MIA No More!

I first want to thank those of you who sought me out 

to see if I was OK! 

 I apologize that I didn't place a post stating my circumstances last week.  So I'll brief you a little on what's been a-happenin' in my life.

Several projects that my hubby and I are involved in all seemed to accelerate into high gear all at the same time last week.  I found myself spending hours at a time either on the phone, emailing and shuffling papers.

On top of that, I started an online art class that I had signed up for a while back.  I, again, spent many hours getting to know the system we are using and meeting the teacher/students...many posts and projects the first week.  Not to mention doing the actual projects, taking pics and posting.  It's really a lot of fun...just takes time to get in the groove.

You can check out the artist and her classes here:   WYANNE

OK so moving right along!

My... ISSUE...seems to have worked itself out...so to speak...since I have started a routine of drinking the following as my breakfast first thing in the morning...

                           1 scoop Chocolate Jay Robbs Whey Protein Powder

                           1 scoop Super Seed  (thanks for letting me know about this Rosalie!)

                           8-12 oz Unsweetened Almond Milk

                           ice - depending on how thick you want it...
                           I use anywhere from 3-8 cubes

                           (I'm sure there are some other goodies,
                           like Barleans fish oil, you could include)

Blend all of the above ingredients in a blender until all the ice is crushed... pour and enjoy!  

This divine mixture has encouraged my system to LINE UP!!!  So, that part of my body is working better these days!

One other thing I dealt with last week was another health issue I have been fighting for almost 2 years. 

I have a patch (for lack of a better term) of psoriasis on the bottom of my foot that I just cannot seem to get rid of. Without going into all the gory details... it cracks, leaving me with open wounds that make it feel like I am walking with chards of glass stuck in the bottom of my foot! 

Having said ALL THAT... I did a number on that foot on Tuesday...while walking the dogs.  I was in great pain most of the week on top of all the other things I was involved in.  My poor hubby!  I do not tolerate pain well AT ALL!  He feels bad that he can't send me to the doc right now (no ins.)...so I try not to complain to much...but last week...I'm sure wasn't good for him either!  Feeling better today...but having to keep it bound pretty tight in order to function...and I know that isn't what it really needs.  Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!

So needless to say... As I WANTED to do a post... I just never really had enough collective time to do so.  Thanks again to those who checked in!

Through all of the above last week fiascos... I was able to maintain my good eating habits and lose 1 lb!  I'll take it!  Slow as the weightloss is...that's ok as long as I'm feeling well, eating well, and losing a little here and there.  Haven't measured yet...but pants are def feeling a little looser!  (and for those of you who just said...Yeah, but I need to lose a whole lot of weight!...just know I have about 62 more pounds to go!)

Did ya'll like that list of Good Carbs last week?  I copy pasted them onto a Word doc and printed them out for me to keep in the kitchen.  So when I needed to expand my vision a little when it came to selecting a Good Carb for my snack or meal...I would check out this list again.  

One thing I did purposely do last week was to make sure I stuck to portion size and used smaller plates!  Including meats, cheeses, and veggies.  Just slipping a little larger portion or even seconds onto your plate can add extra calories that our bodies just don't need....so it STORES the excess  (right smack dab on my hips!)  

ALSO...speaking of storing... If you skip a meal...tsk tsk tsk!!!  This throws your body into a slight panic mode...falsely thinking it's not EVER going to get fed again so it better STORE UP that insulin just in case... Well guess where it stores it up?.... Yep! RIGHT IN THOSE SHRINKING FAT CELLS!  

Another thing is to make sure you eat a breakfast!  Be sure to BREAK your FAST from the night before.  What this does is ..."Gentleman/women... START YOUR ENGINES!"  Eating breakfast wakes up your metabolism...gets those juices flowing and starts your day off with ENERGY!  No food... No Energy!

So get out of your food poverty thinking and EAT your way into losing weight!  Choose those Good Carbs and EAT THEM!  Include those Good Fats and Vitamin Rich Veggies and Proteins and Chocolate!!!

And you will be well on your way to a healthier YOU!  

Love you all...and will try to post more often this week!  Here's a sneak peek at one of my pieces I'm preparing for my Nov. art show!  

Three Tiered Cupcake Tray
Annie-Bella's © 

CREDITS:  I "borrowed" the MIA title picture from a great site I found called just that, MIA /Missing In Action, a site which offers a book for new moms, helping them to reclaim their identity after bringing a child into this world.  I wanted to not only give credit to this site since I "borrowed" their pic, but also to pass the word on to any new moms out there!  Having been a new mom three times...I wished I had the support then that is available now.  I almost lost my sanity...but that's a whole nuther enchilada!!!!  So be sure to visit and enjoy...MIA!

I Do Solemly Swear...

Ok...some of you may have read my rant on Rosalie's blog...but in case you didn't here is the jist of it:
"Good Morning Rosalie!!! Dang it...you did it again..encouraged me to stick to it one more day! Ok, Ok... I'm going to stick with this thing...I can doooo it! But I've been stuck at the same weight now for 3 weeks! I'm so frustrated right now I could bust! (or is it burst?) I'm not cheating, I'm eating right...but still dealing with the "ISSUE" and all I can think of is I'm just full of S***! I keep telling hubby...if I ever get this part "normal" I'll drop 10 lbs instantly! Ok..thanks for the opp to spew my frustrations! Today on my blog I'm gonna make a commitment to myself and to ya'll...and face some skeletons I have still hanging in my closet! =O Love ya girl!"

So here goes my commitment to myself and YOU...my BFC friends!

I do solemnly swear that I will make sure I keep my frig stocked with healthy on the go, easy to grab, food and snacks so I won't go without or grab something that isn't on the BFC plan!

               Part of my problem I believe has been not eating all of my 6 servings of Healthy Carbs!  So I will make an extra effort to keep up with this in the future.

I do solemnly swear that I will STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTA!

         Eeek! This one's a tough one!  It's so easy to get lost following the infamous Rabbit Trails you are bombarded with each time you check your email, Facebook, your Blog List, and Forums!  I will even determine a time at which I will shut it down and find that I've gone over that by an hour or two!  Insane!
Some may wonder what this has to do with my BFC plan.... well my BUTT is spreading from here to there just for sitting hours at a time at this machine!  So I am making a plan to only check my email, FB, Blogs and Forums first thing in the morning and limit my time to 1 hour period!  Email one more time in the evening when I write my BFC post for the day.  The rest of the time will be spent doing creative and active things!

I do solemnly swear that I will kick the monkey off my bike and use it myself TWICE everyday!
          A friend of ours gave us the coolest exercise bike that sits not even 5 feet away from me in my art studio!  It even has one of those great cushy seats and computerized riding plans giving you a choice of challenges and resistance!  It even tells you how many miles you've gone,  how long you've ridden, and how many calories you burned!  So what is it that keeps me off of that wonderful riding machine...besides the monkey!  Well...here's one of my skeletons I referred to earlier... It's called SWEAT!  I hate sweating!
It makes me feel so yucky and sticky and more yucky and sticky!  I truly HATE it!  But I'm just going to have to face that sweaty skeleton and move past him...he's merely a fog and one that can be showered away! So I am committing today to ride twice a day and post my results so you and I will see that I'm doing what I promised. (Hubby reads the blog...so there's my accountability!)

I do solemnly swear that I will attend my NIA classes at least TWICE a week!

          Last week I was supposed to start my regular schedule of NIA classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Well, it never happened... First we had a monsoon rain on Tuesday and I also went to help my mom move to her new apartment...so Ok... I had a fairly good excuse... but Thursday rolled around and I just flat out chose NOT to go.  Why?  Remember Skeleton number 1 above?  Yep...SWEAT!  I didn't want to go out and sweat!  So I didn't!  Even though I LOVE the NIA classes and have a blast while dancing my heart out of my chest...I just wouldn't make myself DO IT!  So, I am confessing and committing all at once here... This week I'm gonna kick some skeletal A$$ and GO to my NIA classes!

Lastly... I do solemnly swear I will NOT use Ready Whip as an millinery adornment anymore and only use Ready Whip for occasional Sweet Splurges!
          Do I really need to explain my reasonings here?  Seems it's pretty obvious!  =D


I feel my lack of movement is causing my system backup as I mentioned in an earlier post and on Rosalie's blog today.  Even though I'm eating healthily, using the recommended methods for easier elimination, etc... I have had a serious problem and I feel that the only thing I haven't been doing to help things along is MOVEMENT! I truly believe it's a simple as that!  So now that my Sweat Skeleton has been exposed, hopefully I will be able to move on...get it over with... and shower it off!  I know I'll be better for it...in the end!   

ICBIF and Then Some!

I Can't Believe It's Friday!

What a wild week we've had here in Central Texas!  Some crazy storms coming from tropical storm Hermene dropped nearly 11.5" of water on top of the parched land of Austin... Although we desperately needed some rain...this amount in less than 24 hrs causes all kinds of havoc in our area!  The creeks, rivers, and lakes all overflowed...the water was rushing down all the hills like waterslides...and nobody here knows how to drive in rain, sleet or snow...so the roadways were a mess of mushed up metal!  Crazy!  

AND...to top it all off during the fury of the first deluge we were helping my 83 yr old mom move into her new apartment!  Thank the heavens above for my sister and Blue Whale Movers here in Austin, as they did all they could to keep her furniture dry!  So its been an exciting week for sure!

Haven't posted due to sheer exhaustion! But kept up with the diet through it all!

I made pizza on Naan bread (Sprouts Grocery) for hubby and I today.  If you haven't tried it on naan...you really are in for a treat!  The bread is only 1 carb point!  YUMMY!!!  This one is covered in chopped veggies and cheese but you can do all sorts of fun things with these pizzas!  Be creative and I promise you will not be disappointed!

How I make my Naan Bread Pizza:
Take one piece of Naan Bread and spread a tablespoon of low sugar pizza sauce on it.  I also add pesto on top of the bread.  Then top it with chopped veggies and meats of your choice (even pepperoni or bacon!) finishing it off with a little drizzle of olive oil, Italian seasoning, a little salt and a handful of grated cheese of your choice ...I used mozzarella. Put in preheated oven at 425degrees for 8-10 minutes and VIOLA'!!!!  Some of the best pizza you'll ever stick in your mouth!   Enjoy!
.

Also...today, while at Sprouts, I picked up a new tea.  It is called: GUAYAKI Yerba Mate "Mate Chocolatte".

After having my first cup tonight my conclusion is that it tastes just like Chi Tea!  I personally cannot detect the flavor of Chocolate in it, but I still like it very much!  It is a blend of Yerba Mate, Cocoa, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Stevia, and Clove.  It states that it helps to stimulate focus and clarity (which I need all I can get!), boosts your physical energy, aids in elimination!!!!!!!!(and we all know who needs THAT!), contains antioxidants and "traditionally used to support weight loss programs".  Truly a delicious tea that will delight your senses as well as your intestinal tract!  =D

I am hoping to have a productive day painting tomorrow...soon I'll post some pics for you all to judge...I mean see! 

Love you all! Bon Appetite and Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Mini Update

I can't believe I missed posting yesterday!  So here's my mini update!  Let the Celebration Begin!!!   Feeling some lighter today!  Those that have read my previous posts will understand this!  Now, to build on this momentum!  Off to go teach my art class...but will definitely be posting anew this evening!  Have a Blessed Day Ya'll!!!

In The Out....House!

Wow what a week!  Seems like it zipped right past and past me up!  I was thinking...."Wait! It can't be time for my weigh-in yet, I haven't had my (insert bodily function that gets rid of waste here) yet!  Yep, it was true, I didn't want to step on those scales because I knew what they would show...or rather...Not Show!  I knew that they would show the proof of my "excess baggage" that I hadn't been able to get rid of for days!  Yes, DAYS!

In a matter of 7 days I was only "normal" 3x's as of this morning.  Now, all those people who have said, "She's just full of $#!+!" are RIGHT!  I have been miserable, but faithfully sticking to the BFC plan!  Soooo, I made a little shout out to several of the BFC regulars for some help!  I'll share some of their remedies in a second...

First I must answer this question that others may have about the BFC plan.  "Why are people reporting that they get so constipated  (eek I said it!) on this plan?"  The BFC plan encourages you to eat a nice high protein diet which can cause a bit of constipation.  However it also encourages you to up your fiber via your carb swaps...thus the 6 Servings of Carbs that are recommended daily...which should amount to 25 - 30 grams of fiber total for the day.  (I believe I'm guilty for not getting ALL my good high fiber carbs in this past week!)

 To quote Jorge Cruise in his book The Belly Fat Cure:  Part of the problem with belly fat is "not eating enough of the right kinds of carbohydrates, which are a key source of fiber that moves out the hardened waste matter."  "The right kind of carbs can eliminate any "false belly fat" that may come from built-up waste in your intestines and colon." 

It was obvious then that even though I was sticking to the BFC plan...in staying under the 6 servings of carbohydrates rule... I was actually doing myself a disservice by not eating enough fiber I was needing for the day...thus resulting in a backup in the out flow dept.!   LESSON LEARNED!

Here are a few of the suggestions that were either shared with me today, listed in the BFC book or appear on other's blogs.  Hope this helps if anyone else finds them in a similar predicament!

First: Eat 6 Servings of Good High Fiber Carbs a Day!  DO NOT SKIP THIS!  

Second: Make sure you drink LOTS OF WATER!  8 cups of 8oz is all it takes to keep the fiber you are consuming moving in the right direction!    If you have a tough time getting water down... check out my post about WATER - Your Body's BFF

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 If you still need a little help getting things in balance you may want to try adding ONE of these remedies:

DO NOT DO ALL OF THESE IN ONE DAY!!!

Belly Fat Cure Drink:  Page 101 in BFC book   BFC  0/2

• 1 (20oz bottle) of Sobe Lifewater 0   (any PureVia-sweetened flavor)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. Psyllium husks
• 3 probiotic capsules 

1. Mix the psyllium husks with Sobe Lifewater
2. Take the probiotics with the shake and drink remainder immediately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daily Routine:     Shared by: Rosalie at ...Healthy Me! Doing the Belly Fat Cure... 
                              Rosalie has lost almost 60lbs as of this posting and is a great inspiration and help to me!
                             

Morning:
Take 2 Probiotics capsules
Add 1 tsp of Metamucil Clear Sugar Free Powdered Fiber to your coffee or hot tea or other drink.

Afternoon:
Mix 1 scoop of SUPER SEED in water (or other sugar free drink like Sobe) and drink.
(This stuff tastes GREAT but does have a thick texture!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BUG JUICE:  As Amber shares in her captivating and informative article "Don't Mind Me I'm Just Feeding My Bugs" on her blog Me and Jorge.
It's a MUST READ and a MUST TRY RECIPE!!!  (actually her whole blog is AMAZING!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GO TO WALMART!!!  Ha! I'm dead serious... I won't reveal who suggested this but I have to say...there are times when this (for whatever reason!) WORKS!    The only thing I can figure is this:  You are out doing something different...perhaps even shopping for a new outfit or craft stuff or building supplies and WHAM! the urge hits you and you have to find the restroom fast!  My theory is that we are 1. Getting some exercise. 2. Relaxing.  YEP!  I think it's the combo of those two factoids that cause your body to say...HEY!  Pay Attention... I want to get rid of some of that baggage you're carrying around! It's worth a try!

( WALMART Here I Come!!!)  =D

I'm sure there are many other safe and healthy remedies out there.... So if you would like to share your ideas in the comments... I'm sure they will be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL???

THEN HANG OUT WITH SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE!!!

and that includes successful dieters too!!!

Thanks Rosalie and Amber!!!

An Outhouse I Could Get Used To!