Biggest Loser--SUMMER 2011 Challenge for Losers & Maintainers!

[KristiMc]

Congrats to Kelli and all of the losers!

 

[trinaweena]

I just wanted to give some unsolicited advise to all the new runners. Please feel free to ignore me, if you want. Slow and steady--it is so easy to overdo it, especially if your cardio gains are faster than muscle/structural gains. It's great to go further than you have before, but make sure you have a plan. Too much too fast sometimes = injury. And that is no fun. I also encourage everyone to consider some strength training and cross training, even if it's stuff you do at home. I could go on and on, but I don't want to drive everyone crazy. I love to run--it's just about my favorite thing to do, but I can tell you from experience that being sidelined with an injury stinks! Learn as much as you can to keep your body as healthy as you can.

And totally off topic, but........
I just wanted to say-----WOOHOO--GO GAMECOCKS------NCAA Baseball champs TWO YEARS IN A ROW!!!!!!!

I am getting much better at saying it, Lisa.

Have a great afternoon!

I def don't ignore advice from someone who is far more expierenced than me. I actually do try to pace myself, because I remember how bad my shin splints used to be, and if i just start off running miles everyday that will not be pretty. That is one reason I like the couch to 5 k program because it builds up how much you can do over a few weeks. I feel fortunate that I had been doing 6 mile walks every day before I started taking up running. I only push myself when I know I can do it. Like today I really wanted to be able to go two miles but I knew I just couldn't and i would end up hurting myself. Having the dog with me really helps as well because I know what she can do and what she can't and I have to be mindful of that.

I actually had a very nice old man in the trail today remind me not to push myself too hard. (He also said it was very nice that I bring water for my dog! Although its not fun having to run with a bottle of water and a collapsible water bowl!)

And I agree about cross training! I'm looking into getting a bike (I ran over my last one) to be able to do something on my off days besides walk. And also going to try to do more strength training as well!

---------------------------
I had a very enjoyable day. Day off finally and my best friend who moved to vermont a few months ago came down for the day. We went out to lunch, did some errands (washed my car! still looks dirty!), and saw the new Transformers movie (grew up with transformers, have a thing for awesome robots!). I did not get any pop corn or soda at the movies and had a handful of sweedish fish. For lunch i tried to get some low calories items i think i did pretty good. All in all just seeing my friend was awesome and I had a fantastic day. Just had a salad with some chicken in it for dinner and now I'm just resting up before work tomorrow. Gotta get up to go take my sleeping pill but im so cozy on the couch i dont feel like moving! Unfortunatly if i dont take it 3 to 4 hours before i want to sleep i wont sleep at all. Do yourself a favor and if a doctor ever wants to put you on sleeping pills...SAY NO!

 

[pjlla]

Hi y'all!

Today's QOTD... I am ALWAYS thirsty... You will never find me without a drink nearby. I get my water in by alternating with whatever else I'm drinking. People here tease me about how much I drink, but I remind them about the "1/2 your weight in lbs equals how much liquid you should drink in ounces"... thing and I'm not so strange by that equation.

Have you ever had your blood sugar checked? Excessive thirst is a warning sign for diabetes. Maybe you should look into it.

And totally off topic, but........
I just wanted to say-----WOOHOO--GO GAMECOCKS------NCAA Baseball champs TWO YEARS IN A ROW!!!!!!!

I am getting much better at saying it, Lisa.

Have a great afternoon!

Is this your Minor league team? Never heard of them but YEAH THEM!!

Hi all,

OT is here now. Shopping trip didn't work out well. Had Chik-Fa-la for lunch and then went to Target. Mom's pain got bad and the motorized cart that Dad was using died! Had to come home quickly. Mom laid down and cried.

She's not forgetting to eat she just doesn't seem to have much of an appetite. I wish she would drink my Herbalife shakes but she says they uspet her stomach. I think the pain is just making her so miserable. She ate a good breakfast. Only ate a bit of her sandwich for lunch and then she ate some ice cream when we got home. She's trying hard right now with OT but is very uncomfortable. Just had to give her more pain meds. Going to doctor tomorrow regarding her swelling and to hopefully adjust the meds so she's not a zombie. She will also have chemo while we are there.

I'm halfway done with my trip. I hope we can get someone in here quick to help her and my Dad. His legs started giving out this afternoon before we went out shopping which delayed things. I don't even want to know what my BP is right now!

Braces went well. She said it only hurt a little when they put them on, One spot more then the other. She is a bit sore this afternoon. She really needed her Mommy today. She kept IMing me and texting me. I had to tell her to stop. Brian's being great but she needs Mommy on days like this. She hopes to go to something at the library tonight. Brian didn't sleep well last night and there was a loud thunderstorm at 3am. The girls have to go into work with Brian for a bit tomorrow as he has a meeting about the new owners of his company. It's supposed to be a good thing so we're hopeful. And of course, my car started squeaking again today. UGH!!!!!

Well, enough whining for me today. I'm going to try and take a nap when Mom lies down and maybe listen to the podcasts from last week that I couldn't download on my ipod before I left.

TTFN

I'm not familiar with the Herbalife shakes, but if they are reduced calorie, perhaps they aren't the best choice for Mom right now. Or maybe there is something specific in them that is bothering her stomach (dairy/lactose, artificial sweetener??)

Anyhow, if you can get to a Trader Joe's, they sell hemp protein powder, which might be a good choice for your Mom right now. You could make a shake with the hemp protein, coconut milk or almond milk (in case dairy is a problem for her right now). Add some sort of fat if she needs the calories (maybe some nut butter or something like that) and maybe some fruit (peaches are in season and easy to digest.... and bananas are always good). Just an idea. Maybe you could ask her what she is craving and work from there??

Glad the braces went well, but sorry she is missing you so much. You will be home again before you know it.

hi losers!

sorry for the lack of personals today. i am a big fan of the personal replies and don't really like not doing them! still, i only just got home and need to start dinner. my dog is being a PITA and i need to go stop her from eating something in the guest room.

be back on later! i think tomorrow is my last day of coaching. my big head will miss the power!!! lol!!

You've done a GREAT job this week! It has been a pleasure to have you as a coach.... and I've loved the double QOTD!!

And random thoughts... ever look at a chef salad and consider how complicated it really is? How many people your salad represents? Lettuce grown in Salinas and hand-picked and hand-packed by field workers, cheese from milk from cows (that probably ate corn, to add a layer) in dairyland, then processed at a cheese plant somewhere, eggs (probably, alas, from a "factory farm"--let's not even talk about that...) usually turkey AND ham... then there's the truckers that brought everything to the restaurant, the chef who put it together... and that's if you don't even think about the dishes it's all served on... Come to think of it, it's a good thing I don't like chef salads! But a bacon cheeseburger on a multigrain bun would be just as involved...
But tonight we didn't have that. Tonight we had raspberries that grow wild around the messy edges of our yard. We picked them ourselves, we know exactly where they came from, who washed them... and even who (the birds) planted them. No pesticides, no fertilizers, no irrigation.. and all it cost us was a few mosquito bites... Wouldn't it be nice if everything was that guilt-free?

'night, everybody!

Actually, I do a LOT of thinking that way. And a lot of reading. Have you ever read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" or seen "Food, Inc."? Lots of information about where our food comes from and what it takes to get it to our plates (both the good and the bad). Next up on my reading list, "The Unhealthy Truth". I'm hoping it gets here before we leave for the holiday. DSIL sent me a link to a short video on youtube done by the author of this book.

My robotics team is doing a project on food safety right now and so I've been able to use my team as an excuse to do even MORE reading about our nation's food supply.

The more I read, the harder it is to justify buying many common items.... like corn-fed beef, out-of-season fruits/veggies, and regular milk.

Love to hear about your all-natural, organic, no carbon footprint berries! We have those around our house too. One summer I got real ambitious and made blackberry jam with them.... and that was how we discovered that DS is allergic to blackberries!

The WISH Biggest Loser Summer Challenge Week 3
#10-NewlyDisneyCrazed .33%
#9- Worfiedoodles .41%
#8- JacksLilWench .46%
#7- gudrench3 .5%
#6- KristiMc .62%
#5- connie96 .70%
#4-liesel 1.37%
#3-graciesmom 1.37%
#2- ScubaD 1.84%

and now
The WISH Biggest Loser Summer Challenge
Week 3 Biggest Loser is:
#1- tggrrstarr 1.88%

HUGE congratulations to all of our big losers this week!!!

Yesterday's QOTD: We are totally park hopping people. We tend to go for looong trips and we'll hit a park in the morning, take a break then hit a different one in the evening. Having 2 weeks allows us to hop around. We usually buy annual passes.


Todays Q's of the day. I really drink very little water, maybe 16 ounces a day. I hate the taste of plain water. I also tend to need some caffiene and diet soda fills that void. I know that it is not good for me, but it really is my only vice.

Our last trip to Disney was last summer. We spent a week in a treehouse villa with my parents, had a DIS meet with a bunch of friends and hit the parks. From there we did a weeklong cruise on the NCL Epic. After the cruise we spent another week in orlando and did 2 nights at Universal, spent a day at Seaworld and more time at WDW. It was an awesome trip. We own DVC so we go on a regular basis. My older 2 have been 12 or 13 times now.
Our next trip will be a first, first trip to DL that is. We plan to spend 4 days in CA on our way home from a 2 plus week trip to Hawaii.

I get so envious hearing about your big trip! It should be a blast!


***************
Evening all! Ran some errands tonight while DD was at swim.... Dropped two big bags at the Goodwill and managed to come home with just one small one! Bought a brand new pair of Coldwater Creek suede shoes for $10.... not exactly a give-away, but a decent deal!

But honestly, some of the prices at the Goodwill are just ridiculous. It makes me wonder if the folks who DECIDE on these prices ever go to real stores?

I found a slightly used spiral bound notebook (not the cheapo Staples kind, slightly nicer cover, but still just a notebook) for $1.99! HUH?? It probably didn't cost that new! Yet I found a pretty bridal gown.... plain, no beading, no big train, but a nice heavy satin, for just $19.99. (I'm always checking the gowns because DD wears them for Rainbow Girls.)

A plain white oversized coffee mug... $1.99 (rip off)... probably barely cost that NEW.... and yet a nice heavy Baker's Secret muffin tin, nearly new... also $1.99 (good deal).

Anyhow.... that's my rant for the night!

Dinner was a small salad from the salad bar at the grocery store (grabbed it and some milk while I was out) and dessert was plain greek yogurt with the rhubarb sauce I made tonight.... absolutely delish!!

Off to read my brainless romance novel!.............................P

 

[mackeysmom]

Congrats to all of the winners - um, I mean losers .

I overslept and missed my Weight Watchers weigh-in yesterday, so I'll have to go tomorrow. I think I've done well enough these past few days to make up for the sins of my staycation.

Today I did a lot of cooking - artichokes, eggplant, and banana bread. I did a lot of "tasting" too, but managed to stay within my points. I'm trying to be a stickler and account for every little bite that goes in my mouth. Hopefully tomorrow's weigh-in will show it.

- Laura

 

[my3princes]

Just a fly by post as I rush off to work. Not looking forward to getting out of bed at 3:30 tomorrow morning. 5 AM is rough enough. I know that I need to get that stinkin comp time built up as I want to take a week vacation in August with Chris and the boys so it's worth it, I just know that there isn't any nap time built into my day tomorrow. We leave at 9 am for the weekend, we'll drop off the camper at the campground then take the boys to Santa's Village. I'm sure I'll be ready to crash by 8 PM, but the rest of the weekend should be much more restful. I've got my sandwich thin and ham sandwich, banana, peach and cheese and crackers packed for lunch today so I should do okay on the eating front.

 

[donac]

Good Thursday morning everyone.

Spent the afternoon yesterday pciking blueberries. I went with a friend. She brought along her 2 daughters and their 3 cousins. It was very sunny and almost too hot since we didn't leave until 12:30. We ended up in a patch where you had to search for the ripe ones. There were a lot that still had to ripen so it was a little slow going. She had gone the day before and was in another section that needed to be picked since she got a full bucket by herself in 45 minutes. The ones she got on the first day were very sweet. The ones we were getting yesterday were a little tart just the way I like them so I got all the berries yesterday. I got 49 pounds. I put them in the freezer and have them all winter long in smoothies. Today's job is to get them into the freezer.

Today is my youngest's birthday. He turns 21. How did I get so old? He is coming home today to celebrate. His gf is coming on Sat morning so we can go into the city. We are going with our sons and their gfs to see Wicked. We still have to decide how we are getting into the city and where we are going to eat.

QOTD, Wednesday June 29th: water. how do you get your water in each day? drink glasses throughout the day? fill a water bottle? drink it by a certain time?

I always have a water bottle with me. When I am at school they have a frig with ice and water so I fill up my bottle a couple of times during the day. I can't drink too later because then I will be up and down all night.

Disney QOTD, Wednesday June 29th: When was your last trip to Disney? (WDW, DL, DCL, AbD) When is your next trip?? tell us a little something about it!

My last trip was 2 years ago. I was recovering from bunion surgery. I was recovering fairly quickly and inthe middle of July (3 weeks from the surgery) my dh says "Why don't we go to DW?" I had the plane and the rooom, with a discount, booked within an hour. We had a great time. It was the first time it was just us in a long time.

Our next trip was just decided on Father's Day. My dsis and her dh are DVC members. They are thinking about using their points for a 3 bedroom at BLT. It sleeps 13 so all the kids could also bring their friends. BLT is the one place I have wanted to stay. It is on my to stay list. It will be next Aug. We will be celbrating ds2's graduation from college. We have traveled together before but never stayed at the same hotel before so I don't know how this is going to work.

Off to get some things done around here.

Have a happy and healthy day.

 

[mikamah]

Good morning!

Just a quick hello again as I have to go to work. Sheesh. I was hoping for another cancel day, but maybe tomorrow. We had a productive day yesterday, so that feels good. Eating was ok, and I ran/walked in the am and did lots of cleaning.

We have family festival this week so last night was oldies night, where they block off the center of town, have a dj playing oldies music and dancing in the square. We met up with Sue/dvccruiser briefly and it was so fun to meet her adorable little Dylan. We had dinner at a deli, and I did have a meatball sub, but that was it, so could have been worse.
The fireworks are sunday at the park near our house, so we have a pre fireworks cookout, and our whole neighborhood is just crazy with parties, and fun. It looks like the work on our side street is not going to be done by then, so we'll have to stick in our little yard. We normally have a water ballon fight in the street.

Congratulations to all our losers and maintainers!!!

Rose- I am always happy to hear any running advice from you, and totally agree with the taking it slow and steady. A friend of mine is doing the c25k, and she was getting burnt doing it more than the 3 days, but she didn't believe the 3 days was enough. A big whoo hoo for the Gamecocks!!!!

Pamela- I know FOTLK is supposed to be amazing, and at least the past 3 trips, I have said we are going to do it, and haven't. I will get there eventually.
Beergaritas, if you like margaritas and beer are a delicious beverage for a hot day. You take a can of frozen Limeade and put in a pitcher, then fill the can once with tequila, once with club soda, 1/4 can of triple sec, and mix it all together then add 2 cans or bottles of light beer, and serve over ice. They are so good. The recipe originally called for 1 can of beer, but it was too sweet, so I added a second. I didn't figure the points on it, but the pitcher does go a long way.

Nancy- You've done a great job coaching this week, and made me smile every day with your posts.

Yesterdays qotd- I have a 32 oz water bottle I bring to work full, and usually fill it at least one more time, and at home, I always have a big glass of water on the kitchen table.
My last trip was for the princess half in february, and I loved being able to meet Lisa, Rose, Maria, Lindsay, Corinna, Nancy, and the other dis-sers. Such a wonderful group of supportive people. My next trip is, I don't know when. I turn 50 in 2014 and would like to do the january half that year, maybe by myself for my b-day and then take a cruise in april with ds and my brother's family. It sounds too far away, so depending on finances and work stuff, if possible, maybe a trip some time next year. I did play with going in dec for ds's 10th bday, figuring it'd be cost effective to go while he was 9 and still child prices, but I don't know if I can swing that. But you never know, a disney trip is so helpful for my mental health.

Have a fantastic day everyone!!

 

[dumbo_buddy]

GOOOOODDD MORRRNING LOOOSERRSSS!!!! ZZZZzzzzzz

guys, i'm tired. the 5am wake up calls by the 2 year old are killing me! i overate again last night (the post dinner munchies/boredom is really doing a number on my healthy eating plan) and spent the night with a belly ache. wah.

QOTD, Thursday June 30th: After dinner and before bed is a REALLY tough time for me. What do YOU do after dinner in order to stay on plan? Do you have a snack? What is it? A rule that you can't eat? A drink of water? How do you fight those little demons that say "eeeaaaatttt" when you're watching tv or doing whatever you do at night??


i don't have an answer for this but i need a plan. like, big time. i'm sabotaging myself every night. i need something to make me feel like i'm being bad when in fact i'm not. fruit? maybe with a piece of cheese? a fat free fudgesicle? i can't spell that.

Disney QOTD, June 30th: What's that one thing that really makes you feel like you're at Disney? A ride? A special walk down Main Street? A treat?

this is a trick question because i bet you can't name just one! but i bet everyone has something a little different. besides the whole, finally-getting-on-magical-express-and-seeing-the-disney-world-gates thing, we usually hit epcot first. when i am in future world in front of the fountain, look up at those swirly purply thingies, and hear the background music for that area i really finally feel like i'm here! and bonus if we go into mousegears and smell that sewer smell that that store always has!

and my other "ah, i'm in disney moment" is when i take that first sip of nasty disgusting nescafe coffee. i love it.

now, i realize this is my last day of coaching and also that i forgot an "-ism" from the now famous aunt ann yesterday. so let's just hope that this last day's in a doozie. last night she writes:

"Women's a$$ size study: There is a new study about women and how they feel about their a$$es, the results were pretty interesting. 30% of women think their a$$ is too fat, 10% of women think their a$$ is too skinny, the remaining 60% say they don't care, they love him, he is a good man, and wouldn't trade him for the world..."

hehehehe

**********************************

well, i'm starting the day up quite a bit, bringing my total weight gain now to 12.5 lbs i'm not thrilled at all with that as i still have 21 more weeks to go. but i AM really proud of myself for exercising almost every day. it will help me bounce back. i feel chunky in the back fat area but my legs, although chunky as well (and prob always will be) feel strong. i just need to make better choices at night.

this weekend will be a eat-fest. i think i posted this before but we are going camping in gettysburg with my 87 year old grandpa. every year i complain that i don't want to go but every year i know that this year could be the last and i simply just have to go. plus, it's a weekend of actually doing something and not sitting in his house all day (he keeps his thermostat at 80 degrees all year round ). a few years ago his lady friend passed away. we go camping with her family. they are all....fat. sorry, there's just no better world. morbidly obese. morbidly. the mom and dad (kinda my aunt and uncle) are in their 50s and their kids are in their mid twenties. the smallest of them, the daughter, is over 350lbs. and they eat. all weekend. it's insane. one morning they will make chipped beef gravy with white bread. dh and i will be STUFFED after two pieces of bread and gravy. i mean, stuffed to the gills. the husband and son EACH EAT A LOAF OF BREAD! A LOAF OF BREAD! for breakfast!

so, you get it, it's enough food to feed a small country. i'm going to bring some things. a fruit salad. lisa's pasta salad. my running clothes. i always come back from weekends with them up like 7lbs and feeling like crap.

don't know if the campsite has WiFi but if it does i'll probably come on here to post just so don't eat!

long post, thanks for reading. have a great day all!!!! and thanks for letting me be your coach the last week or so. it's been fun! forced me to get on here and forced me to think harder about my choices.

i just have to follow through!

 

[dumbo_buddy]

Good morning!

Just a quick hello again as I have to go to work. Sheesh. I was hoping for another cancel day, but maybe tomorrow. We had a productive day yesterday, so that feels good. Eating was ok, and I ran/walked in the am and did lots of cleaning.

We have family festival this week so last night was oldies night, where they block off the center of town, have a dj playing oldies music and dancing in the square. We met up with Sue/dvccruiser briefly and it was so fun to meet her adorable little Dylan. We had dinner at a deli, and I did have a meatball sub, but that was it, so could have been worse.
The fireworks are sunday at the park near our house, so we have a pre fireworks cookout, and our whole neighborhood is just crazy with parties, and fun. It looks like the work on our side street is not going to be done by then, so we'll have to stick in our little yard. We normally have a water ballon fight in the street.

kathy that sounds like a fun time in your town! very cool! and a mini DIS meet up!!! love it!! glad you guys had good time.

is there a back up plan for the water balloon fight? i hope you still get to have it! they are so fun and so...ah, summer.

Good Thursday morning everyone.

Spent the afternoon yesterday pciking blueberries. I went with a friend. She brought along her 2 daughters and their 3 cousins. It was very sunny and almost too hot since we didn't leave until 12:30. We ended up in a patch where you had to search for the ripe ones. There were a lot that still had to ripen so it was a little slow going. She had gone the day before and was in another section that needed to be picked since she got a full bucket by herself in 45 minutes. The ones she got on the first day were very sweet. The ones we were getting yesterday were a little tart just the way I like them so I got all the berries yesterday. I got 49 pounds. I put them in the freezer and have them all winter long in smoothies. Today's job is to get them into the freezer.

Today is my youngest's birthday. He turns 21. How did I get so old? He is coming home today to celebrate. His gf is coming on Sat morning so we can go into the city. We are going with our sons and their gfs to see Wicked. We still have to decide how we are getting into the city and where we are going to eat.

QOTD, Wednesday June 29th: water. how do you get your water in each day? drink glasses throughout the day? fill a water bottle? drink it by a certain time?

I always have a water bottle with me. When I am at school they have a frig with ice and water so I fill up my bottle a couple of times during the day. I can't drink too later because then I will be up and down all night.

Disney QOTD, Wednesday June 29th: When was your last trip to Disney? (WDW, DL, DCL, AbD) When is your next trip?? tell us a little something about it!

My last trip was 2 years ago. I was recovering from bunion surgery. I was recovering fairly quickly and inthe middle of July (3 weeks from the surgery) my dh says "Why don't we go to DW?" I had the plane and the rooom, with a discount, booked within an hour. We had a great time. It was the first time it was just us in a long time.

Our next trip was just decided on Father's Day. My dsis and her dh are DVC members. They are thinking about using their points for a 3 bedroom at BLT. It sleeps 13 so all the kids could also bring their friends. BLT is the one place I have wanted to stay. It is on my to stay list. It will be next Aug. We will be celbrating ds2's graduation from college. We have traveled together before but never stayed at the same hotel before so I don't know how this is going to work.

Off to get some things done around here.

Have a happy and healthy day.

blueberry picking sounds fun! and having them for smoothies and other things will be great, all winter! and a heck of a lot cheaper!

happy bday to your DS! have fun going downtown and enjoy wicked. i saw it back when it came out and really liked it. did you read the book? it's a good one.

Just a fly by post as I rush off to work. Not looking forward to getting out of bed at 3:30 tomorrow morning. 5 AM is rough enough. I know that I need to get that stinkin comp time built up as I want to take a week vacation in August with Chris and the boys so it's worth it, I just know that there isn't any nap time built into my day tomorrow. We leave at 9 am for the weekend, we'll drop off the camper at the campground then take the boys to Santa's Village. I'm sure I'll be ready to crash by 8 PM, but the rest of the weekend should be much more restful. I've got my sandwich thin and ham sandwich, banana, peach and cheese and crackers packed for lunch today so I should do okay on the eating front.

wake up at 3:30??? ok, nevermind, i'm not complaining about my 5am wake up time anymore. shoo!

nice meal planning and packing for the day! i was much better when i worked because i brought my breakfast and lunch (and sometimes dinner, ugh) and was only allowed to eat what i brought. maybe i should pack my food each evening for the next day and just pretend there isn't any other food in the house??

Congrats to all of the winners - um, I mean losers .

I overslept and missed my Weight Watchers weigh-in yesterday, so I'll have to go tomorrow. I think I've done well enough these past few days to make up for the sins of my staycation.

Today I did a lot of cooking - artichokes, eggplant, and banana bread. I did a lot of "tasting" too, but managed to stay within my points. I'm trying to be a stickler and account for every little bite that goes in my mouth. Hopefully tomorrow's weigh-in will show it.

- Laura

i cannot for the life of me cook vegetables that taste good. i'm the queen of reheating frozen veg. i love eggplant. how do you make it? artichokes are like, alot of work, aren't they??

Evening all! Ran some errands tonight while DD was at swim.... Dropped two big bags at the Goodwill and managed to come home with just one small one! Bought a brand new pair of Coldwater Creek suede shoes for $10.... not exactly a give-away, but a decent deal!

But honestly, some of the prices at the Goodwill are just ridiculous. It makes me wonder if the folks who DECIDE on these prices ever go to real stores?

i love goodwill. but i agree - sometimes some of the items are...overpriced!! but you kinda feel bad saying anything since it's goodwill after all! glad you got some new shoes. $10! nice!

I def don't ignore advice from someone who is far more expierenced than me. I actually do try to pace myself, because I remember how bad my shin splints used to be, and if i just start off running miles everyday that will not be pretty. That is one reason I like the couch to 5 k program because it builds up how much you can do over a few weeks. I feel fortunate that I had been doing 6 mile walks every day before I started taking up running. I only push myself when I know I can do it. Like today I really wanted to be able to go two miles but I knew I just couldn't and i would end up hurting myself. Having the dog with me really helps as well because I know what she can do and what she can't and I have to be mindful of that.

I actually had a very nice old man in the trail today remind me not to push myself too hard. (He also said it was very nice that I bring water for my dog! Although its not fun having to run with a bottle of water and a collapsible water bowl!)

And I agree about cross training! I'm looking into getting a bike (I ran over my last one) to be able to do something on my off days besides walk. And also going to try to do more strength training as well!

---------------------------
I had a very enjoyable day. Day off finally and my best friend who moved to vermont a few months ago came down for the day. We went out to lunch, did some errands (washed my car! still looks dirty!), and saw the new Transformers movie (grew up with transformers, have a thing for awesome robots!). I did not get any pop corn or soda at the movies and had a handful of sweedish fish. For lunch i tried to get some low calories items i think i did pretty good. All in all just seeing my friend was awesome and I had a fantastic day. Just had a salad with some chicken in it for dinner and now I'm just resting up before work tomorrow. Gotta get up to go take my sleeping pill but im so cozy on the couch i dont feel like moving! Unfortunatly if i dont take it 3 to 4 hours before i want to sleep i wont sleep at all. Do yourself a favor and if a doctor ever wants to put you on sleeping pills...SAY NO!

glad you had such a nice time with your friend!

i haven't even seen transformers 2! can't believe there is a part 3 already. i really loved the first one. i too grew up with transformers so i was totally pumped for the first one. how did you like the third? also, i love swedish fish. i have to just stay away from them though b/c i'll eat a million of them.

Yesterday's QOTD: We are totally park hopping people. We tend to go for looong trips and we'll hit a park in the morning, take a break then hit a different one in the evening. Having 2 weeks allows us to hop around. We usually buy annual passes.


Todays Q's of the day. I really drink very little water, maybe 16 ounces a day. I hate the taste of plain water. I also tend to need some caffiene and diet soda fills that void. I know that it is not good for me, but it really is my only vice.

Our last trip to Disney was last summer. We spent a week in a treehouse villa with my parents, had a DIS meet with a bunch of friends and hit the parks. From there we did a weeklong cruise on the NCL Epic. After the cruise we spent another week in orlando and did 2 nights at Universal, spent a day at Seaworld and more time at WDW. It was an awesome trip. We own DVC so we go on a regular basis. My older 2 have been 12 or 13 times now.
Our next trip will be a first, first trip to DL that is. We plan to spend 4 days in CA on our way home from a 2 plus week trip to Hawaii.

your next trip sounds fabulous!!! disney AND hawaii?? my two favorites!!! when is it??

what did you think of the treehouses? we stayed there in january with my aunt, uncle, and their three kids (11, 9, and 8) and had an absolute blast! in fact, we're planning on staying there again may 2012 but this time it'll just be me, dh, ds, and the new baby. we will have points from not going in january and figure we'd be nice and isolate ourselves in case of lots of baby crying!

 

[snowangel72]

Totally random question but have you ever eaten cheeseless pizza? Last night I had a piece on whole wheat crust loaded with veggies. It was sooooooo good!!!! I used to laugh at people who ate cheeseless pizza but I think I am converted!!!!

 

[tigger813]

Morning all,

BAD night last night. Mom was in horrible pain and then had me up about every hour to go to the bathroom. I'm am beat and just hope I can get through another 4 nights of this. Of course the last night I have to be up early anyways for my flight. I have a headache which I have when I don't get much sleep. Just had my shake and I just put the kettle on for my tea. I should probably have 2 cups of that this morning.

Dr and chemo at 11:20. Hoping to stop at the grocery store and maybe another store if Mom is up to it! I MUST Nap today! I have a feeling I will sleep a lot once I get home.

Brian said my car is squeaking loudly again! It better not be something else since I just spent over $400 on brakes last month. He said he didn't know when he'd have time to take it over to the shop which is just around the corner. I emailed him at 4 and said I will need it on Tuesday for work and he has today after his meeting at work and tomorrow when he could take it over to be checked out. Theyare good about checking it out quickly! It needs to be taken care of before I get back as I will have a lot to catch up when I get back as I will have the kids with me too.

Ash's last day on crutches is today. So hopefully they will be able to get around easier until I get back.

Gotta try and wash my mom's hair now.

TTFN

 

[pjlla]

Just a fly by post as I rush off to work. Not looking forward to getting out of bed at 3:30 tomorrow morning. 5 AM is rough enough. I know that I need to get that stinkin comp time built up as I want to take a week vacation in August with Chris and the boys so it's worth it, I just know that there isn't any nap time built into my day tomorrow. We leave at 9 am for the weekend, we'll drop off the camper at the campground then take the boys to Santa's Village. I'm sure I'll be ready to crash by 8 PM, but the rest of the weekend should be much more restful. I've got my sandwich thin and ham sandwich, banana, peach and cheese and crackers packed for lunch today so I should do okay on the eating front.

Can you say COFFEE!!?? And lots of it tomorrow (although as I recall you aren't a coffee person... perhaps change that to diet coke??) Have a great weekend camping and with Santa!

You are ready for today with your food. Aren't the peaches great right now??

Good Thursday morning everyone.

Spent the afternoon yesterday pciking blueberries. I went with a friend. She brought along her 2 daughters and their 3 cousins. It was very sunny and almost too hot since we didn't leave until 12:30. We ended up in a patch where you had to search for the ripe ones. There were a lot that still had to ripen so it was a little slow going. She had gone the day before and was in another section that needed to be picked since she got a full bucket by herself in 45 minutes. The ones she got on the first day were very sweet. The ones we were getting yesterday were a little tart just the way I like them so I got all the berries yesterday. I got 49 pounds. I put them in the freezer and have them all winter long in smoothies. Today's job is to get them into the freezer.

My Dad grows his own blueberries so we are usually spoiled with fresh organic blueberries in August. Don't you just love them?

We have our own patch of blueberries, but unfortunately the woods took over the area and we had to give it up (although the plants are huge). I think this fall we are going to try to buy some more plants for another patch further from the wicked woods!

Today is my youngest's birthday. He turns 21. How did I get so old? He is coming home today to celebrate. His gf is coming on Sat morning so we can go into the city. We are going with our sons and their gfs to see Wicked. We still have to decide how we are getting into the city and where we are going to eat.

Nope, you're not old. THe kids age, but we don't! Isn't that amazing? Happy Birthday to DS. Are you taking him for his first legal drink??

Our next trip was just decided on Father's Day. My dsis and her dh are DVC members. They are thinking about using their points for a 3 bedroom at BLT. It sleeps 13 so all the kids could also bring their friends. BLT is the one place I have wanted to stay. It is on my to stay list. It will be next Aug. We will be celbrating ds2's graduation from college. We have traveled together before but never stayed at the same hotel before so I don't know how this is going to work.

Off to get some things done around here.

Have a happy and healthy day.

BLT or the Contemporary are both on my "dream" list. Be sure to tell us all about it!

Good morning!

Just a quick hello again as I have to go to work. Sheesh. I was hoping for another cancel day, but maybe tomorrow. We had a productive day yesterday, so that feels good. Eating was ok, and I ran/walked in the am and did lots of cleaning.

YEAH on good eating, running, and cleaning! All of these things will make you feel soooo good!

We have family festival this week so last night was oldies night, where they block off the center of town, have a dj playing oldies music and dancing in the square. We met up with Sue/dvccruiser briefly and it was so fun to meet her adorable little Dylan. We had dinner at a deli, and I did have a meatball sub, but that was it, so could have been worse.
The fireworks are sunday at the park near our house, so we have a pre fireworks cookout, and our whole neighborhood is just crazy with parties, and fun. It looks like the work on our side street is not going to be done by then, so we'll have to stick in our little yard. We normally have a water ballon fight in the street.

IT sounds like you have a fun neighborhood. Me, not so much. Not sure why. I tried to organize a block party several years ago and got exactly one family who agreed to participate..... So I give up. We can all live out in the boondocks in this little cul de sac and NOT EVEN KNOW EACH OTHER!! oh well.

Pamela- I know FOTLK is supposed to be amazing, and at least the past 3 trips, I have said we are going to do it, and haven't. I will get there eventually.
Beergaritas, if you like margaritas and beer are a delicious beverage for a hot day. You take a can of frozen Limeade and put in a pitcher, then fill the can once with tequila, once with club soda, 1/4 can of triple sec, and mix it all together then add 2 cans or bottles of light beer, and serve over ice. They are so good. The recipe originally called for 1 can of beer, but it was too sweet, so I added a second. I didn't figure the points on it, but the pitcher does go a long way.

Sure.... you had to go and tell me the RECIPE?? Now I might HAVE to try it this holiday weekend!! And are you kidding me.... you actually FILL THE CAN with tequila?? YIKES! Have you ever tried it with sugar-free limeade? It would almost be low carb/low sugar then (except for the triple sec) if you used one of the low carb beers.

Sounds delish though. I'll see what I have for ingredients. We are not drinkers much in this house..... I still have a few bottles of booze left from our housewarming party.... 17 years ago!! BTW, what is the shelf-life of vodka and scotch??

It sounds too far away, so depending on finances and work stuff, if possible, maybe a trip some time next year. I did play with going in dec for ds's 10th bday, figuring it'd be cost effective to go while he was 9 and still child prices, but I don't know if I can swing that. But you never know, a disney trip is so helpful for my mental health.

Have a fantastic day everyone!!

I agree... you need some Disney to maintain good mental health!

GOOOOODDD MORRRNING LOOOSERRSSS!!!! ZZZZzzzzzz

QOTD, Thursday June 30th: After dinner and before bed is a REALLY tough time for me. What do YOU do after dinner in order to stay on plan? Do you have a snack? What is it? A rule that you can't eat? A drink of water? How do you fight those little demons that say "eeeaaaatttt" when you're watching tv or doing whatever you do at night??


I learned a long time ago that despite being told not to eat in the evening, I am going to want SOMETHING (usually something sweet) at night. So I plan it and save points for it. THat usually works out just fine. And it is usually a "treat". Remember a while ago when I talked about my freezer inventory and listed how many boxes of Weight Watchers and Skinny Cow ice cream treats I had in there?? Those are my evening treats. I can honestly say that I never, ever, ever eat those during the day..... only in the evening, after dinner.

If the day hasn't gone as planned and I don't have enough points left for such a treat, I will try to make due with a cup of my infamous "hot drink".... kind of like a latte/cocoa mix. That is usually sweet enough to make due and it is only one point. If I don't even have enough points left for that.... I will make due with a cup (or two) of decaf green tea with Splenda or stevia.


Disney QOTD, June 30th: What's that one thing that really makes you feel like you're at Disney? A ride? A special walk down Main Street? A treat?

Main Street music. There is one part of the music that always sticks with me. DD actually found it on youtube and posted it as the ringer on her phone. It was fun to listen to before our trip, but now it just makes me sad.

I swear though, there is something "palpable" in the air at Disney. It is kind of a combined smell, sound, feeling, taste that is just special. I think it is called "MAGIC". It is relaxing and intoxicating and stimulating and heartwarming all at once. And I've never found it anywhere else.



now, i realize this is my last day of coaching and also that i forgot an "-ism" from the now famous aunt ann yesterday. so let's just hope that this last day's in a doozie. last night she writes:

"Women's a$$ size study: There is a new study about women and how they feel about their a$$es, the results were pretty interesting. 30% of women think their a$$ is too fat, 10% of women think their a$$ is too skinny, the remaining 60% say they don't care, they love him, he is a good man, and wouldn't trade him for the world..."

hehehehe

That was an absolute HOOT!!**********************************

well, i'm starting the day up quite a bit, bringing my total weight gain now to 12.5 lbs i'm not thrilled at all with that as i still have 21 more weeks to go. but i AM really proud of myself for exercising almost every day. it will help me bounce back. i feel chunky in the back fat area but my legs, although chunky as well (and prob always will be) feel strong. i just need to make better choices at night.

this weekend will be a eat-fest. i think i posted this before but we are going camping in gettysburg with my 87 year old grandpa. every year i complain that i don't want to go but every year i know that this year could be the last and i simply just have to go. plus, it's a weekend of actually doing something and not sitting in his house all day (he keeps his thermostat at 80 degrees all year round ). a few years ago his lady friend passed away. we go camping with her family. they are all....fat. sorry, there's just no better world. morbidly obese. morbidly. the mom and dad (kinda my aunt and uncle) are in their 50s and their kids are in their mid twenties. the smallest of them, the daughter, is over 350lbs. and they eat. all weekend. it's insane. one morning they will make chipped beef gravy with white bread. dh and i will be STUFFED after two pieces of bread and gravy. i mean, stuffed to the gills. the husband and son EACH EAT A LOAF OF BREAD! A LOAF OF BREAD! for breakfast!

so, you get it, it's enough food to feed a small country. i'm going to bring some things. a fruit salad. lisa's pasta salad. my running clothes. i always come back from weekends with them up like 7lbs and feeling like crap.

don't know if the campsite has WiFi but if it does i'll probably come on here to post just so don't eat!

long post, thanks for reading. have a great day all!!!! and thanks for letting me be your coach the last week or so. it's been fun! forced me to get on here and forced me to think harder about my choices.

i just have to follow through!

Nancy.... thanks for coaching this week. I"ve really enjoyed your double questions and your messages from Aunt Ann!

Good luck this weekend with the eating. It is a bit scary to see how some people eat, but perhaps you can use that as a springboard to do your VERY BEST this weekend!

ANd honestly, on the entire loaf of WHITE BREAD Obviously they don't have a clue what that has just done to their pancreas! Can you say "diabetes waiting to happen!"??????

And seriously.... what the heck is chipped beef gravy?? Is it the stuff that my dad said they served in the army and it was called SH_T on a shingle?? Is it like that southern sausage gravy and biscuits? Who really eats that stuff?? and for breakfast??? ewwwwww.

i cannot for the life of me cook vegetables that taste good. i'm the queen of reheating frozen veg. i love eggplant. how do you make it? artichokes are like, alot of work, aren't they??

I find artichokes to be too much work for what they are, although maybe others would disagree. Eggplant is really easy though. No more difficult than squash to prepare. Depends on how you want it. Grilled? Roasted? I like to roast it with other veggies in a medley of sorts... and then it can be served a variety of ways.

To roast the eggplant I just dice it up (you can peel it if the peel seems particularly tough), toss it on a jelly roll pan (I usually spray with PAM first, but you can skip this step and just toss it with EVOO if you prefer). Roast in a hot oven (425 ish)for about 15 minutes.... but keep a close eye on it. Depending on big the pieces are it can be done in much less or much more time. My family likes their roasted veggies really browned, but not burned. You may have to try different cooking times to see what your family likes.

Roasted egg plant can be really good with onions and peppers and italian seasonings for a side dish.... or toss with some cooked pasta and diced tomatoes for a main dish.

what did you think of the treehouses? we stayed there in january with my aunt, uncle, and their three kids (11, 9, and 8) and had an absolute blast! in fact, we're planning on staying there again may 2012 but this time it'll just be me, dh, ds, and the new baby. we will have points from not going in january and figure we'd be nice and isolate ourselves in case of lots of baby crying!

Totally random question but have you ever eaten cheeseless pizza? Last night I had a piece on whole wheat crust loaded with veggies. It was sooooooo good!!!! I used to laugh at people who ate cheeseless pizza but I think I am converted!!!!

I've never had totally cheeseless, but I definitely have had very little cheese. I guess I feel like I need to cheese, even just a bit, to hold everything together! Love, love, love lots of roasted/grilled veggies on my pizza though!!

Did you make it yourself or order it somewhere??

*****************

Morning all! DD wanted to go for a bike ride this morning and we were planning to go about 8am.... but she isn't up yet. I feel bad about waking her up, so I didn't. We will go mid-morning, after breakfast I guess.

What a beautiful night for sleeping!! Cool and breezy and just perfect. I slept like a baby (a content baby.... not those colicky kind that are up every two hours!). Laid there this morning thinking about my eating plan for the weekend.

How far am I willing to go to stay OP? I don't want to single myself out at every meal and go digging in the cooler. I think I will pack up a small cooler with some essentials and hope that there is a lot of lean meat, fruit, and salad available. We will stop at Costco on the way down and grab some peaches and strawberries and salad stuff to bring along to share.... hopefully that will help.

I will hard-boil a dozen eggs to bring for myself, plus a few plain fat free greek yogurts, a few of my low carb pitas, a round of LC cheese or a bag of baby-bel light cheese, a bottle of my favorite Paul Newman's light dressing and a jar of sugar-free peanut butter. THat, combined with the salad stuff and fruit, ought to get me through breakfast most days, plus some snacks and a lunch or two without being too obvious.

If I am careful to step AROUND the lasagna, steak, potatoes, cookies, chips, donuts, ice cream, chicken wings, I should be able to do okay. I think I will plan to stay OP Saturday and Sunday, splurge some Monday , and back OP Tuesday.

I want to try hard to not make obvious changes and be running to the cooler for "special" foods all the time because that is NOT a realistic plan for life. THe whole idea behind WW is that you do NOT need "special" foods. So I will eat with the group whatever/whenever I can, making good choices....but at least have some healthy breakfast stuff with me so I can start each day off well!!

DSIL lives in a great area for running.... I can run down to the marina and around the boats and stuff, plus down along the sea wall. I will plan to walk/run every day (Sun, Mon, Tues) that we are there all day. We will probably come home Wed, so I will be busy packing up that morning.

I am hoping for a maintain over the holiday.

There you have it! Well... coffee smells delicious and I haven't poured my cup yet, so I'm gonna go get it! TTYL.........................P

 

[DisneyKim68]

Good morning fellow losers! Off to cook this morning (I'm a personal chef) I love cooking for today's clients because they are on WW too and that gives me an excuse to test new recipes

QOTD: I always save points for after dinner snack(s) I usually have a mini bag of microwave popcorn or a Skinny Cow.

Disney QOTD: Mainstreet! I just LOVE walkig down Mainstreet. That makes me feel that I'm in Disney more than anything else.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Can y'all swing back by my house with the wagon???

I totally fell off! I really need to get back on but don't have the motivation to run after it. This week has been terrible, I just want to quit, say screw it, what's the point.
Scale isn't moving, clothes are tight, eating like crap (although a smidge of light was the Turkey tacos we had last night, the kids didn't even notice the difference) And of course I know the bad food choices are making the scale go up and making the clothes tighter but I don't care!!!

UGH, how do I move past this??????

Off to take the kids to swim, get DS10 and figure out what the heck to have for lunch, and dinner.

 

[mackeysmom]

i cannot for the life of me cook vegetables that taste good. i'm the queen of reheating frozen veg. i love eggplant. how do you make it? artichokes are like, alot of work, aren't they??

Artichokes are a labor of love for me - I love them so much, I honestly don't mind that they take quite a bit of time to prepare.

My eggplant recipe is a Weight Watcher-ized version of an Eggplant Gratin from Ina Garten (Food Network's The Barefoot Contessa). You can always substitute the fat-free dairy with full or reduced fat if you prefer. The only thing I never chintz on is the fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Eggplant Gratin

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound eggplant, sliced 1/2-inch thick (peeled or unpeeled, depends on your preference)
• 1/3 cup fat free ricotta cheese
• ½ cup eggbeaters
• ½ cup fat free half-and-half
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Partially pre-cook the eggplant slices (in a single layer) in the microwave for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, Parmesan, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

In a square casserole dish, layer sauce, eggplant slices, ricotta mixture and marinara sauce. In an 8X8 pan, you should get 2 layers.

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella on top..

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard sets and the top is browned.

Serve warm.

13 PointsPlus total

- Laura

 

[trinaweena]

Morning all,

BAD night last night. Mom was in horrible pain and then had me up about every hour to go to the bathroom. I'm am beat and just hope I can get through another 4 nights of this. Of course the last night I have to be up early anyways for my flight. I have a headache which I have when I don't get much sleep. Just had my shake and I just put the kettle on for my tea. I should probably have 2 cups of that this morning.

Dr and chemo at 11:20. Hoping to stop at the grocery store and maybe another store if Mom is up to it! I MUST Nap today! I have a feeling I will sleep a lot once I get home.

Brian said my car is squeaking loudly again! It better not be something else since I just spent over $400 on brakes last month. He said he didn't know when he'd have time to take it over to the shop which is just around the corner. I emailed him at 4 and said I will need it on Tuesday for work and he has today after his meeting at work and tomorrow when he could take it over to be checked out. Theyare good about checking it out quickly! It needs to be taken care of before I get back as I will have a lot to catch up when I get back as I will have the kids with me too.

Ash's last day on crutches is today. So hopefully they will be able to get around easier until I get back.

Gotta try and wash my mom's hair now.

TTFN

*hugs* so sorry its been so rough for you! Hang in there it will be over soon and you will be back with your girls!

*****************

Morning all! DD wanted to go for a bike ride this morning and we were planning to go about 8am.... but she isn't up yet. I feel bad about waking her up, so I didn't. We will go mid-morning, after breakfast I guess.

What a beautiful night for sleeping!! Cool and breezy and just perfect. I slept like a baby (a content baby.... not those colicky kind that are up every two hours!). Laid there this morning thinking about my eating plan for the weekend.

How far am I willing to go to stay OP? I don't want to single myself out at every meal and go digging in the cooler. I think I will pack up a small cooler with some essentials and hope that there is a lot of lean meat, fruit, and salad available. We will stop at Costco on the way down and grab some peaches and strawberries and salad stuff to bring along to share.... hopefully that will help.

I will hard-boil a dozen eggs to bring for myself, plus a few plain fat free greek yogurts, a few of my low carb pitas, a round of LC cheese or a bag of baby-bel light cheese, a bottle of my favorite Paul Newman's light dressing and a jar of sugar-free peanut butter. THat, combined with the salad stuff and fruit, ought to get me through breakfast most days, plus some snacks and a lunch or two without being too obvious.

If I am careful to step AROUND the lasagna, steak, potatoes, cookies, chips, donuts, ice cream, chicken wings, I should be able to do okay. I think I will plan to stay OP Saturday and Sunday, splurge some Monday , and back OP Tuesday.

I want to try hard to not make obvious changes and be running to the cooler for "special" foods all the time because that is NOT a realistic plan for life. THe whole idea behind WW is that you do NOT need "special" foods. So I will eat with the group whatever/whenever I can, making good choices....but at least have some healthy breakfast stuff with me so I can start each day off well!!

DSIL lives in a great area for running.... I can run down to the marina and around the boats and stuff, plus down along the sea wall. I will plan to walk/run every day (Sun, Mon, Tues) that we are there all day. We will probably come home Wed, so I will be busy packing up that morning.

I am hoping for a maintain over the holiday.

There you have it! Well... coffee smells delicious and I haven't poured my cup yet, so I'm gonna go get it! TTYL.........................P

I was very happy to read about your plan! My mom and I are heading to the cape next weekend to stay with my grandmother and three younger cousins. We will be there friday afternoon/night, all day saturday and come back sunday night. We will probablly be eating out more than anything but I still worry because I get in the "vacation mode" and just want to eat everything! I do plan on running sat and sun and I'm very excited to be able to run by the beach! I think my mom will help keep me on track as she's been very supportive with all this!

Can y'all swing back by my house with the wagon???

I totally fell off! I really need to get back on but don't have the motivation to run after it. This week has been terrible, I just want to quit, say screw it, what's the point.
Scale isn't moving, clothes are tight, eating like crap (although a smidge of light was the Turkey tacos we had last night, the kids didn't even notice the difference) And of course I know the bad food choices are making the scale go up and making the clothes tighter but I don't care!!!

UGH, how do I move past this??????

Off to take the kids to swim, get DS10 and figure out what the heck to have for lunch, and dinner.

I've been there! Recently! Stay with us! HANG IN THERE!!!!

Artichokes are a labor of love for me - I love them so much, I honestly don't mind that they take quite a bit of time to prepare.

My eggplant recipe is a Weight Watcher-ized version of an Eggplant Gratin from Ina Garten (Food Network's The Barefoot Contessa). You can always substitute the fat-free dairy with full or reduced fat if you prefer. The only thing I never chintz on is the fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Eggplant Gratin

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound eggplant, sliced 1/2-inch thick (peeled or unpeeled, depends on your preference)
• 1/3 cup fat free ricotta cheese
• ½ cup eggbeaters
• ½ cup fat free half-and-half
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Partially pre-cook the eggplant slices (in a single layer) in the microwave for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, Parmesan, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

In a square casserole dish, layer sauce, eggplant slices, ricotta mixture and marinara sauce. In an 8X8 pan, you should get 2 layers.

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella on top..

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard sets and the top is browned.

Serve warm.

13 PointsPlus total

- Laura

That sounds good and I'm going to try that, do you know the calories breakdown? I don't do points...

Totally random question but have you ever eaten cheeseless pizza? Last night I had a piece on whole wheat crust loaded with veggies. It was sooooooo good!!!! I used to laugh at people who ate cheeseless pizza but I think I am converted!!!!

Im actually not a big fan of cheese on pizza. I like feta cheese on my pizza

glad you had such a nice time with your friend!

i haven't even seen transformers 2! can't believe there is a part 3 already. i really loved the first one. i too grew up with transformers so i was totally pumped for the first one. how did you like the third? also, i love swedish fish. i have to just stay away from them though b/c i'll eat a million of them.

I did enjoy it. A lot doesnt make sense, but I feel like those action movies never do. It was good, lots of actions, pretty people, cool robots, funny dialouge, stuff blows up. Can't complain haha!!!

Sweedish fish are one of my favorites but I cant have like more than 6 at a time haha!

GOOOOODDD MORRRNING LOOOSERRSSS!!!! ZZZZzzzzzz

QOTD, Thursday June 30th: After dinner and before bed is a REALLY tough time for me. What do YOU do after dinner in order to stay on plan? Do you have a snack? What is it? A rule that you can't eat? A drink of water? How do you fight those little demons that say "eeeaaaatttt" when you're watching tv or doing whatever you do at night??



Disney QOTD, June 30th: What's that one thing that really makes you feel like you're at Disney? A ride? A special walk down Main Street? A treat?

This first question is a strange one for me, because I eat dinner at weird times. I usually don't get out of work till 9 so by the time I get home its 9:30 so by the time I eat its almost 10! I know your not supposed to eat after 10 o clock but thats when I get time for dinner. My job kind of sucks, and I have to take my "dinner" break at 4 in the afternoon. My big problem with after dinner snacking for me is once I take my ambien I have to be really careful because "Sleep eating" is a big problem with ambien. I just try to position myself away from food after i take my pill and i have been getting better, but alot of the time you don't even know your eating untill you wake up the next morning!

For the second question..this is a tough one. I guess I would say walking into epcot and bee lining it for mexico for our margarita!!! Yeah once i have that margarita im home and on vacation!!!

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Ugh guys I need a vacation! Can I just vent for two seconds about my job? I think alot of people my age (25) complain about having to work a "real job" but I don't even have a "real job". It's a job that doesn't pay me enoough that I have to be at every day and should be a part time job and causes my more stress than i need! Ugh. I know its a job and I SHOULD NOT complain but sometimes you just cant help it you know? I think having such a nice day off yesterday makes today that much worse. Thursdays are my most hated days as it is, my classes are all awful and i dont get any breaks. I would really just like 2 days off in a row instead of one every two weeks!

I suppose I should go find something for lunch. It has to last me till 9 tonight so it better be something good i guess...11:30-9 with no opprotunity for food..that's normal right?

 

[Zhoen]

My eggplant recipe is a Weight Watcher-ized version of an Eggplant Gratin from Ina Garten (Food Network's The Barefoot Contessa). You can always substitute the fat-free dairy with full or reduced fat if you prefer. The only thing I never chintz on is the fresh grated parmesan cheese.
- Laura

That sounds soooo yummy! I love eggplant parmesan, but it's so bad for you when it's made 'traditional'... I'm the only one in the family who will eat squash of any type, so parm at a restaurant is the only way I ever get to have any eggplant... pooooorrr meeeeee

QUOTE=BernardandMissBianca;41669596] And of course I know the bad food choices are making the scale go up and making the clothes tighter but I don't care!!!
[/QUOTE]

Of COURSE you care, or you wouldn't be beating yourself up right now... you just momentarily FORGET that you care in "the heat of the moment." What sort of things are tripping you up? Are you waiting too long to eat and then letting "bad" foods tempt you? My DD4 is a monster-- she's "starving" after school every day, so I get her a snack for the drive home, then she doesn't eat it all (or worse, she would eat it all, but it smells so good, I go into crazy-shark-feeding-frenzy mode... So I try to make sure I have something healthy BEFORE she gets her snack... or talk her into picking something I really dislike… Really, it's incredibly tough to say to yourself "I can have baby carrots as soon as we're home in 45 minutes... I just have to resist that luscious smelling (fill in the blank insanely yummy food here) for another 45 minutes... oh wait, traffic jam, make that an hour...

Or is it portion control, or emotional eating, or ...?


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To whoever asked about the "always thirsty" thing, nope, not diabetes... I thought about that after I typed it... it's actually caused by a medication I'm on. On the upside, I've never had a UTI in my life...

And the berries... yesterday was pretty much the main flush of it... I'd been putting off picking them and they were sooo ripe they were starting to fall on the ground. We got a bit over a pint (not bad for a tiny little patch), and I wanted to freeze them, but the pixies gobbled them all up, and I can't exactly be mad my kids like fruit... I suppose I could go to the park near here, they grow wild there, too, but I'm too lazy. And yes, I like to make jam and cobblers with the raspberries and blackberries that grow here, it's a summer tradition, the cobbler especially... but in the same vein about thinking about food sources, these days I feel terrible about the idea of using sugar... there's no place even close to local for that... we have plenty of local honey, but I don't like it all that much... I was going to try growing some stevia this year, but I never got it into the ground and it died in the pot along with a bunch of other poor plants…

QOTD: We tend to eat dinner really late… like between 7 and 8, but sometimes later… then go to bed between 9 and 10, so this isn’t really a problem for me… for me it’s 3:30… 3:30 is a doozy. It’s a long time after lunch, it’s before I’d prefer to eat “snack”, but it’s near the end of the work day, I’m bored, I want a pick-me-up… you get the point… If we had early dinner (I’m exhausted so we get drive-thru at 6pm on the way home, for example, I might want something, and in that case I like cereal… it feels guilty, but you can get a lot for less calories…

Disney QOTD: I like seeing the castle from the ferry.

Man… I’m going to strangle you guys… we’re weighing-in tomorrow and you’ve all got me wanting pizza and eggplant parmesan.

 

[Disneywedding2010]

wow wow wow that sounds awesome! and what a HUGE house!!! i'm only just a little jealous while i sit here in my 800 square foot house/shack!! talk about space!

and 16 minutes to disney world! that's just not fair!

i have to apologize because i wasn't paying attention earlier but what do you guys have planned for jobs? we'd love to get down there but the job market isn't really what DH and i are in. that's why we'd need to do our own thing like the consulting business.

you can tell we're all disney nuts because i'm definitely sure the "water view" that you'll have with your pool gave us all a chuckle!

We are bringing our towing company down from TX. Alan has done a lot of talking with the highway patrol and they've basically said there aren't a lot of towing companies around the Kissimmee area. They are having to use companies out of Orlando. So, we're bringing the flat bed out to FL and our realtor is going to help us find a impound yard that we can lease.

I finished my degree in hospitality management (i.e. hotels) so I'm shooting for the stars: DISNEY CAST MEMBER! However, any other hotel would work as well. I just spent 3 years getting that degree. I'm going to put it to use.

I'm going to sit down today and work a budget (kind of) out today for FL. I can already tell you are bills are going to be somewhat less if not non existant.

No house phone or security system because the security system is already provided and you can give them your cell number. ADT it was REQUIRED you have a land line. Our electric bill will be DRASTICALLY reduced because we're going from a 2 story to a 1 story. No gas bill because the house is all electric. No gym membership because the closest one is in Orlando and we will have a fitness center in the community. I'm liquidating all of my credit cards but two. We're only keeping one tow truck so the insurance will go down drastically in that department. We're just overall going to be a lot more happier.

 

[bellebookworm9]

Today is my youngest's birthday. He turns 21. How did I get so old? He is coming home today to celebrate. His gf is coming on Sat morning so we can go into the city. We are going with our sons and their gfs to see Wicked. We still have to decide how we are getting into the city and where we are going to eat.

Happy birthday to your son! Wicked the musical is amazing-I've seen it twice and it gets better every time!

GOOOOODDD MORRRNING LOOOSERRSSS!!!! ZZZZzzzzzz


QOTD, Thursday June 30th: After dinner and before bed is a REALLY tough time for me. What do YOU do after dinner in order to stay on plan? Do you have a snack? What is it? A rule that you can't eat? A drink of water? How do you fight those little demons that say "eeeaaaatttt" when you're watching tv or doing whatever you do at night??

Ugh, I have the same problem. I've done okay the last few nights, and normally I try to snack on healthier things, like cheese and crackers or fruits. But I like what Pamela does, and might look into the WW ice cream treats for the evening!

Disney QOTD, June 30th: What's that one thing that really makes you feel like you're at Disney? A ride? A special walk down Main Street? A treat?

I think just getting to Orlando airport, boarding ME, and riding under the arch is enough.

"Women's a$$ size study: There is a new study about women and how they feel about their a$$es, the results were pretty interesting. 30% of women think their a$$ is too fat, 10% of women think their a$$ is too skinny, the remaining 60% say they don't care, they love him, he is a good man, and wouldn't trade him for the world..."

One of my mom's friends on facebook posted this the other night too.

Good luck eating healthy this weekend-you can do it! OMG-A whole loaf of bread? I can't even fathom that!

have fun going downtown and enjoy wicked. i saw it back when it came out and really liked it. did you read the book? it's a good one.

Did you see it with the original cast? (Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth?) If so, I'm jealous! I didn't care for the book, but I read it after I saw the musical, and it's sooooo different.

Can y'all swing back by my house with the wagon???

Me too please!

Blargh. Last night I didn't do anything I planned. I didn't run because I was just so exhausted. I ended up not eating the chicken empanadas because my GERD was acting up and there are tomatoes, onions, and chili powder in those. I stopped at the Target Pizza Hut instead. Mom and I shared a personal pan cheese pizza and 3 breadsticks, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but I know it wasn't the best choice. (The sauce on their pizza doesn't aggravate the GERD much for some reason...) I had some other bad things too, but I did write it all down, and I'm getting back on track today.

 

[liesel]

Hey everyone! I'm still here, trying to keep up. What a busy summer!

Kristina-Congrats on the house! I'm so happy everything worked out well for you.

Tracey- to you and your family.

Buffy-Good luck with all the home renovations. You can get back on the wagon any time, baby steps.

Kathy-I'm glad you had a productive day.

Trina-Way to go with all that running! I think we all have a food that we love and I would rather enjoy something in moderation than never eat it again (because we all know how well that is going to work!). For me it is these delicious nachos from a local taqueria (they make their own queso-none of that bright orange disgusting stuff!). Once a month (a certain time when I am suseptible to food cravings, especially beef-which I don't normally eat very much of) I decide whether or not I'd like to have some. I don't indulge every month-I think the longest I've gone is 3 or 4 months without eating them, but I really think about it and plan my eating schedule accordingly. It helps me feel more in control and I feel just as rewarded if I pick a healthier alternative. It sounds like you are doing well with taking something you love and eating it only occasionally and in a smaller portion.

Rose-Way to go Gamecocks! Its so great that you are running again.

Kim! I'm glad there's another Tink runner here! You're a personal chef? I went to culinary school and worked for a catering company but I am at home with the kids now. I'd love to get into something like that again!


Nancy-The camping trip sounds like fun, except for the food part. This is definitely one of those times its good to bring some of your own food, sometimes making do with what's there isn't going to cut it! Great job on coaching this week.

Shawn-Good luck with the move.

Karen-Welcome back! I'm glad you had such a relaxing trip. to your sister.

Hi Pamela, you sound busy as usual.

Hello to my fellow Lisabelle!

Hello to everyone I missed, I'll try to keep up with this busy group!
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Here's a couple more pics from my road trip. The first one is a small shot of DS and I at the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns. You can hike all the way down (750 feet) from the natural entrance of the cave. There is also an elevator. We did this hike and 2 others, about 3 1/2 miles total. When we told the ranger what we were planning, he was concerned that the kdis wouldn't be able to handle it, but they were great! They were in much better shape than many of the adults doing this hike (there weren't that many) and we actually passed a few groups, even taking time to enjoy everything. They enjoyed looking at the cave formations so much that they didn't complain once! There was a wildfire here when we arrived and the park was closed for 2 days. They think someone tossed a lit cigarette near the visitor's center and the area just went up in flames!

This is a cute shot of DH, DD, and DS at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico. It is currently closed due to the wildfire (the one by Los Alamos) and I think about half the park has burned (they are working to defend the archeological sites). You can see how dry it is there, but still lovely. What a crazy wildfire season, its so dry in the southwest.