Hello all!

I am so sorry for Connie's and Skin's losses! Babies are so vulnerable! I was trying to say something pithy and helpful that hasn't already been said....but I think I'll settle for ...HUGS!

more later

Alylou

HI -

I haven't been on the message boards for a couple of days, was so sorry to hear about the foal and kitty. It is sad. We are just made to love animals, aren't we?

I hope you all are doing okay. I was glad to hear about some of your successes with weight, exercise and recovering from illness.

Well, the weekend is here and my plans are not too exciting (but okay) - first, my daughter's piano students will be having a small recital today, so husband and I are going to support our daughter and her students. This is the first recital she's held for them, so it should be fun. My contribution? Cookies and punch. Hmm, how about carrots and apples instead? Oh well.

Then, same daughter is off to play for a gig at an event in downtown Phoenix. (Just a local "high school athlete of the year" celebration. She's playing in the band for the awards part of the show) so we have to transport her there and use our car to take our son to his friend's house, so that, ultimately, we can go to a wedding reception. So, lots and lots of driving today - - not great with the price of gas, but I'm hoping the wedding reception will be fun.

I, like several others here have been saying, don't have much in the way of in-style clothes right now. Most everything I own is too big (such a GOOD PROBLEM to have), but I did pick up a pair of snug-fitting, dark brown dressy capris and a casual dress; so one of those will have to do. Luckily, this wedding reception is very casual - I could probably even wear jeans, if I had any that fit.

Take care everyone. I can't say enough how I enjoy reading about all of you each day. You are in my thoughts often. Have a great weekend.

Sue

Hi I am back...

We got a HUGE load of dirt delivered, dumped in the front, needed in the back of our 2 acre yard. Guess what my exercise will be for the near future?!! The kids will be helping, but with jobs and school...I think I'll move/spread/level my fair share!

We have had a bit of "teen hell" with our boy lately, I find that I stress eat when he acts up. UGH... He seems to be 'getting it' today so maybe we are out of the woods, and I'll get out of the fridge!

I haven't lost an ounce for over a week, the scale god has bounced me around quite a bit...I am so close to goal...why won't it let me just kiss "goal" THEN bounce me around? ARG...I have the scale god who took his training from the Marquise de Sade!

Sue: You must have lost quite a bit! GOOD FOR YOU! You must be closing in on goal soon?  those capris sound like something I am looking for...care to let on where you found them?

Hope that Connie and Skin are recovering, no fun.

Here is a question for each of you:  What did you have for dinner tonight? Maybe it will help us meal plan to 'think out of our own box'?

    I made a pork loin: sliced thin, seasoned with Italian spices and fast sauted (sp?) with broccoli, green pepper and cauliflower in a tsp of basil olive oil and served on top of whole wheat pasta. (I freely admit that I do not cook that well every night!) Now it is your turn....

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! (think of me slinging dirt!)

?Help,

I am 45 with a 9 and 8 year old boy and girl,respectively. He is ADHD and I am going CRZY. I eat and eat and eat to relieve the stress of our home. I am an emotional eater!!! Found this site by chance and am not sure what to do first. I need to lose a great deal of weight. My husband eats no veggies(except potatoes and conr on cob loaded with butter). All my children want is chicken nuggets. I have a new job (now in an office) out of a preschool classroom.
I have a lunch hour for the first time ever. However, I have no time for myself. Can anyone give me any advise on foods and how to not cook two diferent  meals at home? How does this work?  I have done ww and been successful in the past. THe last 15 years I have not been successful with the many attempts that I have had  with ww. I am desperate.

Cholder2

Hi Cho and welcome to our little family! I think I'm the only single one with only cat children so the others can probably advise you better on the foods and such but I say if WW worked for you well before why not give it another try! Good luck and we are here to help anytime ok?!

Aly um not to mean to sound like the commercial but I had a french bread delux pizza with mushrooms sausage and pepperoni ....yeah it was from lean cuisine!!! Did I nail the commercial or what girls! But I really did have that! Oh UMMMMM did you want me to come and CLEAN that dirt up for you!!!!!!! LOL That should be some great exercise dear! Sorry about the teen hell but um the closest I can get to that is when the little strays in the yard start to "RUMBLE" over a female I haven't caught and spayed YET!!! I am officially weighing 137  8 it is NEVER gonna go beyond this zone EVERRRRRRRRRRRR. Well since I did the commercial i thought I would give DRAMA a shot!!! Have a relaxing Sunday ladies! Where is everybody....sleeping in this a.m.?       Connie CANTLOSE past 137   8

I wrote out a reply and thought I had posted it but it's not there. I hope it doesn't show up twice but I'll try again...

Alylou-my "dirt" is waiting for me out in the paddock. Not as much as you have but it seems to get delivered daily

Hi Cholder. You have many challenges! My advice is to use this website for the food log and the tools. I find that the food log has helped me with knwing how many calories I'm putting in my mought and the thought of logging in my food makes me more aware of what I'm eating and the portion sizes. This thread with all these wonderful people has also been very helpful.

As for family, I can relate. My kids were and are very picky and my husband won't choose veggies on his own. My kids did like raw veggies (carrots, cucumber slices, sweet peppers, green beans, snap peas) and fruit served for finger food. Also, I found that my husband would eat veggies if they were served. Especially when I told him it made it harder for me when he complained. He could get his "treats" when he was alone. Maybe you know all this from WW but that's what I could think of.

I had a tough day yesterday. It was our town's annual meeting when the residents vote on the upcoming year budget. This year we have a new admin assistant who presents the budget and made a lot of changes and one of the old guard doesn't like the changes. Well, long story short... LOTS of discussion and the meeting which generally runs until around 12:30 wasn't over when I left at 4:00!! Consequently, I had to eat an egg salad sandwich for lunch (the only non-sugar thing available) which wasn't so bad but I was so HUNGRY when I got home, where my daughter's volleyball team party was already going full bore, that I ate a burger and hot dog, taco salad, corn, a few potato chips, and a some cheesecake. That was my dinner. Totally unplanned and I felt halfway out of control. Then this morning I ate a left over hot dog for breakfast.

So I'm making my confession and starting over... nothing going on today. I'll go out and clean out the paddock to burn off that hot dog and put yesterday in the past.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday!

Jenny

Hi Jenny! You know sometimes when I had been being so good about my calories and then had a day like yours I have actually LOST a lb or two.....It is strange but hey maybe thats what will be waiting for you on weigh in day!!! Hope so!         &nb sp;   Connie

That would be nice... weird, but nice.

Poll question... how often do you all weigh in?  I'm weighing daily but I remember in OA they suggested once a week.

Hi all,

Dead tired, or maybe it's dirt tired.

Jenny, daily...I fear what would happen if I stopped paying attention for that long.

Connie, I agree, sometimes when I'm stalled, a ZIG-zag of calories gets things moving.

papers to correct...then dear sweet bed!

Gnite, Alylou

Original Post by cholder:

 Can anyone give me any advise on foods and how to not cook two diferent meals at home? How does this work? I have done ww and been successful in the past. THe last 15 years I have not been successful with the many attempts that I have had with ww. I am desperate.

Cholder2

HI Cholder - welcome. First off: don't be desperate. I have learned that this is a long-term strategy, so just take it step by step, okay? Everyone in this forum is supportive and we'll all be here to encourage you.

When I first started, (March 3) I just tried to do everything a little better for myself. For example: whole grain bread, instead of white; or scrambled eggs with 2 whites and 1 yolk, instead of 2 whole eggs; etc. Just small changes. You might find that you can do that sort of thing without having to cook 2 completely separate meals.

Another example: now when I cook spaghetti/meat sauce for my family, I do a couple of things differently: 1. I usually use lean ground turkey breast instead of hamburger meat, but if that doesn't work for you, just use the leanest hamburger you can buy. 2. I measure my pasta out - yes, with a measuring cup, onto my plate, so I know how much I'm eating. 3. I add a bunch of veggies into my sauce (or if others in the family will eat it, you can add it into theirs, too). So, my sauce is not too much meat and has lots of zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, onions, etc. in it.

Hope that helps a little. Remember to just do a little better each day; it will get easier. Oh, and get some exercise too, even if it is just a slow-paced 20 minute walk. You are important - make time for yourself. :)

HI everyone -

Well to get caught up and answer some questions, here goes:

Jenny, I weigh nearly every day. Sometimes I tell myself I won't, but I just can't stand it. I must confess it makes me really mad when the number goes up (as it has all weekend -- and I've been pretty good, too, so I don't understand that) - but I still check it everyday. I'm really stuck at my 25 pounds lost mark - which sounds like a lot, I know, but I've got another 25 or 30 to go after that.

I just killed myself with a cardio video and a bunch of arm/strength (I need the JIGGLE to BE GONE) exercises. I'm determined to get that scale moving this week.

How's that dirt-movin' going Alylou? I don't envy you, it sounds tough.

Jenny - sorry your meeting went not as well as planned. That happens sometimes doesn't it? I've been involved with high school councils, and PTAs for years, and I remember running some of those marathon meetings. FRUSTRATING. I certainly can relate to the food choices you made afterwards. Don't worry - you'll get past it.

To answer the clothes question from Alylou - I usually shop at Kohl's or Mervyn's -- do you have those stores? Kohl's has GREAT sales. Altho' I'm just buying enough to get by until I get a lot smaller than I am now. I also take my shirts in (on knit shirts, I just sew another seam up the sides) sometimes so that they aren't so baggy. It's not great - but it'll do.

Suzenf - I'll bet the Preakness was exciting. I read about it a little in the paper. How was it?

Alison/Veganmama - (just put your id in there for our new readers) - I am glad to hear your daughter is so much better. Hope you enjoyed your weekend and got some good time with your sons, too.

Connie - maybe you should go into broadcasting - that was a great commercial for lean cuisine :)

Last but not least - hmm, too long a post, I know, what I had for dinner: boring but good chef salads. Lots of bad stuff on my husband's (cheese, pepperoni, etc.) and better choices for mine (fat-free feta, dried cranberries, turkey). I love using tons of tomatoes and cucumbers and sometimes some red pepper strips from a jar, all that good veggie juice practically makes it's own dressing right on the salad. BTW, I only feed my husband that 'bad stuff' because he's a terribly picky eater, like others have mentioned. But, it reminds me of the old joke: "Dear God, if you can't make me thinner, at least make those around me fatter".

Hiya to everyone including new people

Can't remember who started the point about cooking two meals but I do that pretty often (I'm the only vegan in the family - rest of em are vegetarians) so I make a full quiche for me (for example) and cut it into portions and freeze the rest.  It took a bit of time for me to "get ahead of myself" but it was worth it in the end.

Oh yea - the poll question - I weigh in weekly but am seeing more results with the tape measure these days - oh well, I guess it all counts!!

See ya later. 

Original Post by veganmamma:

I weigh in weekly but am seeing more results with the tape measure these days - oh well, I guess it all counts!!

So, Alison, how often do you measure then? I've only taken measurements twice and I feel like I probably didn't even put the measuring tape in the same location each time or held it the same as far as loose/taut. Short of taking a sharpie marker and drawing lines on me (just kidding) to show myself where to measure, what suggestions do you have?

Today I tried to measure my horrible upper arm jiggle, and it read a 1/2" larger than last time, even though I've lost weight and done arm exercises. So, I don't know what is up with that, except I probably didn't put the tape in the same place. Who knows???

Sue

Sue, I am the same way about measuring the tape! I bobble and drop it, it twists, swings and slips. I give up and stand on the scales. *sigh*

As for Kohl's This is WISCONSIN! Home of Kohl's, in fact--being neutral here-Herb Kohl is one of our senators, so we have them all over the place. Was in one last night with my girls, bought a belt to hold up some of these pants!

Oh ladies will you forgive me if i brag just once? I tried on a very fitted Evan Piccone "little black dress", but the 6 was too big! I needed a 4!!! shocked! (and very lucky that they did not have one in stock...way too expensive , totally impractical, but cute and ...a 4!)

Connie, your lack of posting makes me wonder...you doing OK? same for Skin: you holding up? I truly hope so!

Alison, I am curious: what made you think..'I need to be a vegan'? I know only a few people who are vegans and have never had that thought cross my mind, so (besides being a Brit!) it seems foreign to me. I hope I asked that well, I am honestly just curious.

Suzenf, let us know all about Big Brown Eyes! I thought of you as they reported about it.

Ummm ...how about this conversation starter: What is one thing people would never guess about you?

I put an answer down, then deleted it...you guys get to start !(If interested)

OK - it seems that I am being challenged on several counts. 

1.  As far as the tape measure is concerned I think it is far healthier for me than weighing myself every day.

2.  A slight movement in the tape might explain 1/4" but not the 1" to 1.5" I am finding but then I don't ask you to justify whether your weight loss is water/muscle or fat do I?

3.  The points that you have both made (Sue and Alylou) about "twisting, swinging, slipping, needing to use marker pens" - miss the point.  I could have said the same on this thread about weighing every day and the disadvantages of doing so given daily water fluctuations.

4.  What makes you feel the need to criticise my method of evaluating my progress?  I have never done this on this thread - believing it was about mutual support and encouragement.  Clearly I was wrong in that belief.

As far as the vegan decision is concerned

1.  What made you think....despite the growing number of vegetarians and the increasing evidence about the health risks (let alone anything else) attached to over-reliance on meat/dairy....."I need to continue to eat meat/dairy?"  No, I won't ask the question.  It is invasive and perhaps unintentionally rude.

2.  What has being British got to do with anything.  I have discovered two things on this CC forum generally:  firstly don't have "vegan" in your screen name or refer to it - people feel they have a right to question your beliefs.  Secondly, stating you are British frequently leads to unwelcome associations and unpleasant jibes.

I have been looking quite critically at this forum for some time and have come to the conclusion that the only reason to continue participating, despite the trolling, flaming, judgmentalism and eating disordered behaviour was that there were some supportive people - mainly in this thread.  Clearly I was wrong.

Oh no, Alison, please don't take what I said about the tape measure as criticism or any sort of challenge towards you. I didn't mean that I don't trust your use of measuring, I am frustrated because when I stand in front of the mirror, I simply don't know where to measure and how tight to hold the tape etc. I was totally just kidding about drawing lines with the markers. If you could see my list of measurements, you would see that I write myself little cues like "measure at fattest part of stomach about 3 inches down from naval" and things like that. Since I've got so much weight to lose still, I want to be encouraged by taking measurements, but I think that if I just move the tape up or down a little, I could be "fooling myself" with results and not really measuring the same place each time. Truly, Truly I was just looking for your good advice on the subject . . .and I really would still appreciate your wisdom on the subject, if you are so inclined.

Gosh, this is the 2nd time my comments have been misinterpreted (previously on a totally different thread). I think that I must not write down what I hear in my head very well - as it is coming across in a negative way and in absolutely no way did I mean it as that. Accept my sincere apologies.

Also, I agree with you that daily weighing on the scale is not a good thing - it upsets me when my numbers go up (as they did over the last 5 days) - yet I find myself nearly "addicted" to jumping on that beast of a scale each AM. I understand and read about water weight, etc., but still look at that sometimes upsetting number each day.

I look forward to your writing in this thread, and I hope you will continue. Do you feel that this group has been "judgmental, trolling and flaming" or did you mean on CC in general? I look forward to reading this thread everyday and felt like on it we all have become friends; I am again, so sorry, if I hurt your feelings in any way.

Sue

Original Post by alylou:

As for Kohl's This is WISCONSIN! Home of Kohl's, in fact--being neutral here-Herb Kohl is one of our senators, so we have them all over the place.

Ahh, I forgot, Wisconsin - the land of cheese, beer, brats, packer-backers and KOHL'S! My aunt and cousin live in Sheboygan (Home of Kohler bath fixtures, I think, any relation to Kohl's???) Arizona was so excited to get Kohl's. Nearly anyone over 35 years who lives here is a transplant from someplace in the midwest (or more recently from California). I love my Kohl's and have the charge account statement to prove it! Of course you do get those extra discounts for being a "most valuable customer", yeah, yeah (she says trying to convince herself) that's why I shop there all the time.

*edit*  You gals know I'm just kidding Alylou about Wisconsin, right? Just joking around.

Hello all....

Home again, having survived a decadent weekend in Baltimore (first time there and I enjoyed it a lot).  Stepped on the scales this morning, (my normal weigh-in day) and have gained 0.8 of a pound - not too bad i suppose seeing as Friday, Saturday and Sunday were "bad' days (or good depepnding on how you look at things!!)  Tried my best to eat sensibly....but can't say the same for wine consumption....had too many glasses during dinner on Friday night...and at the Preakness on Saturday afternoon.

Anyways.....back into my routine again, so just have to write it off and try to keep moving forward.

Bye the way, for those who asked / are interested.... race day was lovely...weather delightful... and of course Big Brown's win caused a lot of excitement!!!!

Susan

 P.S. Calorie question - sorry if this is dumb - but am planning a salad for dinner tonight, including roasted red onion and portabello mushrooms.  When trying to count the cals, all i can see to use is the number for the raw products so then i add those with the olive oil used to roast the veggies.  The roast veggies taste so sweet though and i am wondering if they develop a lot more cals during the cooking process, therefore making my calculations way off.........anyone know? 

Original Post by suzenf:

 roasted red onion and portabello mushrooms. When trying to count the cals, all i can see to use is the number for the raw products so then i add those with the olive oil used to roast the veggies. The roast veggies taste so sweet though and i am wondering if they develop a lot more cals during the cooking process, therefore making my calculations way off.........anyone know?

HI - I'm not a chemist or anything, but I'm pretty positive that cooking cannot increase or decrease calories (except with meats, because you can cook the fat out of the meat and pour it off, thus creating lower calories for that). The reason you see different amounts of calories listed for cooked/uncooked food is that, for example, 4 oz. of raw ground meat will not yield 4 oz of cooked meat, so the calorie counts are different. Am I explaining myself well? I'm not sure if I'm being clear.

With your veggies, you will obviously have less volume of mushrooms/onions  after they are cooked, but whatever calories you started with, will remain.

Glad you enjoyed your trip! Sue