Monday stuff and more photos

Calories eaten yesterday: 1278
Fat: 66g (48%)
Carbs: 18g (6%) (Woot!)
Protein: 112g (36%)
Calories burned in exercise: 323

I think I finally figured out why my blog hits have gone up so much lately. It's new-years-resolution syndrome - all the people who swear they will lose weight this year. It's the same reason my gym can be almost unlivable at this time of year. The gym will die down by the end of February. I wonder if the jump in blog hits will last even that long.

Lots of people find me while looking for information on the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet. Here's a tip...buy Jonny Bowden's book Living the Low Carb Life. It profiles 17 diet plans including Carbohydrate Addict's and my chosen plan, Atkins. That way you can see the pluses and minuses about each diet and choose the plan that is right for YOU.

I've noticed something as I look around at the new people at the gym - they never venture into the weight room; they stay in the cardio room as if that's going to help them lose weight. It won't, of course. Only time will tell whether they will wise up and realize that weight loss is about more than cardio, or whether they will drop out and go back to their sedentary lifestyle.

Since today is a holiday here in California (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) I couldn't run any errands so I went to the gym again. I started off with a mile of running (12 minutes at 5 mph), then 40 minutes of weights, 30 on the elliptical, and ended with 5 minutes of just walking on the treadmill. I am wiped out! Whew!

Well, I'm desperate again - and please don't post comments to criticize me - but I am once against turning to diet pills. I went to Walmart and got a bottle of SlimQuick ("the female fat burner") (review) and a bottle of Relacore (controls cortisol) (review). I'll give kudos to the SlimQuick at least for the recommendations in the booklet that came with it for advocating a high protein, smart carb diet, and the exercises it gives include weight training with cardio.

I'm not expecting miracles, but my weight loss is at a total stall despite a clean diet and regular exercise. FitDay says I'm burning more calories than I'm eating, and yet my weight remains stable. In fact, cutting back Friday and Sunday made up for my overeating on Thursday and Saturday, or so the chart says.

Brad found an old Christmas card in his car that he forgot to give me. It was from my sister. It had pictures of Bogie in it and said, "You need to come here for Christmas sometime. Bogie misses you. :) Love, April, Renato, Bogie" How sad to think this was mailed before his death! :(

She also wrote, "P.S. You look great - Good work! But don't lose anymore weight." Ah, if only she knew. I am hardly too skinny at 145+ pounds and 24% body fat. Still, I'll take the compliment.

Blood sugar is doing well. It was 92 last night, 83 this morning, and 100 after my workout today. Last week's morning average was 92.

Drank a lot of water yesterday trying to get the carb bloat off. Today my fat jeans are still tight on me. *sigh* I'm continuing with the water today.

I'm adding veggies back into my diet today. I'm having a big salad with cucumber and avocado on it. I'm leaving the tomatoes off to cut back on the carbs.

Here's some random pics of me I haven't shared here yet. From Friday-Sunday there was a lot of picture taking and uploading. Click any photo to enlarge.

Low-carb egg nog, made from scratch


Random picture of celery and cream cheese in front of my TV


Xena licks my face with her sandpaper tongue - ouch!


Me drinking wine


Gazing into my wine


This is what happens when you forget you put the communion bread in the oven


And this is how it should look


A rare sight - Abby cleaning Xena


Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness, diabetes, glucose meter