So, as seems to be my way, I was up then down then up this weekend in weight. It's frustrating to see the scale bounce back up again. My hands were all puffy on Sunday like I was retaining water like crazy. What makes that happen? My hands seem to be better today, but I was up 3 lbs this morning from yesterday! Gah!
Yesterday we had the in-laws over. They made us Philly cheese steak sandwiches and we made them our favorite ice cream. Dad-in-law had 3 bowls of ice cream, so I think he liked it! Haha. It's probably the cheese steak that made me gain! I had never had a cheese steak before-- it was really good!
Well, we're road tripping to California this week. We start tomorrow after work and head to L.A. We're going to see Jay Leno and Universal Studios. Then we'll drive a little ways up the PCH to Hearst Castle before heading inland to the I-5 and San Jose. My brother lives there, so we'll visit him, take a tour of all the tech companies (for Hubs's benefit) and see my school (I graduated from Santa Clara). We're planning on hitting San Francisco on Saturday and seeing my Aunt and some of our friends that evening. Then, it's the long drive back on Sunday. It will be a VERY packed week! Lol.
Wish us luck in eating right this week! I'm sure we'll do OK since we're still both very determined and we have a bit of practice in eating out and doing it well. Still, there will be temptations. Here's hoping we do OK.
I'm sure I'll post on the road a little, but in case I don't-- have a FANTASTIC week all you BFCers!
9/26/11
9/22/11
So, turns out I'm not that great of a preacher
The friend I was telling you about in the last post said that the BFC sounds too hard and she's just going to do Weight Watchers instead. Well, I think that's fine and dandy - whatever works! What it made me think about was how much healthier I'm eating now. People hear the rules and say "You must be eating a ton of meat then!" Well, no actually.
Jorge Cruise says in the book that it's virtually impossible to overeat on meat if you are eating the right amount of carbs because your "full hormones" are working properly. I have definitely found that to be true! I don't eat more meat than I did before. In fact, I think I eat less! What I do eat more of is veggies and nuts!
Hubs and I have been talking about how important nuts have become in our lives to help us with the afternoon slump. A handful of peanuts and my energy level is back to normal and I'm ready to go until dinner. It's all about keeping our blood sugar even all day long.
So, I didn't convert my friend, but I just think she doesn't know what she's missing! Oh well. Maybe one day I'll get another chance to convince her. ;)
Jorge Cruise says in the book that it's virtually impossible to overeat on meat if you are eating the right amount of carbs because your "full hormones" are working properly. I have definitely found that to be true! I don't eat more meat than I did before. In fact, I think I eat less! What I do eat more of is veggies and nuts!
Hubs and I have been talking about how important nuts have become in our lives to help us with the afternoon slump. A handful of peanuts and my energy level is back to normal and I'm ready to go until dinner. It's all about keeping our blood sugar even all day long.
So, I didn't convert my friend, but I just think she doesn't know what she's missing! Oh well. Maybe one day I'll get another chance to convince her. ;)
9/20/11
Preach it, sister!
I admit it-- I'm converted to the BFC. I evangelize at every opportunity without shame! I discuss it with anyone who brings up dieting, sugar, health, energy... anything that remotely relates. The best is when someone actually asks me about my diet. Yes, sir, they will get an earful of preaching!
A friend of mine just emailed me and asked about the BFC. She wants to lose 5lbs. Ha! 5 lbs? In your sleep, friend! Just stick with the S/C and you're golden! Well, I admit I wasn't quite as pithy in the email. Instead, I went on and on about how great it is and little tricks I use to stay on track and how sugar grosses me out now. I gave her the bare bones and the link to the Report online since it has so much useful info. Poor girl! I hope I didn't scare her off!
But it made me think that the BFC really has changed my life. And I'm so glad! Today is my official weigh in, but I didn't lose anything this week. But I didn't gain anything either! And that's great news for me! I am still more than 18lbs lighter than I was in June. And by the end of the year, that number will be so much higher!
Have a fantastic day, BFCers!
A friend of mine just emailed me and asked about the BFC. She wants to lose 5lbs. Ha! 5 lbs? In your sleep, friend! Just stick with the S/C and you're golden! Well, I admit I wasn't quite as pithy in the email. Instead, I went on and on about how great it is and little tricks I use to stay on track and how sugar grosses me out now. I gave her the bare bones and the link to the Report online since it has so much useful info. Poor girl! I hope I didn't scare her off!
But it made me think that the BFC really has changed my life. And I'm so glad! Today is my official weigh in, but I didn't lose anything this week. But I didn't gain anything either! And that's great news for me! I am still more than 18lbs lighter than I was in June. And by the end of the year, that number will be so much higher!
Have a fantastic day, BFCers!
9/19/11
Long time no talk to
Sorry I've been off the map for a while, everyone. Thanks for your comments and for telling me that my posts weren't updating right. Hopefully the problem has been fixed!
I was reading over at Dawn's Daily Chocolate today and she talked about seeing overweight people everywhere. I was actually thinking the same thing this weekend. There was a news report about a school and ALL of the kids were chubby. Seriously-- ALL OF THEM! I started trying to find a regular or skinny kid. Not a single one there!
Part of why I'm happy to be on the BFC is how it is shaping my attitudes towards food. I feel like I don't sit around and crave certain things like I used to. I'm hoping that as I change, I'll be able to pass down healthier habits to my kids (whenever we have them!). I really don't want my kids to inherit the "bad genes" that I have. I put that in quotes, because a lot of it isn't really genes at all, but what I've done with them.
My sister often points out that we are doubly cursed in my family. My dad's family was overweight and my mom's was, too. Well, I don't really agree with that view. My grandma on my dad's side was a little plump, but she was never fat. My grandpa was very athletic and never overweight. On my mom's side... well, I'll concede that both grandparents were big. My point is that while there may be a propensity for obesity in my family, it's not the same as destiny. I refuse to accept that. My genetics didn't make me eat junk every day. They didn't make me stuff my face with candy. That was me.
Hopefully, my kids will never know me as someone with food issues. Hopefully, they will just expect that most things don't have sugar added to them and that veggies are a normal part of every meal. Hopefully they will run and play just because they like to and there's plenty of opportunity and not because they have to for P.E. Hopefully, things will be different for them.
On the lighter side-- the in-laws are still going strong and they have each lost 20lbs!! I can't believe mom-in-law has already overtaken my progress! :) I'm really happy for them. Also, Hubs just noticed today that the belt he could just barely fit into a month ago now has three inches leeway! Woo hoo!
I was reading over at Dawn's Daily Chocolate today and she talked about seeing overweight people everywhere. I was actually thinking the same thing this weekend. There was a news report about a school and ALL of the kids were chubby. Seriously-- ALL OF THEM! I started trying to find a regular or skinny kid. Not a single one there!
Part of why I'm happy to be on the BFC is how it is shaping my attitudes towards food. I feel like I don't sit around and crave certain things like I used to. I'm hoping that as I change, I'll be able to pass down healthier habits to my kids (whenever we have them!). I really don't want my kids to inherit the "bad genes" that I have. I put that in quotes, because a lot of it isn't really genes at all, but what I've done with them.
My sister often points out that we are doubly cursed in my family. My dad's family was overweight and my mom's was, too. Well, I don't really agree with that view. My grandma on my dad's side was a little plump, but she was never fat. My grandpa was very athletic and never overweight. On my mom's side... well, I'll concede that both grandparents were big. My point is that while there may be a propensity for obesity in my family, it's not the same as destiny. I refuse to accept that. My genetics didn't make me eat junk every day. They didn't make me stuff my face with candy. That was me.
Hopefully, my kids will never know me as someone with food issues. Hopefully, they will just expect that most things don't have sugar added to them and that veggies are a normal part of every meal. Hopefully they will run and play just because they like to and there's plenty of opportunity and not because they have to for P.E. Hopefully, things will be different for them.
On the lighter side-- the in-laws are still going strong and they have each lost 20lbs!! I can't believe mom-in-law has already overtaken my progress! :) I'm really happy for them. Also, Hubs just noticed today that the belt he could just barely fit into a month ago now has three inches leeway! Woo hoo!
9/12/11
Doctor Who Fan Orchestra
I originally had this as part of last post, but it was already so long, I felt bad! Anyway, I'm very excited about this, so I just had to share.
A couple months ago, I saw this video of Doctor Who fans from around the world compiling their recordings to create a virtual orchestra. It was so moving as a fellow fan, to see all these people get together and thank the creative minds behind the show and its amazing music. Here's the video of them performing "I Am the Doctor":
When I found out they were doing another piece soon, I knew I had to be a part of it! I immediately contacted Stephen Willis (the arranger/producer/conductor/genius). After a couple weeks, he got back to me and I'm in! I play flute and sing soprano.
We're working on "This is Gallifrey/Vale Decem" which will be incredible! Here's a performance at The Proms of the one we're working on now:
For any who don't know, The Proms is a series of concerts in London held in the summer at the Royal Albert Hall. It's short for "promenade concerts" because the audience walks around. It's called the most democratic concert tradition because it was designed to offer more affordable access to classical music performances.
Anyway, just had to share the excitement of it all! I played flute in high school, so this is a lot of work to get my skills back in shape! Hopefully, it'll be good enough. I'll post a link to the new video when it's all done!
Thanks for reading!
Oh, and thanks for all the ideas about coconut bread! I will definitely try it again! :)
A couple months ago, I saw this video of Doctor Who fans from around the world compiling their recordings to create a virtual orchestra. It was so moving as a fellow fan, to see all these people get together and thank the creative minds behind the show and its amazing music. Here's the video of them performing "I Am the Doctor":
When I found out they were doing another piece soon, I knew I had to be a part of it! I immediately contacted Stephen Willis (the arranger/producer/conductor/genius). After a couple weeks, he got back to me and I'm in! I play flute and sing soprano.
We're working on "This is Gallifrey/Vale Decem" which will be incredible! Here's a performance at The Proms of the one we're working on now:
For any who don't know, The Proms is a series of concerts in London held in the summer at the Royal Albert Hall. It's short for "promenade concerts" because the audience walks around. It's called the most democratic concert tradition because it was designed to offer more affordable access to classical music performances.
Anyway, just had to share the excitement of it all! I played flute in high school, so this is a lot of work to get my skills back in shape! Hopefully, it'll be good enough. I'll post a link to the new video when it's all done!
Thanks for reading!
Oh, and thanks for all the ideas about coconut bread! I will definitely try it again! :)
Good weekend, everyone?
Well, I had a great weekend even though I wasn't feeling great on Sunday.
FRIDAY
Friday night, Hubs and I went to Olive Garden for dinner. I know-- DANGER! So, he sat there looking up the nutrition information online for like a half hour. Our poor server kept asking if we were OK. We know from experience that waiters don't generally know much about the nutrition of what they serve, so we just smiled and kept downing the water! I ended up getting Pasta e Fajole soup and Hubs got the mixed grill. Neither one of us could finish our food, which I think is a sign that we were definitely pushing the limits on the carbs. I don't usually get that heavy-full feeling on the BFC.
SATURDAY
Then Saturday, Hubs had a conference to go to, so I woke up early with him and I was a cleaning machine for a few hours. Then I rehearsed for the Dr. Who Fan Orchestra thing I'm a part of (more on that later). Aafter practice I had breakfast: two pieces of French toast made with Nature's Own and a scrambled egg. Oh, and I added a little sugar-free syrup. (Probably the only artifically sweetened thing we eat.) Then I met up with a friend for pedicures. I got red nails with this awesome Asian-looking flower design. The lady was really talented! How do they do those little designs?
I got my lunch at El Pollo Loco (I just got plain chicken, since we were planning on going to the movies). After that, we met up at the in-laws to hang out for a while. My sis-in-law brought her kids over, so we got to play with them. We then went to see Soul Surfer which, it turned out, they were showing for FREE! We had free drink refills (we just got water) and free popcorn which we upsized for $1. The whole date was $1!!
Plus, the move was AMAZING! I cannot say enough about it. I cried like 7 times through the whole film. It was just so sweet and the girl who played the lead did such a great job acting like a real teenager. It's one of my pet peeves when actors play teenagers as a lot older than they are. She did a great job!
After that we grabbed Taco Bell for dinner. (I know, I know! But we stayed under our S/C limits for the meal and the day, so we didn't feel too guilty.) We had a nice, relaxing evening at home.
SUNDAY
Sunday, I was sick, but we still had a nice day. Very emotional (as I'm sure it was for many of us!), but good. We had breakfast (ham and cheese omelette and some oatmeal with cinnamon, nutmeg and truvia) and watched the 9-11 ceremony on NBC. I cried so much! Then we watched Dr. Who in an effort to cheer me up and I cried again! Well, it's no wonder that I'm emotional-- I'm PMSing!
But the best part of the whole weekend was that I finally - FINALLY! - dropped some weight!! Woo hoo! I am now officially down 18.4lbs! And Hubs is down 36.8!!!! Look at us go!
FRIDAY
Friday night, Hubs and I went to Olive Garden for dinner. I know-- DANGER! So, he sat there looking up the nutrition information online for like a half hour. Our poor server kept asking if we were OK. We know from experience that waiters don't generally know much about the nutrition of what they serve, so we just smiled and kept downing the water! I ended up getting Pasta e Fajole soup and Hubs got the mixed grill. Neither one of us could finish our food, which I think is a sign that we were definitely pushing the limits on the carbs. I don't usually get that heavy-full feeling on the BFC.
SATURDAY
Then Saturday, Hubs had a conference to go to, so I woke up early with him and I was a cleaning machine for a few hours. Then I rehearsed for the Dr. Who Fan Orchestra thing I'm a part of (more on that later). Aafter practice I had breakfast: two pieces of French toast made with Nature's Own and a scrambled egg. Oh, and I added a little sugar-free syrup. (Probably the only artifically sweetened thing we eat.) Then I met up with a friend for pedicures. I got red nails with this awesome Asian-looking flower design. The lady was really talented! How do they do those little designs?
I got my lunch at El Pollo Loco (I just got plain chicken, since we were planning on going to the movies). After that, we met up at the in-laws to hang out for a while. My sis-in-law brought her kids over, so we got to play with them. We then went to see Soul Surfer which, it turned out, they were showing for FREE! We had free drink refills (we just got water) and free popcorn which we upsized for $1. The whole date was $1!!
Plus, the move was AMAZING! I cannot say enough about it. I cried like 7 times through the whole film. It was just so sweet and the girl who played the lead did such a great job acting like a real teenager. It's one of my pet peeves when actors play teenagers as a lot older than they are. She did a great job!
After that we grabbed Taco Bell for dinner. (I know, I know! But we stayed under our S/C limits for the meal and the day, so we didn't feel too guilty.) We had a nice, relaxing evening at home.
SUNDAY
Sunday, I was sick, but we still had a nice day. Very emotional (as I'm sure it was for many of us!), but good. We had breakfast (ham and cheese omelette and some oatmeal with cinnamon, nutmeg and truvia) and watched the 9-11 ceremony on NBC. I cried so much! Then we watched Dr. Who in an effort to cheer me up and I cried again! Well, it's no wonder that I'm emotional-- I'm PMSing!
But the best part of the whole weekend was that I finally - FINALLY! - dropped some weight!! Woo hoo! I am now officially down 18.4lbs! And Hubs is down 36.8!!!! Look at us go!
9/8/11
Coconut bread, a.k.a. What did I do wrong?
Well, since everyone's raving about Dawn's Coconut Bread, I had to try making some myself! I actually used the recipe from Rosy's blog (sorry, Dawn!). Well, it did nto turn out well and it reminded me why I don't bake more! First, I wanted to do the chocolate bread, but I didn't have enough cocoa. Of course, I didn't really find that out until after I had added some cocoa already. Oops. Also, I didn't use any baking soda (which maybe doesn't matter too much).
So, I ended up with a grayish loaf of something that wanted to be brownies in its heart, but didn't have the talent so it had to settle for being meatloaf instead. I ate some anyway. Last night, hot with some butter on it, it was OK. Today, cold with nothing added, it made me feel sick.
Moral of the story for me: follow the stinkin' recipe and make sure you have all the necessary ingredients! I really should stick with ice cream.
Speaking of ice cream, we finally tried Clemmy's. It's mentioned in the book and everyone talks about how yummy it is, but we didn't like it. It was too sweet for us! I guess our homemade ice cream must be pretty bland, but we're used to it now. So, I won't be hunting down Clemmy's again. Oh well!
Even though we had some missteps in the last couple days trying new foods, it was good to have new things we could try! It's so easy to get into a rut in order to stay "safe", but I think it's important to break out of that sometimes and remember that food can be fun without being belly bad.
Thanks for reading! Hope you all had a great day!
So, I ended up with a grayish loaf of something that wanted to be brownies in its heart, but didn't have the talent so it had to settle for being meatloaf instead. I ate some anyway. Last night, hot with some butter on it, it was OK. Today, cold with nothing added, it made me feel sick.
Moral of the story for me: follow the stinkin' recipe and make sure you have all the necessary ingredients! I really should stick with ice cream.
Speaking of ice cream, we finally tried Clemmy's. It's mentioned in the book and everyone talks about how yummy it is, but we didn't like it. It was too sweet for us! I guess our homemade ice cream must be pretty bland, but we're used to it now. So, I won't be hunting down Clemmy's again. Oh well!
Even though we had some missteps in the last couple days trying new foods, it was good to have new things we could try! It's so easy to get into a rut in order to stay "safe", but I think it's important to break out of that sometimes and remember that food can be fun without being belly bad.
Thanks for reading! Hope you all had a great day!
9/7/11
Babbling about girly stuff
Good afternoon, BFC'ers! How are things going out there in blogland? For me, things are good. I'm working, but there's not much going on, so it's pretty relaxed. I'm a bit worried about getting enough water today as I left home in a hurry so I didn't get my water bottles filled up.
Work has done away with the free filtered water and I refuse to drink the water fountain water. If you've ever tasted Phoenix water, you understand. It tastes like dirty, rusted metal. I really should see if some of the other staff here would like to start out own water club, but I have no idea how we'd ensure only those who paid for it would be able to use it.
Other than that, I'm obsessing about Red Carpet Gel Manicure products right now! I love having done up nails, but I hate paying money for them. Also, I really don't like acrylic nails. I've been on a quest for a while to find products that are super strong, last a long time and look nice. Right now, I'm using Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps. It works great, but it isn't perfectly smooth like a gel treatment would be.
So, I saw in an ULTA circular that they are now offering Red Carpet Manicure products. The system involves a UV light that cures the product on the nails. I set out to buy it, but only got the light, a couple polishes and the remover. My local ULTA was out of the base, the top coat and the finisher. So, basically, I couldn't do it. After calling around, it became apparent that this product is pretty dang popular and is sold out everywhere! Bummer.
So, I used the Sally Hansen stuff. I used the stuff pictured on the base, a simple color polish, then another layer of the base to seal it in (we were out of town and I didn't have my usual top coat). It turned out goopy because it didn't completely dry before I fell asleep. Oops! So, two layers of topcoat when I got home and everything's smooth and shiny. I'm still going to get that Red Carpet stuff at some point.
...And, I'm babbling. I guess there's nothing really to report diet-wise. Still doing my thing!
Work has done away with the free filtered water and I refuse to drink the water fountain water. If you've ever tasted Phoenix water, you understand. It tastes like dirty, rusted metal. I really should see if some of the other staff here would like to start out own water club, but I have no idea how we'd ensure only those who paid for it would be able to use it.
Other than that, I'm obsessing about Red Carpet Gel Manicure products right now! I love having done up nails, but I hate paying money for them. Also, I really don't like acrylic nails. I've been on a quest for a while to find products that are super strong, last a long time and look nice. Right now, I'm using Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps. It works great, but it isn't perfectly smooth like a gel treatment would be.
So, I saw in an ULTA circular that they are now offering Red Carpet Manicure products. The system involves a UV light that cures the product on the nails. I set out to buy it, but only got the light, a couple polishes and the remover. My local ULTA was out of the base, the top coat and the finisher. So, basically, I couldn't do it. After calling around, it became apparent that this product is pretty dang popular and is sold out everywhere! Bummer.
So, I used the Sally Hansen stuff. I used the stuff pictured on the base, a simple color polish, then another layer of the base to seal it in (we were out of town and I didn't have my usual top coat). It turned out goopy because it didn't completely dry before I fell asleep. Oops! So, two layers of topcoat when I got home and everything's smooth and shiny. I'm still going to get that Red Carpet stuff at some point.
...And, I'm babbling. I guess there's nothing really to report diet-wise. Still doing my thing!
9/6/11
Finally-- a tiny drop!
Another drop in the bucket for the weight loss, I guess! I am down 0.4lbs this week and 17.4lbs overall. That's just another 0.2lbs since a month ago, but at least it's something. Hubs thinks I was overdoing the fiber, but not drinking enough water. I guess Cruise says in the book that if you don't get enough water the fiber just builds up.
I cut back on fiber a couple days ago and increased water. I'm hoping that'll help me see another substantial drop this month. That plateau was a toughie! But I made it!
Hubs is now down 35lbs and I'm so proud of him! He's such a fantastic support to me in everything I do, too. :)
This weekend we went up to Payson, AZ which (if you're not familiar with AZ geography) is only about an hour and 45 minutes away, but it feels like a world away! The temperatures were pleasant! Evenings were around 75 degrees-- so different from our crazy 105 degrees at night here in the Phoenix area. So, it was good to get away. Too bad we both got a cold at the very end. We're both home sick today, trying to kick this sore throat!
Anyway, hope you all had a lovely Labor Day weekend and were able to stick with your BFC'ing!
Oh, and thanks for all the comments. It's so fun to be in tough with other BFCers out there and read your blogs and everything. :) Keep it up!
I cut back on fiber a couple days ago and increased water. I'm hoping that'll help me see another substantial drop this month. That plateau was a toughie! But I made it!
Hubs is now down 35lbs and I'm so proud of him! He's such a fantastic support to me in everything I do, too. :)
This weekend we went up to Payson, AZ which (if you're not familiar with AZ geography) is only about an hour and 45 minutes away, but it feels like a world away! The temperatures were pleasant! Evenings were around 75 degrees-- so different from our crazy 105 degrees at night here in the Phoenix area. So, it was good to get away. Too bad we both got a cold at the very end. We're both home sick today, trying to kick this sore throat!
Anyway, hope you all had a lovely Labor Day weekend and were able to stick with your BFC'ing!
Oh, and thanks for all the comments. It's so fun to be in tough with other BFCers out there and read your blogs and everything. :) Keep it up!
9/2/11
First day at the new job
So, I'm trying out the new blogger layout and it's weird! I feel like my information about my blog is being hidden from me, even though it's right on the homepage now. Lol. I guess this will take some getting used to!
I did my first day at the new job yesterday and it went great! There are two really sweet girls who work the same time I do. They're both going to school there (this is in a college library), so they are very young, but we ended up just chatting the whole time. They said it's always very slow in the evenings so I'll hardly ever have anything to do. I can deal with that! :)
Here's a sad fact, though: I made more during my 4-hour shift there than I did all day in my regular job! Pathetic, isn't it? I do like my regular job, though, and I'm not in a hurry to move on just yet. It sure will be nice to get some extra income, though!
As far as my eating, it wasn't too hard. I was worried about the having to take dinner with me thing. Well, I ended up packing ham sandwich on Nature's Own bread for 1 carb and some chips for a second carb if I felt like I really needed it. Turns out, I didn't which I was happy about. :)
So far so good!
I did my first day at the new job yesterday and it went great! There are two really sweet girls who work the same time I do. They're both going to school there (this is in a college library), so they are very young, but we ended up just chatting the whole time. They said it's always very slow in the evenings so I'll hardly ever have anything to do. I can deal with that! :)
Here's a sad fact, though: I made more during my 4-hour shift there than I did all day in my regular job! Pathetic, isn't it? I do like my regular job, though, and I'm not in a hurry to move on just yet. It sure will be nice to get some extra income, though!
As far as my eating, it wasn't too hard. I was worried about the having to take dinner with me thing. Well, I ended up packing ham sandwich on Nature's Own bread for 1 carb and some chips for a second carb if I felt like I really needed it. Turns out, I didn't which I was happy about. :)
So far so good!
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