Shake your money-maker

[Blonde with a Rose]

"Enormous bargain shopper"? No way. You're a teeny tiny bargain shopper! Nice dress!

DH has never dieted a day in his life....but he should think about it.

NSV's rule!

[Princessdmw33]

Originally Posted by ChristineCQ

Thanks, Blonde! I'm going to start racking up some NSVs and stay away from the scale for awhile. I'm considering trying some Paleo eating for 30 days, and part of the challenge is to put away the scale! Hmmmmm. We'll see.

I don't know if I can part with my precious dairy, though. I love cheese. But I do know that it would be better for my body if I went without it. Decisions, decisions.

And while I am *thrilled* that DH is doing so well with this LC life, can I just tell you how much it irritates me that we can both eat the exact same things, he'll lose, and I'll gain?? DUDES!!!

Ah well. Here's to a new week. Gorgeous day today, summer dress-wearing weather! Picture attached, maybe. I'm going to try to make it bigger so that Dawn doesn't mock me. (ETA: It worked! Yessssssssss!)

(Dress: $5. I am an enormous bargain shopper. )

Thank you for not making get this out to look at your picture. LOL

Love the dress and you look awesome and I am not just saying that to make you feel good.

As far as your husband goes my husband loses weight super fast without even trying and he doesn't need to lose weight. He dropped 5 pounds in the last couple weeks and I noticed. It drives me nuts! He didn't change his diet at all just hadn't gone to the gym for about three weeks because he was super busy at work and then sick. NOT.FAIR.

[baindegael]

I love the avi change and that dress. I'm a bargain girl as well (TJ Maxx and Ross are my best friends). lol You're doing awesome.

If you need someone to hablar espanol a tus vecinos, llamame. My friends call me allllll the time when they need a translator.

[Rebecca1979]

CCQ- SOrry about your neighbors being a jack wad! Although your body looks awesome in that sun dress! You go on with your bad self!

[ChristineCQ]

Wow, superbusy around here. I won't even get into it. Thanks for the wardrobe compliments! I received lots of good feedback the day I wore that dress, and I couldn't help but think that it was the DRESS! It's a good cut for me and emphasizes the work I have done so far, but CLEARLY I have so much more work to do!!

Anyway, speaking of WORK, I'm considering doing the 30-day Paleo challenge. Thoughts? Does anyone have experience? I'm on a thread right now where people are raving, so I might give it a try starting on Saturday.

Haven't been on the scale lately. I sort of unofficially gave up my daily weighing for now. I'm at a point in my plan where I feel like I can be accountable without it, so I'm giving that a shot. So far, so good.

We'll see how tonight goes. I made a 4-layer cake for DS's birthday.

[MagieDen]

Originally Posted by ChristineCQ

Wow, superbusy around here. I won't even get into it. Thanks for the wardrobe compliments! I received lots of good feedback the day I wore that dress, and I couldn't help but think that it was the DRESS! It's a good cut for me and emphasizes the work I have done so far, but CLEARLY I have so much more work to do!!

Anyway, speaking of WORK, I'm considering doing the 30-day Paleo challenge. Thoughts? Does anyone have experience? I'm on a thread right now where people are raving, so I might give it a try starting on Saturday.

Haven't been on the scale lately. I sort of unofficially gave up my daily weighing for now. I'm at a point in my plan where I feel like I can be accountable without it, so I'm giving that a shot. So far, so good.

We'll see how tonight goes. I made a 4-layer cake for DS's birthday.

Scale Fasting can do a body good(really the mind good).

[ChristineCQ]

Originally Posted by MagieDen

Scale Fasting can do a body good(really the mind good).

Definitely!

And that five seconds I save in the morning really helps my time management skills. (That's a joke from DH when I told him I was no longer weighing: "Oh, good for you. That'll save you some time in the morning.")

[MagieDen]

Originally Posted by ChristineCQ

Definitely!

And that five seconds I save in the morning really helps my time management skills. (That's a joke from DH when I told him I was no longer weighing: "Oh, good for you. That'll save you some time in the morning.")

Too funny!

[ChristineCQ]

Originally Posted by MagieDen

Sounds like a good plan, hoping you have success with it. 30 days to give a new plan a go isn't bad.

Good success to you!

Thank you! I'm most curious about the dairy issue. I have noticed lately that I rely heavily on dairy, but I think it influences my ability to lose weight. I want to see if cutting it out has any real effect on my weightloss.

But I won't really know -- by the numbers -- since I didn't weigh before I started and the 30-day challenge includes avoiding the scale. I guess I'll just need to see how my clothing fits!

[Princessdmw33]

Good Luck Christine! I know that I would be worried about the same thing as you as far as the dairy part. I use creamer in my coffee and butter. The sweetener part for my coffee would be hard. The rest of it I could do. I think that you will do great!

[ChristineCQ]

Originally Posted by Princessdmw33

Good Luck Christine! I know that I would be worried about the same thing as you as far as the dairy part. I use creamer in my coffee and butter. The sweetener part for my coffee would be hard. The rest of it I could do. I think that you will do great!

Thanks, Dawn! I've switched over to coconut milk in my coffee, which does the trick for me. But I've never added sweetener to my coffee, always just HWC, so that might make a difference in the transition.

Day two went well. Menu was as follows:

B: Coffee with coconut milk; 1/2 smoothie (coconut milk, ice, 2 raw eggs, handful of strawberries)
S: 1/2 smoothie
L: (not hungry until almost 3pm) leftover spinach, mushroom, bacon over chicken
D: Paleo spaghetti (leftovers for tomorrow's lunch!)

Hit the gym but couldn't do zumba tonight because I totally shredded my calves at zumba yesterday. Oh well! :blush:

[ChristineCQ]

I realized this morning that all of my pants look the same. I bought all new size 12s, and I guess I gravitate toward the same style because they're all in the same cut and color family. Funny.

And they all have a big gap in the waist band. Size 10 waist, size 12 hips and a$$, remember? Unfortunately, wearing a belt is not the best solution for that problem.

Day three of the Paleo challenge, and the food plans are these:

B: 1/4 smoothie; coffee with coconut milk
S: 3/4 smoothie (maybe. I have stacked meetings today, so I don't know if I'll get to that until after 1)
L: Leftover paleo spaghetti
D: Hungarian beef goulash

I put my food intake into fit day yesterday, just so that I could see the ratios. Turned out it was 60% fat, 30% protein, 10% carb, which is -- I believe -- right where I should be. Carb count was a bit high for my liking, but I'm willing to give this a try to see how it goes.

Question about fit day: Does anyone else find it really irritating to have to list every ingredient separately? I know there's really no way around it, but for example, I made paleo spaghetti last night, so I had to list the tomatoes (4 in the recipe) but then divide by four because I hate 1/4 of the recipe. Same with the squash, peppers, etc. But what about tomato paste? Do I count that? It's 2T spread over a whole recipe. So is that 1/4 of 2T for what I ate? Annoying.

And garlic? Do I count 1/8 clove of garlic? This is why I never stuck with fit day. Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

[Blonde with a Rose]

Hi Girlie! Yes, I've found ****** to be a pain...a major frustration factor and I don't use it much...

Speaking of Paleo...have you looked into the Mark Sisson Blog/website? Lots of good info there! I love the whole paleo premise...I think I could avoid dairy at this point. I've really cut back with JUDDD because of the DD calorie factor, still I do love melty melty cheese....

I haven't been posting much, I guess I'm feeling introspective. Still JUDDD'ing every day though and feeling good. You're doing so great!

[Princessdmw33]

****** is a PITA and I stopped using it.

I have the same pant issues as you where I have to buy pants to fit over my arse and hips only to be big in the waste and to have to keep pulling them up so I don't have any crack that shows. So much fun.

[Blonde with a Rose]

Originally Posted by Princessdmw33

****** is a PITA and I stopped using it.

I have the same pant issues as you where I have to buy pants to fit over my arse and hips only to be big in the waste and to have to keep pulling them up so I don't have any crack that shows. So much fun.

Is it a chicken fajita PITA?

[Princessdmw33]

Originally Posted by Blonde with a Rose

Is it a chicken fajita PITA?

No ****** is a Pain in the arse (pita) to use! lol

[ChristineCQ]

I wish it was a chicken fajita pita!! I could tear up some chicken fajitas right now!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds ****** annoying. It's definitely not something I could stick with on a regular basis.

[JK130]

i think there's a strong market for well fitting slacks that's not being met! sadly, mine are too tight right now and i can only find low waisted pants.

[ChristineCQ]

Ugh, I hate low rise pants! Definitely not meant for anyone with a decent set of hips (like me!).

Last night I had a WWBD moment (What Would Blonde Do?). It was 9pm, I was folding laundry, and I was HUNGRY. I didn't understand it, really. I haven't had actual hunger in quite some time, and over the course of the past three days, my calorie intake had steadily gone up (600 day one, 1200 day two, 1800 day three....1800 is my personal limit; I try to stay under that as much as I can), so I had definitely eaten enough. I thought about possible triggers:

1. Strawberries in the morning? (A total of ten in my shake)
2. Too many carbs? (I've been over 30 each day in light of the coconut milkshake)
3. Restaurant trip? (We ate out last night; I had wings [not totally Paleo] and a slab of chicken with bacon, lettuce, and tomato.)
4. Not enough fat? (But that coconut milk.....)
5. TOM

So I ate a handful of almonds, and I was STILL hungry. I was ready to dig into DH's Atkins bars. But I thought about what Blonde would do.....really......if it were a DD and she had already eaten her calorie allotment.

Blonde would probably drink a glass of water and go to bed, which is what I did, too. By the time I got upstairs, I wasn't hungry anymore.

I was ready to give it up last night and go back to my precious dairy because I thought maybe I need it to keep me full, but I'm going to keep going on this. I can't give up after three days because that's just lame.

On to day four...

[Princessdmw33]

Originally Posted by ChristineCQ

Ugh, I hate low rise pants! Definitely not meant for anyone with a decent set of hips (like me!).

Last night I had a WWBD moment (What Would Blonde Do?). It was 9pm, I was folding laundry, and I was HUNGRY. I didn't understand it, really. I haven't had actual hunger in quite some time, and over the course of the past three days, my calorie intake had steadily gone up (600 day one, 1200 day two, 1800 day three....1800 is my personal limit; I try to stay under that as much as I can), so I had definitely eaten enough. I thought about possible triggers:

1. Strawberries in the morning? (A total of ten in my shake)
2. Too many carbs? (I've been over 30 each day in light of the coconut milkshake)
3. Restaurant trip? (We ate out last night; I had wings [not totally Paleo] and a slab of chicken with bacon, lettuce, and tomato.)
4. Not enough fat? (But that coconut milk.....)
5. TOM

So I ate a handful of almonds, and I was STILL hungry. I was ready to dig into DH's Atkins bars. But I thought about what Blonde would do.....really......if it were a DD and she had already eaten her calorie allotment.

Blonde would probably drink a glass of water and go to bed, which is what I did, too. By the time I got upstairs, I wasn't hungry anymore.

I was ready to give it up last night and go back to my precious dairy because I thought maybe I need it to keep me full, but I'm going to keep going on this. I can't give up after three days because that's just lame.

On to day four...

You are doing great! My guess is that it is probably more hormonal.

[JK130]

yep, i've had quite a few early bedtimes! because i was awake last night, i ate raw cabbage! i HAD to eat. i COULDN'T not eat. low calorie tho too may carbs...but the chewing helps me. i also use hot tea or 'lemonade", each w/sf syrup. in the daytime i chew a lot of gum.

i'm glad you made it through. it will make today easier too. too bad we can't just WISH for strong, slim bodies...oh yeah, I already did that!!! the wish fairy is still workin on it...and i'm helping have a nice day, friend!

[ChristineCQ]

Ok, sooooooo....let me preface this with a fundamental aspect of my personality: I am not a quitter.

However, after four days on very strict Paleo, I can honestly say that this is not for me. Some aspects are fine for me (no processed foods, for example [well, with the exception of protein powder]), but I really felt very depleted without dairy. And it wasn't a psychological depletion, either; it was an uncomfortable physical sensation coupled with high hunger levels.

Basically, I wasn't having any fun. And Atkins, for me, is FUN. I like the food. I feel satiated all the time. Most importantly, I don't THINK about food. I probably thought about food more in the past four days than I have in the past four months.

Despite how I was feeling, I was going to stick it out for the 30 days. But then I thought, Why am I doing that to myself if I'm not happy? To prove what point? And to what end? Therefore, like my good friend Kenny Rogers, I knew when to fold 'em.

On the way home from Zumba tonight, I stopped to restock coffee and HWC. Tomorrow, back to my gorgeous protein shake that worked so well for me for so many months! Next 20 lbs., off you go!!!

[JK130]

good decision. you tried it. it was not for you. move on.

oh, and I can't tell that "quitter" is not your middle name yeah, right! you are one hecka determined lady! just don't send your extra pounds my way!!!

[ChristineCQ]

Originally Posted by jkaay

good decision. you tried it. it was not for you. move on.

oh, and I can't tell that "quitter" is not your middle name yeah, right! you are one hecka determined lady! just don't send your extra pounds my way!!!

I am often inspired to send people gifts, but I assure you that gift-wrapped flab is definitely not on the list for you!! I'll send that to my ex-SIL.

[JK130]

you are a creative genius! i never thought about gifting chubs to specific people! oh my...the possibilities are endless

now, can you teach me how to send off 'specific" flab? i have some rolls around my middle that i am so done with. maybe someone else could 'use" it!

[ChristineCQ]

The chub fairy!!! Gifting people with flab since 2011!

She hangs around here waaaay too much, and as soon as I find out who sent her, that person is in Serious Trouble.

Back on track today. I'll call it Day One.

I realized that I'm just about 3 months away from my 1-year anniversary. I'd really, really like to be close to goal by then.....heck, even AT goal! That would be a nice way to celebrate!

[JK130]

i think it was something i did in a previous life that alerted the Chub Fairy to "gift me" in the first place...but just maybe it was the childhood twinkies and cupcakes. i have always loved to eat. seriously, i tried so hard to raise my daughters free from food hang ups, and as adults both are a tad overweight.

my own little mini-experiment in my family tells me that, like others who are much more informed note, obesity is much more complex than previous (or current) eating and movement habits.

Yay for day 1...and the determination you bring to the table for building strength and health!

[ChristineCQ]

It's definitely a complex equation. I'm pleased to say that I'm feeling much better today. I haven't thought about food once (short of, oh crap! What am I making the fam for dinner? Still don't have a plan....)

So far I've had about 600 calories and 8g carbs. Why do I deviate? I know this works for me; I just need to keep doing it!

[Melissasillymom]

Love your journal...you have done so great!! Very inspiring

[Rebecca1979]