[cece]

Hi all,

Karen - Yeah, you're right. Any loss is a good loss. My blood pressure was 140/90 last night, which it has been pretty consistently over the last 2 years. My doctor was on the fence about the meds and I that would still work to lower my BP through losing weight and exercise, but I wanted the meds in the meantime. I just feel, with my family history of heart disease, especially, that I'm playing with fire. So he prescribed a low dose of a beta blocker/vascular dialator and I go back in 7 weeks for another checkup.

Tahoemom - Sorry that you've had a bad couple of days. Being in charge of the carpools sounds like a thankless task and I bet those people doing the complaining would find a million excuses why they couldn't possibly coordinate the carpools if they were asked to do so. You're right - just take it in stride. Ignorant people will be ignorant people and no amount of chocolate is going to change that.

I had a bad day yesterday. I went on a mini-binge rampage in the afternoon. I was bone tired (Ana didn't get to sleep until 12:30 or so the night before) and I think I was trying to perk myself up. I didn't eat before my Dr. appointment, which was at 7:00, so we picked up some Chinese food on the way home. Boy do I feel lousy, and I mean that in the literal, physical sense, today. I think my body is telling me "You've been treating me well and now you're putting that junk into me?" So , needless to say I am firmly back on track today. I didn't have the stomach for breakfast this morning and just had some Malt-o-meal for lunch. I suited up to ride the bike this morning, but when I started peddling, my knee was very tight and pulling in an odd direction, so I got off. I was disappointed but I didn't want to push it and really hurt my knee. I'll try again tomorrow.

Have a great day.

Carla

[JudySP]

Karen - Wow - 11 minutes of jogging - that's great! Sunny and balmy, huh? Not us, we've been below freezing for the last couple of days and it's supposed to continue. Not in single digits like Carla, thank goodness.

Carla - I agree with you (and Karen) about the bp meds, if you have to you should - once you lose some more weight and with the exercise you are doing, you'll be able to come off them at the next visit. Sorry to hear about the Chinese food - it sounds like what I did over the weekend and my body didn't like it one bit either. I hope your knee is better - I know you feel better when you can workout on that bike.

Tahoemom - Sorry about the rough time you are having but good for you for getting back here and realizing the pattern - you eat when you are stressed. Sometimes just knowing the pattern can help you break it. Now don't bring any more junk into the house - I'm a chocolate lover myself. During weeks like this (stressed, PMS'y) I find that a low or fat free hot chocolate really helps.

I had an OK day yesterday - not great but not awful. I ate my max points and did do some snacking before bedtime (which stops as of tonight!) but with the stress at work and being in the midst of full-fledged PMS, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. My sneak peek was good this morning and I'm determined to keep it that way. I did a step workout at lunch, #12 so far. I have to watch myself tonight - and take my advice to Tahoemom - reach for that ff hot chocolate if I feel a sweet craving but only if it's at least 2 hours before bedtime!

Have a great one,
Judy

[sabrina]

Hi ladies,

Just checking in. It's interesting reading everyone's posts and also comforting to note that I'm not the only one with problems! Misery loves company, ya know.

After a wet last week, the weather is positively GORGEOUS here! With the peaks of the mountains crisply white and beautiful against the clear blue sky, it takes all of my willpower to stay inside and work. We may not get any snow in Portland this year which is fine with me.

Merry - the wedding is early August - probably the 3rd. So now that I have a date set, I'm even MORE motivated to get this weight off!

Judy - good for you on the working out at lunch! And here's hoping that your good "sneak peek" holds until your "official"
weigh in.

On another note, I discovered some great looking new treats at the grocery store last night. I've been eating Skinny Cows for months, but have grown tired of the four flavors that I can find locally (vanilla, chocolate, mint, peppermint). Well last night, I noticed that our store now carries Healthy Choice ice cream treats. I bought two boxes -- the Strawberry and Cream bar (80 calories) and the Caramel Swirl Ice Cream Sandwiches (140 calories). I haven't had any or figured out POINTS yet but they look goooooooood.

Better get back to work now. Bleh ...

Sabrina

[Merrylegs]

Hi Everyone...

Sabrina - Our weather patterns are pretty similar to yours - I'm loving this milder and drier than usual winter! I was married in August too...best time of year on the west coast to hope for decent weather. It's hard dieting and wedding planning at the same time - don't get too stressed out. Unfortunately Skinny Cows haven't found their way north of the border yet - I'll have to look & see if we can get the HC treats. You're right that we all have our problems - the good thing is that we take it in turns to crash and burn...there's always SOMEONE feeling positive.

Judy - "Thou shalt not snack after 7:30 pm" Doesn't PMS suck!? I'm right beside you at workout #12 - that's 5% of our goal for the year!!!

Carla - I've noticed that before too - after eating well for a while, I feel just like a slug if I blow it big time. Am I being too nosy to ask which med you're taking? (it's the nurse in me...I can't help myself ) Hope your knee is better for tomorrow's tour de Wisconsin! I think I'll print and frame your quoteable quote:

Ignorant people will be ignorant people and no amount of chocolate is going to change that.

It can hang in my office at work, and I'm guaranteed to lose 5 lbs a month!

Tahoe - I have horrid memories of nursery school carpooling woes...you poor long suffering soul. Take good note of Carla's sage advice (see above) and don't let those folks get to you...
Do check in, we'll do what we can to help you through the day!

Ta da - jogged 13 minutes on the treadmill this afternoon! Another new world record (for my house, anyway). Did a chest and shoulder workout with my beautiful new dumbbells too. The virtue is literally dripping off me today. I was absolutely parched this morning - I drank 7 glasses of water before 10 a.m. and was still thirsty. Don't know what that was about, but it sure kept me in the bathroom till lunchtime.

TTFN...

Karen

[JudySP]

Sabrina - Hmmm those Healthy Choice treats sound good. I've found that I need to get things that are "single serving" - the pints of ice cream present me with portion control problems so I'm interested in hearing what you think about these treats. Sigh, your weather sounds great - we had a dusting of snow last night and it's not supposed to get out of the 20's today.

Karen - I loved your soap box although if I used 7:30 pm, I wouldn't be able to finish dinner sometimes! I did stop 2 hours before bedtime but it was much later than 7:30. Wow - 13 minutes jogging - you'll be ready to do a 5K in no time! Isn't it great having the dumbbells? You can squeeze a workout in whenever you want. Your framing of Carla's quote is great - I need to hang that on a wall somewhere I can see it often.

Carla - sorry I missed your quote yesterday - it's a classic.

Well, I should have listened to my own advice last night. I did stop eating 2 hours before bedtime but I definitely gave into sweet and salty cravings and I totally ignored the ff hot chocolate. For salty I snacked on pickles (no wonder I can't get my rings off and my sneak peek was back to awful) and for sweet - well, let's just say that I made a small dent in the mini chocolate chips I have in the house so I can make those great chocolate chip meringue cookies (1 point each) this weekend. Today is another day though - I'm 3 points in the hole but plan on erasing that today. I've also started guzzling the water in the hopes that I can still swing some kind of a loss tomorrow on the scale.

Have a great one!
Judy

[Merrylegs]

Judy - how comforting to know I'm not the only one who can't keep chocolate chips in the house without breaking into them. I've had many a bag never make it to .

Have a great day!

Karen

[cece]

Hi all.

All I can say is I'm going to have to escape to the great Northwest to get warm. It is cold here. But at least the major snowstorm that came through the midwest missed us.

Judy - Sorry to hear that the PMS monster got to you. But at least the salty portion was pickles and not chips. And I'm thinking mini chocolate chips are probably better than a big old candy bar. Chocolate chips, thank goodness, are not a trigger food for me. I can happily co-exist in the house with them and never touch them. Once they get into cookies though.....watch out.

Sabrina - Those Healthy Choice bars sound yummy. I'm still loving the Skinny Cows, but recently picked up an old favorite: Tropicana Orange and Vanilla bars. Just like a dreamsicle at 2 points. Yum.

Karen - Not nosy at all - I'm on Toprol. I took my first pill this morning and I'm waiting to see if any of the side effects - dizziness, drowsiness, cold hands and feet - decend upon me. Well, I take that back. The dizziness - more like a wooziness than full-fledged room spinning dizziness - is here. As for the drowsiness - I'm tired anyway. Good for you for doing that jogging and weight lifting! Glad you found my ignorant people observation quote-worthy.

I had a much better day yesterday food-wise and plan on a good one today as well. No exercise though. My knee is still a little stiff and right now I'm a bit too lightheaded. I don't think on top of a bicycle that's on a concrete floor is the best place to pass out, so I'll pass. Same with doing a video - probably not the best idea either. I'l have to get in my workouts before I take my pill for awhile, until my body gets used to it. So, Ana and I will spend the day trying to stay warm. I think hot chocolate - ff of course - is definitely in order.

Have a great day and a terrific weekend.

Carla

[Tahoemom]

Hello ladies, Thanks for all of the good advice and commiseration (spelling?). I realized this morning that not only have I totally gone off program for 3 days but I did it without writting a thing in my food journal. It is back out of my purse and sitting on the kitchen counter where I can see it and use it . I shall be honest with myself today!

Sabrina, Please let me know if those treats are good. I have a huge sweet tooth. My friend has told me about the Skinny Cow ice cream but I haven't tried it yet. Maybe tonight?

Judy and Karen, I too admit to getting into and eatting all of the chocolate chips before they make it into the cookies. I nw try not to have here at all. Judy, where can I find the recipe for the meringue cookies?

Carla, I hope your body adjusts quickly to your new meds. But I agree with you this probalby isn't the best day to do exercises that require a lot of coordination. Can you try things like sit ups and leg lifts?

Speaking of coordination I went to my Women on Weights class last night and fell on my bottom while doing squats. I couldn't believe it. Then later we were doing bicycle sit ups and I could not get the motion of bringing opposite knee and elbow togther. I felt totally lame but I kept trying.
Today I jogged on my treadmill for almost 2 miles I am quite please with myself. Jogging and walking I can handle, it is when I have to do things with my arms as well that I blow it.

We are off to story time at the library. Those who don't check in during the weekend enjoy it and those who do I will talk to you tomorrow.

[JudySP]

Karen - You know, I forgot I had the (unopened until last night) bag in the house until I was thinking that I might bake those yummy chocolate chip meringue cookies this weekend. Luckily, I only had around 3 TB last night so there should be plenty for cookies!

Carla - Sorry to hear that you have a wooziness side effect from the BP pills - I assume that's a feeling that goes away after a while? If you're game, I have a kind of exercise you can do in the meantime. Do you have some canned goods in the house? If so, you can use 1 lb cans as dumbbells and do a little strength training - or if those are too light, you can use a laundry detergent bottle - just a suggestion - you know me and exercise. Brrrr, I know I have nothing to complain about as far as the weather goes when I'm speaking to you - are you still in the single digits? Luckily, we only got about an inch of snow.

Tahoemom - Good for you for getting back on program and way to go on getting to Women on Weights. Even with the mishaps, I hope you'll be going back. Wow - two miles jogging is great! Email me at [email protected] for the recipe - I don't really want to post a recipe from a magazine on the net.

Judy

[sabrina]

Hi ladies,

Just a quick "fly by" before Michael and I go to visit a prospective caterer. They have a restaurant about 20-30 minutes north of downtown Portland, kind of out in the sticks. But, their menu looks both tasty and affordable and they are available on our wedding day. We get to "sample" all different kinds of appetizers, so that will be our lunch!

Last night we had our once a week "fat" meal. I didn't do too badly, one pint of "Sled Crasher" ale at our favorite brew pub, then a quick drive across the river for a delicious Thai dinner. I had something I've never order before -- salmon that was encased in a very light, almost tempura-like batter, and deep
fried. (Yeah, I know it's bad, but I never eat deep fried food)
The salmon was served over a bed of coconut rice and drizzled
with a ginger basil sauce. Oh .... it .... was .... so .... good!
I ate only half the meal and took the other half home.


Healthy Choice Treat Report

I've now tried the Healthy Choice Caramel Swirl and the Strawberry and Cream bars. The Caramel one is 3 points and
the Strawberry is 2. Although both are quite tasty, I think my
favorite is the strawberry. The ice cream inside is sooooooo
smooth and creamy, and has a great strawberry flavor.
My only complaint is they are too small! Still, it's a great
way to satisfy my ice cream craving with built-in portion control.
I'm really good about controlling portions on almost anything,
but with ice cream, there's no way that I could ever consider
1/2 a cup a "serving". **** - 1/2 a cup of ice cream is a TASTE
not a SERVING! LOL!

Well, time to leave for the caterers. Have a good weekend everyone!

Sabrina