Tag: Kale

Categories
General Weight Loss Tips

Feeling Normal

I had my first taste of what a normal day of eating could be like for me in the future. Yesterday was one of those days that had “balance” written all over it. And the elation I feel over something so simple, is hard to explain.

Balance over making the right choices, not over indulging, eating what I wanted, stopping when I was full, passing on dessert and being okay about it all. It feels normal to me. Just like breathing or sleeping, I want the ability to not feel guilty, moving on and not being consumed. None of that “tomorrow I will be better” stuff.

Here’s what I mean…

Yesterday morning I woke up and had two eggs fried in a little olive oil. Followed with my usual glasses of ice water. I was full and satisfied until a little after noon. It was exactly what I wanted. Just eggs.

When I came home I fought a small urge to eat out, but knew I had food at home to eat. I threw together a delicious salad filled with lettuce, feta, a whole avocado, chicken, salsa and onions. It was amazing, healthy, and cheap. I was also full.

When I got home around 4pm.  I was faintly hungry so I ate a few unsalted peanuts  to tide me over.

Knowing that I had friends coming over at 6:30 I threw together a quick goat cheese dip served with Mary’s Gone wheat free crackers. I ate a couple for quality control and out of hunger.

My friends arrived with a delicious array of food. I had a small slice of spanakopita made with kale, a lemon/poppy savory cheese muffin, a couple of wheat free crackers with goat cheese and habanero jelly. It was all delicious. I was hungry. I didn’t have dessert. I didn’t feel guilty for eating when I was genuinely hungry. And I didn’t mindlessly eat at the table or once everyone was gone. I didn’t even want to.

This on a day when I was slightly sleep deprived. Woke up at 5am to work. Then worked straight all day. But, I could handle my stress. The day didn’t gobble me up like I think they sometimes do. I didn’t feel a need to turn to food because I had a long day. And it’s weird to say that.

I calculated my calories for the day and was at around 1,400. Not bad. I also didn’t have the feeling of “well, I screwed up. Let’s eat!” that I normally default to. There was a brief concern that the dessert would be left with me, and I had a back up plan. I honestly didn’t want to eat it, I didn’t want to grogginess that comes with it.

I know all of this inner thought seems a little much for someone who doesn’t know what I’m talking about. And while I won’t be eating flour and sugar today because I did yesterday. It was nice to  have my first taste of what it will be like to have days like that. To feel the balance. Normal. Not out of control. But I don’t totally trust it yet. Knowing when to stop.

I couldn’t help but think  that this is how people do it. This is how they stay thin, lose weight, maintain…you get my point. It was a matter of playing my cards in a different way. It wasn’t all or nothing. It was a little of this and none of that and moving on.

And the weight is steadily coming off. I’m now down 9 pounds and it’s motivating me. Feeling good is motivating me even more. Knowing what the alternative is, is no longer appealing. The minutes of satisfaction from eating sweets and over eating does not make up for the hours of misery it causes. The bloat, the foggy head, the sickness. Not to mention all the stress that being obese causes in my life.

Related Blogs

  • Related Blogs on fat
Categories
General Weight Loss Tips

Hello Blue Skies

First week of eating better plan is down. Last week I ate really well, loosely tracked my calories, lost seven pounds, was incredibly productive, two days of Zumba and one day of strength training. I couldn’t have asked for a better week.

Here is a sampling of what I ate:

honey apples with raw almond butter and raw honey

sweet potato with sea salt, olive oil, cayenne pepper and garlic

peppers and steak with cauliflower “rice”

lots of local fruit

eggs with mushrooms and chevre

feta and local beef meatballs with homemade tomato and basil sauce over local zucchini

I also had ribs, chicken, kale, salads and some un-paleo rice and peanut butter. I only had a craving once for sugary/floury comfort food which was quickly put out of my mind when I knew how physically horrible I would feel. I feel good eating this way- clear, less moody, less depressed. Not up or down, just like a (relatively) normal person. I had one episode of feeling depressed and that was after eating way too much peanut butter  before realizing that it was made with sugar. I remember thinking “why do I feel so bad?”  It’s taken me a very long time to realize that my issues with depression are directly related to food and activity.

I don’t feel deprived, bloated or unsatisfied. I eat when I’m hungry. I’m not overly concerned about calories. I just feel a little more sane. And I’m losing weight.

I have three sessions of Zumba planned, the new Insanity workout DVD to try and another session of strength training.

Here’s to another successful week!

 

Related Blogs

  • Related Blogs on Basil Sauce
  • Related Blogs on Blue Skies
Categories
Weight Loss Exercise

Juicing Recipe Ideas


For many people looking for juicing recipe ideas and starting to get into the benefits of juicing there is always two things they look at, juicing fruit and juicing carrots. I thought it would help to have a large list of juicing recipes so that it is a lot easier to get some good juicing recipe ideas

Potassium Power House

Juicing Recipe Ideas

Juicing Recipe Ideas

  • Combine cucumber, lettuce, celery, kale, and tomato.
  • For taste, add ½ carrot and 1 green apple, or ¼ lemon

Take advantage of the metabolism-stimulating effect of grapes and the fat-fighting properties of lemon with this recipe:

Juice a handful of grapes, 1 apple, ½ lemon or 1 lime.  To spice up the taste, add ¼ or ½ inch ginger.  Add cold drinking water to taste. V8-Like

Vegetable Juicing Recipe

  • 2 organic carrots
  • 2 organic Roma tomatoes,
  • ½ cup spinach
  • 1 or 2 celery stalks
  • To taste:
  • a handful of parsley bunch or cilantro
  • Optional: add 1/10 cayenne (red) pepper after juice is done to your glass and stir with a spoon.

SuperCleanser Juicing Recipe

  • 4 celery stalks
  • ½ small beet
  • 1 cilantro bunch
  • a handful of spinach

Breakfast Juice Fast Recipe

  • ¼ head of cabbage
  • 3 stalks of carrots
  • 1 apple with skin

Lunch Juice Fast Recipe

Combine the same ingredients above and add asparagus.

Juicing Recipe ideas for Weight Loss

Often people will ask me what is a good combination for juicing recipe ideas for weight loss and detox and I have come across this list of a sample day of juicing. Remember that as much as juicing seems like it is a snacky kind of food it is giving you lots of nutrients and being liquid based it is low in calories.

Test some of these weight loss juicing recipe ideas and see how they work out for you.

Morning Detoxification and Weight-Loss Recipe

  • ½ apple
  • ½ pear
  • 3 stalks of carrots
  • ginger

For lunch:

  • Brussel sprouts
  • Cauliflower
  • 3 stalks of carrots

For dinner:

  • Cabbage
  • Carrots
  • Any fruit

Here is another list of a whole bunch of different juices that you can try anytime just as a pick me up or to get more nutrients into you body.

Simply Green Juice

  • 1 cup of spinach
  • 2 cups of kale
  • 2 cups of parsley
  • 1 cucumber
  • 3 celery stalks
  • Optional:  a little garlic or ginger

Apple and Cucumber

  • 2 ½ apples, with stems removed
  • ½ cucumber
  • 1 inch ginger

Alkaline Juicer Recipes

  • 1 cup of spinach
  • ½ cucumber
  • 2 stalks of celery, including leaves
  • 3 carrots
  • ½ apple

Green Heaven Detox Juice Recipe

  • 3 stalks of celery
  • 4 large spinach leaves
  • 1 handful of parsley
  • ½ cucumber
  • 1 shot of wheatgrass
  • Note: This is a strong green juice, so start small to minimize detoxification reactions.

There are lots of options out there for juicing recipes and really there is a lot we can get our of juicing. I have a very comprehensive juicing article here on the blog but there are also lots of other ideas that you can find depending on what you would like to focus on in your health.

Have fun juicing and experimenting with fruits, vegetables and herbs. I hope these juicing recipe ideas are a help to you.


Juicing Recipe Ideas

Related Blogs

  • Related Blogs on Beet