165.0!!

Woohoo! So I got on the scale this morning and it said 165.0!! That is the lowest I've been in YEARS!!

I've been maintaining 168/169 now for a few months - and on new year's day I weighed in at 170...and I vowed to get back into ketosis - so I went back to Induction and 165 baby!! :)

Just had to share! :P
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166.5 lbs...

Ok so for the past week now I have weighed in every morning at 166.5 lbs. Now don't get me wrong, I <I>like</i> seeing that number SO much more than the 197 that it was this time last year and am SO proud of my accomplishments...but it's a bit frustrating.

I've gone back to Induction levels for my carbs AND I've been working out and yet my body is apparantly trying to tell me "nope, sorry - this is where u are going to stay".

Now again, granted - I've been at 168 / 169 for about 3 months AND on new years I weighed in at 170. So the fact that I've gotten rid of those 3.5 pounds really makes me happy - but it's like, "c'mon - just 6.5 more! Ugh"...

Oh well though - I guess chalk it up to "beggers can't be choosers..." I LOVE that I'm in the 160's at all and that my lifestyle IS so healthy now :)

So I will just continue to do what I do and if/when my body decides to lose more well then I'll take it as a gift :)
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Wednesday 06/January/2010

So I was unable to weigh in this morning - but as of yesterday, I weighed back down at 165.5!!! :)

One thing I am really concentrating on this year is staying away from soy products. I've just hear too many reasons why soy is NOT good for you plus it's absolutely awful for a newborn baby and my fiance and I will be TTC immediately after the wedding in June...so I will be making my own mayo and my own salad dressings.

I already made an avocado dressing at home which is very good for my first attempt but obviously not perfect. Since this is being sent from my blackberry I can not post the links to the recipes I used - but will soon :)

I also decided this year to get RID of my gym membership...last year - pretty much after my ear surgery, I stopped going to the gym and "killing myself on the machines"...for what pretty much seemed like no reason. Thing is - I've come to the conclusion that while exercise is VERY important - I can either A. Do it at home for free - an/or B. Find a free exercise class through Indy Parks, instead of paying $40/month to feel guilty over not using the darned membership! :P

So yeah. Lots of exciting things I have planned for me in 2010. Here are the promises I've made to commit to in 2010 (yeah, "resolutions"...lol)

1. I will do my best to remove soy from my diet when possible.
2. I will (and have) start taking pre-natal vitamins and keep myself as healthy as possible to be at an awesome "wedding weight" plus be healthy to start "Trying to Conceive".
3. I am going to try my best to limit the amount of time going online at work on my work computer (thank god for my crackberry!!)
4. I will also limit my time on my laptop at home at night (pet peeve of my fiances's)...
5. I am currently back on "induction" for Atkins and will stay on induction for the next two weeks and slowly make my way back up the rungs of OWL.
6. I will do my best to start saving $$$ and pay off our(my) credit card as much as possible.
8. I will add to this list as I see fit - well because I can! :P

I think that's all for now - that's a lot of typing on my blackberry and my thumbs are tired!! (See, already committing to number 3 on the list!) :)
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January 03, 2010

Ok - so I'm not sure exactly how I will be keeping track of my exercise - but today I did 30 minutes of 2 mile WATP (walk away the pounds). plus 15 minutes of stretching/yoga (crunch dvd).

yesterday (Sat 02/Jan/10) = 30 minutes WATP.

Saturday 02/January/2010

Ok...so today is the first day of INDUCTION 2010. It has been literally 1 year since I first did induction and with all the foods I added back in over the year - through OWL (ongoing weight loss) and Maintenance, I forgot how hard induction can be! lol.

I'm not doing bad, carb-wise - and as of 3 p.m. I've had about 1227 calories, 5 g carbs, 68 g protein and 97 g fat.
For breakfast I made an "Egg Creme" which I like - but I think I'll just make these without the raw eggs as I do prefer to actually have something to eat for breakfast and not just drink...however the rest of the "smoothie" will work great for induction!

Coffee Egg Creme sans Egg...
1 cup coffee
1 tbsp coconut oil (melt & then put in hot coffee)
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream (be careful with HWC on induction only allowed so much...)
1 tbsp Da Vinci Syrup (used hazelnut - also beware only "3 g" of carbs from sweeteners allowed per day on induction)

put everything in blender and blend! Originally this called for 2 tbsp coconut oil and 2 raw eggs - but that just adds up to way too much fat and calories for breakfast - and I'd honestly rather spread everything out throughout the day...so this comes out to:
coffee = 0 cals/0 carbs/ 0 fat
1 tbsp c.o. = 120 cals / 0 carbs / 12 fat
2 tbsp hwc = 100 cals / 1 carb / 10 fat
1 tbsp da vinci = 4 cals / 1 carb / 0 fat (i know it's listed as 0 but i count 1 carb since it's splenda)

= 224 cals, 2 carbs, 22 g fat (good fat!)

the unfortunate thing is that this morning I made it with TWO tbsp coconut oil and the 2 raw eggs and it came out to 484 cals, 3 carbs & 43 g fat...and while I know fat is GOOD for you - I still don't like going too crazy...and my fiance made me an omelet with cheese and spinach and so total for breakfast I think was a bit high: 717 cals, 5 g carbs, 36 g protein & 49 g fat. so that's why I'll cut it down just a bit. :P

Tonight I am making Salmon with Lemon Dill Butter but not before I do one of the new DVD's I have of Leslie Sansone's WATP (walk away the pounds)!

Will post more later! :P

A red light just means a green light in a different direction :)
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January 01, 2010!!!!

HAPPPPPPPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!!!

Wow 2009 is behind us and a new year is before us! I LOVE new years - I do! I'm all for making "new year resolutions" as the new year is a new beginning. I know some people may think new years resolutions are stupid or pointless...but for me and MILLIONS of other people - I believe they help you start a brand new year off right - and for those who stick to them and accomplish those goals - good for them!

Of course - I accomplished my new years resolution for 2009 DURING 2009...I finally lost (most) of the weight I'd gained back and gained a WHOLE new outlook on life and how to TRULY eat for MY body. Now - admittedly, I haven't been perfect but I've also come to realize it's more about learning how to LIVE and eat right - and that INCLUDES "indulging" every once in a while - while still living my new low-carb lifestyle day to day.

Now - the unfortunate thing is that my indulging last night on December 31, 2009 has made me wake up to a new number on the scale...as I woke up and the scale said 170...ACK! I've been maintaining my 167-169 weight loss since June now and I LIKE those numbers! lol...and since my fiance and I didn't wake up until 1 p.m. this afternoon...ok scratch that - I woke up at 1 p.m. - he's still IN bed! lol...but that's ok - anyways I woke up and will admit I just had three pieces of pizza for "breakfast"...yes - I know. bad me.

HOWEVER. I have always liked to also start "anew" on the first day of the week - as well as the first month of the year...so while I plan on eating low-carb tomorrow (Saturday, January 02nd) - my plan of attack to start off the new year right is to re-start atkins induction this Sunday, January 03rd.

I will stay on induction for the 2 weeks that it always asks for and then go up the rungs of OWL (ongoing weight loss) every new week. Last year I waited for every 3-5 pounds I dropped - but since I only honestly have 10 pounds to drop total - I figure I will do it weekly instead.

I ordered some new books and still have one more I need to order - and those are:
1. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.
2. Life Without Bread by Wolfgang Lutz

and the last one I really want to (need? lol) is: Eat Fat Lose Fat by Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon.


What I LOVE about living the low-carb life is that it's SO easy and SO yummy...while I have gained back 4 pounds from "indulging" a little too much during the holidays - I HAVE to say that 4 pounds during the holidays is NOTHING compared to what I've done in the past and to what I know some people have done...But I will get it off and move on with my life.

---

NOW in other news...I am SO excited for 2010!! My wedding is in June - June 26, 2010 to be exact and then as soon as the wedding is over - my husband and I will start TTC (trying to conceive)!!!!!

And - THAT is why I need to (among many other reasons) - but why I need to keep up with my healthy new lifestyle - so I can learn how to eat right for my future children and make sure they live and are born healthy too!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! HERE'S TO 2010!!!

Test

This is a test to see if I can update via blackberry :)
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what's for lunch? Soup and Sandwich, please. :)

Ok, have I mentioned before how much I LOVE atkins in that you can pretty much make *almost* anything low-carb, if you really try?... :D

I've been hankerin' to find a really good bread recipe in order to have sandwiches for lunch...and I FINALLY found one - here: Dark Rye Bread.

Usually, in the past, I would use Bob's Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed meal which is the flaxseed I've pretty much been buying all year...however I decided to try the Bob's Red Mill Organic Golden Flaxseed Meal instead and used THAT in the bread recipe instead...

It is SO much better with the golden flaxseed than the regular! At least for baking anyways! :)

So I made the bread last week in a regular meatloaf pan and I was able to cut it in half and then those two halves I cut into 4 slices each for a total of 8 slices of bread!

*note* I also used liquid stevia and not agave nector.

The entire bread recipe came out to:
1 cup almond meal = 24 g carbs, 12 g fiber
3/4 cup flax = according to the package it's 4 g carbs/4 g fiber per 2 tbsp which in net carbs = all fiber = 0 g net carbs...but I think it's 1 g usuable carbs and 3 g fiber...so count this as you want to.
3 eggs = 1.8 g carbs
1/2 tsp baking powder = 1.2 g carbs (just to round out the eggs)

= without counting any carbs from the flax seeds and counting the flax as all fiber then 27 g carbs and 12 g fiber = 15 g carbs for the entire thing and divide that by 8 = 1.875 carbs per slice (round up to about 2 g per slice!)

so for a sandwich with 2 slices of bread (which holds up VERY well and doesn't fall apart!) it's 4 g carbs!


SO the sandwich consisted of: 1 tbsp mayo, 1 slice provolone cheese, lettuce & all natural ham (no preservatives, no sugar, no nitrates or nitrites)...

The soup I made was VERY yummy...I started off by somewhat following the recipe found here: Cauliflower Bisque. But instead of using the stovetop, I used a crockpot and came up with this:

1 small cauliflower, cut into small chunks
a few leaves of leek, chopped
2 long celery stalks, choped
3 cups chicken broth
salt & pepper

+1 cup heavy cream (do not put in crockpot with above ingredients)

place those ingredients into the crockpot and put on high for 4 hours.

Once done, remove and place into a blender or food processor and puree soup.
Add about 1 cup heavy cream and more salt/pepper. Mix well. Serve immediately or works well as lunch the next day!

I love atkins!!! :D

Wow - it's almost been 1 full year...

Since I decided to go low carb!

And I am so happy about my decision. :D

Now - granted, I haven't been perfect this year - but I've learned so much along the way. I've lost 30 pounds and gained SO much knowledge on how one is truly supposed to eat and nourish the body.

I've been in maintenenance now for about 5 months and have decided I'm very happy where I'm at. 166 - 169 (give or take, depending on the day). This time last year I was 197 lbs. I just did NOT understand why I could NOT lose weight...then I realized it's all about the insulin!

So I went low-carb and lost 30 pounds (give or take, lol). I've learned that I CAN live without certain things - but that I also don't have to completely give them up for the rest of my life either. This is probably one of the hardest lessons learned.

This lesson is huge for me because in the past I've always been an "all or nothing" type of person - and my personality comes off like that to everyone who knows me (except my fiance, that is, lol). Honestly, for the most part, I truly do live a low-carb lifestyle now...ordering my burgers without the bun - getting a salad with full fat blue cheese dressing as my side instead of fries...always usually saying no to anything with sugar. And I have learned how to maintain my weight by doing these things and eating FAT - yup even saturated fats!!!

But something I've done lately - and I'd say this is honestly about once a week - is that I can "indulge" and allow myself a piece of bread or a bun now and then when I go out for lunch or dinner. Now I do post to a couple different low-carb message boards online and I know that a lot of people would tell me how awful and horrible I am that I am "cheating" and admitting that I eat white bread now and again...because obviously white bread is NOT allowed on a low-carb diet - plus anything white really ISN'T good for you. However I also live in the real world where sometimes you're in a rush and don't want to eat your burger with a fork. Now, granted - again this is maybe ONCE A WEEK (literally, once a week, IF that...). And I know it will NOT turn into anything more than that because I'm very concious of it at all times. I've also allowed myself to indulge in a few other things throughout the year (more the last few months as I'm learning HOW to indulge)...but that's just it - it's truly about learning that it's OK to have 1 SMALL slice of cake for a celebration - but if you do you can NOT have anything else that's not "low-carb legal" that day or the next or really for a few more weeks...even Dr. Atkins said not to completely say no to everything for the rest of your life - and that's what I'm doing is learning how to "indulge" in certain foods here and there but live my lifestyle about 95% of the time low-carb.

Here are some things I've learned this year:

1. New Foods.
This one is huge for me as I've come to love almond flour and flax seed and cherry tomatoes and coconut milk...Foods I'd either never heard of before or used to hate or thought was too fattening have become absolute staples in my diet.

The almond flour, for example - I use it to make pancakes/waffles, sandwich bread, shortcake, cookies, cakes, muffins, its uses are incredible!

Flax seed - makes great pizza crusts and are SO good for you!

Coconut milk - fabulous smoothies, hot chocolate...

What I love about low-carb living and finding all these new foods is that I can pretty much make a substitution for ANYTHING I can think of! The only tru substitution I can't find yet is good ol' white potato fries - HOWEVER that being said, I LOVE sweet potato fries fried up in coconut oil!


2. I don't have to be "perfect"
This is another one that's HUGE for me...while I'm "perfect" low-carb most of the time - if I do indulge here and there - it's NOT going to kill me and I'm also NOT going to go back down the slippery slope to my old habits because I LOVE my new habits WAY too much!


3. I don't have to micromanage my diet!
This has always been one thing I've HATED about dieting and weight watchers and whatnot...and yes even low-carbing. For the first few months this year, 2009, yes I DID journal my food intake...but after a while I just learned what I can eat - should eat and what I can not. Every once in a while I'll feel the need to start writing down my food intake but never lasts more than a day...lol...but the great thing is - I've lost my weight AND maintained it withOUT having to micro-manage everything that goes into my body! I've finally just learned how to eat correctly!


4. I'm healthier than ever!
I got my levels check at my doc's and everything is great. 'nuff said!


5. I've become a much better cook and fiance
One thing that my fiance wanted me to do was to become more "womanly" around the house as far as chores go. I won't go into the other details about chores - but specifically the cooking, he used to do for us. Once I started low-carbing I found out how great and fun cooking truly can be! SO many things to make and it's all whole unprocessed foods!

So yeah. I do absolutely LOVE this lifestyle and I know for a fact I will NEVER EVER EVER go back to low-fat eating EVER again!