Saturday, May 29, 2010

Grillin' Out for Memorial Day

Hey, All.  

Just a quick little post to tell everybody I hope you have a wonderful....happy.....safe....Memorial Day weekend!!!!  

If you plan on grillin' out....I have a little tip.  Use ground turkey instead of ground beef.  I love ground turkey and we rarely buy ground beef any more.....haven't for years.  It's really good in chili, too.  I made a huge pot at CHRIST-mas and my brother bragged and bragged on it.....made his sister feel really good!!!  

Another healthy tip....boneless, skinless chicken breast on the grill!!!  Also...veggies are great grilled....just take a piece of aluminum foil....lay your veggies on it....sprinkle with a bit of olive oil...and grill until tender!!!

Blessings to y'all!!!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

A Howdy and a Thank You from Donna

Hi Everyone!  I'm sorry I haven't been commenting as much as I'd like. Between maintaining my own blog and having to cook a lot more...and my children's requests to 'have mother-daughter tea every morning, talk about the latest speech, or just cuddle with an almost not a kid anymore, 15 yr.old...there doesn't seem to be much spare time!

But I think of you ladies all the time and hope that you are hanging in there and not getting discouraged.  This is a MARATHON not a SPRINT as I'm sure you all know very well.  Because my new eating habits have given me such 'visual' encouragement and because it helps me feel so good, it's been so much easier to be on a diet this time.  As you can tell from my last post, it's starting to filter over into my family's life too.  What a gift it would be to spare our children the same battle we've faced for so long.  I feel badly that I've not been careful about guiding my children in this area the way I should. But I honestly didn't believe it was that serious of a problem.

I was such a skeptic!!  What's wrong with sweet and low?  I've had people fuss at me for years about that and I just told them..with a smile...to leave it alone.  I thought it was all hocus-pocus to tell you the truth. Who can see chemicals any way? I have to say though, that I'm a firm believer now!

But really, I just wanted to encourage everyone to keep on keepin' on regardless of where you are on this journey or what you eat!  We just need to be faithful to listen to our dear Lord's faithful guidance and correction. He's such a good father! He cares for every detail, including this weightloss journey.

We are not in this alone!! We have each other and we have the Lord's grace if we look to him for help. "For my strength is made perfect in weakness' 2 Corinthians 12:9. I've only been losing a pound a week for the last two weeks, but now that I know I'm on the right track, I know I need never worry. I'm heading in the right direction...and so are you!!  You guys are amazing! You've done a wonderful job sticking to this regardless of the results each week. And I have you all to thank for the fact that since we started this blog I've lost 13 pounds. I  don't even know exactly what day that was...but it was almost the best day of my life!

I just can't thank you enough for suggesting we do this together. I had given up hope about ever losing weight and just figured I'd have to be unattractive to myself and hubby for the rest of my life. (I know hubby loves me as I am...but I wanted to give him better!) But worse, I knew I'd never be in shape enough to do things with the kids and grandbabies the way I wanted to. I just didn't have the stamina that I needed. I had lost all hope when all the diets quit working...and then you all came along and the momentum of this blog got me going on a diet that I never intended to try. I had no plans to lose weight or even try. I thought it would never work for me again--that I was too old or something. (47).

Now I have hope and so much of that is due to you my dear friends.  You've given me a new lease on life and it means the world to me.

Thank you...thank you...thank you!!
Donna from Comin' Home

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Six Easy Ways to Make Your Family' s Favorite Meals Healthier

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For the most part, we are creatures of habit and most of our kids don’t want to try ‘new’ things… So in trying to educate our children and train their taste buds towards foods that will keep them healthy, it’s best if we sort of ‘fool’ them into eating healthier by simply improving the health  quality of the family favorites that they are already accustomed to.  Why take the trouble? Do you know how many of our children are now starting out life overweight? Do you know why? Believe me…it’s time to break with our culture…and do things different. Just cause everyone else is jumping off a cliff, children in tow, doesn’t mean we have to!  Here’s what Carol Simontacci, author of ‘Your Fat is Not Your Fault’ says about what she calls “The Fattening of America”….


“If your overweight, chances are you’re not a glutton, but you probably do eat too many nonfoods. Some nutritionists call these foods ‘food artifacts,” or products made by human workmanship. These are substances that are not naturally present in the world and were not part of our ancestor’s diets.


groceries
If you look at supermarket stats, you’ll see what Americans are buying—and it isn’t food!  We’re eating more pseudofood now than ever in the the history of the world! And don’t think your body doesn’t know the difference. That entree may taste and smell like real food, but your body knows otherwise, and it knows where to store every toxic molecule.  All the low-fat this and low-fat that, the sugar substitute here and the fat substitute there will not solve your fat problem.

   Over 75 percent of the food products sold in our supermarkets are either nutritionally dead or nutritionally toxic. We don’t bury that dead food; we store it on our hips, waists, and chests, pound after pound after pound. Why build more toxic waste dumps in this country when we can use our bodies instead?”

830french_fries


What happens when we eat this stuff?  Carol says, “When we eat foods our bodies can’t use, or foods that contain artificial ingredients; when our digestive systems do not sufficiently break down the foods into usable parts, the liver is required to handle an excessive amount of toxic waste for which it is not prepared. And most of us don’t drink enough water or eat enough fiber for the colon and kidneys to perform their vital functions, and waste materials build up in the colon to be reabsorbed into the body.   Fat performs an important function in the body by storing all this excess toxic waste.

Logic tells us that if we clean up our diets and eat pure foods, including 30 to 40 grams of fiber a day, drink eight to ten glasses of water, and avoid synthetic chemicals as much as possible, our bodies will not have to build storage depots on our hips and bellies to handle an unnecessary load of toxic waste.”  In other words, friends, Fat has to encase these toxins to keep them out of our systems! No toxins…less fat in all the wrong places!

Six weeks ago, I decided to take Carol seriously and say No to junk food, sugar, fast food, bread and other man-made non-foods (except homemade whole grain wheat bread).  Guess where I lost the first ten pounds?  My hips, stomach, and other lumpy bumpy places.  Not only that, but my energy level skyrocketed! My hubby, who is very thin, was feeling so sluggish that he decided to quit eating the junk too. He said he feels better than he has in years and he looks less drained and dehydrated. So obviously the junk food affects us all whether we have fast metabolisms or slow.

Even if our kids aren’t overweight now, if they keep eating junk…they will be later down the road, or like my dear hubby, they’ll just be exhausted and worn down by the time they hit middle age. We feel like we’ve gotten a new lease on life! But convincing our kids to change is another issue all together!  Hence the reason for today’s article…We need to make gradual changes and wean our kids off this stuff.


777meat

The biggest thing you can do to improve your meal’s health factor is to cook from scratch. The fact is that if it’s in a box or a bag or has instructions..as Carol Simontacci (nutritionist) says, “Don’t eat it!” It’s probably not good for you!  I know..it's time consuming..but our country is in a crisis...and we need to spend more time on this issue! Our children's future health and quality of life are depending on our willingness to make this a priority. 

Second, replace the BAD fats with GOOD fats Don’t buy fatty meats…but instead choose lean meats. Instead get your fat from good sources like real butter, olive oil, canola oil, and lots of nuts for snacks, even avocado slices to get the good fat that actually lowers cholesterol and gives you the energy you need.  This will cut out the hunger factor and avoid so much need to snack. Even your skin will be softer!  Don’t eat or use saturated fats if you can at all avoid them…and of course, fried foods are pretty much a disaster… so avoid them as much as possible.

Third, have a good source of protein at every meal! This will keep you from having a carb heavy diet that causes insulin rush and food cravings..leading to excess snacking of the junk food.  Spend less on junk and more on lean meats, low fat cheeses (the only thing worth buying low-fat), eggs, turkey bacon or protein drinks (look for ones without the excess chemicals), tuna, fish, poultry etc.  Sandwiches are more bread than anything else and without protein will lead to excess hunger and cravings.  Make chunky soups with lots of meat and veges, that can sit in the fridge and be eaten easily and packed for on the go if needed.  I keep at least one cold roasted chicken in the fridge just for snacking purposes.

Fourth, add lightly cooked vegetables to every meal and keep raw veges  ready to eat for snacks in between meals.  Plan to have two thirds of the meal be veges to one third meat.  Be creative! There’s all kinds of ways to add veges to a dish…get the kids used to chunkier sauces, add veges to casseroles, etc.
4212fresh_fruits


Fifth, cut out the sugar!! Provide lots of fruit, ready to eat, for dessert instead of nutritionally worthless pastries, chips and snacks.  If you can’t leave the sugar out of your main dishes altogether, at least use a natural substitute like Truvia or Stevia.  But skip the baked products as much as possible.  I buy one back of chips for the week and one bottle of soda—we’re still in the weaning stage. When those are gone…they’re gone! Then I keep lots of fruit on hand.  We thought it was going to cost a lot, but surprise! When the fruit was there and the bread, cookies, chips, and soda were gone…they ate it…and forgot to complain!


Last, substitute GOOD CARBS for BAD CARBS in your main dishes and side dishes.  Oatmeal and Oat flower, Brown rice, Pearled barley, sweet potatoes and protein fortified pasta will not spike blood sugar levels nearly as much and won’t cause the cravings that normal pasta, white flour, rice, and white potatoes do.  Be aware..Gluten Free Pasta is HIGH on the glycemic index!

These are habits that we need to instill in our lives and the lives of our children. Yes it’s easier to just eat readily available quick cook precooked food…but the price we pay in terms of health and fitness for the rest of our lives is simply not worth the convenience and time saving. Make some time for you and your children’s health…it’s an investment that will pay off for life!


I’ll post Carol’s recipes this evening, but here’s my menu plan for this week….
Comin’ Homes  Menu Plan for May 25-31
  • Roasted turkey breast, roasted asparagus, Baked Sweet Potato
  • Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole, Sauteed Broccoli
  • Healthy Salisbury Steak, Baked Potato without fat, Basic Salad
  • Roasted Chicken with Mushroom Gravy, Roasted Veges
  • Lemon Pepper Halibut, Steamed Rice, Roasted Asparagus,
    Pumpkin Pie (1 small piece per person)

Sunday Dinners:
Roast Beef w/Roasted rosemary tossed whole greenbeans, new potatoes, and carrots
Skirt-Steak Fajitas with Sautéed Peppers and Onions  (go easy on the canola oil!)
(use corn tortillas instead of flour if allergic to wheat)

Photo Credits for most pictures: Photo Dictionary.com

Happy Homemaking!
Donna

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Wedensday Weight Watch for May 19-25

Wednesday Weight Watch! How are you doing this week?

Answers:  6 entries so far... you're next!
  1. Well..I only lost 1 pound..but Im losing inches every week! Im eating healthy food and havent eaten junk in three weeks! PTL!! Swam twice! - Visit
  2. I am donw to 140lbs today. I began to exercise in the Total Gym and plan to do that every day except Sundays. 30 more to go :) - Visit
  3. Slow and sorta steady for me...lost 2 this week. Total of 16 lbs since January 1. Still walking each morning, except Sunday. - Visit
  4. Mis here, I lost 2.2 and am now under my Weight Watcher goal. Didnt think I would make it. God changing my focus is my success - Visit
  5. Lost 4 this week (but gained 3 last week) so new total is 10 pounds lost over 7 weeks. Louise - Visit
  6. Stayed the same. Wanted to lose at least 2 more pounds this past week, but it didnt happen. Im not discouraged. At least I didnt put any back on
  7. You are next...
    Click here to enter

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

A new change

Many of you know that my husband, Allen, is one of the best cooks around. He always makes me my favorite dishes and it is hard not to over-indulge. Since I'm a picky eater, I don't have a lot of choices on what to give up because I would starve. And don't suggest I try new things. I'm 53 and that hasn't worked since I was 4 so I don't think my taste buds would comply now.

Recently Allen has changed jobs (he's a cook for a living). He hours vary and he will be working some nights. The change in the routine will mean I have to fend for myself. Since he has done 98% of the cooking for 29 years, I'm limited on what I fix. On his nights to work the evening shift, I will be in charge of my own meals. That is scary.

But since I do not like to cook and CAN'T cook the items I love that are so fattening, I may be able to shed a few more pounds. Don't get me wrong, I am going to miss him like crazy in the evenings and I will miss my favorite foods. But I figured if this is going to be our situation for a while, I should make the best of it.

Starting tomorrow (he's cooking for me tonight) I will try to eat healthier and avoid my fried fatty foods.

If you have any good recipe for simple meals that are lean to help me, please let me know. You can post them here or email me at beesplace@comcast.net.

More about my journey

Hey, Everybody!

I've added a "Weight Loss" page to the top of my blog that took me several tries to write.  It was difficult to share some of the pictures of me taken during the past 5 years.  I just hope (my favorite word)....that this time next year I can post a picture that I can be proud of!!!
If you get a chance, check it out....here!

Blessings to each of you!!!


 

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Hello everyone!


Sweet Donna was kind enough to invite me to join you ladies :) Thank you Donna!

I have had a terrible battle with weight-loss since I was a young woman.  I did a lot of yo-yo dieting and was never quite able to reach the goal that I had set out for myself.

Then I was diagnosed with Diabetes, and my eating habits and my life has totally changed.  I have lost over 80lbs since my diagnosis, but I still have 30 lbs more to go.  You might say, I have hit a major rut! 

So ladies, You have no idea what an encouragement you are to me.  Just writing about it, I feel very strongly that being accountable works.  It keeps you motivated and focused on the goal that I know, with The Lord's help, I can achieve :) 

I don't have a set time for the weight-loss.  I am doing it simply and without stress.  Since stress is a no-no for someone with Diabetes, I try to avoid it at all cost.  I will be weighing-in on Wednesday with all of you and see how I do :)

Until next time...

Maria

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Hey I'm still here!

I've been on a training course at work and haven't had any time for blogging, emailing or even cooking a proper meal...much to my annoyance. I've felt so frustrated because food was provided on this thing, we weren't allowed to bring our own food into the venue and so I've been forced to eat food which isn't exactly conducive to weight loss. And worse still, it's left me with an awful craving for bread! I'd just got over that too :(

I gained 3 pounds in 1 week and now I feel really sorry for myself. I'll get over it, but you know how I feel I'm sure.

For lunch today I made a vegetable pie...lots of zero point veggies, with a mashed potato topping. It was lovely but I could only eat half of it, so I've put the other half of it in the fridge for later. It's already pointed on my tracker, so I might as well eat it LOL.

Well other than that I have no news really, just worked, studied, eaten and slept for the last couple of weeks...

Will go catch up with some posts now :)

Friday, May 14, 2010

Non Scale Victory

About 13 years ago I bought a stationary bike at a yard sale. It was an older version at the time, but it had a place to lay a book and that made it perfect for me. I really love to read, so I could do exercise and read at the same time.
Jump forward to January 2010...I watch the Biggest Loser EVERY WEEK. On the first episode for this season, the couples had to ride a marathon on exercise bikes (very different from my stationary bike). I thought I can do that...ride what would have been my 1/2 of the marathon (13.1 miles)...even though I hadn't been on the bike for months. I tried it then next morning. 30 minutes for only 3 miles. Easy math...at least an hour and a half for 13.1 miles. I was discouraged, but kept on toward my goal adding more distance every few weeks .
The biggest benefit from riding is that I really started studying my Bible.
I have been going back over some of my notes from Dr Liner's messages...this week is 7 goals for 2007. God met with me this morning and when I was done...I was at 12.5 miles only .7 miles away from my goal. Today God and I reached my goal of 13.1 miles in 42 minutes!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

A Discovery

I read what Ms. Donna wrote on Monday and so much of it rang true with my own weight problem.  I have known for quite some time that I eat too much bread.  When I was younger, I followed after my Mom and ate very little bread....and was able to keep my weight down, even after having Jess (30 years ago).  I started gaining weight in the last 15 years and it's been up and down.  Yesterday, I took an on-line "survey" to determine some things that I might need to change....and guess what????  
I eat too much bread!!!  
Duh!!!!  
I had heard on Dr. Oz that if you're having trouble seeing the scales move it could be because you're eating too much of one thing (bread).  Also...according to the survey....if you eat too much bread/crackers....then it slows down your metabolism!!!  WOW!!  What an ah-ha moment for me!!!  

So...my dear friends on this journey with me....I am going to cut way back on my bread and incorporate more fruits and veggies.   Say a little prayer for me that this is just what I need to jump start my metabolism!!!  
I ate no bread yesterday....and guess what.....I survived!!!

Hope all of you are finding what works for you, too!!!

Blessings to each of  'ya!!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Things I Didn't Eat this week and why it was so easy to say, "No!"

Hi Friends, I just had to tell you about an incredible change that has taken place for me since we started this weight loss group! I have lost nine pounds since we started and three of those were over the last week and a half. I have not ever had to go hungry or have felt any cravings of any kind!! I never knew that my battle was caused by the ups and down caused by our body craving bad sources of carbohydrates and the sugar and insulin rush that results.  Except for the first day, I have not had to fight this battle anymore. The only battle I fight now is the battle of the 'mind'. The mental desire for foods that don't help my body be healthy but actually harm me.  I never wanted to admit to myself that junk food hurts us, just like alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes.  If I hadn't eaten tons of it, I could probably 'indulge' now and then without hurting me, but after years of junk, my body just can't handle it any more without knocking my body's systems out of whack.

I almost entitled this post...thing I didn't eat this last two weeks, but didn't mind!  We had Mother's Day dinner, Pizza night with friends, dinner at SaltGrass Steakhouse with hubby's boss, a four day tournament with almost nothing healthy to eat, went to Chick-fil-A with friends, and a church potluck all in the space of a week and half. My daughter, who knows how much I have struggled with food and that I have never stuck out any kind of diet since she was old enough to remember told me, "I keep pinching myself, thinking I'm going to wake up and Mom will be back to her old comfortable ways."  She's so happy to finally have a partner in her efforts to stay thin and healthy! Together, I'm we are going to help the whole family get on a better track before it is too late for the guys!



Here is what I didn't eat in the last week and a half...Lasagna, Icecream bars, shakes, Starbucks' Vanilla coffee in a bottle, Sausage Pizza, IceCream, Cookies, Deep dish brownies (warm), Chili Frito Pie, Baked potato with the works, Chicken Fried Steak, and Chick-filet's Famous Chicken Sandwich with fries, Chicken Quesadillas, refried beans and mexican rice, Fajitas with cheese and sourcream.....should I go on?I never in my whole life could have imagined being able to turn down these opportunities to treat myself and I never thought I'd by a bottle of water as long as I live, but I've done so three times now!


This is basically a list of all my favorite foods!  It was as if the Lord was trying to show me, that nothing was going to derail me as long as I was willing to give these yummy things up for as long as it takes. I've not only lost three more pounds (nine total since we started), but at least three inches in my stomach, the lumps on my hips are gone, my extra chin is goneand even my back is as thin as it can be!

I look fantastic compared to two weeks ago and feel so much energy that I'm always amazed that I can fall asleep at night! And I do sleep great...like a log!(and that was on a futon in guest housing--hard as a rock bed)  I NEVER got tired at our tournament like I normally do and I drove straight to Austin on Wed. and straight home afterwards on Sunday without any tiredness.I even cooked Mother's day dinner because everyone else was too tired to help...but I felt fine. (Tim did cook the steaks though.)

My husband is so amazed about my energy that as skinny as he is, he wants to follow my diet so he can have my energy. He just can't get over it! I'm quickly getting into old clothes too--thank goodness!. Five friends have started doing what I'm doing just to look and feel as I do right now. I haven't been able to wear this black and white blouse in a year or the culottes either!


Now, before I tell you what I'm eating and not eating, I have to tell you that at 47 I have been on every diet imaginable and every one was either really strange and not good for my health, or very hard to stay on because I was always fighting the urge to eat something yummy. It was a constant battle not to 'cheat' and I was always hungry. For years, I weighed 125lb. (after losing from 185 after my second baby) but although I maintained that weight even through three more pregnancies (minus the normal gain of a pregnancy which I quickly lost), I was still miserable the whole time--I was always hungry! Until seven years ago, I pretty much kept it under 140.   It was worth 'starving' to stay thin but it was never easy. I never felt FREE of the battle between what I wanted to eat and what I ought to eat to maintain my weight. And I never felt good...but rather kind of tired or irritable.

I never knew why I started slowly gaining again unless it was simply that I grew tired of the battle and began giving in to the cravings even as my metabolism slowed down...kind of normal for 40 I guess. But it was so discouraging, because I hated getting bigger and not looking pretty any more. I also had no idea, at the time, that as I ate more junk food and processed foods, that they were the reason I started feeling less energetic and even scatter brained. I thought it was just the normal results of middle age creeping up on me.

Am I the only one who has noticed that almost EVERYONE is overweight?? It wasn't so ten years ago, but it is now. Even teenagers and children are overweight! Well, although it was you guys who inspired me to try ONE LAST TIME....I was still getting absolutely no where. The old ways of losing weight were just not working or I just couldn't bear to try them again.  I couldn't stand the thought of getting on the Linky List the third week and have to tell you that I lost nothing, but I was afraid that is what I was going to have to do. I guess the Lord knew that I was now desperate enough to try something I never had before--stop eating junk food regardless of how many calories it had or didn't have. I wanted diets that allowed me to keep indulging in sweets and salty snacks, processed foods, bread and cheese and diet coke and fake candy bars and especially fried foods. I felt like as long as I kept it under 1300 calories a day, that it didn't matter 'what' I ate.

In no way am I telling you that you can't lose weight eating those things, or that you have to stop eating those things. I'm only telling you why I not only dropped three little pounds but several inches in all the right places!!

  Mike Huckabee who lost over a hundred pounds, wrote a book that describes it in the most simple terms, Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork.

I read the book a year ago, but at the time...

I wasn't desperate enough to give up the foods I loved for the sake of feeling wonderful and looking ten years younger!

I didn't want to give up these things. I didn't want to stop!  I literally wanted to "Have my Cake, and Eat it Too!"  You know what I mean. We want to eat whatever we like, even if it isn't in the quantities and lose weight at the same time. 

Here is what Mike Huckabee suggested and it summarizes perfectly how I've been eating the last week and a half.  He talks about the TEN THINGS HE STOPPED DOING which caused him to lose weight so easily without craving.          








The first day was the hardest! I was filled with cravings the first day, and couldn't think of anything to eat that wasn't on the 12 stops list.  My nutritionist also told me I needed to eat NO MILK, MILK PRODUCTS OR CHEESE right now due to my allergies. All I could think of was so WHAT WAS LEFT TO EAT? I had never wanted an apple, orange, or raw vege, and only included cooked veges because I ought to. The main part of the meal always had plenty of carbs and the most important part of the meal, was the carb part. Our normal dinner was casserole with pasta or main meat and potatos, pasta, or corn...a starch on the side. The vege was an 'extra'.

Veges and fruit never made it to lunch very often and rarely at breakfast. Certainly my snacks were never healthy and special occasion meals were the worst of all!. It's amazing how many special occasions we have in our lives...or excuses to indulge.

But starting the Thursday before last when several of my friends and I were discussing a yeast free diet designed to help people with candida or thyroid or adrenal problems that was helping several of them lose weight very easily while gaining energy, I have stopped eating all the things on the list.

So what do I eat? The general rule is piece of meat the size of  deck of cards, two fists of veges, and one fist of fruit and small quantity of good fat. (olive oil, coconut oil, real butter), and 1/2 cup whole grain bread (homemade or health food store) oatmeal, or brown rice per day. 
Snacks should be smaller versions of meals with the same balance so you don't get food cravings. You know you have eaten too much of one food group if you find your self hungry before four hours or find yourself craving something or sleepy in the middle of the day.

Dinner made from leftovers on the banquet table at the tournament plus my own nuts and an orange.

WHAT I EAT!
At home:
Breakfast (a good protein shake with greens plus (lots of vitaimins and fiber) or
(1/2 cup oatmeal if no brown rice in the evening)
Protein: Eggs and turkey bacon,
Small fat: butter or coconut oil
Vege: sliced tomatoes or sauteed spinach, or low salt V8 juice
Fruit: apple, orange, strawberries, pineapple or melon (no grapes or bananas--too much sugar)

Lunch:
Canned Tuna or Chicken, or natural (no nitrates added) lunch meat: turkey breast, ham, or roast beef
Salad with lots of fresh broccoli, tomatoes, cucumber, green onion, bell pepper (no carrots--insulin)
Fruit: same as above
Salad dressing: homemade mayo or salad dressing with no sugar or chemicals added

Dinner:
Lean meat of any kind except (No sausage or hot dogs)
Steamed veges with butter or olive oil (no potatoes, carrots, corn, peas, or starchy stuff)
1/2 cup brown rice (if no oatmeal in the morning)
Fruit salad or frozen fruit with a little Soy or Almond milk poured on top w/ stevia.
sauces like : Salsa, homemade spaghetti sauce, healthy sweet and sour sauce.


Snacks...any time I'm hungry....1/2 a fruit or vege and 1/4 cups nuts or couple slices avacado, and a slice of lunch meat (healthy)
Salsa and Bell Pepper slices, with avocado.

Drink water most of the day and before every meal. Also can have tea or coffee. Use lactose free milk sparingly. Lemon juice, water, and stevia for lemonade.

ON THE ROAD--Eating at SIX RESTAURANTS and Four Day Tournament/Convention...here's what I ate....

I bought a little cooler like Mike Huckabee does. I planned ahead of time what to eat at the tournament and restaurants. I brought my own little bottle of olive oil which I could sprinkle on any veges available. I also sprinkled the veges with lemon juice and salt and pepper.   I didn't touch any salad dressings provided.
 
At Steak HouseSteak or Grilled Chicken Breast
Veges or Salad on the Side
Water or Tea with sweetner I brought myself
No cheese, or dessert, or bread

At the Buffet at tournament :
Meatballs or lunchmeat, fajita meat  (when it was a casserole I ate tuna that I brought from home, straight from the can!)
Veges trays doctored up with lemon juice and olive oil. Ate raw sometimes before I got the olive oil.
Lots of fruit! Ate a lot that I brought myself.
Nuts on occasion.
Drank water and hot tea.


At Mexican Restaurant:  Fajitas with bell pepper and onions without the tortilla. No cheese, rice, beans etc. Taco Salad with salsa on top. No dressing, taco shell, sour cream, or cheese., Fruit from home.

At Whataburger: Grilled chicken sandwich with no bun. Ate apple I had in the car.
At Wendy's: Side salad, and Hamburger with no dressings, cheese, or bun. They put it in a salad container. Fruit from home.
AT Chick Filet-  Banana...ate the rest of my lunch at the tournament (canned tuna, fresh veges, nuts)
At Starbucks -  Iced Caffe Latte with Soy Milk and my own stevia from home.

That's it and three pounds later my friends were shocked at my energy, enthusiasm, lack of sleepiness after 16-18 hours days judging... on the last day from 7:00am to 2:00am!  Woke up at 10:00am the next morning feeling great. Drove all the way home and made Mother's day dinner and watched a movie with hubby.  NO CRASH!! for the first time ever in three years of tournaments! I also lost most of my bulging stomach and my saddlebags and double chin. It was amazing!

If you would like to feel ten years younger...try these 12 Stops. If you want to understand the nutrition and why processed foods are making everyone regardless of age and background gain weight and get some great recipes...read Your Fat is Not Your Fault!

Read about it here:


Be sure to try this at least a week before you decide it isn't for you! I don't think you will ever go back to the way you ate before!   Happy Eating!






Sunday, May 2, 2010

1 month update

Well it's been 1 month since I started this weight loss journey...again...*sigh*, but it's not been as bad as I thought it would be. I must admit I'm still struggling for energy really badly, such that when I get home from the office I'm just too tired to stand there cooking a meal. Last week I really did struggle with the energy thing so didn't do quite as well as I could have, but I scraped a weight loss, so obviously I hadn't gone nuts or anything. This week has been much the same, so the weight loss probably won't be anything spectacular, but I'm just aiming for ANY loss EVERY week because I think losing consistently is more important that actual weight lost each week...if you get my drift.

So here's a quick summary of how things are looking after 1 month:
-weight...minus 9 pounds
-measurements...minus 2 inches off waist

Generally speaking, I'm finding that I can bend easier and I'm also much more coordinated too (kind of odd, but hey I'll roll with it...).

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Meet Kylee and Visit an Inspiring blog: REAL FAT!! She is AMAZING!

Kylee of REAL FAT has the most inspiring blog I've ever seen for weight loss. Do please go visit her and read some of her story. What a great idea to have your own personal blog where you plot your progress publicly. I love it!!!

Here are some before and after pictures...

And some more pictures...

And one last set...   Truly a picture is worth a THOUSAND words...this was enough inspiration for me!

Here is a link to her blog REAL FAT.  It is such a cute cheerful blog and she shares the ups and downs of not losing and losing in such a sweet way with a real Texan flair. I think all of her posts would be worth reading. She says she finally realized she would have to rely on the Lord, if she was ever going to lose.

Have a Great Weekend!
Donna @ Comin' Home

No wonder I can't seem to get anywhere...

As we struggle with weight loss, we strive to find the perfect diet, exercises that are manageable and a fortitude to withstand the whole process.

As I was working on my morning post for my blog, it occurred to me why I have no progress. I am a contrast of personalities.

I got up this morning and made chocolate chip cookies for the grandkids and hubby to have later today. I posted on Facebook my daily update and told about the cookies.

I did my blog and was thinking about things that you could always depend on when you were growing up. I talked about Mom's famous hamburgers and chocolate milk shakes.

Last night, Alexis, my 5 year old granddaughter, was telling me about the wonderful food McDonald's has and how she would just LOVE to go there after the aquarium today so her brother could get a Battle Force car in the kids meal. (She was down playing the fact that she would get a Barbie toy in hers).

So I began to contemplate why I have such little willpower. I have too much food in my life. It's not just the junk food. It's the eggs and bacon. It's the homemade pizza. It's a husband who is the best cook in the world and make spaghetti to die for. It's the grandkids who love to go to McDonald's and Wendy's. It's memories of my favorite comfort foods growing up.

I will overcome this. It's not that I eat large portions of anything, so I can't really cut back on that. It is just the types of food I eat. But I did buy some fresh fruit (apples and oranges) at the store the other day. So I will be strong and I will conquer.