poochierebelbear

Hi everyone!

I am so sorry I've been away. Things have been caotic. I'm still hanging in with Atkins, although I have had some weak moments. I hope all is well with everyone!

Happy LC

Whoaaaaa Nelliiiiiieeeeeee!!! I am definitely going to stock up come Christmas. Wow, that is one deal!!

 

I can't speak for relaxed hair. You may want to check Miss Jessie's site for that.

A lot of you mentioned products you use, I would really appreciate some suggestions. Being that my mom is the Irish one, I haven't really had much help being familiarized with products for my hair type. Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

 

 

I really like the products from the sites I mentioned earlier (curls.biz, kinky-curly.com and miss jessie). There is also a line called mixed chicks which is supposed to be really nice...I haven't tried it. Most of these sites have descriptions to help you define your hair (4a, 4b, 3c, etc). Once you know your curl type there are then many recommendations for products to use. Your hair type might not need as thick of a product as my hair type does. It does take some time to figure out what products work best but don't give up!! I absolutely love the fact that I no longer relax and that I can do my hair in seconds flat! I enjoy my natural hair now that I have the products and the know how to do it!!! Also, I like motown girl and long hair care forum for "instructions" on how to do my hair...treat my hair etc.

 

Good luck;)

 

Great thread. I am 100% natural and honestly, besides braids, I have no other suggestion. I wash my hair everyday on a cruise and simply sport a wash n go, but I may be able to offer a product listing. I love Curls. I currently use the Curls Gel-Les'c, Whipped Cream. I also use my one and only conditioner, Elucence Moisture Balance Conditioner from Curlmart. I tried the Kinky Curly Curling Custard (KCCC) but I prefer the Curls Gel-Les'c over that one, but it is so high. I shampoo my hair with Dr. Bronners. I have been experimenting with Miss Jessies. I absolutely love the Rapid Recovery Treatment. I was ok with the Curly Meringue and the Curly Pudding. I'm going to reorder herstuff, perhaps the Value Pack and try it again. Her products are just so expensive. If I need to slick my hair back, I use Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera gel that you can easily find at Walmart.

Greetings everyone!

Mary, thank you for the recipes. I've been on the Atkins Bulletin Board all day. I'll definitely check out those recipes with beef and make a substitution.

I found out I was getting food cravings from beef by accident (pork doesn't give me cravings like beef does, but I still don't eat it). I hadn't eaten hamburgers in a week and a half, and at first I thought it was bread. To be safe, for about a month, I didn't eat beef or bread. I stayed away from beef because I knew if I started eating beef, I'd be tempted to eat bread. Well, one day we were at Logans and I just had to eat the yummy yeast rolls. I ate 3 of them. The next couple of days I was like oh boy. But the cravings never hit me. I was like huph. Well, my mother cooked a beef dish and I tried it. Not only did the cravings hit me hard, but because I hadn't had beef in a while, it didn't agree with my digestive system.

I go to this wellness doctor who does foot detox. When people eat red meat and get them, their water is very dark, murky and you can see the parasites at the bottom of the bucket. When a person who doesn't eat red meat get a foot detox, their water is way lighter. I've seen this with my own eyes. Don't be sick with a cold. ewwww I think I'm going to get a foot detox next week.

Hi everyone!

 

My name is Erica. I haven't posted here in a long time. When I was on Atkins, I lost 25 pounds. My cholesterol and triglyceride numbers improved also. Unfortunately, I gained it all back with stress. Well, I am about to start it again. I am doing something a little different. I've been researching different recipes and getting ready. I think my favorite recipe are the lettuce wraps. I can't wait to eat those. I've bought up all kinds of vegetables.

 

I had one slight problem when I was on Atkins. I still had cravings. You all will not believe this but come to find out, it was the beef that was giving me cravings. Now, I don't eat any red meat. No pork, no beef. I only eat chicken, turkey, and fish. I will be checking in to this thread at least 3 times a week. I'm pushing for everyday. I gotta do this, for me, my future, and my nephew (energy). I've been on SFS site and Cleo too. They are my inspiration. I'll be posting my stats on here as well as my website.

 

Does anyone have a good recipe for cooking ground turkey?

 

By the way, eventually I'm going to buy an excalibur dehydrator.

 

Erica

Hi,

 

I sent you an email too. I am losing weight and I'd gladly give you something for your hand-me-downs (might just be a southern term). Congrats on your weight loss!

 

Erica

My son went at age 7 and loved it. In fact it was hard to get him to do anything with us. All he would say is "is it time to go back to camp Carnival" They are GREAT with the kids. There is all kinds of stuff that is age appr. They also have a talent show and that is sooo cute! Hope yall have fun. Is he 4 or soon to turn 5?

 

My 4 year old can't get enough of Camp Carnival. She cries to go back everytime we pick her up. The staff is great with the kids!!

 

Oh goodness, my nephew is 4 1/2. His birthday is in May and I wanted to take him on another cruise for his birthday. He's just so active and rough. I hope they have men staff their to assist.

Hi everyone!

 

Can someone tell me about Camp Carnival and how you felt about it? Was it satisfactory for you and your child? I have a 4 year old nephew who will definitely be cruising with me but soon than anticipated.

 

Thanks,

Erica

On our Alaskan cruise last year, we chose to drive the Yukon Trail. This was June, 2007, near Carcross.

 

 

This photo doesn't look real, more like a painting. So pretty.

 

I was looking through photos from my July '07 Valor cruise today, and I found this one that I loved. It was during the Jungle Canopy Zipline on Roatan Island. We were both having so much fun and flipping upside down and posing during the zips. For the last zip, since it's the low one that took us to the ground, the guide hooked my niece and I together and we went down as one. I love how it looks like she's sitting on my lap. This was a great day for both of us.

 

 

hahahaha Looks like you're floating off the ground for a moment. I was like huh, then I looked up further.

pfanny,

i think there are pros and cons to using a TA and booking straight with the cruiseline. I personally booked our cruise through Carnival. I was very glad i did. Then when prices dropped, I got a nice deal. I didn't have to deal with the hassle of a TA. Also, booking with cruiseline, ask them about discounts. you may be entitled to some that you don't know about. previous cruiser on certain lines offer discounts. There's senior discounts, military, airline etc too. The high season is certainly not the time to look for many discounts or credits. But during spring break, i did recv. a credit over $600 for our balcony a month before sailing. If you do not need a TA to book flights, hotels, car rentals etc...why not just call the cruise line. I have heard some horror stories on here about people and TAgents. jmo, others may differ.

 

When does the cruiseline usually do price drops? I have a cruise set up for December and so far, no drop. i haven't paid my balance because I'm waiting to see if it happens.

Hi everyone!

 

I booked an OV room but not sure what room yet. It is my understanding that the OV rooms are on Deck 1 and 2. Has anyone stayed on either deck and if so, are they quiet? If I have to stay on Deck 2, will there be an issue with Deck 3 noise? Thanks!

 

Erica

 

How Bob, HOW? lol I'm still trying to see how I'm going to get at least a 12 pack of water on board. I guess just do it! lol

 

This was taken while on our cruise to the Grand Canyon...:D Ok, ok, this was NOT taken while on a cruise, but I just had to share this! :p ;)

 

Whoa Nellieeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!! LOL

A beautiful beach . . . .

A new friend for the day . . . .

what could be better?????

 

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My son played all day with this little boy on the beach in Tortola - his mom was working on the beach renting chairs. What I loved the most about this day . . . they had a fantastic time playing in the water together and they couldn't speak a word of the same language. He even had lunch with us!!

 

Love all the pictures - please keep them coming!!!!

 

I can't begin to tell you how much I love this photo. Oh if only the world was like this. I really, really love this photo. Wow, I am just in awe.

Hi everyone!

 

The weekend is finally among us!

 

Jean, I'm still here! It's been a busy week. I had my 4 year old nephew all week, and at night, guess who he wants to sleep with? Lucky me :rolleyes: .

 

Tom, that is awesome, 15lbs down! Woooo hooooo!!!!

 

Cruising Grammy, welcome to the group. You will ineed make it now because you have lots of support behind you here.

 

Donna, that is so awesome! Keep it going with Atkins and you probably will be.

 

I skimmed over the posts as I am not feeling my best today so forgive me if I haven't replied to all of you. Last night, when I went to bed, I think my spirit left my body. Talk about sleeping dead to the world. When I woke up, the left side of my leg near my hip was aching so bad, I could hardly move my leg. I was in pain. Tuesday I decided that I would do Induction full force and not get side tracked because I couldn't afford to. This morning gave me a good understanding of why I need to so badly. So I started again today. This weight is just not good for anyone. Anyway, on the upbeat, I went to the doctor Tuesday and I'm down 15 lbs. I was so happy. I'm going to keep it up and hopefully try not to get too off course. Honestly, I can't afford to.

 

I do have a question. If you decide to move to OWL after induction, instead of eating like 40 to 50 carbs, can't you stick close to the 25 or 30 if you choose to? I'm asking because I'm thinking of moving to the OWL but I still want to stay close to the 20 carbs because one thing I notice is that I am not hungry at all most times. But if I want to have an occasional peanut, I don't want to feel guilty because I ate one. Can't do that on Induction. I like the variety of OWL, but was reading that you go up in increments until you're still burning fat. Now, I do remember reading that you don't have to go high up in carbs, that you could infact stay low in carbs, but I don't want to go that high up in the totum poll until I'm ready for the pre-maintenance stage. Any thoughts or suggestions? I hope that made sense.

 

Have a great day everyone!

 

Erica

Maho Beach, St.Maarten, february 2007

 

 

Nooooooo! LOL And all those people are looking too like what the ???

 

What the heck??? :eek:

 

Exactly! I'd panic and run. I guess maybe they were warned.

 

Maho beach is at the end of the St Martin airport runway. It is definately worth a short stop if you are going to the french side and have rented a car.

 

Check this out.:eek: :D :cool:

 

No way!!!!!!! That is jacked up. I wonder how many planes missed that landing?

Howdy everyone! Greetings! I hope you all are having a super groovy day!! Y'all, lately I have been feeling kinda tired. Not sure if it's because of not getting enough sleep or what. Today I goofed and ate some beans and rice (ok, dammit it was red beans and rice :eek: ). I feel ok, but trying to keep moving so it will flow right through me.

 

Pat, we sure are going to get this weight off. Ooo, I may need to do the kind of work that your hubby does so I can afford a maid. Wait, screw a maid, more cruises! :p I don't quite understand the eat a lot of veggie concept when it states like 3 cups of veggies and salad a day. Are we suppose to be increasing that each day? I eat like a football player too but lately I really haven't had an appetite. It's really amazing. I think my stomach shrinked. I could eat but a small bowl of beans and rice. Not normal. LOL I don't mean to laugh but that is just so funny that you are saving your Coke Zero for a dessert substitute. Do you know I did the same thing today and enjoyed drinking half of it (nephew got a hold to the other half).

 

Erica- Good job on your 1st week - and you can do a 2nd week too! A lot of it is just changing the un healthy habits that we have grown so attached too! But I know when I feel so much better staying low carb, the easier it is stay with it! And those new Cruise clothes you get to shop for a little further down the road! yeah!

 

We have had 12 days of rain in a row here! So I have to go out walking after the afternoon thunder storms roll through - and before the evening ones hit! And when Dolly hits her stride in Mexico...that moisture should come up and we'll even have more days of rain. I really like the rain and we sure need it!

OH!!!! And I have to share with you guys that we are going to be first time Grandparents in February!! A little something special brought back from Scotland that we were told about last Friday! Yiippee!

 

Ok, back to work!

 

 

 

 

Congrats!!! I know you must be excited. I use to didn't like kids until my nephew came along. He's crazier about me than his own mom and wants to be with me all the time. But he must know, I'm crazy about him too. Now, I love kids and I'm very patient with them. I know every now and then I goof, but you know, I am determined to get in that size 16 by December. I am too close. Right now, I feel like going to run. I think I'm going to hit my treadmill tonight.

 

MSBelle, howdy girl! YAY!! MS is in the house! The south rules!!!! LOL I'm from central MS too. So glad to have you on the boards. That's so nice that you all take turns taking care of your mother. So happy that she's in remission. That's awesome!

 

Hello All:

Erica: I have a huge weakness for sweets. I know this is a sign of carbo addiction. I have to cut them out and settle for the occasional homemade sugar free one. Also this go round I have decided that I really must add in tons more veggies and whole foods as I reach goal instead of adding in to many "treats" ( even the sugar free ones). It is tough but I must struggle with what I call reality vs. non reality thinking. non reality thinking is "one won't hurt". Reality thinking says "one will hurt and it may start a binge".

Mississippibelle: Welcome, I am sure you know, that you can eat chicken with the fat, skin and bone it it is better for you because you will feel more full. It has more flavor too...

 

All for now, Tom

 

LOL Tom, even the bone. hehe Tom, I love how I'm feeling. I think I need to eat more as I have been eating not a lot at all, but I haven't had an appetite.

 

Well everyone, if I don't get to the computer this weekend, you all have a good one and keep up the low carbing.

 

Erica - PS, my goal is to be a size 16 by December. Not sure I mentioned that. Current size is a 22 and some 20s. I set that goal because I've been reading so many reviews about the weightloss and I know I'm dropping on induction like a pound a day or at least every other day. My sister is military and told me she thinks it's achievable. She said she'd be willing to train me. :eek:

Easy Sailing, The beach at the Reef Grill is sandy. We did not get in the water there but you can see that there are some dark patches that would be coral, rocks and or seaweed but there are also light areas that should be sandy. If you look at their website www.reefgrill.com and click on the beach cam you can see exactly what it looks like.

 

Grandma Julia's beach is just north of seven mile beach. There is a rum cake factory farther north from there by the turtle farm but I don't remember which one it was. The Pedro St. James is on the way to the East side of the island.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Enjoy!

 

Hi Jean, for some reason the webcam doesn't come up on my computer. Let me ask you, what is the Reef Grill? Is that near Royal Palms or part of?

 

Nevermind, I see it on the info page.

 

Erica

Cozumel...

 

 

Beautiful shot. I will be in Cozumel December. Can't wait.

 

There is a story that goes with this picture. At 41 my sister had a major stroke. To save her life they had to do surgery and as a result, take out about 1/3 of her skull....it stayed safe in her belly for over a year (because she had a staph infection post op they did not want to put it back too soon) while she recovered. At her most critical moment in the ICU, I held her hand and told her if she would only open her eyes I would take her anywhere in the world she wanted to go....her eyes flew open (the first of many miracles!), and as soon as she came off the ventilator she requested we go on a cruise. So in late April this year, almost 2 years after her stroke, we boarded the Legend with our mom, our other sister, two nieces and my sisters’ best friend. My sister wanted to swim with the dolphins more than anything else, so I scheduled the Royal Swim. Although VERY skeptical when we arrived, given my sisters physical limitations, the staff agreed to "let her try”. This picture was taken during the foot push.....what you can't see are the six women standing in the water watching her, laughing and crying at the same time. Since this day, my sister has continued to recover, expanding her horizons daily; because this moment in time renewed her confidence and made her realize that ANYTHING is possible!

 

 

 

 

Instant tears too. Beautiful story. Your sister looks like she was having the time of her life.

 

My best photo?

 

This set was funny. As I was walking off the ship, guy trys to sell me a $4.00 underwater camera (He says it takes GREAT photos)...I buy it and think to myself "Yeah right". Keep in mind I had been shooting all week with my $500 digital camera that makes it impossible to take a bad picture (I'm all thumbs)

 

My wife jumped in the water off of the float at Cozumel Chankanaab park... I closed my eyes and snapped the camera knowing that I probably got nothing in my shot...all I could see was bubbles.

 

Not only did we get great vivid colors under the water, but the sunlight, and mirror refection of the water's surface in the 3rd photo, was fantastic for this cheap camera (sorry this is a scan of the original photos, and the copy loses some of its sharpness and color)

 

PS... my 40+ year old wife liked the way her body looks more toned in the water (no gravity). As a hack photographer, I have to admit that was another aspect that made these photos so much fun :D;)

 

Great deal and great shots! What brand camera was it? I need that kind.

Hello everyone! I hope you all are doing well and having great low carbing days. I started my 2nd 2-week induction. I was not the best with the first one so I'm going at it again. I think I'll be on induction for a while. At least I lost 6 pounds. Pretty good I must say. I will definitely wait until a little closer to my cruise to do my shopping. I do have some nice hand-me-downs in different sizes but I would like to buy some sundresses or jersey-type dresses to take on the cruise. For 2 days in port I'll wear capris so for the other days, a skirt or sundress would be nice.

 

Wow Pat, you sure are a long way from home. How much longer do you have until you move back? Or will you all be moving back here or transferred elsewhere?

 

Pat and RocknSoul, I am in MS. Born and raised. I live in Jackson. It is extremely humid here, causing it to feel uncomfortably hot and sticky. I don't know where Bogota is. I'm about 3 hours from Memphis.

 

Tom, I willfully and knowingly ate something sweet this weekend. It made my head hurt for a moment. I will definitely be keeping my cool with the sweets and floury stuff as well. Man am I a sucker for sweets.

 

Hope you all have a wonderful LC day!

Erica

Hello Erica: hope you are doing well. Watch out for that stress... We all have to get back on that horse... I know you will not give up. I think sugar free gelatin is O.K. but beware neutra sweet. The DR. thought that slows weight loss. Can you still buy unsweetenend and add splenda ?

 

All for now, Tom

 

Hi Tom, I am still with Atkins. I feel so much better. I'm never changing. I've been goofing up but I'm going to keep on till I get it right.

 

Donna- Booking another Cruise! How fun! A great goal to keep you focused on!:D

 

Tom - How fun to do 6 flags with kids! A 1lb loss is still pretty good...do you think the Chinese food might have a lot of extra salt that you don't normally have?

 

Erica - After induction, I keep SF jello on hand for that killer sweet tooth attack that can sneak up on me.:eek: I haven't seen it have much of a difference on my weight loss.

 

Have a great LC day!

 

That is what I'll be doing too Donna.

 

Hey All!

Did any of you catch The Early Show this morning - where they compared the Med Diet, Low Fat & Atkins diets?

Check this out...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/16/health/main4266414.shtml

 

They had a Dr Ian 'something' on there and he referred to "Atkins type" of dieting. Well, I thought it was interesting - and especially since today I had my blood tests done. It'll be interesting to see what my cholestrol level will be.

 

Sounds like everyone it having a good week!

Catch ya's later!!

 

I'm going to check that link out and see what's going on. No one can convince me that a low fat diet is ever better. Not how my glucose responded last week when I accidently ate light/or fat free catalina dressing. My glucose levels are wonderful and so is my BP.

 

I have a question for you all that have lost significant weight (like maybe 40 plus pounds). I will be going on a cruise in December. I am currently a size 22 but fitting 20s now. Is it possible with steady weight loss that I will be in a size 16 by December? I'm asking because I need to start buying clothes for my caribbean cruise and I really don't have stuff like capris and nice sun dresses. Any input, guesses, or suggestions are very much appreciated. I'm going to wait till about October or early part of November to buy a swimsuit, my bad, swimsuits. :D

 

Erica

Did you happen to check out the Tortuga Rum Cake Factory? If so, how far is that from the pier?

Awesome list Warmwaters! Thank you for taking the time to put this one together. I must ask, I'm looking at going to Royal Palms, is the water pretty clear and free of coral reefs, oh and seaweed? This will be my first cruise and I am more interested in a clear beach with nice clear water and not interested in snorkling. Also, how far is Grandma Julia's Beach (Boggy Sand Road), Pedro St. James and Blackbeards from the pier? I'm going to skip out on Margaritaville at GC and try to get to it in Jamaica.

 

Have you been to Jamaica and if so what were your highlights there? I'll be traveling with my mother so I can't do anything to exotic but while visiting these places, I would love to learn about their culture and the land. Oh, also, perhaps a dumb question but is there jerk chicken in Jamaica?

 

Erica

Hi everyone,

 

Tom, that makes plenty of sense. I rest better at night also. I had such a stressful weekend. I ended up in Taco Bell drive through twice. Oh well, I'm still low-carbing. Tonight I'll have a chick fil a salad and get back up on the horse and keep galloping on. I know I'll be in the Induction stage for a while.

 

Sherri, that is a good question. Dr. Atkins mentioned it somewhere in his book but I honestly forgot where. We can have it but I'm not sure about during induction. That would be so nice if we could. I'd go to Krogers and rack up. LOL kidding.

 

Erica

Hi everyone!

 

Tom, Pinky, I think I may be almost over the induction flu. Today I had a board meeting and my mental clarity to stay focus was unbelievable. I am also able to drink my water with ease. The headaches are pretty much gone. A couple of times it tried to spike but went away, actually, after I ate. I sincerely enjoyed a chick-fil-a salad last night, so much that I got another one today. I enjoyed eating that 1g carb of ranch dressing. lol that is, compared to years of trying to endure light/fat free ranch dressing. My energy level is up. I can tell. My 4 year old nephew is putting it to the test too.

 

Mermen, thank you for sharing your friend's site. Wow, so many yummy items. I chugged 24 ounces of water down in less than a minute today. It was so funny. Then refilled for another 24 ounces and was done with that within 5 minutes.

 

Oh, Tom, I was so excited last night after I ate that salad and how great it was, I think from there my energy boosted and I had a hard time going to sleep. Surprisingly today I am not sleepy. I'm so focused. It's awesome.

 

I will start Turbo Jamming tomorrow morning. I may even get it in tonight. Thank you all for your warm words and encouragement.

 

Erica