BFL Days 2-4 - OUCH!

So I don't think there is a single muscle in my body that isn't sore! But, it feels good and is satisfying, knowing that I am actually doing this! I've done great every day so far. This first week or two is a little crazy trying to nail down the exact weights, and timing of everything, but it is coming along well.
Nutrition is even a little tricky - you have to eat a lot!!! Trying to get 6 small meals is tricky, so I ordered the EAS Myoplex lite shakes so I wouldn't have to fix something every meal. But the food is actually pretty good - This morning I had whole wheat french toast, with sugar free maple syrup, and scrambled eggs! Yum! The worst part is having to wait a whole hour before you eat - BUT - your burning fat stores, instead of carbs! Makes that hour worth it, and I just keep busy getting ready and fixing the kids breakfast!
Besides the soreness, I really like the weight lifting part - Its similar to what we would do in college for track. It definitely shows me how weak I am! The cardio on the other hand, just flat out sucks - BUT - It's only 20 minutes! That's awesome! I moved all my exercise clothes and stuff to get ready to my weight room/bathroom - I can work out, shower, and get ready for the day all in an hour! I even have a TV and DVD set up so Quin can watch TV while I am working out. It's all about setting your self up to succeed - not to fail!

So far, so good! Hopefully this initial soreness will subside after a week or two, but again, it's motivating knowing I am actually accomplishing something! I hope everyone has a Happy (and safe) New Year! And feel free to join me anytime if you are considering it!

Day 1 of 84

So far so good - I know I didn't push as hard as I could have on the lifting this morning... I need to invest in a few more dumbbells, so I'm not jumping aroud too much. It was good though - felt a good burn, and upper body is defiinitely shaky - tomorrow is probably going to suck, but that is inevitable. The nutrition has been a little tricky... not that I want to eat bad or anything, it's just a little time consuming to plan out and cook meals vs. just going to the fridge/pantry to grab something. I definitely recommend cooking in bulk, and freezing your meals.

I had my hubby take my before photos... OMgosh - clothes are so deciving!!! I was feelin pretty good about myself after the sugar detox, but I have some WORK to do - just more motivation to push harder. I'm thinking of printing them out and hanging them up in my weight room for a little extra motivation. I'm kissing this body good bye! I'm not going to immediatley post my before photos (that bad!) But they recommend taking photos every 4 weeks, so I will post them in 4 weeks for comparison. I weighed in at 198 (1.5 lbs up since detox) and measured chest - 40.5, waist - 41.5, hips - 46, thigh - 26.5. I'm going to try and have my little bro do my body fat in the next couple of days, we'll see ;) Tomorrow AM is the cardio work out.... Good luck all, and let the games begin!

And so it begins....

Tomorrow morning! Ah! I can't believe I am going to be doing this. The first workout is upper body - chest, back, shoulders, bi's, tri's. that simple, right? Except its pyramiding - reps start at 12 (12,10,8,6,12,12) and go down, weight goes up, and then you do a secondary lift right after you finish the main lift. Supposed to be hard, but efficient/effective! And I am happy to report that my little bro is doing it with me, and will be entering the group/couples with me :) And I have talked to a handful of people that may be doing this as well. If I am going to be putting money up, I'd like to see at least 5 people doing this, so we'll see on that part. Just let me know if you want to join!
Nutrition is six small meals a day consisting of a high quality protein and whole grain carb or fruit. Shakes are ok as well(protein, not milk ;) I cleaned out my fridge and freezer, and stocked it with lots of good stuff. I even individually froze my meats to make it easier to cook with. If you are going to do this, you have to plan ahead, and be prepared! Set yourself up to succeed, not to fail!

Well, I better go finish planning this weeks meals, and get a good nights rest! Good luck all (and me!!!) and I'll give my first report tomorrow!

Fitness Challenge/Contest!!!!

Hi Everyone!

If you are reading this, it is because at some point or another, we have talked about health and fitness. Well, I have decided that I want to not just talk about it, but finally take action for my self, and I need your help! I, probably like a lot of you, am mentally weak when it comes to weight loss. I've always had an excuse... 'I needed to be big for track, I've always been this way, I'm just built this way, It's genetics, I get bored, I just had a baby, I'm 'happy' this way. While some of these may be legit, they are again, excuses. I'm done making excuses, and want to once and for all be healthy and look good!

As many of you may know, I did a sugar detox in November. Worked well, but time for more. I've decided to take on the 'Body for Life' Fitness Challenge by Bill Phillips. And this is where you come in... I need your support and help, and want all who need help, as well, to join me!!! I figure the bigger the support group, the more likely I am to succeed. The web site www.bodyforlife.com has an actual contest that has to be started between now and February 11, 2010. (Grand Prize $25,000!!!!!!) I plan on actually entering, and welcome any of you to enter as well. But on top of that, I plan on having my own contest for anyone that would like to enter. It will follow the same rules. (http://bodyforlife.com/challenge/whatis.asp) But your submissions are made to me, and I will pick a winner. That means before and after photos and an essay! These will remain confidential, but I plan on taking and posting my own on my blog for all to see (just please don't make fun:) And if anyone would like to post theirs with me as a little motivation, just let me know. www.askcandice.blogspot.com

So what do you win? For right now, I am offering up $100, but I want to try and find a few sponsors and see if I can get a little more. No measurements are required, but if anyone would like their measurements taken before and after, I will do them free of charge (body fat%, weight, and inches). I will be doing mine and posting them. I will also blog everyday about my workouts, and I will also post spreadsheets to print off for those who want to keep track.

What does it entail? The 'Body For Life' challenge is a high intensity cardio and weight lifting regimen. But, it is time efficient, thorough, and effective. It's 6 days a week, alternating between cardio, and weight lifting - the best part - the cardio is only 20 minutes!!! Weights lifting is closer to the 45 minute mark. Nutrition is also a key factor, but you actually get to eat, a lot! 6 meals a day, and a free day to boot! If this is something you are interested in, I recommend you obtain a copy of the book - amazon.com had tons of used copies. I plan on starting Monday, December 28, 2009 - why wait for the new year? Because this isn't about a new year, it's about a new life! If you want to join me, let me know with in the next couple of weeks. And please feel free to invite your friends and family to join!!! I hope you all have safe and Merry Christmas. God Bless!

~CaNdIcE EkBeRg~
*B. S. ESS, NSCA-CPT, EMT-I*
1-801-556-6335

Little update

So, I got my treadmill last week, but it is a 2 man job to put it together, and Niel has been out of town, and busy with work. So, it's still lying on my floor in pieces :P Hopefully this week it will be together. So I'm kinda thinking I want to do the Body for Life work out. I like that they are short and intense. Just get it done and over with... my kinda poison :P So, once I get the treadmill up, I'm gonna just start easy by building my base. I have NO base right now - I can't remember the last time I did any real cardio. So once I get my base, and feel comfortable, I will start into the body for life program. I plan on blogging it on here, and will post the work outs for those who want to follow! I will probably follow some of the nutrition as well, but I am more interested in the work out part. So for those who want to join me, feel free! I plan on actually starting the BFL work outs after the New Year - good time to start! :) Happy Holidays!

IT'S OVER!!!

I did it! I survived! 28 days with out sugar! I never would have thought. Things were bad! I was probably averaging 150g of sugar a day! 150g of sugar = 581 calories, or approximately 36 level teaspoons! The first week was miserable as far as how I felt, the second and thirds weeks were probably the hardest as far as temptations, and the 4th week sucked(but I did it), just because it was a major food holiday :) But over all, I did good! I cut my sugar intake to an average of about 40g a day (155cal, 9 1/2 tsp). The large majority of it coming from good foods. :) I think my biggest weakness was milk, fiber one yogurt, and dried apricots. In 1 month, just by cutting out the sugar, I was able to lose 10 lbs., 2 1/2 inches off my waist, 2 1/2 off my hips, 1 inch off my chest, and 1 inch off my thigh. I can't claim all of that was fat though. I did some body fat measurements, and only lost 3.5% body fat - which is still good, but only accounts for 7lbs of the weight loss. The other 3 lbs would be from lean muscle mass, which is typical with any 'diet.' Ideally, you want to see 100% body fat loss, 0% lean muscle loss. The best way to achieve this is through a clean, normal, realistic, healthy diet (no yoyo or fad diets), and exercise.

So, now that I have the sugar under control, what next? I think I'd like to tackle that exercise part. I bought a new treadmill for my gym, and am waiting for it's arrival. As soon as I get it, I think I'm going to experiment with some cardio - a 6 week interval program perhaps? (I'm open to ideas/suggestions) I will continue to blog about that, and post some of the work outs. So as soon as I get the treadmill, I will be back on here! And when it comes to eating sugar, I plan on using fruit as a subsitute for crap, and will only have crap on special occasions, and only if it is really good crap :) Hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday! Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have!! Take care for now!

Day 24, 25, 26 - Holiday Recap

NO MORE FOOD!!!!!!!! After eating clean, and low calorie for several weeks, 2 Thanksgivings was crazy! We started out Wednesday night at the hubby's family. I ate very light through out the day, and when it came time to dinner I had just a small serving size of everything except the turkey it's self. It was all so good, but it was nice having lots of variety and a smaller stomach becaue I wasn't tempted for seconds. Thankfuly my moter-in-law let me tap into her DC, while everyone else drank apple juice :) Then dessert rolled aroud. I was asked to bring dessert, in theory, that I could make what I want to controll the sugar :P I'm not sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. Because I ended up making a pumpkin pudding pie, which is really good. And I did partake. I only had a 1/16 of a slice, which I figured only had 8g of sugar, which still kept me in my limits. It was good :)

Thanksgiving day we headed to my parents. My mom goes over board with appatizers galore, and tons of great food. I was asked to bring fruit salad. At least its natural sugar there :) Well needless to say, the food was great, and I consumed waaaay too many calories, but who doesn't? But I was still able to resist sugar for the most part. My aunt and uncle always bring these orange rolls with icing that are way good, but I just had a small roll, no icing. As far as dessert, my other aunt brought an angel food cake, which I had sliver of to try, but no more than that. And then my mom made a sugar free pudding pie for her and me :) So way too many calories, but still ok on the sugar. I ended up having left over pie that I had made, and I just stuck it in the kitchen sink so I wouldn't be tempted by it. No more food! And I am happy to report, after all has settled, I lost a pound! I think it's good to shock your system every once and awhile. That's how the body for life diet works with it's free day. Either way, 1 holiday down, 2 more to go! Hope everyone else's holidays were great!

Days - 21, 22, & 23 - Catching up!!!

SORRY! I suck! I've hardly even been on the computer the last couple of days. It's just been crazy getting ready for the holidays, and I've had a few extra training sessions. I still have several shows on the DVR to watch, but I chose to blog instead :) The last couple of days have been ok. I am starting to get sick, and that is never fun. Yesterday, I remember thinking, 'I just want comfort food,' and that's normally when I'd go make my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. But I didn't. Last night we decided that we would try starting a family home evening tradition of setting christmas up the Monday before Thanksgiving. My Steven's Mint Hot Coco sat in my pantry teasing me. To make it even worse, Niel stopped by the store on his way home from work, and bought a bag of powdered, and chocolate donettes. I told him that was just cruel. He looked at me like 'what ever - your gonna end up eating them any way' BUT I WON'T!!! :)

Still doing good on the sugar though. Been right around 25-35g. I did do measurements this morning, and my body has finally adjusted and is slowing down. I am down on weight to 197.4, but my inches are pretty much the same, within a 1/2 inch. Now I need to start working on the cardio to maintain my weight loss, but I think I'll get over this cold first.

I am in a pickle though for the next 2 days. We have 2 Thanksgivings - 1 at Niel's, and 1 at my familys. The are both amazing! So I'm definitely going to have to watch the serving sizes, and stay away from sugar tempations - ie, dessert! I think I will plan on having 0g sugar through the mornings, and then allow my self just a sliver of dessert, depending on what it is, and if I am in the mood. We'll see. After all, Thanksgiving is only once (or twice in my case) a year, and now that I am in control, and have a plan, I know I will be ok.

I'll try and get on tomorrow night, but chances may be slim, so I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

WEEK 4 - Trick Your Taste Buds

I'm such a slacker - sorry I am just now getting this up, it's been a crazy few days!!!

Week 4 - From Dr. Oz - Final Week

Using fresh spices and herbs can trick taste buds into thinking you’re eating something sinfully sweet. Try adding cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla or allspice to your coffee, cereals and baked goods.

I love cinnamon! I use it in a lot of my baking! In the AM I love to put it in my oatmeal with pumpkin spice. If a recipe asks for a tsp, I normally double it! The same goes for salt - try using sea salt, or garlic salt instead. A lot less sodium, and a lot more taste!

Day 20 - Eating Out

Only 18g today! But it was a hard one... Just had an egg sandwich for breakfast, and was bored through out the day, so I suggested to the Hubbby that we go to the local hamburger joint for lunch. The problem is, this time of year, they make pumpkin milk shakes, and they are GOOD - especially when you mix it with cheesecake! One of my favorites! I really wanted one, but I knew I couldn't :( Oh well, I think I like looking at the scale better, or so I tell myself :) (I was at 197.4 today!!!) So I ended up just getting a grilled chicken sandwich, and shared fries with Quin and Niel. For dinner, I made a tortilla pizza with my whole grain tortillas. Just plop down pepperoni slices, mozarella cheese, and nuke it for a minute. Pretty good! And much healthier than regular pizza! Only 300 calories for the whole thing! There is only one week left of the detox, and then I'm open to trying anything else out. If any one has anything they are curious about, let me know - but no supplements as of now, since I am still nursing. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend!

Day 18 & 19 - New Moon :)

Sorry I didn't post last night... I was at 'New Moon'. :) Nothing too exciting the last 2 days - I've done ok as far as the sugar, but can still be better. One day 47g, the other 52g. I have done really well as far as calories go. I'm even staying below 200lbs! The one thing I have been noticing is after meals, I'm still having slight cravings for something sweet. So instead of crap from the past, I've been grabbing a yogurt. I've even tried the sugar free nips candies, and those seem to help. The real challenge will be next week, with a huge food holiday! I'll try and find some nutrition stats for the holidays that will scare ya out of over indulging. ;) Have a good weekend!

Day 17 - Destruction and Evil Chocolate!

So the morning was pretty good - I found that Fiber One Originial Cereal has 0g sugar! So just milk, and I was feelin good. For lucnh, I had an awesome egg burrito on my new tortillas. Was going strong, and kept busy by installing new blinds through out our basement - only took me 3 hours!!!! By the time I was done, I was pretty tired, and hungry, but had to go to YW. My hubby got home as I was getting ready to head out. He was unhappy with me, and let me know, and the next thing I found myself thinking was 'If your gonna treat me like that, then I'm just gonna eat what ever I want'! HOW DESTRUCTIVE IS THAT!!! Has anyone else found them selves doing that before? Why is it (especially woman) that when ever we are stressed, up set, angry, etc. we turn to food??? If anyone has an answer, please do share!!!Thankfully, I realized this real quick and hauled tail out of there - but with out dinner! It was our YW in excellence tonight, and they had a chocolate fountain set up with marshmallows, rice crispy treats, bananas, orange slices (the candy and real) cinnamon bears, and pretzels! YUM! It was hard to sit there and look at it all, especially being hungry!!! So I just went into the kitchen and grabbed a whole banana, which has lots of sugar, but good sugar, and I had to eat something! And while everyone was enjoying the fountain, I munched on pretzels. Then curiosity hit - ' am I really missing out?' So I took 1 pretzels, and dipped just a little bit on it to try it. While it was good, I came to the conclusion, that I am ok with out it. Where before, I woud have been all over the cinnamon bears and orange slices! They sure taunted me, but I know I am better with out! :) I think I'm going to grab a bag of edamame - now that is fun to eat! :) Night!

Day 16 - tired... and losing stomach fat?

After a couple of bad days, I nipped it in the butt, and only had 26g today. I did a lot of walking, shopping, tested some treadmills, and had in-service. All that, combined with low sugar, I am tired!!! But on a positive note, I found these awesome whole wheat, low fiber, low carb, low sugar, tortillas at costco today! They are actually really good! You can also find edamame at costco, which makes an awesome high protein snack! Be sure to set yourself up to succeed, not to fail! Find healthy, nutritious snacks that you like, and keep them on hand, so that when you start hitting a weak spot, you have something to turn to! On a side note, I was talking to my mom, whos is also doing the sugar detox, and we both concluded that we have noticed most of the inches coming off of our stomaches? Interesting.... So for those of you that are looking to lose stomach fat, I am curious to see if this is something that would help? If any one else is doing this and has noticed the same thing, please do tell! Have a good one!

WEEK 3: Use Alternative Sweetners, Day 14, Day 15, and measurments!

Sorry for the late update! I've got my computer being fixed, and haven't been able to get on until now! Day 14 was ok - pot roast turned out very well :) I had a weak day though as far as sugar in foods. I really felt like I needed milk and ended up having 2 cups total through out the day, which equaled 25g. Other wise, I was still ok, with a grand total of 53g.

Week 3: Use Alternative Sweeteners
Instead of sugar, try using the following alternative sweeteners:
Stevia - Non-caloric herb from Paraguay. Very sweet with slight licorice taste. Found at health food, specialty and grocery stores with the dietary supplements – not with sweeteners.
Agave Nectar- Made from blue agave cactus grown in Mexico. High in calories, but you only need a very small amount. Found at vitamin stores.

Measurements:

Weight - 199.9!!! I broke 200!!!
waist - 41.5
hips - 45.5'
chest 40.5'
thigh - 26'5'

So still losing!

DAY 15 - Not so great... CHECK YOUR LABELS!!!

Your body takes approx. 72 hrs to digest a 3oz serving of red meat... I know I had more than that!!! So I thought today I would chase it out with some extra fiber. I went for a high fiber cereal, with milk, and sprinkled some dried cranberries on it for flavor. Well I'd thrown the box out, and didn't have access to calorieking... that breakfast ended up costing me 40g sugar!!! I know it was't treats, but still - that adds up quick!!! And to top it off, I ended up making shredded BBQ beef sandwiches with the left over pot roast - amazing! One of my favorites, but BBQ sauce has a lot of sugar in it :( So I'm coming clean... 74g sugar today!!! Yikes! I suck! 2 bad days in a row. And I've had a headache too. That probably explains it. But the one silver lining is it wasn't from crap like days of past, but still, for a detox I need to get this nipped in the but real quick. Tomorrow will be much better, I promise! Have a good one!

Day 13 - crazy day

So I totally didn't get breakfast this morning due to a few crazy ambulance calls! Before, when I got home, I totally would have pigged out on what ever I could get in my mouth! But today I just had a yogurt and some pretzels. Lunch was left over chinese, and dinner was a tortilla pizza. So not the healthiest day, but only 18g sugar. I thought that by now I would be used to the lower levels, but tonight I am really feeling it! Headache! I know my carbs were really low. As I have said before, its important to keep your carbs up, but make sure they come from healthy whole grain sources, like oatmeal & wheat, fruits and veggies. Not processed crap that got me here in the first place! :) I'm planing on fixing a pot roast tomorrow for Sunday dinner, and then measurements Monday!!! Stay strong!

Day 12 - Getting easier!

Only 26g today... I think! Tonight we went out to dinner, so I planned accordingly and had a bigger breakfast, and a light lunch. It was tempting to snack here and there, but at the same time, it was pretty easy to say no! We ended up going out to chinese for dinner. It's harder to figure calories when going out, but I'd be willing to bet there is sugar in the 'sweet' and sour chicken. I only had 5 pieces, and was light on the sauce. But the temptation for the bad sugars has pretty much diminished. It's amazing how easy it has gotten to say no, where before, I was completely out of control! Let's hope the weekend stays the same way, and check back with me on Thanksgiving - it's a good thing I don't really care for pumpkin pie, or candied yams! ;) Have a good one!

Day 11 - Stayin strong

Today was another good one - only 30g sugar. Had Soft tacos for dinner, and used biscuit dough as the taco part. Turned out really good, but ended up having a lot more than I should have!!! Thankfully I didn't have a big lunch, so I was still in my calorie range. On a side note, I used to really like activia yogurt, but haven't really been eating it since it had a lot of sugar in it. Then our loacal grocery had the Fiber One yogurts on sale... Awesome! It's made by Yoplait, so same taste/texture, but for a 4oz cup there is 5g fiber, and only 4g sugar! Really good too! Fiber is huge when it comes to our diets - we need to be 20g+ - gotta move all that crap we are eating out ;) Plus fiber helps keep sugar levels in control, so definitely a must! Check your labels - anything with 3-4g or more is ideal. Here's to another good day!

Day 10 - cookies!

Today - or yesterday I should say, wasn't too bad until I went to YW. My YW partner made these really good looking cookies, and the girls kept eating them saying how good they were. I was totally tempted, and kept thinking, 'just one won't hurt, or even just 1/2 of one.' But I held strong. In the AM I made an awesome breakfast burrito with eggs, peppers, onions, mushrooms, mozzarella, and tortillas! I gave into the ketchup though. I love ketchup on eggs. It's a must - but I just limited my self to 1 TBSP. So all in all, another good day. I even stepped on the scale and am only 1 lb from breaking 200lbs!!! My ideal weight would be to get to my pre pregnancy weight, which is 190. After I am done nursing, I'm going for 175, which is the lowest I have ever been in my adult life! Bottoms up, and have a great day!

Day 9 - Much Better!

Today was a good day! Only 25g!!! I was super tired from a nights excursion on the ambulance, and a baby that kept waking up, but I was still in control. Had eggs and toast for breakfast with a fiber one yogurt. A corn dog, edamame, and sun chips for lunch, and then french dip with peppers, onions, and mushrooms for dinner. I even got a work out in on the elliptical - just had to strap Zoee in the baby bjorn! I don't know what exactly was different, but I felt much better about things. The workout definitely helped though. Love those happy hormones :) Lets see what tomorrow brings!

Day 8 - Whoops!

So I unintentionally sabbotaged today. I made chili thinking it would be all sorts of good - which it was :) - but then I though I'd figure out the calories for my recipe.... needless to say, lots of sugar! Throw in the serving of dried apricots, a yogurt, and milk, it added up real quick :( SO I was at 70g today!!! YIKES!!! But the good thing I can say is that the majority of it was natural sugars, and no crap like I normally would have eaten. And a week ago - 70 g would have been awesome for me! It's probably 1/2 of what I used to consume! So that is my silver lining for today. On the flip side, like I said on day 1, this is when it's going to get hard.... It's not that I am physically craving the sugar, but I am starting to play the head games now... the 'eh, just one won't hurt', or 'oh, that looks totally worth it'. The little destructive thoughts that creep in on me start wearing me down. This is why I decided to blog this, and start a support group - because I know myself too well!!! I need your help now!!! If you are reading this, let me know it - show your support - facebook me if you haven't already, and tell your friends! The more people I am accountable to, the better. I've got to save face! :) I hope everyone else is doing well, whether you are participating or not. Keep it up!

Here are my weekly measurements

Weight - 202.5
waist - 43'
hips - 46'
chest 40.5'
thigh - 26'5'

Day 7 & WEEK 2 - Eliminate Hidden Sugars

Hunt down hidden sugars hiding in your cabinets and pantry. Throw away foods containing high amounts of added sugars, everything from tomato sauces to ketchup to peanut butter. Be especially wary of low-fat items as they often contain more sugar to make them taste better.When purging your kitchen, be on the look out for these names:
Fructose
Maltose
Sorbitol
Evaporated cane juice
Syrups
Xylotol
Sugars ending in "ol" or "ose"

This is where it can get tricky, but by reading your labels and looking for these items, you can definitely cut the sugar intake even more!!! Good luck this week!



Sunday - Day 7

Sunday was pretty good - Made a big pot of hommade chili, and homemade potato bread. Just had oatmeal for breakfast, and a bag of edamame when I got home from church. So no added sugars, but no idea what was in the chili, with out doing all the math :P The only thing was after I just felt like I needed something sweet, so I had a bottle of propel fiber water, which had 7g sugar, but 8 g fiber! pretty good!

Day 6 - Saturday - not so good...

Saturday was not a good day, hence why I didn't blog it last night. But I know I need to be completely honest with my self, and writing it out helps me proccess it out. Bottom line though, I was just in a destructive mood yesteraday... I don't know why? I may have a few theories, but they are all just excuses. I was having strong cravings, but didn't want to give in, but knowing myself, if I didn't have something, I could easily collapse... Sooo, I ended up making some sugar free pudding... Well you're thinking, oh - it's sugar free - yea the mix is, but milk has sugar in it - 11g per cup. box calls for 2 cups, so 22g. Yea, I ate the whole bowl through out the day. lol Okay, I feel a little better now that I have confessed, but it still doesn't make it right. And to justify it, I was still with in an ok range for my daily total at 65g. Either way, I was weak, but Saturday is over. Today is a new day, and I am making a big pot of chili so I will have something to snack on versus 'sugar free' pudding. Hope your day is better, as well as mine! :)

Day 5 - going out to dinner

I think I finally got over the 'hump' and am on the easy side now. I knew we'd be going out to dinner tonight, so I had oatmeal and an 8oz glass of milk for breakfast, and then snacked on almonds, string cheese, dried apricots (a little high in sugar, but lots of fiber to help balance it out), and a diet 7up - pomegranet - very good! It all held me over quite well. I've been eating smaller more frequent meals through the week, so dinner was a lot! We went to Corbin's in Layton. It was ok, but I wasn't overly impressed. Eating that big of a meal after this week was just not a pleasent experience. I was miserable after wards, and didn't feel great - just heavy. And to top it off - the waiter kept asking if we wanted dessert. No means no! :) I've definitely come to realize smaller, more frequent meals, are the key! It's the weekend now, so I've got to be extra careful, but so far so good! Have a great weekend!

Day 4 - on the up!

After finally getting some sleep, I felt a lot better today. I had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, and then later, edamame and string cheese for a snack . They held me over very well, because then I ended up getting called out on the ambulance and missed lunch. When I got home, I needed to eat, but I wasn't out of control, and didn't eat what ever was in site. I even made french toast for dinner as a treat, and used sugar free syrup. I also had just an 8 oz glass of milk, where normally it would have been 24oz+, with strawberry syrup. :P At in-service tonight, someone brought a box of glazed donuts - I was able to look at it and think 'eh, I don't need it' Where before, I would have probably had 2!!! There will still be lots of temptation, but I'm feelin like I can really do this! Stay strong eveyone!

Day 3 - WOW

This was a rough one. I was up at 4:30 for a client, and the kids decided that they needed to wake up after I was done, and stay up. Needless to say, I am sooo tired! Not a good combo when you are altering your diet. I had a little more than I should have, but I needed to keep eating. I realized through my food log that I was just not getting enough carbs. I ended up with 60g total for today. But even then, I feel like crap!!! I feel a little better, now, that I just ate a bowl of plain oatmeal, with cinnamon and pukpkin spice, a coke zero, and 2 tylenol. :) Just remember that this is a detox. Only 28 days. You are coming off your dependency for sugar. Once it is under control, you can have sugar again, but save it for special occasions, and make sure that you always stay in control - not sugar! There is a difference between a snack and a treat. A snack is part of your daily eating. You should have a snack in between meals to keep your metabolism up, and keep you from getting too hungry, which can lead to over eating. A treat is a special occasion, a favorite dessert, a comfort food - when you have been good through the rest of the day, and have gotten a workout in. I had gotten to the point where treats were my snacks, and part of my meals! No more! Hang in there, a few more rough days, and then it should start getting easier!!!

Day 2 down - survived bunco!

During the day was fairly easy, but there were several moments where I caught my self in a habit of absentmidedly reaching for a treat! Whether a graham cracker or licorice, those all add up, but I conqured! I even did good at bunco - no dessert, and just a little bit of sugar in the chili I had on my salad! Today, I had a total of 40g sugar. The problem is now... I feel pretty crummy, and I've got a headache. I drank a ton of water at bunco, but I still feel bleh. This is the part where I've got to stay strong and fight through it. Thankfully though my will power is stronger than my cravings. Sugar does not control me, I control me. :) Hope everyone else's day was good, and good luck tomorrow - it's the next couple of days that are going to get harder - your body/mind is going to start playing games with you - this is the true 'detox' phase. You can do it.

I survived day 1

It has come, and it has gone, and I have survived! I didn't think today would be hard anyway... its a week from now that I will probably be struggling. But I definitely didn't realize how much sugar is in everything!
I consumed:
Sugar 57g
Fat 76g
Sat. Fat 15g
Carbs 202g
Protein 79g
Fiber 41g
38% of the calories are from fat, 18% from protein, 45% from carbs
1723 calories, and burned 300, netting 1423

Night time is the hardest for me though. That's when I tend to snack. Especially if I did good through out the day, because then I justify it, and eat what ever. Tonight I was still pretty hungry, because I didn't eat as much as I normally do, so instead of going for the oreo's and a big glass of milk, I'm eating a bag of smart pop popcorn! yay me! Tomorrow is bunco though, so my goal is to be even better through out the day, but then I do plan on having a bite of desert depending on what it is. Instead of completely depriving myself, I am going in with a plan of action. I'll blog again tomorrow night, with updates on my facebook. Keep up the good work everyone!

Day 1 - Measurements

I am not doing this to lose weight, I am doing this to be healthier and kick a BAD addiction. But as a bonus, I am hoping to lose weight :) To keep track, I weighed my self first thing this morning, and then measured my chest, waist (at the belly button), hips (widest part), and right thigh.

and here are my numbers...

weight - 206
chest - 41'
waist - 44'
hips - 47'
thigh - 27'

just throwing it out there - I'll try and get a 'pre' picture up later!
so far this morning I have had a handful of almonds, and am now going to go have 2 pieces of whole wheat toast, 2 had boiled eggs, and an activia light yogurt! 385 cal, 24g protein, 46g carbs, 15g fiber, 13g SUGAR

28 Day Detox starts now!!!

So, posted below is Dr. OZ 28 day detox. It just gives the basics, and something to try different each week. As far as I go, I will be eating normal foods, but not adding any sugar, or eating any candy/cake/cookies or other sugary treats/drinks. Throw away the Halloween Candy!!!!!! It will tempt you and play games with your mind! If you are like me, you will eat other, healthier alternatives, but then go back and forth, until you end up eating it any way, plus the extra calories of the other foods. Just throw it away!!! I will be keeping track of my calories on www.calorieking.com, and will share my daily thoughts and comments on my facebook page. Feel free to add me under 'Candice Ekberg' and share your thoughts and comments! Good luck to all who join me!!!

WEEK 4 - Trick your taste buds

Using fresh spices and herbs can trick taste buds into thinking you’re eating something sinfully sweet. Try adding cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla or allspice to your coffee, cereals and baked goods.

Week 3: Use Alternative Sweeteners

Instead of sugar, try using the following alternative sweeteners:

Stevia

Non-caloric herb from Paraguay
Very sweet with slight licorice taste
Found at health food, specialty and grocery stores with the dietary supplements – not with sweeteners.

Agave Nectar

Made from blue agave cactus grown in Mexico
High in calories, but you only need a very small amount
Found at vitamin stores.

WEEK 2 - Eliminate Hidden Sugars

Hunt down hidden sugars hiding in your cabinets and pantry. Throw away foods containing high amounts of added sugars, everything from tomato sauces to ketchup to peanut butter. Be especially wary of low-fat items as they often contain more sugar to make them taste better.

When purging your kitchen, be on the look out for these names:

Fructose
Maltose
Sorbitol
Evaporated cane juice
Syrups
Xylotol
Sugars ending in "ol" or "ose"

Dr. OZ's Sugar Detox - WEEK 1 - DETOX

Take a deep breath – you’re not going cold turkey. Cut back on the amount of sugar you add to foods (no more than a teaspoon!) Instead of buying and consuming processed foods that include sugar, try buying healthier alternatives – like whole wheat cereals – and adding 1 tsp. of sugar. This puts you in control of the amount of sugar you’re consuming.

28 Day Sugar Detox...

So like many of you, I too struggle and need some one to be accountalbe to. This being said - Starting Monday November 2nd, I am going to do (and I say DO, not try, because then that would give me a loop hole) a 28 day sugar detox. Sugar is my biggest weakness, and research is showing more and more bad things about it. I invite any one who wants to join me in this... I will post more info, and hope to maybe even attemp video blogging. And like I said above, I too need someone to be accountable to, so it is my goal to post on here every day how things are going, so if you see me, please follow up with me - and don't be affraid to be blunt - I know I am not! :) Good luck!

Back To School

It's that time of year were we wonder where Summer has gone, and are looking forward to the cooler temperatures! Many of you have sent your kids back to school and are enjoying a little quiet around the house! But as soon as they get home, I'm sure all chaos can break loose, and while I don't have school aged children, I remember always coming home from school hungry. So to keep our kids healthy (as well as ourselves) I though I would share a few easy and quick after school snacks.

Deli Wraps:

Tortilla (whole wheat will always be healthier)
1 Tbsp Light Cream Cheese
2-4 slices of Deli meat (Turkey is my favorite)
lettuce
mustard

spread cream cheese on tortilla, place meat, then other desired toppings, then roll up and cut into inch slices!

This can also be done with peanut butter and bananas - just spread the peanut butter, then place the banana and wrap it up and slice!

These are both fun to eat with tooth picks!

Bean Salsa:

1 can of black beans
1 can corn
1 can black eyed peas
1 can diced tomatoes(or 3 fresh diced)
1 green pepper - diced
1/4 purple onion - diced
bottle of Italian dressing - I use light

combine all ingredients. Mix in enough dressing to wet all ingredients. Use tortilla chips for dipping! (I like Don Juilo brand - 5g fiber per 8 chips!) Will keep in air tight container in fridge for up to a week!

Cream Cheese Apple Dip:

1 stick of cream cheese
1 cup of brown sugar
Heath Toffe bits or raisins

Blend all together till creamy

Slice up Granny Smith apples to dip!

Do you have a hard time getting your kids to eat whole wheat bread? This dip is also good on whole wheat toast, as well as cream cheese or a light butter spread with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar! Whole wheat is great because of the higher fiber and protein content. Your body doesn't burn through it as fast, so you stay fuller longer!

Frozen yogurts-to-go are a great alternative to popsicles or ice cream. Even frozen grapes, berries, and melon are a fun treat!


BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL:

We have recently finished our basement, and I am now moving my personal training to my home! I just want to thank Rusty and Kim at Achieve Fitness for brining me in and letting work there! It was a great place to get started, but with a growing family, this is something I have always wanted to do.

For the month of September I will be offering training sessions for $15 for 1 full hour. If you want me to come to your home, it will be $20 for an hour.

This includes nutrition, cardio training, weight training - what ever you feel you need help with! Just give me a call at 801-556-6335 or email me at ILuvtnf@aol.com

Thanks everyone and have a great day!

Mormon Muffins

Hi again! I like to make the 'Mormon Muffins' from the Greenery Restaurant in Ogden, and have had a few people ask me about the recipe, so here is the original!
As always, I like to adjust it for a healthier version which is noted below with nutrition info. And remeber that it has to sit refrigerated over night to soften the bran. Enjoy!


Ingredients: -- *indicates healthy adjustment

2 c. boiling water
5 tsp. baking soda
*1 c. shortening -- *I use 2c. apple sauce-low fat & very moist
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
*1 qrt buttermilk -- * Use 1% or non fat
*5 c. flour -- *I use 2c flour, 1.5c wheat flour, 1.5c ground oatmeal
1 tsp. salt
4 c. All Bran Cereal
2 c. 40% Bran Flakes (raisin bran)
1 c. walnuts (chopped) - optional

Directions:
Add soda to boiling water and set aside. Whip shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs slowly. Mix well. Add the buttermilk, flour, salt and mix again. Add the soda water very slowly. Gently fold the cereals and the walnuts into the mix.

Spoon 1/8 cup into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Muffin mix must sit in the refrigerator over night before baking. Muffin mix will last one week, covered and refrigerated. Yields 4 dozen muffins.

***Nutrition Info (for healthy version)***

1 muffin = 100 calories, 1g fat, 18mg cholestrol, 112mg sodium, 23g carbs, 3g fiber, 12g sugar, 3g protein.

Bunco Recipes

I hosted Bunco the other night and had several request for the recipes I made - I am not claiming any of these are healthy, but they are good! :)

Teriyaki Chicken:
(about 1-2lbs - I doubled for the amount I made)
1 c. Soy Sauce
1 c. water
3/4 c. brown sugar
green onions diced
garlic to taste

throw together in bag and marinate over night


Fried Rice:

1 Pot of steamed white rice
1/2 package of peas and carrot mix
4 scrambled eggs
~1/2 c soy sauce (to taste)
optional - packet of fried rice mix
mix all together in wok
I add water as I go to keep it moist

Egg Drop Soup:

3c. Chicken Broth
salt to taste ( I had waaaay too much salt in mine)
1/8 tsp pepper
1 TBSP cornstarch
2 TBSP Cold water
1 egg slightly beaten
1 chopped green onion
-Boil Chicken broth and salt and pepper
-dissolve cornstarch in cold water- pour into broth
-slowly stir in egg (reduce heat before)
-sprinkle with green onion

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Pull out 2 sticks of butter and 2 eggs 1/2 hour beofre starting - you want these at room temperature

2sticks of buter - beat on low till creamy
mix in:
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. DARK brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla ( I used real)

Slowly mix in by hand dry mixture:
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt (if using salted butter - 1/2 tsp if not)

Add in a bag of dark, or semi chocolate chips (I used semi)

Use ice cream scoop to make em big! Bake at 400 for 10 - 12 minutes depending on how doughy you like 'em - enjoy!
( I won't give out the nutrition content for these ;)

Angle Food Cake:
1-1/2 c egg whites (10-12 large) - be super careful when straining yolk - can't have any fat in there!
1-1/2 c sifted powder sugar
1 c sifted cake flour or all purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
1 c sugar

Allow egg white to stand 1/2 hour at room temp
sift powder sugar and flour together
add cream of tartat and vanilla to egg white - beat on med- to high speed until soft peaks start to form (takes about 5 min)
Gradually add granulated sugar ( about 2 tbsp at a time)
keep beating until stiff peaks form - takes another 5-10 minutes
slowly hand mix in the flour/sugar mixture - keep turning over till all is wet
Pour into UNGREASED 10" tube pan or 2-3 loaf pans
Bake on lowest rack for 40 - 45 min - immediatley invert pan when done.

Let cool and enjoy with fruit!


So there ya all go - hope you all enjoy - let me know if you have any questions!

Healthy Recipe - Whole Wheat Banana Nut Pancakes

Sorry I am not keeping up on this as well, but I thought for now I am going to try and post a new healthy recipe once a week. I tried this one this morning and it was really easy/good!

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Pancakes:
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, well beaten
2 cups milk (use skim for less calories/fat)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (use flax seed instead of oil for the 'nut' part)
1-2 ripe/mashed bananas

Mix dry ingredients then add wet - mix till slightly lumpy. Makes about 16 medium sized cakes
nutrition: 1 cake = 65 calories, 2g fat, .5g saturated fat, 9.5g carbs, 1g sugar, 3.5g protein, 2g fiber.

I like to make mini ones and freeze them for my little one - just pop them in the toaster when ready to eat. Use fruit compote or jams instead of syrup - less calories!