Back from our get away

Hello everyone, our mini get away was wonderful. We left early on Saturday and got to Seattle by early afternoon, we went to Pikes Place Market which is so much fun! It seems there is always some fruit and veggies that I have never seen and hubby and I like to try new things. Last time we bought fiddle head ferns, this time we bought garlic spears.  Fiddle heads are the furled fronds of a young fern and have a grassy taste. Garlic spears are the flowery tops of the elephant garlic plant they have a spicy garlic flavor.

Garlic Spears

Fiddle Head Ferns

Now that we back it's time to get a little stricter on the bfc. I haven't been tracking my food or fiber for awhile but it's time to start again, I haven't been very regular and my weight is up 4.4 lbs :( I am going to be super good this week and hopefully the extra weight is just false belly fat and bloat. Well, I guess that's all for now I am working early today so I have to go and make  a belly good breakfast and lunch. I hope everyone has a wonderful belly good Tuesday :)

       

First batch of coconut bread

Good morning everyone, thank you for the encouraging comments yesterday. After venting I went to work and had a great day. My hubby qualifies for finical aid for school but because he applied late we have to pay for school upfront and will get reimbursed, not ideal but better than having to come up with all of it on our own. Anyway, today is Friday whoo hoo!!!! Hubby and I are planning a mini weekend get a way  :)....tomorrow we are going to Seattle to see some Marine Corps friends. In my opinion getting away is getting away even if it's just a "mini" one.

I made a batch of the coconut bread this morning and it taste's kina eggy to me I'm not sure what I think of it yet I followed the recipe that Rosalie put on her blog. I used my 9 x 5 loaf pan, would a different size be better?

Well, I guess that is all for now I need to start getting ready for work. I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL bfc friendly day :)

Fake it till you make it

Good morning everyone, this is my third time trying to write this post I've been cranky all week. I think it's because hubby is going to school in Sept and it's a big change for us. Especially since things are not working out the way we originally thought. Hubby will not be using the GI bill right away at community college because if he uses it now he won't have enough to graduate from a four year school. Anyway I'm sure things will be fine it's just a little stressful for us as we figure it all out. Money = stress

Yesterday I watched some of Rosalie, Amber and Jorge's youtube videos, I was feeling down before work and I needed a boost. I felt pretty inspired and if hubby and I can find our video camera I think I might make a video of my own. I have also been thinking about trying the Fast Track when it comes out in Sept, I am very interested in what he has to say. I remember when Helen was still a part of our community she loved it and was very glad that she had taken the class.

Well, I guess that's all for now I have to get ready for work. I hope everyone is having a great day, if you are cranky and a little stressed like me just fake having a good day until you make it...fake it till you make it LOL.

Papa Murphys makes my tummy hurt :(

Good morning everyone, thanks for the nice comments yesterday you guys have been key to helping me stay with the bfc and have helped me to learn to be kinder to myself. I have been finding more bfc products lately which excites me, I really believe that a lower sugar diet is better for everyone. Yesterday hubby and I stopped by the grocery store to pick up some things for my sis-in law on our way over to hang out, they are re-modelling the store so we had to go all over to find what we were looking for. We were walking down the condiment aisle and I saw natures hollow jam and I got excited to see it in the regular grocery store next to all the other jams, and then I saw the natures hollow honey and I got even more excited. I have been looking for the honey to make hubby some granola. The recipe I have calls for 1/4 c honey and 1/4c butter to the oats, and I have wanted to try it with the natures hollow honey.

Yesterday we picked up some Papa Murphy's for dinner with sis in law, we got a vegetarian and a deLite. I had one slice of the veg, picked the toppings off the second, and had a small slice of the deLite. Not long after that my tummy hurt, and was bloated :( I thought I could have a little and be ok but apparently not. The pizza also made hubby's tummy hurt. I guess I can add that to the list of things I don't plan to eat again even in small amounts. Hubby's family fries their corn tortillas for tacos (hubby and I never have) but a couple of weeks ago my mother in law made them as a special treat, we hadn't had them in two years, that made both our tummies hurt. It is amazing that when you make some changes like eating lower sugar and better carbs that when I eat bad carbs I feel that my body is rejecting them.

I love the bfc, I feel great and I think this is a realistic lifestyle. Hubby and I went to the lake for the day and took ezekiel bread sandwiches with chicken, cheddar, basil and a slice of heirloom tomato...delish, we also shared a peach. I felt great in my bathing suit and didn't even wear my little board shorts as a cover up. I have not felt this good about myself in YEARS!!!  I hope everyone is having a wonderful belly friendly weekend :)

Chia and Clemmy's

Hello everyone, things are much better now that I am back on track. It's amazing what a difference low sugar/ better carb and enough fiber makes, my jeans fit the way I want them to again and I feel better. A bite here and there and "I'll just have a little because I never eat it" really adds up. We had dinner with my folks last night and 132.4 which is amazing since I wasn't very good for  a week. I was hoping to get down to 130 during the 30 day challenge, but right now I am just happy that I didn't gain weight.

The chia seeds and chia fiber have helped so much. I love the whole chia seeds, I have made the chia seed pudding by mixing 1/4c chia seeds, 1c almond milk and a packet of truvia. I prefer to let it sit until it thickens instead of letting it sit in the fridge all night as some recipes suggested. It has a strange texture but I like it and it is a nice change of pace. (and it helps get rid of false belly fat) I have also started adding  the seeds  to one of my favorite afternoon snacks, 1/2c Greek yogurt, chopped celery, cucumber, tomato, and a dash of garlic salt. It is a refreshing filling afternoon snack that I often have around 3 at work.

 Hubby and I love clemmy's snack size ice cream-os I found on sale at Huckleberry's one of our local health food stores. I am so happy that they started carrying clemmys, when I first started the bfc the only place that carried clemmy's was Whole Foods and there are no Whole Foods in my neck of the woods. One ice cream-o  contains O sugar and 12g carb and the box contains 12.

I have been thinking about what Dawn said in her Thursday post titled "the bad d word". I do not think of the bfc as a diet I think of it as a lifestyle. I tell people I am doing a low sugar/better carb thing, I have a hard time truly explaining the bfc to others. While camping I started writing down how I would explain the bfc when I finish it I will share it. I want to be able to share the bfc in a way that is not preachy. I am very sensitive to a preachy condescending tone and I think that is accomplishes nothing.

Well, I guess that's all for now. You guys are awesome and I truly value and appreciate all of you. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday :)

I was a little naughty, but I'm back on the wagon now

Hello everyone, I've been a little naughty and my jeans are letting me know it :( I think it all started last Tuesday with a family bbq for hubby's grandma visiting from CA. I had some beans even though they were high in sugar, some fruit and some of the dessert (popcorn topped with chocolate and kiddie cereal) even though it wasn't very good and super high in sugar. I don't know what I was thinking...it's as if I thought I could have a little of everything and I would be fine. The rest of the week I ate fruit, beer and Saturday hubby and I indulged in tequila and light coronas. It seems I never fully got back on the wagon after cheating on Tuesday and what I think did me in was portion control and by that I mean drinking more than two beers several days in a row. Anyway I have come to terms with my week long slip up and I am back on the wagon. I am more aware of portion size and the number of servings. I know I need to make sure to drink less beer, it was just so easy because it was in the house and a cold beer is so nice when it is hot....but that's not a good excuse I have learned in the past six months that I can drink a little wine, but I should only drink beer once in a while.

After work today I went to the store to get some fiber I have been having problems since Friday when I ate several slices of pizza at Chuckie Cheeses with the fam. I got chia fiber and seeds on sale, chocolate clemmy's ice cream and the snack size clemmy o's also on sale :) :) :) And things just got better when I saw that they had started carrying natures hollow....whoo hooo!!!! I am excited to be back on the wagon with all the exciting loot I found and most of it was on sale.

Thank you everyone for such nice comments you guys rock!!!! I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday, and if you have cheated like I did nip it in the bud and get back on the wagon :)

Friday

Hello everyone, what a great Friday!!! I had the day off and I cleaned my kitchen and bathroom. Hubby and I met up with my cousin Mark and his family and  had a great time at Chuckee Cheese's, I used to love going there as a kid and it was fun to be there with family. I am also excited to see my cousin Jenny her kids and my aunt and uncle (who we were going to go camping with last week but we were unable to because they had an accident) when they come for a visit in 2 weeks. I am feeling much better about my decision to go to the wedding instead of my reunion and I put my rsvp in the mail today. Thank you for the advice about the wedding I am glad I made the decision to go.

Well I guess that is all for now, I hope everyone had a wonderful Friday. I also got to play with a golden doodle puppy today her name is Ellie and she is super cute, although I forgot how they have such sharp teeth. Life is good, and I feel more comfortable in my skin now that I am doing the bfc and have lost around 15 lbs. :)

Bittersweet

Hello friends, I have really been enjoying the blogs tonight I especially enjoy it when there are personal pictures involved it makes me feel like I understand a little more about my fellow bloggers. In my opinion camping is a rather acquired taste, while I am camping I always miss taking showers which are one of my favorite things to do, but if you are by a water source that helps. My folks and my in laws both have truck campers and on the third day my Mom helped me wash my hair which felt amazing. Hubby and I both grew up camping which makes things easy. Hubby and I met five years ago after he had graduated from the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton he was home on leave, he was hanging out with a mutual friend and she invited me to come hang out on his parents deck and have a beer, well long story short hubby's parents and my folks both had the same truck camper and that broke the ice :)

Kay, I do like the St. Joseph's cookies everything in the pic I bought at the commissary along with my Ezekiel bread and smart and delicious tortillas, you should check it out with your daughter I am sure a lot of the products you like are better prices especially the chips. The St. Joseph's cookies are in the "health food aisle" they only carry the pecan shortbread and chocolate chip cookie. I personally like the pecan ones better because they are soft, but hubby likes both.

Anyway, I guess that is all for now. I am feeling bummed because I have to rsvp to a wedding that is at the same time as my 10 yr HS reunion :( The wedding is out of town and is for a family friend who I have known my whole life and is more like a cousin to me. I was talking to my Mom tonight to see if it was realistic to go to my reunion and then drive out for the wedding reception...she told me what I already know which is I can't do both. AHHHH it is a bittersweet moment and I am feeling frustrated. Well, I guess that is really all for now, sometimes life just sucks. I hope everyone has a wonderful day tomorrow :)

Back from camping

Belly Good Camping Snacks

Hello everyone it's been a busy several days since we got home from camping on Sunday. We had a wonderful time, the weather was perfect to be camping by a river, we spent our days rafting or playing down by the water. We had a disappointing change in plans, my aunt, uncle and cousins were in an accident on the way over no one was hurt, but their truck and trailer was damaged so they were not able to come :( So we invited my in laws and we had a wonderful time with them.

Camping food was great, for breakfast one day we had Rudi's English muffin sandwiches with turkey sausage patties, cheese and eggs. Hubby and I had tacos on smart and delicious tortillas, and instead of having pancakes I had and Ezekiel bread breakfast sandwich. We also snacked a lot on mission tortilla chips and spinach artichoke dip and jalapeno artichoke dip from costco that our folks brought super yummy!!!

Life is good back on the ole home front, it's been fun catching up with what everyone is up to on their blogs. I am excited to see Sherri and Lindsay back!!! This little blog community is pretty amazing. I hope everyone had a wonderful hump day Wednesday! :)

Enjoying a beer on the river :)

Going camping today

Good morning everyone and thank you for the nice comments yesterday!!!! Yes my jeans are 7's we bought them Jan 2010 at costco and they have been sitting in my closet ever since. I love them and it feels amazing to finally fit into them. Now that my belly is smaller I wonder if I can ever get it flat, I've never had a flat tummy I've always had a poochie. I plan on keeping up the bfc and exercise and I will see what happens.

I am excited to go camping today but I hate packing, I hope I can get all my crap together before hubby wants to leave this morning. I didn't get around to making the marshmallows for this trip, I just kinda took on to much and ran out of time :) Anyway I have to go I have lots to do this morning. I will miss you all very much I love checking in with everyone and reading all the blogs. I hope everyone has a great week :)

Getting ready for a BFC camping trip/ progress pics

Hello everyone, can you believe it is August? It is finally hot here and it feels and smells like summer  AHHHH :) Hubby and I are getting ready to go camping  on Wednesday with the fam and we are very excited. We bought a tent yesterday at Walmart ( hubby had one but it was from the Marine Corps and it was small). Anyway, we got the smaller smart and delicious tortillas at the commissary I'm sorry that doesn't seem very helpful. When you enlist for for years you sign a eight year contract, four years active duty and four inactive reserve. While in the inactive reserve you get commissary privileges, so that's how hubby and I got our small smart and delicious tortillas on base.

Hubby took some progress pics of me on Sunday in the park across from our apt. I have never worn the jeans I am wearing because they never fit, and I am happy to say that they just need to be hemmed now(WHOO HOO). I feel good about myself and I am glad that I have taken progress pics along the  way,  although I wish I had taken some when I first started sometime in January, well hindsight is always 20/20. Anyway I guess that is all for now I took a some pics of the bfc snackiety food I bought and I will post them soon. In the meantime I think you guys are awesome and it makes me feel good that I have so many nice people who read my blog. Big hugs to everyone!!! :)