Just Do It June!

Instead of starting a new page I actually started in my regular blog.  Here is the first entry that tells you what I'm doing for June: 

SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2013

Just Do It June

So far this year I'd done a goal each month.  January was about getting started with learning to cook and following a real / whole foods diet.  February was about portion control.  March was "mostly fruit & veggie March".   May I just didn't know what to do and half the month has slipped by without a decision.  

As you know, this journey of mine is about my health and a big part of my health is my weight.   I've been blessed so far in life not to have any chronic or serious issues other than being overweight (at times to the point of being clinically obese) since I was in my early twenties.  I feel really good about what I've been doing.  I've given it almost five months and it truly is becoming a lifestyle, not a fad.  I still love cooking and eating like this.  However what hasn't happened is the weight loss.  Initially I did lose about 5 pounds but mostly I've maintained these few months.   It's time to jump into some additional changes to get it going.  So I've decided that June will be in the theme of "just do it".   It is time to get active and also to actively eat in a way that will allow me to start getting this unhealthy weight off. 

I'm okay with losing slowly.  I also have no illusions of a certain weight or size.  I'm not a clinician but I've worked in the health care field now for almost 15 years.  You can't help but learn from being around so many nurses, dietitians and doctors.  I've learned about the correlations between weight and health and simply - it's not good.  Healthy for my height is going to be between 120 and 150 pounds.  I'm currently at about 190 and trust me, it ain't muscle! 

Credit: webmd

I'm going to get a head start by starting now.  Meal plan for this week is done and I just got home from Whole Foods.  I let Hubby know that he's on his own after Sunday night for dinner because lord knows if he's bitching already about "this vegetarian shit" he is not going to like what I'll be making!  Just like how I've been blogging to keep myself on track and ... well to give me some sense of having to be accountable ... (Even thinking that anyone - even one person out there may be watching this journey of mine makes me more accountable.  That's why I chose to do a blog instead of a journal.) ... I am going to write about this part of the journey.   That will keep me honest and on track. 

So what's the plan?   Well ... I'm not sure this is what I'll stick to the entire time - it depends on how my body reacts / responds ... but I'm starting by shifting my diet a bit.  I'll be eating:

1.  Fresh Fruits & Vegetables

2.  Frozen Fruits & Vegetables

3.  Eggs

4.  Dairy

5.  Seeds / Nuts

6.  Beans

7.  Honey & Maple Syrup

8.  Grains

9.  Healthy fats

What won't I be eating?  What's different?

1.  I won't be making or buying desserts, granola, breads or the like. 

2.  I will be significantly limiting my milk and cheese intake. 

3.  I will be significantly limiting my honey & maple syrup intake - just if they are called for in salad dressings or a specific recipe.  No more in my coffee or tea!

4.  I will be significantly limiting my intake of things like bread, rice, and the like.  I'll use quinoa but will really watch how I react with other grains.

5.  Fats - olive oil, coconut oil & nut / seed oils - again very minimal. 

The plan for this week is:

Breakfasts:  2 eggs & a green juice

Lunch:  Mostly smoothies - all recipes are made primarily of fruit and dark leafy greens like spinach & kale.

Snack:  Walnuts & homemade dried strawberries or homemade flaxmeal crackers

Dinner:  A small meal very close to 100% vegetables

I did some research to make sure I'm getting all the nutrients and such that I need even though it will be vegetarian and honestly damn close to vegan.  I kept eggs in there for protein and honestly b/c I know where my eggs come from and feel good about it.  Milk I'm using only if a smoothie recipe calls for it.  Cheese I've only got some goat cheese for a salad, some parmesan for the flaxmeal crackers and also for a spinach dish.  Otherwise none.  I'm not sure how much 'detox' symptoms I'll have so I'm going to watch & if I have to take it easy I will  ... but the plan also is to get in activity at least 3x a week.  Be that walking one of the dogs or going to the gym I need to get OFF MY ASS! 

One step at a time ... so for now just focusing on this week!

5/20/13

Though it isn't June yet I'm getting a head start.   Today I had: 

Breakfast:  Celery, Cucumber, Kale, Apple Smoothie

Lunch:  Blueberry, Mango, Kale Smoothie

Dinner:  Farmer's Market Salad (leftovers) & Juice

I'm having a cup of green tea now to ease my caffeine withdrawal headache but other than that (and having to pee constantly!) I feel great.  My stomach growled as if on cue right around lunch time and right around dinner ... and not since.  If anything it is more about stopping the habit of grazing at night - but tonight my hands and mind have been busy catching up out here!  

Crap ... gotta pee again.  Til' next time! 

5/21/13

Today was another good day.  I found myself waking up with a ton of energy - I actually flipped on my little ipod boom box and danced around the kitchen as I made breakfast.  The dogs looked at me like I was crazy.  They've seen it before but NEVER first thing in the morning ... I think I annoyed them a bit!  

For breakfast I made the Earth Green Juice.  When you look at the ingredients (above) it makes you realize how much food and nutrition you are getting all at once.  I also made my 2 scrambled eggs (with turmeric again - I think I'm hooked!) for  protein. 

For lunch I tried a new smoothie - Pineapple Kale Coconut ... SOOOOO GOOD!  I will surely be having this one on a regular basis!  I'd actually be a happy camper if you gave me this for dessert.  Next time I have a hankering for an ice cream shake this is where I'm going to head first! 

It kept me full through almost 6:30PM!  For dinner I had Spinach with Parmesan bread crumbs - another new recipe.  It was a lot of spinach which made me feel good about it but I'll admit too many bread crumbs.  Not for calories or anything - but taste and texture.  Anyway - still a nice healthy dinner.  

I also drank tea (no honey!) much of the day as well as water.   Once again I had to pee CONSTANTLY and this is probably too much information but I pooped like 3 times this morning!   I think of it as my body flushing out the bad as I'm putting in the good.   I have a minor headache right now but nothing compared to the last two nights.  Thankfully I'm not dealing with "withdrawals" other than that.  I can only assume because I've truly been eating healthy since January - this is just one step further in that direction.  

5/22/13

Woke up again with tons of energy!  No caffeine headache today either!  

Breakfast was Earth Green Juice and some scrambled eggs.  

I loved that smoothie so much yesterday I had to do it again for lunch.  I added a bunch more kale this time ... check out the little green flecks of good for me! 

Dinner was one of my favorites coming back - Creamy Broccoli White Bean Soup.  Hubby loves this one too so I have no doubt the leftovers will be gone in a snap.   It is just garlic & onion ...

Steamed broccoli...

White beans, veggie stock, salt and pepper ... blend away and tah dah SOUP!

What you see on top is a bunch of pine-nuts and a little Parmesan cheese.  YUMMY! 

5/23/13

Another good day!  

Breakfast:  Earth Green Juice & Scrambled Eggs

Lunch:  Celery Cucumber Apple Kale Smoothie

Dinner:  Roasted Vegetables

5/24/13

Breakfast:  Fruit & Scrambled Eggs

Lunch:  Pineapple Kale Coconut Smoothie 

Dinner:  Juice (Carrot, apple, orange, cucumber) & Inner Goddess Detox Salad

Oh and 4 hours of activity in the front garden!  I'm gonna be SORE tomorrow!

5/31/13:

I wasn't just sore, I was hurt.  Turns out I'd pulled a muscle in my lower back and ended up laid up all weekend.   That first day was rough enough that I didn't want to cook so I let Hubby pick up take out.  Naughty take out ... burger and fries!  Good thing it's not officially June yet - eh?  

I got right back on the wagon & have been eating well since:

 Breakfasts have been green juice and Cinnamon Quinoa Bake

Lunches have been mostly smoothies. 

I've often been doing another juice with dinner.  Orange & spinach is AWESOME!  

Dinner: Sushi Bowl 

Dinner: Spinach Burgers

Dinner: Raw Vegan Tacos

6/8/13:

I'm continuing to do pretty well in terms of keeping on track with this plan.  We did go out to eat with another couple on the 1st and ended up at an Italian restaurant.  Tough to go all veggie there but I did choose a vegetarian option (pesto) and a side salad.  I stayed away from the bread but did partake in the red wine ... yummy! 

My pattern this week was mostly juice in the morning, smoothie at lunch and small reasonable dinner that is mostly veggies.   I didn't take pictures of everything but here are a few:

Breakfast:  Decaf Coffee (yep I'm fully there!) and a bowl of fruit. 

Lunch:  Smoothie - Strawberry, Spinach, Cucumber & Coconut Water

 Dinner: Portobello Pizza & Juice

I'm not going to weigh myself until the end of the month.  This isn't a "diet" ... if I start to tell myself I can't have something or that I have to focus on the scale I know exactly what will happen!  I've been there a million times.  This is just making better choices  to take myself one step further towards a healthy lifestyle.   My back is still hurting so I haven't done a huge amount of activity but I have been walking the dogs.  

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2013

Big Mistake!

So my goal for June was to finally start making a conscious effort to lose weight.  To do so I created a 'diet' version of the whole / real foods plan.  So ... I should have realized that like all diets before a self created one would be just as effective.  Not long after I started I noticed that I was craving food items.  French fries. Chocolate.  And strangely, meat!   I literally was dreaming about eating burgers, steaks, sausage ... not exactly a sign of a mind at peace!

I stuck with it thinking willpower would get me through.  After all I did almost six months of Nutrisystem nasty ass food.  Food that NEVER expires?  Yep - now I know better!  Anyway, I caught myself slipping.  Hubby and I went out for dinner and instead of the salad I knew I should get I ordered the burger and fries I'd been dreaming of.  And this time no regrets ... I thought that giving in to my craving would be a good thing as then I'd have gotten it out of my system.  Nope - not even a day later I was right back at dreaming of naughty foods.  We had horrible news last week in that there was a death in our family.  I'd meant to go to the grocery but with everything ended up not going and found myself standing in front of an empty fridge trying to figure out what to eat for dinner.  Jimmy Johns to the rescue.  It was way too easy to slip back into old habits and find excuses.

So lesson learned.  No diet.  I'm back to the basic whole food rules and am meal planning again.  I'm simply going to have to get my ass up and be more active to get the weight off.  The back yard will FINALLY get started this week so soon I'll be able to get out there gardening.  Walking the dogs would be damn good for me and for them too.  I have a gym membership I almost never use.  There's no excuse other than my laziness.