“I never failed once. It just happened to be a 2,000-step process.”
Thomas Edison

Hopefully the process of my losing weight and getting healthy will not require 2,000 steps. Accepting Jimmy's challenge to record our menus daily is one step I am willing to take in that direction.

I will not weigh or measure my food but will give approximate portion sizes as best I can. Hopefully, you experts will be able to help me tweak my diet as I have been experiencing much difficulty losing weight. I have recently increased my Metformin dose from 500 mg/day to 2000 mg/day after one month on 500 mg/day.

I look forward to getting to know y'all!

I have not been to the grunchy store yet so I am finishing up some leftovers:

Today, so far:

B'Fast
1/2 cup homemade taco meat with 72/25 ground beef, 1 bell pepper, spices
1 TBSP Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Salsa (Old El Paso Brand)

Lunch
1/2 cup homemade taco meat with 72/25 ground beef, 1 bell pepper, spices
1 TBSP Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Salsa (Old El Paso Brand)

Snack
Sm Handful of Macadamia Nuts

(11-24-2008 07:13 PM)Solshine Wrote:  Hopefully the process of my losing weight and getting healthy will not require 2,000 steps. Accepting Jimmy's challenge to record our menus daily is one step I am willing to take in that direction.

I will not weigh or measure my food but will give approximate portion sizes as best I can. Hopefully, you experts will be able to help me tweak my diet as I have been experiencing much difficulty losing weight. I have recently increased my Metformin dose from 500 mg/day to 2000 mg/day after one month on 500 mg/day.

I look forward to getting to know y'all!

Hi Solshine and welcome to the LLVLC neighborhood! We look forward to getting to know you better and seeing your progress! Have a great LC day!

Congrats on starting up with Jimmy's Menu Blogging Challenge!

I'm looking forward to following your posts.

I was wondering, why did you choose to increase your Metformin dosage from 500mg to 2,000mg? Please understand that I'm not criticizing your decision. I'm just curious. And, I wonder if (possibly) increasing the dosage at a slower rate might be a good idea? I think that's what Jimmy ultimately did. I'm always a little leery of medications. I guess I always try to find the lowest dosage to get the job done - in the hope that this will also minimize the possibility of side effects.

I hope you don't mind my input. Best of luck to you on your menu-blogging journey!

Kind regards,

Harry

Thanks for the welcome, Moonius. You've done a great job on LC, I see! I've been lurking a little here and there and am amazed at the information and support available here.

Hi Harry. Please do provide input! That's why I'm posting here. I suppose I left out a step on the metformin. I did spend a month at 1,000 mg/day before upping to 2,000 mg/day. I have insulin resistance, PCOS and, despite being on the metformin and following the fat fast to the letter, I did not lose a single pound. That's what made me decide to go up to 2,000 mg/day.

My doc is not a LC doctor per se, but he understands the benefits of LC and knows that I do my homework. He will listen to my theories and ideas about what to do next, so he is on board with pretty much anything I want to try (within reason). Ideally, I'd like to not be on any meds but right now I'm on lisinopril, some kind of diuretic and the metformin. I'd love to be able to get everything where it needs to be in order to not need any of them. And.... that's why I'm here.... to learn more from you who are doing this thing successfully and have been where I am.

(11-24-2008 08:55 PM)Solshine Wrote:  
I'm on lisinopril, some kind of diuretic and the metformin. I'd love to be able to get everything where it needs to be in order to not need any of them. And.... that's why I'm here.... to learn more from you who are doing this thing successfully and have been where I am.

Solshine, I'm on lisinopril 40 mg and metformin 500 mg daily. My blood work shows great progress and hopefully I can get off the meds too eventually.

Thanks for sharing those extra details, Solshine.

We may not have the answers right now. But, the fact that so many people are sharing information can only improve the odds that we'll figure something out. Right?

Good day, Solshine.

I hope you're doing well. I'm hoping you'll continue your menu-blogging whenever you're ready.

Take care.

*blushing*

Thanks, Harry!

I reckon it was a bad idea to try to start something new like this right before all the craziness that is Thanksgiving and jumping into the whole holiday swing of things. I am not going to go back and post almost a week's worth of menus, but will rather start "fresh" today. It is a Monday and the 1st of the month, so it seems even more fitting to start today.

I will say that I did not go crazy and have maintained my weight - which is pretty darn good for me. I am meeting my Daddy's new wife's children (21 and 24 yrs old) for the first time at Christmas, so I'd really like to shrink as much as realistically possible by then.

Breakfast:
3 Cups of Coffee (3 Splenda, Cream in 2 Cups)
2 Eggs, scrambled in butter
Homemade Salsa

Lunch:
Homemade Salsa
2-3 oz. Cream Cheese

I'll add afternoon snack and dinner to this tonight when I get home from work.

Yesterday - Monday Continued

Snack
Small handfull of Wasabi Almonds

Supper
1/2 of a large slab of steak
1 Whiskey & water

I think I might be getting a stomach bug or something. Woke up dark and early this morning with a tummy ache and feeling nauseous and crampy... It might be the Metformin, but I don't think so. Ate a couple of Tums and went back to bed only to toss and turn for another hour or so before the alarm went off. Had some Pepto Bismol in place of my coffee this morning and still felt pretty crappy all day.

Breakfast
1 egg scrambled
I just couldn't eat much

Lunch
Dinty Moore Beef Stew
I wanted soup but this was the only thing handy - wayyyy more carbs than I would have liked but a better option than the Ramen Noodles in the vending machine.

Snack
Some baby carrots, broccoli, cheese and olives from a tray that a co-worker brought in.
Ranch dressing on the veggies

Dinner
Still not hungry. If I do eat anything it will be leftover steak from last night.

I really do normally eat better than this and tend to avoid pre-packaged meals. That's why I really wanted to do this - to learn how to be better and to support Jimmy given all the slack he's been taking lately....

I will be at earthdog trials all week-end and traveling a couple of hours back and forth each day, so I will have to spend some time planning how to stay on track with my schedule. I am in a chili cook-off on Saturday at the trials and will be able to have my chili, so lunch on Saturday is taken care of.

I would like to post more and to spend more time reading everyone else's posts, but this is my busiest time of the month at work and I've not had time there or at home to delve into the forums yet.

It's great that you're back, Solshine.

I know today's been tough for you. But still, you posted! Excellent!

I wish you the best of luck this weekend in the chili cook-off. Just out of curiosity, how does one become a judge at one of those things?

I think you're on the right track with the planning strategy. The busier I get, the more important planning becomes. It's a really valuable tool, I think.

Well, I hope you feel better very soon. And, I'll look out for your upcoming blogs.

Take good care.

Morning Solshine and welcome !! Looks like you're off to a great start !! 's , Patti

Thanks so much, y'all!

Harry, this is the best chili cook-off, EVER! You pay $2.00 and you get to taste three chilis and have a bowl of your favorite - then you get a ticket to vote for your favorite - so, technically, you could vote as many times as you want as long as you pay $2 for each vote.

I am feeling much better, thank you. It is a relief seeing as how busy I am this week.

I don't really have an excuse for not planning ahead since I'm single and don't mind eating the same things over and over if I decide what I'm in the mood for/craving that week. There will be much repetition in my menu on a weekly basis.... e.g. all Mexican one week, all Mediterranean the next, all chili the next, etc.

PatTee (I love that handle!), thanks so much for the welcome!

I *really* have been very, very good but not perfect with this WOE - It agrees with me and it contains all the schtuff I love so it's actually pretty easy once I get past the sweet/carb cravings if I get off plan.

I say that as I am about to post my menu for the day which contains one VERY off plan meal.

Breakfast
2 eggs scrambled in butter
2 cups coffee with heavy cream and Splenda

Mid Morning
2 small bites of a homemade peanut butter pie w/chocolate crust and topping (I gave the rest of it away after tasting it to be polite and the chef left)

Lunch
Pho Beef (Soup) at a Vietnamese restaurant
Unsweet hot tea

Afternoon
1 cup coffee with 1 Splenda

Supper
Still not hungry - will probably/maybe have a few bites of leftover steak

I was down a pound yesterday and up a pound today - I realize the scale is going to fluctuate crazily but I have been maintaining at 20 lbs. less than my highest weight since starting this. I'd like to continue the downward spiral as I still have 60 lbs. I'd like to lose. My goals are in 10 lb. increments, though. It seems easier to eat the elephant one bite at a time so I focus more on the next goal rather than the ultimate goal.

The trip to the Vietnamese restaurant was not planned but I have never had it before save the family-style dishes co-workers bring to our Thanksgiving pot luck. (I work in a very, very diverse company and our pot lucks are an incredibly unique and yummy experience that encompasses a variety of cultural dishes.) I was invited and, on a whim, decided to go. It was good but one more day of not being 100%. It's a good thing I don't blog like Jimmy or I'd be catching heck for sure!

Hit and run post just to get my menu today in.

I did get my chili made for the cook-off on Saturday. Tomorrow I will know better how it's going to taste and how much tweaking it will need. It's pretty spicy right now.

Breakfast
2-3 oz. cream cheese
Green olives

Lunch
Taco meat, cheddar cheese, sour cream and homemade salsa

Snack
Handful of wasabi almonds

Dinner
Sm bowl of my chili

I am bushed and heading to bed. Tomorrow starts warp speed ahead.

Good for you for posting in the midst of your crazy busy days, Solshine.

That's great. And thanks for posting honestly. I know most of the menu bloggers (possibly all of them) do. But, I also know it's not easy to admit to not being perfect.

I'm looking forward to hearing how you do at the chili cook-off. Ah, to be a judge.

PS - Since our lunches were pretty much identical, I've decided to try to add something else to the mix ... just to be different. If I come up with something yummy, I'll be sure to let you know.

Keep fighting the good fight!

'morning Sonya - thanks for visiting my blog!

When your schedule clears up a bit, I'd love to chat with you more about EFT. I find it very interesting and I've been having some great results with it.

Cheers-

Harry, I am far from perfect which will be very evident if you keep reading.... *blush* I do hope that this journal will keep me more motivated to eliminate excuses and rationalizations, though since I am committed to following this through.

Kris, it looks like you and I dabble in and share several common interests. I'd love to chat about EFT some time as well as your experience with Buddhist meditation and anything else you've explored.

I suppose I should get to the menus first:

Friday
B'fast:
2 eggs scrambled in butter
2 cups of coffee w/cream & 2 Splenda

Lunch
Arby's roast beast w/cheese & Reuben (both w/bread removed)

Dinner
The most amazing Red Snapper crusted with pistachios & Parmesan Cheese topped w/fried capers
I also ate the orzo this was served on. It was just incredibly yummy and I could not/did not stop myself.
1 Glass red wine (merlot)

Friday night was the annual Christmas Walk in Mt Dora - a quaint little town north of Orlando. The town turns into something out of a Norman Rockwell painting this time of year with live music on the streets with all their delightful little antique shops and crafts stores open late.

Saturday

B'fast
2 eggs scrambled in butter
3 cups of coffee / 3 Splenda

Lunch
1 Hot Dog burned on the grill (no bun)
Topped w/Chili (red beans in chili)

Dinner
More Chili - the chili did have black & red beans in it

After trials
2 Icehouse Beers

I did not get to bed until around midnight Friday and had to be up at 4am on Saturday to make it to earthdog trials all day Saturday. Saturday night I was in bed by 8pm and back up at 4am on Sunday to do it all over again.

Sunday

B'fast
2 eggs scrambled in butter
4 cups of coffee (3 Splenda, 1 Sweet N Low)

Unplanned Weakness
Little Debbie Cream Pie

Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies are a weakness of mine and it's been YEARS since I've had one. Once I saw them on the table I could NOT stop thinking about them, even while walking back with my dog after an awesome Master level run.

Lunch
1 Hot Dog burnt on the grill w/bun, mustard and onions
1 bowl of chili w/red & black beans

After trials
2 Jack Daniels & water drinks

Supper
2 oz. cream cheese w/several olives

Monday

B'fast
2 oz. cream cheese w/olives

Lunch
Spinach Dip made with mayo, sour cream, water chestnuts, spinach, parmesan cheese

Mid-Afternoon
1 cup of Beef Ramen Noodles from the vending machine

Dinner
2 slices SPAM w/mayo, mustard (Thanks SPAM thread participants! )

I could have planned better for the earthdog trials. Obviously, I was able to schedule enough time to make my own eggs so that I was not at the mercy of the total carb breakfast served by the committee. Also, I should have made my chili without beans so that it would be LC friendly, but I have somewhat of an ego and competitive personality. The pot that I took was the recipe that won the cook-off last year and I wanted to defend my title so much that I did not even think about the ramifications of not making certain that there was a carb-friendly chili there for me.

The reason for the hot dog bun was that I had to go relieve one of the rat stewards at the Senior trials quickly but was famished so I grabbed the hot dog to eat on the way to trial location several hundred yards away. I ate the chili about an hour later after the trials because I was still hungry.

The drinks I do not regret. They were with the judges and committee members as we decompressed and relived the day's events. Although, I am fully aware that I will need to eliminate all alcohol if I really want to lose weight at the fastest pace possible on LC.

---

I meant to say, too, that this afternoon, shortly after eating the spinach dip I got really nauseous - the spinach, frankly, was a fridge raid at the office because I was so tired this morning I forgot to bring something for lunch - thinking I still had more choices in the fridge at work. This was left over from an office party last week.

I do not think the nausea had anything to do with my metformin as I take that with b'fast and again w/dinner. I'm wondering if the spinach dip was bad or if it was just a co-inky-dink as I see, now that I'm doing this, I was nauseous earlier this week too.

I can not stand diet drinks anymore and full sugar drinks are out of the question - no Pepto at work and what really settles my stomach when it gets like that anyway is soup. I used to keep some at my desk for that purpose but can not find any low carb soups. I think I found one once but it had MSG in it so I did not buy it.

The ramen noodle cup from the vending machine was the only option other than leaving work to go to the store to get some Pepto. I could have taken the noodles out - or just not eaten all the noodle, but, well, I did.

Good for you for posting your entire menu blogs, truthfully and unedited. Even though there were a few minor stumbles along the way, I think posting them and therefore being more aware of them will help you in the long run.

Life is always going to throw unexpected surprises at us. Your menu blog just helps to illustrate that. Maybe an occasional slip won't impact your overall goals. If that's the case ... so be it. You've got an easier answer for times that you can't avoid carby choices.

If however, you find that these minor slips cause more significant problems, then planning becomes more important. Either way, get back on plan ASAP. Hopefully your schedule will become more predictable and your menus will become easier to manage now.

Thanks for being accountable and for sharing all your food diaries with us.

BTW, how did you do at the chili-cook off? What were your thoughts about how that all went? Did you have fun?

Take care.

Harry

I agree - we seem to have several common interests!

And, I'm with Harry. It's great that you are sharing the ups and downs, the good and bad, because I think that's how we learn the most. If we never have challenges, we never get the chance to find a way through or around or over the top. Also, when we stumble and fall, it's better to learn to get up again. Too many times in the past I've screwed up with my food and instead of taking it as a little stumble, I've turned my back on what WAS working and lost ground through regaining.

That's one reason why I'm not willing to make many more changes to my way of eating. I'm not willing to give up certain lifestyle choices. I know there are people that think differently and that's totally ok for them - but for me - for today - there are certain lifestyle choices associated with my food that are not negotiable. Like my morning cappo. It's a ritual. It's time with my partner. It's my treat after working out. Non-negotiable. Wine is another example. We grow grapes. We make wine. We are involved in wine groups. It's a non-negotiable item in my life. Drinking wine is not an every night thing - but it is a once or twice a week thing. And, I'm willing (most of the time) to deal with the consequences of my decision.

Ok, I've blathered on enough here!
Cheers-

Hi Sonya, Thanks for visiting my journal. It makes me feel special when people stop by to say hi. The month of December is a huge diet challenge for me and I see it is for you too. It's hard to enjoy the special events when you're hungry and feeling deprived, yet with all the extra stuff going on, it's hard to make time to be prepared. My strategy is to hold on and maintain, and wait for January to lose some more. I don't mean to discourage anyone, but I think we all need to look at our own lives and make decisions we can live with. I don't feel like it's failing to put off strict induction for a month.
I don't keep too much food at work, but I bring a lunch box about every day and usually pack breakfast and lunch. One of my favorite fast breakfasts is precooked frozen sausage patties. I buy mine at Wal-Mart. They do have a carb or two, but they're so easy and taste pretty good. It's easy to throw one or two into a baggie and have my breakfast at work. I bring salad for lunch most days but the truth is, when I'm busy my salad is usually lettuce and a couple of slices of cucumber that I throw together at 6 a.m. Sometimes I buy frozen precooked chicken breasts to top it, but you have to be careful because some of those aren't all chicken and therefore high in carbs.
I'm not tempted to buy out of the vending machines because my office is so small that we don't have vending machines! When I don't pack my lunch, I can get away long enough to go into a grocery store. Sometimes I buy a bag of prewashed lettuce and a rotissere chicken - that makes two lunches (We do have a fridge at work).
I've got to say I'm relieved to see both you and Kris R. admit to drinking on occasion. I know there are lots of excellent reasons to abstain completely, but that's not the choice I made for now. I can't say I make wine or belong to wine groups, but I can say that alcohol on occasion is a part of my lifestyle that I enjoy. When I do a strict induction in January, I'll give it up for a while.
So I think we should all just keep going on our 2,000 step journey and support each other along the way, even if we're not all doing exactly the same thing.

Morning Sonya - just a drive by HI!! Hoping your days a good one - make it LC !! 's