Day 9

"Be what you are.  This is the first step toward becoming better than you are."  

It's been 7 days since my last post.  I meant to write each day, but the days got away from me and now, here we are, on day 9.  I won't go through each day since my last post, but will give you a summarized version to show how I got to today.

Days 3, 4, 5 were pretty much cut-and-paste from days 1 and 2.  As the week progressed, and since I am tracking my calories, I was realizing just how little I was eating.  Now, you've seen my pictures, it looks like a lot of food.  However, in calories, on some days I was barely breaking 1000.  Did you know that 2 cups of spinach has 5 calories?  Or that an entire zucchini has less than 10?  Even with the grains and proteins, I just wasn't getting the calories my body needs for proper function.  I was head-achy, kind of spaced out, not really myself. 

My body uses about 2900 on a day without exercise, and a deficit of over 1500 calories per day, day after day, just didn't work for me.

So, I made a decision to modify my plan. This 28-day kick start is just that, a temporary flush of my body to get into optimal fat-burning mode for a long-term weight loss goal.  Would I be a failure if one week in, I couldn't hack it any longer?  Maybe.  But, I chose not to label myself that way. I decided not to be hard on myself.  I decided that modification was certainly better than completely stopping what I was doing.  It would be really easy to transition completely to my regular weight-loss diet, very healthy and beneficial in its own right.  But, I really want to give this my full effort.  So, I added back wheat and vinegar into my diet.  Both in very limited amounts, but adding them back in gives me the little boost I needed and more flexibility in my diet.  I know it means my detox won't be perfect, but it will still be good for me.  I have to be confident in my decisions and know that for me, it was the right one to make.  

So, here I am on day 9.  I started a detox cleanse drink yesterday.  I put a bottle of it into 32 oz of water and it gently works to really detox my system, internally...if you catch my drift.  You can break it up 2-3 days per week, or do 7 straight days.  It's completely natural and should really enhance my results.  Did you know that the average person carries around 15-20 pounds of eh-em, material in their large intestine?  Gross, right?  Here's to getting the crap out of our lives...literally!

So far, I've definitely noticed some physical changes.  My stomach has visibly flattened, my arms have slimmed, and I don't have that blown-up feeling like I used to. My whole body feels less weighed down, less full.  It's hard to fully explain, but it's really just a lighter feeling.  My clothing is looser and my stomach isn't doing that muffin-top thing like it was.. I've gotten a lot more rest which I know is helping as well.  My skin feels great and my complexion is clear.  This is likely a combination of using some great skin care products from Arbonne, along with the internal detox...definitely an inside and out attack, which I am winning!  

I didn't weigh myself or take measurements when I started.  I know I should have...but so it goes.  I know "about" what I weighed, and did take lots of pictures at least.  

On a personal note, I am excited to share that I'm in qualification for District Manager with Arbonne and should reach it this month.  The film I co-produced "LA Paranormal" is showing at the Idyllwild Film Festival this month and is getting some great buzz.  I really think 2011 is gonna be a GREAT year.  Looking forward to what's in store!

Until tomorrow....

Day 2

"Health is a relationship between you and your body."

Today was better than yesterday, but I know I can still do better.  I didn't sleep in as late, but slept in late enough to throw off my schedule, yet again.  Since we're all home on vacation right now, my routine has been turned upside down.  I had an Arbonne party at my girlfriend's house at 7pm, so I knew I needed to get in my meals before I left.  


Breakfast was late, again...so I combined breakfast and lunch into one meal.  I mixed green onions and green peppers together and sauteed with a drizzle of olive oil.  Next, I tossed in some black beans until they were hot.  I cooked two eggs over medium, and served the with fresh avocado slices and a fresh tomato.  I must admit, it was really yummy...I highly recommend trying this meal.  I also had an apple with a tbsp of almond butter for spreading on the slices.

I made an afternoon run to the store for some more fresh foods.  Note, you will need to shop several times a week while detoxing.  Veggies only stay fresh for so long, so you can't bulk buy them like you can with boxed foods.  However, frozen is a nice option as well, and since they are flash frozen a the the peak of ripeness (I sound like a commercial), they have all the good stuff still in them.  I haven't met a frozen vegetable I didn't like, though I prefer fresh whenever possible.  I grabbed some organic mushrooms, spinach, bananas, apples, frozen brown rice (TJ's has a great one), free range eggs, and some things for the family: milk, bread, yogurt, etc.  They aren't detoxing with me.  We are, however, eating healthy as a family.  I have every intention of returning wheat and dairy to my diet, assuming my body agrees.  They will eat what is here, so as long as only healthy foods are in the house, they benefit as well.


I made an early dinner consisting of a turkey breast (made an extra for later), with fresh thyme, rosemary, and garlic; organic brown rice, and steamed broccoli.  I started the turkey on the stove, then moved it to the oven.  It produced some wonderful juices that I poured over the turkey and rice.

Turkey cooking in oven.

Dinner is served.












After dinner I topped off my meal with an apple and some yummy dip.  I made the dip by combining almond butter, Figure 8 Fiber Boost, and Figure 8 Vanilla Protein Powder.  People, it tasted like candy but without all the processed sugar and chemicals that candy contains...a total win-win for me.

The rest of the evening was food free.  I had some detox tea during my Arbonne party and water.

I had a pretty gnarly headache last night and eventually just went to bed.  When I woke up, it was gone.  I've heard that headaches are common when starting a detox.  My body is learning to get by without all the crap it's been getting, and letting go of the toxins for elimination.  I suppose this means that a headache means it's working...though I'm really looking forward a few days to the end of those.  

Until tomorrow....

Day 1

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.”

Today didn't start out exactly as planned.  After staying up way to late last night, I slept in way to late this morning.  Note to self: work on that.  

Since I woke up late, it kinda threw my meal schedule into a crunch.  I'm not eating at scheduled times, but I have set some parameters for myself during this 28 days.  One is to allow 4 hours between meals and another is not to eat after 7pm.  Let me explain both.

Allowing 4 Hours Between Meals 

(Explanation below is borrowed from another site)

It takes about three hours for your body to finish digesting a meal. If you eat every two or three hours, your body will constantly be in what nutritionists call the “fed state.” This simply means that you are always in the process of digesting food.

If, on the other hand, you don’t eat again, you’ll go into something called the “post-absorptive” state after about three hours. Several interesting things happen in the post-absorptive state.

First, you begin tapping into your body’s stored energy reserves to run your engine. Your hormone levels adjust to shift your body out of fat-storage mode and into fat-burning mode. Hanging out in the post-absorptive state also reduces free-radical damage and inflammation, increases the production of anti-aging hormones, and promotes tissue repair. And, surprisingly, your metabolic rate remains unchanged.

 

But what about your blood sugar?

You’ll often hear people say that eating small, frequent meals helps to keep your blood sugar levels steady. And it does: It keeps your blood sugar steadily high.

Whoever said that your blood sugar levels were supposed to remain constant throughout the day, anyway? They’re not. They are supposed to rise after meals, as food is digested and converted into glucose, and then fall back to baseline as the glucose is taken up by the cells and used for energy or stored for future use.

Having your blood sugar level fall to baseline is not bad for you! In fact, having your blood sugar closer to baseline for more of the day helps to protect you from developing diabetes. Now, of course, it is possible for blood sugar to get too low. This is known as hypoglycemia. A lot of people self-diagnose themselves with this condition, but very few of them actually have it. Diabetics using insulin or folks with a medical condition called reactive hypoglycemia need to be careful about letting their blood sugar get too low.

But for the vast majority of us, managing blood sugar levels is about avoiding the peaks, not the valleys. If you experience headaches, fatigue, and other discomfort whenever you go more than two or three hours without eating, the problem is probably not that your blood sugar has gotten too low, but that it’s been too high.

Eating a lot of sweets, sweetened beverages, white bread, and other refined carbohydrates will cause your blood sugar to go up very high, very quickly. What goes up, must come down and the higher the spike, the more uncomfortable the plunge. The easiest way to make that feeling go away is to eat again. But if you eat more of the same kinds of foods, you’re simply getting back on the same roller coaster. And that roller coaster is on a fast track to type 2 diabetes.

(end borrowed section)

 

Not Eating After 7pm 

There is a mixed bag of research on this one and good arguments on both sides.  While I am in the detox phase, I am trying to give my body a chance to do-its-thing.  I see the cut-off time as a chance to give my body and digestive system a break while I sleep.  If I eat by 7pm, my digestion will be done by 11pm.  Once I'm asleep, my body can rest.  For me, it's also adjusting my behavior.  I tend to eat a lot while watching tv at night.  Mostly out of boredom, not because I am hungry.  This will force me to change that behavior for the long run, which I really need to do.

Ok, so back to day one.  Waking up late meant eating breakfast late, and really set the whole day back a bit.  One thing I really need to work on is being kind to myself.  It wasn't really a big deal, but I let it be.  I'm proud of myself for not throwing in the towel and doing the whole "well, I can start tomorrow". 

I started the day with some detox tea..

Breakfast was scrambled eggs with bell pepper and onions and an apple.

Lunch was where I made an error in judgment.  I made a protein shake, but then changed my mind, opting for an apple and some almonds instead.  That was clearly not enough food for one meal and I paid the price a couple hours later.  I definitely hit a wall around 4pm and felt very fatigued.  I grabbed a figure 8 chew (more about figure 8 later) which definitely helped.

Dinner was garlic-herb chicken, quinoa, and roasted vegetables.  

With five kids, we use a lot of chicken!

Broccoli, carrots, garlic, onions with fresh rosemary, thyme, and dill.

Cooking quinoa for the first time.  Had great flavor, reminded me a bit of corn tortillas.

And, dinner is served!

7pm came and went and I was a little worried that my calorie intake was too low.  Since I am wearing my bodybugg and tracking my food consumption and calorie burn, I was able to confirm my suspicions.  I had only eaten 900 calories today...yikes!  I burn about 2800 per day when not exercising and 3500+ on days when I do.  Yes, I am a machine. :) Even with a 1500 calorie deficit for the day, I needed to get to atleast 1300.  (Note: When I lost 65 lbs, I ate about 2300 per day. This is the level I plan to remain at after the 28 days, so need to be closer to there now.)

I debated between eating something or not, feeling like I would be letting myself down if I did, since it was a goal I'd set.  However, by 10pm, I was REALLY hungry...like crampy hungry.  I know my body well enough to know I needed to eat something.  

Now, here's the moment of truth.  I can go grab a bowl of cereal, some cheese and crackers, etc and consider today a mostly good job, starting again tomorrow...my calories would still be at a weight-loss level, I would have mostly eaten the way I'd planned, and could consider the day a good one.  I wouldn't even have to admit it here, and could go on like it never happened.  Or.....

I could be true to myself and the goal I had set.  I could choose the journey over a temporary "reward".  I could give my body what it needed, nothing less and nothing more.

My choice?

A greenleaf salad with tomato, black beans, and some left over chicken.  Topped with a dressing I'd made earlier in the day consisting of avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, onion, cilantro, and garlic.  It wasn't a huge serving.  Enough to take the edge off and get in the 300 calories I knew I needed.  I did eat after 7, but pure foods, a small amount, and was still up another three hours, so digestion got to run it's course before sleep.

Goals for day 2: Drink more water, don't short change my meals, and enjoy the process.

Until tomorrow....

The Plan

"Proper preparation prevents poor performance."

Those of you who know me personally. know that I lost quite a bit of weight last year. 

The importance of a good diet and regular exercise cannot be overstated. 

Dropping 65 lbs was the result of hard work, discipline, and finding my inner motivation.  Putting back on nearly half of that weight over the last eight months was the result of being lazy, a sense of entitlement, and losing my motivation.  While I was busy losing weight, running, teaching Zumba, and enjoying my new body, I lost sight of the bigger picture and

I failed to plan for the future. 

When I stopped working out with a personal trainer, I stopped working out.  When I stopped teaching Zumba for the summer, I stopped doing Zumba.  When my running shoes wore out, I stopped running. When I stopped logging my food and took off my Bodybugg, I stopped counting what I put in my mouth. 

One by one my healthy habits began to unravel.  It wasn't that I didn't know what I should be doing.  I have made it my mission to learn everything I can about healthy eating, exercise, whole foods, and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  I have researched, studied, and mastered quite a bit of knowledge on these subjects.  But knowing and doing are two entirely different things. 

So here I am, fortunately only one pant size bigger, but I feel like crap.  I'm tired, my ankles swell, I feel saggy, my skin isn't as healthy as it could be.  I am not drinking enough water, I'm drinking way to much coffee, eating way too many carbs and way too late at night.  I'm drinking regular soda for goodness sake!  I have dark circles under my eyes, my body just feels heavy, and I know that I am going down a path I just don't want to be on.

And so it stops, today.  Which leads me to the point of this post (sorry I took the long way to get here), which is the importance of a plan.

I won't go into the reason I am choosing to detox for 28 days in this post (more about that soon) but I will tell you that when I was choosing a plan to follow, there were tons to choose from!  Whatever you decide to do, what works for your life, it is imperative that you plan.

I love to plan events.  As we speak, I have over 10 activities ranging from school programs to scout trips to service projects that I am coordinating.  Knowing this is one of my strengths, I decided I needed a solid plan for these first 28 days while I reset my body through a healthy detox.

Here are the basics of my 28-day plan:

1. Eliminate all allergenic foods from my diet including dairy, gluten, wheat, processed sugar, and soy and eat organic as much as possible.
2. Eliminate all processed foods from my diet including artificial sweeteners and processed meats.
3. Eliminate yeast promoting foods including vinegar-based products.
4. Drink lots and lots of water (1/2 my weight in ounces, ie: if you weigh 150lbs, 75 oz of water)
5. No food after 7pm
6. Exercise regularly.
7. Sleep 7-8 hours a night (this is a big improvement over where I am now)

There is more to it, but these are the basics.  I will explain the importance of each of these over time, but for now, I thought it would be good to give you an idea of what the heck I am doing.  There is no magic pill or formula.  This is about getting my body cleaned out so I can have a fresh start.  After 28 days, some of these item will return to my diet (or not), but it will give me a chance to see how they really make me feel and how they impact my overall health. 

The most important lesson I think this will teach me is really seeing food as fuel for my body.  Learning to reward myself in other ways rather than harming my body by putting bad things into it.  Aren't I worth that?  Aren't we all?  What does it say about me that I would put disgusting chemicals, overly-processed junk into my body?  How could I possibly be surprised when it makes me feel crappy?  The saying "you are what you eat" is 100% true.  I am so excited to see how much my body changes, both inside and out as I go through this process!

Well, it's late (I won't admit how late) and I need to get to sleep and get this thing started.  I've got my bodybugg on to track my calorie burn and log my food, my breakfast is planned, and it's time to get this show on the road. 

Until next time....

The Journey Begins

"The journey IS the reward."

Tomorrow, December 27th, I will begin a 28-day fresh start challenge.

This challenge is a clean-living, whole foods, medicine-free detox for better overall health.  Relying on natural foods, proper exercise, and developing some new lifestyle habits, I hope to see some great results as well as carry on what I learn over the next month, into the rest of my life. 

So why blog? Why not.  I figure it will be a record of my journey, something I can look back on to repeat if necessary.  I also think this might be something that some of you are interested in doing and I'm happy to be your guinea pig.  I am a stay-at-home mom with five kids, a hectic schedule, and very little me-time.  I'm excited to see how I can take care of my own health while balancing my crazy life.  If I can do this, anyone can...and I'm happy to lead by example.

What to expect here? A lot.  I will blog every day to share what I ate, how I moved my body, and my overall feelings and experiences.  Recipes, photos, and results will be shared as well.   I will be honest about everything I do on this journey and hope to inspire some of you to take charge of your health and make a fresh start as well.  Along the way, you'll learn a bit about me.  I'm looking forward to learning a bit about you as well.  Please feel free to comment, ask questions, etc.

What will happen after the 28 days?  Good question.  I look forward to seeing what's next.  I have big goals this year (more about those later), and look forward to using the discipline I learn here to help prepare me for those as well.

I am so excited about getting started and sharing this journey with you!  Now, off to the grocery store to shop for the next few days!  I can't wait...

Sincerely,
Kathy