***Bay Area Babes-Getting Beach Ready***

[Snowangel81598]

Angela, If you add a couple more frozen berries to that shake, it will be thicker and more like ice cream. Where do you find your Stevia colas? Does Whole Foods have them? Is there a health food store you know of that sells them?

Does the egg cream work well just shaking it up that way? I'm sure it wouldn't get frothy like it does in the blender.

HB - Sorry about the stressful news. It's great that you were able to get through it well and not stress eat.

Stay cool, everyone.

[pri17cess72]

Hi Everyone! Just packing and gettting ready for my move tomorrow. I probably wont be on here until late Sunday night or on Monday.

Sorry HB to hear you had to deal with bad news. Sounds like you handled it very positivley.

Angel, thanks for posting the info on aspertame. Those are some awful symptoms.
Is splenda okay?

Menu

B: protein bar
L: mushroom chicken and veggies
D: hot dog

[hummingbird11]

you can look up aspartame; acesulfame k; splenda; stevia; etc here: Food Additives ~ CSPI’s Food Safety

[pri17cess72]

Thanks HB! I couldnt find the info on Splenda on our link. Very good info on the site. When I have a bit more time, I will dig in deeper.

[hummingbird11]

SUCRALOSE (Note: it has a check mark next to it NOT an X)
Artificial sweetener: No-sugar-added baked goods, frozen desserts, ice cream, soft drinks, tabletop sweetener (Splenda).

Approved in the United States in 1998, sucralose — marketed as Splenda — is used in soft drinks, baked goods, ice cream, sweetener packets, and other products. It previously had been used in Canada, Europe, and elsewhere. Sucralose is safer than saccharin, acesulfame-K, and cyclamate, but it is often used in conbination with acesulfame-K. Unlike aspartame, sucralose can be used in baked goods.

When sucralose was first being considered for approval by the FDA, the Center for Science in the Public Interest objected. A study in rats had indicated that the additive might cause premature shrinkage of the thymus gland, which is part of the immune system. However, a subsequent study did not find any problem. Likewise, studies designed to detect whether sucralose could cause cancer in lab animals did not find any problems.

The manufacturer, McNeil Nutritionals, long advertised Splenda as being "made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar." That statement may be literally true, but is misleading, as the Sugar Association charged in a lawsuit. In fact, the sweetener is a synthetic chemical made by chemically reacting sugar (sucrose) with chlorine. However, the fact that sucralose is synthetic does not make it unsafe.

Originally Posted by pri17cess72

Thanks HB! I couldnt find the info on Splenda on our link. Very good info on the site. When I have a bit more time, I will dig in deeper.

[skinhealth]

So I did the Egg Cream I was telling y'all about yesterday that I was planning on trying.
Instead of a Mason jar I used an empty kombucha bottle which is glass and tall and narrow.

It worked!

It's sooo good and still frothy - I shake it A LOT to help mix in the egg!

I've had 2 today already - one for breakfast and now one for lunch.
This morning I took empty bottles and added 3 egg yolks and 1 egg white to each plus 3 TBL coconut oil, some xylitol and vanilla.
I put them in my bag and headed off to work...on the way I stopped at Starbucks and ordered a Tall coffee with heavy cream and just added it to the jar and shook for almost 5 minutes...I can't believe how good it is

I don't know how I feel about having coffee twice a day so I'm going to look into different kinds of tea to brew and add - I'll keep you updated.

Hope y'all are staying cool and I hope your move is going well Liz!

oh - Angel - I find the Stevitas at all the health food stores in Santa Cruz.
I imagine that WF will be carrying them soon if they aren't already.

[hummingbird11]

Hey Angela - which brand of Xylitol do you prefer/use?

Have you ever considered adding PP to your EC to make it more nutritious?

PS: this is AWESOME!!!!!
Skin candy! Why not treat your skin as well as your body?

[hummingbird11]

Hey BAB's!

Yesterday we (me/DH) tried the 85% Lindt that everyone mentions here at LCF

Yuck! Tasted like dirty waxy chalk!

This stuff is MUCH BETTER and is only 4 carbs per square and one square is ALL ya need it's so rich and good.
Yes, it's twice as many as Lindt, but one does NOT scrimp on the smooth & luxurious taste of pure chocolate!

Amazon.com: Chocovic Bitter Dark Chocolate Bar - 'Guaranda'...
CHOCOVIC - Products (Guaranda)

I get it at Trader Joe's - look for it on your next trip. You won't be sorry!

[hummingbird11]

~ INDUCTION "Jump Start" CHALLENGE ~ May 19 to May 30 (12 days) ~

XO,
HB

[skinhealth]

I am SO tired...I had TWO coffee egg creams yesterday.
2 coffees when I've usually had none my whole life.
I didn't fall asleep until 5am and had an 8am appointment

I think I will just stick with coffee for the 1st EC of the day and then tea
for the other one.
I'm definitely going to be doing 2 a day for awhile - it's so easy to fit it in this way...the rest will be salad and meat or fish or rotisserie chicken from the health food store...

Started seeing a big difference in my body again since I fell of the wagon and gained a few pounds.
It's getting much firmer again and I feel thinner - I never trust my eyes with my weight - just not reliable - but clothes are much looser - I really need to go shopping - everything is too big again...awful I know

Hummingbird - thanks for all the info on the artificial sweeteners - they scare me too. As far as the protein powder, I'm already getting about 80+g protein/day from my diet which is recommended for my body weight and my goals. Is there another benefit to eating protein powder that I'm not aware of?
I use the NOW brand of xylitol but I'm trying to source real xylitol, one that comes from birch trees, not corn - I'll let you know when I find a good one. If you know of one, please let me know.
I'll check out the link on the skin thing - sounds interesting, thanks for sharing...

Angel - tried your sorbet idea last night...very good

Liz - hope the move went well...

Off to do some Callanetics!

[pri17cess72]

Hi Everyone! Just a quick post to let you know I am still here....moving is tough business. I will pop in more when I get a chance. Just trying to get settled. The usual Tue/Wed routine (work late Tue and come in at 5am on Wed) so I probably wont be back to post until Wed afternoon.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

PS Still have not tried the egg creams yet. Once I get to the grocery store, I plan to get the ingridients.

[Snowangel81598]

I'm down to 146 today. Let's hope it stays. I've been bouncing around from 145 to 149 for the past month or so. I'm ready for it to settle down.

My menu for today:
B: coffee, atkins bar
L: not really hungry, salami with cream cheese
S: cottage cheese
D: cheeseburger wrapped in Flat Out bread

I'm getting a little hungry right now. Not sure what I'm gonna make.

Angela, it's yummy, huh? If I can summon the energy, I might do that. We'll see.

Have a great week, everyone!

[pri17cess72]

Yay Angel! That is awesome!

[Kris T.]

Hi guys, I'm at Camp Parks and was invited to pop in here. We've been at Camp Parks for a year and will be here for at least another. If my husband gets deployed, I'll be able to stay here on base with the kids for a third year. I really hope so. We absolutely LOVE it here!

My personal goal is to try to still bike wherever I can, of course today was an exception because the weather was pretty cold at 8am. I was planning on accompanying the kids to school but we wimped out. I'm hoping I'll want to ride back out to the school to get our daughter from K. Funny, but I've been feeling lazy today. Even putting on my free t-shirt from the bike to work day didn't do the trick. I was up last last night watching 'Juno', so it was really hard to get up this morning. I forgot to set the coffee maker so my whole morning was just OFF.

Well, I look forward to chatting, but I smell my "pizza" downstairs. I think it's done. Tonight is judo for the kids, so they get a yummy pizza from TJ and I make my own with eggs & cream cheese. When I have more time I do Cleo's but I'm in a bit of a time crunch.

Kris

..editing to add, I posted a recipe for an eggcream that tastes like an Almond Joy to me. I get the unsweetened chocolate almond milk at Safeway (TJ only has the chocolate). I also add coconut cream (from Ranch 99). I think I just called it Almond Joy eggcream. It's in the beverage section.

Liz, I'm glad you live so close, it'll be fun to compare where we find ingredients for things. I've had to search pretty hard to find what I want! Ok..off now to bike to Aimee's school to pick her up. Hope it's not windy..lol!

[hummingbird11]

Hi Kris! Where is Camp Parks??

Liz, how did the move go? Bet you're exhausted.

Angel, what did ya end up making last night?

Angela, maybe you should try decaf!

Isparkle & Lisa & Dawn, R U still with us??

OMG!! Look at ALL the food I ate today and it was only 15 net carbs??
Can that be right?? I still have 5 carbs to spare for CCC's!!

B: Coffee w/ 2 Tbsp heavy cream & 1 Tbsp SF Torani syrup
B: ThinkThin Protein Bar

L: 1 Tbsp EVCO + 1 cup fresh spinach + 3 eggs + 6 slices uncured bacon

S: 1 hardboiled egg

D: 2 ground buffalo steak burgers
D: 6 asparagus spears + 2 Tbsp TJ's hollandaise sauce
D: 2 cups fresh spinach + 1/2 roma tomato + 2 Tbsp Marie's Super Blue Cheese

[Snowangel81598]

Kris. It's great to have you here.

HB, I ended up with a spoonful of peanut butter. Just enough to hold me until bed time.

B: egg cream
L: chicken tenders
D: beef burrito on LC tortilla

I really need to get more veggies in. I did well Sat. and Sun, but the last couple of days haven't been great.

Anyone watching Idol? What do you think? I don't understand why they are raving so much about Archuleta's second song. I thought it was boring. I just don't get it.

[pri17cess72]

Hi Kris! So glad you found us. I am happy you are part of our group. There used to be a low carb store in San Ramon, but they closed down last month. They carried lots of products but were super expensive.

Going to bed now. I will have more time to post tomorrow!

[hummingbird11]

Cleo!
Low Carb Examiner - Examiner.com

[Kris T.]

Thanks, everyone!

Liz, One of my local favs is an Indian store that's literally right down the street from you. It's in the same strip mall as Tomatina and WaMu. That's where I get my chayotes, and their produce is really cheap! I'm talking limes for .10 and a bunch of spinach for less than a dollar. They don't have any almond flour though.

HB-I saw that mentioned on her blog. I've been following it for a while, and I always felt she was meant to be a writer of some sort! I can't wait to see how it goes. By the way, Camp Parks is in Dublin, just north of the BART station. This is our 7th (I think) move since 1995. Just prior to this we lived in Washington, D.C. but are both originally from MN, don'tcha know.

B-2 cups of coffee (Starbucks)
L- Atkins shake (had to get my shop on..this was a easy way to save time!)
D- Spaghetti (using shirataki noodles)

NO exercise today...taking the day off!

No clue on snacks. DH is gone for the week, so our meals are strange. I tend to cook for the kids when he's gone. I normally eat much healthier than this, I swear.

Oh..I came up with a little sweet treat yesterday, little Almond Joy-type thingies. Again with the Almond Joys.. (sorry, they're my favorite!!) I just used the coconut bark recipe, but I used some small silicone muffin cups that I have (from Target, they're Wilton brand and shaped like small hearts, pink and red.) I put in some unsweetened coconut flakes in the bottom of the cups first, then poured in the coconut bark and popped them into the freezer. I checked them every now and then, and before they were solid, I pushed an almond down into the center of each, then popped them back into the freezer. The recipe I used made 12 mini cups. I have no idea about the carb count, but I thought it was easier for portion control this way. The last time I made the bark I ate the whole thing and was up all night throwing up.

OT, but lately I've been chopping up mint leaves and freezing them in my silicone muffin cups with a bit of water. They make neat-o little ice cubes for my iced tea and lemonade.

[skinhealth]

Hey everyone - just posting a super quick post.
Packing for Yosemite for Strawberry Music Festival - won't
be back until Monday night and leaving tonight -
A LOT to do yet...
I'm stopping at Farmer's Market for eggs, picking up coffee
beans from Pete's and grinding them, bringing coconut oil,
a few empty kombucha bottles, and the rest of the fixings
for egg creams and will continue to have those twice a day
while I'm there...the rest should be pretty low carb too -
we're making tri-tip one night, Dreamfield's spaghetti, pizza
on the grill, and bacon and eggs, the rest we'll find in the food
court.
I'm hoping to get a lot of good walking in and do Callanetics
a few times in my tent but mostly just relax and have a good time.

Kris - I look forward to getting know you better - glad to have you here!

Liz - hope you're getting settled in your new place

Angel - Awesome on the 146!!

Hummingbird - thanks for posting the Cleo thing - haven't had time to read her blog lately - she's a fantastic writer.

Hope y'all have a wonderful holiday weekend!! Talk to you next week.

[hummingbird11]

Happy & Safe Travels to You ~ Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by skinhealth

Hey everyone - just posting a super quick post.
Packing for Yosemite for Strawberry Music Festival - won't
be back until Monday night and leaving tonight -
A LOT to do yet...
I'm stopping at Farmer's Market for eggs, picking up coffee
beans from Pete's and grinding them, bringing coconut oil,
a few empty kombucha bottles, and the rest of the fixings
for egg creams and will continue to have those twice a day
while I'm there...the rest should be pretty low carb too -
we're making tri-tip one night, Dreamfield's spaghetti, pizza
on the grill, and bacon and eggs, the rest we'll find in the food
court.
I'm hoping to get a lot of good walking in and do Callanetics
a few times in my tent but mostly just relax and have a good time.

Kris - I look forward to getting know you better - glad to have you here!

Liz - hope you're getting settled in your new place

Angel - Awesome on the 146!!

Hummingbird - thanks for posting the Cleo thing - haven't had time to read her blog lately - she's a fantastic writer.

Hope y'all have a wonderful holiday weekend!! Talk to you next week.

[pri17cess72]

Hi Everyone! Still getting settled into the new place.

Congrats on the 146 Angel!
Have an awesome time at Yosemite Angela!

Kris, I know exactly where you are talking about regarding the Indian store. I used to live right across the street from that shopping center. I only moved about 2 miles down the road. I will have to go and check it out. You mentioned this store in another post and I was wondering if you lived in Dublin.
I like you mint ice cube idea. I will have to check that out!

HB, thanks for the post on Cleo. I am getting ready to check it out.

Have a great night everyone!