Saturday, February 25, 2012

Week 8

You've got 5 weeks left to show your stuff! The end is in sight so maybe that will help you think you can do it, because it's a concentrated effort that won't last forever (at least the contest won't last forever). GO FOR IT!

THIS IS UPDATED with a breakdown in parentheses for weight loss and exercise points! Remember that daily exercise sessions are worth .1 so earning 1.6 points would be 16 exercise sessions.

DeAnn 3.97 (WL 2.57, E 1.4)
Debby 6.65 (WL 3.75, E 2.9)
Donna
Erin 7.55 (WL 6.55, E 1)
Heidi
Joanna
Matt 6.96 (WL 5.06, E 1.9)
Paul
Paula 11.9 (WL 8.1, E 3.8)
Rebecca 12.34 (WL 8.44, E 3.9)
Rozanne 12.03 (WL 8.03, E 4)
Sarah
Steve 6.45 (WL 5.45, E 1)
Terrel 5.61 (WL 5.31, E .3)

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Week 7! (passing the half-way)

DeAnn 4.3
Debby
Donna 4.69
Erin 9.03
Heidi
Joanna 6.59
Matt 5.7
Paul
Paula 10.4
Rebecca 9.35
Rozanne 10.91
Sarah
Steve
Terrel 4.86

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Week Six!

DeAnn 3.5
Debby
Donna
Erin
Heidi 2.11
Joanna
Matt 4.98
Paul
Paula 8.5
Rebecca 8.8
Rozanne 10.41
Sarah 2.8
Steve 7.29
Terrel 6.67

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Some tasty foods

Paula here--Becca's sister who lives in South Jordan, Utah. Becca asked me to share some of the things I've been eating that are low carb and low fat yet still tasty and satisfying.

My favorite so far (I think it tastes like a dessert, but that might just be in indication of how long it's been since I've had dessert!) is a simple combination of 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese and one 6 oz container of Dannon Light and Fit yogurt (fat free, fake sugars). I eat it with a baby spoon so I can savor it a little longer and it really does satisfy my craving for a treat. So far I've only tried it with the vanilla yogurt, but I'll bet it would be good with any flavor. Wal Mart has had the six pack of vanilla dannon light and fit for only $2.18 which fits nicely into my budget, too. :)


I've also been eating a lot of canned chicken from Costco because it's quick, it's tasty, and it's on my food plan. Here are my two favorite ways to prepare it:

Chicken salad: I mix a can of drained chicken with fat free sour cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chopped pickles, then I eat it on celery sticks--I actually just sit down with the bowl of chicken and scoop it out with the celery. I've also used whole lettuce leaves to make wraps--just drop a dollop of the chicken mix onto a lettuce leaf, roll it up, and enjoy!

The other way I've really liked the chicken is a simple stir fry. My food plan calls for 2 tablespoons of olive oil a day, so I start with olive oil in a pan and add lots of chopped onions, chopped celery, and chunks of zuchini. Green or red bell peppers would also work well. I sprinkle two or three packets of Truvia and about 3 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce on the veggies and stir and turn until the veggies are done. I like them still a little crispy, but good and hot. Then I add a drained can of chicken, sprinkle a little more soy sauce on the chicken, and let it heat thoroughly. I've been eating this alone for the most part, but you could have it on 1/2 cup of brown rice if that's in your food plan.

I've been craving Mexican food, so for lunch today I used up both of my carbs for the day so I could have both beans and rice at the same time. I heated up 1/2 cup of fat free refried beans in the microwave. At the same time, I put about 1/2 tbls of olive oil in a pan, added 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, 4 ounces of cooked ground turkey, and salt and pepper. When it was all hot and sizzling, I added about 1/3 cup salsa and stirred until thoroughly heated. I poured it over the heated refried beans and thought I'd gone to heaven!

Monday, February 6, 2012

17-day resource

Mom (Paula) and I are reading and following (I'm not following it as closely as Mom, but as closely as I can, usually) the 17 Day Diet by Dr. Mike Moreno and have found that it works for us, wahoo!! So, I'm sharing this address in case any are interested in reading about it:

This link sends you to a blog (unconnected with the author) that has lots of good information on it.
http://www.17daydietblog.com/the-diet/ (Mom and I call it a food plan instead of a diet. And I think of it as a cleansing plan.)

A super condensed overview (according to Erin, anyway) is: for the first 17 days, you cut out all carbs that are not already in the fresh fruit and vegetables included on the list, i.e. no bread, candy, potatoes, junk food. 2 fruits a day both eaten before 2pm. 2 servings of probiotics a day. 8 8-oz. glasses of water a day, bare minimum. As much as you want (until you are no longer hungry) of the proteins and vegetables included in the list. (The lists are quite long, so don't worry, it wouldn't turn you into a rabbit for 17 days.)

I'm on the first cycle, so I'm unfamiliar with the second cycle. I know you add some carbs every other day and do cycle one on the non-carb days.

I've included the list for cycle 1 below:
PROTEINS

Fish: Salmon, Sole, Flounder, Catfish, Tilapia, Canned light tuna (in water)

* Opt for wild-caught rather than farm-raised fish, which may have received doses of antibiotics. Avoid the bigger fish such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and albacore tuna. They are the most likely to carry metals like methyl-mercury, which is considered a toxin.

Poultry: Chicken breasts, Turkey breasts, Ground turkey -- lean, Eggs (2 eggs = 1 serving), Egg whites (4 egg whites = 1 serving)

CLEANSING VEGETABLES- LIBERAL AMOUNTS

Artichoke, Artichoke hearts, Asparagus, Bell peppers (green, orange, red, yellow), Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Green beans, Green, leafy vegetables (including beet greens, turnip greens, collard greens), Kale, Leeks, Lettuce (all varieties), Mushrooms, Okra, Onions, Parsley, Scallions, Spinach, Tomatoes, Watercress

FIBROUS FRUIT- 2 SERVINGS DAILY

Apples, Berries, all types, Grapefruit, Oranges, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Prickly pear cactus, Prunes, Red grapes

PROBIOTIC FOODS- 2 SERVINGS DAILY

Yogurt (any type, including Greek-style, sugar-free) (6 oz. container = 1 serving), Kefir: similar to a drinking-style yogurt; great for making smoothies (1 cup = 1 serving), Low-fat acidophilus milk (1 cup = 1 serving), Yakult: (1 cup = 1 serving), Acidophilus milk: (1 cup = 1 serving), Reduced salt miso dissolved in low-fat, low-sodium broth (1 tablespoon – 1 serving), Sauerkraut: (1/2 cup – 1 serving)

FRIENDLY FATS: 1 TO 2 TABLESPOONS DAILY

Olive oil, Flaxseed oil

CONDIMENTS

Condiments and seasonings are allowed in moderation: Salsa, low-carb marinara sauce, lite soy sauce, low-carb ketchup, fat-free sour cream, Truvia (a non-caloric sweetener made from natural ingredients), sugar-free jams and jellies, vegetable cooking spray, fat-free cheeses (i.e. Parmesan), fat-free salad dressing, salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard, herbs, and spices.


The 17-day thing is changing the way you eat. There are 4 17-day cycles. The first cycle is outlined above, the second cycle is mentioned as well, but I forgot to include that you're suposed to exercise for at least 17 minutes twice a day. The third cycle adds more foods to the list, has you pay particular attention to portions and proportions and has you increase your exercising 45-60 minutes. By cycle four, you have set healthy habits and now create a strategy to keep the weight off and stay healthy. So, cycle 4 is for the rest of your life, I guess.

In all cycles, you drink 8 8-oz glasses of plain water daily, in addition to whatever else you drink.


You're also instructed to drink green tea with each meal. That gets into a topic that is a personal thing and I don't wish to make anyone less happy by saying anything about it or opening a discussion of it on this supportive blog.

Once again, I just want to say THANK YOU to Becca and DeAnn for starting this contest and to all of you who are participating. I feel support and strength from you.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Introduction

Hi all!!
My name is Erin. I am Becca's niece, the daughter of Paula. We live in South Jordan. I have two children, a boy and a girl, and I love being a mom. I like to read, learn, sew, try new things,  and I'm learning to love cooking. Lots of sedentary hobbies (except for the mothering, that is nowhere near stationary!). I don't really like being outside and I have never exercised regularly in my entire life, but am trying to turn over a new leaf for the sake of my children (seeing me exercise and then knowing that I think it's important and going outside and being amazed at nature) and my own health. I would love to lose some weight if only to prove that I can do it, and the tangible benefits will be an added bonus. Thank you Becca and DeAnn for organizing this!! It's a marvelous idea and has started me on track to a healthier, happier me!

p.s. and thanks tons for the inspirational Life Abundant post.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Invitation to cleanse

By now we all know how hard it is to diet and exercise!

It's just a challenge to stay motivated and keep with it.

And it's hard to resist mindless eating.

The complaints against healthy eating and self-control could go on and on

(but so could the benefits!).


I'm ready for a change.


My sister, Paula, has completed the first phase of the 17 - day diet

(and Erin and my mom, Rozanne, are in it right now).

Paula did AWESOME.


It's intense but brings fast results. That's what I'm interested in.

So, I'm going to start a 17 -day cleanse on February 15th!

Anyone is welcome to join me. I will beg off these three ladies the instructions,

since I am waiting for mine to come in at the library.

I'll put the info on the blog so if anyone else wants to we can all do it together, and see results.


From what I understand you eat from a long list of cleansing vegetables, eat lean meats, enjoy 2 low-sugar fruits before 2 pm, drink your 8 cups of water religously,

and have 2 probiotics (plain yogurt) and a couple friendly fats.


So if you want to join mark your calendars for February 15th! We'll finish Friday March 2.


Stay posted.

Week 5 partials: keep posted!

DeAnn 2.5
Debby 6.608
Donna 4.12
Erin 5.16
Heidi 1.91
Joanna
Matt 2.11
Paul
Paula 8.0
Rebecca 7.55
Rozanne 8.67
Sarah
Steve 4.71
Terrel 6.1

You'll notice we have another participant! Erin, my lovely neice and Paula's daughter, has kept track since we started but just got into it formally! Welcome!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

week 4 results

Hi Everyone. I am going to start posting on Saturday regardless of whether I get all the reports in or not. I'll just add reports when I get them....

DeAnn has received $100 so if you are one that has sent in your donation to the winner, thanks! If not, please get that done: DeAnn Turner, 743 E. 675 S. Brigham City, UT 84302

I have received a couple of replies on the decision to have one, two, or three prize categories. Please write to me with your vote if you haven't already.

Also, my sister Paula has joined. Check out her results! She's started following a food plan outlined in "The Seventeen Day Diet" and it's amazing!

DeAnn 1.87
Debby 6.108
Donna 3.92
Heidi is a new grandma last Saturday!!! Congrats!
Joanna 4.63
Matt 2.79
Paul TBD
Paula 6.2
Rebecca 5.77
Rozanne 7.52
Sarah TBD
Steve is a new grandpa!!!!
Terrel 5.56