Waist Circumference Linked to T2 Diabetes Risk, Independently of Body Mass Index

Waist Circumference Linked to T2 Diabetes Risk, Independently of Body Mass Index



It is no surprise to me to read on Diabetescare.net that Waist Circumference is linked to Diabetes.  I've learned through the years that most of our diseases/cancers are stored in our stomachs. When I first started seriously dieting, my waist size was 32 inches. Yes, you read that right.  I always thought since I had a few curves, it looked good -- yet I was not 'there' in WANTING to do something about it.  I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and the onset of diabetes. It was only then that I decided to do something about it.   That was February 2011, at 170 pounds.  My life was slowly spiraling out of control. 

With a Low Carb, High Protein Diet, AND Exercising, I was able to lose the weight. S-L-O-W-L-Y the weight came off.  I did not get this way overnight, but most importantly learned in October 2008, when I  tried my best at losing the weight the first time what would happen ..Phase I, Losing weight the wrong way !!  Losing the weight too fast resulted in hair loss, vitamin deficiency and muscle loss.

Whether your Body Mass Index is 22 or 30, Diabetes will set in if you are not eating correctly and OFTEN.  It is very important to fuel your body during the day, especially in preparation for a day of exercising. I Eat TO Exercise :)  

Today, I weigh in at 125 pounds.  I work very hard to keep myself in shape, and monitor my meals with a Low Carb, high protein diet.  I exercise many times a week by doing Bodyflow, Bodypump and RPM (Spin) . 

Low-carbing Diabetes and You Virtual Magazine !!

November is National Diabetes Month !!

Diabetes and You Magazine (click on title)

Walgreens drug store puts out a virtual Diabetes magazine that is Wonderful.

You will be able to flip through the magazine, magnify pages, and more. See the tabs at the top for all of your options.

Eating low carb is like following a diabetic diet.  Check out this awesome magazine today !!

Going on a Low Carb "Cruise" !!

(Blogging tonite from Abeline, TX)

I'm one of those "Type A" New Orleanian, whose life seems scheduled to the max ! I teach, run the kid to baseball, church, find time for Body Pump, Body Flow and RPM.. etc. I've learned, especially during this last month the irreplaceable value of quieting the body and mind. The question is : How can I fit relaxation into my everyday life ?

I got some great advice from talking to my friend, Darrell. He mentioned that I have to make a conscious choice to step back and RELAX... So, I decided to go on a 'low carb cruise !!"

My cruise does not happen on a ship. It can happen ANYWHERE !

Mine happens to be on my sofa. I take my favorite things : books, yoga magazine, and music, lie down and SINK for a while.. It readjusts ME, and allows ME to allocate the time that I truly deserve. I also like to call this my "Recovery Time."

This "low-carb cruise" restores the mind and body - releases the tension, thus allowing me to breathe deeper and develop a renewed awareness to my energy. It is a conscious effort, and therefore, renews my energy by creating an openness in my body and a calmness in my central nervous system. This way, you can create the conditions for TRUE relaxation to happen. This is what it's all about.. ME TIME. It is a powerful antidote to the state of stress many of us live with on a daily basis. I WAS that person !

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Just let it go ! Now you are on the cruise.. Give yourself some time to settle in and make the adjustments you need to get yourself in this state of harmony. It is so easy, yet So difficult. I am reminded often that it takes more effort to relax than it does to exercise ! Find contentment and think about what this low carb cruise can do for you. With the right mind and rested body (recovery stage), you will tend to feel and think So much better ! You will become aware of your breathing and learn how it truly feels to relax and the true value of self-care. I think that's what Darrell meant he recommended stepping back and making a conscious effort to RELAX. Hey .. I think I got this now :)

Sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is to stop overextending, to stop being goal oriented, and thinking we have to take care of everything 'right now.' Like tonite, I let the laundry at the hotel do its own thing in the machine, while I put my feet in the hot tub and enjoyed myself. I looked UP at the beautiful crescent moon in the twilight of the evening sky. I am beginning to notice things around me, sights , like the electric generating wind turbines..

I find that once you have reached the point of finding the true value of your 'low carb cruise'.. you will reengage with life and be more efficient and happier too. It's never about attaining goals. It's about taking whatever life seems to be throwing at you and handling it without resistance.

After your 'low carb cruise' has ended, don't forget what you have experienced ! Remember how you felt and relaunch your relaxed state of mind whenever you need. =)

Low Carbin' In Colorado and New Mexico

After a nice breakfast at our hotel of eggs and ham omlette, wheat toast and a tablespoon of jelly... today's journey found us traveling to the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum. Its a quaint place located at the Pueblo Municipal Airport.

SAVING AIR HISTORY: This is the motto of the Pueblo Historical Aircraft Society, which manages the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum for the City of Pueblo. Located on Magnuson Avenue just south of the Pueblo Airport, the museum houses more than a dozen aircraft dating to World War II, including the huge B-29, "Peachy". Outside are thirteen additional planes, which will be moved into a second 30,000 square- foot museum hangar when its construction is completed this fall.

Very interesting an unique place to visit. We had our own personal tour guide, and was told that Saturday was a 'slow' day, so be sure to visit on that day !

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We planned on visiting Pike's Peak, but the roadway was closed due to snowfall in the higer peaks.

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We drove onward to a town called http://taoswebb.com/ Taos, NM. Lots of art and galleries.. Starving artists and hippies are supposed to make up the clientele here...
We decided to pass on because we were pressed for time, but it looked like a nice place to come back to visit.

Our final destination of the evening brought us to Santa Fe. Such a confusing place ! All of the store signs are limited to a height of 15 feet. All of the buildings are stucco like and a tanish-brown color.. Everything blends into everything else. No signs are visible to the eye.. unless you happen to spot it from road and by that time you've passed up the place ! We are in a nice hotel, but it is longer than wide and next to a trailer park.. The elevator is 85 yards from the hotel room. Go figure. Rule of thumb, next time drive on to Albuquerque !! This afternoon, I ended up finding a chicken salad at a little place near the motel..

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I was able to work out for one hour this morning at the hotel... tomorrow we'll drive onto Albuquerque so stay tuned !

Low Carbin' through Colorado !!

Today : we ventured to Rocky Mountain National Park - the road was blocked because of the snow in the higher elevation. Not to be thwarted by this onset of road conditions, we ventured to :

Idaho Springs - Mount Evans - the highest paved road in North America ! Mount Evans is the road into the sky. Drive from 8,700 feet at Idaho Spring where you turn off Interstate 70 to 14,240 feet to the summit, and you will pass through 3 life zones, passing ancient trees, lakes and forest to the land above timberline. It can be 90 degrees in Denver and 40 degrees at the top of Mount Evans. Mountain Goats and Bighorn Sheep will greet you as you climb to the top of the world.

Driving this stretch of road is like a scene from Ice Road Truckers in India ! It cost $10 to go up this road, (or as my 12 year old puts it : "The side of cliffs !). My husband said it was like $10 worth of pure hell. I saw his knuckles turn white as we ventured up the winding roads to the summit. It was breathtaking, beautiful and bewildering all at the same time. Like some insane joyride. Venture if you dare :)

I was a very hungry gal today ! I ate pasta at one of the roadside grills.. and in the evening we ended up driving to Colorado Springs, CO. We ate ate Buffalo Wild Wings. I ate the Chicken Quesadillas..

We are at a very nice hotel.. Weight room is great. I worked out for an hour lifting weights, and did cardio on the cross country elliptical.. for about 40 minutes.

I concluded the evening with a little down time for myself. I sat out on the veranda by the pool, noticing the ever changing colors of the sky and the landscape and just breathing the mountain air makes it ALL worthwhile !!

Low Carbin' through KS and Colorado !

Hi ! My hat lands in Firestone, Colorado, just outside of Pikes Peak. We plan to head up the mountain in our truck tomorrow.

Today was a much better day for me. I found out something very important.. I NEED and MUST exercise in order to burn off all of the extra sugars I consume. I was SO lazy yesterday, I did sleep in the truck part of the way.. I know I was not feeling well, but it hit me today just how important exercise is when low carbin it on the road.

I had a very nutritious breakfast at our hotel in Liberal, KS. Cheese omelet, and sausage. Quite delicious! Also had a very nice gym with free weights. I made use of it, worked out for an hour, and noticed how GREAT I felt after exercising. I keep wondering why nobody else exercises at 6 in the morning like I do LOL... I'm still on the 'mom' school time when getting the kid off to school. I have to keep MYSELF in shape, especially when on the road.

We journeyed through Kansas today. As my earlier post stated.. I was actually blogging it from my phone with an 'update'.. something I had never done before.. Expansive cattle everywhere as far the eyes could see. They fatten them up just to sell them... made a wonderful brownish color on the landscape. Kansas is a lot of wind, dust and well a lot of nothing lol.. The Liberal Air Museum was the highlight of the morning.

We traveled onward to Colorado. You kinda have to sneak into the Denver area to get the real feel of the Rockies, they poke out of the earth magnificently. From my hotel room, I could see the snow on top of the mountain ! Hope to have pictures tomorrow.

For supper tonite... I had grilled chicken AND some chili with beans.. hmm weird combination, I gather. The pork and beans in the chili was kinda on a downside as I was expecting red beans.. lol.

I think the weather will be cooler tomorrow. Will keep you posted !

School is almost over.... Low Carb summer is HERE !

One more day of school left ! YEAH ! Had a great day today ! Was at my son's 6th grade achievement awards. He did extremely well. Finalized some papers with other students... Low carb summer is HERE. Are YOU ready for it ??

Chris and Darrell worked us hard at Bodypump. Afterwards, I did Bodyflow . I think I'm bodied out !! All my muscles feel lengthened until they feel like they are gonna pop .. FEELIN' THE BURN... defining that lean muscle tone... YEAH..

It's amazing how workouts make you feel... and the feeling lasts a very long TIME !

Low Carb Container Planting !!

What do you do with 24 empty tubs of molasses ? Low carb container planting of course ! We started planting on May 13, 2011

What started out as a simple project to teach my 12 year son, Sean, how to garden, is turning out rather nicely ! My father in law is passing down his gardening tradtion, and teaching us how to container plant.




We started planting in smaller buckets...




Then my father in law suggested doing it on a bigger scale ! Soo just HOW is it done ? The secret to this low carb gardening is to use these huge molasses containers, they feed the cows with out here. Then get a good mixture of soil and manure... and you are on your way !@!

We are planting seeds.



I think one of the more interesting is the shallots (green onions)..


You know the containers that a package of 50 CD's or DVD'S come in ? Well, we turn it upside down, put some holes in the bottom, moss, then the fertilized soil and then the shallots.. and put it up on the fence.. wallah !! lol



We are planting shallots, potatos, bush beans, carrots, spinach, radishes and beets.. I'll have to take some current pictures for yall.. as the beans are starting to come up already. I've had these pictures in my camera , waiting for some TIME to write this article...

So what are YOU waiting for.. you can plant ANYTHING you like just use your imaginations and EMPTY CONATINERS...

In a later blog, I'll show you how to cook and store them in the freezer for year round fresh veggies.. !! Enjoy !

Diet and Exercise Tally for Today

I did two Bodypump classes today. For Lunch I had Mc Donald's chicken salad. Some blackberries for a snack.. Protein bar after pump classes.

Going tomorrow for RPM and Bodypump.

Spent the weekend in Gulfport. It was very nice and relaxing... :)

Hope everyone had a really nice day !

Today's Diet and Exercise Tally...

Today's lunch consisted of one cup of tomato soup.. (20 carbs). Handfull of blackberries (8 carbs), Wheat toast (11 carbs) Cheese (one carb) total = 40 carbs

I had a really nice day today. Temperature outdoors were nice and cool. I walked around my hometown for about 40 minutes, slow and steady. I took a Bodyflowclass tonite for an hour at Anytime Fitness.

I started drinking Chamomile Herbal Tea before bedtime... to enchance my sleep.

Feeling good this evening. Everything is stretched out.. and ready for a nice long nap LOL... Have a great evening !!

If The Shoe Fits !! -- Weight Loss and Shoe Size.. it DOES really matter !!

You may be asking.. what does one have to do with the other ? As pointed out to me by my instructor, Darrell.. when one is dieting, things shrink. I agreed somewhat, as my wedding ring no longer fits. My clothing does not fit.. Nothing fits anymore. He mentioned that I probably would need to have my feet measured again to get a correct shoe size. I was like WHAT ??

It's true. Along with choosing great low carb foods with our diet, comes wearing the correct shoe size. This is very important in exercising. I found this out when I started noticing that the width of my shoes we puffing up when I would go down to do squats in weight lifting class ! My feet started to hurt as well... Like riding a bicycle with a flat tire. The performance did not work well.

I asked my friend, Dr. Michael Hellemn just how this happens. He suggested that foot does not spread as wide because there is less weight pushing down. "Human bone also adapts to the pressure put on it. If the bones in the foot and leg are carrying less weight, they will grow smaller. Not sure if the reduction in size would be significant enough to notice."

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I know from experience in RPM and Bodypump that even if you're doing everything else right, your efforts can be undermined by improper (wrong sized) footwear. Working out with the wrong shoes increases pounding on the joints, and can lead to injuries like plantar fasciitis or tendinitis.

The key is to choose a shoe that is specific to your activity and that suits your particular foot. Shop at stores specializing in athletic shoes, where you can seek advice from a knowledgeable salesperson. There are specific shoes for biking (RPM)
that you can purchase from biking stores.


So there you have it. Time to try on shoes, get the correct size, and have that perfect work out !!

Thanks Mike and Darrell for your input on this important subject !!

Out of touch, Back to REALITY ! (VIDEO !!)

I bbq'd for Easter .. so I had to try out some of the chicken breast. The photo above shows a nice bbq chicken salad. 8 carbs for the Ranch dressing.

There is nothing like going out of town for a few days. The respit is welcome. The low carb eats are GOOD. Easter is one of my favorite holidays of the year. It's a time to reflect, and eating low carb is easy. I chose my favorites : Ham, deviled eggs, Roast.

Coming BACK to a reality check is where it hurts. Before today.. it had been five days since I last worked out at the gym. My entire body hurts tonite. I never realized how hard it was to get back into the rhythm my body was used too. I missed the rigor of working out with my instructor, Darrell. Bringing my muscles to an entire fatigue is my goal. My schedule is going to be quite hectic for the next three weeks, and my workout schedule will be on different nights. ( The thought of this makes me shiver. Of course, I'll make the most out of a different instructors.. but its not the same as having someone you are comfortable with... who will work you out till you drop dead (literally).. and know that showing up at the gym was well worth your time AND effort.)

While out of town, working out is hard to do. I did take a nice bike ride at the Bogue Chitto State Park in Franklinton, LA. Tonight I took a Bodypump class AND a Bodyflow class at Anytime Fitness.



Tomorrow, I plan to ride my new bike on the levees over on the East Bank, in Destrehan, LA.. Have a wonderful Day !!

Exercise and Low Carb Diet Tally For today.

It's been an exhausting morning ! Anytime Fitness had two launches today that I attended.  The Body Pump Class is awesome.  Darrell and the other instructors pushed us to the limit.  The Body Flow Class was tight. New moves and leg extensions I've never seen before.

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Fiery red pepper sauce on the inside to kick it up a notch !

For lunch this afternoon. I spiced up my Chicken Quesadillas with a new touch.  I used fiery red pepper sauce to kick it up a notch. The entire quesadillas is only 23 carbs. It is very filling and tasty. You should try it !

Lettuce and tomato 

                                                Finished Product ! (22 carbs)

Enjoy your afternoon !!

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I went to Custom Cruisers nite at the bridgepark.  Lots of old time automobiles, trucks and motorcycles.

I ate a taco (13 carbs). Then I got hungry, and ate two small hamburger patties on a slice of wheat breat (8 carbs)

Total for the day : 43 carbs !!! :)

The Skinny on Low Calorie Drinks & Hydration

The Skinny on Low Cal Drinks & Hydration

One of my favorite people to follow is Molly Kimball. She is a registered dietitian, and writes timely articles about health and nutrition. In this segment, she also includes a chart breakdown on low calorie drinks. Great information here. Enjoy !!

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In preparation for Ochsner half-Ironman and Crescent City Classic, it's time to talk hydration



By Molly Kimball  Times Picayune

We’ve had a long run of breezy days and cool nights, but with the Ochsner half-Ironman and the Crescent City Classic sandwiched between the French Quarter Festival and Jazz Fest, it’s time to talk hydration.



The Times-Picayune ArchiveA runner grabs water at the two mile water stop on Rampart St. during 28th annual Crescent City Classic race Saturday, April 15,2006 in New Orleans. Runners had near perfect weather to tackle the 10-kilometer along the streets of the French Quarter and Mid-City.

Staying well-hydrated is critical to maintaining optimal energy levels, as well as preventing muscle cramps, headaches and more serious issues such as heatstroke and seizure, and even death.

But that doesn’t mean you have to force down gallons of water or bottles of sugary sports drinks.


Any type of fluid (with the exception of alcohol) can be hydrating. Even caffeine-containing beverages can count toward your fluid intake. For years, they were though to be dehydrating, but an abundance of research has proven otherwise. The amount of caffeine typically found in standard servings of tea, coffee, and soft drinks appears to have no diuretic action, meaning that these beverages don’t cause us to lose more fluid than they provide.

But we still don’t want the majority of our fluid intake to come from caffeinated drinks; most health organizations recommend that we limit our caffeine intake to 300 milligrams a day, the amount found in two or three cups of coffee.

Food can count toward your fluid intake, too, particularly foods with high water contents such as fresh fruits, yogurt and soups.



View full sizeSo how much is enough when it comes to staying hydrated? (Click on link above)


A general guideline is to aim for about half of your body weight in ounces of fluid, plus an additional 16 ounces for every pound of sweat lost during exercise or work in the heat. So a 150-pound woman needs about 75 ounces of fluid to meet her basic daily needs. If she loses 2 pounds of sweat during her morning workout, she’ll need an additional 32 ounces of fluid, for a total of about 107 ounces for the day.



Again, this doesn’t mean that she has to drink 107 ounces of plain water. If she drinks coffee or tea in the morning, has a protein smoothie for breakfast, a broth-based soup with lunch and a Greek yogurt with fresh fruit as a snack, she may have already consumed 50 ounces of fluid ““ about halfway toward her goal for the day — before factoring in the first sip of water.



Good news for those of you who aren’t crazy about drinking water: You have plenty of other options. An abundance of flavored drinks is on the market, many of them available in small packets that can be kept in your purse or pockets to add to a water bottle, so there’s little excuse for not staying hydrated.



Here’s a list of 21 low-cal drinks and how they measure up in terms of calories, use of artificial sweeteners and electrolyte content.
 (Click on link above)

Low Carb Chicken & Cheese Quesdillas

I found a wonderful recipe for Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas. I'm always on the look out for new and wonderful low carb foods. Here goes !!

Prepare your favorite skinless, boneless chicken.  Cut into small pieces. ( I actually used about half of this amount to stuff into the quesdillas.)

Place the chicken on a 9 to 10 inch whole-wheat flour tortilla.

Add your favorite cheese. ( Mine is Kraft  Mexican Four Cheese).


Melt one Tbs. of the butter over medium heat in a 12 inch skillet or large griddle.  Add the quesadilla and cook for  3-4 minutes, or until the cheese begins to melt and the tortilla starts to brown. Turn and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with beans, a salad or salsa. I preferred adding tomatoes and lettuce.

Slice each quesadilla in half... ENJOY !!!!!!

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Nutrition per serving:  130 calories, 6 grams of  protein, 25 carbs , 3 grams dietary fiber,

How to plan from a High Protein Food List

Knowing which foods that are high in protein can help you plan your low carb menus. 

I'm learning to ADD more protein in my low carb diet because it is important in gaining muscle.

I've put together a list of foods that I hope you will find helpful in your menu planning !!

4/6 Low Carb Diet and Exercise

I just got back from the gym. I'm pretty fatigued as this is my second day in a row doing Bodypump (weightlifting).  Combine this with the RPM (spinning class) I took yesterday = one tired gal !!

I had a great Bodypump workout. Although I did not have my regular instructor, Darrell -- Hailey did a nice job with the routines. However on the very last track I learned a new move -- How to "Hover with a Pointer !!"  Indeed, I needed every ounce of strength left,  for that move literally rocked me to the core ! 
Hailey sure saved the best for LAST> :)

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I've always loved farm-fresh brown eggs.  My current supply.

For breakast, I ate three scrambled eggs with ham and cheese.

A piece of bread on the side to balance it off ! (8 carbs)

Some fresh blueberries and blackberries round off the meal :)  (about 12 carbs)

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Snack time !  1/3 cup of nuts.

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After workout.. I was looking in the frig for leftovers.  I found some potato salad... added mayo.  No idea how many carbs lol.

Yes, I cheat.  I had a small slice of carrot cake that I got from our local farmer's market. Yes, it was delish !!

Your Own Low Carb Spring Training !

I know this time of year rolls around and if you are like I was, we show up out of shape for Spring training. I could blame it on whatever holiday it was, but ultimately, my body was out of shape -- OK, round IS a shape !

Scouting yourself.  Just what does that mean ?  It means to take an overview of your objective. What are you trying to gain ? or Loose ?  Do you want to get physical, or diet alone -- or BOTH ?   Do you have a problem with dieting or hunger ??  Our assessments give us a better understanding of our weak points that need to be addressed.

Your Spring move.  Suck it up and find your current weight and body fat, then see how far you can run and how much you can lift.  Are you out of breath ?  Did you underestimate how much you can lift ? Setting realistic goals will push you toward a good exercise routine. 

I think the best way to find out is to look into joining a gym near you. Most of them offer a certain period of time (7 day pass) or something to let you explore the new territory and make new friends.
ALWAYS challenge yourself.  Say I CAN do something.  You never know what you are most capable of unless you TRY !

Train your whole body. It's a system that works in unison with each other.  It is important to train multiple muscle groups. I learned this first hand in our Body pump weightlifting class.  I found out I had a strong lower core.  So what does that mean exactly ? That means that my upper portion needs more attention.  I have to add more weights and reps to get them fine tuned.  Don't forget to strengthen your weak points and don't focus on the stuff you are already good at !!



When you are working out, it is also important to remember that muscle has MEMORY.  It is important not to follow the same workout routine everyday. Switch it Up. Do it backwards, have a little fun in your workout routine. Add a new class, or walk a little faster, or skip , LOL.   

Get your GROOVE ON !

Throw in a heavy workout day, like I did today. For example, I took an RPM (spinning) class at 6 pm, followed by a Body Pump (weightlifting class) at 7:15.   Remember to eat lots of protein. It is important to supplement your body with nutrients such as these to replace those calories burned off.

Add more weight or resistance to your workout.  If you need to concentrate in one area to loose weight, add more reps.

Most of all, get yourself tuned into your OWN Successful Spring Training workout that suits YOU. 

Have a great evening !!

60 days -- 13 lbs. Lost !!

I began phase II of this low-carb journey two months ago.  At that point in time, I weighed in at 149 pounds. Today, I am proud to announce my two month mile-marker.  I am weighing in at 136 pounds -- down 13. Who knew the number 13 could be so wonderful ?

I joined Anytime Fitness gym two months ago.  I am NOT a 'dedicated gym rat', -- rather a 'class rat' lol. I have tried every type of fitness class Anytime has to offer. My favorites are Bodypump (weightlifting), RPM (spinning) and Body Flow (combination of yoga, tai-chi, etc).. centered on balance and strengthening your center core.

My journey consisted of finding the RIGHT combination of planning to low-carb in a SAFE manner and finding the exercises that could tone and strengthen my body at the same time.

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 PHASE ONE


October 7, 2008 I was diagnosed with pre-hypertension. My doctor explained that if I did not loose 10% of my body weight, I would have to rely on medication to treat the high blood pressure for the rest of my life. I went online like everyone else searching for that 'miracle' to help me loose weight.  I landed on the doorstep of Jimmy Moore . Jimmy went on his own low-carb journey to loose weight, and blogs about his journey.

I followed his low carb regimen.  Exercised and ate low carb. However, something happened to me that should not have.  I was low carbing WAY to low, and the weight was coming off TOO FAST. I lost 36 pounds in six weeks. Along with the weight loss came hair loss and a vitamin deficiency.   At that point, I thought low carbing was supposed to be a good thing. LESSON LEARNED.

I took Biotin for the hair loss, and a dose of daily women's vitamins.   Things were getting better. I was able to keep the weight off until November of 2010.
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PHASING OUT.. (LITERALLY)

This phase began at the end of November 2010 to Jan 31, 2011. I gained 12 pounds in two months. I blamed it on the Thanksgiving Dinner, then the Christmas dinner and finally the king cake.  I had quit the gym I was at, went through a little depression, and made a decision.  I needed to change my lifestyle, or I would end up in the depths of despair.

PHASE TWO

In February of 2011, many changes happened.  I joined Anytime Fitness. Got a job as a school teacher. Started low carbing.  I was almost 150 pounds.   I picked up blogging everyday. I charted my exercise and food intake on Anytime Health and on my blog here. 

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TODAY

Today, I weigh in at 136 pounds... 13 pounds lost in 8 weeks. Yes, I lost it s-l-o-w-l-y, but carefully.  I've learned from my mistakes. I have learned some good things too ! That along with low carb comes exercise. I've made many friends at Anytime Fitness and on the low carb community here on blogspot.  I thank each and everyone of you for being supportive and commenting when you can.  It means the world to hear how yall are doing, and I read each and every one of your comments and comment back. Life is GOOD.

Today, I measured myself. I have good results. The most astonishing was that I gained a 1/2 inch in my thighs. I know weird huh ? Those once gorgeous gams, looked like bird legs. But after two months of Body pump (weightlifting), dedication, and sweat, and a wonderful instructor named Darrell, I think those thighs getting bigger is muscle building. Yeah  baby :)  Gimme Betty Gable legs any day  !!!

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For lunch today, I had a Mc Donald's Bacon Cheddar Ranch Chicken Salad  (11 carbs)

Handful of blackberries and blueberries (10 carbs)

 

For supper I had two deviled eggs, two slices of ham, and some dirty rice I made (1/3 cup) (29 carbs)

I exercised today by walking for 25 minutes this morn and jogging for 30 minutes this afternoon around my town.