Welcome to the Group

Welcome! We would love get to know you, so please tell us a little bit about yourself. You can choose any format you'd like, but most of us here share some or all of the following details:

1. History with weight loss:
2. History with Calorie Count:
3. Reason for joining this group:
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:

And now just go ahead and make that first post!

Hi! I'm Shancy and I've started this group after looking for healthy recipes and meal ideas and finding way too many calling for canned soups, packaged rice mixes and low fat/fat free ingredients. Items with seriously high sodium and all kinds of mysterious chemicals.

I have struggled with my weight for several years and have never found those items to be helpful. Including whole foods and enjoying fats and sugars in moderation has not only produced better results, it made me feel better. Processed foods are triggers for me and often cause me to crave more sugar and junk than I would normally. That may not be the case for everyone, but I am searching for simplicity in my life and eating habits. So the shorter the ingredients list the better. And if I, as a somewhat intelligent person, have trouble pronouncing it, chances are i should not be eating it (unless it is some exotic fruit or in a foreign language, then I would give it a shot, lol).

Do not be mistaken, I enjoy a comfort food from my childhood now and then - a taco from jack in the box being a very tempting treat - but a treat it should be, and a rare one at that. I just do not want convenience foods to be a regular part of my diet.

Enough of that. I live in Western NC, in the smoky mountain town of Waynesville. I own a shop here in town, am married to the best guy on earth, and have 3 mutts and 3 cats. I enjoy doing upholstery and interior decor stuff (explaining how I wound up with my shop), hiking, reading and such.

I hope to attract others interested in cooking with real food and maybe even make some friends. I look forward to whatever this brings my way...

I am Sandy and I just found calorie-count. Couldn't decide on joining or not bec/ I've played around with so many but after reading some articles and personal testimonies... figured I could at least try it:)

My husband and I have five kids but only two are still at home... a 14 y ear old daughter and 5 year old son.

Our oldest three sons are all grown and on their own. The oldest is married and living with his wife across town and they are parents to our grandbabies. Our grandgirl is 2 and her little brother is 10 months.

Our next to oldest son just got back to Italy from Afghanistan and is living with his wife in Italy. She is coming back here to go to school until he gets out and can come home.

Our third to oldest just left a few weeks ago for college four hours away.

I have been eating few to no processed foods for many years now (well, strictly since 1994) but went through some dips when we hit hard financial times.

I'm learning again that you can eat healthy and whole on a budget!

I developed a thyroid problem that I had removed and then started medication for and gained an additional 41 pounds and had some to lose even before that!

Looking forward to this group

Original Post by shancymarie:


1. History with weight loss:
2. History with Calorie Count:
3. Reason for joining this group:
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:

 

Ive been trying to lose weight since i left HS, when i started gaining weight, I now have 80 lbs to lose, Im 5'7", 237 (as of yesterday! 1 lb gone!), and im 25.

I joined CC in Jan but didnt get serious about it til May... i lost 6 lbs, then fell off for a few weeks n gained it all back. I know it can be done!!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE!! to cook. Almost anything! Baking, grilling, fancy food, homestyle food, ethnic food... anything! I bake my own bread about 3 times a week (sandwich style, flat bread, breadstick what ever i need). I do all my cooking.

Im a SAHM with a 3 y/o son (he's so funny!). I have 2 pet rats, i love to read, go camping, cooking... lots of things :D. My DF and I are getting married soon, we think the end of Oct, its just a civil cerimony and we arent telling anyone lol we want to have a big wedding sometime later, and want everyone to show :D.

So what is everyone cooking this weekend?

Sorry I did not get back to you sooner...welcome! I, too, enjoy cooking. I have been trying a lot of new recipes lately, many out of Real Simple Mag. WOW! They can sometimes be a bit caloric but with a few changes and the help of the cc recipe feature, I am really enjoying preparing more healthful versions. There is a creamed spinach recipe that is FABULOUS!! Here is a link:

http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipef inder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id= 1834356

I skin the chicken and use lite sour cream if I can find it without any wierd stuff. It is amazing.

Congrats on your upcoming nuptuals...I think the "big event" is over rated myself; my hubby and I had a surprise wedding in 2002 and had a blast. No pressure...just friends, family and fun. Best of luck!

Hope you enjoy the group...I am having trouble getting responses to recent posts, so feel free to ask questions and set a fire under some butts!

Shancy

 

 

Hi, I'm Rachel, and I just joined this site yesterday.  I love to cook, but haven't really done a whole lot of it lately.  Up until May, my DH was in college and I was basically being a single mom for the past 4 years.  Then after he graduated, he got a new job in a new town and we moved in July.  It's been a whirlwind summer,  but I'm finally ready to buckle down, lose some weight, and start cooking REAL food again!!!

I've been trying to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight for almost 6 years now -- think that excuse works anymore???    Anyway, I lost a ton of weight back in 2000-2001, then had child #3 in 2002 and gained it all back.  I guess I didn't really learn anything

I'm very intrigued with this group -- I hope to get some great recipes here.  I'll post what I can too.  My DH likes my cooking, but sometimes wants me to throw in more processed crap like mac&cheese, boxed potatoes, etc.  I work full time as well as play "mom" so it's a struggle to not just give in. 

I have 3 kids -- ages 9, 8 and 5.  I've  been married for 15 years and I work full time.  I love to cook, love to read, and am getting to where I love biking. 

Rachel

Hi, I'm Alina and I am very glad to meet you.

I started with CC about 5 months ago, but have not applied too much effort to losing weight yet (lost about 15 lbs, gained 5 back, trying to be good again).  Had problems with eating properly since high school.

I love cooking and have always cooked healthfully - it's the baking and eating out that always gets me ;)

I only have real ingredients at home, very very rarely use stuff out of the box or processed food, and am from the former USSR so love all sorts of Eastern European cooking. 

I am married, have a 14 month son, and work full time.  I think this group is a great idea!

I'm Ann and happy to find this group.

I love to cook and try to use whole, unprocessed food, but when I do want convenience I use items from our natural food store - more $$ but fewer if any additives.  I pay attention to added sugar, salt and fat.

I am 40 pounds over my comfortable weight, 20 added in the last year, 10 between 40 and 50 and the other 10 between 50 and last year -  I'm 53.

My "problem" things are wine and portions.  I started keeping a food journal several weeks ago and calced the calories on my own and was SHOCKED.  The journal helped me become aware of areas I could cut down.  I found CC by accident and it makes it easier to record and track than my "manual" system.

I joined a week ago.  I'm 5' 8 1/2, 193 when I joined - I'm weighing in on Sat mornings.

I am single, self employed as a computer programmer, writing and photography are hobby/passions.  I live in a cute, but cozy 1 bedroom ranch house on 8 acres in Northwest Montana and work from a home office.  I have a Karelian Bear Dog, Karl and orange marmalade cat, Bob.  We roam the acreage around us which is state land - summer walking, winter snowshoeing.  I strength-train at home, split my own firewood, snow-blow the driveway (long), always have some home improvement project going so am fairly active for a desk job person - but not active enough for my intake!!  I'm increasing activity and decreasing intake and hoping to meet my goal weight by next summer.

 

Hi, I'm Sharon. I don't have a picture yet, but I will add later.  I've put some emphasis in the past in getting healthy, but experienced some health challenges last year that caused me to give pause to taking responsibility for my own health.   I've reall stepped up in the fitness arena, but strugglng big time wth the diet.  I know that it takes both to get there.  Hopefully, we can encourage each other to keep at it until we get there. 

Hi, I'm Candice. I just found this website for the second time, the first time I was on the upside of a roller coaster diet which lasted for two days, I checked some calories and then binged and that was that, hee hee.

I don't really have a history with wieght loss, I have a history with weight gain  But I've come to a point where I feel more settled down in myself. I doubt that makes any sense, but it means something to me. I really have come to the point recently that the first step to losing this weight is to stop punishing myself for how big I've gotten, to flip that around to acceptance and then it won't be such a fight. So that is what I am trying to do and I'm hoping it works.

I am joining this group because I want to cleanse my system and my body has started having negative reactions to processed foods.

I am a perpetual college student who is paying off some debt right now. I love the out doors and will soon be moving to the Adirondacks of Upstate New York (the original abode of my family). I am a film studies major but while I am out of school I am just focusing on writing and fine art. I have no pets, but if I could have pets I would have two mastiffs and two cats.

Hello there, I'm Erica.  I just found this website a week or so ago and have found it helpful for me because I live in Burma (Myanmar) after living in Kenya for three years and so almost none of the food I purchase has nutritional information on it.  Almost everything I eat comes fresh from the market in terms of veggies, fruit and meat and lately milk (pasturized anyhow) has even been difficult to find.... I get ecstatic when I see canned beans in the grocery store and last week bought 10 cans of black beans because... who knows when I'll ever see them again? I bring my own spices with me and even buy whole wheat flour in Thailand whenever I go so I can bake my own wholegrain breads, tortillas, pita etc.  

While this is all good and re-inforces a life style I would choose if I lived in the United States, it does occasionally mean I end up eating the same thing over and over.  Then food gets boring and I compensate by drinking too much wine (which I adore) or binging on cheese from the one local cheese shop in the country (pretty good stuff actually!) No such thing as low fat dairy products here.

I have never been skinny, have always been "curvy" and when I'm healthy and fit I look great.  But a few extra pounds shows quickly and I need to loose about 15 pounds to get myself fitting into clothes again and feeling good.  I'm hopeful that through this website (and specifically this group) I can share recipees for healthy, sustaining food that is also interesting. 

I am currently living alone with a husband who lives in Kenya still.  We are both in International Humanitarian work- my area of speciality is HIV/AIDS and maternal child health. I enjoy dinner parties, wine tasting, reading and hiking.  I have met few people since I arrived, work WAY too much and its much too hot to be outside hiking most of the time. Cooking for one isn't thrilling.  If you have good, basic recipees that have some flavor and interest please send my way!

Hi, my name is Cecilia and I just joined the website today. Up until a few months ago I've been in my healthy weight range of 155-165 (I'm 5'10" and currently about 180). I've never really worried before about weight loss since I've always had a fast metabolism and have actually been underweight in the past.

I've been trying on my own to cook healthier for myself and my boyfriend (he's been getting a bit chunky recently as well) but it's really difficult for me since I only know how to cook American Italian and tex mex within a budget.

So, I desperately need to learn to plan healthier meals that I can cook quickly while staying within a pretty strict budget (no more than $20 a week for 2 people).

I'm a sci-fi/fantasy fan and I recently started playing a MMORPG (mass multiplayer role playing game) called Warhammer and that takes up quite a bit of my time. I also have 3 cats (which can make things interesting in an apartment). Other than that, I'm not sure what to say about myself

Hi there Cecilia-

I assume you live in the USA?  $20 a week for two isn't much to go on given that healthy food in the states tends to cost so much more than unhealthy food!  Luckily canned beans and tomatos are not so much and both are really healthy.  Do you eat meat?  Where do you usually do your shopping?

 

I do live in the USA. I could put aside more money towards food each week but I doubt that will work since my bf is the only one who has a job right now.

The beans and tomatoes is a good idea, if I could get over my serious aversion to tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers (I was forced to eat a lot of really nasty food when I was little).

And yes, I eat meat which might be a big part of the problem. I've been trying to cook more with chicken but it's so much more expensive than beef.

I do most of my shopping at Winco and Fred Meyers (the NW version of Kroger) but occasionally I'll sink to going to Walmart for groceries.

 

Hi all!

I am Yaaquut, 5' 2" ft tall, 33 years. Living in the Middle East.

1. History with weight loss: Need to lose about 16 lbs and maintain
2. History with Calorie Count: Joined few months ago
3. Reason for joining this group: I like not only to cook but also, with the real food. Fresh, vibrant and healthy is what i go for!
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests: Married ,no child yet but working and praying hard to get, like flowers and nature in general

Hallo!

 

My history with weight loss is that I have never really needed to lose weight but have battled a distorted body image/troubled relationship with "good vs. bad" foods and have joined this website to get a reality check! I also gained about 10 pounds over the course of college and would like to get back to my high school weight (although I do not know if these extra pounds are just part of "becoming a woman" and am still at a healthy BMI).

 

I just joined calorie count a week or so a go and the results have already been amazing. Knowing how many calories I am eating has taken away my "food guilt" and allowed me to enjoy my life more. I am also enjoying the analysis portion of the site where I can really get an idea of how balanced my diet is.

 

I joined this group because I am passionate about cooking with whole foods, from scratch whenever possible, and doing away with the dependence on packaged items (which produce plastic waste and contain unnatural amounts of sodium and lord knows whatever other chemicals). I like knowing exactly what goes in my food, it is empowering to know that there are no nasty preservatives!

 

I am a recent college grad, working at a management consulting firm. I have a long term boyfriend of over 4 years, a pet husky mix, and am interested in sustainability and green living.

1. History with weight loss: I gained all my weight after the age of 45, during menopause.  Before that, I stayed at about the same weight when not pregnant.  I'd gain 10 pounds at holidays and would go on a crash diet to lose it in a month.  Then when I hit menopause that stopped working.  I couldn't lose the weight quickly and would try starving myself with minimal results and give up.  Then I'd gain it all back, really fast, plus a few more pounds each time.  It was in this way that I got to 225 pounds in August of 2005.

2. History with Calorie Count:  In January, 2006, I'd lost 20 pounds and was stalled.  I began searching for an online calorie counter to help me cut back more and discovered CC.  There I got the unbelievable advice that I was not eating enough to lose weight.  This made no sense to me, but after hearing it over and over from people who had lost amazing amounts of weight, I did it.  To my amazement, I began losing again.  I'd discovered "starvation mode!" 

3. Reason for joining this group:  I'm looking forward to participating in this group.  I've made a commitment to cook from scratch using foods that are as close to nature as possible.  I love to cook (and eat.)

4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:  I'm retired and living alone for the first time in my life - it's just me and my cat, Bubba, and I'm loving it!  I keep busy with family and friends, love to read murder mysteries and science fiction, and I like to draw.

Thanks for having me!

Hi all, and thanks for the invite Claire.  I never had a weight problem til my 40's and going through menopause. I have become very unactive due to arthritis and need to start moving or there is no where to go but further down hill. I usually cook at home but time is a problem with working and going to school ful time so working on trying to plan ahead for the week with healthy foods. I need to drop 50 pounds before my sugar levels go over the limit. I've been a member for about 15mo. and have gone up and down.

I am a fan of murder mysteries when I have time to read. I'm thinking about getting some yoga cd's and going to the gym atleast 3 times a week and doing something!   It's just me and my hub now, the kids are grown and we have one very spoiled cat.  So far my only New Years resolution is not to go near a fast food place during the year.   Looking forward to our exchanges.

1. History with weight loss:  Joined CC In May of 2007, SW 290 ending weight 270 to date BUT I was as high as 313.

3. Reason for joining this group: I'd like to join others and watch their successes too

4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:

I am diabetic and trying to control it by diet and not so much by insulin.  I'd like to learn from CLAIRE how to NOT use processed foods.  I am married for 23 years with a 20 year old son in college. I have two wonderful companion dogs that are great for protectors.  One is 14 years old and one is 10 years old.

I love to read health books and I belong to a diet support group.  www.TOPS.Org.  Our chapter meets on Saturdays for weigh in with a hour meeting.  If you are interested in finding one in your local area go to that website and key in your zip code.  

I believe in God and have a deep desire to become closer to him.

Take care all and God Bless.

1. History with weight loss: I'm usually either gaining or losing, never staying the same for long, so it seems like I'm either overweight or just right :)  Usually when I get up past 135 I'll do a complete nutrition about face and lose about 20 or so lbs.
2. History with Calorie Count: Joined in May of 2007, joined a wonderful thread for women around 5'3" and got the support I needed to lose 30 lbs.  I was down to 106!  A bit too low, so I indulged a bit too often.  At the end of 2007 I was around 110.  I gradually gained it all back, and am on target to see the New Year in at 134...
3. Reason for joining this group:  clairelaine sent an invite and I do like to cook.  I mostly modify recipes to make them more calorie-conscious.  I like using epicurious.com
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:  I have two kids.  I also have a dog and a hamster, and my daughter has a snake.  I work part-time for a financial planner and like to trade the stock market as well to make ends meet.  Lately that's been quite a challenge :)  I also love to hike, camp, and have an awesome boyfriend who likes the same.  

I'd just like to say that I'm a vegetarian for the most part and made an absolutely delicious vegetable pie for Christmas Dinner.  It was a double crust filled with thinly sliced root vegetables which had been precooked in boiling water, then drained.  These were layered with a lovely white sauce full of sauteed leeks, onions and herbs:  thyme, sage, etc.  (I cheated here and used a poultry seasoning)  Anyway it was a big hit and not too difficult to make. 

Hi everyone.  My name is Lori.  I am 43 years old and about 20 lbs to lose.

I am trying to make lifestyle changes and with that I hope the weight comes off.

I love Calorie Count because I see how much I'm eating per day as well as nutrition details.

Since joining, I have some problems trying to cook  healthy and well balanced meals.

My interests are music and the environment.  I live on beautiful Knowlton Lake in the Land O Lakes region of Ontario, Canada.  I'm a resort manager at Desert Lake and love it.  I love live concerts such as Pearl Jam, GNR, Tragically Hip, and Billy Idol.

I am a typical Canadian and love hockey, beer and pizza. My downfall in weight loss.