It's the end of the holidays.....

The end of the holidays are HERE! Time to get serious about health and beauty. Well, I have one more day..........

I would like to start posting some low carb, healthy recipes and ideas for meals. One of my favorite breakfasts is two eggs ( I eat the whole egg, just the whites would be a better choice) fried in a pan with Pam cooking spray. I add onions, bell peppers, a roma tomato and salsa or Tabasco. If I have any kind of meat from the night before or a little cheese I will also add that. Even a scoop of cottage cheese on top is great! Depending on how much and what you add, this is a low carb, low fat, low cal option for breakfast that will hold you for hours. Get an Atkins pocket hand book on the carbs in different foods so you get familiar with the carb counts.
For snacks I recommend a hand full of nuts and a slice of low fat cheese or turkey slices with mustard and rolled in lettuce. Always include a fruit serving in your day. Fruit is tricky! Some are LOADED with carbs, check your carb hand book and pick the right fruits if you are trying to lose weight. Losing weight is under 25 carbs per day. Once you've reached your goal or are close to it slowly start adding healthy carbs back in. You will know how many your body needs to maintain your weight. I suggest weighing yourself everyday to figure that part out. I need somewhere around 40 per day. Remember, eat healthy carbs when you eat them. Eat whole wheat, high fiber. Don't add sweets, desserts, sugars. Those are not good choices!

Jan 2 2010 weight loss plan. Get ready for summer!

Join me Jan 2 2010 for a "get rid of the holiday weight and then some" challenge! Summer will be here before you know it! Who wants to wear their "winter coat" in the warm weather.

Once a week I will post my weight, what I have been eating, what I've been drinking and my exercise plan. Nothing like a public weigh in to keep you on track! I would love a friend in this! Send me a note if you want to join! We can keep each other motivated! I am a low carb girl, but bring on any plan you have. We can compare ideas and strategies!

Sharon Stone, FAB!

There are a lot of Sharon Stone pics and articles out lately. She is in great shape. I believe she is 51 years old! I read she keeps sweets, breads, starches and alcohol to a minimum. Everything I read about dieting keeps coming back to what I've been saying in past blogs and what I practice, low carb, low sugar, low fat. I know that the cocktail hour is something I could do with out, but why?

I am going to try to cut down to one drink per day. Red wine is a good choice.

The holidays have been brutal on my exercise and eating regime. Jan 2 I am going to kick it up a notch. I am going to start posting my weight, what I eat and drink and my exercise plan. I will keep records to show anyone who is still negative about a low carb life that it truly does work. Nothing like public shame to keep you on your toes!

California Dieters Tea

OMG! The holidays are not even over yet and I already feel bloated. If you feel the same and want a quick fix try California Dieters Tea at night before you go to bed. The first time you try it make the tea a little weak meaning, don't leave the tea bag in your cup too long and don't try to squeeze all of the tea out of the bag. Try it weak and see how it works in the morning. It should make you have a bowel movement to relieve any "back-up" and excess food. If it doesn't work the next night make it stronger and so on. I've made the mistake of making it too strong. Really nothing bad happens, your just in the restroom probably longer than you'd like! You will have to check your area to see where to buy it, they don't sell it in every market.

The holidays are hard. Sweets, breads, carbs galore! If you just stay focused on low carb choices you will never feel hungry or deprived! I just went out for dinner for a holiday celebration and had two vodka rocks, two olives, tuna (sushi type, no rice) and a blue cheese wedge salad. Fab! Very low carb choices and I had a great time! People say " oh, it's the holidays, I'll eat what I want." But, Jan. 2 always comes around! You can't stop it! You don't want your ass the size of Texas just because it's the holidays! Live well, eat well and be merry....remember, it's not about the food , it's about the people you share it with.

More Magazine

I wanted to take just a second to talk about More Magazine. This magazine targets women 40 plus. They always have interesting articles and info I seem to use. They have articles about politics, current events , celebrity interviews, art, restaurants and recipes. My fave is the last page where they do a really great caricature of a women celeb over 40 and have them speak candidly about things they don't talk about in every other mag. Kind of off the wall stuff. Great mag. Look at it if you haven't already.

Dry skin and hair tips

It's been really cold weather lately and my skin and hair tend to get really dry. Johnson's baby oil in Lavender is great for dry skin. Just adding a few drops to your bath water makes your skin smooth and soft all day. For my hair, a few drops of olive oil rubbed on the ends of my hair before I wash it does a great job. Put on the ends when you first get in the shower, then let the heat and steam work with it for about 5 mins, before you wash it out. You may need to wash your hair twice. If you do this every time you shampoo your ends will stay healthy looking between trims.

Permanent Make-up

I love having permanent make-up. I have my lips and my eyebrows done. It's great because you can leave the house with just and light coat of mascara and a little lip gloss and look great!

The process is not uncomfortable at all on the eyebrows, the lips were just a little painful around the top of the upper lip. They have numbing agents and I would request to use them. I really want my eye liner added, but I tried and could not sit through it. The needle coming straight towards my eye freaked me out! A lot of people do it and get through it just fine! I would try it if you think you can sit through it. I heard it does not hurt! Someday, I will get the nerve and let you know.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A great soup for cleansing your system naturally.

Here is my recipe that everyone who tries it loves! I discovered it years ago while searching on the Internet for a natural way to relieve constipation and bloating. It tastes really good, so don't eat too much of it the first time. That tip comes from EXPERIENCE!

Start with one of the really large cans of broth from your supermarket. I like the low sodium chicken broth. Buy fresh ginger, 3 fresh lemons, and the HOTTEST JALAPENOS you can stand. I use the finger sized, thin dark green. I think they are called seranos. Then buy anything you want to add to make it a soup, chicken, green onions, mushrooms, etc. The key to the cleansing is the fresh ginger, lemons and jalapenos. If you want to make a tea, just boil these 3 alone and drink!

For your soup, boil the ginger ( clean the thin skin off first and drop in broth whole ) squeeze all the juice out of your 3 lemons, cut your jalapenos into small pieces and add to broth. Bring all to a boil then add the ingredients of your choice. I simmer for about 30 mins on a low heat. Don't eat the ginger, but leave it at the bottom of the pot.

This tastes really good and it is really good for you! It's also great if your fighting a cold or the flu.

Tip for the day

The most beautiful girl in Texas, Tiffany, has reminded me about the importance of pretty nails. I prefer short, clean natural nails, I had a problem a few years ago when I took my acrylics off after wearing them for years. Then I found the best product ever, Nailtiques! It is great to get back your nails after acrylics or if you have weak brittle nails. You can but it at most beauty supply stores or at Nailtiques.com. It is a lifesaver for ugly nails. Thanks Tiff.

Breast Implants

My best friend came out to my desert house last night. We BBQ'D under the stars and played cards til nearly midnight. She kicked my "ace" by the way.

She was telling me that my plastic surgeon has been on TV doing the OC Housewives plastic surgery. His name is Dr. Ambe and he works out of Newport Beach, Ca. He did impeccable work on me and I would highly recommend him. I had my implants done about 5 years ago and at the time he charged $7,000.00. I have no idea what he charges now.

I chose under the muscle and under the nipple line. I have actually had this surgery twice and he went through the same incision I had the first time and there is still no scar!

You are suppose to change them out every 5 to 10 years. I think in retrospect, I would not have gone so large, DD, It's really hard to wear cute fitted shirts and jackets. I think if I would have stayed around a C cup I would have been wiser.

If anyone is considering this surgery, pick your doctor very, very carefully. Also big boobs are fun for awhile, but remember they are not an accessory to be worn when you feel like it. They are always there. I would lean towards the smaller cup size of where you want to be. I wish someone had told me this 5 years ago!

Hair extensions

Today I woke up thinking that I would put my hair extensions back in. I have had them in and out for about 6 years. I have had the individual glue ins, the track glue in, and sewn or braided in. The braided in was by far the best for me. The individual glue in took hours and hours, was very expensive and you can not reuse the hair. The full head tracks that are glued in feels terrible as they grow out and you always feel like you have gum in your hair! The braided in are great. It is not time consuming, about an hour for three tracks and you can reuse the hair over and over again! The first time you get them they may feel tight against your scalp and give you a slight headache. These last about 6 weeks before you need to tighten them, they can last longer if you don't get conditioner around your tracks! You never have a bad hair day with these!! I was getting my tracks done for $35.00 a row. (I had 2 to 3 tracks) My hair was about $125.00. Don't buy cheap hair. It mats, tangles and falls out quickly. I only buy BOHYME HAIR. I've tried too many others and hated them. Bohyme never mats tangles or looks fake or dry. I highly recommend them!!!

Trying to stay thin when you enjoy the cocktail hour

Trying to stay thin when you enjoy the

cocktail hour is not easy.

This is a way I have battled the bulge.

I have tried Jenny Craig, Lindora, and all of the others. At 5-9" and 145 lbs. the only thing that keeps my weight down is a "modified" Atkins. By modified I mean I don't do completely with out carbs. I eat high protein, low fat, a lot of low carb vegi's and at least one serving of fruit. I will skip the breads, pasta, rice and starchy vegi's if my weight is up.
It is important to weigh yourself everyday to keep a handle on your weight. You can not gain too much by doing this. You will keep in control.
As for the cocktail hour, I do drink nearly every evening. Don't drink fruit drinks, mixed drinks or anything that is not clear. Too much sugar, too many carbs. Stick to wine, lite beer and the vodkas and tequila's. A great drink is a vodka on the rocks with an olive or a twist! Not too many though, they still are high in calories!
Try this, it's healthy an d it works. There are many carb food counters on the Internet as well as books such as ATKINS.

Red lipstick and cowboy boots

Red lipstick and cowboy boots. The two things that pull me out of a bad mood, bad day, bad hair day, a fat day, an "OMG, I am getting old day".