Perfect summer Saturday

Good evening everyone, today was a perfect summer Saturday. The weather was hot, hot, hot and hubby and I went to the lake for the day. We walked through the downtown area which made us miss the beach cities of SCal. I think while we were walking my dress and bag rubbed off some of the sunscreen on my shoulders because they got a little pink :( I am very fair skinned so I apply sunscreen all over before I leave the house and try to remember to reapply throughout the day. When we came home our apt was cool and I took a nice nap. Life is good :)

On Wednesday we are going camping with my folks my aunt and uncle and some cousins. This is the first year that my hubby is able to come and everyone is looking forward to having him there. I am trying ot come up with a good assortment of bfc approved snacks to bring since there will be an abundance of sugary items. Lauren's healthy indulgences blog has a recipe for homemade sugar free marshmallows that I am going to try. Last Christmas I made homemade marshmallows and caramels, so I am very excited to make some belly friendly ones. I hope they will roast up nicely :)

Well, I guess that's all for now I will be sure to share how the sugar free marshmallows turn out and what we take camping. I want to get better about sharing what I eat and the kinds of food I am taking camping. When I first started the bfc I saw an video on youtube that Amber posted where she talked about the things she uses on the bfc and it was super helpful for me when I was a bfc newbie. I also love the video that Rosalie did of the bfc products she uses. It is easy to lose track of all the good bfc food we are allowed when we go places where everything is bad carb and high in sugar. I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend, you guys are awesome and I appreciate everyone so much!!!
Oh and I almost forgot to say that I bought the spinach artichoke cream cheese and didn't make it myself :)

Breakfast: black coffee, 2 small smart and delicious tortillas with spinach artichoke cream cheese, baby spinach, small amount of diced tomatoes and two fried eggs.

Snacks at the Lake: celery, cucumbers, pistachios, peach sun tea, 1/2 of flax muffiny thing with peanut butter

Dinner: 2 small smart and delicious tortillas tacos, one with fish and the other chicken, colby cheese, little bit sour cream, napa cabbage, avocado, handful guacamole chips. After dinner water with chia fiber.

What I looked like when I didn't think twice about drinking a whole bottle of wine

Hello everyone, thank you for the nice comments yesterday I thought a lot about what Kay said. I agree it is probably not healthy to drink a whole bottle of wine at a time what I should have done is poured a glass and then put it away. This is a picture from Christmas 09 where I drank a lot you can see how round my face was and I had a huge muffin top over my jeans. I used to drink often, beer, wine and rum and coke really put the weight on. I am trying to make new healthy habits with the help of the bfc and most of the time I do pretty good, but I really appreciate that you are looking out for me in your comment. Over indulging is over indulging even though it was belly good red wine.                                                                                                             

Today was a great day, I didn't have to work so I went to my folks and did laundry. I was there by myself because they are away at a wedding in Portland, it was quiet with out them and the Sadie their golden retriever. My weight was up 2 lbs today but I'm not really worried it was hot today and I drank a ton of water. I went to the library and got some magazines to read outside while I did my laundry. I washed my summer blankets so the bed is nice and fresh, fresh bedding is one of the small joys in life.

I made a super yummy breakfast today I took two smart and delicious tortillas (the smaller size) and put spinach artichoke cream cheese on and then some baby spinach and topped each with a fried egg. It was fast and super yummy. I hope everyone is having a nice weekend, if you have fallen off the wagon like I did the other night pick yourself up and get back on the wagon. We all make mistakes it's what we do after we make them that makes a difference.

Food at work

Good morning everyone, thanks for the nice comments yesterday slowly I am figuring how to get my blog how I want it. Thank you Rosalie for offering  to help, if I get stuck I will be sure to ask for help, but right now it feels kinda good to be figuring it out on my own. :) Thank you Dawn for sharing the brand of chia seeds you like the best, it is so helpful to get product recommendations from the blogs.

Food at work is one of the easiest ways for anyone to get derailed on eating the way they want. Yesterday there was food for a birthday and several people told me to go get some, and when I said I was trying to be good and it's just easier not to eat any at all or go in the front office to see, they said there was fruit chocolate covered fruit in there which as everyone knows chocolate covered fruit = lots of sugar!!! Everyone has good intentions so I usually thank them for telling me that but share that I am doing a low sugar plan and that usually is a good enough answer. Today is another bday potluck at work and I plan to stay away from it again...especially the costco cake. In the past I've had a little cake, but now that I am doing the 30 day challenge I am going to pass because I know the cake will stall my progress and I want to have some discipline and set myself up for success.

I feel a little strange today, when I got home from work last night hubby wasn't home and I opened a bottle of wine while I made dinner...well, the wine went down so easily that I drank the whole bottle which was not good. The wine lowered my guard and everything that has been on my mind came out to hubby when he came home in a not very nice way. The usual things irritation hubby has had Fridays off for awhile because he got his hours cut....I don't have to work tomorrow and I wanted us to go to the lake for the day, well now hubby has to work Fridays again...which is a good thing in the big picture but a disappointment for now....a little stress with hubby starting school and we recently learned the best plan is to save the GI bill for a 4 year school instead of using some of the GI bill for community college. Anyway, I know better than to drink a whole bottle of wine and if I had only drank 1-2 glasses I'm sure I wouldn't have argued with hubby. But today is a fresh new day and there is no sense in beating myself up about the mistakes of yesterday.

Well, I better go get ready for work I hope everyone has a nice day :) P.S. Laura I know what you mean about getting up enough nerve to start a blog, I was very nervous about starting mine but I am very grateful that I did I don't think I could have stayed on the bfc without the support and encouragement the blog community provides. Please consider starting a blog we would love to help support you!!!

Trying to mix my blog up

Good morning friends, as you can see I was a little bored with my blog and I'm trying to mix it up a bit. I need hubbys help to get some new pics up, hopefully we can make that happen this week. Thanks for the nice comments yesterday, when I came home last night hubby was on the computer with finical aide for school I am confident things will work out. Life is full of roadblocks and bumps in the road, and we just have to adapt and adjust our plans.

As far as the 30 day challenge goes things are good, I have managed to stay away from the pretzels, crackers, toast and nutella that are available to snack on at work. The hardest is to stay away from the gluten free rice crackers, those buggers are tasty, but one or two makes me want more and more. Yesterday on the way to work I had to stop by the store to get lunch because our fridge was bare bare bare. I got a wrap from the deli and used the smart and delicious tortilla instead of the one it came with...yumm!!! I think I will be making wraps for awhile. It was turkey, cheese, spinach, a little tomato and yellow pepper it was very satisfying and a great way to sneak spinach in.

Well, I guess that's all for now I need to start getting ready for work. I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday...keep up the bfc even when it's hard, it's the small cheats that get in the way of getting to where you want to be :)

Disappointments

Hello everyone, our weekend was great I had some great times with hubby's family. We had some yummy food except I had a piece of bbq chicken which made my tummy hurt, this is the second time I have done this at my in-laws bbqs hopefully the third time I will learn  to stay away from the bbq sauce. I had a couple of Alaskan Amber's Summer Ale that I really like during the weekend...I told hubby I have drank less beer this summer than I have in a long time...1-2 once in awhile instead of 6 pack after six pack is satisfying and I don't feel like I am missing out on some of the summer treats I love. Less beer in general is really paying off. 132.2 lbs :) :) :)


I also had some disappointing news lately, my 10 yr HS reunion is the same day as an out of town wedding hubby and I are going to :( Such is life. Another disappointment/change in plans is hubby was planning to go to community college in Sept on the GI bill and then transfer. The GI bill pays to the highest state school, but there is a program called the yellow ribbon act that allows private schools to take a certain number of students using the GI bill and the yellow ribbon act would make up the difference. Well, hubby just found out that if he uses his GI bill for two years at community there won't be enough left to cover the school he wants to go to. He has been advised to get financial aid to help pay for community and not even use the GI bill yet...I'm sure things will be fine but it's a disappointment and a big change in plans for us.

The bfc is helping me to make progress in how I handle disappointments, before I would have picked up some wine to help me deal with things and maybe a sweet treat because I told myself I deserved it. Making progress in not emotional eating/drinking is a big thing for me. I hope everyone has a wonderful day :)

30 day challenge

Good morning everyone and happy Friday! It's been a long week and I am glad the weekend is here. We have company this weekend, my hubby's cousins are staying with us. Cherri used to live in San Diego when hubby was in the military and she did so much for us, she showed us around and let us crash at her apt when we came down to San Diego. It's nice to be able to have her crash with us even though we only have a couch and an air mattress to offer. Tomorrow we have a bbq with hubby's folks and our visiting family and celebrate my nephew's 9th birthday.

I've been thinking about the 30 day challenge that Dawn put out there, I'm excited I could use some extra motivation and clearer goals on the bfc.

1. What are your goals for the next 30 days?
My goals are to get in better shape using the bfc and exercise to be healthy and to be in a good place in how I feel about myself.

2. What are you going to do to reach your goals?
I plan on doing the bfc, and not cheating at work with pretzels, saltines, nutella, toast or cake.

3. What kind of exercise will you do?
I will continue to walk with hubby, zumba, pilates and Tracy Anderson

4. Why do you want to do this?
I am at a weight that is very familiar 130-135 and I want to just get better, I want a smaller tummy and love handles. I have my 10 yr HS reunion coming up and I want to look my best and feel good for that.

I am excited for the next 30 days, I know I need to put some new pictures on my blog especially now that I am doing this 30 day challenge. I will try to do that soon. I hope everyone has a nice Friday!!!!!

Chia seeds

Hi friends thanks for the great comments yesterday, and thank you Beth for saying you enjoy my blog that made me feel really nice. I think some of the specialty bfc products are really helpful especially since we are learning to cut down on sugar for a  healthy lifestyle and not just a quick fix. I've noticed that these products also help my hubby stay with the bfc....I don't know what he eats at work but I suspect it's not always bfc friendly since his belly (which is not very big, but could use some work) isn't going down....but I love the man and I try to encourage him to exercise and do the bfc without being a nag.

I tried the chia yesterday but what I got is ground chia seed...I think it  must also come whole like a whole flax seed. The stuff I bought is Gai herbs chia fresh daily fiber from ground chia seeds....I didn't know where to start so I bought the product on sale. I mixed it with almond milk and a packet of truvia and ate it for breakfast yesterday and today. It tastes kinda funny but it's ok, next time I think I will try to get the seeds and not the ground fiber.

Yesterday Dawn talked about doing another 30 day challenge and invited us to do it too. I am on board, I think it will be a good opportunity to refine my goals and make a better plan on how to reach them. I wrote down the questions so I can think about them today at work. Well, I better go get ready for work I hope everyone has a wonderful hump day :)

Bfc products

Good morning friends, sometimes I try to write a post and I have nothing to say. It's been a busy past couple of days, Sunday hubby and I had a super nice productive day: we returned something hubby bought to REI, bought him a day planner he has been wanting, grocery shopped, and went for a nice long walk. Our walk was so nice, it was hot and it felt awesome. We went to this new hip natural local food store, which actually is not that new just new to us which was very exciting because they have natures hollow jam, and several ezekiel products I haven't been able to find locally. We didn't buy anything right then because we still had a long walk home but it was very exciting to discover some bfc products locally. I also found some Joseph's cookies the other week: pecan shortbread and chocolate chip. The chocolate chip were too crunchy for me but the pecan shortbread cookies are soft and tasty. It is nice to be able to enjoy a bfc friendly cookies sometimes although what I really miss is a big soft sugar cookie with frosting.

The more I learn about the bfc and bfc products the more I think it is a great lifestyle. For me I feel like one of the main principles is to eat better and portion control. It's taken me awhile to adjust but the more I find new products I like the easier it gets. I bought some chia seeds yesterday I haven't tried them yet but I will be sure to share my opinion when I do. Have a great day everyone :)

Sprouted Grains

Hello friends do you ever feel like the weekend/summer passes you by without doing what you really want to do? Today I was moping around pmsing and feeling cranky hubby has to work today to prepare for a big promotional sale at work next week, and then my Mom called and wants us to come over so hubby can help my Dad fix something around the house. I thought what do I really want to do, and I want to sit outside with a glass of wine. So, here I am outside enjoying my Saturday with a glass of wine.

 

Life is good my in-laws are back and getting settled in and we had dinner with them last night. The bfc is going fine I've been having 1/2 a peach the past several days in the morning and that doesn't seem to affect my tummy or how my clothes fit. All my clothes fit and I am at a weight that is familiar somewhere between 130-135, but there are still areas that I would like to be smaller, my poochie, my love handles, my thighs. I know that with the bfc and exercise I should be able to work on those areas. Although sometimes I wonder if I can or if the weigh I am at now is how things are. I think as women its easy to wonder if our dreams for our bodies are realistic or attainable.

 

My go-to bread on the bfc has been the Ezekiel 4:9 whole grain sprouted bread. I didn't know what sprouted grains meant so I have been googling it recently.

• "Sprouted grain differs from whole grain in three fundamental aspects: 1) sprouting activates food enzymes; 2) sprouting increases vitamin content, and 3) sprouting neutralizes antinutrients like phytic acid which bind up minerals preventing your ability to fully absorb them. When examining the nutrient density of sprouted wheat to unsprouted wheat on a calorie-per-calorie basis, you’ll find that sprouted wheat contains four times the amount of niacin and nearly twice the amount of vitamin B6 and folate as unsprouted wheat; moreover, it contains more protein and fewer starches than non-sprouted grain and as a further boon, it is lower on the glycemic index making it more suitable for those suffering from blood sugar issues"  http://nourishedkitchen.com/sprouted-grain/

 

• "The process of germination changes the composition of grain and seeds in numerous ways. Sprouting increases vitamin content. Sprouting neutralizes phytic acid – a substance present in grains – that inhibits absorption of nutrients and more important Sprouting neutralizes or "predigests" if you will, grains through enzymatic activity. The enzymes produced during our natural sprouting process "in effect" breaks down amino acid protein bonds to promote digestibility of the entire grain. Sprouted grain bread has numerous advantages over "enriched" wheat flour breads. These breads are made from the endosperm of the wheat kernel (the inside portion), which contains primarily carbohydrates and few vitamins and minerals. The milling of grain into white flour requires the removal of the bran and the germ. This results in the loss of natural fiber, bran and 22 vitamins and minerals. To compensate, five vitamins and minerals (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron and folic acid) are added back in, "enriching" the flour. Sometimes calcium is added back as well". http://www.foodforlife.com/our-products/sprouted-grain

Another Wednesday

Good morning friends and thank you for such great comments yesterday. I love that on the bfc I can eat anything I want I just need to be mindful of portion control. Although sometimes I miss having a bowl of regular ice cream or a fat milk chocolate bar and not thinking twice about sugar...but back in those days I complained about my body a lot and thought I would never lose the 10-15 lbs that I had been struggling with...sometimes I thought there was something wrong with me because I thought I was doing everything right lol. Now that I look back I was eating a ton of sugar every day without realizing it or caring, because I was eating "healthy foods"

Yesterday we went out to dinner with an old childhood friend of hubby's, his Grandma, Mom and Step-dad and another couple. I have met the parents and Grandma several times before but never Roy and his girlfriend Missy because they had been out of touch because they were heroine addicts. They have been clean for a year now which is amazing and I am so happy for them. Roy and hubby have been friends since they were four and were really close until Roy got into hard drugs and fell off the grid. I was nervous to met him I thought he would be kinda gruff, but he is the sweetest guy and I hope hubby and I can encourage him in his recovery.

Well, I guess that's all for now I hope everyone has a wonderful day :)

Fresh seasonal fruit

Hi my friends, this is my third attempt at writing this post...everything I tried to say before just didn't seem right. I am so thankful for this bfc community, I know that without it I would have given up a long time ago. The blogs give us a chance to connect with real people who are doing the bfc. I don't feel connected to Jorge, I am grateful to him for making me aware of the seriousness of sugar and bad carbs...but  I do feel connected to the blogs I read and the people I have met. When I first started the bfc I read Amber and Rosalie's blogs front to back and was encouraged and learned how to apply the bfc and valuable tools Jorge didn't talk about...from Rosalie's blog I discovered other bfc blogs which inspired me to start my own. If I had just read about the bfc in a magazine or heard about it on tv I probably would have thought it was weird and never would have tried it. I heard about the bfc from my Mom who heard about it from her Dr. who lost 30+ lbs...I remember seeing the book at my folks house and being interested because the title caught my eye and I wanted to lose my belly fat. Doing the bfc is something I decided to do for myself, and my Mom is only kinda doing the bfc...she has given up her flavored coffee creamer, and tries to eat dark chocolate instead of a whole bar of milk chocolate.

Now that summer is finally here and all the fresh fruit is hitting the stores I find myself wondering if when fruit is fresh and in season it's ok to have small small portions and still lose. In the Q&A  section of the bfc book Jorge says "fruit was created in tropical climates and in earlier times was available only certain times a year- now we have access to everything, anytime which is not how it was intended to be consumed" I am wondering if it's ok to have small portions of fruit because this is the time that it is available in a local seasonal way which is the best way for us to consume fresh fruit and veggies.

The other day at the bridal shower I had two strawberries, a small bite sized chunk of watermelon, and 3-5 grapes....it was soo good. I think I might try eating 1/4 of some of the in season fruit to keep from going crazy this summer. I don't know...what do you guys think? Well, I guess that's all for now I hope everyone has a nice day :)

Food Additives

Hello friends, you guys are awesome and I really appreciate and enjoy our blog community. Today was a busy day we went to a baby's first birthday, had dinner with the folks and did our laundry. At the bday I had several bites of hubby's cupcakes and didn't drink any beer which is a big achievement for me. I am much better at not drinking just because others are, or because I feel stressed or any other emotion I used to drink for.

As usual I weighed myself at my folks...134 lbs :) last week I was 134.6. I feel good in my skin. The bfc doesn't feel as hard as it did at first. Dawn, I also love the endangered species dark chocolate, my sis-in-law just bought me a bar and 3 squares is perfect.

This article the Top 10 Scariest Food Additives by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding July 1st. 2011 was featured on the yahoo home page, and I wanted to share it with all my friends...I only took out the picutres that were in the article.

There was a time when "fruit flavored" and "cheese flavored" meant "made with real fruit" and "made with real cheese." Today? It's artificial everything. Most of the food at your local supermarket is no more authentic than Snooki's tan. Our fruit comes packaged in Loops, our cheese delivered via Whiz. Sure, it's edible, but there's no way your great grandparents would recognize this junk as food.

The problem with additives runs deep. The FDA currently maintains a list of ingredients called Everything Added to Food in the United States (EAFUS), which features more than 3,000 items and counting. Thankfully, most EAFUS ingredients are benign, but a few of them do have potentially harmful effects. Why they're legal is a mystery to us. Some of them might be backed by powerful lobby groups, while others probably survive simply because some guy at the FDA has too much paperwork on his desk and hasn't made time to adequately review the data.

Below are 10 of the most dubious ingredients hiding in your food, compliments of Eat This, Not That! 2011. Even if you're not convinced of their danger, you have to admit this: The more filler ingredients you cut from your diet, the more space you have for wholesome, nutritious foods.

DROP 15 POUNDS FOR SUMMER: You can lose a couple of inches fast--and without dieting. Follow me right here on Twitter for daily weight-loss secrets. (Sample: A daily glass of red wine can keep you from putting on fat, especially around your belly. Experts cite resveratrol. Cheers!)

Scary Ingredient #1: Olestra
A fat substitute synthesized by Procter & Gamble. Because human digestive enzymes can't break down the big molecules, Olestra contributes 0 calories to your diet.

Why it’s scary: In the late ’90s, Frito-Lay released Olestra-enhanced WOW chips and Procter & Gamble introduced Fat Free Pringles. Both products were required to carry warning labels to notify customers about the risk of "loose stools." Within 4 years, some 15,000 people had dialed in to a hotline set up specifically to handle adverse-reaction complaints. Apparently the complaints didn't move the FDA, because in 2003, the administration revoked the warning-label mandate. If you want to take your chances with diarrhea, go ahead, but first consider this: Olestra also appears to interfere with the body's ability to absorb some crucial nutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene. To counteract the effect, processers add some nutrients back, but it's unlikely that all the blocked nutrients are adequetly replaced.

Furthermore, just last week I tweeted that an animal study at Purdue University found that fake fats like Olestra may cause more weight gain than real fat.

Where you’ll find it: Lay’s Light chips, Pringles Light chips

20 NEW TERRIBLE FOODS! Some restaurant foods have an entire day's worth of calories and several days' worth of fat and salt. Avoid these shocking diet disasters at all costs: The Worst Foods in America!

Scary Ingredient #2: Caramel Coloring
An artificial pigment created by heating sugars. Frequently, this process includes ammonia.

Why it’s scary: Caramel coloring shows up in everything from soft drinks and sauces to breads and pastries. When made from straight sugar, it's relatively benign. But when produced with ammonia it puts off 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, chemicals that have been linked to cancer in mice. The risk is strong enough that the California government, a bellwether for better food regulation, categorized 4-methylimidazole as “known to cause cancer” earlier this year. Unfortunately, companies aren't required to disclose whether their coloring is made with ammonia, so you'd be wise to avoid it as much as you can.

Where you'll find it: Colas and other soft drinks, La Choy soy sauce, Stove Top stuffing mix

Scary Ingredient #3: Saccharin
An artificial sweetener discovered by accident in the 1870s.

Why it’s scary: Studies have linked saccharin to bladder tumors in rats, and in 1977, the FDA required warning labels on all saccharin-containing foods. In 2000, the agency changed its stance and allowed saccharin to be sold without warning labels. But that doesn't make it entirely safe. A 2008 Purdue study found that replacing sugar with saccharin in rats’ diets made them gain more weight, proving once again that you should be aware of these faux fat foes.

Where you'll find it: Sweet ‘N Low, TaB cola

125 Best Supermarket Foods in your shopping cart--and watch the pounds drop away!

Scary Ingredient #4: Potassium Bromate
A compound that conditions flour and helps bread puff up during baking.

Why it’s scary: Potassium bromate causes thyroid and kidney tumors in rats, and it's banned from food use in many countries. In California, products containing potassium bromate are required to carry a cancer warning. Fortunately, negative publicity has made the additive relatively rare, but until the FDA banishes it, you should remain on the lookout.

Where you'll find it: Johnny Rockets Hoagie Roll

TERRIBLE SALADS: Even foods that sound perfectly healthy can be secretly loaded with dangerous amounts of fat and sodium. To prove it, we've collected this absolutely shocking list of 20 Salads Worse Than a Whopper. (Yes, in THESE cases it's better for you to have the burger instead!)

Scary Ingredient #5: Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Petroleum-derived antioxidants and preservatives.

Why they're scary: The Department of Health and Human Services says BHA is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen," yet the FDA allows it to be used anyway. BHT is considered less dangerous, but in animal research, it too has resulted in cancer. Oddly, the chemicals aren’t even always necessary; in most cases they can be replaced with vitamin E.

Where you'll find it: Goya lard, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Orbit gum

Scary Ingredient #6: Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
A semi-solid fat created when food processors force hydrogen into unsaturated fatty acids.

Why it's scary: Partially hydrogenated fats are the principle sources of trans fat in the American diet, and a Harvard study estimated that trans fat causes 70,000 heart attacks every year. The good news: Partially hydrogenated oils are beginning to slowly retreat from our food. Progressive jurisdictions like New York City are starting to restrict the allowable amounts in restaurants, and many chains are switching to healthier frying oil. Still, the battle isn’t over. At Long John Silver’s, for example, there are still 17 menu items with more than 2 grams of the stuff. According to the American Heart Association, that's about the maximum you should consume in a single day.

Where you'll find it: McDonald’s McChicken, Long John Silver’s Broccoli Cheese Soup

Scary Ingredient #7: Sulfites
Preservatives that maintain the color of food, and by releasing sulfur dioxide, prevent bacterial growth.

Why it's scary: Humans have used sulfites to keep food fresh for thousands of years, but some people—especially asthma sufferers—experience breathing difficulties when exposed. In the 1980s, unregulated use resulted in at least a dozen deaths, prompting the FDA to slap warning labels on wine bottles and develop new guidelines for proper use. Now restaurants can no longer soak fresh ingredients in sulfites. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, there have been no known deaths since the new legislation took hold. The bottom line: If you're among the majority of people not sensitive to sulfites, consumption won’t hurt you. If you're not sure, ask your doctor for a test.

Where you'll find it: Wine, Sun-Maid Mixed Fruit, Jolly Ranchers, Fig Newtons

SNACK YOURSELF THIN! It can be a challenge to find snacks low in sugar and high in protein and fiber. Our list of the 50 Best Snack Foods in America will help keep you lean and full all day long!

Scary Ingredient #8: Azodicarbonamide
A synthetic yellow-orange dough conditioner

Why it's scary: This chemical is used most frequently in the production of industrial foam plastic, and although the FDA has approved its use for food in the States, the United Kingdom has labeled it a potential cause of asthma. In a review of 47 studies on azodicarbonamide, the World Health Organization concluded that it probably does trigger asthmatic symptoms. The WHO concluded, “exposure levels should be reduced as much as possible.” I’ll put it more concisely: Avoid it.

Where you'll find it: Dunkin’ Donuts bagels, McDonald’s burger buns

Scary Ingredient #9: Carrageenan
A thickener and emulsifier extracted from seaweed.

Why it's scary: Seaweed is actually good for you, but carrageenan is a mere seaweed byproduct. Through animal studies, it has been linked to cancer, colon trouble, and ulcers. It isn’t certain that carrageenan harms humans, but avoiding it is clearly the safer option. Most studies examined degraded forms of the additive, and research from the University of Iowa found that carrageenan could be degraded through the normal digestive process.

Where you'll find it: Weight Watchers Giant Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bars, Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches, Creamsicles

Scary Ingredient #10: Ammonium Sulfate
An inorganic salt that occurs naturally near active volcanoes and is used commercially to nourish yeast and help bread rise.

Why it's scary: This nitrogen-rich compound is most often used as fertilizer, and also appears commonly in flame retardants. Thankfully, the ingredient only sounds scary—a 2006 Japanese rat study found the additive to be non-carcinogenic. Both the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the FDA deem it safe.

Where you'll find it: Nature’s Own bread, Subway rolls

Moderation

Hello friends! It is a beautiful Friday evening in my neck of the woods I am so glad the weekend is finally here. Hubby worked early today and when he got off he cleaned the apt and it looks so nice in here :) I had just started to write a nice post yesterday and work called and asked if I would come in early. Yesterday was a hot beautiful summer day so after work hubby and I got a picnic together and went to the park and we had a great time even though the weather cooled significantly and it looked like it wanted to storm. We had some wine, olives, baby bell cheese and blackberries :)

I've been thinking about moderation lately, especially after Pattie said one of her guest's said everything in moderation after Pattie said how terrible sugar laden foods are especially for kids. I think people like to throw that word around to justify x,y and z behavior. I looked up moderation and it says doing nothing in excess, the process of limiting or lessening extremes. In a lot of ways I think the bfc is a moderate way of eating....the only thing we are to truly avoid is fake sugar of all kinds because it is so terrible. Why would you want to intentionally ingest a substance that causes neurological problems, bladder cancer, depression, and thinning hair? Yet so many people are not willing to accept how terrible it is, I think it's because they want to believe that what they are doing is good, they think the word diet or low-fat is good.

Well, I guess that's all for now hubby wants to watch some Sopranos and dinner is almost ready. I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday, be kind to yourself and make good bfc choices :)

It's a beautiful Wednesday morning

Good morning everyone, I really enjoyed your comments the other day. It seems most folks don't want to do the bfc because in some ways it goes against everything they thought they knew about healthy eating. People don't like to hear that milk is bad and there are other better sources of calcium, or that too much sugar is as terrible as it is. I've noticed that people are still so obsessed with fat that they are willing to eat low-fat products that are high in sugar. There is good fat such as olive oil, avocados, nuts & seeds, dark chocolate and bad fat, hydrogenated oils, trans fat, excess animal fats. We need the good healthy  fat just as we need good cholesterol.

I've learned that after eating things that are high in sugar and make my tummy ache it takes a couple of days to become regular again even when I am getting lots of fiber in every day. I know it seems like TMI to share that, but it's important to share. When I first started the bfc Jorge said to get extra fiber, but he didn't stress how important it was especially since I wasn't eating the fiber rich fruits and veggies I was used to. Thankfully Rosalie said multiple times on her blog how important fiber was and that most folks need help.

I now put benefiber in my morning coffee, take the super seed beyond fiber and try to get the most bang for my buck with good carbs and veggies. When I get to where I want to be whenever that happens I think I will try to incorporate more fruit into my diet. I miss not being able to eat the fresh fruit that is in season now....to keep from going crazy I plan to have a some every day in much smaller portions than I used to. This morning I had 8 beautiful blackberries with breakfast. Have a great day everyone :)

Family Holiday BBQ

Hello friends I hope everyone is having a nice holiday weekend...I wish I was chillin at Pattie's beach house :) Thank you Pattie for sharing your pics with us.  Today was a great day we had a bbq at my in-laws. I thought I was doing good food wise, but my tummy tells me I had too much sugar :( For appetizers I had some chips and dip, celery and cucumbers...dinner: three ribs which had a little bbq sauce which was probably too much sugar, salmon, a little bit of fresh corn and potato salad....and two corona. Sometimes when I try to eat good and my tummy hurts and lets me know that I ate bfc bad I get frustrated...I used to eat stuff like that all the time and never felt bad. I also used to be regular all the time, and now I have to purpose to get extra fiber in, and if I eat too much sugar I have tummy pain and # 2 trouble. Sometimes the bfc is very frustrating, and it feels like it would be easier to eat all the "healthy" high sugar food I used to. Jorge makes the bfc out to be this super easy thing, but it can be hard especially when you think you are doing really good and tummy trouble lets you know that you are not.

On the other hand I feel good today I wore a cute halter top that I bought last year but never wore because I didn't feel good in it. My clothes fit, and I have lost around 10 lbs, I don't know for sure what I weigh now because I haven't weighed myself recently. The weight I have lost is the 10-15 lbs I have struggled with for the past several years.

I've been thinking a lot about some things Pattie said, people don't really want to hear about low sugar better carb. They don't want to hear that everything they know isn't quite right...especially that high sugar fruits contribute to belly fat. I think it's sad that we live in a time that there is so much sugar in everything, and  it's harder to eat healthier than to eat quick processed food. I was trying to tell my mother-in-law today how sugar is bad for cholesterol, I wasn't explaining it very well so I will have to bring the book over to share with her.

Well, I guess that's all for now. Despite my venting I really believe low sugar, better carb is a good lifestyle. What is best is usually the hardest, and anything worth having is worth working for. I guess that's why I am apart of the bfc blog community so that I can get better at this low sugar lifestyle. To anyone who is having a hard time trying to stick to the bfc and figure this whole thing out you are not alone. Making big changes like the bfc is hard and takes time, friends please share so we can help support each other.

Happy Friday and Happy July!

Good morning everyone, Happy Friday and Happy July!!! It is a beautiful morning here in my neck of the woods, of course I wish I had the day off and I could go back to bed :) but I guess that's why there is coffee. I used to take it with lots of flavored coffee creamer. I'm glad I gave it up, one serving 2Tbs has five grams of sugar...and I've measured it out before 2Tbs of creamer doesn't cut it. It's funny how everyone has an opinion about coffee, hubby used to make fun of me and say that I didn't drink it the right way...my Grandma used to say only alcoholics drank theirs black lol.

We don't have any big plans to go out of town this weekend, my in-laws are having a bbq. We are bringing ribs and I think we might also bring a nice green salad in case most of the sides are sugary or bad carbs. I used to stress about eating out or going to other's houses for dinner, now I bring snacks with me or food to share. At first I didn't want to draw attention to my low sugar ways or draw attention to myself. I don't know if you can tell from my posts but I'm more on the shy/quiet side. I've learned that I don't have to eat food that is not on the plan and as long as I am kind and explain why folks don't care.  Have a wonderful Friday everyone!!!!

Feelin much better today :)

Hi friends, thank you for such encouraging words I really appreciate it! Hubby and I are taking every one's advice and just brushing it off, it's her problem not ours. She is almost a 60 yr old woman who wants to be caty and petty through the grapevine and that seems pretty sad. I love that expression Pattie no good deed goes unpunished and I use it often. In the end more good came out of the situation than bad and we are thankful we were able to live out there. It was an idyllic farm with a white picket fence, red barn and tree lined driveway. We had our first garden, hosted Thanksgiving and learned that farm living is not for us. It also saved us from going into crazy debt. A month after hubby was out of the Marines I fell and broke my knee cap in half, requiring three surgeries and lots of physical therapy. When I fell we had not insurance, but were able to purchase cobra from the military. It's good to remember that the positive outweighs the negative and to move on.

I am looking forward to the long weekend, hubby and I plan to relax and spend time with family. On Sunday we are having a bbq with my in-laws and hubby's sister and her boyfriend. Hubby is making ribs and he is going to make some bfc friendly ones with out bbq sauce :) Things are good on the bfc and I think this is a lifestyle we can really stick to. I don't know how much I weigh but I feel good. I am hoping to get some new clothes this weekend on sale.

Well I guess that's all for now. All my bfc friends are awesome and I appreciate all of you. Have a wonderful Thursday :)

Some people you can't please

Thanks for the encouragement Pattie and Rosalie! Yesterday was a full day, in the morning I did some Pilate's and Tracy Anderson to help with the previous three days of drinking. Work was busy and I ended up working late. When I got home hubby had made us a yummy hearty salad.

He then had some news to tell me that was irritating. Here is the back story: when we moved home we took care of hubby's best friend's Grandma's farm which was in need of some serious work. Grandpa had died 15 years ago and Grandma was in a nursing home. As you can imagine the farm had not been well cared for in many years, every bush and tree needed to be trimmed. The inside of the house had mouse poop all over and was disgusting. We did a ton of work out there in  exchange for rent. Which at the time ended up saving our butts because of all my medical bills due to my broken knee cap. We moved from there in Dec because in Jan they wanted to charge us rent that we couldn't afford and they wanted us to pay for the oil we used. Basically they just wanted the house back....

So yesterday, hubby's best friend told hubby that his Mom is pissed off at us and thinks we took advantage of living there because there were some piles of leaves that didn't get picked up before the snow fell, and she thought we broke a wheel barrow and didn't replace it basically a several petty things which she never called us to ask about any of it. It's frustrating that she would put hubbys friend in the middle and that she thinks we took advantage of her. Not once has she said how nice the rest of things looked, hubby literally worked his ass off there.  I  don't know why she thought in one summer/spring hubby would fix years of neglect. Hubby and I learned a lot of valuable lessons on business dealings with friends. It's hard when people would rather bitch behind your back rather than come to you. Some people you can't please.  In the end we know we did a good job and if she wants to bitch behind our backs and be pissed off on something so petty that's no skin off our noses.

I just had to get that off my chest. This morning I am making some mini crust less quiche cups for breakfast. It's a recipe I got from the South Beach Diet. You take a bag of frozen spinach, thaw it and squeeze out the water, 3/4 c egg whites, handful or two of shredded cheese. I put the mixture into a greased cupcake pan and bake at 350 for 30 min. I hope everyone has a nice Wednesday..hump day :) I am so thankful for this community.

24th Week BFC Day 1

Good morning everyone. Well, my weekend party carried on into Monday which was not the plan. My friend Kelly is in town we have been buds for a long time. She is a elementary teacher and is moving from Idaho to Utah, she is divorced and feeling lonely. So after work we went to a cool coffee house by my apt and I had a glass of wine which we enjoyed on the patio it was perfect. We were there until they closed at 6...we should have gone back to my apt after that but we went to a martini bar...and you know how easily those suckers slide down :( Hubby came and picked us up. Anyway I am back on the wagon after my weekend of having more drinks than is belly friendly. Once I am finished I am gonna get in some good exercise before work. I need to work on having some discipline when my friends are trying to pressure me to have more drinks than I know I should. At the time I felt like I was being a good friend by having drinks with her. It's funny how my thinking was backwards after some drinks. Well, lesson learned the hard way. I should have made a plan for myself and then stuck to it. As it was I had a vague plan and didn't stick to it.

Well, I guess I better go and exercise. Have a nice day everyone :)

More on the bfc and less about me :)

Hi bfc peeps :) I didn't sleep well last night and I am up early this morning. Yesterday we hung out with a bunch of old friends and I drank too much for the bfc :( I had a couple of beers which I didn't even enjoy so I don't know why I had more than one...a couple of shots and a glass of wine. This was spread out through the day so I'm not hung over. I just feel so annoyed with myself. Besides that my food was really good. But I'm back on the wagon today, and I'm not gonna drink too much even though we are hanging with the same friends and going to a bbq tonight. Sometimes I think I talk too much about my personal life and not enough about the bfc.

So more on the bfc and less about me :)
First of all don't give up, it takes time to get used to doing something new. I think of it this way, the first time I try new things it often feels weird and takes awhile for me to get good at whatever new thing I am doing. When it is awkward and hard it is easy to want to give up, so give it some time.

It is a whole lot easier to gain weight than to lose it, so be patient. I think when Jorge says lose 4-9 lbs every week that is misleading and often discouraging. Just pretend that he never said that, and that weight most likely will come off slower.

Try to be careful about bites or handfuls of things that are not belly friendly they add up and impede weight loss.

Well, I guess that is all for now, I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

Trying not to be a slave to the scale

Good morning everyone, and happy Saturday! Good news I talked to my Dr. yesterday about my late period and told her that I had taken several negative pregnancy tests and to my great relief she said not to worry about it  AAAHHHH (big sigh of relief) I also learned that when you take a 24hr allergy pill and if you need a little more you can take a benadryl as well. Another big relief because my allergies were bothering my like crazy this week. Even people who are not usually bothered by allergies have been complaining.

Isn't it crazy how different scales will give you different weights? At my folks I am about 134-135 lbs, and I weighted myself at work (fully clothed of course :) and 142. I talked to a co-worker and she said that scale gave her a higher weight than the one at her gym...go figure. I think we need to try not to be slaves to the scale. The scale can't tell you if you are losing the dangerous fat around your organs your visceral fat the kind you can't see. It can't tell you if you are building muscle or retaining water. The bfc is more like a marathon rather than a sprint, it's a lifestyle and not a quick fix. We need to be kind to ourselves and not measure our success by the scale. I haven't mastered this myself, but I'm working on it.

Happy Friday!!!!

Hello friends and thank you for such nice comments, I really appreciate them! I know that without our little bfc blog community I would have given up long ago. When I first started the bfc it felt so weird to limit fruits and watch for carbs and to learn about such high ammounts of sugar in products I love. It makes me sad that several of the girls I followed in the beginning are no longer blogging. I really miss Helen I also wish I had saved some of the things she said before she closed her blog.  Sometimes I feel like I am back in junior high, who wants to be my friend, who doesn't want to be my friend, and when people don't want to be my friend I get a little butt hurt...go figure.

It's been a strange week for me, I've been cranky and irritable and also having #2 problems, my benefiber and coffee isn't cutting it, and my allergies are killing me! So yesterday I went to the store and got some super seed beyond fiber and I also found some think thin bites in cookies and cream yummm. They taste like a cookie  and they have no sugar but 1s carb due to 5g sugar alcohol  I think they will make a nice occasional snack. I got a little ego boost on my way home yesterday, while at a stop light the guy in the truck next to me asked for my number, I told him I was married but it made me feel nice. I told hubby and he said that would have made him feel good too, I'm so glad he is not a jealous guy and we can share things like that with each other.

Well, I guess that's all for now I need to exercise before work I know it will help my mood. I hope everyone has a nice Friday, treat yourself today in a way that doesn't involve cheating on the bfc.

23rd Week BFC Day 3

Hello everyone, today was a better day. I googled birth control, late period, negative pregnancy test and was relieved to read that sometimes even on birth control you can be irregular. I think I just need to relax a bit. Today was another beautiful day and I wore a sundress, I want to go shopping, I am in need of some summer clothes. Although this year I plan to wear some cute clothes that I bought last year and never wore cuz I just didn't feel comfortable.

After work hubby and I made a strifry with the leftover pork and went to the park and had a picnic. I love the way the summer smells :) It felt nice to do something  that we have been talking about doing. It kinda felt like going out to dinner without spending money.

Well, I guess I don't have too much more to say...I had a nice day and I hope everyone is doing well. Oh, about the pork roast I put it in the crock pot with onion powder, salt and pepper it had a nice thick layer of fat on top that kept it moist, next time I think I will marinate it first for extra flavor.

23rd Week BFC Day 2

Hi friends, thank you for such nice comments. I will try to get some  new pics this weekend to share. First of all Pattie I had to laugh cuz all I do is weigh myself at my folks house because we don't have a scale, and I always do it naked LOL :) The way I see it consistency is key I've done it with and without clothes and often the clothes weigh 2-3 lbs. It's hard not to get hung up on the numbers on the scale.

I have been a little wound up the past couple of days because my period is late. I've taken 2 home pregnancy tests and both have been negative, but I still feel wound up and irritated. I really hope Aunt Flow will come to see me soon. I take yaz and should have started on Friday.

Anyway, we had a yummy dinner tonight of pork roast I cooked in the crock pot, and I sauteed some mushrooms and chard. Then we went for a nice walk. I wish every night could be this nice. I also did some Tracy Anderson dance cardio, which put me in a good mood but holy crap it kicked my butt. Well, I guess that's all for now have a nice evening friends :)

23rd Week BFC Day 1

Hello friends, I hope everyone had a nice weekend. Our father's day dinner was great except I just realized no one took pictures. I did pretty good with food, but there were some things I could have done better. I drank a little too much wine, and might have had too many chips when we were eating appetizers. We did have some yummy dips, my sis-in-law brought a yummy low sugar hummus, and we had hannah's taziki which is a greek cucumber yogurt dip from costco which is also low in sugar. We had shrimp and steak kabobs and I only had several bits of pepper and pineapple even though I wanted more. I didn't have any ice cream for dessert I had several blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. Long story short food was pretty good I and I had a great time.

As usual I weighed myself at my folks...133.8 lbs whoo hoo:) It feels so good especially since I was stuck at 138 for a long time. As I look back I realize it was because I ate a handful of pretzels or crackers at work here and there and other things that really added up. I also am exercising more which is great for my knee I pretty much have full range of motion now (I broke my knee cap last Feb) I recently learned that it is important to stay hydrated for your joints. A lot of people have joint problems because dehydration affects the fluid in your joints. I am so happy to learn that so that I can try to be well hydrated for the rest of my life, especially sine it is very likely I will get arthritis in that knee.

Well, I guess that's all for now. I hope everyone has a wonderful day tomorrow :)

22nd Week BFC Day 7 Happy Father's Day

Good morning friends, my blog problems seem to be hit and miss cuz I was just able to comment on Rosalie's blog. I hope everything is good with Helen and I wish her well since it appears she has chosen not to blog openly anymore. I think about friends who have not blogged in awhile Lindsay, Sherri and Kasey. I hope that they are doing well and are just busy and haven't given up the bfc. I really miss hearing how they are doing, making the bfc a lifestyle is hard but I think it's well worth it.

Hubby and I are having a nice morning we are getting ready to head to my folks for our father's day celebration. We did a Tracy Anderson mat workout together this morning it was his first time and he liked it, I think it was nice to exercise together. He is not doing zumba with me, he did the instruction video and 20 min video and then told me he hated it LOL. When we got married no one told me what a constant source of entertainment he would be. I hope everyone has a nice day :)

22nd Week BFC Day 6...blog problems again

Hello everyone, and Happy Saturday! I love Saturday mornings I feel so relaxed and I love having the  whole weekend ahead of me. Thank you for such nice comments on my blog the yesterday.

•  Making a video of me making enchiladas is a little of my comfort zone, but I will work on it.
• For the whole chicken in the crock pot I simply rinsed it with water, took out the guts, put salt and pepper and garlic powder on top. I made three balls out of foil to put the chicken on so it would sit above the fat as it cooked. I cooked it with the chicken skin on and cooked it on low all day.
• Thank you Ginger for the heads up on the muffins from the healthy indulgences blog, I know hubby will appreciate your suggestion he has been wanting muffins for a long time.

I am looking forward to Father's Day tomorrow, we are having a nice get together at my folks with my folks and my in-laws. Two birds with one stone whoo hoo! We are having shrimp and steak kabobs which are belly friendly, but the dessert my sis-in-law is bringing is not so I plan on having a square or two of dark chocolate with my after dinner coffee. I don't eat dessert all the time but it is smart to have a plan for parties, cuz I know sis will most likely say just have a little and it won't hurt. But thanks to Rosalie's constant encouragement I have found the courage to be strong and stick to what I am doing without being afraid of hurting any one's feelings. Sis is a very sweet person but we see the world very very differently. Hubby and his sis have a great relationship even though they disagree on politics and religion.

Well, I should go for now I have lots of chores to get done. I hope everyone has a nice weekend, keep up the bfc and don't cheat cuz it's the weekend.

P.S. what do you guys know about needing to be invited to read a blog? I went to read Helen's blog and it said I needed to be invited to read her blog. I'm a little confused, I also noticed she is no longer following my blog and several others.

And it appears I am having problems with my blog again, what a pain in the ass. When I am on my dashboard and I go to click on a blog it comes up as if I'm not signed in... GRRRR

22nd Week BFC Day 5

Good morning friends, I am up early hubby is still sleeping he has the day off. He is such a wonderful hubby I was very busy at work yesterday and had to work late, so I asked him to call his sister and decided what we are having for our father's day bbq. We are having one big get together at my folks with my in-laws and hubbys sister and her boyfriend. The plan in shrimp and steak kabobs. He also made dinner last night which was very yummy. I put a whole chicken in the crock pot which is the first time I did that. When he got home he took the meat and made enchiladas with the smart and delicious low carb tortillas.

A BFC friendly Enchilada Recipe:
Cooked chicken
2 cans cream of chicken (we used mushroom cuz it's what we had on hand)
1 c. sour cream
1 can mild green chillies
Tortillas (I used the smart and delicious low carb)
Cheddar cheese

I am sure every one is familiar with how to make enchiladas so I will leave it at that. I am very excited to have something warm and yummy for lunch. The weather has been blah and everyone is complaining although I remember as a kid June always sucked and was fickle. I think people just want June, July and August to be warm and perfect summer weather. Perfect summer's are really only for kids who have no bills or real responsibilities and summer means vacation and play. I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday :)

22nd Week BFC Day 4

Good morning friends. The sun is out for now and it is beautiful. Yesterday was a great day at work, busy as usual but good. At the end of the night I was getting extra supplies and my boss asked if I was leaving soon, I told him I was after I got some cases of pop, he told me "you rock" which made me feel sooo good. Last Friday he gave me my 90 day eval and gave me some things to work on which I have been doing all week. It makes me feel good that my boss has noticed that I am making the adjustments he told me to make. My boss is a good man and a good boss and I have a lot of respect for him.


At work I have stopped having pretzels here and there, wheat thins, cheeseits and saltines. It's funny how it is easy to think a handful here and there doesn't count. Now that I have stopped I can see that those handfuls were stalling my weight loss.

Well, I guess that's all for now...I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Keep up the bfc, don't give up :) Man I must be pmsing bad because now that it is time to leave for work I am cranky, cranky. GRRRR

22nd Week BFC Day 2

Hello friends another work day down...whoo hoo! Last night we went to my folks for dinner we had hamburgers stuffed with bacon and cheese, which were good but I prefer regular old burgers. My Mom made them at a church cook day, we all agreed that they were good but not to make them again the bacon and cheese kinda gets lost in the hamburger. The best news is I weighed myself at my folks as I always do and 134.6 whoo hoo! I don't have a specific weight in mind I want to get, I just want to feel good in my clothes.

Tracy Anderson has been kicking my butt in all the right ways. I have a program on my computer called vuze that I am able to download some tv shows, and movies. On a whim I looked Tracy up and they had her mat workout, post-pregnancy, and dance cardio. I have been doing the mat and post-pregnancy workout which I love. I am not familiar with her metamorphosis program, but I highly recommend the mat and post-preg...the post-preg is very ab focused which is what I need. I hope that is a helpful answer Pattie.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week, stick to the bfc even if it doesn't feel worth it. Little by little we will get to where we want to be, even though it is very difficult when so many foods are high in sugar.