BBQ's, Picnics, Parties, Oh My.

So the 4th came with a bang, and of course we were invited to a BBQ. You know, when you decide to do something about your eating habits, a holiday is always right around the corner. Now this was not just any kind of BBQ, but one with lots and lots of scrumptious, delightful foods. Comfort foods. Foods that make you wanna go lay it down after enjoying. But as for me, I was a good girl. I ate before going, even the kids did too. So only the hubbster chowed down on the great food that was everywhere, and when I say everywhere, I truly mean it.

Being on  Happy Hormones Slim Belly plan of Jorge Cruise has helped me in soooo many ways. I've learned what foods I can eat and how to make them work for me. Learning how to count the Total Carbs is KEY.  The things that I used to crave, I no longer crave. Even when I see it. It's as if seeing it or thinking about it makes you go back in time, but my body doesn't say 'come on Elaine, this is really good, it won't hurt you waist...much'.

The first 2 days of the Carb Cycling Plan was a lil tough, not sure why. I was eating much more than I usually do, but I believe it was psychological. All of a sudden I was looking on the plan and saying 'what do I have to eat for lunch, what about snacks and when?' In fact I don't believe I ever looked forward to a meal, a regular meal in a long time. I would usually forget about eating till the kids said, 'mom, we're hungry.', multiple times of course.

I usually would get up, help my husband prepare to jet out and off to work, then I would maybe drink some tea, do some dishes a load of laundry and then go back to bed...yes I would wake up to only go back to bed because my lil guy would have me up and down through out the evening. My energy, who am I kidding, I had none and that was why I had to rest. I would finally eat something mid afternoon, and have an extremely late dinner. I knew that was a plan for disaster, but had been accustomed to it for the past 4+ years that my body knew nothing different. and so comes in the weight and waist line enlargement.

However, I now get up and actually eat a meal for breakfast, in fact here's a picture to show my breakfast on my low/no sugar calorie days. It is 1/2 cup cottage cheese, with a teaspoon of cinnamon, a cup of chai hot tea with half and half and less then a teaspoon of Truvia. Now I thought that 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon was a little much, but I have to say that the cinnamon gave it a sweet taste. I've tried less and it just didn't taste the same. This is Easy, Peasy, I've even taken it on the go when i had to rush to a Dr. appointment.

Now lunch, according to the plan, it was to eat some tuna with romaine lettuce wraps which is awesome, but for some reason I just didn't want tuna. So I improvised and did my own Turkey Salsa Salad. I knew that the turkey, sour cream, salsa and herb salad mix was all Freebies. Freebies are the foods that Jorge Cruise says are either naturally 'No Sugar Calories' or are so low in sugar/carbohydrates content that it doesn't spike your insulin and so he says don't count it. YAAAYY (see the food list Jorge will send you when you check out his link.) This was soooo good that I ended up eating it again for dinner.

Now not counting calories, which only last for a minute when doing it, or looking at the sugar calories is  what most of us have been doing...because as we've been told, Calories in, Calories out via exercise/activity. At least that was what i was taught when i worked at Bally's as an Aerobics Instructor. However Jorge has really dug deep into this and I truly have to say that it makes total sense. I've not done any strenuous workout or treadmill since beginning his program and I've lost close to 20 lbs. in 3 weeks. This is my 4th week and I'm on a serious mission to lose this belly and any and all of its buddies.