Dandelion Greens & Strawberry Smoothie

My drink creation today got me thinking about how the weeds in our lives can be good for us if we learn to use them for our own benefit (in the spiritual sense as well as the physical)... This smoothie was made with blended dandelion greens, strawberries, banana, hemp seeds, and coconut milk.

My Pretty Juice

Pink Grapefruit, Carrot & Celery

I love the colors of the food and the pretty drink they created.  It was a treat in more ways than one.

My St. Patty's Day Special

Kale, Green Apple and Celery Juice

May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It's been 10 weeks and almost 22 pounds gone so far!

I'm pleased with myself for being able to stay focused on my weight goal.  So far it has been a slow loss, but it has been a steady loss.  From what I've learned, a slow loss is better for the body and more likely to be permanent.  So, even though I'm an impatient person, I will remind myself that this is exactly how it should be and how I planned it to be. 

I went through my closet last night to see what I have for my upcoming cruise and I was pleasantly surprised at how my clothes were fitting.  I can now say that I'm a size 16 in pants and I can take a 14 for tops.  For me this is great news since I started out as a size 20!  I'm also seeing some nice curves showing up!  Yippee!

Top 10 of What Has Helped Me Most

Doing these 10 things has helped me to continue to be successful in my weight loss and fitness journey...

1-Keeping workouts interesting by challenging myself to try new things.

2-Having events to look forward to such as a Caribbean cruise (March 30 - April 4th) and my 25th high school reunion (end of June).

3-Trying new foods and experimenting with new recipes so that meals do not become boring.

4-Being more present while eating by focusing on the food's taste, texture, smell, appearance.  This helps me to feel more satisfied with my meals.

5-Keeping a vision board.

6-Weighing myself every morning and documenting it, then looking back to the prior week to make sure I'm making progress.

7-Taking measurements every month, so I can see the changes in inches which helps to keep me motivated by showing my progress.

8-The weight chart I created (see below) and update every Sunday has been especially helpful.  Mostly because I am an impatient person and when I look at the chart, it shows me in black and white the progress I've made and the realistic time frame I chose for my goal.  The bars on the chart indicate the weight loss progress with a new bar each week indicating the progress up to that date.  The thin diagonal line indicates how far those bars should reach (at a minimum) each week in order for me to reach my ultimate goal of 130 pounds by my goal date of April 1, 2011.  To date I have been passing the minimum requirement to stay on track.  This chart works well for me since I'm a very visual person.  Click on the chart to enlarge.

9- Making sure I get enough sleep each night by going to bed at a reasonable time.  If I don't get enough sleep, I'm hungrier the next day which typically leads to greater calorie consumption.

10- Taking time for myself to just be...to think, to read, to sit in the sun, and do things that help reduce my stress level.  This ironically helps me to be more productive as well.

Physical, emotional & mental improvements I've noticed so far...

No more back pain

Better sleep

Feel more relaxed

Do not wobble anymore when I walk

Greater energy levels (without caffeine)

Clearer thinking (no more brain fog)

I can put pants on without having to sit, lean on anything, or hold on to anything.

Increased flexibility

Increased stamina

Increased overall feeling of well being

More stable moods

Greater feeling of contentment

Greater feeling of hopefulness

Bottoms of my feet no longer hurt

Reduced frequency of irregular heart beats

Slimmer appearance in the mirror

Improved complexion

No unexplained aches and pains
 
Able to physically do more without fatigue
 

Pushing Myself At The Gym Really Helped

After 2 weeks of no results I put it in high gear at the gym trying out a more challenging cardio machine and increasing my time on it throughout the week. It paid off with a 3.6 pounds weight loss. I even ate out last night and had lasagna this past week. My son recently asked me to make lasagna, so I decided to play around with the traditional recipe and created a lower fat version that is less than 400 calories per serving and fantastic! My husband and the kids are still talking about how good it is and they had it a couple of days ago. I used ground bison meat instead of sausage or regular ground beef. Bison has much less fat and calories than beef. I also used low fat ricotta and low fat mozzarella. Here's the recipe (click on it to make it larger). If you decide to try it, please let me know what you think. Take care.

The Good News & Not So Good News While Keeping it REAL

The not so good news first... My weight hasn't gone down in the past two weeks. I knew this would happen at some point, but I didn't think it would be so soon. I will need to rev up my workouts this week and see if that will make a difference. The good news is that I'm eating super healthy and am feeling even better. I've been eating mostly raw foods with plenty of veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds. I haven't gone completely raw because I still want to take advantage of foods that are nutritious, but can't/shouldn't be eaten raw or just plain taste better when cooked, i.e. fish, eggs, brussel sprouts, potatoes, etc. I want to keep variety in my diet and not make it too difficult to find options when I go out to eat or attend a party. Some other good news is that I got through Valentine's day very well even with all the chocolate in the house. I used to be a chocoholic and I mean a serious chocoholic! However, this Valentine's day I was satisfied with a few dark chocolate Godiva Pearls that my husband gave me. It came in a tiny container and I still have some left. Knowing how I would previously devour chocolate, my husband was surprised I did not finish it all yesterday. I think he was testing me last night, because he kept talking about how much he was craving chocolate and then went out to buy some. He came back with a king size bar of Hershey's milk chocolate. Now, he is not a chocolate eater, so I had to question "Why so big?" His response...so he could share it with me. I happily said "No, thank you". He kept insisting and even asked me to put away the half that he had not eaten. I don't know, but this seems to me to be another attempt at sabotage. Why do people do that to people that they are supposed to care about? It's disturbing, but I will not dwell on it. Here are some tasty nutritious treats I enjoyed over the weekend.



Chana Masala (Chickpeas) over sauteed spinach & garlic



Bananas, strawberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and goji berries



Red chard, tomatoes, strawberries, broccoli sprouts, lemon juice & a sprinkle of hemp seeds



A green smoothie made with water, young spinach, banana, hemp seeds & flax seeds...
And YES, it actually tastes good. I was surprised myself the first time I tried it.

This morning I made a more complex one that was very good. Here's the recipe:

Super Green Smoothie w/Strawberries & Pineapple - 2 large servings

Ingredients

1 cup water
1tbs. flax seeds
3tbs. hemp seeds
1 leaf red chard
3 leaves of romaine lettuce (more or less depending on size)
handful of cilantro
approx. 5 strawberries (more if desired)
1" slice of pineapple (cored, peeled and cut into small pieces)

Directions

Blend water flax and hemp seeds at high speed.
Cut up greens, add to blender and blend some more till liquid consistency.
Add cut up fruit and blend till smooth
Pour over ice cubes in 2 tall glasses.
Enjoy with a loved one while fresh!

My 15 yr old son has been drinking these smoothies with me in the morning. I introduced them to him a couple of weeks ago and he's come to expect and enjoy them. It's a good way to send him off to school. My 8 yr old daughter won't touch them if they're green, so I make her other nutritious drinks. Her favorite is juiced carrots and oranges. I use a ratio of 1 large carrot to 2 oranges. She's says it's yummie! To me any freshly juiced fruits/veggies taste better than the store bought bottled/canned ones. They are also healthier. The store bought juices are usually pasteurized (heated) to kill microorganisms so that the juice will have a longer shelf life. The problem with that is that heating also kills the enzymes which are good for you. After it's heated, the food is no longer alive and in it's best form. Freshly made juices are more energizing.

Another good thing I've been doing is being more adventurous with my diet by trying new foods. Over the past month I've added the following new foods which I never tried before...
red chard, carambola (aka star fruit), pomelo, bison, goji berries....and there are many others I'm looking forward to trying.

And on a final note, my choices have become more loving and conscious. I choose organic whenever it's available. I do not eat processed foods. I've significantly reduced the amount of meat I eat to almost none, and when I do (if it had legs) it's free range, (if it swam) it's wild caught, and eggs come from free (not caged) chickens. Eating REAL food with compassion for myself, the animals, and our planet makes me feel better physically and spiritually.

I will continue to keep it...

Raw (most of the time)
Energizing
Adventurous
Loving

Changes After 1 Month

I took my second set of measurements yesterday (one month after the initial measurements). I lost in some areas and not in others. I basically did not lose any inches on my arms and legs with the exception of my upper thighs which lost 1" each. My biggest loss was with my waist which was 2" (and that's with premenstrual bloating). Next, were my hips with a loss of 1-3/4", and I lost 1-1/2" around my chest. I even lost 1/4" around my neck, which I know has helped me to sleep better (less snoring). It's nice to see some difference in measurements and weight (14.4 pounds so far). However, my biggest difference is in how I feel. Instead of dragging myself, I am now running up stairs (and not getting out of breath). Yesterday, I went rollerskating with my daughter and nephew and I was able to enjoy it while getting a good workout. I can't seem to lay around as much anymore. It's like my body has to be moving. I haven't been taking in any extra caffeine or stimulants, just my regular cup of coffee in the morning (which I now sometimes skip), yet I feel much more energized. I give most credit for the improved well being to the foods I am now eating as well as the regular exercise. For me it is not just about losing weight. It's about being as healthy as I can be and enjoying it. I have fallen in love with fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and (luckily for me) they love me back!

My First Comparison Photos

It's been 25 days since I started my weight loss journey, and I couldn't wait to see if it shows. So, I took a picture today to compare with the original photo taken at the beginning of the month. I definitely feel so much better and I think there is some difference in my appearance. I went down to a pant size of 16. I'm still able to wear my 18 size pants, but they are loose. Last night I collected all of my 20 size clothes and got them out of the closet. I plan to donate them or sell them at a yard sale this spring--not giving myself the option to grow back into them! If anyone can use them, let me know, and I'll send them out to you. There's not much, but they are nice clothes for work in an office type setting.

Staying on Track

The weight is steadily coming off. I have started going to the gym on a regular basis. I've designated the time after dinner as my gym time and take along my 8 year old daughter that has started exercising along with me and my 15 year old son decided to go last night as well. I make sure I have a very light dinner. My heavier foods are eaten earlier in the day. At the gym, I spend about 20-30 minutes walking briskly around the indoor track, then 20-30 minutes on the stationary bike. I leave there very sweaty and it feels so good!

An Attempt at Sabotage

Today I asked my dear husband to pick up 3 items from the supermarket. He came back with the 3 items and lots of baked goods (which by the way he's never previously bothered to purchase unless it was requested). Anyway, this was fine. Just because I wasn't eating the stuff doesn't mean the rest of the family can't enjoy it. But then... he points out that he bought 2 chocolate croissants just for me. He knows I love them. I remind him that I'm working on losing weight and that I'm not eating that stuff. He claimed to have forgotten. I gave him the benefit of the doubt. But then... he goes on to say I should eat them because I "deserve it". I said to him "What I deserve is to be happy and healthy".

10 pounds so far!

I've lost almost 10 pounds so far (9.4 to be exact) and it's been 2 weeks on my journey. I lost 2 pounds this past week. If I can continue to lose 2 pounds per week over the next 10 weeks, I will be able to get under the 200 mark just in time for my vacation (at the beginning of April) which is a cruise to Key West and Mexico. That is the mini goal I am reaching for right now. I can't remember the last time I was under 200 pounds. I think it's been at least 9 years--probably longer.

No more chest pain & irregular heart beat!

It's been 10 days with a weight loss of 10lbs. so far. I don't see much of a difference in my clothes, but I feel so much better. I'm sleeping better and my husband reports that he hasn't heard me snore during the last couple of nights. (I have sleep apnea, but was not able to adapt to using the C-Pap machine). I also noticed that when I walked down the stairs this morning, it didn't hurt and I wasn't even holding on to the railing. I used to have to hold on and go down one step at a time when I would first wake up, and the bottoms of my feet would hurt. This morning, I just walked down like a normal healthy person. I have also noticed that my head is clearer and I'm able to manage my emotions better. There has also been a huge difference with my heart. It's beating normally this week! Before I started my weight loss and during the very first days, I had trouble with dull chest pains and my heart was beating irregularly. That problem seems to be gone and I hope it never returns! It's a scary feeling when you can't count on your heart! I knew that I would see these type of improvements over time, but am so very pleasantly surprised that it was this soon. Instead of laying on the couch after dinner, I actually had enough energy to go to the gym last night!

So Far So Good

I'm feeling much better! The weight is going down and I feel healthier already. I'm experimenting with new foods and preparation methods. The other day I made a raw vegetable soup that was surprisingly good. I juiced vegetables to make the broth then chopped up and added several other vegetables including raw corn. It was my first time tasting raw corn and I was surprised to learn that it's edible and actually tastes very good with a pleasant crunch to it. I froze the left over pulp from the vegetables I juiced (along with a bit of the juice) and then used it a couple days later to mix into a turkey meatloaf which turned out very moist and tasty. I'm looking forward to more delicious and healthy discoveries.

Weight Chart

Because I am a very visual person, I created a weight loss chart where I can document my weight each week and visually see the progress in black and white.

Today is day 2.

So far so good! Sometimes the hardest part of a journey is getting started. Now I'm on my way!