Roller Coaster

Ho boy, this journey is not an easy ride.

This week has been difficult. Erik is gone, the kids are fighting, I'm trying to get my ducks in a row for Paris (have I mentioned that I'm going to Paris? Well, I am, next week. CAN. NOT. WAIT!), I am trying to keep my house clean, trying to exercise every day, and the list goes on. I'm sure everyone has these seasons; be it day, week, month, year, life.

First off, let me give a little background so you know where I'm coming from. I think with my life eating foods that are not good for *me* namely gluten and foods that are not good for *anyone*; artificial sweeteners, trans-fats (anything that is partially or totally hydrogenated, soybean oil, etc), high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors and colors, I have made my body sick. I now need to heal it. To heal it I need to eat a healthy balanced diet as well as take prescribed supplements.

So this week, I haven't been taking my supplements. I haven't been drinking my water, I haven't been eating all my food, and I haven't been working out like I should. I have been working out and what I have been eating has been mostly healthy but I see myself spiraling back to where I was. Can't happen! I can not go back to my old habits.

On the flip side, I hit my 15 lbs weightloss mark. That's a big deal for me. I have tried everything under the sun to lose weight and this is the only thing that has worked. Now it has worked twice, I'm not going to go back. I have also been able to not drink the caribou!

My roller coaster emotions are that I want to celebrate my successes but I know full well that if I get too cocky about it I will just revert back to my old way of life. I can't do that!

It is a week before I leave for Paris. I think I am going to try to commit to being "perfect" for a week. I can do anything for a week, right? Well, see. I will report back.

Newton

I think Newton was on to something with this whole law of motion thing. I always learned it as "a body in motion tends to stay in motion, a body at rest tends to stay at rest." I think this comes to exercise too.

I have been struggling with getting moving. Although it isn't much, I walked a half mile yesterday. I used to be able to walk forever without any problems. Then I got sedentary (my body at rest) now I don't want to walk anywhere (it's staying at rest).

I think most people have an issue to staying motivated to work out. There are those lucky ones who like to do it and have no trouble staying motivated. Or maybe it is just a habit. However, most people I know have a really good streak then a long streak of not so good at working out. It seems like as long as they stay in motion they're good to go but once they stop moving their body tends to stay at rest.

I have my iPad. I have a gym membership. I have sneakers. I have resistance bands. I have an iPod. I have a balance ball. I have kind of cute clothes.

I have everything I need to workout except motivation. What do you do to stay motivated? I know one thing for sure, I have to keep it forefront in my mind or I forget to do it if I put it on the back burner or if my life gets busy. I think I might try a trainer because then I have an appointment with someone. Which will get me to the gym because I hate letting people down.

To keep exercise forefront, I have started listening to the Get-Fit Guy Quick and Dirty Tips podcast. Most of the stuff is beyond what I'm able to do right now, but it gets me excited and wanting to try these new things out.

Let me know what you do... :)

Ruby My Way

I heard about Ruby probably 3 years ago. I think I chose to not watch because of how close to home it it. I didn't want to deal. Well, I'm dealing now and for some reason I heard of her again, maybe a promo on YouTube or something. I decided it was time to watch.

I'm not as big as Ruby but I'm not super far off. A lot of her problems are similar to my own. Man, I HATE HATE HATE being this size. It is so humiliating, and Ruby has stated the same. She doesn't fit anywhere and breaks everything she sits on. I know the pain. :( But also like her, I'm doing something about it.

I do have some problems with this show (at least the first season) and don't think I won't tell you! hehe

First and foremost, I think talking about food as an a addiction is not necessarily a good idea. I don't the medical world will agree with me, but what I think is missing is the quality of the food. Making it the person's fault but not the food. I have heard before that "we" need to "behave" not make the food behave. That is all find and good as long as the food is good.

Here's the thing, if we are not getting the right foods and we are not feeding our body right, then in order to survive our body desperately keeps the weight so it doesn't die. It wants to survive.

So when we eat these foods that are fake foods we can't help but always be searching for something else. I believe that if she were to eat good balanced foods we will be able to eat the right amount of food with no cravings.

Another thing about the prepackaged foods is that Ruby can't eat if her food isn't around. She needs to be able to have choices outside her meal plan if the meals are not around. Or if she is unable to pack them when she is on vacation, etc.

Secondly, I don't like her mental health professional. I think he's WRONG. Plain and simple. haha! I know, who do I think I am!?! lol I think that he doesn't want her to cook is totally wrong. She needs to learn this stuff. She needs to learn to enjoy and enjoy eating healthy foods. And food she likes. With prepackaged meals, she is not learning anything she is just following someone else plan. Those other folks are not going to be around forever and she will have to do it on her own. I think it's important to do that on her own with guidance.

Then her friend... OH MY WORD! I think they are missing a big opportunity for themselves. Ruby's friends are her life and they really love her. I think what they can do for her, which they do a little, is to learn to eat better and feel better. I think the fact that they go to fast food or eat sweets is not fair to her. I think she needs more support. I think they do what they can but they can take an honest look at them selves and really help her out. However, I think her cravings would be lessened if her food was better.

The thing I like best about Ruby, she's a winner! She conquers her fears and does things she doesn't think she can do. For that, I keep watching. I'll tell you more when I'm done with season 1 or as the mood strikes. :)

20 Tips to Live By

This is taken from the Eat Fat Lose Fat blog.

1. Eat real, whole food, as provided by nature. Eliminate “edible food-like substances”. check
2. Aim for 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, mostly vegetables. Choose a rainbow of colors. check
3. Eat something raw with every meal. Raw foods are living foods, supplying enzymes for better digestion. Salads are an easy way to accomplish this. sometimes
4. Buy and eat organic whenever possible. check
5. The less sugar and refined carbohydrates you consume, the healthier you will be. (See my Resources for healthy sweeteners). sometimes
6. Use only dairy products that do not contain rBST or rBGH (bovine growth hormones). check Organic [raw] dairy products are best.
7. Eat grass fed, pastured meat. Minimize the consumption of feedlot, grain-fed animals. check
8. Buy free-range, organic poultry and eggs. check
9. Avoid anything containing hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated fats and oils, as they are the source of trans fats. Trans fats have no place in a healthy diet! check
10. Make olive oil [or coconut] your primary oil. Extra virgin [cold pressed] is the best choice. Other healthy fat sources include avocados, fresh nuts, and coconuts [and fats from pastured animals: lard and tallow for frying]. check
11. Avoid foods and beverages containing artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame. Stevia and xylitol are good alternatives. check
12. Avoid high-fructose corn syrup, as HFCS contributes to weight gain and fatty liver disease. It’s NOT the same as sugar! check
13. Avoid foods containing MSG, which is a neurotoxin. check
14. Become an avid label reader, and buy foods that do not contain artificial or chemical preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners or other unpronounceable ingredients. check
15. Drink approximately half your body weight in ounces of pure, clean water that does not contain chlorine or fluoride. mostly
16. Eat a cultured or fermented food every day, as they contain beneficial bacteria (probiotics), necessary for a healthy digestive system. Some examples include yogurt, kefir, refrigerated sauerkraut (not canned), refrigerated pickles (unpasteurized), miso, aged cheese, and kombucha, to name a few. no
17. Eat slowly and intentionally. Listen to your body’s signals that tell you when you are full. No awards for “clean plate club” eating. getting there
18. Recognize your biochemical individuality. The right ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrates for you may be different for someone else. check
19. Make sure that the carbohydrates you eat are as unrefined and unprocessed as possible, to avoid unhealthy blood sugar spikes. check
20. Always remember that YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! Make healthy choices for a healthy body. check

So I'm getting there... YAY!

Get Back Up Again

I'm not sure if TobyMac meant this video about a journey toward wellness but it sure is my theme song for this adventure I'm on. I will get knocked down but I will have to get back up again!

This past week, I got knocked down. :( But I got back up again! I think that's the key. We will all get knocked down from time to time but we need to get back up again!

Since I go to Nutrition4Weightloss on Thursday my week goes from Thursday to Thursday. I like to take a look back at the week and see what went well and what didn't so that I can keep doing what went well and try to avoid what didn't.

This week wasn't so good. I was going to try to quit drinking Caribou. It is my big crutch and the sugar is AWFUL for me. Actually it's bad for all of us but I'm not trying to be preachy or judgey right now! (I'll save that for a later post. hehe)

Friday I had a "no good very bad day" and I did exactly what I shouldn't have done, I turned to Caribou. I didn't think about it at the time but this is the one thing I should, under no circumstance, avoid. I shouldn't be turning to food, I should be turning to other things. The best option would be God but if for whatever reason I don't do that I could take a nap, read a magazine, play a game, exercise, etc. All too long I have been turning to bad for me things, what a hugely destructive behavior.

Friday came and went. I knew the Caribou wasn't a good idea but I was ready to restart right away. Saturday and Sunday were a mess. Mostly with not taking my supplements but also not eating well. On Saturday we have a "fun" dessert. This week it was Sof'ella gluten free chocolate cupcakes. OH MY WORD, guys, they are so YUMMY! I had way too many. I don't even know how many. Maybe 2 Saturday and 2 Sunday. I don't even know... that might be too many because there are 5 of us in the family and we all had at least 2 and there were only 12 cupcakes. None-the-less, I didn't just have 1. Next time I will freeze them right away so there are no temptations.

I got back on the wagon on Monday. I was able to control my food again. I think it is because I was on my supplements which include one designed by NWW crave control that helps with cravings. Then yesterday, Wednesday, I had Caribou again. ARGH! What was I thinking??? Actually, I was thinking that I needed to run to Kohl-Carter's appointment, the roads were bad, and I wanted to have a coffee and didn't have time to make one at home. I should have just done it! WAAAA! Next time I will!

This week I did get knocked down, but I did get back up again. I also have a plan to have these things not happen again. This is what I'm going to do... 1) Instead of seeking out food/Caribou when I'm having a bad day, I will spend time with God. I can do that ANYWHERE. 2) Instead of leaving treats out, I will put them away right away to help limit my serving of treats. 3) Make coffee at home, NO MATTER WHAT! :)

Even though I "got knocked down" I stepped on the scale and I'm down another pound! YAY!

Sof'ella

Sof'ella is a "Gourmet Natural Food" company that sells baking mixes. According to their website they have focused on high quality but easy to make mixes. Something a busy family would be proud to bake together. Not too long ago, they added two gluten free mixes to their line. They have an all purpose flour mix and a chocolate cake mix.

I recently purchased their chocolate cake mix after hearing about how good it was on GFree.TV. I was in love! It isn't just good gluten free cake, it's good cake! For $5.10 you only get 12 cupcakes so it's not cheap. But it has a way better flavor than any other cake mix I have had.

I also entered a contest that I learned about through GFree.TV and I WON!!!

I just received the prize a few days ago! This is how it looked. Isn't it pretty!

I opened it to see...

The mix does not come in a very big box but I think it is enough for what I need which is a small sometimes treat.

It was fun that they also included sprinkles and food coloring.

The pan is so cute! I think the whisk is also fun. My 9 year old likes to use it.

And finally, the donuts! They come out to be about the size of a quarter or half dollar! I didn't decorate them as nice and I would have liked but I got lazy. They are baked donuts so they are not like what you would buy at a bakery. I have thought of trying to fry them in coconut oil to see if they get texture closer to fried donuts. None-the-less, they were quite good and a nice little treat.

PM Routine

Let's do this together every even before bed. Won't it feel good! Thanks Dr. Oz.