Vickie's Journal

[Vernswifevickie]

Today is the OFFICIAL start day for me to be back on LDL. I kinda sorta started yesterday but I wasn't able to get to the store until after work...so my food choices were a little weird.....weird but completely on plan...I think 

I've been looking around at the journals here and I see that most use their journals as a food diary. I plan to do that as well, but food and "dieting" (I am loathe to call it a "diet" as I am SICK of "dieting!") are about so much more than just a food list for me....I plan to use my journal as a place to not only list my foods but to journal my journey. I hope that's acceptable here.

So....my kitchen is stocked full of fresh fruits and vegetables and I am ready and raring to go! Side note....it's nothing short of AMAZING how much fruit, veggies, beans and such a person can get for $40.00! I had forgotten how easy on the budget this plan is!

So....here's the plan for today:

Pre-Breakfast:
2 mugs of coffee, sweetened with stevia and with 1 tsp of cream in each.
I know that cream is not allowed on LDL, but I am not ready to give it up and I don't think 2 tsp of cream is going to completely de-rail me. I'll wean myself from the cream in the coming days.

Breakfast:
2 eggs with refried beans and popcorn

Lunch:
large salad topped with lots of fresh veggies.
Leftover roasted califlower, squash, and brussels sprouts
2 or 3 skinless chicken thighs depending on how hungry I am.
Edited to add: I ended up only eating the roasted veggies and two chicken thighs (skinless of course). I was too full to eat more than that.


Dinner:
Fruit and popcorn.

So...that's the plan. If it changes I'll note that too.

I can't believe how great I feel about today. It feels so good to have a plan and to be moving forward with it. I'm weary of being out of control and being a slave to my cravings. It was for freedom that Christ set me free...not for me to become a slave to my appetite!

[cm in tn]

Vickie,

Great to have you back.As the saying goes you can always come home.

Sounds like you got it girl.I'm like you with my blue cheese dressing I Refuse to part with that.

You look like you done good on your day 1.I don't know how y'all eat beans for breakfast.Love them after 12:00 lol

I say you can use this journal any way you want to.Only thing its public.But I like that can get lots of tips on what to add and take away. To it will let others see how you eat.

I may post measurements weight and etc I kept up with that the last time I lost 35 Pd's.It makes you stay motivated which I NEED ,lots of it

try to start doing my walking in doors again that really helped trim them thighs,


So good to have you back.Yesterday is the past today a new day.

                                                              HUGS CONNIE

[Vernswifevickie]

You're right Roger! I am eating fat free refried beans. I'm actually eating home made, fat free, refried beans  . It's the asiest thing in the world to just cook up some pinto beans with nothing more than salt and pepper in them and keep them in the fridge for when I need them. When I'm ready for refried beans I just whirl some in my bullet blender to smoosh them up, dump them in a nonstick skillet, and stir them around a bit until they get thicker. It's every bit as easy as opening a can but they taste so much better.

Hi Connie...thank for the welcome back. It's good to be back.

[EnJae]

Yes, Vickie, it's VERY simple. BUT there are folks like me who wouldn't have known what to do after the pintos beans were cooked and stored in the fridge. So could you post your easy recipe in SideDishes? Thank you;
NJ

[Tori]

Your journal is public, but only to registered members. The public at large cannot see it.
And yes, feel free to use it however you wish!

[Boo454]

Vickie, sounds like you had a good day! 

It is good that we are able to chat again.  I didn't realize how much I missed this kind of thing.  I have tried very hard to not post in forums for a while.  I didn't think there was a "nice" forum out there.  I think I like it here. 

You know, the popcorn, you can pop it in the air popper then let it cool (I like to keep some in a big tupperware) and you can eat it like cereal.  Dh does it.  If you let it sit though, it gets soggy.  Good for a change for breakfast though.  You could add some dried fruits.  Are the flavored sprinkles allowed?  You could spritz with Pam then sprinkle on some of the flavored powdered stuff too. 

I can't wait to get my book.  Amazon shows it as having been shipped.  I hope it gets here by the end of next week.

I ended up making a taco of my eggs and beans this morning.  I just made an egg white "tortilla".  Hey, at least I got something out of KK.    Made a gallon of sun tea with splenda and true lime so I have my drinks for the day.  I'll head to the store tomorrow afternoon to get some more fruits and veggies. Hopefully something good will be on sale and I can get enough to can some stuff.  I love canning my own stuff. That is one of the good things that came of KK.  I don't much care for the store bought processed stuff anymore.  I don't really like salt or sugar in my foods. 

So what are your plans for the weekend?  Do you have Miss Autumn? 

[Vernswifevickie]

Hi NJ...I'd be happy to post it in the side dish section. I hadn't really thought of it as a "recipe" because it's just smooshed up beans, but I'll post it if you think it would be helpful.

Hi Tori...thanks for the heads up regarding the journals. I like the idea that it's only visable to registered members.

Hi Boo...I did have a good day. It feel so good to be back on some sort of plan again. I've been pretty out of control for the past year. Can you believe it's been a year already!?

I never though of using popcorn like cereal...but it makes sense. I pop it in the microwave in a big microwave cooking bowl with a lid. I just throw the kernals and some salt in the bowl and stick it in the microwave. It works great with no oil or anything. I don't know about the flavored sprinkles. I've never used them so I don't know what's in them. I like eating salty popcorn with some raisins mixed in...it makes one of those sweet/salty snacks that are so good.

I had to smile when you said that at least you learned a couple of good things doing KK. I have little things that I started doing on while I was on KK that I still do...I guess some good comes out of anything if you let it, huh? And ANOTHER great thing that came out of KK was that I met you and Hilary! 

I drink alot of tea too. I use stevia in mine. I have mostly given up artificial sweeteners. I'm not militant about it and I have a diet soda occasionally or use splenda in my coffee or tea if I'm out and that's all there is...but for the most part I use stevia. I haven't ever done any canning. I'm sure that the stuff you can at home tastes MUCH better than the store bought cans. I like roasted veggies ALOT! I like to take zuchini squash, yellow squash, cauliflower, eggplant, brussels sprouts, tomatoes...you name it...I cut it into chunks, spritz it with a little bit of olive oil (I use an empty "I can't believe it's not Butter" spray bottle and fill it with olive oil) sprinkle with sea salt...and roast it in the oven at 475 until it gets alot of brown spots on it.....just on the verge of being burnt. OMG!!! It is sooooo good cooked that way! I cooked another big broiler pan full tonight so I can jut grab it in the morning for my lunch at work.

Miss Autumn...can you believe she'll be 4 in a few months!? I don't keep her every weekend anymore but I have her a couple of Saturdays a month. Vern and I weren't spending enough time together and it was causing us to feel disconnected and to drift apart. It was a hard decision to give up the other two Saturdays a month because we loved having her...but we weren't getting any "us" time. Since we started spending a couple of weekends a month just being together things are MUCH better. So...all of that was to say that Vern and I are having our day together on Saturday and we won't have Miss Autumn. I don't know what we'll be doing but I'm pretty sure it will involve bike riding and possibly a picnic. Or...I could be completely wrong and Vern might want to tackle removing the shower doors from our bathtub enclosure. We both prefer a shower curtain and we said we were going to take the doors down 2 years ago and we just haven't gotten around to it....because we've had Autumn every weekend  ....so he might want to do that.....i think I'd rather do the bike ride!

[Vernswifevickie]

Ok...day 2 is dawning and I am feeling good and ready to go!

Here's the plan for today..

Pre-Breakfast:
2 large mugs of coffee with stevia and 1tsp cream in each

Breakfast:
Eggs, fat free refried beans, and popcorn

Lunch:
Roasted Veggies, fruit, and possibly corn thins spread with refried beans.

Edited to add: I actually ended up spreading my corn thins with some LDL friendly Pumpkin stuff I made...similar to pumpkin pie filling and I skipped the refried beans.

Dinner:
Salmon Patties (Premade from Costco)
Salad topped with a mixture of chopped onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, red beans, tossed with a bit of olive oil, vinegar, and seasonings.
Edited to add: I also made some roasted yellow squash and tomatoes and ate them with this meal.

Snack: Fruit and popcorn if I'm hungry (yep, I had watermeon, cantaloupe, black grapes and popcorn)

[Boo454]

Good Morning. 

That is great about you and Vern.  Lots of times people don't realize there is a problem until it is too late.  I know you must miss Miss Autumn very much but I bet you missed Vern even more.  Is he still playing in the Christian band?  It's nice to see you happy.  A bike ride and a picnic sound so good.  Wish it still wasn't so hot down here. 

I have grocery list put together for today.  I put on it all the veggies you listed, minus the brussel sprouts  , to make your roasted veggies.  Those sound so good.  I bet you could just throw a handful into a small pot of chicken broth for a nice soup too. Mark said to chop some up and add them to tuna or chicken salad.  I wonder if I pureed some if Chelsea would notice them in some of her food.    Until I get my book, is there anything I should really just stay away from?  As far as fruits/veggies?  I know no potatoes of any kind and assume no avocado.  Anything else?

Your menu for today looks good.  What are corn thins?  Is that something that you buy or make?

My menu for the day:

B - cup of coffee (w/cream, gotta back out of that habit), 2 ff refried bean and egg tacos.  I put 1/2 a slice of turkey bacon in each one today though.  I was just craving meat.  Made the egg white "tortillas".

L - the rest of the chicken salad, pineapple, small salad w/Walden Farms dressing

D - roasted veggies, salad, fruit smoothie (I'm thinking banana and blueberry)

Snacks - popcorn if needed.

I hope yall have a great weekend no matter what yall decide to do.  I'm gonna email Hillary today and see what she is up to.  I know she is so busy right now getting ready for the baby to come and hate to bug her.  I'll just mention it and see what she says. 

[niki]

boo.............you and vickie are doing GREAT..........in the beginning until ALL cravings are GONE, you can eat any of the ldl foods that you want anytime......if you have a craving for meat, eat as much as you want.........you'll see your desire for that wan with time..........NO WILLPOWER needed here on let's do lunch......you let WHAT YOU EAT take care of that.........................
  roasted vegetables, a little chicken broth, some boneless chicken breast, maybe a can or two of cannelini beans, some dark brown rice?..............that would make a GREAT soup......... 
  corn thins are kind of pricey...i buy them from a health food supermarket near my house....they're $2.69 here by me.......i use them to dip into hummus when i make it...it's really popcorn squished together into the shape of a rice cake....i think the name of the company is real food.....try amazon................later.........niki
   

[Vernswifevickie]

Niki...thanks so much for popping in with encouragement for me and my buddy Boo!

Boo...check out THIS THREAD for an easy rundown on doing LDL. It's a couple of posts down from the beginning. It should answer any questions you have.

Vern's still playing in the Christian Band. He's also playing on the worship team at church. We're doing well. I was thinking when you said it's good to see me happy...I was kinda mad and bitter when the whole KK thing blew up, huh? I'm better now.

Corn thins are like really thin popcorn cakes...like a rice cake but made with popcorn. I get them at Albertson's here. Like Niki said, they are kinda pricey...but I don't mind. They're nice to have around.

OK...gotta work.....have fun grocery shopping

[niki]

Like Niki said, they are kinda pricey...but I don't mind. They're nice to have around.

  whoever owned the company, sold it a couple of years ago, and i used to get 3/$5....i bought a LOT then and i had even started eating them by themselves right out of the package coming close to polishing off one in a sitting...........at around the same time i stopped doing this, the price went up a dollar a package......so, i use them more sparingly now...........

[Boo454]

Thanks for the info and encouragement Niki!  It's nice to hear.

I looked for those corn thins at my grocery store today and couldn't find them.  I came home with some nectarines, grapes, bananas, carrots, salad, WF dressing, eggs, summer squash and limes.  Oh and a bag of dog food.  That's all I bought today.  $85    All the fruits were on sale even.  Come winter, this might get real expensive.  I guess I'm just used to buying meat and more meat. 

I think we all were a little bitter and mad.  That is why I just left.  I joined camp then Jeannie and I had a huge blow up and I figured it was better to just step back from everything for a while.  It feels go to not be so mad anymore. 

I tried to click on the link in your post but I can't.  When I cursor over it, it will underline it but it is not clickable.  If you can just tell me the name of the thread I can find it through a search.  That would be great!

I emailed Hilary today.  I haven't heard back from her yet.  She hadn't been getting on the computer that much lately.  If I don't hear anything from her over the weekend, I'll email her dh and see if she is OK.

Have a blessed weekend!

[Vernswifevickie]

Just a very quick response..I'm at work...but the thread you want to look at is in the general discussion forum. It's one of the stickies at the top. It's called "How to start Let's Do Lunch"...if you go down a few posts theres a pretty good outline of the plan and the allowed foods. I'll be back later to chat more

[Tori]

Try this link:
http://www.letsdolunch.com/boards/http: ... 911#p18911

[Vernswifevickie]

Roger...thanks so much for taking the time to make sure we're understanding how to do Let's Do Lunch" correctly. I don't take it as criticism at all, I appreciate the clarification.

So to adress the points you brought up:

The corn thins I am buying at Albertsons are the Real Foods brand. Only the original, not the flavored ones.
The salmon patties from costco have salmon, eggs, and spices, nothing else.

The egg white "tortillas" are just egg whites, beaten and cooked in a skillet like a crepe. Nothing but egg whites.

I will remember to buy some non fat mayo. I haven't made any tuna salad etc. yet...but the reminder is appreciated.

I don't really use salad dressings but I like the idea of dipping the fork.

Again, thank you for making sure that we are understanding the plan correctly.

Tori.....Thanks for the link. I don't know why it didn't work for me.

[Tori]

You are very welcome!
Love the idea of the egg white crepe/tortilla! My only problem is that I can never seem to turn egg whites without tearing them.   

Any ideas or tips on that?

[Boo454]

Tori, thanks for the link.  I had seen that thread but re-reading it, picked up a few more things.    As for turning the egg whites, I just use a non stick pan, rounded bottom sprayed with Pam. I slide it out onto a paper plate and then flip it back into the pan. LOL  Sometimes it's quite comical.  When it's done, I place it between two paper towels to get the Pam off so I can use my hands to eat it like a real tortilla.  You can flavor them too to use with tacos etc.

Roger thanks for making sure we are following the plan correctly.  After all, we want it to work right? I too appreciate the input. 

Vickie, the light mayo, get Hellmans.  The Kraft stuff tastes yucky.  I threw out an entire jar...about a year ago. 

Mark came home from work and saw all the different fruits in the bowl on the breakfast bar and picked out some grapes, a pear and asked how long till the nectarines would be ready. He said having so much fresh fruit around all the time will be a good thing.    I wasn't going to tell him I started yet another WOE.  When supper came though and I didn't eat any meat I had to fess up.  He said we should all give it a try.  He has heard from different places that eating your meat at dinner (lunch) is better for you.  He comes home for lunch everyday so it shouldn't be too hard to do.  Whatever we have one day, I can send with Chelsea for her lunch the next day.