2nd Verse, Same as the 1st

This is the start of my 2nd month on the slow carb diet/4HB.  My blog goal is to focus on different things each month – suggestions welcome!  In January I was focused on cutting carbs/fruit and eating as outlined in the 4HB.  I wasn’t super strict with dressings/sauces – as long as I was having a protein, veggie, and legumes.

This month I’m going to keep it up, get a little more strict, add some exercises, and try the cold therapy/ice water.  I read somewhere that the ice water is KEY.  I’m on day 2 of brain freeze upon waking, but I’m doing it.  I forgot to use an ice pack on my shoulders last night…but I WILL remember tonight.  Or I’ll just go outside – our low tonight is supposed to be around -1* (Hello Arctic Blast).  Or….I’ll stick with an ice pack.

If anyone out there has their own 4HB blogs, please send me your link!  I’ve become addicted to looking up other people’s blogs and following their progress – I’ve learned so much from other blogs and I feel like it’s kind of like a virtual support group.

If you are on Facebook, I HIGHLY suggest checking out: http://www.facebook.com/4HBParticipants This group has provided me with so many answers and support and in general I think of them as my personal cheerleaders   Another group I just joined this last week is: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_103604729716668 which is the Tim Ferriss 4HB Discussion Group.  I believe this is a newer group, but just as welcoming.  Are there any other groups on FB that you are a part of?  Let me know!

Here’s to continued progress!

Day 28

My grand totals after 4 weeks are….(drumroll please)….

6.6 lbs lost

13.25″ lost

I want that lb number to be lower, but I just can’t be upset with 13.25″ lost.  And for those of you wondering what exactly am I measuring?  My neck, shoulders, chest, both biceps, both forearms, waist, hips, both thighs, and both calves.  I chose these because sometimes my right side is a little larger than my left side, so I figured I should measure both.  Also, these are the measurements taken when I worked out at a private gym.  So I have measurements dating back to 2006 to compare to.

I just pulled that notebook out.  I worked out with a trainer several times a week from April 2005 – August 2006.  At the end of that period of time, I was the smallest I had ever been in my adult life.  I just compared my last entry in that notebook to this week’s measurements.  I am only 1.4 lbs more today BUT….(another drumroll please)….I am a total of 4.5″ SMALLER today!!!  So in my opinion, I have better results after ONE MONTH of slow carb eating and 2-3 Bar Method classes/week than I did after more than a YEAR of training (weights/cardio…even a sprint triathlon) and counting calories.

I think that spells S-U-C-C-E-S-S!!!

This is what I’ve been eating

I’ve been visiting a friend this week and although we are both trying to be healthy, I haven’t been able to have my same menus as if I were at home.  These are a few of the things that we’ve rustled up.  The breakfast bowl consists of 3/4 cup egg whites, 1 egg, 1/2 cup black beans, spinach, feta, and salsa.  One day we went to Neptune’s Net in Malibu for crab legs…..absolutely incredible.  We had an asian shrimp salad for dinner tonight….delish!  And last night we had chicken marsala…check out our impressive culinary skillz.

I hope I haven’t totally mucked up my weigh in, but I honestly think I did ok.  We didn’t have pasta every night like we have done in the past.  I didn’t have snickers bars every day.  I thoroughly enjoyed every glass of wine.  And I proved to myself that I CAN find food that fits with this plan no matter where I go.

Oh My Buddha

Oh my Buddha…(aka stomach)

You would think I would learn, 3rd binge day and all.  Not so much.

Started out strong with a protein shake for breakfast.  Then went out for a lox and bagel and a cinnamon coffee (no picture).

This was lunch (my friend and I put a real dent in that cheese – we’re so continental), then an appetizer (why can’t cake be an appetizer? ), then dinner (this picture doesn’t do it justice), then dessert (by this point, I could only manage one).

 

I pounded some grapefruit juice before lunch and only remembered it again after dinner.  Not sure it made a difference.  My stomach was going to hurt regardless…but tomorrow is a new day.

 

Week 3 Roundup

Just a quick post to let you know my week-end totals.  I have to weigh in a day early because I’m visiting a friend and won’t have my trusty scale with me.

Lbs lost this week – ZERO ….grand total is still 5 lbs lost.

Inches lost this week – 5!!!  ….bringing my grand total of inches lost to 10.75!!!

Although I’m THRILLED with the inches lost, I admit, I’m disappointed in the number on the scale.  If it’s not too much information for ya, I’d like to point out that I had my period this week, so last week I was a little out of whack too.  I think that time of the month is something that us girls need to really consider.  I’m pretty sure Tim Ferriss even mentioned it in the book.  And maybe with 2 weeks out of whack, next week will be a big weight loss week?

While we’re on personal subjects, I’m just going to bring this up too.  I know I’m not the only one.  But I’m just not as regular as I was before I started eating this way.  I’m not sure what the solution is either?  You’d think with all these legumes I’d be set.  I have not taken the PAGG stack at all and am now considering it for month 2…will it make a difference in this department?

As far as what I’ve eaten this week – I kept it pretty simple.  A protein shake in the morning, either eggs, spinach, and black beans for lunch or a salad w/ a protein and bean soup for lunch.  Dinner has been a protein (chicken or steak…I even tried shrimp this week) and broccoli and bean soup.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please send them my way!  I’d love to hear about your successes and also what has pushed you through your plateaus!

Tuscan Bean Soup

So far so good this week!  I’ve been eating well and didn’t have the mid-week blues like I did last week.  I thought I would share one of the recipes I’ve used this week to get those beans in…

Tuscan Bean Soup – adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tuscan-White-Bean-Soup/Detail.aspx?prop31=7

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 1 yellow onion, quartered lengthwise
• 1 stalk celery, quartered crosswise
• 1 carrots, quartered crosswise
• 2 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed
• 3 cans cannellini beans, drained
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 (32 ounce) carton reduced sodium chicken broth

Directions

1. In 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, cook bacon, onion, celery, carrot and 2 cloves garlic over medium-high heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. Add beans, bay leaf, thyme, wine and broth; cover and cook 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; cool about 15 minutes.
2. Remove bay leaf from bean mixture. Pour mixture into food processor; cover and puree. Return to saucepan; stir in salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly heated.
3. Ladle soup into individual soup bowls. Serves 6.

I like this recipe because it was easy and quick to make and lasted the whole week.  You can really play around with the ingredients and add and subtract whatever you prefer.  The original recipe called for basil and red pepper flakes, which wasn’t bad, but a little spicy for me.  I think next time I might try it with a little more bacon.  You could also drizzle some cholula on top for some extra spice.  Hm….speaking of which, that sounds pretty yummy!  I’m going to try that for lunch!  Bon appetit!

What are some of your favorite recipes?

2nd “Binge” and a NEW Normal

End of the 2nd week and end of the 2nd “binge day”.  I thought I would go easier on my 2nd time around…I had big dreams of fruit and sushi and healthy foods I’m not eating during the week.  Yeah, that didn’t really happen.  Here’s what did:

Started the day with coffee and a half teaspoon of cinnamon and a couple clementines.

Then we went to my favorite breakfast place and I gorged myself (quite literally) on eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and pancakes.  Syrup & butter…the works.  Even managed a glass of grapefruit juice.

I met a friend at a coffee shop in the afternoon and was planning on just having a cup of tea but my friend ordered a large hot chocolate and it sounded so good and I thought, why not?  I couldn’t finish it…but it was sooooo good!

Afterwards I stopped at Target to pick up some items and if you read my last “binge” entry you know how much I love gummi bears and they were calling my name again.  I also stopped at Whole Foods and got a little thing of spicy tuna sushi and some fruit for later.  (I had good intentions!)

For dinner we had Indian food (pre-4 Hour Body we would have Indian food at least once a week) – chicken tikka masala, lots of rice, samosas, and naan.  For dessert – more gummi bears.

Towards the end of the night I hadn’t touched the fruit yet and even though my stomach was so full and I was not even hungry, I didn’t want the day to end without tasting sweet strawberries and tasty pineapple.  It was so yummy but I was so full.

Thinking back on the day, I really didn’t have anything too unusual from what a “normal” day was before I starting the 4 Hour Body.  I wouldn’t have pancakes or hot chocolate or gummi bears on a normal day.  But I might have one or the other.  It’s eye-opening to see how much I used to eat and how full I am now after just one of those meals.

Needless to say, I was happy to wake up today and get back to my NEW “normal” way of eating.

Week 2 Roundup

The totals from this week are….1 lb lost and 1.95″ lost

Not the drastic totals that I lost the first week, but the fact that I’m still losing (and not gaining or staying the same) means to me that this process is still working.

The grand totals are…5 lb lost and 6.9″ lost

This week was easier in some ways and harder in others.  It was my 2nd week, so I knew what I liked to eat and had a bit of a routine down.  It was harder because we had the kids staying with us and “bad” foods were in my kitchen and even in my hands.  I still showed restraint and never even licked the cheese dust from the chips off my fingers…let alone pop a chip in my mouth.  (SUCCESS!)

Yesterday was also a little difficult because for the first time in 2 weeks I had to eat lunch and dinner at restaurants instead of at home.  For lunch I met a friend at California Pizza Kitchen.  I ordered the BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad – half order – and specifically requested no cheese or tomatoes.  (no rules about tomatoes, I’m just a tomato hater).  When I got my order, I realized that I forgot to request no tortilla chips.  They were crushed up and all mixed in the salad.  Try as I might, there was no way to pick them all out.  I did my best.  The chicken was grilled, technically there were black beans in there – but not nearly the amounts that I’ve been eating them, and I even had a diet pepsi (my first soda in 2 weeks!).

Next stop was Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner.  This was the kids choice – their favorite restaurant – and a reward for excellent report cards.  I’m not a huge fan, but managed to avoid the fried foods again.  I had “naked tenders”  which is grilled chicken and a side salad.  I didn’t realize that the salad had cheese on it until it arrived.  So I did surgery on my food once again and did my best to remove the cheese.  I’d like to note that I didn’t finish my lunch OR my dinner.  I did have a few mouthfuls of black beans before we left for dinner since I skimped on lunch and turns out I completely skipped on dinner.

My water intake was not what it should’ve been especially yesterday.  I’ve been trying to get 120 ounces of water every day – which I’ve been reading other blogs and seeing that maybe this STILL isn’t enough?!?  Trust me, this is a LOT for someone who used to never drink a single cup of water.  The last couple days though, I’ve only managed about 75 ounces of water.  So did this affect my weight loss or inches lost?  I don’t know.  All I can do is try better next week!

 

Cooking for Kids

Yesterday was tough.  For many reasons.

1. It was Wednesday – enough said.

2. I skipped a meal. 

3. We had the kids last night.

 

Now normally #3 is not difficult.  I love my boyfriend’s kids as if they were my own flesh and blood.  They are sweet, smart kids and we always have fun with them when they stay with us.  I do have had a hard time finding meals they like to eat (I guess that is a subject for another blog – Cooking for Kids anyone?).

 

My default is spaghetti.  Note to reader: my cheat dinner last week was spaghetti.  Yikes.

 

So not only did I make said spaghetti for them, but I also made their lunches for school today which included sandwiches (mmm…bread!) and lots of fruit (oh how I miss clementines!) and even a chocolate pudding for dessert.  Man, jello pudding cups never looked so good.

 

Yesterday was a success.  For many reasons.

1. I didn’t cheat.

2. I made healthy meals that everyone likes.

3. Today is Thursday and I get to try all over again.

 

Shout out to http://www.fourhourbodycouple.com/ for posting about Wicked Wednesdays.  I feel your pain sister!  Stay strong!

 

Day 11 Blahs

I woke up this morning and weighed myself and I’m 2 lbs more than my last weigh-in.  Not a great start to the day.

I’m sick of pretty much everything I’ve been eating.  Which is: egg whites for breakfast with spinach and salsa and black beans, for lunch I have lentil soup with spinach and chicken and dinner has been chicken or fish and broccoli and more lentils or more black beans.

Today I just wanted something other than egg whites for a change so I made bacon and fried eggs and some raw veggies and black beans.  I couldn’t even finish it.  I felt like I was stuffing my face and getting nowhere.  I should be eating another meal right about now and I just don’t think I can do it.  I might try a protein shake just to get the protein in me.

I wonder what the success rate is of having a protein shake in the am instead of a big ol bowl of egg whites.  I know it would be a lot easier to down first thing instead of all this other food.  Maybe I will try next week.

I also wonder how much of a difference the PAGG supplements make.  Currently I am not taking any supplements.  Am I missing out on massive weight-loss by not taking them?

For now, I’ll just keep on keepin on…