I live, I eat

It finally happened. The end of the Fast 5 is done.  I had my moments, but overall it wasn't really as hard as I thought it was going to be.  For cravings, the most difficult was in the evening after I've already had dinner.  There is that large amount of space where you would generally fill it with boredom eating or general snacking.  I know my husband did, which did not help me.  He was, however, really good about not buying me any wine to drink.  If it's in the house, I tend to make some excuse so it was better to remove it. Water during the weekend was also a large challenge.  I ran out of my favorite flavoring which is the SweetLeaf Water Drops in the peach mango flavor.  It's sweetened with stevia and has no artificial ingredients. I could guzzle a gallon of water no problem.  I went to the store this morning and bought a handful so I wouldn't be caught without. The meals overall were tasty and the shakes weren't bad either.  T...

It's Saturday, and I knew that the weekend was going to be a bit harder.  I reinforced to my husband that he's kind of the only one that knows I'm on this plan, because we were going out to see my parents. I should rewind and admit that I completely slept in this morning.  We were planning on leaving by 10, which would have given me time to have breakfast, my break shake right before leaving and then lunch with the parents, getting back home for the second shake.  Didn't happen.  I got up late, made sure that I had my breakfast bar, which was the peanut butter granola bar.  It was about the size of the apple strudel and it was so thick.  It was tasty enough, but almost a pain in the tuckas to eat. Not a top pick. Off we went a little after 10, and I made him stop off to get me a coffee. Is it just me or is Starbucks getting too big for it's britches.  The coffee was a disappointment, but it was what I had.  I took a couple waters with me, but ...

Oh my, is it Day 4 already? So far so good. I went up one pound. Hmm?  I've dealt with a handful of cravings and the general boredom food wants.  Otherwise this diet is overall been not too bad. My worst time of the day is actually after I get home from work and after dinner. I'm done with food and there's still a long time till I go to bed. On the regular plan you could have a dessert, so that's one of the payoffs when we are done with this week. Yesterday evening I had the pot pie and reheated the rest of my green beans to go with it.  I cut up the green beans and then mixed the pot pie into it.  It was okay but not awesome. Made me think what the heck were those people talking about.  Not a bad meal and I would definitely have it again though. I'm been drinking a ton of water and it's apparently not gone unnoticed that I keep refilling my gigantic water container and that I have to pee every 10 minutes.  Hey, if that's what it takes.  My cowork...

Day 3!! Not as bad as I thought it might be.  Yesterday I weighed in 2 pounds less, and today was the same loss (-4!!!!). Of course, just my luck that by the time I got to the gym and got weighed and measured by my trainer it was up.  Thank you coffee and water.  So for the duration, I shall only follow my scale, but I will go with my trainers measurements.  I will have to look back and see what my initial measurements were.  I will ask her to measure again at the end of the Fast 5, and then periodically through my weight loss journey. Just as a note to you all, I noticed as I was searching the web for other reviews that most of them are sponsored by Nutrisystem, and I assure you that I am currently not. If they choose (go on ahead!!) to sponsor me, then I will make sure that it is stated in the next blog to notify you all. So things that I've noticed.... It might be that I'm PMSing, but I have been exhausted.  But it's not usually that bad. I've been g...

So I have been pretty active, going to gym a few times a week and going for walks. The down side is that my eating has been way off.  Some of this has been the holidays but a lot of it has been stress.  I'm a stress eater. I eat my emotions. So this is always one of the hardest things to reign in for me. A looooong time ago I did Nutrisystem with my husband. He did not do very well on it, but I lost something like 20 pounds. Nutrisystem  has changed up the plan a bit with more foods and add ons. They also recently added some shakes.  I'm give and take on shakes, but they are great in a pinch and can help with weight loss. Especially if you are not used to eating multiple times a day, it may be easier to drink a shake then force more food down your throat. I went on Nutrisystem and went into my old account.  Even after all these years my account was there. It actually made the whole thing a bit easier.  I ordered the Core plan, which came with some ...

Okay, I'm on day three.  In so far.... I like the workouts.  A couple of things I have to improvise on because my gym doesn't have a couple of pieces of equipment, but is otherwise completely doable.  I'm doing supersets and a couple of singular movements and then abs.  I'm working out Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.  She gave me a supplement suggestion, and I have to get a couple of things shipped. I normally go to bodybuilding.com to order my supplements because they usually have the best prices and ship super fast.  They also have great customer service. I have some bread products in my meal plan for these two weeks, and that is a little different to get used to.  Not bad though.  The rest of the food I like as well and eating every 2-3 hours.  Pretty clean eating.  I'm trying my best to drink my allotted water and not my coffee as I normally do.  I've also premade a bunch of food and have some of the steam bag veggi...

Okay, I'm compiling a list of places that I like and recommend to people.  You may not see a place on the list.  This either means I wouldn't put it on my list of recommendations, or I haven't tried it. If you have a question about a particular restaurant here in town, just ask in the comments.  I will try to get back to you quickly.  I haven't finished the list of descriptions, but will work on it as I have time.  I will then endeavor to add links to the websites or something similar to help you find these places. ANCHORAGE Downtown Alaska Cake Studio - Cake and coffee yum. Good location for while walking around. Simon and Seaforts - Good menu, but try out the bar for quick service and the drink specials. Orso - Brewhouse's sister.  Okay mix, not as busy as Brewhouse, Still need reservations on weekends. Food is good. Nice wine list Glacier Brewhouse - Make a reservation.  Seriously. Good food, noisy. Popular year round with locals and to...

We walked by the Kona Inn Restaurant almost everyday.  We finally ended up in this place, thinking it was the Kona Canoe Club down the shopping area. Our first time here, it was evening and we were going for drinks.  There are the lovely waves right in front of you, so this would make a nice place to watch the sunset.  As a note, the canoe club is excellent for a sunset if you were wanting to relax with a drink. The first time we came to the Kona Inn we sat at the bar.  The sun had been down for a while and we were just looking for somewhere to relax.  The sound of the waves were a nice addition to our mai tai's.  This place is actually known for their mai tai's and I admit they are pretty good.  We ended up having a late night meal here, with me having a cheeseburger.  It was good, but nothing that stands out.  The deluxe cheeseburger is 13.95 and comes with potato salad or cole slaw, or you have to pay $1 for an "upgrade" to fries. ...

What a time!  I got back from Seattle on Sunday.  Thankfully had Monday off (Presidents Day), because I have two days at work to keep my head in the game and try to get things as much together as possible before I am back on a plane and off to Hawaii.  It was a nice breather to get away for the weekend.  My husband was already in Seattle, so I met him there on Friday (Valentine's Day). WESTIN HOTEL We stayed at the Westin hotel.  It's a fairly large hotel with two circular towers, and is located on 5th Avenue.  It is super close to the Westlake Center, and about four blocks from Pike Market.  When you walk in you are greeted firstly by the concierge desk.  The front desk is actually off to the right and further back.  The staff is super friendly and very quick to get you put together.  We were offered to join the usual hotel membership, which we did, and it gave us free internet for our room.  There is also the Relish Burger Bis...

So breakfast can actually be a hard thing to seemingly find in downtown Anchorage, but after scouring the downtown area and trying some places out, I've come up with a small alternative list. 1.  Snow City Cafe - 1034 W. 4th Ave   Snow City Cafe Website Snow City can make a great breakfast.  They have two soups that change out and are available for early lunch, so if you are having a late breakfast it gives you some more options.  They also have a specials menu that you can preview on their site.  (For lunch the salad special is usually yummy.)  The service is generally slow but usually nice.  The drip coffee is actually drinkable here.  The food is tasty and well prepared.  The portions are big. This place gets PACKED!!!!!  You have the five million tourists during the hot season and then all of the local business people that come in for breakfast/lunch/coffee year round.  They have somewhat recently added the ability to put i...

I used to get shipments from Full Circle a long time ago.  They used to only do a couple of states and now they do many more.  When I was first getting shipments, I was impressed.  Their customer service was excellent, and the food, though a bit pricey for me at the time, was the best way to get good fresh organic produce in Alaska during the winter months.  They also had a grocery that you could order extra items from.  I would pick my box up at a local store by my work before heading home and then store everything appropriately so it could last until my next box. I cancelled my subscription back then because I just couldn't spare the money anymore.  But my thoughts of the produce and the service were still excellent. Now, if you check, they serve many states and you can order different size boxes.  I did not think that the descriptions for each size really gave me an idea of how much I would really get, so when I restarted my subscription I went ...

Let's just say that I have been going to the original I Love Sushi since they opened.  Brandon, the chef/owner is very dedicated and imaginative.  It was always easy to have something made to my specifications for whatever crazy diet I was on.  I always have my favorites too.  They had expanded the original restaurant a while back and it was very upscale looking.  Recently Brandon and his wife, Min, bought the old Tempura Kitchen.  It has the same upscale flair.  It looks beautiful. It's clean and bright, and I love the updated menu. Brandon and crew pretty much had to gut the old restaurant when they got it, which it definitely needed.  The restaurant is somewhat split up.  To the left is regular seating, with a large area for large parties or private functions.  To the right are tables with hot plates with vents above, and the sushi bar is across from that. It is located on Spenard right after you turn off of Minnesota if you are c...

I just finished my Jackie Warner FitOrbit online training subscription.  When I started, I filled out the questionnaire and it recommended 6 mos to reach my goal.  I signed up.  It cost $299.00 for 26 weeks.  When you fill out your survey, which is how they "customize" it for you, you can choose things like gluten free, vegetarian, etc.  You are assigned a trainer, which you get to choose from a short list, and whether you need a hard core person or a best friend type. I went with the best friend type because I thought it might be a bit more engaging.  I also started out on the regular diet, but ended up with the gluten free simply for the food choices. The trainer you are assigned to will send you messages.  You can respond to them through your email or the site.  I mostly went to the site.  Through this person you can also ask for specific things done to your diet and exercise plan.  Like I do not like boiled eggs, so I asked that ...

I'm back from Puerto Vallarta.  We stayed at the Secrets resort there.  It's a newer one towards the north end of the hotel strip.  It's a really great resort and I ate and drank way too much.  We had a preferred king jr. suite, and it was worth it.  We first reserved a king swimout, and we are so glad we didn't.  The pool is shared by four suites, so that's not private.  And everyone walking by pretty much is watching you.  I constantly caught myself looking over at them when walking to our preferred lobby. We ate at almost all of the restaurants. They were very good about making things the way that I needed them, and lots of vegetarian options.  Alcohol was abundant, and I drank quite a bit.  So, not a trip that I maintained my weight.  On the other hand, pretty much all the ladies were about my size (some vary), and it made me a lot less conscious of myself. We made it down to the pedestrian area a couple times to b...

So I am subscribed to Rawmazing, which I totally recommend.  Recently she made a post of a new recipe for cookies.  These things are soooooooo delicous.  I brought a couple batches to work, sent some off with a friend for their trip.  And the nice thing is that they are raw!! They are comprised of almonds, chia seeds, coconut, salt, vanilla, grapeseed oil, sweetner, with a puree of fresh strawberries on top, then dehydrated.  I used a flaked coconut that I ground down, the almonds were soaked and dried and for my sweetener I used coconut nectar and a touch of stevia.  So yummy!!  I might try it with blueberries instead of strawberries next time. http://www.rawmazing.com/raw-strawberry-thumbprint-cookies/   Photo from Rawmazing

So I haven't been feeling quite up to par, so I changed my diet again.  It's helped somewhat, but it was a major struggle.  Meat is out.  I am not juicing every morning, but I am trying for about every other.  LOTS of veggies, and trying for mostly raw.  This of course takes some prep due to making it work around my schedule, but now that I've kind of gotten into my groove, it's not too bad. Recent items that I made include: Radish Kimchi ( which I got from Maangchi, http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/kkakdugi and made with soy not fish sauce) Marinated veggies (faux stir fry) with shiritake noodles Veggie rolls with nonroasted nori  Cashew cheeze Flax "Pizza" chips (made with leftovers from my juicing and some extra ingredients) Munchie mixture (Golden berries, goji, mulberry, raw cacao nibs, raw cashews) My average juice contains: Romaine 1/2 cucumber 1" ginger small handful parsley 4-5 carrots 3-5 stalks collard greens 1 lemon (whole...

We were staying at the Driftwood Inn in Homer for our girls trip, and they were so super nice and accommodating.  I will put in a separate review for them, but it is to note that right across the street was AJ's Old Town Steakhouse and Tavern.  Now, after a 4 hour drive with a bunch of crazy girls, a beer is just what we all needed to wind down. So......we cross the street to the tavern. Upon entry we are greeted enthusiastically.  There are two regular patrons at the bar and then the three of us.  The bar is much bigger than how it appears on the outside.  There is a dance floor to the back with a stage.  All weekend they had bands playing with a very good turnout. If any Alaska bands are looking to play somewhere, you might want to head this direction.  The bar is long with a curve at the end.  We figured the end of the bar has some bad juju, because everyone that sat there got into an argument with each other. For every night we came to thi...

I took a recent trip to Homer for an extended weekend with the girls.  We had a blast and while there tried out a couple of treats. I am going to break this up into separate reviews, with this one being on Wasabi. Wasabi is Homer's fine dining restaurant.  It obviously has Japanese food, including sushi.  As far as I know, it's the only sushi place in Homer.  That made it a must see for us. The decor is upscale and the view is fantastic, so get a window seat.  The bar is very central, with chairs around if you only want to come in for a cocktail.  The parking lot is small, but did not seem to be much of a hassle to get in and out. My meal started with a screwdriver.  I was impressed by the excellent pour (which you get all over Homer).  We ordered a plate of sushi to share, and I got the Mac n' Cheese ($30.00) that so many reviewers rave about.  The service was quick and attentive, even thought she had to list the specials (which there ...

Lest I say, this is my most favorite sushi place to go.  Brandon, chef/owner, is so imaginative and willing to alter anything to your needs.  The menu has some excellent choices for cooked and non cooked items.  If I'm in the mood for something hot I like the sauteed mushrooms.  Yummy! Prior to this most recent trip, one of my friends and I were talking about meeting up for sukiyaki at another local place downtown called Kumogoro.  (We had previously been there for shabu shabu.)  I mentioned this when I stopped off for sushi to Brandon, and he said that he would make it for us.  What a treat.  I mentioned it to my friend and it was a no brainer decision. I started this trip right after work.  One of my girlfriends was going to meet me and was already there, but Cody and I were planning on going a bit later.  So I met up with the girls for an appetizer.  Normally this would have been sushi roll happy hour but Min (Brandon's wife)...