Zero and Up is starting Saturday Cash for Subscribers, starting this Saturday, May 3rd. Sounds like fun! Check the above site for all the details.

Well, I lost 1/2 pound this past week which is better than the week before. I’m half way to my goal which means I’ll need to add on another couple of weeks time-wise, depending on how I do this week. I had problems with my foot and couldn’t walk as much last week. I think walking is a big factor for me.

I bought new running shoes last Friday, so that has alleviated my foot problem. I’m supposed to buy new running shoes every six months (doctor recommendation). I found the receipt for my old shoes, and it had been way over a year since I bought them…Woops! No wonder I was having so many problems with my foot and ankle!

LifeLock is the industry leader in the field of Identity Theft Protection. Identity theft tops the Federal Trade Commission’s complaint list and has done so for the past seven years, so companies such as life lock are in a rapidly growing field. I believe it! We’ve had our identity stolen twice within the past few years on two different credit card accounts. Our son-in-law had the same experience on one of his credit cards. People have to be extra-careful nowadays, and it’s great there is a company like LifeLock that wants to secure your identity and guarantee your good name!

This was my comment on Zero and Up on The “Why” Behind a Few Blogs:

I had help choosing my name, “Healthy Home Blog,” but it really fits me. I’m trying more and more to make healthy choices in eating & lifestyle because I believe that so many health problems, from major issues all the way to PMS, are affected by the choices we make. And I love taking care of my family (it works both ways, we help each other), so the home part fits like a glove. I hope that things I’ve learned along the way can benefit some people, and I like learning things from other bloggers, too.

It’s interesting reading other people’s comments on that post!

I read an interesting post at Zero and Up about the stories behind the names of a few blogs. I would be interested in finding out the story behind more blogs, so if you have a chance then leave a comment telling why you named your blog what you named it. Just go to The “Why” Behind A Few Blogs. Check out my comment to see how I came up with the name for this blog.

🙁 I didn’t lose a pound this week, and I think maybe it’s because I didn’t walk all week until yesterday. Also, I only ate one grapefruit instead of two or three. Hmm…I really don’t know for sure why I didn’t lose a pound, but I’m just glad I didn’t gain one.

These are some of the reasons I’m wanting to lose weight:

• Extra fat stores estrogen, and I’m already higher in estrogen than progesterone.
  
• Hormone imbalance affects so many different things including  seasonal allergies. So I really want to get rid of extra fat!
• My clothes don’t fit as well. Just losing 5 pounds makes a difference in the way they fit.
• I want to have enough self-control to balance what I eat in a healthy way. I feel better when I eat healthy which means eating more fresh, raw veggies & fruits, lean protein, and greatly limiting my sugar and processed carbs intake (that’s the hard part)!

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! I lost a pound this week, and I thought for sure I would’ve gained a pound. I made Oatmeal Double Chocolate Chip Cookies to send to an event….and the event was cancelled!

Right after I baked them, I ate my three cookies that I allow myself when I make cookies. That was fine. But with the cancellation, we ended up having three dozen cookies at our house, so I had four cookies the next day and three more the following day making a total of ten cookies.

This is why I think I still lost my pound anyway:

• I did eat protein after each round of cookies, either nuts or Whey Protein Isolate Powder mixed in water.
• I only drank water or tea sweetened with Kal brand of Stevia (a natural, not artificial, 0-calorie sweetener) all week. I drank three or four glasses of tea a day.
• I walked several times during the week and stretched every day.
• I didn’t “diet,” but ate smaller, healthy meals. (low unhealthy fat, low processed carbs)
• I wasn’t on a fat free diet, but had healthy fat every day (nuts every day, avocados, olive oil)

So, I think all of those things together helped. Plus, my doctor increased my natural, pharmacy-compounded progesterone a couple of weeks ago. My hormone ratio was off again, and that tends to make women gain weight when they have estrogen dominance. Now that my hormones are getting more in balance, it’s easier to lose weight.

Zero and Up has a new theme and looks really sharp. Check it out and see what you think. Also, he has some great introductory prices for ads and is having a contest to win a free link in the sidebar.

My husband does our taxes and uses a computer tax program called Quicken Turbo-Tax. It’s an awesome program! It’s so thorough, explains everything, and simplifies the process for you. They have prompt questions so you don’t miss out on any deductions or anything else. It walks you through every stage of all the forms. I highly recommend it!

(A friend was talking about her bad experience with the tax preparer, and my comment to her prompted me to write this post.)