Here we GO!!!!

Eat to Live round 1 was an awesome experience for me and showed me a few things about myself. 1) Yes, I am capable of commitment to a healthy diet that doesn't include counting points or calories, and is actually a feasible way to live. 2) I like lots of whole foods I never thought I could even taste. 3) My journey has influenced not only myself and family, but my friends, and I have loved being an inspiration to others! SO, that being said, let me recap where Ive been the last month. My first 6 weeks on ETL was a huge success. I had envisioned finishing out that 6 weeks, and continuing on my journey in a manner that would follow the basic principles of ETL with my own modifications I felt I could live with. Then came an event that I wasn't quite ready in my journey to handle properly. VACATION. Damn, I completely blew it. I ate popcorn. I ate candy. I ate cheese. I ate more sodium that any one person should legally be allowed to consume. I even ate a chili cheese coney. Lord, HAVE MERCY!! In short, it was binge central. UGHHHH! I felt horrible.  This cycle has continued for the last month or so. I haven't been quite so awful with my choices as I was on vacation, but there has definitely not been much ETL going on. The guilt has been plaguing me over the last weeks, and I feel ready to jump back into it once again. The results I got with the initial 6 weeks of ETL were amazing. I would like to say this, though, even with my ridiculous binge fests I have been able to maintain my weight loss. 20 pounds lost. So, all this being said, I have recommitted myself to this journey once again and I would like to come back to document as my journey continues and I request your support! Tonight I am going to stuff spinach and kale as well as the usual array of frozen fruit and flaxseed into my ninja and get this party started.

Hanging my head....

Clearly I have been absent lately. Probably that is because I have had some hiccups and been avoiding this place. SO, confession time. My family came to visit, and as strong as I was in my first month, I was just not strong enough to beat out the temptation that Uno Chicago Grill offered. I ate ranch dressing. I ate feta cheese. blah, blah...that is how I felt the day after, and still feel now. Man, times have been tough! Anyway, I would like to mention that at my one month weigh in I lost a total of 14.5 pounds!! How amazing is that?? I guess what I have learned is this; this is life. I will try to eat 100% clean 90% of the time, and that 10% of "oops" moments are OK! I didn't gain any weight after my "oops" and am back on track now. It was actually good for me, in a way, because I had that "cheat" meal, and immediately felt that pang of guilt that often follows poor food choices. It was convicting enough to send me running back toward the light. So, here I am, once again dealing with withdrawals. The headache I felt this morning was just about unbearable. Its almost not worth the uh oh!
Right now, in addition to my eating, I am really focusing on my last month of my training program. I cant wait to share my before and after photos with you all. I have come such a long way. Its amazing how far this journey has taken me in just a short amount of time. I feel energized, and as though there is hope I will actually achieve goals I honestly never thought Id achieve. Do you all have any recipes you could share for clean eating? Of course, Id love to see some vegan options, but that isn't required. Post below!!
Tomorrow I have an intensive workout scheduled at the gym, then tomorrow evening I have a date to run 7 miles. Definitely going to sleep well tomorrow night!
Ok, folks, I am officially back.

Week 3

Well, this week didn't end as I hoped. I only lost 1.5 pounds during week 3. That brings my total loss to 11 pounds. I suppose I can't be too sad about that!

Lately....

My husband just instructed me that it had been far too long since my last post so I should get my tired butt up and BLOG! So, here I am. I admit, he is right, it has been a while since my last post. I have been doing well. No set backs, cheats, or doubts here. OH, let me talk about my dinner tonight. I am constantly amazed at how easy this way of life is becoming. Earlier today, Lorie and I went to Wegman's. LOVE! Its such a great store, they have anything and everything from a bakery, to a sushi bar, to an amazing vegan section. Anyway, it was there I obtained a 100% whole wheat pizza crust and decided to try out an Eat to Live friendly pizza. At home I put into my Ninja 2 cans of unsalted diced tomatoes, about 1/3 jar of organic unsalted tomato paste, minced garlic, a pile of garlic powder, Ms. Dash's Italian medley, basil, and oregano. Blended this all up, and used it as my sauce. I heated up my wonderful pampered chef pizza stone, and put a tbsp of olive oil and garlic powder onto my crust with a brush. I chopped up a red onion and a green bell pepper for my toppings. I added the sauce, then the veggies, and topped it with nutritional yeast. I was a bit skeptical because we have tried whole wheat crusts before, and they were just disgusting. However, after about 20 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees, it became browned and crispy on the edges. My hubby and I ate the whole thing! It was wonderful! This is def something we will make again. Something else I have been enjoying lately is fresh guacamole with fresh salsa. Actually, I'm not a guac person and have never liked it much, but I have been CRAVING it like crazy since I tried this fresh one at whole foods! I put it into a bowl (about a tbsp of guac mixed with fresh salsa) and spread it onto some 100% whole wheat mini pitas, DELISH!!! Just make sure you dont eat to much guacamole if you do since avacados are high in fat. Yes, good fats, but only needed in moderation.
So, that seems to be all that's going on here right now. I have family coming this weekend and I am a little nervous about eating well while they are here because they love to eat out as much as I do! I am praying for the ability to make good healthy choices! ALSO, tomorrow is my official week 3 end weigh in! Get excited!! I am. I cant wait to see how much I am down! Stay tuned for that. Good night all!

Why does it have to be so hard???

Alright folks, let me give an update. I'm going to back up to Friday.I spent my evening bowling with the spouse's club, where they provided pizza and nachos. My sister, Stephanie, and daughter, Emma, accompanied me. My sister couldn't help but order a pitcher of beer. Nice. Then Emma wanted french fries. Just GREAT. The smell was so inviting and so tempting. I wanted to eat that food and drink beer so badly! My belly was growling even though I ate before I went in hopes of keeping my hunger at bay. I managed to succeed in getting through the evening without falter, but it made me long for that junk I hadn't really been exposed to since starting Eat to Live. Sure, the caring cart holds temptation, but at least there is no having to smell it! Let me say this really quick; I don't want to send the message out that this way of eating is miserable and I am always longing for crap to eat, but I want to be real. I want my readers to understand that this is hard. I face trials every single day and feel as though it would be easier to quit sometimes. The biggest push though, comes with the results. I see pounds lighter on the scale despite weight training and doubts. I hear the comments from my friends and family about the difference physically they see. I feel the increased energy everyday. Right now, yea, this is hard. Hard as hell. It will become easier though. With time, the junk wont seem so appealing. However, until then, I will keep coming here to complain every time I am tempted because I find this so therapeutic! I cant run to just anyone to complain. Their solution? Just eat. Umm, no thanks. Ill take health and longevity if I have to suffer a little bit for the greater good. Moving on to Saturday. The ballgame happened, and I prevailed. My hubby and I went tout to eat at an authentic Chinese hole-in-the-wall restaurant in downtown DC's China town before the game. I had veggie soup and a little veggie fried rice. Yep. I had some white rice. Im ok with that. It wont happen again for a long time, and it didnt kill my diet. Moving right along. After we ate, I opened my fortune cookie, and got the most inspiring message I could have possibly gotten. It was made just for me! On a completely unrelated note, the game was awesome, Wizards got that WIN, and I got to high-five the entire starting lineup, including John Wall...twice!!! AND, my sweet hubby had a note posted to me on the scoreboard! Anyway,I am getting tired here, and my laundry room is calling my name. Until next time......                                                        

So yummy, so yummy there's a party in my tummy...

Just had to share my dinner with y'all. 100% whole wheat tortillas, black beans, onion, corn, peppers, diced chilis all inside the tortilla. On top I put both fresh salsa and guacamole. Omg, so delish!!!!

I also had a salad, to include romaine, carrots all shredded up, red onions, cucumbers, celery, and my fave sweet onion and basil dressing from whole foods. I call dinner a success.

Alrighty, so as I said in my previous post, today I wanted to blog about the food Ive eaten today to give you an idea of what I'm doing here. This morning I started my day with a banana and a green smoothie. See below for the recipe used. Post smoothie I headed over to the gym for my shoulder workout and cardio session with Lorie. We had a great workout today. I enjoy our workouts so stinking much. :) For lunch I had a great pasta dish I came up with all on my own! What I did was use 100% whole wheat pasta, and then created my own "sauce." I sauteed some minced garlic with a whole onion, then added celery and a can of unsalted diced tomatoes. I added a ton of spices; garlic powder, basil, and an Italian medley made by Ms. Dash. It turned out nicely and made enough for a few meals! I also drank another smoothie, same recipe as before.

So, for dinner I felt like I needed a few extra carbs since I ran 4 miles this evening. I ate another small serving of my pasta as well as a salad. I got this great dressing at whole foods that is legal and pretty tasty. I was having a really hard time with the salads initially because I am a ranch girls through and through, and ranch dressing is completely illegal!

 Just when I think I cant do this and nothing tastes good anymore, I remember my raw peanut butter and 

mini pitas! The minis are 100%whole grain and therefore completely legal. Best part? 5 whole little pitas constitute a serving. Together these taste amaaaazing! Also, I got some organic green apples and I have been snacking on those like crazy today! They are so sour and so yummy!

I have been working this week and going non-stop. I am so tired and the kids are finally in bed. I am gonna have to call it a night. Goodnight!

AHHHHH!!!!!!

Ok people, I officially retract any negativity I may have previously conveyed. Today marks the end of my week 2 and I am down......9.5 POUNDS!!!! How awesome is that?? I can hardly believe it myself! Motivation and faith is completely renewed in this diet. So, I thought today I would blog my food. I just ate a banana, and am getting up to blend my smoothie. This morning I will use frozen strawberries, a banana, and an apple. I tried an apple in my smoothie yesterday and it was delish! Of course I include the tablespoon of flaxseed and a bit of water. I'm not worried about any ice since the strawberries are frozen. Stay tuned for lunch today. I hope you all have a fanfreakingtastic day!

To Eat (to live) or not to Eat (to live)....

I was just informed by my husband that we are attending the Washington Wizards/Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game this Saturday night. Ordinarily, that would make me ecstatic. I love basketball, especially NBA. We have been season ticket holders in the past, so Ive been a little spoiled in how frequently we used to attend. The last year I havent gotten to go as much, so this is exciting news, usually. Unfortunately for me one of the most exciting parts of the ball games is the food and the beer! Naturally, this causes me great anxiety. Tomorrow will mark two weeks I have faithfully followed the Eat to Live plan. How am I gonna pull this off??! I want to go to the game, drink $8 beers, and eat all kinds of crap!  OK, now that I have that out of my system, but really? How am I gonna pull that off? This is trial will be weighing on my shoulders the next few days.I cant lie, I honestly sat here and contemplated if it was too soon to have a cheat meal!  I should be strong enough at this point in the game to handle this! Why does it have to be so hard! I can tell you this; I will get through it. I made it through 4 more shifts with the caring cart staring me in the face begging me to partake and  I  prevailed. I can do this too. I suppose this chapter will be continued...

Just keep swimming, swimming, just keep swimming, swimming.....;)

Feeling Unmotivated...

Ok blog friends, motivate me. I am sitting here feeling like I have nothing to write about. Today has been detox hell. Disconnected, headache, anxious. Blah. I still stuck to the plan. I actually wasn't extremely hungry today and had to push myself to eat lunch, even after an intense 2 hour workout.  I started day 43 (week 7) of my 12 week strength training program yesterday. Today I worked arms, abs, and ran for my cardio.  I am running in a 10-miler race in about a month and Ive just started to step up my running again since the Army 10-miler last October. It been so dang cold here that I haven't been able to run outdoors much lately. I find it terribly difficult to stay focused on the treadmill. Got through it though, thankfully. I am so anxious to see results from the fruits of my labor I can hardly stand it! Tomorrow is my legs day, and my strongest muscle group by far. This is my fav day of the training program, which comes twice a week. If you're interested in following (or just checking out) my workout regimen, here is the link. Jamie Eason's LiveFit 12 week trainer I have enjoyed it thoroughly.

I have def been a funk the last couple of days. I'm still trucking along, eating on plan, not cheating...but DYING for some variety. I think that is going to be my goal for this week; trying some different recipes. Tonight my hubby ate "my" food with me, which consisted of romaine lettuce, bell peppers, walnuts, cucumbers, garbanzo beans, topped with a dressing I purchased from whole foods (legal). It was pretty good. My hubs is eating well also, but not following Eat to Live as I am. He still incorporates meat into his diet, and possibly more carbs. He def isn't giving up meat! 

SO, tomorrow I will be facing another challenge. I have a MOPS meeting and brunch in the am (mothers of preschoolers). This is basically where a bunch of moms get together and eat, and hear a speaker. I look forward to this event, which is held twice monthly. Mainly for the brunch part. Oh man, egg and sausage dishes, muffins, cake pops, fruit, bagels, etc. I LOVE it. In fact, I myself am responsible for bringing in a pile of food I cant even consume. How lame is that!? Anyway, I foresee myself sitting in the car having a little talk with God before heading into that land of temptation. i imagine that if I can evade the caring cart, I can make it through this as well. I mean, I am into my second week and going strong. Why screw it all up now? Fresh fruit. I may eat the whole damn tray, but that's fine by me. My friends know whats up. 

Speaking of friends, my BFF, Lorie ( who is working towards all out eating to live) got news this weeks that her hubby got orders for this summer, and they may be PCSing (permanent change of duty station) this summer. For those who dont know me personally, we are an Air Force family. My hubs is active duty AF. Lorie is an Army wife (no, I don't hold that against her, we wear sweatpants equally as often ;) We have only known each other a little over 2 years, but during that time, we have built an incredible friendship and I consider myself extremely lucky to have found her. Also, so thankful for my eldest daughter, Emma, to have found Lorie's daughter, Peyton. They are 8 and also the best of friends, so this news has been especially hard on them as well.  I love her and her entire little family dearly. I honestly don't know what I will do without her when she leaves. So, as you think about me this week and my Eat to Live journey, say a little prayer for all of us as this all sinks in. I ask that Lorie and her family to receive suitable placement and to find happiness in that decision, and for the girls as they go through their first heartbreak. Also for me, as I feel a little selfish, because I just want them to stay! 

Just let me say this real quick before I head out. I already feel better. This blog is so theraputic to me. Thank you to everyone who reads! 

Going to go ahead and close out for the evening, the hubs is already passed out. Goodnight everyone!

Nutrient Density

Wanted to share this clip. Here, Dr. Furhman discusses nutrient density, the key principle to the Eat to Live plan.

True Hunger vs Toxic Hunger

Alrighty, let me update you wonderful people.  First, I want to briefly talk about TOXIC hunger vs TRUE hunger. For those who are beginning this journey, or for anyone who has ever attempted to cut out the processed and preservative filled garbage we so often fuel our bodies with, you have felt "toxic" hunger. It's actually your body detoxifying itself.  The toxic hunger Dr. Furhman discusses in his book, Eat to Live, is described as irritability, headaches, weakness and that growling feeling we all have felt before deep in our bellies. That feeling usually only satisfied by eating something unhealthy. Often times we begin our diets and start feeling this way and we give in because it feels like we are literally STARVING! It's a vicious cycle. Guess what? We were WRONG!! It is the same concept as when a drug addict gives up their drug of choice and begin to go through withdrawals. We are addicted to unhealthy, preservative filled junk food! Our bodies produce the same response when you deprive it from what it craves. I have gone through this over and over during the last week! Except for the giving in part ;)
Now, let me talk just a bit about TRUE hunger. Once we can move through the withdrawal phase successfully we are able to recognize what TRUE hunger feels like. True hunger, apparently, begins in your throat. Your sense of taste heightens, and your salivary glands will be more active. I wondered if this was just something Dr. Furhman made up so I Googled it (my most reliable resource ;).  I found from multiple sources (unrelated to Dr. Furhman) that this is, indeed, true. Although I have yet to feel this true hunger in my throat, much of my withdrawal symptoms have faded and I am hoping to soon experience true hunger.
Now, let me update you on where I am in this journey. My first full week ended Wednesday night. I weighed Thursday morning and found that I have lost 3.1 pounds. Let me be honest. I was disappointed. I expected to jump on the scale and see an 8 pound difference. So after weighing and feeling disappointed in myself, I had to take a sec for a reality check. I said "Jenny! you lost 3.1 pounds in a WEEK! Why the heck are you disappointed??!" Then I responded with, "Wow, you're right! That's great! What if you do that every week for a month?! That would be 12 pounds lost! Better still, what if you do that for 6 weeks?? That would be 18 pounds lost! How amazing is that?!" Ok. So the sadness is gone. So happy with my results at this point!  Bringing me to the biggest achievement, making it a whole week without cheating. I did it. So freaking proud right now. I'm beaming.
In other news, my magical Ninja food processor/blender showed up on my doorstep this week. I have been so excited about getting this for making smoothies, dressings, whatever else I may feel compelled to process or blend. However, before I could even use the dang thing, I managed to cut the end of my texting thumb off on the blades while washing it. Man, I really thought the blood would never stop. Anyway, finally got it washed and blended the best green smoothie ever! I pretty much stick to the same recipe everyday (spinach, kale, flaxseed, strawberries, blueberries, banana).  I feel pretty good at this point. I am feeling less hungry between meals and not craving the junk food like I was. The biggest change for me I've noticed is in the evenings I feel more energized. I haven't needed the afternoon coffee just to make it to bedtime. This has truly been a blessing for me and I am so thankful for my decision to go with this. Everyday I have success makes it harder to turn back and I pray it continues. Thank you so much for reading. All the positive notes really boost my morale :)
The All Star basketball game is on tonight, so I'm going to close out on that note.

I love motivational slogans, so here is your dose for today. This is what I'm trying to keep in mind as I keep on trucking today.

Just another day in paradise...

Right now I just have to LOL at myself. The last couple of days for me have been tough and my frustration and anxiety level have been super high. I really didn't want to drink this freaking smoothie this morning. I wanted to eat southern style biscuits with my babies. Lord have mercy they smelled so good. So this morning as I prepared my green smoothie, I packed the blender way too tight with fruit and veggies (strawberries, blueberries, banana, grapes, kale, spinach and flaxseed with a bit of water). So to get things moving I popped the lid off of the blender to stir things around. Me, being the brain ranger that I am, stuck a plastic IKEA spoon in there. What do you think happened? Spoon got broken up into a million tiny pieces all throughout my smoothie. Great, just freaking great. So here I am, already not wanting to drink this mess, sifting through it with my fingers trying to salvage my breakfast. Lots of emotion running through me right now. Although I am probably drinking bits of plastic this morning all blended up with my delectable breakfast beverage, it actually tastes pretty good right now.
Let me back up to yesterday. I have to say again that the last couple of days have been hard for me. I exercised hard night before last in a hot gym, wearing too many clothes and overheated on the treadmill. I woke up with a killer headache I haven't been able to shake. I felt nauseated all day yesterday. The last thing I wanted to eat was a cold salad. Blahhh!! My buddy Lorie came over after our morning gym workout and let me fix her lunch, too see what the hype was all about. I made her a salad of romaine lettuce, topped with onions, bell peppers, black beans, fresh salsa, and tahini dressing. We also ate the last of my steamed green beans from the previous night topped with tahini dressing. She added some chicken to hers since she isn't going the vegan route. She loooved it! I was so happy! I did feel incredibly full after lunch, as did she!

Later yesterday afternoon, my other buddy Karlee came over and we went for a 3 mile jog. Karlee and I haven't seen much of each other lately since she moved off, so she stayed over for dinner too! I had been excited about making dinner all day because I got a great vegan chili recipe from another blog (www.fatfreevegan.com). I needed to have a hot meal  in the worst kind of way! It turned out great! We ate it over 100% whole wheat brown rice. I used a whole onion and green bell pepper both chopped, a can of black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, frozen corn, a can of diced chilies, a whole jalapeno, cumin, chili powder, and some black pepper. Oh, 2 cans of unsalted diced tomatoes. If you make this, be sure to rinse the beans really well. I let it simmer for a bit, 20-30 minutes and there ya go! It was delish! Karlee and my hubby both ate it and loved it!

I am praying hard today since I am struggling so much. Lorie pointed out to me yesterday that this is the longest she has ever known me to go without eating fast food. 6 days, people! That is flipping SAD! However, this is truly the longest I have ever gone eating well, and without cheating with anything illegal! I have clearly not been able to make this happen for myself alone before, so I am certain that with the help from God and my family and friends I can push through this. My mom tells me the hard times will pass. We shall see.....

;)

When the going gets tough....

The tough head over to the caring cart. Let me explain. I am a nurse in a NICU, and to show us nurses how much our management appreciates us they created this cart that is rolled into the unit at specific times for our enjoyment. This happens on both day and night shifts. This cart is full of candy, chips, flavored coffees, teas, cookies, whatever is brought in for us. I CANNOT STOP!!! Well, let me rephrase, I COULD NOT STOP!!! I would literally graze on mounds of chocolate and Doritos for hours. Do you hear me??! HOURS!!! OK, so my point is this; I managed to evade the beckoning call of the caring cart last night, and as they rolled it out of the unit my heart did a little happy dance. This was a magical moment for me because although this little hurdle is small beans in the big scheme, it was huge for me at this moment in my Eat to Live journey. My will to continue and persevere was stronger than my want to tear into that junk. Do you know how HAPPY that makes me???! There is a smidge of self control somewhere in there after all! For your viewing pleasure, I am including a snapshot of the infamous caring cart.

Moving right along. Since this journey began one of my major issues was how I could possibly make all this healthy food taste good. That has definitely been a problem with some of my concoctions so far. BUT, tonight I did come up with something that I really enjoyed eating! My mom gave me a recipe for a dressing made from tahini (ground up sesame seed), lemon juice, some spice and a bit of water, which I made. I cooked up a pan of black beans, green bell pepper, tomato, and a bit of fresh salsa with brown rice. I also steamed up some fresh green beans and poured this dressing all over both dishes and shabaam! Loved it! As day 5 comes to a close, I feel so proud of myself for finally making a change. It has not been easy, and I have to pray everyday for strength and the want to continue. If any of you reading are considering this lifestyle but just not sure you have the fight in you to make it work, let me suggest you read Made to Crave by Lisa TerKeurst. It was really here in this book that I found the inspiration to seek out what was right for me.

I have seen this quote in several places and everytime I do it motivates me. Just wanted to share, because it is so true. A year is enough time to make a total transformation.

Day 4...

I woke up this morning with a sink full of dishes and a dirty blender. Wanna hear the ultimate lazy? I didn't feel like cleaning it for my morning smoothie, so I just ate raw fruit instead. Oh well, such is life and I am not ashamed admit I'm occasionally a lazy bum. Moving on to lunch, which was actually pretty delish, was a smoothie after I found motivation to clean the blender (pic to follow), and some yummy tomato soup!
I am having mixed feelings at this point over this eating plan. Its tough to think that this will be life. Although I finished reading the book, and it says to follow a 90/10 eating rule; eating well 90% of the time and 10% (one meal weekly) cheating. 1 bad meal followed by 20 good ones shouldn't undo all my hard work. Of course, once Ive made it to the 6 week point I may love my body and the way I feel so much that I may not WANT to cheat! We shall see....

Eating to LIVE

I would like to preface my first blog post by saying this; my blog is a work in progress and will take some time for me to figure out the technical aspects of blogging. I have been so excited to get going, so I thought I'd go ahead anyway. SO, consider this site "under construction"!

Most of you that will read here, I am sure, are probably here because I commanded you to do so in an effort to hold me accountable. Whatever your reason for reading, I am glad you are. I need this journey to be documented, again, for mostly my accountability, but also in hope that I can reach out to someone who has found their self in my shoes at the point I made the decision to Eat to Live.

I was recommended Eat to Live, by Joel Fuhrman by my mom. She is a vegan, and I consider her a valuable resource for nutrition. Initially my primary reason for my want to make changes in my diet is the realization that to be fit, truly fit, I would have to face my greatest addiction head on and make some real life changes. I love food. I love eating it. I love the social aspect of eating with someone else, or I can do it all alone. I've always heard that "you cant eat that way forever, it will catch up with you," phrase that I thought would never come true; it did. Back to the book. I have been reading, for some time now, about the benefits of "clean eating" and the correlation between diet and disease. I also recently read a book about the paleo diet and seriously considered this route as well. Dr. Fuhrman's book is so well written and so many legitimate studies are cited throughout the book. The evidence clearly states that if you eat whole, healthy foods you WILL lose weight (quickly) and protect your body as well as possible from certain cancers as well as diseases of the heart. Sounds pretty appealing? It does to me! Id love to stay here on this earth with my family as long as possible, and pass on as much knowledge of healthy lifestyle to my girls as I can!  So, the breakdown of my diet and what I will be doing the next 6 weeks; goal of 1 pound of raw veggies per day, 1 pound of cooked veggies per day, at least 1 cup of beans/legumes per day, flaxseed, at least 4 fresh fruits per day, 1 serving of 100% whole grains per day, as well. Oh, and no snacking between meals, and of course my supplements. Sounds easy enough, right? HA!
Today, Saturday is my 3rd full day of eating on the plan. So Thursday was my first day, and I thought I was going to starve. Literally thought I would starve to death come 2pm. I made it, though. Friday morning I was proud of myself for having made it through the previous day, so I was ready to hit it hard. By 3pm I was detoxing so hard from all the sugars and processed stuff I'm so terribly addicted to I thought, "I CANT DO THIS"!!! So I cheated and ate a banana before dinner. OOPS! Again, though, I made it. Today was day 3, and a good bit easier. I actually realize, i think, that will not die if I dont have a candy bar or a slice of pizza. Yes, the food doesn't taste as amazing as a cheeseburger would, but it will keep my heart healthy and with commitment, provide longevity!  I am eating "green smoothies" for breakfast, which consist of spinach, kale, frozen fruits (strawberries, blueberries, bananas), flaxseed, and water all blended up. They are actually my favorite meal of the day. I am eating a lot of salads too. Garbanzo beans are really delish on a salad! My mom gave me some recipes for some legal dressings that include lemon juice and unsweetened almond milk as well as tahini, that make the salads and veggies edible! So, tomorrow I will keep pressing on!
Now, I would like to say this; I am doing a workout plan found on http://www.bodybuilding.com/. My compadre Lorie and I are currently in our 6th week of strength training and cardio. Im hoping that combing the eating plan with my current workout plan I will see some amazing changes in my body over the next months. Id love to be able to proudly wear a bikini again! I suppose this novel will suffice for my first entry. I really have so much more Id like to say, but I'm getting evil looks from the hubs over there in the recliner. Until, tomorrow......