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Congratulations on the house, Brooke. The floor plans look great. I like the 2nd one better, too! I suck at reading floor plans, so couldn't tell from the separate little boxes, but is it a 2 bathroom home? I'd just think a 2 bath would have so much greater re-sale value. Just my non-professional two cents!! It will be so nice to have everything new! Best of luck in your new home!!!

Sounds like you are making exercise a routine in your life, which is the way to do it. I still struggle with that...made progress in that the exercise bike is plugged in and ready to roll, but I had an infection last week and was taking antibiotics and just did not have the motivation to get on. This week, that is the goal!!

I have always thought that the key to weight loss success is 80% mental. Any little mental trick you can do is so worth it if it keeps food out of your mouth. For me, we spend a lot of time at the theater (DS is in a theater magnet high school, plus we see most touring shows that come to town), and I remember when the seats felt uncomfortably small. It was really uncomfortable to sit for 2 hours or more in those seats at my heaviest, so to feel comfortable in the seats is motivation to me. So, when I want to eat, I think about how terrible I will feel squeezed into a small seat. That and I am still picturing my kids' high school graduation in a year and all the photos and how I want to look normal sized!! That, and I'm turning 50 in Dec. and don't want to be "fat and 50!," lol!

You did mention you don't like microwaved chicken, Brooke. Sorry...menopausal moment there. The instructions do say you can heat the chicken in a pan too, if that makes a difference. I did that when I mixed together chicken with shrimp for fajitas and it came out great.

May I suggest a George Foreman grill for your new home? We use ours so much...to grilling hamburgers, steaks, Italian sausages, chicken, etc. It is designed so that the fat rolls off the grill into a little catch pot beneath and when you empty the catch pot (for lack of a better term) and see all that fat...well, let's just say I'm glad it's going in the garbage and is not in our food!!

Have a great week everyone...tropical storm Beryl is over FL and we've had rain on and off all week and over the holiday weekend. I always feel bad for the people who are on vacation here when we have bad weather...if this was your one week for Disney and it is rainy all week, that is not a fun vacation!!:(

Best of luck to everyone getting back in the swing of thing. Congratulations on your inches lost, Brooke! That is great.

My newest find is Tyson grilled chicken fajita strips. They are already cooked and all you do is microwave them. I eat a bowl of them with melted cheese on top with a tiny bit of sour cream or put them in a salad. Great when you don't feel like cooking and only 1 g of carbs per 3 oz serving. Very tasty too...they use a lime flavoring that is very good!

Hope everyone had a great long weekend. It was rainy in Orlando...not such a great holiday weekend!!

I wanted to share a website I found where you can input your foods and it will give you the nutritional information...carbs, calories, etc. (not WW points though). http://nutritiondata.self.com/user/login

Let's just say I had a rude awakening when I discovered that spices have carbs, and not just a few! I was thinking of doing a homemade taco seasoning until I input the recipe ingredients and found out the carbs would be comparable to the taco seasoning in the packet you buy at a store. Uhhh! So, I'm back to eating grilled hamburgers, steak and chicken with very little seasoning!! Sugar free jello is a godsend, as it allows me something sweet. I also will take a small bit of an Atkins bar (I cut one bar up into 6 pieces), for something sweet. Still trying to keep the carbs under 20 g a day.

The good news is I had an hour to kill before I picked up my son, so went to the mall to kill some time and I tried on a dress at Macys. I picked up an XL and it was too big!! Macys has their own brand of clothing, Style and Co and their clothes do run big, but I find them to be flattering. They also have plus sizes, which I have a closet full of, but most are too big now, fortunately. Anyway, here is the link if you are interested...great sales this weekend. http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/style-co.-dress-sleeveless-printed-twist-front-jersey?ID=677878&CategoryID=5449#fn=BRAND%3DStyle&co.%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D37%26ruleId%3D65%26slotId%3D14

Happy Memorial Day! Now off to watch The Bachelorette!!

Have a fab holiday weekend and happy house hunting Brooke!!

My goal for the weekend is to actually get on the exercise bike that has been sitting in my guest room unused for the past 3 years!

Just a question...what are planks?

Hang in there, Brooke. It can be frustrating when the numbers don't budge. It sounds like you are doing the right things, so sooner or later, you should see some results. I'm in the same situation...had to go the dr. this week and was weighed and the scale has not moved for me in 2 weeks, despite following the diet and having no more than 20 g of carbs a day. It's very frustrating to say the least. I've been eating a lot of mayo, both in my morning egg salad (hard boiled eggs with mayo and real bacon bits) and in my chicken salad standby for lunch (boiled chicken breasts with mayo and celery), so I'm going to go back to just protein...hamburger patties for lunch and scrambled eggs for breakfast.

I did try a new recipe I wanted to share. I love hot wings, but of course, they are not allowed on my diet, but I found a great substitute...chicken breasts cooked in the crockpot with hot wing sauce and shredded. The Frank's hot wing sauce is low carb and I used the Ranch dressing called for in the recipe very sparingly (would probably omit next time). For the family, I served the chicken on rolls, but for me, I made it into a salad with romaine, parmesean cheese and a bit of caesar dressing. It was very tasty. I also found another recipe for shredded Mexican chicken that you prepare in the crockpot as well. I think this would also make a good salad (The recipe calls for salsa, but I'd probably make my own if I couldn't find one low carb in the store). I'm trying to eat less beef, so these fit the bill. BTW, I used frozen chicken breasts and they worked fine. I cannot believe I have just now discovered them!! The best part is that you make up the crockpot the night before, store it in the fridge, put it on in the morning before work and come home to a great dinner!!

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken: http://mykitchenapron.blogspot.com/2011/07/crock-pot-buffalo-chicken.html

Mexican shredded chicken: http://paleoperfectly.blogspot.com/2011/03/paleo-crockpot-mexican-shredded-chicken.html

I am enjoying your review of our favorite ship! It looks like they really expanded the Formalities show. My kids loved to go there for the pick and mix candy and it looks like it has been expanded a great deal.

Looking forward to more!

PS- Pam- I like the bagel thins and have used them before and yes WW does allow them. I just think its probably good to keep them away until I need them, lol. I'm still holding on to better carb practices, lol.

 

Good Choices.

Oh I agree with you there. My worse fear is returning to that "carb craving" feeling where no matter how many you eat, you still want more. I could easily down an entire bag of goldfish or quacker cheddar cheese rice cakes without thinking before and still feel hungry!! One of the real benefits I find with low carb is that you do not get as hungry and do not have those cravings!! My thing was never sweets so much as salty snacks, so for the most part the almonds take the place of that!

Best of luck...I still think that with so much exercise you are bound to see the scale move at some point. But I also remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are more toned, you might have lost inches, but not lbs., if that makes sense. Do you notice a difference in your clothes?

I had a nice moment this week. Went shopping for a new dress and ended up buying a 0X at Macys in the plus size dept, but wasn't entirely happy, as it was kind of big and I knew in a few months (hopefully) it would be way too big. I found the same dress in the regular dept and an XL fit much better and was $10 cheaper. I guess plus sizes cost more because they use more material, lol. I also tried on a petite XL (I'm 5'2"), but it was too tight, but I'll take the XL in the women's dept rather than a plus size anyday and save $10 in the process!! It's little things like that which make me more determined to stay away from bad things!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Regarding bagels, they are my weakness too. I don't eat them on Atkins, but for the family I buy the bagel thins...I think they are 110 calories each (sold in the bread aisle of grocery store) and often my DD will just eat half with cream cheese for breakfast, so it's pretty low cal, but not low carb. I have no idea if WW allows them though!

Ok, last one, I promise, but this one also looked so good and I liked the idea of serving it with a poached egg on top.

Roasted asparagus wrapped in bacon: apparently the brown sugar makes it carmelize. I'd try it with a brown sugar substitute...not sure the effect would be the same though.

I need to stay off of pinterest...what a time sucker!

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/04/bacon-wrapped-caramelized-sesame-asparagus/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+howsweeteats%2FsmSp+%28How+Sweet+It+Is%29&referrer=LuxeFinds.com

Ok, I really need to stay off of pinterest, but here is another take on roasted veggies: asparagus. Sounds heavenly!

http://pinterest.com/pin/100627372894404849/

Here is another good veggie recipe I just saw on pinterest. I haven't tried this one yet, but it sounds very good.

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2009/01/recipe-for-roasted-green-beans-with.html

Thank you for that.........i really might have to stop by the store and pick it up to try with my turkey instead of a potato. Those are the kind of recepies I've been looking for.......some way to cook different veggies without the same out butter and salt routine.

Let us know how you like it. Rachel Ray has some good ideas!! Bon appetit!

Brooke, have you tried roasting veggies? It's my favorite way to eat them. All I do iis take a sheet pan, cover in foil, add veg , olive oil, and salt and pepper. Maybe 375 degrees or so for 20 minutes. Asparagus is good. Cauliflower and broccoli excellent. Sometimes i'll do peppers, zucchini chunks, etc. Whatever you like!

Yes! Red peppers are wonderful roasted with some olive oil. I've not tried broccoli, but I will have to try that one!!

Here's a great brussel sprout recipe. Everyone in my family (even the non-veggie eaters) love it and it's pretty easy! Of course, my philosophy is if you add bacon to any recipe, it will be good! I've only used fresh brussel sprouts, but the comments section of the recipe show that some have tried it successfully with frozen.

Lol about the thyroid condition...I was the same way! Couldn't blame my gain on a medical condition either, just too many cocktails and chips!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/brussels-sprouts-with-bacon-recipe/index.html

Have you thought of doing the Atkins induction for a week or two to jump start the weight loss again? It's pretty hard core...protein mostly with maybe a spinach salad thrown in, but it does get weight off quickly. I would think you'd see real results with the induction combined with all the exercise!

I also assume you've had all all the medical tests to rule out a thyroid condition which might prohibit you from losing? When I gained 20 lbs in 3 months, my dr gave me the test. It came back negative...there was no reason for me to have gained so much other than REALLY poor choices, lol!!

I admit I know nothing about WW, so they might have a completely different philosophy, but I'd also try giving up the potatoes. Somewhere I read that the potato turns to sugar in your system (I'm sorry I can't be more specific on the source or more scientific, but I just vaguely remember reading this when I first started on Atkins, which warns against starchy veggies like potatoes, corn or peas.) Also, if the fruit cup has sugar in it, that might also be adding extra calories. Like I said, I know nothing about WW and am just going by what I know from Atkins, which is to eliminate sugar and starch. I know people are really successful on WW, so their system works too, I just don't know enough about it. So, maybe the idea of returning to the meetings would help...maybe their counselor could look at your diet and see something we are all missing!!

Best of luck!

Loved your review and the photos. It brought back many happy memories of our NCL cruise to Alaska. The scenery is so stunning in Alaska that I'd never do that itinerary without a balcony! Although we prefer Carnival to NCL, one thing that was nice about NCL was the coffee maker in the room to make hot drinks to enjoy on our balcony as we sailed by the glaciers! We went in July and the only time we really felt the cold was as we sailed by the glaciers!!

P.S. Your kids are so cute!!

With all of your exercise, you are bound to see the scale move permanently in the downward direction. It can be frustrating when you are doing the right thing and the scale does not move. I rarely weigh myself between dr. visits, but was in Publix yesterday and stepped on the scale and was only 1 lb. below my weight the last time I weighed, which was a good 2 weeks ago. Not very encouraging at all, when I have been sticking to the diet other than a glass of wine and dessert a week ago. However, my clothes continue to feel looser and I actually tried on a size 14 dress last night that fit, so that is encouraging! Still, I am heavier than when I went to the hospital to deliver twins, so I have a good 50 lbs. to lose. My goal is to be my "normal" weight in one year, when my twins graduate from high school, so I have a year to make it work, but it does not seem like it should take another year!!

I've tried the Mio and like it, but prefer crystal light. However, I was a bit miffed to see that my crystal light stick of honey lemon green tea gives the carb count for a serving size of "1/2 packet". Really...how many people use 1/2 a packet? Maybe if you have 1/2 a bottle of water, but still seems far fetched. So, since the carbs are <1 g. for 1/2 a packet, I'm assuming a full packet is between 1-2 g of carbs. Why couldn't they say that in the first place??

Ok, I'm done ranting...hope everyone has a good week!!

Wow, Brooke an hour on the bike is great. And the ellipt machine...good for you. I HATE that thing and have only been able to manage a few minutes on it! Our stationary bike is sitting unused in our guest room...I really need to get on that thing!! That is my goal for the summer...to at least get on the bike if I don't get the walking done (due to the heat).

McFam5, you can't beat yourself up for one binge. The important thing is that you get right back into the program today. It sounds like you really have the motivation to lose, so you will be fine!

I had a great "dessert" tonight...about 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese sweetened with splenda, heated in the microwave for 45 seconds topped with Emerald cinnamon roasted almonds (you can also use the chocolate roasted almonds if you prefer). It's low carb and satisfies the need for something sweet after dinner.

Tomorrow is Friday...yay!

 

A friend of mine who weighed close to 300 lbs lost 20 lbs on her own first..then 35 lbs on WW in 5 months and all she did was walk every day. She could only walk about 15 minutes at first, but she slowly added a minute every couple days or so and last year she walked a half marathon Now she walks, does yoga, weights, etc. She wanted it bad enough and forced herself to move out of her comfort zone. I'm not saying you don't want it bad enough, just sharing a story of success from someone I watched who struggled

 

It's HARD to train your mind to do it, but if you can, try to exercise first thing in the morning..even if you just get up earlier and take a short walk outdoors..or during lunch, etc. That way at least you get something in even if you dont make it to the gym.

I like your idea of walking first thing in the morning!! I have lost 50 lbs. on Akins without exercise, but know I need it. I have way more cellulite than people who weigh less than me and I think it's probably due to lack of exercise! I live in central FL, so walking first thing in the morning would certainly be the most comfortable and least humid time of day. I'm also a "morning" person, but because I start work at 7:30 am, I am typically up at 5:45 am and just haven't had the inclination to wake up earlier to walk, because I feel then I'd need a shower and hair straightening, etc. Right now, I shower at night and just do the chi straightening in the morning (frizzy hair due to FL humidity, don't you know!), along with the regular morning routine (get two kids off to school, scoop the kitty litter, feed cats, etc). I know, choices, decisions, etc...less sleep and healthier life or the precious few minutes of more sleep!

Hope you survived Friday, Brooke. Sounds rough!! I hear you about the heat and humidity not being good for the hair! I think of how many "good" hair days I could have if I lived in a less humid climate. Thank goodness for the chi.

I indulged a bit last night...went out to dinner with the hubby for a belated anniversary dinner and I had a glass of chardonnay and creme brulee. My appetizer was all protein (escargot) and my entree was steak with extra veggies (I asked them to not serve me the potato), so I think I did ok. I also had a cappuccino, but asked them to use whole milk (I know, more fat, but less carbs and I'm a carb counter!). I have no way of knowing if they honored my request, but I hope so!! I know now that after those indulges I just have to jump right back into the program and not let the one indulgence be an excuse to go crazy with carbs! As I've stated before, I think 90% of the weight loss thing is mental and I am now in the mental state that I want to lose more than I want to eat a lot of carbs. I enjoyed last night immensely, but now don't need a dessert for a while!!

It's a process and I think we will all meet our individual goals eventually!!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!!

Hope you are feeling better Brooke. I'm the same way with some meats...if I see that red thing, I'm repulsed! I also don't like hot dogs, unless I am in Chicago! I will eat bratwurst and Italian sausage, but can't stomach a regular hot dog normally

I agree with your dr about the scale!! I don't own a scale and will occasionally weigh myself at Publix, but mostly wait until my dr visits (every 4 months due to the high blood pressure). I can tell I'm losing from my clothes. Every time I go down a size, it's a celebration!! But, I don't think I could deal with the normal daily fluctuations we all have. I can understand wanting to know how you are doing, but maybe you could just weigh weekly instead of daily?

Good luck today...sounds like a long day! Subway in FL does a salad option of any sandwich...so maybe that would work for you.

Sorry, I can't help with the spinach dip, but I love baby spinach sauteed in olive oil with fresh parmesan (well, it's the 4 C "homestyle" from a jar, but tastes better than the powdered kind!). I have that as a side a lot! I just read yesterday what a "super food" spinach is...full of good things for you!

I just bought the new Kraft pepper jack cheese with cream cheese added in. Still no carbs, but the cream cheese gives it a creamier taste! In case you haven't guessed, I have to have some kind of "spice" with my food. Another favorite is to take a pork tenderloin and put some jerk sauce on it and cook in the crock pot. We have a large Caribbean population in Orlando, so can buy the jerk sauce in our grocery stores, but if you cannot get it, you might look for it on your cruise. It's great on chicken or pork and very low carb!

Have a great day and don't melt in the heat!! I'm not looking forward to the hot, humid days of FL summer!!

Congratulations on the weight loss, Brooke!! As the mom of twins, I can attest that you probably got your exercise running after the little ones last night!!

I have made those low carb egg muffins and wasn't impressed! They tasted a little bland to me, but maybe I just needed to add some spice, like pepper jack cheese. But they are convenient...make up a batch and then just microwave when you need one!!

I am the only one doing low carb at my house, so we always have tons of other stuff around. In fact, my son has the problem that he needs to gain weight, so most nights, I'm cooking pasta for him! It really takes will power to resist (I used to LOVE pasta), but I think it really is 90% mental. I am at a place where I want to be thinner more than I want a taste of something good, which, admittedly, was not always the case!! But, last Christmas, I did not touch the white chocolate covered oreos I bought for the family (which are only available at Christmas and used to be my downfall!). Good job on resisting the goodies at home!! Would your mom be open to not keeping the high carb foods out in the open, for instance, putting the cake in a pantry instead of on the counter? I would think it would be easier to resist if you didn't see it right there!!

In my 20s, I lost lots of weight by dieting all week and then allowing myself one dessert a week...I don't think that would work in my 40s though, as the metabolism does slow down with age, but once I reach my goal weight, I might try that and see if I can still maintain! This might work for you though, and make the low carb thing easier if you know you have something to look forward to once a week. I read the book, "The Carb Addict's Diet" and they say you can have one "treat" meal a day. I know that wouldn't work for me, although they explain the science why this is supposed to work. But, maybe the one dessert a week would work for you...

McFam5, congratulations on the compliments. You have certainly lost enough weight for it to be noticeable!! It's nice to get those compliments!!

I love the Emerald brand cinnamon roast and cocoa roast almonds. For a touch of sweet after a meal, they hit the spot. I don't know if you have Publix, but they are often buy one, get one free at Publix in FL.

When I want something salty or crispy, I love the Blue Diamond bold flavor almonds: salt and vinegar, chili and lime and soy and wasabi are my favorites. In FL, I have only found the chili and lime flavor at Walgreens; and only Publix has the salt and vinegar. Super Walmart has only the soy and wasabi.

Brooke, have you thought of adding some protein with your breakfast? I know if I only ate a muffin in the morning, by 10 am I'd be starving!! Maybe adding some eggs or meat would keep you feeling full longer and at the same time be low carb. Hard boiled eggs are easy to cook the night before. There is also bacon that is pre-cooked that you just microwave. Greek yogurt is another good protein choice...get the plain kind and add some splenda and cinnamon or flax seeds. I know mornings have to be quick and easy!!

Best of luck. With lowering the carbs and amping up the exercise, you are bound to see some results!

Brooke, I think it's good you are going to consult with your dr. The dr. will probably have some good insight for you. When I was first diagnosed with high blood pressure (about 3 years ago), the dr gave me the "diabetic" diet to follow. It was essentially low carb, so I just decided to do Atkins when I decided to diet seriously (which was not until this past Aug, unfortunately!).

McFam5, sounds like you are on the right track! Congratulations on your weight loss! Good luck on your goal!! I had a similar experience to yours...I have also recently lost 50 lbs., but have about 50 more to go!! Sounds like you are doing great on the exercise! That is the one area I struggle with. I have a stationary bike at home, but don't use it and FL is so darn hot, that unless I walk at 6 am or after the sun is down, it's not happening!!

Best of luck to everyone on the weight loss journey, lifestyle, etc. Enjoy what's left of the weekend! We are off to see a play!

So sorry to hear of your trouble at work. But, you can't change the past and you can only go forward! I worked at a university for 10 years doing grant applications (and managing the grants when they were received). It is tedious work at best!

Hope you have a better weekend!

BTW, I found the steamed veggies in the frozen food aisle...I don't buy a lot of frozen veggies so had never seen them before, but I got a bag for the chicken pot pie I made for the family (off limits to me!) and boy, you can't beat the convenience!