Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Happy June!

Knockout roses are a favorite. They bloom all summer and require no care.

Good morning lovely people! Sorry I have been AWOL. I didn't realize how much time had gone by. Now that we are back to weekends at the shore, this supposedly relaxing time of the year does get more hectic for me. I must make it a priority to keep in touch.

We had a lovely Memorial Day with the family and although the weather was cool and rainy some of the days, it was great to all be together under one roof. We played some games, watched some movies, watched home videos of our trip to Italy and some of other trips through the years, rode bikes and just enjoyed being together.


After everyone left early Tuesday morning, I decided to stay the rest of the week and get a few things done, grocery shop for the coming week, catch up on the laundry and get ready for the weekend to come. I like being by myself although I had the two dogs to keep me company. I ate simply, watched the TV shows I wanted to catch up on, organized some closets, caught up on reading and slept as much as I wanted. Very relaxing and refreshing.


I decided after reading a post by Gourmet Girl, that I really needed to do something to jump start my focus and weight loss. I have been very good about watching my sugar counts, but since the Belly Fat Cure does allow whole grain carbohydrates, I find that I really eat too many of them, all the while staying within my 6 carb servings  for the day.


 If you are new to following the Belly Fat Cure, any item with a carb count of 0-20 gms counts as 1 carb serving. If you eat something with a carb count of 30 gms for example, that is two carb servings. I love carbs and that is the biggest problem for me. I like my two slices of flax seed toast for breakfast, two slices with my sandwich at lunch and then some carbs with dinner. The Alvarado Street flax seed bread that I use only has 18 gms of carbs in 2 slices. You can see how I can have four slices and easily stay within my carb limits for the day.


Gourmet Girl who has a great recipe blog, mentioned that she has been grain and wheat free since last July and has lost over 60 lbs. It just sparked an interest in me and I decided as my personal experiment to see how long I could go wheat free. Not grain free, as I need to do things in baby steps, but just wheat free.


 I found that after doing this for over 2 weeks, it is very hard to avoid wheat. But if you do, you will substantially cut out a lot of calories. Wheat is in everything and is a part of so many meals.  So I have been trying this as my own personal experiment. it's  to help me rein in the carb train that I have been riding on. I have trouble with moderation. It's easier for me to say ' I just can't have that', then to try and have just a little. I want to see if this helps make a difference and jump starts me again back into a losing pattern.
The Chives at the end of their bloom.


The basil is growing strong as is the cilantro!

 I'll tell you more in the next post I write and share a great recipe that is helping me make my breakfasts almost as exciting as my flax seed toast!

Sending hugs and love to all of you!

Thought for the day:  If you keep doing what you always did, you'll keep getting what you always got!

7 comments:

  1. How nice to have some peace and quiet at your beach house! It sounds very relaxing! I can't wait to hear how the no wheat thing is going. I've tried to limit wheat, but it is hard and sometimes a girl just needs a piece of bread. During those moments I just let myself have the bread, as long as it still follows BFC.
    Enjoy your time!
    Carey

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  2. I also love my toast in the morning but have no problem having it every other day or so. Sounds like you had a great time. :-)

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  3. Whatever gets you motivated is a good thing. I hope you have success with it. I need my bread, I'm not creative enough to replace it.
    Your picture is gorgeous, I wouldn't want to leave that area! However, my dream is a beach house, so I guess you have the best of both worlds:)
    As long as we stay connected, no matter what path we are on, we will help each other out, and that is reassuring to me! We may not post as often, which is a bummer actually, but just don't stop!!!
    Blessings my friend!

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  4. How exciting Pattie! I think that as long as you don't replace your wheat bread with almond bread and other heavy things like that you will find you get great results! The key for me I have noticed that I can easily find replacements that are much more nutrient dense, and that messes with my 'bottom line.' Good luck, and keep us posted!

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  5. Hi Pattie ! I am new follower of your blog. I am just started with BFC and I am still learning. Looking foreward to getting to know you :)

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  6. Love the pictures. The husband just asked last night why we didn't plant chives. We have a small veggie garden but no herbs.

    I'm with Kay and Carey, I like bread!

    One day while I was waiting on my mom to get her nails done, another customer (probably in her late 30s) saw me looking at the BFC book and writing up a grocery list. She said she gave up wheat (maybe doctor's orders?) and had lost about 20 lbs in 3 months just by eliminating wheat. She appeared very fit and healthy. She said she hadn't found a bread that she liked so she just doesn't have any.

    Can't wait to read your next post for updates.

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  7. Hi Pattie! I also decided to go wheat free about 3 months ago, but I did it to see if it would help me with a female issue. It did help! Made a huge difference in fact! I do so miss my TJ Sprouted Grain Bread though and the low carb tortillas! You're right, there is gluten in so many things. I do still eat some corn chips sometimes but I still count my carbs and try not to go overboard. So much trial and error in this new lifestyle! I love the idea of having a beach house! I LOVE the ocean! Sounds quite relaxing...for the most part! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and can't wait to hear about that recipe! ~ Francie ~

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