Happy Halloween

My weight today is 185.8, a .4 pound gain from yesterday. This is fine, though, as this is a keep trim eating period that started with me weighing 186.4. I walked my mile yesterday.

Now that I have lost more than 50 pounds, I have noticed lately that my ankles are no longer swollen. They swelled up about 10 years ago after I went jogging in bad shoes. The doctor said I had sprained both ankles and to take it easy on them. We moved soon after that and there was no way to take it easy on my ankles. They had been swollen until just recently, for 10 years. When I say I feel better and I am losing this weight for my health, not my looks, I really mean it.

I had lots of candy last evening while Scott and I watched "Pretty Woman" and "The Ugly Truth" on Lifetime: 4 fun size Twix and 1 .6 ounce Almond Joy. This was a planned cheat, so I feel no guilt. I enjoyed every bite.

Here is all else I ate yesterday. I ate mostly as if on the diet, to compensate for the Halloween candy I knew I would be eating that evening:

I had two breakfasts of 1 cup Special K and 1 cup soy milk, both with black unsweetened coffee. I ate a small snickerdoodle cookie at church coffee hour.

Lunch was a cup of raw carrot sticks dipped in half a cup of garlic / parmesan / spinach dip along with Diet Coke.

Dinner was half a dinner plate of pizza and a cup of steamed Brussels sprouts and broccoli along with caffeine-free diet soda.

Day 10 of 14 Keep Trim Eating

My weight today is 185.4. I lost 1.2 pounds yesterday, taking it easy because I had gained .8 pounds the day before. I did walk my mile yesterday. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K and soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

Half a dinner plate of pizza, three bites of steamed butternut squash, Diet Coke

Half a dinner plate of mushrooms sauteed in the barest spray of Pam and sprinkled with no-salt seasoning, half a dinner plate of ham steak fried in the mushroom juice, caffeine-free diet soda

.6 ounce Almond Joy

I was really surprised to discover I didn't like the butternut squash. Scott didn't like it, either, and we threw it all out. I had cut up all the mushrooms for my usual veggie scrambled eggs recipe. I wanted some ham, though, not eggs. This was the first time I had eaten sauteed mushrooms on their own, without the flavor of onions. The ham made the mushrooms taste good.

Halloween Candy Is Heavy



Today I weigh 186.6, a .8 pound gain since yesterday. This is day 9 of a 14-day keep trim eating period that started with me weighing 186.4.


This Halloween candy did me in yesterday. As my cousin's friend joked years ago, "You might as well tape it to your thighs." Well, it's not quite that bad. Looking at it scientifically I only gained .2 pounds for every 6 ounces of chocolate I ate, right?


I will be taking it easy today, as I am ahead .2 pounds now and need to lose that again, in order to be true to the keep trim eating program. Tomorrow I need to weigh 186.4 or less once again.

I did walk my mile yesterday. I did try and take it easy on the food, knowing I was going to indulge in Halloween candy. Here is what all I ate yesterday on keep trim eating:

My usual breakfast: 1 cup Special K, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup soy milk, black unsweetened coffee, 6 ounce Almond Joy


Leftover Lunch: 1/4 of a Qdoba cheddar chicken quesadilla with quacamole dip, 7 steamed Brussels sprouts, Diet Coke, 6 ounce Reeses Peanut Butter Cup


Standy Dinner: 7 frozen meatballs microwaved and excess oil squeezed out with a paper towel, 5 chunks of pineapple canned in juice, 7 steamed Brussels sprouts, caffeine-free diet soda


Evening snack: 6 ounce M&Ms with Peanuts, 6 ounce Almond Joy

Keep Trim Day 8 of 14

I weigh 185.8 today, a .6 pound gain from yesterday, but this is a keep-trim period that started at 186.4, so it's all good. I indulged a bit yesterday:

Usual Breakfast: 1 cup Special K, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

Great Lunch: half a dinner plate of pizza, 7 steamed Brussels sprouts, Diet Coke

Indulgent Dinner: 3/4 of a chicken cheddar quesadilla from Qdoba, with quacamole dip, caffeine-free diet soda

Halloween candy: one two-inch piece of Almond Joy

If I weren't weighing myself every day and noting how much I gained or lost, I honestly would not have known yesterday's dinner was indulgent. That was just eating normally for me, six months ago. These keep-trim periods are probably the backbone of the success of the Scarsdale Medical Diet. All the other diets help lose the weight, but this is the only diet I know of that encourages me to take time to learn how to keep the weight off.

Keep Trim Day 7 185.2

I weigh 185.2 today. I lost half a pound yesterday on keep trim eating! Thank you for suggesting warm water for between meals. I have been using herb tea, and water is cheaper! I don't get hunger pangs too often anymore. I have done my best to shrink my stomach and not to eat too much at one sitting so that my stomach stretches back. I do get hungry sometimes, though, and I will try warm water next time, so thanks.

We took the dogs to an area owned by the Bureau of Land Management, where people are allowed to set up targets and shoot. It was a week day, so no one was there shooting. We went around picking up all the brass that shooters leave. We must have collected $10 worth of brass, and then we found an unopened package of targets worth another $10. So that was our exercise for yesterday. Lots of stretching, too, bending and stooping. We were at it two full hours.

My formerly skinny black 36 x 30 jeans are gaping at my waist now. Another two pounds or so and the 34 x 30 pants I just got at Good Will should be comfortable to wear.

Here is what I ate yesterday and still managed to lose half a pound, even though I am just trying to keep off what I've already lost, these two keep trim weeks:

Small bowl of Special K, strawberries and organic soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

Half a dinner plate of pizza, 1 cup steamed carrot sticks, Diet Coke

Two hamburger patties, two tablespoons BBQ sauce, two cups steamed carrot sticks, caffeine-free diet soda


185.7 Keep Trim Day 5

Well, Monday's gain must have been at least partly water gain from salt in my food, because yesterday I lost 1.4 pounds. I wasn't even in ketosis, so most of it must have been water retained because of eating too much salt.

I walked my mile yesterday. I was taking it very easy, so as to definitely lose the .6 of a pound that I gained Monday, even if it wasn't water. Here is what I ate yesterday. (Basically as if I were on a diet day instead of a keep trim day):

1 cup Special K, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

Diet Ham Salad, Diet Coke

7 meatballs, 5 pineapple chunks, 7 steamed Brussels sprouts, caffeine-free diet soda

I was hungry between meals yesterday. I was accustomed to keep trim eating and not to the diet. My stomach must have stretched a bit more than I want it to. I just sipped herb tea or water between meals, to help aleve the hungry feeling.

Friends' Websites and Blogs

Thanks to Lisa Carey for mentioning my blog. Here is a link to her website, Money Saving Parent.

Not as Good a Keep Trim Day

I weigh 187.2 today, a gain of .8 pounds from yesterday. Shoot. And we walked up into the hills yesterday for our mile, which is much more strenuous a walk than we usually take. Here is what I ate yesterday, and then I will give my analysis:

1 cup Special K, 1 cup soy milk, 1 cup strawberries, black unsweetened coffee

2/3 of a dinner plate of oven-baked frozen pizza, Diet Coke

6 ounces of canned chili, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 1 cup corn chips, caffeine-free diet soda

The simple answer is I ate two non-diet meals, and it looks like I need to stick with only one non-diet meal per day. Another option would be to eat half each of the non-diet meals and half steamed vegetables. I will do better today. I have not decided yet if I will lose today what I gained yesterday, or just not gain anymore, but I will do better today.

As I said yesterday, most of us who struggle with weight have no idea how little our bodies really need to take in each day and just maintain our weight. Losing weight is almost the easy part; keeping the weight off is the hard part. I know I need to master keeping it off, and so I am glad Dr Tarnower interspersed these keep trim eating periods into his Scarsdale Medical Diet.

As others have said, on the one hand I wish he had been more specific sometimes, on what we are supposed to eat during keep trim eating. On the other hand we are more likely to retain the information on how little our bodies need us to eat just to maintain our weight without gaining if we figure it out for ourselves.

Keeping the Weight Off!



I stayed at 186.4! I am so happy I cannot describe it! I had a maple bar at church fellowship yesterday and ate normally at another dinner party with some more new friends. And I maintained my weight perfectly at 186.4! That is cause for celebration. Everyone knows that losing the weight is the easy part; keeping it off is the hard part.

I did walk my mile yesterday, and you bet that has lots to do with keeping the weight off. Yes. Scott took this picture of me and Oreo yesterday on our walk. It was such a good picture of Oreo that I just had to post it. My long hair is in a pony tail behind me. You can see how baggy these formerly skinny jeans, men's size 36 x 30 are on me now.

The size 34 x 30 jeans I bought on Saturday are not quite comfortable, but another 3 pounds and they will be. That will have to wait until after this two-week keep trim period is over.

Here is all I ate yesterday and still managed to maintain my new weight of 186.4:

1 cup Special K, 1 cup soy milk, 1 cup diced strawberries. black unsweetened coffee

1 maple bar (super yum!), black unsweetened coffee

Diet Ham Salad, Diet Coke

12 ounces of home made stew, 1/4 dinner plate of salad with 2 tablespoons lite raspberry-walnut dressing, three slices of rye bread with chunks of garlic baked into it (super yum!), two slices of apple, 1 Vanilla Wafer, water, tea with no milk or sugar

I do of course drink water throughout the day. Whenever I am not eating something I am sipping on water.

Keep Trim Day 3, 34 x 30 Jeans

Today I weigh 186.4 again, so I am keeping the weight off. We did not walk our mile yesterday, though, and that is bad. It is getting dark so much earlier now. That is what is throwing us off. It was dark and raining hard last night when it occurred to us to walk. If it had just been dark, or just raining, I said I would have gone, but not both.

We have another dinner party to go to tonight, with a different couple. It is at 5pm, so we had better walk at 3pm!

I shopped at the Salvation Army and Goodwill thrift stores yesterday. I bought a pair of men's size 34 x 30 jeans in a tan color, a pair of men's size 34 x 30 khaki pants, a women's size large cable-knit sweater in light grey and a size medium wool-look dress from Talbout's in a dark grey with light grey speckles. I spent $20 and some change. The pants are a little tight, but men's pants fit me better than women's pants right now. They should do for me when I weigh 183 - 165.

I tried on women's pants. The 14s are too tight and the 16s are too loose. I saw some size 12 pants there that I really liked. I started to buy them, but I have limited space in my dresser and closets, so I made a rule that I can only buy clothes that I can actually get on me right now. Like I said, I got the medium dress on and the size 34 x 30 pants. They are just a little tight. I will wear my 36 x 30 pants a few weeks longer.

Here is what I ate yesterday and maintained my 186.4 from Thursday:

Usual breakfast: Special K, strawberries, soy milk, coffee black no sweetener

New lunch: half of a Costco meat calzone, marinara dip, Diet Coke (I put the whole calzone on my plate, but my stomach has shrunk. I could only eat half.)

One of my favorites for dinner: half a 12 ounce can of chili, half a cup of shredded cheese, a cup of corn chips to eat it with, caffeine-free diet soda

Size 14 Jeans from the Juniors Dept



I weigh 186.2 today, which means I lost .2 pounds on keep trim eating  yesterday. I did not walk my mile. Here is what I ate on my first keep trim day for this cycle, and am keeping the weight off:

1 cup Special K, 1 cup diced strawberries, 1 cup soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

Diet Ham Salad, Diet Coke

1/3 of a foot long meatball submarine sandwich from Subway: Italian herb bread, meatballs in marinara sauce, cheddar cheese, fresh tomato and black olives - 12 ounces Minute Maid Lite Lemonaid (5 calories per 8 ounces)

I did stop at Walmart on my way home from work to pick up some frozen pizzas and to try on these jeans. These jeans are from the juniors department. They are size 14. Not 14W, but regular size 14. My St Patrick's Day dress is size 12W, so it appears size 12W is the same as size 14 in the juniors department.

I didn't buy these jeans. They are too young for me: bell bottoms and loud metallic decorations. I was just so pleased that they fit me! Comfortably! So I am officially now a size 14.

My target weight is 145, and I think that will make me a comfortable size 10. My wedding dress was a size 10. I was 130 pounds and a size 8 when I met Scott, but I was also smoking cigarettes to control my appetite. That is something I will never do again.

Edited Months Later to Add:

I am at my goal weight of 145 now, and I am a comfortable size 8 WITHOUT smoking! I can also wear a size 9 from the juniors department, but I am 48 years old, so that is not usually a good idea! :)

186.4 Keep Trim Day 1

I lost .8 pounds yesterday and weigh 186.4 today. This is the first day of another two-week keep trim eating period, when I am just keeping the weight off. Not trying to lose weight, just not to gain any.

I believe there are two reasons Dr Tarnower included these maintenance periods in his Scarsdale diet plan: 1) Keeping the weight off is often the weakest link in anyone's diet plan 2) We go into ketosis during the diet, and the common belief in the medical field is that we should only be in ketosis for brief periods of time, for the safety of our liver.

I confess, I didn't realize it was time to go back on keep trim eating until a few minutes ago! I just ate my usual breakfast, but the rest of my meals for today will be more interesting when you read them tomorrow.

I did walk my mile yesterday. Here is all I ate and still lost .8 pounds:

Small bowl of  Special K and organic soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

Diet Ham Salad, Diet Coke

1 pizza pastry appetizer sample at Costco (cheat, yum!)

7 Kirkland Italian style beef meatballs microwaved and squeezed with a paper towel to remove excess oil, 5 chunks of pineapple canned in juice, 1 cup steamed Brussels sprouts, caffeine-free diet soda

It is very tempting on keep trim eating to just eat what I would eat on the diet and add a small dessert to lunch and dinner. I cannot really see a reason not to do this. If you can, then please let me know in the comments.

Size Medium Men's Shirt



Today I once again weigh 187.2 I lost .8 pounds yesterday. If you remember how skinny Scott was in the Navy, then you will get a kick out of seeing me in this picture. I am wearing one of his Navy T shirts, for the kitchen crew. It is not even tight on me. I am kind of bending down to pet the dog, so my torso looks pudgier than it is. These 36-waist jeans are actually quite loose on me, too!

I think soon I need to go try on some size 14 clothes. My St Patrick's Day dress is a size 12W, and it fits, so I should fit in a regular size 14, I'd say. The dress is built for heavy-set people, so it is rather easy to fit into. I want a challenge!

I did not walk yesterday. Here is what I ate:

1 cup Special K, 1 cup soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

2 deviled eggs (no mayo), 1 cup steamed broccoli, Diet Coke

small hamburger patty, 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce, 1 cup steamed carrot sticks, caffeine-free diet soda

Dinner Party

Today I weigh 188, a .8 gain from yesterday. I hold out hope most of it is water from salt, but in any case it is just a bump in the road. It is worth it! We had a great time with our new friends at their dinner party last night.

We walked our mile yesterday before the dinner party. I stuck to my diet for breakfast and lunch, and I took it easy at dinner. I was off caffeine yesterday because I had some trouble with my bowels in the morning. Here is all I ate yesterday:

Breakfast: 1 cup Special K, 1 cup soy milk, caffeine-free diet soda

Lunch: 1 12 ounce can Amy's low fat minestrone soup, water

Dinner: 6 ounces roast beef, 3 tablespoons salty aus jus, half a dinner plate of salad with 2 tablespoons lite raspberry walnut dressing, half a cup of corn (maize), 2 tablespoons of mashed potatoes made with butter and sour cream, one small slice of pumpkin pie

During the dinner, everyone commented on how salty the aus jus was. I assured the hostess it tasted very good! I hold out some hope that my .8 pound gain is mostly water retained with all that salt, and that tomorrow it will pass with the salt. Time will tell!

187.2 Stayed on Diet when Sick

I weigh 187.2 today. It is tempting to go off my diet when I don't feel well. I was all ready to go in to a substitute teaching assignment this morning when my bowels suddenly loosened and started cramping.

I cancelled the assignment. I can't be confined to a classroom when I need to be running to the toilet twice an hour. I don't really know what made me sick. I guess it might be a remnant of the cold virus I had week before last.

I read up about diarrhea on the Mayo clinic website, though. They just say drink lots of clear fluids and avoid caffeine, high fiber foods, fat, dairy, and spices. So for me today, no coffee, Diet Coke or carrots, but other than that my diet is fine.

I lost .6 pounds yesterday. I walked half a mile. I ate:

1 cup Special K with dried berries, 1 cup soy milk, 1/3 of a banana, black unsweetened coffee

2 fried hamburger patties, 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce, 1 cup steamed carrots, Diet Coke

7 meatballs, 5 chunks of pineapple canned in juice, 1 cup steamed carrots, caffeine-free diet soda

187.8 Lost a Pound

I weigh 187.8 today. I lost a pound yesterday. I walked half a mile. Exercise is an ingredient in my weight loss, but diet is the key ingredient. I am now fully into ketosis again, which is why I am losing a pound a day once again. I am scheduled to stay in ketosis until this coming Friday, which will end my two weeks on the diet. Dr Tarnower clearly and adamantly says not to stay on the diet for more than two weeks.

I do know people who live their entire lives in ketosis. They have type two diabetes, and ketosis controls it. They eat almost no carbohydrates, getting all their calories from protein and fat. I joined their Facebook group, thinking that I was on a low carbohydrate diet, too. Um, no. My diet is low carb but it is also low fat. I did not fit in well with these folks!

Here is what I ate yesterday and still managed to lose a pound:

Winter breakfast: 1 cup Special K with dried berries in it, 1 cup soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

Lunch: 1 cup raw carrot sticks dipped in half a cup of parmesan/spinach/artichoke dip, Diet Coke

New Dinner: three deviled eggs made with just mustard and relish no mayo, 1 cup steamed broccoli, caffeine-free diet soda

Size Medium Pajamas!

This post is actually for Sunday, October 16, 2011. I weigh 188.8 today! I lost .6 pounds yesterday. It is not 100% about exercise, because I walked three miles yesterday - extra far. This was only because I locked my purse in the truck, at Costco. We only have the one vehicle, so I walked 1.5 miles home and Scott and the dogs walked 1.5 miles with me, back to our truck.

I bought myself two sets of size medium pajamas at Costco. You have to get them when they first have them, because they sell out really quickly. I had in mind I would save them for when they fit. Guess what! I am wearing the black and blue pair right now! They are tight in the hips and snug everywhere else, but I can wear them! I look forward to feeling them get looser on me every day, just like my formerly skinny jeans that are now comfortably baggy.

Embrazened by the pajamas fitting, I tried on my St Patrick's Day dress. The shirt just arrived in today's mail. As you can see in this picture, I can get into the dress, too! It is a size 12W. There are waist ties, so as I slim down I can make it look better on me. But wow, I should be able to wear it to church at Christmas time, maybe even for my solo November 13!

Here is what I ate yesterday and still lost .6 pounds:

Usual breakfast: 1 cup Special K, 1 cup cut-up strawberries, 1 cup soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

Common lunch: 1 cup raw carrot sticks dipped in 1/2 cup parmesan/spinach dip from the deli section at Costco, Diet Coke

New Dinner: Baked chicken and onion, steamed broccoli, caffeine-free diet soda

Weight Loss Means No Clothes



I weigh 189.4 today! I lost 1.6 pounds yesterday! I have to admit, I am very surprised, but pleasantly so! I did walk yesterday, but only 2/3 of a mile and then my throat started to ache. I was afraid my cold was coming back, so I went inside. My throat stopped aching once I warmed up, so I guess it was just the cold that was making my throat ache. It was about 40 degrees F outside.

So there you have it. One day I am on a weight-loss plateau and only lose .2, but the next day I crush it and lose 1.6!

Here is my diet for yesterday:

Small bowl of Special K, cut-up strawberries and organic soy milk
7 Kirkland Italian-style meatballs microwaved in a small bowl and then squeezed with a paper towel to remove excess oil, 6 chunks of pineapple canned in juice, 1 cup steamed broccoli

My three pairs of black skinny jeans - men's design with waist 36 and inseam 30 - fit very comfortably now. There is a little slack in the waist and they bag up in the back under my hips. They don't feel binding at all when I sit in them. They are the only pants I have that don't look ridiculously baggy on me. I wore them to substitute teach all last week.

I can wear all my shirts and sweaters, of course. But all my skirted suits are way too big for me to wear now. Scott and I have discussed having my suit skirts altered, once I am at my target weight. In the meantime, I have these three pairs of black jeans for now. I can tell that in a month or so they will be too baggy. I will shop the thrift stores for some clothes in the interim sizes. I am not going to buy anything new until I am at my target weight.

191, Lost .2 Pounds

I weigh 191 today. I lost .2 pounds yesterday. I walked my mile and I did not cheat on my diet, so this is stubborn weight that has not come off in quite some time. It needs to be loosened up before it comes off, but it will come off. That is how I see it, anyway!

I have seen this phenomenon discussed lots of places. They call it a weight loss plateau. I myself experienced two plateaus already, during this diet. The first plateau lasted three days and then I finally started to lose weight again. The second plateau only lasted one day and the next day I had lost weight again. I didn't change my diet or my exercise either time.

My diet yesterday:

Special K, strawberries, soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

Raw carrot sticks dipped in Parmesan spinach dip, Diet Coke

meatballs and the remainder of my pineapple habanero sauce (1 tablespoon), steamed broccoli, caffeine-free diet soda

191.2 Weight Today

I weigh 191.2 today. I lost .8 pounds yesterday. We walked all over Walmart and Costco, doing our shopping, but we didn't go for our usual walk in the park.

The pretty skirt of my size 12 St Patrick's Day dress arrived today! The waistband is elastic, so I was able to try it on. I definitely have to slim down farther for it to look good on me. I am bulging out under the waistband. Hopefully the top will arrive tomorrow, and I can try it on and have Scott take a picture. Once I have both peices I will try it on periodically and post pictures of my progress fitting into the dress. It may be I will fit into it OK in time to wear it to church at Christmas time.

Here is what I ate yesterday and managed to lose .8 pounds:

1 cup Special K, 1 cup cut-up strawberries, 1 cup soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

1 cup of raw carrot sticks, 1/2 cup parmesan/spinach dip from the deli section at Costco, Diet Coke

Diet Ham Salad, caffeine-free diet soda

192 Pounds, Minus .8 from Yesterday

I weigh 192 today; I lost .8 pounds yesterday, yay! I walked my whole mile yesterday, and 2/3 of a mile the day before.

I substituted at the high school Monday. All I have to wear that fits are black jeans, so I wore black jeans with a turtleneck and a sport coat. It looked fine, professional enough. Somehow, jeans can look professional if you aren't fat. My stomach no longer hangs out over my jeans, so I can wear my shirts tucked in, and that helps with the professional look.

I can tell these jeans are going to fit until I get down to 180 or so, and then they are going to start hanging on me the way my size 18 jeans were hanging. I will leave the saggy jeans to the kids, thank you very much. Once these start hanging on me I will hit up the thrift stores for some smaller pants suitable for teaching.

I ate pretty much the usual yesterday:

Special K, strawberries, organic soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

Diet Ham Salad, Diet Coke

7 frozen meatballs microwaved and excess oil squeezed out with a paper towel, steamed broccoli, caffeine-free diet soda

192.8 Salt Weight Fast Food

I gained a pound of salt weight from the fast food I ate the other night, is my best guess. I didn't go overboard yesterday at all:

Usual breakfast: Special K, strawberries, soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

Typical Lunch: raw carrot sticks dipped in spinach/parmesan dip, Diet Coke

Typical Dinner: meatballs and steamed broccoli, caffeine-free diet soda

If you read my entry for the day before you will see I got hungry on the way home from the shooting range and so we stopped at Qdoba (where we each won a year of free food for helping out with a restaurant opening last spring).

I am comfortable in my "skinny jeans" now. They are a bit loose in the back, still snug in the tummy. Scott had a tape measure out last night so what the heck, I took my waist and hip measurements: 36 waist, 46 hip Thank you for reminding me this is one way I can keep track of fat loss vs muscle loss.

I was intrigued by the idea of the scale that runs a current through the body in order to determine fat weight vs muscle weight. It just seems too creepy to me, though. I don't know that I want a current running through my body.

191.8 Pounds, lost .6 yesterday

Today I weigh 191.8! I lost .6 pounds yesterday. I was still not back to walking outside in the weather, but today I substitute taught, so I am officially over my cold and back out into the world again.

Here is what I ate yesterday and still managed to lose .6 pounds without exercise:

Small bowl of Special K, strawberries and organic soy milk with black unsweetened coffee

Raw carrot sticks dipped in 2 tablespoons Parmesan spinach dip, Diet Coke

Dinner at Qdoba Mexican Grill on the way home from the shooting range: Naked Ancho BBQ pulled pork burrito
(6 ounces pulled pork, 1/2 cup white rice, 1/2 cup black beans, 3 tablespoons chocolate BBQ sauce, 1/2 cup tomato salsa, 1/2 cup corn salsa)

We went to that church yesterday that has the donuts out for an hour before the service starts. They smelled so yummy! I resisted them by insisting we not show up till the last 15 minutes of the fellowship time and then concentrating on the conversation instead of the food. I didn't even have coffee there. They invited us to stay for a potluck lunch again, but I made my excuses and got out of there before those donuts did me in.

The next time they have a church potluck I should be on keep trim eating. I will also make sure I bring something healthy to eat. I also plan to follow Dr Tarnower's advice and taste everything, but eat very little of anything.

192.4 pounds, lost .6 pounds yesterday

I weigh 192.4 today. I lost .6 pounds yesterday on my first day back to the diet after 14 days of keep trim eating. The first three days usually are lighter weight-loss days, until I go into ketosis. After three days I usually lose a pound a day.

I thought I was over my cold, but I sneezed at the first garage sale yesterday. We bought a punching bag for $5 and I tried it out once we got home and hung it in the garage. I hadn't ever punched a bag before. It is kind of fun. That and walking to the restroom inside a grocery store were the extent of my exercise yesterday, though.

Here is what I ate on my first day back on the diet yesterday:

Usual breakfast of 1 cup Special K, 1 cup soy milk, 1/2 cup strawberries, black unsweetened coffee

Lunch of 7 Kirkland Italian style beef meatballs with 2 tablespoons pineapple habanero sauce and 1 cup steamed broccoli with Diet Coke

Dinner of two hamburger patties topped with 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce and 2 cups steamed carrots, caffeine-free diet soda
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Guide to Thousands of Unlisted Job Openings in the US!

Do you know anyone who is over 40 and has a college degree, but no job? I wrote this book for them. Tell them about it, or better yet, buy them a copy. Turnover is high in these jobs, so there are almost always openings. With this guide, a substitute can do the job so well they actually like it. I do.

I hope you will at least "look inside" the high school substitute teacher's guide I wrote. The free book sample you get by "looking inside" tells you not only how to get a job as a substitute teacher, but also my qualifications to write the book: my education and detailed substitute teaching work history (since 1989).

This book is available in paperback, in Kindle mobi format at Amazon, in Nook format at Barnes and Noble, and in any other format you could possibly need through Smashwords.

Scarsdale Medical Diet Day 1

My weight held steady at 193 for my last day of keep trim eating yesterday, hooray! I am right back on the actual diet again today, in line with the "two weeks on, two weeks off" plan that Dr Tarnower laid out in his book.

We are going shopping at garage sales today, looking for a bigger dresser and smaller clothes! After that we are going to an outdoor area where target shooting is allowed. We plan to pick up as much brass as we can and take it to the recycling center. Brass pays really well right now.

I will pack a lunch for these activities so that I can easily stay on my diet, even though we will be out all day. It's Saturday and I am finally over my cold, yay!

Here is what I ate on keep trim eating and am keeping the weight off, without exercise yesterday:

My usual breakfast of Special K, strawberries, soy milk and black unsweetened coffee

Half a dinner plate of leftover pizza for lunch

Scrambled eggs with veggies for dinner
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Guide to Thousands of Unlisted Job Openings in the US!

Do you know anyone who is over 40 and has a college degree, but no job? I wrote this book for them. Tell them about it, or better yet, buy them a copy. Turnover is high in these jobs, so there are almost always openings. With this guide, a substitute can do the job so well they actually like it. I do.

I hope you will at least "look inside" the high school substitute teacher's guide I wrote. The free book sample you get by "looking inside" tells you not only how to get a job as a substitute teacher, but also my qualifications to write the book: my education and detailed substitute teaching work history (since 1989).

This book is available in paperback, in Kindle mobi format at Amazon, in Nook format at Barnes and Noble, and in any other format you could possibly need through Smashwords.

Last Day of Keep Trim Eating this Round

I weigh 193 again today. My dress has been shipped to me! The prettiest St Patrick's Day dress ever was shipped on Oct 6. I should have it in a few days, and I will post a picture of it when I do. It is emerald green. The bodice is decorated with darker green embroidery. The hemline is scalloped like a disco dress, and every other panel is sheer green at the bottom. It is still conservative enough that I could substitute in it the week before St Patrick's (it's on a Saturday next year). Spokane has a parade the Saturday nearest March 17th, and next year we will know that in time to make plans and go!

I still have a bit of the cold, so I am still contagious, but I am feeling much better.

Scott went and got pizza yesterday, the good stuff from Papa John's. He got smallish ones. I ate half a dinner plate of pizza for dinner and still maintained my weight.

Lunch was half a 12 oz can of chili, half a cup of shredded cheese and a cup of corn chips to eat it with.

Breakfast was 1 cup Special K, 1 cup cut-up strawberries, 1 cup soy milk

I stick to diet drinks, unsweetened coffee or tea, or water. Sugary drinks have lots and lots of calories that Dr Tarnower warns against in his book about the Scarsdale Medical Diet. Juices sound healthy, but in reality he says they are among the worst things you can ingest. Half a cup of apple juice has the sugar of ten apples, according to Dr Tarnower.

Edited Later: Here is the photo of the dress. I ended up returning it because I slimmed down to size 8 and left size 12 in the dust!
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Guide to Thousands of Unlisted Job Openings in the US!

Do you know anyone who is over 40 and has a college degree, but no job? I wrote this book for them. Tell them about it, or better yet, buy them a copy. Turnover is high in these jobs, so there are almost always openings. With this guide, a substitute can do the job so well they actually like it. I do.

I hope you will at least "look inside" the high school substitute teacher's guide I wrote. The free book sample you get by "looking inside" tells you not only how to get a job as a substitute teacher, but also my qualifications to write the book: my education and detailed substitute teaching work history (since 1989).

This book is available in paperback, in Kindle mobi format at Amazon, in Nook format at Barnes and Noble, and in any other format you could possibly need through Smashwords.

Keep Trim Eating Day 13 of 14

I weigh 193 today. I lost .4 pounds on keep trim eating yesterday. I still have my cold, but it is getting better. I stayed indoors yesterday and drank lots of fluids. I ate the same as I did Monday and Tuesday. I could almost wish to have a cold all the time, if it means I lose .4 pounds a day without exercise. I did say almost.

I am on keep trim eating for today and tomorrow, and then it is back on the diet where I lose a pound a day if I stick to it and exercise daily. We got invited to a dinner party, and it falls during the time I am on the diet. I am debating if I should ask if they can change the date (it is just us and the couple hosting the party), or just go ahead and eat what they serve, but in moderation. I am tending toward just eating what they serve. They are both thin, so it should be healthy food.

Keep Trim Day 12 of 14

193.4 today, so I lost .4 pounds yesterday on keep trim eating. Ate the same as yesterday. Still have the cold, but it is getting better. To help it get better, I stayed as warm as I could, not going outside, and I drank as many fluids as I could.

I am very pleasantly surprised to find out I can eat chili and cheese with corn chips while keeping the weight off -- even lose .4 of a pound! It is all about portion control. A local hospital sent everyone a flyer that says 2 out of every 3 Americans are now overweight. It says the USDA recommends watching your portions and filling your plate half up with vegetables and fruits for every meal.

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Guide to Thousands of Unlisted Job Openings in the US!

Do you know anyone who is over 40 and has a college degree, but no job? I wrote this book for them. Tell them about it, or better yet, buy them a copy. Turnover is high in these jobs, so there are almost always openings. With this guide, a substitute can do the job so well they actually like it. I do.

I hope you will at least "look inside" the high school substitute teacher's guide I wrote. The free book sample you get by "looking inside" tells you not only how to get a job as a substitute teacher, but also my qualifications to write the book: my education and detailed substitute teaching work history (since 1989).

This book is available in paperback, in Kindle mobi format at Amazon, in Nook format at Barnes and Noble, and in any other format you could possibly need through Smashwords.

Keep Trim Day 11 of 14

I weigh 193.8 today; I lost .4 pounds yesterday on keep trim eating. I did not walk yesterday. I have a cold, and staying inside where it is warm felt more important than going out to walk. Maybe the cold helped me burn off some calories. I can never remember if the old saying is "Feed a cold, starve a fever," or "Feed a fever, starve a cold." They both sound silly to me. You would be starving yourself, not the germs!

I drank about 2 gallons of water yesterday, so it isn't just water weight I lost, either.

Here is all I ate yesterday:

Small bowl of Special K, strawberries and organic soy milkHalf a 12 ounce can of chile with meat, half a cup of shredded cheese, 1 cup of corn chips
1 12 ounce can of Amy's Organic Soups - minestrone

This is a head cold that I have. I am sneezing and my nose is runny. I don't feel like doing much but watching TV, reading Facebook, eating, drinking hot beverages, and blowing my nose. My Phantom of the Opera mug makes the hot beverage drinking a little more fun than it would otherwise be. I got this at the show in Seattle in 1996 or so.

Keep Trim Day 10 of 14

My weight this morning is back down to 194.2. I lost .4 pounds yesterday on keep trim eating.

I walked a mile with both dogs by myself yesterday. It worked out better than I feared it might. We have a short leash that I attached to one of the long leashes so that I was holding both dogs on one handle and they were connected close together. It was a little confusing when they stopped at a tree, but the two of them worked it out. My arms and shoulders are in great shape from dog wrangling. I recommend it.

I went back to diet meals yesterday, because of the .6 gain the day before. The gain was from not exercising enough, but I was able to partially compensate by dieting yesterday. This is good training for when I am at my desired weight and I am just keeping the weight off!

Yesterday I ate:

Small bowl of Special K, strawberries and organic soy milk

1 cup raw carrot sticks, 1/2 cup Kirkland artichoke/spinach/parmesan dip, 2 cans Diet Coke

2 broiled hamburger patties, 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce, 2 cups cooked carrot sticks, 20 ounces Walmart Sparkling Pink Lemonade (all natural, cheap and calorie-free)

I have a cold this morning, so I took myself off the substitute teaching list. I will still go for my walk today, but I will do it this afternoon when it is warm out. I hate colds. I hate the runny nose part and the itchy feeling in my throat and the sneezing. I really wish everyone who had a cold would stay away from other people so that the cold would just die out with no one to host it!

Keep Trim Day 9 of 14

My weight went up by .6 pounds yesterday, to 194.6. I drank a bunch of water not long before I got on the scale this morning, though, so I am not too worried about it. I am on day 9 of 14 days of keep trim eating, before I go back on the Scarsdale Medical Diet.

I walked 2/3 of a mile yesterday, instead of my full mile. On instict, I took my dog out for a walk on my own, just before lunch. Usually, Scott and I walk together just before dinner. Sure enough, come the usual time for our walk, Scott wanted to skip for the day. I was glad I had already been out on a walk. I was making hamburgers and Scott wanted to make them on the grill, so he had a fire to tend to.

Here is what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast: 1 cup Special K, 1 cup cut-up strawberries, 1 cup soy milk, 1 cup black unsweetened coffee

Lunch: 1 beef and bean burrito from a bag that comes in the frozen food section at Costco, 3 tablespoons of salsa, 2 cans of Diet Coke

Dinner: Cheeseburger grilled on the barbeque, bun,  1 tablespoon barbeque sauce, 1 cup of cooked carrot sticks, 2 corn chips, 20 ounces of Walmart Sparkling Pink Lemonade

We didn't barbeque at all this summer. It was too hot, who wanted a fire? We often grill in the fall when the weather gets cooler and it feels nice to huddle around the barbeque. Grilled meat is very lean because all the fat drips down into the fire. It is as healthy as broiled meat, without the dirty broiler pan to clean.

Walking Exercise Rules

194 today! Lost .8 pounds yesterday on keep-trim eating. I did walk my mile yesterday, briskly as usual. Thank you for sending me the US Government brochure on walking for fitness! I did find it useful. I was a bit amused that it said over and over again that people over 35 years of age should consult a doctor before starting to walk for exercise. 35? I could see 50, maybe, but 35 is a bit young to be worried about being too old to WALK!

Walking for exercise is so much a common sense item to me that I was also amused at how much detail the government presented in their "Walk to Keep Fit" brochure. They have people checking their pulse rates. I don't do that. I can tell when my pulse is optimal by my breathing requirements. I frequently got out of breath when we first started walking the dogs a mile every day. Now, my pulse speeds up a bit while I walk briskly, but it slows right down when I slow down, and I don't have difficult breathing requirements at all.

I do agree it is important to walk briskly, and not just stroll along. I strolled along for half an hour last Saturday on a break during my business trip, but gained too much weight that day. Usually, weight gain means I didn't exercise enough that day.

I am on day 8 out of 14 days of keep-trim eating, where my goal is to maintain my weight. Here is what I ate yesterday and still managed to lose .8 of a pound:

Small bowl of  Special K, organic soy milk and cut-up strawberries with black unsweetened coffee

8 ounces of Kirkland beef lasagna (from the frozen food section at Costco), half a cup of raw carrot sticks, 1 can of Diet Coke

Scrambled Eggs with Veggies, 20 ounces of Walmart Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade

I couldn't find the sparkling lemonade on the grocery shelves at Walmart last night. I asked a sales associate and she went in the back and found a whole palette of it. She says the guys back there said there wasn't any place to put it on the floor because of the Halloween candy display. (It is usually in the candy aisle.) She asked me if it was really good or what. I explained it is calorie-free, all natural, good and cheap! She brought 4 bottles of the pink lemonade out for me. I asked if they could order the blueberry lemonade and they said they would see!