21 Day Challenge: A Caffeine Conundrum, Part 1

I started the 21 Day Challenge with My Fit Foods again Sunday. It wasn’t because I went off my “diet” and have to start over. The company is having a contest, both local and nation-wide, in which customers compete to lose the most weight on the 21 Day Can’t Fake Fit Challenge. Everyone who wants to participate went to one of the locations and weighed on Saturday. You can win My Fit Foods gift cards if you lose the most weight (percentage-wise) at your store and win a trip to Cabo if you lose the most weight nation-wide. While I don’t have my eyes on any prizes, I wanted to start over so I’m on pace with other customers. The Uptown location is giving away additional prizes, like passes to gyms (don’t worry, Cassie and Brent, I’ll never go anywhere else!) and gift certificates. I may or may not have eaten a chocolate chip bundtini before I weighed in to tip the scale a little higher. 😉

I’ve completed 14 days of the challenge, including three days on the second-time-around meal plan. For dinner tonight, I ate roasted salmon and grilled vegetables (only 200 calories!) and yesterday, I had a truly delicious salmon stir-fry for lunch. I’ve gotten used to the liver cleanse, but I haven’t weaned myself from coffee yet. The My Fit Foods guide to the 21 Day Challenge says the following about caffeine:

• caffeine raises blood sugar and cortisol levels
• chronically high cortisol affects insulin levels and causes a rise in hunger as well as fat storage
• both regular and decaf coffee have been linked to increased risk of heart disease
• a diuretic, caffeine slows the body’s metabolism
• coffee is highly acidic

But the main admonition against caffeine is that it is an artificial stimulant, like sugar, soda, and tobacco, and the 21 Day Challenge is all about learning how to get energy from all-natural, non-processed foods like lean meats, fruits, vegetables and “good” carbs (foods low on the glycemic index) so you don’t have to rely on stimulants to get through the day. That makes sense to me because I absolutely used (yes, past tense) caffeine, sugar, carbs, and chocolate for energy. I definitely have a coffee addiction.

The dark side of getting off caffeine is the withdrawal headaches, which I have not been willing to tolerate. I have too much to do! Caffeine constricts blood vessels in the brain; withdrawal headaches are the result of blood flowing back into your brain! Who knew??? (Probably anyone who has ever tried to quit smoking!) I am trying to go from two large mugs of coffee in the morning to one, but it hasn’t happened yet. Since the rest of the time my body is running on actual, good-for-me food, a cup (large mug) of coffee – or two – is okay with me.

The biggest shock is that I am not craving sweets. My picture is in the dictionary next to the entry: sweet tooth. I have been ice cream, cake, and cookie free for two weeks, and I don’t feel like I’ve made a huge sacrifice. I can think about ice cream, and it’s just, “Huh, a bowl of ice cream” instead of half an hour debating whether to stop at Baskin Robbins or Randall’s to get my peanut butter and chocolate or cookie dough ice cream fix. I like to eat one snack-size York Peppermint Patty after lunch or dinner – the mint and chocolate are just enough to satisfy me. I didn’t think I would feel this way so soon. I really thought it was going to be very hard to give up foods I love and have depended on for the last four months.

Come back tomorrow to read Part 2 of my caffeine conundrum. 

Cheating again on Day 4

I have now survived four days of the My Fit Foods liver cleanse. While I can’t say I wake up eager to drink it, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. It’s very tart (unsweetened cranberry juice, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice – duh!) Naturally sweetened with stevia and fruit extracts, the blueberry-flavored B 12 liquid cuts the sourness only slightly. I diluted it with water the first few days, but I made the “shooter” recipe this morning and drank it quickly to get it over!

Today I felt energized, almost buoyant. I worked out, then chatted with a fellow weight-loss journeyer – she’s lost 50 pounds on her program. She’s an artist, now retired, and loves to travel. (She had an interesting job, designing and doing the calligraphy for Jewish marriage contracts.) She’s single and doesn’t have any kids, so she’s free to pursue her love of travel. As we talked, I realized that instead of feeling exhausted from my workout, I actually felt invigorated! I was smiling and animated and happy to make a new friend.

I knew I was putting crap into my body and depriving it of essential nutrients, but I underestimated how much poor nutrition affected the way I feel. When I thought about losing weight, I imagined a slimmer body and a whole new wardrobe; feeling well-rested and having more energy were side effects. Now my focus is on feeling better. I want to wake up in the morning and not have bags under my eyes. I want to get out of bed willingly, not just because I have to make the coffee. I want to look forward to exercising and even enjoy it. Looking better and a whole new wardrobe are the fringe benefits.

Last night, I went to a CAbi party hosted by someone in my networking group. One of our members is a caterer/personal chef, so she did the food. I decided to play my “cheat meal” card, even though you’re not supposed to have one the first week on the program. I thoroughly enjoyed the spinach artichoke dip and the cucumber and salmon finger sandwiches, which were served in hollowed-out bread bowls. I also had a glass of champagne – just one! The food was delicious, but I really focused on interacting with the other guests and on seeing and trying on the clothes instead of hiding behind a plate of food.

CAbi clothes are not really made for my body type, although there are pictures of plus-size models wearing the clothes in one of their catalogues. I know my body well enough to know that the skinny jeans, no matter what size they are, won’t look good on me. So I got a cute sweater  that fits loosely. I think it will look good with a short sleeve t-shirt and white or colored jeans, if I can find some that are flattering. Easter is a little over 40 days away, so I have some time. (I can’t break the “don’t wear white before Easter or after Labor Day rule,” no matter what Stacy and Clinton say!)

When I got home, I ate one Kit Kat and felt satisfied. I’d had my cheat meal but didn’t overindulge. I’ll start tomorrow with another liver cleanse and stick to the menu for the day. Eating well and not raking myself over the coals for cheating feels pretty darn good.

For shooter recipe, don’t use water.

More

Yesterday, I wrote about my theme-based resolution for 2013, Less thinking, more doing again. My life has changed dramatically in the last two years because of less thinking and more doing, so I’m going to keep doing what works. To me, less thinking, more doing means getting out of my own way. I sometimes spend so much time planning and thinking and fretting about something I want to do that I don’t take action to make it happen! So: less thinking about calling someone to book a trunk show, more picking up the phone and calling; less thinking about going for a walk, more going for a walk; less thinking about having people over, more inviting people to come over (I really do want to have people over to watch the season 3 première of Downton Abbey – all Houston-area friends are welcome!)

Less Scarlett O’Hara:

I’ll think about it tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day!

More Jessica Herrin (CEO and co-founder of Stella & Dot):

When I started making jewelry in my living room, people thought I was crazy! I thought, “Yes, I am! But who cares – I’m on my path to happiness.”

Yesterday, to usher in my new/same theme, I invited a Facebook friend to be my friend in real life! We connected on Facebook for a specific, superficial reason, but then I started reading her posts, clicking through her pictures (I’m not a stalker, I promise!) and paying attention to things she liked, shared, or commented on, and I thought it would be fun to get to know her in person. So I sent her a message and asked if she’d like to meet for lunch or coffee…and she said yes! We haven’t set a date or time yet, but I’m ready when she is!

I mean, when was the last time you asked somebody to be your friend?

This year, I have a lot of business-related goals, but the ones I’m sharing today are personal. For the first time in my life, I am on my own. I have the time and space and a little money to do some things that I’ve always wanted to do but, for different reasons, haven’t. This is my More  list for 2013:

• practice yoga
• take voice lessons
• take an acting class (it’ll take me a while to work up to this one!)
• visit friends I haven’t seen in a long time
• make new friends and nurture the new friendships I made in 2012 (you wouldn’t think this would be so hard for me, but it is)
• try online dating
• travel – first stop, NYC!
• exercise like I really mean it and get fit and trim and be able to run and play with Luke and Anna Jane (and be around in 10 years when their parents threaten to ship them off to Aunt Kelly!)
• volunteer – possibly at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where my mom was treated
• take Coco to doggie school (she needs a refresher course on doggie manners)
• get Coco certified as a therapy dog and take her to visit people in need of comfort
• cook – and enjoy it!
• entertain
• write

I don’t have a plan for doing any of the things on my list, but I’m working on it (in a good way, not in a spend-so-much-time-thinking-about-it-I-never-do-it way.) It’s not even about doing one or all of those specific things. It’s about being engaged in the world, staying connected with people, and living a vibrant, healthy, happy life.

What are your hopes for 2013? Do you set new year’s resolutions? I think 2013 is going to be a spectacular year!

Less/More

Someone posted this picture on Facebook yesterday, and I saved it because it perfectly captures my vision for 2013. Last year, I set a theme-based resolution instead of a goal-based resolution. You can read about it here. My theme for 2012 was Less thinking, more doing, which leads right into this year’s theme: Less thinking, more doing again. It worked pretty well last year, so why change it?

Because of Less thinking, more doing in 2012, I:

• joined a business networking group
• met a lot of my neighbors while walking Coco – I feel more connected to my fellow condo-owners now; Coco even made a new friend, Harley, and we’re going to have a playdate at the dog park soon!
• booked Stella & Dot trunk shows with new hostesses, women I met at other trunk shows, through my networking group, or through mutual friends (most of my 2012 hostesses were women I did not know before the year started!)
• started walking twice a week with a new friend from the gym
• spent 2 days in Napa Valley with one of my Stella & Dot besties before our sales conference in San Francisco (check out the link – the house, owned by someone I babysit for, is to DIE for, as is the little town in which it is located, St. Helena)
• took a spur-of-the-moment bus tour and ate dinner in the Fisherman’s Wharf with a new Stella & Dot friend on the last night of our conference
• ate dinner with a new friend at a Mexican food restaurant and spilled my life story to her over a damn good margarita
• said “yes” to three vendor events this fall – although they weren’t big successes financially, I met new people and even enjoyed 2/3 of them!
• got to name one of the pieces in the Spring 2013 Collection after my mom (my name was pulled in a drawing – I received an entry for meeting a sales goal every month from July 2011 to June 2012, which I did because of Less thinking, more doing!)

There are more, I’m sure, but these are the things that come to mind. Many of my successes were business-related, which is great, because I needed to expand my network of potential customers and hostesses, but aside from that, I made a lot of new friends this year. I also have a lot more confidence about doing new things, because I’ve tried and succeeded many times.

So 2013. Less thinking, more doing. Because if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

Now, about the picture at the top. I live in Houston, so there will be no Less driving, more walking, m-kay? If I could, I would change that to Less sitting, more walking, because that’s how we roll in the land of freeways and 100° summers. I don’t care how close it is, I’m not going to walk to the nail place/Walgreen’s/Chinese food restaurant down the street!

Tomorrow, a post about what I want to do more of in 2013.

Blog Hiatus

Wow. I didn’t intend to take such a long break from blogging! It’s almost the end of July, and I have done a lot this summer. Here’s a list, in chronological order (because I am particular):

• saw Bernie
• redecorated my mom’s bedroom
• went to Seattle for Anna Jane’s birthday
• took Anna Jane to the Space Needle for the first time (the start of a birthday tradition with Mom, Pete, Sue, and Luke)
• helped at Anna Jane’s birthday party at Little Gym – so fun to watch her have fun with her friends!
• read Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson; the chapter on stories from her years in HR alone is worth the read
• read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn; it’s as good as you’ve heard, although the ending didn’t pack as much of a punch as I anticipated it would
• finally read The Hunger Games so I can discuss it with my homeschool student and/or see the movie with him (still awaiting word on whether his mom will let him read it ;))
• met my friend, Rachela, in San Francisco and drove to Napa for the Fourth of July before we went to Hoopla; it will be hard to top this as the highlight of my summer!
• went to Hoopla!!!!!! (Stella & Dot’s national sales conference – more on that later)
• ordered all of my new samples from the Fall 2012 collection
• went to Spark & Hustle, a conference for women who are small business owners (it was FREEZING in the ballroom!)
• watched Friends with Kids on On Demand; Jennifer Westfeldt wrote, directed, and starred in it; you may remember her from Kissing Jessica Stein, another movie she wrote, directed, and starred in; she is also Jon Hamm’s longtime girlfriend, which is neither here nor there, but a fact
• held 4 trunk shows with 2 more this weekend and many more on the horizon
• started tutoring again

One of the consequences of not blogging for 6 weeks is that I have dozens of posts swirling around in my head, and I’m not quite sure where to begin again. I will try to come to some sort of agreement with myself in the next few days.

It’s good to be posting again!

What was your teeny tiny pig moment this week?

By now, you’ve probably seen this adorable video of Hamlet, the mini pig, conquering his fear of the steps and boldly flinging himself into a bowl of oatmeal. We should all have the courage of Hamlet! (Although I’m a little concerned that his name might point to a bleak future….)

Did you have a moment (or two) this week when you mustered up that twenty seconds of courage and did something you were afraid to do? My teeny tiny pig moment this week was the result of something I did about two months ago.

I love my job as a Stella & Dot stylist, but I wasn’t meeting enough new people to expand my network of potential customers and hostesses. In Stella & Dot terms, I needed to transform my Who Do You Know List into a Who Do You Want To Know List. I found out about a business networking group called BNI and joined a Houston chapter.

BNI is a category-exclusive networking and referral group, which means that once you have a member who is a CPA/residential real estate agent/caterer/landscaper, that category is closed to anyone else who wants to be a member. I joined a chapter that meets about 5 minutes from my home, which is perfect since the meetings are on Wednesday mornings at 7:00!

The first time I walked into a meeting, I saw 50 strangers, milling about and going through the breakfast buffet line. I grabbed a plate, helped myself to some scrambled eggs and a muffin, then found an empty chair at one of the tables. Fast forward to last night: one of my  new BNI friends (she’s also my chiropractor now) hosted a trunk show at my condo. She invited other women from BNI, and we had a great time, drinking wine, eating cheesecake stuffed strawberries, and playing with the jewelry. I wouldn’t have had that trunk show if I hadn’t dived headfirst into networking in May. Now, not only do I have new customers and potential hostesses, but I also have new friends!

What was your teeny tiny pig moment this week? Please share in the comments!

What are you doing New Year’s, New Year’s Eve?

After 24 years as an adult, I have decided to learn how to cook. It’s not that I wasn’t capable until now, I just didn’t have the desire. Too time-consuming, too messy, too hard! I know that cooking meals in my own kitchen (not just putting a frozen pizza in the oven or heating up prepared meals from Central Market but real cooking that requires me to open cans, measure stuff, and clean a pot or two) will be better for my pocketbook and my waistline, so I’m rolling up my sleeves and getting on with it.

I’ve been working up to this for a while, watching Chopped, Cupcake Wars, and The Next Food Network Star (total girl crush on Giada De Laurentis); reading blogs and salivating over recipes like this one; buying cookbooks like Healthy Cooking for Two (or Just You) and Cooking Light: 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Cookbook, which sit pretty on top of my refrigerator. (Occasionally, I take them down and dust them. Okay, not really.) After a couple of years of rigorous training, I’m finally ready to tackle a subject that has fascinated me for decades: the culinary arts.

Today I went to the store and purchased ingredients for not one, but two of Pioneer Woman’s recipes. I also bought salad fixins and cornbread to go with the soup I plan to make tomorrow. Tonight, attempt number one: PW’s cinnamon rolls. I already had most of the ingredients from my pantry reorganization/restocking project, so the only things I needed were milk (I used 2% instead of whole – I hope that’s okay) and yeast. I got out all of the ingredients and necessary cookware, and went to work.

First, I prepared the dough:

Scalded milk, oil, and sugar, then added yeast, then flour

Attempted to stir the flour into the dough

Let the dough rise

Added more flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the dough, working it in by hand

Then I rolled it out:

Can you have too much flour when rolling out dough?

Not quite the 30" x 10" rectangle PW recommends, but I'm getting there

Next came the filling:

Melted butter

Cinnamon and sugar

Butter, sugar, and cinnamon, oh my!

Finally, the dough was ready to be sliced and put in pans:

Can you see how the middle is thicker than the ends?

Yep, more butter!

Are we there yet?

Out of the oven at last!

Gooey, sugary, cinnamon-y goodness!

I wish I could have taken a picture of how my kitchen smelled when I took the cinnamon rolls out of the oven! I was a little worried that they would be too doughy in places, and I was right, but the parts that were cooked were delicious! I made the icing while the rolls were in the oven. PW puts maple flavoring and a little bit of coffee in hers, but I just made the regular powdered sugar icing without any flavoring. It is oh-so-delectable on the fresh, warm cinnamon rolls!

I saved half of the dough and refrigerated it for tomorrow. When I roll it out, I will take a closer look at the thickness of the dough to make sure the middle and ends are approximately the same. I also think I put too many rolls in a pan (PW warned against overcrowding. Shoulda listened to her.) In case you missed the link to the recipe at the beginning of this post, here it is again.

I’m pretty happy with my first attempt at making cinnamon rolls. I know it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful, (thanks, Nester!) and I’ll have to practice until I get it down, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice!

Cheers and Happy New Year!

My eye’s! My eye’s!

I logged onto match.com to check my matches and see who’s winked or emailed me. Shortly thereafter, I commenced the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Literally.

So I penned a little missive to advise potential suitors:

Dear (insert your name here),

No, I will not respond when your opening salvo is “Hello, pretty.” (Hello Kitty?”) I don’t much like “Hello, beautiful” either, but that, at least, sounds somewhat melodious. I do not want to be “your woman” or “your lady.” And don’t think you can bedazzle me by telling me how “hot” I am. I might have a beautiful face and an adorable smile, but hot I am definitely not (unless you like a full-figured woman, in which case, I might be your gal.)

Besides, I want to be worshipped for my mind, not my body. 🙂

Please do not email me if your writing is peppered with trite phrases like “with that being said” and “I work to live not live to work.” If you’re going to use a phrase like “ying and yang”, at least get it right. (It’s yin. I promise.) Don’t even think about winking at me if you capitalize the “m” in Melody (only it’s not someone’s name) or if I have to play Hercule Poirot to find your missing punctuation. And for the love of all that is holy, do not tell me you hope the “God’s” smile down on you and I respond to your email!!!!

You do not, I repeat not have lot’s of great friend’s, nor do you enjoy nightclub’s and movie’s. The best of all women may have a prize (???), and I’m sure you would like to be taken for whom you are, but I do not have a prize, and if you want someone to take you for who you are, you’re barking up the wrong tree. (BTW, y-o-u-‘r-e spells you are; y-o-u-r spells your!)

While I appreciate your recognition that a few bad apples spoil the barrel, I don’t think the following is an apt analogy for your assertion that women should not reject all men because of a few assholes:

But I would just state that we wouldnt cut off the index finger because the thumb has been dipped in poo, neither would we condemn the other disciples to death because Judas betrayed Christ.

If you are a lzay couch potato, equal part manly-man and sporty, and are a God fear man first, we are probably not going to hit if off. And the phrases Hmmmmm, Beats me; Don’t you just feel sorry for this Guy?; if it don’t brake you it make you; and Perhaps the reason why the chicken crossed the road was b/c he did not want to become fried chicken as he was chased by a wily alley cat do not beckon me closer!

If you really want to get my attention, take a few pointers from these guys:

Paper Bag Princess

by Hello Kelly (yes – ironically, this is the name of the band)

Hey Elizabeth, don’t raise the drawbridge darling.
I’ve been waiting a long time for someone like you.
For someone like you.
You hide behind your insecurities.
The paper bag around your waist
And the mud upon your face puts them above you.
But I still love you.

Cause I’m standing in my tin foil armour,
My dollar store broad sword is by your side.
And did Ronald break your heart when he called you ugly?
And can I hold your arm?

Hey Elizabeth I’m just a peasant school boy.
But I’ve been waiting a long time to hold your hand,
Or something like that.
I’m not a soldier and I’m not a king,
But I can play a mean guitar
And you can talk to me about almost anything,
Without worrying.

Cause I’m standing in my tin foil armour,
My dollar store broad sword is by your side.
And did Ronald break your heart when he called you ugly?
And can I hold your arm?

Hey Elizabeth don’t think that I am ok
Cause I’ve got problems just like you, but I’m fine.
Cause you are mine.
If we put our faith into God above,
Then He will protect us both, and He’ll keep us strong
As long as we have love.
And we’ve got love.

I might decide to marry you after all! 😉

Yours (or not),

Kelly

Aaaaand, this is my first response…

affirmation

You are indeed, a striking, confident woman, 4050kel. I wish I were worthy 🙂

–your profile caught my attention earlier and I just had to make my presence known by sending you an email.

I must say at the outset, I’m disheartened while writing–I realize the extreme futility of messaging you, but I felt compelled to be upfront and honest. Even though its common knowledge to you, and I’m sure you hear it all the time, you are GORGEOUS. Women like you are proof positive that God must indeed exist–only a God can create a creature as splendorous as the female. I do not message you now with any callous intentions, nor to objectify you–I merely wanted to take some time to affirm what I believe to be an incredibly attractive, well-put-together, knockout of a woman like yourself. You seem like a very interesting person definitely worth getting to know better, and it makes me wish I were up to your standards.

Moments like these make me regret being 26; there is often the perception that youth = tomfoolery. I’ve long been cursed with a strong affinity for women older than me, much to my chagrin. It makes the women in my immediate age range seem ill-suited, and likewise makes the truly great women like you out of reach :)–a paradox in every sense of the word lol.

I’m in my third year of Ph.D work at Rice–Houston still seems new to me, but I like it here. If I find the companionship of a woman half as awesome as you seem to be, I will indeed consider it a blessing.

Have a lovely evening–

Wow! Quite flattering and probably the nicest email I’ve ever received. This is the most well-written composition I’ve seen on the site thus far – what you’d expect from a Ph.D student at Rice (!) – but 26????

Seriously, I’ve already said “no, thanks” to men whose poor writing skills include but are not limited to the following:

• with that being said
• your the one for me
• I am looking for someone to compliment my life
• I’m not real sure what I want to say
• get with me and see what happens
• I’m a giver and not a taker
• I don’t want to be on this site any more then you do
• I’m Greg by name

I’m printing this email out and putting it on my refrigerator. And my bathroom mirror. And my dashboard.

I’ll probably laminate it and hang it in my shower.

ETA: I just couldn’t resist adding this gem of a response from another admirer:

“I was just going through your profiles and your picture got blood jumping around in my veins like a ball on a roller coaster…Complimented with a beautiful profile…I momentarily knew i had to meet you…”

My Match.com Profile

When I turned 40, I did a little assessment of my life: I had a great career as a teacher, a close-knit group of family and friends, and I owned a 2-bedroom condo, which I enjoyed decorating. I was at the top of my game professionally but lacked the quality of life I imagined I would have at 40. So I began to re-imagine: what would I do if I weren’t a teacher? how could I use my intelligence and creativity to support myself? what would I do with an actual lunch hour??? My mind raced in a hundred different directions – dog-sitting, interior design, blogging, private tutoring, professional vacationer – the possibilities were endless. Finally, my mind settled on one word: jewelry.

I started working as an independent stylist for Stella & Dot in October of 2010, selling jewelry at in-home trunk shows and online.  I never dreamed I would be part of a direct sales organization, but before I knew it, I was neck deep in baubles. I loved spending time with adults – they listened when I talked, followed my directions the first time, and didn’t hit, kick, spit, or bite. I got to meet new people, play with jewelry, and make money – all while drinking a glass (or two) of wine! In May, I said good-bye to a 15-year teaching career and began my new life as a self-employed small business owner, and I’ve never been happier!

Having figured out the income-earning piece, I’m ready to focus on the having-a-personal-life piece. I want to spend time with a man who is kind, caring, thoughtful and funny. Now that I don’t have my students’ antics to make me laugh, I need someone with intelligence and a good sense of humor to keep me on my toes. I am open-minded, compassionate, and a good listener – but I do have strong opinions! I have good intuitions and often feel like I am two paces ahead of everyone else. My ideal partner would challenge me intellectually and emotionally, nudging me out of my cozy, kempt corners.

I have a lot of interests: theater, reading, traveling, being outdoors (as long as it’s not in Houston in August), among others. I would love to pursue them with someone, but I’m open to trying new things. (I’m not gonna lie – monster truck rallies are not at the top of my must-do list, but if we’ve exhausted all options, I’m willing to give them a try.)

I hope you will see that I’m warm, witty, and winsome – and worth getting to know better (especially if you like alliteration.) I am a little shy about letting new people get to know me, so don’t expect me to pour my heart out in our first email. If I sound like someone you would enjoy meeting, I hope you will give me a wink. I just might wink back!