Another 50+ member

[Sunny_0ne]

Carole, when I work in the yard my hands swell, so maybe it's just water weight that will be gone by weigh day!

Do you buy frozen broccoli or fresh? I usually buy fresh, but I am thinking that it might be nice to have plenty in the freezer.

AHHHH!!!! Glad you sneaked a taste of your home grown asparagus! Glad it was a delight!

I am just amazed at your glucose improvement! I'll bet you can go off almost all the meds in a few months!

I think easing up the OWL ladder is the way to go instead of jumping from one rung to another without giving your body time to catch up.

I, too, am just thrilled with the foods we can eat. There is no way I could think of Atkins as a diet.

[imagood1]

I buy a bag of frozen broccoli at Sam's Club that is restaurant quality (and size). It is mostly florettes and very little of the stem so none is wasted because it's too tough to eat. If I remember right it's about 4-5 dollars a bag but it lasts me a long time because I'm only taking 3 ounces out at a time.

We went to a couple stores today so I'm tired tonight. Greg is grilling NY Strip's and shrimp on the grill for our dinner. I also made a salad and I'll have 3oz of cauliflower as my side dish. It smells wonderful and I'm hungry so I hope he's almost done

[imagood1]

dinner was wonderful!!!! The hubs grilled the steaks & shrimp to perfection and I did a bang up job with the cauliflower & salads...LOL!!!

I just finished having a flax cookie for a little treat - I'm so happy they are quick and satisfying. I try to always make sure I have enough carbs left over at the end of the day in case I want one.

[Sunny_0ne]

Carole, I posted a reply to your earlier post... don't know where it went! I thanked you for the tip on the frozen broccoli at Sams... I never even look at their frozen veggies. I sure will from now on!

I did spicy chicken leg quarters on the grill tonight. WONDERFUL... with grilled peppers that I stuffed with pepper jack cheese and melted in the microwave, along with steamed cabbage.

But I have to tell you... your steak and shrimp sure does beat that!!!

The flax seed cookies are a lifesaver!

[imagood1]

Sam's has a great bunch of frozen veggies -- I just wish they had more types of mixed veggies that didn't have carrots in them...it's disheartening.

Mom tried to pull a guilt trip on me this afternoon while we were shopping and because I wouldn't play along she's locked herself in her bedroom so she doesn't have to look at me..... I hate when she does this and she knows it upsets everyone in the house but it happens....too often I'm afraid.

I bought a new bike seat today when we were out -- the one that came with the bike was a nice padded seat, but the front part was too wide and chaffed me when I rode it, so I replaced it with one more narrow in the front. I had to try it out so I rode 5 miles and had no problems!! Yea - at least something was good today!

How I have changed over the years -- 10 years ago if I had a bad Friday or Saturday I'd grab a drink and stay there for a couple days...then wear the hangover for a few days after that....5 years ago I would have grabbed a large bag of candy (M&M's) and ate them then ate something else......I think that's why we had steak and shrimp for dinner, normally it would be one or the other, but it was my way of eating my frustration away -- only in a healthier way now! I took Sadie for a walk and told the hubs to stay in the basement so mom would come out and get something to eat -- when we got back from the walk she was just finishing so she got up and went back to her room and has been there the rest of the night.

God give me the sense not to do this when I get older...and when I do it now give someone the courage to slap the **it out of me! Thank you....LOL

I pray tomorrow is a better day!! Sorry to vent and I'm stepping down now..

[Sunny_0ne]

Carole, when I first read that your mother was living with you, I thought, "Carole must be a saint!)

I couldn't do it. I don't play head games anymore... went through enough therapy to show me how pointless and destructive they are. But my family is still really good at it, and although I know why they are doing it, and I know what they are hoping the results will be, and I know I'm not going to go there, it still makes me very uncomfortable.

But you are to be greatly commended for doing your best with her.

Glad you got the new bike seat. Hope it makes a big difference... cause we've got a LONG way to go to LA!

How I have changed over the years -- 10 years ago if I had a bad Friday or Saturday I'd grab a drink and stay there for a couple days...then wear the hangover for a few days after that....5 years ago I would have grabbed a large bag of candy (M&M's) and ate them then ate something else......I think that's why we had steak and shrimp for dinner, normally it would be one or the other, but it was my way of eating my frustration away -- only in a healthier way now!

I could have written that... like two peas in a pod!

Hope tomorrow is LOTS better!

[imagood1]

Today I have been on Atkins 3 months. So many changes have occured in that time and they are all positive.

I'm sure there are people who would say I didn't loose much. Would I have liked to have lost more weight...yes, but you know what - I'm down 26 pounds and that's great -- it's just over 8.5 pounds a month - so 2 pounds a week...I'm very positive with those numbers.

In all the diets I have ever been on after 3 months I would have been bored, tired with the plan, cheating or worse yet, I would have quit. I've been a wonderful quitter all my life -- but the things I should have quit took longer -- drinking, smoking and loosing weight were the three things I didn't want to quit....I fought hard to continue my old ways.

11 years ago during a divorce I decided I was done with liquor - I haven't had a drink since March20, 1998...that was tough because that bottle was my friend, my confidant, my pal - I left my husband because he was an alcoholic - it took me awhile to figure out somewhere along the 10 year marriage I had become one also. No 12 step program for me, cold turkey was my 12 step program - I quit.

The next thing I had to quit were cigarettes. I smoked for 35 years - almost 30 years I smoked 2 packs a day but when I was able to stay at home after marrying "the hubs" I upped my packs to 3 and sometimes 3-1/2. I smoked these cigarettes, I didn't let them burn out in the ashtray - I wasn't going to waste them!!! After mom's cancer and the hubs emergency triple bypass I smoked outdoors for an entire cold winter (I swore I wouldn't be one of those people but I turned into one). For what reason I don't remember, but July 4th, 2007 I woke up, went to the garage and tore up the last 1/2 pack I had, threw the ashtray and lighter in the trash and went back into the house. I haven't had a cigarette since that day - I quit!

I tried a couple diets the past couple years but nothing really happened. I remember seeing mom's oncologist during one of her visits and marveled at how he lost 45 pounds since we had seen him 6 months before. I ask - he said Atkins....I
thought "wow" and tucked the word in my brain somewhere. Last summer I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes (after mom but before the hubs was diagnosed). Because of mom's age her endocrinologist isn't real strict with her diet as long as her numbers are within reason...my endocrinologist is more strict but my A1C came down from 10.8 to 6.1 quickly after meds and I made some changes in my eating so she doesn't say much to me. I had decided I had to do something before Christmas 2008 I just didn't know what.

On the way home from Christmas with my brother's family I decided to look up Atkins - that word the oncologist has said - to see what it was all about. I had heard all the naysayers about how it was dangerous, it didn't work, yadda yadda yadda....maybe that's why I was intrigued - but I kept thinking Dr E had used the plan so it must be a valid diet -- he's a doctor!!! January 1st I found this board and within a couple days I knew this was the change I needed. On January 5, 2009 I started Atkins. I love this plan, the people I have met here are very genuine and caring. This time I'm taking my health into my hands, stopping the excuses -- I quit!

Thank you Dr. Atkins you are the difference in my life!

[blueberrylady]

Wow, Carole, you are such an inspiration to everyone who has stuggled with problems like smoking, drinking and diabetes. It's wonderful how you have taken charge of your life in all these areas and are now here on the board to help others realize that it can be done!

Kudos to you, my friend!!!!

[imagood1]

Yes Ma'am -- it can be done if you really want to make a change you can change. I don't know if I could have made all these changes when I was younger because I honestly thought I was invincible but once I hit 40 it started changing....and when I hit 50 something smacked me in the head and said I better get my chit together and soon!!!

Thank you for reading my rambling and commenting -- I appreciate all comments!!

[imagood1]

I made a real good soup today -- just took a bunch of veggies (green onion, radishes, cauliflower, snowpeas, tomato, red and green cabbage, celery, red pepper) and some leftover pork roast with the juice from cooking it yesterday. Spices were sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, veggie seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt and bay leaf....I didn't have enough celery in the bowl I had for lunch so I added 3oz of tomatoes and another celery stalk for dinner and it was perfect! Wish I would have had enough to make a couple extra bowls -- I'll have to remember to add more water next time I make a pork roast!