Cruising Feb 2014 - losing 100 pounds in the next 13 months!!

[nyfarmgirl]

The sun'll come out tomorrow

So you got to hang on till tomorrow, came what may!

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you, tomorrow

You're always a day away

 

:):):):):)

 

Yeah!! I feel like a new person. I have also been cooking up a storm. I have a beautiful lamb roast in the oven, coated with olive oil, minced garlic and herbs de Provence, smells like heaven!! I have also made cucumber yogurt tzatziki sauce for gyros today, my special "tex-mex" hummus, cucumber mango salsa for fish later in the week, saute'd chicken strips for salads, cooked black eyed peas for the black eyed pea and kale soup, blueberry pear compote and another batch of chia hemp power pudding. Oh and I made a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls for son & his fiancee' to say thank you for the pizza he made me while I was sick.

 

I am going to be eating good & easy on the plan this week!!! Hopefully I will also be the incredible shrinking woman.

[momoftwinteens]

I just started reading your posts. I am so excited for you. As you can see by my signature, I am also on a weight loss journey. I have been working hard since April of last year and am now 11 LBS from goal. I want to have it all off by the end of April so I will have 6 months of maintaining by the time I go on my cruise next November. I am behind you, all the way. Keep it up! You can do this!

[nyfarmgirl]

I just started reading your posts. I am so excited for you. As you can see by my signature, I am also on a weight loss journey. I have been working hard since April of last year and am now 11 LBS from goal. I want to have it all off by the end of April so I will have 6 months of maintaining by the time I go on my cruise next November. I am behind you, all the way. Keep it up! You can do this!

 

Wow! You are an inspiration to me!! You have made amazing progress and I just know that you will be at your goal weight before you know it. Thanks for your support & encouragement.

 

I made it through both of my previous cruises without gaining weight. I stuck to a few rules that made all of the difference.

 

1. Only take the stairs

2. Drink lots of water

3. Do active shore excursions

4. Don't eat anything that doesn't taste better than it looks

 

I didn't go to the gym. I have always hated exercise. #4 was the one that really saved me. It amazes me how many things I have eaten in the past while thinking "it's not that bad". If it isn't that bad, then it isn't that good either. Why would anyone want to continue eating bad food :eek: It also helps that since all of the food is included in cruising, I could just leave the less than desirable items and go find something I really enjoyed.

[EmmasNana]

momoftwinteens - you are doing awesome!

 

Carla - I am so glad you are feeling better.

 

I am down .2 today so 4 pounds for the week. I will do Day 6 today so I can add a new protein. I am leaning towards egg white or fish.

 

I am going to get an immersion blender today so will give the soups another go. LG or maybe it was Cindy said we can just have cooked carrots if we hate the soup and we can sub yellow squash for the zucchini. That will help me.

 

You must really like the lamb. I just don't think I can do that.

 

You really had a good day of cooking. That is what I hope to do.

 

Hope you have a wonderful day.

[nyfarmgirl]

4 lbs in a week is awesome!!

 

I used to have this mental block about lamb - they are so cute! However, since I started living on a farm I realized all baby animals are adorable. I can't give up all meat, I love it too much.

 

Have a great day!!

[nyfarmgirl]

Today marks 4 weeks on the plan!

 

Daily weight change: -1.0

Total weight change: -11.5

 

WooHoo!!! :) I am very happy with this and feel like I am right on target for my goal of 100# by Feb 2014. I keep telling my DH that I may not actually wear one but I WILL have a bikini body by the time of our cruise. I was looking at swimsuits online and they are all way tooooo skimpy, what ever happened to the 2 piece, that isn't a teeny weeny bikini???

 

 

Breakfast:

Blueberry Pear Compote w/almonds

 

Lunch:

Carrot ginger soup w/sunflower & hemp seeds

Dried fruit

 

Snack:

apple

 

Dinner:

Spinach & Arugula, goat feta cheese, dried cranberries, red onion

3 oz roasted lamb

2 tbl yogurt cucumber tzatziki sauce

1 dark chocolate sea salt caramel, 1 dark chocolate orange rind

 

Extras:

116 oz water, 2 dandelion root teas, 2 cups coffee

[EmmasNana]

Way to go Carla!!

 

Well, this is an enlightening eating plan.

 

Yesterday I tested eggs. (I had one egg with the yoke and one without and made an omelet)

 

I failed this test and gained 1 pound. My eyes are real puffy this morning. I think at a later time I will try just the egg whites. That was my original plan, but I decided to do one yoke.

 

I may look into the vegetarian menu. DH and I were vegetarian for 15 years and still don't eat much in the way of meat.

[nyfarmgirl]

I guess that leaves absolutely no doubt that the eggs caused a reaction. I know this is disappointing but at least it is good information to know. I think it is a good plan to try just the whites at a later date.

[susie8862]

Hello...I have been following your post from the start.

May I ask a question?

What was your caloric/food intake before you started this diet?

[EmmasNana]

Hey Carla, well I am throwing in the towel. I put the broccoli soup on the cook top and that was it. I just can't do it anymore.

 

I did make a batch of the flax granola this morning and when adding in the dried cranberries, almonds and sunflower seeds I really did like it.

 

This diet just takes way too much time. Between cooking, checking for any new updates, getting obsessed with the fb group...husband complains every day and wants better food. I haven't cleaned my house since I got started on this. I have wasted so much food, like what are you supposed to do with an avocado when you only use 1/4 of it and all the horrible things I make and hate...apple bourban sauce, spicy coco sauce...etc.

 

I am returning to ww or just eat the way I know I should.

 

I will watch your posts and cheer your losses. You can do it, I know.

 

susie, I don't know about Carla but on this plan I was eating a ton more calories than normal. A couple days ago I entered my info on weight watchers just to see. I am allowed 26 points on ww and that day on this plan had me at 40 points. You get a good amount of calories from the "good" fats.

 

Melanie Conolly has good size support group on fb. You can gets tons of good info and support there.

Good luck to you!!

[nyfarmgirl]

"Hey Carla, well I am throwing in the towel."

 

I understand. You have to do what is right for you. I know that I have it easier because I am not a picky eater to begin with and my son is game for trying anything new. He will also has frozen burritoes, mac n cheese and ravioli to fall back on. If my hubby were home all the time it would be much more difficult.

 

Weight watchers is an excellent program and an easy way to indulge in whatever you want as long as you budget your points for it. Please keep me posted on your progress. I didn't start this thread to get people to participate in Lyn-Genet's plan. I started it for support and encouragement for anyone trying to lose weight and get healthy. I am sure you will be successful with WW.

[nyfarmgirl]

Hello...I have been following your post from the start.

May I ask a question?

What was your caloric/food intake before you started this diet?

 

Susie,

 

When I was actively trying to lose weight, I would try to stick to a 1200 calorie limit. I hit a plateau where it just wasn't doing any good and I got very discouraged. More recently, I had fallen into a very bad habit of TV munching at night. I would guess that I was eating over 2000 calories per day.

 

This plan has the appearance of being very low calorie but it is not. I have entered my meals into the "my fitness plan" app a couple of times just for kicks and it comes in between 1200 & 1500 calories. This explains why I haven't been hungry between meals. I am pretty amazed and how good the weight loss has been given the calorie count.

[nyfarmgirl]

Daily weight change: + .5

Total weight change: -11.0

 

I am up .5# this morning. I tried popcorn yesterday (one of my all time favorite foods) and I am pretty sure I went a little overboard. It is pretty hard to describe how much I love popcorn! I previously passed the corn test so I either just ate too much of it which is entirely possible or it was the increased amount of salt that caused excess water retention.

 

Yesterdays menu:

 

Breakfast:

1 cup flax granola

1/2 cup Vanilla Coconut Silk

 

Lunch:

Spicy vegetable soup

Banana

 

Dinner:

Chicken w/mango cucumber salsa

Spinach & Arugula w/cucumbers

1/2 cup hummus

2 rye crackers

 

Snack:

4 cups popcorn

 

Extras:

115 oz water, 2 cups dandelion root tea, 2 cups coffee

[Anita Latte]

So I still lurk...:)

 

EmmasNana...may I recommend that you take a look at a book called "Fat Flush Plan" by Ann Louise Gittleman? The premise of the program seems similar to the program that Carla is following...but the execution is very different. I think that you would be able to more easily adapt this program to your likes and dislikes...and keep your DH happier while you pursue the plan. DH and I have done this plan many times because it is one that is easy to come back to when your diet gets a bit out of control...it has been effective for us. I don't want to hijack this thread...if you have questions regarding this plan, please join my own conversation regarding it on the Zumba thread.

 

Carla...I can COMPLETELY relate to how much you love popcorn. My whole family LOVES popcorn...sometimes DH will want to go to a movie just to be able to get their popcorn. And once, we lived close enough to a movie theater that didn't take your ticket stub until AFTER the concession stand and literally...we would go in their occasionally JUST to get that terrible for you but oh so good MOVIE popcorn! ;) My guess is that the salt and the portion combined to have an affect...it's so easy to eat too much popcorn.:D

[nyfarmgirl]

Daily weight change: + 1.0

Total weight change: -10.0

 

I guess this is still a reaction of too much popcorn/salt from 2/18. I was absolutely perfect yesterday - got all of my water in, didn't deviate from the plan, had enough protein & good fats. Go figure! It is discouraging but I know it will all balance out in the end.

 

Yesterday's menu:

 

Breakfast:

Blueberry pear compote

 

Lunch:

Carrot ginger soup w/ sunflower seeds

Salad greens w/cucumbers & avocado w/basalmic vinegar

 

snack:

apple

 

Dinner:

Saute'd kale, broccoli, mushrooms & onions

4 oz roasted lamb

1oz dark chocolate

 

Extras:

115 oz water, 2 cups coffee, 1 dandelion root tea

[Anita Latte]

Carla, have you ever heard of body brushing? You know those bathroom brushes? Like this?

 

 

The lymph system doesn't have a pump...it relies on body movement and muscle usage to move water within the system. It really benefits from a little help with body brushing. Start at different extremities and brush your body in the direction of your various lymph nodes. When you are retaining water, it can really help your body process that extra water. Research the idea. Also, it can be especially helpful for women in counteracting the effect of hormone cycles.

 

Don't be discouraged.

[nyfarmgirl]

Carla, have you ever heard of body brushing? You know those bathroom brushes? Like this?

 

 

The lymph system doesn't have a pump...it relies on body movement and muscle usage to move water within the system. It really benefits from a little help with body brushing. Start at different extremities and brush your body in the direction of your various lymph nodes. When you are retaining water, it can really help your body process that extra water. Research the idea. Also, it can be especially helpful for women in counteracting the effect of hormone cycles.

 

Don't be discouraged.

 

Anita,

 

I have never heard that. It makes sense, if massage is good for the body, this should be too. Thanks for the info. I will definitely look into it. I even have one of those bath brushes, now if I can just remember where I put it.

[nyfarmgirl]

Daily weight change: -.5

Total weight change: -10.5

 

Scale is moving in the right direction. Hopefully it will keep going. I ate some salt free potato chips yesterday, they are supposed to help counteract the excess salt and are rich in potassium. Who ever thought it would be a good idea to eat potato chips on a "diet"???

 

Yesterday's menu

 

Breakfast:

Pineapple greek yogurt

 

Lunch:

Mini wheat pita

4 tbls homemade hummus

spinach & arugula

large apple

 

Snack:

1 oz salt free potato chips

Chai tea w/agave & vanilla coconut Silk

 

Dinner:

4 oz wild cod grilled w/lemon juice & EVOO

1/4 cucumber mango salsa (really yummy, makes me think of summer)

spinach & arugula w/basalmic vinegar

1/2 cup couscous

 

1 oz dark chocolate

 

Extras:

2 cups coffee, 115 oz water

[nyfarmgirl]

Daily weight loss: -1.5

Total weight loss: -12.0

 

Feeling great this morning. Hoping this is the end of the little plateau that I have been on for a couple of weeks.

 

Yesterday's menu:

 

Breakfast:

Chia hemp power pudding

 

Lunch:

Carrot ginger soup

4 oz wild cod w/mango cucumber salsa

spinach & arugula w/ cucumber, mushrooms & avocado

 

Dinner:

Roasted lamb w/tzatziki sauce in mini pita

carrot & beet salad

1 oz dark chocolate

 

Extras: 115 oz water, 2 cups coffee, 2 cups lemon herb tea

[susie8862]

From the BOTTOM OF MY HEART....I truly think you are on the wrong diet. Why did you choose this one? I have been following you from day 1 and I am a FAN....not a foe.:o

[Anita Latte]

Hey Carla! Just wanting to check in with you. I want to encourage you. I don't understand the motivation for the previous post, but I know that reading something like that can feel very deflating. I hope that you have continued with your program. I don't see anything terribly unusual in your program, personally...I see a variety of veggies and fruits...healthy servings...planned meals...you taking control of your diet (that is, in the largest sense of the word...the food that you eat everyday)...and experiencing steady weight loss which I am guessing is mostly fat, especially since you are drinking so much water and eating such water rich food. I have enjoyed following along with you as I have been doing a similar anti-inflammatory type of diet. Hope all is going well...

[Member123]

Hi, Carla,

 

I'm something of a data hound. I love data. Do not ask me why! :D

 

Anyway, I took a look at the stats that you've provided us in the first few days of your weight loss journey toward your fabulous cruise experience, and I thought I'd just re-frame the data for you... in case you are feeling even slightly discouraged, for whatever reason. I kind of "heard" that you might be a bit frustrated because you used the word "plateau' (which... btw... I don't think that you are experiencing at all).

 

Before I say anything else, I want to encourage you to come back here and talk with us about your thoughts and feelings, success, and even your bumps up on the scale. It is documented in many, many places that keeping a food journal is one of the basic tools to weight loss success. Also, monitoring your weight is another tool to use; self motivation which you exhibit huge amounts of! The only thing that you aren't talking about now... and you may have plans for... or you may be doing and just not sharing with us... is an increase in activity. So, from your postings, you are doing 3 out of the 4 tools for weight loss success and that's a great thing. Many people usually start with one or the other.. and not both... to lose weight; they EITHER diet OR exercise... but not both. As soon as both of those components are included in the weight loss program, then the highest level of success is achieved. But to get STARTED, you are doing what is right for you.

 

Anyway, back to the data. You are AHEAD of your goal. If I "crunch the numbers" and use the information that you first posted, do the math... the result is that you are losing at a pace of slightly less than 2 lbs a week. That is a strong, HEALTHY, weight loss result. Healthy and sustainable.

 

Yes, the weight loss may slow down its pace because at this point you've probably converted quite a bit of fat into glycogen into water loss, etc.... which we all pretty much know that the initial weight loss we experience is water weight loss, right? This is just basic body composition stuff. So, it becomes a bit tougher to keep up the pace of weight loss as we proceed on through our program(s)... meaning how fast or how slow results show up on the scale.

 

Bottom line... I just wanted to say "snaps" to you! Hope you're feeling loads better. I, also, am just getting over a wicked, wicked respiratory infection and boy did it sideline me for days and days!

[shootr]

Just stumbled onto this thread - WOW is all I can say! Awesome menu, dedication, and focus. Just wanted to say how impressed we lurkers are. I'm 100% confident your goal will be reached. Way to go.

 

PS - Popcorn (or the salt I add to it - guarantees me a gain every time until I can shed the retained water after a few days. No biggee, that last 1.5lb loss proved that.

[barracudas_two_bee]

Hello I was so excited when I seen the thread. I am planning a January 12, 2014 cruise for my boyfriends 40th birthday. I have set a goal to lose 100 pounds myself. I started on January 16, 2013 so far I have lost 21 pounds. I am eating completely gluten free do to allergy . I eat three meals a day with two snacks and exercise 5 to 6 days a week. It seems I will drop large amounts of weight on week then mabie gain a pound or two the next. I know I have a long road ahead of me but I just keep trying to keep my eyes on the prize CRUISE:D

[nyfarmgirl]

From the BOTTOM OF MY HEART....I truly think you are on the wrong diet. Why did you choose this one? I have been following you from day 1 and I am a FAN....not a foe.:o

 

Susie,

 

I saw Lyn-Genet on the Dr Oz show and what she said about people eating the "good" foods (salmon, asparagus, whole wheat, oatmeal, soy, almonds, etc) and not being able to lose weight due to inflammatory reactions. I downloaded her book and read the entire thing in 1 day. It made a lot of sense and I had never thought about how many illnesses and diseases are inflammation related.

 

I take no offense at your comment, but I am really curious as to why you think this is the wrong diet?

 

Carla