All the failures of my past have brought me to this point… Awesome quote by Colin Powell…
Success
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Category Archives: Weight Loss
Busy first week of the New Year!
Wow, it was a busy first week of the New Year! Started out by spending New Years Day at the Orange Bowl with my niece, Charity…
My friend Ed had 2 tickets that he could not use and graciously gave them to me… THANK YOU, ED!!! Charity and I had a blast!
Then had a few crazy, and I mean CRAZY days at work and then my mom came to visit. Thank God for her sanity and the balance she brought to me this week. Her advise to simmer down and let go was truly needed!
Sydnie and I have started Couch to 5K at the beginning, so she can work up to some decent runs. She’s doing great on the Paleo diet with me at home and has stopped complaining about me starving her, for the most part 😀
And I took two 4.5 mile walks with a friend who is fun to chat and walk with. Both of us wanting to get in and stay in shape. I’ve made it a goal to do this walk, across the big bridge in Stuart and back, 3 times a week, minimum… I’ve done it twice this week. Here’s the bridge:
It’s a mile across, each way, with a nice elevation and the views are wonderful.
I’ve also been attending church regularly. Rick Evans is the leader of the church and is married to my dear friend from school, Natalie. He isn’t preachy, they don’t pass a collection plate, he’s an amazing storyteller and I love it. I’ve been taking the grandkids and they enjoy it, as well. Natalie is an accomplished photographer and took pictures a few weeks ago. The church meets at a community center on the beach… The joys of living in south Florida!
That’s Sydnie, Sofia and Sadie with me.
I had grandkids with me all weekend, off and on… Faelynn, Sydnie and Sadie spent Friday night and Faelynn and Sydnie (who lives with me) on Saturday night… At some point the all curled up in my bed 🙂
So that’s the weekly wrap up… Week One of 2013 is in the books!
How did y’all spend New Years Day??
Happy 2013!
Wow… what a CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY year! 42 Take offs and Landings… 91,000 air miles logged. From huge airplanes (Boeing A380) to a small 9 seater. China, Hong Kong, U.S., Japan and the Bahamas.
I completed the Dukan diet in May, having lost 111 pounds! And for the most part have kept it off. I bounce up a few pounds, readjust and it comes back off.
I went from not being able to run for 45 seconds to running 5K and completed one. I am now training for a triathlon next August with bloggy friends Cindy, Sandra and Anna and can’t wait!!!
I’ve also done yoga and a program called D.I.R.T. regularly… D.I.R.T. kicks my ass!
Last year I brought New Years in with my dear friend Lucy in Hong Kong…
New Years Eve in Hong Kong Dec 31, 2011. With Lucy Rowney.
Crazy how much has happened in the past 12 months! Crazy how blessed and fortunate I am to have the people in my life that I do. Crazy how lucky I am to have an amazing job with two crazy women that I adore and love working with!!
December 2012
Lorie, Me and Miri
The next adventure? Planning a conference for birth workers in Ecuador for July this year and planning my own little trip into Peru to visit Machu Picchu afterwards. It’s going to be an amazing trip!
What are your plans for 2013?
I hope all of you have a blessed, amazing, healthy and prosperous 2013!
Ciao!
Sandi 🙂
Dukan – Consolidation Day 222 – Recipe
Wow!!! 222 days since I met my goal weight… time sure flies. I’m nearly half way through the 500 days of Consolidation (it is 5 days for every pound you lost to your goal weight, which for me was 155, so 100 pounds lost… that said, I actually lost an additional 11 pounds for a total of 111 pounds, but I’m not counting those in my Consolidation #)… clear as mud?
Since Thanksgiving I had gained 3.5 pounds. This brought me dangerously close to 150 pounds… On Friday I was 149.8. So I took action. I decided to do 4 Pure Protein days in a row this week. I started on Monday.
Breakfast:
2 boiled eggs and 2 slices of sharp NY cheddar (yum!!!)
Lunch:
4 slices of deli roast beef and 4 slices of deli sliced turkey with 2 slices of muenster cheese
Dinner:
Pork Chop baked in the oven with onions
Tuesday…
Breakfast: 2 egg omelet with cheddar and 3 slices of bacon (yes, i technically know this is not Dukan friendly, but it is low carb!) 😀
Lunch: OMG Crockpot Tuesday… recipe below
Dinner: Stuck at the birth center assisting a birth…. 7 olives and 6 squares of feta cheese… low carb, but NOT the dinner I was hoping for 😦
Snack: FF Greek Yogurt w/Splenda
Should have taken a picture BEFORE it was nearly devoured!
Dukan Spicy Chicken
Serves: 8 (I feed the crew here at the Palms Birth House lunch on Tuesdays)
Ingredients:
1 TBS coconut oil
4 pounds chicken thighs (boneless/skinless) You could use breasts, but thighs are WAY CHEAPER!!!
2 large onions, chopped (I like big chunks)
4 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped)
Grated zest of a lime
Juice of same lime
6 TBS apple cider vinegar
3 TBS water
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp crushed chilli flakes
2 TBS splenda
Dash of salt
I also added a TBS of my son-in-laws homemade Awesome Sauce (think home grown habenaros!)
Turn your crockpot to HIGH.
Heat a skillet on medium with coconut oil. Brown the chicken in the skillet, 3 minutes each side. Add to crockpot.
Sauté the onions for 2 minutes and then add the garlic and sauté two more minutes. Add to the crockpot.
In a small bowl mix the rest of the ingredients. Add to the crockpot.
Cook on high for 3 hours.
Eat and enjoy!
This lunch was FANTASTIC! The entire birth house smelled so yummy! It was very much a winter dinner. Let me know if you try it!
Ciao!
Work Christmas Party
I’ve been in a bit of a funk the past few days. I had a lovely 5.5 days in Abaco, Bahamas and came back to Florida on Wednesday. Thursday morning had me weighing 149.8… Too damn close to 150 for my liking! So I’m going to do 3 PP Dukan days Monday-Wednesday and my regular PP Day on Thursday and should be back on track.
Last night was my company’s annual Christmas party. I had a blast!
The bosses, Lorie and Miri know how to throw a party! We started the evening by getting our hair “blowed out”. Angie calls this the southern sweet potato look.
Here’s Angie singing. She’s got the voice of an angel…
That’s me, Lorie and Miri.
And me and Dr. Barry…
Zach and I …
Had a fabulous time!
On a sad note, my heart hurts for all of those affected by the shootings in Connecticut yesterday. Unfathomable 😦
Recipe – Low Carb – Crock Pot Dinner
I’m enjoying my new job and love cooking big lunches for everyone. This is today’s lunch…
Crock Pot Pork
Served 8
3 pork chops with some fat, cubed
2 Tbs Coconut oil
1 large onion, chunked
2 large sweet potatoes, chunked
1 bunch broccoli, cut into pieces
1/2 bunch cauliflower, cut into pieces
2 pkts Sazón
1 can gluten free vegetable stock
In large skillet heat 2 Tbs coconut oil. Toss in pork to brown. While pork is browning turn crock pot on high (if cooking for 2 hours) on low if all day. Place the onion and sweet potato in crock pot. Sprinkle on Sazón and pour in veg stock.
When pork is browned on both sides toss that in crockpot. Stir. Top up with hot water to cover meat. Place lid and walk away.
About 30 minutes before serving toss in the broccoli and cauliflower.
Enjoy!
Whata Week
Crazy week!
Started with a birthday party at a Greek restaurant in Palm Beach last Saturday. Food was yummy, the table dancing FUN!
The birthday girl is the hot mama in the shorts 🙂
I worked on Sunday, getting admin stuff done at the birth house. Then drove north to Stuart to spend the night.
Monday I picked up Tiffany early in the AM, dropped off Sydnie at school and drove back south for Tiffany to consult with an OB in Fort Lauderdale. My amazing youngest child had been carrying surrogate twins for 36+ weeks. Baby A, aka Jackson, had been flip flopping back and forth from head down to breech (butt down) for 6 weeks. The doc in Fort Lauderdale does vaginal breech deliveries. A BIG hug and shout out for Dr. Tsinker. One of the rare OBs in this country with the balls to deliver breeches and twins normally. Tiffany’s blood pressure has been elevated for a month now and Dr. Tsinker advised us to check in on Monday for monitoring of her B/P. She had some things to get done first and then around 3 pm, Tiff started having contractions on her own. And we headed in to the hospital. Long story short, Tiffany chose a c-section around 1030 pm. I am AMAZINGLY PROUD of her. What a difficult choice after having had 4 normal deliveries at home. Dr. Tsinker was so supportive, in fact asked her 3 times if she was sure she wanted the section. Wonderful doc. The boys were born at 1137 pm (Jackson) and 1139 pm (Colton). I got the ‘daddy bands’ so that I could have access to the nursery, since the parents were traveling from up north and I wanted to get everything on video and pics for them. ADORABLE babies. They are biologically Tiffany’s cousins, and Jackson looks just like her. Here she is with the boys…
I can’t even begin to tell you how proud and amazed I am by my daughter.
I was up all night with her in recovery and I left the hospital around 1 pm Tuesday and got a short nap at the birth house, before returning to support her.
The next couple of days are a blur….
Wednesday I worked with Allie and Kat at the birth house and spent the evening with Tiffany. Gave her still swollen feet and legs an hour long massage.
Thursday… I FINALLY moved onto my own place! I’m driving my daughter’s 1986 Honda Accord and it rocks! And it has lots of room for boxes!!
My son’s dad helped me move in, despite it being a holiday, and I’m happy to say that when you nurture relationships with your exes, they are still around 31 years later, willing to help you! Big HUGS and THANK YOU to Joe.. You’re awesome and I’m thankful for our friendship and our mutual love for our son.
Then off for turkey dinner at my friend Tammy’s house. We’ve just renewed our friendship and I’m very THANKFUL for that. I stuck to Dukan friendly foods and was full and happy when I climbed in my brand new bed last night!
Today I checked in on Tiffany and ended up taking 2 of my granddaughters with me for a few hours. Sydnie and Sofia are adorable. We went to the park, my new house, dipped our feet in the pool at my house and shopped at the Dollar Store. Here’s what Sofia picked out…
And now I’m at my daughter Jenni’s house typing up my post. My son-in-law is harassing me… Wanting to know how long I’m staying! He’s real scary with that pink bandage on his arm (he just got back from giving blood)…
So with that, I’ll finish this post off! Family Thanksgiving tomorrow at Tiffany’s! She bought a 25 pound turkey… She’s not cooking. We’re pampering her, she deserves it, she’s amazing, I’m one proud Momma 😀
Ciao!
Recipe – Dukan – Pulled Chicken
I’ve been trying out some recipes with the staff here at the birth house and yesterday’s lunch was a keeper!
PULLED CHICKEN IN THE CROCKPOT
SERVED 6
2 Large chicken breast
2 Tbs coconut oil
5 yellow squash chopped
1 big red onion chopped
1 small bag of baby carrots (3 chopped lg carrots)
3 packets of Sazón seasoning
A wee bit of sea salt
In a fry pan melt 2 Tbs of coconut oil on med/high heat. When hot add the chicken breasts and cover with lid for 3 minutes. Turn and cover for 3 more minutes and place in crockpot, keeping the oil in the pan.
Toss the onions in the pan and give a stir for 2 minutes or so, add to crockpot, go on, pour that coconut oil in there, Mmmmm!
Place the squash and carrots in.
Add the 3 packets of Sazón, a dash of sea salt and add hot water just to where it is barely covering.
Put the crockpot on high for 2 hours. Stirring occasionally. At the two hour mark take two forks and pull the chicken apart as much as possible. Continue cooking another hour and pull the chicken apart some more, stir well. At the 3 1/2 hour mark, it’s done…. ENJOY!
**You can slow cook this while at work. Put crockpot on low. When you get home your house will smell AMAZING! Pull the chicken apart with 2 forks and cook an additional half hour, then serve.
Simple, easy and yummy!
Ciao!
Recipe – Thanksgiving Meals – Dukan – Paleo – Gluten-Free
I’m going to post some of my favorite Dukan friendly meals that are PERFECT for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, over the course of the next few days. My son-in-law said to me the other day that there would be “no dieting” next Thursday, sigh, my family still doesn’t get that I #1 DIDN’T DIET and #2 You don’t have to eat wheat ladened crap to have an amazing meal 😀
So… here’s recipe #1… it’s a simple one. My turkey is the moistest, yummiest turkey I eat. Why? I don’t do much to it.
TURKEY
Serves: A lot of people
Ingredients:
One big turkey
1 large green apple (or red, but the granny smith’s are yummier) chopped
1 large pear, chopped
1 large red or yellow onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
8-10 garlic cloves, mashed
1/4 c olive or coconut oil
Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 325 F
Rinse your turkey.
Stuff turkey with the veggies.
Put him in the pan breast side down.
With your fingers, cover the turkey with oil. Make sure you get in all the nooks and crannies!
Generously salt and pepper.
Stick in the oven 20 minutes for every pound. So if it’s a 10 pound turkey 200 minutes (or 3 hours 20 minutes)
Let set for 30 minutes before carving.
Eat.
Easy peasy! Don’t be covering up the bits with aluminum, don’t be puttin’ that turkey in a bag! Just cook the darn thing… PERFECTION, I’m telling you 😀
Mmmmm!
Here’s a link from last year’s Thanksgiving dinner, where I had the pleasure of introducing my Turkey Day culture to a family in Hangzhou.
Day 6 – National Health Blog Post Month
Today’s Topic: News-style post
Breaking News!!
You can eat and eat and eat and lose weight or maintain a healthy weight and lower your cholesterol! This is excellent news for people who like to eat real food!
No more berry pills, no more hCG shots or liquid, no more fasting, counting “points” or 500 kcal diets. REAL, clean, healthy food.
How is this? Well it’s been discovered that it isn’t meat and eggs that are bad for you. It’s wheat and other products with gluten. That wheat has a higher glycemic value than sugar! That it converts to glycogen in your body then stored as fat! Gasp!!! You get fat from wheat? How could this be!
We interviewed Sandi Blankenship, a woman that lost 111 pounds cutting wheat out of her diet. She said, “I couldn’t figure out why, after just losing 20 pounds, my knees weren’t hurting and my arthritis went away. Thankfully someone told me about Wheat Belly”. Ms. Blankenship has maintained this weight loss for 6 months.
For more info check out http://www.wheatbellyblog.com.
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