MAR 23rd Just Doing It

Hello to Journal & Friends,

I've been under the weather for a few days, but finally feeling good again. Even exercised today already. During my "down" time, I kept up with only a few blogs, spent less time on the computer, and did some thinking.

The majority of the time I spent online was reading art related stuff. And a funny thing happened... I thought less about food. It's as though my mind is like a newspaper... it can only have one major headline at a time. And if the banner headline reads "This Just In: Art Making A Comeback!" then there is no room on the front page for the "Let's Moan & Groan About Weight Loss" articles. They are relegated to the inside pages as if of lessor importance.

I'm not saying I think getting healthy is not important any longer. It absolutely is. 

But... at THIS point in my journey, I've done the research, and have found a way of eating that works for me. I'm happy with it, it's sustainable and healthy. It's low carb, sugar-free, gluten-free, with a bent to real and healthy ingredients (with some exceptions for now). My only thing left in this area where I need work is to stop eating too much of on-plan food. 

Stop making excuses. Just do it.

And I know I need to get consistent with exercise. I'm convinced. Don't need any more reading, don't need to yammer on and on about it. 

Stop making excuses. Just do it.

I don't need any more new recipe sites to follow. In fact, I've now stopped reading all but a couple of my most favorite. My all time fav is Lisa at 24-7 Low Carb Diner.  I am looking to decrease my time on the computer, so something's gotta go. And I won't be reading any blogs that post photos of daily foods eaten. I am NOT criticizing anyone who does that... it's just not for me. I keep saying I want to spend less time thinking about food... and this is one way to help achieve that goal. Now I need to DO it. 

Stop making excuses. Just do it.

I might be wrong... I might come back here in a month and have to admit my grand experiment went bust. But I've started reading a book that Deb at Satisfied With Good Things   recommended, and it's given me stuff to think about. It's called "Who Switched Off My Brain, Controlling Toxic Thoughts and Emotions", by Dr Caroline Leaf. I'm only in the second chapter, but so far it's terrific. Yes, familiar ideas to me, but explained in a different way, with lots of references to the research and science behind it all. 

So... I've been taking a hard look at what influences my thinking. And that includes the internet. I hope no one is offended that I've cut you from my regular reading list... that is not my intention. But I need to make choices about time, and where I invest it. And I've been shifting my reading to more of my favorite art blogs and forums. I still plan to be around... just not as much. :-)

I'm done making excuses. Now I'm doing it.

My book quote for today: "To make wise decisions let your goals not your emotions guide." --Tommy Newberry, The 4:8 Principle

My verse for today: "The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made."

My quote for today: "Two things happen under pressure: things get crushed... diamonds are formed. Just do it!" --from an old Nike ad

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

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DAY 949

JULY 22 The Product Review & The Hissy Fit

Howdy Journal & Friends,

For my Friday Favorites, I'd like to have some fun with a real, honest to goodness Product Review!! Oh, and a recipe I made up all on very own! I'm not a fancy schmancy cook or anything, but when I got wind of a new natural sweetener, I thought it would be a fun break from all this "serious" weight loss business to dink around with it. :-)

Recently, Lisa at 24/7 Low Carb Diner shared a recipe she created  (now, she IS a good cook!) using this new natural sweetener, called Z Sweet. It's made from stevia and erythritol, neither of which messes with blood sugar levels. Lisa gave a link to a sample. I wrote. I received said sample... yay!!

By the way, Lisa has been posting some wonderful summer recipes, all sugar free and low carb...like Orange Mint Iced Tea, Sparkling Lemonade, and Salad Sundae. 

In fact, I liked it so much, I bought MORE Z Sweet for myself, from Netrition (they have a great low carb section, and usually the best prices on the interwebs).  

First the low down on Z Sweet (Disclaimer: they sent me some samples for free, but this is MY honest opinion):

•  I liked it! Straight erythritol has a sort of cooling effect in the mouth, kinda like mint. I don't like mint.  But combined with the stevia, Z Sweet didn't affect me that way. Thumbs up.

•  It dissolved just fine in my batter. I used the granular, and it wasn't gritty or anything like that.

•  It's not cheap, but since I don't eat a LOT of baked desserts anymore, that's not a problem. I spend less NOW than I did before when buying junk food. And Netrition has good prices. Don't know if you can find it locally or not. I didn't try.

•  They offer Z Sweet in bulk granular, in little travel packets, and powdered. I really LIKE having the powdered... I have several recipes where that's the best version.

•  You can use it just like sugar, measure for measure, so no annoying converting. And we all know Loretta doesn't like to be "annoyed". Okay, that's an inside joke... you have read my last post to get it...sorry 'bout dat.

•  Did I mention zero calories, zero glycemic effect, and it doesn't promote tooth decay like sugar does?? Yep. All true. Oh, and for us low carbers... the package says less than 4 grams carbs per 1 teaspoon. But remember, erythritol isn't metabolized in our system like other sugar alcohols. AND... at least for me, doesn't have those dreaded rooty tooty gastrointestinal side-effects like maltitol and sorbitol does. :-D

Bottomline: Good stuff in my opinion. I'll be buying it again. :-)

And of course, I drafted MyGuy as the guinea pig...no, make that Test Pilot, to taste my creation, LoCarb HiProtein Pancakes. First, I'll show you the photos... gotta have photos, right? 

The verdict: MyGuy liked it!! 

It is now officially Husband Tested.

Okay, the recipe for Rettakat's LoCarb HiProtein Pancakes was SUPPOSED to be given here. Uh huh... remember that famous novel that refers to the "best laid plans of mice and men"?? 

I spent over 2 HOURS searching all over for my recipe!! Gone. Disappeared. Poof! I was sooo frustrated, I was tempted to throw a hissy fit!!! 

But, today I sound all mature and calm, ha ha ha... can't change it. I worked hard to perfect my little pancakes, and am soooo annoyed that if I want the recipe, I have to do it all over again. Well, sorry, not in the mood! 

So if anyone out there wants to get creative... I DO remember it had: eggs, ricotta cheese, whey protein powder, almond flour, oat bran, baking powder, sugar free daVinci syrup, chia seeds, the Z Sweet... and I used coconut oil in the pan. :-}

This must be proof I am NOT destined to be a fancy schmancy cook. Better go visit Lisa for that. :-) 

From Dr Phil's book: "Your food plan sustains your commitment in the absence of emotional energy."

My verse for today: "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."

My quote for today: "Life is short and there will always be dirty dishes, so let's dance."  --James Howe

Enjoy the Journey and avoid hissy fits,

Loretta

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DAY 705

DAY 243 It's Time for a Friday Favorite

Good Afternoon,  Journal & Friends!

I'm in the mood for some fun! So I thought I'd share a Friday Favorite today.

I don't talk a lot about food here, recipes and such... I don't list what I eat, when I eat it, where I eat it, what I should've eaten, what I could've eaten, what I would've eaten... well, you get the picture. Just WRITING that sentence bored me, so I can't imagine blogging my menu!


More power to those of you who find it helpful. We are all unique, eh?  That's the fun thing about blogging... we can personalize it fit our own needs.

Me?? I have enough food cues in my life without looking at food porn online, LOL!!

See what I mean?? Those were cute, but made me want to eat them! LOL!

Oh... and I LOVED the little bear's head in the Bento box lunch! It was made by soaking a peeled hardboiled egg in soy sauce... cute, huh?

Anyway, having said all that... now I'm about to make myself a liar...ha ha ha... and post my own photos of food.

Actually, it's a favorite food gadget I bought off eBay, and am having fun with. Since I don't choose to eat sugar and flour, that left me wondering on what to put my favorite sauces?? 

Enter.... ZOODLES.

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE these. They are simply the humble zucchini, shredded up like spaghetti!

You can cook them up a zillion ways. Or just simply fry up and sprinkle a little parmesan, garlic, and/or mozzarelly on top... yummers!

Here is my gadget, called a Turning Slicer, with Zoodles:

Lisa, at 24/7 Low Carb Diner, had an even easier way to do it, with a little handheld tool (HERE).  Oh well, I didn't read that until after I already had my toy. :-) By the way, if you're looking for wonderful hubby-tested recipes that do NOT use sugar, she's your gal.

From Dr Phil's book: "With programming, you design your life so that it pulls for you when you're not pumped up, when you don't feel like behaving maturely, when you don't want to tell yourself "no."

My verse for today: "A merry heart does good like a medicine."

My quote for today: "The trouble is, you cannot grow just one zucchini. Minutes after you plant a single seed, hundreds of zucchini will barge out of the ground and sprawl around the garden, menacing the other vegetables.  At night, you will be able to hear the ground quake as more and more zucchinis erupt." --Dave Barry

DAY 8 Protect Your Success & No Whining!

Hi Journal,

Finally! It is my first weekly weigh-in day since my big ReStart. I was so excited this morning, I could hardly wait!

And the answer is: 384, meaning I lost 4 lbs this last week. Yay!!! I am hoping to keep up a good momentum, so that by my next birthday in Jan 2010, I can finally bust out of the 3's into the 2's...that is one of my medium range goals.

Well, the next topic on my "need to be CONSISTENT" list required me to ask hubby's permission to "talk about him"...mwa-ha ha ha ha... Actually, he didn't keep the worried look on his face too long, once I explained the whole topic.

It has to do with "not letting anyone rob my success from me"...an un-eloquent way of saying saboteur, one who engages in sabotage. But I always need to drag out the dictionary every darned time I try to type saboteur, so I'll just stick to "not letting anyone rob my success from me"! :-D

Anyway, Dr Phil's book has a long chapter on different types of saboteurs, and ways to deal with them. I'll just stick to my life...and close to home, the one that impacts my life the most, MyGuy.

You see, I USED to think of him as a saboteur...and how convenient was that...my own living, breathing excuse! Don't you feel sorry for my situation?? I don't have support at home... oh poor me. And the classic: it's HAARRRDDD.

When I made the big decision to switch to the Low Carb way of eating, the advice was the same everywhere: get the stuff OUT of your house that might tempt you. But they don't address the "mixed" households...ones where one or more persons--of voting age--are NOT eating low carb. Umm...he's not a child...I can't order him what to eat...he is a grown man with his own preferences.

We sat down and had a talk, and I explained to my husband that I was going to eat low carb, and why...that this was life or death for me, and I NEEDED to do this. After some thought, he looked me right in the eye, and said: "I LOVE my carbs...I am not giving up my carbs!"

Though I kept it to myself, for awhile I felt sabotaged (yep, I looked in the dictionary again). I was such a martyr...I told my doctor of my new plan, and the "lack of support" at home, and the RESISTANCE I felt I always got when trying to change...and oh! what sympathy I got!

But the more I thought about it...and whined to God...the more I realized that I had no right to expect him to change just because I needed to, or even that HE needed to shed a couple of pounds himself. Did I like someone else imposing their plan on ME?? Did I like the feeling of subtle criticism that comes when you know someone else doesn't approve of your choices??

I think God finally got through to me one day after I was whining to Him about it, and I suddenly thought about exercise...and resistance training. You know...the kind with rubber resistance bands. It takes RESISTANCE to build muscle. No resistance, no progress, no increase in strength. I then remembered what Maya Angelou said:

If you don't like it..change it.

If you can't change it,

change the way you think about it!

So, I could look at MyGuy's resistance to my new way of eating as

an OPPORTUNITY to get stronger!

He has actually been very patient with me, as I have made the switch. There were foods--and still are some--that I just can't be around without feeling them call my name! He has not complained about the sudden cessation of homebaked desserts...and I am determined not to complain when he brings "stuff" home, as long as he doesn't wave it under my nose. :-)

I have had to learn to live with the "enemy" right in my own home...no, not MyGuy...I mean the carbs that I overate all my life, that were the reason I ended up at 460 lbs at one time! It took me a long time to see the pattern...that ALL of my problem foods were heavy in carbs, whether they were sweets or savory. The common denominator was carbs.

But this has made my resolve stronger in the long run. My struggle now is not the carbs...I am doing pretty well there. No sugar or flour type stuff since March 09. Now I am working on portion sizes of the things that I AM eating. For awhile I fell into the trap of thinking "it's okay, it's low carb", and eating way too much!! Gee, wonder why I've been slow to lose weight....Ya think??

Anyway, it's all about choices. I don't want to use ANYONE as an excuse to be robbed of my success...not family, friends, doctors...anyone. So I chose to change the way I thought about the resistance. As Michael Beckwith says:

"In every life circumstance,

look for the Blessin' or the Lesson".

It turned out to be a Blessing that MyGuy offered what I perceived as resistance...it made me stronger.

It turned out the Lesson was that "one size does NOT fit all"...meaning that just because low carb is for ME, does not mean it is for everyone. And I have no business expecting a grown man to follow MY choices just because that would make it easier for me, or even because I think it would be healthier for him.

I have learned a lot from Lisa at her 24-7 Low Carb Diner blog. She cooks for herself and her "boys", but they are not all low-carbers. She does NOT make two separate meals, but has learned how to make a couple of add-ons to the main meal, or a simple tweak, so they are all happy. And she shares all that in her blog and her wonderful e-book cookbook, which I bought. She designed it so she would not have to spend her LIFE in the kitchen cooking, and the recipes are geared so that you have stuff already made for a couple of more meals...planned left-overs if you will. I appreciate all that I have learned from her.

And shock of shocks...MyGuy asked me last night about the jellos that he has been having me make for him to take to work. He said "they are actually just jelled sugar, right?? Is there a way to make them without the sugar?" (we don't use sugar-free-full-of-aspartame products in our house... if you'd like to know why, click here ). So I get to make him some of MY jello, using knox gelatin, and see what he thinks...baby steps, baby steps. :-)

So, Week 2 is off an' running...I feel encouraged.

From Dr Phil's book: With routines..."you design your life so that it pulls for you when you're weak, when you're not pumped up, when you don't feel like behaving maturely, when you don't want to tell yourself 'no'."

My verse for today: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

My quote for today: "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face...You must do the thing you cannot do." --Eleanor Roosevelt

Enjoy the Journey...one good choice at a time,

Loretta

=^..^=