Finding Your Way Around This Site

First of all, thank you for finding this page.  I’m hoping that the information herein will help you eat your way to better health.  It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease. Please consult with your own physician or health care specialist regarding the suggestions and recommendations on this site.  I have no degree in medicine, only a keen mind that searches for truth. 

 

We’re being bombarded with misinformation that has lead us down the path to ill-health and obesity.  Every time I hear one of my water aerobics instructors counsel the ladies as to what constitutes healthy eating, I cringe.  Why?  Because 90% of the teachers are overweight.  Something is out of sync.  This morning one of them recommended we try Nutella on bananas.  Nutella alone has 21 grams of sugar per 2 tablespoons.  Bananas, as are all tropical fruits, are very high in sugar.  That’s a combo that will spike your blood sugar and then drop it precipitously, thus beginning the hunger cycle.

 

I’ve been asked hundreds of times about how Bob and I maintain our weight.  It became easier for me to write it down and then direct people to this blog.  The nature of blogs is to list the most recent posts on top.  In order to find the first post that I wrote in July 2010, about what we ate to lose and maintain, you previously had to scroll down the entire page to the bottom.  It now resides on it’s own page.  You’ll find the tab to it at the top in the green bar. As I find new facts documenting the value of this way of eating, I'll share them with all of you, the most recent being the first thing you’ll see after this foreword.

 

If you’re new to this blog, click here > Our New Way of Eating and you can read about the plan we’ve been following. Two of my daughters and several friends have found this way of “dieting” painless. My oldest daughter submitted this post: My New Diet Religion: high fat, big loss. One of our friends has lost 85 pounds following this way of eating!   The green tabs at the top will take you to different areas.  Good luck and stay healthy.

Atkins Flu

This morning I found this great description of “Atkins Flu” on the Livestrong.com website.  Bob and I both suffered the first three days after lowering our carb intake.

Symptoms

The Atkins induction flu is a term used to describe the side effects sometimes experienced by Atkins dieters when they start restricting their carbohydrate intake to very low amounts. The symptoms of the Atkins induction flu include fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headaches, irritability and nausea.

Causes

There are two main causes of the side effects sometimes experienced when starting on a low-carb diet. The first is carbohydrate withdrawal. Most people are used to eating about 50 percent of their calories as carbohydrates, so drastically switching to a low-carb diet comprising less than 5 percent to 10 percent of the calories as carbohydrates is a big dietary change. If your body was used to running on carbohydrates, you might require some time to adjust. The second cause is dehydration. Low-carbohydrate diets tend to be diuretic and help you get rid of unwanted extra water in your body, but if you do not properly replenish the lost fluids and electrolytes, dehydration and the accompanying side effects can occur.

Duration

Atkins dieters can start experiencing induction flu symptoms in as little as 12 hours after cutting their carbohydrate intake. The symptoms usually disappear within four to five days, although they might last up to a week for some dieters.

Precautions

If the symptoms of Atkins induction flu are caused by carbohydrate withdrawal, patience is your only strategy. If you let your body adjust to this new way of eating, you will soon feel like you have more energy. To eliminate the diuretic effect of the Atkins diet, ensure that you stay properly hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Taking 1/2 tsp. of salt, 2 tbsp. of soy sauce or 2 cups of broth a day also is recommended to replenish the lost electrolytes. Talk to your doctor about this recommendation if you have been told to limit your sodium intake.

Is Sugar Toxic?

Finally mainstream media has given 14 minutes of airtime on “60 Minutes” to a public health crisis that’s been years in the making.  If you never click on another link, click on this one.  It may save your life.  “Is Sugar Toxic”

Two Great Books and Our “Fast” Food

I’ve recently completed reading two great books on nutrition: “Wheat Belly” by cardiologist William R. Davis, MD and “The Paleo Solution” by biochemist Robb Wolf. 

“Wheat Belly” makes a very convincing argument against eating grains.  As I’ve long suspected, the grains of this age are not the grains of old.  They’ve been genetically modified to the point that they are no longer digestible.  The grains our grandmothers used were far different than the short, high-yield, disease-resistant and Roundup-resistant plants grown now.  Roundup-resistant alone is enough to scare me out of eating them. 

“The Paleo Solution” talks about the original human diet . . . the diet we were meant to consume.  In other words, back to basics folks. 

Mealtime around here is no longer a hands-on, time-consuming affair.  Whether it’s a pot of soup loaded with chicken and veggies or a roast that’s cooked in the oven for a couple of hours, then combined with fresh veggies and a salad, it’s quick.  What it does require is planning.  It takes all of two minutes to throw a roast in the oven and about the same time to put a chicken in a pot of water.  We’ve discovered that low-carb eating is very satisfying and after almost three years, our weight has remained at a healthier level.  What could be better than that?

Carb Creep

In 2010 I lost 20 pounds by low-carbing and tracking my intake.  I hadn’t recorded my meals since August 2010 and finally in January 2012, after a 6.5 pound weight increase following a cruise, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, I started looking at carb creep.  I’ve recorded every spoonful for the last week, and voila, I’m down six pounds.  That has been enlightening.  Staying on track is easier when I record what I consume.

I’m a left-brained gal and love to keep spread sheets for about everything I do, including my budget, the mystifying Comcast bill, my lipid panel,  and my diet.  In looking back this morning I discovered something quite interesting.  Take a look at the table below.

Type of Diet	Low-Fat/Low-Calorie 2008	High-Fat/Mod-Protein/Low-Carb 2010	High-Fat/Mod-Protein/Low-Carb (this last week)
Avg. calories	1083	1124	1312
Pounds lost	8.5	16.5	6
Weeks dieting	9.4	7.4	1
Avg. carbs	134	29	28

I don’t need convincing that dropping carbs works.  By watching my carb intake, the weight has stayed off for almost 21 months.

How Carbs Make You Fat

Thanks to my friend, Carol, for posting this graphic to Facebook.  It succinctly breaks down the carb to fat-accumulation process.  I appreciate Massive Health for creating it.  The graphic is fuzzy at this size.  Click on it to enlarge.  When it opens in a new tab, click on it once again.

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving Menu
Appetizers:
Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms
Frittata Bites
Main course:
Turkey
Mashed Cauliflower
Apple Bacon Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli Salad
Spinach, Eggplant & Artichoke Stuffing
Jelled Cranberry/Orange/Blueberry Salad
Desserts:
Pumpkin Pudding
Cheesecake Factory Sugar-free Cherry Cheesecake

The New USDA Dietary Guidelines

Cholesterol Test

Are you worried that high fat intake will raise your bad cholesterol?  Seventeen years of test results are below.  I am now a true believer that eating correctly – low-carb, moderate protein, high fat – impacts health in a positive way.  You just can’t argue with success.  My only wish is that I’d had my blood work done in May 2010 before I started Atkins.  The yellow highlighted cells indicate results that are outside of the ideal range. 

Date	Total	Tri	HDL	LDL	Ttl/H Ratio	L/H
Ideal	<200	<100	>50	<100	<4.5	<4.1
15-Feb-95	205	99	47	138	4.36	2.94
19-Feb-96	227	69	54	159	4.20	2.94
15-Apr-97	180		63	117	2.86	1.86
11-Jan-00	202	65	71	118	2.85	1.66
26-Mar-01	197	91	63	116	3.13	1.84
20-Feb-02	181	63	53	115	3.42	2.17
06-Aug-02	177	53	43	123	4.12	2.86
03-Feb-03	194	79	55	123	3.53	2.24
28-Mar-05	184	49	46	128	4.00	2.78
23-Jun-05	143	58	56	75	2.55	1.34
26-Jan-06	128	56	40	77	3.20	1.93
31-Jul-06	182	64	58	111	3.14	1.91
05-Dec-06	174	45	98	97	1.78	0.99
12-Sep-07	177	53	63	103	2.81	1.63
12-Sep-08	173	60	49	112	3.53	2.29
09-Apr-09	190	34	90	93	2.11	1.03
14-Jun-10	167	66	71	83	2.35	1.17
19-Nov-10	178	45	69	96	2.58	1.39
22-Aug-11	175	36	86	82	2.03	0.95
3-Apr-12	184	41	91	85	2.02	0.93

From March 2005 to January 2006 I tried statin drugs.  I will never take them again.  The muscle cramp side effects were horrendous. 

I lost my husband to brain cancer in Oct. 2006.  He was diagnosed 3 1/2 months earlier, after which my weight fell at an alarming rate because of stress.  Interesting that my cholesterol levels five weeks later on Dec. 5, 2006 were pretty great.  I much prefer low-carbing to stressed starvation, however, to positively affect my totals.

Halloween

Received this in the mail today.  Just had to share it.

Traveling and Low-Carbing

Bob and I are on the road again, right now at 34,000 feet.  Before we took off a friend of mine called and suggested that I blog about what we eat while traveling. 

For one thing we always pack string cheese, a mixture of nuts and a couple of apples.  I keep a plastic knife in my carry-on for dividing the fruit, as they’re always more than one portion.  I also keep a small supply of quart and gallon size baggies to use for anything we purchase and wash along the way.  Beef jerky also travels well and provides protein, albeit most are cured with a little sugar.

For dinner last night, the choices near the hotel were very limited.  We were in San Francisco in preparation for a flight to Beijing the next morning, the weather was a miserable 93º, and walking very far held little appeal. We found a Trader Joe’s where we bought a couple of apples and a bag of six boiled eggs.  I always carry individual packages of salt and pepper, so this morning breakfast in our room was an easy option.  As we were checking out of the hotel, I peered into the breakfast area where the choices were two kinds of cereal and waffles – a low-carber’s nightmare. 

Today’s flight attendant served me salad with some great garlic full fat dressing, a small portion of tomato lentil soup, chicken with grilled veggies and rice, then a choice of cheese or ice cream sundae for dessert.  The rice went back on the plate and I chose the wonderful selection of cheese that she offered afterward.  I should also mention that Bob and I turned down the delightfully aromatic bread, hot from the oven.  The four entrees offered all contained protein and so I made my choice by looking at the accompanying side dishes, much the same way as I do when dining in a restaurant. 

As you travel, never let yourself get famished.  It’s too easy to slip and fall if you do.  Be prepared, just as if you were traveling with children.  You certainly wouldn’t get on a long flight without snacks for them. 

Finally, when you’re in a situation where dessert looks just too fabulous to pass, take a taste and then push it away.  After all, there’s no thrill in swallowing.  The first bite is always the best. Most of us just want to know what something tastes like.  Happy traveling. 

Holiday Tips

Now's the time to begin planning for the holidays. If you're going to go with the carb-laden menu, only make enough for the ONE meal. It's a holiday dinner, not a pass to gorge for a week afterward on leftovers. I'm already scouring recipes that will still be tasty and yet not have me in tears on the day after Thanksgiving, wishing I hadn't indulged. Just like dining out, if you decide what you're going to eat before you're faced with so many carb options, it's easier to stay on track. Preparation is the key. And by the way, purchase Halloween candy that you DON'T like. It'll be easier to stop your hand going from the candy bowl to your mouth.

Losing and Maintaining

When I first began this blog, I did so after receiving dozens of requests about what I was doing to not only lose weight, but to maintain that loss.  This is the first time in my life – I’m 63 – that I’ve ever been able to keep the weight from creeping back.  My height is 5’7” and I bounce between 132 and 134, and have done so since July 5, 2010 – not model thin, but a good weight for my height.

 

I have no degree in medicine, only a keen mind that searches for truth.  Right now I’m devouring Gary Taubes “Good Calories, Bad Calories” in an effort to understand the science behind low-carbing.  That tome will never be described as an easy read!  I’m 1/3 of the way through the 500 pages and when I finish, I’ll outline the best points he makes and post them here.  What I can tell you right now is that the more I read, the more I am convinced that refined foods are killing all of us.  Removing white sugar, white rice, white four and white potatoes from the shelves at the supermarket would drastically impact our nation’s health for the better. 

 

Thanks for visiting and good luck to you in your pursuit of a healthier way of living.

Fiber-full

There are some great choices when it comes to high fiber foods.  Broccoli, artichokes and spinach are all loaded with fiber.  When cutting out grains you might worry that you’re also missing out on fiber, but  fiber-rich produce makes for a yummy alternative.  Pureed pumpkin can be used as a great thickener for homemade soups and adds 5 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup, 40 calories and only 4 net carbs. 

Getting creative in your meal planning will take away the monotony of a green salad, protein and a veggie and keep you from straying to sugary or refined carbage.  Sour cream stirred into steamed purple cabbage is a gorgeous dish.  Shredded cheese is wonderful on hot broccoli.  Green beans with bacon and onion fried in olive oil are a real taste-bud treat.  All of those veggies come packed with fiber.  The goal is to be as healthy as we can be for as long as we live.  Try staying away from foods with labels for a week and become familiar with at least one veggie you haven’t used in the past.  Who knows, it may become a family favorite.

Not So Sweet

From what I’m reading, our national sugar consumption is up to 150 pounds a year per capita.  Here’s an article from US News and World Report that I found alarming.

One Sweet Nation
Published 3/20/05

Here are some facts about Americans' infatuation with sugar and syrup:

In 1967, Americans ate 114 pounds of sugar and sweeteners a year per capita, nearly all of it as either raw or refined sugar. In 2003, each person consumed about 142 pounds of sugar per year.

Since high-fructose corn syrup was developed more than 30 years ago, consumption of the sweetener, which flavors everything from soda pop to ranch dressing, has skyrocketed. Now Americans each down about 61 pounds a year.

Since 1950, soft-drink consumption per capita has quadrupled, from about 11 gallons per year to about 46 gallons in 2003--nearly a gallon a week per person.

With all that sugar-eating, it's no wonder people don't have much room for their vegetables. In 2003, Americans consumed, on average, a dismal 8.3 pounds of broccoli and just over 25 pounds of dark lettuces (the kinds that are really good for you).

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My Thoughts:Here’s how sugar causes you to overeat.  How long would it take you to eat a teaspoon of sugar?  Now suppose that teaspoon of sugar was in an apple.  How many apples could you consume in 20 minutes?  How much sugar?  Suppose you put that sugar into a beverage?  Think you could drink 5, 10, 20 or more teaspoons in 20 minutes?  Because the sugar is much more dense (no fiber), it’s much easier to consume way too many empty calories. 

I cringe every time I see children with sugary beverages accompanying their meals in a restaurant.  Without fail, they drink them first, eat their fries and then leave the protein and veggies cooling on their plates.  As children and adults grow fatter and fatter, they need to eat more and more, their ability to expend energy decreases, and they get fatter.  Vicious circle.  Watch the offensive linemen with their big bellies on a pro football team.  They are not known for their running ability.  They are block walls. 

Other carbohydrates require digestion, but sugar is absorbed into the blood stream immediately.  Blood sugar rapidly peaks and then quickly drops after consuming sugar.  You’re still hungry.  Time for more sugar.  As you consume it, realize that the nations with the highest consumption of sugar also report the highest levels of diabetes.

Kidneys and Low-Carbing

I suppose the number one question I'm asked is, "Aren't you worried about what a low-carb, high protein diet will do to your kidneys?"  Most people think that "low-carb" means high protein.  It does not.  Atkins promotes low carbohydrates, moderate protein and high fat.  Studies have shown that not only does low-carbing not damage your kidneys, it actually can reverse some damage already present, because the diet helps reduce blood pressure and brings your blood sugar back into normal ranges.  High blood sugar will damage your kidneys.  If you're one of the millions who are addicted to sugar, beware. 

I don't consume much more protein than a lot of my friends, or more than I have most of my life.  While raising my children, I always prepared a vegetable and a salad with our dinner meat (chicken, beef, pork or fish).  We limited desserts to Sundays and didn't make sugary treats part of our daily food intake.  I was never big on casseroles. Early on I had read that the same ingredient that makes sugar stick to cereal would make it stick to your kids' teeth, so that option was eliminated.  The kids complained, but so what.  We had eggs, oatmeal, some sugar-less dry cereal, Cream of Wheat, and whole milk.  Not the same fare that today’s kids are offered.  What amazes me are the photos I just saw posted of my classmates from 3rd-6th grade.  There's not an overweight kid in the bunch.  Take a look at your kids' class photos from this decade.  Same bunch of lean children or chubby kids who consume hundreds of pounds of sugar per year? Today I still enjoy a salad and hamburger for lunch, sans the bun and ketchup . . . both of which are full of carbs and most likely high fructose corn syrup.  I'm consuming fewer calories and none of the glucose created by all those carbs, which would raise my blood sugar out of normal range.  If you're really concerned about wearing out your kidneys and pancreas, knock off the carb-laden food. 

Eye-Opener

Ever look at an ingredient list on a packaged food and wonder why there are six different forms of sugar?  Here’s an explanation. 

Take a peek at the ingredient label on a box of “healthy whole grain” granola bars.  The FDA requires that ingredients be listed in descending order of weight (from most to least).  The first ingredient is oats, followed by rice flour, high maltose corn syrup, barley flakes, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, maltodextrin, canola oil, honey, glycerin (a sugar alcohol), palm kernel oil, tricalcium something or other and a long list of unpronounceable ingredients that no one would knowingly want to consume.  There are six various forms of sugar listed.  If the manufacturer were to combine all six and use only one sugar, guess what would rise to the top of the ingredient list?  SUGAR! 

The American public has begun to look at food labels and so manufacturers have doctored their products to fool us into thinking there’s not that much sugar within by splitting it up into various forms.  When totaled, each bar contains 10 grams of sugar!  That’s almost 2.5 teaspoons of sugar in each of the 1.4 ounce bars.  I’m thinking they aren’t that “healthy”.  How about you?

Are You Kidding Me?

Studies have shown that those who track what they're eating each day, as in write it down, are more successful in losing or maintaining weight.  While checking the nutrition totals for the two containers of sour cream I had just added to a recipe, I became painfully aware that sour cream isn't necessarily just sour cream.  (My spell checker went nuts on this post.)

Wal-Mart brand ingredients: Grade A cultured cream, enzyme

Harmons brand ingredients:  cultured milk, cream, whey, modified food starch, sodium phosphate, guar gum, sodium citrate, carrageenan, calcium sulfate, potasium sorbate, locust bean gum.

Buyer beware; it pays to read.

Our New Way of Eating

I’ve had so many requests for info on our new way of eating, that I’ve decided to blog it.  Hope it works as well for you as it did for us. 

This is the easiest weight loss I've ever experienced.  We ate at Goodwood last night and I thought for sure I'd be up a pound this morning.  Instead, I was down a pound.  We had wings, coleslaw, veggies, and a half rack of baby back ribs each.  I had saved plenty of carbs during the day for the sauce and boy did I enjoy it.

 

Basically, we started with Atkins Phase 2.  I eat no more than 30 carbs per day.  Bob probably eats around 50.  The key is tracking your carbs.  Weigh or measure what you prepare and then write it down, until you get the hang of it.  Hint: Do it before you eat it!  I have a great digital scale and I measure by the gram, then use my Diet and Exercise Assistant to track the food.  My daughter suggested MyFitnessPal.com  It has apps for iPhone and Droid and/or will count and track your totals online.  I also ordered and read Atkins new book, “The New Atkins For A New You”,  from Amazon ($10 and a true bargain).  It explains the science behind the diet and gives great eating out tips.  One nice tidbit: you can subtract the fiber from the carb total on any fruit or veggie.

 

After you lose all the weight you want, add back 5 carbs a day for a week, then the next week add 5 more.  When the weight starts to creep back, back off 5 and then realize that's your body's limit.

 

We don't eat watermelon, pineapple, grapes, bananas, or tropical fruits.  They're loaded with sugar. We eat strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew and any berry.  No starchy veggies, i.e. potatoes, peas, or corn.  No grains, flour, rice, etc.  No sugar.  We love spaghetti squash, broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, cabbage, summer squash, and green leafy veggies.  We eat nothing but whole foods . . . real food, including nuts (not peanuts or cashews – too many carbs).  Fish, beef, pork, chicken and we don’t choose the lean varieties as they have no flavor.  We don’t drink juice.  God put it in fruit for a reason, not so that we could strain out and toss all the good stuff.

Here are the foods on phase 1 and phase 2.  Add them together.  Links> Atkins Phase 1 and Atkins Phase 2.  Keep in mind that the carb cravings go away and stay away after three days . . . unless you eat too many and then they're back.  After seven weeks of doing this, they don't have any appeal.  We've been to five weddings the last five weeks, and believe me, we've turned down plenty of carb-laden food or as my friend, Jimmy, calls it, “carbage”.

 

I listen to Jimmy Moore’s interviews every night.  He helps keep me focused and provides great info.   You can download his podcasts on iTunes or on his web site.   His interviews talk a lot about what we can do to prevent type II diabetes, which occurs when the pancreas doesn't make enough insulin or the cells of the body become insulin resistant or insensitive to the action of insulin.  Everything we buy and eat is laden with sugar and the insulin reaction stores the pounds and ups the bad cholesterol.
http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/ 

 

The best thing you can do is read.  Here's a good place to start.  It's technical, but informative.  I wasn't eating enough fat and when I upped my fat intake, the weight flew off.  After six weeks eating this way I had my cholesterol checked.  It was down 23 points and my LDL was down 10.    http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/fat-not-protein.html

 

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/lbm  This site will help you determine your lean body weight.  Now you can figure out how many grams of protein you need.  Lean body weight times 1 to 1.5.  Example: my lean body weight of 101 x 1 = 101.  101 x 1.5 = 152.  So somewhere between 101 and 152 would be the right number of grams of protein for me, a 132 pound 5’7” female.  I average around 110 grams of protein.

 

Carbs and protein are both 4 calories per gram.  Fat is 9 calories per gram and you should eat 60-70% of your calories in fat.  Don't buy lean anything and buy full fat dressings.  We eat lots of spinach salads with our meals because spinach is nutrient dense.  Salad dressing is the only thing I’ll eat that is not just one ingredient, unless it’s something I’ve prepared myself.  I average 77 grams of fat per day.

 

Most fruits these days are so large that they are 2-3 servings.  1/2 orange is 10 carbs, so you can see that 2 oranges would kill all of your carbs for the day. 

 

Joined this group: Low Carb Friends Lots of tips, menus, and recipes.  I don't do the goofball ingredients.  I prefer whole foods.  We buy the Premier Protein shakes at Costco and keep at least two in each vehicle in case we're out and can't find something we want to eat.   Don’t skip meals.

 

Atkins.com is another great source of recipes and ideas.  If you’re a Facebook member, join the Atkins page for great daily tips from those who are having success with the program.

 

One last tip:  Since this way of eating is naturally diuretic, you may have a problem with constipation.  Atkins suggests drinking a cup of broth morning and afternoon, which will add back the sodium you are losing. 

 

Menus seem to be the biggest obstacle.  Usually I have cut up cantaloupe and veggies on hand, with ranch dressing for dipping.  I was the same weight for 8 days.  Added more fat and the scales dropped.  Go figure.  It’s not what we’ve all been taught.  Low fat everything has made us all gain weight because the fat has been replaced with sugar. 

 

I've now lost 16.5 pounds, which is two pounds below my goal, but we're going on a cruise, so I'm sure that will adjust.  LOL  Picking a goal helps you focus.

Plateaus are common.  This may help you by seeing what our weight loss has been.  I plateaued for 8 days and then had a couple of 4 day spells along the way.

Me
Week 1 = -6
Week 2 = -1.5
Week 3 = +1
Week 4 = -5
Week 5 = 0
Week 6 = -2.5
Week 7 = -1
Week 8 = -1.5

Week 9 = –.5

Weeks 10-13 = –1.5

Week 14 = -.5
TTL = –19

Bob
Week 1 = -6.5
Week 2 = -1
Week 3 = -1.5
Week 4 = -2.5
Week 5 = -1.5
Week 6 = -1
Week 7 = -1.5

Week 8 = –1.5

Weeks 9-13 = –1.5
Week 14 = –1.5

TTL = –20

Good luck and let me know of your success.  Happy eating!

Edit: I’ve had several friends try to improve on  this way of eating.  Low-carb/low calorie doesn’t work. Neither does low-carb/low-fat.  If you follow the instructions I’ve outlined, you’ll most likely lose weight.  If you try either of the two options above in this paragraph, your metabolism will slow down and you’ll stay where you are and just be miserable, lethargic and hungry.  Don’t do it.  The formula that works is low-carb, moderate protein, high fat.  Do yourself a favor and read Atkins new book.

Scaling Down

I have several friends who are losing weight with this way of eating.  Here’s a sampling.

“Okay -   I’m  excited – 11 pounds down this morning on the scale!   What’s amazing was that yesterday was my first time at a Mexican restaurant since starting this.  I got halibut tacos and ate the insides only with cabbage and a sauce that didn’t taste sweet, all of the guacamole and pico de gallo, and a few tastes of the black beans, with a white mild cheese sprinkled sparsely on them.  YUMMO!!! I tasted the salsa dips with my fork and NOT ONE CHIP crossed my lips! ! !  That’s a first!   Then I went home to help fix dinner for my guys.  They had steak tacos plus my chips and salsa from lunch.  I ate some of the steak, tomatoes, lettuce and a little of their guac and sour cream! ! !   What a delight to be DOWN that far this morning! ! !  In the past I would not lose after eating beef! ! !” (Edit: my guess it was the taco shells and rice and not the beef that stymied weight loss in the past.)

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“I just had to share. . . exactly 8 pounds down this a.m.!!!  I couldn’t be happier!  Made a full batch of cauliflower style funeral potatoes yesterday and my family loved it!  Thanks, Coach.” 

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“I ate NO junk at the baby shower today.  It was hard to pick out something I could eat . . . veggies and dip, 4 pieces of legal fruit, little chicken and lettuce salad.  Tanked up on good salad when I got home much later.  Bought regular cottage cheese for the first time I can ever remember . . . wow did it taste great!   Maybe I will survive this new way of eating!“

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“I looked at more food labels today than ever after your coaching. . . the imitation crab at the store was in the freezer case . . . 13 crabs (I think she meant “carbs”) per serving!  It had way too much junk in it so I bought cooked shrimp instead.“