Wednesday, May 28, 2014

I HAVE MOVED

www.mrsratfirelosesweight.com

I will no longer be adding to this post, but have left it up to direct people who may have book marked it.  The new site is a Word Press Site and the tools are MUCH better.  The follow me tools all work, unlike these and I was able to provide a far better organization system.  Please visit me there!

This Blog Is Moving

All Future Posts Will Be A New Address:  

mrsratfirelosesweight.com

I am leaving this one up until I transfer most of the information, and then I will disable the address.  Thank you for following!  The follow this web site buttons work on the next site- these were NOT repairable so I moved to Word Press.   Cheers!

15 Pounds Down

I am registering my May weight loss- 15 pound down, 9 of which were this month.  A new month starts soon and I am looking forward to that.

This is the EASIEST diet I have ever been on- it is hardly a diet at all.  Read info on this blog for more details.

Falling Off the Plan and Back ON

I had two days of overeating that were depressing.  Although my calories never crossed 2400, it was much more than I normally ate.  I was emotionally eating.

The next two days, I continued- after Memorial Day was over, I started gaining my senses. I still did not track the day after, and it made me rather unhappy.  I had taken a full blown detour and broke my own policy to ALWAYS log and track, no matter what!

Now the new day is here. I am logging and tracking again and on my way. That is a good feeling. To start again with clear goal to continue.  This is a marathon not a sprint to the finish.

No one starts a food plan and stays on it flawlessly until every pound is gone.  No one does that.  The key to success is going back on, not concentrating on a failure.

Keep going!

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Diet Break…Incorporating a Break into the Diet And still lose weight!

Well it has been almostt 8 weeks or so. I had several days that I binged last month, I recorded it. As of lately, I need one. Not a deadly, guilt ridden crazy stuffing- just higher fat for one than I am eating. I cut it super close yesterday and ate 1900 calories- a 100 more than my outside limit. I normally average about 1500. But I have felt very unsatisfied all day. So I decided to do a break day. I am eating what I want, but recording it. It is not that bad, I am feeling okay with it and satisfied. In month one, my 3 binges were 2300 or so.  Today and yesterday, a bit high but nothing like the old ones.  I can't imagine eating that much now in general.  Right now I set my limit at 1800, had a few breaches.  Month one, I had the limit at 2000 and the first two weeks, it was hit and miss.  It is MUCH easier now to stay on that path.  And what does it mean if I go off, NOTHING.

As my food intake is controlled now, the binge ail not be as deep or as long as the last one. And you know what I say about binges- this too shall pass!

Everyone goes up down and sideways on calories- just just track it no matter what, I do get back on my plan right away.   The old me could take  weeks, months or years  due to the "failure" self talk. There is NO way to wake up one morning, start a food plan and NEVER vary until you lose all of the weight. It is ridiculous and if this is the  expectation, you will be disappointed. If you put more value on this than it is worth- you could end up quite depressed and stuck there a ling time- we all have done that.

Enter your food, even if the food is not standard or on plan food.  No one told you to log and track and only enter what you want. You bite it, you write it.  Expect some on and offs. As time goes no, the off days are fewer and far and you actually enjoy them less, the back on is easy and it is over. The first month I probably had 3 binge days. The second month which is not over, I have had one and a few days I hit the calorie limit. Over the month, this means NOTHING. If you track your food in My Fat Secret, you can open the calendar and see the month view. It will then show what you averaged per day based on the current month.

Happy Dieting! Encourage Each Other- it helps a lot!

Saturday, May 17, 2014

15 Pounds Down!

I am at approximately 6 weeks on the plan…4 weeks were just gearing up to get to this diet!  I lost 6 pounds in the first month and 3/4 through this month, I am at a total of 15 pounds down!  I plan to update later today.  Happy Dieting Friends!

Friday, May 16, 2014

Roasted Vegetables…..Recipe



This dish has endless possibilites for combinations.  I use whatever I have on hand.  Basically, all you really need is a pan, olive oil, salt & pepper.  After that, everything is optional!   Today I roasted carrots, green beans and a red pepper. Just allow the hard vegetables to get a 15 minute head start in the oven!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Frozen Peaches, Strawberries & Blueberries…Diet Tip!

I always have bags of unsweetened fruit in the freezer.  When eat it, I just spread it out an a paper plate and eat it piece by piece, frozen!  It is delicious and low calorie. Fruit is packed full of nutrients and makes a wonderful snack, it also takes the edge off the sweet tooth!
Strawberries: 76 calories a cup, Peaches: 61 calories a cup and Blueberries, 81 calories a cup.

Steamed Rice…A Kitchen Staple...

I try and eat gluten free.  My only breach is the breadcrumbs I use on fish or chicken when making my oven breaded Talapia or Chicken.  I do not have a medical reason for avoiding gluten, however, after reading "Wheat Belly", I decided it was better to go without it.  The 'Wheat Belly' diet promises you will lose all of your weight by simply eliminating gluten.  For myself and other people I know, that was not enough to knock off the weight.  I do think the book is brilliant and chock full of actual medical data.  However, I did not experience the magic weight loss from eliminating gluten- even when I did it completely at length.

I use rice in my diet on a regular basis.  I prefer a rice steamer and use chicken bullion water to steam it in.  I store the rice in the refrigerator and use it for, Spanish Rice, Rice Pilaf and Fried Rice.  Steamed rice is very useful. It is drier than boiled rice, it does not stick together and holds extensively as a staple for carbohydrates in the refrigerator.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Parmesan Tilapia or Chicken Breast … EASY recipe...


This is my GO TO recipe when I have a taste for breaded fish or chicken. I keep the fat down by using a Misto Sprayer of Olive Oil with either. If you want less fat,  eliminate the Parmesan Cheese all together. It is delicious without it!  I only use the lemon zest on the fish, I have not tried it on the chicken yet. I do rinse all chicken with lemon before cooking to freshen it.  I like recipes that are simple, quick and can use multiple ingredients items. This fits the bill!

Saturday, May 10, 2014

The Little Engine That Could, Loses Weight!



"I think I can, I think I can, I really think I can. 
And I can do most anything if I just think I can!" 

Positive thinking is a habit of which can be learned.  Do you talk to yourself in a destructive manner every time you make and error or eat a potato chip? This habit will destroy anyones dreams.  

Through your "30 Days To Start A Diet"  you need to be particularly careful of this habit and start to break it.  I have never seen anyone succeed on a diet by beating themselves up at every flaw. Or succeed at  anything,  for that matter.   How can you take care of someone you are always criticizing?  You cannot think, that when your weight is gone, you will be happy. Until then, you do not deserve it.  You just hooked another train to your already tired little engine. 

Olympic Skaters think much differently than you do.  They have fallen hundreds of thousands of times. They get up, and try again.  They win or they learn. That is how they make their way to the podium. One day at a time.

Friday, May 9, 2014

Shanghai Chicken Or Shrimp- Easy Stir-Fry... Recipe


This is my Go-To recipe for quick stir-fries.  If using a very large wok, you may have room to push veggies a side instead of removing to cook meats.  The oil is 2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons over a pound and ½ of food…if that is too much, reduce and add water to the wok in its place if needed. Best if you use oil as noted. Tip:  Invest in a digital second timer for stir-fries!  

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail… Recipe


Delicious, Low Fat, Low Calorie…... Super Simple!

Scale Is Not Budging!….What Am I Doing Wrong?

Well, you may want to put your scale in a sunny place, water it weekly and soon, it will start to blossom!  Or, maybe putting on a wig and stepping on it backwards…maybe it will not recognize you.

But the best way to deal with this is understand it WILL happen. Weight goes up, down and sideways in any given day. This is a FACT of the human body…that is a FACT not FAT!

It you record a early morning weight and then have breakfast with liquids, you can go back to the scale, and it has gone up!

I really only care about the weight in the Big Picture.  I weigh myself when I want, but I do not let it tamper with my head! 

I am IN week 7 and have lost 10 pounds.  I will update at the completion of week 8!  

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

30 Days To Start Your Diet…Step by Step...



Is This YOU on a Diet?  Read On, I have a better idea with NO CRYING Guarantee!

Are you planning to "Start Your Diet Tomorrow" ?  Do you have your latest diet ready to roll?  So…let me understand this. Tomorrow morning, you are going to peel open your eyes, slash your calories and fats in 1/2, give up foods you are accustomed to, start preparing ALL of your food while currently, you use restaurants and processed,  start measuring and weighing, scraping all sugar, butter, fatty foods, junk foods, fast foods, and all high calorie foods.   Have I got that right?  This all starts TOMORROW as you have just clipped a new diet out of a magazine or bought the newest craze bestseller!

That is a tall order.  The chances of you waking up tomorrow and living on cabbage soup for 7 days is highly unlikely.  So put down your calculator- you know, the one where you estimated losing about 30 pounds this month on your new diet!  Chuck the new best seller. Gather up all of your Diet Books and burn them in the yard!  We are not turning a new page, we are THROWING OUT THE BOOK!


Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Omlette In A Jar…Recipe



Omlette In A Jar…..

Pans, shams!  This recipe only requires one jar and cooks in less than 2 minutes! 
                            

Do I Have A Metabolic Disorder? A Quick Review of Mitochondrial Disease

What is Mitochondrial Disease?
Mitochondrial diseases result from failures of the mitochondria, specialized compartments present in every cell of the body except red blood cells. Mitochondria are responsible for creating more than 90% of the energy needed by the body to sustain life and support growth. When they fail, less and less energy is generated within the cell. Cell injury and even cell death follow. If this process is repeated throughout the body, whole systems begin to fail, and the life of the person in whom this is happening is severely compromised. 

Diseases of the mitochondria appear to cause the most damage to cells of the brain, heart, liver, skeletal muscles, kidney and the endocrine and respiratory systems.


Depending on which cells are affected, symptoms may include loss of motor control, muscle weakness and pain, gastro-intestinal disorders and swallowing difficulties, poor growth, cardiac disease, liver disease, diabetes, respiratory complications, seizures, visual/hearing problems, lactic acidosis, developmental delays and susceptibility to infection, insulin insensitivity, kidney disorders and life threatening electrolyte imbalance. 

If your mitochondria of the cell is not processing correctly, you simply do not have enough usable energy to sustain the body. 

Mitochondrial Disorders are one of many diseases of the metabolism.  

Two Sites That May Help:

https://www.fodsupport.org

http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/conditionCategory/food-nutrition-and-metabolism



Do I Have A Metabolic Disorder? FOD Explained



You might. There are MANY disorders or diseases that are categorized as Metabolic Disorders.  I am not a doctor, so I certainly would not know all of them.  However, most of them are Genetic, they are complicated and getting testing is difficult.  There is a shortage of physicians to evaluate these disorders and test as well.

Did you know that most MD is considered a metabolic disorder?

There are many disorders, including a huge family of disorders called Fatty Oxidation Disorders or FOD.  They can be fatal and present many symptoms, including an intolerance to exercise as the person goes into what is called, a metabolic crisis.  There could be many less drastic responses to running out of useable fuel. Severe fatigue, muscle spasms, seizures, collapse, severe overheating, electrolyte imbalance that can be fatal, liver and heart failure, to name a few.  One of the common ER protocols for these patients is to administer D-10 which is a different form of a glucose solution; this provides immediate calories into the system to save the patients life.  In cases where the episodes of Metabolic Crisis have become frequent,  some FOD adults and children have ports installed for this purpose.

Food Entry Tip- Decimals or Fractions Both Work!

Just a quick tip if you are using, My Fat Secret to log and track all food and exercise.  The site allows you to use decimals or fractions when putting in portions.

For example, you just ate some boneless, skinless chicken breast.  You entered that in the search box on the food diary and many selections came up.  Open one and view the drop down menu of portions all all of the foods to pick the most accurate.  However, none of the measured amounts matched your consumption.  What do you do?

If the portion was 4 ounces, and you ate 3/4 of it, you can either put in .75 in the serving box or 3/4 and the item calculates itself.  This is particularly handy if the portion is in a fraction, such as 1/4 cup.  You only used 2/3 of that and you do not want to do the math!  Enter the fraction and it calculates on its own. Almost ALL of the foods have it calculated into grams instead.

This is just one example of how convenient this site is for your tracking.  A German Shepherd to do it!

Keep tracking, if you have any questions- please ask!

http://www.fatsecret.com/Default.aspx?pa=m

Monday, May 5, 2014

One Day At A Time…CHOOSE HAPPINESS!

What choices have I been making to choose happiness? I choose to keep logging and tracking on My Fat Secret, cooking healthy, eating healthy, sharing my pain or happiness with others and allow them to so the same.

I choose to set time for myself every day where I can organize my affairs, and help ward off stressful situations. I also try to spend time with myself in ways that will feed my spirit, not just keep myself entertained until I go to bed. 

I give to service to others, but remember that I need to take care of myself, for when I am not strong; I have no strength to give.

One Day at a Time….

Oven Crisp Brussel Sprouts…Recipe



So many people think they 'hate' brussel sprouts.  However, I bet you will be challenging me to a fork duel over the last bite of these!

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Roast Broccoli With Olive Oil, Garlic & Lemon….Recipe

Garlic-Roasted Broccoli
            Super easy broccoli recipe with NO BUTTER.  And WOW is it ever delicious!  This is a “Love At First Bite” recipe!
                                             Courtesy of Mrs. Ratfire


 Total time: 30 Minutes

Prep: 10 Minutes
Roasting Time:  20 to 25 Minutes

Use a roasting temperature of approx. 400 degrees, cook to desired tenderness, which will be 20 to 25 minutes. 

Wine Glass With Measuring Marks & Calorie Counts……...

Now this is adorable and a wonderful gift!  I was chatting with my cousin about the nuts and bolts of "30 Days To Start My Diet", a title which is in progress…please, make your suggestions!  The topic came up that she likes to drink wine, and "that is her problem."  Well, I told her it was NOT a problem. Just dump the wine glass and start using a Pyrex Measuring cup…..after all, don't you think wine glasses should have handles? 
 But if you prefer, you can order this lovely glass which also comes in a no stem model.  I found it on Amazon for 19.95.

 (Measuring cups ARE cheaper!) 

The name of the product is:

Caloric Cuvee - The Calorie Counting Wine Glass


However, Mrs. Ratfire thinks a pyrex measuring cup would do the trick…..track your consumption like anything else, and see if you can include it but in a moderate fashion.  Over 30 days, I believe you can accomplish this. I broke all of my food issues in the first 30 days.  Some had traveled with me for decades. I still think this is a clever gift for any "foodie"!

http://www.amazon.com/Caloric-Cuvee-Calorie-Counting-Glass/dp/B008R2SBZY


How Many Calories Can I Eat… Is Butter OK to use?

Good question….and here is the answer, yes!  And it is not a LOW CARB diet.  It is a logging and tracking diet and let your body tell you what it needs.  The principles of the diet are to give you 30 whole days to "start your diet".  On day 1 through 29, you log and track on a diet site and leave your calorie level at zero weight loss, or one pound at best.


Butter is 102 Calories A Tablespoon
Olive Oil is 120 Calories a Tablespoon

For example,  for your height and weight, the calculator says if you eat 2000 a day, you will maintain your current weight.  By calculator, I mean the FREE ones when you sign up at www.myfatsecret.com.  Every time you go under, you will be in deficit, therefore losing weight (barring medical problems).  Each week, you will evaluate your daily logs of food.  You will notice it sliding downward.  Everyone who has tried this has slid down. Each week, the diet goal of being "under" the zero weight loss level hit more often. By week 3 or 4, I promise you, you will be on a diet!

Now a days,  I come in around 1400, others days 1300, others yet, 1700 to 1800.   If I do go over, which is rare, I automatically just cut more the next two days and level up.  No thought, no pressure.  Set your diet monitor to be at ZERO WEIGHT LOSS.  See how often each week, you do go under that number.  If you do, you are on a diet! No pain, no suffering, no food groups eliminated.

Once you are comfortable in that food quantity range, you can lower your calorie count. By easing your body into the change, you will succeed!

Of course your body is SCREAMING at you, like a hungry infant, if you tomorrow morning, cut your calories in half! 

If I told everyone to be at 1500 each day and they will lose weight, I promise you, I would be incorrect.  No one diet can account for all of the heights, weights and activity on the planet and hand you ONE solution.

So, back to butter.  I have never seen a calorie restricted diet that had butter on it.  A Tablespoon has 102 calories in it. Olive oil is about 120.  There are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon.  You just made some fresh green beans and they are covering about 1/2 of your plate (I am using 8 inch plates).   Most diets tell you to squeeze lemon on them, shake seasonings, eat plain. If that works for you do it. But most of us cannot face dreary bland vegetables day after day.

If the green beans cover 1/2 of my 8 inch plate, I would use about a 1/2 teaspoon on them. Paired with just 4 ounces of roast chicken (breast meat,skin removed) with BBQ sauce. I would likely refill the green beans with a second 1/2 portion and use the other 1/2 teaspoon.  A teaspoon of butter has 34 calories in it.  I would enter it in the Food Diary and dinner was delicious! No bland veggies for me!  Of course there is the issue of butter not being a healthy fat.  That is true, but in moderation, it DOES FIT into a calorie controlled diet.




Recently I purchased Brummel & Brown Spread- which is yogurt and vegetable oil based.  It is 45 calories a Tablespoon and I LOVE the taste! 

All I am requiring you to do is measure, weigh and enter into your on-line food diary.  Send me a message that you have started and I will twirl my magic wand your way, and you will be on a diet.

You have 4 weeks to practice- in the 30 days I did this, I lost 6 pounds, I did not suffer a bit.  I am in my diet stride, and doing great (I am in week 6)!  I will post the second round of weight loss after week eight.  I only care about weight as it is month to month not day to day.

So yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus….and yes, my dieting friend, there is butter if you measure and record!

http://www.fatsecret.com/Default.aspx?pa=m


New Ab Roller!

New Ab Roller…..and you get to eat your fitness equipment!  But remember, a small ear of corn has about 100 calories (large is 120)…..skip the butter, corn is sweet…like this little guy!

Saturday, May 3, 2014

New No Excuses Mantras…..


I Am Not A Dog….I don't reward myself with food!  (My Personal Favorite!)

Old Excuse: “If I deprive myself now, I’ll just eat more later”
New Mantra: “I’m making a choice, not a sacrifice.”

Old Excuse: “I deserve a treat after the kind of day I’ve had”
New Mantra: “I deserve kindness, not calories.”

Old Excuse:”It’s a special occasion.”
New Mantra: “Special doesn’t mean stuffed.”

Old Excuse: “I need to listen to my body, and it wants ice cream.”
New Mantra: “What I want isn’t necessarily what I need.”

Old Excuse: “I’ve been really good lately.”
New Mantra: “I’ve been feeling really good lately, and I want to keep it that way.”

Old Excuse: “I’ll work it off later.”
New Mantra: “I’ll work out now and treat myself later.”

Mantra To Live By: "Strive for Consistency…Not Perfection."

Any others out there? Please post! 

Strawberry Romaine Salad…Recipe

Strawberry Romaine Salad
                   Submitted by Mrs. Ratfire



Friday, May 2, 2014

Teriyaki Sauce….Recipe

Funny Photo of the Day…...


Belly Blaster- Lose Weight With Magnesium!

I have decided to review the latest "pop culture" of supplements, diets, tips or tricks and whether or not I would use them.  Even if it is not for me….you may want to take a whack at it. What works is the correct plan!

Dr. Oz is making incredible weight loss claims again with a simple recommendation….adding Magnesium to your diet.  He interviewed author of the book, 21-Day Tummy by Liz Vaccarariello.  Of course the stories used were quite sensational!  Claims of losing 19 pounds of Ab Flab and 4.5 inches in 21 Days!  Now, lets not be ridiculous….first of all, the rate of weight loss is not sustainable, even if it did happen.  And I doubt this person only added Magnesium to achieve this.  I picture them eating one lemon a day and a bottle of magnesium and that is about it.  Oh, and they probably exercised every minute their eyes were open.  

But alas, I am not here to judge, just to give you a preview of the concept, it is up to you if you want to invest in the book and go whole hog…a flat, slim hog of course.  

Basic Plan to Lose 100 Pounds….

"What Is the Basic Plan to Lose the 100 Pounds?"

Well, lets begin by telling you, I did lose 100 pounds once.  In a nutshell, I starved and exercised myself to death.  I ate nothing but vegetarian, whole foods, wheat grass, carrot juice…..I did this for many months and lost that weight.  I was also exercising 4 x a week, extensively, including swimming.  I worked day and night doing this, as well as a stressful sales job,  and eventually, could not take it any more.  I stopped. I was hungry. I was tired and I was miserable.

I only relapsed 20 pounds or so. It has been 7 years.  Now, I want to stay on a diet and NOT be miserable.  I have shelves of diet books I could pick- they all sound like "THE ANSWER" while you are reading them.  They are sold on this premise.  In the end, few people stay on them long enough to reach goal.  And the vast majority re-lapse and regain.  All of these radical plans for most people, are just too difficult to be on.

Well, I was sick of tired of being well, sick and tired.  I felt a sense of weight on my chest that was annoying me.  It was over.  I needed a new track and it was time.  Another senseless diet book was crossed off my list.  In fact, I put them all up for sale on Amazon and those that were worthless to Goodwill.  I was done.

Calories, Carbs & Fat…Oh My!

Bought a digital scale on Amazon today. My old one is fine- I have it set to a paper plate so I can eat off it or toss it to eliminate tray cleaning.  But these new scales have full nutritional data in them to display and lots of options ( some of them do.)  There are pocket models of simple scales for you restaurant folks!

Well, the Geek in me was lured to push that purchase button. Even if going on line to track does not feel like a fit for you,  I think this would. It came in red, blue, white and silver. Displaying the Nutritional Data Label is downright interesting…for anyone!


It is one thing to weigh a portion and then enter it- in time you have memorized a ton….I can probably rattle off calories and carbs like a walking yelp.com.  But to see it displayed, I think will cause adjustments before it is in the body, I have a lot memorized.  But this will cause small adjustments I am missing as it all adds up.  It will be instant. 

This logging and tracking became back in vogue due to technology. We all used to have the calorie or carbohydrate counter or BOTH in our purse. Then we entered into the endless diets of eat all you want of XYZ, but eliminate this entire food group and the magic will happen.  Most of us had times when we were younger that this worked.  But now, it won't or in my case I can't due to medical. Besides, those diets are downright boring.

The scale and calorie tracking due to data info at the finger tips has made a roaring comeback!  Remember, My Fat Secret.com is free and can go on your phone……

www.myfatsecret.com


Thursday, May 1, 2014

My Fat Secret.com FREE Data Base!

My Fat Secret.com……FREE data base for tracking….

That is the current data base I recommend. It is FREE and it is an excellent choice.  It also has a free mobile phone app. You can track exercise there as well.

http://www.fatsecret.com/Default.aspx?pa=m

Weight Loss In First 30 Days

Weight LOSS……Month 1

I am happy to say, that this painless method has produced a 6 pound loss from where I started.  It took the first 3 weeks to trim and tighten to even get into a weight loss zone, however, the 6 pounds was not lost all in week 4.

When I started, the goal was 2000 Calories a day- I went over often.  Each week it got tighter and tighter. But I do oscillate.  Now in week 5.  My tightest week was week 4.  I was coasting at 1400-1500 without even thinking.  Had a "hollow leg" day in week 5 and it has taken 2 days to get back in line.  By tomorrow (day 3 after the breach), I will be back to the 1400 to 1500 range.

What will that breach mean over the month.  Not a darn thing.

Hollow Leg Eating Days….How to Handle

And when I mean I tipped it, I really did. I just could not feel full yesterday, no matter how much I ate. I chose healthy foods, but I could not put the lion back in the cage. I ate over 900 calories than goal minimum and it went into overnight eating and I put down more….about 750 calories or so!

I have been tracking slightly over a month, this was my worst "hollow leg" breach of the bunch. The old me, would be beating myself up, go into a deep depression, feel like I destroyed everything so what is the point…possibly go off the plan all together- for a very long time. Maybe YEARS.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

UNDER My Calorie Goal Today!  Time to Tweak the Diet…DAY 21

Sunday April 20 , 2014  DAY 21.    Sunday is normally a day I like to adjust calories, % of fat, carb, protein, sugar if needed and decide what the upcoming week will be.  I am firmly under my level today, with no pain, hunger or issues!  I have learned so much in the last 21 days.  I have conquered weak spots each week, and tightened up each week.  I can tell that my face is a bit smaller- which probably means I lost a bit.  But in my first 30 days, my goal was to track and tweak until I was consuming the amount of food I needed for reasonable weight loss, with no repercussions.  We have all heard it takes 30 days to build a habit.  I am putting that to the test!

As of today, I would not change a thing.  In week one, at times- I was over LOADS of calories  - one day it was 1300!  But today, the calories have been reduced, and I am under.  Easily.  I now measure everything and have reduced my healthy oils in cooking- the olive and canola.  Everything tastes great and I am released from hunger, madness, cravings and binging.  I have never been so free from food in my life.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Is Olive Oil Making Me Fat?

Well, if you eat enough too much it, yes.  We use too many fats in our diet, especially Olive OIl as it has been branded "the healthy oil", which is true, to a point.  It is healthier than eating an unhealthy oil in its place, but it is not a free pass to unlimited use.

The marketing of EVOO with all of the cooks on TV and branding has caused an astounding change to our use of this fat.  Back in the "Stop The Insanity" no fat eating craze, you would have never used as much, or at all!  If you have dieted  on anything popular in the years previous to this craze, you used some but not much.   Salad Dressing of all kinds was on all of our "NO NO" lists.  Now we use it without a blink.


Good day and thank you for visiting my blog.  I am writing this blog to cover my journey to health and happiness through losing my weight.  I have had a life time battle with the pounds, but I believe I have found a way to be released from the obsession with food, compulsive and emotional eating and a return to a smaller, happier me!

 I have not posted how much I weigh at this time, but I will post, that I have more than 100 pounds to lose.  I will post the figures when I am comfortable with sharing that.  I must do this one piece at a time, and today, it is too difficult for me to share.  But all is changing, at last.

  Join me on my journey to a life time plan, that controls and loses my weight without the pain. Please check back daily as I will be posting my experiences, which in turn, will help you too, realize your goals! Please feel free to post!

Thank You for Joining My Journey,

Mrs. Amelia Ratfire