Colin Kaepernick, Color, and Other Distractions

Warning: Near the end of this post, things get "religious". You can skip that if you want, but I hope you don't. 

Some time ago, I was involved in a heated Facebook discussion. Tell you the truth, I can't even remember what the subject was. Race or sex or one of the other divisive issues that are trending recently.

There's a lot of heat and temper happening on every social media platform. Trump vs Clinton; black lives, white lives, all lives; straights vs gays; one religion or another; pro-choice, pro-life... On and on and on it goes. People are fussing and fretting and un-friending.

You know what the central theme in all of this is? Divisiveness.

What we all should be discussing is the one thing most of us are not discussing which is, who benefits from all this fussing?

My opinion? Whoever controls mainstream media, is happy to see that we are behaving like lemmings and following the latest "hot topic". Because, as long as we are snapping at each other over race and politics and sex, we aren't watching anything else going on around us.

Here are some things that I think we should be paying attention to (or wondering about):

• Scientists Explain Why Greenwich Prime Meridian Moved
• What this bit (from an article about the founder of Pokemon Go) means & why it doesn't bother people.

The technology and inner workings of the game also remain mysterious even to experts like Frank Lantz, the director of the New York University Game Center and one of the leading academics in the field. (my emphasis) [Source]

• Why no one I personally know seems to even know about CERN and it's LHC when even Stephen Hawking is said to be not generally pleased with it all. There's lots of information online about the LHC (but not on most Facebook timelines, hah!) and some of biased. Some is put out there by nervous, so-called 'conspiracy theorists' or 'nutcases', some is reported news about the project, and some of put out there by those who pooh-pooh the former. I just keep my eyes open, Trash-talk me if you want, but the CERN logo does creep the Christian in me out:

          Not to mention that odd "dance opera"


SYMMETRY - CERN dance-opera film (official trailer) from TRUTH.IO on Vimeo.
       

          (By the way, some more mainstream sources have reported on concerns about the LHC)

• Why the only people I know talking about the Mandela Effect only talk about the pop culture references. I'm more concerned with the references to the Scriptures. As far as I can tell, there are 4 groups of thought on the ME and Scripture: Some people think that the ME idea is being used to deceive believers by making them believe the Bible has been altered. Some people believe that there is definitely something to the idea that the ME has effected the Bible - or not. Some people are undecided. Most have not even paid any attention one way or the other because, well, you know, the Bible is not a big Facebook timeline feature. (I will explain what I think and why in a postscript.)
• Finally, I am wondering just why it is that we are being encouraged to focus on what divides us. 

News is news is news is news, I get that. Negative stuff happens that needs to be reported on. I get that. What I don't get is why there seem to be cycles of reporting that will focus so heavily on one negative or divisive issue until citizens are ready to attack each other. Think about stuff that dominated the news for a period of time, then dropped off the radar: Teacher-student sex, global warming; animal abuse; mothers killing their babies; parents leaving their kids in hot cars; celebrity sex tapes/photos, meltdowns, breakdowns, overall bad public behavior; Ebola; bullying and suicide because of bullying; workplace harassment; etcetera. Recently, we've had the zika virus and police-on-black crime. The last few days, all I've been hearing about is Chris Brown and the beauty queens - and that's just from opening my news app, not from reading People or US.

I have a big bone to pick with people that can't shut off their phones long enough to have a conversation with another person in their orbit. Some years back, my sister and I would shake our heads at two of our then tween-aged nieces because of their phone obsession. They could be sitting in the backseat of a small car together and you wouldn't hear a peep out of them because they texted everything. And it wasn't just a case of "the 'rents" being present; they just were hooked. These days, I see the same obsession among grown people. I think that some of them would need alcohol or a prescription to go four hours without a phone in their hands.

So, while we are busy posting photos and memes and jokes and useless crap - that means ZERO to our daily lives and actual relationships - other people (smart? devious? conniving?) are running the world. They are running the world and running us.

Here's my solution: how about the next time you get ticked off about something someone posted on a divisive issue, you change the subject to something we haven't talked to death?

People, people, my people -all my people - take your eyes off your phone, shut off your televisions, pause the gossip and smack talk for a minute and start your brains back up. 

Peace
--Free


P.S.:

I believe that some words have been changed in the KJV Bible. I have read my Bible cover to cover twice in my lifetime and I'm still unfamiliar with a lot of passages. I admit that my memory probably has failed me on some of the so-called Mandela Effected words. However, there are some things that I do not remember reading in my KJV (the one that I read cover to cover). Here are some of the ones that I will be asking others about:

1. I want to say (and did previously say) that I NEVER heard the phrase "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb: {Isaiah 11:6} or "the wolf and the lamb shall feed together" {Isaiah 65:25}, but my memory might be faulty on those. I do agree with others that it seems I only heard "lion" - not the wolf. Also, someone mentioned that it's common to hear of "lion and lamb" ministries and not anything to do with wolves. This is one that I really want to say that I know has changed, but I can't do so with a 100% certainty.
2. Luke 17:31 (I know that I know that I know I never saw the word "stuff" when I read this.)
3. Mark 13:10 (my Bible always read "preached" not "published")
4. Luke 19:23 is another I want to say I am sure of but I cannot. This is where "To the exchangers" now reads "into the bank". 
5. I'll just sit this one right here and let you know that I do believe I would have remembered reading this in 2Kings 18:27:

But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you? (my emphasis)

Because of who I am and how I think, I'm pretty sure I would have noticed that one.

There are 2 reasons that I believe changes could have been made and both come from Scripture. The first is Revelation 22:19

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

The other is Matthew 5:18 (think about meaning, not just the reading).

And since the Matthew 5:18 reference might make someone smirk (after all, the ME is about changing the Scripture, right?), I go on to Deuteronomy 11:18 and Proverbs 6:21 telling us to have God's Word written "on our hearts". Could it be we were told this because one day someone would try changing the words written on paper in our published Bibles?

Finally, I know that a lot of people will laugh and say that, boy some of those nutty Christians are at it with their conspiracy theories again. I don't mind getting laughed at for that because there always has been a conspiracy going on. From the minute Satan tempted Adam and Eve out of the garden, he's been trying to tempt all the rest of us out of reach of Heaven.

Do I think that man is able to change what has been printed in people's Bibles for all these years? No. Here is what I do think:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph 6:12)

See, I can go back to the Word of God for the answers I need, even when I don't get the answers I want. That's why my hope will always be in Him. The words printed on the paper in the book that is my Bible can change. The word of God that is written on my heart won't. I don't need to memorize every single Scripture because I have believed for a long time in the one that's most important to me:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God.

Notice it doesn't say "whosoever is perfect" or (fill in the blank - sinless, or straight, or white, or rich, or pretty, or thin, or smart, etc.) whatever else.

Peace
--Free

Low-Carb Eating Helps (and a personal note)

Getting used to living a low-carb lifestyle is challenging. It's not that I don't like the food choices (now that I'm finding all of them), but that there's so much hidden information. I can't wait until the new nutrition labeling kicks in. From what I understand, the new labels will be larger and much clearer with data.

For now, I am using the various sources online to plan my meals and snacks and to keep myself informed and motivated. I wanted to share these with you so here they are:

• A carb guide intended for diabetics 1. Includes lots of useful info.
• A food exchange list 1 that has lots of nutrition info.
• Printable low-carb grocery shopping list 1 (source page)
• Keto grocery list 1
• Bunch of Pins with low-carb shopping list ideas
• Low Carbe Diem is a great info resource (recipes, tips, etc.)
• Ditch the Carbs site

I will be adding to/updating this post often, so check back.

On a personal note, I want to mention (again) that low-carb eating helps the body weigh less but doesn't lighten the pocketbook. Now that I am watching the carbs, I find that I have eliminated a lot of impulse grocery buying. Better food and less food seems to be a theme on this diet.

Not only is it easier to eat better on this 'diet', but I find I'm more fulfilled with less food. Prior to going low-carb, I was constantly hungry - either for a good meal or for something to snack on. In the past few days, I am having to remind myself to eat something. My snacks are smaller and I'm drinking more and more water.

As of today - almost 4 weeks into this lifestyle - I still haven't lost a significant amount of weight, but I feel better. I was almost discouraged that I've only gone down about 9 pounds total because I've heard the stories of other people dropping twice that amount in half the time. Now I am realizing that I'm not adhering as strictly to the regimen. Also, I'm older than most of the people I read about (and not nearly as physically active) so I'm cutting myself some slack. My clothes fit better and I am seeing some progress. The main positive is that I like this way of eating because of the way it makes me feel. The greater weight loss will come (especially when I drag my tail to the gym), but I'm happy with even a slow progress.

I hope some of this is helpful for you. I will be posting some reviews in the next couple of days, then I'll be back to sharing recipes and tips for low car.

Peace
--Free

**RECIPE** No-Carb BLT from Delish

I'm doing well with my low-carb regimen. I'm not losing a lot of pounds, scale-wise, but I am starting to see great changes in how my clothes fit. Also, I can see the weight loss in my face. Time will tell how much I like that last bit!

My only criticism of this eating regimen has been repetitive meals. That's mostly because it's not yet time for me to do my grocery shopping and my 'old' groceries were not chosen for this diet. Good news is that my shopping list has shrunk. A lot.

Today, my niece scored so many points by finding this recipe from Delish. It's a "No-carb BLT", and it tastes SO good.

I had to make a quick store run for more bacon (because I eat so much of it), and I grabbed a couple more ingredients to make this BLT. I was starving, by the way. Of course, I didn't write down the video recipe (just went off the images), so this is what my recipe ended up as:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a ripe avocado
• 1 1/2 Tbls full fat mayo
• 1/4 of a tomato (I used a hothouse one from Walmart)
• 6 slices of bacon, cooked to medium crispiness
• 3 leaves of  romaine lettuce

Instructions:

1. I sliced the tomato into medium sized "fingers" & mixed the avocado and mayo together with a fork.
2. I spread the mayo-cado mix onto the lettuce leaf, added some tomato, then topped it with bacon.

Best of all is that I didn't even need to use any seasonings because the bacon was seasoned enough.

I chowed on this so hard that I almost chewed one of my own fingers! It's a little bit messy because of the mayo-cado (especially if you dollop on too much like I did) but, oh man, is it a good dish.

Like I said, I was starving hungry, but I managed to get one good photo before I finished all of it off:

This is probably the best thing I've eaten since going low-carb. Man! 

To be honest, I will probably use the mayo-cado mix on other things - sausage or burger patties. 

Apparently, avocados don't keep well once ripened. In order to save money, I guess I will have to preserve some of them by tightly bagging them up with lemon juice. In the future, I will only by small quantities of unripe 'cados (or just go snag a couple of ripe ones as I need them). 

By the way, I think I mentioned in a previous post that one of my favorite low-carb snacks is cheese and olives. While I was at Costco today, I was able to taste these today. Costco (Anchorage, AK) price was $5.69 which isn't bad at all. Very, very yummy and I don't normally do near anything with jalapeno peppers. They aren't even that spicy (at least the heat doesn't last long), plus I eat mine with little pieces of mild cheddar cheese.

So, there you go. I hope that this is helpful for anyone trying to cut down on the carbs. Next post, I will share some recipes that I am collecting from some other online buddies.

Peace
--Free

**RECIPE** Fat Bombs for Beginners

Fat bombs are SO good!!! The ones I learned to make tonight might be just what I need to get myself into ketosis. (I've been struggling with the coffee creamer habit a bit...)

First, let me say that this is not my recipe. There are a ton of recipes for fat bombs all over Pinterest and the keto sites, but this one was so easy that I was tossing my first batch into the freezer after about 15 minutes. I checked well before the suggested 30 minutes and they were 'set' enough for me to try one and bag the rest for later.

Some recipes I found sound great but got too complicated for me as a beginner. They wanted to talk about grass-fed this and special something or other that... The one I linked to up there was one I could work with right away. No need for trips to the store for special groceries. That ignorant acting lady said it best:

Two of the ingredients I used really worked my nerves, but my bombs still taste great. First, was a natural peanut butter I bought a few days ago. When I say this stuff is 'natural', I'm serious. The only way it could be any more natural is if they just bottled the peanuts with a mortar and pestle. All the oil was sitting on the top in the jar and the nut butter was stuck to the bottom like a solid concrete turd. I ended up pouring the entire thing out into a bowl so that I could try blending it without slopping oil all over the place. (By the way, a mortar and pestle would have come in handy at that point!)

Once I got the peanut butter into a semi-smooth state, the rest was easy. Of course, the only sweetener I have around (other than honey, which a temporary no-no) is some packets of Truvia, some raw sugar (another no-no for now), and some Skinny Girl stevia which I am kicking myself for buying just because it was on sale. All stevia is not created equal in taste, I can tell you that.

This is what my first fat bombs turned out looking like:

I'm gonna learn to add peanut butter to the middle
for a homemade "Reese's Cup" style

Not too thin or thick. Adding some almonds or cashews on top would be fun.

Yeah, I'm pretty pleased with this newbie effort. The bombs taste great (even a friend of ours agreed they were delish) and, now that I know what I'm doing, I will only make slight changes for the next batch. I'll definitely go heavier on the peanut butter (wish I could try almond or cashew butter), and I will add more cacao powder and cayenne. Also, topping the bombs with single almonds would be classy, don't you think?

I can't really taste that disgusting Stevia as much as I expected to. I only used around 15 drops anyway, but I think I can go lighter on it if I add more peanut butter. I don't mind a dark chocolate flavor, though.

By the way, I did cut down the recipe that was posted. Here is what I have for the full recipe & the halved version:

For those of you who are wondering about the reasoning behind using fat bombs for weight loss well, this is the quick and dirty that I found someone and stored in a file:

When in ketosis, the body burns stored fat for energy, which results in weight loss. Fat bombs provide a quick snack that enable people to keep up their energy.

Well, I start with the fat bombs tomorrow & I also will be giving up my beloved Almond Joy creamer for a minute (so pray for me!), but I'm excited for the results. Of course, I will be back to update you guys.

Peace

--Free

Confession:

When I tried my second fat bomb of the night, I added a dollop of peanut butter to the top. Talk about the yum yums!

**VIDEO REVIEW** Sandalwood Oil from New York Biology

My YouTube channel is pathetically unknown, but I need to start doing more video reviews. Two reasons:

1. A lot of brands prefer video reviews, so I will get the chance to try more products if I develop a YouTube presence.
2. I'm going to have to start promoting my Amazon author page in the coming months.  YouTube will reach more people than just the blog posts.

I'm not thrilled. I feel extremely self-conscious and silly talking to my webcam. Also, I've seen how mean video commenting can get. I guess I will just have to grow a tougher hide.

Anyway, check out my video review of New York Biology's Sandalwood Oil. 

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE:DISCLOSURE:

In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free or at a discount. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

Confusion: Low-Carb/High-Fat vs Low-Carb/High-Protein (lots of links)

There is a bit of confusion for me as I'm nearing the end of Week 3 of the low-carb situation. Someone emailed me and gave me some clarification. So... I've had to regroup.

First, I started out doing a low-carb/high-protein diet. I lost weight and felt better, but wanted to kick-start the whole ketosis thing. I made a first attempt at an "egg fast", which was wonderful (as far as results) but I didn't realize it was a low-carb/high-fat regimen. I simply didn't think about it.

Second, like I said, I am seeing weight loss, though not as much as I would like. Today I realized that I may be switching up on the eating regimens so much that they are canceling out one another. Apparently, I'm sharing company with a lot of other confused folks.

Egg fast with lots of butter and bacon = low-carb/high-fat.

Normal eating with lots of meat, skipping/cutting back on starches - low-carb/high-protein.

I believe my body is as confused as my mind is so I've decided to take a look at meal ideas for the different types of plans. Maybe clearing things up for myself this way will help someone else!

The first thing I had to do was decide which plan I was going to adopt for a daily for-the-rest-of-my-life eating plan. It sure has to be something I can live with ("live with", get it?) and the prolonged high-protein plan is not for me.

"Prolonged high-protein diets are possibly unhealthy for your kidney or your liver." (source)

That piece of advice is a no-brainer and it's been pointed out to me by doctors who treated my family members.

On the other hand, protein is very important. Since it's protein I'm trying to learn to use properly for weight loss, I decided to keep reading that source article for more info. I only had to glance up one space and there was the answer:

"When adopting a low-carb diet, it’s recommended to aim for 60-70% calories from fat, 15-35% from protein and 5-15% from carbs. Making your protein 60-70% (essentially an Atkin’s diet) leaves very little room for fats, and thus is not recommended." (my emp)

Okay, so that is where I might have been going wrong in my first days. I was loading up on proteins, and trying to completely avoid carbs and fats. Then on my egg fasting days, I was going nuts with only fat and protein. No wonder the MyFitnessPal daily breakdown was always out of whack.

Using the above-mentioned guidelines, I taking some pressure off my kidney and liver. Also, I'll be giving myself more room to meal plan because I can work with that amount of carbs and fats.  Let's face it, when there are carbs even in some spices and seasonings, you're going to miss out on lots of flavor somewhere!

Going by these guidelines, I looked at what kinds of meals I could put together for myself. Keep in mind that I have to share a kitchen so I don't spend as much time there as I'd like. So, when it comes to feeding myself, I need simple, quick and (preferably) pre-planned menus. I want to get in, do my thing, then get out of the way.

Based on my weight and activity level, I've mapped out 1800 calories a day for myself. Using the guidelines I just mentioned, I've come up with this as my daily goal:

Meal Ideas that will work best for me look something like this, which is hard to see, I know. It's a really sucky photo, but maybe if you squint. If not, it's bascially a lot of eggs, bacon, and low carb taco bread.

Looka there. Just 1 carb over my limit, but that sodium.... Yikes. I'm trying to compensate for when I go that high on my sodium by drinking extra amounts of water. However, my blood pressure readings are still great. That might have to do with that fact that I'm no longer smoking. Yay, me!

Of course, I can't do the same thing every day. Well, I could, but I don't wanna. I am learning to switch things up with the groceries I still have left for the month - even though I have had to go back to Costco for eggs and bacon.

That freaking sodium! Damnit!

Okay, I only have to persist for a couple more weeks, then I can be smarter with my next grocery-shopping list. So far, it's looking something like this:

• Eggs (yep, because they are going to be a staple!)
• Cheese (sharp & medium cheddar, and goat's milk, but not too much b/c of the calories.)
• Veggies that I will buy in small quantities throughout the month for freshness/lack of waste. Also, I need to watch my budget. (Spinach, broccoli, lot of cucumbers for my water, asparagus, tomatoes, sweet peppers, avocados, and my beloved collard greens and kale.)
• Nuts (again, not many b/c of calories, but I love sunflower seeds for snacking!)
• Peanut butter (I've found a great recipe for a peanut butter shake that I can't wait to try.)
• Almond milk (instead of my delicious Silk Vanilla Soy. (See the chart below)
• I already have some of the best organic cacao powder around, courtesy of a review I recently did.
• I also have olive oil, red palm oil, and plenty of coconut oil.
• Coconut Milk

source

Apparently, milk choices depends of individual dietary needs. I'm way more concerned about carbs than I am fat, so I can even use heavy cream in some cases.

source

That peanut butter milkshake is going to be on point! LOL

Once I get through this month and get started on some well thought out meals, I will feel better about my eating regimen. I can't believe that as recently as 40 days ago, I was hitting the stores buying bags and bags of those flavored mashed potatoes (fully loaded, buttered, etc.), and instant soups by the case. No wonder I was swelling up like a black blueberry Wonka chick!

Oh - just for the latest on the weight, so far, I'm down a total of 7 pounds. In the last few weeks, I've lost and gained a couple, but I'm proud of my progress. Also, 7 pounds might not sound like a lot, but I can tell big time when I look at myself naked. Ay yi yi! My face is losing the chubbiness and my clothes are starting to feel more comfortable, probably because most of the loss is in my gut. First to come, first to go.

Here are links to some of the sources I'm using to develop menus and grow into my low carb lifestyle.

• Low carb veggies list
• Recipe Analyzer (an invaluable tool!)
• Food Search - for nutrition info (from same site)
• Low carb beginner's guide
• Keto beginner's guide
• MyFitnessPal (I live by this now & there is also a phone app that syncs w/my online data)

This isn't the complete list. Maybe I will put on together at some point. In the meantime, I want to thank Steve, who emailed to help me correct what I was doing wrong. There is also a former co-worker on Facebook who shared some tips. I will ask her permission to share them in another post.

For now, folks, the journey continues. Hope you keep up with me while I ride this out.

Peace

--Free

P.S.:

I have to emphasis how important it is to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. When losing weight and working any way to get into shape, the skin will get nuts if it feels neglected. I'm happy to say that my skin is looking and feeling marvelous.

Shalimar (the fragrance) Has a Brother & I Love Him

Shalimar perfume was once my scent. Not just the perfume, but even the EDT and the lotions smelled amazing on my body. Shalimar, my sweet Shalimar... I owned it, rocked it, and wore it so well that I should have been a Guerlain spokeswoman.

Then, hormones.

When I turned the age corner from 35 to 36 or 37, I noticed my Shalimar didn't smell quite the same. Actually, it smelled just as wonderful as always - for about two hours. Then, nothing. Always before then, it was at the 2-hour mark that the fragrance was starting to work a third-level of magic. Those undernotes in the potion would go from spicy and start to get mellower and kind of smoky.

By the time, I hit 40, I had to give up on Shalimar. The perfume still worked for me. Mostly. Thing is, the perfume is pricier than I could splurge on that often.

I played with some other scents, trying to find any one of them that made me feel the way Shalimar once had. And, believe me, with fragrance, it is so much about the feeling. When I wore Shalimar, I felt beautiful and sexy. I felt empowered by my own femininity. That may sound strange, but it's true. No matter what clothes I wore or how I styled my hair and makeup, I just didn't feel completely "finished" until I dabbed on, spritzed on, or smoothed on my Shalimar.

The first other fragrance I kind-of-sort-of loved after Shalimar was Dior's Dune. I really liked it a lot, but it didn't take away my grief over Shalimar.

Then I met Flori Robert's Gold fragrance. Oh, mercy. It's as if the heavens opened up and breathed out golden sunshine. Once again, I felt like I had found my soul's aroma. That latest for about 2 years and then, I will be damned if Gold was no more.

What is it about wonderful things like the perfect fragrance or a really good makeup product? Is there a demon of the vanities that decides when to slap us with reality by discontinuing something we love?

Whatever.

Everyone knows what they feel like when something they love is discontiued.

Since then, I have never had a "signature scent". I like Viva la Juicy (a lot), Donna Karan's Cashmere, Kenzo's Flowers, and another Gold scent that I lost my tester tube of so I don't know who brands it. I like a lot of scents, but I have never been in love with one again since Shalimar and Flori Robert's Gold. I became perfume celibate.

Then, I was reading about how a lot of femme scents have matching Homme scents (and, no I don't care if I just mangled that all up). I started to wonder if Shalimar had a matching "brother" scent. And, here, folks, is where life gets weird...

This is apparently the brother scent of Shalimar:

I even like the bottle

That is Habit Rouge. Which happens to have been the favorite scent of one of my biggest celebrity crushes ever. This man:

via GIPHY
Makes me sweat.

OK, that's when he was young and so were we. He still had that charisma when he got a bit older.

via GIPHY

The saddest thing is, he never lived to reach middle age with the rest of us.

Still, you know a man is hot when he's been gone from this earth for something like 20 years and women still swoon at the mention of his name. Just take a look at the teenagers on Tumblr who crush on the man.

via GIPHY

Go ahead. Swoon a little. I'll wait.

Anyway, I heard about the fragrance matching Shalimar a while before I learned my late crush had favored it. And it smells ah-may-zing.

Now, I will wear a fragrance meant for men. Fahrenheit is a favorite of mine, but only because I like the way it smells, period. I love Habit Rouge because of the way it smells on me. Isn't it just crazy the power scents and smells hold over us? They evoke all kinds of emotions and memories.

If you ever wanted a fragrance that compliments Shalimar, Habit Rouge is the one.

Peace
--Free

Bulletproof Coffee & Egg Fasting (UPDATE)

***UPDATE*** So... I was supposed to be starting the fast yesterday. Guess what? Had a baby shower to attend. Ended up being at the party for over 4 hours. We had a really good time, and I barely ate anything (and skipped the cake, thank you very much), but I missed almost all my egg meals. Starting the fast over today.

Okay, folks. I'm really excited about the results that I'm seeing on this low-carb regimen. Here is what my weight loss numbers look like since I got the hang of this:

August 1st to 9th - down 4lbs
August 9th to 13th - down another 2lbs
So... 6 pounds in 13 days. Not including the couple pounds lost and re-gained somewhere in that time.

I slid off the wagon on the 10th thru today so I'm not sure how I went down another 2lbs in that time frame! I'm not just climbing back on, but jumping back on the wagon with an egg fast. I hope to do the fast for 4 to 5 days, but y'all know me. I might give up before then. However, I started off well this morning.

There are several places online that discuss/describe egg fasting- like here,  here, and here  (Kaylah's video) - and I have come up with the following for mine:

• A minimum of 6 & a maximum of 10 eggs per day - boiled, scrambled, sunnyside, or however.
• With each egg eaten, also have 1 Tbls of healthy fat (unsalted butter, organic coconut oil, etc) - OR 1oz of full-fat cheese.
• 6oz of full-fat cheese should be eaten each day - either with the eggs or solo. (If you need too break the no food3 hours before bed rule, make sure to save a bit of that cheese to snack on.)
• You can have up to 1 can of diet soda per day. (I prefer having 2 cans of mineral water with a squirt of flavored water enhancer.)
• Very helpful if you can avoid low carb sweeteners, fiber, hot sauce (man!), fresh herbs, condiments - or at least keep the total to under 5g per day. I think this is for carb restriction (?)
• Try to increase potassium, magnesium, and Vitamin C during meals. (I take a multi-vitamin and use a magnesium oil spray.)

Some meal ideas that were given are:

• Egg yolks with sugar-free mayo
• Eggs scrambled in coconut oil
• Eggs devilled with cheese
• Boiled egg with warm with butter (this is my favorite because it's easiest)

I love eggs, but eating so many a day for so many days in a row... Boring! Still, I'm going to look at this like a challenge.

The part of this diet that I like (and that I think I added) is to nurse a "bulletproof coffee" all day. When I give the recipe I found for this coffee you will see why I don't think it's something I could (or should) do on a regular basis. It's perfect for the eggs fast days though because I'm avoiding most other beverages than water. Here's the recipe I cobbled from more than one source, including this one:

• 2 cups black, unflavored coffee
• 2 Tbls unsalted butter (I don't have the recommended "grass fed" type. I don't think.)
• 2 Tbls Organic Coconut Oil (or something called MCT)
• 1 Tbls heavy cream (if you want)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon (I use Ceylon cinnamon)
• Emulsify all this in a blender (I use a stick blender)

I add a 1/2 tsp of cacao powder and half a packet of Truvia. Because, me.

Let me tell you, I thought that this sounded SO gross. I do like a little bit of coconut oil in my coffee, but butter? Ugh, right? Well, it's not bad. Matter of fact, one of the reasons I don't use coconut oil more often in my coffee is that I have to be in the mood for the oily taste. Now I know the magic of emulsification. I don't feel any of the oil in my mouth. At all. The vanilla and cacao powder really deepen the flavor to the point that I could do without the sweetener. If I wanted to. Ha!

So that is the egg fast plan I'm attempting. Of course, I'm not a medical (or any other type of health) professional, so I'm only sharing my experiences with you - not advice.

mine looks similar

By the way, I found an article about reasons not to drink bulletproof coffee. Wikipedia helps me understand the concept of  bulletproof or "brain fuel" coffee. By the way, in some cases, I should be typing Bulletproof Coffee. This stuff has become a brand, an industry, and a pretty trendy thing.

I will be checking in to show how the weight is going. It's going to go up or down. Let's hope or down!

Peace

--Free

Postscript:

I got all the information about the fasts and the coffee from too many sources to cite, but I credit I Breathe, I'm Hungry for a super cool blog name and the starting point for most of the information I have. Also, Healthdaddy  and Authority Nutrition are a couple of my go-to sources.