BTW, I forgot to ask, how old are your kids?
Mine are an almost 4 year old girl and a 6 1/2 year old boy.
We home school.

Thanks about my dad. Death is so final. My oldest daughter was 4 1/2 when he died. She still remembers him. Anyway, she told me to not cry because he is with God and I can talk to him with my heart anytime I want to. Very sweet. Yes, cancer scares me too. Such a terrible disease and the treatment is no picnic. Anyway, thanks for info. on organic food. I'd like to get back into it. I have 2 girls. One is 5 and the other is 3. I know people that homeschool from my church. Do you go to Elmbrook church? They have a special program for homeschool kids. They get music, art and gym while mom is at bible study. The church also has babysitting for nonschool children at this time. I have a hard enough time keeping the house clean and playing with my girls! I would have a hard time educating them. Thus, my oldest starts kindergarten in a couple of weeks. They are fun. I stay home full time. They keep me busy. We went to Wisconsin State Fair on Friday again. I had a beer!!!! It tasted so good. I also had a pork burger with no bun. I think I did well... no sweets or bread. Are you still doing Induction? I've been doing Atkins for about 4 1/2 week. I try to keep carbs about 20-25. However, my calories are too high. I read about people that eat 1300 calories and feel stuffed. I wish! Angie

Hi. Sorry to take so long to get back to you. Life's been full!
We really aren't big church goers. I understand that a lot of churches are suppporting homeschoolers and I think it's really great. We are a part of a homeschooling group that meets in Mequon.

It is fun being home full time, isn't it? I really feel so lucky every day. Will you go back to work when your youngest starts school? I may start working - just part time - in the next year or two. We'll see.

I know what you mean about still being hungry. I eat so much food with every meal and still have to snack. I am no longer on induction, I've been doing this diet since the begining of June. I do try to keep my carbs pretty low though. I have two salads a day instead of one. Some days I'll have some fruit, too. Mostly berries. And of course, every now and again I'll have something I really shouldn't, like an ice cream bar. I had one just the other day and it didn't taste very good. It was almost too sweet. Never thought that day would come!
Sweets are my biggest weakness. I just love them!

Sorry again for taking so long. Talk to you later!

Hi,
Yesterday was not a good day. I am involved as a volunteer through UWM and international students. I am a host for a woman from Laos. She came over to my house with her Korean roommate. They made ethnic food for lunch. So I ate breaded rice made with sugar and soup with asian noodles. I have had no bread or starch in 6 weeks. However, I can only guess how many carbs that I had yesterday. Very scary thought. However, my husband had left overs so I didn't need to make dinner. Today is a new day and I must admit, I had more energy than normal exercising this morning. Do you live in Mequon? I guess I'm curious why you home school. I know people that homeschool due to religious views and I have heard of people that were unhappy with their school district due to violence and crime. I have read school ratings and Mequon is rated as a great school district. If I'm being too nosy, sorry and ignore my question. Angie

I am so sorry to take so long. I probably am the last person who should sign up to be a buddy. I've never stayed up on any list I've ever joined.

I've been doing pretty well on the diet. I got down to 152 and then back up to 155. I guess that's actually not that great.

We went to Chicago on the train for a day and ate terribly. Tomorrow I'm off to my cousin's wedding and will be out of town for a week. At the mercy of other people's diets. We'll see. My brother has started Atkins (He's lost 18 pounds - he was pretty over weight) and my folks are flirting with low carb, they have cut out breads though they still eat a lot of sugar. They will all be there. My whole family can drink wine like no other, though. That'll be difficult! I'm out of practice.

I don't think you're being to nosy. Actually, talking about home schooling is fast becoming one of my favorite things to do. We do not live in Mequon, we live in Milwaukee. Even if we did live in Mequon we would still home school. The group we meet with just happens to meet in Mequon. The used to meet at the Quaker Friends Meeting House in the city.

Our reasons are rooted our belief that an institiutionalized education will not be able to meet our kids needs as well as we can. It's got more to do with the whole form that school takes. Our days are very unstructured and our kids learn at an amazing rate. I think that kids (and adults, actually) are natural learners and that separating the process of learning from day to day life, doesn't work for us. But, I won't prattle on and on. I could.

I hope you are doing better with the diet than I have. I am guessing that the weight I've gained will drop pretty quickly. It was only one bad day.
how have you been doing? I found a source for grass fed beef and organic bison that are organic. You can buy it at the Cathedral Square Farmers Market. It's cheaper than the Outpost.

I'll check back here in a week.

Hi-
A wedding in Chicago sounds like fun. I like day trips to Chicago. A couple of weeks ago we took our girls to Chinatown for lunch and then went to the city and walked around. I also like to go shooping in Chicago. Michigan Ave. is fun at Christmas time. Most of the stuff is too expensive to buy, but it is fun to look at. As for my weight loss, I'm not sure. I have not weighed myself for a couple of weeks. At that time, I lost a total of 4 pounds. No bread, pasta or sugary treats for me. However, I have had some alcohol, more vegtables, nuts and fruit. Thus, my carbs have increaded from induction level, but I was so tired of meat, eggs and cheese. I also drink diet soda and have Atkins food. In the Spring, I tried on my summer shorts and they were snug. Now, my shorts fit fine. So, I lost inches. My exercise routine has not really changed. My real goal is to be able to wear these black jeans that I have kept for almost 12 years!!! They were my "tight" jeans when I originally wore them. Now, I want them to not be tight. I try them on once a week to see how it is going. They were really tight before. These jeans are still too tight, but looser then before. To have them fit, I need to loose 5 pounds or lose some fat and replace with muscle. I'm more concerned with body fat than the weight on the scale. However, I don't have a body fat scale. My long range goal is to drop a full size in my clothing. I'm 5'6" and the last time I weighed myself was 134. That is my normal weight. That weight is not bad, but I'm small framed and probably should weigh in the low/mid 120s. Most of my clothes are a size 8 some are 10, but I would like to be a size 6. This may be a dream. I was probably a size 6 in 8th grade. It amazes me when I read that people weigh 160 at my height and wear a size 10 or 8. If I weighed that much, I would be a 12 or 14. I guess everyone carries weight differently. Hope all is well for you. I'm glad that we are low carb buddies. Do you have a zoo or museum pass?
Angie

Hi. We're back. What a great time we had. Yes, I cheated like crazy. I stuck to mostly low carb (I was always the one to cook breakfast and that helped!) but added cake and wine. I put on a few pounds but I've gone back to induction now and hope to drop it pretty quickly (Wildly knocking on wood).
The wedding was actually in Rhode Island. We stayed in Connecticut. I didn't work out even one time.
Oh well, water under the bridge.
I'm also 5'6" but have a medium build. When I weight 135 (my goal) I am really thin and wear an 8. I have fit into a 6 but that was a looooong time ago and I'm guessing that it was a 6 that ran large.
I have goal jeans, too, but I'm not even close. I'm a 12 now. Used to be a 14 heading for 16.
What got you started with the diet? For me it was hitting 165. I've done it once before - just when I became pregnant with my son. It upset me terribly. I had just started working out when I became pregnant. I hit 200 during each pregnancy. After my son was born I got down to 150 and it looked good. After my daughter's birth I got down to 140 and looked great! But that weight loss was all stress (We were moving) and breastfeeding. It didn't last.
165 must just be my limit.

I ate a chocolate covered macaroon yesterday at Alterra. I feel guilty, though it was delicious. I was celebrating. I sold a bunch of jewelery to the MAM. I make jewelery - mostly as a hobby but thought I'd just try to sell some. It was pretty exciting.

Hi-
A cookie!!!! Oh well. A few weeks ago, I had some international students over and they made me rice and noodles. I ate it. That was my only "bad" meal since early July. I had no cravings.... One cookie is a big differnce from a whole bag!! Are you a creative person? What kind of jewelry do you make? The whole custom bead thing is very popular. I had one made with my kids names on it. I never made any jewelry, but it looks fun. Yesterday, I had my first low carb candy. It was fake chocolate and fake carmel with nuts. Only net 3 carbs. It was wonderful. I won't keep any in the house. I would be too tempted to eat 10 servings in a day. Oh, you asked me why I started to low carb. Well, I exercise a lot. Almost too much and I want to cut back without gaining weight. It makes me frustrated that I'm not a hot body because I spend my time in the gym. Plus, prior to summer, I put on my shorts and they fit snug. I've worn the same size for years and as I get older it takes more work to maintain. When I do low calorie, I'm hungry. I'll be good for so long, then I binge. Before, bread and pasta were a favorite of mine. Actually, I ate a ton of fruit and cereal but little meat and fat. You know, low fat food. So I decided that I needed a change. I don't know how many carbs I eat, but I have had no bread, real desserts or high carb food. Sometimes I over eat. That is, I eat past feeling satisfied. I also drink some alcohol (it actually is low carb in moderation). However, I am not hungry and feel no urge to binge. My shorts fit like they did before. So I guess it is working. Again, I'd like to go down a size, but I'm not obsessing about it. Plus, I think the protein is much better for building muscle. I need to do that. I wonder if I was spinning my wheels in the past. That is, exercising without eating much protein to make muscle. I'll keep at this low carb eating and see how it goes. Angie

Ah, this was not your average cookie. It was huge!!!! After being on vacation - I cheated quite a bit then - I guess I had extra guilt!!! I had decided that I wouldn't cheat at all when I got back.
I make jewelry with electronic components. It's really fun. I don't think they are all that creative. Mostly just fun. My mother in law talked me into going to the Museum. I thought it was a long shot but they were very receptive. It was good timing because they were short on jewelry and work by local artists.

I've already stopped doing induction. I'm just sick of doing it. I've added more veggies. That's really it. I am also eating fresh figs. They are in season right now and I love them so much. I make an exception for them because they are so good!
I'm afraid of eating low carb candy. I have a major weakness with sweets. I have trouble stopping at just one. I think I would probably inhale them!!!
I drink a little alcohol, too.
It sounds like your weight has never really gotten out of hand. Mine hasn't really either. My weight was higher than I was comfortable with but I never got huge. I actually carried it well and my friends didn't understand why I wanted to lose weight. Or, they were just being nice.
This is the first diet I've ever been on. I used to work out a ton when I was younger and was really thin. It's hard trying to get back into regular exercise. I try to go to the Y a lot. I agree with you that eating protein is better for building muscle.
Have you ever tried Pilates? I really enjoy it.

Hi-
Sorry I haven't responded in a while. I've been busy and had some computer difficulties. Anyway, yes I have done Pilates. I go to a class about 1 time per week. It is really good for core strength. About 1 year ago, I went to a few classes and thought it was too easy. I gave it a try a couple of months ago. Now I think it is hard. It takes time to learn proper form. You exercise at the YMCA. Have you ever taken a spinning class? I sweat a ton. I get so tired of cardio on the machines. I usually take classes for my cardio or I get too bored. How is school going? You homeschool one child and have a preschooler, correct? My oldest started school this year. She loves it, but her teacher is on medical leave and I'm not sure how great the sub is. One day last week, the kids watched a Disney film in the afternoon. What a waste of 90 minutes. I guess I'll just see how it goes. Hope all is going well for your family. Stay away from carbs!!! ANgie

I had the same experience with Pilates. It gets harder as you get better at it. I've never tried spinning. Just looking into that room and seeing people sweating away in a dark room while someone tries to talk them through the exercises really turned me off. Maybe if I tried it, I'd like it. I have started running. It's not really something I ever thought I would do, much less start at the age of 35, but I really enjoy it - once I finish. It's the only exercise that makes me want to pat my self on the back for when I'm done.
I've been pretty good with the diet, I'm down to 153 in the morning. It's my daughter's birthday and this will mean party and cake and ice cream. Yum. My Mother in law's house is a real trap for me. She always has pie, cookies and ice cream in her house and she wants me to eat and eat.
School at home is going well. At this age there isn't much more than playing to do. I'm glad your daughter likes school. How long will her teacher be out on leave. Subs can be really awful; it's a really hard job. Low paying and difficult. I wonder what the sub thought the kids would learn from a Disney movie.
Best of luck. How do you beat temptations? I could use some advice. I'm pretty bad at it. I'm sure I would have lost more weight if only I had more backbone around sweets!

I'm afraid that I have lost a minimal amount of weight. For 2 months I ate 20-25 carbs a day. For the last month, I stopped counting. However, I eat no junk food (sweets or white flour) or real sugar. I eat too many calories. I was hoping to lose weight without counting calories, but I will have to do that. I'll have to eat 20 carbs and eat 1500 calories a day. However, I'm hungry at that amount of calories. It is a nasty cycle that I am in. I exercise a lot. For example, I worked out with a trainer today for 40 minutes using weights then I went to a spinning class for 45 minutes. Then I did some sit ups and stretched out. So intensity is not a problem. I just started using a trainer and I only work out with him on Fridays. Three days a week I work out for about 2 hours (weights and cardio) and 2 days a week I work out for 45-60 minutes. The short days are cardio days. I'll do a step class or a spinning class. Exercise is not the problem for me. Thus, it must be my eating. Genetics must also be a part of it. It actually scares me because I exercise a lot and have an average body. What if I didn't exercise? I eat Atkins food for sweets. I get some fiber from this. I have had no real candy, cookies or white flour products since the beginning of July. Actually, it doesn't bother me not eating this stuff. Starting October 1st, I'm going to count calories and carbs. I must add, that eating this way has resulted in me being in a happier mood. I'm more patient with my kids and that is a good thing. Weight loss would also be great, but a good mood is also a great thing. I just have to get emotionally prepared for calorie counting. Hey, I'm going to the Bruce Sprinsteen concert on Saturday. When I was in high school he was playing in Chicago and I was offered a ticket but my parents would not let me go. I'm now 36 and I am finally going!!!! Congrats on your weight loss. Angie

Wow. That must be disheartening. You do exercise a whole lot. For me it always feels like exercise helps but my diet is the key. I can exercise a ton and see no difference but feel better. I actually worked out regularly for a year before starting Atkins and saw no difference in my weight. I just tell myself that I'm exercising for health more than weight loss.
Some of the stuff I've read makes me suspect people actually need to eat more fat to lose weight. Have you been limiting your fat intake?
Calorie restriction seems such a big step (I've never actually done it). I guess I would worry that I wouldn't be able to sustain it.
If I were you (famous last words, I know - if you don't want any advice you didn't ask for, don't read this part ), I would read some of the other low carb plan books before making any decisions. I've read bunches and while it doesn't work for everyone, it does for most people. "The Metobolic Typing Diet" book is really helpful for tailoring a diet to you. It is not a low carb book, really. It asks a series of questions and based on those answers, helps you figure out what diet works best for you.
Enjoy your concert. My parents never used to let me go to concerts when I was young. Now, I feel to old because it's too loud !!
Best of luck!

Hi,
Yes, I know it seem that I am doing something wrong. As I stated in previous entries, I drink diet soda and have Atkins products. It is known to stall some people and I may one of those. However, I would eat lots of cheese. This also causes people to stall. There are things I could do to adjust my diet. Also, I eat when I'm not hungry. In Atkins, as in all diets, you are to stop eating when you feel satisfied. I eat past this. I'm not binging or eating to the point where I feel I like I'm going to explode. But I'm eating too much and calories still count. A serving size of cheese is 100 calories and is small. I hope that I didn't come across as a whiner. To be honest, I would rather cut back on the amount of food before I cut out diet coke. I'll keep at it and find the right balance for me. Maybe my body is where it should be. I'm in a better mood with is diet and that is good thing. Going down a size is a vain goal of mine. Tomorrow we are having a kid bithday party for my 6 year old at a local gymnastics place. We also have "date" night on Saturday night. I'm not sure what we are doing yet. Nothing else is new. Have a good weekend. Angie