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Fall Thoughts: "98% of All Diets Fail"

There are lots of numbers associated with the idea of trying to change your body size or composition.  The obvious numbers like the number of the scale, your waist measurement, the size of your pants or your body fat percentage. There are the numbers associated with a best guess for how much of what food you should eat, i.e. 800 grams of fruits and vegetables or 13 ounces of protein (at least for a woman of my size.) And there are numbers connected to how you move your body: how many hours you should strive for per day, how many steps you should take, how many reps you should "leave in the tank" during a weight lifting session.   There are also other numbers, including "the facts."  For example: 80% of Americans aren't eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.  70% of Americans are overweight or obese.   And, my new favorite fact: "98% of all keto diets fail," which was what Dr. Robert Cywes, the Carb Addiction Doctor, who advocates for a...
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Fall Adventures: Nick and Aurora Teagarden Costume

 We enjoyed a fun pre-Halloween weekend.  I also shared our PINE day, and now I'll share photos of our Nick and Aurora Teagarden Halloween costumes.   Although not an exact replica, I do think we captured the essence of our two favorite sleuths!  William surprised me by picking up a pink lipstick called "Romantic" that I think was the perfect shade to match Aurora's lip color below.   We had a great idea to set up a red table with champagne glasses and get a photo similar to their photo at the library event during Heist and Seek.  However, the lighting was weird, and I think my cell phone camera was smudged, which definitely took away from the look I was hoping to achieve.   Mostly, with this type of adventure, I think it's important to be open to the idea that the fun is in the planning and the photo shoot itself, even if the final image didn't work out exactly how you planned.  How-To:   Aurora: blue sparkly dress from A...
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Fall Adventures: PINE (Pumpkins + Wine)

 I love a good Halloween weekend!  On Saturday, we had PINE (Pumpkins+Wine) and on Sunday (see separate post), we dressed up in our costumes and took a few photos.   On Saturday, we went to Bates Nuts Farm to hunt for pumpkins.   The weather was so beautiful, and it felt good to be out in the country.    After we found our pumpkins, we headed to Hilltop Winery for a wine tasting and charcuterie board.  I love how they serve the tastings in these elegant stands.  The little cards on the top share the name of the wine along with its characteristics, which is a fun way to learn more about wine.  The tray below has about 100 grams of fruits and vegetables (from the grapes and pickles) and about 80 grams of protein from the cheese, meats, and almonds.  The bread, dried fruits, and jam don't contribute to the totals in either category.    Our favorite wines were the Cab 2018 (surprised?) and the Tempranillo Rose, which...
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Fall Thoughts: A Simple Way of Eating

After sharing a few examples of extreme ways of eating, I've been thinking about some of the more simplified ways of eating that I've tried in the past. I think somewhere between the "simplicity" of the No S Diet and the "sensibility" of the 800 Gram Challenge, you probably have a lifestyle that would work for many people.   The No S Diet: "As simple as possible but not  simpler" What is it: The No S Diet is a "simple program of moderation."  It can be summed up in 14 words: No Sweets, No Seconds, No Snacks, except (sometimes) on days that start with S.   What's the science: There's really not any science; this is more of a habit-based way to moderate your eating.  Who created it?  Librarian by trade and computer programmer by accident, Reinhard Engels.   Why did I stop doing it:  I'm not sure.  I love the simplicity as I re-read about it! I'm sure I was lured away by the promise of low-carb/keto diets and then just foun...
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Fall Adventures: Hound of the Baskervilles

Last weekend, we wrapped up the trio of birthday celebrations for me!  We started off the evening at a great wine bar in Coronado called "Wine A Bit," where we enjoyed appetizers and Cabernet.  William even tried a glass that was $35!  They have a nice little area where you can sit outside, and on Saturdays, they have live music.  We enjoyed the local singers who were in our age range and performing hits from the 70's and 80's.  No dance floor, unfortunately!  After, we walked over to the Lamb's Player Theater for the performance.  The theater holds 350 people, and the performance was outstanding...90 minutes of non-stop action with 39 roles played by just 5 people.  I highly recommend this experience and am hopeful we can attend Legends of the 60's in early 2023.  (It was a little dark in the theater and that's why this selfie is blurry!)   I was happy that the weather was cold enough to wear this wine-colored sweater dress with the cut...
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Fall Fashion: I Found Aurora's Dress on Amazon

I posted earlier this fall about our idea to be Aurora Teagarden and Nick Miller for Halloween.  We've watched a lot of the AT movies to decide on our outfits, and we finally decided to be Aurora and Nick from Heist and Seek .  It's one of the movies where they are dressed up (the other one is Reunited and It Feels So Deadly .) In going down the AT rabbit hole, I found the designer of her dresses in both of these movies, a company called Dress the Population.  And, I also found the exact dress on Amazon , but I decided that $200 was too much for a Halloween costume.  But if you want to replicate her costume exactly, you can!   For $40, I found a sleeveless sequined blue dress with a v-neck.  You'll see it in our Halloween post.  I may look for a strawberry blonde wig or I might just do a temporary pink-ish hair color.  I'll wear my hair pulled back on one side and a dangly earring like she's wearing above, plus a super pink lip color.   Fun f...
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Fall Fashion: FlutterHabit #5

Flutterhabit recently dropped their #5 lash in the Weightless Collection, so of course, I bought them, even though I knew they'd probably be too long for me!  When I opened the package, my first thought was "Halloween Costume!" but since I'm working from home and not on Zoom today, I decided to apply them anyway. I doubt I'll ever wear the #5 lash unless I take a piece or two and mix and match them with shorter lashes.   Even though I only used 4 out of 5 sections, it's still "too much lash" for my small eyes.   So, I am also going to pass on the #6 lash, which I believe is even longer and bolder than this set.   They are too much for my hooded eyes; they are so long that they touch my under eyebrow area.   They are so long that they smack my glasses, which is super uncomfortable.   The #4 lash is still in production with a launch date scheduled for the first of the year.  I'll probably try that one out and am hoping it will be a cats-eye style o...
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