5 Day Eating Clean/No Processed Food Challenge

So I tried this earlier in the month but it was during a very inopportune time. I'm going to challenge myself again to eat clean for the next 5 days.

"Eat clean"...what exactly does that mean? In a nutshell it means that you eat only whole foods...Foods that are as close to their natural state as you can get them. If something didn't grow that way, it's probably not a whole food. For me this means that I can enjoy fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains but nothing pre-packaged...Protein bars, Protein Shakes, Morningstar farms products.

Yikes! 

Although I think that I eat pretty healthy most of the time, my weight loss has stalled so it's time for me to kick it up a notch. Most of the processed food that I eat is consumed out of convenience. I don't THINK that what I eat is extremely unhealthy. But I'm not a Nutritionist so what do I know?

If you've been reading, I haven't been posting my food as religiously as I did a few weeks ago. So I am going to start tracking my meals again, take more photos and share my clean eating intake. What I'm not going to do is count calories. I'm going to trust that if I eat clean and get my compulsive grazing under control, the weight will start to come off again. It's only 5 days, so it shouldn't be too painful? Right? We'll see.

Yesterday was a Manic Monday in every way. I didn't have time to take walks on my 15 minute breaks nor did I have time to do anything on my lunch break. It was one "urgent" email after the next. By the end of the day I was so ready to change into my workout clothes and get the heck out of the office!

Being out in the fresh air and getting a run in is one of the best ways to relieve stress...at least for me. Not only did it center me, but it gave me time to be alone with my thoughts and reflect. Everything about yesterday’s run felt different. There was a chill in the air that I normally don't like because it symbolizes the change in season. I didn’t mind it so much yesterday, however. I just took everything in and really appreciated the blueness of the sky and how green the trees were...everything looked more beautiful. I started thinking about the possibility of being diagnosed with an illness that I’ll have to fight and I realized that one day, I may not be able to run. That motivated me to push myself and keep going even after I got tired. I didn’t even use my C25K app, I just ran and left everything I had on the trail. I’m no Lo Lo Jones, but I can’t remember the last time I jogged 2 ½ miles without stopping.

It felt great. Even though it took me over half an hour, it was a huge accomplishment.

I’ve been thinking a lot about life and death and my own mortality lately. It’s not just about going for a run and appreciating the beauty that God made. I’ve also been very present with my family. I’ve been making a conscious effort not to argue with my mother. I’ve been enjoying every single second that I have with Travis…even when he woke up in the middle of my night time work out. I just turned off the DVD and stayed with him even after he fell asleep. As I sat there with him, I realized that I AM dying. We all are. From the moment we are born we are all waiting for God to call us back home. My grandmother lived until she was in her 80’s. My first born son only lived an hour after his birth. Both of their lives had meaning. We are all put here for a purpose. And regardless of whether we are given a diagnosis that comes with an expiration date or we are just going about our lives and something tragic happens, it will eventually be our time to leave what we think of as our home. It is my hope however, that we all try to live in the moment and appreciate everything that this temporary yet wonderful world has to offer. We should use tragedies to help us appreciate miracles. We should embrace the cold and darkness of the winter because with it is the promise of the warmth and newness of springtime.  I sat up for hours last night wondering…what if I returned to the doctor in December and found out that I am the picture of health? What if this scare was God’s way of getting my attention and drawing me closer to Him?

My prayer for everyone who may be reading this is that you live in the moment. Appreciate every aspect of your life, the good and the bad. Take time today to go outside, breath in fresh air, and marvel at the beauty that your Higher Power has created.

Make today your best day ever! And do at least one today thing that will improve your health.

Thanks for reading and may God bless you and keep you!

Always,

Blaque

Elevated B12

As if I didn't have enough to worry about...I received a call from my doctor's office regarding some lab work I recently had done. I was told that my B12 levels are high...very high. This is odd to me because I was taking B12 supplements, but like everything else in my life, I wasn't consistent. I did a Google search on elevated B12 levels and I really wish I hadn't. This could be a sign of a number of very serious medical conditions. Or maybe it's nothing, I don't know. In any event, I have to get my blood work re-checked but not until December. Three months is a long time to wait, but what are my options?

I have to believe that regardless of the outcome, there is a purpose for all of this. Right now, I am going to focus more on eating healthy and clean rather than whatever number happens to be on the scale on any given day. At this moment my weight is the least of my worries. Being as healthy as I can be is paramount right now.

For lunch I made a very quick and healthy vegetable stir-fry with steamed rice. It was delicious.

I bought the vegetables pre-packaged from Trader Joe's. I sautéed them in a little olive oil, light soy sauce, salt, pepper and Smart Balance. Simple and tasty...just the way I like my food!

The rest of the day I tried to keep myself busy. Housework, housework, housework and lots of snuggling with my favorite guy.

I plan on doing a lot of this during these next three months. I'm convinced that my son's cuddles have medicinal powers. He makes everything better!

After I put Travis to bed, I reluctantly did Week 3 Day 2 of Ripped In 30. I was distracted and really didn't want to work out. Besides, this level is super hard and I just don't think I'm in good enough shape to give it 100%. I know that sounds rather defeatist, but rest assured I have no intentions of giving up. I just wish I could do the moves better and keep up with the number of repetitions. I really feel my age while doing Week 3. And the last thing I need right now is to be reminded of my age.

Where did all the years go?

Anyway, thanks for reading and allowing me to purge. Promise me that you will do at least one thing after reading this that will improve your health. It's all important!

Grace and peace,

Blaque

Being A Vegan

11 years ago, I became a vegetarian for a very specific reason: I did not want to be a part of the inhumane treatment of animals.

I didn’t do it for my health. I wasn’t trying to lose weight. I just couldn’t with a clear conscious eat meat or seafood after learning  and becoming aware of how animals are treated and killed for human consumption.

My rationalization for continuing to eat dairy and other animal bi-products was that an animal didn’t have to be killed for their milk. But still, over the years taking that step from vegetarian to vegan was always something I wanted to do for many reasons. Besides, dairy products, I FEEL, is just not good for the human body. 

But more than that, it's an issue of compassion. Here are a few facts about animal welfare:

~ Over 10 billion land animals and 53 billion sea animals are killed every year in the U.S. alone.

~ Over 200 million male chick offspring are killed annually shortly after birth, because they can't lay eggs and are not considered the right genetic breeding for consumption. They are usually ground up alive or suffocated in plastic bags or foam.

~ Dairy cows are forcibly impregnated to produce milk non-stop for about 5 years. Then they're slaughtered. Their offspring are taken away from them usually within 48 hours. The males are used for veal and the females become dairy cows.

~ Free-range" means absolutely nothing. Birds and their eggs are considered free-range, if they have U.S. Department of Agriculture certified access to the outdoors. This certification doesn’t include size of or ability to access the outdoor area, amount of space allotted per animal, quality of life, or the number of birds living in a single shed.

I realize that many people have conditioned themselves into believing that this is just the natural order of things and that killing animals is a necessary evil. I don’t think it has to be that way, but then again, I’ve always had a heart that felt too big for me sometimes.

I’m about 2 weeks in to being a strict or strict-as-I-can-be Vegan.

The questions I get asked most involve protein and the difficulty of this type of lifestyle.

The past two weeks have not been difficult for me at all. I eat the foods that I enjoy and a lot of them just happen to contain protein. The average woman only needs about 46 grams of protein a day. I often drink protein shakes made with soy milk, but an awful lot of the food I eat contain protein as well such as beans, tofu, veggie burgers, broccoli almonds, almond butter, black-eyed peas, spinach,  whole what breads, etc.

Being a vegan is not about deprivation. It’s about making conscious choices and eating what you love versus forcing yourself to eat what you hate.

For example, I tried quinoa for the first this week because it’s packed with protein. However, I hated it. It was grainy and reminded me of oatmeal…and I HATE oatmeal. So I’ll never eat quinoa again.

For breakfast yesterday I had all of my favorite things: A whole wheat English muffin, 2 slices of veggie bacon, 1/4 cup of potatoes, and some fruit. Very filling!

I also made a citrus smoothie to take to work. It's called a Fat Burner & Cellulite Buster...and man oh man does my cellulite needs busting! It's made with grapefruits, lemons, oranges, and 1 tbsp of turmeric. It was delicious and had the consistency of apple sauce. Outside of the peeling, it was super easy and it gave me a great morning boost!

For lunch I had a salad from Subway, jam packed with foods that I love. Lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, green peppers, olives, banana peppers, red onions...yum!

As you can see, I'm not starving and I'm getting my protein requirements. I will admit, that this lifestyle is not for everyone. But the more fresh fruits and vegetables a person can get into their diet, the better. 

Thanks for reading!

Always,

Blaque

Letting Go

There is a phrase that goes: "Quod me nutrit me destruit." 

Translation: "What nourishes me destroys me."  Meaning, that which motivates or drives a person can consume him or her from within.

This is an absolute truth when dealing with food addiction, but it’s also an important life lesson. Sometimes, the hardest thing to do in life is to let go of something that makes  us feel good in the short term. We get so consumed by instant gratification that we lose sight of the bigger picture. Holding on to something we think we need or want or love is easy. Being an adult and letting go for our own good and for the good of others…that takes courage and maturity.

If there is something that is consuming your time or energy or compromising your peace of mind…LET IT GO!

Life is short and precious. None of us are promised a next breath.  We shouldn’t allow anything…food, addiction, a person, a relationship that’s run its course, etc to destroy us from within. Don’t let what nourishes you, destroy you. Allow those things that truly nourish you, to exalt you. To strengthen you. To free you!

Thanks for reading today!

Always,

Blaque

p.s. My workout jar is still empty. More on that later!

Completed Level 2, Time To Weigh In

I finished Level 2 Day 6 of Ripped in 30. The fact that I managed to lose anything is a gift being that I'm smack dab in the middle of the hormonal poool most women take a dip in every 28 days. So I will take this .8 pound weight loss and be happy! Besides, I've lost almost 15 pounds since starting this DVD so I think I'm doing pretty good.

Anyway, here are the results:

Previous Weight       Current Weight
144.6                        143.8

Goal Weight
135

Starting Bust            Current Bust
36 inches                  36 inches

Starting Waist         Current Waist
30 inches                 29 inches

Starting Hips           Current Hips
40 inches                 40 inches

Starting Forearm     Current Forearm
12 1/2 inches           12 inches

Starting Wrist         Current Wrist
6 inches                   6 inches

Starting Thigh        Current Thigh
23 inches                22 1/2 inches

Starting BMI       Current BMI
24.82                    24.68

Starting Body Fat %    Current Body Fat %
39.44%                           39.28%

I've been in Triple-C mode for the last few days: Cranky, Cramping, and Cravings. So I took a break from the blog, working out, and pretty much everything that didn't involve laying in bed eating Peanut, Almond & Dark Chocolate Nature Valley Protein bars. But after completing Level 2 of Ripped, I've noticed slightly more definition in my arms and shoulders. My abs and lower body still need a lot of work, so I'm hoping to see a difference in those areas after Level 3. *crosses fingers for luck*

Being that I am having a few female "issues" right now, I didn't make it 3 days without processed food. Yesterday was a little better however. I only had one protein bar, 5 clementines, a rice cake with almond butter, a pink grapefruit, a handfull of grapes, and for dinner a veggie burger with an ear of corn.

It was a Morningstar Farms spicy black bean burger with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, pickles, veggie cheese and spicy brown mustard on a whole wheat bun. I probably could have done without the carbs, but man oh man was it tasty!

As far exercise, I still haven't managed to start Level 3 of Ripped. But I did walk 2.39 miles with Travis. Pushing a 90 pound child in a wheelchair for 2 miles is workout enough, trust me.

Before I went to bed, I also did a 15 minute workout DVD. It's called Personal Training with Jackie: Crunch-Free Xtreme Abs. This was a really good workout. It was short, but challenging. I might even add it to the end of my Ripped workout being that my core needs so much work...but we'll see what Level 3 brings before I commit to that.

Well, a new week is upon us. I don't know about you, but I'm closing the door to everything I may have done wrong with my diet and fitness routines and opening a window of new goals and opportunities. We've all been given another chance to do a little better than we did before. Let's take it!

Thanks for reading.

Always,

Blaque

Improvements

I had the day off from work yesterday because Travis had an appointment with his orthopedic specialist. My plan was to take him to his appointment, come home and relax, grab a bite to eat  and then hit the 5 mile trail. But due to circumstances beyond my control,  I never made it back out of the house. This is why I prefer to run or workout on my lunch breaks. Once I get home, finding time to workout becomes increasingly difficult. So Level 2 Day 5 of Ripped In 30 was my only exercise yesterday.

And you know, I’ve been so preoccupied with not being able to do the plank jacks and mountain climbers the way that I want to do them, that I almost didn’t notice the things that have gotten easier. When I started with day 1 of this level, I couldn’t do the side lunges with a leg raise without getting a cramp. But now, I can do them with no trouble at all. Also, my balance has gotten so much better. I don’t wobble nearly as much. I’m making improvements. I still may not be able to do all of the moves, but I’m better and stronger now than I was when I started Level 2. That’s encouraging.

I tend to always eat more when I am at home. Maybe because there are more stress triggers there. I didn’t bother tracking my food. I think I ate relatively healthy food, it’s just that there was a lot a whole lot of it. 

I ate lots of fruit, a whole wheat English muffin with a little Smart Balance Light spread, veggie bacon, rice cakes with almond butter, a protein shake, an ear of corn, and for dinner I had ½ cup of yellow rice and some sautéed mushrooms.

These mushrooms were so flavorful if I do say so myself. I sautéed them in a little EVOO, garlic, salt, pepper and a little Emeril's Essence spice. I know that a lot of people are not big fans of mushrooms but I highly recommend them. They are great meat substitute because of their texture and they actually have a lot of health benefits.

I remember being a kid growing up on what I joking call a BAD diet (Black American Diet).

I remember eating lots of fried chicken, maybe some pork chops, white rice, canned vegetables, lots of white bread, noodles, and tons of Kool-Aid. Don’t get me wrong, my mother, like many others, did the best she could when it came to putting food on the table. But I don’t think in those days much that was given to nutrition. So a lot of adults my age are just use to eating things that we grew up on. But now, we have so many luxuries that our parents didn’t have. Healthy and affordable recipes are at our disposal via the internet. We don’t have to have a degree in Nutrition to know whether or not the food we eat is healthy.

As a matter of fact, I am setting a mini-goal for myself:

For the next three days I am not eating any processed food no matter how healthy I think it is. Nothing out of a box, not even rice cakes or peanut butter or almond butter. Wait…that means no protein bars or Morningstar Farms products…YIKES!

But my eating habits have been out of order lately so from now through Sunday, if I can’t eat it in the form that it grew, it’s not going in my mouth.

Do you have any diet or fitness goals? Tell me about them.

Thanks for reading.

Always,

Blaque

Hiding Inside My Fat Girl Sweater

“Hey Skinny Minnie!”

“Wow, your face is so thin!”

“Yolanda, you’re wasting away to nothing!”

Someone, please make it stop! First of all I AM NOT SKINNY nor am I wasting away to nothing. Hardly! Skinny is a body type I will never find myself in. That’s not self-deprecation, that’s an honest assessment of my body. When I came home from Boot Camp at the age of 21 years old, I was 125 pounds but I was not skinny. I always have been and always will be a thick person and I don’t have a problem with that. But these weight loss comments/compliments are over-whelming and pressure educing. Every time my mother looks at me she says I need to eat more and that my face is too thin. People at work all want me to give them some magic secret they believe I have for weight loss. I’ve started keeping this big, bulky fashion disaster of a sweater with me so that I can wear it as camouflage whenever I leave my desk. 

I really wish I could take a 2 to 3 month vacation (paid vacation, that is), finish losing this weight in private, then come back as if nothing had happened. It’s hard. Having body image issues is hard. And I'm an introvert by nature. Having all of this unwanted attention regarding my weight loss and body is quite uncomfortable. But I can’t let all these crazy emotions derail me from my destination. 135…I won’t stop until I reach 135 pounds!

Yesterday's run felt really good. I did Week 5 Day 1 of C25K and for the first time since I've been using this app, I got lost in the run. I was actually enjoying the feeling of running instead of praying that the interval would soon be over. Today's workout started with a 5 minute warm up followed by 5 minutes of running and 3 minutes of walking. It repeated three times before ending with a 5 minute cool down. I felt great. I felt strong. I did a total of 2.30 miles, plus I walked another mile back to my vehicle. Yay me!

Last night after I put Travis to bed, I did Level 2 Day 3 of Ripped In 30. Again, it’s getting a little better but I’m not even close to keeping up with the women on the video. I try to focus on technique as opposed to doing as many reps…hopefully by the end of this level I will be able to do both.

I’ve really been enjoying my workouts lately. The comments from others about my weight loss? Not so much!

Tell me, do you get rattled by comments about your weight and/or weight loss? Please tell me I'm not the only one!

Thanks for reading.


Always,


Blaque

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Women Food and God

Have you ever read a novel and felt like the author wrote it specifically for you? That’s how I felt when I started reading Women Food and God by Geneen Roth. 

This book is brilliantly written. I’m only on chapter 4 but I’ve had so many “That’s me!” moments. It’s like she’s in my head. 

When she wrote about prayer my first thought was that, "I've felt like this so many times!." She wrote, "When my prayers weren't answered, I felt ashamed for believing I could be saved; I decided that God saw something in my cells that was unredeemable - and that I was on my own"

She goes on to say, "Women turn to food when they are not hungry because they are hungry for something they can't name: a connection to what is beyond the concerns of daily life."

YES! 

This author appears to get to the root of compulsive eating. She seems to have a very good understand of why women like myself over eat instead of dealing with what's really troubling them. Like I said, I only got made it to chapter 4 before I sleep started taking over. I can't wait to get home and read more.

I was so busy with housework yesterday that I did a lot of snacking throughout the day. I made a pineapple, banana, strawberry, spinach and kale smoothie...scrumdiddlyumptious!!! I had part of the smoothie for breakfast then had more later in the day. I ate some marinated cucumbers for a snack. And around mid day I had brown rice and collard greens.

The only exercise was Level 2 Day 2 of Ripped In 30. Surprisingly, it wasn't quite as painful as Day 1. I still couldn't do an many of the plank jacks and mountain clumbers as the ladies on the video. But I did more than I did before and I guess that's all I can ask of myself. 

Overall, I was pleased with how my day went. I got in some exercise I food was healthy and controlled. Oh, I did have one oatmeal and raisen cookie. It was only 90 calories and I was proud of myself for eating just that one.

Looking forward to kicking it up next week with my workouts. I'm so close to my goal wieght I don't know what to do!

Here I come you elusive number, you!

Thanks for reading all!

Grace and peace,

Blaque

Slacker Alert

 

 

 

 

I started off yesterday with the best of intentions. I mean, seriously, I had a plan. I woke up in the morning and did 30 sit-ups. Then I started getting ready for the 2013 Out Of The Darkness Community walk for suicide awareness that I registered for earlier in the week. My plan was to do the walk, come home and run some errands, then do Level 2 Day 2 of Ripped in 30 after I put Travis to bed. I planned my actions, but I couldn't plan the results...no one from my son's home health agency ever showed up so that I could go to the walk. My family has been affected by suicide so I really wanted to be a part of this event. Plus, it was a chance to get in 3.4 miles of moderate walking.

 

With nothing else to do, I started eating my disappointment. The list of food I ate yesterday is considerate, but healthy. I ate my way into a food coma and slept for the better part of the afternoon.

 

Just when I decided to drag myself out of the bed and salvage some of my day by taking a walk through my apartment complex, my mother decided that she wanted to get out of the house and go for a drive. So that's what we did:

 

We drove....

And drove...

 

 



And drove some more...

We finally got back home just in time for me to feed Travis and get him ready for bed. Then later, I had company come over. The next thing I knew it was midnight and I was sitting in the middle of my living room floor watching re-runs of The Golden Girls while eating brown rice and brussel sprouts. My day was officially in the crapper!

But I won't call it a bad or wasted day. I will call it a high calories/rest day. (Nice spin, huh?)Tomorrow is another opportunity to get it right and I know I have to bring it!

Visit my blog tomorrow to hear all about my comeback!

Thanks for reading.

Always,

Blaque

Inspirational Sunday

A Dieter's Prayer

 

Dear God,

I admit that I have come to both love

and hate the word "diet".

On the one hand, it represents hope for change.

One the other, it's like a sign flashing "Failure Ahead!"

I don't want to embark on another faulty plan, Lord.

I want to embark on a journey with You

that is led by You and depends on Your power.

I can do nothing on my own!

Show me, as only You can,

what works for me, what is healthy for me.

I want to think of this venture in positive terms, Lord -

not that I am signing up to be miserable or in want.

I want to learn to feed my body what it truly needs when

it truly needs it.

And to feed my soul with the Bread of Life - You!

Today I place my future, my failures, my setbacks,

all of my hopes and plans into Your hands.

There alone will I find meaning

and true success in my life.

Amen.