Congratulations!!
It will be a little slower, but if you are um… “cheating” it’ll slow it way down. :shifty: I also found that sodium in food when you eat out made a huge difference.
Thank you, my friends! 
My hubby is on the same plan, and we are encouraging each other to stick with it. It’s fun!
So much nicer than my last diet, which I had to do alone. My hubby has a heart condition, so he could not eat the low carb diet. It’s so cool that we can eat the same foods now!
:cheering:
Oh it definitely makes life easier if you both can follow the same plan. Plus you learn to eat in a way that is sustainable for the long haul known as life. :lol:
Today, we took a little vacation from our diet for lunch after church. We went to Golden Corral and got the buffet. We didn’t go too crazy, but we did have fun!
To start, I had shrimp with cocktail sauce, hush puppies, canteloupe, and watermelon.
My next plate was a tiny bit of spaghetti, a couple bites of pizza, some roast beef with potatoes, carrots, and onion, and some fish, with a few more hush puppies.
We each had ONE dinner roll with honey butter. It was YUMMY!!!
For dessert, we had small portions of sugar free jello, sugar free pudding, sugar free cherry tart, and a couple bites of regular chocolate cake. We each had a cookie too. Very tasty! 
We each had tea with our meal, and I had a cup of coffee with dessert.
So, we didn’t overdo it, but it still felt like a feast. :mmm:
This afternoon, we’ll be going to the gym to exercise a bit.
One thing I found at restaurants is that they use so much oil sometimes, but it’s good to have a meal with no restrictions sometimes. Makes life worth living!
CONGRATULATIONS on the weight loss and inches :woot: Also on the door prize and egg darner. My mom used to darn our socks when I was little. She had this special tube that she used, I wonder what ever happend to that thing? Guess I’ll never know now, oh well.
What have you been knitting these days?
Thanks Brenda.
I’ve been busy working on all our Oddball charity blankets and shawls. I hope I can finish all the big blankets this year!
:waving: Hope you are having a nice day! Weather here has been very pleasant, its lovely to go outside on break or lunch and not be faced with the “oven” I used to have in LV (and would have had in PHX if I had taken that job there, instead of moving here!)
Of course, it may be just unseasonably nice here! In the mid 80*s with a little breeze and occasional shower.
Well, that’s not a bad temperature for summer now, is it? Hopefully, things will stay that way for you. Sometimes, here in North Carolina, we get some [U]very[/U] hot days, and the humidity makes it unbearable. But, so far this year, it hasn’t been bad at all. 
It’s usually very hot until late September, so there’s still time for temps to rise. I hope they don’t, though. Crossed Fingers
I haven’t been as active on the forum lately, because I’ve been busy looking into a possible new church music career. Things are not finalized yet, and I have a few opportunities to consider. Time will tell. Our money is VERY tight, but we haven’t lost our house. So, that’s a good thing. We’re just hanging on until my piano students get back to normal again. Right now, I’m only teaching about 4 or 5 lessons a week…just enough for grocery money.
Today, after teaching, I went to the bank, and ended up with about 40 dollars spending money. I went to the grocery store, and bought enough food to make meals for 6 days. We had tacos tonight, and will be having spaghetti, hot dogs, steak, chicken, tuna patties, and tomato soup with grilled cheese for the rest of the week.
On the way home from the grocery store, I passed a farm stand where they were selling watermelons for 2 dollars, so I got one of those. It will be a nice treat.
My parents have a good garden, so we have plenty of tomatoes, okra, corn, green beans, bell peppers, canteloupes, blueberries, and cucumbers. So that’s nice. Also, my mother cans and freezes a lot, and shares that with us as well. She makes a yummy vegetable soup, and very good tomato juice. And she has given us several jars of homemade jams and jellies and pickles. It’s so nice to have their help.
Last night, I couldn’t sleep, and we were out of milk, so I couldn’t make a bowl of cereal. I was tired of having toast and jam for a snack, so I looked through our cabinets to see what I could make. While searching, I came across an old bag of macadamia nuts in the freezer…then I remembered that I have some white chocolate (for melting on cookies and fruits). I remembered having eaten some very yummy white chocolate macadamia nut cookies before, so I searched the internet for a recipe. Success! There are LOTS of recipes for making them, and none of them need milk.
I spent about 30 minutes chopping nuts and chocolate into bite-sized pieces, then got to baking cookies. When I was finished, I had 3 dozen yummy cookies for our snacking. Needless to say, there is only 1 dozen of them left. :teehee: They are DELICIOUS!! 
I always joke with my hubby that we eat better when we are broke. When we have money, we eat out too often, and that food is just not as satisfying as what we cook at home.
I’m sorry things are so tough for you right now, Sandy! I hope one of the jobs works out for you. Crossed Fingers 
I have to say one thing… you do have enough stash and needles to keep you busy and happy for a long time with no $$ involved!
Very true, Jan!
I’m completely content sitting at home and knitting with my wonderful stash. cloud9
I always tell my hubby, “I know I’m not making money, but at least I’m not SPENDING any either!” :teehee:
I have other things besides knitting to do in the house as well. Sewing, Embroidery, Reading, Video Games, Computer Games, DVDs, etc. I really have no need to complain.
I’m wanting to sew some new clothes right now, because knitting just takes so long. (If I didn’t have arthritis, knitting would be quicker for me.) I’m still knitting, but I want to get some clothes made quickly. I might be getting a different church job soon, and I’d like to wear some new things. I have lots of sewing patterns, and a decent stash of fabric. (I’ve always been a craft hoarder…not just with yarn!)
Last week, I had an interview at a local church, and I’m still waiting to hear from them. I’m also thinking about another position as well. I’ll be glad when I get that figured out. I’ve been praying a LOT about it, and have felt a peace about it all.
I can relate to the $$$ shortage and the frustration of job searching. It is amazing how creative one can get without the $$$ and how one can realize just how much they don’t or never needed (excluding yarn:roflhard: ) in the first place. I will include you in my prayers. It will come- I am a true believer at least for myself that things have already been planned for me and where I am at the moment (no matter how crappy it may seem:verysad: ) is where I am supposed to be. Maybe I need to do more knitting and crafts - I have done more cleanng and organizing to last me for a long time :passedout: I tend to do that when I feel my life is out of control. 
I’m enjoying reading what you have been writing Sandy! I’m getting that for you, there is a fun challenge in making it all work, and you have confidence and excitement around the new church career positions that are opening up for you. Your music is flowing in all directions!
I loved the grocery thing, I so relate - I really love doing that myself, and like you, seem not to when I don’t “have to”.
:blooby:
Oh Honey, can I ever understand your situation. DH did a kitchen remodel and we are waiting to get paid for it. I also will have the next three weeks off, without pay! We are going through the same situation that you are. God always provides for our daily needs and He most certainly give us the direction that He wants us to go in. The hard part is that His timing is not the same as ours. Keeping you in my prayers, my friend. 
Still hanging in there!
Today, I did my weekly $40 grocery trip.
Spent $37 at Food Lion, and $5 at Big Lots
(I had $2 in change in my little coin purse)
At Food Lion, I bought:
Pork Chops, boneless (two thick ones) - $4.14
Ground Turkey (for making spaghetti or chili or Hamburger Helper) - $2.79
Salmon Fillets (two NICE thick ones!) - $6.78
Two packs of Edy’s ice cream (on sale - Buy 1, Get 1 Free) - $5.39
Ketchup - 89 cents
Vegetable Oil - $2.97
Food Lion brand Olive Oil - $2.89
Spreadable Margarine - 99 cents
Food Lion brand Hazelnut Coffee Creamer - $2.79
Food Lion brand Sliced Turkey - $1.78
Carrot Cake Mix - $1
Cream Cheese Frosting - $1.50
Yeast Packets - $1.48
Chicken Broth (to make soup with leftover veggies) - $1.39
At Big Lots:
Thomas’ Hearty Grains Whole Wheat Bagels ($1.80)
Arnold Dutch Country Whole Wheat Bread ($1.80)
Chili Powder ($1)
When I got home from the grocery store, I made marinade for the pork chops and salmon, and stuck them in ziploc bags in the bottom of the fridge. When I looked in the drawer, I saw the chicken breasts I marinated a couple days ago. We’ll grill them tonight.
We’ll use a few bagels to make nice chicken sandwiches! :mmm: I’ve already got lettuce, mustard, mayo, and homemade pickles in the fridge, so we’re set. The only other thing we might want is a tomato. Maybe I’ll go to my Mom’s to get some from their garden.
Yum, you are inspiring me! Today I am patting myself on the back for being responsible, I sat down and got caught up on my Mvelopes online budgeting system. It is the greatest. I have used it in the past but with the move and all my stuff changing, I had to reset it.
It is just like the old “manual” method of putting cash in different envelopes, earmarked for each purpose - keeps you from running out of money before you run out of month :teehee:
But, I am shocked at what I have been spending at Starbuck’s and such - that was a wake-up call :oo:
I just need to be making coffee at home and taking it in my thermos. I do that a couple times a week, but if I’m running late… I go to Starbuck’s. Coffee at work is yucky.
I’m with you on the coffee. Starbucks is yummy, but VERY expensive! :pout:
I’ve been getting Eight O’Clockcoffee (whole bean), and grinding it up each morning. I add Hazelnut creamer and Splenda, and it is excellent!
The Eight O’Clock coffee is less than 4 dollars a bag, so it’s a steal!
My hubby loves it too. In fact, he’s addicted. I have to make him two cups every morning.
We’re still hanging in there!
I’m looking forward to the rest of this month, because my piano students will be back in full swing again. I’ve really missed them all, and it will be nice to have a regular income again.
This week, I finished knitting a wrap I’ve been working on for the past year. I blocked it yesterday, and it turned out so well! I used some vintage wool pompadour yarn I got in a crochet kit from the 1950’s. It was on eBay for just a few dollars. I made up the design as I was knitting it, making both sides at the same time. It was quick to seam them together. The blocking took a while, but it was definitely worth it. (When I got the yarn wet, it smelled like sheep - vintage sheep! :roflhard: )
You can see my other post in the forum here:
http://www.knittinghelp.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1246031#post1246031
beautiful & the color is awesome on you!!:blooby:
Thanks Debbie! 
I’ve missed you, by the way.
As you can tell in the photo, coral is one of my favorite colors. It’s in my knitted headband and tank top too! :teehee: