Newbies

Hi, thats wonderful news NANCY 10 pounds, WOW I’m impressed, well done to you.
Thanks very much OSSIE, I’ll give it a try (in moderation).

OSSIE: A question about green and red bell peppers: I’ve heard that both colors of peppers should be cooked before eating them if you’re watching carbs or sugars. Is that true? Is one better for you than the others of the red, orange or green bell peppers? I like them in lettuce salads with raw veggies but it they are cooked they would be mushy. I don’t like mushy peppers. But I need to know what is the correct thing to do with them, so I can do the healthy thing. Thanks.

Hi my name is Pam and I am new to the Trim Down Club. I started 2 weeks ago. The first week went good, I was amazed at how much food I was to eat! I lost about 2 lbs the first week, then the weekend came and I had a family gathering. I normally do not drink beer, because it causes me to gain weight, but I drank 3 beers on Saturday and sure enough gained the 2 lbs back, ugh… This week I was on and off the diet menu. Alot of stress at my job and my husband’s which doesn’t help. I haven’t been to the gym in 2 weeks, ugh many excuses… A new start on Monday. I created a new menu for next week and I am excited to get going again. I can say that I actually felt better and had more energy the first week on the diet. So good things for the future are coming. I just need to stay focused and on track. I apologize if I am not in the right area emailing this, again I am new so please give me some pointers. Thanks for whoever has taken the time to read this, I just needed to vent. Hello new friends. Have a great Easter weekend. 🙂

Hi Tina… welcome! I find the same thing. I typically have a 6-ingredient limit…any more than that and I lose interest. And I prefer slow-cooker and casseroles that I can easily throw together in one dish and let it cook. So I still use all my favorite recipes, I just substitute ingredients for healthier options…for instance, I don’t use dry onion soup mix anymore…I use real onion and spices. I have an easy chicken lasagna recipe I love…I just use either whole grain or rice lasagna noodles and organic cream cheese. I just take inspiration from the ingredients in the recipes shown and apply them in my own meals.

And welcome Pam! You have come to the right spot…sometimes we vent, sometimes we inspire, the important thing is we’re all in it together!

Well, I was talking to my cousin yesterday and her daughter had a brilliant idea to help keep motivated to exercise. Have an exercise jar! Every time I get on the treadmill, pop a dollar or two in the jar. When you save up $100, treat yourself to something really, really special. I thought it was brilliant…I have a jar put on the shelf next to the treadmill and this morning while I was walking I was thinking about what my treat would be. With all the work stuff this week, it was nice to have a fun motivator…especially since I have to watch my dollars closely in case I do lose my job. When I weighed in this morning I had lost 2 lbs…however, my easter turkey is in the oven cooking now so that’ll probably be back by Monday. 🙂

Happy Easter All!
Paula

Hi, Foxx. Congratulations! You can try the recipes that have “simple,” “homemade,” or “classic” in the title for those with fewer ingredients. As for hard-to-find special ingredients – don’t worry about those too much, as you can substitute most with regular ingredients (for example, if you are not gluten-sensitive, you can just use regular whole wheat flour instead of quinoa flour, etc).

Hi, Tina50. See my response to Foxx for simpler recipes. You can also try Trim Down Club members’ own recipes that have been posted on the site.

Hi, frowsgetfit. The challenge with the recipe is more likely to be the Stevia rather than the type of espresso. I would suggest to try a milder-tasting option such as monk fruit sweetener (use the same amount as the Stevia) or xylitol (1/2 cup).