Leann/Lynne I just want to send you a hug and prayers. I find it hardest when my kids are hurting or strugling.

Thank you for the congrats. Hmm no secret. I have been calorie counting, increase lean red meat and fish and limited carbs to 1/4 cup rice, 1 slice of bread or 1/3 cup beans per meal. No artificial sweetners or very occasional. My calories are low 1000 to 1200 but lately due to vacation it had been up. I am doing some excercise finally now I am on vacation so hopefully I will not gain. Two of my daughters are loosing too and they worry I will gain back a lot because some of the weight I lost very fast. I must say I agree with them. I am also worried at maintaining weight once I am there. This will be a life issues for me especially since I have some blood sugar issues.

Anna, I recently read that losing weight quickly doesn't lead to regaining. Another myth set to rest. That quick loss may be more effective because the good results encourage the loser to continue. Makes sense to me. I like 2 pounds a week and you are within that guideline. 1200 calories is good. 1000 is low unless you are very small. IMO, you hit the nail on the head with limiting carbs. A tough one - they are everywhere. That's what works for me, though we are all different.

Which of you ladies is 'tech-y'? Daddy gave DD his old Dell laptop that was slower than molasses. My son (a com-sci/math major) said he could fix that by 'nuke-ing' the drive and reinstalling the OS. (Windows XP) Drive has been nuked, but it will not reboot from ANY source - flash drive, cd. He has reinstalled many a OS and we are stymied.

The Windows XP is an iso file.

suggestions? TIA!

I wish i was good with computers. I have an Apple and it needs fixing. I'm not sure I trust anyone to work on it. All of my tech helpers ( my nephews) don't do Apple. I need to go to the Apple store and have it worked on. Hopefully next week.
I had a hard time talking myself in to riding my bike today. It took me an hour to get moving. I guess it was a lazy day. I rode 15 miles. Tomorrow I am loading it up and heading to a different bike path. I have been riding the same one all the time since I didn't have a way to transport it. I live a mile from the bike path. There are a lot of bike paths around here. I am still trying to get a map of where they all are.
Lynne praying for things to calm down for you. Keep up your PT. I found that one day I realized that I was able to sleep the way I liked. You just kind of all of the sudden realize you can do something.
I have also found I do so much better when I cut way down on my carbs. Even when I was doing Weight Watchers and stayed within my points if I cut out most of the bread etc I did better.
Pat

Happy Saturday to all, just completed 10 minutes on the recumbent bike and walked around my complex twice for 2,400 steps - at least it is a start. Was a bit of a rough night and my knees were already putting off heat when I awoke. ugh

Thanks for all the prayers. Not much has changed, and I'm not very good at waiting so I look for things (physical) to do.

Judy, I pray you have a safe trip. The thing that strikes me about transitioning plank positions is that it would raise my heart rate. Currently, I'm not quite stable enough to walk fast enough to do that and the recumbent won't let me add resistance.

Anna, I agree with Judy about how fast you lose weight. If there were no results, why continue? And I'm on board with you, Judy, and Pat - lower carbs not only brings me results, I don't seem to crave them as much, either.

I think DS has figured out the problem with installing the OS - something about formatting. He is taking the car alone for the first time ever today. In high school, he did not want to take drivers ed, but we pushed him. He did not drive one time after getting his license until this year. (been about 4 yrs) He has been driving a lot, but today he is driving to Austin to visit a friend. I refuse to be a nervous wreck.

I am in the mood to sew, but with my apartment in chaos, I gotta wait until my kid moves out. I do have a quilt I was handquilting early last year until I put it away when I decided to make everyone a new quilt for Christmas. (during a moment of extreme insanity) In honesty, I really have not felt like doing much this year. Between my surgeries and my son's life-changing diagnosis, other things were more important. Life will settle down someday.

So far, no soda. I can do this.

Okay, I going to post, even though it's not good news. We had a "debate party" Thursday night at our house, and I did some extra special cooking for it. Tried out 4 new recipes, no, not diet recipes. The two we enjoyed the most were a spinach-artichoke-alfredo sauce dip, that was VERY, VERY good, and a "watermelon pie". Yes, it used real watermelon - two cups of finely cut up watermelon, plus other things. I think I will be making it again real soon. So from now on I will try to do better, but I doubt that I will get my batik fat quarter back.

Ladies thank you on the encouragement regarding loosing weight quickly and it still staying off. I also noticed that curbing the carbs seemed to have the best effect. It helped me break through my plateau several months ago and I agree less carbs seems to equal less cravings. For carbs. Best wishes and lots of strength to those strugling. Wi th beating soda.

Good luck with cutting the soda. I cut mine out several years ago. I had been drinking diet soda since high school so it wasn't as bad as it could be. I was drinking 5 or 6 Diet Cokes a day. I cut back slowly then completely cut it out. I drink maybe one a month as a treat. I talked about cutting carbs but I ate too many again today.
I recieved 3 months of FQ from JimsGem and 1 month from Createfourpaws. There are some gorgeous batiks here. I need to behave myself. I love love batiks. I rode my bike 15 miles yesterday. I wasn't going to ride today but went to get a new seat. I shouldn't have to stop riding because my butt hurts, it should be my legs. I had the bike shop put one on and decided to test drive it. They will let you try them for a month or so. I rode 12 miles today on a different path. I finally got a rack for my car so I can go to other bike paths. This one was hillier than my usual path. My knee still feels weak on stairs and hills. I'm working on it. I still need to do my planks today.

Epic fail for me. I reach for Dr Pepper when I get stressed or emotional - my crutch it seems. Not to justify myself, but I have not been eating all the stuff hubby is. Now there is ice cream in the freezer..... no doubt it will be gone before morning. I'm having trouble getting enough protein. Had a tuna salad earlier. Hard boiled eggs have always been my 'go-to' but I am choking on the price these days!

My kid made it home from Austin just fine. Answered prayer. I am frustrated with my pain levels - 9 weeks out from surgery #1. I was so bow-legged before that I could not walk correctly, but my deformity was fixed with my surgeries. Now that my legs are straight (and so pretty), my body is working to adjust and I hurt from my hips to my ankles. My therapist says that my hip bursitis will take a l-o-n-g time to disappear. I wonder how much of my pain is because my body is used to having medication? Umpteen years ago I remember someone saying, 'if you take Percodan for 5 days, on the 6th day you will NEED Percodan.' I've been on these narcotic pain meds for over 5 years - I may have to suck it up and go cold turkey before long. These Vicodin are 5mg - I've been on as strong as 10mg.

We are supposed to hit 104° today - after 106° yesterday. More of the same for the next 7 days. And my poor parents without a/c. Someone should be shot!

Lynne, I can't imagine going through all you are going through. And your poor parents with no ac in that Texas heat. I will keep praying for your whole family. Can you remind us of what happened to your son? I remember someone's son fell down the stairs and then it was learned later that he had a heart problem. Is that your son? With all the people who come and go in this group, it's hard to keep people and their stories straight.
We drove my son to the Minneapolis airport this morning. He is on his way back to China. For his last dinner here I bought corn on the cob, fresh green beans and cucumbers. That was all pretty healthy until we added the brats, burgers and hotdogs and then the Scotcheroos he wanted for dessert. We will see him again in October when we go to China for his wedding.
I haven't been walking much lately. It's so easy to come up with an excuse not to. Hopefully the weather will cool off and my friend's pinched nerve will be better so we can encourage each other to go again.
Welcome back, Cindy!

I feel like I've been away forever! My quilting group organized a quilt show and camp, and that's been taking up a lot of time. It was a great success, by the way. Plus I'm planning my wedding for October 10 - but not in China! Add in working 2 days a week and sorting and packing for a move. I still find time to eat, though, but it hasn't been the healthiest menu I'm afraid. I had my annual physical last week. My blood pressure was up, my lipids are up, and my blood sugar is up - NOT good. Time to get serious about this weight business!

I am glad to be back. I need the extra motivation to get moving. Big downfall is the very high temps here is Dallas. this past week we have been over 100, and they next week is going to be worse. I am also doing my best not to be an emotional eater this month. The end of the month, will be the 1 yr anniversary of my dad's death. Mom is already having a hard time. This next week we will have some of his family in town visiting.

Have a great week.

Lynne you had better talk to you doctor to see the correct way to stop your Vicodin. I am sorry to hear you still have so much pain. I had surgery on the right knee but my left hip bothers me some. They told me in PT it would take a while since i walked wrong for so long and now I walk correctly. It is only a little bit sore, if it gets worse I am supposed to come in. What did the doctor say about it?
I have been craving McDonald. So today I worked it into my day. I knew dinner was really low calorie so I bought it for lunch. A double hamburger. It was nasty, I took a bite and threw it away. I guess it wasn't as yummy as I remembered.
I am babysitting my SIL dog. She has been dealing with severe depression for several years. She attempted suicide last week. Luckily my brother went home from work when she didn't answer. She is now in a treatment facility. Hopefully this will help her. SHe had been doing the best she has been in years. She could use some prayers. The dog is her precious baby and he misses her. We walked about 2 miles this morning.

Hello Beautiful People!

I want to thank everyone for your prayers. My parents STILL do not have a/c. They have had 55 days of +100° days. When DD talked to Sears in an attempt to convey the dangers of an elderly couple in triple digit heat for weeks without end, they put them on the schedule for Sep 1 and on the list to move up in the event of a cancellation. This is NOT the same Sears that my daddy worked for when I was little. This will cost them more than that new unit ever will because of the bad PR. My dad is a retired minister from a big church and they all know what is happening. And of course, I'll NEVER step in their store again.

Pam, I don't know if I've ever talked about Josh's problems. He had a nasty bike wreck last September, messing up his elbow - requiring surgery to repair. The entire incident revealed much deeper issues that he had been suffering with since middle school, with a life-long diagnosis that we did not learn of until February; so severe that it qualifies him for special status at the Univ of Texas. He sees a doctor now who monitors him closely with monthly appointments and blood levels affected by his medication. Sadly, he lost several friends over this, and his girlfriend of 5 years - which compounded the problem. I am praying this new school year sees him opening up and making new friends and getting more involved with groups.

Cindy, I feel for you in the heat. We are hot, but without your heat indexes. I think we hit 107° yesterday, but the heat index was only (ONLY!) 105.

Pat, I am glad that your SIL is getting the care she needs. All this mental illness in our world breaks my heart. It is everywhere and no one seems to know how to deal with it. Lord help you if the police show up. And my doctor tells me to take my meds when I feel I need them, but he also wants me off them before my 6 month mark. I am @ the 9 week mark. I am noticing that when I take a full dose every 6 hours, I feel yucky. I have started taking half doses during the day, and a full dose at bedtime - since that is when I am really miserable. That seems to be working so far - I'm on day 3 of that dosage. Wouldn't say that I'm pain-free, but its manageable. My PT told me that the bursitis in my hips will take a long time to go away. She also gave me new exercises to help with that. She also thinks I will be discharged after 4 more sessions, but told me to continue these exercises for a year. My right knee was my first surgery, and it is also my weakest side. It is visibly more swollen than the left. I still wear my TED (not tent!) hose during the day and sometimes at night when my legs feel like they don't want anything to touch them.

aaarrgh.............DH just walked in and handed me a York Peppermint patty. I wish he would finish the ice cream!

Lynne I swear DH are the worst diet sabotagers. Every time I try to behave myself he brings home ice cream, candy, etc things I have a hard time staying out of. When I bring it home for him I try to buy flavors that aren't my favorites. He also wants all of the healthy food made into unhealthy things. Fried zucchini, raspberries made into a fancy cake etc. My quilt guild anual potluck is tonight I made grilled veggies with some chicken in it. Hopefully I can stay out of most of the desserts. I just saw something that says if you really want something- take one bite of things and decide if it is worth it? If not throw the rest out, remember you don't have to finish it.

Meanmom the take one bite and th row it out does work. I just bought a donut and did that. Even th e one bite did not taste good. It is like my taste buds are super selective now.

I have a friend who was NOT a compulsive overeater who tried to teach me to take only three bites of anything high calorie. It didn't work. Three bites doesn't work for people like me. I have always admired her ability to do that, but couldn't join her. She also is able to do a full Zumba class - not Zumba Gold for people our age. More power to her. I'll stick with my yoga. Tough class for me tonight. Too many Warrior poses and with neurothapy, my balance isn't wonderful. I made it through I, II and reverse Warrior but modified on III.
I am on day two of a restrictive diet (Whole30) for different reasons than weight loss and I want some crackers. I need to go find something to do away from the kitchen - that's where my computer is. I have a serger that needs repair and has to be functional by 9:30 tomorrow morning for quilt group so I know what I'd better start if I expect to get any sleep. It's 1:06 now.
I did drop a couple of pounds overnight. I will make the 30 days, but may not lose weight in the end. You can still overeat without sugar, wheat, etc.

I am getting healthier and losing weight.
Judy

I received 2 FQ from Crafty-kid today. Very Pretty. Judy I have a friend doing Whole 30 and she feels wonderful and has lost a bunch of weight. I plan on trying. Her DH is doing it too which helps. SHe said he does cheat whenever he is out but it is working for him too. We had our annual guild potluck last night and I admired her for doing so well. I did Ok. Only had a couple of bites of the desserts. Most weren't worth it. Judy before my knee surgery my balance wasnt too good. I either had a chair next to me or stood near the bar to hold on as needed. I have never had good balance.
I am still babysitting my SIL dog. He has been barking at night so I put him in the garage, can't hear him in there. We went for a walk this morning. We walked 4 1/2 miles, I also added in a couple of hills. My 2 GS are here and they wanted to walk the doggie so I attached 2 leashes to him and let them hold one. They are 2 and 5 and I don't trust them to not let go. I already have 13,000 steps in at 3:00. The doggie is worn out, so is grandma. The boys also chased the doggie around the house.

The yoga has improved my balance by leaps and bounds - I no longer am in danger of falling over crossing open spaces like the kitchen - thank goodness for my big dog. She was so good about appearing from two rooms away just in time. Strange how they know. Standing poses may never be easy, but I will keep trying. I do use a chair for the tree pose, but not for warrior.

The Whole30 diet is for another reason, but I won't be sad if weight loss is a side effect, at least for a while. Clean eating is never a bad idea. Not supposed to weigh yourself. I have weighed myself on the way to the bathtub for so long, I probably won't feel clean i f I don't. It isn't too restrictive for me as it doesn't cut fat. I was already gluten free, though apparently I was eating GF crackers in the evening. That's when I want some now.

That's a lot of steps by 3:00. You deserve a nap if you can get the boys to hold still that long.

The poor doggie is exhausted. He is a shitsu I think. Very cute sweet dog. I am not a dog person. The poor doggie had to hide behind the recliner as the boys wanted to play with him and he was done. He did snap at them a couple of times but as far as I know he has never bit anyone. They just left at 9:15, they got here at 12. Poor Lucas almost refused to go out for his nightly business. He is going home tomorrow. We will probably walk again in the morning. My weight isn't budging much but my shorts are getting baggy. I guess that is better than the scale moving. It would sure be nice if the scale would move.

I am not sure who talked about planking. I finally got to looking it up.
http://www.embracethejourneynow.com/exercise-2/plank/

It looks good! I tried it for 20 seconds and will try it again tomorrow.
My core/belly area is a major issue and it aggravates my back. Hopefully this will give some much needed muscle strength there.

Leanne, that is a lot going on at once for you. I will keep you in prayer.

I only gained about 3 lbs while on vacation, but most of my clothes are so uncomfortable now!! I'm looking for a new yoga class that will be closer to home. Once I go back to work (school) I'll need a closer place. I just can't keep driving so far during the week, but definitely need the yoga for my back.

Leanne, I'm up for a challenge. I think I'll try no eating after 8:00 pm.

Hope everyone is having a good week.

The no eating after 8 is a good thing. Because of medication I am not supposed to eat after 8. Unfortunately it is hard because of social situations.

The heat and the humidity is tropical around here right now. I spend the most of the day inside keeping cool. I plan to get my walk in an hour, once it cools a bit more! I've been good at journaling and eating better, so that is a good thing. Glad you let me join in on the fun for the next two months!

I will never make it to a 2 minute plank. I am stuck at 45 seconds. But that is better than nothing. Eating has been ok, again my DH is my worst enemy on this. He brought home some apples from our tree and wanted a pie, which I made. I had a tiny piece and now that is gone. Now he wants our raspberries made into a roll up, with whipped cream. He is killing me. Oh and he has requested biscuits and gravy for breakfast tomorrow. He want all of the healthy food made into something unhealthy.
I rode my bike 20 miles yesterday, then mowed the grass, I was so tired. I am heading out for a walk shortly before it gets too hot and humid. Then I have a bunch of jalapenos to freeze or something.
Pat

Teri, I have your same weather since I am only about 100 miles away. I HATE it. No walking for me in this heat and humidity.
Pat, my hubby is bad for my diet too. Maybe not as bad as yours though. I can't think of one time he asked me to bake something or cook something specific. He is just happy with anything I make since his mother is such a lousy cook. LOL
The quilt I am making for my new GS is turning out so cute. Just needs the border then I can start on the quilting.

Same weather here during the day, but about 9:00 it cools off enough to go walking. Last night we just arrived at the lake when a lot of lightening rolled in. I turned around because I have no desire to be the tallest thing in the area.

Pat, I just tried my first timed plank. I set the timer for 1 minute - I could have gone longer, but couldn't reset the timer one handed. You must have a kinder yoga instructor than mine. I'll try again later.

I haven't lost any weight, but I like this food plan now that over I'm wanting some crunch (crackers) in the evening.

I have no energy for quilting the quilt on the machine. I don't like the batting, but there are too many stitches in it to start over. Next is following the branches in the tree. I'd rather freehand than have to stay on a line, but it needs to be done that way. I have a jellyroll race on the other machine that's not for me. The church bazaar is coming up. My FQ is laying on the cutting table. I always have such a time deciding what to send.

Keep on keepin' on, everyone.
Judy

I read through most everyone's notes, but don't have time to comment now. Frank had to see the doctor for Shingles on Wednesday, so I got on the scale after he got off. I haven't lost a pound, but I haven't gained either - I'm right where I was last time I weighed. Very discouraging. Frank has been having so many troubles lately that he hasn't been feeling up to using the pool, and he won't let me out there alone, so I blame the lack of swimming partly for no weight loss - I did real good last summer. O well, I still have half a month to go.

I have not eaten anything since dinner. That is big for me! I have a question about the 8 pm thing. Since I am always up until midnight-1 am or so, shouldn't I be able to eat a little later?
I finished my quilt top for baby Jack tonight. Will try to post a pic.

I am usually up late too but I still stop at 8 pm. I have another friend whom's doctor switched her meds from morning and evening too and she also lost weight because she can't eat after 8. I think as long as you stop eating about 4 hours before bed time.

Darling quilt! I love the colors - I have aqua and red fabric for a quilt for my playroom when I get to it.

Where is everyone? Off having fun while I'm stuck in the house unless I want to get wet walking the dogs. I see a yoga video in my very near future - like 10 minutes from now. Thank goodness it's raining. My flowers and grass need it so badly.

I made a mistake at dinner tonight. There is no dairy on the Whole30 diet and I had cheese on my burger at a local brewery. I need to gather up all the opened cheese packages and all the yogurt from the fridge and take it to my daughter's house. It won't be any good in 22 more days.

Funhall2, shingles are such a nasty disease. I detached a retina during my last bout. Just curious - did your husband have the vaccine?

Off to fold clothes and do some more stitching on the tree in my quilt. Have a good evening.

Judy, what are all the no-no's in the whole30? I'm thinking dairy, sugar, sugar substitute, grains, processed food. Anything else?

Pam...Cute baby quilt...I love that the triangles are moveable!!!! That is something I haven't done ...yet! The cooler weather has arrived and it feels wonderful! I've been drinking tons more water and my pants (jeans) are feeling more comfortable. I can't wait to see the scale at the end of this month! ;)

Pam there is a Whole 30 website that explains the rules. My friend has been on it for several months. SHe says she feels better than she has in years and no longer takes her arthritis meds. Her blood pressure is down and her DH and her have both lost weight. She says once you get used to it , it isn't hard to follow. she has learned to order in restaurants too. Some of the books are available at the library although you can follow it without the book. I started it but didn't complete it. I need to get back to it.
I have been exercising more this month. I really enjoy bike riding and am not sure how I will get it in once school starts on Monday. I have been averaging about 60 miles a week since mid July. I have also been doing some walking but find it not as fun. My DH says I should ride my bike to school, it is a lot of uphill riding and there isn't a shower at school. That would be gross. There must be a muscle group in my legs I'm not working as hills and stairs are still a little bit off for me. I am trying to do more of both. I am so not ready for school to start and i have been off since April 27th. I seems like it was such a short summer.
My DD called on Saturday. Her boyfriend is living with us right now as he starts a new job tomorrow here in town. He is looking for an apartment. She is living in Tallahassee Fl and doesn't really like the area. SHe will be moving back here to get a job at the end of September. I will be glad to have all of my kids back in the area for the first time in years.

Legumes anyone?
 

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/01/l...oup-3-pts.html

We just finnished a large pan of an all fagioli/minestrone mix soup. I ran into a large bag of dried lentils in the pantry and bought some chicken. so when I searched under low calorie lentil/ chicken soup recipe the above recipe came up. I think I will make it tomorrow or the day after.

The soup sounds good, Anna. I pinned so I can try it this winter.

Anna you will have to let us know if the soup is good. I have a bag of lentils in the pantry. Not sure what I bought them for. I pinned it to use later.

I will meanmom. I am always looking for soup recipes or the like that my family will like and will work for me on my diet. So if any of you have recipes please share. It seems many of the recipes are a bit high in calories unless I tweak it but this one seems promising as it is. I have a larger family so soup and bread is a good option. I normally do not eat bread with it, now I am on a diet, but lentils or beans do give me satiety and are way healthier then noodles.

One of the reasons for me to loose weight is to try and see if it will improve my blood sugar. Now I am also starting to look more into the glycemic index of different foods. Loosing weight so far has not really helped my blood sugar. Atleast I would have expected greater results. Does anyone else look at the glycemic index of foods?

As expected some things I like have a higher glycemic index. Of course one of my new favorites, bagged air popped pop corn, have a high glycemic index.

Pam, here is the basic - there are a lot of free websites if you Google 'Whole30'.
http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/
I'm not finding it too far from what I was eating because of my allergies to gluten, corn, yeast, MSG, sulfites. Obviously, I was already eating quite clean. Had to give up chocolates and hot chocolate at night. And cheese and yogurt - I didn't realize how much cheese I was eating. I did want GF crackers for the first few days. Almonds are a good substitute. Weight loss in not why I'm on it.

Anna, I am familiar with the GI, but don't follow it too closely as the lists vary so much. Look up a plain white potato on several different sites. Basmati rice is lower than white rice. Brown might be a little lower but I don't like brown rice. Have you given up all artificial sweeteners? Nutrasweet and Splenda both play with your blood sugar. Are you having protein with every meal?
I wish lentils were prettier. I made soup for a friend and hated to deliver it to him. It was good, but not appetizing looking. The Whole30 doesn't allow legumes. A pot of bean soup may be the first thing I make in three weeks.

I need several clones. One for the garden, one to clean the house, one to shop and walk the dogs. That's the only way I'm going to get any quilting done. I will keep the cooking - I like that. Just cooking and quilting - then I would feel like I really am retired.