Christine's Get Healthy Journal (Definitely Want Comments!)

[Christine]

Well, it is January 2nd and today is my first "official" day of trying to do better. I really started about two days ago; however, I was still trying to "clean the refrigerator" out of my mom's homemade lasagna and my birthday cake, which was spectactular. I just couldn't throw either of these things out since they are once-a-year type items.

I'd love any comments/critiques on my food choices. I'm not really on any program because I find them too overwhelming. Just trying to eat better. If you see something really bad, let me know PLEASE...

A little background. I am 41 years old (as of a few days ago), married with 2 kids. I work full-time with a long commute. Finding time to exercise is my BIGGEST problem. I have not exercised since August '04. I work in a very crime-ridden neighborhood, so I cannot walk at lunch or anything like that. I am very sedentary during the day. When I get home around 4:00, I start cooking dinner, and then it is dark. If I don't start doing dinner right away, then the kids miss their meal if they have an activity. I'm trying to work around this but it is hard this time of year.

So, I started doing a written journal of my exercise and food. My starting weight is 154 lbs and I am 5'7". I would like to lose 10 lbs minimum. Fifteen would be great. I know you guys who have a lot to lose are probably rolling your eyes at my goal, but you know, those final pounds are the WORST. It is very hard to get motivated with a diet/fitness plan when the scale doesn't budge for weeks.

Yesterday, I pretty much ate everything in sight trying to clean out the junk.

Today, I started off with some hot tea with skim milk and equal.
Two Kashi Go Lean Waffles. I took some fresh raspberries and blueberries and made a compote/syrup out of them with some sugar and water (this was probably "iffy" but much better than pancake syrup). I then had about 6 oz of vanilla soy milk. I walked 2 miles and did about 10 minutes of stretching. I had about 16 oz of water. That was 2 hours ago. I am starving again. Can't wait for lunch.

I have to say that I have started walking again. I've only done it for 3 days because our weather has been beautiful. The anxiety and depression that I have been battling is really lifting. But I am worried. The cold snap is coming and I don't know what I will do. I'm not a big exercise video fan, but I guess I will have to try those. I am contemplating buying an in-home elliptical trainer. But the decent ones run about $2500. Uuuuggghhh.

So this is my battle!

[Christine]

Well, I'm a little disappointed at the end of my day.

I was SOOOOOOOOO good today with my food. Right before dinner, I was at about 1,065 calories. I was starving too. Then I guess I blew it. I had two smaller helpings of whole wheat spaghetti with meat sauce and two plates of salad with low fat dressing. When I went to FITDAY and added it all up, I am now over 2,000 calories and I haven't had my evening snack, and I'm hungry. I guess pasta isn't the way to go.

I guess the good news is that despite the fact that I am still eating more calories than required for weight loss, I'm probably eating TONS less than before. I mean, I must be eating 4,000 calories a day. WOW!!! :earseek: :earseek:

It will be interesting to see how I do at work tomorrow.

[toystoryduo]

Hi Christine!

Welcome to WISH journaling! You will find a lot of support and encouragement here. ::yes::

You dinner tonight doesn't sound too bad. The pasta was whole wheat and you had two salads as well. Sounds low carb and yummy to me. ::yes:: Maybe for a snack tonight, you can have a piece of fruit and some water as well.

Have a great evening and a wonderful Monday!

Tracy :wave:

[geetey]

Hi Christine!

Welcome to the journals of WISH!! I hope you find the support you are looking for here. There is a great group of WISHers journaling away and learning from each other each and every day.

Sorry about the hunger pangs yesterday. It might take your body a couple of days to get used to the fewer calories. More protein might help keep those pangs away as well. Think a piece of string cheese.... Some peanut butter on an apple... just a couple of options. :)

I know you don't like video but check out the Walk Away the Pounds tapes. I *really* like them (www.lesliesansone.com) and they are inexpensive options for those days you can't get out. You can find them at Walmart, Target, Kmart, etc. etc. etc.. At $10, they are a good tool. I just did the 4 mile Super Challenge last night.

Welcome again! :flower3:

[Christine]

Thanks!

I already actually have some WATP tapes. As usual there are always challenges in my life when it comes to exercise. If I try to do a tape at home, I am constantly interrupted by the kids or the dogs!!! I try to keep them out but I have a hard time ignoring the kids after I've been at work all day. It's always a bit easier if I can just leave the house!!!

Today wasn't too bad, food-wise. I went from breakfast to lunch with not too much effort, but I was VERY hungry right after lunch. I had some leftover Ma' Po Tofu that I had made myself. Good levels of protein vs. carbs and over some brown rice, but I guess it wasn't enough. I then immediately had an orange and cheese stick. It helped but I still kept obsessing about food. Funny though, once I got into my car and headed home the obsessions seemed to go away.

I also managed to get in 30 minutes of walking, albeit in the dark!!!

So, my biggest challenge is to find the "perfect" foods to keep me happy all day. With me, it is a challenge because so many things bother me--apples being one of them!

[sarahsmom73]

Hi Christine! I'm newbie like you! I'm doing Atkins so as you probably know it is a different type of program... I know that when I start out I need to add a small snack especially in the morning!

I understand the finding the time to exercize, but boy am I going to try hard!!!

You can do it!

[geetey]

I have found the trick for the kids... http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/naughty.gif I tell them to join me! I tell them if they can't wait 30 minutes, then they can WATP with me while they ask their questions. Sometimes they go ahead and walk with me, sometimes they walk in the room and walk out, sometimes they walk the whole time and we chat. I started this when my youngest was 7, but I think kids of any age can march in place and it certainly won't hurt them. Just a thought.

Hmm... apples are bad. Okay - what about nuts? Almonds? Pistachios? Your lunch sounds perfect to me! Maybe something with more volume? Have you tried Glenny's Soy crisps? I like the lightly salted and the bar b que flavors. They look like little rice or popcorn cakes and have 10 grams of protein. They are nice and crunchy but help keep the 'munchies' away for me. Good luck with your perfect food hunt!

[Princess Michelle]

Hi Christine! Welcome to the Journal Board. I just wanted to stop in and wish you the best in reaching your goals. :)

[Christine]

Well, after one week, I am down about 4 lbs!! Very happy. I've been doing very well with my eating and using Fitday.com.

I even carried out from our local Italian restaurant and managed not to do too badly--eggplant parmesan and pasta :earseek: ! I skipped the "iceburg" salad because it wasn't worth the dressing and skipped the bread too.

My lifesavers have been Skinny Cows in the evening.

Today I bought some Laughing Cow Light Gourmet Cheese Bites. YUMMY! These are MUCH better than the stupid mozzarella sticks. And you get 5 for 35 calories. Very creamy and they satisfy the old fat tooth.

I tried to have some diet root beer and nonfat frozen yogurt tonight in place of the Skinny Cow. Saves me 40 calories. But, it was a disappointment. Need to find better diet root beer and better nonfat frozen yogurt I guess. It was just very artificial tasting.

My other great discovery today was the new Lean Cuisine "Spa" selections. Very good. I had the Basil Salmon over Orzo (260 calories or 5 WW points)today and will be trying the Rosemary Chicken tomorrow. They have much less sodium than the regular Lean Cuisines and have a more "natural" taste in my opinion.

[plutosmyfav]

:earseek: WOW down 4 pounds is AWSOME!!! Congratulations! :cheer2:

Have you tried the Waist Watchers Diet root beer? Its made with Splenda and tastes alot better (to me) than the aspartame versions. I haven't tried the Laughing Cow cheese cubes, now I will! Thanks for the tips :)

Sundie

[sarahsmom73]

Great Job!!! :cool1:

[Christine]

[QUOTE=plutosmyfav

Have you tried the Waist Watchers Diet root beer? Its made with Splenda and tastes alot better (to me) than the aspartame versions.

Sundie[/QUOTE]

I have never even seen this. I wonder if they even sell it in my area.

[Desiree]

Wow! 4 Pounds! That's awesome! Keep up the good work!

[geetey]

Hey Christine!
I am back from the marathon and just read about your 4 pound loss! WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!! :rockband: I love using fitday.com! It's a great tool and free too! :teeth:

[Christine]

Well, I'm into this about 11 days now and have lost about 5 lbs total. Still going well with the food and keeping my calories at 1600-1800 per day.

Did have a bit of a set back yesterday. I have just been feeling SOOOOO tired. I guess it is the combo of diet and exercise (I've been doing about 30 minutes a day/5 days a week). I just felt really bad after lunch yesterday--exhausted in fact. I came home and did not exercise last night and went to bed at 8:00 p.m. I still feel kind of tired today. Also very irritable. It's actually kind of awful. I also noticed that my bowel movement was very dark green (sorry!!!). That kind of freaked me out because I'm not really eating anything different, just less.

I guess it's also time to get my thyroid levels checked. Maybe I'm taking too much thyroid hormone which would explain the irritability.

Can you really get this wiped out? I felt great the first few days.

[Desiree]

I guess it does all catch up with you! So just rest up and get back in business tomorrow! I racked out last night myself. I was asleep by 8:30!

Have a great day today!

[geetey]

Sure, you can get that wiped out! Especially if you are catching a bug. Rest, rest, rest your body and drink lots of fluids. You haven't had anything 'blue' to drink, have you? Gatorade or Powerade? That will give you that nice fun color in the bathroom. :p

[Christine]

Sure, you can get that wiped out! Especially if you are catching a bug. Rest, rest, rest your body and drink lots of fluids. You haven't had anything 'blue' to drink, have you? Gatorade or Powerade? That will give you that nice fun color in the bathroom. :p

Nope, it's either water, Diet Coke, or Tetley/Lipton Hot Tea for me. "Things" were looking more normal today, but not quite there yet. I also felt a little less tired because I did not exercise last night. Tonight, I just did some light weights so hopefully I won't fall apart tomorrow!

[Lizzydoll73]

:wave: Hi Christine - Congrats on your 5 lbs. :cheer2: Keep it up and you will reach your goal in no time.

[plutosmyfav]

Hi Christine,

You are doing great. If you are taking thyroid medication and have changed your diet exercise, you probably need to check with your doctor to be safe.

I hope you are feeling better real soon so you can enjoy the weightloss :cool1:

Sundie

[sarahsmom73]

How are you feeling today?

[Christine]

Well, I get to go into work late today because I have an early morning appointment.

Got up this morning and had another odd bowel movement. Not as green as before, but still strange. I'm really starting to suspect my thyroid medications. I made an adjustment last month and I think it might be too much meds, therefore, my food is moving too quickly through my intestines. Luckily, I had my thyroid levels checked yesterday afternoon and should get the results by Monday. I really hope that's all it is.

I did very little exercise last night--just some light weight work. Feeling a little headachy this morning but, again, this may be the thyroid stuff at work. It's such a fun thing not to have a thyroid gland. I really wish I could get mine back!!!!!

Got on the scale this morning and I'm around 148.5. So, in 13 days I have lost about 5.5 lbs. That is kind of faster than I expected since I'm still eating about 1600-1800 calories per day and doing the minimum of required exercise (30 minutes). Probaby the thyroid meds... :crazy2:

[geetey]

Hi Christine!
I am glad to hear you just got your blood work checked. Hopefully they can get things straightened out so you don't have to keep having those yucky poops. Nothing like getting a surprise in the bathroom each day! :rolleyes:

I hope you feel better. :hug:

[Princess Michelle]

Christine, I hope you get to feeling better soon. :hug:

[sarahsmom73]

Christine

Hope they can get you on the right track!!! Good luck! :grouphug:

[Christine]

Got my thyroid bloodwork back and, as I suspected, I am on the HYPERthyroid side. Now, my endocrinologist wants me this way because it is part of the "cure" for thyroid cancer, but I know that I don't do well with suppression therapy. But, it is nice to know why I've been feeling so weird. I'll be backing off my meds a bit to try to get more "normal."

Other than that, I've been doing VERY well keeping on track with food. I think breakfast is my favorite, most satisfying meal. The rest of the meals do leaving me "wanting" but, oh well. Today we were out shopping and I had to figure out what to eat. I ended up at Subway (yuck). Now, I don't like Subway on a good day, when I can eat full fat. I had the Turkey Sub. I got mustard. Egads, the woman must have put TONS of mustard on it because it was all over the place. Don't think I'll be doing Subway again.

One of my other new food finds is Amy's Organic Soup. Now, if you like full-flavored salty soups, these are not for you. Most varieties are low-sodium (I'm also trying to cut my sodium down). They are very fresh tasting and satisfying. The Cream of Tomato is ony 100 calories per cup. It is not Campbell's but it's not bad either. I'm always on a quest to find convenience foods that are not too processed.

[sarahsmom73]

I'm glad you got some info! At least you are understanding why your body is revolting!

Have a great Sunday!

[Christine]

Here it is--Sunday morning. Two weeks after I started. Yesterday, I was at 147 lbs, which was 7 lbs less than when I started.

Last night, I had my once-a-week meal out. We carried out from our local Greek/Italian restaurant and I got the same meal I got last week (and did so well with): eggplant parmigiana with a serving of pasta on the side in marinara sauce. The eggplant is not breaded (it's only saving grace). I ate it, skipped the bread, and had a bit of salad. This morning, I'm up 3 lbs!! :earseek: Bummer. I can only pray that it is water retention. You know, that is so discouraging. I've been soooooo good all week. And to think that just one, measly meal can do that to you. Hmmmm.

Guess I will have to go out and walk this afternoon.

I have another question for all of you experts out there. Yesterday morning (Saturday), I decided to get up and do my exercise in the morning. This is something I always want to do but can't since I have to leave my house at 5:45 every morning. Since it was so cold out, I picked my Crunch Fat Burning Pilates tape. I did this tape earlier in the week. It's tough and kicks my butt but I can usually make it through and it is a very good workout.

I was about mid-way through the tape yesterday morning and I felt queasy. I waited a moment and then continued. I got SOOO nauseous, I had to sit down for about 10 minutes. I stopped the aerobic portion of the tape and finished up with what I could of the toning and cool down. I proceeded to get nauseous off and on throughout the day.

So far, today, I seem to be okay. Just wondering what would cause this? I had not eaten or did not drink before I started--I basically just jumped out of bed. But I have exercised on the weekend before and did not eat or drink and I usually exercise better.

[toystoryduo]

Hi Christine,

I'm glad the the doctor was able to tell you what's going on. I bet that was a huge relief!!

As for your question about working out and feeling queasy~ I'm not sure exactly why that happened, but it happened a couple of times to me. For me, I think it was because I did a heavy workout and hadn't had anything to eat or drink (except water) since the night before. I'm thinking that maybe my blood sugar was way too low and the exercise caused me to be nauseous. I'm not sure if that makes any sense or not....

Have a wonderful Sunday and keep up the good work! :flower1:

[Christine]

Hi Christine,


As for your question about working out and feeling queasy~ I'm not sure exactly why that happened, but it happened a couple of times to me. For me, I think it was because I did a heavy workout and hadn't had anything to eat or drink (except water) since the night before. I'm thinking that maybe my blood sugar was way too low and the exercise caused me to be nauseous. I'm not sure if that makes any sense or not....

Have a wonderful Sunday and keep up the good work! :flower1:

Yes, that does make sense. I guess it never happened to me before because I was never really restricting my calories when I did a.m. exercise. On the Friday before, I had about 1600 calories that day. So when I got up and exercised (on an empty stomach), my blood sugar probably was very low. It makes perfect sense! Thanks.

[Christine]

Weighed in this morning at 150 lb. AGAIN. It looks like that Saturday night carryout really messed up my weight. Now logically, I know I didn't eat enough calories to put on 3 lbs over night. It's got to be water retention but, jeez, I thought it would have dissapated somewhat today.

I'm at work today, even though it is a holiday for most. Got a nice surprise from a co-worker/friend. He got me a copy of the Fitday that you pay for. It is so much nicer; however, I've got to reload all my information. I'll have fun playing with that today.

[plutosmyfav]

Hi Christine,

I have had similar experiences when I push too hard running. I think it is too low blood sugar. Maybe have a little fruit and protein before morning exercise and see if it helps.

You are doing fantastic. Your weight loss is really impressive! :cheer2:

Sundie

[Christine]

So, it's been 20 days for me on this new eating plan. I weighed in this morning at 146 lbs. I am down 8 lbs from my starting point. Not bad for 20 days, huh?

I even went to the Outback last night. Just ordered the Victoria's Filet (7 oz petite steak), steamed veggies, and had the low-cal dressing on the salad. I did get the butter on the veggies--I've got to have SOME treats right?

I was glad to see that my scale was not up 3 lbs like it was last week when I had the eggplant parmesan/pasta debacle. That 3 lbs, which I thought was water retention and would go away in a few days, never went away until about 5 days later. How did I get it to go away? Well, we had snow here in the D.C. area. I got stuck in the car on the freeway. Had pretty much a major panic attack which involves "gastro" problems for me. Had to exit the freeway and find a place to "go." Found a nice Baptist church and then I went back to work. It then took me another 3 hours to get home. By the next day, the 3 lbs were gone and I was pretty well dehydrated. I've managed to rehydrate myself, but that nasty 3 lbs seems to be gone.

Anyway, I'm sure THAT was TMI for all of you. But, hey, you gotta laugh at yourself, you know?

The point is, maybe the carb overload of last week's Italian extravaganza isn't good for my weight loss. Guess I do better with steak and veggies. I'm not doing Weight Watchers but I do like to go to Dottie's Weight Loss Zone and get an idea of what my restaurant food "points" look like. And they weren't too bad, except for the butter on my veggies.

My next challenge is this weekend. A snowstorm is starting a few hours. I will be trapped in the house until, probably, Sunday afternoon. I hope I don't start nibbling!

[swilphil]

Christine--Congrats! 8 lbs. in less than 3 weeks is awesome. I hope I can do as well. I think a small lean steak and lots of veggies is very healthy. I usually only eat steak when I eat out, and I save part of it to eat as leftovers in a couple of days. Keep up the good work!

[Christine]

Still trudging on--even through the snow storm. No lapses! Yippee...

Made a very good Weight Watchers recipe--from Takeout Tonight. It is called Black Bean and Sausage Soup. Very easy, very good. I topped it with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and some fat free sour cream. Surprisingly satisfying.

Discovered that you CANNOT make a good root beer or Coke float with lowfat ice cream. It just doesn't work. The ice cream gets "icy."

Discovered the Smart Ones Ice Cream Bars--the real thick vanilla ones with chocolate crumbles on them. Very good at 120 calories (or 2 points).

Got myself a Brita Water Pitcher and, as much as I don't like water, I find myself drinking more since it is sitting right there on the counter.

Made the strawberry-kiwi Crystal Light in an attempt to get more fluids. But, alas, I'm just not a juice person.

Oh, well, hope everyone has a great week!

[kayeandjim00]

Hi Christine! Congratulations on the 8lbs! That's great progress. ::yes:: I recently picked up the Take Out cookbook but haven't made anything yet from it. I'm going to have to check out that soup recipe - it sounds yummy! ::yes::
I'm a big fan of the cookies and cream WW bars too. I try to always save 2 points so I can have that for my dessert. :)

[Princess Michelle]

Christine, you are doing so great with the weightloss! I'm so sorry that you had some problems with the snow and your car but I'm glad that 3lbs. left you! ::yes::

Would you be willing to post the recipe for that black bean and sausage soup? It sounds yummy! :)

[Christine]

Christine, you are doing so great with the weightloss! I'm so sorry that you had some problems with the snow and your car but I'm glad that 3lbs. left you! ::yes::

Would you be willing to post the recipe for that black bean and sausage soup? It sounds yummy! :)

Yes, I will post it tonight. It is at home in my Take Out Tonight cookbook. It was very comforting and I'll be making it again this week!!

As for the last few days, I'm still very on track with my food intake. I WISH I could exercise daily, but I find I'm only getting it in about every other day. There is either bad weather, or running the kids around--life has just been getting in the way. My body is kind of getting used to my tapes I'm doing. I need to go outside and walk but we've still got ice on the streets and sidewalks so I don't know what I'll do.

My weight has been stuck at 146 since this past weekend. Gets a little discouraging but I'm hoping I'll see a little bump down by the end of the week.

[pettyone]

Christine--

Makes you wonder how many calories we burn driving the kids around, doesn't it?? I am convinced that road rage burns calories...

DD laughs when I do aerobics at home...it is hard to concentrate with her hee-hawing at me, so I try to get up super early if I plan to use a video...

I think you are doing great, all things considered!!

[Christine]

Would you be willing to post the recipe for that black bean and sausage soup? It sounds yummy! :)

Here it is:

Hearty Black Bean and Sausage Soup - From Weight Watchers Take Out Tonight

Makes 6 servings

This soup gets its distinctive flavors from sweet Italian Turkey Sausage, jalapeno peppers, and sparkling fresh cilantro. Freeze any leftovers and simply reheat in the microwave.

1/2 lb. sweet Italian turkey sausage links
1 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (I omitted these)
3 (15.5 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Spray a large nonstick saucepan (I used a Dutch oven) with nonstick spray and set over medium-low heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate. When the sausage is cool enough to handle, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in the same pan, then add the onion, garlic, and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the beans and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the flavors are blended, about 8 minutes.
3. Transfer 2 cups of the bean mixture to a blender or food processor and puree. Stire the puree and then the sausage into the soup. Simmer, uncovered, until the soup is heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the cilantro, and serve.

My comments: This was even better on the second and third day so this is one of those do-ahead recipes--better eaten later.

Once it was in the bowl, I added some fresh grated Parmeson and a teaspoon of fat-free sour cream. Very good with that!!

Nutritional info: Serving size = scant 1 1/2 cups. 221 Calories; 6 g Fat, 2g Sat Fat; 18 mg Chol; 582 mg Sod; 25 g Carb; 9 g Fib; 16 g Prot; 67 mg Calcium. 4 Points per serving.

[mom2alix]

Christine,

Thanks for stopping by my journal. That recipe sounds yummy! I love black bean soup and this sounds great. And it actually doesn't contain anything on my no-no list which has been a really difficult thing for me to find lately.

A suggestion for dinners since you're crunched for time in the evenings with kid's activities is that you might want to get out the old crock pot. I've seen lots of great low-fat, low-cal recipes using them lately and then you could have more time to get those workouts in. I'm sure it'd feel nice to come home and get a quick workout in knowing that dinner is making itself.

[Christine]

Day 26 of my "better eating" and I am officially down 9 lbs. So, I started at 154 on January 2nd and am at 145 on January 28th. The weight loss in the last two weeks has been much slower, but that's a good thing, I think. As long as it is still moving down. One more pound and I will be at my happy goal, but 5 more pounds would put me where I really want to be (at 140). When I started this, I just didn't think it would be possible so I wasn't really shooting for that, but it now looks a little more possible.

It is casual Friday here at work today and I put on a denim skirt that I hadn't worn in months. I almost didn't wear it because it was so big in the waist. I'm sure I look frumpy. And my black boots zipped up nice and easy today--no stuffing the calves in and squeezing. Just 2 weeks ago, that wasn't happening! So I'm pretty happy today.

Thank goodness the weekend is here. It's cold so I will probably spend the time cooking up batches of good, low-fat soup and doing my new Crunch Pilates tape!

[sarahsmom73]

Christine! Hi! I'm Jen!!

I just wanted to day welcome!

Your recipe sounds awesome! I think I have to try it!

[Christine]

Just a quick Monday check-in.

My weight was stable over the weekend. It actually looked like it was going dip down a bit, but since I didn't get to exercise on Sat/Sun I think it just stayed. Plus it is almost the "TOM" and I'm sure I'll pick up some pounds. My eyelids were already a bit puffy this morning.

On Friday night I tried my new Crunch Pilates tape. This one has hand weights that are used with the moves. OMG!!! After 30 minutes, I had to stop. This tape was too much for me and I almost got sick. I don't think I will ever master that tape. So, I spent the rest of the weekend sore and tired. Uuuugggh.

Did okay with my food though. I guess I had my first "non-diet" food last night. I had a pork tenderloin in the freezer that I needed to use. I decided to throw it in the crockpot with some homemade bbq sauce. And what's a barbeque sandwich without cole slaw on top? And then the bun?? So, I only ate ONE!!! But I brought one for lunch today. I kind of feel guilty but I'm trying not to beat myself up about it. It's just so hard when you've been very stringent for almost a month. I guess I'm getting too obsessive. But one slip and I'm down that slippery slope before I know it.

I made my WW black bean soup this weekend (recipe poster earlier in the thread). What a debacle. I didn't know it on Saturday, but we had a small snowstorm coming. I didn't realize it until I got to the grocery store. Man, what a nightmare. In my rush to get out, I picked up "black soy beans" rather than plain, old black beans. Didn't realize this until I was into the soup making. Fortunately, I had some dried beans around. Even after soaking and cooking the beans though, they still seem a little firm. So, I'm kind of bummed. Haven't eaten yet but I hope they soften up.

Felt like a spent a million bucks at the grocery store this weekend. I had to go to three different stores to get all the things I wanted. I feel like now that I'm eating better, I'm spending a fortune. I'm trying to buy organic when I can and better quality stuff. I'm noticing it at the register. I've always heard that when you cut the junk food you will slash your bill. Not true in my case. There was a woman in front of me who had a cart full of mac & cheese, chips, boxed EVERYTHING, candy, you name it. Her bill $79.99. I had lots of fresh veggies, OJ, milk, yogurt, Laura's ground beef, some WW's ice cream--my bill was $105!!! And that was just at one store.

Oh well, enough rambling. I'm starting the week at 145 lbs. Let's see how it is during my TOM!!!

[Christine]

Happy Monday Morning!!! Here I sit back at work feeling tired and blahhhhh....

Got my period on Sunday (finally). My weight was up a pound this morning. Feeling guilty about that. I was so busy on Friday evening and most of the day Saturday that I did not get to exercise. The temps were beautiful here this weekend so I could have gone outside. Was determined to get my exercise in on Sunday, but I got my period and had fairly bad cramps. I swear, the older I get, the worse I feel with darned TOM thing.

Still feeling pretty drab today and am bummed about not exercising and picking up a pound. I can only hope it's water retention but I have a sinking feeling it's not. The only GOOD news is that I still stayed on track this weekend with eating.

So, I guess tomorrow, I have to get back on the exercise wagon and try to keeping working at it.

Went shopping at Kohl's this weekend for some new work clothes. I've only lost 9 lbs (and didn't have much to lose to begin with) but everything has gotten severely baggy.

Found a great pair of black pants in a size 8. They were a tiny bit too big. Couldn't find a 6 in the black but got a 6 in the tan color. It is so great to put on sleek clothes and not have the "bulges." I will say though, that the "change" in clothing sizes irks me. For years, I have been a SOLID size 10--even at a lower weight. I've noticed that my sizes are getting smaller even if I put on weight. I mean a 5'7" woman who is 145 lbs is NOT a traditional size 6. Sorry, but no way. I hate how they are trying to "trick" us. Anyway, they're not fooling me!!

I hope everyone reading this has a great week and I hope I can check in with some pounds lost by the end of the week.

[sarahsmom73]

Hope you are able to have a nice, not drab day!!! We all need to get rid of these mid winter blues! Have a great one! :sunny: