[Cattrix]

Well ok, today was is the first day.. First off I got on the scale. ACK! Last week I was 265, haha today I was 272. But last week I was real careful on the salt intake, and this week my wonderful neighbor brought over a bag of Artisan bread,. which included a 12 large bagels, of various kinds and several big loaves of bread, one with Assiago cheese and another with I think calalmata olives. Well. there ya go. My joints hurt so I know I am retaining water.

Today for breakfast a bowl of oatmeal, with cinnamon 1/3 banana and 1/2 cup of Applesauce.
1 cup of black coffee, and I will not be stopping my coffee consumption or tea, no way no how and that is not a topic I will discuss. I lost almot 200 pounds and never stopped coffee before,, and I'm not about to now, So for me it's not an issue.

But I drank my coffee black this morning and that will take some getting used to.
GACK!

For lunch I will have some rice and fruit. I am going to be drinking 2 liters of water today and do some walkiing.

I have forgotten my ticker pin code so I am clueless how to update my ticker, or even how to get rid of it and get a new one.

Anyway this is the first post on my new regime and new thread.

I have to say I think things seem awfully quiet around here.

Off to check some more threads.

[Cattrix]

I'm proud of myself! I went and made a new ticker thingy and deleted my old one.
Ha! I'm so computer savvy.

Updated and ready to go.

It's 11 am and I'm hungry though,. getting through the first week is always hard.
But I knew that going in and I'm ready to deal.

Maybe a cup of tea.

[MaryW]

That's one thing I've been trying to do when I get the munchies, drink liquid! Water and tea are calorie free and hydrating. And they fill me up at least for a little while. That little while might be all I need for the munchies too pass.

Good luck!

[Cattrix]

MaryW, on 14 May 2011 - 09:32 PM, said:

That's one thing I've been trying to do when I get the munchies, drink liquid! Water and tea are calorie free and hydrating. And they fill me up at least for a little while. That little while might be all I need for the munchies too pass.

Good luck!

Hi Maryw, Thank you.. good luck to you also.

So far I am going pretty good here. I find it helps me to eat my starch and then in an hour or two eat my fruits. I just had a 1/4 cup of prunes and I had forgotten how nice prunes tasted.

at around 4 I'll have my apple. and that should tide me over until dinner.

and water yes.. but I have found for me if I drink to much its not so wonderful, I end up getting dizzy. So I limit depending on how active I am to 2 liters of water a day.

Happy Riceing!

[Cattrix]

Yay! And on to day 2 of getting back to RD eating and I'm down 2 pounds, which of course is water weight..
I was going to try and get in some walking yesterday and never got to it. Today for sure.

Last night I had 2 corn tortillas and a small scoop of a bean mixture of chickpeas and favas that I cooked a few days ago.

I found out I don't like plain fava beans..(doubt Imma going to cook those again) but mixed with the chick peas and blended almost smooth it was tolerable. Kind of like a faux hummus. And I added a half of cup no salt green beans though we're not supposed to on the first day but they sounded good and made the beans less boring.

No breakfast yet, but I plan on Oatmeal and applesauce.

Onward.

[MaryW]

I love fava beans! Very earthy. I used to get them pre-cooked in shrink-wrapped packages at Trader Joe's. Then they stopped carrying them. I would eat them with a heap of spinach and lots of lemon juice. I haven't tried cooking them myself. I hear it's a lot of work.

Two liters of water is plenty to me. I struggle to get that much some days!

[Cattrix]

Woohoo! and of course it's working, I'm down another 2 pounds this morning.

Yay! I am still sure it's just built up retained water. But that is very encouraging.
Still didn't get any walking in other than we went grocery shopping and then to the Goodwill.
I found a nice hippy style black skirt with a white wild flower motif with I think butterflies and a lovely pink cotton blouse for my daughter.

Yesterday food: and I'm going to be listing food here for the first few weeks as it will help me see patterns.

Oatmeal/banana/applesauce
rice and green beans with bit of no sodium chicken curry seasoning.
1 apple
3 slices of Ezekiel bread toasted with strawberry yogurt (plain yogurt with a spoonfull of no sugar jam mixed in)

I need more vegetables.

MaryW,
I might try the precooked Fava's We have a TJ here fairly close.
the ones I used were par cooked and the shells taken off and dried. They were Bob's Red Mill brand. And I didn't like the taste of them alone.
adding cooked chickpeas helped.

I love Chickpeas! Oh yum yum yum.

Ok I have stuff to do today so.. GAHHH I got to get to it.. And I need to get my brekkie.


Happy Ricing

[Leeney]

That earlly weight loss is so encouraging!

About veggies. I make a large container of chopped veggie salad marinated with balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, and/or lemon or lime juice and maybe a Tbsp of olive oil and then live on it for several days. It's a lot of work initially, but then there's always raw veggies to snack on or include in your meals. I try to use lots of cruciferous veggies plus whatever else is around and usually toss in some shredded greens as well. I always do so much better when I eat lots of veggies. When I'm eating at my best...not this past week, that's for sure...I'm picky about my starches and try to use just high protein ones...beans and quinoa...and focus on vegetables.

I will sometimes get fava beans when they're fresh, but it is a lot of work. Usually I buy them dried and just cook them myself. Combined with chick peas they make a great felafel.

[Sarah1466]

I love chick peas too! Love them in my salad! Welcome back! (even though it may be bittersweet!) Keep it up!
I wish I could have that "first week" weight loss again!
Nice Work!

[Cattrix]

Good morning!
Down 3.6 pounds this morning, for a total of 7.2 oh yes.. the first week weight loss is always great.

This is fairly interesting because I have stayed on a comparatively low sodium diet overall. But I am extremely sodium sensitive even if I am being "good" by the normal standards of most Americans diets.

Yesterdays food:
Brekkie,
oatmeal (2 starches) with cinnamon and a splash of non dairy milk. 1/4 cup prunes. and 1 apple that I reserved for mid morning snack.

Lunch:
beans mix (2 starches) with a BIG portion of stir fried Romaine lettuce with 1 dairy (non fat plain yogurt) and curry powder
1 apple as mid afternoon snack.

I don't care for salads, I like cooked greens better and have found that the hardier lettuces can be lightly stir fried for a delicious adding to rice.

Dinner:
Rice and green bean soup. I used leftover white rice and beans with Herb Ox sodium free broth powder and a bit of curry. I'm on a curry kick it seems,
1/2 banana

and I only had 1 liter of my water yesterday, because I dawdled around with it and it got to late in the day. I didn't want to be getting up 5 times during the night. So I'm getting my water down early today.

And I walked only half of what I inteneded, but that was still over half a mile.
Today I'll do my weights or health rider.

No beans for me today. I have been having the rumbly tummy and a lot of gas. Chickpeas don't normally do that to me, so I'm thinking it's the favas or the prunes. Both of which are the only new foods that I just started in with.

I have some wheat berries soaking for a different starch source.

Thanks for the reminder of the Balsamic vinegar Leeney! I like that and haven't had it in the house in ages.
And quinoa is on the list to restock.

Thanks for the Welcome Sarah! I have a recipe for oven roasted chickpeas that can be used for snacking. I put it in the recipe section later. it's very good.

Cat

[Brand_New_Day]

I just wanted to say that I am incrediably impressed with your weight loss. It's great to see someone that changed their life by starting the Rice Diet and that it worked so well for them. It's also nice to see that returning to it can finish the journey to where you want to be.

Beth

[Sparticles]

Cattrix, on 16 May 2011 - 01:51 PM, said:

>and then to the Goodwill.
I found a nice hippy style black skirt with a white wild flower motif with I think butterflies and a lovely pink cotton blouse for my daughter.

Color me jealous! Our last thrift shop closed up a bit over a year ago. You know times are tough when even a Salvation Army store can't afford to stay in business any more. I rarely found any clothes in my size, but jeans for my son and husband, in perfect, like-new condition for only a dollar or 2? Well worth the risk of being seen by neighbors or relatives! LOL

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I might try the precooked Fava's We have a TJ here fairly close.

I'm also not a fan of favas. As for TJ, the closest one to me is about an hour away in crazy dense NJ highway traffic, so we only make the trip about twice a year. I always load up on their rice and grain mixes and those lower salt favorful salsas. Yum!

Quote

I love Chickpeas! Oh yum yum yum.

I could probably survive on potatoes and chickpeas. They're both so delicious even plain.

[Cattrix]

Brand_New_Day, on 17 May 2011 - 02:20 PM, said:

I just wanted to say that I am incrediably impressed with your weight loss. It's great to see someone that changed their life by starting the Rice Diet and that it worked so well for them. It's also nice to see that returning to it can finish the journey to where you want to be.

Beth

Thanks Beth, I tried many different diets and programs before I found RD. I was a salt addict, and it was the worst thing in the world for me. I've actually stayed mainly with the RD theory of a starched based whole grain diet, but I was slipping in too many little treats. Artisan breads, some candy, butters and high sodium condiments.

I needed/need a tight/tighter focus on where I am going. Support here provides that. And I am thrilled and so thankful to be back and among others who know the struggles we face.

I allowed outside pressures to stall me, I kind of closed the door on many of those, so now I feel ready and centered to continue on.
I am excited to see old friends still here and you new (to me) friends!
This common struggle unites us.

Cat

[Cattrix]

Sparticles, on 17 May 2011 - 07:43 PM, said:

Color me jealous! Our last thrift shop closed up a bit over a year ago. You know times are tough when even a Salvation Army store can't afford to stay in business any more. I rarely found any clothes in my size, but jeans for my son and husband, in perfect, like-new condition for only a dollar or 2? Well worth the risk of being seen by neighbors or relatives! LOL

Hi! I remember you,

Glad to be back.
I am so lucky, I have a brand new Goodwill not even a half mile from us, it's not a huge store but nice and packed with things. Prices though have been going up over the last year. But we can find some good bargains still.
I am not much of a shopper and never have been. I'm agoraphobic and still struggle with "going out" even though it has gotten easier for me. For many years I made my own clothing and wore caftans because that is all I could fit into. Being able to wear REAL clothing has been fun, though I'll never be a fashionista. I have my own style and Rock it.


I'm also not a fan of favas. As for TJ, the closest one to me is about an hour away in crazy dense NJ highway traffic, so we only make the trip about twice a year. I always load up on their rice and grain mixes and those lower salt favorful salsas. Yum!


I would love to find a bottled low sodium salsa, I have a TJs close also. As much as I dislike the big city life here, there are advantages. So I'll check Tjs out.


I could probably survive on potatoes and chickpeas. They're both so delicious even plain.

Agreed about the chickpeas. I have to remember to put my directions on the chickpea snacks in the recipe section.

Cat

[Cattrix]

And this is my daily weigh in report,
I'm down 2.8 pounds more. This is really amazing to me in a way, as I must have had a build up of water retention more than I realized, I felt a bit bloated but nowhere near what I had had before. My ankles weren't what I would consider swollen, but I could feel the water in my face and hands.
I really notice as I walk the difference 10 pounds make in my inner thigh area.

Yesterdays food:

Brekkie: Oatmeal, cinnamon applesauce, 1/4 cup prunes.
Lunch: 2 slices Ezekiel bread toasted, 6oz non fat plain yogurt with cinnamon and ground cloves and 1 packet of splenda. 1 apple

Snack: 1 apple

Dinner:

Wheat berries with a stir fry of romaine and frozen peas OH MY GRAVY BOAT this was so good!
The lettuce still had a little bit of crunch and I had wilted the greens in a little cranberry juice with curry and black pepper.

Husband got some balsamic vinegar for me, and some TJs mixed southern greens and we'll have those for dinner tonight.

Did upper body weights and drank 1.5 liters of water.

Today I'm not going with any yogurt because I think it's giving me GAS. lots and LOTS of Gas.. gassy gassy gassy

hahah.. With me there is never TMI

[Cattrix]

This morning I was just down 2 oz. I think the water weight flow off has run its course and now the fat loss begins.
My body is quite strange at times as I seem to hang on to fluid when it's bright and sunny out with warmer weather and let loose of water retention when it's rainy.

Yesterday afternoon I had some nausea, and this happened after I first started the dieta, way back. I had a couple months of a rocky stomach and I hope that this doesn't happen again but that is what it reminded me of. I haven't had breakfast yet and getting a little hungry. But I'm going to wait and eat with the kid.
I stayed away from the yogurt and prunes yesterday, to see if there was less gas. Yes, so today again without yogurt but I'll eat some prunes.

Food yesterday:

Brekkie:
Wheat berries, 1/2 cup and stirfry. with 1/2 banana. Odd breakfast but it was good.

Lunch:
The same as breakfast but I made it into soup.
2 apples

Dinner:
4 corn tortillas Skimmed with a diet marg. steamed in the micro. and 1/2 can of no salt green beans.

*I love tortillas*

My down the street neighbor called last evening and wanted to know if we would like any more bread. Her church gets donations of artisan day old bread from a bakery and the church members can take whatever they want and pass on.
Now one of my *stumbling blocks* lately has been *that* bread. She asked if we could use several loaves and I wanted to say no not this week but my husband loves that bread and I said yes to just one small loaf. I stashed it in the freezer as quickly as possible. And when I make the next batch of soup, husband will have some bread with it. Now we will see if I can resist it when it gets unthawed.

Lots of going up and down the stairs yesterday, and I swept and did some work on the front porch but no real exercise. The kid is out with her CIP this afternoon so I am *going* to do my walking. I'm holding off on my Aleve, until after lunch so it will be more comfortable for me. Freaking arthritis.
I have a lot of things to get done today so I have to get on those.
Have a good day Everyone!

Cat

[Leeney]

Hope the tummy troubles are just a fleeting thing.

Is the Artisan bread sliced, Cat? If so, just have hubby take out however many slices he wants and leave the rest frozen. If it isn't, maybe next time you could slice it before freezing it. Works at my house!

I'm glad someone else on here eats strange combinations like I do! I usually don't post what I eat...(I have a favorite breakfast that I like to call 'pond scum smoothie!')...fraid I'd be laughed off the forum

[Sparticles]

Leeney, on 19 May 2011 - 08:44 PM, said:

Is the Artisan bread sliced, Cat? If so, just have hubby take out however many slices he wants and leave the rest frozen. If it isn't, maybe next time you could slice it before freezing it. Works at my house!

Over here, too. Even the loaf of Ezekial bread, already sliced, goes straight into the freezer. If I have to thaw a whole loaf of uncut bread, that whole loaf gets eaten, more out of guilt than hunger. You know the excuse, "If I don't eat it it's going to go bad and that's a waste of good food."

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I'm glad someone else on here eats strange combinations like I do! I usually don't post what I eat...(I have a favorite breakfast that I like to call 'pond scum smoothie!')...fraid I'd be laughed off the forum

Please post them! Over on the McDougall forums (no added fat starch based - similar to Rice Diet but without the portion size or salt restrictions. Dr. McDougall recommends the Rice Diet to what he calls "volume eaters" - people like me who really need portion size restrictions) I see combinations worse than that. Some of the smoothies those people put together make me gag just thinking about but they love 'em and say they taste fantastic.

Besides, I love to see what and how much other people on the dieta are eating - it gives me ideas. I get so afraid of doing things wrong that I stick to eating as plain as possible with easily measured ingredients. Things like soups and stews, especially the recipes in the Rice Diet cookbook, with those 3/4 and 1/8 exchanges per portion, drive me batty.

[Leeney]

Quote

Please post them!

Pond Scum Smoothies:
I start with green tea, about 1/2 c for one serving
usually put in 1/2 frozen banana for smoothness
and then toss in the veggies. Always some greens, spinach, chard, kale or something leafy (a heaping handful or more), then any other veggies I have around. This morning it was cauliflower, green pepper, cuke and carrot, either cooked or raw
plus my rice protein powder, about 14g worth
quinoa and hot sauce These are optional. I might also just leave them out and put in another fruit...kiwi is good, as are apple, and berries
Oh, and some kind of fat, like a slice of avocado or t of flax seed oil to help with the absorption of vit A and other oil soluble vitamins

I don't usually put in grains or beans, but if I have them around, I might put in 1/4 c or so.

I do all this in a Vitamix blender which makes it really creamy and smooth. Not sure what the result would be in a regular blender. This is not a sweet, 'yogurty' smoothie, although you can make it sweeter by adding more fruit. My aim is to pack as much nutrition as I can into a simple meal that is also portable. I usually have half of it for breakfast and finish the rest after my workout.

I don't think I ever make this the same way twice, so this was just a recent example. Another favorite is pineapple, kiwi, spinach and broccoli sprouts. Play with your food!

I'll try to remember to post more food stuff, but gotta go...gym time

[Cattrix]

Leeney, on 19 May 2011 - 08:44 PM, said:

Hope the tummy troubles are just a fleeting thing.

Is the Artisan bread sliced, Cat? If so, just have hubby take out however many slices he wants and leave the rest frozen. If it isn't, maybe next time you could slice it before freezing it. Works at my house!

I'm glad someone else on here eats strange combinations like I do! I usually don't post what I eat...(I have a favorite breakfast that I like to call 'pond scum smoothie!')...fraid I'd be laughed off the forum

hehehe No the bread is just a rustic loaf, and I shoved it in the freezer very quickly to avoid temptation.

I'm going to be making a soup for the man and kid tonight, typical end of week leftover conglomeration so the bread will be coming out and my husband can eat half a loaf himself. It's not a huge one, and he'll be working tomorrow so he can take the rest with him. I have Zeekie bread.

I am going to I think, buy a bread maker and make my own no salt to low salt high fiber bread. We used to have one but I wore it out years ago and we never replaced it.

BUT. We belong to a program here called the Community Basket, you pay a small subscription fee and then once a month you pick up a box of groceries. Usually there is a couple loaves of bread called Dave's Killer Bread. Organic, whole grained, high nutrition bread that is wonderful but it does have 180mg to 200 mg of sodium depending on the type. I love it.

Some of the things that we get in our allotment are not eatable for me. Canned soups, sometimes cookies and other highly processed foods. But we also get fresh organic veggies and fruits. A few months ago we got a FLAT of Blueberries, they were south American and so good.

I made blueberry sauce with half and froze the rest just to put in oatmeal and baking,

Leeney, No one would laugh at you for odd food Combos!

Post away.

Cat

PS And so far the stomach upset hasn't returned. Yay!