Day 31 on phase 1 of Ideal Protein.

Day 31 on Phase 1 of Ideal Protein was great.  It is hard to believe that it is Jan 31, 2013 already!  This month has flown by!  Today Lindsay and I needed roller skates for sure!  We had to play catch up for closing early yesterday.  I started the day with a Orange Ideal Protein drink mixed with a Orange Mango Sparkling Ice.  It was very refreshing and it made about 20ounces. 

Lindsay made Super Bowl food today for the clients to sample.  She made a few different foods.

Ranch Veggie dip:
6oz of fat free Greek yogurt
1/2 packet Hidden Valley Ranch
Mix together and enjoy.

3 different flavors of Turkey Meatballs:
Red hot sauce

Walden Farms BBQ sauce

Brown sugar splenda, minced onion, yellow mustard

Guiltless Coleslaw-(Phases 1-4)

4 cups coleslaw mix, or plain cabbage mix
1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
5 tablespoons Stevia
5 tablespoons cider vinegar
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw mix and pepper. In a smaller bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour over the cabbage mixture. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Yield: 6 servings

She also had dill pickles and sugar free bread and butter pickles to snack on.

I was very happy that she had the veggies cut and ready to eat.  Neither of us took a lunch today so we had veggies, pickles and I had a Ideal Protein Pink Lemonade.

The 12 hour day flew by and at the end of the day there were some leftover meatballs.  Linds, Steph and I shared a large plate of BBQ meatballs.  I am content and I am looking forward to going home warming up a cup of tea, eating a Ideal Protein Chocolate Chip cookie and reading a book.

I am feeling good and looking forward to a weekend away. 

                                                         How much willpower do you have?


Until tomorrow, Dusty Marie Swehla

Day 30 on phase 1 of Ideal Protein, Snow Day

Day 30 on phase 1 started off as a little bit of a whirlwind or a snowstorm, whatever you wanna call it?  I live way out on the west side of town, the rest of the girls in the office live in every different direction.  Fairfax, Marion, North Liberty and Ely.  I knew with my new Traverse I would have no problem getting into work.  I did not want the clients or my coworkers to risk it coming into Innovative Aesthetics.  I told them if they felt they could make it to come in, if not I completely understood.  Hanna and I were the 2 brave ones that made it in.  I know if I would have asked the other girls to come in, they would have done it.  It has been a busy month and some time off doesn't hurt. Also, some of the girls have little ones and I remember when my boys were little and having a snow day meant making some cookies, playing in the snow and a nap.  My boys are older now and they were going snowboarding and were not wanting to play in the snow with mom. 
 
When I got to work, Hanna made me a cup of coffee and I drank a quick premade chocolate drink.  I had clients ready to jump on the scale.  The morning went quick and alot of clients had called and cancelled due to the weather.  Around noon I got a call from the medical side of the office and they ordered Pizza :(  I thought for a second that I deserved a piece for driving in and risking my life.  But, I resisted!  I don't remember pizza smelling so good?  I had some left over lettuce in the fridge with a packet of Walden Farms Italian dressing. I also had a warm Cappuccino Ideal Protein drink.  We ended up closing at 12, but I stayed for a couple of hours and replied to emails, stocked and did some paperwork that had been calling my name for a couple of days.  It was nice to catch up.

Around 3 I got done and I called Robert to tell him I was going to drive down to Coral ridge.  I am going to see Lady Gaga in St Louis on Sat and I need some accessories from Forever 21 and Wet Seal.  He said that was an awful idea :(  So, I went to Lindale :) I found a blond wig and some Lady Gaga glasses for the concert.  When I got home I shoveled for a hour or so? Supposedly (google says) you burn 450 calories shoveling snow for an hour, if so, that is great!   

The next week and a half is going to be very busy with me being out of town, basketball and baseball practices and work.  It is Robert's Birthday on Feb 7 and today is the only free night we have TOGETHER without the boys and I wanted to take him out.  He got home from Cedar Falls around 5:30 and he was not in the mood to go out again after driving in the nasty weather.  Instead I made him a nice dinner.  Sirloin steaks, Au gratin potatoes, deviled eggs and a side salad.  He didn't know the deviled eggs were made with Walden Farms Mayo, shhhhh.  I also mixed in a little jalapeno juice in with the mustard and mayo. I topped each deviled egg with a tiny piece of turkey bacon and a sliver of jalapeno. THEY WERE AWESOME!!!   I made myself steak, Mashed Potatoes (cauliflower) I mixed in Ideal Protein Potato puree and 1 Tbsp of Blue Cheese dry mix and I had 2 deviled eggs as well.  The blue cheese mix is near the dressings at the Johnson Ave Hy Vee.  It only has 5 calories and less than 1 carb.  There are 5 different flavors and it made the cauliflower taste great.  

There are only 40 days to Spring and that means Summer will be here before you know it!  If every Summer you dread putting on a swimsuit or shorts, do something NOW to change it.  I ordered a swimsuit today from Venus http://www.venus.com/swimwear.aspx When I get my suit in I am going to hang it on the back of  my bathroom door as a constant reminder.  I want to go to the pool, beach, water park with my kids without feeling self conscious.

Today was not a typical day, but it was good.  I am still feeling good and I am getting REALLY excited for the weekend:)

Until tomorrow, Dusty Marie Swehla

Day 29 on phase 1 of Ideal Protein. Weigh in #4 :)

Today is day 29 on phase 1 for me, It is my 4th weigh in and I am pleased with the results I have accomplished so far.  I am down 16 pounds, down 19", my BMI is at 23.3, my bodyfat started at 30.9 and today was 25.5.  I feel AMAZING!!! The best I have felt in over a year.  I am sleeping good at night, I can jog for a half an hour and I don't feel like my legs are going to fall off and I don't feel my belly giggle, as much :) I have a huge sense of accomplishment.  I am going to keep going just a couple more pounds, so I have a little to work with... I am going to Lady Gaga this weekend in St Louis and I may have a splurge?  It will be over a month since I have had a splurge and to tell you the truth I'm scared. I will be sure to post a picture or 2 of my outfit, it will be a entertaining show.

I started my day with a chocolate drink, after my weigh in.  I also had a cup of coffee, I'm getting kind of use to the black coffee. I am almost thinking all the extra stuff I was putting in my coffee was making me want sweets more??? The morning went quick, I was off at 12:45 and I had a meeting at Brewed Cafe in New Bo district.  They have an amazing vinaigrette veggie salad on the menu, I had them keep the carrots and olives.  I was content with a fresh cup of joe and my salad and ice water.  After my meeting I went home and did a quick dust and sweep of the house.  Having 4 boys (including Robert) at the house makes it difficult to keep it clean at times.  I wonder if I sound like the teacher on Charlie Brown to them all??? Whaaa Whhha Wa Wa??? I tell them to put down the toilet lid, pick up their wet towels, and rinse off your plates almost every day.  They look at me like I have a 3rd eyeball almost every time. Like it's something new? Boys, Boys :) It's okay tho, before long I will only have Robert to tell to pick up his dirty socks. (poor Robert)  I drank a Pink Lemonade Ideal Protein drink while I cleaned.

5:15 on Tuesdays I go to Yoga, It is not typical Yoga.  The instructor is male and he does not play music and he talks the entire time. Very quirky, but keeps me entertained for an hour.  He keeps my mind off the fact that I'm there an hour and I get a quick, great workout.

On my way home I drank a pre made Chocolate drink, I am craving chocolate today. It always throws me for a loop on how hormones can throw your body into a tailspin at times.  The chocolate helped with my craving. The attached Link is great, it explains a women's hormones a bit and CRAVINGS! http://www.womentowomen.com/understandyourbody/symptoms/cravings.aspx

When I got home I had a obstacle to get around. Robert had made homemade beef enchilada's, re fried beans and Spanish rice for dinner.  He had thought that it was my final weigh in and I was done with the diet.  As much as I wanted the Fiesta I resisted. I made myself a salad with chicken breast.  While I prepared my dinner I drank about 32 ounces of water as the boys ate the Mexican food and told me how amazing it was.  Ugh :(  I'm okay, I have had Mexican food a thousand times and I will have it again soon.  The salad I had was GREAT!  I felt satisfied after dinner.  I enjoyed a cup of decaf Chai tea and wrote my blog and I had Noah doing some research for a paper along side me :)  

Makes 2 servings

A wonderful salad full of flavor with the touch of Asia. A favorite around the house.

Recipe Ingredients for Low-Carb Chinese Chicken Salad

8	oz skinless chicken breasts, cooked and julienne
1	cup Jicama, Julienne
3	cups salad mix
1	cup celery, minced
1	minced scallion
1/2	red bell pepper, julienne
1	tbs cilantro
1	tsp ginger
1	garlic clove, minced
1/2	tbs low-sodium soy sauce
1	tbs lime juice
1/8	cup sesame oil
1/4	cup Walden Farms mayonnaise

Recipe Directions for Low-Carb Chinese Chicken Salad

1. In a food processor blend ginger, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, and mayo.
   
2. Combine dressing with chicken, jicama, celery, scallions, and bell pepper in a large bowl.
   
3. Add salad mix to 2 plates and place chicken salad mix on top of greens.
   
4. Sprinkle with Cilantro.

Have a great evening.

Until tomorrow, Dusty Marie Swehla

Day 28 on Phase 1 complete:)

Day 28 on phase 1 of Ideal Protein complete. My Monday morning started off a little slow. It was foggy out and I pushed the snooze button twice. I had my cup of coffee and I started to wake up and come to life. It was hard to believe that I am on day 28 (4 weeks) of Ideal Protein. Tomorrow is weigh in day and I briefly think of my week and If there were any slips or anything I could have done different to help with my weight loss? I probably could have had salad more? Or could I have drank more water and less sparkling ice? I guess only the scale will tell. Tomorrow morning at 8am is my weigh in time. I will also have Lindsay do my 4 week measurements, BMI and BodyFat.

I had a Orange drink around 9:00am. Monday's have become more and more busy. The morning flew by and it was 1pm and lunch time already. I had some cucumbers, tomato and a green pepper cut up over a bed of spring mix lettuce. I also had a bowl of Ideal Protein Broccoli and cheese soup. Not quite the same as catered Panara. The medical side had a catered lunch and it was a little tempting to have a cup of Panara soup and monster cookies, they looked AMAZING! My weigh in tomorrow quickly squashed any further thoughts of a bite of the cookie. That is one of the reasons I really encourage clients to set up weekly weigh in's, even AFTER going through all of the phases. The accountability is a HUGE factor on this program. If you cheat, we have to face each other. Unfortunately the only one you have cheated is yourself. Also, if you had a slip up throughout the week. Often times my client will be honest and want to get it out there and they confess.

After work, it was a typical Monday. Parents meeting for baseball, baseball practice for Noah and BodyFlow class for me. When we got home it was after 8 so I opted to have a Ideal Protein Omelet and mixed in some rotisserie chicken and mushrooms. I was exhausted and not in the mood for a bunch of food. It is really important to get in all 3 Ideal Protein's and your dinner protein. I drank a big glass of water and finished with my supplements.

Today was a good day, no real struggles. I am going to continue on Phase 1 for a while longer. I have a goal in mind and I want to continue throughout the phases. I think/hope the blogging is helping out my clients? Have a good evening and I will fill you in on the number's tomorrow.
“Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.” ~Doug Firebaugh
Until tomorrow, Dusty Marie Swehla

Day 27 on phase 1 complete!

Day 27 on phase 1 complete. I started my day with cup of coffee with a packet of french vanilla  splenda.  When I woke up I wanted to go to the gym, but the Y doesn't open until 12 and I had plans today.  I decided to do one of my Yoga videos.  It was not the best workout, Noah and Riley were laughing and trying to do the video with me.  They both were laughing so hard, it was difficult for me to concentrate. I did the best I could for 45 minutes. After my workout I had a Peach Mango Ideal Protein drink, a favorite of mine. 

Austin was away at a retreat for school called Kiaros for the past 4 days.  The parents were suppose to meet the kids at the school for a surprise when they got back.  Each child had a chance to say what the retreat meant to them.  Austin is an amazing young man,  as a mom I could not hold back my tears when he got up in front of all the parents and spoke.  I am very proud of the young man that Austin has become.  He makes me very happy and proud everyday.  I couldn't ask for a more respectable, kind, happy young man.  Austin's dad, step mom, grandma and grandpa and I were all there to welcome him back. In front of all the parents Audi thanked all of us for our sacrifices we have made for him and that he loved us all and he doesn't tell us enough.  One thing that Austin always does even if he is mad at me is gives me a hug goodbye and tells me he loves me.  I am thankful of that. This weekend away was a blessing for all of us.

After we left Xavier, we met Robert, Noah and Riley to watch the Iowa Hawks Basketball game http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/iowa-m-baskbl-sched.html  Our boys all love the Hawks and Hot wings.  We found a place that had all you can eat wings for 6.00$ Cedar River Landing, Every Sunday from 3-8pm.  I think the boys had a total of about 80 wings, I'm not kidding.  I had a Starbucks coffee and a peanut butter bar, I was content even though the Hawks lost :(  

When I got home I was in the mood for pizza again.  I had all the ingredients and the Cauliflower pizza is so easy to make.  If you look at day 15 on phase 1 the Cauliflower pizza recipe is on there.  IT IS AMAZING!!! Tonight I had turkey pepperoni, fresh mushrooms, zucchini, jalapenos, and a can of drained rotel.   I had 3 small pieces and it was delicious.

After dinner I was in the mood for something sweet.  I made the vanilla pudding as directed, but i made it with boiling water. Then I made a cup of decaf vanilla chai tea.  I mixed the 2 together for a thick, warm, sweet treat.  Just sweet enough to reduce my craving. 

The weekend is over and Lindsay and I have another busy week ahead of us.  

I had a wonderful weekend with my boys.  I love having family time and I don't take 1 second for granted.  I know that these years of my boys being young, laughing out loud, silly, messy and full of gas are numbered.   Everyday I am so thankful and blessed for Robert, Austin, Noah and Riley.  We have fun and we love each other, I couldn't ask for a better life. Thanks to Ideal Protein, I feel good and my clothes are getting big, this is just a bonus for me. I hope you all had a great weekend and had some time to spend with the ones you love.

Until tomorrow, Dusty Marie Swehla

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Serves 2; Adapted from Your Lighter Side.

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
... 1 cup shredded mozzarella veggie cheese or half a cup Parm chs
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt
olive oil (optional)
pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings*
Directions:
To "Rice" the Cauliflower:
Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.
One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).
Enjoy!

*Note that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

Day 26 on phase 1 complete

Day 26 on phase 1 of Ideal Protein complete. Robert made pancakes, bacon, hashbrowns and scrambled eggs for the boys. He made me a Ideal Protein Herb and cheese omelet with mushrooms, asparagus, jalapenos and topped it with a little veggie cheese and salsa. He also made me a cup of vanilla chai tea with a dollop of Walden Farms Marshmallow cream on top. Robert loves making Sat and Sunday morning breakfast, he likes the kitchen all to himself, he says it is his alone time. The pancakes were a little tempting, the peanut butter on top of the pancake was very tempting. When we were kids my grandma Ackley would mix clear Karo syrup and peanut butter together and we would poor it on our pancakes. It was the best!!!

After breakfast we all went to the YMCA for a game of family basketball. Like I said, I don't like to lose. The teams were Me, Noah, and Riley's buddy Tavian vs. Robert and Riley. We played for over an hour.  It was great family time and I got in a little workout.  When I got home I wanted to see approximately how many calories I burned.  I came across the Calorie Counter app. http://caloriecount.about.com/  Supposidly I burned close to 500 calories, I would be happy with half.  The app was interesting, it has food comparisons.  Sometimes when I am working out and the elipticall says I have only burned 200 calories, I think of a cake ball that has about 300 calories :( Boo!

I was feeling brave today so I took all the boys, including Robert with to run Satuarday errands. We all ventured out to Wal Mart, Sam's, Thiesens and Aldi's for groceries and things for the house. I mixed up a Ideal Protein Pink Lemonade and put it in my Camelbak. I drank that while we ran errands. There were some temptations at Sam's, all the samples were a few of my favorite things. Pizza, pie, fries, fruit and yogurt were a few of the samples out today. At Thiesen's the boys had to have popcorn, that was tempting too.  After shopping I was starving! We made a quick stop at Blimpie, I had a veggie salad with oil and vinegar.

While we were out and about we stopped to visit with one of Robert's friends, pretty Rick and they had Cupcakes at the shop. Not just any cupcake, French toast flavored cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and pieces of maple bacon sprinkled on top. Robert said it was the most amazing cupcake he has had in his entire life, of course it was! I resisted.

When we got home I was chilled and wanted something warm. I had a cup of hot cocoa (Ideal Protein Chocolate drink) The chocolate drink is always a treat. You can't go wrong with chocolate.

Robert wanted to make us all a nice dinner. We had Sirloin steak topped with sauteed mushrooms, asparagus wrapped in bacon, zucchini and a side salad. It was very filling.

Another day down. I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Until tomorrow, Dusty Marie Swehla

Testimonial: Craig Chmelicek

My name is Craig. I was out of shape and overweight. I was definitely in need of a change to improve my health. My wife heard of this program through her cousin. My wife and I decided to do this program together to give each other support. My first weigh-in was on November 26th 2012. The scale was shocking! Dusty was very helpful in explaining the program, how it works, the different types of food and vitamins. The first couple of weeks were challenging of what food items I could no longer have and the food items (vegetables) I would need to start incorporating into my diet. I was never into vegetables, more of a meat and potatoes guy. As of today, seven week later, I have had a weight loss of 36 lbs and my fat % has dropped 6 points. The pounds seem to fall right off each week if you follow the program. It’s pretty amazing. I never thought of this program as a diet, but more of a lifestyle change. For me it’s about making better food choices and decisions. I started a goal of 60 lbs. I still have another 24 lbs to go. My meetings with Dusty each week are very helpful. She is very supportive and offers great suggestions for new recipes to try. There have been a few weeks when I thought I did a good job following the program, but on my weigh-in day the scale may have not reflected what I felt it would. I thought I should have lost more weight than I did. Dusty is very helpful to lift your spirits and the support that she offers is very positive and encouraging. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone struggling with their weight and wanting to live a healthier lifestyle.

Craig Chmelicek.