A Sensible Dinner - Pearlieq's Journal

[pearlieq]

Hi! I've been wanting to start a journal now for a while now. I used to keep one and had great success with it, but I got out of the habit. I'm hoping to use this as a place to record things, vent, and look for patterns/things I can improve.

About me:
I'm 25, I live in the Chicago 'burbs, and I've been married for about 4 years. I've been fat all of my life. I started looking different from the other kids around 6 or 7 and since then I've always been the fattest kid in the class, the fattest person in the room, etc. But, in a way, that's normal for me. I've been fat for so long it's really all I know how to do. My mom is fat, my dad is fat, all of my relatives are fat, and my DH is fat. It's just our lifestyle. Only that lifestyle isn't really working for me anymore.

Where I am now:
My all-time highest weight was 385 pounds. Over the last few years I've stabilized and come down to about 360. I'm about a size 28. I am 5' 10".

Where I want to be:
I've accepted the idea that I'm never going to be tiny. I'm a large person on top of being fat--we're all good Midwestern stock! I don't really have a concept of what it's like to not be fat. I would like to be healthy. For a long time it wasn't really that hard to be fat. But, as I'm getting older, it seems like my warranty has expired. I'm developing osteoarthritis in my knees and I've started to have back trouble. I'm flirting with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes, though none of those has fully developed yet. I don't have the energy or stamina I did as a kid. Plus I've been watching my mother's health deteriorate over the last few years (she's larger than me) and it's really been scary. I don't want to wind up like her.

I think my final goal is somewhere between 150 - 180 pounds. I'll know better when I get there. I'd like to find a happy balance where I can maintain a healthy weight/body but not subsist on cucumbers.

Goals:
There are certain changes I know I want to work on. I know there will be more in the future, but I figure I'll start with a few, work on them, then add others. Here are my priorities for now:
1.) I will journal every day--good or bad.
2.) I will eat breakfast every day.
3.) I will get some form of exercise each day.
4.) I will stop drinking sugar pop.
5.) I will only eat when I'm actually hungry.

[pearlieq]

3/5/05

So, not really a morning to brag about, but I'm comitted to journaling the bad with the good.

12pm (mistake one)

-Wendy's double cheeseburger combo w/fries
-Dr Pepper
-1/2 fruit bowl (shared with DH)

Sadly, this is not the worst meal I've ever seen. Still, I shouldn't have waited until noon to eat. I make bad choices when I haven't had breakfast.

1pm

-5 Samoas
-1 sugar-free Kool-Aid pouch

OK--the rest of the Girl Scout Cookies need to go to the food pantry--ASAP! At least I've managed to stop the snacking. We're having dinner with friends tonight and I'm mentally prepared to choose a good meal then. Wish me luck!

4:45pm

-2 whole wheat tortillas with peanut butter and raspberry all-fruit
-Big handful of baby carrots with a little light ranch dressing for dipping

Wow I got hungry this afternoon! Hopefully the fiber from the tortillas and the peanut butter will hold me for a while.

7pm

-2 potato skins
-1 Chicken tender wrap sandwich
-1/2 side salad with light italian dressing.

9pm
-1 1/2 pieces of cheesecake
-several peanut butter M&Ms

1:30am
-1 cup Phish Food ice cream

Soo...not the best day I've ever had, but not the worst. The best thing is that I felt like I was in control over the evening, even though I did eat a few appetizers and some dessert. I probably could have lived without the M&Ms and the Phish Food.

No exercise to speak of today.

[NYcpa]

pearlieq

Welcome to WISH. :wave: :wave:

You might want to take a look at the 150's club. Everyone there is very supportive whether you have had a good day or a bad day. The motto is to look forward. You can't do anything about the past. Everyday is a new day.

The WISH board has alot of challenges to allow you to set goals and post your progress. You set the limits you want to seek. Hope to see you on some of the other posts.

Good luck with you choices for dinner. Here is some pixie dust :wizard: to help you

Onward and downward :banana: :banana:

[pearlieq]

3/6/05

9:30am

--1 regular bowl of Cheerios
--2T raisins
--1% milk
--a few peanut butter M&Ms

12:00pm

--1/4 cup roasted garlic hummus
--several veggie chips for dipping

2:00pm

--2/3 box macaroni & cheese
--1 1/3 hot dogs
--1/3 can pineapple chunks in juice
--several baby carrots
--Skim milk

6:00pm

--1 bag Smart Pop kettle corn
--Carb Countdown juice

8:00pm

--1 piece cheese pizza
--most of a delivery Chicken Parmesan (I left behind the cheese)
--most of my order of garlic bread
--Carb Countdown juice

I feel much better about today. Still not perfect, but I feel like I was in control and that I made the best of a lot of situations that could have been much worse. We were at my mom's all day, so there was a lot of negotiating and improvising to get from what she wanted to eat to something I thought would be healthy enough.

Not really a formal workout today, but plenty of activity. My mom was recently in a car accident and she still needs a lot of help. I spend almost the whole day doing housework, running laundry up and down from the basement, and doing errands. I did park as far as possible from the door at the grocery store and drug store to try to sneak some more exercise in.

[pearlieq]

3/7/05

8:15am

--1 regular bowl of Cheerios
--3T raisins
--1% milk

3:00pm

--1 Wendy's grilled chicken sandwich, no mayo
--1 small chili
--1 fruit cup
--Diet Coke
--1 All Abouts cookie
--1 sugar-free pudding cup.

I was starving! I took my mom for a doctor's appt. today and it took forever! There is no greater motivator for me than taking her to the doctor--it's like my own, live "Scared Straight" program. I don't want to be 57 and trapped in my own body. She was filling out forms and I realized that I didn't want that health history--the cancer, the back problems, the arthritis, the foot problems. Honestly, a normal-sized fit person would have bounced back from that car accident in a few days. She's going to be out from work for 3 weeks. She had to stay in the hospital for 3 days, whereas I bet she could have gone home from the ER if she wasn't carrying so much extra weight.

5:45pm

--Footlong chicken teriyaki from Subway
--Water
--2 All Abouts Cookies

I have to work for the next several hours to make up for the time I spend out today. I still want to squeeze in some activity today, even if it's just a few minutes on the elliptical and some crunches and stretching.

10:00pm

--2 packets of regular instant oatmeal
--1/4 cup raisins
--1 cup 1% milk

I'm on some kind of crazy raisin kick, apparently! My oatmeal is kind of yucky, so I didn't finish it. I'll have to tool with how I make it.

This was a pretty darn good day for me. Sadly, never did get any exercise, but I still ate very well today. I'm happy!

[DoeWDW]

:wave2: Hi Pearlieq!

Welcome to the WISH Journal board!

Watching what you eat is hard but journalling every bite (the healthy AND the unhealthy) will really help you. You'll be amazed at how a few small changes can add up to lots of lost pounds! Keep it up!

Drink your water - 6 to 8 glasses a day (64 - 80 oz) if you can. Your body craves water and if you don't drink enough, your body will just retain it.

A little exercise is a great thing. Just adding a few more steps into your day can help. Parking further from the stores is a wonderful way to do that! Bravo!!

I think you're off to a great start! ::yes::

Can't wait to see your successes along the way! :sunny:

[pearlieq]

Thanks, NYcpa and DoeWDW for the kind words and support! I really appreciate it!

I will check out the 150's club. It looks really neat.

I'm still working on getting all of my water. It's always been a challenge for me. I think what I might start doing is incorporating at least one glass at each meal. That might help me get more during the day.

I do have a mini-goal. I want to be under 350 for our upcoming trip this May. I'm feeling pretty confident that I can do it!

My longer-term goal is to have 100 pounds gone before our cruise next March. That one makes me a little more nervous, but I keep trying to focus on one day at a time.

[jay-nee]

:wave: Welcome to the journals!

You have picked a great way to start. Journalling your food and feelings about your eating is a major step in the right direction.

Housework is exercise! Count it! Anything helps, believe me.

So glad you came to join us. :grouphug:

[pearlieq]

3/8/05

Work crisis early this morning, so I probably won't get a chance to eat until about 11 or so. I'm just grabbing a few seconds in the calm here to update. I was so happy to jump on the scale this morning. I had been at about 360 before we left for Vegas last week. I came home and the scale said 368 :earseek: I thought I had done fairly well in Vegas, and we'd certainly done tons of walking. I was so bummed. It took me a couple of days to realize that I'd forgotten to take one of my medicines with me to Vegas. I regularly take Aldactone for my PCOS, which is also is a diuretic. I was also on my cycle, which I think caused me to retain some water. This morning I came in at 363, so I think we're back on the right track. I'm guessing I should be back to normal in a couple days and ready to focus again on my 350 goal for our WDW trip. Whew!!!

12:30pm

--2 turkey, broccoli, and cheese Lean Pockets
--large handful of baby carrots
--2 cups 1% milk

2:45pm

--1 sugar free pudding cup (Kozy Shack--I love these!)

The problem with trying to eat well, for me, is that when I do I'm constantly hungry. It takes a lot of calories to power a 360 lb body. When I start eating lighter, I'm hungry like every 90 minutes. I'm constantly trying to find something that is healthy that will keep the hunger at bay for a while. Maybe I need to add more protein.

6:15pm

--1 turkey sandwich on sourdough (tomato only) from Panera
--1 roasted corn chowder soup
--1 4" piece of sourdough bread
--1 apple

10:30pm

--1 regular bowl Cinnamon Toast Crunch
--1% milk

Another happy day. Still didn't do a workout. I ran some errands from my mom and I made sure I parked as far away as possible, but that's about it. I really need to figure out how to get motivated to exercise.

[pearlieq]

:wave: Welcome to the journals!

You have picked a great way to start. Journalling your food and feelings about your eating is a major step in the right direction.

Housework is exercise! Count it! Anything helps, believe me.

So glad you came to join us. :grouphug:

Thanks for the welcome and encouragement!

I see you're almost to goal--good for you! What an awesome accomplishment!!! :cool1:

[pearlieq]

3/9/05

10:00am

--1 larger (abt. 2 cups) bowl of Cheerios
--3T raisins
--1% milk

12:45pm

--1 cup turkey chili with beans
--1 cup mashed potatoes
--1 cup peas
--1 1/2 cup low carb juice.

This was a great lunch--it held me for a long time. I didn't get hungry again until after 5pm. However, I didn't get dinner until after 7pm and I was starving!

7:30pm

--French Onion Soup
--Tango Chicken Sandwich
--Berry Lemon Cheesecake

This was a great meal at Applebees. I was nice and full and the food was really good.

[pearlieq]

3/10/05

8:30am

--2 packets Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
--3T raisins
--1 cup 1% milk

I like oatmeal for breakfast. It's hot, hearty, and filling. I'm having lunch with my mom today, but we're having sandwiches again, so I can manage that. I think there's going to be long stretch between lunch and dinner, so I'll have to plan some good snacks for the between time. Dinner tonight is at the Cheesecake Factory, so I'll have to work to find the right balance between enjoying it and staying resonable.

12:30pm

--Turkey sandwich from Panera (tomato only)
--Broccoli cheese soup (a splurge, but oh so good!)
--4" sourdough roll
--sugar-free Jones soda.

My lunch was so yummy! I got the broccoli cheese soup because I know dinner is going to be late and I wanted a bigger lunch to tide me over. I also picked up a Clif bar to help me get throught the afternoon. Hopefully I'll make it to dinner and not be so hungry that I lose all inhibitions and make terrible choices. I took a quick look at the Cheesecake Factory menu--I think I might get the turkey burger (no fries) or the teriyaki chicken. Neither one is exactly perfect, but better than the alternatives. I'm not really a salad girl. I already know DH and I will be splitting the low-carb cheesecake. I'm looking forward to it, and looking forward to staying in control of the situation.

5pm

--1 chocolate chip Clif Bar

9:00pm

--2 mini hamburgers
--Orange chicken (I ate all of the veggies, about half of the chicken, and a third to a half of the steamed rice)
--1/2 piece low-carb cheesecake
--Iced Tea

I spent about 10 minutes at the table agonizing about what to order. It's not like I get to Cheesecake Factory every day, and I was really, really hungry. I didn't eat perfectly, but I'm happy with the decision I made. The hamburgers were worth every calorie! The orange chicken was good and I think I managed it well and the cheesecake was great. Wonderful nut crust. All in all, I think the way I handled this could be something I could do for the rest of my life. I keep realizing that these are the types of decisions I'm going to have to make. Do I take advantage of a special occassion and indulge? If so, how much? Will it be worth it? There are things I'm going to have to learn to manage now.

Sadly, no exercise today, and tomorrow doesn't look good either. I think next week I'm going to try for morning workouts. I have to find a sports bra--I went looking for one tonight. No luck, but I did find a really pretty top!

[wilderness01]

Hi there and welcome.

[pearlieq]

3/11/05

6:15 am (yawn!)

--1 tomato & broccoli omelet
--3/4 cup melon & grapes
--1 cup skim milk

11am

--1 banana

2:45pm

--1 grilled chicken sandwich on a large ciabatta roll.
--4 slices melon

DH and I were judging a high school business competition today and both of our contests ran long so we were both starving by about 2:30. I thought I had ordered the best thing off of the coffee shop menu, but it turned out that the ciabatta was grilled, I think the chicken still had skin, and it all seemed to be kind of oily/greasy. I did the best I could, and it did feel really good to eat. I'm sure it will be OK if I just don't eat again until I'm hungry. DH made noises about ordering pizza tonight, so I've got to see if I can maneuver around that. Weigh in is tomorrow morning, so among everything else, I'm trying to avoid extra salt tonight.

7:45pm

--15 baby carrots
--2 salisbury steak patties with gravy
--1 cup mashed potatoes
--1 1/4 cup peas
--1 cup 1% milk

This was a hearty dinner. I'm stuffed!

10:45pm

--1 cup no sugar added light ice cream. (chocolate caramel--yum!)

12:00am

--1 cheese and breadsticks Handi-Snack (left over from earlier days. I was pretty determined at that point and managed to find it in the back of the pantry).

12:20am

--1 Wendy's Double Stack
--1 Wendy's Junior Bacon Cheeseburger
--1 biggie order of fries.
--2 sugar free drink pouches

Well, that was stellar. On the one hand, at least I thought about my choices. In the old days (they're in the past, right?) I could easily have ordered a double big bacon classic meal, biggie sized with a Dr. Pepper with some chicken nuggets and/or a frosty on the side. I can imagine how horrified most people would be to read that, but you don't get to 385 pounds on fresh salads! On the other hand, I do wish I had skipped this. I was hungry again. I'm starting to think being hungry is like being drunk--if affects my decisions and gets worse and worse at it progresses. This presents a problem. Like I said before, when I eat better food, I'm hungry every 90 minutes. I want to wait until I'm hungry before I eat, but there is a very steep slide between kind of hungry and absolutely ravenous. I'm going to need to learn how to manage this. On the positive side, I limited it to 2 smaller sandwiches, fries, and I resisted getting a full-sugar soda. Also, I had a strong craving for it and it tasted really good. On the con side, it's still way too much, and especially not at midnight. I could have skirted this whole issue by just going to bed on time. I need to think about this and come up with a strategy for how to deal.

[jay-nee]

You're doing a really good job on your food journal. Keep writing you feelings and thoughts about what you're eating and how you're feeling. It will really help to review it here and there too.

Just a few thoughts... try to fit in 5-10 minutes of walking or doing stairs (if you can) a couple of times a day. Once you make it a daily habit, your body will start to metabolize more effectively. Also, it looks like your food choices are better now, keep working on that.

What I found was that I was hungry ALL of the time before I started watching what I ate. But, I used to eat out of boredom, anger, and timing (it's supposed to be lunch, right? ;) ). Now that I eat a more balanced diet - less processed sugar, less fat, and more protein - I have tons more energy! But, just make small changes daily or even weekly so your body doesn't think it's starving and you won't feel deprived. Very soon you will feel and see dramatic changes if you are consistant.

As far as a splurge, when we went to WDW in January, I was so determined to eat OP that I didn't order any desserts, but I had a small bite of whatever anyone else ordered and just savored it. I ate alot of food while we were there but I made better choices than I ever had before. I know my weaknesses and I make myself stay away from them (i.e., donuts, pasteries, etc.). Some days it's harder than others, but I love how I feel (and I'm starting to look) now, so it's worth it to me.

Keep up with your journal, you are doing the right thing. Is your DH watching what he eats too? My DH is my biggest sabateur. My kids are loving this eating healthy plan! Ironically, DH has lost 5 lbs without trying (probably because I am not replacing the junk food as he finishs it! :teeth: ).

Enjoy your weekend! :sunny:

[sarahsmom73]

:wave2: Hi There and Welcome!

[pearlieq]

3/12/05 - Weigh in

352.5 this morning! :cool1: Don't you just love those big first-week losses!

What boggles my mind is that when we came home from Vegas, the scale said 368. I mentioned earlier that most of the gain was from forgetting my medicine for a week, but it still astounds me that you can lose 15.5 pounds of ANY kind of weight, water or otherwise, in one week. :earseek:

I'm counting my WISH weight from 360--that's what I was around when we left for Vegas. That's about 25 pounds down from my all time high. I've still got my personal goals:

350lbs by our May 1st Disney Trip.
300lbs by my birthday - Sept 21st.
260lbs by our March 2006 cruise date.

Goals for the upcoming week:

Add in any kind of exercise--even just 5 minutes per day
Go grocery shopping and stock the house with healthy foods

[pearlieq]

3/12/05

I woke up very late today and for some reason I'm just not in the mood to eat. I've got to go get something small for breakfast, though. Need to wake up my metabolism.

12pm

--1/2 cup turkey chili
--7 reduced fat Triscuits
--1 cup natural applesauce
--1 cup skim milk

3pm

--1 footlong chicken teriyaki sub (no cheese and I didn't even notice! There's 100 calories gone!)
--15-20 baby carrots

I've been drinking a lot of water today from my All Star Music mug. Water is not my favorite thing so it's always a struggle for me. I'll keep at it, though.

8pm

--1 packet of honey roasted peanuts
--1 grape Propel

Went to the movies tonight. DH and I split up, I saw Bride and Prejudice, he saw Hostage. I loved my movie! This is the first chance I've ever had to see a Bollywood film in the theater. It was so great! I resisted the movie snacks and instead snuck in my own healthier treat.

10:15pm

--hummus and pita wedges (I swear I only had 3 wedges, but DH thinks I had 4)
--Broccolini & sundried tomato pasta (I ate all of the veggies, all of the chicken, and about half of the pasta. This was very tasty.
--1/2 - 2/3 large piece of white chocolate strawberry cheesecake.

Ate at California Pizza Kitchen. The hummus was some of the best I've ever had, the pasta was all right, and the cheesecake--oh my goodness! Worth.every.calorie. It was one of the best I've had in my life. I'm so glad DH and I split a piece!

[DisneyEnthusiastic]

Welcome to the journals!! Yes...you do need to make sure you are eating...as much as you don't want to! There are days that I don't feel like eating...but know I have to...drink some water too...that can help get that metabolism rolling! Have a wonderful weekend! :flower:

Gail

[pearlieq]

Keep up with your journal, you are doing the right thing. Is your DH watching what he eats too? My DH is my biggest sabateur. My kids are loving this eating healthy plan! Ironically, DH has lost 5 lbs without trying (probably because I am not replacing the junk food as he finishs it! :teeth: ).

Enjoy your weekend! :sunny:

Thanks for the tips and kind words. So far DH has been inspiring me. He's diabetic and he's had a heck of a challenge. I'm not sure if I could have made all of the changes he's made. He struggles, which is normal, but he's trying. Lately he's mostly given up beef and has been trying to eat lighter foods for lunch. He's become quite the Subway junkie.

Weight loss is kind of a sensitive topic between us. I've never told him how much I weigh. I remember when we began dating I was specifically looking for a big man. I wanted us to be the same, so we could be in it together. It just felt more comfortable. He's very supportive of anything I do, so I suppose we can be "in it together" when it comes to being healthy as well.

[jay-nee]

Wow, wow, wow! :earseek: That is a HUGE loss for your 1st week. Awesome! :) :sunny: :) :sunny:

You are so lucky that DH will be supportive of the new choices. That is so important to have someone in your camp right from the start. Thank God - I had my WISH friends and my kids too.

We had turkey chili yesterday, so yummy!

Have a great weekend! You are doing the right things... Keep up the GREAT work! 15.5 is amazing, take it girl, you earned it!

[sarahsmom73]

I find that drinking water out of a water bottle helps me drink more! I also have to drink water at room temp... I can't drink it cold!!!

You are doing great! Keep going! :cheer2:

[pearlieq]

3/13/05

10:45am

--McDonalds pancakes, plain (I used the syrup to dip only, so I only used about a 3rd of the packet)
--1 Fruit & Yogurt parfait

Getting hungry again. We have a 2 lunches for $10 coupon at Applebees, so I think we'll head there after DH's movie is finished. I hope we go soon. I'm hungry!!!

3:15pm

--six celery sticks with a little bit of buffalo sauce/ranch dressing
--Tango chicken sandwich
--4 pineapple wedges

We ran into some neighbors at Applebees--that was fun. They had ordered a huge plate of buffalo wings, but luckily they're not one of my favorites so I just picked at the celery. My sandwich wasn't that great. I'm getting really sick of chicken! Plus, it wasn't very tender--it took some doing to get a bite!

6:30pm

--1 bit of chicken
--1 sugar free kool-air pouch

I put all of the frozen chicken breasts I had in the freezer into the crock-pot to cook today. I'm going to make a pasta with chicken tonight, pulled chicken with manwich on Hawaiian rolls tomorrow night, and a chicken casserole later this week. So much for being sick of chicken!

I just got back to the store--I got sooo much food. There were a lot of "stock up" type sales, so I bought tons of cereal and frozen meals. I used lots of coupons, so I did pretty well!

7:30pm

--1 1/2 large barbecued chicken breast sandwiches
--large handful baby carrots
--1 cup natural applesauce

I think there were too many carbs in this meal, because I felt myself getting that "itch" where I just want to devour everything in sight. That usually happens when I eat too many refined carbs.

[wilderness01]

That's a great loss! So what kind of pasta did you eat at CPK? We ate there last week and I had a spicey dish that was soooooooooooo good!

[pearlieq]

That's a great loss! So what kind of pasta did you eat at CPK? We ate there last week and I had a spicey dish that was soooooooooooo good!

I think they called it Farfalle with Broccolini and Sun-Dried Tomatoes. It was mostly just the pasta, vegetables, oil, and spices, the chief among which was garlic. It was garlic-arrific! Which is fine by me, I loves me some garlic!

Was it the kung-pao pasta you had? I've heard that was really good.

[wilderness01]

Yes that is what I had. It was WONDERFUL! I had it with a more flat noodle than spaghetti and I loved it. This was a pretty new restaurant and very clean. How was yours?

[pearlieq]

3/14/05

9:00am

--small handful of Cinnamon Toast Crunch

I've got a quick conference call. Hopefully it will wrap up soon and I can get some breakfast!

9:15

--1 barbecue chicken sandwich on a hawaiian roll
--1 banana
--1 cup skim milk

My call was quicker than I thought it would be! Work troubles today--trying not to let it stress me out but feeling kind of overwhelmed.

1:45pm

--1 Souffers ravioli entree
--Garlic hummus with baby carrots (probably between 2 and 3 T)
--1 large navel orange.

I had forgotten how good oranges can be! This one was perfectly sweet and juicy--yummy! We'd gotten out of the habit of buying fresh produce since I got sick of throwing it away. I now buy lots of frozen veggies and put them in just about everything, but I was really missing fresh fruit. Canned just isn't the same. I bought bananas, oranges, apples, and pineapples as the grocery store yesterday since that's what was on sale. I'm trying to make sure each meal/snack contains at least one.

A new thing that's happened to me this week is that I've started getting fuller sooner. Normally I can put food away like nobody's business. Last night I served myself 2 large chicken sandwiches which I used to be able to eat no problem. Last night I finished one, my fruits & veggies, and about 1/4 of my husbands (he couldn't finish either--they really were big!) and I was done. I didn't even have my usual nighttime snack.

What happened today was that I've been getting hungrier and hungrier for the past hour and I've been ignoring it. (did I think it was going to go away or something?) By the time I talked some sense into myself and went to get some lunch, I was pretty darn hungry. So, while I was waiting for my meal to cook I gobbled up the carrots and hummus pretty fast. Then I peeled the orange and had it half of it eaten before I even sat down with my meal again. By then I was feeling pretty full. It occured to me that I've gone through most of my life without really listening to my body. I tend to ignore its demands (be it hunger, thirst, tired, alert, need to go to the washroom, etc.) until I can't possibly ignore them anymore. It's almost like I spend a lot of my time fighting my body. I guess the idea that I consider my body something separate from "me" would be my first clue. Just something to think about. I wonder if things would be better for me if tried doing what my body wanted when it wanted it. Something to think about... :scratchin

4pm

--1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
--7 reduced-fat Triscuits
--1 snack pack of prunes

Hungry again!

5pm

After days and days of reporting no exercise, I finally took the bull by the horns today and took a 35 minute walk around the neighborhood. It was very, very pleasant--I hope to be able to do it again tomorrow.

6:50pm

--1 cup Bush's baked beans
--1 1/3 hot dogs
--1 ear of corn, no butter, with salt-free herb blend
--1/4 of a fresh pineapple

[pearlieq]

Yes that is what I had. It was WONDERFUL! I had it with a more flat noodle than spaghetti and I loved it. This was a pretty new restaurant and very clean. How was yours?

I'm going to have to try that--so many people have raved about it!

Ours was really new as well--they just opened on March 1st. It was really pretty, they had a big open kitchen and the whole restaurant was decorated with honey oak, stone, and some slate-type colors. Very warm and cozy!

[sarahsmom73]

I know I am trying hard to not eat so fast, but it is hard when you have a million things to do...

Have a great day! :flower:

[DoeWDW]

Look at you!! You're doing a great job of writing down your food AND your feelings about it. The weight is starting to melt away - 15.5 pounds WOW!! You've made a great start! ::yes::

I tried eating low-fat and actually gained weight. :rolleyes: I would eat a bagel for breakfast and be starving a half hour later. If I don't eat some protein and fat with every meal, I get hungry so quickly. I've learned to keep some snacks handy that are mostly protein and fat, so I feel full longer. I always have nuts on hand (count them out though - portion sizes are small). String cheese is an excellent snack. An apple with peanut butter smeared on it or yogurt with some almonds or walnuts mixed in will hold me for hours. You'll find what works for you!

Congratulations on getting that 35 minute walk in! It's always hard for me to get started but once I walk, I feel awesome!

Best wishes for a terrific Tuesday! :sunny:

[pearlieq]

3/15/05

8:45am

--barbecued chicken sandwich on a Hawaiian roll
--1 banana
--1 cup skim milk

Oof! That was a big meal. Hopefully it will hold me for a while. I'll be glad when the Hawaiian rolls are gone--they pack quite a whallop. I think I'm going to get some pita bread next time I got to the store--it's got many fewer calories and lots more fiber. Of course now that I'm all full my little girl cat has decided to crawl up on my lap and start marching on my stomach--ugh!

1:45pm

--1 cup leftover beans & franks from last night
--1 orange

Honestly only a little hungry, but I figured I should eat anyway, just so I'm ready for dinner and so I don't get too hungry this afternoon.

5:30pm

--1 regular bowl cinnamon toast crunch with skim milk
--1 Stouffers ravioli entree

I feel like I'm dangling on the edge of a cliff right now. I really want to go on a bender and I'm not sure why--I'm a little stressed about work and a scheduling mess for tomorrow, and I'm getting a bit of "diet fatigue", but I'm not quite sure why I had 15 minutes there where I wanted to eat everything in sight and then go out for more. Luckily I was able to fake it out with a bowl of cereal, which tasted great and made the urge to clean out my fridge and then go to Arbys pass. Still, I'm a little worried about the ferocity of my desire to overeat.

9:20pm

--breadsticks and cheese handi-snack

It's funny--I knew a bender was coming tonight.

10:30pm

--1 cheeseburger
--1 large garlic roll
--4 cheddar bacon potato skins with sour cream

I don't know why this happened. Only the cheeseburger was really worth eating. I don't know why I was so determined to overeat tonight. I think part of it is work stress and part of it is that I'm losing sight of "one day at a time". When you have 200 pounds to lose, it's really hard to think about. It feels like climibing Mt. Everest. You start thinking about how far you have to go and all the work there is to do, then you start doubting that you can do it. That gets really depressing, and then the bender starts.

Time to get back on the horse.

[pearlieq]

3/16/05

8:45 am

--larger bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch
--skim milk

Not the best breakfast. Time to regroup--I can still make a good day of this.

12:45

--1 cheese & breadsticks Handi Snack
--1 Lean Cuisine Lasagna

I will have some fruit for my next snack. I'm glad that was the last Handi-Snack. I'm pawning off the last of the Girl Scout Cookies on my mom (an ethical gray area, I know) tomorrow and that will be the last of the "junk" in the house. I have to keep reminiding myself of something I read in a diet book as a pre-teen--you are not a garbage can. You don't have to eat up food just to have it be gone or so it won't be wasted. That's what the trash can is for. It's a hard lesson for me to learn. One thing I am happy about, though, is that I seem to be sticking to the idea of only eating when I'm hungry. I may slip up and overeat/choose bad foods, but at least I was hungry when I ate. I haven't eaten purely out of boredom, stress, etc. for almost 2 weeks now.

Bunco tonight. It's a group of ladies in our neighborhood that get together to play, so there's always tons of unhealthy snack food. It's my turn to bring some of the food this week. My strategies for coping tonight:

1.) Eat a full, healthy dinner before I go.
2.) Stick to no more than 1 serving of any food. I'm bringing grilled chicken skewers, a pineapple-upside down pull-apart bread, bottled water, and possibly fresh pineapple.
3.) Eat only foods worth the splurge. I've had Ruffles and onion dip before--nothing new to experience there.
4.) Take one pass at the buffet, enjoy what I've chosen, then GET OUT OF THERE! Go find someone to talk to. Stick to water/diet soda for the rest of the evening.

3:30pm

--2 Trefoils cookies
--1 or 2 tastes of brownie batter

OK--the other girl who was supposed to be providing snacks for Bunco totally bailed today with nothing but an email. She didn't make any arrangements for her snacks, so I threw some brownies in at the last minute and made up a plate of Girl Scout cookies. I'll be glad to get them out of the house.

7pm - 12am

Well, I had nice ideas, but that's not actually what happened last night. I found out an hour before Bunco was supposed to start that our hostess's kids were sick. So, without really thinking, I offered up my house since I'm just across the way. So in under an hour I had 16 women in my house! I've never cleaned that fast in my life! I wound up skipping dinner totally and eating much more than I planned. I can't rememember exactly what I ate, but it must have been about 10-12 chicken skewers, 2 small brownies, 1 real Coke, 2 propels, 2 pieces of beach bread, a large handful of ruffles, a few tostitos, and may tastes of dip. It was pretty much the opposite of what was supposed to happen.

[Rachie0507]

Pearlieq---I have enjoyed reading your journal so much!!! You are doing awesome. We have very similar backgrounds. I have always been overweight and both my parents are overweight. I am 26 and feel a lot older. My knees hurt so much sometimes that I use a heating pack. I've had two kids though, and pregnancy is tough when you are already carrying extra weight. That is one reason I am trying to get control of my issue now, though, because I want a third!!

Your progression with your food choices is great. The first few days you ate a lot more, and unhealthy foods, then you are now. I think you have the right attitude to succeed. I love these journals. I think it keeps us in check and honest. Keep up the good work!!!!!

[Strings]

:wave2: Pearlieq,

I'm sorry it has taken so long for me to get to your journal. Congrats on your loss. That is a great start. You goals are definately reasonable. You should be very proud of yourself today. You binged yesterday, but you are back on program today. No one is perfect, but getting back to the dtraight and narrow is really what will make this time different.

My suggestion is that you add more fiber and protein to your meals and snack. Doe's suggestions are great. You have really come a long way in a short period of time. I suggest that when you get discouraged, you read the 1st 3 days of your journal to compare.

Keeping your eye on small goals is a great way to stay motivated. That is why so many of us use the clippies. Breaking the loss down in 5 pound increments can help. I have a little over 100 pounds to lose when I started. I am 70 pounds closer to goal because of the support I have found here and the clippie system.

You mentioned needing sports bras. I am a bit busty. Ok, that is an understatement. I would suggest the Nike style 223977 or go to title9sports.com. They are expensive, but so worth it. I have been using the last resort bra. Believe me when I say that there is NO movement.

Enjoy tonight and Keep up the great work,
Beth

[sarahsmom73]

Baby Steps! Lots and lots of baby steps! :cheer2:

[pearlieq]

3/17/05

1:30 pm

--1 regular meatball sub from Quiznos
--1 bag barbecue chips
--16oz real Coke
--1 mini pineapple upside-down cake

Again, not a stellar morning. I'm really on kind of a slide, but I'm still comitted to regrouping. It's funny how it seems like being OP is so easy for some days--I can't imagine why I haven't eaten like that all the time. Other days you can't get OP to save your life. I'm going to try to deal with this in the most postive way possible. Good things:

1.) Still committed to being OP.
2.) Have gotten rid of all of last night's leftovers. No junk is sitting around the house to be eaten.
3.) I am going to drink plenty of water tonight and tomorrow to flush out the excess salt and other junk I've taken it.
4.) I am going for a walk today, even if it's just 5 minutes.

7:30pm

--1 raspberry lemonade
--2 servings salad
--4 breadsticks :rolleyes2
--2 bites whole wheat pasta with marinara
--1 to 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pasta with meat sauce.

Olive Garden tonight. Next time I'm going to have to ask the waiter to take the breadsticks away. They always were my downfall. I'm so thrilled to see they're offering whole wheat pasta. My pasta didn't get drained very well, so I had pasta soup. The manager came and took it back to the kitchen, so I wound up just finishing DH's pasta. I had the manager pack up the fixed pasta to go, so now I have lunch for tomorrow.

[pearlieq]

3/18/05

7:15am

--1 small bowl frosted mini-wheats
--skim milk

I'm still going to eat when I'm hungry today, but I'm going to cut my portions given the overeating of the last few days. Back on the horse! Lunch today will be left over pasta from last night with chicken and veggies, and then sometime today I'm going to make a double batch of chicken casserole with all of the rest of the chicken. I've got to use it up!

10:30am

--1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
--7 reduced fat Triscuits
--3 prunes

1:30pm

--2 cups chicken cacciatore
--2T parmesan cheese

I took last night's linguine, added chicken, peas, and canned diced tomatoes and made a "cacciatore" out of it. It smells good--hopefully the protein & fat from the chicken and cheese and the fiber from the veggies and whole wheat pasta will hold me. Just found out we're going to Maggiano's tomorrow night. Going to have to eat light today and tomorrow morning to get ready for the splurge. No way I'm sticking to salad, but hopefully I can have small portions of my faves.

4:30pm

--1 1/2 cups teriyaki chicken & veggies
--10 reduced-fat Ritz
--1 orange

7:00pm

--1 regular cheeseburger
--3 melon slices

We tried the new restaurant up the road. It's just a plain family restaurant, but the food was pretty good. I was so fed up with chicken and had a strong craving for a cheeseburger. I got the sandwich only with fruit on the side and I enjoyed every bite!

8:45pm

--1 Kozy Shack sugar-free pudding.

Calories Eaten: 2248
Calories Burned: 3532

[Strings]

You'll have to tell me about Maggiano's. We have one opening in our area soon. Keep up the great work.
Beth

[pearlieq]

3/19/05 - Weigh In

352.0 this morning, so down 0.5 pounds from last week. Given the week I've had, this is nothing short of a miracle.

I'm adding in a interim goal between my May and September goals. I'd like to get down to my college weight--330 lbs--by July 4th.

Things to focus on in the coming week:
1.) EXERCISE! I need to be doing something, even if it's just a quick walk around the block or some situps in front of the TV.
2.) Water. I need to be more conscious of having my mug made up and refilling it throughout the day.

[pearlieq]

3/19/05

7:30am

1 1/2 cups chicken cacciatore
1 cup skim milk

Maggiano's tonight. What I'd like to do is to stay right around 1000 calories for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. My breakfast here is 337 calories, and I plan to carry some almonds for an afternoon snacks, so between the two of those I have about 500 calories available for lunch with DH at Egg Harbor Cafe. I'm going to get the spinach and low-fat mozarella egg white omelet with fruit. Normally I would have the toast or english muffin too, but I'm going to stay low on the carbs this morning and focus mostly on protein and fiber. That will leave me with around 1500 calories for tonight. I love their cream of chicken soup, so I'm going to have a cup of that with 1 or 2 crispbreads. It's chock full of fat, but so are all the rest of the appetizers and at least the soup is portion controlled and filling. I'm going to have 1 Amaretto Sour, because Maggiano's makes the best one I've ever had anywhere. Then I think DH and I will split the filet medallions and the spinach/chicken manacotti. We'll see. I may order a side of asparagus or broccoli, and I'll definitely share in dessert.

My goals:
--Stay away from the bread basket. 2 crisp breads is my limit.
--Enjoy my food, but leave some behind for each course.
--1 cocktail, then switch to Diet Coke or Iced Tea.
--No doggie bags. What happens at Maggiano's stays at Maggianos.

11:15am

--1 Dynamite Veggie White omelet at Egg Harbor
--1 cup fresh fruit salad.

I went shopping after lunch. I took a lap around the entire mall before I went to my store, plus I parked far out at all the places I stopped, so I got about 25 minutes of walking in today. I think I'm going to go take a nap. It's a cool, dreary day--perfect for napping.

3:45pm

--1 english muffin
--3/4 cup cottage cheese
--1 cup carb clever peaches
--1/4 cup roasted garlic hummus

The veggie omelet didn't hold me quite as long as I would have liked. So, I'm having a hearty mini-meal with lots of protein and fiber. With any luck we'll be eating in about 3 hours so the timing should be just about right.

6:30pm - 8:30pm

--1 amaretto stone sour
--2 crispbreads
--1/4 breaded cheese slice
--1/4 cup onion straws
--2 1/2 crepes of spinach/chicken/cream sauce
--1 filet medallion
--1 cup mashed potatoes w/portabello gravy
--1/2 cup onion straws
--1 large slice poundcake, toasted
--3 caramelized banana quarters
--1/4 cup hot fudge
--2 T vanilla ice cream

This dinner went perfectly--exactly how I wanted it to go. They were out of soup, but I had just a small taste of the breaded mozzarella and a few onion straws. I enjoyed a little over half of my manicotti and one of DH's filet medallions with some of the yummy mashed potatoes mixed with gravy and onion straws. Awesome! Finally I had a toasted pound cake dessert with caramelized bananas and hot fudge. So good! That was the one I had the hardest time letting go of, but I did leave most of the ice cream behind. We had horrific service, but the food was good and the company was better. It was a great night.

[kris1973]

I read your journal and it sounds like your doing a great job. Of course you are gonna have bad days but we all do. Just try and turn it around as soon as you see the problem. Ill check back more later.

Kristin

[pearlieq]

3/20/05

8:15am

--1 cup frosted mini-wheats
--3/4 cup skim milk

11:30am

--2 small slices of cheese/bacon/green onion frittata
--1 waffle with light syrup
--1/2 small raspberry scone (homemade)
--1 small strawberry muffin (made with Splenda)
--1 small taste of crabmeat quiche
--1/4 cup fresh orange juice (mixed with Diet 7up)
--1 small slice bacon
--2 cups fresh fruit salad
--2 mini pecan tarts

An early Easter brunch at my aunt and uncle's house. The thing that's nice about holidays at their house is that they're total health freaks so there's always good food to choose from.

2:45pm

--1 turkey sandwich from Jimmy Johns (lettuce & tomato only)
--1/2 bag barbecue kettle chips

4:00pm

25 minute walk around the neighborhood.

9:00pm

--Guiltless black bean burger from Chilis
--Corn on the cob

This was sooo good! It took a few bites to get used to, but especially with ketchup it was really tasty. Now I'm just wondering that happens to a person when they eat 26 grams of fiber in one sitting...

[SnowWhite1985]

hey there. you seem to be such the sweetheart! you offer all of this support to others, and you deserve some back. just the fact that you want to be healthy is wonderful ::yes:: ..i agree with the person who posted before me..we all have our ups and downs, we make mistakes, and we fix them.. ..but seriously keep up the good work. you can do it! :thewave:

[kris1973]

Just wanted to check in and see how your doing today.....looks great keep it up. Wish my family had healthy stuff to choose from, I have to bring the healthy stuff now.

Kristin

[Lesli54]

Just wanted to say "hi!" and thank you for visiting my journal. I just finished reading yours and you really have come along way in the last few weeks with making changes in your menu. Hang in there, I know you can do it! :cheer2: :cheer2:

I see your time frames are all over the place, must be that "Chicago life-style". :rotfl2: We are not too far away, but far enough that my world is much slower paced. I have found that having time frames for my meals and snacks really helps keep me from snacking in between. Of course, there are days that it just doesn't work. You are right about listening to your body. That is something I think we all ignore until we just can't any longer. Mine says, go to bed earlier (quit the night owl) and I have been since starting my program. It really helps curb the nighttime snacking and I have found that I am sleeping so much better and have more energy the next day.

It gets easier with each passing day and setting small goals for yourself and journaling is a great way to keep on track. Remember, this is a life-style change, so it will take time to re-learn. ::yes:: (They really should have taught us better about nutrition in school. :rotfl2: ) Keep up the good work!! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[sarahsmom73]

Good morning! I just wanted to wish you a wonderful, healthy week! :cheer2: You can do this!~ :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

[pearlieq]

3/21/05

8:45am

--1 cup Quaker Oat Squares
--1/2 cup skim milk
--1 apple
--1 T. peanut butter

I didn't want to eat this morning, but finally forced myself to do it in order to get my metabolism going. I woke up very stiff and sore today--I don't know why. I'd hate to think I was pushing myself beyond my limits by taking a 25 minute walk each day. That's humbling. I'm going to do some stretching today to see if I can loosen up. DH and I are going looking for a gym tonight. We've got an elipitical trainer and I like walking, but I really would like to lift and we just don't have the equipment. Hopefully we can find something reasonably priced.

12:45pm

--1 Lean Cuisine Chicken Florentine
--2/3 cups peas
--2 cups fresh cut pineapple
--1 cup skim milk

I'm having the strangest craving--I really, really want that bean burger from last night again. And since this is the first craving I've had that didn't involve double cheeseburgers from some evil fast food place, I figure I'm going to indulge it!

4:30pm

35 minute walk around the neighborhood. I've been stiff and sore all day (possibly a mattress problem?) but I finally loosened up about halfway through the walk and it started to feel pretty good. Even had the energy to go the long way back around the block. Bonus was that I ran into one of my girlfriends and we spend a good hour chit-chatting afterwards. All in all a very pleasant experience.

7pm

--1 1/2 cups frosted mini-wheats
--3/4 cup milk

9:00pm

--about 3/8 pound roasted turkey
--3/4 cup herbed corn
--3/4 cup new potatoes
--3/4 garlic green beans
--1/4 cup cranberry sauce

Boston Market. Yummy!!!

[DisneyEnthusiastic]

Way to go! It's a good sign that you're not craving the double cheeseburger!! It's better to indulge in that bean burger...so you're not eating everything else in it's place!

Have a great week!

Gail

[Lesli54]

Great job Pearliq! :cool1:

Yesterday you had great portion control, better food choices and better timing through the day. I am proud of you!! :sunny: You are going to do this!! :cheer2:

I hope you and hubby are able to find a gym that you are comfortable with. It is so nice that you have his support. Good job on the walking. As far as the bean burger, it could have been much worse. You know you are making progress when you don't crave the salt and grease from the "early days", but crave something a little better. :banana:

Finally found Montgomery. We pass by you when we go into Chicago. So nice to know that people on the board are closer than you think. Thanks for lending me your support and keep up the good work. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pettyone]

Your journal from yesterday looked great!!

Onward & downward!!

:cool1:

[pearlieq]

3/22/05

Thank you so much to everyone for the support! It makes such a difference to know that we're all out there to cheer each other on. I means a lot to me!

7:45am

--1 cup Quaker Oat Squares
--1/2 cup skim milk
--1 snack pack prunes

Very sore again last night. It reminds me of the last time I threw my back out (which, unfortunately was right before our impromptu new years trip to WDW last year) but the difference this time is that last night, which was the worst, felt like about the 3 or 4th day of getting better last time. In other words, nowhere near as severe. I'm going to keep moving to keep it loose.

10:00am

--1/2 serving turkey
--1/2 serving green beans
--1 T cranberry sauce

Not enough breakfast--it's 10am and I'm hungry again...

1pm

--1 Lifechoice chicken parmesan/vegetables meal
--1/2 cup peas
--3/4 herbed corn

3:15pm

30 minute walk around neighborhood. I'll be trying Curves later this week, I think. A friend of mine has a guest pass so I can check it out.

4pm

--1 english muffin
--2 T hummus
--3/4 cup Carb Clever peaches

7pm

--1 Panera turkey sandwich (tomato only)
--1/2 cup broccoli cheese soup
--1/2 french roll
--1 pickle spear

[Strings]

Hi There,

I started out at Curves. I really enjoyed it. There was no pressure and a ton of good vibes. It really reminded me of this board, the relationships and support that are here.

You are doing great. Your portions and choices have improved tremendously. keep up the great work.

Take care of your back. lots of stretching may help.

Take care,
Beth

[Lesli54]

Great meal choices for the day! :banana: It is nice to seem some veggies and good portion control. Don't you just love Panera's? It's my favorite "deli" place and I love the turkey sandwich. Keep up the good work. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[wilderness01]

Hope your back feels 100% soon. :flower:

[sarahsmom73]

Take care of that back!

Hope you have a wonderful day! :sunny:

[pearlieq]

3/23/05

9am

--2 eggs
--1 apple
--1 cup multi-grain Cheerios
--1 cup skim milk

Again I didn't feel like eating this morning and had to kind of force myself to do it. Where is this at 4pm, I ask you??? I'm experimenting today eating a large breakfast with lots of protien. I'll be curious to see what happens. Going to the grocery store today--I'm going to be picking up stuff to make hamburgers--still can't seem to kick that craving. I'm going to buy the 96% fat free ground sirloin to make them and I'm going to add garlic, Worcester (sp?) sauce, and onion to the patties to give them lots of flavor so I don't miss the cheese. Also going to find some low calorie, high-fiber buns to serve them with. Hopefully I wind up with something that satisfies the craving in a healthy way. I'm getting really sick of chicken!!!

2pm

--1 Lean Cuisine Turkey meal
--1/2 cup peas
--2 snack packs prunes

Well, the breakfast didn't last me any longer than normal, but it didn't really have a different calorie count that most of my meals. I've just been sitting here for the last 2 hours ignoring my body as it gets hungrier and hungrier. Bad me! I've got some leftover crusty sourdough bread from Panera that going to be such a yummy snack with some hummus! I'm really looking forward to it!

4:15pm

--1 sugar free Jello Pudding cup

*NOTE: For the duration of this update the part of a sane, rational adult woman will be played by a sulky 2 year old. Thank you.* Grocery shopping stinks. You're constantly surrounded by food you can't have. Have I ever mentioned how much I love cheap grocery store cakes? The kind with 3" of Crisco frosting and sprinkles on the sides? It is a very deep love, 2nd possibly only to cheeseburgers. Well, there were a bunch of mighty fine looking ones at the store. And I walked by them. And the cookies. And the chips. And the mac & cheese. And the other cookies. It got very wearying. I'm now sitting here on my couch pouting and drowning my sorrows in a sugar-free pudding cup. I'm trying to remind myself that as much as I love cheeseburgers and cheap grocery store cake I love me more. It's not quite working. Yet.

6:40pm

--2 healthy hamburgers
--1 oven-roasted potato
--3/4 cup carb clever peaches
--1 cup skim milk

This was an awesome meal! I love my healthy hamburgers--they were soo tasty and this was very, very filling for under 800 calories!

[kris1973]

I hear ya about the chicken.....thats why I am on a fish kick now. Have you ever tried Talapia....so good. Your doing a great job with walking, I was pretty sore all week to and got discouraged but keep it up and you will get used to it or used to the pain.

Kristin

[Lesli54]

Nice job on breakfast! I think the eggs will help sustain you a little longer and the energy from the protein is a great benefit.

You will not be disappointed in going with the ground sirloin, it produces much less grease than a hamburger and has much richer flavor. This is the only "hamburger" that I buy. I don't think you will miss the cheese, because a well seasoned burger is much better than a cheese burger, in my opinion.

Keep up the good work and remember, everything in moderation. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

3/24/05

7:45am

--1 cup Quaker Oat Squares
--1/2 cup skim milk
--1 orange
--1 light string cheese

Now this morning I'm rarin' to eat. I was pretty low (for me) on calories last night. Ideally I'm trying to stay between 2000 and 2500, which is what I plan to be eating the whole way through and down into goal. It's a number I can live with, and if I've done my calculations right it's a calorie level I can support at 175 pounds if I exercise most days, which I'm working up to. Bunco again tonight--this week WILL NOT be a repeat of last week. Luckily there is no chance of last minute hosting. Again my plan is to eat a full dinner before I get there, then I will choose one dessert from the assorted goodies. I will stick to water or diet caffeine-free soda, and I will get the heck out of the kitchen!

10:45am

--1 2" section of sourdough bread

Again maybe not enough breakfast. I started getting hungry again about 9:45. This seems like it's doing the trick--it's leftover so it's gotten good and crusty! I'm still trying to decide whether it's better to eat on a schedule or eat when my body tells me to. If I get a big enough breakfast I usually don't need a morning snack. I always need an afternoon snack, though. I'm finding that as long as I eat about ever 3.5/4 hours I seem to do OK. I've been surprised lately that I haven't been eating much after dinner. I used to always be a dessert/night snack person but if I get a good dinner I'm finding that I just don't want it all that much.

12:30pm

--2 healthy hamburgers
--2 siles 2% cheese
--7 large strawberries

I was going to save these for dinner but I just couldn't wait! Now I've got to think of something cool for dinner... *Edited to add--the cheese was a total waste of calories. Couldn't really taste any difference. Oh well. Now I know...*

4:30pm

30 minute walk around the neighborhood.

I must say I'm not the slightest bit hungry. Those burgers really held me well. I'm going to have a big, protein rich dinner around 6 or so, I think. Hopefully that will take any impluse to Bunco binge away. I've already promised myself that if I behave tonight I can splurge on a Bacon Egg & Cheese bagel for breakfast tomorrow morning. DH and I both have the day off and we've been planning to go to McDonalds for breakfast. If I eat well tonight I can have my treat, if not I will order something small.

6:00pm

--1/2 can tomato soup (made with skim milk)
--1 whole wheat pita
--2T hummus
--1/2 cup cottage cheese
--10 large strawberries

OK, this ought to get me though this evening. What tickles me is that all this food is still under 500 calories. I couldn't even eat two little pieces of cheese pizza for that! And I'd still be starving after the 30 seconds it took me to eat them. There's something to be said for low density foods.

9:00pm

--1/2 slice of Cheesecake Factory original cheesecake

With apologies to Lerner & Lowe: I did it! I did it! I said that I would do it and indeed I did! And man did I fight for it! I didn't spend too much time over by the food but I saw cheese sticks (another HUGE love of mine), taco dip, chips, cookies, and real coke. There were even dishes of candy on the playing tables! And she tried to send me home with food! And I stayed in control and bypassed it all. My dinner was great and it really stuck with me. I enjoyed the cheesecake, but I could have passed on it too. But, I made the rational decision that I had lots of calories to spare tonight and that I would like a treat. So I split a piece with a friend. And then STOPPED. I'm so happy! I do, however, pledge that from now on I will be more respectful and compassionate to those that watch their weight. I will make an effort to only serve healthy foods, with only the occasional rare treat. Because let me tell you, tonight felt like navigating a minefield and as a result I really couldn't quite relax 100%

11:30pm

--1/2 can tomato soup (made with skim milk)

Hungry again and didn't want to try to ignore it until morning.

[Lesli54]

You are doing great! :cheer2:

Remember, the best way to lose is with 3 meals and 2 snacks. It will keep your blood sugar even all day and increase the metabolism because your body won't think it is starving. It is awesome that you are figuring out what your caloric intake should be to reach your goal. You have come a long way in a few weeks. :grouphug:

Great plan for getting through BUNCO night. Going in with plan in hand and I know you can do it! :banana: :banana: :banana:

I loved your little "I love myself more than the cake" attitude. :rotfl2: It was funny, but oh so true. When you make it to goal, I promise you that I will personally make you a better cake than the store cheapie cakes. Of course, you'll have to have a party so you can only have a small slice of the cake and shove the rest onto the unsuspecting party goers. :rotfl2: :rotfl2:

Keep up the good work and have a great day! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[kris1973]

Thats a great idea to eat before you go. Have a good plan of attack but have back up....the ladies usually tend to hang out in the kitchen. Your doing so good with eatting and working out keep it up.

Kristin

[rcyannacci]

I hear you about grocery shopping...it can be difficult. I've been trying to say to the sides of the store. Starting with the veggies and fruits, moving to meats, etc. and only going up and down the aisles if I have something specific on my list. I try to avoid the bakery! (BTW-cake is my favorite food!!! Cutting out sugar has been my biggest challenge.)

Did you try Curves yet? I just started in January, and I love it!

Have a good Thursday!

[Strings]

I love those cakes as well. Yummy, but a hethier happier me is much more important.

You are doing an amazing job. I agree that 3 meals/2 snacks is the way to go. It really does seem to help with maintaining a loss. You have a great plan for BUNCO. Have a great time.
Beth

[Rachie0507]

Pearlieq,

I'm finally getting a chance to check back in and you are doing FANTASTIC!! You have a great attitude and so many people supporting you--you are doing great. Keep it up and have a good weekend!

[plutosmyfav]

Hi Pearl,

I have a big weakness for those cheap cakes, too! I can really get overwhelmed grocery shopping. There are times when I just want to walk away from my overflowing cart and go home :confused3 But you are doing fantastic! You've made it through a tough social occasion with flying colors. I'm proud :banana:

Sunny

[pettyone]

Happy Friday!

Happy Easter!

Hope you have a great weekend!

[Lesli54]

I am so PROUD of you! :banana: :banana: You went to BUNCO with a plan and stuck to it! :banana: :banana: I know that can be really hard. But that cheesecake had to taste even better knowing that you were savoring each bite rather than just eating. I find myself savoring now, which is great!

Thanks for all the encouragement you lend in my journal (and the :wizard: must have kept that cold away, thanks). You're doing great!!!! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

3/25/05

9:45am

--Bacon Egg and Cheese on an English Muffin!

GRR! I hate it when things like this happen. I haven't had McDonalds breakfast in a long time and I had really been looking forward to a Bacon Egg & Cheese bagel, but somehow they misunderstood my order and put it on an English muffin! What the heck?!? They wrapped it like a bagel so I didn't find out until I got all the way home, and I just wasn't going back. Grr! So much for my big treat this morning. Oh well. I guess I saved a few calories at least...

1:15pm

--1 Arby's Big Montana

We were stuck at the mall and had a movie to make, to I decided to order something big and protein full to hold me. The sandwich isn't a bad value--it's ginormous and not quite 600 calories which is normal for lunch for me. Plus, I was super full and didn't even think of food at the movie theater--the extra protein and fat really helped. Trying Curves tonight!

5:45pm

Tried Curves. It was...OK. I didn't loooooove it, but I didn't hate it either. I'm willing to give it a try. It was nice to keep moving--at least I didn't get bored. Some of the machines were hard, and some were kinda easy. Still, I think it might be good for me to do this for a while until the big new park district gym opens up. So, I signed up for a month--I'll give it a good, honest try before passing judgement.

7:15pm

--1 cup baked pasta with tomatoes, light sauce, and 2% mozzarella
--1 cup broccoli spears
--1 cup Stonyfield Farms FF plain yogurt
--1 cup frozen berries
--1/4 cup Raisin Bran crunch.

Did I ever mention I have the sweetest, best DH ever? I got home from Curves and he surprised me by having dinner ready. Isn't that so sweet! The cutest part is he can't really cook so he actually looked for a recipe to make boiled pasta and jarred sauce with cheese. Isn't that adorable? He was so proud of himself--he told me all about how he made it, how he picked out the canned tomatoes with the least amount of sodium because he knew I complaining about all the salt in the fast food from earlier. He is just such a sweetheart! He was so nervous that it wouldn't be good and that I wouldn't like it. It's so nice to have a sweet, supportive DH.

11:30pm

--1 snack pack prunes.

Late night snack. Being hungry at night keeps me awake so I find it's easier to have something small if I'm hungry before bed.

[sarahsmom73]

:cheer2: :cheer2: You can do it! You can do it!! :cheer2:

[kris1973]

I have heard really good things from the Curves in my area. I would try it but I can not give up the swimming since I have kids. Sounds like your still doing really good with trying to stay on track. Hope you have a wonderful Easter.

Kristin

[Lesli54]

So how did it go at Curves? ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

3/26/05 - Weigh In

346.5 today--so down 5.5 pounds from last week! :cool1:

I'll have to figure out how to put on a clippie later today.

Summary for the week: (did I mention I love Fitday.com!)
Average Daily Calories: 2363
Average Fat: 66g (26%)
Average Carbs: 319g (50%)
Average Fiber: 37g
Average Protein: 133g (23%)
Average Calories Burned/Day: 3633

Things that have changed:
1.) I feel more energetic. We went to a 9pm comedy show last night. In the olden days (a whole month ago!) I would have been bushed by then.
2.) I'm in a pretty good mood--I feel more cheerful than I used to.

Things to work on next week:

I'm not going to set any firm goals for next week--I'm pretty happy with where I am now and I want to work on staying the course for a while.

[pearlieq]

3/26/05

8:30am

Curves. It was OK again. The women weren't overly friendly--they weren't rude or anything just not apt to smile and say hi. It went by quickly, though, and I feel pretty good.

9:45am

--1 Weight Watchers engligh muffin
--1 T blackberry jam
--1/2 cup cottage cheese
--7 large strawberries.

1:15pm

--1 grilled cheese sandwich
--2 melon slices, 1 orange section
--1 cup chicken soup, no noodles

6:00pm

--1/2 biscuit
--1/2 medium piece cornbread
--1/2 cup chili with cheddar cheese and sour cream
--1 chicken breast
--1/4 cup cornbread stuffing
--1/4 cup white gravy
--2 sweet potato fries
--3/4 cup baked beans

We went to this wonderful Southern cafe that opened up at our local mall. What a nice restaurant!

10:30pm

--1 cup ziti pasta

[Lesli54]

Let me be the first to congratulate you on reaching your FIRST GOAL!!! :banana: :cheer2: :banana: :cheer2: :banana: :cheer2:

You wanted to be under 350 for your WDW trip and you are already there!!! :dancer: :dancer: And to think that you still have at least another month before the trip. :cool1:

Congrats! You have had an excellent lose since you started this plan! :cheer2: What an inspiration you are. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

I forgot to mention that you are VERY lucky to have such a supportive DH. At least he is trying, is concerned, and realizes how serious you are about becoming healthier. Kudos for DH! :banana: :banana: ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

3/27/05 - Happy Easter :flower:

11:00am

--1 cup frosted mini-wheats
--1/2 cup skim milk
--1 light string cheese

Got a bit of a late start this morning. Had to run to the grocery store thir morning with all of the other slackers. :teeth: My mom is coming over this afternoon. I'm making a baked french toast with raisin bread from Corner Bakery, a country fritatta made with egg beaters, potatoes, and turkey sausage, and fresh fruit. I also made up a batch of the angel food/pineapple muffins folks have been talking about lately. They look good, but I haven't tried one yet.

2pm

--1 1/2 servings of country fritatta
--2 servings baked french toast
--1/4 cup sugar free syrup
--5 large strawberries
--1 cup pineapple chunks
--2 cups low carb juice

4:00pm

--2 angel food muffins

5:00pm

--4 mint meltaways

Yummy Easter meal. I like having it here so I know what goes in to everything.

9:00pm

--Guiltless Grill Bean Burger meal

[Siouxstone]

Way to go on that first goal! I bet that feels really good! :cheer2:

[sarahsmom73]

You are doing great! Keep it up! :cool1:

[pearlieq]

3/28/05

8:45am

--1 serving country fritatta
--1/2 serving baked french toast
--1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks
--9 fresh strawberries

1pm

--1 1/2 cups chicken cacciatore
--1 1/2 servings turkey sausage
--1 black plum
--1 cup skim milk

I am loving this turkey sausage--it's flavorful and decadent but with hardly any calories and lots of protien!

2:45pm

--2 angel food muffins
--1 1/2 sugar free milano cookies
--1/4 cup frosted mini wheats
--1 light string cheese

So, ok, some evil snack monster came and took me over. I ate all of this while standing in front of the fridge/pantry trying to decide if I was going to go over the edge or not. Part of me really, really wanted to. I wanted to eat whatever I wanted, how ever much I wanted, of everything in sight. I almost lost it. I managed to find some junky food that I didn't even know I still had, and it was like some kind of drug. I wonder if this is what alcoholics go through. One doesn't get to 385 pounds on a few bad nutrition habits. I have a problem with food. I stood there for about 10 minutes trying to decide if I just wanted to chuck it all and dig in, and ultimately I decided no. I thought about all of the progress I've made, I thought about all the folks supporting me, I thought about how I wasn't going to get anything good out of it and how I didn't like the person I was when I overate. I thought about how disappointed and ashamed I would have been. And by the grace of God I was able to walk away relatively unscathed. This time.

Project for later: get rid of any last junky/mildly tempting foods. If I'm going to overeat, I'd much rather it be on reduced-fat Triscuits than on frozen soft pretzels and chicken patties.

4:30pm

--1 1/2 servings turkey sausage

OK--the snack monster can go away now. I think TOM is rearing its ugly head. At lest this is low-cal and has some protien. Hopefully it will hold me. I'm going to curves this evening with my friends, then I need to figure out something pretty darn low calorie for dinner. Darn the snack monster!

6:00pm

Curves. I do like that it goes by so fast...

DH still isn't home. Not sure what to do about dinner. Need something low cal, so I'm thinking it's going to be a breakfast for dinner night.

8:45pm

--2 servings Boston Market ham
--1/2 serving macaroni & cheese
--1 serving new potatoes
--1 serving green beans
--2 angel food muffins
--1 cup Grand Light strawberry ice cream

Yeah, I think TOM is coming. I was so depressed before I went to Curves. The exercise made me feel better, but I'm still on a sweet/carb bender. At least it wasn't too bad today--it looks worse than it is, calorie-wise.

Edited to add: I made it under my upper limit by 1 - count it - 1 calorie today. Tomorrow's going to be better, right?

[Lesli54]

Looks like you did really well on your dinner for Easter. It looked so good and refreshing. I hope you had a good holiday. Mine wasn't as stressful as I thought it would have been. :cool1:

I see you have a new goal set. That is fantastic! :banana: Keep up the good work. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Goooooooood Morning Pearlieq! :sunny: Isn't it a bright sunny day in the Midwest? :sunny: :sunny:

I think you did really well yesterday, even if you had to rely on the Grace of God. :rotfl2: :rotfl2: Every bit helps you know. Personally, if he is stepping in, then I would take it as a sign that he wants you to succeed. :angel:

Curves really does make the time fly by. Who would have guessed that you didn't have to watch the clock while exercising, asking yourself "am I done yet!". :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

Have a great day! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

Pearlieq, reading your last post made me hungry ;) . You find great ways to put good food together. I noticed you had Grand Light ice cream. Is that Edy's Grand Light? I love that stuff. French Silk is my favorite. I think it tastes like regular ice cream! And I have to try some of that turkey sausage you keep talking about. I am craving my old fatty meats!!!

[pearlieq]

Pearlieq, reading your last post made me hungry ;) . You find great ways to put good food together. I noticed you had Grand Light ice cream. Is that Edy's Grand Light? I love that stuff. French Silk is my favorite. I think it tastes like regular ice cream! And I have to try some of that turkey sausage you keep talking about. I am craving my old fatty meats!!!

Oh my goodness--isn't it awesome! It's so thick and creamy! It tastes just as good (if not better!) than a lot of real ice cream I've had.

Definitely try the turkey sausage--it's not quite real smoked sausage but it's darn close! I buy the Jennie O kind and it's 70 calories per serving so even if you ate half the darn package (which I maybe kinda did yesterday...) it's only about 240 calories--and that's a big, big serving.

[pearlieq]

3/29/06

8:30am

--1 cup Stonyfield farm FF yogurt
--1 cup Quaker Oat Squares
--9 strawberries

I was wondering what to have for breakfast this morning, when I remembered this thing my aunt used to give me when I stayed at her house as a child. It's such a yummy blend--you get the creamy from the yogurt, the crunchy from the oat squares, and the tart/sweet of the strawberries. Plus, this makes a huge portion for not too many calories.

I'm really hoping to have a better day than yesterday. I wasn't too thrilled with how crave-y and snacky I was. I did clear out any last temptations so at least it would be harder to overeat, but really don't like the place I'm in mentally when that happens. Part of the problem is I'm really bored. I work from home and the project I was working on is stalled, so I have nothing to do, but I can't leave or anything since it could start up again or there could be something new for me to do at any minute. I think today I'll try to make a point to get up and do something every hour. At least that might break up the monotony.

12:30pm

--about 2/3 serving ham
--1 serving country fritatta
--1/2 serving new potatoes
--1 serving green beans
--1 whole wheat bun
--1 apple

Hopefully this is a big full lunch that will keep the snack monster at bay. Kinda a little bummed again today. Not too much, I'm just noticing I'm not as chipper as usual. I got some house chores done this morning and it felt good to be productive, so I'm going to try to do some more after lunch.

4:00pm

--2 eggs
--1 WW english muffin

I've been pretty hungry this afternoon. Lunch was petty big, so I wanted to keep this as close to 250 calories as possible. I hope I got a good value out of it. I'm finding that even though I tell myself that I want to eat 2000-2500 calories a day, I find myself pushing to stay close to the 2000 mark, and I'm not sure that's really healthy. Sometimes I try to cut down too much and wind up snapping back and bingeing. Plus, 2000 is a lot less than I thought it would be. I always thought it was a pretty generous amount, but after a 350-400 calorie breakfast that only covers cereal, fruit, and milk, a 600-700 calorie lunch that leaves me getting hungry 2 hours later, and another 300-400 calorie snack to try to tide me over until dinner, I've only got between 500-700 calories for dinner. That's not much. And that also means there's no room for an evening snack or dessert. I need to get past the mental block and realize it's OK to eat 2200 or 2300 calories a day, especially when I'm exercising each day.

7:45pm

--1 Beef & Cheddar from Arby's
--1/2 order medium curly fries
--1 orange
--1 cup Edys Grand Light strawberry

This was such a nice treat. Yummy!

[DoeWDW]

Pearlieq, you are doing an awesome job!!! :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

Your food choices just keep getting better and better. You're realizing that you're not always driven to eat because of hunger - I know my eating can be VERY emotionally driven too. :rolleyes: You were able to head off a major binge - way to go!!

Keep up the great work! :sunny:

[Lesli54]

Your breakfast sounds good. I work from home as well, but am finding that if I make a point to take breaks and walk around or work a little on a personal project then it breaks up the monotony. It also keeps me from overeating. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[plutosmyfav]

Hi Pearlieq,

Your breakfast and lunch are great. I'm sending :sunny: :flower: :sunny: :flower: :sunny: your way to help you feel more chipper! :goodvibes

I hope your work project picks up and you can avoid the boredom that leads to snacking.

Sunny

[Strings]

Hi Pearlieq,

You re doing great. You're examining your meal choices and planning your calories carefully. WTG! I also have a tendency to eat when bored.

Take care,
Beth

[pearlieq]

3/30/05

8:30am

--1 cup Stonyfield Farms FF yogurt
--1 cup Quaker Oat Sqares
--10 medium strawberries

I really like this breakfast--it's tasty!

So, I had to set some ground rules for myself since I was going nuts on the scale. I decided I would only weigh myself on Wednesdy and Saturday. So, I weighed myself this morning and the scale said 346.0 which is only down .5 pounds from Saturday. I'm trying really, really hard not to take that personally. I've exercised every day but Sunday. I've been under my calorie limit every single day. I should have more than a .5 pound loss in half a week. So, now we're going to start dreaming up reasons as to why--maybe I'm retaining water from TOM, maybe I'm building muscle at Curves, maybe I had on my extra-heavy underwear this morning and it threw off the scale. Right? Everyone? <crickets...>

1pm

--1 cup manwich made with ground sirloin and turkey breast
--1 whole wheat bun
--2 black plums

2pm

--1 sugar free Jello pudding cup

4pm

--7 strawberries

6:00pm

Curves. We're getting pizza tonight! I'm so excited! I've been wanting plain cheap old Dominoes and I actually have more than enough calories for it tonight. Yay!

7:45pm

--1/2 medium cheese handtossed pizza
--1 black plum
--1 large handful baby carrots
--1 T light ranch dressing

The pizza was sooooo good! It had to be meant to be too because as I was pawing through the drawer to find the phone number, I found a certificate we got in the mail eons ago for a free medium pizza! Score!

[toystoryduo]

Hi Pearlieq :wave:

I completely understand what you mean about the scale! A couple of weeks ago, I started South Beach Diet and did Phase 1 for two weeks. Lost about 7 pounds. That was great! I went off program for awhile and gained some back. Now, I am still off program, eating tons of junk, and I showed a 3 pound loss. :confused3 The scale does not make sense to me at all. :confused3

It sounds like you are watching what you eat and getting exercise in so I am sure that the scale will cooperate with you soon. :hug: Hang in there! I know you can do it! :cheer2:

[Lesli54]

:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: That's it! I didn't think to switch to the light weight undies before weighing myself this morning! :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2:

Seriously though, you are doing great and remember, you want the weight to come off slowly because you are doing a lifestyle change. Sometimes the scale doesn't move, but you can FEEL the difference in your clothing........even the undies........ :rotfl2: :rotfl2:

You are doing GREAT!! I only weigh myself about 2 times a week. Always on Wednesday, because that is when I started my program, so I keep track weekly by measuring and weighing. The numbers don't always look right, but the clothes are looser.

Keep up the good work and remember you are getting healthier. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Strings]

:rotfl2: It has to be the undies. ::yes::

You are doing great. My suggestion is that you take measurements weekly. When the scale doesn't cooperate, the tape measure usually does.

Enjoy your pizza tonight,

Beth

[wilderness01]

You are doing all the right things. Sometimes that darn scale is just evil! Keep up the good work and now that it is spring around here maybe it is time to switch to the lightweight undies! :rotfl2:

[septbride2002]

How long have you been going to Curves? I've been going since January 1st and here is what I can tell you - I lost abot 4 lbs and then I lost nothing buy my body fat % has gone down. I weight 10 lbs more now then I did last year at this time - but I am in smaller jeans and look GREAT! Keep it up at Curves and watching the calories and it will payoff. Be sure to also get your weight and measurement done every month at Curves so they can calculate your body fat% loss.

~Amanda

[pearlieq]

3/31/05 - Goodbye March!

8:15am

--1 cup frosted mini wheats
--1 cup milk
--12 strawberries

I ran out of yogurt yesterday, which is a bummer since I've gotten hooked on that breakfast. Time to go to the store!

12:45pm

--Chicken Burrito - Fresco Style
--Beef Gordita - Fresco Style

This wasn't as big as I thought it would be, but still pretty filling and full of fiber. We'll see how long it lasts.

5:00pm

--1 snack pack prunes
--1 small bag honey roasted nuts

7:15pm

--3 1/2 ribs
--1 cheese roll
--1 large cob of corn
--10 skinny asparagus spears

Gosh this dinner was crap-tastic. I'm still ticked off about it. Grr! We went to Walter Payton's Roundhouse, which is supposed to be a good restaurant. We asked for non-smoking, so they basic stuck us over the wall from the cigar bar. We asked our oh-so-friendly waitress if it would be possible to move and she just walked away! Then she went to deal with another table. We finally had to grab our drinks and stand up before she would move us. Then it took her forever to come back and take our order--meanwhile, two empty glasses... Dave's steak was medium-rare instead of medium-well, and they took the peice of meat he cut into and put it back on the grill and brought it back to him! Classy... It was all dry from the cut he made. They refused to substitute vegetables for the fries that were supposed to come with my ribs. So they charged me $4 for about 10 skinny pieces of asparagus. It was just a disaster. And a $60 disaster to boot! That one smarts!

10:20pm

--1 Jello pudding cup

[DoeWDW]

Hang in there, Pearlieq! You're doing the right things so that scale MUST eventually cooperate. I have to agree with taking your measurements. When the scale isn't moving, the tape measure usually shows progress. Are your clothes starting to feel looser?

Hope you have a wonderful day today! :sunny:

[Lesli54]

The crazy storms have passed, but I think you got more than we did. Now it is cloudy and very windy. Great day for a fire to cozy up to.

I agree, that Pizza was meant to be. Good for you on throwing in the fruit and veggies with the pizza. :banana: I don't usually do that, but it would be better if I did.

Keep up the good work! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Strings]

Hi there,

Time to hed to te store for more yogurt. It is healthy, full of calcium, and it satisfies you.

I hope you have a great day.
Beth

[pearlieq]

4/1/05 -- Hello April!

9:00am

--1/2 cup Stonyfield FF yogurt
--1/2 cup Quaker Oat Squares
--7 medium strawberries.

I went to the store and got more yogurt. Couldn't live without it. I woke up really late today and I'm just not that hungry. I'm kind of forcing myself to eat. I took a smaller breakfast today because I have a hot date with DH for lunch in just a couple of hours.

11:45pm

--1 omelet made with egg substitute, spinach, low-fat mozzarella, and salsa
--1 english muffin with 2 t. butter and 2 t. blackberry jam
--1/2 cup mixed fruit.

This was so so so good! I definitely like salsa with eggs, which sounds like an odd combination but is really tasty. The english muffin was divine. It had been so long since I had had butter. I think I was whimpering at the table.

4:20pm

--1 whole wheat pita
--1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
--1 small banana
--1/4 orange/mango/peach juice with diet sierra mist

8:30pm

--2 healthy hamburgers
--2 whole wheat dinner rolls
--ketchup, pickles
--1 tomato
--1 1/2 spicy baked potatoes
--1 cup honey glazed carrots
--1 1/2 cups milk
--1/4 cup orange/mango/peach juice

I love these Natural Ovens rolls. They're big enough for little sandwiches, they have 1/2 the calories of the better buns, but only 1 less gram of fiber. I found a sugar-free angel food cake at the grocery store today, so I cut up some strawberries, added some Splenda, and mashed them up. We'll have strawberry shortcake later. Maybe. I'm pretty full.

[pearlieq]

How long have you been going to Curves? I've been going since January 1st and here is what I can tell you - I lost abot 4 lbs and then I lost nothing buy my body fat % has gone down. I weight 10 lbs more now then I did last year at this time - but I am in smaller jeans and look GREAT! Keep it up at Curves and watching the calories and it will payoff. Be sure to also get your weight and measurement done every month at Curves so they can calculate your body fat% loss.

~Amanda

Congrats on your success with your workouts!

I've only been going to Curves for a week now--before that I was walking. I actually had them do my measurements last night so we can keep track of that. They did have me hop on the scale, and at least their scale was cooperating a bit, so maybe I'll have an OK loss to report tomorrow.

If not, my clothes definitely feel looser, which is nice. I also feel more energetic, heathier, and generally in better spirits.

[Lesli54]

$4 for 10 stinking pieces of asparagus is really bad. Sorry to hear that your dinner was not so great. Isn't it nice to have looser clothing and more energy?

Keep up the good work and soon your hot dates with DH will be steamy! ;) What a great way to loose. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[rcyannacci]

I love that Curves helps me keep track of everything. It took me a while to loose pounds when I started, but 2 1/2 months later it seems to be coming off slowly. And, my clothes are fitting better too. Mainly, I love having that extra energy.

Have a good Friday! :)

[plutosmyfav]

If not, my clothes definitely feel looser, which is nice. I also feel more energetic, heathier, and generally in better spirits.

Keep this thought close at all times!!!! When you are feeling the 'blahs" and don't want to go, you'll need this reminder of why its soooooo worth it! You are doing great! :cheer2:

Sunny

[pearlieq]

4/2/05 - Weigh in

345.0 - 1.5 lbs lost. Not nearly what I was hoping for, but I suppose any loss is a good thing, right?

Avg. Cals Eaten - 2071
Avg. Fat - 54g
Avg. Carbs - 299g
Avg. Fiber - 31g
Avg. Protein - 116g
Avg. Cals Burned - 3711

According to the numbers I've got, I should have lost about 3 pounds this week. I'm still trying really hard not to get frustrated. I think I'm holding on to some water from TOM, and possibly putting on some muscle from Curves.

Goals for next week: Again, I want to hold pretty steady. I have to keep realizing I've only done this for a month and I haven't seen everything that's going to challenge me yet. I do have a few small goals for the week:

1.) Increase water intake to at least 6 cups per day. Record this in journal.
2.) Get fiber intake back to a consistent 35g per day or more.
3.) Work to increase protein to 25% of the calories I take in. I will gradually work to increase it to 30%

[pearlieq]

4/2/05

8:00am

--1 banana
--1 cup water

Heading to Curves as soon as I finish updating.

8:45am

Curves.
4 cups water

10:00am

--1/2 cup Quaker Oat Squares
--1/2 cup yogurt
--1/3 cup mashed strawberries

12:30pm

--1 chicken ceasar salad pita
--1 roma tomato
--10 baby carrots
--1 apple
--2 small slices sugar free angelfood cake
--1 cup mashed strawberries
--2T whipped cream
--1 cup skim milk

Oof! Big lunch, but very, very tasty and plenty of nutrition!

3:45pm

--5 McNuggets
--1/2 small fries
--1 packet honey

Got hungry out on the road. This was a nice treat. We're going to a Final Four party tonight. I'm not so sure about the woman throwing it, so we'll see how it goes. We're bringing a platter of Jimmy Johns subs to share. Hopefully it will be an OK time.

4pm - 10pm

--2 Jimmy Johns sandwiches (3")
--1 5" italian beef sandwich
--2 1/2 pieces of pineapple cake
--tortilla chips
--potato chips
--about 1/3 cup cream cheese dip
--1/2 cup apple cobbler
--4 pieces of cheese pizza
--1 glass orange juice
--1/2oz honey roasted peanuts
--1 chicken wing

Well, that wasn't supposed to happen. I'm not even sure how to count up all of these calories. Time to move on and put this behind me. Back at it tomorrow.

[Lesli54]

You are doing so good! :banana: Any lost lbs or even maintaining for a bit is much better than gaining, just remember that when you are frustrated. Also, remember that the inches can melt away when you are gaining muscle so if you know the clothes are feeling better, then I wouldn't let the scale get you down.

Keep up the good work!! Congrats on the lost pounds. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Ok, so last night's Final Four was a slip. Time to get back on the program and forget about it. You have been doing soooooooo well, that I think you will be ok.

On the plus side, OUR STATE IS IN THE TOP TWO!! :cheer2: :cheer2:

Have a nice :sunny: day! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/3/05

11:30am

--Lean Cuisine chicken in peanut sauce
--2/3 cup peas
--1 cup skim milk
--1 minneola

Back in the saddle. Last night was a big oops, but I can put it behind me and keep focused on moving forward. I'm feeling what I can only describe as a "food hangover" this morning where I feel all yucky and blah after eating all that last night. The thing is, it doesnt even feel like it was worth it. I ate about the same amount of calories at Maggiano's a few weeks ago, but that felt much better because I was looking forward to the treat, I stayed in control of what I was eating, and it was a happy occasion. I overate last night because I was bored and uncomfortable. This had to be one of the worst parties I've been to. It was held by one of my neighbors who's kind of cold and aloof, yet seems to hold court over about half of the neighborhood. She's never been overly friendly or unfriendly to me, and I can't really figure her out. The rest of the guests at her party were the neighbors I'm not that crazy about and their bored husbands. It was just very awkward, boring, tense, and unpleasant. I'm not really into basketball, so I didn't really get into the game. I didn't really enjoy standing around in the kitchen talking to women I really didn't like. DH begged not to go, but I made him so I worried about him all night. I finally begged off after the first game by telling the hostess I didn't feel that well, which was partially true, but I was mostly interested in getting us the heck out of there. It was just a very bad night. Today is going to be a much better day.

1pm

--Beef & Cheddar
--1/2 medium order curly fries
--2 sugar free mint milanos
--1 1/2 cups grand light ice cream
--1/4 cup orange/peach/mango juice

4:45pm

--1 oz honey roasted peanuts
--1 sugar free mint milano

5:45pm

--1 3/4 servings orange chicken
--1 serving lo mein
--2 crab rangoon
--1 3/4 cups orange/mango/peach juice

Uhh, Houston, we have a problem. Today has not been a good day. I didn't exercise, I've been eating too much, too often, of foods that are not good for me. I'm not happy with this. I need to really think about what's going wrong.

Evening:

--5 small Carb Monitor brownies
--1 1/2 cups skim milk

Tomorrow is another day, right?

[Lesli54]

Hang in there. Maybe the vibes from last night are just getting to you. I really hate situations where there is a queen bee around, because I always feel like it is for show and I am never truly comfortable.

In the meantime, start looking at the PROS.
1. You are under the goal you had set for your trip to the World. :banana:
2. You have been learning how to add more healthy foods into yor diet. :cool1:
3. Your clothes are looser. :cheer2:
5. You have been a great friend and supporter of others on the board. :grouphug:
6. You are more aware of your habits now than 1 month ago. :goodvibes
7. You have realized that exercising puts you in a good mood and can actually feel good to accomplish. :bounce:
8. You're going to see the Mouse soon!!! :wizard:

Hope that helps lift your spirits for the evening. Tomorrow will be better. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Hang in there. Maybe the vibes from last night are just getting to you. I really hate situations where there is a queen bee around, because I always feel like it is for show and I am never truly comfortable.


This is so true--exactly how I feel!

Thanks so much for the support. It means a lot!

[pearlieq]

4/4/05

9:20am

--1 cup frosted mini wheats
--1/2 cup cottage cheese
--1 cup orange/mango/peach juice

OK. I'm going to think of the last two days as if they were a visit to my old "neighborhood". I took a look around, remembered what it was like to live there, and then remembered all of the reasons I moved out. I just have to keep reminding myself "Things are different now".

Today is a beautiful day. It feels like a Disney morning, and that's such a huge motivator. I'm going to go out over my lunch today and take a lap around the neighborhood. This is too nice of a day to spend inside. Still going to Curves tonight.

1:30pm

--1 cup manwich
--2 wheat rolls
--6 baby carrots
--1 apple
--1 cup milk

So far, not much desire to eat, which is good. I still haven't gotten out for a walk. Maybe a little later this afternoon. My mood is a little low--I'm having trouble working up much enthusiasm for anything.

3:30pm

30 minute walk around neighborhood

5:15pm

--1 piece light string cheese

6:00pm

Curves

7:30pm

--2 1/3 servings turkey sausage
--caesar salad pita
--2 roma tomatoes
--1 minneola

10:00pm

--1/2 oz honey roasted peanuts

[crafter1003]

hi
your journals are very informative. I know how hard it is to get motivated to go out and exercise. Do you have a walkman or portable cd player? take a favorite cd and go for a walk. Even if you only get through two songs at least you went out and walked!
good luck!!! Your doing great!
Michelle :flower:

[plutosmyfav]

I'm sending some :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: your way! I'm sorry to hear you had that lousy evening and are feeling a bit low now. Try to focus on the positive :) Feelings aren't facts, they come and go. Ride it out and be good to yourself :goodvibes

Sunny

[Lesli54]

Time to get up, walk outside, and take a deep breath! With the sun shining so beautifully, doesn't it make you glad to be alive? Spring is finally here!! :banana: :banana: That should help with the doldrums. (if not....move on to phase 2.......as soon as I figure what that is. ;) )

Sounds like you are beginning to have the week I had after Easter when I started letting things go awry. But Plutosmyfav is right and these feelings will pass. Remember, one step at a time.

BTW, I love the analogy you made regarding our slip ups and an old neighborhood. That was really good. It made me laugh, but is so true. Hang in there and you will get through this. :grouphug: ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/5/05

9:15am

--2/3 cup frozen berries
--2/3 cup Quaker Oat Squares
--1 cup yogurt

Feeling better today. I've decided that to try to mitigate the effects of last weekend I'm going to add a daily walk to my normal routine and keep calories under 2000/day for the rest of this week. I'll probably keep the walk for a while, at least until we go to WDW, because I'd like to be in good condition when we get there. Just 3 1/2 weeks to go! ::MickeyMo

1:40pm

--Caesar salad pita
--2 1/3 servings turkey sausage
--1 pear
--2 roma tomatoes
--1 mug water

Still feeling pretty good. It's a glorious day here and I can't wait to go out for my walk!

3:15pm

25 minute walk
--1 mug water

I had to stop a few times during my walk because my lower calves were really tight and painful. I think I may be causing that problem--I tend to bounce on my toes on the recovery boards at Curves and I think that's keeping the muscle too tight. I usually take the long way home that adds about another 7 or so minutes on to my walk, but it hurt pretty bad and I was a bit worried. It's funny--we can be really mean and harsh to ourselves. The whole time while I was walking the short way home there was part of my mind saying "Quitter! You're never going to lose weight". Those voices are really strong and mean. I would never say that to anyone else, and yet it comes up automatically. I'm going to need to work on shutting that voice up!

5:30pm

--1 light string cheese

6:00pm

Curves
--1 mug water

7:30pm

--3/4 cup egg beaters
--3/4 sauteed spinach
--1/4 cup low fat mozzarella
--1/3 cup salsa
--1 ww english muffin
--2 t. butter
--1 T. blackberry jam
--1 apple
--1 mug water

I tried to recreate the omelet I get at Egg Harbor. While this couldn't exactly be considered an omelet (I tried...) it was very tastly. I was so surprised the spinach cooked down so much. I sauteed one 9oz bag of fresh spinach with cooking spray and garlic (gotta have the garlic!) and I only got about 1 1/2 cups of spinach! Couldn't believe it!

10:45pm

--1/2 oz honey roasted peanuts

I should get to bed before I can eat anything else. DH is working late tonight and it feels so strange to go to sleep without him. I suppose I'll give it a shot.

[Lesli54]

I am glad to see that you are getting back to your cheery self. :banana: You always have a great attitude that rubs off on others.

You just reminded me that I should be walking daily in order to condition myself for the up coming trips we have planned. Tonight is Amazing Race (which I would love to enough lose weight and go on) so maybe we will all take a walk after supper and before the show starts. :cool1:

Have a great day, enjoy the :sunny: and breathe. One day at a time. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

One Month...

I just realized that today makes a month since I've started. It seems like much longer than that.

Some things that have changed:

1.) I'm 23 pounds lighter. Even though I count my WISH weight from 360, I was 368 pounds when I started. I have trouble remembering my current weight. Every time I enter my weight I automatically go to put down 360 or 365 pounds, then have to stop myself and remember that's changed.

2.) My clothes are definitely looser. Things that were tight on me now fit comfortably and things that were once loose are now REALLY loose.

3.) I exercise almost every day. Between walking and Curves I've put in at least 5 days of exercise each week for about the last 3 weeks. I never used to exercise.

4.) I eat breakfast every day. I used to skip this a lot, but I've now gotten into the habit, even if I have to push myself a little to do it.

5.) I consistenly get enough fiber in my diet. Using fitday.com has been a huge help to me. I like knowing approximately how much I've eaten and being certain I've gotten enough fiber, calcium, etc.

Some things that haven't changed:

1.) I'm still afraid of food and losing control. I'm not at a point where I can look at food, read about food, or sit in front of a candy dish and not immediately have a craving that's almost overwhelming. I'm not sure if I'll ever get there or if I'll just have to learn to work around it.

2.) I still slip up. I can go for days thinking this is the easiest thing in the world, only to have the rug ripped out from under me. At least I'm learning how to turn things back around.

3.) I still have trouble at parties/social occasions. I have trouble when there is a large supply of food. I'm still working on controlling that.

4.) I still need to take it one day at a time. When I think too far into the future I develop unrealistic expectations and I get discouraged. Focusing on the short view has helped me a lot.

[Lesli54]

Look at all that you have accomplished! :banana: That is AWESOME!

Now......It's time to have a packing party........Not for your trip, yet...........but to move out of that "old neighborhood" for good. ;) Grab a box and pack up the clothes that were loose and are now REALLY loose. Take them to goodwill, give them to a church, give them to a neighbor, just give them away! You will feel like you have really accomplished something.

My packing party is scheduled in two weeks (I hope). The mistake I always made in the past was to hang onto the clothes and not go buy new ones. I always thought why waste the money, I'll make due and will buy new when I get down another size. MISTAKE. The problem comes if you ever start to feel too comfy and have room to grow. So now I am going to waste the money and get rid of everything as soon as it doesn't fit. Let's call it....an investment in me.

Keep up the good work! Go invest in yourself and the rest will come, it just takes time. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[plutosmyfav]

Hi Pearliq,

Your list of accomplishments is fantastic. You have come so far and you are laying the foundation of good habits that will insure your weightloss for life. Way to go!!!!

Your list of "still working on" is exactly like mine! I still struggle with ever single item on your list. I think its a lifelong thing, but I'm sure time will help heal the old patterns. Lets keep working on them!!!!!

Keep up the great work, you are so worth it :goodvibes

Sunny

[pearlieq]

4/6/05

I don't wanna eat. I know I have to, but I'm just not feeling it.

9:30am

--1 cup mixed berries
--2/3 cup Quaker Oat Squares
--1 cup FF yougurt

1:15pm

--1 1/2 cups teriyaki chicken and veggies
--1/2 cup sauteed spinach
--7 reduced fat triscuits
--1 pear

I think I'm going to make flatbread pizzas tonight. I've got the low carb Flatouts--I'm going to top them with barbecue chicken, 2% mozzarella, and asparagus. I'm going to serve sugar free banana pudding and sugar free angel food cake for dessert. Yummy!

2:30pm

30 minute walk through neighborhood.

6:00pm

Curves

7:00pm

--reduced fat string cheese

OK. All plans to cook have flown out the window. I just don't feel like it. I want a bean burger from Chili's. Now if DH would just get himself home!!!

8:00pm

--Black bean burger meal @ Chili's
--Corn on the cob

So I was at the grocery store today and I was getting my yogurt and this mom with 2 young kids comes up near me. The little boy, who had to be somewhere in the 3-5 range made the comment "That lady is having a baby. Look, mom, that lady is having a baby." Over and over and over again. This kid must have said it about 15 times--I'm not exaggerating. I thought about saying something, but let it pass. This happens occasionally--I'm not offended by it. Kids are kids and they don't understand social graces and tact. I'm fine with that. Usually however the mom will at least give an apologetic smile or actually try to apologize for the kids, though I always assure her it's OK. This mom--nothing. That did bug me a little. Unless she was deaf, she knew what was happening. The least she could have done was acknowledge it. Oh well...

11:20pm

2 1/3 servings turkey sausage

I needed a snack and strangely enough, this is what I was craving. Yum!

[Lesli54]

Hang in there. :grouphug: This sounds like a contradiction, but it does make it harder to lose weight when you don't feel like eating. :scratchin Hmmm...points to ponder, I guess.

You are doing well and it seems that you have gotten yourself back on plan which is good. You can do this! :cheer2: :cheer2:

Have a great day! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[wilderness01]

23 pounds in one month is awesome! Keep up the good work. :cool1:

[toystoryduo]

Way to go pearlieq! You have accomplished quite a bit in one month. ::yes:: I am very proud of you! :hug:

Have a great Thursday! :sunny:

[Strings]

Hi there,

I wanted to thank you for your support. It has really helped amd made a differance.

I love your list of accomplishements. You have listed things that are measurable. It is so important to look at things other than the scale. You are doing an amazing job.

A for your list of things that you are still working on. It is similar for most of us. I think most of us will always have a love/hate relationship with food. We also all have slips. It is unrealistic to think that you will be OP 100% of the time. It is getting up and trying again in the morning that makes the differance.

You are amazing!

Take care,
Beth

[Lesli54]

Good morning Pearlieq! :flower: I wish it wasn't cloudy and cold, that :sunny: was much better. Makes me want to curl up next to a fire.

Looks like you did pretty well yesterday trying to get back on track. Keep at it and it will pay off. I am going through the "don't really want to cook" stage as well. I suppose this is why I need to make ahead some dinners and freeze them, then I wouldn't have to worry when I am just not in the cooking mood.

I can understand why the mom's reaction bothered you a bit. As you said, kids don't understand, but adults do. But don't let it get you down. There are so many people out there in today's world that totally ignore social graces and just don't care. In my mind those people will be missing out on some great things one day. On the plus side, I would take the little boys reaction as a compliment. Children often see what we don't and obviously he felt you were a person who is kind enough to be a mom.

You'll get through this down time and your spirits will be soaring again soon. :grouphug: ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/8/05

9:30am

--1 cup Raisin Bran Crunch
--1/2 cup yogurt
--1 banana

I just realized this was a pretty sugary breakfast. Oh well. I can't seem to get myself out of bed of late--my sleep schedule is all messed up. I haven't gotten up until 9am most days this week. :earseek: Plus, DH gets up early for work, so he usually wants to be in bed by 11pm, which is good, except I'm not tired, so I lie there awake, tossing an turning and don't fall asleep until well after 1am then sleep in until 9am again. Rinse. Repeat.

This is something I need to start working on. Tonight I will be in bed no later than 11pm (would like to get this back to 10:30pm eventually) and I will set alarm for 7:30 am (would like to get this back to 7am eventually). I will be tired tomorrow, but hopefully over time I'll be able to re-set my body clock.

1:45pm

--1 country club from Jimmy John's (no mayo)
--1/4 cup orange/mango/peach juice.

3:00pm

--1 small low-carb brownie
--2 sugar-free popsicles.

6:00pm

Curves.

Still on my cooking strike. I want lasagna tonight, so we're ordering in from a little mom and pop place. There's a minimum for delivery, but instead of pigging out and ordering a whole bunch of extras, DH and I are going to split a lasagna, and then I ordered a mini cheese pizza to cover the rest of the minimum. I figure we can enjoy that for lunch and it won't be too bad.

8:15pm

--1/2 lasagna
--1/2 garlic bread
--1 cup skim milk

So yummy!

[Lesli54]

I too have been up a little later lately. Maybe it is the warm, then cold weather going on around here.

Anyway, it must be a sign.....but I just went to my homepage and found an article staring at me about getting better sleep (I very rarely read my homepage news). Here is the web addy so that you can check it out for yourself. http://dellnet.msn.com

Much of it is common sense, but sometimes we all need some reminders. Guess, I better get to bed by 10:30 tonight myself. Although, I must admit my clock is better than it was a few weeks ago when I was up til 2am most often.

Have a great day!! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Strings]

Hi there,

I freuently end up in what I call Midnight Mode. If I am up after 11, I will frequently won't be able to sleep at all. I think adjusting to Day Light Savings time is a factor.

Keep up the great work.
Beth

[pearlieq]

4/8/05

7:15 am

--1 WW english muffin
--1/2 T butter
--2 t. blackberry jam
--1 tangeriene
--1 cup skim milk.

So, my plan worked pretty well. I went to bed at 10:30, though DH and I stayed up taking for about half an hour (don't you just love those late-night conversations in bed?) I tossed and turned until well after 1am, but I allowed myself to wake up naturally. I usually wake up myself around 6:30 - 7:00 am, but I still feel a little sleepy so I usually just roll over and went back to sleep. Today I fought through the groggy and got up and the sleepiness passed in only about 10 mintues or so. When I roll over and don't get up until about 9am, I'm groggy all morning. I feel bright-eyed and bushy tailed, grateful to have been up to see this beautiful morning, and productive--I've cleaned out my Inbox, emailed some old friends, and balanced the checkbook. This really works for me!!!

1:15pm

--1 1/2 cups teriyaki chicken and veggies
--2 small whole wheat rolls
--1 pear
--1/3 cup orange/peach/mango juice

I was going to go to KFC for lunch, but once I got out of the house, it just didn't sound all that great anymore, so I decided to skip it.

I'm feeling a little uncomfortable this afternoon. There's a woman who lives across the street from me who's having a baby at the end of June--we've always been friendly but have been becoming better friends in the last few months. There's been no general mention of a shower for her, though I heard through the "grapevine" that our Queen Bee had at least once wanted to host one. Lately my friend and the Queen Bee have had kind of a falling out for many reasons, not the least of which was that the Queen Bee had the nerve to get really upset because my friend's MOTHER wanted to throw her a baby shower! Anyway, it's getting to be about time to start putting a shower together. The Queen Bee hasn't said anything more to my friend about having a shower--nothing for a least several weeks. So, today I sent her an email asking if she'd thought about having a neighborhood shower and saying that I'd be honored to host one for her if she's up for it and hasn't made other plans. That was 2 1/2 hours ago and I've heard NOTHING back from her, which is a little odd because we usually email back and forth all day long. I keep telling myself that she's probably just having a busy day, gone out to lunch, got stuck in a meeting, etc. But that evil little voice in my head keeps telling me I've somehow offended her and I've overstepped my bounds and now she's weirded out and will never speak to me again and I'll be shunned by all the neighborhood women, and we'll have to move because everyone will hate me...AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

It's amazing the kind of trouble our imaginations can invent. I'm not really all that great with social stuff so I'm feeling kind of insecure about it all. I'm mostly trying to stay distracted so I can't think about it too much. I made the offer with the best of intentions, so I guess whatever happens, happens.

UPDATE: OK, as any sane and rational person would have assumed, she was at a corporate lunch/birthday party. She had decided to invite the neighbors she's friendly with to the shower held by her family. Naturally, this shower happens to fall right during our trip to WDW. Oh well!

4pm

--2 small pieces of cheese pizza

8:00pm

--3/4 of a lettuce wedge with diced tomato
--2 t ranch dressing
--1/2" slice of a mini loaf of brown bread
--2 chicken breasts
--1/4 cup barbecue sauce
--1/2 baked potato
--1 T. sour cream
--1/2 cup steamed vegetables

We went to Lonestar Tavern tonight. Wow was this yummy! Very tasty chicken and the ranch dressing was incredible!

[Lesli54]

Don't you love getting up early? I sure do and am working on it right along with you. It felt so good to get up earlier this morning and so much easier to accomplish things.

Have a beautiful day and enjoy the :sunny: ! You are making progress, keep up the good work. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Hi pearlieq!

Sounds like you are ready for the day! Getting up early works for me because I can get up, workout, and get on the DIS before my girls wake up. :sunny:

Have a wonderful day today! :teeth: :flower:

[Lesli54]

Looks like you did pretty well today. Wish I could say the same. :rolleyes1

Sometimes those imaginations can run wild on us. But at least you were concerned and extended a very thoughtful invitation. Well, just get that baby a teeny tiny pair of socks or shirt from WDW as a baby gift. :earsboy:

Hope you can get some better sleep tonight. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/9/05 - Weigh In

344.0 Down 1lb from last week. :confused3

I thought this was supposed to be like shooting fish in a barrel. I exercise almost every day! I eat about 1500 less calories a day than I used to! I've only been at this for a month! What gives?

Yes, though, I do feel better. Healthier, more energetic, clothes are looser and everything. I just can't believe the scale went on strike like this.

Ideas:

1.) I eat waaaay too much salt. Between eating some processed foods and eating out A LOT, even when I stay in my calorie range I consume about 4-5X the amount of salt I should. Time to start limiting eating out. Let's try for no more than 4 times (restaurants, takeout, fast food included) next week.

2.) I missed my protein mark. I want to try to keep my carbs well controlled, both for weight loss and my PCOS. How about no more than 2 servings of "white" carbs (white bread, white rice) per day and 25% of calories from protein?

3.) I did better on water this week, but I still need to be consistent about doing it and reporting it. Let's aim for 4 Disney mugs per day next week!

Nutritional Averages for the week:

Calories: 2601
Fat: 81g (29%)
Carbs: 340g (48%)
Fiber: 36g
Protein: 141g (23%)
Calores Burned: 3722
Days of Exercise: 6

[pearlieq]

4/9/05

8:00am

--1 snack pack prunes
--1 light string cheese
--1 mug water

Off to Curves! Went to bed last night at 10pm (I was tired!), slept like a rock, up and cheerful this morning at 7:30am. Such a simple thing, but boy does it make a difference!

8:30am

Curves. 1 mug water

12:45pm

--1 Lean Cuisine Chicken Florentine Meal (1 white carb serving)
--2/3 cup peas
--1 small orange
--1 cup milk
--1 mug water

I always talk about my unholy love for cheeseburgers, fried foods, cheap grocery store cake, etc. I thought today I would talk about my unholy love for a better food--peas. I love peas! They're so yummy. I like them canned, frozen, even fresh! I love to add them to just about anything. I finally gave up buying the little 1lb bags--I have a giant 5lb sack of them in my freezer. Peas rock!

3:00pm

1 sugar-free popsicle.

DH still not home. Sigh...

4:30pm

--1/2 oz honey roasted peanuts

5:45pm

--Onion Soup
--Tango Chicken Sandwich

We tried to go two other places and they were both closed! So, we would up at Applebees. It was OK, but not that stellar. We went shopping for a while afterwards and dreamt about bikes, gazebos, and grills for summer.

8:15pm

--1/2 bag smart pop kettle corn

9:00pm

--2 slices sugar free angel food cake
--1/2 cup grand light ice cream
--1/4 cup whipped cream

This has got to be one of the best desserts I've had for 200 calories...

10:00pm

--2 McDonalds cheeseburgers
--1 small order fries

I had a strong craving for McD's tonight. So, I took a look at my calorie count for today and ordered a yummy meal that still kept me under my limit for the day. I'm pretty happy about this. Yummy! I must say, though, DH being gone all day really threw off my eating schedule.

[DoeWDW]

Pearlieq, I am a morning person by nature, but I know how hard it is for me to get to bed on time each night. :rolleyes: I always want more hours in my days, want to fit in just one more thing, one more chapter of the book I'm reading, etc. I know I feel tons better when I'm in bed by 10 PM. Good for you for working on your sleep schedule and reaping the benefits!!

You've been doing a great job with the exercise and food. I know the scale has been slow to cooperate but you're doing much more exercise now and I know you're building muscle. When do you get measured at Curves again? I think you'll find you're losing lots of inches! ::yes:: Hang in there and keep the faith!

I hope you have a wonderful Saturday!! :sunny:

[Lesli54]

You're doing good! I wish my scale would move more as well, but I just keep thinking about the healthier habits that I am building. The longer it takes to lose, the longer you have to build that great lifestyle.............Well, it sounds good in theory anyway. :confused3

Keep it up! You are doing great! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/10/05

8:40am

--2 slices cheese pizza
--1 pear

Man a pizza lasts a long time when you're eating well! In bed by about 10:45 last night, up naturally at 7:30. It still feels great! I think I might try going to the new church near us. I miss having a church home. We'll see.

Lots to do today--lots of small chores like mailing in the taxes, returning DVDs, putting down fertilizer, running laundry, etc. We hope to get to see a movie, and, for the highlight of the day, we're going to get Disney shoes! We should have just enough time to break them in before we go--just 3 weeks now!!!

1:30pm

--1/2 order steamed Asian dumplings
--1 grilled chicken wrap on a whole-wheat tortilla
--1 serving sugar snap peas

Lunch at Ruby Tuesday's. They have an awesome Smart Eating menu--the food was delicious! Alas, no luck for shoes today, but DH got some new shorts and we both got some new shirts.

4:00pm

--1 sugar free popsicle

6:30pm

--1 flatout wrap
--1/4 cup light pasta sauce
--1/2 cup 2% mozzarella
--1/2 cup pineapple
--3/4 cup green beans
--1 apple
--1 cup skim milk

We made little pizzas with the flatbread. They were OK, but the flatbread got very, well, flat, and kind of bitter. I wound up not quite finishing it. Still, I'm glad to know I have plenty of calories left over for a treat tonight!

9:50pm

--1 apple
--2 servings sugar free angel food cake

Almost time for bed. Strongest craving for apples. Wonder what that's about?

[Lesli54]

Good morning Pearlieq!

5 lbs of peas is alot, but they are good. ;)

Hope you and DH have fun running errands and shopping for those Disney shoes. Almost time to start thinking about what you will pack. Do you have enough clothes that fit well after working so hard on your program? It's always great to have an excuse to shop. :rolleyes1 You must be getting excited about your trip!

Enjoy the :sunny: and the shopping. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/11/05 - Are we there yet?

7:45am

--1 cup FF yogurt
--1 cup mixed berries
--1/2 cup raisin bran crunch
--1 mug water

I am so ready to leave for WDW! These next few weeks are going to be torture!!! I've been going over and over my plans, cruising every WDW website, listening to Live 365, etc. I'm so ready!! I want to go now!

Didn't sleep too well last night. I was in bed at 10:30, but must have tossed and turned until at least midnight. I was still up at 7:15 though, so that feels good.

11:45am

--2 mini wheat rolls
--8 slices of Oscar Mayer ham
--1 pear
--1 mug water

I got hungry a little earlier than normal today.

12:00pm

--1 Lean Gourmet Lasagna

Lunch was a little skimpy. I added this on to make sure I didn't get crazy-hungry this afternoon.

3:00pm

--1 sugar free pudding cup
--3 T chocolate whipped cream
--1 reduced fat string cheese

So much for not being crazy hungry! Hopefully this keeps things under control for a while!

4:45pm

--1 tangeriene

Someone is outside grilling hamburgers. I had to shut the window or lives would be lost...

7:00pm

--1/4 turkey sausage
--1/2 cup instant mashed potatoes
--3/4 cup peas
--1 apple
--2 cups skim milk

DH prepared dinner, which was really sweet, but he served me mondo portions, which was a bit awkward to deal with. He had poured me a full 16oz glass of milk, so I decided to just suck it up and drink it rather than make an issue out of it. He also served me a full cup of mashed potatoes--those I pushed aside on my place and wrapped up for later. So, I think I got out pretty OK. Very, very sweet of him to offer to cook!

9:00pm

--1 cup Kix
--1/2 cup skim milk

[Lesli54]

Good morning Pearlieq!

Sorry to hear that your flatbread pizza didn't turn out well, but at least you know for next time. Planning for WDW! I love to do that! Time will fly by so quickly and there you will be. :cool1:

Enjoy the day! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pettyone]

4/11/05 - Are we there yet?


How old are you anyway!? :rotfl2:

Your trip is sooooo close, I too would be bouncing off the walls!!

I hope you get some sleep tonight...maybe you'll have some Disney dreams!

[pearlieq]

4/12/05

7:45am

--1 cup ff yogurt
--1 cup mixed berries
--1/2 cup Raisin Bran Crunch

11:45am

--2 cups lettuce
--3/4 cup shredded chicken breast
--1/2 cup fat free refried beans
--1/4 cup 2% cheddar cheese
--1/2 cup salsa
--1 tangeriene

The one thing about getting up earlier is that I'm hungry for lunch a lot earlier, too. That's all well and good, except it means I'm starving like a bear by 3:30 or 4:00pm, and realistically dinner won't be until 7-8:00pm. I've got to figure out how to rebalance my meals. Maybe I'll split lunch into two sections--one at 11:30 or so and then one again at 3 or so. That, plus my afternoon snack might get me to dinner alive and OP!

3:15pm

--1 bag light kettle corn

I'm having a really stressful, frustrating, unpleasant day at work, and my first urge to try to make myself feel better by overeating. I'm trying to hang on to the idea that overeating won't make anything better. There's also a chance I may have to stay late and miss my workout tonight, but that's only if I absolutely, positively have to. I really don't want to give that up. This too shall pass, right?

4:30pm

--1 cup strawberry grand light
--1 cake cone

No, it's not making my problem better, but it's kinda making me feel better...

7:15pm

--1 Portillos Italian Beef Sandwich
--2/3 cup pasta salad

Yummy! A pretty high calorie meal, but still under my limit by a couple of hundred calories. So, I'll take it!

The work problem is still dragging on. I'm going to take a break for dinner but then I have to start working on it again. I'm still going to bed on time, though. Whatever gets done by then is great, but that's my limit!

8:30pm

--1 1/2 beef & cheddar
--1x4 inch piece of yellow cake with frosting.

So I stumbled a little bit tonight. I didn't manage the stress well.

9:00pm

--1 1/2 ounces honey roasted peanuts

This was completely pointless...

[Lesli54]

Is it raining up your way? :umbrella: It did here and hopefully it will clear off.

Nice job manuevering around your DH's mondo serving sizes. At least he is trying and hopefully in time you will get him to realize that the portions could be just a little less.

Since you are posting this morning, I will take it as a sign that no one lost their lives over grilling....... :rotfl2:

You're doing great! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

How are you today? Hopefully the stress is a little less. Sounds like you need to find some stress relievers other than food (I know easier said than done ;) ) for days like yesterday.

Look on the bright side, today is a BRIGHTER day than yesterday and it is a new day. So time to move on.

Here's to a great day! I know you can make it through. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[rcyannacci]

I made the same stumbles last week when I had a really bad day. That's what I like about these journals, though. I can be honest with myself about what I ate, and because I know I'm in it for the long-haul, I write it off and tackle the next day.

Hope you're having a good day!

[pearlieq]

4/13/05 - A Better Day

9:00am

--1 light string cheese
--1 snack pack prunes
--1 orange

Well, a busy morning--I've been up and working nonstop since 7am. I finally had to grab a really quick breakfast because it became apparent I wasn't going to get much of a break. Still, today feels better. Some of the problems from yesterday are resolved, plus at least the sun is out today. I broke even, calorie-wise, yesterday, so hopefully it's just a "neutral" day--no loss, no gain. I really hated missing my workout, which was kind of cool. I'm really looking forward to tonight. Maybe I'll spend some extra time on the circuit to try to take some of the sting of yesterday away.

12:45pm

--3/4 cup egg beaters
--1.75 servings of turkey sausage
--1 pear
--1 lean gourmet lasagna

Yes, a strange meal, I know. But, still around the 550 calorie mark and lots or protien. Hopefuly this sticks with me. Part of my problem is that I work for a company that keeps a database of every single product for sale in the grocery store. I'm currently working on a project dealing with baking mixes and frosting, so all I work with and think about all day is cake mix, brownie mix, frosting, etc. It's torture! I liked it much better when I worked on non-food projects, but at this point, I don't have much choice about what kind of projects I get.

6:00pm

Curves. We stuck it out and went for a 30.5 minute workout. I was tired but it felt good!

8:00pm

--1 Lean Cuisine chicken with peanut sauce
--1 cup peas
--1 cup skim milk

The one thing I have noticed is that the last few times I really overate, my body kind of made up for it the next day by not being so hungry. Today has been really good. I'm going to finish my dinner, then later on I think I'm going to have a bag of light caramel apple popcorn. I saw it at the store todayand I couldn't resist buying it. I hope it's as good as it sounds!

9:45pm

--1/2 bag light caramel apple popcorn

This was pretty good. Not mondo-amazing good, but decent and I nice change from my usual kettle corn.

[Lesli54]

:rotfl2: It is kind of hard to lose weight and not think of food when it is staring you in the face. :rotfl2:

My DH has that problem every time he goes to work. Even when he is trying to be good, sooner or later he has to walk down the chip and pop isle or the aisle where the pistaccios are, or the aisle where the ice cream is. He asked me how he was not suppose to think of food when it is his life and is his "bread and butter" litterally. :rotfl2:

I thank God that I get to work at home with the numbers and don't have to look at various lists of food much.

Hope you can make it through the torture. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

My DH has that problem every time he goes to work. Even when he is trying to be good, sooner or later he has to walk down the chip and pop isle or the aisle where the pistaccios are, or the aisle where the ice cream is. He asked me how he was not suppose to think of food when it is his life and is his "bread and butter" litterally. :rotfl2:


Wow, that would be hard to deal with! At least for me it's all theoretical--UPC codes, product descriptions, and register scans. I can imagine it would be tough to walk by it 15 times a day! Kudos to him for fighting the good fight!

It must be really cool to have a store. I'll bet it's interesting and challenging work!

[plutosmyfav]

Ugh! cake mix and frosting. I have visions of binge foods dancing in my head :rotfl2: That must be rough. I hope you get onto something like laundry detergent soone :rotfl:

Your food looks good. I hate stress at work. It gnaws at you and feels just like hunger. Stay strong!

Sunny

[sarahsmom73]

Good morning!!! :sunny: I heop you have a really great day! :flower:

[pearlieq]

4/14/05

7:30am

--1 light string cheese

So, I'm trying something new this morning. I'm finding it really helps if I eat lunch later in the day, which means I need to eat breakfast later. However, I don't want my metabolism stuck in neutral until 9:00am, so I've decided I'm going to start the day with just a small "picker upper" when I first get up, and then try to eat a slightly smaller but still full breakfast around 9am or so. We'll see how it goes! Off to deal with cake mix and frosting...

9:30am

--3/4 cup ff yogurt
--3/4 cup mixed berries
--1/3 cup Raisin Bran Crunch

12:00pm

--salad greens
--1 roma tomato
--3/4 cup shredded chicken breast
--1/2 cup ff refried beans
--1/4 cup 2% cheddar cheese
--3/4 cup salsa

Well, I don't know how well my experiment worked. I only made it until noon before I was really hungry. Maybe I didn't eat enough for breakfast. I'll have to play around with this...

4:00pm

--2 T Athenos hummus
--1 small whole wheat roll
--1 small banana

OK, this ticks me off. I didn't pay too much attention to the label on the hummus when I bought it and I found out this brand has almost no fiber! I firmly believe in fiber, so I was a little miffed. Oh well...

7:00pm

--1/2 oz honey roasted peanuts

7:30pm

--1 cup beef vegetable soup
--1 small slice white bread
--1 t. whipped butter
--1/4 pound cheeseburger

This cheeseburger was delicious! And just the perfect size--big enough to be satistying, but not too big.

[Lesli54]

The :sunny: is shining here! How about up there?

Yes, it can be quite challenging to own a store, but it's also fun. Of course, DH does alot more of the day to day managing. He is in front of the scenes and I am behind. But I am very well informed and we work together on all major decisions or to bounce ideas. Like any job, it can be boring and just a job, but I like it.

You did really good yesterday. Hopefully, today will go well too and you can make it through the cake mix and frosting! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/15/05 - Happy Tax Day!

7:45am

--1 cup mixed berries
--2/3 cup ff yogurt
--1/2 cup Raisin Bran Crunch

DH is coming home at lunchtime today, so hopefully we'll have a fun afternoon. We're going out with some friends for dinner tonight, which will be lots of fun. I'll have to do some pre-planning to make sure I get a good meal. The place is Italian.

11:45pm

--1 light string cheese

DH is coming home with Jimmy John's. I can't wait!!

1:15pm

--1 country club on french, no mayo
--1 small orange

Yummy! And much more filling than I remember.

5:15pm

Curves.

6:00pm

--1/2 oz honey roasted peanuts

7:00pm

--1 1/2 pieces of Italian bread
--1/2 order lasagna

8:30pm

--1 small size raspberry sorbet at Cold Stone

Dinner was so yummy! Dessert was great as well. A very nice night!

[Lesli54]

Good morning! :sunny:

Looks like you did really good yesterday. Hope you and DH have fun tonight with your friends. :wizard: To make it easier to make good choices at dinner. :wizard:

Busy day, gotta run. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/16/05 - Weigh In

339.0 pounds! Down 5 lbs from last week! Yahoo!!! :cool1:

Daily Averages:

Calories Eaten: 2047
Fat : 61g (28%)
Carbs: 247g (48%)
Fiber: 38g
Protein: 116g (24%)
Calories Burned: 3671
Days of Exercise: 5

So, something worked this week! I wonder if this is normal, the weight coming off in fits and spurts. Either way, I'm thrilled today! I made the 20 lb mark, so a new clippie for me!!!

It's been a pretty good week, slipups were fewer and not as bad as they were before. I didn't hit my goals about eating out and white carbs, but I'm not too worried about it. I've made so many major changes in the last 6 weeks that as long as I'm maintaining those, everything else is gravy. So, instead of thinking of eating out less and reducing white carbs as goals, I'm going to think about them more as guidelines. I did OK on my water, but I really want to keep on that one, especially since I have joint problems and need the water to keep things hydrated and in the best condition they can be.

So, it's a short list, but goals for next week:

1.) Drink (and RECORD) at least 4, preferrably 5, mugs of water per day.

[pearlieq]

4/16/05

Not feeling like eating this morning, but I know I have to. Meeting the girls at Curves a little later. I was up with the dawn this morning, not really by choice, but it's OK. I figure I burn more calories awake, right?

8:45am

--1 Egg McMuffin
--1 apple

Yummy!

9:20

Curves--we did almost 3 circuts--I stopped before the 3 machines that tend to aggrivate my knee, but still 36 minutes! It felt really good. I love that I'm at the point where I'm kind of bummed they're not open tomorrow.

11:00am

--1 sugar free popsicle

12:15pm

--1/2 order steamed dumplings
--1 chicken wrap

Another Smart Eating meal at Ruby Tuesdays. I really like their menu.

6:15pm

--1 light string cheese

DH wanted healthy hamburgers so I ran out to pick up the ingredients--he's leaving tomorrow so I figured I might as well give him a treat! I was picking up a few things at Target while I was out, and this girl, who had to be at least 7 or 8, came up to me and said "Are you on a diet?" I was speechless--this wasn't some innocent pre-schooler. She was definitely old enough to know better! And again, the mom heard and saw everything and didn't acknowledge it at all! I couldn't believe it! Takes all kinds, I guess...

7:40pm

--2 healthy hamburgers
--2 whole wheat dinner rolls
--2 T ketchup
--1/2 can green beans
--1/2 orange

I made baked home fries to go with this, but they weren't cooperating and still weren't done 10 minutes after we finished eating. I'll fry them up tomorrow morning with some onions and call them hash browns. I'm really full, but I have plenty of calories if I want a treat later.

11:45pm

--1 WW English Muffin
--1/2 T butter
--1 T blackberry jam

We're been up late tonight--our little boy cat took a tumble down the basement stairs in his play cube and we've been watching him to make sure he's OK. He seems none the worse for wear, though, so we'll be turning in soon. I've been hungry for the last 3 hours but I've been trying to ignore it, which never works, but I keep doing it.

[toystoryduo]

Way to go on your 5 pound loss! :cheer2: That is awesome!! Keep up the good work pearlieq!! :cheer2:

[rcyannacci]

I was up early this morning too. Just couldn't go back to sleep. I'll be off to Curves too in a few minutes.

You've inspired me...more water this week!

Have a good weekend! :)

[Lesli54]

WOW! :earseek: Look at you go! Did you ever think that you would hit less than 340 before your trip? You are so AWESOME! :cool1:

Just think another couple of weeks, you will have to get some new Disney clothes. Time for a packing party soon!

Keep up the good work and great job on the Italian dinner! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[goldcupmom]

you are doing AWESOME!!! Keep up the good job!

New clothes for Disney sounds like a GREAT plan!

[sarahsmom73]

:cheer2: :cheer2: Great Loss!!! WTG!!! :cheer2: :cheer2:

[Lesli54]

Good morning Pearlieq! :sunny:

You did a great job on the food yesterday. Sorry to hear about your cat, but they somehow come out of most bad situations.

Keep up the good work and drink lots of water. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/17/05

9:00am

--2 medium/large pancakes
--1 T butter
--3 T sugar free syrup
--1/4 cup egg beaters
--1 slice bacon

We went out for breakfast this morning. I was going to share the bacon and eggs with DH, but unfortunately they weren't that great. I stopped eating them pretty quick. The pancakes were very nice though!

DH leaves in a few hours. I'm going to miss him a lot, but I honestly think it might be easier to stick to routine with him gone. Still, I can't wait for him to get back! 3 days after he comes home, we go to WDW!

2:45pm

--lettuce
--3/4 cup shredded chicken
--1/2 cup ff refried beans
--1/4 cup 2% cheddar cheese
--3/4 cup salsa

So, I sent DH on his way. A few tears were shed, but I know he's not far away and will be home soon. You just kind of get used to them around, you know?

4:30pm

30 minute walk around the neighborhood. It felt good to get out, I'm feeling kinda bored already. There's not much to do on a Sunday night in our little burg and not too much exciting around the house. Looks like I'll have to get creative...

5:30pm

--1 sugar free popsicle
--1 mug water

7:45pm

--1/2 cup Lloyds barbecue chicken
--2 whole wheat rolls
--1 baked potato
--1 apple
--1 cup milk

I toyed with the idea of getting fast food tonight, but while I had the calories, I'm a little light in the nutrition and fiber departments, so I figured I'd just as well stay home. I bought the Lloyds a while ago and either didn't read the sugar content or didn't care, but at 10g a serving, I'm not thrilled with it. I refuse to throw it out, so I'll just have to work it in.

*note*
I got bored while I was eating, so I started reading the Lloyds package--I can't believe what I found. This product (which retails for about $7 for 18oz, not that I paid that much) contains dark chicken meat, tomatoes (by which they mean tomato paste and water), 5 (count 'em 5!) kinds of sugar, corn starch, textured soy protein, textured wheat gluten, and many more things I can't pronounce. I wouldn't feed this to a rat! I changed my mind--while I abhor waste, this is going down the disposal!

[goldcupmom]

Sounds like your day is off to a good start! Yes, it's much easier to keep OP when the DH's aren't around - especially mine. Good Luck! Enjoy your day!

[TPCShauna]

Hi Pearlieq! Thanks for dropping by my journal. I've just finished reading yours and I must say that we have a lot in common. You and I are almost the same age and we have the same WL goal. Congrats to you for doing the diet thing your way.

Reading your journal mostly in one fell swoop made it really easy to see the amazingly healthful changes you have made in your diet. Your choices now are so much better and it's great that you are exercising so much. Your daily posting is a great motivator. Thanks for sharing your journey to a place where less of you exists!

Cheers!

[pearlieq]

4/18/05 - Faux Singlehood, Day 1

Well, I didn't sleep so great last night without DH, so I was up a little later, around 8am. No biggie. However, I did come downstairs to more than one "oops" from the cats. I'm not sure what's up with them, but I cleaned them up and then went to deal with their box. Can't say I'm quite in the mood to eat after that! I will try to get something small very soon though.

9:45am

--1 cup ff yogurt
--1 cup frozen mixed berries
--1/2 cup raisin bran crunch

12:50pm

--1 country club sandwich from Jimmy John's (no mayo)
--6 prunes

Yummy lunch, and it's such a gorgeous day out!!! I don't want to work anymore. I want to go out and play!!!

6:00pm

Curves. We actually made it 3x around today! Yay!

7:45pm

--1 Girl Scout lemon cookie

My, but that was good!

9:10pm

--1 Lean Cuisine Garlic Chicken
--1 oven-roasted potato
--1 apple
--1 cup milk

I really didn't mean to go this long without eating. I was occupied by work in the afternoon, then I went to Curves, then I went over to neighbors house to drop off baby gifts and we got to talking and I'm just now getting home. I was a little hungry after Curves, but I was pretty distracted once I got over by my neighbors. Also, the husband insisted on refilling my water, so I had at least 32 oz of water. It was a really nice time--I like them a lot!

[rcyannacci]

Don't feel bad about throwing food out. I used to worry about this, until I took a class. The nutritionist said that in the long run, throwing away food that you don't want to eat (whether it be that you took too much, don't like it, or just decided it was too unhealthy) isn't really a waste when you consider what it does to your body and the energy (and money!) you later have to spend trying to take off the weight. Does that make any sense?

Anyway, it's amazing what you begin to find while reading labels.

Be sure to post after your upcoming Disney trip! Those of us who aren't going anytime soon have to live vicariously, you know ;).

[goldcupmom]

Sleeping w/o the DH home is always hard for me, too. It's getting better the more he has to do it, but still not fun.

Isn't amazing what we discover when we REALLY read the labels?

I am really into the new FLAT OUT bread - there is a variety that has 15 grams of fiber. On WW it's 2 pts - I think about 110 calories. VERY filling and it's italian herb so it tastes good. I get mine at WalMart. I'm really trying to keep the fiber up as it with the water seems to be a good combo.

How is the cat? We had one jump off a balcony in our living room of an apt. once, Landed on the tile of the fireplace hearth. Scared me to death! But he was fine. Hope yours is , too.

Time to get busy again. Glad you got a walk in.

[Lesli54]

I am late today in posting, but it looks like you did a great job yesterday. Good for you on throwing out the Lloyd's. If it isn't good for you, why keep it around?

Hope time flies while your DH is away. Remember we are always here if you need to talk to someone. Just keep remembering that WDW is not far away.

Have a great day. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Good morning Pearlieq! :sunny:

I think you are doing quite well with your DH being gone. Now, if you can eat only 1 GS cookie, you know you have made progress! (I think I am still at 2 ;) )

Keep up the good work, stay busy and your Faux Singlehood will fly by in no time. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/19/05 - Faux Singlehood - Day 2

7:45am

--1 cup ff yogurt
--1 cup frozen mixed berries
--1/2 cup Raisin Bran Crunch

Well, I slept better last night, though for some reason my little boy cat, Magellan, decided to have a meowyling party right outside my door at 2:25am. I wish we could let them sleep with us--it just breaks my heart to shut the door on them at night, but we'd never get a wink of sleep if we did! We've tried once or twice and they're just too rambunctious!

Magellan does seem to have recovered well, thank you very much, goldcupmom, for asking!

10:45am

--1 light string cheese

I was reading about all the restaurants we're going to be eating at in WDW, and it got me really, really hungry. I can't wait for lunch!

2pm

--1 cup shredded chicken breast
--1/2 cup barbecue sauce
--1 WW english muffin
--2/3 cup peas
--6 prunes
--1 cup milk

Again, I didn't mean for it to get this late before I ate again. I got caught up watching the announcement of the new pope, and then I dove into a work project and I didn't want to stop until I had it finished. Again, I was hungry earlier, but quickly forgot about it when I got distracted.

I'm supposed to be meeting with one of my girlfriends tonight--I'm looking forward to seeing her!

6pm

Curves. We actually made it 3x around the circuit again today--it was hard work! I didn't get to see my friend tonight. I'm not done working out until 7pm and she didn't want to get together that late. It was actually kind of an odd conversation, but oh well...

7:40pm

--1 McD's cheeseburger
--6 piece chicken nuggets
--1 largeish apple

It occurs to me I'm getting a bit draconian in my food choices. I'm not sure if it's because I'm anxious to progress or if I'm afraid that a proverbial "taste of blood" will revert me back to my feral nature. I imagine it's a mixture of both, but I don't think it should be this hard to decide if I want McDonald's for dinner! Is it well within my calorie range for the day? Yes. Is it the most nutritious thing I could choose tonight? No. Am I in imminent danger of developing scurvy? No.

I need to loosen up a bit with myself. I caught myself thinking "maybe I'll treat myself to a glass of Diet Sierra Mist tonight" How far gone do you have to get before a glass of diet soda is TREAT??? Including today, I've eaten an average of 1663 calories per day over the past week. Even accounting for variations is actual food eaten vs. the stated information, that's still pretty low for a 300+ lb woman working out every day. I can't help but wonder if I should try to eat more. But the idea of eating more is very messy. I'm honestly not sure I can separate the idea of eating more with the idea of going totally off program. I'm not sure I have the control yet to eat more, but not go hog wild. This is so new, and part of me really just wants to stick with what seems to be working for the moment. But I'm concerned...

[septbride2002]

We painted the floor of our basement over the weekend and couldn't let the cats downstairs where there litter boxes usually are. I had a litter box for them at the bottom of the stairs, but Sunday morning woke up to find kitty stool on my brand new dresser!!!!! I love my cats, but they do not like change for anything. We have to let ours sleep with us or else we would never get any sleep. They would litterally knock on the door the entire night. They are pretty good though about sleeping, all 3 tend to lay at the bottom of the bed on our feet. :cat:

Glad to hear you slept better last night. I hate sleeping without my DH, I must check all the doors 5 times before I go to bed. :)

~Amanda

[goldcupmom]

Sounds like you are surviving. By about the 4th night I bet you'll be sleeping almost normal. I hope so!

Glad that Magellan is ok. My DD devon rex cat sleeps w/ her - on her head and neck. She frequently wakes up with small scratches, but the 2 of them sleep so soundly they never move. It's really funny!

Have a great day!

[TPCShauna]

We would never, ever get any sleep if our kitties couldn't get in the room! My older sleeps with us, under the covers, with his head on my pillow or stretched out between our pillows. The little one sleeps on the bed between our legs. Yes, the big one wakes me up when he walks over my pillow sometimes but I still get more sleep with them in the room than out.

Congrats on the 1 Girl Scout cookie! I, too, am at the 2 at a time stage. I'm also a Girl Scout leader so I have them all over my house! It's total torture. :rolleyes:

WDW is so close!!!!! :cool1:

[Clare]

Hi pearlieq! Thanks for stopping by my journal. I appreciate the support!! I am so impressed that you can stop at just 1 GS cookie! They are a downfall for me.....especially the lemon ones! You go girl!

[TPCShauna]

I have the same thoughts and worry about myself sometimes too. I wouldn't be worried. This is a new way of life and you don't want to fall back into old habits. It's perfectly understandable that you are concerned about allowing a slip that might become a slide back to the old ways.

The way I've battled this is to choose some "splurge" foods for myself. They aren't splurges like I used to have but they feel splurgey to me because they taste so good. I have been totally depressed because I can't have as much cheese as I am used to having but now that I found Laughing Cow Light cheese wedges, I use them as "splurges" and know that they are only 1 point. And when I really, really want cookies and milk, I have my regular skim milk and a couple of low-fat cinnamon graham crackers. They are still sweet but work for me as cookies.

I think the hard part for you is that you aren't on a do it for you diet like WW. My plan tells me that I can have diet drinks as long as I drink my water so I don't feel bad about them. It's harder when you are counting the calories. I strongly encourage you to make a list of "free" foods that are low-impact in terms of calories but feel like treats. That way you won't feel bad when you indulge yourself in them.

Hang in there. Your due diligence is going to pay off big time in the end!

[Siouxstone]

Hey Pearlieq,
I wouldn't worry too much about changing plans. You seem to be making lifestyle changes and not using a structure may just be what you need. You've come so far already, just keep it up! If you want some good inspiration, you should start at the beginning of this journal and read through it. I'll bet you learn alot! Keep it up girl! Or should I say, Keep it coming off! ::yes:: If you had tried to do 3 rounds at Curves a few months ago, could you have done it? See, you've made a lot of progress! I think it's fantastic! :teeth:
One lemon GS cookie? No problem for me! Of course it's the Samoa's that keep me up at night. Can't sleep with a box in the house! :scared:
Susie

[goldcupmom]

I think you're doing VERY well. If you were on WW 300 - 324 lbs is 32 pts (about 1600 cal). 325 -349 is 33 pts(about 1650 cal) and 275 - 299 is 31 pts.(about 1550 cal) plus you'd get 35 pts (1750 cal) extra each week to use or not. Then you'd have the option of eating or not eating your exercise pts. which 30 min of moderate exercise would be 3 pts at 300 lbs. From what I've experienced at WW meetings, if you're doing all this and not losing, you may need to eat a bit more to offset the exercise so your body doesn't think it's starving.

Don't stress. You're on the right track and making GREAT progress. ONE day at a time!!

[Lesli54]

Good morning Pearlieq! :sunny:

Personally, I think you are doing GREAT and there is nothing wrong with thinking of a soda (diet or not) as a treat or an occassional item. I rarely drink soda, so it is a treat for me when I do. You have been working so hard at trying to eat healthier foods and watch portions and you know that soda isn't the best choice, that is why I think you are looking at it as a treat. And that is quite alright.

As for the calories, I wouldn't worry too much. Could you use a few more? Maybe. But I think you have to look at how you feel as well. Are you tired? Do you have energy? Are you still losing weight? Are you feeling deprived? As long as you are within a healthy range for weight loss, I wouldn't worry, unless you see some negative impact on your health. Also, you have said that you have been very busy and not thinking about the food. That makes a huge difference and is not the same place you were at a few months ago.

You are doing an AWESOME job at following your own plan. Keep up the good work! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/20/05 - Faux Singlehood - Day 3

9:30am

--Lean cuisine Lemongrass Chicken
--2/3 cup peas
--1 apple
--1 cup milk.

I've been up for a couple of hours, but didn't really feel like eating. I wasn't really feeling breakfast food either this morning, so I tried something different. This is one of their new spa cuisine meals. I haven't tried this one, but it looks great.

1:40pm

--1 baked potato
--3 oz grilled chicken
--1/2 package Green Giant broccoli with cheddar
--15 strawberries

Oh my goodness this is delicious! I made up the potato, added the chicken to the broccoli and cheddar and it's soooooo good! I'm so happy to have fresh strawberries again too!

7:00pm

--2 healthy hamburgers
--2 large roma tomatoes
--1/2 banana

Racing to finish this before my friend comes to get me for Bunco.

*OK, I'm back. I barely got a chance to finish my supper--I ate half of the banana, the other have I accidentally dropped along the way. Oops. I was pretty bored at Bunco tonight. Out of 16 women only about 4 were sober, including me, and 2 of then were pregnant. It's only so much fun to be one of the only sober people in the room. There was a really yummy chocolate cake--it looked delicious and I meant to go get a piece but I never got around to it. It wasn't that important to me. Gum helped--I had a piece of mint gum all night, but I honestly just wasn't as interested in the snacks as I was before.

[rcyannacci]

Looks like you had a really good day! I also skipped drinks with friends last night...and there was a margarita that was really calling my name !!!

Have a good thurday!

[Lesli54]

Is it cold up there? It sure is cold here and looks like rain, but I don't know. Where is the :sunny: ?

What a great day you had yesterday and look how far you have come! :banana: There was cake that you "meant to get to", but "never got around to", and "just wasn't interested". WOW! :earseek: Doesn't it seem strange to say things like that? When I find myself thinking that way, I am always amazed at myself. That kind of thinking is going to take you all the way to your goal! :cheer2:

Have a great day, keep up the great thinking and enjoy those strawberries! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/21/05 - Faux Singlehood Day 4

8:35am

--1 WW english muffin
--1 T peanut butter
--1 t jam
--1 light string cheese
--1 apple
--1 cup milk

I'm on some kind of crazy apple kick! I was moving kind of slow this morning. I felt so bad about shutting the cats out of the bedroom night before last that I tried letting them sleep with me. That won't happen again. My little girl cat did fine--she settled down on the end of the bed and went straight to sleep. My little boy cat napped a little, but he kept wanting to sleep on me, and lick me, and be petted and it just wasn't working. Luckily we've pretty much always kept them out of the bedroom at night so they're used to it. Sometimes they call a little bit, but they ususally settle down pretty quickly. I'm going to have to take him to the vet--he's got some kind of eye discharge that seems to be getting worse. Poor baby!

1:30pm

--1 Lean Cuisine Peanut chicken
--2/3 cup peas
--18 smaller strawberries

I don't have too much to do for work this afternoon, so I'll have to stay busy other ways in order to keep my mind off of food. I bet some WDW packing would do it!!!

7:00pm

--1 cup garden vegetable soup
--1 turkey club wrap (turkey, chopped bacon, lettuce, tomato, honey wheat tortilla)
--1 T ranch dressing
--1 cup mixed fresh fruit
--1 kids scoop World Class Chocolate on a sugar cone.

We tried a new restaurant for dinner and it was really good. There were so many yummy things to try on the menu. I really like my wrap--I love bacon and their's was great. We were right by a Baskin Robbins, so the ice cream was a nice treat too.

Dinner with my mom can be a bit of a challenge. She's kind of a negative person, and when she has a bad night it can bring me down. Also, she's very large and weight is a very sensitive topic, so I feel pressure to be like her and overeat and not make a show out of being "healthy". Luckily tonight went well--neither of us took issue with the other's food choices and she seemed pretty upbeat. It was a nice time!

*OK, want to hear something depressing? That kids scoop of ice cream? It had 270 calories! Add another 40 for the sugar cone, and my tiny blinkin' ice cream cone had 310 calories! I can get a whole meal for that! I mean, it was good, but it wasn't that good...

[TPCShauna]

Congrats on withstanding the cake! I did that a few weeks ago and it felt totally weird. You should be totally proud of yourself. Look how far you've come!!

[goldcupmom]

1:40pm

--1 baked potato
--3 oz grilled chicken
--1/2 package Green Giant broccoli with cheddar
--15 strawberries

That is too funny Pearliq - that's EXACTLY what I have planned for dinner - even the # of berries!!

Sounds like you are doing awesome. When I am trying to keep away from dessert I carry chocolate tootsie pops - on WW only 1 pt and it keeps me busy and gives me the chocolate flavor. I've learned how to make them last a LONG time!

[plutosmyfav]

Hi Pearliq,

You are doing great :cheer2:

Happy Friday :)

Sunny

[Lesli54]

Good morning Pearlieq! :cold: :cold:

Where's the warm weather? It never rained here yesterday, just cloudy and cold. Today looks the same. YUCK!

It looks like you managed to keep yourself busy yesterday and I think you are doing great on food with your DH away. I was wondering how your mom was adjusting to your weight loss plan and am glad to know that last night's dinner went well. My gran is a "clean your plate" person and even at the age of 37 (almost 38), I still feel pressured to do exactly that when I am out with her. Good job for sticking with your plan and not caving into pressure.

At 310 calories, I say go for a really great dessert. Sad thing is, it probably wasn't much more for an adult portion.

Have a great day and enjoy your weekend! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[rcyannacci]

Happy Friday! Don't you feel energized? You're doing great!

Wish I was packing for WDW! I shouldn't complain, however, because we'll be headed to Hilton Head, SC mid-May.

Hope that crazy Chicago weather starts getting better for you!

[pearlieq]

4/22/05 - Faux Singlehood - Day 5
Freezing in Chicago...

9:00am

--1 WW english muffin
--2 t. peanut butter
--2 t. jam
--1 small pear
--1 cup skim milk

Happy Earth Day, everyone, and happy birthday to the Animal Kingdom! Got another slow start this morning--I think the dreary weather has something to do with it. DH comes home tonight!!! He's here through Sunday noon, then he's off to Springfield for his conference. It will be so nice to have him home, to sleep next to him, and to have him take over catbox duty! :teeth:

12:30pm

--1 potato
--3oz Tyson grilled chicken
--1/2 package broccoli and cheese
--1 small wheat roll
--1 large roma tomato
--14 medium strawberries.

I'm kinda hungry today--hopefully this lasts me a while. DH should be some sometime in the late afternoon/early evening. I'm hoping he's home in time for dinner. I want a bean burger from Chili's!

7:45pm

--2 hot dogs with ketchup, tomato, and pickle

We tried to go to Chili's, but there was a 45 minute wait! I would never wait 45 minutes for Chili's! So, we hiked across the parking lot to Portillo's and ate there. Not too many healthy choices, but they're all tasty. TOM is coming and I wanted one of everything. I settled on 2 hot dogs, and was really suprised to find myself full when I finished. There was a time when I would have polished off those two hot dogs with cheese fries, half an Italian beef, a large rootbeer, and piece of chocolate cake. The diffference now is that I know I can have any of those things any time I want them, but not all at once!

[goldcupmom]

Today is your last day of singlehood for a while! Yippee!!

So, I have a Chicago question.....DD and I have a stop of almost 7 hours on the way back from FL in July. Is is safe to walk down near the station? We went there and took the trolley over to Mich. ave a few years ago, but I don't remember much. I can't imagine spending 7 hours at the station even tho its big. I'm hoping we can hop the trolley and do some shopping or at least find a starbucks and somewhere for lunch.

Have a great evening and you'll be off on your trip SOON!!!

[pearlieq]

So, I have a Chicago question.....DD and I have a stop of almost 7 hours on the way back from FL in July. Is is safe to walk down near the station? We went there and took the trolley over to Mich. ave a few years ago, but I don't remember much. I can't imagine spending 7 hours at the station even tho its big. I'm hoping we can hop the trolley and do some shopping or at least find a starbucks and somewhere for lunch.

I'm assuming you're coming in to Union Station, right? Such a pretty place--don't know if you like gangster movies, but the big climactic scene of The Untouchables was filmed right in the great hall.

Union Station is right in the Loop and in a very safe area--I wouldn't worry too much about walking around during the day, just use regular big-city common sense.

It will be a fairly busy area if you're coming in on a weekday, or almost dead if you're there on the weekend. There are many nice restaurants within close walking distance. Just a few blocks North of Union there's some pretty nice dining--more of a high-end/gourmet type thing if you're into that. Or, there's a Giordano's within walking distance if you're in the mood for good Chicago pizza. The theater district is within walking distance as well, so if you're feeling ambitious you might even be able to catch a matinee!

If you're looking for something casual, Union station has a food court, but the alternate train station, Ogilvie Transportation Center, is two blocks north and has much better choices including a Corner Bakery and a Sourdough Cafe.

Let me know what you're interested in. I'll be happy to help!

[goldcupmom]

Looks like our Amtrak train is scheduled to arrive about 8:25 a.m. on Sat 7/9. Hopefully they will serve EARLY breakfast on the train since meals are included in the cost. We'll store our carry on stuff at Union and then DD will likely want to find a way to the MM and SHOP. 3 summers ago we spent 17 hours there just to go to American Girl Place. Stayed at a Crowne Plaza nearby, shopped, went for a carriage ride, then on the way back stopped in Iowa and spent a week w/ MIL. Had a ball. I would assume that on a Sat the Trolley would run, or a cab would be around. We'll need to have a light lunch somewhere, get back on the train at about 3:30, so dinner will be en route.

Thanks for the info. I may have more questions!

[pearlieq]

4/23/05 - Weigh In

335.5 pounds - down 3.5 pounds from last week. :flower:

I know I should be really happy about this, but I saw 335.5 on Wednesday and then got my hopes us that I could make 335 and get my 25lb clippie this week. I didn't quite make it--the scale fluctuated between 335, 335.5, and 336, so I decided to be fair and take 335.5 since it stayed longest there. TOM is almost here, and last month that wasn't a good week for me. Hopefully I can get my clippie next week, until then 3.5 lbs gone is good too!

Daily Averages:

Calories Eaten: 1666
Total Fat: 44g (24%)
Total Carbs: 239g (51%)
Total Fiber: 32g
Total Protein: 98g (24%)
Calories Burned: 3756
Days of Exercise: 7

Goals for next week:

1.) Water. I've been pretty good about getting at least 3, usually 4 mugs. I have not been so great about recording it. Goal for next week--record all water I drink.

2.) Fiber. It really like to keep this as close to 35g a day average as possible. Now that I'm eating less calories, I have to really make them count. Goal for next week -- bring fiber back to an average of 35g a day.

3.) Protein. I'm getting closer to the goal, but I really want to nail it. Goal for next week--bring protein to 25% of calories eaten. Preferably eat this instead of the the extra fat I've been eating instead of reducing the number of carbs.

[pearlieq]

4/23/05 - Faux Singlehood - Intermission

8:15am

--1 small pear
--1 mug water

Off to Curves!

10:45am

--1 cup ff yogurt
--14 medium strawberries
--1 mug water

Back from Curves--pushed myself through 3x though I kinda didn't wanna. But it's done now and no one can take it away from me. The schedule is all off today--we're scrambling around to get things done DH needs for next week, plus DH has a technical problem at work he needs to address (he's in IT), and he just figured out that he has to be in Springfield at 9am tomorrow--his boss made him sign up for the official golf outing for the conference. Golf at 40 degress, sounds like fun. He's going to have to leave home by about 4:30am tomorrow to make it, so he's not in a great mood right now. Hopefully I can distract him for a little while with some lunch.

I've got to leave in a little while to take Magellan to the vet for his eye thing. Originally the neighbor was going to watch them while we were gone, but if he needs medicine we're going to have to board him. The boarding is at the vet's office, and it's not that nice. It's clean and safe, but it's metal cages in the back room. The cages don't connect, so I either have to put them into one cage and cut their space, or separate them--and they've really never been separated. I'm sure they won't die for a week being boarded, but its hard to enjoy a WDW trip while thinking of your kitties in metal cages in a concrete block room with one window. I wish we could find better boarding, but the cats HATE the car and the nearest good boarding that we've found is at least 30-45 minutes away.

1:00pm

--1/2 large slice wheat bread
--1/2 large slice white bread
--4 large spoonfuls DH's soup
--1/2 spanikopita (about 3")
--1/4 Greek baked pasta (about 1x3")
--2 Greek meatballs
--1/4 cup vegetable moussaka

Well, we got Magellan through his vet visit. He yowled the entire 6 minutes to the vet's office and actually hissed at a little girl in the waiting room! Obviously this was not his idea of a fun Saturday. The vet thinks it's either allergies/athsma or herpes, which is guess it pretty common in cats. He says we should definitley keep them home next week--their condition is aggrivated by stress and boarding would definitley stress them out! So, I have to go get them lysine pills, and the vet gave me an ointment for if his eye gets worse. He also wants us to switch their cat food, take the cover off of their litterbox, look into an air filter, and see if there are any powders/deodorizers we can ask the cleaning people to stop using. Also, when get got weighed, Magellan was 10.2 pounds! He's gained 3 pounds in the last 2 months! He's 9 months old, so he's probably just growing into his adult body, but he's got a little belly pooch! The vet thinks we should switch him to adult food early because the kitten food is probably too rich for him now. Hopefully that will take care of the problem.

After we got him safely home DH and I went to a cafe I recently discovered. I was pretty hungry and for some reason the Greek food on the menu really appealed to me. DH was kind enough to go along with it, even though it's really not his thing. We got a tasting platter--it was pretty good. I probably wouldn't do it again, but it was nice to try something new. The bread was fresh baked and incredibly good!

7:00pm

--1" slice french bread
--1/2 t. margarine
--1 cup vegetable soup
--1 chicken breast
--1/4 cup creamed spinach
--1/2 baked potato
--1 T sour cream
--1/2 cup green beans

I took DH to the cafe my mom and I went to today. The food was very good again. I can't wait to try them for breakfast of these days.

9:15pm

--2 2/3 sugar free banana muffins
--1 cup sugar free jello

10:00pm

--1/2 medium Dominoes cheese pizza

I'm a little snacky tonight--I think it's a TOM thing. DH and I are going to resurrect one of our old traditions - late night pizza. It puts me a little over my calorie max for the day (2877, to be precise) put I'm pretty confident I can make it up over the next few days, especially with DH on the road again.

[Lesli54]

Is it :sunny: up there? It is here, thankfully, but the wind is whipping and it is chilly.

Glad to hear that you have your DH back for a few days. You did great while he was gone.

Oh how right you are when you were commenting about eating so much food before beginning your program. "The diffference now is that I know I can have any of those things any time I want them, but not all at once!" I think we all have to keep reminding ourselves of that. After all, the food will always be there. You showed great control and should be proud! :banana:

Have a fun enjoying time with your DH and packing for WDW! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

How could I have missed it? Just noticed when I was reading your post in my journal.

Congrats on the 3.5 lbs lost! :cheer2: :cheer2:

I have been watching your ticker and praying that you could reach your next goal around the time you leave for WDW. Looks like you won't be far off and I know that it is a lot more than you originally expected to lose before your trip. GREAT JOB! You must be on :cloud9: !

Keep up the excellent job! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Strings]

Hi there,

I just wanted to congratulate you on your success this week. You are doing great. The clippie will be yours next week for sure. Your goals for this coming week are very good and obtainable. Keep up the good work.
Beth

[goldcupmom]

Hope you are enjoying your weekend w/ DH. Your daily avgs are looking AWESOME!!

[rcyannacci]

... including a Corner Bakery and a Sourdough Cafe...

Wow! I miss the Corner Bakery! We lived in Chicago (Evanston, really) for 2 years, and this was one of my favorite places. Great breakfasts! The oatmeal was my favorite.

Have a great weekend! Sending you :sunny: from TX!

[TPCShauna]

Congrats on your almost 25 lb. clippie but more importantly on your daily averages which look fabulous! Your mind set has changed which is really the thing that will help you reach your goal. Enjoy DH and packing for WDW. :goodvibes

[pearlieq]

4/24/05 - Faux Singlehood - Day Six

8:00am

--1 banana muffin
--1 light string cheese
--1 mug water

OK, the trick to these banana muffins is going to have to be one at a time. I stuck all but 4 in the freezer so hopefully it won't be an issue. I'm not too hungry this morning, but that's usually the case when I've had a big day the day before.

All right, it's time to play one of my favorite games called This Time Next Week! We get to play it all week, until it's time to go...

This Time Next Week We'll: Be sitting in our comfy seats on the airplane! We splurged on Spirit Plus for the trip down so we get priority boarding and check-in, front-row seats on the plane, our own cabin steward, and extra snack and beverage service. Our flight leaves at around 7:30, so we will probably be somewhere over the state of Indiana by This Time Next Week. DH might be snoozing, since we will have to get up by about 4:30 to get to the airport, park the car, check-in, etc. I will be wide awake, since I can't sleep on planes. I usually read--I save up my magazines for a few weeks beforehand and enjoy them all on the plane.

1:00pm

--1 Lean Cuisine Rice & Beans
--2/3 cup peas
--1 small pear

We have a friend who makes sauces and spices for a living. DH does IT work for him, but we're usually guinea pigs for new things he's trying. He's developing a new hot sauce and I figured I'd try to jazz up my meal a little by adding a packet. WOW! I know I'm a lightweight when it comes to spicy things, but this really hot! At least it will help me pace myself a little while I eat it...

And now for This Time Next Week! This Time Next Week we will have landed, gone on our mini-monorail ride, picked up the rental car and headed to OKW. After checking in, we'll be heading to DTD for lunch at Earl of Sandwich and some early shopping at World of Disney. We're AP holders, so we get a discount at World of Disney. We're going to go there first, get what we want and then we'll know what we'll need to buy in the parks. I forget where I read that tip, but it's a great idea!

3:50pm

--1/2 oz honey roasted peanuts
--1 apple

This Time Next Week: Hopefully we will have survived our attempt to find SuperTarget and now have all of our supplies for the week. This might be a quiet night in with pool time and relaxing around the resort, or we may go check out something fun to do at night.

7:45pm

--1 1/2 cup barbecue chicken succotash
--1 whole wheat roll
--1 cup milk

I don't know how else to describe my concoction tonight--it's chicken breast, black beans, peas, and corn, with barbecue sauce. It's really tasty. I've always been one to just start throwing things into a pan and see how they turn out. Most of the time I do OK--I would make this again.

Now for This Time Next Week (which will henceforth be called TTNW): I was planning on fixing dinner in our room at OKW--probably just a frozen lasagna and some veggies/fruit tonight. I think we might go out looking for some fun--Wishes? Fantasmic? Jelly Rolls? Not sure, we'll have to see what we're in the mood for that night...

8:45pm

--1/2 South Beach peanut butter chocolate bar

I picked this up at the grocery store today because it was on sale and I was hungry. I tastes pretty good, it's pretty well fortified and it has a decent amount of fiber and protien. Not a bad little treat.

I burned the heck out of my fingers--I have no feeling in my middle fingertip and a blister on the ring finger. I accidentally left the burner on low underneath my succotash pan (really stupid, I know :rolleyes: ) and didn't realize it when I went to grab the pot to put in the sink. OUCH!!!

[goldcupmom]

You are doing so well. This week will FLY by.

I can't wait til I get to do the "This time next week" dance!!
:cool1: :banana: :cool1: :banana: :cool1:

[Lesli54]

Glad you enjoyed your time with your DH. Too bad he had to get up so early just to go golfing, but I guess sometimes you just have to PR a little in your job to make the in-roads.

If you ever want to go out for Greek food again, just give me a call. DH and I love Greek, but then he is Lebanese and there are a lot of similarities in the food. I enjoy Spanikopita, yummy. Then there is the flat breads and gyros and let's not forget the Baklava! Although, I make better baklava than most I have had. Not exactly healthy choice, but it sure tastes good! :rolleyes1

I like playing "This Time Next Week". It sure keeps the week moving when you are getting ready for something great. Let's see, this time next week I will be getting ready to celebrate my birthday and beginning to go crazy over getting things in place for DD17's graduation.

Have a great day! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/25/05 - Faux Singlehood - Day 7

7:30am

--1 banana muffin
--1 light string cheese
--1 pear
--1 mug water

I had to get up at 6 to put the trash out, but it actually wasn't so bad once I got out of bed. I'm close to finishing one of the big parts of my work project, so that feels good. I'm going to get going on it as soon as I update here. I'm trying to figure out how to get the cats to take their Lysine pills--I tried cutting them up and tucking them into some liver sausage this monring, but Diana just sniffed hers and Magellan licked at his until he got to the pills and then stopped. I think I'm going to try to crush the pills some more and either tuck them in smaller balls of liver sausage or tuna. We'll figure something out.

Now for TTNW! We will have enjoyed a nice breakfast in our room--maybe on the balcony? It's now time to hop in the car and head off toward EPCOT! After a quick stop to pick up my DDE letter (assuming I can't get them to fax it to me) we'll head straight for Soarin', maybe a couple of times, then off to pick up FP's for Test Track. We'll wander around FW until our window opens, or maybe ride TT standby before our window opens, if the wait isn't too long.

12:40pm

--1 Country Club from Jimmy Johns (no mayo, extra tomato)
--1 mug water

I'm super low on fiber today--gotta make that up this afternoon. I see popcorn in my future!

TTNW: After a fun morning in Future World, I'm sure we will have migrated to World Showcase by now. I'm hoping to catch lunch at a counter service location--anywhere but The Electric Umbrella! We always seem to wind up eating there by default and it's so generic! I was hoping for maybe the cafe in Morrocco or the Yakitori House in Japan--something a little different but maybe passably healthy. After lunch is usually when we're ready to head out. Maybe we'll drive over to the Poly or GF and take a spin around the monorail or do some shopping. Then back to the room for a siesta and some pool time--maybe I'll check out the weight room as well!

2:40pm

--1 1/2 cup barbecued succotash
--1/2 peanut butter chocolate South Beach bar

I'm going nuts--I have the TOM induced eat! eat! eat! disease. Hopefully this quiets it down for a while.

7:40pm

--1 Lean Cuisine roasted garlic chicken meal
--1/2 baked potato
--1 large roma tomato
--1 apple
--1 cup skim milk
--2 mugs water (1 from now, 1 from Curves)

Getting ready to settle down for a quiet night. I think I'm done eating for the night--I feel pretty satisfied. I'm a little irked at myself because while the Jimmy Johns was tasty, it was essentially 500 empty calories. I know I've touched on this before, but as I cut my calorie intake I've become more and more aware that there isn't a lot of room for empty foods in my diet--if I'm going to eat it, it has to be doing something for me--fiber, vitamins, protein, etc. Every once in a while I miss just eating whatever I felt like eating. But, I don't miss all the problems that go with it!

*Side note: It's so nice to have family that's supportive of your efforts to get healthy. Tonight Magellan must be concerned that I spend too much time relaxing comfortably on the couch because he's helpfully jumping on the counters every 5 minutes, forcing me to get up and go get him down. It's nice to know he cares...

Now for TTNW: After a leisurely afternoon, it's about time for my big brother to be joining us. Hopefully his flight will be on time and he'll find the shuttle OK and make it to OKW without much hassle. After he gets in I figure I'lll fix us dinner (probably turkey sausage and baked beans), show him around the resort, and then give him a crash course in WDW. Knowing him, he's probably going to want to go out to DTD right away. While I'd love to go with and spend time with him, I'm sure I'll be tired. But I'll be happy to show him where the boat dock is. I'm nice like that...

[Lesli54]

The sun is still shining, hoping for a little warmer weather today. It is the end of April and I feel like I want to hibernate.......wrong season for cold.

Looks like your day went well yesterday and I am enjoying the TTNW game! We like to go to DTD the first day we arrive as well. Then it is off to check out things on the Boardwalk. Where is World of Disney?

Hope your finger feels better and the cats take their meds. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[TPCShauna]

I am loving TTNW! I can't wait until I get to play!

I'm sorry your kitty isn't feeling well. We either grind our kitties' pills up and put them in soft food or use the "pill shooter" and put it down their throats. Usually the "pill shooter" is easier.

Good luck!

[rcyannacci]

Your thread is so entertaining! Lovin' TTNW!

My ancestors are also Lebanese, so I guess my love of Greek food comes naturally too. The last conference I went to in Chicago, we stayed in Greektown and I was in heaven! Austin is great, but I really miss Chicago restaurants.

BTW, here is a link to the lettuce wrap recipe: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=800452

[Strings]

I am loving TTNW. I may have to adopt this before our next trip. How is your finger?
Have a great evening.
Beth

[goldcupmom]

I LOVE TTNW!

When I raised persians we used to put the pill inside a straw, put something yummy on the outside of the straw (like Tuna water), hold the straw in your mouth and when they get close and open the mouth, BLOW the pill into their throat.

Tricky the first few times, but it worked. My DH got quite good at it!

Soon I can play TTNW about my trip to FL for fencing with DD and to see my DSis

[Clare]

I love TTNW - we play it before our WDW trips too!! We also play This Time Last Week once we get home......not as much fun, but we love reliving the memories!

Sounds like you are doing so well! Keep up the good work......you're going to be lookin' good for WDW!

[Lesli54]

Good morning! :sunny:

TTNW is such a fun game to play. I think you did good on food, but you are right, making the intake really count is harder than just reducing food amounts. Sometimes, I still have that problem. Glad to hear that your cat is enjoying your increased activity and really misses it when you relax. ;)

Have a wonderful day. Ready for more TTNW! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/26/05 - Weigh In (off cycle)

334.0!

I know this is kind of cheating since my weigh in day is Saturday, but I was so bummed about being thisclose to my 25lbs clippie last week and not making it, that I promised myself I could update right when I made it instead of waiting for next Saturday. Hopefully the rest of the week goes well and TOM doesn't interfere too much!

Thank you so much to everyone who reads and comments. Your support means so much to me!

Lesli: World of Disney (I think) is that big, huge giant Disney Store at DTD. I love it, but I constantly lose my husband in there--I can imagine it would be terrifying for someone with young kids!

TPC Shauna: Thanks for the tip about the pill shooter--I'll have to check into that, because so far they're not taking the pills voluntarily.

rcyannacci - Thanks so much for the recipe! It looks so yummy!!! I can't wait to try it! What do you say we organize a restaurant exchange? I'll go down to Greektown and send you some good Greek food, and you send me a decent biscuit (if it somehow becomes calorie free in transit, that's a plus!)

Beth: My fingers are much better, thanks for asking. I still can't quite feel my fingertips, but that's better than them hurting!

goldcupmom: Thanks for the straw idea--that sounds promising. Can't wait to read your TTNW--it's coming up soon now!!!

Clare: I'm sure we'll play TTLW when we get home--just a way to help relive the fun of the trip! It helps make it last longer, doesn't it?

[pearlieq]

4/26/05 - Faux Singlehood - Day 8 (The Last Day!!! DH comes home tonight!)

8:00am

--1 cup ff yogurt
--1 cup frozen mixed berries
--1/3 cup Raisin Bran Crunch
--2 mugs water

I'm so happy DH is coming home tonight. I have absolutely no desire to work today--I just got a project almost finished and now I just got a message from our contact that the client wants it prepared differently. Hopefully it's not too hard to make the changes, but I just don't have the patience for it right now.

So, to cheer me up: TTNW!!! After a nice breakfast in our room, we'll head out to catch the bus for MK! Hopefully we'll get there just as it's opening. My brother hasn't been for years, so I imagine there will be a lot for him to take in. I know I'm going to get a little verklempt--there's something about the morning mist, the damp streets, the smells of main street, and that view of the castle that gets me so misty!!! I figure we'll head first to Frontierland and see if my brother wants to do Splash and Big Thunder Mountains. He says he doesn't really like roller coasters--Splash isn't really a roller coster and Big Thunder is pretty tame, so maybe he'll be game to try them. Then it will be off to Fantasyland to take a spin on Peter Pan, run back to hit HM, then any of the other dark rides he's interested in and the Teacups. Then off to Tomorrowland. We'll either jump right on Buzz if the line is short or grab a FP. If we have an FP we'll spin on the TTA and maybe hit CoP. After we're done in Tomorrowland, we'll cut back across the hub to Adventureland and hit Pirates and anything else we feel like seeing. There will a Dole Whip purchased! After Adventureland we'll head back up to Fantasyland and check on the wait for Philharmagic. We'll go right then or FP if necessary. If we get an FP we may go relax in the Hall of Presidents. It's going to be such a fun morning!

12:30pm

--1 Lean Cuisine Salisbury Steak meal
--1/2 cup peas
--1 light string cheese
--1 small pear
--1 mug water

I'm so hungry! Hopefully this should take care of things. I don't feel quite as snacky as yesterday, so hopefully things are passing.

Now back to TTNW! After a full morning at MK, we're going to catch the boat out front for the trip to Ft. Wilderness. We have a PS at Trail's End for lunch. This is the one place DH insists on each trip--he adores their macaroni & cheese. After a nice relaxing lunch, maybe we'll take the boat over the Contemporary and take my bro on a spin around the monorail look. Then, either back to MK to see shows and things we missed in the morning, or back to the room for pool time, weight room, and a siesta.

7:45pm

--1 black bean burger meal from Chilis
--1 sugar free pudding cup
--1 1/2 cup water

I was so starving by the time I got to dinner. Maybe it's time to reintroduce an afternoon snack. DH made it home safely--I'm so thankful.

Now for TTNW: I'll probably fix us dinner at the resort again before we head back out for the night. I think this is EMH night at Epcot--I figure we'll go after dinner and enjoy an uncrowded future world before staking out a spot for Illuminations--maybe the little cafe area in the UK? I figure DH and I might take turns showing by brother around World Showcase while the other holds the table. I may have to find myself a little snacks--a pastry from France? A wonderful chocolate from the UK? Kaki Gori? Some sugar free mousse from Norway for DH? After the show maybe we'll linger around World Showcase and enjoy the lights and then see what other trouble we can get into in Future World before calling it a night!

[Lesli54]

YAY! YAAHOOOOOOOOEY! :cheer2: :cheer2: You got the clippie, you got the clippie! :cheer2: :cheer2:

You are looking so good and your clippie looks good on you! Guess it is time to buy those new clothes for WDW and pack up the old! :banana:

Keep up the good work! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

*****added*****
We have been in that huge store at DTD, I just never pay attention to the names of all the stores down there I guess. And yes, it is a great way to lose a few children, which reminds me......I better find that leash! ;)

[toystoryduo]

Congratulations on your 25 pound clippie! That is wonderful!!!! Keep up the good work! :cheer2:

I love the TTNW game! That is such a great idea! Sounds like you will have a wonderful time at WDW! :goodvibes

Have a great day today! :sunny:

[goldcupmom]

Twenty FIVE pounds GONE!!! YIPPEE!!!!

Just pick up a bag of cat litter and remember that used to be attached to you. It's a real eye opener.

You have done SO well with DH gone and keeping on track.

I am having fun reading your TTNW. I haven't been to Disney in about 7 years as my kids prefer Universal and DH hates crowds. I hope to get in a trip to DLand sometime soon - maybe just a Mom DD thing. DTD is always a must, tho. And the kids LOVE Disney Quest.

Keep doing what you're doing! It WORKS!!!

[TPCShauna]

Wow! Congratulations on your 25 lb. clippie!!! How great for you and what a wonderful feeling to have surpassed your goal for your trip! Way to go!! :cool1: :Pinkbounc :banana: :cheer2:

[plutosmyfav]

Congratulations on your clippie! 25 is a big one! I'm so happy for you. I love your TTNW! Your descriptions are making me homesick!

Sunny

[mking624]

YAY!!! Congratulations on the 25 pounds GONE GONE GONE and your clippie!! :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

I love your TTNW...I have so much fun reading it!

[pearlieq]

4/27/05 - The last Wednesday before WDW!

7:20am

--2/3 cup egg beaters
--1/4 cup salsa
--1 WW english muffin
--2 t. peanut butter
--1 apple
--1 mug water

It's a nice day--finally warming up a little! I'm trying to get as much as I can done for work today, becuase I'm sure I'm going to get more and more useless and the week wears on!

Now off to TTNW: After another peaceful breakfast on our balcony, it's time for the 3 of us to hop in the car back to Epcot. We'll spend a nice morning in Future World checking out things we missed last night, and things to see again. We'll definitely hit Soarin and Test Track, along with a crash through all of the other pavillions--Turtle Talk with Crush, Living With the Land/Circle of Life, JIYI, Honey I Shrunk the Audience (they can see this one--I'll go shop), Innoventions, and Ellen's Energy Adventure. I'll also want to check out the Goofy frame by the Odyssey and see all of the cool topiaries and exhibits for the Flower & Garden Festival. This is definitely going to be our best place to get a present for my mom--she a gardening nut but not much of a Disneyphile. Hopefully we can find something cool for her.

1:10pm

--1 Lean Cuisine beans & rice meal
--1/2 cup peas
--1 large roma tomato
--1 light string cheese
--6 prunes
--1 mug water

Having a pretty good day. Work stuff is coming around. Part of the problem in the past was that I resigned this job 2 years ago, and they called me back because they really needed help. They gave me a pretty sweet deal, including the ability to work from home, but I'm still trying to do things I haven't done in 2 years, and when I quit, retaining the knowledge of how to do them was not a priority! Luckily, it seems to be coming back to me now and I feel much more comfortable and confident than I did before. Also, my new project deals with yogurt which is much easier to deal with all day than brownie mix and frosting!

Since I can't wait to go, time for TTNW: After a fun morning in Future World, we'll again migrate into World Showcase. We have a PS for lunch at the Biergarten restaurant in Germany. I've never been, but I thought my brother would get a kick out of it because he loves all things German and, of course, beer. Naturally he now decided he's on some kind of health kick, so I'm not sure how well sausage and beer is going to go over. We should all be able to find something, and, at the very least, it will be something new to try. After lunch we'll stroll back toward Norway and ride Maelstrom, maybe double-back and ride El Rio del Tiempo and then head around toward The American Adventure. I'd like to have a nice leisurely afternoon shopping, enjoying the WS entertainers, and stopping to smell the roses, both literally and figuratively! If my bro is interested we may stick around for the Flower Power concert, or we may just head back to the hotel for our usual weights/pool/siesta combo.

8:00pm

--1 turkey club wrap (no cheese, dressing)
--1 T ranch dressing
--1 cup garden vegetable soup
--1 end of a french roll
--1 1/4 cup cut fruit

I think we've started our pre-vacation cooking strike. OK by me!

So, for TTNW! After a nice quiet afternoon, it will be time to head out again! Maybe a nice late night for EMH at MK--I love MK at night. Otherwise, we'll head toward PI--take in The Comedy Warehouse, Adventurer's Club, Motion, and Rock n Roll beach club to get my Bro his pool fix. Or we may wander over to Jellyrolls--I really want to get there this time!

[Lesli54]

WDW is getting so close and TTNW is making me want to be there now! But alas, I have to wait about 5 more weeks.

Hope you get your work finished. However you do now the rule: you do about 2-3 wks worth of work before vacation and then come back to do 2 weeks of catch up on work. I never did figure out how 1 weeks worth of vacation could amount to 4-5 weeks worth of work. :confused3 This however is not proportional when you ar gone for a 2 week vacation. :rotfl2:

Have a great day! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Your day at Epcot sounds wonderful! :teeth: Have a great day today! :sunny:

[mking624]

Oh such a lovely day at Epcot!! I'm the same as you...I get more useless as my WDW trip gets closer. :laughing:

Have a wonderful day, Pearlie!!

[plutosmyfav]

oh I just love your TTNW!!!!! Epcot is the best :cool1: You make me want to be there right now!

Sunny

[goldcupmom]

Your TTNW is making me want to go to WDW!

I hope you have an awesome time there!

Keep up the GREAT losing. You are doing so well!

Just think, tonight DH is home and SOON your wait will be over!

[Strings]

Hi there,
Your TTNW is making me so jealous. You will have a wonderful time. I hope all you get all the work done.
Take care
Beth

[pearlieq]

4/28/05 - Last Thursday before WDW!

7:45am

--1 nsa banana muffin
--1 light string cheese

Man I was up early today. We need a new bed--ours has got a big sag in the middle and it's about 4 years old, which I think is pretty worn for having 2 big people sleep on it. Maybe we'll look into one of those foam beds next.

So, back to TTNW! Another beautiful morning at OKW. After a nice breakfast on the balcony, time to hop into the car and get over to MGM! I'm hoping to get there at rope drop or just a minute or two after. I'm not sure how my bro would feel about ToT--if he wants to go I'd be happy to walk through with him and chicken exit. DH would probably go with him. I'm sure RnR is out for my bro, but DH might want to do that. After that I'll send the boys over to Star Tours while I go pick up FPs for Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Honestly not sure how interested my bro is going to be in that one, but he can at least try it. We'll hit the Great Movie Ride (one of my favorite rides) on the way to VoLM. After the show, we'll probably have a little time before lunch, so maybe we'll hit Sounds Dangerous and/or MuppetVision until it's time to go check in!!!

12:45pm

--1 small chili from Wendy's
--1/4 cup 2% cheddar
--6 piece McNuggets
--1 whole wheat roll
--1 apple

Yes, I really did go to two places for lunch. I wanted something to go with my chili and everything else Wendy's has it out of my calorie range. The 6pc is a pretty darn good deal--lots of food for only about 250 calories and it feels like a treat.

Now for TTNW: After a fun morning, we'll head over to Sci-Fi for our insanely early lunch PS. The mealtimes at MGM are just so freaky. DH and I might split a soup, then I'll probably get the barbecue chicken sandwich, minus the bun. I can't wait! After lunch we can see any shows we missed in the morning, and then hit Millionaire, the Backlot Tour, Indy, and the auto stunt show. I might try to catch another spin on The Great Movie ride to see if we can get the other sequence from what we got that morning. We'll probably head back in the late afternoon/early evening for our normal pool/weights/siesta routine.

7pm

--2 low carb tortillas
--6oz grilled chicken
--1/4 cup barbecue sauce
--1 T ranch dressing

I had this before bunco. I'm really low on calories, but I didn't really feel like anything else. I skipped the food at Bunco--I could have a snack now, but I'm not really in the mood. I guess I'll take the easy things where I can get them!

TTNW: After an afternoon rest, it will be time to head back out. Maybe we'll try the EMH at AK, maybe we'll head to PI. Pick up dinner somewhere in there I think, maybe Earl Of Sandwich. Something fun for the evening...

[Lesli54]

Good morning, :sunny: is shining, but it looks like it will be cool. No shorts! :sad2:

Your TTNW is really making me realize how I need to work on my itinerary. Guess I will be doing that while in London since I can only do one at a time.

I don't like to cook a whole lot before vacation either, in fact right before we go is the best time for people to visit because my house is spotless. It's always a cleaning frenzy before we leave so I don't have to do anything but unpack and laundry when we get back.

Keep up the good work. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Strings]

Hi,

Looks like a lovely day in MGM. I agree about the PS times lately.

Have a great weekend,
Beth

[mking624]

Awesome day for TTNW!!

Keep up the awesome work, Pearlie!! You're such a gem!

[pearlieq]

4/29/05 - Last Friday before WDW!

9:30am

--1 1/4 cups frosted mini wheats
--3/4 cup milk
--1 mug water

Not my usual breakfast, but I just wasn't that hungry and I'm kind of dragging today. I got home late from bunco, then stayed up later watching TV with DH. I didn't get to sleep well--my legs were all achy and twitchy. They still ache this morning, not sure what that's about. I was up by 8am, which isn't terrible for me, but not really an ideal morning either. Plus I'm having some technical troubles at work, which is just irritating!

So, on to happier things--TTNW! We're going to be up a little earlier this morning and heading for a great breakfast at Boma!!! I can't wait--this is going to be my one splurge for the trip--frunch juice, those amazing cinnamon rolls, ham, fruit--so yummy! After a very filling breakfast, we'll wander over to AK. If DH and my bro want to ride Dinosaur I'll go get everyone FPs for Kilaminjaro Safaris while they ride. I haven't figured out what to do for the great Kali problem yet. See, if you ride first thing in the morning, it's very uncroweded and they'll usually let you ride through more than once. Since Kali is so short, riding more than once is a definite plus. Of course, after that you're soaked to the skin and you either have to carry a change of clothes or spend the next several hours wet or damp. The other option is to make it your last ride, but then you only get one 2-minute spin through. Definitely a dilemma... I also can't wait to catch It's Tough To Be a Bug, Primevil Whirl (well after breakfast!) and Festival of the Lion King. I absolutely adore FoLK. I love the TumbleMonkeys--do you think that's how they sign their tax returns? Name: Pat Smith Occupation: TumbleMonkey.

2:00pm

--1 country club, no mayo

I never meant for it to get this late before I ate. I was chatting with a neighbor and the time got away from me. I was going to be a good girl and make an omelet to use up things in the fridge, but the hunger won and I got Jimmy John's. It's very tasty, but I'm having real trouble slowing down and not wolfing it all down in one bite.

Back to TTNW: I don't imagine we'll be at AK too late, especially if we went the night before. I can imagine we'll head back to the room to do the whole pool/weight/siesta thing, and then maybe go try something fun for the afternoon--maybe renting a boat out on Seven Seas lagoon or trying a round of miniature golf.

2:20pm

--1/2 cup Edy's Grand Light strawberry ice cream

Needed something sweet. This is really tasty, but I'm glad it was the end of the carton. Only NSA ice cream at home from now on.

7:45pm

--1 chicken breast
--1 cup steamed vegetables
--1/2 baked potato

Lonestar tonight. DH and I both had not-that-great days, so we enjoyed relaxing together.

So, back to TTNW: Last night of the trip, bittersweet. Our tradition is to go see Fantasmic one last time and then go back to the resort and sit in the pool and pretend we're not going home. Silly, I know, but it works for us.

9:45pm

--1 sugar free pudding cup

[mking624]

Awww man, I'm getting all twitchy for AK now. I probably would do Kali twice and suck it up with wet clothes. :rotfl:

Have a great day, Pearlie...you'll be in WDW before you know it!!

[goldcupmom]

Wow! Your trip is almost here. I'd never heard of AKL until recently. I think I NEED to go.

We did AK just after it opened. The most memorable thing was we were just walking along and a very young armadillo walked out and started licking DD's toes. Kept it up until one of the workers came and picked it up. She still talks about it.

Walking around wet is the pits. Try to wear nylon everything. I did last trip to USF and dried very quickly. There is also some new sports clothing out - don't recall brand - that dries almost instantly. Most of the sports stores have it. I bought DS a shirt at Foleys and it's amazing. Not too expensive.

I am getting excited just thinking about your trip. Don't think I'd be able to accomplish much.

[Lesli54]

Yes, it is I, checking in late. Hope your morning and the technical problems got better.

I agree, it is hard to eat sometimes even though you know you are down on calories. Isn't it strange to hear though. A few months ago, neither one of us would have even thought about it and would have just grabbed something because it was there. Amazing progress!

I am loving the TTNW! Actually thinking that since you have gone to so much effort to plan your itinerary, why waste your hard work? I could just use it as my own. :rotfl2: :rotfl2: But seriously, I love the descriptions and it has given me some great ideas of things to try on our trip down.

Hope the rest of your day is better. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

:cool1: I am right there with ya: I love the Festival of the Lion King!! :love: I don't know why, but my DH is less than thrilled with it. :confused3 The tumble monkeys are the BEST!!! Thanks for the laugh about their tax return! :rotfl:

Just think: pretty soon you'll be in WDW!!!! Woohoo! :cheer2: :cool1:

Have a great weekend! :flower:

[Lesli54]

Good morning Pearlieq! :sunny: It looks so nice out today.

You did an great job yesterday with food and handling the frustrations with work. It is AWESOME that you didn't turn to food while trying to get through the work stress. You have come a long way! :cool1:

Hope today is a good day for you. Sorry to hear that TTNW is ending. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/30/05 - Weigh In

330.0 - Down 5.5 lbs from last week.

GOAL!!! And a new clippie! I like gold...

Daily Averages:

Total Calories: 1722
Total Fat: 44g
Total Carbs: 238g
Total Fiber 34g
Total Protein: 26%
Calories Burned: 3698
Days of Exercise: 6

I'm so thrilled to make goal! Now on to the next one! I'm really glad TOM didn't interfere as much as it did last month. I'm back down to what I weighed when I started college. It's fun because I can actually see changes in my body and my clothes are definitely feeling different--my once tight jeans are loose and the old looser jeans are now packed up in the closet at my "before" jeans. I found a sundress that I had outgrown that now fits well. Can't wait to wear it if it would ever warm up here!

I've done a lot of thinking about how I want to manage WDW next week. I've vascillated between "no changes, maintain your current plan" to "forget about everything, skip journaling, have what you want, you're on vacation". In the end I think I'm going toward the former. For next week I intend to:

1.) Maintain my journals and fitday account. I want to be able to keep track of things. I will carry a small pad of paper to record things until I can get to a computer.
2.) Avoid sugar soda--I haven't done this in a long time, but sometimes the temptation is strong at WDW.
3.) Stay hydrated. I have a Brita bottle and a box of those Crystal LIght packets.
4.) Keep my fiber intake up. I have high-fiber cereal for breakfast, and whole wheat rolls, tortillas, and beans to eat with meals. I don't want a sudden no-fiber shock to my body after I've worked so hard to get my intake up.
5.) Keep my sugar/carb intakes under control. I know I'm going to indulge in more sugar than usual at WDW (dole whip, frunch juice, and cinnamon rolls come to mind) but I will keep it to single, modest servings. The rest of the time I will avoid unnecessary white carbs--no gratuitous fries, order things bunless when possible, skip the bread basket, etc. Carbs and sugar really set me off and make it hard for me to control my eating, so I will avoid them as much as possible.
6.) I will sneak in some pool exercise and weight lifting each day. I know we'll be doing a lot of walking, but I don't want to get out of the habit of working out.
7.) I will relax and accept the fact that I may eat more calories than normal at WDW. I anticipate 2000-2500 per day. I will tell myself over and over that the world will not end if I enjoy a few small, reasonable treats.

[wilderness01]

Good for you on that loss. Have a nice trip if I don't make it back here before you leave. :goodvibes

[Lesli54]

:banana: :banana: Yeah! You met your goal, you met your goal! :banana: :banana:

That is so AWESOME! I say take the sundress with you to WDW, don't wait for the :sunny: to shine here. Imagine all the extra energy you are going to have taking on the World!

Now don't forget to take those packed up clothes and drop them at Salvation Army or somewhere else. Mine are going this morning. I will not keep reminders, unfortunately, I have enough pictures for that. ;)

I say stick with the plan while at WDW. It will make it much easier when you return home. Also, I think you will still be able to indulge in treats so that you don't feel deprived, but it will keep you from going overboard. That's my plan for London.

Keep up the great work. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

4/30/05 - Last Day before WDW!!!

8:15am

--1 light string cheese

10:10am

--2 bites of an apple

My apples turned starchy--yuck. I keep getting swayed by sales and trying other apples but I think I'm just going to take this as one last sign and stick to Galas--they're my favorite and I've never had a bad one. As soon as DH gets ready we're going to go to the bank to cash in our change jar and then go find some brunch!

[pearlieq]

4/30/05 - Last Day before WDW!!!

8:15am

--1 light string cheese

10:10am

--2 bites of an apple

My apples turned starchy--yuck. I keep getting swayed by sales and trying other apples but I think I'm just going to take this as one last sign and stick to Galas--they're my favorite and I've never had a bad one. As soon as DH gets ready we're going to go to the bank to cash in our change jar and then go find some brunch!

I almost forgot TTNW! After one last breakfast on our balcony we'll pack up and check our luggage at bell services. Today will be sort of a "greatest hits" day--I think our front runners are Epcot and/or MGM. Maybe we'll start the morning and MGM and take the boat back over to Epcot mid-morning. I'd love one more spin on GMR, Soarin, Test Track, and Spaceship Earth. Sigh...such a melancholy day, but I know we'll come back soon.

11:45am

--1/2 turkey on sourdough, tomato only
--1/2 strawberry poppyseed salad
--3 1/2" sourdough roll.

Yay! Panera has the poppyseed salad back! I love that salad and adore the dressing--we bought 2 bottles today. I love that it's no sugar added! WE went to turn in our change jar today--one of my favorite pre-trip rituals. We had over $200! I was pretty stoked.

So, for TTNW: We're scheduled to eat lunch at Rose & Crown--I love relaxing on the patio and staring out over World Showcase. I adore the food as well, so I'm really looking forward to this. We'll spend a last few hours enjoying the park, before my brother has to go back to OKW to catch his transfer to the airport.

5:30pm

--10 frosted mini-wheats
--2/3 cup milk

The box said that 5 bisuits was a 1 cup serving. I'm not sure if I believe that--it sure didn't look like it. I recorded it that way, though. I guess it's better to err on the side of caution. We're going to Maggiano's tonight for a friend's brithday. The plan is for DH and I to split spaghetti and meatballs and an order of broccoli. I'm going to skip appetizers, save for 1 or 2 crispbreads, and then a light dessert, either a small portion of spumoni, italian ice, or lemon cookies.

8:30pm

--4 crispbreads
--1 1/2 breaded chicken breasts with provolone and marinara
--1/2 order vesuvio potatoes
--1 small piece birthday cake

We had a wonderful time, and what a great meal! It was a splurge, but well worth it and a very happy night!

Hopefully the next time I update will be from WDW!!!

[mking624]

YA!! WDW is just about here!!! I love Gala apples. We have an orchard nearby us and we picked those last year and they were so good!!

I have to admit, your TTNW didn't make me all cheery today...*sigh* I hate last days at WDW.

[goldcupmom]

Isn't it true, you plan for months for the BIG trip and suddenly it's over before you feel it's begun.

You're doing great and will, I'm sure, have a wonderful time!

Have a GREAT weekend!

[toystoryduo]

Congratulations pearlieq!!!! :Pinkbounc

Way to go!!!! :cheer2: You made your goal, you have a new clippie, and you're leaving for WDW tomorrow! :cloud9:

Have a safe and wonderful trip! :goodvibes

[Lesli54]

Good morning Pearlieq! I am sure that the weather here isn't as nice as you will be experiencing down in WDW.

Yesterday looked like a great day for you! Have fun taking on the World and update us when you get a chance. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[goldcupmom]

Hope you have (are having) a GREAT TRIP!!!

You DID IT!!!

YIPPEE!!!!!

[rcyannacci]

Have a fantastic trip! We'll look forward to hearing about it when you return!

[mking624]

I hope you're having a SPLENDID vacation at WDW!!!! Can't wait to hear all about it!!

[TPCShauna]

I'm sorry I've been MIA! Congrats on reaching your goal. Have a simply fabu time at WDW and tell us all about it when you get back!!!

Happy :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: to you!

[pearlieq]

5/1/05 - Lost in Orlando

7:00am

--1 Egg McMuffin

Our traditional airport breakfast.

9:30

--1 bagel stick filled with cream cheese

The snack offered on the plane. It was actually pretty tasty, and not too bad for me. The flight was nice. We took Spirit Plus seating on the way down and it was well worth the extra money. I liked being first on the plane, first off the plane, extra beverage and snack service, and not having to worry that there wouldn't be room for our carryons. We're thinking about upgrading on the way home.

1:30pm

--1/2 All American sandwich (turkey, cheddar, cranberry sauce, and ranch)
--1/2 Cannonball sandwich (meatballs, marinara, and provolone
--1/2 bag of barbecued potato chips
--1/2 banana

Just a tip for everyone--if you're renting a car, join ***********, Emerald Aisle, or whatever the appropriate program is where you get to bypass the line! We got stuck in Alamo's line for almost an hour! Once we were on our way, things were fine. We got lost for the first of many times on our way out of the airport. I didn't notice the sign for exit 1B out of the airport so we had to circle around again to make sure we caught the right one. Oh well! We stopped by OKW and checked in, but our room wasn't ready, so we headed over to DTD. Wall to wall people there! We had to stalk someone for a parking space, then shuffle our way over to Earl of Sandwich for lunch. The line there was truly impressive--I think it took over 20 minutes for our sandwiches, but it was the height of lunch rush. The food was delicious and we were starving so it was wonderful to eat. We tried to shop a little, but the crowds were just overwhelming so we bailed out pretty quickly.

5:45pm

--2 cheddarwursts
--1 cup baked beans
--1 apple

After leaving DTD, we decided to go out and try to find a grocery store. We had planned to go to SuperTarget and get a full week's worth of groceries to make the whole week's worth of healthy meals I had planned. We lost ambition pretty fast and set out to find the first store that sold Doritos. We wandered out by the Mariott World Center and on to 192, and actually wound up at the SuperTarget without a clue as to how we got there. We rallied a bit when we got there and got a good stock of healthy food, minus the cheddarwursts. DH really wanted those and I indulged him. It was a high calorie which wasn't very satisfying, and I paid for it later, but oh well...

I called on the way back from Target and got our room number at OKW. I could tell from the first time we pulled in that I'm not an OKW kind of gal. It's more condo and I'm more hotel. I think we'll be spending most of our time in the future at BWV, BCV, and VWL. This is not to say I'm having a bad time--it perfectly adequate, just not my cup of tea. Our room is certainly large and well-equipped. I'm sure we'll be quite comfortable here for the week. I can see some upkeep/maintenace issues--it's not dirty, but it's not spotless, and I can see wear in the carpet and bathroom. We were lucky and got a room very close to the Hospitality House, so everything is very convenient, though we're kind of in a wooded area and I'm meeting a little more of the local wildlife than I really wanted to. Like I said, I'm a hotel gal...

After dinner we took a walk around the resort and took a dip in the pool. I was really impressed with the pool--it's good sized and the slide looks like fun. Either there isn't a hot tub or I missed it--I really hope there is one.

7:30pm

--1/2 order benigets

Or however that's spelled... We decided to try DTD again, and it was much less crowded. It's not overly warm--mid 80's so far--but it's very humid and it looked like the rain was finally going to come. We looked for the Disney Home store, but I think that closed and was replaced by Goofy's Candy Co. We made it through Once Upon a Toy and World of Disney, but didn't see too much that jumped out at us. I got a new antenna topper and DH coveted a windbreaker, but passed for now. I think we'll go back later in the week--I want to find a new T-shirt to work out in. What a way to stay motivated, eh?

This is the first time we ever rented a car, and I'm really, really glad we did it. I love having the freedom to go wherever and whenver we want. We were done with DTD but didn't want to go back yet, so we decided to do some resort hopping. The first place we went was POFQ--I was really impressed. It's very pretty and I liked the theming, size, and pool a lot. I would definitely stay there someday. We tried the benigets--they were OK, not that great. I don't know why I kept eating them. They had a strong taste--they were either overly floury or the oil was a little stale.

Next stop was POR. It wasn't really our style and we cut out pretty quickly. We were hungry again (or at least had the munchies again--that's what we get for over-carbing at WDW) and decided to head to POP to look around and get some food. We saw a great deal of WDW property while looking for POP--it's really not clearly marked. I thought it was an Epcot area resort, so we headed that way, only to wind up actually in Epcot! We turned around and headed toward the AK area and finally stumbled on the right path.

8:40pm

--1 regular cheeseburger w/ketchup
--1/2 oz goldfish crackers
--1/2 packet baby carrots
--1 cup vegetable lomein
--1 cup frozen coke

I'm not sure how I feel about this. One the one hand, I was really happy--almost giddy-happy. It felt so good to be on vacation and not worry about the rules, especially because I generally follow some pretty tight rules at home. I'm OK with the idea that I'm on vacation and I should be able to have what I want--I don't think it's unreasonable to follow the rules for 50 weeks out of the year at home and indulge while on vacation. On the other hand, I wish I was perfect. I don't think this week is going to turn out quite how I planned, but I'm OK with that. The world won't end if I break even or even <gasp!> gain a pound or two while on vacation.

I am having trouble dealing with the DH pressure. He eats a lot more, and more often than I do, and it's hard to say no and hard to pass things up as he's having them. He's interested in being healthier, but not very committed and not yet willing to make sacrifices for the effort. I'm going to have to remember that I need to make the best choices for myself, regardless of what he wants to do.

For the rest of the week, my game plan is to avoid sugar soda (I got a little carried away last night when I noticed they had frozen coke at the beverage station, though at least I stopped at 1 cup), split things with DH as much as possible, avoid unnecessary food/side dishes that are just there (like the goldfish last night--they came with the lo-mein, I didn't really want them), eat one meal at a time in small/kids portions (the lomein really wasn't necessary on top of the cheeseburger. I need to pick one or the other), and to relax and enjoy myself. There has got to be a way to have fun within reason. The rules will still be there when I get home.