Saturday, June 30, 2012

Where does the fat go?

 Thought you might like to read this article that I found. Very interesting!

(CNN) -- Multiple chins, bulging tummies and flabby arms: It's easy to see where fat accumulates on the body.
Headlines from fitness magazines promise exercises to blast away belly fat and activities to spot-reduce flab. The scientific evidence, unfortunately, doesn't back those sexy headlines.
You can't change your shape, just your size.
You can't cherry-pick where you shed fat; weight loss doesn't work like a point-and-shoot.
"Basically, when we lose weight, we lose weight all over in exactly the proportion that's distributed throughout our body," said Susan Fried, director of the Boston Obesity and Nutrition Research Center at the Boston University School of Medicine.
"People come in with unrealistic expectations from magazines and spot-reducing," said Gary Foster, director of Temple University's Center for Obesity Research and Education. "That doesn't happen. When you start to lose fat, it's proportionate throughout your body, whether it's your neck, waist, ankle circumference. You'll come out smaller but have the same body shape."

"My hips were like 73 inches," Sorrells said. They're now down to 39 inches.
"It's crazy to think how much they've come down."

Sorrells essentially retained her pear shape, although she's 300 pounds lighter. "I'm still rounder in the bottom part of my body. I'm still pear-shaped," she said.
For most people, the problem is their weight, not their body shape, Foster said. Whether you're a pear or apple may be determined by genetics or hormones.
Not all body fat is created equal.
"I was never heavy on the bottom; it was more the gut, belly area," the 34-year-old said. "The differences I noticed, I have a flat stomach. It used to be huge round ball."

Joe Dragon lost 135 pounds on Weight Watchers and exercise.
Joe Dragon lost 135 pounds on Weight Watchers and exercise.
Essentially, it disturbs the regular mechanisms in your body.
"Fat is basically a store of energy," she said. "When you need energy, you break down the fat. That breaks down into a component called free fatty acid and goes into the liver for energy. When you have a lot of excess fat, it generates so much free fatty acid, the liver can't handle it, so it stores it."
"Belly fat is much more harmful than the so-called big butt," Foster said.
The fat in the hips causes much alarm because that part of the body is highly visible. Called subcutaneous fat, the masses of this fat may be unsightly, but scientists believe they're not as dangerous as internal abdominal fat.
Where does the fat go?
"The fat is a very specialized cell, and it takes basically the fat we eat and it stores it in form of triglycerides," said Fried, who researches how fat is deposited. "It's doing that for the purpose of releasing it when other parts of the body need it."
"If anyone of us overeats long and hard enough, we can increase the number of fat cells in our body," Fried said. "When we lose weight, we don't lose the number of fat cells."
"The fat cells are actually being removed," said Tony Youn, a plastic surgeon who performs liposuctions. "It doesn't mean that fat cells that remain can't get bigger."
Despite the extraction of fat cells, the ones remaining can always get bigger or smaller depending on a person's diet and fitness.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Summer breeze, makes me feel fine!

Hello Everyone!

Down at the shore for a few days. So hot and humid here. Temperatures will be close to 100 on parts of the east coast. Temperatures along the shore seem about ten degrees cooler. I hope the beach will be cooler with the sea breeze. Somehow when you are sitting on a beach chair, at the waters edge, and under a shady umbrella, things seem just fine!

 Just had a long walk with the dog to the farmers market down by the bay. Bought some beautiful lettuce, radishes, blue and blackberries, peaches for my husband, and two balls of homemade mozzarella.. It was tough to avoid the beautiul breads, homemade pizzas, and muffins, but I walked on by!!

Came home and made one of my favorite breakfasts; poached eggs. This time I had them over two pieces of flaxseed bread. Very delicious! If you haven't tried poached eggs, I think you would be surprised at how delicious they are. Not hard to make either.

Now I'm  off to the big supermarket to stock the fridge with all the remaining stuff I need before my boys and their friends get here for the weekend. It's amazing how much kids in their twenties can eat in a weekend! And it isn't sugar free and low carb either!!! Plus I have to look at all the girls in their string bikinis. Painful on many levels!!!

Have a great day everyone!Photo: At the beach in Longport!!!

Thought for the day:

( Not sure of the author. but posted by Louise Smith on facebook!!)

Monday, June 18, 2012

It's all a matter of perspective!

How does the time fly by so quickly? Where does it go, and what have I done in the last eleven days since I've posted? Hmmmmm....let's see

- wash, wash, wash

-cook, cook, cook

They are sparkly and beautiful!!
-buy shoes for wedding. Hope I can stand in them all day and still look good.

-make toiletry/essential item baskets for the bathrooms at the weddings

-make 150 paper cones filled with lavendar, and tied with bows and monogram labels, for the guests to toss at the married couple when they leave the church

-research and order wines/champagnes for the wedding ( a new task that we volunteered to handle   and pay for)

- continue with all the office tasks of running my husbands two, and soon to be three, practice locations

-plan rehearsal dinner, get invitations printed, addressed and mailed

-order place cards, gift bags and flowers for rehearsal dinner

-get my hair colored, cut and eyebrows waxed

-help my boys get packed and sent off to Montreal for the weekend bachelor party

-host my nephew and niece for a few days at my house

-take my  nephew and niece to the shore with me for a 4 day weekend

-get up at 5 am with my niece and her friend to watch the sunset on the beach

-dinner and drinks on the bay with the kids, my husband and mom

-bike ride, dog walk, and hang out on the beach daily with the kids

-buy some new beach chairs to replace a few that have broken

-grocery shop, cook meals, and wash during our shore weekend ( includes washing all the sheets and towels when everyone leaves ( many!!!)

-go to Ocean City for the night to ride the wild rides on the boardwalk with the kids
Boardwalk At Twilight Ocean City New Jersey

-send out my fathers day cards to my dad and father-in-law

- take my dad out for a fathers day dinner this past Sunday with the rest of the family

-drive up to my brothers today to be with the kids, pick my nephew up from camp and then take him to a friends house

-continue reading the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy ( on book three and still in awe as to how this writer knows about all this stuff!!)
Fifty Shades Freed [Book]

-read wheat belly...or at least parts of itWheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health [Book]

- try to keep up with all the blogs, and comment when I can

-try to stay within my BFC guidelines

-get my annual pap smear and yearly gyn checkup

-get fitted for my rehearsal dinner dress and gown for the wedding

-get ready to pack up to leave Wednesday for a long shore weekend

-make these delicious chicken parm burgers that were featured on The Chew. They are dipped in  a little panko crumbs mixed with parm cheese, but I doubt it would even be a full carb serving. They are really good. I ate mine without the roll. I also made mine with half regular ground chicken and half ground chicken breast.

- make grilled romaine lettuce, topped with some carmelized onions, sauteed with chopped bacon, to which I added some balsamic at the end. Top the grilled lettuce with it and add some crumbled blue cheese and/or some caesar dressing. So good. To grill the romaine, chop in half, brush the cut side with olive oil. Grill until nice and charred. You can chill and eat later or eat right off the grill. The inside of the lettuce is still cold, but the outside has a nice grilled flavor. I am eating it this way the whole summer!!
Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese-Bacon Vinaigrette

I'm going to stop now because even I can't take anymore!!!That's it...I'm exhausted and going to bed. Hugs and love to you all!

Thought for the day: Life is a matter of perspective. Either you complain because roses have thorns, or you rejoice because thorns have roses. It all depends on how you look at it.fe is a matter of perspective, either you complain
because roses have thorns or
you rejoice because thorns have roses...

It all depends on how you look at it.Life is a matter of perspective, either you complain
because roses have thorns or
you rejoice because thorns have roses...

It all depends on how you look at it.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Don't take it personally!

Thank you all so much for the kind words regarding my beloved Riley. I am still so sad, and it seems that feeling is becoming a common one in our family. We all go about our life, but we miss Beth, and now we miss Riley. I hope they are having a good time together in heaven. He was the best dog, and I was lucky to have him for three years.

My other little dog, Roscoe seems to be looking for him. He's not quite the same, and the spark is gone from his eyes. They were crate mates at the shelter, and we ended up taking them both. I used to say how much easier my life would be if I hadn't taken the dogs, and had not acted so impulsively. But no, I made a quick decision, and said 'I'll take them both'. They were a handful as little 4 month puppies, but grew into great dogs. Now I regret every saying that. Who would have known how much our lives would change in 3 years.

Travelling to the shore in the 'doggy hammock'.
I hope my posts don't make you all feel down. I know our common goal is the BFC and/or losing/maintaining our weight. I feel my blog has grown into more than just that, and you are my friends. I just have to let you know what's going on with me, and I so enjoy when I get to have a glimpse into your lives as well.

Regarding the weight loss, I am creeping in the right direction, but ever so slowly. I am a  carb cheater, a wine drinker, and an over indulger. I am not perfect by any means. I am so in awe of those who made the commitment, followed it through and lost their weight pretty quickly. On facebook the other day, one person commented that they had only lost 25-30 lbs since January. They were upset at the slow loss. I haven't lost that much in a year! I'm down only about 17 lbs. I don't get it right all the time, my commitment wanes and sometimes ( gulp) I eat something white.

When I read that, I immediately took it to heart, and thought, wow, I am a failure. I blew it. I could have been down much more had I planned better, written down, cut back on the carbs. But then I said to myself, I can't take this personally. I am doing things on my own time, but I'm doing them. But the difference for me this time is I have a plan to always get back to, and I know it works. Limiting sugar, and processed carbs is truely the answer for me, and it works for me if I work at it.

The <em>four agreements</em>: a practical guide to personal freedom [Book]So if you are like me, and maybe aren't setting the world on fire with whatever goal you have set for yourself.....keep going. Don't compare yourself. Do your best. Don't talk down to yourself. Don't take things personally. Don't assume what works for someone else has to work for you. In fact these statements are almost directly what the book The Four Agreements state.

This is a great little, easy to read book, that I have had for years. I have found that  any strife, turmoil, anger or sadness I encounter by way of my actions or the actions of others, could have usually been avoided had I followed these agreements. Here's a summary below.

Agreement 1


Agreement 2


Agreement 3


Agreement 4


Blessing to you all. Stay the course towards health and happiness. Sending love and hugs, and thanks for your love and support.

Thought for the day: Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more. ~ Louis L'Amour

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Tears on my pillow....

Dear Riley:

You were one of the best dogs God ever created. You loved everybody, human or creature. You were so, so sweet and so funny, and sometime so stubborn. You did not deserve to die so young. You were only three, and such a sweet, gentle soul. I am so glad I picked you at the shelter. You were a real keeper. You blessed us with your unconditional love, sweet devotion and gentle spirit for three years. God bless you and your sweet, kind soul. I'll never forget your loving, big brown eyes, and how you would lay your head on my shoulder for some loving. I'll never forget you and you will be forever missed.

Your mom, Pattie

You were the cutest puppy!

You loved to jump up and give big hugs!