I love the ocean. Vancouver must be really beautiful. I miss that about Calif. Coney Island is fun, but kinda grubby, and the sand can get all kinds of garbage in it (yuck). We have one of those white noise machines that I got at Discovery Zone. One of the settings is the ocean with sea gulls, the setting I always use. The rainy day one just makes me feel like going to the bathroom

Speaking of fruit, the Oakland, CA, farmer's market always has the BEST strawberries in the spring. I love the white peaches here. If you've never had one, try it. They're unbelievable.

Great recipes, Diana, thanks. I think I'll try that minestrone. I love soup and esp. ministrone. I could eat chocolate every day too. This week so far (knock on wood) I've only had that one small piece. I'm proud of myself. Haven't eaten after my evening yogurt either. (Sometimes we snack on crackers.)

Been down that onion road myself, that's why I keep tic tacs in my coat pocket to spare anyone I may come into contact with on my walks

I was on WW during highschool for a year and had to force myself to eat a ton of veggies (compared to what I usually ate), luckily now I still like to eat them. Fresh or frozen, though it's nice to have the fresh.

I have to say I never worry about getting enough calories On JC when I was 300 and over, they told me not to go below 2000, which I didn't. And I did lose weight, over 30 lbs. I'm no expert in it, but I think the body can go into starvation mode and burn off weight less efficiently if the calories get too low. That said, Dr. Phil's program, at least the rapid part of it, I think must be around 1400 calories (you're supposed to do that for 2 weeks then add calories). I just read an article that said eating an extremely low number of calories, say under 1000, can cause a person to lose heart muscle tissue that can't be regained.

There was a time when if I started to have too few calories it would put me into binge mode. That's why for me I accepted that I'd be eating more calories (1700 to 1800), exercising more, and losing slowly. I'm actually not a big believer in vitamin supplements -- I figure if I'm eating a balanced diet, I shouldn't need any. But if the calories dip, it could become important. Calcium can be very important for women too. A friend of min, a woman not too much older than me, is having bone density problems. So, one area I won't skip is eating the yogurt and drinking the skim milk every day.

The thing is, no matter what I do I know I could do more, ha. I guess that's a good thing.

to all you ladies doing all that prep work! shopping and having the foods ready is a **** of a lot of work! I feel like this weight loss project is TONS of work -- not only the food, but changing all the habits I need to, and getting the exercise at a good level. Wow. We probably don't pat ourselves on the back enough

Marge - milk doesn't always provide calcium, or the right kind. And the way most milk is so processed it apparently takes the calcium OUT of your system. I Read that somewhere, which works out for me, because I'm allergic to milk. I do take a calcium suppliment, I find it helps with muscle cramps and helps me sleep. I also take a suppliment, only because I don't eat certain kinds of foods (never ever eat fish, or beef, and avoid fruit), for some reason I find when I'm taking it regularly I seem to lose weight.. I must be missing something in my diet. When you are eating 1700-1800 calories how many grams of fat are you having? I'm trying to stay around 30-35 grams of fat.. and need to add more calories without fat... I have no idea how to do it!

Yikes! I'm running 10 minutes behind, I gotta get my behind in gear to do Tae-Bo! BBL!

-Aimee

I don't take any vitamins or supplements, either. I also don't count my fat grams, just my calories. There are so many things I should do and just don't. Maybe I'll make some modifications when I hit a major plateau and stop losing weight, but until then, I'm just gonna keep truckin' obliviously along

I have read before, though, that calcium is very important, not only because we are women, but that it is vital to losing weight! There is actually an "ice cream" diet out there...it's not just eating ice cream all the time, but it includes a little ice cream every day to be sure you get calcium since most of us don't drink enough milk, eat enough yogurt, have enough cheese, etc.

I looked at 3 days out of my fitday log, it says 22 %, 23 % and 14 % for fat.

I didn't know that about milk. I'll have to think about that. (Did you know NY is a major milk producing state?) Being 40, I still have some years to go until I reach menapause (that it, that's what I'm hoping!!), but I know it's important to get the calcium at that point.

Now, on my planet, an ice cream diet would be perfect (picture Marge floating off into a dream where she looks like Charlize Theron -- before or after Monster -- and is eating a huge bowl of that B&J ice cream with the carmel and coconut and chocolate chunks, oh yeah, life is good on my planet!)

I forgot to mention the waiter who looks like Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives) who comes up to me at the pool, where I'm chowing down on the ice cream, and says, Can I get you more??

LOL @ Marge--I think we all have similar fantasies

Well, it's about 1:30 right now, and I just ate my lunch. I leave here to go to the gym at 2, so I didn't want to eat right before exercising. Now my dilemma is: I have a lot of food left still! I have pickles, better cheddar crackers, strawberries, and my dinner (beefaroni). I also didn't use all of the salad dressing I had measured out for my pepper slices, so I'm down about 40 calories there. I think I'm going to have to stick the crackers in my apron and eat them later in my shift tonight. I don't think I'll be able to eat the strawberries with beefaroni and pickles for dinner (icky combo), so I guess I won't have the strawberries till the car ride home after 11 tonight. I never thought it would be such a project to make sure I ate enough calories! I already feel like I have eaten a lot today (cereal and milk for breakfast, snacks of: an orange, pepper slices with dressing, Ritz snack mix, jello with ff cool whip, and hotdogs with cheese and onion for lunch). Normally, I eat way more calories than anticipated, so it's odd that I feel so satisfied with so few today--hope this becomes a habit!

Marge - I could definitely get down with Jesse, I remember when he was on Passions, gotta love some of those boys on soaps I'm allergic to ice cream.. so I rarely eat the stuff. I find if I have it once every 5-6 months it doesn't bother me that much, but since it doesn't so nice things for me.. I usually avoid it. My addiction is soft drinks, and I can't even do the diet coke thing (aspartame makes my throat swell up). You know what? It sucks to be me! No ice cream, no diet drinks, and really I have to avoid 99% of diet foods/drinks.. processed foods also upset my tummy. Poo!

So you know, I'm already tired of exercising. heh. I started adding exercise into my life on Saturday (I already walk 2 km's a day), and my body is SORE! And of course, that part of me thats into instant gratification.. I haven't lost 80 pounds yet, I mean jeez it's already been 4 days! I wish eh. I did pop on the scale, and am still carrying around some water weight from the upcoming TOM, 2.5 pounds to be exact. I'm just complaining.. I won't reach my March Goal, and am feeling bloated and icky. Alright, I'll limit my complaining to that. I am off to work, have a great day gals!

-Aimee

hey there...YW about the recipes, I am a stickler when it comes to making home-made rather than processed as MUCH as possible. Too much salt in Processed for one thing ...I am also a firm believer in supplements, especially when you are not getting enough vitamens and minerals in the foods u are eating, they really do help with weight loss and over all good health. Now just making them habit forming...I take them, not habitually...I really need to incorporate them into my routine. I like fat free skim milk ( especially Stewart's I think only available in NE)..tastes like whole milk. I like my Chocolate Soy milk too, very good for you ...My biggest problem is lack of consistent exercise...Once I start to make it a daily routine, I know that the weight will begin to pour off of me ...Dh is letting me look into CURVES tomorrow, and says if it isn't over 50 bucks a month, I can join..WOO-HOOOOOO ..MIL is joining too, mostly to keep herself toned she has kept over 130 pounds off over 2 years, she eats everything in moderation, takes a LOT of supplements, and walks every day...If she (A woman who could barely walk to the mailbox) can do it, so can I...well, am off like a fart in a windstorm,,HAG afternnon, til later...

Hey all...Done eating for the day..another 1895 cals for the day...Not too shabby... I got a book in the mail today, Leslie Sansone's 6 week plan to Walk Away The Pounds. I did some of the exercises in it, and must say I felt the pain...So, Sunday I will begin this too... I wonder how Curves actually works. I am hoping I do NOT have to go and weigh in in front of ANYONE other than a guide. That will be embarrassing enough.. I don't like that sort of stuff, and to be honest it is really no one's business but ours as far as I am concerned..Don't mind sharing here, but you know what I mean...I also wonder if the women will be nice, sure do hope so...Oh well, I have to do what I have to do for me whether they are or not... Just hope I am not the only fatty there... my self-esteem is so shot, I worry a lot about that stuff...Funny I used to have alot more confidense than I do now, Always had boyfriends ( even dated Male-dancers, one ended up being a Chippendale), but now, all I see when I look in the mirror is a ..My husband is a reasonably good-looking guy, a lot of women say so too, so I must not be a complete but still, I miss wearing pretty clothes and getting my nails done, etc...Sigh!

PS: Something to really kick it up a notch...Hubby promised me that if I can lose all of my weight and get healthy, he will buy me a new car! I want the Mazda 3...He wants the new Lexus that just came out...he likes luxury, I like cute...hmm...well, am off, hagn!

Hi, everyone. I got the de-cluttering done in the office yesterday, but that was it. I was up all night (not cleaning, just reading and surfing) and went to sleep around 7:30am! The dust kicked up by that cleaning yesterday landed me in bed with a horrible sinus headache today. I still have the headache, but at least am up for a while. Just don't feel really talkative. :P

About.com has a couple of suggested food plans for 1200 and 1500/day calorie levels: http://walking.about.com/cs/walkofli...etportions.htm What they say is pretty much in line with the American Heart Association's guidelines, which is what Howie and I try to follow: http://americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=502

They say there, I don't get that, for that would mean this for me:

236 x 13 = 3068 calories/day to maintain (I'm not all THAT active)

...So 2068 calories/day to lose 2lbs a week??

I do 1600/day, but may drop down to 1400/day if I don't start losing regularly each week. Keep in mind, I started out at 277, so according to that calculation, I should have started at 2601 calories a day??

Getting enough calories and fat is important, as is making sure the majority of the fat you consume is "good" fat and not saturated. The bad fats are what congregate in your arteries and have a party there. Simple things like using olive oil instead of the same amount of bacon grease or Crisco for cooking makes a big difference.

For someone who isn't talkative, I sure said a lot.

Diana - a new car? You go out and workout right now! I want a new car.. and would take that incentive and run with it.. literally!

Kimberley - I don't think I have ever seen you type that much before! I don't know about that calories thing... I can't imagine eating MORE! I'm still trying to figure out how to add calories without adding fat. Fruit and veggies... yah.

Well my day pretty sucked poo. Work was fine, very boring, but it went pretty quickly. A girl at work was being annoying, she can totally dish it but can't take it. I hate people like that.. if you can't take it.. don't do it to others!!! Argh! And so then, on my way home from work, I was making good time, and then I got on the bus. There was screaming kids, and it was packed, so very very packed. It took so long to load that the bus leaving after ours was right on our butt. Yet people were still trying to pack on... it was not very much fun. I was an hour late to meet my boyfriend, grr! And THEN he was informed today that his supervisor who was on leave because of a heart attack is back, and he will be bumped back down. We thought this was going to happen, but honestly.. I never thought it would. So now my boyfriend has to train his supervisor, and do his own job. He's basically doing the job of a store manager, because someone with less experience shouldn't be training a supervisor. It's so annoying!! I told him two months, thats all they get. He's ready to be a supervisor, none of this doing every job in the damn store for 15 bucks an hour. Seriously, tomorrow he's "filling in" for the morning manager (his old job), who called in sick, and since they don't trust the other morning manager.. he has to do it. Thats for the first 4 hours, and then he's training his stupid supervisor. Alright, I keep repeating myself, I just want to go punch his store manager out. But since I have PMS, I think I'll just go cry. heh. I just read over my earlier post.. its an all around bad day at my end. Tomorrow is another day though... and this too shall pass. Take care.

-Aimee

Aww Aimee, that stinks about your BF...Boy the nerve eh? To have to train your super, that is totally rediculous...Life is not fair sometimes.. LOL...I agree about the Calorie thing, I have always been told between 1600-2000 cals a day is great if you are overweight and trying to learn a healthy lifestyle. fat grams, eh...I try not to get all uptight about that, I mean I am not eating bad any more, so not a problem..Hope tomorrow works out better for u!

Diana - my headache has passed, an d now I'm determined to get you a new car. So how to did you do today? I want updates!! Mazda 3's are a great car, I was looking at one to buy, and my bf did quite a bit of research and the only downfall we could find was that it was in it's first production year, all the reviews have been great.

Tomorrow morning I'm thinking I'll do my new/old exercise video. This great gal from 100lb club mailed it to me Its called "Fat Burner Walk: 2 miles" it's by leslie sansone.. possibly part of her WATP series, not too sure. I'll let yah know how it goes. Another gal I met on here sent me WATP 1 mile workout, it was pretty good, short, too short for me, but when I was combining it with a pilates workout (pilates for dummies, also really great), it worked out great!

-Aimee