3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

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- General Diet Plans and Questions (https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/general-diet-plans-questions-10/)

- - Body for Life #26 (https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/general-diet-plans-questions/11387-body-life-26-a.html)

Body for Life #26

Hi all,

Well Excite/Home has gone bankrupt and my cable connection disappeared at exactly 12 midnight last night. I'm on my slow modem so I won't be staying long! I wanted to jump on and start a new thread. I'm so angry about the disconnection. You would think that AT&T would have done SOMETHING to avoid the disruption. I'm almost mad enough to switch to DSL

Anyway, I gained some inches last week and I don't know why. I'm looking at my journals, I'm doing well, sticking to my food plan and I'm working out (though cardio could be better). :mad: My hormones are so nuts though (even with HRT) that it could be hormonal. I hate it though.

I'm doing a 3 week sprint to Christmas. Yes, I have finals and will be crazy but I'm going for the gold starting Monday.

:p

how's everyone doing? the net seems to be quiet with at home customers getting the heave ho.

Susan

Susanje - Jim and I were digital cable subscribers with @home until Feb of this year, then got cheap and switched to WorldNet. Hate it!!! We just got a mailing from a new service out there, I think it's RSN, who have a digital cable/digital internet/phone package that's muy cheap. DSL is just too expensive, I can't see paying $50 a month for Internet. But it is cool though!

I was wondering why it was so quiet!

Just waiting for my free day tomorrow... after reading about this on the Krista Smash website (http://www.stumptuous.com/weights.html) I mixed cottage cheese and a can of water-packed drained tuna fish together a bit of sweet pickle relish. Sounds gross but I'm totally hooked now - I can see this becoming my new favorite protein meal (mixed with some salad veggies and garbanzo beans for carbs). Since tomorrow I get an entire free day (remember I'm trying to segue into two free meals a week instead of the free day most weeks) I have PLANS. A bowl of Cheerios for breakfast, lunch at McDonald's, dinner - well I don't know yet. Sushi sounds good though!

Today (just to get out of the house) I dragged Jim to the mall, bought a couple of sweaters at Nordstrom (what a rush fitting into the SMALL sizes now) and a DVD player (our Christmas present to each other). Then ordered off Lands' End a couple more tops and some gabardine side-zip pants - since they are backordered til January, I got brave and ordered SIZE 4! I am totally optimistic that I'll be able to fit in them come January 7th!

Almost 11 so I'm calling it a night...later gals!

Lucky for me I never cancelled my Worldnet acct. I was meaning to but never got around to it. But, I HATE the modem dialup!!!

I will look into the RSN. I thought that DSL was a bit expensive so I went with cable. Now I'm just SO MAD :mad: that they didn't foresee this. I wonder how many people are stranded with nothing. They're going to credit us TWO days for every day that we're out. Big whoop. I want my cable!!! I'm in the middle of finals. I wonder how many other people are stranded in the middle of something important. :mad: :mad: :mad:

Mrs Jim: Buying a size 4 is very optimistic so GOOD FOR YOU!!! I can't imagine ever being a size 4 (the lowest I've ever been, as an adult, is a 6-8 and I tended toward the 8 but did have some size 6 at the time. this was about 10 years ago after my divorce and my first go round with weight training).

I know I have got to do more serious cardio. I do HIIT after weight training a lot of days but I get seriously lax on the pure cardio days. I simply hate the treadmill and/or elliptical. I feel like a hamster. So I try to do Tae Bo and it kicks my butt because I haven't done it. Oh what a vicious cycle! I have a 3 week commitment to REALLY do serious work until Christmas and then I will take some days off because the boys will be here. I do not look forward to the New Years resolution people at the gym so I'm trying to incorporate more at home things to do.

I've been at this a year and had hoped to be much farther along but I suppose it's cool that I've hung in there and didn't just throw my hands up and curl up on the couch with some Haagen Daaz. :lol:

It's the little things. :)

take care all,
Susan

Finally recovered from free week

Hi everyone!

I'm pleased (but also a little embarrassed) to say that I finally returned to where I was at the end of challenge 1, three weeks ago. I had gained some fat and lost some lean at the end of free week (hope I learned my lesson!), but am now back where I was on Nov.11.

It could be worse -- over the holiday season last year I regained 15 of the 40 lbs. I had lost over the previous year. I'm stronger now, and have more fat-burning muscle, and plan on reaching my New Year's sprint goals of getting down to 30% bodyfat and adding 2 lbs. of lean.

I'm glad we're in this together, and are all hanging in there. Good luck with your internet connections, and thanks for the support!

Carrie

Hi Carrie,

Does not sound like you did badly at all! How is life in Davis? I visited UC Davis when I thought I was going to law school there. Davis was a nice little town.

I have a court appt in the morning (as a school assignment, I'm not in any kind of trouble :lol: ) and will need to get up extra early to get in a workout (a good sustained cardio effort) before showering and getting my daughter to school.

I'm determined to do it and check in here every day (AND study for finals AND do well AND get ready for the holidays! :eek:

Susan

BIG storm this morning...

actually our phone line went dead for most of the morning (which means no Internet access - boy I really HATE dialup!!!). Since we had the storm warning all day Jim and I didn't really feel like going out (other than to McDonald's!).

Right now I am making dinner (steak night) and getting stuff ready - eggs boiled, barley cooked and measured out with chicken breast in Baggies, veggies washed, etc. I am taking this sprint with total focused determination - to beat the holiday poundage gain AND attain a size four in six more weeks. Jim couldn't believe I already bought the pants - but has total faith in my ability to do this. He actually thinks I could be in a contest next year. I dunno about doing a routine though...never been able to do a split!

Well, Kitty (that's what we call him most of the time now) has pretty much taken over the house. But it's so much fun having him around. I'm so glad we got him!!! We are getting our Christmas tree next week and hope he doesn't go ballistic. I might not be baking cookies this year (why tempt myself?) but I do want to have some festiveness here in the house!

Carrie - sounds like you had a fun free week! If you haven't already done so, do read Pam B's Training Document in the L&S Training Library. I love her advice regarding Free Week:

Quote:

IN BETWEEN CHALLENGES
I believe that you need a break every 12 weeks. Not only do your muscles need a break, but you need a mental break from all of the structured eating and planning. I would recommend that you eat everything you are craving, but try not to eat large quantities of it. It can really make you sick. You can set aside one “binge day” if you want, but you don’t wan t your week off to be a “binge week” as it can wreak havoc on your system. I am cautioning from experience here. [blushing]

If you haven't checked out the Krista Smash site that I referred to at the end of the previous thread - DO IT. One of my favorite pages is where she shows bad form and good form for squats, deadlifts, etc. A great way to REALLY see what you should be doing, esp from a woman's standpoint!

Whew! Back to work...

Good to hear from you guys --

Susan -- I love living in Davis! Just the right size for knowing your neighbors (with 5 boys on our block for our 10-year-old to play with) but still providing access to music and other activities. Are you at UC Berkeley Law School? I was at UCLA Law School 20 years ago and UC Berkeley Optometry School 15 years ago -- both for less than a semester. Ended up as a doctor but couldn't take the time demands of my Family Practice residency -- I've had the same kind of lasting success in my career search as in my weight control! I've applied to a Preventive Medicine Residency program at Berkeley for next July, but I'll be commuting from Davis if I get in because we like it here so much.

Mrs Jim -- thanks for reminding me of what Pam B. said about free week. Next time I'll remember to have one binge day at most, but I also won't feel like I really blew it and won't ever reach my goals. It sounds like you're having a wonderful time with your Kitty -- we'd love to see a picture some time!

Carrie

Free Day Hangover...

Haven't experienced it in awhile, but I've got it now... :(

Guess it goes to show you that I can really go NUTS if there's more than a week between Free Day/Free meal. If nothing else, it makes me feel really good to eat clean and drink all my water today!

Despite my tummy protesting, I had a great workout today - did a 20 HIIT on the elliptical and then Chest/Tri workout. I'm still terrified at the thought of losing my Palm Pilot at the gym, so I carry a little notebook (the tiny spiral-bound one). I write down each exercise then the poundage for each set - example:

Decline DB Presses - 15, 20, 25

If I don't make it to 15 reps for the weight, I put the number of actual reps in parenthesis next to the weight #.

When I get home, I turn on LiftLog on my Palm Pilot and enter the date, the exercise and the highest weight/ # of reps. That way I don't have a kajillion bits of paper - my BFL book was getting really huge cos I was keeping each progress report from every weight workout I've been doing!

carriej - Davis is such a neat college town. Jim's uncle (who is 20 years younger than us) is attending UC Davis right now - I think his major is pre-vet, not sure though. Great place for horseback riding!

As soon as I can get Jim to get the digital camera fired up we'll get some kittypix. Just that when we get home all he wants to do is check his email, have dinner, practice his bass, and watch TV. Don't we have an exciting life? :lol:

I've been using Krista's site for about two years...I find her sense of humor refreshing!

I didn't have a terrible free day, no hangover, but I've got to plan better. The biggest treat this week was a latte with s/f syrup. As an academic librarian my schedule changes dramatically from one semester to the next, and life right now is VERY hectic as exams approach. In the spring I hope to be able to schedule morning gym visits. I really like having a routine.

The only sprinting I'm doing this year is to be extra careful with my meals and portions.

HI all,

MY CABLE IS BACK!!! Yippee!!!

I've been doing well...very focused and feeling strong. MrsJim: thanks for the inspiration!!!

Carrie--

Very impressive! Yes, I go to UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall). I am 3 finals away from being officially half way through!
I really liked Davis when I was there. DH and I rented Harleys down in Oakland and rode up through Napa etc into Davis...the summer before I applied to law school. I thought it was lovely. We came back down 160 along the Sacramento River/California Delta. We settled in Antioch because at that time I had NO idea where I was going to school but I figured it would be between Davis and Berkeley and Antioch is about half way from each. Also DH is a bass fisherman and that always comes into play :lol:

Anyway, my two best friends in law school are both doctors. They both like medicine better than law so you probably made the right choice!!!

Lisa,

Academic Librarian!!! I have so much respect for academic librarians (having been a student most of my life). Finals is tough on students but I think even tougher on librarians!!!

MrsJim: I've been reading Krista's site for over a year now as well. I love her. I also love your dedication. I've really been disciplined which is very tough with finals. My hormones are driving me buggy and my allergies are completely off the scale right now but still I'm hanging in there.

To all: Take care!
Susan

This site has several FAQs about creatine, glycemic index, weight lifting exercises etc. It is repetitive in that you may have heard it all before (via Hussman et al) but it has some stuff not found anywhere else. Nice FAQ on Deadlifts. It changed the way I do them. (I feel like it is forever a struggle to get them down right).

http://www.weightsnet.com/Links/docs/index.html

Susan - thanks so much, I'm glad to be of assistance. Helping others (in whatever small way I can) helps me to keep eating clean and hitting those 10's! :)

One small problem with Krista's site - is that she is obviously no fan of Bill Phillips. I couldn't click into the 'anti-Bill' link that she had - and actually it was just morbid curiosity that made me try. I still think she has a lot of valuable information - and of course she is entitled (as are we all) to her personal opinions.

If you all care, here's **MY** opinion on Bill Phillips:

I don't know him personally - and usually, guys as good lookin' and successful as he is are usually a bit on the 'overconfident' side. And YES he did own EAS and he WAS, in the past, what is known as a 'juicer' (i.e. using questionable supplements). BUT - he has admitted to that, and called it a mistake - everyone is entitled to make mistakes...haven't we all?

But - to me, Bill P is a great person - it was his idea to bring the benefits of bodybuilding to the general public - not for his personal profit, but as a way to stem the overwhelming tide of obesity and lack of physical fitness that is becoming prevalant in the US (and much of the world) today. Anyone who thinks that the book was written as a marketing tool for EAS products hasn't read the book. I've seen books that were written as marketing tools for products and the products are mentioned and pushed MUCH more frequently than in 'Body for Life'. In fact Bill only mentions two products by name - Myoplex and Betagen - and never says they're necessary. As Susan has said in the past, using Myoplex (or any other meal replacement) is a [i]convenience[/c] not a requirement.

If any of you haven't seen the video "Body of Work" I highly recommend watching at least the first half. The part where Bill talks about 'bringing bodybuilding to the masses' is an eye-opener, as well as his view that he is already a success - BFL for him is a way of helping others (and I'm sure I don't need to mention that all the profits from the book go to Make-A-Wish Foundation!).

Okay, off my soapbox...I still like Krista's site a lot though!

Well, back to work! Later everyone! Keep hitting those 10's and don't let those Christmas goodies getcha!

Just wanted to post this article!

It's a bit lengthy, but I found it terrific - for those of you (lurkers and posters) who still feel the need to go the 'fat free/Susan Powter/Snackwells' route that didn't work in the 90's, and the reasons as to why you should NOT cut healthy fat out of your diet!

Quote:

Part 1 of an exclusive interview with best-selling author Udo Erasmus

Udo Erasmus is a "giant" in the field of nutrition. Maybe you want to know exactly how much fat you need in your diet. Maybe you're unsure about which type of fats are best to cook with. Perhaps you've considered adding oils (such as flax seed oil or hemp seed oil) to your diet, but you're confused about which ones you really need.

Read on, and have Udo (pronounced oo-doe) guide you, step-by-step, through the minefield of myths and confusion about the fats that heal and the fats that kill.

Busy? Here are three key questions Udo answers in this interview:

What are the benefits of eating more of the good fats and less of the bad fats?

Why is it a bad idea to cut all fat from the diet?

How much fat do you recommend for people wanting to lose weight?

Christian Finn: What are the three or four key benefits of eating more of the good fats, and less of the bad fats?
Udo Erasmus: Well, let's see. I don't know if I can limit it to three or four. The good fats are defined as essential fatty acids. The body can't make them, but it has to have them, so they have to be supplied from outside.

Every cell, every tissue, every gland and every organ in the body has to have them, otherwise they can't work. If you don't get enough, your health deteriorates. You literally fall apart cell by cell. And if the deficiency is sustained long enough, then you're going to die. That's how important they are. That's part of the definition of essential.

And the good news for people who have neglected the good fats, is that if you're deteriorating because you're not getting enough, and you bring back into the deficient diet the essential fatty acids that are missing, then all the deficiency symptoms that are the result of not getting enough are reversed. You recover your health.

Research says that essential fatty acids elevate mood and lift depression. They are natures answer to the serotonin re-uptake inhibitors like Paxil and Prozac. They also calm down hyperactive kids, dogs, cats, horses and adults. People feel calmer. They deal with stress better. They don't fly off the handle as much.

Essential fatty acids also speed learning and can increase IQ by 6-9 points. They help in many of the mental conditions, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. They can help autistic kids. They also help people with Alzheimer's.

The research on women and children says that every time a woman has a child, she loses 3% of her brain weight. That must be replaced. Each child depletes her further, and each child gets less essential fatty acids than the previous child does.

Older children get the most essential fatty acids required for brain development as well as brain function. On average, they have the highest IQ in the family.

Researchers think that is why younger children in large families have far more developmental and behavioural problems. And they also think it's why women get more depression than men, as well as more fibromyalgia, more chronic fatigue, more collagen diseases, more inflammatory diseases and more auto-immune diseases, digestive diseases and allergies than men do.

Women get those from two to nine times more frequently than men, and the depletion of essential fats during child bearing sets them up for those conditions. Add digestive problems and allergies to that list.

So the researchers say the women need to make sure they have a reliable source of essential fatty acids in their diet, both for their own health and the health of their children. Unfortunately, most women don't have a reliable source of essential fats in their diet.

Some men think that women are hypochondriacs, but there actually is a reason for their higher rate of health complaints. The brain is over 60% fat, so we're fat heads! And the human brain is far larger, therefore has a greater fatty acid requirement during pregnancy, than most animals.

Essential fatty acids also have important functions in sperm formation, heart function and visual function. They increase testosterone production, optimise thyroid function, lower most cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure and high triglycerides. They are anti-inflammatory, and are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.

Christian Finn: How do we tell which fatty acids are essential?
Udo Erasmus: You cannot call a fatty acid or a nutrient essential until researchers have identified at least one biochemical reaction in the body in which that nutrient is required, and without which that reaction cannot take place. So we're talking about a real clear definition.

And the essential fatty acids come in only two sizes. One is omega-3 (also known as n-3's) and the other is omega-6 (also known as n-6's). They are required by every cell. N-3's are missing from most people's diets. Both n-3 and n-6 are missing from the diet of anybody on a low fat diet.

Christian Finn: That's the problem I see all the time. People think they should cut all fats from their diet. And that's obviously a mistake.
Udo Erasmus: If you cut all the fats from your diet for long enough, it will kill you. If you have no fats in your diet, you won't get any essential fatty acids.

One of the areas where we've done quite a bit of work over the years is in the area of energy level. We're using an oil blend that I developed for the work we do. The blend is twice as rich in n-3 as n-6. And we modelled it somewhat after the Eskimo diet, which is two and a half times richer in n-3 than n-6.

That's as high as you want to go in n-3's. If you get higher than two and a half, you'll end up with flax oil, which is three and a half to four times richer in n-3. That will make people n-6 deficient if used exclusively. This down side effect is the main reason for developing a blend of oils with a safe, optimal ratio of n-3 to n-6.

Christian Finn: Are essential fatty acids useful for treating people with Type II diabetes?
Udo Erasmus: Essential fatty acids are required for insulin function. But you have to be careful when you increase n-3 and n-6, because diabetics then become more insulin sensitive. You then have to lower insulin or put them on a slower acting insulin. And most important, you need to lower carbohydrate intake at the same time. The research is clear about that.

Diabetics should be getting their carbohydrates not from complex carbohydrates, but from green vegetables. When you increase essential fatty acid intake and lower their carbohydrates by shifting them to green non-starchy vegetables, instead of potatoes, bread and pasta, you get exceptional improvement with diabetics -- both Type I and Type II -- but especially the latter.

We also see exceptional results in energy levels, stamina, and physical performance in athletes. We've worked with a lot of athletes.

Christian Finn: Well, that's certainly something of interest. In terms of specifics, what oils were you using? How long did it take to see these improvements?
In the human athletes, we use one tablespoon (15ml) per 50lb of bodyweight. We're using the oil blend I developed to do these studies because we think that's as close as we've seen to ideal in this situation. It's called Udo's Choice Oil Blend. Within two weeks -- and sometimes within three days -- they notice that their stamina increases. They recover quicker, build muscle faster, and perform better. They also focus better and sleep better.

The increase we see in stamina is often between 40 and 60% in athletes who push the limits of their performance - the ones who exercise to exhaustion. Within a couple of weeks of starting on the oil blend at 15ml per 50lb of bodyweight, a cyclist, who was doing 90km a day to exhaustion, was able to do 146km. We're talking about a serious increase. A boxer, instead of working out an hour and a half to exhaustion, is now doing two and a half hours. It's a dramatic increase. Athletes also build muscle faster.

Some of the kickboxers we worked with were putting on muscle so fast they were ending up in the next higher weight class. They didn't want to do that because they hadn't beat up everybody in their own weight class yet! They had to lower the daily dose of the oil so they didn't put on the muscle so fast.

In horses and dogs we use less oil than in humans. With dogs and cats, we give them about a teaspoon per 80lb of bodyweight.

Christian Finn: And is that what you recommend for someone wanting to lose weight?
Udo Erasmus: Losing fat is really what you're talking about. We tell people to start small (1 teaspoon) and increase gradually to take as much oil as it takes to get their skin soft and velvety. And the reason we do that is because the skin gets essential fats last and loses them first.

Essential fatty acids have vital functions in the vital organs, but you can live with dry skin. Nature's wisdom says skin gets them only when everywhere else has what it needs. So it's a good way to measure it. When your skin becomes dry it means you need more of the right kind of oil. Mix the oil in your vegetable and your protein foods.

In winter, when it's cold, people notice that their skin is drier than in summer. When that happens it's nature telling them to take more of the right type of oil. Again, take enough to make skin velvety smooth. It ballparks to about a tablespoon per 50lb of bodyweight.

It's different for different people, but your skin will always tell you. If you sweat, you'll lose more. If you have a fever you'll burn more, so the skin gets dry. You're burning more essential fatty acids as part of the bodies mechanism to deal with whatever the cause of the fever is. Your skin will always tell you how much oil you need.

When a woman is pregnant, her child will draw essential fatty acids from her body to build its brain. But again, the woman can tell how much she needs by her skin. If she breast-feeds, the child will take about 11 grams of essential fatty acids out of her body every day through breast milk. So she needs about a tablespoon just to replace what the baby pulls out of her, plus however much she needs for her own body.

Again, her skin will tell her. That's the way to measure it. About a tablespoon per 50lb of bodyweight -- less in summer. I need 60ml in winter and I can do it on 45ml in summer.

Christian Finn: So you change it according to the season?
Udo Erasmus: Yes. It changes by season but I do it by how my skin feels. In summer, my skin will be fine on 45ml, and in winter I'll need 60ml. If I go to a dry climate where everybody has dry skin, all I do is take a little extra oil and that takes care of keeping my skin properly oiled.

Christian Finn: Why does that happen?
Udo Erasmus: When you get enough essential fatty acids in your diet they form a barrier in the skin against the loss of moisture. They are nature's moisturiser. When you don't get enough you lose moisture through the skin. That'll also get you constipated, because then your body pulls water out of your stool to replace what you're losing through your skin.

Now let me get back to weight loss, or fat reduction. If we give people 45 to 75ml a day of the blend, we consistently see thirty to fifty pounds of fat reduction in a year in obese people who need to lose a lot of fat. Research has confirmed the importance of the right fat diet (rich in essential fatty acids with emphasis on n-3) for weight management.

Christian Finn: What else do you tell people who want to lose weight?
Udo Erasmus: We tell them to lower their carbohydrates, to get the majority of their carbohydrates from green foods.

Most people think that eating fat will make them fat, so they lower their fats if they're overweight, and eat more carbohydrates. That's completely wrong. The carbohydrates they eat that they don't burn will turn into fat. Most of the overweight in Western society comes from people eating more carbohydrates (sweets and starches) than they burn.

Christian Finn: Isn't that what the data shows? Even though carbohydrate intake has gone up and fat intake has dropped, obesity has increased.
Udo Erasmus: That's right. Not eating fats will make you fat. Fats suppress appetite. Any fat will do that. That's why Atkins' diet works. But he doesn't pay attention to the quality of the fat. The good fats, especially the n-3's, inhibit fat production in the body by limiting the activity of genes that make enzymes required for fat production. They do this at the genetic level.

That means the n-3's act like hormones, acting on the genetic level by turning up and turning down gene activity. That's pretty cool! N-3's do this better than the n-6's. N-6's do it to a small extent and, the research says, monounsaturates, saturates, and trans-fatty acids don't do it at all.

N-3's turn up the genes that make the enzymes required for fat burning and thermogenesis (blowing off calories as heat), and they can raise metabolic rate. We've seen this in a lot of people. N-3's also enhance glycogen production. They shift the body from burning more carbohydrate to burning more fat. In addition, n-3's (and n-6's to a small extent) turn up the genes involved in fat burning. They slow down fat production, and speed up fat burning and heat production.

Essential fatty acids also elevate mood and lift depression, so people are less likely to overeat because they're depressed. They decrease inflammation, which means that they'll help you lose water held in tissues because of inflammation. Water retention is part of overweight in some people.

And, because they give you more energy, better mood, and they make your skin nice, you're more likely to feel good about yourself to want to take care of yourself. So there are a number of different reasons why they help in weight reduction. My view is they are the most important and most neglected aspect of weight reduction.

All of the weight loss programs are fat phobic. When you go off the diet, you get fat again because they taught you incorrectly to avoid fat.

I'm not posting this as an advert for Udos, I just think it's a terrific interview and really touches on why EFA's are so important.

How's everyone doing today??

I feel fantastic! This past weekend (don't know if I mentioned this already) I went on a spending spree and bought myself some new tops - two sweaters from Nordstrom and two tops from Lands' End (LOVE 'em!). I am wearing one of the Lands' End tops now - a sleeveless turtleneck in a SMALL and it is BAGGY on me!!! (of course I haven't washed it yet...) I feel so good...so fit. Actually three of the four tops I bought are sleeveless - been working hard on my arms and I want to show them off!

It's amazing how quickly a year passes. These three Challenges have flown by so fast, I'm amazed that I'm already on Week 7 AND making it through the holidays without the big cookie and candy binges typical of me between T'Giving and New Years'. Actually the **true** tests are coming up starting this Saturday, with my trainers' Holiday Barn Party/Potluck. Still haven't decided what to bring, I might just go to the store and pick up something. Then on the 13th, our company has a Holiday Brunch set up in the auditorium all day for all the employees. I'm probably better off just staying away from all those mountains of food!

As if that weren't enough, on the 18th our division is having their Holiday Luncheon which I HAVE to attend, then on the 19th my department has another Christmas lunch.

And of course, Christmas.

As always, the solution is to PLAN AHEAD. This week I have just one free meal according to Jeremy's nutrition plan. I'm having that on Sunday 9 Dec (if I only get one meal, I'm havin' Mexican food, not wasting it on brunch!). On the 16th I have a whole Free Day, then the week of Christmas I have two free meals. Obviously, one is going to be on Christmas Day - I haven't yet decided what day I'll have the other free meal. Maybe Christmas Eve but it depends on what plans we have!

I've added another "healthy fat" to my list. Since I can't find Udo's anywhere locally (I order it from time to time from Netrition/L&S) I usually use flax oil, however this week I started using natural peanut butter (it's on the list that Jeremy gave me of allowed healthy fats) in my evening Myo Lite. It tastes awesome mixed with either chocolate or vanilla Myo Lite! Jim saw the jar of P-nut butter in the fridge and asked me why I bought it - then wanted to know why not Skippy (his favorite). I actually prefer the nutty taste of natural P-nut butter over the processed stuff for the most part. Anyway according to Jeremy, 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter = 1 tsp of Udos or Flaxoil (of course Udos is the best, but it's way expensive!).

See ya later gals & guys!

surprised about UDOS...

we even have it at our little food co-op. I'm using flax oil now though. I'm anticipating as I build more muscle and lift larger weights, I'll gradually add more "good fats" to my diet.

Mrs.Jim show off those guns! You've earned 'em.

I'm proud of my "BFL logistics skills"...so far I've missed one cardio workout due to a throbbing headache, and one meal. I travel everywhere with my containers and bowls. Tomorrow I'll be at a conference all day : I'm toting four meals with me, just in case.

Unfortunately I'm taking a break in my challenge between 12/22 and 1/1. NOT free days! But since I'll be traveling without exercise facilities or a way to prepare meals (even a blender) I'm declaring an official recess. I've got a routine worked out using resistance tubing, I've got a list of ideas for food I can grab from supermarkets and delis, I'm taking the dreaded MRP bars (last resort...better than missing meals) and I can do my cardio anywhere! This is going to be a difficult and deeply distressing journey but what I will NOT do is lose myself in food.

Off to cardio! So much easier in the gym...

C1,D18