Cycle 1

What better time to do this diet than summer time when the produce is amazing in the stores!!!

I went to the store the other day and got some summer squash, celery, eggplant, bell peppers, onions, carrots, lettuce, strawberries, and blueberries!!!

My mornings have consisted of scrambled eggs (2 eggs) topped with salsa.

Today I made a omelet with FF cheese, tomato, onion, and bellpepper inside! Yum-o!!!

I sauteed squash and onions together and had that as a side dish!!! BBQ'd some chicken!!! (I probably shouldn't of had the BBQ sauce...but I did!) And paired it with a fresh salad.

For another meal, I sauteed, a chicken breast, some broccoli, peppers, water chestnuts and onions and had a chinese stir fry....just without the rice! I was very satisfied! I added some soy sauce to my plate.

I love salads...especially in the summer! Fresh vegetables are delicious to me....but they have to be easily assessable!!! I went ahead and cut up my celery into pieces when I got home from the store so I can grab them when I get the munchies!

FF Sour Cream is ok on this cycle- but that would just be gross by itself...but add some onion soup mix to it and you have DIP!!! YUM! I've been gently dipping my carrots and celery into the sour cream dip!

I just ran across this....how delicious does this look!!!!

Vegetable Tian

olive oil

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

coarse sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

12 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves only

2 medium green zucchini

2 medium yellow zucchini

2 thin eggplants

4 plum tomatoes

1/4 cup grated Gruyère

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13 baking dish with oil.

Warm oil in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add half the thyme leaves. Spread the onion and garlic mixture in the bottom of the baking dish.

Cut the zucchini, eggplants, and tomatoes into 1/4-inches thick slices, discarding the ends. Layer the slices in the the baking dish on top of the onions and garlic, alternating the vegetables to create a colorful design. Drizzle surface of vegetables with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining thyme leaves.

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil cover. Sprinkle top of vegetables with cheese. Bake for an additional 10 to 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

I'll keep posting deliciousness.....

Night Shift diet

Being a nurse who intermittently works night shift, I've always struggled with...what do I eat?...when do I eat?...etc! I either feel like I overindulge on junk or don't eat enough!

I was excited to see that Dr. Moreno included a Shift work chapter in his 17 Day Diet book!!! I'm actually work night shift this week! How fitting!!! Here are a few facts about shift work:

• "...shift work, including night work, disrupts the body's "circadian rhythm"- the internal clock that governs eating, sleeping, body temperature and other regular biological processes, all hardwired and regulated to the rising and setting of the sun."
• "...late shift workers gained an average of 9.5 pounds during their late shift tenure, while their day shift counterparts gained only 2 pounds."
• "...there is a hormonal issue. When you sleep and eat at irregular times, you metabolism gets thrown out of whack."
• "Shift workers have two to three times as many digestive problems as their peers on the day shift." Dr. Moreno 17 Day Diet

So...with this being said...be nice to those people who do shift work!!!

Night shift menu-

When you wake up- Breakfast

2 eggs, fruit, yogurt

(or) oatmeal, eggs, fruit (0r) cereal, (or) egg white omelet w/spinach and fruit, coffee

6pm-8pm (Before shift)-Dinner

Grilled Chicken, veggies, fruit (or) pork chop, veggie (or) grilled chicken, veggies, fruit,

(or) Green Salad w/ oil and vinegar dressing with chicken.

3am-4am (Lunch @ work)

Tuna with 1Tbsp EVOO/Vinegar over lettuce, yogurt, (0r) shrimp salad and yogurt (0r) pita sandwich (or) Green salad with chicken, yogurt.

After shift/before sleep

Fruit

Hopefully this will help me get through night shifts...and who knows..someone else will stumble across this and find it helpful!!!

One word sums it up....

My life that is....DIET! I've always been on one! At one point or another in my life I've been on a diet! Not always a starvation style diet....but still a "attack" or "plan" to lose a few pounds that have crept on during lackadaisical eating!

America has made a killing off of me! From Weight Watchers (many many times), diet pills (yes I did), LA Weight Loss, vegan diets/vegetarian diets, to now.....17 Day Diet!!!

Say what you want...I need structure....a plan! I can't afford Oprah's chef (and to be honest what's going on there?).

The 17 Day Diet is new on the market! It's a book written by Dr. Michael Moreno. The diet is split up into 4 cycles of 17 days each. The cycles keep your body and metabolism "confused". I hoping the 17 day cycles keeps me interested and not bored!!!

http://www.the17daydiet.com

One of my friends told me about it....so I thought why not!!! It's not a crazy diet....

Here is what is allowed in Cycle 1:

Lean Proteins:

Salmon, canned or fresh Sole Flounder Catfish Tilapia Canned light tuna (in water)

Chicken breasts Turkey breasts Ground turkey, lean Eggs (2 eggs = 1 serving) Egg Whites (4 egg whites = 1 serving)

Cleansing Vegetables:

Artichoke Artichoke hearts Asparagus Bell peppers, green, orange, red, yellow Broccoli Brussel sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Cucumbers Eggplant Garlic Green beans Green, leafy vegetables (including beat greens, turnip greens, collard greens) Kale Leeks Lettuce, all varieties Mushrooms Okra Onions Parsley Scallions Spinach Tomatoes Watercress

Low-Sugar Fruit- 2 servings daily

Apples Berries, all types Grapefruit Oranges Peaches Pears Plums Prickly pear cactus Prunes Red grapes

Probiotic Foods- 2 servings daily

Yogurts, any type including Greek-Style, sugar-free fruit flavored, plan and low-fat (6 oz = 1 serving) Kefir: similar to drinking-style yogurt; great for making smoothies (1 cup = 1 serving) Low-fat acidophilus milk (1 cup = 1 serving) Yakult (small 50-calorie bottle) Breakstone LiveActive cottage cheese (1/2 c = 1 serving) Reduced salt miso dissolved in low-fat, low-sodium broth (1 tablespoon = 1 serving) Tempeh (a fermented cake of pressed soybeans) (4 oz = 1 serving) Sauerkraut (1/2 c = 1 serving) Kimichi (Korean cabbage) (1/2 c = 1 serving)

Friendly Fats: 1 to 2 tablespoons daily

Olive Oil Flaxseed Oil

Condiments: allowed in moderation

Salsa Low-carb marinara sauce Lite soy sauce Low-carb ketchup Fat free sour cream Low-fat low-sodium broth Truvia Sugar free jams and jellies Vegetable cooking spray Fat-free cheeses Fat-free salad dressing Salt Pepper Vinegar Mustard Herbs

I'll let you know how it goes!!!

CPR

Call 911 & Start CPR! Get a AED!!!

Push Hard and Fast!

CPR saves life!!!

Welcome to Washington!

A crazy man was found backing up I395 last night...and was around Arlington National Cemetery afterdark...with a suspicious package! Bomb crew was called in....roads closed down! Suspect is in custody!

A person is in custody after apparently trying to place an explosive device at the Pentagon. At least one other suspect fled from the scene on foot. According to a CBS News report, these individuals were also suspected of planting suspicious devices at Arlington National Cemetery and the Iwo Jima Memorial.

A bomb squad has been going over the suspect’s vehicle, which was left parked in the bushes near the Pentagon’s north parking lot. “A backpack containing what is believed to be five pounds of ammonium nitrate was found outside the vehicle,” according to Fox News. ABC News says “spent 9mm casings” were also found in the backpack. NBC News says an official told them “it looks like a bomb.”

Also recovered from the scene was a notebook containing “words like al-Qaeda and Taliban,” according to Fox. The Pentagon says the suspect was in possession of “al-Qaeda related documents,” although it’s not clear if this is a reference to the same notebook.

The Associated Press reports that the suspect was found in the vicinity of Arlington National Cemetery in the wee hours, and led authorities to the vehicle and backpack. No other information about the suspects has been released yet.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=44253

U.S. Park Police arrested a man lurking suspiciously overnight in Arlington National Cemetery and closed several major roads near the Pentagon Friday morning.

According to WRC-TV, an explosive device was found in the man’s vehicle parked near the Pentagon, though a Park Police spokesman said he could not confirm that. According to WJLA, the man may have had ammonium nitrate on him when arrested.

Briefing reporters Friday morning, Sgt. David Schlosser of the Park Police said a man — whom he said he could not identify — was seen overnight in the cemetery, which is closed after dark.

The man was not cooperative with police officers, Schlosser said, adding that he could not address several news reports that an explosive device was found in the man’s vehicle or that one or two other suspects fled the scene.

Officials from the FBI and Arlington County police attended the brief televised press conference held Friday morning, but left all comment to the Park Police. Another press briefing is expected later Friday morning.

WRC-TV, the local Washington NBC affiliate, said law enforcement authorities have “rendered the device safe” at 8:10 a.m. Schlosser said he did not know whether a device existed or if one had been detonated as a precautionary measure.

CBS Radio’s Mark Knoller wrote on Twitter, that CBS’s David Martin was reporting one person in custody suspected of planting suspicious devices near Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery and the Iwo Jima Memorial.

The Arlington Police Department did not immediately return requests for more information.

After a morning of extensive closures in the area around the Pentagon, roads are slowly being reopened.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/57197.html#ixzz1PXYZKPG4

Taking Steps!

It's a no brainer that being in a big city means you walk more and drive less...but I wasn't sure how much more.

I did know I was so out of shape back in March when walking and climbing steps around the city (during interviews/apt hunting) so much that my hamstrings and quads would be sore the next day!

It's seriously easier for me to walk to some places around my apartment than to drive and attempt to 1.) parallel park or 2.) find a parking spot at all!

So...I bought a pedometer! Just a cheap $10 one from Target.

I had the day off today and it wasn't too hot to get out and walk around....so I walked to the bank instead of driving...went to the gym and did a little browsing through the mall as well!

From 1000-6:30, I logged 11,126 steps or 5.27 miles!

I work tomorrow on the unit...so I'm excited to see how many steps I'll take during a 12 hour shift! I've never worn one of these before, so I don't have anything to base it on...but I hope to definitely get at least my 10,000 steps a day!

Axis of Awesome

This past Friday a few friends and I went to the Arlington Drafthouse and Cinema to see Axis of Awesome!!! They are a band from Australia that is currently touring in the US! My friend went to high school with two of the guys in Australia!

They are talented and hilarious!!!

Check them out on youtube!

Settling in

1.) Got my Va driver's license and Va plates...shock to see my NC plates go :-(

2.) Apartment is unpacked and livable

3.) I feel comfortable with the metro system (to and from work anyway)...and I'm learning my way around town via car!

4.) Started my job last week...one week of hospital orientation ahhhh!

5.) No traffic tickets/parking tickets (which is great...I got my 1st speeding ticket the day after I moved to Chapel Hill in '07!)

I'm here!!!

I'm here!

It was a very strange feeling pulling out of my driveway for the last time Tuesday. I have made the drive to Virginia and back to North Carolina so many times over the past two years but I've always come back home to North Carolina. I still have so many friends back in Chapel Hill and Salisbury, North Carolina I'm sure I'll make many more trips back!

I got to Arlington around 9:30 on Tuesday night after sitting in some traffic on I-95. I drove in circles around the parking garage trying to figure out where I should park to be parked beneath my apartment building but still failing at that task! Grabbed some dinner and headed to bed!

Today (Wednesday) has been major unpack/organize day! Everything....EVERYTHING is out of boxes!!! I feel like I accomplished a lot today! Not only did I unpack a ton and organize a lot, but I also got my car inspected and did the emissions test. I attempted to go to the DMV but didn't have a paper copy of my current address! I have to get my car registered here, get tags, etc.

Thursday is cable appointment in the time window of 11am-2pm. Possibly DMV prior to that.

Monday I report to work! Orientation all day...that will be a job for me to sit still from 8a-5p!

Once I have my apartment finished...I'll post pictures!!!