I feel good

Whoa-oa-oa! I feel good, I knew that I would, now
I feel good, I knew that I would, now

So good, so good...


OK, so what's with the James Brown reference? I just wanted to jump in here and proclaim to the world that ever since I've been working out regularly and eating better I feel like a million bucks! No more tired episodes for me.

So, what have I been doing, you ask? Well, aside from stretching, doing some light weights and running on the treadmill every day, I have cut sugars completely out of my diet and I can't believe what a change it's made! As I have mentioned before, cutting carbs was completely out of the question for me (I'm Hispanic. I'm pretty sure I'd be disowned!). But I've been satisfying my carbs craving by eating whole grain table crackers & such. I figured that's better than reaching for a half-baguette like I used to, right? eeek!

no-sugar-diet

But back to the sugars, I knew this would be hard for me, being the sweets freak that I am, but something had to give and this was it! I read a few articles on the internet, like this one, to help me out with my choices. My first move was to stop drinking Coca-Cola altogether. I did this way back... probably 8 months or so (I think the last Coke I drank was around X-Mas time). Then I gave up coffee drinks... no more spontaneous trips to Starbucks for my Iced Mocha fix. That was really hard! I switched to drinking unsweetened, unflavored iced tea just to get my caffeine fix while I went through the painful withdrawals. But now, I don't even drink the tea anymore... I just drink water with lemon all day! :)

Next up was to give up desserts. I don't keep sweets in the house anymore... well except for the good kind: fruits! This is how the girls and I satisfy our sweet tooth. And let me tell ya that we don't even miss the ice cream sandwiches or Oreo cookies. A cup of mixed berries or a scrumptious fresh mango are just as satisfying!

So, I thought this would be a great segue to a Cook It. Blog It! segment. I'll share with you my typical meals. I went to the World Gourmet Foods and stocked up on some yummies: I found this "all natural whole grain crispbread" from Norway. They are like large crackers but chock-full of good stuff and they totally satisfy my craving for bread. I also got some Raw Natural Almond Butter (don't even get me started on how much better this is, in every way, than peanut butter!), and some organic Blueberry Honey. Don't you just love it when the ingredients panel only lists 1 thing? Almond Butter's ingredients: raw unblanched almonds. Blueberry Honey's ingredients: blueberry blossom honey. No preservatives, no added sugars or salts or oils. Just plain goodness.

world-foods-market

So, for breakfast we've been eating a Kavli cracker, with about a teaspoon of Almond Butter and just barely drizzled with the Blueberry Honey (just for a dash of natural sweetness). I eat mine without the honey, but the girls like it with.

almondbutter&honey

For lunch I got creative with some phillo dough cups. I filled them with albacore white tuna and topped them with fresh cubed tomatoes and a sprig of fresh cilantro. I mixed my tuna with just a dash of mustard and a dash of fat-free Italian dressing (no mayo!) Oh, and of course, I squeezed some fresh lemon on top.

tunacups1

I love this close-up:

tunacups2

The girls (and I) devoured them!

girls-eating-tunacups

For our mid-afternoon snack we had a fresh mango... my favorite fruit. Sorry, we ate it all up before I remembered to take a picture. LOL!

And for dinner I kinda cheated a little but I figured I deserved to treat myself after being so good all day. I decided to try making this Tortilla EspaƱola (kinda like a Spanish Frittata) recipe that I found over on this blog from the Cook It. Blog It! blogroll. I used only Olive Oil, which is actually good for you (MUFA), so I didn't feel too guilty. ;)

Again, it was consumed before I remembered to take pictures, so I borrowed this photo off the Home & Cooking blog (mine looked exactly like this!):


OK, so switching gears a little (well, maybe a lot! LOL!) I just wanted to let you know that I listed 2 large lots of my Baby Gassy Gooma modeling samples last night. As some of you might know, Sydney has been a BGG model for the past 2 years, so from time to time I offer her modeling samples up for sale. Her contract is now over, so I won't be offering these anymore.

These lots are PRICED TO MOVE at waaaaay below wholesale value, so whether you are buying these for your little girl to wear or for resale, you will be getting an amazing deal!!

First off, we have a LARGE LOT of 8 pieces sized 2T from their adorable SPOT & KITTY Line (click the photo or HERE to visit the auction!)



Then we have another LARGE LOT of 8 pieces sized 3T from their beautiful YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS collection. (click the photo or HERE to visit the auction!)



Check out Baby Gassy Gooma's website at http://babygassygooma.com/id110.html for more information on these clothes or to double check retail values and availability!

I also have several items from their upcoming Fall/Winter 2008 Collections but I am not supposed to sell them on eBay until after they have hit the stores, so if anyone is interested please email me and we can "talk." ;) LOL!!

OK, so that is it for this lazy Tuesday afternoon! Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that as part of my "I Feel Good" movement, I decided to refresh my blog graphics. I gave them a bit of a Fall/Winter twist, since it's been in the 70's outside here... a very welcome change. Ya like? I think I might mess with the sidebar graphics a bit but other than that, I like. ;)

P.S. Sorry for the super long post. I guess I'm feeling chatty today. Thanks for visiting!

16 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:42 PM

    Love the blog makeover, Patty! Way to go on the diet. Looks like you are making great progress. Those tuna cups look AMAZING. your photography dazzles me once again. Oh, and how I wish my girl was young enough to wear those BGG clothes. what a great deal!

    Annie

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  2. Wow! what a different look! love your header but I must confess I miss your harlequin! Your lunch looks TDF!!! MUST give those a try - cilantro seals the deal for me everytime!

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  3. Glad you are feeling so much more energetic...you are on a roll girl! I'm thinking the sugars need to go in our house too...gotta loose those last few baby pounds!!

    Love the new look of the blog too!! I always have to stop by and get my daily fix!

    take a bow Jenn

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  4. Thanks, everyone!

    Yes, I feel great and I have an announcement: the bridesmaid dress FITS! And with a little room to spare. I didn't think it would be possible but this morning I stepped on the scale (reluctantly) and when I saw how much weight I had lost I decided to brave it and try on the dress. I couldn't believe how well it fit! So excited! :)

    Kristen, I kinda miss the harlequins too. hmmmm... I'll see what I can do to come to a happy medium. ;)

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  5. Way to go! I'm trying to get on the right track again as well. After being sick for what seems like forever, my husband was trying to keep up with dinners and it usually consisted of fast food (which I didn't feel well enough to care what I ate). I've been doing better though...I do have to say, the way I lose the most weight the fastest is by eating breakfast. Sounds crazy but it does jump-start your metabolism for the day!

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  6. I love the new look of your blog - I'm still in the OMG, what software do I use to make a header? How do I do this / anything!?? stage of blogging. It's just started to feel autumnal here in the UK, so the new look is very apt. Congrats on the dress & diet - now we can start counting down to the fabric release!

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  7. Glad you liked it :))

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  8. love you little girls dresses. oh, btw, I have the same exact poke a dot rug in blue in my baby boys room... how funny!

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  9. wow patty, i'm impressed. i have no willpower to give up sugar...and definitely i'd never give up carbs either. =) keep it it, girl...i'll need some inspiration after this baby comes! =)
    i want some of those tuna phyllo cups right now! =)

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  10. Kim... one word: Photoshop!

    Irina... I always find great recipes in your blog! Thanks!!

    Love... you can do it! No one loves sweets more than I do. Just eat lots of fruits. They'll satisfy that craving. :)

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  11. Anonymous9:47 PM

    Patty,
    You are amazing me on so many fronts!!!

    First the fabric collection, now the cooking, and above all else- you got yourself into that dress!!! I'm blown away to hear that...and in so little time. I need to take a page out of your book!
    Geeta

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  12. Patty,
    I'm glad you have found a way to get your energy back (and fit into your dress!). I'm big on exercise & natural foods...almond butter rocks! The phyllo cups look super yummy! It also looks like Sophie's bangs are finally growing back. She is such a cutie!

    P.S. Love the new banner on the blog!

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  13. your header is amazing!

    You are amazing cutting out soda and sugar.....both? WOW! Good Girl!! I didn't think that was humanly possible!

    Keep on keepin' on!

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  14. Just wanted to let you know I am FINALLY blogging reguarly! Here is the link:
    http://ssboutique.blogspot.com/

    Like you have to blog surf...LOL! But, if you do, stop on by! Happy Tuesday Patty!!

    Jennifer

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  15. Oh...CONGRATS on fitting the dress!! Whew, that was super duper fast...I am bowing down at your feet in my mind...praying to the diet Goddess!!! You go girl!

    Jennifer

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  16. Anonymous4:56 PM

    I've lost 18 lbs in 6 weeks and drink Dr.Pepper all day long. Portion control is key then you can eat anything you want.

    Haven't even touched my treadmill, my metabolism is awful too, everything in moderation.

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