I've decided to start a journal here, because I tend to write my food intake on little pieces of paper that always get lost. This way, I'll have it here all the time. I think my new year's goal is going to be to get more organized. I gotta start tracking my food again and see if there's any correlation with stalling, losing and all that. The biggest thing I've changed lately is drinking green tea. I really want to see if there will be anything to this. I have lost 3 lbs so far after a loooooong, loooooooong stall. No matter what I did in the past, I just couldn't get 1-2 lbs to drop off and stay off. They keep coming and going, coming and going. But I've managed to keep these 3 lbs off for a longer period of time lately, since doing the green tea. I used to be very consistant with logging my food intake, looking up the carbs and adjusting my food choices. But I've gotten lax and have been eating whenever I felt like it and even having a regular food item once in awhile, like a med. sized baked red potato or an apple. I still want to be able to eat that sort of thing once in awhile without completely sabbotaging myself. (And in my mind, those things are much better choices than the half a bag of doritoes I used to eat.) And those types of foods don't appear to stall me per se, or make me gain. So if that's the case, I will add them once a week or so.

I've been pretty consistant with exercising, but the funny thing is..........I started stalling when I started exercising regularly. And I had an experience like that a number of years ago. I went to a Womens' workout place for 4 months, didn't lose a single pound or inch, gave up and never went back. But I hadn't changed my eating then either. But this time around, it's happening again, but I haven't given up. I chalked it up to gaining muscle in the beginning. But I don't think that's the case now. I don't know what that's about. I do know that the exercising makes me feel good physically AND emotionally. So I keep going. I like to exercise now. I can't imagine NOT exercising, ever again.

And I am pretty happy about my body right now anyway. I still have a bit of jiggliness in the tummy area that bothers me, but that can be hidden with clothes. Rick keeps making comments about my little butt.............feels good to hear.

Well, I better get dressed and get myself off to Curves and go hunting for some veggies for the freezer. Oh and I need to buy some decaf green tea, so I can have a nice cup near bedtime.

__________________

I'm glad to see that you have started a journal Barb, so we can give you some of the support that you give to everyone else. I hope you know how much it means to all of us. I know what you mean about the little butt comments....I get them too, and at first I would look around the room to see who my husband was talking about. Hey, it's me. lol I have a hard time with compliments, maybe because I'm still afraid of gaining all the weight back, but I'm getting better. Keep up the good work, we are here for you just like you are for us.

__________________
Donna
238.5/173.4/150
I will see my goal weight again

hey barb...
okay.. i lied.. i was on the fence about trying this green tea as a way to try to LOSE weight... (i have drank it before ... but not consistantly and only because sometimes in the winter i crave tea.. usually peppermint.. but i have used green before ...)
i had daughter#1 get me a pkg last nite.. its STASH premium green decaf tea..
whaddaya think? is this the right stuff till i can find that ASIAN sounding stuff that i am SURE isnt in MY little hick town..*L*
i got it around 5 pm last nite... it is 3 pm today and i just checked the box.. there were 18... i have used NINE of them already..*L*.. sure... still doing the devil coffee with cream or half and half... but hey.. not NEARLY what i usually do... not by a long shot.
i drink the tea plain.. dont like cream or sweetner in tea.. never have..
wish me luck girl! i am on my ANTIOXIDANT journey! ;-)

__________________
kims SECOND journal is HERE
kims new blog
KIMS BLOG !!
SUGARFREE BLOG

Thanks Donna, that means sooooooo much to me!!! I get back so much from everybody on this site too. I just love it here!!!!! And even when I reach my goal, I'll be here to help support people on their new journeys to a healthier, happier lifestyle. And the response from people here at home is always astoninshing me. I keep hearing, "You are looking so good." and stuff like that. It feels better than any bag of doritoes could possibly taste. And I so want everyone to experience that. So, I get so much out of posting here and from the people around me, it's really cool!!!!!

Kim, sounds like you are doing GREAT with the tea. If you ever make it to the big city, make sure you see if you can find an Asian store. They are practically GIVING the stuff away. I just picked up another box of 100 regular today as well as a box of 100 decafs. So now I can drink it right up til I go to bed.

I'm also going to split the boxes up and package some of each type up into a nicely decorated box for my DD. She wants to do LC. I haven't talked to her for a couple of weeks, so I don't know if she is still LCing. But I'm going to make her an LC care package for a Christmas present. I got her DANDR, a copy of Low Carb Living (magazine that Andrea is web editor for), the green tea, Protein Power Lifeplan Gram Counter, a bottle of s/f syrup, vanilla, and I want to go get one of Sharron Long's cookbooks too. That should set her up real good. She has ballooned up to about 180 since graduating H.S., and she's only 5'2", like me. She only just turned 20 last month. She was probably 125 before she graduated. She's kinda been in denial at how heavy she's gotten, saying things like, "I can get into size 11 pants." I KNOW she can't comfortably and that size pants makes her belly hang out. She has finally admitted to herself that she needs to lose weight. So everytime we get together, we talk about it. I give her recipe ideas. She's living with her dad right now and he was just diagnosed with diabetes. He's been a heavy beer drinker all his life and it has really caught up with him. He tried doing Atkins a few years ago, but just couldn't give up the beer. Now he drinks crystal lite with vodka. My daughters are worried about him (we're divorced) and I hope for THEIR sakes, he gets it under control. He also has VERY high blood pressure. He's a mess. I'm guessing he must weigh about 275-300lbs now. My other daughter has gained a lot of weight too, as has her fiance. I've talked to them about LCing and they seemed very open to it last year, but they gave up. It worries me. The b/f shakes the ground when he walks. He's 6'4" and probably approaching 375lbs. It's not good. I need to compile a bunch of good recipes for all of them. I just wish I had the time to do that before Christmas. But that would be a ton of work. I'm knitting mittens, hats and scarves for the grandkids (5 of them!!!) for Christmas, making a handmade French Cafe box for my SIL and a "Hand and Foot" card playing game board for BIL for Christmas too. I've been making homemade birdhouse ornaments for our new Christmas tree too. Lot's to do and soooooooooo little time. Whew!!!!!!

Boy was THAT a tangent!!!!

Let's see, what did I eat today??????
B-fast: 16 oz homemade strawberry Kefir
Lunch: Taco Bell salad without beans or rice, had them add extra lettuce. (Was out and about shopping for a couple of toys for the grandbabies.)
Snack: a couple bites of Jarlsberg swiss while I was shredding it for cheese sauce for broccoli
Dinner: Pork chop, cheesy broccoli, sauted mushrooms.
Drank green tea and water ALL day long.........no diet soda(accept a small diet pepsi at Taco Bell), no coffee, no nuthin' else.

.............and DRUMROLL please...................NO dessert!!!!!!! That's a first!!! I was busy helping DH with some work tonight and didn't even think about it. PLUS, I wasn't sittin' in front of the tv tonight. That's bad...........I so get the muchies when I watch tv. I always have something LC of course, but calories are calories. So maybe the scale will REALLY move tomorrow!!!!! Plus I exercised today too at Curves.

Now that I've written a book here, I think I will see what other threads need posting. See y'all later!!!!!

__________________

Barb, you're doing so great!!!! Glad you are moving again. I'm stuck, but it's my own fault. Haven't reverted to old, bad ways (well, once in a while), but haven't really been good either. Problem mostly being - I don't want it bad enough right now. I'm satisifed with where I am for a short while, and not 'working' at it like I should. Problem areas - water, veggies and exercise.

I drink GT, but with all the other cr*p I put in my mouth, don't expect to see a loss, just happy not gaining.
Well, off to do a little me-shopping - maybe that will give me more incentive. Trying on clothes will do that to me.

Catch ya later, just wanted to tell you YOU ARE DOING GREAT, GIRL!!!

__________________
Mary Kay
2009 WW - 228 / 199

I want a Christmas Onederland!!

Mary Kay, thank you!!!! You worked so hard until you got injured. Just don't undo the progress you've made. You already know how hard it is to get rid of fat. And you know what, you're right, trying on clothes is a real powerful motivator. Before I lost the weight I HATED to go clothes shopping because there were all those mirrors in the fitting rooms that didn't hide a thing and showed all angles of bulginess. Now I don't mind them, but I still see areas where I still have some pudge left, and of course that's what my eyes and mind focus on. I still look at my hiney to try and see what Rick sees. He can keep telling me my rear has shrunk a lot, I don't mind hearing that.

Well, it's first thing in the morning and I weighed myself................an even 140!!!!!!!!! :jumpgreen I could quite possibly tip the scales into the 130's very soon. I feel TOM approaching (I'm psychic, LOL), perhaps he will arrive early AND I'M STILL DOWN .8 of a pound!!!!!!! It's due in another week to 10 days. So normally the one or two pounds I've been losing and gaining and losing and gaining and losing and.......are coming off and staying off!!! This is just soooooooo novel for me now. I'm still just really flabbergasted that my weight is moving again.

I haven't eaten anything yet today and am very hungry, so that's what I'm gonna do now. Think I will have a Mock Dainish. I haven't had one for a long time.

Weight yesterday: 140.8
Weight today: 140 even. :jump:

__________________

So far I have had a cup of Green Tea, going on my second. I had a mock danish with cinnamon and vanilla s/f syrup and a pinch of stevia. I drank an Atkins shake a little while ago only because I was getting shaky and needed to get something in my belly FAST. I am heating some cream of broccoli soup from the cheese sauce I made last night. I thickened it with ThicknThin. Should be good. I gotta figure out something for dinner. I went meat shopping the other day and have about 20 day's worth of meat, but I'm sorely lacking in the veggie dept. Gotta get to the store and at least buy some frozen. I haven't had a homemade salad in awhile. But I have a beautiful bag of red, orange and yellow sweet peppers from Sam's. LOVE those peppers!!!!!!

I'm gonna tear apart the old Christmas wreath we had several years ago, it's all moldy and musty from being in the basement. I bought an evergreen garland and am going to wrap that around the "bones" and add a cute cardinal sitting on top of a jingle bell hanging in the center. I'll add red berries, white pearl garland and whatever else I can scrounge up. Wish I had some more silk poinsettias. I may have to run to Walmart to get some more, they're so pretty and festive. OH and I bought a brass christmas horn at walmart the other day and wrapped that with some greens, red berries and a red, green and gold bell hanging off of it. It looks pretty, but I'm going to steal some of the garland and wrap that around it too. It needs more greens. I'm really into decorating this year since we got a new fake tree last year during the post-Christmas sale for 50% off. We revamped all our decorations. It's been FUN!!!!!!

__________________

Well, shopping was a failure in that I found exactly what I wanted, and bought 2 winter jackets in MEDIUM. Shocked me! and a red sweater, also in MEDIUM! so, well, motivation is there to at least not gain any - but I do still need to get my head back into losing.

__________________
Mary Kay
2009 WW - 228 / 199

I want a Christmas Onederland!!

Isn't it amazinging when you find yourself looking at the smaller sizes and wondering if they will fit, you try them on and they DO!!!!! It's a great feeling. I know what you mean about getting your head back into losing. The Long Stall didn't exactly discourage me, but it made me lose a little of my momentum. And I was willing to maintain. It's funny what things will motivate people, The green tea certainly has done that for me. But I don't think I will ever consider myself finished, always a work in progress. Mary Kay, you did so well and you had become such an exercise devotee until you got injured and had the surgery. I hope you can get back to that. It was awesome to watch the lbs dropping of you. I think after the holidays I am going to re-evaluate my "program" and tweak it some. Not sure how yet.

Well, last night I made pork roast, green beans and corn for dinner. Rick had asked me to buy corn on one of my last shopping trips, so I made that. I ate a couple of spoonfuls of it and had seconds on the beans. Not tooooo bad. Then later I made a little popcorn (popped in a pan on the stove NOT the bagged crap). I hadn't had popcorn for about 2 months, so I splurged. I had 4 or 5 cups of GT, I lost count but I'm up .2 of a pound this am.................maybe the popcorn or all the butter I put on it. What I SHOULD have done was cut up some of those peppers and use ranch dressing as dip. But I REALLY wanted some popcorn and peppers wouldn't have fit the bill. I still haven't gotten to the store to buy more veggies. Gotta go TODAY!!!!!!!

yeserday's weight: 140 even
today's weight: 140.2

__________________

OK,Barb, I have a very strong feeling that you are going to hit the 130's before 2 weeks is up. I'm not psychic (if I was I'd have my own TV show), but I get really strong feelings sometimes, and I'm usually right. Hubby loves to go gambling with me! Anyway, when I was reading your post, I just felt that you're going to hit it and very soon. Now, you can't make a liar out of me, can you? lol

__________________
Donna
238.5/173.4/150
I will see my goal weight again

Weight today: 140.2

Okay, you're on. 2 weeks eh? That would be totally awesome and cool. I don't remember the last time I weighed in the 130's. But OH would that be a cool Christmas present to myself!!!! And if your intuition is telling you something.........and it usually serves you right, who am I to argue?????

I finally made it to the store and loaded up on veggies. I bought some fresh cauliflower (can NEVER resist it), frozen brussel sprouts, broccoli. I have sweet peppers and cukes and lettuce for salad making.

Today I had Kefir and LC toast for breakfast, chili con queso dip and soytein chips for lunch and Italian beef with sweet peppers and salad for dinner. I broke down and had an Endulge Mint Wafer bar and boy am I paying the price NOW!!!! I haven't had one of those for a long, long time. I think all this "snacking and splurging" I'm doing is a result of being around holiday treats more often lately. So I'm trying to be good and only have LC stuff. I better get some more A&W diet rootbeer (or hansen's if I can find it) and have my "rootbeer floats" which is what I did during induction when I was going bonkers for a sweet treat. I don't like doing the aspartame, but once in awhile isn't too bad.

Last night we took the grandkids to DH's partner's for their Santa party. Santa showed up for about 25 kids. It was fun and a zoo too. On the way home we told the grandkiddies they had to go to bed right away 'cuz it was late, and the two older ones had school today. I said, "brush your teeth, go potty and get your jammies on right away and go right to bed." The oldest said they didn't have any toothpaste or jammies. Those kids just have NOTHING and we are having hard times ourselves and it just kills me that I can't get them all the stuff they need. It's gonna be a lean Christmas. BUT, I sifted through my patterns and found jammie patterns. I ran to Hobby Lobby tonight and found some teddy bear flannel, enough to make one set of jammies for the middle boy (6 yrs old) for $1.00 a yard. I snapped that up and started them tonight. I am going to try to knit them some matching slippers to go with their jamjams. Also I am going to try to knit them all mittens, hats and scarves.............they need them. We're giving them our old Christmas tree so at least they will have a tree (and some of our old ornaments.) We bought a new tree last year during the half off sales after Christmas and new ornaments, some I've made myself. So we don't need that tree, but THEY do. It just breaks my heart how little they have yet how happy they are. We try to do stuff with them that doesn't cost money and show them how much they are loved. They are such great little kids. The eight year old girl read "Twas the night before Christmas" on the way to the party. she amazes me, she's such a little trooper and so smart. I'll post some Santa pics up in the gallery when I finally get my film developed.

Better get back to work...............more later.

__________________

Hey Barb,

(CAUTION: CHEESY LINE COMING!)
While I know kids love to open presents at Christmas (heck, who DOESN'T love opening presents?), I truly believe that the best gifts don't have to be store-bought. I LOVE that you are hand-making pajyamas and other stuff for your grandkiddos! And the time you spend with them is priceless. As I get older and I have watched my grandparents pass away (still have one Grandma, but she's senile and in a nursing home), I have come to cherish my memories of them more than any gift they may have given me.

I also believe that having "lean" Christmases, in the materialistic sense, is beneficial to children. Nothing p*sses me off more than seeing greedy selfish kids who are so spoiled that Christmas becomes "MORE MORE MORE!!!" or "Is that ALL?" instead of learning a little gratitude, and the value of sharing.

When I was a kid, we always spent Christmas with the grandparents (One grandma would come from Missouri and stay for a week or two, the other G&G lived in our town and we would all spend Christmas eve together for dinner, and then go to church). They are some of my favorite memories!

Believe me, the kids are benefitting MORE from your involvement in their lives than what is under the tree. And, whatever you do, KEEP READING with them! It is SOOOOOO important, and since the one kid already likes reading that can only be a plus!!!!

Merry (early!) Christmas to you and your family!
Kelly

__________________
Kelly
Highest recorded weight: 103.2kg/227.04lbs (03/15/08)
Current: 97kg/213.4lb-13.64
Goal:150
"Resensitizing myself to the urgency and severity of my weight problem is important in keeping myself motivated. I have to remind myself that my body will not tolerate this abuse forever." Jeannette Fulda, aka PastaQueen

Thank you Kelly. I know what you say is so true and that is why we try to do things with the kids. But I LOVE giving at Christmas time, that's the best part for me. I know they will appreciate the things we do give them. BTW, I still have hoards of books from when my kids were young and reading, so I decided too that I am going to go through all of them and give the kids books. The one that's reading now will LOVE that. But it makes me sad to think they hardly have the basics, like toothpaste. Their mother is a struggling single mom of 3. There are things she could do to improve their lives, but she doesn't have the confidence or drive to do it. And I can't make her do them. (whole 'nother issue) She's my step-daughter and the damage HER mother did to her is irreparable I think. But we keep trying to guide her in the right direction, but ultimately her decisions are her own. So we just try to love those kids as much as we can. She is doing something right with them tho..........they are good kids, well behaved and very loving. They are adorable and precious.

Weighed in this morning:
140.4..........up .2 pounds. TOM is on the way (due in about a week) Maybe I'll dip into the 130's after he leaves..........hope so anyway.

Today I am going to try to eat VERY clean, drink green tea and water only. I will be making "Goulash" for dinner. Ground beef, sugar-free tomatoe sauce, a dash of worcestershire sauce, chili powder, paprika, bell peppers, garlic, onion and bay leaf. I use a vegetable broth mix in it too. Oh and I add a dash of sweetener too. I will make noodles for DH to have his on. I might make "Cabbage noodles" for me to have mine on. It's pretty yummy.

Breakfast will be eggs and maybe bacon.

Lunch will be Chicken salad.

__________________

So sorry your grandkids are having a rough time Barb. But, I agree that you are helping them by giving them time. I only see my grandkids once a month and we do things like paint our nails (she's only 4) and make jewellery. I also don't think you should have to "buy" love. I love to give also, but have you thought of going to a dollar store? They have tons of stuff there for only $1. You could get toothbrushes and paste and keep it at your house if you like. That's what I did.
Also, don't be in such a hurry for TOM to leave. I'm sweatin my way through the days and nights and hating it. Never know what to wear! It's snowing right now and I'd love to be in shorts at work. I've tried prescription and non-prescription drugs and nothing is working. Just enjoy the pre-menopause while you can.

__________________
Donna
238.5/173.4/150
I will see my goal weight again

Hehe, I'm NOT in a hurry for the big M to kick in, that's for sure. I'm just not enamored with the TOM stuff either. I'm dreading it actually. BUT, I will try to find some herbal alternatives like Black Cohosh, Dong Quai and stuff like that. I got a really good book from "Paloe4now" from the boards here, for my 50th birthday this summer. It's a WONDERFUL book on herbal alternatives for dealing with Menopause. It covers EVERYTHING and what to use and what to avoid. It's a great reference by Susan Weed.

I know the grandkids need love more than anything. It's just that they wrote letters to Santa and it's so hard to not get them everything on their wish lists. And who knows if "Santa" will be bringing them at least one of the things they wished for at their own house. My step-daughter is on a list through school and a church here to be given presents for the kids. But that's hit or miss, ya know? Well, I got them each a couple of the little things that were on the list. I got the jammies almost finished for the 6 yr old boy today. I just need some velcro (thought I had some) for the trap door in the back of the jammies. I suppose I could put in snaps tho........I'll have to see if I have any of those. Tomorrow I will hunt for sale fabric for the nightgown I want to make for the girl. It should be a LOT easier to make............no legs to sew up. The pattern has a weird ruffle/pleaty sort of thing around the bottom. I think I'll skip that and just lengthen it and hem it..........much easier on me. I also played around with SEWING mittens today. I think I will be able to do that. I have some leftover fleece material from last year that will make perfect mittens. If I can come up with a good pattern, I can pop those suckers out in no time. I plan on knitting a cuff for each one and sewing that on. It would be nice to make 2-3 pairs for each child, so if they lose a pair or have wet or dirty pairs being laundered, they have spares. I will crochet strings also so they can thread them through their sleeves.

__________________