I am so proud of you Laura for keeping for realizing that eating is NOT the answer to this...and that in the end you will be the one hurt by the eating. Try to think of things you can do to relax and take your mind off both your son and the eating. Read a really good book? Write in a journal (you do one online for free at oprah.com and other places)? Go for a walk? Crank up the music and dance? Lift weights? Play games online (www.pogo.com is my fav place)? Read a magazine? Whatever you like to do, decide when the urge to eat comes that's where you will turn instead. You can do it, just keep positive.

I had a kind of off day today. I was okay up until dinner then had some fish which was breaded and I know high in fat, and I had no way of knowing calories so I'm not sure if I went over or not. I've decided that next hubby wants to go to this fish place I will have my own supper prepared by the time he comes home with it...and I will not eat it!

Theresa

Thanks Theresa,
It's 11:15 and I got thru the day. I had promised my sister I'd go shoe shopping with her and I did. I can't tell her what's going on in my life cause she is not the person I can tell my troubles to. She loves my son and I don't want her to know how he is messing up. She has enough of her own troubles and right now life is good for her. So I focused on shoes and I wandered thru stores and stayed away from food. Then we got my dh and 3 friends and we went to the Chinese buffet. I had 3 almost burned spare ribs, some salmon, a lot of string beans and boy choy, 3 pieces of vegetable suichi, some chicken and a slice of watermelon and one half a cookie. I tried to tally the calories on the net, it came to 900, so even if I add 500, just to be safe, I'm ok for the day cause that and a peach is all I ate the whole day.
I feel like I got thru the day without screwing up my food plan too much.
Now the night. I need the phone not to ring.
Laura

This morning I went back to an old habit of mine--eating fruit smoothies for breakfast. I did this about every morning back when I was vegetarian--and before I had a weight issue. I used to just use 100% fruit juice and frozen fruit, blend into an icey slush. This morning I did it a bit different and liked it even more:

1.5-2 c orange juice (jug of fresh squeezed stuff)
1/2 lb. frozen blueberries
1 c. 99% FF Strawberry yogurt
1 fresh peach (cut into pieces, with skin)

I blended it just enough to mix well, not enough to liquify. Then I turned it on whip a few seconds to kind of thicken it up a bit more. Poured it into a glass and it was heavenly. This was my breakfast while everyone else had eggs with cheese and fried hot dogs....not a healthy breakfast but it's my hubby's favorite. The kids barely touched their plates, but each drank evry drop of their little glasses of fruit smoothie ;) I was happy they chose the fruit over the greasy eggs.

You can use any kind of juice and frozen fruit, or even just fruit juice and ice is good, toss in any fresh fruit you might have. It's fun to experiment because every different combination tastes different. They give me a ton of energy and with the yogurt added was very filling. I counted the calories for everything but the peach, following my own guidelines of what I count and don't count. The amounts above made us almost a full blender pitcher and I had 2 glasses, the kids each had a small glass. I don't actually measure exactly, jus guess and throw it all in there.

Last night I made a recipe for a peanut butter banana smoothie, which I didn't like but the kids sucked right down and asked for more. Anyone wants that recipe, just shout. It says it's a breakfast smoothie, but I would consider it more like a treat or lunch because it is rich.

I am thinking of doing a peanut butter/milk/Ovaltine/ice for a snack one day. Kinda like a Reeses smoothie.

Theresa

Hello everyone!

I've had a busy few days and had a lot of reading to catch up on here. It's been a pretty good week. We went to the Iowa State Fair on Friday (just for fun this time...no llamas). I did eat fair food but I was pretty happy with the choices I made and don't think I messed up at all really. We left home so early in the morning that I didn't have breakfast and then we were so busy looking around when we got there that I never though about food again until my husband said it was lunch time. I had a grilled chicken sandwich w/no mayo. In the afternoon I had a large fruit cup w/fresh watermelon, cantaloupe, and grapes, and then for supper I had a grilled turkey sandwich w/no mayo and a baked potato w/ just salt & lemon pepper. I have no idea how many calories I had for the day but I didn't feel guilty and I never felt hungry, either. Didn't get in enough veggies for the day but I'm ok w/that for one day.

Laura...sorry your son is causing you so much grief. Be proud of yourself for handling it the right way. We all want the best of everything for our kids but we have to let them make their own mistakes and learn from them. He is grown and on his own now...and his bad decisions are his own and have nothing to do w/ you, so you can't let it get you down. Good for you figuring out that he'll eventually "figure it out" and realizing that you can't let it interfere w/your lifestyle changes. I hope things settle down for you soon.

Theresa...Glad I'm not the only horse person here! We currently only have one that is a well trained trail horse (mare), but we also have and are training a very high strung 2 y/o filly and a very laid back yearling gelding. They are such a joy to me. So relaxing and FUN. We're hoping the filly will be our daughter's FFA event horse when she's in high school in a few years. She loves to run and I think she'll be really good at it. She can be a handful to handle but she has already made it clear that she prefers our daughter over us and is very well behaved for her so she is doing a lot of the training herself. We are planning for the gelding to be another western pleasure/trail horse in the future, and we're hoping to add a couple more horses in the next few years. And you are right...riding is great exercise...it's a great way to work out some of those lesser used muscles. I can always feel some muscle soreness in my butt and the backs of my legs for a day or so after a long ride so I know it does some good.

cadwell....Job interviews are soooo stressful...but don't worry about you competition too much, I'm sure you will "wow" your interviewers, and if they don't pick you then it's their loss and you will end up with an even better job in the future. They obviously think you are qualified since you got an interview, so masters degree or not, you have as much chance as anybody. Good luck!!

I love smoothies but have never tried to make my own. I will have to dig out the blender and try one. That way I'd know exactly what I was drinking instead of wondering what exactly was in it like I do when I get them at a restaurant. That recipe looks great except I'm not wild about OJ...I might have to pick up the ingredients and try it w/apple juice or grape juice instead.

KayElle, apple juice works just as well, and I have used others in the past. I just make sure it is 100% fruit juice and go with it. Each will give a different flavor to the smoothie, just as using different frozen fruits or just ice and different fresh fruits will give a different flavor as well. I buy a big thing of unsweetened apple juice at walmart for a dollar...store brand, and it is really good, the kids love it in their sippy cups. My total for this mornings smoothie was just under 500 calories and 2.5 g fat for the entire blender pitcher. If you don't put the yogurt in, you cut that fat out completely. For a quick, fat free snack try just fruit and ice blended together...it comes out like those slushies they sell at the gas station but so much better!

Hi all!

Well it has been a strange weekend.. little bits and I were supposed to go on the day trip to see veggie tales but we ended up saturday at 7:30 at urgent care as her throat had the yuckies (red and tonsils swollen ,) fever... it went quick as we got there right when they opened and were # 2 in line for a dr. they took one look, prescribed an antibiotic and liquids and sent us home. She was so miserable that she didn't even care we missed the trip. Today you'd never even know she was sick.

My dr. has told me my liver is fat.. he said it's from being obese and having that metabolic syndrome and close to type 2 ... :( anyway my liver enzymes were like 800% higher than normal.. so he said I have to cut out certain foods..I freaked for a minute cause when I looked up fatty liver on the net it said it was caused by drinking too much and I don't drink I mean at all... I have a toast on new years But that's it.. hubby and friends said "you ????drink???... :?: then i called the dr. and he said no I have a different kind- But I may need a liver biopsy soon..and the meds he gasve me for one problem is making me so icky.. I spent most of yesterday in bed and alot of today in bed too --just miserable- (he warned me about some side effects for a day or so..) hubby has cooked and cleaned.. what a sweetie

Kayelle..the fair sounded like so much fun and it sounds like you ate well and made good choices..

Laura .. I feel for you- I have gone thru so much with my oldest and I guess I just need to keep letting go.. it's so hard to see them have to struggle

Theresa... I love to take ice and fruit like watermelon, blueberries nad strawberries and whip it up in my smoothie maker- when you use blueberries either put in a dab of splenda or use apple juice the kids love the "fruit ice" as they call it-
we also do mom's version of a milk shake with skim milk and a scoop of FF/SF ice cream or yoghurt a drizzle of chocolate syrup and it's so creamy w/o all the fat and calories and we have been know to add strawberries or bananas too.
so how is everyone else doing?? I have not done well this weekend - I haven't drank my water or exercised But I am so icky feeling .. I haven't eaten much .. today was toast and scrambled eggs.. a few graham crackers and some decafe tea..
:dancer: Take care all and keep :grouphug: up the good work!

Hi all -
Sounds like everyone is doing great staying on track! Great Job! I have been doing well the past few days - except today - I went to a town fair and had fried dough with my nephews. But I'm not beating myself up about it, It's TOM for me, and if that is my only slip up that's great for me!
Keep up the great work everyone!!

well this weekend sucked for my diet. btw, that free day stuff is no good. i am up three pounds and i spent all day saturday walking. i went with dh and his church youth group to knott's berry farm. i went with my friend outside of the park to have lunch because i didn't want unhealthy theme park food.. what did i have instead? fajitas and a margarita :s: and a little ice cream of course. way, way over my calorie goal. today was not much better -- dh and my life philosophy? let no cold stone flavor go untried! 3 macaroons too! mil brought them on friday and i have avoided them until now. at least i was under 1700 calories. but that is still too many according to the scale.
as a positive, i put together a great new low cal sandwich that i am just loving. i wrapped up grilled chicken, tomatoes, romaine, and tzatziki sauce in lavash bread. yum! only 260 calories.
i think this week i am going to plan my food so i can stay at my calorie goal and lay off the ice cream and cookies. what a diet concept!! no ice cream or cookies!! :lol:

Sandi, I am so sorry about your liver. Use that as motivation to keep going and lose the weight before there are even more consequences. You definitely motivated me to keep going. I don't want health problems and I definitely don't want my children to outlive me because I couldn't stop eating!! Don't feel bad about slacking when you don't feel good...let it pass then get back on track. Hope you feel better soon.

TOM is really hard stillTrying, so you did good with just one treat. Try to stay away from the kitchen between meals...make to do lists so you are busy, busy busy and no time to think!

Your wrap sounds very good Cadwell, I might have to try something like that. Start drinking lots of water to help get that food out, it really does help to clean you out and make you feel fresh again. Get right back to it...there will always be days you just can't be right OP.

I have great news today: THE SCALE HAS MOVED!!!! Down to 151 this morning, and that was in my socks and night shirt. If I don't really mess up today or tomorrow I will get to move my ticker FINALLY on Wed. :cb: I'm hoping i can take off just one more by then...and meet my first mini-goal!

Theresa

:cp: YAY Theresa The scale moved!!!!! :dance:
:cheer:
That is so awesome!!!!

I hope my scale moves too soon.. Although I was told to re-measure myself on WI date..as inches count too
It's almost the TOM for me and I feel all bloated and cranky. :tantrum:
I am back to my water and made a wise choice this a.m. as far as eating goes and By passed the danishes and donuts that we are subjected to when there is a meeting.. I had some fruit and nibbled on that .I was told that so many people have a fatty liver either from drinking to excess or from being overweight and being prone to metabolic syndrome - but most people don't know they have a problem - if you develop it from being overweight or being diabetic there isn't really a cure and it prolly won't develop into something worse, but it can in a small % of people.. They really think a lot of my damage came from taking a medicine for 3 years that I didn't need .. and never had a liver test for which they should have been doing all along.. I am so glad I found a smart doctor who knows his stuff as opposed to the quack I used to see..
I am using this as more motivation :ebike: -- I want to see results not only in my weight dropping but to have better numbers from blood work.

Thanks again for all the support..
Must go buy tzatziki sauce .. :chef: what a great idea YUM! for a wrap !
Sandi

glad y'all like my wrap idea. i don't think i have been drinking enough water over the past couple days. that's a good suggestion.
sandi, it's great you have a good doctor who understands about livers. any medication can be dangerous when you have a liver problem. my dad had lost 80 percent of his liver function, and his genius doctors put him on sedatives! grrr, morons! it's great that you are thinking positive and using this as motivation instead of getting discouraged . :cheer:

Hi all! We got back yesterday from a week long trip in the mountains--hiking, camping, backpacking, fishing and yes, lazing about. Loved it! No big secret how Colorado ranks as such a fit state; I never had a "real" workout, but I sure felt like I was working it! My diet was *way* off though--lots of sodas and lots of snacking--I'll have to face it at WI. To be honest, the best I can hope for is to maintain, because I really don't think I could've lost anything even with all the hiking etc.

I'll have to read through all the postings to get caught up with everyone! It's so cool that this thread has remained so active. I hope everyone is staying on track!

Welcome back, Melra! Your vacation sounds so FUN! Maybe you will be surprised on the scale, since it sounds you really did a lot of physical activity. If you maintain that is great...you got a nice vacation to relax and have fun and didn't gain anything! If you gain...well, get back OP and knock it off again....and don't look back.

I am having a not so great day, but I am trying to salvage what is left of it. For some reason whenever I step on the scale and see it's going down I want to eat, eat, eat. It's like I sabotage myself or am afraid of suceeding for some reason? I'm not sure what it is, but I need to do some "me time" and figure it out because soon as I am about to progress (and not just with weight) the triggers to eat are just firing like mad. I made strawberry muffins, but in a loaf pan instead of actual muffins. They were LF, but high in calories and I had a few of them, which took like half my calories for the day...and made me sick to my tummy. Lunch was also high in calories, so now I have like 100 calories for dinner to stay under the upper end of my cal. limit. It's okay, I've got my head back on straight and am going to make a salad for dinner with just a little FF dressing mixed with cottage cheese for a dressing...if you havent' tried using cottage cheese and just a drop of dressing mixed, try it! I will be under my limit but am still upset with myself.

I feel like I need to go back to grade school and write I WILL NOT SABOTAGE MYSELF fifty times on the black board lol

Theresa

I have some strawberry dessert glaze which I bought awhile back when I was making tarts for a party, but ended up not using it. It's FF and 70 cal. per serving...does anyone know what I might use it for that is healthy? I might try to make the tarts again since they are just a fresh fruit mix in the little cups...have to see about how the cups are calorie wise. But, does anyone else have any ideas?

hey all !

I'm sorry Theresa that you are having a bad day.. try to look on the bright side and you didn't eat the whole pan of muffins or decide it all was for nothing and binge... just get back OP and you can do it.. :cheer:

Hey Melra welcome back :wave: You prolly did great with all the hiking ..

I did run to the store after work and grabbed ingredients for Cadwells wrap..
I have NOT been hungry tonight - I only want to drink water.. I still don't feel good from the meds and hope this will all go away soon.. I am still feeling all bloated. I guess there are some miserable side effects to this med and I don't like it. :(
hmmm Strawberry glaze- how about getting an angel food cake and cutting it up in slices and layering the glaze and cake?? add some coolwhip free and it'll prolly be yummy. or you could make a "poke cake" with the angel food cake -take a wooden spoon and poke holes (with the handle) into the angel food cake and pour the glaze in the holes, when you slice it , it'll be all pretty.
or use lowfat pound cake?? HMMM now I may be getting a bit hungry LOL
I will say my sugar has been pretty normal lately- eating right has to be having some good on my body.

I seriously need to exercise tonight but I feel so blah.. well i will go anyway and ride. :ebike:
I checked some "diet " books out of the library today -I guess I am curious about different "plans" and want to see what they are all about. Some may have good tips and others.. well , no offense to any adkins fans but gee.. no fruit or even whole grains at first? :p and fake cauliflower mashed potatoes ??? ok,there is no way I would eat cauliflower and be able to pretend it was a potato.. although South Beach does have some good recipes. lots of nice salads too in that book. I still firmly believe counting calories and making the right food choices and exercising is the ONLY way to keep off the pounds. I don't want to do a "plan"- I am just one of those weird curious people who wonder why things work for some and not for others , and what all the differences are and why all the hype with some-I may be working on WW but it is only being used for counting calories.
ok enough of me hogging the boards
Off to ride for a few anyway..
see ya'll tomrrow ;)