Vote for Sunday Alcohol Sales TOMORROW!!!
How many times have you gone to the grocery store on Sunday and picked up a bottle of wine or case of beer, gotten to the register and realized during check-out... "DANG IT it's SUNDAY!" Well it's happened to me more than once, and I'm not really absent-minded, I just don't think about those things all the time cause it's really unnecessary!
Georgia is one of only three states that does not allow alcohol sales on Sunday, and it's finally time things change! This will be the first year that we have been able to decide on this issue ourselves, and I am hopeful people will get out to vote! This is not a primary election, and I'm sure there may be more pressing matters on the ballot than this issue, but I personally get the impression people will care about this! And they will care more about this than the other random local votes on the ballot.
About 100 Georgia cities and counties are holding votes on whether to allow stores to sell alcohol on Sundays. The referendum is the result of a lengthy battle in the state legislature over whether municipalities should have the right to decide on the issue. This has been a very controversial issue, and you can rest assured that there will be as many people out voting against it as there are for it.
If passed the Sunday alcohol sale referendum will allow convenient stores, grocery stores and liquor stores to sell beer, wine and liquor on Sundays. I know it's not a primary election or anything, but there is definitely good reason to make the trip to the poles tomorrow! Read more about it here!
Oktoberfest 2011, What a Blast!
Every year we go to Helen, GA for Oktoberfest, unfortunately last year we didn't make it out because we were busy planning our wedding, but this year we didn't let it slip and it was totally worth it! We had such a great time. We headed up to Helen with Kristin (Andrus), Curtis, and Natacha.
We were very excited because our VERY pregnant friend Kristin (Kneeland) was all about it and checked with her doctor far in advance as she wasn't letting her pregnancy stop her from doing anything! She's 9 months and a week pregnant and she was out having fun! She is quite the trooper, I can only hope that when I'm in her shoes, I would wear it as well! And if she had the motivation and energy to be there, there was no way we could miss out.
We had to work the Sugar Hill Fall Festival, but decided to dip out early to head up to Helen! I strategically mapped out route to avoid traffic, and we were absolutely successful. It was actually pretty nice because it was a gorgeous scenic ride and we were moving the whole time!
Once we go there, we walked a bit, mostly to get to the restrooms, and then we headed over to Margaritas' (we like to call it Paul's cause that's the place you see from the road), and they sell the big plastic cups that say Paul's on them. We actually had several other friends there to meet up with like Denise and Sean (who just had their little girl Catie)! She was adorable, and not allowed in the bars or course! They even asked, and the response they got was no one under 21! haha
Kristin's husband, Patrick, and Robin also made it out and it was very nice to see them! And we also had a couple other friends, Natalie and Micheal who we hung out with and drank with for a while!
It was such a fun time! Kristin (Andrus) and I even took some time to walk around to a few shops! Had to stop in Hansel and Gretel Fudge Shop. Kristin bought some yummy Pumpkin Pie fudge for her friend Jamin, and we got a taste. It was delicious, and they only do that flavor in October (maybe into November) so if you're up there you should check it out!
And I couldn't leave without stopping by the shop we bought our awesome dog Chunk from. They of course were selling puppies again, and had an Rat Terriers this time. I couldn't resist, I had to hold him, although he was already sold! I wasn't about to buy another dog, he was NO CHUNK!
We headed back to meet up with our group, had a couple more drinks and then headed out. It was totally a blast! I can't wait until next year!
Phase II: Metabolic Reset Begins
Paul and I started the Metabolic Reset program today, and we couldn't be happier! It's the first time we have had eggs in over a month! YUMMM!
So here's how it goes, we begin higher calories, 1200 for me and 1300-1500 for Paul. In the program manual there is a list of all the foods to eat freely, those to limit, and those to avoid at all cost. Kelly, the nutritionist at Optimum Health, has decided to start our first week without dairy and then we can start to add that in during week two.
So here is the overall daily consumption guidelines:
- Three to Four Proteins daily, 4 oz per meal (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and a small snack) - All lean meats still, but we are able to obviously add in eggs, salmon, tuna, turkey and others as we see fit!
Two Plant Fats daily - You can get this from Avocado, Pecans and Almonds, Salad Dressings (with olive oil), and Coconut Oil, etc.- Four to Six Servings of Vegetables daily - This ranges from salad lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, to celery, cabbage, tomatoes and so much more! Sticking mostly with items that are low on the glycemic index.
- Two Servings of Fruit - We get a wider variety, but still need to stay away from things like bananas and watermelon, etc. But we can have honey-dew melon and cantaloupe which I love!
We can now consume alcohol! FINALLY! We cheated a couple of times on HC3 and while it didn't cause us to gain, it definitely set us back on the weight loss. So it's not something to go hog-wild with, but it's not going to hurt us! The best alcoholic options are:
- Wines: - Anything Dry! The Dryer the better... Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet, maybe Pino Grigio... etc.
- Liquor: Best option is Vodka - Martinis, Vodka and Club Soda with Lime and even Flavored Vodkas are ok!
- NO BEER! Well it would have to be a treat, but Paul is not allowed to consume Gluten, so it looks like we will avoid beer, but we could try Red Brick Ale, if he must have beer...
After the first week, we can start to add in dairy! Only one serving per day... I LOVE Milk, so I will be getting my skim milk on, but we can also have cheese (low-fat, and non-processed). Kelly said low-fat string cheese and laughing cow cheese are good options for a small snack, and good for protein.
So the whole point of this phase is to get our metabolism, adrenals, and pituitary stable and working to our advantage. And the food recommendations also have a point as they don't want our blood sugar to spike, which causes hunger and bad habits! See the full diagram of "the point" below!
This weekend we are headed up to the North Carolina Smoky Mountains for the Labor Day Holiday and Paul and I are looking forward to widening our meal options as well as cutting loose a bit with a few drinks! YEAH!
HC3 Diet - We've Passed the Half-Way Mark
Paul and I have been on the HC3 Diet for about three and a half weeks now,passing the half-way point. Things are going well, but I must say, we are getting tired of the same stuff we've been eating and are ready for the reset phase when we can add more options into our diet!
Yesterday we met with Kelly Hall, our nutritionist at Optimum Health, and definitely had a lot more questions for her this time around! While we have continued to loose weight, we are planning to try a couple different things to pump up and keep the momentum!
We've had several temptations (alcoholic beverages mostly) that we just could not resist, we have generally stayed strong with the diet, and overall during those times didn't gain weight, just maintained. After the Bryan Adams evening, our ketone levels just dropped off, and so we had to build back up, but the rebound was definitely quick. Kelly was a bit concerned with me, as my eetone levels have continually stayed high, which would imply fat burning, so I should be dropping the weight faster, but weight loss seems to taper more and more as my ketones stay at a high level. It seems to be the case that it's better to be at a medium ketone level to really continually lose the weight. The main concern was that I am getting too acidic.
So, she is starting me with a half serving of Total Vegan on a daily basis to see if that puts me in a good place to lose more while still keeping the ketone levels moderated. It's kind of nice because the Total Vegan is Chocolate flavor, and I've missed chocolate!
The continual weight loss has been a huge motivating factor, we have about 2 weeks left and it's certainly possible that we could both drop another 15 pounds or so. We just need to keep focused on the long term goal. It's definitely worth feeling more energy and comfort with our bodies, and also seeing clothes that didn't fit us previously fit us now and even are too big!
Here is an image of the body composition analysis from July 26th and August 9th respectively. I know it's hard to read cause it's on thermal paper and the heat has gotten to it. I've outlined the main details below (first is mine and the second is Paul's) :
Body Composition: July 26 August 9th
- Weight 149.6lbs 145.0 lbs
- BMI 31.3 30.3
- Fat % 38.8% 34.7%
- Fat Mass 55.0 lbs 50.4 lbs
Desirable Range - Fat % 21-33 and Fat Mass 25.2-46.6lbs
Body Composition: July 26 August 9th
- Weight 234.6lbs 227.0 lbs
- BMI 34.6 34.5
- Fat % 39.2% 34.8%
- Fat Mass 92.0 lbs 79.0 lbs
Desirable Range - Fat % 8-20 and Fat Mass 12.8-37.0lbs
I'm very close to being within the desirable range, but definitely would prefer to be in the middle of that range with wiggle room up or down. Paul's got a little more to go, but has definitely made awesome progress! I get frustrated that he seems to have dropped so much more... but I guess that's the difference between girls and guys! Unfortunately we don't have details from the start date, but I have officially dropped 13 lbs total, and Paul has dropped 18 lbs total.
YEAH for Us!
Bryan Adam - Bare Bones in Peachtree City
Several months back Paul's client, Wyndham Peachtree City Conference Center, invited Paul and several guests to join in for an evening out to see Bryan Adams and to experience the amenities of the resort. We couldn't resist the offer and invited our friend's Desi and Tristan to join us! Desi and Tristan were married just over a month ago and their first dance was "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" by Bryan Adams, so it was a no-brainer about inviting them to join us.
I must say, Wyndham did it up right with a great pre-reception with delicious food and cocktails, a delightful golf cart ride to the amphitheater, an AMAZING concert, and a post-concert cocktail party. We all had a blast thanks to Wyndham!
Bryan Adams was amazing as well! His Bare Bones tour is an acoustic tour in which he is playing acoustic guitar accompanied by piano (depending on the song). He sounded great, and had a lot of character as well, he was definitely cracking jokes throughout the night!
Check out some pics from this awesome evening!
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And of course before the concert was over, Bryan Adams serenaded us with "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman"! Can't beat seeing that...Happy One Month Anniversary Desi and Tristan!
HC3 Diet - Week Two - The Mission to Stay On Track!
Although it was a struggle going through the end of the previous week and weekend without Paul's support and understanding of the temptations, we both came out of the first week with significant losses. Week 2 was going to be a challenge though! On Wednesday of this week, I would be traveling to Nashville, TN for work, so preparations had to be made.
The beginning of the week was going well and we were able to meet with the nutritionist on Tuesday. She was pleased with our results and we generally discussed questions we had, etc. I think one of my biggest questions for her was relative to moisturizers! I am an addict when it comes to lotion, and throughout this process we are not supposed to use lotions because of the oils, so I found a body shimmer spray I had and it doesn't have oil in it! YEAH! It certainly doesn't do what lotion would, but for an addict like me, it helps.
So Tuesday evening Paul and I had to get me ready to head up to Nashville! I called to hotel to check on getting a mini-fridge cause I was planning to bring all my meals! They assured me they would be able to accommodate, so it was meal planning time! We cooked up a bunch of chicken and shrimp! Both of which would be just as tasty warm as cold, so it would work out. We went out and bought a bunch of Tupperware, and of course I needed a scale to travel with! And I packed two small coolers worth of food! I was set!
I was being so good throughout the entire trip until the final night of the meeting in Nashville. They had a banquet with dinner and drinks! I ate the salad, with just vinegar, and even ate the main course which was chicken (which seemed ok cause it looked fairly oil-free), and luckily they had asparagus as the veggie. While it was probably a little more calories then I should have had, I was running around preparing for stuff so I figured it wasn't a big deal.
Cocktails started flowing for everyone at the meeting and I was SOOOO GOOD! I had club soda with lime the entire night (pretending it was a vodka tonic), but I did end up slipping during the after-party in downtown Nashville, where I had two real vodka tonics!
I was fairly concerned I may have screwed myself up, and this week the weight wasn't coming off so quickly as it was the first week, but come Saturday morning when we had to leave, I did my weigh-in and had dropped almost two pounds from the previous day, and my ketone levels were still fairly high! It was CRAZY!
Week Two Ended with a 3.8 lbs loss, for a total of 8lbs since the beginning! Not bad for a small slip!
