My tap water tastes great and there are better alternatives. Like The Beverage Bottle at Lifefactory.com, which is a 22 oz glass bottle in a silicon sleeve. You never have to worry about plastic leeching BPA’s or PVC’s into your water with glass and the silicon sleeve protects the bottle. Sure it’s a little heavier, but so what? Who can’t afford a little extra strength-training from lifting her water?

The recommendation of 8-12 glasses of water a day is there for a reason. Water is the stuff of life people. 60% of our body mass is water. Drinking enough water a day is crucial for cellular regeneration and hydration. A loss as small as 5% can cause all kinds of nasty symptoms like fatigue, nausea, dizziness, muscle cramps and tingling in your limbs. More of a loss than that and you’re headed towards unconsciousness and even death. So drink your water – just don’t buy it.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you should be drinking .5 ounces per pound of body weight. I know, I know – can’t you OD on water? You can if you drink too much at one time. A normal healthy human body can actually process up to 15 liters of water a day. But that doesn’t mean you should drink that much in one day. I personally drink about a gallon of water a day. It helps flush toxins and fat from the body, and keeps my skin nice and pretty.

Bottled water? Who needs ya. I say turn on the tap.

I weighed on March 1st and performed cart-wheels and back-flips when the scale registered that I’d lost 40lbs. Okay, so maybe the cart-wheels and back-flips were only done in my head, because I’m still over 200 lbs and this old body just doesn’t bend that way anymore, but you get my drift. I managed to maintain that 40lb weight loss for exactly 1 week.

Then something happened. I glimpsed the future and the past all at the same time. It was if I had somehow stepped into a quantum time-travel experiment gone terribly awry, ending up with the body of a fly and the head of a human only to confront a huge-assed spider with a red F across her chest. That F stands for FAT my friends or for FAIL, take your pick. I got on the scale this morning and I have gained 8lbs. What the…how did THAT happen?

Well, I’ll tell you how it happened. Even though I’ve been eating low carb, I have not been as vigilant in the last 3 weeks at keeping my food diary, I’ve added some of the more dubious culprits of low carb – such as the Flours that are mostly fiber and some sugar alcohol sweeteners. I also haven’t exercised more than 2 times per week. And, I’ve also given myself permission to eat things that aren’t so low carb. Phew, that confession felt good and of course, I see the problem now, which leads me back to my time-travel debacle and the bulbous body of a fly.

In the past when I have managed to diet myself down to the weight I’ve wanted, I have ALWAYS gained it back because I’ve somehow given myself permission to eat off plan or to eat the “franken-foods” that typically lead to cheating. Then I’ve forgiven my indiscretions with sugar and carbs in general. Hello, my name is Wendy and I am a Carbohydrate Addict.

Hindsight is 20/20 and I swore this time would be different but dammit here I am again, letting myself slack. Is my future self going to end up as my past self? A big FAT FAILURE?

Noooooooooo……..

This is not a diet people, this is a lifestyle and I have got to stop looking for ways to make things like sweets and breads more low carb. They just aren’t – in any shape or form – acceptable for me at this point. I know there are low-carbers out there that have no problem with the products I’m talking about and hey go with God on that, but my body seems to want to gain when I eat these things – so, I’m going to have to push away from the table and say no more carbalose for me, Mom.

I’m going back to the Atkins roots. I’m not doing induction levels again, but I’m backing down a few rungs on the old OWL ladders (that’s Ongoing Weight Loss for the non-Atkins folk out there). So, Vegetables, Fresh Cheese/Dairy (in limited quantities), Nuts and Seeds(in limited quantities), and Berries are okay. These don’t seem to make me gain. But Legumes, other fruits, starchy vegetables and whole grains will have to come out of my diet and be put on hold for a while.

Wow, the spider is getting a little smaller now. She could still kick my ass at any moment though, so it appears that constant vigilance will have to become my mantra. Nobody wants to be her lunch, least of all me.

Okay, I’ve been a member of low carb forums for as long as I’ve been doing low carb. I’m not one that needs much in the way of “emotional support” but I do like to lurk – mainly for the recipes and the exercise advice. There were several postings about T-Tapp in one of those forums and how wonderful it is, blah-di-blah-blah. What caught my attention was the time involved (15 minutes at the minimum) and the inch loss attributed to the program. Notice I wrote inch loss, not weight loss. Because most of the women doing T-Tapp have thrown their scales out and are going strictly by measurements.

Now I’m a little too obsessive about the number on the scale to throw my brand new, incredibly accurate digital scale out, but I must say I was intrigued enough to buy one of the T-Tapp DVDs. Once I got it and started using it and started losing Inches, I was hooked. Move over sugar, mama’s got a new drug.

How it works – I couldn’t tell you exactly. Teresa Tapp the founder of the T-Tapp workout explains it all on her website t-tapp.com and in her book. I could regurgitate some of it, but the truth is I sometimes still have trouble buying the science of it as she explains it. However the proverbial proof is in the pudding and I won’t argue with the fact that since 12/29/09 – the date I did my first T-Tapp workout – I have lost 3 inches off my bust, 3 ½ inches off my waist and 4 inches off my belly. That alone is 10 ½ inches – I’ve also lost from my thighs, hips, calves, arms and ribcage. I’ve dropped almost 2 sizes. I’ve lost a little weight but I’m more impressed with the inches that I’ve lost and it’s only been a little over a month.

I’ve since added 2 more DVDs and I’ve also started skin brushing. My skin is tighter and I have variety for my workout so I’m sitting not-so-fat-anymore and happy. I know, I know, it sounds as if I’ve taken the red pill Neo and maybe I have. All I know is that I’m only 3 sizes away from where I want to be, and I know I can get there as long as I remain in a state of constant vigilance. As Teresa Tapp says, “Yes You Can” and at the moment I’m a believer.

Resolutions, resolutions, resolutions… January brings two things for me… bleak, cold weather and resolutions.

Some may say, what’s the point of making a resolution… I’m not gonna keep it anyway. Others may have a list of resolutions that rivals Newsweek’s Meta-list of the Top 100 Books. Me, I’m keeping it simple this year and I’m going to be SMART about it.

Resolutions should be like any other goal – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Bound. They should be written down and a plan should be put in place for achieving them. After all the old proverb of He who fails to plan, plans to fail is actually pretty true. I know, you just love it when I pull out the proverbs don’t you. It’s like living with your grandma without the doilies and that powdery old lady smell.

So keeping it simple means no more than 2-3 resolutions. Here are mine:

1. Recommit to my weight loss plan

Keep working the plan, because the plan is working. I’m down 31 lbs since I started this thing. I’m totally committed to seeing it through. It’s slow but steady and hey don’t they say that’s what wins the race? Another proverb. I’ve gotta million of ‘em people and I can’t seem to control myself from strewing them about this post.

2. Commit to marketing products online via Squidoo and Webpages

In line with my earlier blog post about becoming more financially secure, I’m going to build one Squidoo lens a week. If you don’t know what Squidoo is, go check it out at Squidoo.com. Along those lines the second part of that resolution is to build niche websites using WordPress – I will build one niche website per month and monetize using Amazon’s affiliate program.

3. Commit to posting to this blog more often

Another thing I’m really committed to is posting to this blog once a week. I’ve got plenty of recipes to try and ya’ll are gonna see the best of those experimentation’s.

So, what’s your New Year’s resolution? Do you have a plan to make it happen? I challenge you today to make one goal for yourself, plan it, and take action on it. Then I’d love to hear about it.

Of course, you didn’t think you’d get away without at least one more quote, did you?

“Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!”

~William Arthur Ward

To each of you, may you sing more joyful songs in the year 2010.

Thanksgiving – or any holiday really has the ability to strike fear into any low carber’s heart. How do you cope with all those holiday carbs? Well, in some ways I’m very lucky – both of my parents are diabetic. And while I would never wish this on anyone, it does make it easier to sell going low carb during these usually carb-laden meals.

So, for Thanksgiving the menu consisted of:

Herb Crusted Pork Roast
Green Beans with onions and bacon
Golden Nugget Squash with Pecan Crisp topping
Sautéed Mushrooms
And for dessert Low Carb Pumpkin Pie with a pecan/flax meal crust.

Don’t think you can make it through the holidays? Think again. There are plenty of ways to de-carb your favorites and there are also plenty of healthy substitutions.

Get creative. Oh and pass the pie please.

Beef stew, you say, how can I have this? It’s got potatoes and carrots and other carb-y things in it. How can this be?

Well, it can be my friend. It can be. All you need is an open mind, a willingness to let go of the beef stew of your childhood, some mushrooms and a Daikon radish and all that Beefy goodness you love and remember can be yours again.

Soooo… let’s get this party started, shall we?

Introducing the Players

To make this marvelously, delicious low carb version you’re gonna need the following things:

1 lb of top sirloin, top blade or stew beef, chopped into bite size pieces
1 small onion, chopped
½ Daikon radish, chopped into bite sized pieces
8 oz of Baby Bella mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp of garlic paste or crushed garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup of red wine (the good stuff – that you’d drink)
2 1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp of Wondra flour
1/2 tsp of xanthan gum
Salt and Pepper to taste

Using a heavy pot put in your oil and heat it up. I love my LeCrueset Soup Pot for this sort of thing, oh how I could sing the praises of my cast iron beauty, but I won’t. That’s for another time. You can use whatever you have that will hold at least 4 quarts of stew-y goodness.

Add your onion and then sprinkle with salt. Then it’s time to work-out those onions – really make ‘em sweat. Cook the onions till you can almost see through them and they’re starting to caramelize a little bit.

Then add your beef. Keep it moving, browning the beef on all sides.

Then make a little well, scraping your beef and onions off to the side a bit and then add your mushrooms. Put in a few grinds of black pepper just to spice things up a bit. Stir now and again to keep things cooking evenly.

Now it’s time to deglaze the pan. Add the wine and be sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Stir the tomato paste into the soy sauce until it’s well combined then pour it into the pan. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves and smoked paprika. You can find smoked paprika at Amazon if you can’t get it locally. Make sure it’s smoked sweet paprika and not smoked hot paprika. Unless you like a little kick to your stew.

Next, add the Daikon radish – I’m not going to lie to you and tell you it tastes like a potato. The only thing that tastes like a potato is a potato. But – it has a mild flavor – sort of turnip-y like, and it has a potato-esque texture that’s nice. If you’re not feeling brave, or you can’t find the Daikon in your grocery store – leave it out. The beef and mushrooms make an excellent stew on their own.

Turn down the heat on your stove, cover your pan and let everything simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. The longer it cooks the more the meat will fall apart and the more the flavors will marry.

One last thing and then you can eat. To thicken or not to thicken that is the question. I like mine a little thick. Now most low carb recipes call for guar or xanthan gum to thicken, and I use those too. BUT, but – both can give a strange slimy texture if your not careful. I like to thicken with a combination of Wondra flour and xanthan gum. Ok, before you freak out – Wondra is a wonderful thing. It’s an “instant” flour meaning it’s not going to lump and for the 2 teaspoons called for it is only 3.8 extra carbs to the whole meal. Where do you find it? I find it at my local Piggly Wiggly – but if you can’t find it locally, you can buy it on Amazon. I just love Amazon – it has everything. Seriously.

Ahhh Beef Stew – on a gray day – you’re all I need.

So, what’s a quarter worth to you? As of yesterday morning, I’ve lost 25.8 lbs. I’m a quarter of the way to my ultimate goal of 100 lbs. I’m a third of the way to my first mini-goal and I’m half way to the place where I don’t feel like I need to be invisible anymore.

So, what’s a quarter worth to you? Is it worth your sanity? Your health? Your fitness?

What would it take to get you a quarter of the way to where you want to be? I know, I know, you’re thinking, “A quarter of the way? Well, that’s not very far at all.” Some people might even feel discouraged. Me? No way! I’m closer now than I was two months ago.

I’m on vacation this week and went into Target just to try some stuff on to see where I am because my pants are literally hanging from my belly. If it weren’t for THE BELLY (loud booming voice) then I’d be pantless and people would be running away screaming.

I put on the size 18 and they fit ok. There were loose in the legs because I have bird legs and there was room in the hips and around the belly. The material had spandex in it so it wasn’t really loose. Then just for kicks, I tried on a 16 and for the love all things Oprah – they fit. Ok, ok, truth be told they were a little snug in the waist because of the belly, but the legs actually were loose. I look sort of like an apple with toothpicks for legs but I don’t care. Even the belly is smaller than it was when I started this whole thing. And it will only get smaller as long as I work it.

So, I ask again, what’s a quarter worth to you? To me it’s worth the price of a pair of Target jeans – size 16.

I do believe that deserves a Woot!

To cheat or not to cheat, that is the question. Should “cheating” be included as part of your nutritional plan as a normal, healthy thing? I’m making lifestyle changes that are long term, so to me deprivation forever of certain foods is not realistic.

Honestly, I’m not that tempted by things, now that I’ve added dairy back into my nutrition plan.

We recently celebrated Customer Service Week at work and though I was surrounded (yes, literally surrounded) at every turn with candy or cake or hot dogs and chips, I wasn’t tempted. I handled it and managed to lose 6 pounds in the process (it was the first week of Atkins induction and so this is not a typical weight loss).

But this week since moving to Ongoing Weigh Loss I’m feeling tempted, by things that I don’t usually find tempting. Like Pizza. Not just any pizza mind you. Oh no, Dominoes, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s won’t do. I need authentic New York style pizza – which leads me to Andolini’s, where you can buy it by the slice or the whole 18 inch pie. Its traditional crispy-on-the-outside and chewy-on-the-inside crust is the stuff of pizza legends. The sauce has just a hint of spiciness that makes your tongue dance and the cheese is gloriously fresh and melted to perfection. It strings when you bite into it. There should be poetry written about Andolini’s pizza.

Now, I know that I could get creative and make a pizza crust out of something like low carb pita bread or spaghetti squash and cheese, or zucchini and cheese. There are always low carb alternatives. But pizza isn’t something I usually crave. I’m more inclined to go for the red velvet cake or the brownies. So if I’m going to make the conscious decision to “cheat” then I want it to be worth it. Today I want the yeasty deliciousness of the perfect pizza crust.

But is cheating beneficial? Should it even be part of your nutrition plan? I know that mentally, if I feel I can not ever have something again, I’m going to want it more. I also know carb overload is not good for my diabetes. But psychologically, if I allow myself to have that treat, splurge, cheat – or whatever you want to call it – I’m more likely to get back on the wagon. Mainly, because eating a lot of carbs makes me feel bad afterward. Sort of like booze – it’s fun going down, but the next day when the cotton mouth and head splitting pain start all that fun is forgotten. Then of course there is the dilemma of the “trigger food” that makes the carbohydrate cravings reign down like a fiery hell storm of need.

Whoa, that’s dramatic, isn’t it? Well yes, but so true. Ok – so stepping away from the inner monologue…

Can you cheat and not set off a trigger? I think I can. I think I can… I hope to God I can, because doggone it I really want some pizza. So, this is what I’m going to do. I’m going to allow myself to cheat tonight. I’m going to plan it. I’m going to record it and keep myself accountable. And lastly, I’m going to savor every bite, because it will be awhile before I allow myself to splurge again.

Then tomorrow, I’m back to Ongoing Weight Loss. If the hell-storm starts, I’ll just take cover and wait for it to pass. It always does.

What do you think? Is cheating healthy? Or is it an invitation to spin out of control?

Beef ribs. You’ve seen them in the grocery store. Sometimes they’re vacuum packed as a rack. Sometimes they’ve been separated by the butcher in small packs. Maybe you’ve by-passed them because you weren’t sure how to cook them. Maybe you were afraid of all that beefy good saturated fat. I’m here to tell you don’t fear the fat. Fat is your friend and if you’re low-carbing, marinated and roasted beef ribs are deeeee-li-cious.

It all starts 24 hours before you want to cook them… with a marinade. I use my mama’s beef and pork marinade. Place the ribs into a large zip-top bag and pour the marinade over it. Place in the fridge overnight. I usually do this before I go to bed and then turn it over in the morning when I get up to ensure even marinating.

When you’re ready to cook, line a half-sheet pan (or whatever ya got) with foil – you’ll thank me for this later when it’s time to clean up. Then place the ribs on the pan so they’re evenly spaced.

Put into a 400 degree oven and then start your mushrooms

Ahhhh mushrooms. How I love ya. Actually, up until about a year ago, I hated mushrooms or at least I thought I hated them. But then I had the portabella – marinated and grilled and I saw the light. Now I can’t get enough of them. Which is good for me because mushrooms are low in carbs, calories, full of fiber, and are rich in potassium, selenium, copper and B vitamins. And they are the perfect accompaniment to many dishes, including my yummy roasting beef ribs.

So, first we clean the mushrooms. Okay here’s some advice about mushrooms – they are mostly water but they are also like sponges and so if you wash them with water, they’ll absorb it. Clean them with a damp cloth or paper towel. Really, it’s all you need.

Then chop them up. I had a photo of me chopping but it was blurry. Chopping and photo taking is hard.

Put a couple of tablespoons of butter in a small skillet – this 8 inch stainless steel is my favorite – I use it for everything. Wait till the butter is melted and frothy. Mmmmmm buttah.

Put the mushrooms in the pan, swish ‘em around with a spatula to make sure they’re all coated. If you need to,  feel free to put more butter in the pan. You can never have too much butter. Add salt – I use kosher salt – and a few grinds of pepper.

Add some chicken broth – just a splash. The mushrooms will put off water on their own so you don’t need much.

Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Or Wor-chester-shire sauce, as my dad calls it. Let the liquid reduce. Now’s the time to check your ribs by the way.

Oh my Lord – the ribs are perfect. Take them out of the oven now. Keep in mind they’ve only been cooking for about 15 – 20 minutes, so they’ll be mostly medium. If you want them more done, leave them in longer.

When most of the mushroom liquid has reduced, plate your ribs and mushrooms and then get ready to grease your chin. No, seriously. This ain’t a meal for the faint of heart or a dainty eater. Find your inner cave man and dig in. Oh and pass the napkins please.

The flat iron steak is a cut from the shoulder of a steer which is where you find your chuck. You may have seen it advertised as a top blade steak. The steak is flat and shaped like an iron thus the name flat iron. It is very well marbled.

For four bucks and some change, I knew I would at least get two meals out of it and so  I couldn’t resist it.  However, I wasn’t sure exactly what to do with it because the flat iron is, well, flat. I talked to the butcher about it and he said that if the silver skin that runs through this cut of meat is removed it is the second tenderest piece of beef in the cow; the first of course being the tenderloin. He said I could grill it just like any other steak. I cut it into two six ounce-ish pieces and marinated it in my mama’s recipe for beef marinade. It is my favorite marinade for beef and pork and it’s simple and delicious. I made a triple batch because I also bought some skirt steak and beef ribs to cook later this week.

Flat Iron Steak

Lightly oil and heat up your grill pan until you can see it smoke just a little. Place your meat on the grill and leave it there. Do not peek to see if the grill marks are happening… you just have to trust in the pan.

After about 3 to 4 minutes (I’m totally ball-parking it here) turn the meat one quarter turn so you can  get those beautiful cross hatch marks… then leave it again for 2 to 3 minutes then turn it over and repeat the process.

Now, I put a cover over my pan for about 3 to 4 minutes and let it cook because I wanted a medium steak. Then I took it off and put it on a plate and let it rest while I waited for my Asparagus to get done.

Then you just gotta enjoy!

Mama’s Beef or Pork Marinade

½ cup of Soy sauce

¼ cup of Worcestershire sauce

Juice from 1 lemon

2 tbsp of red wine vinegar

2 tsp of ground mustard

1 tbsp of onion powder

1 tbsp of garlic powder

1 tbsp dark sesame oil

¾ cup of olive oil

Pour over meat of your choice and marinate for 4 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.