Goodbye to 110 Regrets

[stinkykitty]

Tuesday Menu:

2 cups coffee w/creamer
B- SB quiche with diced avocado =)
S- okay, confession time... I made cheese crisps... they were good so I made more... 6 slices of cheese later...
it's like I had last week's TOM munchies today!!
L- yo-cheese, cucumber salad, grape tomatoes, almonds, shared with Casey
D- stir-fry celery, scallions, garlic, cabbage, tofu, kidney beans w/ a splash of rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger
- quite tasty! Even hubby had to go get a fork & try it & he liked it too =)

was thinking about making SB PB cups or something tonite, but already had nuts today & after cheese crisp pig-out, thought best to maintain some control... probably just have some milk in a little while =)

[stinkykitty]

Thursday 2/25: WOO HOO!!! Phase 1 complete... I am really darn proud of myself. Lost 6 pounds, avoided all the pitfalls of lemon squares and emotional overloads, and ready to move on to Phase 2 and the "Lifestyle"...

I can see I need to (1) add more more more water... I just don't drink enough of it, and especially here in the desert I need to drink way more than I am and way more than I think I need... (2) limit the foods that are good but still open the door for me to overeat, like avocados... and cheese... Drat those cheese crisps!! Adding in grains again is a little scary, I can overeat bread in a heartbeat... But I have not felt deprived without it, so hopefully I can continue to be disciplined and enjoy that awesome feeling of strength I get from making the right choices.

Next weekend I have a 3-day retreat with the ladies from my church, and that will present some challenges. I am trying to plan what I can bring with me that will be easy SB-friendly snacks, that I can keep in a small cooler in my car. The days are pretty structured, but seems like during a potty break I can run out & grab a V8 and lo-fat string cheese. It will be the evening yak-and-snack-athons that can present some pitfalls... But I have determined already, if I really want a "treat" that is there, I am going to have it, enjoy it, not feel guilty about it, and just make as many GOOD choices as I can. This retreat only happens once a year, and it's my only time all year to not have to be wife, mother, daughter, employee - just enjoy being with my Sisters in Christ and fellowship and teaching and worship. I love that SB has so many real-world options, it should not be too difficult to stay within the boundaries for most of the weekend.

And now, I will enjoy sharing an apple with my daughter!!!

[QueenJean]

Hi there!
i was perusing your posts and I just have to tell you , you are one funny lady! I love your sense of humor and your style of writing. You are upbeat, ready to get serious with this lifestyle, and a shoe-in for success at this! I have doing this for 2 months now, and it has been a learning experience the whole way! After a lifetime of obsessive-compulsive dieting, yo-yoing enough to probably have destroyed my metabolism, I have finally landed on a way of life that is doable! You are so right in that God have given us this beautiful banquet table from which we can feast upon!! Life is not perfect and backsliding happens, but it is so much easier to forgive ourselves and move on now! I love trying all these recipes, and I really enjoy getting my family to eat healthier. There is extreme satisfaction in bypassing demon foods of the past, and Glory, dare I say it, hope for the future! Keep posting, I look forward to hearing of your journey! I post my food journal daily also(the Queens' Journal), stop by and say hi! I hope you had an awesome experience at your retreat!

[stinkykitty]

Saturday... Well a couple days on Phase 2 and doing okay... Did indulge last night in some champagne, and I gotta say, it just didn't do it for me... I didn't sleep well at all. It just doesn't add anything of value to my life, adds empty calories, sometimes a headache, and a sleepless night - nothing I need... I think if I am going to indulge at any time, I should just spend the $$ on a bottle of excellent red wine and enjoy a glass of that... Other than the bubbly, have been eating really well and lost another pound...

Adding back in one apple and a 1/2 cup of brown rice the last couple days restored other systems back to normal... TMI but seriously, you don't appreciate how regular you are until you have a couple days that you aren't!!!! (Drat those cheese crisps...)

Today a lovely young couple from my church has invited me over for a curry lunch, she remembered me saying a long time ago that I love curry! How sweet, I am so touched that she remembered and thought to invite me. Don't know what all we'll be having, so I'll keep the morning light and adjust the evening as needed. (I kept it light yesterday too in anticipation of the bubbly.)

THURSDAY menu (1st day P2):
2 cups coffee w/creamer
B- (or brunch, didn't eat until almost 10:30) SB quiche w/diced avocado
SB chocolate custard cup w/cool whip & 1 T toasted almonds =)
S- apple, 2 slice lf provolone
D- stir=fry w/tofu, scallions, celery, cabbage; 1/2 c brown rice
S- okay, so I had another choc custard cup....

FRIDAY menu:
2 cups coffee w/creamer
B- saute spinach, red onion, turkey bacon, sprinkle 1T shred parmesan
L- leftover tofu stirfry
S- apple, lf cheddar cheese stick
D- grilled steak & chicken (made enough for several meals)
amAAzing veggie packets!!! mixed zucchini, summer squash, red onion, red peppers,
1/2 c ea chick peas, black beans, kidney beans. Salt, pepper, garlic powder;
drizzled w/olive oil & juice of 1 lemon; mix well. Put into foil packets - I made 5 -
and placed on grill while meat was cooking... Served w/ a sprinkle of shredded parmesan... YUM!!!!!!!
(I cut up my meat & put right on top of the veggies in a big bowl)
SB chocolate custard cup w/cool whip & 1T toasted almonds for dessert
and champagne....

Well, that's it for now... Hope you are all doing well on the Beach and taking life in stride =)

[stinkykitty]

Saturday menu:

2 cups coffee w/creamer
B- SB quiche
L- homemade curry, basmati rice, tortillas, chai tea... SOOO good, ate too much of course...
no dinner or afternoon snacks, full, just drinking lots of water
S- last chocolate custard w/cool whip & toasted almonds =(


My friend's curry was awesome, I enjoyed it thoroughly!!! But back on track tomorrow....

[Cambie]

Greetings Linda, Sounds like you're doing well. Glad you enjoyed the curry. Perfection is too much to live up to! So, have a little indulgence now and then, use moderation and keep moving along the beach!

I'm glad you are here!

Life IS Beautiful ♥♥♥♥

Tammy (aka Cambie)

[QueenJean]

Hey Miss Linda!
How ya doin'? Just wanted to say hi!

[stinkykitty]

Hello all,

Crazy week with work, getting ready to be out of town this weekend, and had a major sewer back-up that involved a whole lot of issues we didn't need this week... Our city is getting a city-wide sewer system and doing away with the septic tanks... but they neglected to hook up our MAIN clean out, just the one for the master bath addition... Drained a tub after Casey's bath tuesday night and it all came up through the other bathrooms.... Missed work yesterday dealing with all that, and today is laundry, packing, cooking, and paying bills before I leave tomorrow for my much-anticipated and needed Women's Retreat.

Sticking with the Beach as much as posible through all this, did stray into a bottle of bubbly last night but otherwise, being true to the plan. Will re-focus and get stricter on portion control when I get back on Monday... Annual week at the River coming up in two months and would like to be feeling fitter and trimmer by then!!!

No time to post menus and stuff this week, but I'm keeping track in my journal and will vist y'all more after the retreat...

Hope you are all doing well and keeping healthy!!

XO, Linda

[purenavygirl]

Linda,

As the saying goes, "When it rains, it pours." I feel the same way in trying to get ready for my weekend getaway!

Here's to enjoying ourselves and re-foucusing next week.

Take care and let's look forward to a more peaceful next week.

Beth

[stinkykitty]

Well I'm back... sort of... Had an AMAZING time on the women's retreat, couldn't have gotten farther from the Beach but I enjoyed every bite of it LOL!! Every intention of going right back to the Beach when I got home, but of course every time you spend time on The Mountain with the Lord, the nasty old enemy (Satan/Food/Alcohol/ice cream/anniversary) is waiting to attack when you get home and bring you down with frustration and discouragement and creamy goodness...

Seriously financially strapped this week, trying to squeak out groceries for 3 people (eating 3 different ways!!) on 1/3 the usual budget... Fresh produce is so insanely expensive here, and quality is iffy on top of it... Fortunately my pantry was stocked with lots of stuff, unfortunately a lot of things I bought pre-SB!! Soups, pasta & sauce, etc. Well, we have to make do right now and so my only hope is to watch my portions. TOM on top of it, so I have been feeling SO hungry!!

I know I will get this figured out, I want the eating habits to change permanently and I have to find a way to eat better on a tight budget, 'cause prices ain't going down any time soon... It's Spring Break here, so everything went up - seriously, gas went up 15 cents/gallon last week!! It will now stay up & keep rising until after Labor Day - heaven forbid they make a profit simply by the fact that people are buying MORE gas for their boats and jetskis, NO they have to raise the price on top of it... GRRR don't get me started!! PMS & a Soapbox are not a good mix LOL!!

Well, I still have my sense of humor. And now that Aunt Flow arrived the cravings will go away and I won't feel so damn hungry all day... Payday is Thursday, no more OT for my hubby but I KNOW God will provide our needs even on a smaller paycheck, includng some wisdom for me to shop on a tight budget AND get what all 3 of us need for our daily bread (or veggies).

The laundry awaits... I hope you are all doing well!!

Linda

[QueenJean]

Hi Linda!
Ok, so you are back on track with some challenges! You can do it!!! I have been off work since August of last year! That has been a hit to our finances for sure! I live in Colorado, and food is expensive here too! I do this great thing called Teri's List. Have you heard of it? You go to grocerygame.com and sign up. It is 5.00 a month, and you get billed every other month. They keep a database of every item in every grocery store. They tell you what is on sale every week, and exactly which coupons to use(you need to get the Sunday paper). The list will then tell you how much you saved, and even tell you the percentage of how much the item is reduced. You would not believe the savings! I sound like a commercial because this is the greatest thing I have stumbled on to save money. Even just buying household items, and SB food only, I can spend around 70.00 to 80.00 bucks, and save about the same or more! It just depends on what you buy!
I stock up on all kinds of things, and when I do not have money we just live from our freezer and pantry! Anytime I see someone in the store using coupons, I march right up to them and ask them if they know about the list! I figure if they are doing coupons, they will want to know about the list! I hope this helps you!
How lovely you got to go on retreat! I used to do that with my church in Ca., and my quilt quild! We would rent a 10 bedrooom house on the beach and just have a blast for 4 days! heavenly!
Glad you are back on track! keep posting!

[GrammaKD]

Hi Linda, Thanks so much for the wonderful letter on my journal a month or so back. I need apologize for not getting back to you sooner. First I want to assure myself that you're still here, still walking the beach with us? Sure hope so...I say this often...it works when we work it! And the 'work' part of it gets easier and easier the longer we stay with it. I'll close for now and hope to hear back from you. God's a great big God and well able to help us do what we know pleases Him. A glorious Easter week to you! Sister in Christ hugs, Kathy

[stinkykitty]

Hi Gramma KD and my fellow Beachers,

Still having some set-backs due to finances being extremely tight... Just too expensive to support 3 different eating plans in my house right now... I am trying to at least watch portions and get as much veggies and water as I can! It just ticks me off that the produce here is SO expensive and quality is so poor. I know I will find a way to make it work, just need to get some other things back in balance... Felt so good and energetic walking the Beach more strictly and I want to be back there...

All the stuff on sale this week cracks me up - all the pastry junk and Easter candy... But good deals on eggs! Ha ha...
One sale paper advertised "have a hearty breakfast Easter morning!" - and what were the sale items? Cinnamon rolls and bacon... oh yeah that's the way to start the day...

My mom sent an Easter gift the other day for Casey, and as I took this big tissue-wrapped item out of the box I was praying, Oh God don't let it be a big chocolate Bunny... Thankfully it was a stuffed bunny, but God bless Mom, she means well, but a decorative bunny with little paper mache eggs and flowers dangling from it is not ideal for a 2 1/2 year old! And trying to explain to her that it's look, don't touch is futile... So I have a dish hidden with all the little eggs & flowers that Casey pulled off within about 15 minutes, and the bunny herself is in Casey's bed because nothing will induce her to go to sleep without it...

Oh well, life goes on and I think about how to get back on the beach instead of living a few streets inland (LOL)... I pray you all have a blessed Easter and are not inundated with too many chocolates and cinnamon rolls!!

My best, Linda

[purenavygirl]

Hello Linda,

Just checking in on you and to see how things are going? I know what you mean by tight finances! SB can be hard to shop for at times, especially if you want variety.

I was talking to someone else who had to stray for a little while and is back at it. Sometimes Life has a way of throwing too many things in our path at one time. We can only do what we can handle. If you put SB on the back burner temporarily, just remember to come back as soon as you can! We'll all be here waiting!

With that, I need to get my bum into bed. I have an early morning tomorrow and I'm already up past my bed time! heh heh

Take care and I hope to see you around.

Beth

[stinkykitty]

Whew!!! Has it really been that long since I have checked in here?? It has been a very trying last couple of months. Last week I found out my hours will be cut starting next week, will only have work if the full-time admin is off... Yikes... I mean, I only work 16 hours a week as is, but it's $$$ we cannot afford to lose! We have already been using credit cards for a month to buy groceries and gas... Savings is down to $14, hubby is managing to squeeze 37-39 hours out a week at his work... This economy bites!! Have been getting my resume out for anything even remotely office/clerical/admin, but not a nibble yet... It is one thing to say you trust God to provide, it's another to be at the gut level living it every day not knowing how those ends are going to meet!

But I just got a huge incentive to get back on track, my step-daughter whom I have not seen in 11 years got in touch with me the other night (oh the miracle of facebook!) and we are making plans to visit this summer... Would SO love to knock a few slabs of flab off before seeing her, I am quite a bit heavier than I was at her high school graduation in 1999, last time I saw her...

I confess I have been filled with self-loathing of late, for getting to this point and knowing what I was doing every step of the way and not giving a damn. It is not like me to be hating myself, I got past that a long time ago and embrace the lovely funny inner me and the beauty that comes from within and knowing some people like a whole lotta woman... But man, just trying to get dressed right now stresses me out... Surely it is the dryer shrinking everything and not another 5 lbs of chub??? Here it is summer and I want to be covered from chin(s) to ankles... Yet there I sit eating tacquitos and ice cream and watching The Biggest Loser finale lol...

Once again my energy is gone, although I have not had the aches and pains overall I had been experiencing a few months ago. I have not gone back to adding sugar to my coffee!! But I need to stick with what I know works and what makes me feel good... So I decided what the hey, as long as I gotta use a credit card for groceries I might as well buy the stuff I want and load up the veggies and yogurt and turkey bacon! Hubby has had his processed food freak on lately, freezer has been jammed with 60-packs of tacquitos, pizzas, etc - and loads of chips keep finding their way into the pantry. If I don't do some counter-programming, guess what I am reaching for....

So here we go again, after all it is summer and the best place to be is at the Beach!!

Hope you are all doing well!!

Love,
Linda