Smoothies

About two years ago I tried the Paleo diet.  I wanted to lose as much weight as I could and I lost 30 pounds.  One of the meals I ate was a smoothie for breakfast.  While delicious, it was a bit on the complicated side to make.  However, with the help of two friends, Stephanie and Matthew, I have started smoothies again in the morning.  They are delicious.  This morning I did Pineapple, banana, strawberry, Chia seeds, Chobani Vanilla Greek Yogurt and some ice and a bit of water to help with the blending process.  I gave half to my hunnies and then I added some Kale to mine.  Both of quite enjoyed them.  Last week I did blueberry, banana, chia seeds, water, ice and spinach.  That was delicious as well.  Water and Ice are added for texture (how thick or thin you want it).  

Lunch has consisted of salads.  When I did the paleo diet, I did salads every day and that seemed to help me get rid of fat quickly.  

I had a goal of dropping about 20 pounds by the time Phoenix Comicon came around, but we shall see if that happens being a month and half away.  That might be too aggressive.  However, I am starting a new schedule soon, so hopefully that will give me a bit more time to do things in the afternoon/evenings.  

It is all about moving forward, never giving up and ever surrendering!  Happy Monday all and have a great day!

Good morning all!

First, I wanted to share a story from Facebook.  It brought a tear to my eye and reminded me that working together, we can accomplish our goals!  http://bit.ly/OfficerHelpsRunner  Check out Asia Ford.  She has lost 217 pounds for her health and for her children.  An officer assisted her with her son across the finish line and she did it, she finished it!  Was a beautiful thing!  All we need is the willingness to help and great things can happen!

This weekend, I went for two walks.  Both were just shy of 3 miles each.  The first was on Saturday with Eric.  I ended up waking up super early on Sunday, so I decided I should do the same again and I did.  I am proud of myself.  However, my left ankle and right hip are not overly thrilled with me.  My knees however seemed to enjoy it.  Both mornings were gorgeous and sunny and I loved it.  My awesome friend Sean has sent me a few stretches to do for my ankle and shin to get pasts the pain I am having.  I have my ankle wrapped now as well.

Need be prepared for con!  I walked 42.7 miles last year, I can only imagine how many I will do this year... and I am so looking forward to it!  May pick up a few ankle braces though.  :P

Take care all!  Never give up... Never Surrender!

Epic failure!

Last month... was a failure.  *pouts*  *cries*  It is why I have not posted in a while.  :(  I realized about half way in that the only thing I was doing was portion control.  The ice cream I consumed, cookies and various other things were not what I should be doing.  I was not stressed or lonely or sad, I JUST LOVE FOOD!

So, in true form, I have decided to start again and this time with some follow through.  Hopefully anyway.  Sunday night I got back from a trip to California.  I went to the store and bought stuff to make eggs for breakfast, salads for lunch and chili for dinner.  I am pushing through this week  with minimal to no amounts of cheating.  We discussed taking a trip to Havasupai next year.  All of my friends have done it, and I REALLY want too.  However, at my weight, I could not do it without passing out.

I have a goal of being under 230 by the time Phoenix Comicon comes around.  That's ~20 pounds.  That's over 2 months away.  It is doable and I will do it, because gosh darn it, I need to stop cheating.  I can no longer blame it on hormones or being a girl, it is a choice that I make and I need to make better choices in my diet.  I am the only one that can fix it and be healthy.

Discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most.  Never give up, never surrender.  Onward to good things!

Food Sensitivity Test

When I first posted on my Facebook that I was doing a no carb/paleo diet, my friend Amy reached out to me.  She is a nutritionist for a local doctor and let me know what her office has to offer.  One of those things was a Food Sensitivity Test.  I have heard of such things in the past and have always been interested in doing one.  I know what foods effect me in what ways, but this was kind of an eye opener and something I am still working on understanding.  I have been going over the things on here and trying to think of meals I can make and still do no carbs.  It is tough, but I have a list so far!

This list is broken down into 4 categories, Severe, Moderate, Mild Intolerance and everything else that my body is fine with.

One of the big things on the test was gluten.  I, like most apparently, am severely intolerant to Gluten.  I love things that have gluten in them... bread, pasta, crackers and MANY other things.  I always feel sluggish, bloated, gassy and burpy after eating it and it makes sense now.  I do not have an allergy too, my body is just not fond of it.

Another was cow.  Not just beef, or milk, but the whole gosh darn cow.  I love me some streak and I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE a tall glass of cold milk and do NOT get me started on cheese.  I love cheese (I love lamp)  But again, like gluten, it slows me down, makes me tired, makes me gassy and bloated.  Milk more than beef and I love me some beef!

Another was Cayenne Pepper.  I bring this one up as more of a joke.  Heh!  My hunnies loves spicy foods.  So much.  I, on the other hand, like to be able to taste and feel with my face.  So, I saw this and told my hunnies that it meant no more spicy food!  He was not too thrilled.  Heh!

One I was not surprised at... chicken and eggs.  My body loves those and hell, I love them.  So I can keep them!

In the mild category are some of my favorite things; Avocados, basil, Black/green teas, Salmon, tomatoes, mahi mahi, honeydew, cucumber and cauliflower to name a few.  These I am supposed to only eat every few days.  I make no promises right now!  I am carb craving hard, taking these out might be hard too.  Heh!

I will post more as I go through it, but I am curious as to peoples thoughts.

GOAL ACHIEVED!

I did it! I did it! I did it! I did it!

I set a goal for myself to loss 3-5 pounds before the end of January. Mainly, I wanted to be below 250. I woke up this morning kind of bleh. I didn't sleep great, I have a dentist appointment this morning and I haven't been sticking to the no carb thing all that strongly this last week. I still ate pretty healthy though. And I'll be damned, I weighted 249 this morning on my scale. SO HAPPY! I weighted myself twice just to be sure. Haha!

Now for the rest of the month, I'm going to do as little carbs as possible and try to loss a few more pounds.

Next month's goal I think will be 5-10 pounds. 10 seems a little aggressive for 28 days, but 5 seems to little. We will just say 5-10. Heh!

Here is too a new week my friends! Let it be a glorious one!

Carbs, Carbs and more Carbs

My friend Jason and I have been doing a low to no carb diet.  I say low, because I have been doing as little as I can possibly muster.  I have been really bad this week and I have been cheating.  And I am soooo close to making my goal for the month.  I even had to tighten my FitBit on my wrist.  The end of the month is quickly approaching and I am still 1-2 pounds away from my goal because I have kept cheating.  This is hard... so very hard.  I love food and well... food loves me.  And carbs are delicious.  I came into work today and went to fill up my Bubba Keg and there were cookies sitting there.  I stared at them as I got water.  I VERY much wanted one... or the whole container.  However, I stayed vigiliant, and I took none and plan on not taking any at all.  *deep breathes*  I really want one too.

Just remembering what I want most is not what I want now.

Sugar... I WANT SUGAR!

Oh my goodness... this is hard... so hard.  I am having such an internal struggle right now.  I just finished eating my lunch and I thought, "Hmmm... I am still hungry."  Mind you, I JUST ate a "sandwich" that had turkey, salami, avocado, tomatoes, olives between two romaine lettuce leaves.  It was delicious.  So I said to my mind, that was enough food, we're not hungry, we just want more because we know it will fit.  Then my mind replied, "Then how about a cookie."  And everything in me said, "YEAH!  LET'S DO THAT."

I walked downstairs for my lunch walk and had to walk past the little cafe that is here for convenience.  And wouldn't you know... there were cookies.  I walked passed, with every ounce of will I had and walked out the door.  I proceeded to walk around the building next door (It has a complete sidewalk all the way around) 4 times.  The whole time I was having an argument with myself.

"A cookie sounds awesome" "Yeah it does." "I dunno guys..." "Let's have two." "Yeah, two cookies, that'd be swell." "But a cookie has sugar in it." "Yeah it does!" "We love sugar." "Sugar will make us feel better.  Stomach isn't really all that full right now." "Bread would have helped." "Yeah, instead of that stupid lettuce stuff." "But it is healthy and we want to lose weight." "But cookies are soooooo good" "And they make us feel good."

This went on and on while I made the first lap around the building.  Then I realized, that is what I want now.  That is what my body wants because in that past, that is what I gave it before.  Something healthy, something as a reward for healthy.  Well, the reward has changed.  The reward is the weight loss.

This week has had so many ups and downs in my weight.  I got all the way down to 251.5 and I was thrilled.  I weighed myself the next morning and I was at 254.  I nearly cried.  Well, this morning, I was down 1.5 pounds, so I will take that as a win for now.  I am determined to make it through today.

Remembering all this as I started the turn to the second round about, I repeated to myself, over and over again, "A cookie is not what I want most."  Finally, by the end of round 2, round 3 got easier as did round 4.
I still want the cookie, very very much, but for now, I am ignoring.  The Kellie's roaming in my head are still voicing their desires for the sugar or more food, but for now, they will have to wait.  My stomach has more than enough food in it to sustain itself and water for now will just have to do.

It is so hard, so very hard.  The desire and pull for sugar makes me feel like some sort of drug addict.  I bargain it (I'll just exercise some more), I justify it (I've eaten so good this week, 15 cheats will be fine!), I try everything in my power to conceive a way to consume... more food or the cookie.  It is an addiction... and it is not fun.

Here is too willpower, disciple and the ability to power through the desires for said cookie.  *flexes*

Monday is upon us!

Good Monday friends!

Let us start off with this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAnAVLWyf80

Tis giggle worthy and I think I will wear floaties from now on when I want to have chocolate, which is all the time.  That mental image is hilarious!

Current weight: 253

I did lose two pounds this weekend, but this morning, I had gained a pound.  :(  That's all right though, stuff like that happens.  Being a girl, I am sure if fluctuates WAY more!

This weekend was good.  With my Convention meeting and all the awesome peeps, went for a walk with Eric, ate decently, but I did cheat a bit.  Today, I cheated I am having a Carmelizer Coffee from Dutch Bros.  However, I am going to limit my snacks today as much as possible.

Jason and I discussed recipes this weekend I am putting together a book or folder of stuff.  I will share them with you as I get them together.

So, here is to Monday.  Everyone seems to be back to work as was evident with traffic this morning.  I have a feeling today will be a busy, which is good, it keeps me from eating and makes the day go by faster.  Keep your chin up folks, no one is allowed the case of the Mondays today!

Have a great day all!  <3

Good evening all!

So, I weighed myself yesterday and I was at 254.  I am hoping to be under 250 by the end of the month.  Should be doable.  In fact, I may drag Eric for a walk now.  Hahah!

I have not had a glass of milk or any milk in nearly two weeks, I think.  It has been a while and I may be going crazy.  Heh!  However, the lack of lactose feels good.  I have always been a bit iron deficient, and I know all the milk does not help.  My tiredness is not as bad, though the Vitamin D I take helps with that a great deal.

I am still having problems cutting cabs and sugar out completely, sugar especially.  I LOVE SUGAR AND IT IS DELICIOUS!  However, changes need to be made, especially after I heard from my doc today.  I got my yearly physically and lady check up done.  My blood work came back as borderline diabetic...  That's not good.  I had been fasting too.  He said a heart healthy diet, but I am going to continue to cut sugar and carbs and keep as healthy as I can.  Also need to exercise more.

I was hoping to change my schedule here soon at work to give me more time after work, but that got squished this week.  Need to wait some more.

The sugar is the hardest part to get over, especially during my monthly visitor.  It is not about what I want now, but what I want most and what I want most is to be healthy and lose weight.  Need to have some disciple.

Have a good rest of the weeks friends!

Let's get started!

Good morning friends and Happy New Year!

This year is shaping up to be crazy so far.  I have many meetings (which I am excited about... that's weird...), several celebrations and weight loss.  I thought I would start on Monday but I kicked off the diet change pretty much yesterday and this morning.

For breakfast, while not greatly healthy, it was a step in a good direction.  I made a few pieces of bacon and cooked two eggs in the bacon grease.  No bread to soak up the yoke (dearly missed that part, nothing like sourdough toast and egg yoke).  This is kind of a Paleo thing and it was delicious.  Heh!  I ate at about 630am this morning.  It is now almost 9am and I am starting to feel tinges hunger pains.  I will ignore them for as long as I can.  I like to eat or do something with my mouth when I am bored (Phrasing boom!), so I will resist to help get over it.

My best friend, and cohort in crime, Jason, shared a chili recipe with me.  Eric, my love, and I decided to make it yesterday for dinner.  IT WAS AMAZING!  We went to Fry's to get the ingredients because I don't just have Cumin Powder sitting around.  While there, they were having an awesome sale on sirloin steaks; Buy 1 get 2 free.  How could I pass that up?  So I did not.  Eric picked out of awesome steaks. We were going to use ground beef in the chili, but since I had a ton of new steak, we opted for that instead.  Sauteed some onions, added some diced fire roasted tomatoes and a ton of seasonings and it was delicious.  It made enough for at least 3 more meals for 2 people.  You will find the recipe below.  Mind you, Eric and I took liberties with it.  This is how we cooked it, Jason did it a bit differently.  Heh!  I also accidentally bought 2 cans of kidney beans instead of 1 can of kidney and 1 can of pinto.  It was still good.  LOL!

Foods:
1 lb Ground Beef (I used two small/medium Sirloin steaks cut into cubes)
1 onion - chopped
2 cans of Fire Roasted Diced Red Tomatoes
1 can of Kidney Beans
1 can of Pinto Beans

Spices:
Salt
Pepper
Chipotle Chili Powder
Cumin Powder
Cajun Seasoning
Steak Rub (I used a Mesquite Steak rub since I already had it)

We sauteed the onions with the spices for a few minutes, then added the meat to brown it.  Once brown, we added the tomatoes, the drained and rinsed beans, covered, brought to a slight boil, then let it simmer for nearly 2 hours.  We tested about halfway though and added some additional seasonings as well as just before we took off to consume.  Let it cook for at least an hour.  The flavor is more rich and just darn good!  This is a slow carb meal and is delicious!

Several of the spices can be found with the Mexican food for MUCH cheaper.  They come in bag form instead of bottle but they worked out rather well.

For lunch today I am doing a salad with avocado, chicken and cucumbers (I thought I had tomatoes).  I made my own dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar and garlic salt, onion salt and garlic seasoning from the Ren Faire.  Jason suggested doing cottage cheese as a snack, which I will try in a bit and then chili for dinner.  Tomorrow is a long meeting day, and they are supplying food.  Doing sammiches so hopefully I can keep that a little healthy.

Have a good day all and take care!  <3  I hope your New Year brings love, happiness, luck and prosperity!