Nothing too exciting has been going on here! Just working and hanging out with friends during the weekends.
Last weekend we met up with friends to celebrate a friend's birthday - we went to Red Rocks Cafe for dinner. We also met up with friends on Saturday for a few drinks and karaoke! I'm not much of a singer, but it's fun to watch others! This weekend we are having a cookout at our house! We are inviting a few friends and grilling dinner. We've lived in our house for almost a year now and haven't really had many gatherings so I'm looking forward to entertaining! :)
I am SO looking forward to next weekend because my mom and stepdad are making a trip down here to visit. We are going to Folly Beach for 3 days and spending some time in Charleston! I have lived here in the Carolinas for almost 2 years and have yet to visit Charleston so I am super excited about this trip. I hear it's a beautiful place full of history, culture, shopping and eateries! We have a condo reserved at Folly Beach and I can't wait to lay in the sand and watch the waves. Then we'll come back home and my mom and stepdad will stay at our house for a couple of days before they head north. It will be a lovely time!
On a side note, I hate to say it, but the diet hasn't been going so great. We've been eating out more often than we should on the weekends, but still doing ok with cooking healthy meals at home during the week. Basically we spend the week making up for the weekend so we're pretty much maintaining our current weights. I'm not freaking out about this because I know we will get back on track - we just need to make smarter choices on the weekends! Vacation will probably be difficult as well, but I'll be happy if we can at least maintain our weight while we're there. After vacation, we will be more strict and hopefully I'll have good news to report!
Stay tuned - I will have much more to blog about after our vacation and lots of pictures to post!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Cycle 2: Activate
James and I finally started Cycle 2 of the 17 Day Diet!
I got a little off track last weekend during my trip to PA, so I wanted to spend a few extra days on cycle 1 to get back into the weight loss mindset and lose the couple pounds that I put on over the weekend. I'm guessing it was mostly water weight because it came off pretty quickly.
Cycle two encourages us to eat whole grain foods (wheat bread, wheat pasta, oatmeal) and lean red meats. We also have to watch our portions (obviously we can't eat a huge bowl fettucini alfredo and expect the pounds to melt off). The trick is this: we can only eat those foods every other day. The other days we will follow cycle 1. So basically we are alternating the cycles to keep our metabolisms up and running and slightly confused (confusion is a good thing according to the book). I'm planning that every even day we're going to have some sort of carb and maybe make red meat once or twice a week and then eat the cycle one foods on the odd days: poultry, fish, low fat cheese, low-sugar fruits and vegetables.
Yesterday was our first day of cycle two and we had whole grain spaghetti. I made meat sauce with turkey burger and salads to go with it. It was very satisfying and tasty.
So with an extra few days of cycle 1 and a few not-so-good days in between, our total losses are:
James: 12lbs
Chelsa: 9 lbs
Hopefully we'll be even bigger losers next time you read this :)
I got a little off track last weekend during my trip to PA, so I wanted to spend a few extra days on cycle 1 to get back into the weight loss mindset and lose the couple pounds that I put on over the weekend. I'm guessing it was mostly water weight because it came off pretty quickly.
Cycle two encourages us to eat whole grain foods (wheat bread, wheat pasta, oatmeal) and lean red meats. We also have to watch our portions (obviously we can't eat a huge bowl fettucini alfredo and expect the pounds to melt off). The trick is this: we can only eat those foods every other day. The other days we will follow cycle 1. So basically we are alternating the cycles to keep our metabolisms up and running and slightly confused (confusion is a good thing according to the book). I'm planning that every even day we're going to have some sort of carb and maybe make red meat once or twice a week and then eat the cycle one foods on the odd days: poultry, fish, low fat cheese, low-sugar fruits and vegetables.
Yesterday was our first day of cycle two and we had whole grain spaghetti. I made meat sauce with turkey burger and salads to go with it. It was very satisfying and tasty.
So with an extra few days of cycle 1 and a few not-so-good days in between, our total losses are:
James: 12lbs
Chelsa: 9 lbs
Hopefully we'll be even bigger losers next time you read this :)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Weekend in PA (get ready, this is a long one!)
This past weekend, I went to Lancaster for a high school friend's wedding.
I flew out of Charlotte on Thursday evening around 7:30. James drove me to the airport and it reminded us both of our long distance relationship days. Thankfully those days are over and I was only going to be gone for a few days! Even so, I miss him when we're apart. I arrived in Harrisburg at 9:19, to be exact. An hour and half flight beats an 8 hour drive any day! As usual my mom and step-dad picked me up at the airport. It is always so exciting to see them waiting for me at baggage claim. My mom, of course, gets super giddy. And so do I. :)
On Friday we went for lunch with my uncle and his girlfriend to a place called Ida's Cafe. Then we went for a drive, looked at houses because they are in the market to buy one and also drove past the house that my mom and I lived in while I was growing up. Oh the memories! I know I'm not old by any means, but I feel so old and grown up when I think of the many years that we spent in that house. Nostalgia definitely set in!
Later, my mom and I went to a local grocery store called Stauffers that I always enjoy. They have a wide variety of foods including an ethnic section, organic sections and locally grown fruits and vegetables. As my mom and I were trying to decide what to buy to make for dinner, I ran into an old friend that I've known since middle school. We got caught up on each other's lives and she also helped us decide what to have for dinner: fish tacos! They were so yummy and I highly recommend them to everyone if you have yet to try them! We just used a mild white fish, sprinkled and baked with cajun seasoning, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, salsa and fresh cilantro. We wrapped them in low carb wheat tortillas. So good! (And diet friendly, which pretty much got put on the back burner for the weekend, but we're getting back on track now!).
On Saturday morning I met up with one of my best friends and her fiancee. We went yardsale-ing. I got a Norah Jones CD, still in the wrapper and a "I love Intercourse, PA" license plate to add to mine and James' license plate wall that we started in our loft. We have 9 license plates now most of which are from his parents old cars, but I had a couple of PA ones to add. And now this one! Intercourse in a small town in PA and it's pretty much famous for it's name. :)
I then met my dad for a quick lunch, hurried home to my mom's house, got dressed and headed to the wedding. The weather was perfect and it was on the bride's family farm so everything was green and gorgeous and filled with sunshine. We then celebrated under a tent and here again, it was so wonderful to catch up with so many people from high school and old friends that I used to spend most of my time with.
On Sunday, I met my dad for breakfast and we visited close friends of the family that are in their 80s, but are still going strong. They have a small cabin in the Allegheny Mountains of PA that I've been visiting all of my life. Despite their age, they go up to the cabin as much as possible. It's a quaint little place that's nestled in the middle of a forest off a dirt road. There is no running water, just a small stream that has the best tasting fresh spring water I've ever had. We use this to drink, do dishes, boil for cooking, etc. Also, there is a two-seater outhouse for when nature calls :). I have great memories of weekends spent at the cabin relaxing, building campfires, watching/feeding the wildlife and marveling at the infinite number of stars that are visible in such a secluded place such as this. It's truly beautiful!
Afterwards, we visited my grandparents (who are also in their 80s and doing exceptionally well), played card games (something my family has always done) and soon it was time to head back to the airport. My dad dropped me off and as soon as I saw tears well up in his eyes, I lost it! I'm an emotional person to begin with, but when I see him cry, there's no hope for me lol. We said our goodbyes and 2 hours later, I was back in Charlotte.
As much as I hate to say goodbye to family, I'm so glad that I'm not constantly having to say goodbye to James the way we had to in our long distance days. And as much as James and I hate to be apart, short weekends away from each other just make us appreciate our time together that much more. When we got home, he had a surprise for me: he painted our bedroom! We picked out room colors a year ago and had already painted the rest of the house, the bedroom being our unfinished project. And now it's finished! What a sweet man :)
On a final note, it was an excellent weekend. And I must say, when I saw James come around the corner in his car to pick me up at the airport, I got butterflies in my stomach like I did on some of our first dates and on our wedding day.
I hope that feeling never fades away. <3
I flew out of Charlotte on Thursday evening around 7:30. James drove me to the airport and it reminded us both of our long distance relationship days. Thankfully those days are over and I was only going to be gone for a few days! Even so, I miss him when we're apart. I arrived in Harrisburg at 9:19, to be exact. An hour and half flight beats an 8 hour drive any day! As usual my mom and step-dad picked me up at the airport. It is always so exciting to see them waiting for me at baggage claim. My mom, of course, gets super giddy. And so do I. :)
On Friday we went for lunch with my uncle and his girlfriend to a place called Ida's Cafe. Then we went for a drive, looked at houses because they are in the market to buy one and also drove past the house that my mom and I lived in while I was growing up. Oh the memories! I know I'm not old by any means, but I feel so old and grown up when I think of the many years that we spent in that house. Nostalgia definitely set in!
Later, my mom and I went to a local grocery store called Stauffers that I always enjoy. They have a wide variety of foods including an ethnic section, organic sections and locally grown fruits and vegetables. As my mom and I were trying to decide what to buy to make for dinner, I ran into an old friend that I've known since middle school. We got caught up on each other's lives and she also helped us decide what to have for dinner: fish tacos! They were so yummy and I highly recommend them to everyone if you have yet to try them! We just used a mild white fish, sprinkled and baked with cajun seasoning, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, salsa and fresh cilantro. We wrapped them in low carb wheat tortillas. So good! (And diet friendly, which pretty much got put on the back burner for the weekend, but we're getting back on track now!).
On Saturday morning I met up with one of my best friends and her fiancee. We went yardsale-ing. I got a Norah Jones CD, still in the wrapper and a "I love Intercourse, PA" license plate to add to mine and James' license plate wall that we started in our loft. We have 9 license plates now most of which are from his parents old cars, but I had a couple of PA ones to add. And now this one! Intercourse in a small town in PA and it's pretty much famous for it's name. :)
I then met my dad for a quick lunch, hurried home to my mom's house, got dressed and headed to the wedding. The weather was perfect and it was on the bride's family farm so everything was green and gorgeous and filled with sunshine. We then celebrated under a tent and here again, it was so wonderful to catch up with so many people from high school and old friends that I used to spend most of my time with.
On Sunday, I met my dad for breakfast and we visited close friends of the family that are in their 80s, but are still going strong. They have a small cabin in the Allegheny Mountains of PA that I've been visiting all of my life. Despite their age, they go up to the cabin as much as possible. It's a quaint little place that's nestled in the middle of a forest off a dirt road. There is no running water, just a small stream that has the best tasting fresh spring water I've ever had. We use this to drink, do dishes, boil for cooking, etc. Also, there is a two-seater outhouse for when nature calls :). I have great memories of weekends spent at the cabin relaxing, building campfires, watching/feeding the wildlife and marveling at the infinite number of stars that are visible in such a secluded place such as this. It's truly beautiful!
Afterwards, we visited my grandparents (who are also in their 80s and doing exceptionally well), played card games (something my family has always done) and soon it was time to head back to the airport. My dad dropped me off and as soon as I saw tears well up in his eyes, I lost it! I'm an emotional person to begin with, but when I see him cry, there's no hope for me lol. We said our goodbyes and 2 hours later, I was back in Charlotte.
As much as I hate to say goodbye to family, I'm so glad that I'm not constantly having to say goodbye to James the way we had to in our long distance days. And as much as James and I hate to be apart, short weekends away from each other just make us appreciate our time together that much more. When we got home, he had a surprise for me: he painted our bedroom! We picked out room colors a year ago and had already painted the rest of the house, the bedroom being our unfinished project. And now it's finished! What a sweet man :)
On a final note, it was an excellent weekend. And I must say, when I saw James come around the corner in his car to pick me up at the airport, I got butterflies in my stomach like I did on some of our first dates and on our wedding day.
I hope that feeling never fades away. <3
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Friends: One of Life's Greatest Necessities
Moving to the Carolinas to start a life with my husband was the best decision I've ever made, but I have to say, it is hard being away from so many people that I love.
Fortunately, there are several ways to keep up with each other's lives even though we're over 500 miles apart (cell phones, skype, facebook, blogs :)). Today I talked to two of my best girlfriends on the phone, each for over an hour. It was so nice to pick up right where we left off even though a month has gone by since the last time we've talked. I feel so thankful and blessed to have built such strong friendships with these girls. We've been through high school, college, graduations, boyfriends, weddings and now even babies are coming into the picture! I just can't tell them enough how much I love them! They know who they are. ;)
I also talk to my mom almost everyday and my dad several times a week. I'm so glad that I can call my parents my friends. Of course there were the not so good years where we fought and disagreed about most everything, but I've grown close to my parents and truly consider them my friends. They've been nothing but loving and supportive all of my life, despite the hard times, and I cherish my relationship with them.
So even though it's hard being away sometimes, it's doable, because no matter what, I know I will always have a solid relationship with those people. Our friendships are too strong to let something as little as distance get in the way.
Fortunately, there are several ways to keep up with each other's lives even though we're over 500 miles apart (cell phones, skype, facebook, blogs :)). Today I talked to two of my best girlfriends on the phone, each for over an hour. It was so nice to pick up right where we left off even though a month has gone by since the last time we've talked. I feel so thankful and blessed to have built such strong friendships with these girls. We've been through high school, college, graduations, boyfriends, weddings and now even babies are coming into the picture! I just can't tell them enough how much I love them! They know who they are. ;)
I also talk to my mom almost everyday and my dad several times a week. I'm so glad that I can call my parents my friends. Of course there were the not so good years where we fought and disagreed about most everything, but I've grown close to my parents and truly consider them my friends. They've been nothing but loving and supportive all of my life, despite the hard times, and I cherish my relationship with them.
So even though it's hard being away sometimes, it's doable, because no matter what, I know I will always have a solid relationship with those people. Our friendships are too strong to let something as little as distance get in the way.
Birthday Fun In Uptown Charlotte
My birthday is tomorrow (on a Monday, yuck!) so we got some friends together and went uptown (meaning downtown Charlotte - not sure why but it is always referred to as "uptown"). We went to the Epicenter which is basically a cluster of nightclubs, restaurants and there is a theater. It's a fun place! We started at BlackFinn for dinner and drinks. I had the lime seared salmon and it was deeelish! James got a shrimp and pasta bowl that had sundried tomatoes and feta cheese in it. Also good! I stuck to the diet for the most part, but I did have a little bit of rice and probably too much alcohol!
Girlfriends <3
After dinner we ventured over to Wild Wing Cafe for a few drinks and then went to Whisky River for some dancing. Whisky River is owned by NASCAR driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. so it's a pretty popular place in Charlotte.
The Epicenter
Charlotte Skyline
Girlfriends <3
After dinner we ventured over to Wild Wing Cafe for a few drinks and then went to Whisky River for some dancing. Whisky River is owned by NASCAR driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. so it's a pretty popular place in Charlotte.
The Epicenter
Overall it was a wonderful evening spent with friends and a great way to celebrate my birthday! :)
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Cycle 1: Accelerate
Some of you may have heard about this diet already as the doctor who wrote the book has appeared on many shows including Dr. Phil and The Doctors. Basically the "diet" consists of four 17 day cycles. I've only read about the first cycle because if I read the whole book then I might feel bogged down with too much information and get discouraged. Plus, it's much easier to take it 17 days at a time.
We are on our 6th day of the first cycle: accelerate. This cycle is all about cleansing and detoxing our body of sugar and toxins and getting it healthy. Honestly, it's been pretty painless. We've been eating lots of lean proteins (ground turkey, turkey breasts, chicken breasts and egg whites) and tons of vegetables. The book provides a huge list of "cleansing" vegetables the are loaded with vitamins and minerals so we're staying healthy while eating very little calories. It also indicated which fruits have more sugar than others so we stick with low-sugar fruits such as apples, oranges, grapefruit and berries. We also eat foods with probiotics in them such as yogurt, cottage cheese and low fat cheeses. The goal is to drink 8, 8oz glasses of water a day and 3 cups of green tea, each with our meals. James is really good at getting his water in for the day, but I have a hard time with it at work because when we're busy, I dont have time to drink anything. But I'm working on that by keeping a water bottle with me at all times.
So basically it has been one week since we have eaten carbs (minus the fruit and a few permitted condiments such as ketchup) and it feels awesome. I feel energized and healthy. The book explains that since our bodies don't have to focus on breaking down all the sugar we used to eat, it now has time to break down the fat that has been stored up for however many years (too many). Yay for fat burning :) I've even given up coffee in the mornings (the book allows coffee, this was a personal choice), which I thought was going to be a big deal, but it's not because I'm getting energy from my food. I must say though, there were one or two times this week that I had cravings for chocolate and pizza, but I'm blaming that on my womanly hormones :).
The best part: James has lost 7 lbs, I've lost 5 lbs. (I've accepted the fact that men lose weight faster than women).
And don't worry, the next cycle incorporates more carbs from whole grains and stuff so we're not always going to be eating such little amounts of carbs.
We are on our 6th day of the first cycle: accelerate. This cycle is all about cleansing and detoxing our body of sugar and toxins and getting it healthy. Honestly, it's been pretty painless. We've been eating lots of lean proteins (ground turkey, turkey breasts, chicken breasts and egg whites) and tons of vegetables. The book provides a huge list of "cleansing" vegetables the are loaded with vitamins and minerals so we're staying healthy while eating very little calories. It also indicated which fruits have more sugar than others so we stick with low-sugar fruits such as apples, oranges, grapefruit and berries. We also eat foods with probiotics in them such as yogurt, cottage cheese and low fat cheeses. The goal is to drink 8, 8oz glasses of water a day and 3 cups of green tea, each with our meals. James is really good at getting his water in for the day, but I have a hard time with it at work because when we're busy, I dont have time to drink anything. But I'm working on that by keeping a water bottle with me at all times.
So basically it has been one week since we have eaten carbs (minus the fruit and a few permitted condiments such as ketchup) and it feels awesome. I feel energized and healthy. The book explains that since our bodies don't have to focus on breaking down all the sugar we used to eat, it now has time to break down the fat that has been stored up for however many years (too many). Yay for fat burning :) I've even given up coffee in the mornings (the book allows coffee, this was a personal choice), which I thought was going to be a big deal, but it's not because I'm getting energy from my food. I must say though, there were one or two times this week that I had cravings for chocolate and pizza, but I'm blaming that on my womanly hormones :).
The best part: James has lost 7 lbs, I've lost 5 lbs. (I've accepted the fact that men lose weight faster than women).
And don't worry, the next cycle incorporates more carbs from whole grains and stuff so we're not always going to be eating such little amounts of carbs.
17 Day Diet
On May 8, my husband and I started a new diet called the 17 Day Diet, written by Dr. Mike Moreno and we are really excited about it! We are already seeing and feeling results after the first week. Now I know what you're thinking - diets don't work! And you're right, they don't work. "Diets" have a bad reputation because they usually result in fast weight loss, the person no longer eats they way they were when they were losing weight and before you know it the weight is back on plus a few pounds. This diet is different because it helps you lose the weight quickly (which really keeps you motivated), but healthily. It also encourages a lifestyle change so that by the end of your weight loss journey, you are able to maintain your current weight instead of gaining all the weight back. I know I sound like I'm being paid to advertise for this guy (I promise I'm not), but reading the first chapter of his book has really motivated me. I'm looking forward to following the plan because it sounds doable and it makes sense. I also like that it's written by a doctor who understands how our bodies work and can promote a healthy way to lose weight.
I hope you enjoy reading about our journey on the 17 Day Diet! :)
http://www.17daydiet.com/
I hope you enjoy reading about our journey on the 17 Day Diet! :)
http://www.17daydiet.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)