Thursday, June 28, 2012

Progress Report #1

Well one week has passed and I have done well. Its been a wild, crazy and stressful week but I have stayed on track with my plan. My plan is basically to stick to lower carb fresh foods. Things on the out list are coffee, soda, breads, things that contain flour, sugars. Its some where between the original Dr. Atkins and George Stella - tried and true things that have worked well for me in the past.
I have been taking my vitamins. I did not get out on my bike - its been a rainy and wild week.



So now for the results.  Yippee progress was made that showed up on the scale and the measuring tape. I probably won't post a new picture till a month has passed.

Starting Point  6/21                        Week #1 6/28       
Starting weight 215                                 210
Bust 40 inches                                         same
Stomach 41inches                                   40
Hips 46 inches                                        44
Thigh 24 inches                                      same
Calf 17 inches                                         same
Arm 15 inches                                         same
                                                           Total Losses 
                                                              5 lbs lost
                                                            3 inches lost
                                                         
                                                        Lost This Week
                                                              5 lbs lost
                                                            3 inches lost

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Summer Salad Idea


This is more of an on hand idea than a recipe. Its kind of how I cook I look at recipes and get the gist of the idea and use what I have on hand.

The Salad
Salad greens
Chopped chicken tender strips that I had prepared in my frig.
Hardboiled eggs that had been pickled.
Garlic Dill pickles.

Mock Honey Mustard 
Dressing was a mixture of mayo, mustard, about a 1/4 a cup of white vinegar and two teaspoons of splenda.

My rule is to start with low carb ingredients and use them and you get low resulting recipes.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

 My family was going to have s'mores this weekend and I knew I needed to make a treat that I could enjoy and not feel I was missing out. So I decided to make chocolate dipped strawberries.

I used 5 squares of unsweetened bakers chocolate.
1/2 a package of cream cheese
1/2 cup of Almond Breeze
and a 1/2c to a cup of splenda
Strawberries that had been washed and patted dry.
We cut the tops off of ours they would be fine with them left on as well.






In my make shift double boiler I melted the chocolate and cream cheese.  Don't let the water boil too fast and splash into the chocolate. Water and chocolate don't like each other.

When they were melted I added the almond milk till creamy and dip able. Then I added the spenda last before bringing it to the table where we dipped the strawberries.
 This chocolate did not harden as fast probably because of the almond milk. I could have put them briefly in the freezer but it was full and no one here cared.

We dipped them and then laid them on wax paper before sticking them with tooth picks and adding them to the serving tray.

They were a hit and my oldest son had eaten half the plate before I had to growl at him and remind him these were my treats he had other things he could eat.

 I think I ate 6 or so it was far better than the alternative.

I know to make this work for me I have to have things that are treats for me. Its not something that I would eat every day but with in a day that I have stayed on track they are a nice bonus.


I had about half of the chocolate that I put in a container and froze for some future treat.



I did not figure the exact carbs. I know that one large strawberry is roughly 1 carb
So I am estimating no more than 2 - 3 carbs each with the chocolate dip. Not too bad for a special treat with family and friends.

I've been sticking to mostly meat protein and eggs, some green salad, I have switched from coffee to Postum and I have had crystal lite rather than soda. Mostly drinking water.

All in all I am feeling pretty good for day five. I have had only one day of headaches and none of the carb flu symptoms.  Oh and I have not been obsessing over the scale. I will weigh and measure on Thursday and post those results.
Oh and I am writing this post a day ahead.




Monday, June 25, 2012

Room Up Date

 My mom and aunt where here to visit this past weekend. So we gave the living room a bit of a make over.
I decided to hang my Beloved mosaic project at home for a while. Its been on display at the church since I finished it.

I want this blog to be about more than just posting recipes and weight loss progress photos. I think that one has to be able to manage those things with in a normal busy life.
I'm at the leading edge of this weight loss journey but I know from past experience that it has to work on days that I work, or teach music lessons. It has to work when I go to pot lucks or when I am invited over to dinner.  Parties and celebrations and people wanting you to try some gooey treat. Can I be ok, happy and satisfied on my plan because in the long run this needs to be a lifestyle change.

I guess in some ways moving the furniture helps my over all frame of mind. Sometimes it helps me to feel my in side world is not so jumbled when my outside world is less cluttered. I think they go hand in hand.
One of my goals for the summer is to try and organize, thin out things, clean those places I never have time to get to. So this was step one of that project. I realize it is an on going battle because I am the lone woman in a house full of guys, my husband and two sons. Its a small house and every space is always in use by someone. 


The Beloved Mosaic hanging in my home


Stir Fry An Easy Family Meal

 I'm glad that my husband enjoys cooking. He is pretty good about adapting meals so they will also work for me.

For this stir fry meal. The family will have rice and I will have a small serving of cottage cheese.  We try to cook in such a way that it works for everyone. The family gets their carbs and I find a suitable substitute.

The stir fry vegi's have carrots and water chestnut both too high in carbs for me at this point. So I will just pick them out.

So the meat is chopped and cooked in a little oil with a bit of chopped onion in our wok.
When the meat is done add a bag of frozen stir fry vegi's

Pretty simple meal.

 The meat we used this time was boneless country spare ribs (pretty sure they were pork)
He added a little soy sauce and some chopped onion (also a bit on the higher carb side of the scale but we will go with it.



My Plate

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Strawberry Smoothy

 Today the strawberries looked too good to pass up.
I'm thinking they will make a nice treat. Berries a good low carb option in moderation. They are high in fiber and antioxidants. A cup of strawberries cut in half is only 9 net carbs (subtract off the fiber)

I took my strawberries and roughly bagged them by the cup. Then I put them in freezer bags and tossed them in the freezer.

I was thinking they would make a nice icy smoothy that would be a great treat for a hot summer afternoon.

It was a nice treat.



 In my blender I put about 4-5 strawberries. About half of my bag that I had put in the freezer. So I would guess about a half a cup. I tossed in 3 ice cubes and when it would not blend nicely I added a 1/4 of a cup of unsweetened almond milk which lists being 1 carb per cup and there is 1 fiber so in my book that 1/4 of a cup adds 0 to my carb count.
I did add a tablespoon of splenda after tasting it and thinking it could be a bit sweeter.


 It did not make a big amount but it was easy, and refreshing.
We'll call it 5 carbs to be on the safe side.

I might get a bag of crushed ice - my blender is a bit whimpy.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Steak Strips


I found some steaks in the quick sale bin at the grocery store.

I cut them into strips about as thick as my finger.
I cooked them in a little olive oil. Sprinkled them with a little garlic and low sodium soy sauce.

They are nice to have on hand for when you just need to eat something but don't want to mess with cooking. I like them cold or hot.

They work well to take for lunch on the run or pre-cooked them for camping or road trips.

They are nice warmed up and over a bed of lettuce with a little shredded cheddar cheese and a tiny bit of ranch dressing. (Be sure to read your label and know and remember to use condiments sparingly. Its easy to think you are only using a carbs worth of dressing when you are actually pouring on 6! Its a good idea to measure.)

Friday, June 22, 2012

Talapia with Mustard Sauce




 This turned out to be delicious and was so simple to make.
Here's the ingredient list

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup brown mustard
Talapia Fillets.






I lined my pan with foil to save on clean up. I sprayed the foil with Pam spray.
I un wrapped the frozen talapia and placed it in the pan.










 I mixed up the mayonnaise and mustard.
I spread the topping over the fish.
Pretty simple.
Then baked it in a oven preheated to 350
for 15 minutes or till the fish flakes easily with a fork.
We had two fillets per person. I could have eaten another with no problem, it was really yummy. 


I served it with a very simple salad that I drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Prep took about 5 minutes.

I'm not going to figure out all the calculations. You can read your own mayo and mustard jars and divide by the number of servings.
I am guessing the talapia is in the 1-2 carb per serving range.

My goal is to keep the carb numbers low. I am shooting for 20 or less a day.


Thursday, June 21, 2012

My Life As Art - Getting Back On Track


Yikes 
Starting Again Today 6/21/2012

Its only been a 10 month detour. I was going to get right back on track after I got home from vacation last August.  (I'll try to keep that in mind when I'm ready to quit and give in to temptation.) Uggh as my husband comes in the room bearing ice cream. I respond no thank you.

I know I do better when I set up things like this blog that will help keep me accountable because I know others are watching. You are welcome to follow or not. I will post progress reports like this one. Some will have  recipes, tips, thoughts on the things I am facing and figuring out ways to over come.

I guess I got up this morning and knew it was time to get back on track.
I never know when that day will be but something in me clicks and suddenly have the desire, the will, the what ever to know its time and I can do this now. I can know I need to get to that point for quite a while but until I hit that point it is a recipe for failure cause I won't stick to my program. I've done this enough times. I think sometimes its a matter of having the space in my brain to deal with it. I've had a few commitments come to an end.

So I have never yet in all my years made it to my goal weight. I know there have been a lot of things that created oscillating structures. I think I have them under control at this point. Emotional baggage and defense mechanisms that only allowed me to get so close before they kicked in and sent me back the other direction yet again. I've spent a lot of the last year dealing with that kind of stuff. So hopefully I can set up an advancing structure that can hold the mental image of where I want to go along side where I am currently. It creates a kind of tension that moves you towards your desired destination. I use this in creating art all the time. I can see the finished project in my mind and little by little I make my way to it. So this is my life as art.

So today I have had coffee, with milk and spenda,
Chicken Strips for breakfast and lunch
Talapia and Salad for dinner.
I've been drinking water.

Currently wearing size 18 pants
The shirt in the photo is a large presently extra large looks better.

Starting weight 215
Bust 40 inches
Stomach 41inches
Hips 46 inches
Thigh 24 inches
Calf 17 inches
Arm 15 inches

Goal 130 - 150 seems like a good target. Seems like I have it about right according to this ideal weight calculator that says 159 http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm

Note to self - remember to take vitamins tonight - oops - I've let that slip too.

I was reading an older post I'd written called How I Get Back On Track.
It seemed like good things to remember. So I thought I would re post it here.

I have been doing this low carb way of life for nearly 15 years. Some years have been better than others. I have have learned how to quickly get back on track. When I first started I used the Atkins induction rules any more my getting back on track rules are very simple.
1. Eat protein when you are hungry (as much as you want)
2. Drink lots of water (more than you want)
3. Weigh and measure yourself - begin a journal write down what goes in your mouth.
4. Expect to feel lousy for 2-5 days. (try to pick a window that not too much is expected of you)
5. Expect to feel great soon. (make a list of things you want to do because you will have more energy than you know what to do with)
6. Start looking at low carb recipes that you want to try. Get inspired and have some meals you are looking forward too once you are off this little protein fast.
7. Keep every thing simple. Read articles or books or blogs, or forums on low carbing. It helps to know you are not the only one facing the various struggles you will encounter. I follow the Stellastyle plan once I am past the first week. www.stellastyle.com
8. Remember it is a journey so enjoy it.

Ps - I am not a doctor and I am simply sharing what I have found to work for me.