So…. I started feeling better yesterday as the day wore on. By about 5pm I felt pretty good! And so I decided to break my diet with macaroni and cheese and 2 glass of wine. (I wanted to finish off the bottle of organic merlot I had in my fridge).
Anyway, needless to say my soft skin has disappeared for the time being. Yeah – only one cooked meal and 2 small glasses of wine and BAM: gone. Sharp vision is gone as well. I know they will return in a couple days though.
I did not enjoy the cooked food or the wine and have decided that that was the last time I will enjoy either of those two items. For the past couple of weeks I have been looking for a strong inner conviction to truly become vegan. And last night I found it… I now believe in my heart that it is wrong – for various reasons – to eat meat or animal products. I got the conviction deep in my heart and soul, and it’s what I needed. A visit to sites like all-creatures.org and cok.net (compassion over killing) solidified my resolution.
I do not wish to offend the meat-eaters who read my blog so I will leave it at that! (Don’t worry – I won’t be preaching about not eating meat on this blog, either).
So as of today I am 100% raw vegan. I am no longer afraid of the detox and cleansing process that will likely continue to take place; I got through it yesterday (although painful) and I am fine.
Anyway, after all of my experimenting with fruits and greens over the past few weeks, I now know which ones I love and which I only ‘like’. I’m going to stick with the greens I enjoy – spinach, dandelion greens, bok choy and other tender baby greens for blending, and romaine and other lettuces for salads. My favorite fruits are oranges, bananas, pears, mango, berries, melons, grapes and tart green apples. I will still eat other fruits but not as often. I’m also eager for my trip to Southern California in another couple of months – I know they have lots of other fruit that I’ve never tried but want to (like dragon fruit, etc).
Today so far I’ve had a large navel orange and a green smoothie comprised of spinach, dandelion greens and bananas. I plan to eat a couple of pears, some berries, another orange or two, and some pineapple throughout the day. In the evening I’m making myself a large salad with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber slices, mung bean sprouts, broccoli sprouts and shredded carrots. (I’ll take a picture of it if it comes out OK!) An ounce of sunflower seeds will finish off the day’s eating.
Unfortunately it is extremely windy outside so I can’t go walking – plus it’s supposed to storm violently here later, so I’m stuck on the elliptical yet again.
TOM is over early this month (only 3 days!) so I will be weighing myself mid-week. I don’t want to weigh myself now since I had wheat pasta and wine last night… GOK what the scale says right now!
Tagged as:
fruits,
Meals,
raw vegan,
veggies
Well isn’t THAT nice…
I have eaten very lightly today. I had only fruit until lunch time, when I had chicken and greens, more raw veggies for an afternoon snack, and for dinner I am having white king salmon. I can’t back out of the salmon now since it’s already defrosting. So, dinner will be salmon and probably a mixed herb and romaine salad with nuts and olive oil & garlic pepper sprayed on top. I got this awesome thing at Bed, Bath & Beyond called “Misto”. It’s a spray bottle for olive oil. You pour in about three ounces of olive oil and then can spray it onto salads, veggies, cook ware, etc. Only a tiny amount comes out in the spray so you get almost no calories.
Anyway, it’s going to be a very low calorie & clean eating day! I am thinking about taking a walk after I eat (if the storm hasn’t started by then).
Tagged as:
Meals
I am just dying to get on the scale! My clothes are still getting looser, and my lower stomach and waist are just deflating like crazy! I swear every day they look a little smaller.
But I’m glad I’m waiting… I know the number I will see on the scale when I do finally get on will be well worth the weight. (Sorry, terrible pun, I know).
I went to town on mango and carrots last night. Mango is seriously my absolutely favorite fruit in the world. The cool thing is that on my eating plan, I don’t need to portion myself on fruits or veggies. It seems the more of them I eat, the slimmer I get. I’m trying to balance it so that I eat at least 6-9 servings of veggies per day and 3-4 of fruit now.
PMS is sure making me tirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrred. Possibly because I’m not eating as many carbs as I usually do around this time. I had a very hard time getting out of bed today. I slept through my alarm too which is highly unusual.
However, once I get up and about I feel energetic and clear-headed.
I had a bit of mango, 2 omega 3 eggs and 3/4 of a yogurt this morning for breakfast. Right now I’m snacking on carrots and a pear, plus just had some wheat grass juice. (I bought the powder and added it to some water, which isn’t the tastiest thing in the world, but it’s not too bad). A later snack will by my usual raw sunflower and pumpkin seeds, plus some spinach. Dinner will be a huge salad with at least 5 types of veggies, plus either chicken or fish, and maybe some kiwi or an apple.
My younger sister is so impressed with how quickly my stomach is getting flat that she is going to start taking coconut oil capsules! I’m trying to get her to start taking wheat grass, too.
TGIF!
Tagged as:
Meals
TGIF!!
My lunch:
That’s plain yogurt with a sprinkling of cinnamon, which is supposed to be good for the blood sugar. There is also a romaine herb lettuce salad with tri-colored bell peppers, carrots, and sesame seeds. There’s a small piece of sharp cheddar thrown in for good measure.
I am feeling fabulous today!!! Despite waking up with a painful neck and shoulders AGAIN, I got up, ate my now-usual breakfast, worked out on my elliptical, and took the following supplements (which I know are contributing towards my “good” feeling): 2 coconut oil capsules, 1 kelp tablet (which has iodine in it – needed for detoxification of impurities, plus helps the thyroid), 1 chewable sugar-free Vitamin C/E tablet (sweetened with stevia), and a Zinc tablet.
I am planning to have an organic chicken breast and veggies for dinner. Later tonight I may be going out to a restaurant with some friends, but I refuse to touch anything at the restaurant except perhaps salad and mineral water. We usually go to Ihop or Village Inn (yuck to both), which are unfortunately two of the only restaurants that stay open late around here. Ihop has a great-tasting chicken ceasar salad, but they – like most other restaurants – flavor the salad with MSG and other artificial seasonings. No thanks!
I finally stepped on the scale this morning, and lo and behold I am down another couple of pounds! So I have checked off the -10 pounds box in the sidebar.
Tagged as:
Meals,
weight loss
Now I see why people who eat salmon are so thin… it’s SO filling and so full of vitamins. It seems like anything with higher amounts of Omega 3 are very filling… such as fish and omega-3 eggs. I just had some wild white king salmon with some spinach and a small romaine herb salad. Delicious and filled me up. I didn’t end up having salmon yesterday as planned… instead just had some organic sharp cheddar and spinach and veggies for dinner. I didn’t have any meat yesterday, as I just didn’t feel like eating any of it.
Honestly, I haven’t been eating much for the past couple of days… If I added up the calories, it would be WAY too low. But why eat if you aren’t hungry? I’ll grab a spoonful of sunflower or pumpkin seeds or ounce of cheese in between meals. Yesterday and today I only had 2 actual meals, and felt more than satisfied. I guess after years of mostly overeating, my body is telling me I don’t need so much food. I am, however, making sure to eat only vitamin-filled foods, plus taking a few supplements on the side. What I need to do tomorrow is get out in the sun for a good 30 minutes to get some Vitamin D. It’s supposed to be in the 50’s tomorrow, so I’ll be taking a walk.
This is what I’ve eaten today:
Breakfast- 1 yogurt (no berries or eggs this morning), 2 cups coffee -one with a tsp of coconut oil, one with a tsp of honey, both with half and half and stevia.
Snack- 1 tsp of pumpkin seeds and an organic fruit and nut snack bar.
Dinner- 2 ounces sharp cheddar, white wild salmon (with basil, garlic pepper and olive oil & a dash of organic butter), spinach, romaine herb lettuce, mineral water
Today as I got home from running errands (while feeling a little lightheaded, possibly from low blood sugar) I immediately reached for the romaine herb lettuce in my fridge. Now if THAT isn’t a miracle, I don’t know what is.
So… I redesigned my bathroom this evening… for the past 14 months I’ve had a light pink, tan and beige color scheme. I changed it to a tan, beige and forest green color. I also bought a new scale – this time, a semi-expensive dial scale. I got on and off it a few times to calibrate it but didn’t look at the numbers… too scared! I also redesigned my bedroom last week – changed it to light blue, beige, dark brown and dark blue. It’s very calming and peaceful now when I step into my bedroom. Before that, I’d had a deep red, gold and beige scheme going. NOT conductive to peaceful harmony!
Tagged as:
Meals,
salmon
Well, we are in the middle of yet another bad ice storm, and I think I’m going to be stuck at home for the next couple of days! I’m supposed to go somewhere later tonight with a friend, but I don’t trust anyone’s driving on the pure ice that is now coating the roads pretty badly. It’s raining at 27 degrees out… NOT a good combo. And I refuse to drive in this crap myself. I hope it doesn’t get bad enough to knock out the power or any services…! I think I’ll take the time stuck at home to catch up on laundry, some of my other websites, and maybe even utilize the building’s gym.
Anyway, I am currently eating the most delicious-tasting turkey breast cutlet that I’ve ever had… I oven-roasted it with a bit of olive oil, organic butter, cilantro and garlic pepper. To go along with it, I am having a romaine-herb salad with sliced tomatoes and colored bell peppers topped with organic sesame seeds:
Yum. Just a week ago, this salad would have tasted incredibly bland. But since detoxing my taste buds from chemicals and toxins located in processed foods, fresh food has become incredibly delicious. (And I promise you I am NOT exaggerating).
Overall I’m feeling pretty good today, although I was extremely tired this morning and did not want to get up. My waist, hips, thighs and stomach areas all feel smaller today. Scale is still reading the same number as yesterday though. I really need to stop weighing myself every day… I will see more dramatic results if I only do it once a week.
In any case, I will report on my weight loss one week from today… I know my weight stats are confusing since I never reveal the actual number to you all. I am going to start keeping track of the weight I lose again in the sidebar. The goal of -55 pounds is from my highest-ever weight, not my current weight (which is 8 pounds less than my highest-ever weight).
Anyway, I have my dinner all planned out… it’s going to be oven-baked wild Alaskan sockeye salmon and spinach. Perhaps some berries for dessert since I didn’t have them with my breakfast.
Tagged as:
Food Photos,
Meals
I had a delicious and super-healthy dinner tonight: half of a plain grilled chicken breast (finally wised up to how many calories really ARE in a chicken breast, so now I only eat half at a time), a peach, and a good-sized salad including romaine lettuce, red, yellow and orange peppers, cucumber and carrots with a dash of low cal ranch dressing. I have this awesome new easy-to-use veggie/fruit chopper. It chops veggies and fruits up into tiny or small-sized cubes. So I start the salad by tearing up pieces of organic romaine lettuce, then I layer chopped veggies on top. Last but not least comes the small drizzle of light dressing. Mmmmm… I am seriously going to try and eat one of these salads every single day!
Anyway, after eating this dinner, my calorie count is only 1080, so I am trying to decide what to have for my late snack. Probably some unsalted, organic pretzels I got from Whole Foods. Or maybe some seeds.
So, I mentioned in a recent post that lately I have been in a much more positive frame of mind… I’m trying hard to keep it that way, so one thing I have adopted into my daily routine is meditation! As a recovering alchy I’m supposed to do it anyway, but I only started recently. What I do is lie down on my back in bed after I get up in the morning (after I’ve eaten and had coffee). I empty my mind completely and lie there and focus on keeping my mind empty for as long as I can. Then I try and visualize and feel things like peace, love, joy, etc. Anyway, it seems to work, as I’ve been able to keep a fairly positive outlook on things since beginning this. My mind is able to stay clear throughout the day.
Anyway, I know I have never spoken of things like this on this blog, but… some of you have (rightly) pointed out that I can be very negative in some of my posts, especially when talking about my many previous ailments. I’ve been aware of it for quite some time now. So I’m taking steps to remedy the situation. Some experts believe that physical sickness is tied in with emotional problems and depression/sadness/anxiety/stress… and I agree!
Tagged as:
healthy meals,
Meals
Yesterday I clocked in 1395 calories for the day… not bad!
I’m not sure if I mentioned this previously, but in addition to calorie-counting, I’m trying very hard to eat mostly organic or whole foods. Yesterday I went through my cabinets and got rid of everything that had a long list of chemicals in the ingredients. There wasn’t much of these foods left in my cabinet anyway, since I’ve been slowly replacing crap processed food with organic or whole food for a while now. The only thing I have left to switch out is my coffee creamer (I love the International Vanilla creamer) and parkay spray butter.
Also I am no longer going to buy any fruits or veggies in regular grocery stores. That may sound fanatical, but all of the fruits and veggies we see in our regular grocery stores are genetically modified with God-knows-what. I’m not worried about the pesticides in these foods so much as the genetic engineering…
Here is today’s menu:
Breakfast- Shredded wheat w/skim milk
Snack- organic brown cow yogurt
Lunch- chopped organic veggie salad (orange, red & yellow peppers, spinach leaves, carrots and cucumbers), talapia fish fillet, organic apple
Snack- handful of raw sunflower and pumpkin seeds
Dinner- low sodium organic soup, half of a grilled chicken breast, steamed veggies
I haven’t yet added up the calories but I know they are within my daily limit of 1500…
Thanks for the nice comments on yesterday’s post to all of you who left them!
Tagged as:
Meals,
organic
So, yesterday I ended the day with a total of 1435 calories! Not bad at all… I did change the last meal around a bit and didn’t have the sunflower seeds before going to bed, which explains the slight difference in calories.
So I have today’s meal plan all set up…
Breakfast: Shredded wheat w/skim milk – 260
Lunch: Organic whole wheat pasta w/cheese sauce, small apple – 530
Dinner: 1 1/2 cups low sodium soup (120), 1 tilapia fillet (80), Brussels sprouts (50), large salad w/ff dressing (50) – 300
Snack: 2 ounces cheese (220), 1/2 serving raw sunflower seeds (80) – 300
Other: 1 pack EmergenC (25). coffee creamer (45) = 70
Total: 1460
Exercise: 30 minutes of either power walking or elliptical. It’s gorgeous out so it’ll probably be the former!
Calories and foods are subject to change… I purposely planned a large lunch portion of whole wheat pasta but I doubt I’ll be able to finish it all.
So anyway….. onto non-diet related stuff. I discovered last night that if you stare at a person for long enough without moving your eyes – about 60 seconds, give or take – you can literally see what color their aura is! It sounds new-agey but really works. It’s best if the room is well-lit and they have a white or neutral-colored wall behind them. My boyfriend has a green and yellow aura, and I have a turquoise one. Try it – have someone stand in front of a wall in a well-lit room, and stare at their forehead without moving your eyes. Eventually you will see a color surrounding their head! Friggin awesome. Now I’m going to go read everyone’s aura. (Yes, I’m a geek).
Anyway, I will update later tonight or tomorrow morning with my total calorie count!
Tagged as:
calories,
Meals
So, my “I don’t care about dieting” phase didn’t last very long… Now I’m more determined than ever to lose the rest of this darn weight! However, it’s more for health reasons than anything else.
Since yesterday I have been writing down absolutely everything I eat and am doing four 350-calorie meals per day, with the first two meals of the day focusing on healthy fiber-filled whole grains and fruit, and the last two meals protein and veggies. Here’s today’s menu:
Breakfast- Very small bowl of post shredded wheat, 1 can iced coffee – 300
Lunch- 1 serving of organic whole wheat pasta w/cheese sauce, 1 nondairy ice bar – 300
Meal 3- 5 oz grilled chicken breast (235 cals), low sodium organic tomato soup (110), Brussels sprouts (50) – 395
Meal 4 – Large mixed spinach/romaine salad w/ff dressing, 1 ounce of sharp cheddar, omelet w red peppers/mushrooms – 260
Before bed – one serving of handful of raw sunflower seeds- 160
Total: 1415
Some of the calorie totals might seem incorrect, but I made sure to measure everything out precisely!
Also, I walked along the river for about a half hour today… it was so beautiful out this afternoon.
It has occurred to me that the only way I will ever permanently lose weight is to do it gradually, so my goals are to exercise at least 30 minutes for five days a week, plus stick to 1200-1500 calories per day. 1500 calories with exercise will allow me to lose at least one pound per week (if not more), and although that is such a tiny amount, it will add up over time, and that is what’s important. My “drastic” plans never last more than a few days, and my body always overcompensates by making me extremely hungry, therefore, I usually gain the weight back.
Tagged as:
calories,
diet,
Meals
