Small Stall but I Refuse to quit!

Hi!  I know its been a while since my last post....REAL post.   I have had a small setback in my journey toward thinness.  I have been successfully maintaining, exercising...but over the course of the last couple months I have put 6 pounds back on...While to some 6 pounds may not seem like a big deal, to me it screams "Here we go again".  I stopped doing the HCG plan due to a health issue that came up, It seemed be totally resolved and I started again in Sept/Oct.  Lost a few more down to 225/226...but then it happened!! THE HOLIDAYS Arrived!  I did pretty good, but then to top off all things on my right side I have been overcoming some pain in the "buttocks region"...SI joint /Sciatica...not sure EXACTLY.  All I know is that has slowed me down a little bit...UG.  I have been making healthy changes in my life...a real turn around in my thought process, but of  course nothing ever goes as fast as I want it to...hahaha .  Will I quit? NEVER!!! Did I decide to eat cake today...UMMM YES!  hahahaha.  I will continue making the healthy choices I have established for me, but I wanted to be open and honest about where I am ...You all have been a great support team!!! You deserve to be updated.


Oh just a side note, you may notice my Blog is back at blogger...I decided not to renew my paid website for now, so you'll just have to follow me here .   Happy Sunday!

side side note...I did renew after all so we are a www.embeesplace.com again :)
EmBee

Doggie Dry Shampoo Day

I am going to venture slightly away from my normal topics to bring you a "pet friendly" post.  We have a beautiful mixed "mutt" named Molly. Molly is pretty low key and loves to hang out in my bedroom.  Now first let me say she is sweet and very well behaved, but I have an ultra sensitive nose and Molly, Well...Molly tends to smell a bit doggy at times.  This doggy smell forces me to shoo her out of my bedroom.  A few weeks ago I read in one my  "do it yourself" home recipe books a recipe for Dry shampoo for dogs....Hmmm is this possible???  Could I make Molly smell fresh smelling ...thus granting her a pardon???   I know that my girls and I have had great success with dry shampoo recipes for ourselves, so why not give it a go.   I took several recipes and created my own...What's in it??  it is .....

Dry Shampoo for Doggie

1 Cup Quaker Oats

1/2 cup Corn starch

1/2 cup baking soda

2-3 drops of Ea. Essential oil ..Tea Tree, Lemongrass, Lavender,  Rosemary

In a food processor or mini processor...process the oats until fine,   Add the cornstarch, baking soda and essential oils... process till all are combined.   Put into a cheese shaker (I found one at the dollar store)...  Next liberally sprinkle over the pup ... taking care not to get near eyes.  We generously sprinkled her tummy, back, tail, etc...Gently rub the "shampoo" into the fur, taking several minutes to work the mixture in.   Then after letting the shampoo sit for several minutes brush through puppy's fur.  ( Molly was shedding as well so we accumulated enough fur to build another dog ..hahaha)  The essential oils work to make puppy smell good while having a purpose...Tea tree treats any hot spots,and repelling pests, lemongrass works at repelling pests, Lavender helps relax puppy (not that Molly needs to relax...hahaha) and Rosemary does the same as the others, plus smells really nice.   After brushing through Molly we went ahead and sprinkled the dry shampoo on her bedding as well. Wait a few minutes and Vacuum up ...Now the bedding is smelling just as fresh :).  In fact you can safely do this process in your carpet room...because this can double as a natural carpet deodorizer I am sure

I will say Molly was quite happy for the process to be over as she HATES being brushed or bathed...but she was quite happy with the treats that she was rewarded after the process was over.    She looked so pretty and smelled just like as my youngest son said..."A Pez candy"  hahahaha.  We are both happy, she avoided an actual bath involving water and my nose can rest at ease, because the doggie odor is GONE!!!  Bonus her fur looks fresh and fluffy :)...What a pretty girl!

A Stranger at the Y

This is post is different than I normally would write, but with so many negative things happening  in our nation as of late I thought a random act of kindness would be worth writing about.   My family and I love to participate in the activities at our local YMCA. Well anyway my youngest son and I were up playing in the gym, playing games using one of the basketballs in the gym when my older brother came in to shoot some hoops.  Now my older brother has grown up with many challenges in his life making him different than most people. In fact the differences have made him the object of mistreatment, condescending attitudes,  and bullying many times in his life, especially growing up.  Let me just tell you places that I have would never have ever hoped he would be subjected to those mindsets are the very places where this kind of treatment has occurred...enough said on that subject. Needless to say I tend to err on the protective side where Chris is concerned (though I will admit we act like typical siblings hahah, having our disagreements etc)   Well anyway he LOVES to play basketball and feels a great sense of accomplishment when he can "SWISH" the ball through the hoop.  As I was playing with my youngest son, I began to notice this older gentleman standing off to the sides of where Big Bro was shooting hoops,   every time the ball hit the backboard and bounced off to the side, this gentleman (I'll call him Dan for short) would retrieve the ball, toss it back in so Chris could shoot again.  My son and I continued to play but I continued observing as Dan patiently tossed the ball back to Chris...every once in a while I would notice him walk over to Chris, when he would miss a shot and quietly tell him something, maybe some instruction?  I was now intrigued...who was this man ?  Well my son and I sat on the bleachers, since we were done playing and watched the interaction.  Dan began cheering him on...telling him to "see" the ball going though the hoop... aim higher...each time Chris 's free throw shot improved, it improved to the point he made 5-6 shots straight in a row.  Each time the ball made it though the net Dan exclaimed loudly...way to go, you got this, etc!!   By the time we were ready to go Chris's face said it all with big smiles and a sense of accomplishment.  We shook hands with this kind man, not a coach...just a kind man who loved the sport and spent many hours observing the game .  Thank you Dan!!  You made Chris smile and an left an impression that will never be forgotten.  Kind, unselfish, caring people are out there,  you just have to take a minute to "see" them .

A Thanksgiving Post

Hi, I'm back.  I know that I have been a bit slack in keeping you updated, but life is always happening in this household.  Tonight my heart is so full of the things I have to be thankful for: my amazing family, wonderful friends, stress free jobs, health....my list goes on and on.  I choose to live in an attitude of thankfulness.  When you step out of thankfulness you step into discontent.  I have to say I am most contented, but always choosing to move forward.   My weight loss goal right now for the holidays is to maintain, then hit the loss part again strong in January.  I haven't gained, which is a huge thing to be thankful for especially with all the celebrations that have happened through the season...not to mention the ones coming up ( I am staying good friends with the gym :) ) .

One thing I absolutely love about this time of year is my gingerbread family!!!  I love gingerbread men and houses, there is just something so homey and inviting about gingerbread men, Okay tasty too ...but you can't  eat the stuffed ones  ahhaha.   Every year we try to keep the tradition of making or at least decorating a gingerbread house. This year was my youngest sons turn to be in charge of decor...hahaha,  5 pieces of candy later he was done,  his big sister and grammy pitched in to finish the ensemble.   My mom decided to mix it up and put my ornaments on a huge wreath in the kitchen (see pic.) I LOVE it

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Of course today is the day of Thanksgiving meal preparations. My menu is very traditional...I don't think my family would handle it any other way...okay okay I wouldn't handle it any other way  ahhaha.  I will admit to "adjusting" a few of the recipes to make them more diet friendly.    What?? What am I having??   To start with we do a light brunch....because there is the Parade to consider, which is a must in our house, especially the Broadway show excepts that start before the parade.  Brunch consists of : Sausage and cheese balls,  Hard cooked eggs (have to have a protein balance here ..lol), 2 kinds of muffins, mandarin oranges, applesauce, cranberry orange bread....new additions this year BACON (no explanation necessary for this one...hahahah) and a Breakfast pastry ring that my mom found in the latest "First" magazine, coffee and juice. Lest you think I slaved in the kitchen, I cheated on a few of these thing, allowing Costco to do a little contributing.    Around two...depending on how fast the turkey decides to cook..comes the main course, the meal that my kids wait for all year. Everyone has helped with the preparation, learning to cook their favorite part of the meal....I guess we should switch it up or the first year they each marry THEIR family will only get one side dish  haha ( whoever marries my oldest daughter will be sure to have green bean casserole...LOL,While my oldest son will have all potato varieties covered  and the younger two will have stuffing!)  Official Menu: Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, corn minus the limas (oops, someone forgot those,...this is another thing I am thankful for, hahaha, I dislike limas,  as a child I always mixed them with my potatoes to get them down ...lol) Old fashioned buttered bread, sliced, butter and warmed in the oven the way my maternal grandmother did it,  Pickles and olives,  2 Pumpkin pies, 2 Pecan pies (one is an experiment this year ... healthy version made with coconut sugar and milk) , Apple pie and YES real whipped cream!!!! ...not in a can, but the kind that must be whipped from heavy cream to a thick rich topping ..YUMMM, also a sparkling moscato - Spumante,  and Sparkling Apple cider .   Many hands in the kitchen make the light work and fun!   I did try brining  the turkey this year after much research I decided on the following:  Salt, sugar, oranges and Muscato wine .  I can't wait to give it a try.

Right now I am thankful that everything is ready and even the table is set and I can enjoy watching Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and Charlie Brown Mayflower.... a tradition as well, no matter how old you are, you are NEVER too old for Charlie Brown.

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! Be thankful in everything!

EmBee

Helpful tip...avoid shoulder ache during the prep time by wearing a Capsaicin patch or Thermal patch on shoulder blades, it really made a huge difference!

 

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream (Healthy version)

[caption id="attachment_203" align="alignleft" width="300"] Homemade Pumpkin "Coconut Milk" Ice Cream[/caption]

 

Once in a while a true inspiration hits!!  Today was that day...an EPIC SUCCESS!!  I love pumpkin season and today everything was saying ...make something pumpkiny.  Now I am faithfully following a healthy eating plan and this fits into the healthy category and it is sugar free and DELICIOUS!!!  Several people have requested this super simple recipe so I thought I would share .

Homemade Pumpkin "Coconut Milk" Ice Cream

2 cans FULL fat (not light) Coconut Milk

1 cup Pumpkin ( I used Libby's)

1 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 tsp Cinnamon

2 Tbsp Cornstarch

1 cup hormone free vanilla whey protein (opt)

1 tsp Sea salt

1/3 cup coconut nectar (Coconut Secret brand)

1/3 Coconut crystals (Coconut Secret Brand)

1/3 to 1/2 Xylitol (to taste)

Blend all the ingredients together in blender. Chill one hour . Then use Ice cream freezer, following freezer directions.  Now you can make this recipe with regular sugar (no longer sugar free ;( )   You may also use any sweetner of choice....I have found the best flavor with this option  or All xylitol will work as well (xylitol is a sugar alchohol found in the health food store). Coconut Secret products can be found at www.vitacost.com or your local health food or Whole Food store.

 

 

 

New Territory

Happy to Report I am BETTER!!! God is awesome!!! I know I can trust him. I feel energized enough and motivated enough to start another round of hHCG! Goal is to reach the 200 mark or under during this next 30-40 day round. Hit P3 mid Oct to Nov 1 and maintain weight until the new year. I can do this!!

I am excited to be in new weight loss  territory!!! A two pound loss now puts me down to 226. My lowest in YEARS!!! I briefly hit 218 about 10 yrs ago. I am really happy. Of course I do the hHCG diet a bit on the rogue side it keeps it bearable and it works for me ... Yesterday was a fine example. Egg (cooked in a touch of coconut oil) and 1/2 piece toast (about 45 cal bread) I like the whole grain stuff (Ezekiel / flax etc) without high fructose corn syrup. the plan I am on (Stockwell)(Docstimulusdrops)  Does allow for an egg and 45 cal bread at breakfast.  Then at lunch I did chicken thighs (5 oz) and YES the skin ...yummmy ( I know I am weird) with 1/2 cup butternut squash and raspberries. Supper was my homemade chili (1.5 cups) on top of my 3 handfuls of salad with about 1.5 Tbsps of FULL fat greek yogurt. I forgot the evening fruit and frankly I didn't really need it. I have still continued with the TBSP of raw local honey in the evening ...so many benefits that I really wanted to see if I could continue to do it and still lose, so far so good!!!! So the two pound loss this morning was exciting!!!!!!! Now off to experiement with some coconut pumpkin spice Ice cream ( I have some Vegan friends visiting, thought I would make a new treat) Happy Day everyone!!

 

My Chili Recipe:  (sorry no photos this time :( )

My Chili recipe (taken mostly from my protocol book) Triple batch

1.5 pounds ground turkey
1.5 lean ground beef
2 onions (carmelized and then added)
4 cups Zucchini shredded (this was frozen from summer harvest)
1 cup campari tomatoes
3 cans rotel (2 spicy one mild)
1/2 pkg taco seasoning
chili powder
spark plug sauce (no sugar)
coconut vinegar
cayenne pepper...
1 cup corn

simmmer simmmer simmmer

We Interrupt this Previously Scheduled Journey

Hello everyone. I am hopping on here for a brief update .  I am in a holding pattern right now as far as the weight loss journey.  I am holding at 227 ( which is still an all time low) so I could deal with a small un-welcomed and uninvited situation... a Kidney infection. EWWWW!  Four weeks ago I noticed an annoying nagging ache in my left side back, chalking it up to over working something so I didn't think much about it, Until about two weeks ago I woke up nauseous as well.   Well in our house there is always something transitioning or growing or changing, Of all weeks it was my hubby's job, which also meant insurance change (aka...no insurance for a short season) so I figured, hey I better stay on top of this and go in "just in case" before the insurance runs out....ding ding ding we have a winner (well not really it is a CURSE that isn't allowed in my house...humph) .  So given a  "sit down" by the good doctor and take it easy, with an antibiotic presciption I figured this would go quickly. Week One and no improvement and gallons of water and umpteen glasses of cranberry cocktail (organic cranberry juice and ACV ), I ended up with a second antibiotic prescription (Ciprofloxacin).. Three days into this antibiotic the ache was gone, but in its place was an unbearable pain, like a charlie horse times ten in my back and hips and a Stiff painful neck, crampy calves  to boot...WHAT .ummmm no Thank YOU! I was thinking, KIDNEY Stone. (Why must we entertain the worst thought possible) I hadn't ever felt anything so painful (And I have delivered 4 children, one via C-Section). Finally Friday after not sleeping a couple nights and consulting the doctor, We headed for the ER.  I have never had to go to the hospital ER for anything, but it seemed like the answer.  I have to admit despite being in pain, the ER experience was a pleasant one ...especially with hubby around he keep me laughing, even though it hurt to breathe let alone laugh and super nice people.  Given a designer airy outfit (aka: hospital gown) I was subjected to poking prodding (oh and being hit in the side by the ER doc...OWWWWW)  and big circular machines that took pictures of your internal organs (CT scan) ...IV's, Cath, pain meds..and all really fast!   The results are in and..... NOTHING!  Okay so maybe that should have been a positive answer, but now I was left with out a "reason" for all the pain.  Even the infection was cleared up! All my praying friends were rejoicing and I was questioning, Okay Lord now what??? (just being honest here). I was sent home with the pain cut only in half by morphine , muscle relaxer and Vicodin.   My weakness is that I want to know the reason things aren't working and WHY.   God might see me as the questioning 2 year old...why is the sky blue, why did does the dog bark? God why didn't anything show up??  If it was a miracle, then WHY am I still hurting? Why is it so hard for me just to receive?  Well I loaded up on the medication for the night hoping to get some sleep (well I got a little more) ...then I had an unction? a direction..to look up my symptoms with the ANTIBIOTIC I was on...hmmmmm .  Opens up computer , types in symptoms and Cipro and BINGO>>>OH MY! (The muscle spasms, neck pain all under SEVERE Side Effects)  I am so thankful for a God who gives direction.  I did NOT take another dose, talked to my physician and started replacing the nutrients that had been stripped out of my system....Already a 50 percent improvement!!!!  WOW!  I am thankful for the prayers, support , and agreement of so many amazing people and A heavenly Father that loves me and is working with me right where I am, pulling me up to be who I am supposed to be in him, but one that after reading the dangers of this toxic antibiotic, saved me from a severe situation.  I am so ready to be back at the gym soon!  I am healed NOW...Today is my NOW!   I'll check in soon with more encouraging news :)

EmBee

NOTE: After reading about how many people have been so negatively effected by the antibiotic I wonder at its continued frequent use in the medical field.  If you are reading this  and have suffered or are suffering from side effects of Cipro there is HOPE.  Talk to your doctor right away,  start replacing the magnesium that is stripped out of your body, water, multi V, milk thistle for cleaning out / supporting your liver. Trust God for direction to get you on the path to health.