Beth B's new journal

[Bethann]

Hi Beth,
Interesting to hear about your adjustments being in South Africa. Adjustments are difficult but it sounds like you are doing fantastic!!
I notice people talking about vita-mix blender and Bullet but I'm not acquainted with either of them. So far I have used my deluxe hand blender. My husband bought it for me years ago through TV as the hand blenders in the stores didn't last very long. I love it! I make my smoothie and then I just rinse it off, dry it and place it back in the drawer. It's getting older though and I did drop it once and had to duct tape it.    so I have thought I should look into other blending contraptions... I sure will miss it once it dies...
Blessings to you

[jkate]

Beth ~ Your meals look great too! Your doing awesome staying on track in Africa.

[Beth B.]

Hi everyone,
I knew I hadn't posted here for a while, but I was shocked to see that it has been exactly one month already!  Things are going well here, and although I haven't stayed 100% on plan, I have been maintaining my 14 pound weight loss. We have had nonstop company but we are now empty nesters again for the next two weeks, so I should have time to journal.  I've been drinking diet coke again but will hopefully give it up again soon.  Coffee doesn't taste good to me anymore.  I have been making iced tea and crystal lite and drinking that sometimes.  It's been very hot here but we just had a good rain and it seems to have cooled off a bit.

B:  2 apples
2 hour walk for exercise
L:  taco soup
D: 1 apple, popcorn

[Bethann]

"Very hot here!" ....lol that is hard to relate to at this time! 
It is great that you have maintained your 14 lb. weight loss under such different circumstances!
Welcome Back! 
That is amazing that coffee doesn't taste good to you any more! Were you really into it before? Is it because you prefer a cool drink with the hot weather?
Thinking of you!
Until later! ~Bethann 

[Beth B.]

Yippee!   Today I am able to fit into a pair of brand new pants that I bought a couple of years ago and had never been able to wear!  I haven't weighed myself since Jan. 28, so I don't know exactly if I've lost any more or if it's inches.  Either way, I'll take it!

Yesterday was my first day 100% on plan in a while.  I was surprised to find in the evening I really wanted to go for another walk despite the long walk I had taken earlier, however, it is getting dark here earlier and earlier and by the time I finished dinner it was too late. This morning, I was so tired I slept in and had a really hard time getting up--part of detoxing again, maybe?  Anyway I'm up now and getting ready to go into town to watch our neighbor's children, who are like our niece and nephew, at their gymnastics class.

We are busy landscaping our yard with cacti, boganvilla, and putting in a fountain.  We are also putting in a garden--just have to buy some netting to keep the monkeys out and then we'll be set.

Bethanne:  I wouldn't say I was "really into coffee" before, but I did enjoy it and now it just tastes bitter to me.  Everyone else who drinks it loves it (I brought Dunkin Donut brand over with me which is what I use a lot at home), but it just doesn't taste right even in the morning when it is cooler.  I finally thought to myself, why do I keep trying to drink something that doesn't taste good, and I got out the hot tea that I usually love and drink every day and I didn't even really like that.  Wierd.

Today is a little cooler.  Thank you Lord!

B: apple
L: taco soup
4 PM popcorn
9:30 one apple, one peach

[Bethann]

I am so happy for you!  :rose: That is great that you can fit those jeans! That is such a wonderful feeling, isn't it? !!!!  :thumbsup:

That is so interesting about your coffee! I wonder if that will ever happen to me! lol Definitely not at this time! But you said you were not enjoying the tea either. Could it be because of the hot weather? My cousin Geoffrey from South Africa years ago wrote me a letter while he was drinking hot tea outside. He said that because the tea was hot it would make them feel cool on the out side or something like that! I had never heard that before.

Glad to hear you have had a cooler day!  :)

[Beth B.]

Hi Bethanne,
I have heard the same thing from other South Africans, but it sure doesn't cool me down!  Maybe it is the hot weather.  My appetite is down also, and I'm sure that is due to the weather.  I'm drinking a lot.

Off to check your journal!  Hope you are having a great day!

Beth

[Beth B.]

Pre-breakfast: apple
1 hour walk
B: scrambled egg, 1 sausage link, 2 slices honey dew melon, 1 nectorine
L: taco soup
3 PM strawberry smoothie (at a restaurant--it had yogurt and ice cream in it)
6 PM apple
10 PM orange and popcorn

[Beth B.]

Saturday
B: apple
15 min. walk
L: bean soup
1.5  hour walk
D: bean soup w/chicken

Didn't get much fruit or veggies in today.

[Beth B.]

Sunday:
walked 1 hour and 15 minutes
Lunch: Salad w/ Italian dressing
2 girl scout cookies/coffee w/1 t. sugar and milk
Dinner: soup w/chicken

It is a strange feeling for me not to be thinking about food more and not having a big appetite.  I meant to grab an apple as I went out for my walk this morning and I forgot.  As I was getting ready for church I made a mental note to eat breakfast but got busy doing something else and didn't remember again until we were almost to church. We picked up KFC on the way home and the smell didn't phase me and I was not tempted to eat any.  I thought I would eat some of the leftover chicken breast I had cooked yesterday after our company went home, but they didn't all leave until nearly 5 and I didn't eat dinner until nearly 7:30 and one bowl of soup was plenty.  I enjoyed the snack but didn't have any cravings for any more (I know that was risky).  I think God might be preparing me to fast and pray tomorrow and has been preparing me mentally and physically for it in advance.  We just found out that a shipping container of food we sent to Madagascar several months ago is still stuck in the port there.  People are starving to death there and it needs to be released immediatly.  Please say a prayer for Madagascar!

[Bethann]

Hi Beth,
I have prayed for Madagascar! Praying that the shipping container will get there.

Take Care! 

[Bethann]

Hi! 
I just thought I would drop by and say hi! 

Thinking of you!
I hope you had a wonderful Easter!
Love in Jesus,
Bethann

[Beth B.]

Just updated my ticker and waiting to see if it will reset itself or if I will need to edit my profile.  I've lost 20 pounds. We arrived home on Wednesday and drove straight to the hospital where my mother in law has been admitted with bleeding ulcers.  I had an appointment with my arthritis specialist and she is very happy with my improvement.  So am I!  I had a follow up appointment with the sleep specialist and finally got the results of the test I did in January.  I have sleep apnea.  I still can't believe it.  The dr. said she had been trying to reach me but of course we were gone.  She was quite impressed that I had taken her suggestions to heart and she is very happy about the weight I've lost and she wants to retest me before prescribing me a c-pap machine.  I talked her into waiting a bit to give me a chance to lose more weight.  June 18th is the day.

B:  lite half salt popcorn, fruit smoothie, iced tea
L:  Wendy's manderin chicken salad w/out almonds and crisp noodles, a drizzle of salad dressing, iced tea
Snack:  banana, popcorn
D:  going to a commencement banquet.  I preordered chicken and will see what healthy sides they have.

I've been drinking lots of water but haven't kept track of how much

[Bethann]

Hi Beth! 
So glad you are back safely!
You've had an eventful time in so many ways!
How is your Mother-in-law?

Did you loose weight while you were in South Africa?

Your menu looks great! How did the commencement banquet go?
Congratulations on your arthritis improvement! Wonderful! 
I am going to try to loose more weight in June also. Isn't it exciting? LDL is great! 

I know a number of people (including my sister) with sleep apnea and if I keep having sleep issues I may also see a Dr. about it .... I am thinking I should cut out coffee first? and work on exercise and being outside more as well....

Take Care!
Bethanne 

[Beth B.]

Hi Bethanne!
I am so happy to be back to the LDL website!  I only lost 4 pounds while in Africa (one pound per month) but it sure beats a gain!  20 pounds total.  I haven't measured yet, but I'm sure I have lost more inches because now that I am home, I am fitting into a new section of my closet!  Also, everyone is noticing that I have lost weight.  I also got a new haircut and a few people haven't recognized me at first from a distance.  It's kind of fun yet a little unnerving.  I like being in the background and not attracting attention (good or bad) so I've got to be guard that even positive attention doesn't derail me.

My mother in law was released from the hospital today.  They think the cause of her bleeding ulcer was the medicine she has been taking for years for her arthritis.  I am on the same medicine so when I saw my arthritis doctor I talked to her about alternatives and I am going to try something different.

The banquet was nice.  I had salad, chicken (I scraped all the sauce to the side) and green beans.  The dessert was already at each place setting but as soon as I ate I turned my chair completely around to hear the speaker and avoided temptation.  A funny thing happened at the banquet.  A couple sat next to us who we did not know.  As we were chatting, we discovered that not only had I graduated with the woman but we were in home room together every day from 7th to 12th grade!  Our class had 456 people in it and we were not close friends but it was fun catching up.

Do you drink coffee in the evening?  I will email you the tips that the sleep specialist gave me.  The pain specialist is the one who recommended I see the sleep doctor and both the sleep doctor and I thought it was going to turn out to be a waste of time, but I am so glad I went.  The sleep apnea is a big motivator for me to keep losing weight.  The doctor said a lot of women develop it when they are peri-menepausal.  I told her our bed isn't big enough for two c-pap machines!  Jim just decided to do LDL with me today so maybe we will be able to get him off his machine someday. 

Good to hear from you, friend!

C. Beth

[Beth B.]

B: smoothie
banana
L: salad, ldl soup
banana
grapefruit (no sweetener)
coffee
D: salad and fruit
popcorn

[Beth B.]

Well, I had to weigh today.  I was trying on clothes and I couldn't believe it--some clothes I didnt' even have a chance to wear.  Oh well, they will hopefully benefit someone else because I am dropping them off at the Salvation Army today!

I've lost a total of 27 pounds and 7.75 inches lost.  My goal is to be under 200 by my next doctor appointment which is on June 18th.

[wendysgoodnews]

WOW BETH
Congratulatons on such a great weigh in and look at all those inches you have left behind. 

[Bethann]

Beth, you have done so well!
Congratulations on fitting into a new section of your closet! EXCELLENT!!!  :rose:
Being slimmer does present some problems   ...for me too! Good for you dropping those clothes off at the Salvation Army! I have a huge bag I should drop off .... I'm struggling with time and when I have the time I haven't had a car (having to share with my kids)!
You are similar to my daughter ... she likes to be in the background too but she is such a sweetie as are you!  :rose:
I try not to drink coffee after 3:00 .... THANKS!  :) I would appreciate any info. that could be helpful ... sleep problems are frustrating  :'(
How wonderful that Jim will be doing LDL with you! That should be encouraging! I wish my relatives with sleep apnea would join me in this way of eating!
I admire  :thumbsup: how you did at the Banquet! The two I went to earlier in March I ended up giving up! Buffets are so much easier for me! 
Take Care!
Bethann  ;) (with an e)

[VickiLynn]

Well, I had to weigh today. I've lost a total of 27 pounds and 7.75 inches lost.  My goal is to be under 200 by my next doctor appointment which is on June 18th.

HIP, HIP, HORRAY for you!  I don't know how many more pounds you need to lose by your June 18 doctor appointment. But knowing that you are committed to LDL you will try your hardest to get under that 200 lb. goal you have set for yourself. I am in your corner rooting for you