It's later today because Mark and I took a road trip to Rutland VT to explore an astronomy corn maze. Mark loves astronomy so I thought it would be cool. The biggest surprise of the trip was the fact that they had hidden 8 different shape hole punchers out in the 12 acre field and if you found all 8, you were entered into a raffle for a telescope.
We were so excited because we found the first 3 shapes in about 20 minutes. We then spent another hour or so looking for the rest. We ended up giving up with 5 punches. The maze had hills in it!
When we got out of the maze we felt like we had been wondering around for a full day, instead of an hour and a half.
We are home now and sore all over. I am enjoying a glass of wine, because I had carbs left, and am watching the UT - OSU game on tv. We missed having little spooks and goblins. I believe this is the first Halloween in my whole life where I didn't have 3-4 bags of candy left over for Mark and I me to give away or consume.
Tip: You don't have to consume large amounts of sugar or carbohydrates when out to dinner. We had brocolli, mushrooms, salad bar, and prime rib with 2 stuff shrimp. I took the stuffing out of my shrimp and made appropriate choices at the salad bar.
Being healthy is a Divine gift from my Higher Power and I gratefully accept it!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
TGI Friday, October 30, 2009
Ever since I've heard Jorge's mantra Instant health is my Divine right, and I claim it now, it has bothered me. I figured out it is because it seems to me to have a sense of entitlement. I know what he is doing and I believe in it. However, entitlement bothers me. It seems that so many Americans feel entitled and think because someone gave birth to them that society owes them.
I have been really bothered about the gang rape that happened in CA recently and cannot understand how 10 people actually think they were entitled to that young 15 year old's body for their pleasure or power over. It makes me sick and while CA only has a law for onlookers when the child is 14 or younger, I think they are criminals as well. It's a scary thought that people think they are entitled to help themselves to whatever they want.
In one of our bonus clips, Don Miguel Ruiz stated, "Take complete responsibility for yourself". No one owes you anything because you were put here on this earth.
Is anyone having problems with Halloween candy this year? I am not. There are other ways to fulfill your Halloween Holiday Traditions. My crazy family is having a nationwide Halloween pumpkin carving contest. Entries have to be posted online by tomorrow night at midnight. I think it is a great way for us all to come together even when we are in Colorado, Texas, and now New York. I am going to give away Jorge Brownies this year and save a couple of carbs so I can one and 2 glasses of wine.
Tip for the day is to avoid the Halloween candy aisle if you are having a weak moment. Take your grocery list for low carb treats to the store and only purchase what is on it. It will not hurt the kiddos to have low sugar treats either.
Jorge's modified mantra; Great Health is a Divine gift from my Higher Power and I gratefully accept it!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Today is a better day. It is no longer pouring rain and really isn't all that cold. It was 51 on our way into work and I carried my coat in the door with me. I never really know what's in store for me weather-wise at the end of the day.
After work last night, Mark and I stopped by the PriceChopper near our apt. to pick up our favorite low carb tortillas and could not find in. 45 minutes later, after stopping at Hannafords, then driving to the PriceChopper on the other side of Saratoga Springs, we had our tortillas and were on our way home. I wanted to buy up the inventory, but Mark kept a calmer head and we only purchased 2. You have to definitely read the label on the tortillas. I've been told in the past to choose multi-grain because it is better for you. However, we've found this brand, and I cannot remember the name with the exception of it having a big -X- in the middle that have 9 g of carbs per tortilla. I could conceivably have 4 tortillas and still only have consumed 2 carb servings. We elected to have a quesadilla last night and had 2 each. They were absolutely delicious. So, for 3 servings of carbs we had bean, cheese, chicken quesadillas with chips and salsa on the side. It was really filling and I almost couldn't eat my whole one. I somehow managed to because I need to consume all 6 of my carb servings, although only 6.
I am more accepting today. I realized last night, when we were on our frantic search for these yummy tortillas that I was not drawn toward cakes and cookies. I realized I really don't care if I have this anymore. What I want is an amazing avocado, not a stringy one, and that will make my day! I know you must be thinking I should be careful with the avocado because it has so much fat, but guess what? We are not counting our fats because fat doesn't make you fat, sugar does.
So, today I feel contented and tell myself that slow and steady wins the race. The truth is that there is no finish line so this isn't a race. This is a lifestyle change and a path I want to be on for the rest of my life. Do I think I'll never put over 15 grams of sugar in my body in one day? The answer to that is no. I am giving myself permission to do that if I want to. The main idea here is that I am now aware of what I put in my body and if I do put more sugar in it, then I need to do it in moderation. Interestingly enough, I'll be excited to add fruits back into my program because at this point in the program we are excluding fruits because of their high sugar count. What is interesting is that clients on the BFC blog are having problems attempting to cut the sugar out. Mark and I are having fun seeing how little sugar we can consume and giving ourselves ice cream sandwiches and still remain under the 15 grams of sugar.
Have a good Thursday and dance before you go to bed.
Tip of the day is to be sure and read the labels of your food. It may surprise you that you are denying yourself something, in the name of health, and it is really better for you and will be satiating.
Instant health is my Divine right and I claim it now!
After work last night, Mark and I stopped by the PriceChopper near our apt. to pick up our favorite low carb tortillas and could not find in. 45 minutes later, after stopping at Hannafords, then driving to the PriceChopper on the other side of Saratoga Springs, we had our tortillas and were on our way home. I wanted to buy up the inventory, but Mark kept a calmer head and we only purchased 2. You have to definitely read the label on the tortillas. I've been told in the past to choose multi-grain because it is better for you. However, we've found this brand, and I cannot remember the name with the exception of it having a big -X- in the middle that have 9 g of carbs per tortilla. I could conceivably have 4 tortillas and still only have consumed 2 carb servings. We elected to have a quesadilla last night and had 2 each. They were absolutely delicious. So, for 3 servings of carbs we had bean, cheese, chicken quesadillas with chips and salsa on the side. It was really filling and I almost couldn't eat my whole one. I somehow managed to because I need to consume all 6 of my carb servings, although only 6.
I am more accepting today. I realized last night, when we were on our frantic search for these yummy tortillas that I was not drawn toward cakes and cookies. I realized I really don't care if I have this anymore. What I want is an amazing avocado, not a stringy one, and that will make my day! I know you must be thinking I should be careful with the avocado because it has so much fat, but guess what? We are not counting our fats because fat doesn't make you fat, sugar does.
So, today I feel contented and tell myself that slow and steady wins the race. The truth is that there is no finish line so this isn't a race. This is a lifestyle change and a path I want to be on for the rest of my life. Do I think I'll never put over 15 grams of sugar in my body in one day? The answer to that is no. I am giving myself permission to do that if I want to. The main idea here is that I am now aware of what I put in my body and if I do put more sugar in it, then I need to do it in moderation. Interestingly enough, I'll be excited to add fruits back into my program because at this point in the program we are excluding fruits because of their high sugar count. What is interesting is that clients on the BFC blog are having problems attempting to cut the sugar out. Mark and I are having fun seeing how little sugar we can consume and giving ourselves ice cream sandwiches and still remain under the 15 grams of sugar.
Have a good Thursday and dance before you go to bed.
Tip of the day is to be sure and read the labels of your food. It may surprise you that you are denying yourself something, in the name of health, and it is really better for you and will be satiating.
Instant health is my Divine right and I claim it now!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
After feeling so pumped after Monday night's meeting and after feeling so positive since I started my blog, I felt tired and discouraged yesterday afternoon. I also began having thoughts like: Do I really understand the program? Am I really following it correctly? Why aren't I having results like others in my groups are reporting?
Signs of pouty-ness showing up in my psyche. Wait a minute; I started this program last Friday; it hasn't even been a week and I want to lose the 9 pounds Jorge was sharing with us about some having that result, even though my weight and inches seem about the same? I know this is crazy thinking; thinking I've encountered throughout the years. Okay; so let's say I don't lose another pound, I do know that keeping my sugars to 15 grams or less is the healthy choice for me to make. Jorge showed us the difference between healthy red blood cells and those that are not. One of his clients came in after being on the 15g/6srv plan and his red blood cells looked healthy. They then took him into another room and had him eat a pop tart, banana, small glass of oj, and a cola. Ten minutes later they took another blood sample and the cells looked globbed (not a word but definitely should be) together and unhealthy.
I decided to turn my attention to other areas of growth, so I purchased a couple of weight lifting books and the Excitotoxin book I mentioned yesterday.
Book Names and Authors
The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddessby Lou Schuler
Now or Never: Keep Your Body Young, Fit and Firm with the Weight Training Program That Works Even as You Age by Joyce L. Vedral
Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Russell L. Blaylock
I will definitely be giving feedback on these book at a later date.
My tip for the day is
Never give up on something you want. I want to be around to love my adult children and grand-babies!Instant health is my Divine right and I claim it now!
Till tomorrow,
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, October 27,2009
Good morning all. Have you danced this morning?
This week's lesson was mainly about sugar. To give you a really short recap, the 3 top deadly killer diseases are 1) Cardiovascular, 2) Cancer, and 3) Type II Diabetes. There is an eerie correlation between the increase in the amount of sugar consumption to the amount of people developing or dying from one or more of these diseases. Sugar consumption dropped during WWI and WWII and so did the rate of disease.
Our ancestors ate very little sugar and quite a lot of fat and they did not have the incidents of disease we currently have.
The other thing; don't even think about switching to drinks with saccharin, aspartame, etc., because that is really bad for your neurological system. Splenda is made with chlorine and destroys the healthy bacteria you are supposed to have. Equal causes brain imbalances and saccharin cancer. There is a book called Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills. I am going to see if it is available for checkout at our library and read it to further horrify myself.
From now on I am sticking to water, tea, Sobe Water, Fuze, and Zevia (for when I really need the experience of a cola). Too bad Mark and I are not coffee drinkers because Jorge made an amazing drink last night using coffee, Jay Robb whey protein, purevia and ice. He then put Redi-Whip on top and then sprinkled Ghirardelli unsweetened chocolate on top. Come to think of it, I am going to try this drink and let you know how it turns out for me.
Xylosweet, truvia, purevia, maltitol sweeteners; everything with "tol" ingredients are the better choices for you. I am going to make Jorge's brownies to give out at Halloween. I do not want even small candy bars in the house this year!
We spent the last few moments talking about bowel movements. Yes, we talked about POOP! It was great. Jorge had play dough models of the size and shape of poop that should be occurring and those that can. If you can visualize for the moment; he had what he called Marble poop, and that poo (that's what we call it) was little balls and reminded me of rabbit poo. There was Pencil poop and that is poo that comes out in long thing shapes. The next type was Baby poop and that is poo that comes out in little small pieces. Then the Normal poop was about the size of a long icee, only it's even better if it is in an "S" shape. This whole section of class reminded me of Jean Anne and Connie (relatives of mine) that shared with me that boys liked to try and poo letters of the alphabet and how proud they are to have big long ones. Wow; I guess those boys were getting plenty of fiber.
Jorge also discussed how to get the poos coming. Many people have had constipation since they began the program. His recommendation is to purchase Benefiber and Pro-Biotic pills. Mix the benefiber (a little less than a TBLS) with SoBe water and drink and take 2-3 pills at the same time. I went out to Wal-Mart last night and purchased those items and Mark and I have both had a serving last night and this morning. I think Mark has what Jorge calls false body fat syndrome.
Jorge has a Belly Fat Cure book coming out December 28, 2009.
I do believe Mark thinks I am trying to kill him. He's kind of been pouty this week. He realized Dr. Peppers have 2-3 days worth of sugar in one can and the diet drinks are as bad or worse than sugar. He's not taking to Zevia, at least not the orange one. Hopefully he will like the zevia cola. I think it is pretty good actually.
Today's tip is if you are not getting your daily 30 grams of fiber, then you will probably want to add the concoction I mention above to you daily routine morning and night.
Dance and play your tambourine! Instant health is my Divine right and I claim it now.
Time to go hither.
This week's lesson was mainly about sugar. To give you a really short recap, the 3 top deadly killer diseases are 1) Cardiovascular, 2) Cancer, and 3) Type II Diabetes. There is an eerie correlation between the increase in the amount of sugar consumption to the amount of people developing or dying from one or more of these diseases. Sugar consumption dropped during WWI and WWII and so did the rate of disease.
Our ancestors ate very little sugar and quite a lot of fat and they did not have the incidents of disease we currently have.
The other thing; don't even think about switching to drinks with saccharin, aspartame, etc., because that is really bad for your neurological system. Splenda is made with chlorine and destroys the healthy bacteria you are supposed to have. Equal causes brain imbalances and saccharin cancer. There is a book called Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills. I am going to see if it is available for checkout at our library and read it to further horrify myself.
From now on I am sticking to water, tea, Sobe Water, Fuze, and Zevia (for when I really need the experience of a cola). Too bad Mark and I are not coffee drinkers because Jorge made an amazing drink last night using coffee, Jay Robb whey protein, purevia and ice. He then put Redi-Whip on top and then sprinkled Ghirardelli unsweetened chocolate on top. Come to think of it, I am going to try this drink and let you know how it turns out for me.
Xylosweet, truvia, purevia, maltitol sweeteners; everything with "tol" ingredients are the better choices for you. I am going to make Jorge's brownies to give out at Halloween. I do not want even small candy bars in the house this year!
We spent the last few moments talking about bowel movements. Yes, we talked about POOP! It was great. Jorge had play dough models of the size and shape of poop that should be occurring and those that can. If you can visualize for the moment; he had what he called Marble poop, and that poo (that's what we call it) was little balls and reminded me of rabbit poo. There was Pencil poop and that is poo that comes out in long thing shapes. The next type was Baby poop and that is poo that comes out in little small pieces. Then the Normal poop was about the size of a long icee, only it's even better if it is in an "S" shape. This whole section of class reminded me of Jean Anne and Connie (relatives of mine) that shared with me that boys liked to try and poo letters of the alphabet and how proud they are to have big long ones. Wow; I guess those boys were getting plenty of fiber.
Jorge also discussed how to get the poos coming. Many people have had constipation since they began the program. His recommendation is to purchase Benefiber and Pro-Biotic pills. Mix the benefiber (a little less than a TBLS) with SoBe water and drink and take 2-3 pills at the same time. I went out to Wal-Mart last night and purchased those items and Mark and I have both had a serving last night and this morning. I think Mark has what Jorge calls false body fat syndrome.
Jorge has a Belly Fat Cure book coming out December 28, 2009.
I do believe Mark thinks I am trying to kill him. He's kind of been pouty this week. He realized Dr. Peppers have 2-3 days worth of sugar in one can and the diet drinks are as bad or worse than sugar. He's not taking to Zevia, at least not the orange one. Hopefully he will like the zevia cola. I think it is pretty good actually.
Today's tip is if you are not getting your daily 30 grams of fiber, then you will probably want to add the concoction I mention above to you daily routine morning and night.
Dance and play your tambourine! Instant health is my Divine right and I claim it now.
Time to go hither.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009, evening post
I found out that one of my fellow BFC member is blogging their experience as well. They posted this youtube video clip of an old Seinfeld episode and it is pretty damn funny.
I'm sure everyone I know has been tempted to pick something out of the trash and eat it at least once in their lives; or maybe not; maybe only George Costanza and me. Or better yet, made something like fudge or chocolate peanut butter cookies, eaten 1 or 2 or 7, then thrown the rest out, only to regret it a few hours later!
Enjoy George and I will be back tomorrow to tell you about week 2 class for BFC.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Good morning? Have you danced this morning? Dancing is good for you. Dancing to your favorite song is a great way to wake up in the morning. Mark and I sing and "car dance" on the way to work. I am going to buy a green tambourine to I can get up and dance around our apartment with it.
Before you go having visuals, I am not like Terry Bradshaw in "Failure to Launch". Having said that, maybe I should be. I will try it first thing in the morning and let you know.
I had a "Think Thin White Chocolate Chip" high protein gluten free bar for breakfast and Mark just went to the Nano Cafe downstairs to get us some eggs. The Protein Bar is pretty darn good. It has 0 sugars and 2 carbs, so 0/2. He came back with an omelet. It is really delicious and it is 1/0 (he had them put red bell peppers in it. I'm taking mine out for the most part because a 1/2 cup of bell peppers is overwhelming for me. I just like a hint of bell pepper, if any at all.) There is NO reason to be hungry on this program. If you look at all the free foods 0/0, there is plenty to keep you from getting hungry. If you are on the go, the protein bar is a perfect substitute. Check it out!
Week 2 with Jorge is today at 7:30 pm EST. I can hardly wait to see what else I can learn from him. He bubbles over with enthusiasm! I received an email from Jorge Cruise's group that I was not chosen for the Women First magazine 20, so I made the right choice to join the current group.
Gotta run,
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
I woke up this morning thinking about how I was enjoying my BFC program and that I did not feel deprived like I have with other programs. I even felt deprived on the Atkins diet. I'd start out loving it and with good results, then I'd start feeling pouty (not really a word, but it should be!) about not being able to have certain items. I'm not feeling that way at this point. I will let you know when I do, so you can guide me back to the non-deprived side; which is satisfied, I guess.
Anyway, I began wondering if those of you that are reading my experiences might think I was obsessing over this new program. I then considered the difference between obsessive and committed and decided to google it. As a side note, did you know you could go to google.com and put in the words: define commitment OR define obsessive and you don't even have to go into any of the results to get the definitions. I just learned that and think it is so cool.
I looked up the following:
Commitment: trait of sincere and steadfast fixity of purpose; of energy and purpose
Obsessive: Excessive in degree or nature
Excessive: Beyond normal limits
I decided that I am more committed than obsessive after thinking about the definitions of each. I have an amazing energy and purpose regarding the BFC program. I do not think I have gone "beyond normal limits". While learning anything new I believe it takes more energy and fixity in the early stages of the game. Jorge's thought about this is that it is like riding a bike for the first time. You get on the bike and you wobble from side to side or maybe even fall off. With great determination you keep on until you are finally able to ride even without the training wheels! You can let me know when or if you think I have.
I do have a tip for the day; Mark and I both love Arnold Select Pre-Sliced Multi-Grain Sandwich Thins. One roll has 2 sugars and 2 carb servings (2/2) and they are delicious. I do not feel deprived about not having a hamburger roll or McDonald's biscuit. Anyway, there are 8 in a bag and cost about 2.50 a bag. We had one for brunch with eggs, mushrooms, bacon, and pepper jack cheese and are going to have one with hamburgers later on today for dinner. Be sure and get the multi-grain because they have 5 g of fiber in each roll.
I've taken pictures of some of my breakfasts that I've prepared and will upload some of the shots as soon as I get my camera cord back from Haley or purchase a new one.
I'm getting ready to go downtown to look for a Natural Foods store I found on the Internet, so have a good Sunday and I'll be back tomorrow. I can hardly wait for tomorrow evening as I will be online with Jorge and my group which happens to have people in it from all over the world.
Instant Health is my Divine right and I claim it now!
Anyway, I began wondering if those of you that are reading my experiences might think I was obsessing over this new program. I then considered the difference between obsessive and committed and decided to google it. As a side note, did you know you could go to google.com and put in the words: define commitment OR define obsessive and you don't even have to go into any of the results to get the definitions. I just learned that and think it is so cool.
I looked up the following:
Commitment: trait of sincere and steadfast fixity of purpose; of energy and purpose
Obsessive: Excessive in degree or nature
Excessive: Beyond normal limits
I decided that I am more committed than obsessive after thinking about the definitions of each. I have an amazing energy and purpose regarding the BFC program. I do not think I have gone "beyond normal limits". While learning anything new I believe it takes more energy and fixity in the early stages of the game. Jorge's thought about this is that it is like riding a bike for the first time. You get on the bike and you wobble from side to side or maybe even fall off. With great determination you keep on until you are finally able to ride even without the training wheels! You can let me know when or if you think I have.
I do have a tip for the day; Mark and I both love Arnold Select Pre-Sliced Multi-Grain Sandwich Thins. One roll has 2 sugars and 2 carb servings (2/2) and they are delicious. I do not feel deprived about not having a hamburger roll or McDonald's biscuit. Anyway, there are 8 in a bag and cost about 2.50 a bag. We had one for brunch with eggs, mushrooms, bacon, and pepper jack cheese and are going to have one with hamburgers later on today for dinner. Be sure and get the multi-grain because they have 5 g of fiber in each roll.
I've taken pictures of some of my breakfasts that I've prepared and will upload some of the shots as soon as I get my camera cord back from Haley or purchase a new one.
I'm getting ready to go downtown to look for a Natural Foods store I found on the Internet, so have a good Sunday and I'll be back tomorrow. I can hardly wait for tomorrow evening as I will be online with Jorge and my group which happens to have people in it from all over the world.
Instant Health is my Divine right and I claim it now!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
It's a lazy day today. I slept in to pouring rain. Even Honey Bear slept in! I am getting into the rhythm of BFC. I am excited because I get to choose butter over margarine and avocados, when others say only have a little or none at all.
My mom used margarine all our lives. This is what Jorge Cruise says; margarine is so bad for you, if you don't like someone, give them margarine, it'll make them look old! Mark and I have been going back and forth, because Gary told us to use butter, and I had been told recently to use margarine.
Now, Jorge says to choose butter over margarine. I honestly believe the key is moderation. While I am attempting to lose the belly fat I currently have, I am going to choose butter and enjoy having it.
I did order our "pastured turkey" for Thanksgiving Dinner. I will be picking it up the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I am so excited about it. I will definitely be sharing what I think about the difference.
Remember, Instant Health is your divine right, claim it now!
My mom used margarine all our lives. This is what Jorge Cruise says; margarine is so bad for you, if you don't like someone, give them margarine, it'll make them look old! Mark and I have been going back and forth, because Gary told us to use butter, and I had been told recently to use margarine.
Now, Jorge says to choose butter over margarine. I honestly believe the key is moderation. While I am attempting to lose the belly fat I currently have, I am going to choose butter and enjoy having it.
I did order our "pastured turkey" for Thanksgiving Dinner. I will be picking it up the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I am so excited about it. I will definitely be sharing what I think about the difference.
Remember, Instant Health is your divine right, claim it now!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Yea! It is Friday! A lot has happened since I was on yesterday. I decided not to wait on the decision to be selected for Women First Jorge Cruise "Lost Belly Fat by Christmas" and joined the 12 week program yesterday.
Last night I began my Belly Fat Cure (BFC) program with Jorge Cruise and am really excited about it. You know I am if I am up at 7:20 in the morning to share. While I've made good progress with Shannon, I realize that I have made some strategic mistakes with only counting the carbs. The jest of BFC:
1. Pick your protein
2. Determine your fats (butter, not margarine, olive oil, etc.)
3. Count your Sugar and Carbs - S/C The magic number 15/6.
That is 15 grams of sugar and 6 servings of carbs. If the carb count of a serving is under 5 grams, then you don't have to count it as a serving of carbs. So 5-20 carbs is one serving, 21-40 is 2, and 41-60 is 3. At first I didn't understand it, but after watching my week one class video and he showed us, I got it! So, Doritos have 0 sugars and 21 carb grams per 1 serving of doritos. So that would be a 0/2. Then all you have to do is track your sugar grams and carb servings and not go over the 15/6.
Here is the really good news. All the butter, bacon, sausage, eggs, avocados that I know and love have 0/0! Walnuts have 0/0. Here is the kind of bad news; the club soda and splash of juice I've been drinking is not a good choice if I want to knock out my body fat.
So instead, Sobe Life Water, Zevia, Tea and Water, Plain Club Soda will be my choice of drinks. Look for a new Godiva sugar free chocolate bar and red wine. I can have chocolate and 2 5 oz. glasses of wine every evening if I want it.
I leave you with these ideas from Jorge Cruise:
Fat does not make you Fat!
If life is worth living, it's worth recording. Carry a journal with you!
Mantra to repeat to yourself several times during the day.
Instant health is my divine right and I claim it now
Time for me to cook breakfast for my first day of BFC, so I am logging off.
Last night I began my Belly Fat Cure (BFC) program with Jorge Cruise and am really excited about it. You know I am if I am up at 7:20 in the morning to share. While I've made good progress with Shannon, I realize that I have made some strategic mistakes with only counting the carbs. The jest of BFC:
1. Pick your protein
2. Determine your fats (butter, not margarine, olive oil, etc.)
3. Count your Sugar and Carbs - S/C The magic number 15/6.
That is 15 grams of sugar and 6 servings of carbs. If the carb count of a serving is under 5 grams, then you don't have to count it as a serving of carbs. So 5-20 carbs is one serving, 21-40 is 2, and 41-60 is 3. At first I didn't understand it, but after watching my week one class video and he showed us, I got it! So, Doritos have 0 sugars and 21 carb grams per 1 serving of doritos. So that would be a 0/2. Then all you have to do is track your sugar grams and carb servings and not go over the 15/6.
Here is the really good news. All the butter, bacon, sausage, eggs, avocados that I know and love have 0/0! Walnuts have 0/0. Here is the kind of bad news; the club soda and splash of juice I've been drinking is not a good choice if I want to knock out my body fat.
So instead, Sobe Life Water, Zevia, Tea and Water, Plain Club Soda will be my choice of drinks. Look for a new Godiva sugar free chocolate bar and red wine. I can have chocolate and 2 5 oz. glasses of wine every evening if I want it.
I leave you with these ideas from Jorge Cruise:
Fat does not make you Fat!
If life is worth living, it's worth recording. Carry a journal with you!
Mantra to repeat to yourself several times during the day.
Instant health is my divine right and I claim it now
Time for me to cook breakfast for my first day of BFC, so I am logging off.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Last night I was watching tv and there was a Dunkin Donuts commercial on. They were advertising all of their pumpkin muffins and donuts. I really wanted to try their pumpkin donuts, so I thought maybe I would before the holidays are over.
This morning Mark and I decide to go by McDonald's on the way in and get our usual. Mine is a bacon and egg biscuit. When I got to work, there were signs up about there being donuts in the library. I was bummed because I already had my egg and bacon biscuit.
Mark called me and I told him I really wanted a donut and he said; go get one. I told him there were donuts for all in the library and he said oh. Donuts don't appeal to Mark all that often. After eating my planned breakfast, the donuts kept creeping up in my mind. So, I went and got one. I picked out the one I thought was pumpkin and made way back to my desk. While I was eating it, I decided to go out on the internet to see if there was nutritional value for Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds. I give Dunkin credit for their easy to find, easy to read chart for nutritional value. The pumpkin donut has 300 calories and 35 total grams of carbs. Go out and take a look. (donuts are below the coffees)
https://www.dunkindonuts.com/aboutus/nutrition/nutrition.pdf
Then I went to McDonald's site. Nutrition value was also fairly easy to find, their chart not as easy to read. My planned breakfast has 37 carbs for a regular sized biscuit and 43 for a large one. I didn't know they had different sized biscuits, so since I'm not sure whether mine was a large or regular, I'll split the different and say 40 carbs.
http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutritionexchange.do
I had heard that Long John's did not report their nutrition information, but I thought I'd check. If they didn't in the past, they do now. I can eat 3 chicken planks and 1 serving of coleslaw for 42 carbs.
http://www.ljsilvers.com/pdf/LJSnutrition-info2009.pdf
So, I've consumed 75 carbs this morning and don't feel nearly as satisfied as if I'd stayed with my cereal or oatmeal then chosen Long John's for lunch! Krispy Creme glazed pumpkin spice as 2 more grams of carbs, but for me is much tastier than the Dunkin pumpkin donut and worth the extra 2 carbs.
Tip: If there is something you like to eat on a regular basis, go find the nutritional value on the Internet. You may be surprised that something you were turning down is better for you as an occasional treat, than what you would choose without looking at the actual nutrition information.
This morning Mark and I decide to go by McDonald's on the way in and get our usual. Mine is a bacon and egg biscuit. When I got to work, there were signs up about there being donuts in the library. I was bummed because I already had my egg and bacon biscuit.
Mark called me and I told him I really wanted a donut and he said; go get one. I told him there were donuts for all in the library and he said oh. Donuts don't appeal to Mark all that often. After eating my planned breakfast, the donuts kept creeping up in my mind. So, I went and got one. I picked out the one I thought was pumpkin and made way back to my desk. While I was eating it, I decided to go out on the internet to see if there was nutritional value for Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds. I give Dunkin credit for their easy to find, easy to read chart for nutritional value. The pumpkin donut has 300 calories and 35 total grams of carbs. Go out and take a look. (donuts are below the coffees)
https://www.dunkindonuts.com/aboutus/nutrition/nutrition.pdf
Then I went to McDonald's site. Nutrition value was also fairly easy to find, their chart not as easy to read. My planned breakfast has 37 carbs for a regular sized biscuit and 43 for a large one. I didn't know they had different sized biscuits, so since I'm not sure whether mine was a large or regular, I'll split the different and say 40 carbs.
http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutritionexchange.do
I had heard that Long John's did not report their nutrition information, but I thought I'd check. If they didn't in the past, they do now. I can eat 3 chicken planks and 1 serving of coleslaw for 42 carbs.
http://www.ljsilvers.com/pdf/LJSnutrition-info2009.pdf
So, I've consumed 75 carbs this morning and don't feel nearly as satisfied as if I'd stayed with my cereal or oatmeal then chosen Long John's for lunch! Krispy Creme glazed pumpkin spice as 2 more grams of carbs, but for me is much tastier than the Dunkin pumpkin donut and worth the extra 2 carbs.
Tip: If there is something you like to eat on a regular basis, go find the nutritional value on the Internet. You may be surprised that something you were turning down is better for you as an occasional treat, than what you would choose without looking at the actual nutrition information.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wednesday, October 21
I've had weight loss on my mind for the past few days. Shannon suggested I weigh at home. I had a set of scales that never seemed to come close to weighing me so I had pretty much given up on that. I had searched the Internet several months ago looking for a set of high dollar scales to buy so I could begin weighing on a regular basis and not have it be plus or minus 10 pounds every time I weighed.
At my past visit, I asked Shannon what scale she recommended. She recommended "The Biggest Loser" scale at Beds Bath and Beyond. I shared with her my concern of lower dollar scales weighing me differently, so after our appointment we went by the nutritionist office's high dollar scales and guess what? I weighed 2 pounds less on those scales. So, in the scheme of things, it probably doesn't really matter if the scales are off a couple of pounds either way. So, after my visit, Mark and I headed over to BBB and there were literally 100s of Biggest Loser Scales. I have to keep reminding myself that Biggest Loser is in regard to weight and not a character definition.
I am happy with my scale purchase! They have a very modern look and are close to the ground, so they are easy for me to stand on without feeling like I'm going to fall off before I get a weight. I paid 40 dollars for them as opposed to 100s of dollars. That is very different for me and I am satisfied with my scale purchase. I have skipped weighing in the doctor's office for years because I did not think it was necessary and believe it or not, if you tell them you don't want to be weighed, they will not weigh you.
The other thing that is on my mind is GMO - Genetically Manufactured Organisms. I watched a movie a couple of days ago called Food Inc. and realized that I had been living under a rock for many years now. I was not aware that 95% or more of our poultry, beef, and pork products were produced by about 4 major corporations. I was surprised as to how I was fooled by the packaging in the stores; showing Farmers on Tractors and other Farm type scenes so we are all lulled into believing the Farmers are the ones producing our meat products as well as corn and soybeans. If the farmers are in the loop, they have to play by the corporations rules or the corporations will ruin them.
Enough of that. The main horror is the way chickens have been genetically changed so they have big breast so there will be plenty of white meat for us, the customer. Many of them cannot stand, because their legs do not support their heavy upper body. There is not room to walk between them. They are pushed, shoved, and kicked. Same goes with cows and pigs. Anyway, I am going to start purchasing grass fed meats.
Here is a link on GMOs in case you have also been under a rock and want to read about what it is.
http://fanaticcook.blogspot.com/2009/10/genetically-modified-organisms-whats.html
I stand in the mirror and hold my arms up to show my muscle. I have several inches of flab hanging down and if I move my arms back and forth, I can get it to jiggle. I recognize the need to build muscle and have read about the importance of doing do to prevent osteoarthritis. We have a little exercise room in the clubhouse. Mark's not too thrilled about going, so I am thinking about finding a partner to work with me.
I sent pictures and an application to participate in Jorge Cruise's "lose belly fat" by Christmas event. There will be 20 women selected and I hope to be one of them. They are going to contact the winners on October 31st. I have not been contacted and maybe they really are not going to contact anyone until that date. Think of me and visualize me working with Jorge Cruise. Interested in learning more about him? jorgecruise.com I found this in Women First magazine; along with a tip that ingesting 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar on a daily basis will help melt body fat. I asked Shannon what she thought of that and she said there has not been many rigorous studies to support this, but that vinegar has healing properties.
My tip for the day. Be sure to use Apple Cider and not Balsamic Vinegar! You probably don't want to know why I know that.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
I've been wanting to set up my own personal blog ever since I saw Julie and Julia. I was filled with excitement experiencing Julie's journey through the world of Julia and how cooking her way through Julia Child's recipes taught her much more than how to conquer a recipe book. It taught tenacity, strength, wisdom, and courage.
This is what I need to manage my newly diagnosed Type II Diabetes; tenacity, strength, wisdom, and courage.
To fill you in on what I want to blog about; life as a Type II diabetic, I am going to catch you up from when I was diagnosed to current. Then I will be blogging daily about my thoughts and feelings as I continue to manage my blood glucose levels and weight.
July 18th, the Saturday our family was heading to Michigan for a Family Reunion, I received a call from my doctor's office telling me my blood work showed a blood glucose level of 400 and that meant I was a Type II diabetic. They wanted me to come in to the office that day to get another reading and set me up for testing my blood sugar, give me medication and information on diabetes. I thought, boy, they are really on the ball calling me in on Saturday like this. I guess I didn't realize all the complications that can occur from being diabetic.
My reading at the doctor's office that day was 463.
Armed with prescriptions for a meter, lancelets, testing strips, and metformin, I went directly to WalGreens and had all my prescriptions filled. I was in a state of shock. I was familiar with checking glucose levels because my father-in-law is diabetic and checks his throughout the day.
After getting my prescriptions we headed toward Michigan. That night we stopped in a hotel and my daughter's boyfriend showed my how to use my meter. His mom and grandmother have both been diagnosed with Diabetes. From now on, when I say Diabetes, I am talking about Type II.
I decided that I was going to limit my breads, muffins, juice, alcohol intake while at the family reunion and then get more educated after the reunion. I wasn't going to tell anyone, except my husband and daughters that I was diabetic because I didn't want people watching what I ate and attempting to help me out with my food choices. I ended up telling most people. I felt uncomfortable continuing to turn down 90% of what I was offered.
I diligently tested my blood sugar counts and saw them drop from the 300s to the 200 range. Since the levels didn't get out of the 200s in the first 4 days, I began taking the metformin as recommended by my doctor's colleague I saw that Saturday morning earlier in the week.
The reunion was fun and I was fairly satisfied with the choices I made for the week. The Monday I returned from the reunion, I went back to work and realized my eye sight was blurry and that I could not even function at my computer as efficiently as I needed to. I immediately made an appointment to see an opthamologist.
To give you a brief summary of my weight, I've thought I was fat since I was in elementary school. Even now, I stand at 5' 9", weighing 252 pounds. My older sister is 5' 2" and currently weighs 128 pounds. While 252 pounds is still in the obese category, I've weighed as much as 302.
Reading up on Type II diabetes, it was now making sense as to why I told Mark, my husband, that I was feeling ragged. I had been feeling "ragged" for about 4-5 months. I had all the symptoms; frequent urination, craving water non-stop and never having enough, fatigue, weight loss. The interesting thing about the weight loss; being from Texas the last 27 years of my life, I thought I was losing weight because I was not consuming enormous portions of Mexican food. I was concerned that I appeared to have lost quite a bit of muscle tone over the past year. While on one level I wasn't surprised that I was diabetic; I knew that the majority of my symptoms were symptoms of diabetes, I did not know that weight loss was one of them.
I love my doctors in Saratoga Springs! My primary care doctor, Dr. Smith, really cares about me as a person and connected me with my current nutritionist. I've been seeing my nutritionist for a little over a month. Shannon is a great nutritionist. So much different than the one I saw many years ago in Austin who was matronly and almost severe. Shannon has curly red hair and energy that is bright, light, and clean. She walks with a bounce in her step and her eyes sparkle and shine. This amazing young bundle of energy has me counting total carbohydrates. I never thought I wanted to count anything; I thought it was too retrictive. However, I am finding the opposite to be true. Counting carbs has honestly given me freedom of choice. My blood sugars are now in the 140 or below range. My fasting glucose counts are still a little high, but have been in the 110 range.
Let me explain something, I have always failed when attempting to make food lifestyle changes because somewhere along the line I have felt deprivation. Counting total carbohydrates as given me a sense of freedom and lack of deprivation, instead of depriving me like I thought it would.
Has my journey so far been easy? Hell no! I told Shannon in my visit last week that I was feeling pouty. I watch people consume large amounts of alcohol, high carbohydrate foods, and all the dessert they want and they seem healthy and in control of their weight. I tell myself that I do not know what is on their inside and they may be sitting on a problem they don't even know they have. I get in victim mode and spend time wondering why I have to be the one who is obese and now a diabetic.
Here is what I know: I do not want to lose my limbs, eyesight, kidney functions, or allow myself to support any other side affect that will diminish my quality of life. I want to be here for my daughters and my grandkids, and my husband Mark. I want to make a difference in the life of others.
If you are interested, walk with me through my journey as a diabetic and as an obese person. I want to live life to its fullest, feeling comfortable in my body, being able to do all types of activities and not feel limited by my body condition. I am going to share food and exercise experiences with you in an attempt to help you identify with me and potentially inspire you to be as Julie was.
Before blogging off, I want to share with you my tips on not feeling deprived because "I cannot drink juice, coca colas, or have a margarita (50-55 total carbs)". There are 2 things I love more than anything; all kinds of juices and cokes of all kinds. I wanted to satisfy my desire to have a fizzy drink; one I can pop a can and pour over ice. While I'm not "popping" cans, I have managed to fill that void with Polar Club Soda with a dash of juice over ice or an occasional diet drink or zevia (Zevia can be purchased at Hannafords). Be careful though, while the zevia is all natural, there are 12 total carbs per can. Another treat is a glass of red wine. I like Pinot Noirs and a wine named Menage a Trois. A 4 oz glass of red wine is 4 total carbs. I can sip a glass of red wine and feel content. Not actually a margarita, but I don't feel deprived and I find that I actually end up feeling more satisfied!
This is what I need to manage my newly diagnosed Type II Diabetes; tenacity, strength, wisdom, and courage.
To fill you in on what I want to blog about; life as a Type II diabetic, I am going to catch you up from when I was diagnosed to current. Then I will be blogging daily about my thoughts and feelings as I continue to manage my blood glucose levels and weight.
July 18th, the Saturday our family was heading to Michigan for a Family Reunion, I received a call from my doctor's office telling me my blood work showed a blood glucose level of 400 and that meant I was a Type II diabetic. They wanted me to come in to the office that day to get another reading and set me up for testing my blood sugar, give me medication and information on diabetes. I thought, boy, they are really on the ball calling me in on Saturday like this. I guess I didn't realize all the complications that can occur from being diabetic.
My reading at the doctor's office that day was 463.
Armed with prescriptions for a meter, lancelets, testing strips, and metformin, I went directly to WalGreens and had all my prescriptions filled. I was in a state of shock. I was familiar with checking glucose levels because my father-in-law is diabetic and checks his throughout the day.
After getting my prescriptions we headed toward Michigan. That night we stopped in a hotel and my daughter's boyfriend showed my how to use my meter. His mom and grandmother have both been diagnosed with Diabetes. From now on, when I say Diabetes, I am talking about Type II.
I decided that I was going to limit my breads, muffins, juice, alcohol intake while at the family reunion and then get more educated after the reunion. I wasn't going to tell anyone, except my husband and daughters that I was diabetic because I didn't want people watching what I ate and attempting to help me out with my food choices. I ended up telling most people. I felt uncomfortable continuing to turn down 90% of what I was offered.
I diligently tested my blood sugar counts and saw them drop from the 300s to the 200 range. Since the levels didn't get out of the 200s in the first 4 days, I began taking the metformin as recommended by my doctor's colleague I saw that Saturday morning earlier in the week.
The reunion was fun and I was fairly satisfied with the choices I made for the week. The Monday I returned from the reunion, I went back to work and realized my eye sight was blurry and that I could not even function at my computer as efficiently as I needed to. I immediately made an appointment to see an opthamologist.
To give you a brief summary of my weight, I've thought I was fat since I was in elementary school. Even now, I stand at 5' 9", weighing 252 pounds. My older sister is 5' 2" and currently weighs 128 pounds. While 252 pounds is still in the obese category, I've weighed as much as 302.
Reading up on Type II diabetes, it was now making sense as to why I told Mark, my husband, that I was feeling ragged. I had been feeling "ragged" for about 4-5 months. I had all the symptoms; frequent urination, craving water non-stop and never having enough, fatigue, weight loss. The interesting thing about the weight loss; being from Texas the last 27 years of my life, I thought I was losing weight because I was not consuming enormous portions of Mexican food. I was concerned that I appeared to have lost quite a bit of muscle tone over the past year. While on one level I wasn't surprised that I was diabetic; I knew that the majority of my symptoms were symptoms of diabetes, I did not know that weight loss was one of them.
I love my doctors in Saratoga Springs! My primary care doctor, Dr. Smith, really cares about me as a person and connected me with my current nutritionist. I've been seeing my nutritionist for a little over a month. Shannon is a great nutritionist. So much different than the one I saw many years ago in Austin who was matronly and almost severe. Shannon has curly red hair and energy that is bright, light, and clean. She walks with a bounce in her step and her eyes sparkle and shine. This amazing young bundle of energy has me counting total carbohydrates. I never thought I wanted to count anything; I thought it was too retrictive. However, I am finding the opposite to be true. Counting carbs has honestly given me freedom of choice. My blood sugars are now in the 140 or below range. My fasting glucose counts are still a little high, but have been in the 110 range.
Let me explain something, I have always failed when attempting to make food lifestyle changes because somewhere along the line I have felt deprivation. Counting total carbohydrates as given me a sense of freedom and lack of deprivation, instead of depriving me like I thought it would.
Has my journey so far been easy? Hell no! I told Shannon in my visit last week that I was feeling pouty. I watch people consume large amounts of alcohol, high carbohydrate foods, and all the dessert they want and they seem healthy and in control of their weight. I tell myself that I do not know what is on their inside and they may be sitting on a problem they don't even know they have. I get in victim mode and spend time wondering why I have to be the one who is obese and now a diabetic.
Here is what I know: I do not want to lose my limbs, eyesight, kidney functions, or allow myself to support any other side affect that will diminish my quality of life. I want to be here for my daughters and my grandkids, and my husband Mark. I want to make a difference in the life of others.
If you are interested, walk with me through my journey as a diabetic and as an obese person. I want to live life to its fullest, feeling comfortable in my body, being able to do all types of activities and not feel limited by my body condition. I am going to share food and exercise experiences with you in an attempt to help you identify with me and potentially inspire you to be as Julie was.
Before blogging off, I want to share with you my tips on not feeling deprived because "I cannot drink juice, coca colas, or have a margarita (50-55 total carbs)". There are 2 things I love more than anything; all kinds of juices and cokes of all kinds. I wanted to satisfy my desire to have a fizzy drink; one I can pop a can and pour over ice. While I'm not "popping" cans, I have managed to fill that void with Polar Club Soda with a dash of juice over ice or an occasional diet drink or zevia (Zevia can be purchased at Hannafords). Be careful though, while the zevia is all natural, there are 12 total carbs per can. Another treat is a glass of red wine. I like Pinot Noirs and a wine named Menage a Trois. A 4 oz glass of red wine is 4 total carbs. I can sip a glass of red wine and feel content. Not actually a margarita, but I don't feel deprived and I find that I actually end up feeling more satisfied!
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