Banner Credit


Many, many thanks to Spubba for designing and producing my title banner...so frickin' awesome!!! :D

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Pleased as punch!

As today is Saturday, the day I weigh in for the week to gauge my progress, I'm super-pleased to report that, even though I indulged somewhat during Christmas, my weight today was 145.0!!! I actually lost 0.6 of a pound!! Fuckin' YEAH!!!!

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No shit! (Just discovered this yesterday at the health store...)


Delicious D Vitamin D3 Liquid Drops

I've been (regrettably) neglecting my vitamin D supplementation lately because I can't stand having to take a pill for this and a pill for that. This fantastic product makes it SO EASY to get my 4000 IU of D3 a day, simply by taking 4 drops either on my tongue or hand, in my glass of water, whatever! There's no extra crap in there, either, and the cinnamon flavour is divine. The ingredients are listed as:

- Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)...25 mcg/1000 IU
- Medium chain triglycerides (from Coconut)
- Natural cinnamon flavour derived from cinnamon bark

Formulated without gluten, dairy, corn, yeast, artificial colour or preservatives.

Made in Canada, too! :D

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Yay, it's over! (Christmas, that is...)

Gone are the cookies and other crap. Any gifts of chocolate received were passed on to others who still eat that stuff. Yes, a small few were eaten by moi, but now things are back to normal - back to eating real food.

Monday, December 26, 2011

The Morning After

Yesterday was Christmas dinner at Dad's, which consisted of my step-mom's always delicious dishes like curry goat, turkey, roast duck, candied sweet potatoes, stuffing, etc. etc. I ate, not worrying too much about how much (bread) stuffing or mashed potatoes I was having (and the two stiff rum 'n Coke's went down pretty well too!); it's Christmas, dammit! :)

I barely had room when the desserts came out, but I couldn't pass them up (see above). I tried a small piece of oh-so-moist Christmas cake (which wasn't loaded with candied fruit chunks, thankfully) and a couple of homemade shortbread cookies. I didn't have enough room to have any raisin tarts or cherry pie, which was just fine with me. My coffee had less than a teaspoon of sugar added and some half and half cream. Amazingly, it still tasted sweet enough, considering I used to put two teaspoons of sugar.

With a sore, bulging belly I made my way over to the couch to relax (and stay away from everyone, since I was sick with a cold). When we got home I had my Greens+ drink, eventually downed my two DDS Acidophilus capsules, and went to bed knowing full well that I wasn't going to sleep. I just knew; my breathing was rapid, the air felt cold coming into my nose (sucks, when you're sick), my heart was racing and so was my brain. I couldn't relax one bit.

I tossed and turned until about 3:30am when I couldn't stand it anymore and went to the office to surf the net. I also made myself a NeoCitrin in hopes of soothing my throat (and myself!) enough to sleep. At around 6:30am I headed back to bed to try again. A few Zs were had, though I was awake again at 9:30 when hunnybun got up. He then disappeared into the basement in hopes of letting me sleep some more.

A few more Zs were had, but I gave up at around 12:30pm. I feel better now but we're going to my sister's for dinner tomorrow night and I will probably eat some more crap. Whatever; it's Christmas. :)

Saturday, December 24, 2011

The Good, Bad, and the Ugly

The Good: I got on the scale this morning and (WOOHOO!) it read my new lowest weight in years; 145.6! YES!! Yesterday was a very productive day in the washroom (thank you, Greens+???) so I hoped that it would make a difference on the scale today. Yay!

My mom and nephew stopped by this evening for some Christmas cheer and to open up ONE gift each. I wasn't making a dinner so we had a veggie platter, hummus, some shrimp with seafood sauce, and pumpernickel bread with spinach dip.

The Bad: I was hoping it would go away after awhile; that tell-tale dryness I had in the back of my throat yesterday. This morning when I woke up it was dry AND sore. Great. Just in time for family gatherings at Christmas.

The Ugly: I ate some of the pumpernickel bread, some of the delicious homemade shortbread cookies Mom made for us, aaaand, she made some baking powder biscuits (tea buscuits) from a Fanny Farmer recipe. OMG they were so good...

For background music I had a Christmas channel from Iceberg Radio on. I'm done with Christmas music for this year now. Especially those damn chipmunks.

Merry Christmas, everyone!!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Non-Exercise Types and More Ramblings

Non-exercise types. Yes, I am one of them. I've never been that much into exercise and while I'd like to blame my lack of motivation on diet/weight/lifestyle/whatever, I really don't know why I don't feel like getting out of this chair more often.

I can't blame diet right now anyway, since I'm eating very clean and have been for over a year now, with just a few cheats here and there. ("Birthday season" in my family starts in September and I just can't resist my step-mom's homemade chocolate cake.) Heck, this "lifestyle" (it's not just a DIET!) of eating "primally" is enough on it's own to drop some excess weight and KEEP IT OFF for over a year and counting. This is without regular exercise AND while working an office job.

Think about that.

Now think about your friends, your co-workers, the general population that is overweight and fluffy. You hear "whoever" constantly complaining that they want to lose a few pounds...when they see themselves in the mirror they whine about their acne or the size of their ass...they say they're going to join a gym (AGAIN, and since they threw away their money before you want to say "just give the money to me, since you won't go anyway!).

I used to be like this...heck, I still comment on my tummy or whatnot, BUT, making this change to my diet alone was the first crucial step in changing myself. Without forcing myself to run on a treadmill or get out my old workout DVD I lost 20 pounds and it has STAYED OFF.

The general population is always looking for a simple (lazy, half-assed, don't want to break a sweat or get off the couch) way to lose weight. Diet pills and surgery are the laziest options in my humble opinion, they're dangerous (for example, some diet pills are no longer "on the market" due to health risks yet some desperados still source them out!), and these people almost always re-gain the weight back soon after.

The easiest change to make is to change what you stuff into your piehole (I love that word hehe)! The only caveat (and deal-breaker for many) is that *gasp!* you need to cook your own meals using *gasp!* real foooooood! This requirement of preparing and cooking meals is what people dread. They have no idea how to cook meals using real food and goddamnit, it's easier and faster to throw that frozen dinner box into the microwave! They don't want to spend an hour prepping and cooking! And then the CLEANUP...who the hell wants to spend 10 minutes washing pots and pans! The HORROR!

I used to be that person too. I had no interest in cooking when I was growing up, I didn't have the same palette as my mother (and didn't like what she'd make), and with all the fast food restaurants around and frozen meals available, why the hell would I waste my valuable time cooking??! I didn't even own a proper cookware set!

When I gained weight from eating these so-called "healthy" frozen dinners and was still hungry, that was it for me. The salt content in these things is CRAZY. I later learned, through reading about Paleo and Primal), how much of these "meals" were man-made and my eyes were opened. For good.

Even though I didn't know how to cook I started buying REAL FOOD and cooking it, experimenting and phoning family members for help. Sure I ruined a few roasts (I still do LOL) but there were some great-tasting meals starting to develop. Best of all, the weight started dropping. I was excited to learn more, and with all the resources out there (Mark's Daily Apple, etc.) there's a SHITLOAD of easy Paleo and Primal recipes to be found. Ribs in the slow cooker all day with just a few simple seasonings are TO DIE FOR. So simple even a caveman could do it (har!). ;)

Anyway, my point is that one can easily get started on the path to better health by simply changing their eating habits, even if they aren't the "exercising type". The only way to lose weight is to change something, and this is the best (tastiest!) way out there. You have to start somewhere, and why not give your body what it needs as a starting point??

Monday, December 19, 2011

Changes...

Today was the first day in a whole week that I didn't have to fight off a headache. The gas has also subsided (YES!!!!) and I've a bit of diarrhea. I'm still a bit bloated in the belly though, and I'm finding that I'm still full from dinner when it's time for my Greens+ drink. Hmm.

I also decided today that I would try making Dark Chocolate Macadamia Bark Sprinkled with Sea Salt to hand out for xmas. It was super-easy to make but I didn't buy enough dark chocolate to make the quantity I wanted and I forgot the damned sea salt! Thankfully, chocolate is on sale this week at my local supermarket so I went and bought 12 more bars to make 3 more batches. The macadamia nuts were a pretty penny - almost $30 for just under 2 kgs at Bulk Barn. Not going to do this often, but it's a special occasion so it's ok!

Bacon is also on sale so I bought 16 packages...lol.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Hmmm...and mmm!

I'm not sure if it's stress-related due to my next exam being on Thursday evening, but for several days in a row now I've been fighting off headaches. Maybe it's the change in weather...hmmm.

Last night a few co-workers and I went out for dinner to celebrate the completion of a pain-in-the-ass client...I mean, project, and I tried bison meatloaf! It was incredibly tasty, likely due to the bacon wrapped around it, the rich gravy, and whatever spices and unmentionables added, but I would absolutely order it again! I'm not supposed to touch any sugar, flour or alcohol during the YeastBusters program, but I had a chocolate martini anyway. I'm not experiencing any "yeast die-off" symptoms (unless that's what the gassy ass is all about! haha!!), so I figure I don't have a severe-enough case of yeast overgrowth to worry about one drink.

Hunnybun made dinner tonight while I did some studying:


Salmon is on special this week so we stocked up. The rest of the dish consists of onion, celery, red/yellow/orange bell peppers, garlic, and shredded coconut (!). It really turned out delicious and he kept the celery crunchy so it was a nice light, refreshing dinner. Two thumbs up! :)

Monday, December 12, 2011

Dairy

The only dairy I've consumed for three weeks has been butter, and I've recently noticed three things:

1. My sinuses are clearer than they've ever been; the only times I really need to clear them are first thing in the morning, after I sneeze, or after walking outside in the cold for a bit (wet, cold schnoz).

2. My mild rosacea has suddenly gotten a bit worse; this week I have small bumps and more redness on my cheeks. My face feels warm and flushed a lot of the time. It's NOT menopause! LOL


3. I'm getting my first pimple in a LONG time. :(

Prior to starting the YeastBusters program I didn't drink a lot of milk but I would have (higher-fat) yogourt and put cream in my coffee. I actually don't miss the yogourt (surprising, because I LOVED the really thick stuff!) and I'm fine having almond milk in coffee (unsweetened, chocolate flavoured variety preferred).

I wonder if I'll ever go back to using cream.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Our Fridge...and gas???

This is the fullest it's ever been, and most of it is leftover meals and fresh food next in line to be cooked. Ignore the bottle of Coke (that's his) and the KFC (the chicken, fries and gravy are mine and the salad is his...we had nothing ready to cook for dinner on Thursday past so we ordered in. It happens.).

There's a shitload of delicious food for us to eat for the next few days. It's never looked so appetizing (again, except for the crap already mentioned lol).


The other thing I wanted to mention is the insane amount of gas I've had for the past few days. I don't know exactly what's causing it, but it's fucking lethal!!! Is it the Greens+?? Anyone know??

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Today's Meal - Chicken Stew with Pumpkin "Pie" for Dessert

This afternoon was spent prepping a crapload of various vegetables for the chicken stew. Hunnybun did the grocery run (thank you again, Sweetie!) while I chop-chop-chopped in the kitchen. Here's the pot of stew after we already doled out our first portions:


Then came the dessert (perfectly primal, thankyouverymuch! :)):


To make the crust, combine the following in the food processor:

- Freshly-ground almond meal
- Melted butter
- Various yummy spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice

Press it into baking dish of choice.

For the filling:

- 1 can of pure pumpkin puree
- About a cup of coconut milk
- More of the above-mentioned spices

Pre-bake the crust in the dish. I only did mine for 10 mins at 350F but realized later it needed a bit longer.

Pour in the filling, spread it around, and bake at 350F until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. (For me, using a gas convection oven, it was around 40 mins.) Let it cool a bit before slicing.


I didn't realize that when you slice the root end off a bunch of celery that you end up with a pretty rose! That made me smile. :D

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

2-Ingredient "Cake"...First Attempt

I went down to the kitchen tonight with the intention of opening a can of tuna and eating it, but then I remembered we bought eggs last night so I got sidetracked!

Here's where I got the idea from.

When I first saw that thread, I bought a package of un-sweetened baker's chocolate to use for the recipe. That was about a month ago. Tonight, I finally got around to trying this out.

I took 100g (5 pieces) of the chocolate:


I then put the bowl into the microwave for 20 seconds at a time until the chocolate was melted enough to stir:


Next, I learned a lesson; that I should have let the chocolate cool down a bit before adding the egg to it. The egg started to cook a little as I stirred it in:


Once the egg was mixed in as best I could, back into the microwave the bowl went, for about 40 more seconds (my microwave is pretty powerful!). Here was the result!


Beauty! It was perfectly moist and spongy. However, unless you like a bitter chocolate "cake", don't use un-sweetened baker's chocolate. I'm getting minor tummy cramps now. Next time I'll use 85% cocoa, but there WILL be a next time! :D

Monday, December 5, 2011

MORE WATER!

I NEED to be drinking more water...clearly I'm not drinking enough!!

(Ouchies.)

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Curry Pork Stew

Curry pork stew...a dinner I pulled outta my butt tonight (not literally!). :)
It has cubed boneless pork, onions, pigeon peas, and apple pieces. Next time I'll make this in the crock pot and add a second apple. It was tasty!


Just for the hell of it...

I weighed myself again this morning upon rising, after emptying my bladder. 146.6! Awesome!

No, I'm not going to be weighing myself every day going forward - just thought I'd see after all the bowel movements I had yesterday hehehehe. :)

...aaaaaaaand I'll now introduce a new label (tag) at this point: TMI! :D

Saturday, December 3, 2011

After Two Weeks on the YeastBusters Program...

I'm holding steady at 147.9 lbs and although there were a couple of days where I couldn't drink as much water as I should have, I'm still regular.

Last night I started taking Greens+; one spoonful mixed in a cup of water (today I used unsweetened apple juice instead). It tastes like oddly-fruity green hell if you keep it in your mouth too long. The juice helped but made it way too sweet overall, so tomorrow I'll try it with more water than juice.

Slept like a log last night and went for a walk with my mom today. I made a huge bowl of popcorn for my hunnybun with a generous amount of melted butter drizzled over it (OMFG) and I resisted having even one kernel. Wow. One of my (now, former?) weaknesses.

I tell you, once I am finished the 8-or so weeks of this program I will be treating myself with something decadent and sinfully chocolatey! (I just hope that by that time I will be able to eat one thing as a treat and not need to eat 8 of them or every day, etc.)