Next to the last weigh in!

Had my next to the last weigh in today. I have reset my goal per the clinic's suggestion 40 pounds is much more realistic, and I am ok with that. To date I've lost 33.5 pounds in 53 days! And this week I've lost another 5.5 inches! I have another week to go and then I plan to sign up for another 50 day protocol! Pics and final stats to come next week.

Homemade Vitamin Water

Everyone keeps asking since I posted this pic, so here are the recipes:

Cucumber Water

1 quart of water

2 Kirby cucumbers, sliced very thin

1 lime, cut in ½ and sliced thin (optional)

Dill or mint sprigs, or borage flowers

*

Pineapple Water

1 quart water

¼ pineapple, sliced into very thin triangular wedges

Spearmint, lemon balm, apple mint or borage or lavender flowers

*

Melon Water

1 quart water

2 cups thin triangular wedges of watermelon, honeydew or cantaloupe

1 lime, sliced very thin

Micro, Purple or Thai Basil leaves (optional)

*

Berry Water

1 quart water

2 cups raspberries or blackberries

1 orange or lime, cut in ½ and sliced thin

Borage flowers or leaves, sweet mint

*

Holy Basil and Rose Water

1 quart water

½ cup Holy Basil (Tulsi) leaves

½ cup rose petals

Splash of organic rose water OR 1 drop of rose oil

I have tried the lemon/lime/orange water, it's SOOOO good, if you want it sweet, just add some Truvia!

Herbs are a rich, whole food source of vitamins and minerals. Your body is able to most effectively recognize and absorb nutrients from food sources. Choose one herb, like peppermint, or blend a few for a unique flavor. Have fun creating different flavors until you find the one that is just perfect for you. If you feel like you can add a squirt of liquid vitamin ( available at health food stores) and or a tsp of powdered or liquid vitamin c

Stuffed Peppers

I cooked 1 pound ground chicken, seasoned REALLY well. (sea salt, garlic, ground pepper, italian seasoning and some other Mccormick spices)
Cut tops off of 4 small/medium green peppers. (Try to get out ALL of the white inside - that is bitter)Add some pasta sauce, I used organic tomato sauce, to the chicken.
Salt and pepper inside of peppers.
Fill with chicken/sauce mixture. you can also add cooked white or brown rice and some fetta cheese. I took that out since I can't have it yet!
Then put peppers upright in pot with lid. Add a little water in the bottom, about 1/2 inch.
Cover.
Place in oven at 350 for 40 min until peppers are soft, but not falling apart!

Shrimp and Strawberry Salad

Happy 4th of July!!!!

I made this yummy salad while relaxing in the A.C. for the holiday.

Shrimp - saute shrimp with sea salt, garlic powder and Mrs. Dash (I've also discovered McCormick's Perfect Pinch on Sicilian and Vegetable - just check ingredients. These 2 have no sugar and use sea salt)
Chop some lettuce.
Slice about 4-5 strawberries.
Pour warm shrimp over lettuce and drop on strawberries.

I then use my own dressing:
I mix Olive Oil, balsamic vinegar, 1-2 pack truvia, sea salt, ground pepper, and garlic powder together. Make it to taste using more vinegar than oil. I make it in batches so I always have some.
Drizzle over salad.
Chop 2 Melba toast for croutons.

Weight Loss Visual Project

July 3rd...

I found this idea on the internet and I loved it. This is my version!

I went to A.C. Moore and bought to small cheap vases, a bag of beach glass/pebbles and 2 packs of letters. The whole thing cost like $5!
I counted out 100 pebbles (one for each pound)
I put 27 in one and marked it POUNDS LOST
I put 73 in the other and marked it POUNDS TO GO.

It's a great visual and I love the feeling of moving the pebbles each time I drop another pound.

This is also a great idea for other things like: money savings, day countdowns (vacation, birthday, holiday), or whatever!

The Aftermath...

July 2:

Monday I wake up to find that I haven't lost an ounce! I don't freak out, it happens. I'm 2.7 pounds away from 30 pounds. I have a great day...

July 3rd...

I gain 2 pounds!!!!
I chalk it up to my Sunday-Fun Day at the festival and begin an Apple Day...all apples, all day, grilled chicken breast for dinner!

The result?:
July 4th...
I lose the 2 extra pounds plus another 8oz, and I am exactly 2 pounds away from 30!!!

Taste of Philadelphia

July 1st:

I wake up great! I weigh in and I am now currently down 25.1 pounds in just 33 days!!! I am really making up for my plateau..but then....

I went to the Taste of Philadelphia Festival. I resisted most horrible temptations but I had:

Shrimp ceviche WITH avocado and a few pita chip
Chicken shishkbob WITH bbq sauce
Frozen lemonade WITH sugar,
Low Fat Frozen yogurt )about 1.3 of a cup...
AND I skimped my water intake.

I pay for this later!!!!

3rd Weigh In!

June 29th:
More motivation! This is what a pound of fat looks like. This visit to the clinic I have lost 4.2 of these and another 3.5 inches. Puts things into perspective doesn't it!? Go me!

Motivation

June 27th:

Good morning! I'm learning this morning that my motivation must be intrinsic at times, not only from the numbers on the scale and results. Although these things are important, I cannot solely rely on them to keep me going. I will be strong for me. I WILL reach my goals. Period. I cast out the spirit of defeat. 3 more pounds and I am 50% there. Thanks for all of your encouragement...I got this!

Dairy Free Ice Cream!!!

June 25: I discovered this dessert this weekend and it's good! I just saw on the website that they have a sugar free kind. The original ones are sweetened with agave so they are still "sugar/sugar substitute" free. I wanted the almond milk ice cream instead of the coconut milk one but the store didn't carry it. It has the texture of a frozen mousse.

July 5th Update: I do not LOVE it, but it is worth a try! I would love to find the Almond milk kind, I think I would enjoy it more.

http://www.turtlemountain.com/products/coconut-milk-ice-creams/vanilla-bean

Crab Legs!!!

I LOVE crab legs, I swear I could eat them everyday!

But since I stopped eating butter I have had to find another way to flavor them so I don't want to dip them in the melted garlicky sauce.

So I thought, while I was at Joe's Crab Shack I don't need or want to dip them. Why? Because they are so well seasoned. My favorite seasoning is their Backyard BBQ, its smoky, spicy and a little sweet, so I replicated it!

I took:

Old Bay seasoning
Paprika
Truvia
Ground Cayenne Pepper
Garlic Powder

Mix the ingredients together to taste. I lick it garlicky and spicy and a little smoky-sweet.

Steam your crab legs and take them out and while they are piping hot, douse with seasoning. Layer legs with seasoning and be sure to cover the bodies where the meat is. ENJOY!!!

As for the cabbage, (not pictures)
 I take raw, fresh cabbage.
Chop it roughly
Cover pan with water
Add cabbage
Add sea salt
Add red pepper flakes
Add garlic powder
Add Mrs. Dash
Let cook down about 20 minutes until soft. YUM!

The dreaded PLATEAU!

On June 21 I weighed in and hadn't lost any weight...It was a horrible feeling and I got nervous. But not to worry, I know they said it would pass, but when you reach here..and you WILL, do NOT quite, I promise that it will pass!

June 22:


Oh no! I have plateaued!!!! In weight loss this is dreaded... I am nowhere near my goal. Praying my metabolism jump start or something!!!! *calls clinic*

June 23:

I talked to the clinic: I had nothing but APPLES all day yesterday. And chicken skewers for dinner. NOTHING else. I will break this plateau. I will NOT quit...I will NOT give up!

June 24:
Yes! Thank God for blessing me and seeing this through. Persistence and dedication has paid off. After an "apple day" Friday and eating the right things yesterday, I have lost the extra water weight plus a few pounds and BROKEN MY PLATEAU! Bringing my current weight loss to 21.1 pounds in 28 days. All things are possible with God...the devil is a whole liar. My Creator has something better for me!

FAIL!

Ok Ok....

I have failed to keep my blog updated...so I will do so now!

My Second Weight In!!!

Ohhhhh K! I just had a yummy grilled shrimp salad - SO FRESH! I topped it with the homemade almond cheese and it was delicious!

Annnnyyyywaay...

So today was my second weigh in and another successful experience. I was a little nervous because I had a bad day last week when I had a piece of cheddar cheese and 1/2 a big chocolate chip cookie...I simply could resist and after that my weight fluctuated a bit. However after a spoke with the clinician said that that is normal at this point in phase 2. It may go up one day then down, but it should not go up for more than a day or so and should overall be going down. She said she doubted that the cheese and cookie made it happen, not to worry and good job getting back on track. That being said my overall weight and all inches have lessened!

I lost 6.2 pounds since my last weight in 9 days ago, for a total of 18 pounds in 21 days!!!


I also lost inches:
Chest: .25 inch
Waist: .50 inch
Hips: .25 inch
Left Arm: 0 (?)
Right Arm: .25 inch
Left Arm: .50 inch
Right Arm: .75

So overall that's another 3.5 inches lost, for a total of 8 inches in 21 days!!!


I'm loving the way this feels...success is so sweet!

Almond Cheese!!!!

Ok so I reeeaaaally have been missing cheese so I went on a MISSION!

Again I figured, if I can have almond milk, surely I can make cheese along the way, right? So I tracked down a recipe, tweaked it and away I went. It is soooo easy and a great alternative for salads. 

1 C almonds, plain

4 C water

(Truvia and/or Vanilla to flavor the milk - you have to make that first)

Simply blend the almonds with water until the almonds are fine and water is "milky".

Then strain in with a cheese cloth or what I used: a new cheap pair of knee highs! ($.33 @ Walmart)

Add the Truvia and/or vanilla to the "milk" and refrigerate. You can drink this plain or whatever. I plan to use it later to make Ice Cream! *see past blogs for that recipe*

Then take the almond pulp...now if you have a food processor this step will work better....I don't so I blended the almond pulp with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 2-3 small cloves of garlic (don't make it too garlicky, smash up the garlic a little first, especially if you don't have a food processor and you are using a blender) add sea salt...cheese is nutty, and salty!

That's it!

You can also add whatever seasonings to your cheese if you'd like. This cheese comes out soft like a ricotta or feta. It's not EXACTLY the same but it's good and will help with those cheese-cravings on salads! In the blender the cheese comes out slightly grittier, so I plan to buy a food processor to help this and other food items turn out smoother. In my research the caloric and nutritional information for the cheese is about the same as unsweetened almond milk.

My Weight Loss Ticker...

New scale comes today...

My new scale is scheduled to be delivered today!!!! I will update this as soon as it comes!

*UPDATE* It came and it is COMPLETELY accurate. Unfortunately my old scale was off about 3 pounds...heavier....but the good thing is now I know and can be better informed of where I am instead of being disappointed at my clinic visits.

Can't wear....Don't Care...

My pants were falling down all day!!! I bought these in May and wore them once.

The little girl I work with said, "Your pants are HUUGE!" That was a great feeling because kids are honest! LOL

15 pounds down!!!

This is me, Before (May 20, 2012) & After (June 12, 2012). Down about 15 pounds!!!

I just made Silk Ice Cream!!!!!!

So, I can have almond milk and I'm thinking...hhhmmmmm ice cream right!?

So I looked up how to make ice cream at home and tweaked the recipe:

2 cups unsweetened almond milk
3-4 pack of truvia (it should be almost too sweet)
Splash of vanilla extract. (optional)
Pour mixture into a ziplock bag.
Place that bag into a bigger ziplock bag or tupperware. (think double boiler)
Add ice and 1/2 cup of salt to the outer bag/tupperware.
Shake 5-7 minutes.
SOFT SERVE!

I froze the rest for later, 1 cup is a serving.
I plan to purchase stevia flavored liquid, in orange, chocolate, or vanilla cream, and use instead of truvia and vanilla splash. I really shouldn't be having that vanilla extract, but it was just a SPLASH!

Fat: 2.5 g
Calories: 35
No sugar!

This was/is amazing. You must try it, even with regular or low fat milk. It's still better than store brought, plus you can mix in fruit, nuts, chocolate chips or whatever!

Orange-Spice Haddock with mashed sweet spaghetti squash and sauteed green beans.

Well...you guys know how to saute string beans! I used olive oil spray, garlic, sea salt, Mrs. Dash, and Olivio....

Haddock:

I seasoned it with sea salt and ground pepper, then it got fun...

I juiced one orange, and added to the juice:
Garlic Powder
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Mrs. Dash
3 Packs of Truvia

I baked the fish at 350 and as it baked I poured the orange "glaze" over it...YUM.

Spaghetti Squash:

I cut in in half, lengthwise

I baked it at 400, about 40 minutes, until a knife goes right in easily.
I used a fork to pull the strings away from the rind
Put it in a pot and mash with potato masher, on high (to get extra moisture out)
I sprayed it with Olivio (calorie free/fat free/butter spray)
Add Truvia to taste
Add cinnamon to taste.
The result should be kinda like mashed sweet potatoes.

ENJOY!!!

My First Weigh In!!!!

Today I had my first weigh in follow-up appointment and I am VERY pleased! So there is no need in telling the world exactly WHAT my weight is, however I have lost significantly in a matter of day.
So during the first 2 days of your protocol (which is the length of program you choose, 25, 30, 50 or 60) you binge. I mean you can ea ANYTHING...then the low carb/low calorie diet starts.

Now, I am an eater and a cook and I can't do anything where I can't get REAL food! Although there is a long list of things you can't have, there are a lot of things you can have and I have been experimenting and substituting and it's actually been very fun!

Please ask me any questions and I will be honest!

Drum roll please........

I LOST A TOTAL OF 11.9 POUNDS!

-After the 2 binge days, through this morning has been 9 "diet" days, just to give you some perspective.

I ALSO LOST INCHES:
Chest: 1 inch
Waist: .25 inches
Left Arm: 1 inch
Right Arm: .50 inches
Left Thigh: .75 inches
Right Thigh: 1 inch

I am very proud of myself and can't WEIGHT to keep going! I can do this!

My new scale!

Ok so may Weight Watchers scale sucked, my last post has details so you guys don't make the same mistake I did. I mean I could step on it and the next second its 1-3 pounds difference....

Anyway....

This scale has great reviews and I ordered it today:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KXZ808/ref=ox_ya_os_product

I will let you guys know whats up with is as soon as it comes in. It's from AMAZON so it shouldn't take long!

My scale SUCKS!

This is my scale:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0008G2W6Q/ref=asc_df_B0008G2W6Q2046297?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-760-95-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395097&creativeASIN=B0008G2W6Q



Do not buy it...IT SUCKS and it is inaccurate. This scale has caused me much frustration this morning. I will be buying a new one and I will let you guys know which one!

Ahhh...that feels a little better.
I will ask the clinic for one that they recommend.

I will put some type of pics up of myself tomorrow...

So here's the deal...

So I came to the very vivid realization a few weeks ago that my life needed to change. I was about 100lbs overweight and my Dr. said my blood pressure would be better if I lost some weight. I have struggled with my weight FOREVER...all my life and I'm so freaking over it!

I was done tricking myself into thinking I was eating right and kinda working out..sometimes. I have tried to tackle my weight many many times, only losing a little and quickly giving up because I could never really be successful.

I tried everything!

I literally saw an ad in the magazine about the Bouari Clinic: www.weighlesslivelife.com/
I went for the free consultation and decided to try it.
They give you all natural drops, oral spray and appettite support, along with a suggested food list.

I started on Memorial Day, 2012, and to date I have lost approximately 12 pounds: It's been 11 days! That's more weight than I've lost in an entire MONTH before.

Tomorrow I go in for my first follow up appointment and I will see how much actual weight I've lost and inches. They weigh you and take your measurements as well as check your blood pressure and BMI.

Mentally, it has been a challenge, but as I see the weight coming off, it is getting easier. I am learning lifelong eating habits and I love the whole experience thus far.

I am worried though, that I will go tomorrow and the my scale has lied, or it was simply "water weight" or no tanglible success will be proven. Because you all know that every scale is different, even though my scale is a Weight Watchers scale....sometimes I just don't trust it.

Well we will just have to see tomorrow... WISH ME LUCK!

Grilled Chicken and Zucchini Pasta with Homemade Tomato Sauce

This was AMAZING!!! 188 Calories!!!

It was simple:

Season and grill chicken breast with, sea salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash.

Julienne and quickly boil zucchini (save middle and seeds)

Tomato Sauce:

3 small tomatoes, chopped

Remaining middle section of zucchini

2 Tbsp of EVOO

Garlic

Sea Salt

Ground black pepper

oregano

basil

Chop tomatoes and add to saucepan, add spices and let simmer for about 20 minutes. 

I need a nap before back to work, I have some more recipes and pics to show later! I've got to catch you all up with what I've been doing!

Lunch too late today....

Today I got up, took my sprays, my HCG drops...and jumped on the scale....
Down another 1.1 pounds.... So that makes me glad, but then I was running around, went to the college and then next thing I know, its 12:30 and I hadn't had ANY breakfast!!!!
NOT GOOD : (

So I had to rush home and whip up a quick salad.... Now I am behind a meal for the day so I will have to eat several snack to get my calories in for the day!

OAN: This is what I made though

Canned Tuna over Iceburg lettuce, with pear halves.

Nothing too special, but with a great pear vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette: I use this recipe and add different enhancers like peaches or strawberries and save it.

A few tablespoons of EVOO
A few more table spoons of Red Wine Vinegar
1 pack Truvia
Sea Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Mrs. Dash to taste.
(I used the pear juice from the pears)
Whisk together and your done!

Tatse as you go and add more Truvia, or salt, depending on how you like yours.

Zucchini Pasta and Shrimp

This is my favorite new recipe to date! Zucchini "Pasta" and shrimp. It was sooo easy and tasty!

"Pasta"
Cut 3 zucchini into strips (I used a cheese grater and cut them lengthwise into strips)
Add to boiling salted pasta for 2 minutes. Not too long, it will mush!

Shrimp
Season with garlic powder, sea salt, ground black paper, Mrs. Dash original
Cook in hot pan with olive oil spray.

"Pasta" Sauce
Take middle of zucchini (after cutting strips; they are like cucumbers)
Boil in same water as strips until soft.
Put in small sauce pan.
Mash and add garlic, sea salt, ground pepper and olive oil.

Drain "Pasta" and pour sauce over....ENJOY!!!!

This is Day 10...I decided to start this....stay tuned!