What diet plan are you using?

Are you using an Ultra Low Carb plan like Atkins or the Zone Diet, or something a little less strict like South Beach. What about the Biggest Loser Diet plan? I have been using the South Beach plan for awhile along with some elements of Biggest Loser. A few variations that I am doing: I love milk so I do allow myself to have skim milk on occasion. I also eat an apple and cheese stick quite frequently as a snack. If I feel like I am going into a stall, I will also cut back to around 30-35 carbs/day for a few days and that usually breaks my stall. Anyone else using a similar plan?

Baked Tilapia and Green Bean Casserole

Today was my cooking day to help me get ready for the workweek ahead. I made a dish of Green Bean casserole minus the soy sauce and fried onions and a dish of baked tilapia with garlic butter sauce. Both dishes were low in fat, calories and carbs so I feel like I am on the right track.

The Green Bean Casserole had a bag of frozen green beans and a can of Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup. While the soup added a lot of taste it didn't add too many calories because when you split down the serving size, it came out to 20 calories and 2 carbs in addition to the carbs in green beans. I baked the tilapia with a butter cooking spray and herb seasoning so there weren't many additions there either. All in all it was quite yummy and very healthy. Only problem is that I'm still hungry. I don't know what it is about baked fish, but it's not very filling unless you eat a ton of it.

Last Week of Biggest Loser Contest

Well, as the last week of the Biggest Loser contest comes to an end, I find myself a little worried about my future progress. I honestly feel that without the support from the other people on my team, that I might cave when things get to tough. Those of us on the Green Team, have been talking about getting together once a week even after it's over so that we still have the weigh in experience as well as the support from team members. For me it is all about accountability, and that means regular weigh ins so that I can see if my weight is starting to fluctuate in a bad way. Last week I skipped the weigh in, so I don't think that I will win the Biggest Loser prize of the FREE Cruise, but I still think I might be somewhere in the Top 5. Even with my parents here, I still managed to lose a couple of pounds.

So for those of you on a weight loss journey, we will begin weighing in here every Wednesday and as time progresses I will announce contests for the Biggest Losers. This Wednesday will be our initial weigh in and while I am sure we will probably have a fairly small turnout, I'm sure that as time goes on more people will join in. I'll keep you posted more on that.

Check out this other post

One more post for you to ponder. I did a post awhile back on my other blog about Mind Body Image and how it can affect your weight loss. I think it's important to focus on the positive and not so much of the negative. One thing that I have been doing lately is "Thinking Myself Thin". I'll tell you a little more about that later, but take a look at this post and see if you have any mind body issues that might be overcome with time.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

Check out this post

Check out my post on how to Supercharge Your Diet. All of these items are things that I am currently doing and things that I truly believe have helped me to make a change for the better. I am actually getting comments such as I can tell that you have lost in your face and arms, and I can tell you've lost in your behind. The point is, PEOPLE CAN TELL THAT I HAVE LOST. You have no idea how excited that makes me.

Lost 20 pounds so far

Since starting my current weight loss and exercise regimen I have lost 20 pounds. I have been working out on my new Tony Little Gazelle and eating little to no processed foods, plus avoiding white flour. So far, I haven't felt really deprived and I can feel the pounds melting off. I am in a weight loss group here in OC, and I think that has helped me more than anything.

If any of you are looking to lose weight and need a little support, I am going to be giving out tips that have worked for me. Starting April 1st, we will be starting a weekly weigh in where we will be giving away some nice prizes.

Acai Berries

Quite some time ago I remember reading about acai Berries in the Woman's World Magazine. It was the first time that I had ever heard of them and I read that they tasted similar to chocolate and were great for helping people lose weight. Now you hear about them everywhere from weight loss products to tanning lotion. The acai berry is a very small berry with a purplish tint, and is about the size of a blueberry. Acai juice has also been said to fight cancerous cells and slows down the aging process. It has long been used in cosmetics to reduce wrinkles and other effects of aging and is very beneficial when used in tanning lotions. The acai berry has also been known to protect against diabetes as well as helping to regulate cholesterol levels.

The acai berry has been the subject of many scam artists selling diet products that don't work as well, but I found some reviews of top selling acai weight loss products that can help you make an educated choice. Acai Berries have been proven to provide all natural metabolism boosters and cleansers that can help melt away those stubborn fat cells while flushing out harmful waste and toxins. Why take a separate fat burner and a cleanser separately when you get both benefits from acai? I don't know about you but I would much rather take one supplement that will do two. I take enough supplements as it is with my glucosamin and chondroitin pills. All of the reviews found offer a Free Trial of their products. Plus, if you exercise in addition to taking acai berry supplements, you will see results up to ten times better! Take a look at the reviews and let me know which one you think would be best. I like Ultra Acai Berry because it was recommended by Dr. Perricone, a well known nutrition specialist.

Lap Band Surgery...Is it for you?

I don't know about you, but I've tried just about every diet out there including going to a doctor for prescription diet pills. It's really frustrating but nothing seems to work. I've considered lap band surgery but I'm a little apprehensive because it seems so new. I've known people that have had it and had no problems, but I'm kind of a "fraidy cat". The lapband is adjustable and can actually help cure certain medical problems including: diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, hypertension or other serious conditions.

People who have had the lap band surgery have experienced many of the following:
* 74% improvement in dyslipidemia
* 94% resolution of obstructive sleep apnea
* 55% resolution of hypertension
* 100% improvement in asthma
* 75% resolution of diabetes
* 79% resolution of reflux

With diabetes being a constant concern for me since it runs in my family, I've really started to consider this as an option. I'm trying very hard to lose the weight myself, but I feel like I go on this way for much longer that I may not be able to lose it. As I researching the procedure, I ran across these amazing before and after pictures. For a serial fat girl, that's some major inspiration.

Clinical Weight Loss

Have you ever thought of going to a clinic that specializes in weight loss treatments? I have considered this more and more of the last couple of weeks because it is so hard for me to motivated and stay motivated. I think that if I could get some real medical help that it might work. In the past I have used phentermine which is an appetite suppressant commonly used to assist in weight loss. There is a doctor here in Orange City and he prescribes Slimming Pills such as this to help with the psychological aspect of dieting and then he also teaches you the correct nutrition and fitness routines that should be followed. I really like phentermine because it works by sending a chemical to your brain that tells you that you aren't hungry thereby eliminating most cravings.

I'm sure there are other clinics out there such as The Online Clinic. The Online Clinic offers everything from prescription weight loss aids to Propecia and Cialis. The Online Clinic activities are regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency therefore it is safer than most online companies.

I've lost 11.4 pounds since I started my diet

Just wanted to update you on my progress this week. I've lost 11.4 pounds since I started the contest, but unfortunately it doesn't look like I'm going to make it to my goal of 15 pounds by next Friday. I have been eating many of the same foods over and over, but it seems to work for me. The less I have to think about what I'm fixing the better. I sort of messed up on Friday night. I had Zingers and Beer at the Ale House, so now I'm trying to get back into ketosis.

Some of my favorite choices this week.

Meatballs with 6 carb Marinara Sauce from Winn Dixie.
Chicken Breasts with Enchilada Sauce and Cheese
Baked Chicken Parmesan, minus the bread crumbs of course
Ham and Eggs
Breyers Carb Smart Ice Cream Bars

I lost 1.6 pounds this week

This week was a tough week for my weight loss. I attributed what I call the two week slow down, but I think that it probably had more to do with the fact that I didn't eat at home as often as I should have. I did lose a total of 1.6 pounds and I am still working to get the rest of it off. I leave for Indiana in about 10 days, and I really wanted to hit my goal by then. This weekend I am going to focus on what I need to eat, and avoid everything else. I hope everyone else in the challenge did well.

2 week slowdown

This has been a tough week. My weight loss is nothing like last week. I have to shop, but I haven't had time to go to the store so that leaves very limited menu choices. I haven't exercised all week and it's just going to get worse. I have lost a little, but for some reason I can't stay away from the CarbSmart Ice Cream bars. I had two of them last night!!! Granted they were only 5 carbs each, but I had lots of carbs yesterday in my lunch because I had Olive Garden Salad, broccoli, and asparagus in addition to the Chicken Spiedini. They were all good carbs but it still adds up. I'm hoping that if I drink lots of water today, that I will be able to make up for some of that.

Down a total of 7.2 pounds!!

Last week was good for my weight loss. I lost 6.4 pounds last week and did not cheat once. I experimented with some new food combinations and even made and Chicken Egg Drop soup. My favorite meal of the week would have to be the Chicken Spiedini at Olive Garden. Instead of the potatoes that it normally comes with, I substituted Asparagus and Mushrooms in the place of the mixed veggies. I had the chicken without the sauce but it was still so nice and tender that a sauce wasn't needed. I also had the salad which I love, just no croutons and light on the dressing. All in all, my carb content was very low and it was very healthy. I almost felt like I cheated.

One of the meals that I experimented with was a chicken breast with Enchilada sauce. I crave Mexican food all the time and I love burritos with Enchilada sauce so I decided to do this. I placed 2 Chicken Breasts in a small baking dish, poured a 1/4 of a can of Enchilada sauce over the top and then sprinkled a little Mexican Mix cheese over the top. I baked it for about an hour and then sprinkled a little more cheese over the top and then baked for about 5 more minutes. It was oh so yummy and totally on my diet!!!

Skinny Me

This is me before I started gaining weight. I'm the one with really blond hair in case you can't recognize me. I'm now 6 pounds into my mini goal of 15.8 pounds. I have entered a contest that end around the 3rd week of June so I am right on schedule to hit my target. I have decided that this time I am not going to focus on the big picture but instead focus on several small goals.

Down another pound today!

Just as I predicted, I am down another pound today. That's the thing about a low carb diet, the scale starts moving so fast it keeps you motivated. Today should be a good day, I've got leftover leftover pork stirfry for lunch and I'm having parmesan encrusted shrimp for dinner tonight. Yum yum!

Day 3 of Low Carbing It

Well, it's Sunday evening and here I sit comfortably stuffed from a dinner of stir fried pork and veggies. Today was our Summer Pool Party at the hotel and everyone else was allowed to have hamburger buns and hot dogs, potato chips and cupcakes. Not me, I was the girl sitting there eating my two hamburger patties with cheese. It was still good and I wasn't hungry when I finished so I succeeded in my goal of no cheating this weekend. I'm actually down another pound and more than likely will be down again tomorrow. As far as my ankles, they are still swelling but not nearly as bad as last week. Tomorrow I'm going to try working out again, I have a Mystery Shop scheduled so that's added motivation. Things are definitely looking up.