Monday, April 8, 2013

Happy April!

Hello friends!
I know its been a while.....as usual, no excuses. Just busy here! Just wanted to share a quick update with you all on how the 17 day diet is going. I am on Cycle 3 where I get to add in more foods and I can enjoy my 2 carb servings anytime of the day, & not just before 2pm. I will be on C3 until April 20th & I have to say, I LOVE cycle 3!!! Omg!! To have a piece of Trader Joe's sprouted wheat toast again was noting short of DIVINE!!! I went 34 days without a piece of bread or toast and although it was challenging at times, for the most part, it wasn't that bad. The cravings for sweets are pretty much gone and I feel as though my carbs are under control. Its a good feeling. So in a synopsis, I am on day 39 of eating this way and I am down about 12#. It has been a slow process but I have gone from 185.5 to 173.5 (on Saturday). I took my measurements and I have lost about 3" from my belly & waist. I'm pleased with the progress so far & its actually not been bad at all. I'm hoping to be at 169 by the end of April. I think I can do it! I'm ready to be in a size 12!

I'm tired tonight so I am off to get showered and then heading to bed. Just thought I would drop in and say hello.

Hope you are all doing well.... :)
Hugs!!
Sherri

Monday, March 25, 2013

Consistently losing....life is Good!!!

Hello ladies!

I know I haven't posted in awhile, so I thought I would throw in a quick update for you all to let you know how things are going with me on the 17 Day Diet. So far, so good! I finished my first cycle on St. Patrick's Day and was down about 6# for the whole cycle. I went about a week with no losses, then started Cycle 2 and boom, lost about 1#/ day for 3 days straight. So my total is very close to 9# right now. It may seem slow to some, but for me, this is the most I have lost in a year! I feel really good and my clothes & tummy feel better & less puffy. I want to be down a full 10# by Easter & I think its possible. 10# in a month.....crazy!!

My sister is down about 8.5# this month and we are both getting used to eating this way. No fruit or carbs after 2pm while at first was challenging, is becoming habit now and I am getting used to not eating carbs at dinner. I still miss it sometimes though. I wont lie. I joined planet fitness last Friday and have only had the opportunity to go once but its a nice place & they have alot of machines which is great. I'm hoping that will help accelerate my weight loss, but I guess I need to go, huh? lol! Tomorrow after work is my plan. I had a dentist appt today & errands to run, then meeting my sisters for dinner at Ruby Tuesdays (salad bar) and we are taking a mesh wreath making class. I'm not crafty at all so this should be interesting! haha!

Hope you are all doing well. If I don't post again before the 31st, Have a wonderful Easter!

((Sherri))

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Wednesday Update...things are going great!

Hello friends!

Just a quick post to update you all on how things are going here. I am excited to report that I am down 5# already!!! woo hoo!!! I think I got on the scale 10x this morning because I couldn't believe it! My sister is down 3# & is on day 4 and I am on day 6. I fell hopeful that this may be the answer for me. I hope it is. It hasn't been bad at all. There is alot of prep work to do so I am cooking alot more, but if it helps me to lose 1#/day I will cook like a crazy woman! lol.I don't mind and with my sister doing this with me, we have been helping each other emotionally and with food prep. She works full time & I work part time so I have a little more time for the food prep than she does so today I shared with her some oopsie rolls & some apple flax protein muffins. The muffins are fabulous!!!

So I encourage you to give this a try if you want to try something new that is not only safe & healthy & created by a Dr., but its also pretty easy to follow. I am going to post the recipe for the apple flax muffins. They are soooo good with a little natures hollow peach jam on top! Heavenly!!!

Hope all is well with you girls! Happy Hump day!!!
((Sherri))


Apple Flax Protein Muffins (C1)

(Adapted from recipe by Laura Dolson)

Recipe Adaptation by: Caryl Schiff-Greatorex

 
                                                             

1 ¼ cup flaxseed meal
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
2 scoops Body Fortress Vanilla Whey Powder
½ tsp salt
9 packets Stevia (equivalent to 6 Tbsp sugar)
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar
1 cup egg whites
1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
¼ cup water
1 Apple chopped fine
½ cup walnuts (optional)

Mix dry ingredients together and add in remaining ingredients and mix. Fill 12 muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 18 – 20 minutes.*
**Please note~ I did not use all of the oil in this recipe. I used 1 T. + 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce. I also used 2 T. splenda brown sugar baking blend instead of just plain stevia. Feel free to adjust the recipe according to the plan that you follow. These are really great!!!

Nutritional Info for 1 muffin:

137 calories
8.4 g fat
140 mg sodium
8 g carbs (but NONE qualifies as a natural starch)
1.4g fiber
3.2 g sugar
9.6g protein


*Note: Consistency is very moist, If you prefer a drier muffin, bake longer

Monday, March 4, 2013

A quick little update.... Monday Edition

Hello to all my wonderful blogger friends!

You girls are just the best! Thanks for being so kind & not saying I'm a messed up cotton headed ninnymonger who has no direction in her dieting life .(Like Will Farrell said in the movie Elf)  LOL!
I want to read each of your blogs and am sorry I haven't had a chance to yet but I will get there. Thanks to Dawn, Rosalie, Pattie, Kay, Katie, Beth and oh shoot I am missing one more person......oh forgive me, I just cant think of it at the moment but thank you all for your comments. :)

So I wanted to give you all an update on how things are going. I started 17DD on Friday March 1st and I am happy to report, so far so good! I have been following and am starting to find my groove with it & am liking it. as of this morning, I am down 3#. Yay!!! I am hoping to lose 10# in Cycle 1 which will end on March 17th. Most people lose between 10-15# in Cycle 1. I think if I lost 15#, I would seriously faint! My sister and I have been really struggling on WW and I talked with her on the phone on Sat and she also decided to do it with me so she is on Day 2 & was down 1# as of this morning. She and I got together on Saturday & did some prep work for the week. We made turkey chili (that might I add was fabulous!), we made protein poppers (lemon & chocolate) that are like little bite size cakes that are made with protein powder &They are really yummy and we also made the mock egg rolls for sandwiches. Shes not crazy about them but I actually like them alot. I love spending time with my sister and she is really one of my best friends. We have both come so far with our weight loss and I told her "we can do this...we can do anything for 17 days". Her birthday is March 23rd & she will be 50. She wants to be down 10# by her birthday as it will take her into a new decade of weight. She is so pretty & has a personality & a smile that is infectious.I pray that she hangs in there. I am going to continue to do my very best but need to add in that darned exercise component to get things moving but I am just so darned tired after work its the last thing I want to do. I need to start slow, maybe 5-10 mins at a time.

Well, thanks for listening. I will keep you all posted on my progress.
Hugs to you all!!
Sherri

Saturday, March 2, 2013

So before you think I'm crazy.....

Good morning friends!

Well, I wrote that last post on Monday & started my day off well with a low sugar, low carb breakfast. As the day progressed, I found that I really wanted my yogurt, and a piece of fruit. I had a talk with myself and decided that I probably made a rash decision to follow BFC again. It just isn't for me & I know in my heart, it could never be a lifestyle for me. Please don't think I'm a nutcase here. I have been so "all over the place" in my thoughts about what to do and it has been making me crazy that I cant seem to make a decision about what plan I would like to follow. Sigh...its rough being a Libra! lol. But I know with out a doubt, cutting out fruit & yogurt for me isn't the answer.

So anyways, let me tell you what happened to me the other day and you will understand why I decided to go a different route. I was at work on Wed and was in our pain clinic. As I was admitting this lady, and I asked her to verify her height & weight. She said her height & her weight was 142. Then she said to me "I wouldn't be this weight if it weren't for the 17 Day Diet". Whoa!! That was the other plan I was teetering over! So we got to talking and she told me her story and how she had lost 42# and her husband has lost 60# in 4 MONTHS!!! Holy cow!! She said she has started the diet last year with her husband and that she has been on every diet known to man and this diet was the easiest with the most rapid results. I did this plan last August and on the first 17 day cycle lost about 10#, which was great. I did not follow through with Cycle 2, don't ask me why because I should have. Anyways, the more I got to talking to her, the more I started to think that perhaps God placed this woman in my path for a reason. EVERYONE is placed in our paths for a reason but I really feel she was divinely placed for me. The ironic thing about it was, SHE told me that she felt that I was put into her path for a reason. I cant describe it, but I walked away from Work on Wed with more clarity than I have had in a  really long time. She told me to read the book again (17 day diet by Dr. Mike Moreno) and I did. I decided that on March 1st I would start and promised myself that I would not cheat & would be true to the plan....100%. If you aren't familiar with the diet, it is actually pretty simple. There are 4 cycles, each of them last 17 days. You start on Cycle 1 that has no "bread" carbs but you can eat unlimited lean proteins, vegetables, 2 servings of low sugar fruits eaten by 2 pm and not after, 2 servings of healthy oils (up to 2 T./daily) and 2 servings of probiotic rich dairy like yogurt. after the first cycle you go on to Cycle 2 & 3 where you get to add additional foods. Cycle 4 is a maintenance plan when you reach your goal weight.This plan is much more "up my alley" and I know that it is very successful and is in more alignment with my beliefs & thinking. So this is what I am doing right now. Hope you don't think I'm crazy. I'm really not. Just been a wandering mess for months and really need to shake things up again and get going. Spring & summer are right around the corner and i DO NOT want to wear a size 14 of anything this summer. I want to be a 10 and I WILL get there!

Thanks for listening. I will keep you all posted.

((Sherri))

Monday, February 25, 2013

The confused girl finally has a plan!

Good morning!
Well, after alot of thought, and after reading Kay & Rosalie's comments (thank you ladies! ) I have decided to give the BFC a full out try for 1 week and see what my results are. I know Rosie that you think we need to commit to a lifetime plan, and I agree with that, but I need to "test the waters" and prove to my doubting self that this can work for me. I am in a huge funk and I need something that will not only work but show me some results. I did BFC before and recall that I did lose weight. The one thing I did notice when I followed it was that my belly was most definitely flatter and I had very few cravings so for the next week, I will keep you posted on how things are working out. I hope to have some good results to post next Monday.

So today, my starting weight was 183- 183.5 (my scale varies so I am using both numbers) My waist measurement today is 38" & around the belly button it is measuring 42". (A big fat uggh on those numbers and I cant believe that I am POSTING them to boot!!! Yikes!) But I am being upfront & honest here so we shall see what transpires.

Wish me luck and any suggestions are gladly received.

Happy Monday!
Sherri

Sunday, February 24, 2013

One confused girl here....

Hello friends!
I know, its been a long time since I last posted. No excuses to give. Anyways, hope you have all been well. I truly have missed you all and hope to be more dedicated to my blog....but no promises (sorry). I will try though.

I am in a deep funk with my weight loss efforts and I don't know if its just me, the weather, this time of year, or what it is that is causing the problem, but I am struggling and need help digging out of this hole I feel like I am in. I have still been attending WW meetings and started out in Jan strong with a loss of 6.5#. Yay! Well, I'm sad to say that Feb has been an absolute bust!! I have lost NOTHING! Zero...NADA!!  My focus has wavered and I have felt like throwing in the towel this past week, but I wont because I don't EVER want to go back to where I was 2 years ago....218.5# and miserable and I know if I quit, I will be on my way to that number again. NO WAY!!! I am currently holding at about 180( and a size 14 regular) and have been gaining and losing the same 8-10# for the past year. My goal is to get to 150 but I just cant seem to get my head wrapped around staying focused to start losing again. I feel like the poster child for Barry Manilow's song "Trying to get the feeling again". I have met so many friends at WW and they are such an amazing support to me, I just cant leave them and I don't want to leave them. I love WW plan but lately, I think it is just too liberal for me. I am a "wild child" who needs the reins pulled in. I feel like if I give myself an inch I am totally trying to take a mile.

My head is spinning like crazy and I feel like maybe I need to mix it up a bit and try something different for a while. I know BFC works, but I cant wrap my head around eating all that fat & not worrying about it. I totally "get" the whole insulin response thing and the carb connection with it. I just struggle with that thinking and always have which is probably why I haven't stuck to that plan. I love the 17 Day Diet and have had success on it in the past but every morning I say I am gonna restart it, I waver & have some kind of carb for breakfast. (sigh) I am just a ship lost at sea here looking for a port. I need your help....what should I do??? I am so so confused!!!

I would love to hear your successes and what has helped you to get out of a funk. I need to start losing again but just feel like I need some direction. BFC or 17DD??? What to do?? What to do?? I am leaning toward the 17DD again because you can have yogurt & 2 fruits/day. They are limited fruits, but nonetheless, I am OK with that. Your input is so much appreciated.

We are going on a cruise in Oct and by golly I don't want to have to buy an ugly bathing suit again. Not that I want to wear a bikini, because I couldn't if I wanted to due to a very bad scar on my belly, but I would like to feel comfortable in a nice 1 piece suit that isn't ugly & a plus size or something that looks like grandma would wear. lol.

So this is my dilemma. Please share your thoughts.... I would love to hear some inspiration & ideas on how to get going again.

Have a great Sunday!!!

Sherri  :)

Monday, January 7, 2013

Happy Monday!

Good morning friends!

It's another Monday. I'm off work today and have lots to do but thought I would pop in & write a quick post. I am on Day 7 of my diet. I started fresh on Jan 1st and am down 4# according to my scale. I  have been eating more protein rich foods and limiting my starchy carbs. There is something to be said about limiting your carb intake as I don't have the bloating that I normally have when I am eating carbs with reckless abandon. I wish that I could find the courage to follow BFC again but when I look at the high calorie & fat content in the allowed foods something in me says "you shouldn't do it. It's not good for you". I know Rosalie, Kay & many others would disagree as they are living proof that it works. I think that all the dieting over the years have my brain pre programmed to think this way. I have been following the 17 day diet format and it is very do able for me but I find myself eating many of the same foods & after a week, it starts getting a bit boring. I only have 10 more days in this cycle so I just need to keep going.

The basic gist of the 17 day diet is this:
Cycle 1~ 17 days
Unlimited protein~chicken, fish, turkey (no red meat allowed yet)
2 servings of pro biotic rich foods~ low sugar yogurt, live active cottage cheese,kefir etc
2 servings of fruit~ the list is limited & they should be eaten before 2pm
unlimited cleansing veggies~ a pretty vast list. I'm still not a veggie fan but embracing it in 2013
64 oz water daily
green tea/ 3 cups/day
you can have extras like stevia, sf jam, etc.

For breakfast I had 1 egg + 1 egg white scrambled with 1 T. turkey bacon bits, 1 slice of Trader Joe's sprouted wheat bread with 1 tsp of Natures Hollow Peach jam (my favorite~so good!!) and 1 cup of chocolate unsweetened almond milk. You aren't supposed to have any "bread carbs" in this phase and yes, today I bent that rule. I just needed a pc of TJ's toast. Its low carb & no sugar & really hit the spot so I'm not beating myself up over it because it isn't "allowed" on this part of the plan. I just need a plan where I can have my yogurt. That is one thing that I absolutely missed when I did the BFC last time. I LOVE my yogurt!!

I'm battling a nasty cold that has been lingering for over a week now but I think I'm on the upswing now. I just wish I had a little more energy to get up & exercise but I just don't...dagnabbit! I don't feel terribly inspired in my writing this morning so I will end my post here and wish you all a great week!

Hugs to all~
Sherri

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Happy 2013!!

Hello to all my blogger friends from your long lost friend~ME!

Its hard to believe that a new year is here and I haven't blogged since AUGUST!!! I know, I know, shame on me!! My apologies for my absence. I guess life just got in the way and I just didn't feel like I had anything too terribly important to contribute.I have decided to start blogging again and I hope that you will join me in my weight loss journey.

The holidays came and went and now I am left picking up from where I left off....and I am still about 9# heavier than my lowest weight. (sigh) Oh well, its a new year, and I am done beating myself up. I am still doing Weight Watchers and plan to continue doing it until I reach my goal weight of 150. As of this morning, I weighed in at 182.6. A loss of 3# this week. Yay!! My lowest weight was last May when I hit 173.8 so I guess that I have 8.8# left to go to get back down to where I was and that doesn't seem too far away....less than 10#.

2012 was a year of lessons learned. I didn't really do anything earth shattering re:my weight loss. I pretty much maintained & gained & lost the same 10#. I have vowed to myself that it will not be a repeat performance in 2013. I am about 33# to goal and I plan on finishing the race. THIS YEAR...NO MORE EXCUSES!!!!

I have been dealing with a very bad cold and still stuck to my plan and had a good week overall. I am trying to eat more protein and no refined "crappy" carbs. They seem to be the "doom" of me. I must confess, I did have some things today that I shouldn't have and I really don't know why I ate them. Perhaps out of pity because of my cold?? I really don't know. But I am over it and moving forward.

So my short term goal is to be back down to 173.8 by the end of this month and I am hoping to reach my ultimate goal of 150 by the beginning of summer.I think it is do able. This is about 5# a month. I need to stay focused and to remember what I am working for. There is NOTHING out there that tastes better than thin feels and I want to know what that feels like THIS YEAR!!!

I took an updated photo of myself at the end of the year but for some reason it wont upload. Is there something they are doing different now???

Have a Happy Saturday and Happy 2013!!!!

Sherri