DAY 37 - Easter .. mmmm.. chocolate

DAY 37 LOG

Easter is on the way. This weekend. 

You do know what this means don't you?

 And, if you know me or Jan, for at least 5 minutes you will know that we Loooooooove... chocolate.
We have been known to drive many miles and hours out of our way to locate a new chocolate shop, that we think just might be still open. What a relief when we manage to enter the shop 5 minutes before due to close.

Christmas is good for chocoholics like us, but Easter is definitely the best - with chocolate eggs, chocolate candy and giant chocolate bunnies as well a any other shape that you might dream of.

You  must have heard the rumours that NOW chocolate is considered to be good for YOU!!

In my Google research (extensive of course) ... and done chocolate free, I did find consistent results.

 On Healthy U  Alberta
 

Edmonton registered dietitian Heidi Bates says that chocolate (particularly dark chocolate and cocoa powder) is a rich source of flavonoids. Flavonoids are compounds that help prevent damage to our cells. “Chocolate is a more complex food than most people realize,” says Bates.

“The flavonoids work to protect our cells from damage. They are antioxidants, much like the vitamins we have heard about. The potential benefits of chocolate lie with its unique composition and how it is put together. 

And  from SKY NEWS 

Chocolate is no longer a guilty pleasure, in fact it is good for you - apparently lowering blood pressure and cutting the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The experts found eating 7.5 grams of dark chocolate could reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke by 39% and could also lead to lower blood pressure.

As always though, there is a catch - the most expensive, purest chocolate is the best for you.

The nutritionists found dark chocolate produced the best results when it contains at least 70% cocoa.

June Davidson from the British Heart Foundation also cautioned the amount identified in the study did not offer the chance to pig out.

This is like being given permission to eat something we have for most of lives been told is  BAD.
Is this 7.5 grams like once an hour? How 
large is 7.5 grams?
Answer: 7.5 g = 0.264554 oz
hmmm.... that is very tiny, maybe ONE chocolate rosebud size.
What happens if I eat the entire container full
- at one sitting (or lying down)?

If a little is good, a lot is even better?
Apparently NOT - it is that whole moderation thing and calories and sugar ... blah, blah.

There have been several RAW chocolate and Antioxidant chocolate manufacturers and businesses sprout up since this revelation - such as Xoçai antioxidant chocolate and  super foods.

Naked Chocolate by David Wolfe & Shazzie  
by David Wolfe, America's leading nutrition guru, and Shazzie, the UK's most progressive health educator ...

Who says that this chocolate will produce an ecstatic feeling and make you into the person you were destined to be!!  
 Hmmmmm..

She has names for some of her superfood raw chocolate bars that are rather enticing as well, and sure to deliver us all into the lovely creatures we desire to be 
- Goddess, Temptress & Siren.





So ... are we going to stick with the healthy chocolate this Easter and eat in small moderate amounts?
HELL NO!!

BRING IT ON -- WE ARE CHOCOLATE CHAMPIONS.

Off to stock up and find some chocolate specialties to share with Jan.

...darleen & jan

DAY 35 - Exercise will not make you thin...

 DAY 35 LOG

News Alerts!!

Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

It seems that one reason, is that exercise makes you HUNGRY. And when we are hungry we EAT. Also we feel we are owed treats after we exercised - we deserve a reward, after all we just spent 2 hours huffing and puffing, not to mention the amount of sweat. We must have burnt enough calories for a month!! Think again, we are usually only burning off 200 - 300 calories during a routine workout - and then allow ourselves a Super Protein Shake.
WRONG!!
If we are really lucky we break even.
How depressing? 

Actually, I think it is a good reason to cancel my gym membership.
Hoo Hah!
I hate exercise and there is now proof that it actually can make you fatter.
I feel better already. 

Oh ... but how do I get rid of this extra weight then? Wish it away? Maybe.

In the article -
 For Canada's obsese, exercise alone isn't going to cut it 

Again it seems that we can exercise rigorously and still not change the numbers on the scale. It is stated that this does not mean exercise is bad or useless, but it is only part of the equation, and a small part. It is more about what you put in your mouth. Also, something about we should not focus on exercise for weight loss - why else would I be doing it then? Back to how to concentrate and lose weight by harassing the fat cells to run screaming from my body.

Fat cannot turn into muscle apparently either - this is a myth or possibly an urban legend heard at most high priced gyms. "Well yes I actually have gained weight, since joining the gym - but that is due to the fat is being transformed into muscle!" said with a huge grin and standing tall to show off the new found muscle.
WRONG!!
You are getting fatter!!

Ok, maybe you are gaining muscle, but simply not getting rid of the fat? This could be due to an incorrect exercise program focused on muscle gain, rather than aerobic for weight loss.

In the article
just started exercising...why am I gaining weight?
there is some good pointers, however I am not convinced that are for the benefit of maintaining health club memberships cash-flow, than truly helping us lose weight and become more healthy. 
There is a lot of controversy, and heated debates out there.
Good .. I will just lay down and rest while they all figure it out.

Or ... as hinted at in several of the articles that I Googled (too bad that is not weight reducing) - MAYBE, we all need to find what works best for our individual bodies. For some that is exercise and well planned diet. Others require drastic surgery to set them straight. Others a combination of diet changes and exercise.

My own experiences have shown that divorce is the quickest way to loose weight. And no .. not because you instantly lose 200 lbs of ugly fat - the husband!! Not totally sure why, but it appears that many people lose weight while recovering (is that the right word?) from divorce. Could be that sobbing burns off the fat, or fact that it is difficult to eat when sobbing and cutting the ex out of all the photos? Myself, I tended to live on nacho chips and salsa - but when emotionally stable (well as close as I get) the same trick does not seem to work. I have also noticed that  we 'eat out' more, when in a relationship - than when immersed in self discovery and pity party Saturdays in the post breakup/divorce stage. Of course this is all good, so that we return to ....
SVELTENESS  for enticing the next Perfect Mate.

hmm... this is all so confusing, and why can there not be a magic solution - and we can have our cake and eat it too? I would rather eat 2 cakes!! I actually may be working up a sweat just trying to figure out the best strategy. That calls for a beer  water!!

I will continue to follow the RULES  and also use tips that I come across that I can live with, and make sense for me. First on that list is  from this find:

Arianna Huffington and Cindi Leive 

from Huffington Post and Glamour

 

 

Sleep Challenge 2010: Women, It's Time to Sleep Our      Way to the Top. Literally.

Sweet Dreams!!

...darleen & jan

 

DAY 34 - Sleeping in the clouds!

 DAY 34 LOG

Weekend is now over!!  Huh ... I didn't even know it started.

We did get a new bed however and here is a picture,
that will give you an idea of how high off the floor it is - 

I do not have the ladder, so it is a rather steep climb. I am exaggerating, but only slightly.
We temporarily but the new mattress set on the old bed frame. The old bed frame was meant for a mattress without the box spring. Therefore ... it is exceptionally tall at the moment.

It is 4 ft  8 inches from the floor!!! It is like sleeping in a F%$King treehouse!!  No nosebleeds yet. However, I do require a spotter when getting out of bed, to pass all safety laws.

So ... I am off to get the much needed beauty sleep. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


...darleen & jan

DAY 31 - DRINKS ARE ON US!!!

DAY 31 LOG

So today I could use a good drink!!  Not the answer you say? Pffft ... I said A drink, not a gallon.
After all, I am so tired will barely be able to finish one.

NEW BED arrives tomorrow - woo hoo!! Sleep is supposedly good for losing weight as well as rejuvenating youthfulness - beauty sleep. I think I may sleep a month.

oh, but again I am doing the blogging thing - I digress. Back to drinking and doing it right.
http://www.chow.com - has all the good stuff and videos so you get it right!!


YDIAW: How to Make a Mai Tai

 So that is how it is done. So go do it. And I will have one as well, while you are at it!!


It is days like today, that I miss Jan being 4 blocks away. We could go for coffee, or maybe even a walk. That would be exercise!!  Walking to Alberta from Ontario is a bit much however.
Over the 35 years of friendship, we have managed to support each other from afar with some breaks in between.

Jan gave me a plaque or I prefer to call it a wall tablet - that has a prominent place in my bathroom, in order that I see it each morning and night. It says part of what our friendship has been about.

Down through 

the years 

we've stayed

close friends 

though near or

far apart,

and you will

always have a 

place in the 

garden of my

heart.

Sounds like a toast to me, Jan and sure all!!  

Drink up!! Sleep!! 

...darleen & jan

Day 30 - Memories

    DAY 30 LOG

 Today was a yucky day at work for Darleen. Jan has been busy - BUT feeling better!!

After a visit with my cousins, chatting and drinking wine
- seems like a good night to just feel mellow. I found this song on You Tube
- To Sir With Love ... you had to be there.

Memories - this was the ONLY song that I spent my money on buying a 45 record!!

Enjoy ... mmmmmm.....

darleen & jan

DAY 29 - WE INSPIRE US!!

DAY 29 LOG

Jan is completely over her illness - finally!! She has had a burst of super-woman energy as a result. Her entire house has been spic and spanned, and 'Spring Cleaning' (sorry for the profanity) is complete. She continues to listen to the CD - I CAN MAKE YOU THIN, hypnosis. This is the trick - you should not do it at night before going to sleep - or at least it has worked better for Jan to do in the morning, or afternoon when she is needing a motivation boost. What an Inspiration she is, particularly when kicking my butt in this endeavour.

Everything in it's place and the fans are like soldiers standing all in a row.

Darleen on the other hand .. pffft, is behind and really needs to get on track, but cannot release the demon flu bug living in her belly. Still working long hours, although has cutback considerably. The CD is gathering dust, and the ipod needs charging. Yes did buy a mango, and it is still sitting on the counter. Did buy natural yogurt and it is aging nicely in the fridge, and yes did buy the frozen fruit and it is resting comfortably in the freezer.  Motivation /Stay-cation - is more like it. Heck I have not even driven by my gym recently. The laundry is the entire accomplishment  - and the ironing still awaits.

PHOTOS - yes maybe that will help with keeping the motivation going or jump-start. Photos of us in our youth. This is recommended in the Menopause Makeover, for visualization - Inspirational ME Photo. And then 12 weeks later paste the NEW ME beside. Idea is to get as close to the old. 

                                        

So far this is the best shot of ME I can find and I am surrounded by children.

There isn't a hope in hell, even my nose can look the same.

!

Alright!! This is achievable, maybe even an Inspiration!!
No airbrushing was required.

So again, tomorrow is a new day and another chance to get it all right, or at least put out an effort.

Join us again tomorrow along our adventure.

...darleen & jan

Free Hugs Campaign - Official Page (music by Sick Puppies.net )

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND!!

DAY 25 - NOTHING TO SAY??

 DAY 25 LOG

 

  I CAN'T BELIEVE  NOTHING TO SAY!!!

 

DAY 24 - HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY

   DAY 24 LOG

Today was Green Beer day ... and it was wonderful!!

Tomorrow ... back at ya !!

...darleen & jan

DAY 23 -Mango! Mango! Mango mango! Mango! Mangoooooooo!!

DAY 23 LOG

Jan has said that listening to the CD has made her feel motivated, and Darleen has felt odd(er). For some reason after listening to CD, and also reading inspirational nutritional information, as well as coaching emails has started purchasing rather odd items at the grocery store. These oddities make it into the shopping basket by magic almost and not conscious planned shopping.

On three different occasions these items were discovered amongst the regular grocery items:

                                               

Mango - I am not even sure what a Mango is?

                                             

          

Frozen Berries  - for smoothies maybe?

                                               

Coconut Milk  -- what kind of milk?

There seems to be some alter ego causing me to pick these items up and purchase. Healthy products rather than chips or chocolate or Pepsi! This would be great, except for fact I really have no idea what I am supposed to do with them. I have had to Google Mango to find out what it is, how to cut it and eat it and search out recipes - and what the freak is so wonderful about this odd looking fruit?

The first link I went to had this delightful song
- Mango! Mango! Mango mango! Mango! Mangoooooooo!!
And cartoon video.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR THE MANGO SONG

Very catchy song. I have no idea what or why this has been created - something about  WEEBL'S.
I do not think this is the reason that I purchased a MANGO!! But I cannot help but sing along and replay it as I search more links for the secret of the Mango.

There is even a National Mango Board site - which  has everything you could ever need to know about  the Mango, and recipes- salads, pork dishes, dessert, and the  Mango-Rita.

The Mango-rita contains mango, ice, lime juice and ... Tequila - HOLA!!

Mango! Mango! Mango mango! Mango! Mangoooooooo!! 

Of course I digress (I read that on blogs almost every day - must be a good thing) - as what am I to do with these odd items, that I have been guided to purchase by the nutritional diet gods?

SMOOTHIES!!  

Yes, easier than pie or cooking -  Smoothies.
Okay, so do you stick a straw in it and Grab n Go? 

That would be easy, and I would hardly injure myself in my semi awake state each morning, as I have my healthy, nutritional, low in calories, high in fiber breakfast. Oh... there are recipes.

Mango Smoothie

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) milk, chilled
     Flesh of 1 large ripe mango, chopped
                     1/3 cup (80 mL) frozen orange juice concentrate

1/2 tsp (2 mL) fresh ginger, grated
1 cup (250 mL) ice

 Let the Smoothie Adventures .... begin!!

Mango! Mango! Mango mango! Mango! Mangoooooooo!!  

...darleen & jan

DAY 22 - WE ARE BACK AND THINNER!!!

  DAY 22  LOG

We have returned from our sleep - well sort of.
Along with illness and time change - SPRING FORWARD - we are not so sure if awake, in coma, or coming back to life. By the end of this week we expect to know for sure - well maybe, as we seem to be in perpetual almost alive state since the birth of our first babies.

GREAT NEWS!!!  We weighed ourselves on weekend and ....  are you ready?

Darleen - lost 5 lbs and clothes are definitely getting baggy.
Jan -  LOST 9 lbs and definitely notices a difference. WOW!

WOO HOO !  We are THINNER!  HOO HAH!!

And we cannot say that we really got into the exercise as much as hoped due to illness.

Jan has found that she is feeling calm and yet somehow motivated after listening to the CD.  She is just not sure what the motivation is directed towards yet - but she does feel it!! She did manage to clean her entire house. Including Spring Cleaning after dose of super antibiotics provided surge of energy and motivation. That is exercise!!

Darleen is finding the CD still difficult, and actually feels pain in legs and arms after listening, and often has trouble relaxing. However,  there are some people that might say that Darleen is rarely relaxed. It will be a new feeling to actually achieve.

We are continuing on .. and will release this week - our Easy Eating Recipes - hmm need a zippier title. Particularly breakfasts and bagged lunches, which are the trouble spots for us. We have had more issues with not feeling hungry until we are famished, and difficulty with early morning eating. Of course if someone was here to cook for us, we probably would not have trouble eating. Mornings are not our favourite time of day - thankfully there are no photos of us taken in morning or the times we had to throw a coat over our pjs to drive the kids to school. Jan will recall one of those incidents in particular, as that had to be day Emma's teacher decided she wanted a 'quick word'. No she was not hot in her ski jacket zipped up tight - she was just slightly warm.

Eating slow does take concentration. We are eating what we want and really paying attention (well almost all the time) to when we are full. Still having  a bit of trouble with certain food groups - chocolate, licorice, pie and others in the sweet food group. We do deserve these treats after all - don't we? Well maybe not, so that is our struggle. It is difficult to stop eating just one when there is an entire package just calling out to us. This is an area of the book that we need to test more - Craving Busters - although we have no intention of giving these wonders up entirely!!

Darleen decided that she wanted brownies on weekend, and due to trying to speed up the baking time used a mix. This was on a day that she was definitely not  at 100% due to flu and sleep disturbances. Feeling a bit scattered and fuzzy, proceeded to mix the brownies according to the directions and put into a glass square 8 inch pan... hmm seemed a bit thick, maybe more water? No all has been added, so slipped into oven. When the brownies were baking for about 10 minutes - Ken asked - what is this egg doing on counter?  Oops .. forgot to add egg. Well too late, now became an experiment.

                    

A bit .. Chewy. Stuff that pulls out teeth.

Not the desired treat,  and when added to ice cream became solid and hard as rock candy!

 Maybe this is another secret? Make food so it is difficult to eat, and you will eat less!

Time to start moving, and with weather in the 'teens C - like +14  this week, Darleen may even 'feel the motivation' to do the 20 minute DARE to walk and add 2,000 steps.

...darleen & jan

MARCH 15TH - WINNER OF PRIZE

  

 WINNERS OF PRIZE FOR JOINING NO BON BONS GIRLS!!

 CAN MAKE YOU THIN BOOK

 WINNERS - TRACY & JUDITH 

Tracy is a follower on the blog site

Judith joined the Facebook Group site

Congratulations!!

...darleen & jan

DAY 18 - WE ARE JUST SLEEPING

  DAY 18  LOG

        We are NOT DEAD  -- JUST SLEEPING !!       

                    
                  

Tommorow ...

...darleen & jan

DAY 17 - DARLEEN & JAN DAY OFF

     DAY 17 LOG  

BOTH SICK TODAY

- Darleen with flu bug and should be recovered within 24 hrs

- Jan's bronchitis has now developed further infection and she is down.

We shall survive and release our HOW to stay motivated.

Ease of Eating  ... coming soon!

...darleen & jan

DAY 16 - STUCK

 DAY 16 LOG

  We are STUCK!!  

Yes, tired, sick, and cannot seem to get past.

And you know what ? 

Reading about other people's success does not motivate us when we get like this.

How about fact that after raising our children, we are still feeling we are somehow to blame and responsible for all of their heartaches and misfortune?

IF ONLY  - we had a few hours a week to ourselves to concentrate on US!!

Why do we feel that we are always giving to everyone else, and yet not quite completing?

How can we get UNSTUCK?

We have followed most of the BOOK now, listened to the CD.

Followed the RULES  ... DRANK GALLONS OF WATER.

Put effort into moving - if only, but really, really want to.

Here's the thing -- from Darleen:

My body is in constant pain due to what has been diagnosed as Fibromyalgia

-- taking one step each morning takes all the effort I have, and headache and blurry vision takes time to fade. My body is so tired, I do not feel like eating or even sleeping or combing my hair. And yet ..

I am to find energy and motivation to exercise?? Should there not be a recuperation period first?

From Jan:

TOO many challenges - as feel should meet everyone elses needs first.

Hard to carve out me time.

Difficult to eat properly or at all when have no taste for food.

Too tired to care about myself. In too much of hurry for change to happen.

Eating healthy already - but do have sweet tooth for sure.

Not into exercise so try to do incidentally just  to get moving - housework.

Problem is .. how to motivate ourselves to stay motivated when sick and ... just need magic.

My goal was to be June Cleaver - I even have the pearls :)

And .... Reading the Book - I CAN MAKE YOU THIN - I may have hit on the solution.

Or part of it.

Chapter 7 - The Final Piece of the Weight-Loss Puzzle
Stop Self-Sabotage Before It Starts. The chapter is short and worth giving a shot.

Creating Wholeness  - Every part of you has a positive intention.

Ok ... will try ... and to reach inside and find a way to get unstuck... 

and find a way to put one foot in front of other ... 

AND
FROM US ... NO BOOK  (not yet) .. just what we have learned and feels right to us.
An easier way to eat while we recuperate, exercise and recharge our batteries ...

And feel good enough about ourselves  to succeed at this and MORE!!

TO BE CONTINUED  ..... A PLAN OF ATTACK TO GET UNSTUCK

OUR RULES!! 

 ...darleen & jan

DAY 15 - HOW COOL IS THAT?

 

DAY 15 LOG

A new week and new chance at moving things forward.

Jan has been busy with family stuff, but managed to stay focused.

Darleen - not so much, but did not really over-eat as not eat properly. It is difficult - I  work in an empty office, and due to staff shortage,  rather stuck in place. Also on the phone most of day. Plus - just do not feel hungry. Probably could think of more excuses, but have been thinking a lot about how to improve - and drinking lots of water!!

Yesterday I mentioned the Livestrong.Com website - and also that they advertised a Blackberry App!!

Remember, and I was so excited, as this app will surely hold the key to my success to infinite beauty and the most svelte figure imaginable. Remember? 

So .. it is not available for the model/version of BB that I have - the Bold 9700 - the absolute best BB ...yet. 

I was stunned!! What the heck - how can I achieve my goals without this? 

And, I immediately emailed off a request:

" I really, really need this app to work on my new Blackberry 9700 in Canada  -- and in Kitchener - Waterloo. Where the RIM Blackberry is made and originates!!
Please let me know when this app will be available for MY BLACKBERRY!!
I will use the online tools while I wait ..  Thanks .. "

I received a response first thing this morning:

"Thanks for getting in touch with us. We do have plans to bring in our app on BB 9700. We are expecting it to be available in April.  :)"

How Cool is that??!!

In the meantime, off I went to the site and created my Profile and got started with the Daily Plate, and Fitness, and accepting my first Dare!!  How exciting!!

The site is amazing - Free version has almost all, but also a GOLD version with additional features  for $29.95/6 months or $45/ year. The site is - crisp, clean, easy to use, full of cool tools - and well just cool!!

How Many Glasses of Water  - cool tool:

CLICK ON THE + Add a Glass
  The Glass fills, and if you get carried away watching the glass fill and go past your 'honest' amount of water consumed 
- you can subtract.     
How Cool is that?




Or the Daily Nutrition cool tool 
- rather surprising  (or disgusting) as derived from my Daily Plate entries.

The graphic view is hard to argue with
 How cool is that?

I am very excited by this site 

- it has the 'right' stuff and the social site addons, that are both appealing and useful

- blog, chat, add friends,  and more...  How Cool is that?

  Try it!! ......

 I  gotta  run  - as I am being DARED to walk 20 minutes!!  

The 4 Rules. Hypnosis and Livestrong.Com  -- this is starting to be FUN!!

...darleen & jan