Still at it.... Day 12

I've failed to update, but have been keeping up with The Plan.  The weekends are a little tougher than the regular weekdays, but still fine.  There certainly isn't a lack of food!  If you keep up with the planning, you're good!  I'm still down 6 pounds, but more importantly feeling really good!  I'm going to finish out the last week of this, but I think as long as I eat clean more often than not, I'll continue to feel good.  I haven't found that I'm sensitive to much, which I'm thankful for!  :)

Pressing Pause

I'm having to take a break today.  Yesterday's headache turned into today's stomach bug.  I have tummy trouble I tend to crave carbs.  I didn't do terrible today, but I certainly didn't stay on track.  I'm pushing day 8 to tomorrow and will keep going!  :)

On another note, I've been re-reading the book and noticed that she believes that Crossfit is one of the worst workouts you can do.  Hmmmmm.  I'm going to stick with it for now, but might be something to consider. 

The Plan Day 7

Still feeling great, no inflammation!  I did wake up with a terrible headache this morning.  Not sure what that's all about.  Could have something to do with this change in diet, or maybe it's that my 4 year old woke up at 4:00am this morning and never went back to sleep!  The past year and a half has convinced me that sleep is as important as diet so maybe that's it!  Either way, neither coffee or tea helped.  I had lunch out today on the patio at Pappasitos with my oldest and the hubs.  A fajita salad, fairly plain.  I asked for nothing on the chicken with only lettuce and veggies.  It tasted great and I thought it was a good choice because it allowed me to not introduce any new foods.  I'm sure it wasn't as "clean" as I could have made it at home, but it was fun.   

Noticeable Changes:
I'm now down 7 pounds since the start.
I think cutting out processed foods is key for me.  I can't tell you the difference I feel when I'm not eating it!

On the diet today:
Breakfast:  Fruit and Coffee (maybe I'm not eating enough??  Breakfast is hard for me!!)
Snack:  1/2 avacado
Lunch:  Salad with chicken
Snack:  Fruit
Dinner:  Grilled chicken (from lunch) and veggies

I think the test for tomorrow is bread!

The Plan Day 6

Back to the grind on this Monday, and also back to Crossfit!  I took off all of last week.  Why I dread it so much is beyond me.  When I finish a class I'm so glad that I went.  Then I'm back to dreading it...  who knows.  I committed to it for at least the next month.  Then I'll see where I am!  As for the plan:

Changes:  Still down 6 pounds from original weight

Today I had:
Breakfast:  Coffee -- two cups today, granola, and fruit
Lunch:  Carrott Soup (I had it on hand and was in a hurry)
Snack:  Rye Toast and hummus
Dinner:  Leftover steak and roasted veggies (The Plan calls for it today - yay!  I had left overs in the fridge!)

Things are going well and not as bad as I had thought.  I do think the intake of water on this diet makes a huge difference!  I can tell if I don't get my required amount of water every day.  I'm sleeping well, have had no restless leg symptoms, and my swelling is down!  That's success in my book!

On the 7th day of The Plan, you rest. This means that you eat no "reactive" food and give your body a chance to rest. As the plan goes on, more reactive foods are introduced. Due to this, they recommend resting every other day from now through the end. Rest day even includes unsalted potato chips... my kind of Plan! :)

Since I'm a week in, I will say there've been a few things I've decided. I do not like coconut or rice milk. I do not pour anything on my granola like it calls for. I bought it, tried it, and do not like it. Life is too short to choke things down! As for coffee, a splash of cream (the real deal) or half and half is what I prefer. It also seems to be working for me. The fat content is higher than milk, however it is processed differently than milk and does not seem to be bother me.

I'm not a fan of kale. I wish I could fall in love with it, but it just doesn't appeal to me. I see it in the case at HEB and Whole Foods, and have bought it with the hope that I would eat. It seems to sit in the fridge and then make it to the trash. Kale and I are breaking up.  ;)

The Plan Day 5

Happy Mother's Day!  Who wants to be on a "Plan" for mother's day??  Not me, but it wasn't that bad.

Changes:  My weight is still down 6 pounds from the day I started.

Today I had:
Breakfast:  Coffee, blueberries, and apples (tired of flax granola!)
Lunch:  Steak, salad, and vegetables
Snack:  Fruit
Dinner:  Salad

**I cheated with the steak, but didn't have the chicken for dinner that the book calls for ... it's Mom's day after all, and this mom loves a tenderloin every now and then!

The Plan Day 4

Coffee!!  How I've missed you!

Changes:
Down 6 pounds from original weight.

What I had today:
Breakfast:  Coffee!  With a splash of cream  (I went without the granola today and just enjoyed my coffee!)
Lunch:  Spinach salad with veggies
Snack:  Veggies and hummus
Dinner:  Grilled chicken and broccoli
Snack:  1 ounce dark chocolate, strawberries and homeade whipped cream

The Plan day 3

Last day without coffee!

Noticeable changes:
My weight was up 2 pounds this morning.  Maybe I'm sensitive to almonds?  I'm not crazy about them, so it doesn't really matter that much to me.  Will stay away from them for now. 

Today I had:
Breakfast:  Fruit (I deviated a little bit because I had breakfast out)
Lunch:  Romaine with 1/4 avacado and vegetarian soup
Snack:  Apple
Dinner:  Grilled Chicken and vegetables

The Plan day 2

The Plan works fast!  I went to bed with a headache last night, but woke up feeling great! 

Noticable Changes:
The Plan asks that you weigh yourself each morning, and this morning I was down 6 pounds.  That's a lot if you ask me!  My rings were easy to slip on and my fingers and wrists weren't swollen.  My results are posted at the bottom of the page. 

Today I had:
Breakfast:  Flax Granola with blueberries
Snack: Apple
Lunch: Carrott Ginger Soup
Snack:  Almonds
Dinner:  Romain, one cup of brown rice

The Plan Day 1

Day 1 of The Plan starts a 3 day "clense" which means no coffee.  Overall, it went well.  I did go to bed at 7:45 with a nice big headache.  The crazy Houston weather was changing, and a storm was blowing in, but I'd bet it was the coffee and not the weather!  I must admit, I don't love everything on the menu, so sometimes I tweak it a little.  I'm giving it my best shot though!

Breakfast:  Flax granola with blueberries
Lunch:  Carrot Ginger Soup (not my favorite, but tolerable) and broccoli
Snack:  Apple
Dinner:  Kale (I do not like Kale, so I ate romaine lettuce) with vegetables

"The Plan"

I seem to be reading new material all the time.  As I've said before, it can get overwhelming as lots of resources think their way is the best.  Finding what is best for me is my goal!  I'm thinking that could mean a little of this and a little of that, but ultimately it all comes down to how I feel.  Weight loss isn't my goal.  My goal is to eliminate inflammation as much as possible, sleep well at night, and maintain a good level of energy. I started reading "The Plan" a few weeks ago and have thought a lot about it.  At times, I wake up swollen with no real reason.  Stress, lack of sleep, and poor diet can contribute to this, but lately I feel like I have kept most of those things in check.  The Plan basically eliminates everything that could be causing inflammation, and then reintroducing it.  It's a 20 day plan -- I figure I can do anything for 20 days...  Here we go!

Overwhelming!

Having a few auto-immune diagnoses coupled with all of the information on food our there = overwhelming!!  Sometimes I have to step away from the computer, think a little, and then go back to baby steps.  I don't have to change everything all at once.  See what makes me feel better, keep doing that, and not worry about the things that don't seem to make a difference.  Right now, I've successfully cut all sugar.  I notice a huge difference in the swelling, which makes me feel better.  There are a few blogs in particular that I enjoy following.  They'll be listed on the sidebar to the right very soon.  When you start to read labels, it's amazing the things you'll turn away from!

Our Week!

Bryan has gotten into Crossfit, as have I, but also because I have auto-immune issues, the lifestyle I lead directly impacts how I feel every day. Too much junk food, not enough sleep, and high levels of stress, and skipping the gym all help dictate how I feel. I need to be better about posting pictures and links, but for now writing things out help hold me accountable. :) Here's what's on our table this week! I typically only plan for four days, because without fail something comes up (like car trouble last week) that makes us eat out once a week!

Monday - Veggie Stir Fry
(It seems we eat this a lot, but it's an easy go to meal, packed with veggies. My family loves it and I do too!)
Tuesday - Steaks on the grill and veggies or a salad on the side
I'll modify this a little bit for our boys, they'll eat fruit and maybe some cheese or yogurt along side the meat and veggies.
Wednesday - Tortilla soup with shredded chicken, avacado, and pico.
This will be too spicy for our boys, so they'll most likely have leftovers from the night before, or something I've previously frozen.
Thursday - Breakfast for dinner! Bryan and I will have eggs in nests with bacon and avacado, and probably some fruit. They boys will have the same, only they'll probably want some pancakes. I'm good with that, because they always get sweet potoates hidden in their pancakes! ;)

Meal plan for the week

Here's what's on my family's table this week:

Chicken Stir Fry
Spaghetti with whole wheat pasta
Kabobs on the grill with veggies and salad
Leftovers, orzo salad with cucumbers, feta, and tomatoes

It's April, and summer will be here soon!  One of my goals for the summer is to have healthy snacks readily available for our boys.  Lots of swimming goes on around here, which means hungry boys!  I plan to order some homeade smoothie holders so my boys can pull them our of the freezer.  Quality deli meats, cheese, yogurt, fruit, and whole wheat crackers will all be staples.    I'll post more on that soon!

Off the bandwagon

After a weekend with my oldest at Pine Cove, I can surely say that I fell off the bandwagon.  A rushed schedule led to stops at fast food joints, camp was full of food that I didn't care for, and that left me grabbing for the cheetos.  Swollen joints, sleepless nights, and fatigue all set in.  With that being said, there are and will be times that it can't be avoided.  Now that I'm home, diet is back on the radar and I'm moving forward.  This week will contain lots of dinners off the grill, and salads.  Time to get back on the bandwagon!

Eating Clean

I've done really well eating clean, and feel so much better!  It's amazing to me how much eating clean can take away many ailments!  One website I love is www.100daysofrealfood.com  Although I avoid bread, I eat whole grain when I do.  She does the same.  She has great ideas on school lunches for kids as well.  That's a goal I have for myself this summer -- tackling the kids.  While my kids are fairly good eaters, it is me that chooses what to put on their plate.  I want to do better about having lots of choices on hand that they like and ones I feel good about.  This takes preparation and planning on my part.  I need more hours in the day!  ;)

Tomorrow's the day!

Easter has come and gone, and so has the junk food in our house!  Time to regroup, throw out the candy, and get serious.  Starting tomorrow I'm making myself take 6 weeks away from sugar, processed foods, and as many grains as possible.  My joints will hurt less, my muscles won't ache, and believe it or not, I'll sleep better at night!  Nothing to lose!  Here's to 6 weeks of health -- followed by summer heat, which always makes me want to snack on fruit and summer salads!