voiceomt2002

How'd it go, Biker?

Okay, I admit I got cocky. I'd been losing weight steadily and decided I did not need to keep track of what I ate anymore, not even carbs. After all, I can only fit a teensy amount in the pouch, right? Wrong, wrong, wrong! It's not the amount, it's what I eat! Sure, I stay away from the starchy foods still. (Oh potato, I barely knew ye!) However, I've been very naughty on the sweets. The methyl-ethyl-bad stuff for a diet sweets. Yeah, I'm a junkie who backslid. I haven't gained a pound, but I stopped losing. :thumbup: I deserve to be flogged!! I'm printing out my log sheet and I'm back on the wagon. I probably have a few days of carb withdrawal ahead of me. This is gonna hurt, but I did it to myself. Lena

Then I won't tease you. It'll soon be spring, BG.

Ow! Ow! Ow! That's me, trying to sit in my office chair this morning. I've been doing a walking program and riding my exercise bike for awhile now, so I decided to indulge in a form of exercise that gave me a lot of pleasure in the past-- gardening. I'm a Square Foot Gardener, as recommended by the Get Rich Slowly site. I SF Gardened for the past ten years, off and on. More off than on because of my weight and the fact that we moved a lot. Now we own a home, and I've lost enough weight to feel energetic again. SF Gardening has several advantages, if you prepare properly. Because all the gardening is done in raised 4'x4' squares, there's less back-breaking labor weeding. Even I can reach easily into the center. This means I never compact the soil by walking on it. However, all that ease later means you must do things right the first time. All it takes is a bit of preparation. I began last year by raking up all the leaves that fell in my yard and bagging them up. I allowed the leaves inside to rot, waiting for them to turn to delicious, nutritious leaf mold my plants would love to snack upon. I also started a compost bed and ordered a (free) pile of wood chip mulch from a local tree service. One year later, and all is ready. So, Dante and I got out there and dug our first bed. We dug down a minimum of 12", then built a wooden box to give us a full 24" of space to fill with a mix of soil, peat, compost, leaf mold, and nutrients. I couldn't have done all that last year. Wheeling the wheelbarrow from where the bags of leaves had been stored, hauling barrows of half-composted wood chips, dumping and mixing, as well as helping build the wooden box would have half killed me. However, we had but one day to do this. The forecast called for rain all weekend, so Friday was our only chance. We finished and put away the tools just before dinner, tired and proud of ourselves. The bed is full of rich, black soil that is so perfectly friable, it's gorgeous. If the rain stops as predicted on Sunday, we'll stack the decorative bricks around the wood and mark our squares for planting. This morning, I'm feeling the effects of all that hard work. Everything from the neck down hurts. However, we've done it. Now we can plant those nutritious vegetables for as long as we own this house. (Hopefully, until the day we die.) Maybe this fall, we'll start a second bed, but that's all we'll ever need. Right now, my muscles say, "Honey, right now you couldn't lift the shovel. Better wait." LOL! Guess this means I'd better wait a few more days before I weed and mulch the flower beds. Thank goodness it's raining as predicted.

Ow! Ow! Ow! That's me, trying to sit in my office chair this morning. I've been doing a walking program and riding my exercise bike for awhile now, so I decided to indulge in a form of exercise that gave me a lot of pleasure in the past-- gardening. I'm a Square Foot Gardener, as recommended by the Get Rich Slowly site. I SF Gardened for the past ten years, off and on. More off than on because of my weight and the fact that we moved a lot. Now we own a home, and I've lost enough weight to feel energetic again. SF Gardening has several advantages, if you prepare properly. Because all the gardening is done in raised 4'x4' squares, there's less back-breaking labor weeding. Even I can reach easily into the center. This means I never compact the soil by walking on it. However, all that ease later means you must do things right the first time. All it takes is a bit of preparation. I began last year by raking up all the leaves that fell in my yard and bagging them up. I allowed the leaves inside to rot, waiting for them to turn to delicious, nutritious leaf mold my plants would love to snack upon. I also started a compost bed and ordered a (free) pile of wood chip mulch from a local tree service. One year later, and all is ready. So, Dante and I got out there and dug our first bed. We dug down a minimum of 12", then built a wooden box to give us a full 24" of space to fill with a mix of soil, peat, compost, leaf mold, and nutrients. I couldn't have done all that last year. Wheeling the wheelbarrow from where the bags of leaves had been stored, hauling barrows of half-composted wood chips, dumping and mixing, as well as helping build the wooden box would have half killed me. However, we had but one day to do this. The forecast called for rain all weekend, so Friday was our only chance. We finished and put away the tools just before dinner, tired and proud of ourselves. The bed is full of rich, black soil that is so perfectly friable, it's gorgeous. If the rain stops as predicted on Sunday, we'll stack the decorative bricks around the wood and mark our squares for planting. This morning, I'm feeling the effects of all that hard work. Everything from the neck down hurts. However, we've done it. Now we can plant those nutritious vegetables for as long as we own this house. (Hopefully, until the day we die.) Maybe this fall, we'll start a second bed, but that's all we'll ever need. Right now, my muscles say, "Honey, right now you couldn't lift the shovel. Better wait." LOL! Guess this means I'd better wait a few more days before I weed and mulch the flower beds. Thank goodness it's raining as predicted.

Way to go, Biker! Discrimination is never to be tolerated. If you don't point it out, the culprits think they can continue to do it. Mind if I shoot you an envious glance or two for the weight loss?

I'm with you all the way, Wendy!

I'm not hungry, except a minor feeling of need just before a meal. However, I've been a naughty bandster and have been eating bad things. I've not lost a pound this week, and it's entirely my fault. I'm back on the wagon and behaving.

I'll wait a bit. DH just started a new job, so we're cash poor right now.

I'm post-band and I'm drooling!

I'll be offline for a few days, or at least mostly AFK. Not only is it the weekend, but my blasted Muse decided to strike twice in one day. My hands HURT and are swollen. I think I'll take the weekend to heal up. Y'all play nice while I'm gone. Lena

I'll be offline for a few days, or at least mostly AFK. Not only is it the weekend, but my blasted Muse decided to strike twice in one day. My hands HURT and are swollen. I think I'll take the weekend to heal up. Y'all play nice while I'm gone. Lena

ROTFLMAO! Yes, sometimes the Muse is quirkier than an insane leprechaun. You never know what will inspire an author. (I should know! LOL!) Be vewy, vewy quiet. The Muse has it in for you, BG. LOL! Lena

Hooray for you, Biker! Congrats on the 25 lbs gone forever!

Lots of carbs in this one, but when you're desperate for a new taste... The link for the yummy Turkey-Cranberry Burgers is http://my.hearthealthyonline.com/hho/recipe/recipedetail.jsp?recipeId=R111043 Makes: 4 servings Prep: 20 minutes Grill: 12 minutes Ingredients 1/2 cup finely shredded carrot 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions 2 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs 2 tablespoons fat-free milk 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 12 ounces uncooked ground turkey breast or chicken breast 1 cup mixed baby greens 4 whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted 1/2 cup whole cranberry sauce Directions In a medium bowl, stir together carrot, green onions, bread crumbs, milk, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add ground turkey; mix well. Shape the turkey mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. Place patties on a greased grill rack directly over medium coals. Grill, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until patties are done (165°F),* turning once halfway through grilling. Arrange mixed greens on bottoms of buns. Top with grilled patties and cranberry sauce; replace top halves of buns. Nutrition Facts Nutrition facts per serving: Servings Per Recipe 4 servings Calories 283 Total Fat (g) 2 Saturated Fat (g) 0 Monounsaturated Fat (g) 0 Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 0 Cholesterol (mg) 53 Sodium (mg) 377 Carbohydrate (g) 40 Total Sugar (g) 19 Fiber (g) 3 Protein (g) 26 *Percent Daily Values are base on a 2,000 calorie diet

Lots of carbs in this one, but when you're desperate for a new taste... The link for the yummy Turkey-Cranberry Burgers is http://my.hearthealthyonline.com/hho/recipe/recipedetail.jsp?recipeId=R111043 Makes: 4 servings Prep: 20 minutes Grill: 12 minutes Ingredients 1/2 cup finely shredded carrot 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions 2 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs 2 tablespoons fat-free milk 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 12 ounces uncooked ground turkey breast or chicken breast 1 cup mixed baby greens 4 whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted 1/2 cup whole cranberry sauce Directions In a medium bowl, stir together carrot, green onions, bread crumbs, milk, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add ground turkey; mix well. Shape the turkey mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. Place patties on a greased grill rack directly over medium coals. Grill, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until patties are done (165°F),* turning once halfway through grilling. Arrange mixed greens on bottoms of buns. Top with grilled patties and cranberry sauce; replace top halves of buns. Nutrition Facts Nutrition facts per serving: Servings Per Recipe 4 servings Calories 283 Total Fat (g) 2 Saturated Fat (g) 0 Monounsaturated Fat (g) 0 Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 0 Cholesterol (mg) 53 Sodium (mg) 377 Carbohydrate (g) 40 Total Sugar (g) 19 Fiber (g) 3 Protein (g) 26 *Percent Daily Values are base on a 2,000 calorie diet

Congratulations on the ten pounds gone, Holly!

Me too, BG. One of my favorite meats, because it's so versatile.

Country Pork Stew Serves 4 generous portions Ingredients: 1 tsp olive oil 1-1/2 lbs pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1” cubes 1 cup chopped onion 4 cloves of garlic, pressed or equivalent from a jar 1 tsp. Dried sage Black Pepper, to taste ½ cup dry white wine (or ½ cup white grape juice combined with 1 T. cider vinegar) 1-3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth 2 T. tomato paste ¼ tsp. Ground allspice Note: While these directions are given for an electric skillet, you can use a Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. An electric skillet gives very even heat, and has a useful simmer setting, but not everyone has one. Heat the olive oil in the electric skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork cubes and onion, sautéing until brown, about 4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients in the order given, stirring a moment before adding the next. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and walk away for one hour. It’s done when the pork is fork tender. Nutrition: 284 calories 7 g fat 42g protein 7g carb 1g dietary fiber 111 mg cholesterol 380 mg sodium Exchanges: 0 starch, 5.5 lean meat, 1 veg Weight Watcher points: 6 Low Carb serving suggestion: Serve over either Cauli-Rice or any version of Faux-tay-Toes. This recipe was adapted from a recipe provided by www.SavingDinner.com. Highly Recommended!!

ROTFLMAO! Yeah, sports bras are all I own because of yo-yo weight loss and gain for so many years. You do have to buy them a size larger than you think you need just to be able to get them off. Now that I've lost a significant amount of weight and "the girls" have shrunk somewhat, I may have to cave in and (gulp) go shop for a real bra.

Country Pork Stew Serves 4 generous portions Ingredients: 1 tsp olive oil 1-1/2 lbs pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1” cubes 1 cup chopped onion 4 cloves of garlic, pressed or equivalent from a jar 1 tsp. Dried sage Black Pepper, to taste ½ cup dry white wine (or ½ cup white grape juice combined with 1 T. cider vinegar) 1-3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth 2 T. tomato paste ¼ tsp. Ground allspice Note: While these directions are given for an electric skillet, you can use a Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. An electric skillet gives very even heat, and has a useful simmer setting, but not everyone has one. Heat the olive oil in the electric skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork cubes and onion, sautéing until brown, about 4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients in the order given, stirring a moment before adding the next. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and walk away for one hour. It’s done when the pork is fork tender. Nutrition: 284 calories 7 g fat 42g protein 7g carb 1g dietary fiber 111 mg cholesterol 380 mg sodium Exchanges: 0 starch, 5.5 lean meat, 1 veg Weight Watcher points: 6 Low Carb serving suggestion: Serve over either Cauli-Rice or any version of Faux-tay-Toes. This recipe was adapted from a recipe provided by www.SavingDinner.com. Highly Recommended!!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BariatricRecipes The owner warned me by email that the site gets about 50 emails per day on a weekend, and advises you use Digest format. I've already received recipes in my Inbox, but I'm wading through a pile of email. I'll share if I find some good ones.

Wait until you taste the one I found last night! I changed it a bit to be even easier. I'm on a deadline, and I refuse to fiddle and be finicky with my recipes, darn it! My editor wants this short story like, yesterday.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BariatricRecipes The owner warned me by email that the site gets about 50 emails per day on a weekend, and advises you use Digest format. I've already received recipes in my Inbox, but I'm wading through a pile of email. I'll share if I find some good ones.

BG, your post is too brilliant for words. I'm in awe.