Sunday, March 28, 2010

Such a fantastic day!



A stunning Springtime Cherry Blossom Photo. I SO want to go to see a Cherry Blossom Festival some day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Needed to come in and post.. it’s been too long!
I am well.. I actually am back on induction levels and my hunger is really nill right now. I could totally fast right now and I am thinking of getting back into Intermittant Fasting. (IF).

I think there are times during my cycle that my hunger is more driven by hormones and times it is much less. I need to start tracking my hunger a little more. Well it could also just be deep ketosis that is squelching my hunger.

I am planning on not eating at all until I am truly hungry.. I imagine tonight I will get hungry, also not cooking tonight (I like to occasionally give the kitchen a rest!) maybe we will pick up a couple of BLT salads from Wendy’s. I love their Chipotle Ancho Ranch and with the salad and ranch and a grilled chicken breast (sans croutons), the combo comes in around 440 cal and 13 carbs.. No worries as I can now apparently eat at least 40 carbs a day and stay in ketosis. I am pretty sure the salad tonight will be all I will need. I am really not hungry at all! I like to try to go with it when I am feeling like I can just not eat. I know my hunger ALWAYS comes back!

I have been reading over my journals (I have YEARS of journals in the computer).. a few years ago I lost allot of weight and when reading my journal from that year I realized I was REALLY into exercise.. more than I even really remember.. I was just driven. I talked about how I felt so good and sometimes would have feelings of euphoria roll thru my body. I WANT that again. I am just walking right now.. although it’s LOTS of miles (IMO) 2-3 a day but I would like to do more.. then I was doing kickboxing, belly dancing, dance aerobics and going to the gym in our complex. NOW of course I don’t live in an apt. so I would have to pay for a gym BUT I have weights (hand held) sitting out in the garage I need to get out.. Patrick and I used to do them together in front of the TV at night.. we had a routine we did for a while..

Well I am feeling great! I have a goal to be under 199 by July 4th and I WILL make that goal!

Happy Sunday my lovlies!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Had a refeed day (planned)



A little eye candy *smile*... Billy Idol.. he's aging well ha! OMG.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Well Saturday night we were at my mum’s house and Patrick and I had a couple of planned carb up meals - my weight loss had really slowed to next to nothing (1/2 pound in two weeks).

I had a PB sandwich (no jelly) and two bowls of rice krispies (no sugar added to the bowl). thru the evening Sat night (had it all in a 2 1/2 hour period). They were GOOD and I was up 4# yesterday (Monday) for my weigh in.

I think I have mixed feelings about re-feeds (carb up days, refeeds, refilling glycogen stores.. etc). On one hand I have read it really helps with Leptin hormone but want to do much more research! On the other I need to make sure I don’t get carried away, use a plan I put into place for the refeeds AND get right back on, be prepared ahead of time for getting right back on LC. (did very good this time - today is day three back on).

Today I am down two of the four pounds (only carbed up for a couple of hours Sat. night)..

I am going to not do another carb up day until I have not lost any weight for 10 days in a row...

I was very glad the carb up meal(s) didn’t make me crave! That’s such a change for me. I hope this spurs on a little more weight loss. I will see.

Back on induction levels for this week - only going to do induction levels until I am down the water weight I gained.. or an extra pound maybe, then back to 30 grams a day.

I need to get back to my walking! I was doing so good but got very busy with the house and business(es) and have let it slide.

Here's to a good week! and hopefully an extra pound or two GONE!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

It's almost Friday!

Spring has almost sprung!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today I am feeling very good. Yesterday was easier food wise because I logged all my food ahead of time in Fitday (this really keeps me reined in!). I have been doing this from time to time when I start to struggle with wanting to just eat too much, you know munch mindlessly all day... and it's amazing how well it worked for me.

Yesterday I had 1750 calories and 30 carbs (still in Ketosis, not sure what my critical level will be and sure I don't want to know just yet!). I am shooting really for 1500 average..

Last night I wanted to much on a handful of Almonds and talked myself out of it because I had already logged everything in and I didn't want to have to log back in and make any changes.. so I decided to just hang on till dinner.

Patrick brought us home Outback Caesar Grilled Shrimp salad (sans croutons, extra Caesar dressing!) and it was very good.. I freaking LOVE their dressing recipe. I found a recipe that is "supposed" to be the actual recipe:

Outback Caesar Dressing

1 cup Egg Beaters
1 1/4 ounces crushed garlic
3 1/2 ounces parmesan cheese
2 2/3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 1/2 ounces anchovies
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups olive oil
3 T chopped fresh parsley

Makes like a quart I think! I will be making it soon just to see how close it is!

They only gave us 5 shrimp each.. they are large shrimp but still I wanted more but after dinner I found I was actually plenty full.

I wanted to give a shout out to my friend Tiffany:

Isn't she a stunner!

I wanted to introduce her bad ass site "Deliciously-Thin".

It's in the works and she's already got it filled with great recipes and a soon to be filled "success stories section".. I can't wait to post in!

Check out her site here:

http://www.deliciously-thin.com





and read her success story here:

http://www.deliciously-thin.com/atkins-success-stories.html

I know I will be making even more of her recipes! I can say the roasted cali was the bomb and what a cool way to do it:













Check out her unique recipe here:
http://www.deliciously-thin.com/baked-cauliflower-recipe.html

I love that you steam it a bit before. We eat lots of cali (Low carbers best friend!) and this was a fun way to cook it.

More to come...

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Doing fine...

Photobucket
I love Low Carb!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"All The SnackWells in the World Won't Fill You Up. They Make You Hungrier and Hungrier and Hungrier, Until You Start to Think You Are Crazy". Dana Carpenter - Author of "How I Gave Up My Low-Fat Diet"...



I love that quote. Ya.. It's one of the most true statements I have read in a long time.. Those damned SnackWells are sad.

Life's a bit crazy right now.. well hell, it is always I think but I DO have some control now.. at least over what I eat!

It's my TOM this week so I am having a few emotional upheavals right now *smile* but I know this too shall pass.

I HAVE BEEN TAKING STOCK OF HOW I FEEL LATELY!!:

-I am able to go longer without food – my meals are spaced further apart.. sometimes I only eat twice a day.
-I am not having cravings anymore and when I do get hungry it feels more like a controlled normal hunger.

-The other day I came into the kitchen and saw a plate from dinner the night before with LOTS of food left on it! Wow

-I have more energy and am actually thinking about starting a Yoga class in a neighboring city.

-I’m simply doing this.. It has become a lifestyle. I may sometimes eat to much food but it’s LC food and I check every day and I am still in ketosis. I have been for WEEKS.

I am living it. It's becoming second nature.

-I don’t care how long it takes, that’s something else to me, so many times in the past I have done serious crash diets - even pushed LC too far (used ketosis and my lack of hunger to just not eat at all, even when I would get hungry) I have learned. I feel like it took me a long time to gain it so what’s wrong with losing it slowly?


Tiffany,
If you are reading this it's great to hear from you! I know what you mean about switching plans up from time to time. Sometimes you just have to. BUT I know you will more than likely find yourself coming back to LC, if you are like me, because of the CONTROL over your food it gives you. Being hungry all the time, well it sucks! Stay in touch!

Well I am back to work. Tonight Patrick is bringing home dinner, not sure what it is yet but I am sure I am glad for one night, it's not my problem!

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

It's all so GOOD!

Baby I'm a Star...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just wanted to post that I am doing very good. I have been crazybusy but my low carb lifestyle is rolling right along nicely. I am feeling really well and feel like I am really in my groove.

No more weight lost this week (my official weigh in's are on Mondays) but I don’t lose every week.

Last night we had nice ribeyes on the grill and I made “loaded broccoli”.. steamed broccoli with sour cream, bacon, cheese and garlic and onion.. YUM.. this is my fav. side right now.

Tonight I am going to do a nice French roast chicken (lemon and rosemary under the skin) and make a salad to go with and have some GOOD Blue Cheese dressing with.. OMG.. I love good Blue Cheese dressing!

I am working on eating Warrior style (google it).. it’s pretty much not eating much during the day and eating most of your calories at night.. lots of reasons why this helps you lose weight per the info but I am not going to go into it here other than it helps Serotonin levels and also leptin levels.. AND it helps me sleep.. I was having issues with being so tired at night but not resting well with normal LC.

Not sure how long I will do it but right now I am doing the best I can at it.. I still eat a bit during the day.. to take my supplements and if I feel really peckish.. I will have a bit of cheese or deli meat or a slim jim (gave up nuts for a while!) but not having to worry with meals during the day frees up SO much time. I am eating around 1700 calories a day so this is in no way starving! Far from it.

The weather is nice, I am back to my walking.. had slacked off for a while..

Well everyone.. I am off to work (have to walk across the house *smile* )
Here’s to another fabulous low carb day~!

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Confession time...



Ok..
So I have been REALLY great for two months, stayed LC and in Ketosis the entire time.. (8# down).

Today I totally lost it for a couple of hours and ate WAY too much.

Today I had to go to the grocery store and I always have to really show serious self control when I get home on those days.

In the past, (back in my bingeing days) as I would unpack I would eat. Hell I would start eating in the freaking car on the way home.. everything that didn't have to be cooked.. and I bought lots of junk AND fatty foods.. (cookies, pastries, poptarts, banana twins (they were my fav! Red Velvet cakes - no wait they were my favorite... etc.). I would just totally eat until I was sick.

Anyway today it happened again.
I was lucky that it was low carb but I ate several ounces of cheese (like 5), over 5 ounces of nuts AND... this is the kicker... SF candy.

I have not bought this is ages but Patrick mentioned last night he would really like some to take to work and put in his drawer SO.. I bought a couple of packages.. I ate like 5 pieces in 5 min.

I actually DID show some control only in that I wrote it ALL down, each time telling myself that was IT... (it finally is).

So far today my calories are 2700. I WANT to just not eat dinner but I can't as I know this is not the answer.. deprivation NEVER works for me.. which leads me to think about the fast I did day before yesterday....

Anyway, not sure what set me off... could have been the fast, might be that I am hormonal (I don't keep track anymore) and I am pretty sure it also was the variety of food all at once that was "available" in the house.

In the past, this would lead to a couple days of starving myself but I am not going to do that.. just going to go on with my day.

After really thinking about this I have decided the fasting (even if it is for only one day) is not for me.. I wonder if this is what lead to the binging.. I know I don’t do well with feelings of deprivation. I have go to just do this slow and steady and make sure I also eat enough fat. I also don’t need to buy any more of those Blue Diamond Flavored Almonds Gurrrrrrr! Freaking they are what set me off I think.. too damn good.

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

My one day Fast was a great success!



Well I wanted make a few comments re: yesterday.. well actually last night.
I didn't really have any (well not much) hunger at dinner time. I put a burger on for Patrick and he took it from there.. (a blackened burger with pepper jack cheese and low carb cole slaw.. one of my very fav. meals a la' BackYard Burgers (no bun of course!).

Anyway I didn't have any issues but I came and got on the computer while he ate.

I DID have issues with my sleep though! It took me forever to fall asleep (I felt very tired but just could not go to sleep).. I finally took a double dose of Valerian and Kava (my "sleeping pill" combo of choice - this combo works amazingly well for me). I hardly EVER have this hard of a time falling asleep and very rarely have to take the herbs but they helped me fall asleep... WELL at 2:45am I woke to go to the bathroom and COULD NOT FALL ASLEEP for hours. I think I finally got back to sleep close to 5am. I finally woke this morning around 7am and was a pound lighter on the scale!!! Say Hallelujah!

I am going to have an EAS shake this morning for breakfast and another one a little later than make myself that blackened burger meal I missed out on last night, before I go to the grocery store.. need provisions for the rest of the week.

Good day to all!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had to come back in and write about something I have noticed today.
In the past, when I would fast I would be famished the next day.. today I am not... just normal hunger.. I love ketosis!

Monday, March 01, 2010

Intermittent Fasting..


Good Morning~


Well it's Monday so it's my offical weigh in day.. I have not lost any more in the last few days but I have lost two over the last 10 days or so (finally broke my 5 week stall last week). I am not concerned but I DO want to work on doing I.F. a day a week for a while. I think it will be an easy way to lower my calories and I have read allot on Dr. Eades site about how good I.F. is for us.

Here are a couple of links to his blog discussions of this:
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/intermittent-fasting/fast-way-to-better-health/

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/intermittent-fasting/protein-power-verses-intermittent-fasting/

This info appears to be just a dip in the pool of I.F. info and literature.. I am very intrigued.

I mentioned in a previous post that I am reading up on Intermittent Fasting. I have read several of the threads and apparently it's done in several different ways.. everyone sort of doing what feels right to them.

I have fasting experience so I can handle one day.

After I got on the scale this morning I decided spur of the moment that today would be my first I.F. day.

I had not eaten dinner last night (not hungry). I did have one slim jim and a SF caramel because Patrick wanted to open the pkg and have one.. so not even 100 cal and zero carbs for dinner.

Today I am fasting all day and will not eat until tomorrow am. So that is going to be around 37-38 hours w/o food.

I read that some people doing I.F. (intermittent fasting) do it every other day (the most extreme).. I am starting with one day a week.. then might move to two.

So far it’s 11am and I am fine.. actually not hungry at all, just very thirsty.. I forgot to dole out our vitamens and minerals today so I need to make sure to give Patrick some tonight with his dinner and I just went and gathered mine started for today.

I am glad I weighed this morning, I will be interested in seeing if I lose a pound.. since I am in ketosis already I KNOW I won’t lose 3 pounds (water weight) like I used to do with a day of fasting.. but all day I am BURNING MY BODY FAT because I am in ketosis! That is just Epic to me.

I found this free download of a book called the “Fast 5”.. I have not read it yet but I will.
If you want to check it out.. the pdf is free, here:

http://www.fast-5.com/

The premise of this particular WOE is not eating except in a few (5 with this book) hours window. For example not eating until you get home from work and then having 5 hours that you eat.

It makes sense to me and is supposed to control fat producing hormones.
Although I am not doing this particular program right now I am going to read it and see about trying it out.

Today I am just going to fast and maybe have veggie or chicken bullion (have organic paste bullion in the fridge).

Will come in and post how I feel every few hours…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So it’s 1:40pm and I am doing good. I have only mild hunger and have no problem not eating. I am drinking lots of liquids, hot tea, water and splenda 4C drink and taking my minerals. I also set aside a multi to take.

I am amazed at how good I feel right now. Not headachy at all and lots of energy (on my third load of laundry!). I stripped the bed also. I am very curious about IF.. there appear to be many different types.. all varying the hours fasting vs the hours eating.. one type I was doing already on occasion is the "Warrior" diet.. 20 hours fasting and 4 hours eating.. (I was making us a nice dinner but really not eating allot at all during the day, when I was in deep ketosis).. I think I could do this.. basically you just only eat in the evening and make it within a few hours.. no grazing.

I am continuing to read about I.F. I have to say it sure has stirred up allot of fighting on LCF. Several threads I have already read really have people coming in and posting that everyone is going to get an eating disorder but I don’t think they understand that people actually usually eat at least every other day.. that’s not “Fasting” as many people see it and MOST eat every day.. just only a 2-5 hour window.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2:10pm.. feeling a little tired.. would like to go lay in the sun for a while but it’s so cold that I am going to do it in my fuzzy robe.. just take a couple of magazines outside and lay down in the lounge a while - feeling a bit run down.

As far as I.F. I am leaning more toward “The Warrior Diet”.. I like the idea of eating as much as I want at night and fasting during the day.. I also think this would be a way to control calories because a huge meal is self limiting to me when I am in ketosis.. of course I will stick with LC as my “huge meal”.. *smile*

I am not starting this like tomorrow or anything.. I have to ease into things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3:37pm..
Ok.. I am hungry, officially.
So I went out to lay in the lounge.. it was nice and fell asleep for a few minutes.. like maybe 5! And when I woke up I felt so good I decided to get my walking stuff on and take Suki and I for a walk! I only walked for a total of 30 min but we enjoyed it and it's extra exercise so it's great. Got my body heat up for sure. I no longer am cold!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well it's 9:40pm and I made it..
Tired and want to go on to bed.. not starving though.. nice.

Night, night...