Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

Hello everyone! Sorry I haven't posted all week. I've been sick and haven't been online. I've had a sore throat. It's been swollen so bad I haven't been able to eat or drink much of anything. Mostly soup and juice. Not on plan. My DH even brought me a chocolate milk shake and sadly I drank half of it. I'm feeling a lot better today and I'm going back to induction for about 3 days. I think I failed most of my pledges this week. I haven't drank my water, I haven't used fitday or run, and I ate off plan. I hope no one minds, but next week I'm going to be changing some of my goals. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Hope you are feeling better very soon. Take care of yourself.

Sunny!

[LooseShoes]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

Lots of that going around, Purple Rain. Sorry you felt so bad, hope you're feeling better. It's hard to resist "comfort foods" when you don't feel good. Just get back on track and you'll be fine. I had trouble eating veggies this last week-had sinus stuff and they just didn't taste right. But, they taste fine now, so I'm eating them again.

Sunny, I'm so sorry you're having so much trouble. The steroids can really do a number on you emotionally and physically. Been there, done that, still trying to recover. Ignore the scales and just do the best you can--that's about all you can do with all the medical stuff you're going through. I hope things turn around for you soon. You've had enough of this for a while.

Hi, Aya, keep up the good work.

You're doing great, Alexa!

[bradybunch]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

I am hanging in with my pledges, just keeping the same ones.
Sorry I have not been around much, just so much going on right now.

[Alexa]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

Hey everyone,

I just wrote a big post and my laptop crashed! Grrr! Anyway I meant to say:

TW - I hate interviews too! I'm meant to be giving one today for my research, which is scary.

Sunny - I am so sorry to hear the post op and steriod problems are persisting. I'm thinking of you.

Caryl - Hope the garage sale went well! I could do with one to drum up some Christmas cash. I;ve applied for a job but waiting to see if they'll go for a jobshare. I hope you feel better too.

Aya - Well, funny you say that as I started exercising again like normal and hey presto up 2lbs. I don't know if it's fluid retention or what. So not so sucessful now - but I would say the reason I didn't lose for so long was because I was really into having the OWL foods I'd 'earned' every day. Also I had cheating issues. So I've been having 20g carbs per day, making it all about the veggies. As of tommorrow I'm up to 25g because I don't want to depend on induction and I am pretty hungry.

Purple Rain - I hope you are feeling better! Don't feel bad about not achieving your goals for this - it is a new week

Brady - congrats on keeping it up and sticking with it!

So last week review:
This week's goals:
- Eat 20g carbs per day - already 6/7 went over once
- Exercise 4 times - already 4/4 YES! Woo!

This week:
- Eat 20g carbs monday, 25g the rest of the week
- Don't cheat at children's party on Sunday
- Don't drink any alcohol
- Exercise 4 times

Have a great week everyone!

[TitianWasp]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

MONDAY STATS CHECK 11/19/07

Hey All!

Thank you, everyone - I think that all three interviews went well. One company is clearly interested (and keeps asking me about my other interviews). One company I am not particularly interested in, and the final one, the one I spoke to late Friday afternoon, I have not yet heard anything from (it was 4:30 Friday afternoon afterall). That's ok. I am not sure I should expect to hear anything this week, it's being a holiday week and all. A lot of folks are gone.

Sunny - my husband cancelled the Korea trip, so he's in the same time zone as I for the remainder of 2007 (yay!). It is very hard when he's gone, especially working and going to school too, plus the kiddles. But we keep telling ourselves it's sacrifice now for the long term. My father came by Thursday night and said he had met with the corporate lawyers, and will be vesting 20% of the company ownership/stock to my husband annually for the next 5 years, at which point Barry will be full owner. So all this extra that we are doing now will be worth it. It's nerve wracking, but exciting at the same time, and if I can get my foot in the door with the junior DBA position I have been applying to, we're made in the shade. Ha ha - lot's of non-Atkins information. Sorry!

This week:
Exercise 4 days weekly: 2/4 0pts
1300 calories daily, rung 1 menu: 7/7 10pts
No more than 3 servings splenda daily: 5/7 0pts
Post daily to keep focus: 7/7 10 pts

It's been a good week, y'all. A crazy week, but a good week.

Cheers,
Muffy

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

I am hanging in with my pledges, just keeping the same ones.
Sorry I have not been around much, just so much going on right now.

Great to see you, Brady! I thought we had lost you for good. We all seem to be on overload and are just doing the best that we can.

Sunny!

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

Extra Credit Assignment Week 6 (11-19-07)

What is your favorite new recipe or new food that you have tried in the last 90 days??? To me, the key to making this a way of life and to keep from wanting to go back to the old way of eating, is to always be finding new foods and new ways of preparing old favorites to develop ‘new’ legal favorites and make this WOE interesting enough to stay the course.

[Alexa]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

Extra credit assignment:

New recipe in the past 7 days. I like my food to be simple, day to do. So I figured out a good way of making soup with any old veg you've got lying around. If anyone's interested it goes like this:
- fry up 1/4 cup onion in 1 tbsp olive oil, add 1 clove garlic if you like
- whilst that's doing cup 3-4 cups of any veg - think about whether they go, but really don't worry too much. I like butternut squash or pumpkin with courgette and green beans. Even salad going a bit manky can be thrown in. Leftovers too.
- Stir fry the veg a little (5 mins)
- Make a pint of stock (check for sugar)
- Fling the stock in, bring to the boil
- simmer for 25 mins (less or more depending on the veggies)
- any spices you want
- 1/4 cup double cream to up the fat content and give a richer flavour.

I have half one day, half the next - usually for lunch. Cream of spinach is nice, but use less cream otherwise its overwhelming. Broccoli and strong blue cheese works well together, though I'd skip the cream then.

Yum and a change from salad!

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

Sunny - my husband cancelled the Korea trip, so he's in the same time zone as I for the remainder of 2007 (yay!). It is very hard when he's gone, especially working and going to school too, plus the kiddles. But we keep telling ourselves it's sacrifice now for the long term. My father came by Thursday night and said he had met with the corporate lawyers, and will be vesting 20% of the company ownership/stock to my husband annually for the next 5 years, at which point Barry will be full owner. So all this extra that we are doing now will be worth it. It's nerve wracking, but exciting at the same time, and if I can get my foot in the door with the junior DBA position I have been applying to, we're made in the shade. Ha ha - lot's of non-Atkins information. Sorry!

Cheers,
Muffy

Thanks for the update! Not too much info--I like to hear what each of us are having to deal with in "real life." Our real life is inextricably intertwined with our success, temporarily falling off or failure in making this a lifestyle change and getting to goal. If nothing else, it lets us all know that each of us is dealing with the stresses of everyday life, and despite the differences of each of our individual "problems," it's not a walk in the park for any of us.

Sunny!

[Aya]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

The doc just said I should try gaining weight for a particular issue I'm having right now. She thinks my condition may only be solved by this. It's not that I'm thin but that larger people have a better outcome. (Sorry, sounds cryptic). Feel so upset, and that stupid cake is winking at me from the fridge.
And I was just about to tell you all that I was down 2lb (no typo this time.) Sigh.

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

The doc just said I should try gaining weight for a particular issue I'm having right now. She thinks my condition may only be solved by this. It's not that I'm thin but that larger people have a better outcome. (Sorry, sounds cryptic). Feel so upset, and that stupid cake is winking at me from the fridge.
And I was just about to tell you all that I was down 2lb (no typo this time.) Sigh.

How tall are you??? You'd have to be really short for 126 pounds to make you anything but thin. Anyway, you don't have to eat cake & junk to gain weight. You can do it with healthy low carb food. Any weight gained with high simple carb foods wouldn't be a healthy gain. Maybe just eat more whole grains, nuts and healthy fat and higher carb/calorie veggies, like sweet potatoes and beans.

Sunny!

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

Extra Credit Assignment Week 6 (11-19-07)

What is your favorite new recipe or new food that you have tried in the last 90 days??? To me, the key to making this a way of life and to keep from wanting to go back to the old way of eating, is to always be finding new foods and new ways of preparing old favorites to develop ‘new’ legal favorites and make this WOE interesting enough to stay the course.

I tried many new veggies this year and loved them all, but my very favorite new dish is Salmon Muffins! They are so good and easy to make and I can freeze them and pull one out and have a delicious, filling meal in just a few minutes.

The recipe came from the www.genaw.com/lowcarb Website, but as usual, I tweaked it to suit me. I've never made them with tuna.

TUNA OR SALMON MUFFINS
2 6-ounce cans tuna or salmon, drained well
2 eggs
1/4 cup celery, chopped fine, 1 ounce
2 tablespoons onion, chopped fine, 1/2 ounce
1/4 cup red, yellow and/or green pepper, minced, 1 ounce (I hate green pepper)
2 tablespoons fresh chives (my addition-- I grow them)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (my addition-- I grow them)
2 ounces cheddar cheese or pepper Jack cheese, shredded
1/8 cup shredded parmesan, Romano & Asiago cheese (my addition)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch Old Bay seasoning

Mix all ingredients and spoon into 6 well-greased (I spray with Pam) large muffin cups. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes until puffed, set and lightly browned around the edges.

Makes 6 servings
Can be frozen

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

MONDAY CHECK-IN!

1. I will eat three well balanced meals a day and nothing in between. I will not eat anything after 7:00 p.m. each night. 6/7 ZERO POINTS
2. I will eat no nuts and no peanut butter. 4/7 ZERO POINTS
3 I will be cheat free for the duration. 6/7 ZERO POINTS
4. If I have to be away from home, I will have legal food with me at all times, so I don't get too hungry. 7/7 100% 10 POINTS
10 of 40 possible points

5. I will post on the challenge a minimum of four times a week, reporting my progress. check ü
6. I will weigh in on Friday and Monday without fail. X
7. I will continue to drink 128 ounces of water per day. check ü
8. On November 28, or sooner if released by my docs, I will begin my exercise program once again, starting slowly and increasing as health permits.
a. Walk Away the Pounds video 3x per week (warm-up only first week)
b. lift 3x per week. (start again with 2-pound weights)
c. recumbent stepper 3x per week (start w/ 5 min., increase by 5 min. each week)
d. Walk outside, weather permitting, several days per week.
9. I will fit into my winter white wool suit and awesome red dress by the end of this challenge. N/A



Signed: Sunny Smile

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

I did my mid-way review and I am ready to post my revised pledges. I started back with some easy exercise a little early and it didn't hurt too much. I used my recumbent stepper for 10 minutes and lifted 2-pound weights for 10 minutes. I may not be able to get out of bed in the morning. I'm gonna nail it this week! Gonna do them all!

1. I will eat three well balanced meals per day and one snack, if needed (but not after dinner). I will not eat anything after 7:00 p.m. each night.

2. I will begin my exercise program once again, starting slowly and increasing as health permits.

• Bed exercises and stretches first thing every morning, 6 days per week.
• Walk Away the Pounds video 3x per week (warm-up only first week)
• Lift 3xs per week. (start again with 2-pound weights)
• Recumbent stepper 3-5 times per week (start w/ 10 min., increase by 5 min. each week)
• Walk outside; weather permitting, several days per week.
  

3 I will be cheat free for the duration.

4. If I have to be away from home, I will have legal food with me at all times, so I don't get too hungry.


5. I will not eat nuts out of hand, but can use them in recipes. I will not eat peanut butter.

6. I will post on the challenge a minimum of four times a week, reporting my progress.

7. I will weigh in on Friday and Monday without fail.

8. I will continue to drink 128 ounces of water per day.

9. I will fit into my winter white wool suit and awesome red dress by the end of this challenge (with pictures to prove it).



Signed: Sunny Smile

[hopejoy]

Re: Slow Losers Club Christmas Challenge

Hi!
Just checking in.
Have been really good with the coffee situation. Had 1 cup today and have not been drinking decaf in the afternoon at all! The one cup I did have today was with splenda only no cream...
Water... doing much better.
Exersize... walking only right now 2-3 miles everyday 6/7 days/week.
Really just trying to keep my head above water and get through Thanksgiving.
Best news: lost 1 lb this am! finally! 5 to go before Christmas... seems doable still.
Your goals sound really good Sunny. You'll have to post pictures of your wool suit and red dress!
liz