Vegies and protein!!!!

Just what I was thinking. They often add extra sugars, and of course preservatives, to dried fruit. They may not seem as convenient as a finger food like dried fruits do, but fresh fruits are still much better for you.

Thanx guys! I had the toast yesterday because I wasnt feeling well and that was the only bread I had in the house. The beans and rice were leftovers, I didnt feel like cooking at lunch time so that was easy. I usually do get yogurt in there somewhere during the day. It is so hard for me to limit my fats, Iv been adding them in for the last 4yrs. I think its been even harder for my family they must think I'm crazy.

Katty -- Your family will thank you in the long run...

My family is eating better too. Oh they complained at first They've also gotten used to me eating differently than they do. Nobody bats an eyelash when I get up in the middle of a TV show and get on the floor to do abs.

My husband is in the kitchen stewing over papers with a friend. He looked up just now and said "Are you eating cottage cheese and tomatoes?"

Today is another beautiful (I know that is spelled wrong lol) day!! Thanks to ALL of you!!

Since I got up off of my butt and starting doing WATP everyday (Including Sunday this week... which I normally never do Sunday's!) I have NOT felt like my muscles were running while I was sitting and trying to relax! I have NOT felt tired (early in the day and enough to sleep) and slept the day away! I have NOT had a problem sleeping (insomnia) at night! I have NOT had a problem with my "depression" issues! I do still have pain in my back, but not like before... and I have not been back to the chiropractor yet like I was supposed to do! I am doing and feeling much better since I started this thread!! Thank you all so very much!

I did get my books yesterday in the mail.... American Heart Association No Fad Diet (calorie counting) and the cookbook. I made my pork roast with a recipe from the book already! It was pretty yummy! I did use the free shipping that Amazon offers.... I think that shipping is FASTER then the other shipping methods that we pay for! I got these books faster then any I have ordered in the past!

SusanB..... I have not ordered the Insulin Rsistance diet book yet. I am kind of out of money... it is big bill time part of the month now lol. Anyway, I am just wondering if you still suggest that as a good thing for me to read? If so, I will keep it on my list (yes, I have a list lol) and ordered it as soon as I can.

I have added weights to my daily WATP exercises again! It feels GREAT!! I have stayed between 1500 and 1750 in calories each day. And I have felt better since! I can reach parts of my body (not trying to be gross) I could not reach before! I think I am losing something, even if the scale does NOT show it tomorrow on my weigh in! I understand it could be inches lost or just a more limber body... who knows for sure... but at least I can reach things that were hard to reach before lool. I am going to try to keep this good attitude tomorrow even if the scale does not make me happy lol!

I am still not getting all of the water in each day that I should... but it is still improving as well! I am drinking less coffee so that helps! As for the diet coke... I am lucky if I drink one of those a day! I drink 16 oz. of water a day... and hopefully by the end of next week (or so) it will be around 32 oz. or more!!

Suzanne...... Thank you so much! I just have to say that. I beleive the email was from you when I first joined this site. I am so glad I decided to give this site a chance!!! I can honestly say if it was not for all of you guys I would not be so energetic and happy go lucky as I am today! I would still be sleeping all day on the couch!

Anyway, I hope you all don't mind me contining posting here. And I am sorry this one is so long. I will close it up and send it now... and reply to other messages that I have not seen yet. Sorry for the delay... I am not here as much as I used to be sometimes lol.

I can't wait till my kids get with it! My son is fine with anything.. but my daughter is a junky (it is sad), and she gets a little mad. But, obesity runs in my hubbies side of the family and she has got to be careful! It is going to be a long road ahead I think... but in the long run it is going to be so worth it!

Lol.... now that is to funny

Ilene...... thanks for the brocolli tip!!! It was SO yummy!

It is much faster to steam veggies on the stove with the stove top steamer then it is in a electric steamer!!! And I am starting to believe that they taste better too!!

Thanks for the heads up! I packed away my stove top steamer dishes and starting using my electric steamer.... and it is all better on the stove top!

I totally agree! I just got it for next week just in case I can't shop next week. I have a fridge full of fresh veggies and fruits .

Why does eating make him feel icky?

That is how I am! I forget to eat all of the time!!! It is so hard to remember to eat!!!! But slowly but surely! I hope your hubby can get out of that habbit too!

Tracy !! It was so nice to read your uplifting post and to see that you are incorporating a lot of the suggestions given to you. With time these tricks of the trade will all become second nature to you, like brushing your teeth. Keep it up it will become a lifestyle and that's what's important.

BTW, my kids, specially my DD thinks I'm a health freak, too bad I say and keep serving her good foods. I've buckled down since school started this week too because she's gained 10 or so pounds this summer and ALL her jeans are wayyy too tight not a good thing... But I have to be on her all the time and serve and prepare her meals and snacks because she will opt for the grab and eat foods and now that she is working she does that a LOT, hence the summer weight gain...

You do sound pumped Tracy, that's great!

I don't think it was me who recommended that book, Tracy. I love books! Can hardly have enough books but (if you're tight on money) you don't need to buy anything. Well food I guess. But there is an abundance of wonderful info on the internet ... right here at 3fc. No don't worry about more books.

What's funny? Doesn't everyone eat cottage cheese and tomatoes before bed?

Wow! This thread GREW since the last time I checked.

A tip for steaming broccoli - and other veggies - my secret ingredient is....(don't tell anyone!!) CHICKEN BROTH! Steaming veggies using chicken broth instead of water will add lots of FLAVOR for very little calories and $$ (I buy the fat-free chicken broth - when it's on sale I buy a ton of the stuff - it comes in VERY handy when cooking healthier!).

If you're on a budget, stick to buying veggies in SEASON when they're at their cheapest (and yummiest). Also, if you have a yard and you want to teach your kids a lesson about healthy eating - plan a garden for next year (probably too late for this year, but I'm no horticulturalist!). Let the kids help you select what veggies you want to grow (try ordering a seed catalog from some place like Burpee's and let the kids help you look). You'd be amazed at how many kids who claim to despise veggies are more than eager to eat the good green stuff they grew all by themselves (oh and if you can, try and throw in some 'edible flowers' like naturiums (sp) into the mix - for some reason, it seems that kids love to eat 'flower salads'. )

Also, if you have any local Farmers Markets - shop there and take the kids along to help you pick, sample, smell, touch the produce.

Another great website for info is the US Government's http://www.nutrition.gov/ which includes the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and a WEALTH of educational resources and materials.

Also check your local library for some great books about feeding kids. An author that comes to mind is Ellyn Satter, who's written some great books on the topic:

How to Get Your Kid to Eat...But Not Too Much and
Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family

Like Dr. Phil said in his book The Ultimate Weight Solution (aha! there's another good one ) one of the crucial keys of successful weight loss and management is to keep your environment 'clean' - in other words, keeping the crap foods out of the house.

Hope that helps!

Hubby has Graves Disease and is on medication. His immune system is all over the road so they won't kill his thyroid off until it's under control. Eating just makes him tired and the medicine makes him sick.

I gained again this week!! Maybe it is to soon. Maybe I gained in muscle. I don't know. I can't say I am happy.... but I am not as angry as ussual about it. I did the calories right and exercised... but what I am thinking is... my weigh ins are on Thursday mornings.. I don't shop till Monday's.... that is several days before I had all of the better foods in my house! I am hoping between that and the muscle (I might have) gained that, that is the reason for this gain. I do NOT want to hit 200!! I do NOT want to gain anymore weight! But like I said yesterday.... I am able to reach things on me easier then I could before. So that has to account for something. I am really trying to stay positive here.

I will reply to your posts as soon as I can.

I'm not sure how much you gained, but women really don't gain much weight in muscle very quickly--can take months to actually gain enough to make a difference.

However, you said you are "able to reach things on me easier then I could before". This happens to me, too--as we change to become healthier, our bodies change--things "shift", and you can actually begin to feel your clothes fitting better even if there's not a change on the scale.

It's good to hear that you're not too discouraged by the gain--stay motivated and determined. Sometimes it takes a few weeks for our bodies to realize that we've been working so hard, but if you keep at it, it will catch up to you eventually. Before you know it, you'll have a huge like 4- or 5-pound loss one week and be like, "where did that come from?" Some things take more time than we'd like to allow