Skin brushing for detox!

Skin brushing for Detox...when I was really healthy and svelte, before children, I did this daily! Try it!! At first it hurts like hell and makes you tingle all over, when you get used to it it's heavenly!!!!

Giving your body a firm brush all over makes the skin glow by removing the top dull, dead layer of skin and encouraging new cells to regenerate. The gentle massaging motion of the bristles also has a beneficial effect on areas of cellulite, and it is an effective treatment for helping eliminate toxins from the body during a detox programme.Technique
The technique is a simple one, and you need only a body brush with natural bristles, such as those of goat or boar, or a loofah. There are various types of brush, all widely available at chemist shops. You will need a brush with a handle - some have detachable handles - so that you can reach all the inaccessible parts of your back. There are also brushes mounted on long straps, which are ideal for the back and buttocks, and most loofahs are long enough to reach over the shoulders and down the back. You need a much softer brush, or a flannel, for the face.
Skin brushing is carried out on dry skin. Start at your feet and work upwards, brushing the legs, then buttocks, then on to the chest and stomach and finally the face. Brush more gently where the skin is thinnest and always brush towards the heart.
This kind of skin-brushing , if done daily, is one of the simplest and effective treatments for lumpy thighs and hips that you will find anywhere.
Brushing your whole body in this way will take you between three and five minutes, depending on how many strokes you give to each area. Try to keep a rhythm going and brush for up to five minutes every day and preferably immediately before you have a bath or shower so that the dead cells are washed away.

Skin brushing is best done in the morning as the acceleration of blood flow has quite an invigorating effect. You should be able to see the difference in your skin after just a few sessions - it will become very soft and develop an attractive rosy glow.
Good reasons for skin brushing:
Stimulates blood and lymph flow
Helps eliminate toxins from the body
Removes dead skin cells
Encourages cells to regenerate
Stimulates production of sebum
Helps combat cellulite
Results in smooth glowing skin

Forgot to mention my lbs lost!

Sheesh, in all of my rambling I forgot to mention that I've lost 18.5 lbs and my sis is down around 24. This stuff really works, don't get discouraged!!!

Host a Tasting...it's amazing!

Those of you in the Boise area let me know if you are interested in hosting...those of you too far away for me to come to hit up your health coach for a tasting with your group and friends! My coach Bill and I hosted a tasting last night and it was awesome. We watched a TSFL dvd, tasted everything under the sun- have you had the Blueberry Antioxidant Shake, the Drink Infusers and (LOVED) the Cheddar and Ranch Soy Crisps, have you tried those? Definitely totally different flavor components to satisfy cravings for things like fruit and POTATO CHIPS! I loved it! Whether you are on the program or considering it, this is for you!! No pressure, just a good time learning more about TSFL.

I brought my Lean & Green suggestions which included a demonstration on how to properly cook Spaghetti Squash...add some veggie broth, garlic and capers with a piece of fish or chicken and you've got yourself a killer and satisfying meal that keeps you full and happy for hours!

BE CREATIVE! I love the Mexican food section of my grocery store. There is an entire wall of $.92 dried herbs and spices. Experiment with things like paprika (smoked is fantastic), cumin, cilantro, thyme...you be the chef. It's an easy (non-carb/fat) way to spice up your meals and make something ordinary into something EXTRAORDINARY! Capers add tons of flavor too.

I also use tons of spicy condiments- Frank's Red Hot was a hit on everything last night...Sambal Oelek aka Asian spicy garlic sauce, Sri Racha, all Mexican hot sauces (El Pato, Tapatio, Iguana, Melinda's, anything Habanero) and of course Tabasco make anything savory more exciting. Don't be shy with the spice...the more creative you are the more you broaden your menu options and then there is less chance of you craving non-healthy things. (Tofu is a little flavor spunge and just soaks up whatever you add to it!)

A TSFL Taco Salad...buy the leanest ground beef or ground turkey you can find, brown it in a skillet and add cumin, garlic and cayenne, s&p - or even a dash from a packet of taco seasoning- cook down and add to a cup of mixed greens, spinach, romaine, cabbage, whatever you fancy! Top with hot sauce and a spray of the new Ranch spray salad dressing...just 1 gram of fat in 10 sprays! To your greens add just a bit of red onion, fresh cilantro, jalapeno, Giardinera hot pickled cauliflower. YUM!! A taco salad without putting one foot in the grave!!!

The holidays are coming, BE READY!

I've been a bad bad blogger lately. Life has been crazy between work and home, but I've been thinking of logging on lots. With the holidays right around the corner I thought I'd better post my two cents of motivation. Ok, ready?

My weight loss is going well...I'm fitting comfortably into a size 8 but not for long- they're loosening up and I'm sticking to my plan pretty well. I've actually become a health coach since I blogged last, wahooooooooooo! Please do tell me your trials and tribulations, maybe I can help, and if nothing else it's nice to know you're not alone and someone can relate. Better yet recruit your husband/wife/roommate to join you so that you can share the experience together...whine and complain together, celebrate your success together.

Let's all find a way to help one another stay on track thru the holidays and we'll be well on our way toward accomplishing our New Year's resolution that much faster!!! If you do feel the need to party a little bit more than some of your "team mates" don't beat yourself up. Do what you feel is right for you and when you're ready to get back on the wagon we'll welcome you with open arms (and treasure every delicious morsel of your story telling). Please remember that if you do need to splurge make it something you love and are really craving so that the calories/fat/whatever are not wasted ones. I've found if you give into your very strongest cravings rather than lose your mind, do it quick then get right back to the right stuff, no lbs will show up on the scale. You might not lose anything that day but you'll stay put. Don't let the splurge snowball because then it's really like starting all over again. One suggestion that I have is that you eat your Lean & Green meal just before heading out the door to a holiday party. Things are alot less tempting with a full belly!

Anyone local wanting to plan a clothing swap please let me know. I've got size 10s and larger 8s, pants mostly as tops are a bit more forgiving, that I'd love to trade to a TSFL'er rather than donate to strangers. The only one who will not benefit is the smallest person on the team and well, errrrrrrr, ahhhh, screw her!

Bill and I are scheduling some tastings in the near future (one of them's tonight!) where you can bring a friend, taste new Medifast products and learn creative ways to liven up your Lean & Green meals. We can bring one to you if you want to host it at your home. It's great for people thinking of starting the program but also great for some support and motivation for those of us plugging along. I'm bringing my "bag of tricks" to share and would love to post my favorite lo-cal, lo carb recipes and encourage you to do that too! I'm such a lover of food I absolutely cannot eat the same food day after day and I really look forward to my Lean & Green meal. With a little creativity and planning it can be a delicious satisfying treat!!

Keep on keepin' on...keep up the good work...be kind to yourself and TAKE SHAPE FOR LIFE!

Is it worth it to cheat?

Yikes, where does the time go? We're at almost 3 weeks on the program but I see lots of food in my pantry. Either Lisa and my trade multiplied my packets or I've really not been eating like I'm supposed to. Think I'll start journaling my food to be safe.

Ok, I've made some realizations. When you cheat, it's like you start all over again. Like an addict kicking the habit you go thru about 3 days of hell all over again, just like the beginning, then it's all ok once more. I got some yummy decaf teas and had many glasses yesterday, water, Crystal Light. I pee'ed all night long but today I'm back down to 155- not too far from 10 lbs lost. I've got to keep at it HARDCORE or I'll be on this crap forever.

Lisa...errrrrrrrrr, "Backfat Be Gone", YOU GO GIRL!!! She's down just about 1 lb per day on the program, or 20 POUNDS! Absolutely amazing, you give me hope.

Days like today when I wake up and I'm not starving, I think I can stick with it and reach my goal weight (which is more of a pant size than a weight). It's when I don't pay attention and I don't eat every 2-3 hours that I'm starving and think I might keel over. That's when I want bread and cheese, my fall back comfort food.

Moral of the story? Pay attention and do what you're supposed to. It really works that way. Duh!

Day ? Who's counting?

hi all...is anyone reading this anymore? i don't think so. i'm frustrated and STARVING. some days i don't eat all 5 of my medifast meals, most of all because i really don't like them. i get busy and forget to put my packets in my purse then off to work i go. i don't go off and eat a cheeseburger or anything, i skip my meals until i get home (or skip them all together which is putting me into hybernation-storing-fat-mode!). Still i'm down about 9 lbs since when i started, which is pretty damn good, but my sister is down something like 16 or 17!!!!! it sucks to be miserable and hungry all the time. i think my body is starting over and i'm needing to get over that hump again. i'm crying for help...begging! anyone with me??

does anyone have a yucky splenda taste in their mouth all the darn time? makes me wanna suck a lemon. had the beef stew last night...coach gave me a sample. it was delicious!! the best so far, i think because it didn't taste of splenda!

ps. did i mention i'm STARVING? starving. want a huge bowl of pasta with butter and parm. garlic bread. wine. hold the splenda please.

Day 13???

Is that possible, day 13? Where does the time go?? Ok, things are ok, I'm getting ready to cheat big time with Backfat by my side. We've been invited to a Fall Harvest at Carmella Winery and we can't NOT eat and drink. Back on track tomorrow, I swear. Things are good otherwise, Leakie does better than me. I skip meals occasionally in lieu of a glass of wine, or sometimes just because it sounds terrible. Sometimes I eat a raw hunk of tofu to fill the void. I am an eater, damn it, and I enjoy food!!

Re-read my Medifast book last night and am ready to get back on track...first thing in the morning.

Hey, I think you guys can post new stuff too, can't ya? Go to dashboard and hit New Post and off you go!!!

Placed a little ad on Craigslist today looking for more Boise Medifasters...we'll see what turns up...or should I say "who"?

Day 8...looking thinner

Ok, I'm not gonna lie...I've eliminated 1 hot cocoa or fruit punch per day in lieu of a glass of wine in the evening and this morning I was down 8 lbs from my beninning weight only 8 days ago. I've done this the last 3 days.

Today am much more hungry...Aunt Flo's visiting and messing me up. Put cocoa in my java this am, scrambled eggs for lunch, water, diet mandarine soda, a couple olives and a cucumber slice. All is well. Need to clean and get work done but I just don't wanna. Ugh. My work is never ending and sometimes it's just so daunting and depressing that I wanna turn the computer off and take a nap! Or eat my weight in chocolate, which is not an option. Might take a snooze, more later...

Day 6...not even hungry...REALLY

hi again! k, I'm really getting the hang of this now. Hot cocoa in my coffee for breakie, morning meal of oatmeal bar...scrambled eggs for lunch. Dinner of broiled cod with swiss chard and spinach sauteed in a little balsamic and chix stock, salad of arugula and endive from my garden with low-carb dressing. Need to drink more agua but other than that, "Muy bueno!!"

Just had to get on the scale...it's official, I've dipped below 160! That means I'm more than 5 lbs down from the start! Yaaaaaaaaaahhhooooooooooooooooooo! Leakie and I are gonna trade some food out for some new options.

DANA WHERE ARE YOU!????????????????????????????????????????????????????

DAY 5...the hump is gone baby GONE!

Alright everyone...now I'm not hungry AT ALL and have to remind myself to eat our delicious and inviting food. Not good for a food snob to have to eat all that packaged, pulvorized crap, but that's another post.

Worked our tails off today at a weddin', without much appreciation, I might add. Ran around, never sat down except to drive there and home and honestly, it was the hardest thing I've done in awhile. Our truly heavenly food was everywhere...the sites, the smells, the compliments, oh, and Dana shoving bites of the deliciousness into her mouth in my face. I tried to stab her on more than one occasion. That wasn't the hardest part Dana, don't feel bad. Hah, like you do anyway! The hardest part was the not snacking with the crew on down time and during prep, which I didn't realize I did a TON of. Sliders with pepperjack and chipotle mayo!!!!!!! Our mini pulled pork sandwiches!!!!!!!! The cheeses, the homemade breads (the smell of the breads coming out of the oven almost made me go postal- sorry Dad). Again Lisa and I dined on celery stix and a few cucumber rounds...water, a strawberry "shake"- incidentally the only reason that I can see to call it that is that you have to actually SHAKE the dry powdery lumps out of it or they stick in your teeth. Yum.

I did splurge on a tiny glass of cabernet...heaven, even in a plastic cup! I came home and researched and 1-6 oz glass of red wine has almost exactly the same carbs and calories as 1 packet of Medifast drink...a brilliant trade if ya ask me! I'll take a multivitamin to regain my lost vitamins, not to worry. The mental effects of the vino were amazing and I think this little splurge may have to become a daily occurrance, really. Worth every calorie...see chart for future reference...this is a 4 oz glass, boozers, so don't get toooooooooooo excited and drink a whole bottle. That'll set you back some!

Wine Calories

Champagne 96 calories
Dry Red Wine 83 calories
Dry White Wine 77 calories
Rose 82 calories
Sparkling 92 calories
Sweet Red Wine 100 calories
Sweet White Wine 103 calories

DAY 4...over the hump!

I snuck in and weighed myself and 5 lbs have miraculously disappeared. I'm sure it's just water but at least I'm seein' some progress.

So far I've had some hot cocoa in a steaming mug of Eagle Coffe Roasting's delectable brew...around 10:30 the peach oatmeal. Pretty sweet again but I actually liked it. I was nervous after Backfat's description but I think between that and my bars I may have actually found breakfast that I can choke down.

More to come, sit tight!!

Day 3...we will survive!!

Where to begin...I rethought my menu from day 2 and switched things up a bit so that I wouldn't order a pizza. Maybe Fruit Punch for breakfast wasn't such a good idea afterall. Today I cut up a Chocolate Bar into about 20 pieces and nibbled while on the road with a big mug of my favorite green tea (sans my usual squeeze o' honey). Very satisfying and kept me happy with no thoughts of food for at least an hour. Oh dear. Several glasses of water later Backfatbegone and I decided we'd dine. I selected the "raved about" Chicken Noodle Soup and Lisa chose Scrambled Eggs (my least favorite meal so far). I added Tabasco to mine and chopped up some fresh dill for Leakie's eggs. She loved hers...mine? Ok, why when every ingredient is pulvorized does Medifast decide to leave the petrified chicken in pieces? It's like a dried old piece of sponge, not even comparable to jerky. What the???? I chose to try and chew the nuggets but spit most of them out, although I'm sure I need the protein. ICK. Not to worry, I wasn't starving and absolutely did NOT feel like I was going to pass out! We scrounged up some Crystal Light in the pantry and mixed some of that up for an exciting new MF-friendly beverage. Feelin' pretty good, 1000X better than day 2.

Afternoon snacks were shakes- strawberry for me, vanilla for Leakie- with a dash of SF coconut syrup. VERY sweet but tollerable.

Dinner around 5pm for me- not dying again...had my usual tiny chicken breast with 1 C spaghetti squash- tiny bit o' XVO, organic chicken stock and dried herbs, a bit of fresh garlic. Very tasty and made me feel normal for the first time in 2 days. Maybe it was the 1 plain spaghetti noodle I snuck from my family's dinner. Complete heaven and probably a day's worth of carbs. I probably put on a pound. Naaaaaaaaaaah.

After dinner snack was a rich and creamy chocolate shake, my favorite meal to date.

Think I may branch out and try some oatmeal or pudding tomorrow, although the thought nearly sends shivers down my spine.

Think we're over the hump!! Lisa's going to meet up with Coach and switch out some of our least favorites for some new flavors of things. This should help! Keep goin' ladies, don't give up!! We're making progress!!!

Day 2...so hungy I might die

Hello health-fans! I woke up with a fresh outlook this morning and a strong desire to have a super great day. Unfortunately this was not the case. Running late with my kidders I packed up my food for the day (incidentally, it all fit into a sandwich size ziplock bag including the extra choices I packed just in case I changed my mind at mealtime) and mixed up some fruit punch for the road. Not bad at all except NOT A MEAL. Not filling, not satisfying by any stretch of the imagination. About an hour later with my tummy grumbling I grabbed a coffee and added half a packet of cappuccino mix. Still not happy. 90 min or so I found myself so distracted by the thought of food (and a bit of anger on top of it all!) that I cut an oatmeal raisin bar into about 12 pieces and nibbled for about 15 minutes. My lunch of cream of tomato soup required quite a bit of Tabasco, not a big deal, I like Tabasco. I was starving and aggravated all day long and found it really hard to focus and get anything done at work. Yaaaaaaaaaaargh! Excellent career choice working with FOOD!!

Dinner was better...sauteed my tiny chicken breast with dry herbs and chicken stock. Nuked about 1/5 of a spaghetti squash then added it to my chicken concoction. Not bad but by then I was so hungry I could have eaten the entire chicken, feathers and all, oh, and the whole spaghetti squash with butter, garlic and parmesan, maybe all of it deep fried or resting atop a large double cheese 'n pepperoni pizza.

I'm hoping that this day, day 2 is the worst...I hear that once you get thru the first 3 you're on the road to success.

I'm dreading my evening "meal"- my sis says the pudding made her gag and I don't even want to think about the oatmeal. HELP!! Think I may have some hot cocoa or maybe a strawberry shake and call it a day. Deeeeeeeeeeeeeelish...NOT!

For the love of GOD do I really need to be skinny? Maybe I'm happier being chubby, glass of vino and wedge o' cheese held in my pudgy little hand. So I have 2 chins, lots of people do. And I have to buy long shirts so that my beer belly doesn't hang out, is that all that bad? Things'll be better in the morning, right? Tomorrow is a new day... ;(

Day 1...only the beginning

I could barely contain myself yesterday when I pulled into the driveway and spotted my Medifast box full of meals. Yahoooo! Time to begin the journey to perfection. Chubby no more. Ready for a nice tight pair of $200 jeans. This summer I might even adorn a bikini, something I vowed last summer would probably never happen again in my lifetime. I take it back, here I come beach!!!

One last glass (ok, 2/3 of a bottle) of wine and a huge, hot, cheesy quesadilla with tons of guac. Deeeeeeeeeeelish. Buh-bye yumminess, here comes the diet food. I'd start in the morning, fresh and ready for the day!

For breakfast I selected a chocolate bar so that I could easily eat while driving Sophia to preschool. The flavor was pretty good. The bar was DENSE, to say the least. 15 minutes later when I finally finished chewing I cannot lie, I was super full and my jaw hurt like hell. At that time it seemed impossible that I would consume 4 more Medifast meals plus my Green Meal in just 1 day.

A trip to Wallmart and a new scale later I made it home. (164.2 for those of you who are keeping track) I was surprised when my stomach growled! I drank some water and waited. Still hungry. Hmmmmm...some cream of broccoli soup sounded sooooooooooo good. I measured my meager cup o' water then 0000000h, the chalky powder poured out of the packet and I groaned. I mixed. I nuked. This was not MY cream of broccoli, no way. It was a little thin...ok, alot thin, but all in all not horrible. I think I can stick with this for at least a month.

Chocolate shake around 1:00 proved to be about the same. Tasted ok, a bit chalky and thin but tolerable.

By 3:30 I literally wanted to eat an entire pizza chased by a strawberry milkshake. No, no, I can do this and certainly do NOT want to start over again tomorrow, an entire day wasted. Some green tea helped. Then some more water. Then made my big plans for dinner...

A tiny piece of the most delicious chicken breast I'd ever had was on my plate with a small pile of greens from my garden, low fat/low carb dressing, a few cucumber slices. Thought I'd try some Chicken with Rice Soup from the program with a small handful of cauliflower in it. I realized not long after my first bite of soup that Frank's Red Hot has no carbs, calories or fat. 1/4 of the bottle later I was able to enjoy my dinner. Followed my meal with a pepperoncini. Yummy yummy! ;( I still have 1 meal to go...think I'll scamper downstairs and enjoy a cappucini before I climb into bed for Project Runway.

The toughest part for me today was definitely when I made the kids lunch and dinner and had to resist the urge to pop a hunk of colby-jack in my mouth. The willpower!!!!!! Hard not to eat just one gummy bear for dessert...a cracker...or taste their pasta to make sure it was done enough. Catering should be tough and my wonderful wine will surely be missed. I need support. I need encouragement. I need you all to join me on my trek for svelte-dom. Come on!!!!!!!!