Good News, Bad News

Yes, I know.  I did not keep my promise.  I feel very badly about that.  I promised I would not miss a day of blogging and then I go and miss an entire week.  So I will incorporate my explanation into my blog of the day, which is that no matter how busy and stressful your life gets, get back on track when it calms back down (and it always calms down eventually).

My life took a HUGE turn for the worse last week when I became so busy at work that the ONLY thing I had time for was work.  And yes, it did suck.  And yes, I felt guilty about abandoning the things that were important to me:  exercising, blogging, and taking care of my family.  I felt like crap, but the work had to get done.  I was working 12-14 hours a day, every day, and even on the weekend.  I felt like I was neglecting everything!  I didn't go food shopping... so I didn't get to try new recipes .... and my family ran out of some food items they needed!  I was relegated to eating the same thing every damn day because it was the only thing I had to eat.  I was too tired at the end of the day to even stop into the supermarket on the way home.  I was stressed to the max, mentally exhausted, and simply praying to make it to the end of the week with all my work done.

Here's the problem.  The work had to get done.  There was no excuses for not getting it done.  I was expected to get it done and any sacrifice that I had to make along the way was what was expected of me.  So I did it. 

I didn't get to go to the gym... not even one day last week.  I was so tightly wound every single day that I know my body was a wreck.  Stress is just not good for you.  Period.  Among other things, its almost impossible to lose weight when you are a walking time bomb.  The one thing I am proud of is that I kept eating clean.  I ate MORE than I was supposed to of that food, but I ate clean gosh darn it!  I did not turn to chocolate, cookies, chips, meat... nothing.  And given my mental state last week, I say that is a HUGE win and I am giving myself a gold star.  Yes, I was drinking three cups of cappuccino each day.  But I drank them with coconut milk!  And yes, I did eat at 11 pm (sometimes because I didn't get home until 9 pm!), but I ate my homemade granola with almond milk!  

So, bad news.  I did not exercise for one week.  Good news.  I ate clean.  Bad news.  I ate more than I should have.  Good news.  I got all my work done.  Bad news.  I put my body through a lot of stress which in no way was good for it.  Good news.  I stepped on the scale this morning and I did not gain any weight.  Bad news.  I stepped on the scale this morning and I did not lose any weight.  Good news.... I will not let any of this deter me. I consider this to be a blip on the radar and not a fall from grace.

After all, this is life, right?  I mean, life is not always fairy dust and sunshine.  Life is tough.  Life throws challenges our way.  And it is our job to deal with them and move on to get back to where our happiness lies. 

If this is going to be a lifelong change, then I have to be flexible enough to understand that I won't always be perfect, but that is simply NOT an excuse to give up on changing.

More tomorrow... I promise.  :D

Working Double Time

CRAP!  I can't believe I forgot to blog yesterday.  And I promised myself I would NOT forget.  I just can't believe how busy I have been at work.  Its the summer.  Usually things are not as busy during the summer months.  But for some unknown reason, my work load has doubled!  I am sitting at my desk at 7 am and not leaving until 7 pm.  And during the hours I am there, I have so much to do, am under so much stress, and using so much brain power that my brain is BEGGING for fuel.

Which leads me to the topic of this blog.  Did you know that the ONLY fuel your brain cells use is glucose?  Yep.  Glucose.  Sugars which come from carbs.  The preferable type of carbs come from starches, grains, fruit, vegetables and legumes.  The NOT so preferable ones come from refined carbs... processed foods... candy, cakes, etc.

So NEVER cut out ALL carbs.  That is VERY VERY BAD for your brain.  I am not medical professional, but ... it seems to me that if you cut out all carbs you will become dumber. LOL... ok... maybe an overly simplistic way of looking at it, but you get the point.  

I have found that when I am asking my brain to shift into overdrive, I really do require more food.  My body doesn't need the food.  Heck, I am sitting on my ass!  But my brain really does need it.  When I need to be ON for 12 hours, with almost no down time, and when I need to be hyper-focused, and have all my neurons firing at once... well, that is when I need that extra glucose kick.  If I don't have it, I do not work as effectively.  I can't concentrate.  I am not focused.  I don't solve problems as well.  And in my line of work, which requires a LOT of technical writing and analytics, the results are just not as good.  

So this week I know that I will be consuming more calories than usual because I just need to get through this overwhelming work load and make it to the weekend.  But all my carbs will be GOOD carbs.  NO refined carbs.  NO processed foods.  Still on the whole foods vegan plan, but just eating a bit more.  I know this will not translate well into a weight loss because of the extra calories, but I will have to worry about that next week.

And sorry about missing yesterday's blog!

I am getting there ... slowly...

I put on my suit pants this morning and lo and behold, they are getting to that point where they are ALMOST (but not quite) too big.  The legs are too baggy.  The waist is slipping down and actually making my pants too long.  Hmm... how can I solve this.  Yes... wear higher heels.  :-)  This is the point in my weight loss journey where I start to see the fruits of my labor, and its a GOOD feeling.

The problem?  I seem to be the only one noticing.  Weight Loss Problems #224:  I am so proud of how far I've come, yet I don't look much different to the outside world.  This goes hand in hand with that saying that it takes 4 weeks for you to notice differences, 8 weeks for your friends and family to notice, and 12 weeks for others to notice.  I am now in the beginning of my third month.  Nine weeks to be exact.  My family has started to notice my weight loss (God bless them), but not one person outside of my family has yet to say those magical words to me ... "Have you lose weight?"  So, let's see if the saying is true.  By the end of this month, I should hear at least ONE person say that to me.  

Back to my clothes.  I have now lost one entire size.  I started wearing jeans one size smaller.  I put on a pair of shorts this weekend which were one size smaller.  My tee-shirts are getting longer... a CLEAR sign that I am losing weight.  Unfortunately, a lot of that is coming off my chest.  Which kind of sucks because that is the one area where I do not care about weight loss.  But, on the bright side, I dug out two bras from the back of my drawer that were smaller and they fit!  

I did mention that I am an expert dieter and that I have lost and gained weight a bazillion times, right?  So yeah, I have clothes in a multitude of sizes.  No problem there.  

I AM taking progress pictures.  I took one when I started which is absolutely AWFUL.  Its me with a pair of pants that won't even zip up and are skin tight in the legs.  Hell no I am not showing that picture to any of you yet ("yet" being the key word).  This past weekend, I took another picture in those same pants.  They zipped up!  And I got them buttoned too!  However, I would not dare sit down for fear they would burst at the seams.  I will keep taking pictures in these same pants, and then I will post a whole series of them to show my progress.  Eventually, I will switch to an even smaller pair (probably a pair of pants that won't even go past my knees right now). 

The point is that there are changes.  They are just so small right now.  

One.  Day.  At.  A.  Time.  

Keep Busy to Eat Less

Yep.  'Tis true.  If you want to eat less, then make a list of things you want to accomplish in a day, wake up, and start plowing through the list.  You will almost never finish the list, but you will have eaten far less and accomplished a lot.

In keeping with this theory, I decided that today I was going to groom all three of my giant furry babies who are STILL blowing out their undercoats.  I trimmed all of their excess fur on their hindquarters (which I routinely do for the summer and which has the bonus of eliminating matted fur), I cut out any knots I found, and then I brushed them ... and brushed them.... and brushed them....

I think I could have brushed them all day and fur would still be coming out, but I stopped when they started to look like the beautiful babies I know them to be. 

Then came the fun stuff.  I took them outside one by one and hosed them down, lathered them up, scrubbed them from head to tail, and hosed them down again.  

I know have three clean, knot-free, trimmed dogs.  And they are all sleeping peacefully.

What does this have to do with my fitness and weight loss blog.  I have had very little to eat today!  And I was active!  

So, onto another topic.  Although I am trying very hard to cut out non-nutritional foods... I will admit that there are two things I am unable to give up.  Sweet-N-Low and Espresso. Nope. I just can't.  I figure that I can keep these two things as long as I am good in all other regards.  I have one cappuccino a day.  Ordinarily I go to Starbucks and order my Tall Capp with Soy milk.  But yesterday I found THIS....

Espresso with Almond Milk!  I am overcome with happiness.  I think I actually squealed in delight when I saw it (at Whole Foods, of course).  As you can see, its 80 calories for one cup of deliciousness.  Either heat it up or pour it over ice.  This will now go on my weekly shopping list.  It will most certainly save me money.  

And the moral of the story is .... If you absolutely can not give something up, then just find a way to make it work in your meal plan.  I refuse to deprive myself of everything I love.  

And tomorrow is Monday... sigh.  

Fourth of July

I can't believe its almost midnight and I haven't posted yet.  In my defense, I was gone most of the day.  So I am going to keep this short and sweet.  My vegan chocolate almond cake, made with beets and avocado, was a HIT!  It was so good.  I highly recommend this cake.  This is what it looked like.

It was so chocolaty.  It was perfect.  I didn't tell anyone it was vegan or what was in it until AFTER they ate it.  And you know what?  They didn't even realize it was anything except a regular cake.  Another great thing is that the cake is so dense that you can eat a very small piece and be satisfied.  In fact, the recommended serving size is 1/12th of the cake, for about 423 calories per serving, but I found that you could easily cut this cake into 24 slices and be very happy with your slice at just over 200 calories.  There was left over cake, and I froze it!  In closing, I was VERY SATISFIED with this recipe and would absolutely make it again.

Ahhhh, the Great Outdoors!

So, as promised, I went down to the boardwalk today and did three miles.  Now, that does not really seem like all that much, but it was HOT!  AND, I was carrying five pound weights in each hand and pumping my arms as I walked so that I was doing some arm exercises as well.  I then came home and weeded the garden!  I count that as exercise as well.  And I went to Whole Foods to do my food shopping and then I came home and did a lot of my food prep for several meals because it saves me time during the week.  

Today I cooked these gorgeous golden beets.  And to make them even prettier, I cooked them in the same pan as some red beets (which I need for my vegan chocolate cake that I am bringing to my 4th of July party tomorrow), and the red bled into the golden beets and gave them a nice color on the edges.  See for yourself!

They are so pretty.  And so sweet.  These golden beets really are much sweeter than red beets.  Even with absolutely nothing on them... no salt... no dressing ... nothing... they are delicious.  So now I have a whole container of them to use this week in my meals.

And I also made some veggie burgers for the week, and for tomorrow since I am bringing my own burger (veggie) to the party.  I had one tonight on a whole grain bun with some of my cauliflower (potato) salad.  I know I keep saying this, but... honestly, eating whole plant based foods is really good.  

This was my dinner tonight.

But, I actually took the top part of the bun off and just ate the bottom because I realized that I do not really need all that bread, even if it is made of all good stuff. And that was my umpteenth glass of iced water today. I think I must have drank  about a gallon of water today.

So all in all... a GREAT day.  

Sun .... (check)
Exercise .... (check)
Healthy eating ... (check)
Productivity .... (check)

Now on to Independence Day!

Ok, I Admit it!

Ok, ok, I admit I have a problem.  I am addicted to Pinterest!  I love that site. It is a really amazing weight loss tool.  It has recipes.  It has motivational posters.  It has workout ideas.  It has EVERYTHING!  Every day I pin more and more stuff to my Fitness and Weight Loss page.  I just love it.  

Here is my pin of the day.  I love this idea. Its a great visual of your weight loss, PLUS, right next to it is a list of the Rewards you are going to give yourself for each goal hit.  GENIUS.  

The only problem is that there is not enough room from the ceiling to the floor for my chart.  I don't know why I find this funny, but I do.  LOL.  Maybe I will make two charts.  It can be like wallpaper for my room.  But the fun part will be thinking of great rewards I can give myself.  I am thinking... new shoes... a rock wall climbing class... a cruise (ok, this is a big one so that will have to be a reward for some huge milestone).  Anyway, you get the idea.  

And because I love to ramble, I will now ramble about this holiday weekend.  The Fourth of July.  I know I said I was going to make that Salted Caramel Banana Pudding (see old post), but I tried it and it did not wow me.  It was ok.  But it was not Fourth of July Worthy.  So instead.... I am going to make... THIS!

THIS beauty is called BEETROOT AND AVOCADO CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE AND TOASTED ALMOND GOLD DUST.  Yup.  Totally and completely vegan.  And although it has 423 calories per slice (serves 12), it is far less calories than a regular fudge chocolate cake.  I will let you know how it turns out.  Here is the link... http://bunnykitchen.com/2013/06/01/possibly-the-worlds-healthiest-chocolate-cake-beetroot-and-avocado-chocolate-cake-with-chocolate-glaze-and-toasted-almond-gold-dust/ .

So until tomorrow... eat clean... work hard ... have fun... love lots .... and enjoy life.  

Its July!

In my opinion, summer doesn't really start until July 1st arrives.  And to celebrate everything that is good about summer, we use the July 4th holiday. Summer is great.  The only thing about summer that is NOT great is the oppressive heat.  But, hey, once I am skinny that shouldn't bother me as much! Yay!  Something to look forward to.  I love the fruits and vegetables of summer.  I love the long days.  I love the clear skies, with wisps of white clouds, bright sunlight, dappled shade patches, and the light breezes that come off the ocean.  I love the smell of salt water (I do live near the ocean).  I love summer thunderstorms.  And now I will add something new .... I love having a goal to reach.  I love working towards a goal and seeing small results on my way there.  

I know the title of this blog sets an overwhelming goal.  To be honest, I don't even like to think of losing 135 pounds.  That seems crazy and pie in the sky to me.  So I think about the small goals.  Ten pounds.  Can I lose ten more pounds?  Absolutely!  Can I do it in July of 2015?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  But at the end of this month, even if I am only seven or eight pounds down, then that is still better than where I am right now.  So this month is about celebrating goals, working towards those goals, and moving forward. Because moving forward is always preferable to remaining stagnant, or even worse, going backwards.  And this applies to everything in life.  

And to help me celebrate July, I think I will try to do a lot of outdoor activities.  Instead of going to the gym all the time, I will sprinkle in long walks on the boardwalk. 

And remember, "wear sunscreen".  :-)

I Did It!

Good news!! I did it!  Last day of the month... two months on my program... and I stepped on the scale this morning and was down 20 pounds!  Yep.... you heard me... TWENTY POUNDS.  

Oh, and I was correct.  Five damn pounds of water weight during that dreadful time of the month.  

I feel badly that I missed two days of blogging.  I will not let that happen again. I was crazy busy.

But who cares about that because I am down 20 pounds from just two short months ago! If I hadn't started two months ago, I would be 20 pounds heavier today.  So yeah... every day counts!  And today, I am feeling so happy!

And to make the day even better, I stopped at a farmer's market and got some lovely golden beets which I am using in my spinach salad tonight.  I also purchased some freshly picked strawberries which I am marinating in my aged balsamic which I also purchased at the farmer's market!  

Day Dream .... or Reality?

I am almost 60 days into this.  Hopefully, one day I will no longer count the days, and it will just be my normal life.  Right now what keeps me going is my vision of me being perfectly fit and healthy.  That's my day dream. And I am hoping to make it a reality.

With that in mind, I woke up and was determined to have another "on track" day.  I started with my almond butter and banana breakfast shake.  Then I proceeded to take a long walk with one of my babies  (also known as the dogs).  I figured, hey, why not kill two birds with one stone.  I got my exercise in AND I tuckered out my energizer bunny dog. Then I went to Trader Joe's and did my shopping for the week.  Then I came home and did my cooking.  I like to make a few things each Saturday that I can freeze and pull out when I have no time to cook.  Plus, I love to cook and bake.  But I think I have mentioned that several times already.  So its very relaxing to me to watch the Food Network as I spend several hours in the kitchen concocting my various vegan delights. Today I made vegan brownies.  I had two and then had to freeze the rest before I ate them all.  So now I have a nice chocolaty dessert that I can pull out of the freezer when I need that extra little something.  I then made a HUGE pot of my Garden Veggie Pesto soup.  I also made a jar of blackberry chia seed jam.  And lastly, I made a Roasted Pepper and Corn soup.  I had no recipe for this.  I just kind of made it up as I went along and it came out pretty good.  But because I love my mom, I am cooking her something special tonight ... fillet mignon.  AND I bought her a french baguette from Panera because I know she loves it and will eat several pieces of it with dinner.  (Yep, I am still trying to get her to gain weight.)  Just because I am determined to be healthy doesn't mean my mom can't enjoy the foods she loves.  And I think that having food around me that I can not eat makes me stronger and is more realistic.  If I want to continue with this as a lifestyle, I will have to learn to be around people who actually eat things I cannot.  Simply avoiding all those other foods is not doing me any favors in the long run.  

I am rambling, for sure, but today is just a normal day with nothing much going on.  But these are the type of days that make up most of our lives, right?  And we have to learn to stay on course through normal days as well as crazy days.  

So now I think I will go through my closet and pull out something that is too small for me and super sexy and hang it on my door so I can look at it every day.  Just another motivational technique in my bag of tricks.

Let's Talk Woman to Woman (Men, you have been warned)

Every single woman knows that once a month our bodies turn into an alien beings, and the changes that are inflicted upon us MOST CERTAINLY affect our weight and our weight loss. 

This week I have been dealing with the monster inside me that keeps telling me I need to eat, Eat, EAT!  Its not about being hungry. Its about the monster's need for "MORE ENERGY".  What does it need the energy for?  Beats me.  But the monster is hard to deny.  VERY hard.  

Yes, the monster is responsible for other things as well: stomach cramping, back pain so intense it feels as if someone is going to snap you in two, soreness in your chest that makes it hard to even get dressed without wincing, unstoppable tears for the smallest of reasons or even no reason at all, and temper tantrums and snippy comments directed at anyone who comes within a ten mile radius of you (often accompanied by demonic voices and head spinning).  But these things aren't derailing our weight loss attempts.  The uncontrollable urge to eat everything in sight is something which does affect our weight loss.

The other thing?  The weight gain we experience during this time.  I have believed for quite some time that I gain about five pounds each month during this time.  I have never documented it .... until now.  This morning I woke up with that familiar feeling of bloating.  I knew what it was immediately.  (Of course I did, because of all the other lovely symptoms that accompany it).  Now, under normal conditions, I would NEVER step on a scale during this time.  But today I thought, why not?  Why not get proof of what I have always believed.  So I did it.  I stepped on the scale.  Sure enough, I was two pounds heavier than my most recent weigh-in.  I told myself not to panic.  Intellectually, I know what this is.  I talked myself out of picking up the scale and throwing it through the window out onto the lawn.  I took a deep breath and wrote the number down.  Next week, I will repeat the process, and I GUARANTEE you that it will be five pounds less.  I know I am right about this.  

This makes me think about why this "water" weight gain is never addressed on those television weight loss reality shows.  They weigh the people in every week.  Some of those people are women.  Yet when a woman has no weight loss one week, no one ever says, "Well, duh, its my time of month!" Why do they talk about the work they've done and why the weight loss is not showing on the scale when everyone knows why the scale doesn't show the weight loss the woman should be seeing?  This makes me crazy.  

So now, once and for all, I am getting proof FOR ALL WOMAN ON THEIR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY that you can tell the scale to bugger off during this time of the month.  Seriously.  

Men are so lucky.  Period.  (Pun intended). 

(photograph courtesy of www.theberry.com)

Holy Lotta Topics Batman!

How many times have you lost a butt load of weight and stopped just shy of your target weight?  That has happened to me so many times that I can't even count that high.  I lost a lot of weight.  I look good.  Everyone compliments me.  I feel great.  My clothes fit great.  I look GOOD in my clothes.  I am anywhere from 20-40 pounds away from my goal .... and I stop.  Why do I do that?  I have no idea.  And then I gain all the weight back.  And then I start all over again.  I think that it happens because I am "dieting" and feeling deprived, and so once I start to look and feel good, I feel justified in going back to my old eating habits.  Whatever is inside of those people that hit their goal weight and then maintain that weight for years and years ... whatever that is ... I have never experienced it.  That is my missing link.  That is what I am striving to find.  I am hoping (and ok, maybe praying and maybe even wishing on falling stars and white unicorns) that I will experience that by making this switch to eating whole plant based foods.  I am NOT counting calories.  Sure, I have a general idea of how many calories per day I am consuming.  I mean, come on.  I am an experienced dieter.  It is ingrained in me to count calories on some level.  I really want to make this a lifestyle change.  And I think I have a shot at making this work because I am eating healthy and I am satisfied (mostly) with what I am eating.  I am not putting crap in my body.  Everything (or most everything) I eat has a nutritional purpose.  So maybe my body will finally realize that I am giving it what it needs and will not crave foods I should not be eating.  One can only hope.

That being said, we all need to feel a little sinful sometimes, right?  We all need to have that something sweet or decadent every once in a while, right?  Well, although desserts are no longer a part of my daily eating plan, I want to make room to have HEALTHY desserts every once in a while.  I think the perfect time to test one of these babies out will be at my Fourth of July BBQ.  This is what I am thinking of making ....

RAW BANANA PUDDING WITH SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE.  (Here is the link to the recipe . http://www.forkandbeans.com/2014/07/22/raw-banana-pudding-salted-caramel/)  This is a completely VEGAN dessert.  One serving is 293 calories.  So its not something you should eat every day, but its definitely something worthy of a special occasion.

What can you eat every day?  I am glad you asked.  

CUCUMBER WRAPS!

Use a vegan wrap of your choice.  Instead of the cream cheese, use Tahini Sauce.  Then slice the cucumbers and lay them over the tahini sauce, roll up, and slice.  VOILA!  Easy and delicious.  

(link is http://www.lookchef.com/2014/09/cucumber-and-cream-cheese-sandwich-rolls.html

And before I forget, yes.  Yes, I am still going to the gym.  Yes, I am still sweating my butt off.  Yes, I am still hoping to hit my 20 pounds lost by the end of the month.  I will keep you posted.

I Thought Eating a Plant Based Diet was Supposed to Be GOOD for My Skin!!

I have been eating Whole Plant Based Foods for just about two months.  And starting sometime last week, my skin has been a mess!  I have never been a person who has suffered breakouts or acne or bad skin.  In that regard, I have been blessed.  But now... I look like the walking dead.  A zombie has better skin than I have.  People run with their children when they see me.  (LOL.. ok, I am exaggerating, but come on!!!)  I was perplexed because, of course, I have been doing a LOT of reading on switching to a whole foods plant based diet, and everyone touts the benefits to your skin.  Less wrinkles, clearer skin with a better skin tone... etc.  So last night, I did more research.  What did I find?  Take heart!  This is a GOOD thing, so says the author of the article I was reading. Apparently, I am making such good changes for my body that it is now purging itself of all the toxins I had stored up.  Supposedly, my skin will clear up and look better than ever. We'll see.  But at least I have hope now.

In other news, I am going to have to invest in a new scale.  The one I am using now is not digital, which makes for a difficult time in trying to determine my EXACT weight.  The stupid little needle jumps all over the place and the lines are so close together that sometimes I don't know which line it is actually on.  This is not helped by my poor vision. Not to mention that it doesn't tell you fractions of a pound.  So, yeah, I think that this weekend I will go buy a digital scale.  But, of course, I am afraid that the new scale won't be calibrated the same as the one I am using.  Such problems!  But I must weigh-in this weekend because it will be the end of my second month.

Lastly, I made my Modified Rice and Beans Bowl last night for dinner.  (See yesterday's blog.)  This is what it looked like...

The picture is a little blurry, but you get the idea.  It is a colorful plate of food, and yep, that is riced cauliflower (not actual rice)!  So the whole thing came to less than 300 calories!  And the cilantro dressing was so good.  It gave the cauliflower the same taste as the seasoned white rice at Chipotle.  

I am always on the lookout for new recipes to try, and I will always let you know about them when I do.  :-)

Happy HUMP DAY.  

Two for Tuesday

Two topics for the price of one... in other words Two for Tuesday!

Sometimes when you think that your weight loss is going slowly, it helps to think that (even though we wish we could take a magic pill tonight and have all our weight be gone by morning) slow and steady weight loss actually is healthy.  

But this morning I was also thinking about how lucky I am that I am ABLE to do something about my weight.  Although sometimes I think I gain weight just by looking at food, the reality is that I love to eat, which leads to overeating, which leads to weight gain.  However, I CAN lose weight.  My body is capable of doing it.  Some people aren't so lucky.  My mom, for instance.  She came to live with me a couple of years ago. She has Lupus.  Its an auto-immune disease that can not be cured and gets progressively worse each year.  A couple of years ago she started losing weight (and not because she was dieting), and last year her weight got alarmingly low.  So low that I became very concerned, had her talk to her doctor about it, and I started making sure that she ate enough to stop her weight loss.  This is no easy feat.  We have stabilized her weight at 110 pounds, but she can't seem to gain any more, despite the fact that I make sure she eats several times a day, eats nutrient dense foods, high caloric foods, and at least 2000-2500 calories a day (which as we all know is A LOT for a 110 pound person).  But she can't gain weight.  Her body is burning calories at an alarming rate.  Its the illness.  Her doctor has now forbidden her from exercising at all ... which means even walking around the neighborhood with me at night.  He says she can't afford to lose those calories.  So when I start to get bummed about losing weight, I think of my mom and I give thanks that my body is healthy enough to do what it has to do.  As my mom always says, there is always someone who has it worse than you, so stop complaining.  Thanks mom.  I love you!

Onto my next topic.  Want to eat something yummy, satisfying, healthy and well within your weight loss program?  Me too!  I bring you Modified Rice and Beans in a Bowl!
http://www.allparenting.com/my-table/articles/968793/rice-bowl-with-black-beans-avocado-cilantro-dressing

Here's the thing... black beans are super good for you!  "A 1/2-cup serving of cooked black beans, which is 86 grams, contains 113 calories. With 1.3 calories per gram, black beans are a low-energy-dense food, which means calorie content is low compared to weight. This makes them a more filling food because you can eat a large portion without going overboard on calories. People eat about the same amount of weight in food each day but not the same level of calories, according to the British Nutrition Foundation. So eating more low-energy-dense foods can help you control your calorie intake and help you lose pounds or maintain a healthy weight."  (courtesy of http://www.livestrong.com/article/238506-black-bean-nutritional-facts/).  They are also high in fiber, are a good source of protein, and are a source of essential vitamins and minerals.  

Now take a look at the link above for the recipe, and then MODIFY it by using "riced cauliflower" instead of rice.  GENIUS!!  Anyone can make this... really... anyone!  Even you people out there who don't cook.  And its quick.  If you come home so hungry you want to eat your arm off, and you do NOT want to wait an hour for dinner to be ready... VOILA... take your riced cauliflower out of the freezer (yes, you can buy bags of the stuff), pop it in the microwave, open a can of black beans, pop it in the microwave, cut up some avocado and tomatoes  in the few minutes it takes for the microwave to ding, and pour the dressing (which takes all of 30 seconds to make) over the whole shebang.  I bet you will be so stuffed you won't even be able to finish your bowl.

Then go exercise!  ROFL

Its Monday Again!

Another Monday has rolled around, and I was wondering what I should post today.  I think I want today to be about finding ways to keep myself motivated.  

After a five minute break to scroll through Pinterest, I found this picture which just made me laugh my ass off.  I don't know why.  But I like it.

Forget about what it says under the picture.  Whether it takes five months or twelve months, I can get there if I just keep trying.  (Nor do I believe you can get there eating anything you want).  But I love the concept of tearing off a fat suit to find the skinny person inside.  I think we all have skinny people inside. (

So, to motivate myself, and to remind myself that I DO have a skinny person inside, I took out a photograph of me when I was thin (not too long ago).  I CAN look like that again.  I really can.  I just have to keep visually reminding myself of that.  

Ok, second way to motivate myself: Keep trying new things.  I get bored easily.  Sad to say, but true.  I I am going to attempt to do the exercises on this chart every single day (except for the day that is delineated as a rest day), in ADDITION to my normal gym routine FOR ONE MONTH.  It can't hurt, right?  It can only help.

See, the thing is, I thrive on challenges.  I love it when I actually accomplish something I didn't think I could.  That's how this whole thing started anyway!  I challenged myself to eat Whole Foods Plant Based for 22 days!  

Yet ANOTHER way to motivate myself is to reward myself.  So.... If I can do the above challenge for one month, then I will purchase something new for myself to wear.  Something I don't need, but that I really want.  Something that makes me feel great when I wear it.

Lastly, I want to leave you with a sweet indulgence to whip up when you absolutely NEED to have a chocolaty sweet dessert, but you do NOT want to go off your diet.

Two dates, pitted
1/8 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon unsweetened baking cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put all the ingredients in a food processor.  Either form it into a ball and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes, or just eat it immediately with a spoon.

Guaranteed to take your cravings away.  Total calories = 160. 

Welcome to the Weekend

I had a fabulous weekend!  Love my family. :-D  Although it has absolutely NOTHING to do with my fitness and weight loss blog.... I thought I would share a pic (or two) from this weekend.

To make my weekend trip relevant to this blog, I will reiterate that I planned this trip so that I would not go CRAZY off my plan, but I also gave myself permission to have a cheat meal.  I am now reporting that I did actually have my cheat meal, which consisted of a marguerita (see pic below), fish tacos, chips and salsa. I tried to make the cheat not horrific and I think I succeeded.  I didn't have a dessert.  I didn't have a hamburger.  I didn't have a cheesy something-or-other. My salt intake was high and I will probably be retaining some water for a few days, but I can deal with that and get rid of it. 

More importantly, I did not beat myself up because I planned for this event.

And I will not beat myself up if I retain some water weight for a few days because I have plan.  That plan includes jumping right back into my Whole Foods Plant Based eating regimen, and heading BACK to the gym tomorrow morning.  

I figure that its great to be healthy.  Its important to take care of yourself.  But I also know this.  You have to appreciate all the most important parts of life... family... friends... loved ones... and the serenity of one perfect weekend.  :-D  

Now let's get to work!

Eating Clean on the Road

This weekend I am going away.  Biggest challenge?  You guessed it.  Eating Clean.  I have decided that my "one cheat meal per month" will be used tomorrow night at dinner.  (In case you are wondering, my last cheat meal was on Memorial Day during which I did have two alcoholic beverages and some appetizers I was not supposed to have since they contained chicken).  Back to this weekend... I will still need to plan out my other meals, and since we (my sister and I) are staying at a hotel, I highly doubt Whole Food Plant Based meals will be aplenty.  So, I have decided to pack a cooler with some staples (ie. Chickpea salad, cauliflower potato salad, strawberries, walnuts, figs, roasted vegetables, vegan dressing and some breakfast cookies!).  I know I can buy containers of mixed greens just about anywhere, so I can put my stuff over that and have a meal.  "What are Breakfast Cookies?", you may ask.  I am glad you asked that!  

Link to the recipe ...  https://diaryofamadcrafter.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/vegan-breakfast-cookies-a-recipe/ .

I am going to whip up a batch tonight.  It seems to be easier than taking granola and almond milk, or oatmeal.  AND, BONUS, I get to try a new recipe!

What?  Oh, you don't know what Cauliflower Potato Salad is either?  Well, you are really missing out!  

Link to the recipe ... http://www.nelliebellie.com/cauliflower-potato-salad-recipe/#_a5y_p=3591232 .

I used a vegan mayonaisse.  It was almost as good as, if not AS good as, regular potato salad!

So, that is my plan.  Wish me luck!  And I wish you success on all your ventures as well. 

Two Pound Weight Loss!

(Image is from http://www.foodfanatic.com/2013/12/detox-soup-new-year-new-you/)

I weighed myself today and I was down two pounds!  That makes a grand total of 17 pounds.  Yes, it is going slower than I would like, but, at least the numbers are going down, right?  I have been dieting since the first week in May (and by dieting I mean that I am on a Plant Based Diet WITH portion control).  I have been exercising for the past two weeks.  So, all in all, not too bad of a result.  When I started, I wanted to lose 10 pounds per month.  That means I have 12 days to lose an additional three pounds.  Completely doable.  

If you are wondering how I am finding being on the Plant Based program, I will confess that yes, I still miss junk food.  However, I do not have CRAVINGS for junk food.  There IS a difference, and the difference is quite important to someone trying to stay on program.  
If you ask me if I feel deprived, I will say that if I am staring at a hot-out-of-the-oven chocolate croissant, then HELL YES.  If you ask me if I am going hungry, then I will say NO.  I am not.  The food I eat fills me up.  I never leave the table hungry.  In fact, most nights I leave the table feeling almost full.  Do I ever feel hungry?  Yes.  And that is because I am not eating in between meals.  So by the time lunch or dinner comes, then I am quite hungry.  What do I miss more, sugary desserts or meat?  Sugary desserts.  I am really comfortable with foregoing meat.  I am not convinced a person can survive without chocolate cake.  

That being said, I have kept myself in line by promising myself ONE cheat day per month.  Yesterday I revised that to one cheat MEAL per month.  By "cheat", I do not mean eat whatever I want and as much as I want.  I mean, I can have something sweet, or I can have some meat, or (sssshhhhh) I can have an alcoholic beverage.  It IS off program.  I am not denying that.  But by giving myself this something to look forward to, I am able to maintain the rest of the month.  

And although I really believe you need to have a plan for weight loss, whatever that plan may be (because different things work for different people), I think that you should allow yourself to be human and to adapt to what your body needs.  For instance, I have made my mind up that I will eat dinner and then I will not eat another bite of food for the rest of the day.  Absolutely NO eating between dinner and bedtime.  Up until last night, I had abided by that self-imposed mandate.  But last night I was so hungry that I could not think of anything except satisfying the hole in my stomach.  It was 10:45 pm and I knew that I should just go to bed, but I just could not help feeling that if I did not eat something, I would never be able to sleep.  So, I sat there and thought about it.  And then I came up with a solution.  I went to the pantry and took out THREE dates.  I ate them.  Then I went to bed.  Sometimes I think its ok to be less than perfect.  

Can I Bottle this Feeling, Please?

As torturous as it is to get out of bed at 5 am, it is so worth it at 6:45 am when I have finished my workout for the day, those endorphins are flowing through my brain, and I am enjoying one of life's ultimate luxuries .... a hot shower.  That feeling is an actual high that your body experiences   ....  NATURALLY!  No drugs necessary.  I need to remember that every morning when the alarm clock goes off and I lay in bed trying to convince myself to GET THE HECK UP!

Another thing.  I find that I actually like being at the gym at 6 pm.  It is not as crowded.  It is not as noisy.  And there is a sense of camaraderie between all of us 6 am'ers.  We all trudge in, carrying our suits on hangers to change into after we shower, and we silently acknowledge each other, each of us thinking, "Yep, we have to squeeze this workout in so we can hustle off to our jobs."  Well, most of us, because there is also the Retired Men's Club that meets at that time.  I find it comforting that they are there.  They meet every morning and make their way around the floor, using this machine and that, and even lifting weights.  They don't overdue it, but they help each other out and they get a mighty fine workout in.  I like that.  I admire them.  This morning, as I was making my way through a 45 minute elliptical session, there was an elderly gentleman on a machine in front of me.  He was 70 years old if he was a day.  And he had a Nike shirt on with their slogan, "Just Do It."  That made me smile.  

There are not a lot of young people at the gym at 6 am.  I venture to say that if I were to hit the gym after work there would be hundreds of them milling about.  But I am fine being around the slightly older crowd.  I prefer it actually.  I like knowing that no matter how old you are, or how out of shape you ("I") am, it is never too late to start exercising.

And just so we don't forget the diet portion of this blog, I used my spiral veggie cutter thing-a-ma-bob to make spaghetii like strands of squash for lunch today, and I topped it with sauteed onions, garlic, tomato and basil.  Yet another great Plant Based Meal!

Eating Out on a Plant Based Diet

Every work day I pack my breakfast and lunch in a cooler so that I know I will have the appropriate healthy foods to eat for the day.  Usually, I prepare my lunch the night before as I have found that eating Plant Based requires quite a bit of food preparation, and as we all know, I have precious little time in the mornings. 

Today was no different.  I packed my breakfast.  I packed my lunch.  I packed my water bottle filled with iced water and lime juice.  I packed my iced black tea (unsweetened, of course).  However, my day kind of got derailed and I found myself out of the office with a client for almost the entire day.  In fact, when lunchtime rolled around, my client insisted that we go out to lunch at a Mexican food place!!  I certainly could not bring my pre-packed plant based lunch into the Mexican food place.  But, lo and behold, they had a create your own salad option.  I was able to eat a nice salad, filled with veggies, and even chickpeas and walnuts, and a mustard vinaigrette.  It was delicious and filling.  I was so proud of myself for making a healthy choice (despite the fact that I LOVE Mexican food), and I was happy that it wasn't difficult and that I was satisfied.  

So mission accomplished!  On track for the day!  No regrets. :-)

Monday, Monday ... and the Excuses Come Rolling In

I am a bit ashamed to post that this morning, instead of going to the gym to workout, I slept in for an extra hour.  Now, I have an excuse for this.  I got a TERRIBLE night's sleep.  But, it is still an excuse.  And now I have the guilty sallies.  So, I will go outside in the rain today during my lunch hour and walk.  And then when I get home tonight, after dinner, I will walk again.  

The topic of "excuses" that people have to not exercise is a popular one.  And there are hundreds, if not thousands, of discussions by the exercising community as to why there is no excuse that is good enough to keep one from exercising.  While I see the prevailing logic in that line of thinking, it is still hard to not make excuses.  

So, with that in mind, I will now beat myself over the head with anti-excuse propaganda.

OUCH.  I have been duly chastised.  

I can be lazy, or I can be healthy.  My choice.  

So my iphone is charged up.  My audiobook is ready to go.  My sneakers are next to my desk.  And off I go.

Parties ... Need I Say More

Today I went to a party.  Most people think being invited to a party is a good thing.  A nice thing.  A time to have fun, socialize, and kick back with friends and family.  

What do I think when I get invited to a party while dieting?  WHAT AM I GOING TO EAT?  HOW AM I GOING TO GET THROUGH HOURS OF SOCIALIZING AROUND THE WORST KINDS OF FOOD?  Yep... such is the life of a food junkie trying to ditch the monkey on her back.

Food can be an addiction.  It is for me.  I could spend hours on this topic, but I will stop myself, and instead speak to how I handle this problem.  Its quite simple really.  I eat before I go.  Yes, it sounds ridiculous.  Yes, you are going somewhere where the host/hostess is going to feed you and wants you to enjoy yourself, but instead of partaking, you eat before you go so you won't eat at the party.  I have used this trick for years.  Every time I diet in fact.  It works pretty well.  

What I ate today was ....

Chickpea salad over broccosprouts and slices of peach on top, in a whole wheat tortilla.  

Have you ever had chickpea salad?  NO??  OMG, you have no idea what you are missing.  Its chickpeas, mixed with vegan mayo, and stone ground mustard, salt and pepper... blend up in a food processor (leaving some chunks), and then mix in onions, celery and shredded carrots.  Try it.  You'll thank me for it.  :-)

So I ate that before I left.  Then I enjoyed myself at the party (eating nothing by the way).  I came home and made myself an almond butter banana almond milk shake.  NOW I am satisfied.  

I did not break my diet.  My work here is done.  

The Key to Motivation

So its later in the day than I usually blog.  But I am committed to doing this every day because it helps keep me motivated, which is the issue I want to discuss today.  MOTIVATION.  How to keep it.

I weighed myself today, and .... UGH!!  No weight loss.  First thought... How can that possibly be??  I was eating well AND I started exercising.  Second thought ... Forget about the scale.  It is only one part of the total picture.  I know I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.  I will not let this deter me.  (But it is easy to let it do so.)  

So what to do to keep that motivation?  Well, the first thing I am doing is blogging.  Even if NO ONE reads this blog, I am pretending that you people out there read it and that you want me to keep blogging, so it is holding me accountable.  Second, I buy myself little gifts.  A tee-shirt.  A pair of shoes. Just little things to keep me going.  Third, I try new recipes.  Today was a banner motivational day!  I bought a new tee-shirt, a new pair of jeans, and I tried TWO new plant based recipes!  Oh, and I must digress to say this... I felt VERY SKINNY today, despite the fact that the scale didn't move.  But... oh well... back to my discussion.

I made this very cool salad that I actually saw on The Kitchen (a Food Network Show). The Sandwich King dude made it.  It was grilled red cabbage and grilled veggies... I used grilled carrots, eggplant and zucchini ... and then I marinated some strawberries in a raspberry white balsamic vinegar ... and then I made the avacado dressing which was just some white wine vinegar, an avocado, vegetable stock, salt and pepper all churned up in the food processor ... and then I poured that over my salad and mixed in the strawberries. YUM YUM.  I didn't take a picture of it because I ate it before I remembered.  :-(     BUT.... I DID take a picture of my raspberry chia seed jam!  

Here is the thing.  I bought these chia seeds and I didn't know what to use them for.  So I searched for recipes and found that you can make jams with just them and fruit and a sugar of your choice (so I used Truvia).  And it came out great!  I picture it here with some Date Bark, which is also SUPER EASY to make and is delicious.  All plant based foods!  

From now on, I will post the recipes I try on my PINTEREST page.  https://www.pinterest.com/denavanclemis/food-junkie-goes-healthy/

I am also going to PIN other stuff, like motivational pictures and some weight loss stuff. But I will also link the recipe for chia jams here to give the original website the credit. http://www.goinghometoroost.com/2013/seasonal-recipes/chia-seed-jams/

OH.. and I almost forgot... I bought a little gadget today that lets me make pasta like spaghetti out of vegetables!  Its so cool.  I tried it with squash and zucchini and it worked great!  So, that is yet another new dish I have to try!

So, all in all, not a bad day.  It could have been superlative with a weight loss, but hey, I am not giving up.  And really, that is all that matter.  

TGIF

As another week comes to an end, I am thankful for so many things.  I am thankful for those I love and for those who love me, and for the life I have been given.  I am also oh so thankful that I have made it through this first week of my exercise regimen relatively unscathed and that tomorrow is Saturday and I don't have to get up at 5 am!  

Today I figured I would write down a sample of what I eat during the day.  Here goes ....

Breakfast

1/2 cup homemade granola (made from oats, maple syrup, and some nuts baked in the oven)
1/2 almond milk
2 teaspoons dried blueberries

Lunch

Veggie burger (homemade from one of my numerous veggie burger recipes... today I have a red quinoa and chickpea burger, which recipe I am linking here, http://pureella.com/quinoa-chickpea-burgers-gluten-free-and-vegan/)
1 teaspoon tahini sauce (to put on my burger)
Assorted roasted and seasoned vegetables

Snack

1 Nutty No-Bake Coconut Bar (This is a new recipe I found and I LOVE these things... http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/6-homemade-vegan-energy-bars/slide/7.  But having one of these is clearly a treat.  Most days I have a pink grapefruit or a 1/4 cup cashews.)

Dinner

1 cup Garden Vegetable Pesto Soup (OMG... SO delicious ... here is the recipe I used to make it, but I left out the barley and the cheese ... http://www.copycatrecipeguide.com/How_to_Make_Panera_Garden_Vegetable_Soup)

I also drink a lot of ice water, ice water flavored with lemon or lime juice, unsweetened black iced tea, and flavored seltzers.  When I am feeling lethargic, I go to Starbucks and get a cappuccino with soy milk.  

Either tomorrow or Sunday I will weigh myself.  I will aim for tomorrow and hope I have that "skinny" feeling when I wake up.  LOL.  That strikes me as funny give the irrefutable fact that I have not been "skinny" since I was a child. 

Oh, one more thing, I am going to start a Pinterest Page relating to this blog where I will be posting recipes I have found, motivational pictures, and other fitness / weight loss related things.  If you have a pinterest page, let me know about it!