The Day After Weigh-in

So, I played with the scale enough to accept the fact that I'm up about 1 pound from yesterday.  That's fair. I definitely overate on the heavy foods and underrate on the salad.

Today I go back to normal and enjoy it. :)

Nutritarian Thanksgiving!

Yep.  That's the ONLY picture of the food we made for the whole day.  Can you BELIEVE that????

I wanted to get pictures of all the great food we made. All the recipes I tried were fantastic! It looked beautiful and tasted so good! 

Our turkey turned out lovely.  The cornbread stuffing and green bean casserole were delicious.  The sweet potato pie was VERY sweet, but a good flavor on the plate as long as you didn't have too much. 

The mashed potatoes were too runny, though.  Warming them in the crockpot all day was probably my downfall on that one.  I made up for it with my mushroom gravy, though, as David told me he loved it so much he could cover the plate with it. (at least, I HOPE that was a good thing ;) )

My il's brought a gorgeous and delicious salad that was devoured.  And, my sweet 11yo boy made that adorable "turkey" vegetable platter while my 14yo boy made a batch of home made hummus. 

The biggest hit of the meal, though, had to be the apple crisp ala mode.  A nutritarian apple crisp topped with vanilla Nice Cream.  We really wowed everyone, including ourselves!!  I'll get that recipe typed up and on the blog soon. You will DEFINITELY want to make it. :)

And, a little extra to be thankful for this year, I started the day .4 pounds down on the scale! That puts me at a 2 pound loss for this week already.  Wow!!

However, I really pigged out on the food at dinner today, so I'm thinking I may not like the story the scale tells me tomorrow morning.  For now, I'll just be happy, though.

Thanksgiving Menu

We spent the afternoon prepping food for our Nutritarian Thanksgiving Feast!  We've still got a few things to assemble and cook, including a cage-free, no antibiotics, vegetarian fed (is there any other kind of feed for them?) turkey. 

And, yes, I declare, by all of the powers vested in me, that serving the healthiest and highest quality turkey our budget can afford for Thanksgiving dinner qualifies as a Nutritarian meal.  I'm not sure we're all planning to eat it, but I'm grateful to serve it to our guests on this special day.

Here's our menu plan with links:

Vegetable Tray
Hummus (I'll post this recipe if it turns out)
Savory Bean and Spinach Soup
Turkey
Cornbread Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole (I altered this recipe; I mixed almonds and bread in the food processor and then mixed in dried, minced onion for the topping with some extra slivered almonds)
Sweet Potato Casserole (I altered this recipe; half the maple syrup, no sugar or butter for topping. I mixed pecans, dates, and flour in the food processor for the topping)
Green Salad (brought my guests)
Dinner rolls (brought by guests)
Apple Crisp (we made this recipe up. If it turns out, I'll post the recipe soon.)

Some pics of our hard work today

Renewed Momentum

Scale was down .7 again this morning. That's motivating!

I have some new smaller goals in place to keep me trucking over the next couple of weeks.

1.  Just under 2 weeks until our next picture day.  I'd LOVE to be in the next decade by then. That's 4.5 pounds to lose in 2 weeks.  Doable, if I work hard at working the plan.

2.  27 pounds to lose before I get in the "Healthy Weight" range on the charts.  That's really encouraging to me!  I've had my brain so set on "Another 50+ pounds to go" that I was starting to lose ground.  27 pounds is less than I've already lost. That's exciting!

3.  Make this eating lifestyle fit our budget.  I have got to find a way to decrease the spending because I can't keep spending twice the budget every week.  There has to be a way.

4.  Keep praying for a way to get a hold of Dr. Stoll's materials on plant-based eating. I'm really looking forward to reading through his materials.

Looking Back

So, this past weekend we pulled out some home movies to watch.  Of course it's so precious to see the children in their tiny little form watching birthdays, Christmases, and births of babies happen before our eyes.  Love that.

This time, though, I really saw Me.  I saw a woman that has been overweight...heck, I'll just say it, OBESE for a good 15 years or more.  I saw a woman that was loving her family, making great memories, but worn out, tired, and struggling to keep up with the memories being made. In fact, a lot of the reason those movies got made was because I was sitting out on the sidelines of family life.

I heard my children gasp as they saw my oversized body move across the screen. I cringed when I saw the rolls and the way I struggled to just move or carry a baby in my belly with all the extra weight. I grieve that I spent those years hurting myself and putting those unborn babies at risk now that I know it was simply the result of my choices and ignorance regarding my food choices and habits. 

Today, I am a smaller size than I've been probably since I had my first baby.  I have more energy. I think more clearly.  I struggle so much less emotionally and hormonally.  It truly is amazing.

And, one thing that leaves me grieving is that for the last 5-6 years of that time I believed I was eating for health. I was following the *best* advice. We were eating meat and dairy based whole foods. We eliminated all processed foods and sugar. I loaded our plates with plenty of butter, bacon drippings, olive oil. We even at BEANS several times a week, for crying out loud!

I made so many foods from scratch, I could have given Mrs. Ingalls a run for her money. (okay, well..not really.)  I had a huge bin of natural supplements for omegas, stabilizing blood sugar, supporting hormone swings and depression, fighting illness.

I was Doing The Right Things.  Everyone told me so. My OBs, my midwives, my mainstream medical friends, my natural crunchy momma friends.  I was meticulous about my GD diet plan and I was the pride of the diabetes counselors.

And there I sat. Obese and growing Obese-er.  Diabetic.  Gall Bladder disease.  High cholesterol.  Depression.  Insomnia.  Thyroid symptoms and concerns.  Chronic fatigue.  Chronic headaches. Chronic yeast infections and mastitis. Chronic misery.

And today, here I stand.  FIVE MONTHS of replacing meat, dairy and nutrient-deficient fats by pouring simple, nutrient-rich plants into my body and I am a completely new person! I'll type it again....FIVE MONTHS!!!

Forty pounds - GONE!  (after 15 YEARS of trying to lose but only gaining, I am NO LONGER OBESE!! and well on my way out of Overweight.) 

Blood sugar symptoms and issues vanished.

Cholesterol levels perfect.

Instead of 3-4 days per week of headaches that sent me to bed for a full day, I have one minor headache each month the day before my cycle begins. Nothing I need to medicate at all. Huge difference.

Cycles are completely pain free.  No cramping, no headaches, no fatigue, minimal bleeding for minimal period of time.  I barely know it's even there.

Yeast infections and symptoms have disappeared.

Energy!  I can DO the work the Lord has called me to do.

Addiction free.  No more reliance on foods for good feelings.  No more detox symptoms (headaches, shakes, blood sugar swings, hunger pangs) creating the cycle that fed the addictions to caffeine, sugar, salt, and fat.

And, most importantly, freedom from the bondage of my sinful habits. No more choosing food to celebrate, reward, comfort, appease, release stress, hide from my struggles. 

I'm free from my emotions and the power food had over me to abuse those emotions. 

All because I was willing to challenge my pride and my idea that "I could NEVER eat like THAT!" and just TRY it for a few weeks to see what could happen.  I can't help but pour out my heart of thanks to the Lord for so clearly guiding me when, finally, I seriously prayed and asked. 

I look at that woman in those movies.  I know her heart. It's the same heart as the one I have today longing to honor the Lord and searching for answers on the right way to do it.  But today, this woman, she is free of the baggage that all those years of imprisonment to food, addiction, ignorance, and sinful food habits brought.  That freedom means I am released in so many other areas in my life as well. 

 

"Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.  "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.  "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.'  " 

John 8:34-36

 

 

OH What a difference a year makes!!

Fall 2012

 

Fall 2013

 

 No more sitting on the sidelines for me!

Happy Day

Happy to see the scale the this morning. Finally got that number under 175.  Dropped .9 pounds since yesterday. I was hopeful, as my body had been cleaning itself out all day. 

It's amazing how eating grains/bread as my primary calorie source changes how my body functions. When I'm eating the normal ETL plan, I'm like clockwork with my digestive track.  At least, but normally two or three times a day I have a small, easy elimination.  When I start going over on grains or add in any dairy or meats, I see constipation and hard stools.  I am more than happy to avoid those and so are my hems that haven't given me trouble in many, many months.

Self Clue:  If you miss a morning movement, you know you need to get back on track.

David said he saw a good loss this morning as well.  He was stuck, same as me.  Nice to be building some momentum again.  I'm in awe that he only has about 18 pounds to go before he's in the "Healthy Weight" range.  Very exciting!!

Wondering where I've been lately?

Lost in Grainland.  Sigh.

We had an incredibly busy last two weeks. This past week, extremely so.  The children had three performances of The Scarlet Pimpernel this weekend as well as a day for full dress rehearsal.  It was intense, hurried, wonderful, and topsy-turvy, to say the least.

Because we were on the run and out of the house so often, I just didn't have the time to prep salads for my meals.  I did well with breakfast, but I succumbed to the easy grain foods that I had prepared for the children to eat while out.  Loading up on bread has kept the scale at a definite stand-still. Blah.

Add to that our celebrations this weekend with salty chips and salsa and a LOVELY lunch out with some new friends from the new church we've been visiting.  They invited us to Ruby Tuesdays, which has a great salad bar!  I loved it, but splurged on the biscuits they leave on the table.  I'm a bread-junkie, no joke!  I'm scared again to step on that scale. Grrr.

But, I need to know where I'm at. I guess I do, at least. 

Upside, I headed out with David to try out a Cardio Kickboxing class last week. It was...um...interesting. ;)  I was glad I went and it was good to have something active like that to do together.  I'm hoping I'll learn to like it a lot so it turns into something I look forward to each week.  Who knows, maybe I'll even want to join him for the Boot Camp class he likes to do on Tuesday mornings.  Brrrrr! That's all I can think of when I think of leaving the house for an early morning workout.  It's SO COLD these days!!

Speaking of that, I'm praying to find a new winter coat for myself.  Mine was just way too big.  I passed it along to a friend.  I found one in my oldest daughter's size (small) and have taken the coat she used last year. Only thing, it's really not a winter coat. And, the zipper is busted.  So, it's getting frigid out there and if I'm aim to stay warm, I have to layer up on my fall coats and my clothing.  I have a few dollars tucked away and am praying the Lord will help me find the perfect winter jacket in my thrift store hunts.  Your prayers are very welcome. :)

Continental Breakfast

This is the plan I use for breakfasts for the children each day.  I've been busy sharing this idea with friends, so I thought I should just put it all in one place for easy reference. :)

Saturday, I do a big day of baking for the week. I make a couple loaves of "sweet" breads and granola bars. I also make a couple of pans of baked oatmeal (one for Sunday morning and another for Monday morning).  Everything goes right to the freezer. Anyone snitching on Baking Day doesn't get their share for breakfast later in the week.

Now that I have a baked good for each breakfast during the week, my oldest puts out a continental breakfast buffet each morning. The children come down and make their plate with a bread, fruit, nuts, and side of *G-Bombed beans that cooked overnight in the crockpot. They love it and so do I.

No more cooking in the morning. Way less dishes, so the cleanup that used to take forever is going much faster. I think we even eat faster this way.

Some recipes on our normal rotation:

Orange Berry Muffins

Banana Blueberry Bars

Pumpkin Pie Squares

Banana Bread/Muffins

Zucchini Bread

Make Ahead pancakes

Granola Bars using this recipe, minus the oil and coconut, pressed in a parchment paper lined pan. I sometimes add peanut butter and chia seeds.

So, this week's breakfast menu looks like this:

Monday: Baked oatmeal that is topped with crushed walnuts, fruit, Gbomb beans
Tuesday: Zucchini bread that has crushed walnuts in it, fruit, Gbomb beans
Wednesday: Banana Bread, walnut pieces, fruit, Gbomb beans
Thursday: Zucchini bread with walnuts, fruit, Gbomb beans
Friday: Granola bars, fruit, gbomb beans

*Gbombs is an acronym for Greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, seeds/nuts. I use the term to mean that we've dressed up the beans to fit the acronym as much as we can. We add onion, mushrooms (chopped VERY finely ), and greens (kale or collards or spinach). They all love their beans and greens in the morning.

Recap on the week

This week felt like a dud. 

I overate on grains.

I had several battling sniffles and one with a fever.

I was unmotivated and spent very little time in my kitchen (comparatively speaking).

I didn't make any headway on my household projects.

I mostly just slugged my way through the week.

Today I was back to my normal self and it felt good. I still, however, overdid it on the grains. I'm being lazy about prepping food and those are easy to grab and go. Also, the fridge is almost empty, so it's a little tricky to get in my salads right now.

That means I've avoided the scale this week. I just really don't want to face the music on what all that carbing has done. Sigh.

Q & A

So, lately I've been asked some great questions by various friends.  I thought I'd take some time to share these here.  I find that thinking through these answers is helping me understand better what I'm learning and how the Lord is growing me on this journey.

Q:  I'm interested to hear how difference (if any- but I'm guessing a lot) do you see/feel in your health now, compared to before.


A:  I feel incredibly different, yet ironically the same. How is that for an answer?  Physically, I am transformed. I have energy I never thought I could. I move easier, I fight sickness stronger, I sleep better, and I
keep up more than I did just 6 months ago. Mentally, I am more confident and directed in what course is right for my health. Emotionally, I'm less inclined to the swings, though I'm still working through some issues as I deal with the right way to handle stress. (which used to be food/drink and needs to be prayer and scripture meditation. I've put off the sin but still working to put on the right behavior). Spiritually, I'm walking in a new freedom from old habits. That's the best part. 

But, I'm hugely aware that I am still the same. I am the same me that loved and lived and laughed and cried and struggled and rejoiced 40 pounds ago. I am not better today than I was then. I am not more loved today than I was then. I am that same woman that lived by grace and needs it daily to press on to this prize He has waiting for me. I am the same, yet I am enjoying this life He's given to me in a measure that is more full than I thought I could. And, it only gets better from here.

Progress pics collage

New progress pics for this month are posted on the tab up above.  Thought I'd share a collage I made of our monthly photos we've been taking.

We take a photo on the 10th of each month to show our progress on weight loss this year.  It's exciting to see how far we've come and to think of what we'll see on our anniversary in June!

 

Super excited to see I've reached the 40 Pounds Gone mark!!

Overweight!!

I did it!!! I crossed the line!!


Hello Overweight. :)  I've missed you. :D

RIGHT on the Line!

Can you believe I am RIGHT on the line for Obese?????!!!!  30.00 BMI.  I just can't tip it off that edge for the life of me!

I keep saying TOMORROW it'll happen. Then it goes up or doesn't come down enough or some crazy kind of thing.  

Yet, I am pretty excited to be THAT close! 

And just think, in my birthday suit, I'm NOT obese at all. :) 

So, here's to tomorrow and to the hope of being Overweight. :D

Recipe: Teriyaki Rice

I was hunting for something to make for dinner tonight. (my menu planning took a vacation this week *wince* )

I wanted to do something with rice. I wanted to have some lentils.  I was planning to make a vegetable stir fry, which meant it would all have an Asian flavor.  I hunted around a bit, but nothing struck my fancy.

Got to thinking about flavoring the rice.  Hey, why not just toss the lentils IN with the rice. That could work.

A bit more thinking and Voila!! A new dish is created.

Teriyaki rice
3 cups brown rice
1 cup lentils
6 cups vegetable broth
1-1.5 cups unsweetened pineapple juice (I save the juice from the canned pineapple I buy)
2 tbs onion powder...
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs ginger
1/2 tsp (about) red pepper flakes
2 tbs bragg's aminos

Dump all ingredients into a pot. Stir.  Heat to boiling and then reduce heat to low and let simmer about an hour.  It smells wonderful and the taste was fantastic. Only one 5yo said it was "too spicy" for her. Maybe I decrease the red pepper or ginger next time.  Not sure, as I really didn't use exact measurements when I made it.

Since I'm being honest, I'll let you know that I messed up the liquid measurements in my batch tonight too. I only used the equivalent of 6 cups of liquid because I was thinking that I was only using 3 cups of brown rice.  I added that cup of lentils, though, so I should have increased the liquid by a cup or so. I changed the recipe above to reflect that. 

I also meant to toss in a half bag or so of frozen peas when the rice finished cooking. I forgot to do that.  Next time, hopefully I'll remember.

Still, even though the rice was a little crunchy, it tasted great with the vegetable stir fry we enjoyed tonight.  This one's a keeper. :)

Oh, for the love of chocolate!

My new breakfast obsession:  Chocolate Green Smoothie

1 cup (ish) of unsweetened almond milk
3-4 kale leaves or 1 cup of frozen greens

Blend in blender starting on low and working up to highest speed. Blend until smooth.

Add 1-2 cups frozen fruit/berries and about 1 cup water.  Blend on low working up to highest speed until smooth. Scrape sides and add water as needed.

Add 1-2 tsp of ground flax seed or chia seeds, 2 tsp dark chocolate cacao powder, 1 tsp vanilla, and a banana.  Blend on low working up to high until smooth and creamy. Add more water and scrape sides as needed.

Sip and enjoy the deliciousness. :)

Totally Beat

I am so.incredibly.tired.

Busy day. Schooling, choring, working on house projects, dealing with character issues. I am feeling Worn Out.

Children were up late. Baby was crabby and up late nursing.  I don't think I even need this Nighty Night tea I'm sipping. 

And, the comforting thing is that while I drift off to sleep, I can rest content knowing my *girls* will be burning the midnight oil (err...electricity) so the fam will wake to THREE pots of warm beans to fill their bellies in the morning. 

After the Juice

Starting my third day coming off of the juice and the scale is still going up.

Sigh.

Not surprised.  It happens.  Just sorta silly to think about why I did that juicing and now the scale is going up.

Still, it wasn't ONLY about dropping pounds. I wanted to cleanse out the crud. I did that.  So, it was still worth it.

Pretty sure I won't be juicing again for a long while, though.

Still happily in the 170's, though.  For that, I'm grateful.

Three Days - November Reboot

I made it. Juicedthewholeday.

I was busy in the kitchen and dealing with laundry, so I didn't have a lot of time to think about being hungry.  I also used that pineapple to keep the green juice palatable.

David made us a dessert juice tonight with sweet potato, apple, and grapes.  It was good. Really sweet and too cold for me to finish.  It's so nice to put our feet up after a hard day.

I'm really ready to be done juicing. 

One.More.Pound.

Stepped on the scale this morning.  Down another 2.2. <grin>

One more pound to go before I am OUT of the Obese range on the chart.  <bigger grin>

Boy, if that doesn't give you a reason to not quit, I'm not sure what would.

So, I guess I can't give up today when I am THIS close to what I've been working toward for so long.  I would still get under that mark, but it sure is motivating to keep doing something that could make it happen by...ummm...tomorrow, maybe??? Wow.

I'm going to take it one juice at a time.  Mornings I do tend to do better with juicing than later in the day.  I'll start with the carrot based juices since those agree with me more. I do still have some pineapple left to flavor the green juices.  I think I can make it one more day.

But, then I'll want another day just to keep it solid. ;) 

Sigh.  If you give a mom a juicie..... ;)

Pray for me!!

Day Two of November Reboot

Day two and I'm dying!!! Ack, these juices are SO hard to swallow. 

I'm hungry but I DREAD drinking these juices. That leaves me back to crabby and questioning....WHY AM I DOING THIS????

But, I pressed on and at least completed today.  I had to add pineapple to my last green juice just so I could get it down.  EIGHT more days??? WAHHHHH!!!!!

I have no idea HOW or IF I can make it another EIGHT days.  But, for tonight, I did it and I can sit back and enjoy my tea and not think about it until morning.

Pumpkin Spiced Cookies from Dr. F

Made these this week and they were a big hit. They are definitely going on the list for tomorrow's Kitchen Day. 

Dr. Furhman's Pumpkin Spice 
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
12 medjool dates (pitted)
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (add more if needed)
1 cup pecans (chopped)

In a food processor or high-powered blender, blend pumpkin puree and dates. Place in a bowl and mix in remaining ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls on a non-stick baking pan (or use parchment paper) and press down to flatten. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

 

 

They are the perfect treat when you want to snuggle in with a good book.

 

 

Hello Juice Fast...Hello New Decade!!

The past couple of weeks have found me struggling with eating habits.  While having company, I did well preparing meals that were healthful.  Still, I overate when it came to grains and oils, leaving me feeling sluggish.

We also went out to eat several times.  I was able to make fair choices from the menus but the salt and oils really make an impact on me when I'm doing that frequently.  Topping all that off, the last night we went out, I chose a chicken sandwich to go with my greasy fries and onion rings.  By the next day, I was a completely slug.

One of the great things we did during our visit was to watch one of our favorite family films, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. I was reminded of my intentions to do a 10 day fast ever 3 months to reboot, boost my immune system, and jolt my body with nutrients.  After the last couple of weeks, I was ready. David, of course, was overjoyed.  He's been dying to go back to juicing for weeks.

Yesterday was day one.  The first juice was great.  The second, green juice, just as awful as I remember.  The third, still mildly gross.  But, I got them all down, we went shopping for more produce last night, and I'm committed to the 10 days.  Gulp.

I've never done more than 4 days and that was rough.  I'm pretty sure my crabbiness over the taste of the juices is connected with some detox issues. 

Upside is that I am FINALLY down to the NEXT DECADE!!!!!   A couple of goals I had for doing this fast is:

1.  To get solidly into and through this next decade swiftly.  I lingered way too long in that last decade and I needed a push to get that scale going again.

2. Cleanse my body from the excess crud that's gone in that last couple of weeks.

3. Prove to myself that I can do it. I need to conquer my mind and my gag reflex. 

4. Fit into a few clothing items I bought this week that are just snug enough to get me excited about shedding a few more pounds. :D

So, after seeing the scale down 2.6 pounds this morning, I'm feeling confident about hitting the juice for another day.  :)