I thought this was kind of interesting, ...
 

A map of the obesity trend in the United States since 1985.

http://www.bantransfat.com/obesitymap.htm

Good evening ... or morning. I keep finding myself peeking in and reading here. I don't have the time to add a new group to post in... but you all seem so nice here... I already feel like I am getting to know you.
Boy have we been productive today. :cp: I don't know if I mentioned we are moving soon ??
We took my kitchen apart and got rid of so much !!!!
Some of this stuff I probably NEVER used once in all 23 years living here.
But I also kept a few things I have never used in all 23 years either. :o You just never know when I might need it. :lol: What can I say... :o
Some of the items were wedding gifts... some belonged to my parents.
It just seemed sacreligious to sell items given to my parents for wedding gifts in a garage sale. LOL
I feel sooooo good about getting so much accomplished. :D :D

My food has been okay... but not perfect. I seem to want to reward myself for working so hard. :^:
Today I was sick most of the day. I still worked hard and accomplished a LOT.
My stomach was just on edge all day. It came in waves. Always queezy... but then a wave a pure nausea would take me over. Not fun... but I was too goal oriented to let it slow me down.

I am sooo GRATEFUL for my daughter who came home to help me. She is an angel. :angel: I sure am grateful that my daughter has volunteered to help soooo much. I would be laying in bed crying if it weren't for her. Kicking myself in the butt for even thinking about moving. LOL

Got to get back to work. When I am in one of these productive modes... I better keep it going... because once I am out of it.... who knows when it will hit again. :lol:

A new week and a new start, ... again, ...
 

I woke up (on my own, no alarm) at 3:15 AM. It was just starting to storm. I hope it cools off, or at least the humidity goes down. I found it harder to breathe this morning. Guess I better get my inhalers out and check the dates on them. The last year or so the asthma attacks and the need for the inhalers has been farther and farther apart, but, I like to keep them up to date, because when I NEED them, I need them right now. Of course I have my nebulizer machine, but can't use that when I'm out and about.

I did my 3-mile WATP tape right away this morning. Now, I'm hoping to ride my exercise bike at least once today, then Curves this evening.

I weighed this morning and was up 4 pounds! Actually, I'm not all that concerned because I think some of it is fluid in my tissues. I didn't drink my water like I should over the weekend and I had some salty foods too. I'll give it a day or so, now that I'm back to a normal life. I even feel kind of bloated.

For breakfast I'm having a cup of Kashi to good friends with a cup of fresh strawberries and a cup of skim milk, with my usual cup of green tea.

I never did get started on my menu's for the week, so I'll do that this morning.

(A couple hours later, ...)OK, got it done now, so will add todays to this.

9 AM;
1 c. cantaloupe

3.75 c. Italian mix veggies
2 tbsp. oyster sauce

4 oz. canadian trout
3 c. Hyvee California Mix veggies
2 tbsp. oyster sauce


Angel, yes, I WAS tired for a couple days there. I usually wake up early and I'd just as soon keep that routine, because when I go back to work, I won't have to get back to that schedule.

2cute, it sounds like you were up burning the midnight oil too. Glad to hear you're getting a lot accomplished. I should be doing the same thing, ... digging into years of ....S-T-U-F-F.

Back to work this morning after a three-day weekend. They are just too short. I never did get to the Mall yesterday, so the money is still in the wallet. My brother and SIL who are visiting at my other sisters called and said "The whole family is coming over for pizza, come on down." Its a 45 minute drive, but what the heck, we don't see them that often. I will pay for that pizza for sure. We all had a great time though. Spent an extra ten minutes on the treadmill this morning and may go on again tonight. I would have stayed longer, but the humidity is unbelieveable. We finally broke down and turned on the AC last night. Enough is enough :flame:
Angel, you never cease to amaze me with just the right image. I feel bad for you about the house fire and the loss of so many possessions. One positive thought: "The best things in life aren't really things."
Good morning Puss, Willow, Sheila and 2cute. Out of time, so I will be back this evening. Have a great day all. Sue

http://www.free4-all.co.uk/assets/im...extFadeOut.gif for the compliment Sue. I ate too much over the weekend also!! Sometimes things like that pizza are just begging to be eaten!!http://www.cartooncottage.com/images/pizza.gif

Willow........better take care of yourself! Don't want you ending up sick....or having more problems than you are! http://www.members.aol.com/teejaw/smilies/SickinBed.gif You probably need some rest, after the big weekend you had.

2cute.........Moving is a big job, http://www.members.aol.com/teejaw/smilies/Phew.gif Glad your daughter came to help you. I have 3 daughters & a son. Don't know what I'd ever do without them! Hope you're feeling better.http://www.emotipad.com/emoticons/Green.gif

Just wanted to say good day to everyone.
I am feeling better this morning... thank you for the thought.
In fact... I still feel motivated to clean and pack even though my daughter has gone back home. So I am not staying and visiting. Hope everyone has a great day.

Good site, ...
 

I found this info on a good site. Recipes with all the nutrition facts etc. There's some advertising on there for sports equip. but I can live with working around that.

http://www.inch-aweigh.com

Why Drinking Water Really is the Key to Weight Loss
by Maia Appleby
Don’t roll your eyes! The potion for losing that excess body fat is all around you. It covers two thirds of the planet. If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration proper for you, but still can’t get rid of a little paunch here and there, you’re probably just not drinking enough water.

No need to get defensive. You’re actually quite normal. Most people don’t drink enough water. Most people are also carrying around a few more pounds than they would be if they did drink enough water. If you can’t seem to get that weight off, try drowning your sorrows in nature’s magical weight-loss mineral. It works, and here’s why:

“What on Earth is 'metabolism', anyway?” People use the term all the time, but ask them what it means and you’ll get all kinds of answers. Merriam Webster defines it as, “The process by which a substance is handled in the body.” A little vague, but that’s really all it means.

There are many forms of metabolism going on in your body right now, but the one everyone is talking about it the metabolism of fat. This is actually something that the liver does when it converts stored fat to energy. The liver has other functions, but this is one of its main jobs. Unfortunately, another of the liver’s duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then can’t metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it could when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, not only are you being unfair to your liver, but you’re also setting yourself up to store fat. “I’ve tried it and I couldn’t stand it!” The problem is that, though many decide to increase their water intake, very few stick with it. It’s understandable. During the first few days of drinking more water than your body is accustomed to, you’re running to the bathroom constantly. This can be very discouraging, and it can certainly interfere with an otherwise normal day at work. It seems that the water is coming out just as fast as it’s going in, and many people decide that their new hydration habit is fruitless.

Do take heed , though. What is really happening is that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout all those years of “survival mode”. It takes a while, but this is a beautiful thing happening to you. As you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for, it gets rid of what it doesn’t need. It gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your ankles and your hips and thighs, maybe even around your belly. You are excreting much more than you realize. Your body figures it doesn’t need to save these stores anymore; it’s trusting that the water will keep coming, and if it does, eventually, the flushing (of both the body and the potty) will cease, allowing the human to return to a normal life. It’s true. This is called the “breakthrough point.”

One recent finding, as irresponsible as it may be, that caffeine increases the body’s fat-burning potential has many people loading up on coffee before going to the gym. This finding may hold some degree of truth in it, but caffeine is, in essence, a diuretic, and diuretics dehydrate. Caffeine may increase the heart rate, causing a few more calories to be burned, but this is at the expense of the muscles, which need water to function properly. This isn’t doing your heart any favors, either. It’s already working hard enough during your workout. Never mix caffeine and exercise. In fact, your best bet is to stay away from caffeine all together. It’s a big bully that pushes your friend water out of your system.

Water is the best beauty treatment. You’ve heard this since high school, and it’s true. Water will do wonders for your looks! It flushes out impurities in your skin, leaving you with a clear, glowing complexion. It also makes your skin look younger. Skin that is becoming saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated.

In addition, it improves muscle tone. You can lift weights until you’re blue in the face, but if your muscles are suffering from a drought, you won’t notice a pleasant difference in your appearance. Muscles that have all the water they need contract more easily, making your workout more effective, and you’ll look much nicer than if you had flabby muscles under sagging skin.

“Eight glasses a day? Are you kidding?!” It’s really not that much. Eight 8-ounce glasses amount to about two quarts of water. This is okay for the average person, but if you’re overweight, you should drink another eight ounces for every 25 pounds of excess weight you carry. You should also up this if you live in a hot climate or exercise very intensely.

This water consumption should be spread out throughout the day. It’s not healthy at all to drink too much water at one time. Try to pick three or four times a day when you can have a big glass of water, and then sip in between. Don’t let yourself get thirsty. If you feel thirsty, you’re already becoming dehydrated. Drink when you’re not thirsty yet.

Do you think water is yucky? Drinking other fluids will certainly help hydrate your body, but the extra calories, sugar, additives and whatever else aren’t what you need. Try a slice of lemon or lime in the glass, or if you really think you hate water, try a flavored water. Just make sure you read the labels. Remember that you’re going to be consuming a lot of this fluid.

It’s probably a good idea to stop drinking water a good three hours before you go to bed. You know why.

“How cold should it be?” This is debatable. Most experts lean toward cold water, because the stomach absorbs it more quickly. There is also some evidence that cold water might enhance fat burning.
On the other hand, warmer water is easier to drink in large quantities, and you might drink more of it without even realizing it. Do whatever suits you, here. Just drink it!

When you drink all the water you need, you will very quickly notice a decrease in your appetite, possibly even on the first day! If you're serious about becoming leaner and healthier, drinking water is an absolute must. If you're doing everything else right and still not seeing results, this might just be the missing link.

Twice in one day, this may be a record for me :) I actually felt a few sprinkles of rain on my way in from work. Hopefully, things will cool down a bit.

Willow, I went to the Obesity Map and checked out the BMI for my height and weight. The word obese hits you right between the eyes. I never thought of myself like that. Overweight, maybe, but that was a little hard to swallow. I should make a sign with a big "30" and tape it to the fridge. Everytime I saw it, I would think what it means. As for the water, I drink at least 4 24oz bottles a day. Sometimes more. It is so much easier for some reason to just grab a bottle than to get a glass and fill it from the pitcher in the refrigerator. Our tap water is not good at all. I don't make a potty trip in the middle of the night anymore either. Your body seems to adjust.

How is the move coming 2cute? I am such a packrat. Like you, I may "need" it someday. I did start in my closet last night and threw out 13 tops. They were either stained, wrong size, or too ugly to live. Just grabbed and stuffed in a garbage bag in about three minutes. Any longer than that and I would have changed my mind. We are all such creatures of habit. Sometimes you have to ask yourself, "Self, if I died tomorrow, what would my kids do with this?" Some people put things in a box and date it. If it hasn't been touched in another year or two, out it goes. Just think - your new kitchen will have so much more room to put stuff in.

Time to fix some dinner. Stomach is rumbling. It's either that or thunder :dizzy: Have a Good Day/Evening all. Sue

Hi Everyone, 2Cute, it's bound to be an emotional wrench leaving your home after 23 years but the fact that you are doing it shows a forward spirit, you are not clinging on to the past which can sometimes stunt your future happiness. (Gawd, now I am sounding like Dr Phil and I only saw him once on TV!) I know how you feel about your parents stuff, when my dad died my mother and I gave the charity shop 22 (!!) sweaters, mostly brand new and we never saw him in anything other than his two 'comfy' ones for years ha ha. For the past 30 years or more everything my brother and I have bought for them my mother pronounced too good to use and promptly put the gifts up in the attic. When it comes to clearing that out there will be unused electrical items and other stuff which will look like things time forgot! Seriously though, I hope all goes well for you, it must be a time of mixed emotions. Sue, that's my girl, you and hubby having an unscheduled siesta in the garden. Even when my mother was visiting I still got one in at the weekends ha! Your holiday destination sounds divine - I've seen those cabins on TV and always fancied escaping to one for a few weeks. Don't worry about the pizza, probably do you more good than harm once in a while. Angel, I hope you sleep well tonight after a bad one the night before last. Re your insurance company - I was with the same one for 25 years without ever having a claim. My shed was burgled and I claimed for a mower and a few other items totalling less than 150 dollars and they had the cheek to say I could get one replacement item 5 dollars cheaper if I went 10 miles further from my local shop. Changed company after that. Hope your arthritis has eased a little by now, it must be awful to live life in constant pain and i feel for you and Willow. Willow - what a hero, putting that cake back in the freezer after the little ones left! I KNOW

oopS....i must have pressed a key or something - didnt mean to post till the end ha ha and when I tried to continue this was all busy and hey presto....Sue had posted at the same time! I was going to say I KNOW that cake wouldnt have been back in the freezer for me. Don't worry about your 4lb, I have a feeling that even when periods stop, a body still acts like it is due for a period and retains water around the time it would have. Seems that way for my mother anyway. I hope your asthma is better now but it's a shame you woke up so early, your body must have needed the rest when you lay in naturally. Thanks for all the info you post - really interesting stuff. As for hubby being pleased with my weight loss - he's like most men, doesn't mind what size I am "as long as you are happy". Bless him. Little tip I have been using - instead of butter or low fat margarine on sandwiches, use Crosse and Blackwell's low fat salad dressing. Much lower in calories and fat and really tasty. Also, has anyone tried Ryvita in the multi grain varitey? Half the calories of wholemeal bread even though similar in fat ie. 0.7 gms. Not a bit like the old crispbread which was like tasteless cardboard.

http://www.emotipad.com/emoticons/Blackstuff.gifWATER!!!! You know.....I read something a while back about water being the best thing you could use for any problem. Anywhere from weightloss, to fatigue, to fighting cancer, or headaches, etc. Didn't really think about it a lot....til I read that. Enjoyed what you gave us, Willow.....http://incredithemes.50megs.com/imag...Flower-HAL.gif

I'm not gonna post a lot tonight...had a weak, fatigued day. I get my Remicade treatment tomorrow. May be able to post tomorrow....or may not. I'll be kind of "out of it". Hope all of you have a great day, & talk to you later.http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung...smiley-092.gif

It's been a good day, ...
 

Hi Everyone!

I feel like I've got a new grip on things.
I got up early and did the 3-mile WATP tape, then late morning I rode my exercise bike for 30 minutes.
Then, mid-afternoon I did the 3-mile WATP tape again, and then I went to Curves for 45 minutes tonight.

I did no formal exercise for 3 days over the weekend, and I was feeling like a slacker, or a slug!

I've been really slugging down the water today too. I could feel that I hadn't been drinking enough.

Sue, I hope that pizza isn't too bad on you. I'm not so bad with pizza as I am with this cheese bread that they make at Little Caesars. I swear, I can eat a whole big order of it myself, if I don't eat anything else. Needless to say, I won't be eating that for a while. I better knock on my head for wood when I say that. Every time I say I'm NOT going to do something, that's just when I find myself doing it. Kind of like my mind is fighting myself.
You know, I have a treadmill, and I just can't seem to make myself like it. I did when I first got it, but now it is soooo tedious! I give you credit for being able to use yours.
I can't imagine how you've held out all this time from turning on your AC, especially if it was anything like it was here. UGH!!
I have a couple of water bottles that I keep filled in the fridge all the time. My tap water is really good.
That obesity stuff really wakes you up, doesn't it? Last week when they weighed and measured me at Curves, they check your body fat percentage with a little computerized machine that you hold in your hands and an undetectable electric impulse measures the amount of body fat you have.
Mine had been 48.50 percent, and last week it had gone down 1.30 percent. It said I had 109 pounds of body fat. That's disgusting, to me. I knew I was fat, but, it really hits you, like you said.

2cute, if you keep on the way you've been going, you'll have the whole house sorted, and packed and ready to move! UFFDA! And in this heat too! I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better today. But, don't over do it.
It had cooled off just a bit here tonight when I went to Curves, so, if there isn't more rain during the night and if it is still not so humid tomorrow, I guess I'll try to get out there early and mow my lawn. That's another 1 1/2 hours of exercise.

Puss, good to see your post!
You're right! I do retain fluids at times, and maybe my body is still cycling in some weird way.
I wish I could lay down and just take a nap when I felt like it, but, with this blasted apnea, I never sleep soundly all night, and naps are the same way. I sometimes am tempted to ask them to try the surgery anyway, even if it is very painful. The only reason I don't is because the Dr said that it doesn't always help anyway.
I wonder if we can get the Crosse and Blackwells LF salad dressing here.
And the Ryvita! Is it a bread or a cracker?
I saw that Wheatabix that you spoke of. Saw it in the health foods aisle of the grocery store.
I'm not quite the hero you think I am. I had a couple pieces of that cake before it went into the freezer. I do feel proud however, that I managed to put it in the freezer without eating the whole thing.

Angel, I see you're hard at work with your gifs. I know that you can download stuff to your computer, but, do you always have to download it to your computer? I mean, can you copy and paste stuff, or does it turn out black and white when you do that? Doesn't it take up a lot of space on your harddrive to download that many? Or do you delete them right away after you use them? I'm kind of mentally challenged when it comes to computers. :lol:
You're right. The best thing you can do for your health, besides exercise is drink good water.
I hope the remicade isn't too harsh on you tomorrow. Please take care and post when you can. Hope it helps you to feel better soon. :grouphug:

I don't see Sheila yet tonight. Hope you're doing well Sheila! Post when you can.

Everybody have a wonderful evening!

A NEW DAY, ...
 

I got up at 3:45 this morning and did the 3-mile WATP tape.

I have turned the AC off and have the window open next to where I'm sitting. The birds are chirping and whistling away out there. Sounds like they are saying good morning to me and each other.

It's actually kind of chilly sitting here in my shorty pajamas. The thermometer says 68 degrees. I hope the dew dries off quickly this morning so I can get out there and mow the grass before it gets too hot out.

I just finished my cheerios and cantaloupe and am now having my tea as I type this. MMMMM.

1 c. cheerios
1 c. cantaloupe
1 c. sk. milk

9 AM;
1 fresh orange

3.75 c. Italian mix vegetables
2 tbsp. oyster sauce

1 five-oz. turkey tender with bacon wrap
3 c. California blend vegetables
2 tbsp. oyster sauce

Total Cals. for today = 979

Hi everyone. Willow, the Crosse and Blackwell salad dressing I mentioned is called Waistline (low fat and cals) and the Ryvita is a crispbread which looks like corrugated cardboard but the multi grain variety is lovely. Neither are coming up on FitDay foods so I don't know if you can get them in the US. Danger time for me now - hulk of a son is home from University and there is no filling him and I love to cook for him. Already tonight I had a big bite of double cream topped meringue nest with strawberries - must be those fruits doing it ha ha. Daughter says her friend who is in Mexico has had tummy troubles on and off the last three weeks but she hasn't. She claims its down to strong constitution so I don't like to tell her it's probably because she herself is such a picky eater (she hates tacos) so she is probably skipping 50% of what her friend eats! Another tip i picked up - when dry frying minced beef, even though it may be the best and leanest, drain it in a sieve and wipe the pan out with kitchen paper before continuing with the recipe. It's amazing how much fat the so-called lean mince contains! Hope everyone is well. xx

I'm still hanging in there, ...
 

I had a pretty uneventful day today, actually.
I was going to mow the grass but it rained all morning, and when the sun finally did come out for a while, it was icky out there.

For exercise I did the 3-mile WATP tape when I first got up this morning, then at 11 AM I rode my exercise bike for 30 minutes, then at 2 PM I did the 3-mile WATP tape again, and then this evening I went to Curves for 45 minutes. A total of 169 minutes again.

Foods were good too.

I stopped and got a powerball ticket on my way home from Curves.

I've noticed the last day or so that I can do more reps of the exercises at Curves. Not a lot more, but just 2 or 3 more than I had been doing. Must be getting stronger. :strong:

Puss, I don't think we have that salad dressing here, but I have some crispbread that I just love. The name is Kavli, and it's imported from Norway. It's an all natural, whole wheat garlic flavored crispbread. So thin it nearly melts in your mouth. I'm sure it is in other flavors too, I just prefer the garlic. I like it with salads.
I found a salad that I'm going to make this coming weekend. I found it on HYVEE'S web site. Hyvee is a chain of stores here, and they have some excellent recipes and menu's on their web site.
The URL is; http://www.hyvee.com/default.asp
Then just click on RECIPES, and then type in ALL RECIPES where it says category.
Anyway, this is called SUMMERTIME PORK SALAD, and it looks so easy to make.

1 PKG. (10 OZ.) LETTUCE LEAVES
1 POUND PORK TENDERLOIN, COOKED & CUT INTO BITE-SIZE PIECES.
8 OZ. PINEAPPLE TIDBITS- DRAINED (I'LL USE FRESH)
1 C. HALVED RED GRAPES.
1/3 C. DICED RED PEPPER.
1/3 C. DICED GREEN PEPPER.
1/4 C. DICED RED ONION.
1/2 C. FAT FREE CATALINA SALAD DRESSING.

TOSS ALL THE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER IN A LARGE MIXING BOWL.

CHILL AND SERVE.

It didn't say how many it served, but it must be 4.

Oh my! That dessert sounds delicious just hearing the name of it! I don't think you'll do much damage having a bit of something now and then. You had some goodies when your kids were home before and when your Mother was there, and you've consistently lost weight every week, so you must be doing something right! I truly think we do better if we don't restrict ourselves too much and feel deprived.
I'd rather have a little more to eat and do some extra exercises than to go without some foods completely.
I think I'd like that recipe too, if you wouldn't mind! :)

I wonder if your daughters friend has drank any of Mexico's water. You know, even if they buy their own water, if they have a drink with ice cubes in it, those are made from local water, most likely.

By minced beef, do you mean what we call ground beef, or hamburger?

Hello Sheila, Sue, Angel, Isablue, and 2cute. Hope I didn't forget anyone.
I hope you all have a wonderful evening! See ya later!