Kirstie Alley's Dramatic Weight Loss

Former weight 228 lbs
Kirstie Alley, who has struggled with yo-yo weight gain and loss for years, is showing off a body 10 sizes smaller after a lot of hard work. The 60-year-old actress strutted the runway during New York Fashion Week -- 100 pounds slimmer! – at her designer friend Zang Toi’s show. Inspired by her physically demanding "Dancing With the Stars" stint, Alley has gone from a size 14 to a size 4. Before her appearance on the show, Alley said she visualized one day fitting in a size 4, and now she does...

I'm just posting this for inspiration. I started a low carb diet today but I am already struggling. Having my emotional-roller coaster freak out yesterday just makes me want to gorge on carbs. Instead I pigged out on celery and organic black bean dip. The dip is not exactly low carb but "that'll do pig, that'll do."

Obesity Shrinks Brain

Oi! Is this what's been wrong with me?  
Well, I'm not exactly middle-aged but it's interesting that being overweight causes brain shrinkage.

Healthier Living Better for Brain Function

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Taking care of your health by watching your weight and quitting smoking is not just good for your heart and lungs. A new study suggests that a healthier lifestyle will stave off brain shrinkage and cognitive decline.

Health problems including being overweight, smoking, having diabetes, and high blood pressure likely put middle-aged people at an increased risk of brain shrinkage and decline in planning and decision-making skills, WebMD.com reports.

“Our findings provide evidence that identifying these risk factors early in people of middle age could be useful in screening people for at-risk dementia and encouraging people to make changes to their lifestyle before it’s too late,” says Dr. Charles DeCarli, of the University of California-Davis in Sacramento, a researcher involved with the study published in Neurology.

Study participants, whose average age was 54, were given tests to determine risk factors such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and others. They also periodically underwent brain scans. Those people with high blood pressure developed areas of blood vessel damage in the brain more quickly than participants with normal blood pressure levels, the study found. They also performed more poorly on decision-making and planning tests.

Smokers, people with diabetes, and those who were overweight also were more likely to experience faster losses in brain volume.

For more study details and to read the complete WebMD.com story,

http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20110801/brain-shrinkage-linked-to-smoking-obesity-diabetes

Food Addiction

Have you ever heard of the saying that if you can quit something for 30 days you've broken the habit?
I'm on Day 29 of the Hcg diet and I totally broke my diet tonight.
I missed it by 1 day!
I  don't know why I did either. I made a really good dinner. I roasted a fresh turkey and vegetables and made cranberry sauce using half the sugar and part Smart Sugar.  When my husband went to bed I should've followed him upstairs.  But instead I went to the kitchen to feed a craving.  It's that time of the month for me and I wanted something crunchy and salty. I couldn't find the bag of RiceWorks chips so I went with Pop Chips because they are still a better choice than regular chips. I ate about 10 but they still didn't hit the spot.  So I pulled out the bag of Lays BBQ chips thinking I will eat just one even though it has printed on the bag "Betcha You Can't Eat Just One."  I ended up eating about 10 chips and I was specifically looking for the bigger chips with seasoning.  Now I feel so fat and guilty.  What was I thinking?!?!

I feel like I can't stop my addiction to food. Why couldn't I be addicted to jogging? Can food count as a hobby? Because that's what it is to me. I like watching food shows, I read cookbooks for fun, I like to bake goodies and I take pictures of food.

So now it's 1:30 am in the morning and I'm doing leg lifts to burn some calories and watching "Project Runway" and wondering how in the world is Heidi Klum smaller after having 4 children?.

I already know that I will dread getting on the scale for the next 2 days.  I hope I didn't blow my 29 days of dieting to pieces all because of some chips.

1 Low Carb Recipe, 20 Dessert Recipes, 1 Hcg recipe

Being the dedicated dieter that I am I spent an hour looking at Martha Stewart Cookies of the Week recipes going all the way back to February.  I printed about 20 recipes and then I realized that I was sabotaging myself.  So I searched for a low carb recipe and found one that might be decent - Coconut-Lime Mousse - from Atkins website. I am itching to bake something but I cannot break this diet. I have worked so hard just to lose 8 lbs.  However, next Friday I do get to bake sugar cookies for my niece's Alice In Wonderland themed b-day party.  I am going to make "Eat Me" cookies in the shape of mushrooms. That is if I can find a mushroom cookie cutter.  I was telling my sisters and nieces what I planned and they asked why mushrooms.  If you recall in the book Alice nibbles one side of a mushroom to grow and the other side to shrink.  One of my nieces said "She was getting shroomed." Anyway, I just hope I can prevent myself from popping those into my mouth...the cookies...not the shrooms.

I lost another pound.  Last night I made a dinner which was actually enjoyable. I found out that some people actually use virgin coconut oil while on the Hcg diet. For some people that causes a stall in weight loss and for the lucky ones they have no problem.  I decided to risk it and use a tablespoon of oil.  But it must be organic virgin coconut oil.  I found mine at Kroger in their health food section.

Recipes for my dish and coconut lime mousse follows.  All the cookie recipes are at www.marthastewart.com.

I don't have a name for the dish so I'll just call it Beef Stew.

1 pound Laura's Lean Stew Beef
1/2 large onion chopped
2 garlic cloves sliced (I like garlic 1 garlic clove is sufficient)
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons organic virgin coconut oil.

Brown the meat with the onions and garlic in a non-stick pan with the water and oil.

When meat is almost fully brown season with:
1-2 tsp Braggs Liquid Amino
1 tablespoon Teriyaki sauce (not approved so only 1 tblsp)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp ginger

A couple of shakes of:
Lawry's seasoned salt
garlic salt
garlic pepper
salt
steak dust

Add:
1/2 cup cooked peas (this is definitely not on the approved list. May want to add sliced celery instead.)

I'm giving approximations on measurements because I don't measure I just eyeball ingredients and taste the dish and add accordingly to personal taste.

This needs to simmer for at least 20 minutes because stew meat is tough.

===========================================================
Here's the low carb recipe for Coconut-Lime Mousse.  I haven't actually tried this yet because I have not officially gone into the maintenance phase.  But I assume anything with cream and cheese is going to taste marvelous after doing Hcg for 3 weeks.

Ingredients:

2 ounces cream cheese 4 packets granular sugar substitute (sucralose) ¼ cup fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat together 2 oz soft cream cheese and 4 packets of sweetener until smooth.
2. Slowly add 1/4 cup lime juice, beating until creamy.
3. Beat in 1 tsp coconut extract (use instead of vanilla if available for more coconut flavor) and 1 cup heavy cream until fluffy.
4. Place in four bowls, sprinkle with unsweetened coconut flakes (optional, don't foget to add in extra NC carbs) and refridgerate until serving. 

Nutritional Information

Per Serving:

Net Carbs: 4.6 grams

Fiber: 0.0 grams

Protein: 2.0 grams

Fat: 27.0 grams

Calories: 266

Recipe Information:

Makes: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Categories:  Desserts, Vegetarian, Phase Two, Phase Three, Phase Four.

Day 21 of Hcg Diet

Starting tomorrow I will no longer be taking my Hcg drops.
For the next 3 days I have to maintain the 500 calories a day without the drops.
I'm a little afraid that I won't be able to do it because I can tell the drops do stave off some hunger. After the 3 days I will go into phase 3 of the diet which is called Maintenance.  My calories can go up to 1500/day and I can have half-n-half in my coffee again, slather on regular lotion, and use oil in cooking. Maintenance lasts for 3 weeks and it is basically the low carb diet.  I know I can do that.  After maintenance I can slowly introduce carbs back into my diet.

I actually gained weight a couple of days ago but I lost it again so that maintains my weight loss at 7-8 pounds.  I wish it were more but I have to be happy I lost weight at all.

My Omentum Has Lost Momentum, Day 17 of Hcg Diet

I have lost 6 or 7 pounds on the Hcg diet. Not quite sure as the scale won't make up its mind. It's not an astounding number and definitely not the number I had in my head before I started. But I am pleased that my clothes are not so tight anymore.  My panty lines aren't as visible, my fat rolls are smaller, and I don't look 4 months preggers.

I have 4 more days of eating 500 calories a day.  I might continue a couple extra days if I still have drops left after the 21 days but I don't know if I have the willpower. I find myself daydreaming of just actually cooking with oil. I mean seriously daydreaming of what most people take for granted.  I cook like Julia Childs - everything is better with oil, butter or cream.  

"Life itself is the proper binge." 

I have found that chicken w/o any butter or oil is the most difficult meat to eat no matter how much salt is added. The chili is good and I might eat that on any normal day.  Shrimp with spinach and crab meat are the next best things. I could eat fruit all day, but that's not how the diet works. The saving grace on this diet are the 2 Melba toast crackers I can have each day. Most of the recipes are bland and similar to cardboard (not rice cakes - I would be happy if I could eat rice cakes on this diet). So when my friend told me she had to force herself to eat on this diet because the drops made her feel full I disagree with her. My take is that I have to force myself to eat on this diet because you either get tired of eating the same things or everything is awful.

Also, my hair has started to fall out in small clumps while I shower and I find it hard to concentrate.  I know our brains need things like fish oil to function so it might be the lack of oils causing my brain to slow. My hair fall out could be due to the diet or the oil-free shampoo and conditioner I bought for this diet. I will know when I go on maintenance phase and am actually able to have olive oil again.  If I see positive changes then I'll know it was lack of oil. But if my hair continues to fall out I better do some research.

When I go into phase 3 of diet I also have to start exercising vigorously. I guess it's time to dust off those Tracy Anderson and Pilates DVDs. I exercise with my child for his physical therapy, but his exercises are not rigorous although to him they are hard. I need hypnosis that will make me love exercise.

If you're don't know what an omentum is you probably don't watch Oprah.  I have included a definition below from wisegeek.com.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-omentum.htm
The omentum is probably not a word most are familiar with, until 2007 when Oprah Winfrey invited Dr. Mehmet Oz to discuss the nature of excess body fat. For her television viewers, Dr. Oz introduced the concept of the omentum, even showing both a healthy and an overly fat omentum to people to showcase the biological importance of this organ.
The Oprah segment took a somewhat simplified yet medically correct approach to explaining the omentum. Actually, the omentum is split into two segments called the greater and lesser omentum. The greater omentum is a mass that sits in front of the stomach, and the lesser omentum covers the liver. Both become easy repositories for fat storage. When the greater omentum is especially large, the abdomen may appear stiff and distended bringing to mind the term beer belly.
The omentum easily stores fat, since it is readily accessible to the body. When people lose weight, the omentum shrinks, helping to reduce risks for a number of conditions. Dr. Oz contends that the great concern with a fatty omentum is that it starts inflammatory processes, which can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, and hardening of the arteries. Essentially the bigger the omentum, the more you are at risk for a variety of difficult illnesses.

Sugar Is My Frenemy?

"Hello, my friend, Sugar," I said out loud as I opened the box of delights from Social Bakehouse Cafe formerly Celebrity Cafe. My husband just laughed at me. We got 5 cupcakes, 3 petit fours, 1 sun-shaped sugar cookie, and 1 chocolate chip cookie.  (Thank you Groupon for the 1/2 price offer because I would never buy that much at full price.)  We got the treats to celebrate my son's 16th birthday. He gets his big chocolate cake later when we celebrate with the rest of the family members. The cream cheese petit fours are the best. The cream cheese does not add a flavor but actually makes the cake more moist and melty. (Yes, I know "melty" is not a word.) Side note on Social Bakehouse: the man in the front house is pretentious and acts as if he's bored to death. Don't let him deter you from trying the petit fours.

I love, love sugary confections!! I get excited looking at the beautiful and delicate creations whether on TV or through display cases. I even take pictures of desserts because they are like tiny pieces of art. Desserts are to be admired and appreciated and most importantly...they are to be eaten.

I've been in a relationship with sugar since I was a toddler. Before I was 3 years I remember chewing on sugar cane that grew in our backyard in the Philippines and eating condensed milk out of the can. I was hardcore. In 3rd grade I was already pouring through Better Homes and Garden looking for cookie recipes and bringing my sweets to school for extra credit. (Yes, there once was a time when this was possible.) When my older sister went to work swirling cotton candy onto cones I remember being jealous of her. Never mind that she was working outside in 100 degree weather. In my teens I worked at a sandwich shoppe and The Cookie Company and eventually became a cake decorator for about 3 years at a grocery store. I had to quit decorating because I developed carpal tunnel. Therefore I went to work in an office believing that my wrists were safer in that environment, but typing didn't do any wonders for my wrists either.

At the age of 23 my relationship with sugar took a turn because my metabolism fell like a landslide.  My dear friend that I had leaned on throughout the years had become my enemy. Sugar decided it wanted to stick with me...literally. It decided my hips and thighs were a good place to stay and solidified back into the form of rock candy (think bumpy texture).

I FELT BETRAYED.

From then on I could no longer freely eat sweets and worst yet, just looking at them made me gain weight. I was in a predicament. How could I being a natural born baker not make desserts? There is a desire in me that I cannot squelch - I like making delectable goodies and I read cookbooks for pleasure.

It seems I am always in a mental battle with the desire to bake and the desire to be thin again. The battle lines have been drawn. Neither force is weak. A truce does not look like it's on the horizon soon. The solution seems easy. Just bake and not eat. But how can I not taste my own product? You know the saying "never trust a skinny chef." (I guess Giada De Laurentiis is the exception to the rule.) Being healthy is important but my spirit is just as important.

So is sugar my friend or my foe?
There's another saying "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

I suppose I will try to find a healthy balance between the two.  Wish me luck!

Day 7 of Hcg Diet

Pounds lost: 2.   Days of suffering: 5.

I am not having a positive experience on this diet.
I am starving no matter how much water and tea I drink.
Who are these people who say they feel full because of the drops?
Where is this 1/2--1 lb a day weight loss that's supposed to happen on this miracle diet?

I was online looking for tips and I just found out that if you eat over 500 calories you actually gain weight. Technically aren't you only supposed to gain weight when you eat enough calories to gain a pound?  Doesn't this go against human nature?  Isn't anyone alarmed by this?

More importantly why wasn't this info printed in bold at the top of the pamphlet I received with the Hcg drops?

The person who wrote that we will gain weight if we eat over 500 calories has done 3 rounds of Hcg so I'm going to assume that she knows what she's talking about.  It's no wonder I haven't lost weight. I'm probably eating 560 calories which leaves me starving, but without results because it's still over the 500 calorie limit.

The guideline pamphlet that came with the drops is really like androgynous Pat from Saturday Night Live. The directions and menu guides are vague and nondescript. And you are left wondering what is it and how am I supposed to be doing this exactly?

The big no-nos on Hcg is oil, butter, fats, and sugar. So the first time I made French onion soup I wasn't quite sure what to do when the recipe says cook onions for 10 minutes. It does not say cook onions in water. I know that the onions will burn if I just throw them in the pot. But what about people who don't always cook?  I can see them burning onions because of the lack of directions.

They also have dessert recipes.  But there's no dessert in the menu guide.  And if I eat dessert do I skip lunch or a snack?  Do I even have to skip anything?  

I went to the website looking for more details and directions.  The website was only slightly more helpful.

I going to give the grade of D- to the pamphlet and the website a C+.
I got more information off a forum board rather than the company that actually sells the Hcg drops.
Oh well....now I know to keep it strictly to 500 calories.
We'll see what happens.

Fat Loading Days on the HCG Diet

I started the Hcg Diet today (7/5/11). This diet has the best start of any diet I've ever been on and it's called Fat Loading Days. For the first two days of the diet you are supposed to just pig out and eat as much fat as possible. How I wish it was a one entire week of fat loading days!! Today was really different for me because I looked at food labels and I was searching for the highest fat content. Without guilt I ate Cheetos and FRIED (not baked) sweet potato fries. At 9:30pm tonight I was making lemon bars. I'm planning on making creme brulee' or a cheesecake or cupcakes with butter cream frosting tomorrow since it's the last fat loading day.  I may be crazy enough to bake 2 of the 3.  I told my husband we're eating hamburgers tomorrow.  The Hcg book says the more fat you eat the better. When was the last time you saw that in a diet book?

I just hope after eating so much for 2 days that I can adjust to the 500 calorie a day menu for the next 21 days. 15 days from now I may post that I'm starving.  But the Hcg is supposed to make one feel full.  So far in my life I have found that no diet pill has ever made me full.  I do think a lot of diet pills and ads are full of BS. I think I've tried every diet pill on the market and finally stopped buying them when Alli affected me in a very negative way.  But I know someone who did the Hcg diet and lost weight. My sister informed me her coworker has lost 30 pounds.  I hope to be posting those same results.