Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

MKknits

*sheepishly waves*
So I totally dropped off the face of the earth. But I have been back currently at day 26 of logging, hoping to see that streak increase. Question would you go with an elliptical or bike for low impact working out at home? My knees and ankles have been a hot mess since may. No real explanation why. I've been cutting back on fitness but now I'm gaining so I'm looking for something super low impact for at home. We live in a really hilly area so even walking is too much right now.

Lauriek70

Goinstd12- I don’t ride to work everyday, it is to far and would take to long. I tend to ride on the weekends and then the distance varies anywhere from 10-20 miles depending on the weather. If you want to get a bike, I highly recommend getting bike shorts since they help to keep saddle sores down. It does take time to build up those muscles but it can be done. If you get a bike go to a bike store and get the proper fit for a bike. It makes a difference.

Robin- Congratulations on the weight loss.

Niki- It sounds like the bike you brought was the wrong size for you and therefore put you in the wrong position. That in turns puts pressure on the wrong parts of your body. I saw that first hand had during my bike fitting last week, the first try was completely wrong and it hurt my knees, neck and shoulders. I am still working on getting the right fit with the bike, it is close but not perfect yet. Need to rise the bike stem for the handle bars. If you are interested in a bike check out the local bike shops and see what they have to offer.

Karen-Good luck with the end of the marking period. Congrats on your hubby getting permanent status. My marking period ends on Friday, so a lot of work to do this week. I wish you could do the Zombie run with me as well.

MK- A bike would work and is lower impact than running, walking or elliptical. The key will be making sure the seat is in the correct position during the workout. If the seat is to far forward or back it will impact your knees and cause pain or you may hyper extend your knees. I would check out the recommendation from your doctor. The elliptical is good as well and low impact but it can hurt the knees depending on the type of machine and positioning of the feet.

Kelley-Hope you are doing well and recovery is going smoothly.

Sorry, I have been MIA recently, my life has been extremely busy and complicated as always. The Zombie run is going well and I am thrilled that we extended on-line registration until the 29th. I now have over 140 people participating. Registration are constantly coming in over the last couple of days. There have been many late nights and long days. By this time next week, I will be finished with the zombie run and it should be a successful fundraiser. I must say that I am pleased we ordered 250 shirts which was more than double what I needed at the time.

Yesterday, I ran my first 10K and completed it in 1:15.29. I am pleased with the time. The course was hillier than I expected. I was close to the end but my time for the first couple of miles was good with an average of 11;02 min/mile and 11:30 min/mile, which is better than I expected. I started to slow down as the run went on but I was able to sprint the finish. My next 10 K is November 21, when I run the Annapolis Classic, my goal will be to run it faster than this one. The best part is I know I will be ready for the Shamrock Shuffle 8K and their time limit.

Well, I need to go but I will try to check in again this week. Welcome to all the new people starting on this journey, it is a process but you can do it.

skinnyjeanzbound

@laurie-- I'm glad the registration is going well for your Zombie run; it sounds like you will reach your goal of 150 participants. Congrats on your 10k time--awesome pace for that distance!! I have to admit that I'm starting to get nervous about the Shamrock Shuffle considering it's been close to 2 months since I've run. Fortunately, my cough FINALLY feels like it is going away--this morning was the first morning in ages I've awoken feeling like my lungs are "normal." Tomorrow, I have a hair appt. after school, but I plan to renew my gym membership on Tuesday and go for a run for sure. Everything I've read about running, claims you can go as long as 6 months without losing much ability in terms of pace or distance, so I hope that holds true for me. I have the 5k turkey trot in 5 weeks, so my short-term goal is to prep for that. Then I will worry about April.

@MKknits --welcome back! I agree with laurie that the bicycle is lower-impact and probably a better choice if you have knee issues. Using an elliptical as your main form of cardio can lead to both knee and hip problems. One of the reasons I started running 4 years ago, is that using the elliptical regularly was causing me a lot of hip pain. When I did some research, I found that is not uncommon and read that some people develop knee problems from it as well.

@lori-- I'm also struggling with food, but at least I've logged the past 2 days. Like you, I've also seen a slight upward trend--which I also do not like. As I said to laurie above, I'm looking forward to getting back to the gym this week.

AFM--spent today grading and running errands.

Grading Goals
1. 36/41 AP essays
2. x/ 15 Speech worksheets
3. x/10 AP analysis activities

mountmary84

Hello everyone,

I am still here and lurking often. I haven't been too good with logging lately, but at least have gained no additional weight.
Niki: Gosh, I am glad you survived that mattress ordeal! That is a big job!
I was glad to hear that Holly you are keeping in touch with Robin. It think of you often and wonder how you are doing.
I had thoughts and comments for all of you...but they have slipped my mind. It is just good to know you are all here to check in with. It is really helpful. makes me realize I am not the only one with all these goofy things happening in my life.

Barb

rtpjmlm5

Hi my name is Rachel and I can't believe I'm here admitting that I've got 100 pounds to lose. Last week I weighed in at 249 lbs and that's the highest I've ever been my entire life even through even through 4 pregnancies. I need all the friends and support I can get. I've been in hiding for months now avoiding family events parties friends. They don't recognize me my weight gain was very very rapid. In the beginning of May I weighed 170. Almost 6 months and and a 80 pound gain. But I was easily consuming 4-5,000 calories a day and I'm ashamed to admit this even to my family. I would just stay up hours into the night eating until I felt like I couldn't move. So now I'm just tired of this trauma I've done to my body and I'm ready for change

jtconst

Good morning everyone. Well just got back from the gym and now have spaghetti arms, lol. I am going a couple days a week with my daughter and she goes at 5 in the morning. I am trying to make everything work with hubby home I dont have a vehicle but my son is going back up to the boat tomorrow and said I could use his car while he is gone. We got the new table in yesterday and it looks great. It is super heavy and was kinda funny watching my son and hubby try to flip it and move it after putting it together As usual with hubby home my eating has been a little hit or miss but I have been getting it back under control the last couple of days. I just have to keep myself nice and busy. I have found that a large part of my overeating is from boredom. If I am busy I have no trouble staying at or under calories without feeling deprived but as soon as I stop moving for more then an hour or so all I think about is what I could eat until I go and get something and then it just tends to snowball. I dont know if I had mentioned one of my kitties was doing poorly. I am happy to say he is much improved. He had lost a whole bunch of weight while he was sick with an upper respertory infection but is starting to fatten back up now Him and his sister have become alot more affectionate in the last month or so as well which is nice because before they were more the leave me alone type though Mr Loki is making typing hard right now with all the headbutting on my hands lol.

@Laurie congrats on your race times. They sound super amazing to me..
@Karen I am happy to hear you are finally starting to feel fully better. I was sick for most of last week but not near as bad as you seemed to have it.
@Kelly I hope your recovery is going well and you arent to uncomfortable.
@MKknits my two cents would say the bike as well. I cant even use an elliptical for more then a couple minutes and my knees start to ache horribly.

Well I guess I better get busy and decide what projects I am going to use to keep me busy today. Hae a great one everyone.

ducky0520

Hello, well up I have been using FP and lost 22lbs but then towards the end of summer with vacation and all it wasn't top priority so I gained 3 back. . So I have started back up and trying to get back to me. I have been a stay at home Mom and always just let myself go. After feeling the physical issues of knee pain, joints, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and pre diabetes.I really got into changing things. It took 4 months but the 22lbs went..then the last few weeks of not doing anything I am finding that the pains and aches are coming back! I dontbhave much support at home like many of us no am sure. Hubby doesn't think about it when he cooks or plans dinner. He loves me the way I am hut I want to feel.good! Thanks for listening.

Nikion901

Monday Check-in ... well, my blood glucose was really high this morning, and I didn't weigh myself either ... I fell asleep on the couch last night, still dressed and cuddled under a warm blanket ... and stayed there all night. I'll weigh myself on Tuesday this week ... but I don't expect a loss this week because there was a lot of ready-made food in my menues this past week ... or shall I say non-menues? However, this morning, when my glucose had come down enough to allow for it, I had a healthy home-cooked brunch breakfast and have an active day planned. There is a lot of left-over ready-made in the fridge so I won't cook any more today. Thankfully, the stuff in the fridge is healthy, even with being high in sodium.

@GOINSTD12 ... thanks for the heads-up on the dates ... really looking forward to seeing the Bells on Family Feud.

@Lauriek70 ...you are probably right about the bike I bought not fitting correctly. I did go to a bike store before I bought the one I did at Walmart ... the guy at the bike store had a hard time fitting me for a bike ... I think it's the combination of leg length vs torso with huge belly that made it hard for him. The one I did buy felt about the same as the best he could do in the store ... and the bike was a lot cheaper than the bike store. Anyway, I hope the girl who ended up with my bike was able to use and enjoy it. Better I gave it away than have it sitting around the garage guilting me everytime I looked at it.

@jtconst ... so glad your hubby will be home more this year. Alaska ... I sometimes gets pensive and do a 'what if' thought process. The one about Alaska goes like this ... "I wonder how my life would have gone had I answered that ad in the paper back in 1976 about women being needed for jobs in Alaska?" ... I didn't go to find out because I had a 11-year old child I wouldn't leave him behind and he didn't want to move to Alaska.

@MKnits, @Mountmary84, @cblue315, and @skinnyjeanzbound, good to hear what's been happening.


@rtpjmlm5 ... welcome to the thread. Isn't it a kicker how that weight can just go up like that in what seems like a blink of an eye? Well, a long blink. Since that weight gain is recent, you have a great opportunity to nip it in the bud before it decides settle in as hard fat. Seriously, I really think the longer you have the fat on your body the more it becomes the kind that is harder to drop off because it becomes the type that is around your organs instead of under your skin. Course, that's just my spin on it.

@ducky0520 ... welcome also. Still, 18 pounds down is a goodly amount down. Good you are back on track now. Sometimes it's harder to get on the bandwagon to healthier living when you are a stay-at-home mom. It's great for the kids, but not always so for the mom ... so easy to stay plopped on the couch much to much. Me? I'm well past that stage of life, and find retirement to be even harder to stay active in than when I worked outside the home because I have a much smaller circle of friends and possible activity now.

Well ... have a good week everyone. Looking forward to having some good positive news to report soon.
Follow-through
Niki

AngelikaLumiere

I love being a mom, wish I were in better shape, I feel like my physical shape is making me less of a mom than I would like to be. This is my motivation to stay on tract. down 1.6 this week.

rtpjmlm5

Thanks so much for the encouraging words I will be popping in here daily.... I have some good news I've dropped 9 out of the 100 I have to lose!!!

GOINSTD12

Hi all just want to say I'm really struggling with staying on track, I do ok at work 'cause I bring all my food for the day with me, but as soon as I get home and while I'm at home, I find myself eating all the time. I'm stressed out and feel trapped by my husband's poor health and being his only caregiver, and I eat to relieve the stress. When I'm at work I can get up and go walk, but at home I can't leave, can't get away, and can't vent my frustrations either. I don't trust the # of calories the Misfit Shine says I'm burning, but I'm eating all the calories back anyway. I need relief from the caregiving but none is available yet. I feel very wound up.

Terri70

Whew! What a weekend. Can I say I HATE MOVING? lol The new place is great and almost put all together. Haven't been on plan since last Thursday and it shows. I'm up 6 lbs! Yikes!

Welcome to all the newbies! This is a great team for support! You've come to the right place!

Have a great day everyone!

cynditrammell

hi, first time in community... i'd like to lose 64 pounds just to weigh ⭐️199⭐️... i'll be 47 in 5 months and that would be the best birthday gift ever. is it possible? any advice?

Morgori

Good morning everyone.

Happy Sylvia Plath Day!

If you're looking for something to do today then crack open a book because it's Sylvia Plath Day! Ah yes... another day for poetry! Let's get right into celebrating Sylvia Plath Day!

WHY IS THIS A HOLIDAY?

Well, this holiday actually got its start thanks to over 1,000 people from Northampton, Massachusetts, which is where Sylvia Plath went to college at Smith College. The people I just mentioned set up a petition and brought about this holiday because today is her birthday. She was born on this day in 1932 and has not been forgotten. Why? Because she gave the world quite a good amount of literature to feed their brains and mustn't forget those who contribute such things to society. Sylvia Plath was known for what they call "confessional poetry" because she would include a lot of deep and personal information about herself in her poetry. She may have only produced two collections of poetry before her death, but in 1982 she became the first poet to ever win the Pulitzer Prize after they had died. And she wasn't just a poet, she also wrote short stories and a novel.

She was a hard worker and had pumped out over 50 short stories, by the time she made it to Smith College. In fact, her first published poem was published in the Boston Herald when she was eight! So as you can see, she started out quite young. And she didn't seem to lose that spark for writing when she made it to college because she was editing the college magazine and winning all kinds of writing prizes. She may have died too soon but she wrote enough to last a lifetime. Are you ready to start reading?

HOW TO CELEBRATE

So, how can you celebrate today? Well, why don't you start out by getting more acquainted with Sylvia Plath? Look into how she grew up, what she had to go through and possibly find out what made her want to write. You can only understand a writer so much when you focus on just their writing, but when you look into their lives you can see why they wrote what they did. Sometimes horrible events can spawn beautiful art. But then you're always welcome to move onto reading what she wrote. You could check out The Colossus and Other Poems, Ariel or The Bell Jar if you want to read literature by her that was published before her death. Or if you'd like dive deeper into some unpublished gems that made it into book form after her death, you might want to read Crossing the Water, Winter Trees, The Collected Poems, Letters Home, Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams, The Bed Book and many other books. And if you don't feel like reading then why don't you write? If she were still alive, I'm sure that she would enjoy hearing of masses of people writing on her day of birth. In fact, why don't you write as if you were writing to her? Write in a poetic form as if you were going to mail it to Sylvia Plath in hopes of impressing her with your writing style. And not only that, but also "show her" what influence she has had on your life. Have a great day and enjoy your deep dive into her literature today!
- See more at: http://benguinter.com/sylviaplathday.html#sthash.DznUMJ7F.dpuf

“ We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” ~Ray Bradbury



Tom

grandmakaye44

Hi, I'm still lurking. We had a wonderful road trip to UT over the weekend. We left on Thursday and got home last night. Much to my delight, DH traveled well. He was tired, but no major difficulties. We visited my sister, and I am happy to report that she is feeling very well, finally. We also attended a wedding for a young man that we knew from our mission over 10 years ago. He is an Australian cowboy and married a young woman from UT. They looked so happy and it was so fun to see him again.
I have been off plan horribly while we were gone. I must get back in the swing of it. I've got to get my head on straight before the holidays or the results will not be pretty.
Those who have been here awhile will remember that Halloween is homemade donut at my house. I made donuts last week so Nicole to could take pictures for a feature article that will appear in the our little local newspaper about me and my 35 year tradition of making donuts for the kids on Halloween. It will be interesting to see what she comes up with. I may need to make extra donuts this year.
Have a great week. Keep hanging in there. I am so inspired by all of you.
@cinditrammell That is a good goal, but may be a little high. Be kind to yourself and don't push so hard that you can't maintain the lifestyle over the long haul. I say 'lifestyle' because of if it's a 'diet' you are sure to 'go off' of it sooner or later and the results are seldom pretty.
Onward and downward. Kaye

kah68

Good Morning.

Sorry I haven't checked in much, I've had some minor setbacks in my recovery so have been recuperating. First, I came down with a lung infection (we're not sure why, maybe the anesthesia) last week then on Thursday I had to have an unexplained pain in my calf checked out plus do a Doppler study to rule out a blood clot (test was normal). I did get a much prettier cast put on though, its pink. Back to the doc again Thursday to hopefully have sutures removed and another cast (ooh, maybe purple this time ). My incision is still oozing a bit, so he may want to leave sutures in longer, we'll see. My pain has been bearable, just twinges here in and there--especially if I do too much. I am hopeful he'll release me to return to work on Monday. Boredom has definitely settled in, a person can only watch so much TV/movies--friends from church stopped by on Sunday and brought me an adult coloring book, pretty intricate designs. Its a nice distraction but a time killer. Supposedly its the latest in meditation and growing in popularity, some of the hobby stores here carry a ton of them. I was worried about weight gain over the course of this surgery/recuperation but have actually lost 3-4#--hope that trend continues.

@GOINSTD12 (Tracy)~ I'm sorry for your continued stress surrounding your husband's care, I hope you are able to find relief and get some help with his care soon.

@Susan~ I know you had a birthday last week (you and my sister share a birthday, so its easy to remember )--hope it was a great day!

@Laurie~ Sounds like everything is coming together for the Zombie run you've been putting together, hope its a great success this weekend!

@Karen~ Glad you are feeling better and will be able to return to your workout routine soon. I should have suspended my gym membership for the month of November, but didn't think of it.

@Angelika~ Congrats on your loss this week, great job. I know its easier said than done but try not to be too hard on yourself regarding your physical condition limiting your capabilities of being a good mom--one doesn't have anything to do with the other. You're making strides in the right direction so you can be there for your kids as they get older, they'll see you're working hard to live a healthier lifestyle which is something they'll learn from you.

Welcome to the newlings and hello to those I've missed.

Nikion901

Well, I weighed in this morning and my scale must be broken ... it thinks I gained 5 pounds in the past 7 days ...

Tuesday Goals ...
1- Put away all the folded laundry (now that the furniture in the bedroom has been moved to their new positions)
2- Clear all the clutter off the dining table and around it on the floor by putting things where they belong.
3- vacuum and sweep the house
4- Saute the bell peppers that are in the fridge with some onion and mushrooms.
5- Boil the beets.

@GOINSTD12 ...there is another thing that stress does to your body that is bad for it ... it makes weight gather in your middle. Reading what you wrote reminds me of how it feels to be wound up like you are feeling now. Can you try finding one thing to focus on for a few minutes that takes you away from your situation in your mind? I suppose I'm thinking of meditation ... it could be looking out a window at something pretty with sunlight falling upon it; or, sitting with your body relaxed, eyes closed, and listening to a soothing sound. It could even be just going into another room where you are alone and closing the door for a full 5 minutes and just sitting there, not moving and trying to think of something specific that is pleasant so that your mind can calm itself. As far as eating back the calories ... as long as you are not gaining weight ... it is ok to tread water for a while until you can get some assistance with your hubby's care in the evenings. Just do yourself a favor and make certain that the foods you are using your calories on are healthy choices. Sending positive thoughts your way.

@cynditrammell ... I hate to be a 'nay sayer' but have to caution you that losing 64 pounds in 5 months is extreme weight loss ... and probably not doable on your own. Those people on the TV show do lose a huge amount of weight in 3 months ... but they are under the daily care of a nutritionist and trainer who controls their meals and exercise ... that's not available to us at home doing this on our own. But hey, you won't know how much and how far you can go unless you make a plan for it and then follow through. Good Luck. Keep us informed on your progress ... and share what you are doing because if it works for you, there are a lot of us out here who would want to know what and how you did it.

AFM ... after giving 'advice to others' ... I feel I need to give a bit of advice to myself .... Niki .... get off your butt! Do not bring food into the house that you cannot control the consumption of. Plan your meals!
Follow-through
Niki

Doresoontobehealthy

Hi! New to the forum. I have 100+ lbs to shed. Hoping to meet others with similiar goals. Reached an all time high 55 days ago and decided I needed to do something about it. Went on an exotic vacation and was absolutely miserable. Had to ask for a seat belt extender for the first time. Had so many struggles I had to endure. Didn't end up having that much fun.

BarneyRubbleMD

My Monday check-in (10/26/2015)--1 day late (10/27/2015):
Weight today: 248.4
Weight lost since previous weekly check-in (10/20/2015): None!--GAINED 1.4 pounds! (had some "cheat" days)

I'm still trying to transition from 2 meals/day to 3 meals/day but only did that once during the last 7 days.

I exercised (45-60min walking) every other day during the last 7 days.

I'm still keeping my 1-hour post-meal blood sugars under good control (under 140 mg/dL) for the last 7 days (other than 2 meals where I hit a 1-hour post-meal blood sugar of > 148).

What I learned this week--having a fever from an infection and taking antibiotics seems to stimulate my appetite.

I'll be on vacation (Thursday - Tuesday) & won't be able to "check in" here next time with my weight until Wednesday (Nov 4th)--hopefully, I can keep myself from gaining while on vacation.

cblue315

Hello All!
Glad to see the newlings. Welcome and come back often so we can get to know you.

@RobinsEgg called me today and wants me to tell all of you the reason she is absent is that her computer is not working. She will be by as soon as she gets it up and running.

AFM - Food is not going so very well. I am a bit stressed not taking the best care of myself. I am so very grateful to know I am not alone in this boat.

I am off to bed.
Love to all,
Lori

Morgori

Good morning everyone.

Happy National Chocolate Day!
There is no better way to celebrate Halloween’s approaching than with a piece of chocolate. But just in case you need another excuse to try your favorite treat, it’s national chocolate day.
Chocolate can be used in almost any dessert. It can be enjoyed plain, mixed into your favorite cookie dough or glazed on top of a cake. While I always enjoy the way chocolate tastes, I never really think about how it’s made. Here are a few insights into how your chocolate bar makes it into your grocery store.
Chocolate 101:
• Cacao trees grow around the world in tropical areas. They grow pods, which contain about 20 to 40 cacao beans.
• The beans are removed from the pods, and then fermented in piles for about one week. This process allows for the beans to dry out and develop their color and flavor.
• The beans are then taken to the factory and roasted. Next, they are “hulled” by removing the outside shell from the inside of the bean called the “nib.”
• The nibs are then ground into a chocolate liquor. Then, the liquor (it’s not alcoholic) is pressed to remove the fat, called “cocoa butter,” and the residual powder is what is mixed in to create different kinds of chocolate.
• Depending on the kind of chocolate (milk, bittersweet, semisweet, etc.) cocoa butter, milk and sugar are added to the chocolate powder.
• White chocolate does not contain the chocolate powder that regular chocolate contains. It just contains cocoa butter, milk and sugar.

” Whatever you are be a good one.” ~Abraham Lincoln



Tom

Nikion901

Wednesday Wish ... that I hadn't made so many goals for yesterday ... however, I did get 1 of the 5 finished. So today those same goals will be on the list ... with an addiiton, as I have finished all the ready food in the fridge so today I am back to cooking.

I started off the morning with cooking a nice savory breadfast using 2 cut up strips of bacon, 1 cup of diced celery, 1/4 medium onion, 3 sliced mushrooms and 1 egg ... that and a mug of coffee followed by a small tangerine will have me set for the next 3 or 4 hours ... and if I can get my *kitten* in gear instead of lollying about on MFP and FB I will be able to complete all those goals I set formyself. I have been craving pasta so tonight I will cook a tuna casserole in the oven ... chock full of peas, onion, celery, and the rest of the mushrooms. Yes, I will grate some cheese over the top.


@grandmakaye44 ...Ouch ... you have reminded me that I have lofty goals to complete before the holidays arrive. I need to drop the 9 pounds I'm up from December that I gained in March and still have not been able to drop. Also, this year I want to have my house all clean and ready for Advent and I already have an idea of how I want to spend my New Year Day. Have fun making those donuts ... make em small so you won't feel bad when you have several instead of one ... after all, the cook has to taste to make certain the recipe is working correctly!

@Morgori ... Tom, I took you advice and found some Sylvia Plath to read and listen to (on YouTube) ... and was startled to hear the voice of the early 60's ... depressed and angry. Her 'Daddy' poem brought feelings of sadness to my heart. She just couldn't forgive him for dying, could she? .... and I celebrated National Chocolate Day a bit early ... have been having a chocolate craving so I made a chocolate pudding for myself last night to enjoy today.

@Doresoontobehealthy .. glad you found this thread, hope you bookmarked it and come back again to share your journey with us.

@BarneyRubbleMD ... Maybe my doctor should be considering putting me on insulin also, my BG's are always higher in the morning than bedtime ... and no, I don't eat during the night. Hope you have a grand time on your vacation.

@cblue315 ... thanks for the info on @RobinsEgg ... computers can be such a hassle. Hope your spirits lift and your self-love comes to the rescue.

AFM ... I'm going to Follow-Through
Niki

Melwillbehealthy

Hi all, some of you may know me, but I haven't posted on here a lot in the last 6 months. I do 'lurk' once in a while. I will probably post more now, as we closed up our cottage up north yesterday, so I'm home for the next 6 months. We had to close as it may snow this week and I didn't want to be there when it gets that cold. I've been using MFP for a number of years and my weight has fluctuated. I'm posting today as I'm so excited...at my weigh-in this morning, I lost 50.8 lbs. in total, over the last 6 1/2 months. I'm thrilled!

kah68

Morgori wrote: »

Good morning everyone.

Happy National Chocolate Day!
There is no better way to celebrate Halloween’s approaching than with a piece of chocolate. But just in case you need another excuse to try your favorite treat, it’s national chocolate day.
Chocolate can be used in almost any dessert. It can be enjoyed plain, mixed into your favorite cookie dough or glazed on top of a cake. While I always enjoy the way chocolate tastes, I never really think about how it’s made. Here are a few insights into how your chocolate bar makes it into your grocery store.
Chocolate 101:
• Cacao trees grow around the world in tropical areas. They grow pods, which contain about 20 to 40 cacao beans.
• The beans are removed from the pods, and then fermented in piles for about one week. This process allows for the beans to dry out and develop their color and flavor.
• The beans are then taken to the factory and roasted. Next, they are “hulled” by removing the outside shell from the inside of the bean called the “nib.”
• The nibs are then ground into a chocolate liquor. Then, the liquor (it’s not alcoholic) is pressed to remove the fat, called “cocoa butter,” and the residual powder is what is mixed in to create different kinds of chocolate.
• Depending on the kind of chocolate (milk, bittersweet, semisweet, etc.) cocoa butter, milk and sugar are added to the chocolate powder.
• White chocolate does not contain the chocolate powder that regular chocolate contains. It just contains cocoa butter, milk and sugar.

” Whatever you are be a good one.” ~Abraham Lincoln



Tom

Like I need an excuse to indulge in chocolate! I have one piece of Lindt Excellence 70% cacao every day.

kah68

Melwillbehealthy wrote: »

Hi all, some of you may know me, but I haven't posted on here a lot in the last 6 months. I do 'lurk' once in a while. I will probably post more now, as we closed up our cottage up north yesterday, so I'm home for the next 6 months. We had to close as it may snow this week and I didn't want to be there when it gets that cold. I've been using MFP for a number of years and my weight has fluctuated. I'm posting today as I'm so excited...at my weigh-in this morning, I lost 50.8 lbs. in total, over the last 6 1/2 months. I'm thrilled!

Snow?! Yikes, hard to believe winter is on the horizon. Congrats on the progress you've made over the last 6-1/2 months, that is fantastic!

AngelikaLumiere

As a chocoholic I will have a FiberOne Brownie to celebrate and hope I can stay to one. LOL

Terri70

Good morning, everyone! Boy that move did me in. Diet-wise, mentally, and physically. Just now getting over it. So glad it's done. Now just have to get rid of all those danged boxes!! lol My back deck is full of them.

Been totally off plan for the last week and gained 6 lbs back! Ugh! Taking the rest of this week off but I am so back on plan come Monday! I'm going to do it this time! I have sidewalks to walk on at my house so I'm going to make use of them. Where I was before didn't have them and every car speeded through the area so much that I wouldn't have trusted being out there walking.

Have a great day, y'all!

kah68

Zoe says Happy National Cat Day!

Morgori

Good morning everyone.

October 29, 2015 is
National Cat Day
Today is National Cat Day! “What greater gift than the love of a cat?” Charles Dickens once mused. Cats are one of the most beloved human companions of all time. They were first domesticated in the Middle East’s Fertile Crescent as early as 12,000 years ago. When humans relied on hunting as their main source of food, dogs were most useful – but when the first agricultural societies emerged, cats became invaluable. Domesticated cats became responsible for keeping grain stores free of mice and other rodents. Today, cats can be found in 34% of American households, making them the most popular house pet in the United States.
Pet lifestyle expert and animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige established National Cat Day in 2005. In honor of the occasion, celebrate cats and the unconditional love and companionship they give to their owners. If you don't own a cat, volunteer at your local animal shelter or make a donation. It’s the purrrrfect way to show you care!

” To be upset over what you don't have is to waste what you do have.” ~Ken S. Keyes, Jr



Tom

Nikion901

Thursday Truth ... I didn't complete the goals I'd set for myself on Tuesday ... but I did get make headway on the housecleaning project. I cooked different food than what I had planned because that's how my mood went ... at least it was all home prepared and cooked from scratch. But alas, the beets and peppers still await.

My "Baby-girl', "Wee-one", "Strawberry" doesn't understand just one day set aside per year for cats ... she's pampered and honored every single day. However, today we bow our heads in prayer for rescue for all those poor abandoned kitties who are still out in the wild or are cowering in shelters hoping that someone will take them home.

AFM ... yesterday I wanted to toss an old notebook with notes from a 6-week workshop I took a couple of years ago on "Chronic Disease Self Management" ... this one was for Diabetes. Then I decided to gleam some inspiration and motivation from the notes by typing them into my documents before tossing that worn out pad. ... And right on page 3 of my notes I wrote an observation from a week-1 homework assignment on Goal Setting .... everything I do takes far longer to do than I anticipate it will take.

A couple of good tips was also gleaned ...
"Say NO to diets. Make long-term eating changes by limiting your portion size and replacing 1 or 2 unhealthy food choices every week with food that is healthier for you"
and
"Get the skinny on fat ... if you are struggling with dropping weight on your current meal plan, consider reducing the carb requirement and swapping in some fat instead ... instead of 45-60 grams of carbohydrate per meal, consume 30-45 carbs and up the fat by 5-6 grams for the same amount of calories"

Going back to decluttering now ... the stuff is still on the table and needs to be gotten rid of.
Follow-through
Niki