Friday, September 28, 2007

CALL ME A SHRINKING SNAIL

I was so excied to weigh this week. I walked six straight days, totally out of character for me. I think I must have been reincarnated as a snail because after working so hard I lost a whopping .6 of a SINGLE pound. I seem to be going at a snail's pace lately. I haven't been too upset over it today because we took new measurements and I do like the results. To date I have lost 22.2 pounds and 18 inches from my body (not including my legs and arms because they only measure the torso at my Jenny Craig centre).

One realization I had this week is that I have been skipping my afternoon fruit snack. Looking back at my second week (when I lost 7.6 pounds in a single week) I ate at least two fruit servings a day, one being in the afternoon. I really feel that I should be eating this afternoon fruit serving to help keep my metabolism raised. This is what I'm going to focus on during the coming week, as well as to complete my weekly exercise challenge with my wonderful "Chat Brat" companions.

I am planning to participate in a 5K walk next Saturday morning, October 6th. The last time I did this was when I worked for Nike in Oregon. This is a little more than 3 miles so I hope I can make it. It is for a good cause, to raise money for AIDS orphans in South Africa. I got the idea to do this from Javier (JD) who is also doing one. I will be sure to take some pictures to share to prove that I actually did it. (I won't believe it until I see it for myself, but remember, I'm from the "Show Me" state!) My daughter, Olivia, is excited to do this with me. She is only 7 years old so I'm not sure how she will do. We will probably be snails for the 5K too but that is fine with me as long as I cross the finish line!

Monday, September 24, 2007

Four days and counting...

It is crunch time! I have a meeting with the scales (in just four days) Friday morning at 10:20. Since I didn't step on the scales at last Friday's meeting, I'm anxious to see where I'm at. I have managed to walk Saturday, Sunday and today. I plan to continue this the rest of the week. I was doing excellent (food-wise) until Saturday when my family and my sister's family decided to meet for lunch at Chili's. For some reason I had brain fog and ordered some Shanghai boneless chicken wings and an order of mashed potatoes. I tried sharing so that I wouldn't "have to" eat it all, but I was only able to give away 2 pieces of chicken and a few bites of mashed potatoes. (Dang them! It is all THEIR fault!) To be completely honest, my daughter got the molten chocolate cake (one of MY old favorites) and of course I had to have a few tastes. When I got home I felt awful because I was about to explode! I decided to skip my supper altogether to hopefully account for at least some of the damage. I am choosing not to beat myself up over this little stumble because the old me would have eaten like this a few times in one week. I am different now. If I want to endulge once in a while, I will. I am an adult and can make my own choices. I have learned how to give up some things in order to have something special once in a while. What I am still trying to tackle is how to eat smaller portions of things I truly love.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Off to a good start...


I just finished my exercise walk and I feel great! I really wasn't in the mood to get out and sweat but now that it is over I'm so glad I went. It gave my daughter and I some time together too. She is one of the reasons I'm doing this in the first place! It seems like yesterday when she was clutching Bear and watching the birds outside the dining room window.

Friday, September 21, 2007

The Maker's Diet

I've been trying to follow as many principles from "The Maker's Diet" as possible since the beginning of the year. It is next to impossible to do while consuming processed meals with the Jenny Craig plan but by the time I'm finished I hope to have a handle on it. Author Jordan Rubin really makes some great points about the foods our bodies were intended to consume to stay in good health for thousands of years, according to scripture. Prior to eating this way he was seriously ill and near death. Turning to God's plan when the doctors gave up on him is what turned his health around. If you just open your mind and use a common sense approach, some of this may speak to you too. I'm anxious to get to my goal weight so that I can detox my body and purge all the toxins and remains of eating these processed meals. I want to eat for optimal nutrition via organic and whole foods while using the portion control principles I'm learning with the Jenny Craig program. I do not want to be skinny. I want to be healthy!

*Be sure to check out the Before/After photos of Jordan Rubin follwing these lists. It is astonishing as well as inspiring.

Below is a breakdown of foods based on "The Maker's Diet." There are three different categories as well as a list of "The Dirty Dozen: Foods to Avoid" that Jordan has compiled.

"The Dirty Dozen: Foods to Avoid"

1) Pork products - pigs are scavengers and will eat literally anything including feces and tumors of other pigs; God called pigs "detestable" or "unclean" in the Old Testament

2) Shellfish and fish without fins and scales, such as catfish, shark and eel - all hard-shelled crustaceans such as lobsters, crabs and clams are scavengers and are "unclean"

3) Hydrogenated oils - shortening, margarine; found in processed chips, crackers and other baked goods

4) Artificial sweetners - aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and its sweet cousins; may prove detrimental to your health in the long term; triggers toxic substances to cross the blood-brain barrier, causing neurological problems

5) White flour

6) White sugar

7) Soft drinks

8) Pasteurized, homogenized skim milk

9) Corn syrup

10) Hydrolyzed soy protein - a known "excitotizon" which means it has the potential to cause neurological disturbances; found in imitation meat products

11) Artificial flavors and colors

12) Excessive alcohol



EXTRAORDINARY FOODS
(Best to consume between 50-75% of your daily diet)

M e a t s
(grass-fed organic is best)
beef
elk lamb
veal
buffalo
goat
meat-bone soup stock
beef or buffalo hotdogs (with no pork casing)
beef or buffalo sausage (with no pork casing)
jerky (with no chemicals, nitrates or nitrites)
liver and heart (must be organic)

F i s h
(wild or ocean -caught is best, and the fish must have fins and scales)
cod
fish soup or stock
grouper
haddock
halibut
herring
mahi-mahi
orange rouphy
pompano
salmon
sardines (canned in water or olive oil only)
scrod sea bass
snapper
sole
tilapia
trout
tuna
wahoo
whitefish

P o u l t r y
(pastured and organic is best)
chicken
duck
poultry-bone soup or stock
chicken or turkey bacon (with no pork casing)
chicken or turkey hot dogs (with no pork casing)
chicken or turkey sausage (with no pork casing)
Cornish game hen
guinea fowl
turkey

L u n c h M e a t
(organic, free-range and hormone-free is best)
chicken
roast beef
turkey

E g g s
(high omega-33/DHA or organic are best)
cavier and salmon roe (must be fresh, not preserved, and must not come from the sturgeon, which is an unclean fish)
chicken eggs (whole with yolk)
duck eggs (whole with yolk)

D a i r y
(organic is best)
goat's milk plain whole yogurt
homemade kefir made from raw cow's milk
homemade kefir made from raw goat's milk
organic cow's milk yogurt or kefir
raw cow's milk hard cheeses
raw cream
raw goat's milk hard cheeses

F a t s & O i l s
(organic is best)
avacado
butter, cow's milk
butter, cow's milk, raw, grass fed (not for cooking)
butter, goat's milk
butter, goat's milk, raw (not for cooking)
coconut milk/cream (canned)
oil, butter (ghee)
oil, coconut, extra-virgin (best for cooking)
oil, expeller-pressed peanut
oil, expeller-pressed sesame
oil, olive, extra-virgin (not for cooking)
oil, unrefined flaxseed (not for cooking)
oil, unrefined hemp seed (not for cooking)

V e g e t a b l e s
(organic fresh or frozen is best)
asparagus
artichokes (French, not Jerusalem)
beets
broccoli
Brussels sprouts
cabbage
cauliflower
corn
carrots
celery
cucumbers
eggplant
garlic
lettuce (all kinds)
mushrooms
okra
onions
peas
peppers
pumpkins
spinach
string beans
sweet potatoes
tomatoes
white potatoes
squash (winter or summer)
leafy greens (kale, collards, broccoli rabe, mustard greens)
salad greens (radicchio, excarole, endive)
raw fermented vegetables (no vinegar)
sea vegetables (kelp, dulse, nori, kombu, and hijiki)
sprouts

F r u i t s
(organic fresh or frozen is best)
apples
apricots
bananas
blackberries
blueberries
dates
figs
dried fruits (no sugar or sulfites)
grapefruit
grapes
kiwis
lemons
limes
mangos
melons
oranges
papayas
peaces
pears
pineapples
plums
prunes
raisins
raspberries
strawberries

G r a i n s & S t a r c h y C a r b o h y d r a t e s
(organic is best, and whole grains and flours are best if soaked for 6-12 hours before cooking)
amaranth
buckwheat
millet
quinoa
sprouted Essene bread
sprouted Ezekiel-type bread
sprouted whole-grain cereal
fermented whole-grain sourdough bread

S w e e t e n e r s
date sugar
unheated raw honey

B e a n s & L e g u m e s
(best if soaked for 12 hours)
black beans
black-eyed peas
broad beans
garbanzo beans
kidney beans
lentils
lima beans
miso
natto
navy beans
pinto beans
red beans
soybeans (edamame)
split peas
tempeh
white beans

N u t s & S e e d s
(organic, raw, and/or soaked is best)
almonds (raw or dry roasted)
almond butter (raw or roasted)
Brazil nuts (raw)
flaxseeds (raw and ground)
hazelnuts (raw)
hemp seed butter (raw)
hemp seeds (raw)
macadamia nuts (raw or dry roasted)
pecans (raw or dry roasted)
pumpkin seed butter (raw or roasted)
pumpkin seeds (raw or dry roasted)
sunflower butter (raw or roasted)
sunflower seeds (raw or dry roasted)
tahini (raw or roasted)
walnuts (raw or dry roasted)

C o n d i m e n t s , S p i c e s , & S e a s o n i n g s
(organic is best)
salsa (fresh or canned)
apple cider vinegar
Celtic sea salt
guacamole (fresh)
Herbamare seasaoning
herbs and spices (no added stabilizers)
ketchup (no sugar)
mustard
omega-3 mayonnaise
other marinades (no canola oil)
Real salt
sea salt
soy sauch (wheat-free, tamari)
tomato sauch (no added sugar)
umeboshi paste
other salad dressings (no canola oil)
raw salad dressings and marinades
flavoring extracts, such as vanilla or almond (alcohol based, no sugar)

S n a c k s
healthy food bars
carob powder
flaxseed crackers
goat's milk protein powder
healthy macaroons
healthy trail mix
organic chocolate spreads
organic cocoa powder
raw food snacks

B e v e r a g e s
coconut water
purified, nonchlorinated water
lacto-fermented beverages
raw vegetable or fruit juices
natural sparkling water, no carbonation added
unsweetened or honey-sweetened herbal teas



AVERAGE FOODS
(Should make up no more than 25-50% of your daily diet)

D a i r y
(organic is best)
goat's milk
amazake
cow's milk
almond milk
cheese (cow, goat or sheep)
cow's milk cottage cheese
cream cheese
fat-free yogurt
low-fat yogurt
plain sour cream
soy milk
cultured whole soy yogurt
heavy cream
oat milk
rice milk

F a t s & O i l s
safflower oil
sunflower oil
soy oil

V e g e t a b l e s
(organic is best)
canned vegetables

N u t s , S e e d s , B e a n s & L e g u m e s
organic is best
cashews (raw or dry roasted)
peanut butter (roasted)
soynut butter (in small quantities)
cashew butter (raw or roasted, in small quantities)
peanuts (dry roasted)
tofu

C o n d i m e n t s , S p i c e s , & S e a s o n i n g s
(organic chemical- and preservative-free is best)
ketchup
mayonnaise
salad dressing
marinade
pickled ginger
wasabi

F r u i t s
canned fruit in its own juices

G r a i n s & S t a r c h y C a r b o h y d r a t e s
(whole grains and whole-grain flours are healthiest if soaked for 12 hours before consuming)
brown rice
corn
oats
barley
kamut
rye
spelt
white potatoes
whole-grain pasta (wheat, kamut or spelt)
wheat
whole-grain dried cereal

S w e e t e n e r s
honey
barely malt
maple sugar
Stevia
agave nectar
brown rice syrup
organic dehydrated cane juice
xylitol

B e v e r a g e s
(organic is best)
fresh ground coffee (limit to one cup per day)
pasteurized fruit juices (not from concentrate)
pasteurized vegetable juices

S n a c k s
healthy popcorn
rice protein
milk or whey protein powder from cow's milk
baked corn or rice chips
soy protein (nongenetically modified)



TROUBLE FOODS
(Should be consumed with extreme caution; greatly limit or avoid altogether)

M e a t
pork
emu
ostrich
rabbit
veggie burgers
bacon
ham
imitation meat products (soy)
sausage (pork)

F i s h & S e a f o o d
all shellfish, including:
crabs
lobsters
oysters
shrimp
eel
squid (calamari)
clams
mussels
scallops
catfish
fried or breaded fish
shark

P o u l t r y
fried or breaded chicken

L u n c h M e a t
corned beef
soy lunch meat
ham

E g g s
imitation eggs (e.g., Egg Beaters)

D a i r y
American cheese (singles)
homogenized milk
processed cheese food
soy cheese
commercial ice cream with sugar
low-fat or skim milk
rice cheese
yogurt with sugar or artificial sweeteners
any dairy product with added stabilizers, preservatives, sugars or artificial sweeteners

F a t s & O i l s
canola oil
corn oil
lard
shortening
cottonseed oil
margarine
any partially hydrogenated oil

N u t s & S e e d s
honey-roasted nuts
nuts roasted in oil

C o n d i m e n t s , S p i c e s & S e a s o n i n g s
all spices that contain added sugar or preservatives

F r u i t s
canned fruits in syrup

B e v e r a g e s
commercial beer and wine
fruit juices or drinks made from concentrate
fruit juices or drinks with artificial flavors
sodas
chlorinated tap water

G r a i n s & S t a r c h y C a r b o h y d r a t e s
baked goods
instant oatmeal
white or unbleached flour
dried cereal with sugar
pastries
white rice
bread or crackers made with white or unbleached flour
pastas made with white or unbleached flour

S w e e t e n e r s
sugar
corn syrup
high-fructose corn syrup
all artificial sweeteners, including:
acesulfame K
maltitol
sucralose (Splenda)
aspartame (Equal)
sorbitol
saccharin (Sweet'N Low, Sugar Twin)

M i s c e l l a n e o u s
snack foods with sugar, partially hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners or unbleached flour






Why am I doing this?

Progress Picture (-19.4 lbs)




This is a picture of my precious neice Ava and me taken at (Great) Grandpa's 90th birthday party. I have lost 19.4 pounds at the time this photo was taken in August 2007. I can really see a change in my face. I have officially inspired myself!

Before Picture



This is a picture taken on December 2, 2006. I started my Jenny Craig journey the last week of June 2007.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life.

I am so happy to start fresh today! Last week was a real doozy. I got in just two of my four days of exercise. I ate 3 servings of my mom's divine dessert. I didn't get my water in consistently. There was a couple days I didn't even eat a single fruit serving. There were some days I didn't really pay attention to how many servings of the 'unlimited' food items I ate. I didn't even meet with my counselor and weigh in this week! Need I say more?!

Today is a new day and the first day of the rest of my life. That's all that matters! No looking back!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Back tracking to catch up!

Since all my weightloss buddies have wonderful blogspots to help with their journey, I thought I'd catch up and do the same!

I've been doing great on Jenny Craig but have had an occasional setback. This has been a very peculiar week! Last week was perfect, right down to the 6 days of exercise between the previous weigh in and last week's weigh in. I was amazed to have lost only .2 last week!! I found myself feeling doubtful and depressed, but thankfully I'm back on track.

I started my weightloss journey the last week of June (2007) and have lost 21.6 pounds so far. I know it will continue to drop if I stay the course.

I have "met" some amazing people around the country who are doing this with me. I cherish their support and encouragement and hope to do the same for them!