Learning to cook differently

Today coach V and I went shopping and cooking again (I need a lot of help!) I was getting frustrated because I am a recipe person and couldn't find candida free recipes (no sugar, yeast, or vinegar) So I bought a bunch of bread, sauces, pastas that I can eat. We made pizza, pasta, egg salad sandwiches. I will post the recipes when I am not so tired. I had a great day- and best of all I have a lot more confidence in what to cook and eat!

Detox

Today is day 3 of my detox, but the first day of the lemonade fast. I am amazed how well it went. I haven't been hungry, although I did get a headache. All my detox buddies are really helping. It is so positive and I feel great. I'm really excited.

Running

I hate running. I always have. I am sure I look ridiculous running.
Melody has been telling me how wonderful she feels when she runs and wanted me to go with her when she was here. She is always trying to get me to run for a cause.
Kristi is picking up running and says she feels great.
Lisa told me this week that running is the only thing that clears her head and how much she loves it.
Maybe there is something to this running thing that I have not experienced yet. It has caught my interest. I think I need to try it out again. I know I need to add some physical exercise to what I am doing. I need an attitude shift about running. I should start out walking.

Fat Pants

I can fit in my fat pants! OK so I know that might be depressing for some people, but for me it is exciting! I had to buy new pants over the holidays cuz I put on 10 lbs. Those are my YIKES fat pants. Now I'm back to just my normal fat pants. My YIKES fat pants are falling off. YAY!

Cheat day

I was at a birthday party and book signing last night, so I cheated a little. I still had mostly a good day- fruit and veggie juice for breakfast, a good lunch, but for dinner I had some pasta salad (mostly good, with veggies, but had regular pasta.) I tried a bite of cake, and it was so good I had a little more (but not much!) Then at the book signing I had some white bread and white crackers with various cheeses. I had a little glass of Sprite. I could feel a difference immediately- I was ready to get back on track today. I prefer to be healthy (even though the cake was amazing!)

Yummy lunch

I had a super yummy sandwich for lunch. Instead of my typical PB&J, I had sprouted bread, raw almond butter, and fresh slices green apples. It is fresh, light and delicious. It is nice to not have jelly, and the apples have a nice juicy crunch. Try it!

The BEST fast food

So Kristi and I are still meal planning and prepping. It is working out great. Tonight I didn't have much time as I was going to teach a class, but luckily we threw everything we needed for a quick, healthy, fast meal into a Ziploc. I had a sprouted wrap with garlic hummus, chicken, avocado, cilantro, lime, tomato, spinach and sprouted broccoli with 2 cutie clementine oranges. Yummy AND fast. It worked great! No Carls Jr for me!

Working at it

Thanks to Kristi I started walking more for exercise. We went to the wetlands- it was so gorgeous! I LOVE spring! When I got home and got ready for work my husband said I looked great, so I had him take a picture. I FEEL GREAT!!!

Taste the natural rainbow

I have been juicing my breakfast, mostly veggies and a little fruit. This morning it was so pretty! What a gorgeous natural rainbow of color I drank! Thanks to my Heavenly Father to giving it to me!

Teaming up!

Coach V and I went to the farmers market and Trader Joes to do a little shopping. She had some great pointers for me of new recipes. Then we went to Veggie Grill for lunch and I got the big kale salad- WOAH yummy! I love that place. Every time I go I find a new favorite. I don't feel guilty and I don't leave feeling like I have a brick in my tummy. We took pics and video, I'll have to post them later cuz she has them.

Kristi and I went to work making our yummy new recipes. Saturday night we spent a few hours preparing food for easy cooking the next three days. Yesterday for breakfast I had fresh juice- carrots, apple, radish, parsley, ginger, cucumber, pineapple. For lunch Read and I had spinach salad with blueberries, strawberries and pecans. I had olive oil dressing and he had poppy seed dressing. Dinner was tilapia, quinoa and a salad.

Tilapia- covered w/ egg yolk, added a little lemon juice and garlic. Would add a lot more lemon and lemon pepper next time. Covered both sides in almond meal found at Trader Joes. Baked it for like 15 minutes. Squeezed fresh lemon on it, it was good!

Quinoa made with veggie broth but did just as the box said to cook. Yummy as always!

Salad- This was coach V's invention and DELICIOUS! Started w/ sliced cabbage, then added 2 avocados, 1 mango, half a pineapple, sweet bell peppers, cucumbers, sweet cherry tomatoes cut up... I think that was it. It was awesome. I would add more mango next time, that was a lovely suprise when I bit into that. I would even try fresh guava if I could get my hands on it. I put lime juice on the avocados and let it all sit overnight. I will have this again for sure. Nice and light and sweet.

What I've been eating

We used SO many fruits and veggies when we juiced yesterday (celery, beets, carrots, spinach, cucumber parsley, grapefruit and lemon w/ the rind, and a little apple and pear for taste.) Then all of the leftover fiber we put into pasta marinara and ate with brown rice pasta. It was yummy! And we had some yeast free bread with garlic spread- WOAH delicious!

Then today I sauteed beet greens with onion, garlic, zucchini, summer squash, and a dash of fresh lemon.

It feels so good to eat better!

Eat your veggies cooking lesson

I went over to coach V's house and learned some juicing, cooking, and eating well techniques/plan. We made juice and used the fiber leftovers in pasta sauce and scrambled eggs, and made babyfood. (Baby approved! And she usually is not that great at eating veggies, so this is great!) The food tasted great and I was amazed how many veggies we ate! I will be doing a detox in the next few weeks, so she taught me how to eat well while I do it- I am really looking forward to that. I really want to get a cooking group together so we can all eat healthier and swap meals. Let me know if you are interested!

What a day- struggling

I had a rough day full of tempations today. I first turned down cookies for veggies at work, I was very impressed with myself, and so was another lady at my table. But then I really wanted ice-cream, so I called Kristi for some encouragement. We went to Golden Spoon and got a mini for 100 calories, but it was really hard to drive by In 'n' Out, Stricklands icecream, and Carls Jr on the way and not stop for a shake. I packed veggies and had them for dinner in the car on the run, but when I got home I really needed some comfort food so I had mac and cheese with hot dogs. I still really want something sugary. I had my cutie clementines, it was good, but all this still didnt hit the spot. Hopefully tomorrow I can get past this. And start again! It wasnt a horrible day, but I've done better. I need to go drink my water and go to bed.

disclaimer

Just so everyone knows- no company I mention gives me any type of reimbursement to talk about them on here. I may say some positive, some negative, or mention names of places, but it just my opinion and my day-to-day life experiences.

YAY!

I got on the scale this morning, and I lost 2 pounds! 228. So I am right on track with my goal. I decided to do 15 minutes of yoga/pilates core workout. I would like to add working out to my healthy eating plan, but I dont want to get overwhelmed by too much sudden change. Yesterday I made vegetable and fruit juice for breakfast, had vegetables and pasta for lunch, and a salad for dinner. I'm glad that I am doing this while fresh yummy veggies and fruits are in season. I am also feeding my baby more fresh, living food rather than the processed Gerber foods. Part of my goal is that she will want to live a healthy life as well and enjoy the yummy fresh-ness the world has to offer. I do not really have the desire right now to have soda and fast food, so that is good. I really want to reach my goal and lose 50 pounds in 6 months, so there is not much room for error. The other day my husband and I went to the Cheesecake Factory for a date, and I told him on the way that I will not be ordering desert. Then when we got there they had 2 new ones that looked SO good! I really wanted the Red Velvet Cheesecake. Woah. But he reminded me of my goal and said we could get it next time. I was disappointed in the moment, but when we left I was very happy we did not get it. I was thankful he helped me stay strong and felt good about my choice.

More Energy!

Today I woke up at 6, on my own! No alarm, no baby telling me to get up. That is AMAZING. I already have more energy. It was so nice to actually have time to check my mail and make a blog post, and have time for myself! That is worth it right there! I have been drinking tons of the alkaline water, which helps me not eat so much. Yesterday V gave me some vegetable juice she made. It was strong, and hard to get down, but I felt great all day. I didn't get tired mid-day and felt light and energetic. It was nice to not feel that heavy, over-stuffed feeling. I packed my own healthy, alive with veggies lunch. V was so proud of me she made me take a pic. My husband was very supportive as I was rushing out the door and trying to make it, he chopped the veggies for the salad. We made him a salad for lunch- and he ate it- AND he said he enjoyed it! I am really feeling great!

Doin' Good!

I have been eating a lot more veggies, less dairy, and more water. I haven't gone out to eat in a few days, and haven't had any soda. I feel good about my good choices. I know I can do it! When I am hungry I drink water to see if that helps before I reach for food. I know its only been a few days, but that is a few more days than I can normally do! I WANT to stick to this!

Making better decisions

I have been drinking a lot less soda. I have had a little here and there, but nothing like a few days ago when I would go get an oversized Big Gulp. The first day I decided to do this,I turned down soda once at lunch when it was offered for free when Subway (one of my FAVORITES) catered at work. I even turned down the cookie and chips. I felt so proud of myself! Then later that night I felt like I really needed a big soda. I didn't do it. I got a big headache, but I got through it. The other night I wanted some soda so bad, and I had a small cup, but couldn't even finish it.

I feel really motivated right now. I went to Costco and bought a bunch of carrots, cucumbers, celery, peppers, oranges, and pears that I can just grab and go so I don't get so hungry that I decide to pull through a drive-thru again.

I really want to get to the point where I don't even have the desire to get fast food or soda. I used to get sick when I had fast food. I can remember when I was healthy and I threw up when I had Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. (My husband's favorites.) Last year when my family was all here awaiting the arrival of the baby, they all HAD to have their soda, and I thought they were crazy. I know that state of not even wanting it exsists somewhere in me.

Here are some pics. I am STILL 230. Vi weighed me yesterday and I was 235, but that was at the end of the day. I had someone ask me if I was pregnant. Then, like, EVERYONE has been asking about another baby. I can't decide if they are asking because I look pregnant, or they think it is time I start thinking about #2 because of her age, or if it because I bought a mama mini van. No matter what it is- I dont want to hear about baby #2 anymore. NO I AM NOT PREGNANT, and do not have plans to be any time soon.

Yesterday I started drinking alkaline water. I drank a lot more than I normally do, and I peed a lot more too. My mouth did not feel so yucky and dry. I wasn't as hungry, so I ate less too.

The 3 things I am going to focus on are:

I'm going to keep drinking my alkaline water, chew my food longer so I am not inhaling it, and eat more veggies.

Kristi is going to start doing a couch to 5k workout plan, and I want to start that too.

One more tip for today.

Buy one of those Velcro waist wraps for your tummy.

My favorite thing after a long walk (this is kinda gross so sorry) is to take off my waist wrap and wipe my back and tummy down from all the gross sweat that I worked off. Then I begin my side exercises in front of my bedroom mirror and I am in awe of how I'm gradually getting my waist back and this makes me happy. Weird, I know. But I just thought that I'd share in case you're interested in getting the same kind of wrap which will help you sweat out your toxins and mold your body back into shape =)

I forgot!

I forgot to mention some good advice my at home food expert:

Ernie: Do you find yourself hungry a lot? Eat complex carbs instead of simple. I eat a lot of whole wheat foods and barley soups. Also, meat should be a garnish and not overpower the meal. When I eat a turkey avocado on whole wheat, I make sure I ask for only 1 slice of the deli cut instead of having them pile it on. Another good tip my sexy man gave me is to eat superfoods. I love avocado and spinach, but I also make an effort to have a little dark chocolate and a small glass of red wine before bed. Yeah, I know you can't have the red wine, but believe me when I say that both taste like medicine to me anyways. Here's a list of superfoods for you to buy and enjoy:

*red wine, water & green tea
*avocado, broccoli, onions, peppers, soy, spinach, and sprouts, hot peppers, leeks, daikon radishes
*açai, apples, blueberries, pomegranates, pumpkin, kiwi, oranges & tomatoes
*wild salmon, turkey, eggs
*beans, barley, seeds, nuts, lentils, oats, walnuts & buckwheat
*cinnamon, dark chocolates, garlic, honey, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, yogurt & kefir
*sea vegetables, Irish moss, umeboshi plums, wheat grass, miso

It's going to be okay.

I posted this in response to your comment a few weeks ago as to my 'big secret' that helps me keep losing even when I think I'm not:

I took advice from everyone in the family:

Alice: give yourself a cheat day once a week-this is the best b/c you always know that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe you can build up to a point where you don't have a cheat day at all, but you'll find that you'll plan yummy, icky stuff for that special weekly day and when it hits you can't eat that much. (e.g. I planned to have Cheetos for breakfast and only ate maybe two handfuls before my craving was satisfied and I couldn't each any more.) Then the next day your body springs back into gear and you'll be even more pumped to exercise off the crap from the day before.

Rachel: don't let your exercise routine overwhelm you. If you can only walk 10-15 min/day then just do that instead of just not doing it altogether. 10 min x 5 days = 50 minutes/week = very good for you =)

Read: Do 10 sit ups/day before bed. Same idea: 10 sit ups x 7 days x 4 weeks = 280-310 sit ups / month! You won't see it right away, but over time you'll feel a difference.

Tanya: Digestive enzymes. When we over eat our food isn't always broken down completely and so digestive enzymes keep the digestive track working properly so I don't have that horrible bloated feeling that I used to get all the time after eating. The 'rhea went away too.

Cindy: walk wherever you can to do things. Take public transportation or just park your car further away from where you need to be. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Try not to mentally shut down while preparing to accomplish this. That is, get over the hump if you can. If you can't do it all at once then try just one thing at a time. The important thing is not to overwhelm yourself so you give up.

Another thing is be sure to get some perspective. I gave myself a year to lose 100 pounds. That's only 2 pounds / week, which is a pretty decent pace. Sometimes I'm ahead and sometimes I'll be behind, but I can only do as much as I can handle and if it gets to be too much then I'll have to adjust things accordingly. It's pretty much trial and error for me.

I think we all know how to lose weight (eat only 2000 calories/day & walk 1 hour 4 or 5 days a week), but we're all waiting to hear something profound that will move us enough to act upon that 'something' hoping it will finally work for us.

For me, that 'something' was a little bit of everything =)

Finding good friends

I just talked to my friend Vi. I have been thinking of her lately, and she said she has been thinking of me too. I have kept putting off calling her back because I am so crazy busy- as I continue going through drive thu's and ordering off the dollar menu. A year ago, 2 years ago, I could not imagine going through a drive thru and ordering such horrible, processed things. Now I do it, and I hate it everytime I do, but I continue because it is easy. My absolute worst question these days is, "What is for dinner?" I don't know, I don't care, just make me not hungry! But I feel gross. I feel sluggish. I get 7-9 hours of sleep and I am still tired. I love soda. I can't get enough cookies. Today I went to TJ's and bought a salad to try to make myself feel better, but then I also bought a ton of pre-made fast food that even my husband can make, to avoid the dreaded question. But I really do want to go natural, vegetarian, and even raw. After talking to Vi today, I am going to just drink water instead of soda, milk, and juice to start my detox. I totally believe I am toxic. I really want to feel better.

I need some motivation

Cookies, brownies, ice cream, fast food... nothing has changed.
I had a dream a few nights ago that I was like "woah, I am way bigger than I see myself." I really want to fit in my clothes!

Motivation, anyone?

Meet Heather

My current weight: 230

My long term goal weight: 130 by Feb 2011

My short term goal weight: 200 by June/ 175 by October (at least!)

I want to do this for:

Myself so I can do the things I enjoy again. Hiking, biking, kyaking, being outside and active and not be winded! My health so I dont get sick. My husband so he can have the woman he married. My daughter so she can have an active mommy that can keep up with her and I can set a good example.

I took these pics of me lookin' good so I can accurately compare when I do loose some weight. Next time I will take them not in black... but it is scary! I had to protect all our eyes!