NON WW & WW NEWBIES, OUR NEW LIFE, THE START OF SOMETHING WONDERFUL

fabgeekmom

@trooworld Good job on the weight loss. It stinks that your DH is sabotaging you. My son occasionally uses more fat than I would like but it’s part of a recipe and I make allowances during the day for the extra calories. Hi, all. Soup yesterday was good and hearty. I didn’t eat any snacks afterwards so I ate a sandwich, chips and chocolate covered Oreos for dinner. After breakfast I cut up some celery and carrots and added them to 2 chicken breasts and broth to simmer. I am going to add that to the soup my son made yesterday to have more protein and vegetables. I am staying home today as it is cold. Luckily I have the recumbent bike. Dinner is steak, baked potatoes and roasted green beans with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

cbabie

Morning all, I went for a walk, but really didn't get to exercise. Baby is only sleeping at 2 hours, 4 hours. at night. Then it's a race like this morning..he has been up since 5:30...it would be ok I guess if I didn't have a 5 year old to get off to school. LOL. So I am going for my eye exam here in a few min. I think my eyes have changed, but I could be wrong. LOL Could just be tired eyes. I made potato soup last night, not diet friendly but good. Today it's chicken and dumplings. I will just have one dumpling. It's just to have a taste right?

@trooworld I wish my DH would cook, but I am happy he helps with the baby. I laughed about staying with the recipe...glad your headache went away!!! Yea on the loss!!! great job! {It's mindset} it really does help us.

@fabgeekmom YUM I love chicken noodle!! I don't know how I could go swimming for exercise..my mind says it's too COLD...I know excuses excuses..

@theslightedgeforever Yes it's not gone, but I will be throwing it away as not to tempt me if they don't eat it tonight. I bought some recipes from someone I follow for the slow cooker, she makes the meals for like 2 months, gives you the grocery list, etc. I have had it for a year, but this time I was in such a state, I just decided to make whatever she said for the week so I could use her grocery list to get food. That was the desert for the week...so that's how I made the choice. There isn't a recipe that someone here has said...don't make that again...her's are just not always "lean" friendly. I laughed, they would "order food". not cook it. I know why you have to cook, same here.

Cbabie

fabgeekmom

@cbabie It’s good you went for a walk. Baby not sleeping really drags you down. It’s cold outside but the water is warm. I couldn’t do without my swim. It’s good that you are cooking. I would definitely throw away the dessert unless everyone else was eating it. There is homemade bread on the counter that I am not eating. It’s probably stale. I won’t throw it away until my son says it’s okay.

cbabie

Morning all, need to get on here before everyone wakes up. I was so tired last night, didn't even wash my face, just told everyone wake me up when the baby wakes up and went to bed. I have lots of "housework" to do today and need to get my meal planning done. Exercise is such a hard thing to work in...I have to though to get my body healthy. I just saw a calendar reminder and I can't believe my DH will be 68 in a few days. I never thought we would be in that "old" category. Both my parents died in their 70's and I am just not there in my head, so I have to work on this body.

@fabgeekmom Yes I have the loaf of bread that probably needs throw away today too! LOL I have not eaten any of that. I know once I start I won't stop. The cake goes today too, I got into it last night, (comfort food) and that wasn't good...so bye bye cake and never make again. LOL

Cbabie

trooworld

@fabgeekmom Yeah it ended up okay because it was anotherwise light dish and I had eaten light otherwise during the day but still lol. I hope your soup was good and so was dinner.

@cbabie Wow, that's not much sleep. Is he feeling better? I love potato soup. AND chicken and dumplings. Yum. That's good your DH helps with the baby. Too bad he doesn't cook...not even grill? Guess what? I woke up with a migraine hahaha but hopefully the meds I took will take it away. Thank you! I hope you got good sleep last night. Happy birthday to your DH. I never thought I would make it past 30 but here I am lol. Yes, we have to take care of our bodies.

Hi all. It's supposed to rain today which may explain why I woke up with another migraine. We are going to the zoo this morning, hoping we miss the rain. I have to pick up healthy groceries before we go. Yesterday, I put a bunch of chicken breasts in the Ninja Foodi and pressure-cooked them to make a bunch of shredded chicken for the week to use in our recipes. Then, I put a beef roast I got on clearance in there and did the same thing but with Mexican/barbacoa spices. It was easy to do and will really help out with meal prep.

Water yesterday: 24 oz

My phrase for the year: "New year, new me!"

fabgeekmom

@cbabie I threw the bread away yesterday as my son told me I could. It’s good you went to bed early. Sleep is so important. Meal planning will help so cooking healthy is not so hard. Living a healthy lifestyle is important for all ages, especially those of us who are older. Years ago my son told DH and me that we were elderly. I said, no way and then googled it. Yep, we are elderly. @trooworld Sorry about the headache. Good job in prepping the chicken and beef. The zoo was lots of fun in San Diego. Have fun! Hi, all. We have another cold day. We’re going swimming and eating more of the soup for lunch. I’m going to freeze it tomorrow after lunch. Tonight we are eating at a local Italian restaurant. I’m looking forward to my manicotti.

theslightedgeforever

@fabgeekmom I made the chana masala. It was really good. I added a side of white rice to it. I'll post a pic later. My phone is upstairs and I'm too lazy to go get it. Yummy manicotti.

@trooworld Every time one of you types Marry Me Chicken I hear J-Lo singing that Marry Me song. I loved that movie. Woohoo on the big weight loss. Keep doing what you are doing.

@cbabie I think it would be too cold for you to swim in your outdoor pool during the winter. That's good that you got outside and moved your body. How could you start tweaking that lady's recipes to make them "lean". Although depending on what type of food plan you follow would be how you make tweaks. Someone following a keto plan would be different than a low-fat plan, or a reduced sugar plan or a calorie based plan. What would be okay for me to eat on a carb cycling plan is not necessarily okay to eat for a points based plan. Right now I'm double tracking to see which way do I want to go.

fabgeekmom

@theslightedgeforever We ate white rice with the Chana Masala. Yes, it was so good! I have some in the freezer for later.

gemwolf110

Got all my assignments completed and submitted a day early AND made a nice dinner. Go me today!

How is everyone else’s weekend going?

fabgeekmom

@gemwolf110 Good job! I’m good. I just got in after going out to dinner. It’s cold here, 28 degrees! I’m going to get sweat pants on and wrap up. And watch an episode of Father Brown on Britbox.

trooworld

@fabgeekmom Thanks! Yes, we love the zoo so a couple of years ago, we started buying a membership. It's great exercise and entertainment and helps wildlife, so it's a win all around! I really admire you for being able to go out in the cold and go to the center and swim. I know the pool is indoors but still, the thought of going out in the cold to go in water is hard! I hope you enjoyed your manicotti.

@theslightedgeforever Ha what movie is that from? I don't think I've seen it. Thank you!

@gemwolf110 Nice! Congrats. My weekend is going well, thanks.

Hi all. Well, we made it to the zoo before the rain hit at 1 pm. We were there from about 9-10:45. It was a fantastic trip. We saw some animals that we had never seen before and some old favorites. When we were over by the elephant area, we saw some handlers walking a cheetah cub and his dog best friend! Apparently, it's a thing now for zoos to raise a dog with a cheetah cub. Nothing ever happens to the dog and the cheetah cub has a companion. So cool! Here are some pictures of that + the little tiny monkeys that I love so much that are in the children's area. Oh, we also ran into an old neighbor we hadn't seen in at least 10 years. It was nice to see him!

It was raining so I decided to make spicy Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (see pic). This is why I have heartburn this morning. It was delicious and hit the spot on a cold, rainy day. Today, I am donating blood and doing crafts.

Water yesterday: 24 oz

My phrase for the year: "New year, new me!"

theslightedgeforever

Here’s my Chana Masala

theslightedgeforever

@gemwolf110 Your meal looks good. Nice and healthy. I've been social this weekend. A baby shower on Friday and then met up with some gals for coffee yesterday and then today grocery shopping cause I didn't do it yesterday.

@fabgeekmom I think my dad would have liked that Father Brown show.

@trooworld The soup looks delicious. Wintertime was made for soups. I love the zoo pics. Now after reading my bookclub book about giraffes heading to the San Diego zoo. I'd like to go there one day. I didn't have enough time the last time I was there. The movie was called Marry Me starring J-Lo and Owen Wilson. Rom-com I love the soundtrack though.

fabgeekmom

@trooworld I loved the zoo pics! I showed them to DH. He said he had heard of the cub and dog. The soup looked good. Good for you for donating blood. I have had 2 blood transfusions in the last 10 years due to a blood disorder I have. Now it’s controlled with medication. @theslightedgeforever The Chana masala looks good. My son and I are having that for lunch. He’s having rice and I am having cauliflower rice. Hi, all. I ate a late breakfast this morning. My son brought the fixings for an omelet with onions and mushrooms topped with lox and reduced fat feta. It was so good. We went grocery shopping and bought stuff for the week. My daughter is preparing roast chicken, air fried sweet potatoes and kale for dinner. My son is making apple crumble from ATK. Luckily I have calories earned from a 45 minute bike ride.

trooworld

@theslightedgeforever That looks really good. Did it hit the spot? Yes, winter was made for soups. Our zoo is fabulous, if I must say so myself. If you ever get out this way, definitely go there. OH yes, I've heard of that movie (but I've never seen it). I do love Owen WIlson.

@fabgeekmom Thank you! I had never heard of that but my husband had. Yeah, I donate on a regular schedule except I kind of dropped it during the holidays and then couldn't donate when I had the cold. Now, I'm back to my regularly scheduled program. That's good you have it under control now. All your food always sounds delicious.

Hi all. Well, I didn't end up drinking enough water before or after my blood donation so afterward, I felt kind of yucky and had to lay down. Usually, I'm fine. I didn't do much the rest of the day besides make dinner. I made Pasta alla Zozzona, which is an ATK recipe. It came out really well and was easy to make. It's described by ATK as: "An unorthodox union of carbonara and Amatriciana, pasta alla zozzona is peak decadence."

Water yesterday: 24 oz

My phrase for the year: "New year, new me!"

theslightedgeforever

@fabgeekmom I always forget about substituting cauliflower rice unless I'm purposely making cheesy cauliflower rice. I like feta and spinach in an omelette.

@trooworld Yes, the soup was filling. Good comfort food. Your pasta sounds good.

@gemwolf110 I saw you lost some weight. Woohoo

Mall walking was the flavor of the day. Almost 30 min. Food was in boundaries and I think I'm going to probably end up just going back to carb cycling. I'm always over on points but I've been at/under on my carbs.

fabgeekmom

@trooworld That pasta dish looks good. I think it could serve 6 so calories would be less. Did you use the cured pork jowls or pancetta? @theslightestedgeforever Walking the mall is good exercise! Especially in the winter. Carb cycling sounds like a good fit for you. The best diet plan is the one you’ll stay on. Hi, all. I had leftover chopped onions and mushrooms so I made omelets again. This time I left out the lox and added sun dried tomatoes not in oil. DH and I went swimming. Now I am sitting in my favorite chair in front of a sunny window, drinking hot tea.

cbabie

Hi all, just stopping in real quick. Ate Pizza (1 piece) and birthday cake yesterday. It's called life. Today I am making hoagies in the crock pot. Smells so good.. I am not exercising, but I am also not sleeping. Baby was up every 2 hours and baby girl was getting ready for school and threw up. It's been a fun day.

@fabgeekmom I am not a mushroom fan, but it's in the crock pot right now. LOL. I love Omelets!! Love to sit in front of the window and "relax".

@trooworld I am not a zoo fan, but it does make you meet your steps goal. LOL. Glad you guys enjoy it and have a membership. That I am sure has paid for itself.

@gemwolf110 Great job on getting your stuff done and cooking. I am starting to cook more. It feels good to cook and not eat FF.

@theslightedgeforever You always go back to carb cycling. I think it just works for you!! I will have to look up that Father Brown...

Cbabie

fabgeekmom

@cbabie It takes a lot of restraint to only eat one slice of pizza! And I always eat cake when everyone else does. I find if I eat a small piece I am satisfied. Too bad about you not sleeping and baby girl was sick.

trooworld

@theslightedgeforever Good. Yeah the pasta was good. I think mall walking would be fun. I couldn't do it here because the malls are so busy and I'd be tempted to buy stuff lol. Carb cycling seems to work for you well, I hope you do well again with it.

@fabgeekmom No, I just looked and it serves 4. But worth the splurge. I used bacon instead of guanciale because I couldn't get that. I love sundried tomatoes. I bet it felt good to sit in the sun.

@cbabie I also ate pizza yesterday (but 3 pieces of grocery store pizza ). It IS life. Hoagies in the crockpot...do you just make the filling in the crockpot or do you put the bread and all in? That sounds interesting. Oh man, I hope you can get some rest today. Yes, the zoo is great for steps lol. It definitely has paid for itself to have the membership.

Hi all. I ate grocery store pizza for dinner last night. My husband didn't feel like cooking (it was his night) and neither did I. That pizza wasn't as bad calorie-wise as regular takeout pizza so it's okay. I'll survive. It's his night to cook again tonight so he'd better feel like cooking. It pelted rain here yesterday, so much rain there were floods and mudslides.

Water yesterday: 69 oz

My phrase for the year: "New year, new me!"

fabgeekmom

@trooworld Yeah, life happens and you eat the pizza. I saw that the ATK recipe you mentioned served 4 but I can be satisfied with 1/6 of the recipe if I eat a salad before. Too bad about the rain. Hi, all. It’s a little warmer here but cloudy. I don’t think we are supposed to get rain. I’m staying home today and will workout on my bike. My son is cooking a pork loin in a soy sauce mixture he froze after making it for a chicken recipe. Also vegetable lo mein from ATK.

theslightedgeforever

@fabgeekmom For some reason I don't like veggie omelets. I need to stop saying that. That's a mindset issue. I didn't like coffee either and look at me now. I've saved soy sauce mixture and reused it for another recipe. I need to do some meal planning for next week. I was doing so well and then kind of fell off the meal planning wagon this week.

@cbabie I think time to Lysol the house. Goodness! I know I go back to carb cycling but then sometimes I can't stick to it. I was really successful on it in 2019. Here we are 4+ years later and I gained all the weight I lost in covid years. Cause I resumed baking. Dangerous habit for me.

@trooworld Our malls are busy too I just walk around the slow people. Think mindset. You are there to exercise not shop. Maybe have some Smart Ones or leftover healthy things that you have cooked in the freezer for the nights when he doesn't cook. My freezer has saved me a couple of times this week. I purposely did not buy his Bugles this week. Cause guess who gets into the Bugles when I'm scrounging around for something. He has access to a car and money and he can go buy them if he really wants them bad enough.

20 min walk today.

fabgeekmom

@theslightedgeforever Good idea about freezing leftovers. Sometimes I cook extra so we can have a meal the next week. No big deal if you don’t like veggie omelets and coffee. My husband and son-in-law don’t like coffee.

trooworld

@fabgeekmom Yes! Ah, I see. Yeah a salad would have been a good addition. Next time. I hope dinner was as delicious as it sounds.

@theslightedgeforever Ah I see. I really don't like frozen meals, I wouldn't eat those, but I can make a plan. Maybe on the weekend, I can make something extra and freeze it. I'm glad you didn't buy his Bugles. Indeed, he can get them if he really wants them. Good job with the walk.

Hi all. The rain stopped yesterday morning and then it was pure sunshine. My husband did cook last night, he made American Cheesy Goulash from the Skinnytaste One and Done cookbook. We've had it before and really like it. Tonight, we are having Bubble Up Chicken Pot Pie Casserole. I have my bariatric surgery webinar tonight. I will learn more about their process.

Water yesterday: 89 oz

My phrase for the year: "New year, new me!"

fabgeekmom

@trooworld Dinner was delicious last night. I have made the goulash twice and that’s one of my favorite recipes. It’s so easy! I’m glad the rain stopped. Nothing like sunshine! I don’t like frozen dinners either. Hi, all. It’s warmer here and it’s supposed to get up to 65 today. Still cloudy but no rain. Tonight I’m making Skinnytaste Marry me chicken. My daughter gave me a Barbells protein bar Sunday and it was good. 200 calories with 20 grams protein. I ate half. I really liked it so I ordered a box on Amazon. Today is a swim day.

theslightedgeforever

@fabgeekmom I like iced coffees now. Most of the time I make them at home. So if I can change and learn to like the taste of coffee I can learn to like the taste of veggie omelets. Wow 65.

@trooworld Your recipes sound good. How has the exercise been? I have a webinar in about 3 hours about LifePlans. Your water intake was fabulous yesterday. You like frozen dinners but maybe not store-bought. lol

I had meatballs over carrot squash zoodles in a marinara sauce.

I lost 2.9 this week so onto the next week. I got up and exercised first thing this morning. treadmill, weights, stretching

fabgeekmom

@theslightedgeforever Good job on the exercise and weight loss! The meatballs sounded good.

trooworld

@fabgeekmom Oh good. Yes, I really like the goulash! Sounds like you are having good weather, too. Spring must be around the corner not too far off! Ooh I want to make the Marry Me Chicken, let us know how it is. Good job with the swimming!

@theslightedgeforever I haven't been doing much, just walks on the weekends. Part of it is my plantar fasciitis is hurting badly. What is the LifePlans webinar about? I hope it was helpful. I'm really working on my water intake. Yes, exactly, I like frozen dinners but not store-bought. I can work with that. That dinner with the meatballs sounds good. Did you make the noodles or buy them? Wow, great loss, congrats! And way to go on the exercise.

Hi all. The casserole from last night was pretty good. Tonight, I'm making Skinny White Chicken Enchiladas, which I've had before and is also good. I may take a play from @fabgeekmom's book and have a side salad with it. I need more veggies. I've been doing good with my liquids and it's because I've really been making a conscious effort. I've also been tracking honestly, which really helps. I track my water in MFP. The webinar was good. It made me want to see if I would be a good candidate for the gastric sleeve vs the gastric bypass. The sleeve has fewer restrictions in the end and fewer complications. For instance, you can't have Naproxen with the bypass but you can with the sleeve. I take Naproxen regularly for my migraines and arthritis. The reason I may not be a good candidate for the sleeve is that sleeve patients tend to have more heartburn than bypass patients and I already sometimes have problems with heartburn. BUT...when I am eating healthily I don't have problems with it, so I think I may have a chance.

Water yesterday: 98 oz

My phrase for the year: "New year, new me!"

fabgeekmom

@trooworld That was good information from the webinar. That’s a good point about heartburn and eating healthy. The only time I have heartburn is on special occasions when I eat too much. Hi, all. The Marry me chicken was really good. I doubled the recipe since I had 2 pounds of chicken. So that’s what we’re having for lunch. I served it with rice and butternut squash. Today I will have riced cauliflower instead of the rice. DH and I are going to Sam’s Club to get salmon for tonight and steak for tomorrow. Since it’s warm we’re going for a walk. After cooking last night I was roasting. Really slaving over a hot stove!

trooworld

@fabgeekmom Yes! I'm glad to hear the chicken was good. I thought of you because I had a salad with dinner last night. I'm glad the weather is warm for you. Enjoy your walk.

Hi all. I was under my calorie goals this week most days and overall under for the week according to my weekly report, I drank, on average, 80-98 oz of water a day, and I still gained 3 lbs this week. This is why I give up (not that I am going to)! This is my body trying to keep me at this weight. It is so frustrating. I need to not be gaining weight and look, here I am gaining. Ugh.

Water yesterday: 98 oz

My phrase for the year: "New year, new me!"