out guide. You can have Subway and a lot of other foods on the go. But your best bet... especially for avoiding sodium is your own pre-prepared food. Hard boiled eggs are an easy on the go food for me.

Mmmm Cheesecake! I bought some of the thinsations cheesecake bars for my FE and had one last night... Not quite as good as I was expecting, but still good!

Meme: Once I get into it more that may be easier! For some reason I still feel awkward when they phone and when I go in for wi. Maybe after another week or two I'll get over it!

Just finishing up a prescription of Amoxicillin... has anyone noticed a change in weight gain/loss when on meds? I'm also hoping that the sinus infection I had is the reason for being so drained... not the eating plan or supplements? How did you guys find the first while on the plan energy-wise??

Well my plan was to drive into the city to get weighed today.........didn't happen! :(
We had freezing rain over night and now its like a skating rink here!

I really need to get their as I'll need my detox, Energin and B6/12.
I live about 1.5 hours away from the city so I'm not as fortunate as most to get to HM weekly! :(
So I been weighing myself on my scale!

I'm going to try going by this for the week:


For instance this is what I ate yesturday:

Breakfast:
1/2 cup cereal
1/2 cup milk
1 orange

Lunch:
1 cup rice
1/2 cup lean hamburger
taco seasoning
(this was left over from a previous night of stuffed red pepper)

Supper:
2 smokies
2 buns
little mustard

Free Exchange:
mini bag of popcorn (100cal)


I know.........bad me........where are the veggies!
OOPS :( my bad!

So I'm going to use that as my challenge this week......EAT VEGGIES :)

Anyways........hope you're all doing good!

thanks for the ideas and support girls :)

Doughgirl: If you keep some baby carrots on hand, some pre-made salads, sliced cucumbers and add fresh diced tomatoes (or canned tomatoes) to meat or eggs it becomes quite easy to sneak in the veggies (says the woman who isn't getting in her food allowances lately LOL) :devil:

A favorite easy meal of mine is an egg white omelette with sauteed mushrooms, fresh spinach, and diced tomatoes. You can have your dairy (cheese) sprinkled on top. Or for something more delectable ... make your cheese feta and mix it in with the rest. (Be careful... high sodium)... You can eat this and feel very full and know that you got some veggies in.

Some meds do contribute to water retention ie. Tylenol and some other pain meds. But that is minimal and easily counteracted with increased fluids... which you should be doing when you have an infection anyway. Overall though if you tell the staff at your centre about what you are one they would know best as far as what might affect your scale numbers.

Also, if you are lagging in energy you can try a multivitamin. Your centre will sell one but you can find one that you like at any grocery or drug store. Also, you can try picking more nutrient rich foods such as sliced almonds as your fat exchange. Any fruit or veggie that is a more vibrant color ie. butternut squash, yams/sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, peaches, berries, etc... as opposed to salads (apart from spinach which is very good for you), apples and bananas. Be adventuresome! There are some delicious foods out there that are super for our bodies and taste good too!

I am overly verbose today ... sorry LOL

Haha I tend to have pretty bad verbal diarrhea all the time. Must be from teaching... if I'm not talking I sometimes feel that they aren't learning as much

Weather bad here too... got sent home early from school! :)

Schools were cancelled here today :?
I had a day off today.......but lol how is it a day off when the hubby and kids don't have to work or go to school?
Not fair!

Breakfast today was:
2 eggs
1/4 onion
1sice ham
1 toast
1/2 cup milk

snack was strawberries

Not sure whats for supper yet.

dough, what are "smokies"?

Michele, yes those can have a huge effect regarding gaining weight...dont worry, keep working on the program..when you are done them it will show! Hope you are felling better too!

Meme how are you doing with the nibbly food we recommended the other day> Is it helping any? How is the back?

UFF, you know, I fully get what myou are going through..you know how I am staying away from that this week? THIS CHALLENGE! Literally you guys!!! i wanted some of the home made cookies a lady at work sells soooooooooo bad..but then i thought..i would have to tell you guys I flubbed the challenge I suggested!!!!!!



THANK YOU for being MY inspiration!

Lady: ha ha too funny, This challenge helps too, i have found other excersise challenges on this forum too and they help with the motivation of going to the gym.

OOOOH and I got my income tax refund today, and bought a year long membership to the gym, man thats a comittment. Going to try and go tomorrow morning before work, we will see ha ha

It has been a rough day emotionally but I have managed to make it thru without overindulging in any foods that weren't on my menu for the day. Yay me.

2dogs lady: I have no appetite so I don't need snacky food on hand. That did tie me over for a time but now I am on to other hurdles. My back is still injured and I am unable to do much other than lay on my couch all day everyday. It sucks but I am super proud of myself for at least sticking to my eating plan and am losing weight in spite of being inactive. Thanks for asking.

My hubby has a costco size bag of chocolate covered almonds here. I love chocolate. But I won't eat even one. NOT ONE! :)

think of those almonds as sour and bad!!! with a horrid aftertaste...then dont think of them anymore!

I am heading in for my w.i this am and my scale has really been relfecting the difference in what I have been doing to what I wasnt doing *cough cough*. haha

So lets hope the measurements etc work for me!

I have my wi and mesurements today after work! Im always nervous for them lately is seems i will go down then right up the next time, i seem to be fluctuating between 47 and 45 lbs lost, i just want to hit that damn 50 lol.

YOU CAN DO IT UFF!! and when you do,,,,lets make a new name for you!


My w.i was good! I lost about 4" in total and........I have to change me weight ticker...and getting ready to add another willpower thingy~!!

Once again you guys and the challenge saved me from going and getting a treat...I had to do some running around after ther w.i and I thought "oh this will taste good" BAM the challenge hit me..and if i give in once, then I KNOW I will give in to more challenges without it bugging me....

Good job on the loss of inches Lady!

I've behaved myself this week in hopes that I can have a great wi Saturday. Last time it was only 1 pound but 2.5 inches. I'd really like to see it on the scale too though. Not really seeing it on my one at home yet...

UFF: Almost 50 pounds!! WOW! Sooo close! Have a good wi! Income tax refund?! What is that!! I'd like to get one instead of having to pay!! Good way to put the money to use!

so..lets make this interesting..go and find something that weighs 1lb...then 5lbs..then 10kbs..walk around the house for 5 or 10 minutes holding it...then realize how heavy a single pound actually is!!!!

I am going to look for something and weight it now *grin*

Hello!

Lunch for me was a sandwich loaded with meat and lettuce, just shy of a serving of celery (to account for the lettuce), an orange, and a small yogurt (1/2 Dairy).

Breakfast was two scrambled eggs and a serving of cheerios. And I had a mid-morning carrot snack!

So far that's:

2 pro
2 veg
2 starch
1 fruit
1/2 dairy

I'll probably also eat my fresh strawberry snack on the drive home!! Yummy!

Before supper I'll half a fruit shake (1/2 dairy, 1 fruit)

Supper is looking like sweet potato, peas, fish

Then for my favourite.... Free Exchange!!

Guess I also gotta get my fats in there since I cooked everything with Pam, which doesn't count as one!!

Look out Peanut Butter and sunflower seeds... here I come!!

Hope everyone is having an awesome day! It;'s "Nerd Day" at school today... felt like people were staring at me on my drive, probably thought I was weird! :dizzy:

i found this interersting..


Questions and answers
Are all breakfasts created equal?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent: No, all breakfasts are definitely not created equal. We talked to an expert at the American Dietetic Association to help us "grade" a few popular breakfast options. Let's start at the bottom with a breakfast that would get a "C" average grade: Fast food breakfast sandwich, pastry or sugary cereal.

These foods get a "C" for a number of reasons. The types of fat in these foods are the bad fats, and it certainly is not balanced. These foods are going to be high in sugar and carbohydrates and low in fiber and protein, which are essential for a balanced breakfast.

Let's flip to the foods that get a "B" average grade: bagel, breakfast bar, breakfast shake or pancakes with syrup.


These foods are a good start but aren't quite there. Take, for example, the breakfast shake: Many people blend up some milk and fruit. Although it's healthy for you, to make it a complete meal, you should add a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread.

OK, now for the winner, the "A+" breakfast: oatmeal with skim milk, a half-ounce nuts, berries and orange juice.

This is the ultimate breakfast because you've got a whole grain in the oatmeal, a protein in the skim milk, heart-healthy fats in your nuts, and the berries are a great source of antioxidants. You can wash the meal down with a nice glass of orange juice, which is loaded with vitamin C and potassium. Remember that you should be consuming a significant amount of calories at breakfast -- around 500, depending on the person. Eating a hearty breakfast will keep you full for several hours and prevent you from snacking at that morning meeting. And important to remember: If you wake up and are not hungry in the morning, it is a big indicator that you are overeating at night

Thanks for the food writeup lady. That is good stuff. I have found that one of my favorite brekkies is the following:

1/4 c rolled oats sprinkled with flax seed and wheat germ
1 yogurt cup
1 c berries with a tsp of splenda
3 - 6 unsalted almonds (sliced)
Mix it all together and YUM!

So that is what I shall endeavor to have today.

Yesterday was a rough one for eating. We had no electricity so virtually all of my usual choices were unavailable... not to mention we had no heat either... :P Finally we ended up going out and the closest and easiest was Applebees. Talk about a nightmare for choosing food that we can actually have on plan! I ended up eating off program.. not brutally but enough that I feel gross today. UGH! It was that darn spinach and artichoke dip! But when it is 8 PM at night and you are only sitting down to eat and you are starved it is reallly really hard to stay on track. So I guess it isn't the end of the world that I had like 6 tortilla chips and about 2 Tbsp of the dip... but it isn't the best either. I am kind of mad about it. And then the dinner ... a chicken breast had sauce I had to scrape off and everything else on my plate was a no-no. UGH!

I am glad some of the rest of you did better than I did. I will do my darndest to be 100% disciplined today. I like the way that feels. Knowing that every bite I put into my mouth is exactly what my body needs and will bring me that much closer to achieving my goal. Thanks for the inspiration ladies!
:hug:

Look who finally got a ticker! WHOOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!!! :)

Ok So first the good news lol, WI went well, i was down to 281.0 so a total of 47.6! Hoping to break the 280's by friday, and to be down 50lbs total by Monday..i figure its a fairly attainable goal. Also i managed to get myself to the gym yesterday morning at 5:30 before work, and I went after work at 4:30, AND got myself there again this morning before work!! Going with my friend today after work for our usual 3 hour running of the stairs 'death' race lol.

Bad news....It was our season wind up for curling last nite which means steak night. Granted steak is allowed on the plan, im pretty sure the half plate size steak with fried onions and mushrooms werent....eEK, also the small baked potato i had was also on plan, however the sour cream...not so much :) And i had some ceaser salad and garlic toast...GAH! So there blows my challenge for the week ha ha.

How about those of us who are 'out' of the challenge still challenge ourselves to be 100% on track from today forward? It is still possible and we can still see results. A slip up does not mean that our week is blown right?

BTW ...UFF... that 50lbs will be off in a heartbeat! Keep up the good work!

yesterday i packed all my food had everything ready for the whole day, went to work had lunch and dinner in between clients, but by the time i got home at 9pm i was starving, and caved and shared cookie dough and cresent rolls with my fiance, i swear he is keeping my chubby lol. anyways we decided last night that i just dont have strong will power wen food llike that is in the house so we agreed that if he wants to put junk in his body he has to eat it in the car or at work lol. today..so far so good!! hopefully reading this now keeps me on track tonight!

also i made the herbal magic baked cheesecake and its not so good in my opinion, it uses eggs sweetner and cottage cheese, and cinnamon, and i normally like cottage cheese however this was not the best lol. but im eating it so i dont waste groceries/$ lol i have it for desssert with my FE 100 calorie Fat free icecream and fresh strawberries to mask the taste lol. lemme kno if you guys want the recipe and ill post it!! its 1 protien, and 1/2 dairy

I made the cheesecake too and I thought it was yucky. I think that if you reallly want cheesecake that you can get those individual jello pudding cheesecake cups in the dairy section that aren't huge in calories. Run it by your centre and figure out with them what food groups it covers.

I totally relate with you about how difficult it can be when there is 'crap' in the house. I have willpower most of the time but when I am having a rough day I can't help but think about my husband's junk food stash. He is the opposite of me... he is underweight.

It is hard after a long day when you come home tired to stay on track. Good for you and your fiance for your new plan to help you deal with things. I think that planning ahead for those occassions helps alot too. Having hard boiled eggs on hand makes a quick meal in a pinch.

So i just wanted to vent...I am currently looking for a house to buy, the market around here is crazy, pretty pricey for total run down shacks. My highest limit is about 140K being a single girl and all i dont have a mans second income ha ha :) So i have been looking (granted only a few weeks) and there turns out to be one JUST listed no for sale sign or anything, super structuraly sound and well maintained clean, totally 70's orange and gold on the inside but it was so far below my budget at 112K that i would have been able to do a lot of nice work......i was a few minutes too late and they accepted another offer :( so i am crossing my fingers that it falls through, but its not looking very hopeful, it was i am sure just the first of many disappointments in the house buying process!

regarding the house..look on kijiji as well as the free listings...MLS has some but many are trying to sell without the agents fees. Do not rush into it either!!

This has been a pretty good week for me and I am proud..I didn't have any extra sweets (my down fall)...I hardly even had an diet cola!! I go for a weigh in after work tonight...which I hate the after work ones.


have you guys tried their peanut crunch replacement bars? they count as 1p 1f 1 s....but many they are soooooooooooooo good!

Hello! House hunting... yuck. I'm in the same boat as you but have quit looking for a bit, everything is just so overpriced! Currently renting a little house which is nice enough but the walls seem to be closing in on my husband and I! I think we'll start seriously looking in another 6 months-year and keep our fingers crossed that prices drop in the meantime!

Good work on the exercise and stair running! I have to get more exercise in.. . especially since the eating plan doesn't seem to be doing it for me.

Go for a weigh in either tonight or tomorrow and hope that I am not disappointed, although my home scale isn't showing a whole lot of change. Not sure why my body is so stubborn. I'm following the program and eating all of the food (even though it's a lot for me) and am not noticing any changes except way too many trips to the washroom (which you would think would cause me to drop a bit of weight?!)

I really hope to lose some weight or my motivation level will surely drop... I don't know what to change to make this happen. My only cheats are gum (sugar free) and my coke zero (which is allowed... I usually have 1-2 cans a days). I'm getting in all of my water, which surprises me because I HATE water... I just don't know. Any suggestions?

I just got back from weigh in. I am down 2 so that is ok. But the big shocker was my measurements. I am down 19.6 inches! HOLY COW! So that feels pretty good.

Michele, have you noticed a change in inches? UFF too... you are both incorporating exercise which means lbs don't drop as fast but inches do ... and the end result is a toned bod. I hope Michele that you are pleasantly surprised at your weigh in. But we all understand about motivation dropping when we don't see the results as quickly as we might like.

Lady: You should be proud! Thanks for leading us in a one week challenge!
Oh yes... UFF... I understand the house hunt frustration. It might sound trite but the right place will make itself available at the right time for the right price. When you walk in the front door you will know that you are home. Good luck! :)

Ladies: Thanks for listening to the house rant ha ha. I am very sure that the right place will present itself. I have an awesome agent who is really more like family and he is on the hunt so i am hoping i will get some houses before they are even listed, gives me better odds!

mememe: I have dropped 47.6lbs and about 36 inches. I have never had a HUGE drop at one time like you did! I was told on wed at WI that i have lost 4.5 inches off my hips alone though, and that was pretty impressive! That was the area I felt it was coming off the least!! I haven't been as hard core with the excersise until the last week. Before it was once a week going REALLY hard, and then maybe one or two times walking for half an hour. I didnt feel a real need to go much harder as i was still losing at an impressive rate. Now i have slowed a bit and wanted to kick it up a few notches, atleast to hit the illusive 50 lbs :) I have noticed that for most people the inches seem to mirror the pounds!