Let's Do Lunch Book Review

Book Summary:  With Let's Do Lunch, you EAT UNTIL FULL in ALL the food groups, including all you want of unprocessed starchy carbs, the sweetest fresh fruits and fruit smoothies, lean red meat, corn thins, cheese, healthy fats, veggies, whole-grain cereals and crispbreads, dark brown and wild rice, snacks, dressings, condiments, and sauces.  But because these foods stabilize your blood sugar, your body FORCES you to become less and less hungry with each passing day.  Thus, you begin to eat less and less, consume fewer and fewer calories, and lose all the weight you want.

In Let's Do Lunch, Roger Troy reveals:
*  Eat until full whenever you are hungry, no matter how often that is and no matter how many calories you consume (even if you start by eating 10,000 calories a day)-thus eliminating your hunger cravings.

*  Your body can't tell the difference between starchy carbs, so when you eat the Let's Do Lunch starchy carbs, it eliminates your cravings for the fattening starchy carbs.

  Your body can't tell the difference between sugars, so when you eat the sweetest fresh fruits and fruit smoothies, it eliminates your cravings for all the foods made with fattening sugar in them.

My Review:  My curiosity was peaked by Roger Troy Wilson's claims that you can eat until you are full in all the food groups and still lose weight.  His own story is remarkable:  he lost 230 pounds and 24 inches off his waist and kept is off for years using this program.  It is one he developed (with God's help) through trial and error.  The strategy he uses is interesting.  You start out eating A LOT of fruit (as much as you can eat) before meals and for snacks.  You also use beans in place of starches like potatoes and eat your biggest meal (i.e. protein) at lunch.

I'm not sure how I feel about this plan.  On one hand, eating until I am full and not having to count calories or points is very appealing.  You don't avoid any food groups like some programs suggest.  Roger Troy also gives you tips on fighting cravings like chocolate, Cokes, pizza, bread, etc.  I can use these tips in my everyday life.  But, the idea of eating as much fruit as I can EVERY TIME I get hungry sounds sickening.  You do have to do some substituting and keeping it straight while taking care of three kids and a husband is too involved for my lifestyle.  The idea and research behind eating your biggest meal at lunch is appealing and interesting.  The actual application in my household is very difficult due to kids in school and my husband at work.  We like to sit around the dinner table together and talk about the day while eating.  We wouldn't be able to do that on the Let's Do Lunch plan.  I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to try different weight loss options and who can follow the plan.  As for me, it is a little too complicated for me during this busy time in my life.

This book can be purchased at www.Amazon.com.

This book was provided by Thomas Nelson Publishers for review.

Roger Troy Wilson had achieved success in many different areas of his life but just couldn't overcome his only meaningful failure...his obesity.  Then, after trying and failing at diet after diet, he decided the only logical way to find the answers to his problem would be to use trial and error to discover what works and doesn't work.  With the help of God, he came up with those answers and wrote a book that reveals them -Let's Do Lunch.  In the process, he lost 230 pounds and 24 inches from his waist and has kept it off for years.  Wilson and his wife, Anita, reside in Bonita Springs, Florida.

The Saga Continues

In my last post, I mentioned all the things that have occurred in the last two weeks.  The story is not over yet.  Thursday, after picking up the kids, the lights on the van's dashboard came on and wouldn't go off.  After dropping the kids off Friday morning, I took the van to Meineke to have the oil changed, the tires rotated and to see if they could figure out why the lights came on.  Five hundred dollars later, the oil was changed, tires rotated, two belts were replaced (the old ones were cracked), fuel injectors were cleaned and the O2 sensor was changed.  I noticed a whine from the engine area when I left that I had not noticed before.  A few hours later, while I was waiting in the car line to pick Will up from school, the van died completely.  No lights, no radio, no air conditioner, no power for the windows, NO NOTHING!!  Andrew had just fallen asleep and Hannah was in the back.  Did I mention the temperature outside was about 101 degrees and the car line was out to the street?  Yea.  When I called Mike at work, I broke down crying and went into hysterics.  It was not a pretty sight.  After a few minutes (and a few honks) the cars were able to get around me.  Will's teacher was working the car line and told us to take refuge from the heat inside the building.  Mom picked up the kids and took them to her house while I waited for Mike.  We talked to my dad, Dick (Mike's dad) and the Meineke guy and they all came to the same conclusion: the alternator needs to be replaced. 

When I got home from Meineke, I noticed the thermostat was reading 86 degrees in the house.  Come to find out, the capacitor on the outside unit went out and had to be replaced.  God blessed us by having the air conditioner repair man headed home when I called.  We were on his way so he came by and replaced the part immediately. 

Dick came in last night from Dothan to be here for Hannah's baptism.  Daphne stayed in Dothan to help take care of her mom, who recently had knee replacement surgery and lost her husband (and Daphne's dad) last Tuesday.  Mike and Dick are going to replace the alternator in the van today.  I hope they don't have any problems.

Well, enough of my whining for now.  I hope everyone has a great week.  Remember, God loves you and is with you every step of the way.

It's Been A While

I can't believe my last post was on July 16th.  We've been busy around here and I thought I had posted some of our happenings, but I guess I hadn't. 

Oh, where to begin? I will give a brief synopsis now and, hopefully, a more indepth look at a later date.

*  Hannah got her ears pierced on July 17th.  She is so excited and can't wait until she can start wearing other earrings.
*  I had the mole on the side of my nose removed on July 19th.  I've had it for about 25 years and I'm glad to finally have it gone.  The biopsy showed there was nothing to be concerned about (standard procedure).  YEAH!
*  Registered the kids for school.
*  Vacation with Mike, Hannah, Andrew, Will, Melanie and Nathan to Pigeon Forge.  This subject deserves a completely separate post when I have time.
*  I got to visit with a friend I graduated with.  She moved away right after graduation and I hadn't seen her since until I found her on Facebook.  Turns out, she lives in Pigeon Forge!!

The next bit all occurred after we returned from vacation on Monday:
Tuesday:
*  Dad had knee replacement surgery.
*  Our air conditioner decided to stop working sometime while we were out of town.
*  Washing machine wouldn't fill up and would just run.
*  Needed to make cookies for a football team our church sponsored. (Remember, our air is out)
*  While I am cooking dinner on the grill, we run out of gas.
*  Remembering Mom's knee replacement surgery and the nightmare that followed.  Not fun!

Wednesday:
*  Air still out.  Temperatures inside reached 87 degrees in our hallway (the coolest part of the house).
*  Washing machine is still messed up.
*  Kids put dish soap in the dishwasher; soap and water get all over the floor.
*  Bug man is suppose to come out and spray for ants.  Thanks to the good Lord above, he came early.
*  Worried about my dad and his surgery (it went fine but I wasn't able to see him due to everything going on at the house).
*  Remembered it was a year ago Gracy passed away.  Still get really sad when I think about it.
*  Get into a fight over my dad.
*  Find out the air conditioner has a slow freon leak.  Air conditioner man recharged it but said we will probably need a new unit (and a new furnace) before long.   GREAT!

Thursday was MUCH better.  Went to the Pink Palace with my friend Tracy and her kids then saw my dad at the hospital.

The kids started school today.  Yes, I know it is early.  The temperatures this week and the end of last week have been in the 100s with the heat index between 112 and 125.  It is a good thing school started because the kids are busy with school work and not watching t.v. or playing on the computer all day because it is too hot to go outside.

Hannah is getting baptized Sunday.  She is excited and a little nervous.  We were paying the storage unit note and Hannah told the clerk she was being baptized Sunday.  They talked about it for a bit afterwards.  It is neat to see her interested and excited about this.  It is a really big step.

Sorry this post is all over the place.  Mike will be playing his online game with some of his friends in a few minutes so I only have a short time to write. 

Pictures

I cleaned the pictures off my phone today and found quite a few I have been wanting to post.  So, here they are in random order.  Enjoy the show!!

Andrew and Hannah 9/5/09

Will and Andrew 9/5/09

Andrew's ice cream goatee 7/3/09

Hannah and Will just after Hannah returned from camp 6/5/10

Hannah and Will 6/5/10

(back) Michelle, Alyssa, Will

(front) Andrew, Nathan, and Hannah

at the Zoo 10/12/09

Hannah, Andrew and Will 4/3/09

me 3/16/10

Mom's car after her wreak 4/15/10

Mom's car after her wreak 4/15/10

Will's chocolate goatee 7/3/09

A plant in the "Once Upon A Farm" exhibit at the Zoo 10/12/09

A water feature in the "Once Upon A Farm" exhibit at the Zoo 10/12/09

Mike feeding a parakeet at "Birds and Bees" exhibit at the Zoo 5/28/10

Will and Hannah feeding a parakeet at the "Birds and Bees" exhibit at the Zoo 5/28/10

One of the panda bears at the Zoo 10/12/09

 Andrew feeding a parakeet 5/28/10

Will, Hannah and Andrew at the Teton Trek exhibit at the Zoo 10/12/09

Andrew and the Easter Bunny 4/1/10

Andrew and the Easter Bunny 4/1/10

Visiting With The Links

No, not golf links, my friends Barry and Stacy Link and their kids.  They came here to visit with me and my family and take in all the sights.  Stacy is originally from this area but is now living in Virginia.  They arrived Monday afternoon and, after checking into their hotel, came to visit with us here at the house for about an hour.  It was so good getting to see her again.  It has been eleven years her last visit.  All of the kids played in the backyard while Stacy, Barry and I got to visit.

Tuesday was a lazy day for them, swimming in the hotel pool while I was at a funeral.  That evening, they came back to the house.  The kids played outside again while Stacy, Mike and I visited.  Barry wasn't feeling very well so he stayed back at the hotel and rested.

Wednesday, we braved the heat and humidity (it was really bad) and went to Graceland.  As long as I have lived here, I've only been to Graceland once and that was to visit Elvis Presley's gravesite.  It was neat looking at how he furnished the house.  It wasn't as big as I thought it would be.  My kitchen is bigger than Elvis' was.   I think my living room is about the same size.  Sometimes you can see his horses out on the grounds but they weren't out Wednesday (I don't blame them).  After the tour, we thought about seeing the other exhibits on display like his airplane the "Lisa Marie" and his cars but the kids were hot, tired and hungry.  Stacy found out that we can use our other tickets on other days.  The only thing we had to see on that day was the mansion.  I am planning to go back and take the kids one day.  I think they would really enjoy it.

We ate lunch at Steak N Shake.  The kids all enjoyed is, as did the adults.  Found out, our drinks were half-price (even the shakes) because we were there during Happy Hour, which is 2-4 p.m. (and a.m.).  COOL!!  Stacy's family had never eaten there before and they loved it.  My kids were all excited when I told them where we were going.  They love it too.  After we ate, we went back to our house.  Barry's birthday was Tuesday and, since he was sick, we ate cake and sang Happy Birthday.

That night, some friends of Stacy's from high school got together and had a Girls' Night Out at Maria's Cantina and invited me.  They all were really nice and very friendly.  The food was really good too.

Thursday, we went to the Pink Palace Museum.  We saw "The Cowboy Astronomer" at the Planetarium.  Everyone, even Andrew, loved it.  Andrew sat in my lap the whole time and was very still.  Found out, some time during the show, he fell asleep.  Sweet!  Afterwards, we looked around the museum and checked out the gift shop.  Andrew got a clown fish and a whale toy.  He sat the clown fish on the escalator hand rail and it started moving.   It was so funny watching this little toy travel up on the escalator hand rail.  Nathan went to the top and caught it as it fell off.

We ate lunch ate Krystals.  This was another place the Link family had never been so Stacy wanted to make sure they experienced it.  The kids all seemed to like it.  My kids were excited about going too.

This morning, the Links headed out.  They are going to Stacy's dad's house then to the Cincinnati area to see the Creation Museum before heading home.  It was so good getting to see them and spend time with them.  Hannah had a blast with Christy and made a new friend.  Will, Nathan and Andrew enjoyed playing with Philip and BJ.  Joseph and Daniel were very helpful with the younger kids and are fun young men to be around.

Here are a few pictures that I remembered to take while they were here.  I kept forgetting to get my camera out.

Hannah and Christy were playing around at Steak N Shake

Stacy and me in a self portrait

Andrew acting silly at Steak N Shake

Shades of Morning Blog Tour

Book Summary:  Marnie Wittier has life just where she wants it.  Quiet.  Peaceful. No drama.  A long way away from her past.  In the privacy of her home, she fills a box with slips of paper scribbled with her regrets, sins and sorrows.  But that's nobody else's business.  Her bookstore/coffee shop patrons, her employees, her friends from church - they all think she's the very model of compassion and kindness.

Then Marnie's past creeps into her present when her estranged sister dies and makes Marnie guardian of her fifteen-year-old son - a boy Marnie never knew existed. And when Emmit arrives, she discovers he has Down syndrome - and that she's woefully unprepared to care for him.  What's worse, she has to deal with Taylor Cole, her sister's attorney, a man Marnie once loved - and abandoned.

As Emmit and Taylor work their way into her heart, Marnie begins to heal.  But when pieces of her dismal past surface again, she must at last face the pieces of paper in her box, all the regrets and sorrows.  Can she do it?  Or will she run again?

My Review:  Marlo Schalesky's new book Shades of Morning is really good.  My heart went out to Marnie while I read her story.  Instead of trying to remember the good things that happened in her life, she would keep mementos like a napkin or ticket from events she would like to forget and place them in a special box.  As the items in the box grew, her bitterness and disappointment over things in her past grew to where she thought she would never get over them.  When Marnie got a letter from Taylor, her sister's attorney and an old love, saying her sister Rose died and made her guardian of her son Emmit, old memories come back that were once thought forgotten.  Once she gets possession of Emmit, even though Marnie tries to find another place for him, her heart slowly softens towards him.  With his help, she works through the papers in the box and learns to forgive and forget, along with restoring her relationship with Taylor.

I love the twists and turns of the story.  Just when I thought I had everything figured out and I knew what would happen, the author surprised me.  The ending took me by complete surprise, showing that God knows exactly what we need and how He provides help to get us where we need to go.  I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a good read that is not at all predictable.

If you are interested in purchasing Shades of Morning, you can go to the Waterbrook Multnomah website or Amazon.com.

This book was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah for review.

Marlo Schalesky is the author of several acclaimed novels, including the Christy Award-winner Beyond the Night.  A graduate of Stanford University, Marlo also has a master of theology from Fuller Theological Seminary.  She's a regular columnist for Power of Living and lives with her husband, Bryan, and five children in California.

Labels

Over the last few days, I put labels on all 339 blog posts.  This way, if you are looking for a particular one, such as book reviews, just click on the book review link at the left-hand side of the page and it should bring up all those posts.  I know this is something that will be helpful to me.  Hopefully you will find it useful too.