Oooohh, I know it's been a while- but I have an excuse!

I was on a cruise to Bermuda and have spent the last week or so catching up on, you know, work and home and all of the other categories of life that get neglected when you're on a vacation.

So, you're probably asking- how the hell did I survive a cruise while on a diet?

Well, I've got to tell you, first of all, Celebrity cruise lines makes it pretty easy with all of their meal choices.

For breakfast, which is my least favorite meal of the day, and the one time when we would eat from the buffet, there were eggs of every kind, meats, fruit, yogurt with all of the fixings and of course the danish/muffin/donut selection.
Once I discovered the poached egg station which featured a Mexican eggs Benedict, I was happy. A poached egg with guacamole, salsa, sour cream and hollandaise sauce is a pleasant way to start any day.

I'm not going to lie. I ate dessert pretty much every night and even had a slice or two of bread. When we were in Bermuda, I ate a hideously expensive carrot cake muffin loaded with tooth achingly sweet frosting-for breakfast no less - but when you're starving and you missed breakfast on the boat, and you're getting ready for a Segway tour of the island, you'll resort to desperate measures. p.s. -I don't recommend it.

And of course we drank more than most humans do in a week. But, hey, we were on a complimentary drink package! So that meant that almost all of the booze was free! Free, dammit!

I drank Bezinger's chardonnay all week with a couple of Beefeater's and Sprite Zero's thrown in for good measure.

So, what was the damage after all of this?

I refused to weigh myself right when I got home, instead returning to my wheat free life on Monday. Three days later, with bated breath, I stepped on the scale expecting the worst - and instead, to my surprise and relief, found I had lost another pound and a half.

Crazy, huh?

The funny thing about this diet is this: I honestly don't have cravings. Really.
When I think about bread, it's to imagine what it would taste like, and to marvel that it's been over 6 weeks ( other than a slice or 2) since I've eaten it. I even dreamt about bread the other night. But I have no desire to rip into a butter smeared hunk any time soon.
Pizza has always been my joy- and downfall, and yes, I admit, on the last day of the cruise, I indulged in one of the slices that I had been eyeballing all week. I tried to lighten the sin but ordering a vegetable laden one. Ok, it wasn't the lovely, thin Neapolitan that this Jersey girl is used to, but it was hot, crisp and perfectly acceptable.

Meh.


So, all in all, I'm doing just fine, thank you.

I'm down a total of 15 lbs since February, nine of those since the official "diet" started.

It's not earth-shattering, I know, but I'm not hungry, and to tell you the honest truth, I'm barely exercising.

Well, I'm off to soft and gentle yoga, followed by a round of golf this evening.

Life is good.

Next!

On Sunday it was 2 weeks since starting the Wheat Belly Diet, and I am officially 6 lbs lighter.
Overall, I'm pretty darn happy with the results, considering that I had next to no cravings (The brick oven pizza segment on tv didn't help, but I didn't go cuckoo crazy, either) and I have a lot of energy to spare.
Six pounds may not sound like a miracle, but I'm not excessively overweight to begin with, and in the past, a 1 to 2 pound weight loss a week has been normal for me.
So, where do I go from here now that my little experiment has reached it's end?
I'm continuing onward, so my weight will move backward!
Woo-hoo!
The adventure is just beginning.

The Soul's Path to partying down

Last night I hosted a happy hour at my house for some of my "mystic maidens", the spiritual soul chicks that I've been so lucky to find in this life.

We sat around the outdoor bar, enjoying the gorgeous weather and laughed long and hard for many happy hours, discussing everything from the first time we got our periods, to our latest spiritual readings, workshops and ideas for the future .

I served gin and diet tonics, devilled eggs, shrimp cocktail ( low sugar cocktail sauce) guacamole with chips for them, and pork rinds for me, nuts, crudités, and a cheese and salami platter.
Hopefully, it was enough food for those cracker eatin' skinny minnies.

When the sun went down, four of us got into the hot tub. It took a little cajoling and reassurance, but once we were settled into the bubbles -ahh, bliss!

My friend, Gena, a college advisor, intuitive and one of the sweetest women I've ever met took the picture, and here's the rest of us from left to right:

Me looking, thankfully, not-too-chubby-faced, my friend Rita who is an exceptional channel and host of the weekly blog radio program "Talkin' Angels", Susan, who is an awesome intuitive massage therapist and in training for the NJ marathon, and Shailini, who creates beautiful jewelry and hand knitted scarves, and is also, yep you guessed it- a spiritual intuitive.

I haven't weighed myself today, and I will post the end of my 2 week results tomorrow.

I feel lighter, happier, less achy and best of all, I'm not obsessing about food.

Tonight I'm attending a "Spring Fling" at the country club, (dahlings!) with a group of different friends and the menu is gourmet ballpark, including bbq, crabby cheese fries, crab cake sliders, a raw bar ( thank you!) and all kinds of carb- laden goodies. Plus an hour of open bar, which with my friends, they better hold on and be prepared!
I've already planned what I will eat and drink, so the anxiety level is about a 2.
White wine, maybe a capt and diet coke, lots of raw bar stuff, hot dog no bun, well, you get it. I know this isn't following the wheat belly diet to the tee, but I also what will work best for me, and sorry, Doc, but total abstinence just ain't it right now.

Reminding myself that all of this food is always right there at my fingertips, ready to consume at any time that I wish, brings me back to the reason why I'm choosing to do this--my health, and most of all, my happiness.


 

Here's to tofu chocolate mousse!

I am on day 11 of my little experiment, and I must say -"woo-hoo!"
My hip and knee pain is about a 2 today, and that's even after working out my biceps and triceps yesterday and playing a round of golf.
Normally, after lifting weights for the first time in several weeks, there would be a painful amount of lactic acid buildup in that area of muscle.
Coincidence that I've also been wheat-free during that time?
Hmmmm.
And  by that, I mean really don't know.

Today, as I was trolling around Wegman's doing my grocery shopping, I found some pretty cool new foods to try.
Being that I'm not one of those organic, special diet kinds of people, I was amazed that there is a coconut milk based ice cream that only has a few grams of sugar per half cup. Or, did you know that there are noodles that look like real spaghetti, only they're made from tofu?
Crazy talk, right?
Well, we'll see how good they actually taste when I report back.

Tonights menu:
Sliced seared pepper tuna that I bought from the sushi case at Wegmans.
Lemony crispy chicken thighs. This recipe is from an issue of food and wine magazine.
Creamy cucumber salad.
Either fresh asparagus or zucchini with parmesan and olive oil.
Dessert is tofu chocolate mousse from the "Wheat Belly Diet" book. I made it a few days ago, and liked it so much, I'm making it again. The only other thing I'm adding to the recipe is some sugar free caramel syrup.

I haven't weighed myself in 2 days, as I've decided to do an average for the 2 weeks instead of checking in everyday. It gets too frustrating with all of the fluctuations.

So far, it's been about 5 pounds. I'll take it.

feelin' pretty damn good!

Day 7, and I feel pretty damn good.

How do I feel physically? an 8 out of 10. My hip is  only slightly annoying, and even after golfing nine holes, I'm not nearly as achy as I normally would be.
Mentally? 8. I feel energized and happy. I love that word- happy.

I've lost about 3 and 1/2 lbs so far, and although I know from my personal training days that your weight fluctuates a pound or two on a daily basis, I am confident that the scale will continue on a downswing, so to speak.

My husband, of course, has lost 6 lbs. Since Sunday.
 Why, oh why is it so much easier for men to lose weight?

I've gotta admit, the wheat belly diet is not too difficult for either of us, because we both love high protein foods.

Last night after a round of golf, we came home a bit late ( 2 glasses of Kendall Jackson chardonnay at the club's bar) so I started cooking at almost 8pm.

Fried up some chopped black pepper bacon for the wedge salads, sautéed  mushrooms in olive oil and reduced red wine in one pan, while I cooked some fresh spinach in cream, parmesan and a little nutmeg in another.

After pan searing beef filets, I added them to the sauce to cook a little more, finished it off with some butter- and viola! a restaurant quality meal.

Oh, yeah, and I forgot to mention the sugar-free chocolate cheesecake that I made for dessert, too. With whipped cream.

Today was ricotta pancakes with sugar-free syrup for breakfast, and I just polished off 6 buffalo wings ( no flour or coating, the takeout place insisted) homemade guacamole with pork rinds for dipping, and the inevitable crudité platter.

Tonight I'm thinking out to our local Thai restaurant for chicken and veggie stir fry (no rice) and a salad with tofu and peanut dressing.

Not too bad, huh? What's not to like about this diet?

And just like Dr. Davis predicted, I have no cravings -seriously.

It's all good in wheat-free land

Day 4
Joint pain- 4 when I woke up -now, next to none. And I golfed nine holes this morning.
Emotional- I won 2 awards golfing--I chipped in on a rather challenging hole and had the shortest distance to the pin on another.
Since I just started golfing in June and am strictly a beginner, I would have to say I'm pretty darn happy.
Pounds lost- a half pound. I'll take it.

One of my favorite writers, Martha Beck, says that it takes 4 consecutive times for something to become a habit.
So, If you join a gym and go 4 times the first week, you've already established a habit.
By the fourth day of a new diet, your mind and body have started to adjust to the different food you are either eating or not eating.
Today is day 4 of my wheat-free plan, and I am going with the flow, feeling neither anxious nor deprived.
Will I maintain this state of mind, or will I cave after 8 days, and devour the entire bakery section at Wegmans?
I think I'll be okay.
Why?
Because I've set the intention, I believe that I can easily do this, and I've been visualizing not just my weight loss, but the pleasant emotions that go with my daily choices. 
Sugary breakfast makes for a fatigued-out late morning.
Big sandwich for lunch means bloat and sluggishness the rest of the day.
Bread basket at dinner will have me kicking myself the rest of the night.

I attended a golf luncheon today that was mercifully laden with lots of protein choices ( those skinny county club ladies are masters at low carb dining)

Dinner tonight is at an Indian restaurant - I've already checked the menu, and am good to go with almost everything except the rice and the naan bread.

Tomorrow is day 5.

The way I look at it, the tough part is over, and the rest is just habit.

What do you deserve?

I ran out of here so quickly, that I'd like to be a little more clear on my 2 week project.
I'll be using a rating system, along with weight loss numbers.
For pain in joints a scale of 1-10.
For overall physical and mental wellness-again a 1-10.

My goal is to primarily feel better, but looking better is also huge. No pun intended.
Not that I think I'm huge. It's just that some days I feel like I'm taking up more than my allotted space in any given room.                                                      

                                                           ( top- that's me as a size 6 at the Philadelphia Eagles playoff party with some friends. I'm on the left)

( This is me on the right of the psychic with Michelle Whitedove. I'm looking quite huge)

Seeing recent photos of myself was like having a bucket of ice water thrown in my chubby face. That can't be me! WTF happened?

Even if there were no such things as mirrors or cameras, I can still feel that I'm not myself. At least not the self that I deserve and wish to be.

The biggest key to health and weight loss, I believe is to feel that you truly deserve good health and a fit body.
If you keep telling yourself that you need to lose weight, but that little voice on the  tape recorder in your head tells you that:
1) It's too hard to lose weight
2) You hate to exercise
3) You'll just gain it back like all the other times, so why bother
4) Caring about how you look and feel is selfish

Well, then maybe deep down you don't think you are worth the effort. I've tracked my own ups and downs over the years, and I can tell you this-
I've allowed others to distract me, and then blamed them when I veered off the path of wellness.

When my father was sick and in the hospital, the entire family kept a constant vigil. Someone was there every day. Since I was not working fulltime then, I felt that I should pick up the slack and go more often than anyone else. I had the time, right?
I had gone back to school to become a personal trainer and was working out on a daily basis, and at forty two years old, had looked and felt better than I had in years.
I can recall, vividly the moment when I let myself go off my path. We were at the hospital and I was getting ready to leave so I could walk on the treadmill.
When I got up to leave and was asked by my family where I was going, I told them to work out. There was an uncomfortable silence, and I immediately felt guilty.
Here I was, being so selfish, when my father and my family needed me.
Since I was a small child, I was told by my parents on occasion that I was a selfish person, and I never really understood why.
That word, to this day, can crush me.
From that one sentence uttered, my perception of myself shifted. I was no longer proud of my accomplishments ( going back to school at my age! losing 35 lbs! starting a new career as a personal trainer and getting up at 5am to visit clients!) I was back to the little girl who felt scared, unloved and invisible most of the time- but apparently the only thing that my family saw was my selfishness.

At six years old.

The power of words can be beyond powerful.

After that, well, I didn't just skip my workouts.
I also began eating. Not just regular eating, but stuff-my-face with mashed potatoes, cheesesteaks, chips, ice cream, anything that soothed my savage, selfish beast.
Within a year not only had my weight ballooned, but I started having weird, unexplained health issues.
Fractures in both of my feet kept me from walking without pain. The prescribed medication and side effects? you guessed it! weight gain!

My dad has been gone for 8 years now. I love him and miss him terribly.
I know that he was a stressed out, unhappy man when I was 6. He and I grew very close later in life, and I never told him how hurt I had been as a child.

I know too that only I can decide for myself what is best for me, and what it is that I deserve.

And I deserve to be happy. And healthy.

I'm back...

Hey, where have you been?
Yes, I know for the 1, yes, 1 follower I have ( and I have a sneaky suspicion it's my good friend Toni Anastasia) I apologize for being absent for so long.
I won't go into the details much, just to say that I had been sidetracked.

And to be very honest, I was not following the Soul's Path to weight loss.

I thought I was, but eating absolutely everything that I wanted, not what my body needed, was not helping me one bit.

So I am making a change, and a challenge.

I am eliminating all wheat products out of my diet for 2 weeks.

No low carb pasta or low carb bread or wraps.

I am following the "Wheat Belly Diet" by Dr. William Davis.
I actually started on Sunday, April 14th with my husband.

What's the goal?

To feel better.
My joints, including my hip and knees are sore. Even though I've lost 7 lbs since my hernia surgery in feb ( another distraction) I have a tire around my waist that is getting bigger. It's uncomfortable for me to walk. Getting out of bed in the morning is painful.

So, I am doing a 2 week experiment that I will record here.

Follow this diet for 2 weeks and see how I honestly feel by the end.

I've already lost a pound and a half which I'm very surprised by. Stay tuned.