Fat Loss Plate

The fat loss plate has to be my favorite thing about Food Lovers. Food Lovers teaches you how to proportion your food in a way that will let your body lose weight rather than gain. The plates are all about proteins and carbs. Each plate needs one protein. There are 2 types of carbs; slow and fast. I think of it as slow carbs are the good foods; veggies, greens, beans, berries (yay berries). Fast carbs are the bad (but oh-so-good); sweet fruits, potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, candy, alcohol.

There are 3 types of plates;
A: 1 portion protien + 1 portion FAST carb + 1 portion SLOW carb
B: 1 portion protein + 3 portion SLOW carb
C: 1 portion protein + 1 portion FAST carb

Today, I had a C plate for my breakfast eggs and toast. I could have made it an A plate, which would have been better if I would have added a cup of berries.

This diet way of life claims to let you eat anything you want. It is true to some extent. If you want a piece of cake you can have a 100-200 calorie slice for your snack. But just know that its not going to fill you up as almonds, or something else could. If you want to maximize your weight loss the food lovers gives you lists of foods that are best for your snacks to keep you in fat burning mode. It also teaches you what kinds of ingredients you wont want to eat, one of those being enriched flour. One of my favorite things to eat is white shells and cheese. Or heck, any pasta. But most pastas and breads are enriched. This means it takes a lot to get you full. Wheat pastas/breads fill you up much more, and they don't taste bad either. Start eating wheat, you wont regret it! (But be sure to read that wheat label, sometimes they still use enriched/bleached flour.)

Getting Skinny!

Back in May I started doing Food Lovers Fat Loss System with my aunt. I lost 20 pounds before I went on vacation and didn't really have access to the foods I needed to eat. (Like walking downtown seattle, and going to subway because I cant find a market, and eating the entire sub because its enriched bread and not filling) Anywho, this got me off track, and then with the summer heat I just didn't feel like exercising. My Aunt and I decided that once we reached our goals we needed a beach vacay! So Florida it is in June. Which means I have about 5 months, and a lot of weight to lose!

I got my Food Lovers books back out today, and am going to read through them again. This morning I had a great breakfast to start my day. I wont mention that I didn't eat until I had been up for 3 hours, or that I didn't add my cup of berries to my breakfast. I'd say it was a great start!

Yum, eggs! And 2 Cups water :)

Today I am changing my lifestyle. I am going to use Food Lovers to help me get my eating back on track. And I am going to start exercising every day. I have so many exercising options that I could do something different every day of the week if I wanted. So NO excuses. If you want to learn more about Food Lovers head over to the diet free page, where I will link up all my posts on the subject. If you have any questions, feel free to ask I can check my books for things :) 

Review - The Saga of Darren Shan Books 10-12

Because I have read these last books so quickly I have decided to put them all into 1 last post.
Check out what I thought of the previous books

Book 10 The Lake of Souls
In the tenth book Darren and Harkat get a visit from Mr. Tiny, it is time for Harkat to find out who he was in his previous life. Harkat wants to go alone so Darren can stay and fight the War of Scars, but Darren will not let Harkat travel alone, and goes with him. During this adventure they run into panthers, snakes, dragons, and many other monstrous creatures. They travel to the Lake of Souls to retrieve Harkat Moulds body. When they fish out his body they cannot believe their eyes...

Book 11 Lord of the Shadows
There were many twists and turns in this book. The War of Scars brings Darren back to his hometown. He meets up with Vancha, Debbie, and Alice in order to get ready for the battle with Steve. I don't want to go into too much detail and give anything away. This wasn't the best book for me. There was a lot of suspense, but I was always guessing what was going to happen, and 9 times out of 10 I was correct. This made it not a great book for me, but it was still ok, and worth reading.

Book 12 Sons of Destiny
*Spoiler Alert* I was a little disappointed with the ending of the saga. Throughout the books Destiny Darren or Steve were to become the Lord of the Shadows(an evil being that would destroy the world and everyone in it for power). Darren wanted to win the War of Scars, and therefore must kill Steve. But Darren does not want to become the Lord of Shadows, so he lets Steve kill him as Steve is dying. (Mr. Tiny is furious, because this is not one of the visions of future he saw) Evana the witch, Mr. Tiny's daughter brings back Darren and Mr. Tiny makes him a little person. Their idea is that Darren, as a little person, will go scare off Darren when he first comes to the cirque, so that he will not overhear Steve, and not steal Mr. Crepsley's spider, therefore making none of the other events happen. Although none of anything you read will now happen to Darren Shan, someone random person will be put into his spot and go through all the same things Darren went through. This was disappointing because it was similar to "and then I woke up from a dream"

Overall I would still recommend reading the Darren Shan Saga, it is a very interesting story. I have never ready anything like it.

Review - Killers of the Dawn

Book 9 in The Saga of Darren Shan

Once the hunters are safe from the vampaneze, above ground in daylight, everything changes. They are in all sorts of trouble. Then entire town thinks Darren and his friends are killing the towns people. They must escape the mad people during the day, and at night hunt the vampaneze once again to kill their Lord. One gives up his life to kill the Lord. After the vampaneze leave, Steve (Darrens ex-bff and half-vampaneze) lets Darren in on a little secret -they didn't really kill the Lord, he was a decoy!

The suspense in this book was great. I could kind of tell what was going to happen at the end though, but it was a great book. And leaves you wanting to find out where the real Lord has taken off to, and if Darren will find him. And if Darren will revenge the death of his closest vampire friend.
              Want to know what I thought of Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 5, Book 6, Book 7, Book 8 ?

Review - Allies of the Night

Book 8 in The Saga of Darren Shan

After leaving the Cirque Du Freak the hunters decide to go back to Mr. Crepsley's hometown (while Vancha goes back to Vampire Mountain to let everyone know what they have found out). Once they have settled in, and their routine was in place (hunting for vampaneze at night in the tunnels) they get a house visit from a school inspector who tells Darren he must attend school or the police will come after him.
Darren runs into 2 very important people from his past (his ex, and his best friend Steve) who help him on his quest to kill the Lord of the Vampaneze.
They find where the vampaneze are hiding, and while fighting Steve reveals who he really is. The vampaneze let them escape and give them a head start of fleeing, although they had no idea why.

This book leaves you wanting more, just like the rest! Stay tuned to find out what happens once the vampires escape.
              Want to know what I thought of Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 5, Book 6, Book 7 ?

Review - Hunters of the Dusk by Darren Shan

Book 7 in The Darren Shan Saga

This book takes place 6 years after Darren has become a Vampire Prince. The not so well liked and scary Mr. Tiny shows up at the mountain with more news. He informs the clan 3 hunters must go out and look for the vampaneze lord, but only these 3 -no more, no less. The only other advice he gives is to follow their heart and they will have 4 more chances. If they do not succeed 2 of them will die, and then the war will go on and the vampaneze will win. The 3 chosen are Darren, Mr. Crepsley, and another Prince who is just being introduced in this book. Harkart, the Little Person, also chooses to go along with them.
Because they are to follow their hearts, the first place they go is back to the cirque du freak. It is here that they find a small group of vampaneze, and kill them. While 2 of them get away, one of which they found out later was the vampaneze lord.
When will they have another chance to kill him? Will they find him? Where will they travel next? How will he be disguised next time?
This book leaves you with a lot of questions as to what will happen next in Darren's journey.

              Want to know what I thought of Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 5, Book 6?

Review - The Vampire Prince by Darren Shan

Book 6 in The Darren Shan Saga

I was dying to now what happened when Darren was escaping so I read this book in just a couple hours (I did mention they are super easy reads, right?).

This book picks up right where Trials of Death left off. Darren is fighting for his life, falling down the mountains stream. When he finally makes it to a bank his wolf friend find him and take him to the pack to nurse him back to health. They then make their way back to Vampire Mountain to warn the vampires their is a traitor amongst them, and the vampaneze are in their mountain. A search party is made, and they find the vampaneze. There is a battle. Traitor is punished. And then Darren's fate is decided. Does he die because he failed the trails AND ran away? Or does he live because he showed how brave he was by coming back, standing up to the traitor, and fighting in the vamapaneze war.

               Want to know what I thought of Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 5?  

 

Review -Trials of Death by Darren Shan

Book 5 of The Saga of Darren Shan

Oh. My. Gosh. Best book so far!! 

This book starts right where Vampire Mountain left off, with the Trials. A lot happens in this book. Darren must complete 5 Trials. Some of the trials have been taken out, because Darren is not a full vampire, and does not have the ability to do some of them. The trials work as so: pick the trial, time to prepare, attempt the trial, rest period, repeat. I don’t want to give too much away, but he must complete each trial, if not he will be taken to the hall of death. Darren learns there is a traitor among the vampires, but we don’t know if he will be able to tell anyone. This book ends in a GIANT cliff-hanger. Unlike the rest of the books, which all had clear endings.

The library doesn’t have the next book in, so I have to wait to find out what happens :(
               Want to know what I thought of Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4?  

Review - Vampire Mountain by Darren Shan

Book 4 in The Saga of Darren Shan

Six years have passed since the events in Tunnels of Blood. Eight years total since Darren has been blooded by Mr. Larten Crepsley. The Vampire Council is gathering soon Darren and Larten must go to Vampire Mountain, where the vampires gather in the caves and tunnels inside. They are accompanied by 2 Little People(one named Lefty by Evra and Darren because of his limp). On the dangerous trek to the mountain they encounter new friends and a bear who wants to rip him to pieces. The Little People have never spoken before, but Lefty (who has always been very friendly and nice to Darren) speaks, and tells Darren and Larten his Master, Mr. Tiny has sent a message for the Vampire Prince’s about a person who will lead the vampanaze to war (and victory) against the vampires.

Once at the mountain they are greeted by Mr. Crepsley’s mentor, Seba and a new friend Kudra who will soon become a Vampire Prince, and Arra one of the few female vampires. They go to a council meeting who decide that Darren must prove himself as a vampire by passing the Trials of Initiation (due to the fact the Mr. Crepsley blooded a child which is a big no-no). Darren agrees to the trials, and later finds out that if he fails a trial it means death -there is no turning back.

This book was similar to the 3rd in that there was not a lot of action. We learned even more about the vampire clan, as well as new characters who were introduced. Shan told a lot about the Vampire Mountain. This book was a set up for the next book -where Darren must prove himself with the trials. -Can’t wait to read it :)
               Want to know what I thought of Book 1, Book 2, Book 3? 

Review -Tunnels of Blood by Darren Shan

Book 3 in The Saga of Darren Shan

Mr. Crepsley is found by an old friend, Gavner Purl, after their secret meeting Mr. Crepsley informs Darren they are going to leave the cirque for the time being. Darren brings along his friend Evra, as if it were a vacation. Darren and Evra are free to do as they please while Mr. Crepsley is sleeping. One night while Mr. Crepsley is out they watch the news which reports the finding of 6 dead humans, all drained of their blood. Believing it is Mr. Crepsley they start to tail him each night, until one night when is seems he is going to kill an innocent man. Darren jumps into the rescue, only to find a mad vampaneze was who Mr. Crepsley was actually following. (Vampaneze are vampire’s who always kill the humans they are going to drink from) The vampaneze runs off, and kidnaps Evra on his way out. Mr. Crepsley believes Evra is dead, and the vampaneze long gone. Darren does not agree -Evra is his best friend, he must be alive. Darren must now risk his life -and others- to try and find his best friend, and outsmart the wild vampaneze.

This book was a little slow going with the action because we learned a lot about the history of vampires, and of the vampaneze. All in all it was still a great book, and the information really put things together.

..on to the next book!
               Want to know what I thought of Book 1, Book 2?

Review - The Vampire’s Assistant by Darren Shan

Book 2 in The Saga of Darren Shan.

I was dying to know what happened in the book -if it followed the movie, or went a different way. I think we all know the answer -went a different way. It is so much better though, but of course it is.

Darren is now Mr. Crepsley’s assistant, a half vampire. Mr. Crepsley urges Darren to drink from humans, he needs it to survive and even though Darren does not have to kill his victims, he will not drink their blood. He wants to keep his humanity. They decide to travel with the Cirque du Freak so Darren can have some friends. He bunks with the snake boy, Evra who becomes his closest friend. Darren also meets two humans -Sam and RV. Sam becomes close to Darren. Sam wants to join the circus, and RV finds out some information he decides to deal with on his own, which puts himself and Sam in great danger.

Another great read. I can’t wait to read books 3 and 4.. I am dying to know what happens next.
               Want to know what I thought of Book 1?

Review - A living Nightmare by Darren Shan

Have you watched the movie Cirque du Freak? I have, and after I watched it I immediately looked for a second movie, but to my surprise there wasn’t one. That is when I started looking, and hoping, I would find a book series.

I found it. The Saga of Darren Shan. (Or Cirque du Freak series)

The first book of 12 *gasp* is Cirque du Freak -A living Nightmare. I read it fairly quickly. These books are teen/young adult level so they are a very easy read.

Darren was a normal kid. His friend found a flyer for a freak show, they went. Steve had saw one of the performers before -in his vampire book. Darren stole his performing spider, Madame Octa (he had a thing for spiders). Steve wasn’t a fan, and Madame Octa bit him. She was poisonous. Only one person knew how to cure Steve. Darren goes to Mr. Crepsley(the vampire), and asks for help. In return for the antidote Mr. Crepsley wants Darren to become his assistant.

Do you say yes, give up half your life to save your best friend?

Go ahead, read the book. Its better than the movie! ;)

Starting a Blog

The day has finally come -I have started a blog. Blogs have always amazed me, and I love reading what people have to say. Whether it is a delicious recipe, a review of a product I’m looking into, or just something random from someones day to day life. There are a lot of amazing blogs out there that have inspired me to start writing my own. I hope that one day, I will be able to inspire others. 

I have set up this blog in order to take you on my day to day journey(if you want to follow), document my weight loss, and share with you the program I am following and love! Post my favorite recipes, reviews of books that I read throughout the year (right now I'm reading the Cirque Du Freak series, its great and way better than the movie -of course) and help businesses by holding blog giveaways, posting product reviews, etc. 

I imagine getting started with my blog will be a pretty slow process, but I cannot wait to see where it takes me!