I'm here to help...

[IndioGirl55 32]

Phyl - Okra - you can buy it frozen and stick it in your Soups - and you can still oven fry it - defrost - dip in egg beaters then corn meal - spray cookie sheet - but them on it - spray again w/pam and bake - almost as good as fried..

Glad you all had a great valentines...

I woke up feeling like a mac truck hit me - I am tired - neck is killing me and also my knees were aching during the night.. I think I may just have to go to the doctor - I just don't have the energy that I think I should have..

[ocotillo 0]

Janet, I'm sorry you aren't feeling so well. Maybe you have a touch of the flu....not really sick, just run down a bit. We've kept you pretty busy the last few weeks. Thanks for the treats reminder. Mine yesterday was dates....they were very good, ate 3 of them. These are the ones I bought at the street fair in your area.

I walked 6 laps on the track yesterday....1.5 miles and have been fighting with my back all night....again. What a pain in the a$$, foot, leg...literally. I had this problem last week, but I need to keep it up. I feel so much better when I'm moving that much.

I handed in another assignment for writing yesterday, now I need to concentrate on Spanish. Haven't spent as much time on it as I need to. I'm distracted. Want to get back in the car and drive somewhere.

Sandy, sorry I missed your birthday....Glad you had a happy day!

Not much else going on here today....Home Depot trip with DH this evening. We need to replace the tub in the trailer in Mescal....so we are going to look at them.

Off to class soon. Have a great day.

Eva

[NYSparklegirl 1]

Hi all.

Just caught up on the last weeks posts. So glad the trip to Palm Desert/Springs/Indio..was nice.....wasnt the mountains just lovely? That was my favorite thing about the place.....all the mountains on either side. Just so peaceful. Sitting out in the afternoons on the patio alongside the golf course with the mountains on either side......spent more then a few hours jsut staring and contemplating how wonderful life was...........of course then I had to return to NY...bla bla bla. Yuchs.

Glad you guys enjoyed. I didnt get to go to the Col craft fair on Saturday..but I heard it was really nice. Was sorry to have missed that. Next time.

So...last Wednesday I got a 1/2 fill taken out and....guess what?? I do feel better. Why oh why did I wait??? It just is so silly to be uncomfortable.....I know that now. In any case.....I went as well to do a barium swallow yesturday....and well apparently there might have been a slippage sooooo have scheduled a endoscopy for next Thursday. The surgeon still has to look at scans to make sure....it could be not but wont know for sure till tomorrow.... but scheduled as they book so fast so will cancel if need to....cant imagine that ive slipped.....just feeling good now....so dont see it but who knows.....best be safe. If needed they will take out all solution after that...and see if it corrects. If so begin to refil if not.,...welll back to surgery. Not thinking that far.....hoping all is good cant imagine that it isnt.....crossing fingers.

well been real busy with the planning stuff and RSVPs etc etc....all is coming along...except for money coming lol....but that will just have to come from the trees in the next month.....to pay for all this so trying to stay withing some low budget.,aint easy but doing it...cause the money isnt falling yet!! lol

Okay just a quick post....doing taxes today....completing.....

have to run...

Have a good day all....and have a great rest of the week!!

Jodi

[Mrs. Bubba 0]

Hi everybody, sounds like you all had a nice Valentin's Day. I actually went to a Bible Study with a friend.... They are using a book by Joyce Meyer, "Never Give Up". Every Monday evening now for a while.... I think I'll like it... They put their hands on me and prayed for me last night... Was a very calming thing..........

Sandy, so sorry to have missed your birthday.... Was it the 14th?? That was my grandfather's birthday and I always would make him a heart shaped cake with Cinnamon red hots on it........ He's been gone so many years now, but it is a nice memory..... Today, the 15th is my DH's birthday. I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, expecting him to say angel food... Instead he asked for apple crisp with ice cream.... That's easy so I will definitly make it for him here in just a bit...... The little girls were here a while ago to play outside with him and he was so happy... Of course they all came in wet!! It's about 45 here today.... wonderful!!!!

Laura, so sorry about your fall.... I'm still recovering from mine but am a lot better... Hope you heal fast.....

Apples, you sound so happy being out there..... It makes me smile to read your posts..... Just what you needed..... Have lots of fun shopping....

Lori, glad you are enjoying Hawaii again.... I'm a bit envious.... never been there and probably won't go as DH doesn't care to... It reminds him of Viet Nam......He flew through there on his way to and from there back in the late 60's......

All the posts I read just now sounded so good... It seems this is a good time for most.... the anticipation of spring can do that ....it's been a long winter again.......

Well, I better get after my work.... a few guests coming for dessert after supper so need to clean the bathroom and dust a bit......

Oh, was going to report that Laromi is doing better, but we are still giving her Miralax everyday... Last night she walked upstairs and woke up her mother and said "I peed". Of course DD thought she had wet herself, but when she checked Laromi was dry.... She had woken up, taken herself to the bathroom and then came to report.... This is good news as it means she probably isn't having much pain anymore and is learning to know her body better.... We are pleased... DD is still having pains that are unknown cause.. but no gestational diabetes or gall bladder issues...

Anyway, have a wonderful afternoon and evening everyone....... Let's count our blessings and Never Give Up!!!!! Love you guys........... Julie

[Meredith2424 0]

Hey gals. Back on track today.

Linda~ I have a "little" sister. She is the one with the dogs, is an OT, skinny, and lives in Northern Michigan. I LOVE her so very much. We are only 18 months apart and are super close. Thanks for the support and advice, I appreciate it so very much.

CBL~ Meredith

[1day at a time 2]

It's ok the have some dessert & chocolates on Valentine's Day - On your Birthday, On a Holiday

One day is fine - What's not fine is having them (treats) daily 24/7 - 365

You just need to budget for them (Treats) - Ya gotta get that whole cheating thing out of your mind - it's not cheating it's a treat .. Gotta get rid of the diet mentallity..

You are so right Janet 35 years of doing that, I guess it is just stuck in my head.

[1day at a time 2]

So I got this from a friend and I thought this was so profound I would post it for all of you

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those people on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said , 'How about going to lunch in a half hour?' She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes to fold. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late Breakfast, It looks like rain' And my personal favourite: 'It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because we cram so much into our lives, we tend to schedule our headaches.. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to...not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask 'How are you?' Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi'?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

'Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!'

[ifyourstomachoffendsyou 1]

Linda, the post by Kaye Bailey was very thought provoking, and provoking, and provoking.... LOL. Actually, I found it very interesting. Most days, mostly Protein. But I understand the need for an occassional treat. The trick for me is to most times make the snack high Protein or at least low-carb. Like Janet, its best to save the treat for at night when the cravings are strongest. But she is right. We can't do it often or we're on that slippery slope to real snacking on all the carb and fat laden sliders we used to love.

Janet, I don't enjoy restaurants anymore because if I stick to dense protein (if I can even get it in a restaurant) I can't eat a lot of it (3-4 oz just ain't much) and I feel like I've wasted the experience and my money. Plus I'm totally tempted by the great carbs they offer and I feel deprived if I don't eat them and guilty if I do. Solution: stay out of restaurants except for a very occassional treat. Right now I can't even go to Borders to read a book because the flavored coffees with whipped cream are more than I can resist.

So, question. Does talking about our cravings increase them or help take the power out of them? Just about any combination of chocolate candy, ice cream, and whipped cream or eaten separately are almost irresistable for me. I can't have them in the house (my husband keeps his hidden or keeps flavors I'm not fond of in the fridge). How do you resist cravings?

Have to tell you about Taniko, the eighth grader who said I was a beast in my "skinny jeans" which were actually leggings. I'm in the middle of going over story problems with him and an eighth grade girl and he says to her, "Isn't Mrs. Flory a beast? She was a beast in her skinny jeans, but she has swag. The way she cuts her bangs is swag." This is probably the funniest thing to happen to this 59 year old white lady in a long time. This kid is priceless. A royal pain in the tush half the time and totally disarming the next. He has no inhibitions.

Cheri

[1day at a time 2]

So, question. Does talking about our cravings increase them or help take the power out of them? Just about any combination of chocolate candy, ice cream, and whipped cream or eaten separately are almost irresistable for me. I can't have them in the house (my husband keeps his hidden or keeps flavors I'm not fond of in the fridge). How do you resist cravings?

Cheri

Cheri - To answer your question. For me talking about stuff that is a craving makes me want it. Watching a weight loss show makes me hungry. I guess I am crazy but when people say no; I want to have it. I guess like Janet said I still have diet mentality. How do you get over that? It has always been no to this or no to that in regards to food. When I try moderation I think I may try to soon in my weight loss journey cause once I have a taste I go into a tail spin and want more and more and more. I actually have never been in matienance yet since I am still dealing with my junked up head in regards to old ways of thinking when it comes to food. Some where I read that even artificial sweetners are bad cause they make everything taste sweeter. But what do you do? I really only put splenda in my coffee, but there is sweetner in everything even greek yogurt, my last trip to the grocery store and I could not believe how much fake stuff their is in our food. Look at your gum, mints, dressings, crystal light, cheese I mean what the heck how do you get away from it and not cost yourself a small fortune doing so. Even though I gave up soda and also bubbly Water as of 2008 I still get the caffine from my coffee even though I have at the max 2 cups a day. Sorry for the run on post after what Cheri posted made me think.

[IndioGirl55 32]

Cheri I hear you on being more tempted to eat diff foods while out - but again for me since I rarely do it - Those are treats - eating 1/2 enchilada and some Beans with chips & salsa - if just fine with me - I do it about every few months - heck not even on a monthly basis I haven't really kept tract but average once every 3 to 6 months - - might go out for Chinese once every 2 months and have a salad out - about every 2 weeks. Other than those few times I eat at home - I make my food - I control the food that I bring in my house - and occasionally something makes in my house that I can't control - I will have a little bit and throw the rest away.. I enjoyed my bday cake Sat & Sunday had 3 piece w/ice cream (sf) and then threw it away..

I think for me I have had my ah ha moment - I enjoy looking at myself in the mirror - I love feeling so much better (except for this week - I am pooped don't have much energy) - but I still went to boot camp tonite even thought I would have really rather sat on the couch - but even though I wasn't 100% - doing something is better than doing nothing.. I went - I sweated - I burned calories..

For me allowing myself those treats without guilt - having a little starch w/dinner - and a sf dessert at night - I really don't feel deprived - I eat foods I like - ya I get bored at times - but I got bored with the high fat foods that I use to eat too.. This is why I have said you have to get rid of the diet mentallity - diets don't work - you just have to tell yourself you are getting healthy and healthy foods don't include chips - candy - high fat - tons of white carbs - etc - we all know what's healthy and not - this is why you can't be so tight that you can't eat hard Protein..

I have a food plan that I can live with the rest of my life - I don't have a lot of outside temptation - a few at work - like right now girl scout Cookies - but I just say f you as I walk by them - I don't want to be morbitly obese - I don't want to be obese - I don't want to be over weight - I want a happy livable weight - and I have figured out that as long as I am following my food plan - and exercise - I can maintain ..

Melissa - this is how I do it - make it a food plan that you can live with - allow occassional treats and don't guilt over it - you are diabetic - so you have to be extra careful - you have to eat to keep your body healthy - you have family who love you and want you around - and everytime you eat crap you are killing yourself slowly - so that's how you have to think of the junk as poison to your system..

[Kiskis 56]

Hi gals - Glad everyone had a good v-day. Mine was not that eventful as I was tired after my first day of working. I worked at home but had a lot of emails after 3 days off. Day 7 post-op and down another 4 lbs for a total of 20 lbs.

Love your banter as it keeps me motivated!

Have a great week all!

Cheers,

Kristi

[llkb4me 1]

Kristi, WTG, that is awesome.

LauraK

[ljv52 2]

Hi all. Site was down this a.m. -- makes me frustrated.

Kristi -- wow, 20 lb. -- wtg and good going -- makes you feel good, doesn't it? So happy for you.

I must be weird -- but I can talk about food and have food in my house that I love, but unless I "plan" to eat it it doesn't bother me-- right now I have home baked Cookies in freezer, leftover fudge in fridge - lots of other crap -- chips, dips, etc. etc. and it doesn't bother me. If I choose to have a treat, then I eat it but everyone eats it all around me and it never bothers me. I must be very strange -- of course, I was never a snacker -- my problem was eating fattening carbs -- I LOVE mashed taters, gravy, mac & cheese, Pasta dishes, Bagels with heaps of cream cheese on them, etc. etc. you get the idea -- that's what makes my mouth Water. Ice cream, pies, cakes, Cookies, chips, etc. don't even sound that great to me -- give me enchilada casserole over any of those any day. LOL. And I think the more I talk about food the better I actually do -- but I have to tell you that I eat the same all the time -- I get stuck on a "taste" and eat the same way over and over again for like 6 or 8 months and then change -- i.e., when I first started solids I ate green Beans and fish for the first 6 months with occasionally eating chicken. Now I mostly eat chicken and fish - with salad greens - and sf fat free pudding with Protein powder in it for my "treat". I realize I'm weird - I make food for my DH and never even taste it. Not every day though -- I cook him stuff once a week so he has food to heat up.

Hope everyone has a great evening. I have Zumba tongiht -- love love love it. Makes me happy.

Linda

[phyllser 3]

I am SO sick! Temp 100.6, hurt everywhere, bad headache. Stmach hurt all night long. Got up at 7 a.m., I think.. went back to bed until 1 p.m. Can't do anything..back hurts bad,too. Dry heaves that are so painful... hurts on my left side s bad think I'm having a heart attack, butcould be my port. Don't know... just want it to be over. DD & SIL flying in from Seattle in the morning! I CAN'T be sick. They're only here aobut r days.

[Great2BThin 5]

Aloha, I am home! We had to take a Detour home via Los Angeles instead of the non stop as the non stop filled up at the last minute. Then the plane had a mechanical but only delayed it about 45 min. Got into the airport here and DH had about 10 min to get on a conference call for 3 hours so I had to sit in the airport here. He said it could be 30 min to 2 hours. I didn't want to take the car and have it be 30 min and turn around and get him. So I bought a USA Today read the paper and did all the puzzles. Not as good as Apples on the crosswords though, couldn't finish it. But I am good at Suduko. I had a marvelous time, lots of time alone for some contemplation too. I finished my Boundaries book and gleaned a lot from it. The book was great at pointing things out, lacking in how to fix it, but I have some good ideas on where boundaries are needed. I will write more about that another time.

Food/cravings: no it doesn't bother me usually to talk about them. Once in a while something will sound really good and I'll start dwelling on it but not often. My triggers are my triggers whether I talk about them or read about them or not. I know what my red light foods are, sometimes I think talking about them and bringing them out in the open takes some of their 'power' away from me. Yes I know I have power over the food. Mine are chips, salty crunchy things and fried things. Sweets, chocolate could leave those alone easy except maybe an M & M or chocolate covered macadamian nut! LOL And I was very proud of myself last time I brought home 3 bags of Hersheys macadamia nut kisses. Brought home none!

Falls, I know I read someone else took a tumble, but sorry I don't remember who. I am getting over my sore shoulder and back from my ice tumble. It was aggravating me swimming but then just got better.

Well got loads of laundry awaiting. Want to get it all done, just in case DD were to call and say she's in labor so I have clean stuff to grab to go to Denver. Not that I'd take summer stuff to Denver right now, but undies, jeans etc. all need awashing.