I'm slacking on the blog!

Well it's been several days since I've posted anything and I figure I better get my butt back in gear before I totally forget about the blog! I haven't really changed anything or had anything exciting to share so I've just slacked off. I thought about something that I wanted to share tho and figured I better get to it before I procrastinate again! LOL


I think this is about week 3 of better eating...before changing my way of eating I was experiencing headaches at least 2 a week. The only thing I had found that would help was tension headache pills. My skull would feel like it was going to explode and hurt down into my neck and shoulders. Sometimes the tension pills wouldn't knock it either and it would linger for 2-3 days. I am happy to report that I've been headache free since my first week of the improved eating plan! It's so odd...I mean you'd think something like that would be apparent but I didn't even think about it until writing a shopping list and trying to think if I needed vitamins, headache pills etc and I thought OMG I haven't had a headache in weeks!!!!! I was SO SO SO excited. K suffers from migraines and I hadn't heard her say anything about having one either and when I ask she said she hadn't! Between tension headache pills for me and advil migraine for her we're gonna save some $$$! Good thing too because this healthier eating isn't cheap! No wonder so many people are fat. You go to McDonalds and can get a double cheeseburger for a dollar but a salad is 5! UGH! Plus  since I'm checking the calories and fat grams of EVERYTHING I just can NOT believe how even some of the "healthy" stuff is so NOT healthy at all!!! Salads have got to be the WORST thing you can buy at a restaurant! I was checking the Wendy's website for their nutrition info and was just blown away at how much fat grams and calories are in a salad...the least was the apple pecan chicken salad and it still weighs in at 570 calories and 27 grams of fat! The spicy chicken ceasar salad is 770 calories and 49 fat grams!!! FOR A SALAD!!!!! You can do a small chili, baked potato with sour cream and chives and a side salad with lite dressing for 600 calories and 15 fat grams...don't get fooled into thinking "oh it's a salad so it must be good for me"


Well today is the day I measure again to see if I'm making any progress...I will be sure to post tomorrow and share the results!!

Snack tips...

I'm going to try to fire off a quick update while my kiddo is finishing up his homework. I've noticed something about myself in the past few days...I'm having a hard time adding calories back into my diet. I never thought I would have that problem and it's funny to think I munched on 1000's of calories a day and now I'm having a hard time forcing myself to break 1000. Actually I haven't broke 1000 yet. I notice myself looking at things and thinking oh ok I can have 15 doritos and its HOW MANY CALORIES?!?!?! NOT WORTH IT!!! Which in a way I think it's a good outlook to have BUT I don't want my body to start hanging on to the fat I'm trying to get rid of! Krystal actually said to me...you're going to have to eat, you're not going to become all anorexic or something on me. I am in no way making fun of anorexia because I know it's a serious problem...my dad was bulimic so I know eating disorders are no laughing matter...but to think of myself and anorexia in the same sentence is so crazy to me!! I'm far from becoming anorexic, I just think my mind is trying to retrain it's self to a healthier state....right now I'd rather have a cup of green beans for 30 calories than 15 doritos for 200. Which is exactly what I should be thinking for a healthier me! Well that's all I've got for right now...I have some snacking tips I'm gonna throw in here and I promise that post with feelings is coming soon!!



1. Keep your snacks to 150 calories or less. The danger of snacks is that they can become more like extra meals if you go overboard. First, make sure you’re truly hungry—and not just bored or stressed or craving chocolate—before reaching for a snack. Then limit yourself to 150 calories per snack. This will help keep your snacking “honest.” After all, it’s hard to find a candy bar with only 150 calories. And if you’re hankering for a candy bar, but a healthier snack doesn’t appeal, you’re probably not truly hungry.
2. Beware of low-fat snacks. Studies show that people tend to eat about 28 percent more of a snack when it’s low-fat because they think they’re saving on calories. But low-fat snacks such as cookies only have about 11 percent fewer calories than their full-fat counterparts. Stick to the same amount you’d eat if you thought the snack was full-fat.

3. Plate your snacks. Eat straight out of the bag and you’re guaranteed to eat more, whether it’s chips, pretzels, or cookies. Instead, put a small portion on a plate, seal up the bag and put it away, then sit down and enjoy your snack.

4. Grab the whole bag. A single serving bag, that is. You’re much more likely to stop after one serving if you don’t have to measure it out yourself. If paying more for extra packaging that will eventually clog landfills bothers you, separate your snacks yourself into reusable single-serving containers when you get home from the grocery store so they’re ready to grab when you’re ready to eat them.
5. Pour a handful of nuts. Almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, and cashews contain the healthy monounsaturated fats that lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. And because they’re packed with protein and “good” fat, they won’t raise blood sugar as much as crackers or pretzels do. Because many nuts are high in calories (almonds are the lowest), stick to an ounce, or about the amount that will fit in the palm of your hand.
6. Have a few whole-grain crackers with peanut butter. You’ll eat more protein and fewer carbs than if you have a bigger pile of crackers with no peanut butter, and your blood sugar won’t rise as much.
7. Snack on raw veggies. Get in an extra serving of vegetables by nibbling on grape tomatoes, carrots, red and green peppers, cucumbers, broccoli crowns, and cauliflower. Eat them plain or dip them into nonfat yogurt, a light salad dressing, or hummus (stick with 1 to 2 tablespoons’ worth).
8. Spread some black bean salsa over eggplant slices. The salsa has only about 15 grams of carbs, 80 calories, and 1 gram of fat.
9. Sip a small cup of vegetable soup. Cook non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, onion, celery, green beans, and squash in some vegetable or chicken stock. It’s filling, full of veggies, and low in carbs.
10. Indulge in a few decadent bites. Have a snack of three dried apricots, a small piece of dark chocolate (about the size of a Hershey’s miniature chocolate bar), and three walnuts or almonds, suggests Vicki Saunders, RD, who teaches nutrition education programs at St. Helena Hospital in Napa Valley, California. Savor every nibble!
11. Blend a fruit smoothie. Combine half of a chopped banana, 3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt, and a non-nutritive sweetener, and blend until smooth.
12. Freeze grapes and peeled bananas. Seal them in a sandwich bag and throw it into the freezer. Once frozen, they’re a refreshing and healthy treat. You can eat 20 red seedless grapes and still consume only 100 calories.
13. Eat an apple—and the skin. An apple with the skin contains about 3 grams of fiber. The skin packs a double whammy, carrying healthy soluble fiber that helps to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease and antioxidants that fight free radicals and lower the risk of diabetes complications.
14. Try low-fat string cheese. Each one contains only 80 calories. These are one of the few portable goodies rich in sugar-steadying protein.
15. Have your chocolate “bar” frozen. By that we mean enjoy a frozen fudge pop. They taste delightfully chocolatey but contain only about 80 calories.

I feel good!!

I feel good na na na na na na na! I HOPED that I would!! LOL As you can probably guess I'm in a pretty darn good mood today! I wish that I could tell you how much weight I lost doing the 5 day fast but I have no idea how much I weighed to begin with. I did however measure myself before I began the fast and I am please to announce that I have lost about 7 inches over all. I am THRILLED!! I know that it was all water weight but right now I DON'T CARE!!! lol There are 7 inches gone off my body and that's good enough for me!! I do feel good! I'm sure it's the healthier eating but I don't feel tired and sluggish and actually feel like I could conquer the world!!

I don't think I've mentioned it before but daily I take a mulit-vitamin, fish oil, garlic, saffron and recently have started taking ACE which is supposed to help curb your appetite. I don't know that the ACE will become a long time thing but I've had several friends that used it and were happy with the results so I thought I'd give it a whirl. 

Today I've had a shake and am getting ready to eat a baked potato with 5 sprays of parkay butter, 2 tsp of fat free sour cream and some broccoli and cheese that in total should be about 300 calories. I still haven't broken over about 700 calories but I know I need to before my body goes into starvation mode and starts holding on to my fat cause God knows I don't want that!!!

Someone mentioned to me that I need to remember to talk about my feelings along my journey...I'm saving that for tomorrow because I feel a good one coming on and I don't want to mess up my good mood today LOL So stay tuned and if I can bring myself to it I'm gonna discuss feelings (YUCK) :)

First "real" meal after fasting!!

So I'm getting ready to have my first "real" meal today, after 5 days of fasting. To say I'm excited would be an understatement! LOL I was planning to do only veggies for this next week but to celebrate meeting my 5 day goal of fasting, I've decided to "cheat". At www.subway.com you can find out the nutrition info of all their subs and add ons such as cheese, mayo, etc. You can get a 6 inch Subway Club which is ham, turkey, and roast beef on wheat bread...I'm adding cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, pickles, tomato, onion and mustard for only 320 calories!! The main thing to keep in mind is NO CHEESE and DEFINITELY no mayo! The best part of this is that I really do feel like I'm cheating because I'm eating out and eating a sub! But it is as healthy as can possibly be. 

I've yo-yo dieted for most of my life. My go to diet was always low carb and that's what I started AGAIN at the first of the year but this time I just felt SO restricted! I wanted bread and I have a sweet tooth actually I think I may have a mouth full of sweet tooths...teeth? Oh, whatever! This time I've decided to do low cal. That way if I want to have a little something sweet I can, as long as I count the calories for it. I figure I'll give that a go for a while and see how well it works and if it's not going as well as I want I'll just figure something else out!

I'm gonna leave you with this picture Krystal posted on my facebook today. I got a huge kick out of it! IF ONLY IT WERE THAT SIMPLE!!! LOL

Last day of fasting!!

. Today is day 5 and the last day of my fast!! I can't believe I accomplished 5 days with no solid foods...today started out pretty crappy but when I think about actually accomplishing my goal I'm rather proud of myself!!! YAY!!! I think it's easier to set smaller goals for myself to accomplish, instead of just looking at the whole mountain of I need to lose 200+ pounds...for today I'm taking it one day, one week at a time. 

I've been researching the calorie content of lots of fruits and veggies for the past few days in preparation of adding foods back into my diet. For now (at least the next week) I'm still going to be doing a shake for breakfast and lunch and then veggies for dinner, sugar free jello for snacks and maybe some fruits in there somewhere.

I came across this calorie comparison on Mommy has a Potty Mouth and I thought it was really good to have a picture comparison of 200 calories.

10 Reasons to Fast!

Here's an awesome article from www.howtobefit.com about fasting. There were several reasons I wanted to start my quest with a fast. They're all listed here along with some things I didn't even think about, but that make perfect sense!! I was afraid that by fasting and not eating I would feel like crap...I'm happy to say it is actually the opposite. I feel pretty damn good!! I don't know if it's because of cutting the crap from my diet or shedding a few pounds or just because I feel like I have a new lease on life but whatever it is I'll take it!!


 


Fasting isn't a trend. It's one of the oldest therapies in medicine and its recorded practice dates back thousands of years. But these days, it's hard to peruse the magazines at your local market without being provided a myriad of "trendy" fasting options promising greater health, spiritual enlightenment, and most of all, weight loss. It's also pretty easy to find literature warning of the dangers of fasting. So let's have a look at fasting, its history, benefits, and whether or not you might want to make it part of your lifestyle.
If you've read any historical literature, you know that fasting has been around a long time. Many of the oldest healing systems have recommended it as an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, believed fasting enabled the body to heal itself. Paracelsus, another famous healer, wrote "Fasting is the greatest remedy, the physician within." Sounds good. So just exactly what is fasting?
By definition, anytime that you don't eat, you are fasting; hence the word "breakfast." But most therapeutic fasts last longer than one night, usually from one day to a few weeks. Juice or liquid fasts, while not traditional, are quite common because many of the desired results are achieved without as much stress on the body. It's also common to begin a fast with a period of cleansing foods, such as veggies or soups. A modern fast is often synonymous with a cleanse; or a very restricted diet designed to reprogram your body. The majority of fasts only last a few days. Provided that you stay hydrated, the body can function without food for this long with little stress (though it may not feel like it to you, especially the first time). Those wanting to participate in the longer and more traditional fasts should have medical supervision, or at least be certain they are in condition to undertake such an adventure. While strict nutritionists rarely recommend such things, most alternative medicine practitioners, such as homeopaths, naturopathic doctors, and ayurvedic doctors are well versed at supervising and monitoring patients during fasts. Monitored fasts are almost always safe, but should be entered and exited with care.
We'll get to the different types of fasts in a moment. First, let's look at 10 reasons why you might want to try a fast or make them part of your lifestyle.

To cleanse your system. Most of us eat more than we should, take in more toxins than we'd like, and are subjected to many other things, like pollutants, that we'd rather avoid. Furthermore, the majority of us carry around a lot of undigested food in our system that comes from eating more than we can process. A fast will, essentially, flush these things from your system. Yes, you'll lose weight. But more importantly, your body will run better than it did before. To change bad habits. When you don't eat, your body craves sustenance and becomes more sensitive to toxins. Most habits are based on cravings, but when you completely change how your system is running, those cravings change also. Coffee is the easiest example. During a fast, your body is too sensitive to tolerate highly acidic substances and caffeine very well. Things like coffee will often make you feel terrible, when it has the complete opposite effect normally. To change your health. Many chronic conditions have used fasting as an effective treatment, including allergies, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, depression, diabetes, headaches, heart disease, high cholesterol, low blood sugar, digestive disorders, mental illness, and obesity. It is thought to be beneficial as a preventative measure to increase overall health, vitality, and resistance to disease. To reset your body clock. Fasting gives you a clean slate. Without nutrients, you become more sensitive and sleep and other patterns change. It's an easy time to revamp your schedule and get your body clock working in your favor. To bring your body into homeostasis. This is the balance point your body prefers to be at but is rarely achieved with our hectic lives. When the intake of food is temporarily stopped, many systems of the body are given a break from the hard work of digestion. The extra energy gives the body the chance to heal and restore itself, plus burning stored calories gets rid of toxic substances stored in the body. Essentially, you force your body to work efficiently and, thus, bring everything into balance. For increased mental clarity. Most of us probably first heard of fasting as a religious exercise. There are examples of it in most spiritual texts. It's a great tactic for mental and spiritual rejuvenation because it forces focus on important thoughts and frees the mind from everyday clutter. When you are deprived of nutrients, your body—in a survival mode—begins to focus on things of true importance. To make changing your diet easier. When you fast you become more sensitive to what you put into your body. It's easier to understand how nutrients affect you and, hence, how bad foods make you feel worse. Exiting a fast is the easiest time to change your diet for the better. Your body will crave healthy foods. All you need to do is give it what it wants. To get a better feel for how exercise and diet make your body work. When you take away nutrients your body can't function as well as it did from a performance standpoint. When you add nutrients back, you'll feel your energy increase and how exercise affects you and utilizes nutrients. This understanding can be a great dietary aid. Most of us have a hard time understanding what fats, carbohydrates, and proteins do for us but coming off a fast you'll more easily understand their functions, especially if you are exercising. To improve fat mobilization and physical efficiency. Many physiological changes occur in the body during fasting. Your body turns to stored fat for energy, and this process becomes more efficient under the stress of a fast. Furthermore, the brain, which has high fuel requirements, still needs glucose (sugars converted from glycogen) to perform well. To obtain glucose for the brain, the body finds two sources of fuel, ketosis and muscle, so the body begins to break down muscle tissue during a fast. But to fuel the brain, however, the body would need to burn around a pound of muscle a day. So we've developed another survival mechanism to create energy that saves important muscle mass, a process called ketosis. In ketosis, the liver converts stored fat into ketones, which can be used by the brain, muscles, and heart as energy. Those of you versed in the Atkins diet my have a negative association with this process but Atkins-ers somewhat abused it. It's another survival mechanism the body has that can be developed and utilized. Where Atkins may have overdone it was promoting it as a way of life, not a phase towards improving the body's functionality. To get a forced rest phase. Our bodies do better when we train periodizationally. This is in phases of intensity, one of which is rest. Since we tend to skip this phase because we feel like we'll regress if we don't exercise (either that or over-embrace it to the point of not exercising), fasts force a recovery phase because you can't do hard exercise. The most exercise you should attempt is very—low intensity movements, like walking, hiking, or easy yoga or stretching. During this time, the body heals its cumulative microtrauma that has resulted from exercise. When you come off of a fast, your body will be slightly deconditioned. However, its capacity for conditioning will have increased. This means that once your catch up to the fitness level you were prior to fasting you will more easily exceed this level, instead of hitting a plateau.

What are the different types of fasts?
There are many fasts on the market, which sounds funny because if you're not eating, it begs the question why do you need the market? But most fasts contain some sort of strategy that includes some nutrients.

The simplest are the "beginner" fasts, such as with Beachbody's 2-Day Fast Formula. These usually provide some liquid nutrients, like fruit and veggie juices or a shake, to make things less stressful. You still get most of the benefits of fasting and, well, you still get to look forward to some meals. More complex are things like the Master Cleanse diet, in which you still get some nutrients - though very few - and you're supposed to continue this way for a longer period of time, usually at least 10 days. These fasts require that you have a lot of self-knowledge. It's always recommended to begin with a shorter fast to see how it affects you. Religious fasts are traditional and strict. They often mean going for long periods with no nutrients at all; just water. Since their aim is more spiritual than fitness oriented, they're rarely - if ever - recommended by the fitness and nutrition industry.

How often you fast depends a lot on what type of fast you do. Longer fasts should not be done often, but one-day fasts can be done regularly. An old common religious practice was to skip eating one day per week, which can be easily done without associated fitness loss. So it's fairly easy to make fasting a regular part of your "diet."
To enter a fast, no matter which type it is, it's best if your diet is gradually lightened over a few days. First, heavy foods such as meats and dairy products should be eliminated. Grains, nuts, and beans should then be reduced. The day before you begin, eat only easily digested foods like fruits, light salads, and soups. Likewise, you should break your fast gradually also, going from lighter to heavier foods progressively. The diet after a fast should emphasize fresh, wholesome foods, which is easier because junk and convenience foods will usually make you feel awful. It's also vital that before, during, and after a fast you drink a lot of plain water. This keeps you hydrated and helps flush your system.
It's also important to note that fasting is not appropriate for everyone—especially pregnant and nursing women—and, in some cases, could be harmful. Those with health conditions should always have medical support during fasting.

Approve of yourself

I came across this today and it seemed very fitting for the state of mind I've been in lately! It's way past time I approve of myself!!

Approve of yourself.
by Mark Twain

“A person cannot be comfortable without their own approval.”
If you don’t approve of yourself, of your behaviour and actions then you’ll probably walk around most of the day with a sort of uncomfortable feeling. If you, on the other hand, approve of yourself then you tend to become relaxed and gain inner freedom to do more of what you really want.

This can, in a related way, be a big obstacle in personal growth. You may have all the right tools to grow in some way but you feel an inner resistance. You can’t get there.

What you may be bumping into there are success barriers. You are putting up barriers in your own mind of what you may or may not deserve. Or barriers that tell you what you are capable of. They might tell you that you aren’t really that kind of person that could this thing that you’re attempting.

Or if you make some headway in the direction you want to go you may start to sabotage for yourself. To keep yourself in a place that is familiar for you.

So you need give yourself approval and allow yourself to be who you want to be. Not look for the approval from others. But from yourself. To dissolve that inner barrier or let go of that self-sabotaging tendency. This is no easy task and it can take time.