Sexy September Starters

Mamacindy: Do you use regular bread recipes or have you found healthier recipes? I haven't figured out the calories yet for the recipes I have made. Mine also says it makes jam, so that's something I'm excited to experiment with.

Jessica: I think the South Beach diet is just fine. I've done it before, especially when I want a weight loss boost. Phase 1 is just really hard on me and going off of refined sugar cold turkey puts me in a bad, crazy mood. The last time I tried to start South Beach, I stopped around a week into it when I was crying because I couldn't eat rice. In my book, life is too short to cry over rice. So, I ate a big bowl of rice, and decided I'd rather be chunky than loony.

I actually just got back from the grocery store, and decided to try to eat mostly Core foods (from Weight Watchers). Has anyone here done Core? I used to do Core when I went to Weight Watchers, and it's a lot like South Beach, but with slightly different rules. Core is all about eating nutrient dense foods (lots of food for few calories), eating to satisfaction, and not letting yourself get too hungry. Basically, it's any fruit, vegetable, fat free dairy, eggs, lean meats, soy products, and brown rice/whole wheat pasta. (You don't eat bread if you do Core, but I'm not going 100%, just trying to stick mostly to those sorts of foods.) I'm still going to track my food on here and try to be mindful of calories, but I've done Core a few times without tracking calories and lost a ton of weight. I suspect that it's very hard to eat over 1400 calories (which is what I get per day) in Core foods. What I love about Core is that I lose weight pretty quickly (a fairly reliable 1-2 lbs per week). Let's hope that I'll lose that much now, since I'm not working out, like I usually do when I'm eating Core.

My biggest problem the last few days has just been depression. I've struggled with depression for a long, long, long time, and I used to take antidepressants when it was really bad. It's not bad now or anything, but it always gets worse for me in winter when I'm not outside in the sun and moving around very much. I feel sleepy CONSTANTLY unless I'm pumped full of caffeine, and I have no appetite but can still somehow manage to eat tons of candy if it's around. I don't sit around sad all day, but my depression is just a huge energy zapper. I know it will get better near the end of winter, like it always does, but I only have so much patience for feeling like a zombie.

I hope everyone is back on track from the holidays and starting to see that weight drop back off.

-Alison

Hey everyone;

I'm glad to report I am down another pound and down an inch in my waist.

Ali, I would start out using the recipes that come with your bread machine. You can easily start with half unbleached bread flour and half whole wheat flour for just about any recipe you want to make. Also adding a tablespoon of vital wheat gluten per cup of flour also helps make good loaves. (Walmart in the flour section) Enjoy your machine!

Gina; you are very blessed to get to work with a nutritionist. Pass along any tips!

I hope everyone has a good day & week!

Cindy

Hello ladies!

I just wanted to say congrats to Gina and Cindy for the losses...it doesn't matter the amounts, a loss is a loss!!! I am 150.5 right now. Down 3 from last week. I had been down to 147 during the South Beach, but I was feeling too weak and had to add back in some carbs. Oh well!

Ali, I SO understand about crying over food! I was starting to miss stuff for sure and I was happy to enjoy a little pizza this weekend! I have done Weight Watchers at home program with the points but I haven't done the core program. I would be curious to check into that some more. I can't afford meetings, but I can just be smarter. I just have to choose to do it! Hope you are doing well!

Blessings to all of you ladies!

Jessica :flowerforyou:

Great job Ali!!! If you keep up the great work, you will see results for sure! Way to go!

Jessica :flowerforyou:

I'm doing pretty good. I've got my exercise in. But my eating isn't as under control as I would like it to be. (TOM is coming and I get super hungry.) If I can just get through the next few day without going food crazy I'll be okay. I turn 54 tomorrow and I thought I'd be done with this already!

I'm going over to my Mom's tomorrow and my daughter and sister's will be there. I'm looking forward to that and being away from Granny (my MIL, who has Alzheimer's, & I'm her primary caregiver) It will be nice to have a break!

Did you use your bread machine yet? I'll send you my favorite recipe if you want?

Cindy

Hello!

Cindy, Happy Birthday! I agree with Jessica - you do NOT look your age. I'm sure it was annoying when you were in your teens, but now you are certainly getting all of the benefits. I'm only 27 and I've already started using anti-wrinkle cream because I've always looked a little older than I am, which is fine but now that I'm nearing 30, I don't want people to start thinking I'm in my 40s. And I have used my bread machine since I got it, but not in the past two weeks. It has a pasta dough setting, and I really want to try to make some fresh whole wheat pasta with it.

Jessica, I'm so glad you're able to walk around some. Slow and steady. Don't reinjure yourself. Just don't forget to keep pushing a little at a time.

Gina, how are you doing?

Nolachick, still checking this board? I hope you're doing great!

I've been weighing myself every day, and this morning was back down to 226.2. Before the holidays I was at 225.5, so I'm pretty happy to almost be back down to my pre-holiday weight this soon. I'm really pushing for 225 though because that will be a total of 20 lbs for me. The first 10 came off pretty fast, this second 10 has been a bit of a struggle, so I'm hoping the next 10 are a breeze. I'd rather it go back and forth like that than for it to just keep getting harder. I think the next 10 will be good though because I'm getting to a weight where I can jog comfortably, and the weather is starting to get nice enough to be outside more.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

-Alison

Ali, thanks for the encouraging post for us all. I am so glad that you do good to get on here and keep us all going. Life's been kind of crazy and it's finally getting back to a normal pace. Thanks for all your care and concern. I am having a great weekend. I've walked about 12 minutes so far today and hope to do about 10-15 more. I am doing about 5 minutes or so at a time. So far so good! I am really proud of you for getting that holiday weight off so fast. I still have a few pounds to go, but I know that with adding the walking back in it should start coming off faster. I hope you have a great week and we'll be in touch.

Nolachick, I have been wondering how you are doing also? I hope you are doing great and we hope to hear from you soon.

Gina, how have you been doing? I hope you are doing well and I hope you have a great week.

MamaCindy, I hope you also have a great week and thanks for sticking with this even when some of us aren't on here much!

Blessings to all of you!

Jessica :flowerforyou:

Hey Gina;

I hope you have a good weigh in this week.

I'm down another 1.5 pounds. I would love to see the scales go down much more quickly and it is frustrating at times but I keep telling myself "slow and steady wins the race".

I'm a little sore this morning because of working out hard yesterday.

I'm sooo ready for spring! I'm just not a winter time gal at all. Ready for gardening. Maybe I'll just plant a few herbs in some pots and see if I can get a head start on spring.

I hope you all have a good day and make good choices.

Cindy

Hey Ali!

Glad to see you are still on here. I don't know if I said it here or the other message board I regularly go t but remember "slow & steady wins the race"!

I got to update my weight loss ticker to 10 lbs gone today. My goal is another 10 and anything after that will be bonus points. I'm only 1 lb away from being in the "healthy weight" range for my height. I'd really like to be in between the high and low number.

Gina, be sure to connect after you appt. with the nutritionist and or trainer which ever you said you were meeting with.

Cindy

Good morning ladies, I'm happy to report that I also lost 1lb and I'm hoping for even better numbers at the end of the week. I've been working out on a daily basis and hope to keep it up for the rest of the month. I recommend a HRM which tells u exactly how much u burn that way u know for sure ur not under/over estimating.

Congrats Gina, hope everyone else is doing well.