Super Mean Green Smoothie

It's too hot to cook dinner, so I decided to drink it instead!  It was so thick and creamy...hard to believe that it's actually healthy!  It had a lot of natural sugar, so next time I will use unsweetened milk and only half a banana.

Mean Green Smoothie
1 banana, frozen and sliced
1/4 cup mango, frozen and chunked
1/4 cup strawberry, frozen
1/2 cup Non-Fat Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1 cup Almond/Coconut Milk blend
4 cups spinach
Optional (I added these in mine)
1/2 scoop whey protein
1T ground flaxseed

Nutrition Facts: Total Calories 377; Fat 6.2g; Saturated Fat 1.4g; Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 232mg; Total Carbohydrates 50.5g; Fiber 8.0g (32%); Sugars 30.2g; Protein 26.0g; Vitamin A 17%; Vitamin C 70%; Calcium 65%; Iron 11%

Breakfast of Champions

Greek Yogurt Parfait with blueberry, raspberry, kiwi, mango and oat flakes.

Total calories 291
Total Fat 3g
Saturated Fat 0.3g
Cholesterol 0g
Sodium 80mg
Potassium 505mg
Fiber 6.6g (26%)
Sugar 35g
Protein 15.3
Vitamin A 3,234IU (65%)
Vitamin C 108mg (144%)
Iron 1.2mg (7%)
Calcium 190mg (19%)

All juiced up!

Today I have my colonic appointment and I must admit, I'm a bit nervous.  The thought of the whole procedure is freaking me out, but I'm excited about the results.  As part of the preparation (before and after care), I cannot eat solid foods.  I love juicing fruits and veggies so decided this weekend would be the perfect time for a juice fast.  This morning's breakfast: cucumber, pineapple, carrot, ginger, kale and blueberry juice mixed with protein powder.

Before:

 After:

Total calories came up as 382 including the protein powder, but I'm sure that's a bit high since it's only the juice and the pulp has been stripped away.  It's amazing how great fresh juice makes me feel...almost like a superhero lol.  Especially when I drink it immediately after juicing, while the enzymes are still living...I can literally feel the energy coursing through my veins.

I was a tad disappointed this morning...expected another two pound loss...thought I would hit my ten pound mark today.  But I realize that's extremely unrealistic...I mean 8 1/2 pounds in one week is AMAZING!!!  Curious how much I'll lose after this procedure :)

What's for dinner?

I got home late tonight and was not motivated to cook dinner.  I went to a restaurant down the street and had a grilled salmon fruit and spinach salad.  Dinner was about 600 calories (I estimated portion sizes and tend to guess on the upside).  

Overall I did very well today.  Went over my calorie target by 90 calories for the day, but I was under by a few hundred last night so it balances out.  

I track my calories on www.caloriecount.com and have found it to be a very useful tool in keeping an accurate depiction of what I'm consuming.  I also use to a kitchen scale to help measure when I'm cooking.

I'm feeling very motivated and excited about this journey.  Haven't started exercising much (other than walking the dogs a couple times)...with the pain in my joints caused by my size, it's often painful to walk.  But I will be starting back at the gym at the end of the month...trying to give my body a moment to get adjusted to my new eating.  One step at a time, right?

12-Step

(Photo Copyright 2012 Sardonic Salad)

My name is Blessed Love and I'm a foodaholic.


Well, not really...I mean, I wouldn't steal my mom's television for a cheeseburger, but you get the point. I realize that food has always been the safety valve for my emotions...happy, have a slice of cake...sad, eat a bag of chips...bored, stuff your face with pizza!  I'll be seeing a counselor soon as an added component to my weight loss journey and while she might be able to help stop the compulsion that comes along with eating, I don't know that I'll ever stop LOVING eating.

So, how can a food addict like myself lose weight?  From previous attempts (twice losing over 40 pounds...and gaining it back as soon as I quit my program), I've learned that instead of trying to change me to fit a "diet", I need to change my diet to fit me.  Along the way, I've learned a few tips that help me lose weight without feeling deprived.  I've always heard, if you want to lose weight...ask a fat person! 

1.  Understand that this is a lifestyle change and not a diet:  The first step for a foodaholic to lose weight...know that this is not a temporary fix.  It took a lifetime to get to my size, so it will take a lifetime to reach and maintain my healthy weight.  It's not just about the numbers on the scale, but about nourishing my body with good foods that will help my body thrive.  Every day is a chance to do something positive for myself...even if I stumble, because this is a life change, there's no guilt for breaking my "diet".  I simply need to get back on the horse and keep riding.

2.  Eat 5-6 small meals instead of fewer large meals:  While eating more frequently will not guarantee weight loss alone, it does stop the mind tricks that come along with deciding to eat healthy.  One of my main problems was skipping breakfast, ignoring hunger pangs and going all day without eating and then binging on the first thing in sight because I was starving (obviously I was not cut out to be an anorexic).  This lead to overconsumption, in addition to poor food choices.  When I'm starving, my rational brain goes on vacation and is replaced by a monster like Audrey Jr. in Little Shop of Horrors...FEED ME Seymour!!!  Because I know this about myself, I have tried to set myself up for success this time.  I eat breakfast at 6:30am and eat small meals about every 3 hours thereafter (of course, being mindful of total calories).  This helps because I never get to the point of desperation for food; also, because I'm eating so often, a meal may sometimes be as small as an apple with a handful of almonds because it takes less to fill me up when I'm eating throughout the day.  After just one day of eating this way, I automatically get hungry after about 3 1/2 hours whereas before, I could go all day without eating.

3.  Trade out empty calories for less calorie-dense food:  Eating smaller, more frequent meals is not enough to lose weight; the key is selecting good food choices for those meals.  While a slice of pizza and a salad may both contain the same 500 calories, the salad has much more bulk and nutrients and will keep you fuller much longer.  Speaking of nutrients, it's amazing how many obese people are actually malnourished.  To be successful, it's important to choose nutrional options with more bulk: whole grains, fruit, vegetables.  These items also have less fat, which in turns lowers their calories since each gram of fat contains 9 calories!  It's important to note, however, that not all fat is bad and fat is a necessary component to our health.  Of course, fat from vegetable sources is much healthier than fat from animals.

4.  Be sure to include complex carbohydrates and protein with each meal:  Fiber-packed foods and protein help you feel satisfied and stay full longer.  Complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and apples (with skin), oranges, beans, etc. take longer to break down in the body, giving you sustained energy for a longer period of time, whereas simple carbs (white rice, white bread, sugar) give you short bursts of energy but leave you feeling lethargic.  Protein boosts your metabolism and helps you keep lean muscle (since you lose fat AND muscle when you lose weight).

5.  DRINK WATER:  Do you want to know the real secret to weight loss?  Increase your water intake!  Water is a magical liquid with a multitude of health benefits.  Not only does water help flush out toxins from our bodies allowing our organs to work more efficiently, water also aids digestion and helps keep your joints lubricated--when you're super obese like I am, you need something close to WD40 to keep the creaking joints at bay!  It has been suggested that we should drink up to half our body weight in water daily.  At my starting weight of 372, that would be 186 POUNDS of water...unless I'm putting a straw in the ocean, that's a bit unrealistic; however, I do try to consume at least 12 glasses (96 ounces) of water daily.  Thankfully, food consumed also counts towards the water intake, especially fruit and vegetables which are a staple in my eating plan.

A typical day of eating for me might look something like this:

6:30am  Breakfast: whole grain seed and fruit bar, 1 cup of almond milk, 1 scoop protein powder, 1 cup grapes

9:30am  Snack: 21-seed toast with 1 tablespoon peanut butter

12:30pm  Lunch:  Grilled chicken salad with a pear or apple on the side, handful of almonds

3:30pm  Snack:  Mango, 1/2 cup yogurt

6:30pm  Dinner:  Baked tilapia, 2 cups mixed vegetables, baked sweet potato