I went to the library today and got a library card. I think it is the first one I have had since I was a kid. I want to start reading more actual books. I like books. I don't like reading everything online.
But anyways, I got my card and went directly to the health/vegan section. It was a small section and about 98% of it were Vegan cook books which I will definitely be checking out, but I wanted vegan books...about being vegan, not just recipes.
I did end up getting the book, Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life.
I'm not exactly Sporty Spice, but I am wanting to up my fitness so hopefully it can give me some insight on how our bodies work when working out on a vegan diet.
I was disappointed on the lack of vegan books, but I guess it's to be expected. Hopefully as the years go on, Veganism will continue to be a thing and the library section will grow larger.
DAILY REPORT (1289 Calories)
Breakfast.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Lunch.
2 Veggie Wraps
Dinner.
Avocado Toast topped with sliced cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, black pepper, and garlic salt.
Snacks.
Green Apple
Water.
7 cups.
EXERCISE.
I walked to the library. Probably 15-20 minutes there 15-20 minutes back.
PS.
As the New Year is coming up, everyone is so fitness and healthy eating obsessed. On Pinterest, everyone is pinning healthy food recipes and blah, blah, blah. I find it a little annoying. Not because they are doing it and trying to better themselves, that's awesome, I wish everyone would do that. It's more of when I checked out the vegan book at the library or I pin healthy stuff on Pinterest, it's like I am just part of the trend, like I haven't been doing it the whole time, not just around New Years. I guess the difference is that most New Years Resolutions don't last. I've been attempting this for awhile now and will continue after mostly everyone else stops. I hope that they don't stop though. Healthy eating needs to be more of a priority for everyone. Things are getting out of control.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Day 15 - Second Weigh-In
Weigh-In Day!!!
Starting Weight: 162.8 lbs.
Weigh-In #1 (12/20/13): 159.8
Weigh-In TODAY: 1.6 Lbs Down...4.6 Lbs Total
New Weight: 158.2 Lbs
Next Weigh In: Day 22
I lost 1.6 Lbs this past week which is great. I'm very pleased. I made a goal to lose at least 4 lbs. each month which would mean I would be at my absolute bottom goal weigh on August 1st. I know that sometimes, especially when you get down to your goal, it is hard to lose weight so I'm not going to beat myself up about it if I don't succeed every month. I just want to make sure I am trying my hardest.
So that means my next mini goal is to be 155 lbs by January 17. I think that is very doable.
I hate that it is going to take me about 8 months to take the weight off, but I know that's just the way it is. As long as I am losing weight, I'm happy.
DAILY REPORT (1303 Calories)
Breakfast.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Lunch.
2 Veggie Wraps with Spinach, Yellow Pepper, Sriracha, and homemade Pesto Hummus.
Dinner.
Vegan Burger. I used Morning Star's Vegan Garlic and Quinoa Burger on a Whole Wheat Bun with homemade pesto on top. I only had fresh parsley, and I read you can just use that instead of basil. I wouldn't recommend it. It was definitely edible, but didn't have that basil pesto taste that I love. Oh well. Oh, and I had about 10 baby carrots on the side.
No Snacks Today
Water.
6 cups. I was just lazy today. I thought about needing to drink water all day but didn't go fill up my glass when it needed it.
EXERCISE.
I did 100 half squats or pulse squats, whatever you want to call them.
Starting Weight: 162.8 lbs.
Weigh-In #1 (12/20/13): 159.8
Weigh-In TODAY: 1.6 Lbs Down...4.6 Lbs Total
New Weight: 158.2 Lbs
Next Weigh In: Day 22
I lost 1.6 Lbs this past week which is great. I'm very pleased. I made a goal to lose at least 4 lbs. each month which would mean I would be at my absolute bottom goal weigh on August 1st. I know that sometimes, especially when you get down to your goal, it is hard to lose weight so I'm not going to beat myself up about it if I don't succeed every month. I just want to make sure I am trying my hardest.
So that means my next mini goal is to be 155 lbs by January 17. I think that is very doable.
I hate that it is going to take me about 8 months to take the weight off, but I know that's just the way it is. As long as I am losing weight, I'm happy.
DAILY REPORT (1303 Calories)
Breakfast.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Lunch.
2 Veggie Wraps with Spinach, Yellow Pepper, Sriracha, and homemade Pesto Hummus.
Dinner.
Vegan Burger. I used Morning Star's Vegan Garlic and Quinoa Burger on a Whole Wheat Bun with homemade pesto on top. I only had fresh parsley, and I read you can just use that instead of basil. I wouldn't recommend it. It was definitely edible, but didn't have that basil pesto taste that I love. Oh well. Oh, and I had about 10 baby carrots on the side.
No Snacks Today
Water.
6 cups. I was just lazy today. I thought about needing to drink water all day but didn't go fill up my glass when it needed it.
EXERCISE.
I did 100 half squats or pulse squats, whatever you want to call them.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Day 14 - Food Processors are from Heaven
I used to read recipes for yummy vegan food and be so disappointed when I read that I would have to use a food processor. My blender isn't much good for anything so those recipes never came to be.
But after years of waiting, my mom finally got me a food processor for Christmas, and lets just say I am happy. The first thing I attempted...Hummus.
I love hummus. I love it on my wraps and sandwiches. I love it as a dip for veggies. I buy all the varieties at the store and love all of them.
But now, I will be making my own because it was super easy. I would share a proper recipe with you but in all the excitement, I did't take pictures...so next time.
I made a garlic pesto hummus. And the best thing about it is that I used basil from my very own plant. It finally got big enough to harvest just in time for homemade hummus.
The hummus had basil, parsley, garlic, chickpeas, and olive oil. I Blended it for a minute and it was done. Super quick, easy, and yummy.
I am going to attempt regular pesto next time. Tomorrow probably.
DAILY REPORT. (1289 Calories)
Breakfast.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Lunch.
2 Veggie Wraps with Mission Spinach and Herb Wraps, yellow pepper, spinach, Sriracha, and my homemade garlic pesto hummus
Dinner.
Avocado Toast topped with sliced cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, pepper, and garlic salt.
Snacks.
Medium Sized Green Apple
Water.
9 Cups :)
EXERCISE.
30 Day Shred Level 1 Day 7
But after years of waiting, my mom finally got me a food processor for Christmas, and lets just say I am happy. The first thing I attempted...Hummus.
I love hummus. I love it on my wraps and sandwiches. I love it as a dip for veggies. I buy all the varieties at the store and love all of them.
But now, I will be making my own because it was super easy. I would share a proper recipe with you but in all the excitement, I did't take pictures...so next time.
I made a garlic pesto hummus. And the best thing about it is that I used basil from my very own plant. It finally got big enough to harvest just in time for homemade hummus.
The hummus had basil, parsley, garlic, chickpeas, and olive oil. I Blended it for a minute and it was done. Super quick, easy, and yummy.
I am going to attempt regular pesto next time. Tomorrow probably.
DAILY REPORT. (1289 Calories)
Breakfast.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Lunch.
2 Veggie Wraps with Mission Spinach and Herb Wraps, yellow pepper, spinach, Sriracha, and my homemade garlic pesto hummus
Dinner.
Avocado Toast topped with sliced cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, pepper, and garlic salt.
Snacks.
Medium Sized Green Apple
Water.
9 Cups :)
EXERCISE.
30 Day Shred Level 1 Day 7
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Day 13 - Being Vegan On Christmas
It would be nice to go to Christmas Dinner and all the food was vegan. You wouldn't have to worry if you could eat certain things or not. You could just eat and enjoy. However, only 2.5% of people are vegans meaning most vegans don't go to a vegan Christmas Dinner.
I know I didn't. You know what I hate for Christmas Dinner?
Seven cherry tomatoes and 4 baby carrots. That's it.
And for me, that was fine because I knew that after I went home, I was going to put my favorite vegan frozen pizza in the oven and eat it all.
I save the frozen vegan pizzas for special occasions. They are really yummy, but I don't want to eat them all the time. But by saving them for every once in awhile, they become a treat to eat, just like Christmas dinner would be.
My point is, when you know you are going home to some yummy vegan food, you don't really care if you only eat 7 cherry tomatoes and 4 baby carrots.
I've gotten to the point where I know I'm not going to starve to death, so it's ok for me to wait a couple hours to eat. And that pizza was so good. :)
DAILY REPORT FOR CHRISTMAS. (1382 Calories)
Breakfast.
Frozen Fruit and Banana Smoothie
Lunch.
7 Christmas Cherry Tomatoes and 4 Christmas Baby Carrots. (By the way, I hardly ever eat carrots. I don't mind them, but I don't think they are the greatest either. Today, when eating my baby carrots, I discovered that I do like them. It's a Christmas Miracle!)
Dinner.
1 Amy's No Cheese Roasted Vegetable Frozen Pizza.
Snacks.
Homemade Peanut Butter Bar.
Water.
7 Cups...
EXERCISE.
100 Squats
Well, I got through Christmas without feeling guilty for eating too much or for giving in to the "it's ok not to eat vegan today, it's just one day" motto that I seem to hear too often. I'm proud of myself. Hooray to me!
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Day 12 - Being Vegan on Christmas Eve
My Christmas Eve probably wasn't the most enjoyable event ever, but I had a good time, and I didn't slip up and eat any non-vegan food. If I had more time to prepare, or I knew the people (my boyfriend's sister's family) better (this was only my second time meeting them) or if it wasn't an all day event getting there and back, I probably would have had some food to eat.
I made my fruit smoothie before we left so I did get a normal breakfast, but after that, it was on the road. I packed three bananas for me to snack on for the drive/lunch. We drove down with my boyfriend's parents and along the way, we stopped at a gas station where my boyfriend got some donuts for himself for breakfast. I'm at the point now in my healthy journey that I cringe when people eat stuff like that. I know what it is doing to their body, and it's not very nice, but I just sat there and ate a banana.
After driving awhile, we stopped at McDonald's for lunch. I don't eat McDonald's. I was told, "they have salads..." but to me, McDonald's salads seem to be high calorie and not that healthy so I just ate my banana while everyone else ate. I was fine with that.
Finally, we get to my boyfriend's sister's house, and I eat my last banana. It was about 2pm and I was out of "my food" so I'm hoping for the best when Christmas Eve dinner comes around.
When dinner started about 5 or 6pm, there really wasn't anything for me to eat. It was the typical Christmas dinner foods...turkey, green bean casserole, rolls with butter, mashed potatoes, corn with sugar in it ( I guess that is vegan, but I try to keep the sugars I eat to natural sugars like fruit, plus, eating just some corn doesn't really seem worth it) And then brownies and cheesecake for dessert.
I didn't expect for them to have any vegan food so I wasn't disappointed. I actually found out the my boyfriend's sister used to be vegan about 10 years ago, so that was a surprise. She told me that now that she knows I'm vegan, she will have stuff for me to eat next time, which was really nice.
I don't know why I didn't tell them beforehand. I guess I didn't want to be like, "Hey! You don't know me very well, but I'm vegan and make sure there is something for me to eat!" I would never talk like that because I'm not rude, but that's how I felt like they would take it. I know it's my own stupid perception, and I'm sure they would be fine with it, but I guess I just didn't want them to be going out of their way to accommodate someone they barely know.
Anyways, after dinner, we all sat and talked for awhile, and we left about 8pm. I'm starving by this point. I usually eat about 6 pm so my stomach was growling. It was a long drive home and by the time I got to my doorstep, it was past 11pm. I was running to the kitchen. I HATE eating that late, but just going to bed and not eating was not an option. I needed more than some bananas and a smoothie.
I went in the kitchen and made two of my veggie wraps, and I've never tasted anything better. =)
I know I am getting stronger on my vegan path, because during this whole day, I didn't crave eating the non-vegan food like I normally would have (and given in, by the way). I was starving and had cravings, but it was for my yummy vegan food waiting for me at home. I had no desire to eat anything non-vegan, and that is amazing to me. It's taken me about 10 months to get to this point, but I'm so glad I'm here.
Now, I don't necessarily think not eating most of the day was the best option even if it worked out for me, so here is what I probably should have done different.
1. Told my boyfriend's family that I was vegan or had my boyfriend slip them the news. With just a little heads up, maybe they would have put out a fruit or veggie plate. Who knows, maybe even something better considering the sister's vegan background.
2. I could have made something and brought it along. I didn't do this because it was a long car ride, and I am pretty simple in my eating. I don't know very many recipes that would have been good for Christmas, but with a little research, I'm sure I could have found one.
3. Brought more bananas.
DAILY REPORT (1280 Calories)
Breakfast.
Fruit Smoothie
Lunch.
3 Medium Sized Bananas
My late dinner.
2 Veggie Wraps. Hummus, Spinach, Yellow Pepper, and Sriracha.
No Snacks.
Water.
I didn't do very well today. I drank about 8 oz before I left and then brought a water bottle with about 24 oz in it which I drank during the day. Then about 8 oz when I got home. So 5 cups.
EXERCISE.
None. On my off days, I at least try to do 100 squats which I usually do right before I get in the shower, but I was so tired after eating dinner at now about midnight that I totally forgot until after I got in the shower. So actually a real rest day today.
Coming tomorrow. Being a Vegan on Christmas. Not much travel involved to a little bit different.
I made my fruit smoothie before we left so I did get a normal breakfast, but after that, it was on the road. I packed three bananas for me to snack on for the drive/lunch. We drove down with my boyfriend's parents and along the way, we stopped at a gas station where my boyfriend got some donuts for himself for breakfast. I'm at the point now in my healthy journey that I cringe when people eat stuff like that. I know what it is doing to their body, and it's not very nice, but I just sat there and ate a banana.
After driving awhile, we stopped at McDonald's for lunch. I don't eat McDonald's. I was told, "they have salads..." but to me, McDonald's salads seem to be high calorie and not that healthy so I just ate my banana while everyone else ate. I was fine with that.
Finally, we get to my boyfriend's sister's house, and I eat my last banana. It was about 2pm and I was out of "my food" so I'm hoping for the best when Christmas Eve dinner comes around.
When dinner started about 5 or 6pm, there really wasn't anything for me to eat. It was the typical Christmas dinner foods...turkey, green bean casserole, rolls with butter, mashed potatoes, corn with sugar in it ( I guess that is vegan, but I try to keep the sugars I eat to natural sugars like fruit, plus, eating just some corn doesn't really seem worth it) And then brownies and cheesecake for dessert.
I didn't expect for them to have any vegan food so I wasn't disappointed. I actually found out the my boyfriend's sister used to be vegan about 10 years ago, so that was a surprise. She told me that now that she knows I'm vegan, she will have stuff for me to eat next time, which was really nice.
I don't know why I didn't tell them beforehand. I guess I didn't want to be like, "Hey! You don't know me very well, but I'm vegan and make sure there is something for me to eat!" I would never talk like that because I'm not rude, but that's how I felt like they would take it. I know it's my own stupid perception, and I'm sure they would be fine with it, but I guess I just didn't want them to be going out of their way to accommodate someone they barely know.
Anyways, after dinner, we all sat and talked for awhile, and we left about 8pm. I'm starving by this point. I usually eat about 6 pm so my stomach was growling. It was a long drive home and by the time I got to my doorstep, it was past 11pm. I was running to the kitchen. I HATE eating that late, but just going to bed and not eating was not an option. I needed more than some bananas and a smoothie.
I went in the kitchen and made two of my veggie wraps, and I've never tasted anything better. =)
I know I am getting stronger on my vegan path, because during this whole day, I didn't crave eating the non-vegan food like I normally would have (and given in, by the way). I was starving and had cravings, but it was for my yummy vegan food waiting for me at home. I had no desire to eat anything non-vegan, and that is amazing to me. It's taken me about 10 months to get to this point, but I'm so glad I'm here.
Now, I don't necessarily think not eating most of the day was the best option even if it worked out for me, so here is what I probably should have done different.
1. Told my boyfriend's family that I was vegan or had my boyfriend slip them the news. With just a little heads up, maybe they would have put out a fruit or veggie plate. Who knows, maybe even something better considering the sister's vegan background.
2. I could have made something and brought it along. I didn't do this because it was a long car ride, and I am pretty simple in my eating. I don't know very many recipes that would have been good for Christmas, but with a little research, I'm sure I could have found one.
3. Brought more bananas.
DAILY REPORT (1280 Calories)
Breakfast.
Fruit Smoothie
Lunch.
3 Medium Sized Bananas
My late dinner.
2 Veggie Wraps. Hummus, Spinach, Yellow Pepper, and Sriracha.
No Snacks.
Water.
I didn't do very well today. I drank about 8 oz before I left and then brought a water bottle with about 24 oz in it which I drank during the day. Then about 8 oz when I got home. So 5 cups.
EXERCISE.
None. On my off days, I at least try to do 100 squats which I usually do right before I get in the shower, but I was so tired after eating dinner at now about midnight that I totally forgot until after I got in the shower. So actually a real rest day today.
Coming tomorrow. Being a Vegan on Christmas. Not much travel involved to a little bit different.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Day 9, 10, and 11 - My Laptop is a Nitwit!
I'm here. All vegan aspects of my life are just peachy, my laptop however, went through some issues.
(1317 Calories)
Well, I downloaded season 4 of Full House on my laptop...(Yes, I just said that) and somehow, I also downloaded some Adware annoy-the-heck-out-of-me-stuff. So, every time I tried to write a new post on my lovely blog, it just brought up ads.
I hate people that create these viruses and adware programs by the way. "How Rude!"
And after that little Full House quote there....here's my daily report.
(1317 Calories)
Breakfast.
Banana and frozen berry smoothie.
Lunch.
Avocado Toast topped with tomatoes, black pepper, garlic salt and lemon juice.
Dinner.
I ate at a little place called Lemontree. It's basically a subway style restaurant but with Mediterranean Food. And it's very delicious. I had a falafel pita that had rice, cucumbers, tomatoes, hummus, and sriracha. On the side, they give you homemade potato chips. It's one of my favorite quick places to eat.
Snacks.
No Snacks.
Water.
8 cups.
EXERCISE.
Not really anything today, but I did do 100 squats in a row so I guess that counts.
So tomorrow, I have to go to a Christmas Eve Dinner. I know there isn't going to be much for me to eat, but I'm not really worried to much about not eating. I just don't want people to think I am being rude by not eating. Do you ever go to dinners or parties that you know won't have any vegan food for you? How do you make sure you stay true to yourself while still coming off like you aren't a total snob?
I still don't really have a plan for what I am going to do. We are leaving at 9:00am to drive to Indianapolis and I don't know when we will be back...I'm thinking late though which means I will have my smoothie in the morning, then I don't know what. I was thinking about maybe bringing some bananas or something for the drive but it might be weird if I whip out a banana at dinner time. I don't know. I guess we will see how it goes tomorrow.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Day 8 - First Weigh-In
Weigh-in day! Yay!
Starting Weight: 162.8 lbs.
Weigh-In (12/20/13): Down 3 Lbs!
New Weight: 159.8 lbs.
Next Weigh-In: Day 15
That's a loss of 3 Lbs. in 1 Week people. That makes me happy.
And a reason I am even happier is because I haven't been at this low of a weight for over a year. It's exciting to see the 150's again even if I just barely made it. :)
A lot of people have questions about when they should actually weigh in.
In the morning?
At night?
Naked?
Fully Clothed?
Should I go to the bathroom beforehand?
My answer is just what works for me. I don't know if it is completely correct, but it is right for me.
I weigh in...In the morning as soon as I wake up. I go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, then weigh in. I don't do it naked but if I have heavy pajama pants on or a sweatshirt or something I will at least take that off.
I think it is important to weigh in at the same time every time, under the same conditions to get the most accurate reading.
DAILY REPORT: (1331 Calories)
Breakfast.
Banana and frozen berry smoothie
Lunch.
Vegan Sushi with Sriracha. The sushi I get is avocado, cucumber, and carrots with brown rice.
Dinner.
Two Veggie Wraps. I went on the Mission Brand Website and found out that their wraps are vegan so YAY! They are more calories per wrap (210 instead of 90-140) but oh well. I do however want to still find a super healthy vegan wrap. I am glad that Mission Wraps are vegan but I'm not completely convinced that they are healthy since they have a long list of crazy ingredients. BUT they will work until I find a new brand. The wraps were topped with Spicy Red Lentil Hummus, yellow peppers and spinach.
Snack.
Orange
Water.
9 Cups! :)
EXERCISE.
30 Day Shred. Level 1, Day 5. Half way through Level 1 :)
New weigh-in in a week. Crossing my fingers it will still be a good result considering Christmas is right in the middle of it...
Starting Weight: 162.8 lbs.
Weigh-In (12/20/13): Down 3 Lbs!
New Weight: 159.8 lbs.
Next Weigh-In: Day 15
That's a loss of 3 Lbs. in 1 Week people. That makes me happy.
And a reason I am even happier is because I haven't been at this low of a weight for over a year. It's exciting to see the 150's again even if I just barely made it. :)
A lot of people have questions about when they should actually weigh in.
In the morning?
At night?
Naked?
Fully Clothed?
Should I go to the bathroom beforehand?
My answer is just what works for me. I don't know if it is completely correct, but it is right for me.
I weigh in...In the morning as soon as I wake up. I go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, then weigh in. I don't do it naked but if I have heavy pajama pants on or a sweatshirt or something I will at least take that off.
I think it is important to weigh in at the same time every time, under the same conditions to get the most accurate reading.
DAILY REPORT: (1331 Calories)
Breakfast.
Banana and frozen berry smoothie
Lunch.
Vegan Sushi with Sriracha. The sushi I get is avocado, cucumber, and carrots with brown rice.
Dinner.
Two Veggie Wraps. I went on the Mission Brand Website and found out that their wraps are vegan so YAY! They are more calories per wrap (210 instead of 90-140) but oh well. I do however want to still find a super healthy vegan wrap. I am glad that Mission Wraps are vegan but I'm not completely convinced that they are healthy since they have a long list of crazy ingredients. BUT they will work until I find a new brand. The wraps were topped with Spicy Red Lentil Hummus, yellow peppers and spinach.
Snack.
Orange
Water.
9 Cups! :)
EXERCISE.
30 Day Shred. Level 1, Day 5. Half way through Level 1 :)
New weigh-in in a week. Crossing my fingers it will still be a good result considering Christmas is right in the middle of it...
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Day 7 - Why do people care so much?
Since going vegan, I find that drinking alcohol just doesn't fit into my lifestyle. The alcohol makes me gain weight just on its own; not to mention, the effects of alcohol make me crave fast food and lots of it.
Arby's Drive Thru, 3am. Been there, done that.
It's easier to just abstain from alcohol, but that often means being anti-social. I think having friends and interacting with people is an important aspect everyone needs in their lives. However, it is annoying to me when I try to go out with friends and I get constant questioning. "Is that WATER"?!?! "You aren't drinking"?!?!
Yes people, it is water and no I'm not. It's very strange to me why they even care. I don't see how it affects them if I have water in my cup or if I have a cup full of vodka. What is the difference to them?
I just went to a Christmas Party last night. Ten minutes in, here was the conversation:
Partygoer: You aren't drinking?!
Me: Nope. Well...water.
Partygoer: I remember my first party when I was 6, I didn't have a drink then either. *Walks away
Me: .........
I just don't understand why it would matter to her. I think everyone should respect each other, we shouldn't make each other feel bad or awkward because we aren't drinking alcohol. There is more to life then drinking and partying. I just don't think other people know that yet.
DAILY REPORT. (1472 Calories today)
Breakfast.
2 Banana Smoothie with frozen berries.
Lunch.
I was in desperate need of going to the store so there wasn't much today. I just has an green apple, banana, and a homemade peanut butter and oatmeal bar.
Dinner.
I was going to the Christmas Party tonight so I wanted to eat dinner before I went so I wouldn't be hungry to eat there so I had a whole Amy's Roasted Vegetable No cheese frozen pizza. If you haven't tried this, it's very good. I don't like the fake cheeses so this no cheese option makes it so I can still have yummy pizza.
Snack.
I didn't have any today.
Water.
6 cups. : /
EXERCISE.
30 Day Shred Level 1 Day 4
PS.
Tomorrow is weigh in Day. I'm excited! :)
I'm not going to let anyone get me down. I know that what I am doing is good for me and benefiting my body. Them...not so much.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Day 6 - Small Victories
Today, I was an attendee at a children's party. Of course, there is always a bunch of not-good-for-you foods. This party was no different. Lots of Pizza, Panera's Cinnamon Bagels, Hawaiian Punch, Candy, etc, etc. I'm not much of a candy eater, and I don't care about the juice drinks, but normally, I would give in to a slice of cheese pizza or two.
I didn't. :)
But it was different this time. I didn't have ANY desire to eat the pizza. It smelled really good, but I didn't care. I think that's when you know you are on the right track. Things that normally would derail you, suddenly don't even matter to you.
Small Victories!
I will admit that the cinnamon bagels tempted me but only in the slightest way, and only because the cinnamon on them smelled AMAZING. But again, I didn't give in. I'm not sure if Panera's bagels are vegan or not which is why it didn't tempt me too much but just as a healthy eating stand point, it wasn't worth it to indulge. I have a Day 8 weigh in on my mind.
Small victories matter on a lifestyle diet. This is something that I will do for the rest of my life. I am still new to this and I don't expect to be perfect, but as long as I see that I am getting better at saying no to the non-vegan options and am getting stronger in my decision, then that is all that matters. Every day it gets easier.
DAILY REPORT. (1320 Calories)
Breakfast.
A Homemade Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bar
Orange
Lunch.
Wrap with Red Lentil Hummus, yellow pepper, spinach, and Sriracha.
Dinner.
Another wrap like I had for lunch and a Boca burger on a whole wheat bun with spinach, barbecue sauce, and mustard.
Snacks.
3/4 of a banana
About 15 grape tomatoes
Homemade Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Bar
Water.
10 8 oz. glasses! :)
EXERCISE.
30 Day Shred, Level 1 Day 3
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Day 5 - Perspective
When I was in high school, I weighed 135 lbs. and I always thought I needed to lose weight. I didn't obsess about it, but it was often on my mind. Now, about 8 years later. I am about 30 lbs. heavier, and I always think how I wish I could be 135 lbs again. My ultimate goal is less then that, but if 135 lbs is all I could achieve, I would be happy at that weight.
But in high school I thought I was a whale. It's funny to think about that and how warped my self image was. I have been 135 lbs. in my adult life and it sure isn't at whale status.
It kind of makes me sad for former high school me that I ever wasted my time thinking I wasn't skinny enough or good enough when in reality, that wasn't the case. I guess the saying you get wiser as you get older is true.
I was a dummy.
Anyways, Day 5 on the vegan wagon and it feels good. All cravings are minor and are easy to overcome. I feel good, and I feel confident.
DAILY REPORT. (1251 Calories)
Breakfast.
Banana and Frozen Berry Smoothie
Lunch.
Avocado Toast with sliced cherry tomatoes, black pepper, garlic salt, and lemon juice.
Dinner.
Tried a Boca Burger for the first time today. I don't know why I didn't know they were soy burgers but, well I didn't. I don't really like eating soy so I cringed when I took the box out of the freezer and saw "Soy". But I bought it already so I just tried it. It was actually really good. It kind of had a grilled flavor to it. I will gladly finish the box, but that will be the last of my Boca experience. I had it on a whole wheat bun with spinach, heirloom tomato, barbeque sauce, and mustard.
Snacks.
Orange
Homemade Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars. - I needed some more calories today so I decided to experiment. It was super easy to make and will definitely be making them again. You just melt peanut butter in a pan, add your oats and stir. Transfer it to a small square pan and then put it in the refrigerator. I think they would be awesome for snacks and part of my breakfast.
Water.
:( 6 cups. Whatever.
EXERCISE.
None really today.
But in high school I thought I was a whale. It's funny to think about that and how warped my self image was. I have been 135 lbs. in my adult life and it sure isn't at whale status.
It kind of makes me sad for former high school me that I ever wasted my time thinking I wasn't skinny enough or good enough when in reality, that wasn't the case. I guess the saying you get wiser as you get older is true.
I was a dummy.
Anyways, Day 5 on the vegan wagon and it feels good. All cravings are minor and are easy to overcome. I feel good, and I feel confident.
DAILY REPORT. (1251 Calories)
Breakfast.
Banana and Frozen Berry Smoothie
Lunch.
Avocado Toast with sliced cherry tomatoes, black pepper, garlic salt, and lemon juice.
Dinner.
Tried a Boca Burger for the first time today. I don't know why I didn't know they were soy burgers but, well I didn't. I don't really like eating soy so I cringed when I took the box out of the freezer and saw "Soy". But I bought it already so I just tried it. It was actually really good. It kind of had a grilled flavor to it. I will gladly finish the box, but that will be the last of my Boca experience. I had it on a whole wheat bun with spinach, heirloom tomato, barbeque sauce, and mustard.
Snacks.
Orange
Homemade Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars. - I needed some more calories today so I decided to experiment. It was super easy to make and will definitely be making them again. You just melt peanut butter in a pan, add your oats and stir. Transfer it to a small square pan and then put it in the refrigerator. I think they would be awesome for snacks and part of my breakfast.
Water.
:( 6 cups. Whatever.
EXERCISE.
None really today.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Day 4 - Vegan Bread
Welp. I feel stupid. Today, I checked the ingredients in the bread I usually use (Brownberry 100% Whole Wheat Bread), and I see, "non-fat milk".
I don't know why I never checked the ingredients sooner, but I'm not beating myself up about it too bad. I didn't know, and it was a mistake. This does however mean that I will have to change breads.
After I found out about my non-vegan bread, I got curious about my Flatout Wraps. I checked the ingredients and didn't see anything except it saying that they are made in a factory WITH non-vegan ingredients. Which I am O.K. with. But I googled it anyways just to make sure and I found out...NON-VEGAN... Dang it.
I guess L-Cysteine, which is an ingredient in the Flatout Wraps is not vegan. OK.
The Flatout wraps hurt the most because not only did I JUST buy 2 new packages of them, but I also don't know what to replace them with. The vegan bread seems like it might be easy because there are so many options but not with the wraps. In my regular store, there are 2 wrap options: Flatout and Mission Wraps. Pre-vegan me used to use the Mission Wraps but I switched to Flatout solely because Mission Wraps had a ton of calories per wrap.
I have a wrap everyday so not having wraps to use makes me a little cranky.
Does anyone know of any yummy whole wheat vegan breads or any vegan wraps? I'm a desperate lady.
DAILY REPORT. (1300 Calories)
Breakfast.
Banana and Frozen Berry Smoothie.
Lunch.
I made two pieces of toast on my stupid non-vegan bread and smashed a half of an avocado on them. Topped it with some cherry tomatoes cut in half, black pepper, garlic salt, and I squeezed a little bit of lemon juice on top. SO DELICIOUS.
Dinner.
Vegan Sushi and a spinach and yellow pepper hummus wrap.
Snack.
Orange
WATER REPORT.
I drank 80 oz. of water today. Yay! 10 Cups. Goal Achieved!
EXERCISE.
I shoveled snow. I shoveled a lot of snow.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Day 3 - How much water do I need to drink daily?
We all know that old adage that we should drink 8 cups of water per day, right?
Well, as a vegan I struggle with that number. I never seem to drink enough. I'm hardly ever thirsty, which I totally contribute to my clean eating and getting water from the fruits and veggies, but I still want to drink enough water. What usually ends up happening is I drink maybe 1 glass during the day and then a couple hours from bedtime, I realize that I only drank 1 glass, which leaves me an hour or two to drink the rest of the water.
Normally, I get to about cup 6. Not enough.
So I already know I need to improve, but I wondered today, is that old saying even right? Is 8 the magic number for everyone? From what I researched...No. This is not the magic number and in fact it is too little.
Great.......
The water that a person needs depends on things like your weight (if you weigh more, you need more water), your physical activities (if you workout more, you need more water) but the Internet gods said on average, woman need at least 9 glasses and men need 10.
So here is my daily pledge. I am going to try to drink 9 glasses of water daily. I will need to be aware that I need to drink my water throughout the day so I am not left with 7 cups of water to drink in an hour before bed. :)
Starting on Day 4, I am going to start adding how much water I drank in my daily report so you can belittle me if I fail to drink my 9 glasses.
DAILY REPORT.
Breakfast.
Fruit Smoothie - 2 Bananas, some frozen fruit. I used to use juice in my smoothies, but I omitted it one day and it still comes out great so no more juice for me.
Lunch.
Vegan Sushi with Sriracha. I got it from the grocery store. It's actually really good and the Japanese man behind the counter who has a name tag that says his name is Steve, is always so happy to see me. He waves at me and this past summer, he went out of his way to tell me that he was going to be taking a trip to Japan, and he wouldn't be at the sushi stand for about 3 weeks. I pretend he is my friend. Oh, and an apple with peanut butter.
Dinner.
Well, I made soup. My hope was that it would be delicious, and I would share the recipe but alas, it was not that great so no recipe for you. It has been my quest, to find a homemade soup that I like and would be my go to recipe, but I just can't find it. So, broccoli soup and an Amy's garden California burger with spinach and black bean hummus.
Snack.
Massive Orange again.
EXERCISE.
Rest day. I just took it easy today. I also had company over all day so there wasn't really any time.
PS.
If anyone struggles with after dinner cravings, for me, the oranges have been a life savor. Whenever I get that craving to go raid the refrigerator, I just grab an orange and after, I am satisfied.
Well, as a vegan I struggle with that number. I never seem to drink enough. I'm hardly ever thirsty, which I totally contribute to my clean eating and getting water from the fruits and veggies, but I still want to drink enough water. What usually ends up happening is I drink maybe 1 glass during the day and then a couple hours from bedtime, I realize that I only drank 1 glass, which leaves me an hour or two to drink the rest of the water.
Normally, I get to about cup 6. Not enough.
So I already know I need to improve, but I wondered today, is that old saying even right? Is 8 the magic number for everyone? From what I researched...No. This is not the magic number and in fact it is too little.
Great.......
The water that a person needs depends on things like your weight (if you weigh more, you need more water), your physical activities (if you workout more, you need more water) but the Internet gods said on average, woman need at least 9 glasses and men need 10.
So here is my daily pledge. I am going to try to drink 9 glasses of water daily. I will need to be aware that I need to drink my water throughout the day so I am not left with 7 cups of water to drink in an hour before bed. :)
Starting on Day 4, I am going to start adding how much water I drank in my daily report so you can belittle me if I fail to drink my 9 glasses.
DAILY REPORT.
Breakfast.
Fruit Smoothie - 2 Bananas, some frozen fruit. I used to use juice in my smoothies, but I omitted it one day and it still comes out great so no more juice for me.
Lunch.
Vegan Sushi with Sriracha. I got it from the grocery store. It's actually really good and the Japanese man behind the counter who has a name tag that says his name is Steve, is always so happy to see me. He waves at me and this past summer, he went out of his way to tell me that he was going to be taking a trip to Japan, and he wouldn't be at the sushi stand for about 3 weeks. I pretend he is my friend. Oh, and an apple with peanut butter.
Dinner.
Well, I made soup. My hope was that it would be delicious, and I would share the recipe but alas, it was not that great so no recipe for you. It has been my quest, to find a homemade soup that I like and would be my go to recipe, but I just can't find it. So, broccoli soup and an Amy's garden California burger with spinach and black bean hummus.
Snack.
Massive Orange again.
EXERCISE.
Rest day. I just took it easy today. I also had company over all day so there wasn't really any time.
PS.
If anyone struggles with after dinner cravings, for me, the oranges have been a life savor. Whenever I get that craving to go raid the refrigerator, I just grab an orange and after, I am satisfied.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Day 2 - Are Microwaves Safe?
Are Microwaves Safe? I had that question today. I'm not sure where it came from, but I suddenly had an overwhelming fear about using the microwave.
So after researching a little, I came to the conclusion that...I don't know. There are articles out there that say you are going to die a slow death if you use the microwave, and there are articles that say you are an idiot if you believe that.
I must be an idiot. :)
I don't think a microwave is going to kill me, but I don't necessarily know if it isn't either. Most people probably think I am annoying as my motto is It's better to be safe then sorry, but I guess I'll be laughing while everyone else is dead...
I mean, it's not hurting me not to use the microwave so who really cares.
I make the pledge today to use the microwave less.
Whatever. Here's what I ate today.
Breakfast.
Smoothie Again. Duh.
Lunch.
Two Veggie Wraps with Spicy Black Bean Hummus on the Tomato Flatout Wraps. Spinach. Yellow Pepper. Sriracha. The Normal.
Dinner.
A quick dinner for me. Amy's California Garden Vegan Burger on a whole wheat bun with spinach, tomato, black bean hummus, and sriracha. Not made in the microwave. :)
Snack.
A giant orange. Massive.
I'm boring. I'm going to start making new recipes to be less boring.
EXERCISE.
30 Day Shred Level 1 Day 2
POP Pilates Inner Thigh Video
PS.
I almost slipped up yesterday. I was laying in bed. It was late and ALL I could think about was the box of fudge bars in the freezer. Good start to day 1 huh? But I am proud to report that I decided not to eat that stupid fudge bar, and I'm quite proud. I was on the edge. Now I just have to remember this feeling and know that if I don't give in to those cravings, I will be just fine. But those fudge bars should probably leave my freezer soon just to be safe.
I almost slipped up yesterday. I was laying in bed. It was late and ALL I could think about was the box of fudge bars in the freezer. Good start to day 1 huh? But I am proud to report that I decided not to eat that stupid fudge bar, and I'm quite proud. I was on the edge. Now I just have to remember this feeling and know that if I don't give in to those cravings, I will be just fine. But those fudge bars should probably leave my freezer soon just to be safe.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Day 1 - Back on Track
Day 1.
Everyday millions of people obsess about losing weight. Me included. I'm tired of wanting to be a certain way, but not actually accomplishing anything. Everyday, I'm stuck in a body I don't want to be in but, although I try, I find it hard to get to my end goal. I'm sure I am not alone here.
I think it is time to switch my thinking. Instead of focusing on weight loss, I am going to start focusing on health. When all you are doing is just trying to lose weight, if you mess up one day and eat something unhealthy, you know you can just start over at anytime. And so you continue to mess up over and over again because people always tell you, "tomorrow is another day".
But I think if you focus on health at least for my thinking, tomorrow is not another day. Everything you put into your body TODAY effects how your body functions and ultimately, your health for when we are old and gray.
I have many goals, but probably my biggest goal is to be a high functioning senior citizen. I don't want to be stuck in a nursing home because I can't take care of myself. I don't want to rely on bottles of pills to keep me alive. I want to be that old lady walking on the beach every morning (just like my grandma). I want people to not believe me when I tell them how old I really am. I want to keep doctor's visits to a minimum and just enjoy my last years on this earth.
I am only 27 so this is a life long goal but when I think about it that way, eating that greasy cheeseburger, doesn't seem so appealing.
A little about my food history...
I grew up eating convenience foods mostly. I always liked fruit a lot but, I was a no cooked veggie person and there was always junk food galore in my house so that's what my brother and I ate. My mom was a great mom but, she never really utilized her domestic gene. I usually ended up making dinner or it was fend for yourself. We ate lots of macaroni and cheese and LOTS of pizza.
When I got out on my own, at 19 I was married to a meat and potatoes type guy.
Disclaimer: Do NOT get married when you are 19. You will probably regret it. :)
Anyways, when you are married to a meat and potatoes type guy, you usually become a meat and potatoes type girl. He was the type that would make burgers on the grill and try to fit as much cheese and bacon on one burger as he could. I'm not saying they didn't taste good, but it's not the healthiest of lifestyles.
Skip ahead 5 years. I'm divorced, but absolutely the happiest I have ever been in my life. He was the one that asked for the divorce, but I was the one that felt trapped as a person. I never got to experience life or find out the person that I really was. Now on my own, I could eat whatever I wanted. And for me, I wanted to lose some weight and eat healthy. The next two years, I ate healthy about half the time. And when I did, it was salads, chicken breasts, fruit; the typical stuff.
Around a year ago, I decided to go vegetarian. At the time, I thought I could NEVER go Vegan. I said, "I love cheese too much"...but as time went on as a vegetarian, slowly without even noticing it, I stopped using cheese on my wraps. I never really drank milk so switching to Almond milk was no big deal. I only ate eggs about once a year and never really used much butter. I realized one day, besides my Greek Yogurt in the morning, I was pretty much eating a vegan diet. So although, it pained me to do so (for a little bit), I decided to give up my yogurt and commit to a vegan diet. That was about 9 months ago.
Through those 9 months I was vegan, then vegetarian, then vegan, and so on. I find it very annoying. I want to commit right now starting today to a vegan diet FOR GOOD. And I don't want to look back. I feel the best with this way of eating and I just need to stop giving in.
So this is why I am here. I want to write down what I am feeling, what I am eating, and what is happening in my life. My hope is with this public diary, I can stay accountable. I am going to write down what I am eating, my exercise habits, and things going on in my life, I guess starting now...
Breakfast.
Banana Berry Smoothie - 2 bananas, about 1-2 cups of frozen berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries).
Lunch.
Veggie Wrap. - 1 Sun-dried tomato wrap with 2 TBS. of Eat Well Enjoy Life Spicy Red Lentil Hummus, handful of spinach and a whole yellow pepper cut into slices. Topped liberally with Sriracha. This may sound too simple with not much going on but it has big flavor and it's probably one of my favorite things to eat.
Dinner.
Homemade Vegan chili- Super delicious. Lot of veggies and black beans.
Snacks.
Small Orange (I've been trying to make sure I am getting enough calcium so I've been eating more oranges and drinking Calcium Fortified Orange Juice).
EXERCISE.
30 Day shred Level 1, Day 1
Ab Work - 50 crunches, 50 reverse crunches
Stairs - up and down 5 times
It's been about a month since I did any workouts so back to it.
PS.
I am going to do a weigh in once a week.
Starting Weight: 162.8 Lbs.
Goal Weight: 125 Lbs.
Next Weigh on Day 8.
Everyday millions of people obsess about losing weight. Me included. I'm tired of wanting to be a certain way, but not actually accomplishing anything. Everyday, I'm stuck in a body I don't want to be in but, although I try, I find it hard to get to my end goal. I'm sure I am not alone here.
I think it is time to switch my thinking. Instead of focusing on weight loss, I am going to start focusing on health. When all you are doing is just trying to lose weight, if you mess up one day and eat something unhealthy, you know you can just start over at anytime. And so you continue to mess up over and over again because people always tell you, "tomorrow is another day".
But I think if you focus on health at least for my thinking, tomorrow is not another day. Everything you put into your body TODAY effects how your body functions and ultimately, your health for when we are old and gray.
I have many goals, but probably my biggest goal is to be a high functioning senior citizen. I don't want to be stuck in a nursing home because I can't take care of myself. I don't want to rely on bottles of pills to keep me alive. I want to be that old lady walking on the beach every morning (just like my grandma). I want people to not believe me when I tell them how old I really am. I want to keep doctor's visits to a minimum and just enjoy my last years on this earth.
I am only 27 so this is a life long goal but when I think about it that way, eating that greasy cheeseburger, doesn't seem so appealing.
A little about my food history...
I grew up eating convenience foods mostly. I always liked fruit a lot but, I was a no cooked veggie person and there was always junk food galore in my house so that's what my brother and I ate. My mom was a great mom but, she never really utilized her domestic gene. I usually ended up making dinner or it was fend for yourself. We ate lots of macaroni and cheese and LOTS of pizza.
When I got out on my own, at 19 I was married to a meat and potatoes type guy.
Disclaimer: Do NOT get married when you are 19. You will probably regret it. :)
Anyways, when you are married to a meat and potatoes type guy, you usually become a meat and potatoes type girl. He was the type that would make burgers on the grill and try to fit as much cheese and bacon on one burger as he could. I'm not saying they didn't taste good, but it's not the healthiest of lifestyles.
Skip ahead 5 years. I'm divorced, but absolutely the happiest I have ever been in my life. He was the one that asked for the divorce, but I was the one that felt trapped as a person. I never got to experience life or find out the person that I really was. Now on my own, I could eat whatever I wanted. And for me, I wanted to lose some weight and eat healthy. The next two years, I ate healthy about half the time. And when I did, it was salads, chicken breasts, fruit; the typical stuff.
Around a year ago, I decided to go vegetarian. At the time, I thought I could NEVER go Vegan. I said, "I love cheese too much"...but as time went on as a vegetarian, slowly without even noticing it, I stopped using cheese on my wraps. I never really drank milk so switching to Almond milk was no big deal. I only ate eggs about once a year and never really used much butter. I realized one day, besides my Greek Yogurt in the morning, I was pretty much eating a vegan diet. So although, it pained me to do so (for a little bit), I decided to give up my yogurt and commit to a vegan diet. That was about 9 months ago.
Through those 9 months I was vegan, then vegetarian, then vegan, and so on. I find it very annoying. I want to commit right now starting today to a vegan diet FOR GOOD. And I don't want to look back. I feel the best with this way of eating and I just need to stop giving in.
So this is why I am here. I want to write down what I am feeling, what I am eating, and what is happening in my life. My hope is with this public diary, I can stay accountable. I am going to write down what I am eating, my exercise habits, and things going on in my life, I guess starting now...
Breakfast.
Banana Berry Smoothie - 2 bananas, about 1-2 cups of frozen berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries).
Lunch.
Veggie Wrap. - 1 Sun-dried tomato wrap with 2 TBS. of Eat Well Enjoy Life Spicy Red Lentil Hummus, handful of spinach and a whole yellow pepper cut into slices. Topped liberally with Sriracha. This may sound too simple with not much going on but it has big flavor and it's probably one of my favorite things to eat.
Dinner.
Homemade Vegan chili- Super delicious. Lot of veggies and black beans.
Snacks.
Small Orange (I've been trying to make sure I am getting enough calcium so I've been eating more oranges and drinking Calcium Fortified Orange Juice).
EXERCISE.
30 Day shred Level 1, Day 1
Ab Work - 50 crunches, 50 reverse crunches
Stairs - up and down 5 times
It's been about a month since I did any workouts so back to it.
PS.
I am going to do a weigh in once a week.
Starting Weight: 162.8 Lbs.
Goal Weight: 125 Lbs.
Next Weigh on Day 8.
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