~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

[mitzimarie]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Hi, Everybody

It's late, so just a quick drive-by tonight. I'll come back tomorrow with some details. The bottom line - Induction, starting tomorrow. Not sure for how long, but it will be at least for 1 week.

Here we go, again.

[pamelainaustin]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Some where in this lovely state of VT there has got to be Fage Greek Yogurt!! I'm in a very rural area & the closest health food store is a 30" drive. With the price of gas we are trying to consolidate our trips. I will just have to be patient & be happy with the yogurt I have for now!

Hi Glenda

If you run out of options, there is a place online (parthenonfoods.com) where you can order Fage online. Not sure what the shipping costs are but with gas so high it might not be much more than the gas for driving an hour. I came across this website on another forum. I get the Fage at Whole Foods or Central Market here which are both pretty close and I must say it is yummy but I have also bought the Dannon one in vanilla and it is good as well. Good luck!!

Pam

[OzLover]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Joy~~your thoughts on free weights vs weight machines. I have access to both at the college gym I am a member of.

Pamela it is great to see you & thanks for the link. I've become a bit obsessed with finding Fage Yogurt here in VT!

[ValidRouge]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Glenda, I use a college gym too!!! I, personally, prefer the free weights. You have to use your core muscles to stay stable, so IMO, the free weights give you more bang for your exercise buck. That's not to say that there aren't good machines in the gym to use, such as the cable machines and the lat pulldown machine and the seated row machine. Other than those, I think you could get a better workout using the free weights.

[SunnySmile501]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Hi, Everyone

Another day that got out of control.

I was doing fine, until the celery. Celery, you ask? Yep.

I don't usually keep peanut butter in the house anymore, because I have control issues with it. But since it's summer and Daniel is home everyday, I thought I would give him another sandwich option. So I got some a couple of weeks ago. And things have been fine... didn't matter at all to me that it was in the cabinet. The other day, I bought some celery to munch on. Knowing full well that it could be trouble. Because you see, I can handle peanut butter alone... I can handle celery alone... but I CAN NOT resist celery and peanut butter together. What was I thinking? I knew damn good and well I was playing with fire when I bought it.

So, after almost half of a new 28 ounce jar is gone, I have thrown the rest of the peanut butter away.

I ran out of celery, anyway.

Me, too! I have kept peanut butter out of the house for many months, now, and it is not hard to pass it up in the grocery store, but the other day, I went to a grocery outlet on my way home from UVA. I only go there when I have an appointment at UVA, because they are really cheap and I have just spent so much gas money making the trip, and feel that I have to shop for groceries on the way home (this would be a 30-mile round trip from home). So what happens? As I slowly troll the aisles, I spot Smucker's Natural PB for $1.19 a jar! While looking at it, I spot the Adam's brand of natural PB for $1.12 a jar! Our local stores don't carry that brand, but it has been discussed on here. I end up buying a jar of both, and come home and go hog wild with the Adam's. I ate the whole jar over the period of about four days! I hid the jar of Smucker's and I am not going to open it for a very long time.

[SunnySmile501]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Well, friends, it has been ages since I posted on this thread. Life got really crazy for a very long time, but I have now stopped the 3 times a week trips to UVA for treatment, the garden stuff is all planted and most of the extra activities at church are over.

I have been eating mostly legal foods, but way over indulging in fruit (and Pnut butter) because of all the fruit available in my yard. The strawberries have been gone for a while, but the sweet cherries are still drawing me and the tree is loaded. The black raspberries are nearly gone, but I have never picked so many. I even have a white mullberry tree and they are sweeter than the purple kind. Starting today, I am staying away from the fruit bushes and trees.

I have been weighing ever day for 15 days to get a base line for starting some new stuff. Today I added cinnamon to my supplements and I will continue to weigh every day until I get back down to my siggy weight.

Today, I am back to the basics. Today, I start exercising again.

About the yogurt finding problem. I can't even find plain, full fat yogurt of any brand! I have looked at three different stores! I need some for an Italian chicken recipe in which you marinate the raw chicken in plain yogurt, and even though it's not a low carb recipe per se, it calls for full fat. Since I am not a yogurt 'eater' I hesitate making homemade yogurt.

Sunny!

[mitzimarie]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Hello, Everyone

LOL - Sunny, I see that you can feel my pain with the peanut butter. I figured out how many calories I had with that peanut butter incident - 2475 - in one sitting! And I seriously could have eaten more. I am one sick puppy when it comes to nuts and peanut butter. They're history.

Looks like you and I are knuckling down today. Like you, I had been taking advantage of all of the fresh fruit in season around here. It makes me sad to do it, but I'm ditching it for a while. I've got to go back to Induction foods to get myself under control again. I haven't felt cravings as bad as I have now, since I first started 16 months ago.

I figure there's a few reasons why I have been insane lately. First, I had an unexpected, unwanted visitor barge in on me Saturday - TOM. I really, really thought that chapter of my life had closed. A woman is considered in Menopause once they haven't had a period for 12 months. I had such a streak going! I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel... then wham! At least it explains my emotional instability and partly explains my hunger/cravings as of late.

Another culprit - food intolerances and/or sweeteners. I've had to ditch my beloved MUP. I guess I really shouldn't be surprised that I have developed an intolerance for it... I have eaten MUP almost every single day for almost 16 months. I do add liquid Splenda to it, and I think that MUP had started triggering cravings for me. Since I eat that for breakfast, it sets the tone for the day. I was looking for food again an hour later. I HATE giving it up! With the almonds, it provided 15 grams of fiber... some of y'all know that I'm a fiber freak. I loved starting the day with 15g under my belt. And the pumpkins and nuts are so nutritious... but dangerous for me, too. So, they're gone.

I wished that I liked eggs more. For breakfast this morning, I scrambled 3 eggs with 1 ounce of cheddar cheese, and some onion and jalapenos that I had sauteed in olive oil. It was OK... I won't be wanting eggs again for at least a week, though. I'm just not a big fan. And another thing I don't like about it - while the percentages come in perfect for the meal at 63% Fat, 7% Carbs, and 30% Protein, I HATE the fact that there is only 1 gram of fiber and only 2 net veggie carbs in that meal. That sucks! I got 15 grams of fiber and 7 net veggie carbs in the MUP. I'm going to have to think of some other egg-less things to have for breakfast.

I wished that I liked chicken more. For lunch, I had leftover grilled chicken from last night. That means I've eaten chicken for 2 days... that means I won't want chicken again for at least a week.

What's with me and the chicken and eggs? Blech!

[SunnySmile501]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Mitzi--I know you don't like to cook, but there are so many ways to make easy chicken dishes or even eggs to keep from getting tired of them.

I had never had curried chicken until this year, but a very easy dish is now one of my favorites. All it takes is some boneless skinless chicken breast, onions, garlic, cauliflower and curry powder. The recipe calls for half a head of fresh cauliflower, but I usually put frozen through the shredder and it is great.

Here's all you do:

1 pound b/s chicken breast cut in bite size chunks
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed (you could use bottled)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 head of cauliflower
1/4 cup chicken broth (or 2 bouillon cubes and 1/4 cup hot water)

In a big, heavy skillet, melt butter and add chicken, onions, garlic, sprinkle curry powder and salt over all and sautee until chicken is just done. Stir once in a while.

While this is cooking, put the cauliflower through a shredder and reserve. When chicken is done and onion translucent, add cauliflower rice and broth or dissolved bouillon, stirring to combine well. Cover and turn heat to low and let cook 4 to 5 minutes; stir and cover again and cook another 4 to 5 minutes.

Have you tried to make chicken salad? That's different, too. I make curried chicken salad with cream cheese, red onion, mayo and spicy brown mustard and curry powder. You can whip it up in minutes and it's awesome.

For eggs, I didn't think I would be able to eat them every day, or even for breakfast, but I now enjoy eating them every day. My favorite way is to fry them hard and put guacamole on top. Sometimes I put sliced chicken on top too and you can hardly tell there's an egg under there.

Egg salad is good, too, and all I like in mine is mayo, salt and pepper and lots of celery. You like celery!

[ValidRouge]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

I love egg salad. There is a big difference between a fried/scrambled egg and some yummy egg salad.

Mitzi, I understand your sadness at having to give up the MUP. I had to give up the calabaza that i loved so much and was getting all that great fiber from. When I got to the point I was fantasizing about it and just counting the time until I could have it again was when I KNEW it had to go. I have had it a couple times, but ONLY one cup and then any left overs have to leave my house.

I'm CERTAIN that hormones have been playing a big role in your "instability" over the last couple weeks. Now that it's "started" maybe you can get some of your sanity back. Hormones are a real *****, I KNOW! I'm actually thinking of going back on Depo (for a lot of reasons) but the biggest reason is because the emotional rollercoaster I'm on from hormones is no way to live for an indefinite number of years. My hesitation comes from not wanting any weight gain, and Depo is known for weight gain. HOWEVER, that is because it interferes with the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrate. My body, though, has been SO "wonky" lately I just don't know how it will react.

So, today is another day for weight training. I forgot my "log" sheet, so I'll have to wing it today for the exercises I'm supposed to be doing. (oops)

[mitzimarie]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Good Evening, All

Sunny, my friend, I appreciate your help. I can't say that I'll being eating much more eggs or chicken than I already do, though. Yikes, I can't stand more than a few bites of chicken salad, egg salad, or tuna... I just get sick of it really,really fast. And the thought of chicken on an egg made me giggle... then kinda gag. LOL... can you tell I'm not much on chicken and eggs? I love chicken fajitas, though, and that's what I had tonight. Very yummy.

I like fried eggs, too, but I don't like how high eating eggs and chicken or meat or fish on the same day kicks up my protein. And don't worry about me not liking chicken or eggs - I love beef, pork, shrimp, and mahi mahi (getting some of that in the next couple of days!) I'll be OK.

Day 2 of clean eating under my belt, and all is well. I do feel better already - sweet!

Today I completed Week 8 (of 9) of the Couch 2 5K program. That means I will be running 3 miles on my next session and will finish the program within a week! Who would have thought?! I could only run for 90 seconds at a time without a walk break when I started. Now I'm running 3 miles with no breaks. Yay, me!

[qbu]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

It's been a long time since I've been here. Today I decided to 'start again'. I posted this in my journal:

OK..new month...new plan of attack! Actually, it's just an old plan of attack that's being re-implemented. Make myself a priority. Get selfish again and do what I need to in order to get where I want to be. I saw something that said, "Believe in yourself and magic will happen". I think I stopped believing in myself for a while. I got to the point where everyone and everything else became more important and I felt I wasn't as important as the other things. Well, you know what? That's wrong! I'm damned important. I'm worth doing what needs to be done. And today, it starts again!

I'm going back to clean induction. Already started that yesterday. Did good with it.

Today, serious exercising starts again. DH and DS will just have to realize that I need some "me" time again.

I'm taking back my life for what I want and need. I am going to "believe in myself" again and "magic will happen".

So...I did. I did Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, Level 1. Felt great too!

Eating today has been better than usual. Had a late breakfast and haven't had anything else since. Had a lot of water today. Dinner is going to be very good. DH is putting some ribeyes on the grill. I'm going to have a salad and maybe fry some jicama.

Now that I'm back on track with myself, I'm sure I'll be posting on a more regular basis.

[mitzimarie]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

It's great to have you back, Q! And YES - you are definitely worth having some "me" time on a daily basis.

I've got another good day in the pocket - woot!

[SunnySmile501]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Another day down and I'm doing great eating wise. I think I'm too tired to eat. I just got home from a 2 hour choir practice for tomorrow night. My church choir is the opening act for the Vesper Service that kicks off the Happy Birthday USA celebration. I am singing on the front row and I am no where near the size I wanted to be to be singing in front of a crowd--too late now. It's supposed to be 90 degrees, so I will be melting.

See you all tomorrow. Hope you have a legal Fourth planned!

Sunny!

[ValidRouge]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

I don't know what the difference is, but this week I am FINALLY getting that appetite suppression. THANK GOD! My sticks were much darker yesterday. Differences this weeK:
1. I did have an unsweetened iced tea at the restaurant today.
2. The other thing different this week is....WEIGHT TRAINING!
3. Maybe just maybe, my body free of the coffee rollercoaster is finally starting to get blood sugar and insulin levels stable.
4. NO CHICKEN INJECTED WITH SUGAR BROTH.

I'm still being consistent with Fitday, so if anyone gets interested in what I'm eating, please feel free to take a look. I don't record my water, but I drink over a gallon a day of distilled water.

[qbu]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Another good day for me. All induction friendly. Exercised again. Getting ready to take the rest of my supplements. Drank my water. An all around good Atkins day!

I think I may be going into ketosis again. I've got some more energy and I'm not as hungry as I have been recently...which is amazing because I don't seem to be eating as much.

I've actually been tracking my foods in fitday again. That definitely helps me stay on track.

I'm finally on track with getting "back to basics".