Happy Birthday to Darby and me today!!! I am the big 4-0 and I'll let Darby say her age, if she wants to!
I can tell you this much, today will NOT be a good program day. I didn't weigh myself cause yesterday wasn't exactly a day for good eating choices either. I plan to party my heart out at the football game today (GO DUCKS!) and will assess the damage tomorrow. Can you say steak day??
Hugs to you all, especially any fellow Thanksgiving (or near to) birthdays!!
Amy
Friday, November 26, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
R2P4 (+1.2 LIW)
Still in the safety zone. I am happy about that. I know some correction days are in my future though. Next Friday I turn the big 4-0. I am kind of excited about it. 40 doesn't really scare me. I am really excited about my big party tomorrow. My husband has arranged a special dinner with some close friends. I don't know too many details as they have been kept from me to be a surprise, but I know they have been working on decorations and making sure the food is safely gluten-free for me. Then, after dinner, we head to a local venue to hook up with even more friends. It is a little movie theater pub that can be rented out. We will have a movie in the background, drinks and good company. I can't think of a better way to celebrate the fact that I made it to my 40s!
Then there is Thanksgiving next week. We are hosting my in-laws. I don't plan to make it low-cal.
And the day after that is my actual birthday and a home football game (GO DUCKS!). One of my best and oldest (by time, not age!) friends will be joining me at the tailgaters and the game. I don't plan to make this a low-cal affair either. There will be lots of alcohol too. So fun!
And it's not done there. My parents will come down the next day to celebrate a belated birthday and Thanksgiving with us. Lots of good food with that. And I will be spending a lot of time away from the house. I will be back stage at my daughter's 3 Nutcracker performances. Needless to say, it will not be a weekend of the healthiest choices.
We'll see how the weight does, but I would be shocked if I didn't need 3 or 4 correction days sprinkled in there. But that is the beauty of it. I can enjoy this crazy series of celebrations, do the corrections and get back into healthy choices. It should all balance out in the end.
And for those of you waiting to hear my MRI results. It was sort of good news. I don't need to have a disc removed and vertebrae fused. I do, however, have some long term issues that need to be taken care of. The lowest part of my cervical vertebrae (neck), c5-c6 and c6-c7 are the problem. The discs are degenerating near my spinal cord (hence the shooting pain in my right arm and shoulder), one of the discs has a mild bulge but it is on the left side and is asymptomatic (yea!). The bones of those vertebrae are also degenerating and I have some bone spurs. Basically, this is all fancy medical speak for arthritis.
I have arthritis in my neck and I am only 40?!? Sheesh! I guess that is what you get after a lifetime of clumsy accidents with many head injuries, 2 major car wrecks, heavy lifting jobs at a young age and an auto-immune disease that went undiagnosed for 20 years! Good thing I have finally figured out how to take care of myself. I need this body to last for at least another 40 years!
Enjoy the day!
Amy
Then there is Thanksgiving next week. We are hosting my in-laws. I don't plan to make it low-cal.
And the day after that is my actual birthday and a home football game (GO DUCKS!). One of my best and oldest (by time, not age!) friends will be joining me at the tailgaters and the game. I don't plan to make this a low-cal affair either. There will be lots of alcohol too. So fun!
And it's not done there. My parents will come down the next day to celebrate a belated birthday and Thanksgiving with us. Lots of good food with that. And I will be spending a lot of time away from the house. I will be back stage at my daughter's 3 Nutcracker performances. Needless to say, it will not be a weekend of the healthiest choices.
We'll see how the weight does, but I would be shocked if I didn't need 3 or 4 correction days sprinkled in there. But that is the beauty of it. I can enjoy this crazy series of celebrations, do the corrections and get back into healthy choices. It should all balance out in the end.
And for those of you waiting to hear my MRI results. It was sort of good news. I don't need to have a disc removed and vertebrae fused. I do, however, have some long term issues that need to be taken care of. The lowest part of my cervical vertebrae (neck), c5-c6 and c6-c7 are the problem. The discs are degenerating near my spinal cord (hence the shooting pain in my right arm and shoulder), one of the discs has a mild bulge but it is on the left side and is asymptomatic (yea!). The bones of those vertebrae are also degenerating and I have some bone spurs. Basically, this is all fancy medical speak for arthritis.
I have arthritis in my neck and I am only 40?!? Sheesh! I guess that is what you get after a lifetime of clumsy accidents with many head injuries, 2 major car wrecks, heavy lifting jobs at a young age and an auto-immune disease that went undiagnosed for 20 years! Good thing I have finally figured out how to take care of myself. I need this body to last for at least another 40 years!
Enjoy the day!
Amy
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
R2P4 (+0.4 LIW)
Ahhh, that's more like it. The steak day did the trick. *breathes sigh of relief*
I have my MRI tomorrow night. Looking forward to having some answers. I have no idea just how bad this disc is, but will soon find out. I will resist any type of fusion surgery with every fiber of my being.
Here is a recipe for a simple, but absolutely fabulous salmon dinner. My family likes salmon on its own, but when I added this composed butter they went gaga. The measurements are very forgiving. I think I might have used more fresh dill than I listed. I used lemon juice when I made this, but I am thinking it would only be improved by using lemon zest next time. When I didn't refrigerate the mixed butter right away, the lemon juice started to come back out of the composition. Zest wouldn't do that. I will try it next time. You will want to refrigerate the butter composition so that it is nice and firm when placing on top of your elegant salmon. You can even use some spoons to make it into a nice oval shape or a melon baller to make it into balls. This may not be important if you are just serving your hungry family, but think how impressive it would be if you were serving company....
Salmon with Lemon Dill Butter
1 to 1.5 lbs of your favorite Salmon (mine is Chinook)
oil (I used grapeseed, but olive would be fine, even coconut oil, melted)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 C butter, softened (not melted)
1 Tbs lemon juice (or 1 tsp fresh, finely zested lemon rind)
1 Tbs snipped, fresh dill (or 1.5 tsp dried)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare salmon by rinsing and patting dry the fillet or steaks. Lightly oil the salmon on all sides and season with salt and pepper. Bake salmon for 20 min/inch thickness. You want it to be cooked, but baking it until it flakes is too cooked. It will be dry. But, hey, cook it how you like it.
While the salmon bakes, prepare the butter. Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until thoroughly combined. You will want to scrape it down and pulse several times. Remove the butter from the processor and refrigerate until the salmon is finished. Top the salmon with about a tablespoon of the composed butter and enjoy.
The butter is also fabulous on vegetables. My broccoli was very appreciative of this addition as I gobbled it up with abandon. Yum!
Enjoy the day,
Amy
I have my MRI tomorrow night. Looking forward to having some answers. I have no idea just how bad this disc is, but will soon find out. I will resist any type of fusion surgery with every fiber of my being.
Here is a recipe for a simple, but absolutely fabulous salmon dinner. My family likes salmon on its own, but when I added this composed butter they went gaga. The measurements are very forgiving. I think I might have used more fresh dill than I listed. I used lemon juice when I made this, but I am thinking it would only be improved by using lemon zest next time. When I didn't refrigerate the mixed butter right away, the lemon juice started to come back out of the composition. Zest wouldn't do that. I will try it next time. You will want to refrigerate the butter composition so that it is nice and firm when placing on top of your elegant salmon. You can even use some spoons to make it into a nice oval shape or a melon baller to make it into balls. This may not be important if you are just serving your hungry family, but think how impressive it would be if you were serving company....
Salmon with Lemon Dill Butter
1 to 1.5 lbs of your favorite Salmon (mine is Chinook)
oil (I used grapeseed, but olive would be fine, even coconut oil, melted)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 C butter, softened (not melted)
1 Tbs lemon juice (or 1 tsp fresh, finely zested lemon rind)
1 Tbs snipped, fresh dill (or 1.5 tsp dried)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare salmon by rinsing and patting dry the fillet or steaks. Lightly oil the salmon on all sides and season with salt and pepper. Bake salmon for 20 min/inch thickness. You want it to be cooked, but baking it until it flakes is too cooked. It will be dry. But, hey, cook it how you like it.
While the salmon bakes, prepare the butter. Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until thoroughly combined. You will want to scrape it down and pulse several times. Remove the butter from the processor and refrigerate until the salmon is finished. Top the salmon with about a tablespoon of the composed butter and enjoy.
The butter is also fabulous on vegetables. My broccoli was very appreciative of this addition as I gobbled it up with abandon. Yum!
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
R2P4 (+4.4 lbs LIW!!!)
Ahhhh!
Too much, too much, too much! Too much nuts, too much cheese, too much wine, too much chocolate, too much carbs. Just too much things my body shouldn't deal with at the same time equals too much pounds gained.
So, it is steak day for me today. Should have done one yesterday but had a luncheon that I couldn't avoid. So I am doing it today. I am doing a modification though. I had pilates today so worked my muscles. I decided I would have an egg before and will do another 1 or 2 eggs throughout the day as I am really hungry. I don't think it is a good idea to work your muscles and then not have protein until this evening. I will let you know how it works for me.
Then, I am going to re-evaluate my intake of carbs. I am thinking about doing P3-style eating most of the time (I mean 95% of the time) and having some carbs on the most special of occasions. I just don't think my body deals with carbs well at all. Lot of protein and veg for me, my friends.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Too much, too much, too much! Too much nuts, too much cheese, too much wine, too much chocolate, too much carbs. Just too much things my body shouldn't deal with at the same time equals too much pounds gained.
So, it is steak day for me today. Should have done one yesterday but had a luncheon that I couldn't avoid. So I am doing it today. I am doing a modification though. I had pilates today so worked my muscles. I decided I would have an egg before and will do another 1 or 2 eggs throughout the day as I am really hungry. I don't think it is a good idea to work your muscles and then not have protein until this evening. I will let you know how it works for me.
Then, I am going to re-evaluate my intake of carbs. I am thinking about doing P3-style eating most of the time (I mean 95% of the time) and having some carbs on the most special of occasions. I just don't think my body deals with carbs well at all. Lot of protein and veg for me, my friends.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Thursday, November 4, 2010
R2P3D22 or P4D1 (+1.0 LIW)
I am really struggling with the pain that my disc is causing. Will have to keep this short, but had to share this wonderful breakfast muffin. It is great reheated for on the go. I found them a little salty when I made them with bacon and 1 tsp salt. So I reduced the amount of salt for you below. You may want to increase it if you use breakfast sausage though. I am working on a coconut flour recipe that will be tasty and make my tummy happier, but, boy, these were tasty.
Egg, Bacon, and Cheese Muffins Recipe
makes 12 muffins
1 1/4 C almond flour or other nut meal
4 eggs, beaten
1 C cottage cheese
1 C grated Cheddar (or pick your favorite cheese)
1/4-3/4 C bacon, cooked crispy and chopped into small pieces (or ham, diced or sausage, crumbled)
1/4 C milk
1 tsp baking powder (starch free for P3 or sub baking soda)
1/2 tsp sea salt
Okay, this is tricky, you ready?
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Fill buttered, greased or lined muffin tins with batter to the top. Bake for 25 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If you greased or buttered your muffin tins be sure to cool them for quite awhile before attempting to remove them from pan. Using a butter knife, gently loosen the muffins from the pan around the edges. If you line them with muffin cups you have it easy.
Enjoy warm. These store well in the fridge for a week and freeze nicely too. Reheat for about 20 seconds on high if refrigerated and about 40-45 seconds if frozen.
Okay, off to ice my neck, shoulder and arm. MRI has been ordered by doc. Sigh.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Egg, Bacon, and Cheese Muffins Recipe
makes 12 muffins
1 1/4 C almond flour or other nut meal
4 eggs, beaten
1 C cottage cheese
1 C grated Cheddar (or pick your favorite cheese)
1/4-3/4 C bacon, cooked crispy and chopped into small pieces (or ham, diced or sausage, crumbled)
1/4 C milk
1 tsp baking powder (starch free for P3 or sub baking soda)
1/2 tsp sea salt
Okay, this is tricky, you ready?
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Fill buttered, greased or lined muffin tins with batter to the top. Bake for 25 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If you greased or buttered your muffin tins be sure to cool them for quite awhile before attempting to remove them from pan. Using a butter knife, gently loosen the muffins from the pan around the edges. If you line them with muffin cups you have it easy.
Enjoy warm. These store well in the fridge for a week and freeze nicely too. Reheat for about 20 seconds on high if refrigerated and about 40-45 seconds if frozen.
Okay, off to ice my neck, shoulder and arm. MRI has been ordered by doc. Sigh.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
R2P3D20 (-0.2 LIW)
Okay. Now I am below my LIW. I "lost" 1.4 lbs yesterday. I'll take it. I am much happier to be under my LIW than over.
This also reinforces the idea that I need to limit my intake of artificial sweeteners and almonds. The morning after days when I don't have those things, or have them in small amounts, I am lower in my weight. If I have a day of eating those things in excess, I am up on the scale the next morning.
I have to keep this short and sweet today. The damaged disc in my neck is really causing me troubles in my right arm. Started yesterday and got really bad last night. I was in a lot of pain and I could barely hold my pen to sign my mail-in ballot last night. I couldn't grasp a door knob with enough force to open the door. It was bad. Today is a little better, but that is because I have hardly used that arm today. Sigh. I am trying to get in for an emergency appointment with my chiropractor today. I also have an appointment with my regular doctor to set up an MRI.
Hope all is well with you!
Enjoy the day,
Amy
This also reinforces the idea that I need to limit my intake of artificial sweeteners and almonds. The morning after days when I don't have those things, or have them in small amounts, I am lower in my weight. If I have a day of eating those things in excess, I am up on the scale the next morning.
I have to keep this short and sweet today. The damaged disc in my neck is really causing me troubles in my right arm. Started yesterday and got really bad last night. I was in a lot of pain and I could barely hold my pen to sign my mail-in ballot last night. I couldn't grasp a door knob with enough force to open the door. It was bad. Today is a little better, but that is because I have hardly used that arm today. Sigh. I am trying to get in for an emergency appointment with my chiropractor today. I also have an appointment with my regular doctor to set up an MRI.
Hope all is well with you!
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Monday, November 1, 2010
R2P3D19 (+1.2 LIW)
Geez, the swings in my weight this week are crazy. I am happy to see that I am still in the safety zone, but for how long?
I was able to resist all candy/sugar temptations last night. It was surprisingly easy. Perhaps this round broke my sweet tooth? Gosh, I hope so. Makes me nervous to introduce sugar back into my diet. I did enjoy my P3 okay sugar-substitute goodies, more than I usually allow myself in a day. I think the most likely culprit to my slow and steady gain is the P3 "safe" sugar subs I have been using. I have been told (and read) that they can cause inflammation and other sugar-like body responses. I will avoid them as much as I can today, drinks lots of tea and water and see what the scale says tomorrow.
I tried a new recipe from Lauren at Healthy Indulgences. She came up with a recipe for grain free English Muffins using coconut flour. They were really simple to make and tasted pretty good. There was a slight coconut flavor, more like a hint of slightly sweet nuttiness, but I didn't find it off-putting. I did find them a tad dry this morning, despite the generous amount of fats they contain. Perhaps they need some water to counter the very high fiber coconut flour? I also found that the 1/2 tsp garlic powder was a tad too much for me and I like garlic. They tasted quite strongly of the garlic powder so I will use 1/4 tsp next time. The recipe below reflects the changes I made this time or will do next time.
English Muffins
4 large eggs
2 Tbs water
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 C butter, melted
1/3 C coconut flour (Bob's Red Mill preferred)
1/4 tsp starch-free baking powder (2 parts cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda)
1/2-3/4 C sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Beat together eggs, water, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. While whisking egg mixture, slowly pour in the melted butter. This will keep the eggs from scrambling as you add the warm/hot butter. Add the coconut flour, whisking into the batter until there are no lumps. Let this sit for 5-10 minutes. This should allow the coconut flour fibers to soak up the water and soften them to a nice texture. Whisk in the baking powder and make sure you have no lumps in your batter. Stir in the cheese. Spoon batter into 5 well-buttered ramekins. Bake for 15 minutes or until starting to brown on top. Mine still felt slightly "soft" but were beginning to brown when I pulled them out at 15 minutes. They were completely cooked so don't wait for total firmness. Let cool completely before cutting into. For best results, make these the night before you plan on eating them. Store in the fridge.
I enjoyed mine with a nice "happy" pork breakfast sausage from Beeler's this morning.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
I was able to resist all candy/sugar temptations last night. It was surprisingly easy. Perhaps this round broke my sweet tooth? Gosh, I hope so. Makes me nervous to introduce sugar back into my diet. I did enjoy my P3 okay sugar-substitute goodies, more than I usually allow myself in a day. I think the most likely culprit to my slow and steady gain is the P3 "safe" sugar subs I have been using. I have been told (and read) that they can cause inflammation and other sugar-like body responses. I will avoid them as much as I can today, drinks lots of tea and water and see what the scale says tomorrow.
I tried a new recipe from Lauren at Healthy Indulgences. She came up with a recipe for grain free English Muffins using coconut flour. They were really simple to make and tasted pretty good. There was a slight coconut flavor, more like a hint of slightly sweet nuttiness, but I didn't find it off-putting. I did find them a tad dry this morning, despite the generous amount of fats they contain. Perhaps they need some water to counter the very high fiber coconut flour? I also found that the 1/2 tsp garlic powder was a tad too much for me and I like garlic. They tasted quite strongly of the garlic powder so I will use 1/4 tsp next time. The recipe below reflects the changes I made this time or will do next time.
English Muffins
4 large eggs
2 Tbs water
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 C butter, melted
1/3 C coconut flour (Bob's Red Mill preferred)
1/4 tsp starch-free baking powder (2 parts cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda)
1/2-3/4 C sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Beat together eggs, water, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. While whisking egg mixture, slowly pour in the melted butter. This will keep the eggs from scrambling as you add the warm/hot butter. Add the coconut flour, whisking into the batter until there are no lumps. Let this sit for 5-10 minutes. This should allow the coconut flour fibers to soak up the water and soften them to a nice texture. Whisk in the baking powder and make sure you have no lumps in your batter. Stir in the cheese. Spoon batter into 5 well-buttered ramekins. Bake for 15 minutes or until starting to brown on top. Mine still felt slightly "soft" but were beginning to brown when I pulled them out at 15 minutes. They were completely cooked so don't wait for total firmness. Let cool completely before cutting into. For best results, make these the night before you plan on eating them. Store in the fridge.
I enjoyed mine with a nice "happy" pork breakfast sausage from Beeler's this morning.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
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