The DROIDS

Definition- DROID (noun): 1) Android or 2) A person who acts in a mechanical, unimaginative way automaton; robot.

YES, I'm slightly disturbed by this definition as well and you may be saying - that girl has finally flown the coup. BUT, I assure you that I did that years ago, and it would have no baring on this didactic :-) I'm calling THYROID issues the DROID because it seems so "mechanical" and robot-ish. I exhibit many of the symptoms and it's a startling revelation (doesn't mean I have this disease though). Of course, having the one where you lose tons of weight isn't the one I'm referring to (seems slightly unfair, but whatever). I'm posting this video as a way to create conversation with family members and loved ones who you see going through these problems.

The most insane revelation for me was me hearing a person in a recorded support group say that she tried to change her diet, ate like she did when she dieted in the past, exercised hard, banished whole food groups, modified her diet until it was almost unrecognizable, and she still lost no weight. Then she stated that she got frustrated, and ate "regular food" for one week and gained 5 lbs...that hit home. We'll get into more of these symptoms later, but check this video for biological overview.

Dance GIRL...

So I just totally forgot to post yesterday - But I'm going to make this up by posting one of my favorite (most forgotten) videos by Aaliyah Haughton. It has been 9 years since her death. I remember being preggo at the time and hearing about her plane crashing...very sad. But she lives on through her craft- MUSIC. SN: check that dance routine, I can see why she was so thin, that's crazy!!

Looking at this video's closing dance routine vaguely reminds me of the Ciara "Like A Boy" Video. I had to make sure the choreographers weren't the same - striking resemblance. Anyway, dancing can burn anywhere between 350-900 calories per hour depending on what you're doing. It's one of my favorite things to do and you get really nice features with it (LEGS, ARMS, BACK , "BABY GOT BACK", AND ABS. Try learning this routine, bet you won't want to stop!!

SCHOOLS BACK IN...SNACK RIGHT!!

HELLO CREW!! Long time no see!! Last week was a vacation week, so now it's back to the basics. My munchkin started school and diet considerations have to be made (recreated to sound interesting), including making room for that post school snack. SOOOOOO what to do?? For an all week snack that costs roughly $.50-.75 cent per snack, try Laughing Cow Cheese and 6 crackers. You could polish this nice snack off with a cup juice or handy dandy H2O. My son has been going crazy for the Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss Cheese and if you get the Lite variety, it's only 35 calories per serving. Me personally, I love cheese and I love having cheese as a snack. This is one of my favorite snacks all year and I eat mine with a piece of fruit as opposed to the juice. I was a bit leery about those very small looking cheese triangle wedges, but it really is plenty of cheese for 6 crackers and it's really tasty. YOU HAVE TO TRY IT!!

FRIDAY the 13th THOUGHT: An 875 Calorie Diet?!?

Today, you simply get a picture of ME-LOL

So lately, I've been quite perturbed about this 875 Calorie diet I've been given. It's like an nagging thorn in my side because I just can't shake why anyone would think that this is healthy. But nonetheless, I've been told I needed to "rev up" my metabolism. After working out for the last 5 months, I've gained tones of muscles and tone, but I've only lost 13lbs (I have lost inches- SWEET VICTORY). People have been attributing it to some of everything, but I'm going to attribute it to my obsession with sugar and my inconsistencies with food. Some days I get in 2,000 calories and other days I get in 700 calories, then I'm well over 2,400 calories, then well I eat 500 -- depends on the day. So, I'm making a goal to be a little more consistent.

I DO NOT LIKE LOW FAT/LOW CARB/ LOW ANYTHING FOOD DIETS, but I am for learning how to eat healthier. I've taken everything the dietitian told me into consideration. I strongly caution you to see a doctor/ dietitian, etc. Like everything, I've modified it to fit my lifestyle and taste (adding more fruit/veggies to the morning snack and adding a post Lunch fruit snack), but it is generally the same. I'll keep you posted (of course)!! Here's a small peep of the 875 calorie diet! It is wayyyyyy too intricate to make short, so you just get a peep. Here ya go:

Breakfast:

one complex Carb

one fruit

1/2 diary product (no more than 1 gram of fat AND less than 100 calories)

Morning Snack:

one fruit

Lunch:
one complex carb
one veggie
one dairy product

Dinner:
4.5 oz of meat
one complex carb
one veggie

Evening snack:
one fruit
1/2 dairy product

Salads Worse than a BURGER?!?

Check out this Yahoo Link for more info (click on the words Yahoo Link)!!

TENNIS

This summer, my son's tennis coach told his father that my son's tennis skills are years ahead of his age group. Apparently, he's a natural! So, in order to nurture his tennis experience, he will begin his official tennis lessons this fall. In light of this, I have begun thinking about taking tennis lessons as well. Here are some positives to playing tennis:

1. Tennis players scored higher in vigor, optimism and self-esteem while scoring lower in depression, anger, confusion, anxiety and tension than other athletes and non-athletes according to Dr. Joan Finn and colleagues at Southern Connecticut State University.


2. Competitive tennis burns more calories than aerobics, inline skating, or cycling, according to studies on caloric expenditures.


3. People who participate in tennis 3 hours per week (at moderately vigorous intensity) cut their risk of death in half from any cause, according to physician Ralph Paffenbarger who studied over 10,000 people over a period of 20 years.
   

I want to caution that tennis players sometimes suffer from tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis,
which is caused from the constant strain on the elbow. However, tennis is fun and provides a wonderful workout - plus it gets those legs and arms in tip top shape!! Check it out in your area!!

VEGGIE POT PIE

I have to apologize because the remainder of the videos don't show anything as I'm talking, so there was no need to post them. I'm just going to post the first video and then give you the recipe. This was really tasty and it lasted most of the week. I took some back for my mom and brother and they loved it too. It is actually so good that you don't miss the chicken. I wish I could tell you all exactly what I did, but somethings I just fix until it tastes right-lol. Also, this recipe makes alot...I'd use about half for a small group. The actual flavor of a pot pie comes from the chicken stock (broth or cream of chicken). Be creative with the inside and put your favorite veggies in - I'm sure it'll be tasty!! The majority of this recipe was taken from AllRecipes.com. I honestly don't know what I did, but it was loaded with veggies.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large carrots, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch wide
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth - I used one can of broth and one can cream of chicken)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 recipe pastry for double-crust pie

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2. Bring broth to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer. Stir in carrots, potatoes, celery, onions, and garlic. Stir in cauliflower, green beans, and vegetable broth. Cook until vegetables are barely tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and 1/4 cup water until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Stir into vegetables, and cook until sauce thickens, about 3minutes.

4. Roll out 1/2 of the dough to line an 11x7 inch baking dish. Pour the filling into the pastry lined dish. Roll out remaining dough, arrange over the filling, and seal and flute the edges.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the crust is brown

QUICK TIP...

I finally got my Hip Hop Abs DVDs and in my manual one of the questions that should be answered stemmed from something that has always puzzled me...how important is the "no eating within 3 hours of bedtime" rule? Here is the answer just below:

"This is a great "trick" to keep your body in fat-burning mode. As you sleep, your body doesn't really need food, but it gets hungry because you usually eat every 3 to 4hours. Your body looks for carbohydrates to consume, but since you haven't eaten recently, there will be a shortage. Then the body looks to stored fat - BINGO! Also, your body has a growth hormone spike while you sleep, which aids in the metabolism of fat. Food in your system can interfere with that spike. So it's your call - want to lose weight while you sleep? Sleep on an empty stomach!"

This is a great answer...I never knew why and NOW, I do!!

SN: sorry about the late post...had some trifling car issues :-( I'm not good with dealing with care issues, so it's a total mood killer. But I'm happy to get my DVDs, so of course I'll post my workout videos!!