MM Warriors Part Deux (As of October 27)

[Diane W.]

Robin - Can it be an initial response to the additional carbs? Before MM was it the same? I was thinking next time I get to step 2 I am going to use fruit and/or vegetables as my 11-20's. I felt that the additional flour products were making my stomach distend right under my bra line, almost like I was pregnant. Step 1 makes me feel so much better than I used to feel. Isn't there a way to test for wheat/dairy intolerances? Maybe you should ask your doctor?

Lisa - So sorry for the trouble with the client. Hopefully it will be settled soon.

I hate any hot beverage - coffee, tea, hot chocolate = YUK for me! I've been taking green tea capsules. BUT, I love olives - I can spend a fortune at the olive bar in the grocery store!

Nell - I shop online through a site called Ebates.com. I noticed today that they give a 5% rebate on Vitacost purchases. If I send you a link to it you & I both get a $5 bonus when you sign up and make your first purchase. You can just sign up for yourself, but if I send the link you'll get that extra $5 (and so will I ) I've been shopping through them for 2 years. They send you your rebates in a check quarterly. I use it mostly for my Kohl's and JC Penney purchases.

I hope everyone has a peaceful evening. Talk to you tomorrow!

 

[Wisteria1956]

Pony, it may not be a new sensitivity. How long have you been overweight? If you have carried extra weight in your upper belly for a while, you would never have known that it was a gluten sensitivity that helped cause the bloat. Try to eliminate all gluten for the 2 weeks. Do you have a local grocery not too far away that might carry gluten free breads? If not, you can order online. I know it will cost more but will be worth it to settle the matter. It amazes me how our bodies start to speak more loudly to us the older we get

Robin: I have a friend who is horribly allergic to wheat and she makes her own bread with rice flour. You can buy rice crackers, etc. at the health food store. I just don't know enough about the carb labels on them, but there are probably some. You could eat a whole bunch of flax crackers, LOL!

 

[Barb F.]

Robin: I have a friend who is horribly allergic to wheat and she makes her own bread with rice flour. You can buy rice crackers, etc. at the health food store. I just don't know enough about the carb labels on them, but there are probably some. You could eat a whole bunch of flax crackers, LOL!

Yea, you could make little sandwiches with flax crackers and olives

 

[Barb F.]

Robin: I have a friend who is horribly allergic to wheat and she makes her own bread with rice flour. You can buy rice crackers, etc. at the health food store. I just don't know enough about the carb labels on them, but there are probably some. You could eat a whole bunch of flax crackers, LOL!

I know Lisa, we could come up with a flax biscotti recipe and Robin could dunk them in her green tea We love you Pony!

 

[Wisteria1956]

I know Lisa, we could come up with a flax biscotti recipe and Robin could dunk them in her green tea We love you Pony!

Love you Barb and Pony!

 

[Wisteria1956]

Thanks for the kind words, Diane. It wasn't a client of mine, but the buyer of my MIL's house, which makes it really sticky for me. They will most likely try to sue me because everyone thinks realtors and brokers have deep pockets. At least I have insurance for that kind of thing

 

[Virginiaponygirl]

Ah, Its not too hard to figure out why I LOVE you guys so much!! Nothing like your good humor and support to make me feel better!!

I decided to e-mail Diane right after I posted my concern and by the time I got home from the gym she had already answered!! she says that most Met B fat is the loose, flabby kind, and that the abdominal distension I am describing could be a wheat or dairy sensitivity...she wants me to use only brown rice, beans, milk, yogurt, fruit like grapes or berries, and sweet potato for my 11-20 for 2 weeks and see if it makes any difference....she cant believe that with the weight I have lost that I have not dropped more than a single size...ME EITHER!!! Then of course if that does make a difference I should get tested for gluten allergies, even though I have never had them before...like Barb said, I may have had them all along and just not known it. OH PLEASE, dont let it be that!!

Y'all can keep your birdseed crackers, I would rather have NONE than those horrible things!! LOL I'll probably have nightmares thinking about dunking them in green tea...

Diane - yep, thats where I feel the bloat is right under the bra line...its so weird...I never had that before about a year ago...and all my other fat is definitely the loose wobbly kind!! She did say that I should have seen more inch loss from hips too...so we shall see...

Hope y'all have a great night and may your olives and birdseed and green tea and seaweed and mushrooms and sardines and whatever stay right in your own kitchen cupboards!! LOVE YOU!!!

 

[Daniele]

Well, I'm back from the meditation. I liked it! It wasn't as cool as sitting in a wigwam shaped heat lodge, but it will do. On a serious note, it was really nice to feel connected to God and pray with others. I feel very relaxed and I think it's going to be good for me to go. I didn't die from meeting new people. I liked that the people I met were down to earth and not judgmental.

Lisa, I'm really sad for you that your going through all of this. You did no wrong here, and it's right that your not liable. Nobody had a way of knowing the roofers were going to do a poor job, and the buyers chose not to get an inspection. I hope you are able to find a way to stay relaxed through all of this. The train hitting is probably inflammation from the stress! Please take care of yourself well.

Natalie, I don't blame you for trying not to fit another challenge into your vacation! It can be hard not knowing whether you'll have time to do things. Those two highways (roads really) are the main ones that are right by us. I'm still learning my way around.

Beverly, I love how supportive of everyone you always are!

Sorry you had to work Pony. I thought you'd have Veteran's day off, but it makes sense that a call center would stay open. I hope work was ok and the weather is better for you. I would just skip the breads for two weeks and go with the carb veggies and stuff. Fruit if your blood sugar doesn't rise too much. Could you bring a big salad and soup to work instead of a sandwich? If you could do that for two weeks you'd have a good idea whether wheat is the issue and you wouldn't have to spend a bunch of money on specialty products to find out. If you are gluten or wheat intolerant, you could then buy specialty items to narrow down what you can eat and what you can't. If going without breads doesn't yield results, then you probably will have to try two weeks without dairy also. Hopefully it's not a food intolerance though.

Barb, let us know how the coffee's turn out. If they are good you can give us the recipes!

Pam, after I hide all the games and quizzes, I find that Facebook is actually manageable. I'm able to see what people have been up to. You can hide people too if you've fallen out of touch with them.

Diane, thanks for the tip. I will give that a try on my next order. I got the new fish oil they are carrying that is based on tiny fish, so you avoid the mercury and it has natural Q-10. I'm not sure if I need that supplement but it can't hurt. I'm not having any fishy burps with this new fish oil. The other one gave me the burps even from the fridge.

 

[Daniele]

Ah, Its not too hard to figure out why I LOVE you guys so much!! Nothing like your good humor and support to make me feel better!!

I decided to e-mail Diane right after I posted my concern and by the time I got home from the gym she had already answered!! she says that most Met B fat is the loose, flabby kind, and that the abdominal distension I am describing could be a wheat or dairy sensitivity...she wants me to use only brown rice, beans, milk, yogurt, fruit like grapes or berries, and sweet potato for my 11-20 for 2 weeks and see if it makes any difference....she cant believe that with the weight I have lost that I have not dropped more than a single size...ME EITHER!!! Then of course if that does make a difference I should get tested for gluten allergies, even though I have never had them before...like Barb said, I may have had them all along and just not known it. OH PLEASE, dont let it be that!!

Y'all can keep your birdseed crackers, I would rather have NONE than those horrible things!! LOL I'll probably have nightmares thinking about dunking them in green tea...

Diane - yep, thats where I feel the bloat is right under the bra line...its so weird...I never had that before about a year ago...and all my other fat is definitely the loose wobbly kind!! She did say that I should have seen more inch loss from hips too...so we shall see...

Hope y'all have a great night and may your olives and birdseed and green tea and seaweed and mushrooms and sardines and whatever stay right in your own kitchen cupboards!! LOVE YOU!!!

I just saw that Diane answered you! Cool! Isn't it like talking to your favorite aunt? I love how warm and sweet she is, and how she really cares about us.

 

[Carol-Fish]

Robin, I tried the brown puffed rice cakes and they weren't too bad. With some p-nut butter or cream cheese they were tasty. No gluten and the right amount of carbs. I think they have them in most stores with all the other rice cakes.
Barb, Thanks for the good thoughts about my swimming. I know you are a swimmer too and can relate to how much it means to me to be able to keep doing it. Also, i don't have a scale so am not tempted to weight, but feel like I should every 8 wks or so to make sure I'm doing things right. I should have measured from the beginning, but I didn't so I'm stuck weighing.
Nell, I'm glad that you had a good time tonight and that the meeting-new- people-thing turned out alright. Sounds like it could be a nice weekly place to go and recharge yourself and make new friends. That's great you took the chance and went even tho you were kind of unsure of yourself. Sounds like this way of life and eating is blessing you in more ways than just weight loss!

Time to go to bed,
Carol
Step 2

Feast upon the Words of Christ

 

[Seabreezes]

Robin: I've heard you can really shrink your belly if you drink green tea.

That definitely got a chuckle out of me!!

I found some green tea capsules at Wa-lMart that have a lot of what is suppose to be good in green tea in the capsules. I'm not fond of the tea, either. I did find some in CA I liked - peach flavor, but it is not here. I have quite a list when I go to CA in Februay!!

Sorry you are having so many problems, Lisa, but congrats on not giving into the food.

Robin - I think you will have to get your carbs from fruit and veggies as Lisa says. I would have a hard time eating all of the crackers, etc as I just haven't eaten them for so long. I just feel better when I do not have a lot of wheat products, too. I don't think I have a true allergy to them, but just do not feel I need them.

Have you looked at the Turbulence Training website? Google it. I found it looking for core exercises that might help my back. He advocates intense, short workouts that use the whole body. He definitey would not win any points on Biggest Loser. I couldn't believe the number of hours the peope who left the show said they were spending in the gym. They really need to meet Diane!!! Sorry - got off track!

Sorry, I am not doing this on Word, so can't comment on the prior posts. Welcome to your daughter - we look forward to meeting her.

The "Storm" we were to get turned into a 10 minute downpour about 1/2 hour from where we live. Guess where I was when it hit? Coming out of Costco in the middle of it. I looked like I had just stepped out of the shower by the time I got into the car!! At least it wasn't cold.

I chopped up the red peppers to make jam out of them this afternoon. I then read the recipe and you have to let them soak in salt for 4 hours and then drain so they will get cooked tomorrow. It will be an interesting experiment as I will use Splenda instead of sugar. Fortunately I am not allergic to it as some of you are. I also made a big batch of chopped up cinnamon nuts out of pecans, macadamias and almonds. I'll put them on my cottage cheese like granola.

Hope you went to your meditation, Nell. Then you will know what it is like and can decide what you want to do in the future.

Thanks for the comments on my picture on Facebook. It was such a neat experience to be able to play with the tigers. Lisa asked me to put it there. At least it is bigger so you can see what I look like behind the hat!

"See" you all in the morning.

 

[gettinhealthy]

Good morning everyone!! Didn't have a chance to really get on here yesterday. I did read the posts though, so here goes from memory. If I forgot who asked what, I'm sorry.

Lisa, congrats on the jackets in the smaller size! You should be so proud!! Sorry you're stressing over the house. Saying some prayers that it will work out for the best for both you and the other lady, even though I think she is being unreasonable. I also have a coat I'd love to get into. Can't zip it over "the girls." Got it years ago, and it is a leather coat with full fur lining. It keeps me sooo warm on those cold days and nights. Thought of selling it, but just can't part with it. One of the few things I'm holding onto.

Robin, I have to agree with everyone else. Try the gluten free for a couple weeks. I hope it's something else, but until you figure it out, I'd stay away from it. Also, I have seen Celestial Seasonings has a blueberry tea I think I may try. I don't like green tea or herbal teas. Now green olives, that's another story! I absolutely love them. But I'll keep them for myself LOL.

Nell, glad you enjoyed your meditation class. I think it would be so relaxing to do. If I can keep my mind from wandering all over the place, or keep from falling asleep LOL. Also, what is the name of the fish oil you ordered? I need to get some, and this sounds as though it may fit the bill.

Well, got to get ready for work. If I missed anyone, I am sorry. Have a great day everyone!! We are to get some rain from Ida I think tonight or tomorrow. But not a lot.
Here's a to get you all through your day!!

 

[Virginiaponygirl]

Good Morning! Still horrible weather here...looks like we have the Ida weather for another whole day...wind howling, raining, gloomy, even had the heat come on during the night!

Kathy - If this weather is headed for you, get ready to batten down the hatches...its truly been awful for 2 days now...Im surprised we didnt lose power the way the wind has been blowing non-stop for 2 days!! We have had over 3 inches of rain since Monday evening...

Nell - I am so glad you enjoyed the meditation! I used to go to a group years ago at my church...the pastor was the most amazing person and he led the group...I always felt so connected to the Lord after!! And I guess to myself as well...its always nice to meet people who are of similar mindset to your own.

I was so happy to hear from Diane so quickly, and am taking hers and all your advice...trying two weeks gluten free, then another two weeks dairy free if that doesnt make any difference. I was feeling way less of this bloating while I was back on step 1, so like you Jocelyn, maybe I am not truly allergic, but just sensitive and need to keep the wheat to a bare minimum.

Carol - thanks for the rice cake suggestion...I used to eat them alot, dont know why I didnt think of them!!

Now I just have to shop again! I have the black bean soup going to work with me today, and I still have some yogurt and milk left...but have to get the sweet potatoes, rice, and fruits...probably try the pears and berries for now. Now, what to eat in the middle of the night? I guess the fruit, since I could NOT stomach that glass of milk....ugh

Diane also checked out the Shakeology website for me and agreed that it sounded great...no need to give that up since it is gluten free! I suppose I could just have that 5 times a day! LOL

Have to venture out and feed ponies and hopefully the darn cows are still "captive" and not in the street!! guess I better put on my scuba gear...water EVERYWHERE!!!

 

[kater]

I have been MIA. Well, I have been reading but not posting much. I started slipping back into carb land about three weeks ago and I haven't been able to get back on track. I think that I have been depressed and am trying to use the carbs to make me feel better. I know, I know, that doesn't work. In fact, it just makes everything worse. I have been so low, no energy or motivation, feel like crying a lot. I took anti-depressants for about three years - I stopped taking them about four years ago because I hated the side effects and because I felt like I didn't need them. One of the side effects was weight gain. Now, I am wondering if I should look into them again? When I am not eating healthy, I usually think that is the reason I feel so depressed. But I know that isn't the case here - I was eating MM for almost 12 weeks and seeing results. Yikes. I hate feeling this way.....

 

[kater]

Hey, Robin. Did you get your ring yet?

 

[disneyeveryyear]

I have been MIA. Well, I have been reading but not posting much. I started slipping back into carb land about three weeks ago and I haven't been able to get back on track. I think that I have been depressed and am trying to use the carbs to make me feel better. I know, I know, that doesn't work. In fact, it just makes everything worse. I have been so low, no energy or motivation, feel like crying a lot. I took anti-depressants for about three years - I stopped taking them about four years ago because I hated the side effects and because I felt like I didn't need them. One of the side effects was weight gain. Now, I am wondering if I should look into them again? When I am not eating healthy, I usually think that is the reason I feel so depressed. But I know that isn't the case here - I was eating MM for almost 12 weeks and seeing results. Yikes. I hate feeling this way.....

Kate - I am sorry you are feeling so badly. I wish we could all just be there and give you a big hug. The Anti-depressants have come a long way, you may be able to find one that doesn't have the same side effects. I take Paxil for anxiety. It is technically an anti-depressant, but it helps calm my anxiety. Throw those carbs away though, they won't help you feel better. If you need to talk, come visit us here, or send me a PM and I'll give you my cell phone number.

Does your work make the depression worse for you? I can't imagine doing family law. It would too difficult for me.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

Nell - glad you put yourself out there and enjoyed your meditation group last night. I agree with Kathy. I would have trouble keeping my mind focused. I have trouble staying awake if I sit too long without keeping my brain "engaged."

Speaking of engagements, Kate and I want to know about Robin's ring. If you have it, we want a pic.

Lisa - hope today goes better for you. Don't stress too much about the house. You did what you could.

Robin - sorry to hear about your weather. We had a really wet and rainy October here, so I can feel for you. Luckily the sun is back out. The temps have dropped into the 40's, but at least I can see the sun!

Jocelyn - sorry you got caught in the rain yesterday. That's the odd thing about rain in Hawaii, it can be so localized. I love your pic on Facebook.

Does it amaze anyone else that so many people seem to have allergies or sensitivities to food now? Was it that way in the past and we just didn't know it and they had to suffer through it, or is there something in our food or environment that is doing this to us now? Hmmm.

Well, the leftover roast and potatoes, carrots and onions has been turned into beef hash for the family for dinner tonight with biscuits. I think I see a salad in my future.

The boys will be camping Friday and Saturday nights, so maybe I will make Jocelyn's crock pot chili for Sunday. I am popcorn kernel for our Boy Scout Troop, so I will be picking up, sorting and distributing popcorn this weekend. Sounds like a ton of fun, huh?

Off to the grindstone. I'll check in later.

 

[Barb F.]

I have been MIA. Well, I have been reading but not posting much. I started slipping back into carb land about three weeks ago and I haven't been able to get back on track. I think that I have been depressed and am trying to use the carbs to make me feel better. I know, I know, that doesn't work. In fact, it just makes everything worse. I have been so low, no energy or motivation, feel like crying a lot. I took anti-depressants for about three years - I stopped taking them about four years ago because I hated the side effects and because I felt like I didn't need them. One of the side effects was weight gain. Now, I am wondering if I should look into them again? When I am not eating healthy, I usually think that is the reason I feel so depressed. But I know that isn't the case here - I was eating MM for almost 12 weeks and seeing results. Yikes. I hate feeling this way.....

Ah Kate, I'm sorry you're struggling. Coming back here is your first step to getting back in control. Please see your doctor. Your depression is a chemical imbalance that is only made worse by carbs. You're right, we use carbs to numb and comfort ourselves. Hopefully you can get back on a medication that works for you without negative side effects. Don't stay away, we are here for you.

 

[MinnicS1]

Hi Pony & Everyone,

Just as a reference, Pony, you may want to look into Celiac Disease. I took a nutrition class once with a woman who had it and she said the diagnosis was the biggest blessing she ever got. She had been having issues for many years with them getting worse, she had been to many doctors and they never diagnosed it. The worst part of the disease is that everyone has different symptoms so it is difficult to diagnose. It is a simple blood test to find out for sure if you have it and then you can adjust your diet to alleviate the issues. A gluten free way of life is definitely a challenge but it gets simpler every day.

Good Luck!

Sherry

 

[Virginiaponygirl]

Kate - OMG, what is going on? Call me!! My cell number is in my FB profile...I think on the christmas card list too...its ok to call late...you're 3 hours behind me, so if you call any time after 7:30 your time, I will be at the gym or awake to chat...I have never dealt with depression myself, but had several close friends who did...its awful, but I agree that the carbs will definitely not help anything...probably just make you feel worse...emotionally since you know you shouldnt eat them and physically since they make us Met B's feel like crap!!

ALright all you ring watchers...dont forget it is NOT an engagement ring!! Its a "promise band"...has our names inscribed on the inside and I love you forever on the outside...beautiful titanium too, my Favorite!! I will try to figure out how to post a picture of it...might have to do it on Laura's FB thing!!

Heading to work...hoping when I come out tonite at 10pm maybe the weather will have decided to move on and head to Kathy's house!! sorry Kath!!