tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71705167103663334152024-03-04T23:27:25.335-05:00Scale Away With Me!With over 100 pounds to lose, PCOS rearing its ugly head, and tons of other possible health problems, I've decided to share my progress, one scale shot at a time. I share my weight, opinions, recipes, plans and progress here and on my Facebook page.Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-39504776994392571302015-06-29T15:25:00.000-04:002015-06-29T15:38:23.167-04:00EVERYTHING SMOOTHIEI had to have an endometrial biopsy following an ultrasound to confirm my PCOS. Shadows, thickening of the lining, etc... Still haven't got the results on that, but should sometime this week.<br />
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Bloodwork results are in, confirming PCOS through insulin levels. Everything else-- and I do mean everything was tested-- is back negative or normal. The prescription is...my old standby, the low carb diet. Plus a diuretic and an upped dosage of metformin.<br />
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On this low carb diet, which is a glorified Atkins Maintenance diet or a glorified Weight Watchers Power Foods diet, I'll be having vegetables and fruit in addition to low-fat meats. I already know how this works, and how this plays out, and told the NP this. But she insisted on speaking on and on about the benefits of a low-carb lifestyle. Duh. Got it. Lemme go... Please! :)<br />
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We know I won't be eating my veggies or fruit without the proper method of delivery. I'll eat just meat and nothing else, or mess up and end up grabbing something from the restaurant. So I, not being one too keen on eating my veggies and a very busy person of late, dragged out my blender. This will be a green smoothie jumpstart to my weight loss adventure.<br />
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I looked up recipes and such, bought a crap ton of healthy stuff, prepped and froze and prepped. Dragged out my new blender. Trucked it all to my tattoo studio. Ignored the recipes for now... Made my first "everything" smoothie.<br />
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EVERYTHING SMOOTHIE:<br />
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1c Water<br />
1 tsp Ginger<br />
1 tsp Cinnamon<br />
2c Kale<br />
1 Rome apple, cored<br />
1 Granny Smith apple, cored<br />
1 Orange, peeled<br />
2 Bananas, frozen<br />
1c strawberries, frozen<br />
1c blueberries, frozen<br />
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Blend it forever, way longer than the couple minutes I did, adding ingredients in that order, until it's super smooth. Mine had some green bits that weren't quite ground, but it has a pleasant taste. Gotta get over your texture issues! :D<br />
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Next time, I'll play with another recipe. It was a weird experience, but very filling.Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-19535335715070113952015-06-17T17:20:00.003-04:002015-06-17T17:20:55.978-04:002015 UPDATE!Welcome, folks!<div>
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I've been doing my infrequent updates over on the Scale Away With Me Facebook page (linked in the right column). Most of my recipes and sprawling messages are still here. :D</div>
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My weight has hovered around 300lb for the last several years. The doc says it's not insulin resistance alone, that the insulin resistance is actually caused by PCOS. So that's my diagnosis. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is the popular disease to have nowadays. More on that after the doc visit tomorrow.</div>
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I've been working my butt off (only figuratively, though) at my tattoo studio and have time for little else. I have MADE time for walking a few times a week with friends, and have done squats and floor exercises.</div>
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...That's kinda it right now.</div>
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Later!</div>
Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-47569708348181195622014-06-23T19:37:00.001-04:002014-06-23T19:37:03.598-04:00Scale Away With Me!https://www.facebook.com/scaleawaywithme<br />
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My new community Facebook page, where most of my activity will take place from now on.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">Daily scale shots, occasional videos, words of encouragement, and community support for the struggle against obesity. Tamara is ready. Will you join her?"</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">I'm keeping this blog up for all the food recipes and as a chronicle of my past attempt at weight loss. But I may post on occasion. :D</span></span>Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-5858192762562786322013-01-05T00:29:00.001-05:002013-01-05T00:29:33.816-05:00The Next New Thing<div>
SparkPeople.com is a free website that operates like Weight Watchers, generating goals and storing tracking data. I think I like it so far! Today is my test-drive of their program, along with my Simply Filling Power Foods list, real cheeses, real butter and real mayonnaise. </div>
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I had 476 to 826 calories left on my SparkPeople.com plan, and burned 464 calories today! I did a full half hour of aerobics and 15 minutes of crunches and weights. :) And I feel great, so far!</div>
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I'm still following my Weight Watchers Points Plus Simply Filling foods list so I don't have to count calories, and letting SparkPeople do the calorie calculations. I don't think I can use all the daily calories they allow to reach their 100lb December goal, but I can edit the amounts once I show some progress. </div>
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I still hold that the WW Simply Filling Plan, South Beach Diet, and Atkins Diet are essentially the same diet, with few exceptions (most involving use of fat and portion control). I own all three book sets for all diets, so they've got their money outta me. I find that some elements from each work very well. As of now, I've abandoned Atkins except for the "pure fats" allowance, except I measure and note serving sizes. The only notable difference between Simply Filling and South Beach is South Beach's 2 week Induction (nearly identical to Atkins' Induction). I'm not doing an Induction at this time, and for the first time in a long time, I'm not aiming for some level of ketosis. I'm tired of the gimmicks and misconceptions for all the diets. This isn't a one-upmanship contest. I'm trying for something sustainable.</div>
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Hoping the 1 week weigh-in is encouraging.</div>
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Cuddles,</div>
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Tamara</div>
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P.S. Weight Watchers posted a useful Power Foods list: http://www.weightwatchers.com/images/1033/dynamic/GCMSImages/Food_List.pdf</div>
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Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-17540607152113350422012-11-24T00:38:00.000-05:002012-11-24T00:38:12.334-05:00Food Suicide and The Cure<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px;">
I haven't posted in months because I didn't want to report my ongoing failure, or worse, my ongoing lack of commitment. But here I am, letting you know I'm still alive and struggling forward. Struggling counts, because at least it's still trying. So here goes, a little note I posted in my Facebook page: </div>
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I have insulin resistance, which means my fat cells are too fat to metabolize normal levels of insulin. My tired little pancreas has to pump out more insulin to get past the resistance. I get dizzy, weak and very sleepy as my blood-glucose continues to rise. Then my fat fat cells' flood gates open and slurp up all the crazy amounts of insulin, causing a necessary but sharp drop in blood sugar. I bottom out, suddenly starved to death (I must eat immediately at that point!) and feel much more alert, but start to get the dizzy shakes from needing to eat. Once I eat something (anything!), I start to feel better. Then the cycle starts all over again.</div>
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The so-called Wake-Up-Call pic...</div>
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I've failed in the struggle so often without proper health-risk motivation. Now that diabetes is looming and I've hit the over 300lb mark again (yeah, I just admitted that on the Internet), I still haven't figured out the "magic" combination of willpower, food, and support. I've beaten myself up often enough to be wary of proclaiming my next-big-plan to succeed. I've also had enough mini-successes in the mix to know what that feels like, too. And I've lost weight on some amazing recipes I created! (I even did a chronicle of the successes and failures... and recipes. Have a look and eat VERY well-- <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftamarahensonshealthoverhaul.blogspot.com%2F&h=LAQFfoxHc&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">http://tamarahensonshealthoverhaul.blogspot.com/</a> )</div>
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Mmmmm....</div>
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But I inevitably aim the wrong food at my face and pull the trigger. The various reasons don't matter. </div>
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The solution to my problem is simple. To fix my insulin resistance, I must make myself un-fat.</div>
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From my past experiences, I must also do this alone. I have let down the other person who already had some success on her diet, by failing in my attempt. I have been influenced by others' lack of focus. I have a thin husband who refuses to live on my health food, and rightfully so. I have many acquaintances who are on-again, off-again dieters. And I would be the only local person I know and like who is actively trying to improve my health. Which means I would have to actively refuse some aspects of my limited social time (eating junk), which usually makes it awkward for my non-dieting friends. I have expenses which make it difficult to consistently keep healthful food in my house. I have many pulls on my time that keep me from it.</div>
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However, I know what works in me to make this happen. I know what doesn't work. So I need to do what works, avoid what doesn't, and put my nose to the grindstone and stop listening to those who would intentionally or unintentionally sabotage me. </div>
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For those who are in a similar situation, please tell me... What has worked for you?</div>
Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-74095189390265195932012-07-16T00:14:00.000-04:002012-07-16T00:14:09.191-04:00Insulin Resistant: Gonna lose 106 pounds! Only 99 pounds left to go! :)<br />
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I posted this on Reddit after 13 days on low-carb Induction. Reposting here to keep from repeating myself too much:</div>
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"F/30/6' | SW: 306.4 | CW: 299.0 | GW: 200</div>
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Doc says it's insulin resistance/ prediabetes. He said "I'll prescribe you a pill." I said, "No you won't. I'll do this without meds." He said, "Then lose 100 pounds." I said, "Touche, Doc. Touche."</div>
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He also said to get on a low carb diet, which I already expected. I've lost 30 or so pounds with keto before and failed for stupid reasons. But I'm lucky this time: I'm pre-sick, and I'm not officially dying yet. Nothing like a medical reason to keep up the resolve!</div>
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The funny thing? I'm on day 13 of Induction and haven't cheated once! No cravings, no desire to eat bad things. I've been dragging my butt out of bed early to cook. I've eaten at restaurants within my limits. I guess the motivation is finally stemming from something beyond vanity. Not being pinned down by medication is great motivation! Not dying is even better!"</div>
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Support is pretty strong in the /keto and /loseit forums on Reddit.com. But like any place, there're trolls and douche bags. Haven't sold any of my creative things through Reddit, but I'll continue posting my health progress there. Maybe I'll inspire someone like they're inspiring me!</div>
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I bought salmon again! Two weeks in, I'm needing some variety. And 3lb bags of the frozen stuff was BACK at Kroger. Also stocked up on other low-carb things. Did feel a bit claustrophobic in the candy and bread and ice cream aisles, but made it through without a breakdown. I bought a small, already-roasted chicken instead. </div>
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I feel pretty darn good, physically speaking! I'm eating low-carb and about a half or more of the meat I eat is also low fat. I'm incorporating vegetables in everything. I'm drinking nothing but water and "sweet" tea made with Splenda. I'm taking vitamins daily: probiotic, garlic, cinnamon, B complex, an Omega fatty acid combo, and...something else... in addition to my multivitamin. My blood sugar has neither bottomed out nor skyrocketed since my doctor visit. And I'm in ketosis, which was an accident related to my 1 meal with carbs per day the doctor ordered. But I'm rolling with it. As long as I drink plenty of water, I'll be fine. </div>
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I'll be combining low carb AND low fat more strategically once I've finished reading my South Beach Supercharged book. Don't know how that'll work, since Doc told me it was okay (as in-- DO IT!!) to get my carbs from mostly non-starchy veggies. But I can use some principles from the book, I'm sure. Plus, my friend Angela is on South Beach again! So I have a consistent diet-buddy!</div>
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Cuddles,</div>
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Tamara</div>Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-68645114973830853712012-07-06T09:42:00.002-04:002012-07-06T09:43:11.372-04:00Now: Pre-Diabetes!<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">I'm pre-diabetic, that is to say, I have "Insulin Resistance Syndrome." And Doc says I have 100 pounds to lose, or I'll be Type II Diabetic within a year. So I told him I don't want any of his pre-diabetes meds, and I'm doing this without them. So he told ME to get my butt on a low carb diet (only 1 daily meal with non-veggie carbs) and to do aerobic exercise 3X a week, in addition to daily strength training. And if I don't make big improvements within 5 months, I'd be on the meds. So I told him... ok. I know I've done this dieting thing before, but this time it's scary, with worse consequences. So here I go again, on my own. :D</span>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">I've also gained weight. I'm at 306.4-ish pounds, with a BMI of 41. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">Now, whether I can actually swing this dieting thing, I don't know. But I'd rather not be sicker. We'll see.</span>Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-15605067559109188952012-03-20T11:29:00.000-04:002012-03-20T11:29:17.582-04:00295.6295.6 lb. I hit that number today. After my last whine-fest on here, it was clear to me that I wasn't even trying anymore. (Or just discouraged or <i>something</i>. Dunno.) I updated that post and also provide this new one.<br />
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Today is Day 1 of the Tamara Coffey "The Scale says WHAT?! If it's not lying, I must be slowly dying!" health improvement venture. Not Atkins, per se. Just cutting out processed sugars and other simple carbs. You will not hear about my daily or weekly progress after Week 2. You will only hear about certain breakthroughs. Promise!<br />
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Please encourage the Tama with "Atta-girls" and "You can do its!" Please do NOT feed the Tama! (Unless it is un-breaded meat, non-starchy vegetables, real fats or REALLY dark chocolate! The four food groups, right?)<br />
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Cuddles,<br />
Tamara<br />Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-60004779998471261102012-02-29T13:53:00.002-05:002012-03-03T20:29:58.061-05:00What's wrong with me???I neglected this blog for weeks so I could finish my novel and get it published. I have also eaten nothing but fast food and convenience foods since my last post. As a result, I've hit my highest weight in recent history: 287.0 lb. I don't consider myself a food addict. When I'm project-focused, I'm just a convenience addict.<br />
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What a waste of all my effort for an entire year! To be this fat again really irks me. It was preventable. Something had to slide to make time for the novel, but not slide THIS MUCH! I could cite reasons and excuses, but I'm not a big fan of either. Besides, they're all based on what I did or didn't do: I was lazy. I was unfocused. I went through the drive-thru rather than cooking at home. I could also blame others, but that's silly: I don't have anyone to support me. I have no one invested in diet and exercise with me, really, consistently. It's silly because health improvement pacts at work are passing whims. Sad, pathetic promises we all sweep under the rug when our fragile willpower caves to a candy-bar. So what if no one I know wants to dedicate themselves to being healthier? They must have better things to do. I'll not blame them for my failure.<br />
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The gloves are off. I'm done. I'm <i>killing</i> myself with food. This is suicide. I either need to stop and get healthier, or give up and die my early death with a plate piled high with junk-food and medications to counteract that junk-food's effect on my bloated, miserable body.<br />
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You know what works? Effort. Honest-to-goodness <i>effort</i> to make something happen. Don't pray to win the lottery if you're not willing to buy a ticket. So when I've put in effort, when I've made actual progress, I'll post again. Until then, I won't waste your time with my failures.<br />
<br />
UPDATE: What a whiny, emo spiel! Let's see... Translation: "I got lazy and unmotivated. I acknowledge I am on my own and must improve my health. I'll try harder, putting my effort into worthy pursuits, and only update following my next breakthrough." There. Less annoying! LOL<br />
<br />
Cuddles,<br />
TamaraTamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-63491008535004282642012-01-24T14:10:00.000-05:002012-01-24T14:15:06.995-05:00Week 8: The Carb Trap 2As I mentioned in my last post, I've fallen into the carb trap this week. And as I predicted, I DID gain back all the water weight from week 7. And as I assumed, I've taken a morale hit from said weight gain. AND as I know myself, this will not be the last time I mess up a diet. I mean a lifelong eating adjustment. But I'm trying diligently to climb back up in the saddle and ride off on the dusty, lonely trail of dieting in the household of a skinny hubby.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Weight last week:</b> 271.8 (ish)</div>
<div>
<b>Weight this week:</b> 279.8</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>GAIN</b> of 8 lb. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I feel like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man today. That is all! :)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Cuddles,</div>
<div>
Tamara</div>Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-46141805571624026392012-01-21T08:41:00.000-05:002012-01-21T08:41:24.165-05:00The Carb TrapI was wondering why it usually takes me a month to get in the habit of consistently staying in ketosis. My first week of Atkins was perfect... no major screw ups and a moderate testing for ketones. This week, I've had three off days (but only the three evening meals across those three days) and I'm completely negative for ketones. I shudder to think what the scale will tell me. I've probably loaded back on all that crazy water weight from last week. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, as usual, I'm back at square one today. I hate this pattern, especially since Atkins is stupidly easy to follow, if a little challenging in the variety department. I may not get back to last week's weight by the Tuesday weigh in, but I'm going to try hard to eliminate carbs. I don't really think it's much of a let down, considering I've struggled with staying on every eating plan I've adopted. But this is the one diet where I know I feel better. I know I can succeed. I've proven success. And I just let my willpower whistle and look away as I sabotage it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've told Brandon I'm not having dinner with him (when I get off work and he's on lunch) unless we choose a place I can eat Atkins-friendly. Not many choices in this town, but better than NO choices. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Since this isn't a diet as much as a lifelong-lifestyle-changing-eating-plan, I know it takes an adjustment. And if I can make it past the two weeks of Induction, it's smooth sailing from there on out (barring the inevitable, occasional plateau). So here I go again on my own. Going down the only road I've ever known... :D</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Cuddles,</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Tamara</div>Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-68836611854761352022012-01-16T23:22:00.001-05:002012-01-17T08:42:05.280-05:00PROGRESS: Week 7, Hello Ketosis!<div>
The Franken-Diet is what I call the Frankenstein's monster of diet parts and pieces that work for me. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now I'm in the low carb stage of the Franken-Diet. Ketones are the byproducts released as the body burns primarily fat instead of carbohydrates. The ketones are purged through urine, saliva, and probably through every other gland. Testing high for ketosis is bad if you're not trying to make it happen through dieting. But I'm trying...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm testing Moderate for ketosis, finally. For the first week or two of low-carb eating (via Atkins Induction), I purge water weight rapidly, due to the diuretic effect of ketosis. After that, weight loss slows to a normal, "healthy" rate as I increase my carb intake by measured increments. This initial stage of the diet fools the body into thinking it's starving (no/low carbs= starving) even though you're cramming food into it (mostly protein). As a results, hunger is suppressed. Blood sugar is incredibly stable. My stomach is nice and calm. The food is rich and satisfying. The cravings and food addictions subside. And your body is forced to mobilize fat because you're not giving it any carbs!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Go to the official Atkins site for more information: <a href="http://www.atkins.com/Program/Phase-1.aspx">http://www.atkins.com/Program/Phase-1.aspx</a> . </div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<b>Weight 2 Weeks Ago: 277.2</b><br />
<div>
<b>Weight 1 Week Ago: 280 (From the "Crap, I didn't lose weight because I didn't focus" files!)</b></div>
<div>
<b>Weight This Week: 271.8</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>8.2 Pounds Lost!</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting a wonder diet. The science behind low-carb is sound. I also eat more naturally on this diet than any other. (Seriously-- God may have made sugar, but He only <i>facilitated</i> the production of Twinkies with that creation...) This is only a "diet" if you have no intention of changing your habits for the long term. The Lifetime Maintenance on Atkins is full of vegetables, occasional fruit, and some dairy. And regardless of the avoidable minor inconveniences, I'm going on how I feel, which is <i>awesome!</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>Good Things That I Ate:</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1. Breakfast: Eggs with Bacon Pieces. A bit of Mexene Chili Powder (my favorite egg-topper!)</div>
<div>
2. Lunch: Lean Hamburgers with Mayo and Ketchup</div>
<div>
3. Alternate Lunch: Chicken Salad (made with canned chicken breast, dill relish and mayo)</div>
<div>
4. Dinners: 20 Carb Avocado Salad, Plain Salad with Ranch (bleh!), 20 Carb Taco Salad, McD's side salad with 2 Chicken Grill Patties and Ranch, </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3KmGxuEj0tuJpm-VLM8DH9SdgvZYbT8l0lYtfx6y-JOFEdiUZeP88vYgKoYD6OWlKRxziknfANsikoNuVOvtOsRmpJtMn8XeFb3RBrv9cunR8bqpG5mjpkXcE6GIowQ0PSQXPscH-wnI/s1600/Food+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3KmGxuEj0tuJpm-VLM8DH9SdgvZYbT8l0lYtfx6y-JOFEdiUZeP88vYgKoYD6OWlKRxziknfANsikoNuVOvtOsRmpJtMn8XeFb3RBrv9cunR8bqpG5mjpkXcE6GIowQ0PSQXPscH-wnI/s320/Food+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">20 Carb Taco Salad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<u>Easy Recipe:</u> Prepare taco meat using lean ground beef (or what-have-you) and serve with fresh spinach, chopped onions, sour cream, a drizzle of taco sauce, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-dsozQP1nEQtkKgvIFMdVYBLlISsZIFKGvZ9nhF_8zMt6dRPSIBOIpigAqk4w-6PqsxMZqeXyLhGAKoHJNLZWOR5OTJazZSvMS8axyQGe7FgzV3fe0GKKuKXKttwnRZ_jI3RgdV_xINv8/s1600/Food+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-dsozQP1nEQtkKgvIFMdVYBLlISsZIFKGvZ9nhF_8zMt6dRPSIBOIpigAqk4w-6PqsxMZqeXyLhGAKoHJNLZWOR5OTJazZSvMS8axyQGe7FgzV3fe0GKKuKXKttwnRZ_jI3RgdV_xINv8/s320/Food+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">20 Carb Guacamole Salad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<u>Easy Recipe 2: </u>Prepare guacamole by mashing a ripe avocado and either 1) adding lime juice, cilantro, onion powder and garlic powder OR 2) using half a pack of prepared guac seasoning (has more carbs). Then serve over spinach with sour cream (didn't like this in the salad), bacon pieces, Parmesan cheese and some pepperoni slices.<br />
<div>
<br />
<div>
<div>
<div>
<b>Low Carb Snacks:</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
1. Mac's BBQ Pork Rinds (like no other! *sigh*)</div>
<div>
2. Portioned beef jerky</div>
<div>
3. Cream cheese (sometimes WITH the pork rinds. Don't knock it til you tried it!)</div>
<div>
4. An occasional spoonful of peanut butter (I think I had one all week)</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Here Are Some Things I Did:</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1. Saved almost all of my allotted carbohydrates (20g/day) for dinner. I will continue to do this because if I veer off the all-protein path during the day, I'll screw up at night. It feels like splurging when I wait! And for each of these "splurge" dinners, I ate a SALAD!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. Measured and counted everything with carbs! Grippo's Powder is now on my list of no-nos. It has 4 carbs in just one teaspoon. So I made a couple mistakes early in the week. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3. I had an avocado a day for over half the week. 15 carbs, well worth the scrounging and saving of carb grams. Oh, and something about Omega something-something good for me...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4. Did at least one full day of burnout sessions with the exercise bands at work. I did a different routine between each call until I was a tired little puddle. I spent about 5 hours (minus call time) playing with those rubber bands, not realizing how sore I would be today! I shall call it Chair-Fu Calisthenics and Rubber-Band Boxing!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And I'm trying to do more of the same for this upcoming week! I just realized I can make my baked salmon and avocado recipe! Mmmmmmm....</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Cuddles,</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Tamara</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
</div>
</div>Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-42110343335307596142012-01-09T10:41:00.000-05:002012-01-09T10:42:36.610-05:00Week 6: The PunchlineThis week, four overall statements can be made.<br />
<br />
1. Between restaurant food, visiting, snacking, and stress, I only ate Power Foods for about a third of each day.<br />
<br />
2. My featured dieter Donna did pretty dang good this week, with only a couple oopsies along the way. :)<br />
<br />
3. I did not lose weight this week.<br />
<br />
4. I'm feeling the wooziness of some blood-glucose issue, which I intend to remedy with Atkins Induction.<br />
<br />
I grocery shopped yesterday, tired of the slim pickins at the house that were anything but slimming. And as I shopped, I gravitated toward Atkins-friendly food. I know I said I'd transition over to a pseudo-Atkins diet in time, but I'm trying it a month or so earlier than I planned. The Franken-Diet twist is that I'll have lean beef, chicken, fish, and eggs with pure fats (lean meat instead of ANY meat I want). I bought some salad things and avocados for veggies, and some low-carb snacks (pork rinds and jerky) which I already portioned out into serving sizes. I'll have eggs for breakfast, snacks at work, a hamburger or chicken salad for lunch, a salad with avocado and pepperoni for dinner. I used my buddy Ryan's grill-n-freeze method for fresh tasting hamburgers without having to make 'em each day. I'm counting portions and carbs, and only eating when I'm hungry. I'll be keeping my daily carb count at 20g or below and testing for ketosis at the end of the week. Ketosis has been my Achilles' heel. If I can get in, I'll be fine. I'm sure I was just screwin' up the last time I tried this version of the Franken-Diet.<br />
<br />
The real challenge of any low-carb diet is the first two weeks, when the rules are more stringent. Other than very limited food options (a plus for lazy me!), you've got the carb and caffeine withdrawal. And you've got the higher cost of so-called "real" food that is eaten in larger quantities.<br />
<br />
So this week's diet felt more like a bad joke. The punchline? Feeling sick AND disgusted with myself are surefire ways to make me go low-carb. :) (Oh, come on. The punchline to a bad joke isn't SUPPOSED to be funny!)<br />
<br />
Cuddles,<br />
Tamara<br />
<br />Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-40979393848159600152012-01-03T12:03:00.002-05:002012-01-24T14:13:28.005-05:00FEATURED: Donna's PathMeet my coworker Donna. She's a real sweetheart who gave her permission for me to do an ongoing feature on her in Tamara Henson's Health Overhaul. I have permission to display, GASP, her REAL WEIGHT!!! I'll give updates on her progress periodically.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJnugW3jI6qhu51GHwVKmpCDzN0n4TBIja56GegjpY0yN1MFeyahnUn6cqYgIe1-cSLQ1mJ7f5tEGgQolE7jPJS495t_Fv2qEuGcbvXgnHJWiGs2qs1fqzlB5xegWgUx8DA1IrpDMI79w/s1600/Donna+Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJnugW3jI6qhu51GHwVKmpCDzN0n4TBIja56GegjpY0yN1MFeyahnUn6cqYgIe1-cSLQ1mJ7f5tEGgQolE7jPJS495t_Fv2qEuGcbvXgnHJWiGs2qs1fqzlB5xegWgUx8DA1IrpDMI79w/s320/Donna+Blog.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
<br />
You see, I've suckered her into getting healthy with me, following my very simple plan. Now, I'm not a doctor and she knows it. :D But she can't deny that the simple mishmash known as the Franken-Diet will at least be easy to follow, if a challenge to continue. We suffer from the same pitfalls of cravings, so I really understand where she's coming from. So here's my interview with her, to get us started:<br />
<br />
<b>1. What health problems do you have?</b><br />
<br />
"Asthma & Bronchitis, Bulging disc and arthritis in my spine due to a fall in 2008"<br />
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<b>2. Why do you want to lose weight?</b><br />
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"To better my health and and view of myself. To make a better me!"<br />
<br />
<b>3. What is your food poison?</b><br />
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"Chocolate!" (Yeah, Donna. Me too!)<br />
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<b>4. What are your current eating habits?</b><br />
<br />
"1-2 times a day, whatever I want" Includes regular Mountain Dew, various sugary snacks, highly processed convenience foods, fast food, and the candies!<br />
<br />
<b>DONNA'S HEALTH PROFILE:</b><br />
<br />
Height: 5'6"<br />
Age: 33<br />
Highest weight: 357 pounds<br />
Current Weight: 357 pounds<br />
<br />
<b>GOAL 1:</b> 300lb (Timeframe, unknown)<br />
<b>GOAL 2:</b> 275lb (25 pound mini-increments)<br />
<br />
<b>ULTIMATE GOAL:</b> 200lb<br />
<br />
PROCESS: Donna begins her diet today, using my Simply Filling Power Foods list and also my recipes.<br />
<br />
This is what I told her:<br />
<br />
"1. Eat whenever you're hungry, as often as necessary, for these first few days<br />
2. Eat as much of the approved foods as you want until you're no longer hungry<br />
3. Eat at LEAST 3 times a day, whether your meals are small or large. Or two meals and a snack. Every time you put Power Foods in your mouth, you rev up your metabolism.<br />
4. Measure servings of everything, even if you eat multiple portions!<br />
<br />
Because you're used to high calories in smaller meals, you'll want to eat more low-calorie foods to make up for it, so you don't get faint and end up sick from changing your eating habits too quickly."<br />
<br />
I'm excited for Donna!<br />
<br />
If you want a feature on my blog, and you're ready to do your own Health Overhaul, copy and answer all the questions and profile items and send them to tamaravmhenson (at) gmail (dot) com. Attach a photo, if I don't already know you through Facebook (where I can snatch my own pic). And if you freak out about the world knowing your weight, just enter pounds you want to lose! :)<br />
<br />
Cuddles,<br />
<br />
TamaraTamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-87330255167578732712012-01-03T11:32:00.002-05:002012-01-03T12:09:55.046-05:00PROGRESS: Week 5Holiday damages aside, I honestly didn't get focused well enough to do the diet all that well this week. Candies finally dwindled to nothing. Other junk foods did the same. Restaurant food was eaten once or twice. Hot chocolate sustained me during my cold (which is also dwindling, but still present). Hot Chicken and Pasta sustained me at lunch. And sometimes at dinner. I even had a couple caffeine-free regular Pepsis. So I expected my weight to go up, not down. I did the weigh-over I usually reserve for when I think I should weigh LESS! :) And the third weigh-over of relative confusion...<br />
<br />
Weight Last Week:<b> 279.4</b><br />
Weight This Week: <b>277.2</b><br />
<br />
That's <b>2.2 pounds</b> lost. I'll take it, and actually update the ticker so it'll be accurate.<br />
<br />
<b>Good Things I Ate This Week:</b><br />
<br />
1. Chicken and Pasta<br />
2. Baked potatoes with fat free sour cream<br />
<br />
<b>Here Are Some Things I Did:</b><br />
<br />
1. Prepared the soup ahead of time<br />
2. Baked stuffed peppers last night<br />
3. Dutifully ate oatmeal, cinnamon and Sweet N Low for breakfast this morning<br />
4. Otherwise, not much!<br />
<br />
<b>Things I Plan To Change This Week:</b><br />
<br />
1. Decided that oatmeal is kinda unappetizing to me. Will probably eat some type of protein for breakfast instead.<br />
2. WW Simply Filling is the focus of this week. I can't cheat if I don't have the food in the house to do so.<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE: I entered my original weight of 300lb to be more accurate with total weight lost (not just weight lost since the blog started). And I entered my current weight for today. And I didn't cry. But here's the chart:</b><br />
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<img alt="Weight Chart" height="285" src="http://tickers.tickerfactory.com/WeightPlot/w3FfshT.png?1325610388" width="400" />
<br />
<br />
<b>WHERE I'M HEADING WITH THIS:</b><br />
<br />
I want to stick with Simply Filling for a month and see how much progress I make versus days on and days off. I then want to transition to an Atkins-style WW diet, incorporating my Simply Filling food list only and eating lean proteins and vegetables until I'm close to my goal weight. (Incorporation of several diets, hence "Franken-Diet") Then I want to transition again into a lifelong healthy eating habit as I shed the last few pounds. I expect my food list at that time to be the WW Simply Filling list I compiled, with perhaps pure fats and cheeses in moderation instead of unlimited fat free. That way, I'm eating mostly all natural foods that I could grow or produce on a farm. :)<br />
<br />
I don't know how long this is going to take. I've piddled with it for a year, never really locking in a routine, even when the routine worked in the short term. So I'm going to say that in 5 months of diligence, I should be close. I'll gauge it again in a month. I don't want to wait another year to finish my health overhaul!<br />
<br />
Cuddles,<br />
<br />
Tamara<br />
<br />Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-14915694628786851822011-12-30T01:28:00.005-05:002011-12-30T01:28:49.961-05:00RECIPE: Chicken and Pasta Soup<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">This is an update to my Chicken Soup recipe. I made it right this time, which is to say that my noodles didn't disintegrate. My inspiration? Waking up sick and having to stay home from work Thursday. I expect this soup to be miraculous. :) </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">POWER FOODS CHICKEN AND PASTA SOUP</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQT83THYf1YlZvplsK6LPXI42w6Wn3-BisKPoybVBfr4rUBP8NcO0Gu-RmtcH1pWhQsQLOxvPtf8gGVRk7bUIH_dA981IHg6u4wycWam5TNN6KKcz_9LdW2RmfIHxIyb0br8MzxAUdI658/s1600/Christmas+2011+075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQT83THYf1YlZvplsK6LPXI42w6Wn3-BisKPoybVBfr4rUBP8NcO0Gu-RmtcH1pWhQsQLOxvPtf8gGVRk7bUIH_dA981IHg6u4wycWam5TNN6KKcz_9LdW2RmfIHxIyb0br8MzxAUdI658/s320/Christmas+2011+075.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It ain't pretty, but it's tasty!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">4 Chicken Breasts</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">3 chicken bouillon cubes</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">1 box wheat pasta (I picked rotini)</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Pepper,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Ginger Powder,</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Italian Seasoning, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Salt,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Garlic Powder and Onion Powder</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">In slow cooker, c</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">over chicken breasts with water (a few inches from the top of the cooker) and cook on HIGH until chicken is done. (It will sorta float!) This is the leave it until you smell it phase. I fished out the white squishy blobbies (technical term, folks!) with a fork. Tear apart chicken with two forks while still in broth. Or dirty a plate if you must. Add spices to taste, in the order they're listed, stirring chicken and broth. (I hold off on the salt as much as possible. I add a lot of pepper to cut through the cold. :D) Stir thoroughly. Add pasta and stir. Cook for about a half hour, stirring occasionally, until pasta can be easily cut with your stirring spoon but before it's gooey mush.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">NOTE: I added Ginger on a whim, for it's good-health properties. And I can't really taste it much (can't taste much of anything at the moment) but it has added some extra good spiciness. I will add it to my broths from now on as the "What the heck is that good flavor?" ingredient. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">STYLE NOTE: Add celery and carrots if you must, early in the cooking process. I just didn't have any today. And other than aesthetics, the veggies don't entice me at all. With my cold, it's all about the chicken and broth. The noodles are just healthy carb filler. Adding anything else is just sneaky! :)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Sniffle-cough Cuddles,</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Tamara, who gets frustrated when sick and does things like this instead of dosing up and sleeping</span></span>Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-72930663804867574822011-12-29T16:06:00.001-05:002011-12-29T16:06:37.110-05:00HOLIDAY DAMAGES: Week 4A little late on this week's post. Today, I woke up with a cold, and feel bad, so you get the short, short version.<br />
<br />
I weigh 279.4 today. Up about 6 pounds. Probably half water-weight, half new lard. :)<br />
<br />
I ate sooo many good things that were bad for me. So many chocolate and peanut butter candies of different types! I did eat in moderation until the three day span of Christmas Eve, Day, and Day after, when I ate, ummm, heartily. The eating tapered off in the days hence, as the leftovers ran out.<br />
<br />
Sick of junk food and holiday food. Making Power Foods meals for the rest of the week and beyond.<br />
<br />
And here I am, eating chicken noodle soup. Sore throat. Runny nose. Lost voice. Hoping to feel like making some feel-good chicken and noodles later, as well as some salsa chicken with refried beans, rice and sour cream.<br />
<br />
Cuddles,<br />
<br />
TamaraTamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-22847297971247107672011-12-21T21:21:00.003-05:002011-12-21T21:21:59.970-05:00RECIPES: VenisonNow I should say I'm not a big fan of venison. The taste of wild deer, even when cooked "right" isn't my favorite thing. And I've eaten this critter in several forms-- jerky, steak, burger, AND stir fry. But it is very lean, therefore good for you, and if you disguise it just right... :D If you're brave, try my simple, very similar recipes and let me know how it goes! Don't worry. Bambi will forgive you!<br />
<br />
<b>VENISON BURGERS WITH PEPPERS AND ONIONS:</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JO2UjpyYIuHJa1YynV_oKWbhRJPMkgbByC54OvjQ_Uk8ghUFPzG8fTUyQRwvo8PFJHD-xEk2vnH-pMofamUe7DBg8FYKcF0UfkGQg00hwR9-TLPvj2BFdcWJnOOkjiRbBFavu6eTh7QS/s1600/Food+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JO2UjpyYIuHJa1YynV_oKWbhRJPMkgbByC54OvjQ_Uk8ghUFPzG8fTUyQRwvo8PFJHD-xEk2vnH-pMofamUe7DBg8FYKcF0UfkGQg00hwR9-TLPvj2BFdcWJnOOkjiRbBFavu6eTh7QS/s320/Food+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skilleted!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
4 Venison burgers (buy the meat, or get some FRESH from your father-in-law's recent kill!)<br />
1/2 Green pepper, sliced<br />
1/2 Sweet onion, sliced<br />
Seasoning of choice (I chose Grippo's powder!)<br />
<br />
Drain the burgers (lean meat = blood. Just sayin'!). Cook in skillet on low-medium heat until halfway cooked. (Just a few minutes, but I'm no expert!) Flip burgers. Dump in veggies among the cooked, ah, fat and juices (*grins awkwardly talking about blood again*). Stir fry veggies in and around the meat until onions gain some transparency. :) Turn up the heat. Flip the burgers. Liberally season one side and flip. Season remaining side and season vegetables. Flip burger. (Searing the sides a bit, to avoid the "boiled hamburger in the lunchline" look!) Move burgers to outside of pan to continue cooking. (I'd rather overcook a venison burger than under-cook it. Because it's ground meat, it doesn't become shoe leather like a steak!) Stir fry vegetables in center of pan until tender. Serve immediately. Tastes like... venison.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3X7XxmM9O2XFnnPhlw8d46_4hN2qvp-nCEImVPnZvkiydl3Vv6HX1-7vPno-fQtwfaYmvBpSA_xW3SmXShpk5ixLcOJLVBqtUhqM9V49wY3XGnVHkbaNms_kozLXctHnzUZ8V0brQkLR3/s1600/Food+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3X7XxmM9O2XFnnPhlw8d46_4hN2qvp-nCEImVPnZvkiydl3Vv6HX1-7vPno-fQtwfaYmvBpSA_xW3SmXShpk5ixLcOJLVBqtUhqM9V49wY3XGnVHkbaNms_kozLXctHnzUZ8V0brQkLR3/s320/Food+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plated!</td></tr>
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NOTE: Venison has a distinctive smell when you add heat. It's the "game-y" smell that only goes away with the addition of onions and peppers, in my experience. My hubby says that onion "draws the wild out of it." I think you're covering it up with another smell, and they're cancelling each other out. Almost as soon as the onions heat up, the smell will dissipate.<br />
<br />
<b>VENISON STIR-FRY</b><br />
<br />
4 small venison steaks, cut into thin strips<br />
<br />
1/2 Green pepper, sliced<br />
1/2 Sweet onion, sliced<br />
Teriyaki sauce<br />
Soy sauce<br />
Sesame oil<br />
Rice wine vinegar<br />
Sesame seeds<br />
Prepared brown rice, optional<br />
<br />
Rinse meat in water. Drain. Heat sesame oil in wok or skillet. Add venison and stir fry on medium-high heat. Add vegetables and stir fry until onions gain some translucency. Lower heat to medium. Add equal parts teriyaki and soy sauce to skillet (enough to thoroughly coat venison and vegetables, but not until there's standing liquid in the pan!). Stir until coated. Add a splash of vinegar to help deglaze the pan. Stir over medium heat until sauce thickens. It will incorporate with pan drippings to make a yummy thing! Sprinkle some sesame seeds over the whole thing. Serve over brown rice!<br />
<br />
NOTE: Don't have a pic yet. But I like this recipe because you can insert your meat of choice and it'll turn out great! I usually make chicken this way, and have made pork and beef as well.<br />
<br />
Cuddles,<br />
<br />
Tamara<br />Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-10829174078834613412011-12-21T12:45:00.001-05:002011-12-21T12:45:33.372-05:00PROGRESS: Week 3, 100th Post!Today I celebrate my 100th post with some positive progress and a little story about The Scale and I! Considering this is the week before Christmas and I've been making candy like crazy-- and only sampling tiny amounts-- it's a miracle I've gotten anywhere with it! But the period of time I'm calling "damage control" has yielded results:<br />
<br />
Weight Last Week: 275.2
<br />
Weight This Week: 273.4<br />
<br />
That's a difference of 1.8 pounds! <i>With</i> eating some of the candies for the babies of the peoples!<br />
<br />
<b>Good things I ate this week:</b><br />
<br />
1. More turkey thin-bread sandwiches for lunch. Now I'm out of the bread, so I won't buy more.<br />
<br />
2. Baked salmon for lunch once, breakfast a couple or three times. (Because the stink of it heating up for lunch that one time may have killed a few coworkers! :D So I made different lunches to replace those.) Pure protein goodness!<br />
<br />
3. Power Foods Texas Hash from my recipes. With refried beans and melted Pepperjack cheese.<br />
<br />
4. Stuffed peppers: cleared out my stock of frozen peppers so I didn't have to cook. Now will have to cook!<br />
<br />
5. String cheese as snacks at work<br />
<br />
6. A couple days of oatmeal with Sweet N Low and cinnamon. Meh. :)<br />
<br />
<b>Here are some things I did:</b>
<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
1. Avoided added salt.<br />
<br />
2. Cooked Texas Hash and Salmon in advance.<br />
<br />
3. Made sandwiches fresh each morning.<br />
<br />
4. Measured portions for almost everything!<br />
<br />
5. Snacked on candies in EXTREME moderation!<br />
<br />
6. Kept busy with work or cleaning or creative pursuits. No time to idly eat!<br />
<br />
<b>Here are some things I plan to change this week:</b>
<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
1. Eat Christmas food on the day before, day of and day after, but not beyond. (No infinite leftovers!)<br />
<br />
2. Pay more attention to the "full" feeling. Cut regular portion sizes accordingly.<br />
<br />
3. A few rounds with an exercise video or two. Helps with health AND stress!<br />
<br />
<b>THE SCALE AND I-- TAMA SAYS:</b><br />
<br />
Back in the day, in fifth grade, the teacher did weigh-ins in front of class. Not officially public, but may as well have been. My number (on the first digital scale I ever remember seeing) was 188. I looked at her and her assistant. They looked at me. Some kids snickered. Forget the fact that I was the tallest, strongest kid in class, an Amazon in comparison to the little boys. That was the first time I saw my weight as a health problem.<br />
<br />
Sure, I got picked on before that day for being the poor kid, the smart kid, the shy kid, the tall kid AND the fat kid in class. But Mamaw always told me, "It's just <i>baby</i> fat. You'll grow up and it'll all be gone." In almost the same breath she'd comment on how so-and-so was "as big as <i>you</i> are, Tamara!" or "even bigger than <i>you</i>!" (A practice she continued-- among other unsavory ones-- until I just vacated her presence a couple years ago. Permanently. With little regret. And only the briefest meetings since.)<br />
<br />
Regardless of the other things she said which I <i>knew</i> were instigating crap, I was gullible. I believed that bit about baby fat until I saw 188 on the scale. Then the struggle started. But when you're not paying the bills, you eat what you're given, which was sufficient. I hit a growth spurt after this, too. I outgrew my long hair, which "shrank" from my hips up to my bra strap. Big Macs went on sale around that time. I'd eat two in a sitting, with fries and a shake. I can't do that <i>now</i>! But I was<i> literally</i> a growing young girl.<br />
<br />
By eight grade, I was fatter, but the weight was stretched out on a longer frame (I ended up at 6ft eventually). After a few diets-- the Grapefruit diet (blech!) and Atkins, to name a couple-- I was still overweight. Going into high school, I weighed 212 pounds. Going into college, I weighed 223-ish. (I didn't gain the Freshman 15 because I walked everywhere. I may have lost weight...) Coming out of 5 years on my butt in customer service, I weighed 275. And coming out of my one and only year of full time teaching, during which I was sick for most of it, I weighed 300 pounds. And by the time I started this blog... ummm Monday, December 27, 2010, to be exact... I was fully unemployed for the first time in my adult life and down to 291 lb. And I was finally ready to take control of at least <i>one</i> area of my crumbly future: my weight!<br />
<br />
I get different comments now when people ask my weight. "You don't <i>look</i> like you weigh that much." "You carry it well." I don't mind these as much. And if people know you're on a diet, they'll comment on how much weight you've lost. :) Even when you haven't. It's an attempt at encouragement that I would never discourage. Most people KNOW how hard it is to lose weight.<br />
<br />
I can't see a weight change yet. Even in ten pounds, I may not notice. But I finally remembered why owning a digital scale made me feel a grain of hesitation, why it was so ingrained in me to buy one. A digital scale is where it all started-- the downfall and the climb back up. The number 188. I think I'll set that as Major Goal Number 2 when I knock off this 100 pounds. If I do that, I'll have come full circle. :)Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-91563425258034212592011-12-15T11:19:00.002-05:002011-12-15T11:19:49.119-05:00RECIPE: Simple Texas HashAs a former Atkins dieter, I'm wrapping my head around this one slowly. It's got potatoes, for cryin' out loud! The no-no food of the low carb world is scary. But WW Power Foods include potatoes as a permitted "free food" vegetable. (And I have to cook the leftover potatoes I have, or they'll go to waste!) Lunch at school this week will alternate between this recipe, and my baked salmon recipe. Let's see if I can lose weight this week, under the influence of the evil potato!<br />
<br />
SIMPLE TEXAS HASH:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYxiJ3sDnism9PAZLy5Eo2sKPqC5svky2WYPvEUpfR-FFqGXHkY0VixSPrWFiJe3mCAzM0nxwxxNcbtecbvcTzQtjjbt2MdqemlYFhoNYmDkAUsFZsIfmYSvjvkY-E3p2jo36NDf5lr8n/s1600/Food+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYxiJ3sDnism9PAZLy5Eo2sKPqC5svky2WYPvEUpfR-FFqGXHkY0VixSPrWFiJe3mCAzM0nxwxxNcbtecbvcTzQtjjbt2MdqemlYFhoNYmDkAUsFZsIfmYSvjvkY-E3p2jo36NDf5lr8n/s400/Food+008.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is before the meal is cooked completely, but it only got prettier!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
1 lb lean ground beef<br />
1 onion, sliced in slivers<br />
3 medium to small potatoes, thinly sliced or diced<br />
1 can Rotel tomatoes and chilis. Do not drain.<br />
1 can tomato sauce<br />
Salt, Pepper, Garlic to taste<br />
Seasoned salt<br />
Olive oil<br />
<br />
Optional:<br />
Pepperjack Cheese, sliced thinly<br />
Beans- Kidney or otherwise, drained<br />
Fat free refried beans<br />
Fat free sour cream<br />
<br />
Brown lean beef over medium heat in a large pan. (Lean beef means you don't have to drain anything!) Move beef to outside of skillet and put some olive oil in center of pan. Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic in the oil. Dump in onions and stir until hot and aromatic. Pile in potatoes. Sprinkle them with seasoned salt. Cover and heat through. Stir the whole mess together. Add Rotel, liquid and all (this may have been a mistake, since I don't like my food TOO spicy-hot!). Stir into the mess. Add tomato sauce, stirring again. Simmer on low, covered, stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender. I let it go for about forty minutes without a problem. (I forgot it a lot, too!)<br />
<br />
Serve topped with a slice of Pepperjack cheese, with refried beans and sour cream on the side... Or stirred in.<br />
<br />
NOTE: My taste-test said this was spicy hot, a little more so than I go for usually. But other than the heat, it's pretty bland. Feel free to play with the spices and let me know how it goes!<br />
<br />
STYLE NOTE: I have noticed that when eating only Power Foods, I like to make meals with chunky ingredients to keep it texturally interesting. You could dice the potatoes really small so they'd cook faster and look more like traditional hash, but you'll lose the visual appeal! :)<br />
<br />
MY WORK MEAL LINEUP:<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Eq4qFujoqoQEt4goGfj-pBRRRa_Y_CaIVivxPD6GgdWr47RAHvNS0N8i9vhcoi23KlMosWDHy4o-a7c-lf79Mt1PRtVpcDjZYH-puJxhmz2-jjNPXccP6XYW2YAj0ClLvBSHYyJIN0ox/s1600/Food+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Eq4qFujoqoQEt4goGfj-pBRRRa_Y_CaIVivxPD6GgdWr47RAHvNS0N8i9vhcoi23KlMosWDHy4o-a7c-lf79Mt1PRtVpcDjZYH-puJxhmz2-jjNPXccP6XYW2YAj0ClLvBSHYyJIN0ox/s400/Food+009.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top: Slabs of baked salmon, Bottom: Simple Texas Hash, beans and cheese!</td></tr>
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<br />Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-83633732831298813652011-12-13T18:44:00.002-05:002011-12-15T10:55:24.714-05:00PROGRESS: Week 2<div>
<b>PROGRESS AND NUMBERS: </b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
I skipped out on that doctor consultation today. Sleep has been too rare, almost as rare as my desire to pay the guy a copay to tell me what I already knew. :)<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So I did my own weigh-in today. I'm at 275.2 lb today, which means it's holding steady, and that's just fine by me for this week. I checked my blood pressure the other day, and all numbers were within healthy ranges. I even got a 70-something on my diastolic number (if that's the bottom one). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I didn't lose weight this week, probably because of my little novel-finishing celebration of Wendy's chili, a garden salad... and a small chocolate Frosty! I've also eaten chocolate every day this week, and one Arby's breakfast involving ice water, tater-hash-brown things, and a MUCH larger breakfast wrap than I expected (two servings-- breakfast and breaktime!). I also made Chicken and Dumplings for Brandon (clearly not permitted as Power Foods) and ate that for dinner for a couple days. Add a McDouble dressed like a Mac and a McChicken, plus one large sweet tea at some point, and that just about rounds out my week!</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_E3PqVEK3I9kry8czMX-Ejx2tId0IMMkFP2GJPCBMrUJr13xXg_DMSHHCc1v41v1upLEss4mt7un5x4Hgw0BwnwaGxyLoJGdcGm41CDIBy4RFvi3n_YhFqk7RnBuwgMtfAdmS1zSFgaK0/s1600/Food+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_E3PqVEK3I9kry8czMX-Ejx2tId0IMMkFP2GJPCBMrUJr13xXg_DMSHHCc1v41v1upLEss4mt7un5x4Hgw0BwnwaGxyLoJGdcGm41CDIBy4RFvi3n_YhFqk7RnBuwgMtfAdmS1zSFgaK0/s400/Food+005.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UPDATE PIC: My Celebration Meal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Here are some good things I ate this week:</b></div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXNyPLgWmHSbmDtKerlbjbxYkmCGFyhR21qtxzlMAzVWB8Dcj0lK36PQtcDvQGfGZnKYKabYVLDmgINEC0risWqAXMk1CoXIpkurPqdSahRXElrd4CWulFNuVX4kLUpFdCwzkAXmEGTGX/s1600/Food+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXNyPLgWmHSbmDtKerlbjbxYkmCGFyhR21qtxzlMAzVWB8Dcj0lK36PQtcDvQGfGZnKYKabYVLDmgINEC0risWqAXMk1CoXIpkurPqdSahRXElrd4CWulFNuVX4kLUpFdCwzkAXmEGTGX/s400/Food+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UPDATE PIC: Those weird sandwiches. I ate two. I was really hungry!</td></tr>
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1. Lunch at Work: Teriyaki Chicken (just add soy, teriyaki, and sesame seeds to chicken breast cooked in sesame oil) and Chicken Parmesan (I just made the stuffing for my Chicken Parmesan Peppers). Less than one and a half cups per serving. Three pounds of chicken spread over five servings. Around 6 bucks. </div>
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2. Snacks at work: Materne GoGoSqueez AppleCinnamon Applesauce, to which I am addicted but intentionally ran out. And light string cheese sticks. Mmmm...</div>
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3. Fat Free deli Turkey on low-fat, thin wheat sandwich rounds. Added some thinly sliced pepperjack cheese, onion, and lite mayo.</div>
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4. A baked potato with fat-free cream cheese, lite butter spray (blech!), and Grippo's powder spice, AKA ambrosia of the gods.</div>
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5. Fat free milk over Kashi GoLean Crunch, of which I have no more.</div>
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<b>Here are some things I did:</b></div>
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1. Exercise bands at work, between calls, a couple days.</div>
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2. Avoided salt, except for a few pickle slices and olives. And the Grippo's powder.</div>
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3. Cooked and prepared all lunches from work in advance for the entire week.</div>
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<b>Here are some things I plan to change this week:</b></div>
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1. Eat oatmeal with Sweet-N-Low and cinnamon instead of the Kashi cereal. Even if I do a double helping, it'll cut my breakfast calories and carbs significantly.</div>
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2. Polish off those last four sandwich rounds, and probably not get more! :D</div>
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3. Keep string cheese as a snack; avoid buying the crack known as GoGoSqueez applesauce! </div>
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In doing the above, I'm cutting sugary carbs and upping protein. I didn't have much of a problem with low blood sugar like last week, so it's time to start reducing my carb intake as well. </div>
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<b>THE SECRET:</b></div>
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After acknowledging the many ironies in my life here, <a href="http://tamarahensonstudios.blogspot.com/2011/12/180-degrees.html">http://tamarahensonstudios.blogspot.com/2011/12/180-degrees.html</a>, I realized that I've finally developed the right mentality for becoming a healthier person. The big secret? I have promised myself to try AND do. Trying doesn't get you anywhere unless accomplishing follows. Or as Yoda says, "Do or do not, there is no try!" So what do I do when I have a snack or off-plan meal? I just barrel ahead, forgetting my failures and picking up where I left off at the next meal or snack. Obvious, right? But it's not always been easy for me. But here's why it BECAME easy:</div>
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If the Almighty Creator God of the entire universe can forgive me and erase my many sins from the face of all existence, then I <i>must</i> 1) forgive myself a slip up AND 2) try not to make it worse. In all areas, including my Health Overhaul. That's it! It got personal <i>and</i> spiritual. Letting go of the do-it-all attitude is hard to do. But I'm practicing not drowning, one meal at a time!</div>
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Cuddles,</div>
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Tamara</div>Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-14177657258349901172011-12-06T10:47:00.001-05:002011-12-06T11:25:59.942-05:00PROGRESS: A New Week 1Last time, I said that I'd just restart my weeks-counting, since I'm technically rebooting my program this week anyway. So here goes: I'll just post new progress posts under shiny new week headings... again! At first I was discouraged with having to do a new start. Then a good, cuddly friend of mine reminded me that it's not going under water that drowns you, it's STAYING under water. So as long as I keep resurfacing, I'm okay! :)<div>
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Now, the progress part: </div>
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I had a routine exam today, and I'll have the doctor consultation/progress check next week.</div>
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NUMBERS LAST WEEK:</div>
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Blood Pressure: 139/106 </div>
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Heart Rate: 81 bpm</div>
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In-Office Weight: 284.4</div>
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At-Home Weight: 280</div>
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NUMBERS THIS WEEK: </div>
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Blood Pressure: 139/90 (Down more, but not enough yet)</div>
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Heart Rate: 71 bpm (Pretty good)</div>
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In-Office Weight: 279.2</div>
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At-Home Weight: 275 point something</div>
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RESULTS:</div>
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BP and Heart Rate are lower, which is good. No wrath-of-the-nurse fell upon my head!</div>
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I've lost 4-ish pounds in a week, which is good for my morale.</div>
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WHAT I DID ALL WEEK:</div>
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1. Stuck close to the Simply Filling program. My previous post's peppers have served me well as lunch at work! I ate a boiled egg with some salt for my first break, and my Materne GoGoSqueez Apple Sauce with Cinnamon on 2nd break, cuz I'm a big kid now. :D My blood sugar bottomed out the first couple days at work because I guess I cut out too much too quickly, so I dosed with Cheez-its and extra applesauce until I felt better. I also bought low-fat thin-buns that are whole wheat as vehicles for my fat-free deli meats. </div>
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2. Deviated intelligently, when possible. I ate some chocolate every day. Plus Cheez-its. I ate Wendy's chili on a garden salad with a baked chive-and-sour-cream potato. All but the chili is "allowed". After the blood sugar drop, I picked up some Kashi Go Lean Crunch to replace my leftover Crunch Berries. </div>
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3. Focused on lean protein, fat-free dairy, some veggies and some fruit. Didn't do the full-on veggie bake side dish to go with my peppers at work. </div>
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4. Measured portions with actual measuring utensils. Or used pre-measured portions (like the applesauce). No eyeballin' here! Moderation only works for me when I just don't put it on my plate!</div>
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5. Light exercise. I took my exercise bands to work and got in some light stretching and strength training to all my major muscle groups over the course of 2 hours or so-- in between calls-- the first day! :) I noticed a mood improvement. I was calmer, less antsy, more relaxed and less easily irritated. I wasn't as likely to yawn, either. I felt more alert. The second day, I did my short 15lb weights routine on my arms, chest, back and legs before work, and some abs/cardio with the bands at work. (Hey! I was by myself, and it was kinda slow going! I had to amuse myself...) Chair exercises are comical, but they get the job done!</div>
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6. Used very little salt and paid attention to when my blood pressure spiked. (At work, stressful callers, annoying coworker habits, etc.) And then I tried to calm it down instead of let it fester. Deep breathing and such!</div>
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7. Drank tons of water, while at work. When I've got nothing better to do, I should be drinking water, I decided. </div>
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CONCLUSIONS: I've felt better for longer this week. I've subconsciously and consciously leaned toward healthier food choices. I've shopped intelligently. I have some type of permitted food on hand at all times so I don't stray. It feels easier this time...</div>
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Cuddles,</div>
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Tamara</div>Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-5824400063787265642011-12-03T09:12:00.001-05:002011-12-15T10:45:50.316-05:00RECIPES: Chicken Parmesan Peppers and Tomato Beef PeppersI'll confess: I'm addicted to the stuffed pepper dinner (or lunch, or breakfast) for a variety of reasons. Other than yumminess, I love the portion-sized convenience of it. I love a ready-made container that I can eat. I love that, with few exceptions, I can make them with all Power Foods. I love that they're freezable and nuke-able and that I can make them in large batches that will last for days. They're cheap to make for the number of servings I get. And that I sneak in vegetables without minding all that much! I'm even thinking about some venison peppers later on. (Brandon's dad sent fresh venison our way this hunting-holiday season!) Also considering making some deer jerky, if I can bring myself to it. :) Don't know how the leanest meat in KY will taste in a stuffed pepper, but I should be able to come up with something...<br />
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CHICKEN PARMESAN STUFFED PEPPERS:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdROWg64DORajVocyL3LzbzMa8Et6Pv5lEPeF5_lZt2aPgQjnQwLZrKaGO19Tcc90wzgtGhbbrUanKLuk8KRubWFXxHA0nzS9q5sRn1R41q9J25Y0pFnRicae_NbaxW3ZPPW1VbBLKIS58/s1600/Food+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdROWg64DORajVocyL3LzbzMa8Et6Pv5lEPeF5_lZt2aPgQjnQwLZrKaGO19Tcc90wzgtGhbbrUanKLuk8KRubWFXxHA0nzS9q5sRn1R41q9J25Y0pFnRicae_NbaxW3ZPPW1VbBLKIS58/s400/Food+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UPDATE: A pic, in my lunch container!</td></tr>
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2 Red (or other color) Bell Peppers, prepared and slit vertically<br />
1 lb Chicken Breast, cut into 1in cubes<br />
1 c Pizza sauce (low sodium, if you can)<br />
1/4 to 1 whole small onion, sliced vertically into thin strips<br />
2 tbs Olive oil<br />
Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder<br />
4 slices Mozzarella cheese, fat free or low fat<br />
Parmesan cheese, grated<br />
Salt<br />
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup chopped pepperoni (optional, depending on points allowances)<br />
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Preheat oven to 350. Gut and rinse Bell Pepper halves and arrange in casserole dish. If you don't use glass, line the pan with foil. If your peppers won't stand up, prop them with small rolls of aluminum foil. Cram 1 slice fat free mozzarella cheese or 1/4 cup shredded cheese in pepper. Heat oil in pan on medium heat. Cover chicken in pan until sizzling. Pan fry chicken in olive oil, stirring frequently after the first few minutes. When chicken is done, add pizza sauce and stir. Then throw in onion, pepperoni and spices, stir. When sauce is hot and thickened, turn off heat. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Spoon high into peppers, pressing down with the back of the spoon. Pour in water bath halfway up the sides of the pepper for even baking. Add some salt to the water bath. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350. When peppers wrinkle at the tops, they're soft and done!<br />
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NOTE: I didn't freeze these. They were just too good. Plus, I didn't know how the chicken and sauce would hold up in the freezer. I didn't want to mess up the texture. If you try freezing them, maybe add more sauce to keep the chicken from drying out in the process.<br />
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UPDATE: Unfrozen, just nuke for 4 minutes. Sprinkle some Parmesan on top first.<br />
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NOTE 2: Points, spread across 4 servings, are negligible.<br />
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TOMATO BEEF STUFFED PEPPERS<br />
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4 Bell Peppers, cleaned and halved as above<br />
1 lb lean ground beef<br />
1 can Rotel, drained (mild to hot... whatever you want!)<br />
1 can Tomato sauce<br />
1 small onion, roughly chopped<br />
Italian seasoning and seasoned salt<br />
1/2 cup crushed crackers<br />
3 tbs ketchup<br />
Salt<br />
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Preheat oven to 350. Gut and rinse Bell Pepper halves and arrange in casserole dish. If you don't use glass, line the pan with foil. If your peppers won't stand up, prop them with small rolls of aluminum foil. Cram 1 slice fat free mozzarella cheese or 1/4 cup shredded cheese in pepper. Combine all other ingredients with your hands in a large bowl, making sure that beef is thoroughly broken up and integrated. Mixture will be very soupy compared to my other recipes because of the amount of tomato products. Split beef mixture among all peppers, pressing into all nooks and crannies. I just used my already-icky hands. Pour in water bath halfway up the sides of the pepper for even baking. Add some salt to the water bath. Bake for 1.5 hours at 350. Pepper edges should be wrinkly and cut easily with a fork.<br />
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NOTE: FREEZING: I didn't freeze these, because they're lunch for work this week. But if you do... Remove from water bath and cool at room temperature. Wrap completely in aluminum foil. Then refrigerate for an hour or more. Place in freezer bags and freeze. I can place several peppers in a gallon-sized bag and just grab what I need. REHEATING: If frozen, microwave on HIGH for 5-7 minutes. If not frozen, microwave on HIGH 3-4 minutes.<br />
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NOTE 2: Points, spread across 8 servings, are negligible. I actually only made four pepper halves out of this recipe, intended to buy more peppers and didn't, and ended up wasting a little under half the mixture. Shame on me!<br />
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<br />Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-65194416347895491772011-11-29T15:18:00.001-05:002011-11-29T15:38:16.675-05:00Dress Progression... Fun!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
First time I tried on the dress, in February or March 2011, I think. What a nice picture someone took, showcasing the dress size and everything! The zipper is crying. At least the lady didn't use those industrial clamps. Means I wasn't the biggest big girl to stroll in that day, I guess...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9c9SYxVmvSGV57beLexCwCwMmaQ7DXZGHJZo25YYSODQE4olqw2a1Fu5AXmBTk6jTPlBfY9ZPopkKR3bB1JDBWZeaLWYbMWe_gJ4NNDxn470N8OsxruI2cU5789pECc6NBU6EqXav1r-q/s1600/IMG_1131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9c9SYxVmvSGV57beLexCwCwMmaQ7DXZGHJZo25YYSODQE4olqw2a1Fu5AXmBTk6jTPlBfY9ZPopkKR3bB1JDBWZeaLWYbMWe_gJ4NNDxn470N8OsxruI2cU5789pECc6NBU6EqXav1r-q/s400/IMG_1131.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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At the end of the reception on the wedding day, 11-11-11. Or as some nerds call it, "The Day Skyrim Was Released"...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VndzwhIYuBN8BKRT-8F75yrFG2TXMnZh4KEvBx21Jt5QiSstK44mcYB1k1HOy_BGub3Orm8FgO72Yv6lkYDFtUc8U2phq3VUPWhkjOtDvAi6MwYq91lXgXUImnVeYp_qxeuvelQyxKQJ/s1600/100_1941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VndzwhIYuBN8BKRT-8F75yrFG2TXMnZh4KEvBx21Jt5QiSstK44mcYB1k1HOy_BGub3Orm8FgO72Yv6lkYDFtUc8U2phq3VUPWhkjOtDvAi6MwYq91lXgXUImnVeYp_qxeuvelQyxKQJ/s640/100_1941.JPG" width="475" /></a></div>
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Now, I will not pretend that I'm not squeezed into the dress in the latter picture. I am. I can breathe, but just barely. And you can see some muffin-top of my back fat. But that baby zipped up, with a bit of effort. Maybe less effort if we all hadn't gotten our nails done.</div>
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Twenty pounds made a world of difference. From the scary 300 I started with, down to the 291 I started my blog with, down and up again to 284... It's scary to think I have so much more to lose. Especially when 20 lb doesn't seem like a whole lot to have lost. That's crazy! With most people, that's a sixth of their weight! That's a fourteenth of my weight! And now my daily quota of math has been reached. I'll kick this thing like a bad habit, though. Not dying is a significant goal of mine!</div>Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7170516710366333415.post-3420094256721088142011-11-29T14:43:00.001-05:002011-12-02T09:52:17.827-05:00Bloodwork and the Numbers GameI decided that waiting to do cholesterol bloodwork was a bad idea. Y'know-- since I'm sick, miserable and overweight NOW!<br />
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Since I was already in for a checkup (Yay! Insurance!) I had them draw blood for a full blood-analysis-doohickey. I get the results tomorrow. I will know how truly unhealthy I am in the morning and do a quick update here. The not-too-promising stats from today kind of nauseated me:<br />
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Height: 6'00" (Okay... I already knew this one!)<br />
Weight: 284.4 lb (Hey! I was wearing clothes and shoes and carrying my cell phone...)<br />
Body Mass Index: 38.6 (Morbidly obese, I think...)<br />
Temperature: 97.7 (Not dead)<br />
Blood Pressure: 139/106 (Dying a bit, due to stress at work or something else)<br />
Pulse: 81 bpm (Not dead)<br />
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UPDATE: My in-home weigh-in right after the doctor and before I ate and in my drawas says 280. I'm gonna keep that one.<br />
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UPDATE AGAIN: 12/2/11: My in-home weigh-in after a day of swearing off Pepsi, caffeine, excess sugar, and sticking pretty closely to the Weight Watchers Simply Filling program (except for a small Wendy's chili and a Little Debbie brownie, which will be counted as weekly points deductions) is:<br />
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276 lb. point-something-I-forgot<br />
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Preliminary discussion:<br />
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1. I am VERY overweight, but for my height and bone structure, NP says my weight would probably be good at around 200 lb, which is my Major Goal One.<br />
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2. I am to monitor my blood pressure regularly and report back if it gets worse or doesn't significantly improve. (*sigh* Killing myself with food really sucks! This is the first time my blood pressure has registered that high at the doctor! I think I bragged before about having stable blood pressure and a healthy heart for a big 'un. Well, it's a slippery slope right now!)<br />
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3. Weight Watchers Simply Filling menu has been approved. Atkins has not been approved... But if I eat mostly Power Foods I'll be on Atkins! In short, I am to stop eating junk. With the NP's and doctor's stern faces firmly in mind.<br />
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4. I am also to exercise, no matter how cruddy it looks outside. In the best interests of not dying, I will make an earnest attempt. Cue Eye of the Tiger! This girl's gonna get movin'!<br />
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5. The Clincher: They force-scheduled me for my annual consultation with the doctor in 2 weeks, to officially check for improvements in my BP and stuff. You know what that means? A deadline! Two weeks to get somewhere or risk Doc's scary face!<br />
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Not REALLY scared of the guy, but his scary face has my best interests at heart. He would like to keep my business. I would like to live a longer, healthier life. There are mutually beneficial payouts to be had. Since my progress in weight loss has reversed, I think I'll start a NEW new week 1, in light of my mean-face-imposed deadline. Not that the week numbers really matter. Just helps me track things. But in honor of my umpteenth restart, I might as well. Tuesdays it is. :)<br />
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UPDATE-- BLOODWORK RESULTS:<br />
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Apparently, the numbers aren't worth posting. Because they're all within normal ranges except a couple that won't kill me. My bad cholesterol is only slightly elevated and not enough to warrant medical action. NP says to watch my fats and sodium intake. Which I'm doing. My calcium is a couple points below the expected range. Big whoop. I'm drinking fat free milk now, so that should fix that.<br />
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I feel silly for being slightly disappointed in the numbers. I mean, I don't have anything I can significantly reduce other than my weight, which is my only major risk factor for disease later on (according to the bloodwork numbers). But because of the blood pressure scare, I will be cutting out a lot of salt in my diet, which will help me shed water weight, anyway.<br />
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Someone close to me-- a relative-- was just diagnosed with diabetes. The kind that is controlled with pills "for now." I'm going to drag this person along on my Health Overhaul, hoping that significant improvements can be made there as well. This is another strong push to succeed. I guess this brings me back to my original point: I'm generally healthy for now. I just so happen to be overweight by 80 lb. I do NOT want an existing medical condition to force my weight loss. So here I go...<br />
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Cuddles,<br />
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Tamara<br />
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<br />Tamara Hensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06173295949710222995noreply@blogger.com0