<p>Oh Lord, time to go to bed, tomorrow is a running day. It’s getting a little easier, but not much easier and not fast much faster. I have discovered that I can hear the chirpy lady on the couch25k program without having to run with earplugs if I carry my iPhone in my pocket. Hooray, I hate earbuds they a,ways either hurt or fall out or get too sweaty.</p>
<p>Weigh-in day at WW - down another 2.1 pounds, for a total of 21.3 pounds in 17 weeks. Now I just have to survive our 10-day vacation, ack!</p>
<p>I have been asked to help LEAD a Couch to 5k group for women at our church. If you had told me this six years ago, I would have laughed at the thought!</p>
<p>Okay, night 1 of my 5 day vacation with relatives leading up to graduation party weekend … I don’t think I want to know how many carbs in two margaritas. Oops. Guess I better go on that hike with them tomorrow.</p>
<p>Has anyone heard from our Raspberry Ketone lab rat?</p>
<p>Mainelonghorn- Way to go!! Vacations are tough. I am leaving Friday to go " home" I am apprehensive too. The Scots are not known for their healthy food. It is so cold and wet there at the moment , not sure if we will get any walks in to counteract the food and alcohol.</p>
<p>Heading to the docs for annual physical. Hoping for a gold star : )
Be interested in the blood test results. My cholesterol always teeters on the high side. My father has high cholesterol and he was an avid runner till the past few years. Even before I was overweight my numbers weren’t too impressive. </p>
<p>34 pounds down and still losing. Would love to maintain while I am away.</p>
<p>Ellenemope: Lab rat here. I don’t really see any difference, but I’ll keep on taking it and see if–after my 18 day vacation–I notice anything. I am also returning to Gibson’s homeland, with front and back ends (and my back end smaller than 6 months ago) in Amsterdam. Gibson, when you get there, would you do the sun dance, please? Safe travels! “See” you all later.</p>
<p>Thanks for report. How long did Dr. Oz say it would take to see results?</p>
<p>Hi Overseas,</p>
<p>I sent you a PM asking for more details about your vegan diet. I’d love some examples of delicious vegan meals, especially since you wrote that you don’t use oil! It’s hard to imagine salad dressings and roasted veggies without oil!</p>
<p>It’s hard to imagine life without oil. Not even olive oil?</p>
<p>Oil carries vitamin E and all those Omegas they keep touting. And keeps you full longer. And makes your skin soft and your hair shiny. </p>
<p>I know a strict (militant, even) vegan who nevertheless eats Vegan cupcakes made with lots of sugar and margarine (the hydrogenated kind). You can’t convince her that concentrated sweetener is bad and butter is good.</p>
<p>Books have been written about how people can hold contradictory beliefs at the same time. (Not criticizing Overseas, just commenting.)</p>
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<p>Being vegan does not necessarily mean that you care any more than anybody else about health food. Your friend is probably never going to touch butter because she doesn’t believe in the conditions that produced it. As a vegan, I’ve found that I’m a lot more food-conscious because I have to think about what’s in everything. I also can’t necessarily buy a cookie at the coffee shop, so I probably eat less baked goods than I would otherwise. But, although I am pretty convinced that dairy and red meat in particular are not the healthiest food options, I’ve never been vegan to be healthy. And I think the people that are really thinking about health have more modified diets, like what overseas described, or like Bill Clinton who I think eats a vegan diet plus fish.</p>
<p>That said, this is my absolute favorite book of healthy, delicious, vegan food.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Reduction-Filling-Low-Fat-Recipes/dp/1600940498/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340244240&sr=8-1&keywords=appetite+for+reduction[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Reduction-Filling-Low-Fat-Recipes/dp/1600940498/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340244240&sr=8-1&keywords=appetite+for+reduction</a></p>
<p>My friend is against taking the products of animals without their written permission, I think. 
But she also believes her (mostly raw) plant diet is the healthiest way to eat. </p>
<p>I personally think dairy and eggs are the perfect foods–you care for the animals and take what they produce without slaughtering them. Without us, hens would be fox food in no time.</p>
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<p>Wedding photos from the mid 70s, complete with pastel colored tux, are too gruesome a fashion statement, lol!</p>
<p>Fellow WLFDers, you would have been proud of me. I went to Red Lobster last night while visiting my brother and we only had one cheddar biscuit each, even though there were 4 in the basket! All part of the maintenance regime…</p>
<p>I don’t use oil. My salads are full of fruit and veggies and lemon and some balsamic vinegar. It can be done. I steam veggies. I don’t buy oil and I live where I can get fresh olive oil. O.K. I don’t go crazy if go out to dinner and I can’t get away from oil. It is everywhere. BUT the key is not to use it at home. Learn to go without oily things. Don’t do dairy. I am losing weight daily because I decided to drop dairy. It is amazing. But I am not pure vegan and it wasn’t good for me as an older person. My blood pressure went so low, too low. So it works for those of you who have high blood pressure, maybe. It is worth a try. Diet works. It is the most amazing thing. But we eat as we were taught and if you want to eat for health you have to change some habits.</p>
<p>3 Mo check-in. Am down 13 lbs. Its slow, but generally in the right direction, with a few bumps in the road.</p>
<p>Last time I was able to lose 20 in 3 mos. But I was more diligent then. I am modifying my eating habits. That what counts. I actually bought some new bathing suits. That was scary. The places I lost the weight were … umm… not where I wanted, but its all good.</p>
<p>I’m officially back in the game. I’v made it to the gym three times this week. Had to go back to lighter weights than what I was using prior to my back injury but whatever. I haven’t gained any weight since I’ve been down and out but I know the muscle I had going was replaced with fat. At least getting on the scale didn’t make my cry. </p>
<p>I’m enjoying reading everyone’s success stories! Hope to be one someday! Lol.</p>
<p>I’m trying to eat more raw food.<br>
But not going vegan. I also like raw oysters
I’ve also lost three lbs since starting thyroid medicine, and feel so much better.</p>
<p>If you have a worn out thyroid, you need those meds and they work wonders, kity! I take that med and another one for preventing the recurrence of my cancer and I have ten days left on that one. It has been a five year uphill climb, that pill. I am curious when I stop, will I feel better? I am curious! But I have kept my weight off for these 5 years. It goes up and then down. But with my new program, it is a whole lot easier for me. I am trying to eat raw. It is easier in the warmer weather for me.</p>
<p>Like I said before, I can’t be a vegan. But I am more a veggies and fruit person than a meat or fish eater. And I definitely love my fish before any meat, if I have to make a choice. But I think it all has some benefit in moderation, except…that is…oil for the sake of oil. The way I see it, oil is in every loaf of bread, piece of fish or meat, hidden to make everything taste better. It does for sure. Remove as much of it as you can, steam instead of fry, don’t use it on raw veggies, and things like that and you cut oodles of calories and do your heart good.</p>
<p>13 pounds over 12 weeks, jym…at the end of a year, that’s 52 pounds lost. Slow, steady and not so shabby!</p>
<p>Page 4! We’ve never been on page 4!</p>
<p>Here’s a bump for all of who need it and I certainly do. </p>
<p>My H was diagnosed recently with Type 2 Diabetes. We went to a weekly class after his diagnosis with a nutritionist. One of the best tips we picked up was about pasta. There is a pasta on the market called Dreamfield that is extremely low carb. It is normal pasta, tastes the same as normal pasta but has an added ingredient that boosts the fiber so much that, in essence, it reduces the carb count to a fraction of regular pasta.</p>
<p>I found it at two local supermarkets and we have been eating it for a few weeks. The only down side is that it doesn’t make a small shaped pasta for soup, etc.</p>