Today was a good day.
Day one of my Alcohol free month of april.
I am hoping to lose some weight that I gained. I will weigh myself tomorrow....see what kind of damage my day of drinking caused...I was afraid to get on the scale today. I did not sleep last night due to the drinking I think. Hope to sleep well tonight.
Had a great lunch Grass fed beef, hamburger steak, Kale, beets, creamed turnips, yum! Had lunch with the sandras(health food store) people that I am friends with now along with hubby. It is spring break for him, he is off all week. Saw 3 clients this afternoon and got home around 5. Had a great dinner, hubby cooked: pork chops with thai sauce, a large tossed salad, half a large avocado, strawberries with whipped cream. Very good and filling. I worked out in the yard for a bit after dinner trimmed some azaleas back and raked a few leaves. The weather was perfect for yard work and the mosquitos aren't out yet and the humidity was low. Perfect!
Then I went to the gym and attempted to do the 15%incline walking at 3 mph for 15 minutes about killed me. then lowered the incline and walked a total of 30 minutes. I jogged for about a minute. I sweated and A hot shower felt good. Came home and got caught up here. Thinking about bed already. April is going to be a great month!
bizi

I am bummed...up a pound today 154.
bizi

Up a pound this morning so I wonder if I am really losing wieght or if it is just water weight fluctuating. I can't help but weigh myself everyday....they say you should not but.....
I have developed an even stronger addiction it seems. I have been on the internet alot lately. even talked myself into NOT seeing a client this morning so I can catch up in reading posts etc. I can easily see her next week. an altzheimer patient who doesn't know who I am or when I am coming. I have flexibilty in my business. being stuck here on the computer is not a good reason to miss an appointment. I guess I jsut wanted to stay in my jammies and take it easy this morning. no harm done. I will try to go to the gym tonight. need to be consistent...I am sore from going...will try to hold on less tonight. my forearms are sore from holding on...and I now know about the poorer posture. I tried lowering the speed and that did not seem to be the relief that I was looking for it actually seemed harder. changing the incline takes too long. I need a reprieve quickly after pushing myself for one minute. I think if I carefully held on and watched my posture it would be better, don't want to strain my arms again.
I will post back tonight when I get home.
bizi

Weighing yourself every day, you're gonna get fluctuations.

Ah, you are moderation-challenged! :winky:

Bizi, did I ever tell you I used to live down your way? A few miles from Port Barre, between there and Krotz Spring, on Bayou Courtebleu. Only lived there a year but loved it! Let the Good Times Roll! :D

I don't remember you telling me that.
WE are getting ready for our festival international in 3 weeks!
HOpe the weather cooperates.
bizi

well I made it to the gym tonight and it went good. decided to lower the mph to 2.5 during the rest minute and gently hold on being super aware of my posture. then back up to 3 mph and not holding on. I did this for 15 minutes. at times I was breathing so hard I had to stop and pant. I then lowered the incline and continued to walk at different speeds and inclines and even jog for a couple of minutes for a total of 30 minutes on the treadmill. I did not stress my forearms and my hips feel fine so that is much better than before.
Jeff made dinner tonight: lemon pepper talapia, salad, seasoned turnip greens. I had 4 dark chocolate kisses. yum! I did not have any candy at all on easter....a liter of lite margaritas but I digress.
anyway.....
usually i am snacky at this time of night....tonight I am not ...this is good!
bizi

Good morning! Taking this AF(alcohol free) thing one day at a time. Last nite Hubby picked up some beer(he is a beer snob) and we hung around the department for quite some time, him deciding what kind of beer he wanted. Finally I told him that it was hard looking at all of this alcohol so he picked one and we left.The blueberry beers were calling me but i resisted knowing that I would drink 3 of them=900 calories and not fit into my goals for this month. So I resisted. The scale is not budging but am thankful I am not gaining weight so that is good.
Getting my hair colored/cut at our local beauty school, have been a red/violet for quite some time. Love it but it takes almost 3 hours of my saturday. I am bringing my gym clothes along with me and plan to hit the gym afterward. That will mean that I have gone to the gym 3 times in one week, a record in years! I did not go for so long felt so guilty paying $60 a month to not go is so depressing! But this is a new month and spring weather is here so it is time to continue reaching for my goals, and taking care of myself. . WE went to Downtown alive last night after going to our local deli for salad bar for dinner. Going to go to chris's for lunch today, gumbo without the rice or bread or potato salad so fewer carbs and calories. I am trying to watch both my carb intake and my calorie intake and eat as healthy as I can be.
I foresee dinner at the gym tonight, broccoli is in my dinner plans along with a baked sweet potato and maybe a chicken breast.

bizi

made it to the gym!!! 3 times in one week!
bizi

152 this morning, down 4 pounds since the 19th. slow this time around but maybe off for good this time.I hate the fact that I look so pregnant with all of this belly fat which is so unhealthy!
bizi

153 this morning...sigh

for lunch I had bison( buffalo) with gravy and sides of veggies, beets, mustard greens and creamed turnips(with cream cheese) delicious!
For dinner I over ate.
WE went to bonefish grill.
Started off with bang bang shrimp which is lightly fried and a remulade sauce.
Had a salad with ceasar dressing. It had palm hearts on it very good!
Then we shared 4 small courses.
Grilled tuna with a mango chutney
oak fired salmon with a lemon butter
Chilian seabass with a pesto on top
Seared scallops and shrimp with an asian teriyake sauce.
sides were brocolli, garlic mashed potatoes, and garbanzo beans (jeff ate the potatoes and the beans)

It was all fairly low carb except for one of the sauces and the bang bang shrimp.
It was all delicious!
And now I am stuffed. I resisted getting a drink which was hard to do.
WE had gift cards left over from christmas....So that was less painful.
WE drank water so it could have been much worse.
anyway.
Eating was the activity o fthe day...lol
bizi

This evening is all about staying alcohol free.
My husband students had a guitar competition today and his colleague is staying with us....his good friend and drinking buddy. After the competiton this afternoon I went to the gym:) and had dinner there. Had a hamburger patty, some brocolli and cheese and part of a sweet potatoe. I was very proud of myself I did not eat the whole thing...I stopped eating when I was no longer hungry. It is rare that I don't finish/clean my plate. It was huge and I had asked for a small one. So I did not feel bad throwing it away.
When I was done I came home and they were not home from their dinner out so I decided at the last minute that the sky looked amazing so I would go out and drive to our nearby rookery to watch the sunset. It was about a half hour drive there and I had already missed the brief sunset, too many clouds, oh well it was still pretty on the swamp/lake at dusk and I stayed and talked with a pilot visiting from wisconsin. His boss is working on a project trying to reestablish the near extinct whooping cranes....very interesting. So my time spent at lake martin was worth the drive.
On the way home at 8:30 I stopped at our local theater to see when jurasic park 3D was playing....not until 9:45. I was going to see it if the timing was right. Not tonight. So I came home to 2 drinking men listening to music. And I got on the computer, which is a great distraction. I don't even have the urge to drink tonight anymore so that is good. They just came in from being out side and now are listening to the "Replacements" never even heard of them. I just got myself a tall glass of water and added stevia vanilla cream sweetener to the glass. It tastes so good!
Thank you for reading my thread.
bizi

I started my diet one month ago yesterday. The scale happily recorded 150 this morning, down 6 pounds. I am happy about this. I also feel that I have lost weight, I don't look as pregnant as I used to. Last night was a trial. I felt like giving in to my urges. Wanted to go out and buy my blueberry beers and get drunk, did not feel like going to the gym was tired. Hubby said wait till the end of april that I have gone this far. So that was encouraging enough to not get the beer. And I made it to the gym after all. However; somehow I injured my right ankle. It is almost like I sprained it. I don't remember doing anything out of the ordinary while using the tred mill, did my normal 15% incline for 20 minutes then walked and jogged a bit for a total of 30 minutes. It started hurting on the way home from the gym. So somehow I injured it without knowing. I did start using inserts in my work shoes maybe that has something to do with it????
sigh
Great just what I don't need.
Make it a great day today!
bizi

Good for you for not giving in!

Can't imagine what happened to you ankle. Hopefully it will be all better by morning!

thank you sparky10 my ankle already feels better.
weird! have a great day!
bizi

Weird, yes. That's MS. Weird. On occasion when walking, my hip will start hurting, bad! It doesn't last long, till maybe later that day.

Weird.

4-1-AF made it to the gym 15% kicked my butt!
4-2-AF
4-3-AF gym 15%incline! 15mins, 3mph not holding one min, then 2.5 holding on for a min.etc.
4-4-AF
4-5-AF
4-6-AF gym 15% incline (alternating MPH) 17 minutes, then total 30 minutes little jog too.
4-7-AF worked in yard for an hour!
4-8-AF sore today! gym tomorrow.
4-9-AF gym 15% incline 20 mins lower mph, it is really hard for me to do this!
4-10-AF
4-11-AF gym 15%incline 20 mins alternating speeds, 2 minute jog
4-12-AF
4-13-AF gym 15% incline 20 mins alt.speeds, 2 mins jog, total 30 mins on tread mill
4-14-AF
4-15-AF
4-16-AF gym 15%, 20 mins alt speeds, 2 min jog, total 30 min on tread mill. Sprained my right ankle :(
4-17-AF
4-18-AF gym 15%, 20 mins alt speeds, no jog, total 30 minutes ankle is fine now!
4-19-AF
4-20-AF gym 15%, 25 mins alt speeds 3 and 2 1/2, 7.5%, 10 mins 3mph, total 35 mins

148.5 this am!
bizi

Alcohol puts on pounds for sure for me.
I reviewed my weigh ins here and these are the numbers.
10-1-12= 158 quit drinking
12-4-12= 144.5... 13.5 pounds lost, started drinking again(stupid)
3-17-13= 156...11.5 weight gain...quit drinking
4-23-13= 148...8 pound weight loss, still not drinking.
not drinking and dieting go hand in hand for me. This weight loss has been pretty easy, not counting calories just watching what I eat and trying to limit my simple carb intake and eating as healthy as possible. (my drink of choice was a blueberry beer at 300 calories a beer, no wonder I gained weight!)
bizi

up 2 pounds this morning...I know it is normal to fluctuate. Don't like it still.It is festival international this weekend and it started wed night. 5 days of free concerts from musicians from all over the world. They shut down the streets of downtown, 6 different stages and have art vendors and many many food booths. They expect 400,00 people visiting. There are over 2,000 volunteers that make it happen. It has been voted the best music festival 2 years straight. We saw a group from mali last night, fabulous! This is the 27th year.
Jeff's hip is bothering him today so tonight he will bring his crutch to help support that leg. He has physical therapy again today he has a long road of recovery ahead of him.
I did not drink enough water yesterday, must make this a priority today.
I have been taking turkey rhubarb for regularity but it has stopped working...could be the reason for my weight gain????? Do any of you have this problem? I have ordered some cascara to try.......Sorry....TMI?
This is the first year that I have been alcohol free for the festival and dieting, feels weird when every one around me seems to be drinking and eating. I love the crawfish spinach bread bowls but they are not on my diet these days. I am going to have to find something to eat. Saturday we will be out there from 2pm - 11pm. If hubby is able to hold on that long, probably not. I think this is a bigger festival then jazz fest in new orleans and theirs is not a free festival. anyway.
TGIF and I hope that you all have a great weekend.
Lets make taking care of ourselves a priority!
we can do it!
http://assets3.sparkpeople.com/asset...icons/e381.gif

Never heard of turkey rhubarb or cascara so no help there. But I do remember crawfish spinach bowls! Oh yum! I so miss crawfish. I don't buy the imported junk here but I made shrimp bowls with the same recipe. Used the frozen bread dough.

I agree about alcohol adding calories! Rats!

The only person my BF still talks to down south is a crawfish-erman. That is hard work! You might be eating mudbugs he caught. We're in a position to tell him about the water levels he can expect because we're near the top of the Mississippi River. BTW - the river's rising!

Here's a pic of me walking across the Mississippi River in Minnesota:

that doesn't look like the mississippi! that is a nice walking stick!
bizi

It is indeed the Mississippi! Below is a pic of Lake Itasca in MN, the lake from which the river forms. Where I walked across is just a few feet from the rock dam. The river gets even narrower but deeper just beyond this area. This is all a big state park.

So, I'm one of few people who can say they lived where the river was a mile wide, and also walked across the headlands!

After sleeping in until 10am I got up. Hubby left early this am to help out with a jazz competition. Having packed my gym bag last night I was already to go this morning. So went to the gym and only did 30 minutes total instead of 35. I had only eaten a yogurt and was feeling weak. I ate a good lunch of a hamburger pattie with cheese and tomatoes and a big bowl of broccoli and some ranch dressing. Home by 1 pm.
Hubby called he would not be home until 2 so I made several work phone calls until he came home.
We then went to the festival. Listened to some great music. Ate the crawfish and spinach bread bowl, just did not eat the bread, they could not just let me have a bowl of the stuff. Anyway it was delicious! Later on I had another chicken on a stick kebob. That was good.
The festival is always fun to people watch. It is supposed to rain tomorrow, don't know if we will go or not. I am tired, think we will watch an episode of downton abbey! Remained alcohol free but had some really strong urges today.
bizi

149 this morning....must have been all of the salty food at the festival over this weekend.
bizi

I had the best dinner tonight.
WE ate at Jason's deli. They have a wonderful salad bar.
I had: spinach, sweet red peppers, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, broccoli, sesame seeds, Balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and a couple of tablespoons of humus along with 2 hard boiled eggs on the side. I also had a cup of chicken chili which was very good.
Great dinner and so healthy!
bizi

up t0 150 this am.
I am very discouraged this morning. The scale was up to where I was two weeks ago. every day it seemed this week to go up a pound. I know that I over indulged at the festival but not that much. I wonder if something else is going on. I have been trying to eat healthy, and not obsess over calorie counting. But maybe I am eating more than I thought. Need to really pay attention to what I am eating and snacking on. I was only snacking on almonds and pecans, I know they are high calorie dense so maybe that is the reason. I have remained alcohol free this month for the weight loss promises that I made myself. But that has not happened like I like.any way I guess 6 pounds loss since march 19th is better than a gain. I looked back at my records, cards that I have recorded my weights and measurements from years ago over time. My measurements are all up alot and I am up 25 pounds since 12-10. very depressing.
I am discouraged today.
bizi

Happy cinco de mayo!
Jeff and I just got back from celebrating, drinks and dinner out. I had bad drinks and food from one restaurant and good drinks and I ate a desert, too many chips and salsa at the other place.
After 3 days of drinking I am ready to stop drinking again. I feel like it is all or nothing, and when I drink my diet goes out the window.
So it's time to get on that horse again.
WE are getting ready to watch the movie Argo.

Have you seen it?
We had a great day today. Ate a good breakfast at the waffle house, fiesta omelet with ham and cheese and jalapenos. Then we went to the zoo where it was absolutely crazy long lines to just get into the zoo to park. When we finally got in we asked if there was something special going on and there was. They have a new female giraffe in and today they were getting married! There was a brass quintet playing and then kareoke....Silly! It was insanely busy! WE learned later that there was a gift registry!!!!!

It was beautiful today just cool enough to wear a jacket due to the wind. All of the animals were active, it was fun.
Looking forward to the movie, Argo.
Have a great week.
bizi

Did you enjoy Argo? My BF and I saw it and I liked it. Wish my Father had lived to see it. He was in Iran from '75 to '79; got out just before the hostage crisis.

Glad you enjoyed the zoo! I love a good zoo day!

Yes I loved the movie and was very suspenseful, I did not know the ending ahead of time nor the history.
Probably the best movie I have ever seen. What a wonderful true story!
bizi

WEll today was an interesting day. My work day turned short and I did errands and ended up in a helath food store buying whole food digestive enzymes and probiotics. I have already started taking traphala, a supplement to help with irregularity.
my accomplishments for today:
1) It is an Alcohol free day starting over day one.
2) I made it to the gym some good cardio in.
3) Threw out the left over ice cream from yesterday.
4) resisted buying any sweets at the gym before my work out.I was fondling them...lol(they were wrapped).
5) Ate really well today, clean and healthy most all organic today.
6) Chewing gum, remaining AF tonight getting ready for bed.

My weight was up at the gym tonight....oh well. 3Days of living it up....I will have to live with the lash back.
bizi

vitamins and supplements:
 

This is my routine:
I am taking meds/supplements a total of 5 times a day
8am- 2,ooo mg traphala first thing in am(for regularity)
noon- Geodon 80mg, multi vit, vit d3(5,000 units),2 fish oil(1000mg of 4:1 ratio of epa to dha),flax seed oil(1000mg of ALA omega 3), digestive enzyme, 2 coral calcium with mag(500mg/250mg), vit c-1000mg, 2000mg cinnamon with chromium, 800mg Garcinia Cambogia. (both for weight loss)
6pm- geodon, calcium, enzyme, cinnamon, garcinia cambogia, triphala.
1030pm- 200mg of lamictal, 1 mg of klonipin to sleep
midnight- probiotic, Garden of life, 15 billion
I usually only eat 2 meals a day. lunch at a health food store. (Organic foods)
I sometime snack before dinner with some almonds if I am hungry.
Cardio exercise 3xweek at 8;30 pm, shower, home around 10:15.
bed around midnight.
I like routines.
bizi

We rushed to meet our friends at a birthday gathering at texas road house for dinner tonight. The guest of honor turned 50 today. His wife was running late because they were having pie issues, her daughter made the apple pie from scratch! There were 10 of us. nice gathering, great food. I ate the salmon and broccoli and a salad with ceasar dressing on it. I was stuffed. ( I passed on the wonderful rolls they serve and sweet potatoes and drinks. I drank water. Had a good time but was ready to call it a night. Truth be know, I am not very good in social situations and I tend to drink at this couples house so..... I Did not want to go over to their house and not eat the pie, nor socialize or drink.. So I excused myself saying that I was going to go to the gym. Came home and decided that I was way too full and so close to dinner time that I was not going to the gym. I will go tomorrow night. I am very sleepy right now and wonder if I laid down for a bit if that would perk me up?
When hubby gets home, think I will just tell him that I was too full which is true.
bizi

I just thought that i would look at my report for my weigh ins and am surprised at the weight gain from drinking. and how I yo yo'd over the past 8 months. just think if I had not been drinking I would be at my goal weight by now.
158-9-30 stopped drinking
152- 10-20
147-11-10
145-11-16
144.5-12-14 started drinking again
150-1-13
155-3-6 stopped drinking
151-3-28
146.5-4-25
152-5-6
145.5-5-17...almost a 10 pound weight loss in 9 weeks, 12.5 loss in 8 months.

If I continue to loss one pound a week then I will be close to my goal weight in 10 more weeks.
I must remain alcohol free, IT seems to be the only way for me to lose weight. When I am more focused and on a diet. Drinking 300 calorie blue berry beers sure puts on the weight for me.
bizi

It was a trifecta day!

1- I ate well today:
Drank a pot of coffee, had scrambled eggs with onions and peppers in butter, later I had 1/4 cup humus, and then had 2 tablespoons of peanut butter because it sounded good. For dinner I had a hamburger pattie with cheese and Had 4 cups of mixed veggies tonight, mostly broccoli, carrots, squash, green beans, red peppers.

2- I made it to the gym:
I did a very good work out on the tred mill:
15% incline alternating one minute at 3 mph not holding on, then one minute at 2.5 holding on.
I did this the longest I have ever been able to maintain. 30 minutes! then lowered the incline to 7.5 and walked 10 minutes at 3.0mph for a total of 40 minutes! I sure did sweat and pant along the way. Great cardio!

3- I remained Alcohol free!
Only had small cravings this evening but will drink some sweetened water with stevia.

I finished billing this afternoon and did some filing now to do some charting. I should have gone to office depot sooner today, they were closed by the time I went there after the gym. I need some more copies of forms to use to make new charts. I will get them tomorrow.

Hubby is still gone....he will be back tomorrow.
I miss him.
He is my rock.
bizi

I went to the gym tonight after dinner. and could not do my normal interval training on the treadmill at 15%....
I tried and just could not do it.
rats..... I did so well last time.
so I lowered the incline to 7.5% and just walked without holding on for 30 minutes. Said I burned 230 calories.
sigh
I hardly sweat at all!
oh well some activity is better than no activity.
right?
bizi

Hi bizi
 

I was trying to burn calories today too. did alot of gardening and boy did I sweat.
then I blew it, came in and had ice cream. I do think I burned those calories however it was hot outside!!!!! do you garden any bizi? ginnie

hi ginnie,
I used to garden alot then I got lazy and only do what I have to and my yard looks terrible fo rit. We have a yard man that mows the grass and edges so that the grass looks nice but the flower beds are awful and in need of attention.
Glad that you worked in the yard. I don't buy ice cream because i would eat it all if I had it in the house, kind of like alcohol....
bizi

Hi Bizi
 

I am out in the yard each and every day, pain and all. It was on tour of gardens down here. Big pain in the butt to keep up with however. That is the only way I can allow myself icecream. If I work outside 4 hours or so, and really sweat, I grant myself that treat. Yes I love ice cream. ginnie:hug:

good for you sweet ginnie.
love hearing from you!
I am starting over or rather I was stuck for a while in an unhealthy mode over the past four days. I DRANK ALOT!!!!!
So I am starting over weighed 146 this morning so not too much weight gain.
total lost 10 pounds since 3-19-13.
Had a light dinner then went to the gym and had to have some tunafish before I worked out....that was 500 calories, working out was no more than 300. you can do the math!
But have it is a start over with day one alcohol free. I don't know when I will drink again, I just know that it is not healthy for me and I drink too much and my favorite beers have 300 calories in each one, that is an egg mcmuffin!!!!!So when I had 3 last night I had 3 egg mcmuffins on top of my usual dinner.
sigh
today is a new day
day 1
bizi