Christmas Detox Time

Everyone seems to be talking about doing a holiday detox... 
Yes, coming out of the holiday season, we could all use a little detoxing from an over indulgence in Christmas cookies, candy, egg nog and chemically altered meets and cheese. Perhaps your symptoms are an extra 5 pounds on the scale, achy muscles and joints, or a lethargic feeling you just can't shake.



I want to lose weight and live an overall, healthier lifestyle. It is my goal to eat less processed foods, fast food, junk food, chemically altered, genetically modified... you get the picture. Don't we all?

A Yummy Holiday Detox Smoothie Recipe! Find it HERE

I have been rather lazy at times to prepare meals ahead of time, make meal plans, etc. Which usually leads to the easy way out = fast food and processed food. I have also struggled to lose the last few pounds of post baby weight. It is a really motivating goal to get back to my optimal weight before children, but apparently not motivating enough because I have failed to really do anything serious to get there.

I have attempted things like eating Vegan for a week, fasting, the Master Cleanse, the South Beach Diet, the Atkins Diet, etc. The problem is, I have such little will power and I love food so much. I know that my body responds best by limiting my carb intake and eating small meals throughout the day. I never last long on strict diets, and today was no exception. I tried again to follow the guidelines of the master cleanse for one day. I made it till about 3:00 in the afternoon, then I caved. Actually, I was shaky and lightheaded, but also really hungry. By the way, My sister-in-law, the dietitian, does not approve of this form of weight loss! I tell her not to worry because I could never actually pull it off :) I don't view my trying and failing as a complete waist though. Having goals, if nothing else, forces me to be more conscious of what I do eat.

I love meat and dairy way too much to give it up for long. But, when I do feel like I need to jump start my weight loss and cleanse my system of junk, eating vegan seems like a good option. I acknowledge the fact that meat and dairy can be the leading culprits of  chemically altered and genetically modified foods in my diet, so cutting them out for a time seems like a good idea. I don't have the money to purchase all organic foods and I don't have the willpower to last long on a fast. So, the idea is to trick myself into believing I am indulging (in unlimited amounts of the things pictured above), as long as what I am putting in my mouth is carefully thought through. Because I know my body responds well to limiting my carbs, I am careful not to over-indulge in the grains and pastas, instead, I go for the fresh veggies, fruit, lentils a nuts.

Here's what a halfhearted vegan day might look like for me:

Breakfast

1 Slice of wholewheat cinnamon raisin bread
Or oatmeal with raisins and light brown sugar
Snack
Handful of almonds 

Lunch

Large salad of mixed greens, walnuts, sliced pears, red onion and a red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil dressing

Snack

Hummus and baby carrots

Dinner

Corn on the cob with olive oil, garden salad, celery with organic peanut butter
Or lentil soup

Throughout the day...

Lots of water! I may sneak a cup of coffee, but I try to totally abstain from my Diet Pepsi  and any other carbonated drinks, specialty coffees, etc.

The idea is to skip calorie counting and indulge in endless amounts of fruits and vegetables. Whenever I get hungry I tell myself  "Self, you can eat as much as you want! As long as it is on this approved list of foods..."

Yummy carrot and ginger salad dressing (you know, the stuff you get at Japanese hibachi restaurants)! I made mine by blending up raw carrots, adding a couple table spoons of powdered ginger, salt and pepper to taste, a tiny bit of soy sauce, pinch of sugar, a table spoon of olive oil, 1/2 a table spoon of vinegar and some ketchup. Perfect! Use fresh ginger and cut out the sugar if you really want to get serious :)

This may seem pathetic, but it actually hits the spot on days I am trying to detox or eat lite. All I do is microwave some water, a beef bullion cube, mushrooms and sometimes a little onion. Bring it to a boil and enjoy. Not much of a recipe, but hey, it works for me :)

Other Helpful Links and Ideas:

• Here's an article I read today about the Skinny Vegan Diet: Skinny Diet
• Our other posts on weight loss can be found: HERE
• I've refered a couple times to Gwenth Paltrow's site, Goop for recipes and ideas on detoxing for weight loss and health. Find it here: Goop: Detox

Linked Up Here:

Keep the Weight Off During the Holidays(or Lose!)

I found this amazing free app, MyFitnessPal. I have recently been struggling with thinking about my weight a lot. I want to fit well in my clothes, but then I get comfortable. Then I feel badly when I try on my clothes and I can't wear them without showcasing a muffin top.

MyFitnessPal allows you to weigh in each morning, track your calories throughout the day, log your water intake, and detail your excersize. Here's what I love, love, love about the calories tracker. You can scan the barcode on your food and it will pop up with all of the nutrition facts including vitamins, fiber, etc. I find scanning to be very fun.

I also realized how little water I actually drink. When trying to lose or maintain weight, working with facts is so much better than what we think we ate or drank. Pop is a total killer, but it really puts it in perspective for you.

I have really bonded with this process because if I want to eat peanut M & M's I can, but then I know I can't have supper! Some days it is worth the trade off :)

So enjoy Christmas parties, but save your calories that day and know what you are eating and drinking!!

I hope that you will give this a try with your smartphone or tablet!!! What worked for you?

~Julia

Healthy Snack Ideas

Ok, so it's Monday morning weigh in time.  1.2 Pounds down 3.8 to GO!! I must admit I am a little shocked.  I met my exercise goal and exceeded it by two work out times. I did eat some of my favorite snacks, but less of them.  And when the Oreos were gone I didn't get more.  I have been on withdrawal.  I miss them.  One morning I decided I was going to have a reduced calorie meal day, and what would show up outside our door?  A box of fresh donuts.  That turned into a three donut day for me. After I ate them, I went down to the elliptical for ten minutes ;)

Another helpful piece of the puzzle includes healthy replacement snacks. Here are some of my favorites.

1. Plain yogurt, with chopped walnuts and honey. Measure first to get yourself around 100 calories. Then you can see what it looks like.  I cannot stand plain yogurt by itself, but with the honey it is amazing. I also substitute almonds depending on what I have on hand.

                                           

 2. A hard boiled egg with pepper.  Delicious. Anytime day or night. 70 Calories! Here's the trick to hard boiled eggs.  Put them in lukewarm water. Then bring them to a boil. Let them boil for 11 minutes. Drain the water and crack the eggs.  Shaking them in the pot works great.  Add cool water, drain, add cool water, drain, and then add cool water.  Let them soak briefly and start removing the shell under cool water.

3. One whole-wheat English muffin with peanut butter.  Again you are looking for 100-200 calorie snacks, so watch the calories in the amounts you are using.

 

4. An apple with/or without peanut butter.  We have an apple corer, so we core our apple and then stuff peanut butter in the hole.  We call it a power ball :)

It gives a good blend of protein and a

low glycemic fruit.

 

5. Peanuts with raisins.  Make sure you put them in a SMALL bowl.  It's easy to get carried away.

6. Two slices of deli turkey with a bunch of grapes.

       

Plan ahead and have good snacks on hand.  It's another piece of the healthy lifestyle puzzle.  You will get hungry between meals, and if you handle it correctly you can help your metabolism without feeling deprived!!

I was given these suggestions from a friend, and she found them here: Healthy Snacks from Real Simple.

~Julia

Lose Five Pounds in a Month!!

So spring is here and summer is coming.  I want to lose 5 pounds.  I have done things like not eating anything for 11 days to fit into my wedding dress two years ago. Yes, I drank a maple syrup and lemon water mixture without eating anything. Do you know how many social gatherings are around food? I also really missed the physical act of chewing food.  And it was a surprise for my husband, so he thought I was plum crazy!   I lost the necessary 12 pounds, so I could actually button the dress and have pictures taken from the back.  After another baby, a continued battle with a foot injury, and a love for food I need to take action.  I can either wait until summer hits and be bummed I only have two pair of shorts that fit, or I can make some changes now. I seriously contemplated taking a before picture wearing the shorts I want to wear so I could take a picture with the dynamic results.  Not!! If you are a woman, you know what a muffin top is, and I don't have to embarrass myself and accentuate mine.

Here's my plan. First, I want to move (cardio) for 30 minutes at least three times per week. I have an elliptical and it tells me I burn about 330 calories for that length of time on the first level of resistance. Second, I plan to do an ab excersize at least twice a week. We have P90x, and I tried it for the first time yesterday. AbRipper is the name and boy does it live up to it's name!!  Third, I am going to think about what I put in my mouth. Meaning choose a snack like an apple over my typical Oreos dipped in peanut butter and dunked in milk. I have also used the Fat Flush Diet. Basically you eat real foods with a low glycemic index, meaning it doesn't spike your blood sugar. I am going to eat one meal a day that follows that principle. Do what is practical and what you can commit to.  Then don't let anything stand in your way. Are you with me?

~Julia

A Momentous Occasion

Today started just like any other Sunday morning. I pulled something out of my closet to dress for church - only to discover, i have a waist! My youngest child is now 14 months old. I spent the first year of her life, exercising my brains out in preparation to run a half marathon. Needless to say, I ran the marathon but never lost a single pound. Just in the past 2 months I have finally lost 10 pounds, and I am so encouraged! There is hope! 

The moral of my story is: when you discover you have a waist for the first time in 5 years, put a belt around it! 

I hope to share some of my weight loss discoveries for new moms in future posts. 

I'm also excited to share my newest Value World find: This super cute yellow wool coat :)