My Adventures with Green Tea

Green tea is soooooo delicious!  I have become quite a tea connoisseur, I dont even use sweetners in tea anymore...I will use a little honey from time to time but normally I just drink it straight up.  I know that green tea has lots of antioxidants that aid in weight loss. 

I usually drink a cup every morning...

I found that I was experiencing nausea and because I just got over a health challenge, I thought it was the aftermath.  I later found out that the polyphenols and caffeine in the tea can cause nausea for people who are sensitive.  Apparently I am sensitive to it because it turned my tummy!

I also read that the more fresh the tea is the less the effects are.  I ran and brought some green tea from the dollar store, so maybe that is why it had such an effect. The brand of tea I have at home does not make me feel this way. 

I love tea...the thought of parting with it makes me sad....

Dr. Don Colbert says I should be drinking at least 4 cups a day....

Till Next Time,

Sipping on my Tea :)

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WHY! Moving Forward...

EVERY TIME! EVERY DOGGONE TIME! I set a goal and I get sooooo close and then my body acts the FOOL!  My first goal was 10lbs and I got right to 9.2 lbs (EXCITING!!!) YEAH RIGHT...the next four days my weight has inched up and right now I am holding on at 6.8 lbs for dear life!!!! Have I cheated....NO! I've stayed in my calorie range and have exercised...I didn't even take a rest day and GOD knows I needed it....PLEASE LORD HELP ME GET THROUGH THIS!!!

I should just recognize this as a pattern and move on, right?  I think I will.  I live for results! I like the benefits of winning.....but when the scale doesn't do what I want I tend to say....WHATS THE POINT?!?

I'm holding on for dear life guys...pray for me!  I'm getting mad....someone told me I need to take a rest day so that the water retention in my muscles has a chance to regulate....but I CANT RISK!  I am too nervous....

I am so close to my first prize of new earrings....sounds plain but I buy new earrings every chance I get...so to be deprived IS ROUGH!  I found those hot ones....so this weight needs to GO! RIGHT NOW!

I do know that I am obsessed with my lower abs I touch them every few hours...they have gotten smaller...YAY! I still want the numbers to go down! NOW!

Have tips...testimonies.....GIVE THEM TO ME! NOW!

Till Next Time,

Pressing Toward The Earrings :)

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JUICE TIME!!!

So I brought this juicer from GE (via Wal-Mart).  It was $49 and had some mixed reviews...either really good or it was really good and then died.  So I figure either way its really good, its just a matter of how long.  My budget didnt call for a Ninja or Blendtec just yet.  In due season...

I am doing a juice fast for 5 days, Saturday-Wednesday and I was tired of using the Poor Man's Juicer method. So I am excited to plug this baby up and start juicing.  I will be repeating this once a month whenever necessary.

I have to go to the grocery store and start gathering veggies and fruit to add to get started.  I always mix a little almond milk into my juices just for additional flavor and texture. YUM! 

I will eat fruit as a snack occasionally for the sensation of eating...

One thing I like about this juicer is that it can make lots of juice at once so I can make a batch in the morning and bring a couple of juices to work to get me through the day.   I will also buy some Boltshouse Green Goodness for the days I wont be able to juice.  I will plan on trying out the Naked juice line as well...I hear so many good things about it as well.

I am currently 8.2 pounds down!  Woohoo! I have been on a roll!  I have been eating within my calorie range and working out consistently.  Its amazing that its working the way it is!  A couple of weeks ago I was really struggling.  I guess once my TOM (time of the month) is over things can get back to normal.  My prayer is that I stick to this...and find reasons for the times that things arent going as planned and learn to adjust where I need adjusting. 

To get the best out of my juicing I will make sure I consume a RAINBOW everyday see my entry Reboot Your Life: Day 1 for more details...

I may even plan to do my juicing during my TOM to aleviate some of the negative effects that can come with it.  We will see...

Till Next Time

Journeying in the Juice :)

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To lose weight I should sleep more?

So I hear sleep is good for weight loss...
Experts say getting 6-8 hours of sleep each night is essential to those of us that are trying to reduce in size.  Seems strange...why would sleeping and being completely sedentary help me lose weight?

Well I turned to my friend SCIENCE...because surely there is a reason for such a statement.  Turns out that its true and heres why:

There are two hormones that are very important to how we eat: LEPTIN and GHRELIN.  Leptin tells your brain when its time to STOP eating and Ghrelin stimulates hunger.  When you are sleep deprived...leptin goes DOWN and ghrelin goes UP.  What does that mean....it means you are more HUNGRY and your body doesnt have an efficient way of telling you when to STOP.  TERRIBLE!

I will be very honest...on nights that I have been out all night....I wake up STARVING and Ive always wondered why.  Well there is a reason right there!  Its not a false sense of hunger either my stomach is really growling and saying EAT SOMETHING NOW!  We all know that its not hard to ignore hunger pangs....

I also know on mornings after I get sufficient sleep...I literally have to force myself to eat breakfast because I know I need to eat in the morning.  I end up eating something sensible because I am not ravenous...crazy right?

Dont you just love science....there is an explanation for your questions you just have to be bold enough to find it...

Oh yeah if you havent noticed on the right panel...Ive lost seven pounds!  Three more pounds until my 1st reward...NEW EARRINGS!

Till Next Time,
Sleeping Soundly :)

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Fabulous Five

My goal for each month is to lose five pounds....

Its the 24th of January and it wasnt looking so good I was bouncing up and down....my TOM was flipping things all around. 

Thanks to some perserverence and committment to walking, which to me is the absolute BEST exercise in the whole entire world...anytime I can burn 600+ calories, have my heart PUMPING and not experience nausea is a blessing.  Now when I finally stop and my legs turn to Jell-O is another thing...but by that time I am home and I can lie quietly on the floor and recover.

I digress...

I weighed in the this morning and finally Ive lost FIVE pounds...just six days short of my deadline...

Which means there is still hope to lose more than 5 this month!

Ive come up with a reward system for myself....my milestones are at ten pound increments

1st 10 - New pair of earrings
2nd 10 - M-A-C makeup (2 eyeshadows/1 lipstick)
3rd 10 - New shoes
4th 10 - New Wii Game (Rayman Origins....I REALLY WANT IT TOO!)
5th 10 - New Dress
6th 10 - Bravian Body Buff @ the Spa (so refreshing!)
7th 10 -  Spa mani/pedi 
8th 10 - Shopping Spree

These are all things I really love and I am not going to get them until I reach each milestone.  Trying to have a solid plan here...if you fail to plan then plan to fail!  I dont want to fail...I am winner...so failing would not be my character!

Till Next Time,
Going for ten by March 2! :)

Visual dipiction of my weight loss...5 down...75 to go! :)


 

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HELP! Dr. Don Colbert is trying to KILL ME!

So I went to a Health and Healing Convention at a local church in Gainesville, FL featuring Dr. Don Colbert.  Dont know him? Well he's written several books on health and weight loss, he is a Christian and combines the word of God with medicine (look him up!).  He is a wealth of knowledge and has sold over 10 million books worldwide!  

Exciting stuff.  He talked specifically to me about cutting out wheat and sugar completely out of my diet.  Excuse me? So am I supposed to eat air sir?  Now this doesnt count the natural sources of sugar in fruits and veggies...THANK GOD!  I love fruit but this does cut out bread, pasta (not too big no pasta), flour, cereal, cookies and everything else delicatable. 

That is easier said than done.  I digress...

This man is a powerful person and he knows what he is talking about.  Having a science background through my education, I know the things he is saying is true.  He assured me that I can have them in the future but until my waistline is half my height in inches...I MUST LAY IT ON THE ALTAR! AHHHHHH!

I decided to ween myself off bread gradually.  I recently brought some sandwich rounds (before the conference)....I refuse to throw them away!  They are whole wheat and 100 calories.  I dont have cereal or pasta or flour in the house.  So I wont be buying it anytime soon.  So it sounds like it will be lean meat, fruit and veggies.  I dont drink regular milk...I am a believer in Almond Breeze!  I do like yogurt..and Im not giving it up! I will still make smoothies...because I only use fruit, almond milk and yogurt. 

So we will see...

I am going to start juicing for five days next week...Sunday-Thursday! I will repeat that each month...not necessarily the same week each month but just as long as its 5 days straight sometime during the month.

I have to be five pounds down by the 31st...7 days left...one pound in a week shouldnt be so hard if I stick to the plan! 

Till Next Time,
Walking Away From Wheat :(

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RunKeeper: My Favorite Fitness App

I love RUNKEEPER!  I used to have a hard time tracking my mileage and speed when I walk.  Someone I know told me about this app when I purchased my bike.  This photo is an actual screenshot from my phone. 


I found out that it also tracks:

• Running
• Cycling
• Walking
• Hiking
• Downhill Skiing
• Cross Country Skiing
• Snowboarding
• Skating
• Swimming (I DONT KNOW HOW)
• Mountain Biking
• Wheelchair
• Elliptical
• An other option as well

Alot I know.  It operates off the GPS on my android phone and gives me a speed and mileage update every five minutes (you can adjust the time of the updates).  I love that you can place it in the background so that you can listen to music and even talk on the phone if you like (which would be hard to do if you are truly working out).  

You can also keep track of your progress on the actual website runkeeper.com and friend other fitness buffs as well.  It also gives a more accurate calorie readout on the website from each workout because it bases it off of your weight and height as well. 

I think its a great app and its my favorite price FREE!

Its available in the android market and Im pretty sure apple has it too!

So what are you waiting for...I hate guessing how much Ive done...now I know and I can even save my routes and send them to others to try out!  How cool is that!!!

GET IT NOW!

Till Next Time...

Keeping It All In Stride :)

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