The Columbus Crew

[KSByer]

Whoa. Almost forgot Siggi's!!! 

[MeadowLily]

 My heart will be with Steve forever.

 

[MeadowLily]

My heart will be with Steve forever.

[MeadowLily]

Flowers fade as the fall comes back 
another year has gone, it's getting colder now 
Leafs on the trees are falling down, 

While I, I'm still in love

Clear blue sky far as the eye can see
the morning you wake it's been snowing in the streets, 
the birds flew south as the winter came to me
While I, I'm still in love

Chours:
Well I miss you, soo much
I miss you, your laugh smile and your big green eyes
I miss you, soo much
Well the years changed a lot, I'm still in love

The sun appears, and warm will come
The grass is all green and now springtime has come
Remember the time you came along
And I, I fell in love

Summer is here with lazy days
i'm driving in my car just to catch a race
the only thing thats missing is your beautiful face
Well I, I'm still in love

Chours:
Well I miss you, soo much
I miss you, your laugh smile and your big green eyes
I miss you, soo much
Well the years changed a lot, I'm still in love

The sun appears, and warm will come
The grass is all green and now springtime has come
Remember the time you came along
And I, I fell in love

Chours:
Well I miss you, soo much
I miss you, your laugh smile and your big green eyes
I miss you, soo much
Well the years changed a lot, I'm still in love

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

[bronnyd]

Wow Meadowlilly looks like you live in a BeaUtiful place!!

 

Homemade sauerkraut is hellaeasy. It's just salt, cabbage and water. Takes very little time and is way cheaper than buying it.

 

I'm right on track - very little chocolate cravings this week. Sunny morning so welcome after the rain yesterday.

 

m1 Hachiya persommin, bacon bits and pieces, small handful sauteed greens

m2 stuffed 1/2 squash with bison, chopped green/mac nuts/dats/carrot mixed in

m3 last of last week's chicken soup with greens

 

Tomorrow or Friday make more roast chicken and chicken soup. I eat the chicken pretty fast in salads and in the soup. 

 

Good Day everyone!

[misslindy]

thanks for the link Bronnyd. I have been making kraut for years but tried to get fancy with it and have had to go back to the basics. I used to put all sorts in and some worked some didn't: cauli, broccoli, peppers, chilli peppers, carrots, garlic, etc. Some turned out great and some were not such a success. I have made it with precut cabbage but I think you need the fresh cut to get all the juice and it is much better. I always have it spilling over so have to have it on a plate or something so the juice doesn't go everywhere while fermenting. Think I will try her coffee filters.

 

Good day so far, except far too cold for summer! We should be having high temps but wind is blowing and it is cold! So much for my daily swim, too chicken to brave it.

[bronnyd]

Wow again, Misslindy -i just realized you're all the way over there in NEW ZEALAND!! Too cool It is winter here in Portland Oregon. When you said "summer" I thought Australia? But then I saw your location NZ. Woohoo! Hope it warms up there. Sauerkraut with carrots and/or peppers sound awesome. I will try it with carrots first. Any suggestions?

[misslindy]

Wow again, Misslindy -i just realized you're all the way over there in NEW ZEALAND!! Too cool It is winter here in Portland Oregon. When you said "summer" I thought Australia? But then I saw your location NZ. Woohoo! Hope it warms up there. Sauerkraut with carrots and/or peppers sound awesome. I will try it with carrots first. Any suggestions?

Can't really tell you much, I just grated them to get the water content. My husband likes the really spicey one, a friend makes absolutely delicious fermented veg and occasionally gives him a jar. I am not as good as she is. I think the idea is to just add what you like, there really is no reason vegetables won't ferment, given the right conditions.

[C_Cezeaux]

Tomorrow will be the last official day of this W30 for me.  I feel pretty good about it, think I accomplished what I set out to do with this one.  Don't know if I'm any lighter, but my gosh I feel better.  And, my exercise habit seems to have a pretty good rooting at the moment.  Just doesn't feel right to let a day go by without some serious exercise.  Trying to give myself a recovery day on Sunday, which has turned into no structured exercise, but I get plenty of steps in because we usually head out somewhere with the dog.

 

Tomorrow we will test to see if I have overcome "hibernation complex" - it's supposed to dump 5-8 inches of snow on us and then drop off COLD in the teens tomorrow night.  Right now it just gives me the urge to wrap in my fuzzy blanket and put on my slippers, lol. With a good cup of tea.

 

I will be staying along with the folks still here, though.  I want to see how your journeys turn out as well.

[KSByer]

Sounds so good, Cynthia! And although I know you've been here one or two or several times before, I am guessing it's always the same feeling of satisfaction. And mental and emotional buoyancy! That's such a priceless feeling. 

 

P.S. I tracked down a Hachiya persimmon today. I'm not positive it's ripe enough yet. I saw where a food blogger had said this type is best when it's mushy inside vs. the fuya that can be eaten even before it's fully ripe. Either way, I'm looking forward to it. 

[C_Cezeaux]

Well.  I am astonished with my results.  A little over 6 weeks in total on W30 did indeed net me a scale victory.  I released somewhere in the vicinity of 8.5 lbs. I say in the vicinity because my scale is digital and has a tendency to add/subtract a few tenths of a lb depending on how I'm standing and where it is placed on the floor.  I usually take the best 3 out of 5, lol.  And, if I forget and place it on one particular tile, I can suddenly lose 4lbs.   Anyway, with my system, any release is great progress so this much gone was amazing for me.  More impressive is the muscle tone I'm starting to regain and the two inches that disappeared from chest and hips and the inch that is gone from my waist.  Tells me I need to work on those abs more though since I've made so much progress on my hips.  I was happy with my results before any numbers entered the picture - bonus!

 

I am still a counter, lol.  Suspect I always will be - not counting calories or ounces of food that I eat, but numbers seem to be a thing with my bunch.  Fairly often I find myself counting the steps I'm climbing, lol.  When my son was 12, he spent about half an hour working out a formula to figure out exactly how many feet per second we were travelling in the car at different speeds.  Sadly, I can usually tell you how many carrots or grapes have been packed in my husband's lunch.

 

I did make it through without succumbing completely to the hibernation complex.  Spent a lot of the afternoon baking things I can't eat for my husband to take to work tomorrow, which made it smell LOVELY in here, but was not tempted to eat them.  It helps that I was using all purpose flour which I can't eat without doing myself damage, lol. 

[mergthemagnificent]

CONGRATULATIONS, Cynthia!! Not only did you get great results from your detmination and good habits, but it sounds as though you have locked them in, YAY! I, for one, can't imagine baking with flour right now...but I CAN eat it, so maybe the temptation is a little too seductive pour moi. I got a chuckle about your counting obsession. I work with a group of demographers, so we are always counting everything..and everyone! However, my food counting tends to go like this: 1 clementine, 2 clementines, 3, or is it 2? Clementines...4...oh, I give up". Thinking of clementines since I just purchased a bag this am.

I also lost weight and inches and am so much more comfortable in my body. THIS is how I want to feel.

I,m feeling the turn now toward the holidays and all the wonderful seductions of being at home in my kitchen surrounded by great food...and preparing it all. There is no doubt there is always TOO MUCH food...but it is still a delight. Have a pot of chicken bone broth almost done now for the base for gravy, and then beef bone broth next to get me through the colder and wetter days here.

Kim, let me know about your new persimmon. Whole foods only had one that wasn't completely soft...I am still a bit leery about buying really soft ones...can anyone reassure me? Lindy, I believe you said that you freeze them?

Off to a football game this afternoon and then a date to pick up our turkey tomorrow So much to be thankful for...including this crew! Bronnyd, you are inspiring me to try fermenting as well! I think this has also been a cooking master class!

[C_Cezeaux]

Lol, Merg, that is EXACTLY why I was using the flour I can't have.  Sometimes I just have to outmaneuver myself.   If I had been using my specialty flours it might have been an entirely different story! Congrats to you also on the smaller size and even more on feeling comfortable!  Isn't it awesome to be comfortable in your own body?

 

Apart from the smaller size and the ever so much better health I've acquired this time around, this 2nd W30 has given me confidence that I'm understanding my food a little better and that as long as I eat this way I will continue moving in the right direction.   I know I will be back for fine tuning and clearing out my system but I think I have lost my scale obsession.  I may have to dust it again the next time it sees the light of day.

 

I am going to try to talk mom out of one of her big glass jars to try that kraut myself.  And the persimmons, since we got the good news yesterday that we are returning home to Texas, I will have Central Market at my disposal again.  I am excited!!!    I've been doing a little reading and it seems I have several varieties to try, so far I've only had the wild ones and one large variety that somebody brought to work.  It was fairly soft consistency inside and was very tasty.

[bpaitsel]

Cynthia - way to go - awesome results.  I'd like to have that tile  you talked about!  I'm hoping that my second W30 in January will give me the same confidence you got.

 

Merg - I checked on you over in Tiger Tots before I came over here today.  Glad to see you are feeling better in every way.

[bronnyd]

YaaaaaY Cynthia! And YaaaaaY Merge! Congrats to both of you for gaining insight into the gut/brain connection. I wish Pickles were still here. It's less about losing weight and more about learning about our bodies/minds  .. the weight loss is like icing on the cake. Glad to hear the scale obsession is down now, Cynthia!! 

 

I don't use a scale anymore - now just pay attention to how I feel/look. Keeps me in my body and less in my head. Once in a while I'll weigh in out of curiosity but for me it can turn into a numbers game and then I lose my insight. And today, although my body is still flabby in the triceps and tummy, at least I feel better!! And I love my body no matter what it looks like.

Back to daily exercise now! I'm inspired by what I've read from Merge and Cynthia and others about their exercise. I fell off the  - er - treadmill so to speak due to grumpy/tired "kill all things"  and quite a few "hard days". But yesterday I went on a 30 min fast walk and did an hour of yoga. Today will be much the same - the SUN it out! 

 

Had a HUGE breaky of scrambled eggs, bacon pieces and collard greens. Yum. 

Going to roast a chicken today. Also off to store to get cabbage for sauerkraut! -- and pork chops too. I bet they're good with persimmons. :)

[misslindy]

Oh My! All the positive activity in here, takes my breath away. 

 

Well done, Cynthia--so pleased for you and your advances. Love reading about your discoveries.

 

Happy for you, too, Merg. What a great results.

 

I wish I could not use the scale, I didn't for so long, like over a year, then started this programme and feel I need to check every so often. I didn't look while on programme and then went to the doctor and was weighed and gained weight but lost inches (sadly not too many) so now my head is all over the place. I have switched to fish twice a day and am hoping that will help. Have resisted weighing but sure am thinking about it, and I will have to hide my tape measure as well. Honestly, I fool myself into thinking I am actually grown up!

 

Today is a baking for husband day, cookies and cake but I can manage that okay. I will also make some Sweet Potato Gratin, do a roast for the week and am going to organize some kefir grains  to make coconut yogurt. I also intend to do some work of my own! So full day here. Have some small jars of sauerkraut ready so we are okay for some time with that. 

 

Talk later, my fish is cooking for breakfast and my insides need to be around it soon!

[C_Cezeaux]

What time is dinner MissLindy??    Up in weight and down inches is a curious thing, are you building more muscle? 

 

bronnyd, they do tell you to take it easy at the start and give yourself a break from the exercise that first week. ;-)  I am bumping up my "recovery day" to day because tomorrow I am packing up the apartment to go home.   Moving is hard work, lol.  When I get to mom's I can certainly do stair climbing and walking, so got it covered that far.

 

bpaitsel, trust me, if you care at all about the numbers the scale is giving back to you, you do not WANT that tile, lol.  Momentarily victorious, only to be bashed the next day by the mysterious "reappearance" of 4 lbs you thought were gone. I give my tape measure much more credit for being honest, lol.  But I'm trying to stay away from it any more than once a month, just to keep track of my progress.  As long as my clothes are fitting comfortably and I feel good, I think I'll be fine. 

[KSByer]

Cynthia-- YAAAAAAAYYY!!!!! And congratulations. I love seeing where we are all appreciating the SVs and the even more the feeling good and NSV's of the W30 program. 

 

And MissLindy, there's something about weighing in at the doctor's office that always seems factually incorrect to me.  I prefer my wobbly tiled bathroom scales in the morning just after I wake up. The fully clothed weigh is never good news for me. So keep the faith!! You are no doubt healing yourself with all of your new life choices. 

 

The Hachiya persimmon did disappoint me a bit. I think I'm a Fuyu girl.  Although I tried to let the Hachiya fully ripen (and it was gorgeous) -- it had an odd texture and wasn't so pleasant as it melted on my tongue-- similar to leftover bits of paper you roll off of a price tag's glue when you're trying to remove it.    I admit, I love the adventure of the new foods even if they disappoint. I spotted quince in the store the other day that I've never cooked with. Also, sunchokes, and cauliflower (which I typically just avoid, but why? I love it!), chard, kohlrabi, and rutabagas which I also love, but never bother to buy. So many whole food ingredients to play with!!

 

I had a whirlwind weekend away with friends in Asheville, NC. They took us to 6 bars and one restaurant in one night.   I was so happy to finally sit down and eat something. Needless to say I veered off the program, but thoroughly enjoyed the company as my husband and I are far too tame to have ventured out like this on our own and we got to see some incredibly cool venues. And while it was happening we felt quite youthful. Then came the morning....   I feel much better today. Back on the straight and narrow until Thanksgiving. 

 

I'm baking my grandmother's famous carrot cake today in preparation for Thanksgiving which we celebrate on Wednesday. Let the cooking and cleaning begin and let me survive this without too much over-indulgence!!!

 

bronnyd, I think you're getting close, right? When does your W30 end? And I bet persimmons are great with pork chops. That's a good combo idea. 

[bronnyd]

Kim and Cynthia, I too don't weigh myself at the doc. It can easily trigger an obsession to "get down" to a certain weight that will register with my clothes on and after eating food. They know not to ask now.

Misslindy, some people are fine with using the scale. Nothing wrong with it really - it's just another tool, but not the end-all answer and I can obsess over the weight as if it's the bottom line. But it's so not. Just an indicator of water retention and release and possibly a wake up tool to say "stop eating those potato chips!" - scales that talk - has that been invented yet???

 

Kim, Not everyone likes Hachiya persimmons because of the texture. I've read an ambitious Hachiya recipes for custard (am sure there are easier ones out there) but haven't tried it yet. I eat mine with a spoon and then slurp the skin down.    I like what you said about all the whole food ings to play with - yes! I'm going to make a "mashed potato" celery root and parsnip for TG as potatoes don't agree with me. But I am going to eat pumpkin pie and real bread and have a little wine. YES only three more days and I've completed my W29. Then I'm back on a W5ish for the next few days and then I'll reintroduce cheese to start. I really miss cheese. 

 

Cynthia, moving IS hard work! Have a safe trip and and hope it all goes well. Hope also your husband REALLY appreciates you as that is a huge gift to bake goodies for your loved one and not have any yourself!

 

Woke up this morning with a stuffy nose and sinus headache. People are getting sick here. I find that when I eat less, I don't get as sick. So up the vit D and A and zinc and C and eat less for a couple three days. I did have a nice breaky of egg (two yolks!!) and sausage and kale. Probably a little more kale and chicken and pickle for lunch and maybe a bit of broth for dinner. Happy Day everyone!!

[misslindy]

Hi

Thanks so much for the comments re: the scale. I have been a bit, make that 'a lot' upset about it all. I keep trying to rationalize it but makes no sense to me so your comments have been so helpful. I still haven't been veering from the path(what a flippin' saint) but am wondering why. Then had an episode of painful muscles from something I ate (on programme) and realized why I am doing this--keeping that kind of pain at bay. I got rid of it in less than 24 hours via bone broth and  increasing other vegetables. So that is amazing.

 

I also am a bit annoyed that no one believes I have been eating what I am eating and doing what I am doing--should be losing weight and perhaps this isn't the right programme, I should be eating less and exercising more is the doctrine. I just get so annoyed with that makes me even more determined to stick to the AI programme.

 

The last few days I have been having some trouble with wanting to eat things I shouldn't and can't decide if I am just annoyed with those around me or it actually that I have reached another layer and my brain is testing me.

 

Cynthia, moving is difficult and hope you have some fun in it all. 

 

Bronnyd: sounds like your TG is going to be great, enjoy that pumpkin pie--I can almost taste it myself. 

[bronnyd]

Haha Misslindy I like your curiosity and reflection about why those cravings are cropping up .. maybe it is the brain "testing" you but I know if I were in your shoes, I'd be feeling a little miffed and hurt by others not understanding and when I feel that way, I rebel and rebelling for me oftentimes means eating something I shouldn't. Keep on, Misslindy!! You are doing the right thing. It IS amazing what you are doing and willing to do - like the bone broth and veggies for pain - was it gut pain? 

 

I went running yesterday and then did some yoga and man it felt great! My sinuses hurt for most of the day but I drank a LOT of water with fresh squeezed lemon, some immunitea and it just went away! Also had nothing for dinner. I know that's not W30 but in this case it was conscious decision to stop this crud. I also wasn't that hungry, which is a big sign. It worked. I feel clear and energetic this morning! Am going to do some morning yoga and then start the day!

 

Had a healthy breaky of two eggs fried in bacon fat, bacon bits and pieces and a handful of sauteed kale. AND a persimmons. Yum.

 

Keep on everyone!! xox

[misslindy]

Bronnyd, I am feeling miffed and angry! so beyond miffed. I am too stubborn to eat something I shouldn't and prove them right so no danger there. But it is discouraging. 

 

Wasn't gut pain, my legs were so sore and my joints, I could hardly walk and woke up at night with the pain several times. Didn't take long for it to go however so that was good.

 

Sun has finally decided to show up in this country so perhaps I will get in the ocean before too long! That is always a lovely lovely way to spend part of the day. Now I will have to arrange life according to the tide-can't swim with no water!

 

I keep getting mixed up about Thanksgiving and missing some days--seems like it has gone on for a long time, maybe just talking about it makes it seem longer than it has been. I just realized you still have a couple days to go!

[delicioza]

HI, just saying hi