I just fried one small organic zucchini, Applegate Naturals deli chicken, & olive slices in Kerrygold butter. Then I added in two whisked eggs and scrambled everything up. It's delicious!
I need to get more healthy fats into my diet. . . I think I'm relying a bit too much on protein and not getting quite enough good fats. So, I'm going to make a salad dressing with olive oil (I'm going for something creamy/ranch like) and find some one to get 1-2 TBS coconut oil in every day. I added a pat of Kerrygold butter to my steak last night. . . YUM-O. How did I live so long without butter on my steak? (Yes, I am eating TONS of veggies every day and drinking at least 72 ounces of water.)
I'm not a big avocado fan, but I'm also going to try and find ways to sneak it into my diet. . . I know the fat is really good for you! My kids devour it. . .
I've decided that my prize for 20lbs lost will be a new pair of Nike athletic shoes (which every ones I want!). I'm wearing mine out (which is very obvious at the gym every morning) and I know the value of quality shoes. My former spouse works for Nike so it's really hard for me to pay retail as I'm used to the employee store or even *gasp* free samples! This is my new world, so I'll suck it up as my incentive for losing weight and sticking to my 5am workout routine!
Curves- I definitely recommend this work out program to any female who doesn't already work out at least three times a week. The circuit is great. . . you know exactly what to do for how long and by the end, you've covered every major muscle group. I went to a full on fitness center once upon a time. . . I even had several personal training sessions. I hated the mirrors on every wall and all the bodies in almost too good of shape. I felt out of place. At Curves, I don't have these issues and I also don't worry about not knowing what I should be doing. In a couple more months, I may check out the Crossfit here and see if that will fit into my world, but I know I'm not physically or mentally ready to yet.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
One Month Check In
Today, I'm officially down 13lbs in one month.
I hit a speed bump early on this time, so I started on the 21 Day Sugar Detox in addition to our new Paleo lifestyle. For me, this means cutting out dairy in addition to normal carb/sugar foods for the full 21 days. It kick started things and I've seen rapid pounds dropping in the last 6 days!
My clothes are starting to get loose on me. . . but I'm not down a size yet. I notice my fingers are thinner (my wedding ring is spinning again) and my face is thinner. Not exactly where I'm most worried about loosing fat from, but I know my body and these are the first two places to loose weight.
For me, Paleo eating means limiting my fruit and nut products. . . eventually I will allow a bit of cream in my coffee and hard cheese here and there again. . . but I'm hoping the 21 Day Sugar Detox rids me of my constant reaching for cheese when I'm feeling hungry. I read somewhere in the Paleo Blogosphere that milk is a building food, which, DUH. . . but I never thought about it that way. Milk is intended in all mammal species for the rapid growth of their young. It is not intended for adult consumption. . . tht building is going to happen somewhere, and last I checked, I hadn't gotten any taller or any smarter in the last several years. :-)
I'm trying to teach my children about healthy eating habits. Not always an easy thing when the boys spend every other week at their Bio-Mom's where the Standard American Diet reigns supreme. I'm trying to figure out the balance between healthy eating and not being controlling so that my nearly 12 year old daughter doesn't start eating out of rebellion (or not eating). How do you convince a milk lover to stop guzzling milk? My compromise right now is to buy high quality milk and limit her to one cup (8oz) per day. The kids are still eating cheese & yogurt. I'm working on a plan to set up eating plans for the kids. . . something that I can laminate and they can check off their choices each day to help them make good decisions about healthy fats, produce, meat, eggs, dairy, Paleo-ized treats, etc. . . This will allow me to customize the charts based on each child's individual dietary needs (I have a couple of tiny children. . . an average child. . . and two that will thicken up a bit easily). I'm hoping this helps get more healthy fats into the kids who really need them (the tiny ones with some sensory/adhd issues) and keep the kids with Mommy's metabolism in check regarding treats & dairy. If I come up with something awesome, I'll share it!
I hit a speed bump early on this time, so I started on the 21 Day Sugar Detox in addition to our new Paleo lifestyle. For me, this means cutting out dairy in addition to normal carb/sugar foods for the full 21 days. It kick started things and I've seen rapid pounds dropping in the last 6 days!
My clothes are starting to get loose on me. . . but I'm not down a size yet. I notice my fingers are thinner (my wedding ring is spinning again) and my face is thinner. Not exactly where I'm most worried about loosing fat from, but I know my body and these are the first two places to loose weight.
For me, Paleo eating means limiting my fruit and nut products. . . eventually I will allow a bit of cream in my coffee and hard cheese here and there again. . . but I'm hoping the 21 Day Sugar Detox rids me of my constant reaching for cheese when I'm feeling hungry. I read somewhere in the Paleo Blogosphere that milk is a building food, which, DUH. . . but I never thought about it that way. Milk is intended in all mammal species for the rapid growth of their young. It is not intended for adult consumption. . . tht building is going to happen somewhere, and last I checked, I hadn't gotten any taller or any smarter in the last several years. :-)
I'm trying to teach my children about healthy eating habits. Not always an easy thing when the boys spend every other week at their Bio-Mom's where the Standard American Diet reigns supreme. I'm trying to figure out the balance between healthy eating and not being controlling so that my nearly 12 year old daughter doesn't start eating out of rebellion (or not eating). How do you convince a milk lover to stop guzzling milk? My compromise right now is to buy high quality milk and limit her to one cup (8oz) per day. The kids are still eating cheese & yogurt. I'm working on a plan to set up eating plans for the kids. . . something that I can laminate and they can check off their choices each day to help them make good decisions about healthy fats, produce, meat, eggs, dairy, Paleo-ized treats, etc. . . This will allow me to customize the charts based on each child's individual dietary needs (I have a couple of tiny children. . . an average child. . . and two that will thicken up a bit easily). I'm hoping this helps get more healthy fats into the kids who really need them (the tiny ones with some sensory/adhd issues) and keep the kids with Mommy's metabolism in check regarding treats & dairy. If I come up with something awesome, I'll share it!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
10.2 Pounds Down. . .
It's been about 3 weeks and I am officially down 10.2lbs. Yay!
My jeans are getting a little loose. . . double yay!
I'm still going to the gym 4-5x/week (Curves). It's hard to drag myself out of bed at 5:00am to go (especially after only getting 4-5 hours of sleep. . . ) But I'm doing it and I feel better once I get up and get going.
Our diet is Paleo, with few exceptions now. We did have pizza yesterday (gluten free) but I'm limiting myself to one (two max) tiny gf slices (they are maybe 1/3 the size of a regular pizza slice).
Tonight we are having Paleo mock sushi. . . I'm using seaweed wrappers, with veggies, shrimp and avocado inside. For the kids who need some extra carbs & calories, they will get a side of soaked brown rice with plenty of butter and tamari. I made some cauliflower "rice" as well so I may try to put some of that inside the seaweed wraps.
My jeans are getting a little loose. . . double yay!
I'm still going to the gym 4-5x/week (Curves). It's hard to drag myself out of bed at 5:00am to go (especially after only getting 4-5 hours of sleep. . . ) But I'm doing it and I feel better once I get up and get going.
Our diet is Paleo, with few exceptions now. We did have pizza yesterday (gluten free) but I'm limiting myself to one (two max) tiny gf slices (they are maybe 1/3 the size of a regular pizza slice).
Tonight we are having Paleo mock sushi. . . I'm using seaweed wrappers, with veggies, shrimp and avocado inside. For the kids who need some extra carbs & calories, they will get a side of soaked brown rice with plenty of butter and tamari. I made some cauliflower "rice" as well so I may try to put some of that inside the seaweed wraps.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Easter and Weight. . .
I cheated over Easter weekend. (Who didn't, right?). That said, my weight stayed steady so I'm not beating myself up (besides, what would be the point?).
I had a sugar shop mocha, but had no problem avoiding them today. I guess the habit really is broken. I had two small pieces of candy from inside the kids plastic eggs and a serving of cooked chocolate pudding with whip cream (I know).
And I was SICK. My body made a quick adjustment to this almost no grains/low carb world and those sugar filled treats made me feel horrid. I won't be doing that again!
I didn't eat enough veggies or drink enough water today. . . funny since I was so incredibly thirsty over the weekend (probably because of my cheat foods).
Sunday night, I took the kids to the play and pizza place where they have gluten free pizza. The girls loved their special treat, I was nauseated with one slice (and the slices are probably 1/3 of a normal pizza slice!). I consider this a major improvement! I don't want to eat garbage food and I like that my body is telling me not to.
I definitely have more energy, but am getting a mid afternoon slump following any sugar. Tomorrow I am going to try my morning coffee with pure cream and stevia (I'm still using some coffee mate). I'm hoping that removing the last vestige of sugar and crap will perk me up. I am getting up at 5am and going to Curves for a work out every weekday morning (and some Saturdays, although not at 5am). I'm also wearing a pedometer and moving as much as possible throughout the day. I need to start making sure I'm in bed by 9 (that's hard!).
I feel like my cortisol levels are already falling and I know this will help with the weight and with the infertility.
On another note, after a rest cycle (month off), I started back on the fertility drugs today. UGH. This could make the cravings more difficult to deal with.
I had a sugar shop mocha, but had no problem avoiding them today. I guess the habit really is broken. I had two small pieces of candy from inside the kids plastic eggs and a serving of cooked chocolate pudding with whip cream (I know).
And I was SICK. My body made a quick adjustment to this almost no grains/low carb world and those sugar filled treats made me feel horrid. I won't be doing that again!
I didn't eat enough veggies or drink enough water today. . . funny since I was so incredibly thirsty over the weekend (probably because of my cheat foods).
Sunday night, I took the kids to the play and pizza place where they have gluten free pizza. The girls loved their special treat, I was nauseated with one slice (and the slices are probably 1/3 of a normal pizza slice!). I consider this a major improvement! I don't want to eat garbage food and I like that my body is telling me not to.
I definitely have more energy, but am getting a mid afternoon slump following any sugar. Tomorrow I am going to try my morning coffee with pure cream and stevia (I'm still using some coffee mate). I'm hoping that removing the last vestige of sugar and crap will perk me up. I am getting up at 5am and going to Curves for a work out every weekday morning (and some Saturdays, although not at 5am). I'm also wearing a pedometer and moving as much as possible throughout the day. I need to start making sure I'm in bed by 9 (that's hard!).
I feel like my cortisol levels are already falling and I know this will help with the weight and with the infertility.
On another note, after a rest cycle (month off), I started back on the fertility drugs today. UGH. This could make the cravings more difficult to deal with.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Slow and Steady. . .
My first 10 days have not seen as rapid of weight loss as my original success (2 years ago now!!!). But this is to be expected. I'm doing a few things different and have still lost 4.4lbs in 10days!
I am not recording my daily intake (in the past, I journaled every thing I consumed along with the calories and fat). I know what foods I need to be eating and what combinations keep me around my target calorie range. I have had carbs a couple times. . . 1 slice of GF pizza for lunch last week (it was Spring Break!). . . a GF bun on my burger and a portion of hasbrowns the other night with my eggs. Carbs are like glue on my body. Knowing this, I shouldn't have difficulty avoiding them.
Our family is moving toward Paleo eating. I'm not sure I will ever be 100% Paleo, as I find it hard to imagine giving up my GF Oats and Buckwheat or to completely remove dairy from our diets. Legumes? No problem. Pasta? No Problem. Bread? No Problem.
My biggest concern with moving Paleo is how to get full bellies and not out spend our budget. Our grocery budget is already generous at $1400/mo (for 8 of us + daycare which won't be Paleo due to USDA guidelines). I cannot afford to increase my grocery budget, so I have to figure out ways to reduce our carb fillers without breaking the bank (since much of our carbs are high cost gluten free items, this shouldn't be terribly difficult).
My biggest dietary change currently is the removal of refined sugar (for the last couple of years I haven't been a typical American sugar consumer, but I still had my addiction!). I gave up my sugar filled (and delicious) mocha's. It has been almost two weeks without my coffee shop fix. I'm not craving it any longer. . . so I'd guess I'm moving along fairly well on the detox. Sugar doesn't fit into the Paleo lifestyle so this is another positive move toward dino-eating for us.
Today I haven't done very well on eating like I should. . . so I won't share what I have (or haven't eaten). Here's yesterday's menu:
5:30am- Chocolate European Style Yogurt (8g protein, 16g carbs- pre gym carb fix).
7:30am- 1/2 cup (uncooked) gf oats, 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries, 1 Tbs real maple, 12-16 almonds crushed.
10:00am- Apple slices + 1 Tbs almond butter (if needed, I'm finding that a mid morning snack isn't necessary many days).
12:30pm- Lg garden salad w/ 1 Tbs ranch, 5 ounces chicken sauteed with 1/2 cup mushrooms
3:00pm- Cheesestick (if I feel like protein is needed) + cucumber slices
6:00pm- Grilled hamburger patty + garlic cheese + cauliflower + salad
9:00pm- Small snack if needed (olives, nuts, veggies, etc. . .) What I really want here is a bowl of cereal!).
My goal is to get at least 50% of my diet from vegetables and fruits, with 70% being optimum. I will probably have to incorporate a serving or two of fresh veggie and fruit juice each day in order to meet this goal.
On days that I skip meals. . . I feel it! Today is a feeling crummy day because I haven't fed myself properly.
Did I mention that I'm working out again? I rejoined Curves and am going five mornings a week. I'm also wearing a pedometer and clocking 14,000-16,000 steps per day. Yay!
I am not recording my daily intake (in the past, I journaled every thing I consumed along with the calories and fat). I know what foods I need to be eating and what combinations keep me around my target calorie range. I have had carbs a couple times. . . 1 slice of GF pizza for lunch last week (it was Spring Break!). . . a GF bun on my burger and a portion of hasbrowns the other night with my eggs. Carbs are like glue on my body. Knowing this, I shouldn't have difficulty avoiding them.
Our family is moving toward Paleo eating. I'm not sure I will ever be 100% Paleo, as I find it hard to imagine giving up my GF Oats and Buckwheat or to completely remove dairy from our diets. Legumes? No problem. Pasta? No Problem. Bread? No Problem.
My biggest concern with moving Paleo is how to get full bellies and not out spend our budget. Our grocery budget is already generous at $1400/mo (for 8 of us + daycare which won't be Paleo due to USDA guidelines). I cannot afford to increase my grocery budget, so I have to figure out ways to reduce our carb fillers without breaking the bank (since much of our carbs are high cost gluten free items, this shouldn't be terribly difficult).
My biggest dietary change currently is the removal of refined sugar (for the last couple of years I haven't been a typical American sugar consumer, but I still had my addiction!). I gave up my sugar filled (and delicious) mocha's. It has been almost two weeks without my coffee shop fix. I'm not craving it any longer. . . so I'd guess I'm moving along fairly well on the detox. Sugar doesn't fit into the Paleo lifestyle so this is another positive move toward dino-eating for us.
Today I haven't done very well on eating like I should. . . so I won't share what I have (or haven't eaten). Here's yesterday's menu:
5:30am- Chocolate European Style Yogurt (8g protein, 16g carbs- pre gym carb fix).
7:30am- 1/2 cup (uncooked) gf oats, 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries, 1 Tbs real maple, 12-16 almonds crushed.
10:00am- Apple slices + 1 Tbs almond butter (if needed, I'm finding that a mid morning snack isn't necessary many days).
12:30pm- Lg garden salad w/ 1 Tbs ranch, 5 ounces chicken sauteed with 1/2 cup mushrooms
3:00pm- Cheesestick (if I feel like protein is needed) + cucumber slices
6:00pm- Grilled hamburger patty + garlic cheese + cauliflower + salad
9:00pm- Small snack if needed (olives, nuts, veggies, etc. . .) What I really want here is a bowl of cereal!).
My goal is to get at least 50% of my diet from vegetables and fruits, with 70% being optimum. I will probably have to incorporate a serving or two of fresh veggie and fruit juice each day in order to meet this goal.
On days that I skip meals. . . I feel it! Today is a feeling crummy day because I haven't fed myself properly.
Did I mention that I'm working out again? I rejoined Curves and am going five mornings a week. I'm also wearing a pedometer and clocking 14,000-16,000 steps per day. Yay!
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