Diet update: Week 1

     I've just completed the first week of my diet and have lost about 2 lbs, which is a healthy weight loss rate. I really wish it was more, but I'm content. This week wasn't easy.  The first night of my diet I dreamed about eating a huge piece of chocolate cake and I felt so guilty for breaking my diet that I was mad at myself when I woke up.  I didn't really cheat, but that dream felt very real. I don't think it helped that I was already craving chocolate before I even started. 

    On Wednesday morning I woke up feeling awful. My back hurt and I had a migraine that wouldn't go away.  A few weeks earlier I had popped my left hip.  It's the same one I dislocated when I was a teenager, that has caused problems for me when I would exercise. Brandon had a chiropractic appointment that day and decided I should go along also. I can't believe how much my hips, back, and neck popped.  It sure felt good afterward though. No more pain, no more migraine, and I was able to get along for the rest of the day. I had a follow up with the chiropractor on Friday and it was a difference of night and day from Wednesday.  Only my hip and my neck popped a little bit. That's so much better than taking medications to mask the pain. 

     I behaved myself all week, but last night I was really wanting something sweet, so I found a recipe online for peanut butter and Splenda cookies. I don't really like Splenda and know it's not good for me, but we do have some in the house, so I figured a few cookies wouldn't hurt - they do not contain any flour and they're sugar free.  I'd post the recipe, but it was a total fail.  They just didn't come out right at all. As soon as we took them off the cookie sheet they fell into crumbs.  It's probably best that way anyway, although I was quite frustrated. LOL 

      I kept up pretty well on taking my vitamins everyday and drinking a lot more water than I'm used to, still not a full 8 glasses a day, though. I've also done the body test on the Wii Fit everyday, but didn't do the exercises because it kept telling me that my batteries were low.  Brandon brought home new batteries for the Wii Fit board and remotes yesterday, so I have no excuse today not to do the exercises. 

    Today, after I took Brandon to work, I stopped at Walmart and purchased the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD, thanks to the recommendation from my cousin, Lizzie. It was only $9.98 at Walmart, and based on the reviews on Amazon, it is definitely a great deal! I'm going to add this to my daily exercise plan, and I'll post my own review about it on my blog. I also bought a calorie counting pedometer with goal tracking and bag of sugar free hard candies to curb my sweet cravings throughout the coming weeks. 

     Brandon's birthday is coming up, next Friday. So, I'm on the hunt for a healthy, all natural recipe for cake and frosting. I realize that I will most likely be cheating on my diet on his birthday, but I really want to make him something yummy. I figured I could make cupcakes, for individual servings, instead of a cake and freeze the extras, so I don't overindulge. My birthday is only a few weeks after Brandon's so we can have the left overs on my birthday. It's a win-win! =) 

Magic Soap?

     I have been searching for all natural body care products and came across Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. Apparently this stuff can be used for all sorts of things: shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, dish soap, laundry soap and a slew of other uses. It has great reviews all over the internet and I even have a few friends who use this stuff. There are several different scents available as well.


     We picked up a bottle of the Tea Tree scent (I wanted the peppermint, but Brandon didn't want to smell girly so he picked the Tea Tree scent for our trial) at Target for about $10 for the smaller bottle. Nowhere on the bottle does it list how much is in it, but it's about the size of an average shampoo bottle. In fact, the label on the bottle is so full of tiny print, and what you do manage to read, you will realize that Dr. Bronner was his own kind of "special". Don't let that influence your purchase though.


     We decided to try this out in the shower, for our hair and body wash. First, I'd like to say, I do NOT like the Tea Tree scent. It's awful. Well, at least to me.  Brandon doesn't seem to mind. It is definitely a more manly scent. Smell aside, tea tree oil does have some nice benefits, and this soap makes you feel very clean after a shower. As a shampoo it cleans the hair very well, but you definitely need to get the conditioner as well (the conditioner wasn't available at Target). It's also highly concentrated so it should last a LONG time.


     I have not yet attempted to use this as a toothpaste, especially not in this scent... I can just imagine how it would taste... YUCK! Maybe the peppermint would work better for that purpose.  I think I would like to try Lavendar for the laundry, Citrus for the dishes and kitchen floors, and Eucalyptus for a bubble bath when we are sick. I love that the ingredients are all natural and contain essential oils that each have their own benefits. They even have a mild unscented soap for babies.


     If  you have ever used Dr. Bronner's, let me know what your favorite scent is and what you have used it for.  If you haven't used it before, I hope you give it a try.