Ugh

Sorry guys, I am so sick right now. I'll be back when I can drag myself out of bed again.

Whoosh

Today I am watching 6 kids under the age of 8, answering phones for 9 hours for the company I work for, and making a homemade cupcake cake for the cub scout cake auction tomorrow. Yeah, I'm a little busy. But I wanted to drop in a show you guys a menu for a typical low carb day for me. You might be a little overwhelmed when going low carb for the first time wondering what you will possibly eat. The most common questions I get asked if, "Yeah, but what do you eat?!" (By the way an apology to my vegetarian friends for asking this same questions in that same puzzled voice).

So here's what I ate yesterday (keep in mind I'm in an early phase of my low carb eating so there's still a few foods I'm not allowed to eat):

Breakfast:
3 egg omelet with onion, peppers, garlic, mushroom, and cheddar cheese

Snack:
Low carb yogurt and sliced strawberries with whipped cream

Lunch:
Grilled Tilapia with lemon and butter, roasted asparagus and mashed caulifower

Snack:
Pistachios and a string cheese

Dinner:
Chicken Fajita salad (grilled chicken, onions, and peppers over a green salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and ranch dressing)

Dessert:
Sugar-free Jello with whipped cream, or an Atkins bar (the caramel nut chew one tastes just like a snickers)

I know I owe you guys a picture (do you know how hard it is to take a picture of yourself?) so I'll have the hubby take one tomorrow and get it up on Monday.

And for you ladies who are pumping iron with me:

Day 17

Forward Step Lunges
Deadlifts
Towel Squats
Uni Heel Raises
Torso Twists

Day 18

Combo Bicep Curls
Bent Over Kickbacks
Seated Flyes
Kneeling One Arm Rows
Single Arm Front Lifts
Abs

Day 19

Forward Lunges
Side Leg Lifts
Plie Squats
Uni Heel Raises
Reverse Leg Lifts

Day 20

Crunches
Forward Curls*
Standing Kickbacks*
Side Raises*
Lateral Drops*
Push Ups
Standing Bent Over Rows

Weigh-In Mar 19

Another Monday comes around again. Seems like the weeks are going by really fast and at the same time (with 4 weeks left until we move) extremely slowly! But onward we go. This morning I was 205. Yay! 20 lbs lost to date.

Funny thing with me, when I'm doing well I tend to get discouraged and sabotage my weight loss. Isn't that weird? I think I get upset about how much further I have to go instead of being excited about what I've done. Does anyone else get this way? I'm trying to be positive though (and not celebrate my weight loss with jelly beans).

I need to post a progress pic but my photographer is at a sleepover with grandma today. I'll try to get it up tomorrow or by Wednesday at the latest. And for those of you who are getting more buff by the day, here's the next 2 days of the routine:

Day 15

Reverse Lunges
Standing Leg Curls
Plie Squats
Bi Heel Raises

Day 16

Seated Bicep Curls
1 Arm Extensions
Seated Forward Presses
Standing Bent Over Rows
Upright Rows

Ham Cups

I've discovered one of the best, simplest, yummiest low-carb recipes ever! And the best part is it only has 2 ingredients. Seriously people when I say simple I mean 15 minutes from fridge to plate. To be truthful I wasn't the one who actually found it, my 8 year old did. (That's right, so simple an 8 year old can make it!) She was given an assignment to cook and serve a meal for the family. So she went through her Kids Can Cook recipe book looking for something low-carb her mommy and daddy could eat. She chose Ham Cups so we made them and they were so yummy we've made them 4 or 5 times since.

These are great if you're:
1. In a hurry
2. Have kids (they're super fun to eat finger food)
3. On a diet
4. On a budget
5. Not in the mood to cook (ding ding ding)

Here's how it goes. Get out a muffin pan and spray it. Take a piece of deli ham and push it into each cup so it makes a cute little ham cup. Then take an egg and crack it into the ham cup. I find the easiest way to do this (especially for kids) is to crack it into a measuring cup and pour it into the ham cup. Now pop it into a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes (depending on if you like your yolks runny or solid, I like them somewhere in between). Take them out and let them cool for a minute and then pop them onto a plate. Voila! All done. No really, that's it. Sometimes if I want to get fancy I put a little slice of cheese under the egg before I bake it.

Something magical happens to that egg while it is baking. I love the flavor of eggs but I HATE the texture. It seems to be that eggs are alternately slimy or rubbery. But these eggs are melt-in-your mouth smooth and delicious. The best part? Depending on what ham you use these have 0 carbs. Woo-Hoo!

And for you ladies who are pumping iron with me, here are the next 2 days of the routine.

Day 12

Forward curls
Bent Over Kickbacks
Bench Presses
Standing Bent Over Rows
Military Presses
Traditional Crunches

Day 13

Reverse Leg Lifts
Torso Twists
Traditional Crunches
Towel Squats *
Side Leg Lifts *
Forward Lunges *
Deadlifts
Plie Squats

Days 10 & 11

How's it going? Anyone trying the routine? Is someone out there sore today, I mean besides me?

Day 10
Biceps - Combo curls
Triceps - Standing Kickbacks
Chest - Chest flys
Back - Kneeling 1 Arm Rows
Shoulders - single arm forward lifts
Abs - Pelvic Tilts

Day 11
Legs- Walking Lunges
Back legs - Deadlifts
Legs/Butt - Towel Squats
Calves - Heel raises
Abs - Torso Twists

Weigh-In Mar 12

206.5 this morning. Not quite the 205 I was hoping for but still down 2 lbs from last week. Once I hit 205 that will be 20 lbs lost and I'll post another progress picture.

I missed my Friday post. We're buying a house right now and suddenly there's not enough time in the day.But I'm back now with days 8 & 9 of the weight lifting routine.

Day 8
Biceps - Seated 1 arm curls
Triceps - Bent Over Kickbacks
Chest- Seated Forward Press
Back - Standing, Bent-Over Rows
Shoulders - Upright rows
Abs- Crunches

Day 9
Legs - reverse lunges
Back Legs- Standing leg curls
Legs/Butt - towel squats
Calves - Heel raises
Abs - reverse leg lifts

Days 5 & 6

Sorry for posting this late. Here are days 5 and 6 of the weight lifting routine.

Day 5
Biceps - Supinated Curls - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Triceps - 1 Arm Extensions - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Chest - Chest flies - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Back - Kneeling 1 arm rows - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Shoulders - Reverse Flies - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Abs - Traditional Crunches

Day 6
Abs - Reverse leg lifts
Obligues - Torso Twists
Legs/Butt - Towel Squats
Waist - Lateral Drops
Legs/Butt - Forward Lunges
Legs/Butt - Deadlifts
Inner Thigh - Plie Squats

Why Women Should Lift Weights

Step back Jazzercise and take a seat Zumba! Women everywhere are realizing the amazing benefits of weight lifting. The best part? No expensive gym membership required. All you need is a cheap pair of hand weights you can purchase at Wal-Mart. If you're new to lifting, or new to exercising, start with a set of 3 lb weights and a set of 5 lb weights. If you are already exercising you might want to go with 5's and 8's.

Here's some of the benefits of weight lifting.

1) Increase Your Metabolic Rate - Strength training increases your metabolic rate by increasing the calories you burn on a daily basis. The more calories you burn, the more chance you have to drop body fat. With more muscle you burn more calories even when you're doing nothing at all!

2) Increase your bone density, your lean muscle mass, your balance, and your ability to heal.

3) Reduce your risk for coronary disease and diabetes.

4) My favorite? You need to lose less weight! You will lose more inches and need to lose less weight to get into those skinny jeans!

Worried about bulking up?
DON'T!!! It is testosterone that helps men to bulk up and women simply do not have enough of this hormone to bulk up like they do. Trust me, I have PCOS (Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) and one of the symptoms is excess testosterone production. If I don't bulk up while lifting a woman with normal hormone levels won't come close. You'll just build nice lean muscle.

So whose ready for days 3 & 4 of the routine? I am feeling the burn for sure today!

Day 3
Biceps - Hammer Curls - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Triceps - 2 arm overhead extensions - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Chest - Chest flies - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Back - Standing Bent Over Rows - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Shoulders - Military Press - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Abs - Torso Twists

Day 4
Legs/Butt - Squats - 1 set 20-30 reps
Back Legs - Standing Leg Curls - 3 sets 12-15 reps
Inner Thighs - Plie Squats - 3 sets 12-15 reps
Calves - Heel raises - 3 sets 20-25 reps
Abs - Pelvic Tilts

Google the individual moves but feel free to let me know if you can't find info on any of the moves. Just start! Every great change starts with one decision, one moment. This could be yours! So go buy some weights and drink some water. Then come back Friday for a new low-carb recipe.

Weigh-In Mar 5

All right amigos, we are back on track now! Scale was at 208.5 this morning. Three pounds down this week, so I've now lost all the weight I gained on my anniversary and even a little more! I'm getting really excited now because a huge milestone for me is starting to peak it's head up over the horizon. When I hit 205 that will be my first twenty pounds lost, and 203 will be 10% lost. Once I hit 205 I'll post another progress picture. And of course the big 199 isn't too, too far away, right?

For those of you who've been reading for awhile know that in January and February I was pretty consistent with going to the gym in the evenings. But now my husband is getting ready for a big plant shut-down and also studying for a professional engineering exam. Which in other words means that I'm basically a single mom for the duration. So I've been struggling with getting to the gym. So today I'm starting a weight lifting routine I can do at home, it only takes about 10-15 minutes, and all I need is hand weights. Maybe some of you would like to do it with me? This is a 6 day a week program (I'll be taking Sunday off).

Day 1
Biceps - Forward Curls - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Triceps - Backward raises - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Chest - Bench Press - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Back - Kneeling 1 arm rows - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Shoulders - Side raises - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Abs - traditional crunches

Day 2
Legs, front - Forward lunges - 1 set of 20-30 reps
Legs, back - Deadlifts - 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Legs/Butt - Towels squats - 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Calves - Heel raises - 3 sets of 20-25 reps
Abs - Reverse Leg lifts

I do each exercise once (12-15 reps) and then move on to the next one, and do that three times. So you do each exercise for 12-15 reps, three times. You want to choose a weight that you can finish all the reps in good form but one that provides a challenge. Too heavy and you can strain your muscles and too light you won't get an effective exercise. We could be here forever if I tried to explain each weight lifting move so feel free to google the individual moves if you're unsure of how to do them. In weight lifting proper form is key, and you also want to keep control of the movement in both directions.

Feel free to post if you have a question about the routine. I'll be back Wednesday with days 3 & 4. Drink lost of water this week!

Dr Seuss and Roasted Vegetables

Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss! My kids are at our table happily coloring their Dr Seuss activity books. Who doesn't love Dr. Seuss? The man was a genius! I'd rather read his books over and over to my kids then any others. As I was compiling my kids packets I came across this quote by Dr Seuss:

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You!"

What a beautiful sentiment! How much easier would our lives be if we focused more on being "you"? If we stopped trying to be like the mom next door (whose 14 month old is potty trained and always has her hair and makeup done), or the 18 year old at the gym (whose running for an hour at a 10 incline and never sweats a drop), or the lady at the grocery store (who has her coupons perfectly organized and paid $12 for her cart of groceries)? Today you are you, tomorrow you will be you, in 10 years you will be you. You are the only person you will be with every day of your entire life. How much easier would that life be if we love that person, huh? I propose that we all stop trying to be someone else and start trying to be the best "you" you can be! "There is no one alive who is Youer than you!"

Anyway, so on a low-carb diet you eat a lot of vegetables. I mean A LOT of vegetables! SO after a while you start looking for different ways to cook them (a little desperately). Right now my favorite method is roasting. Roasting vegetables gives them a deep, nutty flavor that is fantastic. Also, since I'm not a big fan of mushy anything, it gives them a slight crispiness.

What can you roast? Anything you want! Right now my favorites are broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus. Asparagus is especially tasty when roasted. Here's how you do it:

Roasted Asparagus

Wash your bunch of asparagus and then trim the stems. Here's how you know where to trim an asparagus. Grab the top of the asparagus with one hand and the bottom with the other. Gently bend the asparagus until it naturally breaks. Do 2 that way and then use a knife to cut the bunch at the same point. This ensure that you get only the tender part.

Spread on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil or butter. Toss to make sure they are all coated. You can use a lot of oil or just a little, it's up to you. Sometimes I just spray them with an oil spray. Then season with salt and pepper, and pop into a 375 degree oven. Check them after 10 minutes (or when you can smell them cooking) I like to leave them in a little longer until they are brown and crunchy on the edges.

Use the same basic concept to roast any veggies. Last week I did a broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and red onion mixture. It was divine! To jazz it up you could also sprinkle some grated parmesan onto the veggies before or after roasting.

Check back in Monday for weigh-in!