Wow! I've Been A Bad Blogger!

I didn't realize it's been so long since I posted to my blog. I've been focusing more on my Cambridge Facebook page, (link below) and my Support Board you can find on my website. Sorry for neglecting my readers here!

I'm actually SSing again at the moment. I typically do this whenever I find that a few pounds have crept back on and this is one of those times. My husband just retired and the month leading up to it was a stressful one getting finances in order, etc. We both did a little stress eating, (well..me a little, him a LOT!) and we made a mutual commitment to get back to healthy eating.  His job has been extremely stressful, but especially this past year and he probably put on 20 pounds. Not good for someone who already had a triple bypass 5 years ago. He's doing low carb and I am on my much loved Cambridge, day 3.

I'm feeling great and already feel like my body is rewarding me for no longer eating carelessly. My energy is up and my clothes are already fitting better. Got to get back in to my swimsuits soon! The weather is warming up and so is the pool!

Cambridge Diet Face Book Page

Which Step Have You Reached Today?

To Weigh, Or Not To Weigh. That Is The Question

I've been back on track since the 14th so this is day 10 for me. I weighed and I have lost 7.2 pounds. I'm happy with that . It's been a steady progression which is what I like to see. I am a charting kind of gal. I find that I do best when I have my college ruled spiral notebook to record in every day. I have columns for date, weight, blood sugar, ( history of diabetes) blood pressure,(history of hypertension) pulse, and I put either an up or down arrow beside each entry to be able to visually see the overall trend of improvement. I keep it right here by my computer and it reinforces my commitment when I see it. This is what works for me.

The whole weighing thing is a very personal choice to make. We have regular debates on here about what is best, but that will be different for everyone depending on what emotional state they are in at the time and how the scale effects that.

For me, 13 years ago when I lost the first 120 pounds, weighing was a self inflicted torture. I was weighing up to 5 times a day! Even in the middle of the night if I got up to use the bathroom! I put all my emotions and self esteem in a bucket and weighed it constantly just to see how I should be feeling about myself at that moment. it was, at that stage, the worst thing I could do to myself and caused me unnecessary stress and doubt.

Now, I approach this with little to no emotion. I just have a job to do and I am treating it like that. My morning weigh in does not always send me dancing in the streets, but neither would it if I suddenly saw 5 pounds lost. I can glance over at my charting and see my overall trend of progress and THAT is what keeps me emotionally neutral.

I don't want to start a heated debate on the topic of weighing, but I will give this advice. Depending on what kind of personality you have, and what current state you are in regarding self esteem and how the numbers on a scale determine your state of mind and actions, this will tell you if you should be a daily weigher/tracker, or a once per month/week weigher. Be truthful with yourself and make your choice based on your best interest.

We are all pretty good at beating ourselves up when it comes to all things weight and size related. Don't be the bully in the bathroom every morning weighing yourself if it doesn't ALWAYS give you a positive and progressive feeling, no matter what the number. If it makes you feel bad about yourself, or disappointed or like nothing you do is every good enough, then stop for now. It will only hurt you and make you feel hopeless.

But, if you are more of an analytical type, charting may be the way for you to go.

Progress

Just checking in. It's late and I'm actually on my way to bed, but it was time for a progress report. I'm back on track with SSing and I'm feeling so much better then I did a couple of weeks ago when I was caving in to holiday food temptations. My capacity for eating is a fraction of what it once was. Even with that, my body REALLY let me know it was not happy with my choices. I guess I am pretty sensitive now to things that slow down my digestion and leave me feeling bloated and lethargic. Anything with sugar is not my friend. Same for breads and any simple carbs. I learned my lesson!

So other then a few minor additions to my Cambridge, such as an occasional egg white or some coffee creamer, I am on track. I'm not weighing. I'm going to give it a solid month and then maybe I might take a peek. The process of losing weight is not something that moves in a predictable pattern and seeing numbers on a scale can play with emotions like nothing else I know.

Hope that everyone here will catch the energy that flows when we are in the beginning of a new year! So much motivation and determination! it all quickly slips away if not acted on.

Tips For Those New To Cambridge, part 2

Part 2

Here are a few hints about how to prepare the products along with some other info..        
       
1. Be sure to mix and drink your shakes right away. Don't let them sit around for any length of time          before drinking them. The encapsulation will wear off and you will notice a vitamin taste.        
       
2. When making the FFL Super Oats as a hot cereal I use about 1 cup water to my two rounded scoops. I first heat the water to just boiling with some cinnamon and a about 1 T coconut oil. Coconut oil is not part of the program, but I like to use it as a healthy fat that has actually has been proven to accelerate weight loss, plus it tastes wonderful in the Oats. Do some research on it and decide if you want to add it to your program. I like to cook mine on the stove, but you can use a microwave oven if you want. If you use the micro be sure to use a big enough bowl so they can't boil over. Stir a couple of times to avoid lumpiness. You can sweeten them with whatever sugar free sweetener you normally use. You can add cinnamon or any other spice if you like. I use cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. There are recipes here for yummy things like pancakes for the Super Oats on the Support Board. You can see them at,

http://members5.boardhost.com/pam140/msg/1241977486

Be sure and check those out!      
       
3. The Rich Shake flavors are an extra thick and creamy option in the Original 330 line. Don't miss out on those! The Rich Chocolate is my favorite. I usually add about a half tsp of unsweetened cocoa powder for a more intense darker flavor. I like DARK chocolate!   If you use 3 to 4 oz water and 3 ice cubes, you can blend it until super thick like a mousse.    
       
       
4. It is a matter of personal taste and preference when choosing between the three plans, the Original 330 including the Rich Shake flavors, the 330 with the addition of Tonalin CLA, or the Food For Life (FFL) 420 formulas. FFL uses soy for it's protein source, while the 330's uses dairy whey. It's a good idea to try from all formulas so you can find which suits you best. They are all different in flavors and textures.
       
5. The 30 Day Starter Plans are for first time customers only. You are allowed to try one of each,     the Food for Life 420 30 day Plan, the Original 330 30 Day Plan, or the Tonalin CLA 30 Day Plan. All 3 come with the money back guarantee. If you try to reorder a plan that you have already tried the company will hold your order until they can contact you to explain the rules. They will offer to sell you the 6 cans at the regular retail price, but you will not get the free items again. Sorry!        
       
6. Do not mix hot soups or drinks in a closed blender! It will explode!!        
       
7. You can mix your shakes in the blender, with a hand shaker cup, or one of those hand held immersion blenders that fit right into your glass. My favorite blender is a low priced single serve little guy. It was only about $20 at Walmart and works perfectly on ice for a thicker shake. It is like the "Magic Bullet" only a lot cheaper and the personal blender mugs that it comes with are a little bigger. Perfect size for our shakes!        
       
8. You can use the Super Oats to make a great hot cereal, but you can also make pancakes,        
cake, muffins and whatever else you may come up with yourself! Have fun and experiment! Recipes are available on the Support Board,

http://members5.boardhost.com/pam140/msg/1241977486.top
                 
9. Once you have been on the diet for a while you will likely have friends and family who will see your results and want to do it too. You may want to consider signing up for a distributorship so that you can buy your own products at wholesale and then sell to those who express and interest. Please contact me for details. Signing up is simple and the cost is only $40.        
       
       
10. Try to clear your calendar for at least two weeks when you are first beginning. You don't want       to have to fight temptation in the first couple of weeks. Get to the point when you have       experienced some exciting weight loss and are into ketosis so the appetite is not a problem        
before you put yourself in a place to have to make food decisions. Just be warned what many people find out too late...that adding food can throw them off track and it can be very hard to get back on again. Be SURE that you can handle it! My best advice is to not play around and just get it done before adding food back in to your regular diet. By that time you will be in a much better state of mind to make food decisions and you will no longer be bothered with food addictions or cravings.        
       
11. You can add spices and any flavor non fat broth to your soups. People on the Support Board will be happy to share their ideas and there is also the recipe page on my web site.

  http://members5.boardhost.com/pam140/msg/1241977486.top    
       
The same for the shakes. Try different flavorings like a couple of drops of peppermint in your        
chocolate or vanilla shake. You can get all sorts of flavorings in your local store or online.        
       
12. You can make a thicker shake by adding ice to the blender. Some like adding frozen fruit like berries. Make sure that you are not one of those that fruit is a problem for. Be careful with citrus or bananas, both high in sugar. If you find you are hungrier after fruit, don't use it. The same goes for adding vegetables. Remember, this is a mental as well as a physical effort, in fact I tell my people that is is 90% mental and only 10% physical. You may think that your greatest challenge will be hunger, but believe me that you will battle your thoughts much more then you will your appetite. Remember, none of us got fat because we were hungry.        
       
I hope these 2 blog posts help you in your journey. Everyone finds their own way to succeed with this, but the main things to remember are, have all 3 Cambridge servings, no matter if you add a meal or not, try for 2 weeks straight sole source, drink your water, no strenuous exercise for the first week or so, don't get hung up on weighing all the time, be prepared for the first few days of adjustment and then for the exciting and motivating changes you will see each day!
 

Tips for Those New To Cambridge, part 1 of 2

          
         
Some of you are new to Cambridge and may not have heard these suggestions before so they are worth repeating I think          
         
1) Be SURE to have all 3 of you Cambridge servings a day. This is extremely important, even if you are doing the regular program and adding food. You are only guaranteed a safe weight loss experience if you have your 3 a day. Otherwise you are on a "crash" type diet and you could harm your health.          
         
2) In your first week you are going through lots of adjustments. One of them is entering     ketosis. You can read about ketosis on my web site on the Q&A page. Until you enter ketosis you may experience hunger. If so, feel free to have additional Cambridge if you need them. Have whatever it takes to get you through the first few days without breaking your diet. You are better off having additional calories of Cambridge then regular food that may get out of control.          
         
3) If you find that you are feeling hungry between your Cambridge meals, you can break up your servings into half servings and spread them out over the day. For some this seems to help, especially in the beginning. You will eventually be able to just have your 3 or 4 whole servings at regular intervals with no feelings of hunger except at meal times.         
         
4) It is encouraged that you try for 2 solid weeks of SS, meaning you substitute ALL your food with Cambridge. This gives you the best start and allows the body to adjust while giving you the benefit of natural appetite suppressant and good energy that comes from being in ketosis. If you are going to add regular food to the diet, try to stick to lean proteins and low carb veggies. This will have less of an effect on your appetite. High sugar foods like fruit might stimulate your appetite, but you can try and see. Some people add fruit to the shakes and do fine, others find it makes them hungry. SS is best so give it a good try!         
         
5) Drink water! Lots of water! More then you likely drink now. Double it! I have a 32 oz bottle that I fill at least 3 times a day. It helps with weight loss and fluid retention.          
         
6) Take a good "before" picture. This will become very important to you as you are losing. I found that I had such body image problems that I could not see the weight loss in the mirror. I had to keep taking Polaroid's (before cell phone cameras!) to compare the difference. It is amazing to see the progress in pictures!          
         
7) Try not to be a slave to the scale. Remember that scales are weighing the entire body, not just the fat. Your body is in a constant state of change and it is unrealistic to think that what you see on the scale is in any way an accurate measure of fat loss. Try to weigh once a week and then have someone hide the scale from you!          
         
8) Exercise is not a requirement to lose on Cambridge, but it certainly does keep things moving along and helps to tone and firm as you lose. The health benefits are tremendous, both physically and mentally! Walking is a good way to start and light weights should come next.          
         
9) If you have a large amount to lose, try not to look at the big picture. Take it in mini goals, 10 pounds, one size, etc. Before you know it you will be at goal!          
         
10) You will probably have lots of well meaning friends and family tell you that what you are doing is bad for you. Try to listen and understand that it's possible and not unusual for people to be talking only to please themselves, not you. Obviously, you have done your research and have determined that Cambridge is a safe effective and nutritious way to lose weight at the fastest rate possible. They should respect that. Thank them for their concern and then suggest they go have this conversation with one of their friends who is considering gastric surgery.          
         
11) You will probably go through some emotional trials as you lose. None of us got this heavy because we were hungry! We got obese because of an inappropriate relationship with food based on an emotional need. You might be confronting these issues as your weight goes down. This is part of the healing that is taking place and should be embraced, not avoided.          
         
12) Remember to come to visit the Support Board at 
http://members5.boardhost.com/pam140/
when you need help or encouragement, or just need to brag! We will cheer for you, we will cry with you, we will educate you, we will understand.          
         
13) Finally, try to think of this as a gift to yourself. Others will benefit indirectly... family, loved ones, etc..but this is all about you! This is the time to be selfish in the best way possible. Do not let other's needs override your own. No one will suffer if you don't go to that BBQ or have any of that birthday cake. You will not offend anyone if you refuse to go out with the people at work to celebrate a promotion or a retirement. Send a card or flowers, just don't send yourself! 

Check back 10/28 for part 2