third time's a charm......

Well, I'm on a roll.......new blog posts three days in a row!  Thanks, Amber :-) I was organizing the pictures on my computer and found some of food that I took a few months ago.
This first pic is a a mixture of red and green cabbage that I sauteed in some olive oil and seasoned with sea salt and ground black pepper. It was very tasty, but the only mistake I made was using my cast iron skillet. It darkened the cabbage too much.

This next picture is a medley of brussel sprouts, acorn squash and butternut squash. I drizzled some olive oil and seasoned with roasted garlic and sea salt blend. I roasted in the oven. It was also tasty, especially the squash; however, my favorite way to cook the brussel sprouts is in sauteed in some butter. YUMMO!

feeling the love!!!!!

I am feeling the love! Thanks to Amber for mentioning me and my blog in her latest blog post at Me and Jorge :-) Her blog is excellent! Everything you wanted to know about the BFC and more! I credit much of my initial success on the BFC to Amber and her blog. It was also the inspiration for starting my own blog and now she's inspiring (shaming!) me to keep it more current!  So, here it is....my second blog in a row!

Not much to report about BFC for me.....we currently have guests and my oldest son was confirmed tonight. I am also going to Chicago for the weekend. Busy, busy, busy....only able to skate by on automatic mode and not give too much thought to new and different BFC ideas.

But since Amber mentioned that I "twitter", let's talk about social media. Do you remember your first experience with the internet??  We got "connected" around 1996. My oldest son was a baby. I can remember spending hours sitting at the computer while he nursed and slept in my arms scouring the World Wide Web. I visited parenting sites and was active on a General Hospital bulletin board. (Yes, there was a time in my life when I had the time to watch soap operas, LOL!) For a couple of (fruitful) years, I also got "paid" to surf the internet through reward programs. Eventually, my kids got older and mobile and I just didn't have the time to sit at the computer anymore; however, email quickly became my preferred method of communication....even with my husband ;-).

Facebook came along and at first I did resist, but eventually gave in and created my FB profile. I quickly connected with many, many people from my high school and hometown - some I thought I'd never hear from again - and soon I was very FB-proficient. Shortly after that, I also got my first iPhone and boy, was I in heaven!  My friend and I texted all the time, any random thought that just popped into our heads. I was able to check my FB no matter where I was and I discovered podcasts! Then, my husband bought me a laptop and that completely changed the way I "surfed". Actually, it changed the way I watch TV....as now I am usually checking email, blogs, my calendar, FB, etc while I watch TV. I keep it close by when watching movies so I can look up actors and info about what I am watching. Next came this blog after I started the BFC and most recently I have started using Twitter. It's a bit different than FB, but same general concept. The main difference is that it is easier to connect with others that have the same interests and so I tend to not really know (in real life) any of the people I am following on Twitter.

So, what social media do you use? I use texting to communicate with my kids while they are out of the house, with my husband during the day so I don't bother him with phone calls during work and with my friends so I can share all the random, inane thoughts that pop into my head without spending time on a phone call. I use Facebook to keep in touch with old friends and family that don't live close by (which is actually all of our family!). I've got my blogs to keep up with my BFC support group. And now I've got Twitter to get my pop-culture fix. I follow some celebrities as well as other people who share the same interests as me.

What in the world did we do without phones and computers when I was growing up? While I feel like I am very connected and "plugged in", I also know that I am not utilizing all this technology that is at my fingertips to the best of it's capability. I do know that all my social media outlets have contributed to the success of my weight loss with the BFC!

.......we meet again!!!!

Hello friends and readers! My sincerest apologies for being absent for sooooooooo long!  I suffered a kidney stone attack in January, the same week the Belly Fat Cure Fast Track class started. And because we've had such a long, cccccccoooold winter (brrr!), I feel that I have been in HIBERNATION mode.......curling up in sweats and blankets and making the most of my Netflix subscription!!

Spring is almost here now and I am ready to get back to business. The bad news is that I haven't lost any weight since my last post in January. The GOOD news is that because of the healthy habits I adopted on the BFC, I have been able to maintain my weight!!! I am still at a total weight loss of 33 pounds since August, 2010. 

Now, I haven't been "strict" BFC, but I still use stevia in place of sugar or sweetener in my tea and coffee. I make high fiber, high protein food choices over sugary, processed foods. I try to eat my largest meal in the morning and my smallest meal in the evening. I am aware of any hidden sugars in my foods. However, I can't say that I haven't enjoyed a bowl or two of ice cream as well as delighted in our Girl Scout cookie delivery (only 4 boxes this year)! It's reassuring to know that even with these small treats, I didn't revert back to my previous bad, bad, bad eating habits.

Even though enjoying a treat now and then didn't cause me to add any weight back on, I am ready to start LOSING again!!  We've got family here visiting this week and I'm traveling to Chicago this weekend to visit an old college friend, so my plan is to dust off the Fast Track materials and get on that fast track next Monday. For now, I will continue the maintenance I've been doing for the last two months while making sure my frig and pantry are stocked for success. The weather has also started to break and I am looking forward to some nice, long walks outside.

I am looking forward to hearing from you all again!  NAMASTE :-)

FITNESS GOAL FOR 2011

Okay everyone, you heard it here first and I am now accountable since I am revealing it publicly.  Rather than just continuing to say "I need to exercise more", I am setting a fitness goal for myself this year. I am committing myself to run a half-marathon in October!!! 

It's the Evansville (IN) Half-Marathon and I am very excited about my decision. I walked it in 2005, the year I turned 40, and swore I wouldn't participate again until I could run it. Well, 2011 is going to be that year. I was very proud of my accomplishment at the time, but walking 13.1 miles took me almost 4 hours!!!!!!!! Even though the course is great and really takes you through some beautiful areas of Evansville, walking for 4 hours gets VERRRRRRY boring! We no longer live in the Evansville area, so it will also be nice to be able to go back and participate in this and perhaps see some old friends.

Just as in having a weight loss goal helps to keep me on track with healthy eating habits, I am hoping that having a fitness goal will keep me exercising everyday. I will start by walking everyday, and working my way up to jogging as I continue to lose more weight. In May, I will seriously begin training for the half-marathon itself.

Amber, thanks for the inspiration!!! Who knows......maybe the year I turn 50 (2015) I can run a full marathon or participate in a triathlon!

Belly Fat Cure Fast Track Class

Hello everyone - Happy New Year!!!!  I hope everyone had wonderful holidays and that 2011 is treating you well so far :-). I was able to enjoy the holidays and maintain my weight. No loss, but no gain either. I allowed myself a couple of treats and of course the diet soda that I blogged about last time, but I'm now back to water and iced tea with stevia.

Jorge Cruise has a 4 week online class that starts Monday. I decided to sign up for it as a way to jumpstart the new year and get back to basics. Actually the Fast Track goes beyond the BFC basics......all I know is that in addition to the usual low sugar, etc GRAINS are not allowed!!  I've done well with the BFC on my own, and am hoping to have even greater success with the Fast Track. The online class will provide strategies, menus, video coaching from Jorge. I am very excited to learn more about getting fiber from green vegetables.  If you want to learn more about the Fast Track, read here.  You can also read some client success stories here, they are all very inspiring, which is a key factor in weight loss...staying inspired.

In those client stories you will meet Amber.....she has a great blog and is one of the reasons I've been so successful with the BFC. I actually contacted her when I was thinking about signing up for the online class because I know she had done a similar one for 12 weeks for the Belly Fat Cure. She let me know that she decided to sign up for it as well, as a refresher! I highly recommend Amber's blog. She has great information.....meal ideas, product reviews, etc. You can read her blog, Me and Jorge here. She recently tweeted that she has been contacted by the Rachel Ray show regarding her weight loss success!

Another blog that I read daily for inspiration is Rosalie's. She's lost over 70 pounds in the last year following the Belly Fat Cure. Her before/after pictures are amazing!!!! I find such inspiration from her because my own weight loss goal is similar. I know I can do it, too! She also posts what she eats every day, so it's a good source for food ideas. You can read Rosalie's blog here.

Support is also a factor for success in losing weight. I have a number of high school friends on FB who are currently trying to lose weight. One of them created a FB weight loss support group. We are all tackling our goals in different ways but we have the same common purpose. It's going to be a great way to share ideas and get motivation. At our age, it's now more about our health than how we look :-)

I almost forgot to mention Dr Oz's Move It and Lose It in 2011 program.  It's actually a free program you can sign up for through his website here.  I LOVE Dr Oz!!! Prior to starting my weight loss, I avoided his show like the plague.......it just made me feel guilty knowing all the things I should be doing for my health and I wasn't! Now, I try never to miss an episode. I am hoping this program will kick-start me into doing more exercise which is definitely one thing I can improve on!

Have a great weekend - NAMASTE

Weeks Fifteen-Seventeen

My apologies for being MIA......I'm still here, I'm still losing....just been buried under holiday preparations and errands as well as starting a new job!

I am now down to 206.8, which is another 1.6 pounds since I last blogged. I am still staying under my 15 grams of sugar per day, however, I haven't been counting my carb servings. While I am not out there totally blowing it, I am also not make a conscious effort to count them. I am still experimenting and trying new veggies at dinner, but my salad consumption has gone way down and I haven't been tracking my fiber intake. My weight loss has held steady at around 1/2 pound per week.  I've also lost another inch on my waist, so I am now down to 5 inches lost on my waist. Even though the scale isn't moving as quickly as it was, I continue to see a difference in the way all my clothes fit......it's all so much looser :-)

Thanksgiving was not an issue.....I loaded up on turkey and veggies, then just took one spoonful of everything else that I like. It was exactly enough to satisfy me and I didn't feel like I was being deprived. To make it through Christmas without gobbling down every sweet treat I see or make, I've been allowing myself to drink diet soda. Having the diet soda is such a treat, that I am satisfied and don't feel like I need any cookies, etc. I'll go off the diet soda again once we are through the holidays.

Last week, we had different roasted squash with dinner....acorn, butternut and spaghetti squash. It is so, so yummy and I am amazed when the kids rave about it. This week I've loaded up on some "A" veggies to try.....asparagus and artichoke. If you have a favorite method for preparing either of those, let me know!!

Also, my job requires that I am out and about for most of the day calling on stores (I'm a retail merchandiser) and I spend alot of my time in the car......any suggestions for quick, easy BFC lunches I can pack to eat on the road???

I hope to blog again on Tuesday to get back on schedule here, but if you don't hear from me - never fear, I am still here and plodding along with the weight loss.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all - Namaste!  Susan

Week Fourteen Summary/Weight Loss = 0.6

Well, last Tuesday was my weigh-in, but with the holidays I am just now getting a chance to post. I've been eating the Belly Fat Cure way for 14 weeks now and have officially lost exactly 30 pounds!!!!  My weight is down .6 pounds from the week before, I am now down to 208.4.

I don't know why it's creeping off so slowly......I haven't been cheating. The only thing I can think of is that I am not eating enough food. I haven't been having my usual string cheese and almond snacks in the morning and afternoon. Some days I've only been eating two meals, I just haven't been hungry. I am also staying within my counts at dinner, but haven't been having as many salads. I've also been bad about tracking my fiber. I need to get back into the habit of tracking that again when I track my sugar and carbs.  I've also probably gotten as far as I can without amping up the exercise!

Even though the scales are moving slowly, my clothes are a different story!  Everything is much, much looser. I am going to have to go back again and get rid of some more things.  My jeans are so baggy, that when I am around the house, I've taken to rolling up the waistband to help them stay up. Otherwise, they are falling down my hips. I know it's a good problem to have, but definitely annoying when I am trying to get something done and have to hoist my pants up every two minutes. I am hoping to hold off until after the holidays are over before buying new jeans.

Tomorrow will be the week 15 weigh in, so I hope to have that post up in a more timely manner! I'll also talk about Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone is doing well! NAMASTE :-)