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COUNTDOWN CLUB: AUGUST(see link to new thread)

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GO HERE!

(blushing)

Aww.... thanks! Y'all are silly!!!!!

My lunchtime splurge in celebration of my milestone was one big slice of sourdough bread, toasted, with one tablespoon of Cheez Whiz (350 calories for that, thank you) .... plus some lean turkey, and a fiber cake. Not one vegetable was involved in today's lunch ... lol!

By the way, keep away from sourdough bread .... 300 calories a slice, nearly 60 carbs, and 2 measly grams of fiber. (But ohhhh soooo tasty!)  I left the rest of the load AND the Cheez Whiz at my girlfriend's house ..... it's way too dangerous to have at home.

I bought lattice today for our backyard renovation project. Sheesh... $302! Yikes! For 40 feet of lattice! (Oh, and screws, but still!)

MOLLY

QUESTION OF THE DAY ... THURSDAY JUNE 12

What spices/condiments are you really enjoying these days?

MOLLY

What spices/condiments are you really enjoying these days?

MOLLY

That's funny... I was just thinking about it...

All purpose Seasoning
Pure sesame seed oil
Italian Seasoning
Garlic powder (not garlic salt)
Ginger dressing (as a stir fry thing/marinade)
Sesame ginger dressing.
Peanut dressing (as a stir fry thing/marinade)
No-Salt-Added multipurpose seasoning

Original Post by mollymouser:

QUESTION OF THE DAY ... THURSDAY JUNE 12

What spices/condiments are you really enjoying these days?

MOLLY

There are two I've been using a lot of lately. Both are mixes that come in their own grinders.

Weber - "Chicago Steak" Grind and Grill - I use it on fish, too.

Spice Islands - "Chicken Seasoning" Adjustable Grinder

I got both at Sam's Club.

I've also discovered that fresh lavender and rosemary together makes a nice seasoning for broiled fish.

I use rosemary on lots of food, like oven roasted potatoes or carrots. YUM!

Original Post by mollymouser:

QUESTION OF THE DAY ... THURSDAY JUNE 12

What spices/condiments are you really enjoying these days?

MOLLY

Let's see, lately I've been using tons of ginger, cumin, coriander, dill, savory, and garlic, of course.  In terms of condiments, I really like things sour, so I have about six kinds of vinegar and always keep lemons and limes in the house.  Other than that, I use a lot of ketchup, and laughing cow cheese is almost a condiment for me.

I finished my last paper yesterday, so now I'm off to Portland and the Oregon coast for a long weekend.  (Whoo hoo! I finished the first year of my masters program!)  I'm doing a little construction work, so I should be burning a ton of calories (translation=I can eat whatever I want!).  Yay!  I'll be back on Tuesday.  Have a great weekend, everybody!

Sorry guys, I got a little behind this last week.  Time to catch myself up....

QUESTION OF THE DAY, MONDAY JUNE 9

What do you think of this quote from yesterday's  Seattle Times: "Most people are not aware of a simple rule from the world of behavioral psychology: If you want to change your feelings in a situation, you must start by changing your behavior - not the other way around."

I really like this quote & it sounds a lot like what I tell my kids when they are upset about something.

QUESTION OF THE DAY TUESDAY JUNE 10

Restaurants! What's your approach to eating healthy when you eat out? Do you try for certain types of restaurants? Certain types of foods? Order from the kid's menu? How do you deal with restaurants??

 

I get scared out of my mind when I know I am going to a restaurant because I know how easy it is to order like I used to.  But, overall I have done really well...I order grilled, steamed or baked & tell my husband to hide the bread from me, although I've never been much on eating from the bread basket at restaurants. 

QUESTION OF THE DAY WEDNESDAY JUNE 11

With regards to any weight loss goal(s) you have set for yourself for the 75 Days of Summer, how will you celebrate achieving that goal??? (Or any other weight loss goal you may have set?)

My husband & I already have tickets to go see the band Poison (from the 80's for those of you who may not know who they are or let's just say Bret Micheals, HOT HOT HOT!)  So, I am counting that as a reward for losing any amount of weight.  I will not have reached my long time goal (not enough time between now & then) but I am still losing and I will be burning loads of calories that night by dancing, singing, drooling over Bret Micheals, yelling & screaming.

QUESTION OF THE DAY ... THURSDAY JUNE 12

What spices/condiments are you really enjoying these days?

I absolutely love lemon pepper!!!  I still use my favorite...garlic!  Otherwise I am kinda boring!

 

Congrats Molly on your 100 pound loss!  I can't wait to hit mine!  PLEASE keep us inspired!!

I meant to post yesterday but ran out of time.  First off...CONGRATULATIONS MOLLY!!!  What an achievement!  You are truly inspiring.  :)

Today I did my morning "step on the scale" routine.  I moved the stupid thing back from the wall another inch.  I've heard that this messes with the accuracy of the scale, don't know if it's true or not for digital scales...and I kind of think that's true.  The first time I stepped on it said 215.8 or something crazy like that.  (Why do I say crazy?  Just yesterday it said 220.2...so 4.4 lb loss in one day, I don't think so!)  Second, third, and fourth times it said 218.8....which still doesn't seem right.  Tried one more time after I got ready and dressed for work and it was 219.4.  So I'm not really trusting the scale today. 

On a plus, exercise has been going pretty well.  Didn't walk for as long as I originally wanted to yesterday, but worked harder instead.  Walked/jogged/ran repeat for 22 minutes burning over 300 calories...It really wore me out and felt good to mix it up a bit. 

QOD 06/12/08:  I'm using garlic and rosemary quite a bit.  Other than that I really enjoy Mrs. Dash garlic & herb blend.  :)

Congrats Molly!  What a milestone! I have been lazy about my forum contact but I've been good about logging my food, even this weekend.  While I felt like I was overeating the calorie count was still pretty good and I ended up dropping a lb. 

I've decided that my weight loss journey is going to be very slow and I just have to come to terms with that.  I mean really slow, but that has to be ok otherwise I'd be depressed all the time.  I feel good, that's what's important.

As for today's question (I'm too lazy to look back at the one's I missed) I love it!! What a great way to learn about spices and adding flavor without fat! 

Lately I've been trying to use hummus in as many ways as possible.  It's a great spread and there are so many different flavors it is very versatile.  My all time favorite spice is cumin, I add it to lots of dishes.  I also have a smokey paprika that is from Spain that I use in lots of stuff.  Finally, I must mention my VegeSal which is a salt sub that is very tastey.  Put it on popcorn and you'll never miss the butter. Seriously!  Have a great, Happy Healthy Day all!

I've been using ginger a lot (other than my one mistake with garlic ).  It's good in everything!  I also like to use a bit of feta cheese with a dash of sea salt, a bit of ground pepper and oregano as a salad dressing.

Way to go Molly!

Ginger, garlic, cayenne, cinnamon, garlic, garlic, garlic.  Can you tell I like garlic.

I finally took a boot camp yesterday.  Let's just say I am typing with my tongue b/c I can't feel or move the rest of my body....

QUESTION OF THE DAY FRIDAY JUNE 13

Do you take any vitamins or supplements? (Why or why not?)

MOLLY

OK ... maintenance is going ok, so far. I am retaining water like a sponge due to PMS, but think I did well today.

Breakfast ... same old thing (315 calories)

Lunch: about 600 calories (went out to lunch with a friend). Tested blood sugars later, so I did well, carb-wise.

Dinner: low fat string cheese, All Bran crackers, and some beef stew that a friend brought me. Tested blood sugars later, and did well, carbwise.

It was nice to feel "normal" and just eat regular food today, ya know?

MOLLY

Original Post by mollymouser:

QUESTION OF THE DAY FRIDAY JUNE 13

Do you take any vitamins or supplements? (Why or why not?)

MOLLY

I have always taken a daily multi-vitamin.  I find that whenever I stop (usually because I run out), I immediately catch a cold, so it must be doing something.  Also, when I'm not taking vitamins, I get lots of hang nails.  Weird, huh?

I also take Cranberry Extract supplements daily. I have always been really prone to UTIs (not fun) and don't really enjoy drinking cranberry juice. Haven't had a UTI since I started taking the supplements (over a year now). Yay!

I just recently started taking an additional calcium / vitamin D supplement daily on my doctor's advice.  I am 41 and menopause could hit anytime, so she said now is the time to start loading up on it to get the bones strong and avoid any osteoporosis issues.  Also, if it turns out I do have rheumatoid arthritis (still waiting for news back on my test results), it will be even more important.

So all of that, in addition to my blood pressure meds, cholesterol meds, birth control and low dose aspirin (heart disease runs in the family), I take HANDFULS of pills every day!  Oh joy.

Valerie

Original Post by mollymouser:

QUESTION OF THE DAY FRIDAY JUNE 13

Do you take any vitamins or supplements? (Why or why not?)

MOLLY

Oh my goodness, you may be sorry you asked that question! Here is what I take every day...

• Celtic Sea Salt – I use it as seasoning in cooking - I use it because it has all the minerals a body needs and helps balance everything else.
• Flax Seed Oil – 1000 mg a day for my cholesterol
• Evening Primrose Oil – 1300 mg a day for my cholesterol
• Co Q-10 – 75 mg a day for my  heart
• Vit. E - 400 I.U. a day for my heart  and veins
• Stress Formula B Complex – 50 mg each B + C - 1 x day for my heart
• Folic Acid – 800 mcg – 1 x day for my heart
  
• Yellow Dock Root - 2000 mg a day - for my blood and helps keep me regular
  
• Solaray Meg Multi Mineral (Amino Acid Chelate) 1 daily - mainly for my heart
• Chromium Picolinate - 200 mcg daily - helps control sugar cravings because it helps your pancreas
  
• Natures Sunshine Master Gland Formula - to support my thyroid

About a year ago I had an emergency trip to the ER with my heart skipping beats and racing, my BP way too high and so was my cholesterol. I have always believed that the best way to heal a body is naturally whenever possible. So I researched the situation and started taking all these supplements.  I also improved my diet and started walking. Within a month my blood pressure was WAY down to a nice range and my cholesterol was great with really great ratio which is really what matters most. The heart palpations had stopped completely. Now that I'm getting really serious about loosing weight and exercising, my heart  is getting even stronger. But I do believe the supplements play a vital role in my overall recovery.

I have also found that when I take my supplements, I have little problem controling my appetite and I have a lot more energy. When I stop taking them my old habits start coming back and I start feeling sluggish again.

By the way, I haven't taken any prescription drugs in over 20 years and I don't intend to ever take them if I can avoid it.  I know that sometimes they become necessary for some conditions and I am grateful that we have them when needed. But my husband and I both prefer to treat ourselves with supplements first and save prescription or even over the counter drugs as only a last resort.

My husband is a full blown diabetic and has never had to take any medications. But he controls his blood sugar with just a VERY strict diet and exercise (not as good on his exercise, though). So far, so good. but his diet is extremely strict. If he gets even the slightest processed sugar his blood sugar goes way up. If not, it stays down.

I was diagnosed with severe arthritus in my 30's but was completely cured using only natural supplements, colon cleansing, and diet. In fact, I believe that many of the pain killers I was taking prior to doing this only aggravated my problem because they only masked my symptoms without curing the cause. They not only masked the problem, but the toxins from the drugs were building up in my system which added to my condition.

Well, I said you might be sorry you asked. I hope I haven't offended anyone. I do know that sometimes drugs are necessary but I personally believe they are all too often over prescribed and the side effects can actually hinder true recovery. As someone once said, "No one gets a headache because of an aspirin deficiency. You need to find out what causes the headache and fix it. An aspirin only masks the problem." I guess that sums up my own philosophy.

Respectly,

Beth

 

Here is my weigh in for this week

SW: 204

GW: 160

June 6: 199.2 - LOST 1.8
June 13: 197.4 - LOST 1.8

I don't really know what is my best goal weight. When I was younger, I was my best at 145. But that was 20 years ago and I've been overweight for at least 20 years. So, at least for now my goal is 160. I will re-evaluate that goal after I get closer to 160.

~ Beth

Yay, southern midwife!!!

FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH ... PART ONE

It seems that the choice of Friday the 13th was less than ideal when it comes to having contractors show up to perform work. Well, I didn't select today ... my neighbor did ... and he told me that the fencing guys would be here bright and early at 8am to tear down the old fence on our property line, and install a new fence.

So I set my alarm for 7am ... thinking that would give me an hour to get up, showered, dressed, kitties fed, everything in order.

JACKHAMMERING woke me at 6am. Not 8am, mind you, but 6am. And of course I heard it just fine, because the sliding glass door in my bedroom was wide open (screen closed, of course). And I was happily sleeping in my bed, less-than-fully-clothed. Did I mention it was 6am, an hour before I was to get up, and 2 hours before they were due here?

Of course, the cats FREAKED ... and I have a 4" scratch across my upper thigh ... OUCH. And another cat knocked over a lamp while fleeing under the bed. And I glance out back and see 3-4 men out there, and I'm ...ummm.... not dressed. EEEEK.

Anyway, by the time I make it outside (dressed, scratch bandaged, cats hiding somewhere) to ask why they are 2 hours early, they communicate to me as best they can (language barrier), that they decided to come early because it's going to be super hot today. HELLO? A phone call? Ring my doorbell? AAAAUUUGGGHHH!

Anyway, I was in the laundry room a few minutes ago, heard a distinct "uh oh" and then a loud crash. My neighbors now have a broken window. EEEK! Great loud and clutzy fencers! And it's only 10am.

Photos coming later.

QUESTION OF THE DAY FRIDAY JUNE 13

Do you take any vitamins or supplements? (Why or why not?)

Right now I use MSM/Glucosamine for joint health.  It's not as good as glucosamine/chondroitin but I can't complain too much.  I also am using Slimquick temporarily (until the bottle's gone) to get rid of the water weight I've accumulated by eating badly again.  Don't worry, I'm doing the right thing again and getting serious about things.  It's just that when I plateaued, I took a break, and although I didn't gain, I did revert to a few old habits.  Finally, I'm taking powdered metamucil, which takes a bit of effort, because I'm not so fond of it.  I did find out how to "sneak" it into my platters.  It is my extra "flavoring" in my oatmeal and my green tea.  That's not too bad, and I might sample it with some chicken & broccoli (stir fried with ginger dressing instead of oil), for an orange-chicken flavoring.  In general, that's all I'm taking, but my immune system is strong.

Mollymouser - My goodness! What a morning!  I thought it was terrible this morning when the building next door started installing new windows (and they've lost 2 windows already from taking them out and having them get caught by the wind).  They are disassembling the window panes and putting up fresh (for insulation), so that includes a lot of cracking sounds, hammering, and Lord knows what else.  It's the first day I've had my window closed since May.

I guess it's a good thing that I closed my window.  We're having an air quality "moderate" watch because there are forest fires on the North Carolina coast and the smoke is spreading all throughout the state.  I went outside this morning and could really smell the fire.  It had hazed over the sun, and it ruined any chance of laying out and tanning today.  To make up for it, I walked to the bank (1/2 mile one-way) and then walked a few other places.


Last thing:  Yesterday I was 166.6, which is a new low, and I'm pretty happy for it.  I haven't checked today, but I might shortly, before I have a late-lunch.

WAY TO GO MOLLY!!!  :D

QUESTION OF THE DAY FRIDAY JUNE 13

Do you take any vitamins or supplements? (Why or why not?)

Nope, don't take anything.  If my knee is bothering me I'll take 1000 mg of calcium.  I know I really should be taking something!  I'll have to talk to my dr. about that at my next appointment.  I know I don't get all the nutrional stuff I need!  Lol.

*Rant*

So I got back from Boston late Monday afternoon.  Tuesday I got on the scale.  I gained 2 lbs (175).  Thinking:  "Crap!  Ok, it could be worse!  But what did you expect when you ate all that junk for four days?"  I got on the scale this morning and I'm back down to 173.  Ok, maybe it was cuz it was really hot and I didn't drink as much water as I should have.  So I get ready for work and start my day.  Then *poof* period.  So now I'm fighting off those cravings of chocolate, salt, and major carbs!  Fries and a chocolate shake would be perfect right now!  But I know I don't need the food.  It's all emotional eating.  I just have to keep telling myself that I will feel so much better (and proud of myself) if I don't cave in!

Is it me, or does anyone else feel like they are a bottomless pit when it's their time of the month?  I've had my routine breakfast and lunch and snack and I could so pile a load of food in my mouth and not think twice about it!

Not that articles like this make me feel better!

*End Rant*

I'm thinking about doing a Zig Zag diet for a few weeks and see how it goes.  Anyone have any experience with it?

.Maria.

randomlife219 ....

Some PMS snackables ... dill pickles. (Sure, sodium ... but 5 calories a spear.) Cucumbers sprinkled with vinegar and lemon pepper are nice, too.

And No sugar added 40 calorie Fudgsicles ... very nice.

Diet Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate ... 25 calories.

Questions of the day: supplements...

Daily multivitamin, mineral,

500 mg Calcium twice a day (keeps bones strong)

Glucosamine/chondroitin supplement for arthritis twice a day (I think it helps)

aspirin once a day (family history of strokes)

Liquid Vitamin B12 twice a day--just learned that reflux Rx PPIs cause shortages of essential vitamins & minerals (ack!). B12 is for mental fogginess, confusion, memory loss, etc. It has helped.

(not really a supplement, but) when weather is nice, sit outside for about 15 minutes without sunscreen (!) to get Vitamin D

Been doing it for years (except the Vit B12, that's new), and it certainly doesn't hurt...