Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

Thursday Truth ... I'm an astrological sign Pisces, having been born around 'The Ides of March' ... and it's my understanding, from reading astrological guides, that we Pisces can be real pizzzers ... in several different ways. One that I have struggled with all my life is how 'thin skinned' I can be ... meaning that I am sensitive, overly self-involved ... meaning that I jump to the conclusion that I am somehow responsible or that something is about or because of something I said or did ... get it? Oh, it also means, I've read, that I have pretty good intuition and am perceptive, and also creative ... so perhaps those last 3 are the cause of the jumping to conclusions thing. ... And, you ask, why are you sharing this bit of information? .... Well ... it's because this thread has been so very quite ... and while I have stopped by my usual numerous number of times a day I have refrained from posting anything because there is a nagging suspicion in the back of my mind that people are staying away ... not because they are busy or not doing well and don't want to own up to it here ... but that something I said offended them and they decided to drop the thread. So ... that's my truth today... I'm a nut!

@Nikion901 - yeah, you're a nut. One that we all love!

@BarneyRubbleMD - way to go!!! What a fabulous way to go into the new year!

@happygirlxxx - three weeks, eh? Yeah, long time... But also an opportunity to get to know the woman who nurtured and formed the man you both love. You may not have much in common, but you DO have HIM! Start there and keep trying to find common ground wherever it may show up. Who knows - you may find that you have a brand new friend. Wishing you much luck!

Thursday truth: I'm up about 5lbs. Not happy about it! It's the holiday season and Hermiston is everywhere. Plus, it's cold and dark and I don't feel like going for my daily walks. All excuses, I know. I'm not gaining more, and that's something. Still, I want these 5 lbs off, but don't see it happening till after New Year's. So, between now and then the goal is to not gain more. And on Jan 2, until those 5 lbs are gone, I'm gonna kick some BUTT!

Friday Fitness ... going into that kitchen and making something I have been hankering over for a long time ... my own version of Chicken Noodle Casserole ...
300 grams roasted chicken breast,
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 ounces broccoli
12 ounces baby bella brown mushrooms
1/2 package Gia Russa wide egg noodles
1 cup shredded Mexican Cheese blend (4-cheeses)

The MFP recipe builder reveals that if this casserole makes 6 servings, then each will be 360 calories and very healthy indeed on the macros and vitamins.

Will let you know if it tastes as good in real life as it tastes in my imagination. Normally, on Friday, I would have fish ... but I roasted the chicken 3 days ago specifically so I could make a chicken casserole of one kind or another ... and this one is that will freeze ok so I won't have to eat it for 6 meals in a row!

@happygirlxxx ... your MIL is a lucky woman ... because you love her son, because you care about his relationship with her, and because you will go out of your way to make her a welcomed guest.

@birgitkwood ... me too, not 5 anymore, but it was so the other day. One of my challenges ends this Monday and as of this morning I am 3 pounds away from goal ... and I was 2 pounds away a month ago! ... Next year ... I'm already setting up my plan for it.

@b_lisieux ... so true, if I weren't working it with MFP I'd still be in the high 270's instead of high 220's today. We just must keep at it ... like @BarneyRubbleMD ... who is such an inspiration!

@lydiapassthedonuts ... hope you son is feeling better, and you too. When my son was about 5 years old he went through a really bad year of failed health and numerous hospitalizations ... thankfully a diagnosis and curative treatments began ... and he grew into health. Hope so for your son too.

@myMFPcronies.... you lift my spirits, you buoy me up, thank you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyEokxi2hWY

Niki

@bapcarrier ...This is how I put together my casserole ... I bake it in an oblong casserole dish ... one of those glass 9x13 inch models, or close to it.

Break up the broccoli into mouth sized floret sections (not too small or they become over cooked).
Wipe clean (or rinse and dry) the mushrooms. Slice up or rough chop the mushrooms.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (ab 180 Centigrade)
Put a sauce pan with 2 cups of water in it on to boil
Put a skillet on the stove to warm up. Add the mushrooms to the skillet, and add in a couple tablespoons of water. Cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally.

When the water in the pot comes to a boil, drop in the broccoli florets and blanch them for a couple of minutes, then lift them out with a slotted spoon and add to the skillet with the mushrooms in it. Set that skillet aside, or turn off the heat and leave it on the burner.

Bring the water in the pot back to a boil and drop in the egg noodles (6 ounces, dry) and let them soften in the cooking water.

Meanwhile, open a can of condensed cream of chicken soup and put it into a bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and stir together, set aside.

When the noodles have softened, but are not yet cooked through, transfer them to the bottom of your casserole dish .. do not discard the water, instead use it to thin out the condensed soup. (I use all of it)

Once the noodles are evenly distributed on the bottom of the casserole dish, cut the roasted chicken breast into bite size cubes and evenly distribute the chicken over the noodles. Next add the broccoli in an even distribution and follow with the cooked mushrooms, again evenly distributing over and around the broccoli and chicken. Pour the thinned chicken soup over the casserole.

Bake the casserole for about 30 to 45 minutes ... until it gets bubbly, then carefully remove it from the oven and sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese evenly over the top. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted ... about 6 - 10 minutes.

Remove the casserole from the oven, score it into 5 or 6 even pieces and serve by scooping it out of the casserole with a large spoon or with a spatula.

Serve with a side of your choice. (Tonight I had cucumber/tomato salad, and followed a little later with an apple for dessert).

Note ... You will notice I did not add any salt to this dish ... that's because the condensed soup has plenty of sodium in it, as do the egg noodles, however, if you are not on a salt restricted diet you may choose to lightly season the water before blanching the florets, and you may also lightly season the mushrooms once they have started to release their liquid. Also ... if you can afford another 30 - 50 calories, you can use 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoon neutral oil or oil and butter to cook the mushrooms instead of using a little water.

If you make it, I hope it comes out to your satisfaction. This is a type of dish that I can very easily overeat on, but find that if I do serve a nice big chop/chop salad with it that I am held well all evening long.

I haven't been feeling well for the last couple of days and I let it allow my eating to spiral. Today was terrible. I ate almost double my calories. Yicks... good thing tomorrow is a new day! That casserole sounds Delicious @Nikion901

@ckozl81 ... Hi, I totally missed your first post a few days ago ... and wanted to say welcome. Terrible days, thanks to the ever moving-forward clock, are gone once we move past midnight! (or whenever your day starts/ends) ... So it is now in the past and that's where is belongs. Today is a new day, a new opportunity to make ourselves proud.

That casserole ... Just so you know, it does taste very good when freshly made, reheated ... it thickens up and is not as luscious ... that's why I make it very seldom, and because it IS such a comfort food for me, why I immediately portion it out and package away the rest of it ... out of sight, out of mind!~

@happygirlxxx That picture is beautiful.

I'm still not feeling the best but I did start to reign in my eating yesterday at least a little bit. Due to a divorce my brother swaps kids with his soon-to-be ex-wife 2 States away from us so every two weeks I ride with him. In total the day is a 12-hour drive. It's not the worst but it gets long and we eat on the road all three meals. I try to make healthy choices but sometimes when you're bored healthy choices aren't what you want. I wouldn't change the ride because every other 2 week ride is totally worth seeing my nieces and their faces light up seeing their daddy and me.

I'm ready to rock the coming week. I'm going to start using the treadmill we bought almost 2 years ago more consistently. I was going to wait until after the new year but there is no time like the present.

@ckozl81 well said!!! you can do it! I am sure online there are training plans you can download to help you get in shape and that gradually increase the intensity and challenge.

And family is all; so even though the situation is not easy; the fact that your brother drives back and forth to see his kids is awesome. that is what they will remember, that even though they could not see him everyday, he was there when it matter. my parents got divorced when i was young and lived in different countries and my dad always made the effort to come see me, call and write ... and that is what I remember the most. is about quality, not quantity!

Monday Check-in ... I didn't make my challenge goal in the Quarterly challenge group I'm in ... by less than 1 pound.
Still ... I am down 22 pounds from the start of the first challenge in that group ... and I know that if it weren't for the public accountability of sharing my weekly weights with other people that I would still be the same weight I was on 1/9/17 when that 1st challenge started. There is an annual challenge I'm in also that weighs in on a different day of the week, and it still has 2 weeks to run. ... for that one I bit off more than I can deliver by 50% and if I join it's 2018 version it will be with a much more realistic plan of what I can actually accomplish because ... while it is good to aim high, aiming at the sun when you probably will only reach the moon is self-defeating.

@b_lisieux ... I like your 'take it as it comes' attitude. It's an easy-going manner that I have never been able to emulate in myself. For me, even if I had to spend an hour searching the database for foods that sounded like what I ate during that day long Christmas Fest I would have been unable not to do it. Like you say, you can do your best when you can and let the rest go. It's not everyday!

@Nikion901 This time around with trying to lose weight, I seem to have developed a whole new attitude/approach. Even I don't understand where it came from. I guess my 'take it as it comes' attitude and more easy going manner this go round has made sticking to the plan much easier. It somehow takes the stress off and when I do have a day like I had on Sunday, or even after a trip or whatever, I am right back on it, something I never did in the past. In years gone by, after a day during the holidays like I had on Sunday, I'd just say forget it, I might as well just eat what I want because I'm going to gain weight anyhow. Not this time. No stress or putting that stress on myself. I used to be like you, logging every morsel that I ate that day, stressing out over getting it perfect, so I totally understand that approach too. I can't even explain why this time is different for me. I sometimes wonder that myself. Another new thing for me is that if I won't enjoy something, it doesn't go in my mouth. Now when I eat a calorie, it's because I like it and I'm not afraid to leave something on a plate when out somewhere if I won't enjoy it. By the same token, if I really like something or want it, I'll eat it, enjoy it, log it and no stress. I'm not sure I recognize this person inside of me anymore but I hope she doesn't leave.

Greetings All! It was a good food aware week for me. I have been logging everyday and really paying attention to it. That is a big NSV for me. AND I had a scale victory as well. I dropped 2.9 lbs this week. The exercise challenge is where I have failed in my goals. This month just be came so busy! I did flowers for a wedding this weekend and it took so much of my time and energy. The Flowers looked stunning and I was so please with that. So I guess I am out of the exercise challenge because I have NOT been focused on that.

Have a great day everyone... and a wonderful holiday weekend!


Name: Cyndy aka @raindogmaa
Age: 60 yrs old
Weight: 208.8
Initial Goal: 199
Ultimate goal: 150

Wednesday and struggling with everything. Me weight is bouncing and I’m freaking out. My 2 pound swings are now closer to 5. I’m pretty sure that the increased energy output and bad water management are the culprits but dang 5(!!!!)lbs heavy! Monday rest day Tuesday jogged and it was hard. Today walked 3.5 miles. Anger walked today. Just mad, unfocused mad. Angry at work, kids just frustrated angry. I don’t know how to fix that. I’m not sure how to get to 5k jogging. I’ve looked at plans but the wall at about a quarter of a mile is daunting. I know it’s only a week but I really want something to work, be easy and not feel like I’m crashing into a brick wall at 100 mph

@pneschich - feeling the same way, Bro! My weight is up about 5#s and nearly every day something happens to derail my efforts to get "back to normal." It's the holidays! And in your case you have a bunch of emotional stuff going on as well. Difficult stuff.

So, in only 10 days the holiday season will officially be over. It'll be a new year, a new week, a new month. A time to regroup and focus! I plan to fully get back in the groove on Jan 1st. Join me, please! It'll be good to have your company. (In the meantime it is my goal not to do TOO much more damage, but looking at upcoming celebrations, frankly - it's not looking good)

Hi @jam5660 ... My grandniece just had her second child this week ... he was determined to be a Christmas Baby but mom and dad had alternate plans and they won out! ... Hope you are feeling better soon, pregnancies take a lot out of a woman. Keep well.

Hi @birgitkwood ... Me too ... along with your and @pneschich ... like, where did that 5 pounds come from in the past 2 days? Must be something wrong with my scale.

Hi @b_lisieux ... you cheer everyone on ... but how are YOU doing? Great, I hope!

Ana @happygirlxxx ... good looking cake, makes me want to bake something for my family Christmas Eve party. Maybe some of those savory and sweet filled buns my mom used to make for us. They need a yeast dough and are time consuming to make, but if I were to actually bake something, they would be it.

@raindogmaa ... You did really well this week with your weight loss! So what if you have fallen off the exercise challenge .. no need to consider yourself dropped off unless you want to quit reporting on it ... it's all a do as you wish thing, isn't it.

AFM on this snowy Friday here in Western New York (some call it Upstate, but not I ) ...
I did my annual review this week and spent a lot of time getting my sheets and goals ready for 2018. One of my goals is to get out amongst people more than I have been ... getting to be a real recluse and need to fight that solitude in my life ...

I won't bore you with all the reasons why my social life has shrunken to the point where I think it is something that needs to be tweaked ... except to say that's one reason why I am so active on this thread, and on other social media ... I'm trying to stay connected.

Today, I was reading an article from the SilverSneakers organization and got an idea for something that just might be the ticket. ... TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) ... there is a local chapter about 4 miles away at a local church. They do have small annual club fee, plus a monthly meeting center fee ... so I need to take another look at my January budget to see if this is something I can plan on for anytime soon ... Still, it's an idea worth thinking about ... at least for 2018.

Well ... hope I didn't miss saying 'hi' to anyone who posted since the last time I did. Have a wonderful weekend, and if you celebrate Christmas ... then may it be Merry and Bright, and may all your wishes come true.
Niki