Back in the saddle

[Sunny_0ne]

Re: Back in the saddle

Today was one of the most wonderful Easters in my life. It was a perfect sunshiny day with phone calls to the family, and just the most blessed feeling all day!

The past three days were low calorie days... today my body demanded more calories. I was hungry! But I ate what I wanted legally and stopped when I was satisfied, and this evening I again feel content and happy.

I really like this idea of listening to my body and letting it tell me how much it needs. It seems to be communicating to me a lot more clearly lately!

This evening we didn't have anything special... hamburger patties, pumpkin, sliced red and yellow peppers with homemade blue cheese dip, and a wonderful jello-based fluffy orange cream dessert.

[imagood1]

Re: Back in the saddle

Hi, Carole,


I found the small bottles of Torani sugar free syrup at the coffee shop. They didn't have anything that would go well on pancakes, but I did get caramel and raspberry. I will have to wait until next month to order it because I sent Mastercard a huge check this month and finally got it paid off. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I forgot to tell you Sunny -- I found sugar free Vanilla syrup at World Market Saturday when we were there...I saw a recipe for pancakes that uses it. I also have sugar free maple syrup which I could use also. I thought I might try the vanilla mixed into cream cheese - I usually add vanilla extract but next time I may try the syrup instead. I also read where someone posted they found the sugar free syrup at Walmart. Might have to check out to see what other flavors I might like.

[Sunny_0ne]

Re: Back in the saddle

Carole, I looked at our Walmart for the sugar free syrups. The only things they have are the sugar free pancake syrups.

I read the labels on all of them, and they all have sorbitol. I think that's a sugar alcohol, isn't it? I didn't buy any because I wasn't sure if sorbitol is partially absorbed like some of the other sugar alcohols.

I'm also not sure that it wouldn't cause stomach problems like I've read some of the sugar free candy causes.

What's your experience with the pancake syrup?

[imagood1]

Re: Back in the saddle

I've tried the maple syrup a couple times before -- 2 days ago I had 1Tbsp of the maple syrup for breakfast with no problems. I just looked on the bottles for ingredients:

DaVinci sugar free pancake syrup has: Water, natural flavor, cellulose gum, xanthan gum, carmel color, sucralose (Splenda Brand), sodium banzoate (preservative), citric acid.

Torani sugar free Vanilla syrup has: purified water, vanilla extract with other natural flavors, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (to preserve freshness), citric acid, xanthan gum, sucralose (Splenda Brand), acesulfame potassium.

I figured since they both said Splenda brand it was ok to use and like I said, I haven't had any problem with it. The DaVinci I bought online and the Torani I found at World Market in their coffee/tea department. I'll look tomorrow when we go to Walmart to see what their brands say...I haven't seen them there, I only read that someone said they bought some there.

[Sunny_0ne]

Re: Back in the saddle

Thanks so much for that info, Carole.

I need to order some more EZ=Sweetz from netrition the first of the month, so I will add the pancake syrup.

I did find Torini raspberry and caramel sugar-free syrups at a coffee place, but that was all they had. I have learned it takes a LOT of raspberry syrup to make something taste very raspberry-y.

I am avoiding eggs for breakfast because they just don't stick with me. No matter how I fix them I am hungry again in two hours. When I eat chicken or meat, I don't get hungry until lunch time.

So today my breakfast was chicken strips with peppers and green onion. Lunch was a taco salad. And dinner was steak with zucchini pasta and a salad.

I actually photographed hubby's plate because it looked better, so that's why the portions are so big.

DH is loving Atkins, even though he does do a lot of snacking on pretzels and candy in the evenings. But I don't even fix him a potato or rice anymore except on the rare occasions he wants it.

[imagood1]

Re: Back in the saddle

your meals look wonderful Sunny!!! We were out from 11:00 to 3:30 getting groceries and having lunch. We had lunch at Panara Bread because I can have a salad with the dressing on the side (or like today I took my own). I had the chicken asiago salad -- it was delicious! I also have them put the cheese on the side so I can control it.

I have the opposite problem you do with eggs...if I eat anything other than 2 scrambled eggs with ham & a little bit of cheese I'm hungry by mid morning -- but when I eat the eggs I have to remember to eat at lunchtime. Wonder why we are so different?? LOL.

Have you thought about the capella drops for flavoring instead of the sugar free syrups? I've heard a few people on the board who swear by them. flavored shake, water flavor drops, flavor water, fruit drops, Flavored water, coffee flavors, bottled drinking water - Testimonials.

We have an electrician coming in the morning to give us an estimate of how much it will cost to have an electrical outlet put in the room where we moved the old stove (in our unfinished area of the basement next to the freezer) and also to put a ceiling fan in. Greg said he was going to do it, but it's sat in the box for a year now so I'm willing to pay someone else to put it in!

After to ate dinner I took Sadie on a 2 mile walk so I had some exercise to report for the day -- I didn't keep track of how much we walked when we were shopping, but it's not really exercise because we gawk and stop more than we walk!

Hope you had a great day!

[Sunny_0ne]

Re: Back in the saddle

Hi, Carole,

I really LIKE the idea of the capella drops better than the sugar free syrups. I can sweeten my own... and I think I read on one of the threads that if you want to thicken them a little, you can just use a psyllium husk capsule. A big bottle of the capsules is $4.00, so I think I will try that.

I tried the flaxseed "cream of wheat" this morning. I had read on one of the threads that it was delicious. But I will tell you, it was not my cup of tea! The sliminess of it ruined it for me.

Lunch was another taco salad. Dinner was the tenderest boneless pork ribs I have ever had. I could cut them with my fork. I also had a salad. AND yesterday when I planted my peppers, I pulled up some small turnip plants. So I chopped those, added them to diced zucchini (to use up the cores from the zucchini pasta) and sauteed them in butter and garlic. They were yummy, and I was so happy not to have to throw my baby turnip plants in the compost pile!

I planted more radishes today to replace the ones I'm harvesting and weeded my flower bed. I didn't want to ride the bike this evening, but I did want to burn up the calories from my afternoon snack, so I got 8.11 miles in.

Oh, BTW Carole, a friend in Florida wrote me. Her radishes didn't grow nice roots either and she discovered it was because she over-fertilized them. Instead she just got beautiful green leaves.

Maybe that was what happened to your radishes last year?

[Sunny_0ne]

Re: Back in the saddle

I haven't lost anything this week. Kind of disappointing.

I really can't cut my calories anymore without staying hungry. And this week has been a pretty active week for me, along with resuming the daily biking.

I have quit measuring my veggies and weighing my meat. I think I need to go back to doing that.

Am still hoping to hit the 20 pound mark by the end of April.

[EverLosing]

Re: Back in the saddle

Hey Sunny!! I just read your post and thought I'd share this with you. I stopped measuring everything several weeks ago and started "eyeballing" everything. I thought it would be okay. I stopped using fitday as much and thought everything was fine. Scale wouldn't budge!!! I went back to basics of watching everything and measuring and using fitday again and pounds started dropping. I also stopped the snacking throughout the day trying to feed my metabolism and began to only eat when I was hungry. Pounds started falling off!! I've spent the last week recovering from eating carbage on Easter Sunday. I lost a whole week but I hope I can get back to where I was 2 weeks ago. You have the right idea with measuring everything. It's a good thing!!

[imagood1]

Re: Back in the saddle

I agree with both of you -- I have to weigh everything because I know my eyes are much bigger than the scale allows. I knew that from the beginning so after a few days of trying to get use to using FitDay it's just another factor in my daily way.

Sunny - I couldn't get my mind wrapped around the Flax "cream of wheat" because 1)I never liked hot cereal and 2) she was using WAY too much to make her bowlful each day for the rung she was on. When I make my flax cookie I have been known to lick out the bowl so that's as close to hot cereal as I get!! Sadie LOVES licking out the cookie bowl though...lol!! It's keeping her regular...ROFL!!!

I'm still waiting to get my garden planted and you are already reaping the rewards of yours! My green beans have so many blooms on the I've got to do something with them soon because they will be putting on beans by the end of the week!!!

What happened to my radishes last year was I sowed the seeds too close then didn't thin them out enough to get more than a dozen radishes - but that was before I was on my radish crusade like I am now.

Have you both joined the next 6WEC? I weighed and took measurements this morning to end the last one -- and posted them as my beginning measurements on the sign-up thread for the #52-6WEC. The first of the month I need to get back to basics with the challenges I join -- I'm going back to a couple of them that I was in with I began the plan.

Hope y'all have a great day! Tomorrow is earth day and Home Depot's add has buy up to 6 Bonnie brand veggies or herbs - get 6 free.....I'm going to be there early! Getting half my veggies for free is the right price for me!

[Sunny_0ne]

Re: Back in the saddle

Everlosing, that is so encouraging.

I also was eyeballing my portions and not using Fitday because I was afraid I was obsessing over the calorie counts. So I was wrong!

I've also cut out all snacks except one a day if I need it. But I eat sometimes when I'm not hungry so I won't GET hungry later.

Again... not wise!

Your post was exactly what I needed to hear, and I thank you SO MUCH!

Now... I'm off to Fitday to chart today!

[EverLosing]

Re: Back in the saddle

You're welcome Sunny!! We're on the right track! With spring here and warmer weather on the way, I'm excited about my activity level amping up too! We can spend the hot months melting away!! We'll naturally need even more water too! Summer will be interesting, won't it? We'll just whittle away!! Looking forward to the next 6WEC. I was a slacker this time around!! I've had good results but I know things could have been better!

[Sunny_0ne]

Re: Back in the saddle

Hi, Carole,

We cross posted so I missed your post.

I do love the flaxseed cookies and crackers. I don't make them too often, but when I need one, it really hits the spot! And I lick the spoon, too!

Well, your beans are going to be way ahead of mine. I will just direct seed mine May 1. But we sure are having fun eating the salad veggies. They are growing like Jack and the Beanstalk's beans!

I joined the 6 wk. WEC -- twice! I joined, then didn't see my post, so joined again. Then I checked in today just to be smart.

Thanks for the heads up on the Home Depot plant sale!

Everlosing, I just LOVE the thought of melting away all summer!!! I'll keep that thought firmly in mind!

I'm looking forward to the WEC, too. I ride my bike because of the Route 66 challenge even on days I don't feel like it. But I need to get serious about weights and core exercises. I want to be able to hold this tummy in until I finally lose it!

[EverLosing]

Re: Back in the saddle

Alright, ladies!!! Keriann and I were chatting the other night and we want the flax cookie recipe!!! PULEEEZE! We want it! I've grown tired of the pumpkin/flax in a bowl!! I don't think pumpkin needs to be a daily thing for me, either!! We thank you in advance!!

By the way, I'm experimenting today with my very first cheesecake ever, ever, ever! I should have some tales and tears tonight, huh??

[Sunny_0ne]

Re: Back in the saddle

Everlosing, I'm not sure how Carole does her flax seed cookie, but here's how I make mine.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave. Stir in 2 T ground flaxseed and 2 T water. Add 1/4 - 1/2 t. cinnamon and 3 drops liquid splenda. Stir thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and gummy.

Spray a plate with cooking oil spray. Spread the dough out into a cookie shape.

Microwave just until the butter stops bubbling.

Remove from the plate immediately with a spatula because it WILL stick.

If you want a savory cracker instead, just use seasoning salt and a sprinkling of sesame or poppy seeds instead of the cinnamon and splenda.