7 Day Challenge Summary

So for the past 7 days I have been doing a challenge.  It went like this:

Day 1: All vegetables, mostly raw, a serving or 2 of extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil allowed, vinegars allowed for dressings.  Green tea allowed, 1 cup of black coffee allowed (I didn't drink any coffee myself).
Days 2-4:  Same as day 1 but 20-25 grams of protein added twice.
Days 5-7:  Same as day 1 but 20-25 grams of protein added four times.
Day 7: I cheated and took a bite of fruit.  (I felt obligated to add this.)

Weight lost: 6.6 pounds from Monday morning 4/9 to Monday morning 4/16.  Which really gave me a 4.4 pound loss, as I had gained 2.2 over Easter weekend.  That's a HUGE loss for me.

I had a breakfast this morning much like I have been with a few tweaks.  I had 2 hard boiled eggs, butternut squash, carrots, and some banana and strawberry yonanas (basically frozen banana and strawberries).

This week the only changes I am making is adding in sweet potatoes, some fruit, some dairy (mainly in the form of plain Greek yogurt), some nuts, and probably some legumes.  I'm going to wait on adding any grains back for a little while.  The goal is to just have whole foods, nothing processed.  I really really really don't want to count calories anymore and I am hoping that this way of eating will allow for me to not have to do that.

Whole foods and portion control are my new eating plan.  Unlimited veggies, up to 2-3 servings of fruit per day, 1-2 serving dairy, protein 3-4 times per day (at around 20-25 grams of protein per serving), legumes a couple times a week, nuts once a day preferably (2 max) including natural peanut butter if wanted.  Doing a rough caloric estimate that should put me between 1200-1700/day, which is perfect.  If at any point I show a gain over the period of a week or 2 (water weight happens due to change in diet or exercise, so you can't freak if the scale shows a gain over the course of a couple days), I will reevaluate.  For now, I am thrilled to not have to count calories, and really hope the whole foods will not only help with my weight loss, but will just make me healthy over all.  Also I need to start exercising again, I missed an entire week!

I would recommend this challenge to anyone trying to change their lifestyle as a segue into healthy eating, or to someone already leading a healthy lifestyle who wants to do a cleanse or renewal of their current way of eating.  Obviously if you do this for 7 days then go back to crappy eating it doesn't really hold much benefit in the long run.  It's not meant to be a crash diet (at least from my perspective), it's meant to restore you, cleanse you, and detox you.  It's not easy (at least it wasn't for me), but it was definitely worth it.

End of Challenge

One of the really fabulous side effects of this week has been Emma's new found curiosity with what I'm eating.  She has tried more new vegetables this week (with absolutely no coaxing from me) than ever in her life!  Sometimes I forget how much little ones watch our every move and mimic our behavior.  It has pushed me and inspired me to keep with it and make this a life long way of eating.  Kids really don't buy the whole "do as I say and not as I do" attitude, you really do have to lead by example.  And the good thing is that it is never too late to be a good example.  In fact, I think that it's a super great to show kids that a person has the power to change their behaviors at any time.  I'm very blessed to have a husband who not only supports me in basically everything I do, or attempt, but who also has desire to lead a healthy life.

Another person who has been inspiring me is my brother.  He has struggled with drug addiction for years, and 37 days ago made a change in his life, the hardest change he's ever had to make.  He is 37 days clean today and I am so unbelievably proud of him that it chokes me up every time I think about it.  I know that if he can do what he's doing, that I can eat some damn vegetables and refrain from binging on cookies!  It puts things in perspective for me BIG time.

I have to admit I did cheat today.  I bought a Yonanas and made a banana strawberry one for Emma, and I tasted it.  So 1 bite of fruit tarnished my perfect week.  Ahhhhhhh, the shame!!!  Also I didn't workout yesterday :o or yet today! 

Beginning of the End - Day 7

Just wanted to check in.  Day 6 ended well.  Luke slept better last night.  So far so good today!  Jason and I are going to an early showing of Hunger Games.  I have to try not to drink too much water before we go because I don't want to have to get up to pee every 45 minutes!  I'm not worried about being tempted by the theater food because it's so expensive, even if we weren't doing the challenge we wouldn't buy anything (although I'm sure the smell of popcorn will taunt me).  I'm very excited to have so fruit and yogurt (plain greek yogurt) with my breakfast tomorrow.  And I think I want to go get one of those Yonanas things!  Might be a fun way to have a healthy and sweet snack (for the whole family) as it only uses frozen fruit and nothing else.  I will check in again later (more for myself than anything).

Day 6 and Weight Re-Cap

I got a good night sleep last night (Jason didn't, you can tell who had Luke for the night), which really reflected on the scale this morning.  I'm down a total of 5.6 lbs since Monday (or 3.4 not counting the newly gained 2.2 from Easter weekend).  Now I'm finally losing baby weight and not just the 12 lbs that I gained since I stopped breastfeeding.  Since I started a little over 3 weeks (3/21) ago I've lost 13.6 lbs!  I have 13.2 more lbs of baby weight to lose, then at least around 40 more pounds after that; but for right now I'm just focusing on the rest of the baby weight so the number isn't so overwhelming!  I try not to focus too much on "date" goals, but I'd like to have all the baby weight off by the end of May (that's like 2 lbs a week), so it's possible.  Then I'd like to be at the next goal by Halloween (again about 2 lbs a week).  Then once I get there I'll reassess and see if I'd like to lose more or just maintain.

Just today and tomorrow left in the challenge!  I'm excited to eat some fruit Monday.

End day 5

I am so ridiculously tired!  I've been full of excuses about working out this week, today is no exception.  I vow to get back to things tomorrow (or Sunday, or. . . just kidding, I'll do it tomorrow, for realsies).  Today was a little more trying than yesterday was, challenge wise (life wise).  I left for work early and stopped at Sprouts to get myself some lunch, I bought a huge thing of mixed spring greens and spinach, some sliced chicken breast (made sure nothing added ingredient wise), some snap peas, and a olive oil vinaigrette (again made sure there was no added unwanted ingredients).  I'll tell you what, it was very hard to walk past all of the foods that actually LOOKED good to eat.  I did good though.  I'm so many days in I would not blow all my hard work now!  I really enjoyed dinner.  I'm glad this day is almost over!

Boneless skinless chicken breast, asparagus, and cauliflower mash.

Day 5, and Other Things

My energy level is very low today.  Luke did not sleep well  last night, which means neither did I; maybe 5 hours of very broken up sleep.  He's been sleeping almost all the way through the night for a week now, so last night was a very unpleasant surprise.  It's one of those days I can't wait to go to work and get a "break" from the kids.  I only work 10-12 hours a week, but it is MUCH needed.  I love them with my whole heart and soul, but for goodness sake they NEVER LEAVE ME ALONE.  HA!  I know that's part of being a mom, and like 96% of the time I'm perfectly fine with never going to the bathroom alone, always being beckoned for a bottle or a "wipe me mommy", or never getting to eat a meal straight through, or just about any teensy thing either one might just think they need or want.  Sometimes you just need a bit of time away to regain your sanity!  I'm feeling slightly insane today, so I know it's good timing for a few hours of work.  Jason and I are actually going to see a movie this weekend, which should also help with my sanity level (Hunger Games here I come!).

7 day challenge wise: had to kind of choke down my eggs and veg this morning.  I get to have protein 4 times today and I'm not quite sure what all that will consist of.  Chicken for dinner for sure.  I need to go get some different veggies as all of a sudden the ones I've been eating and enjoying are making me want to puke today. 

Well, I'm off! 

End of Day 4

Breakfast - Scrambled eggs with asparagus, white onion, spinach, red, yellow, green, and orange bell pepper.

Lunch- Asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, and butternut squash.

Dinner - Tofu on a bed of broccoli, red and green cabbage, red orange yellow and green bell peppers, white onion, and sugar snap peas.

I've made it through phase 2 of the 7 day challenge!  Tomorrow through day 7 I can have protein with all 4 meals.  The hard part is over, and truly I am enjoying veggies more every meal.  I'm proud of myself, and I feel great!  If I can do this, anyone can!

Day 4

I can't even really describe how amazing I feel today!  Just a few hours into the 4th day, and WOW!  I just had no clue how much the food I was eating was affecting me.  I have been at this whole thing for over 3 weeks now, so I thought I had been eating pretty darn good.  I went into all of this with a much more open mind than I have in the past.  Because in the past even though I *said* I wanted to be healthy, what I really wanted was to be skinny.  While I still want to lose weight (a lot of it), if being healthy means I will feel this good (or better) all the time, I'M IN either way.  Obviously weight loss will come with a healthy diet and consistent exercise, so it's a win/win situation.

I think there are some things in life you hear about a lot, over and over, and you get a little desensitized to it, or even a little cynical (I'm the queen of cynical).  There are so many shows, books, magazines, dvds, and on and on, about being healthy, eating healthy, exercising, that I thought I'd done it all over the years.  But I never stopped to really fully practice a healthy lifestyle, I half-assed it (as I do with so many thing).  I'm full-assing this thing (and that's a lot of ass!), and I'm so glad I jumped in full force!  This has been such a great experience so far, so eye opening!

(Almost) End of Day 3

For lunch: Tilapia with asperagus, cucumber, and orange, green and yellow bell pepper.

Today has been the best of the 3 days.  I feel pretty darn good!  I've enjoyed all the food I've eaten today including my (not pictured) chicken breakfast salad.  I think my skin looks better, obviously I've lost a little weight, but I just feel, well, better.  While I feel hungry and perhaps not quite as satisfied (read - FULL) after these meals, I can tell my body likes them, and is working better.  I haven't felt bloated since I started, which I didn't realize how bloated I must always feel in comparison.  I feel like my mind has more clarity.  I'm still not the picture of patience, but I think I've been in a better, or more stable, mood over all than I have been.  It's definitely not as hard as I thought it would be.  I've found myself thinking about how to make meals revolving around vegetables rather than thinking of how to choke them down and not putting any effort into trying to make them taste good.

I went into this week kind of to restart things after a day of binge eating, to lose some weight, and to please my dear husband who has been trying to get me to do this for ages -- but it's already ended up putting me in a different place than I was just a couple days ago.  I think I didn't realize how much the food itself affected me.  Even though logically I know healthy foods vs. junk foods are better for you, I didn't fully grasp thisuntil now.  One of those light bulb moments, love that!

For dinner:  Spaghetti squash with a homemade marinara (fresh tomatoes, white onion, garlic, red bell pepper, carrots, fresh basil, and seasoned with salt, pepper, parsley, and oregano), with cranberry pomegranate green tea.

Start of Day 3

I'm down a total of 3.2 since Monday!  That's the 2.2 I gained over the weekend plus an additional 1!  That's great for me as I've been averaging about 1.8 per week.  But as I mentioned before, I'm fine with slow and steady!

So, day 3.  Today continues all day veg, and lean protein with 2 of the 4 meals.  I had a big salad with 4 ounces of chicken on it for breakfast (a breakfast salad! eggs just didn't sound good today).  Lunch will be Tilapia with acorn squash, probably some other veg as well, we have a ton!   For dinner tonight I'm making spaghetti squash and a homemade chunky tomato sauce (although tomatoes are not a veg, they are allowed, so I'm going for it).  Jason is starting the 7 day challenge today.  Since he had that out patient procedure yesterday he didn't want to start it until that was over.  He's done it before, so I'm excited to have him join me for the support.  I am planning to get a workout in today finally.  I have been slacking in that area!

I feel really good today!  No doubt from eating only healthy, really good for the body, type of foods!  I could get used to this I think!

End of Day 2

Omelet with yellow, orange, and red bell peppers, white onion, asparagus, and spinach.

Today hasn't been too bad actually.  It was awesome to have eggs this morning and chicken this evening, I felt full after both of those meals.  I don't know how anyone gets full on veggies alone!  The sheer quantity in which one would have to eat would far exceed the amount one's stomach is capable of holding.  HA!  I've also found it takes a lot more time to eat vegetables than other foods, I've mainly had raw veg, that's probably why.  The one draw back (other than being hungry a lot, and eating gross vegetables all day) is I don't have much energy at all.  I'd think most likely due to the fact that by nature it's very low in calories! And ya I admit, not all of  the vegetables are gross.

Tomorrow will be a whole different challenge than the last 2 days have been.  Tomorrow I will be home alone with the kids all day.  I normally am, but the last 2 days have been a little varied.  I think it's been good to be out of the house and busy.  I must keep busy tomorrow!

Beginning Day 2 of 7

7 a.m. day 2.  I've been up 2 hours already (joys of having a small baby).  Yesterday ended up great!  Made it through the whole day on plan; all veggies, well over a gallon of water, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon coconut oil, green tea.  I felt very tired and weak by the end of the day!  And I didn't get my run in, boo to me!

Today is going to carry its own challenges.  I will be gone from about 10:45 until, well I don't know when, maybe 3:30 or 4.  So I have to take food with me, as well as water, as well as ways to keep myself busy while waiting.

So far I'm down 1.8 lbs.  I gained 2.2 over the weekend (obviously mostly water weight as there's no way I ate an excess of 7000 calories in my 26.5 hour free for all over the weekend).  So that's good!  Typically it would take me 4 to 5 days to get back to where I was before a day like that.  I'd like to lose a total of 5 during this week, which I think is pretty realistic as 2.2 of it is just from the weekend.  Enough with the numbers!

I will most likely update later today to keep myself busy.  For now, I think I'll go have breakfast.  I never thought I would look so forward to having eggs!  Plan:  4 eggs, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, white onion, spinach, and I haven't decided if I want to add asparagus or not.  O-M-G I'm so hungry!

Gag - Mid Day 1 Update on 7 Day Challenge

So for breakfast I had butternut squash and bell peppers (red, yellow, and orange).  I will not lie and say it was satisfying, because it wasn't.  It actually became very hard to eat.  My body rejects vegetables, I must retrain it.

As I now type I am chewing on some salad; it's mixed greens (iceberg, spinach, maybe some romaine I can't tell), I see some purple cabbage in there, carrots, zucchini, shredded broccoli stems.  I topped it off with the allowed tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and some apple cider vinegar.  I've been eating it for like 10 minutes already and have barely made a dent.  If it were a side salad I would probably enjoy it, but as a main course it's so GROSS!  Honestly I'd rather not eat at all, but that defeats the purpose of the challenge.

So I shall carry on and gag down my disgusting salad, and if I'm brave I will also eat the carrots, cucumbers, and rest of the peppers that I brought.  Seriously, so gross!  Complaining?  Indeed.

20 minutes now, more than half of salad left.  Must. Go. On.  Must keep reminding myself this is only for 1 day and tomorrow I can have some protein.  Ok I'll stop, because if I keep going I will just keep complaining.

Challenge Accepted - Day 1

So I made a big mistake this weekend.  It's a mistake I think we have all made, one that people make even when not trying to lose weight.  This mistake is: Grocery shopping while hungry!  You know, you get home and somehow all you got was a chocolate bar, fritos, and a tomato.  Well in this case I went to do last minute Easter shopping for the kids (I have never not done last minute holiday shopping.  Example: I was shopping this past Christmas Eve, which was  4 days after I gave birth).  Anyway, there I was in Target surrounded by all that candy, I knew I had to hurry and get out of there.  I made it!  BUT, by the time I got home my strong commitment to my diet had been buried by the monster - the HUNGER MONSTER.  I decided (after making about 100 excuses why it was justified) to take 24 hours off.  Cookies, beer, pizza, (then the next day) waffles, bacon, sausage, muffins, cupcakes, ham, pasta with meatballs, macaroni salad, potato salad, candy; honest to God when it was all over at about 2:30pm yesterday (which was 26.5 hours b-t-dubs) I felt so disgusting and bloated I couldn't believe I had given myself permission to do that to myself, because in the end I didn't enjoy it at all.  And so continues my f-ed up relationship with food.  Yuck! 

So I decided to do this 7 day challenge that my hubs has been trying to get me to do.  It's kind of like a cleanse in a way I guess.  Day 1 is ALL veggies (no sweet potatoes or white potatoes though) and you are supposed to have 4 meals, but you can have snacks if you want.  Day 2 - 4 you can have 25 grams of any lean protein (including eggs, tofu, chicken etc.) with 2 meals.  Day 5 - 7 you have 25 grams of lean protein with every meal.  Also you're supposed to drink at least a gallon of water a day, and you are allowed unsweetened tea or black coffee.  Then, ideally, after the 7 days is over you just start adding back other foods like fruit, maybe some grains here and there, plus sweet potatoes etc.  Really I think it's supposed to set you up to just eat super healthy, and you can repeat the 7 day challenge every 8 weeks if you want to.

I am NOT a vegetable lover at all, so this is going to be really hard for me.  But I think it will be good, and honestly I need to prove to myself that I can do it.  The calorie counting has already gotten tedious, so this basically gives me a week off it it to figure out what will be next without letting my diet go to shit.  Typically when things start getting tedious I just give up instead of finding some other way to go about things, usually because I'm looking for a reason, nay, excuse, to give up.  I'm really serious about this though, so if one thing doesn't work I need to move on to the next thing and continue to find what works for me so this can be (and forgive the cliche) a lifestyle for me rather than a short term "fix".

I really had decided I wouldn't blog about this challenge until it was over, basically because I figured if I failed I would feel embarrassed to come on here and admit it.  I felt like that was setting myself up for failure though, so here I am putting it out there in hopes it will aid me in sticking with it.  I will try to post about it at least once a day to keep me going.  Here goes nothin'.