The Fast Metabolism Diet - A Book Review

I'm still considering trying this diet.  It's just so strict, and 28 days..  These are some of the resources I have been looking at, and below is my goodreads review of the book.

One bloggers experience with the diet

Another Bloggers experience with the diet

A Pinterest board that shows some of the recipes/food choices

Daily Health Post article - page 1 seems encouraging, but make sure you read page 2 as well

My GoodReads Review

I can't figure out how to rate this book. Do I rate it purely on writing, or on content? And how would I rate the content, the diet, without trying it to see how it works? I'm at a loss.

The first half of this book reads a lot like an infomercial. You'll read about clients who have been angry - yes "angry" - at her "because this was so easy", and you'll read about how this is not a diet, and about how much food you get to eat, etc.

It sounds great. A little too good to be true. 

And then you get to the actual diet. Which "isn't a diet!", but eliminates all corn, wheat (only sprouted breads & tortillas 2 days a week) dairy, caffeine (not even decaf coffee or tea is allowed) refined sugar, and most fats. That, to me, is a diet. For 28 days, no yogurt, no cheese, no coffee. Definitely no desserts, ice cream, not even a hamburger at a cook out - that is a diet. It made me a little angry, after all of the hype, to read how difficult this diet will be to follow. Although she states over and over that all of these ingredients can easily be found in any grocery store, that is definitely not true in my area. I will have to visit a health food store for items like almond butter, and sprouted bread. But, to be fair, my local grocery store has horse and buggy parking and the entire store is smaller than the entrance area of some super wal-marts.

I googled the diet and found a couple of blogs where women have tried it, and apparently it does work. Other sites have stated that of course it works, it is an extremely low calorie, low fat, diet. Quite a few have tried the diet, lost up to 10lbs the first week, but then quit the second week because it was so restrictive. That is my fear, that it is just way too restrictive for 28 days.

The exercise is just as regimented. I've been running 3 times a week, this program allows running only two days a week, day one and day two - phase 1 of the diet. On days 2 & 3 strength training only, and days 4-7 yoga or meditation only. I'm nervous that I would lose the progress I have made with my lung capacity and running on that schedule. It also eliminates all flexibility. Currently if I have to switch my run days around do to weather, or our schedule, it's no big deal - but on this plan, if it's thunder storming on Monday and Tuesday, or the kids schedules get in my way, I either have to find a treadmill or skip my run for the week and substitute some other cardio exercise. That concerns me almost as much as the restrictive food choices. But I DO need to add more strength training, I've known that for awhile. 

The facts and science seem sound, although I have not researched them to be sure they are accurate, they make a lot of sense. The three phases each week allow for a lot of variety. The diet is do-abe, it's just not as easy as she hyped it up to be in the first few chapters.

With all of my reservations, the book still just makes enough sense to make me want to try it. I think I will ease myself into it first. Rather than starting the full diet straight off, I will try a week of making sure I drink that much water (half your body weight) eating every 3-4 hours (at least 5 times a day)making sure I eat within 30 minutes of waking up, and for the first week I will try her specific breakfast recipes. I'm not expecting the drastic results that her diet offers, but those are sound principles that I should have been following all along anyway.

She is honest that this is like a medical treatment, and you have to treat it as such. If a dr told me I had to follow a specific therapy after a surgery, I would do it, no matter how difficult. In theory. In reality, I tend to follow the drs instructions only about half as long as they prescribed them for, and that is why I doubt my ability to follow 28 days of this diet as well. 

==============================

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/health-fitness.html

From The Recipe Drawer - Stuffed Frankfurters

When we bought the farm from my mother in law, it came with a recipe drawer.  Her recipes, recipes from aunts, friends, sister in laws, mostly in family members handwriting. This year my daughter and I are on a mission to try each of the recipes in the drawer.

Another one from the Union County Christian Academy Cookbook.  

I think these are meant to be eaten as is, but I served them with hot dog rolls anyway.  

=========================

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

Lemon Lime Cake - From the Recipe Drawer

Lemon Lime Cake by Patsy Truckenmiller

(see the transcribed recipe at the bottom of this post)

So much for not eating out of boxes..  LOL!  

Bake the lemon cake mix following the directions on the box.  Cool thoroughly.

Two packs of lime jello, mixed with 2 cups of hot water

Poke the cake all over with a fork, 

I wasn't sure all of the jello would soak in.. it would probably do better in a cake without the "pudding in the mix", but this is what was on sale this week. I drained it off, then slowly poured it back over a second time, and it all soaked in.

Put in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

I like this icing a lot!  Two packs of dream whip, 1 cup of milk, mix until it starts to thicken, then add vanilla & instant pudding.  Lemon pudding for this cake, but for a "regular" cake I think I would use vanilla pudding.  It's not cheap to make, dream whip is $3 a box.. but it is really good!

Lemon Lime Cake by Patsy Truckenmiller

Cake:

1 lemon cake mix

2 3oz boxes of lime jello

Topping:

2 envelopes of dream whip

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 lemon instant pudding

Step 1

   Bake cake as usual

Step 2

   Dissolve Jello in 2 cups of hot water

Step 3

   Jab holes in the top of  the cake with a fork, about an inch apart. Pour jello mixture over the top of the cake.  Place cake in refrigerator until cold.

Step 4

   Make topping.  

   2 envelopes of dream whip with 1 cup milk and vanilla. Beat until partly thick.  add instant pudding and beat till thick.  Add yellow coloring if desidred.  Spread over cake.

Must be kept in the refrigerator to stay nice.

======================

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

Taco Quiche

Supper Monday night was Taco Quiche, refried beans, & Lemon Lime Cake for dessert.

The taco quiche is one of my new favorite recipes. So quick and easy, it uses up eggs, and is really good!

For the crust:

Tortillas.  You can use either corn or flour, I used flour here because I had them.  Use 3 or 4, tear them in half if needed to make them fit, overlapping, in the bottom of the pan.

For the quiche:

Dice & saute an onion (I used a vidalia)

Brown 1 lb of ground beef in taco seasoning

mix together and place on top of the tortilla crust

top with 8 ounces of shredded Montery or Colby Jack Cheese

In a bowl, mix together 1 cup milk and 4 eggs.  Whisk well, then pour over the meat & cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, until set & starting to brown lightly

For the toppings:

Salsa

Chopped lettuce

Chopped Tomato

Chopped avacado

Sour Cream

Hot Sauce

From the Recipe Drawer - Goulash

What I used:

I ended up doubling the recipe.  It only calls for half that box of macaroni, and half that bottle of tomato juice.  I also added salt & pepper.

There was more cheese to add to individual bowls.  My normal goulash does not use vegetables, chili powder, or cheese, and I usually use canned whole tomatoes and a little spaghetti sauce instead of the juice and tomato sauce.  I like the addition of vegetables and will probably do that in the future - although I'll use frozen instead of canned, it is cheaper.  We loved the addition of cheese, and the chili powder is a nice touch.  

The Recipe Drawer

When we bought the farm from my mother in law, it came with a recipe drawer.  Her recipes, recipes from aunts, friends, sister in laws, mostly in family members handwriting. My daughter & I have been working through the drawer, trying as many of the recipes as we can.

==========================

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

Vintage Cooking Items Defined

When we bought the farm from my mother in law, it came with a recipe drawer.  Her recipes, recipes from aunts, friends, sister in laws, mostly in family members handwriting. My daughter & I have been working through the drawer, trying as many of the recipes as we can.  In this process, we have come across some ingredients that we had to define before we could use them.  I'll continue to update this post as we work through the drawer and find more ingredients we don't quite understand at first.

Canned Milk
Both evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk, come in cans - but in vintage recipes that call for canned milk, they typically mean condensed milk.

Mangoes

When transcribing my husbands grandmothers cookbook, I came across a recipe that used "mangoes" where it did not sound like mangoes would have been used.  Especially since this is a depression era cook, and mangoes are not grown anywhere near us.  If they DID have access to mangoes in this area in 1935, I am sure they would have been way too expensive for most of the housewives to ever use.  

So I asked my mother in law, and she explained that a mango is a bell pepper.  I found this site that speculates on why, based on the word meaning pickled and stuffed pickled peppers being so popular..  it's a theory, anyway.

=================================

     

Oleo 
Oleomargarine is the full term - it was the margarine of the 1950's.  In the recipes in the drawer here at the farm, I substitute half shortening/half butter for oleo.  I do not like margarine, but if I use just butter it often is not the right consistency. 

In 1886, dairy farmers were opposed to margarine.  Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan and Maine banned the product, & 32 states passed laws requiring it to be a color other than yellow, to make it clear to the public that this product was not butter. 

Originally margarine could not be colored yellow, as dairy farmers did not want it to be confused with butter.  It was sold white, and you could add yellow food dye to color it yourself.  In the ad above, you could buy it with the dye pack right in and mix it without putting it in a mixing bowl.

 Rep. William Price of Wisconsin, referred to margarine as "counterfeit butter" and sought a "tax so high that the operation of the law would utterly destroy the manufacture" of the butter competitor.  The margarine tax continued until 1950.

During the depression, when there were butter shortages, margarine gained popularity.  A gallup poll in 1948 showed that 33% of households were using margarine, with just 45% using butter.  Legislation was then introduced to repeal the margarine tax, and in 1950 the tax was repealed.  In a 1991 gallup poll, 63% of households were using margarine, with just 20% using butter.

===================

Sour Milk

Sour Milk is buttermilk  

Or, take 1 cup of water, remove 1 Tablespoon.  Add 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice, or vinegar.

Spanish Style Tomato Sauce

In a goulash recipe, I came across the ingredient "One small can Ideal spanish style tomato sauce".  I wasn't sure if this was spaghetti sauce, or a certain kind of tomato sauce.. the recipe also called for tomato juice, so plain sauce feels like overkill here. 

 I cannot find anything on the "Ideal" brand.  The best I could find was this description of the Goya tomato sauce: "Traditional Spanish style all-purpose tomato sauce made with rich tomatoes, peppers, and spices. Recognized for its consistency and multiple uses, it adds a special flavor to your meals"  

Here's a chart for what "slow oven", and "moderate oven", mean today.

Sorting through some vintage recipes this week, I came across the term "slow oven". As in, "cook in a slow oven".

=====================

Printable Page For Our Family Cookbook

===============

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

Walking the cows home...

My husband, walking the cows home after they went to visit neighbors 2 miles away.

I didn't grow up on a farm. I openly admit that I do not know what I am doing most of the time, even after living here for 9 years. I really do not like inconveniencing others, and we seem to do a LOT of that since we moved here.  One of the reasons I did not want to raise cows is because when they get out of the fence, they travel.  I don't know what makes them leave acres of pasture, with water troughs, to walk across many acres of  varying hays, so they can stand in someone's manicured, flower bedded, UNfarm front yard, but they all seem to have that basic instinct.

It hasn't happened in a few years.. but this week it did.  My husband walked them home, across a neighbors farm.  I will remind him of this every time he gives me a hard time for giving the cows treats and hand feeding them.  They aren't skittish, and they will walk right with us, hoping for treats.  

After they returned, I posted this photo, and a few others on facebook, and I was surprised by how many commented about remembering doing this many times when they were younger.  Apparently we aren't the first to have cows escape the fence.  Maybe we aren't QUITE as bad at this as I had feared.

Day 9, Thursday: A moment in your day (this can be just a photo or both a photo and words)

Where is my gas tank?

I rarely put fuel in our vehicles, that is a job my husband takes care of for me.  Most of the time. Sometimes we drive a lot extra, and if he hasn't been in my car and doesn't notice, I may, occasionally, need to stop at a gas station if I want to make it home.  :-)  That happened this week, as we were headed home from our run at the lake, I realized my car was pretty much on empty, and i was driving right past the gas station to get home...

As I pulled into the station, I mumbled out loud "Which side is the gas tank on in this thing" and my daughter said "look for a little arrow on the display" pointing to my gas gauge.  Huh.  She was right - right beside the gas tank icon was a little tiny arrow pointing to the passenger side of the car, where the gas tank is located.  She said she saw the tip on Pinterest!  

(side note - why is it that I don't notice how dusty/dirty things are until I snap a photo of them with my cell phone?  I missed ONE week cleaning out the car, and this is how bad it is already...)

============================

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/diary-of-housewife.html

Day 8, Wednesday: A piece of advice you have for others. Anything at all.

Planning Our Trip W/ Android Apps

In April 2013 we spent a week in San Antonio Texas, for our son's graduation from Air Force Basic Training.   See More Here:

http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/air-force-mom.html

Screenshot of the homescreen I created for this trip

The widget at the top of the screen is from the Tripit App.  The nice thing about this app was that I could forward all of our confirmation emails - flight reservation, car rental, hotel - all to an email provided by the app, and it automatically added all of the information to our itinerary, including the confirmation numbers.  Clicking on the widget showed the overview of our trip, with times for our flights, etc.

The folder on the top left was for directions.  I use Go Launcher on my phone, so it is simple to add shortcuts of any kind.  Click on menu, choose add, flick to the right and choose shortcut.  Then I chose "maps" and created a google map shortcut for all of our destinations.  Hotel, Air Force Base, Car Rental Return Location, Riverwalk, Japanese Tea Garden...  it didn't matter where we were at, I could click on the shortcut for where we wanted to go, and my phone navigated us there, without me having to search for the address, it was already saved.  This was really nice!

The second shortcut, the blue one, is a direct shortcut to the google docs document with the Lackland Air Force Base graduation schedule, so I could reference it quickly whenever I had questions.

The last two in that first row are GOBY, and Yelp.  Goby is more for events nearby, Yelp is great for reviews of restaurants and establishments.  We didn't really use the Goby app, but we did use the Yelp app - that is how we found the great gelati place near our hotel, and Congers Smoke shack for the fabulous BBQ.

The second row of shortcuts was mainly for on the plane  - shortcuts to two books I read on our trip, and the red shortcut on the right is to google play movies.  Before we left, I rented, and downloaded, The Life Of PI to watch on our flight.  This worked so well for my husband that he rented a second movie for the flight home.  (I used the time on the flight home to read a book, and work on our trip diary, which I typed into evernote)

The Riverwalk has it's own app.  It was a handy guide to read through.

We flew on Southwest - the southwest app sort of sucks, but I did use it to check our flight times.  One of our flights was delayed, I could watch the times on here.

Expensify allows you to snap pics of your receipts on you phone to track your expenses and your budget.  

The Trip Advisor San Antonio App was nice, we used that to browse for activities nearby.  It's how we chose the Japanse Tea Garden, our favorite spot on this trip.

http://storyofmylifetheblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/blog-every-day-in-may-challenge.html

Day 2, Thursday:

 Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at. 

Take any approach you'd like (serious and educational or funny and sarcastic)

San Antonio Day 5 - All Day Town Pass

In April 2013 we spent a week in San Antonio Texas, for our son's graduation from Air Force Basic Training.  This is our trip diary from Day 3, our first day on base.  See More Here:
http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/air-force-mom.html

As near as we could tell, ALL the roads in San Antonio are a loop.  Which is nice, because if you miss your exit, no big deal, just take the next one..  

When your airman has a town pass, the important loop to remember is the 1604, shown in red here.  Your airman must remain INSIDE of this loop while on town pass.  He can apply for exceptions beforehand, if you have family nearby, etc.  This is a large loop, you should not have any trouble remaining inside of it.

• Be sure you know where to meet your airman in the morning.  Many chose the parking lot by the baseball field.  We chose the mini mall
• Do not panic if your airman is running late.  It was 9:20 before Luke got to us. 

As agreed the night before, we met Luke at the mini mall.  He came with his duffel of civilian clothes, to sort out.  We could have brought things home with us, but he had packed pretty light, other than some letters, he planned to take everything on to tech school with him.

 

The Japanese Tea Garden was  our favorite place in San Antonio.  There are more pics of it on the Day 2 trip diary.  Here, on the left, Luke is reading the plaque that explains why the sign above him reads "Chinese Tea Garden".  (Hint: the explanation involves the bombing of Pearl Harbor)

We went to the Japanese tea garden first, and walked, and talked, and sit, and talked, and walked, and talked...  it was quiet and peaceful there.  It was not empty, there were a lot of people taking photos, but it was still so much more peaceful than the river walk.  We had tea at the cafe, then called home to talk to his sister & friend who had run a zombie 5k that morning.

The new "no shine" shoes.  They do not need to shine them..  they remind me of the gel nail polish that you use the led light to set.

Hat check!  

Congers Smoke Shack

From there we drove to congers smoke shack for more of that amazing BBQ. 

Ordering Tip: get the three meat platter.  Make sure it includes the turkey.  I know, I know - trust me - it's amazing!  The brisket and pulled pork were my other two favorites.  For sides, get the potato salad (which is not like any other potato salad I have ever had) and the spiced cream corn (which is not really creamed - it is corn in a spicy cream sauce - but it was SO good!)

 We took it half a mile down the road to Robbers Baron park, to eat it.  Airman cannot walk & eat in their blues - they must stand absolutely still, or sit.  It is easier for them to slit.

Robber Baron park is a tiny little park, with a huge cave under it.  There was a group of scouts there when we arrived, with two cave guides.  Our airman is an eagle scout, so he enjoyed talking with them for awhile before we ate.  After we ate we walked down to see the cave entrance, which is so tiny!  It is hard to believe that this used to be open to commercial tours.

Next we went back to our hotel and Luke spent a couple of hours Skyping back home. :-)

 

Groupon had a deal for Monster Mini Golf, we took advantage of that.  It was fun - a place like this would be very possible here at home.

We used Yelp to find a restaurant nearby, Luke thought Greek food sounded good, so we tried Zorbas.  Compared to main street grill here at home (owned by a Greek family, with fabulous greek food) it was very disappointing.  But as with most things this week-end, it was more about sitting and talking with Luke than anything.

From there we stopped for gelati, before taking Luke back to base.  Dan & I had been to Brindles Awesome Ice Creams for Gelati earlier this week, we knew it was fabulous.  

Note: When taking your airman back to base, he will need to show his military ID at the gate, along with your base passes and drivers licenses..

Day 3 - Airmans Run, Coin Ceremony, Base Liberty
Day Four - Graduation Day!

Tips for Running (jogging) Faster

I want to slap people who say "the hardest part of running is getting out the door."  I have no problems getting out the door, in my sneakers.  I have regularly, for three months now.  And guess what?  Running (jogging really) is still HARD for me.  

I'm slow.  So very, very slow.  So slow that MyFitnessPal does not have an option for me under jogging, I still have to log my workout as a walk.  Talk about discouraging! Today I spent sometime reading about ways to increase my speed.  This is what I found:


Change My Mindset
This is so true for me - 
"My greatest obstacle was my mind. I convinced myself that I was a turtle, destined to run slow. Once I saw my time increase I realized I had to change my mind about my body's abilities. Instead of focusing on limitations I began to consider the possibilities."
http://voices.yahoo.com/how-improve-running-speed-beginner-runners-5449197.html?cat=5

I convince myself all the time that I will never be fast, that I am not made to run, that I am too fat, too old, too out of shape to ever be a fast runner...

Update My Playlist
When I started running this year, i didn't use music or headphones at all.  I concentrated on being able to hold a conversation (my daughter runs with me).  When I added headphones, my speed increased.  This week I noticed I ran my first half mile in 6 minutes.  To a much faster song than the others on my playlist.  After mile 1 I realized I was running slower than I needed to, I think because the song on my playlist was a slower song.

Add Some Cross Training:
"Traditional strength training is one way to improve muscle strength. Cross train with cycling, kickboxing, karate, or swimming to add interest to your workout."
http://voices.yahoo.com/how-improve-running-speed-beginner-runners-5449197.html?cat=5

I want to add some "Tabata Training" to my days as well.  See the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=05_OmNySxzo  I think especially jump rope for me, would help increase my lung capacity.


Work on my Breathing
I read a lot last year about breathing techniques, and then found I have fitness induced asthma, which an inhaler helped a lot.  
For now, I want to concentrate on breathing through my nose.  Step one.  :-)
(2019 update - it probably wasn't ever asthma.  In 2017 we found out that my iron was ridiculously low.  As in, get to the hospital for transfusions immediately, low.  That didn't happen overnight, I'm sure way back in 2014 when I wrote this is when the problems began.  By 2016 I could not walk up a simple hill without being completely out of breath and feeling like I was going to pass out. An inhaler was not helping. My blood was simply not carrying oxygen.  Fixed my iron issues, and what do you know - my lungs once again receive oxygen. But it took a surgery and a full year of high doses of iron for my blood cells to recover.)

"Breathing through your nose using your diaphragm takes practice."
http://voices.yahoo.com/how-improve-running-speed-beginner-runners-5449197.html?cat=5

Increase my distance
"Every two weeks, increase the length of your long run. This will extend endurance limits.."
http://www.active.com/running/Articles/5_Ways_to_Improve_Your_5K_Speed

  I've been working on this at the lake each week, but really not pushing myself as much as I should.  Runners World  recommends a weekly long run of 6 miles to prepare for a 5k.  I'm only doing 4.25 now, and I walk part of it..  Our next 5K is just one month away.

"Since you are training for a 5K, try increasing your long run to six miles. Increase mileage very gradually over time by increasing your total weekly mileage by 10% a week."
http://www.runnersworld.com/beginners/improving-speed-and-endurance

Add a Once A Week Speed Work Out

"For example, if you wanted to run eight minutes per mile, your quarter-mile race pace would need to be two minutes. The workout pace per lap should in this case be 1 minute, 52 seconds. Walk for half a lap between the 400s." http://www.active.com/running/Articles/5_Ways_to_Improve_Your_5K_Speed

There is more on speed training under Interval Work Out, here:
http://www.military.com/military-fitness/fitness-test-prep/improve-speed-on-your-pft-run

I'm thinking since my husband is doing the c25k, I should do it with him, and use the run times for speed.  

Spark People has charts for intervals on treadmills on 3 levels, here:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1147

They look like this:
Intermediate Speed Program

What to do	For how long	Intensity (1-10)
Warm up at 5 mph pace	5 minutes	3.5
Jog at 5.5 mph pace	2 minutes	5
Jog at 5.8 mph pace	2 minutes	6
Jog at 6.2 mph pace	5 minutes	7
Jog at 6.4 mph pace	3 minutes	7.5
Jog at 5.5 mph pace	4 minutes	5
Jog at 5.8 mph pace	2 minutes	6
Jog at 6.2 mph pace	2 minutes	7
Jog at 6.4 mph pace	5 minutes	7.5
Jog at 5.5 mph pace	2 minutes	5
Cool down	5 minutes	3.5
Total Workout Time:	37 minutes

=====================================

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/health-fitness.html