Day 30!!!!!!

Today is day 30.

Concerning the dietary challenge I succeeded. The other two parts, not so much

Why did I do this?...

I was tired of feeling SICK...and FAT...and like I was killing myself slowly (or not so slowly) I had been to the Dr a couple of times for chest pains. I was taking ibuprofen on a daily basis for body pain. I had been told I was borderline diabetic and had been taking blood pressure meds for a few years. I was swollen and slow and couldn't do anything.

What did I do?...

I challenged myself to 30 days of a mostly plant-based diet.

I eliminated; dairy, white foods, processed foods and animal flesh foods ;)

That left veggies, fruits, nuts, legumes and eggs.
We began juicing during the challenge too.

For 30 days that is what I have eaten. It was insanely hard at time, once I even had to go to the Dr because I totally lost my appetite and no longer wanted to eat. But I got through it.

So... Today is day 30.


Was it worth it?...

My blood pressure is completely normal.
The swelling and water retention I was experiencing is gone.
Aches and pains gone.
IBS gone!!!
My weight is 25 (Yes twenty-five!!!!) pounds less.
My diabetic #s look normal (have to still have a full workup)
DH joined me after the first week and BOTH of us saw an increase in libido ...sweet ;)

I am totally sold on a plant-based diet way of life. I miss some foods, but think it might be a special kind of stupid to choose to go back and sell my health for a snack.


Now what?....


Another 30 day challenge!...stay tuned ;)

Day 20

Almost three weeks in now. School is CRAZY so I can't post daily, but I'm still in. Still eating right, still trying to move my body, still pursuing a closer walk with my God.

Overall I'm doing it. It's not perfect. It's been hard. I have failed. Mostly with the pursuing a closer relationship with the Lord. Second has been the exercise. But the food I have stuck with.

I have had cravings. Some days when the only thing that would satisfy would be pizza or enchiladas, but I have eaten the veggies and drank the juice.

With one week to go I am very actively trying to decide what I will continue doing and what I will change. Right now I believe I will continue on the vegan and juicing path. Too many radical health benefits to ignore. I do feel like I want to limit processed foods and possibly find some vegan cheese product, but I need to research soy. No mater what i decide I know now that I need to be cognizant of every mouthful of food and not eat casually any more.

I have missed a few days and will try to recall the meals and come back in and fill that in. I don't think there have been too many new things.

The Dr's office did call with my lab results. Everything was good except my ALT reading which they said was slightly elevated at 42. They want to check it again in a few months. Hopefully all will be good at that time.

I also have to get an insurance physical and at 50 y/o we know what that means.

So tomorrow begins week LAST. I can have a cheeseburger when this is over but I don't think I want one anymore ;)

Day 15

Drum-roll please..... HALFWAY THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

15 lbs gone! High blood pressure gone! Headaches, gone! Night sweats, gone! Fatigue, gone! Low libido, Way gone!!! 

Ok, let's calm down.

Today I worked out on the elliptical. I felt good and energetic.

I ate....

Breakfast

Boiled egg
Coffee

Snack

Apple
Almonds

Lunch

We tried to make lettuce wraps... we need some serious help in that area. Is there a Lettuce Wraps For Dummies book out yet???  LOL

Dinner

Brown rice with stir-fried veggies w/ lemon and cilantro! YUM!

Juice

Green juice (cabbage/pears/lemon/ginger)
Orange juice (carrots/oranges/apples)

Looks pretty healthy doesn't it?

I wanted pizza (just cheese pizza though, no meat) ALL DAY!

Ok, 15 days to go...one at a time. See ya tomorrow

Day 11-14

2 Weeks today!!!!!! But...school is kicking my butt!!!!!!

I don't have time to breath, forget posting to my blog! I'm sorry to all the 2 or 3 of you who actually read it lol. I have kept up with the food challenge but have not done well with the others. MUST IMPROVE!!!

I'm going to post for the days I have missed and I will come back and add in things forgotten...

Overall... I am feeling better. Tim and have both realized some changes... no more headaches. No more IBS pain or bloating, we're sleeping better and...a surprise bonus...an increased libido ;) Not bad for an unexpected plus!

Tim is doing the juice prep and I am doing meals. It all takes a lot of time and then we have school work and our kids seem to expect our attention too... not much time left.

9/1/13

Breakfast

Coffee

Egg

Oatmeal

Lunch

Sweet potato oven fries

Cabbage

Cucumber/tomato salad

Dinner

None really…

Apple

Almonds

Banana

Mean Green

8/31/13

Breakfast

2 boiled eggs

Coffee

Lunch

Salad

Dinner

Veggie chili & brown rice

8/30/13

Breakfast

Boiled egg

Coffee

Dinner

Veggie chili & Brown rice

Green mean juice

8/29/13

Breakfast

1/2 cuppa coffee

1 boiled egg

Lunch

Salad

Dinner (I don't even remember LOL)

Tomorrow is my halfway point...all downhill from there...right??? 

Day 10...1/3 of the way!!!

Down 16 lbs...Blood pressure is 118/78...That is NORMAL!!!!!! Not even close to high today. It's been a long time since I've seen that... so that makes me want to keep going.

I will eat the piles of raw veggies.

I will get my health back!!!!!!

I will drink the green koolaid!!!

...but I would really like some pizza. *sigh*

So I called for a Dr appointment and promptly began feeling better. :)

Yesterday my appetite returned.

I ate...

Breakfast

Coffee
Boiled egg
Kiwi

Lunch

Had to take Eric to his recruit workout so packed a lunch. Probably too much fruit...I think I'm going to look for lettuce-wrap ideas.

Apple
Almonds
Banana

Dinner

Roasted Acorn Squash (sorry no picture, I was hungry and wanted to eat!, but...Yum!)
Big salad with lots of veggies

Juice!!!

Tim made us each a Mean Green juice ...I'm actually still sipping on this today. It's going to take some getting used to ;)

*No real snacks, I still wasn't famished but eating wasn't difficult.

Now, into the 2/3 of the challenge... I MUST focus on the spiritual more. I MUST focus on the physical more (though I did walk around UA's campus on Tuesday so that counts :) I want to see more weight come off.

The "newness" of the challenge is wearing off. It's gotten heard to find a variety of things to eat. I have missed soft drinks (although my friend Sandra told me to put lime in my water and that has helped sooooooooo much!!!!) I am fighting temptations more. I am having to tell myself that I want to be healthy MORE than I want that cheeseburger (although that cheeseburger looks pretty good at times)

Till tomorrow

Day 9

The good...down 15 *FIFTEEN* pounds as of this posting

The bad...still in survival mode..just eating to live right now.

On day 9 I also have my first on-campus class and as an older returning distant-ed student this made me incredibly nervous.

I still had no appetite at all, this was beginning to worry me... I figured if I got hungry enough I would and could eat anything, I mean isn't that what we are always told? But I found that I didn't get hungry and could barely stand to eat at all.

I was praying but the exercise goal got dropped as I wasn't feeling well and was just trying to move through the day.


What I ate...

Breakfast

1 boiled egg and 1/2 cuppa coffee

Lunch

I packed almonds, cukes, broccoli and apple

I ate the apple and cukes and a few almonds while I drove home

Dinner

Tim cooked stir fried veggies and served it over brown rice, with a greed salad, it was tasty but still did not wake my appetite.

I made myself eat most of it but then just went to bed.

As of today (day 10) I have made an appointment with my Dr.

Day 8

I burned out.

I had begun vaguely not feeling well but couldn't figure it out.

I was overwhelmed with my classes starting and all that I had to do plus my new way of eating. Maybe it was stress, maybe it was something else... Don't know but I found that I have no appetite and was forcing myself to eat. I manged breakfast and lunch and then stopped eating... Could not make myself eat and felt awful.

So ...what I ate....

Breakfast

Coffee 

Boiled egg & 1/2 an avocado

Lunch

Navy beans over brown rice w/ 1/2 and avocado (could barely eat this so did not finish it)

Dinner 

Nothing

Snacks

Nothing

I think I could have eaten something unhealthy but I could not make myself eat healthy food. 

On to day 9...

Day 7, Week 1

Whew!!! One week.

13 pounds lost!!!!!

No meat. No dairy. No soft drinks *sigh*. Almost no processed foods. And close to 50% raw.

I feel good. I'm happy I did this...I wish it was over, cause I want PIZZA!!!!!!!!!!!

23 days to go...........

Ok, I knew there would be harder days...they had to happen. I can weather this... I can.... yes, I can....I can? right????

*deep cleansing breath*

Ok, I am running out of meal ideas and we are running out of food. I have to grocery shop. Now that my classes have started it has become VERY VERY hard to do this... Making a sandwich or a frozen pizza is sooooooooooooooooooooo easy peasy.

So, yesterday I went to church and focussed on HE who made me... I didn't work out because I was in pain and I ate...

Breakfast

Coffee
Boiled eggs

Snack

Cucumber and carrots

Lunch

A big salad with romaine, spinach, pepper, cukes and tomatoes

Snack

Almonds and pineapple juice

Dinner

Leftover spaghetti squash with marinara and green beans.

Snack

Fruit (whatever I could find! LOL)

Week 2... Bring it!

Day 6

Day 6 was a bit harder... The weight loss is great...in fact it's spectacular! My clothes are looser and I feel lighter.

However my joints began to hurt.... What's with THAT!?! Is it because I just turned 50? Is it because of something I am missing nutritionally? Is it because I was on the elliptical twice? Is it because I sat on the floor cleaning??? I dunno.

I'm becoming bored with my food choices. I have managed to figure out some meals for the week but looking at the next 3+ weeks in front of me I am wondering what I am going to eat? Salad every day without cheeses and croutons and crackers and meat is monotonous. Brown rice is filling but not too exciting... I can only eat a baked sweet potato once in awhile and I don't know how many ways I can prepare spaghetti squash... I obviously need some recipes.

I also need to begin juicing because I really need something to drink once in a while that is not water. I'm just accultured that way.

Yesterday I began to think about what I could eat when my 30 days are over... I don't want to think like that. I want to be healthy. I want to be lighter. I do NOT want to go back to what I was doing before... How hard will that be?

So, what did I eat?

Breakfast

Coffee
Boiled Eggs

Lunch

Grazed through the afternoon again on fruit and veggies...ate a cucumber and carrots, an apple and grapes.

Dinner (was GREAT!)

The meal for the fam was Cajun sausages, red beans & rice, salad and cornbread muffins.

For me...

Red Beans and rice
Salad

Because I wasn't counting on meat to flavor the beans I added sauteed peppers, onion, garlic and celery to the beans. Then I sprinkled in Thyme, Oregano and chili powder and let them simmer for a few hours. They were amazing. By far my favorite Vegan meal yet.

I did not get enough leafy greens on day 6. Must improve... on to Day 7, the end of week one.

Day 5

This morning I had lost one more pound. Total of 12!!! That's a motivating start but it looks like it is going to slow down now.

For Day 5 I got on the elliptical twice. I was actually sore.

I again had a fairly easy day. No cravings and not a lot of hunger... I'm sure it's coming though. I am missing soft drinks (soda and lemonade) and tea, but am making it without them.

What I ate...

Breakfast

Coffee
Boiled eggs and avocado... I have been wanting to try a baked egg in an avocado but every morning it just sounded wrong, so I ate boiled eggs with a cold raw avocado...that was GOOD!!!

Lunch

Almonds and an apple...should have had a salad but I was studying and never got around to making one.

Snack

Raw veggies from the fridge.

Dinner

Made the boys pasta & Marinara sauce with salad so for Tim and myself I sauteed some onions and peppers, added garlic, basil and Italian seasoning and a couple of scoops of the boys' sauce. We ate it over Spaghetti squash with salads. VERY GOOD!!!

I did have to use more processed products than I would like to. I used some tomato sauce and a little jarred marinara. Neither had more than just the necessary natural and whole foods so I felt ok with it. Avoiding processed foods is just difficult! Much more difficult than it should be.

Snack

Cantaloupe

Getting close to ending this first week

Day 4

I am really doing this :) ... I am down 11 pounds this morning!!! I feel good.

I am getting questions from friends and family so I'm going to respond to them here.

Today's questions...

Where is my calcium coming from?

We need between 1000 and 1200 milligrams of calcium per day. This keeps our bones healthy and strong and prevents our body from vamping the calcium out of our bones weakening our skeletal system...that creates all sorts of issues.

I was told by a few people "I can't live without dairy/cheese". But apparently and surprisingly, we can. According to this chart from Rawlivingfoods.com and the list below it from Care2.com, there are many Vegan sources for calcium.

 

25 Vegan Sources for Calcium

1. Kale (1 cup contains 180 mg)
2. Collard Greens (1 cup contains over 350 mg)
3. Blackstrap Molasses (2 tablespoons contains 400 mg)
4. Tempeh (1 cup contains 215 mg)
5. Turnip Greens (1 cup contains 250 mg)
6. Fortified non-dairy milk (1 cup contains 200-300 mg)
7. Hemp milk (1 cup contains 460 mg)
8. Fortified orange juice (1 cup contains 300 mg)
9. Tahini (2 tablespoons contains 130 mg)
10. Almond butter (2 tablespoons contains 85 mg)
11. Great northern beans (1 cup contains 120 mg)
12. Soybeans (1 cup contains 175 mg)
13. Broccoli (1 cup contains 95 mg)
14. Raw fennel (1 medium bulb contains 115 mg)
15. Blackberries (1 cup contains 40 mg)
16. Black Currants (1 cup contains 62 mg)
17. Oranges (1 orange contains between 50 and 60 mg)
18. Dried apricots (1/2 cup contains 35 mg)
19. Figs (1/2 cup contains 120 mg)
20. Dates (1/2 cup contains 35 mg)
21. Artichoke (1 medium artichoke contains 55 mg)
22. Roasted sesame seeds (1 oz. contains 35 mg)
23. Adzuki beans (1 cup contains 65 mg)
24. Navy beans (1 cup contains 125 mg)
25. Amaranth (1 cup contains 275 mg)


So, yesterday was day 4. So far this hasn't been difficult. I'm sure there will be some trying days but I haven't had to work too hard at this yet.

The physical...I moved the body...I actually got on the elliptical for a few minutes. I felt energetic in the AM but got very tired in the afternoon...not sure what that is about.

The spiritual...I spent some time in prayer yesterday... this goal has to begin to increase

The nutritional...What I ate...

Breakfast (I changed it up a bit)

Coffee (my lifeblood!)
Oatmeal with fresh blueberries... Not bad. No brown sugar, no butter, but I did use a dab (that is an accurate measurement in my home) of soy "butter".

Lunch

I grazed again. I had to go out and pick up my unsold books from the school book sale so throughout the afternoon I ate...

Boiled egg, apple wedges, celery, almonds, banana

*I noticed yesterday afternoon that the flavors of food seemed more pronounced and I enjoyed them more... nice unexpected result.

Dinner

I made chicken thighs for the fam with french cut green beans, brown rice w/ onions and mushrooms and salad

I just didn't eat the chicken and filled my plate 1/2 full with salad. 1/4 with rice and 1/4 with beans. sorry no picture (I was so tired!) but I couldn't finish it! I was actually full yesterday and not hungry much at all.

Snack

Cantaloupe

So, I am aiming for at lest a 50% raw diet but finding that to be a challenge. I do think I am close to 50% raw. I am amazed that some people eat diets that are fully raw. That is hard to do in our society.

I am only drinking about 2-3 bottles of water daily so I need to increase that too.

More tomorrow...

Day 3

Day 3 was easy...if only every day could be Day 3.

I slept better and woke up early. Felt a little anxious but I'm hoping one of my end results will be a better ability to face the mornings... one can hope.

I woke up and discovered that I was down 6 pounds. (as of this, day 4, morning I am down 9 pounds!!!) That motivates me.

I felt more energetic throughout the day.

I did a few minutes on the treadmill and went to church so I can check off all the boxes ... It's not stellar but I'm a work in progress people... one step at a time.

My classes have started now so it will be increasingly challenging to eat well, shop and prepare nurturing food as apposed to filling the freezer and pantry with pizzas and potato chips. Also, hubby Tim has joined me in my 30 day challenge.

I'm wondering if it will get difficult for me to find new ways to eat brown rice and salads...How long will that be interesting? A cheeseburger is just 26 days away...if I choose to accept it ...

So, what did I eat yesterday?

Breakfast

The usual boiled eggs and coffee (it's easy and tolerable in the AM)

Lunch

Leftover rice from day 2 and salad with Romaine, Spinach and cukes.
(I think the rice helped me to feel fuller longer)

Snack

Banana

Dinner

Big salad with Romaine, Spinach, mushrooms and cukes

Snack

Mixed fruit w/ cantaloupe, kiwis and blueberries

Was less hungry when I went to bed...that's getting easier. It's been a long time since I allowed myself to feel hungry. Sad really...

I was asked how I was getting my calcium and I see that I'm coming up short on protein also. I will need to figure it out.. oddly enough I am not feeling any of the signs of high blood sugar...I wondered about the sugar content of the fruits but so far no problems. I will attribute that to the elimination of "white" foods.

Day 2

Day 2 was hard.

I didn't expect it to get hard that fast but it did. I had to be out of the house that morning and I didn't sleep well. I went to bed hungry and decided not to eat but then couldn't really sleep. Those midnight grilled cheese sandwiches I have been indulging in came back to bite me! Then I was hungry all day. I was craving bread and really wanted something else besides water to drink all day... People in third world countries can't even get the water they need and I was whining because I couldn't have a soda or iced tea... Time to cowboy up and get over it.

What I ate....

Breakfast

2 boiled eggs
Coffee

Lunch

Well... I grazed all day between breakfast and dinner, dining on a variety of raw fruits and veggies. It helped that they were chopped up and ready to eat in the fridge. They included...

Baby carrots
Avocado
Banana
Fruit mixture (cantaloupe, blueberries and kiwi)
and some left-over green beans
Romaine lettuce

I have got to plan meals better.

Dinner

(made the fam beef burritos *sigh*)

Brown rice w/ onion and different colored peppers, cumin, chili powder and cilantro (YUM!)
Navy beans
Salad (Romaine and tomatoes)

Had some mixed fruit later so as not to be hungry.

Oh and I didn't even consider the other goals. I did have to climb some stairs so I moved and I prayed but I can't say I actually consciously deliberately made a decision to move my body or acknowledge the merciful Lord who allows me to ignore him too often... On to a new day

Day 1

8/19/13

Had to plan and stock up to be able to begin this. So went to Walmart and loaded up on organic produce.

Picked out some all natural salad dressing and found some soy "butter".

Brought home the loot and chopped up fruit and salad greens so those would be easily accessible and readily available.

Consumed on Day 1...

Breakfast...

Coffee
2 boiled eggs

Lunch...

2 slices of tomato
2 peaches

Dinner...

1 baked sweet potato
lemon-garlic roasted green beans
salad w/ oil & vinegar

Snack... ???




Thoughts at the end of day 1... I need to add in more protein (not to self; buy nuts)... I am already missing bread.

29 days to go

The Plan

This blog is a journal of my 30-day attempt at kick-starting good health, which is my 50th birthday gift to myself.

I figure I can do most anything for 30 days...right?....Right?????

The three in the title Three In 30 are my 3 basic goals. Daily I will attempt to eat as healthy as possible, move my body in some beneficial way and (last but not at all least) draw closer to God.

The eating part...

I have researched and decided that I will follow a mostly plant-based diet with at least 50% raw. Basically, I will eliminate everything processed and butchered. There are a couple of exceptions...

1. MY COFFEE!!!!!! Good heavens I'm desperate but I'm not crazy!!! I can't do everything at once, so I can have coffee in the AM (1 cup)
2. I am allowing myself to use organic all natural salad dressings and soy "butter" sparingly, for now....because well...I'm a wimp and couldn't actually just eliminate ALL processed foods yet (that's really HARD!!).
3. I am allowing myself to eat whole, relatively unprocessed, grains... Oats and brown rice (is that actually a grain?) But again, sparingly.
4. I am continuing to eat eggs.

At some point in the next 30 days my hubby Tim and I will partake in a juice fast together and begin the juicing journey.

The moving part...

I fail at exercising. I do not go to the gym...ever. I am a colossal loser with a workout plan. All I am aiming to do is move...somehow...someway...if it is accidentally aerobic GREAT! If it succeeds at being cardio WONDERFUL....if I am grocery shopping at Walmart and I walk across the store 3 times....its GOOD! I WIN.... I just have to move!!!! I can do this.

The God part...

I just want to focus on Him with deliberate purpose, daily, because somehow, even though I am a believer, follower, child of God...I can manage to go days at a time and not even acknowledge that it is HE who gives me breath. Shocking I know...I am certainly the only Christian who is so distracted by themselves as to forget the very source of their being so please indulge me in this child-like attempt to refocus. Really almost anything goes...I can read the Bible, pray, sing, worship... The goal is just to stop and remember that HE IS God...I am not. That is all.

The reason for this experiment in fanatical food deprecation? I have high blood pressure. I am borderline diabetic. In my family there is cancer, heart disease and diabetes. I feel like I am playing Russian roulette with my heath year after year. I MUST do something....NOW!!!!

So join me if you will. Come along on this journey with me... let's see how I do (I don't recommend placing bets ;) ).