Day Ten

My Food:

Breakfast: Breakfast salad, Chocolate beet muffin, decaf with my vanilla milk

Lunch, spread out through the day: 4 strawberries, several handfuls of carrot sticks, banana, sunflower seeds, Vitamin Zero (half a bottle), decaf black and a lot of water and gum.

 

Dinner: Romaine topped with chickpeas (mixed with hot sauce), corn, mashed pintos, salsa, sauteed mushrooms, and a few chips (I gave about half of mine away).

My Thoughts:

Today was our first day of travel. It went wonderful! I did so great resisting the junk food that was flowing pretty freely around me. I even did well with not snacking until we ended up not stopping for lunch at all and I simply had to eat. I tried to make a meal of it, but ended up dragging out the bits I ate. I'm okay with that given that what I was snacking on was healthy and I was careful to limit the seeds since they are so salty. The Vitamin Zero was a treat David got for me so I had a bit but then shared it with him so I didn't drink the whole thing.

I'm really proud of myself for not using food to pass the time today. I kept busy reading the bible to David, doing a word search in a BOOK and not on my phone, studying the map, and just visiting with my guy. It was a lovely, confidence buidling day.

Unfortunately, travel sometimes makes for irregular mealtimes. By the time we got to our campground I was seriously famished. David took the kids swimming while my oldest and youngest stayed behind to get dinner on. I put together a pretty nice spread considering how hungry I was. And, I didn't even snitch once!

Oh, so here's another point of victory. It's my oldest son's birthday today. We talked of taking him out to eat to celebrate. With the timing of travel, it ended up working better to eat at home, but there was a few times today that I went back and forth in my head trying to decide what I would find to eat at a restaurant. Then, when we got to our campground there is a fried fish place right across the street. That smell fills the air (which is NOT appetizing to me anymore). The notion that I would have so easily suggested we skip the meal prep, especially when I was SO hungry and didn't want to take time to cook, AND it is my boy's birthday after all, we really should just go enjoy a meal out at that place. I mean, we're on VACATION, right?? (see all those excuses that float through my brain?)

But I didn't do it!! I had already gotten myself ALL hungry for the dinner I was planning to make and wanted nothing to do with ruining all my hard work this past week and a half. (Never mind, I didn't want to dump the cash ;) ).

My birthday "boy" turned 16 today. *sigh*

And then, after dinner, when I took the children for ice cream as a birthday treat I happily resisted having any. Not even a lick. :) I had already promised myself apples with chocolate pb dip when we got back to the camper. Voila! Instant will-power.

This is a plate for three people. I wasn't being a total piggy. 

Looking Ahead:

Tomorrow is another day of travel and battling my food habits. I'm gonna win again. I'm determined. :)

Day Nine

My Food:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins, bowl of fruit (melon, grapes, pineapple); David had his veggie omelet, hold the cheese and eggs. ;)

Lunch: Bean balls on a romaine salad topped with carrots and broccoli topped with Dijon mustard

  

 

Dinner:  Veggie burger with mushroom & fries, (ate only the bottom of the bun) green apple dipped in peanut butter chocolate date frosting

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

I'm so very done.  We were up at 5am this morning, grabbed breakfast out, did some shopping and got back home by 8am to hit the packing HARD.  While David was heading up packing the van and camper, I busied up the kitchen prepping more food and sending out what needed putting away in the camper. 

 

A few creations:

Granola

Breakfast Cookies

 

 

Done List:

Granola

Breakfast Cookies (my oldest made those)

Black Bean Burgers (they turned out massive and look so great. I wish I had taken a photo)

Vanilla Milk (new creation!!)

Vanilla Milkshake (special treat for the kiddos)

MAJOR harvesting, cleaning, chopping, and bagging of greens from the garden (all thanks to the kids)

 

So, that vanilla milk I made is pretty awesome. I wanted a flavored creamer for my coffee on the trip. I'm really excited about this. I soaked about 6 dates in 2 cups of almond milk. Added a bit of vanilla (you know, a squirt or so) and blended.  It's so sweet and creamy. All the children said it tastes like ice cream. That's how I got the idea to add ice to the next batch and serve them vanilla milk shakes. They loved me. :)

 

So, let's talk about that sorry looking dinner.  We got to supper time and just couldn't bear to make ANOTHER mess in the kitchen after the piles of dishes we've been washing the last two days. We ordered take out from a local place where we know they have veggie burgers. They aren't the best, that's for sure. The fries are certainly not loaded with nutrition either.   So, while I know we could have done better had we eaten at home, we really just needed to find an option that allowed us to eat something with substance while allowing us to keep getting our work done.  We enjoyed a little break while picking up food and then got home and hit it hard again.  So, I wouldn't say we stuck with the 6 Week ETL plan since that bun was processed, so was the burger, even though it was a veggie burger, and the fries were, you know, fried. I'm going to bed not feeling guilty about it, though. We made a best choice and moved on to the next thing. 

 

It looks like we have just the odds and ends to pack up in the morning and we will be hitting the road!  I'm so excited to be enjoying a big ol' breakfast salad while cruising along on the first day of our journey. Oh, and enjoying my decaf with my yummy vanilla creamer!!

 

I'm not sure how we'll do for internet access while we are on the road.  I'm committed to writing daily, but I can't be sure I'll be able to post what I'm writing each day on the blog. I'll do my best, though!! I can't wait to share all about our adventures and the good eats along the way!

 

I also can't wait to put my feet up and take it easy for a while.







Day Eight

My Food:

Breakfast: handful or so of cherries while driving to the grocery store

Lunch: Taco salad, black bean burger, green apple

Dinner:  Plate of romaine salad topped with veggies and cashew-Italian dressing, bean balls topped with marinara sauce, cooked broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, Peanut butter munchy squares for dessert.

My Thoughts:

Crazy, busy day. My feet and calves are aching.  I was up and out first thing this morning to get my grocery shopping done.  I skipped breakfast except for the cherries I munched on while driving.  I got to the check out and started feeling dizzy.  I should NOT have skipped breakfast. 

Once I got home I got the unloading done and rushed to make a lunch for myself. Good thing I had what I needed ready to reheat and mix for taco salad topping. While it was warming, I chopped faster than I ever remember doing.  Not only was I happy to feed my belly, but I won a victory over grabbing a handful of crackers or some other "fast food" which is what I would have normally done. The black bean burger was sort of a quick grab, but it was a nourishing one and I'm once again thankful for the effort I put in to making those this weekend.

I spent the rest of the day prepping food for our trip and directing the packing crew.  We also enjoyed company for haircuts and then more company for dinner. :)

This is my Done list for the day:

Vegan Beet Cupcakes x2
Blueberry Muffins x2
Cannellini Bean Balls x2 (and the dinner for 18 that went with those) - minus the oil, replace egg with flax egg, replace breadcrumbs with ground oats
Peanut Butter Munchy Squares x2 - replace cereal with old fashioned oats
Baby food - sweet potatoes
Roasted chickpeas x3
Applesauce Cornbread x2 (recipe in my tab above)

I think that's it. My sweet friend was so kind. She jumped right in when she got her and started washing the mountain of dishes that had piled up...again. We had a delicious dinner and I was MORE than happy to sit with a cuppa decaf and enjoy these little morsels of chocolate bliss.

So.Much.Yum.

Day Seven

First week complete!

My Food:

Breakfast: Breakfast salad (a little light on fruit, I need to grocery shop)

 

 Lunch: Grocery store salad bar and a cup of blueberries picked from the bushes at church. Yum.

 



 

Dinner:  Mashed pinto burrito, broccoli and mushrooms sauteed in vegetable broth, onion and garlic powder, half an ear of corn on the cob, one glass of berry, cherry, kale smoothie.

 

My Thoughts:

 

Feeling good! It's empowering to look back at last Sunday and compare it to this Sunday.  This week I feel confident. I don't feel a slave to my cravings. I can resist temptations.  I feel a sense of purpose and determination to my eating choices.  I'm proactive rather than reactive with food, thereby enabling me to win the battle over emotional eating just a bit. I still have a long way to go. Well, probably a lifetime, since I don't know as I'll ever completely conquer my flesh on that issue this side of heaven. But, I'm feeling that spring in my step that was missing and I'm grateful.

 

Headaches are gone. Right now I'm just flat-out tired.  I DID get in my nap today, thanks to my great husband. I even got nearly 8 hours of sleep last night when he got up with the baby. Amazing.  Seems like my body got a taste of it and is craving more of the good stuff. 

 

After feeding the baby and myself a big, hearty, delicious meal I've put myself back to bed ready for a good night of more sleep.  Tomorrow begins an all-out marathon of packing, cleaning, prepping, and directing as we head out on our big road trip. 

 

Looking Ahead:

 

I'm still a bit anxious about how I'll do on the road.  I've got questions like, "What do I do when Pizza Happens?",  "How do I avoid snacking when I know I'll need something to keep me awake on the long drive?",  "What can I do to avoid the easy-eating habit when we need to leave fast and I don't have time to prep?"  "How am I going to deal with feeling too tired to cook?"  "What's going to happen when all those vacation foods start beckoning to me?"

 

I have some intentional foods that I will enjoy while we are on the trip. Foods that make those places we are visiting special and should be enjoyed.  I also have a loving mother who is already preparing some of my childhood favorites to enjoy while we are there. Of course I will be grateful for those treats.  Those are things I don't have guilt or anxiety about.  I feel that's how the Lord wants to bless us through the fellowship of food. 

 

What I'm concerned about are the temptations to "treat" myself while on the road.  The use of food to deal with fatigue, boredom, stress, and even just indulging.  I know, from our last trip, that once I start making concessions, especially unplanned ones, that just starts an ugly ol' ball rolling and I can't stop it. 

 

I'm determined to not let that happen again.  I'm going to come home from this trip feeling triumphant.  I don't have to be ruled by my emotions.  This week proved that I've got this. I'm past the detox, mostly, and I'm on my way to a much better place.  

Day Six

My Food:

Breakfast: cup of oatmeal with raisins, no sweetener and a bowl of fruit (melon, grapes, pineapple), decaf coffee

Lunch: 2 black bean burgers, salad with romaine, raw green beans, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, buffalo hummus, Dijon mustard, my fudge cake with pb-date frosting

Dinner: large bowl of leftover No-Beef stew, glass of smoothie (frozen berries, cherries, kale), 1/2 ear of corn on the cob.

My Thoughts:

Today was another good day. We enjoyed our time at the potluck and I felt great about my delicious plate of food. I was so excited that my friend and others enjoyed the chocolate cake that I brought. It's so rich and filling and makes me feel so happy to serve it to others knowing it's going to just fill them up with all manner of goodness. 

We came home pretty tired after a full day of driving, floating, visiting, and playing with friends.  A dinner of Must-goes was in order and the hot stew was very comforting. 

Along with craving some comfort after another weekend of work I was also looking for some inspiration and motivation for the days ahead.  I'll keep on keepin' it real here and admit that on the long ride home I was dreaming about the days when we'd pick up a couple of pizzas and just crash in front of the tv.  The easy days. The lazy days. The pizza days. 

So, after dinner I hunted for a documentary.  I chose, Food Matters, streaming on Amazon Prime. I've watched this film before but I knew it would still bring out some new challenge. 

This paraphrase of Dr. Andrew W. Saul, PhD really stuck out to me:  The reason that one vitamin can bring such great healing is because the deficiency of that vitamin creates such great illness.

As I think of how my body is detoxing, cleansing, and responding to the changes I've made this week, (and they haven't been THAT extreme when I consider my overall diet, but the responses are still quite noticeable) I'm reminded again that I am on a path of healing, not weight loss.  I'm feeding my body nutrients to heal, grow, and fight the disease, toxins, and damage that has been done over the course of my lifetime.  What is happening on the outside is minute compared to the restoration that is occurring within.  A healthy weight should be the outward sign of a healthy body.

It's beautiful that this all comes from the food that God created and designed for my body to thrive on.  I'm always in awe of that miracle of His creation.  It causes me to be thankful for this fickle, fragile body I live in because it daily causes me to rely on Him and His provision for it to function well. What a glory that His design includes this crazy ability for my created body to respond to His created food so that it can not only be fueled but restore and even heal itself. 

Of course, this will never be complete on this side of heaven, but I do have this small, momentary life to have a glimpse of His great healing power.  In this fallen world, we have certainly altered and damaged His creation in such a way that our food lacks the original value it once had, yet when compared to man-made wisdom and devices, there's no denying that the symbiotic relationship of body and food my Father created brings the life I crave giving me the reason and ability to reflect His glory and sing his praises each day.

Looking Ahead:

I've already started my day of rest this evening. I'm going to continue by getting to bed early tonight and keeping our day as simple as possible tomorrow.  Simple food, simple tasks, and, Lord willing, a simple nap to allow my body to fill up on the sleep I need.  That's a deficiency that is certainly only met by a true gift from the Lord, that's for sure!

*Special Note: 

Thank you!!! I've been receiving such great notes of encouragement from many friends who are reading along and some even joining me on this journey.  You are such a great blessing to me. Your words and prayers truly mean a great deal to me. I savor them and keep them close. Believe me when I say those words are often what I think of when facing hard choices each day.  Your prayers for me, your cheers, and your support is tremendous.   Thank you, friends.

Day Five

My Food:

Breakfast: Went out to the local diner with David this morning. I had a cup of oatmeal with raisins, no milk, no sugar and a bowl of fresh fruit. (mostly melon and grapes) David had a veggie omelet, no cheese, no egg, potatoes, and baked beans.

Lunch: I didn't eat until we were heading out the door at around 3pm. I had a smoothie made with frozen berries, cherries, kale, ground flax seed, and water. I also through a spinach salad together with shredded carrots, roasted beets, and a few pecans. David and I shared that while we were on the road.

Dinner: Two black bean burgers with one ww bun and mustard and lettuce, grilled cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, and eggplant, corn on the cob, and a few slices of peaches and my fudge cake with chocolate peanut butter date frosting for dessert. (two pieces!)

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

Today was rough.  I was an emotional mess.  I'm not sure why but I guess it was all me because I couldn't seem to get along with anyone today. Lots of stress, lots of handling it poorly, a bit of losing my temper, raising my voice, and even a few tears. I'm still figuring out the why and feeling awful over the whole deal.

 

I spent the bulk of my day in the kitchen preparing a bit of this...



 

...and a bit of that...

 

 

...along with black bean burgers and veggie kabobs for two outings this weekend.  (all while trying to direct the rest of the family in chores and preparations for the weekend and our upcoming road trip)

 

One was a birthday party. We brought along bean burgers and kabobs for the grill and corn on the cob and chocolate cake.  It was all good and I was really glad to have some great options because I was HUNGRY after a busy, tiring, stressful day.  I ate grains and starchy vegetables at dinner.  Not totally compliant with the 6 week plan, but fine with me given it was a special occasion and still all good, nutrient-dense food.  I skipped chips, sour cream dip, soda, and store bought cake. *whew*

 

I indulged in two pieces of my cake. Let's face it folks, after all that slaving I did in the kitchen making those cakes, I earned that second slice, for sure.

 

I'm hopeful that a good night's rest is in my future tonight. I'm really wearing thin on sleep and, apparently not balancing it well with the amount of activity and stress these days are carrying.  The good news is my headaches seem to have subsided. I'm grateful to be pain free again.

 

Looking Ahead:

 

Tomorrow we enjoy a Float and Feast with our church family. I am armed with bean burgers, a veggie tray, and another lovely fudge cake.  I made this one for a dear friend that has been a tremendous blessing to me in the past year.  She is working hard in her efforts to gain health, too, and is celebrating 20 days of being sugar free!  I'm so excited for her, so I made this cake to celebrate.  We are going to go hide away and eat cake and drink coffee and ignore the world while we chatter the day away.

 

 

 

Okay, not really, but we can dream, right??

 



Day Four

My Food:

Breakfast: Breakfast Salad (a smaller than usual and shared with my 11yo)  and small slice of leftover chocolate cake

Lunch: Head of romaine, chopped, topped with sliced beets, a few roasted chickpeas, broccoli, cauliflower, and our Italian dressing; large bowl of indian spiced lentils, bowl of cherries

Dinner: Uno's Caesar salad (sans croutons), low-fat vegetable soup, brown rice, steamed broccoli

My Thoughts: 

I did well today. We were out past lunch time and I was famished. Truly. It was SO hard to not just stop and pick up something fast and easy for lunch. I came home and chopped up two heads of lettuce for myself and David.  I was so glad to have the other veggies chopped and ready to serve. I warmed up some leftover lentils as well. Oh, they were so good and filling on my empty tummy.

I will admit, though, I didn't enjoy that salad very much. It felt like a huge chore to chomp it all down. And, usually when I'm not in the mood for salad, the taste kicks in as desirable about half-way through. Not today. Down to the last bite I was forcing that taste of *vegetable* down. I'm not sure what my problem was but I was not lovin' the greens today. Still, I ate it all and am glad I did it.

I was sorely disappointed with dinner, though.  We went out to eat, which is always a battle to find food on a menu that it clean and nourishing.  We were shopping near Uno's which is a place I know to have some fair options.  Sadly, when we were seated we were told they changed their menu this week.  Sure enough, they removed the black bean burger that we enjoy ordering there.  I was glad they at least still served us the low-fat vegetable soup even though it also was missing from the menu.

So, I went with the best next option I could. I was disappointed with the salad, of course, though I expected there to be too much dressing and should always ask for them to put it on the side. For some reason, I always forget that they put cheese on Caesar salad, too.  The rice wasn't very good but I mixed it in with the broccoli and at least filled my tummy. David had a portabello mushroom burger, bowl of soup, and roasted veggies.

All that to say, we won't be going to Uno's again. Which is sad because there are very few places for us to choose from when eating out to begin with. 

I wanted to come home and make a chocolate-green smoothie for dessert but we got back too late. I don't want to be eating at 9:30 at night, so I skipped it and had a cup of black decaf and a bottle of water instead.

Oh, hey, I didn't tell you that David joined in on the 6 week plan with me. Working the plan together makes a huge difference for both of us. I'm not sure I'd ever be able to stick with it for the long haul if we weren't sharing this journey together. 

I'm short on photos today. I was pretty busy all day.  Along with going out this evening to do some shopping, I soaked up some glorious sunshine with my girlies at the farm. We did a bit of walking, too.  The day was absolutely amazing and I'm so glad for the opportunity to enjoy it.

Looking Ahead:

When I'm out like that with my family, I'm reminded why I want to work hard at gaining true health. I want the energy, strength, and stamina to keep up with this little big family that God has given to me. And, it's no small thing to say, I'm gonna need all the energy, strength, and stamina He'll give to me!

Day Three

My Food:

Breakfast: Breakfast salad with a thin slice of this beautiful Chocolate-Blueberry Cake drizzled with my own blueberry syrup. (just frozen blueberries and water cooked down and thickened with arrowroot powder)

 

Lunch: Spinach salad topped with roasted chickpeas, shredded carrots, a few pecans, and mandarin oranges. I also had a small peach.

Dinner:  Large salad topped with a small bit of our cashew based Italian dressing, large bowl of No-Beef Stew (that I tweaked a lot.  First, I dumped all the ingredients into the crockpot this morning, added some Bragg's to the water with seasonings - and I didn't have rosemary.  I skipped the tomato paste b/c we really don't care for tomato flavor in our stew. I used sweet potato and white potato, pureed in some cooked pinto beans, added a bag of mixed vegetables and half a bag of green beans from the freezer shortly before serving.)

Dessert:  Cookie-dough hummus with apple slices, celery and carrot sticks, about 1 tbs of buffalo chickpea hummus, vegan oat cookie

My Thoughts:

Another good day. I enjoyed a picnic style lunch with friends today, complete with my big ol' salad to crunch on.  It wasn't terribly easy to skip over the pita sandwiches I made for the girlies, but I did it.  (they were stuffed with chopped romaine, shredded carrots, and roasted chickpeas. A couple of them I used the leftover vegan sour cream I made yesterday as a kind of mayo and I think they didn't mind that.)

For dinner I tried another new recipe based on the link above.  I made the changes noted and it turned out very good.  I think next time I may skip the sweet potatoes in the mix, as it did turn out really sweet and I think we were all looking for something different than that.  Still, it was creamy, comforting, and hearty.

And, I gotta say, I was ready for a big bowl of something hearty in my belly.  About 3pm I was battling some very real hunger.  I didn't want to snack and I was chugging away on water but I couldn't deny that I was truly hungry.  It was so close to dinner, I didn't want to eat so I was very ready for a good meal, which started with my plate-sized salad. 

After dinner we went to visit with friends for the evening.  We brought along a bowl of apples, strawberries, celery and carrots, cookie-dough hummus for dipping, corn tortilla chips, salsa, and some buffalo chickpea dip.  I had some fruit with the hummus, a bit of fruit salad, and one of the vegan cookies that a friend made. Oh my, they were delicious! 

So, even though dessert came awhile after my dinner, I still enjoyed some delicious treats and TOTALLY resisted all the other sweets and treats that were there. I walked right on past the potato chips and onion dip. ME! I skipped ONION DIP!!  Oh, if only you knew what a victory that was.

I also stepped on the scale today. I wasn't going to do it. I didn't want to know. But, I did it.  So, now I know. But I want to avoid that thing right now as it's not friendly to me and I need to not have the weight loss as my focus at this time.  I need to pour this nutrition in so I can enjoy how it makes me feel.  The weight can come off when it decides the time is right.

Looking Ahead:

Tomorrow is another busy day with outings, choring, and tackling more on my list as we prepare to leave next week.  So much to do.  This is when the stress threatens to take over and I start making bad choices because I want something to be *easy*.  However, we've got breakfast covered for the kiddos.  I've got a chocolate breakfast salad planned to greet me in the morning, and I'm thinking a nice, cold green smoothie might be in order for lunch on the go tomorrow.  No idea what's for dinner...yet.

One thing I like about making this commitment to the 6-week plan is that I'm doing a better job feeding the children well again.  They were all kinds of happy about having chocolate cake for breakfast. 

And, we're sharing our good eats with the baby now too.  He gobbled up the cake and a yummy bowl of blueberries and applesauce.  I'm pretty sure blueberries are his favorite food right now.  Knowing that he's enjoying real, nutrient rich food right from the start is pretty motivating to keep on keepin' on.

Day Two

It was a Big Ol' Kitchen Day today.  I've got a good team and we all worked hard.

We got almost everything on the list done.  I'll share our Done list with you.

Salad Bar prepped (complete with roasted beets!! *swoon* )

 

 

 

Veggie tray prepped

Buffalo Chickpea dip

Cookie-dough hummus

Roasted Chickpeas

Granola bars

Dairy-free sour cream

Indian Spiced Lentils

Chocolate-Blueberry Cake

Thumbprint Cookies (these are being made by my 11yo as I type)

 

We've got a lot prepped and that will make it much easier to stay on track as well as have some great foods to serve the fam.  I'm pretty tired.  Even with my amazing helpers, that's a lot of choppin, prepping, and DISHES to deal with in a day.  I'm really glad for the day off tomorrow.

 

My food:

 

Breakfast: Breakfast salad that I didn't quite finish.  My little peepers were more than happy to gobble up the leftovers.

 

Lunch: I chopped up a head of romaine real quick and topped it with the tasty, hot Indian Spiced Lentils that were simmering on the stove. I think this is my all time favorite way to eat lentils.  The recipe is listed on my recipe tab at the top of the blog.  I also added a few slices of roasted beets because, 1. They are so yummy and 2. Because I could. *drool*

 

 

Dinner:

 

Taco Tuesday!!!  I used the Buffalo Chickpea dip as a taco filling tonight. What a great idea! I used it to top romaine as well as fill corn tortillas.  The dairy-free sour cream I made was a delicious addition, though I used it sparingly.  It's cashew based and so is the chickpea dip so I knew I was pretty heavy on my nuts portions for the meal.  I had a peach for dessert.

 

My plate - though I ended up giving away my chips in favor of an extra corn tortilla stuffed with more greens and filling. I liked that soft tortilla texture better and could skip the oil from the chips that way.

Buffalo Chickpea tacos served on corn tortillas topped with vegan sour cream and salsa. It got mixed reviews but my husband and I really liked it.

 

My Thoughts:

 

I'm really pleased with how today went. I stayed on track, I worked hard prepping leaving me fantastic options for the coming week.  I *even* said NO to the chocolate truffle candies that my husband sweetly brought home to me after work today. I said NO!! There they were, right under my nose calling to me and I said No.  Yay me!

 

I'm dealing with what I think is some detox.  I've been battling a headache off and on all day. I'm groggy and really struggling with feeling worn and sleepy. Now, that's not totally abnormal for me, given the broken sleep in my life right now. But, I'm feeling like this is a little different.  I'm hopeful that once I get through this week my recharge button will be fully pushed and I'll see the fog clearing. 

 

I was truly blessed by a dear friend who called me today. She encouraged me in my struggles with eating well, battling my emotional hang-ups with food, and just spoke such love and acceptance to my heart. I'm so blessed to have people that love me and help me embrace who I am, fully and completely. 

 

Looking Ahead:

 

I'm so looking forward to a day off visiting with friends tomorrow.  I've got a lunch of chickpea salad stuffed pitas planned for the children and a spinach salad for me.  We've got food prepped for an evening of fellowship, too.  I love having a plan and all the work done to make it happen. Now all that lies ahead is to enjoy the day.

 

Oh, I'm also a little excited about this little lovely. 

 

 







Its a Chocolate-Blueberry cake.  The batter tells me it's not as sweet as it could be but I'm planning to cook up a nice blueberry sauce to go with it that should add to the flavor.  It's chocolate. Dark Chocolate. There's no way I'm not going to love it. :)  Tomorrow, breakfast is going to be special.

Day One

My Food:

Breakfast salad, half eaten:

I got up early this morning to get my grocery shopping done. That means I'm fully stocked for the week ahead.  We've got greens ready to pick in the garden, fridges full of fruit and trimmings for salad and beans soaking. 

Bring it on!

I didn't get my salad until late, so that means I finished eating it at about noon. I'm not sure what that means for my lunch salad. I'm going to try to eat it, but I might have it along with my dinner so I can keep my meals spaced out well.

Side note: Mixed up a green smoothie for the kidlets for breakfast. Mixed it with some oatmeal for my babiest one and he liked it pretty well. :)

 

 

Lunch was non-existent. I wasn't hungry at lunch time so I skipped eating. However, I WAS hungry around 3pm and was frustrated with myself trying to figure if I wanted to just go hungry or eat something. I ended up eating a big ol' pickle. NOT on the ETL plan, due to the salt and such, but still a better option than my previous days.  Filled me up real good too.

 

Monday night is pasta night at our house. I generally skip the pasta, though. Tonight I served whole wheat linguine to the family topped with broccoli and cashew alfredo sauce and a side of green beans.  My plate was filled with broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, and a small drizzle of the cashew sauce.  I was still sort of hungry after my plate was empty and I realized I hadn't had my serving of grains/starch yet today.  So, I enjoyed a piece of Ezekiel toast and finished off the remains of the broccoli and green beans.  I am stuffed now!

 

I did, however, enjoy about a 1/2 cup or so of our home made chocolate-peanut butter Nice Cream.  It was, of course, delicious. And, I wasn't the only one who thought so!!

 

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

Today went pretty well.  I was very pleased with my major victory while out shopping today. I did NOT stop to get a coffee at the drive-thru or store either on my way to or from the grocery store. That's a major accomplishment these days.  I've been *treating* myself way too much and felt really happy to have resisted that temptation.

 

I did feel snacky this afternoon and had to battle that out a bit. I am not happy about eating that pickle, but mostly because I know I could have chosen something more nourishing.  Still, I was busy, tired, and just didn't want to stop what I was doing to chop up food for myself. 

 

And that's been the story all along of why I keep falling off the 6 week train.  I don't want to make the time or put in the effort. Sometimes it's because I'm busy, sometimes it's because I'm tired, a lot of times it's because I'm just plain lazy.

 

Looking Ahead:

 

Tomorrow I have a big Kitchen Day planned to prep food for the rest of the week. I NEED to do this if I'm going to stay on track.  So, tomorrow I'll be posting my list of things to make and hope I can get it all done. 

 

In the meantime, I'm already looking forward to my breakfast salad in the morning. I think I'll add a little cocoa powder to it. Yum.



My Six Week Summer Series

I'm finally doing it. I'm taking on the 6 Week Challenge in earnest. 

I've committed to begin a daily journal while following Dr. Furhman's 6 week plan.  My goal is to follow the plan well beyond six weeks, but I'm still calling it that and keeping my resolve to journal to the six week limit. 

Who knows, maybe I'll want to keep writing after that, but, for now, I'm taking a break from my normal blogging plan to walk through these six weeks with gusto! Okay, well, maybe I won't have much gusto, but I'm going to have to have something because I've got a three week vacation planted right in the middle of this challenge.

So, what is this 6 Week Plan?  Glad you asked.  Here ya' go...

I hope you can read that chart. If not, give it a google, I'm sure you'll find the same one and get the idea. 

So, the how-to on all this is basic for me. 

Breakfast: Breakfast salad (diced kale, strawberries, blueberries, half a green apple, ground flax seed, and about 1/2 cup raw oats (I'm allowing a portion of oats and an extra ounce or two of nuts for nursing).

Lunch:  Head of romaine or 2-3 cups baby spinach topped with legumes or raw cut veggies and nuts or nut-based dressing.  Fruit on the salad or on the side.

Dinner:  Legumes, two servings cooked veggies (water sautéed, roasted, grilled, or in soup), and one cup or less of starchy vegetable or grain. Fruit for dessert.

Following this plan allowed me to lose 60 pounds the year prior to my last pregnancy.  Looking it over again, I forgot that dried fruits were not allowed and that fruit was actually unlimited. That's VERY good to know. :) 

So, off I go, following the plan.  I'll be back tomorrow to give my thoughts on how I'm doing and what I'm eating.  Feel free to join in!! I love good company. :D