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

@trooworld, Congrats on the weight loss!! Have fun at the movies and good idea to bring your own food. Have you tried those Whisp cheese crackers yet? They come in different flavors and are sooooo good! I now want a ham and cheese chaffle sandwich!

@cbabie, that sounds like a good movie and really made you think and apply it to your life. I know a thing or two about toxic environments and how destructive it is to not only for the children but also the adults. For me, it is only by God’s grace that I have survived and his forgiveness that lets me walk without the guilt of my own mistakes crushing me to death. Good job on getting on your treadmill! I find even a few minutes of exercise puts me in a much better frame of mind. I hope it will for you too.

@RetiredAndLovingIt, I love going to see the leaves changing colors. I just told hubby that we should take a drive up to the north Georgia hills for the afternoon and get in some fresh air and beauty. I LOVE decorating!! I’ve been told I’m pretty good at it and if I had life to do over, I would have loved to become an interior designer and spend my days spending other people’s money.

@theslightedgeforever, my coach doesn’t even allow the yellow container to be used in her “New program” I’m still not sure why she thinks using these containers is easier than just weighing stuff out and putting it in Carb Manager, but I will give it a try. I can be openminded when I have to be.

Good morning! It is going to be a beautiful day here and I'm feeling very happy and blessed this morning. Today is my eight-year wedding anniversary. We don't have a lot planned for today other than I'm making a yummy chicken carbonara dinner (minus the pasta) and sharing a bottle of red. Hubby is taking me into Atlanta in a couple of weeks for an overnight trip to see my two favorite bands, Mercy Me and Crowder. Then he is taking me shopping for some new winter clothes. I do love me some retail!!

Speaking of retail, here is a pic of what we ended up buying yesterday at the Interiors Market. They are really big. The largest one is 8 inches in diameter and 14 inches tall. Made out of strips of mirror and handmade glass. I'm going to put candles in them and I can jazz them up for Christmas and then keep them simple for the rest of the year.

Morning gals! Well, we didn't end up going to the movies, neither of us felt like leaving the house lol. I did use my new Ninja Foodi to air fry some chicken wings and they came out really good! Meal prep today. This is what I am meal prepping:

Low Carb Satay Beef Meal Prep Bowls
Low Carb Greek Chicken Meal Prep Bowls Recipe
Easy Pressure Cooker Pork Chile Verde + cauliflower rice + steamed broccoli
Low-Carb Roasted Italian Sausage and Sweet Mini Peppers Sheet Pan Meal
Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

@cbabie That does sound like a really beneficial movie. I can definitely see where one's environment has a lot of effect on them. The wings were crispy, but the recipe I used wasn't so flavorful so we put hot sauce on them and they were really good. I'd say cooking them in the air fryer is the way to go! Actually, what I did was pressure cooked them for 10 minutes first and then air fried them for 20 after that. Yum! Your grandson would never know they weren't deep-fried. lol

@RetiredandLovingIt Was the leaf watching trip to see the fall colors? I would love that if so! I love my Instant Pot, and now I love my Ninja Foodi, I think it is going to take the place of my Instant Pot but don't tell my Instant Pot lol. Thanks for the tip about the chicken breasts and pork loins.

@theslightedgeforever That's true, I should. Yeah, I rely so heavily on these appliances because I do work outside of the home and have so very limited time to spend meal prepping. It does help cut down on time!

@TeresaW1020 Thanks! I have tried the Whisps, I like them they just don't put many in the bag lol. Girl, you need to make yourself one of those sandwiches, it was so good!!! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! That sounds like a good dinner. I love what you got from Interiors Market, so pretty! Very classy too.

@joannadavison Thanks for the tip! That's too bad they won't prescribe it for your daughter. It does seem to be helping me.

EMPOWERED.
October goals: track 3 days a week, drink 50 oz of liquids a day, ride the stationary bike 3 times a week, lose 1 lb

@teresaw1020 You aren't dead yet. Why not dabble in interior design now Start small with friends and people in the church. I would think you would still have to track how many containers you eat unless all you get is one container. lol How would you know net carbs? She probably doesn't care. lol Although I don't track my net carbs either. Happy Anniversary. I like those candle holders. Very versatile.

@joannadavison Sometimes we just need to rest. Balayage, love it. How are you doing on your October goals?

@trooworld I made unstuffed cabbage rolls a few weeks ago. Are you still riding your bike?

@trishastime Did you get your prep work all done for the week? I've been looking up recipes on Pinterest. Found lots of Instapot recipes I sent my daughter. One was for brocolli and beef. She loves that. I figure if she just gets started on one she will see how easy it is.

I was super busy today and got in over 14000 steps. 53 min of walking. Stayed OP with my red day.

@trooworld So sorry about your plumbing problem. Those are the worst. I liked the cabbage roll and dh ate it but he didn't go for seconds. That's how I always know if he likes something or not. lol Like today, I made an apple and red cabbage slaw. He loved that. I was impressed even my son tried it. He's a visual person like me and usually won't try new things. He didn't like it. I told him he gets brownie points for even trying it. Major progress for him.

@cbabie Good for you for getting on the treadmill. The little things that excite us. lol Mine was pumpkin puree this week. You're still ahead of me on fitbit. When I think of 3 musketeers I think of Pookie and how dad used to feed them to her even though he wasn't supposed to. She lived a long long life. lol

@trishastime Also besides the trigger is the possible thought in your head well I've already blown it, I might as well eat more and really enjoy myself. It's one thing to be over by 100-200 calories but then we go hog wild and make it 500+ sometimes. So look at your tracker and see WHEN did you go over? That will give you a clue. Were your meals planned? Is your meal program too restrictive for you? Any meal program can be modified to fit your lifestyle.

@its_cleo Thinking of you and wondering how your uncle is.

Food was good today. It was a rest day but still managed to get in 18 min of walking plus hit my step goal. I think next week I'm going to have to lower one of my days by 50 calories. On this plan calories really don't matter and I've been staying within my boundaries for both carbs/calories but the weight loss is sluggish right now even after increasing physical activity.

Good morning gals! Well, the plumbing situation turned out okay, it turned out to be something the HOA had to take care of (luckily) and they took care of it at about 5:00 p.m. last night. So, we have a functioning toilet and shower once again! lol

@cbabie WTG on the treadmill!!! Literally the plumbing problem stunk lol! I'm glad it is over.

@TrishasTime We ended up paying $75 just because we started claiming it on our home warranty and they sent a plumber out before the HOA sent out their plumber, but that is it, so it worked out. I hope today is a better day for you!

@theslightedgeforever Thanks. I don't think I'm going to like the cabbage roll stuff, but we'll see. Hahaha to the brownie points!

@its_cleo Hello! Thinking of you.

EMPOWERED.
October goals: track 3 days a week, drink 50 oz of liquids a day, ride the stationary bike 3 times a week, lose 1 lb

@its_cleo I gained 15 lbs when my mom was diagnosed and going through treatment. It didn't help me or her. I never lost them and kept gaining because there was always other problems right around the corner and I didn't deal with my emotions except through eating. That didn't solve the problems but made me feel good at the time until I stepped on the scale or kept having to buy bigger clothes. So now I'm working on learning new skills. Just found out today that my friend has cancer. I'm tired of people being diagnosed with it.

@trooworld That's great news about the plumbing. Did you track your meals this week?

@teresaw1020 I hope this program works for you. Tell her you are still tracking how many red containers you have to use. Tracking is tracking. lol I had an app for the colors once upon a time. The challenge will be when you are at a church potluck. Will you take the containers with you? I use my red container to measure out my blueberries. I put in a mini fridge upstairs in the family room for those times we want a snack and are too lazy to go downstairs. So I keep my containers upstairs and use them to measure out my cereal and such.

@cbabie I wonder if some of those ICY/HOT creams would help your wrist. Here's an idea. Remember the beanbag sock thingy that mom made for her cancer neck pain? She would throw it in the microwave to heat it up. You could use one like that and wrap it around your wrist. As part of my last 100 days I'm doing a couple of books by Judith Beck. Today I was reading about emotional eating and this is what I put in my journal. This is from the book Diet Traps.

While eating may temporarily distract you from difficult feelings, once that distraction has worn off, you are likely to experience regret for straying from your plan—and you will probably feel even worse than before.The way to escape emotional eating traps is to learn how to deal with discomfort in a new way.But if you are seeing a problem accurately and there’s nothing you can do at the moment to solve it, you need to learn to accept your distress. Accepting distress is a learning process.

@joannadavison Why do I think my weight loss is sluggish? As I lose weight, my body won't be burning as many calories as it used to and my calories in number will have to go down. My goal is a pound per week and I've been just right under that lately. So I'll just drop one of my days by 50. Last time I dropped all of my days by 100 and then couldn't stick to any of the boundaries. Too much for my mind to handle I guess. So I'm taking it slow this time. Yeah, I remember the big losses when I was younger. Sometimes it's good to try a new meal plan. The body wakes up and says wait what's happening? Of course being consistent with the meal plan is more important than the actual mealplan itself. So keep tweaking it until you find the perfect match for you.

Today was a good OP day. For exercise I did some walking, yoga, and yard work.

@cbabie, you should get one of those small portable heaters and keep it next to you. I have one that I will use under my desk at home in the winter. Or get an electric blanket! We got the office moved around and we both like it much better!

@theslightedgeforever, I will not take my containers to the potlucks! My coach’s thoughts are that containers will help me see what portions are better, and she might be right about that. I do tend to eat too big of portions. I will like them for packing my lunch for work. I often get lazy and not weigh out my nuts and just guess and put them in a baggie. The little blue container (1/4 cup) will take the guessing away.

@trooworld, sheesh I hope you see fall soon. Crazy weather in the world! Yes! Being around tempting foods is hard but you just must stick to your plan and not let her derail you. It’s like me with the Halloween candy that is all over my office because of our fall festival next week. It’s so hard not to cave into it when it’s right there sitting in the open, but I have to tell myself that it’s NOT my candy. I’m doing a no trigger food challenge in my group on MFP. Do it with me! We are stronger than our temptations!!

Good morning! Unlike trooworld today is cool and beautiful! Fall is the best time of year and I just love watching the trees change colors. Today is a busy day! I have to go to several stores and go grocery shopping. This Saturday, I am going to a wedding and need to go find some pantyhose. I HATE pantyhose!! But thankfully, I found the perfect dress to wear. Then Sunday, we are having a double baby shower for two moms-to-be in our church. I’m in charge of the games, prizes, and some of the food. I’m making those Hawaiian ham and cheese sliders that are sooooooo good!! I’m on the fence if I will allow myself one. This weekend sure as heck isn’t going to fit into my new container system. But you know what? That is OK!! I am committing to doing my plan perfect 95% of the time and allowing myself a meal or party once or twice a month. If I am not realistic then I won’t do it at all. OK, I’m off to torture myself and do some Piyo!! Have a great day!

@trooworld That's a good strategy to have...get up and leave. Kills the temptation. Plus you get in extra steps by getting up and getting out of your chair. You sound like you're on a roll. Maybe Fall will come later and no winter.

@teresaw1020 It's true once you start measuring you can eyeball and see what it looks like on your plate. I have a little glass cup that is 1/4. So I always put my nuts in there. Instant portion control. Otherwise I would keep eating. I've been eating walnuts and almonds. I think time to buy some cashews. I'm going to a potluck gathering of friends tomorrow and I'm bringing sliders. I've preplanned one plus a dessert of some kind. The hostess is serving duck. (hardpass) and rice (pass). That's all I know. But I've left myself lots of carbs and calories for whatever else ends up on that table. So far that strategy has worked for me in the past.

@joannadavison I hear you on the hormones. I'm suddenly top heavy along with belly and my legs are thinner. That never happened before. I'm more apple shaped now where as before I was pear shaped. I'm glad to hear you have scheduled in some adult time for yourself.

I have a good NSV today. I had stepped on the scale and gasped when it said I gained a lb from yesterday. I've been eating chicken and salad for the past four days. All red days lower than 100 carbs. Only thing I can gather is maybe sodium from my diet coke I splurged on. Anyway, I was in my closet getting dressed and looked at a shirt that's been hanging there 2-3 years. With tags still on it. I wondered how close I was to getting it to fit. IT FIT! I was so excited. The sleeve is just a bit tight so maybe another 5 lbs would do it but it's wearable. My body composition must be changing as I've been at this weight before but couldn't fit into the shirt. So onward to try on all the other clothes that are still hanging in my closet.

Really got to take the time to get in here. Been so busy I barely have time to log my food. Starting today I will try to make the effort to read the daily posts and post myself. Hope everyone is doing well. Will try to got caught up on posts later today.

@trooworld Good for you for staying away from the tempting food. Are you drinking all your liquids? I've been just a bit better about that for the past couple of days.

@renaegry, Congrats on the weight loss. This group is like my daily AA meeting.

@joannadavison Daily weighing. I weigh daily. I think everyone is different. I like having the daily reminder of keep going you're doing great or uh-oh better work harder. Sodium bloat is always hard to predict but it usually comes back off after a couple of days. woohoo on 3 lbs. Those dresses will be fitting well soon.

@cbabie I think baby needs a walk in the park. That will be relaxing for both of you. What did the dr say?

@retiredandlovingit Hooray on fitting into the colored jeans. Isn't it the best when our hard work pays off?

Today was an exercise rest day. I went to a friend's house for dinner and did very well and stayed within my boundaries. It was potluck so I had no idea what to expect but I left enough carbs/calories to work with. My sliders were so yummy. I'll definitely be making those again.

@joannadavison, I define trigger foods as something that once I eat it, I want more and more. Candy and other sweets are a huge trigger for me. It’s like my brain gets highjacked. The “no trigger food” challenge is a way to try to keep me mindful. And with a wedding and a baby shower to attend I need all the mindfulness I can get! See my post to trooworld and join us if you would like. I hope you get a chance to rest on your holiday!

@theslightedgeforver, Yayyyy for the shirt fitting!! This is why we really shouldn’t just rely on what the scale says. My weight is basically at a standstill since I started all this exercising, but my shape is changing and I’m fitting into smaller sizes too! Go us!!!

@trooworld, decide what foods are triggers for you and decide that you are NOT going to eat them for the rest of the month. You know mine is candy and with this being the great candy month, I really need to stay focused. Check-in here every day and let me know how you did, and I will let you know how I did. And if we have a slip there is no judgment.

Good morning! So, I’ve got a big NSV to share with you all! This wedding on Saturday is supposed to be rainy and cool and I don’t own a coat that goes well with this fancy dress I bought. So, hubby and I went to the consignment shop to look. They didn’t have something suitable, but I did get a perfect condition London Fog black coat for only $35 and it was an XL and fit perfectly!! Then we went to TJ Maxx and I found a black cape shawl that will work great for the dress! And it was a Large! As I was looking and trying things on I went into the plus-size section and even the 1X sweaters and coats were too big. Hubby told me that I am NOT to even walk in the plus-sized section anymore. I’m thinking that I might even do some dancing at this wedding!

@TrishasTime I understand, I am like that too. I stop posting if I’m having a tough time. That's pretty much why I haven't been posting. Also I just have more work than I did in the summer so I'm busier.

@TeresaW1020 that is great about the dress and avoiding the candy!

@trooworld are you liking your new indoor bike? I used to bike a lot, but I gave it up years ago.

@Retiredandlovingit I run sometimes through a very old cemetery here and it was so beautiful today with leaves changing colour and all the fall flowers they plant.

@cbabie so glad you’re almost done PT!

@joannadavison congrats on the weight loss!
I’m ok. Trying to get back into a regular exercise routine. So this week I exercised once a day. That was the first time, my exercising had really dropped off the last few weeks. It was kind of a tough slog to get back into it, but I’m doing my best.

I’m on track with my calorie goal this week but not sure it will equal weight loss bc my goal is pretty high. But it’s still lower than I usually eat. I was just tired of setting a goal and couldn’t meet it week after week.

Tomorrow I have errands, may go buy some new running shoes. Sunday I’m getting together with some friends.