Yesterday and today are the two ending days of my 7 day break -- and they are what I like to call my beefathon. Let me describe it and then you'll understand the term. I started each day with an egg and 1/4 cup eggbeater combination. From there I am to immediately begin eating beef -- hamburgers, roast, steak -- all sorts of beef equal to 3 lbs per day!!
The purpose is to get my body back into a fat-burning state and prepare it for additional weight loss, so that when I return to my regular nutriti0nal plan I will being losing weight rapidly again. I hope so, because for all of October and November my weight loss has really come to a screeching halt. I'm ready to move onward and downward! :)
Are you totally grossed out by the idea of eating all of the beef? It does sound pretty disgusting I must admit. But as with most things in life, your mind set going into it tends to totally influence your perspective on the whole experience. Another thing I discovered that helped make it easier was to drink the cleansing tea. I did so last night which has helped me not feel so achy today and better able to face the new beefathon day.
Another benefit of the break is that I'm really looking forward to getting back on plan tomorrow and for the weight loss to begin again. So all in all, I would consider this break a success. I'm feeling stronger mentally as well and am ready to face dieting during the holiday. So let's go onward and downward!
Until next time,
The Gourmet Goddess
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Pity Party Mode - Let's Partaaaaaay
Do you ever find yourself in the pity party mode? I do way more often than I like. Once I find myself in that party mode, then my thinking begins stinking as I begin to dwell on all of those little injustices, such as . . .
1. Co-workers who get away with murder while you get reprimanded for trivial stuff
2. Being stuck in a dead-end job while the job market is nonexistent
3. Moving to another city and trying to sell your house when absolutely nothing is selling in that price range
4. People who eat anything they want and never gain any weight and look down their nose at you because you are overweight
I have been finding myself recently camping in the pity party mode and I don’t really like myself very much when I’m there. It’s so very counterproductive because I end up dwelling and fretting and fuming over things I have no control over. Then I have no energy to devote to working on those things I can change. Does that remind you of anything familiar . . . like the serenity prayer.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.
Now by this time you might be asking yourself (if you’re still here) what this has to do with the whole dieting issue. I’m glad you asked! I recently found this saying that I really like – “Obstacles are those things we see when we take our eyes off our goals.”
You see, when I am in party mode, I am seeing the obstacles rather than the goals. This causes me to feel trapped, victimized, hopeless, etc. And from there it is a very short spiral down into abandoning my new eating patterns in favor of the old ones. A very slippery slope.
One of things I have done differently than in my past attempts to lose weight to help focus was to set certain, very specific, goals – daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. Then I wrote these goals as affirmations, put them on index cards, carry them with me, and I read them multiple times daily. I am trying very hard to get emotionally attached to those goals so that I will work hard to make them happen, they give me something specific to focus on – What can I do today to affirm my new healthy lifestyle and encourage continued weight loss and body toning?
So my encouragement to myself, and you, today is . . . question every thought early, analyze whether it is in our control or not. If it is, do something about it; if not, let it go.
Until next time,
The Gourmet Goddess
1. Co-workers who get away with murder while you get reprimanded for trivial stuff
2. Being stuck in a dead-end job while the job market is nonexistent
3. Moving to another city and trying to sell your house when absolutely nothing is selling in that price range
4. People who eat anything they want and never gain any weight and look down their nose at you because you are overweight
I have been finding myself recently camping in the pity party mode and I don’t really like myself very much when I’m there. It’s so very counterproductive because I end up dwelling and fretting and fuming over things I have no control over. Then I have no energy to devote to working on those things I can change. Does that remind you of anything familiar . . . like the serenity prayer.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.
Now by this time you might be asking yourself (if you’re still here) what this has to do with the whole dieting issue. I’m glad you asked! I recently found this saying that I really like – “Obstacles are those things we see when we take our eyes off our goals.”
You see, when I am in party mode, I am seeing the obstacles rather than the goals. This causes me to feel trapped, victimized, hopeless, etc. And from there it is a very short spiral down into abandoning my new eating patterns in favor of the old ones. A very slippery slope.
One of things I have done differently than in my past attempts to lose weight to help focus was to set certain, very specific, goals – daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. Then I wrote these goals as affirmations, put them on index cards, carry them with me, and I read them multiple times daily. I am trying very hard to get emotionally attached to those goals so that I will work hard to make them happen, they give me something specific to focus on – What can I do today to affirm my new healthy lifestyle and encourage continued weight loss and body toning?
So my encouragement to myself, and you, today is . . . question every thought early, analyze whether it is in our control or not. If it is, do something about it; if not, let it go.
Until next time,
The Gourmet Goddess
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Food Hell
I work in food hell. I must admit, it’s hell in other ways, too, but the food is definitely a problem. Yesterday, only the beginning of December, mind you, and it became Dante’s inferno. There was a sugar buffet of donuts, birthday cake and Topsy’s popcorn. In addition, in the conference room on the table are 3 bowls of candy, including Reese's peanut butter cups. However, no fat burning snickers bars. I managed not to eat anything, but HELLO PEEPS, it’s only December 1st – the madness will only escalate between now and January 1st, so I am taking a vow in front of you all to hold me accountable. I solemnly swear not to partake in any of the treats from hell. Okay, I feel much better now! Well, sort of . . . again, I say, if only Snickers could be a fat burner, I would be all set.
Now, it’s not just enough for me to promise, but I need a plan of action. Here’s where you come in. What do you do to keep from shoveling in a truckload of treats this time of year – or any time of year for that matter?
I’ve been brainstorming and here’s some of the things I came up with that could work:
1. Super glue my mouth shut – My DH probably likes this idea just because of the quiet. Probably not a good option, however, as I would rather keep my lips.
2. Annihilate the person responsible for bringing in the offensive food item – Hmmm, this has definite possibilities. If it were the right person, I could come out of this a hero!
3. Partake of the sugar buffet and offset the effects with 300,000 trips up and down the two flights of stairs to the office. Too bad I don’t have an extra 8 hours a day to make this option work!
4. Okay for something a little more sensible – develop recipes that would have the same stats appropriate for a snack and plan for several of those a week. This could actually work.
Here’s a recipe that I have developed for a brownie:
Fudge Brownie
1/4 c Southaven farm chocolate baking mix
Scant 1/4 cup Splenda
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 pkt of Splenda with fiber
1/2 single serve container of Great Value no sugar added applesauce
1 tbsp Hellmann’s lowfat mayo
1 tbsp nonfat dry milk
1 tbsp sugar free coffee syrup - vanilla, chocolate, cherry, or peanut butter flavors, optional
Add enough water to moisten
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees. Spray a single serve dish with cooking spray, such as two 7 oz ramekins or you could make enough to fill a 6-cup muffin tin.
Mix all ingredients together well and pour into 2 dishes. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done. Let cool. Serves 2. Counts as a bar for S4L so you would have 2 days' worth of substitutes.
Couple of things to note:
Check out southavenfarms.com for the chocolate baking mix. You're going to want to buy a few of these as this brownie recipe is quite good. The mixes are whole grain, sugar free, and very healthy. There are some other great flavors too like cinnamon, mocha, and oat bran. Hint, hint - there could be some future recipes using some of the other flavors.
Another thing is if you don't have any sugar free coffee syrups, such as DaVinci or Torani, you can just moisten the mix with water and add a tsp of vanilla or chocolate extract and be done with it. That's the beauty of it, you are in the drivers' seat. But I highly recommend using the syrup. I made a batch over the weekend using German chocolate cake syrup that I had and it was fabulous! I imagine the peanut butter and cherry would be divine as well.
Now for the stats, comparing this brownie recipe to the supplement brownie bar offered by S4L. What's great about this brownie is that the stats are actually a little better than the bar -- the taste is better too.
Brownie, as prepared from above recipe
Calories 141
Fat 4g
Carbs 19g
Fiber 4g
Protein 16g
Brownie bar (S4L supplement)
Calories 170
Fat 4g
Carbs 24g
Fiber 4g
Protein 10g
Let me know when you try this and what you think about it. I have to confess that this is probably what I will do rather than super glue my lips together. DH will just have to get over it.
Until next time,
The Gourmet Goddess
Now, it’s not just enough for me to promise, but I need a plan of action. Here’s where you come in. What do you do to keep from shoveling in a truckload of treats this time of year – or any time of year for that matter?
I’ve been brainstorming and here’s some of the things I came up with that could work:
1. Super glue my mouth shut – My DH probably likes this idea just because of the quiet. Probably not a good option, however, as I would rather keep my lips.
2. Annihilate the person responsible for bringing in the offensive food item – Hmmm, this has definite possibilities. If it were the right person, I could come out of this a hero!
3. Partake of the sugar buffet and offset the effects with 300,000 trips up and down the two flights of stairs to the office. Too bad I don’t have an extra 8 hours a day to make this option work!
4. Okay for something a little more sensible – develop recipes that would have the same stats appropriate for a snack and plan for several of those a week. This could actually work.
Here’s a recipe that I have developed for a brownie:
Fudge Brownie
1/4 c Southaven farm chocolate baking mix
Scant 1/4 cup Splenda
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 pkt of Splenda with fiber
1/2 single serve container of Great Value no sugar added applesauce
1 tbsp Hellmann’s lowfat mayo
1 tbsp nonfat dry milk
1 tbsp sugar free coffee syrup - vanilla, chocolate, cherry, or peanut butter flavors, optional
Add enough water to moisten
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees. Spray a single serve dish with cooking spray, such as two 7 oz ramekins or you could make enough to fill a 6-cup muffin tin.
Mix all ingredients together well and pour into 2 dishes. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done. Let cool. Serves 2. Counts as a bar for S4L so you would have 2 days' worth of substitutes.
Couple of things to note:
Check out southavenfarms.com for the chocolate baking mix. You're going to want to buy a few of these as this brownie recipe is quite good. The mixes are whole grain, sugar free, and very healthy. There are some other great flavors too like cinnamon, mocha, and oat bran. Hint, hint - there could be some future recipes using some of the other flavors.
Another thing is if you don't have any sugar free coffee syrups, such as DaVinci or Torani, you can just moisten the mix with water and add a tsp of vanilla or chocolate extract and be done with it. That's the beauty of it, you are in the drivers' seat. But I highly recommend using the syrup. I made a batch over the weekend using German chocolate cake syrup that I had and it was fabulous! I imagine the peanut butter and cherry would be divine as well.
Now for the stats, comparing this brownie recipe to the supplement brownie bar offered by S4L. What's great about this brownie is that the stats are actually a little better than the bar -- the taste is better too.
Brownie, as prepared from above recipe
Calories 141
Fat 4g
Carbs 19g
Fiber 4g
Protein 16g
Brownie bar (S4L supplement)
Calories 170
Fat 4g
Carbs 24g
Fiber 4g
Protein 10g
Let me know when you try this and what you think about it. I have to confess that this is probably what I will do rather than super glue my lips together. DH will just have to get over it.
Until next time,
The Gourmet Goddess
Monday, December 1, 2008
Introduction (Ta Da, Here I Am)
Allow me to introduce myself - I am the Gourmet Goddess. I feel the need to elaborate somewhat on what this exactly could mean. I have been a foodie long before being a foodie was cool. :) I have also been dieting since I was 14. I won't tell you how old I am now, but let's just say, I am a long-term dieter.
I have some things to share, things to get off my chest, things to drop off (my belly for one) and things that I will need your input on. That's why I decided to create a blog. I know that I am not the only one taking this journey and I thought it would be fun and rewarding to share with others as I go along.
My most current diet, oops, lifestyle change began in March. I have been very successful this time with a clinical program, S4L. As of today, I have lost almost 90 pounds, with about 60 pounds to go.
Now comes the mental meandering. Don't say I didn't warn you.
I didn't get through Thanksgiving as successfully and I had hoped. Thank God for Mondays and second chances for I am back on track this a.m.
I have been put on what is called a 7-day break this week. I always wonder about them calling it that, because the first time I was going on break, I was envisioning things like . . . oh, you know . . . eating all of the great things I was missing out on! But oh no, the break is actually five days of eating protein and lettuce and the last 2 days is what I call the beefathon - eating as much beef as I can possibly swallow (literally). I think it is supposed to shock my system to keep me from plateauing.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the 15 halves of grapefruit that I must ingest in the next five days. Ah yes, grapefruit - the great fat burner. I hate grapefruit. So the great question of the day is this, "Why couldn't a snickers bar be a fat burner?" -I could really get into that fat burner, couldn't you? Think of the possibilities - I would be model thin! Maybe in heaven! Oh well, I have already eaten 2 halves (grapefruit, not snickers) for the day - so 2 down and 13 to go.
So I bet by now you are thinking you got ripped off! Where are the goodies from the gourmet goddess? Okay, now, simmer down. They will be coming, I promise. I plan to share it all ... food, diet tricks, recipes, links and any other goodies I come across. So you must be patient, and check back often. And by all means, please give me your 2 cents as well, and share your diet knowledge, too. I'm really pumped, as this is gonna be so cool!
Until next time,
The Gourmet Goddess
I have some things to share, things to get off my chest, things to drop off (my belly for one) and things that I will need your input on. That's why I decided to create a blog. I know that I am not the only one taking this journey and I thought it would be fun and rewarding to share with others as I go along.
My most current diet, oops, lifestyle change began in March. I have been very successful this time with a clinical program, S4L. As of today, I have lost almost 90 pounds, with about 60 pounds to go.
Now comes the mental meandering. Don't say I didn't warn you.
I didn't get through Thanksgiving as successfully and I had hoped. Thank God for Mondays and second chances for I am back on track this a.m.
I have been put on what is called a 7-day break this week. I always wonder about them calling it that, because the first time I was going on break, I was envisioning things like . . . oh, you know . . . eating all of the great things I was missing out on! But oh no, the break is actually five days of eating protein and lettuce and the last 2 days is what I call the beefathon - eating as much beef as I can possibly swallow (literally). I think it is supposed to shock my system to keep me from plateauing.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the 15 halves of grapefruit that I must ingest in the next five days. Ah yes, grapefruit - the great fat burner. I hate grapefruit. So the great question of the day is this, "Why couldn't a snickers bar be a fat burner?" -I could really get into that fat burner, couldn't you? Think of the possibilities - I would be model thin! Maybe in heaven! Oh well, I have already eaten 2 halves (grapefruit, not snickers) for the day - so 2 down and 13 to go.
So I bet by now you are thinking you got ripped off! Where are the goodies from the gourmet goddess? Okay, now, simmer down. They will be coming, I promise. I plan to share it all ... food, diet tricks, recipes, links and any other goodies I come across. So you must be patient, and check back often. And by all means, please give me your 2 cents as well, and share your diet knowledge, too. I'm really pumped, as this is gonna be so cool!
Until next time,
The Gourmet Goddess
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