Yeash. Stepped on the scale this morning... 131. Good thing today is not my weigh in day. The weekend munchies killed me. Hopefully it drops off by Tuesday. I don't expect to have lost any but I really don't want to gain any either!!! The Panda Express wasn't worth it!!

(the frozen yogurt was!)

The bike riding is really working for me. I love just taking off around town to do errands and finding new ways back. It makes 45-60 minutes go really fast. Otherwise I'm looking at the clock willing it to go faster. GROAN!

I've been hitting the 1200 pretty consistant, and exercise at 400 or so every other day. Maybe I need to step up my exercise. My metabolism must be super slow. Any ideas how to speed it up??

Some people say taking a chromium picolinate (spelling?) supplement daily after breakfast and at least 1 hour before exercising helps. I just ran out but had been taking it up till this point. My metabolism is also very slow.

Weight 165.6, lost 1.8, total lost 34.4

I dropped to 165.6 last Thursday and haven't budged since then. How strange is that?

But that's okay, it is a substantial loss for the week, so I am happy with it.

Helen

I just looked that up and it looks like there are a lot of potential side effects. I'm not sure that's a good supplement for me to take. What does your doctor think about it?

I'm expecting to have a gain this week. Went all day Sat without having time to eat until after 3pm. Graduation cookout for a step son including a cake. You know the rest of the story. Sunday was spent with friends who insisted on eating out for lunch and dinner. Dinner I did ok, but at lunch I guess I was still having carb cravings from the cake the night before and blew it with chocolate ice cream.
I've got to get back to clean eating if I am going to be able to wear a bathing suit before the end of the summer to go swimming with D Gkids.

DD said my pants were getting baggy in the rear area. That made me happy.

2 lbs, Harold! Great! That plateau didn't last long.

Silver, I've found in the past that the closer I got to my goal weight the slower I lost. The last few pounds always clung on for dear life!

Helen, You're moving right along there! Keep up the good work.

Ek, I took C P before and it really helped. Then I started having an allergic reaction and had to quit taking it.

I will let everyone know my results in the morning. At least I got an hour in on the treadmill this AM.

Have a great day,
Betty

Thanks Betty! I weighed this morning and I'm down to 130. :( Hopefully that addn'l pound will drop off and I will stay consistent at 129 at least.

An hour on the treadmill! Wowzers. No wonder your pants look baggy!

Way to go, Helen! 1.8 pounds in a week is great!

Well, baggy-pants Betty. I can sympathize with you! I do indeed know "the rest of the story," firsthand. But you've been doing great and you will get back on track. I had a very good day of eating on track today, and no unnecessary snacks.

We also did more garden planting today. It was hot, but so worth it. Lots of activity there, digging, hoeing, lugging water. We put in tomatoes, peppers (3 types), cantaloupe, watermelon (but ONLY for the kids and the produce stand! I promise), corn, beans, zuchini squash. Still left to plant: spaghetti squash, pumpkins, carrots, and a second round of tommy-toe tomatoes. Our cauliflower and broccoli have really been producing. The romaine and spinach have all been harvested. Brussels sprouts are well on their way.

SS--I don't know about any negative side effects to taking chromium P. Doc says everyone should have a minimum of 50 micrograms a day, and recommends 200 mcg/day for people who exercise a lot, eat refined foods, or are trying to manage insulin issues. It's excreted daily in urine and at a higher rate for people who are very active. The average American diet is almost void of c.p. these days because it is processed out in all the preparation, preserving, and packaging we do. Truly whole, unrefined grains naturally contain it, but most people don't mill their own wheat (really, it's got to be that back to basics--I know one person who really gets her own raw wheat and starts from scratch), and I am not doing gluten grains at all, so I have to supplement to have even that basic amount. I shoot for 200mcg per day.

As for tomorrow: to weigh, or not to weigh. That is the question.

I bit the bullet and weighed. I didn't gain any, but neither did I lose. Still 166. I'm making my sad face now.

Busy day ahead, so hang in there. Today is a new day.
Betty

Here's the article I read:
Chromium P

It says that brewers yeast has it, and I eat a lot of that, so I think I'm covered. :)

I don't want to report. But I will. At least I didn't gain with my ginormous binge this weekend.

155/129/0

Making sad face back at Betty :(

Hi guys

I am not anymore in 140's....
Hurrayyyyyyyyyyyy.. I was 139 this morning.

148/139/9.0 pounds.

My next mini target is 134 .. You know what I mean... coming down from upper 130's to lower 130's is my next goal..

Jasmi! Yay!!!!!! That is soooooooooooooooooooooooo great!!!

Thanks Silver.

I also think I have to lose fat from my lower body. I really dont have much to lose in the upper body. So I have started working a dvd called Slim in 6. Its been only 2 days, but I am already very sore from the workouts. I have to do it for 6 weeks , for 6X a week. This workout is mostly doing squats, lunges and toning the ab. Did you guys ever used this dvd? what do you think of this one ?

Yay Jasmi! I know you are so excited!

Betty and SS--holding steady is GOOD. Don't be discouraged.

I did not weigh in. I decided it might be too difficult to handle, so I'm continuing with re-induction through the weekend and then I'll weigh next Tuesday. Honestly, I'll be very, very happy if I can just get a solid 139 next week--no loss for several weeks in a row, then, but no lasting gain from a few days of worst possible eating scenarios. (And dear MIL just gave us a carrot cake. Must. Stay. Away.)

I weighed again today, (Thursday) and I am STILL stuck at 165.6. (It fluctuates between 165.4 and 165.8) But I know it can't stay that way forever and it will begin to come down again. I REALLY want to make my mini goal of 162 by July 1. So, I shall just keep on hanging on and I simply will not let a stall deter me from my goal. I was going to add an extra mile per day to my walk but it is now raining cats and dogs out there and thundering, so I may not even get to walk the short distance I usually walk. I want to kick it up to 4 miles every day. Thank goodness retirement allows me the time to do that whenever I want to.

Helen

Jasmi, I would not do anything daily. Muscles need a day of rest in order to build. I would do it every other day, with some other exercises (running/swimming/biking) done on the odd days. Otherwise you can strain something too, and then not be able to work out at all.

Ek, your MIL hates you. ;) Carrot cake is my favorite, but whatever you do, if you love me, don't save me a piece!!!

Helen, can you do jumping jacks or jump rope? Those are both great exercises indoors (if you have the space).

Good Morning,
As the kids used to say- "Go Jasmi, Go Jasmi, It's your Birthday"!!!!
'Slim in 6' sounds like a killer that just may work if you can hang with it without getting hurt.

I can't wait to break into the 150s. We've moved DH's 76 year old aunt in with us. She has no children, has gotten her finances in a mess, and is getting feeble and forgetful. It is hard on me because she has been alone for quite a while and doesn't want me out of her sight. She walks slowly with a walker and wants to sit and talk all of the time. I've got to carve out time somewhere in the day to get in my treadmill time.
I had to go to the grocery store late last night after DH got home, dinner was over, and she had gone to bed.
She wants to eat all of the time. YIKES!!!
But, she is sweet and has been very good to me in the past.
So... life goes on in the wierdest way.

My scales said 165 this am. I hope it is true.

Come on Ek, get on those scales. It can't be that bad. We still love you!
Take my advice and throw that carrot cake away. She is not too dear if she is giving you carrot cake when you are trying to diet.
Wish we could get more garden planted. DH tried to plant tomatoes Sat and a storm started before he could finish. Sounds like you have a great one going. Maybe I can get a nice fall garden going this year. We are zone 7 and can extend it into early winter with some protection (according to the books!) I really need more green leafy anything and groceries are REALLY getting expensive.

Helen, I love retirement. But, I have been busier than I've ever been since I retired! Have you found that to be true also?
I know what you mean about thunderstorms. Last night when I went grocery shopping the sky was lit up continuously with lightening and it started pouring before I could get back home. Crept the last 4-5 miles straining to see through the wall of water. I backed the car right up to the deck steps and carried all of the bags I could get on both arms in at once. The rest stayed in the car overnight. DH brought them in this morning before leaving for work.
The driveway has ruts washed in it from the storm. Bummer.

Where are you, Harold?

Have a great day,
Betty

I'm still here, Betty. Lurking, watching, ... nothing gets by me.

Maybe you could put Auntie in a wheelchair and wheel her around the neighborhood. That would be pretty good exercise.

Congrats to Jasmi for breaking into the 130s, to Helen for the 1.8, and to you and Silver for holding the line. Ek, weigh in. Confession is good for the soul.

It looks like we might have had a couple people drop out. Hope they're still doing okay.

We are missing trekaren and Peggy, aren't we? I hope trekaren has finally gotten well.

I am not going to weigh in until Tuesday. Induction is working--I can tell my appetite is back under control. I did take my measurements, and nothing has changed, for better or for worse, so I'm not worried. I just want to give the re-induction time to work.

Betty--no one outside my immediate family and a few close friends who have asked what's going on know that I'm eating any differently to try to lose weight. And even if they did know I was on a "diet," I don't think they would pick up on exactly how this diet works. And I don't "preach" it to others. I just eat what I can eat and don't draw attention to the fact that I don't eat certain types of foods anymore. So, it's best just to accept the gift, let DH, the kids, and some friends eat it, and focus my attention elsewhere. Like on the green beans, an occasional small steak, and a really good cup of coffee.

We've had some really great sunny days interrupted by these outrageous blasts of downpours and thunderstorms too. It's like Orlando weather here lately. But everything is lush and green, and after 2 years of terrible drought, I am happy about it--even if it does mean mushrooms in the yard the size of frisbees!