Weight Loss Update

So far I am down 30 pounds. It has been rough lately, but I am determined to get my life into an organized schedule so I have time for exercising everyday. I am going on a "skinny" trip in June, so I've got to melt away this tummy of mine! I started the Couch to 5K program last week, but then got sick so I wasn't able to do the entire week so I am starting over on week one this week. I will post about what the C25K program is, as well as the schedule. I am also going to get the 30 Day Shred, and plan on doing that until June!

Are you having success with any workout programs? I'd love to hear about them :)

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?