April Chicks...#2...
 

Starting a new week, if you had a bad one last week, pick yourself up and brush yourself off,learn from your mistakes and start over.

HC.. :D thats great on the loss,no one has to post their weight if their not ok with that, but one day you will be.....

I am wore out, Larry will be home tomorrow and I have busted my butt this week on this house, when he left we had just finished putting in a new ceiling in the bedroom, ripping out paneling and putting up drywall in there too.

So I was left with the painting and the clean-up.

When we finished it was like a tornado had been thru here....ahhhh exercise..

just wanted to check in and say hi....i had a long day...and now ive got to get my place clean and get a shopping list ready for tomorrow after work.....got a party of my little neices to go to on saturday...shes 1 today!!...so cute....u all take care...and if i dont check in soon i will on sunday.....have a great friday!!

Have a great time April and watch out for that bday cake!!!!

just curious.....
 

Does anyone know anything about weight watchers, like how many points you should be eating a day to lose weight, or anything like that??? I was thinking maybe that would be easier to track daily instead of logging everything and adding up the calories..... if you have any advise or anything , get back to me......thanks girlies!!!!

just a quick note to let everyone that i was down 2 1/4 more ....so now i have hit 1/3 of the way to goal. GO ME!!

Sorry heather, i meant to say something about that...could be your just not as puffy,theres a layer of fat just under your skin that swells when your retaining water,and maybe as that disappears by you hydrating yourself better with water, your not retaing as much now....seems when you first start getting real serious about combining a better way of eating with exercise ALOT of body changes go into effect, some we can see others we can feel some we don't see for awhile even though they are going on.
I know that since our water challenge, which ended yesterday, (hope everyone at LEAST doubled their intake) my ankles have not been swelling like they had been, especially after all day on my feet.

HC-I just saw somewhere that WW has come out with a new book that has their whole program mapped out in it..how to figure how many points (most people don't go over 25 to start)you are allowed. There is also WW magazine I check out from my library,good tips in there.
I am not on WW per say BUT I certainly have used some of their recipes and they give counts for cal. fat, fiber etc. so if it fits into my plan and sounds good I try it.
I also like some of their frozen desserts once in awhile.

I have invited a couple of newbies to join us...they posted and seemed really lost,I wonder where FM is????
I will e-mail her tonight and see how she's doing.

Well chicks,lets drink our water and work our plans,talk to ya later,
Diane

Thanks, diane for the info, how did I know you would be the one with the answer??? :thanks: You are just too good!!! what would us April chicks do without you??? well I hope everyone has a nice night, talk to you all soon!!!

Here you are! I have lost you all week, couldn't find you all. Is there a way to bookmark the group, or have messages go to inbox or anything? I'm down two lbs this week! YEAH! The funny thing is, I've had at least 2 chocolate chip cookies everyday....hmmm, maybe its magical happy chocolate, lol. I think the difference has been the increase in water, and the decrease of general intake. Anyways, its been a great week, weather has been funky, so not too much exercise, need to get back on that!

Good job to everyone who experienced success this week! Keep up the good work!

Lisa

can I just say, Duuuuuh. I found the subscription tab, now I can keep up!

Thank diane!
Congrats Fave on the weight loss u know what i haven't subscribed either lol....... :dizzy:

i just add the forms that i am on to my favorites list. keep up the good work everyone.

Talk to you LIGHTER!!!
Peg

Hi Chicks,
Just checking in...Larry keeps me busy on the weekends...
Will be back tomorrow.

LISA...congrats on those 2 lbs, and being able to fit a treat into your plan, I think thats what makes it easier..finding combinations of things that work and not having to give up the things we really enjoy, a little bite of something really can go a long way.
And most times thats all we need, a little bit so we don't feel totally deprived.
If you can have a little of something and not feel guilty that helps too.
I have had a problem in the past kind of rebelling against myself when I insisted on depriving myself of something I really wanted, sabatoge can be a tricky thing.
You're finding a way and thats great.

Diane

Dham Road trip!
 

Hey Girls! Well Done! On our Losses!

HC- I know all there is to know about the weight watchers program what all would you like to know? I would be happy to answer any questions you may have, the points all depend on your weight. And you must also spend a certian amount on milk products etc....

Wow i had a busy weekend, i went on a road trip with two friends of mine. And well kinda gave in yesterday and ate and a veggie burger, fries, ice cream. At Mc Donalds. the stupid thing is i don't even like McDonalds, let alone eating that much!..... Grrrrrr, but today i am going back on the points system... it should go well!

Britt..you could have done worse!!!!
Congrats on getting back up and not letting it get way out of hand.

I had a question about those points...what exactly is a "point" based on???
Like if something has a certain amount of calories does that determine how many points it gets??
Do fat grams play a part in figuring it up??

Hi Hi!!! :wave:
 

:wave:

Can i join in, please? Diane found me wandering around in another thread and invited me, but i couldn't get here until now.

have read the whole "April chicks" thread from the first post to now and WOW!! you people ROCK!!! Wow! :cp:

Anyway.

What's my motivation? Um. i really, really, really do NOT want to develop heart disease, diabetes, have another form of cancer*, or any of a number of obesity-related diseases. plus it's d@#&(%$ned awkward trying to get around while carrying an extra 90lbs of weight. i mean, think of it. we sure wouldn't any of us even try to lift a suitcase that weighed 90lbs, would we? so what's with carrying it around on our bodies all day long? :?:

Acouple of years back i manged to lose 30lbs and then felt as though i had a new body. even though at that point i still needed to lose another 50lbs to reach my goal weight! Then my (s)mother died and all the weight came back. And brought friends!! :rolleyes:

My mother singled me out for neglect that bordered on abuse. She decided my role was to be the "bad" child. If i was the bad child, then no one need listen to any of my complaints. Dad was not there for a good four yrs stright (U.S.Army, 1960's). Older brother and younger sister were the family's good children. My mother kept me socially isolated: no friends, no contact with any adults outside of school hours (not even the neighbors), no contact with aunts or uncles or cousins.

Golly gee, no wonder i have trouble taking proper care of myself.

Oh, and did I mention the double-depression (dysthymia with bouts of major depression)? I have been on Zoloft for 2yrs now and probably will be for life. And i soo wish i'd started on Zoloft when it first came out; coulda saved myself a decade of misery!!! (No, this is not an ad for any SSRI's. Relax.)

Ah. Weight gain and loss. Yes. That is the topic of this forum, right? Okay.

i was a normal to thin child. And a normal to thin teenager. My weight gain didn't really start until my mid-twenties when all of a sudden i was no longer very physically active (desk job) and wasn't eating right. And then, in my late twenties, my thyroid started slowing down. An underactive thyroid will really do a number on you. unfortunately mine went untreated for a good ten years. :eek: It took twenty years for me to get to this point in my weight; so we know the weight won't come off overnight.

So. The weight-loss is really part of my plan for treating my whole self with the care i should have been receiving all my life. Eat good food. :T Gradually become more physically active: walking, :dance:, swimming, sex. ;) I'm even thinking of setting aside a "trousseau" for when i get back to 145lbs. The clothes in my closet are now divided in stages of body size: some for now (I refuse to buy any more clothes for my current size), some for when I've dropped a couple of sizes, and a very few that are something to look forward to! :cb:

I already drink enough water each day. :) Once you start drinking more water, your body will realize it NEEDS the water and start demanding it! Major thirst! Thank goodness water is free and has no calories!

And I don't snack. Really. Not ever. A cupa coffee maybe, but that's it. no junk food, 'cause it gives me indigestion. All high fat foods do, so i do as my body says to do and avoid them. I do try to keep my meals, all three of them, to about 600 calories, but i don't keep records. It's a meal by meal, day by day thing for me.

One day at a time, ya know?

okay. i'll hush up now.


*yes, i have already done cancer once. we caught it early enough that surgery took it all out. along with my ability to have kids. :(

Sounds like ur doing a great job keep it up girl.........
u have such a great attitude and just really interesting.........
IF you ever need anything feel free to pm me or just come here and post its what keeps me up to dieting.......
I go to the doctor tomorrow to see if my kidney is still working great... I pretty sure it is haven't hurt or anything like that. I'm going to try the slim in 6 workout plan not sure about the diet coz a lot of the stuff i dont' care for... My friend lost 32 lbs on it and has toned up quite a bit.
I have been so down the last couple of days I think a lot has to do with the fact that i haven't got to see my fiance in a couple of months and we haven't really gotten to talk like we use to but its ok coz now i have u guys to complain 2 hehe... :dizzy: :dizzy: :dizzy:
EVERYONE KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!!!!!!!

HeYYYYYYYY Quinn!!
I'm so happy you found us.
Wow sounds like you have been through the ringer,but also that you have come out with alot of strength to carry it through.
It's good that you are giving yourself what others couldn't or wouldn't give you.
I come from an abusive background and finally figured out that I had to give myself permission to have a happy and healthy life, never did feel normal or like I "fit in" while growing up.

Scorchin'....I'll be thinking of you today, and praying for that kidney.
Keep your chin up girl,he will be home and you'll be looking and feeling better when he is.

Diane

Seems as a few of us are watching calories and fat grams here and I was wondering if everyone
knows the formula for figuring just how much of a percentage any given food is of fat??
I know we look on the label and figure "Oh it says 2 grams of fat,thats pretty good"

BUT..please take a minute and check this out....

OK,1 gram of fat = 9calories,all of which are made of fat.

So ...you WILL need a calculator for this...

If the label of say...a certain gourmet popcorn says it is
35 calories
2 gr. fat
for a 1 cup serving...

you multiply that 9 calories of fat times the grams per serving
9 x 2 = 18

Now take that 18 and divide it by the calories per serving..35
18 divided by 35 = .51
That is 51%
So every cup of that you eat is 51% fat.
NOT LOW-FAT.
This is one reason why so many people could not lose weight on lowfat when it was the rage,
a few years back
If you can learn to do this math,(calcilator helps me) then you will over time start being able to
know what foods you can buy in the store at a glance.
But if something has a low calorie count and fat grams please take time to do the math.
You may not be eating as low fat as you thought.

Here's another one...this is from a "light" potatoe chip..
serving size=1 oz.

calories=130
fat=6 grams

9x6=54
54 divided by 130=42%
Every 1 oz of chips you eat are 42% fat.

If you do this figuring and try to not eat anything that is over 20-30 % fat,you will have success
this lowfat plan of eating.

Food manufactures are "allowed" to do all kinds of screwy things with food labels, they stay up
while your sleeping figuring out ways to get "around" what they should be doing.

This is also why it may be important for those of us who are not sure of what to eat, to do some
homework and get on a plan...heck its easier to let the experts figure out all this math...lol

Hey, good information Ralphy, also, its a good idea to remember that low-fat, does not mean low-calorie...many lowfat versions of foods are actually higher in calorie than their "original" versions, due to the extra everything they have to add to make it taste good. A good rule of thumb is to take everything in moderation. If you just have to have a cookie, have a cookie, but don't eat the whole box! Like you said, manufacturers will tell us whatever they think we want to hear. I have also seen on the news that "low-carb" labeling is under scrutiny, becuase many "low-carb" foods are actually higher in carb's than their "original" counterparts ( even AFTER taking out the fiber grams for a "net-carb" total...) Once again, you can avoid being tricked by these labels by paying attention, asking yourself, "is this too good to be true?", and "will this food contribute to my good health?" You'll avoid some costly mistakes. Also, ever notice that these "diet" foods are ALWAYS more expensive??? And, that these are almost always "comfort" foods? (Remember good ol' snackwells? They honestly want you to beleive that eating their cookies will make you healthy....yeah, whatever...lol) I guess my point, in conjunction with Ralphmarie, is pay attention to what you're buying. And, if you must have a treat, be moderate about it, and realize that the only person being fooled by the labels, is the person buying it!

Happy shopping! Lisa

P.S.
I like to go OUT for dessert occassionally, I get it, its gone, I don't have any more at the house....it seems a good plan. I learned it from my sister.

Right on Fave,

I find it funny,in a sad sort of way, that the price goes up when they leave something out...that shows they are taking advantage of our situation.
I do think the best way to go is to try to cook from scratch as much as you can.
Shop that perimeter instead of down the isles, if you don't have cookbooks go online or to the library for recipes.
Get simple, get raw, get informed.
We are blessed with wonderful, beautiful natural foods. Look at fruit and vegtables..they were made to make you use your senses when you eat and prepare them,the way they look,smell, taste and feel in your mouth is truly a gift, take pleasure in that.
Grow something, even if its in a bucket on a balcony,there's nothing that can beat a tomato you grow yourself....

What a great idea Fave...going out to eat a treat and not bringing it in the house.
It would also be a great time to walk if you live around an ice cream parlor or a coffee house,make it an after dinner ritual once a week for the family to walk there, have a treat and walk back.

I made Larry some blueberry muffins this week to take with him,(it was a mix,already had it for awhile...) and it called for 1/3 cup of oil...I used unsweetened applesauce instead and the results were fantastic, I also used 2 egg whites and 1 whole egg for the 2 called for...every little bit helps.

eeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwww!

Lisa, what a cool idea! Go OUT for dessert!

Some friends and I used to go out for coffee and desserts at night of after seeing a movie or whatnot. and this was pre-Starbucks. And we were all thin back then, too!

Hey, thanks evrybody for welcoming me. It has been a rough haul. But now i'm here and in a very good place, yessiree!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I wanna go back to eating my dessert -- fresh blackberries smothered in vanilla yogurt. mmmmmmmmm!

:T

Doctors App Today!!!
 

heya guys,
Sounds yummy quinn can i have some hehe.....
Hey I went to the doctor today so he weighed me I lost 2lbs yipppeeee I'm so happy that just rocks for me hehe..
And he lowered some of my meds that coz the weight gaining so I should really be losing now...
However I did get a lil bad news
my creactine level (see how well kidney is working ) was a lil high it is either because of that med he lower( lower to see if that what causing it) or it might be rejection which can be cured with more meds joy .... I go back thursday to see if it lowered so everyone pray that it is.
EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT NIGHT OR DAY OR MID-DAY OR WHATEVER IT IS WHERE UR AT HEHE !!!!!!
HEATHER :dizzy: :dizzy: :dizzy:

Hi Everyone!
 

Yay, Heather! good job on your 2lbs, and good luck with your appointment, You are so upbeat and positive..... And Diane thanks for the info on the fat grams and percentage, I learn something new everday on this site, I swear! The idea about going out for dessert is good idea, Although I have just been eating angel food cake w/strawberries, which works for my sweet tooth, at least so far!!! :D I always go to fitday.com and figure out my calories for the day and I am amazed at how much calories or how little calories are in certain foods.... My goal was trying to get 1200-1400 a day and so far I havent even gotten past 1200 and I dont even feel hungry. Lucky for me, I love vegies and fruit and that cooking is one of my favorite things to do, so I get a lot of variety, I am always up to learn new recipes if anyone ever has any ideas they want to share. Oh and I am addicted to the food channel, and if anyone else likes to cook or wants ideas they are starting two new shows this week one is called "calorie commando" its low cal stuff and another thats all about low carb cooking......just in case anyone was interested.....he he he, well ladies have a wonderful day, talk to you all soon!!! JAMIE

Oh yeah...
 

I was wondering .....havent heard from FM for awhile has anyone else???

Hi Chicks,

I will write more in awhile, but did want to say I have e-mailed FM,Sunday, but have not heard anything back.
I will let you all know whats up when I know something, I hope she gets back to me.
It may sound corny but I do think about all of you and I really am feeling a connection.
I want us ALL to succeed and I am so happy when I log in and find you here, I am all alone during the week and you are all my company and there is definately a sisterhood forming....sniff,snifff....(clearing throat)....
Thank you all, for hanging in there.

Hello, all!
 

ralphmarie invited me over here... First week at really watching what I eat and drinking the water. No more candy bars for breakfast! Got lots to lose but taking it one pound at a time.

Hey everyone....

HEYYYYYY Cheryl!!!!! Glad you made it,these Chicks are the greatest.

Quinn-I'm happy that you are here too,when FM and I were kicking around the idea of starting this thread we hoped that we could get together a great group of people who would stick together and support each other, share ideas and really give each other the feeling of "belonging"
I don't know where she is right now...e-mailed her the other day....

Your blackberries sound soooo good, I adore fruit, thats one reason Atkins was so hard for me,brown rice is one of my favorite foods and I couldn't have that, and fruit to me is essential and that was so limited.
Our place has about 500 ft of road frontage and about 200 feet of that has blackberries and wild raspberries growing crazy.
I have transplanted a few bushes into my garden area as they get covered in dust out there by the road,
I will also be planting blueberries this next year, they are one of the "Super foods". We eat them like crazy but at K-mart the other day they wanted 4.49 for a little package that had about a handful in it.
So now I buy frozen,2.50 a 1lb.bag.I put them in smoothies,muffins, quick breads.

Heather-Thats great on your 2 lbs.,gosh, you've been through so much,you are in my prayers and I hope that kidney is just fine and it is the meds.Be good to yourself,get plenty of rest and keep us updated.

jamie-One of my favorite treats is the Angel food cake too, and I bought the 1 step mix (pillsbury) I mixed it with just 1 -20oz can of crushed pineapple, let it sit for 5 minutes in a tube pan and baked it.
it was pretty good.Thats it Just the pineapple no water or anything...But here's one out of the WW magazine...

1(8oz) can of pieapple tidbits in juice
1(6.2oz)angelfood cake mix
3Tbl.shredded coconut
3/4c.seedless all-fruit spread
2tsp raspberry juice or fresh lemon juice

preheat to 350'
drain pineapple(keep juice)
prepare cake mix with 6 tbl. of the p.a juice(no water)
beating with mixer,on med. for 1 minute
gently fold in the pineapple chunks and the coconut
just till combined.
Scrape batter into an UNGREASED 4 1/2" x 8 1/2" loaf pan
Bake immediately 25-30 min.
Cool on rack for 1 hour.

For sauce:
Combine the fruit spread and rasp.or lemon juice in
microwave on high for 40 seconds.Serve with cake.
Per serving(1/8 of cake with a drizzle of sauce)
196 cal.
1 gram fat
2 gram fiber
Points:4

Spicy Apple Bundt Cake

1 package spice cake mix
1 (21oz) can apple pie filling
1 large egg
2 egg whites
2 tsp. confection sugar

Pre heat 350'
Spray bundt pan

Place all ingredients in
bowl and mix on low for 30 seconds
switch to med. and mix for 2 min.
Pour into pan
Bake 40-45 min.
Remove from pan cool completly
sift confection sugar over top.

Per 1/18 0f cake:
156 cal.
2 gr. fat
1 gr. fiber
Points:3

I don't eat cake mix too often because of the white flour, I have some cake recipes with Whole Wheat flour I will post later on.


Hope everyone has a good day.

Weigh in tomorrow, for those of us who want to do the weekly thing.

OOOOHHHH for those of us who cook and bake......

1 cup of sugar has 770 calories.
1 cup of Splenda has 48 calories.

I use Splenda all the time now,its been sold in Canada for over 20 years now and there have been over 100 tests performed to try and locate any potential problems, none have been found.

Splenda is a brand name the actual product is sucralose.
The cheap diet drinks in my local Save-A-Lot are sweetened with this.
As are the Diet-Rite soda's

By substituting Splenda for 1 cup of sugar you knock out 722 calories in your recipe.
It bakes up just fine.

I buy it at Wal-mart 6.48 for a large bag.
the liquid sucralose has NO calories but it's not sold retail in the U.S yet.
If anyone likes flavored syrups, I use the hazelnut in my coffee, da Vinci's has it sweetened with liquid Splenda.
They have some flavors at Wal-mart or you can go to Da Vinci's web site and get Chocolate syrup or about 30 more other flavors.

Diane

Diane! These recipes sound GREAT! Can't wait to try them. Always looking for something yummy to go with coffee.

Looking forward to participating here... Is it always the same thread? Or do you start a new one every week?

Thanks!

Thanks for the recipes, I think variety is a great way to stay motivated so you dont feel deprived of anything, or get bored and turn back to bad habits... ;) Also, thanks for the info on splenda, my mom is a diabetic and has been asking me to cook with it (before I started dieting I baked goodies all the time) I was a little leery because I thought it would taste different, but I think I will give it a try, if it saves that much calories why the heck not??? :D I will add it to my grocery list. Well I am off now, talk to you all soon......JAMIE

Hey Cheryl, welcome!!! I think we start a new thread when we get to 4 0r 5 pages, it always says april chicks............ I just follow Diane, she seems to be our "leader" ;) And thats fine by me, I need someone to kick my but into gear!!! :D

I hear you there, Girl! :) Glad to be here!

Hi April Chicks
 

Weight Watchers!
 

Happy And healthy!
 

Ralphmarie- The sugar subsitute though way lower in calories may be really high in aspertain? (spelling?). And that causes brain cancer and such, so be careful with it.

FindingMySelf- Yah your right, i think we are building a good fondation! Thats tottaly a great idea to all come in and remotivate!

scorchin- your a very strong girl. I hope everything goes well!

Welcome EVERYONE!
Hope we are all Happy and Healthy!.

Thats exactly why i use splenda it's not Nutra sweet...aspertame.
I've read quite a bit about that and gave up using that not long after it came out.
Splenda is sucralose....very close to actual sugar...sucrose..notice the closeness in spelling.
Although it is made from actual sugar it is not digested the same and causes NO spiking in blood sugar...thus recommended for diabetics.

Thank you for the point system, I may at maintenance try out WW, I live so far from everything it would be impractical to go to regular meetings, but heck with all of this on the net, you guys and books, I may really consider it.

FM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!

We were a little worried about you, and your idea about commiting to sticking with each other is superb!!
Its hard to stay motivated all the time,but all is possible when you have good friends.
I like your new avatar...way better than the other one.

I am really pleased at the attitudes here, I really think that everyone is commited to this.
My husband told me i keep him young so there's some motivation for me...he's 59...but he's a hottie.

hi gals....i just wanted to check in...how is everybody???...im doing great....i have so upped my water intake..its like all i drink now..along with some crystal lite pink lemonade....i dont even like the taste of pepsi anymore....and i was downing that stuff by the case 3 weeks ago!!....i put on a pair of my jeans today that used to be really tight...guess what???they are not so tight anymore.....i can already feel the results and it makes me so happy!!....well tomorrow is wednesday...u ladies take care...and keep on losing.....april