Friday, Sept 20 - up and at'em sleepyheads!

We are off to take a peek at the beautiful moon (assuming no clouds or fog) and listen to the crickets, stand by for owls and watch for bats

What's up ladies? I AM, and it's gonna be an OP DAY! Hooray for all of us!!

Desk

Well, Good morning Desk & Everyone!

Desk! You are so CHARGED this morning! WHOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO! Hooray for you! Now you've got me excited, too!
I hope you saw owls. Probably, you heard some? What a beautiful way to start your day. I am so inspired. The outdoors is so stimulating, isn't it? You & DH must begin your days feeling grateful & appreciative.
I saw the eye dr. yesterday who basically told me (in case I had any doubts) that I'm getting old. Hmmm. So my response to that was to get home & become young! Called my neighbor to go walking with me & darn near wore a hole in his shoes. I was determinted to WALK, WALK, WALK!
Today I am busy with school, housework, (house is extra-bad) we're having DD volleyball team & families over for a picnic on Saturday. Also, my sister will be in town this weekend & I want to be able to visit w/her, kids have games, on & on it goes. I AM going to be active & hydrated! I WILL be OP today & hope y ou are all with me. Let's DO IT today!! I know some of us are having pretty tough times lately (Tamara, are you feeling any better?) & I am thinking of you ALL & sending the BEST, most positive thoughts your way!

Please forgive me for not writing individual messages, my cold has turned into a sinus thing & I have a pretty good headache. Please also forgive my whining!

Today is FRIDAY!! A built-in reason to celebrate!
Let's DO OUR BEST today & have a great day!
Xena
Lots!

Hi everyone. I had a very OP program yesterday though I did have a Voldka and diet sprite. I had to have a beverage while we were watching Survivor. We are huge survivor fans We watch it as a family and it is really fun!

Desk you are doing great. I noticed that you were up at some ungodly hour again, Geesh woman. I have not really looked at the Zone Program but I have seen alot of people do it. I have really cut back on my carbs this week and I have lost a couple of the pounds I had gained. I know that with my thyroid problem carbs are a huge problem for me. Which I hate as I love some carbs. I refuse to give up fruit though. To many benefits with them. So I have given up all pasta, bread and oatmeal except for my free day. It can make the diet kinda boring. I keep thinking that once I am at goal I know I will be able to add the odd carb.

Blissful as Desk said I am doing Body for Life. It is a great eating program but you have to exercise intensley 6 x a week. At first I almost died and thought no way can I find the time or the energy to do it. You would be amazed that you can. I am actually getting toned arms. I want to look great for next swim season. One of my problem areas is my back. I really really want a nice back. I have 8 months to do it.

Okay ladies I will be back later to see how you all are. Take care

It was drizzling lightly, so no bats or moon or owl sounds, just crickets and the swish of water falling from trees, and the sound of DH's tummy rumbling. Hence we cut the walk a bit short. Will go again at noon, if possible. After my raisin bran with a chocolate flavored protein (and carb) drink as the liquid, I admit, I took a nap. I am running a little late now

That has been a very successful breakfast, by the way. On The Zone you really can eat anything and everything, but, in a nutshell, you have to make sure you don't eat too much at any one time, and that you always balance your carbs with an appropriate amount of protein and fat. That's why I say I only "eyeball" the amounts so far. I have not gotten into the precise measurements that would give me far tighter control of my destiny and girth. And I feel certain that if I increase my exercise and weight training appropriately, I will have similar results to the Body for Life program, although the BFL does target all muscle groups appropriately, and provides a good, easy to follow system.

Neither of these plans is all protein, it is just balanced. And if you check out www.zoneperfect.com, you will get a sense of how to approximate your proper carb to protein balance. And the fat is necessary, too. Maybe there is more fat in The Zone, but it is still a lowfat plan that is very satisfying.

Now off to work, but I'll take a moment and check in later. Be good folk, and with every rising of the sun, think of your life as just begun

Desk

Such a cheery group!

Desk, I prefer to listen to the owls in the evening, myself! For about twelve years we managed and operated a dairy farm. That meant yours truely was heading out for milking about 4:30am each day. What I noticed was that the stars were always spectacular...espicially when it got really cold, like -30.

I think, for me, it is best to combine bits and pieces of diet programs...I'm just not good at sticking to one program. (Looked at a book on dieting for carb addicts once...not for me!) One diet worked (while the supervising doc was getting big $$$ for weigh in and mineral supplements) was low, low in carbs...one slice of bread every day, no more. No tomato products, no pasta, balsamic vinegar on salads, all you could eat of cheese, lean meats & eggs. It was just too weird and hard to do in real life for me.

For example, Tonights supper will be american chop suey/goulash (DS has been promised a meal he will like on Friday nights when he comes home from college), corn on the cob (DH wants some more before the "summer" is over), balanced by raw pepper strips and celery sticks (for moi). I plan to eat in moderation!

all for now....

I agree that everything in moderation. Though I have greatly cut my carbs it is not an everyday I am never going to have another piece of bread thing. For me to lose weight I cannot eat alot of bready carbs. I love them and will eat them just not now while I am really trying to get the weight off.

I just wish there was some magic wand that could make us thin. Now if I could only patent that yeah right

Pssst.... it is me sneaking in from work!!

Miss you all when I am at work, but I am still on my BEST behavior!

Good news -
1. I have already done 5 flights of stairs today. My legs are looking good!
2. I am still OP!
3. I REALLY feel good about ME today.
4. Making the BEST choices MOST of the time has become a habit for me. (Whooooo Hoooooo)

Hugs and happy thoughts to you all!

Traci

Now... If I would only more!!

Good evening all,

You are all so energetic and I feel like I could go to bed--I'm dragging. I did my yoga this morning but no walking tape yet today. Had chest pains this morning. Don't panic. I've had these same pains before. I really think it's some additive that causes it, which is why I'm not going to take those energy supplements of Leslie Sansone's anymore. Am OP so far, but we're talking about going out to dinner and that will be hard. Maybe I'll just go for a salad--that will keep me OP. My travel for work has been moved up a day so I leave Sunday. I think that will work out better actually. Work is still stressful, which is also probably contributing to my energy level (or lack thereof).

I ready the Body for Life reviews on Amazon. There were 702 of them!!! They went from 5 stars to no stars. Interesting. Cath--you'll have to tell us more when you feel like it.

Talk to you all later,

Shirley

Hi

This is part of an article I read today. I hope you do not mind these postings. If I see something that seems to help me or make me think I always think about you!




A New View of Food
Yo-yo diets force you to eat by the rules-this is what you can eat; this is when you can eat it. To break the cycle, throw away those rules and reconnect with your body in these ways:

Don't go for more than five waking hours without food.

Take pleasure in eating; look forward to meals. Sit and savor your food instead of feeling guilty about it.

Stop eating when you're full. You don't have to clean your plate.

Forget about perfection. You won't ruin your diet by eating an occasional piece of pie.

Take the long view. Realize that your food intake and weight will go up and down from day to day.


Eating Smarter
"Controlling your weight shouldn't mean starving or giving up the foods you love. Mostly, it just means finding smarter ways to eat," Tribole says. For example:

Learn how to cook without fat. Bake, grill or microwave instead of frying. Saute; using nonstick spray instead of oil.

Experiment with new tastes. Season salads with herbs, lemon juice or other natural flavors instead of dressings. Sprinkle spices on vegetables instead of spreading butter.

Make healthful recipe substitutions. In cakes, applesauce is a delicious stand-in for oil.

Enjoy more fruits, vegetables and grains. They're nutritious and help keep you feeling full.

Avoid alcohol, which makes your body retain fat.

Make small changes. Eliminating a tablespoon of butter or oil a day adds up to a reduction of more than 10 pounds of fat a year.




Published By: Vitality magazine - January 1998

Just a quck check in...I made it to CURVES 4 times this week! That iswas my exercise goal for this week.