Any healthy recipes?

[karen]

Spaghetti squash- I love it, but I never think to cook it! You all have me really excited about cooking again!

[ladycattat]

Karen, I'm so glad! When I tried it I was like"where have you been all my life?" Now if they could find that kind of substitute for chocolate cake!
Do you guys have a Fresh&Easy Market near you? It;s kind of like a pared-down Trader Joes. They make a lot of prepared pre-cut fresh fruit and veggie platters, and I know I eat a lot more of the stuff that's good for me if it's all ready cut and ready to go!
Laurie

[karen]

One of these days I'll get to a real grocery store- we have a local one, but it's a typical small town one without too much fancy (or even interesting) stuff- the others are about 30 min away. The Cornell students just came back- so I've been trying to avoid Ithaca. It will get better, but those first few days after they come back are just a little too crazy for me.

[EtherealJane]

Karen, I'm so glad! When I tried it I was like"where have you been all my life?" Now if they could find that kind of substitute for chocolate cake!
Do you guys have a Fresh&Easy Market near you? It;s kind of like a pared-down Trader Joes. They make a lot of prepared pre-cut fresh fruit and veggie platters, and I know I eat a lot more of the stuff that's good for me if it's all ready cut and ready to go!
Laurie

That's sooo true! Unfortunately where we live, there's pretty much A grocery store and even that's 8 miles away. So I try to be good about coming home and washing/cutting up a lot of fruits and veggies so that when I'm hungry, I have no excuse not to eat them! I learned this from my stepmother--she always made a fruit tray every night for us with dinner. Because it was all chopped up, my family always finished it, but I know if it had been whole apples and oranges on the table, we would've passed.

[krenee]

I should have joined in on this thread before and don't know why I didn't. I am right there with you Jen and Sarah - I have quite a bit I could lose as well. I am pretty tall so I can hide it somewhat but it still annoys the crap out of me that I have a closet full of clothes that I can't wear because they don't fit. I really need to make that motivational and make the decision to fit into at least some of them again.
Most of my weight gain has to do with stress over my husband's out of town job and repercussions of that (maybe having to move etc) I am there with you too Jen on being an emotional eater also. I also have a problem with "grazing" throughout the day instead of eating 3 regular meals. Not to mention most of the time my workplace is full of food. Easy enough to ignore though I suppose with the right mindset. I think I also come by weight gain genetically. I take after my dad's side of the family - in which all the men (including my dad) are bone-thin, and the majority of the women are overweight (why is this fair?!) I am trying to channel the "thin" gene that I know I must have in me genetically 'somehow'. (LOL) Yesterday one of the several skinny-mini stick girls I work with made a backhanded comment about being skinny that really torked me off. The kicker to it is that most of the stick girls actually have had kids which is even more maddening. Anyway, my only consolation was that I know I could have picked her up and given her a good toss if I would have had the inclination to do so (LOL) but of course I didn't. (I may not be skinny but I am definitely not a wimp.) I kept my mouth shut too though and didn't tell her off which is saying something for me.
I did Nutrisystem for a while a year or so ago and I lost some, but it is so expensive that I don't want to go that route again (restrictive also.) I think I am going to try to do what you're doing Jen and try to eat more reasonable meals/portions that are healthier and try to start exercising more. I have really slacked off on exercise, which I know is not helping either. I just got an Ipod and I am in the process of putting a bunch of my favorite songs on it so I am hoping that might be motivational for exercising!!
Anyway - thanks for listening.
Karmen

[Ghost]

Hey Karmen

Sorry to heard about the comment from the skinny girls. Well done on the not saying anything (and I know what’s it like to want to say something but don't). I've been there, but I've alway kept my head held high and had a good time no matter what anyone said or thinks. Its amazing how some people think the bigger you are the lower the IQ. Again my head held high (stubborn like my mum lol). But as I'm getting older I'm finding it harder to bite me tongue LOL.

Yes finally figure out that I am a bit of an emotional eater and that I just love food!!!!!

Once you do start to lose weight you'll get so excited. I have black work trousers with no belt loops and as I can't afford to keep buying new clothes every time I drop a size (not to mention not practical) I have safety pins keeping them up. It’s the best feeling in the world. Every time I show my colleagues at work they burst out laughing. My new nick-name is pin lady LOL And you know those doctors really do know what they’re talking about when they say do plenty of exercise, who’d a thought LOL I've never felt more energetic in my life. I walk faster, not out of breath easily, leg muscle like you wouldn't believe. Healthy eating and exercise, the best thing you can do Karmen - good on you

But I do have a great tip on motivation on exercising. If you do it in your home like me, which ever way you facing have a couple of cute guys (celebs) calendars on your wall, so you can look at them while you exercise. I have Jonny Depp, Keifer Sutherland and David Boreanaz - works wonders

I finally brought the rosemary conley cook book and their is a receipt in there which I will post, just not tonight has it's nearly 00:30 in the morning here. I'll do it tomorrow.

[lcash]

I'm with all of you - stress eater, grazer, you name it. I still cling to the "fat globule theory." There are those people on the planet that eat everything in sight and still manage to be slim and fit (hubby is one of those). Then there are those of us who diet ourselves into submission, only to regain and constantly feel deprived. I believe that the always -thin people only digest the "good parts" of the yummies and exhale the fat globules. We then inhale the fat globules which compound storing the fat we're already eating on our own!!! Have to admit, though, the best I ever did in losing/maintaining weight was when I was in the military, forced PE, high stress job, no food at work....Clearly we need a SN weight loss support group!!! Karen, could you make some colors that would go with that (sort of a secret sorority handshake!!)

[JenW]

I am holding out for an 'appetite supressant' lip gloss.............

[lcash]

Great idea. And how 'bout a contouring blush shade to melt away the chipmunk cheeks? A fragrance that makes you feel full? Maybe we've got something to work with here! Lauren

[krenee]

Hi Sarah,
You are so nice. Your comments help more than you know. You'll laugh (and roll your eyes) to hear that I've seen the skinny mini stick girls eating Taco John's (fast food tacos - not sure if you have that in Britain?) for lunch at work TWICE this week. I just laughed to myself. One can only hope it will catch up with them "some day." (I will not laugh at the misfortunes of others, I will not laugh at the misfortunes of others - repeat to self 10x - LOL!! ) I think that might be a quote from Harry Potter? not sure at the moment. I have been exercising a lot better lately. The Ipod is helping TONS. I have lots of favorite songs on there which help a lot. So, one can only hope it helps. I am not nearly as out of shape as I feared I would be. I am very active in my life, so I don't get short of breath or anything too much. I think I just haven't been eating that well or exercising enough and stress is catching up with me too. So anyway, I have a treadmill in my basement as well as the fact that the basement is big and I have lots of room to run around down there and run on my treadmill, etc. So, let's hope it helps. I love Itunes and downloading songs I've forgotten about, LOL! I am so glad hubby got me that Ipod, it is helping a LOT. I will never be "skinny" - have big muscles in my legs etc and I used to run all the time so it is amazing with the little bit of exercising I've already done how the muscles are coming back quickly.

LOL on the "pin lady" too. My mom has been taking in clothes for a friend of hers for quite a while who has lost a ton of weight. She's been walking a lot and I think is basically on Atkins diet - eats very little carbs, I think she's cut her calories drastically. She got tired of buying new clothes fairly quickly (expensive) so my mom sews and she started having her take the old ones in. I have a closet full of clothes that no longer fit me so if and when I ever lose some I'll have a ready-made wardrobe. Except maybe jeans? might have to buy some of those, not sure.

Have you gotten Twilight yet? It's massively popular at the moment due to the movie coming out around Thanksgiving time I think. I wish some of the people here lived closer and we could go to the movie together!! I finished the series but need to read it again - I really blew through the last couple books and I know I missed details. I started reading Twilight again to start over and already found a detail I missed. I really enjoyed it though and I think you will too!!!!!

Oh, and BTW I just ordered the 1st 2 Sherrilyn Kenyon Dark Hunter books (Fantasy Love and Dragon Swan) from Amazon. They say they are books 1 and 1.5 of the series? I need something to read after finishing Twilight. I've been a bit let-down lately because of that but realized I should get going on Sherrilyn Kenyon. I ordered those 2 and the Twilight movie companion book (oops, LOL) and pre-ordered "The Tales of Beetle the Bard" which is a pre-order - JK Rowling. Sherrilyn and Twilight should arrive soon and Rowling won't arrive til Dec. I will share the Dark Hunter ones with a friend at work so it should justify buying them. I saw a couple Sherrilyn Kenyon books at Wal Mart yesterday but of course don't know which ones they are. I am glad Amazon tells exactly which series they are and what number so I know!

Oops, I kind of combined 2 threads here didn't I? Anyway, I have gone on and on enough for now so I will talk to you later!!
Karmen