You could win these great Eat Smart products!

We have a lot of great prizes to hand out in our 2nd annual Great Start Giveaway. If you asked me to pick my favorite, it would be hard for me to say. They are all fantastic items. But I can honestly say that I really get excited when I start talking about Eat Smart products. They have the most amazing nutrition scale I've ever seen. They have also recently added two new kitchen scales and a bathroom scale to their offerings. I recently acquired both the kitchen scales and let me tell ya, they are just cool.

Speaking of cool... Eat Smart has donated a fantastic weight-loss package for our giveaway! One lucky winner will receive Eat Smart's top-of-the-line Nutrition Scale AND their new bathroom scale. This is a total value of $110! That's pretty sweet!

I recently reviewed the Nutrition Scale on my examiner column and will share that with you here...

Eat Smart Nutrition Scale - Smartest scale on the block
Reprint from my Examiner.com column

I’ve owned kitchen scales before. It’s simple right? You place the food on the plate and discover the magic portion size that will keep you at a healthy weight. Then you estimate your calories, carbs, fat, etc. Unfortunately, I’ve never been a fan of estimating. It’s not exact. I like exact. I know it’s correct. What happens if you “estimate” several items wrong? Then we can be way off on our counts. Have you ever tried estimating a checkbook? Not generally a good idea. Something may bounce. The same can happen with our “carb balance” or whatever specific nutrient you are trying to watch carefully. Obviously this is why we use kitchen scales in the first place – so we can balance our intake of foods to fit our needs. But sometimes weighing the food is different from acquiring that specific amount of nutritional information. Wouldn’t it be great if the scale could do that for you? Now it can! I’ve owned the Eat Smart Nutrition Scale for almost a year now and I love it. Not only do I know how much food I have on my plate, but I now have the exact nutrient counts as well. No more guessing – and that means better results!

I can’t explain it nearly as well as the company does itself, so I’ll direct you to their demonstration video to explain how it works:

Eat Smart Nutrition Scale Demo


Granted this scale is a bit pricey at $75, but I know I’ve personally spent a lot more than that on diet gimmicks that never worked. Readers of this column can save 10% on the Eat Smart Nutrition Scale by using this link, which will automatically apply the coupon to your purchase when you check out. This would make a great gift for you or a loved one who cares about their health.

Again, you will love this scale. (If you want one now and can't wait for the drawing on Feb.2nd, you can use the link in the above article or click the banner ad in the left hand column and receive a 10% discount.)

As I mentioned earlier, in addition to this great scale, you will also win their fabulous new bathroom scale.



The product description reads:

The EatSmart Bathroom Scale is the ideal way to track your weight loss quickly and easily. Simply step on the scale and in seconds you'll have an accurate readout on the EatSmart's oversized 3.5" LCD display, allowing for easy viewing even in the most low light areas of the bathroom or home.

The EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale is also both accurate and easy to use, engineered to the highest precision standards. The slim, tempered glass design fits perfectly in any surroundings and large non-slip platform allows weights to 330 lbs. The four high-gauge EatSmart precision sensors ensure that you will get an accurate measurement every time.

I don't yet have this scale, but I plan on purchasing one soon. Just look at these reviews!

W.B. in AZ says, "I have been nothing but thrilled with this purchase so far. The large screen allows for me to easily read the scale every time (even after I get out of the shower and the bathroom is fogged up). With my old analog I was always hunching over to figure out what major weights the dial was between. It also is very accurate (I weighed myself multiple times the first few times to test this) and has none of the huge weight fluctuations reported in the reviews of some of Amazon's other scales. Best of all the price was very reasonable versus scales with similar features I have seen elsewhere. "

J.R. from DC says, "Operating is easy. You tap the glass to wake the scale up and step on....no wasted time setting up users (which my last scale had) or programming weight loss goals. The scale reads out to the nearest .2 pounds, which is a nice feature when you are trying to gain confidence and hit short term weight loss goals (every little bit counts to me). More importantly its CONSISTANT, which means I get the same reading every time I step on and off the scale. Nothing was more infuriating than weighing myself, stepping off, re-weighing myself and seeing a completely different number (by as much as 5 lbs!). EatSmart seems to have solved this problem quite nicely."

And this is just the beginning of all the great things people have to say about this scale. To purchase one for yourself or as a gift, or to read the other great reviews on this fabulous scale, check it out on Amazon.com.


These are some fantastic prizes and I'm so excited to be offering them to my readers in this giveaway! As I said before, one lucky reader will win BOTH! Don't forget - you only have until Feb. 1st to enter, so get those submissions in asap! Start by clicking here and join in the fun!

Food Diary for Jan. 12, 2009

Hey gang! I'm going to try to start doing the whole food photo diary thing today. I don't know that I can keep up with it everyday, but I'll do my best. I'll update this post throughout the day so it's not scattered everywhere.

Breakfast:



As you can see I have two eggs scrambled with real butter and a dash of heavy cream, two slices of bacon (I cut the slices in half when I cook them to fit in the pan), my 1st 32 oz. bottle of water, and my supplements. I'm almost done with the water and will be refilling it soon. I try to drink a minimum of two of these bottles a day.

I'll be back later with lunch.

Have a great day!

Update: The rest of today didn't go too hot. I did well at lunch and with a snack, but we had errands to run and it took a while, which left us away from home past 7 p.m. and we were all starving. That's always a bad thing. And since I'm trying to control the amount of "sweet taste" I get, I didn't have any lc bars with me. What happened? I caved in and had a Subway sandwich. Not good. I'd have been better off to have had franken-bar. So we'll start again tomorrow, hopefully with better results.

1-2-09 Update

Hey gang! I hope you all had a safe and fun New Years! I was so busy I didn't have time to post any New Years wishes, but I know you guys and gals understand.

I'm very optimistic about 2009. I can't say why, or even what I think will be great about this year, but I just have this gut feeling something wonderful is in store. We shall see....

I've mentioned in the past that I was planning to try a sweet-free challenge in conjunction with Scott Olsen's sugar-free challenge. My start date was to be yesterday. I've made some minor changes in my plans though and I want to explain.

I'm a diet soda addict. There. I admitted it. Diet soda is going to be hard for me to give up. Even the couple of weeks leading up to yesterday had me feeling a little unsettled at the thought of not having my daily fix. Some of you may remember I tried to give it up before - only to replace my sodas with eating everything in sight. It was bad. So this time I'm going to try to wean myself off. Starting yesterday, I am slowly replacing my sodas with water. My goal is that by the end of the month I will be drinking much more water than soda and can hopefully give up that last can for good. So my challenge will not be so much sweet-free as less-sweet. Make sense? Maybe by February I'll be ready to go totally sweet-free. (This may sound like a cop out, but I'm being totally honest here. I need to do this slowly...)

I started journaling my food again yesterday. I don't know if I'll get it posted here everyday, but I'll try. As some of you have expressed interest in my doing a photo food journal, I may try to start that soon as well. Anyhoo, here's yesterday:

Breakfast: 1 fried egg, 1 sausage patty, water, supplements

Lunch: (at Ryan's) 1 roasted chicken breast, 1 med sized salad with a sprinkling of sunflower seeds and ranch dressing, 1 cup green beans, 1/4 cup steamed cabbage, water

Dinner: 2 hamburger patties, 1 tbsp lc ketchup, 2 dill pickles

Snack: 1 cup popcorn (shouldn't have had this, but I did, so I'm fessin' up!)

Counts for Jan. 1st 2009:

Calories: 1,750
Carbs: 22 - 7 fiber = 15 net
Fat: 126 g
Protein: 131

This morning my scale showed me as 1 lb lighter. :) That's always good.

I spent the couple of weeks reworking my low-carb website. It has a little bit different look and I FINALLY finished that myths page I've been meaning to do forever. I'm really excited too, because we have some new success stories going up soon. Feel free to check it all out at
www.healthylowcarbliving.com and let me know what you think!

Ok, I have a lot to get done today. Be sure to check back on Monday Jan. 5th as we kick off our 2nd annual Great Start Giveaway! Should be lots of fun and I hope you'll join us!

Latest from Examiner.com

Well, my little notifier feed thingy-ma-bob over on the right isn't quite working like I'd expected, so I'm going to give a quick update on my latest offerings at Examiner. Here's what I've been talking about lately:

PureVia enters the sweetener race

Authors of Protein Power giving away free books

FDA warns tainted weight-loss products pose great risk to health

Eat Smart Nutrition Scale - smartest scale on the block

Study says sugar as addictive as drugs

Oprah is still battling the bulge

And a four part series on the basics of Atkins:

Atkins basics 101 - induction

Atkins basics 101 - ongoing weight-loss

Atkins basics 101 - pre-maintenance

Atkins basics 101 - lifetime mantainence

Hope you enjoy!

Just some updates

Hey everyone. Thought I'd play catch-up here a moment.

Weight-loss: I'm holding steady. I'm really looking forward to January when I'll start my "sweet free" challenge. I think it will help me tremendously. If any of you would like to join I'd be glad to have the company. This isn't about giving up sugar, since I've already done that, it's about giving up the taste of sweet as a whole. No artificial or natural sweet stuff. I think my biggest battle will be giving up my Diet Rite. I will admit I'm totally addicted.

Giveaway coming soon! The 2nd annual Great Start Giveaway is being planned. Don't miss this giveaway where we'll have some awesome prizes just for you! Keep watching the blog for more details soon.

I'm sad. We received the news last night that my grandfather passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. It hurts. A lot. But he's no longer suffering as he was, and that's something to be thankful for. Keep us in your prayers please. This weekend will be a hard one as we say our goodbyes, and there will be lots of traveling involved for my whole family.

Photography: If you are a fan of photography, you'll love flickr. I have an account there myself where I share a lot of my work. To keep my creativity flowing I've joined a group called Project 365. In this group we post one photo a day for a year. It can be any photo of anything, but it has to be taken on that day. Today is day 6 for me and I'm already seeing possibilities and potential shots I'd missed before. It's fun! Feel free to check out my photostream sometime.

Examiner: I'm going to try to get another article or two up today, but I can't promise anything. I have a lot to do to get ready for the funeral, so my day will mostly be filled with that.

Have a great weekend everyone!

The holidays are killing me..

I'm so busy I don't have time to think straight, let alone eat right. Why do I love this time of year again???? ;)

I'm struggling a bit, but nothing new there. Life gets crazy and then I do, again nothing new. I'm working frantically to improve my photography skills. I really want to be ready for business within the next 6 months, so I gotta get on the ball. I'm doing little stuff here an there, but I want to be ready for the big time, ya know?

I'm also writing as much as I can for Examiner to help with those bills that refuse to go away. These will eventually stop right? Someone tell me they will stop. At least some of them??? Pretty please.

Homeschooling has been a chore this year. Why does it seem great some days and so hard on others? We are trying to get enough done that we can take a decent Christmas break, but don't know if that will happen.

My food planning has been less the great lately, so that really messes me up. I end up grabbing whatever. Have you ever tasted whatever? It's great, but has a buttload of carbs. Not what I need. So my weight is just steady. No real gains to speak of.

DH bought me a Wii fit. It's great exercise! I used to call it a WHEEEEEEE! Now it's just the wii. Why? Because I'm tired of that little game console weighing me, measuring my BMI and saying in it's cute little voice "That's obese!!" Naw, really? I could do without that part. I'm painfully aware I'm considered obese. I don't need a little white box rubbing it in my face. I catch myself yelling back "Oh yeah! Well you're square! And you are helpless without me!" Um, yeah. It's pathetic, but it makes me feel better. :)

I'm thinking of doing the photo food diary after the holidays. I know, I know, everyone is doing it. But since I love my camera more than life itself, this might be a good way for me to keep track and practice my photography skills.

Ok, off to teach my kids more stuff they think they already know.

I'm moving downward...

I've been way too busy to do much the last several days. On top of the regular stuff, we've dealt with the flu. Not fun, but thankfully only one of us got it (my daughter, no surprise there, she's always the first to get everything). My hubby is dealing with some sinus junk, but otherwise is good. Thanks to my fabulous low-carb diet, my immune system is working well and I was able to avoid the nasty stuff, even though I had to take care of her. (If I could just get her to eat better...)

Anyhoo, my weight is still dropping. A bit slower than it was, but going down nonetheless. I've dropped another 1/2 lb or so since I last updated I think. So now down 8.5 lbs since I started a couple of weeks ago. I'm almost back to my virtual model weight. I saw 179.6 today on the scale. The cool thing is that my clothes are really getting loose. Smaller clothes, here I come!

I've hurt my back somehow, so exercise is out at the moment. I thought I was because of my last exercise session about a week ago. I did a 2 mile walk with a Leslie Sansone DVD. It's been hurting ever since, but, like today, it's really bad and hurts to move much.

OH, and I'm sure by now you've noticed my new avatar. I decided it was time to update, and I wanted something less serious. So there ya go....

OK, that's it for now. I haven't even put anything on Examiner since Friday, so I guess I'd better try to figure that out. Have a great day!

And now, it's time for.... an update!

Here's the low-down of the hoe-down were are having in M-town. (Please.. no offers to write poetry for you. Really. I'm much too busy. :p )

On Examiner: Last night I put up a review of Perdue's Short Cuts pre-cooked chicken. Be sure to take a looksie. And later today I'll have an interesting article about depression and low-carb, so be sure to check back.

Weight-Loss: I finally have an update! I started back on strict induction just over a week ago and as of this morning have lost almost 7 lbs. I'm drinking lots of water, and am eating only whole foods, with the exception of an occasional shake or low-carb bar when I'm on the run. I'm trying to make those a rare thing. I'm planning on adding exercise back into my routine today. I've been so busy lately that exercise got shoved aside. I've reworked my schedule and shoved it right back in. I've actually made my workout part of our home school P.E. time. I'm exercising with the kids, so that's a good improvement for us all. Anyway, I'm finally losing weight again. I'm not sure why it's working this time and didn't last time (Probably hormonal. Curse you hormones!!!), but I'm not complaining. I'm enjoying the ride back down.


Photography: Some of you may be wondering how my photography schooling/career is going. Right now, it's not. I've been so busy I have had little chance to do much with my camera. Obviously if a job came in I'd be all over it. But right now it's just slow going. I will share with you a job I did this summer though.

I took the following shot for a 50's themed restaurant called T-Birds:

(click to see enlarged.)

It was enlarged to around 40"x80" and was placed as the main focal point. Here's a shot just after it was hung:


(click to see enlarged.)

I need to take a recent shot now that all the other decorations are hung around it. (And I just had lunch there yesterday... I should have thought of it then.)
Anyway, I'm very proud of the way this project turned out and the restaurant owner really liked it.

Cat: My kitten Jazzy is all grown up now. Well, she'll be a year old next month anyway and she's no longer resembles that tiny little creature we brought home. She spends her days attacking our legs from some hiding place and sleeping. Occasionally she eats and uses the box. Speaking of which, we are trying to toilet train her. Don't laugh. I bet it's easier than potty training a toddler. And I don't have to worry about the cat hiding behind a chair with a red face 'cause she's "doin' her bizness" in her drawers.

Drive-By Blogging

Sorry. All I have time for today is a drive-by. I have a lot of work to do and a lot of schooling to catch up on. So here's the run down...

Must-Reads:

Tired of hearing the old "The Chinese aren't unhealthy and look at all the carbs they eat!!" mantra? Check out this study brought to our attention by Dr. Mike Eades. Then, as Dr. Mike suggests, keep this reference handy for the next time you encounter this question.

Is Candida or yeast sabotaging your weight loss efforts? If you are having problems losing weight, this very well could be the case. Check out this great blog post from my friend Jennier Eloff, author of several fabulous low-carb cookbooks (two of which I'll be reviewing soon). Be sure to check out her other great posts as well and leave her a comment! :)

Dr. John Briffa gives us more evidence that using BMI is just bunk when it comes to assessing health.


Ok.. all I have time for right now. Maybe I can sneak back in later with more.

HAPPY READING!!!

Low-Carb Food List

Many people would like to try the low-carb lifestyle, but are very unsure of what foods they can or can't have. It's not really difficult, but may certainly be overwhelming for those who are new to the idea.

Today I'm going to share with you a low-carb shopping list. I've printed this list out and keep it in my recipe binder where I can always reference it. For many of you, this may be old hat. But for those of you who are needing some direction in regards to food choices, I hope this helps.

Keep in mind that none of these food will have breading on them in any form. If you want something breaded, find a low-carb cookbook and try one of the many recipes available. My personal favorite for breading is mixing spices with crushed pork rinds and Parmesan cheese. :0)

Low-Carb Shopping List


Meat
Beef (all kinds)
Pork (all kinds)
Poultry (all kinds)
Wild game (all kinds)
Fish (all kinds)
Shellfish (all except imitation crab meat)
Deli Meat (watch labels - nitrate free is preferable)

Fresh Fruits and Veggies
Cauliflower
Green Beans
Artichokes
Spinach
Asparagus
Jicama
Broccoli
Yellow Squash
Zucchini
Okra
Spaghetti Squash
Onions
Green, Red, Yellow and Orange Bell peppers
Tomatoes (go easy on these as a general rule)
Cucumbers
Bean Sprouts
Brussel Sprouts
Radishes
Celery
Mushrooms
Lettuce
Bok Choy
Cabbage
Greens
Peppers (jalapeño, etc.)
Leeks
Snow Peas
Turnips
Eggplant
Tofu
Pumpkin
Raspberries
Strawberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Cantaloupe
Lemons
Limes


Dairy
Heavy Whipping Cream
Half & Half
Sour Cream
Cottage Cheese
All hard and soft cheeses
Eggs (why is this considered dairy again?)
real butter
cream cheese

Other Items
*NOTE: Some (not all) of these items MAY cause stalls, so use wisely!
Sugar Free Jell-O
Sugar Free Pudding Mix
Diet Hot Cocoa (read labels)
Coffee
Tea
Water
Diet Soda
Crystal Light (mix is better than pre-made)
Kellogg K2o Protein Water Mix (again, avoid the pre-made)
Sugar Free Kool-Aide
Low-Carb Breads (read labels)
Low-Carb tortillas (read labels)
Sugar Free Chocolates (like ChocoPerfection)
Flax Seed
Nuts
Nut flours
Pork Rinds
Low-Carb shakes and bars
Vital Wheat Gluten
Guar or Xanthium Gum
Coconut Oil
Olive Oil
Stevia
Protein Powders
Splenda
Fiber Fit
True Lemon/Lime/Orange
Davinci or Torani Sugar Free Syrups

The above list is by no means exhaustive. I'm know I've left lots of items out. But you get the idea. Print out this list and carry it with you. When someone pooh-pooh's your plan, just pull this list out and say "Now tell me again how I'm depriving myself?" :0)

Free E-Book: Overcoming Sugar Addiction

If you have struggled with ridding the poison we call sugar from your life, you are not alone. There are countless people that want to rid this substance from their diets, but don't know how to make it happen. There are so many questions and fears that go along with making such a major lifestyle change. Let's face it. Sugar is an accepted, dare I say, encouraged drug that is pushed everywhere you look. And if you abstain from it, you'd better be diabetic or you'll be looked upon as a wacko.

There are many aspects of giving up sugar that are emotional. What will people say? How will I feel when everyone else is indulging and I don't? What about when I'm feeling down and need the comfort sugar provides? I'm afraid I won't know what to do at food-centered gatherings.

Honestly, giving up sugar can feel like losing an old friend. It's not always easy.

Then you have the physical repercussions of eliminating sugar from your life. The withdrawals, the mood swings, the lethargy. How could one little substance have such control over us! How do we defeat it?

Enter Karly Pitman. This mother of four knows what it's like to struggle with sugar addiction. She has had tremendous success and is gladly sharing her secrets with the world in hopes of helping others do the same. Karly wants to help you! For a limited time she is giving away her new e-book, Overcoming Sugar Addiction, to anyone who would like a copy.

Karly has devoted a lot of time and energy to inspiring and encouraging those who feel overwhelmed and discouraged. Not just with sugar addiction, but in many areas of life. She has an amazing website called First Ourselves and I highly recommend it.

I've just finished reading my copy of Karly's e-book, Overcoming Sugar Addiction, and I can only can describe it as nothing short of fantastic! She really gives you the motivation and ammunition you need to take this addiction by the horns and drive it away forever! I can't recommend this book enough. Be sure to get your copy of her e-book Overcoming Sugar Addiction: How to Kick Your Sugar Habit, Conquer Food Cravings, Stabilize Your Mood, and Lose Weight. It will be available free until April 14th, so don't delay!

Freaky Busy Friday....

Well, maybe not so much freaky and more busy. But it is Friday!

I'm working on a post for today, but my schedule is cram-packed so I don't know if it will get finished or not. Maybe I'll have it up by tomorrow.

I finally got up the nerve to step on the scale and was pleasantly surprised to see the numbers have dropped from the last time. I really shouldn't be too surprised. I've been eating clean and have gotten a bit of exercise. I've managed to walk on the treadmill twice this week, which isn't too shabby I guess.

Ok, life is calling. I'd better answer.

Diets Can Be Expensive. Is Yours?

One of the biggest complaints we hear often about the low-carb lifestyle is the expense. I'll be the first to admit that buying fresh fruits, veggies, and meats can cost a pretty penny. But I've also learned that most of the foods you'll buy for your new healthy low-carb plan are really no more expensive that what you'd buy for any other diet plan. I'll get into the details of my thinking on this in a minute. But first I'd like to direct your attention to an article I found this morning on Forbes. (I'm only going to cover a portion of the column today, but I found the whole thing to be very interesting, as may you.)

This article, by Rebecca Ruiz, discusses the expense of various diet plans. Here's a quote:

"...we evaluated the first-week costs of seven popular weight-loss programs. After all, the initial week often requires the greatest personal and financial investment.

We found that consumers on such programs as NutriSystem, the Zone, The Abs Diet, The 5-Factor Diet, South Beach, Weight Watchers and the Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox can expect to spend as little as $100 and as much as $385 during the first week."

Now keep in mind that with diets such as NutriSystem, that expense is for the dieter alone. You aren't sharing those meager meals with anyone. So you have to add the expense of groceries for the family as well, assuming you don't live alone. With plans that allow you to cook your own food, you can at least fix enough for the whole family. Her estimated cost of NutriSystem for the first week, sans family meals: approx. $98.

With her investigation of The Abs Diet she found that participants were encouraged to eat 6 meals a day from 12 different food groups. Her sample menu totaled the grand sum of $250 for the first week. This plan also has the extra expense of the book, at $15.95, and protein powder for the smoothies, which could cost you $15.99 per container.

The Zone diet is next with it's lower-fat, moderate-carb meals. Her estimation of the first week on this plan: approx. $273 plus $24.95 for the book and around $17.95 for the protein powder in the smoothies. You may also buy a variety of ready made products.

South Beach, with it's fiber-rich, lean protein menu (I hear Dr. Agatston doesn't like his plan to be labeled low-carb) follows next with her estimation running in the $323 range. She also explains that you'll spend $24.95 for the book as well as and any other ready made products you may opt to purchase.

Her next examination is of the 5-Factor Diet, which bases it's 5 meals a day on 5 ingredients per recipe and only 5 minute prep time. (Sound's kinda gimmicky.. don't ya think?) Estimated cost? $380. As with some of the other plans, you'll spend $24.95 on the book and $15.99 for protein powder.

The Martha's Vinyard Diet Detox, which proudly boasts 21 lbs in 21 days, is on her radar screen as well. This plan seems to consist mostly of juiced veggies, berry drinks and soups. What could it cost you to start this enticing (NOT!) program? How about $385, plus a moderately priced juicer ($150), food enzyme supplements ($21.59), as well as the author recommended colonics, lymphatic drainage massages and a Chi machine. Ruiz fails to mention how much we'd have to pay for the plan book itself. *insert whistle* I'd say this one wins the award for most expensive!

And last, but certainly not least, is Weight Watchers. Many of us are probably all too familiar with this plan. Their membership-based program now proudly boasts that it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle (Yeah.. right.) With offerings of guidance for exercise, menu planning, habit changes, and support groups - it's a very tempting option. It's also a pricey one. Weighing in at approx. $388 for the first week. And that doesn't include the $29.95 membership fee or the $16.95 average monthly fee.

(Ruiz has a slide show of each of these plans with the information I listed above, as well as a sample menu for each plan. Check it out here.)


Now lets get to analyzing the the low-carb expenses...

I typically spend $150 a week to feed my family of 4. While I do occasionally spend money on higher-carb extras, most of our menu is low-carb. What kind of foods do I buy? Here's a sample grocery list:

Milk (whole, for my children)
Heavy Cream
Full Fat Cheeses
Cream Cheese
Ground Beef
Pork Chops
Chicken Breasts
Canned Chicken (great for quick chicken salad)
Frozen Fish (my family prefers Cod and MahiMahi)
Bacon or sausage
Pork Rinds
Sugar Free Syrups
Variety of Frozen Veggies
Varitey of Fresh Veggies
Ranch Dressing (when I'm not using homemade, which costs even less to make)
Some Canned Veggies
Fresh and Frozen Berries
low-carb bread (mostly for the children)
Variety of Spices
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Whey Protein Powders
EAS AdvantEdge LC Shakes
Splenda (now you can save even more and buy Altern at Wal-Mart)

Now I don't buy all of these items every week, but as a general rule you'll find most of these things on my list with regularity. I'm a frugal shopper, so I buy cheaper brands and find ways to cut prices here and there. But I'm telling you now, low-carb is no harder on the pocket book than any of those plans Ruiz examined above. Even if I splurge on low-carb tortillas, low-carb ice cream, treats like ChocoPerfection, and my favorite Garcia Lo chips. I still spend less than $250. Any of those plans above compare? Nope. And my plan book? You can find Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution just about anywhere for around $6.

So I ask you again. Is you diet plan expensive? Mine's sure not compared to the above and I enjoy it to the fullest! I eat like royalty, improve my health, and lose weight. For the price, who could ask for more?

Tuesday Oct. 16th

This week will be really busy for me. We have several things going on, on top of all the daily stuff we have to do. I don't know if I'll be posting again this week or not, so I thought I take advantage of the few spare minutes I have right now. :0)

I decided that I have to get back into my exercise routine. I've been so busy that I haven't been doing anything in regards to physical activity. So I sat down and scheduled out my day, including 30 minutes on the treadmill. I may have to tweak and adjust the times as I go, but at least this is a start.

I hopped on the treadmill a while ago and burned 150 calories in about 30 minutes. Not bad considering I haven't really done any exercise in a long time.

My breakfast today was an EAS low-carb shake and I had string cheese for a snack. I'll get today's plan put into fitday and share it with you later. I'm trying to watch my eating very carefully.

I got a new scale yesterday because my old one is on the fritz. I didn't buy all the bells and whistles this time. Now that I know the body fat analyzer can be so far off (as much as 40%!!) it's not worth the extra money to me. I just bought a $20 Health-O-Meter. It does have a cool feature of remembering what your last weight was and telling you how much you've lost or gained. Not that I couldn't figure that out on my own.. but it's cool nonetheless.

DH has a job interview on Friday. We are praying this is the one. I'll let you know how it turns out.


Guess that's all the news for now. I'll try to check back in later. Have a great one!

Wow.. is it Monday already?

It seems like lately time has just been flying by! I'm sure it's because I've had such a busy schedule. OK, where to start?


Weight Loss:

Nothing much to report. I've struggled with my eating somewhat and it's not all been low-carb. :0( But I'm back on track so things should start moving again. I've been stuck at 2.4 lbs above my ticker weight. I lost the .4 today. Hopefully tomorrow will show more loss.


Photography:

The voting part of the photo contest is now over. Thanks so much to those of you who took the time to vote! It means the world to me! I'll let you know how things turned out as soon as I hear something. The last I looked, which was a day before the voted ended, I was still in the running with all 3 pictures. They are supposed to notify the finalists soon.

I photographed my first wedding this weekend. Wow is that a lot of work! I was on my feet about 7 hours. My mom and I worked this wedding together and I think between the two of us we got some really good shots. I plan on putting my best shots on my website, so I'll let you know when those are up.

I'm excited to announce that a few of my photos are going to be auctioned off in a charity silent auction to benefit the down and out here in St. Louis. (we haven't worked out all the details yet, but should have know more soon) I'll be sure to post more information when it is available.



Health:

Sometimes I tend to forget I have fibromyalgia (Thank you low-carb!!!). Then I have a very busy and stressful weekend and I am quickly reminded. This weekend was very full - a church picnic, the wedding, Revival at our church, and a few other exhausting things all added up to my being fatigued beyond belief. Thankfully I have no pain and pray it stays that way. My fatigue should disappear soon, but it will take a lot of rest to make that happen.


Homeschooling:

This year has started out very well and the children and I are both very optimistic about it. The kids seem to really be enjoying themselves, and I'll admit I am too! We have a lot to figure out still, but we are learning together and having fun. Learning should be fun! Don't you agree?


OK.. gotta run. I'm gonna leave you with another wise saying:

Everything your mother ever warned you about it true.

A little bit of everything (which contains a whole lot of nuthin')

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine was nice. We had a birthday get-together at my parents house on Saturday. (Hubby and myself have birthdays two weeks apart, so we took care of it all at once.) My mom did her best to make sure everything was sugar free so I was able to at least sample everything. She smoked a brisket for several hours... and wow was it good!

Yep, I get older this Sunday. It's funny how aging doesn't intimidate me as much as it used to. I guess I've finally realized I can't do anything about it, so why let it bother me. It's just gonna happen.


School will be starting for my kiddos soon. For most stay-at-home parents that means free time. That will not be the case for me this year. I'll actually be even busier. We have decided to home school this year. This isn't anything new to me. I'm home schooled my kids before. I enjoyed the 2 years off we had when they attended the private school, but the expense is more than we can handle this year. I'm telling you all this to explain that my blogging may very well be cut back a good bit until we get our schedule figured out. I also have my photo school to fit in, which I'll admit has been somewhat neglected as of late. So we'll have to see how it goes. In the meantime I ask that you hang with me as I figure it out. It's all about balance.

My weight loss has been at a stand still. Today I'm going to be much more careful with my food choices. I think a couple of choices in the last few days have kicked me out of ketosis. I'll keep you posted.

Gotta run! Have a great one!

I'm a hazard to myself.. Don't let me get me!

No. I don't listen to Pink. But I heard these lyrics once and they got stuck in my head. They seemed appropriate as a title for this post as well.

I goofed.

I made an lc dessert yesterday.

It was awesome.

I can't stay out of it.

It's a low-carb key lime pie and you wouldn't know it wasn't the full sugar version. Everyone liked it, but I've ate the majority of it.

IT MUST GO AWAY!

So I'm thinking of throwing the rest in the trash so It doesn't tempt me anymore. I've already had two slices today.. and it's not even lunch!

I'd share the recipe with you, but I don't want to be responsible for the havoc it will cause. That would be irresponsible of me! (psst.. if you really want it, I'll share it, but don't say you weren't warned!)


In other news, I saw 159.8 yesterday! That's a new low! If I can just stay out of the pie, maybe I'll see another new low soon.

This week will be a bit tough for me. We leave for vacation on Wed. and won't be back until Monday. We are going to spend those days in Branson, MO at a time-share a friend of ours has. They gave these days to us as a birthday present to my hubby. (He will turn one of the big 0's on Sunday. I'd tell you, but he's not dealing with it well. I don't want to cause undue stress by announcing his age. Besides, you can probably figure it out on your own. lol) Anyway, eating on the go is a little harder on me. I don't always make the best choices. We will have a kitchen in the time-share so I can make at least some of our meals. That will help. I'll really be happy if I can just maintain while we are gone.

Our vacation will consist of a couple of days at Silver Dollar City, which will only be fun if it isn't 100 degrees out, which it may well be. We are also going to do some fishing at Table Rock Lake. We plan to do some horseback riding as well. (Yes, I'll be bathing in sunscreen before I do any of these.) And if we can't stand the heat any longer, we may go see the Titanic museum. Rest assured I'll be coming home with loads of pictures to share. :0)

So today will be busy with tossing pie in the trash, cleaning and laundry in preparation for the trip, and running last minute errands.

Have a great day!

A few good reads for today....

Weight loss

First a quick update: I'm down another lb, which leaves only a lb to go before I'm back at 161.4. Curse those chips!

We had dinner with friends last night and they started asking me about my diet. I explained how low-carb works, etc. They didn't look sold when I was finished, but I know the results I'm having speak for themselves. About 9:30 last night they called me from a Wal-Mart Super Center asking me what they should buy to start the diet. :0)

I gave them a quick rundown and told them I'd bring them my copy of DANDR (Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution) and some copies of my favorite recipes. Keep your fingers crossed that they can get through the induction phase, which is the hardest part.


Links

Today will be another busy day, so I thought I'd just share a few articles of interest. I don't have time to give my detailed thoughts on them as I'd like to, so just read and enjoy. And feel free to leave any thoughts you have on these articles in the comment box!

"Good Carbs" Yield New Found Benefits
Again, nothing new under the sun...

More Evidence Favors Low-Carb Diets
My favorite quote from the above article:

Taken as a whole, the evidence suggests that carb-control offers considerable potential as a weapon in the battle of the bulge.

Amen Dr. Briffa!

After reading this article I decided to look at his blog: Dr. Briffa - A good look at health

I don't the time today to read in detail, but I'll definitely be going back to see what he has to say. It does look promising! I'll let you know my thoughts on this blog in a future post.

"Healthy" Foods May Not Be
I think I've posted this before, but the warning bears repeating. Do more than look at the nutrition labels... read the ingredients labels as well! (No that can't "fix" this problem, but it will help you spot those things that just don't seem to add up. You can also use the hidden carb calculator on my site to check things out.)


Words of Wisdom

A photographic memory is of no use if it's never developed.

OK.. I need to get busy. Have a great day

A reader asks "Where do I begin?"

I recently got an e-mail from a nice reader who is interested in trying the low-carb lifestyle, but wasn't sure where to begin. I thought it might be a common question so I've decided to share my answer here.

She writes:

hello,
my name is ____ and I have been thinking of trying the low carb lifestyle! I don’t really like meat ..chicken and fish only and I just don’t know where to begin. I have _____ pounds to lose but more important I have a daughter that could lose at least ____ pounds. if I start losing I think she will follow. and pointers would be great . things that you eat that help. any info would be greatly appreciated.

thank you ....

My response:

Hi ______,


My first advice would be to decide on a plan you want to follow. It's vital you pick a plan and follow it to the letter when you are first starting out. After you've been doing that plan for a bit you can adjust things here and there and see how it works for you. But it's generally not a good idea to tweak a plan until you've seen how the original plan works for you.

I only have experience with Atkins and Kimkins(which I no longer recommend), so that's all I can really help you with. If you'd like to see a summery of the most popular plans, please feel free to visit my website and look them over at www.healthylowcarbliving.com/plans.html .

Assuming you are going to do Atkins, you should buy the book Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. It generally runs about $6 and can be found for even less at used book stores. (I also have a link you can use to buy it from Amazon.com on my plans page I mentioned above.) You also may want to opt for just borrowing one from a library. Read it from cover to cover. I can't stress this enough. The reason I'm so adamant about this is because it's vital that you understand how your chosen plan works. It makes it much easier to make the correct choices if you understand WHY you are making those choices. It will also help when naysayers try to discourage you and tempt you to stray from your plan. If you have sound scientific information rooted in your mind, then you can brush off the "you'll kill yourself on that diet" comments. You'll know better. You'll be informed while they are spouting myths they've heard from the media, who've never bothered to check out their claims either.

The first few days can be rough when starting the low-carb lifestyle. Your body is detoxing from all the simple carbs and junk it has been consuming for who knows how long. Some people refer to this as the induction flu. You may experience fatigue, headaches, achiness.. everyone is different. Or you could be like me and just have cravings for everything you know you can't have. :0) Think of it as if you were coming off of drugs. It's tough.. but once you have it out of your system, you are better off! Whatever you experience, and you may experience nothing, I urge you to give it a full week. By then you should have everything out of your system and should start feeling incredible.

You will have then reached a state of ketosis. Please don't confuse this with ketoacidosis, which is a dangerous condition sometimes seen in Type 1 diabetics. It's NOT the same. Ketosis is simply the state your body is in while burning fat for fuel. It's harmless and quickly suppresses the appetite. This is part of the beauty of a ketogenic diet - your appetite is naturally suppressed (better than any pill works!) and you burn fat as your preferred choice of fuel! You will hopefully also experience the coveted energy surge that so many have had once reaching ketosis. (I have and I love it!)

I would recommend getting in at least your daily 64 ounces of water. This does three things for you.:

1.It keeps your body hydrated, which helps keep your skins elasticity intact.
2.It helps flush toxins and fat.
3.it helps with the only low-carb complaint in the media that actually has some truth to it - bad breath.

Let me explain #3. Ketones seem to cause bad breath in some individuals. Not in everyone, and not all the time, but many have had to keep sugar free mints around just in case. Drinking plenty of water has always helped me with this. I noticed when I drank adequate amounts of water, my breath was always much more pleasant. Brushing often seems to help as well. It's a small price to pay and I've never heard of it being so severe that someone quit the diet altogether.

I also recommend a good multivitamin and calcium. These are things you should be taking no matter how you eat.

Exercise is not really an option. Sure, you can skip it - but I think you'll be happier if you do some sort of workout. Even if it's just going for a walk. When you first start losing it's difficult to get motivated to move. But as you lose you'll find that it gets easier to move about, and soon you actually FEEL like moving! Any kind of exercise is helpful and will speed along your weight loss efforts.

As for what I eat, it varies a lot. Let me just say that you can't go wrong with grilled or baked meat and some low-carb veggies. That is mostly what I eat right know and I'm losing quickly.

Don't let yourself get bored! There are tons of low-carb recipes online you can try and many great low-carb cookbooks as well. Some of my favorites are by Karen Rysavy and Dana Carpender. Experiment and have fun trying new things!

A word about low-carb products: They can be a great blessing in a low-carb lifestyle, but that can also be a curse. Don't add anything in that is not on your list until you see how your plan is working. Some people can eat all kind of extra stuff and lose, others are too sensitive to them and will not (Example: ME). Remember that these items were always meant for maintenance or to be used in moderation during the weight loss phases. Too much of a "good thing" will hinder your progress.

My final words to you would be this. Don't think of this as a diet - think of it as a permanent way of living. If you are only doing this until the weight is gone, there is a very real chance you will gain it all back.. and maybe more! That's the last thing you want after you've worked so hard, right? So make the decision that this is the way you will live from here on out, and don't let anyone deter you from that goal. I honestly believe you'll find you made the best decision for your health and happiness.

I wish you the best and will be glad to help anytime I can. I also hope you daughter follows your example!
Feel free to e-mail me anytime. :0)

Best wishes!
Amy

Do any of you have any tips for someone just starting out that I may have missed? If so, I'm sure this reader would love to hear them! Please share them in the comment section of this post. Thanks!

June 26, 2007

This post will be a quickie. I have a house full of boys today. My son had 3 of his friends spend the night last night. All brothers ranging from 14 to 10. Then add my 10 year old son and 8 year old daughter. I amazed I still have any hair in my head.

I'm taking them to the park in a little while and hope they wear themselves completely out. Then I plan on taking them home before I lose what few shreds of sanity I have left.

After they are gone I get to spend the rest of the day finishing laundry. We leave again in the morning for a few days. Getting to travel with my husband is spoiling me. It makes it harder when I can't go. *sigh* Such is life. Anyhoo.. I'll try to post from our hotel room.

As for weight-loss...

I was down another 8/10ths of a lb today. So 170.2 on the scale. Just 3/10ths of a lb and I'll see the 160's again! I suspected before I stepped on the scale that it would be down. I "felt thinner" if that makes any sense. I think that makes around 3.5 lbs I've lost this week. (My weeks are running Wed. to Tues for Jimmy Moore's 30-in-30 Challege.) I just love the low-carb lifestyle! Onward and downward!


Saying for today:

If at first you don't succeed, look in the trash for the instructions.