Okay...where do I begin??

Over the course of the last year I feel like I have yo-yo'd and tried everything to lose weight. I've always desired to not only lose weight but to start feeling "normal" towards food. I feel like I've suffered from disordered eating for way too many years. Instead of eating to live (while enjoying it too) food would take on this whole new life of itself. I would "do good" for a while, counting every calorie, or watching my "points", restricting my calories too much or staying away from carbs...you get the point. During this time, sure I may have lost a few pounds here or there, but sure enough they would always come back on whenever I had enough of whatever it was I was doing. It still controlled me.

Even when I was doing the raw diet. It was too restrictive for me as well. I can't do High raw. It doesn't provide enough variety in my foods. I'm sure if I had all the kitchen gadgets AND time that is needed to make a wide variety of satisfying raw meals it would be easier, but lets face it...who does?

So what am I up to now??? About 4 weeks ago I decided enough was enough and I was ready to get this fluff off my body before I outgrew anymore pants! :) I read Alicia Silverstone's new cookbook "The Kind Diet" and really liked what I was reading. I started to incorporate a lot of what I was doing when I was doing High Raw back in my diet, however, I also started to way up my intake of sweet potatoes, oats, and brown rice.

What happened to me last time, happened again...that is when I'm seriously increasing my greens consumption, my sweet tooth disappears, as well as my desire for chicken, fish and meat. Since I wasn't eating those types of proteins I also decided that I would give up other animal by-products (ie. dairy, cheese, eggs). Went back to Almond Milk, got Earthly balance "butter" and use flax/water combo to substitute for eggs when baking.

Let me tell you...this has been the easiest transition. I am no longer counting calories, no longer tracking points, no longer depriving myself of foods I enjoy eating, no starving then bingeing. My body is naturally CRAVING crazy amounts of vegetables, and when I eat fruits the sweetness of those taste out of this world. Everything is intensified.

I've made some AWESOME vegan desserts, that many of my family and friends have LOVED!

The weight seems to be coming right off of me. I've lost 8.5 lbs. in the past 4 weeks.

The most important change in all of it??? How I FEEL! I feel like I'm on top of the world. I don't ever want this feeling to go away!

Later I'll post more about some of the delicious food that I've been eating. It's been a GREAT four weeks of discovering some awesome recipes with incredible food!

Dusting off the cobwebs!!

I know I haven't been here in forever...but I"M BACK!

I'll post more later, but this has been an interesting month and I'm so excited to share more about it! I feel so alive, the pounds are melting off me and I'm so enjoying LOTS and LOTS of really yummy foods!

More later...

Food Inc.

Last night the hubby and I went to see Food, Inc.  I wasn't sure what to expect, except I knew I wouldn't be able to look at certain foods the same after viewing this film.  And yes, that's what happened.

It's NOT a PETA film, or a animal rights activist film...while it DOES show some pretty nasty treatment of animals the overall theme throughout was the effect of big business on the food processing system.  It was most definitely a PRO-organic film.  I could go on and on about the conditions of the Tyson, or Purdue farm, but I'll save that for you to see for yourself...it's pretty shameful and disgusting.

While I would find it hard to find anyone that would disagree that eating organic is by far superior, the fact is that eating organic, or even healthy for that matter is expensive, and unfortunately not an option for many of Americans.  What was most eye opening is the role the government plays in this.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I was.  The government subsidizes these corn growers which overproduce corn that is then sold for LESS THAN THE COST OF PRODUCTION. They are able to do this b/c of government subsidizing.  This overabundance of corn is then turned into all those crazy words you see on the back of your labels on foods that we eat (and shouldn't).  This is why it is by FAR cheaper to buy a $0.99 hamburger at McDonalds than it is a head of broccoli.

Our food today doesn't even come close to the food our parents generation ate.  We now have genetically engineered this, modified that, filled with stuff you really don't want to know! (Did you realize that there is AMMONIA in the meat filler that goes into 75% of all hamburger meat?????)

I've said for such a long time now that the HIGH occurence of women's infertility, children born with problems has GOT to be related to our food over the past 20 years.  Our parents generation just did NOT have these issues, yet we are PLAGUED by it.  By too many of my friends then I would like to count.

And if 20 years of us eating this way has had this effect what's it going to be like for our children who will be subject to further mutilation of our food sources than what we even experienced.

The more organic we can buy will make a statement to the big businesses out there that control this market (did you realize it's only FOUR that control 80% of the marketshare) and our government putting dollars where we need it to go to.  

Every time we purchase an organic product we are making a vote, allowing our voice to be heard.

New gym???

Lately I have not been getting my behind up in the morning to go workout, and it's showing...BIG TIME!  Yes, I do have a new puppy that has been keeping me up at night, that I'm terrified of tiptoeing out of the room at 5am to hit the gym, in fear that he might start barking and wake up my sleeping husband.  But even before we got the puppy last week I was having a REAL hard time getting myself up to go.  Preston is a night owl and enjoys watching movies...with me, which I also thoroughly enjoy doing with him as well, and if I don't get to bed before 10 PM then forget about it, that 5 AM alarm is just NOT HAPPENING!

I talked with Preston last night and mentioned my desire to go to a gym that has childcare so that in the event I don't go during the wee hours, at least there is an option to go later in the day.  I'm a gym rat at heart.  I know we have a "mini" gym here in the house, but it just doesn't cut it for me...it's boring.  I'm a people person...I need ACTION!

24 HR FITNESS just opened up in our area and we decided to check them out this morning.  At first Ethan wasn't interested in going into the Kid Club area.  He was a bit apprehensive, but with some encouragement and knowing his brother was going to be with him, he ventured in.  Well....all it took was a few minutes of looking around and the kid was HOOKED!  It's like Chuck E. Cheese there.  They have basketball shoot-out games, romper room, climbing/tunnel/slide area, movies, crafts and much more.

As for my experience...I decided to do the Boot Camp.  OH MY!  It kicked my tail.  Seriously.  It was so hard, and so humbling.  I've gotten way too out of shape for my own good.  But I imagine after about a month I won't recognize the out of breath, bent over, huffing and puffing woman that was staring me in the face in the mirror anymore.

Preston and I are still discussing whether this gym is the right choice for us.  I've got a 7 day pass to check out the full facilities first.  But so far...I'm impressed.

Oh...and the boys are too.  They keep asking if we are going back tomorrow! :)

Slug...slug...chug..chug...

It's so true...you are what you eat.

I have had a really hard time getting myself back in gear after all these vacations, Vacation Bible School and now we are leaving again for 11 days in the mountains with the in-laws.

I'm happily sipping a Green Monster shake right now, growling at myself over the gluttony of the past 3 weeks, and what lies ahead in the foothills of Tennessee!  My lose shorts are now fitting snuggly again (GRRRR) and I feel tired often.  Both are signs that I've fallen off the wagon.

I truly believe in eating a lot of raw foods...my body feels the best when I am doing this and I've got to get back at it.  It just takes a lot more work, but something that I really feel is worth the time.

Anyways...just keepin' it real.  Knowing that I probably won't be able to truly get back in the zone until I return from our trip, but hopeful to make some better food choices while I'm there, without ruffling any feathers in the process! ;)

Confessions of a Vacation Queen!

We had a lovely and relaxing time visiting my husband's Aunt at her lake front home.  It did manage to rain almost every day so we WERE a bit cabin crazy by the end of the week though.  Being inside, with JUNK FOOD everywhere, wasn't a good combination.

It's AMAZING the effects sugar, processed junk with names you can't pronounce on the label, etc. has on the body.  Within the first day of altering my organic, highly raw food diet, I broke out with a rash all over my face.  It was so gross.  I also had around the clock tummy issues.  Can we say gas galore???  Ewww... the biggest thing I noticed right away was the insatiable appetite that I all of a sudden had.  I immediately starting craving things that I have not craved in a long time.  I couldn't just eat 2 oreos...it had to be 10.  My desire for vegetables and fruit (while before I could NOT get enough of) went completely away.  I had no desire to eat one smoothie, didn't want a bite of a single apple.  All the cravings that disappeared once I changed my diet to organic and loads of raw came running back like a train of bricks.  Amazingly wild.

I just went to the grocery store and am loading back up with all my pre-vacation staples and looking forward again to eating to live, vs. living to eat mentality of last week.  I know my stomach will thank me, as well as any man, woman or child within a 5 ft. radius of my tummy issues! :)

BLECH....

Today is day one of our vacation at the lakehouse and eating has been most definitely OFF! Immediately after having a typical American meal for lunch I felt HORRIBLE...wanted to go to sleep, and my stomach was rebelling against me quickly! It wasn't a lovely sight.

We are with other family members, with temptations around every corner...chips, dip, oreos, etc... I don't buy this stuff at home, so the temptation isn't around me, I just don't think about it. Here...another story. They taste good. I want to eat it. But the reality is, obviously from how I felt today, they are NOT good for me!!!! Neither for my butt, nor my gutt!

I've been loading up on water and expect to pee like a race horse for the rest of the night, but hopefully it will start to flush this junk out of my system. I'm highly looking forward to some carrot juice in the morning...I DID bring my juicer! :)

I probably won't update as often this week. Especially since I"m not on my own computer, nor at my own home where I feel much more comfortable taking the cooking/non-cooking (raw) reigns and running with it! But...I'll do the best I can this week, and come back on Sunday looking forward to getting back to my normal!

have a great week!!!