Lost three pounds
 

Hey Girls...last night I didn't binge...I kept to 1500 cals and did not get the urge to stuff my face! And as usual, cycled for 30 minutes, for a distance of 8.8km

Lets hope today goes well...the eating part...I am getting ready to go for a speed walk with my friend. So that should be about an hour of brisk walking...yay!

Hi PreciousOne....isnt exercise addictive! The more you do it, the better you feel and it kinda becomes something to look forward to. What are windsprints? I have noticed that I now crave water...its becoming the norm for me to drink at least 2 liters of water per day...and if I dont get that much...I feel it...my body feels sluggish.

Hi Reina-mia you inspire me...getting up at 5.30 am to exercise...determination is your middle name :lol:
The water will get easier and you will acutally enjoy it...escpecially as you become fitter...you will feel the difference. And I so understand you about the binging...sometimes it is a greater power than me....So I've been doing some research and I now for the last two days have been using Garcinia Cambodgia..a natural herb used to cut the appetite...I take one pill after my evening meal...we'll see how that goes...last night...didnt binge...I'll keep you posted if the garcinia works....you can get it at gnc. Anyway, keep positive and make wise choices

Cjunk, Annie, LadyRider and Mikki....looking forward to hearing from you....I send all of you good energy and a big hug...thanks for being my health nut buddies:grouphug:

cyan

Hi everyone:) My son had an out-of-town ballgame last nite, the nite before I had to work til 7 again, and today ( Sat) I worked from 10 until 4. So needless to say after doing the bare necessities around the house, I havent had as much time as I'd like to get in here. I hate the days I miss. Ya'll have no idea how much I learn from you all and how nice it is to constantly read how there are others who go thru all the hardships that I do concerning weightloss. This is such a great group!

I'm still drinking my water ( lots of it) but still not liking it. haha Not giving up on acquiring that craving for it, tho.

Ok, I dont want to be left out so (cant believe I'm saying this) I give up...Gonna take the exercise challenge. I am going to force myself to do some kind of exercise every day for the next week. Will probably be on my Air Walker. It's a glinder-type machine that works your legs and arms without putting force on your knees by bending them. Very easy to do but within 5 minutes, I"m out of breath. Working long hours isnt going to be an excuse. Even a few minutes is better than none. Just gotta keep telling myself that! ( and ya'll please remind me constantly too k? )

I have another challenge for myself also...and for anyone else out there that is like me in this area. I tend to let the scales judge me rather than just feeling ok when I know Ive eaten right. The first week that I started drinking my gallon of water, I lost 5 lbs. Then just a few days later ( less then a week later) I weighed and the scales showed right back where I started. I was sooo disappointed!! I did weigh again a couple days ago and it just showed 2 more instead of 5. Altho I know weight fluctuates and it can depend on time of day, fluid retention, and all kinds of things, I still tend to let it discourage me. I'll start thinking I've been doing pretty well so I'll weigh hoping to get encouraged if it shows I've lost some. And if I have, I do get encouraged. But if I havent, I go back to thinking I have blown it and will probably never get control so I'll binge or something. Sooo, my challenge to myself is to wait at LEAST 2 weeks before I weigh again. That will be very hard for me. I'm one of these who weighs almost daily. Does anyone else do that? And do any of you do like I do and let the scale determine how you've done instead of going by the actual facts of what you've eaten and how much you've excercised?? I'm also going to write my measurements down tonite and will check them again in 2 weeks. I havent done that yet.

Also, I dont know what "diet" I want to try. You can increase fiber, lower carbs, count calories, keep up with WW points or a million other things. Seems kinda overwhelming to know just what to do. Seems everyone does it differently. Would love for some of you to give me an example of what you eat on a good day...I mean like a meal by meal day, exactly what you have.

I do know I need to totally change the way I eat. I have never liked breakfast. Never have I gotten up hungry. And most days I end up working thru my lunch hour. I would say at least 4 days a week, I dont eat until I get home at nite to cook for my family. So it's not so much as how much I'm eating. It's the choices I'm making. I've always heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it's one that I've almost never eaten. Whew...sounds like another challenge to myself huh? lol I think I'm getting overwhelmed again! Do you all eat breakfast? I know eating 3 healthy meals a day is better than just having one unhealthy one but I seem to have this major feeling of guilt anytime I eat that much even when it's good-for-you foods.

Congrats to all of you who are doing so well on your exercise plans!!!! Maybe soon I'll be able to report that I'm right on track with ya. Going to start trying tonite!

Keep up the good work everyone. And keep the posts coming!! I love them all :)

One more thing....just realized as I think back on things I generally eat, most of the things I REALLY like include things like breads, rice, potatoes, pasta, etc. Macaroni and cheese has always been a favorite, I love spaghetti, I love casseroles like broccoli/cheese/rice, etc...Fettuccini Alfredo....all that stuff. Badddd huh??

:wave:
Hi Everyone! Looks like this has been a busy weekend for all of us, not much time for the old computer.
I'm due to run today but the lazy Kriss is arguing with the helthy Kriss . I'll let you know tomorrow who wins.
reina_mia - you're right, calorie counting is a lot of work, and there are a lot of other ways to eat less. Find the one that works for you. ;) Glad you got the exercise thing going! Keep up the good work, you'll find your groove!
I felt frustrated and deprived yesterday and had an icecream sundae. Darn. Today I will get back on track.

MikiG - boy, you rang a bell for me! Yes I weigh too often - waaaay too often. sometimes several times a day! Just like you, I know weight fluctuates from minute to minute, but I'm always hoping to get that new lower number, and so discouraged when it goes up again. This is what I've been trying since I started this new life style (never say diet 8 weeks ago::o ) My official weigh in day is Monday, however I weigh each morning to get an indicator of how I'm doing. If I show a loss more than one day during the week and not on Weigh In Day, I know it's coming soon. for example one week I was down 2lbs three times during the week, but on Monday I showed no loss. I knew in my heart I was down the two pounds, and sure enough on Tues it was back down and stayed there for the rest of the week. It helps me not too put all my hopes on just one mornings weight. On the other hand, I really have to work to remember not to get discouraged if the scale shows I'm up a pound or two. That's the hard part. I also weigh at the same time and wear only my birthday suit. Taking my measurements has really helped. It shows me I'm losing in more ways than one.
You asked for an idea of what we eat. Here is a couple of days menues:
Breakfast:1/2 banana, 2pc pbutter toast 8oz OJ (435) Lunch: 1c tomato soup, 4 crackers (200) Snack: Crackers and frosting (400?)
Dinner:6oz ham (120)
Not all that well balance, but I often eat like this.
Another day:
Breakfast: None
Lunch:Cherry Health Shake made with slimfast and frozen cherries (300)
Dinner:3/4c Pasta with 3oz chicken, 3/4c asparagus, mushrooms and italian drsg.(400)
Snack:International coffee, 1 stalk celery (60) Snack:15 crutons (110)
And One More:
Tuesday Breakfast:2pc pbutter toast, milk (355)
Lunch: None
Dinner: 2 pc pizza (340)
Snack: Apple (70)
Snack: 3c popcorn (150)

I'm probably not a good role model for you. As you can see, these aren't well planned - balanced meals. I don't like too many rules, and I don't like to cook, so I eat what I feel like as long as the average daily calorie count is below 1000. On the plus side, I exercise 5 days a week and have lost an average of 1.5 lbs a week. :)
Keep looking at different diet plans, if necessary, create your own ,but find one that makes sense to you.
Don't go with my 1000 calorie daily average; it's too low. I just wanted to get a jump start, and now I'm slowly increasing it to a healthier average.

Good luck on your exercise challenge!

Annie, Cjunk, Prescious one, How are you doing?
Together we can do this!

Hey all :wave:

I did it! I got up this morning and walked a mile! Going to get the 8 Minutes in before I go to work today.

The water is going good. Like Cyan I'm now craving it. I drink water all day and when I eat dinner I usually drink half a diet drink and water. Cyan, to do a windsprint you run from one point (say maybe 100 yards or less whatever you're comfortable with) to another and back as fast as you can. It builds your wind up. When I first started I could only do two so each week or whenever I felt comfortable I would at one. Only at 4 now but I'm going to get better! My husband stands outside and watches me like he's my coach or something!

MikiG you are right there are so many "diets" to choose from. I've found counting calories to be easier. Right now I'm doing 1500. It's working. I eat anything I want as long as I don't go over 1500 calories. Watch out for those fat grams also. Here's what I usally eat (breakfast and lunch almost never change nor do the snacks)

BREAKFAST/LUNCH (choose one of the following)
MultiGrain Cherrios(110) or Crispix(110) with non-fat milk(90)
1 Kiwi (49)
Kelloggs Creal bar(90)
Any power bar that's less than 200 calories( Dr Soy(180), Pria(110)
3 Egg whites(17 cal each)
Water


SNACK( about 4PM and again at 9PM)Choose one
Kiwi
Cereal bar or power bar
My new potato chip! Crispix Cereal (baked(to dry) with fat free itlian dressing, garlic or onion salt )(125)
Granola Bar Chocolate Smores( 135)
water

DINNER (6pm or before 8pm)
Anything as long as it fits into the calories
Half a diet soda and water

This mostly everyday but I'm just like everyone else I have my days! Sometimes I just have to have some kind of junk!

LadyRider I agree I don't like too many rules and mine aren't balanced either.

Keep up the good work everyone!

hello everyone
 

Just a quick note...went walking yesterday...for about an hour...the pace was moderate...it felt nice...to get some fresh air...after that....greek food for dinner...but did very well and stayed at my 1500 cals per day....So this binging thing is under control for the time being. I plan to do my usual biking tonight...So girls have a good rest of weekend and stay on track...cause 3 months from now, our bodies, mind and spirit witll thank us

Cyan

Hello to everyone, this will be short but I will come in and post later this evening. Sounds like everyone has done great this weekend. Keep up the good work with meals and exercise. :)

I've entered into a new phase of exercising, still using the bike but have added some jumping around! :cb: Mainly using some weights and working on the waistline. Also trying to build more muscle to help burn more fat.
I did good on my goal of reducing my sugar intake and also managed to ride the bike for 45 minutes over the weekend. Sounds like all of us are on the right track. Together we will accomplish our goals. Does anyone have any suggestions for a challenge for tomorrow night?
Well I need to go, time to finish up cooking Sunday dinner. Yum, food time!
Talk with everyone later. Stay Confident.
Keep up with the exercising and water consumption.
:grouphug:

Hi all :cool: New day today and so far so good! :D Got off here last nite and did my air walker for 5 min ( dont laugh, I could barely make it lol ) Then got up this morning and did 5 more minutes, ate my breakfast which consisted of 1 cup of RaisinBran with 1/2 cup milk, then got back on the air walker for 5 more minutes. Just finished lunch, a tuna sandwich with a small salad. Weighed this morning and not going to look at the scales again for 2 weeks if I can possibly hold out that long! Wanted to take my measurements and looked everywhere and cant find my measuring tape. Going to borrow one later on so I can keep up with them also. Drinking my water as usual, feel like I'm floating:dizzy: lol.
Precious and Lady, thanks for the examples of the meals you're eating. I too think it's easier for me just to cut down rather than cut OUT certain things totally. I know me...if I deprive myself totally of things I really want, before I know it, I"ll eat it anyway but even more than I'd normally eat.
Cyan, I had to laugh about the OhHenry's. Not laughing AT you, just WITH you. It was like reading about myself. :lol:
My son is standing here "patiently" ( yeah right lol) waiting for a turn on the computer so I guess I"ll go for now. Who knows..I might even try to work in 5 more minutes of "Air Walking". Hopefully I'll get back on here sometime tonite tho to see how everyone is doing.
Ya'll have a great day!!!:flow2:

hey girls
 

Tonight my cal consumption was a tad high at 1900 cals...had a spaghetti dinner, with caesar salad and garlic bread over at a friends house...but what can I do....so I walked home in the rain which took about 20 minutes....then I bike for 30 minutes to burn off more cals....So I think I took care of the food...the great thing though is that I have not binged since thursday evening so I am very very very happy:D

Hey Mikki...I guess you know what I am talking about...the OhHenrys....its tough when you are on the verge of losing it and eating everything in site....so be tough...I get a little help from garcinia cambodgia which I have started since friday night...with success.

Well health nut buddies, I look forward to hearing how your weekends went.

Hey Annie...challenge for tomorrow...add some weight lifting to your regime....let me know what you think.

Stay tough and make wise choices

Cyan

Had a great day today!! Exercised for a total of 15 minutes on my "Air Walker" which is ALOT for me. Didnt overeat at all but had 3 small meals which I think may work out better than the way I have been eating previously. Bought some healthier stuff today too so I have alternatives if I do break down and snack occasionally. Didnt drink my whole gallon of water but did drink 84.5 ounces. The water really helps with the "full" feeling. Oh, almost forgot....I also weighed and took all my measurements. Not going to ck any of it again for 2 weeks if I can stand it. I'll fill you in on how I did 2 weeks from now, good or bad. I figure I may as well be honest here. I think being accountable to all of you will help me.

Cyan...I think it was you that told me about Fitday.com. Just joined there tonite and logged everything I ate today. I had a total of 1175 calories. The calorie breakdown was like this:
27% from Fats, 38% from Carbs, and 35% from Proteins. Of the 34 grams of Fat I had today, 14 of them were saturated, 3 poly, and 9 mono. I know the calorie total is well under being too many but as far as the breakdown, how is it? Where should most of my calories come from? And isnt saturated fats the ones that are bad? How many is too many of those? I'm not up on all the health details. Was hoping you could ck out how I did and let me know if I should change anything. Thanks for any info you can give me!

Happy Monday All!
 

:bomb:Just need to vent this morning:bomb:
(Hope you don't mind?)

I just have to say how good it is to belong to this group. I had a horrible weekend, and I read all the posts from this weekend, and it just gives me more incentive to keep this battle alive:o

Stress was a hugh factor in this weekends loss of direction!
:yikes:
But I keep telling myself that ONLY I can change my life, and what I do about it is totally up to me.

To rid myself of the stress, I plan on working my butt off, (literally):joker:
Working out breaks down all that stress and I will come conquer and lose a pound or two this week.......

Ladies, The time has come!
No more emotional eating, (I hope)
No more excuses. I am FAT, and I know it, and it is up to me to change this..
I am going to prove to myself that I CAN do this, no matter what it takes.....:cb: :cb:
I thank each and everyone of you for allowing me to read and feel what you are all going through, because it no only pushes me, It finally made me realize that I am not the only one out there.
I did my morning exercise at 5:45 this morning, and I walked 16 blocks to work from my son's school. OH, I AM SOOOOOO READY to get this ball rolling!! :flame:

I challenge myself to a Negative Free Week... I won't let anyone get me down!!!
I think I will be easy on myself this week. I think I deserve that much....
:judge:
Hope you all have a good week, and once again, I am sorry for dumping all this on everyone... I just needed to get it out...
:balloons:

Good Morning all
 

Hi Mikki ...to answer your question about breakdown of cals

I got this from http://www.foodfunandfacts.com/calories.htm


Calories, Fat Grams, Protein and Carbohydrates
Your calories per day should be divided up:
30% Fat
55% Carbohydrates
15% Protein
Breakdown of the 30% Fat in the diet should be as follows:
10% Saturated Fat
10% Monounsaturated Fat
10% Polyunsaturated Fat
Read your food labels to see what you are eating!

How many calories should you consume a day? How many grams of fat should you intake? Here is a little helpful information.
If you consume 1600 calories, you should have no more than 50 grams of fat per day. This calorie and fat ratio is good for sedentary women, children and many older adults.


This ratio would apply if you are following a balanced diet and not one of those low carb diets...personally I think this works...if you lower you fat intake ...too low, your body goes into ketosis. Good fats to eat come from olive oil, fish...omega 3 fatty acids, flax seed oil...omega 6 fatty acids...these fats help your heart stay healthy and help raise your hdl and lower your ldl.

Also, you dont want to go to low on the cals because if your body thinks its in starvation mode, the next time you eat regularly, your body will store it all as fat in anticipation for the next "starvation" Also, it slows down your metabolism and your body starts breaking down your muscle...so make sure you stay around 1500 cals and keep exercising...also add some form of weight lifting to your regime....this will increase your metabolism which in turn will help your body burn fat ...you will loose fat instead of water or muscle. Thats why I say in the beginning, measuring yourself is a better way than the scale cause muscle weighs 4 times more than fat...so in the beginning of a diet and exercise program...you can actually gain weight on the scale.

So I hope this helps

Cyan

Hi everyone,

Read all of your weekend posts and am glad to be back! I had a very busy weekend but a good one. Now I am back to the work thing and it is depressing me a little because I think I have the doldrums at work and am not feeling as challenged as I like. So I guess the diet and exercise focus helps me to stay positive!

I had a good eating weekend but a bad drinking one. I am not a heavy drinker but I do enjoy a glass of wine with dinner now and again on weekends. My friends all led me to specialty restaraunts this weekend that specialized in micro brew. When I got home and calculated how much one of those pints knocks you back I was discouraged. I had a total of 2 1/2 pints on the weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). I exercised for over 1hr of intense "Body Blast" activity on Friday so I think that took care of a pint but I am sure that Saturday's stuck with me because I was pretty inactive the rest of the weekend (recovering legs..so stiff I could barely move them!).

So I guess you can say that I am a bit blue today for all of the damage I did and on top of that, started my period am retaining a load of water and back into my chubby pants!

Anyone up for helping me out??? I have been doing so well before today but I need a pep talk!

Hi Cjunk
 

Not to worry....one weekend of debauchery is not gonna derail you. And, when your about to get your period....our bodies hold on to tons of water and you can way as much as 5 to 8 pounds heavier...so dont despair...Please dont use this as an excuse to go off on the deep end and completely fall off the wagon. So now is a good time to get on that bike and cycle or go for that swim you so love. Continue to drink some water and rest assured that there will be days like this...the challenge is to persevere and keep plugging away at it...be strong.

Well I'm off to do my cycling...tonight I am fantasizing about this new guy I met:D

See you girls

Cyan

Hi all,
Looks like some of us myself included had a bad weekend. Not to be discouraged we're still going to make it. Remember one day at a time! Work last night was awful too stressed to go get anything healthy to eat so I ordered cheese sticks with extra cheese and hot wings. Guess what? I ate every last bit! Spent the night with mom last night and she cooked a big breakfast. I didn't want to be rude so I ate. Now hubby is cooking croquets. Oh well tomorrow is a new day.
Take care.

Hi There,
Well, I'm pretty much in a blue funk today too. I didn't do badly over the weekend, but stress is giving me major cravings. I have been able to resist, but then have a major pity party because I can't have the chocolate I really want. Dumb, huh?
reina_mia - keep that ball rollin'! I like your self challenge of a Negative Free Week. I think those persistant negative thoughts are bringing me down too, so I join you in your challenge. Anybody else up for it?? :yes:
On the up side, I weighed in today and lost one pound and one inch. That brings me to a total of 14lbs and 12 inches. I was hoping for a 2lb loss, but this sure beats a gain! I didn't feel like jogging today, but my husband reminded me that it will be the first scheduled day I missed since I started in September, and how much better I'd feel if I exercise. His pep talk did it, and I ran 2 miles - and did feel much better!
Talk to ya all tomorrow,

Think Thin and Healthy

Lady

Feeling better now.
 

Well all, after my venting episode, and reading everyone elses day, I guess we are all in a bit of a funk. It too shall pass...

LadyRider, Congrats:bravo: Yiou are doing good. Good for your husband to keep you motivated...

Well, I went all day without any negativity, and now I am exhausted. I will check in with everyone tomorrow.

Oh, I forgot, I doubt I will be eating any junk tomorrow. I am getting a root canal in the morning. Any suggestions for food???

Talk to you later
:grouphug:

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the pep talks. Its me back again. I ended up buying a yoga relaxation tape last night and doing it for about an hour. That seemed to really help. I also went to the store and bought some new veggies for lunch as I was getting low.

I had a great sleep but woke up even more bloated than yesterday (for some reason I am more boated than ever!!). I am not going to let it get me down, so this morning I used some aromatherapy (thanks guys!) and that helped settle my funk for now.

I like the challenge of the non-negativity, so I will take up the challenge and not focus negatively on my bloating today!

I will drink lots of water and go to the pool! If I am going to feel like I am floating inside, I may as well float in the pool too!!!

Cyan, this fantasy guy is he a new person you have met recently? Sounds intriguing!

LadyRider, great work on the exercise--it was nice to have your husband help to motivate you too!

Well everyone, today is another day of getting back on track and staying positive. A challenge indeed!! I am up for it. Reporting back tonight....

Cjunk

Morning girls
 

Well last night I was talking with my new guy friend...he's far away, so we have never met in person...but he's none the less very fun to talk with...anyway, he said I looked like Kathy Njimy...I was horrified...I was so upset that after hanging up with him, I cycled for 50 minutes, and burned over 500 cals for a distance of 15 km....Yeesh! So his comments are like water off a duck's back!
Although he thought he was complimenting me.

Oh well....next! please...movin on.

Cjunk...you are amazing for not giving up even though you felt super bloated...it seems like you are making a life change and not just a temporary diet thing...thats the way to go...keep plugging away at it

Reina-mia....you cant stay in this funk for too long...snap out of it...remember all of your accomplishments and your hard work...make yourself and health a priority...dont give up...I know cravings are hard...I know that...but you must persevere...the cravings will pass...you'll see and keep exercising. Kudos on the positive thinking and I give you good energy and courage for your root canal.

Hey LadyRider...the same goes for you...be strong...keep exercising and eating good healthy meals and thank your hubby for encouraging you to go run...2 miles....you inspire me. I'm sure its amazing having such a supportive husband...give him a hug and tell him thank you for helping you stay on track.

PreciousOne The same goes for you....I know its tough when you are tired...you dont want to cook..and its easier to eat junk...but its harder lugging around a heavy sick body...trust me on this one...its harder existing when simple things like climbing stairs are hard cause your too over weight and out of shape...you must think long term...your body is the only body you have...your family wants you around healthy...so the next time, you feel tired and want some comfort food...take comfort in the fact that keeping yourself healthy and in shape is ensuring that you will have a long healthy life.

Ok I am off my soapbox:soap: This thread is here to encourage you to exercise, to eat better, and in the long run to become healthier people. We deserve this...There will be good days and bad ones...Just make sure you celebrate the good ones and quickly move forward away from the bad ones.

Hey Annie where are you...keep positive and Mikki looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Bye for now
Cyan

Good Morning! :dizzy:
Lots of things on my mind today, but first .....

Reina_Mia - YEA!! :cp: on avoiding negative thoughts, and for calling our attention to the importance of attitude in succeeding. Thanks to you I'm doing better today.
Good luck on the root canal. You might try eating no fat yogert or soup.

Cjunk - Wow, you're doing great! You boght the yoga tape -and used it I presume?? :p heheh, and you restocked the veggies. Plus you have a great attitude and your sense of humor is a boost to all of us. This bloating thing only lasts a few days, and just think, someday you won't have to worry about it at all; trust me, I know. :o

Cyan - You cycled 50 minutes?? :strong: And you DIDN"T choose comfort food? Way to go girl!
You give lots of good incouragement in your posts and I really value your input.

A fun project: find something - canned food, bags of sugar, etc, that weighs the same as the pounds you have lost. If it's more than one item put them together and lift them all at once. You will be amazed at how much you have lost. ;)

Ok, Here's the deal. I just haven't had the energy I want when I run, so it's been getting harder and harder to stay motivated. I was mulling this over on this morning's run and the obvious finally hit me over the head. :idea:
If I don't put the right fuel in my body, I can't expect to have the energy to exercise. Yes, I've been losing weight, but I haven't been eating healthy as I should. I think it's Cyan that has been encouraging us to use the food pyramid, well it finally sunk in. :lol: I found this link to the mayo clinic that gives a clear explanation of the pyramid and portions. Here is the link: http://www.mayo.edu/comm/mcr/news_1393.html. I'm all psyched! It's off to the store to buy lots of fruits, veggie and complex carbs. :cb:

Lady

Hello to All, after reading some of the replies it sounds like some of you are feeling alittle down. I get like that when the weather is dreary looking. I think sometimes if we all stopped to think about all of this being a lifestyle change instead of a "diet" it will bring a new focus into your life. When I first started out all I thought about was "dieting". I would have a lot of depressing days because of that. Seemed like the weight wasn't coming off fast enough, I didn't seem to look any better, etc. So I gathered up all my thoughts and all my plans, I looked at it as a long term accomplishment. Step by step, instead of banging my head against the wall trying to "make" things happen. We can only do our best, try each day to do alittle better than the day before. I feel more at ease with the big picture now. My second week of a new lifestyle change opened my eyes. I realized that my accomplishments weren't going to happen over night. I started trying to change the way my lifestyle was on Sept. 15th of this year. The second week of that time period was the most important time during all of this. It's when I sat down and decided how and what I was going to change. Gradually I changed my eating habits. Next I took on an exercise decision. The hardest part was getting everything to work together to feel like I was doing things normally instead of a forced situation. I learned to cook all over again, except this time the healthy way. I chose my food carefully, learning which foods were good for me and which ones weren't. My old diet consisted mostly of "high fat" and "high calorie" foods. None of them were giving me proper nutrition. I felt sluggish, hardly no energy. I can say now that I feel like I am in my 20's again. My husband and I used to hike every weekend with a group. About 5 years ago I stopped going. Felt I really didn't care to do that anymore. But the real reason was that I didn't have the energy or the desire to go hiking. I would rather stay home, eat junk food and watch a movie or something. This past weekend I rejoined the group. Not exactly the hiker I used to be but atleast I have the desire and energy to want to be the old me again. I didn't get to join the regular group of hikers that I used to hike with, I had to join in with the newbies. I couldn't keep up with the regular group. As we all started off I watched as my orginal group left us newbies behind. I saw at that moment the whole picture of what I had done to myself and how I really had let years slip away from my life. It will take some time to be able to regroup with my original hikers. My husband glanced over his shoulder back at me while they left us behind. I was in hopes that he would fall back and hike with my group but he didn't. So it's one of my goals to be able to hike with my husband and the original group again some day. It felt great hiking again. But the group I was in had to stop every so often for a break. At some points I really didn't know if I was going to make it. But I did, and I felt great afterwards. The original group was waiting for us, they all applauded when we reached them. So it's a challenge, one that I am determined to reach my goal.
Yesterday was weigh in day, I didn't post yesterday so I will post my weigh in today. I lost another 3 pounds and also 2 1/2 inches off my waist. Alittle less than 2 1/2 but close enough to the half mark to count. :)
If I could say anything to all of you with alittle advice or tips, getting your eating habits under control is so important. It may be tedious at first and seem to be something that you don't want to do, but planning out what you're going to eat for a whole day is well worth the effort. Always make sure you have something convenient on hand that is healthy in case you don't feel like cooking. I know from experience how I would grab something filled with high calories and loaded with fat when I was tired. It's all about eating habits and setting up good ones. Once you conquer this it's easy as 1, 2, 3. I have converted all my recipes over to healthy ones. So I still get to enjoy eating what I love. Except now the high calories and fat are gone from them.
Miki, you mentioned that you love Italian food, that is also one of my favorites. The things you mentioned you can still enjoy just by converting the recipes to healthier ones. Rice, pasta, etc. aren't fattening, it's what we put on them that is. Rice and pasta are healthy additions to our daily diet. I have a recipe for Fettucine Alfredo that taste just as good as the orginal one. Original dish comes in at around 930 calories for a serving, I think the Olive Garden dish is around 543, maybe alittle higher with around 19 grams of fat. The one I fix comes in at around 220, maybe 240.
The brocolli, rice casserole that you like can be converted also. As far as speghetti, there are tons of ways to fix that health wise. I don't restrict myself from any foods that I loved in the past. I decrease my portions and have also learned to convert the recipes so I can have a healthy serving. The only foods that I have stopped eating are sweets, high fat foods such as chips and snack foods. I would rather eat something healthier and feel full afterwards than to sit and eat hundreds of calories in junk food and still be hungry. I've learned to adapt, for my own health. I'm not deprieving myself, to some I guess maybe they think I am. But as for me, I don't think I need to have a donut or any other junk food. It's not part of my life anymore and I feel good about that. I didn't enter into this as just a feeling that I needed to lose weight. I knew I wasn't healthy, that was the important part. I didn't want to fall over dead with a heart attack or have to go have my arteries cleaned out because of all the fat I have poured into them. I also had a fear of having diabetes, my Mom and my grandmother has it. I was warned by a doctor a few years ago about being borderline diabetic. It finially hit home that I needed to do something with my health. I didn't listen to the doctor, but hearing my husband call me fat and that I didn't care about my health really sunk in. I guess some people would take what he said as harsh and not so kind to me. But that is his way, he comes across very stern and to the point. He told me like it is. Having a lot of weight around the mid section points to all sorts of health issues. In fact, that area has the most issues of any other area that carries too much weight. It's great to have motivation stemming towards getting back into favorite clothes, looking better, etc. But the one thing that will set you in motion is to think about the risks you are taking by being overweight. Is eating junk food, fast food loaded with fat and high calories,etc. worth your life? My life is worth more than that to me. I would love to be around to see my grandchildren when they are born. I want to be around to share the rest of my life with my husband. There are so many joys in life, in the past the only joy I had was consuming food. Seeing a big piece of dessert coming brought a smile to my face. How crazy all that seems to me now. Now I wake up full of energy, my thoughts are not of food, but what the day holds in store. I feel like a better person, I have more motivation for the important things in my life. My life doesn't center around food anymore. Food is something that nourishes my body, it's not for giving me a reason to feel happy. I'm not home free yet, I still have struggles on a day to day basis. I still have thoughts that I'm not going to make it, or that I will go on a binge and eat everything that I see. That's part of the bad habit that I am still trying to break. But each day I am getting closer to achieving something that has been so hard to do. It does take work, committment, determination and loads of will power. But to me the most important factor has been my reason for motivation. My health.
Exercising is another area that I constantly work on. Sometimes I dread to even think about climbing on that bike. But after I'm on there I get the best feeling. I know I am working for better health. I'm one of those people that need balance in what I do. I can't slack on my eating habits or slack on my exercising. I want both of them to become a part of my life. And right now they are. It's like setting an alarm clock, after a while it becomes habit. So I've thrown away the old habits and developed new ones. A new lifestyle, a healthier one. One that I can live with for a very long time.
Cyan, I haven't really got into weight lifting. Mainly I am using 5 pound dumbbells to exercise with. Doing side bends, etc. Also dancing around some. Started doing a few new exercises this weekend. Ouch, :eek: they hurt! Went back to riding the bike for 30 minute sessions yesterday. I think 30 minutes 3 times a day is more to my liking. I wish I knew how to swim, Cjunk you are doing one of the best exercises there is. Sorry you have been feeling alittle down lately. I remember back about how that time of the month was. I went through the change pretty early, a lot of hormone deals associated with that. Seems like that's when I started putting on a lot of weight. I got that middle age spread thing going on.
Lady, glad you are still motivated and keeping up the good work. Stay motivated, you have the right outlook.
To everyone else. Glad you have joined us. Please don't give up, we all have bad days with this. Don't be bashful, if you need any help all of us will be glad to help. Venting is a good thing. Don't keep things inside. It leads to frustrations which in turn leads to overeating, speaking from experience on this one.
And most of all, everyone please think about your health. Stay motivated, stay confident.
Have a great day. Talk with you ladies later. Keep up the good work. Sorry this was so long again. :o
:grouphug:

Hey Gals,

Just posting a bit before dinner to help me stay on track. I found last night so challenging around dinner and am experiencing the same cravings tonight. Last night I pushed through it and tonight I hope to do the same.

So great to hear from everyone. I am with Cyan on the push to get back into the swing of things when we hit a rut. If we don't get out of it ourselves, then how will we stay on track?? This week has been one of the hardest for me so I figure that if I can keep myself in line for the week than surely I can inspire someone else to do the same??? I keep telling myself it is worth it and I am worth it to keep this healthy lifestyle up.

I realized that I have to come up with a once a month strategic plan because it seems that I really really crave bad for me things around this time!!!

I have stayed away from the cookies, homemade date squares and timbits brought into work by others over the last few days (can you believe it? And its only Tuesday!!). I am starting to get noticed for not eating them and people are jokingly harrassing me for being so healthy. I let them know how hard it is and how I appreciate their positive feedback because it keeps me going and so far the harassing has now turned into supporting! I guess it is all in the approach.

One of the girls asked me if I would be interested in doing the stairs on our break times, and it looks like that might work out with our schedules a few days a week.

Thanks to LadyRider for the web address. Truly until Annie was discussing it earlier I had never heard of the food pyramid, only the Canada Food Guide! It is helpful to have more details about it.

Annie, never worry about writing too much. I enjoy your postings and the way that you share your thoughts so openly-it helps to keep me motivated and I hope I can do the same for you.

Cyan, way to go girl!! I sometimes take what men say too much to heart and you certainly handled it with a positive mental attitude and a great response to exercise! What an inspiration!! I still can't get one guy's voice out of my head when he said to me years and years ago that I was a pretty girl but if only I lost some weight on that rather large butt of mine than I would be even more beautiful. Let's just say I dumped him because he didn't appreciate the inner me, but it took some time thereafter to realize it because I let his comments bother me. My assets are okay and as a matter of fact I kinda like them!!!

Miki, Reina-Mia and Precious One...we can all get back on track and inspire each other. Let's post what we are challenged with so that we can help each other get through this!! I have found that friends and family will stop cooking those treats or modify their treats if you let them know how good it feels to eat healthier or why you are motivated to eat better...is that something worth trying??

Talk to you all after dinner and before aquafit!

Cjunk (and not eat it!!)

Good Morning All!!

Not working until 11am this morning but for some reason I woke up early today. Feeling well rested after last night's aquafit and swim. Didn't get as much of a workout because another girl did the class and it was very mild movemements. Then in the swim I kept getting bumped into by other swimmers in the faster lane and kept catching up to all of the swimmers in the next slower lane over so eventually I gave up and went home. So I guess you could say that I did about a 45 minute workout of low to medium intensity.

I think I will try to do some exercise before going to work today-maybe my pilates tape. I noticed tomorrow that there is a 7:30-8:30am length swim and I work again at 11am so I may go out to that dependent on how my shoulder is doing.

I will spend some time planning out my food for the day because I seem to get stuck especially at night when I get home because I get into a pattern of just "pinching" at the easy foods in the fridge. So I think I will cut up some pinching veggies to access for tonight and plan a dinner which I can just pop into the microwave when I get home to help out that urge. I found a good water bottle that I have that I use for hiking that holds 32 ounces of water, so my goal is to have one of those during the day to get started on better water consumption.

Gotta get to planning and exercising!! My gosh, I am scaring myself even...yikes!

Cjunk

Morning Girls
 

Hey Cjunk and dont eat it:lol: Awesome on holding steadfast and not breaking down and giving in to your cravings...this battle you won.

I am asking this question to everybody who reads and posts here: Lets call it a mental challenge on this quest of ours to a healthier us.....So what clicked in your brain this time? Why is it this time, you are sticking with this health journey? Did you have an experience or something that finally made you want to be healthier?

I was just curious...for me, its the getting older part...there is diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and alzheimers in my family history...and these are all chronic lifestyle illnesses that develop from poor life choices and poor diet. I am 32 and in very good health but I have been neglectful of my diet and exercise. Yes I am not considered fat my most people...I look to be about 140 pounds although I weigh 169...I have lots of muscle and carry my weight very well...my clothes are anywhere from a size 9 to a size 12. So, yes, I do have about a good 30 pounds to loose but its not the number that concerns me the most. I am on this health journey because I want to live for a long time and be disease free. I want to be those centenarians you hear about that are sharp minded and move without aid. I can do this...so I am doing this....and I want you girls to know that you all have been such a source of inspiration...thank you for sharing your trials and tribulations. I know its hard...and I know that there will be days where you overeat or dont exercise or both...but I pray and hope those days are far and few inbetween and very short lived.

So last night, I did 7km on the bike...and didnt binge...so since last friday, I have not binged after my last meal which is approximately at 6pm. So I am very proud of myself for this because it is so easy for me to stuff food into my mouth to deal with my life pressures. You see, I took mom to see her family doctor and she wants my mom to do a complete GI a gastrointestinal exam...both through the mouth and a colonoscopy...to check for cancers...she wants to rule this out because my mom has lost too much weight. Anyway, needless to say, I felt miserable and I could have broken down...and used this horrible situation as an excuse to eat eat eat...but thankfully, I didnt...I remembered all of your good advice given here and used it. I got on the exercise bike instead and worked off my anxieties instead...I took a hot bath...I spoke with friends on the phone...and the cravings and urge to overeat stoppep. Well, must get back to work

see ya later

cyan

Good Morning All
 

Alright ladies, I did it, I went into McDonalds yesterday with my son, and I did not munch on any fries or order my own.

Hey, That is one big accomplishment for myself.

Well, the root canal went better than expected. I am really in no pain and ready to exercise. Ok, I lie, I have more severe menstral cramps than I do tooth pain...

I challenge myself to drinking all my water today, and not munching on junk today.


LadyRider Cjunk, and Cyan, thank you for all your motivation and support. I don't think I could do this without all this continued support. I am feeling better today, inspite of the issues that are going on in my house. But I refuse to let that get me down.

I won't be working out today, but I will be back on track tomorrow.

I LOVE THIS GROUP.....
Have a Blessed day everyone.

:grouphug:

Good moring,
Thanks for the encouragement guys! Yesterday was great except for the water(some but not enough). I did my 8 minutes and then rode the bikealmost 2mi(very good considering the little ones were underfoot). I'm kind of in a funk this moring don't feel like doing anything but going to make myself go for that mile walk.

Cyan my wake up call was when my uniform pants which were a size too big started getting tight not to mention my jeans were already too tight. I was like this not going to happen plus the fact my daughter eats way too much. I don't want her to be picked on because of her weight when she starts school. Especially since I know I can just cut out all the junk food she eats.

Keep up the good work everyone and remember one day at a time.

I Lost 2 More Pounds! goodvibes

Good Morning! Cjunk - You're right, having those veggies ready will really help. Earlier this week I had celery cut up in an open container of ice water and the family ate it up in one day!
You were smart to be up front with your co-workers and let them know how important this life style is to you. It not only made them supportive, it reinforced your own determination. :)

Cyan! I am very impressed! You faced a very difficult situation and instead of eating comfort foods you used helathy resources - friends, hot bath and exercise! :bravo: Keep up the good work!

What clicked for me this time? A combination of things. I will turn 58 in Feb. My husband wants to go out west and hike down one of the canyons to see the ruins and I knew I could never make it. Then my close friend spent a weekend clearing part of the Appalachian trail and I knew I could never have done that either. Finally, I was getting out of breath just climbing the stairs. If I am in this poor shape in my 50's what will I be like in my 60's or 70's? I didn't want to be limited in what I could do because I was over weight and physically out of shape. I dreaded starting another diet that I wouldn't stick to and looked around for another answer. That's when I realized I had never cut calories and exercised at the same time - always one with out the other and that never worked. My son runs, so he inspired me to try it too. When I saw a 3lb loss the first week, it made me realize this could really work. Whenever I get discouraged or lazy, my son and husband are both there to keep me going. :)
Would you girls be willing to share favorite low cal recipies?

Mikki, reina_mia, precious - How are you? You are missed!

Lady

LadyRider, Congrats on the weightloss...:cb: :bravo: :dance:
I have to have those veggies ready for me, I guess.

I am really trying not to munch. I posted early today, you may have missed it, but I beat the McDonald's urge, and didn't have any fries.

I hope you all have a good day...

reina-mia rocks
 

Just popped back in here and saw your post about the Mcdonald's success story....way to go!:bravo: :cp: :balloons:

Keep strong...and how is your tooth?

cyan

Thanks Cjunk :grouphug:

Lady, I'm all for the suggestion of sharing recipes. I know I've come across some new ones that sounded really good but when I tried them they weren't that great. It's always good to try something that someone else has had success with. What was that old commercial, something like "give it to Mikey, Mikey will eat anything or try anything". Or something like that.
That's a great idea Lady.

Cjunk, I admire your confidence and motivation. You do inspire me to do alittle better each day. You strive forward even with an injury, makes me realize that sometimes we make excuses not to exercise and then to read your replies that you keep trying to do better even when you have an injury speaks volumes.

reina_mia, big applause to you from me. Will power and determination brings great rewards. Keep up the great work, you're on the right track. Much success to you.

Lady, great going on the weight loss. You go Girl! :) A big applause to your husband and son for their support. I know what you mean about the hiking. ;)

Precious One, congrats on the 2 mile bike ride. You have the right focus to make this work. Go easy on yourself about the water consumption. If you're like me, I never was fond of drinking water. Take it day by day, before you realize it you will be drinking more water. It's hard to force something on yourself that you don't really like. But if you limit yourself from other beverages you will soon find yourself grabbing for that water. When I started out I would rotate my liquid intakes. One meal I would have water, one meal I would have lightly sweetened ice tea. Soon I was leaving the sugar out of my tea and then I definitely prefered the water. Especially when you have just worked out, water is the final touches on making you feel good about yourself.

Cyan, a big applause and pat on the back for your will power and determination not to binge. For me late night snacking was a problem also. You are so right about finding other outlets instead of reaching for food. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this.
In my post yesterday I think I pretty much covered my reasons for trying to become healthier. It was more like an essay than an answer though. :o So I won't get into all that again, but since you asked the question I just wanted to let you know I had already gave my answer to this.

reina-mia, I agree. This group is one tough group. Best there is for support and help. We're all going to make our goals a reality. Hang in there.
Stay Confident, Stay Motivated.
:grouphug:

Cyan,
Thanks for your comments...My tooth is doing much better. I am not in as much pain as I thought. :dizzy:
As long as it curbs my appetite, I could go to the dentist once a week...:D

And kudos to you for not binging. :bravo: I know how hard that can be, and it really is a tug of war game.

Keep up the good work...

I am challenging myself to working out to get rid of all this stress....:mad: :mad:

I will check in later tonight.

:dancer:

Hi all!!! I've been going crazy here. For the past 2 days, I tried to get to the posts between 9 and 10 pm and wasnt able to. I could get to the homepage and read the articles but couldnt get into any message boards or anything. I hated knowing you all were probably here and I was missing out!! I miss all of you when I'm not able to be here. You're all a great help to me.

I was disappointed yesterday because my calories were much higher than I was hoping when I logged everything in at the end of the day in Fitday.com. ( I love that site, by the way) I had done really well Sunday and Monday and felt like I blew it yesterday. Got back on track today tho and got my calories back down. Still drinking water..still not liking it. haha

As for my reason to really being determined this time, it's because I will be 40 in March and I"ve heard people say all my life that weight is so much harder to lose after 40. So about 3 weeks ago, I started to panic. I dont want to be a big fat lazy person when my kids grow up and move out and my husband and I have the chance to go out and do things together more. ( dont get me wrong..I am not looking forward to the kids moving out at all...I actually dread the day lol)

Anyway, I think coming to this site is the BEST thing by far that I have done. The eating right and drinking water and exercising are all good things and necessary but I honestly dont think without ya'll I would stick with it. THANKS!!!! for all the input and support.

Missing 2 nites made me wayyy behind. I just spent 45 minutes just catching up on reading everyone's posts. Now I dont have time to address every one individually. There was tons of good information and inspiration in them all. Even the ones when some of you are depressed or "funked out" (haha), they inspire me because I know you're just like me. :) Together, we can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi MikiG, great to have you back, we missed you!

LadyRider, you are an incredible role model--such support to everyone and also leading the way with great successes!! Congratulations on your weight loss and keep up the great work.

Cyan, as always, your queries give everyone great thought and propel us forwards because it confirms why we are all here. Mine is basically the desire to heal my shoulder and at the same time get back into shape after a 6 month hiatus from exercise. Also I too have seen miy parents suffer from conditions related to lack of a healthy diet and exercise.

Reina-mia, I cannot believe the strength!! Not eating french fries at McDonalds would be for me a Fear Factor challenge!!! Congrats! I don't know if I would have had the strength...excellent work!

Annie, so glad to hear from you. Your name Determined Annie says it all...keep it up and we will all reach our goals together. Thanks for the positives. It has been challenging with my shoulder injury but like you I am determined to find alternatives so that I can reach my goal in whatever way I can.

PreciousOne, glad to hear that you are bike riding. I really gotta use some of that biking inspiration of yours and get up on my dusty bike (which happens to be sitting in my kitchen !! (in the corner of course so there is not too much guilt when I eat and stare at it!). I too have been taking the water challenge and a girl at work shared a secret to her water success. She brings a 32 ounce bottle to work with her and tells herself that she will drink one of those in the morning and then another in the afternoon. She said that most of it is done by the time she drives to work because she drinks it without even thinking. I tried it and it seems to work for me! I still don't like drinking it much but now it has been becoming part of my routine. I was drinking smaller glasses before and felt like it was neverending!


A couple of positives:
My diet has been pretty good over the past few days.
I did do my pilates tape yesterday.
I did make it to the swim this morning and drank a 32 ounce bottle of water this am. I did not have an intense swim but it was relaxing and destressing. I was amazed at how full the pool was--so many people!! I really have no excuse now!!!
My shoulder started to feel a bit tender during the swim so I did a leg workout with a bunch of flutterboard lengths and then plunked into the warming pool against the jets to massage my shoulder. Talk about modified workout!! Oh well, I will eventually get there.

Starting to de-bloat as well, so I guess you can say that I am feeling a bit more motivated naturally so I don't have to push myself as much over the last few days. Thanks to all of you for your encouragement!

LadyRider, I am a big fan of pizza and I find it hard not to order it so I invented my own, so here is the recipe:

I use one large wholewheat pita
A bit of tomatoe sauce
I grill a whole lotta veggies on my Foreman Grill
I use some garlic, basil, oregano
I am lactose intolerant so I sprinkle a bit of Romano and put some Goat Cheese on it

Then I bake it in the toaster oven for about 10 mins.

It's pretty good!!

Cjunk

Good Morning All
 

Last night was pretty much the usual....Yay...I exercised...30 minutes on the bike for a distance of 8.3km...and burned over 300 cals. You are right Mikki...Fitday rocks...when I first started using it...I was surprised to find out how many calories I was ingesting on a daily basis...It was a real eye opener. Do you use the cusomized food section of the program? Anyway, I was at 1500 concumption for the day. So, slowly, I am eating the right amount of cals per day and exercising...we will see what happens interms of weight loss.

Annie and LadyRider....I really enjoy exotic foods and Indian food is one of my favorites...so I thought I would share with you an indian curry chicken dish that offers a lot of flavor and is low in fat and calories. PS...I dont have a dutch oven...I just use a big pot ...works just as good. And you can cut the spices down to suit your taste. Let me know if you liked it. And of course anyone is welcome to try it

INDIAN CHICKEN CURRY
:D


2 Teaspoons Curry Powder
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Red Ground Pepper
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Margarine 1 Cup Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Pound Skinned & Boneless
Chicken Breast, cut into pieces
1 8 OZ Plain Fat Free Yogurt
1 6 OZ Can Tomato Paste
5 Cups Potatoes, cubed
4 Cups Water
2/3 Cup Tomato, chopped


Combine the first 7 ingredients. Melt the butter in a dutch oven. Sauté onion and garlicfor 3 minutes. Stir in spice mixture and sauté for 3 more minutes. Add chicken and sauté for 10 minutes. Stir often. Combine the yogurt and tomato paste; stir with a whisk. Add yogurt mixture and potatoes to the water in the pan. Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally. Serve over rice.


SERVINGS 9; CALORIES 315; FAT 5.2 g; PROTEIN 18.2 g; CARBS 49 g;
FIBER 3 g; CHOL 40 mg; IRON 3.1 mg; SODIUM 377 mg; CALC 96 mg
SERVING SIZE= 1 Cup
WW POINTS: 6

Hi Reina-Mia, ...how is your tooth today? PreciousOne,... How did you do on your exercising and food intake?

Cjunk...did you go swimming and how is your shoulder healing up?

Last night, when I was fixing my lunch for today...work argh! Anyway, I was preparing a tuna sandwhich...my favorite!...It smelled so good...and as you know, it was the magical hour of night time...my binging time usually...but I was strong....I made the sandwhich and put it away in the fridge when every ounce of my body was screaming for me to throw it down my neck as fast as possible....I was having vivid images of myself...eating that sandwhich...I swear...sometimes...food to me is like drugs to a drum addict...I just love everything about it....I love the way food smells, the way it looks and oh my...the way it tastes...I love preparing it, I love shopping for it...But, in the end, I won this battle and didnt eat or try a bit of the sandwhich...not even lick the knife! I think everytime I win a food battle...I get stronger and more determined.

So, does anybody have a challenge for the rest of the week! It looks like everybody here is doing so well and fighting valiant battles. I am sooooooooo proud of everyone...and I know no one is perfect and that on ocaision their are flubs...but overall, each and everyone of you is kicking ***! Continue to be strong and perservere...Each and every last one of you inspire me to keep battling my urges to binge and to get on that bike and exercise...for this I thank you from the bottom of my heart...truly

So come and post today and let me know how you are doing...every last details...the good and the bad...with plan of action of how to banish the bad days

I send you all a big hug
:grouphug:

Cyan

Hello everyone
 

Ok,
Yesterday was a no junk food day, and I didn't even flinch :cb:

MikiG--Welcome back.

Cjunk--I am loving that pizza recipe.. I will be going out tonight to buy all the ingreds to make it this weekend...I hope I can find a pool to start doing those swimming exercises. I miss being in a pool.

Cyan --All is good and I am eating good today, I made my own breakfast this morning...Eggbeaters came out with a Southwestern Egg and I scrambled it up with a mini 70 cal bagel and am enjoying that very much now that I can chew again. Congrats on not eating that sandwich. I know that powerful force can come and wreck everything that you worked so hard for.
What I hate the most is you can have the best day, where you drink all your water, eat all your healthy food, and not snack on junk, then 11pm rolls around and you go and get a bottle of water in the fridge, and you see that last piece of pie in there. And the :devil: takes over.......You are toast!
I am getting better with that, I just go to bed earlier and thirstier..:lol:

I didn't do much exercise yesterday, I am trying to keep my son occupied while my husband and I are not talking. you know how our children feel the animosity, so I played with him all night.
I think that was exercise in itself.

I am going to work on my glider tonight while watching surviver, this way I get it done and not sit on my rump...

Have a great day everyone.
:grouphug:

****:D,
Seems like everyone is doing good. Did my mile walk in 17mins this morning because it was cold and I forgot my jacket! Did my 8 mins when I got home and have been moving every since. After I exercise I find it hard to sit still so I'm usually always moving around. Eating is good water too. I too have a 32oz bottle at work and usually have fill it two and a half times before I leave. Home is where the problem comes in. I usually only drink about 3-4 glasses and half a diet soda at home but when I have my bottle at home I drink all day! Hmmm seems like I need to get a bottle for home lol wouldn't you think?

I'm going to force myself to take a nap and then get up and do the bike and shower then it's off to work.

Hope everyone has a great day! Thanks for the continued support. Love you guys!

Hello to All, hope everyone is having a great day. :) Hi Miki, glad to see you back. Sorry about that, if you read that post of mine(essay really) that probably took atleast 40 minutes of your time. :o I'll start putting big warnings at the top of my post when I know it's too long.
Glad to see that everyone seems to be on track. Hey guess what I did last night? :devil: :nono: I ate a handful of potatoe chips.:s: My son brought them to me, he said Mom you've been doing so good, thought you deserved alittle treat. I said, oh goody, what did you bring me. He handed me this bag of potatoe chips. :D He said I know their not the kind that you really love but these don't seem too bad. I hesitated at first, told him I would enjoy a few later on. Then he opened the bag, the smell got to me. :devil: But after talking with him, I finially thought about it and said to myself, hey what's wrong with a few fat free chips. It's not like I was about to sit down and devour 600 calories in a second. I ate 10 chips.(they were good :) ) 20 chips has 75 calories, no fat. I thought I would feel guilty after I ate them but I didn't. He said I've been alittle too hard on myself, that I shouldn't deprieve myself of things. Just don't pig out on them. But like I told him I'm the kind of person that can't say no to certain things. I don't want junk food in my life. But it was really sweet of him to bring me the chips. He said I didn't look like me without me sitting around munching on potatoe chips. I said, well get used to the new me. I was proud that I could stop at 10 chips, hey that might sound silly but if you knew me and my love of potatoe chips you'd understand.
Well hope everyone has a successful day and night. Keep drinking water and exercising.
I will add 4 or 5 recipes after this post. Don't want them to be so long. Thanks to everyone that has posted some recipes, they sound really good. I'm going to give them a try.
:grouphug:

Recipe #1. This is what I'm having for my holiday dessert. A friend of mine fixed this dessert several months ago. I didn't realize at the time that it was lower in calories than what I thought. It taste like it is loaded in calories but it's not. I will also be making the traditional pumpkin pies, pecan pies and cheesecake. But this is what I will be enjoying. Yum.
Cherry Shortcake

21 ozs cherry pie filling
1 c powdered sugar
8 ozs fat-free cream cheese -- softened
8 ozs Cool Whip Free -- thawed
1/4 c walnuts -- chopped
13 ozs angel food cake -- cubed

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, whipped topping and walnuts. Mix well.
2. Fold in cake cubes.
3. In a serving bowl, pour half of the cake mixture.
4. Pour half of the cherry filling on top of the cake mixture.
5. Repeat layers until all ingredients have been used.
6. Chill 3 hours before serving.

15 servings. 184 Calories, 1g Fat, 5g Protein, 40g Carbohydrate, 2mg Cholesterol, 111mg Sodium

I use the lite version cherry pie filling, and also decrease amount of powdered sugar some. In doing so the chart amounts are even lower than shown. But even as it is this recipe is very low in calories and fat for a dessert. Yum! Enjoy.

Recipe #2
Marinara Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook 3 minutes or until tender; stir constantly. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories: 55 carbohydrates: 8.8 g cholesterol: fat: 1.9 g sodium: 394 mg protein: 1.9 g calcium: 56 mg iron: 1.1 mg fiber: 1.1 g
I add Italian Seasoning and sometimes crushed red pepper. Also sometimes add Zucchini pieces. Lots of variation with this recipe.