Saturday & Sunday June 28 & 29

[Feelix]

Good Morning Y'all

I am starting the weekend with total knowledge that I will NOT be on plan today. Today is my baby shower (hosted by the in-laws), it WILL involve Cake ( and southern food - okra, hushpuppies, greens, cornbread, Red Velvet cake, casseroles, etc) and I will eat it...

I was thinking about "my case" and how I utilize the Protein Power Information. For me, it's about keeping BS levels low consistently so that I have a healthy baby. In return, I am having a great pregnancy, with low to no heartburn and low weight gain (using what I had store... believe me I had extra). So when I go off plan, its by one meal or snack. Most of the time its planned and a moment to enjoy a treat. So does this mean I am off plan or working a flex plan... as my body is still burning more than enough carbs for me to see weight loss results AND maintain a healthy pregnancy?

My doctor is pleased with my health and BS levels but has asked me to up my carbs (not in cake of course!) I am losing weight steadily (6lbs in 6 weeks) PLUS growing a baby. His advice was to enjoy roasted corn or potatoes (natural healthy carbs is how he defined it). Does anyone have any thoughts on this? ... I am curious.

I realize it doesn't really matter (right now) how I look at my eating patterns or justification, Again, I'm curious on your collective thoughts and feed back.

You all work so hard at keeping your levels low, not eating off plan, working out - I feel a little spoiled that I can maintain a loss and health while splurging on higher carb items.

Saturday's Gifts To Me
1. Fun - Enjoy the baby shower - take lots of pictures.

2. Relax - Goes with the fun, but deeper, don't let the in-laws stress me. It feels, at times, that they expect a certain response from me and since I am culturally different from them, I feel like I don't always perform like I should. AND i want to enjoy this baby shower... you can never take this experience back.

3. Journal - Tonight I want to journal my experience of the baby shower so my child knows what I went through.

4. Be Safe and listen to my body- With all the excitement of baby shower and traveling an hour to it, I need to be aware and safe on the roads. This is a biggie for me because most of the time I just get in the car and drive! This this being an hour away, I need to note if I need a nap (I woke up after 6 hours asleep at 4am- shower starts at 12noon and goes until 4pm), a drink of water, ice or just alone time.

I feel like my goals today are more about me being aware and in the moment. Not in the future and Not in the past but in the moment. It should be interesting!

[Claudette]

Feelix, oh, I love baby showers. All that southern food, especially the red velvet cake sounds delish. My opionion is if doc says up your carbs a bit, why not eat at the 50-55 Eades level? With pregnancy, maybe your body is burning enough carbs to allow a higher level and you to lose weight too.
Just a few of my thoughts.

:nod: lost 3 lbs from the recent weight gain on today's scale.

I have upped my carbs to 45-50 level, reduced the fat somewhat as I think my short small boned body couldn't handle it. Now I have a deficit so I am losing.

Gifts to me today:
exercise later at the state park hiking trail, slopes inclines make it a challenge.

toning exercise for abds/waist.

hope all are having a great day.

Claudette

[Ammy]

Morning Feelix. I posed your "more complex carb" question to GF this am and we both agreed that "corn" doesn't have benefit to it..it's just sugar. SHE said you should have potatoes with no butter or s. cream. I tried to explain to her that butter and s. cream were okay, but if she (you) did decide to have some potatoe, to not over do it. 2 baby reds, or 1/2 a smaller baking. She is a low-fatter.
I was thinking something that gave you "more"...like a nutty brown rice (MMMMM) which has a lot of fiber. It's a grain that isn't just a white carb. You could also do a bit more with veggies that have more carbs, like parsnips (vit c and potassium) and sweet potatoes (potass and vit A and C).

BUT, then again, I'm from Iowa and LOOOOOVvvvvveeee corn.
So, just don't DIVE in, add smaller portions. THAT is our joint opinion.

It's GAY PRIDE weekend!! We're heading down to the festival grounds by 2 to watch a friends GF country dance. Then we'll just shop around until the concert at 5:30. There are 5 performers and one is En Vogue, so I'm excited about that.
I have been trying to decide about food today. I can't think of any lowcarb foods they sell at the festival grounds. I was thinking I would throw together a turkey cheese pita with some carrots/celery on the side. Then I can bring some almonds to munch during the concert.
I'm not saying I won't succumb to SOMETHING at the festival grounds, but I do want very badly to stay on plan. AND WANTING it means I can/will do it!
I wonder how bad a lemonade is? I'm not a fan of lemonade, but last year we had one and it was DE-LICIOUS!! Hmmmmm

My gifts for today:
1. Walk. We will do a lot of walking around the festival grounds.
2. Chill. I can get overly stressed about these things and trying to plan every moment...but today I'm going to try and just go with the flow. I have 2 times I need to be somewhere, otherwise I'm just going to chilll (I think :rolleyes:).

My meals today:
8am 5oz hamburger, josephs pita, 6olives
12:30 chicken salad with mayo/pickes, salad with ranch, 1hb egg, cheese
2pm iced latte
4pm 4oz turkey, 2oz cheese, pita, carrots/snow peas
6:30pm 30 almonds

Pro: 147
Ecc: 34
Fat: 149
Cal: 2146

I left some space in my carbs in case I have some lemonade.

Last night we watched Lars and the Real Girl. MAN was it good. Highly recommend it if you like the goofy weird.

[Ammy]

Morning Claudette!! CONGRATS on the weight loss!!!

[Ammy]

Oh...the weight jumped again, and I SWEAR I have been COMPLETELY on plan...
So...I'm removing my ticker. And I'll TRY (no guarantees, but I'll try) to not weigh everyday.
My clothes are fitting fine, I feel good, I will not let the scale control me...

(I think :rolleyes:...)

[Anette]

Good morning all,
just saying hi and letting folks know i am still around and PPing. we are going to a wedding reception tonite which is at an italian restaurant. no idea if there a menue i can order from or what the deal is. i just play along and try my best, it'll be ok. its going to be a hot hot day today and i am sooo ready for it. my youngest son and i will go to the local strawberry fields and pick some strawberries to have with my low carb crepe tomorrow for breakfast and maybe even dinner. :D. we are having bbqs fresh salmon for lunch with some salad. looks like i might have lost some weight this week, because i am abt to start "the time of the months" which normally makes me gain 3 pounds and when i stepped on the scale, it showed no gain which hopefully means l lost some. well, i am outta here going to some chores done. have a great weekend. and hey, HI CLAUDETTE, good to see ya and great news on your weight loss.

[Belfrybat]

Hello all. This has been another on-plan day. Had a protein shake for brekkie and a bowl muffin for lunch (I was craving sweet). I'm roasting veggies for supper and will probably have a double portion with a slice of pan broiled ham (from the wild hog I was given). That way I'll make up for the lack of lunch veggies. I've realy been craving sweets lately -- am giving in with legal treats, but that doesn't seem to be helping much.

Still no weight loss, but at least I've quit gaining for no good reason. Amy--way to go in getting rid of the ticker and (temporarily) throwing out the scale.

Felix, potato is just as fast acting carb as corn -- wouldn't go there at at. If you want to increase carbs but not spike blood sugar, look at the slower acting ones. Baked sweet potato, brown rice, whole grains -- if you can handle wheat, try bulgar, which is parboiled and cooks up quickly. I just love Tabouli salad -- a wonderful taste sensation. Bob's Red Mill makes a great 7 grain cereal that I used to cook like rice for a savoury dish. It didn't raise my BS quickly or very high. I have used steel cut oats as well both as a cereal with sweetener or made thicker as a savoury side dish--not quite grits, but a decent enough substitute. I don't remember what ECC level you are aiming for but you might consider Phase II - 55 - 60, which will end up being around 80-85 whole carbs. (And I always present whole carbs to my doctor, never ECC since she's convinced anything below 150 is dangerous for a diabetic. <sigh> )

Here's a couple of links to recipes for Tabouli salad:
http://www.e-rcps.com/m_e/tabouli.shtml
http://www.recipezaar.com/197922

Apparently quinoa can also be used instead of bulgar -- that would add a lot more protein.

[gitfiddle]

Hi, gang! I thought I left a message here this morning, but I must have forgotten to send it before I logged off. I was in a bit of a hurry. :o:rolleyes::suspicious:

My gift to myself today was a new guitar. My practicality insists that I sell one of my old ones, which I can do in about three weeks when I go to a music festival.

Breakfast was two sausage patties. Lunch/supper was two brats, greek yogurt decorated with raspberries, crushed almonds and unsweetened coconut. Yum!

Feelix, do you have a glucometer? If so, let that be your guide. If it were me, I'd simply smile and nod at the doctor then return to my PP WOE, but you must do what you think is best for you. I might just tell the doctor that I preferred broccoli and green beans to corn and potatoes. :nod: And I believe one meal, or even a day, off-plan will not ruin your whole program. For me, it would be risking that I'd never come back, but that's me.

BC, I like your compromise of giving your doctor the whole carb count instead of ecc's. ;)

Congratulations, Claudette, on the loss! How was your hike?

Anette, nice to see you! An Italian restaurant usually has a salad, like a chicken caesar, amid the pasta dishes. Maybe you can even order the meat and some grilled vegetables without the pasta! I'd try that, because I've grown tired of chicken caesar salads. :p

Amy, have fun at the festival!

[Feelix]

Claudette - My range has been 40-80 carbs and I burn ketones at a moderate to high level. Once I hit around or over the 100 carb mark - I get trace or Negative ketone results... The doctor is concerned about ketones in the urine..... and thus the reason to add the extra carbs. Congrats on the weight loss!

Ammy - I have similar thoughts about corn and potatoes being "empty". I do love the idea of brown rice, parsnips and sweet potatoes.... I can do that easily. I also love that you got rid of your ticker... you don't need the pressure... Just relax and enjoy the parade and what it offers... See yourself the size you want to be and enjoy the results! You are doing your part! Let your body respond!

Belfrybat - I have never had bulgar... I will try and find it! Oats sounds good too... that might me a nice addition to a protein shake when i wake up starving!

gitfiddle - I do have a glucometer and it's a wonderful tool. I check my bs 4 times a day (morning fast, 2 hours after each meal), I check Ketones in the morning and journal all foods that I eat.

As I expressed above, the doctor's concern is the ketones in the urine that are showing up Moderate to High on a daily basis. The days that I splurge on carbs I will get a trace or negative which is the results the doctors want to see..... HOWEVER, that usually also means that my bs levels are also high.

Thanks for the feed back everyone... I will look for brown rice, parsnips, broccoli, bulgar, steel cut oats and other "safe" carbs.

As far as the Baby Shower - it was wonderful other than the food (No Protein that hadn't been deep fried and battered). And I really ate banana pudding, peanut butter ball dipped in milk chocolate, and some sort of whipping cream, sugar free caramel sauce and mini dark chocolate chip mixture made from the ONE Aunt that paid attention to the fact i had Gestational Diabetes and wanted me to have a treat! She measured it out and told me it had 10 carbs for the serving... and it was big!

I did have Fun. I Relaxed. I had a good time. I had a moment where I wish my mom was still alive. My MIL does not value the simple details like getting the due date correct or what my favorite color is. Those are the details my mom made special. I missed her today and took a few moments to honor what she gave me and then brought myself to the present moment.

Journal - This I still need to do.

Be Safe and listen to my body- I did do this. I left the shower for 10 minutes an ran out and got a note book (forgot to bring one) and took a breath. After the shower, I took 10 more minutes, stopped at Sonic and bought I diet coke with LOTS of ice. I enjoyed it and took a moment before I headed over the the in-law's house.

Overall, it was an amazing special day!

[Feelix]

Sunday's Gifts
I will start this wonderful day as i am awake and NOT sleeping.

My day of NOT FOLLOWING PP is a killer and life lesson.......
*I have heartburn - something i have not experienced since eating PP way of life.
*My blood sugar is through the roof at 2am in the morning (literally 12 completed hours after breaking diet plan) and there is literally NOTHING I can do to bring it back down except to go exercise... and I'm so tired, I'm afraid I would trip and hurt something!
*I am NOT Sleeping and I blame that on the above 2 symptoms.

So my gifts to myself today are as follows:
1. Stay on PP with Food - Protein, Protein and more Protein. I do not like feeling like poo!

2. Exercise - I need to GET OUT and WALK. I imagine that this will affect my body for at least Sunday and MOnday.

3. SLEEP - When I do fall back asleep I am setting my intention that it be restful and I wake up refreshed. IF i need a nap I will take one OR I will make sure I am in bed ready to sleep at a decent hour tomorrow.

4. Try and spend time either on the phone or online with DH. Even though he is traveling right now, I want to make sure that we connect as a couple tomorrow. As of last night, he doesn't have to work this afternoon, and so I'd like to talk to him on the phone and/or play an online game (my husband loves Final Fanstasy VI- MMORPG- and plays this game with people from around the world.)

5. Sew - I would love to get a good dent into my projects that i have set ahead of me. If I just do it, it will all come together easily.

6. House Management - I would like to commit an hours worth of time to cleaning my house tomorrow. (I'm feeling 4 - 15 minute sessions) With DH not home, I have let crafting take over and everything else is falling apart.

HUGS to all of you- and encourage you ALL to stay on plan.... I promise you a 2am wake up call with heartburn, elevated BS levels - not to mention the possibility of weight gain - Is NOT worth food/Snack __________________. It's just not worth it! Be encouraged and Stay On Plan!

[Belfrybat]

As I expressed above, the doctor's concern is the ketones in the urine that are showing up Moderate to High on a daily basis. The days that I splurge on carbs I will get a trace or negative which is the results the doctors want to see..... HOWEVER, that usually also means that my bs levels are also high.

Thanks for the feed back everyone... I will look for brown rice, parsnips, broccoli, bulgar, steel cut oats and other "safe" carbs.

I'd missed that little fact. Of course the ketones are high -- you are in a fat burning mode! You could possibly "cheat" the urine test and eat higher carb the day before your drs. appt. Just stick to the slower carb items you list above. I'd forgotten about parsnips--they are so good!


As far as the Baby Shower - it was wonderful other than the food (No Protein that hadn't been deep fried and battered).... and some sort of whipping cream, sugar free caramel sauce and mini dark chocolate chip mixture made from the ONE Aunt that paid attention to the fact i had Gestational Diabetes and wanted me to have a treat! She measured it out and told me it had 10 carbs for the serving... and it was big!

Overall, it was an amazing special day!

What a wonderful gift, especially the one aunt who remembered your diabetes. so... A speicial day for a special person. :D

Total will be a challenge for me as we have a potluck after church. I didn't have the ingredients on hand for SF cheesecake which usually helps keep me on track, so I tried a LC pound cake, which didn't rise. So I'm quickly combining everything into a SF trifle -- it won't be as low carb as I wanted, but at least it will give me a sweet treat without too much impact and hopefully keep me away from the sugar-laden desserts. I really am craving sweets lately, even when I'm not hungry. Yikes!

[gitfiddle]

As I expressed above, the doctor's concern is the ketones in the urine that are showing up Moderate to High on a daily basis. The days that I splurge on carbs I will get a trace or negative which is the results the doctors want to see..... HOWEVER, that usually also means that my bs levels are also high. Oops, I missed that, too. I agree with BC on that one. It made me curious and I checked my last test report from two weeks ago to see what my ketones were and it said negative. I think that means I'm burning them for fuel now.

My day of NOT FOLLOWING PP is a killer and life lesson....... Ouch! Thanks for letting us hear that. Your solutions are correct.
I have to leave for church in a minute, so I'll be back. My breakfast was two sausage patties and two cups of black coffee. Ciao!

[Karole]

Feelix, we had a big family bbq yesterday , and this morning the first thing out of my dh's mouth was--I feel crappy--too many carbs yesterday (he doesn't do low carb but does recognize what they do to him)

Isn't it amazing how awful the carbage makes us feel and how we tend to forget it sometimes and think we really want that stuff, only to realize later that it is painful to get that far off the wagon!!!

I think I have finally learned my lesson about it, (after about 18 months on low carb) -- as I wasn't tempted by the baked beans, corn on the cob or pasta salad. I just ate meat and a little broccoli. The desserts ranged from home made ice cream to banana pudding and strawberry cake. I had one tsp of the home made ice cream and it was well....sweet.

Luckily, my dd had brought over some low carb ice cream bars so I did get a treat after all !!

Hope you will feel a lot better soon and that your bs will go down quickly. I still remember how it feels to wake up in the middle of the night with that sickly feeling---absolutely no fun at all.

Take care of yourself and that baby !!

[Ammy]

Hey, all. Quick check in, then I'll come back later to read (I did skim for my name in posts!!)
Gay Pride was as fun as ever. Yesterday we did great. We actually left the festival grounds (and all the terrible food choices) and went to Chipotle for lunch. Then later on I did have a small bag of trail mix type thing...it was a bit on the carby side, but I don't feel like I fell of the wagon or anything, just chose the best I could with the money I was willing to spend. There wasn't any fruit, but there was sesame stix and some weird cornnut type thing. Oh well...I don't feel at all about how I ate considering.
Today was the parade. We ate before we left, then we had a turkey/cheese on Josephs pita before coming home, then a few crackers and cheese at home, and one turkey dog. Now we're heading out for a burger. I won't lie, I want something bad for me today...so we may go to Ruby Tuesdays. The "bad" thing for me there is that broccoli bacon salad on the salad bar...again, not the worst thing in the world, but I do know there is major sugar in the sauce.

I'll probably check in later, although I'm pretty tired and sun stroked...might just go to bed VERY early and read. That would be a nice gift!!:D

[Feelix]

AMY - Sounds like a wonderful weekend. Enjoy each bit - no matter what you decide. Food is fuel as well as a pleasure. Enjoy!

[Feelix]

Sunday's Gift Report:
1. Stay on PP with Food - I did great! AND BONUS - was invited over to a nieghbor's house who made roast chicken and risotto. Since I hadn't had any carbs all day, I savored every bit of the risotto. I had fresh squeezed lemonade (made with very little sugar - I watched it being made!) It was tangy - but really good! I extended it by adding ice.

2. Exercise - Walking - deliberate parking and walking across the parking lot to Michael's craft store who was having a sale. (I bought more baskets for the baby room)

3. SLEEP - I did fall back asleep and gave myself a nap. it's 9:45pm and I am in bed.

4. Time with DH - COMPLETED - and we really did hang out for a 5 hours.

5. Sew -did not happen as I took up the invite to eat at the neighbors.

6. House Management - did not happen..... herm.. procrastination?

I have a checklist of things to get done tomorrow. I will stick to it!

[Belfrybat]

Well, I fell off the wagon big time at the pot luck today. I took LC trifle to try and tame the sugar beastie, but someone had bought 7 up cake (my favourite), and someone made a buttermilk pie (another favourite) and someone else had the most delicious looking brownie you can imagine. By "normal" standards I didn't overdo it--a half serving of each of the three desserts, but I'd forgotten to take a syringe of insulin with me, so my BS hit 210 after the meal. :mad: I hate this diabetes thing! Not the actual disease as we all have to face different health challenges and this is mine, but needing to plan ahead and figure out how to take insulin with me when the temps are hitting 100, and even the problem of figuring out how to inject insulin when I need to do so 30 minutes before a meal and I'm sitting in church at that time. Pits.

One amusing thing however. On 5th Sundays most of the churches in our town have a combined service followed by a pot luck. At the end of the service the preacher in charge said he needed to warn folks who live in town that it would be a good idea to lock our doors when we left the house for the next couple of weeks as a person had been seen prowling around and entering some houses. When we were eating, one of the older women mentioned she lost the keys to her house 60 years ago and wondered how she was supposed to lock the doors when she left! Ah, small towns -- I love them.