Lisa's Weightloss Journal (Posts welcome!)

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, I'm stopping by to say hi!! :wave2:

You've been doing such a great job - sticking with your program day after day and it's working wonders! Your new weight program sounds great and I bet you're dropping inches even if the scale isn't moving!

You sound like you had such a great time shopping at the mall, even if you didn't buy anything. I can't remember the last time I actually ENJOYED trying on clothes so I'm a bit envious! :p If I was sticking to my program the way you're sticking to yours, I'd probably be enjoying shopping again - thanks for inspiring me to make today an extra healthy one!! ::yes::

I hope all is well on the Left Coast! :sunny:

[honeymo78]

Your weather sounds wonderful. I think I'm ready for 80 degree weather. I think you definitely could lose 10-15 more pounds before vacation. You'll be doing the double digit dance before too long - I know you're excited.

[LAinSEA]

Lisa - wow! into the junior sizes! I'm so excited for you. You will look so styling for your vacation.

Congrats on adding the weight training to your workout. That takes real dedication.

Keep enjoying the planning. It starts the vacation early. You and your family will have such a fun, worry-free trip.

Stay out of the heat! It's warm here at 80 degrees - I don't know how you take it down there.

-Laurie:sunny:

[Castillo Mom]

Hi ladies! I was about to turn in but I felt so guilty about not posting to my journal, so here I am. I've been on the resorts board a lot keeping an eye out on possible discount codes.

I was out and about this weekend. I worked yesterday of course. Today was grocery shopping day at Costco. I was good and only bought food, yay for me! Took the kids to cool their heels at Borders for a couple of hours and had a late lunch at Quizno's. We're having another heat wave out her in Southern California. It got near 100 day where I live, over 100 in other areas.

Beth, I'd trade a little chill right about now. Don't get me wrong I love warm weather except when my bedroom is around 80 degrees tonight when outside its about 75.

Hi Lisa! Thanks for reminding me to drink my water, I needed that. I'm not having a hard time with it right now what with the heat and all. Went to Baskin Robins today and had no sugar added banana something-or-other ice cream. Yum! I'm going to have to look for that Pierre's ice cream you mentioned.

Steph, double digits will be Wednesday and I can't wait! Sending some California sunshine your way!:sunny:

Hello miss Doreen! Always so nice to hear from you. You ladies are the ones that have inspired me to keep going. We can do it! Did some more window shopping today and bought a halter!:eek: I'm saving it for when hubby and I go out dancing. Found out there's salsa dancing by the beach on Sunday afternoons at this Brazilian restaurant. It's a churazqueria (sp?) and they serve all these different types of meats on skewers and they have a beautiful salad bar. Just what I need, Atkins approved food and getting my body moving dancing all at the same time. Woohoo!

Hi Laurie, how's it going? Did you ever finish your project with the yard work? I'm going to have to check out your journal to see what you've been up to.:D

Will check everyone's journals tomorrow. Good luck to all who weigh in tomorrow a.m. Nighty night!

[lulu201]

:cool: Good morning, Lisa C.! :cool: I hope you're managing the heat OK--we're in lots of rain today in SE Pennsylvania.

It sounds like you're doing just great! :Pinkbounc A halter top--that is too cool! You are going to be quite beautiful out there on the dance floor; DH is going to be feeling like a lucky man.

I hope you have a good week and that the scale is cooperative today when you weigh in. Good luck!

:D ,
Erin

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,

Here's some:wizard: for weigh in today. Try to stay cool in the heat.:smooth: The restaurant sounds like a lot of fun. Great food that is OP and dancing. DH will be:earseek: with you in that halter.

Have a good one,
Beth

[ZerasPride]

Hi Lisa,

I'm dropping by to see how you are doing. Don't melt in that heatwave you guys are having okay? What you could so is send about 25 of those degrees to Cleveland. It's so cool here I just turned on the furnace and it's May 3rd!!!

I see we have a hot mama on the boards! I'm sure you'll great in your halter. I can't wait until I can wear one of those.

It sounds like you're doing well. Take care and let's keep on track. :)

[Strings]

:wave2: Lisa,

jst thought I'd drop by and say hi, and bump your journal to the top. I know you hate it being at the bottom of the page.;)
Have a good one,
beth

[Auntmeme]

Hi Lisa, just reviewing journals and you look fabu! And congrats on on the losses:Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

Your new restuarant with the salsa sounds so great, can I fly out and meet you there;)

Your trip is going to be the best, not too much longer to go. Where are you staying?

Will you be going back to buy that white dress? would be perfect for a night at pleasure island:cool1:

[LAinSEA]

Lisa - I saw on the resorts board that you were able to re-book and take advantage of the 7 for the price of 5 deal. Too cool to get a break on an already planned for vacation!

-Laurie

[Castillo Mom]

Oh my goodness, I'm almost too embarassed to post! I've been in vacation planning overdrive this last week or 2. I've revised my itinerary 4 times now. One thing you can count on with WDW is change!

Well, they finally reduced overtime at work. I'm back to my regular schedule of 9:00 to 5:30 but I'm still working Saturdays. Kiddos and hubby are happy to have me home early.

I had hit a plateau weight-wise but finally broke it yesterday. I don't stress out about these little bumps in the road, I think it's just part of the journey. Anyway, I'm down to 167 and I'm happy with that.

I discovered some low carb tortillas at Costco and their pretty darn good. I've been missing quesadillas so much and it was so good to finally have one. Now I can also have a burritos too, just meat, salsa, lettuce and tomato with guacamole, hold the beans.

Erin, we never did get to go to that club, my youngest got sick and my husband ended up having a last minute gig the evening before. Those things go on until 2 or 3 in the morning fairly often, so he's always beat the next day. Boy, I can remember a few years back when he would do a gig, sleep for a couple of hours and be up bright eyed and bushy tailed the next day for a family outing. A lot of times I would go with him to his gigs, but I havent' gone since I've been working Saturdays. Guess its time to admit that we're not spring chickens anymore.:rolleyes:

Lisa, so nice of you to check on me. You know, they predicted that it was going to be a hot spring and summer and they were right. April and May have been unseasonably hot. It's about 75 degrees right now and it's almost 8:00 p.m. Oh well, hot weather means to me more fun outdoor activities and ice cream. Sugar free of course! I got my Victoria's catalog in the mail yesterday. I was looking through it and saw this adorable asymetrical white haltar top. It's on sale so that give me a good excuse to order it!::yes::

Beth, thanks for bumping up my journal! You're right, I don't like when its at the bottom because it means I've been neglecting my journal!

Meme, you're welcomed out in California any time! In answer to your question, we're staying at the Beach Club. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! I'm taking my middle son shopping on Sunday. I'm thoroughly enjoying shopping for vacation clothes. We're making it a mother/son thing. I'm leaving the other 2 home and spending special alone time with him. We'll have lunch and then hit the stores. I'm doing that with all of them. It's also much easier to focus on 1 kid at a time rather than trying to do a shopping spree with 3 at once. Oh, the white dress! Yes, if it's still there in June, I'm definitely buying it!

Hi Laurie! I was really happy to get the package deal. I was considering getting a PAP for my youngest child in order to get the AP rate, but it ended up being about $500 cheaper. I saved around $800 over the AAA rate I had. I just paid in full today, so that was a relief to cross one more thing off my list.

Off to read your journals!

[lulu201]

:wave2: Hi, Lisa! Your trip planning must be so much fun! You all are going to have the best time! :Pinkbounc It sounds like you're doing great and staying OP. Congratulations!

:hug: ,
Erin

[Castillo Mom]

Man, I'm sooo tired right now. I thought I should post my menu for yesterday and today before hitting the hay.

5/15/04:

Breakfast: Two slices of lc toast, sf hot chocolate.

Lunch: Forgot my lunch at home.:rolleyes:

Dinner: Meat and cheese burrito (lc tortilla). Delish!

Snack: 1 slice of bread with peanut butter and sf strawberry jam.

5/15/04:
Breakfast-Two eggs, 3 slices of bacon, water.

Lunch-No time. I was out clothes shopping with DS.

Dinner-I had to get a little creative because I didn't have time to do my usual Sunday grocery shopping at Costco, so the fridge was pretty bare. There was some leftover taco meat, so I heated it up and sprinkled some cheese on it and put it in between 2 slices of lc bread. A taco sandwich! Had an Atkins candy bar and some milk for dessert. Hit the spot!

I got up at 3:30 a.m. as I had planned so that I could get on the phone promptly at 3:55. I'm happy to report that I was able to secure reservations for the Specialty Cruise to see Illuminations! I'm so psyched!!! This is a surprise for DH and the kiddos. It will be our first night at WDW and the cruise is going to make it so special and memorable. Also made PS for dinner at Cape May Cafe. I'm getting up bright and early again tomorrow because I want to make a PS for lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern and I'm assuming they go pretty quickly since they're in the MK which doesn't have much in the way of sit down meals.

I took DS (my 11 year old) vacation clothes shopping. We had a blast and every single item I bought him was on sale, woohoo! Now all he needs is a pair of sandals, sneaks, and a small backpack and he's set for the trip! I still have 14 year old DS to go and a few more shirts to get for 9 year old DS. Then I can focus on shopping for myself. DH already did his shopping.

Ok, I'm jibber jabbering too much again. Good night!

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, you are sounding so happy!! :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:

You're staying on plan, finding great deals on great clothes, saving money on your hotel reservations - WOW!!! You should be very proud of you! ::yes::

We'll be at the Beach Club Villas in mid June, so if you have any questions, let me know! I'll be happy to scope the place out for you! ::yes:: We've never done an Illuminations cruise but I've heard great things about them. We did do a pontoon boat cruise from the Contemporary to see the fireworks at the MK while sitting on the lake - it was our anniversary and the boat driver surprised us with champagne & 2 glasses for us. We had brought along some cans of soda so she and the kids shared those. Wonderful memories! I bet you and your family will have great memories from your cruise too! You're allowed to bring your own snacks & drinks so don't be afraid to bring some goodies to enjoy!

I've taken up enough of your journal space!

:hug: and :sunny:

[Castillo Mom]

I'm at work right now and did my regular Monday routine and weighed in. I lost another pound! I got plenty of exercise this weekend with all the walking I did, so I has hoping I'd see a loss. So that takes me down to 166. That number seems so foreign to me. I'm 2 lbs. away from my 60 lb. clippie. Maybe I can get it by the end of the month.

If none of you who read my journal mind, I'm also going to chronicle my trip planning here because I'm sooo excited and I have all of this pent up energy. I share an office with a coworker/friend and she's had to hear me talk about this trip every day for a year and a half. She's so sweet about it and always listens, but I feel like I must be driving her nuts. I'd talk to my husband about it but he's not the planner that I am and thinks we should go with the flow this trip and decide what we want to do as we go along. Wrong!!! There's no way I could just be spontaneous on a trip to WDW, especially after learning all I have from these boards. I'm not getting up at 3:30 a.m. all this week for nothing! When we're out on that boat on the Seven Seas Lagoon just the 5 of us and they see Illuminations front and center, I know my husband will be glad I didn't listen to him. And I won't say I told you so, I'll just smile and give him a peck on the cheek and a great big hug.;)puckerup: Redemption, I love it! Oh, I got the time I wanted for our PS at Liberty Tree Tavern, noon on Sunday 8/15. We're doing EMH that day at the MK so we should be pretty hungry by then even though it's an early lunch. The CM I spoke with this morning said 12:00 is the perfect time in order to beat the crowds. Tomorrow I'm making our PS for Fantasmic and Sci-Fi Dine In.

Doreen, you can take up as much journal space as you want! Thanks so much for offering your expertise on the BC. I'll definitely query you when you get back!:D

[ZerasPride]

Hi Lisa,

I'm check in on you to see how things are going. Very well, I see. Congratulations on your loss!!!! Your trip planning sounds like it's right on track too. You will love the Beach Club. It's one of the first places me and my family ever stayed at Disney. We're DVC members but I haven't yet had the pleasure of staying at the Beach Club Villas. We love OKW so much. Anyway, I know your family will be thrilled with all the special surprises and touches you are adding to their experience.

Planning a Disney trip is a tough job and you're just the woman to do it! I know you and your family will have a wonderful trip and you do all the trip planning/journaling here you want. We'd love to hear about it! {{{hugs}}}

[Castillo Mom]

I said I would try to do better at journaling my menus, so here I am.

5/17/04:
Breakfast-1 slice of dry toast, coffee. I didn't eat it dry on purpose, I was just too lazy to go upstairs and get some butter, plus I was pretty busy.

Lunch-2 small chicken breasts, broccoli, sliced tomato.

Dinner-2 small burritos with taco meat and cheese. I know, I had that the day before yesterday but it was so good, I made another small batch of taco meat when I got home.

Lisa, thanks for stopping by my journal! I'm dying to see the look on the boys faces when we get to Disney World. I can see myself getting choked up when we see Wishes or Illuminations. After all, we work hard for our children and their happiness. We're not ones to spoil our kids materially, but they're great kids and they deserve this vacation. Another reason I'm going all out is because my husband's health isn't very good. He's diabetic and unfortunately, he's noncompliant (the term his MD uses). Of course I love him very much but he's following in my father in law's footsteps I'm afraid. My FIL passed away 3 years ago at the age of 56, way too young. He died from complications of diabetes. His kidneys were shot and had also developed heart problems and had a host of other health issues associated with the disease. Anyway, although I know there will probably be other family vacations in our future, this is the one that will stand out in the boys' minds when they get older. Well, enough about that. Goodnight.

[Castillo Mom]

It's 4:04 a.m. right now and I could just kick myself! I thought today was the day I was supposed to make PS for Chef Mickey and Ohana but I'm a day early. It is, however, time to make one for Planet Hollywood, but Dining told me I have to call the restaurant directly. Means I could have slept in.:mad: Oh well. I was going to post yesterday's menu but I changed my mind. Going back to sleep.

[lulu201]

Lisa, :hug: to you this morning--whatever time you wake up.;)
My father died 12 yrs. ago from complications of diabetes (it sounds almost identical to your FIL but he was 68), so I know something about the diabetic struggle. The trip and memories that you're creating for your family will inspire and touch them for the rest of their lives. Hearing about your plans warms my heart every time you post them!:D Have a great day. Erin

[Strings]

Lisa,
I did the same thing when I was trying to get PS for Cindarella's table. Of course I didn't have as many timezones. I hope you were able to get back to sleep.

Lisa, I know that you know this, but the only thing you can do for your DH is love him. I've worked with hundreds of diabetics over the years, many of them noncompliant. The diabetic has to decide for him/herself to make the changes in their lifestyle. It really is like our weightloss journey. We had to be ready to commit to a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, many( not all ) diabetics are too stubborn and angry to make the changes required for their health. What you can do is bethere for him through it all. A strong support system does have a positive influence on patient outcomes. Boy did I sound clinical there, sorry. Do what you are doing, love him and make as many memories as possible.


:hug:
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

5/18/04:
Breakfast: 1 slice of toast, coffee. I really need to make my breakfast before I leave the house!

Lunch-2 small hamburger patties w/cheese, broccoli, sliced tomato.

Dinner-Burrito in a low carb tortilla. That would make the 3rd time this week I have a burrito! Boy, did I miss those things or what?

Dessert: I know this might sound weird, but I had a couple squirts of whipped cream. Hey, it's allowed on my plan and I didn't have any lc ice cream in the fridge to go with it.

Erin, thanks so much for sharing your story. Unfortunately not much can be done until the person wants to help themselves. Just a fact of life I guess.

Beth, thanks for your expertise on the subject. My husband was diagnosed in his early 20s. He went from only needing oral meds to a sliding scale of two types of insulin in addition to the meds. About 6 years ago he had first pancreatitis attack and almost died and has had 4 attacks since then, all of them putting him in ICU. Fortunately he hasn't had one in about 3 years. Currently he's suffering from diabetic neuropathy which causes him a great deal of pain. He's completely noncompliant and isn't taking any of his meds or checking his BS. He eats and drinks whatever he wants. I've tried begging, nagging, getting angry, being nice, you name it. But like you said, at some point you just have to leave it up to them to make the necessary changes. All you can do is love and support them. It's really hard seeing him deteriorate right before my eyes when he's only 36. Thanks very much for your encourgament though.:D

[LAinSEA]

Lisa: If only we could the men in our lives to behave! Unfortunately they have to make up their minds to take care of themselves - we can't do it all for them. All you can do is to let them know how much you love them and how important they are here, in your life (and those around them).

My best friend had gestational diabetes with her first pregnancy...she controlled it by being very very careful with her diet and excercise and didn't have to use insulin. Now pregnant with her second child - she's following the same regemin and has not been diagnosed with the problem at all. She and her husband eat low-carb in the South Beach diet style. She feeds her son the same way but adds more full-fat dairy in his diet.

You can't control your husband's diet all the time - but maybe just one meal a day feed him right. I sure hope he decides soon to take care of himself - for you and his sons...they need him around!

Your WDW plans look fantastic so far. I'm enjoying all your planning...keep posting all the fun.

-Laurie

[Castillo Mom]

May as well post yesterday's menu since I'm already up.

5/19/04:
Breakfast-Finally, a real breakfast this week. Two eggs, 3 slices of bacon and coffee. It hit the spot!

Lunch-2 small turkery burger patties w/swiss cheese, sliced tomato, green beans.

Dinner-Taco salad.

Laurie, thanks for your kind words of encouragement!:hug: I try really hard not to stress out over DH health, but it's not always easy!

I just got off the phone with WDW Dining. Made PS at Chef Mickey for breakfast at 9:30 on 8/18 and dinner at 'Ohana at 5:30. I'm really excited about these 2 places! My kids are going to love dining there. The 18th we're pretty much sleeping in until about 8:30 and we'll take a taxi to get to Chef Mickey so we don't have to deal with the bus. We'll be going to Disney Quest afterward and will be there most of the day. I don't know what the hours will be but I'm hoping MK will be open until at least 9:00 so we can go there after dinner. Maybe we'll get lucky and catch Spectro and/or Wishes, maybe even E-ride night.

I better get back in bed before I'm fully awake and can't get back to sleep!:hyper:

Edit: I weighed in when I got to work this morning. I'm down another 1/2 lb. so I'm 165, 1 pound away from my 60 lb. clippie!:Pinkbounc

[Castillo Mom]

Getting right down to business....

5/20/04:
Breakfast-Two scrambled eggs, 1 hot link.

Lunch-Chopped steak w/onions, small side salad.

Dinner-Bologna sandwich w/cream cheese on lc wheat bread.

I was totally beat last night so I decided not to get up at 3:30 a.m. to make PS. We're doing Typhoon Lagoon and Epcot on Thursday 8/19 and I was undecided as to where to eat. I was looking at our itinerary and I noticed that we're eating at quite a few places that serve American food so I decided that on the 19th we should have something different since we'll be in Epcot anyway. I was trying to decide between Italian and Japanese. I was looking at the menu for Alfredo di Roma and they seem overpriced. We rarely ever eat at Japanese restaurants, so Teppanyaki won out and I made a PS for 5:30. I think the kids will enjoy it there.

Well, back to work.

[wilderness01]

You are right, the Italian restaurant was overpriced. The food was just ok as well.

[Castillo Mom]

Thanks Widerness! I'm glad I chose Teppanyaki.

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,
I love reading about your trip plans. I love Chef Mickey and Ohana's. They are actually 2 of our favorite restaurants. I've had lunch at teppanaki. It was delicious and entertaining. On our first trip we ate at Alfredo's, and we were dissappointed. You've made great dining choices. One of the things that totally stressed me out when I was planning our trip was the nighttime shows. They don't post dates until long after you need to make PS. It was so frustrating. You are going to have the best time. Keep the dtails coming so I can live viacariously.

Enjoy your Sunday,
Beth

[DoeWDW]

Your family will love Teppanyaki - very entertaining and the food is yummy!! Keep the trip details coming!! Every time I read about your planning, it makes me smile - I'm either thinking about the great times we've had or the great times you'll have (or both!).

If you need a quick meal at the hotel but don't want to wait in the long lines, I suggest walking over to the ESPN Zone at the Boardwalk. You can order anything from their menu to go - just order from the bartender. They have it ready and packed up in 15 minutes - you can take it back to your room or the pool and enjoy.

Another suggestion - if you're looking for a really wonderful breakfast buffet close to the Beach Club, walk to Fresh! at the Dolphin. It is sooooo good - much nicer than the Yachtsman's Galley buffet at the Yacht Club and a lot less crowded than Cape May Cafe's character breakfast at the Beach Club. From the Dolphin, you can stroll or catch the boat to MGM Studios easily.

Sorry to hear about DH's non-compliance. Maybe the family time at WDW will help him see how much he'd like to live a long time to enjoy the kids as they grow up and start families of their own.

Hope you have a fabulous Monday and congrats on whittling away those pounds!! Can't wait to throw a clippie party over here!! :sunny:

[Castillo Mom]

Steph, I'm glad I went with Teppanyaki. I haven't told the kids about it yet, but we saw a commercial for Benihana and I asked if they'd like to go to a place like that and they said yes, so I think I made the right choice.

Doe, thanks for suggesting Fresh. I had it on my list of "must dos" but wasn't sure where to put it on our itinerary. I'm hearing really good reviews of that place, so I'm thinking we could maybe go there for lunch on our last day depending on where we'll be. If not, I suppose we could do an early breakfast on check out day.

I'm not posting menus but just know that I'm OP. I'm still at 165, waiting to lose that pound so I can get that clippie. I tried on those size 13 capri pants this morning. They still fit tight but not as tight as when I first bought them. If I can just lose 5-10 pounds by the time we leave, I'm sure they'll be fine.

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, you must be losing more inches - YAY!!! :Pinkbounc Those capris will probably be very loose by the time you leave!! :p

Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend, filled with fun, healthy food and exercise! :sunny:

[ZerasPride]

Hi Lisa!

I'm just stopping by and checking on you my WISH-sis. I see the count down timer is getting lower and lower. Your trip will be here before you know it and I'm sure you lose those 5-10 pounds you want to take off before you trip. Take care of yourself! :)

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,

Congrats on the capris fitting better. I am sure they will fit perfectly by the time your trip comes. Is everything planned now?
Have a good one,
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

I'm still here! I've been on the trip planning boards a lot. In addition, I subscribe to Tour Guide Mike, another trip planning website and a new discussion forum debuted, so I've been over there quite a bit.

I just wanted to stop in and say that I'm still in the game. I'm at a major plateau but I'm still hanging in there. I'm thinking about going back on induction. I've been eating around 40 carbs a day, and I've been maintaining my weight, but I think it's time to cut back if I want to get over this hump. I'm in good spirits, though, enjoying the start of summer and looking forward to my upcoming trip.

Well, it's late so I'd better hit the hay. I need to journal daily since I'm starting induction tomorrow, so I'll be back then to post menus. Good night!

[Castillo Mom]

Well, I weighed in this morning and I'm down .5 lb. Woohoo! So I'm .5 pounds away from getting my 60 lb. clippie. I've been after that thing for weeks now. It's ok, I'll get it soon enough, no worries!

I did, however, start off on a bad foot this morning. I'm officially back on induction for 2 weeks as of today. I was out and about all day yesterday and was just bushed, so I didn't get up in time to make myself breakfast. Today is also the boys' first day of summer vacation which meant I slept in until the delicious time of 8:30. It's a good thing I work less than a mile away because that left me with only 20 minutes to get ready (I was 5 minutes late though). So this morning sleep won out over breakfast.

Time to get back to work. I'll post menus either tonight or tomorrow morning.

[disneygoof]

Hiya!

Just noticed your post about plateaus. I lost 15 pounds between November and late January, then until May, NOTHING. Nothing. I stayed at 146 for over three months. Finally in late May, I lost a quick 10.

That may not seem like inspiration, but just know that if you stay with it, you will lose the weight.

Good luck on the new clippie!

Have a magical day!

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,

Congrats on the .5 pound loss. maybe the plateau is finally broken. Have fun with the trip planning. How is the Tourguide Mike site? I'm curious. Can you keep some atkins bars or nuts in your desk for an emergency?

Take care,
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

Disneygoof, thanks so much for the encourgament. I vowed not to stress of plateaus so I'm trying not to think about it too much. Over the weekend I ate more carbs than usual knowing that Monday I'd start induction. I'm hoping that the shock to my system will jump start the weight loss.

Hi Beth! I love TGM! Actually, he just added a private discussion board which I really enjoy. There aren't too many posts, but they just debuted a week ago. I really like the fact that Mike pops in every now and then to the boards and gives great advice. If you're not familiar, he's a former CM who used to conduct tours for WDW. He now runs his own VIP tours and specializes in what else? WDW. He's got a lot of experience and actually lives in the Orlando area, so he knows all the ins and outs. Some of the content on his website you can find elsewhere, but some of it I've only seen there. What I really like is that he keeps the site updated. With a guidebook, it's already out of date by the time you buy it even if it's for the current year. I believe Mousesavers offers a discount if you're interested.

[septbride2002]

Good Luck on induction! It is so hard to do so I admire anyone that can do it successfully. I usually last about 2 days ;)

~Amanda

[Strings]

So how's induction going? Thanks for the info. I'll probably do TGM for the next trip, but it is way too early to sign up now. i hope your day is going well.

Take care,
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

Ok, not doing so good on induction. I slipped and had some fruit. Then one of the vendors I do business with brough me some sugar free chocolate covered strawberries. They were so good! But, hey, they were sugar free ok? Tomorrow I'm back on the wagon again. I'm staying away from the scale until Monday.

I saw my mom today and she picked up an outfit that she found on sale at Norstrom. It's very sexy! It has a black skirt that's kind of hard to describe, it's kind of like lace that's lined with black silk, knee length with a slit in the back with a black and red jersey-type material top so it's very form fitting. The outfit would be perfect with some black stilettos. Well, it's a size 12 petite. When I went to go try it on and saw the size, I thought, no way would it fit, it wouldn't go past my thighs. Not only did I get it past my thighs, it closed and zipped. Believe me, it's not the kind of skirt that stretches at all, so I was very shocked. The skirt is a bit tight, but a few more pounds and it'll be perfect. Now if I could only learn to wear stilettos for more than an hour!:crazy:

Thanks so much for your encouragement ladies, I sure need it. I only have 56 days until we leave, so I better put in some hard work.

[ZerasPride]

Hi Lisa!

Your trip is so close so I know you must be excited. That outfit sounds darling and I'm sure you'll look sexy in it. Congrats on fitting into so well.

I know you must be in the middle of getting everything together for your trip and doing induction too, WTG!!! I've thought about going back to Phase 1 of SBD for a bit, but just can't bring myself to. Anyway, just wanted to stop by and let you know I was thinking of you. Take care and I'll check on you again soon!

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,

Congrats on the skirt. It sounds awesome. DH will :love: :earseek: :earseek: :earseek:. Doing induction again is REALLY tough. You are doing a great job. I know I'd never resist SF choc. strawberries. How were they?

Beth

[LAinSEA]

Lisa: I went back on induction for the month of May and had good success breaking a plateau. It is frustrating when the scale doesn't show progress, but getting into that little black dress is better than the scale!

Those days between now and WDW are going to go by quickly. Happy planning!

-Laurie

:sunny:

[Castillo Mom]

I did it, I did it, I did it! Phwew, that took a loooong time! I finally made it to 60 lbs.:jumping1:

Ok, back down to earth for a minute. Time for another goal. The problem is, everytime I set a goal it changes later on down the line because of these darn plateaus. Oh well, I need to start somewhere. My goal right now is to lose another 5 lbs. by 7/31. It's going to be tough. I know I said I was going to be on induction but I haven't stuck to it as strictly as I should. Yesterday I had toast for breakfast, albeit low carb. After dinner I had a no sugar added fudgecicle. I did, however, stay under 30 grams total, so I only went a little over my carb limit. But then again, Atkins is all about quality, not quantity, so I need to watch myself.

Lisa, so glad to have you back. Great job on staying OP during your vacation, I admire you for that! Yes, I've been very busy tieing up loose ends for vacation and make a few tweeks here and there. I'm taking the boys to the store this weekend to get some construction paper to make a paper chain to starting counting down the days.

Beth, those strawberries were to die for! I was able to talk to the person that left them for me and she said she made them herself. How sweet of her! Amazing what these reps will do to get your business. I'm not complaining though! She used to leave tons of sugar laden goodies for me and the staff all the time. Then one day recently we were talking and she commented on the weight I'd lost and I told her I was doing Atkins. I guess that's why she brought me the sf stuff. Very thoughtful of her!

Hi Laurie! I agree, I finally had to do something to break that plateau and I knew induction was the way to do it. Now if I would just keep to it to the letter, I would probably lose more weight. This morning's weigh in is encouraging though and is motivating me to stick to it.

Time to wrap it up gals. Will check in hopefull on Monday.

[Strings]

:cheer2: :cheer2: :jumping1: :jumping1: :jumping1: :cheer2: :cheer2:

CONGRATULATIONS LISA!

You have worked so hard to get that elusive clippie. I'm so proud of you. You have really stuck with it through that platea and are such an inspiration to us all. CONGRATULATIONS!
Beth

[LAinSEA]

Lisa:

Wow, 60 lbs gone! You should be so proud of yourself. 5 more by the end of July sounds entirely reachable. You can do it!

-Laurie

[DoeWDW]

:Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc CONGRATULATIONS!!! :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

Lisa, you are lookin' WOW in that 60 pound clippie!!! Way to go!! Your persistence through your plateau is amazing and it's all paying off!!

I'm at the Beach Club right now and will be here until early Friday morning. If you have any questions, now would be a good time to ask! :p You're gonna LOVE IT!!

Have fun planning your trip!!

[Castillo Mom]

Oooh, I have my own cheering squad, cool! Thanks Beth, Laurie and Doreen!

I weighed in this morning with some trepidation. I wasn't sure whether the scale would still read 164. Not that I cheated this weekend, I was OP. I just had the feeling of "too good to be true." I've had the scale move on me in the wrong direction after having just lost. But I'm happy to report that it's a done deal, I'm 164.:teeth:

I'm eating my lunch right now, tuna salad. Remind me not to eat that again in my office with the door closed, peeeuuw!!! I'm going to have to spray something before I let anyone in.

Well back to the trip planning boards. Doe, I sent you a PM. Once again, thanks for offering your expert advice and review of the BC!:D :worship:

[Castillo Mom]

Boy is it hot tonight! I'm so spoiled with the central air in my office so when I get home I feel like I'm in an oven.

I'm not even going to try to post menus. I'm still at 164 but we'll see what the scale says on Monday.

I work tomorrow plus shopping to do with eldest DS and lots of errands on Sunday so I probably won't be by until Monday. Have a great weekend everyone!

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, your trip is getting closer and closer!! I'm so excited for you! One more piece of advice about the Beach Club - we don't usually get our $-worth out of the refillable mugs there. You can only get them refilled at Beaches & Cream or Hurricane Hanna's and the lines are usually too long to make it worth the effort.

Hope your Sunday is filled with :sunny: !

[Castillo Mom]

Just got home from shopping. I'm exhausted and I'm not done yet. I took 14 year old DS summer clothes shopping yesterday. I think we're finally done with him. I got some great bargains this weekend! Got him 2 pairs of sandals, 1 black and 1 brown. While I was at it, got myself 2 pair also, a red and a black pair, very comfy!

This journal is supposed to be about weight loss, isn't it? Well, it's become my all purpose journal, ok?:crazy: Anyway, I'm sorry to report that with all of the running around I've been doing this weekend, I haven't been eating well. Yesterday I only had time for lunch, 3 carne asada tacos and a diet coke. I did have 1 graham cracker and a little milk before bed, but that's it. Today I skipped breakfast too and had a ham sandwish on lc bread and a diet drink. I know, if I keep on this way it's going to mess up my metabolism. I promise to eat breakfast tomorrow, in fact I'll pick up some Morning Start Bars at Walmart since I'm headed there anyway.

Well, I'm off to drop DS off at a party and run a couple more errands. We'll see what the scale has to say tomorrow!

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,

You are one very busy woman. I promise not to give you any lectures. The shoes sound cute. I think these journals are for everything. You can't separate weight loss from the rest of your life. Our emotions, schedules, jobs, families, cycles and everything else impact our weightloss. Journalling these events can help us identify trends to aid our weight loss. Also, many of us journal when we used to binge, so I think it is great that you are making it a general journal.
Beth

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, your sandals sound great! Make sure you break them in before your trip, OK?

Did you eat breakfast today??? Please make sure to put your body's nutritional needs high up on your priority list - you wouldn't expect your car to run without gas, right?

I'm shifting out of Mom-mode now :p !

I hope you have a wonderful, stress-free day!! :sunny:

[ZerasPride]

Hi Lisa!

I love seeing your countdown timer get lower and lower. Your trip will be here so soon! I'm so excited for you.

A big fat congratulations on that beautiful 60 pound clippie! I am so proud of you and know you'll take off 5 more by the end of July. It truly stinks that weight loss slows so much after those initial months. I'm going through that right now myself. I'm hoping to take 5 pounds off by the end of next month as well.

Take care and even though I know your day will be busy, have a great one!:sunny:

[Castillo Mom]

I neglected to post on Monday and it was offical weigh in. No changes though, I'm still at 164. I noticed something interesting this morning. For the first time in many years, I can actually look in the mirror and tell that I'm bloated. I look in the mirror all the time now, so I know when my body looks different. With all of the extra weight, I couldn't tell when I was retaining water, it all looked the same to me. Not sure if this is a good thing or not but it's different. I had a hysterectomy 3 years ago but only had my uterus removed so I still have all the rest of my "plumbing" and I still get that crampy feeling every month and go through those hormonal changes so I guess that's why I still get bloated too. Yay for me.

Doreen, I didn't have time for breakfast, but I had all of the good intentions of grabbing a bite. By the time I had a morning break it was already 10:45 and they had stopped serving breakfast upstairs. I had breakfast yesterday though!

Beth, you're so sweet to check in on all of us with everything you have going on, but it's so nice to hear from you and know that you're hanging in there. How's your little one? I hope things are a little calmer for you now. I'll try to drop by your journal later. Take care!

Lisa, so nice to hear from you too! I know, the slow weight loss is irritating at times, but at least the scale is going in the right direction slowly but surely, right? I'm starting to have anxiety about our trip because it's been so long planning and now it's almost about to become a reality.:hyper:

Well ladies, I'm still at work and need to get outa here. Talk to you soon!:D

[Strings]

Hey Lisa,

If you notice that you are bloated, you should have a nice whoosh coming soon.
Have a good one,
Beth

[DoeWDW]

I like the way Beth thinks!! ::yes:: Lisa, that Whoosh Fairy may be right around the corner! Drink your water - maybe that will help!

Sending you :sunny: and best wishes for a great 4th of July weekend!

[Castillo Mom]

Well, here I am on this Monday morning not knowing really where to begin. I have many thoughts running through my head right now and am somewhat hesitant to record them here. I've decided that I will take the plunge and be brutally honest because I've come to realize how food plays a part in different aspects of my life, especially when it comes to eating out of emotion to feel a sense of control. If I'm going to stay on this journey, then I have to find a way to handle those emotions instead of turning to food. So here goes.

How else can I say this but to just lay it down as is? I've decided that I'm going to separate from my husband and that it will be permanent. Divorce is not an option at this point but I won't go into details, but it's for religions reasons. This is not the first time. We separated 2 1/2 years ago. I won't go into all of the gory details, but suffice it to say that for the 16 years we've been married, I've felt that somehow things would work out and that things would get better if only this, or if only that. It's taken me this long to realize that my husband must take responsibility for his actions. I'm truly sorry for the abuse he suffered as a child, but at some point when you become an adult you have to realize that you are the maker of your own destiny and your own future and can no longer blame your parents or anyone else for the choices that you make. I've allowed the demons of his past to rule our present and that of our sons. I'm not doing it anymore. All I want is peace for my children.

The connection I had with my husband was broken years ago. Unfortunately, when we reconciled, he played the "but the kids need a father in the home" card. They absolutely do, but at what expense? I fully blame myself for disrupting my boys' lives once again. That's something that I'll always carry with me. My 15 year old brought some facts to my attention that I was not aware of and I feel terrible that he didn't come to me sooner. When I found out that he's been trying to turn them against me, it was the nail in the coffin. I firmly believe that whatever problems a couple may have, children should never ever be placed in the middle. They're the ones that end up getting hurt. I would never do such a thing and I never thought that he would stoop to that level. I'd like to say that when I heard this I was shocked, but in retrospect, should I be?

Yesterday I told my husband of my plans. I would ask him to leave, but I've tried that before and he won't budge. Currently he's not employed, although he does have a DJ business, however, it's not steady income. I've come to realize that he's afraid to be alone and on his own 2 feet, but I can no longer subject the children or myself to this situation. I've set a target date for fall of next year. I haven't given him an exact date. If the situation warrants, then I may need to leave sooner but that's the plan so far. Anyway, this will allow me time to save enough money to buy the things we'll need, new furniture and appliances. I don't want to cause any more drama for the kids, so when we go, I'm only taking our clothing and personal belongings. It's not worth it for me to fight over furniture, etc. He'll only use material possessions as a tool to keep me there or to fight over, so he can keep them.

As for our trip, well, too late to cancel. Even if I could get all my money back, there's no way I'm going to disappoint the kids after planning for 2 years. He's agreed to keep the peace and I don't think it'll be a problem. He's always on his best behavior when we're on vacation. I'm going to do my best to enjoy this time with with the boys no matter what and will put this situation on the back burner for the time being.

I've made a promise to myself that when we return and until I leave, I will not argue or bring up any issues unless it directly involves the well being of the children. It's useless to to discuss or argue over problems when my decision has been made. Several years ago when I was still a stay-at-home-mom, my whole world turned upside down and I came to the realization that I was going to have to stop depending on him if the children and I were going to survive. I went back to school and got back into the work force soon after I graduated. I no longer have to depend on him for anything, and that scares the crap out of him and it's changed the whole dynamics of our relationship. He's become the dependent one and he no longer has power and control over me. Basically now he's looking for other ways to make me stay because he knows I'm not the woman he married. He can no longer hold it over my head that I didn't try hard enough or that I'm abandoning when he needs me most, or because of his disease, or he'll promise to change, or he'll fall into a deep depression and might become suicidal, just a million and one reasons. None of them work anymore because I see him for who and what he is. I have so many emotions right now. I feel strong, but at the same time I feel sad. I feel sadness for my boys and guilt over not choosing the right man to be their father. I only hope that when they become men themselves that they'll understand why things have to be this way. I love them so much and they deserve the best that life has to offer. I just want them to grow up to be responsible, emotionally healthy adults. I had a long conversation with my 15 year old and he's actually relieved to know that this situation is temporary. He says he's wanted to defend me against his father when he says things to him but feels that it would be disrespectful and doesn't know how he'll react. There are no words to describe how loving my children are. I've truly been blessed and I thank God for having brought them into my life.

Edited to add: I just came back from lunch. I had 2 small turkey burger patties, green beans and sliced tomatos. I feel good that I made a conscious choice to eat the right thing and not binge. I'm taking control of my own life, my health and my eating.

[Strings]

:hug: :hug: Lisa,

I really don't know what to say, except I am proud of you, and I am sorry about what you are going through. You are doing a great job being honest with your kids. You have obviously tried to work things out. The kids know this. They have seen you go back to school, get a job, and become independent. You are a fabulous example of responsible adult, and a great role model. They obviously understand that your husband is troubled, and with your guidance they will be ok. They also see that you are not kicking their father out. You will give them one last family vaation to remember, and you are making plans to leave. You will be financially ready to move, and your husband has enough notice to make financial arrangements. You are doing this in an incredibly adult way. Of course, that doesn't mean it hurts any less. You are doing the right thing for you and your kids. :hug: for everything you are experiencing. Know that you can come here to find support without judgement. Rant, cry, vent, whatever you need to do, I will listen. If there is anything you need, please let me know. Your family is in my prayers.
:hug:
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

Beth, thanks so much for your words of comfort. I know that it may sound weird, but I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, not all, but a lot. I think it'll be a relief once we're finally on our own. My husband's emotional state clouds so much of the I handle things at home, always walking on pins and needles. Sometimes you're so close to the situation it's hard to realize just how bad it is. I had to step back and see things for what they were. I had a long talk with my mom about all of this. She's a wonderful mother and is very objective. She's not the type that will agree with what I say just because I'm her daughter. She's very strong spiritually and has always given me sound moral advice. Unfortunately I didn't always listen and that's partiallly why I'm in the situation I'm in now. Sixteen years ago she knew I wasn't marrying the right man. But I've done everything I can and have a clear conscience that I'm not forsaking the vows I took before God.

That's why I could relate to the situation with your MIL. The emotional instability of a person can wreak havoc on those around them and it's extremely painful and frustrating. BTW, I hope things are working out for you in that respect.:hug:

[DoeWDW]

Dear Lisa, know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

I don't know what to say, exactly. I want you to know that I am so impressed with the way you are handling this! You are being such a wonderful example for your boys and they will be better men because of you.

Try to enjoy your vacation and make good memories. Then come home and start planning for your future. You are strong, Lisa, and you can handle this. When the road ahead looks hard, know that we'll be here to support you, to listen, to cheer you up and cheer you on.

:hug: ,
Doreen

[Strings]

Lisa,

I'm just dropping by to say hello. I'm thinking about you.
Beth

[ZerasPride]

Lisa sweetie, it's been a while since I've been able to catch up with you and I am just speechless. First, you are so courageous to share what is going on in your life on such a personal level with us all! I applaud you for doing that.

After I send you this public message, I'm going to pm you so please look for it later. You are a strong woman. That is obvious. I look up to you in so many ways and this arena is no different. It can be such a tough decision to leave a bad situation, especially when there are children involved. Between my mom and dad they have had 5 divorces so I can relate to the devestation that results from breaking up a family but sometimes the family is already broken in all the important places and there is only a fascade or shell left.

I am going to pray for you and your boys and for your husband too. He has caused the break up of a wonderful and I'm sure loving family. I am so happy to know you have your mother who has spiritual values in your corner to help you out emotionally.

Please know that you have all of our support and if you ever want to "talk", just pm me anytime!

I am also very very proud of you not eating out of frustration or anger over this situation. When has food ever made a bad situation better? Never! You realize that and are not sabatoging your efforts. Again, what an example you are setting for the rest of us.

{{{hugs}}} to you my sister!

[Castillo Mom]

Beth, Doe and Lisa, many thanks to all of you for your support, I have to admit that I really need it right now. In my public life, I go around with a smile on my face all of the time. My job requires it, I must do it for my children, and I don't want to burden my family with all of this. This is a place where I can put down my thoughts and feelings, and afterward, I feel much better and can go on. Don't get me wrong, I'm optimistic towards my future but it's hard dealing with all of this with the trip coming up and all of the stress that goes along with that.

Lisa, I PM'd you.

[septbride2002]

Lisa,
I am so sorry that you are going through all of this. It sounds like in the end it will all be for the better.

God Loves you and he loves your children. He wants you to be happy and not miserable. He wants you to be at peace and not in turmoil. He loves you for who you are including your mistakes and your achievements. He loves you no matter what. I hope that for your chance of happiness in the future with the right man that you will decide to divorce your husband. I believe that God will be happy for you.

Just my 2 cents - we are here for you!

~Amanda

[ZerasPride]

Hi Lisa,

I got your pm and send you one right back!!! It's so nice to have "found" each other!!!!! :)

[LAinSEA]

Lisa:

I've just caught up on your journal and I want to say that you are one of the bravest women I've been acquainted with. That you recognized your need to become independent and then following through is an amazing accomplishment. You should be very proud of yourself and your boys should be too.

I know from experience that your decision was not made lightly or in haste. It will be difficult for your family and friends not to jump to that conclusion. This will be very difficult for you to go through.

Whatever happens through the next few months, don't just walk away from what is yours. Your home, your material possessions. While it may be easier to take the boys and leave, you have a right to what you have worked so hard for. Find an attorney to serve as your mediator and use them to find a fair and equitable way to meet your deadlines and needs.

Your husband needs to come to grips with a number of issues. He has to take responsibility for his position in your marriage. Divorce is a lot like coming to grips with a terminal illness or death. Those same stages of denial and anger etc. will be played out.

Be strong, Lisa. I'm here for you.

-Laurie

[Castillo Mom]

Laurie and Amanda, thanks very much for your advice and thoughts, they're much appreciated. I feel good today and I know that things will work out in time. I've learned a lot about myself these last 3 years and know that with prayer and perserverence, everything will be ok. I'm looking forward to starting anew.

[Castillo Mom]

I was a bad girl yesterday and had a whole Krispy Creme donut. I only meant to eat half, but ate the entire thing. I was definitely out of control, but I acknowledge it for what it was and will try to be more aware of these patterns in the future.

This morning I didn't have time to make myself breakfast, I just flew out of the house. After all that sugar yesterday I was starved and no time to run upstairs to grab a bite. All we had here in the office are some bagels and cream cheese. I cut one in half and had that with a cup of coffee. Not exactly OP, but better than eating a whole one and better than not eating at all. Lunch will be a no brainer, I have some tuna in the fridge and will have that on lc bread. Dinner, however, may be a challenge. Oh wait, I still have some leftover steak so I can have that. Problem solved.

I realize that if I'm going to be able to stay on this journey, I need to journal more often. It keeps me on my toes because I know you're all watching!:teeth:

Another positive is that I'm finally going clothes shopping this weekend. I'm doing it in segments. Two weeks after that I'll do the rest of my shopping and then I'll be done with my vacation wardrobe. I've been buying clothes for everyone else first, now it's my turn! I'm going to call my cousin (more like a sister) to see if we can arrange a girls only day on Sunday.

Break time is over, back to work....:D

[ZerasPride]

Hi Lisa!

I think it's a good idea for you to journal more often. I know I always think twice about eating something I'm not supposed to when I know I'll have to admit to it in my journal.

I hope today is a less stressful day for you! Your shopping trip sounds fun! After all the weight you have lost you deserve some nice vacation clothes!

Just wanted you to know I was thinking about you!

{{{hugs}}}
Your sis - Lisa :sunny:

[Castillo Mom]

I was good today, I was good! At least so far, but it's not even noon yet. I went upstairs and grabbed breakfast. Two scrambled eggs and 1 hot link, cup of coffee. Delish! I'm not going to comment on my weight. Ok, I'll confess. I gained a pound due to not staying OP and I know that Krispy Creme donut didn't help. But I'm on track today. Lunch will be easy, I'll go upstairs again and get something induction-approved. I fell off the induction wagon and never got back on but I'm going to give it another shot. But this time, I'll only take it a day at a time. I'm not going to look 2 weeks down the line because it just seems like forever and it doesn't help for me to dwell on the fact that I'm limited to only 25 carbs for that length of time. Nope, one day at a time.

[DoeWDW]

You sound so proud of you!! A morning on induction is something to celebrate, Lisa!!

:jumping3: :jumping3: I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN!! :jumping3: :jumping3:

You can do it, Lisa! Hang on through lunch!!

:cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

[Castillo Mom]

Thanks Doreen, I needed the bounces today!

Well, I made it just fine through lunch. Had swiss steak and broccoli. Now I did have a large portion of the steak, but that's because I'm still with that hungry feeling from all the sugar I ate. But on induction, it's perfectly legal to have a larger portion of protein as long as it's within reason.

I'm not sure what I'll be having for dinner but since I'm already 2/3 done with my meals for the day, I promise not to mess up.

More later if time allows, if not, will post tomorrow. Have a great weekend all!

[ZerasPride]

Lisa,

It sounds like you did so well today! I'm proud of you sticking with Induction levels today! Here are some bounces to go with the ones Doe sent you: :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

I think it would be difficult for me to back to Phase 1 of South Beach so I admire you for making it through one day of Induction! You can do it and one day at a time is the best way to go. I am only about half way to my goal weight and I think I might give up if I looked at it from the standpoint that I have another nine months or possibly a year or longer to get to my goal. It's so much more manageable to get through today and possibly think and plan for the next day but that's it no further.

Don't worry about that stupid pound. Drink plenty of water, stay on program and I know it will be gone and take one or two more pounds with it!

You can do this Lisa and we are all behind you!

[Castillo Mom]

I did pretty good yesterday. Went to a salad/soup bar last night and had, what else? Soup and salad. I strayed slightly and had a piece of cantelope and honeydew, but other than that I stayed OP. I weighed in this morning and I lost that nasty pound! I'm back on track, so I'd better watch myself if I want to lose those 5 pounds I was talking about.

I'm at work right now, got here a little late because Robinsons May is having a big sale right now, so I stopped there first. Got myself a bathing suit that I've had my eye on. The regular price is $84. No way would I ever pay that much. I'm glad I waited because I ended up paying $35 for it. Woohoo! I got a few more shirts for my youngest son as well.

Lisa, I have to be honest, it is hard to go back on induction! I've gotten so used to having my milk, bread and fruit. But this is only temporary and I have to keep reminding myself of that. I've done this before, so I can do it again if I stay focused. If you ever had to go back on Phase 1, it would definitely be a challenge but trust me, you could do it. I actually don't have a problem staying on Ongoing Weight Loss and losing at a slower rate, but I'm getting close to leaving and I want to squeeze a few more pounds out if I can. That and the fact that I really got off plan for a few days.

Well, back to work. Will try to post menus tonight if not too tired. If not, then will shoot for tomorrow. Have a great weekend everyone!

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,

I just wanted to check in with yo. I've been thinking about you. You are doing a phenomenal job at sttaying OP. WTG! I will definately have to do reinduction when my dr. says it is ok for me to do so, probably a couple of weeks. Keep up the great work. One day at a time is a great way to look at it.

Congrats on the swimsuit. $35 is a great deal.
Have a good weekend.
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

Well, I surved another weekend. I weight in this morning and I'm at 163.5, so I lost half a pound. I got plenty of exercise with all of the shopping I did, so I know that helped.

I got off induction a little this morning. They stop serving breakfast upstairs at 10:30. When I looked at the clock it was 10:27, so by the time I got up there the grill was closed. The only thing left was pastries (big no-no), cream of wheat and oatmeal. So I chose the oatmeal. Oatmeal is fine on Atkins but you're not supposed to have it while on induction. But it was either that or no breakfast. I need to get some Morning Start bars because I ran out.

I shopped till I dropped yesterday. Found a lot of great deals, although I did overspend a little. I still need to get a couple of dresses and some shorts.

Gotta get back to work!

[ZerasPride]

Lisa,

It sounds like you had fun shopping. I'll have to check out Old Navy. We do have one near us but I always thought of it as a "skinny" person shop. I just wonder if I can fit anything in there now. I'm gonna find out!

I sent you a pm and hope you are having a good afternoon. Now in addition to shopping 'til you drop for clothes, you should have done some grocery shopping so you'd have some Induction type food to eat. :hyper: I hope you have a chance to pick up some breakfast bars today so you've got something to eat in a pinch.

I didn't even know you could have oatmeal on Atkins. I learn something new everyday around here!

Most important congratulations on that half pound loss!!! Woohoo for you!!! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, every time I come to your journal, you've been shopping!! :teeth: Are you a shopaholic???? :crazy: I figure walking through stores counts just as much as walking around the block or on a treadmill, so at least you're getting lots of exercise! ::yes::

All that exercise is paying off - you've lost another half pound!! Good for you!! Your countdown timer just keeps ticking away and soon you'll be doing lots of walking in Florida and lookin' good in those new clothes! Strut your stuff, Lisa!!

I hope you have a wonderful day!! :hug:

[Purrrrfecta]

HI Lisa,

Hope everything is going ok. I am doing quite well (to be expected) Isn't shopping the way to go?
Been watching what I eat, and I have lost another pound!
I think I am going to start a wish journal soon.

Old Navy carries sizes up to 20, I just have difficulty with the tops since I am top heavy.

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,

WTG! You've lost another half pound. That is awesome. You definately deserve to buy yourself some nice things with all the hard work you have done this last year. Keep up the great work.
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

Good morning! I'm trying to be good and post more often so here I am.

I've been staying pretty much OP. I'm not staying on induction as strictly as I should but pretty close. Yesterday I had a small amount of oatmeal for breakfast. Lunch was 2 small turkey burger patties, broccoli and sliced tomato. Dinner was two a hot dog and scrambled eggs, little bit of whole milk.

I weighed this morning and I'm down to 162.8. Woohoo! I'm keeping my carbs pretty low, so it must be working. Well, we'll have to see what Monday brings, hopefully a little whoosh. Seeing the scale move is motivating to stay focused.

Beth, Doe, the mall is the best place to walk and get in a little exercise. It's just coincidence that they have all those cute clothes!:teeth:

Lisa, yes, we Atkins people can definitely have oatmeal. Actually, you'd be surprised at the variety the plan allows. There are so many misconceptions out there. If I were on maintenance, I could even have potatoes, or beans. It's just a matter of limiting those items, but it doesn't mean you can't have them at all. I'm not at the point where I'm eating foods higher in in carbs yet, but I'll introduce them slowly once I get much closer to my goal weight.

Purrecta, always nice to hear from you! Good job staying OP, and I'm glad to hear you're doing well. I encourage you to start your journal because it really helps and this way you can get even more support from your WISH buddies!

[Strings]

25 Days until your trip.:smooth:

I just stopped by to say HI! I hope all is well, and you are enjoying your weekend. Do any more shopping?
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

No time to post menus.:( Just came by to say I'm down to 160.2. Looks like I should make my goal of 159 before we leave for WDW!:teeth:

[ZerasPride]

Hi Lisa,

Yes, I know I said I was going to bed but I had to check in on your journal first and give you an official WOOHOO!!!! for getting down to this weight. I know you'll reach 159 before you leave. Keep up the great work. And of course, have a fantastic trip!!!

Thanks for letting me know the variety that is available on Atkins. I kind of mix Atkins and South Beach together but I haven't read the Atkins book so I'm going mostly by what I read on lowcarbfriends.com and from their recipe site as well. Can you tell me what an Atkins person thinks of the "wraps" that are available now? I almost bought some wraps at the grocery store today but the very first ingredient was "enriched" flour. Bleck! That's just white flour in disguise. So can you guys eat that? Are the wraps at Subway, Arbys and other places okay? I just realized the "wraps" I've been buying, even though they say "whole wheat" have enriched flour as the second or third ingredient. I was fooled and am not happy. DH doesn't care but I won't eat them anymore. I just had my philly cheesesteak for dinner tonight on regular wheat bread.

Anyway, sorry to jack your journal like this but I'm curious how Atkins people are handling these products. Thanks so much!

I hope to "talk" to you tomorrow! :wave:

[Strings]

Congrats Lisa!

I know you'll be at your vacation goal weight before your trip in 16 days! I know you are busy. I just wanted to say HI.
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

Lisa, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you had posted to my journal.

Technically Atkins folks can eat the lc wraps at Subway. I don't have them very often though. I can make my own wraps at home with the lc wheat tortillas I buy at Costco which are pretty tasty. Lisa, I ran out of lc bread at home so in desperation the other day I had the regular wheat bread I buy for the rest of the family. Yuck! It was way too doughy, not at all what I'm used to. It had mainly white flour in it. Talk about lesson learned.

Beth, how are you? I'm so sorry I haven't been posting to your journal. Things are pretty crazy right now, but I think about my WISH buds all the time. I hope everything is going well with you and that you're in good health. If I don't get to talk to you before I leave, take care, ok?

To all of the rest of my WISH friends, I apologize for not posting to your journals lately for obvious reasons.:teeth: As I told Beth, I think of you all often whenever I want to reach for whatever carb-laden treat I shouldn't have. All of you take care!:D

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, we know that you're a busy gal right now. I hope the pre-trip preparations are going well - only 2 more weeks!!!!

Glad to hear that you are happy with your weight - you've done an amazing job and you should be VERY proud of you!!

I hope you have an amazing trip filled with magic and pixie dust!

[DoeWDW]

I'm popping in to spread some sunshine, Lisa!

Hope you have a wonderful day! :sunny:

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,

So has the prevacation panic set in, or are you just excited and having fun. I saw your post about surprising your family with the limo. They are going to be so excited. You are a great Mom.
Beth

[ZerasPride]

Hi sis!

Just poping in for a bit to see how you are doing. I sent you a pm and really missed communicating with you but the convention was awsome and I was so tired. Anyway, I just wanted to say "hi" and that I was thinking about you.

Your trip is so close and I know you'll have a great time.

Talk to you later.

Luv ya'!

Lisa

[Castillo Mom]

Beth, I'm going through a little bit of both right now! I keep thinking about all of the little details, but I'm excited at the same time. It's getting pretty hard to concentrate at work!

Lisa, I need to catch up on your journal and everyone elses. Hopefully I'll have a chance to do that before I leave.:D

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, only 7 days on that countdown timer - no wonder you can't concentrate at work!! ::yes:: I hope the time until vacation goes quickly but that the time while you're ON vacation goes slow enough to savor every moment!

I'm throwing a WISH party on the healthy living road! We've got the music cranked up and our dancin' shoes on! We're celebrating all the good choices we make every day! Shall I put some salsa music on? Will you teach us a few steps?? Can you feel the party atmosphere?

:rockband: "Celebrate good times, come on!!" :rockband:

[Castillo Mom]

Hi Doe! Did miss the party? Salsa dancing, that's my favorite form of exercise!:teeth:

Did more shopping today and will finish up tomorrow. Finally! I'll pack the boys' things tomorrow. They're so excited and they're climbing the walls!

[lulu201]

Hi, Lisa!:wave2: Just wanted to stop by and let you know I've been thinking about you and your big trip. It's going to be an awesome experience, and you are going to look and feel fabulous!

Take care,
Erin

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,

I just wanted to drop by, in case you didn't have time to get back to the boards. I will be praying for a safe journey and a trip of a lifetime for you. You have done an incredible job planning, and now it will be time to ENJOY! Have a magical time, and we want details when you get back.
Beth

[Purrrrfecta]

Lisa,
Oh yeah, Salsa dancing. Makes me miss Puerto Rico. I am there in my mind though. They used to have this Salsa club a couple of blocks from where I lived in New York.

Have a wonderful trip, Lisa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ZerasPride]

Hi Lisa,

I know you must be running around with last minute preparations for your trip. Can you believe it's almost here. I'm not sure if you'll be checking the boards any before you leave but I wanted to wish you a happy trip and a safe journey. I know your boys are going to have a ball!!! I left you a message on Sunday night and I hope we get a chance to chat again before you leave. If not know I'll be thinking of you guys and the great time I know you're going to have!

Take care!

Love ya!

Lisa :wave:

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, have a fabulous time!!!! :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,

Have a great trip.
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

Popped in to say I made it to my goal for this month at the last minute and I have a shiny new clippie!

I also stopped in to say goodbye to all my WISH buds even though I haven't been around too much lately. Thanks for all the great advice. I'll be back after vacation to resume my journal. Until then, ta ta!:D

[Purrrrfecta]

whoo hoo Lisa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

een th inking about you. I thought you were already gone! Be safe getting there!!!


Connie

[Auntmeme]

I know you are on your dream vacation- hope you have the time of your life:Pinkbounc

Congrats on the new clippie - you are such an inspiration!

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, I've been thinking of you and your family. I hope all went well in spite of Charley.

:hug:

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,

I am not sure when you are coming home. I hope you are having an incredible time in the House of Mouse. I will pray for a safe journey home for you and your family. We will want details.
Take care.
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

Hello everyone, I'm baaack! I'm not going to write too my right now because I've caught a terrible sinus infection and I feel like my head is going to pop off! Anyway, we had a wondeful time and I'm now hooked on Disney! I don't know when we'll be able to afford to go again, but we'll definitely be back. Because of hurricane Charley our flight was cancelled. We didn't make to Orlando until Sunday and we were supposed to have gotten there the previous Friday. More on that later. Just wanted to say a quick hello. I'll be back soon to do a trip report and re-start my journal. Talk to you all soon!

[Strings]

Welcome back Lisa,

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip. :wizard: :wizard: for you to feel better. Gets los of rest. You need time to recover form WDW. I'm sorry that Charley interrupted your vacation. I'll look forward to your posts.
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

Hi Beth, thanks for the welcome! I'd say I'm glad to be back but...I'd rather be in Disney World! Seriously though, time to get back to reality but I'm still in that vacation frame of mind and I'm going to hang onto it for as long as possible!

Anyway, I came by to give a quick update as I try to ease back into eating normally again! Today was my first day back at work and one of the first things I did was face the scale. Drum roll please! I only gained 6 pounds so I'm at 165. I say "only" because I ate what I wanted and fully expected to have gained at least 10 pounds. I'm convinced that all that walking is what helped. I'm very happy with where I'm at and I'm ready to get back in the game as soon as I do my groceries and pick up all my lc goodies.

I'll be back on Tuesday to start journaling again and to state what my new weight loss goal will be. Will be back soon!:D

[LAinSEA]

Lisa:

I'm glad you and your family made the most of your vacation despite having to deal with a hurricane. 6 lbs will be gone soon - could be all the extra sodium too, not actual weight.

I look forward to reading your report.

-Laurie

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,

Keep drinking the water, and those 6 pounds will be gone quickly. Have a great weekend,
Beth

[A1A1]

Hi! I wanted to check in with you, and wish you well. I always enjoyed reading your posts, and cheered for you from my side of the computer screen. I have been gone for a while, but have returned happier and more convicted.

Great job on your weight loss. I have been amazed at how much all my wish friends have lost while I was away.

:wave2:

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, sounds like the WDW bug has bitten you! :p I'm so glad you had a wonderful time!

Ah yes, back to reality! I hope the transition isn't too tough. Give yourself a bit of slack as you ease back into those routines.

Hope the Beach Club was all you imagined and more!

[Auntmeme]

Welcome back! I want to hear all about your trip, how did the family enjoy themselves? only 6 lbs, that is great. Looking forward to your next report, have a great weekend:)

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,

I'm just checking on you. I know you had some major changes planned for after your vacation. I hope you are well, and I'm thinking about you.
:hug:
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

It's another Monday and I'm now fully back into the routine and the kids started school last week as well. I haven't been journaling, I've been a lot busier than I thought.

As far as weight is concerned, I've lost another pound taking me down to 163, only 4 pounds away from where I left off before vacation. Time to set another mini goal. Let's see, I think it would be reasonable to say 13 pounds by December 31st. That would get me to 150. I've been thinking that I'd like to make my final goal 125-130. Oh my goodness, I didn't want to even think if a number that low when I first started. Now it seems like it's so close, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. I still want to take things one day at a time and look towards mini goals, because that seems to have worked well so far.

I have a confession to make. It was so hot this weekend, triple digits out where we live. Anyway, who wants to even get near a stove when it's that hot? Well, I was getting bored with cold stuff like salad and sandwiches. I opened the freezer last night trying to figure out what to eat for dinner. The boys had already eaten, I made them quesadillas. But there it was, a whole bag of frozen burritos that I had bought for my husband at Costco. The bag hadn't even been opened yet. I began to reason myself into grabbing two of them. I told myself, it's too hot to cook and there's nothing else for me to eat, plus my husband hasn't even eaten any of them. It's not as if they'd go to waste, they're frozen for goodness sakes!:rolleyes: I kept thinking about it and finally came back down to earth. Out of all the the things in my kitchen there is to eat, those burritos are the absolute worse! So no, I didn't cave after all. I ended up having one tortilla with turkey and cream cheese and a small bowl of lc cereal. Wow, that was a close one!

I haven't been journaling my meals, but I'll at least put down what I had for breakfast this morning which was oatmeal and two slices of bacon. For lunch I'll have 2 turkey burgers, bunless of course, lettuce and tomato and some type of green veggie, probably broccoli. I forgot to take meat out of the freezer for dinner tonight, so I'm thinking of picking up some chicken.

A, it's so nice to hear from you! I'm glad you're back. I haven't been checking journals recently but I'll be sure to check on all my WISH buds as soon as I have time. Keep up the good work, ok?

Doreen, I absolutely loved the Beach Club! Now that I've been back at work, at times I just daydream about it. Hopefully we'll be back soon!

Hey Meme, glad to see you're still hanging in there with us! What a wonderful trip we had, 2 1/2 glorious weeks! The first 8 days were spent at the BC . We got to do all of the parks and a lot of dining in between. I pretty much ate what I wanted but I don't really feel guilty because I knew I'd get back OP when we returned which I've done. The next 3 days were spent at Universal and we stayed at HRH. We enjoyed the theme of the resort because we all love music. The parks were a blast and FOTL access was great, no long waits to get on rides. The next 4 days we spent in Miami. I loved it there and would like to take a separate trip for at least a week one of these days. The beach was beautiful, very different than CA. I loved the tropical feel of Miami. I'm Puerto Rican, so it's right up my alley.

Hi Beth! I'm doing just fine, thanks for checking on me. My plans are still in place, no change there. All you can do is be thankful for what you have and not dwell on the negative which is what I try to do every day. I hope everything is well with you and your family, especially your daughter.

Well ladies, back to work for me. Will try to catch up on journals one of these days pretty soon. Take care everyone and stay away from empty calories!:D

[Strings]

Hi Lisa,

I just wanted to say that you did an amazing job resiting those burritos. Now woman, go shopping and get yourself some healthy alternatives. Keep up the great work. Congrats on losing that pesky pound.
Beth

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, so glad you loved the Beach Club! There's just no place like it, in my opinion! I've spent many happy moments there but LOTS MORE happy moments daydreaming of being there! :teeth:

You talked about big changes after your trip. Just want you to know that I'm thinking of you and praying that all is going well for you and the boys.

Have a great day!! :sunny:

[DoeWDW]

:wave2: Hi Lisa! :wave2:

I'm just popping in to say hello and hope all is going well. I know you're one busy gal and can't often post - that's OK, but I don't want you to feel like we've forgotten you either!

:hug:

[Purrrrfecta]

H Lisa,

Just checking in. School is going ok so far this year. I can't complain. My son, however, got Mono, and was out of school for around three weeks!

Just letting you know I am thinking about you,

Love,
Connie

[Castillo Mom]

Hello ladies! Just dropped in for a quick hello. I've been maintaining the last couple of weeks but haven't lost any weight. I did, however, start on Induction again a few days ago. I hope to get a jump start on this plateau that I'm on.

Doe, always nice to hear from you and thank you for not forgetting about me. I'm always lurking around even if I don't always post.:D

Connie, sorry to hear about your son, hope he's ok now. My boys haven't gotten sick this year yet, but I know the flu season is coming so I'll need to brace myself. It's always a domino effect in my house, so it feels like the cycle can go on for about a month until the next virus hits and then we start all over again. There's plenty of flu vaccine this year though, so I'm making everyone get a shot. Nice to hear from you Connie, take care!

[Castillo Mom]

Ok, so I was wrong about plenty of flu vaccine.:rolleyes: Hey, they told us there would be where I work.

Anyway, I dropped by to say I'm still on Induction. I fell off the wagon a bit because I got sick last week, but I'm back on again. I want to get the rest of this weight off so I can start maintenance. Still shooting for making goal in the Spring. I hope, I hope!

[LAinSEA]

Lisa:

I'm sorry that you have not been feeling well and I do hope that you are feeling better.

We just got back from a vacation in the Yellowstone region...Southeastern Idaho had ordered their entire flu vaccines from Chiron in London and now they will not have any for the whole region. As neither Jeff nor I have been big believers in this vaccine, the sickest I ever got from the flu was after receiving a shot while in college, this won't effect us. But I am worried about my sis, the nurse, and my 90 year old grandmother being able to get theirs.

What do you know about the mist or the anti-flu treatments that are suppose to make it less severe?

take care and it is really good to hear that you are still on plan and going strong.

-Laurie:sunny:

[Purrrrfecta]

Lisa, hope you do not mind my posting on your post.

LAinSEA

You know I swear by zinc tablets, which are the contents in a lot of the over-the-counter cold meds.

Whenever I get a viral infection I will take around 4 50mg tabs a day for about two days, and I get much better. I am not saying to do this for my doctor said she read a report that you can develop anemia from taking too much. I read another report that said it can cause prostate cancer. But on the other hand, I read a report that it decreased the size of a cancerous tumour when it was injected into it. So go figure. I just know it works for me;)

[Castillo Mom]

Hi Laurie. Well, if there's a shortage on vaccine, we're being told there will be with the mist as well. As for medications that say they lessen the severity, I'm not too sure about those. I'm not sure about elsewhere, but out here the elderly and those with chronic illnesses will still get their flu shot.

[Castillo Mom]

Just a quick little post to say I went clothes shopping this weekend. I had a blast! NY & Co was having a sale plus earn a $15 coupon for every $30 you spend. I earned $60 towards my next shopping spree, plus got an additional 20% off for signing up for emails. Woohoo, I love a bargain! Anyway, I got myself a few outfits and was thrilled to be able to wear size 12. I had bought one or two size 12s before vacation, but they were on the larger side. What I bought this weekend are perfect 12s. My weight loss is going reaaaally slow right now, but I'm not going to push it. I'm happy with where I'm at and will continue to stay OP, but I'm not going to stress about how long it's taking to get to goal. It's so weird because I wore a new outfit both yesterday and today, but they fit so well that I feel overexposed. I was literally swimming in my work clothes so I had to finally break down and pick up a few things. I can't wait until November when I can use my coupons, more new clothes for me!:teeth:

[DoeWDW]

Sounds like you had a great time shopping, Lisa, and I bet you look GREAT in your new outfits!!

You're at the tough part of weight loss - those last few pounds. They will come off eventually but I'm afraid it will take time. Hang in there and know that you're eating healthy food that is good for you!

Hope you have a great Tuesday! :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:

[Purrrrfecta]

Lisa,

Just checking in. I have not seen you post in a while, and I hope all is going well.

Connie

[Castillo Mom]

Well, I'm baaack! Oh boy, where do I begin? For the last few months I haven't been OP like I should be. Around November I got to a complete standstill with my weight loss, major plateau. Not only have I not lost since then, I've gained a few pounds. My size 12 clothes I bought are fitting me tight. It took a lot of courage for me to come back to my journal, but I knew I had to do it. There's no way I'm going to undo all of the hard work I put in. I know that all is not lost, I just got off track for a bit. I know that what helped me before was journaling. I did get to point to where I didn't need it, and that was ok. But now I need to get back to basics, so in order to accomplish that goal, I'm going to start this process again. I haven't done my grocery shopping for the week yet and will do that tomorrow, so Monday is the day! I'll be back Monday to post my thoughts and menu.

[Castillo Mom]

7/18/05 I promised myself I'd come back today so here I am. I didn't start off too well, however, in my defense I can say that technically I'm OP. Where I messed up was breakfast; didn't have any. I'm at work of course and my attention got diverted elsewhere when it was time to go up and grab a bite. My initial plan was bacon and eggs since I hadn't had any in while. These past few weeks I'd been eating lc cereal or oatmeal. Not a good thing to have every day. Anyway, I'm going to the Bistro for lunch and plan on having some form of protein, green veggies and a small side salad for lunch. Will post the day's menu this evening.

Breakfast-Nothing.

Lunch-Couldn't wait until tonight to post lunch, so here goes. Lunch was a chicken caesar salad and diet coke. Pretty good! I had to post because I'm craving something sweet. Someone in our office has Twix but I must stay away!

Dinner-2 bunless cheeseburgers, diet Sunkist orange.

Dessert: Two sf Jello (yes two).

Woohoo, I made it through the day and stayed OP. Tomorrow's goal is to make sure I have breakfast and drink more water. Short term goal for now is to get those size 12s fitting right again by end of September. Longer term goal is for them to be fitting loose by winter which will hopefully mean larger size 10s. I don't want to get too ahead of myself, so I'll stop there. That's already 5 months of hard work.

[LAinSEA]

Lisa:

Welcome back to your journal. Yours are not the only clothes that are fitting tight--I'm struggling to stay in a 14!. Too much school, work, planning for school and no exercise. Your are correct, the less you (and I) journal the less likely we are to stay on plan.

I do hope you and your family are well. It's hurricane season again and that seems to be where I left you. My folks, my sister, and the nieces will be heading off to the World the first week in August and I've got my fingers crossed for clear weather.

DH and I were hoping he'd be sent to a seminar in San Diego that would give him some time to spend with his brother and sister in Orange County (and me a chance to get to the DL 50th celebration), but it didn't happen. Maybe this fall or Christmas time.

Thanks for stopping by my journal - I have missed you!

-Laurie (I'll be starting my student teaching this fall!) :sunny:

[DoeWDW]

:wave2: Hi Lisa!! :wave2:

Welcome back to the Journals!! You're right, there are quite a few of us still here. Count me as another one who is struggling at the moment. My size 14s are OK but I've got a closet full of 12s and yes, 10s, that I can't wear at the moment. :rolleyes: But I haven't given up. :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:

Hope your day is filled with smiles and sunshine!

[Cruise04]

I just wanted to BRAVO you for coming back and recognizing the need to. Nice to see you around (from a mainly newbie) and hope to hear more about how you are doing.

Keep on :banana: :banana:
Chris

[Castillo Mom]

7/19/05: Good morning! How wonderful to come to my journal this morning and find such kind words of encouragement. Just what I need right now.

Chris, welcome to WISH. Do you have a journal? Well, very nice to meet you and thanks so much for taking the time to say hi.

Doe, thanks for the welcome back. It's been few months, but I definitely haven't given up. I know exactly how you feel when opening up the closet. Fortunately I threw out all my "big" clothes so that I'm not tempted to become comfortable with gaining a few pounds. And I refuse to buy myself any new outfits until I lose what I gained. A small shopping spree will be a gift to myself this fall/winter when I get a few pounds below where I was at. Can't wait!

Ok, down to the business of posting my meals....

Breakfast-Two eggs over easy, three small sausage links, coffee. Must keep in mind that my goal for today is to drink, drink, drink water! Off to get some now!

Lunch-Two turkey patties w/cheese, green beans, sliced tomato, Dasani lemon flavored water.

Dinner-3 roast beef rolls ups with cream cheese, diet A&W rootbear (one of my favorites) and 1 sf jello for dessert.

I did pretty good with the water today. Drank 32 oz. today which for me is an accomplishment. Tomorrow I hope to increase my water intake to 40 oz. and eventually get back up to 64.

Well, tomorrow is going to be a test. You see, at work they've initiated a training program which I decided to participate in. Well, when we go, they always have massive amounts of food on hand. Breakfast is of the continental type with various pastries, muffins, fruit, bagels, juice, etc. All no nos for me. Then they bring lunch in which usually consists of lots of carbs. I take that back. Last time they had fried chicken, but there was no breading on the chicken of that makes sense. Weird recipe, but it was good. Anyway, the sides were rice pilaf, mac n' cheese (not out of a box), green beans, fresh rolls and salad. I could've just had the chicken and salad and picked out the potatoes that were in the green beans, but nooo, I sampled the rice and mac n' cheese. But I did drink a diet Pepsi with that which you know cancels out all the carbs! :sad2: :rotfl: Note to self: Be prepared tomorrow! Get thyself out of bed early enough to go to the store to pick up a Morning Start bar for that sweet tooth that I'll inevitably get when I see those pastries. Will then run by the office before leaving again for training, so I should be able to run upstairs to grab breakfast "to go." Will promise myself to only eat salad, protein and green veggies if available.

Now off to bed for the news and sleepy time.

[Cruise04]

I do have a journal - I can't wait to get my clippie like yours!!!! Thanks for asking.

[Castillo Mom]

You can, just hang in there! One day at a time cruise. :)

[Cruise04]

Hope you are having a good day!!!

Keep on :banana: :banana:
Chris

[Strings]

Hey there woman,

It is so good to have another old friend back here. Take it one day at a time, and you'll get rid of the extra pounds that have snuck up on you.

Take care,
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

8/20/05 Boy, finally have a few minutes to post to my journal. I was in training all day today, so I had no computer access.

Well, I'm happy to report that I got through temptation today, woohoo! I resisted the pastries. Oh before I go on, funny thing. Last night I thought to myself that wouldn't it just be the cherry on my cake for them to serve pasta today. Mind you, the past couple weeks the main dish has always been some sort of meat dish, not once did they serve pasta except for the mac n' cheese which was just a side. Well, guess what they served today? Yup, pasta, spaghetti to be specific! :rolleyes: But I stayed focused and was able to improvise! So here's my menu for today.

Breakfast-Two scrambled eggs, 1 hot link, coffee.

Lunch-No pasta!!! Small side salad, mixed italian veggies, diet Coke.

Dinner-Taco salad from Taco Bell, hold the beans and a diet root beer. Had 3, count 'em, 3 sf jello for dessert.

In addition, I'm happy to report I've lost a pound and a half. I did get a migraine this afternoon which could've been due to the aspartame I used in my coffee. I never use it anymore and I think the Equal I had combined with the diet Coke might have done it. Note to self: Grab some packets of Splenda tomorrow morning before heading off to training.

[lillygator]

Awesome job on the loss!! I love those sf jello's...I could eat them all day!

[Castillo Mom]

7/21/05 I'm going to try to make my entry short tonight. I need time to go over to the DCL boards and do some more trip research! :teeth:

Breakfast-Two scrambled eggs, 3 slices of bacon, coffee.

Lunch-Here's where I had to get a little creative. They brought in ribs, coleslaw, corn on the cob, BBQ beans and rolls for lunch. I had some ribs but scraped off as much of the sauce as possible. The coleslaw didn't seem like it had sugar in it, but I only took two bites anyway because it had way too much pepper in it for some reason. Had diet Coke to drink.

Dinner-Woo, too hot to cook! I had a lc tortilla with ham and cream cheese, Crystal Light to drink. Later I'll have some sf jello for dessert.

Lillygator, that sf jello is my savior when I'm craving dessert. It's guilt free plus as soon as I'm off induction I can top it with whipped cream.

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, you are back! You are so focused and determined! Nothing's going to hold you back, girlfriend!!! :jumping1:

You're lookin' good - just keep it up! :sunny:

[Castillo Mom]

7/22/05 I'm pretty tired and it's 1:25 a.m., so this will be a short post.

Breakfast-Two scrambled eggs and ham, water.

Lunch-Two pieces of chicken and about 3 tablespoons of mixed veggies, diet 7-UP.

Dinner-Warm fajita salad, ice tea, sf jello for dessert.

Nighty night....

[Purrrrfecta]

Yipee Lisa - you're back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi!
So glad to know you are back. I have a journal now as well.
Keep it up. You know you are my idol

Connie

[Castillo Mom]

7/23/05 Ok, I don't know what's going on with my body but something is strange here. I got on the scale this morning and lost another pound from yesterday. Since I started back on induction on Monday, I've lost a total of 6 pounds. I find that very odd because I don't recall losing weight so quickly when I did it last August but I'm going to have to go back to the beginning of my journal to see. I'm not complaining though! Yes, I know a lot of is water weight at the beginning, but the bottom line is I'm closer to my goal. Normally I could post my weight, but I'm embarassed because of what I gained over the last couple months. As soon as I get back to my lowest weight, I'll post exactly where I'm at. Should take a month or two depending on whether I continue to lose like this or slow down so maybe by around September.

Breakfast-Confession time. I ran out of the house this morning very quickly to get to work and did'nt grab anything to eat. I know, I know, very bad! But I did bring lunch. I just couldn't see myself eating eggs again today and I ran out of breakfast bars with no time to go pick some up this morning. I wanted to run by Walmart last night but didn't get to because it was family movie night. We went to El Torito for dinner and then saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which we really enjoyed. Will be back later to post lunch.

Lunch-Two very small lc tortillas with chicken, cheese and salsa, Crystal Light and sf jello for dessert.

Dinner-Protein style burger from In n' Out. I also had about a cup of popcord and a lc (2 net carbs) Atkins candy bar. Technically those bars are for if you're already on phase two. :confused3

So I went back through my journal earlier and found that when I first started Atkins, I lost 7 pounds on induction. :scratchin Very interesting. I just can't put my finger on why a 6 pound loss in 6 days. I'm weighing myself at the same time each day and using the same scale at work. Oh well, maybe next week I won't lose anything. I just don't want to lose weight too fast plus this is very odd for me.

Well, it's 1:51 a.m. Waaay past my bedtime.

[Cruise04]

WOW - good for you on the 6 pounds!!!!!! Keep up the good work!

Keep on :banana: :banana:
Chris

[Purrrrfecta]

Lisa,

Were you on a carb binge before you started induction again? I am wondering if that decrease in carbs is allowing the hormones in your body at as a diuretic? what ever it is keep going, girl!!!!!!

So what are you doing for exercise now? I need to be doing more. I used to be obsessed with this exercise tape, and I have to get back into the groove of it - that's for sure.

Keep on keeping on, Lisa

Connie

[Castillo Mom]

To be completely honest Connie, I was eating my share of carbs before starting from scratch, more than my share! I mean, I never went back to the exact same eating habits as before like eating two helpings of food or 2 or 3 desserts or even soda with sugar. If I would've been eating like I was back when I was 224 pounds, I would've gained all my weight back and then some by now. Fortunately I caught myself before I could do too much damage.

As for exercise, unfortunately, I'm not at a point where I'm doing it on a regular basis. I do however, take the stairs when possible, don't park in the nearest stall, walk at the mall, etc. Better than nothing I guess, but still not where I should be. I'm working long hours, am in training and have other commitments right now that come before an exercise routine. I barely have enough energy to keep up with all of that! Today I did had a good long walk, so that's something.

Thanks for the encouragement Connie. You hang in there too!

[Castillo Mom]

7/24/05 Almost forgot to post my menu for today.

Breakfast: Here we go again. No breakfast today. I had to leave my house very early this morning. I did grab a lc breakfast bar but only took about two or 3 bites of it. It tasted yucchy, very dry.

Lunch-A very small piece of salisbury steak, diet Coke. I was still out and about and no time for a good meal, so I had to improvise.

Dinner-Redemption time! Went to Outback Streakhouse with MIL. Appetizer was chicken wings. Had half of a small salad and dinner was a yummy steak and steamed broccoli. The broccoli was cooked to perfection. A lost of restaurants just can't quite get broccoli right. It's either over cooked or under cooked. Very good meal. Dessert tonight might be sf jello, but that's it.

Goals for the work week: Water, water, water! Must make sure to eat breakfast every day. Shouldn't be too hard to do since I don't have training until Thursday. I'm very curious to see what the scale will say tomorrow. We'll see...

[Cruise04]

Bad job on not eating breakfast but at least you have recognized that and put that in to your plan for this week. Even if it's something small. Can't wait to hear how the scale was for you.

Have a good week!!!

Keep on :banana: :banana:
Chris

[Purrrrfecta]

Lisa,
and you know you are NORTORIOUS for not eating breakfast!!!!!!!!
Why don't you start hard boiling eggs or get those Jimmy dean pre-made omelets that are around 4 grams carbs total. I do not know if you can eat those on induction, but I did, and they are good.

I also got a those turkey sausage patties. it takes no time to make and eat them on the way to work.

Having a good day I hope. Hang in there, girl.
Connie

[Castillo Mom]

7/25/05 Wow, what a long day. I'm going straight to posting my menu.

Breakfast-Two scrambled eggs, 3 slices of bacon, coffee.

Lunch-Half of a Waldorf salad, hold the apples and grapes, diet Pepsi.

Dinner-The other half of the salad, Crystal Light.

Snack-Two ham/cream cheese roll ups, Crystal Light.

I've been having trouble finding Atkins products at the store lately so I went to the Atkins website. I wonder what's going on because they have way less variety than before.

Connie, I know I need to do better with my meal planning. I'm always on the go, so I need to plan ahead. I'll have to check out those Jimmy Dean omelettes, didn't know they had those. Thanks for the tip!

Now off the DCL board for a few minutes. :boat:

[Cruise04]

Good choices today and good on getting that breakfast in!!!! Keep up the good work!!!

Keep on :banana: :banana:
Chris

[Castillo Mom]

7/27/05 Woo, I've been so busy the past couple days and didn't post yesterday's menu.

7/26/05
Breakfast-Two eggs, 4 strips of bacon, coffee.

Lunch-Two hamburger patties w/cheese, sliced tomato, zucchini, diet Pepsi.

Dinner-Carnitas burrito in a lc tortilla with guacamole, diet Sunkinst orange.

Snack/dessert-Ooh, I discovered something new. I was on the Atkins website and I noticed that Hood is one of their product partners. I've been sort of curious about the chocolate milk but thought it would probably tast disgusting. I was so wrong! I love it!

Guess I should post today's menu while I'm at it.

Breakfast-Two eggs, two small sausage links, coffee.

Lunch-3 pieces of chicken, a bite of two of greens, diet Pepsi.

Dinner-Another carnitas burrito on lc tortilla, diet Mountain Dew.

Snack/dessert-Hood chocolate milk.

Chris, thanks for the encouragement. I'm trying to do better with eating my three squares.

[lillygator]

Great menu!! How do you like that Diet Mt Dew?

[Cruise04]

You are rockin' there Lisa!!!!! BRAVO on getting that breakfast in!!!!!! Way to go - you'll see a great loss in not time!!!!!

Keep on :banana: :banana:
Chris

[DoeWDW]

Hi Lisa!

Glad to see you were doing so well, but where are you?? I hope everything is going OK. You know you do better when you journal. ;)

[DoeWDW]

Dear Lisa, I hope all is well with you. :goodvibes

[Castillo Mom]

Decided to try and find my old journal. Thought it was gone forever, but I tried a little trick and found it.

Anyway, think I'll try journaling again for a little while. Journaling is very time consuming for me. For those of you who drop in and visit, my apologies in advance if I don't get a chance to post to yours. I pretty much post here when I need to, and right now I need!

Started induction again on Monday March 6th due to gaining some weight back. Too embarassed to publicly state how much, but definitely not all of what I originally lost. I may stay on it for longer than 2 weeks, we'll see.

Goals: To have lost 10 pounds by 4/10. Longer range will be to lose 30 total pounds by the beginning of June.

Will come back this evening to post today's food choices.

[LAinSEA]

Lisa:

It was good to see your journal head to the top. I do hope all is well with you and your family.

I'm actually teaching now (finished my Masters in January). It will be a while before we get enough ahead financially to plan any Disney trips--even to DL or DCA.

take care,
Laurie

[Castillo Mom]

Lisa:

It was good to see your journal head to the top. I do hope all is well with you and your family.

I'm actually teaching now (finished my Masters in January). It will be a while before we get enough ahead financially to plan any Disney trips--even to DL or DCA.

take care,
Laurie

Wow, good to see you're still around! Congratulations on your Masters. I'm in the midst of a career change as well.

My son graduates high school next year so I've booked a 7 day eastern on the Magic. Can't believe he still loves Disney. Trying to also fit in a return to WDW before the cruise, but we'll see.

Nice to hear from you again. It's encouraging to "see" a few familiar folks around. Take care!

[Castillo Mom]

Posting food intake for yesterday:

3/11/96
Breakfast-Two scambled eggs with salsa and cheese and 2 lc tortillas, crystal light.

Lunch-Two slices of salami rolled up with cream cheese, diet fruit punch.

Dinner-Two lc tortillas with ham and cream cheese, sf jello.

Saturday was tough for some reason. Maybe it's because it was my first Saturday since going on induction and I was home all day. I had some nuts which are lc but not for induction.

Can't wait for weigh in tomorrow. I'm going to try to only weigh on Mondays but I won't make any promises. I have an obsession with weighing.

[Castillo Mom]

Food intake for 3/12/06:

Breakfast-Atkins Morning Start bar.

Lunch-Two turkey/cream cheese roll ups, diet fruit punch.

Dinner-Roast beef, broccoli, salad, diet fruit punch.

Did really good today and am looking forward to weighing in tomorrow. :cool1:

Goals for week of 3/14/06:

Let's see, what goal should I make? I know. Drink more water and try not to weigh until the following Monday. Oh, and hopefully I'll be down 8 lbs. by Mon. 3/21.

[Castillo Mom]

Weigh-in for Monday 3/13/06: Half pound lost, 2.5 lbs. total since starting induction on 3/6/06.

Food intake for 3/13/06:

Breakfast-Morning Start Bar, coffee.

Lunch-Half beef/half chicken tostada, hold the beans and rice, iced tea.

Dinner-Roast beef, salad, crystal light.

Snack-Sugar free Jello

Water intake-Oh my goodness, I felt totally water logged today. I drank the required 64 oz. of water. Can't believe I did it! That's a huge accomplishment for me.

All in all an excellent day food wise. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

[Castillo Mom]

Food intake for 3/14/06:

Breakfast-Hurray, I actually made my own breakfast to bring to work. Two hard boiled eggs, 3 slices of bacon, coffee w/sf hazelnut cream.

Lunch-I was good and resisted temptation! Lunch was catered for the office today, Chinese food. Instead had a southwest chicken bowl, (hold the rice/beans) which consisted of spicy chicken, salad greens, cheese and salsa; crystal light to drink.

Dinner-Two lc tortillas with roast beef, crystal light.

Snack-Sf Jello.

Water intake-Whoah, another day of being water logged, however, I'm sipping the last few drops of my 4th 16 oz. bottle today, so I made my daily water goal. Yipee... :rolleyes:

Tomorrow's goal-Let's see, I guess I should have a daily goal, shouldn't I? Umm, ok! Make sure I have veggies tomorrow since I didn't do too well with that today.

[Castillo Mom]

Food Intake for 3/15/06:

Breakfast-Two eggs over medium, 1 hot link, coffee with sf hazelnut cream.

Lunch-Chicken salad topped with a little sour cream and guacamole, crystal light.

Snack-Had a sweet tooth so ate a Morning Start bar.

Dinner-Turkey with cream cheese rolled in a lc tortilla, crystal light.

Snack-Sf Jello.

Water intake-After my first bottle of water this morning, I got nauseated, yuck. For some reason I've felt a little off since then. Will force down my last bottle in a moment. At least I made it to 64 oz. today.

Tomorrow's goal: I didn't have a green veggie today, just the salad. Will try again tomorrow.

[Purrrrfecta]

Lisa hi,

You are doing a great job keeping your meals low carb.
Keep up the good work!

Connie

[Castillo Mom]

Lisa hi,

You are doing a great job keeping your meals low carb.
Keep up the good work!

Connie

Hey Connie, long time no "see!" Hope you're doing well. Thanks so much for the encouragement. I haven't given up yet and so far so good!

[Castillo Mom]

Food intake for 3/16/06:

Breakfast-Two scrambled eggs, hot link, coffee.

Lunch-Bunless burger, small amount of broccoli (it was over cooked), sliced tomato.

Dinner-Chicken club salad from Jack in the Box, hold the croutons, crystal light.

Water intake: Ok, confession time. Only drank 44 oz. of water today.

Goal for tomorrow: Drink, drink, drink! Water that is.... :drinking1

[Castillo Mom]

Food intake for 3/17/06:

Breakfast-Morning Start bar.

Lunch-ATM machine at the office was out of cash again, so no lunch for me!

Dinner-Fiesta taco salad from Taco Bell, hold the beans, sf fruit punch.

Snack-Sf Jello.

Water intake-Oh no, here we go, confession time again. In my defense, we were severely short staffed today and it was complete chaos at the office so no time for water and running to the bathroom every 30 minutes.

Goal for tomorrow: I promise myself to drink water!

[Castillo Mom]

Food intake for 3/18/06:
Breakfast-Morning Start bar, coffee.

Lunch-Avocado burger, hold the bun, diet Coke.

Dinner-Lunch was late, so I wasn't hungry for dinner. Had some nuts.

Water intake: Fell short a little but did pretty well, drank 56 oz.

[Castillo Mom]

Food intake for 3/19/06:

Breakfast-Didn't have time for breakfast.

Lunch-Oh boy, didn't do too well with the meals today. Had the cheese and pepperoni off 1 slice of pizza and a diet coke.

Dinner-Redemption! Had a lc tortilla filled with chicken, salsa and cheese, diet cherry coke.

Snack-About 3 tbsp. of whipped cream. I know, sounds weird but curbed my snack craving.

Goal for tomorrow: Well, today was my last day on induction. Will weigh in first thing tomorrow morning and decide whether to continue this phase depending on what the scale says. If I decide to go on to phase 2, then I'll hit up the grocery store tomorrow and buy some canned pumpkin so I can make this yummy spicy pumpkin soup recipe I found today. Also found a recipe for lc pumpkin cheesecake which sounds devine. Will continue in my attempts to drink my daily water requirement.

[Castillo Mom]

Food intake for 3/20/06:

Breakfast-No time to run upstairs for breakfast, so I had a stick of mozzarella cheese.

Lunch-Chicken ceasar salad, hold the croutons, diet cherry Coke.

Dinner-Two hot dogs in two lc tortillas, diet cherry Coke.

Snack-Some whipped cream, a couple nuts.

Water intake-I'm going to avoid posting about this subject. :blush:

[Castillo Mom]

Food intake for 3/21/06:

Breakfast-Made my own yummy breakfast this morning. Boy can I cook up some eggs. 2 delicious scrambled eggs, 3 slices of bacon, coffee with sf hazelnut cream. Hit the spot!

Lunch-Two hamburger patties, sliced tomato, boring/tastless green beans. No, I didn't make the beans. If I had, they wouldn't have been bland like the ones I had, yuck!

Dinner-Two lc tortillas filled with chicken and cream cheese. Sound weird I know, but it was good.

Snack-Ha, ha, I thought I'd try mixing some sf chocolate powder in some whipped cream as an experiment which failed. Nasty! Had a couple nuts.

Water intake-Once again, will avoid confronting issue once again. :rolleyes1

Goal for tomorrow: Ok, so let's talk about goals, at least for the week. I weighed in again and I'm down a total of 5 pounds. Not too shabby. At the rate I'm going, I'd like to be down an additional 5 pounds by April 1st. In looking back through my journal to March 6th, the goal I set for myself at that time was to be down 10 by April 10th. Can't remember why I chose the 10th, maybe I meant to put the 7th because that would mark my 2nd month back on Atkins. Anyway, I think may have been a bit too conservative with that number, but we'll see. Don't want to set myself up for failure by not being realistic and balanced.

[Castillo Mom]

Food intake for 3/22/06:

Breakfast-Had to get to work early so I didn't have time to make my own breakfast. Went upstairs and had two scrambled eggs, two sausage patties, coffee.

Lunch-Roast turkey, green beans, small side salad, diet Snapple.

Dinner-Two small lc tortillas filled with chicken and cheese, diet fruit punch.

Snack-Sf Jello topped with whipped cream.

[Castillo Mom]

Food intake for 3/23/06:

Before I begin, let me say that today was a very stressful day at work. We were short-staffed at the office and it was extremely busy. Usually I'd reach for whatever is available to eat, or better yet, eat what I wanted for a sense of "control" when I'm feeling that matters (work related or otherwise) are out of my control. Certain foods are soothing to me. But today I resisted that urge and that was my biggest triumph even though I didn't get everything done that I wanted at work. Now for our regularly scheduled programming......

Breakfast-Didn't have time to run upstairs but had a Morning Start bar and coffee.

Lunch-Low carb buffalo chicken wrap, crystal light. Very yummy!

Dinner-Two turkey/cream cheese roll ups, diet fruit punch.

Snack-Two, count 'em, two sf Jello with whipped cream. I had a sweet tooth tonight.

[goldcupmom]

Lisa I admire your consistency with Atkins. I just can't do that!

Hope you're having a GREAT week!

Nice looking boys!!

[Chester's Mum]

I've just been reading your journal, I admire you for being so open about your journey. I am just starting Atkins (again) today. I'm embarrassed to say I weigh in at 214 and I'm only 5'4". I was on induction for the two weeks before my Disney trip in January (lost 10), and tried to stick with it, but there is just too much temptation in the world (those Mickey ice cream bars are a killer). I gained back 6 of the pounds I lost.

Got a treadmill from my sister who can't use it any more because of her knees, and I started that on March 28.

Anyway started again today, I'm hoping your journal can keep me motivated. Thanks.

[Castillo Mom]

Can't believe my journal still exists!

Quick update: Still haven't met my goal and have regressed a couple of times but I haven't gained back all of the weight I lost. I started at 224 back in Aug. '03. Technically prior to my official start on Atkins I was a little heavier than that, so closer to 230 or a little more I would guess. At any rate, I'm still in the game and remembered my journal so thought I'd look it up to see my old stats. Will try to begin posting again on a regular basis.

[Purrrrfecta]

Hello Lisa!

Glad to see you back. I just got your post on my email. I am starting back today as a matter of fact. How wild is that. I am going to go back to Adkins as well because I know that is the only thing that works for me (and exercise)

Connie

[Castillo Mom]

Hello Lisa!

Glad to see you back. I just got your post on my email. I am starting back today as a matter of fact. How wild is that. I am going to go back to Adkins as well because I know that is the only thing that works for me (and exercise)

Connie

Hi Connie! I didn't know if anyone else I knew was around. How are you? I'm doing great. I've been struggling with my weight but I've come to realize it's going to be a life long battle. I'm ok with that though as long as I don't give up. Right now I'm at 194. My goal for April 1st is to be down to 189. I'm setting weekly and monthly goals for myself. Doing pretty good so far!:woohoo:

[Castillo Mom]

I was feeling a little embarassed at the thought of reviving my journal. At first I felt like a failure in that I'm still battling with weight loss. But you know what? So are a lot of people. And if brutal honesty helps others (myself included) then so be it. The point is I'm not giving up, I've gotta keep fighting!

So what's new you may ask? Well, if you haven't read through my journal, I've had lots of ups and downs. I started on Atkins back in '04 and it worked great for me. I lost quite a bit of weight and I was only 25-30 pounds away from reaching my goal. Unfortunately I began to have some major personal problems. I lost focus on myself in the process and fell back into the old habit of comforting myself with food.

In '05 during a mini vacation to Disneyland I developed major pain in my feet and ankles and had to rent an ECV. I thought I had simply overdone it with the walking. It was soon after that I was diagnosed with moderate to severe ankle arthritis, worse on the left as well as bone spurs in my feet.

I've been struggling with this since then and my mobility has been complicated by weight gain. I'm supposed to be taking anti inflammatory meds on a daily basis and have been informed that I may benefit from steroid injections but will ultimately require ankle fusion at some point as I get older. I haven't had any injections as I'm very concerned about the side effects and take meds only when absolutely necessary. I have good days and bad days but am in pain on a daily basis. I don't dwell on it because there are people who have to deal with far worse me so I just keep going and deal with it the best way I can. The one thing that's starting to get to me is not being able to keep up with my sons and the lack of stamina I have for the activities I enjoy. We love Disneyland and in fact only live 15 minutes away and we are now DVC members with another trip coming up on about three months. There's no way I can handle that much walking so I always have to rent an ECV. I enjoy shopping with my sister but can only walk for about 15 minutes before I start to develop pain to where I need to stop and rest before moving on. I love, love, love to cook too! Yesterday I made a dish that required me to be on my feet for two hours in my kitchen. Boy did I pay for it the rest of the day as I could barely walk after that.

Other than my arthritis issue, I'm in great health. My BP, cholesterol and blood sugar are all normal. But I know I'm a ticking time bomb and that soon my clean bill of health could change drastically especially with a strong history of diabetes on both sides of my family. I hate to admit it but I'm 45 now. Wow, where has the time gone? I want to be able to enjoy my life to the fullest and I can't do that until I get this weight under control. We're thrilled that Aulani is opening up soon so we're planning a trip combining Maui and Oahu the year after next. I'm sick of being sedentary and I want to be able to go hiking and snorkeling without having to worry about my stupid ankles! I want to be able to cook without being in major pain afterward. I want to be able to go the parks without renting an ECV!

So here I am again. Don't know what the future holds but I'm going to take it a day at a time. I don't blame Atkins for gaining my weight back. It works if followed correctly, but that's just the point, I got off track. My doctor doctor recommended Weight Watchers which I've been pretty skeptical of but I agreed I would try it out. With the new Points Plus program, carbs are now counted towards your points so that's a good thing. My only issue is that fruits are counted as zero points. I've read a lot of reviews from people on Weight Watchers that are struggling with no or slow weight loss and I would venture to say that it might be that they're eating too much fruit, but then again I'm no expert.

I actually started trying to lose weight again about a month ago by using portion control and began the online version of WW 2 1/2 weeks ago. Online works better for me as I don't have time for meetings and it's just not my thing anyway. I've signed up for three months to see how things go. My starting weight a month ago was 226. I started WW on Fri. 5/20 and I was at 219.5. As of today 6/8 I'm at 215.3. So that's a loss of 4.2 lbs. on WW bringing it to a grand total of 10.7 lbs. since I started trying to lose again a month ago!:woohoo:

Now for my thoughts on WW. First off, I want to admit that I am definitely biased towards Atkins because of my past positive experience. I'm trying to give WW a chance though and remain positive but I'm still in wait-and-see mode which is why I only signed up for three months.

Pros

1. Flexibility: I can use my points however I like and am able to pull from flex points if need be. I find that helpful what with multiple celebrations going on this month.

2. Variety: I can have milk and fruit! I can have bread! I can even have waffles! But I'm being very cautious here. I'm limiting the amount of fruit I have and type as well such as berries and melon and trying to stay away from those that contain a lot of sugar such as apples and bananas. I guess it's the Atkins way of thinking I can't get away from. As for bread, I'm partaking only of the light whole wheat variety and am still drinking whole milk. There goes that Atkins thinking again!

3. Online access: I'm definitely a computer person, if I can get things done online, great! There are even WW apps I've downloaded to my phone. My fav is the product scanner that tells you how many points a product is. Love it!

4. Cost: I get a discount on the program through my employer.

5. Recommended by my doctor: But then again my prior doctor gave me the green light on Atkins so go figure!

6. Weight Watchers Products: So far I've only tried one product, the coffee popcicles which are very yummy.

Cons

1. Cost: Yes, I get a discount on the program but Atkins didn't cost me anything expect for the occasional breakfast bars I would buy.

2. Website: You can blog on WW but I think I prefer journaling on the DIS. I remember getting a lot more feedback here and I'm on the boards anyway. Please most of us have the love of Disney in common!

3. Points: I didn't have to count points with Atkins. Yes I had to count carbs but it was easier than points. But then again I've only been doing WW a short time so maybe I haven't given it a fair shot.

4. Zero points on fruit: As I mentioned before, I think too much fruit or certain types of fruit may stall weight loss, at least for me personally, maybe not for others.

5. Hunger: I didn't feel hungry on Atkins. I'm still struggling with hunger on WW.

After reviewing my food choices over the last few weeks, I just realized that I'm doing a pseudo phase two of Atkins. Oh well, call it what you want, I'm making progress and making healthier choices. I'm on the road to getting my energy back and hopefully decreasing the weight my poor ankles have to bear.

Anyone is still welcome to post on my journal! I would love to hear from those of you who are on WW. I'm sure I still have a lot to learn and I really want to give it a fair shot.:)

[Castillo Mom]

So as I was saying, I really want to make an effort to stick with WW for a while to see how things go. I have lost weight so it seems I'm doing something right. One of my frustrations though is tracking points. I started out with a lot of enthusiasm for it but have found that calculating points for some things can be a little complicated. I'm referring to recipes I make at home that aren't listed on the site. I haven't explored every aspect of the site so maybe there's a way I can enter the ingredients of the recipe and get a calculation of how many points a serving is.

Right now I'm lacking in one area and that's exercise. Due to the progression of my arthritis, I've become more and more sedentary and have gotten into a vicious cycle. Exercise is painful but I need to do it in order to lose weight. I can't be fully successful at achieving or maintaining weight loss unless I exercise. It's going to take a lot of effort on my part but I've just got to get moving! I remember when I was younger I used to work out by lifting weights and it really helped me lose inches and feel energized. Right now I don't have the time to work out at the gym plus I need to ease into an exercise routine. I discovered Core X System Trainer that is a resistance system I can use at home. It's low impact which is a must to protect my joints and is a complete exercise program that works both upper and lower body. It came with two DVDs, one beginner routine and one intermediate. I purchased it about two weeks ago and haven't started yet so I'm making a commitment to myself here and now to start on Saturday morning. I know I'm going to be sore at the beginning and it won't be easy to get a routine going but I've just got to start rebuilding my stamina.

I guess this is as good a time as any to start documenting my progress.

6/8/11: I didn't do so well today with my meals. Need to work on not skipping, especially breakfast!

Starting weight on WISH: 215.3
Next goal: 208 (5% of my starting weight on WW).

Breakfast - None.
Lunch - Chili, diet Coke.
Dinner - Chicken, black bean and corn casserole, diet Coke.
Snack - Kirkland Cashew Clusters, 5 pieces, 3/4 cup of milk.

I'm hoping to reach my 5% goal by the first week of July. I know, sounds a little ambitious but I'm hoping that exercise will help me reach that goal!

[Purrrrfecta]

Hello Lisa!!!

Sooo good to see you are posting. Hope you are doing well. I was on the WISH boards just the other day thinking about how I am going to start back up again with weight loss, and make it through Disney without eating too much.

Then I get this message post in my email, and see it was you!!!

Listen you are on your way to success. No looking back. I know it is hard to think about having to start over again, but you are doing well.

Weight Watchers did not work for me. I know I can't eat carbs. I thought there was a new WW program that kind of allowed you to eat low carbs. I guess that is what you meant when you said you were on phase II of Adkins.

I guess if you just eat like you did today you will be fine.
As far as exercise goes are you doing anything? Maybe you could start stretching with bands, or using exercise equipment that will allow you to use your upper body so you do not have to worry about your ankles.

Seeing your post has inspired me, Lisa.
I know it WILL be onward and upward for you. You will be successful!

Sincerely,
Connie

[Castillo Mom]

Hi Connie! Wow, it's so nice that someone I know is still here!

I hear what you're saying about Atkins. It worked really well for me before and I was losing weight at a faster rate but I feel like I should keep my commitment to stick with WW for at least the three months I signed up for. It's been really hard changing my way of thinking though. Like I said, I'm almost doing a phase two Atkins because I'm being very careful with carbs and trying not to overdo it. I don't eat any white flour, I keep the bread to a minimum, no potatoes (at least not yet), no processed sugar only what I get from berries and melon and I'm being careful with that too. If I eat a tortilla it's of the low carb version. I do like the flexibility of WW though and even though I'm losing weight more slowly than Atkins I am losing so that's a good thing.

As for exercise, you're right, I need to do something low impact which is why I'm going to try the Core X System Trainer, no jumping around or having to get down on the ground. Once I start that I think that'll help me lose weight faster.

Hang in there with Atkins though, you know what works best for you! Remember, all of us here on WISH are in this together. What I love is that no one judges you for falling off the wagon and everyone is so supportive. Take care and see you around!:)

[BabyTigger99]

Good luck with doing WW! I have been on it since May 10, and lost 16 pounds already!

[Castillo Mom]

Good luck with doing WW! I have been on it since May 10, and lost 16 pounds already!

That's great, good job! Are you also exercising? I know that helps so I'm looking forward to starting a routine on Saturday. Thank you so much for posting, it's really encouraging to see others success on WW. Keep up the good work!

[honeymo78]

Hi Lisa! Welcome back!

We're DVC members now too and were just out in your neck of the woods staying at Grand Californian Villas last month.

You're off to a great start with your weight loss. Weight watchers worked for me way back when so if you stick to it, you'll see results. I could have chosen that this time around but I'm doing something that I could get DH on board with so we both get healthier and can support each other. We eat lots of fruit and so far I haven't had any trouble with it but it only has been a month. I have an apple, banana, pear and some berries for breakfast then usually a small cup of 100% fruit juice at night. But you're right - all that stuff affects each of us differently.

I look forward to following your continuing journey and hopefully we can keep each other motivated.

[Castillo Mom]

Hi Lisa! Welcome back!

We're DVC members now too and were just out in your neck of the woods staying at Grand Californian Villas last month.

You're off to a great start with your weight loss. Weight watchers worked for me way back when so if you stick to it, you'll see results. I could have chosen that this time around but I'm doing something that I could get DH on board with so we both get healthier and can support each other. We eat lots of fruit and so far I haven't had any trouble with it but it only has been a month. I have an apple, banana, pear and some berries for breakfast then usually a small cup of 100% fruit juice at night. But you're right - all that stuff affects each of us differently.

I look forward to following your continuing journey and hopefully we can keep each other motivated.

Hi Steph, so nice of you to drop by!

Congratulations on joining DVC. What is your home resort and how did you like VGC? We had the opportunity to stay at the Grand Californian as part of our perks when we first purchased and we really enjoyed our stay there, so convenient to the parks and DTD.

That's awesome that your husband is also on a program with you, it makes it easier to stick with it when you have support at home.

Take care and hope to see you around!:)

[Castillo Mom]

I was having computer issues last night and wasn't able to post my food for the day so here goes.

Thurs. 6/9/11: Oh boy, I have to be honest and admit that once again I didn't have breakfast but had a good day overall in terms of how I was feeling.

Breakfast
Coffee, hazelnut creamer - 2 points

Lunch
1 cup of chicken fried rice, 1/2 cup pad thai noodles, diet coke - 18 points

Dinner
Extra lean ham sandwich with lettuce, avocado, tomato and diet Coke - 7 points

Snack
WW chocolate snack cake with 1/3 cup of whole milk - 3 points

Grand total: 30 points

Things I could've done better today were drinking more water and eat breakfast.

[Castillo Mom]

Fri. 6/10/11: Redemption! I had breakfast this morning! I feel pumped today and with more energy. Last night I did some spring cleaning (I know, it's already summer) last night for an hour. It's rare that I ever do any major work on a weeknight but I had the energy so today I feel great about that! I did WI this morning and I'm at 214.7. Yes! I'm going to make a confession though, technically my WI day is Friday but I get on the scale each morning. I know, I know, weight can fluctuate for different reasons but I find weighing in daily is motivating for me personally.


Breakfast
Mini bagel, 1 tbsp. cream cheese, two strawberries, small slice of cantaloupe, coffee - 5 points.

Lunch
Special K Red Berries, milk - 6 points

Dinner
Fried rice, 1/2 of a Vitamin Water - 17 points

Snack
WW Giant Latte Bar - 2 points

Total points: 30 points

BTW, my points allotment changed today from 30 to 29 I guess because my weight changed?? I don't know exactly how that works so I'll have to read up on that.

[honeymo78]

Lisa - I hop on the scale almost every morning too, heck even sometimes at night or in the middle of the day.

We own at BLT, AKV and BWV. We loved staying at VGC. We had stayed concierge at the Grand Californian 2 years ago on developer points and loved it and knew we would try and stay at the villas the next time we went. I love the entrance to CA being right there and getting in early and going to Soarin. We went back to the pool to swim everyday - something we never seem to manage to do at DW even though we could use the breaks even more at DW. I wish we could go to Cali more often but hopefully we'll get out there in another 2 years. And please I want more DVC out there!

Congrats on fitting in breakfast this morning. DH often skips breakfast too - he either isn't hungry or just doesn't have time. He does much better the rest of the day when he remembers to eat in the morning.

[Castillo Mom]

Sat. 6/11/11: By the time the weekend comes I usually pretty tired but I made a commitment to exercise this morning so I did. I finally broke out my Core X trainer and reviewed the video. Brutal honesty, right? I hate exercise! Especially on the weekend.:headache: But I made a commitment to myself that I'm going to do this. It'll be hard at the beginning but I know it'll get better. Wow, what a stark contrast to when I used to work on a regular basis years ago. I used to do weight training and aerobics at Bally's (before marriage and kids). I loved it and I used to actually cry if I couldn't work out. What happened to me?

I purchased the Core X System Trainer Kit at Costco after doing a little research. I needed to find something low impact that offered both upper and lower body resistance with core stengthening, so I think this is going to fit the bill. It comes with two DVDs, one that includes a beginner workout and the second for intermediate. In case anyone is curious here's a picture of it.

http://content.costco.com/Images/Content/Product/571574.jpg

I reviewed the DVD first and then adjusted the trainer. They really stress proper body positioning during the workout in order to get the most benefit. And boy, it's definitely challenging, at least for me! The workout is about 20 minutes long and I made it to 10 minutes but my bones were cracking the whole time!:rotfl2: Thank goodness no one was up yet because I'm sure I was a sight to see!:rolleyes1 I must say, my heart really got going too and although it's going to take time to rebuild my stamina, I think this a good start. They encourage you to do the routine 3 times per week but I think I'm going to try every other day and see how it goes.

Breakfast
Two Eggo multi grain waffles with low sugar jam, 1 egg, 3/4 milk - 10 points.

Lunch
Cheddar cheese sandwich with lettuce and tomato, broccoli, crystal light - 9 points.

Dinner
I was at my sister's house babysitting my niece and nephew and she had nothing I could really eat or that was appetizing. Ended up getting home at 12:30 a.m. and just had 5 Breton crackers and 3/4 of an avocado -

[BabyTigger99]

Keep it up Lisa! And don't worry, you will get to the point where you will miss exercise if you don't do it! I am getting that way!!

[Castillo Mom]

Keep it up Lisa! And don't worry, you will get to the point where you will miss exercise if you don't do it! I am getting that way!!

Thank you for the encouragement! I know I'll get there but it's gonna take some time.:rolleyes:

[Castillo Mom]

Mon. 6/13/11: I'm posting late, lot's going on right now.

Breakfast
Special K red berries, milk - 8 points

Lunch
No time

Dinner
Bean and cheese burrito (low carb tortilla), Crystal light - 16 points

Snack
Kirkland cashew clusters, milk - 8 points

Total points: 32

[Castillo Mom]

Tues. 6/14/11: Haven't been doing too well this week. I'm getting stressed due to my son's graduation coming up next week. He's my youngest so I'm feeling a bit sad but very proud too. My son has reached yet another milestone. Sigh, where does the time go? For those of you who have little ones, treasure every single moment because it goes by too fast.:sad1:

Breakfast
Special K Red Berries, milk - 8 points

Lunch
Darn it, I skipped again today!:sad2:

Dinner
Two bean and cheese burritos (used only one slice of cheese), water - 13 points

Snack
WW chocolate snack cake, milk - 6 points

Total: 27 points

[Castillo Mom]

Wed. 6/15/11: I was dragging this morning but feeling ok now but I need to get more sleep. When I'm tired my stress level goes up and stress is not good for weight loss plus I also won't have the energy to exercise. Got on the scale and was happy to see that I'm down to 213.7. Woohoo, that 15 pound clippie will be mine very soon! I'm also only 5 lbs. away from reaching my first WW goal of 5% weight loss!:woohoo: I'm hoping to reach that by the 2nd week of July.

Breakfast
Special K Red Berries, milk - 6 points

Lunch
Lunchable, coffee/w vanilla creamer - 11 points

Dinner
Chicken sandwich w/lettuce and tomato, two cups of broccoli, water - 7 points

Snack
Special K snack bar (don't remember exact name, scanned at 2 points), milk - 6 points

Total
30 points

[BabyTigger99]

Keep it up Lisa, you are doing great!! Are you making sure to gets fruits and veggies, water, and healthy oils into your day?

[Castillo Mom]

Keep it up Lisa, you are doing great!! Are you making sure to gets fruits and veggies, water, and healthy oils into your day?

Thanks for the encouragement! Admittedly I need to do better in the fruit/veggie area but I think I did a little better this week. Still getting used to the fact that I can have fruit but being cautious as I'm not sure how my body will react. I'm doing ok with the water but haven't really been tracking oils, in fact I don't think I'm having very oil so I need to work on that too.

Overall I think I'm doing ok. I feel good!:)

[Castillo Mom]

Thurs. 6/16/11: Today was really busy but I managed to get in all three meals!

Breakfast
Special K bar, milk - 6 points

Lunch
Beef barley soup, cantaloupe, pineapple, water - 3 points

Snack
Special K bar (I know, but they're good and I had a sweet tooth;)), milk - 4 points

Dinner
Chick-Fil-A charbroiled chicken sandwich, fruit cup, diet lemonade - 8 points

Total points: 21 points

Ooh, I was really low on points today but it's too late to eat anything plus I'm too tired. Will try to do better tomorrow. Yay, tomorrow is weigh in!

[Castillo Mom]

Fri. 6/17/11: I'll just cut to the chase. I did my official WI this morning and I'm down to 212.9. Woohoo!:yay: I'm only two pounds away from my 15 pound clippie which I hope to earn by next WI if I work really hard this week.

Breakfast
Special K bar, milk - 6 points

Lunch
Chicken Fajita Pita, water - 9 points

[Castillo Mom]

Sat. 6/18/11: Posting late since this past weekend was crazy busy!

Breakfast
Egg McMuffin without cheese, water - 6 points? With cheese is 8 points but I didn't have any so guess I can calculate it 6 to be safe. Drank water.

Lunch
This is gonna be tough. I had a chicken caeser salad w/no dressing but didn't eat very much of it as I wasn't feeling well so maybe 4 points? Drank water.

Dinner
Grilled chicken teriyaki rice bowl, water - yikes, 23 points!

Total: 33 points

[Castillo Mom]

Sun. 6/19/11: Another busy day and I was totally off track with how many points I was consuming but tried not to go overboard. My sister had a little party for my niece who was recently potty trained. Yes, a potty party!

Breakfast
Oops, didn't have time.

Lunch
Dare I say it? I had a grilled chicken sandwich combo with fries and a diet Coke at McDonalds.:scared1: - 21 points

Dinner
Half of a medium sized bean burrito, water - 9 points

Snack
Strawberry cupcake with cream cheese frosting (most of the frosting removed) - 8 points

Total: 38 points

[Castillo Mom]

Mon. 6/20/11: Another very busy day at work and errands to run at lunchtime.

Breakfast
Special K Honey Nut cereal bar, coffee - 3 points

Lunch
No time!

Dinner
Grilled chicken tostada, hold the guac and sour cream, water - 18 points

Snack
Yoplait light yogurt - 3 points

Total: 24 points

[Castillo Mom]

Tues. 6/21/11: I'm trying really hard to make sure I journal my food but it's not easy especially with my son graduating this week.

As for this past weekend, all in all I guess I did pretty good. I got in the scale this morning and I'm down to 212.2. So even with the crazy weekend and getting a little off track I'm still doing pretty darn good! I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the flex points and trying to be really careful and use them for special occasions and such. We had a convention on Saturday and my niece's potty party on Sunday and I clearly went over my 29 point daily allotment but was able to pull from my flex points.

Breakfast
Yoplait light yogurt, coffee - 4 points

Lunch
Cup of noodles, water - 3 points

Dinner
Turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato, pita chips and hummus, water - 11 points

Snack
Special K cereal, milk - 7 points

Total: 25 points

[Castillo Mom]

Wed. 6/22/11:

[Castillo Mom]

Thurs. 6/23/11:

[Castillo Mom]

Fri. 6/24/11: This week has been crazy and I'm exhausted! My baby graduated from high school last night and I'm so proud of him. So that's it, no more kids in high school. I'm definitely going to miss all the running around, teacher conferences, homework, all of it!:sad1:

I weighed in this morning and I'm down to 211.4 pounds so I'm a mere 4 oz. away from my 15 lb. clippie! Who knows, maybe I'll have it by Mon. I've gotta be really careful today with my eating though, it's my son's graduation dinner. But then again it's at a Greek restaurant so there are plenty of options for me to still be able to stay on plan and afford a little piece of cake.

[BabyTigger99]

Great job Lisa!!

We just had graduation for my stepdaughter a few weeks ago. She is my first to graduate. My last won't graduate for another 17 years!

[honeymo78]

Just checking in and seeing how you are doing Lisa. You're so close to that 15lbs (or maybe you've reached it already!).

[Castillo Mom]

Great job Lisa!!

We just had graduation for my stepdaughter a few weeks ago. She is my first to graduate. My last won't graduate for another 17 years!

Belated congratulations on your stepdaughter's graduation! Looks like you still have a ways to go with your youngest - treasure every moment, it goes by too fast!

Just checking in and seeing how you are doing Lisa. You're so close to that 15lbs (or maybe you've reached it already!).

Hi Stephie, thanks for checking in on me! I'm still having in there, I've just been so busy so it's been hard to keep up with my journal. But I've been sticking to the plan!:)

[Castillo Mom]

Mon. 7/11/11: Boy, am I behind on my journal! I've been super busy but still staying on plan. I gained a pound last week, not sure why though. I was pretty discouraged but I didn't let it get me off track. I weighed in this morning and am down to 208.5, so that's over 17 pounds lost!:yay: So now I need to change my clippie. Hopefully I'll earn my 20 lb. clippie in another week or so!

Breakfast
Two multi grain waffles with Nutella, coffe - 6 points

[Castillo Mom]

I didn't get a chance to post my weight last Friday so thought I'd pop over. I've been busy getting to know the new iPad 2 I wom at work, in fact it's my new obsession!

Anyway Friday I was down to 207.8 but when I weighed this morning I was down to 205.8! I earned my 20 lb. clip pie and reached my goal of 10% body weight lost! I set my next ww goal at 10% again which I believe I believe would be at 197 IIRC.

Better get to bed, I've been online way too long.:surfweb: