5k for Cancer Research

I really enjoy having my life back again and one of those activities I was unable to participate in before losing weight was 5k's for cancer research. Please join me in raising funds to help Dana-Farber Cancer Institute conquer all forms of cancer. I'm walking in honor of 21 people (16 of them family and 5 of them friends) sadly only 7 of them are still with us today.

Any donations are appreciated and also tax deductible, all amounts are welcome even $5 can help out.
http://www.jimmyfundwalk.org/2011/cj

When I signed up to participate they have a minimum requirement that I have to raise $250 in donations. I had to agree that if I didn't raise enough funds that the remainder would come out of my own pocket. I'm not rich but I agreed to do so because this is a worth while cause and one out of every three people will have to face cancer in their lifetime. If I was the one fighting I'd sure hope that people were willing to help me out too.


I've lost 249 lbs, lowered my body fat by 36% and lowered my resting heart rate from 110 to 65 beats per minute. I was told that I'd never be able to go to the gym again after an auto accident in 2005. I've been back at the gym since Sept. 2009 and completed my first official 5k on 9/25/10.

One of my favorite qoutes is:
"If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or Fight Like Hell." - Lance Armstrong

Please donate if you can,
Thanks!

I got a Harley, Happy Birthday to Me!

This is my birthday present to myself, from myself. I've always liked bikes and my Dad, Uncle and Brothers ride so I've been around bikes my whole life but had never ridden one myself. I wanted a bike for a few years and took safety classes and got my license in the spring. It was such a nice feeling to be able to ride a bike and not have the tires pop or the frame bend underneath me. I never thought I'd be able to do anything like this before I lost weight, it's such a nice feeling! :)

Nom Nom Nom....Tri -Tip!!!

Do you have Tri-Tip in your area?

Do you know what Tri-Tip is? 

I checked wiki for a good definition:

"The tri-tip is a cut of beef from the bottom sirloin primal cut. It is a small triangular muscle, usually 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. per side of beef. In the United States, this cut was typically used for ground beef or sliced into steaks until the late 1950s, when Otto Schaefer marketed it in Oakland, California. Shortly thereafter, it became a local specialty in Santa Maria, California, rubbed with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and other seasonings, cooked over red oak wood and roasted whole on a rotisserie, smoked in a pit, baked in an oven, grilled, or braised by putting a pot on top of a grill, browning the meat directly on the grill surface before and after the braising. (The tri-tip is still often labeled the "Santa Maria steak".) Most popular in the Central Coast of California and Central Valley regions of California, it has begun to enjoy increasing popularity elsewhere for its full flavor, lower fat content, and comparatively lower cost."

Here's a pic from Wiki too:

I grew up in California and we always had Tri-Tip, my Dad cooked them all the time. It wasn't until I moved to Kansas that I found out it was a regional thing....... I noticed that there wasn't any in the stores so I asked the butcher if he had any and he said, "What's that?". I tried explaining that it was a large roast with a fatty side and it was triangle shaped with 3 tips. None of the stores knew what I was talking about.

I had never cooked one myself but I sat or stood at the kitchen counter watching my Dad season them for years and watching him cook other things too. Since I moved away when I was 19 he hadn't really eaten much of my cooking, but he loved my baking. He'd go BBQ the meat and I'd cook the side dishes, chop stuff, stir stuff, do the inside work. The first time he visited me I BBQ-ed chicken and he said "Man, you're a good cook! This taste better than my chicken, where'd you learn this from?" I smiled and said, "From watching you!" :)


This is a CA Tri-Tip cooking on my Dad's grill, there is two of them there. But notice the shape, that's where it gets it's name from.


I saw Tri-Tip Steaks for sale in MA and I asked the butcher if I could buy the steaks uncut. He said they had a roast and showed it to me.  They are not as big as the ones in CA and they are a lot leaner too. He showed me the fresh cuts and for whatever reason they don't have the big ones here. He said they are not real popular here and no one would buy them if they had more fat on them....... I laughed and said but that's the best part that keeps them juicy and adds flavor while on the grill. He agreed with me. 

They had them labeled as "Oven Roasts" with the label saying Sirloin Tri-Tip Roast. So I'm thinking maybe some people just don't know what to do with them and cook them totally in a oven or put them in a crock pot. Sure they are good that way too but they are much better with crispy outsides!
 


Since these have less fat on them I melted some butter and a little olive oil in the bottom of my grill pan, seasoned the Tri-Tip and seared both sides and the edges to lock in the flavor and moisture.

If you turn them on the sides like this to brown all the edges, just watch out that they don't fall over and splash hot grease on you.

Then when the outsides were all seared, I put them in a baking pan.

Added more seasonings and put some extra butter on the top of them so they wouldn't dry out.

Covered the pan in foil and put them in the oven to finish cooking.

 I really need to get my grill assembled......


They smelled sooo good!

Ready to cut into it.

I had to resist tasting a piece before I was done cutting it. 

 The finished product ready to eat.

It was very good!!! Nom Nom Nom!!!!!!
(and that's a salad plate, not a dinner plate by the way. People often ask me about my portion sizes so I try to include that my meals are always on salad plates unless I state otherwise. I didn't watch portion sizes in the beginning, it just happened over time the closer I got to goal.)

My oldest dog was standing there crying at me hoping to get a bite. He did not get any Tri-Tip but he did get a doggie cookie.... LOL

So..... the final verdict, was it as good as my Dad's???

It's almost as good as my Dad's...... Almost. :)
Since this is my first time cooking a Tri -Tip and I used a grill pan and a oven instead of a BBQ grill...... I'm gonna be so bold as to say that he's a good teacher and if I tried enough I bet I could beat his Tri-Tip..... Look out Dad!!! <3
(Of course I only say that now that I'm grown and he can't ground me anymore). LOL

Yummy Yummy from California!

I went to visit family for a long weekend in CA. I had to stop and get a Double-Double Protein Style from In-N-Out Burgers. I hadn't eaten there in about 10 years. It was very good!


I was stuck on the 405 for 3 hours but I had a ziploc bag full of bacon that I brought on the plane with me so I was quite content. :)

I had an 8 hour flight that was supposed to be non-stop and I got worried about what to take on the plane. You can't exactly bring ice past security and anything liquid has 3 ounce size limit and must be inside 1 single quart size ziploc bag...... I kind of freaked out because I get sick when I don't eat and was also having a medical problem and awaiting surgery to remove a polyp. I need to avoid Soy because I have PCOS and Soy is estrogen mimicing and can cause polyps and since I already had one polyp I didn't want to eat any more Soy....

I was more focused on what to bring to entertain myself for an 8 hour flight and at the last minute realized, wait.... what was I going to eat? Normally I would have brought low carb bars but all of them I could find had Soy in them or was too many carbs for me. I didn't have time to order quest bars before my trip.

I ended up cooking bacon and putting it in a ziploc bag inside of a small soft sided cooler that fit inside my carry on bag. I then put some ice cubes inside of a freezer bag, double bagged it and put it inside the cooler. Right before security I dumped the ice out and saved the bags. Once settled on the plane and they came around for drinks I asked for a cup of ice and put it in the ziploc bag inside the cooler.

I also got plain almonds and measured them out into snack sized bags. I put two servings per bag so each bag was 4 carbs. But I wasn't that hungry and didn't eat one whole bag at a time, so really I could have just done one serving per bag. I could have also put boiled eggs in the cooler but I didn't have time to boil them.

I'll post more about PCOS and Soy later.

One of the fun parts about losing weight and having to pack your clothes is this..... I fit the following items into my carry on bag..... 3 dresses, 3 cardigans, 3 tops, 2 cami tops, 2 denim skirts, 1 pair of denim capris, Red Sox shirt, athletic shorts, bathing suit and coverup, night shirt, socks, undies, bra and two pairs of sandals. Plus I shoved my hair dryer in there too. I never coulda done this before losing weight! :)

Staying on plan was very easy and lots of yummy food to choose from too!

This was my dinner one night:

 

Yummy Veggie and Cheese Omelet with Bacon cooked by my Step-Mom. :)

My Dad BBQ-ed an AWESOME Tri-Tip and he burned some hot dogs for me to snack on and take back on the plane with me on my way home. My Step-Brother also cooked a very good Tri-Tip for dinner the next day and my Sister-Inlaw made a really good salad with bacon, eggs, bell pepper and cheese.

By the way..... you see those shoulders on my Dad??? Well..... he's still strong and he's still protective of his little girl, just sayin....... LOL

 Here's the Tri-Tip on my plate.Yummy!


 Here's my Dad, Step-Mom and I.

I don't care how old I get, he's always my Daddy, I love him and I don't care if the whole world knows it! <3

~CJ
Sent from my Droid 2.

Hello Everybody

Thanks for the emails, pm's and messages.
I'm fine, just been busy. :)
Yes, I'm still low carb and I will be for life!
This isn't just a diet, it's a healthy way of eating and a healthy lifestyle. I hope everyone is doing well.
Here's my dinner from tonight, it was yummy but it needed bacon! LOL

~CJ
Sent from my Droid 2.

My Mom has lost 100 lbs on Low Carb!

I'm so proud of my Mom for changing her way of eating and getting healthier! She feels better, has more energy and she's now reached her goal weight with the 100 lb weight loss.

Of all the people who have emailed, messaged me or posted thanking me for inspiring them..... this is one of the ones that has touched me the most, because well...... she's my Mommy. :)

These before pictures are about 40 lbs lighter than she was at her biggest, but I can't find any pictures of her from that time that show enough of her to compare. I never thought she was "THAT" big.... but then again I was also way bigger than she was too.

And I've posted this one before, but I'm going to post it again! I just don't get tired of seeing this one of her and I together. :)

PodCast with Jimmy Moore and Friends

Hi Peoples,
Here's the the link to the PodCast that I participated in with Jimmy Moore.
There's links at the bottom to listen to it on itunes or download it.
(It's 30 mins long, so go pee first! LOL)

Podcast, LowCarb Cruise and My Mom is 95 lbs lighter!

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the benefits of being low carb. I'm good but busy. I had to stop and share this though.... I got asked to be a guest on a low carb podcast with some great low carb people and it will be on at the end of the month, I believe he said April 29th. (I talked way too much though! LOL) I'll post the details of it later. It was for Jimmy Moore's blog.

I also found out about a low carb cruise!!!!! I can't believe I hadn't heard of this before! This is their 4th year and they are already planning the one for next year. I'm going to go next year and hopefully my Mom will be able to go with me too. She has lost 95 lbs now. I'm super proud of her. She's about 5 lbs away from her goal.

Here's a before and after of my Mom and I together. I posted it on my Facebook, but I don't think I ever posted it here. She's looking great and fitting into a size 10 again. I'm so proud of my Mommy!!!

This is 2000 compared to 2011:

 Oh and here's the link to the cruise too.

Stalled???

What to do in a stall?
I get asked this a lot........

First of all sorry to just sort of abandon my blog, I've been super busy and try to keep up with questions and pm's on Facebook and the forum and my blog has been neglected lately. This post is something that I posted a few weeks ago about stalls. I've re-typed this same thing a few times to different people and figured I might as well add it here for reference too.

The most important thing is not to give up!!!

Sure, I've had stalls..... you can't lose 249 lbs and not have some stalls along the way..... and lately I've been stalled for like 3/4 months, (or wait has it been longer then 3/4 months??? I don't remember now LOL) except I lost an inch or two around my middle. Stalls suck but it happens the more you lose and get closer to goal. I have 16 lbs left that are annoying me. But I can live with that.

Everyone is going to stall along the way, but you can't give up, just keep going. You body needs time to adjust to the changes, even losing 20 to 30 pounds can make a big difference. Sometimes you need to just maintain for a bit and then you'll start losing again. So be patient and let your body catch up. Also your skin shouldn't get as saggy if you lose slower too, so don't be in a huge rush and get discouraged if you stall, this is a long term change for your health not just a diet.

Take a look at your water consumption. Often times thirst can be mistaken for hunger. You feel hungry, but you're really thirsty. So when I feel hungry I get a drink and see if I'm still hungry or not. I've also heard that by the time you feel thirsty that you should have already gotten a drink. I got bad about not drinking enough at work. I'd go to work, start working and not go get any water until the afternoon. I was really thirsty but like I dummy I sat there still working instead of stopping to get a drink. Then my co-worker was doing the same thing, so I sent her a calendar invite with "Drink Water" on it twice a day at 11am and 3pm. It's harder to ignore when both of our calendars pop up a reminder message and we both go get water. We've even added a 3rd co-worker to the calendar invite now. :)

The next thing to look at is your added "low carb products" make sure you are counting all those extra carbs, check your breath mints and gum, check for lots of added sodium it could be water weight. You need to keep drinking plenty of water or else your body will try to store it too.... it sounds counter productive but drinking water can help with water retention. You do need some sodium, but it's in a lot of foods so just make sure that you're not getting a ton of it.

Lunch meats are quick and easy and taste good but can often be loaded with sodium. If you're eating a package of lunch meat a day and stopped losing then maybe re-evaluate that..... same with hot dogs and some sausages and bacon can do it for some people. If you're mostly eating those types of foods maybe swap out for some grilled chicken, tuna, beef or something that you cook at home that isn't processed. I like my bacon a lot, ok fine.... I love bacon!!!!!! It's one of those things I just have to have so I try to find one that isn't as salty and then try not to have a bunch of lunch meat, sausage or hot dogs on the same day. But if I do, I don't flip out about it because I expect to retain water due to the extra sodium.

Take a look back to the basics, read the posts about how to do induction right, read the food lists again, make sure you're not getting too much caffeine, lack of sleep, missing meals, sometimes you can be eating too much food for example if you were 525 lbs and use to eating 5 or 6 cups of food at once.... then suddenly you're 350 lbs and still eating 5 or 6 cups of food, not because you are hungry, but because you're programmed to do it.... you think that's a normal portion size.... umm no..... don't starve yourself but make sure that you're really hungry before you eat more.

As time goes on and you lose weight then re-evaluate your portion sizes as you go. Eat slowly, drink water before your meal or with your meal. Ask yourself are you really hungry or are you just thirsty? We can often feel hungry when we are really thirsty. Lots of times when on low carb we won't be hungry and then we need to remind ourselves to snack on a boiled egg here and there or a piece of string cheese just so we don't end up going all day without eating. Part of the healthy lifestyle change is learning how to eat properly. You don't have to transition over night, but as you progress in your weight loss just look back on everything and see if something else needs to change.

This was posted on the Atkins Facebook page:
"Guess what the #1 Atkins question on this page is? "I'm stalled! What am I doing wrong?" You really need to read the latest Atkins blog post: Plateaus: Once More With Feeling." Required reading for people who expect daily miracles on their scales! "
Plateaus, Once More with Feeling

So ummm..... apparently it's a pretty common problem. So don't feel all alone.

Here's a couple other links too:
How to Do Induction Right

What You Can Eat in Phase 1 (Induction)

If you're bored of eating the same things I have some food suggestions on my blog too, they are not all totally induction friendly so just make modifications if needed.
A few of CJ's tips for success and a food list.

CJ's List of meal ideas.

What's Cookin in CJ's Kitchen - 66 of 90

Mmmmmmmm Bacon!!!
Bacon, Bell Pepper, Onion and Cheese Omelet with a side of Bacon!
I actually used a dinner plate tonight and it made my food look a lot smaller, but this is the same size as my omelets usually are. :)
 

-CJ
Sent from my Droid2, please excuse any typos.

What's Cookin in CJ's Kitchen - 65 of 90

Lettuce Wrapped Cheeseburgers!
I seriously never get tired of these, they fill me up, keep me full and digest very well in my tummy. :)
-CJ
Sent from my Droid2, please excuse any typos.

What's Cookin in CJ's Kitchen - 64 of 90

Steak and Cheese with Onion and Peppers.
Just like you'd make for a Cheesesteak Sandwich only skip the bun.
-CJ
Sent from my Droid2, please excuse any typos.

What's Cookin in CJ's Kitchen - 63 of 90

 Bacon Cheeseburger. 

What's Cookin in CJ's Kitchen - 62 of 90

Bacon Cheeseburger Smiley Face. LOL