[bizi]

day 3 is almost out the way.
Ash wednesday started lent.
So am trying to live my life healthier.
No alcohol until easter.
I am hoping to drop at least 10 pounds.
No snacking after dinner.
Will try this intermitant fasting....my therapist lost 68 pounds just eating with in a window of time. I think my time window will be from 11am to 7pm. That is a 16 hour fast.
I will also lower my carb intake when able. and portion control...this has to make sense if I will be able to follow this diet.
I weighed 185 this morning...hoping to be 175 by easter.
wish me luck.
bizi

[Sunflower123]

Good luck bizi! You can do it! I like the fasting idea and think I’ll try eating within a window of time myself. Thanks for posting about that.

Hey Bizi,
I'm definitely trying to be healthier myself. I'm cutting out soda from my life, and it's gonna be painful, but worth it. As we a both Catholic, it is what I'm giving up for Lent. (again) . I've devised a plan to lose weight -- I'm not fat per se, I'm on the high end of my healthy weight range, but it's more than I have ever weighed, and it all centers in my lower belly ( the beer gut), and it's from all the soda I drink, I know that. I don't overeat and so portion control isn't a problem, but for awhile I'm gonna watch that to.

I'm trying weight watchers -- I want to lose about 15 lbs and I hear their system is forgiving (You can splurge a little during the week) and motivating. It incorporates exercise as well. I'll try to do more of that too-- that'll help, but I'll have a hard time committing to that, it's not fun hahaha.



As far as eating in a time frame-- my mom does that. She doesn't eat past 6pm. (or when she decides to have dinner, which may be around 5pm). She says it is hard at first but you get used to it.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck! I know you can do it. We're gonna be strong in this-- we're starting strong and on a good foot and we're gonna finish strong!

[bizi]

Thank you brentus!!!!
good luck with your diet...I really do have a beer gut from drinking fattening beers for the past 3 years.

Slept in late and saw one client today in the morning,
I am very fond of her.

This morning I weighed 182.5.
This was my first day Intermittent fasting
here in after referred to as: "IF"
We went to chris po boys for lunch like normal.
We had lunch at noon , chicken and sausage gumbo and
a big bowl of cabbage with a remulade dressing.

After lunch I had my hair colored and cut short.
This is the shortest it has been in a long time.
While there I drank unsweetened hot tea. I like the cut.

I had an ounce of cheese before dinner at 5:30 beef chili
with onions, mushrooms and a few black beans.
It had a small amount of cheese and sour cream.

Tonight while watching an episode of LOST...I did not snack.
I had some hot tea. And now I am drinking a diet rootbeer.
Both sweetened with stevia, a natural sweetener from a plant.
It is the only sweetener I use, so when I say 'diet"
this is what I mean so I don't keep repeating myself.

After dinner I layed down for a while and rested.
Then we went to a concert on campus.
There were students playing Traditional music,
blues, cajun, and bluegrass.
They played pretty good. It was entertaining.

4th day alcohol free=AF

Am headed to bed early, stayed up till 1am last night
then could not get to sleep until 3 so that is why I was tired today.

bizi

[bizi]

I canceled my mammogram on friday because my breast/ribs still bothered me.
Did not want to take the chance of getting hurt from the squishing machine. Plus it was early at 8 and I was very tired so went back to bed.
I hate day light savings time. This morning I Got up at 10;30....lost an hour.
Made a pot of coffee and can believe it is almost noon!
weighed 183.2
bizi

[bizi]

Am very proud of myself this evening.
I ate well today, Only eating from 12;30pm to 6;30pm
No snacking after dinner. I won't eat again
until 11;30 tomorrow morning, a 17 hour fast.
Went to the gym and walked a 5K.
Came home and took a shower,
Did not pick the pimple on my red nose.
Took all of my supplements and meds.
Remained alcohol free.
bizi

[bizi]

One week into lent....whew!
still AF.
It helps me to actually say to myself, it is ok to want to drink, to acknowledge that thought.
Knowing that I am not going to act on that thought. It is just a thought!
Tonight I was going to go out for a beer, put my sweater on and decided that I did not have the guts to go out when I promised myself that I was not going to drink during lent. And I have already lost a few pounds, my goal was to be 175 by easter.
sigh
bizi

AF is SUCH a help with weight loss, maybe it's a good thing to run through your head at such times to help strengthen your resolve. And you're right -- they're just thoughts! Congrats on resisting!

Just wanted to say I've lost 1.8 lbs! (and probably gained it back with the reese's eggs I ate -- which somehow always taste better! ( I think it's more peanut butter than chocolate )) . I hope your alcohol free life is going well bizi!

[bizi]

Originally Posted by Brentus

Just wanted to say I've lost 1.8 lbs! (and probably gained it back with the reese's eggs I ate -- which somehow always taste better! ( I think it's more peanut butter than chocolate )) . I hope your alcohol free life is going well bizi!

congratulations on you almost 2 pound weight loss.
remember one pound equals 4 sticks of butter!
That is 3,500 calories. You have to eat 500calories less each day for 7 days to lose one pound.
so one little reeses eggs is not going to put back your weight loss.
I have 2 thin mint cookies after dinner. or chocolate every night.
WE have to make this work. I will be dieting for life.
bizi
AF life is what it is.

[bizi]

today marks 10 days AF and Intermittant fasting diet. It is a lowerish carbs and only eating during an 8 hour window. my weight is 183.5 this morning. ten days ago I weighed 190.8.
so some of that is water weight loss and bloating from drinking so much.
But I am glad the numbers are going down again. I yo yo my weight so much and this is hard on my body, it is a fact that I lose weight when I don't drink, and regain when I start drinking again. I keep doing this!!!!
We had crawfish last night, it was very good!!!!! First of the season. Also had some char broiled oysters, yum. Mine had hot peppers(jalepeno) and bacon and cheese.
They were delicious! It was a very expensive dinner out.
Tonight is trivia night. I have not given into my cravings thus far and don't plan on it tonight either.
Plan on doing taxes this weekend, it is not hard just time consuming gathering up receipts and adding up numbers to put into the program tax act. Have used them for years. They make it easy just answer questions and they fill in the forms as you go along.
I have had the morning off to make phone calls and request dr. orders etc. I really need to take a shower...which I hate as you know. I make it a bigger deal but it is what it is.
I have left over meat balls from wednesday that I will eat at home, my next appointment is for 1pm and is close by so that will be easy to get to.
I hear the fax machine going off, that is music to my ears....that means I have signed orders coming in.Yay!

Just get in the shower!!!!!!
bizi

[bizi]

I survived not drinking at whole foods tonight because I ate a big dinner there of sausage and rice soup/cup and about a cup of blueberries and then 2 small chicken thighs....a bit later I ordered a side salad and that took a while to eat so that was good. I drank 64 ounces of water while there, I must have needed it as I have not gone to the bathroom that much.
I do feel somewhat bloated, I did not drink that much water today like usual.

I had a scare today. My one oclock client did not answer the phone when I called to tell him I was running a few minutes late. So when I got there his truck was parked in the driveway. I rang the door bell and peeked into the house where I could. I was afraid he was on the floor. His dogs are gray hounds and were sleeping, I could not see anyone, there was an upstairs that I could see the stairway. His wifes car was not in the garage, so maybe he was with her.

I called my husband and asked him if he thought I should call the police, he could be on the floor. We decided to leave that he was with his wife. I called his phone again and said that I was afraid for him and for him to call me As soon as he could. I called both major hospitals to see if he was in the er or admitted. nope.


He called me a bit later to tell me that his wife took him to lunch then he had Physical therapy. I had called him the night before to remind him of our appointment. He said he forgot today.
I was so relieved to hear he was ok. But felt upset that he forgot our appointment. oh well I will see him later next week.
bizi

[bizi]

A couple of months ago our cat had a tumor on her back removed and it was found to be cancerous. The vet said he thought that he removed it all and had an 80% chance that he did and a 20% chance that he did not. He said it was an aggressive tumor once he got the pathology report back.

We decided we would take his odds, thinking they were pretty good odds in her favor.
She was terrified with the ordeal....going back and forth to the vets office etc. We decided that we would just keep her home and not ever take her back to the vets office again.

last time the skin above it opened and became an abcess and that is why we took her in, we thought it was just a fatty cyst. We were wrong.
He told us the next step would be to go to baton rouge 80 minute drive from here where the vet school was. He said there would be extensive surgery required ribs etc. And told him we did not want to go that route.

Unfortunately the tumor has come back.
WE don't know what to do.
Hattie is happy and playful doesn't appear to be in any pain.
The tumor keeps growing and we need to decide what to do from here on. Do we just wait until it breaks open again????
Maybe we should take her to a different vet?
sigh
bizi

[bizi]

Yes st. pattys day sneaked up on me too. We don't celebrate it though I should since I am irish. lol But I have been abstaining from alcohol during lent for a few years now. So it is hard to celebrate with out alcoholl, at least for me.
Jeff is going to an event at a brew house where they are releasing a new beer.
It is out of town about a 45 minute drive. His friend Mike and his wife Lisa are picking him up. Lisa will be the designated driver. There is also music trivia this evening that they really like...they are all musicians and they do pretty well.
You get a free beer for every correct answer that you get as a team.
So that is fun! I am not going.
This new released beer is 23% alcohol....unheard of!!!!

Budweiser beer is 5%. So drinking one beer is like drinking almost 5 beers!!!!!

The men are so excited to try the new beer. It is called techticles. The craft brewery is on the bayou tech(think slow moving flow of water) and that is the name of their brewery.

I am not going.
The weather is cold out and you know how I don't like to be cold.
This would be outside.....and I do't want to be around a bunch of people drinking and presumably getting hammered.

I will stay at home and do my taxes, and make calls gathering info about my clients so that I can continue getting orders on all of my clients. This is a slow process. I still have2-3 months of this until I start getting repeat clients visits. I am still getting organized and it has been almost 6 weeks since I started all of this.
For the most part I have been able to get doctors orders except for a few.
This weekend I need to refax those drs who gave me verbal orders but not signed ones faxed back. They should sign my requested orders with in 2 weeks of the verbal order.
So taxes and paper work are the agenda for this weekend.
I am in my jammies still. Weigh 181.6 this morning.

bizi

Sounds like a good choice, bizi.
I just had somebody do my taxes (I'm utterly incompetent at it) the other day. It's always such a relief to be done with them. Hope it all goes smoothly for you.

[bizi]

Thanks Innerzone!
bizi

[bizi]

Happy Saint Patricks day!
It was a good day!
I slept in late which always feels good.
Sometimes my arthritis acts up
and I feel like I have to get out of bed, but not today.
We had a late lunch at the diner..
I had a Bacon, lettuce, tomato and egg sandwich on rye bread.
It was delicious!
Did a load of laundry folded and put away.

Happy to say that I finished my part of our taxes.
Jeff needs to do his side job business profit loss statement.
He hardly earned any money extra so that is good,
we won't have too pay much in extra taxes.
After it is all said and done, we should about break even.
Will get a refund from federal and pay it to state.
For the paste 3 years I have gotten confused by the
HSA, health savings account. I don't know what I am doing....
I just answer questions that the program asks of me.
Guess I don't have to understand it.

We fixed a good dinner of chicken medallions with a peanut coconut sauce
(we use these premade simmering sauces) and just added some more peanuts
and a side of mixed veggies.
Dinner was very tasty and we cooked together which was nice.

Finished 17 clients billing and then some charting.
My day starts earlier than I like.
First client is at 9am. I told Jeff that I was not going to
have any appointments before 10. I need time to fax Doctors orders
and make phone calls.
He understood.
I also don't like to have to get up early.
It is my business after all.
Work has been slower this past month, which has been good in a way.
It gave me time to get my business in order and establish a routine.
Plus I like to check on my friends here several times a day.

We are planning an 80th birthday party for my mother she turned 80 in feb.
And we have been trying to come up with a date that would work for everyone.
Dad is going to check on the availability
of the notre dame club house for saturday July 6th.
Hoping that people can come, there should be about 40 people.
It is going to be an open house from 2-4 with nice finger food served.

Jeff and I watched a LOST episode which we thoroughly enjoy!.
I will repeat myself:
It was a good day!
bizi

[bizi]

major cravings today.....
So I ate a diet fudge bar, had a bunch of wasabi almonds, ate 2 slices of ham, drank a diet root beer, had dinner of talapia and green beans. a girl scouts thin mint cookie, 1 other girl scout cookie smores I think, another root beer. I had this all before 7:30 my 8 hour window. Then I sucked on suger free hard candies, they have sugar alcohol and your not supposed to eat too many of them. I am very bloated right now. I think I had 6.
For lunch I had veggie lasagna and a big bowl of tomato lentil chicken soup.
It was delicious. Today was a high carb day.
But I survived the day and beat the cravings.
bizi

[Fuzzybear]

((((((((( Bizi )))))))))

[bizi]

Thank you fuzzy bear!
Hope you have a better day today!
((((HUGS)))))
bizi

I have been having major urges these past few days...have been able to curb them by substituting other gaba stroking things...or what ever chemically rewarding things....don't know the chemistry behind what I am saying but I used diet root beer and gum and getting on line to ignore my cravings and it worked.

(I did not snack this time which is good because I am dieting and that defeats the whole purpose for not drinking).
I made it officially 2 weeks now, weighed 181.3 this morning...sigh
up a couple pounds down a couple pounds.
The salty alfredo did not help last night.

Plus I am not drinking enough water!
bizi

[bizi]

Thursday night we went to an opera at the university.

It was opening night fun, a comedy.

For lunch friday, I ate a stuffed flounder and had a bowl of brocolli and cheese soup it was delicious, I came late and they had saved me a serving!!!! I had mentioned it in a face book post that I was coming late. They spoil me because I am a good customer.

Last night we went to the out door concert at Down town alive.
WE listened to some great music and vocals by evette landry and rodney romero and even danced a bit. Think honky tonk, folks/cajun music.

Hard to describe.

We are awful dancers but had fun which is all that matters.
Friday night: I ate too much. Shrimp ettoffee and fried catfish. There was alot of sauce and rice which I did not eat it all as it was so much food, jeff helped me a bit and threw away the rest. So that was good. I ate with in my 8 hour window of time so am still Intermittant fasting.


180.9 this morning and steady. I have been hovering around 180 for a week now. Would like to see 179 soon.

Will really watch the carbs this weekend....

This morning had my car looked at as my air conditioner is broken. Firestone could not diagnose the problem so they did my requested oil change and tire rotation and I will have to take it to the dealership.

I will have to rent a car.
sigh

Just what I don't need to do, and sounds like it could be very expensive to fix. We had already been talking about me trading in the car for a new one. They won't take it if the a/c does not work! I already miss it as we have been having sunny days which heat up the car so I roll down the windows to get the air flowing. It has worked great so far. Unless I get a hot flash then I am just sweating.

Have not heard from the lawyer, but remain busy getting doctor orders on my clients. Am trying to work on them about 10 days in advance to obtain orders. So far it is working. It is a pain but necessary. I have received 130 Orders from doctors so far and that makes me feel good. I am having difficulty in obtaining orders from this one nurse practitioner. I guess I will have to fax to her the 3 page document laying out the need for orders.

She doesn't think I need them.
sigh
Slept in late today, felt good.
Need to get ready for the day.
WE are going to the symphony tonight, we were given a voucher for reduced price tickets so we shall see if we can get a good seat.
Jeffs banquet is in a month. I really don't have anything to wear that fits me.

sigh
Which makes me think I need to go shopping which I hate doing.

sigh
I have some kolhs gift cards from christmas that I can use.
I do have a flashy leopard/ gold and copper shirt....I don't have any pants dressy enough. I hate buying clothes when I know that I will lose this weight. Let me try on some clothes way back in my closet, maybe I do have a larger pair of black pants that I can wear. If I do then I have an outfit and don't have to shop!!!!!

Sunday there is a jazz violinist concert to go to in the afternoon.

So this is a musical weekend!

I have some paperwork that I need to do, Filing and charting.
Things will settle down when I finally see every one of my clients and have obtained their MD's orders.

Make it a great weekend!
Bizi

[bizi]

I have remained alcohol free since march 6th ash wednesday.
My weight then was 190.8 and today I weigh 179.3, so am eating right and not obsessing over carbs or calories and also doing intermittent fasting eating in an 8 hour window is really working well for me. (No breakfast nor snacking after dinner)
My first client canceled they are out of town. Will reschedule when they return.
I have finally caught up for the most part with Dr. orders. (I have over 130 written providers orders so that feels good).

Even so, I am very upset....a nurse practitioner will not give me orders. She refuses even though the patients families want me to continue my services. She can provide foot care for them but doesn't do pedicures.(wash feet etc.) I faxed over a 3 page document from the state board of nurses requiring me to obtain orders from a provider. I will have to call the clients family members to ask their assistance. I have my own liability insurance....maybe the clients family members can call her????
sigh
bizi

[bizi]

I found out the condensor was damaged and cause of the freon leak.
It is going to cost $1000 to fix, it goes on our line of credit.
cheaper than a new car of course!
I forgot to tell you.
Our neighbors cat got locked up in my car over night by accident.
The next morning I open up the car door and there is a faint smell of cat pee.
oh no!!!!!!
I smelled around the entire car and could not smell the area she peed.
Sigh
maybe a new car is in my future.
bizi

[bizi]

I have been drinking these diet zevia drinks. sugar free and sweetened with stevia instead. They are very sweet and satisfying. I think I drank 4 of them last night. the carbonation makes me feel like I am having a beer if that makes any sense.
They only cost $3.99 for a six pack....cheaper than one beer out.
I chew a lot of gum....I mean a lot!
I have a big wad of it, I chewed that last night doing some paper work and listened to Jerry Garcia and the grateful dead, 1970's music: funky.

Feel that I am getting somewhat caught up.
Slept past my 7:30am alarm, did not feel ready to get up just yet. So slept about 20 minutes more then got up. I have arthritis in my feet too. So my feet are really stiff when I first get up. I hobble to the bathroom then they are fine. So I am thankful for that.

Have to leave the house at 9am so that leaves me roughly an hour to get ready and drink another cup of coffee.
My rosacea is acting up....my nose is red and bumpy, pimpley. I put concealer on it during the day to hide it but I think that is irritating it.
I use vit c serum in the morning, supposed to help with that issue. Last night I put benzol peroxide on the tip...I think it is less red...I don't know.
Am hoping to get my car back today. Hate this rental, It smells like old food, and is stained badly. Who ever rented this car before me really did not care about it at all.
The check out worker said she would give me a 10% discount because it was so stained. I am going to have to figure out who will help me get my car back. Both the dealership and the car rental place close at 6pm. They are about a half hour drive between each other.
Just spoke with hubby. He will be able to help me!
Great!
I will need to reschedule my last client of the day though but that should not be a problem. I am hoping my car will be ready.
Have good day yall!
179.1 this morning.
20 days AF.

[bizi]

I looked at my yo yo weight gain and loss over the past 3 1/2 months...
My highs have always been surrounding drinking periods.

12-16-18= 170.8 Before christmas break
1-7-19= 187.8 After christmas break
2-23-19= 179.6 before mardi gras...2 weeks of partying
3-6-19= 190.8 after fat tuesday(mardi gras)
3-28-19= 178.5 3 weeks alcohol free for lent.
that is 12.3 ponds lost in 3 weeks.( I had gained 20 pounds in 3 months!)
Even with the weight lost, I am still up 8 pounds since before christmas break.

A year ago I weighed 175.
Even though that is only a 3.5 weight gain for the year...
I look so much heavier. I have a beer gut when I did not have one before.
And I know this will be the hardest area to lose weight!

Even so, being that heavy, I know that some of that was the bloat
from drinking so heavily so I really was not 190.8
but it was a real eye opener to see that number.
I had not been that heavy in 18 years!
The bottom line is that I lose weight by not drinking.
I make better food choices and am able to do an
Intermittant fasting diet by not eating nor drinking past dinner.
Not drinking is the answer to weight loss for me.
on an unrelated note:
Heard that my insurance company were not going to reimburse any of my claim from the rock taking out my sensor/air conditioning. They charged me $1080...they said it was a $500 job so the dealer ship way over charged me. They might cover my rental car for $100. We will see.
bizi