Maxine the Massage Monster

My latest projects have been knitted “Monsters” and my first foray into garments. A very dear friend is having a baby and I wanted to make them a special handmade gift. Her husband and her have become such dear friends ever since my car accident in 2008. From being a “support group” during our weight loss, our personal trainers, our emergency massage therapist, bringing freelance work my way and promoting my business to their clients; they just have been tremendously incredible. So I really wanted to make something very special and unique.

First, I made them one of the “Monsters” out of my new favorite knitting book by Rebecca Danger, “The Big Book of Knitted Monsters”. The monster is Lurleen the Laundry Monster. But, the hands reminded me of the thai herb balls that my friend uses in her massage business. So I renamed the monster “Maxine the Massage Monster” in honor of her business (I chose the name Maxine to be the female version of one of their dogs, “Max” who is their mascot for their fitness center.)

Hat & Socks

But I wanted something more. So I found a cute “wee leaf baby set” that consisted of a hat and matching socks. But, again, the gift didn’t feel complete yet…

I happened to stumble upon a basic Baby sweater vest pattern that had the same width of ribbing and the same stockinette stitch. So I used the left over yarn that I had from the monster, hat and socks and created a matching set and included the leaf applique so that it would still coordinate.

The colors for their baby were “sea colors” of blues and greens. I went to my trusty local yarn shop and found perfect colors for these projects (which is no surprise, I always find exactly what I need at the Double Ewe Yarn Shop. I spend so much money there, that we joke that I am purchasing “shares” in her business.)

I was a little nervous making the vest, but it turned out very well for my first garment. To top it off, I even was making adjustments to the pattern as I went (somethings just didn’t make some sense to me, so I changed them to things I knew). It turned out well. I even did my first real “blocking” process to make sure the stitches relaxed and held there shape during washing. (Blocking is where you thoroughly wet the peice and then lay it out and pin it to a specific shape and let it dry thoroughly.)

For more information for these projects, you can check out my Ravelry project page!

Next on my plate:

• Finish my Loxley scarf
• Finish three “Craft-it-forward” gifts
• Make Amy’s socks
• Make my cardigan/jacket

My father and I had this conversation last night and a friend of mine just posted a survey on facebook whether to get cable or dish.

We don’t have Cable in our house, other than for phone and internet. We do have a digital antenna to get any local channels, which we really only use for any news or weather announcements. We use other options, some of which are like having Tivo, without needing to really pay for it!

Talk about freeing. Paying less for TV shows that I actually want to watch, instead of paying a bunch of money and not finding a thing to watch! You don’t realize how much TV can really enslave you, until you stop paying for it.

For me, it felt like I was subconsiounsly forcing myself to watch tv, because I was paying so much for it. It was like ordering a large steak and finishing it all off, because “I can’t let it go to waste!”

Since cutting the cord, I have picked up a few hobbies that I have always wanted to try, I spend more time with my family and friends and I don’t feel “tied” to my TV anymore.

Now, this isn’t to say that I don’t watch TV anymore. I do…but it’s on my terms now.

Watching TV with the family while I knit had become fun again, because it’s shows we actually want to watch, WHEN we actually want to watch them. I know you can do that with Tivo or other DVRs, but I still hear complaints from friends when they go to watch a show, and it didn’t record right or was misnamed. I don’t have those issues.

So, what exactly do we use? Well, I’d be happy to tell you.

First, the equipment:

• Internet-Capable TV: We have a Sony Bravia, but there are many other brands out there. This TV comes with Apps, like: Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, Vudu, Pandora, CinemaNow, and can stream any video off my main computer using Windows Media Player. (And, an internet capable TV is not required, as long as you have a computer that can hook up to it, or other devices, like the ones below.)
• PlayStation 3: (or, from what I have heard, an Xbox can do this too.) This lets me stream stuff from my computer as well and also have apps. This isn’t necessary if you have an internet-capable TV, but if you don’t, this make it easier than needing to hook your computer up to your TV.
• AppleTV (optional): I use this for all my iTunes Content. And I can rent and Purchase movies and TV seasons through that.
• Computer: This I mainly use for any of my already purchased/owned content, and for a service called PlayOn and TVMobili

Software:

• PlayOn: This has channels/plugins that let me access anything on Hulu, Netflix (with paid Netflix account) or most video streams from channels like SyFy, TNT, CNN, SpikeTV, Nickelodeon, Disney, etc.). There is a monthly fee to use this app. Or you can pay for it all in one shot and be done. This works by installing a little program on your PC and running it in the background (so your PC needs to be on, for the TV to see the video streams) and then streams the content to your Internet TV or Device.
• PlayLater: In tandem with PlayOn, this lets me “record” certain “shows” so that I can play them later, even “offline” (I have internet connection issues from time to time, so this ensures that my TV won’t stop and “buffer” a show I am trying to watch thru PlayOn.
• TVMobili: This lets me access all my content on my computer (Movies, TV shows, etc. And I can share my library with other friends that have TVMobili on their computers. (There is a cost involved with the “sharing” part of the App)
• Hulu App: I’m going to address this below
• Netflix: Most people are familiar with this. But, one thing to note, your always about a season or two behind everyone else.
• Vudu: This lets you rent/purchase High definition TV shows or Movies. Their usually out the same time redbox may have them. When you have a HD TV, it’s worth renting the HDX versions. Their GORGEOUS!

Hulu is the Key peice here in cutting the cord.

They have many shows online. The only downfall is the App. When you pay $7.99 for an app, it doesn’t mean you get access to all their shows. Some shows are not available to view on “Devices”, and is “Web” only. Some TV shows are only on the devices and you can’t watch them online.

This is where PlayOn comes in. It lets you watch ANY of the online content on your device, without paying for it! I don’t know how they do it, but it works pretty well. The quality isn’t too bad, but you will notice fragmentation when your on a HD TV, but it’s not horrible. Sometimes its pretty good.

Also with Hulu, you have a “queue” and save/subscribe to shows you want to watch.

So why do I pay for Hulu. Since my TV has the App, I watch most stuff the app. It’s crystal clear and jsut works. Sometimes I have connection issues with PlayOn…or for some reason PlayOn can’t “see” the Show…sometimes my Hulu App doesn’t work though, and I go through PlayOn to watch it…it all depends.

One more thing to mention. If your computer has a hardwire connection for intent. USE IT! Wireless is great, but you will have connection issues. Sometimes my TV looses the signal in the middle of a show and I have to monkey with stuff to get it back.

This may seem like a lot of work, just to not pay for cable, but once it is all setup…it works pretty great…and costs a lot less!

Quick summary: It’s Sister Act 2, mixed with Glee, with a little Romeo and Juliet thrown in there. If you like music, and you like a good story, you’ll like this movie.

My full review: The wife and I went out to see it for our date night. Starring Dolly Parton, I knew I would like it, but it surprised even me on how good it was.

Initially I was worried that Amy may not like this movie, but only go to appease me, because she knows I love Dolly. But at the end, even she was talking about how much she actually enjoyed it and I could hear the enthusiasm in her voice as she told others about the movie.

The rivalry between Queen Latifah and Dolly is just enough to bring some humor to the movie. But it is a sort of rivalry that is a little reminiscence of the rivalry of Wheezer and the dad in Steel magnolia’s. They can’t stand each other, but you know deep down inside they are very fond of each other.

Not only is there funny parts in this movie, but there are a few tender moments that can bring on a few tears if your not careful, and the growing tension between Q.L. and Keke Palmer creates some very dramatic and tense scenes. These two really deliver a powerful performance.

While Dolly isn’t an actress (she’s admitted that in her autobiography), she is a “character” and she plays her character well. She has some nice one-liners in there and some touching moments that I thing she performs nicely and at times very powerful.

There is a few side story lines with some of the supporting cast. They’re light stories, but if you don’t pay attention, you may miss out on how some of those story’s close out at the end. (For instance the choir member who talks with Q.L. on the bus to the competition, hasn’t been feeling the “spirit”, so in the medley he has a sort of reawakening and has a little dance scene that seems out of place if you didn’t catch that first conversation.) But my favorite story line is one of the female choir members and her love life.

The music is great! From some uptempo Gospels, hip hop rejoicing, a nice ballad or two and some retooling of pop songs they all leave you feeling good and in many cases ready to move! Dolly wrote a few of the songs in the movie and they hold up well with the rest.

If your looking for a movie with a good story (even though this kind of story has been told before) I highly recommend it.

If my history serves me, I believe this was initially supposed to be a TV show that Dolly had been shopping around for a few years, but I think it does well opening as a movie. I could see this being a fun sitcom though.

[tube]http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlR_vDzDNyE[/tube]

Well, I thought that tonight on the way to work, and was immediately given an answer…they we’re right behind me.

I was driving down 35W in the middle lane, near County Road C and this car came flying by me on the left, and cut closely between me and truck that was in front of them on the left lane, and then sped past and cut in front of the truck.

I was going 60mph, and they had to be going 80-90mph, it was insane.

So I got over in the left (since I needed the Cleveland exit soon) and just as I moved over, a cop came flying past in the lane I was just in and started weaving between cars.

1/4 of a mile later, their lights go on and they pulled over that car.

It was nice to see a reckless driver get pulled over for their stupidity.

Amy and I were coming home from the Gym a little after 8 a.m. on December 16 (my mom’s birthday) and she noticed a “bonfire” smell. I told her someone was probably having a bonfire (something else common in mobile home communities). She dropped me off and picked up our oldest to take her to school. I had just Riley in the house with me then. I went back to my office to do a few things before going to bed.

Amy called me a few minutes later and said that I better check out the back window and see what’s going on, because she had to stop twice on the frontage road to let police cars fly by her and whip down Liberty Lane (the next street over from us and behind our home). The conversation went like this:

“Why bother? I’m not going to be able to see anything anyways.”

I look out my window as I am talking to her and I see police cars everywhere. I turn slightly to my right and look at a blue double-wide that is behind and off to the right of my back window (8 feet to be exact, corner to corner)….and I see flames shooting out the window.

I yelled into the phone, “HOLY $H1T! The blue house behind us is on fire!”

Amy replies, “You can see the fire?”

“It’s shooting out the back window of their house!” I reply

“Get the kids and get the HELL OUT OF THERE! I am on my way back” Amy yells and then hangs up. (We had our nieces and nephew being dropped off soon and she thought they were there already)

Amy was on Lovell Road and whipped a U-turn going like 40–45 mph. Courtney hangs on for dear life.

I start running through the house, yelling for Riley to get his shoes on, there is a fire and we have to get out of the house. He complains that he doesn’t have socks on (that kid and his socks) and I yell at him to “Get your damn shoes on!” (I don’t think or speak well when I am under that kind of pressure….)

I think to get the dog’s leash on him and grab him and Riley and our coats. The cats (and turtle) will have to fend for themselves as I can’t grab them all at once and I didn’t have a whole lot of time. (We were afraid they were all in the back bathroom, but we found out later they were all in different areas of the house…two were way up in the front sleeping the whole time)

Amy comes whipping in, Courtney storms up the stairs and grabs the dog and we get into the car and park across the street. The whole neighborhood comes over to watch and talk….all while smoking cigarettes….

We’re all freaked out, because Mobile Home fires have a tendency to “travel” like a forest fire, because homes are so close to each other…we were also afraid that the blue home next to our (which is MUCH closer) could catch fire…then we would have been screwed, as that house is abandoned and there is a lot of junk in that house. It’s a fire hazard.

We called my mom at work, on her birthday, to give her a birthday present…a near heart attack. I post frantically on Facebook to alert everyone of what’s going on.

The fire is finally put out about two hours later(?) and everyone disperses. Our statements are taken. We go into the house and realize that we can’t smell any smoke….which told us we don’t have any drafts!

I head to bed as I have “Knittervention” that night and we comment that if I hadn’t stayed up…I would have still been asleep, I wouldn’t have heard the policeman bang on my door (or the dog barking) as once I am out, I am dead to the world and Amy wouldn’t have known until she came back.

Amy says the fireman didn’t clear out for a few hours after. Rumors was that it was the lint in the dryer that caught fire (but they always say that with mobile homes…) Amy said it looked like it started in the electrical box, because you could see the box and it was totally scorched, but the dryer exhaust area didn’t look as scorched.)

So jump a few hours later, after knittervention.

My mom and I are on our way back from the open knit a little after 10pm and we turn to drive down our street and I see smoke billowing across the street…I thought at first that it was fog…then I look over in my houses direction and I see a smoke plume just rising…I tell my mom to step on it and as we pass by the house next to us, I can see flames shooting out the side window…I scream at her that “It’s the same F@ck1ng house on fire!” and she whips into the driveway (which amazed me, cause she is kinda pokey.)

Our neighbor Wendy was already coming down the street on her phone (calling 911). I jump out of the car before it’s done moving and storm up the steps….stop to enter in my code….then storm into the house screaming for everyone to get out, the same house is on fire.

Amy was in her nightgown laying on the couch, Mikayla and her best friend were lounging half-asleep in the living room. Dominic was asleep in his bed and Riley was somewhere.

Amy throws on some pants, gets the kids together (It took a bit to wake up Dominic and get Mikayla’s bestie moving). Cindy comes in and grabs the dog and we get the kids and everyone across the street.

By this time the policeman are here and going around evacuating the houses again, and we run back in (while they are on the other side) and grab our cats this time (some of our neighbors helped us get them out of the house and into the car.)

This time it took until about 1-2am until they had the fire completely out. They tore out the back to walls to make sure. Our good neighbors the Pictons, and Kippy, stayed with us and Kippy made us hot cocoa to keep us warm (it was getting quite cold out). I stayed up most of the night on “fire watch” to make sure nothing else happened. Everyone figured it was a rekindle….until…..

The next morning Amy is assessing our damage and comes across this little lighter in our yard, with parts of it strewn about, like someone was dissembling it as they ran. She called the police.

They came out and said it looked like a homemade blow torch. Amy started filling them in on all the stuff that has been happening around our area (kids shutting of the main switch on our electrical pedestal–which shuts off all power to our house–around midnight when I would be gone for work, turning on our outside water in the middle of the night, taking their lighters to our siding and making scorch marks, hanging out in the empty lot (and breaking into the house) next door and smoking…and possibly doing other drugs.). As she is telling him this, he goes over and moves some skirting…there are a few alcohol bottles, with towels tucked into them, with scorch marks….they were making molotov cocktails.

So now the rumor is possible arson for the second fire. (We have a home a few streets over that is labeled as arson…they caught that person I believe.

So that was my mom’s fun exciting birthday and how a house catches fire twice in one day…and freaks out the Jones family.

Only the second time in my life.

First time was after my wisdom teeth surgery and I smacked my jaw on the bathroom counter on my way down.

Tonight was also in the bathroom (I think there’s a sign there…)

I hadn’t been feeling well the last few days (upset stomach, allergies, sinus headaches) so I was up all day today. I figured I would get up and go lay down before work.

I stopped off at the bathroom to “empty my tank” and as I’m standing there I instantly felt hot and not really dizzy, but felt like I might be sick. I quickly finished, grabbed onto the cabinet unit over our toilet to steady myself.…

.…and that’s the last I remember.

I woke up feeling like I had a nice little nap, and then instantly felt panicked. Realizing my head was leaning over the dog’s food dish against the wall, my legs cramped up against the toilet (my body in the tiny space between toilet and sink counter).

I try and successfully extract myself from the space and somehow manage to stand up, and stumble to my bedroom. I lay down and start to feel pain over my body.

My shin hurt, my back, but not my head.

Amy had just got home and the kids are freaking out at her. She comes in and asses my damage with her first aid training.

So I’ve been lying here with ice packs on and her checking my eye’s dilation every 30 minutes.

Apparently I had hit the toilet with my shin so hard that I shifted the toilet two inches. My leg is bruised and a little swollen. It had an “indent” from resting on something while I was passed out, but that’s back to normal.

I scrapped my back on the way down and Amy thinks I lightly knocked my head 3 times on the way down. Once on the counter, once on the toilet paper holder and once on the wall or dog dish. My head doesn’t hurt at all, but I have some slight bruises and some scraps.

I’m better now, I have a great nurse (although she can be a little demanding).

She thinks it happened because I had only eaten at breakfast and hadn’t drank any water all day. I was either dehydrated or had low blood sugar or both. So she’s been having me drink water and feeding me.

So I just had to do it too. I think these are a great way to share information about yourself, but also gives you a chance to look back at your life and see what you have accomplished, and what you might still have left to do. (Thank you Amber!)

Instructions: Copy the list, bold the ones you’ve done (with explanations if needed), share with friends.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars. (Not sure what constitutes this, but I fell asleep at a bonfire one night…does that count?)
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (NO! I was supposed to get a trip, like my sister did, when I was 14…never happened. I’m still bitter)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland. (Although I barely remember most of it)
8. Climbed a mountain (Once a year in Gatlinburg, Tennessee growing up. We took our annual pilgrimage every year and would walk the 4? miles up and then 4 miles back down!)
9. Held a praying mantis (Um…hell no!)
10. Sang a solo (In church)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. (Graphic Design, Painting–watercolor, oils, acrylics, Drawing, Knitting, Crocheting, Origami, Kirigami, Sewing, Book making, Quilting, I’m sure there are many more)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning. (It’s entirely possible. I may have blocked the details from my memory)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables. (Not me personally, but my family always has)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill … come on, haven’t we all?
24. Built a snow fort. (Many, Many Times–although they always scared the crap out of me going through the small tunnels)
    
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (Mr. Bode’s class in my Senior? or Junior Year)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run (My memory is hazy…but I think I did, once, in Junior High)
32. Been on a cruise.  (And going again Next year!)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Um. Does Duluth count?)
35. Seen an Amish community. (Not a whole community, but I saw Amish people and their wagon in Northtown at a shop right next to Mill End Textiles. They were getting a weird looking blade sharpened.)
36. Taught yourself a new language…Be trying to learn Hawaiian and Irish.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. (For awhile when working with Amy at P.I.M.M.S.)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (Does it have to be the real one? There was a life size duplicate in Sioux Falls)
41. Sung karaoke. (It’s how I met my wife!)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (I did it myself)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud (Which my father never understood. I would do this, but not help him get “dirty” working on cars in the garage)
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class (No, but seriously thinking about it)
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason (And electronics, and new computers, and books, and…let’s just say my wife spoils me rotten!)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (My mom and I had kept my original He-man, ThunderCats, GI Joe, Transformers, Star Wars and many many other of my old toys for my boys to play with.)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone . (Well, I tore a ligament, but it still involved a toe-to-knee cast and crutches)
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle (My dad use to have a moped, does that count?)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (I hope to have a photo book published soon!)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Met Dolly Parton’s Aunt, Uncle and cousins at DollyWood, Met She-Ra)
92. Joined a book club (Tried to many, many times, but they always fell apart and never really met. But I did “join”. Still looking for a good one though!)
93. Got a tattoo. (Contemplated it heavily)
94. Had a baby (Not me personally, but I have four kids…does that count?)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

I’ve done 45 (Did I count that right?) things on the list-Not too shabby.  If you copy and re-post, email me your blog address so I can see 99 things about you too!

http://www.thekwajbates.blogspot.com/

I don’t know if its because we are doing this together, or if there is something else going on, but we can’t seem to keep our hands off each other.

Now, before you get your minds in the gutter, I’m not necessarily talking about that!

I’ve noticed that we have been more “touchy-feely”. Holding hands in the car or when we walk, stealing a kiss or two (as witnessed–or shall we say caught–by a client on a photo shoot today.)

Or when we pass each other in the kitchen or hall, we give a quick kiss, or hug or even just a touch.

I don’t know, maybe we’re secretly trying to gauge how much the other has lost…but I don’t think that’s it.

Whatever has caused this increased affection…I hope it hangs around for quite awhile.

A few noteables. This plan REALLY DOES WORK. I am proof that it works–and I am not the only one.

As of writing this post, I am down 46.25 lbs. When I started in late March/April, I weighed 305.75 lbs. and wore a size 48 pants. Today I am 258 lbs. and when I went shopping today, I got myself into a pair of size 42!

But, you do need to follow their advise. And yes, you will be limited in what you eat. Now, you still get plenty to eat, it just has to be on their list of approved foods. Its a lot of vegetables, but there is no denying it works. And really, its not that hard. It’s not about what you can’t eat…it’s about changing your eating habits, portioning and, most of all, it’s about the goal!

So please keep that in mind with all I am about to tell you. So, let’s start off with the first question shall we?

What is SlimGenics? What is this Thermogenic process I keep hearing about?

Taken from Slimgenics website (I can’t say it any better than this):

The SlimGenics program is based on the science of thermogenesis or the “generation of heat.” The program is designed to increase your metabolism so that you burn storage fat for fuel. Additionally, it increases the health of your metabolism allowing you to maintain your new weight long-term. SlimGenics works with a combination of science and structure so that our clients make fat burning a part of their daily lives—all without hunger and deprivation.

Is SlimGenics Expensive?

Yes.I won’t lie.

Now I don’t remember the exact formula, but they take how much you have to loose to get to your goal, and any health or lifestyle factors and then figure out how many weeks it will take you to get there. (A person will average only so much weight loss a week). Then they charge you for each week/pound.

You pay that money up front. The one guarantee I liked, is that if you are following the plan, but your not quite meeting that goal, they will add-on free weeks to make sure you get to your goal. They will work with you! They also have ridiculously easy ways to earn free weeks (I have earned 6 free weeks so far).

I won’t give you the exact amount I paid, but let’s just say that I did need to use some of my tax refund to afford it. But the nice thing, it’s paid for.

What do I eat? Do I they have branded “snacks” that I have to buy and eat?

You eat regular grocery store and restaurant food. They give you a comprehensive food list of acceptable “measured” foods that are “on plan” as well as options from well-known restaurants.

I say measured, because their home office evaluates all natural foods that come out to see how they fit in with the thermogenic process. For instants they had released summer squashes, but are still evaluating winter squashes. Their adding food all the time.

Also, each center will find local alternatives that aren’t on the list, but that you can have becasue they are identical to foods that are on the list. For instance this one brand of Slim Buns are not on the list, but they are identical in nutrional content as a whole grain bread that is.

You can also still have tea, decaf coffee and some diet pops, a fair amount of spices and a couple of condiments.

On to the snacks.

Yes, SlimGenics has snacks that you need to eat. It’s in your contract that you eat the required amount of snacks a week. The reason for the snacks, is that they utilize special herbs that help boost the thermogenic process and they know exactly what is in their snacks, so they’re sort of the “constant variable” in your meal plan that the center can count on.

By the way, the snacks are fabulous! They help with cravings of the things you cannot have. Like Cheesecake, or chocolate pudding, Chocolate Fudge Cake, shakes, soups, pasta, bars or BBQ chips, etc. And you can use the snacks in other meals to change up the flavor/texture of your allowed food items. For instance, smash up the BBQ Crunch O’s and use it for a breaded mixture on chicken. Or dump some strawberries in your chocolate fudge cake, stuff like that.

And yes, the snacks can be expensive. For one person, 21 snacks a week, and they come roughly 6 in a box, so 3.5 boxes a week. It can add up, but you can find the same snacks online for cheaper too. They don’t necessarily tell you about the snacks up front. If we had known about those, we would have allocated some more tax money, because they can add up, especially for two people on the plan.

So give me an example…what do you eat in a day?

Well the plan I am on I need to eat:

• 3 Proteins
• 4 Vegetables (but most green raw veggies are considered “freebies” so you can play with that if you need variety)
• 3 Fruits
• 3 Starches
• 1 Fat
• 80 oz. of water
• 8 oz. of milk

So what does that look like in a menu?

Well, this is what I had today:

Breakfast:

• A 2 egg omelet with spices, with mushroom, green pepper, tomato, spinach,  and strawberry inside it. With the rest of my fruit serving on the side
• 8 oz. of milk

Lunch/Dinner (I add sporadically throughout the day/night):

• Mushroom-Turkey Burger, on two pieces of bread, with light mayo, spinach, a tomato slice, mustard, and a mushroom slice.
• 1/2 Baked potato with Greek yogurt (its a sour cream substitute) and spices
• Chocolate Fudge Cake with Raspberries on top
• Cheese Cake Snack
• Banana Creme Pudding Snack
• Grapes
• A baked chicken breast with spices on top

There is a lot of things you can make if you put your mind to it…like homemade pizza, raspberry burgers (trust me they are great), chili, pancakes, etc. You just have to think a little more than normal.

I also heard about pills? Do I have to take them?

They do offer optional pills. But they are not required. We only take two (but the ones we take, we found cheaper alternatives that are exactly the same)

They have a multi-vitamin (which we take), Fish-oils Or “Omega Fatty Acids” (which we take, helps with skin elasticity and having your skin shrink with you), carb blockers (does what it says, blocks carb intake from being absored by your body), and metaboliser herbs (to suppress appetite, decrease water retention, increase energy and cleanse and detoxify the body). They also have Thermo-Boost drink mixes which can give you that kick of energy that pop/coffee would have given you and boost the thermogenic process. Amy had to be taken off those because she was getting too much energy…

Words of Wisdom?

If your serious about losing wieght. There is no denying that this works. My wife and I are both on it and doing great, we know others that are on it and its working for them as well. Yes it can be expensive, but really, there is no price high enough for a healthier, fitter body and lifestyle. Also, your are NOT required to exercise! You can’t beat that.

Yes, the food at times can be tough. And your grocery bill will go up because you are buying much more fruit, vegetables and meats. It can also be tough just finding a little variety. You can easily get stuck in eating the same things (I ate salads for weeks because it was a great way to get in all my vegetables, starch and protein). You just need to see what you have left on your meal plan for the day and plan accordingly.

My greatest strength has been experimenting and finding variety in combining the different allowed food items. Like the Raspberry Burger. Taking 4 oz. of ground turkey and 1/2 cup of raspberries, grinding them and mixing them in with the turkey when forming the patty. They smell great and taste fantastic…and now I just got through 1 protein and 1 fruit!

They also offer a cookbook of on-plan recipes. I recommend getting it…it will help you find foods that you crave.

It can be hard. But its worth it and it’s worth the money spent. I would make the same decision all over again.

Now even though I said you don’t have to exercise, I am plan on adding that, because I am impatient and I want to get to my goal faster. So I will be joining my good friend (and her husbands) gym…Mastiff Fitness. Because the next step will be to see myself buff…like the model on their webpage.

And as usual, if you have any questions or need support…you know where to find me.