Happy Friday everyone!
So I went to my back guy last Friday and it was painful indeed. But necessary painful. Seriously, the guy is my savior. Whatever he did put me smack dab back on the road to recovery. As for working out, he had me wait a few days and then said I could start my program.
So I did.
Day 1: Monday, January 20th, 2014
Let me start with some info on the program. There are 3 phases each lasting 4 weeks. Weeks 1-4 are Phase 1, weeks 5-8 are Phase 2, and weeks 9-12 are Phase 3.
I'm on Phase 1.
Each phase consists of a Strength 1 workout, a Strength 2 workout, and Metabolic workout. So as you can imagine the strength workouts are for lifting and the metabolic workout is for getting that heart rate up! Each week you are to do 3 lifting workouts (alternating between Strength 1 and Strength 2) and 1 cardio workout.
This week I have done both Strength 1 and Strength 2 for Phase 1.
Strength 1 workout:
equipment: dumbbells (I used 8 pounds)
I have to admit something first. As with any new workout DVD, I usually sit down and scrub thru it first to see what I'm getting myself into. I want to see what the moves look like and what kind of equipment I need to get out before I start. And as I sat watching this workout I was doubtful. I thought it looked a little tame compared to some other stuff I have done. However, I was surprised when I actually did the workout. It was hard. Full disclosure: I haven't worked out in some time and I did take that into consideration but still, I was pleased that even though I am a little out of shape, it still packed a punch.
Anyway, the strength workouts actually come with 3 sections: Foam Rolling, Warm-Up, and the actual Workout. You're supposed to do all 3 combined which equals to well over an hour of workout time. For my first day of strength training (Strength 1) I just did the Warm-up and the Workout which came in just under 60 minutes. The workout consists of usually 3 sets of different strength moves which you do circuit style with 60 second rests in between. And then for the last few minutes you'll do a few circuits of hard cardio (think HIIT). And that's it. It's really straightforward. (Examples of moves: squats, step-ups, shoulder presses, rows, planks, combination of any of these) Some of the moves are difficult but if you work out enough, you'll know how to modify them but some of them I just suffered thru (hello plank twisty moves, I'm talking to you). But by the end, I was sweating, my limbs were tired, and I felt like I got in a good workout.
Strength 2 workout:
equipment: dumbbells (8 pounds), high step or bench
So when it was time to do Strength 2, I opted only for the Workout portion and just did a little warm-up first on my own. The workout was around 38 minutes. Again, it was circuit style with 60 second rests in between. And I was pleased with this workout as well. She does a lot of moves where you get a lot of bang for you buck. You know, compound moves (example: reverse lunge with a one arm row thrown in). So while you're doing one exercise, you're usually working out quite a few areas. Again, a good workout.
I will be doing the metabolic workout this weekend so I will check back in with my review on that.
On Day 1 I did as the program asked and took pics of myself in a "goal" outfit (jeans). I went so far as to take pics of myself in 3 different pairs of jeans. I put on a size 10, 12, and 14. The 14s are what I'm currently wearing but I could stand for them to be a little loser in the thigh and waist area. I just want as much info as possible for when it's results time. I also took a pic of myself in a too tight workout outfit. I figure, why not?
I also got my starting weight.
I have 3 weeks until I am supposed to do another jeans check and then I'll take more pics and post everything for the world to see.
Now, about that Whole30. I don't know why but this time I'm loving it. Honestly. And because I took my starting weight for the Drop 2 Sizes, I can tell you that I am down almost 7 pounds. Nice, right? But honestly, I feel amazing. Here's the thing, I ABSOLUTELY have a problem with gluten and dairy and soy. And wouldn't you know, when I don't eat them I feel awesome. Especially gluten. Gluten is enemy #1 for me. Yet, it still shocks me how good I feel when I don't eat them. And then what baffles me more is when I convince myself that it's ok to indulge in them and then am completely beside myself when I start feeling horrific. The only explanation I can come up with as to why I do that is I'm insane. So even though my 30 days is up in a week, I'm going to continue to do my best to keep them out. I'm looking at you gluten. I don't want to put a label on how I'll be eating. I just know there will be certain things that will NOT be consumed by yours truly.
As for my Whole30 results when the time comes: I'm a little disappointed in myself because my "data" for my Whole30 is all sorts of messed up. When I started I couldn't find my "official" measuring tape so I used a really old one that I've had forever. I ended up finding my "official" tape but now I cannot find the other one anywhere. And the one I used to take my measurements is so off from my "official" tape it makes my starting measurements obsolete. And on top of that, I forgot to take starting photos. Just completely slipped my mind. Oh well.
That's enough rambling for today.
Carry on.
Showing posts with label Diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diet. Show all posts
Friday, January 24, 2014
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Drop 2 Sizes: Week 1
I hope everyone had an amazing holiday season. I sure did. I took some time off of work, hung out with friends, opened some presents, talked with family, and did a lot of nothing.
It was a good time.
But, like I promised. I'm beginning the Drop 2 Sizes DVD/book program today.
Here's the short of it:
It's a 12 week program that aims at just getting you to lose 2 jeans sizes. There's no focus on scale weight at all. In fact, the author, Rachel Cosgrove, suggests you not even look at the scale which I'm going to try to do!
It's 3 days of strength training and at least 1 day of metabolic training per week with lots of healthy eating. The book has daily menus that you can either follow or use as a guide. It's nothing too out of the ordinary. (I'll be using the daily menus as a guide because I also committed to another Whole30 during the first 30 days. So it's Day #1 for both. Just thought I'd sneak that bit of info in there ;)
Whether you follow the diet provided to a "T" is up to you. But remember, food choice is important. There's no doubt about that. And the author suggests following her protocol 90% of the time in order to see results.
What is protocol you ask?
Here are the rules:
1. Eat breakfast FIRST THING, then every 3-4 hours.
2. Eat a high quality protein with each meal.
3. WHOLE FOODS. No processed food.
4. Drink your water folks. She recommends 64oz.
5. Take a multi-vitamin, omega 3, and vitamin D supplement.
6. Drink a recovery shake before, during, or after your workout.
7. TWO servings of vegetables at each meal.
8. Do this 90% of the time.
Seems pretty straight forward right?
So here we are at Week #1/Day #1 and the book suggests we focus on mind-set this week. So, I will be trying to keep all the negative thoughts out of my head for this week. You know, not saying things like "I can't". Seems like such a small thing but I've read good research that indicates it's pretty powerful stuff. So, worth a try in my book.
Today is also my first "jeans check". That means tonight, I'll be slipping on my pair of GOAL jeans and taking a lovely picture. (These checks are scheduled every 3 weeks). I'll also be taking my official starting measurements.
And then finally, tonight is my first workout. I'm a little apprehensive. Only because it has honestly been some time since I've done a proper strength training workout and I'm pretty sure my muscles are going to be aching tomorrow!! Oh the joy :)
Today's Menu:
B: breakfast casserole (eggs, bacon, vegetables, more vegetables, a little more vegetables and some coconut milk)
S: almonds
L: roasted butternut squash soup
D: roasted ham, broccoli, and green beans
R: recovery drink (pea rice protein, almond milk, frozen fruit) - probably be having this during or after my workout.
It was a good time.
But, like I promised. I'm beginning the Drop 2 Sizes DVD/book program today.
Here's the short of it:
It's a 12 week program that aims at just getting you to lose 2 jeans sizes. There's no focus on scale weight at all. In fact, the author, Rachel Cosgrove, suggests you not even look at the scale which I'm going to try to do!
It's 3 days of strength training and at least 1 day of metabolic training per week with lots of healthy eating. The book has daily menus that you can either follow or use as a guide. It's nothing too out of the ordinary. (I'll be using the daily menus as a guide because I also committed to another Whole30 during the first 30 days. So it's Day #1 for both. Just thought I'd sneak that bit of info in there ;)
Whether you follow the diet provided to a "T" is up to you. But remember, food choice is important. There's no doubt about that. And the author suggests following her protocol 90% of the time in order to see results.
What is protocol you ask?
Here are the rules:
1. Eat breakfast FIRST THING, then every 3-4 hours.
2. Eat a high quality protein with each meal.
3. WHOLE FOODS. No processed food.
4. Drink your water folks. She recommends 64oz.
5. Take a multi-vitamin, omega 3, and vitamin D supplement.
6. Drink a recovery shake before, during, or after your workout.
7. TWO servings of vegetables at each meal.
8. Do this 90% of the time.
Seems pretty straight forward right?
So here we are at Week #1/Day #1 and the book suggests we focus on mind-set this week. So, I will be trying to keep all the negative thoughts out of my head for this week. You know, not saying things like "I can't". Seems like such a small thing but I've read good research that indicates it's pretty powerful stuff. So, worth a try in my book.
Today is also my first "jeans check". That means tonight, I'll be slipping on my pair of GOAL jeans and taking a lovely picture. (These checks are scheduled every 3 weeks). I'll also be taking my official starting measurements.
And then finally, tonight is my first workout. I'm a little apprehensive. Only because it has honestly been some time since I've done a proper strength training workout and I'm pretty sure my muscles are going to be aching tomorrow!! Oh the joy :)
Today's Menu:
B: breakfast casserole (eggs, bacon, vegetables, more vegetables, a little more vegetables and some coconut milk)
S: almonds
L: roasted butternut squash soup
D: roasted ham, broccoli, and green beans
R: recovery drink (pea rice protein, almond milk, frozen fruit) - probably be having this during or after my workout.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Happy Holidays!
Just wanted to pop on here right quick to let you know I am, indeed, still around.
Remember that photo shoot I said I was producing?
Well, little did I know it was going to turn into quite the monster. I've been traveling around Southern California since the first weekend in December putting together these photo shoots. So every second of my time I'm either at my desk or out in the field. It's been tiring but awesome!! And this is going to continue until mid-January when I wrap. As you can imagine, combined with the upcoming holidays, my schedule is quite full.
So, I'm going to put it out there and just let you know that I'll be rejoining you good folks in 2014.
One quick note ...
My Drop Two Sizes challenge never got to see the light of day.
But never fear, it has an official start date of January 2, 2013.
Why not the 1st you ask? Because the 2nd of January and I go way back. There's good joo-joo there and I need all the help I can get.
By that time, I'll be down to one location before my shoot is wrapped and then I can devote my time and energy to this new workout program. I have the DVDs, I've read the book, I've planned the menus, I even have my fiance on board. Well, he's doing the eating part with me but he has chosen to tackle something "less pink" for his workout. I guess he doesn't find the packaging very manly.
Anyway, I'm excited because I'll be honest, while I've tried to be careful with all this holiday eating, it inevitably is winning the battle. In terms of weigh-ins, I last checked in 11/22/13 and I am holding steady-ish at that weight (up and down by 2-3 pounds). However, I have, indeed, developed a little, nay, BIG muffin top and it has GOT TO GO!!
In any case, after this photo project is done, my next big project is just going to be ME. I desperately need a little TLC to get all my cylinders firing again. I want to eat some healthy food, find time to actually sleep, and get in some good workouts. That all sounds so good I might cry ;)
So to all of you out there, have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR :)
See you soon :)
Remember that photo shoot I said I was producing?
Well, little did I know it was going to turn into quite the monster. I've been traveling around Southern California since the first weekend in December putting together these photo shoots. So every second of my time I'm either at my desk or out in the field. It's been tiring but awesome!! And this is going to continue until mid-January when I wrap. As you can imagine, combined with the upcoming holidays, my schedule is quite full.
So, I'm going to put it out there and just let you know that I'll be rejoining you good folks in 2014.
One quick note ...
My Drop Two Sizes challenge never got to see the light of day.
But never fear, it has an official start date of January 2, 2013.
Why not the 1st you ask? Because the 2nd of January and I go way back. There's good joo-joo there and I need all the help I can get.
By that time, I'll be down to one location before my shoot is wrapped and then I can devote my time and energy to this new workout program. I have the DVDs, I've read the book, I've planned the menus, I even have my fiance on board. Well, he's doing the eating part with me but he has chosen to tackle something "less pink" for his workout. I guess he doesn't find the packaging very manly.
Anyway, I'm excited because I'll be honest, while I've tried to be careful with all this holiday eating, it inevitably is winning the battle. In terms of weigh-ins, I last checked in 11/22/13 and I am holding steady-ish at that weight (up and down by 2-3 pounds). However, I have, indeed, developed a little, nay, BIG muffin top and it has GOT TO GO!!
In any case, after this photo project is done, my next big project is just going to be ME. I desperately need a little TLC to get all my cylinders firing again. I want to eat some healthy food, find time to actually sleep, and get in some good workouts. That all sounds so good I might cry ;)
So to all of you out there, have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR :)
See you soon :)
Friday, October 11, 2013
Weigh In: Week 56
In case anyone was wondering, the magic castle last weekend was FANTASTIC. It was so much fun. A little pricey but a good time nonetheless. If you ever get the chance, you should go. The dressing up part was also fun. Since I work in entertainment, I don't dress up. Ever. The most I do at work is jeans, dressed up blouse and heels. And more often than not, I'm not even THAT dressed up. But I'm definitely never in dresses, sparkly jewelry, and fancy hair and makeup. And that's what I did for the magic castle. Unfortunately no photography is allowed in the castle (which I guess is part of the mystique) so there is no photographic evidence of my fancy self. But trust me, I was fancy.
As for my plans this weekend ..
I have just a few things on my plate. I'm in the market for a new sofa, so I have a few stores I'm going to check out and then hopefully purchase a brand new sofa.
Hopefully.
Wanna see it?
Beautiful isn't it? I'm a little worried it might be too big for the space but whatever. I want it.
Other than that, we have a housewarming/engagement party to go to tomorrow night. Thankfully, the couple lives near us so it's close. I'm just aching for the day I can be a home-body again. You know, staying in on a Saturday night. Renting some movies, cooking some dinner, just snuggling up with your favorite somebody and relaxing. I have a few more weekends to go but I can feel it coming!
And now on to my weigh in.
Result: +0.0
That's right. I maintained.
How did I get there?
1. I know it doesn't seem like it but I did eat in a deficit. This week I ran, on average, a -285 calorie deficit per day. Again, not the 500 I'm aiming for, but a step up from what I did last week! I'm hoping to do better again this coming week.
2. I also ran. Only 1 day. I'm 6 weeks in on my 10k training program and I was supposed to take this week off. I ran 1 day and then decided to give in. I'll admit, it's a little scary to take this much time off. I'm supposed to pick back up this weekend and a little voice inside my head is wondering if I'm actually going to start again. Of course I will!! I hope I will ? Oh please God let it not be hard.
3. I drank my water. Good not great. It needs work.
4. What I ate? I made everything and it all was gluten free and in some cases dairy free. The menu included: pumpkin pancakes, bacon, eggs, chicken/vegetable teriyaki with rice noodles, tacos, sushi, salad, apples, turkey, grapes, cheese, and peanut butter. oh yes and coffee. Lots of coffee. And some kettle chips were in there as well. But honestly, kettle chips are ALWAYS there somewhere. I kind of stuck to the same foods over and over this week. I found that once I had the calorie count down, it just was easier to eat the same things so that I didn't have to keep looking things up. Also, it just so happens I was really into all the food I made this week so win-win.
As for my plans this weekend ..
I have just a few things on my plate. I'm in the market for a new sofa, so I have a few stores I'm going to check out and then hopefully purchase a brand new sofa.
Hopefully.
Wanna see it?
Other than that, we have a housewarming/engagement party to go to tomorrow night. Thankfully, the couple lives near us so it's close. I'm just aching for the day I can be a home-body again. You know, staying in on a Saturday night. Renting some movies, cooking some dinner, just snuggling up with your favorite somebody and relaxing. I have a few more weekends to go but I can feel it coming!
And now on to my weigh in.
Result: +0.0
That's right. I maintained.
How did I get there?
1. I know it doesn't seem like it but I did eat in a deficit. This week I ran, on average, a -285 calorie deficit per day. Again, not the 500 I'm aiming for, but a step up from what I did last week! I'm hoping to do better again this coming week.
2. I also ran. Only 1 day. I'm 6 weeks in on my 10k training program and I was supposed to take this week off. I ran 1 day and then decided to give in. I'll admit, it's a little scary to take this much time off. I'm supposed to pick back up this weekend and a little voice inside my head is wondering if I'm actually going to start again. Of course I will!! I hope I will ? Oh please God let it not be hard.
3. I drank my water. Good not great. It needs work.
4. What I ate? I made everything and it all was gluten free and in some cases dairy free. The menu included: pumpkin pancakes, bacon, eggs, chicken/vegetable teriyaki with rice noodles, tacos, sushi, salad, apples, turkey, grapes, cheese, and peanut butter. oh yes and coffee. Lots of coffee. And some kettle chips were in there as well. But honestly, kettle chips are ALWAYS there somewhere. I kind of stuck to the same foods over and over this week. I found that once I had the calorie count down, it just was easier to eat the same things so that I didn't have to keep looking things up. Also, it just so happens I was really into all the food I made this week so win-win.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Weigh In: Week 55
Happy Friday everyone!!
I haven't done a real weigh-in post since August 9th. That's almost two months!! I've been busy. And while I really enjoy being busy, I'm getting tired of it.
I don't know what it was about this year, but every weekend I've had since August 9th has been booked for me.
And I have another 2 weekends to go before I get a breather.
I don't mind being busy and having things to do, but when it's one after the other after the other, it gets tiring. Sometimes having events on the weekends are nice, it helps to make you think your weekend was longer than it really was. Ever have that happen? When you have a regular two day weekend off from work and for some reason, the activities you have planned make it feel like a 3-day weekend.
While those weekends are what I strive for, the opposite also can happen. You know how it goes, you get off of work on Friday and you're so busy from that moment on. The next thing you know, it's Monday morning, you're on your way to work and you feel as if you haven't had one second of down time?
That second scenario has been my life since August 9th.
I'm hoping this weekend might be a little less cumbersome. Today, I'm getting off of work early, to rush home and get ready. And when I say ready, I mean get like ready, ready. Like dressed up fancy ready. So that in itself is some work.
We're getting all fancy tonight because we're going to the Magic Castle.
The Magic Castle in Los Angeles is a private club for magicians. And the only way to go is to be invited by a member. And once you're invited, you get really dressed up, eat a fancy dinner, and then see some crazy magic.
My fiance's sister is taking us tonight to celebrate our engagement. We've never been before so I'm pretty excited. I'm sure it'll be good times.
Then on Saturday, we agreed to house sit for a friend. You know, watch the house, take care of the dog. It's not too much work but it does require a lot of running back and forth. And then on Sunday, I'm hoping (HOPING), we don't have much to do. So yes, maybe this weekend won't be too bad at all.
As for this past week ...
Weigh In: -5.0 lbs
I didn't formally weigh in with my last post because I had just started writing again so that five pounds is since Tuesday 9/24/13.
What I did?
1. I worked out 3 times. I ran. I do between 35-40 minutes 2 times a week and then a long run on Sundays. This past week my long run took 68 minutes plus warm up and cool down. I'd say I'm burning about 300 on my short runs and in the upper 500s for my long run. That would work out to around 1100 calories total burned for the week. My goal is to add in an additional 1-2 days of strength training.
2. I ate in a deficit. Twas not the great deficit I had in mind when I started my wedding plan but I'll take it. I also didn't track as dutifully as I should have. I'm still working the kinks out of getting back in the swing of tracking calories full time. I averaged a deficit of -212 calories per day. Next week, I'm really aiming for two things. First and foremost, I'm going to track every day. And secondly, I'm shooting to make my deficit closer to the 500 calorie mark.
3. Water! Since it's becoming cooler, it's a little harder to remember to drink my water, but I'm still in the game. In fact, this entire year, my fiance (I really feel weird writing that. Like I'm pretentious or something. But honestly, it's kinda cool) and I have kept our soda intake to almost zero. We drank a few sips of Sprite while on vacation to see if it tasted different (it did. it was very sweet and the carbonation kind of burned my throat ... weird right?) and I believe we have had some cocktails while out that contained soda. But other than that, our drink of choice is water or coffee or if we're feeling crazy adventurous, unsweetened iced tea. What can I say? We're crazy like that. And here's another fun tip, drinking water saves you money. When we were on vacation with my family, my parents picked up the tab one night for dinner for a bunch of us. There were 11 people. Everyone but us ordered soda and when my dad got the bill he commented on how he should start ordering water more because the drinks alone cost $27.
4. What I ate? I've been eating a mixture of foods. I'm still trying to come out of my vacation fog with food. While I was gone I was not able to cook so I got used to packaged foods and eating out. Unfortunately that practice followed us back home for a little while, however, this past week was almost perfectly normal (for me). I made a vegan mushroom stroganoff over brown rice pasta, steak salad with roasted brussel sprouts, and I was supposed to make applesauce muffins but wouldn't you know I just couldn't get it done. I also ate some sushi, bacon and eggs, dark chocolate, potato chips, Trader Joe's pre-packaged salads, and Reese's Pumpkins (YUM!).
Today's Menu:
B: Bacon and Eggs + coffee
L: Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff + pasta
D: Magic Castle
I haven't done a real weigh-in post since August 9th. That's almost two months!! I've been busy. And while I really enjoy being busy, I'm getting tired of it.
I don't know what it was about this year, but every weekend I've had since August 9th has been booked for me.
And I have another 2 weekends to go before I get a breather.
I don't mind being busy and having things to do, but when it's one after the other after the other, it gets tiring. Sometimes having events on the weekends are nice, it helps to make you think your weekend was longer than it really was. Ever have that happen? When you have a regular two day weekend off from work and for some reason, the activities you have planned make it feel like a 3-day weekend.
While those weekends are what I strive for, the opposite also can happen. You know how it goes, you get off of work on Friday and you're so busy from that moment on. The next thing you know, it's Monday morning, you're on your way to work and you feel as if you haven't had one second of down time?
That second scenario has been my life since August 9th.
I'm hoping this weekend might be a little less cumbersome. Today, I'm getting off of work early, to rush home and get ready. And when I say ready, I mean get like ready, ready. Like dressed up fancy ready. So that in itself is some work.
We're getting all fancy tonight because we're going to the Magic Castle.
The Magic Castle in Los Angeles is a private club for magicians. And the only way to go is to be invited by a member. And once you're invited, you get really dressed up, eat a fancy dinner, and then see some crazy magic.
My fiance's sister is taking us tonight to celebrate our engagement. We've never been before so I'm pretty excited. I'm sure it'll be good times.
Then on Saturday, we agreed to house sit for a friend. You know, watch the house, take care of the dog. It's not too much work but it does require a lot of running back and forth. And then on Sunday, I'm hoping (HOPING), we don't have much to do. So yes, maybe this weekend won't be too bad at all.
As for this past week ...
Weigh In: -5.0 lbs
I didn't formally weigh in with my last post because I had just started writing again so that five pounds is since Tuesday 9/24/13.
What I did?
1. I worked out 3 times. I ran. I do between 35-40 minutes 2 times a week and then a long run on Sundays. This past week my long run took 68 minutes plus warm up and cool down. I'd say I'm burning about 300 on my short runs and in the upper 500s for my long run. That would work out to around 1100 calories total burned for the week. My goal is to add in an additional 1-2 days of strength training.
2. I ate in a deficit. Twas not the great deficit I had in mind when I started my wedding plan but I'll take it. I also didn't track as dutifully as I should have. I'm still working the kinks out of getting back in the swing of tracking calories full time. I averaged a deficit of -212 calories per day. Next week, I'm really aiming for two things. First and foremost, I'm going to track every day. And secondly, I'm shooting to make my deficit closer to the 500 calorie mark.
3. Water! Since it's becoming cooler, it's a little harder to remember to drink my water, but I'm still in the game. In fact, this entire year, my fiance (I really feel weird writing that. Like I'm pretentious or something. But honestly, it's kinda cool) and I have kept our soda intake to almost zero. We drank a few sips of Sprite while on vacation to see if it tasted different (it did. it was very sweet and the carbonation kind of burned my throat ... weird right?) and I believe we have had some cocktails while out that contained soda. But other than that, our drink of choice is water or coffee or if we're feeling crazy adventurous, unsweetened iced tea. What can I say? We're crazy like that. And here's another fun tip, drinking water saves you money. When we were on vacation with my family, my parents picked up the tab one night for dinner for a bunch of us. There were 11 people. Everyone but us ordered soda and when my dad got the bill he commented on how he should start ordering water more because the drinks alone cost $27.
4. What I ate? I've been eating a mixture of foods. I'm still trying to come out of my vacation fog with food. While I was gone I was not able to cook so I got used to packaged foods and eating out. Unfortunately that practice followed us back home for a little while, however, this past week was almost perfectly normal (for me). I made a vegan mushroom stroganoff over brown rice pasta, steak salad with roasted brussel sprouts, and I was supposed to make applesauce muffins but wouldn't you know I just couldn't get it done. I also ate some sushi, bacon and eggs, dark chocolate, potato chips, Trader Joe's pre-packaged salads, and Reese's Pumpkins (YUM!).
Today's Menu:
B: Bacon and Eggs + coffee
L: Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff + pasta
D: Magic Castle
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Whole30: Days 1 - 7
Today is Day #8 for my Whole30.
What can I say?
So far so good. I don't want to jump the gun here but it honestly hasn't been that bad. I have obviously had some cravings. I'd imagine that everyone who tries this has them. But it hasn't been anything I haven't been able to handle. I do tend to text my boyfriend some days - and the text will consist of 2 words.
Milky Way.
My cravings are still for that elusive, mysterious Milky Way.
But other than that candy bar, I haven't really been dying to eat anything.
The weeks before I began, I took the time to prepare. I talked to my boyfriend about potential meals, things he would want, things I would want, things that I would need to take the time to learn how to cook. I had menus scribbled down for moments of inspiration and recipes galore waiting in my email. I already had the dairy/gluten free cooking thing down so everything else seemed to fall in place.
The day before I began, I did a ton of grocery shopping and cooking. Actually, it's what I usually do every weekend. On a typical week, we go shopping around midnight (yes, midnight) on Friday night to get the bulk of our groceries. That way on Saturday and Sunday it's just running to get the smaller items that are in specialty stores. And then on Sunday, I cook. If he can help me he does (he's a whiz at chopping) but usually I just take a few hours out of my day and cook away. And the best part? Since I cook, he cleans. Can't beat that deal.
I then package everything. We have a his and hers side of the fridge. That way, come Monday when I'm rushing to get to work, I just go to my side and grab something and I'm good for breakfast and lunch. And when I get home, dinner is waiting. When I cook a meal I tend to make sure it'll last for at least 2 meals a piece. Doing this really helps cut down on cost. I don't know how some people can afford to cook a new meal every single day.
Since we don't eat any of our meals together Monday thru Friday (completely opposite work schedules), it works for us. He can eat whatever he wants, in whatever amounts he wants. If he wants to supplement food, he goes to the grocery store and buys fruits and veggies to cook on his own.
And then usually on Wednesday after work, I'll cook an additional meal that usually satisfies both lunch and dinner to pad the food we already have to get us to the weekend. I really like to limit the amount of time that is spent cooking because lets be real, every meal needs to be prepared in the kitchen to make sure you're following the guidelines. Again, I've been doing this for the both of us since January of this year so I'd like to think I've got it down pat.
What also helps is that back in May, I started ordering meat from U.S. Wellness. I wanted us to start eating the majority of our protein from grassfed/finished sources regardless, so that was just kind of a lucky stroke since they also offer Whole30 approved bacon and other sugar free meat options. To be honest, these items are really, really hard to find in grocery stores. And after cost comparison shopping for these items at grocery stores, the prices really do stack up well.
So that's how this whole gambit is running in my household.
I started my exercise regime last Saturday (the 13th) and haven't had any problems with stamina or anything. Actually, I didn't even really give it a thought. I also took my measurements and before pictures on that day. And as far as weight goes, I'm breaking the rules and weighing myself. And so far, I have nothing out of the ordinary to report. I've held steady everyday and am in an increase right now due to my upcoming time of the month. My clothes also are holding steady.
But lets talk about how I feel for a second. Oh, I'd say I feel pretty good. Like really good. I'm not ready to go out and fight a bull or anything. But I think something can be said for when you eat wholesome foods. It just gives you an all around good feeling.
Now for what I need to work on: I need to get more sleep. I know I'm supposed to be logging the hours while doing this but I'm not quite there yet. I'm going to do my best this week to set my bedtime earlier and stick with it. I'm going to try for 11pm. That will give me 8 hours of shut eye.
And now for what we ate:
Week #1:
Breakfasts:
Quiche Muffins: onion, tomato, mushrooms, sausage
Sweet Potato Hash: onion, yellow pepper, orange pepper, sausage, sweet potatoes
Lunches/Dinners:
Creamy Chicken and Artichoke Soup: chicken, artichoke, red pepper, onion, carrot, celery, onion, coconut milk (canned)
Balsamic Marinated Skirt Steak: (marinade = balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary) + sauteed zucchini and mushrooms
Pan Fried Salmon and Peach Salsa: salsa = peach, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, apple cider vinegar, cucumber
Grass Fed Hamburger Patty: on grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and side salad with balsamic
And that's it so far. 7 Days down, 23 to go. Next thing you know, I'm going to be halfway there!
Today's Menu:
B: paleo casserole: sweet potatoes, eggs, coconut milk, sausage, caramelized onions
L: beef medallions, portabello mushrooms, peppers, on spinach salad
D: hamburger mushroom stroganoff, cauliflower rice
What can I say?
So far so good. I don't want to jump the gun here but it honestly hasn't been that bad. I have obviously had some cravings. I'd imagine that everyone who tries this has them. But it hasn't been anything I haven't been able to handle. I do tend to text my boyfriend some days - and the text will consist of 2 words.
Milky Way.
My cravings are still for that elusive, mysterious Milky Way.
But other than that candy bar, I haven't really been dying to eat anything.
The weeks before I began, I took the time to prepare. I talked to my boyfriend about potential meals, things he would want, things I would want, things that I would need to take the time to learn how to cook. I had menus scribbled down for moments of inspiration and recipes galore waiting in my email. I already had the dairy/gluten free cooking thing down so everything else seemed to fall in place.
The day before I began, I did a ton of grocery shopping and cooking. Actually, it's what I usually do every weekend. On a typical week, we go shopping around midnight (yes, midnight) on Friday night to get the bulk of our groceries. That way on Saturday and Sunday it's just running to get the smaller items that are in specialty stores. And then on Sunday, I cook. If he can help me he does (he's a whiz at chopping) but usually I just take a few hours out of my day and cook away. And the best part? Since I cook, he cleans. Can't beat that deal.
I then package everything. We have a his and hers side of the fridge. That way, come Monday when I'm rushing to get to work, I just go to my side and grab something and I'm good for breakfast and lunch. And when I get home, dinner is waiting. When I cook a meal I tend to make sure it'll last for at least 2 meals a piece. Doing this really helps cut down on cost. I don't know how some people can afford to cook a new meal every single day.
Since we don't eat any of our meals together Monday thru Friday (completely opposite work schedules), it works for us. He can eat whatever he wants, in whatever amounts he wants. If he wants to supplement food, he goes to the grocery store and buys fruits and veggies to cook on his own.
And then usually on Wednesday after work, I'll cook an additional meal that usually satisfies both lunch and dinner to pad the food we already have to get us to the weekend. I really like to limit the amount of time that is spent cooking because lets be real, every meal needs to be prepared in the kitchen to make sure you're following the guidelines. Again, I've been doing this for the both of us since January of this year so I'd like to think I've got it down pat.
What also helps is that back in May, I started ordering meat from U.S. Wellness. I wanted us to start eating the majority of our protein from grassfed/finished sources regardless, so that was just kind of a lucky stroke since they also offer Whole30 approved bacon and other sugar free meat options. To be honest, these items are really, really hard to find in grocery stores. And after cost comparison shopping for these items at grocery stores, the prices really do stack up well.
So that's how this whole gambit is running in my household.
I started my exercise regime last Saturday (the 13th) and haven't had any problems with stamina or anything. Actually, I didn't even really give it a thought. I also took my measurements and before pictures on that day. And as far as weight goes, I'm breaking the rules and weighing myself. And so far, I have nothing out of the ordinary to report. I've held steady everyday and am in an increase right now due to my upcoming time of the month. My clothes also are holding steady.
But lets talk about how I feel for a second. Oh, I'd say I feel pretty good. Like really good. I'm not ready to go out and fight a bull or anything. But I think something can be said for when you eat wholesome foods. It just gives you an all around good feeling.
Now for what I need to work on: I need to get more sleep. I know I'm supposed to be logging the hours while doing this but I'm not quite there yet. I'm going to do my best this week to set my bedtime earlier and stick with it. I'm going to try for 11pm. That will give me 8 hours of shut eye.
And now for what we ate:
Week #1:
Breakfasts:
Quiche Muffins: onion, tomato, mushrooms, sausage
Sweet Potato Hash: onion, yellow pepper, orange pepper, sausage, sweet potatoes
Lunches/Dinners:
Creamy Chicken and Artichoke Soup: chicken, artichoke, red pepper, onion, carrot, celery, onion, coconut milk (canned)
Balsamic Marinated Skirt Steak: (marinade = balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary) + sauteed zucchini and mushrooms
Pan Fried Salmon and Peach Salsa: salsa = peach, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, apple cider vinegar, cucumber
Grass Fed Hamburger Patty: on grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and side salad with balsamic
And that's it so far. 7 Days down, 23 to go. Next thing you know, I'm going to be halfway there!
Today's Menu:
B: paleo casserole: sweet potatoes, eggs, coconut milk, sausage, caramelized onions
L: beef medallions, portabello mushrooms, peppers, on spinach salad
D: hamburger mushroom stroganoff, cauliflower rice
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Vacation Plan Part 1: My Whole30
I haven't done one of these in awhile.
Behold!
My Vacation Plan. And this one is so fancy it's a two-parter :)
Now that I'm off of my "time off" and I'm feeling both great and gross (great because I took a break and gross because, well, I took a break), it's time.
It's time to shift things into high gear because I have a vacation looming in 8 short weeks.
This year my boyfriend and I are traveling back east to go on a beach vacation with some members of my family. And since it's a beach vacation, we want to try to look our best. Simple enough right? It's not my MAIN reason for wanting to lose weight it's just what I like to call a kicker. Just a little something in the not too distant future to give you motivation to gear up for whatever challenge you have in mind. You know, something to "kick" things into motion.
I like to think there are 2 main components to being healthy, getting in shape, looking good, losing weight - whatever you want to call it. Eating healthy and exercising. So today's portion of the vacation plan is going to center around what I believe to be the most important aspect of weight loss. Well, not just weight loss but in overall health.
FOOD.
I truly believe food is 80% of the equation of weight loss. Hell, I'd even agree that number could be even higher.
It's no secret that I think eating whole foods is the way to go. I've spent this whole year trying to eat only whole foods and heal my gut of some food intolerances I've discovered. I've actually been quite successful on that front. For instance, gluten no longer has an immediate detrimental effect on me. When I say immediate, I mean like in 20 minutes after exposure. Now it's more like 12 hours. Oh the effect is still detrimental, but still, it's progress and I'm very happy about it. It actually has opened up my social life quite a bit. I used to be scared to go to a restaurant with friends due to the fear of something sneaking into my meal. Now I feel a little more confident. Dairy also has gotten better. I can have it on occasion and within reason. Soy is still weird. I think it's more of an allergy but only in certain forms. I haven't narrowed this one down completely. I'm not sure I ever will unless I get tested. I'm not too concerned because I don't eat that much soy anyways. I really try to stay away from all that GMO madness.
That all being said, this past 4th of July weekend, my diet managed to include ALL of those things. I was able to eat them but not without side effects which included: insidious weight gain, bloating, indigestion, brain fog, gastrointestinal effects, and mild depression.
Yes, gluten actually makes me feel really really bad about myself. Weird right? Sometimes I don't even believe that it happens but trust me, it does.
THAT is why I think food is so important. If food can cause all of those crazy side effects imagine what can happen when you nourish yourself with nothing but the BEST of food.
Which brings me to my Vacation Plan Part 1: My Whole30.
What's a Whole30? A very, very short explanation is this: certain foods can make you feel bad and you shouldn't eat them. So the Whole30 is a 30 day challenge to eliminate those bad foods to see how awesome you can feel. For the real deal explanation, read this.
What can you eat? meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit, and good fat.
So basically if it isn't one of those things, you're not eating it.
Why am I doing this?
Months ago I bought a book called It Starts With Food . I like to read a lot about food and nutrition and for whatever reason this book resonated with me. It's written by the folks who created the Whole30. As I was reading the book, I was already on my elimination diet, but for whatever reason I kept putting off starting my own Whole30. I don't really have a reason other than I was scared.
I was already not eating so many foods the thought of eliminating more made me nervous.
It wasn't until I connected with some friends via Facebook who were participating in their own Whole30 challenges that I committed. In fact, I knew 2 months ago that today was going to be the day I started my Whole30. So this isn't some spur of the moment decision. I've actually been planning this for quite some time.
So for the next 30 days it's NO:
sugar (real or fake), dairy, legumes, grains (all including corn), alcohol, processed food of ANY kind, white potatoes, carrageenan, sulfites or MSG.
NOTE: (If this sounds like something you'd be interested in doing please note that there are some exceptions and specific food instructions so read the full explanation in the link above for clarification.)
There are also some other points to the plan that don't involve food. You're not supposed to weigh yourself or take your measurements. Some may disagree with me but I'm not going to follow the weigh-in rule. I really enjoy my weekly weigh-in blog posts. I like the weekly feedback so I will continue with my weekly Friday weigh-ins.
As for measurements, I'll post my starting measurements and pictures in part 2 and won't take them again til the end.
I will also continue to log all of my food in Weight Watchers and calculate my points.
After my 30 days are up, I still will have 24 days until I leave for vacation. While the Whole30 isn't meant to be a forever kind of plan, the literature suggests that it might take you longer than 30 days to see the effects of this new-found nutrition. What kind of effects? Well, tiger blood is mentioned in there somewhere.
For real.
Tiger blood just means that you're going to feel awesome: more energy, more stamina, great workouts, looser clothes, and cravings should be gone.
In fact, there is a written timeline of what you might experience during your 30 days.
So if in 30 days I'm not there yet, it's a definitely possibility that I might extend this challenge. But I don't want to make any sort of commitment just yet. I just want to get through the next 30 days.
And yes, in case you're wondering, while I'm very excited, determined and motivated for this particular challenge, I'm still scared.
Today's Menu:
B: quiche muffin (mushrooms, onion, tomato, sausage)
L: mushroom soup
D: broiled salmon + peach salsa
Behold!
My Vacation Plan. And this one is so fancy it's a two-parter :)
Now that I'm off of my "time off" and I'm feeling both great and gross (great because I took a break and gross because, well, I took a break), it's time.
It's time to shift things into high gear because I have a vacation looming in 8 short weeks.
This year my boyfriend and I are traveling back east to go on a beach vacation with some members of my family. And since it's a beach vacation, we want to try to look our best. Simple enough right? It's not my MAIN reason for wanting to lose weight it's just what I like to call a kicker. Just a little something in the not too distant future to give you motivation to gear up for whatever challenge you have in mind. You know, something to "kick" things into motion.
I like to think there are 2 main components to being healthy, getting in shape, looking good, losing weight - whatever you want to call it. Eating healthy and exercising. So today's portion of the vacation plan is going to center around what I believe to be the most important aspect of weight loss. Well, not just weight loss but in overall health.
FOOD.
I truly believe food is 80% of the equation of weight loss. Hell, I'd even agree that number could be even higher.
It's no secret that I think eating whole foods is the way to go. I've spent this whole year trying to eat only whole foods and heal my gut of some food intolerances I've discovered. I've actually been quite successful on that front. For instance, gluten no longer has an immediate detrimental effect on me. When I say immediate, I mean like in 20 minutes after exposure. Now it's more like 12 hours. Oh the effect is still detrimental, but still, it's progress and I'm very happy about it. It actually has opened up my social life quite a bit. I used to be scared to go to a restaurant with friends due to the fear of something sneaking into my meal. Now I feel a little more confident. Dairy also has gotten better. I can have it on occasion and within reason. Soy is still weird. I think it's more of an allergy but only in certain forms. I haven't narrowed this one down completely. I'm not sure I ever will unless I get tested. I'm not too concerned because I don't eat that much soy anyways. I really try to stay away from all that GMO madness.
That all being said, this past 4th of July weekend, my diet managed to include ALL of those things. I was able to eat them but not without side effects which included: insidious weight gain, bloating, indigestion, brain fog, gastrointestinal effects, and mild depression.
Yes, gluten actually makes me feel really really bad about myself. Weird right? Sometimes I don't even believe that it happens but trust me, it does.
THAT is why I think food is so important. If food can cause all of those crazy side effects imagine what can happen when you nourish yourself with nothing but the BEST of food.
Which brings me to my Vacation Plan Part 1: My Whole30.
What's a Whole30? A very, very short explanation is this: certain foods can make you feel bad and you shouldn't eat them. So the Whole30 is a 30 day challenge to eliminate those bad foods to see how awesome you can feel. For the real deal explanation, read this.
What can you eat? meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit, and good fat.
So basically if it isn't one of those things, you're not eating it.
Why am I doing this?
Months ago I bought a book called It Starts With Food . I like to read a lot about food and nutrition and for whatever reason this book resonated with me. It's written by the folks who created the Whole30. As I was reading the book, I was already on my elimination diet, but for whatever reason I kept putting off starting my own Whole30. I don't really have a reason other than I was scared.
I was already not eating so many foods the thought of eliminating more made me nervous.
It wasn't until I connected with some friends via Facebook who were participating in their own Whole30 challenges that I committed. In fact, I knew 2 months ago that today was going to be the day I started my Whole30. So this isn't some spur of the moment decision. I've actually been planning this for quite some time.
So for the next 30 days it's NO:
sugar (real or fake), dairy, legumes, grains (all including corn), alcohol, processed food of ANY kind, white potatoes, carrageenan, sulfites or MSG.
NOTE: (If this sounds like something you'd be interested in doing please note that there are some exceptions and specific food instructions so read the full explanation in the link above for clarification.)
There are also some other points to the plan that don't involve food. You're not supposed to weigh yourself or take your measurements. Some may disagree with me but I'm not going to follow the weigh-in rule. I really enjoy my weekly weigh-in blog posts. I like the weekly feedback so I will continue with my weekly Friday weigh-ins.
As for measurements, I'll post my starting measurements and pictures in part 2 and won't take them again til the end.
I will also continue to log all of my food in Weight Watchers and calculate my points.
After my 30 days are up, I still will have 24 days until I leave for vacation. While the Whole30 isn't meant to be a forever kind of plan, the literature suggests that it might take you longer than 30 days to see the effects of this new-found nutrition. What kind of effects? Well, tiger blood is mentioned in there somewhere.
For real.
Tiger blood just means that you're going to feel awesome: more energy, more stamina, great workouts, looser clothes, and cravings should be gone.
In fact, there is a written timeline of what you might experience during your 30 days.
So if in 30 days I'm not there yet, it's a definitely possibility that I might extend this challenge. But I don't want to make any sort of commitment just yet. I just want to get through the next 30 days.
And yes, in case you're wondering, while I'm very excited, determined and motivated for this particular challenge, I'm still scared.
Today's Menu:
B: quiche muffin (mushrooms, onion, tomato, sausage)
L: mushroom soup
D: broiled salmon + peach salsa
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 39
WEIGH IN: +3.6 (from my weigh in on Friday the 14th)
Can someone say Yo-Yo?
Actually, I'm not in a yo-yo spin, I'm in a hormonal spin. That's all I can figure. As I said last week, I went off my hormonal birth control which can cause an array of side effects. The one I was most worried about was weight gain. I took to the internet to see how prominent it was and apparently it is quite common.
Here's the thing. I don't think I'm gaining weight just because I went off birth control. I am definitely gaining weight due to eating too much of the wrong things. My cravings have come out of nowhere and it's been a battle. And the only thing that has changed in my life is stopping my birth control. And while I'm not 100% sure, it makes the most sense to me. I mean, come on, it's hormones.
Since this year began and I changed my diet I've been so proud of how much control I've had over my eating. You guys all know that I have a rough time when it comes to food and food control and I've had clear control of it this whole year.
Until I went off birth control.
I now know why all of these women are on the message boards asking for help in losing weight. I seriously feel like I'm having PMS all the time.
Anyway, the point is, it's something I'm going to have to work on/figure out/battle. And battle I shall.
What I did this week:
1. I earned about 10 AP. I did three Ripped in 30 workouts. I'm continuing to aim for five per week.
2. I ate 231 points. My goal every week is around the 210 mark (+/- 5 points). While I didn't go over my given points for the week (daily + weekly), I did NOT eat the most wholesome foods. Wait for #4, you'll see what I mean.
3. Water = great!
4. What I ate. First the good: potato and leek soup, deviled eggs, apricot ham, sushi and homemade larabars. And the bad: went out to eat TWICE. I stuck to my allergen list and even split meals with my boyfriend. It was still just not in my best interest weight loss wise. We had Mexican (think chips and salsa) one night and then went to a regular Americana restaurant and split a chicken dish. Also these were regular restaurants and I know that allergens snuck into my dishes which isn't in MY best interest (I get inflamed, bloated, and sick when this happens). In addition, I found some gluten free, organic blah blah blah cheese puffs (NO NO NO). Note to self: you have no control over these things. What else? My cravings tended to be more carb related so I also made some Thai noodles and macaroni and cheese on two separate occasions. These are very heavy dishes. I think I literally weighed myself down this week by eating too many carbs. When I say too many carbs I mean too many carbs for me :)
And to give you a peak into the week we're in. It's still an on going battle. In fact, it's worse. I think that's why I've put off writing this post because I'm struggling. The current week we're in isn't going any better than last week. The scale keeps going up and the cravings continue. Part of me has been waiting for things to "regulate" and go away on their own. But I've now realized I will have to make a conscious effort to take control of things. So that's where I'm at right now.
But here's the thing.
Messing up doesn't mean I've messed everything up. It just means I've learned something new. It also means I'm human and sometimes it's nice to be reminded of that. I don't have to be perfect at this process because being perfect is impossible. I just have to be present at all times in order to make the best decisions for me.
And right now the best decision for me is to take my diet down to the basics. I'm going to be tightening up my food choices in an effort to try to help get my body back to normal. I really believe that food is one way I can help get my hormones back on track. And regardless of hormones, I just feel better when I'm eating crazy clean.
I'm going to continue to eat gluten, dairy and soy free but I need to tighten up the reigns on it. That means eating out needs to be at specific places (hello Hugo's) or not at all. I'm also going to cut out my beloved Kettle Chips. Just for a little bit. Just until I have a handle on things. I also am going to cut out sugar. I've allowed myself dark chocolate and dairy free ice cream on several occasions and I think with my cravings in full swing it's probably best to not "feed the beast" by eating unnecessary sugar. And lastly, carbs. I don't believe carbohydrates are the devil or that you shouldn't eat them. I just know I'm carb sensitive and need to watch my servings and so I'm going to go back to eating grains (gluten free pasta, rice, and any baked good I make like pizza) on the weekends only. Don't worry, during the week I allow myself plenty of carbs in the form of vegetables or fruit.
And that's the plan.
Wish me luck.
Can someone say Yo-Yo?
Actually, I'm not in a yo-yo spin, I'm in a hormonal spin. That's all I can figure. As I said last week, I went off my hormonal birth control which can cause an array of side effects. The one I was most worried about was weight gain. I took to the internet to see how prominent it was and apparently it is quite common.
Here's the thing. I don't think I'm gaining weight just because I went off birth control. I am definitely gaining weight due to eating too much of the wrong things. My cravings have come out of nowhere and it's been a battle. And the only thing that has changed in my life is stopping my birth control. And while I'm not 100% sure, it makes the most sense to me. I mean, come on, it's hormones.
Since this year began and I changed my diet I've been so proud of how much control I've had over my eating. You guys all know that I have a rough time when it comes to food and food control and I've had clear control of it this whole year.
Until I went off birth control.
I now know why all of these women are on the message boards asking for help in losing weight. I seriously feel like I'm having PMS all the time.
Anyway, the point is, it's something I'm going to have to work on/figure out/battle. And battle I shall.
What I did this week:
1. I earned about 10 AP. I did three Ripped in 30 workouts. I'm continuing to aim for five per week.
2. I ate 231 points. My goal every week is around the 210 mark (+/- 5 points). While I didn't go over my given points for the week (daily + weekly), I did NOT eat the most wholesome foods. Wait for #4, you'll see what I mean.
3. Water = great!
4. What I ate. First the good: potato and leek soup, deviled eggs, apricot ham, sushi and homemade larabars. And the bad: went out to eat TWICE. I stuck to my allergen list and even split meals with my boyfriend. It was still just not in my best interest weight loss wise. We had Mexican (think chips and salsa) one night and then went to a regular Americana restaurant and split a chicken dish. Also these were regular restaurants and I know that allergens snuck into my dishes which isn't in MY best interest (I get inflamed, bloated, and sick when this happens). In addition, I found some gluten free, organic blah blah blah cheese puffs (NO NO NO). Note to self: you have no control over these things. What else? My cravings tended to be more carb related so I also made some Thai noodles and macaroni and cheese on two separate occasions. These are very heavy dishes. I think I literally weighed myself down this week by eating too many carbs. When I say too many carbs I mean too many carbs for me :)
And to give you a peak into the week we're in. It's still an on going battle. In fact, it's worse. I think that's why I've put off writing this post because I'm struggling. The current week we're in isn't going any better than last week. The scale keeps going up and the cravings continue. Part of me has been waiting for things to "regulate" and go away on their own. But I've now realized I will have to make a conscious effort to take control of things. So that's where I'm at right now.
But here's the thing.
Messing up doesn't mean I've messed everything up. It just means I've learned something new. It also means I'm human and sometimes it's nice to be reminded of that. I don't have to be perfect at this process because being perfect is impossible. I just have to be present at all times in order to make the best decisions for me.
And right now the best decision for me is to take my diet down to the basics. I'm going to be tightening up my food choices in an effort to try to help get my body back to normal. I really believe that food is one way I can help get my hormones back on track. And regardless of hormones, I just feel better when I'm eating crazy clean.
I'm going to continue to eat gluten, dairy and soy free but I need to tighten up the reigns on it. That means eating out needs to be at specific places (hello Hugo's) or not at all. I'm also going to cut out my beloved Kettle Chips. Just for a little bit. Just until I have a handle on things. I also am going to cut out sugar. I've allowed myself dark chocolate and dairy free ice cream on several occasions and I think with my cravings in full swing it's probably best to not "feed the beast" by eating unnecessary sugar. And lastly, carbs. I don't believe carbohydrates are the devil or that you shouldn't eat them. I just know I'm carb sensitive and need to watch my servings and so I'm going to go back to eating grains (gluten free pasta, rice, and any baked good I make like pizza) on the weekends only. Don't worry, during the week I allow myself plenty of carbs in the form of vegetables or fruit.
And that's the plan.
Wish me luck.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 36
I am SO SO SO late with this post.
+0.4 pounds
I got caught up in my long memorial weekend.
Oh boy did I get caught up in it. But that's for another post.
Weekly Roundup:
1. I earned around 13 AP. I did five 30 Day Shred Workouts. I'm almost done!! 2 more workouts to go!!
2. I ate 209 points.
3. I drank plenty of water.
4. I am actually not very pleased with how I ate. Last week I didn't feel like cooking AT ALL and so I made a couple of simple things. And to be honest, those simple things were not very FILLING things. So looking back at my log I can see where I was eating more "filler" food than I should have. I had my sushi but that wasn't the problem. I see Kettle potato chips in there too much. Peanut Butter also rears its ugly head. I also had bought some Gluten Free White Bread and I ate that too much. Not that there's anything wrong with sandwiches but when I eat bread, it just induces cravings and makes me get snacky. I didn't eat any items I'm not supposed to (gluten, dairy, soy). I don't know. I just wasn't overly happy with my week. BUT, I'm glad I recognized what happens when I skimp on the cooking. I just need to remember that for the future ..
Like maybe what happened over Memorial Weekend.
UGH ;)
Today's Menu:
B: Homemade Larabar
L: Chicken Noodle Soup
D: Portobello Mushroom pizza
+0.4 pounds
I got caught up in my long memorial weekend.
Oh boy did I get caught up in it. But that's for another post.
Weekly Roundup:
1. I earned around 13 AP. I did five 30 Day Shred Workouts. I'm almost done!! 2 more workouts to go!!
2. I ate 209 points.
3. I drank plenty of water.
4. I am actually not very pleased with how I ate. Last week I didn't feel like cooking AT ALL and so I made a couple of simple things. And to be honest, those simple things were not very FILLING things. So looking back at my log I can see where I was eating more "filler" food than I should have. I had my sushi but that wasn't the problem. I see Kettle potato chips in there too much. Peanut Butter also rears its ugly head. I also had bought some Gluten Free White Bread and I ate that too much. Not that there's anything wrong with sandwiches but when I eat bread, it just induces cravings and makes me get snacky. I didn't eat any items I'm not supposed to (gluten, dairy, soy). I don't know. I just wasn't overly happy with my week. BUT, I'm glad I recognized what happens when I skimp on the cooking. I just need to remember that for the future ..
Like maybe what happened over Memorial Weekend.
UGH ;)
Today's Menu:
B: Homemade Larabar
L: Chicken Noodle Soup
D: Portobello Mushroom pizza
Friday, May 10, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 34
Hey y'all.
Fun fact: I was born and raised in Virginia where the phrase y'all is used quite frequently, as you can imagine. I haven't lived there since 2000 and I still use y'all like it's going out of style.
And I probably always will.
It's been a long week. Nothing too stressful happened. It was more like time just seemed to move at a brutally slow pace. However, tis Friday and therefore I shall rejoice.
Hurrah! Hurrah!
Weigh In: -1.2 lbs
Rejoice again I shall.
Hurrah! Hurrah!
If my math is right (and it always is- Tony Stark) since January 2nd, I have lost 13.8 pounds. That's huge! If memory serves, that's the most consistent weight loss I've ever had in my adult life with relative ease.
For years I have always either counted calories or points. I always stayed within what was the appropriate calorie deficit for my height and weight but I rarely lost consistent weight. And if I did, seeing more than a pound loss total per month was a joyous occasion for me. And I ALWAYS worked out. HARD. I ran, I lifted weights, I played sports, I did it all. Up until January 2013 that has always been my plan. I followed my points/calories, I worked out 5-6 days a week and I'd pray for the weight loss to happen. And I usually felt horrible. I was usually hungry, craving some sort of take-out/fast food item. Or counting the seconds til the weekend when I could have my "cheat day" and finally be satisfied. I also felt like I had no control over the situation. I felt like I had no control over what I was eating.
When I was younger, this sort of worked for me. I was able to keep serious weight gain at bay but never really got the results I wanted. But as I got older (especially in the last couple of years) it eventually became this cycle that wore me to the bone. Monday thru Friday I was diligent. I always stayed within my daily points/calories and I got in my workouts (intense hour plus long workouts). But I was either always hungry or always wishing I was eating something else. I didn't want to touch those Weekly Points because I wanted them for the weekend. And then the weekend would come and I would eat those "naughty" items. I wouldn't go over my points (most of the time) but I would relish every last one. And then come Monday morning, I'd weigh 5 pounds heavier due to my weekend splurges. And then during the work week, I'd be diligent again and slowly would lose those 5 pounds and if I was really, really lucky maybe an extra quarter pound would come off too. But then the weekend would come and I would do it over again.
And that made for some terribly slow weight loss. Or rather, it made for some non-existent weight loss.
From mid September 2012 to the end of December 2012 I had been on WW for 15 weeks. At the end of those 15 weeks I had lost 0.2 pounds total.
See what I mean? Vicious cycle.
And while I knew this was going on I still felt like something was wrong with me. Like there was nothing left for me to try to lose weight because it just wasn't working for me.
Then in January of this year I changed everything about the way I ate. And if I'm going to be honest, I was pretty scared to do it. I'd like to say I was so frustrated about my weight (and I was) that I was just hell-bent on changing everything to get results. But even knowing that change was necessary to get what I DESPERATELY wanted (weight-loss), I was afraid to give up eating certain foods.
It was my own Sophie's Choice. Did I want to be miserable in my body (because I was starting to become that way) but be able to eat whatever deliciousness I wanted OR did I want to try to make some dietary changes which would most definitely make me healthier and just might make me lose some weight?
I easily made the decision to change my diet but in the weeks leading up to my designated date (I chose January 2), I had all sorts of negative feelings about it. I was doubtful it would work, I was scared I would miss food too much, I was nervous that my life would be miserable because I couldn't eat whatever I wanted.
I seriously had that thought. That I would have a miserable existence because I was cutting unhealthy food out of my life. That's just not right.
There are people who CAN eat whatever they want and maintain a healthy life and weight. I am not one of those people.
I have NEVER been one of those people.
So after a couple months of preparation and because of other on-goings in my life, on January 2nd, I started a particular elimination diet that would eventually change my way of thinking. I cut out the processed food and other items and ended up learning that my body doesn't do well on certain foods. Apparently my body does not like gluten, dairy and to a small degree soy and eggs.
And from there, my world changed.
I lost weight even though I wasn't exercising. I taught myself that taking things out of your diet doesn't mean you have nothing left to eat, in fact, there are usually too many choices! I learned that certain foods have an excessive amount of control over me and when I stop eating them, I take back ALL control. And I learned that it's still hard work.
There is no band-aid people. No matter which path your body takes you on, there will always be hard work along the way.
None of these revelations were overnight. I still struggle with feelings of success and failure. I still have moments where I wish I were "normal". But they aren't as bad as they used to be. Thank God. But the best thing I've learned is that changing my diet did NOT make me miserable :)
What I did this week:
1. I earned probably around 15 AP. I did five 30 Day Shred workouts. I took an extra day off due to crazy muscle soreness. I don't know what it is about level 2 but it makes my hips and lower back hurt crazy bad. I think it's the last ab exercise, the plank while bringing your knee over. Whatever it is, it makes for some serious body soreness.
2. I ate 214 points for the week (I do not count AP towards my total)
3. Water = :)
4. What I ate. This past week I made my homemade Big Macs, chef salad, soup au pistou (fancy name for vegetable soup to which I added chicken), roasted chicken lettuce wraps, and chicken scampi. I also indulged in some larabars, peanut butter, and sushi. But not at the same time. (I'll be trying my hand at homemade larabars this weekend. If I'm successful I'll let you know)
Today's Menu:
B: Larabar
L: Chef Salad + Apple
D: Soup au Pistou ** and probably some sushi ;)
Fun fact: I was born and raised in Virginia where the phrase y'all is used quite frequently, as you can imagine. I haven't lived there since 2000 and I still use y'all like it's going out of style.
And I probably always will.
It's been a long week. Nothing too stressful happened. It was more like time just seemed to move at a brutally slow pace. However, tis Friday and therefore I shall rejoice.
Hurrah! Hurrah!
Weigh In: -1.2 lbs
Rejoice again I shall.
Hurrah! Hurrah!
If my math is right (and it always is- Tony Stark) since January 2nd, I have lost 13.8 pounds. That's huge! If memory serves, that's the most consistent weight loss I've ever had in my adult life with relative ease.
For years I have always either counted calories or points. I always stayed within what was the appropriate calorie deficit for my height and weight but I rarely lost consistent weight. And if I did, seeing more than a pound loss total per month was a joyous occasion for me. And I ALWAYS worked out. HARD. I ran, I lifted weights, I played sports, I did it all. Up until January 2013 that has always been my plan. I followed my points/calories, I worked out 5-6 days a week and I'd pray for the weight loss to happen. And I usually felt horrible. I was usually hungry, craving some sort of take-out/fast food item. Or counting the seconds til the weekend when I could have my "cheat day" and finally be satisfied. I also felt like I had no control over the situation. I felt like I had no control over what I was eating.
When I was younger, this sort of worked for me. I was able to keep serious weight gain at bay but never really got the results I wanted. But as I got older (especially in the last couple of years) it eventually became this cycle that wore me to the bone. Monday thru Friday I was diligent. I always stayed within my daily points/calories and I got in my workouts (intense hour plus long workouts). But I was either always hungry or always wishing I was eating something else. I didn't want to touch those Weekly Points because I wanted them for the weekend. And then the weekend would come and I would eat those "naughty" items. I wouldn't go over my points (most of the time) but I would relish every last one. And then come Monday morning, I'd weigh 5 pounds heavier due to my weekend splurges. And then during the work week, I'd be diligent again and slowly would lose those 5 pounds and if I was really, really lucky maybe an extra quarter pound would come off too. But then the weekend would come and I would do it over again.
And that made for some terribly slow weight loss. Or rather, it made for some non-existent weight loss.
From mid September 2012 to the end of December 2012 I had been on WW for 15 weeks. At the end of those 15 weeks I had lost 0.2 pounds total.
See what I mean? Vicious cycle.
And while I knew this was going on I still felt like something was wrong with me. Like there was nothing left for me to try to lose weight because it just wasn't working for me.
Then in January of this year I changed everything about the way I ate. And if I'm going to be honest, I was pretty scared to do it. I'd like to say I was so frustrated about my weight (and I was) that I was just hell-bent on changing everything to get results. But even knowing that change was necessary to get what I DESPERATELY wanted (weight-loss), I was afraid to give up eating certain foods.
It was my own Sophie's Choice. Did I want to be miserable in my body (because I was starting to become that way) but be able to eat whatever deliciousness I wanted OR did I want to try to make some dietary changes which would most definitely make me healthier and just might make me lose some weight?
I easily made the decision to change my diet but in the weeks leading up to my designated date (I chose January 2), I had all sorts of negative feelings about it. I was doubtful it would work, I was scared I would miss food too much, I was nervous that my life would be miserable because I couldn't eat whatever I wanted.
I seriously had that thought. That I would have a miserable existence because I was cutting unhealthy food out of my life. That's just not right.
There are people who CAN eat whatever they want and maintain a healthy life and weight. I am not one of those people.
I have NEVER been one of those people.
So after a couple months of preparation and because of other on-goings in my life, on January 2nd, I started a particular elimination diet that would eventually change my way of thinking. I cut out the processed food and other items and ended up learning that my body doesn't do well on certain foods. Apparently my body does not like gluten, dairy and to a small degree soy and eggs.
And from there, my world changed.
I lost weight even though I wasn't exercising. I taught myself that taking things out of your diet doesn't mean you have nothing left to eat, in fact, there are usually too many choices! I learned that certain foods have an excessive amount of control over me and when I stop eating them, I take back ALL control. And I learned that it's still hard work.
There is no band-aid people. No matter which path your body takes you on, there will always be hard work along the way.
None of these revelations were overnight. I still struggle with feelings of success and failure. I still have moments where I wish I were "normal". But they aren't as bad as they used to be. Thank God. But the best thing I've learned is that changing my diet did NOT make me miserable :)
What I did this week:
1. I earned probably around 15 AP. I did five 30 Day Shred workouts. I took an extra day off due to crazy muscle soreness. I don't know what it is about level 2 but it makes my hips and lower back hurt crazy bad. I think it's the last ab exercise, the plank while bringing your knee over. Whatever it is, it makes for some serious body soreness.
2. I ate 214 points for the week (I do not count AP towards my total)
3. Water = :)
4. What I ate. This past week I made my homemade Big Macs, chef salad, soup au pistou (fancy name for vegetable soup to which I added chicken), roasted chicken lettuce wraps, and chicken scampi. I also indulged in some larabars, peanut butter, and sushi. But not at the same time. (I'll be trying my hand at homemade larabars this weekend. If I'm successful I'll let you know)
Today's Menu:
B: Larabar
L: Chef Salad + Apple
D: Soup au Pistou ** and probably some sushi ;)
Monday, May 6, 2013
My Big Mac
So Saturday I tried my hand at re-creating one of my most favorite fast food items: the Big Mac.
Years and years ago my mom bought me the Best of Top Secret Recipes cookbook by Tom Wilbur. And in it is the copycat recipe for the Big Mac!
As you can imagine, the recipe ingredients are quite simple but the author says it's the ORDER in which you build the burger that matters most.
According to the BOOK you will need:
Ingredients:
4 hamburger buns
2 additional hamburger buns
1 pound ground beef
dash salt
1 T Kraft Thousand Island
4 tsp finely diced onion
2 cups chopped lettuce
4 slices American cheese
8 - 12 dill pickles slices.
(Makes 4 Big Macs)
As I'm not eating certain foods nowadays I'll be making some substitutions:
I'll use grass-fed ground beef, an actual recipe for the special sauce, gluten free hamburger buns, and vegan American cheese.
I know with my substitutions it won't be perfect but I'm desperately hoping it'll be close.
As for the special sauce, in the original book recipe Mr. Wilbur calls for Kraft Thousand Island. However, some deep internet research reveals an actual recipe for the sauce:
.JPG)
1/2 c. mayo (I don't do well with mayo so I will use soy free vegenaise)
3 T French Dressing (Annie's Organics makes one that is GF and vegan plus it's organic so you can't beat that)
1/2 T sweet pickle relish (quick note: finding relish without HFCS is quite difficult - thank you Del Monte!)
1 1/2 T dill pickle relish**
1 ts minced onion
1 ts sugar (I used xylitol and it turned out beautifully)
1 ts vinegar
1 ts ketchup
1/8 ts salt
Makes enough for 8 burgers.
You're going to mix it all up, put it in the microwave for about 25 seconds, stir again, then let chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
After I mixed the sauce I had my boyfriend taste it. His eyes opened wide and he said "Oh wow that tastes just like it".
After he said that, I knew this was going to work.
**I already had the dill pickle slices for the burgers so instead of buying dill pickle relish, I just diced up some of the dill slices and used that instead. It worked great.
And now the order:
According to Mr. Wilbur it HAS to be in this order:
Are you ready?
1. Bottom Bun
2. Special Sauce
3. Onion
4. Lettuce
5. American Cheese
6. All Beef Patty
7. Middle Bun
8. Special Sauce
9. Onion
10. Lettuce
11. Pickles
12. All Beef Patty
13. Top Bun
Seriously, the cookbook has a blueprint of the building process it's THAT important.
So while the sauce chilled, we made the patties and got all the toppings ready. And then we got to building these bad boys.
The result?
.JPG)
Perfect.
Seriously, I just at there with a huge, stupid grin on my face. I was so happy.
A couple of things. I did NOT add the extra bun in the center because we didn't have enough to go around and I also added an extra slice of cheese because I wanted extra cheese :) But other than that, I followed everything else to a "T".
There you have it boys and girls. My version of a gluten free, dairy free, fast food free Big Mac.
I WILL DEFINITELY be making these again.
Points Plus for One "Big Mac" w/ extra cheese: 15 points plus
Years and years ago my mom bought me the Best of Top Secret Recipes cookbook by Tom Wilbur. And in it is the copycat recipe for the Big Mac!
As you can imagine, the recipe ingredients are quite simple but the author says it's the ORDER in which you build the burger that matters most.
According to the BOOK you will need:
Ingredients:
4 hamburger buns
2 additional hamburger buns
1 pound ground beef
dash salt
1 T Kraft Thousand Island
4 tsp finely diced onion
2 cups chopped lettuce
4 slices American cheese
8 - 12 dill pickles slices.
(Makes 4 Big Macs)
As I'm not eating certain foods nowadays I'll be making some substitutions:
I'll use grass-fed ground beef, an actual recipe for the special sauce, gluten free hamburger buns, and vegan American cheese.
I know with my substitutions it won't be perfect but I'm desperately hoping it'll be close.
As for the special sauce, in the original book recipe Mr. Wilbur calls for Kraft Thousand Island. However, some deep internet research reveals an actual recipe for the sauce:
.JPG)
1/2 c. mayo (I don't do well with mayo so I will use soy free vegenaise)
3 T French Dressing (Annie's Organics makes one that is GF and vegan plus it's organic so you can't beat that)
1/2 T sweet pickle relish (quick note: finding relish without HFCS is quite difficult - thank you Del Monte!)
1 1/2 T dill pickle relish**
1 ts minced onion
1 ts sugar (I used xylitol and it turned out beautifully)
1 ts vinegar
1 ts ketchup
1/8 ts salt
Makes enough for 8 burgers.
You're going to mix it all up, put it in the microwave for about 25 seconds, stir again, then let chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
After I mixed the sauce I had my boyfriend taste it. His eyes opened wide and he said "Oh wow that tastes just like it".
After he said that, I knew this was going to work.
**I already had the dill pickle slices for the burgers so instead of buying dill pickle relish, I just diced up some of the dill slices and used that instead. It worked great.
And now the order:
According to Mr. Wilbur it HAS to be in this order:
Are you ready?
1. Bottom Bun
2. Special Sauce
3. Onion
4. Lettuce
5. American Cheese
6. All Beef Patty
7. Middle Bun
8. Special Sauce
9. Onion
10. Lettuce
11. Pickles
12. All Beef Patty
13. Top Bun
Seriously, the cookbook has a blueprint of the building process it's THAT important.
So while the sauce chilled, we made the patties and got all the toppings ready. And then we got to building these bad boys.
The result?
.JPG)
Perfect.
Seriously, I just at there with a huge, stupid grin on my face. I was so happy.
A couple of things. I did NOT add the extra bun in the center because we didn't have enough to go around and I also added an extra slice of cheese because I wanted extra cheese :) But other than that, I followed everything else to a "T".
There you have it boys and girls. My version of a gluten free, dairy free, fast food free Big Mac.
I WILL DEFINITELY be making these again.
Points Plus for One "Big Mac" w/ extra cheese: 15 points plus
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 33
Weigh In: -2.8 lbs
I felt this one coming. Around Tuesday or Wednesday I swear I felt as if a layer of fat had been shed from my body overnight.
No lie. It was kind of weird but awesome.
I don't think the loss was a result of any particular one thing that I did this past week but rather just a result of weeks of trying.
Oh and try I did!
How it happened:
1. I earned 12-14 AP. I did five 30 Day Shred workouts. I usually do 6 workouts per week but I took an extra day off due to not feeling well. (AP points are an estimate based on 1AP = 100 calories burned)
2. I ate 220 points. After 30 some weeks of being on this program, I think that when I eat around 220-225 points and NOT eat any of my AP then I get the best results. So I'm going to shoot for that again. (NO AP points counted in that total)
3. Water. Water is, like, my BFF now. Where I go, it goes.
4. What I ate? Let's see. I had: breakfast potatoes and bacon; french spring soup; pulled pork and coleslaw; BLT sandwich (I tried another gluten free bread: Udi's White Sandwich Bread. It's got a good flavor but has that slight crumbly texture that most GF items have. I only used it once but if I ever needed bread I'd probably get this one again); and of course sushi. I've also added Larabars to the mix. Right now I have the Blueberry Muffin flavor and the ingredients are: dates, cashews, blueberries, blueberry juice concentrate, lemon juice concentrate and vanilla. And that's it! Amazing right? After I get through the very few I have left, I'm going to try making my own. I keep one of these in my purse for emergencies. Pretty good and you can't beat that ingredient list. Oh yeah, we also had our weekend treat of Kettle potato chips.
I had the least variety in my menu this past week because I was so busy I never made my other meal (in case you're wondering it was a sweet potato hash with vegetables). I've been house and dog sitting for my friends and it's been busy.
Today's Menu:
We're going to try to make Big Macs! After my dietary changes we only really eat at two places. Sushi and Hugo's. Since I always am concerned about eating something I'm not supposed to, we generally just make everything ourselves. While this is definitely the healthiest way for me to eat, it's not always the most fun. I've said it before, but I REALLY miss eating out. We've only eaten out maybe five times in over 4 months. So crazy. Anyway, we're going to try to make Big Macs.
This one is for me because I LOVE Big Macs.
If I'm successful, I'll be sure to share!
I felt this one coming. Around Tuesday or Wednesday I swear I felt as if a layer of fat had been shed from my body overnight.
No lie. It was kind of weird but awesome.
I don't think the loss was a result of any particular one thing that I did this past week but rather just a result of weeks of trying.
Oh and try I did!
How it happened:
1. I earned 12-14 AP. I did five 30 Day Shred workouts. I usually do 6 workouts per week but I took an extra day off due to not feeling well. (AP points are an estimate based on 1AP = 100 calories burned)
2. I ate 220 points. After 30 some weeks of being on this program, I think that when I eat around 220-225 points and NOT eat any of my AP then I get the best results. So I'm going to shoot for that again. (NO AP points counted in that total)
3. Water. Water is, like, my BFF now. Where I go, it goes.
4. What I ate? Let's see. I had: breakfast potatoes and bacon; french spring soup; pulled pork and coleslaw; BLT sandwich (I tried another gluten free bread: Udi's White Sandwich Bread. It's got a good flavor but has that slight crumbly texture that most GF items have. I only used it once but if I ever needed bread I'd probably get this one again); and of course sushi. I've also added Larabars to the mix. Right now I have the Blueberry Muffin flavor and the ingredients are: dates, cashews, blueberries, blueberry juice concentrate, lemon juice concentrate and vanilla. And that's it! Amazing right? After I get through the very few I have left, I'm going to try making my own. I keep one of these in my purse for emergencies. Pretty good and you can't beat that ingredient list. Oh yeah, we also had our weekend treat of Kettle potato chips.
I had the least variety in my menu this past week because I was so busy I never made my other meal (in case you're wondering it was a sweet potato hash with vegetables). I've been house and dog sitting for my friends and it's been busy.
Today's Menu:
We're going to try to make Big Macs! After my dietary changes we only really eat at two places. Sushi and Hugo's. Since I always am concerned about eating something I'm not supposed to, we generally just make everything ourselves. While this is definitely the healthiest way for me to eat, it's not always the most fun. I've said it before, but I REALLY miss eating out. We've only eaten out maybe five times in over 4 months. So crazy. Anyway, we're going to try to make Big Macs.
This one is for me because I LOVE Big Macs.
If I'm successful, I'll be sure to share!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
2013 Weight Update
It's Valentine's Day. I actually kind of forgot until I was driving to work and saw a delivery man carrying dozens of roses to someone's front door.
I have NEVER been a fan of Valentine's Day. Probably the only girl in the world to not care about this holiday. It's not that I don't take today to tell the bf how much I appreciate him, it's just that I'm lucky enough to not need one special day out of the year for this to happen. We're both really good at telling the other all the time all that stuff. I don't know why, but this holiday is just not my thing. I'll leave it at that.
It wasn't Valentine's Day that prompted me to write an update today but rather the fact that it's the 14th of February - the halfway mark of the month. Also, it's been 6 weeks since I made all of these dietary changes and I want to give a recap of all that's happened.
The following will be, in no particular order, everything I've experienced over the past 6 weeks.
I found out I couldn't eat gluten. In fact, it made me horribly sick. In all honesty, both my boyfriend and I had an inkling this would happen before we ever "tested" it. I usually get some weird reactions when I eat bread or wheat items so I wasn't shocked. I was, however, shocked at how horrendous it made me feel.
I'm walking a fine line with dairy. It didn't hit me as fast as the gluten but it still was a little rough. This also did not shock me because most of the women in my family have a hard time digesting dairy and it usually hits them in the latter half of their life. I do have hope for dairy in the future.
I can eat eggs! I'm really happy about that because they're nice little protein packed balls of goodness that are really versatile. Plus they taste good.
My skin still looks great. In fact, a co-worker told me a few weeks ago I was "glowing". He is fully aware of my diet change and he told me that not only was I glowing but I seemed happier. He said my demeanor had changed and he feels certain it's my diet. I agree.
My digestion is probably normal for the first time in years. I usually get crazy heartburn and I bloat and all of those other unpleasant things. It really has cut down considerably.
I have lost 10 pounds since January 2nd. Yeah, that's the most I've ever lost in 6 weeks. EVER. Also, I have had a loss 5 out of the 6 weeks. Not bad at all. In fact, my initial 6 weeks of Weight Watchers (I started back in September) I lost 5.2 pounds the first 6 weeks (I had a loss 4 out of 6 weeks). That involved me eating what I would consider a very normal diet. Lots of low calorie items. Plenty of fruits and vegetables and other good items. Having a lean cuisine here and there. You know using my points as best as possible. And of course, having a splurge on the weekends, and exercising 5-6 days a week. This time, I have not exercised a single day. I'm not bragging nor am I saying one does not need to workout. I emphatically believe in the goodness of working out. I'm just pointing out a fact. Due to my arm and back pain I did not do much. But I plan to start. Ugh. Friday. For real this time.
And I think the biggest change that has occurred in me is that when I started Weight Watchers back in September, I followed the program, I had some success but I never felt like I was in control. THAT is the main difference. For the past 6 weeks, I have felt in CONTROL. Food doesn't "yell" at me anymore. There are days where I'll think "wow, that WOULD taste good" but it's different. I can think it without some driving desire that makes me think I HAVE to have that food at that moment. I used to come home from work and tell my boyfriend "we're getting this or that and we're getting it now. I don't care if I don't have the points". That's a little embarrassing to admit but it's true.
And finally, I've come to a place where it just feels like it's normal. This is how I eat. I do wonder if one day I'll just throw my hands up in the air and go back to a "normal" diet. Or what will happen if I eat fast food. I wonder if I'll immediately go bonkers and binge on everything in site despite the chance I'll get ill. Will I gain weight overnight and never be able to get it off again. You know, I think about all these things.
The only answer I can come up with is that it's the quality of food that makes a difference. Taking out processed foods and eating everything in whole form is probably what your body wants. If you think about it, it makes sense.
So that's my update thus far. I have another weigh-in tomorrow and I'm going to start working out. Hopefully my body will cooperate and it'll be painless. I'm actually curious to see what happens with my weight loss once I start working out again. I'll be honest, I have this fear that it will stop. Or worse, that I'll gain. But I know it needs to be done. So tomorrow is the day.
Wish me luck.
Today's Menu:
B: coconut milk + pea rice protein (chocolate) + coffee
L: salmon + steamed veggies + quinoa tabouli
D: orange ginger chicken salad + soup au pistou
I have NEVER been a fan of Valentine's Day. Probably the only girl in the world to not care about this holiday. It's not that I don't take today to tell the bf how much I appreciate him, it's just that I'm lucky enough to not need one special day out of the year for this to happen. We're both really good at telling the other all the time all that stuff. I don't know why, but this holiday is just not my thing. I'll leave it at that.
It wasn't Valentine's Day that prompted me to write an update today but rather the fact that it's the 14th of February - the halfway mark of the month. Also, it's been 6 weeks since I made all of these dietary changes and I want to give a recap of all that's happened.
The following will be, in no particular order, everything I've experienced over the past 6 weeks.
I found out I couldn't eat gluten. In fact, it made me horribly sick. In all honesty, both my boyfriend and I had an inkling this would happen before we ever "tested" it. I usually get some weird reactions when I eat bread or wheat items so I wasn't shocked. I was, however, shocked at how horrendous it made me feel.
I'm walking a fine line with dairy. It didn't hit me as fast as the gluten but it still was a little rough. This also did not shock me because most of the women in my family have a hard time digesting dairy and it usually hits them in the latter half of their life. I do have hope for dairy in the future.
I can eat eggs! I'm really happy about that because they're nice little protein packed balls of goodness that are really versatile. Plus they taste good.
My skin still looks great. In fact, a co-worker told me a few weeks ago I was "glowing". He is fully aware of my diet change and he told me that not only was I glowing but I seemed happier. He said my demeanor had changed and he feels certain it's my diet. I agree.
My digestion is probably normal for the first time in years. I usually get crazy heartburn and I bloat and all of those other unpleasant things. It really has cut down considerably.
I have lost 10 pounds since January 2nd. Yeah, that's the most I've ever lost in 6 weeks. EVER. Also, I have had a loss 5 out of the 6 weeks. Not bad at all. In fact, my initial 6 weeks of Weight Watchers (I started back in September) I lost 5.2 pounds the first 6 weeks (I had a loss 4 out of 6 weeks). That involved me eating what I would consider a very normal diet. Lots of low calorie items. Plenty of fruits and vegetables and other good items. Having a lean cuisine here and there. You know using my points as best as possible. And of course, having a splurge on the weekends, and exercising 5-6 days a week. This time, I have not exercised a single day. I'm not bragging nor am I saying one does not need to workout. I emphatically believe in the goodness of working out. I'm just pointing out a fact. Due to my arm and back pain I did not do much. But I plan to start. Ugh. Friday. For real this time.
And I think the biggest change that has occurred in me is that when I started Weight Watchers back in September, I followed the program, I had some success but I never felt like I was in control. THAT is the main difference. For the past 6 weeks, I have felt in CONTROL. Food doesn't "yell" at me anymore. There are days where I'll think "wow, that WOULD taste good" but it's different. I can think it without some driving desire that makes me think I HAVE to have that food at that moment. I used to come home from work and tell my boyfriend "we're getting this or that and we're getting it now. I don't care if I don't have the points". That's a little embarrassing to admit but it's true.
And finally, I've come to a place where it just feels like it's normal. This is how I eat. I do wonder if one day I'll just throw my hands up in the air and go back to a "normal" diet. Or what will happen if I eat fast food. I wonder if I'll immediately go bonkers and binge on everything in site despite the chance I'll get ill. Will I gain weight overnight and never be able to get it off again. You know, I think about all these things.
The only answer I can come up with is that it's the quality of food that makes a difference. Taking out processed foods and eating everything in whole form is probably what your body wants. If you think about it, it makes sense.
So that's my update thus far. I have another weigh-in tomorrow and I'm going to start working out. Hopefully my body will cooperate and it'll be painless. I'm actually curious to see what happens with my weight loss once I start working out again. I'll be honest, I have this fear that it will stop. Or worse, that I'll gain. But I know it needs to be done. So tomorrow is the day.
Wish me luck.
Today's Menu:
B: coconut milk + pea rice protein (chocolate) + coffee
L: salmon + steamed veggies + quinoa tabouli
D: orange ginger chicken salad + soup au pistou
Friday, February 8, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 21
All is right with the world again.
Weigh In: -1.8 lbs
Yes, I'm very excited about it.
I had a better week food wise. I found one new dish that I'm definitely going to be keeping in the rotation.
Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff.
Kudos to the lady who made this recipe cause I'm lovin' it.
The only change I made was swapping out the 2 portabello mushroom caps for some beef and instead of almond milk I used coconut milk. The beef made mine not so vegan but I followed everything else to a "T". You know, give or take a few teaspoons here and there because sometimes I don't measure stuff exactly. Unless I'm baking. Because you have to.
Anyway, it's creamy, tasty, and very comforting. I served mine over brown rice spiral pasta and it was fantastic.
I'm waiting for the BF to try it. I secretly hope he doesn't like it so I can eat his portion.
And in case you're wondering, that recipe made about 7 (ish - you could probably get 8) servings of the sauce and it came in at 5 points JUST FOR THE SAUCE. Add pasta points as you see fit. It's a little "pricey" for a meal as with 2 oz of dry pasta it's around 10 points but very, very filling. At least for me it was.
Weekly STATS:
1. ZERO AP points. I have my follow up with the orthopedist scheduled for Monday. I'm trying to remain calm and not think about it too much, but it's not working so far. In any case, I'm going to make him tell me exactly what I can and can't do as far as working out. Then whatever he tells me I CAN do, I'm going to try really hard to do that.
2. I ate 243 points for the week. Over by 5. Not bad.
3. Water. I didn't drink that much which is probably why I am dehydrated.
4. What did I eat? Kept to the whole foods and kept to my food rules. I ate dairy for the first time in several weeks but other than that, everything else was the same. This week I get eggs. I'm quite excited. I do love eggs.
Today's Menu:
B: Mocha Frappe: coconut milk + pea rice protein + coffee + ice
L: Sort of Vegan Beef Stroganoff + brown rice pasta
D: roasted pork + sauteed onion, garlic, zucchini + daiya cheddar + rice torilla = a pretty good quesadilla
Weigh In: -1.8 lbs
Yes, I'm very excited about it.
I had a better week food wise. I found one new dish that I'm definitely going to be keeping in the rotation.
Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff.
Kudos to the lady who made this recipe cause I'm lovin' it.
The only change I made was swapping out the 2 portabello mushroom caps for some beef and instead of almond milk I used coconut milk. The beef made mine not so vegan but I followed everything else to a "T". You know, give or take a few teaspoons here and there because sometimes I don't measure stuff exactly. Unless I'm baking. Because you have to.
Anyway, it's creamy, tasty, and very comforting. I served mine over brown rice spiral pasta and it was fantastic.
I'm waiting for the BF to try it. I secretly hope he doesn't like it so I can eat his portion.
And in case you're wondering, that recipe made about 7 (ish - you could probably get 8) servings of the sauce and it came in at 5 points JUST FOR THE SAUCE. Add pasta points as you see fit. It's a little "pricey" for a meal as with 2 oz of dry pasta it's around 10 points but very, very filling. At least for me it was.
Weekly STATS:
1. ZERO AP points. I have my follow up with the orthopedist scheduled for Monday. I'm trying to remain calm and not think about it too much, but it's not working so far. In any case, I'm going to make him tell me exactly what I can and can't do as far as working out. Then whatever he tells me I CAN do, I'm going to try really hard to do that.
2. I ate 243 points for the week. Over by 5. Not bad.
3. Water. I didn't drink that much which is probably why I am dehydrated.
4. What did I eat? Kept to the whole foods and kept to my food rules. I ate dairy for the first time in several weeks but other than that, everything else was the same. This week I get eggs. I'm quite excited. I do love eggs.
Today's Menu:
B: Mocha Frappe: coconut milk + pea rice protein + coffee + ice
L: Sort of Vegan Beef Stroganoff + brown rice pasta
D: roasted pork + sauteed onion, garlic, zucchini + daiya cheddar + rice torilla = a pretty good quesadilla
Monday, February 4, 2013
My New Way of Eating
Part of my dietary changes in the new year had a purpose. I've been eating whole foods, yes, but I've also been doing an elimination diet. I figure if I'm going to share this whole journey with you I might as well talk about my dietary changes completely.
Even though I hate doing it.
Please know that I am in no way telling anybody else what they should eat, I'm just telling you what I'm doing and how it's working for me. I'm a firm believer in individual plans for individual people. I've tried lots of plans. I've failed at lots of plans. Plans that have worked for millions of people but not for me. Which is why I'm still here posting about trying to lose weight. I don't know for sure, but I'm starting to believe that I've maybe stumbled upon the plan that might work for me. And good lord I pray that I have, because it's about time.
Ok, and with that disclaimer out of the way ....
For the first 3 weeks I took out Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, and Soy. I mean, I took them out completely. Not a trace of any one of those. Was it hard? Honestly, no. It was just time consuming. Reading labels, learning to cook new things and such. But getting the creative juices flowing in the kitchen is what I'm good at, so I didn't mind at all. I can, however, see how it could be a hard time.
You really can't eat out because you have to be SURE you're not eating something you're not supposed to. Same goes for packaged foods. If I don't know what a word means then I'm not going to eat it. That's probably a good rule of thumb anyways.
After those initial 3 weeks, I am adding each one back. One at a time. Very slowly.
The 4th week (last weekend), I added gluten back. I was supposed to add it to one meal each day for 4 days in a row and then take it back out for the remaining 3 days of the week. The first day I ate it, about an hour later I was ill. And then it just got worse. Long story short, I was in horrible shape. My stomach, my digestive system, my entire body was in pain. I wanted to cry. I didn't make it 4 days. I stopped after 2, took it back out again and slowly but surely by the end of the week I felt "normal" again. So what now? I'm not eating it. The theory is that if you take it back out for another 12 weeks, perhaps your body can heal itself and you'll be able to handle it. Until then, you couldn't pay me to eat it. For the next 12 weeks I will diligently keep it out because I don't want to go through that again. I'll "retest" and then we'll go from there.
The 5th (this past weekend), I added dairy back. Again, I was supposed to add it to one meal each day for the first 4 days of the week and then take it back out for the remaining three days. However, this time, I was scared. I did NOT want to go through what I did with gluten. But that's the whole point of this thing. To find out if you have a problem. So I did it. It wasn't as horrible as gluten but it wasn't perfect. I ate some cheese with my dinner and then it wasn't until the next morning that I had problems. I did a second day to make sure and again the same thing happened. Had it with dinner and then by the next morning I got sick. So I stopped after 2 days. It wasn't nearly as bad as the gluten reaction. I didn't want to cry this time but it still wasn't perfect.
Which brings us to today. Last night was my second day eating dairy. It's now back out of my diet and this Friday will be my 6th week and I'm trying EGGS!
Again, I'm scared. Scared because I love eggs and so I hope I have no reaction. And scared that I will have a reaction. Nobody likes getting sick.
My 7th week will be soy and then from there, I'll take my info and run with it. I already know I'm not going to change much about what I'm eating. Maybe I'll make a few tweaks to the menu. For instance, have eggs for breakfast or something but I really won't do anything crazy. I don't really eat soy in any form. I don't even like soy sauce with my sushi. I do know that that stuff is in EVERYTHING. I'll continue to read labels and just keep it out anyways.
Anyway, that's what has been going on. Even though I've taken gluten out, I'm still eating plenty of food. I traded brown rice pasta for the regular stuff for when I need it. I learned how to make a gluten free pizza crust for weekend treats and can I just say that it took about 7 tries but I made something that rivals the real stuff. I'm not making my own bread or anything even though I know I could. Instead, I chose to replace meals where gluten would be present with just more vegetables. For example, I eat hamburgers with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun but I also make some crazy good oven roasted potato fries to go with it so I don't feel like I'm missing much. I use coconut milk instead of cow's milk and I found daiya cheese. I pretty much only use it when I make us a pizza. Honestly it's good. There's a lot of tricks you can use - I have found the vegan and paleo blogs to be the most helpful. They're very creative! Really, there's a substitute for almost everything.
I've also taken out sugar and sugar substitutes. This one is tricky. I have mixed feelings on it. I don't drink sodas or drink mixes anymore. Just water. I just put coconut or almond milk in my coffee and over time it's amazing, but that's all I need now. If I want to add sweetener, I do have some xylitol on hand but it doesn't really work for everything. There are some recipes that call for sugar and usually it's a teaspoon or such and I'll do that because it's not a sugar based recipe (like cake or cookies). Again, I have mixed feelings. Lets just say I don't go looking for sugar. I haven't had a real craving or anything for it in quite some time so it hasn't been hard. Occasionally I'll want something to drink other than water but that's it.
It's been almost 6 weeks and I've made lots of great food. I haven't repeated anything yet and I am constantly coming up with new ideas. It's funny. In the weeks before we started, I was nervous. All I could think was "what am I going to eat? There's nothing left!". Now that I'm doing it, I don't feel that way at all. Sometimes there are too many choices.
I feel really, really great. I'm losing some weight sure. That's always nice. But it's the other stuff that really makes this worth it. I sleep better, I get up easier, my skin looks AMAZING, I don't have crazy cravings as often as I used to (read: all the time) which makes social events easier because the food doesn't "call to me" anymore. My digestive system is working pretty normal for the first time in years and I just feel great overall.
I've also continued to log on Weight Watchers during this whole thing. And that's even easier. I used to have to plan my meals, then figure out points and find out what fit and what didn't points wise. Now I just plan my menu and add it as I eat it because everything fits. If I eat too many points it's because I ate all of my planned meals and then just chose to eat some more.
And that's that.
I know it sounds like a lot of work but again, it's not. It's really just eating healthy. You know, fruits, vegetables, lean meats and such. Hopefully, if I continue to put a healthy foot foward and get back to working out then I'll continue to make progress. Because that's what I really want. To just lose weight, get healthy and be crazy happy.
Even though I hate doing it.
Please know that I am in no way telling anybody else what they should eat, I'm just telling you what I'm doing and how it's working for me. I'm a firm believer in individual plans for individual people. I've tried lots of plans. I've failed at lots of plans. Plans that have worked for millions of people but not for me. Which is why I'm still here posting about trying to lose weight. I don't know for sure, but I'm starting to believe that I've maybe stumbled upon the plan that might work for me. And good lord I pray that I have, because it's about time.
Ok, and with that disclaimer out of the way ....
For the first 3 weeks I took out Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, and Soy. I mean, I took them out completely. Not a trace of any one of those. Was it hard? Honestly, no. It was just time consuming. Reading labels, learning to cook new things and such. But getting the creative juices flowing in the kitchen is what I'm good at, so I didn't mind at all. I can, however, see how it could be a hard time.
You really can't eat out because you have to be SURE you're not eating something you're not supposed to. Same goes for packaged foods. If I don't know what a word means then I'm not going to eat it. That's probably a good rule of thumb anyways.
After those initial 3 weeks, I am adding each one back. One at a time. Very slowly.
The 4th week (last weekend), I added gluten back. I was supposed to add it to one meal each day for 4 days in a row and then take it back out for the remaining 3 days of the week. The first day I ate it, about an hour later I was ill. And then it just got worse. Long story short, I was in horrible shape. My stomach, my digestive system, my entire body was in pain. I wanted to cry. I didn't make it 4 days. I stopped after 2, took it back out again and slowly but surely by the end of the week I felt "normal" again. So what now? I'm not eating it. The theory is that if you take it back out for another 12 weeks, perhaps your body can heal itself and you'll be able to handle it. Until then, you couldn't pay me to eat it. For the next 12 weeks I will diligently keep it out because I don't want to go through that again. I'll "retest" and then we'll go from there.
The 5th (this past weekend), I added dairy back. Again, I was supposed to add it to one meal each day for the first 4 days of the week and then take it back out for the remaining three days. However, this time, I was scared. I did NOT want to go through what I did with gluten. But that's the whole point of this thing. To find out if you have a problem. So I did it. It wasn't as horrible as gluten but it wasn't perfect. I ate some cheese with my dinner and then it wasn't until the next morning that I had problems. I did a second day to make sure and again the same thing happened. Had it with dinner and then by the next morning I got sick. So I stopped after 2 days. It wasn't nearly as bad as the gluten reaction. I didn't want to cry this time but it still wasn't perfect.
Which brings us to today. Last night was my second day eating dairy. It's now back out of my diet and this Friday will be my 6th week and I'm trying EGGS!
Again, I'm scared. Scared because I love eggs and so I hope I have no reaction. And scared that I will have a reaction. Nobody likes getting sick.
My 7th week will be soy and then from there, I'll take my info and run with it. I already know I'm not going to change much about what I'm eating. Maybe I'll make a few tweaks to the menu. For instance, have eggs for breakfast or something but I really won't do anything crazy. I don't really eat soy in any form. I don't even like soy sauce with my sushi. I do know that that stuff is in EVERYTHING. I'll continue to read labels and just keep it out anyways.
Anyway, that's what has been going on. Even though I've taken gluten out, I'm still eating plenty of food. I traded brown rice pasta for the regular stuff for when I need it. I learned how to make a gluten free pizza crust for weekend treats and can I just say that it took about 7 tries but I made something that rivals the real stuff. I'm not making my own bread or anything even though I know I could. Instead, I chose to replace meals where gluten would be present with just more vegetables. For example, I eat hamburgers with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun but I also make some crazy good oven roasted potato fries to go with it so I don't feel like I'm missing much. I use coconut milk instead of cow's milk and I found daiya cheese. I pretty much only use it when I make us a pizza. Honestly it's good. There's a lot of tricks you can use - I have found the vegan and paleo blogs to be the most helpful. They're very creative! Really, there's a substitute for almost everything.
I've also taken out sugar and sugar substitutes. This one is tricky. I have mixed feelings on it. I don't drink sodas or drink mixes anymore. Just water. I just put coconut or almond milk in my coffee and over time it's amazing, but that's all I need now. If I want to add sweetener, I do have some xylitol on hand but it doesn't really work for everything. There are some recipes that call for sugar and usually it's a teaspoon or such and I'll do that because it's not a sugar based recipe (like cake or cookies). Again, I have mixed feelings. Lets just say I don't go looking for sugar. I haven't had a real craving or anything for it in quite some time so it hasn't been hard. Occasionally I'll want something to drink other than water but that's it.
It's been almost 6 weeks and I've made lots of great food. I haven't repeated anything yet and I am constantly coming up with new ideas. It's funny. In the weeks before we started, I was nervous. All I could think was "what am I going to eat? There's nothing left!". Now that I'm doing it, I don't feel that way at all. Sometimes there are too many choices.
I feel really, really great. I'm losing some weight sure. That's always nice. But it's the other stuff that really makes this worth it. I sleep better, I get up easier, my skin looks AMAZING, I don't have crazy cravings as often as I used to (read: all the time) which makes social events easier because the food doesn't "call to me" anymore. My digestive system is working pretty normal for the first time in years and I just feel great overall.
I've also continued to log on Weight Watchers during this whole thing. And that's even easier. I used to have to plan my meals, then figure out points and find out what fit and what didn't points wise. Now I just plan my menu and add it as I eat it because everything fits. If I eat too many points it's because I ate all of my planned meals and then just chose to eat some more.
And that's that.
I know it sounds like a lot of work but again, it's not. It's really just eating healthy. You know, fruits, vegetables, lean meats and such. Hopefully, if I continue to put a healthy foot foward and get back to working out then I'll continue to make progress. Because that's what I really want. To just lose weight, get healthy and be crazy happy.
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 20
I completely forgot to post on Friday. I think I'm preoccupied with my MRI today. As stated previously ...
I hate doctors and tests and check ups.
Anyway, Friday I weighed in and gained +0.4 lbs
Yes, my first gain in probably a month. Alas, I knew it would eventually happen so I'm glad it's a small one. Hopefully this week it'll come off plus some.
Now, for what I did:
1. I earned 0 AP points. I have every intention of working out but that voice in the back of my head is still there. I have my MRI today and hopefully will see my doctor early next week and get an official order that all is ok to workout.
2. I ate 239 points for the week. I went over by one point.
3. Water was pretty good. AGAIN!
4. What did I eat? I continued along my path of wholesome foods.
I even traversed the Super Bowl yesterday without incident. There was a TON of food but I had no problems whatsoever. I brought a small plate of jalapeno peppers. We simply took jalapenos, hollowed them, filled them with some cheese, and wrapped a 1/3 of a piece of bacon over the top then baked them. Very easy. 3 ingredients, NO frying whatsoever and they STILL got rave reviews. Also, I'm not the biggest fan of jalapenos but even I enjoyed a couple.
Let's see, there was also pizza, buffalo wings, nachos, queso dip, veggies, strawberries, fruit dip, cheese dip, spinach dip, spinach and artichoke dip, several kinds of chips (I guess for all that dip), cajun shrimp, and buttered toast. Oh and lots of beer.
I ate:
A couple of my jalapeno peppers, quite a few baby carrots, and a handful of strawberries. Oh yes, and I had some water.
And honestly, that's all that I wanted. There were a couple of other items that looked really good but I didn't feel the need to hunt down whomever made the dish to find out what exactly was in it. I didn't feel the need because I wasn't there to eat. I was there to watch some football and hang out with my friends. Seriously folks, it's as if a light switch has gone off in my brain. I didn't make a plan. Well, I guess I did make a plan. But it only had a few components: to make a small dish of something my boyfriend and I could enjoy, to hang out with my friends, and to get home at a decent time so I could finish cooking for the week.
And I followed it to a "T". Now, I'm not throwing my love of plans out the window. I just didn't find this situation very .... threatening I guess. Now Thanksgiving, that might be a different story.
Today's Menu:
B: chocolate pea rice protein + coconut milk
L: I'm getting my MRI on my lunch break. My stomach can't handle food until it's over and by then it'll be time for .....
D: roasted pork + BBQ sauce + cole slaw + roasted zucchini
So nervous.
I hate doctors and tests and check ups.
Anyway, Friday I weighed in and gained +0.4 lbs
Yes, my first gain in probably a month. Alas, I knew it would eventually happen so I'm glad it's a small one. Hopefully this week it'll come off plus some.
Now, for what I did:
1. I earned 0 AP points. I have every intention of working out but that voice in the back of my head is still there. I have my MRI today and hopefully will see my doctor early next week and get an official order that all is ok to workout.
2. I ate 239 points for the week. I went over by one point.
3. Water was pretty good. AGAIN!
4. What did I eat? I continued along my path of wholesome foods.
I even traversed the Super Bowl yesterday without incident. There was a TON of food but I had no problems whatsoever. I brought a small plate of jalapeno peppers. We simply took jalapenos, hollowed them, filled them with some cheese, and wrapped a 1/3 of a piece of bacon over the top then baked them. Very easy. 3 ingredients, NO frying whatsoever and they STILL got rave reviews. Also, I'm not the biggest fan of jalapenos but even I enjoyed a couple.
Let's see, there was also pizza, buffalo wings, nachos, queso dip, veggies, strawberries, fruit dip, cheese dip, spinach dip, spinach and artichoke dip, several kinds of chips (I guess for all that dip), cajun shrimp, and buttered toast. Oh and lots of beer.
I ate:
A couple of my jalapeno peppers, quite a few baby carrots, and a handful of strawberries. Oh yes, and I had some water.
And honestly, that's all that I wanted. There were a couple of other items that looked really good but I didn't feel the need to hunt down whomever made the dish to find out what exactly was in it. I didn't feel the need because I wasn't there to eat. I was there to watch some football and hang out with my friends. Seriously folks, it's as if a light switch has gone off in my brain. I didn't make a plan. Well, I guess I did make a plan. But it only had a few components: to make a small dish of something my boyfriend and I could enjoy, to hang out with my friends, and to get home at a decent time so I could finish cooking for the week.
And I followed it to a "T". Now, I'm not throwing my love of plans out the window. I just didn't find this situation very .... threatening I guess. Now Thanksgiving, that might be a different story.
Today's Menu:
B: chocolate pea rice protein + coconut milk
L: I'm getting my MRI on my lunch break. My stomach can't handle food until it's over and by then it'll be time for .....
D: roasted pork + BBQ sauce + cole slaw + roasted zucchini
So nervous.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 18
I am pleased to say that the temperature is back in the almost 80s. Finally, I am warm again.
I can't believe it's week 18. That's 4.5 months I've been on Weight Watchers. I've learned a lot in that time. I've had some major losses and I've had even bigger gains. But for the first time, I feel like I'm on the right track. I still have some tweaking to do with my personal eating and working out schedule but with a little patience and dedication I think I'll be ok.
Week 18: -1.2 lbs
Whew! I really didn't think I was going to have a loss this week. I had a great week of eating and everything but that scale sure was holding steady EVERY SINGLE DAY! So I'm crazy happy right now.
Now for what I did ...
Weekly Goals:
1. I earned 4 AP again. I went on 2 walks. It's official, I'm ready to start working out again. I feel like I'm on a roll with my eating and now it's just a matter of me getting back on the proverbial horse. My goal this week is going to be specific. I want to: Strength Train TWO TIMES, do HIIT (high intensity interval training) ONE TIME, and go on my beloved walk at least ONE time. Not very lofty but I have to start somewhere. Also, I know I usually do an AP number as my goal but this time I need to focus on actually doing the work. You know how it is - once you get in a lull working out it really does feel like it will take all the strength in the world just to start again.
2. I ate 215 points. That averages 30.7 per day. However, this week I had one really high day (60 points) and 2 low days (17 & 19) all of the others were around the 30 point mark.
3. And what did I eat? I stuck to my whole foods mantra. Nary a processed item in sight. If God didn't make it then I did or it held only ingredients that were of the whole variety. My pea rice protein is a little iffy in that area but it's got some crazy good ingredients in it. However, I did make my own ketchup. Yup. The thing is, I found a ketchup that I LOVE at Whole Foods. It even fit into my little rules for eating -- but it's like 8 bucks for this tiny little bottle so I made some. And you know what, it tastes just fine and it was cheap and now I have a ton. I tell you what, eating this way has really expanded my skills in the kitchen. I'm pretty sure I can cook anything now.
4. Water. I need more. Nuff said.
I had one day where I was craving pizza bad. I even made my boyfriend call me while I was at work so I could talk about what the perfect pizza would taste like. It was weird. And just as quickly as the craving came on, it disappeared. Not my finest hour. Other than that, I had a great week. Enjoyed ALMOST all the food I cooked and even spent some time hanging out with friends. That's one of the things I have been kind of iffy about. Social gatherings. At the last 2 I've been to, there really wasn't anything at all that fit into my eating. And there was TONS of food. I usually take food with me but still, it can be difficult. I know that one day I will be completely fine going out and "making due" but it's not right now.
My boyfriend and I have discussed this. We think it's too premature to give ourselves leeway for social functions and dining out. We want to have 3-6 months (with more emphasis on the 6) of greatness under our belts before we start making exceptions. I know for me, personally, certain foods can have a strong hold over me. You know, pizza, pasta, fast food. And right now, I firmly believe that even one meal of those items might very well be enough to throw me off track. And I don't want that. I want to be firmly rooted in how I feel about my food choices before I start to test them.
And with that, I give you ...
Today's Menu:
Breakfast: Smoothie: pea rice protein + flax seeds + coconut milk + frozen strawberries
Lunch: Chili Beans: pinto beans + black beans + kidney beans + onion + diced tomato + a secret chili seasoning mix that I came up with myself + pico de gallo + sour cream (I also made the sour cream. And it's not really sour cream. First you make some cashew cream - then you add some lemon juice and vinegar and voila! Something that tastes amazingly like sour cream)
Snack: apple + almond butter
Dinner: Cream of Vegetable Soup
Hhmmm. I just realized that my whole day of eating is vegan. This was in no way by design but there is not a single animal product in any of that. Not even the cream of vegetable soup! No cream in that. There's some cashew cream (which pretty much can be substituted for anything dairy and creamy), homemade chicken stock, a little coconut milk, and a TON of vegetables.
I guess if I get hungry I can have a midnight snack of bacon.
Next week food preview: Cajun Chicken Pasta, Steak + Mashed Potates + Green Beans, Thai Coconut Rice, or maybe some Lentil Soup
YUM!
I can't believe it's week 18. That's 4.5 months I've been on Weight Watchers. I've learned a lot in that time. I've had some major losses and I've had even bigger gains. But for the first time, I feel like I'm on the right track. I still have some tweaking to do with my personal eating and working out schedule but with a little patience and dedication I think I'll be ok.
Week 18: -1.2 lbs
Whew! I really didn't think I was going to have a loss this week. I had a great week of eating and everything but that scale sure was holding steady EVERY SINGLE DAY! So I'm crazy happy right now.
Now for what I did ...
Weekly Goals:
1. I earned 4 AP again. I went on 2 walks. It's official, I'm ready to start working out again. I feel like I'm on a roll with my eating and now it's just a matter of me getting back on the proverbial horse. My goal this week is going to be specific. I want to: Strength Train TWO TIMES, do HIIT (high intensity interval training) ONE TIME, and go on my beloved walk at least ONE time. Not very lofty but I have to start somewhere. Also, I know I usually do an AP number as my goal but this time I need to focus on actually doing the work. You know how it is - once you get in a lull working out it really does feel like it will take all the strength in the world just to start again.
2. I ate 215 points. That averages 30.7 per day. However, this week I had one really high day (60 points) and 2 low days (17 & 19) all of the others were around the 30 point mark.
3. And what did I eat? I stuck to my whole foods mantra. Nary a processed item in sight. If God didn't make it then I did or it held only ingredients that were of the whole variety. My pea rice protein is a little iffy in that area but it's got some crazy good ingredients in it. However, I did make my own ketchup. Yup. The thing is, I found a ketchup that I LOVE at Whole Foods. It even fit into my little rules for eating -- but it's like 8 bucks for this tiny little bottle so I made some. And you know what, it tastes just fine and it was cheap and now I have a ton. I tell you what, eating this way has really expanded my skills in the kitchen. I'm pretty sure I can cook anything now.
4. Water. I need more. Nuff said.
I had one day where I was craving pizza bad. I even made my boyfriend call me while I was at work so I could talk about what the perfect pizza would taste like. It was weird. And just as quickly as the craving came on, it disappeared. Not my finest hour. Other than that, I had a great week. Enjoyed ALMOST all the food I cooked and even spent some time hanging out with friends. That's one of the things I have been kind of iffy about. Social gatherings. At the last 2 I've been to, there really wasn't anything at all that fit into my eating. And there was TONS of food. I usually take food with me but still, it can be difficult. I know that one day I will be completely fine going out and "making due" but it's not right now.
My boyfriend and I have discussed this. We think it's too premature to give ourselves leeway for social functions and dining out. We want to have 3-6 months (with more emphasis on the 6) of greatness under our belts before we start making exceptions. I know for me, personally, certain foods can have a strong hold over me. You know, pizza, pasta, fast food. And right now, I firmly believe that even one meal of those items might very well be enough to throw me off track. And I don't want that. I want to be firmly rooted in how I feel about my food choices before I start to test them.
And with that, I give you ...
Today's Menu:
Breakfast: Smoothie: pea rice protein + flax seeds + coconut milk + frozen strawberries
Lunch: Chili Beans: pinto beans + black beans + kidney beans + onion + diced tomato + a secret chili seasoning mix that I came up with myself + pico de gallo + sour cream (I also made the sour cream. And it's not really sour cream. First you make some cashew cream - then you add some lemon juice and vinegar and voila! Something that tastes amazingly like sour cream)
Snack: apple + almond butter
Dinner: Cream of Vegetable Soup
Hhmmm. I just realized that my whole day of eating is vegan. This was in no way by design but there is not a single animal product in any of that. Not even the cream of vegetable soup! No cream in that. There's some cashew cream (which pretty much can be substituted for anything dairy and creamy), homemade chicken stock, a little coconut milk, and a TON of vegetables.
I guess if I get hungry I can have a midnight snack of bacon.
Next week food preview: Cajun Chicken Pasta, Steak + Mashed Potates + Green Beans, Thai Coconut Rice, or maybe some Lentil Soup
YUM!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Mid Week Update: The Hunger Pains
I made it through yet another weekend. I had one minor snafu. Saturday I was sidelined for almost half a day with what seemed like a sinus/migraine/tension headache. It was the perfect storm of headaches.
My upper back and neck had tons of knots causing the tension headache. I had a stuffy nose helping along the sinus headache and I hadn't eaten anything but a sweet potato in 24 hours which just gave me a headache. And all three together probably equaled a migraine. I had so much medicine running through my veins trying to alleviate the pain it was incredible. But nothing helped, just time. And eating.
Which brings me to something I've realized over the past half week or so. I don't get hungry. I mean, I get hungry but it's not a hunger I'm used to. I used to get the growling stomach/hunger pains then the rush of "Oh my God if I don't eat something like right NOW I'm positive I'm going to DIE" pain that propelled me to grab anything in sight. Seriously, it was a force to be reckoned with.
But I don't get that anymore and thus I forget to eat sometimes. Hence, the 24 hours with only a sweet potato under my belt that contributed to my headache. I've had to learn to look for other signals from my body to eat. I mean, once I started looking for the hunger I found it, it just doesn't feel like it used to. It's really, really subtle and thus I only need to eat small amounts to satisfy it. Weird right? I don't know how long it took for my hunger to change all I know is I'm glad it has. There was nothing I hated more than coming home from work ravenous with all sorts of food thoughts running through my mind. I'd forget about the healthy meal that was waiting for me in the fridge and I'd go order something that was most definitely not good for me. You know, thai food or gnocchi or pizza. I haven't had that happen yet. Knock on wood.
So this week's goal is to listen for my own special hunger cues. Because if I don't - it's not pretty.
Today's Menu:
B: SMOOTHIE: coconut milk + pea rice protein + hemp seed + frozen strawberries
L: cream of vegetable soup
D: french ratatouille + baked cod + jasmine rice
I made the soup and fish/rice/ratatouille last night. I'm pretty sure both recipes are going to be keepers. Especially the ratatouille. It's amazing. I made it because Trader Joe's has this individual frozen meal Cod Provencale with Ratatouille and Rice and I LOVE it. Like crazy love it. However, when I read the ingredients there was one, tiny, ingredient that I wasn't sure about and so to be safe, I decided to just make it myself. Tonight will be my first time having it so hopefully, it's a winner.
My upper back and neck had tons of knots causing the tension headache. I had a stuffy nose helping along the sinus headache and I hadn't eaten anything but a sweet potato in 24 hours which just gave me a headache. And all three together probably equaled a migraine. I had so much medicine running through my veins trying to alleviate the pain it was incredible. But nothing helped, just time. And eating.
Which brings me to something I've realized over the past half week or so. I don't get hungry. I mean, I get hungry but it's not a hunger I'm used to. I used to get the growling stomach/hunger pains then the rush of "Oh my God if I don't eat something like right NOW I'm positive I'm going to DIE" pain that propelled me to grab anything in sight. Seriously, it was a force to be reckoned with.
But I don't get that anymore and thus I forget to eat sometimes. Hence, the 24 hours with only a sweet potato under my belt that contributed to my headache. I've had to learn to look for other signals from my body to eat. I mean, once I started looking for the hunger I found it, it just doesn't feel like it used to. It's really, really subtle and thus I only need to eat small amounts to satisfy it. Weird right? I don't know how long it took for my hunger to change all I know is I'm glad it has. There was nothing I hated more than coming home from work ravenous with all sorts of food thoughts running through my mind. I'd forget about the healthy meal that was waiting for me in the fridge and I'd go order something that was most definitely not good for me. You know, thai food or gnocchi or pizza. I haven't had that happen yet. Knock on wood.
So this week's goal is to listen for my own special hunger cues. Because if I don't - it's not pretty.
Today's Menu:
B: SMOOTHIE: coconut milk + pea rice protein + hemp seed + frozen strawberries
L: cream of vegetable soup
D: french ratatouille + baked cod + jasmine rice
I made the soup and fish/rice/ratatouille last night. I'm pretty sure both recipes are going to be keepers. Especially the ratatouille. It's amazing. I made it because Trader Joe's has this individual frozen meal Cod Provencale with Ratatouille and Rice and I LOVE it. Like crazy love it. However, when I read the ingredients there was one, tiny, ingredient that I wasn't sure about and so to be safe, I decided to just make it myself. Tonight will be my first time having it so hopefully, it's a winner.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 17
It's freezing in Los Angeles today. My hands are cold and numb.
I had a great week. I ate properly every. single. day. Yes, that's correct. Not one day of improper eating. And you know what? It wasn't horrible. It wasn't even that difficult. I had a few moments where a commercial would catch my eye and I'd think "wow, that looks good" but other than that, nothing. I think the key to eating healthy is eating well. What I mean is don't just steam some veggies and grill some chicken. Make something delicious. Oh and add some HEALTHY fat because that really helps.
Weigh In: -2.6 lbs
Now for the stats:
Weekly Goals:
1. I earned 4 AP. Yeah, I only worked out twice last week. I went on two walks on my lunch break during the week. I didn't want to overwhelm myself by completely changing my diet AND jump back into full time working out so I chose to concentrate on my diet this week. I figured if I workout, I workout, if I don't then I don't. Also, I HATE going to the gym this time of year. All of the new members who join make things extra crowded and crazy. And the wait times ... ugh. It's usually back to normal by the end of February. You know, because they all quit. I'll eventually suck
it up and go but I may start working out at home until it slows down. I really need to start it up again, I can tell my muscles are leaving me.
2. I ate 235 points total for the week. I didn't have any high point days just pretty much ate around 32 points each day.
3. My water intake was pretty bad. I actually got a few headaches because I was dehydrated. I don't know why I'm doing so bad with my water. I'm really trying to pick it up so maybe this week will be good.
4. I ate only whole foods. If it wasn't a fruit, a vegetable, protein, some olive/coconut oil, coconut milk, pea rice protein, hemp seeds, brown rice, tree nuts, beans, a spice or herb or a combination of these things, then I didn't eat it. I made almost everything I ate. I know it sounds time consuming but really, I usually spend one weekend afternoon cooking and cooking and cooking and then I package everything nice and ready to go for the week. That way, I grab and go. Also, I think this one little fact is the reason for my success this week. I don't have any real scientific proof to back that up ... but ... it makes sense. In any case, we'll see how this next week goes because I'm doing the same thing.
Also in other great news...
I ran out of clean "big girl" jeans this morning. You know, the jeans that you have to default to when you gain a few pounds .. big girl jeans. Anyway, the only jeans I had clean were my "regular girl" jeans and I was rushing for work so I threw them on. They fit. Not perfectly, but they fit.
Thank God.
Today's Menu:
B: smoothie: coconut milk, blackberries, pea rice protein, hemp seeds **
L: chicken and vegetable soup + apple + almond butter
D: roasted chicken lettuce wraps + leftover roasted veggies + sweet potato fries
** i will probably have some coffee or green tea w/ coconut milk mid morning
I had a great week. I ate properly every. single. day. Yes, that's correct. Not one day of improper eating. And you know what? It wasn't horrible. It wasn't even that difficult. I had a few moments where a commercial would catch my eye and I'd think "wow, that looks good" but other than that, nothing. I think the key to eating healthy is eating well. What I mean is don't just steam some veggies and grill some chicken. Make something delicious. Oh and add some HEALTHY fat because that really helps.
Weigh In: -2.6 lbs
Now for the stats:
Weekly Goals:
1. I earned 4 AP. Yeah, I only worked out twice last week. I went on two walks on my lunch break during the week. I didn't want to overwhelm myself by completely changing my diet AND jump back into full time working out so I chose to concentrate on my diet this week. I figured if I workout, I workout, if I don't then I don't. Also, I HATE going to the gym this time of year. All of the new members who join make things extra crowded and crazy. And the wait times ... ugh. It's usually back to normal by the end of February. You know, because they all quit. I'll eventually suck
it up and go but I may start working out at home until it slows down. I really need to start it up again, I can tell my muscles are leaving me.
2. I ate 235 points total for the week. I didn't have any high point days just pretty much ate around 32 points each day.
3. My water intake was pretty bad. I actually got a few headaches because I was dehydrated. I don't know why I'm doing so bad with my water. I'm really trying to pick it up so maybe this week will be good.
4. I ate only whole foods. If it wasn't a fruit, a vegetable, protein, some olive/coconut oil, coconut milk, pea rice protein, hemp seeds, brown rice, tree nuts, beans, a spice or herb or a combination of these things, then I didn't eat it. I made almost everything I ate. I know it sounds time consuming but really, I usually spend one weekend afternoon cooking and cooking and cooking and then I package everything nice and ready to go for the week. That way, I grab and go. Also, I think this one little fact is the reason for my success this week. I don't have any real scientific proof to back that up ... but ... it makes sense. In any case, we'll see how this next week goes because I'm doing the same thing.
Also in other great news...
I ran out of clean "big girl" jeans this morning. You know, the jeans that you have to default to when you gain a few pounds .. big girl jeans. Anyway, the only jeans I had clean were my "regular girl" jeans and I was rushing for work so I threw them on. They fit. Not perfectly, but they fit.
Thank God.
Today's Menu:
B: smoothie: coconut milk, blackberries, pea rice protein, hemp seeds **
L: chicken and vegetable soup + apple + almond butter
D: roasted chicken lettuce wraps + leftover roasted veggies + sweet potato fries
** i will probably have some coffee or green tea w/ coconut milk mid morning
Monday, January 7, 2013
Weight Watchers Weeks 14, 15 and 16
It's been 3 weeks since last I posted. Man, those holidays just kind of get away from you don't they?
What's been going on you ask?
Well, I had my House Guests and I stuck to my plan. Of course I made adjustments here and there for food choices but the plan really held together. In fact, it almost went down EXACTLY as I had planned so I came out almost completely unscathed. Almost. And in case anyone is wondering, we only had TWO Krispy Kreme visits. Yeah, I got lucky.
I'm telling you people, if you haven't tried it before try it now. If you have a vacation or party or whatever, just plan out in advance what you're going to do in as much detail as you can. That way, once you're in the situation you don't have to really think you just act.
Moving on. . . .
You know what I didn't really plan for? Christmas. We had a really great holiday this year. Lots of good friends, good food, and good times. Did I mention good food ? ;)
Which brings me to the 3 last weeks of Weigh-Ins:
Week 14: +2.8
Week 15: +4
Week 16: -1.6
Want to know what happened during weeks 14 and 15? I ate a lot of bad, processed food, I did NOT workout and I enjoyed some Christmas candy.
Why so much processed food? Well, we kind of were having our "last meals" as it were ....
In this new year that is 2013, I've implemented some changes in my life. I briefly mentioned it about a month ago at the end of this post here. I was all vague and mysterious-like because honestly, I hate talking about different ways of eating (ie: calorie counting, low carb, paleo, gluten free etc) because I find some people can get very ... what's the word I'm looking for ... impassioned perhaps. But the fact of the matter is that after much discussion with my significant other, we both decided we needed to make some major dietary changes in our lives. We are very active people. We love to exercise and eat healthy but we also ate fast food and crazy meals on the weekends like we were still in college. But alas, we are not in college, we're in our mid 30s and eating that way hasn't been that effective for us. The weight has been creeping on the both of us and it's not coming off as easy as it used to. Also, aches and pains have started to become the norm for the pair of us. We're too young for that! So after randomly watching a program on PBS and doing a bit of reading/research we decided to make some major changes. We're just at the point in our lives where we want to be the best versions of ourselves for each other. Not to mention that now is the time to make those changes and maybe ward off unwanted medical problems as we get much older.
So on January 2 we started. What are we eating? Whole foods. Mainly lean proteins, vegetables and fresh fruit. *GASP* Shocker right? As for grains, we've cut out wheat/gluten but are eating rice and quinoa and maybe even amaranth if I ever buy it. Dairy got the axe which has been an interesting culinary adventure. And finally, sugar, artificial sweeteners and natural sweeteners all got the boot as well.
I'm pretty much cooking everything and may I say, I'm crazy proud of what I've come up with in the kitchen. Some tasty stuff indeed. We are on day 6 and so far so good. I feel good and I have a feeling that's only going to get better. I've also lost a little over 5 pounds since I started. Please keep in mind the food we ate leading up to this was post holiday bliss food so don't put too much stock in that 5 pounds of what is obviously water weight.
Also, a bonus to changing my diet, my daily points go a LONG ways. No hungry here.
So that's what I've been doing with my new year.
And here's today's menu:
B: coconut milk + pea rice protein + blackberries + hemp seeds
L: chicken vegetable soup + apple + almond butter
D: roasted chicken salad lettuce wrap + roasted sweet potato fries + fancy sauce (soy free vegenaise with real ketchup)
PS: I forgot to take my snack to work today. But it's usually crudites with hummus. Also, just so you know, I made my own stock for the chicken soup. I'd never done it before. Yes, it's time consuming but I can honestly say that's the best freakin' soup I've ever made. EVER!
What's been going on you ask?
Well, I had my House Guests and I stuck to my plan. Of course I made adjustments here and there for food choices but the plan really held together. In fact, it almost went down EXACTLY as I had planned so I came out almost completely unscathed. Almost. And in case anyone is wondering, we only had TWO Krispy Kreme visits. Yeah, I got lucky.
I'm telling you people, if you haven't tried it before try it now. If you have a vacation or party or whatever, just plan out in advance what you're going to do in as much detail as you can. That way, once you're in the situation you don't have to really think you just act.
Moving on. . . .
You know what I didn't really plan for? Christmas. We had a really great holiday this year. Lots of good friends, good food, and good times. Did I mention good food ? ;)
Which brings me to the 3 last weeks of Weigh-Ins:
Week 14: +2.8
Week 15: +4
Week 16: -1.6
Want to know what happened during weeks 14 and 15? I ate a lot of bad, processed food, I did NOT workout and I enjoyed some Christmas candy.
Why so much processed food? Well, we kind of were having our "last meals" as it were ....
In this new year that is 2013, I've implemented some changes in my life. I briefly mentioned it about a month ago at the end of this post here. I was all vague and mysterious-like because honestly, I hate talking about different ways of eating (ie: calorie counting, low carb, paleo, gluten free etc) because I find some people can get very ... what's the word I'm looking for ... impassioned perhaps. But the fact of the matter is that after much discussion with my significant other, we both decided we needed to make some major dietary changes in our lives. We are very active people. We love to exercise and eat healthy but we also ate fast food and crazy meals on the weekends like we were still in college. But alas, we are not in college, we're in our mid 30s and eating that way hasn't been that effective for us. The weight has been creeping on the both of us and it's not coming off as easy as it used to. Also, aches and pains have started to become the norm for the pair of us. We're too young for that! So after randomly watching a program on PBS and doing a bit of reading/research we decided to make some major changes. We're just at the point in our lives where we want to be the best versions of ourselves for each other. Not to mention that now is the time to make those changes and maybe ward off unwanted medical problems as we get much older.
So on January 2 we started. What are we eating? Whole foods. Mainly lean proteins, vegetables and fresh fruit. *GASP* Shocker right? As for grains, we've cut out wheat/gluten but are eating rice and quinoa and maybe even amaranth if I ever buy it. Dairy got the axe which has been an interesting culinary adventure. And finally, sugar, artificial sweeteners and natural sweeteners all got the boot as well.
I'm pretty much cooking everything and may I say, I'm crazy proud of what I've come up with in the kitchen. Some tasty stuff indeed. We are on day 6 and so far so good. I feel good and I have a feeling that's only going to get better. I've also lost a little over 5 pounds since I started. Please keep in mind the food we ate leading up to this was post holiday bliss food so don't put too much stock in that 5 pounds of what is obviously water weight.
Also, a bonus to changing my diet, my daily points go a LONG ways. No hungry here.
So that's what I've been doing with my new year.
And here's today's menu:
B: coconut milk + pea rice protein + blackberries + hemp seeds
L: chicken vegetable soup + apple + almond butter
D: roasted chicken salad lettuce wrap + roasted sweet potato fries + fancy sauce (soy free vegenaise with real ketchup)
PS: I forgot to take my snack to work today. But it's usually crudites with hummus. Also, just so you know, I made my own stock for the chicken soup. I'd never done it before. Yes, it's time consuming but I can honestly say that's the best freakin' soup I've ever made. EVER!
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