[kmedsker]

Chorizo - The first time I made the bean soup I didn't find the chorizo at the store here in my little town. I used a hot italian sausage. I think any spicy sausage could be delicious in the soup. I gave the leftovers to my mother for her dinner tonight and she loved it too. That recipe is a real winner in my book. Easy and delicious!

Worked out again today! I am feeling so good!

[Free_to_be_me]

Right now there are two people (and two cats, a bearded dragon and a beta fish) living in the cabin. There have been as many as five people, two cats and a dog here. One of the people slept outside in our "sauna", another in a VW bus. Now, my boyfriend and I have too much stuff so our friends had to find somewhere else to live...

I did pretty well eating today. I only ate half of what I would have had for breakfast three weeks ago. I did NOT eat anything at the grocery store deli, I ate half my normal dinner serving and I probably won't eat anything else today. I slept pretty late, so I ate breakfast at noon, dinner at 6:00 and a handful of nuts in between. I had a small bowl of ice cream for dessert, which isn't great, but it could have been an entire pint so I'm not too upset.

I didn't do any real exercise, but I did a ton of errands so I walked all around parking lots, two grocery stores, office max and the University. Not great, but at least I didn't sit and watch tv all day. I am going to do a bunch of crunches and stuff to maintain some semblance (sp?) of an ab toning routine.

Tomorrow I MUST MUST MUST move my BUTT BUTT BUTT!!!

[janiej]

Good Job !!

Should we make that our "fight song" ???
MOVE MOVE MOVE my BUTT BUTT BUTT !!!!!!

The eating part today sounds pretty good. Smaller portions sure are a "pain" though, aren't they ??
I ALWAYS ate way more than I really needed, just "wanted" it !!

Trying to stay "in control" in a world "spinning out" is sometimes very very difficult.
But I try to vision the "new" me emerging.
I put a picture on my fridge from my "thinner" days.
Some days it helps, some days I rip it off the door

I didn't do "the thing" today, but shoveled some snow for awhile. Also ran alot of errands, but don't think that makes up for the walking.
Will try better tomorrow.
Good night, and" move move move that butt" !!!!
janie

[Free_to_be_me]

I have a very needy cat that is helping me out with the portions thing. I sit down for my meal (plate in lap-no room for a table in my cabin). I eat while the cat stares at me. Just as I am finishing meal, cat headbutts my leg saying "Pay attention to ME!" I set my plate down and say to the cat "I will hold you for ten minutes. Then I get to have seconds if I still want them." So far, I have only had seconds once! Yay cat! I knew he was good for something!

[janiej]

So now we have a "fight song" AND a "mascot" !!!!

I have to go out to a luncheon today at a restaurant, and these are the times I tend to "fall off".
I usually don't go out lately to eat, but this is one of those charity "must do" things,

Thankfully, we are ordering off the menu, and they will have some "healthy" choices. But then the person next to me gets the wings, the fries, the onion rings, etc, and I am in "trouble". And of course they insist on "sharing" !! Well today I will say "no thank you".
At least that is my intention as of this moment !!!

"move move move my butt" !!!!!!!!!!!!
janie

[spaypets]

Gina--way to go on the 9 lbs. Sorry you're under the weather.

Today:
veggie links
toast
margarine
milk

potato casserole
veggie soup

Sausage stew or casserole (can't remember what dh said)
salad

popcorn

Last night's dinner was greek burgers. And I used my points on a martini.

These week's ww meeting was about eating until we are satisfied (no longer hungry) instead of full--tried it at lunch and was starving on the drive home because I didn't have time to eat again after lunch.

[kmedsker]

Good luck today while at your luncheon, Janie! Some of the "tricks" weight watchers teaches is to have a snack before you go, like a banana or an apple so your not as hungry. Ask for a box before your food comes, then when they bring it put half of the food into the box BEFORE you start eating. And of course if your overdo, no big deal just MOVE MOVE MOVE your BUTT BUTT BUTT!!
Happy Thursday!

[All Boys]

Hey guys.. I have been feeling not so great today.. Well I guess I should say on Thursday.. So I called one of my friends for some encouragement... And she made me feel better.. I know that I have lost some weight.. I just am having such cravings.. But they will pass and today will be better... After all this will not last forever.. I am not going to stay on the Atkins diet forever just for a month or so.. I can tell that my tummy is shrinking.. Not the exterior part the interior.. I am noticing that I am eating less at supper time... And not getting as hungry during the day..
So I think there is hope for me after all..

Have a great day!
Gina

[paigeturner]

Sorry you're not feeling well Gina. Hang in there, the cravings do get better. Have you tried Carb Solutions Ice Cream? That's helped my husband with his cravings. If you're more of a salty girl than a sweet one, try eating some nuts. This worked for me when I was on Atkins.

I'm struggling too. I travel so much and eat out so much that it's very hard to just eat until I'm satisfied and not full, like Spay says. I just can't quit shoving good food down the old pie hole.

However, I'm down about four lbs. Still have a ways to go, but I'm trying to hang in.

Paige

[janiej]

Hi everyone

The luncheon yesterday was good. I ate an apple before I left, then I ordered a salad w/dressing on the side(only poured enough on so I wouldn't "choke" from the dried greens), a roll (looked like whole wheat or rye), and decaf coffee.
I have to explain that it was a "Red Hat Society" thing, and these women are a little "off the wall". Good "off the wall" though. So of course at dessert time, you can imagine !!
There were 4 at our table, and 2 others of those were also on diets. So we ordered ONE piece of peanut butter pie for dessert, and shared it between four.
The piece wasn't very big, so I only had 2 small bites.
But they MADE me do it !! Forced me at "fork-point"!!!
(I told them I was going to tell you that, because I had to tell the truth to my buddies on here !!
I didn't really eat supper, because the luncheon was mid-day. Had popcorn last night for snack.
Went to bed early because I felt hungry, but made it through the night without eating anything else.

Now today hubby wants to get "away" for the day, so that means restaurant again !! Will go to one with a good salad bar, probably Ponderosa. NO PIE- I promise !!

Gina- Glad you have someone to call. I have a friend who calls me and tells me to get on "the thing" and will take NO excuses from me. So it really helps alot.
TODAY WILL BE BETTER !!!!

Paige- hang in there. It really is hard, even harder when you can't "control" food like you can at home.

O.K. - let's all sing a rousing chorus of
MOVE MOVE MOVE my BUTT BUTT BUTT !!!
janie

[spaypets]

Great job at the restaurant Janie! My salad dressing trick is to dip my fork in the dressing on the side--that way I get a little taste, but don't use nearly as much--I find I can even skip dips between bites. I do the same at chinese restaurants --order chicken and broccoli with the sauce on the side. A little goes a long way!

Today's menu:
Milk
links
toast

salad w/ hard boiled egg

Casserole (I forget what DH said it was exactly)
Challah (bread) (2 pieces -- who am I kidding to stay with 1!)
lf margarine
Wine
Salad

[Free_to_be_me]

Finally I was successfull at Move Move Moving my Butt Butt Butt! Yesterday I realized I needed to take the garbage to the transfer station (dump). So I did...on FOOT!!!! It is only a quarter mile from my house so I decided to carry the two bags of garbage. I felt great, got a chore done and am just a tiny bit sore today. (The good kind.) Then, today I brought my guy to the University and dropped him off at his class and then found a parking spot way out in the boonies and walked to where I needed to be. There and back was 18 minutes of speed walking and I feel very invigorated. I plan to do more tonight at work. I heard that the exercise bike has been moved in front of the tv, so that might be some good motivation. We will see. The temp is finally up to 0 degrees so I can go outside for more than a couple minutes.

Another great bonus for me is that I just got a copy of the menu used at a place I used to work. It was written by a nutritionist for a group home and has 2000 calorie, 1200 calorie, low sodium and low cholesterol options. When I worked there I followed it and it was great so I asked them for a copy for me to use here. We will see how it goes.

Janie-I love that you have a friend who calls to tell you to get on the thing. I need someone in my life to do that. I have a couple ideas...

[kmedsker]

Hello Ladies! Wow! It sounds like everyone is doing great! I am soo proud of you all! You all inspire me, really. I've been a bit lazy in the exercise department. Two days off and I'm not really very inspired to start again. But....or should I say BUTT....tonight I will do my new pilates DVD. The good news is my jeans are fitting me again and I am feeling better and better. My husband even said my butt looks different! (ummm....I think he was giving me a compliment! hehehhe) The stairstepper has been paying off! The weather here has been almost 50 so I will probably take the dogs for a walk tomorrow. I do not like the cold weather! A walk in O degrees is amazing, free to be! Way to go!

[janiej]

Free - GOOD JOB !!!! I can't believe you walked with garbage that far in 0 degrees !! Don't tell ME you don't have the "inspiration" to do this !!!

That bike thing is just about as bad as the "thing" thing.
I have one of those too, and it's great for hanging wet clothes on when you only have a few.

Went out for the day, we ate at a Ponderosa, so I had the salad bar. Tried spaypets idea of dipping the salad in the dressing on the side, worked pretty good until I realized I was so hungry and couldn't take the time to do that. But it is a good idea, and worked until I started "wolfing". Won;t give up on it though.
I even passed up their great chicken wings (which I love). Stuck with salad, cottage cheese & peaches, and water. (o.k. - I had a really small piece of carrot cake for dessert, but much better than the soup bowl size dish of ice cream I always used to eat there !!)

For supper, I had a bowl of chili, some saltines, and water.

kmedsker - congratulations on your BUTT (I hope that sounds o.k. to anyone new on here
The fact that he even noticed should serve as "inspiration" !! Keep it up !!

Going to go get me an apple. Last night I didn't eat from 5pm on, and didn't sleep hardly at all. I was hungry during the night, but did NOT eat !!!
Yay for me!!!

Alright folks, keep up the good work, and
MOVE MOVE MOVE those BUTTS BUTTS BUTTS !!!!!!
janie

[All Boys]

Ok confession time here again... I cheated again today.. But will go back on it tomorrow.. I just needed something so bad.. I have been struggling so bad.. So now that I got the craving over with I think I will be ok..
I am going back on it tomorrow..
I ate Mexican food, a chicken burritoe, didn't eat all of the tortilla shell. But I did eat the chips with cheese dip too.. Not a whole lot, but just eating was bad.. Now that is all that I ate all day long.. But still I shouldn't have eatin it!! But oh well tomorrow is another day.. And I will do better tomorrow..

Have a great weekend!!

Gina