Losing Weight The Old Fashioned Way

Sunshine Leaves the Biggest Loser Ranch

2010-05-12T11:54:00.007-05:00

Well, I was sad to see Sunshine go
but she was doing so well in the game
and I feel sure she can do it all well
at home.

Let's Talk Turkey

2009-11-06T14:43:00.005-06:00

Pretty much anyone who is on a
healthy diet knows that eating
leaner meats such as chicken, fish
and turkey can not only help you
to lose weight, but can also help
decrease your overall fat intake.

Ground Turkey has become very popular
for making Burgers, Chili and Spaghetti
Sauce. And it's delicious!

But did you know that not all ground
turkey is created equal?

Some ground turkey contains the skin
and the dark meat! Always check the
label to find out the fat content of
the turkey you intend to put in a dish.

Many ground turkeys are only 85% Fat
Free!!! You would be better off using
90% Fat Free ground beef! There's less
Fat in it.

Try to always find the packaged ground
turkey that is 93/7. That's 93% fat
free and the best for you.

There are many great recipes on the
internet that use ground turkey in
it. You can also be creative and
make up your own Turkey recipes!

One of my favorites when I'm feeling
like I need a meaty meal is ground
turkey nachos!

Use Baked Tortilla Chips

Spread a little Vegetarian Refried
beans on the chips and place them
all together in the middle of a cookie
sheet.

Now take browned and seasoned ground
turkey and spread it around on the
chips. It doesn't take a ton of it.

You can add Jalepenos, onions, chopped
bell pepper, or any healthful topping
you like.

Sprinkly Fat Free Shredded Cheddar
Cheese all over the nachos and sit
the pan on the center shelf in the
oven on Broil.

Keep and eye on these and when the
cheese is nice and bubbly and starting
to brown just slightly, remove them
from the oven.

Feel free to use Fat Free Sour Cream
and some home made Guacamole and fresh
home made salsa! SO Delicious!

Remember, even though avocado does have
a rather high fat content, it is a GOOD
fat that helps to lower bad cholesterol.

Make a ton of them for football games
and share with your friends. You'll be
surprised just how much they like them!

New Season of Biggest Loser

2009-09-16T15:23:00.003-05:00

It's so exciting for me to have
the new season of Biggest Loser
starting.

That show has been the biggest
inspiration for me in this weight
loss journey.

It's never happened before that I
had a favorite contestant right from
the first episode, but this year I
do.

In case you didn't catch the show
last night, here's my girl Abby!

Diet Motivation

2009-09-06T14:15:00.004-05:00

Motivation is different for everyone.

Originally, mine was to lower my cholesterol
and Triglycerides.

Once the first 10 pounds came off, I was
still motivated by the fact that I had
some serious health issues related to
being overweight.

As my heart rate, blood pressure, glucose
levels and cholesterol and Triglyceride
levels started to normalize, I got excited!
That became an even bigger motivation, I
could get healthy with diet and exercise.

Now I've lost 57 pounds with 36 to go.

My clothes hang on me. My seat belt seems
much longer than it used to. Even my
shoes are a little loose on me! Who would
have thought my feet had fat on them?

And when people see me who haven't seen
me in a while, the look on their faces
is priceless.

I had begun thinking that I would never
lose the weight. It's a shame it took
health problems to motivate me.

But now it's the "I know I can do this"
that keeps me going.

What motivates you?

Irresponsible Article by Time Magazine Outrages Fitness Industry

2009-08-17T09:47:00.006-05:00

Recently Time Magazine published an
article by writer John Cloud that
has the Fitness Industry up in arms.

And for good reason I might ad.

Basically the article stated that
exercise makes him hungry, can make
YOU hungry, therefore exercising will
keep you from losing weight, perhaps
even gain a few pounds.

This was in TIME Magazine!?!

This is an insane and irresponsible
article in the face of an ongoing
Obesity Crisis here in the United
States as well as many other parts of
the world.

You can read that article HERE

Exercise is the best way to burn
calories! And if you do get hungry,
THEN EAT RESPONSIBLY! It's a good
idea to eat something after a good
workout. Have a piece of fruit, or
a protein shake or perhaps some lean
protein like fish or chicken.

John Cloud, you can't stuff your face
with cookies and donuts after a workout
and expect to lose weight! Just because
you choose to exercise UNhealthy habits
after a workout doesn't mean that
the rest of the world is full of morons
like you! Think about what you're doing
and then give a little thought to what
you're going to write.

Word is that Time Magazine has been
bombarded with rebuttals from the
Fitness Industry since the article
appeared. I'm hoping to see him
recant the whole thing.

BTW: At this writing I am down 54 pounds!

Cool Salad for Hot Summer Days

2009-06-26T10:58:00.006-05:00

It's HOT!

And it's hard to get motivated
sometimes to prepare a meal that
is healthful and nutritious.

Who wants to be stirring a pot
over a hot stove or have the
oven on competing with the air
conditioning to see which one
can run your electric bill up
the highest?

Chilled foods can not only
be great for you, they can help
cool you down. And they won't
destroy your diet!

Here's one of my favorites:

Tomato and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

1 Large Avocado

Large ripe tomato or
Two ripe Italian (plum) tomatoes

Fresh Raw Corn cut from the cob or
small can of Shoe peg corn drained
and rinsed

Red Onion

Fresh Lime

Fresh Cilanto (optional)

Ground Cumin (optional)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Dice the Avocado and Tomato
and place in a small bowl

Mince the red onion fairly
small and add to the mix.

Add in the Shoe Peg corn
or fresh corn and a little
salt and pepper.

Drizzle about half a teaspoon
of Olive Oil over the veggies.

Sprinkle half a teaspoon of
Ground Cumin over the mix.
(Optional)

Add a handful of finely chopped
Cilantro. (Optional)

Squeeze the juice from half a
lime and gently mix all of it
trying not to mash up the
avocado too much.

Chill for 30 minutes

This is a great heart healthy
alternative to the boring salads
we're all used to.

It can be added to some many
dishes as an edible garnish
or eaten as a stand alone salad.

One of my favorites is to warm
a Whole Grain Flour tortilla.
Add a few slices of grilled
chicken breast and a big plop
of Avocado/Tomato salad and maybe
even a dollop of fat free sour
cream.

Wrap it up like a burrito and
DIG IN!

It's amazingly delicious and again,
a heart healthy alternative to high
fat Mexican dishes.

Time Away from the Diet - Fruit Salad Recipe

2009-06-25T12:19:00.009-05:00

I took a month to not diet quite
so hard and just maintain my loss.

Generally, I stick like glue to the
diet, but I was feeling burned out.
I was missing foods that I love!

So for the past month, I mainly just
kept to calorie counting and not
eating as healthfully as I should.

I ended up losing 3 pounds anyway.

But a recent knee injury and shoulder
injury kept me down for about a week
and preparing good food was just not
a viable option.

The result? I gained 4 pounds!

I was down 45 pounds from where I
started, and now I'm only down 41.

Not to be discouraged, I am hopping
back on the healthier choices.

So, I'm about to make this amazing
Fruit Salad. It's great, give it a
try. Very easy to prepare. And fruits
are abundant right now.

Simply chop the following
Fresh Fruits:

Pineapple

Banana

Apple

Peach

Strawberries

Orange or Tangerine

Grapes (I prefer the red seedless)

Just chop these into a size
that suits you and place in
a large container. A plastic
container with a lid works best
for storing.

Now, you can squeeze a little lime
juice in the mix to keep the
bananas from turning brown. Or,
if you and your family are going
to eat it all now, put in a container
of Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt!

Chill before serving for a
cool Summer treat that beats
the heat!

THIS IS SO YUMMY!

And it's good for you.

If you're going to need to store
some of it a day or two, just go
with the lime juice and add the
yogurt when you're ready to eat.

You can add just about any fruit
you like. I have made it with
mangoes, green grapes, kiwi, pears,
and a few others. Just add what you
like in the way of fresh fruit.

You can also use Mandarin Oranges
if you can find them. Even the
canned ones are good as long as
they are packed in JUICE only.
No syrup.

I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Summertime Fare

2009-05-26T09:53:00.006-05:00

Well, it's hot here in SE Texas
and it certainly feels like summer
when you're out in the scorching sun.

Hot weather just screams Potato Salad!

But when you're watching calories and
fat?

Here's a great Potato Salad Recipe
that won't undo all that you've
worked so hard to do.

Ingredients

* 2 pounds potato(es), new (tiny)
* 1 cup(s) dressing, low-fat mayonnaise-based
* 2 stalk(s) celery
* 1 large onion(s), chopped
* 1/3 cup(s) pickles, sweet, (or dill) chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper, black ground
* 2 egg(s), hard boiled, chopped
* 1 1/2 tablespoon milk, fat-free
* pepper, black ground, to taste

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan, combine potatoes
and enough water to cover potatoes. Bring
to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer
for 15 to 20 minutes or just until tender.
Drain well; cool potatoes. Cut potatoes into
quarters.

2. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise
dressing, celery, onion, pickles, the 1/2
teaspoon salt, and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Add the potatoes and egg, gently tossing to
coat. Cover and chill for 6 to 24 hours.

3. To serve, stir enough of the milk into
salad to reach desired consistency. Season
to taste with additional pepper.

Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 86, Saturated Fat: 1g,
Sodium: 254mg, Dietary Fiber: 1g,
Total Fat: 3g, Carbs: 14g, Cholesterol: 27mg,
Protein: 2g

Exchanges: Starch: 1,
Fat: 0.5
Carb Choices: 1

And The Biggest Loser Is...

2009-05-12T22:02:00.002-05:00

Helen!

Yep, Helen lost over half her body
weight and is the New Biggest Loser!

Is that women 3 seasons in a row now?

Haven't been able to post for several
weeks due to a computer virus, but
I'm baaaaack!

To recap, I lost 10 pounds which was
my first goal so that I might lower
my blood sugar.

Then I hit the 25 pound mark which
really put my blood sugar back in the
right range and lowered my resting
heart rate.

When I had hit 36 pounds a trip to
the doc revealed that I had cut my
triglycerides in half but still need
to keep lowering them. The weird thing
is that my cholesterol was up slightly
and I really don't get that.

Now at -40 and counting, I'm really
getting psyched. Even if my pants
(which were two sizes smaller) did
fall off when I was cooking dinner
the other night.

It was funny and gave me a good laugh.

Busting Plateaus

2009-04-21T13:58:00.001-05:00

I got this article from Jillian Michaels'
newsletter.

For those who may not know, Jillian is my
hero and awesome trainer on Biggest Loser.

There is nothing more discouraging than stepping
on the scale after a week of diligent dieting and
grueling workouts and not seeing any drop in the
number. The plateau is a common problem among dieters
and can typically be waited out, but there are
measures you can take to keep your metabolism
fired up even as you reduce your caloric intake.

The best way to break a plateau is to keep your
salt intake below 2,000 milligrams a day and
drink lots of water. Make sure you're not eating
any processed carbs, period. That's right — no
chips, sugar, white flour, and so on. And hit
the gym hard! The boost in exercise will make
your body swell and hold fluids for a few days,
but after a week you should see the benefits
on the scale.

You can also try playing around with your
caloric intake a bit, varying it from day
to day throughout the week while keeping
the same weekly total. The body can't slow
its metabolism to adjust to a reduced caloric
intake if the intake isn't fixed from one
day to the next. For instance, to bust my
plateau, I might have 1,200 calories on
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and then eat
1,500 calories on Tuesday, 1,600 on Thursday,
1,400 on Saturday, and 1,700 on Sunday.
Get it?

The plateau effect can sometimes simply
be a matter of flagging resolve. If mixing
up your caloric intake just isn't working,
make sure you're not slipping up on your
diet or slacking off in your workouts. I'm
serious; it happens.

As with any program, there will be highs
and lows, but stay with it. Your body is
trying to adjust to the weight loss. Don't
get scared or discouraged. Just be patient
and know that you are worth it!

What's Food Got To Do With It?

2009-04-06T06:41:00.004-05:00

Actually, food, diet, healthy living and exercise
have nothing to do with this particular post.

If you noticed the Entrecard ads on this site
and wondered what the heck does this have to
do with a weight loss site, well don't feel
alone, I thought the same thing.

Now that it's possible to buy ads on Entrecard,
I'm getting tons of ads that I have to reject.
Not so much because it isn't relevant to this
blog, but I have no desire to have X or even
R rated blogs advertising here.

As I begin to learn more about this new Paid
system, I will be able to go in and change
what I will allow on my blog.

Entrecard has always been a cool way to get
visitors interested in what I'm writing about,
but now, it's just a frenzy to see who can
get ads placed anywhere with no regard to
whether it's appropriate or not.

So with that off my chest, it's 6:47 A.M.
and I need to get to the gym.

My Kingdom for a Good Tomato!

2009-04-02T18:50:00.003-05:00

Changing to a healthy lifestyle includes
eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.
But finding a really good tomato is almost
impossible.

Tomatoes have to be picked before they are
actually ripe so they can be shipped and
arrive at their destination before they
go bad. For us that means never getting
a tomato that actually tastes like a
tomato!

I am sick of lousy tomato taste, so this
year I planted a little garden. I have
two kinds of tomatoes!

I hope to have enough to share with
friends. I live in an apartment, so
I recruited some space in my aunt's back
yard. She is providing the land, and
I'll share the fresh veggies. I know
this is really a southern thang, but I
can hardly wait to make a fresh batch
of okra and tomatoes from the garden.

It's not too late to plant a garden
in most parts of the country. I got
little plants that were already started
instead of starting from seed so it's
all good to go now.

Here's to fresh home grown veggies!

Another Day, Another Pound

2009-04-01T12:32:00.003-05:00

I weighed in at my usual morning hour
today. Lost one pound over the last week.

I guess that's better than gaining a
pound. I've lost 32 pounds so far and
seem to be at a plateau. The dreaded
plateau!

Guess it's time to beef up the workout.

The weight loss so far seems to have
eased some of the pain I have from
Osteoarthritis. I'm hoping that keeps
up.

A trip to the doctor yesterday revealed
several good things from the weight loss
and exercise.

My heart rate was 67! That's down from
98 so that's awesome.

My blood pressure has always run low, but
after packing on pounds it was showing up
at normal. Normal is fine, but it's just
not me. Yesterday my blood pressure was
106/71, and that's a little more like
what I am used to seeing.

My blood sugar is still stablized and I'm
going to fast tonight to get a new
cholesterol reading tomorrow morning.

I started taking a cholesterol medication
several weeks ago but had an allergic
reaction. Now I'll see if all that oat
meal, cheerios, Omega 3 and Red Yeast
Rice combined with the diet and exercise
have lowered it. Keeping my fingers crossed.

What Sparks YOU to Get Fit?

2009-03-31T11:47:00.008-05:00

If you're like me (and most other people)
you've got some health or fitness goals
that you'd like to achieve. That's why
I wanted to tell you about the SparkAmerica
Challenge over at SparkPeople.com, a FREE
website for people looking to improve
their health and fitness levels.

SparkAmerica is a yearlong fitness challenge
designed to motivate Americans to improve
their health by consistently taking small,
positive action steps. The focus of this
campaign is a 1 billion fitness minute
challenge that makes fitness fun, keeps
you motivated and helps you reach your goals.

By Joining SparkPeople You Get:

- Calorie Counter & Meal Plans: Take the
guesswork out of what to eat with these
powerful customizable tools.

- Personalized Fitness Plan & Exercise Demos:
Burn calories and tone your muscles with routines
you can do at home or at the gym, plus online
exercise videos.

- Active Support Message Boards: Get help from
thousands of other people like you who are
losing weight with SparkPeople.

- Advice From Our Experts: Our programs are
designed by registered dieticians and personal
trainers, who are also there to answer your questions.

- Member Created Goal Teams: Find others with similar
goals and work towards success together.

- Recipes, Articles, Tips and More: Thousands
of articles and over 60,000 recipes to learn
more about eating right, staying active, and
sticking to your program.

Join SparkPeople Now For Free!
www.sparkpeople.com
Please use CowgirlBlues as your referral.

Exercise Makes All The Difference

2009-03-18T12:43:00.003-05:00

Dieting alone can shed pounds...but you might
also be losing muscle and not just fat. I lost
the first 25 pounds by diet alone and can see
a difference! But I also know that I have not
added one bit of muscle.

Muscle burns fat faster by raising the metabolism.
It certain looks better, that's for sure. So I
joined a gym and have just begun the muscle toning/
building process. I'm totally excited.

I've found that even a little bit of success in
the weight loss helps to motivate me to keep going.
It took way too long to lose the first 25 pounds
by dieting alone. Adding exercise will speed up
the process quite a bit. Plus, weight bearing
exercise builds bone density. I have osteopenia
which is the precursor to osteoporosis. Adding
calcium twice daily with weight bearing exercise
will clear up this problem straight away.

Exercise also helps lower cholesterol levels! And
I really need that, too.

Not everyone can get to a gym. Home exercise can
be every bit as effective. I found a program that
a friend is on and it Rocks! It's called Turbulence
Training and from what I see, it's pretty amazing!

If going to a gym doesn't fit your schedule or
perhaps you have kids at home and can't get
out as much as you would need to, I urge you
to check out Turbulence Training!

What Price Flat Abs?

2009-03-09T09:59:00.004-05:00

We all want a flatter stomach, but is this
going too far?

The Red Carpet

2009-02-22T16:06:00.003-06:00

Ok, I promised the recipe for a great
pizza sauce.

I took this one from the Southbeach Diet
basically and just enhanced it a touch.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup tomato puree
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried thyme

Directions:

Combine all in small saucepan and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, or until sauce thickens.

That is the basic recipe for one pizza.
I use light sauce and slices of tomatoes
on the pizza, so this is plenty for two
pizzas the way I do it.

I also add garlic in one of two ways.
The easy way is to just add garlic
powder and stir in before cooking.

My favorite way is to add about 2
large finely minced garlic cloves to
the mix and then cook the sauce.
~Yummy~

I also like to take about a 1/4 cup
of Olive Oil and heat it slowly with
several finely minced garlic cloves.
Just sautee' until the garlic is soft.
Use a low heat so you don't burn the
garlic!

Now when your pizza dough is ready
to add the toppings,
brush the garlic/olive oil mixture
on the raw dough before spooning on
your pizza sauce.

Garlic gives everything a "kick" that
is so good!

Enjoy the show!

The Envelope Please...

2009-02-20T16:43:00.003-06:00

And the winner is...

Whole Grain crust Pizza!

Yeah, I know, pizza on a weight loss
diet?

You bet!

As with many occasions, it is customary
for my friends and I to get together
and EAT! The Academy Awards are no
different. Any reason to get together
and have a little party.

I am officially down 23.5 pounds and don't
want to blow it. I've found many ways to
eat some of the foods I love by adjusting
the original recipes.

I made my first pizza ever from scratch
during the Superbowl. I was the only
calorie counter at the event, but the
pizza was a huge hit. I thought I would
share the recipe with you.

The key to the whole thing is a whole
grain wheat crust.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 teaspoon white sugar (can substitute honey)
* 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
* 1 tablespoon good quality Extra Virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups whole wheat flour
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water.
Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for
about 10 minutes, until foamy.

2. Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture,
then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup
of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together.
Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the
remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour
has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes
smooth, about 10 minutes.
Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface.
Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm
place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3. When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a
lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust,
or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a
tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes,
until doubled.

4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch
any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently
pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the
circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan.
Top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese,
meats, or vegetables.

I added some garlic powder, oregano and basil
to the flour mixture to give the dough a
nice flavor.

Then using low fat cheeses sparingly I
heaped on the veggies and used very
low fat ham slices cut to bite size piece
for the the meat. It is fine to use
veggies only.

For the veggies I used green and red bell
peppers, fresh mushroom slices, sliced
black olives, a few fresh basil leaves
scattered about, chopped onions and on one
of the pizzas some jalapeno peppers.
We love those here in Texas!

You can use any veggies you like. I'm
going to put some fresh spinach on one
of them this time.

Until tomorrow where I share my low fat,
low calorie pizza sauce...Bon Appetite!

Tear it up!

2009-02-17T07:53:00.003-06:00

It would seem that the torn rotator
cuff problem might not be such a huge
problem after all.

After meeting with an orthopedic surgeon
late last week, I received a shot of
Cortisone in the wounded shoulder. About
2 days later I was once again able to
raise my arm and was able to reach behind
me with it. It's been quite a few months
since I was able to do that.

So now it's time to head over to the Wellness
Center and get signed up.

It's taken a few months, but I've managed
to drop 20 pounds by dieting alone. I know
that even though I could probably continue
along this same path, I'll never get as
healthy as I would like to be unless I
add some exercise to the mix.

It's a challenge to work out with injuries.
After all, it was being injured and unable
to move about as much as I needed to that
contributed to the greatest part of the
weight gain in the first place.

So I have found a great place to work out.
Granted it cost much more than any other
place in town, but it has a therapeutic pool.
With injured joints, working out in water,
warm water at that, will be a Godsend. I'm
particularly interested in the fact that
there is a treadmill IN the pool. I can't
yet see in my mind's eye how that will work
but I'm excited to give it a try.

The biggest hurdle I have right now is to
put myself in front of other people while
wearing a swim suit! Just the thought of
it makes me cringe with fear. I bought one
anyway. A nice little one piece number
in black of course.

So, I'm all showered and ready to go out
into the world, sign on the dotted line
and commit myself to a workout program
that will hopefully speed up the weight
loss and get me back into shape aerobically.

And I'll watch Biggest Loser tonight with
a renewed interest no doubt.

Stay tuned for the photos...I hate to do
it, but what better way to stick with it
than to have the world watching?

A Shift in the Thinking

2009-02-10T23:39:00.005-06:00

Another Tuesday night, another round of
Biggest Loser.

It's no secret that I'm a fan and find the
show to be a great source of inspiration.

But how many seasons have I sat and watched
every single episode knowing I need to make
a change in my lifestyle while sitting on
the couch eating pizza, or corn dogs or just
plain unhealthy foods? Too many.

Tonight it was so different. I was getting
hungry for dinner and got me a little plate
with one stick of celery, a few black olives,
some pepper rings, about an 1/8 cup of
walnuts and about two tablespoons of hummus.

A smile came to my face as I realized the
difference. A couple of months back there
seemed to be a shift in my thinking. I was
losing weight, slowly, finally. And just
by what I was eating alone. Exercise is
still the missing factor, but that is all
about to change.

Stick around, subscribe to the blog and keep
your eyes peeled for photos and videos!

A recipe break: Homemade Hummus

If you happen to be a fan of hummus like
I am, you probably get tired of buying
those little containers at 4 bucks a pop.
And it's so easy to make.

12 oz. can of chick peas (aka garbanzo beans)
2 to 4 cloves of garlic
1 to 2 TBL. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 TBL. Tahini
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper (optional)
Lemon Juice

Drain the Chick Peas and place them in
a food processor. Use the pulse button
to get the peas all ground up pretty
evenly. Stir any larger pieces of
the sides and add 1 to 2 Tablespoons
of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Blend

Add a tablespoon of Tahini, the juice
from half a lemon (more if you like),
2 to 4 cloves of lightly chopped garlic
(according to your taste) and if you
like a little zip, bang, pow, put in
just a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Close the lid and let all the ingredient
blend for about 2 minutes.

That's it. It's easy, it's fast,
and it's good for you.

Until next time...

You Can't know where your going if you don't know where you've been

2009-01-30T17:35:00.006-06:00

Lady Doctor Blows the Lid Off of the World's Most TOP SECRET Fat Loss Secret!

It's pretty common to read that one needs
to burn 3500 calories to lose one pound.
Or say you wanted to lose 1 pound per week,
you would need to cut out 3500 calories per
week = to 500 calories per day.

Simple math right?

How many calories a day are you eating
right now? My guess is that if you are
just beginning a lifestyle change, aka
a diet, you probably have no idea. And
if you have no idea, then the equation
above is absolutely meaningless.

So, it's time to start a Food Diary.

Yeah, I know, it sorta sounds like a pain
the one of the largest parts of the body
doesn't it? And it can be unless you
embrace an attitude of this being a great
weapon in the weight loss war.

I know there are probably tons of calorie
counters out there, and probably quite a few
places you can input your daily food intake
and find all the results you need to know.

I know of one in particular...

I've mentioned this site before and for
good reason. NO, I don't make a dime from
promoting it. It's just an amazing web site
if you really want to get serious about
losing weight and becoming the healthy
person you deserve to be.

I urge you to take a look at Spark People.

It's totally free! It has TONS of great
nutritional information and exercises
for all levels. I don't know that if I
sat here and wrote about it all day, I
could possibly do it justice. So take
a look at it won't you?

Spark People has the most
wonderful set up to keep an exact food
diary complete with calorie count, fat,
carb, vitamin, mineral and fiber information
on everything you eat. Now you will know
what it is and how much of it you are
consuming. And from there you can cut
the calories you need to lose the weight.

You can't know where you're going...
unless you know where you've been.

And if they do ask for a reference, my
name on there is CowgirlBlues. No, no
money for the reference, just fun points.

Losing and Gaining Ground

2009-01-23T14:59:00.005-06:00

I've tried the diets out there...faced with
increasing blood sugar levels and triglyceride
levels it was hard to know what to eat.

Do I stay away from the high glycemic stuff
or the high fat stuff?

Well, the doc said if I could lose 10 pounds
my blood sugar might stabilize. 10 pounds.
Didn't sound too hard.

I lost 16 and my blood sugar is back to normal.

Now to work on the rest of it.

One of my problems is that I could easily live
on Cheeseburgers. I think I really could. Another
problem is that my brother is sick and now lives
with me. He lost 40+ pound is two months but
absolutely was not trying to.

So here I am, trying to cook foods that I LOVE
to fatten up my brother and cooking foods that
I HAVE to eat in order to keep losing the weight.

It's crazy! It's totally crazy. So I stayed away
from the blog for a while wondering just what to
write.

I had a bowl of oatmeal this morning. Regular
old fashioned oats that require cooking. I've
found that if I add a quarter cup of frozen
blueberries or blackberries, a tablespoon of
crushed walnuts and a little cinnamon, it's
really good. The walnuts give me something
to actually chew on and that helps me to feel
like I've eaten something.

I'm an early riser, and had my breakfast around
6:30 A.M.

My brother got up at 9:30 - the smell of bacon
and eggs was totally distracting and my stomach
started to do that HUNGRY GROWL thing. But I
persevered. Not easy at all I tell you.

I put a slice of Whole Grain Rye bread in the
toaster, drizzled a little Olive Oil on it
and ate it with a glass of water.

Another Food Crises Averted!

Will I ever be the biggest loser?

2008-11-18T21:49:00.003-06:00

Yep, you got it. Just watched another awesome episode
of Biggest Loser. I have to watch "my shows" on a DVR
(digital video recorder) or I would never see anything
but those late night infomercials.

I don't know if any of you watched tonight, but I wanted
the biatch, Vicky, OFF THE SHOW! That woman is totally
insane and needs some anger management classes. Oh well.

So a big thing for me is changing my lifestyle and being
comfortable with the changes. It's hard to compare a
chicken fried steak with a handful of almonds. I get
hungry in the evenings and I want to eat. And I would
go to the trouble of making something if it was something
I really wanted or liked. I liked/wanted ALL the wrong
things each and every time.

So tonight I'm sitting there watching Biggest Loser and
instead of eating oreos and ice cream sandwiches, I'm
nibbling on some black olives, a couple of almonds and
a little celery with some hummus. And I was totally
satisfied with it. That's when I realized I might have
crossed that point where I am starting to accept
the new lifestyle. At least I hope so, because that will
make this whole thing so much easier.

If you're not watching Biggest Loser, I suggest you
record it and watch it when you can. It's great!

Healthful Winter Foods

2008-11-10T20:30:00.005-06:00

The cooler weather is upon us and we
start reaching for comfort foods.

What's a better feelng than to sit on
the couch under a soft throw, watching
a movie on the new HD Widescreen TV and
munching down a big bowl of chili?

One simple change can make that steaming
hot bowl of comfort a healthy choice.

Substitute ground turkey for the ground
beef or ground chili meat you usually
use and cut out 99% of the fat content.
Reduce the calories by more than half,
and feel guilt free to have a second
bowl if you feel like it.

Being a Texan, I think I know about
making chili. Even die hard fans have
found my turkey chili to be satisfying!

Here's a basic recipe that's so easy
to make:

1 pound 99% fat free ground turkey
1 bell pepper chopped
5 to 6 cloves garlic finely minced
1 small yellow or white onion chopped
(I like the yellow onions because they
tend to be a little bit sweeter)
1 small can of kernal corn (optional)
1 large (28 oz) can of chopped tomatoes
1 can of Original Rotel's chillies and tomatoes
1 can of your favorite chili beans ( I like
the Ranch Style Beans w/jalepeno
1 TBL. Cumin
Chili Powder to taste (at least 4 Tbl.)
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper (optional)
10 to 20 jalepeno slices
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown ground turkey in a large pot.
Chop up with edge of wooden spoon to
crumble the meat.

I like to season the meat while it's
cooking with a little garlic powder,
salt and Chili Powder.

Add all of the rest of the ingredients
except the beans and corn and heat to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes.
Add the beans (and corn if you like) and
simmer about another 5 minutes to heat
up the beans.

Scoop into bowls and enjoy!

It's low in fat, low in cholesterol, low
in calories and loaded with veggies!

Emotional Eating and the Upcoming Holidaze

2008-11-01T15:28:00.002-05:00

When I think back on the happy days of
my younger years, I remember many specific
times when food was the center attraction.

I believe it's a world wide custom that
people celebrate the happy times with food.
We also memorialize the sadder times in
our lives with food. Surely we have all
whipped up a casserole, or baked a
cake to take to a grieving family.

I remember so many great Thanksgivings
when I was growing up. That golden
brown turkey, The Cherb dressing.
FYI: Cherb is the family name

Cranberries, mashed potatoes, giblet
gravy, warm rolls and of course,
pumpkin pie.

Christmas was pretty much the same
thing. Maybe a ham instead this time,
but mountains of food everywhere. And
we all ate like there was no tomorrow.
Gifts had long been opened and we were
there for the food and we were
going to get our fill!

Same thing for Labor Day, 4th of July,
Veteran's Day and Memorial Day. The
only difference is the bulk of the
cooking was done outside on a grill.

Brings back very happy memories for
many people. And I think for me,
with life's strange twists the past
few years, I have used food to make
me feel better. To transport me
to that better time in my life.

Food seems to fill a void, a hole that
has been left in my life. I won't go
into the details of all that, but we
have, most of us, had tragic events in
our lives that have left us feeling
empty inside. Like there is a hole
that needs to be filled.

I realized that I have been trying
to fill that hole with food.

Does anyone else out there find that
they have this same relationship
with food?

Down 10 Pounds 1000 to Go!

2008-10-30T10:30:00.007-05:00

Well, I might be exagerating here.

But it seems that once the doc told me
the bad news about my cholesterol and
triglycerides, I got a little more serious
about this.

So 3 weeks after getting the news, I started
watching more what I was eating and how much
or it I was eating. And in the past 3 weeks
I lost that much needed first 10 pounds.

I feel at this point I might grow feathers,
or possibly gills. Chicken and fish, chicken
and fish, ooooh, turkey, chicken and fish.

Here's a tip:

If there is something (in the way of diet food)
that you like to eat, eat it often.

Part of changing the way one eats is the never
ending quest for more healthful recipes. I
personally can't try to come up with something
new all the time. That would just sabotage my
efforts. But I have a few fish and chicken
recipes that are staples now and I eat them
often.

Another Example:

I eat oatmeal and Cheerios for their cholesterol
lowering effects. I like both of them. So,
instead of trying to come up with a new
breakfast plan, I just alternate between
these two.

I add a banana to my Cheerios, so that I
get in one serving of fruit right of the bat.

I add frozen cherries, or blueberries (or
any frozen fruit that you may like) to my
oatmeal. I also add a little bit of crushed
walnuts. And a little cinnamon...This gives
me something to actually
chew on and makes that bowl of oatmeal a lot
more satisfying.

NOTE:

1. Measure our the fruit first. Don't just eyeball
it thinking you know what one serving is.

2. Put the fruit in a microwave safe bowl and
nuke it on a low setting while the oatmeal is
cooking. This way the fruit is nice and warm
and doesn't cool off the oatmeal too quickly.

Be back tomorrow with a few more tips.

Ahhhhh...Tasty Treats - No Tricks!

2008-10-28T11:43:00.002-05:00

Chocolate Pudding!

Who doesn't like that?

Jello makes a sugar free chocolate
(and probably other flavors)pudding
that you can make with Fat Free (skim)
milk! It's not bad at all.

30 calories per serving
4 servings to a box
(heck you could eat all 4 and not have
to worry)

0 calories from fat
0 fat period (and no trans fats)
0 Cholesterol
110mg Sodium
Total Carbs 7g
Sugar 0g

This helped me get over a craving.

Also found out that I love celery and
hummus. Together! Better than stuffing
the celery with peanut butter or cream
cheese. Well, better for you. Low calories,
lots of chewing, very satisfying.

Just a couple of things I thought I would
share.

It Gets Easier

2008-10-26T11:18:00.003-05:00

One thing I have found is that it is almost
impossible to keep up with what you eat if
you don't keep a food diary.

I highly recommend Spark People for their
diary that not only tells you how many
calories you are eating, but fat content,
fiber, vitamins and so much more. It's a
great way to plan your meals and keep within
the bounds of your dietary needs.

Hop on over to Spark People and tell 'em
CowgirlBlues sent ya. I don't get any money
for this, just fun points.

I cannot say enough great things about this
FREE program. Tons of wonderful recipes,
exercises and a lot of inspiration. It's
a winning (er uh losing) combination!

I'm a Big Weenie

2008-10-21T23:47:00.002-05:00

Can't eat one, but I am one. LOL

Ok, I had my little fit about losing
weight because it happens more slowly
than I would like. I'm impatient. I'm
an "instant gratification" kind of girl.

Probably a shared trait with others trying
to lose weight. Just my own mind making me
stronger in number probably.

After about 5 hours at my cardiologist office
yesterday, I came out with initially good
news. My cholesterol and triglyceride levels
were about 40% better than my last visit 2
months ago. And I had lost 7 pounds. Not
as much as I would have liked, but I didn't
do any exercise, just food changes, ie: diet.

Gotta say, this does make me feel a little
better about losin' the weight. Now to step
it up a little, right?

Is Losing Weight The Hardest Thing In The World?

2008-10-13T23:20:00.001-05:00

I let this keep getting away from me.

Time has never seemed to move so quickly.

It's as though I am trying to fail at this
sometimes.

I got an injury that set me back a year just
because walking, moving, even just sitting up
became extremely painful.

I'm watching another season of Biggest Loser
go by and I'm still sitting on my couch in a
fog of Vicodin half the time.

Blood tests reveal horrid levels of triglycerides
and cholesterol. I can't seem to stay awake
most of the time...medical tests are coming
next Monday to begin the process of seeing
just how bad I've let food destroy my health.

I know that in order to be any kind of healthy
I must diet and exercise. And still I sit here
not doing anything about it.

Anyone else out there have this sort of experience?

Sleepless in Dietland

2008-04-30T15:02:00.011-05:00

Sleep is very important to losing weight!

The Big 3 in Dieting:

1. Eat right (we'll get into that)
2. Exercise (YES we know!)
3. Get a good night's sleep

There have been a couple of studies that show a link
between sleep and the hormones that affect weight loss.

The two hormones Ghrelin and Leptin have been identified
as those that have an impact on our eating behavior.

Ghrelin affects our feeling of being hungry. Leptin
has the important job of telling us when to stop eating.

Being sleep deprived results in an increase in both
hormones that leaves us feeling hungry and never
feeling full. Sounds like a recipe for disaster!

I have been plagued with insomnia for years. Both
the problem of "falling to sleep" and "staying asleep".
I've also had sleep apnea for a long time, but the
weight gain has made that worse.

Last night I completed a sleep study for the apnea
where I was fitted with a mask for a CPAP machine
(Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) I wore one
of these at the sleep lab last night. At first it
seemed very uncomfortable and I thought "no way",
but I slept better last night than I have in years!
I'm hoping that my own CPAP gets here soon so
I can start getting more rest.

Now if I could just find a way to lose weight
in my sleep. Dream on!

Time Marches On

2008-04-24T15:03:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I was in Physical Therapy A LOT
longer than I expected, but it's almost
over.

This exciting season of "The Biggest
Loser" has come and gone. Are you as
pumped up as I am?

It was great to have a woman become the
Biggest Loser this year. Go Ali!

There is certainly a lot to be learned
from watching the show not to mention
the TONS of inspiration one gets by seeing
that WEIGHT LOSS is possible.

Granted, not all of us get to go to a
Biggest Loser camp where we have expert
trainers and the right kinds of foods in
the house. Nor do many of us have 4 hours
a day that we can devote to working out
like maniacs. But that doesn't mean that
we can't still take off the pounds, get
healthy again and begin a new journey to
an overall healthier lifestyle. We CAN
do all of that and more.

One would think that just being FAT would
be motivation enough to get started, but
for me, it's taken finding out I have obesity
related health problems to get me going.
I'm pre-diabetic, (what they used to call
borderline) and my Cholesterol levels are
whack, not to mention that my Triglyceride
levels are Off The Chart! Pretty scary stuff.

Years of a sedentary lifestyle have made it
nearly impossible for me to just "get going".
I'm having to start of slowly and build up
as I slim down. No way I could just jump
in and do 30 minutes of cardio training.
I had to start with 10 minutes and I'm doing
that 2 times a day. I know it doesn't sound
like much, but it's a start and sometimes just
getting started is the hardest part.

I'd like to share a site with you that will
help you trememdously no matter what shape
you are in, or what your fitness goals are.
Spark People is an AWESOME, not to mention
totally FREE site that can help anyone get
started, stay motivated and get fit.

I urge you to go there and sign up for a free
account and get yourself going. I don't make
a dime from referrals, but please feel free
to use COWGIRLBLUES as the one who referred
you. Yep, that's me!

Then please come back here and share your
experiences with me.

Anyone up for posting Before and After photos?
Let me know. I'll set it up.

It's NOT Too Late!

2008-02-12T12:14:00.002-06:00

How did it get to be this far into February?

Doesn't matter, though, it's not too late to
to follow through on those New Year's Resolutions.

It's been a hard road for me due to some physical
problems such as Degenerative Disc Disease. The
pain makes it hard to even imagine doing exercise.

A recent hip injury has also slowed things down.
I'm now into my 2nd week of physical therapy
and hopefully healing and heading toward more
weight loss and a healthier lifestyle.

I welcome you to join me on this journey as I
study and learn the healthiest methods for losing
weight and keeping it off.

Your comments are welcome and we can help
each other with some support in this sometimes
overwhelming task.

I've been taking a great supplement that seems
to be aleviating YEARS of back pain, so stay tuned
for more information on that.

Please be sure and visit our Weight Loss Center
for information and products to help you.

Click Here To Visit The Weight Loss Center

See you again soon!

Too Late for New Year's Resolutions?

2008-01-20T17:59:00.001-06:00

Ok, here it is, January 20. I have hardly begun
the work needed to be done on my resolutions.

That certainly doesn't mean "give up and wait
until next year. Just time to take a little moral
inventory here and get moving forward.

If you have ever watched The Biggest Loser on
television, you know what an inspiration it can
be. Overweight people of all ages and all
backgrounds go to the Biggest Loser camp and
change their lives forever.

It's not just about the weight loss, but about
becoming and staying healthy.

With so many weight loss plans out there, it's
sometimes hard to know exactly what to do.
I think we all know it involves hard work and
a lot of dedication to make a real change and
see it last.