According to the scale (%$#@*&) I've gained 5 pounds this week :(

I guess I found the 5 SS lost :(

I hate to rejoice immediately after ^^^, but I lost 3.5 lbs this week.

I know that IAKG has mentioned the Wendi Plan here earlier and I'm a believer now. It's where you alter your eating so that you have high and low days. The idea being you kick start you metabolism and your body doesn't know how much it is getting so it keeps "burning" at a high rate. I had a really high eating day this past week and it seems to have done the trick as far as kick starting my metabolism back up.

Grats maddy! I can be disappointed in me and happy for you at the same time :D

Can you post some information on this Wendi thing?

Absolutely. Please keep in mind that it's somewhat based off of WW. But a point is approximately 50 calories (the calculation is actually a combination of calories, fiber grams, and fat grams).

Wendie Plan

I'll beat maddy to the punch. Hopefully this will give you some information, and there are more resources out there, of course, if you do a search:

http://www.stormpc.com/ww/wendie_plan.htm

Interesting perspective. I'll have to think about that. Thanks guys!

I've heard about this concept before, but it didn't have a special name that I can recall. It does make sense. It would keep your metabolism from going into 'starvation' mode the way it does when you cut back on calories for an extended period. I'm going to look into it further too. Thanks Maddy and IAKG for the links.

Lil........sorry about my 5# finding their way to you. Just pass 'em along to someone who need 'em more. LOL

Thanks for the info ladies.

Stamina is improving but I probably won't be able to walk tomorrow. 10 minutes on the beast.

I nominate PF to be the recipient of the floating 5 lbs. I always think about how slender he is and how he eats crap out all the time. And it makes me think life just isn't fair! He'll just burn it up in no time anyway.... so send it his way, Lilith :)

maddy, I forgot to mention earlier how happy I am to see your loss. Woohoo! :)

Lil, I think maddy has a point. Where's Pixies Package #1 when you need it? ;)

Actually I sent PF a package today mayhaps the 5#s snuck in there.

:) Yah! He can have that with his deep fried french fries!

I've got a sweet tooth today - thus the cheesecake pudding that is setting up. I also am very tempted to try a recipe I found....

Angel food cake mix (don't include the water)
20 oz can of crushed pineapple (including the juice)

Bake per cake mix directions.

Cut into 12 pieces (that's a big piece of cake!!!) and serve with a dollop of fat free cool whip.

My fave easy cake recipe:

chocolate cake mix
1 regular size can pureed pumpkin

bake in a bundt pan @ 350 til done

I've heard of that... does it taste like pumpkin?

not really... it's extremely moist but still has the fat that the mix contains. Being diabetic I don't avoid fat I just try to limit it.

I was down another 0.5 lb yesterday at the gym -- no idea why. I think I like the idea of varying my intake to keep my body guessing -- but I'm not sure I'm really up for starving myself.

If I'm going to do it, I think I should cut my calories to 1600-1700 a day normally, and make my "big" day about 2300. I'll have to think about finding the willpower to get to 1600 calories. I think that requires completely retooling my diet and buying LOTS of very low cal options -- I can't imagine limiting portions more and still having enough energy to make it to the gym. <sigh>

Something to think about when I go to the grocery store tomorrow.

Stop talking about cake! My sweet tooth is getting the best of me!! :D

Hope everyone is having a good week so far...Spring is in the air, which gives me hope for a time when I'll be able to exercise outside more.

<----grumbles because she's only going to get to the gym ONCE this week. *sigh*


But, I'm doing the happy dance in the meantime. I just hung up the phone with the nurse from my physician’s office. Based on what the four glucose readings I’ve taken during Friday, Saturday and Sunday after stopping my diabetes medication, I am temporarily removing that medication from my daily regimen. My sugars are apparently low enough with my healthier diet, weight loss and exercise to attempt to control my diabetes in that manner.

I have my three-month diabetes follow-up appointment already scheduled mid-April. They’ll do blood work then and re-evaluate, if necessary, my need for outside help.

This is a good, good thing! :)

IAKG, that is wonderful news about the meds! I hope your next check-up is even better then you hope.

Heyyyyyyyy no fair posting chocolate cake recipes!! I am sooooo dying for something chocolate! :rolleyes:

Well, today was one week since starting my new and improve diet with my slave driver boyfriend. :D I weighed in and lost 6 lbs for the week. I am excited, but know that it is mostly water and vacation pounds. Next week will be the week I really start counting my progress.

I did manage to hurt my right calf and ankle on the treadmill yesterday so I didn't get the workout I wanted. Today I only did 10 minutes on the treadmill and 20 on the bike which doesn't hurt the injury at all, but doesn't burn near enough calories either.

grats!

I'll try to limit my talk about chocolate and sweets, but in all honesty in the past three months a day has not gone by that I have not had ice cream or some other form of a sweet treat.

There is no way possible this could be a life change for me without allowing myself these indulgences. I also believe the fact that I always have low cal/fat options of this at my fingertips is what keeps me from going on a crazy binge.

I can give up fried foods and be okay, but sweets ... no way.

My thighs are on fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 15 minutes...Stamina is increasing :D MTV 2 helps :D

I have spent the past 2 weeks on a fairly vigorous work out plan. I haven't changed my eating habits at all except I've started drinking at least 52 (I know its suppose to be 64 but my mug only holds 52 lol) ounces of water a day. In the past 2 weeks I've lost 10 pounds. I'm fairly excited about that but I've got my daughter tonight and I will have to take her with me to the gym if I go. Normally her dad is here to watch her while I go but he isn't tonight and I'm thinking about skipping tonight but I know tonight and tomorrow night are my last 2 nights before we go on our anniversary to get in a full gym workout and I really need it. But I'm thinking about not going because I don't want to lug her out with me (she's a rambunctious 4 year old). Getting someone to watch her isn't an option or I would have fully employed it. So...I'm here for some Pixies Power. Help me talk myself into going before I decide to put it off.

You know what the reward is for going to the gym.... get your things together... grab your daughter and whatever she needs to keep her occupied while you are working out. Sitting on the couch won't have nearly the same impact as a good hard workout, and you will only be mad at yourself if you don't go.

Now I know I have to get on the treadmill tonight! I can't dish out that advice and not eat some of my own words.

Lilith, you rock. You are rapidly increasing your stamina and that's amazing.

Thank you kindly.

Galatea, my kids liked going to the gym.

Yep, yep, I'm in awe of her prowess on the elliptical so rapidly, that's for sure. :)

I normally take mine a couple of times a week with me to the gym here at our complex. It's located in the clubhouse, and my kids are old enough that they can sit in the main "game/social" room and watch the big screen TV, etc. while I'm in the gym for an hour or more. However, with a four-year old, that's a little more difficult. I also belong to Gold's Gym, though, and they offer a babysitting deal during certain hours that's included in my package. Just something you might want to look into, Galatea.

I'm amazed at how quickly you can lose your stamina too! Or at least that's how I'm feeling. I've bumped my speed up on the treadmill and now (after my sick breaks) I'm struggling to get 35 minutes (just over 2 miles). The first 20 minutes felt good, after that I was playing games with my mind to keep going.

I had a rare treat today. Apparently when the weather gets nice (and it was GORGEOUS here today), some of the girls at work walk through half of lunch. We did nearly 2 miles in a half-hour, but, of course, it was a little more intense than the pace of the 4.5 miles/gym visit I'm up to, since there were some hills, etc. involved. Stamina-wise I was fine, but I think if I'd have planned to go to the gym tonight, I'd have been hurting. :D

maddy .. I suspect that's really your body saying that you are still in recovering mode ... not that you lost that much stamina that quickly..., but way to keep working at it!

Lil ... wow!!!! I'm very impressed at the amount you are building at ... congrats on that!!!

IAKG ... wooooo hoooo about the meds .... YAY!!! that's so great, a huge jump in the very direction you wanted to go when you started this process .... congrats!!!

Galatea ... yea for the progress you are making ... we are all here doing things that we think will be more healthy choices ... sounds like you are making great positive changes!

Tess ... in case you didn't know this ... it takes about 2 weeks to get the sugar out of your system enough to stop the actual physical withdrawal and cravings ... after that then it's just the mental/emotional cravings ... I feed my sweet tooth with sugar free jello and a bit of fat free cool whip ... also the 100 calorie snack packs help in the really hard moments and you can't do nearly as much damage with them as with many other sweet treats ... way to stick to it ... we're so glad you've joined us and are making the changes you want!

I'm doing much better now that I'm past the worst of my hormone binge stuff ... think I'll make it through til the next one in about 4 weeks ... :)

((((fzzy)))) -- good job persevering (much better than I did) during the visit to the hut.

maddy -- I noticed the same about endurance...mine drops within about a week. You earn it back faster the second time, but you do have to "earn" it. Bummer, huh?

IAKG -- Have I mentioned that I am so proud of you and your med-free ways? :)

Lil -- the elliptical is hard...and IMHO the home ones are *much* harder to use than the "professional" ones they have at the gym. Congrats on your achievement.

Tess -- Big loss this week. Congrats!

And Galatea -- I hope you went to the gym. :)

yay ... I'm ending my day inside my calorie range, it was a rough couple of days before that, but I'm still here and that is something I'm celebrating .. in the past everytime I would have even one meal where I didn't hang tough ... I would be a goner ... learning new habits is a GOOD thing (she said in her best Martha Stewart voice) :)

good job fzzy! It's hard not to get negative when you slip, I'm there, it's a battle I'm waging.

((((((positive Lil))))))

I was down another 0.5 lb at the gym yesterday -- which tallies me at a total of 9 lbs since day 1. Not too shabby! (although not up to you girls' standards)

Yesterday I had the guts to wear a sleeveless shirt for the first time in about 10 years. I wasn't completely happy with the way I looked, but it was an exercise in getting my courage up. LOL

Other than that....1650 calories yesterday, a good gym workout, and an evening eating bruschetta (I stuck to a piece and a half) and beer (I had 1) with Mr Osuche and my officemate. It was fun!

I'm in the HUT!!!!!! Explains so much :D

Grats osuche on keeping your # low. I love bruschetta!

Hey Girls!

Today was better for me. I did get a much needed piece of dark chocolate. God I just sat and licked it. Joe said that must be how I learned to give head...which then gave him some new ideas for fun!! :D

My ankle seems to be much better so I walked for 15 on the treadmill and did 20 on the bike with the resistence raised so I really felt the burn.

I am soon to be in the hut myself and PMS is really getting to me this month. I wonder if it is the change in diet and exercise that has triggered it to be so bad?

Keep up the good work and don't let set backs get you too down!! :)

As far as I can figure right now, I'll be finishing my day considerably under my limit. And I'm down another pound. I think I'm going to try that plan that lets you vary your caloric intake to fool your metabolism.....was that the "wendie" plan? Anyway.....whatever it's called, that's what I'm going to try. If for no other reason than to not feel so deprived. If you can have a day periodically where you can indulge yourself a bit, it should be easier to do the stricter days.

Congrats to everyone on their progress!

For a nice change, I'm ending today at the low end of my calorie range ... too busy at work today to think about lunch .. though I did have a 100 calorie protein type snack somewhere in there ... then stopped to do my laundry after work, so by the time I got home it was time to fix dinner .... heading off to bed now ...yay ...

great job SS ... wonderful that you are making progress!

TTess ... glad you enjoyed that chocolate ... when we allow ourselves treats, the experience should be enjoyed to the fullest!

Lil .. I feel your .... um .... pain ... :) the good thing about the hut is that we get to come back out of it after a bit of time there! You've been doing great on the elyptical ... so I bet once you get out of the hut again, you'll see a big improvement!

osuche ... great job with the day and the dinner.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Well...still maintaining that pound loss for the week, which is nice. Also happy because my abs are feeling much tighter...and I *did* get a compliment yesterday from a co-worker on my thinner appearance.

Other than that...we're headed to Monterey this weekend for a romantic weekend. I can't wait! 2 nights at a hotel on the beach...room has a fireplace and a balcony. It should be lovely.

Sounds terribly romantic! Have fun!