Life Beyond FOOOD!

[Shasha]

{hi} there Cyberella & EVERYONE ELSE!!!

Now, where were we? ???? :thinking:

Oh yes... a nice soak in the tub?? Bubbles... candles... soft music... sipping Sprite Zero from your Champaign glass eating mango or kiwi or a fruit salad with both? ...

Have you ever noticed how most of our lives revolve around food? It seems to be such a part of every day entertainment: When we're happy, when we're sad, when we're joyful, when we're mad... we always seem to celebrate with food...

Now when you are on diet it can become a bit of a challenge to think differently and to consistently act differently... BUT... If you want a different result from what you have always had, you have to sow a different action from what you have always sown...

So, now I want to hear from all of you...

I'd like to know about your HOBBIES... ??
What are the things you like to do... ??
Things you may have forgotten that you like to do... ??
Things that you've never tried, but always wanted to do... ??

Today's Guest of Honor will be Cyberella, because every Chef needs to have more than just one hobby...
...but I'm asking everyone to please share their precious peals and ideas...
... whoever logs on first: please GO FOR IT!

I want to know the nice things that you do (or that you want to do) so you can keep your mind off food while allowing your body the time to become skinny! :flirt:


{wave}

[cyberella]

{hi} shasha and all other sisters and brothers in arms!

thank u 4 inviting me over and yes, iz good 2 have hobbies- eventhough i hardly have time 2 carry them out.

thank god i dont have 2 work as a chef as i was lucky enough 2 learn some other professions, 2.

and iz not about food being my only interest, but once it is regularized and limited i realize -as u said- how much its there 2 comfort, 2 celebrate, 2 share, 2 compensate, 2 not feel lonesome, 2 reward, 2 delay action, 2 avoid decisions, 2 not take a stand/a step/part in life..
u name it!

food is also a friend and a substitute or cry 4 love... :crying:
sweet and starchy meals r also able 2 (at least 4 a while) ease tension in the "emotional body".. (the TCM says)

and in times of happyness, success and satisfaction i'm not so dependent on food, but at present i dont feel like partying really..
exept 4 my 2 year old baby who happens 2 b the light of my life, not much seems 2 make sense right now..
i'm still on maternity-leave and stay home with elias, awaiting my 17 year old in the afternoons 2 find out more about the insanity of adolesence...
both kids i'm raising alone and that puts quite a strain on me at times.
but anyhow- life's great and the tides change every now and then-- i'm on my way 2 make a change, 2!
and looking 4ward 2 that...:dance:

now, if i find time between cleaning, cooking, washing, running errons, taking care and playing 4 & with the boybee & after hanging out in this forum,
i love 2 do yoga, 2 sing (at weddings with my gospel-quartett), do play act with the theatre-group i'm in, 2 go jogging & swimming, inlineskating, take walks through the woods nearby, have friends come over, or just love 2 take the ..no not bubble, but: alkaline bath, 2 help fight cellulitis and reduces toxines in the tissue (oh, god, i'm always so reasonable)- well, not really, cause this kind of bath one has 2 take 4 at least an hour and thaz where my books come in2 the game- as i love 2 read about spiritual and psychological stuff !!
i'm not really bored, i tell u!
but food is guuud stuff, anyway anyhow anytime!!
{rofl}

[iggyjoh40]

Hmm, I have 3 kiddos and they keep me rather busy for the most part. I work at home as a Medical Transcriptionist and have decided that when I reach my goal weight, I might need to find a new career as this sitting down job day in and day out is not a good thing!

My 15 y/o is in HS and she is in the band{band}, so marching band, concert bands keeps us rather busy. My 12 y/o is in MS and is a friend magnet and that alone keeps him busy - he amazes me though because when we go to church he always seems to have 1 or 2 that want to tag along. Then my 7 y/o is in 1st and he's my most social and just a chatter bug, he's getting ready to play T-ball again and he also has a way with words - He watches everything his dad and I put in our mouth and will ask if we're allowed to have certain things. He's even changed some of his own eating habits, which is truly inspiring.

We watched the Super Bowl here at home, and instead of the usual chips, etc., etc., we bought some crab for supper as our special treat and had veggies.

I myself when I'm not typing for my job, like to piddle on the computer, like doing photo things for others and making DVD's with photos, etc. Might consider doing that as a business, but not 100% on that yet. :praying:

Hope everyone has a successful week! :peace:

[Shasha]

{hi} Everyone... especially Cyberella & Iggie & Mrs Peel

So nice reading all about you's all... WHAT A BLESSING TO HAVE FAMILY!!! You both have such full, busy and rich lives: YOU GIRLS ARE SO BLESSED INDEED! It's a whole lot to be thankful for...

We are all just chatting here… - all diet buddies, in this thing together, to motivate support and love each other along the way... and with that said, I was reading up on something that Cyberella said... About the thought of 'not being such a spoilt little brat and taking everything 4 granted by being overloaded (in every aspect) by consumption...' the next note I read had the word 'deprivation'...

Cyberella, you’re no brat, I can tell!!! I called this up because what you said triggered some thoughts in me… deep thoughts…

I was suddenly reminded of a part of a movie that I saw over the weekend, it was about the life of Mother Theresa... the lady who did so very, very much to help the poorest of the poor - her whole life was dedicated to this.

There was a part at the end of the movie where she looks at how the Organisation is running that was suppose to help her to be more efficient and she just disbanded the organisation in one moment. They were all talking bla bla bla and she looked around at the venue, asked the chap sitting next to her how much one bottle of this fancy water costs, he replied $3 - she looks at the room with all the little bottles standing on the table and everyone going bla bla bla - she said: $3? – For $3 I can send a child to school for a whole year in India...

Did that ever put perspective into my life!!! I said to my hubby: We have soo very, very much in fact one could say that we have too much! Most of us do not NEED 1/2 of what we do have... we should just give some away... Not that we live in luxury, but, compared to some, we have SUPER ABUNDANCE! :embarrassment:

I'm not saying we should become nun's... but why when we have so very much do we ever feel deprived???

The reason I shared the Mother Theresa story with you is because I want all of us to guard against 'deprivation thinking'... we need to keep dieting in perspective: THIS IS FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY... NOT FOREVER :D IT'S ONLY FOOD...

When being on Diet it can become so easy to focus on what you cannot eat that you forget about what you can… it’s like that in other areas as well… I believe the key is your focus and do you have an attitude of gratitude???

Yes indeed, Cyberella it is like you say, part of the diet challenge is to focus on WHAT YOU DO HAVE and on WHAT YOU CAN ENJOY and I like the idea of making a feast of every little bit and enjoying it to the full! What a celebration that will be…

WHAT do you ladies think…??? Any thoughts??? Any ideas on how to remain positive and be successful and on how to forget about ever feeling deprived of food...


{grouphug1}

[Shasha]

:confused:Please tell me what is an alkaline bath??? What do you put in?:confused:

:love: I love bath's - all sorts, salts, bubbles / foam, relaxing, detox, destress, harmonising but I've never heard of alkaline and, I'm quiet eager to try, please explain... :confused:

[Hugentobler]

Don't forgot while you are in your bubble bath with your Sprite zero and mango to treat yourself to some pampering. Put on a facial mask. I also have a "Mask" for my feet that is peppermint and feels great as it dries. In the evenings after dinner when my willpower is low, my mind starts to think about what I can eat in the pantry....I quickly turn my 5 and 7 year old over to my husband and crawl into a nice hot bubble bath with the latest "trash" novel. When I finally get out, it's time to put the kids to bed and then cuddle up my honey....and the craving for food is gone.

[Shasha]

{hi} there Everyone

AmyLynn: What a pretty name you have!!

Yes making "ME TIME" is very important... we certainly do need to give ourselves a LITTLE LIFT or a PAMPER when we're feeling a bit low in willpower... That's a big key to success!

I love your foot mask idea... I'm just wondering when you would use it? I'm picturing that you should use it lying in the bath with your feet dangling out of the tub - is that right?

One of my favourite things to do is to simply spend time in our little garden... we've made it really nice, it looks like a little jungle and because we feed the birds there are usually quiet a few of them around. The swing is a wonderful place to read a book or have a nice cup of coffee... {tweety}

Which books do you all like to read? Has anyone ever read Francine Rivers?

Iggie you said: you like making DVD's with photos - I think we must appoint you to do a DVD of all the Before and After pic's... That could be really nice! How do you make the DVD's? I guess you need a whole lot of photo's to make it movie style? or do you use back ground music and bring them in one by one???

Cyberella, you said that you sing at weddings with your gospel-quartett - that sounds so nice!!! Maybe you can do songs for Iggie to use on the DVD's... we'll stick all your before and after photo's and Cyberella will sing Gospel style: Thank God I'm skinny now... :dance: Thank God I'm fat free... Thank God I'm skinny... it's a whole new gorgeous me!!! ...

Our highlight photo's will be of our DIET COUPLE: Mr & Mrs Peel...


Woooow! Careful world: we've got loads of talent floating around right here in Cyberspace!!! {boing}

[iggyjoh40]

Hey, I have a book by Francine Rivers - Redeeming Love, unfortunately I haven't read it yet, but my daughter read it in 2 days - she's such the book worm. She was desperate because she has ran out of books to read and I told her I had one in my bedroom that I hadn't started to read yet - returns it in 2 days and says it was a really good book. LOL

I've never been big on reading, and not nearly as fast as my daughter.

As for hobbies, I've mentioned one, and that is piddling on the computer and photo DVD's, etc. It's just something I like to do and have been told various times I should consider it a "job."

I like going camping, riding my bike and hiking -which are all things that I have kind of let go since putting on more weight, just because it got to the point where everything just seems harder. So, my first adventure that we're going to do in a couple of weeks is go up to Gatlinburg and hike up to Clingman's Dome, it's pretty much straight up, but I just want a before pitiful journey, to where when I lose more weight and have more energy and attempt it the second time, I can see what progress I have made. About a year or so ago we went up there, and I huffed and puffed and listened to people who would say something like "She's not going to make it." :(I took breaks, but at that point I was determined to make it to the top and did!!!

I'm also wanting to take the kiddos camping in the spring, and that should be fun with the foods that I need to incorporate into the camping trip, but I think it's doable.

Another goal is to start spending more time outside when the weather warms up and start doing some needed flower bed work, etc.

Like Shasha always says, this is not forever - I have my moments where I just want to have a bite of something different, but I just keep telling myself I'm having to make a change for the best and to do that I have to sacrifice only so many weeks out of my life to do that. For myself and my kids sake, I have to do just that and everytime I think of other "foods" I just keep focusing on my kids. Another motivator for me is that I've always wanted to go on a cruise and Lord knows, I don't want to step on that ship now - - -

and . . . . ladies . . . . just think of it:thinking:, for those of us that have started within the past 2+ weeks, we all will look a lot better come June - don't you think??? {grouphug2}

[cyberella]

hello, again everyone..
and shasha! i still owe u an answer about the bath:

well, in terms of getting older and putting on weight more easily there is also somewhat like good news :eyebrow: 4 a change, as iz not only a problem of our metabolism slowing down (i'd love 2 know if theres a "cure" 4 that :thinking:
any idea anyone??!?!hugh?!??!):

as most of us tend 2 not live in acidic-basic(base?) balance but have a lifestyle that supporz acid in the body (such is: stress, lack of sleep, flour, sugar, coffee, sweez, meat, aso..), the body has 2 store the acid in the tissue 2 not burn (cauterize?) the intestines and esp. the kidneys on the way out of the body.
this "deposit" is the mayor cause 4 cellulitis and also results in weightgain, as somewhat 50% of the body can consist of scoriae (hope thaz the right word) in later years.
so, being an acidic "dump" :eek: causes obviously loz and loz of health problems.

the other thing is that the body neez more water 2 "dilute" the acids, so we retain it and start feelin uncomfortable more and more (funny enough: the less we drink, the more the body stores it 4 not getting burnt inside and 4 "keeping it safe").
the "easy" way out is 2: eat more basic(base?) stuff, such as veggies, herbs, nuz (exept: peanuz, sorry 2 all americans, as i think u r very in2 peanuz and peanutbutter), aso.

try 2 drink plenty of plain water with base powder (no bubble-water, as thaz acidic as well), cut down on stress, noise, long nighz- pamper yourself as often as u can and take your {shower}s with mineral salz (i'm sure u can purchase a pre-mixed mineralbath that lifz the ph-value of your water above 7,5; mine is called: "figure form international*basen-mineralienbad"), and the baths r great, as the sebaceous glands in the skin get stimulated and start 2 moisten the skin (esp. if u rub your body in the bath every 10-15 minutes with a sponge- u'll see the effect straight away). the bath shouldnt b shorter than 60 minutes though! and afterwarz u shouldnt put any body cream on u with less than ph-value 7 (only above is ok).
the body gez rid of acidic toxines through the skin- if u put again acidic smear on it like u get 2 buy everywhere, it stops 2 "evaporate" the bad stuff.
so, i hope i have just about answered your question (o;

please, help!! can anyone alleviate my pain and tell me the exact word 4 the opposite of acidic?????????????
not even the dictionary has mercy on me!

[Shasha]

{hi} Inger

I got such goose bumps when you said you have Redeeming Love... This is one of my all time favourite books... someone lent it to me... I don't get a lot of 'free time' because I actually work very long hours... in any case, I kinda got to reading the first few pages, then the book grabbed me AND I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN... I read it in 2 nights flat... that has never happened to me before!!! I normally ready a page and then ZZZzzzz and hubby moves the book because I don't even wake up when it comes crashing down... but Redeeming Love is a must read! So much so that I went and bought my own copy to circulate around my family and friends who have enjoyed it just as much! I do encourage you to read this book when you have a bit of time... I felt like I got absorbed into it :flirt:

We also love cycling... and, when you are overweight that little saddle is not easy to sit on! I want you to stick a picture of your bike on your fridge... extra motivation... why should you not be free to do and enjoy the things you love? Taking hikes, being there with your children - GIRL YOU MUST DO THIS DIET TO THE END! FOR THEM AND FOR YOU!!!

Besides, it's so much easier to be in the garden when you are not bogged down under all the extra. I always try to encourage people to find something they are passionate about and then to do this to help pass the time and to help them to be distracted from food... I think that when you are loving something you are doing, there is no time to think about food that you cannot have...

The more reasons you have, the more worth while it is to stick to your diet 100%... my recommendation to you at this time would be that you start with subtle hints to begin your negotiations regarding your cruise... and your goal weight...
Mmmmmm!
{bouncing} OH YEAH!!! {bouncing}

[Shasha]

{hi} there Cyberella

Your English is very good my Austrian Buddie!

I believe the word you are looking for is Alkaline... something is either Acid or Alkaline...

YES, indeed, I have read up a bit about the fact that we should strive to eat foods that have an alkaline effect on the body... you are much better off and illness is less likely to happen. People who suffer from Gout especially have problems with too much body acid...

Do you know what the very best tip is to make your body more Alkaline? :confused:

You're probably not going to believe it, but, it's true...

LEMONS!! :shocked:

Lemons are acidic, but when you eat them or drink the juice, it turns to alkaline in your body, thus reducing your internal acid levels quiet fast. Some recommend to drink the juice of a lemon every day. This is has proven to be quiet a good remedy for gout. The lemon juice neutralises the acid levels and the problem reduces or even goes away.

If you wish to do this on Dr Cohen's program, you may, but remember that your lemon must come from your fruit allowance.

I will look into the alkaline bath salts... never heard about that before - thank you for explaining it all - very interesting indeed! :bighug:

[cyberella]

hi, shasha and all my diet-buddies!
thank u 4 the compliment!:flower: i try my very best with my english-
sometimes when i read posts i kind off fall off the bus or "drop out", esp. when very special :flag: phrases r being used...:confused:

i knew about the lemons but... honestly?....
i'm way 2 greedy with my fruit-highlighz of the day that i neighter use them in my dishes nor squeeze them 2 only have the juice! actually there is one exeption 2 the "rule": what inger described as "apple jam" i often do 4 my baby 4 mash, but i also prepare it with loz of other fruiz- apple is great, oranges, 2 and one favorite is

peach -once iz cooked in a little water (cut in pieces b4 hand) its almost melting on your tongue. and while i'm on the diet i mix it with my sweet cheese and sweeten it a bit- thaz my highlight dessert after my veggie portion in the eveninx

(i swop it round and have my meals 3-2-1, as we have a saying in austria: have breakfast like an emperor, lunch like a king and dinner like a beggar). but fruiz in the evening have 2 b steamed or cooked anyway, as otherwise the belly bcomes a distillery and they turn in2 alcohol overnight (cheers-- hix!! -- good moaning!!)

i sure will do my lemon juice again after the first pd, but right now i'm 2 dependent on filling my tummy --- actually i still suffer from hunger once in a (or better: once in 2 to 3) while(s) esp. b4 menses, 4 example. (even with 2 mulitvitamins).
anywho, i'll b fine- love 2 b on the program and love whaz coming next...
tuesday is weigh-day--{cheerleader}

[Shasha]

{hi} there Cyberella

Wooow hoooo: you better be extra good this weekend! We all want to see your OFFICIAL PROGRESS REPORT IN MY PROGRESS on Tuesday...

If there is something you don't understand, just ask... someone is bound to answer - besides, I think that there are more people reading this that may have questions, but who may be to shy to ask... besides, the Forum is not about perfection, but about being real and being able to improvement on where you are currently at :)

Which brings me to asking...

Could I please ask you a favour? Would you please :praying: paste your recipe ideas into SOMETHING YummY??? I try to keep the recipe's in sections ie: Meat, Fish, Chicken... Something YummY is for desert or sweet type stuff...

I would love to see your recipe's in there - I have never thought to cook oranges, but come to think of this it sounds really YummY! And the peaches sound great! Girl, that is so clever! Well done! Posting a recipe in Coffee Corner is fine... but just imagine someone is looking for new ideas... the will go to the Recipe section and I don't want your delicious idea to get lost over hear... if you don't mind, that would be really kind!

Thanks 1 000 000 !!! :bighug: