I'll Try Anything Once, (or maybe twice)

Day 5

A day for trying new stuff I suppose.  I am not one of those people who will say, "I don't like that!" when actually I have never tried it.  So, when we were at Whole Foods and I saw the soy free/dairy free/vegan cheddar "teese" I thought, "what the heck!" I managed to incorporate it into my lunch today and I must say, it tastes like crap cold but heated it is edible.  I just melted it on a rice tortilla and topped it with sundried tomatoes, lettuce and a little vinaigrette.  If I stretched mind and my taste buds, I could almost see how it resembled pizza.

After lunch I played with the new toy I found at Whole Foods.

I was so excited when I saw this.  I could just imagine having all the sweet potato, zucchini, squash, and carrot chips my heart desired.  They would be so healthy and it would be an effortless way for me to get more veggies into my diet.  Humph!  I made numerous batches of sweet potato chips and they either burned or were still mushy.  I kept adjusting the microwave time but no luck!  Now, I am either stuck with a $20 chip maker that doesn't work or I can wash it really, really, really good and return it to Whole Foods.  I won't say which choice I end up making, that way you can't be called to testify.  You're welcome!

Ooo, Heaven Is a Place on Earth....

....and I found that place today.  Actually, it was two places.

First, there was this oasis in the land of crap laden fast food:

This is the only fast food restaurant where I feel safe eating.  I get the brown rice bowl with chicken, salsa, lettuce, and guacamole.  Delish!


Next, we went to fabulous place:

I could have sworn I heard the Angels sing when I walked in.  Again, as crazy as it may sound, I felt safe there.  Yes, I still had to read labels but there were so many options for me.  AND, I got a little treasure there that I will tell you about in another post.

Until then......


P.S.  Weight loss total at the beginning of Day 4 = -4 lbs

Food Court and Healthy Are NOT Synonymous!

Day 3

Found this new friend.  A nifty little snack that isn't a nut.  YAY! And btw, they are really good!

Oh, and I learned some valuable lessons while trying to eat at the food court.
#1 Don't trust the cute little lady peddling bourbon chicken at the China Wok when she says, "Vegetables? Oh, yes, they steamed."  They might have started off as steamed vegetables but the thick sauce they pour on them kinda ruined it for me. 
#2 Ask lots of questions and don't be shy about telling them what you want.  My second attempt at lunch was much better.  I went to the Japanese grill and they had uncontaminated steamed vegetables.
#3 Going to the food court is probably not the best idea when it is your 3rd day on a new diet.  Just sayin'.

My Official 1st Day

I tried to start the diet on June 24th; however, after eating two meals that day I realized I didn't have the correct food and I said screw it and splurged for dinner.  I guess that meal was kinda like my last supper.

So, my official first day was June 25.  My food journal looked something like this:

Breakfast:
Vanilla Protein Shake with Chia Seeds (made with SO Delicious Coconut Milk)

Lunch:
Berry Protein Shake with Chia Seeds (made with SO Delicious Coconut Milk)

Snack:
None

Dinner:
Rice Noodles with Meat Sauce
Baked Zucchini
Salad w/Olive Oil an Balsamic Vinegar (Oops, the vinegar was sweetened READ THOSE LABELS)

Didn't my dinner look yummy?

For the meat sauce, I used organic ground beef (I should be using grass-fed beef) and Monte Bene Organic Gluten Free Sugar Free Garlic Marinara Sauce and added a touch more Italian seasoning.

All that stressing and it was easy and delicious!!!!!



P.S.  This passed the 14 year old picky eater test.

My Driving Force

I'm sure you are probably thinking this "diet" is too strict.  Or maybe you think there isn't enough variety.  Well, if so, you aren't thinking anything I didn't think myself.  I guess, if I was just looking at this as a plan for losing weight, I would still have those thoughts in my head or would have quit by now.  But I am not looking at it as a "diet".  It is an eating plan for life.  Now, I know I will treat myself and splurge every now and then.  I am human and I am not perfect.  However, I can't allow the splurges to become an everyday or every meal thing.

I wanted to share with you some of the symptoms that accompany an intolerance to certain types of foods.

Gluten - joint pain, brain fog, gastro distress, headaches, infertility, osteoporosis, anxiety or depression (well, let's see, I had 5/7 symptoms)

Soy - disrupts hormones, bad for thyroid, poor memory and dementia, blocks vitamin absorption, bad for bone health, causes pancreatic disorder.  Not to mention it is genetically modified and overly processed - ICK! (I have Can'tRememberStuff so I think I should watch out for this one  O.o )

Dairy - Acne and skin conditions, gas/bloating, causes fat (think of what mammals feed their babies to make them grow), auto-immune disease, inflammation, runny nose/watery eyes, mucus problems, sinusitis/wheezing/congestion, cramps/diarrhea  (I'm 8/9 on this one)

Eggs - inflammation, gas, bloating, heartburn, eczema, psoriasis (My score 4/6)

Corn - rash, hives, migraines, joint pain, inflammation, moodiness, depression, insomnia, eczema, fatigue, night sweats, dark circles under eyes, UTIs, sinus problems.  Oh and dare I mention corn is genetically modified and carries numerous types of fungus - DOUBLE ICK!  (9/14 on this one)

Peanuts - gut problems (BINGO!  I'm at 100% on this one).  Seriously though, if I can eat tree nuts which are healthier and don't cause me to have stomach issues, then why wouldn't I? 

Sweeteners - mood swings, food cravings, blood sugar crash, sugar addiction (Heck, I win the jackpot on this one, too!  I scored another 100%)

Wow, that just sickens me when I read over it.  So, now you see why I not only want to do this, I need to do this!

Now, go enjoy your dinner!  :)