Had to share this super simple idea/recipe

This week, I found pork chops on sale. They weren't boneless, they were different cuts. There was no consistency at all. Almost like those "spare" chops or maybe the "new guy" cut them lol. So I picked up a package, unsure what I was going to do with them. I usually grill my boneless chops, but these had bones, so I couldn't do that. I mulled over it for a few days. Finally I decided to experiment. I got the trusty crockpot out. I pulled out the pork chops, cut the package open, dusted each side with Lawry's Seasoned Salt, placed in the crockpot, turned it on high for 4 hours and went to work. (changed cooking time to 3 hours on high, 6 on low!) By the time I got home, of course they were falling apart BUT delicious! Even my 10 year old that doesn't like much of anything other than bean burritos loved them! Hubby said they were definitely a hit! The only thing I would change next time is the cooking time. One chop was on the dry side. Despite the fact that it made plenty of broth (and if I had made potatoes, I would have drained the juices and made pork gravy!!), one chops was dry. I will change the cooking time to 3 hours next time and I may check the chops at 2 hours. I may play with this recipe since cooking on low may be the answer so that it isn't done too soon before I get off work for lunch. I like my meals to take right at 4 hours so they are just finishing up about 11:30 when I head home from work!

Great Weekend

I don't think I even want to get on the scales Monday. I had 5 of my 6 kiddos here this week, plus Shena's boyfriend, and my grandson, Kayson. I went a little crazy with the "spoiling". We haven't eaten everything yet, but there is still one more day. I haven't had ANY sleep because of Zoe and her no sleeping at night habits. Anyway, I hate that it's so cold these days. I want to get back to exercising so I can "firm up". I haven't tried any new recipes. I have been so busy with taking care of my family and unpacking and organizing the new house, I haven't had time for myself. I am determined to keep this house clutter free. That starts with everything having a place. We are also making the kids keep their toys in their rooms instead of scattered from front to the back of the house and everywhere in between!

Made these yesterday, with some tweaks. I'll post my recipe later!

http://www.recipe-diaries.com/2011/10/27/mini-cheese-cakes/

Eating for the Holidays

Since I don't celebrate Holidays, I don't have to worry about this too much, but the temptations are still all around me. But I thought I'd share what I WOULD eat if I were to partake in a large meal like many of you will today.

Traditionally, there will be turkey and/or ham. Choose the turkey breast meat and remove the skin.
Eat the vegetable casserole (green bean, squash, yam -but remove the marshmallows from the yams if it's prepared that way).
Skip the potatoes and try to have no more than a cup of dressing. My mom makes giblet gravy with cornstarch, so this is a good choice or "lesser of two evils" lol.
Cranberry sauce................I don't eat it. Check the labels and see if it's full of sugar. I bet it is since cranberries are so tart. I bet the "jellied" kind that slides out of the can and wiggles for you will be worse than the kind with the little cranberries actually in it.
Skip the rolls or bread (you are having dressing already).
Get the unsweet tea or water. Save your calories for the important stuff............DESSERTS!
Desserts..............just pick one or two, or share one of each with someone else!

AFTER LUNCH OR DINNER OR WHENEVER YOU EAT, GO FOR A WALK! TURKEY MAKES YOU SLEEPY, SO DON'T LAY DOWN ON THE COUCH AND WAKE UP HOURS LATER! GO PLAY SOME TOUCH FOOTBALL! DO FAMILIES EVEN PLAY TOUCH FOOTBALL ANYMORE!

No more excuses

I decided to copy and paste this story. I linked to it the other day, but I decided a lot of my guests reading my blog are certainly drawn by the visual aspect lol. Please read this story. Please look at these pics. I have my pics, but I wasn't ever standing in a bikini at 152 pounds! Who would think THIS is the way I am going to lose weight and it WILL work and therefore, let me put my fat butt into a teeny tiny bikini (not even a one piece mind you!) and snap pics...............NOT ME!!!! I am so thankful she shared her story. She is right, NO MORE EXCUSES!

I was 78kg at my heaviest when I decided one night that I had to do something, that my weight was out of control and I didn’t like the person I saw when I looked in the mirror. I’m 152cm tall and small framed so that weight looked horrid on me. I didn’t like that I had no nice fashionable clothes to wear. I felt alien in my own skin, I felt older then I was because I was dressing older then I was. Still getting around in maternity wear long after my baby was born. At that time my clothes were getting tighter and I refused to buy more in a bigger size.

I had a bag full of ‘skinny clothes’ to inspire me and get me motivated. Stuff that I wore when I weighed 59kg’s, before I had my two children, clothes that I had held onto, believing someday I’d get back to wearing them. Well I managed to fit into those clothes but didn’t get to even wear them for long because the weight kept coming off so I passed them on to a friend that was also losing weight at the time. That was a moment when I realized how well I had done. I have a whole new wardrobe of clothes now, size 8 and even some size 6, beautiful, sexy, feminine, in fashion clothing…and some ultra-cute gym wear (I just love Lorna Jane)

So that night at 78kg, I had decided, enough was enough, I was going to make changes, I was going to lose weight and get healthy. It all came down to choices and changes. The direction of your life and of your health can depend on the choices you make. You’re faced with them every day. Eat that cake, don’t eat that cake, do some exercise or stay on the couch, just settle for take out again or prepare a healthy home cooked family meal. I always took the easy way out. I’d try to exercise, but in the end it just felt too hard, I’d rather settle in front on the TV then get up and move my body.


I was an emotional eater, I binged on sugary junk. I over ate, my portion sizes were ginormous. If there was junk in my house, I had to eat it, and I had to finish it. It was not uncommon for me to chow through a whole packet of biscuits or tub of icecream in just a few days. I’d try to hide my overeating, carefully disposing of packaging so my partner wouldn’t see what I had done. But there was no hiding the fact that food disappeared. I hated the shame I felt after I binged. I’d eat while he was at work or in the middle of the night. I had no energy; I felt sluggish, lazy and in a way unsatisfied with my life. Although I had all I could ever dream for, a loving partner and two beautiful kids aged 4 and 1, I had no motivation. I was making all the wrong choices. I needed re- programming and I knew that I was the only one who could change me. My Dad was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and I knew I was heading that way if I didn’t do something. I’d tried in the past, and sometimes I succeeded in losing a few kilograms, but then I’d have a little set back, have a pig-out and it would be all over. I was the Queen of self-sabotage; I was always blowing it and then waiting for a ‘Monday’ to start again.

So I decided to enter a ‘12 week challenge’ that I had been following in a magazine for years, reading all the monthly success stories and telling myself ‘that could be me’, if I could only follow through for once. I had entered a couple of times over the years but could never finish. Never really even get passed the second week! This time when I entered it something clicked, I wanted it, I made that decision to commit, I made that decision to get healthy, I wanted to be a good role model for my kids. I wanted to finally feel good about my body. I wanted to be a yummy Mummy, not a frumpy Mummy.

In November 2010 I joined the local gym, and I went as much as I could, but without conforming to a strict routine. I changed it up, weights some days, cardio others. Sometimes I participated in the gyms classes. Same with diet I didn’t set myself any strict plan, I just made healthier choices and limited my carbs, especially with dinner. I started doing a grappling martial art called Brazilian Jiu jitsu. It’s my new found passion and it’s an awesome workout too! I use to do Jujutsu as a teenager and I enjoyed it. I had always wanted to go back to martial arts, but my weight had held me back. When I found out the gym I joined held Jiu Jitsu, I was excited and pushed myself to go, although I was so scared I wouldn’t be able to keep up! The class instructor was great and he pushed me from the start, I use to really struggle to do just few sit ups or star jumps!

When that 12 week challenge was over I had lost 9kg’s! I felt fantastic but I still wasn’t ‘there yet’. So on the 27 March 2011, I started my second challenge, an 8 week one my gym was holding. It was a ‘couples’ challenge, my partner was a girl I had met at gym. My start weight was 62.2kg and body fat 24.3%. During that challenge I changed my workouts a touch, I added in some heavier weight training to build some muscle. I did about 3x cardio sessions a week during the first 4 weeks and then stepped it up to 5x a week for the last 4 weeks. The cardio I did was mainly gym classes and walks on the treadmill on highest incline or I used the spin cycles. I also tightened up my diet, making sure it was clean and adding it a lot of protein. At the end of that challenge I weighed 54.7kg and body fat was at 19%. I’m very proud to say that my partner in the challenge also had a great reult and we came first in the competition. We won a great prize that included free gym for a year, 20 free personal training sessions and a makeover & photo-shoot. But I still wasn’t ‘there yet’.

I felt I wanted to lean up just a little bit more. By this time my life was completely different, I felt like a whole new woman. Full of life and energy and feeling like I could achieve ANYTHING if I put my mind to it. So when my gym advertised for another challenge, a 10 week one, I entered yet again. I was at a healthy weight and looking great, people couldn’t understand why I’d want or need to be doing another one. But I had my 20 free Personal Training sessions to use, and I still wanted to tone a bit more, and I had a goal of getting me some abs for summer. I wanted to challenge myself, but it wasn’t about trying to win this time, it was about pushing myself to new limits and seeing what I could achieve, how far my body would go. I stepped up my cardio, I started to run. I had always had made excuses not to run, I use to say, oh I CANT run, I have asthma, I just CANT run.... but I found out I can run, and I enjoy it. I’m still only beginning my running journey, but now I can run 10km on the street in just over an hour and 10km on the treadmill in just under. That’s a huge achievement for me. For my cardio I also did short intervals with high bursts of intensity. I changed my weights training to lower weights at higher reps. I used two sessions of Personal Training a week, and my trainer Paul was fantastic, I don’t know If I could have done so well without him. We did a lot of circuits with supersets and plyometric training.

Last week I completed that 10 week challenge at 51kg and body fat 16%. My abs even came out of hiding! I’m very, very proud of myself. I feel like a super woman. I feel strong, I feel fit. I’m in the best shape I have ever been before. And most importantly I feel like now I’m a good role model for my kids.

It took me just under a year to get to where I am, and now at my goal weight, so what next for me now? I’ve decided I want to become a Personal Trainer so I can help and motivate others. I’ve started my certificate in fitness and I’m going to put a lot of my time and energy into getting that completed.

So, to all the ladies out there that have struggled for years like I did, yo-yo dieting….I say to you…You can lose weight without starving! You can lose that weight without fad diets, diet pills or living off meal replacement shakes. You can do it with a good clean food, and good old fashioned exercise. Indulge in that chocolate or ice cream every now and then. Everything in moderation is the key. Hey, go for it, if I can do it, so can you! ……No more excuses.

114 BABY!!!

WOW! Today I am officially smaller than I have been in probably 19 years! When my daughter, Shena (now 20 and a mommy!), was 1 year old I weighed about 110 or so. I started working about that time. I started "grabbing breakfast" of usually a pack of  donuts and coffee (with those cute little french vanilla creamers............YUMMMMMMOOOO!). Then I usually "grabbed lunch" with the girls from work. Wit in 2 years I was probably 130 or so. then I think I remember stopping for a few years at that weight. The rest of my life was pretty much the same thing, except I wasn't working anymore. I was snacking on all the junk food crap we buy our kids lol.

Anyway, I felt pretty good about my weight today. THEN I was out of wheat bread so I had 2 eggs for breakfast. THEN I had 2 pork chops and rice a roni left over from late last week. THEN I had 4 margaritas (with the mix, not lite or homemade with lime juice lol), 3 salmon patties, and mac and cheese. THEN I had to have some Chocolate Covered Cherry Ice cream from Braum's. I hate to see the damage tomorrow lol. Oh well, after being good all weekend, a little splurge was almost.................necessary. Also, we are getting ready to move HOPEFULLY this week, so I know I won't be getting to eat good healthy meals this week for sure. I may try to make some veggie bags or something...............who am I kidding? We'll probably order pizza and drink some beer! I am actually looking forward to beer and pizza! I may even grab a bag of Funyuns!!!

Looking forward to finally getting moved. It's taken 3 1/2 LONG months. I hope to have room in my bedroom to set up my pilates mat. Here I don't have room due to the baby's stuff taking up so much room in every part of our house. I will probably not be online much for the next week, so until I return.......................I hope you all have a GREAT day!

This couldn't be more true. This is the way I feel about dieting/weightloss. Who am I cheating when I cheat on my diet? My hubby? My co-workers? My boss? My friends? My children? NO just ME ME ME ME!

Today's motivation inspiration whatever you wanna call it

I borrowed this from a friend's facebook page. If you have trouble viewing it, let me know and I will copy and paste. I want you to see the pics though. I have pics, but I wouldn't dare share them lol. I am vain to a point, and people seeing my ugly tummy up close and "zoom"able and all is just NOT gonna happen lol

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150462417815802&set=a.398427160801.195589.133136530801&type=1&theater

Can't go wrong when pork loin is on sale!

Again, this week pork loin was on sale for 1.99 a pound. I bought a 4 pound pork loin for about 8.00. I had the butcher cut it up in to chops between 1/4" and 1/2" (1/2" are too thick for me and 1/4" are too thin). I ended up with 2 trays (I had to ask for it to be divided among 2 trays. If you are eating/cooking for just you, you can even ask for 3-4 trays!). One had 8 and one had 7 chops.

Yesterday we had grilled pork chops. I seasoned these pork chops with Montreal Steak Seasoning and Lawry's Season Salt. I preheated my George Foreman Grill (I saw these on sale at Ross last night for like 20.00 for the big ones!) and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. I placed my chops on the grill on the first side and cooked them for about 4 minutes. I turned them over and cooked for an additional 4-5 minutes or until they were cooked. I know you aren't suppposed to have to turn the food in a George Foreman Grill, but I can't help it! We ate them with some rice a roni. Not exactly a healthy side, but it worked for us yesterday. We are having them again tonight. I need some new healthy side recipes, but until then, hubby likes mac and cheese, so that's what we'll have. Since pork chops are so healthy, it really is a nice balance, but it could be soooo much healthier with a good healthy side like broccoli or green beans. I am just out of those right now. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I seasoned my chops right in the tray!

I grilled the first side for 4 minutes

I grilled the other side for 4-5 mnutes

Sugar makes you crave sugar

Thought I'd talk about bad carbs/sugar. One day I couldn't stop wanting carbs, bad carbs, bad bad carbs. I had eaten a relatively healthy lunch (or so I thought) of chicken fajitas. Fajitas come with flour tortillas at most places. When I got home I wanted cereal...........BAD, then ice cream, then marshmallows, oh I can't even remember all I craved that day. It was BAD. I don't even remember now what all I ended up eating and what I just craved but didn't give in to. BUT I posted it in my journal at fatsecret.com. One of my "buddies" read it and suggested that I had craved sugar since I ate sugar..................... My response was I didn't have any sugar! THEN and there was when I learned about hidden sugars! Flour tortillas are full of sugar! I had eaten a healthy meal wrapped in a giant sugar cookie! So by eating clean and staying away from sugar, THEN eating sugar that day, my body remembered that it liked sugar and therefore made me crave it! I started cutting out those bad carbs and I had no more days like that except for the days when I elected to eat bad carbs. I am not a saint, I do give in, more often now than before when I was so strict.

So this is what I do about fajitas now. I order them with soft CORN tortillas instead! I also stay away from cereal lol. It's my "chocolate" more than chocolate actually is. I LOVE cereal! Bad cereals too. I thought about this because my aunt brought me by some "firecrackers" to try. Now these are delish! They are white crackers (BAD carbs) soaked in a mixture of canola oil and seasonings and SPICY. As I am eating them, she offers me the recipe. My response "oh no, they are way too fattening, I'll just stick with eating what you brought". Her response "They aren't too bad, just canola oil and seasoning". See she doesn't realize how bad those little white crackers are for a person like me who craves carbs once eaten lol. So anyway, next time you find yourself craving those sweets and can't seem to satisfy the craving no matter what, think back to what you ate BEFORE the craving started, I bet it was a bad carb! Then let me know so I can put it on my "watch" list!!!!

Baked Chicken Taquitos

With the Chicken Enchilada Filling I had made up, we ventured on a new recipe. I heated it in the microwave, just until heated. I dry cooked 8 corn tortillas on the stove top. I shredded the chicken filling in my NINJA!!! I place about a heaping tablespoon onto each tortilla and rolled it up as tight as I could (we dislike those chinchy taquitos with hardly any meat in them). I sprayed nonstick spray on the cookie sheet, placed all 8 taquitos seam side down, gave them all a quick spray on top with more nonstick spray, and baked them at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. I tried to flip them over, but my filling was falling out, so I stopped lol.

Karen's Baked Chicken Taquitos

cals: 295kcal | fat: 3.41g | carbs: 34.00g | prot: 30.19g

low fat

Ingredients

• 2 servings (4 tbsp) great value salsa
• 4 servings mission corn tortillas taco size
• 1/2 lb bonesless skinless chicken breast

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dice chicken breast meat. Saute chicken in pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Pour in salsa and cook until heated through. Remove chicken and salsa and shred chicken (I used a food processor to get mine very fine).
2. Dry cook the tortillas in a small nonstick skillet. I cook each side for about 10 seconds. I just watch the tortilla and as it is done, the edges lay down flat. You can also steam them in the microwave for about 30 seconds wrapped in moist paper towels.
3. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Lay your tortillas on the cookie sheet. Place approx. 1 Tbsp filling mix in each tortilla. Roll up tightly and place seam down on cookie sheet. DO NOT LET TORTILLAS TOUCH or they will stick together. Spray the tops with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Bake in oven preheated to 400 degrees for 15 minutes, turning once about 1/2 way through cycle. Serve with salsa, guacamole, light sour cream, and/or refried beans.

Yesterday I took 5 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts and made 4 meals! I made:

Baked Chicken Tenders, Chicken Enchilada Filling, Black Bean Chicken Chimichanga Filling, and Chicken Parmesan!
We ate the tenders.
I froze the Parmesan patties until I cook them. All I will have to do is defrost them, heat spaghetti sauce, place in pan, pour sauce over, top with mozzarella cheese, and bake! I will add black beans to the chicken and salsa mixture and roll up in large tortillas to make the Black Bean and Chicken Chimichangas. Finally, I will heat tortillas and roll the last of the chicken and salsa into enchiladas. Then I will top them with Green Chile Enchilada Sauce and cheese and bake, making Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas!

It took me 1 hour to make all these meal AND clean up!

 Today, I am making my first freezer meal. The other day I found chicken quarters on sale for 5.90 for a 10 pound bag. I made 3 freezer meals of my Crockpot Chicken and Veggies from this chicken! Normally I would spend 4.50-5.00 for a whole chicken! I feel vindicated from spending a lot of time of pinterest.com! Now I feel as if I haven't wasted that time hahahha! 

 Well dinner was a complete success! It was just as if I had put it all together today and cooked it! We ate every bit of it. Since I used 3 chicken quarters instead of a whole chicken, there was not excess, no leftovers, and plenty to eat! PERFECT!

Future Plans

It's looking like the recipes are the favorite part of this blog. I need to take pictures of my meals as I prepare my recipes. WHEN I GET MOVED, I plan to get out my pretty dishes and set up a pretty "photo" area. In this house I just have bad lighting and NO ROOM! I used to take pics of my meals for my cookbook on fatsecret.com. I stopped because I quit making new recipes. Now that I am adapting old recipes to make them healthy and trying new recipes, I find myself lacking pics lol! So I promise when I get moved I will remedy this!

I enjoy cooking. I enjoy cooking great tasting healthy meals. I do NOT enjoy spending hours and hours cooking. Most of my meals require less than 30 minutes to prepare AND cook. Some have to bake so that adds to the time. I have always LOVED my crockpot, but evidently it is underutilized! This week I made 3 freezer meals of my Crockpot Chicken and Veggies! Instead of a whole chicken, I bought a 10 pound bag of leg quarters. I got 3 gallon ziploc freezer bags and put them on my table. I divided the leg quarters evenly among the bags. I ended up with 3 quarters per bag. I cut up 1 1/2 onions, 1 bell pepper, 6 red potatoes quartered, and 2 pounds of carrots. After these were all cut up I divided each one evenly among the 3 bags. Then I seasoned each bag with Italian Seasoning, Seasoned Salt, etc (whatever I felt like that day). I had frozen chicken broth from the last time I made this dish. I froze it in a large (too large) container. I let it defrost just enough to "let go" of the container. I sliced the broth into 3 pieces and added one to each bag. I got as much of the air out of each bag as I could, then sealed the bags. I then placed them in the freezer (making a mental note that I need a deep freeze at the new house). This was Wednesday. It didn't cost any more really to buy this much as compared to what it would have cost to buy a whole chicken. It may have cost an add additional 3.00 total. BUT I got 3 meals instead of my usual ONE meal. It didn't take me any more time to cut the veggies either. I always cut them up and save them for use in other meals (and usually throw out the bell pepper since I didn't use it and it went bad). So last night I pulled one bag out of the freezer and moved it to the fridge. Today I checked it and the chicken is still partially frozen. By tomorrow morning when I need to put it in the crockpot, it should be ready to cook. This will be perfect for those days when I am in a hurry and need to just toss it in the crockpot! OR OR OR when I am going out of town, Chris can do this all on his own and have a fresh hot meal to eat instead of eating a frozen leftovers meal! I will post a pic tomorrow of the steps, lol. That'll be 2 pics! One as I pull it out of the freezer and 2 as I pour it in the crockpot! So excited!

Gluten Free Recipes

Due to being out of town all week and having more trouble with the house we are buying, forgive me for being lax in posting! I found a great website for some gluten free recipes! I thought I'd share since we have a ladies gathering coming up in just a few short weeks! I would like to make the effort to bring something gluten free and delicious! Please comment back on this post if you try any of the recipes and tell us if they flop or not!



http://glutenfreemommy.com/recipes/

What IS Gluten anyway?

I thought I would explore the world of Gluten Intolerance today. I am not gluten intolerant, so this is all first hand knowledge that I am finding from the web. PLEASE, if you are gluten intolerant or know anything ELSE about it, please post a comment for others. More info is always helpful to others! So don't be selfish.....SHARE! 
I have included the links to where I got my info. You can go to these sites, or just read the "cliff note" versions I post.  

(MY COMMENTS ARE IN PARENTHESES AND IN BOLD WHERE APPLICABLE)


Gluten-free definition

Gluten-free diet

A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes foods containing gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, malts and triticale. It is used as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent, often as "dextrin". A gluten-free diet is the only medically accepted treatment for celiac disease,^[1] the related condition dermatitis herpetiformis,^[2] and wheat allergy.^[1]
Additionally, a gluten-free diet may exclude oats. Medical practitioners are divided on whether oats are an allergen to celiac disease sufferers^[3] or if they are cross-contaminated in milling facilities by other allergens.^[4]
The term gluten-free is generally used to indicate a supposed harmless level of gluten rather than a complete absence.^[5] The exact level at which gluten is harmless is uncertain and controversial. A recent systematic review tentatively concluded that consumption of less than 10 mg of gluten per day is unlikely to cause histological abnormalities, although it noted that few reliable studies had been done.^[5] Regulation of the label gluten-free varies widely by country. In the United States, the FDA issued regulations in 2007 limiting the use of "gluten-free" in food products to those with less than 20 ppm of gluten.^[6][7] The current international Codex Alimentarius standard allows for 20 ppm of gluten in so-called "gluten-free" foods.^[8]

 A gluten-free diet allows for fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and many dairy products. A gluten-free diets allows rice, corn, soy, potato, tapioca, beans, sorghum, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, arrowroot, amaranth, teff, Montina and nut flours. A gluten-free diet prohibits the ingestion of wheat, barley, rye and related components, including triticale, durum, graham, kamut, semolina, spelt, malt, malt flavouring or malt vinegar. (I have also discovered that one of the "indiciations/symptoms" of gluten-intolerance is Lactose Intolerance! If you are lactose intolerant, you may also be gluten intolerant!)

GF foods are raw foods including rice, potatoes, soybeans, maize, millet, buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa. The diet may be low in fiber, iron, folate, calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin D, B-complex vitamins ( thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B12) (I hadn't considered this! GF (gluten-free diets can results in many vitamin deficiencies due to the lack of eating breads and whole grain foods where we would normally get these! If you go gluten-free make sure you check into this!)

6 Easy Ways to Eat Gluten-Free and Feel Better

Gluten is a generic name for the storage protein found in grains; in wheat, for instance, it's called gliadin. Gluten basically binds starches together; it's the stuff that makes dough doughy.

If you regularly feel uncomfortable after a gluten-rich meal (like pasta and bread), gluten could be the culprit. “Uncomfortable” can mean anything from feeling slightly bloated and gassy (mild gluten sensitivity) to much more severe symptoms like excruciating cramps, vomiting, migraines, dizziness, even loss of consciousness — signs that you may have celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that is the most serious form of gluten intolerance. This post is not addressing Celiac Disease. I am trying to keep it simple. If you exhibit these symptoms, you may want to check into this. I feel like my husband is gluten intolerant, but he doesn't care. he isn't giving up his bread and pizza, so we haven't started looking into this. If and when he decides to investigate it or test himself, we will, but not until then.


1. Focus on “real” foods
(This is what I do except for I don't do organic yet. I simply eat and use fresh veggies, fruits, canned that are canned in their own natural juices with no sugar added, frozen fruits and veggies with no preservatives, and unprocessed rice (yes white rice IS processed).
The easiest and healthiest way to live gluten-free is to focus on fresh, organic, whole foods. “There are no labels to decipher on an apple; no wondering what the ingredients are in spinach. This way you don’t have to worry about being unintentionally exposed to gluten. Check glutenfreeforgood.com for unique recipes like Sweet Potato & Kale Soup and Ruby Red Beet Cupcakes.

2. Read labels
Food shopping can be frustrating and tiresome for those new to the diet.
With a few exceptions, if you don't see the words wheat, barley, rye, malt, or oats (unless labeled gluten free), the food most likely does not include any gluten-containing ingredients. But don’t just read labels on breads, pasta, cereal, crackers and cookies. These ingredients are also commonly found in many other processed foods, including soups, gravies, sauces, seasoned rice mixes, seasoned nuts, and many others, You must therefore read the ingredients list of all processed foods (or stay away from them, which is what I try to do as much as possible!) If the thought of all that label-reading gives you a headache that rivals your worst gluten-induced pain, browse a Web site that has already done the legwork for you. The Gluten Intolerance Group site has links to other sites where you can find gluten-free products and manufacturers, plus restaurants with gluten-free food, and gluten-free recipes you can whip up at home.

3. Get creative in the kitchen
Once you’re armed with only gluten-free ingredients, you’re ready to start playing with new recipes at home.
Living with family members who are able to eat gluten does pose a few problems. If your diet is so restrictive, others may not feel it's fair that they can't have the stuff you can't eat. It's good to make different things for the intolerant one with the tweaks to fit their diet vs making everyone eat the gluten free foods. (This could also save you money! If you buy gluten free pasta and only that one eats it, use the less expensive gluten laden pasta for those that can tolerate it! I use whole wheat pastas. Great Value has a whole line of whole grain pastas now!)

4. Go ahead — eat out!
Venturing into restaurants is usually the biggest challenge for those following gluten-free diets. Sauces are the biggest culprit here! (I have found that MSG is a gluten word that you need to avoid. Monosodium Glutamate...........notice that part of the word? This is also something that is used in many chinese buffets and soups and sauces. So once again, READ YOUR LABELS)
The Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program lets you search for restaurants using your zip code, though only a handful of restaurants, mostly national chains, are listed. You can also e-mail the corporate headquarters of your favorite restaurant and ask about their gluten-free menu items. In response to customer concerns, Chipotle, for instance, includes gluten in the allergen information on the "Special Diet" page of their Web site. Chipotle says that only the flour tortillas contain gluten; someone who is sensitive to distilled vinegar should also avoid the hottest salsa. They also allow you to bring your own gluten-free tortillas; just be aware of cross-contamination by the person preparing your food. (I didn't know this and that is so cool! Chris and I love to eat at Chipotle. When I was being 100% I would get the bowl or get the soft corn tortillas. I got the chicken fajita meat, black beans, fajita veggies, no cheese no rice, and pico salsa!)

5. Say “yes” to dinner invitations
When family and friends embrace your gluten-free lifestyle, it’s less stressful to eat in their homes. Many friends and family have been willing to try the new foods; some unfortunately get to eat the dirt-tasting muffins, while others rejoiced with me over the delicious pizza crust that are found. If it still makes you nervous, consider bringing your own food. (If in doubt or nervous, ask if you can bring a dish just in case there is nothing you can eat!)


6. Remember that you’re not alone 
Staying connected with others going through the same thing makes it easier. (Word of mouth can sometimes land you with a website, store, brand name, etc to what someone else has found as the "treasure" of edible gluten free bread!) Most of all, do whatever it takes to stick with it. (Isn't this the truth with anything? Healthier eating, exercise, quitting smoking, giving up caffeine, no longer being late everywhere you go, washing the dishes every night after dinner, making your bed everyday, etc. The key here is commitment! So commit and stick with it!

Hard work and clean diet!

I just watched an episode of "I used to be fat". The kid was 18 years old and weighed 315 lbs. After 110 days he weighed 198 lbs! The trainer said "I just trained a kid to lose 117 lbs in 110 days with ONLY a clean diet and hard work. The only reason it worked it because he didn't know it wasn't possible". That's absolutely true! That kid committed to his weight loss. The trainer had to talk to his younger brothers. They were teasing him and eating junk food in front of him. This is one thing I could relate to. I HATED when I would make good healthy choices only to hear "You HAVE to splurge every now and then." "You can't eat like that your whole life, so when you "go off" your diet, you'll gain it all back".  "That's not realistic, you can't eat like that all the time". "You have to have a "cheat day"." So with that said, here are my thoughts:

Diet....NO. LIFESTYLE CHANGES..........YES. Does that mean you can't ever have a piece of cake again? NO. Does that mean if you splurge one day, that's the end? NO. But if you do have a "cheat day" let's say every Saturday....... You wake up and have a big bowl of cereal, ice cream or pie for snack, pizza at lunch, beer with your dinner of barbque, potato salad, cole slaw with bread and baked beans. Then since you ate so bad all day, for snack that night you eat a bag of chips...........you can right since you ate clean all week right? You've EARNED it, so go ahead right? NO NO NO NO NO. Then on Sunday if you DID eat all that, you probably had a PRETTY LARGE weight gain................which sends you into that "diet depression" and you give up...............yep you know it's happened before, this "diet" is no different. Cheating on your diet, cheats you and you only. I once didn't cheat on my diet for 2 months. I went to a going away party and had fried chicken, a cookie, cake, soda, etc. I gained like 3 pounds!!!! I was super mad at myself, but I remembered that one day in 2 months wasn't the end of the world. So the next day I got with it and exercised really hard and ate especially clean! I was in maintenance at that time, so I didn't have to be extra good at eating, but since I had the gain I did anyway. I lost it in a few days without a problem. THEN I was also pregnant and had just found out the same day as the party! I spent 9 months on my diet. How? Because it wasn't/isn't a diet. I made healthy choices instead of poor choices and I got off my butt and exercised. I spent 5 1/2 months losing 36 pounds, got pregnant, then spent 9 months GAINING the same EXACT 36 pounds back, BUT I was growing a human being in my body! I didn't intend on it taking 11 months to lose that 36 pounds again. I figured 3 months tops. The first 6 months, I continued my healthy choices and some weight (about 16 pounds) came off. After our family reunion, I decided it was time to get back to work. I lost 5 pounds the first month, but the heat this summer was SO bad I couldn't get out and walk every day. Being a new mom and having a baby with all this baby stuff everywhere, I couldn't do my pilates. I pretty much lost weight with my food choices, not exercise. The next 3 months I got serious about my eating and lost 10 more pounds! I am finally back to my pre-pregnancy weight PLUS some! I am still not exercising and if I was............this would have happened sooner AND I'd be more toned! NONE of my clothes fit again! Soon I'll take myself shopping, but I am waiting at least another month. I want to see how far I can take this! We are moving soon and I'll have my room set up hopefully to do my pilates. We are moving to the neighborhood that I already walk in during my regular path!

Let's address "cheat days". This is what I do"

Hubby says "Let's do eat Cheddar's for dinner". That means margaritas.....OR Chicken strips (not both). We have an understood agreement in our house: If we are going to eat out, if must be announced early (if possible) so WE (yes he eats healthy also) can make good choices all day to compensate for the terrible dinner! So for breakfast we have coffee, 1 scrambled egg for me (2 for him), 1 piece of whole wheat toast (no peanut butter today since eating out) with sugar free preserves. For lunch, tuna fish made with egg whites, onions, light mayo, relish, and pickle juice on whole wheat toast (load up on the tuna fish instead of having 2 sandwiches!). NO SNACKS today.

At dinner I have 3 choices really:
1) Healthiest meal I can find there: Key West Chicken and Shrimp with NO bourbon sauce or seasoned rice, side of broccoli double steamed, and a salad with fat free ranch on the side, no croutons, and no croissant. Water with lemon (to counteract the sodium) to drink and a margarita with NO SALT! This is the best choice.
2) 2nd choice (but higher in sodium which will result in water weight retention more than likely): Pick 3 for lunch: since I am on maintenance I can choose Potato soup, 1/2 sandwich, salad with no croissant, ranch on the side, and no croutons. I get my water with lemon (EVERY meal I eat, especially when eating out) and a margarita with NO SALT.
3) Chicken strips, double steamed broccoli, and salad with no croutons or croissant with ranch on the side. Water with lemon and a margarita with NO SALT.

That's how I "cheat". When I can prepare for a bad meal or cheat time, I have to make sure that the rest of the day I eat EXTRA clean! Also, If we have pasta or a bad meal, we TRY to have it at lunch if at all possible, instead of at night when I might be tempted to go home and lay down and take a nap!

This is my meal plan for today: note, there are no snacks yet I don't plan my snacks ahead of  time necessarily, but I do know  what I can and can't have! Today  I will probably have a piece of  Double Layer Pumpkin Pie I made Ignore all the numbers, they are for fat, carbs, fiber, protein, calories but the column titles didn't transfer over to this blog. Sorry This is an almost perfect daily intake balanced with 42% carbs, 22% fat,  and 36% protein. The calories are  only 1153, but I'll get more with snacks   Total Calories: 1153

This is some of what I ate This is exactly what I ate

Fat(g) Carbs(g) Fiber(g) Net C(g) Prot(g) KCals 27.63 122.24 19.4 102.84 102.05 1153

Breakfast 2.95 59.86 4.7 55.16 15.04 330

1/4 serving big tex orange juice - 6.75 - 6.75 0.50 28

1/8 cup unthawed blueberries 0.12 2.26 0.5 1.76 0.08 9

2 servings Coffee - - - - - 4

2 servings great value creamer fat free - 4.00 - 4.00 - 20

1 cup cooked oatmeal 2.39 25.37 3.7 21.67 6.06 145

1 cup skim milk 0.44 11.98 - 11.98 8.40 86

2 servings splenda - 4.00 - 4.00 - 20

1/2 serving sugar free syrup - 5.50 0.5 5.00 - 18

Add Item

Lunch 11.60 29.08 8.2 20.88 57.76 456

2 servings Crockpot Chicken and Veggies 11.60 29.08 8.2 20.88 57.76 456

Add Item

Dinner 13.08 33.30 6.5 26.80 29.25 367

1 leaf inner green leaf lettuce 0.01 0.13 0.1 0.03 0.07 1

1/4 lb Jennie o ground turkey 9.37 - - - 19.80 169

1 serving orowheat whole wheat bun 3.50 32.00 6.0 26.00 9.00 190

1 medium slice tomato 0.04 0.78 0.2 0.58 0.18 4

1 tsp or 1 packet yellow mustard 0.16 0.39 0.2 0.19 0.20 3

Tips for the week

Dieting takes commitment if you are going to be successful!
Dieting isn't hard, if you prepare properly. Here are a few tips that I use:

Plan your meals for a whole week. Include breakfast, lunch, dinner (no more eating out unless you want to gain back what you lose or get frustrated due to lack of healthy choices at the restaurants) and at least 2 snacks a day. Prepare these snacks ahead of time or have something to grab quickly so that you don't grab a cookie or something bad for you while you are preparing dinner. When cooking, make a few meals at the same time. For example, when I make Crockpot Chicken and veggies, I debone the leftover chicken and use it to make Taco Minestrone. When I make Chicken and Salsa, I can use it to make Chicken Quesadillas, Chicken Chimichangas, Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, or to have to a snack on a corn tortilla. When I make Rotel Roast, I use the meat for Rotel Roast served with a healthy veggie and a bean side, serve the shredded meat with a corn tortilla and salsa, or beef tips and rice made by mixing  the shredded meat with brown gravy and serve over brown rice. If you are interested in the recipes, go to the recipes tab above and if the recipe isn't there already, ask me for it and I'll post it.

I like to eat the same thing for breakfast everyday for a week (NO CEREAL UNLESS YOU HAVE NO OTHER OPTION and add fresh fruit to it, choose low sugar high fiber cereal, and have as low of fat milk you can tolerate. I prefer skim milk. I started with 2% and worked my way down to skim as my tolerance and taste adjusted).

For snacks I like 30 grapes, an apple, an orange, tunafish sandwhich on whole wheat, 1 tsp (not a large spoonful lol) of peanut butter (preferably the natural peanut butter with less or no sugar added), low sodium turkey lunch meat (on whole wheat if you want), sugar free jello, sugar free pudding, smoothies (non fat yogurt, frozen berries and/or bananas, skim milk, and if you have this after exercise you can add protein powder for extra protein--plain protein powder not the flavored kind that comes with added sugar----avoid these!) Snacks should be high protein, low fat, and the carbs should be naturally occuring such as fresh fruit. Don't choose a prepackaged energy bar. They are full of sugars and that's what you are trying to avoid.

I just keep thinking this diet isn't that hard. Can someone please give me feedback? Is it too difficult, too confusing, takes too much commitment, most people don't like to cook like I do? I explain this diet and those that try it, even implementing SOME of the tips see results. I am available to help anyone, but I can't just "help" unless I know HOW to help you. For instance, my sister said "no chips, no salsa, no margaritas? I can't do that" so I was able to tell her (not that she listened) what she could eat on those days. But she also doesn't want to cook, so she didn't get far.

Most of this diet is dependent on your commitment to lifestyle changes to be healthier which will result in weight loss. How fast depends on how many of the changes you make. It took me a few weeks to piece this together to do this diet the right way quickly. It resulted in about 2 pounds a week weight loss. Sometimes 3, but the average was 2. So I am available to help ANYONE that wants help. I just need to know that you have read the info I provided and tell me what you need help with! Others could possibly benefit from the same information. I plan on adding menus and grocery shopping lists.

Please take time to read the info One Step at a Time to a Healthier You Challenge

Pork Loin! Watch for sales!

This week Kroger has boneless pork loins on sale for 1.99 a pound. I got one weighing a little over 3 pounds for about 7.00 (That's 3.50 a meal for our family!). I had the butcher cut it into 1/2" chops. I ended up with 2 trays of boneless pork chops. One had 7 and one had 6 chops. For the first tray, I sprinkled my favorite seasoning on them and grilled them on the George Foreman grill, served with some ranch style beans and BAM! Dinner was served! I can use the 2nd tray the same way, OR cook them in a pan with sauted onions and then smother them in salsa and mexican seasonings (Tex Mex Pork Chops-see recipe). Hubby has decided this week we'll have grilled pork chops twice, so that's our plan, but either way is healthy! Let me know what you think if you try it! I LOVE it when pork loins are on sale! I have several recipes for pork! It's another healthy option for low fat diets.

What I eat for breakfast

You need to eat breakfast everyday! I stick to my high protein, low fat, moderate carb (only healthy carbs) diet. Carbs give you energy and protein helps you to stay full longer.

Usually, I have 2 cups of coffee, 1 scrambled egg (egg white only if you REALLY wanna lose weight, but I am on maintenance) made with nonstick spray not butter, 1 piece of whole wheat toast with 1 tsp of peanut butter and sugar free strawberry preserves. (208 calories, 9 g fat, 21 g carbs, 11 g protein) the fat is a bit high, but this is about the only meal I eat with fat of any considerable amount.

In the winter, I like to make oatmeal with water, cinnamon, and sugar free syrup and have 2 cups of coffee!  (210 calories, 2.5 g fat, 40 g carbs, 6 g protein)

I steer away from cereal. If I eat cereal I eat something like fiber one or special K and add banans, strawberries, blueberries, etc and use skim milk. You will probably find that when you eat cereal, you will get hungry faster, become sleepy mid morning, get hungry before lunch, and crave carbs the rest of the day!

What to eat when eating out!

Every diet is different, keep that in mind. MY diet is low calorie, low carb, high protein, low fat, exercise, moderation, etc. So, my diet isn't necessarily "low sodium". These are just the foods I choose when eating out. I DON'T eat salads to lose weight! I do eat a salad when eating out, on the side, NOT AS A MEAL. I will be adding to this particular blog as I think of other places I have eaten at. If YOU have a question about a certain place, comment on this blog, email me, text me or facebook message me. I'll help if I can.

When eating out, I try to check online for a menu BEFORE we go so I can get an idea before I get there. Also, online they sometimes have the nutritional values available! If you decide on the fly and don't have time to look online, ask if they have a nutritional value guide (almost all fast food places have these available). Cheddar's is one place we can't get any info on, so I had to decipher the menu myself. Ask your server, but if they don't know what's healthy and what's not they aren't going to be much help.

Cheddar's: You can get the grilled catfish, any of the grilled chicken options,or  the pick 2 lunch special with baked potato (no cheese, no bacon) and salad ordered the way I lined out below! On the sides, you are limited to the salad, the baked potato (again, no cheese, no bacon), and steamed broccoli (I ask them to "extra steam" it because I like mine soft. This makes the broccoli less nutritious, but it's the only way I'll eat it! The carrots are cooked in sugar and butter, the green beans are cooked in butter, the broccoli rice casserole has rice and cheese, 2 no no's on this diet, the red beans and rice have rice and sausage, and the corn is a no no on this diet. I cran't remember all the other sides, but I eat there enough to know those are the only choices. I WISH they had sweet potatoes! For my meal I like to get the Key West Chicken and Shrimp (I think) without the seasoned rice and no bourbon sauce. It is a grilled chicken breast, 5 or 6 grilled shrimp (ask for no bourbon sauce) served over a bed of seasoned rice (ask for no seasoned rice) with a pineapple salsa on top! I get the salad (don't eat the croissant!) with dressing on the side, extra carrots and tomatoes and steamed broccoli, extra steamed!

Olive Garden and Johnny Carino's both have this! FYI, about the only option you have at either of those place is Whole wheat pasta at olive garden with marinara or meat sauce. Marinara will have the least calories and fat, but there's no protein. The meat sauce has italian sausage and that is gonna fatten it up a bit, but if you are gonna eat there, that's about the only choice you have. Johnny Carino's, the last time I checked did NOT have a whole wheat pasta yet, so stick with the marina or meat sauce and pick any of the pastas. They are basically the same, since pasta is pasta unless it's whole wheat!


Salads: NEVER order the Ceasar salad. That's THE most fattening salad out there. It is drowned in dressing. Order your salad with the dressing ON THE SIDE (preferably fat free or light option). Dip each bite gently into the salad, but don't DUNK it in the salad. Ask for no cheese, no croutons, and extra veggies (carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, etc). Drink your whole glass of water (with lemon and make sure you squeeze that lemon juice into your water!) BEFORE your meal comes! This way you are already on your way to "being full". If you do eat a salad as a meal, make healthy choices. Add some protein to the salad. Add GRILLED chicken or GRILLED shrimp. Do NOT add fried chicken tenders or friend shrimp. By adding protein, you will stay full longer, fending off the possibility of getting the munchies later! If you eat a salad for lunch with just veggies, you will be hungry very soon. Try adding some tuna fish to the salad, or have a tunafish sandwich along with your salad!

Pizza placed: NO BUFFETS! At pizza places, order ONE slice of pizza. If they have a "supreme" option, that's what you want, but ask for them to ONLY put Canadian Bacon on it as far as meats go. That's the leanest meat topping as far as pizza toppings go. This is true for breakfast meats as well. I choose canadian bacon over regular bacon, turkey bacon, or any kind of sausage. You can eat quite a few pieces of canadian bacon compared to ONE piece of anything else! You can't avoid cheese on a pizza, which is why I am limiting you to one slice. The goal is to get the one meat and load that sucker up with allllll the veggies you like! I get Canadian bacon with green bell peppers, onions, black olives, green olives, mushrooms, and jalapenos!

Mexican.......Mexican..............Mexican! My nemesis!
Ok, this gets tricky! If you want to eat 100% as well as you can at a mexican place:
   a. Ask if there are any "light" options on the menu
   b. Ask that NO CHIPS be brought to the table! Explain that you are dieting and don't need the temptation. Ask them to bring you soft corn tortillas (NO FLOUR TORTILLAS) instead. Limit yourself to 3 of these and dip them slowly into the salsa......NOT THE BUTTER!
   c. If there is a light option decide if it's good enough. Usually it's a piece of grilled chicken, small salad, and bean soup. If there is no option, ask specifically if they can make you a plate like that. Eat your meal and give yourself a pat on the back for being stellar! I did this for 2 months straight! I didn't even have a margarita!
   d. If they don't have light options, then you pretty much have to get the fajitas. CHICKEN or SHRIMP, not BEEF. Ask that it be served with more SOFT CORN tortillas instead of soft flour tortillas. You can have all the fajita veggies and the chicken so enjoy! Try not to eat more than 3 more tortillas. You can add salsa if you want or pico de gallo. Guacamole is a healthy fat, just don't eat the whole giant scoop. Just one little spoonful per fajita is all you need. NO SOUR CREAM NO CHEESE!

Karen Maxwell's Personal Diet

General Description: FREE (except you will have to buy food, but I don't use expensive ingredients) and you will have to cook, moderation, good healthy fats only, moderate carbs, and high protein. Nothing fried and no full sugar desserts or drinks.

Purposes
	Promotes long term weight loss A healthy living alternative Teaches sustainable weight loss skills Provides an energy boost Improves mood and outlook A roadmap for a healthier lifestyle

Tips

Make exercise a part of your daily life. I started out working out in the mornings since it got my metabolism going early in the day. I felt great and loved it. Then the time change occurred and I can't seem to find a perfect time to exercise! Still working on that. But the important things is to just do it! I started out walking for 30 minutes as fast as I could every other day. Then after a week I found myself wanting to walk EVERYDAY since I was seeing results. Then I upped it to 1 hour a day. As I built up my stamina, I started jogging with my walking. I would jog as long as I could, then walk, timing each so I could report it properly. I took along my cell and texted my hubby my progress so that I could add it all up later.

Drink water! Try to drink 64 oz of water each day. I started with drinking 1 glass while preparing my meals, then 1 glass with my meals. This worked out great. Then I drank a glass before my workout and then drank usually 2 glasses after my workout. This worked great for me. Also add lemon to your water when you can. This works as a natural diuretic and helps you fight the water retention.

Go to fatsecret everyday to record your foods and exercise. I preplan my meals everyday. I either do it the evening before or the morning of. (Now I preplan my meals a week at a time!) This way you know what you are getting into. If you enter it afterwards, you may end up way out of balance.

THIS TIP is for once you are comfortable with using fatsecret, not for those of you just starting out. Use fatsecret.com's pie chart at the bottom of the food diary. Aim for 20% or less fat, 50% or less carbs and 30% or more protein. Make sure you edit your RDI and answer the questions correctly.

If you aren't getting enough calories in your diet, you could sabbotage yourself and make your body think it is starving. Don't ever go below 1100 calories in a day. If you do, don't make it a habit.

Find friends or relatives to share your success with. I text my group every 5 pounds! They give me props and I feel encouraged to keep it up.

Take a pic of yourself in the most unflattering outfit when you start! You will wish you had after you loose 20 pounds. I hated having my pic taken, but now that I have lost 22 pounds, I wish I had that fat me pic! (update! I have lost 35 pounds for the second time in 2 years! My mother provided me with that dreaded pic of myself in an unflattering outfit. That's the before pic of me on this blog!)

Detailed Information

Description This diet is my personal diet. I have had a lot of people ask me how I have lost all this weight and I have been able to maintain the weight even at times when I may have been less than stellar. I feel more confident in my food choices. Also since diabetes runs in my family and I was borderline diabetic during my pregnancies I am predisposed to diabetes in the future. So I choose to learn how to eat properly and keep my weight down so that I can perhaps keep diabetes at bay, or learn how to cope with it now instead of when I HAVE to. About / History I have been on fatsecret.com for 5 months. It took me 12.5 weeks to figure out how dieting works. I still may not have it all firgured out, but I have managed to loose 33 pounds in that time. I was averaging 2 pounds a week up until week 8, where I hit a plateu and had to change things up a bit. But I beat that plateau and now know how to deal with them. Now I am back to loosing weight again, but about at my last goal, then I will go into maintenance mode. (this is old information here, I don't have to go to fatsecret anymore to log my foods since I KNOW what I can and can't eat!) How to Follow Read Read Read! Read all the information on this diet so that you can incorporate the information in your life. You will learn how to make wise choices when eating out or making choices for your own home.

Links to quickly access my info at fatsecret.com!

Karen Maxwell's Personal Diet Information

One Step at a Time to a Healthier You: Week 1 (here is week one)This was a "challenge" I designed to help others "get started" on the right track to living healthy. You can't follow the challenge as it ended a long time ago. But you can look at it and the info and try it yourself. It's designed to make changed each week and tweak things here and there instead of information overload all at once!



My Cookbook at fatsecret.com (if you are a member at fatsecret.com, otherwise you have to wait until I get the recipes entered on this blog)
Recipes here on Maxwellshack! (click here for recipes I have on here so far, if you don't want to join fatsecret.com)

This shows you me at my BIGGEST and me at my SMALLEST! Take pics of yourself during your journey! It's amazing how thin we feel when we are large (I had NO idea I was THAT big!), and how large we feel when we are thin (I always see my flabby tummy and didn't feel thin, even at 116!). A picture shows what you REALLY look like. It's easy to look good when your tummy is sucked in standing in front of a mirror only showing one side at a time! Have someone snap a pic of you while you are standing around going about your daily business. The pic of me at my largest..............was taken at my daughter's high school graduation.........and I thought I LOOKED GOOD! Uh NOPE!

A little about me!

The thing that people ask me about most usually pertains to weight loss recipes, tips, suggestions etc. For now that's what my blog is going to concentrate on.



First, a little about me and how I got to where I am today 117 lbs. I am 5 feet tall. In 2004 I went through a divorce, and after about a year I weighed 120-125. Within 6 of re-marital bliss I weighed 140! Then I got pregnant.........and gained another 30, weighing 170+ (didn't weigh much at the end of that). I knew that breastfeeding would burn calories and that weight would be gone in "no time". Within 6 weeks I weighed 150. 3 loooong years later, I weighed 150. I NEVER lost that last 10 pounds, much less the 20 I had found before!

Then came September 24,2009......152 pounds.......miserable.......depressed.......looking for daylight in my life.........I discovered walking. I started walking 3 days a week for 30 minutes. Back then I didn't have any idea how fast I was walking. I would estimate 2.5 mph, but I REALLY have no idea. As I started dropping weight, I was motivated to walk 5 days a week, then 7, then I increased my time to 1 hour but dropped the days back to 5, then I was up to 5 days a week for 1 hour walking 4 miles in 1 hour at 4 mph! So this was my exercise regimen. When the winter months came and walking was more difficult (unless I walked at lunch which wasn't always possible), I started looking into Pilates. I had been told by a personal trainer that if I wanted to get that tummy (front butt as I have always called it) toned, Pilates was the way to go. I tried a couple different ones, before settling on my favorite! I tried the resistance bands (ouch for my uncoordinated self), and promptly returned them to get my money back! I learned from Pilates how to strengthen my "core". I learned balance. I learned how to "feel the burn" so you are doing it right! The funny and my favorite thing about Pilates.......I feel like it's cheating! You don't really work up a sweat, but you burn sooooo many calories, it feels like you must have cheated! During the peak of my weight loss, I was also lifting weights to tone my arms, which looked fabulous by the way! They weren't "body builder" ugly, they were "hey look at my triceps" toned! I also had a nice nice hour glass figure going on which I had never had before. I was always pretty boxy. I gained weight from my face to my calves pretty evenly. I was VERY happy to see that pretty waistline! Ok so with all that said, I didn't need a gym membership or any money to exercise. I lifted arm weights while watching tv, instead of laying on the couch. I learned sitting burns more calories than laying down, standing burns more than sitting, walking burns more than standing, and walking really fast burns more and then of course, there is obviously jogging and running. The point here is, whatever you are doing, see if there is a way you could do more. While at work, I would sit while assisting, so I started standing instead. While dropping xrays, I would do calf raises! Now let's move onto the inner body.

I will have to get more info from my fatsecret account. I highly recommend using www.fatsecret.com to track your foods and calories. It DOES take effort to put your foods in the computer the first time, but eventually you will realize you are eating the same foods and you can just click to add them to your meals. THIS is where you begin to see where your calories are coming from. You will learn if you are a fat lover, carb lover, sweets lover, or are you sabotaging yourself with add-ons like mayo, butter, oil, crutons, dressing, jelly, syrup, sodas, etc. these are those "little" things that may not seem so bad, but after you see it totaled up at the end of the day and realize you could save many calories by cutting out the sodas! There is an Android app that links with facebook, but I didn't like it. It didn't do as much as the full site and I was committed to my weight loss and wanted full benefit and use of the site. LOG EVERYTHING THAT GOES IN YOUR MOUTH! I once ate 5 little snickers minis, once I ate a cup of mixed nuts, and each time I entered these things into my diet, I almost passed out! Nuts are healthy fats........but remember a portion is 1/4 cup, that's not much! Tracking your food also teaches you about portions and measuring. When you start watching your foods, makes sure you use an ACTUAL measuring cup and measuring spoon to learn proper portions. Load up with veggies, avoid starches and white carbs and fatty meats (corn, potatoes, white pasta, white bread, white rice, fatty ground beef, oils etc). Choose nice lean proteins like chicken breasts, pork loin, tuna fish, salmon, tilapia, ground turkey (I use instead of ground beef in EVERY meal), or extra lean ground beef.

Drinks......soda, diet soda, tea, sweet tea, juice, gatorade, water..........THERE IS NOTHING HEALTHY IN SODAS. Diet sodas, while they don't have the sugar, they still have the acid which can and will eat the enamel off your teeth. If your teeth are hard enough and aren't affected by the acid, your gums will probably bleed due to the high acid content! Tea just makes you thirsty, but if you are going to drink tea, drink unsweet tea or add a sugar substitute. Some people don't like artificial sweeteners, I like them. I prefer Splenda personally. I am not going to advise anyone to use any particular kind. I know there are studies out about aspartame being bad for you, so I would never advise that. What I DO advise is for everyone to drink what we are designed to drink which is water water water. I learned 5 years ago that lemon juice added to water acts as a natural diuretic! No need for fluid pills with this little trick! It can be bottle juice or fresh squeezed. At restaurants, I get water with lemon, get used to saying that! It also saves you about 2.00 off your bill! If a table of 4 does that, you just saved 8 bucks! Make sure when they refill your water that they give you more lemon. Most waiters/waitresses don't realize WHY you are drinking it with the lemon, therefore they neglect to refill the lemon as well. This usually lands you a nice bowl or plate of lemons lol.

Ah goodness, since it is so very late, I am going to sign off for now and continue more another day!