Shoppers Dream Mall

Another day of my Journey

2011-01-24T05:23:00.000-08:00

Thank God! I am over the first phase of the 17th day diet and I must say it was very hard in the beginning but I took it this time with a different approach.
As I said before I tried so many times in the past to diet but failed every time, but this time I took it spiritually. I was listening to a radio program and I can't remember the name of the author or the book but she said a few things that made me finally realised that it is okay to ask God for help for my weight loss goals, she also said that it is impossible to be overcome spiritually if we can't overcome naturally also and that got me into a new mode.
I prayed and asked for will power and strength to succeed this time and I would pray over every meal and ask the Lord to help me to keep this new life style change, and I have to say that it worked and I am finally able to overcome this horrible eating habits of the past.
I lost 13lbs in the 1st 17 days and I am ecstatic. I will share some of the recipes form the 17 days diet with you in the recipe corner. If I can do it with God's help then you can too.
I am now on the 2nd phase of the 17 day diet and I am loving the way it is working.

A new day and a new life style change

2011-01-20T05:09:00.000-08:00

I have started my new life style change and to aid me, I have researched and started the 17th day diet. I am so excited because this time I took it a little different. I incorporated my faith into my weight loss. I have committed my weight loss goal to the Lord and I prayed about it, I asked for strength and willpower and this time, I know it is going to work.
I started 17 days ago and I lost 13 pounds, maybe more because I haven't weighted in 3 days, but at day 13, I had loss 13lbs. I have never lost this much weight in my life at once.Did I say I am estactic? I will share my journey with you. Hip Hip Hooray!

Changes Changes

2011-01-18T19:03:00.000-08:00

There has been so many changes in my life. Too many to mention. I was outside the loop for a while. I can't complain, it has been a great journey with many new experiences.
I have to prioritize my time to be able to continue blogging because I really missed blogging.
My husband and I have agreed that I go back to work so I am now a Working at Home and Out of the Home Mom:)

Happy New Year!

2011-01-18T18:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope that this new year brings you all the great blessings that you wish for yourself and most of all your wishes granted for your weight loss goals. I know many of us have made New Year Resolutions to drop a few sizes. I hope together we can pick up where we left off last year and this time, be successful for once and for all.
Get ready for a year full of fun and challenges but us reaching our goals in the end.I Can't promise it will be easy but "where there is a will, there is a way".
I have tried and failed umpteen times with my weight loss success but I am not about to give up. I was knocked down but not knocked out. If you were like me we have to get up and fight and we will win this time.

Tips that are helping me

2009-12-10T14:59:00.000-08:00

I am one those that are always hungry. Does that sound familiar? Yes! this had been my dilemma. I have been praying for a while to over come this urge to eat and finally I got an answer to my prayer.
Soup! This idea came to me suddenly therefore I began making soups. I made all kinds of peas soup for example, today, I did yellow peas soup, and it fills me up and gives me that content feelings, so I am not craving food. Maybe it is the peas that has so much protein that it keep me full longer. I will give you my recipe soon. This really works!

Finally Breaking Through

2009-12-10T14:46:00.000-08:00

In my earlier post I confessed that I had fallen off the wagon and was not focusing on my weight loss. As I said I had to refocus and put myself on the priority list and I did and I must say that I am doing great.
I have been keeping up my exercise. I try to do at least an hour on the elliptical machine. It is tough but I know it will be worth it.I will begin sharing my weight loss with you from Monday. I will let you know how I am doing. I believe this is the best time to start and resist the holiday pressure to eat and eat.
Be Strong and keep up the good works.

The Fight Is Still On

2009-12-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

I have been very busy preparing my new business for the holidays. There is so much to learn about an online business that I was blown away. It seems like a never ending process. I was so busy that my weight loss took a back seat, but I am finally coming to my senses and realizing that I need some balance. Most of my days have been more than 10 hours on the computer and between that and a full time mom and wife, Wow! there is no time left for me.
I am beginning to re-prioritize my time now, giving myself an hour a day to exercise. I am logging it on a calendar now. I know it is hard to start a healthy lifestyle around the holiday but I think it is the best time because it is proven that most weight gain comes during the holiday. Therefore lets encourage each other to continue to pick ourselves up and continue the fight. Dont put it off today is just as good a time as any other time of the year.

Back to the Drawing Board

2009-10-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

Well! Well! Well! I am back to the drawing board again. My biggest enemy is me. I am sabotaging my efforts, being inconsistent and putting myself last on the list. I know this is the story of most of our lives. We are busy with the family and the business and every thing else, therefore,we put our selves last on the list. No time for exercise or to eat right etc. etc.
Well I am recommitting my self again to finding some time for myself to do some of the things that contributes to my self fulfillment and happiness which includes,meditating, exercising, eating right and blogging. I have been so busy that I have been neglecting these duties, and the end results is no good.
Though I have succumbed to some of my old ways, I am now taking back my life and I am getting back on the wagon, so lets get ready to rumble!!!!!!!!!

Having Fun while you work out

2009-08-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

I just came back from the park with my kids. I had such a great workout. I played tennis with my husband and kids , I even bought me a jump ropeand I did it, wow! I skipped like my 11 year old (only joking), but I was really sweating.
It was fun, the kids had fun and so did I and best of all, I am sure I lost a few ounces :)
Finding activities where you can have fun with the kids is a great way to get your workout and at the same time, make the kids happy and it is a great opportunity for more bonding. I saw the smiles on my kids faces and could see the satisfaction in their eyes.
I am now going to take a nice long shower and to bed I go. I am also trying to jump into bed early and try to at least get 7 hours snooze. This is very important if I am going to lose the bulge for once and for all. LIGHTS OUT:)

Healthy Hair Tips

2009-08-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

We all admire those models or celebrities with luscious beautiful hair, but did you know that we do not have to spend the money the spend in the most exotic salons? We have many solutions right in our cabinets at home:

Be rid of dandruff- apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, distilled water (2 Tbs each), & 3 pieces of mint sprigs.blend oil, water & vinegar together, then put mint leaves into the mixture and let sit for approximate 20 minutes. Dampen hair and massage thoroughly into scalp. Leave on as a treatment for 20 minutes, then shampoo and condition as usual.

Awake lifeless hair- seasalt (2Tbs) & warm water (1Pt). Place in a mist bottle, mix together, by shaking, then spritz on the roots. Then dry with hair dryer (Tip given by celebrity hairstylist Tyler Laswell).

Shine that turns head - Lemon juice, olive oil (1/2 cup ea). Blend two together, massage into scalp and brush through hair. Cover with a warm towel to produce heat which helps oil absorption into hair. Leave for 10 minutes, then rinse out and condition as normal.

Turn dry hair soft- Avocado (1 ripe), sour cream (2Tbs)

Back from Vacation

2009-08-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

Well I have been away for a very long time.I will call it my vacation from blogging. I really missed blogging, but I had spend some needed time with the family and with a new website that I just created. Now that I have three sites, I think I will refrain a little and watch them grow. Now I can enjoy my blogging and get back on track.
I havent jumped on the scale yet, but I am getting back into my healthy lifestyle. I have been like a yoyo but now it is time to get back up again and try again.
The key is not to give up but the keep trying even if you fall down a thousand times.Trying not to count:)

New Grace for each new day

2009-07-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

Last week was a challenge, since I had 8 little girls over, including my 3 girls. I had to spoil them a little;movie night and that means snacks, including popcorn, ice cream etc etc. I am ashamed to give you the rest of junk food that I had. Shhhh! The kids had a great time but now I got to get back on the elliptical machine and the tae beo.
I spend an hour exercising yesterday and will do the same in a few, but is very hard since I am working real hard on my new ebay store too.

Healthy Foods reducing Skin Cancer Risks

2009-06-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

We want to become healthy and remain healthy. We know that foods have different purposes and gives our bodies a variety of benefits:
Mustard - gets the yellow color from turmeric, which is an antioxidant that produces a neutralizing precancerous cells enzyme, as reported by UCLA Scientist. The benefits kick in after using 1tbs spoon of Dijon or yellow mustard (it is a great idea to season your meat, also give the flavor a zest).
Marmalade- contains lime, lemon, orange or grapefruit peel and the components in these peel cut the risk of squamous cell skins cancer (found in ears, neck, face and hands) by 70%, according to a study done by The University of Arizona researchers. Cancerous cells are destroyed before turning cancerous.
Tuna - benefits us after eating 12 oz weekly, Its rich omega 3s fats makes our immune system stronger and much more defensive against cancer cells and it also helps with the reduction of sun burns by 30% or more, according to Michigan State researchers. The same benefits can be received from mackerel, trout or salmon, so fish away this summer.
Watermelon - is my favorite, because I love it, and to find out that it contain lycopene plant pigment which give the benefits of reducing sun burns, by becoming absorbed in skin cells and prevents the intake of UV light; made my day. I have yet another reason to get the whole watermelon instead of a piece. I have to still remember my portion size because the calories add up.
I am always intrigued when I find these various studies being done, it gives us more reasons to conclude that food is not our enemy, when used modesty, it actually has its many benefits which gives us reason to eat smart and be healthy.

Weight loss Update

2009-06-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

I know you are all curious as to how I have been doing.I must say that it is getting easier. I stopped fighting with the scale; if there is no fight then there are no winners or losers, therefore I am overcoming that aspect of my weight loss. I haven't gotten on the scale in two weeks, but I see my body has begun changes. I know something is happening. I can finally see some definition. Isn't that great? I am so excited.
Later on, I will share some of the tips that work for me and hope they work for you too. Remember you have to learn your body, what triggers your hunger and which foods gives you energy. The body is so sensitive and I realize that I have to have a close relationship and really finds out my limits. Our bodies are all different but we have to become in tuned to understand the language spoken.

Cleaning tip

2009-06-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

For those of us that have little ones. I find this very helpful, especially when they are in the writing mood and maybe the leather coach seems like a great writing pad. We know what a disaster that can be. Here is a cheap and easy way to clean the ink off the leather coach.
Squirt antibacterial hand gel unto a cotton swan and lightly rub to cover stain. after 10-15 seconds, wipe away what is left with a clean cloth. Why it works? the alcohol in hand sanitizer dissolves the oil in the ink, and the gel has moisturizing elements which keep it from drying out the leather.
I had to share this, found it very helpful. Hope you can use this some too.

Progress Report

2009-06-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

I must say that I am struggling, but I am surviving and more than that thriving. I am keeping a positive attitude and mindset."I keep on keeping on".I am truly blessed and it is great and bearable because my hubby is supporting me and that makes it a lot easier. He even got up early with me on Sunday morning and went into the basement and exercised with me! Yippee! I was so happy since he is slim and trim and does not need it, but he promised to help me and he is holding up that promise.I gives me hope and it is fun doing something doing. It sure does help when you have support, be it a spouse, sister, brother, mother or friend; so thank all of you friends out there who in one way or the other has supported me or each other. I know it is hard and can be rocky sometimes, but don't give up, let see those pounds fall off.
I will test the scale tomorrow and hope it is working :)

Daily tab on me

2009-06-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

Well Proud to announce that I didn't do too bad yesterday. I had a peanut butter sandwich for dinner with a cup of tea, and another banana. I also pushed in a 45minutes work out.
Well today is another day. Didn't do too bad either.Here is what I had thus far:
Breakfast- 1 slice bread, 1 tsp peanut butter, 1 cup of tea,
Snack - 1 banana (I love bananas)
Lunch - 1 small cup rice, I slice fish and 1 chicken drumstick, with gravy (skipped the salad)
Snack - 1 yogurt
Dinner - maybe some cereal with banana of course, I will add flax seed meal to it and will have some almonds too. I will try to push in 1 hr of workout. I will let you know how that went.
I hope you will share your weight loss tactics and let me know what is working for you.

New motivation

2009-06-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I am in a crunch here. I got a wedding to attend on June 20Th, that is only 20 days away. Wow! I am so nervous because I haven't made any progress on my weight loss lately. I have started again today, as you know I was out of commission for the past 2 weeks so it is time to get back to the drawing board.
I didn't do too bad today. I plan to share my daily intake with you, it will keep me more in check
Breakfast - 1 slice bread, 1slice low fat cheese, 1 egg and 1 cup green tea
Snack -1 banana
I will run an exercise for an hour, and will eat a hearthy lunch.
lunch - 1cup rice, 1piece fish, with salad and 1 cup milk.
Then dinner, I got to think about it. I will keep you posted. I am running now to exercise and will let you know how that went:)

Run Away Blogger found Her Way Home

2009-06-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

BACK TO WORK AND PLAY

Hi everyone,
I want to apologize deeply from my heart for deserting all you wonderful friends out there. I was out of commission for the past two weeks. It is a long, long story and don't want to bore you or depress you with the past. However, I am now proactive and back to sharing my hair raising daily experiences with you. I can tell you how much I missed you all, but there would not be a repeat of this missing in action again. Hope you all can forgive me and come back to my site daily.

Update On My Daily Challenge

2009-05-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

Today is Friday and it is the end of the week. I made it thus far and hoped that my gradual change is working. Even though I am changing the way that I think and the way that I look at losing weight, I still have my challenges and so will you. The important thing is finding a way that works for you without hurting you.
Like every WAHM out there it is very hard to stay on track while preparing meals for the family, especially a family like mine, that have a healthy appetite and is spoiled by my cooking. Today I tried making this Caribbean food, named puri and Chicken Curry. I made curry many times but the puri is new for me. It is like a burrito but has split peas inside. It is very tasty but it is made with flour, oil and peas and can be harmful to my change of eating habits, especially since it tasted so good that I forgot about portion size :( Though it did not come out perfect, in my opinion it tasted great and the family confirmed because it is almost gone. I splurged for lunch but try to keep it simple for dinner and had only cereal and milk. I hope it is enough to tilt the scale on Tuesday.
Share your daily blunders and successes. Let us help each other. Over and out since I am beginning to get hungry so off to bed I go.

Shame on Me for Keeping you in suspense

2009-05-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

I apologize for keeping everyone in suspense about my weight loss this week. I was so busy that I was late on getting on the scale, but I did yesterday. I was so nervous and fearful of being disappointed;especially since I gained some of it back last week. Well drum rollllllllllll! here we go.....I lost 3 lbs. Hip hip hooray! :) I am very happy I lost the two pounds that I gained last week and an extra one, so I am still ahead of the game.
I guess writing down what I ate really helped me by making me more conscious and I see it paid off. Please share your weight loss experience with me. We can help each other other those difficult humps!

Missing in Action

2009-05-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

I have been mission in action for one whole day, or it is two? I had two busy days, no time to breathe.I was working very hard fixing things around the house and getting the kids organized while I was also working online upgrading and maintaining my two online
stores.
Are you wondering what else I was doing? I went to observe an ABA at work with an autistic child on Tuesday and it was very heart touching. I think I would like to help in someway with autistic kids. I can maybe volunteer for a few hours a week to work with them. There is such a huge need for ABA to help with these kids. There is so much help that is needed. My heart was very touched, thinking of how Blessed I am have to have four normal kids and to put myself in the shoes of the moms with children that they have to care for many years and maybe a lifetime if the correct therapy, and help is not available which in most cases is the story:( I believe more awareness needs to be in place and a little by little we can all make a difference in these kids lives. They need us. I will definitely have more to say on this topic. It is sad that these kids are not given the thought and love that they need but is treated as a statistic and lack of government funding and many other obstacles prevent them from really excelling to their fullest potential.

Garden Tips - Summer is here so Enjoy!

2009-05-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

Try these simple remedies and keep our environment safe.

Get rid of Slugs - scatter a thick layer of coffee grounded, to the soil around the plants you want to protect, and watch their visitors leave.
Get rid of Ants - Ants and cinnamon are at war, sprinkle some cinnamon around your plants and watch these creature recant.
Bye Deer- Soap's strong odor makes a deer run for it's life. Divide a bar in several pieces, enclose in a piece of fabric, and tie to sticks in garden, deer will retreat. Keep bunnies out- Sprinkle garlic powder and rabbits will treat it as medicine. They hate the smell.
Try seaweed as natural magic growth

Back To the Drawing Board

2009-05-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

It is Monday and it is back to work again. I had a great day yesterday, and of course I had a little more than I should. My husband and kids made me a wonderful breakfast, so I did not count the calories, then at church I had some snacks and pastries, skipped the food but that alone was very rich and high in calories, then of course we came home and had a huge dinner and then watched movies and of course had to have a late night snack, so I know my diet was kind of sabotaged but hey! I had a good time, now it is time to get back on the wagon.
I didn't do too bad today, but guess the scale will tell tomorrow :( I am dreading that now:(

Weekend Blunder

2009-05-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

Well today was not a great day for me. I was out most of the day, bad for me because I went to Brooklyn and where I was, the only food readily available was Chinese:(. I tried to hold out but was really hungry, so I try to think healthy, and I know what you are thinking, "how healthy can the Chinese food be?" Well I had the same idea, but ordered chicken broccoli with white rice, think it was better than" french fries and chicken wings". I gave away almost half of it and I guess, I was so guilty that it did not taste like it normally does; so I ate the broccoli , a little of the rice but I threw out the rest with the chicken, just didn't taste right. Yippee! I am proud of me there! I wish it was the end of the day! because I would have won the battle.
Yesterday I baked some luscious pastries, I made turkey patties and cheese roll, kind of a Caribbean pastry (Will share the recipe sometime) . Traditionally instead of turkey, we use ground beef, but I substitute turkey for the meat and I used whole wheat instead of white flour, so think that justified it a little, I didn't stop there, I made a fruit cake, which we call "Black Cake" very tasty but goes straight to the hips.
Of course I came home today and went on a binge eating everything from pastries to cake :( . I am going to bed without eating dinner because I think I overdid it :( so time to say good night before I go looking for something to eat:( Tomorrow being "Mother' day", don't know Hm mm!

Encouragement for the Weekend

2009-05-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but the weekends are the hardest for me. My whole family is home and I am cooking for them and we are eating together as a family for 3 meals a day or we are on the road most of the weekend and eating junk food outside.I therefore have to try to make different choices of food. I looovvve Chinese food and this is the worst so I got to overcome this obstacle.
What are your roadblocks or obstacles on the weekends for you? maybe you have some solutions for me. Got to continue to change my mind set right? I will let you know how I do this weekend, because it my mountain but got to climb it:) Beware!

More Reasons to eat your Fruits and Drink them too!

2009-05-08T06:10:00.000-07:00

More reasons why we should insist on these power boosting fruits:
Grape Juice - Did you know that the components in grapes can stop the brain cell from deteriorating. According to the scientist at the University of Cincinnati, when older adults with memory problems were given a 15 oz glass of purple grape juice daily for 12 weeks, they scored higher on memory test than those with a placebo.
Cherry Juice - According to Results from a University of Michigan animal study, Cherries shrink the stomach by 10% more than a placebo. This is so because, this fruits contains high levels of anthocyanins, antioxidants that aids the body process of fat and sugar. It is recommended drinking 1 to 2 glasses of 80z of this luscious juice. Added benefit, it also lowers cholesterol, according to the American Dietetic Association. Let us trim those stomach now!
Orange Juice - This one we know is an all time classic. It is bursting with vitamin C, protects the heart and help build our immune system. A British Journal of Nutrition suggests that 2-8oz glasses of orange juice daily for 28 days delivers 11% drop in the C-reactive protein that trigger cell damaging inflammation in the arteries. Another reason to gulp our OJ.
Tomato Juice - Did you know that this juice helps promotes strong bones too, not only milk. The antioxidant lycopene, is abundant in tomatoes and it protects bones from becoming weak by free radicals. 1 -8oz glass juice daily will do the trick. We can also find this source in watermelon and carrot juice. Additional benefits it lowers rick or pancreatic cancer as stated by Journal of Nutrition, so drink away.

Got A Sweet Craving?

2009-05-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

I found a new secret and maybe many of you out there found it too. I was introduced to this by a friend and found that it works great. Here is my little experiment, a little diversion from the real recipe my friend gave me.
ingredients
1/4 apple
1/4 banana
1 slice water melon
1/4 mango
5 cherries
5 grapes
Whipped cream (light Please!)
Any other fruit of your choice
Cut the fruits up and spread a nice coat of Whip Cream, it has only a quarter of the calories of ice cream and it satisfies that sweet tooth craving. Go ahead and Try it. Very filling too. My friend is very skinny so she baptize it really well with heavy whip cream, but I dare not try it her way:( . The light whipped cream tasted great anyway and give that sense of sweet and vanilla flavor , so the purpose was fulfilled:)

NO MORE COUCH POTATOES

2009-05-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

I guess we can't get away from exercising, no matter how much we try. It is imperative that we work those muscles. The benefits outweighs the initial pain of getting started. It takes three weeks to bring the coach habits, so get those sneakers out and use them:)
Just a reminder that exercising can be done in a million ways, even when shopping, we can speed up our pace and lose some calories. Isn't that a fun one? I tried that yesterday and I think it did work. Some benefits to remember :
(a) Mood uplifting- cardio workouts surges the level of mood enhancing neuro transmitters, such as serotonin.
(b) Great night sleep- yoga and other exercises helps relax us, and assist us to sleep sounder which aids the body process of restoration.
(c) Weight loss and maintenance- exercise aids in regulation of leptin (the fat hormone) this hormone controls appetite.
(d) Toning and firming - lifting weights helps us build muscle and build the tissue that is needed to say goodbye to gravity and sagging.
(e) Bloodsugar & blood pressure- exercise aids the control of both bloodsugar and blood pressure and even aids in lowering cholesterol.

Taking Responsibility

2009-05-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

I realised that I have to take responsiblity and make some changes to see results. I try not to make these changes too radically, because then it is overwhelming and has gotten me into trouble in the past and since I am changing my mind set then I am going to try something different and beleive it will give me a different result.
The 1st week, I made my portion size smaller and began exercising however the 2nd week, I did the same but because I was not tracking it keenly I gained back 2 of the pounds that I lost. Now I am adding a spreadsheet to track my eating habits because even though I made my portion smaller, maybe I ate more or my fat intake was higher, but instead of guessing I am going to put it all on paper.
I think I will get a food scale but not yet, got to take it slowly.
This week I will concentrate on tracking my food and the calories burned. See the changes and stay ontrack.Tracking on paper will help me identify the food that trigger hunger, and the ones that curbs my appetite. I will then try to customize my exercise program that will work with my schedule. I am not giving up it has to work. I am going to keep trying till I succeed.
For some reason the link is not working, so just copy and paste to your address bar.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=rfwX_VY2a6t1bg9LoQTf_QQ

TONING IS VERY EASY

2009-05-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

I got one of this tube and I was surprised at how phenomenal it is. I realized that I can exercise and tone while I watch Television. I sat on a chair and put it under the chair and I did several different types arm lifts. I did sets 3 sets of 10 each. Whoo! I felt it in my arms; there are so many ways we can exercise our arms while sitting and watching TV. Try it. I got a great work out. Great help toning.

Share my New Food Tracker Sheet

2009-05-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

I came up with this sheet that will track our food intake. I think it is important to know how much we are eating, especially us WAHMs. We are always on the go and sometimes we eat unconsciously. We grab a snack here and there not realizing the amount of calories we are in taking.Though I am trying not to have weight loss become our life to the point where we are obsessed with losing weight that it takes away the joy of eating and enjoying life; I do think we need to pay some attention to our eating habits. Remember there is no one rule that works, and everyone is different yet we know if we eat too much it will turn into fat and will show on our bodies eventually like I saw this week.

Food Intake Tracker Sheet

2009-05-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

I came up with this sheet that will track our food intake. I think it is important to know how much we are eating, especially us WAHMs. We are always on the go and sometimes we eat unconsciously. We grab a snack here and there not realizing the amount of calories we are in taking.Though I am trying not to have weight loss become our life to the point where we are obsessed with losing weight that it takes away the joy of eating and enjoying life; I do think we need to pay some attention to our eating habits. Rememeber there is no one rule that works, and everyone is different yet we know if we eat too much it will turn into fat and will show on our bodies eventually like I saw this week.
For some reason the link is not working so copy and paste - http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=rfwX_VY2a6t1bg9LoQTf_QQ

My weekly weight Loss Battle

2009-05-05T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well here we are it is Tuesday and it is time for the moment of truth. I hate the scale this week because I think it is playing a trick on me. I am shocked and I could say disappointed but the scale isn't bias, it showed it like it is. I gained 2 pounds back ;).I was upset and yes! disappointed but I had to think it over and even though I exercised more than I did the week before, guess I ate more than I thought I did.
Time to go a step further. I have decided to write down my foods and that way I can tell where I failed or succeed.Hey it is time to get up, dust myself off and go again. I will not give up, but will be more careful. Please feel free to share you daily battle with me too.

Reminder, Reminder, Reminder:

2009-05-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

Let us try to include more of these in our daily diet: whole grain pasta, brown rice, oats, vegetables and whole grain cereals, foods rich in fiber. Don’t forget to include the fruits, any fruits but in moderation of course.

Changing Our Past Weight Loss Failures into Success Stories - Part 1

2009-04-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

Change comes with first a change of heart and change of thinking and perception. We have to not only detox our body but our thoughts and mind also. I am sure everyone out there has tried to diet in the past and only a small percentage has actually succeeded. Many of us give up after the first one fails, and then we gain a few more pounds, and then we try another diet and again we fail and again a few extra pounds; and the cycle continues…. Sounds familiar? Most of us can identify with this, I can! Guess we ought to do something different, agree?
I am beginning to realize that except we change our thinking, the way we think and the way we perceive things in our lives and the way we perceive us and our worth is what determines our actions. It is like everything else in our lives; our success and achievements in our family lives, depends on choices we make and those choices comes from the way, we perceive things and that perception, (I should say most of us because I know some people are spontaneous) comes from a thought! We think about something and then examine it in our minds and then we act. In order for us to succeed in life we have to get beyond the cycle to stand out from the rest of the crowd, be it, in business, education, to win our husbands (in courtship we had to be the best girl to capture his heart and vice versa), and persuade our kids. Everyone of us think we do things the best way, but as we meet others or go to school or socialize we learn that we can do things different and add the knowledge that we learn to achieve a better goal or purpose in whatever areas we are aiming to achieve. Every great or successful person had to overcome the cycle and it is the same with us taking control of our weight. We have to break the cycle of the past. Feel free to give your comments. I will continue on the next post.

A few of my secrets to my weight loss last week

2009-04-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I was thinking today and really feeling good about my success last week, because my goal is to lose maybe a pound a week, but I am thankful to lose 3 pounds instead. I know that I cheated a little but thinking about it, never thought of it before but I normally take ALLI when I cheat. I would use it in the past and think it helped me maintained my weight in the past. and I did take it on the day that I had chinese :( and the day that I had KFC :( . The only good thing is that I do cheat but do not have a lot of the bad stuff. The rule that I develop is to stop eating when I begin to feel full. To be honest, can't say that I always follow that rule but most of the times, and with time I am getting better with it. A word of encouragement " you will get there too, so don't beat up on yourself if you are not there yet" My goal in my blog to encourage all and to recognize that we are humans and will fall short but the goal is to get up and go again.
I also take "Fiber Choice Weight Management", says it helps curb craving and Promotes weight Control. I know fiber helps to full the stomach and I think it helped me to eat less. In my opinion we all need a little help sometimes and ALLI and Fiber Choice is that help for now; so dont get jealous if you didnt lose 3 pounds your first week, maybe you didnt have help like I did. Keep on keeping on:)

Foods that Eliminates Hunger - Say Goodbye to Cheating

2009-04-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here are foods that I found that satisfies my hunger and help me stay full longer. I found that if I include these foods as a part of my 5 small meals a day, it really helps me and I feel like I am eating all day when I break up my meals into 5 instead of 3 huge meals.
Breakfast - 1 egg, 1 slice whole grain toast (more grains the better), 1/2 cup water melon or cantaloupe or 2 slices lite whole grain bread, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1/2 Grapefruit or 1/4 cup high fiber cereal, 3 tbs low fat granola, 1/2 cup strawberries (Or any of the berry family).
Snack - 1 cup of skim or organic low fat milk and a small a apple/pear or 1 cup cucumber slices (also lowers blood pressure), low fat dressing (vinaigrette), 2 stick low fat string cheese or 1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese with celery stick. (try to have low fat milk with every snack, it helps burn fat and keep you full longer), 100% fruit juice (A juicer might be helpful)
Lunch - Veggie burgers or veggie dogs, salad (A MUST), or some protein (it keeps you full longer, any poultry, meat of fish) with 1 cup broccoli,
Dinner - 1 cup vegetable soup(helps before meal, fill you faster and you eat less) or turkey breast or ham.
Snack - Repeat any combination above and be sure to include the low fat milk.
I have been trying these myself and it helps. Be sure to include a protein for breakfast. For lunch be sure to have a protein, a carb, some veggies some fat (almonds ) Give Hunger a knock out punch!

Last Week's Failure and Successes of My Weight Loss Journey

2009-04-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

Well last week was quite a struggle for me. It was my first week, since I began changing my life style. I must say that it was challenging, but bearable since I did not change all my habits at once. I first added exercise to my daily routine.
I exercised 3 days of the week. I am aiming at an hour a day, 5 days of the week, but ended up doing half an hour on 2 days then one and a half on the other. I did it while I watched the taped copy of the "The Doctors Show" I get many heath tips from them too. I did an hour and half on Thursday, but not all at once. I did 45 minutes on the elliptical machine then took a break and then did another 45 minutes.
I did not change much of my eating habits, but took a smaller plate size so I did eat less, but I did not measure not weigh the food, just made my plate smaller. I also eat fruits like apples, bananas and pears in between my meals.
Finding the time to exercise was hard because not only am I a full time mom and wife but I also run my 0nline stores and it requires lots of research and reading which is time consuming but I enjoy it too, but doesn't help that I am sitting most of the times and many times tempted to eat. I did go overboard a few times, but I got back up and tried to do better the next meal and it helped that I was not too hard on myself; I took it with grace.
The good news , I weighed in today and DRUM ROOOLLLLLLL......... I lost 3 pounds! I am down to 224 now :) Yippee! I believe we should consider little changes at a time because that way, it is less humiliating and try not to focus on it so hard. Give yourself some grace, when you cheat, it is not the end of the world. GET UP AND GO AGAIN! KEEP ON KEEPING ON!

Encouragement of the Week

2009-04-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

I got this from a few friends and got again yesterday from my friend Mary, and think it is worth sharing.
One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing, they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.
That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me So much,' were most of the comments? No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished Its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.
Several years later, one of the students was killed in Viet Nam and his teacher attended the funeral, of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature. The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin. As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. 'Were you Mark's math teacher?' he asked. She nodded: 'yes.' Then he said: 'Mark talked about you a lot.'
After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.’ We want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket 'They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.'Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. 'Thank you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said. 'As you can see, Mark treasured it.'
All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home.' Chuck's wife said, 'Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.’ I have mine too, ‘Marilyn said. 'It's in my diary'.
Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this with me at all times, ‘Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: 'I think we all saved our lists’ that’s when the teacher finally sat down and cried.
She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again. The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.
One Way to Accomplish This Is: To tell your loved one how special they are to you, tell them that while they are alive and can appreciate it. It doesn’t matter after they are gone, they cannot smell the roses then. Not only your loved ones but all around you, you never know whose life your smile can touch. There is enough pain out there. Each person at a time extending love and care can make a difference. Do something nice for yourself and others around you every day. Treat others like you would like to be treated. Remember, you reap what you sow what you put into the lives of others comes back into your own.

Reminders Why We should Covet The Fruits

2009-04-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

We heard from centuries gone that fruits benefits us greatly but many times we forget those basics from the food chain pyramid. Today, I hope I can persuade you to snack more on fruits to help trigger your weight loss even more. Not only does fruits help you consume less, thus promoting more weight but it also give us enormous tools to living a happier life. Some reminders of these benefits are:
· Watermelon - is said to ward off diabetes, women eating 3 or more servings a day of watermelon and apples are less likely to ward of type 2 diabetes, according to the Nurses’ Health study.
· Fresh corn – is rich in vitamin B5, this generate energy, helping the body to more carbohydrates and fat for fuel.
· Strawberry – is known for easing achy joints, they contain painkilling mix that work like painkillers, such as aspirin, which obstruct soreness and inflammation, but without any side effects. They are also great for the heart too.
· Grapefruit – is known for lowering LDL significantly, it has great antioxidants and also carries cardiovascular profits.
So remember when you are reaching for that next candy, chocolate or potato chip and do an about turn, reaching for the fruit instead. Make sure that fruits are a part of your weekly shopping list. I know it is expensive but remember the doctor’s bills are even higher. We can do it, remind ourselves that we have choices and it is up to us to change us. Cut your eyes on the junk and remember you are worth it! Remember that fruits also boost our moods and feeds our brain.

My Final Committment to Getting Rid of the Bulge For Once and For All

2009-04-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

As we all know most women that have kids, gain weight during pregnancy. Do I have an excuse for the extra pounds that I am carrying around? Well I did make excuses, in one form or the other, finally my baby has turned eight last February and here I am still packing extra pounds, not only from her but my three other kids. Here is a little background.
I had my first child at eighteen and yes! You heard that right, I was eighteen. I feel in love with my high school sweetheart, we were together since I was fifteen, and he eighteen, not intimate mind you but we were madly in love. I finished high school at sixteen and continued vocational school but started experimenting and had my son is a result of that experiment. A wonderful gift from God; anyway, I was around 150lbs at the time, but was always big-boned so I wore around a size 7 to 8; I am pretty tall so I looked slim. I got pregnant and 9 months later I was 201lbs, after giving birth, I almost lost it all, I went down to 160lbs. I was not too alarmed, still looked great in my clothes and didn’t even have a stomach. I was brand new again.
Six and a half year later, there came my next bundle of joy; my first princess, she was a beautiful and healthy baby, but mommy but not feeling that beautiful at 210lbs. I worked hard but only lost 40lbs, I was about 170lbs, in two years came my next princess, beautiful as usual but again mommy had gained even more (222lbs). I worked hard but this was very, very difficult, I came down to 205lbs and the battle continued, but I was the loser, not of weight but of the battle to lose the weight. Finally, came my last Blessings, my last princess, and again my weight soared. I didn’t gain much with her as I was a health nut then. I was up to around 238lbs, and the battle continued to rage. I came down to 222lbs, but it was a constant battle, my weight would fluctuate between 222 and 234. It seemed like a constant battle which I was always defeated. I was close to giving up and just going up another size but now the weight has caught up to me and now the situation became drastic, so drastic times calls for drastic measures.
I went to the doctor a year or more ago and she told me I was pre-diabetic, she prescribed metaformin in small doses and ordered me to see a nutrition. I didn’t take her too serious, but now I see my dad and mom suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.
To turn the final straw, I checked my blood pressure last week and it was very, very high and I felt horrible. I knew the time has come for me to get rid of the pounds or face the music of these dreadful plagues. I do not want to think of having to prick myself every day since I am terrified of needles so here I am ready to commit for once and for all to get right of this extra 57lbs. I weigh in at 227lbs and I am saying good bye to the extra, extra pounds. I hope I will have lots of friends on this journey to possess my health back and live to see my grandkids and great grandkids, and I know if I continue along the path that I am, this will not materialize, so I hope that you all will take this path with me and help me and yourself overcome and gain the victory! I would love to see myself close to my goal weight for my next anniversary next year June. By the way I married my high school sweetheart and we are still madly in love. He would love that, though he does not complain I know he would welcome my losing the extra, extra pounds while having me healthier so we can enjoy life and live it to the fullest. So common, let’s Do It!

Saving a buck while keeping it healthy

2009-04-21T19:26:00.001-07:00

In my journey to a healthy and happier life, I am changing the way that I cook.Not only am I saving a few dollars, but I know what my family is eating. My family loves bread,so what’s better than homemade bread straight from the oven, so I made them homemade bread.Can you smell it? :) It only took an an hour and a half to two hours tops from start to finish. Only there was a little trick to the homemade bread. I made mixed the white flour with whole wheat flour, actually more whole wheat flour than white flour. This gives it the same great taste with only half the calories and we get some of the benefits from the whole wheat flour. I even catered more sensibly for me.

I made mine half the size for me, that way I can enjoy the same bread but in smaller portion. It helps me because I feel like I am eating a whole bread but only half the calories as if I had the full size that my family would eat, especially my husband who eats double my portion but don't gain an ounce. It is just not fair:(

Let me know if any one needs the recipe.

Family Fun Fit Nights

2009-04-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

This Game Product is not only used for fun but also can help us lose some extra lbs

Health Benefits of the Wii System
Ways of burning calories and becoming fit and healthier has evolved. We advance everyday as far as medicine and cures and acquire a more sophisticated way of living. The minds of our scientist are always on the move to keep us up to date with the benefits of living a healthier life. One of the latest intervention is here, it is Wii Fit
There are many health benefits found from the Wii Fit today. Not only is it used for fun and games but now used to have our daily exercises and help family make that family connection which is lost in our busy daily lives.
It is easy to see why the Wii Fit is the next big hit today. It is affordable and has many excellent health benefits. It is said that many people has seen a tremendous amount of weight loss using the Wii Fit brought their Blood pressure and Diabetes level down ; all this is done while the whole family is enjoying a time of family bonding.
Wii Fit and feel free to check other products that will help you enhance your daily life and fitness goals.