Movie Reviews

You may have noticed that I decided to add a movie review section at the top right of this page. I usually watch one to two movie, sometimes more, a week. So I figured why not give a brief review. Maybe someone will be looking for a movie to rent and it may help them decide. Most of the movies I watch are on pay per view or rented, but some are at the theater. I have decided to you a scale of 1 to 10, with one being the worst and 10 the best. I this allows for the best type of rating. There can be a big difference between a movie that may rate a 6 or a 9, but in rating scales with only 2 or 3 increments to chose from, they may only rate one increment apart. I would not recommend seeing any movies rated at 5 or below. A 6 for me would be a movie that is unoriginal, but is mildly entertaining if taken for what it is. The points will increase with originality, production values, acting, etc. Hey we all have different tastes and I don't always agree with critics, so take it for what it is, my opinion.

After they have been up for a while, I will move them to a special post, so that they can be accessed later.

Week Six

I did my Saturday morning weigh-in and I am now 226 lbs. I have lost over 20 pounds in six weeks. Not bad. I did a weigh-in at the gym last night and I weighed 229 on their scale. I did have clothes and shoes on there (of course) which I don't have during my home weigh-in. Also my weight seems to swing up at night. Maybe there are some difference in how the scales weigh as well. What is important is the difference in weight no matter what scale. I weighed on my scale from day one and, even if it is not exact, the pound amount different between then and now should be accurate. I mean really, if I reach my goal weight on my scale, but I still have 3 pounds to go on their scale, I can live with that.

They are having a 30-day challenge at Curves. It required a weigh and measure this week, which I did last night. You have to go at least 3 times a week all month and weigh-in once a week. Also have to attend one nutrition class. You will win a prize if you lose 5 lbs. or 5 inches. It may be that you have to achieve both, I'm not sure about that part. I figure if I keep losing the way I have been I should be able to achieve that. If I hit a plateau than I will have to figure out how to get things going again.

I Haven't Shampooed in Months

I have stopped shampooing my hair. Well, not as much anyway. I know it sounds weird, but I only use conditioner. If I use other products like hairspray or mouse, then I do shampoo once every week or so. Shampooing is very harsh on the hair and strips it of its natural oils, further drying and damaging your hair. Most shampoos contain sulfates which are very drying and damaging. Many people are doing this and it is called co-washing. You can use just about any conditioner, but you should try to find one that does not have -cones in it. That is compounds that end in the word cone. These basically are silicone type substances that coat your hair. It may feel better temporarily, but it can really be doing more damage to your hair. You cannot fix damaged hair. Once hair is damaged, that's it, only cutting it off will get rid it. Some products can mask the damage temporarily. However, some of these products can add to the damage and continue to damage new growth. Thus, continuing the cycle of damaged hair. I use conditioners from the Suave Naturals line, they are good and don't contain cones or sulfates.

Process:

Step 1: Rinse hair and scalp for at least one minute.

Step 2: Add generous amount of conditioner around scalp. Massage with tips of fingers around scalp for at least 1 to 2 minutes. If your fingers are not moving around easily add more conditioner or a splash of water. Then massage conditioner through to end, adding more if necessary.

Step 3: Leave conditioner on hair for at least 3 minutes. This is a good time to wash up.

Step 4: Rinse well at least a minute or two. Style as usual.

*note: Never rub your hair with a towel, this causes tangles and breakage. Instead wrap it with the towel for a few minutes. This will absorb most of the excess water. Then comb out and style, blowdry, etc.

Your hair may feel a little different because you are not used to the feeling of hair that has not had all its natural oils stripped out of it. But you will get used to it. Strangely, now my hair feels weird when I shampoo.

It may seem like you are using more conditioner than usual, but you will not be using any shampoo so it will balance out money wise.

Your already damaged hair is not going to get better, but the new growth should receive considerable less damage and after a few months you should notice a difference. Also, if you color your hair it will retain the color better. I don't have a perm, but I would guess that it may last longer as well.

Now if I could just get up early enough to blowdry and style, my hair might look great.

Week Five

One more week down and it was a good one. I had a feeling it was going to be because I hop on the scale every once in a while throughout the week and I was getting some good readings, although my weight can fluctuate wildly by as much as five pounds from morning to evening. I have asked around and a few friends, both male and female, say they experience the same thing. Now to get to the good stuff. I weighed in at 229 this morning. That was more than I thought, I figured it would be around 231 to 232. My gym record shows I have lost inches too.

For the first time today my back was hurting really bad while working out. It was not the equipment though because I already had nerve pain when I walked in. I debated leaving, but I was already there so I fought through it. I actually ended up burning 340 calories so it was worth the pain.

I finally got my yogurt machine and made a batch last night. I tried it this morning and it was so delicious and perfect consistency. I used 2 percent, so today I am going to make a batch with skim milk to see how that comes out. I am also going to make a loaf of sourdough bread with my starter that finally started.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

I have recently purchase a bread machine. I know, that seems counter-intuitive to dieting. I know there are many diets out there that are touting low carbs and little or no bread, but I don't think people can live without bread. I do think we probably eat too much of it, and not the good variety. The reason for the bread machine was so I can make my own and know what is going into it and hopefully have healthier breads, with more whole wheat. So far all the breads are great. Which is not good because I want to eat them. However, I have limited myself to one slice per day. They are a little bit thicker than store bought slices, but should be less than two slices (I hope). The best so far was the cinnamon raisin bread, which I did make with white flour. I am going to try a whole wheat version this weekend. I would like to eventually get a grain mill and grind my own grains so I get the best nutrition.

I have to get weighed and measured at the gym tonight. I sure hope there is some changes in my measurements. I know it has only been a month, but I may feel deflated if there is no change. Even just a little change will at least make me feel like all the hard work at the gym is paying off.

Week Four

The one month milestone. Ok, not much of a milestone, but still, I have been sticking to it. I weighed in at 234.4 this morning. The weight loss is going very slow. I did not stick to my plan this week. I had intended only to introduce a couple of regular meals and continue with meal replacements with the rest. However, it turned out the opposite. I ate mostly regular meals and only the occasional meal replacement. What can I say, I hadn't eaten real food in three weeks. I wanted to eat. I did still count my calories and tried to keep each meal to about 200 - 250. Some did exceed a little and some were less. Based on the daily calories I need to maintain my current weight, 2192, I should be losing weight if am taking in less than 1500 calories a day and working out. It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound. So that means you have to eat 500 calories a day less than you need in order to lose one pound a week. Based on this science I should be losing more than I am. Seems simple but I bet there are a lot of a variables with individuals that make a difference. What else can I do, just keep plodding along.

Getting Cultured

No, I did not go to an opera or start wearing cocktail dresses during the day. I learned how to make my own yogurt. It was actually pretty simple, there are just a few steps.

Ingredients: Milk (any kind) and yogurt cultures. You can also add dry milk to help thicken milks with less fat. You can buy yogurt cultures or you can use any store bought yogurt with live cultures. That's It!

Process: Heat milk to 180 degrees, then cool to 110 degrees. Add yogurt cultures and keep at 110 degrees for 6 to 12 hours, depending on taste. The longer you incubate your cultures, the tangier the yogurt.

There are different methods people use for the incubation period. I tried the crockpot method because, well, because I have a crockpot and it sounded easy. It was actually a little difficult to maintain the proper temp throughout the incubation, so I would not recommend this method. It requires way to much attention, temperature taking, and turning the crockpot on and off. I found the instructions for the crockpot method and it did not recommend the initial heating to 180 degrees, even though I had read that was required. Also their method required turning off the crockpot and rely on it to maintain the heat for the duration. I decided to give it a try to see if it worked their way. It did not. My first batch, although it smelled and tasted like yogurt, did not have the right consistency. It was ropey and thin. I figured it had to be because it was not heated to 180 initially. I also checked the temp a couple of times and it did not stay at 110.

So, I made my second batch by heating the milk and dry milk (because I used 2% milk) to 180 degrees. Then I cooled down to 110 and added my cultures (1/2 cup of Dannon plain all natural yogurt). I put the mixture in the crockpot that was pre-warmed on low and turned off. I wrapped the whole crockpot in a large towel. Ever two hours I turned the crockpot on low for 10 to 15 minutes. After 8 hours I poured the mixture in cups and refrigerated for 6 hours (well you keep refrigerating it but it should be at least 6 hours before eating). I tried it and it was the right consistency and tasted good although not as tangy as I would like. Next time I will have to incubate a couple of extra hours. I am going to buy a yogurt maker which only requires you to heat the milk to 180 and cool to 110, add your cultures, then pour in the incubator which keeps your cultures at the right temperature for as long as you set the timer for. Your timer goes off and yogurt is done. No constant watching and temperature taking. It still requires the initial heating to 180 degrees, because this is what changes the nature of the proteins, and this is the problem I had with my first batch.

That's all it takes to make yogurt. You can make a weeks worth in a day and it will keep fresh for 7 to 10 days in the fridge. You can take out a container and add whatever you like, fresh fruit, jams, honey, granola, etc. It will be all natural with no preservatives and additives and will save you money.

Week Three

Hi ya'll, it's the end of my third week eating (or should I say drinking) only meal replacements. I just did my weigh in and was a little disappointed that I did not lose as much as a had hoped. My weight is now 235.4, which is barely over a pound loss. I was hoping for at least two, come on now. I have been diligently working out too. Hmmmm. Anyway I am adding in two real meals into the five meal rotation so hopefully that will get things moving.

I had my first real meal last night, it consisted of two sea scallops cooked in a little olive oil, 1/2 cup brown rice and 6 baby carrots. I added it up to be about 250 calories. It was pretty good considering I never cooked scallops before. I hope I cooked them right. They were tender and opaque. I hope they were not underdone, but since I never really ate scallops before I really don't know what they are supposed to be like, lol. It's morning and I didn't get sick so it must have been fine, right.

On Thursday at the gym I burned 335 calories and reached my goal on all my major muscle groups for the first time. It shows up electronically on the screen as green dots over the muscle group on this person who is supposed to represent me (and who looks very fat by the way - thanks Curves). If you don't reach 91 percent of your goal you get a yellow light. You can click on the dot and see what percent you got, and I got 100 percent on all. I was so excited I turned around and yelled it out to everyone at the gym!

I have to get ready to go to the gym now since they are only open till noon on Saturdays.

Breaking a Barrier

OK, it's not that big of a deal, but I finally burned over 300 calories in my workout (309 to be exact). I got 299 last time, so close. That might not seem like a lot but considering the low amount of calories I am taking in, that's about a third. I think I feel my muscles getting stronger, or maybe it's just my imagination

I am going to continue on total replacement until Saturday when my 3 weeks are up and then I may introduce a couple small regular meals. I will see how I feel, I may try to go one more week.

On the poll almost everyone voted the same way. I guess we all have a problem with will power. I will try to post a new poll in a couple of days when I can get on a regular computer. It's too hard to do on my phone.