Another new recipe and 8 pounds down

Yesterday I stepped on the scale again and found that I am 8 pound down from where I started.  While that doesn't sound like a lot, it is down and not up.  So, in about a month, I have lost 8 pounds, which is a healthy rate of weight loss.  I have decided to take pictures and measurements once a month during this journey, so that date is coming up.  I figured that I began this journey on January 4th.  So this weekend, I will measure and weigh to see what has been happening.  This morning I put a pair of pants on that were tight a few days ago.  They are looser now.  This is another good sign.

This week, the Healthy Hornet Challenge began.  The Kick-off event was on Monday.  I went to it and ran for the first time since my knee surgery.  Let me tell you, it wasn't easy, I WAS DYING!  But I made it 400 meters in 2.34 minutes.  I also did sit ups and push ups.  After the testing, I stayed at the Rec Center and rode on the exercise bike for 30 minutes to get in some cardio.  I also need to work on adding weight lifting and swimming.  I hope to improve, but I need to work on adding exercise to my routine.  Ideally, I would like to get up earlier in the morning and exercise then.  On Sunday, I went to an organizational meeting for a triathlon training group.  I think that I am going to try a short triathlon in April.  I need to begin training for it now.  Working on training for it will help with creating a new me.

Last night, I made another new recipe, Low-Carb Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Sauteed with Vegetables and Feta, http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2014/04/mediterranean-spaghetti-squash-saute.html.  It was really good. I am having the rest of it for lunch today with the addition of garbanzo beans (chick peas) for more protein.  

Another week, 8 pounds and new recipes

It's been a week since I blogged last.  During that time, I have stuck to the plan.  I know that I cannot go completely low carb and high protein for the rest of my life, however, it should work for now.  On Sunday and then again yesterday, I stepped on the scale.  Both times I was at 255.2.  This is eight pounds down from where I began 3 weeks ago.  I have been trying different recipes.  Tonight we cooked chicken and added coleslaw mix to it to make deconstructed egg rolls.  Last night I made a Low Carb Cheesy Ham Cauliflower bake.  It was really good too.  On Monday, I did go off program for our staff meeting and I ate a small slice of cheesecake.  I also had fruit a couple of days this week, so I need to see how that affects the weight loss.  If I haven't lost anything on Friday when I get on the scale again, I will cut the fruit out for now.  I just want to keep moving forward, which means that the scale will keep going down.

The one place that I am struggling right now, is with exercise.  I want to exercise but I need to switch my schedule around so that I can workout in the morning.  I would like to begin swimming, but I am tired when I get home.  That makes me think that I need to workout in the morning.  My goal in the next week is to exercise at least three times during the week. 

Weigh in day and continuing on...

I weighed myself and measured yesterday.  I was a little disappointed that I only lost 4 pounds in the 8 days, but that is 4 pounds that I didn't gain and overall, I am close to 10 pounds.  When we measured, I lost 2 inches off of my waist.  And do we go on....

Last night, I tried another low carb recipe, Ground Beef and Sauerkraut Low Carb soup, http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2007/01/south-beach-phase-one-recipes-ground.html.  It was like the sauerkraut dip that my mother-in-law used to make.  It called for sour cream on top, but to be more like the dip, I added it into the soup.  It was really good tasting.  I just need to keep moving forward.  I decided that I will weigh a couple times a week and no more than that.  So my next weigh day will be on Friday. 

I am not hungry when I do this eating plan and it works, so I plan to continue with it until I stop losing weight.  The last time, I made it quite a while and I don't know if it stopped working because I stopped following it strictly.  So I plan to keep moving on and working hard. 

On Monday, I worked out for 45 minutes on cardio and then weight lifting after that.  Today I did 20 minutes on the elliptical.   I am still thinking about trying to go vegetarian, however, I have not completely made that decision yet.

Last Day of the 8 Day Ignite

Today is the last day of my 8 day ignite.  I overcame some challenges this week to stay true to my course.  On Friday night (a meal day), we were invited to hang out with friends.  I brought a low carb dish with me and stayed low carb all night.  It was good to learn the wine doesn't have many carbs in it.  Even with that in mind, I only had one small glass.  On Saturday, we went to the basketball game.  Once again, I drank a lot of water and did not give into the popcorn that my husband purchased.  Finally, on Sunday we had a dinner at church.  I did not help myself to the white cake (even though I love white cake) and ice cream.  I had the meat, salad, and green beans.  Yay me!

Yesterday I tried a new recipe.  It turned out great and is a keeper, spaghetti squash mock lasagna.  http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2015/01/low-carb-mock-lasagna-spaghetti-squash-casserole.html.  I will be making it again.

Tomorrow I will weigh and measure myself to see how the week turned out. However, I need to remind myself that any weight lost is a good thing.  This came through a feed from my chiropractor today:
Wellness/Prevention: Weight Loss Can Benefit Knee Cartilage.
Obesity is a significant risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis of the knee. A new study shows that losing a large amount of weight can slow the loss of knee cartilage in obese individuals. The study included over 500 overweight and obese participants and found that cartilage degenerated much slower in those who lost more than 10% of their body weight during the four-year study. Researcher Dr. Alexandra Gersing adds, "Significant weight loss not only slows the loss of knee joint cartilage, it also reduces the risk of osteoarthritis. Along with moderate exercise, weight loss is one of the best ways to prevent the disease."
Radiological Society of North America, November 2015

Every pound that I lose is four pounds off of my knees.  That is something to work towards!  That and fitting into my clothes again.  My ring is lose today as I am typing, so I hope that is a good sign.  After this 8 day Ignite, I plan to continue with low carb to keep losing weight until I get to my final goal. 

Day 1: Ignite

Today was day 1 of doing the ignite program from Xyngular.  It wasn't too bad.  I ate on time and took the supplements.  For my main meals I had three shakes, which taste pretty good.  In the morning I added the fruity Global Blend drink.  At lunch, I added a little bit of cocoa powder and almond extract.  At dinner, I just had the shake.  For my protein and vegetable meals, in the morning I had two eggs and celery.  In the afternoon, I ate a turkey lettuce wrap. 

For exercise, I tried a tai chi class.  I have wanted to do tai chi for some time and this was a good opportunity to get started.  A friend at ESU invited me to come with her.  There are a lot of movements and I am not sure that I will remember all of them.  I need to practice.  When I returned home, I was a little hungry.  My mentor for the week told me to eat a little more protein, so I had some of the meat and carrots that I made for dinner.  I am hoping that this works well this week and jump starts my weight loss.  One day down, seven more to go!

One week towards the new me!

Today was one week.  I discovered with planning, I can stay on a plan.  One thing that I have to tell myself is that this is the new normal, this is the way to eat most of the time with only a day here or there as a cheat day.  This is instead of every day as a cheat day with only a day here or there with the lifestyle change.  When I got on the scale this morning, I was down 4 pounds from where I began last week.  I am drinking so much water that I have worn a trail to the bathroom.  But it is working and that is what counts.   

Tomorrow, I begin the 8 day ignite program.  As I said, planning and packing what I need is going to be the best way to be successful.   Emma helped me take my measurements today so that I can see where I am at the end of these 8 days. 

Almost a week gone

Today is Thursday and I have made it through the week without cheating.  I need to go get ketone strips to measure in order to see if I have gone into ketosis.  On Monday I begin the 8 Day Xyngular Ignite challenge.  I have to say that I am a little bit nervous about it.  I have a couple mine fields next week during the challenge, but I will just need to drink water and not eat or eat what I can while I am there.  It's a little scary because I want to be successful. 

I got on the scale today and as of now, the scale wasn't down.  That is really frustrating.  I need to stay off of it until Sunday (which would be a week) to see how it looks.  When it seems like it isn't working, that is when I quit.  However, none of my clothes fit me well and that is really frustrating.  I think that on Saturday I may go get some pants to help tide me over until I lose weight.  I thought about boxing up clothes that I cannot wear at the moment.

Back to Work and a Retreat

Today it was time to take off the pajama pants and sweat pants and head back to work.  Instead of going back to the library, we had a retreat, which has become an annual tradition.  In the beginning, we needed to introduce ourselves and mention one expectation that we had for the day.  That was difficult.  I believe that if we could have some strategies that we could apply in the workplace and help to move the library forward, then maybe it would be successful.  I am not sure how successful it was in the end.  I hope that there are some strategies that I can utilize.  One thought is, as part of the system (the library), and part of the problem, how do I change my behavior to work better in the system.  It is something that I have thought a lot about.  As a tenured, full professor, how can I be more positive and help others to move forward.  Lots to think about. 

Because I had a hard time going to sleep last night, and we had an early start, I did not go exercise this morning. I am planning on getting up tomorrow morning to exercise.  I did, however, avoid the cookies, the scones (I really wanted one), the potatoes, and the muffins today.  I stuck with salad and chicken for lunch.  I am proud of myself because even though the stress started to rise, I stuck to the plan!

Tonight I tried a low carb enchilada bake for dinner.  It was pretty good with a salad and guacamole.  http://showmenan.blogspot.com/2013/07/enchilada-bake.html

Day 2 of a New Lifestyle

Today I conquered one hurdle by not grazing at the snack table after church.  I had 4 slices of cheese, which fit into the low carb lifestyle but avoided the rice krispie treats.  This is a major step because those are one of my favorites.  I just talked to people and then helped clean up.  Because it is Sunday, I didn't exercise, however, I will see about starting to do something tomorrow.  I have to be at work around 8 am, so I don't know if I will try to workout in the morning or not.  I might try to get up and exercise around 6:30 in the morning. 

We usually go out to lunch after church.  Once again, I crossed another hurdle and only ordered a Spanish omelet which was low carb.  I asked to not have the hash browns and bread.  I can do this, it is just one step and hurdle at a time. 

Tonight for supper, I was looking for a low carb ham glaze and found a couple of them.  Here they are:

George Stella's Ham with Low-Carb Maple Glaze

George Stella tells us that "With this recipe, you get all the flavors of the baked ham you've come to love, but without all the sugars found in traditional glazes."

9 - 10 pound hickory-smoked ham (fully cooked)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 1/4 cups sugar substitute (Stella suggests Splenda)
2 - 3 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon whole cloves


METHOD

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Place ham face down in a shallow baking pan; cover loosely with foil.

Place on lower rack of oven and bake for 1 hour.

While ham bakes, mix all glaze ingredients in a bowl, set aside. After 1 hour of cooking, remove ham from oven, uncover and stand fatty side up. With a sharp knife, make shallow cuts all over top in a tic-tac-toe fashion, scoring 1" squares.

Insert single whole cloves in squares created by cuts.

Pour glaze over the ham. Place uncovered ham in oven and cook for 30 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.


Maple Orange Mustard Glaze for Ham

1/2 cup of sugar free maple pancake syrup
1 tsp splenda
1tbsp spicy brown or Dijon mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp orange extract

Combine everything, mix well, pour into a saucepan. Simmer sauce over low heat for 5 minutes. Be sure to stir often.

6 carbs for entire recipe

I think that I am going to try the 2nd one tonight.  We will see how my family reacts.

New Year, New Me!

So I am back on the low-carb bandwagon again.  After my knee surgery for a torn meniscus, I want to turn things around.  I know that in order to keep the arthritis at bay and to help improve my joints, I need to lose weight.  To begin, I am looking at a minimum of 100 pounds.  So the steps that I have taken today:

1. I had Emma take a picture of me so that I know my starting point.  (Tomorrow, I will weigh myself and write down my measurements).  
2. I went to the Emporia Recreation Center and joined for 3 months.  That will help me rehabilitate my knee and continue to work on my range of motion and strength.  
3. Exercise: today I worked out for 60 minutes.
1. 15 minutes on the recumbent stepper
2. 15 minutes on the exercise bike
3. 30 minutes with the red band on leg exercises, 2 sets of 15; 2 sets of 30 Russian twists; 2 sets of 30 dead bug.
4. Tracking my meals - this is where I have the most trouble.  I will need to concentrate on it.

A friend brought the Xyngular products to me.  She suggests that I wait to do the 8 day Ignyte program beginning January 11th.  There is a group beginning on that date with potential prizes.  I will begin working some of the products into my daily routine and work on cutting down my carbs.  Detox - here I come.

Work - it has been great to be off for a couple of weeks.  I have lots to do when we go back, however, I need to make sure that when I go back I work on reducing my stress.  Mindfulness is a way that I am thinking about doing that.  I will look into it.

Dissertation - I have been steadily working on my literature review.  A couple more good days and I should have the first draft completed.  This journey has been fraught with angst and doubt.  However, I know that I have good friends on my side.