NEW YEAR'S BLISS

The Shopping hype was started by the million and zillion stores who are currently trying to outwit each other with the latest and greatest sale!  It helps to hold onto the reins during these crazy times to keep from going into debt.  It's also a good time to hold onto the reins during the Holiday festivities and to resist the sugars that  seem to come in every shape and form, and quite literally float in the air with their alluring scent.    The other day I  heard either on the radio, or the television;  that the average American gains four pounds during the Holiday Season.  Get this,  the weight never comes off,  and  it begins to accumulate year after year.  Unless of course you naturally have self control,  diet all the time,  or you're a Gym Rat, and you never leave a good treadmill behind.  

I'm proud to say that my horse literally didn't run away with me this year!  I didn't over indulge in shopping (basically because I was already broke),  nor did I give into the alluring aroma of my favorite Mac Nut candy, and all the other bad Belly Fat foods that have  helped me self destruct  in the past.   A  better word, SELF INDULGE!  I must say it,  I feel great about both hurdles!  I am worth this race, and I'm going to win it!

Instead of gaining four pounds,  I've lost four pounds in this month.  (December).  I didn't take any diet pills, didn't need to,  nor do I want to lose weight that way.  I  am learning  how to eat, so I will never be an obese person again.  I will do it naturally, using healthy information,  and my goal is to lose another thirty pounds either by my birthday in March, or most likely by my start date of July 1,  my one year anniversary on the BFC.  I'm not a fast loser,  but I'm a loser all the same!

My two favorite Christmas gifts are coming in pretty handy, so maybe shopping  is a necessary evil.    I've gotten used to the weight of my ShapeUps during my evening walks,  and my New Balance "heart rate monitor''  watch are proving to be quite useful tools while I follow the eating plan of The Belly Fat Cure book, authored by Jorge Cruise.  I'm walking a total of 45 minutes, and using our Elliptical another 30 minutes.  This combination is making me feel  in control, stronger, and fiercely motivated to change myself as I enter into the New Year.  HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU WHO WANT CHANGE!  MAY YOU FIND PURE BLISS THIS COMING YEAR.   BLISS   1.) complete happiness  2.) heaven or paradise.  

THE GIFT

A few weeks ago I was shopping in Costco and stopped by the watch and jewelry glass case near the beginning of the aisles.  I've been thinking about getting a heart and pace monitor watch, that I once wore over ten years ago when I was exercising with it on.  It has a strap that  fits around your chest area where your sternum is, and it measures your heart beat,  and relays this information to the watch that comes with it.  You set your age, weight, and it sets your target  goal  for burning fat.     When you are exercising aerobically, or go out on your walks it will beep to let you know you need to speed up,  and it will beep when your heart is racing, and you need  to slow it down  because then you are being ineffectual, and your heart is pumping too hard.  It's an ideal tool for weight loss because it keeps your work outs within your targeted  "fatburning''  stage.  Whether you are taking  twenty minute walks, which is suggested for health benefits on a daily basis, or doing a  run for those athletes that are more aerobically fit, or if you're taking an Aerobic lesson such as a Zumba class this is an effective tool to use.

Now back to my story: My husband kept texting me to go to Costco and pick the one I'd seen up for at least several weeks now, and that would be his Christmas gift to me!   It took me that long to think about getting it,  because I was still wondering if I would  use it or not.  The one I'd seen was a Nike brand, and it looked like a good one for about $65.00.  I went to Sport Authority and there range was anywhere from 69.00 up to 200.00.  You know what they say about people who put things off;  if you snooze you lose!  As of yesterday they no longer had it, and oh they do have the two hundred dollar one,  but not the one I wanted.  I will have to wait to get one somewhere else, if not I'll go to the  Sports Authority's After Christmas Sale.  

Now yesterday after work I stopped by Costco for a bag of dog food, and other produce, and my husband had gotten  the same idea two hour earlier, and  he also picked up a bag of dog food, and most of the same items that I had gotten. He did send me a text message that he was going to Costco, and I left my cell phone in my truck and  missed his message by minutes.  He said he also looked for the watch  while he was there and didn't see it,  so instead he walked up to me with a HUGE can of  Brown & Haleys MACADAMIA ROCA!   He said, "here Merry Christmas, I know how much you like these".  I handed them right back to him and said Merry Christmas, I'm sure you'll enjoy these." MEN! It's taken me months to loose 20 pounds, and I'm still in the ball park.  One 32 oz can, did I mention HUGE, would be my demise, since I can't eat just one!  Three little pieces have 16 grams of sugar, and 17 carbs.  We are eating on the BFC plan,  15 grams or less of Sugar per day, and this includes three meals and two snacks! Entering into the New Year lighter, and brighter!

All I Want For Christmas Is My... Thirty Pounds Gone!

Every year I have good intentions to mail my gifts ahead of time so they will make it to the mainland before Christmas.  Today I find myself standing in a gigantic line, package in hand in the Post Office, on a lovely Saturday morning.  I was happy when I made it out the doors leaving my box in good hands,  minutes before their doors closed at 11:00 sharp!    Doesn't the U.S. Postal Service realize we work during the day, and that there hours of operation are not conducive to mailing anything out that requires a scale and  postage.  Saturday is the day we are home, wrapping, mailing, and running around frantically looking for a roll of Scotch Tape.  We don't need the P.O. to close their doors on Saturday @ 11:00a.m.  Banks have moved up into the twentieth century, they now stay open  on Saturdays to 3:00 p.m., and amazingly some are open on Sunday.  It might not be the Internet, and emailing that is bringing the U.S. Postal Service down, it may just very well be those lousy hours they are willing to stay open. Just an observation...

I did manage to get my Christmas shopping done early for one person in particular.  Yes, it's me.  I'm the easiest person to shop for  because I know exactly what I think I need.  This year it happened while I was shopping in my favorite store, The Ross Store.  We did get one of those over here about ten years ago, and it's like going on an African Safari hunt.  I can stay in this store for about two hours when I'm in the shopping mood (guys you might not know what this feels like), and I can leave with plenty of items I absolutely can't live without.  Okay I could live without most of it, but I tell myself I work hard, and I am worth it!

This time I came home with my early Christmas present and they are the new Skechers Athletic Shoes called SHAPE-UPS. They have a little tag attached that list the benefits of these amazing sneakers!   Are you ready for this? The tag says, they may * Burn more calories  *Strengthen the back  *Firm calf and buttock muscles  *Tone and firm thigh muscles  *Increase cardiovascular health  *Improve posture * Reduce joint and back stress. These are some pretty amazing claims, and there are more claims but I'm too tired to type them all out.  My favorite reads - Get in Shape Without Setting Foot In A Gym.  Okay, these better work since I don't have enough money this year to spend on a gym membership.  All I know so far is this;  I took my dogs for a walk up our hill and these shoes weigh so much more than I'm used too, thus causing me to feel more tired, and my breathing increased, as we made it to the top. However I do like the fact that they make me a whole inch or two taller, they are brand new, and pretty looking for a shoe, and they also seem to cut down on the impact from the pavement.  More to follow as I observe them.  Thank You Santa!   Girls, I hope Santa is good to each one of you because you're on his Good List!  MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, AND  MELE KALIKIMAKA!

JORGE CRUISE RECIPES

I am struggling this past week, and the scale is showing signs of my stress!  Up three pounds from my 167lb.  My two year old washer is now officially broken, and had been leaking underneath it for about  a week, maybe two weeks now, before the floor started showing signs of sponginess, and now it looks like ceramic tile was the better choice for this area.  Luckily I have enough left over tile from two years ago still sitting in the corner waiting for me to get my second wind back so I'll do something with it.  Two years ago I finished our kitchen/family room remodel with my best friends help.  My contractors worked on the hardest parts in our kitchen, such as the plumbing, electrical, drywall, hanging cabinets, laying granite, and our lighting.  My friend helped me paint, and lay the hardwood floors in our family room, and in the laundry area, and  I laid the tile in our kitchen and pantry floors.   I drove to the dump over thirty times that year, and threw a counter top up on my truck that slide across and busted  my back window out in the process.  I never felt so tired in all my life as when I was working full time, and renovating.  I feel like I've been hibernating for the past several years. Now our plumbing in our bathroom sink is stopping up, Drano is not helping, our shower faucet is leaking from the spout and near nothing is coming from the overhead spray...  Cry, Cry, Cry, Cry, Cry. Plus I already can't stand the holidays...

Okay somebody stop me right here!   My blessings are: I better COUNT THEM:  I have a roof over my head, too much to eat, a warm cozy bed, clothes on my back, a truck that runs (with gas in it), shoes on my feet, a job, a paycheck, health coverage, a 401, 3 weeks vacation a year, co-workers,  friends, and a family who loves me most of the time!  Okay I'll shut up now.  WOW, I have a lot plus the three pounds I don't want! 

Maybe this will help create a spark!   Sometimes we learn by reading books, or some of us learn by a more visual approach and this is why Jorge's site on You Tube is a nice change to sink our teeth in to. For example;  he has all his recipes, and messages on video. It helps to see how he makes his delicious shakes,  and all the products he uses.  So go to You Tube on the Internet, and type in Jorge Cruise.   He has a lot of good information to absorb.  I've got to get a grip, and I've got to get my second wind back in following the BFC plan more accurately because I'm eating the BFC way, but I am pigging out at the same time.  For some reason my appetite seems to have made a change from feeling satisfied,  to feeling hungry all the time.  Hot Tea helps but not all the time. Maybe it has to do with a lack of eating a lot of fresh vegetables, because I haven't been eating them like I was before.   Back to the drawing board then.    To the Girls, how do you do it when you just don't feel like doing it?

Rain Rain Go Away...

I woke up to a downpour that lasted through out the night, and had to leave my warm cozy bed while it was still dark out, to be hit in the head by water falling off my roof ( in buckets)!   As I arrived to work I gingerly stepped out of  my truck into  three inches of water, which seemed to be  raging rivers circling  around my tennis shoes, causing them to become instantly drenched.   It's better to wake up like this I suppose, than to wake up and find your roof had blown off your house, or business due to the 40MPH winds like the Oahu residents  experienced during the night.  The firefighters were busy over on that island repairing roofs, and cutting up tree's that had fallen down in the roads.  It's been quite some storm!  We were lucky this time, and  can safely say the drought for  the Hawaiian Islands is officially over.  The Big Island  of Hawaii is getting hit with a ton of rain right now, and they  have  flash flood advisory warnings tonight,  so they  no longer  have drought conditions either, which  rarely happens to that island in the first place.    I'm sitting here blogging with my jacket on, and my little dogs have their ski jackets on too!  Okay, I didn't really write this did I?   I did buy them  some cute doggie fleeced lined little cover ups with  fuzzy collars, which my husband said is humiliating to them, and he also doesn't want me to take them out in public looking this way!   I told Mochi and Oreo they look very cute, and they wagged their tails, so I think they think they look good too!  Shssss, don't tell my husband I'm talking to dogs, he'll think I'm crazy! (Even though he does it - all the time!)

Well today I ate the following:  Org. Coffee w/ half n half.  Salad (no dressing- forgot to put it on), Yams, Egg Fu Young  (Tofu Style).  Snack: Dark Chocolate Mac Nut/Raw Almond  Cluster (homemade).  Dinner: Chili, made with organic beef, cheese, and sour cream and a cup of Unsweetened Almond Breeze milk.  I missed breakfast because I didn't want to go out on my break to grab something from Starbucks because of the rivers, and my shoe's and all.  Most mornings I walk over on my break to SB and  get a breakfast sandwich,  made with Bacon, Egg, and Gouda cheese,  on an Artisan Roll.  The BFC list the S/C Value  1/2.  I usually get a tall bold coffee to go with it, no sugar, cinnamon and half and half.   Hope our Sisterhood is thriving, and everyone is having a great week! Stay dry and warm too!

21 WEEKS FOLLOWING THE BELLY FAT CURE

Today I'm ending my 21st week of following The Belly Fat Cure lifestyle, and I am twenty pounds lighter than when I began on July 1, 2010.  Jorge Cruise, #1 New York Times best selling author wrote this lifestyle plan for those of us who are Carb lovers!  The Carb Swap System is his trademark eating method that guarantees you will automatically steer clear of foods full of the sweeteners and processed carbohydrates that chronically keep insulin levels high and belly fat present.  Each day your total eating goal needs to be 15 grams of sugar and 6 servings of carbohydrates. Calculate carbohydrates: 5 to 20 grams = 1 serving;  21 to 40 grams = 2 servings;  41 to 60 grams = 3 servings.  After about a week or so it becomes easy to remember this when you start reading labels on the food products you are buying.   Another key is to keep your three main meals close to 5 grams of sugar or less, and  Carbs @ 40 grams or less, that is 2 Serving size,  three times a day. ( Eat two snacks such as walnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, and other sugarless snacks!  No fakes sugars of any kind!

Getting this weight off has  improved my overall health.  I am going for my next twenty pounds, and I wish I could say that I've lost it already! Time is an issue and it involves setting small goals, and sticking to them.  Once you get the drift of the recommended daily S/C Value of 15/6 in your head, your belly will catch up, and it becomes a lifestyle!  So keep trying...

I think it's a good idea to get your hands on the BFC book, not only for it's information, but also for the great Recipes, the Food Items List with  the S/C Values, including the very important Serving Size. This could be why some people aren't seeing a decrease in their weight. This weeks Face Book page has Jorge showing off his abs, and he said, he's doing the 8 -minute AB Sculptor that is found in his book. I better start those because my stomach still looks like mashed potatoes!   All I can say is,  I'm trying...

Have a great week and keep trying to live healthy, and find your inner joy!  After all it's the Holidays!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Step 1: Shred a fresh head of Cauliflower. I bought an inexpensive Blacker and Decker Food Processor,  you can use a large cheese shredder, and make it the size of rice.

Step 2: Mix together the following ingredients:

2 Cups riced/shredded Cauliflower

1/2 Cup Mozzarella

1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese

1 Egg

2 cloves of fresh Garlic

Step 3: Spread the mixture to about 1/2 inch thick oblong shape or circle,  like you would dough on a lightly (olive oil) greased pizza pan or cookie sheet. Bake 350 degree for about 20 minutes. I like my crust to be a nice golden brown on top, so I set the dial to broil the last 2 - 3 minutes.  Watch it so it won't burn...

Step 4: Add your favorite toppings, making sure to use a low sugar sauce, and then bake 350 degree,  until  the cheese has  melted. Probably about 10 minutes. Slice it  up and serve.

Note:  I'm not big on red sauce so I have used the Sun dried Tomatoes in a bottle from Costco (8 pieces chopped up).  I then  chop Green, Red, or Orange Bell Peppers, Zucchini, fresh Spinach leaves, onions, mushrooms, and top with Mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese.   If you like this pizza,  make it a different way using  Cheddar Cheese topping over your veges.  I also read another recipe using Zucchini as the crust but I haven't tried it this way yet.   I think it's great for those who want glutton free food items, and for some of us who really love our vegetables. I take it to work the next day because it's super healthy, and taste good cold.  Enjoy!

THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

I wish I could say I enjoy the holidays like I used to when I was a kid. During this time of year emotions run high, people feel too rushed, and the Season brings a lot of stress over spending, and gift selection as we  head into December like a frigging freight train.  Today my boss told me he is asking his family to donate to it's local Food Bank in their home town, and he will do the same with the money he usually spends on them.   I like this idea a lot!  The front page of our local newspaper stated yesterday, that over two million people will lose their extended unemployment as of today!  Our local unemployment is the lowest in the nation around 6.70%. 
I've spent the past two weeks getting over the worse flu I think I've ever had, mainly due to the severe headache's caused by the tension of all the coughing I was doing.  My chest is feeling a little less stress on it now, and my energy levels are slowly climbing out of the trenches to the place I was before getting sick.  I've worked this past week in almost a daze, and when the end of my shift rolls around, I drive home from work to recuperate.  My doggies haven't been on a walk in two weeks! They are coping because I bought them some hard Nyla bones to take their energy out on.  I wasn't ready for this flu since getting the flu shot four weeks ago, and all the medicine we had in the house was outdated.  I was finding cough medicine dated 2007. I was finding Tylenol that was dated 2001.  Guess we haven't been sick with the flu in a long time. Tonight I went to the health food store and picked up a bottle of Barlean's Oliveleaf Complex and Bronchial Soothe. This new Barlean's supports a * Healthy Immune System, *Healthy Joints,*Healthy Blood Pressure, and *Cardiovascular System. It's a Super Orac Antioxidant.   Last week my lowest weight was 167, and tonight it is back to 169 lb.  I am still following the BFC guidelines and I'm on the road to recovery, but I want to get back into my comfortable routine of eating fresh vegetables, and planning balanced, healthy meals.  Hope everyone else is having success in your lifestyle plan. Remember to keep your feet firmly planted on the ground, and spread your wings so all can take shelter beneath them! 

Thank You

What was I saying about this Thanksgiving in my former blog, that I was going to be thankful for everything...Monday I came down with that stinking flu when I was working, Tuesday I used a day of sick leave, Wednesday I worked all day feeling sicker than a dog, Thanksgiving Thursday I had  another splitting headache that didn't want to go away, and the coughing just made my head and chest feel like they were going to explode, and luckily I had this day off,  and today is Black Friday I have to work it because it's one of the busiest money making days of the year.  I was up most of the night with this frigen deep coughing, and at least my migraine type headache is finally gone this morning, but  my chest cavity hurts like the dickin's!  I can't get sick like this in my eighty's.  It will surely be my demise... How does our older generation  handle this?  Even that dang flu shot did nothing for me on this one, and it had the H1N1 also included in it.  I just hope to get through the day with cough meds,  and fortunately Saturday and Sunday are my regular days off  so I can shake this thing with lots of rest...

Remember when I said we were invited to our friends house for Thanksgiving?  We were planning on cooking together and then eating our meal together but I had to cancel and stayed in bed  most of the day.  She bagged a meal up for my husband and myself,  and  her husband delivered it to our doorstep!  Everything tasted so good, and my dear friend even made my pumpkin pie, and cheesecake with Xylitol!  My husband's pumpkin pie, and cheesecake had regular sugar in it, and it tasted exactly the same as mine. My friend is pretty surprised by this new fact.  Since she was recently diagnosed with Diabetes  and is  loosing weight too.   I've  turned her on to using Xylitol.  I may not be thankful for this flubug but out of everything that's happened this week, I am thankful for our friendship that began in 1979 when I first moved to the islands by myself.  She's pulled me up, and I have pulled her up many times in the past.  Have a great day!

Products That Support Our Digestive Track, Also Support Our Skin, Hair, and Nails

Yesterday, a few days before Thanksgiving... Tuesday morning:  I wake up and off to work I go only hours later do I start feeling  tired, and aches begin in my joints.  By the end of the day I drive home, crawl into bed SICK!  Close to dinnertime, I wake up and eat a chic salad, drink some hot tea, call in sick for the following day, and then hit the sack again, it's 9:00 p.m.  My husband had this while I was visiting the mainland over a week ago, and those pesty germs must have lingered on.   We both had our flu shot for this year a little over a month ago too!  So what gives... 

We were invited  to spend Thanksgiving with our friends, and now I'm  home waiting to call them.  They're off work soon, and I'll let them know not to expect us for dinner.  My kitchen duties were to make the ice cream (BFC), and I was going to make sweet potato yams with apricots (Not BFC). 

It seems my appetite is still  pretty in tack, and I  ate breakfast this morning, a piece of Alvarado toast,  two eggs, and coffee.  Today's lunch was a nice Blackberry Salad with mozzarella, chick pea, cucumbers, orange sweet peppers, and purple onion.  Note:  Blackberry's are loaded full of antioxidants, and are a good source of fiber!  Over the weekend I went shopping in our local health food store, where I can get most anything (Mana Foods in Paia) and I walked out with an arsenal of products that contain live Probiotics, and Bioactive Enzymes, and  Omega 3.   These products are designed to help our bodies digestive track, skin, hair, and nails.  Barleen's was voted #1 best product of the year for FISH OIL.   The little clerk saw me reading the label and asked me if I wanted to try it.  She gave me a clean, plastic spoon and let me try the Mango Peach,  Chocolate Raspberry, and the Pina Coloda.  It's the best fish oil I've ever had, and the only fish oil I've ever had!   Disguised with Xylitol, and these amazing flavors  (the C.R. was too sweet) make it tasty.   I got two different flavors (smaller bottles), and take 2 tsp a day in my Fage yogurt or Protein Shake!   It's expensive stuff 17.95 for the small bottles, and about 23 -25.00 for the larger bottle.  I'm also sold on the Raw Protein Formula from Garden of Life.  It contains  Live Probiotics and Bioactive Enzymes, and has an ingredient called Chlorella, single cell green sea algae that bonds the toxins and assist the body in flushing out heavy metals, pesticides, and chemicals. Value: 0/3=1 scoop. Well enough science talk, my brain hurts, but  mostly when I cough...   Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving - 4th Thursday in November observed as a legal holiday for giving thanks for divine goodness
I'm going to be thankful this holiday season for staying on track, and being good to myself.  I'm also thankful for you ladies who know how to reach out into cyberspace with great words of wisdom, and who appreciate this road we are traveling on together, even when we are experiencing our highs and our lows.  I like this definition of Thanksgiving and throughout the holidays I want to really be thankful to God for all He has given me.  I'm going to count my blessings everyday as a prelude to making my New Year's resolution (since I rarely stick with them anyways).  I want to be thankful in good and bad times, for my family and friends, and for all the times the loop to loops come and  really take their toll.  I want to live in the moment, and be free from all the holiday wear and tear, and just partake in His divine goodness.   Have a great Thanksgiving everyone with your family and friends!  Cheers to our special sisterhood!

MOTIVATON

Staying on a plateau for the past three weeks can lead to throwing in the towel.  In my case it's made me even more determined to tighten up the reigns, and get a fresh outlook on what I have to do to go the distance.  I've only just begun, and the BFC is working for me, but now I need to add in more exercise!

While visiting my family for the past seven days in San Diego I have come back to my life here with a renewed energy, positive frame of mind, and ready to lose this extra baggage.  I spent the last day of my trip looking through all our family photo albums trying to find a fat picture of myself.  I wasn't overweight, not ever!  So how did I gain fifty pounds of unhealthy lard?   A little more than ten years ago I was the Head Coach for Age Group Swimming and I wasn't that overweight.   After I quit coaching  my fat really started to compound,  around age forty six.  Of course that's it, I wasn't swimming anymore, and I stopped  exercising, except for an occasional stroll with my dogs or my friend. 

What I found out when I was coaching kids to swim and compete were a lot of useful teachings.  The hardest by far was how  I  would  learn  to  impart "motivation".   Just how did I get sixty five kids interested in competition, and diving off the blocks in Speedo's, (admittedly boys were harder to convince)?  How did those kids come to practice five days a week to swim laps for a few hours while staring at the black line on the bottom of the pool, and then attend a swim meet  held every Saturday?   Everyday I had to shake things up!  I had to make things interesting,  teach  them new skills, and  make it fun!   I was constantly thinking up new games related to fun, and  more importantly I had to keep the kids interested so they could  better their swimming skills without them becoming bored of the hard work it took to become the best they could be!

MOTIVATION!  It's one of the hardest things to personally have, and to give to someone else, unless a light goes on, a spark is lit, and it ignites a fire!   C'mon BFC light my fire!

Vacationing In My Hometown

I'm staying in San Diego for seven days, in the  house I moved out of when I was 19 years old.  My bedroom is still warm and cozy, and I found a few familiar things still left in the dresser drawers.  My Mom wants to know what I want to do with these things.  She's had them over 36 years stored away in about the same condition as I had left them.  A few ribbons from my gymnastic and swimming days, a pink and blue dinosaur from a high school boyfriend, and of course pictures from all the fun days we had in our youth.  I'm not much for keeping things, and I think I may just clear some of the things out, but I'll keep the pictures for sure, and not look back at the rest.   My home has our son's things packed away in Rubbermaid containers piled sky high in his closet.  He moved out and onto college over five years ago.  It's great to be back in my childhood home, and I love visiting with my Mom and Dad.  My son flew down for his two days off from San Francisco, and has already gone home.  My brother took me to the old lake near our home, and we fed the ducks and geese some bread today.  It's still nice to have my memories of jogging around the lake with our family dog, Rusty. He would run ahead (no leash laws back then) and he would flush out the rabbits, and then he would circle back to check up on me, and then off he would run.  Those days seemed a lot less complicated.

My Mom thinks I eat too much, but she and my Dad don't eat much anymore.  They get full fast.  They can go hours without eating anything, and I'm having a hard time with that.  We have lots of yogurt in the house, but I looked at it, and it has 11 grams of sugar.  Staying at 15 grams or below of sugar is hard when it's not planned ahead of time!  We usually grab something while we are out, and I am trying to make the best choices I can.  Tonight we ate dinner over at the Soup Plantation.  My favorite place ever!  I ate fresh veges, great salads, french onion soup, and some chili.  I  had to get a very small bowl of frozen yogurt that probably  wasn't the best thing but I am not perfect,  and also on vacation!  Yesterday we drove to La Jolla to see the seals, and we found the Burger Lounge that Jorge Cruise recommended.  My Mom and I split the Grass fed beef burger, and a great tasting salad.    The hardest thing I've found so far was eating good on the flight over on Sunday.  I signed up for the vegetarian meal, and was offered a Turkey Sandwich or Pasta with Chicken.  I ate a turkey sandwich from Starbucks at the airport so I got the pasta (1/2 cup), and  threw my chocolate cake away.  By the time I flew in and weighed myself the next day I had gained 3 lbs.  Now I have at least gone back to my weight of 171lb.  Flying home this coming Sunday. I've been reading all your blogs and happy to hear about your weight loss!   Take Care...

Home Away From Home

Sunday I'm flying off to my home town of San Diego to visit my folks.  I should be packing my one carry-on right now since this trip will be a short one.  Seven days total  and I'm sitting here typing away  a new blog to my buds.  My hubby is staying home with our three dogs, and one cat so they will be well fed and not terribly lonely.    It's pretty expensive for a round trip ticket to the mainland,  and this is why  I don't get back as often as I'd like to.  A few years ago I did make it back for a two week vacation, and had a great time visiting with everyone.  I called everyone before I flew in,   and met up with  my  roommates from my college days, we ate dinner out, and caught up after so many years of being apart.  It was great seeing everyone again, and time is never an issue with relationships that have formed a beautiful link from the past, and will continue into the future.

This time I'm going to hang out, and visit my Dad  (who recently retired), and my Mom who plays a mean game of Bridge with her friends, and is always on the go to watch a new Play in town.   My brother,  Uncle and a few cousins also live nearby and I want to get together with them as well.  It will be nice to get off this "Rock" for awhile, and not have to get up in the morning at 4:00am to rush off to work...

Jorge Cruise is always putting pictures of the places he's eating out in town on his F.B. site, and just recently he has mentioned a place called the Burger Lounge in Hillcrest.  The beef  comes from grass fed cows, and the salads look so ono (means good in Hawaiian).  Another one of his F.B. pictures shows a Farmer's Market also in Hillcrest that I'm going to track down and pay a visit too.  No tourist attractions like Sea World, Wild Animal Park, and the S.D. Zoo this time around.   I've been on a Plateau for the past few weeks now, and I think I need this change of venue to shake things up.  I want to keep making good choices so I can keep my Mom and Dad in the loop on current  health  issues!  Usually I approach vacations as a time to go all nuts,  and eat  three huge meals a day at the finest San Diego restaurants in town.  Maui has very few restaurants to chose from, where you're not paying an arm and a leg for a healthy meal.  I'm bringing back some Kona coffee and Mac Nuts for everyone.   I better get to packing, and doing some cleaning up around here today before I go.   So keep reaching to become fit and healthy, and be the inspiration in your household!

What's The Hurry

HURRY \    vb:  go or cause to go with haste. n: extreme haste. 

Today I got word that my best friend is battling  Kidney Stones, and has been in quite a lot of pain since last Thursday.  She was having this problem a few months ago, and went to the  Emergency  Center because she was in so much pain.  She was given pain killers, and her Doctor gave her antibiotics for an infection that had also developed.  My friend was told to go home, and that she would pass the stone probably without her knowing it since it was small.  Her weight last year was 250lb. I noticed she had been eating a little less and  losing weight so fast every time we caught up over the weekend for our  breakfast outings.  She said the other day that her weight was 209lb.  I know her sister was taking a weight loss drug last year, and she had lost so much weight, and then in less than  a few months had gained it all back,  due to a stressful event in her life.  Now I'm wondering if my friend chose  that path so she could lose weight faster.

I don't believe in weight loss drugs because I've tried a few different ones,   the longest time was a week in my younger years, and I noticed my eye would  get this little annoying twitch in it, and even this little change in my body would let me know that it was not a good thing for me personally to take weight loss drugs.    Doesn't sound like much, but I have always tried to do things naturally, and  I've tried to keep a balance even when I was literally overeating.  Too much protein, veges, starches were found on my plate in abundance, and this is why I needed to get my health back in line by following The Belly Fat Cure Book.  Jorge Cruise has written his best seller to bring a balanced way to eat and lose weight safely, but through misinterpreting it's contents can also due a lot of harm. 

When you eat large amounts of animal protein and saturated fats, and do not eat whole grains, vegetables, and fresh fruits, there is no fiber to bind all of the toxins and fat together to be eliminated from your body.  You will eventually do an incredible amount of harm to yourself.  Your poor kidneys are in serious jeopardy of developing stones, aging prematurely, and failing altogether. The kidneys must work  twice as hard to break down protein and remove waste. Diabetics are in even worse trouble with a high-protein diet because they are already at a higher risk of kidney disease to begin with.   Don't care about your kidneys and just want to lose weight?   Quoted from the book Skinny Bitch Page 40 

I've seen Jorge's Facebook fan page.  Some people have written things like: so we can't eat any fruit on the BFC and I'm really going to miss it;  and others describe their breakfast as having a plate piled sky high with bacon, eggs, and cheese... I think these people will blame their diet failures, or when they develop health issues  because they chose to stay ignorant.  They  haven't taken the time to really explore the pages in the BFC, and other health books.  Yes, FRUIT IS AN OPTION,  berries have the lowest natural sugars,  and Yes,  ANIMAL PROTEIN (eggs, bacon  are  okay,  but make the wisest choice!  I'm buying bacon now without Nitrates = preservatives, and it is not just salt, as someone thought.  Fresh vegetables are the best source for weight loss, when combined in meals, or eaten alone, and they do get your colon moving.  Remember to drink plenty of water this is also very important.  Walking 20 minutes a day moves the colon.  As we go on this journey to lose weight,  we also must go on it safely.   Don't be in such a hurry to loose 9 lb. in a week,  our bodies aren't designed to do this week after week for long periods of time.  Lose weight slowly, and learn what your body needs.  And when your emotions start to lead you by the hand this is another story!

We Scream For Ice Cream!

Okay, I admit I have a weakness for ICE CREAM!   Dark Chocolate too apparently but hey, why not mix them together since they are found in my lifestyle book, The Belly Fat Cure!  I don't miss sugar in my coffee, or soda's during my lunch break that I was so fond of before.  Lucky me I wasn't born with a silver spoon of Aspartame in my mouth,  and  I find Stevia,  to my own taste buds be true, telling me it taste awful!   So I am ending my 16th week of following the BFC plan, with a sweet tooth that is only craving  Dark Chocolate, and now longing for a little adventure: ICE CREAM!   I am becoming a bit more smart  on The Belly Fat Cure, and I am making this Ice Cream following the Belly Good guidelines of course!

My shopping places have changed and include Down to Earth, Alive and Well,  Wholefoods, and Costco  for most of my ingredients. On the weekends I make  a trip to buy my fresh produce from the Upcountry Farms, and also from the farmers who sell fresh produce at our local Swap  Meet  (see my former blogs).  Why  Clemmy's Ice Cream  isn't found  in any of our stores is beyond reason!  You see, Clemmy's Ice Cream gets the official Belly Fat Cure seal of approval. 

So last weekend my goal was to buy a Cuisinart Ice Cream maker, and follow the ingredients in the Belly Fat Cure book to the letter.  No cheating whatsoever... My 1.5 qt. Ice Cream maker was on sale at Macy's for twenty dollars off, such a deal, and  the total came to 50.00 dollars.  Next I went to a place called Mana Foods in Paia.  It was a Hippy town in the 60's,  a  Windsurfing town in the late 70, 80, and 90's, and now it's just a mix of young, old,  and  tourist who like to Hang Loose and  shop, eat, and stroll up and down the two main streets that make Paia a town.  Can you guess where I found the Clemmy's Ice Cream with the  little BFC blue seal on it's front?  Yep, in  Mana Foods for 2.99 cent.  Here's the really good part,  the total for making my first Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream came to 69.00 dollars!  Now Clemmy's was looking even better, but I had my "maker"  at home all washed,  and ready to use.  My ingredients were paid for and already in the shopping bag!  

Remember when I said, Stevia, and I could never be friends, or something like this?  I found my sugar replacement in  Emerald Forest Brand called XYLITOL.  Jorge Cruise says Xylitol is a sugar alcohol derived from the fiber of various fruits and vegetables, and it could come from Birch trees.  The Emerald Forest brand gets Xylitol from U.S. grown Birch Trees.  He goes onto say, Finland found in it's research, that  it may prevent the advancement of osteoporosis.   I couldn't find  Maltitol Sweetener Syrup,  a sugar alcohol, so I did substitute this one item.

If you can't find  Clemmy's  Ice Cream in your store's, then go ahead and splurge!  My Vanilla Ice Cream came out  delicious, and it's super easy to make!  I will add a bit of coffee next time and  I did add a little  Green and Black's Organic Cocoa Powder.  One serving size of ice cream  is 1/2 cup.  So don't go all nuts!   S/C Value = 0/0.

Morning Spent Hunting for the Best Produce

On a clear day in Minnesota my nephew's wife is shaking hands with the President!  I don't know any other details involved in this, other than she's written this on her F.B page this morning.   That's a once in a lifetime opportunity!

I, on the other hand, woke up early this morning, picked my good friend up from her house, and headed to our local swap meet in town.   Every Saturday  the Vendor's set up their wares before sunrise so they can be  ready to sell anything,  and everything they have dreamed up!   They'll make some spare change,  and give the customer's  a choice, so "we"  don't have to pay high prices in the markets here!   I think some seller's just like to sit around and  "talk story" as the day goes by.

It was a  warm day walking around in the hot sun  as the afternoon approached,   and I did work up a little appetite by the time I drove home.  After lugging my  goods to the kitchen counter, I whipped up a Salsa made from  fresh tomatoes, green chili's,  green onions,  onion,  cilantro,   garlic cloves, chili powder, and added a pinch of sea salt (no recipe required).   I heated up the  refried beans (brand Rosarita Vegetarian), sprinkled one tortilla with cheese, and topped it off with lettuce, and of course,  plenty of Salsa.    Lunch was served and husband is kind of happy I am finally learning how to cook (wink). He gets to partake in the bounty!  Thinking you are all being victorious this week, and winning the battle of the bulge to some degree will really make my week.  I am coming off my 16th week on the BFC with zero change, and  now I'm going to expect good change over  my 17th week!  My reasoning for staying at ZERO loss and ZERO gain:  I think the body needs to adjust itself for the lost pounds for the past few weeks!  See:  Not a bad excuse, just some rational reasoning...

So here's the  skinny on the S/C Value  1 Mission Tortilla = S/C of 1/2.    1/2 Cup  Refried  Beans  S/C= 1/1     Everything else; cheddar cheese 1 oz.= zero,  tomato  medium 1/0,  onion  1/0    LUNCH  VALUE 4/3
My friends following the BFC lifestyle have informed me to try the Smart & Delicious Tortillas.  Their VALUE is 1/1.  The Mission Flour Tortillas I ate have a VALUE: 1/2. 
THE REAL KICKER IS: Flour Tortillas only have 1 gram of Fiber.  The Smart Tortillas I just bought at Costco have a whooping 12 grams of FIBER!  This will help you get to the recommended 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day!
THANKS GIRLS! 

The Road to Hana

This past Saturday I decided to meet my friends in Hana for an overnight camping trip.  They left on Friday and set up camp before I drove over to meet them the next day.  Boy, what a drive it takes to get to one of the most beautiful places on earth!  I think the tourist shops still sell a t-shirt that says, "I Survived The Road To Hana".

It takes a few hours from my house to travel over the  54 bridges, and approximately  600 sharp curves that become one lane in many situations.  I was praying I didn't meet the usual crazy local who thunders by in his or her  Monster truck at a high speed causing everyone to hold their breath, then exhale slowly, with a huge sigh of relief to come out unscathed.

My friend and I hiked 4 miles (total) to a bamboo forest, and then up to Waimoku Falls.  I have been walking my dogs so my heart wasn't pounding too bad,  and it didn't take much of a beating. (no pun intended).   I was conscience of the fact  I had a little pain in my ankle, and my knees had a tinge of pain from the descent.  I had rolled my ankle once in camp on a protruding rock, and lucky it rolled right back but it's still somewhat sore.  The climb was worth every minute and a little tinge of pain was okay!

Back in camp I brought out my cooler filled with little cups of Tofu, sweet potato, more tofu & vegetables, and made an almond sandwich with Ezekiel 100% sprouted grain.  I drank a lot of water on this trip, because Hana gets so humid, and hot!   Dinner was a barbecue burger (no bun), broccoli salad,  and after swimming and hiking all day,  it tasted really good!  There is something magical about camping, sunrise,  new mornings, great coffee, and  eating eggs and bacon over the Coleman stove, don't you think?


As my 16th week begins I started it off with a bang!   I thought I would wake up feeling  stiff and sore today, but I actually woke up feeling great!  I ate right, and  refused the soda, chips, and whatever else my friends brought along in their cooler.  I'm ready to hit another trail, and having more adventures ahead!

It's Not As Simple As Pushing A Button For Weight Loss...

I'm entering my 15 week of the BFC lifestyle,  and I've discovered a new machine for my kitchen.  Yep, it's a Food Processor of the utmost easiest fashion.  It has a simple On and Off button, with a Pulse!  It chops, grates, mushes, and whips up a pretty good Hummus in minutes!  I didn't want to spend a lot of money on something I might not use very often, ( I'm basically still allergic to the kitchen), so spending a mere 33.00 dollars in WalMart on this Black and Decker 8 cup food processor was a bargain. 
Since getting it home this morning I've made two different items, and now my husband is in the kitchen whipping up a chicken kabob thing-a-ma-doddle on a stick  for dinner no less!  I'm glad someone else enjoys using it besides me.  Ladies take note, you might get your man in the kitchen to cook a meal  if he has a new toy to play with.  I'm much smarter than I thought...  Here's the Hummus recipe to try... 

Hummus Recipe - makes 8 servings

1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained                           1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 cup sour cream                                                                      2 garlic cloves (peeled/crushed)    

1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)                                        Sea Salt  1/4 tsp. (just a pinch)

1 whole lemon peeled (for juice)                                        Add: 1/2 Red Bell Pepper or 3 mint leaves if you like.

 Mix  it all together  Process until creamy.                                                                                                                         Last but not least:  drizzle with olive oil, paprika, and  if you like it hot use a little pinch of Cayenne!  I serve it  with Pan fried Zucchini cut lengthwise, and two small slices of 100% whole wheat Pita bread. ENJOY!                                                                         
Total 6/5 Value   Based on eating a  1/4 cup Hummus, 1 Whole Pita 2oz. and 1/2 cup cooked Zucchini.                                     

Going To The Dogs and Feeling Great on the BFC

Just made it a day past my 14th week on The Belly Fat Cure and I  want to give a  shout out to Jorge Cruise for being my Coach on losing weight and making me healthy again!  It's working, and I'm finally getting a grip on cutting out the sugars, and craving the wrong kind of Carbs!     I also want to give a shout out to my faithful companions for making me walk up our hill every evening (after a hard days work).  If you didn't look at me with those expectant eyes and wag those enthusiastic tails, I'd probably go straight to the computer and write blogs or watch T.V.  So in your own small way you are contributing to the cause,  and pushing me all the way you little brats! 

Weekly Weight Loss on a Slippery Slope!

•  BFC   7/01/2010   185                waist 42.5      

• Week 1     7/08      181.4      -3
• Week 2     7/15      179.6      -2
• Week 3     7/22      178.4      -1
• Week4      7/29      179.6     +1
• Week5      8/05      179.4       0
• Week6      8/12      176.6     - 3
• Week7      8/19      177.2    +.5
• Week8      8/26      178.2     +1    waist  36"
• Week9      9/02      176.4     -2
• Week10    9/09      176.6       0
• Week11    9/16      176.2       0
• Week12    9/23      174.0     -2
• Week13    9/30      175.8     +1    waist  35"
• Week14    10/07    175.2     -.5
• Week15    10/14    172.4     -3
• Week16 10/21 172.8 +4                                            
• Week17    10/28    172.0    -.2
• Week18    11/04    172.8    +.6 Vacation week
• Week19   11/11    172        -.8
• Week20   11/18    168.8     -3
• Week21   11/25    169.5    +1    waist 35"   Flu

•  A year ago my weight was 184lb. when I had a check up in the doctor's office.   He didn't seem too overly concerned about my "obesity" his words,  and apparently I took it as a omen and continued to visit Starbucks for my morning break all year long. I discovered lattes with whipped cream, and I got hooked on warm chocolate croissants.  When lunch rolled around,  my co-workers and "I"  would go eat from the usual fast food places around town, and sometimes we'd go to IHOP's  or Denny's for fine dinning.  We couldn't do too much damage on a one hour lunch break after all...Wrong!  It was a hot day in June when  I jumped on our scale because I wasn't feeling all that red hot, and it said I weighed 188lb.  Throughout June  I began to eat better, and was laying off the fries a month before I picked up Jorge Cruise's book,  The Belly Fat Cure.  I was thinking I was a good candidate for diabetes or something worse and I already knew in my heart that I needed this type of guidance when I started to browse through his book.    I've never been a rigid person, and if things have too much structure it won't be long before I'll be doing something else.   I like this Belly Fat lifestyle challenge because I've had a  "jelly belly"  for far too long!  I began my BFC weight loss journey on July 1, 2010.

To Eat or Not To Eat, That Is The Question

1. Stop Starving Yourself.
2. Eat Every 3 Hours.
3. Know Your Sugar 
4. Know Your Carbs
5. Be Exact
6. Drink Water
7. Start Losing Belly Fat First.

Sounds simple, right?  Basic really, right?   Then why is it so darn hard to stay thin?  Bottom line: to lose belly fat,   you must keep your insulin levels low.  Since sugar and carbs have the biggest impact on insulin, we only track sugar and carbs on the Belly Fat Cure- it's that simple, and it's the only way you'll lose weight.   Jorge Cruise The Belly Fat Cure Page 14                                                                             

A Day On The Farm... Can't Get More Fresh Than This!

I'm the first to admit I have allergies to kitchens!  I try to stay in one as little as possible, but ironically I do love food.  That is when someone else prepares it, and then I revel in it because the food they "love" to prepare  always taste so good.  I was raised in a small town, within a large city in Southern Cali.  My Mom didn't, and still doesn't like to cook,  she finds it as tedious as I do.  Mom could open cans,  pour whatever was in them into a sauce pan, heat and serve. She'd then cook up a hamburger patty or bake a meatloaf,  and serve those   on a plate with some corn, beets, carrot sticks, and wallah dinner was served. Her specialty was tacos, spaghetti, and lasagna.  We would always end dinner with  a "huge" bowl of ice cream!  To my Mom's credit she was given a little taste of ice cream when she was an infant,  and thereafter ice cream became her drug of choice. I don't remember a time our freezer was ice cream less... 

My food time line goes something like this: 1st salad ever- college.   1st brown rice and zucchini dish- college.  1st bagel and cream cheese - college.  It could be that my brother and I were terribly finicky eaters when we were growing up.  He always had to have his chocolate milk!  I drank mine white, but then I would come home from school and make my own concoction of butter and brown sugar  whip it up to a yellow creamy sweet treat!  My Mom and Dad were working but my brother always let them know this.

My high school/college years  were so active;  lived to swim, hang from bars in gymnastics, skied, played the best boys in  racquetball and tennis, and I never had a problem with weight, being heavy or the opposite having anorexia or bulimia, though I knew girls who did.  I always liked feeling strong, fit, and I just loved to be outdoors.

Fresh produce was out of the picture for most of my childhood because I was a finicky eater.  After discovering just how great  food can taste  I began to put on weight, and become less active after I was in my forty's.  So here I am a late bloomer when it comes to cooking, combining ingredients so they taste good, and all this at age 55 no less.  I'm following the Belly Fat Cure lifestyle by Jorge Cruise.  

I spent the day on the farm searching for fresh ingredients and I hope you like these pictures. 

 

THE BELLY FAT CURE 15/6 VALUE - THE KEY TO SUCCESS

I will attempt to explain the meat of the BFC lifestyle plan.  No pun intended, but not a bad choice of words!   What does a daily total of 15/6 Value  look like per day?

Let's start with SUGAR: 15 grams of sugar is allowed per day. The Belly Fat Cure book has the Fruit listed on page 307. Say you eat a bowl of Blueberries in the morning, and 1 serving (1/4 cup) has a value 4/1. The rest of the day you have 11 grams of sugar to use, but no more than 11 grams or you will see the fat stay on your body! Anything under .5 grams is not counted.

The second part deals with the CARBOHYDRATE serving size. Notice I said "serving size'' not grams!   Let's say Blueberry's have a  4/1 value,   4 sugars/1 carb.  When it says a days total of 6 Carbs,  it means  6 servings,  a days total of 120 grams.  Carb servings are counted as follows:  5 -20 grams is 1 serving; 21 to 40 grams is 2 servings; 41 to 60 grams is 3 servings. Anything under 5 grams is not counted. 

The best way to learn this is to look at the Nutrition Facts listed on a package of bread. My bread has Sugar listed as 2 gr. (grams). Total Carbs as 18g. This breads serving size is for 1 slice (not a half dozen).  So if I eat 1 slice of toast for breakfast I have used a value of 2/1.  2 Sugar 1 Carb.  This is very good because  I  can eat 13 grams of sugar, and 5 servings of Carbs for the rest of the day. Most days I eat veges because they are healthy, and add fiber (35 gr. a day is best). I try to buy organic products and produce as much as possible because they tend to last longer, and are great tasting once sugar has left the table!

You'll get better when you start flipping cans, bottles, and packages over to read the Nutritional Facts on all the food products you handle while out shopping. It will eventually become a habit.  My personal rule of thumb is to keep the sugar values under 5 grams per meal, and have up to 40 grams of carbs per meal, 3 x's a day. My two (allowed) daily snacks  are nuts, or a vegetable that is under 5gr.  You will be amazed at the sugar/carb content that has gone into your body on a daily basis.  The teachers of your children will personally thank you for cutting out that  junk in your kids meals.  You will notice changes, and they will be many good ones! 
  
Okay, I hope this helps explain the 15/6 Value per day.  This is key to losing weight and maintaining it once you've reached your goals.   I suggest reading other BFC blogs. This is the eleventh week for me, but some people discovered this best kept secret over a year or two ago!   Their information is very helpful!

SOME CHANGE IS BETTER THAN NO CHANGE

PICTURES SPEAK A THOUSAND WORDS!

IF YOU WANT TO FACE YOUR TRUTH, THAN TAKE A REALLY GOOD PICTURE OF WHAT YOU CURRENTLY LOOK LIKE.  I ALWAYS THINK I AM MORE THIN THAN I ACTUALLY AM, AND IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I SEE A PHOTO OF MYSELF.   I HARDLY RECOGNIZE THE WOMAN I'VE BECOME.   

WE CELEBRATED TWO WEDDINGS THIS PAST SUMMER WITH OUR NEPHEWS,  AND UPON SEEING  "ONE" OF THE PHOTO'S WITH YOURS TRULY IN IT, I FELT SUCH A JOLT THAT I COULD LITERALLY SEE WHY I  WAS FEELING SO SLUGGISH  EVERYDAY.  WITHIN THIS PAST YEAR I HAD GAINED 10 LB. EATING LUNCH OUT EVERYDAY WITH MY COWORKERS, AND LET'S NOT FORGET TO MENTION STARBUCKS IN THE MORNING TO CURE THE DAYS SLUG FEST!

THE FACT IS,  AS WE AGE WE THINK WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE OUR STURDY LEGS TO GET US AROUND,  RIGHT?  I USED TO LOVE WALKING OUR DOGS,  WHEN THE DAY COOLED OFF,  AND THE SUN BEGAN TO SET.    EVERY MORNING UPON RISING,  MY ACHILLES TENDON  BEGAN TO TIGHTEN UP IN  MY RIGHT ANKLE.  I WOULD DRIVE DOWN THE HILL TO TO GET TO MY 5:00 AM JOB, GET OUT OF MY CAR,  AND THEN QUITE LITERALLY  LIMP INTO WORK.    I COULDN'T RUN IF A MUGGER WAS GOING TO ATTACK ME!   MY ANKLE NEEDED A GOOD HOUR OR TWO BEFORE IT WARMED UP,  AND IT LET ME WALK A LITTLE MORE NATURALLY.   THIS MADE ME MORE AWARE THAT THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF GREATER PROBLEMS TO COME  IF I DON'T GET THIS WEIGHT OFF!

WE ALL HAVE OUR WAKE UP CALLS AND I JUST SAID,  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.  I AM GOING TO HEAL MYSELF AND GET THIS TENDON BACK INTO SHAPE AND STOP LIMPING!   MY BOSS SAID I SHOULD SEE A DOCTOR AND  I  SAID,  "WHAT FOR,  ALL HE'S JUST GOING TO DO IS GIVE ME A CORTISONE SHOT OR POSSIBLY MEDS TO TAKE THE PAIN AWAY.    TO MAKE THIS LONG STORY SHORT, WHEN 5:00AM ROLLS AROUND I NO LONGER LIMP INTO WORK!    I HAVE BEGUN TO WALK MY DOGS UP OUR HILL FOR A TWO MILE WALK IN THE EVENINGS WITH A NEW SPRING IN MY STEP!   MY WEIGHT IS COMING OFF,  AND MY ACHES AND PAINS ARE LEAVING!   

THANK YOU  JORGE CRUISE  FOR THE TEN YEARS OF RESEARCH AND WORK YOU'VE DONE ON THE EFFECTS OF INSULIN.  MY "MUFFIN TOP'' IS DEFINITELY SHRINKING, AND I DON'T LOOK LIKE I'M 9 MONTH PREGNANT, ONLY 6 MONTHS!    THE  BELLY FAT CURE LIFESTYLE EASILY WORKS.  

I AM 14LB.  LIGHTER IN  11 WEEKS!   MY ANKLE HAS HEALED AFTER CONSTANT LIMPING ON IT FOR THE PAST THREE MONTH.   I  HAVE A JOLT IN MY STEP,  INSTEAD OF BEING JOLTED  BY PICTURES OF MYSELF AT 188LB!      GOAL SETTING IS IMPORTANT.  PERHAPS I'LL JOIN A  ZUMBA CLASS NOW THAT I CAN ''WALK'' AGAIN!

READY FOR A CHANGE

It all started one  Saturday morning when my friend and I decided to go shopping and we ended up browsing in our local Border's Book Store.  I was passing a shelf and  I happened to pick up the book The Belly Fat Cure by Jorge Cruise.  Never hearing anything about it, I flipped it over to read the back jacket, and while opening it, I noticed Jorge Cruise  lives in San Diego.  Based on this information, and seeing my hometown mentioned, I thought this must be a good book.  The book even mentions he has been on the Oprah show...  

I read the BFC that night in my bed before falling asleep with it draped across my face only to wake up at 1:00 am to lift it off, and to place it on my dresser.   Hoping I  could get this new lifestyle through osmosis I suppose, but as the new dawn lit up the sky it also brought me back to the task at hand. I finally feel a little spark ignited to get off my sorry butt, and to kick some serious booty, MINE!

  

The process begins on July 1, 2010.   While reading the book I begin to follow the plan roughly at first for the  first two to three weeks before getting into my groove.  I spend  time on Google searching for Jorge Cruise, for more information on The Belly Fat Cure, and I come up with his Face book  page, which by the way has been very helpful.  I discovered Amber's blog (Me and Jorge), and she has had amazing personal success following the BFC lifestyle, and has lost a total of fifty pounds!  She has provided so much insight by blogging, and I've followed the details she's provided to make this workable for carb sensitive people like myself.  

I am expanding my search to be a part of this BFC community.  So here's to a healthier lifestyle with no sugar, artificial or "real", to following the S/C Value.  I will take a smaller waistline anytime, and I've needed one for sometime now.

Thank You Jorge, Amber, and the rest of you who are seeking healthier lifestyles!