Further up the thread you said you hadn't been counting calories, is that right?

Any of the online calculators is a good place to start, but don't take it as gospel. It's often recommended that you set your activity level as sedentary even if you're not, or the calorie counts get too high. Give the recommendations a try and adjust from there. If you're starving all the time, you may need to go higher. If you're just not losing, you may need to lower. But you can't know that until you've tried it out for a while.

Diana32: During all of that novel of personal, I meant to give you and Magnum a great BIG and totally didn't!
So sorry about that.
Hope he (and you) have a great day today!

New low this morning! 195.4. I never trust that lows will stick around. Now especially, since I wasn't feeling well last night, and might be a bit emptier than usual. But's its still nice to see it.

Ended up with yet another lower calorie day yesterday, what with the not feeling well after dinner. No exercise.

On my walk the other night, I ran for 20-30 seconds twice. I had promised myself I wouldn't until I reached 165, because I have a tendency to hurt myself and think my body just shouldn't be asked to handle running with so much weight. I'm not going to make a habit of it, but I do love running. My plan was to get to 165 and then start doing C25K, but taking 18 weeks instead of 9 to do it. (The hurting myself thing.) I got to thinking though. The last race I ran was a 10K on June 8th, 1997. I know because I still have the t-shirt. It also happens to be one week before I met my husband. I did some counting and if I lose 1lb/per week I can get to 165 in mid-February, which would give me just enough time to train for a mid-June race (5K this time), near the 15th anniversary of my last race. A goal to shoot for!

Only problem with the plan is that mid-February is no time to start running around here. Outside is cold and snowy and walks tend to be icy. And it's never a good time for me to be on a treadmill. I hate treadmills, but maybe I'll just have to power through the the first 6 weeks until the ground is clear. Or maybe we'll have an early spring. Yeah, right!

I seem to have passed this number thing I do on to my kid. I'm always surprised by how much time we spend talking about math. When I mentioned that I'd walk during his art class, he said something about walking for 30 minutes. I reminded him the class was an hour. He knew but had calculated that I would walk 30 minutes out and 30 minutes back. He's 9, and going into 4th grade, so I shouldn't be so surprised, bu I still am.

very personal topic beware my friends

Good Morning Jen,
I wanted to let you know I feel your tummy troubles. I've had them ever since I was a teenager. *whisper* I got the lovely diarhea every day before high school or whenever I talked to people I thought I was in love with. Psycho much . Then after marrying I would go days without going at all which freaked DH out since he's a frequent flyer in our bathroom . After years and years of either not going or going too much we've discovered that I have Celiac's Disease and Bipolar Disorder. So it could be intestinal or emotional for me. Yay me! When I'm not good on my gluten free lifestyle I get a *whispering real quite now* yellow loose stool. I looked that up and it sounds like a concern. I fell for the promotional yogurts thing and they didn't help and I can't do them on low carb anyway. BUT I do take probiotics or Align. That has really really helped. I don't know if that will fit into your lifestyle, but it helps with pain and consistency/firmness and in my case color. Maybe check it out. Couldn't hurt right.
I wish you luck in that area because no one is happy when you're not happy. I hate tummy troubles it can ruin a very nice day or in my case vacation, date, wedding, and the list goes on.
Have a great day.

I don't know how, but I slept for 9 hours! Wow! That's like a record since having My youngest over 6 years ago. Because of it, my water weight wasn't quite as bad as I slept for about 2.5 hours longer than usually. But, up .4.

ZOODOO: CONGRATS ON THE NEW LOW!

Berry: Jealous of your 9 hours of sleep! That is an accomplishment!

My mid week unofficial WI is 242.0

Good morning Everyone,

I'm up .4 must mean yesterday wasn't enough exercise, nah, it's probably water weight. By morning my feet usually go back to normal but I woke up with them swollen. Either way I don't care I'm still 249 and I like that number better than 250

Scarlett I'm am starting day 4 on low carb and it sucks without sweets, but I'm sort of cheating (at least in my mind). I drink a lot of Hawaiian punch sugar free of course because I can't just drink water and the lemonades don't always cut it. Oh and sugar free Popsicles. Although yesterday I watched the boys eat chocolate. Its not fair when they eat it in front of us. It gets easier to say no as each day passes.

alaskan my daughter had a severe sunburn in the last week of school. She couldn't even wear clothes and it did blister. Under doctor supervision cold wash cloths (not running water), benedryl for itching, aloe for coolness and you sort of have to wait that tightness out. Also (nurse told me sternly) if that sun block didn't work first check the date then get a stronger one.
Also I do MyFitnessPal and love it. It says I can lose a pound a week by eating 1750 calories a day. Most days I come in under but not always. I only work out 1 hr a day 45 mins cardio and the rest weights. You are lighter than I am and a few inches taller so you'd have less calories. I think it can be done if we don't eat through out the day. Less carb (which I know you're doing) should mean longer lasting satisfaction in the hunger department since the calories don't just burn off right away. I hope you find a counter you like...I love myfitnesspal.

Diana I'm glad Magnum is up and going today. Some days I don't see my dog till its dinner time. She's just as antisocial as I am

Diana in LA I used to drink a 12 pack of diet soda a day. I'm down to 2-3 now. It's hard to cut out soda, but I think a little easier when you read yucky stuff about it. Mountain dew has caffeine I can't stand it's flavor, but hey if a person needs caffeine there you go.

berry I'm glad you got in that extra sleep. I woke up with DH, but that means I was asleep before. Yay, lets hope today will tire me out just as much. I do plan to pull up all the carpet once all is out and showing is necessary because this carpet is disgusting. One full day after it was installed my DH was bending over a red burning candle and when he straightened up he took the candle with him. And from then on everyone in the house including the dog decided it was free reign to dirty my carpet. BUT walls first!

Krystal you sound like a wonderful cook. I can't say I'm jealous because I truly hate to cook, but if I wanted to I wish I had the know how as you do.

Well today we are going slap some color on the walls. DH came hope and was shocked and asked what made me do it. I told him I had insomnia, I can't sit down and my mind won't stop, I have way too many ideas. Guess who is in a mania episode. So use it while it's here. If I stay home and work through it, I'm not out spending money, which is a danger for us with Bipolar Disorder. He said he wasn't complaining and to make sure to be safe as I don't normally think about my safety and sometimes do dumb stuff.
Last night's dinner was a hit! We had another friend over (a big eater) and I cooked enough. I thought I cooked too much potatoes as I counted myself as one of the eaters (no no) and the bowl was over flowing. Every one loved this meal and almost all the potatoes were eaten. I loved that I got complimented. It makes a girl smile. I still don't like cooking knowing I'm cooking for a man, but I focus on the children instead someone has issues.
Anyway this has been long so I will go. Have a happy and healthy day everyone

Just peeking in to see how everyone is doing today and it looks like all is well with everyone, even Magnum! That makes me smile.
Got my walk in this morning which felt good. My friend has been sick the last 2 days and I used it as an excuse to not work out. Bad, I know, but I have been busting butt hauling boxes and cleaning out stuff that I figured my activity level was pretty high despite it. So today is starting off on a good foot, literally!
I am finally back down to my previous low of 181.6!!!! That was a welcomed surprise this morning. Makes me want to closely watch what I am eating because I am really eager to see the 170's. But again, I am not stressing or killing myself to get there, just focusing on staying on plan through the garage sale and DH vacation. I feel so at peace with it all. I used to stress so much, it's all good.
You guys have me wanting tacos for dinner tonight. I have been thinking about fish tacos (I think from reading it on Diana 3271 meal plan occasionally). What kind of sauce or seasoning would be good with that? A fruit salsa? A mayo based sauce like baja? Regular salsa? What do you guys think? I have the recipe for bennigans pineapple sauce, I wonder if that would be good. What do you guys think, or for those of you that have had a fish taco, what kind of sauce was on it?

Jomatho Sometimes I don't add sauce to the tacos because they use a blackened seasoning when grilling it. Other times, they will serve it with salsa and sour cream on the side. I will combine the salsa and a little sour cream to make a creamy salsa. That's good too. I tend to like things more basic. I seem I get into trouble with the added sodium/msg in seasonings and sauces.

good morning...i will go back to my fitness pal today to see if i can tweak it more ....thanks k9!

my sunburn is slowly getting better...i lost 21 pounds just doing low carb and my body is used to maintaining at right around 209 where i'm sitting right now, maintained this weight effortlessly for yearssss so i think i will have to watch the calories now too....i have a food scale to work with also

five kids here today by myself...DH went to work, his knee is doing a lot better now

K9Owner - thanks a lot, I'm actually trying to do it very cleanly. I'm eating mostly protein and veggies with some legal oils. I am also having a greek yogurt and one cheese stick per day. I tend to go nuts with the cheeses and hummus so I think it's best to leave that stuff out. Also I'm going to a wedding in a month, and could really use 2 weeks of serious loosing.

Mamakat - thanks a lot. I'm now on Day 3 and have been PERFECT so far. Today, after two days I was down 3 pounds. I don't know if the cravings are actually gone or the weight loss is motivating me, but its starting to feel easier. We live near the Jersey Shore and my brother is coming home from college with a few friends. My mom is planning a HUGE BBQ, burgers, hot dogs, macaroni salad etc. I may have to disappear for a few hours while they are eating. Hopefully mom will let him bring the leftovers home, so they don't sit in the fridge forever

Thanks Diana, I think I will stick to the basics this time around too and see how we all like it. I have sour cream and salsa already, so it works for me! Also, my youngest hates the taste of mexican food (not sure how we made a kid like that, we loooooovvve it), so he will like it better if it isn't seasoned or saucey. I am getting hungry!!!

K9 Thank you.

Zoodoo Congrats on the new low!

Berry The .4 is not bad at all. You must have watched it closely. We know how those tacos are.

Erica Good to see you.

Diana(LA) Good to see you.

Mamakat Great job on cooking dinner. I kinda have similar issues, but mine is with clothes shopping. I was at the store last weekend. I was looking around. Of course I don't like anything. I don't like clothes shopping. I finally found some jeans to try on. I wanted someone else's opinion. I asked the person that's over the dressing rooms. She gave her opinion. I decided to put everything back since I wasn't in the mood, I don't like anything and I really don't like clothes shopping. I think I am going to go through all of that all over again this weekend and give it another try. I think I like those jeans, so I will be going back to the same store. Shopping just stresses me out. I like grocery shopping, though.

Jomatho This is probably going to sound odd, but I have even used a tiny amount of Ranch dressing on my fish tacos. It's just enough to give a little flavor. Does your little one like ranch dressing? Maybe try a sauce that you know they like.

Alaskanlaughter I'm glad your sunburn is healing. I have always liked using Aloe Vera on any type of burn. It seems to help.

back from the strength training class again. Wow... it wore me out. Having two days of recovery is definitely different than having 3-4 days. I FEEL it! It was good though!

Came home and had a yummy lunch! Love it when berries are in season!

ETA: I am looking at my tickers. I remember when they both said 232. Now look at them - 198 and 597! Yay me for my stick-to-it-iveness!

Hi everyone
Taking a breather before taking the boy to the orthodontist and to run errands. Thought I'd catch up on personals

Diana: Glad you enjoyed your special meal out and really glad that today is a better day for Magnum

Jo: Good for you! And what a great reminder to us all The destination is great but we need to enjoy the journey too!

Isabella: That is so awesome!

zoodoo: great job getting the scale moving in the preferred direction again and great time on the walk! Who are these people who can walk a 15 minute mile? I've never been able to do it, even on a treadmill. I am impressed with 16:30! Oh! And I just caught up with your more recent post..what an awesome goal to set for yourself!!

shishke : hope the visit with the MIL wasn't too bad We are seeing Deathly Hallows in Imax on Sun...have fun! I know we can't wait

mamakat: Have you looked into Valerian root? And, I am a messy painter too, though I rather enjoy it when I'm in the right mood The colors in your home sound lovely...I wonder too if your insomnia has anything to do with you starting to eat lower carb?

berry : I'm so impressed with what you've accomplished and continue to do! I know these monthly stalls are frustrating and it's good that intellectually you see what's happening but that you also acknowledge your feelings about it. You are a great example (I myself tend to be a horrible warning, but maybe I'll work on that lol )

Diana in La: That is VERY cool! Keep up the great work!

alaskan: sorry about the sun burn and the tummy troubles I can totally relate. So glad that you had such fun at the beach and that you slept well (hurrah!) and that your DH is dong so great

surfingssr: yay for you for staying the course! so glad you stuck to it and are seeing the results

berry: the taco salad description has me drooling..need to grab some lunch lol I much prefer taco salad to regular tacos.

Lindsey: congrats on the new house!

abbysue thanks for the encouragement on the exercise I think once I get my house ship shape I will find the motivation to put my recent excess energy into exercising. Maybe. That's the plan. hehe I feel so much better when I exercise, not sure what the mental block is about it this time.

shishke : glad your birthday was a nice one...your chicken ala king sounds yummy..it's one of my old low carb favs that I'd forgotten about, thanks for the reminder good for you for sticking to one scoop! and yay for finishing a tough workout.

Scarlett : hang in there! And tv commercials suck. I'm glad there is a serious push to start making food manufacturers modify the way they market junk to kids but I'd like to see less of it overall. Thank gawd for John Stewart lol And that link you posted for the Harris Benedict equation was really interesting. Gave me a good reference for how many cals I should be eating and also got me thinking a bit about BMI so I did some research. That helped me discover that I've hit a milestone this month... I am no longer morbidly obese, I am at the level of obesity 2. A small victory but a victory nonetheless

K9: right back atcha

mamakat: duh! :smacking my forehead: I have my son take probiotics every day, I work for a chiropractic office that recommends them to all our patients. Why am I not taking them? Thanks for reminding me And I too have emotional/physical tummy issues. IBS I guess. And developing lactose intolerance. And runs in the family (pun intended? )

See you all later, time to head out.
Jen