Cookers Weigh In---FridayThrow Down 11-09

[bvdr]

I've had a busy week but have managed to lose one lb. I'm actually pleased with it since I'm back on a beta blocker and that usually makes me put on the lbs. I'm glad everyone has had a good week.

Niki, since you were down a pound on Monday I think the sodium in the fast food might rally be the culprit. You probably will lose the fluid this week and you will show that loss again by next weigh-in.

Starting weight 187
Today's weight 182
Total loss 5 lbs.

 

[bvdr]

I have my secret weapon to stave off weight gain during the Thanksgiving holiday. My granddaughter is coming!!!!!!! I think she's going to keep me running!

Good luck to all on this weeks weigh-in. I'm a Monday reporter - so I "weigh-in" then.

Karlynn, my granddaughter (age 3)arrives tomorrow. She'll be here for a week and I then I have to return her to her parents. She is so full of joy and it is just so contagious that I can't wait for her to arrive.

 

[Debster]

I am so jealous of you losers!!!! I am up one this week, total to date is -7. I have got to get it together or Thanksgiving will be a total train wreck!!! Congrats to all!!! Deb

 

[Gnusgal]

Niki, since you were down a pound on Monday I think the sodium in the fast food might rally be the culprit. You probably will lose the fluid this week and you will show that loss again by next weigh-in.

I'm TOTALLY going with your theory! I like it a lot more than me gaining "real" weight. Of course, I made it worse tonight by going out for hibachi. My feet started swelling before we even left the restaurant! But I thought I was being good by having the veggie lover's plate. I should have asked the guy to use low sodium soy sauce, but I didn't because of the fact that other people were sitting at the grill with us and all the food is prepared together. Even Nathan said it was salty. I have no ankles left at all. I SO don't want to see how much I weigh right now!

 

[Gnusgal]

I just got back from a 45 minute walk with my husband. I wanted to get in some exercise, plus we hadn't yet explored our new neighborhood (our house is the first one at the entrance of the neighborhood, so we hadn't seen anything, pretty much). I LOVE our neighborhood! There's a walking trail around a creek that leads to a tennis court, roller hockey rink, baseball diamond, pool, and picnic tables! It is so family oriented and it makes me happy. Plus, it was such a pleasant walk. The temps around here keep bouncing up and down (today it's in the 70s, but earlier in the week it was in the 40s), but I can totally see myself walking the trail on nice days. I'm glad Nathan came with me too, because he sounded like he'd enjoy walking more often as well. Today is already a good day!

 

[Marguerite53]

Hello! Sorry to be late again. No change from last week. Still hanging in at the 6 pound loss. Not been working on it very diligently. Holidays are starting to creep up on me...not food challenges, but just so much to do with all 3 kids coming home for both holidays (yipee ). Haven't been exercising as much. Cooker, I'm so glad the exercise is helping you! The combination of the moving and the food choice and portion is really the key!

My husband was home sick from work for 2 days (and he never stays home). Now I feel like my throat is getting sore. Believe it or not, I have not caught anything since my surgery 18 months ago! I think I'm due! Been swabbing with Zi-Cam so hopefully I'll avoid the mess he's in. He was up coughing last night and I read Cooker's Vick Vapo Rub suggestion. It was funny because an hour before, I had taken our little jar in for him, and just having some on his chest allowed things to calm down. I know Snopes says it's balderdash, but I am going to suggest the foot balm/ sock approach tonight!! I'll let you know if it works!

Hopefully I can continue to work-out some but I'm figuring I might just be going into a holding pattern now until the first of the year. It is very comforting, though, to go "off the wagon" and come back the next day and still have no weight gain! My body seems to understand what it's supposed to be doing. I think tricking the body into a new metabolism is half the battle.

Ugh. I think I need some tylenol.............

Keep moving everyone!!

Marguerite

 

[PJmomrunner]

Hi everyone!

My husband and I hosted our next door neighbors for a wine tasting and dinner tonight and I'm flying high; it went so well. I don't know if anyone else is into wines, but I feel like we hit a home run. Our friends brought over a black olive tapenade with some delicious herb crakers which we paired with a lovely Domaine Chandon rose sparkling wine (read: champagne) made of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes. We followed that with bruschetta served with a traditional tomato, garlic, basil and balsamic vinegar topping and a fine Barbera. The next course was a porcini and baby portabello topping in a sherry and mushroom broth reduction with italian parsley on bruschetta paired with a smoothly delicious dolcetto. We followed that with salad of roasted green beans, roasted red onions and roasted beets topped with blue cheese and a light drizzle of sweet, sticky balsamic vinegar, paired with an outstanding barbaresco. The main course of wild mushroom risotto followed with a lovely barolo and dessert was a bosc pear poached in a nice Tuscan red wine with fresh lemon juice and cinnamon.

I guess I'm feeling the effect of five bottles shared between four of us, but I wish all you losers had been here to share it with us. Fine wine, food and friends...it just doesn't get any better. Cheers!

It was a thoroughly enjoyable four hours and I don't even feel like I over indulged. I used a total of three tablespoons of olive oil in the entire meal, it was completely vegetarian (vegan except for a teaspoon each of blue cheese on the salad) and it got rave reviews and requests for recipes all around. In 5 1/2 years of being neighbors/friends this was the first time I had really cooked for us all and I couldn't be more encouraged. I know you can all relate to such a positive experience and I wanted to share mine with you. I also wouldn't mind a push to do it again before another 5 years passes.

 

[Marguerite53]

I'll sign up to be your neighbor, PJ!! Sounded delicious! Lots of work!! How did you know which wines to pair with what?

On one of our ventures out of town through the years to watch our children play sports, we waved our oldest home on the school bus from a lacrosse victory in Roseburg, Oregon, then hubby and I spent 2 nights at a River Lodge on the Rogue River (pump head is keeping the name from me... ) where we had such a meal prepared for us. It was quite homestyle, with family style seating, and about 20 other diners, but oh! all that wine!! And each wine so perfectly suited to each gourmet course. It is certainly quite an enjoyable dining experience.

Perhaps we should entertain the notion of a VR.com cookbook one of these days! The first chapter would be about giving healthy, yummy parties such as yours! Good Job!! Hope you don't wake up with a headache!!

Marguerite

 

[Karlynn]

And I wasn't invited????? SW Michigan isn't that far away form NE Illinois!!!!!

Sounds like a great evening! Share the recipies here.

 

[Gnusgal]

Sounds like a great evening. I agree, post the recipes! I'm on a huge veggie kick and have even considered going vegetarian for a while, but I don't think my hubby would go for it. I'd love some more recipes to try.

 

[Wise]

P. J.

That sounds like a heavenly meal. Cindy and I would love that. Are you going to host a Throw Down wine party?

 

[Cooker]

Plans change...... I will be around until Thanksgiving and then off to the mountains for a long weekend with my friend David's family. His wife Debbie asked us to go. This is the weekend of their wedding anniversary and I think she just wanted to be surrounded by friends, fun and activity. Can't say that I blame her.

I have been assaulted by all types of foods since the weigh in You name it I've had it. This is going to be tough. This time of year is just one eating event after the other.......SuperBob you need to don your cape and come to my rescue!!!!!!!

 

[aussigal]

PJ...I'm drooling at the thought of that delicious banquet you shared with your neighbours...I agree with the others...share those recipes please .
and a BIG congrats on the 20# loss...You gotta be feeling so proud and slim now.

Cooker , Oh WOW!...you are almost in the hundred-club...what an excellent effort you have put in and what fantastically fabulous results you have achieved so-far.

Well summer seems to have arrived in Perth...we had 100F yesterday so it was decided to head for the beach to cool off...although I havent managed to lose any weight (and I have been trying) I did drag out the bikini and shock the other beachgoers with my lack of a tan...at least I didnt feel like I was doing an impression of a beached-whale, there were others there with more generous curves than me.

Again this week...I post a standstill...no loss-no gain.

 

[Gnusgal]

The holiday temptations have begun! We had our first round of Thanksgiving today (yes, we have more than one each year, due to multiple families. This one was with Nathan's mother.). I LOVE the food at Thanksgiving and I always overindulge. Not because I don't realize I'm full, just because I love the flavors! Today, even though I REALLY wanted to go back and get a "little more" green bean casserole, and a "little more" potato casserole, I resisted the urge. I knew I was full enough and there would be leftovers to have later if I still wanted the flavor. As soon as I finished my ONE plate of food, I took the plate and put it into the dishwasher so I couldn't pile more onto it. I DID snag a quick bite on the way back to the table, but that's nothing compared to what I WANTED to do. Afterwards, I even went for a walk!

I did end up having leftovers for dinner and now I'm satisfied. Not to mention pleased that I "survived" this first battle of temptation. Hopefully the next Thanksgiving dinner (which will be hosted at my house) will be satisfying (and not STUFFING) as well.

 

[Cooker]

My mother in-law is really getting on my nerves. I could slap the crap out of her, bless her heart (it is a southern thing that you can say damn near anything about damn near anybody if you follow it by ?Bless their hearts?) She knows we are dieting and every time she says ?you have lost weight, how much have you lost? there is a cake or pie incoming within two days and it always one of my favorites.

As a southern gentleman not graciously accepting the cake or pie is not an option. The most recent attempt at sabotage ( a large pineapple upside down cake ) was delivered on Saturday. We attend the same church so the first thing out of her mouth Sunday morning was ?how is the cake?? Again as a southern gentleman and a not so good Baptist I lied right there on the church steps (I find God more forgiving than my wife under such circumstances). Now that I have lied I have to cover my ass, I?m not stupid. What if she stops by and finds the cake untouched? Half a cake later I feel that I have suffeicently covered up my butt and added around 1000 calories to the days intake.

Just though that I would share. Any of you have these types of hurdles? Oh, and by the way, damn good cake.

 

[Superbob]

LOL, Cooker! That's sound Southern gospel!

Now, there's my wife, bless her heart, whom I would never slap. However, she is a North Carolina-style cook, which means loads and loads of sugar and salt and bacon and grease and other fixins (and don't think there haven't been many occasions I was grateful).

One of her birthday presents to me was a paperback, entitled "Cooking with Splenda." I guess that was a reminder that she had promised to bake me a birthday cake using Splenda. She promised that in fact a year ago -- and no Splenda cake was forthcoming. And now we have a humonguous cake enough to feed 45 -- and it's a big ol' sugar cake, no Splenda in sight. So I guess the paperback is a hint to me to BAKE MY OWN DAMN SPLENDA CAKE!!!

The remains of the sugar cake (still enough to feed a football team, both offense and defense) sits on the kitchen table taunting me. What am I to do -- toss it in the trash and be an old grump? Oh, I know: bake myself a Splenda cake and substitute it for the sugar cake in the dead of night.

 

[Cooker]

LOL, Cooker! That's sound Southern gospel!

Now, there's my wife, bless her heart, whom I would never slap. However, she is a North Carolina-style cook, which means loads and loads of sugar and salt and bacon and grease and other fixins (and don't think there haven't been many occasions I was grateful).

One of her birthday presents to me was a paperback, entitled "Cooking with Splenda." I guess that was a reminder that she had promised to bake me a birthday cake using Splenda. She promised that in fact a year ago -- and no Splenda cake was forthcoming. And now we have a humonguous cake enough to feed 45 -- and it's a big ol' sugar cake, no Splenda in sight. So I guess the paperback is a hint to me to BAKE MY OWN DAMN SPLENDA CAKE!!!

The remains of the sugar cake (still enough to feed a football team, both offense and defense) sits on the kitchen table taunting me. What am I to do -- toss it in the trash and be an old grump? Oh, I know: bake myself a Splenda cake and substitute it for the sugar cake in the dead of night.

Eat the cake brother....................might be a year before you get another

 

[Karlynn]

Oops - forgot to weigh this morning. Not weighing now - no way!

I'll report tomorrow.

Cooker - There's also - "I love him in the Lord." Which means - I really can't stand the person and think he's a dirty so-n-so, but I'm a good God-fearin' Christian.

 

[Superbob]

Karlynn,

I am scared of the scales, too.

Cooker, can't we just dispense with all scales and use our best estimates?

 

[Cooker]

Karlynn,

I am scared of the scales, too.

Cooker, can't we just dispense with all scales and use our best estimates?

I will have to pass that request on to Mary. You know if were up to me that I would say guesstamate away. But I fear that ?The Referee? will crack the whip and hold you accountable.