The 17 Day Diet

I fell off the wagon and it's time to get back on!  I bet you know that feeling too.  I wake up determined and with all my tools in place.  I log in to WeightLossBuddy and enter my weight (which is going in the wrong direction).  I read through a few blogs for inspiration and by 3pm it's all in vain.  ARGHHHH.

Today I am determined.  Day #1 on The 17 Day Diet.  Have you ever heard of the 17 Day Diet?  It's a little Atkins inspired.  I like it, the only problem was that I found myself getting really hungry.  I don't like that feeling and I think I may have to tweak it to avoid that from happening again....but the idea is hey, you only have to do this for 17 days.  

Can I do it for 17 days?  

I'll be having some out of town family staying with us for a few days during this period, so that will be a true test.  Curious about the diet, or wondering how I'll do?  Stop by again cause I'll be keeping you posted.

Wish me luck!  Bye Bye Bread...we'll visit in several weeks.

Flowering Tea

I received a Flowering Tea set a few years ago for my birthday.  Since then I've enjoyed quite a few cups of this delicious tea.  The set itself came with green and jasmine tea flowers.  My honey  suggested that I use my own pictures instead of professional ones like the the one above. 

I thought I'd use both. The picture on the left is my very own pot...with the flowering tea in the pot.  The tea pot comes with a glass insert that you drop the ball into.   Then pour boiling water over it and let it steep no longer than 3 minutes.  You should never steep green tea for longer than 3 minutes or it will taste too bitter.  (Now you know why that green tea you tried once 2 years ago was so awful.)

After the water is poured over it, it doesn't take long to go into full bloom.  It really does look pretty doesn't it?  I wasn't disappointed.  I  removed the insert with the flowering tea and put the tea into a small tupperware container and placed in the fridge.  I have found that I can get 2 pots from one tea flower.  I fill it up as much as you see here in the picture.

I get 2 small mugs worth plus a little more.  Here I am ready to bring it in and enjoy a cup with my husband while we discuss today's events.

Notice, no fattening cake or cookies.  :)  Yay me!

A Strong Moment

I had a moment and it was wonderful!  

We had just finished painting and carpeting two bedrooms in our home.  My dear husband had come home after a hard day of outside work and in Florida that is no easy feat.  My son and I had made a serious dent in putting the closets and furniture back where they belong, but as son's do - he cut out to hang out with his girl.  I really can't complain because he did do a lot of work.  

The Curves Circuit

Honey and I looked around at what was left to put away and then we looked at each other.  The largest piece of furniture was a queen sized futon.  I suggested we move that first and at least reclaim our living room again.  He looked over to me and said, "I don't want to make you feel bad but I just don't think you can help me move this."  I didn't want to brag but I really thought I could.  I suggested we give it a try and if I couldn't help we'd call a neighbor.  Needless to say it was my moment.  The culmination of afternoons spent at Curves came together.  My biceps tightened, my knees bent (never lift with your back!) my thighs tensed and .... ta da! We had lift off.  We eased that sucker out of the livingroom, into the bend of the alcove, into one bedroom so we could make the corner and then voila!  I was soooooo proud.  He didn't need to give me kudo's.  (Which was a good thing cause I'd still be waiting!).

I am extremely proud of myself because while I haven't lost as much weight as I would have liked (still working on it) I am becoming stronger.     

I would never have thought that at 52 I would be getting stronger and fitter.  But I am and it feels great. 

I need a cup of tea to celebrate! Yay me!

The Day Tea Was Invented

I have found it absolutely amazing that there are records and information on the day tea was invented.  The man to be credited is the Chinese Emperor Shen Nong in 2737 B.C. The emperor believed that drinking boiled water contributed to good health.  (Which I have heard to be true even to this day.)  On one summer day while traveling his entourage stopped for a rest.  His servants began to boil their water when dried leaves from a nearby camellia bush fell into the boiling water.  The emperor found it to have a pleasing aroma so he drank the infusion and discovered it was refreshing and had a delightful flavor.  That was when tea was invented, but it was considered a medical beverage.  Around 300 A.D. was when it first became a daily drink.

We can only imagine how pleased he must have been to have tasted this new brew after drinking boiled water for years.   



Tea eventually became elevated to an art.  During the mid-Tang Dynasty (780 A.D.) a scholar named Lu Yu published the first definitive book, Cha Ching or the Tea Classic.  This was after he spent over 20 years studying the planting, processing, tasting and brewing tea.

During those early days of tea drinking you might have used cups such as these. 

Between the Yuan and Qing Dynasties tea houses and other tea-drinking establishments were opening up all over China.  by 900 A.D., tea drinking spread from China to Japan where the Japanese Tea Ceremony or Chanoyu, was created.

peach design represents longevity

In Japan, tea was elevated to an art form which requires years of dedicated studying.  Unlike the Japanese people, the Chinese people tend to view tea drinking as a form of enjoyment.


Tea was introduced to Europe in the 1600's and introduced to England in 1669.  The drink was enjoyed only by the aristocracy because a pound of tea cost an average British laborer the equivalent of nine months wages.


Aren't we fortunate to live today when tea is readily available to everyone.  I'm not sure how many different kinds of tea there are.  I'll have to save that search for another day.  I know I've use tea for medicinal purposes and of course most of us dieters are aware of the positive effects of green tea for weight loss.  

Have a cup of tea and enjoy your day ~




source:

www.chcp.org

Just say No!

This is going to be a mental health moment.  Why? Because we all need mental health moments and too many of us just don't pay attention to our own needs.  I did today and it felt soooooooo good!  Shut off that pressure cooker.

I have found that sometimes I get caught up in all the things I should be doing and neglect the things that I want to be doing.  I realize that means I have good priorities...I'm a responsible person but..BUT...BUT when do I get to do the things that I want to do?

This required some serious relaxation tea.    The fragrance of the jasmine just makes you inhale deeply and sigh.  It's as if your body knows this is going to be "me" time.  It's almost as good as a spa pedicure.  I just had a thought.  Imagine a cup of green jasmine tea while your having a spa pedicure.  Ohhhhhhh spa people are you reading this?

By now your probably wondering what this has to do with saying, "no".  That is exactly what I did today.  I said, "No, I'm not going to be able to make that meeting.  No, I won't be able to come over today.  No, I really don't want to eat that.  No, I won't be available."  I didn't get any of the reactions I expected.  Not one person said that I was letting them down.  No one had a hissy fit and the sun did not become eclipsed.  Life went on.

I have no idea why I think I have to be so much but it was very liberating to say no and realize that life went on.  I think I am going to start using the word "should" less.

My perfectly brewed (3 minutes no more) cup of green jasmine tea was all it should be.  It was slightly sweet, fragrant and soothing all at once.

Have a wonderful afternoon! Remember you can say no and be sure to take out 15 minutes and enjoy a cup of tea.  It's good for the soul. :)

Dr. Oz talks about simple sugars

I've been battling with sugar for weeks.  No, make that months now.  Frustrating!  I don't want them and they are everywhere.  When I don't eat them I crave them.  When I do eat them I crave them.  I cut them out and feel awful.  BUT...I know if I wait long enough I'll feel great.  Last time I managed I was full of energy. 

How many times have you read a food label and wondered to yourself why do they even put sugar in there?  It's not necessary and that food tastes fine without it.  A great example of that is peanut butter.         

I came across this clip.  Someone wrote in to either Marlo Thomas or the Huffington Post, and there was Dr. Oz to answer the question.  How can a person lose weight without dealing with all the fad diets?  His response was eliminate simple sugars.  Here he gives his 10 cents worth -  Dr. Oz on simple sugars

The Salad

Have you underestimated the salad?  Are you one of those who think that men don't eat salads?  

- Or do you recall the days of a salad consisting of a quartered iceberg lettuce, 3 cherry tomatoes, 2 slices of cucumber and a ring of red onion?

Either way, let me tell you that salads endless possibilites. 

The range is huge.....
fruit, potato, macaroni, green, greek, beet, and lets not forget corn, broccoli and taco.  It was silly for me to even start trying to name all the varies types of salad.  Just know they are out there. 

This is the most wonderful time of year to feast on salads.  Just walking through the local farmers market or the local grocery store can get me excited.  When was the last time you had a salad that included every color group.  (not too sure what I mean about color groups?  Fruits and vegetables are broken up into 7 different color groups.  Each color group represents different nutritional characteristics.)

My latest finds have been adding fruit to salads.  I've discovered the merits of watermelon and feta cheese...mmmmmmmm!  Sliced strawberries...chunky cuts of green apple...and lets not forget the ever popular dried cranberries and chopped walnuts.  Ohhh I almost forgot about pears with a maple vinaigrette.  Has your mind begun to race thinking of the possibilities?

Here's one of my favorite salads.

Roasted beet salad

1 Bunch of fresh beets (keep the greens!!!)
1 clove of garlic
1 small onion chopped
2 Oranges
Olive oil
salt & pepper
A few walnuts if you'd like

Wash the beets and their greens REALLY THOROUGHLY... unless you like sand in your food Then wrap each beet in tinfoil like you would a baked potato and bake at 400 for 1-1 1/2 hrs untill you can easily poke them with a fork. When cool skin should peel off easily. Chop them into little wedges.

Chop & sautee the onions & garlic in a lil olive oil untill soft then add the chopped beet greens and wilt them. I used the stems as well but added them earlier with the onions so they would get soft too. Let this cool.

Peel and chop your oranges then gently toss all of your ingredients together.



For your salad dressing you can come up with anything you'd like.  I used a little red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil & seasoned with salt and pepper. 

I can eat it warm but most people prefer it chilled.

Enjoy ~

The End of Flipping Pages?

Will the expression "That's a real page-turner" go the way of the dinosaur?  One of my FB friends had posted about that.  It made me sad.  

I had spoken to my brother just the other day about a series of books he had lent me.  It's been an awesome connection that we have.  We've shared many books over the years.  A legacy my mom left us with.  She too was an avid book reader.  As the conversation was coming to an end I had asked him if he had ever given The Kindle or The Nook any consideration. He then told me that he had spoken to a couple of people who had rave reviews about both products. 

Barnes and Noble's Nook

Amazon's Kindle

      The Nook is available in black and white as well as color.        

I would love to have more space and get rid of some books that I used as reference. But...hmmm there is just something about having a book in hand. Maybe there is a enough room for both in the world.  I think the ebook reader can save me money, and space.  I'd still be able to curl up with a book and a cup of tea.  I would need to find balance. 

Meanwhile, let me give you the low down.  If you know someone in college Barnes and Noble has an awesome Free eText book application.  Both Barnes and Noble as well as Amazon have free ebook applications.  They offer free ebooks also.  I'm really not sure which one is better. 

So, while there may be room in my heart for an ebook reader I don't think they will ever replace an afternoon of flipping through my favorite cookbooks or a rainy afternoon curled up with a book.  Ohhh I almost forgot browsing through a poetry book!  Would it ever be the  same on an ereader?  Ok...what do you think?  I'd love to hear from you.

BTW -I did work on my goals today...didn't do too well with food but really enjoyed my yoga work out.  I woke up early and while the rest of the house was asleep I got in some serious yoga time.  

 

 

Deciding My Day

Isn't it awesome that I live in such a wonderful place where I get to decide my day.  I love the United States of America! 

I woke up after a weird night.  I crashed on the couch and stumbled into the bedroom around 4am.  It is soooo nice having grown children.  Don't get me wrong, I loved my babies.  But now that they are grown it was really nice knowing my son is quite capable of getting himself off to work without any help from me.  I slept on!  I woke around 9am and opened the blinds.  Sunshine streaming in, deep breath .... big stretch...it feels so good to be alive! 

My tomato's are finally starting to turn red so I draped some bird netting over my few plants.  I hope that helps.  Last time I was met with nothing but frustration as each tomato became ripe the birds feasted.  I peeked out the window and all looked well.

I'm planning on a cup of ginger/lemon tea, a breakfast of egg whites and mushrooms, peppers and onions.  Then I thought I'd get some p.c. work done.  You guys should stop by WeightLossBuddy and check out some of the challenges we have going.  We are doing Dr. Oz's sugar detox.  Lots of great information and support.

I'll be working on my goals by doing an afternoon yoga routine.  And relaxing with hubby at home.  (I really could use some down time)  We will also work out menu for the week...I'll be looking forward to some input.  I really hate trying to figure it out by myself.  This is the first time we'll be working on it together.  Could be fun, could be a mistake! LOL I'll have to get back to you on it.

Have a great day!

Ginger-Lemon

  

Is an awesome morning tea....While morning is my favorite time, it also works great to settle your stomach after dinner.

This morning was another hectic one.  We had to run over to the Dr.'s office.  My honey had a little spot of basal cell carcinoma removed. It was scary...it was the C word.  Not really a word I think anyone at anytime is comfortable with.  It really didn't look like anything bad, so when in doubt have it checked out!  The check up went well.  Dr. is happy with the progress and gave us a few follow up directions and he'll check him out in another 6 weeks. 

After that we ran over to Honey's job and dropped off some paper work and swung by Lowe's.  We purchased some carpeting for 2 bedrooms.  I have mentioned that my oldest has moved out.  We are redoing his room as a guest/hobby room.   While getting the new carpeting we also are getting carpeting for my younger son's room.  It's a really pretty grey.  I'm happy about it.  Speaking of Lowe's they are having a sale on the stain master carpeting.  Free installation....check it out.

Goals update: I did pretty well with my food.  I did better with portion size than I did with choices.  I didn't do any exercise.  I'm determined to get in some yoga time.  That will be tomorrow's mission.

Anyone watching the Casey Anthony trial?  I've been spending too much time watching it.

Enjoy a cup of tea -

Changes

We can't help anyone change unless they want to change.- Diane Lang

How true!  If I don't want to change, I can begin all the programs and diets I want but it won't accomplish a thing. 

Full of great wisdoms

 

Tough Love

This morning as I was rushing around to get out of the house I sipped away at my cup of Lipton orange pekoe and black tea.  ahhhhh nothing like those first few sips of liquid caffeine.  Now that I had my boost i was on my way!

I went to my T.O.P.S. meeting after having been away for a month.  I gained 3.25 lbs. And we had double fines!  Not to worry my fee was $2.00.  During the month I was away they had changed one of there procedures. The weight recorder calls out our names and as they go around the tables we would say whether we had lost, gained or maintained.  If you maintained or lost...applauds. (which always feels great) if you gained...they throw tomato's at you.  Ha! had you going....They used to say, "We're glad your here."  I had really liked that.  That was one of the reasons I liked going.  but noooooooooooooo they had to change it to, "you chose".  Or something like that.  How awful...I didn't choose to gain weight, I only chose to eat a kitkat bar.  Sheeshhh!   Oh well. I suppose they are going the tough love route.  You know when you were a kid you parents would say that you couldn't pass that test and you would say, "Oh, yes I can!"  That didn't work on me then and I don't think 20 people telling me "I chose" is going work now.

Working towards my goals:
I never ended up not getting in my yoga but did a little over 2 miles walking outside.  So movement is movement! Today I did pretty well with my food and did my Curves work out! 

Yay me!! 

How is your day going?

Sipping English Breakfast Tea

mmmmmmmmmmm.....a steamy, perfect brew.  

I was so tired this morning, I suppose I'm still recovering from a nasty cold.  After making hubbies lunch and sending him off with a steaming cup of coffee I flopped back into bed.  I set the alarm for 2 hours later.  My hopes were to send my son off with a steaming cup of coffee but instead he woke up me up saying that he was able to hear the alarm clear on the other side of the house!  He made his own coffee and put up the water for my tea.  What a good son! 

The plan for today is a hair cut!  Nothing feels as good getting your hair done!   The girl who does my hair even massages my neck and scalp....heaven!  I'm not sure men feel the same way but I know you women know what I mean.   As soon as I fold a load of clothes and get myself together I'll head over to Dad's for a visit then, hop on the bus to get my hair done.

What about those goals?  

Yesterday I did the treadmill, today I am planning on doing one of my DVD's in the evening.  I was thinking of doing the yoga one.  The instructor is Suzanne Dean and she's great!  Her cueing is dead on.  I love this DVD because she also offers modifications for different fitness levels.  I know your sure to be able to fit into one of those categories.   The modifications don't make me feel like I'm this awkward individual I just feel good about myself and that I'm able to do something good for me. Off hand I can't recall the name of the DVD but if your interested just leave me a message and I'll be happy to jot it down for you.

I'm off....keep your fingers crossed for me...I really hope I don't get stuck in the rain.