HealthQuest

Testing Isagenix SPOT

2010-08-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

Four days in...

2010-01-08T07:55:00.000-08:00

We're 4 days into our 9-day (11-day if you count the 2 pre-cleanse shake days) cleanse. After only 4 DAYS here's where we are:

Darren- 10 pounds released
Tami - 8 pounds released

WHooo hooo!

We were feeling so bad and guilty for having gained weight. Not a good way to represent when you're marketing the system.

Plus we were feeling physically lousy--sinusy, achey, BIG, lumbering, sleepy, depressed, doughy, FAT.

I had tossed all my larger size clothes and had gotten only a few other things 'cause I planned to get even smaller. Then I expanded out of the very few smaller clothes I owned I had NOTHING to wear. It was a sad experience to go out and buy bigger clothes. It had been such fun shopping when I was smaller and I only got a taste of it. I'm not crazy about shopping in general, but it's a lot more fun when you're buying smaller clothes! My fat pants are already loose and I'm not even finished with the 9-day yet!

Cleansing the JA Way

2010-01-06T06:01:00.000-08:00

My last post was a year ago! Time for a new start! We began with 2 pre-cleanse Isagenix shake days. The 9-day Isagenix cleanse is 2 cleanse days, then 5 shake days and ending with 2 cleanse days.

John Anderson is the formulator of Isagenix. Here is how he cleanses:
JA WAY TO CLEANSE;
Drink 16 ounces of cleanse during the entire day in your drinking water,
Add 6 snacks daily during your cleanse,
2 IsaDelights are optional,
You may also take your Essentials, Ionix, C-Lyte, Omegas, and a little WME.

NO's;
eggs
nuts
fruit
vege's
salad
or any other foods.
If you do eat these snacks, you will be hungry during the cleanse and have a much harder time, so doing it the JA Way will help you succeed
Read the entire note here.

Ready to Shine in 2009!

2009-01-13T22:53:00.000-08:00

We're ready to shine in 2009!

No much posting happening in 2008, but since August My dh has released over 80 pounds using the fantastic amazing nutritional cleansing and replenishing system of Isagenix. I have lost over 20 pounds myself and more importantly, we feel fantabulous!

Fitness goals for 2009 are almost the same as 2008, with a few refinements that I will refine in a later post.

Isagenix International World Leader in Nutritional Cleansing

2008-08-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

Isagenix International World Leader in Nutritional Cleansing

The No S Diet TTapp and Low Carb

2008-07-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

It's time to reel my sweet chubby Tam Tam back in before she gains all the weight back. I have a great marriage, wonderful family and a terrific job. We have been learning about Kingdom Finances and now have a hope of getting out of debt, so why be fat & tired when everything else is going so well?

So it's The No S Diet, TTapp and low carb eating, all tracked through a habit calendar.

TTapp 5-day Bootcamp

2008-01-20T22:30:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post on how I'm doing with my goals before I forget.

Mon 1/14 - Sun /20

Went to bed shortly after 9:00 p.m. most every night, even if it meant that things didn't get tidied up or the dishes done. Usually they were, though. And I always made sure my coffeemaker timer was set!

Got up by 5:30 a.m. every weekday--yay me! 5:15 should be the latest, and maybe, someday, I could make that 5:00 a.m. It's much easier getting up that early in the morning when I've gone to bed at 9:00 the night before.

Completed a 5-day Ttapp Basic Workout bootcamp and Hoedowns at least once, sometimes twice or even three times a day on Monday - Friday, then Saturday I did the Power Back Stretch (PSB) morning and evening, and Organs in Place (OIP) and Half Frogs (HF) in the evening. Today (Sunday), I did PBS a.m. and p.m. The first day I worked out after work but after that I did the routine in the morning, which I really like.

I continued with the vitamins, glucosamine and adrenal health supplements. I'm also drinking about 100 oz of water a day.

Hot flashes happening more often, but they are not too bad. More of a power surge.

Starting tomorrow morning on Monday, Wednesday and Friday I'll do Basic Workout in the morning and hoedowns during the day after eating, which would count as BWO+, and a second PBS, maybe followed by OIP/HF in the evening.

Supplements

2008-01-10T12:50:00.000-08:00

I don't know if it's the weather (rainstormy) , or exhaustion from holiday preparations or helping dh after his shoulder surgery, but I have been draggin'--even after a week's vacation where we just relaxed in condo with occassional forays outside. My joints seem stiff and unyeilding and my scoliosis seems more pronounced. My head has been spinning and I could sleep just about anytime.

I decided to take glucosomine for the joint stiffness, and to try some Adrenal Health phyto-caps from Gaia Herbs on the chance that I will get some more energy. I take Women's Formula multi-vitamins from Trader Joe's, which seem like a pretty good bang for the buck.

Doing pretty well on going to sleep on time. Need to start TTapping.

Personal & Small Business Loans at Prosper.com - the P2P Lending Marketplace. - Prosper

2008-01-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

Personal & Small Business Loans at Prosper.com - the P2P Lending Marketplace. - Prosper

There's Good News and Bad News

2008-01-03T18:28:00.000-08:00

The bad news is I've gained some weight.

The good news is His mercies are new every morning!

With no regrets and no condemnation I will move forward.

I need to set a fitness goal for 2008. It should include a target weight and a target bodyfat percentage. I already know I'm shooting for 22% bodyfat, but what's the appropriate weight for that percentage? To find out I checked 3 online calculators and arrived at 2 different percentages:

32% at Active.com
32% at BMICalculator.net
43.5% by the U.S. Navy method

Calculated at my current 200 pound weight:
32% bodyfat = 136 pounds of lean body mass = a target weight of 175 pounds
43.5% bodyfat = 117 pounds of lean body mass = a target weight of 150 pounds

Well, I choose 175 pounds at 22% bodyfat as my 2008 fitness goal

Here is my fitness goal statement:

I AM HEALTHY
I exercise 3 times per week.
I go to sleep at 9:00 p.m. and get up at 5:00 a.m. on weekdays.
I eat healthy food and avoid sugar and starches.
I take vitamins and supplements.
I drink at least 100 ounces of water per day

I’m slim, trim, healthy and happy. I take the time to take care of myself. I have stamina to climb the Eiffel tower! I weigh 175 pounds, my bodyfat percentage is 22%, and my muscles are firm, strong and flexible.

No Credit Needed — Debt Reduction Rocks - We Are Living Debt Free!

2008-01-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

No Credit Needed — Debt Reduction Rocks - We Are Living Debt Free!

Created4Health.org

2007-12-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

Created4Health.org

Tami's Journey to Better Health: Woman's World

2007-12-03T18:35:00.000-08:00

Tami's Journey to Better Health: Woman's World

AllieCat's Place Homepage

2007-11-29T21:24:00.000-08:00

AllieCat's Place Homepage

Excercise Log

2007-11-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

Friday 11/2 T-Tapp instructional #1
Saturday 11/3 15 minute bike ride/T-Tapp instructional #1 (woke up w/v. bad headache)
Sunday 11/4 primary back stretch, hoe-downs, 15 min bike ride
Monday 11/5 T-Tapp Basic Workout + hoedowns
Tuesday 11/6 T-Tapp Basic Workout + hoedowns. 2nd set of hoedowns in pm
Wed 11/7 PBS in the a.m.; 1 set hoedowns in p.m.
Thurs 11/8 T-Tapp Basic Workout + hoedowns (BWO+)
Fri 11/9 BWO+
Tues-Wed can't remember
Thu 11/15 BWO and Instructional #2 up to and including lunges. Hoedowns in afternoon
Sat 11/17 BWO+
Tues 11/20 partial PBS (at work--trying to remember all the moves), 1 set hoedowns
Tues 11/27 BWO and Instructional #2 all the way through-counts as Total Workout
Thurs 11/29?? can't remember
Fri 11/30 BWO+

Work Schedule

2007-11-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

My work hours are 7:30-5:30 M-Th and 8-5 on Fri. Every other Friday is a day OFF. Love it! But it means I leave the house by a few minutes after 7:00 a.m. and get home around 6:00 p.m.—later if I stop anywhere. I have grand goals of leaving the house looking hott and carrying a nutritious lunch, having made the bed, eaten breakfast, cleaned the bathroom, started a load of laundry, put dinner in the crockpot, exercised and prayed. Is that too much to ask? I need to get up at 5:00 a.m. to get all this done without--and this is very important to me--without feeling rushed and hurried.

Reality is not too-too far off that mark, really. I never miss the morning prayer time. I’m usually leaving later than I should, but I still have my lunch and I look hott : ) and the bed’s made and the bathroom’s cleaned. Occasionally I get a load of laundry started and if the meal’s not in the crockpot, the meat is at least thawing.

But the exercise? The daily-swipe-at-housework-so-I-don't-have-to-do-everything-on-the-weekend? Forgetaboutit! And when I come home? I'm tiiirrrreedd! I just wanna watch teeeeeveeee! If I'm not too tired, or when I get my second wind (right about the time I should be getting ready for bed) I would rather sew than exercise or clean. And sometimes I'm watching the grandbaby, and sometimes I have to peruse the finances. It all takes time, people!

I know that adding exercise would really up the ole' energy level. I've just got to do it. Maybe if I started T-Tapping on my off Friday and T-Tapped over the weekend, by Monday I'd feel the difference in my energy level and maybe I could even start getting up at five in the morning.

I do believe I have a plan....tomorrow's my off Friday and I think I've blogged myself into starting a 4-day T-Tapp bootcamp.

Get Over It

2007-11-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm ready to get over my upsetness about being scammed by the diet that shall be unnamed because I don't want to start getting pi**ed off all over again by thinking about it too much. I will say that on that unnamed site a few of the members in the exercise forum talked about T-Tapp. I thought it was about tap dancing for exercise, which sounded like fun, so I checked it out.

It is not tap dancing : )

It appears to be a really good exercise/wellness program. I want to do something so I don't gain weight and have some energy, but I'm experience a sense of inertia; I feel like I’m moving in slow motion when it comes to housework and exercise and I can easily talk myself out of doing both. Part of is my work schedule and part of it is being emotionally wounded from learning that I was conned about a way of eating when I was making such good progress transcending a lifetime of emotional baggage stuffed with food issues.

Oohh! I just had an epiphany about emotional baggage!! So, I’m into decluttering in a big way and what do you do when you’ve got a bunch of stuff--or baggage, as in emotional baggage--that you want to get rid of? You go through it! You get rid of the crap and keep the good, useful stuff! Now…I did this before, when I first started losing weight. I was scared then because I didn’t know what I’d find. What I found was there was nothing at all to be scared of. Abba Yeshua was very gentle in His leading. Why am I feeling apprehensive now? Because of fear, I guess. That’s why they say that fear is

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

Time to dive into that baggage and get rid of some more crap. Some things that were deep in the corners may not have been visible the first time.

The Product - Revitalash - Longer Eyelashes - Eyelash Extensions - Anti Aging Eyelash - Lash Extension - Longer Lashes

2007-10-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

Well, if money were no object....:The Product - Revitalash - Longer Eyelashes - Eyelash Extensions - Anti Aging Eyelash - Lash Extension - Longer Lashes

I Banned Kimkins!

2007-10-12T23:42:00.000-07:00

Here's my farewell post at Kimkins:

Been around since January and only posted one other time!

I’ve only posted the one other time, but I’ve come to the website a lot to read some of the posts and the before and after stories for inspiration. I’ve been maintaining a 55-60 pound total weight loss over the past year and a half, the last 15 pounds having come off since joining Kimkins. I usually wasn’t strictly following Kimkins, but I still lost weight.

I joined because I remembered Kimmer from a couple of years ago on another (free) low carb web forum. I was impressed by the fact that Kimmer said she’d lost 198 pounds in 11 months and didn’t find out that her thyroid was bad until after she’d lost the weight. Wow! I believed that! And her pictures! Did anyone see her ‘after’ shot in Women’s World magazine? Stunning! And all those ‘before and after’ stories and pictures—what a great diet!

But…..Kimmer lied. She never lost the weight. That wasn’t her picture in Women’s World magazine, and it wasn’t her in the red dress photo that she used to have on the home page. She faked almost all of the before and after stories, too. Lies, lies and more lies. Worse, her very low carb, very low calorie diet (which it was when I joined) is an unsafe combination. Since Kimmers’ fraud has been discovered most of the fake pictures have been removed from the Kimkins site. Members are also encouraged to take in higher calories and more fat than they were when I first joined, so that’s a change for the better (but it’s also classic Atkins, not ‘Kimkins’).

The admins who were so helpful to the members when I started, including the lovely woman who was on the cover of Women’s World magazine (unlike Kimmer, she really did lose her weight) have moved on as they discovered the lies and fraud. Many others who used to be members either left or were banned by the admins, and now it’s my turn to go.

When I joined back in January the terms of service (TOS) promised a lifetime membership that included direct access to Kimmer via the forums, and a certified athletic trainer available for advice. Kimmer’s gone, or at least she’s not using the name ‘Kimmer’ anymore, and the Certified Athletic Trainer resigned. This is in direct violation of the terms of service. So……Kimkins, you are banned for TOS violations!

Duuudddde!

2007-09-28T22:49:00.001-07:00

Let Me Count the Ways

2007-08-12T00:21:00.000-07:00

How Do I Love Thee, 60-Pound Weight Loss? Let Me Count the Ways

I'm wearing size 14 jeans right now (I used to wear size 24)!
I had to shorten all of my necklaces because my neck got smaller (and I always thought I carried my extra weight below my waist--well, below my shoulders, anyway)!
I fit in an airplane seat!
I can buy clothes from all over the store instead of being limited to the Womens' Department!
I can climb around inside the car (sometimes I have to dig around for the grandbaby's binky)!
People who have watched me shed the pounds are always telling me I look so good!
People I haven't seen in awhile are awestruck, then start telling my I look great!
I feel so much more confident around people!
I actually feel small!
I can see the curve of my ankle (as I have gotten older and heavier my ankles got so fat! The day I spied the slightest shapeliness at my ankle was wonderful, indeed!)

Meet My Inner Brat

2007-07-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

Her name is Tam-tam and she loves See's chocolate and McDonalds chicken tenders with fries, buffalo sauce and appie pie for dessert. She was real happy when I first started losing weight because I figured out that she needed some attention. She had been acting out by making me eat when all she really wanted was to be loved (is that so wrong? Hee hee.) I started spending time with her and especially praying that she (really me, of course) would understand that true love and satisfaction comes from our heavenly Father and not from food. WOW! It WORKED! 60 pounds gone! But lately, even though I pray every morning it seems that she is feeling neglected again. She has really been on my case and even took the wheel of the car and drove it straight to McDonalds! Now, according to The Brat Factor, the secret to accomplishing your goals is to use your brat's reasons to get there. So I told Tam-tam, "I want to lose 5 more pounds. What do you want? She said, "shoes". So I bought her these:

We can wear them as soon as we lose 5 pounds. Today is Sunday. I really want to wear the light-colored ones to church next Sunday with my Easter skirt and a green shirt I'm making go with it. We can do it!

Back To Where I Started From

2007-06-07T21:39:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! 177.4! I lost I've got rid of all the indulgence weight!

On May 14 I weighed 187.2. Time to get serious again.

2 1/2 weeks later I had lost 7.8 pounds!

Today, just over 3 weeks later, I'm just .2 pounds away from my lowest weight in 26 years. I'm at 177.4! Thats 9.8--almost 10--pounds in 3 weeks! And I haven't been exactly strictly Kimkins, either! I have to admit that I've eaten peanuts and peanut butter, which are no-nos due to the high calorie content. But I've still lost over 3 pounds a week! Edited to add: I am no longer affilated with the Kimkins diet because it consists of an unsafe combination of low-carb and very low calorie diet AND it has been discovered that the founder, "Kimmer" ,lied about having lost the weight (she claimed to have lost 198 pounds in 11 months), and used many fake before and after photos on her diet web site. The story about how this was discovered reads like a soap opera. To learn more, check out some of the links under 'Low Carb and Health', particularly the 'What's the facination with Kimmer? threads on the Low Carb Friends bulletin board.

I'm ready to rock 'n roll with Kimkins. From today on I'm the model 'Kimkineer'. I wanna see 175 on that scale, and then I wanna see 169 and then I wanna see 159 and then I wanna see my goal: 150!! Edited to add: I fell for Kimmer's scam. I've removed most of the references to that diet from my blog, and edited the rest, but I'm leaving this up because I can't undo the past and I don't want to pretend I'm perfect; I can make a mistake and move on.

Git R Done: 29 Pounds to Goal

2007-06-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

dh and I have a new attitude. No more 'one-time indulgences that turn into days that stretch into weeks. Dh wants to get rid of the extra weight and I'm only 29 pounds away from my goal of 150. I've been mostly off the wagon since the end of April. Today is the first of June, so that's one month off that started as an indulgence for dh's birthday, carried over into my trip to Minnesota in early May and was supposed to end the Monday after Mothers' Day. I put on 10 pounds, but 8 of them are gone, so I'm on the right track.

Before and Current Photos

2007-05-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

237 pounds
177 pounds

My goal weight is around 145-150, so I've still a ways to go, but I've come pretty far. Thank you to Dr. Atkins for making low-carb mainstream, and to the low-carbers in web land for sharing their successes.

30 Pounds to Goal and Going for the Gold!

2007-05-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

This is it! I've taken a couple of weeks off, but starting tomorrow I'm back on the Kimkins wagon and I'm not getting off 'til I make goal!

I've gained some weight on my break but the beauty is that I've taken 2 diet breaks since I started last June and both times the weight I'd gained was off within a week.

Off to Kimkins to plan my food shopping! Edited to add: I am no longer affilated with the Kimkins diet because it consists of an unsafe combination of low-carb and very low calorie diet AND it has been discovered that the founder, "Kimmer" ,lied about having lost the weight (she claimed to have lost 198 pounds in 11 months), and used many fake before and after photos on her diet web site. The story about how this was discovered reads like a soap opera. To learn more, check out some of the links under 'Low Carb and Health', particularly the 'What's the facination with Kimmer?' threads on the Low Carb Friends bulletin board.

A New Low and Major Milestone

2007-03-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

As of this morning: 180.8. So encouraging! I've been strictly low-carb. Not logging what I eat into Fitday, not blogging, just hanging in there and not eating carbs.

Milestone: I am officially out of Women's sizes!!! Dh bought me an Avenue (plus-size store) gift card for Valentine's Day. I had to buy size 14s--the lowest they carry! My body is shrinking! Every time I put on my Women's size 14 pants after washing them they are just a little looser. Last weekend I bought size 16 Misses jeans at Wally World!

Dr. Cuts Blood Pressure Meds!

2007-03-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

I saw my regular Dr. today-he was so happy with my weight loss. And guess what? I was visiting him because I was getting dizzy when lying down and getting up. I thought my bp meds might be too much now and I was right! He cut the dose in half and said if I continued doing so well I could stop taking it altogether! Wahoo! One of my major, major goals is to get off that blood pressure medication!

Neighbor Didn't Recognize Me!

2007-03-05T18:04:00.001-08:00

I ran into my former neighbor at my eye Dr. where she works. She didn't recognize me at first! When she figured out who I was she was so excited for me--she said I looked fabulous!

Indulgence Day

2007-02-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

Low Carbie Dana Carpender calls them indulgence days--when you plan ahead to indulge. I just had one--well, two really--this weekend. But I have no regrets. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I weighed in on Tuesday at 190--up 4 pounds from my pre-indulgence weight. I jumped right back into low carb and am down 1 pound to 189 this morning. I started Kimkins on January 1 and I really like it; she's a no nonsense advisor. I have not been following her guideines strictly so I haven't lost as fast as I could. I'm down 15 pounds in 7 weeks, so about 2 pounds per week. For this week I'm going to be strictly strict and see what kind of results I get. Edited to add that Kimkins has been found to be an unsafe combination of low-carb and very low calorie diet, the founder of that diet site is a fraud, and on and on....google Kimkins scam and read for yourself. Low carb-yes! Kimkins-NO!

It's All Good

2007-01-25T09:33:00.000-08:00

Wahoo! Today I weigh 191.4. Closing in on 50 pounds gone 4-ever.

Do-Over

2007-01-15T11:40:00.000-08:00

I kinda blew it over the weekend. I stuck to low-carb but I still overdid it. I bought some calorie countown(formerly known as carb-countdown) milk in regular (for my first cup of morning coffee), and--here's where I blew it--chocolate. I went through a half-gallon in a day and a half. Then I had peanut butter (a Kimkins no-no due to calorie content) mixed with cocoa, sf syrup and splenda.

I. Could. Not. Help. Myself.

Bullsh*t!

I can and I will help myself! Back to square one as of today! Kimkins is the fastest way to lose the fat and I'm gonna do it. Edited to add: I am no longer affilated with the Kimkins diet because it consists of an unsafe combination of low-carb and very low calorie diet AND it has been discovered that the founder, "Kimmer" ,lied about having lost the weight (she claimed to have lost 198 pounds in 11 months), and used many fake before and after photos on her diet web site. The story about how this was discovered reads like a soap opera. To learn more, check out some of the links under 'Low Carb and Health', particularly the 'What's the facination with Kimmer? threads on the Low Carb Friends bulletin board.

My menu so far, so I don't forget before I add it to my Fitday diary:

2 deviled eggs using 1 tsp mayo and 2 tsp dijon mustard
2 protein angel cakelets

Protein angel cookies:
3 eggs, divided
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
3 T sugar-free vanilla syrup
pinch cream of tartar
1/3-1/2 cup calorie countdown milk

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar till stiff
Beat together egg yolks, protein powder, syrup and milk.
Fold yolk mixture into egg whites
Spray large cookie sheet or muffin top pan with fat-free pan spray
Spoon mixture onto pan (makes six large cakelets/muffin tops)
Bake 15 mins at 350

Back to Onederland

2007-01-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

As of this morning, after 6 days on Kimkins, all the holiday weight gain is gone.

Jan 1 weigh-in was 204.6--a five pound holiday gain.

Current weight is is 199.6--back to onederland! And my lowest weight in about 18 years; I vaguely remember weighing in the 190s after a Weight Watchers stint back in the late 1980s.

I may revise my goal weight downward from 175 to 150.

Edited to add: I am no longer affilated with the Kimkins diet because it consists of an unsafe combination of low-carb and very low calorie diet AND it has been discovered that the founder, "Kimmer" ,lied about having lost the weight (she claimed to have lost 198 pounds in 11 months), and used many fake before and after photos on her diet web site. The story about how this was discovered reads like a soap opera. To learn more, check out some of the links under 'Low Carb and Health', particularly the 'What's the facination with Kimmer? threads on the Low Carb Friends bulletin board.

On Track

2007-01-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

Five full days on the strictest Kimkins.

Lost 0.6 pounds so far; less than I hoped but it hasn't even been a week yet. Plus I wasn't very good about using lower fat options--I've been pretty careful but I'm so used to not even thinking about fat or calories that I ate some things (like chicken wings and pork rinds) that I realized later are too fatty and high calorie for this plan. Still--I ate moderately, and am certainly eating well under 20 carbs each day.

I had mild cravings each evening for which I drank tea with splenda/liquid sweet 'n low and a teaspoon or so of cream.

Yesterday--day 5--my appetite really diminished and I figured I was on my merry ketosis way but that evening I got very hungry and was walloped with cravings big time. I scoured the internet for something to make with protein powder and chocolate suger-free Torani syrup and ended up concocting a gawdawful, albeit chocolaty something by mixing protein powder, a bit of cocoa (not on the plan) egg, and syrup then nuking it. It looked pretty good--almost pudding-y, but it was very very dry. I put a little cream on it. Didn't help much but I still ate most of it. I was desperate.

Dh is starting Atkins induction on Monday so a grocery list is in the works. I didn't lay in a supply of Kimkins-friendly food before I started--I've been eating eggs, chicken and lean ham, which is okay, but there are some recipes I want to try and I'm ready for some vegetables. So off to the grocery store today! Edited to add: I am no longer affilated with the Kimkins diet because it consists of an unsafe combination of low-carb and very low calorie diet AND it has been discovered that the founder, "Kimmer" ,lied about having lost the weight (she claimed to have lost 198 pounds in 11 months), and used many fake before and after photos on her diet web site. The story about how this was discovered reads like a soap opera. To learn more, check out some of the links under 'Low Carb and Health', particularly the 'What's the facination with Kimmer? threads on the Low Carb Friends bulletin board.

Happy New Year 2007!

2007-01-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

Yay!

Happy New Year!

I'm ready to rock 'n roll. I enrolled in Kimkins, which is a very strict version of good 'ole Aktins. No fooling around; no low-carb bars or low-carb candy or low-carb ice cream, and no fiber subtracting. Just lean protein and vegetables. And fast results according to the success stories.
Edited to add: I am no longer affilated with the Kimkins diet because it consists of an unsafe combination of low-carb and very low calorie diet AND it has been discovered that the founder, "Kimmer" ,lied about having lost the weight (she claimed to have lost 198 pounds in 11 months), and used many fake before and after photos on her diet web site. The story about how this was discovered reads like a soap opera. To learn more, check out some of the links under 'Low Carb and Health', particularly the 'What's the facination with Kimmer? threads on the Low Carb Friends bulletin board.

I haven't weighed myself since Thanksgiving, but I'm estimating that I gained about 10 pounds since then.

Holiday Goals

2006-12-12T22:32:00.000-08:00

I've had some kind and encouraging comments so I wanted to respond and say, "thank you!"

Posting to the blog has had to take a backseat to moving and starting a new job. I was very, very good at my old job so I could get the work done and usually sneak in a blog post or two, but the new one doesn't allow me that luxury! That's okay; I felt a little guilty blogging during the workday anyhow. The weight loss goal is to hold steady during the holiday and jump right back into healthy eating at the new year. I will probably do some kind of yeast de-tox to cleanse my system.

We are so happy to have been able to buy our first house; we had just moved in and started to get settled when I started the new job. Now it's Christmastime! After we enjoy the holidays it will be nice to get back into a normal routine that includes eating the right foods. I really, really want to lose the rest of the weight so I can buy and make some cute clothes!

Welcome Aboard Whoosh Fairy Airlines

2006-10-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome aboard Whoosh Fairy Airlines. You may bid the 200s au revoire as we have reached 199.6 as of this morning. Be on the lookout for the 40-pound loss landmark of 197. We would like to congratulate you on your 37 pound weight loss and we look forward to our destination of 175. Thank you for flying Whoosh Fairy Airlines.

Week 19 Weigh-In

2006-10-16T16:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am still low-carbing. We moved and I am in the midst of changing jobs. It's great that we've stayed on the healthy eating track while going through these changes.

I'm at 202.6 today. Saturday I weighed in at 200.6, but my policy is to take Monday morning's weight, so 202.6 it is. Maybe, just maybe, by next Monday I'll be in the 190s (oh please let it be so!).

Week 15 Weigh-In

2006-09-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

No weigh-in last week as we were busy moving and dealing with the crash of our computer's hard drive.

I didn't really lose any weight that week, either, but I'm now at a new low of 204.2! Closing in on the 100s!

I've been eating more fast food (albeit still low carb) than usual because of moving and I found out that a while ago Quiznos stopped serving their low-carb wraps--and they were the best! I have discovered that Arbys serves a low(er) carb wrap. I can vouch for the Ultimate BLT wrap--it's delicious! So good, in fact, that I haven't tried any of the others. The wraps are all 17-21 carbs, but as an occasional treat and for drive-thru convenience, its a pretty good carb bargain.

Week 13 Weigh-In

2006-09-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

As the old hymn goes, the windows of heaven are open and the blessings are flowing! I have passed the 30 pound mark and am more than halfway to my (first) goal! Soon, soon I will be out of the 200s.

We moved into our house! Still so much to do but it's all good.

Week 12 Weigh-In

2006-08-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

After 12 weeks of eating low-carb aka making the decision to not eat crappy non-food, I'm just about 29 pounds down. Whee! At 208.8, I have bid goodby to the 2-hundred teens 4-ever!

DH is right there at about 30 pounds as well--you rock, honey-bunny!

My average seems to be about 2 pounds per week. I'm taking supplements. I'm not exercising regularly; however, towards that end I do choose the way of getting somewhere that involves more effort--I don't circle the parking lot for a close parking space and I'll take the stairs rather than the elevator.

Posts have been limited because....drumroll, please.....we just bought our very first house! The looking and offer/counter-offer making part is done and we own our home, but we still have to clean, paint and move (there's my exercise!), so it'll be awhile before regular posts will happen.

Week 11 Weigh-In

2006-08-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! Down 2.8 pounds from last week for a new low weight of 210 pounds!

A Brief Time-In

2006-08-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

Still busy busy with house buying & due diligence tasks, but had to blog in and announce a new low of 212.8 pounds. That's 24.2 pounds gone! Yay!

Time-Out

2006-08-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

Taking some time out from regular blogging because we just bought a house and what with the housing hunting, inspections, signing of papers and moving there won't be time for much blogging for the next month or so.

This doesn't mean we're changing the way we eat, though! I'm down 22.6 pounds and a clothing size and intend to keep going. Dh has lost between 20-25 pounds (he went up a couple from that evil fair food) but I swear, it looks like he's lost about 40 pounds.

Fair Food

2006-08-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

Oh, the fair food! Funnel cake. Freshly made fudge. Caramel apples. Mini doughnuts. Ice cream, bananas and cheescake freshly dipped in chocolate. Corn dogs. Deep-fried twinkies. Deep-fried Oreo cookies. Waffle cones. Garlic Fries. Corn on the cob. It used to turn me on, but nowadays, even writing about it makes me feel ill.

That's not to say we didn't indulge--we did--but only lightly. As far as carbs go, at the fair I ate a corn dog, 1/2 of a caramel apple and a small bite of an ice cream bar. Later at home I had barbeque sauce that probably had sugar in it and a roasted yam.

I'm really proud of dh because going in he was absolutely positively going to have funnel cake, but he had just hit a 25-pound milestone and was on a roll, so he wasn't tempted by the funnel cake at all, and just had a few other treats. He did call an indulge weekend because his brothers & their families were visiting and he just wanted to relax the rules a bit. I limited my indulgence to the above-mentioned fair food, barbeque sauce, and yam.

We both had plenty of energy to walk around the fair. As far as carb hangovers, there wasn't much. We each gained 2 pounds or so, but otherwise feel pretty good--a little tired maybe, but I think that's due to the busy weekend rather than our diet. The main thing for me is that my hayfever returned--sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes/ears/mouth/nose. I don't know if this is due to diet or, literally, hay; we were at the county fair, after all, and there were plenty of hay bales! I took antihistamine for the first time in 9 weeks. We had a wonderful family time and we're both back into the good eating, so it's all good.

21 Pounds Gone! Woo-Hoo!

2006-08-04T00:21:00.000-07:00

Past the 20 pound mark! Total of 21 pounds of fat are gone, gone, gone!

Week 8 Weigh-In

2006-08-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

Down 2-tenths of a pound from last week. I guess it's better than gaining.

Dh is shrinking madly. I'm getting smaller, but not very fast.

I added biotin to my supplements, and am thinking of ordering that Candida Clear stuff.

Kimkins - Kimmer's Low Carb Weight Loss Program

2006-07-27T23:22:00.000-07:00

Kimkins - Kimmer's Low Carb Weight Loss Program

Kudos For Low Carb

2006-07-27T15:08:00.000-07:00

Kudos For Low Carb

Week 7 Weigh-In

2006-07-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

Down 1.6 pounds this week. I'll take it. Almost to 20 pounds!

I added 1 gram of vitamin C to my supplements. I get 500 mg from my multi for a total of t1500 mg/day.

BreadandMoney Weight Loss

2006-07-23T22:55:00.000-07:00

Found this through Livin' La Vida Lo Carb; good reading: BreadandMoney Weight Loss

6 Weeks In...

2006-07-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

...and a total of 18 pounds banished forever.

Supplemental Information

2006-07-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

We're taking supplements now. We've pretty much always taken a good multi-vitamin, so that's good. I researched in Dr. Atkin's Vita-Nutrient Solution and came up with a list of supplements to take beyond the multi. He lists quite a few nutrients under 'obesity' in the book. He also has a list for Candida. After I checked the lists, I checked my budget. Then I pared down the list of nutrients to buy! Very expensive it is to take high quality supplements! Luckily, Dr. A. lists them in order of importance so I was able to prioritize. I decided to purchase only the ones recommended for obesity, then go for the Candida ones in a little while. Here's what I take daily, divided into 2 doses, morning and noon:

Trader Joes' Women's High Potency (5 tablets per day)
Trader Joes' Omega 3 odorless (recommended 1 soft-gel per day, but I'm taking 2/day for the first week)
Potassium 198 mg
L-Carnitine 2,000 mg
Chromium 600 mcg, +120 in my multi, for a total of 820 mcg

Dr. A. gives minimium & maximum dosages and suggests that one take the max for awhile in order to correct any deficiencies, then scale back to the minimum.

Yep--On My Way Now

2006-07-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

Yay! Moving' on down!

Losing Again

2006-07-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

Better this morning: 221.8 Down a pound or so. Whew!

This is Progress?

2006-07-10T15:51:00.000-07:00

Well.

The bad news is I didn't lose any weight this week.

The good news is somthing's working--I can see a difference in myself; my clothes are looser and I can see some changes in my face.

The other good news is I think I know what I need to do to start losing again.

I've been very good with the carbs--I'm not eating too many and I'm doing okay with getting carbs from vegetables.

Ever since I ate that dang pudding I've been off track physically. I had felt great and was getting used to feeling great. But then I ate the pudding and I felt queasy and bloated. I gained about 2-3 pounds. Then I got the blues, like PMS, only it's the wrong time for that. I stayed bloated. My weight stayed up. My back hurt. After about 4 days I started to feel better and this morning my weight started to come down.

Ever since I changed my eating I've had times where I feel bloated and queasy, but something really set me off--was it the pudding? The aspartame in the pudding? The cream? The chocolate? And what exactly is causing these symptoms? (Blues, bloat, queasiness, achiness). I suspect an overgrowth of candida (yeast) due to my body's being depleted of some needed vitamins and minerals. Dr. Atkins Vita-Nutrient Solution lists appropriate nutrients to take to handle both candida overgrowth and to help with obesity.

So I'm going order this:

And I'm also going to order the top supplements--mostly minerals such as Chromium-- for obesity as recommended in the book. I think my body is just depleted of some nutrients needed to keep itself healthy; after all, I've eaten cr*p for 40+ years. I have had times where I regularly took very high quality multi-vitamins, but I don't think they had many minerals. Anyway, it's worth a try.

CarbWire - Low carb news, reviews and recipes

2006-07-09T00:46:00.000-07:00

CarbWire - Low carb news, reviews and recipes

Wrong Way

2006-07-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

The scale has gone up, not down. By a couple of pounds.

Maybe it was the pudding.

My inner brat thought it would make her feel good to eat 4 servings of sugar free chocolate pudding (cook type, not instant; made with 1 1/2 cups of water & 1/2 cup of cream in place of the milk) in one sitting. She likes to eat some while it's cooking, then pour the rest into a special bowl, top it with whipped cream and eat it while it's warm. In her defense, the warm, chocolaty pudding topped with yummy whipped cream did in fact used to make her feel real good. She learned a lesson, though, because instead of feeling better I felt AWFUL! My stomach hurt and I felt nauseous. My inner brat felt sorry about eating all that pudding and promised she wouldn't eat so much at one time anymore.

I think she was feeling neglected because we haven't been on a bike ride for a couple of days (she loves to ride her bike). Plus, I promised to buy her a pretty charm for losing 10 pounds and I haven't done that yet. And she loves to sew, but we haven't done that for a couple of weeks. So now we have an understanding--I'll do more stuff that she likes and she won't act out by wanting too much pudding.

Despite what the scale says, my clothes are getting looser. And with the exception of eating too much pudding at one sitting I am eating right, so I expect a whoosh pretty soon.

Week 4: Offically 15 Pounds Down

2006-07-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

It's been 4 weeks and I've officially lost 15 pounds.

I weigh every day and whatever I weigh on Monday is my weight of record for the week. Dh takes the low weight for the week and uses it. If I did that I would have lost 16.8 pounds, because yesterday I weighed less. I might try averaging the weight loss for the week.

For this long holiday weekend I have been eating very low carb foods--those allowed on induction--with the addition of STRAWBERRIES! With CREAM! YUM! I've also allowed myself the luxury of not logging every little cotton pickin' thing I eat. When I go back to the regular work-a-day world later this week I will resume proper carb-counting. Will probably stay at 20-carbs per day until I get closer to goal.

detoxify this!: April 2006

2006-07-01T22:45:00.000-07:00

detoxify this!: April 2006

Eat Wild

2006-06-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

A website about grass-fed cattle and more: Eat Wild. This interest was sparked by the delicious burgersmade from grass-fed beef at the Chimney Tree coffee shop on the Avenue of The Giants in northern California. Since we started eating healthier we thought we'd try to find some grass fed beef for our own use. There's a lot to learn about the food we eat! And I'm grateful to live in an area where healthy, organic food is easily obtained.

I Cleaned out the Garage & My Back Didn't Even Hurt

2006-06-29T23:22:00.000-07:00

I was a busy bee my first day of vacation. I cleaned out the garage! We got a new couch and I had to make room in the garage for the old couch (headed to the football team's weight room or, if they don't want it, the dump) and our big-ass coffee table (until we can consign it).

I'm lovin' this energy!

After I got the garage cleared out I headed to the living room to give it a good cleaning (can't move new furniture into a dirty room, after all). I vacuumed, pulled & pushed furniture to get underneath it, washed windows, dusted, and went through my books. I had to force myself to sit down and rest. I admit that by the time we actually headed out to pick up the couch I was feeling it, but I took some ibuprofen and I was fine. I thought for sure I'd be aching this morning, but, again, I was fine. I guess it's a combination of excitement for a long awaited decent piece of furniture and the effects of ketosis from eating low-carb. I love being in ketosis and knowing that I'm burning up my fat for energy. Maybe that's why I have so much energy--I have a lot of fat to burn!

Happy Monday Morning

2006-06-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

Today dh begins induction--yay! I'm meeting him in the kitchen in a few minutes to get breakfast and gather lunch stuff.

Yesterday I baked a bunch o' bacon (found some nitrate-free at Costco) and fried up a lot o' links (also from Costco). Got some baby spinach, mini-peppers & broccoli florets and zipper baggies of tri-tip and porkchops with which to slice up to eat as is or add to a salad. We are prepared.

I'm down 1.4 lbs from Saturday--this is a very good thing.

I'm blown away by the amount of energy I have. Yesterday we took our daughters & their hubbies & our grandbaby to the Union Hotel for a birthday celebration (the girls' birthdays were last week) and I carried Kai (sweet 9-month old grandson) outside for a walk at dessert time (he got ansty & I wasn't eating dessert). We walked up & down the front of the hotel admiring plants, people and puppies. And get this: I could totally enjoy the moment because my back didn't hurt, my legs didn't hurt and I felt strong. I strode, not limped, back back to the table. Awesome. Thank you Lord for this strength.

Tippy Rosa Low Carb Taco Shells

2006-06-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

Note to self: Try these taco shells--Leigh at Low Carb lifestyle says these are good: Tippy Rosa Low Carb Taco Shells

Scale Issues Resolved

2006-06-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

Whew! I can rest easy. Dh said of course I can keep the scale in my bathroom--he will buy another (cheaper) scale with which to weigh garage door sections. Thank you, honey!

So I'm going to pretend this little incident never happened (and quit worrying that the trip to & from the warehouse might have screwed up the scale causing it to weigh me heavier) and just weigh in on Monday.

The plan is to weigh daily (It's what gets me out of bed in the morning), but record my progress weekly. I'll record circumference measurements monthly and maybe pictures, since I really appreciate other low-carbers who post pics--so inspiring!

I'm hitting a stride as far as eating goes, but am still setting good habits. Here's my list of low-carb dos:

Eat 20 carbs per day (some days I only make it to 15, hence the next to-do:
Eat plenty of vegetables for snacks, lunch and dinner.
Track food in Fitday during the week.
Keep the low-carb treats to a minimum (sugar-free soda, maybe some sugar-free jello) during the week, but indulge in lucious-sounding low-carb dessert recipes on weekends (as long as I'm losing steadily).

Speaking of low-carb treats, my morning coffee is just that! I make strong coffee (nothing fancy--just Folgers french roast), stir in a couple of teaspoons of Torani sugar-free vanilla syrup,artifical sweetener and a teaspoon or so of cream, then top with whipped cream flavored with that same syrup. What a great way to start the day!
Torani Sugar-Free Syrup (I buy it at my local Cash & Carry aka Smart & Final store, and I've also seen it at Cost Plus)
iSi cream whipper (Can't remember where I bought mine, so you'll have to google it)

Missed My Whoosh--Stupid New Scale

2006-06-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

So the scale I usually use was a temporary item. It was originally bought to weigh garage door sections (dh is a garage door contractor). I was ALLOWED to use it until
our new scale arrived.

So we got the new scale and, of course, it weighs me about 3 pounds heavier than the first one.

Yesterday morning I weighed 225 on the first scale.

This morning I stumble, barely awake, into the bathroom to weigh myself and the scale was GONE! Huh? Oh, yeah, garage door sections--right. Dh must've taken it to the warehouse. So I stumble into the other bathroom to weigh myself on the new scale and I weighed 225--same as yesterday on the old scale (which weighs me 3 pounds less, remember). I THINK I had a 3 pound whoosh. I THINK the old scale would have weighed me in at 222. NOW I have to revise everything 3 pounds upwards, which means saying I started at 240 and now weigh 225.

I know it's just numbers. I know I lost the same amount of weight no matter how you look at it. But it sure sucked the joy out of (possibly) hitting a 15 pound milestone.

After 2 Weeks and Revised Goal

2006-06-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

I made it through 2 weeks of induction. I'm very proud of myself. 12 pounds gone and I feel so good.

I'm on my 5th day without allergy meds with no problems so far. My dry skin is clearing up.

I've had mucho energy all day--clear head, too! I actually feel up to doing a little housework after work, which is very nice because then I don't have to spend my Saturday mornings doing it.

I decided to revise my goal weight upward to 175 pounds @ 25% bodyfat. Back when I was doing Body for Life workouts I had my lean body mass calculated at 130 pounds (you couldn't exactly call me a wisp of a thing)--and this was before I commenced my workouts. I know I added muscle during that challenge, and figuring in that I probably lost some since then, I'm going with the 130 lean body mass figure. That works out to my goal of 175 pounds @ 25% bodyfat. I like to think that once I'm at goal I'll want to reduce my bodyfat further, but for now I have a realistic, healthy goal.

Another decision: 2 more weeks of induction. I don't feel like ready to move on to the OWL (On-going Weight Loss) phase. I have no problem staying at 20 carbs, but
I don't eat enough vegetables and I want to get better at planning meals.

In the past 2 weeks I've had only an occasional and minor desire for sweets--I wouldn't even go so far as to call it a craving. It is usually satisfied with a diet soda, so when I want a little something sweet, that's what I have. Usually a 'rootbeer special' made with sugar free (sf) rootbeer, frozen sf rootbeer cubes and a tablespoon or so of heavy cream. I'm easily able to limit myself to this to once a day, in the evening. I seldom drink diet soda at other times.

Yesterday I did have a desire for chocolate. Not sugar so much, just chocolate. I did indulge this desire (after giving it some thought) with a sf cream cheese fudge made with 1 sq. unsweetened baking chocolate, 2 T butter and 4 oz cream cheese, with a blend of sf sweeteners (splenda, sugar-twin and stevia) to taste. Yum! Just what I wanted. And I stayed within my 20 carbs, too. But from now on, this kind of rich, chocolatey treat--even though it's within my carb limit, will be indulged in only on the weekend. In my past attempts at low-carbing I spent a lot of time and energy finding and trying low-carb desserts and a lot of money on low-carb treats such as Advantage Bars and Endulge candy bars. That is so not how it is this time--thank you, Lord!

So--2 more weeks of induction, a revised goal, better meal planning--including eating more vegetables--and low carb desserts only on weekends. This I can do!

I'm Free!

2006-06-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

What makes me think I can do it this time? (Yes, I've been down the low-carb road before. And the low-fat road. And the Weight Watchers road. And the Body-for-Life road.)

Here is the difference: God has gently and lovingly pointed out to me that food is not the source of emotional satisfaction. God also pointed out that seeking such satisfaction from anything or anyone other than Him is......a sin. Bottom line, that's what it is. The sin of idolatry. The sinOf putting another god before Him. Gluttony is probably in there somewhere, too. But He didn't leave me hanging with this realization. He immediately took up the yoke. But wait! (I asked Him) Don't I have have to rehash the painful past in order to be free of it? Don't I have to dredge up bad memories and slowly work through the emotional traumas of being an overweight child? No (He replied) you've done enough of that on your own--there is no need for more of that. The past is the past. You have issues. Your parents have issues. Their parents had issues, and so it goes. It is time for you to understand that I want you to be satisfied through Me. I am all you need. Regardless of whatever happened in your past that caused you to turn to food for comfort, you now know that I am all you need for true fulfillment.

So there it is. Straight from God. Funny thing is, He wasn't really telling me anything I didn't already know. But my heart had been prepared to really and truly accept this truth through prayer and a wonderful, if intense, 12 week bible study called Breaking Free by Beth Moore, founder of Living Proof Ministries. And my heart had been prepared for that bible study by another Living Proof bible study, Jesus the One and Only. So I have come to this place through a process. Sometimes God changes people instantaneously, but it took me awhile to get here. And of course, I have a long way yet to go. He'll help you, too, dear reader. All you have to do is ask. He loves you very much.

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. Psalm 63:5

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

Disappearing Allergies

2006-06-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

Everyone but me is sneezing because of hay fever. I have hay fever. Lately (before I started induction) my allergies were worse than ever--so much so that I had sometimes doubled up on my allergy meds (Clarinex). But I noticed last week that while everyone has been sneezing and complaining of allergies I have had no problem with them at all. And something more: My skin seems a little dry, especially around my nose. I wonder....If my allergies had cleared up then the Clarinex might be drying me out too much. I'm going off Clarinex for a few days to see what happens.

Day 11 of Induction

2006-06-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

11 days on induction.

10 pounds gone.

Today I walked to the library at lunchtime. 4 blocks there, 4 blocks back. I had on decent shoes for walking, it was a beautiful day and I felt great!

I felt hungrier than usual today. From about the 2nd day of induction up 'til now I haven't felt hungry. I knew when I needed to eat because I would get tired and drowsy. Today I didn't get drowsy, but I felt hunger pangs. I hope this is because my blood sugar has stabilized.

Fat Vs. Muscle

2006-06-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

Got this from Low Carb Friends:

Low Carb Blogs

2006-06-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a cute one: http://www.low-carblifestyle.blogspot.com/

The First Week - 9 Pounds Gone

2006-06-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

The first week is over and we both did really well.

My observations about the first week:

The first 3 days were about what I expected--a bit rough in that I would get these drowsy spells where I just wanted to lay my head on the desk and nap. I suspect that my blood sugar was low. These blood sugar swings have evened out and I feel mentally alert-no fogginess at all!

My sinuses no longer run after eating lunch. For some reason--probably having to do with sugar--I would have to blow my nose and clear my throat for awhile after eating, especially if I ate candy. No more!

I wake up early and fast--much less early morning groggyness. I love that!

I don't get very hungry

Poor Dh doesn't know how much he weighs because our scale is one of those that won't register over 300 lbs. Dh is a big guy--his lean body mass is 200 lbs (he's 6'2" tall). He was dangerously close to 400 lbs the last time he weighed in at the gym. I'm proud of him because he didn't use the no-scale issue as an excuse to not change his eating--he just jumped right in. I took his starting measurements so he has something to go by and we ordered a Tanita HD340 HealthyTrack scale that will register to 400lbs:

I would rather it didn't say "Jenny Craig" on it, but it was the only high capacity scale I could find with a lithium battery.

Day 5

2006-06-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Weight 229. That's 8 pounds down since Monday. I'll take it! Yes--it's water weight. The first week's loss always is. So goodbye extra water weight--take my fat ankles with you when you go!

Despite the weight loss, my legs feel water-heavy and my wedding ring is tight--a sure sign of bloat. Guess there's more water to lose.

Day 4

2006-06-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

Day 4
Hmmph--the scale is being used to weigh garage door sections so I can't weigh myself today. I ordered a new digital scale so I won't have to share with garage doors, but it hasn't arrived yet. After induction I will only weigh myself once a week (probably).

3 full days and I'm staying on track. I still have drowsy periods that I think are caused by low blood sugar. I hope those go away as my blood sugar stabilizes.

Still doing the herbal cleanse--this includes a gentle herbal laxative that I was concerned would disrupt my day (if you know what I mean) but it hasn't at all--as a matter of fact, this whole way of eating, along with the herbal cleanse, has been very beneficial to my digestive system.

I'm s'posed to get most of my carbs from vegetables and I can see that I need to eat more of 'em--better buy some broccoli & cauliflower to munch on.

Day 2

2006-06-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Doing well; staying on track.
Have been buying low carb tuna wraps for lunch, but this evening some made up some tuna-egg salad to make my own.

I found out that granular artifical sweeteners have more carbs than packets/tabs/liquid. I have been using too many of my carbs on sweetener so I picked up some Splenda packets and liquid Sweet 'N Low. I use a combo of Splenda, S&L and stevia drops in my coffee & now I can use more carbs on vegetables.

Atkins Induction

2006-06-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

Today dh and I started our new way of eating. I'm doing Atkins induction along with a 2-week herbal detox called Whole Body Cleanse from Enzymatic Therapy.

He's giving up fast food and junk food; no particular plan right now.

After the first 2 weeks I think I will continue on with Atkins.

Both of us are more active now than we have been in the past. I ride my bike a few times a week and dh coaches high-school football and our church softball team. These activities at least get us off the couch and moving.

My starting stats
Weight: 237 (5'6")
BF: 45.2% (according to a dinky hand-held device I own)

At this time my goal is 150 at 20-25% bodyfat.

The Time Has Come

2006-06-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

This is it. Time to get rid of the excess weight that's holding me back.

Time to practice good stewardship regarding this earthly tabernacle. A tabernacle, according to the dictionary, is "An ornamental repository for a sacred element".

There is nothing ornamental about 75 pounds of fat. Just 5lbs is enough to gross you out:
5 lbs of fat

When I can't wrap my mind around the loftier goal of my body being a temple of the Holy Spirit to keep me on track, visualizing this fat blob sure will.