Hi everybody! Looks like we've all been busy the last few days. Hard to get many posts in.

Newie, glad to hear you got that walk in. You barely missed that kick Cyan, way to go getting in that cycling. I'm actually proud of my accomplishment lately too. Since Sunday, I have walked 23 1/2 miles! We have been walking 3 miles in the morning and 3 more in the evening (besides the time we got rained out before the last 1/2 mile) The humidity is still a killer but I still enjoy walking outdoors much more than exercising inside. My sis and I never run out of things to talk about so the time flies by. It takes us 45 min to walk 3 miles but it seems like just a few min.

How is everyone else doing? Great I hope. Looking forward to hearing from the rest of you 'chicks' soon. Sent Debee's card yesterday. Hoping for a reply.

Well better run. Going to try to talk hubby into a foot massage

Nite all...

MIKI

Hi, everybody! I've had a busy last few days--difficulties at work, struggles with my girls, trouble sleeping, and bingo last night. Hope you are all okay. I'm thinking today might be an easier day. My food is okay, but walking is irregular. Does helping to carry 8 banquet tables to prepare for a big sale at work count as exercise? It was definitely an upper body workout. Weather is cool and beautiful in Chicago. Looking forward to hearing from everyone soon. Take care.

Man last night was so hard for me to cycle...but I struggled through 6km of it in 20 minutes! Ugh! My food intake has been decent..I am trying to eat more protein in my diet...which brings me to this...I am going to try guinoa..pronounced keenwa...this weekend..it is a grain that is rich in protein, gluten free and low in carbs! Apparently it has a nuty flavor to it...I am going to mix it in with tuna and turn it into a salad. I will let you know how it turned out.

Most natural food stores carry it...its naturally grown in south america but is making it big up here because of its high protein low carb components..I guess its good if you are on the atkins diet ...they also turn it into pasta and you can use that instead of real pasta.

Ok enough about my new find! But I am excited to try it.

Hey Miki..wow 3 miles...good on ya! Looks like you are keeping a good pace too...gotta get that heart pumping.

Hey Newie...looks like you got a good work out with those banquet tables. Anything is better than nothing.

Have you heard the lastest about ice cream and how fatty it is...how depressing.

I just love this cute emoticon so I had to use it...

Later ladies

Cyan

HI all

Walked 5 more miles today. My feet are beginning to get blisters. That pavement gets hot! Anyway, that makes a total of 28 1/2 miles in 5 days. I weighed this morning and guess what...I was UP a lb!!!! I havent lost in two months!!! I just dont get it. A plateau is one thing but this is Ridiculous!

Newie, I'm jealous of your cool weather. The humidity was at least down this morning so it wasnt nearly as stifling trying to walk. My eating was pretty good all week til tonite when I regrettable tried the Jalapeno Cheddar 3D Doritos and couldnt quit eating them.

Cyan, I've heard of that quinoa but have no idea what it is like. Be sure to let us know how you like it. I bought the veggie "chick patties" for sandwiches this week and I really like them. Taste exactly like a chicken sandwich with the added benefit of veggies and soy. How is your mom? Find out anything new at her checkup?

Wonder what everyone else is up to. All doing well I hope.

It's only 9 p.m. but I think I'm going to go on to bed. I am sooo tired! Cant wait til next week...hubby and I are both off! Hooray!

Later chicks!

Miki

Well, I am still here. Yes, we have been busy and still are. We have 3 days of youth camp (with 130teens/adults) starting on Monday. This year our church is hosting it. After that just a month till we get back in the states!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so we are and will be preparing for that. We are visiting 15churches to talk about our work at church and with teens here in Taiwan.

Ok, let me tell you just how it's been (this is not complaining, just maybe I should write a book about missionary life in general): Our car is having problems. My dad said it sounds like the battery is not grounded --- ok, whatever that means but hey! SOOOOOOOO we have to disconnect the battery (luckily it's very easy) everytime we park the car or it may not start. so when we go to drive it we have to reconnect. WELL, an American friend here, who doesn't speak much Chinese and whose husband was away playing called and said she had been puking and had a migrain all morning. Ok, I pick her and her dd up and take dd to our house so LUke can watch her. Friend and I spend 3 hours in the ER (but hey, it only cost $9US!!!). Going home, time to hook up the battery. JUST as I pop up the lid what happens? it starts to pour!!! A typhoon was on the outskirts of our area (thank God it didn't hit us directly!!!!). So here is the big butt white woman out in the rain (in a dress none the less) while it's windy and pouring trying desperately to hook up the battery. It was a sight. All I could do was---

Anyway, never a dull moment at our house. We won't go into the baby creepy crawlies that fly---aka Flying Cockroaches!!! our friendly neighborhood bat hasn't come back though. Ah, the joys of the tropics.

Anyway, I am at 186/187 not up not down. today I decided to stop taking Xenical. Reason? I have had a pain (wondering if it is gallbladder attack or some intestinal problem) since I had Josiah (via c/section). It doesn't necessarily happen daily, though I think it's gotten worse. Last night I about made dh take me to the ER (he wasn't home, he was playing basketball). It's a pain under my ribcage that radiates to my back and chest. It's not a sharp pain, just a gnawing pain. After youth camp I will probably go to the dr. I went off Xenical cause I was wondering if the extra trips to the bathroom were making it worse. Like I said, I started having this about 6months ago, but it just gets worse and worse. Sometimes when I am hungry and sometimes not. Go figure.

I am not worrying about my weight until I get to the states. Only a month to go and it's so stinkin' hot here I can't stand it!!!!!

So, I am still here, have been reading posts, just a little on the busy side.

Hey, if anyone wants to see recent pix of the boys (I will put some of me up soon, gotta get some decent ones though!) check out the photos of the week on our web page. Most recent (this week actually) are at the top.
www.morninglightministries.org

Chat later,
Deana

Miki you marathon woman! Five miles..you so rock...you should have your hubby rub your feet! Oh yes, my friend is picking up the quinoa today so I will most likely try it this weekend. I think I will make a tuna, quinoa salad and see how that turns out.

I didnt cycle yesterday but I will be washing and waxing my car today after work so that alone will be quite the workout!

I know what you mean Miki..its very frustrating not losing but you will...your body is being stubborn and doesnt want to give up those pounds.

My Mom is doing fine on her new meds...her aggresion has deminished and she is more relaxed and less aggravated which is very good for us...I can rest a little more and the evenings are not as stressful as they once were. But, her alzheimers is slowly winning the battle and little by little there is less of my mother and more of this horrible illness. She is basically now my child ...sad how the roles have reversed. She asks for permission to do anything even if she wants to get a drink of water. It breaks my heart. Anyway, I dont want to sadden you guys...such is life and some parts of life are very hard to deal with.

Hey Deanna ...long time no hear..good that you are back and keep at it with the weight loss...slow but sure if way better than no weight loss. Sorry to hear about your car problems...but it seems that you are a very strong handy gal and I am sure you will figure out a way to make things work.

well Ladies, have a wonderful weekend.

Cyan

Hi, everyone! I'm so excited today! My boss told me to take the day off to be with my kids. I've been struggling all summer with being away from them with the full-time hours I've been working--never this much in the summer before. A couple of days a week they would go with their grandmother, but the other three they would be by themselves. They can't go outside--remember, we're city dwellers--I just won't allow it, except in case of emergency. No internet, no phone calls except from me, so how interesting is that for 12 1/2 and 8 1/2 year-old-girls? There's only so much you can do inside other than chores, TV, the same games over and over, books, and Barbie dolls. And I've missed them terribly. Anyway, today it will be baking, crafts, puzzles, all the things they've been wanting to do with me at home this summer, and we've not done. We're not going shopping or anything like that, though--just home stuff. This evening I'm going to cut the grass and work in the yard (today's workout) because the hot weather is coming back tomorrow, and I just can't stand being outside when it's hot. I don't know how you take it, Miki. Maybe it's just my time of life--I've been getting hot flashes lately, and my tolerance of heat in general is not too good.

Anyway, my eating has been pretty good. For the most part, I have lost my craving for carbs like bread, cereals, sweets. If I think of eating them, I actually am turned off. Poor hubby--Monday is his birthday, and I've decided that I don't really want to eat any of the cake the girls are going to make for him today. I considered the pros and cons, and I've just decided it's not for me right now. If he's hurt, I'll remind him of how much he will like the results if I continue losing weight. I'm sure he won't mind then.

Let me give you a rundown of how I'm eating, and some of the things I'm learning about my body. First, my plan consists of protein in the form of meat, fish, soy, and cheese, and then vegetables and fruit. I do allow myself up to three Wasa crispbread lites per day for variety and to give me somewhere to spread my soy nut butter and cream cheese. One of the goals of the protein is to satisfy me so I don't want to eat between meals. I've been doing well with that. Fruit I'm careful of so I don't overdo on the sugar. Lots of my veggies are raw so I can chew (I love chewing) and get fiber. I don't restrict fat in my protein sources, but I don't really feel like going nuts with it. I also eat butter, regular cream cheese, regular salad dressing, and mayonnaise. They taste good and satisfy. I really don't crave excessive amounts of them. I do drink milk and eat plain yogurt (with artificial sweetener) despite the sugar content so I won't feel deprived.

Here's my general plan. I'm flexible so if I don't feel like eating a particular thing at a particular time, I don't have to, because I want to feel emotionally comfortable about what I am eating to avoid binging.

BREAKFAST: Protein and 2 cups of coffee w/powdered creamer--also metamucil to add some extra fiber. I like a couple of cheese roll-ups--cheese wrapped in lunch meat. I've also tried Atkins shakes and breakfast bars for this meal, but they don't satisfy me. I've found out that having fruit for breakfast leaves me hungry sooner than protein alone, which is why I don't eat fruit for breakfast. (Also, remember, I don't eat eggs--they make me sick.) I also take a multivitamin and one of those chewable calcium supplements then. Mine tastes like chocolate, so I get enough of a taste daily to satisfy that desire.

LUNCH: Protein, 1 cup of veggies, 1 cup of fruit (or two cups of fruit and no veggies if I'm sick of veggies at the moment), a Wasa crispbread. There are a lot of ways to do this lunch. I just plug in food that works, and I eat whatever fat goes with it naturally. Right now, the fruits I'm eating are strawberries, melon, grapes, and apples (the latter in moderation because of high sugar).

DINNER: A good sized portion of protein and 2 cups of veggies. If I want milk, it would probably be at this meal. After dinner I have one cup of coffee w/ powdered creamer. (I drink regular coffee--caffeine addict and loving it--will not give it up.)

BEFORE BED SNACK (I can't fall asleep on an empty stomach): 1-2 cups fruit and protein to satisfy.

OTHER SNACKS: Sometimes I feel hungry in the late afternoon. I keep an Atkins Advantage bar or shake around because they fill in a gap like this, and the protein and fat in these bars satisfy me for a couple of hours. They also keep me from having to make a choice and help to prevent boredom. I've used the shake before bed with fruit too, and it was a good choice.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED ABOUT MY OWN PERSONAL BODY: Watch the salt in the meat I eat (sausage, etc.)--I retain fluid very easily. Make water my choice of thirst quenching beverage 80% of the time. It keeps me regular, I feel better physically, and I think I lose weight more when I drink water more. I can't help it, but I weigh myself daily--don't put much stock in it, but if I've eaten salt or drunk a lot of pop instead of water the previous day, the scale always goes up. If I drink more water and use diet pop or iced tea, etc. as an occasional treat, the scale number stays the same or drops. I'm not much of a water person, but I like it better if I use a straw to drink or have ice in it. Who knows?

I'm very interested, Cyan, in that quinoa you are going to try. Let me know what it is like. I do miss pasta with tomato sauce. I'm planning to get some low-carb pasta, but if there's an alternative, I'd like to know abut it. I have a good health food store about 10 miles from here that has lots of stuff like that.

Anyway, I've given you an outline of what's going on foodwise, as I told you I would. There are components of Atkins, but I've given it my personal twist. Exercise is still a troublespot. That is the next area I am working on. I'm having trouble sticking to the walking. For now, I'm trying to find some heavy physical activity in my day to act as a workout. Well, I think I'm going to stop now. By now you're probably either bored or have eyestrain. Have a nice weekend, everyone!

Hey everyone! Apparently the post that I thought I posted yesterday did not post at all. Weird! Anyways, it took me until yesterday to get my self back into order after my 4 day trip to Vegas. I put on ten pounds in water weight alone! How crazy. I knew I was swollen and instead of holding off, glutton for punishment that I am, I jumped on the scale. The good news is that I only put on a pound in the past week. Whew! The 18 miles of walking must have done my body good.

Hi ya'll..just a very quick post. It's almost midnite and I still havent packed for our mini-vacation this week...we leave in the morning. I think we're going to Hot Springs, AR. There's plenty to do there for the whole family. That isnt written in stone, we've changed our destination plan about 5 times today already. Guess when we get there, we'll know where we went. Anyway, just wanted to check in before we left. Not sure when we'll be back..for sure by the end of the week. I walked 32 1/2 miles from Sunday thru Friday. Hopefully I'll get lots of walking in this week altho in a more fun way...sightseeing, etc. Didnt walk yesterday or today but I had a major workout. No time now but I'll tell ya'll about it when I get back. Everyone have a great week!!

Miki

I think I have been to hot springs before. I lived in OKC for a few years and we drove to Branson MO and then went a scenic route down south to go back home. It seemed like a cute little town with lots of shops. Is that about right? I remember thinking that I would want to go there for a girls weekend sometime. That never happened of course. I am sure you will have fun no matter what you end up doing. I sometimes think we have more fun when we plan less.

Hello girls! Well, I have great news! I just weighed myself and I've finally broke 20 pounds! I've lost a total of 20.5 pounds! I'm so excited! I have 35.5 more to go till my goal weight! YIPEE!!!

School is out for the summer! Another YIPPEE!! I have 3 weeks of rest and relaxation untill "real" school starts. By "real" I mean 4 days a week of four to eight hours of lecture and/or clinicals. Twenty hours or more of studying and homework and getting my kids to their schools or daycare. Actually.....I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!

I do have to confess that I haven't been to the gym in over a week! So........ I need a cyber kick..please. I'll just bend over and take it. Don't be gentle or kind...just let me have it.

I'm also still waiting to see if I got the job at the hospital. I've had two interviews so far and I'm waiting to hear the verdict. I am a very impatient person so all this waiting is killing me! I guess if I don't get the job it just wasn't meant to be. Oh well.

That's all for now!

Lisa

Hi, everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in a couple of days. Yesterday was hubby's birthday, and on Sunday we went shopping at a big outlet mall near here to celebrate. Good news at my weigh-in Sunday--I lost 2 more pounds for a total of 5.5. I can feel clothes being looser. Last night I had a small piece of birthday cake with a little ice cream--it didn't taste very good to me, but I was hungry a lot later--I think the sweets messed with my blood sugar/insulin.

Lisa, congratulations on breaking the 20 pound mark. I know that's a real victory for you. Keep up the good work, and thanks again for inspiring me to give losing another try.

Today I am working from home--all day--don't even have to go into the office!! I've needed a block of time to get lots of inventory data entry in, and the office is not the place to do it, nor is home after a full day's work. I also need a quiet environment--hopefully my girls will cooperate today.

I've not really been walking--I feel very behind with everything in my life, and it seems like just one more burden right now. I did spend a lot of time in my yard on Friday night--heavy yard work--and I'm going to pull weeds out of my back alley flower bed this evening after 7:30 or so. It may be that the best workouts for me right now are going to be heavier housework or doing lifting or other physical work on the job--something I need to do anyway--so I can catch up on a few things. I'll try to find an activity like that each day and report on what I do. Cyan, if I don't even stick to THIS type of daily exercise, I think I'm going to have to get one of those cyber kicks of yours.

Miki, I hope you're enjoying your vacation. It sounds like fun. I've never been to Hot Springs. Weather here is nice again--about 80 for a high. Overall, we're having a cooler, wetter than normal summer here in Chicago.

Well, I've got to go. There are several inventory lists waiting for me. Have a good day everyone!

Man oh man am I ever swamped here at work...I cant keep up...

Anyway, Wow Lisa congrats on 20 plus pounds lost and gone forever...amazing..what an inspiration...you rock! But, you asked for it...here it comes...>>>>>>>>POW<<<<<<<<.... let me know if you need another one! But seriously, you are doing great on your weight loss plan...keep it up.

Hey Newie...my cyber foot is warmed up..so let me know if you need some cyber encouragement. I dont know how this whole cyber kick thing got started...but I am not a violent person...its all in fun...

Well, as usual, I gotta get back to work before the feeling goes away and I dont feel like working.

Big hug to everyone...I will be weighing in at the end of July and I sure do hope I have good news.

Cyan

Hi everybody! Missed ya'll this week! We ended up going to Hot Springs for 3 days, then to Hope, AR to visit one sis, then on to Shreveport, LA to visit another sis. Got home late this afternoon and called my other sis, the one who lives close, to come walk. We got in 3 miles so I was glad about that. We both really missed our walks this week.

We didnt do extremely bad with the eating but there was one meal at Wendy's, one at Burger King, one at Waffle House, and today all u can eat Pizza. I guess in 5 days on vacation, it could have been much worse right? lol Took some healthy type stuff with us so some of the time, we ate in the motel.

I think in Hot Springs I probably got in enough exercise. The amusement park meant lots of walking and most of it up and down hills. My favorite part of the trip was riding the roller coaster 3 times in a row. I LOVE ROLLERCOASTERS!!!! My kids got tired of it before I did.

I weighed every day this week just to keep a check. (once was in the MidAmerica Science Musuem...they had a scale that told your "earth" weight and one that told your weight if you were on the sun. ) So far, I havent gained so that's a relief. Not sure that pizza has settled in yet tho so tomorrow might be a different story.

Sounds like it's been a busy week for everybody else too. I am not looking forward to going back to work next week.

Tomorrow hubby and I are letting the kids spend the nite at his parents so the two of us can go shopping, catch a movie, go out to eat, and spend the nite in a motel about 60 miles from here. That should be nice...just the two of us...Cant wait!

May not be able to post again til next week but Monday things should be back to normal around here. I'll catch up with all of you then.

Ya'll have a great weekend!

MIKI

Hi, everyone! I've not been very good at posting this week--haven't been sleeping well, but kept up my usual pace. Last night was a wonderful sleeping night, so I feel pretty good this morning. It's Friday, so that helps too.

On Wednesday I walked a mile on the track--felt good and relieved stress too. Yesterday I helped unload two trucks at work--definitely an upper body workout. Today I am working in the store--straightening and putting out new stock for the back-to-school season, so the whole day will be a workout for me.

I'm dealing with gas pains in my stomach--probably due to the veggies on this low carb plan I'm on--as I've mentioned, eggs bother me, and I've had problems with broccoli in the past. Also, I'm sure drinking coffee doesn't help. I also take ibuprofen if I have a headache. I've had problems with stress causing stomach problems for me in the past--my doc knows about this. Anyway, I have to take a look at a few things. I've tried Beano, which seems to help, but I don't use it all the time. Anyway, it's something else to work on.

It sounds like you had a good vacation, Miki, and that weekend coming up sounds even better.

Take care, everyone--hope to hear from you soon.