Resolutions for 2014

It’s time again to consider if there is anything in my life that needs to be improved, changed, or even eliminated. Last year I resolved to consider my ways and allow my paths to be directed. So, getting out my list from last year, I see that a lot of the things on that list will be on this year’s list also: lose weight, be more consistent in Bible study and prayer life, be more punctual (just to name a few).

It’s kind of frustrating. This whole set-goals-and-don’t-meet them deal is quite discouraging. I’m not usually a Debbie Downer, but looking at last year’s list put me in the dumps. But as I’m writing this, my Positive Polly side begins

to react. J 

If I compare myself to last year, there has been some improvement. Not as much as I would like, and I haven’t completed all my goals, but there have been significant changes. In the area of weight loss I started a program (The Fast Metabolism Diet), stuck with it, and found that my metabolism began to change, which caused me to lose weight. I plan to start that again this year. 

In the area of Bible study and prayer, my goals were to get up every morning and read and pray before starting my day. Although most days I have been able to accomplish that, sometimes Bible study gets put off until later in the day or before going to bed; but later is better than never…right?

Timeliness has always been a daunting factor for me. Some people who love me and can get away with such statements (uhhum) have told me that I will be late for my own funeral (not sure that would be my fault), but I have surprised these same loved ones and been on time quite a bit this past year. I think this year I’m going to keep track of the times I’m on time or early for an event, just to keep for evidence (and bragging rights).

Other areas in my life need improving (nobody’s perfect, right?), so I’m going to go back over last year’s list and probably add to it. But this time I’m going in with a prayerful heart and asking the One who knows me best what He would have me change. Too often we can’t see the forest because of the trees, and when we take a good hard look at ourselves we may be looking through rose colored glasses. (wow, I used two clichés in this sentence…too much?).

I’d be interested in your resolutions, too. Do you remember them from last year? Were you able to accomplish them? What are some new ones you are implementing this year? Please let us all know by commenting below.

May 2014 find you safe, happy, and at peace.

“For it pleased the Father that in him [Jesus] should all fullness dwell; and having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself…” Colossians 1:19-20

Onward And Downward

I have just finished one of my favorite breakfasts—oatmeal and blueberries—and was feeling so good about my diet that I had to sing it's praises once again. I started The Fast Metabolism Diet in May and have been steadily, although slowly, losing weight. (Before, I was slowly and steadily gaining weight)

I have been overweight and on an upward climb for more than 20 years. Through that time, I have been on several diets, taken several "supplements", and tried several habit altering techniques. I have counted points, taken shots, and have been hypnotized. I've done without specific food groups, and overloaded on others. Through the years, I have bought a boatload of exercise machines and tapes (both on VHS and CD).  And although I had experienced some weight loss doing most of these things, I was never able, or willing, to maintain, and soon the weight that I had lost would always come back.

For me, The Fast Metabolism Diet has been different. The first week that I was on the diet, I followed the plan religiously, although I did find out later that some of the things I had eaten weren't the right products. For example, the oatmeal is supposed to be steel oats, I used old fashioned oats (still do). Nitrate free lunch meat is allowed, but mine wasn't always nitrate free. And watermelon is only allowed on phase 1, I had been eating it on all 3 phases.

However, following the diet plan (mostly), I lost 5 lbs. my first week, and then began losing 1 lb. or so every week thereafter. I was a little disappointed, but determined to follow through, realizing that I was in fact losing weight, but just as exciting, I was not gaining any weight. For the last couple of weeks (wk 10-11), I have been on and off the diet, however, when I weighed myself yesterday, I had lost another pound. (yay!)

Haylie Pomroy, the author of The Fast Metabolism Diet, promised me that this diet would heal my metabolism and speed up the burn. And fortunately I believed her. I think it has taken at least 6 weeks for my metabolism to kick into gear and start working with me instead of against me. Therefore, even though I haven't been following the diet plan meticulously, the momentum of weight loss has taken a turn and I continue to lose weight without too much effort.

With summer time events and crazy schedules I've been a little lackadaisical concerning the diet, however, by making wiser eating choices and getting more exercise, I have been able to keep from gaining anything back. And come August 5, I have made plans to restart The Fast Metabolism Diet for 28 days and hopefully re-rev up my metabolism!





Here are my latest statistics:

Date	Weight	Weekly Loss	Total lbs. to Date
Starting Wt.	230
Week 1	225	-5	5
Week 2	224	-1	6
Week 3	223	-1	7
Week 4	223	-0	7
Week 5	222	-1	8
Week 6	220	-2	10 (Yay!)
Week 7	219	-1	11
Week 8-9	219	-0	11
Week 10	218	-1	12
Week 11	217	-1	13

I have also lost 11 inches overall!



Should we talk about exercise next? Hmm…maybe…

Out Of Control, But Not Uncontrollable

Week 10

I've been on sort of a hiatus from my diet for the last two weeks. Some days I would start off the day by following the diet, but then I would get sidetracked throughout the day or throughout the week.



I could blame this lull on my circumstances; The Farmer took some days off and messed me up, the kids demanded that I make dessert and messed me up, I couldn't get to the store to buy everything I needed and it messed me up, it was Monday and it messed me up. But whatever the excuse (or lack of excuse) I messed up. I put my guard down, allowed my circumstances to dictate my life, and was just plain lazy about doing what I knew I should have been doing.



Here's the difference:

Before I went on The Fast Metabolism Diet (by Haylie Pomroy), I would have given up and called it quits on this diet.  I would have gone back into my comfort zone of eating what I wanted, and I  would have gained more weight.

But this time I didn't gain any weight. I maintained the weight that I had already lost, I didn't have the uncontrollable desire for unhealthy food and sugar, and I was able to make healthy choices even though I wasn't following the diet. This way of eating has done what it has promised, it seems to have reset my metabolism button back to start, allowing me to eat a little out of control for a short time without being uncontrollable in my eating habits, which quickly leads to weight gain.



So, this week being a brand new week, I get to push the restart button, again, and I have a new resolve because I have new results! Take a look...

Date	Weight	Weekly Lost	Total lbs. to date
Starting wt.	230
Week 1	225	-5	5
Week 2	224	-1	6
Week 3	223	-1	7
Week 4	223	0	7
Week 5	222	-1	8
Week 6	220	-2	10
Week 7	219	-1	11
Week 8-9	219	0	11

Best news is I have lost 7 inches around my waist! Very excited!!!

Looking for some great blogs to read this week?

Below is a blog hop that I have joined. Take a look at the blogs involved. Leave a comment, like their Facebook page (it really shows you care) :)

Week 7-- Ten Pounds Gone!

Finally reached TEN pounds!!

It's been a long time coming, but I can confidently say that I only have 90 lbs. to go! I am so excited about finding The Fast Metabolism Diet, by Haylie Pomroy. This has been the best diet I have ever been on. Although I've tried a lot of diets in my struggle for weight loss, this one is different. I plan on being on this, to some degree, for the rest of my life, because it is so normal.

 

Pomroy tells you what to eat, why you are eating it, and what you will experience when you are dieting.
If you haven't checked it out yet, you should. Even if you don’t need to lose any weight, her food plan just makes you feel better. You learn to eat the right portions of the right kinds of foods to help make your metabolism work like it's supposed to.

 

 

You can order the book from Amazon.com or download it to your Kindle.

The Fast Metabolism Diet, by Haylie Pomroy

 



 


This week I'm sharing some of the foods have in my food diary.

I love turkey bacon and cucumbers. This makes a great snack.

 

When I BBQ, I always fix extra. We raise our own beef, so all this beef is nitrate free.

 

Another favorite snack is celery and almond butter.

 

Oatmeal and blueberries. I cook the oatmeal, and then I drop in the blueberries and microwave for another minute. It seriously tastes like blueberry cobbler. (note to self: get some blackberries)

 

Turkey bacon, tomatoes, sprouted grain toast with an egg on top.

 

The more ingredients in a salad, the better it is (personal opinion). I have spinach, romaine, cucumber, broccoli, turkey bacon, and green peppers. Then I splashed on some red wine vinegar. I could have added more, but I wasn't very hungry.

Date	Weight	Weekly Lost	Total lbs. to date
Starting wt.	230
Week 1	225	-5	5
Week 2	224	-1	6
Week 3	223	-1	7
Week 4	223	0	7
Week 5	222	-1	8
Week 6	220	-2	10

Yay!!! 10 lbs!!

(I weighed myself this morning and was done 1 more pound, but I can't officially say so until Monday)

Changing My Mind, Not Just My Diet

 

Week 6

This is my sixth week of doing The Fast Metabolism Diet. I have read the book, followed the blog, seen success in some of my friends, but I'm not experiencing the weight loss that I had expected. But as I was reading Haylie Pomroy's blog, my mindset began to change.

 

One of the posts reminded me that the goal of eating this way is to repair my metabolism and weight loss is just  a benefit. And that even when my weight is holding steady my body is extracting nutrients more efficiently and will continue to do so. So now I am focusing on changing my mind not just my diet. This is not just a weight loss program, but a lifestyle program.

 

According to the book, in order to lose 20 lbs. in 28 days you eat one serving size, or portion. For every additional 20 lbs.that you have to lose, a 1/2 portion is added. So, the more you have to lose, the more you get to eat. Sounds great! Doing the math, I was allowed to have 2.5 times a single portion. I wasn’t getting hungry, that’s for sure, but I felt like I was eating too much. And according to another post that I read on the blog, I was. An update changed this rule to eating 1.5 times a single portion no matter how much you have to lose.

 

To be on the safe side I went into my Fast Metabolism app and changed my weight goal to 40 lbs. instead of 100 lbs. I still need to lose 100 lbs., but changing the info, the app did the figuring for me. I followed the plan religiously during week 5 and here are my results:

Date	Weight	Weekly Lost	Total lbs. to date
Starting wt.	230
Week 1	225	-5	5
Week 2	224	-1	6
Week 3	223	-1	7
Week 4	223	0	7
Week 5	222	-1	8

 

Still not what I expected. Although the scales are not where I want them to be, the diet is working. I feel less bloated, and my digestive system is working better than it has in a long time. If you’re not overly overweight, you may not understand this, but bending over is a lot easier. I noticed it when The Farmer and I went out on our date night (you can read >>here<< how I absolutely busted my diet during week 4) There has definitely been some tummy loss! I realized it on my date. When we stopped to get a soda from McD's (I got water), I bent over to get change in the cup holder on the floor board and noticed that it was a lot easier for me to reach down to the floor! That's an accomplishment!!

 

So I have a new goal to keep this week, it's no longer about losing weight, but about repairing my metabolism (of course weight loss would be the cherry on top of the sundae, but let's not go there) :)

How To Peel A Hard-Boiled Egg Without Smashing It Against The Wall

How To Peel A Hard-boiled Egg

--Without Smashing It Against The Wall

 

 

Well the title may be a little extreme, but some of you may be able to relate to what I’m talking about. Several times in my life (usually before a big BBQ), I have tried to make deviled eggs and end up peeling chunks of the white part off, because the shell won’t come off.

 

One time I was having the kids over and deviled eggs was on the menu. I boiled the eggs, sat them aside while I fixed everything else, and at the last minute remembered that I hadn’t gotten them fixed yet. As usual, I cracked the egg shell on the counter and started peeling away the shell. And as usual, it took part of the egg white with it.

 

I usually made extra eggs just for this reason, so no problem. But then I started peeling another one…same thing. And the next one and the next…each egg was completely ruined because I couldn’t get the shell off. On the last one I attempted, it started tearing apart so I struck it with my hand and smashed it all over the counter. (temper, temper) I was so frustrated, now I had no eggs and a mess to clean up, too.

 

I knew I had to find a better plan. I searched the internet to find out how to peel a hard-boiled egg and found that there were many opinions out there.

• Peel it hot


• Peel it cold


• Peel it fresh


• Peel it old…

 

 

Fortunately for me, daughter #2 shared the best way I’ve ever found. Her husband’s grandmother gets all the credit. And since The Fast Metabolism Diet allows you to eat lots and lots of egg whites, I thought I would share it with you.

 

Take a straight pin (I use one I got from a corsage) and pierce the egg before cooking.

Place the eggs in a pan of water that just covers the top of the eggs. Bring to a boil and cook on medium high for 10 minutes.

After the eggs are finished boiling, run cold water over the eggs. Just until they are cool enough to touch. Crack each egg until the shell resembles crackle glass, and place them back into the water.

After you have all the eggs cracked, simply peel the shell off; it should peel off without any problems.

Works for me every time!

 

Mid-morning Snack

Week 4-Day 3

 

I just sat down to eat my mid-morning snack and update my status. I can’t believe I’m in week 4 of The Fast Metabolism Diet. I’ve been on other diets this long, but not with this much zeal. I again flipped through the food list that Pomroy has in her book, and marveled at everything I get to eat. There have been no feelings of deprivation during this whole time.

 

(Once again, I feel like I’m eating too much, but last week I thought one of the reasons I didn’t lose weight is because I didn’t eat enough, so this week I’m trying to do better.)

 

Looking at my list, I decided to eat nitrate-free roast beef lunchmeat. The app that I have (yes, there’s an app!) informs me that I need to eat 6 oz. of beef. Of course the package has the roast beef listed in grams. Do you know how many grams are in an ounce? Neither did I. Usually I get out the scales and weigh my food, but it’s such a hassle. The scales take a 9-volt battery and the only 9-volt battery in the house is in the Farmer’s alarm clock. So I have to take it out of the alarm clock, put it into the scales, weigh the meat or other food, take it out of the scales, and put it back into the alarm clock. The problem always seems to be the last part…putting it back. So I’d thought I would just figure it out mathematically.

 

So being the quick math expert that I am, I googled “how many grams are in an ounce”? There are 28.3495 grams in 1 ounce. The rest of the math I did on the calculator and figured out how may slices of roast beef I could have. I took the first bite and remembered that I could have sugar-free pickles, so I wrapped the remaining beef slices around pickle spears…delicious and very doable!

 

Here’s the math problem, see if you can figure out how many slices I could eat:

 

Cindra went on The Fast Metabolism Diet to lose 100 pounds. On Wednesday, 5/29, she went to the refrigerator to get her 10:30 AM snack. When she opened the second drawer in the right side of her 2-door refrigerator, she pulled out 1 box of Sara Lee’s nitrate-free roast beef. She opened 1 of the 2 packages of vacuumed packed lunch meat to discover that each serving contained 2 slices of roast beef and that there were 5 servings per container. If 1 serving equals 45 grams, how many slices of roast beef should Cindra take out if she were going to eat 6 ounces of nitrate-free roast beef?

Circle one:

A)    4 slices

B)    7 slices

C)    My teacher told me to always choose “C”

D)    I don’t care, I’m not in school any more

 

 

Now if I could just master drinking enough water.

 

 

 

 

Disappointed But Not Discouraged

Week 4-Day 1

 

Okay, this is the start of my 4th week, and I am disappointed but not discouraged. This is my official weigh in day, and when I looked down at the scales I was up 2 lbs.! Well, in my prospective at least. I am suppose to weigh once a week, on Mondays, but because my scales are sitting in my bathroom, it's very easy for me to just step on them every day, several times a day. So Friday, at one point, I weighed myself and had lost 3 lbs. So I was going around telling everyone I had lost 9 lbs. so far and 5 inches around my waist.

 

I got pats on the back, congratulations, and big bright encouraging smiles. And now as I climb off the scales, crawl into the sitting room, throw open the computer to record all my successes failures, I have to access my past week and see where I messed up.

 

What happened! 

 

What I did wrong:

I ate less than I was suppose to

I skipped a couple of snacks

I ate breakfast late on a couple of days

I didn't drink as much water as I was suppose to

I ate a strawberry cream pie from McD's

 

I realize that these things separately will not cause me to gain weight, but like so many other things in life, all the little things together can make a big difference.

 

What Now!

 

Restart. I am very disappointed but not discouraged. I have been doing this diet for 3 weeks and I can see a change in my body. The weight is not the only way to record my success, I also feel my clothes fitting a little better and I don't have the stuffed feeling that I usually have throughout the day. (even when I'm eating ALL the foods I'm suppose to).

 

And as I record the weekly stats, it's not really as horrible as I had first assumed.

 

Date	Weight	Weekly Lost	Total lbs. to date
Starting wt.	230
Week 1	225	-5	5
Week 2	224	-1	6
Week 3	223	-1	7

 

 

And to finish it off, I have lost 6 inches around my waist instead of 5. So...on to week 4!

 

...and I'm setting another goal of 5 lbs. for this week. :)

 
 

 

 

Eating Too Much

Week 3-day 2

The first week on The Fast Metabolism Diet was a learning experience. I’ve been on several diets, but this is the first one that I’ve ever gotten tired of eating. I had to set a timer to remind myself that it was time for a meal or a snack.

 

According to the plan, the more you have to lose the more you are supposed to eat. Of course, you only eat specific foods in order to ignite your metabolism to burn the fat, but you do eat larger portions of healthy foods.

 

Although two foods that are near and dear to my heart are excluded in this diet (coffee and sugar), it was fairly easy to give them up. I did experience intense headaches and fatigue, but this was totally gone by the second week. There were really no sugar cravings, I assume because I was eating fruit, and definitely no time to drink or miss drinking coffee, because I had to drink so much water!

 

The book, The Fast Metabolism Diet (by Haylie Pomroy), is filled with recipes, suggested foods, food substitutes, and even a master food list to help you plan out your meals. I wanted to be faithful in doing this diet so I followed the letter of the law the first week and quickly lost 5 pounds. But like every other diet I’ve been on, I let down my guard and cheated a few times in week two—and it showed. At the end of week two I had lost only 1 pound. But that’s okay, it’s still one more pound that I didn’t gain, and I lost 5 inches in my waist!

 

So onto week three, which I started yesterday with renewed vitality. I may not be able to do this every week, but my goal for week three is to lose 5 pounds. Yesterday went well, even though my girls (dd#4 and dd#5) left their left over lunch (pizza) setting out on the counter all afternoon!

 

Here are some pics of the foods I’ve been having since I’ve been on this diet:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously, I’m really not able to eat all the portions that I’m allowed, so sometimes I cut back and eat the rest at my snack time…not sure that’s what I’m suppose to do…maybe I should look that up…hmm :?