Shaping up - Diet and exercise

[ausdon]

And it was good to see that my old home scale was fairly accurate, it jived with the weight she gave me. This cold weather is killing me, though. I can't even walk as far as the corner without breaking out in hives! I need to get my ass to the gym more often than once a week.......

Hey Luckiest I have had the opposite problem with my little stint in OZs tropical north! It was 30-35 degrees (celsius) I don"t know how to convert to farenheit but suffice to say that , when added to high humidity, it was damn hot! Also our apartment was on the top of a very steep hill which was lovely for views and breezes but punishing for that last bit of the walk home. I arrived back home yesterday and it's still hot here but not quite so bad. So now I will have to put myself on a strict " going to America must get fit and lose 10 kilos (20+ pounds)" regime. We leave here in early April so there is not much time! The batteries in my scale have gone flat while I was away so I will remedy that today. I am scared what it will say.......

[annabear]

I had an all at once inspiring and depressing consultation with a personal training service yesterday.

Inspiring because it sounds like the program I've been looking for all my life. Depressing because I'm not rich enough to be able to afford any of the packages they offer.

Back to trying it on my own yet again....

[luckiest1]

annabear, I hear you about having to do it on your own. Although my mom gave me my gym membership for Christmas, so at least I have that now.

My daughter had a health scare this past week, and has decided to go low fat, which is great! So she and her friend are now cooking low fat meals every night....YAY! Tomorrow we are supposed to go and do a family shopping. What a change! Usually I go and buy healthy stuff for myself, and they go out and buy fast food because they don't like what I cook. My son has also been seeing a dietician (goes along with the endocrinologist stuff) and she is encouraging him to eat more fruits and veggies, and drink more milk and less sugary stuff. So all in all, the whole family is getting healthier!

I have been up and down the same 5 pounds since about November. I guess it's good that I'm not gaining, but I doubt I'm going to be able to lose anything until the weather warms up here. ausdon, wanna trade climates?

[Couch Tomato]

OK well tomorrow is my New Years. I don't normally do "fad" diets but I'm going to try the Smash Fat Diet which calls for 9 days of detox. I like it cuz I don't have to eat specifics foods, just don't eat certain things for a bit. Also exercise is an integral part of it.

I also signed up at this website http://www.diettv.com/DietTelevision/index.html I'm couchie there. I like a their tools and some new ones that will be coming. And the Smash Fat Diet forums seem really informative and supportive too. I just need to throw myself into it like I do other obsessions heee.

Wish me luck. I need to get serious for health reasons.

[ausdon]

annabear,

I have been up and down the same 5 pounds since about November. I guess it's good that I'm not gaining, but I doubt I'm going to be able to lose anything until the weather warms up here. ausdon, wanna trade climates?

Thanks Luckiest! But I have been paying attention to all the shovelling, slipping on ice, and snowstorms(eeek!) talk and think I'll put up with high 30sC , high humidity and lately much rain! Better the devil you know! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[luckiest1]

Way to go, couchie! Obsess away. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[annabear]

Good luck, Couchie!

[Couch Tomato]

Thank you guys. I did good today but I was starving. My own fault for not bringing enough food to work but I didn't want to go off it by eating something I wasn't supposed to. Tomorrow I'll be better prepared. I'm making a vegetarian chili and brown rice tonight so I can take some of that for lunch. I think my brain is finally in the right place and right on time because my doctor called me today and told me my labs were the worse they have ever been. I have no choice. I have to do this. Iv'e seen what diabetes has done to my mom.

[annabear]

I definitely know what you're talking about with the diabetes, Couchie. It runs in my family, too - maternal & paternal grandmothers, mom, aunt, etc. I'm lucky that my labs haven't shown anything *yet*, but I really want to do what I can to prevent as much as I can. It's supremely frustrating to me to know what I should do and find myself just not.doing.it.

On a positive note, I have been making myself do my work out every evening for the past week now. Not letting myself slide by with the "it's too late" or "I'm too tired" or "I'd rather be on the boards" excuses, just doing it!

We can all do it! :7:

[YSRN]

Ok, by request...

Inflammation is bad. Inflammation causes pain, cardiovascular disease risk and is responsible for speeding up the aging process. The good news is an anti-inflammatory diet will help lower your LDL cholesterol (the lousy kind), AND be good for your diet in general.

Anti-inflammatory diet do's and don'ts:

Avoid:

• Sugar!
• White foods (flour, rice, bread, potatoes, pasta)
• Processed foods, including processed meats such as lunch meats, hot dogs and sausages.

  Pretty much skip anything in a box or can unless it's low sodium.

• Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, white potatoes, hot and sweet peppers, corn, eggplant, pimentos)
• cashews, pistachios, peanuts
• fried foods
• High-saturated fat meats, dairy products and eggs.

  These foods contain fatty acids called arachidonic acid (Omega6). While some arachidonic acid is essential for your health, too much may make your inflammation worse.

• margarine

Do:

• Whole Grains (whole grain bread, whole grain cereals, brown rice, whole grain pasta, millet, quinoa, amaranth):

  Whole grains are slower to digest, thus being lower on the glycemic index, which lowers insulin production, which lowers risk of diabetes and also helps keep your blood sugar stable which, among other things, reduces your cravings for eating more!

• legumes
• cold-water wild fish (salmon, mackerel, cod, tuna, sardines)

  Farm-raised fish contain considerably higher levels, up to four times those of wild salmon, of omega 6 fatty acids. People with inflammatory disease want to increase omega 3 fatty acids while avoiding junk food, high fat foods, sugar, fast foods and nightshade vegetables that might aggravate the condition. Arachidonic acid, an omega 6 fatty acid, is something that aggravates inflammation in people and may add to chronic pain.

• good fats - Omega 3s

  Omega-3 essential fatty acids are very powerful antiinflammatory agents. They are found in cold water oily fish, walnuts, flax seeds, canola oil and pumpkin seeds. When I don't eat the foods, I take an Omega-3 Supplement.

• sunflower, walnuts, almonds
• olive-oil - Omega9s
• fruits and veggies (lightly steamed is better to help get the most nutrition out of them)
• ginger and turmeric
• berries and apple and red-onion skins

  blueberries and strawberries are packed with anti-inflammatory phytochemicals and anti-oxidants. The pigments in brightly colored fruits, vegetables and berries contain many phytochemicals that have antiinflammatory properties. One example is quercetin, which is found in apple and red onion skins and has strong antiinflammatory properties. I sometimes roast sweet potatoes (cut in large chunks) with apples and red onions (with skin, of course) in olive oil. Yum!

• garlic

  Pretty easy for this Italian!

• green tea

  I haven't given up my one cup of Joe every morning, but the rest of the day is green tea.

• papaya

  I take a papaya supplement to help with digestion every day. It's chewable because I HATE swallowing pills.

• pineapple
• ginseng
• ginger
• sardines
• soy sauce
• Earth Balance spread
• A little red wine and cocoa (70% or higher) are good too!

Notes:

http://www.bobsredmill.com/

10-grain cereal is good -- replaces cream of wheat, which I used to eat every day! I usually add dried blueberries or cherries or cut up an apple in it. I use agave or brown rice syrup instead of sugar. Splenda in my morning coffee tho... still working on that habit!

I don't eat meat (except occasional fish), but if you do, choose low fat cuts... red, fatty meats are bad for you in so many ways (not to mention the poor cow. ) Also, use organic products as much as possible. "Conventionally produced" animal products have higher levels of arachidonic acid (Omega6) than organic ones.

I personally don't use non-fat dairy products because usually they make up for the fat by adding sugar. (Notice nobody had lactose issues before they started taking us off of whole milk products?). So, I use half-and-half in my morning coffee and otherwise I use soy milk. Be careful if you buy yogurt, same deal. Usually the non-fat yogurts are high in sugar carbs. Try greek style yogurts for a lower sugar content.

I also stay away from corn products. It just seems to aggravate me.

I snack on these sometimes. Or apples and almonds.

http://www.genisoy.com/HostedStore.LassoAp...869ef565700cf4c

When you just gotta...

http://www.turtlemountain.com/products/org..._delicious.html

Seriously, this stuff is gooood!

Another list (more restrictive):

http://www.naturalchoicesforyou.com/site/680805/page/631430

And one more link:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02012/anti-inflammatory-diet

Anyway, that's all I have in my notes... Hope it helps!

Liney, did I ever show you the grape pie I made (your recipe)? I used whole grain flour and it was delish!

It looks kinda burnt in this picture because of the bad lighting, but it wasn't.

Good luck, couchie! You can do it!! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[ToldForThis]

YSRN

thank you so much. I just printed up your list..... now to get my husband to follow it. ..... I plan on modifying my diet also.

I also took note of some of the products and plan on trying them out.

[laughn]

YSRN knows her nutritional stuff. I just wanted to say, 'thank you!'. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[Couch Tomato]

Wow, YSRN, this is great information. I feel so encouraged this week because I've lost 7 pounds. Now, I'm quite aware that 5 of those was probably water heee but still.. I really was a wreck last week when my scale after two year, well the middle digit of my 3 digit weight went up a number. Then my doctor called to tell me my labs were the highest they've ever been (cholestoral, diabetes). It was not a good week.

So this week I tried the smash fat diet -- and really to me that diet is just to get people eating veggies on a regular basis. I stuck to it for 5 days before I reached back into the recesses of my brain to all the stuff I learned in my Weight management Kaiser course which is really all about changing the way you eat. See I know everything. I know what I'm supposed to eat and not eat. That isn't the problem. The things I did this week that broke bad habits had really gotten into:

Got up in time to eat breakfast and pack my lunch. I had oatmeal (NO BUTTER) with 1/2 cup of milk. I got used to the no butter by day 3. Now I don't miss it. The running out of the house late everyday with no food in my stomach always made me starved by lunch time and then I'd go eat fast food, usually something greasy.

No Soda. There's a diet pepsi on my desk and it's been here all week. Not even tempted to drink it. All I've had to drink all week is water, 2% milk with my oatmeal I ate everyday (can't go any lower than that cuz it's too nasty), one glass of lemonate (which was cursed because the next morning I dropped my cell phone into my 1/2 cup of drink and now it doesn't work). I didn't even drink juice this week. I want to add green tea to the mix and so I think I'll go make me some right now....

NO fast food: Now this is a biggie for me. I've been known to stop at Jack in the Box on the way to work and get a breakfast sandwich AND french toast sticks. Although I've been trying to make it a habit for a long to bring my lunch from home I still go out to lunch every day. Common lunch places are KFC, Dairy Bell, Togos, a Mexican place I love, and I have about 4 favorite chinese places that I love and I'm not eating the steamed veggies. And even for dinner sometimes when I don't feel like cooking I'll grab something on the way home, either from Safeway deli or the aforementioned chinese places or the simple have a pizza delivered.

For lunch every day I had either a garden salad or the vegetarian chilli that I made over brown rice.

I went to the farmer's market last Saturday and I intend to go every Saturday.

I power walked instead of strolled.

I did my walk away the pounds video two days...but my car is getting fixed today and I intend to start going to the gym every day on my way home from work. Hell I pass by it every freaking day on the way home. And I'll still get home the same time that I did while taking the bus.

I didn't eat after 7 PM. This is a biggie for me because I have been known to go fix me something to eat at 11 PM cuz I'm still up.

I'm going to continue to try to improve my diet. I think making a veggie soup once a week willl really help. I will add chicken and fish back a few times a week but will try to stay away from red meat. Maybe twice or month or something. Sorry cow but I love steaks and hamburger.

For the first time in a long time I feel encouraged. I may even try tofu! LOL.

Angela

Good luck, couchie! You can do it!! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Laughn Standing O Dawg!!! OK you deleted your beautiful post. I dont' know why it was an inspiration. Thank you. I'm glad i saw it. OK that's rude hee.

[laughn]

Ok, I will go for it again Couchie. As to why I deleted, I'm not sure. I wanted to let YSRN know that I was going to talk about this...and since she now thinks I'm crazy... I will post it again. I didn't copy it from before, but since it's my life's story, I know it pretty well.

My story...I have had a weight problem my whole life...whole life. I weighed 230lbs when I was 10 years old.

I have been through three medical fasts, tried acupuncture, hypnosis, and weight shots. I have joined Weight Watchers, Tops and three different gyms. I have been hospitalized for simply not eating, so afraid of gaining weight again that I refused to eat. I would have had gastric by-pass surgery if not for so many other health issues stopping me. I have lost and gained thousands of pounds in my lifetime. Nothing worked...nothing. I could never lose weight and keep it off without using drastic measures.

...until now...

Last spring (end of April/beginning of May) YSRN told me what she thought might be my problem. She told me to eat many small meals each day, so my body wouldn't have so many peaks and valleys throughout the day. She said to try to eat foods with a lower glycemic number. She sent me some dietary links and one to the glycemic index. She gave me information like she did for the people with the inflammatory problems.

I have lost 86 lbs. so far...even through the holidays. I still have a lot to lose, (I was a big woman) but for the first time in my life I am not afraid to eat. I am wearing the same size now that I wore when I was 12 yrs. old. I got on the scale this morning and another lb. is gone. Just one, but I figure when I get on the scale next week a few more will be there too. I was hoping to hit the 100 mark by the time I go to NY, but if that doesn't happen, I'm alright with that too. I'm confident now that it will get there sometime.

YSRN is a smart lady. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

oh...and drink plenty of water, because if you don't YSRN will kick your ass.

(ok, I'll stop editing now.lol)

[YSRN]

You should definitely put that post back, laughn! You did an amazing thing there... very motivating, IMO!

The thing is, you don't have to freak yourself out trying to do it all at once. Just notice what you're eating and choose the healthier alternative when you can. Mindless eating is the worst offender as far as I'm concerned. If you want sweets, find one that's better for you than some high-fructose corn syrup thing. You don't have to go all "Santa Cruz" in one fell swoop. LOL!

The organic sections in your typical grocery stores are growing. My Nob Hill now has three rows. I go there first to see if there is a better alternative for what I need. Peanut butter and salad dressing does not have to have sugar in it. Who knew?

I know about loving a burger, couchie... forgetting the cow, think of what they inject into the cow and if you want to eat that. Then choose a meat that has been organically raised so you're not filling yourself with antibiotics and hormones and all sorts of yucky stuff. Same with eggs and chicken. Just don't go buy the cheapest piece. Get a healthier cut of beef or a healthier pound of ground beef. You will honestly end up spending more money buying all the snacks you crave because of a poor diet that keeps your blood sugar inconsistent.

Congrats on an awesome first week!!

Just a note: Wheat bread is not the same as whole GRAIN bread. Don't just move from Wonder white to Wonder wheat. Only get a whole GRAIN bread. Whole wheat is not always the whole wheat grain... it's stripped down and enriched. And they add molasses or caramel coloring to make it brown again. Yikes! Less ingredients... healthier choice. If you can change WHAT you eat, how much you eat becomes a little less of an issue.

I know this has been linked before too, but luckiest1 turned me on to The Daily Plate (thedailyplate.com) and it's immensely helpful. There is a VAST database of healthy alternative foods that come up for tracking purposes. I need to get back to using it consistently. I may intellectually know this stuff, but I'm not exactly in perfect shape myself, so... it's not just knowledge, you gotta do it too.

Anyway, thanks for asking me to do this because it's helping me to think about it too!

[liney23]

YSRN... thank you so much for putting up that inflammatory diet and the websites! I need to lose 50 lbs that I lost once already a few years ago. I, like couchie, know what to do, I just quit doing it.

I'm older now and can feel the strain this extra weight has put on my body and want to change that before something drastic happens. Diabetes and heart problems run in my family. I'm fine but the possibility is there. I've also got grandkids to chase after, too, and this extra weight is making it harder... so...

YSRN... I would like your opinion on this... I take thyroid medication. I have been told many times that soy products depress your thyroid. Have you read that? I eat goat yogurt and use almond milk. I eat very healthy for breakfast and lunch... after I get home from work is my problem... love Del Taco!

Couchie... great start! I cook oatmeal every morning and either put cinnamon and bananas in it or frozen blueberrys... no milk at all. Fills me up and is yummy, esp. the blueberrys.

laughn... GREAT WORK!!! Your body is losing healthily AND you are making new habits. Wonderful!!!

[annabear]

Thanks for the info, YSRN! What an inspiration, laughn! And good going, Couchie! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

ETA: YSRN, or anyone else - Have you ever baked with Spelt flour? I have a wheat allergy, but can tollerate Spelt and actually find it to be more nutritious than wheat. I want to try subbing it in some of my favorite recipes in place of (refined) white flour, but am unsure how it will act. I've tried brown rice flour before and it was a disaster!

[Gibby]

Thanks so very much for the nutritional info, YSRN!! I've been trying to eat healthier over several years, and have been able to incorporate many of the suggestions you mentioned. For me, making gradual changes in my diet has been the key. I see it as a lifestyle change rather than as a one-time dietary change, because I want to be healthy and live a long time!

I appreciate seeing all of the info about what to avoid and what to include again, because it helps so much to be reminded. The temptation to cheat is always there! Corn syrup and refined white flour are in soooo many products, even ones you'd never suspect. I basically try to stick to food that is in the most natural state possible. I can definitely tell a difference when I eat more refined foods - I have more aches and pains, and I don't feel as good. I do think that eating frequent, smaller, healthy meals (as well as exercise) has helped me to maintain a good weight. I lost 30 pounds several years ago, and have been able to keep my BMI at around 21 pretty much since then.

Couchie and laughn, I'm so impressed with both of your stories! Wow! Excellent results for both of you!

annabear - I used to bake bread with spelt flour in my breadmaking machine, because my husband is allergic to wheat. It was delicious! I haven't baked bread for a long time now, so I don't remember the recipie that I used. I bought spelt flour from a health food store, and I believe there were recipies on the outside of the container. You might try looking at a local health food store.

[YSRN]

YSRN... I would like your opinion on this... I take thyroid medication. I have been told many times that soy products depress your thyroid. Have you read that? I eat goat yogurt and use almond milk. I eat very healthy for breakfast and lunch... after I get home from work is my problem... love Del Taco!

Yes, I've definitely read that... There is evidence/belief that the isoflavones in soy can impair one's thyroid or affect the body's use of synthroid or other thyroid meds in people eating iodine-deficient diets (iodine is important to thyroid function). You're supposed to limit soy products to 20-30g a day. And if you're a vegetarian/vegan you should be supplementing with sea vegetables to get enough iodine. It's hard to know how true that all is because the arguments are made by the soy groups or the medical groups or someone else who has something to gain by "educating" the public.

In any case, pretty much anything in excess is bad for us. For me, Soy is a replacement, not a main dietary item. I don't use soy powders or anything, just soy milks and tofu a few times a week, and edamame (whole soybeans) on occasion. Which would keep me in the suggested range anyway. I presume you get your thyroid tested occasionally, so if you sort of keep your eye on your numbers and track your consumption, you could be your own test subject.

Tangentially...

Also, from the Organic Comsumer's Association:

I wanted to add some comments on the consumption of soy products. I currently do not recommend non-fermented soy products such as soy protein. I only recommend fermented soy, which includes genuine tofu. If you consume soy, always choose non-GMO soy, because soy is one of the most frequently consumed genetically-modified foods in America. More Amazon rainforest is lost each year to soy farming than to cattle grazing.

And, as John Robbins prompted my interest for healthier eating with Diet for a New America 20 years ago, I'll link his commentary also: http://healthyat100.org/display.asp?catid=3&pageid=12

And I tried to go to Taco Del Mar last night out of desperation and it was GONE! Was that a sign or what? So I ended up at my local market and bought some things that were better for me anyway!

I have not used spelt flour for baking, annabear. Sounds interesting tho. I think Bob's Red Mill makes a Spelt flour and I bet there are recipes included on the product (and website for that matter, though I haven't looked). I'd love to know if you have any success.

The temptation to cheat is always there!

Yeah, no kidding, Gibby! It's so easy to sneak in something familiar... Like I would KILL for a butterfinger. It used to be my favorite candybar ever. And I want one. LOL! It helps to stay away from places that I can't help myself in. I have a couple choices in grocery stores here and I try to go to the one with healthier choices more often than not. And I never go when I'm in a real hurry unless I know exactly what I'm getting. It's too easy to grab something quick and "dirty". Congrats on your loss too. I have some work to do in the exercise area. I tend to think sitting and doing some gardening is all I need and I'm definitely wrong!

[annabear]

Corn syrup and refined white flour are in soooo many products, even ones you'd never suspect.

You aren't kidding! Corn syrup is like a magic elixir for everything, along with corn starch. It's always the first thing they add to reduced-fat products as filler.

Soybean oil is another extra ingredient I keep seeing more often, too. I happen to be allergic to both corn & soy, as well as dairy and the above mentioned wheat. I tend to get easily overwhelmed at times when trying to grocery shop - it seems like everything is either bad for my weight or my allergies - grrrrrrr!!

liney, I eat goat milk yogurt - Redwood Hill Farm - as well and have also found a really good low-fat goat milk for cooking and eating on cereal - Meyenberg. They make great cheese, too.

Thanks for answering about the Spelt flour, Gibby & YSRN. I think I'm going to pick some up this weekend and try making some 'healthy' blueberry muffins that I can freeze & pull out for a quick breakfast-on-the-go during the week.

[YSRN]

Thank you so much for the Redwood Hill and Meyenberg links, annabear!

Sustainable, humane family farming. Yay! And the recipes on the Redwood Hill site look really good!

From the Meyerberg site:

Goat milk contains only trace amounts of the major protein in cow milk to which many people are allergic (alpha s-1 casein). If you are sensitive to this protein, goat milk may be well tolerated.

Casein is also listed as a "to avoid" in anti-inflammatory diets. Really strict anti-inflammatory diets restrict all dairy products. I didn't add that to my list because, well, I'm in denial about it. Heh. But, these goat milk products help. I do love goat cheese, but have never had goat milk or yogurt. I'll give it a try.

eta... oh, look. I'm on top. Like a goat!

[Gibby]

The temptation to cheat is always there!

Yeah, no kidding, Gibby! It's so easy to sneak in something familiar... Like I would KILL for a butterfinger. It used to be my favorite candybar ever. And I want one. LOL! It helps to stay away from places that I can't help myself in. I have a couple choices in grocery stores here and I try to go to the one with healthier choices more often than not. And I never go when I'm in a real hurry unless I know exactly what I'm getting. It's too easy to grab something quick and "dirty". Congrats on your loss too. I have some work to do in the exercise area. I tend to think sitting and doing some gardening is all I need and I'm definitely wrong!

I sometimes have those cravings, too, YSRN, for foods that I used to love. But the interesting thing is that they don't have quite the same taste for me now that I've been eating healthier. I sometimes take a bite of candy or a dessert, and though it's okay, I don't have the desire to eat much more than a bite. If it's not fantastic, I don't think that it's worth the calories or putting the junk in my body. Now, chocolate is a totally different story. I do indulge in small amounts of very dark chocolate almost daily. It's high in antioxidants, I don't think I could live without it! LOL.

Corn syrup and refined white flour are in soooo many products, even ones you'd never suspect.

You aren't kidding! Corn syrup is like a magic elixir for everything, along with corn starch. It's always the first thing they add to reduced-fat products as filler.

Soybean oil is another extra ingredient I keep seeing more often, too. I happen to be allergic to both corn & soy, as well as dairy and the above mentioned wheat. I tend to get easily overwhelmed at times when trying to grocery shop - it seems like everything is either bad for my weight or my allergies - grrrrrrr!!

liney, I eat goat milk yogurt - Redwood Hill Farm - as well and have also found a really good low-fat goat milk for cooking and eating on cereal - Meyenberg. They make great cheese, too.

Wow, annabear, you have a lot of allergies! I can see why grocery shopping is a challege. I don't eat dairy products because they exacerbate my asthma and sinus issues. I feel soooo much better without them. I've never tried goat yogurt, though. I might have to see if I can tolerate it.! I've been eating soy yogurt, which is good, but there are more additives than before, and I'm not sure it's as healthy as it used to be.

[annabear]

You're welcome, YSRN. Thank you for the links you provided as well. I'll be visiting them this weekend!

I should add that, thankfully, my allergic reactions aren't life threatening. I've just started to learn over the past couple of years that they very well could be the root of other health issues I've experienced, though.

I don't eat dairy products because they exacerbate my asthma and sinus issues. I feel soooo much better without them.

This is exactly why I should stay away from the dairy.

ETA:

I sometimes roast sweet potatoes (cut in large chunks) with apples and red onions (with skin, of course) in olive oil. Yum!

Yum indeed, YSRN! While I had the oven on for my muffins, I decided to this, too. I sprinkled just a little bit of salt, pepper, garlic powder, sage and cinnamon on after drizzling with olive oil.

[luckiest1]

I've been feeling really blah and haven't had any energy lately. I'm cold all day (this weather really sucks!) and by the time I get home from work I just want to get under the covers and get warm (or at least change into some flannel jammies and slippers and veg out). I don't feel like exercising or going out or doing anything. I've been maintaining my weight and haven't been too bad with my food choices, though.

Then yesterday, I am not sure what changed, but I felt energetic after work! Hee, I took advantage of it and went to the gym with my new video iPod. That was cool. I hope this means that whatever was causing my lack of energy is gone. I'm about ready for spring, that's for sure. I hate being cold.

[luckiest1]

So where is everyone? Giving up on their healthy eating plans?

My 22 yo daughter was diagnosed with "fatty liver" yesterday. It is a diagnosis we have been expecting for a while, so it wasn't surprising. The good news was that none of the other concerns the doctor had panned out, after various tests. But it means she has to really eat healthy and low-fat, to try and lose weight get her liver back into shape. Time to dig out some recipes! The only restriction, really, is that she HATES onions and peppers. But if anyone has any other good suggestions, please post them! She used to exist on a diet of pizza and chicken wings, so to say that this is a challenge is an understatement....thankfully her live-in partner is on board as well and will help with the food preparation, and also with the motivation!