April 1: A Day in the Life.......

I've gotten a few emails lately asking me what I eat.  Lots of people have the food blogs covered, so I don't generally do this, but I thought that once a week, I'd give you a rundown on "A Day in the Life".  Let me know whether you like this or not.  I don't want to bore anyone!

This is for yesterday, March 31.

For breakfast I had my version of a pb&j: Ezekiel toast, natural peanut butter, and no-sugar apple butter.  I also had skim milk, thinly disguised as an iced latte, and a banana.  I never get tired of this; in fact I eat this for breakfast nearly every day.

I ended up having breakfast late in the day, so about a half an hour after breakfast, I threw on a baseball cap and took the dog to the park for a walk. We went 6km in 50 minutes, which is faster than usual for us, despite the fact that the dog peed about a hundred times.





I was absolutely starving when we got back from our walk.  I was in the mood for salad.  I made a mixed green salad with raspberry poppyseed dressing, homemade whole wheat croutons, and grilled chicken.  It was as pretty as it was delicious.

I had some writing and paperwork to do in the afternoon, as well as blogging, of course.  It was my daughter's night at her dad's so I just threw together a dinner of leftovers.  I had whole wheat spaghetti, homemade marinara sauce, lean ground beef, and mushrooms, topped with freshly grated Romano cheese.

After dinner I was feeling restless so I went for a short walk with the dog.  We just walked around the neighborhood and went for 2 km at a moderate pace.

*****************************

I've had some issues with appetite lately, which has made it hard for me to get all of my calories and protein in during a given day.  So each day, I check my intake and if needed I make a protein shake with skim milk, fresh fruit and a natural protein powder with no artificial sweeteners.

All in all, this day worked out to

1579 calories

165 g carbs

55 g fat

111 g protein

Everything was very much on target.

Have a great day!

Mar. 7: Results and Milestones

I mentioned last week that I had begun counting calories and measuring my food this week to try to break through this darned month long plateau. So drum roll...........................

It worked!!! After one week, I ended up with a loss of two pounds (exactly what I lost in the entire month of February!) Hooray! I'm so happy.

I haven't felt restricted this week. I averaged about 1360 over the course of the entire week, figuring in my off-plan meal as well. This coming week I'm going to bump it up about 100 calories a day. I want to experiment and see what my maximum intake can be while continuing losing at a rate of two pounds per week.

Today marks another milestone!

I've lost 20 pounds!

One more and I have hit the magic 10% that experts say marks a health improvement. I;m darned happy to get over this plateau and hopefully I can go another 20 pounds before hitting another one!

What have I learned from this? Clean eating, while it works, will not necessarily result in consistent weight loss without other checks and balances in place. All by itself, changing my eating habits to clean ones allowed me to lose the first 16 pounds with little real effort. Now, however, I have discovered, consistent results require more than just passively eating clean. I still strongly promote eating clean for all of the health benefits a chemical-free life can provide, and once I am at a maintenance weight, eating clean for the rest of my life will allow me to be fit and healthy with little dietary effort. I believe clean is the only way to eat. But for weight loss, weighing, measuring, and counting calories all seem to be a necessity for me.

Have a great weekend!

Feb: 16: Can Faith Help Weight Loss Efforts?

Today I want to look at a different approach to weight loss. FAITH. Whatever your belief system, there is strong evidence linking weight loss success to a dieter's religious beliefs.

Most religions recommend moderation in all things. The Bible preaches against gluttony and sloth, two of the Deadly Sins, and two big contributors to the Deadly State of Obesity. In the Koran, the prophet Mohamed recommends "Eat if the good things we have provided for your sustenance, but commit no excess therein, lest my wrath should justly descend on you." The Koran also recommends that one stops eating when their stomach is 2/3 full. Buddhism refers to the "Middle Way" a life free of excess and extremes, as well as mindfulness in all you do. The Talmud, the religious book of Judaism, teaches that food should be eaten slowly and savored. The Kabbalah teaches that God loves the person who overcomes their limitations.

Another thing the teachings have in common is eating food as close to nature as possible. All the beliefs see our bounty of food as a gift from God, to be celebrated and enjoyed with some degree of mindfulness and reverence. God created apples, not Twinkies.

It all sums up to this one fact: For thousands of years, major religions have all taught their followers to be moderate and to treat their bodies like a gift from God.

My new-found Christian faith has definitely helped me along my weight loss journey. It helps me to focus when I am getting off track. It seems somehow sacrilegious to pray for strength and help on my weight loss journey and then eat a King-sized Snickers.

Many organized religions now have weight loss programs for their followers. If you Google any of these names, you will be able to find some valuable information. Take what you can from it and apply it to your own efforts.

Christianity ~ Weighdown, Light Weigh

Buddhism ~ The Buddhist Diet

Paganism ~ Wiccan Weight loss

Judaism ~ Kosher Diet

Hinduism ~ The Sattvic Diet

Muslim ~ At Home!

If you're finding yourself stuck, whether it is just getting started, sticking with it, or you've hit a seemingly unbreakable plateau, consider looking towards your personal faith for some guidance. We need all the help we can get on our quest for a happier, healthier life!

NOTE: If I have provided any religious information that is incorrect, or used a term that is not politically correct when describing a religion or one of its followers, please forgive my ignorance and let me know about it so I can provide better information in the future!

Have a great, squeaky clean day!

Feb. 15: Fast Food, the Clean Way

Sometimes you just have to have food and you need it NOW. Maybe you forgot about piano lessons and you have 15 minutes to eat dinner and get the kids out the door. Maybe you worked late and came home to find a hungry family staring at you expectantly. Whatever the reason, it's important to have meals you can put together ASAP. Make sure you always have the ingredients for some of these items on hand and you will never get stuck going to McNasty's and getting food-like substances in the drive thru again.

Bean Burritos

Whole wheat tortillas or Ezekiel wraps,

a can of vegetarian refried beans (read the ingredients carefully - up here in Canada PC has a delicious fat free one that is clean)

clean salsa and/or chopped pepper, onions, and tomatoes.

Optional: low fat cheese

Smoothie

Plain yogurt

ice

whatever fruit is kicking around

This is our to-go meal for the car if we are in a pinch

Pita Pizzas

I have a big variety of these based on what I have on hand

Whole wheat organic pitas

shredded low fat cheese

~tomato sauce, steamed broccoli, grilled chicken

~clean bbq sauce, grilled chicken, red onion, hot peppers, red peppers

~refried beans, salsa, peppers, onions, cooked ground turkey (optional)

~tomato sauce, cooked chicken sausage, mushrooms, finely chopped spinach

~tomato sauce, ham w/out nitrates, pineapple, peppers

Breakfast for Dinner

Pretty self-explanatory

Nut butter and banana sandwich, glass of milk

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Once you start thinking this way, you will come up with your own fail-safes for "that kind of day". I nearly always have leftovers on hand and it is a simple matter of popping them in the microwave. It's very important to make your fast food substitutes tasty and appealing,though, or you run the risk of "There's nothing GOOD" being the refrain.

Clean Eating - staying on plan is all about prep and creativity!

Feb. 10: Cheat meals

Last night my daughter and I were unexpectedly invited to dinner. We haven't eaten out in nearly a month so we jumped at the chance.

I haven't had a real cheat meal for a while - about 2 weeks, so I decided to have my cheat at dinner last night. It took me forever to decide what I wanted, and I finally chose Southwestern Potato Skins as an appetizer. Yep, fried, I know. The skins were topped with chipotle grilled chicken, I asked them to go lightly on the cheese, and they were drizzled with a garlic-yogurt dressing. Really yummy, although the salt was a bit of a shock to my system.

Here's what I didn't get: Lime margaritas, an entree, a Caesar salad and dessert.

I just had an appetizer and a glass of water and I was as happy as could be with that.

Months ago, I would have had the appetizer along with all the other stuff I mentioned. I felt really great about this meal, although it raised some eyebrows. It was weird to eat with other people who eat anything they want, imbibe caloric drinks and seriously contemplate dessert. I'm pretty sheltered since I am not employed right now. I generally only eat with my kids.

Here are some tips to adding a few cheat meals to your life:

1.) Don't have a cheat meal more than once a week. More frequently than that and you run the risk of re-igniting your former bad habits.

2.) Take note of how it makes you feel. When I eat a sugar-y dessert, it gives me a pounding headache the next day. I feel sluggish and lethargic. When I eat something high in fat, I get really bad heartburn. This realization helps keep me on the "clean and narrow".

3.) Don't let a cheat meal take over your day. So, you went way overboard. You might as well eat with abandon for the rest of the day and get right back on track tomorrow, right? WRONG. If you got a ticket for running a red light, would it be okay to run red lights for the rest of the day, since you had already gotten a ticket? Not if you wanted to keep your driver's license!!! When you have a meal that is less than clean, get right back on track with the very next meal that you eat.

4.) Don't feel guilty! Guilt is highly overrated. It makes us feel like failures, and when we feel like failures we do silly things, like binge, go off-plan, or quit altogether. So plan your meal, look forward to it, savor it, and move on to the next clean meal.

Have a great day!

Jan. 30 ~ January wrap up

Well, the end of the month is near. I always like to look over my month and see what my victories were and where I need to improve.

Victories:

* Lost 5 pounds
* Worked out steadily for the last two weeks of the month
* Avoided binge eating despite extreme stress
* Article is prepped and ready to be submitted

Learning Opportunities:

* Could have kept my eating tighter, although it was technically clean
* When I skip workouts I tend to continue skipping workouts
* I MUST cut back on the stress in my life if I hope for continued success
* My water intake suffers when I am under pressure

I'm not thrilled with January. I feel like I have let life get in the way of my goals. It is going to take a lot longer to get where I want to be at the rate I went this month. I need a new resolve to meet my goals in an expeditious manner. 5 pounds is better than nothing, or a gain, but not what I had hoped for. I'll weigh in again on the last day of the month and hope at least one more pound is gone.

In February, I need to refocus on where I want to be.
* I am going to make a vision board to hang in a prominent place, as recommended by several people.
* I'm going to work on the stressors in my life which includes making a doctor's appointment regarding my anxiety and some bothersome health issues
* I am going to purge the storage areas of my house to clean them out and to try and raise some money
* I'm going to increase my water intake by drinking 500 mLs of water as soon as I wake up and before I have coffee.
* I am going to increase my protein by drinking more skim milk
* I am going to work on staying on schedule for meals.
* I'm going to continue working out as soon as DD9 leaves for school.

I recommend analyzing your previous month and using that analysis to set goals for the next month. Good luck in February, everyone!

Jan: 20 ~ Inertia

One of my favorite quotes is Newton's First Law of Motion.

Inertia:

Bodies in motion tend to stay in motion. Bodies at rest tend to stay at rest.

Doesn't that just sum up not only weight loss, but life in general?

The properties of inertia have been hard at work at my place recently. I copped out and took the week of Christmas break off of working out. Friends warned me it would be tough to get started back up but I scoffed at them. Well, I have just managed to get started up again on Jan. 19th! My one week break turned into a month and for no other reason than INERTIA!!! I just plain old got out of the habit and had to make a very concentrated effort to get back into the habit. The side effects? My energy was dwindling, I was depressed and cranky and I was NOT dealing well with the stress life has been throwing my way.

Now for the positive side. My goal is to get on the bike or elliptical for 10 minutes. That's it - just 10 minutes! Nothing too strenuous or time consuming but I had to really bargain with myself to get on it for that amount of time the first day. But I did and the TV program I was watching proved interesting enough to keep me on for 20 minutes.

This morning, I did the same thing - stuck it out for 20 minutes instead of the 10 I had promised myself. However, the afternoon found me full of energy and I walked over to surprise my daughter after school. It wasn't a long walk but 20 minutes each way brings today's activity up to 40 minutes. See? Bodies in motion tend to stay in motion! The dog, by the way, liked the walk way better than watching me pedal the bike to nowhere.

Today's Eats:

M1: WW toast, natural pb, apple

M2: 1st attempt at hm baked potato chips, chopped sirloin, mushrooms

M3: trail mix

M4: Herb roasted turkey breast, maple roasted sweet potatoes, garden salad w/ Newman's OV dressing

M5: Popcorn or fruit

Once I perfect my homemade potato chips, I will post them on here. I MUST find a viable substitute for chips when PMS strikes!!! Chips are the last holdout from my old junk food life that still hold appeal for me. Today's experiment wasn't bad but I'm going to tweak it before posting it. They were overcooked in some places and not crispy in others. I'm going to try it with lower heat next time.

Remember inertia the next time you are tempted to slack off on your workouts or clean healthy eating!

Jan. 19: Comfort Food - new and improved!

Yesterday I was at the grocery store and I came to the strange realization that the phrase "comfort food" has really changed for me over the past couple of months. Things that I would have considered "comforting" before - oreos, chips, large unhealthy meat and potatoes meals - they no longer hold the same appeal. I don't have the slightest urge to keep those foods in my house. The only thing out of that list that is even tasty to me now is the chips! It was like another epiphany kind of moment to breeze through the store without needing to read any labels - nothing I purchased HAD a label!

So this week's comfort food menu?

Turkey burgers on ww buns, sweet potato oven fries
Chopped sirloin steaks with mushrooms, garlic mashed potatoes, salad
Boneless turkey breast, mashed sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli
Homemade broccoli & chicken pizza

That all sounds so delicious and healthy, doesn't it?

It is a nice feeling to get in the zone of eating clean - I realized that now it is requiring way less thought than when I started out on this lifestyle.

Now to my challenge: I am having a lot of trouble getting my butt in gear to work out. I have made a promise to myself to get on my stationary bike for 10 minutes - just 10 minutes every day this week. So this morning, I dragged myself, still in PJ's, onto my bike and began to pedal. Ten minutes passed and what-do-you-know Dr. Oz had subject matter that was interesting enough to keep me on it for another 10 minutes! So today, victory was mine - 20 minutes of cardio. Maybe this "suck it up for 10 minutes" plan will get me into gear. I want to LOVE working out! It is not in line with my goals to lay on the couch in PJ's - that will not get me to where I intend to be.

Jan. 17: A Rant About Excuses

I have to preface my rant with saying that I used to have a million and one excuses as to why I was heavy. I could still come up with a whole new pile. But what I have discovered on my journey thus far is that if we make excuses for ourselves, we will never succeed. You have to just take it to the mat every single day. Anytime you are successfully and obviously losing weight, people have a million questions. I've noticed they only seem to want the answers so that they can tell you how your plan does not work for them. Some recent examples:

Q: Wow, you've lost a lot of weight - what are you doing?
A: I'm doing the Eat-Clean plan. I don't eat processed foods at all - no chemicals, nothing artificial. If you are interested I could recommend some great books by Tosca Reno .
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1552100677/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=485327511&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1552100383&pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_r=105YEXFFHMAB639X8QGJ
E: Oh, I don't have time for something like that right now, but you keep up the good work

Q: How do you eat out?
A: I don't, really. I can't know what is in the food served at restaurants and fast food does not fit in with my goals.
E: Oh, I don't have time to cook every day

Q: How do you find the time to make everything from scratch?
A: I prep most of my food for the week on the weekends - it never takes me more than 20 minutes to get a great dinner on the table during the week
E: My family won't eat leftovers

Q: How can you afford to eat all of that health food stuff?
A: After purchasing some initial staples, I have found that my monthly food bill has gone down dramatically. Initially I had to get some things like honey, organic sugar, natural peanut butter, and pure vanilla, for example, and that was a big bill, but know I just replenish the big ticket items when I run out of them. I have also cut money by not eating out.
E: Well, I know how expensive all that organic stuff is (Picture someone with their fingers in their ears saying, "lalalalalalalala!")

Q: How can you afford a gym membership?
A: I can't - I do the best I can at home. I have some DVDs, a stability ball and one set of dumbbells, and I walk the dog.
E: Oh, there isn't room in my house, I don't have any DVDs, and I don't have a dog.


So let me recap. I am a single mom, currently unemployed, and I live in a 1400 SF house. I have a pretty low income at this point, am very busy with two kids, job hunting and a business I am working to get off the ground. My kids have activities after school a couple of days a week, and I have obligations in the evenings too.

I do make nearly everything we eat from scratch, we eat high quality meat from local farmers that is hormone free and grass fed, and I buy organic when I can. We have a nice family dinner nearly every night of the week.

I work out at home 4 times a week, and am really looking forward to spring so I can take it outside.

I did NOT wait until after Christmas, after New Years, or after my best friend's brother's birthday to start. I started the day I got the book and decided to make a change in my life.

If I eat one bad meal, I try to do better the next meal. If circumstances are out of my control and I have limited options, I do the best that I can and get right back on the plan as soon as things are within my control.

I read every single label and if the food contains chemicals, it goes back on the shelf. I don't say, just this once or I don't have time to make that from scratch. I find a wholesome option or I do without it.

I spent a lot of years making excuses and all it did was get me up over 200 pounds. If you really want to change your life you have to do it immediately because the perfect time will never come. The opportunity isn't going to come knocking on your door. Make your decision to change your life and do it immediately - it's the only way.

Jan. 16: Toxin of the Day ~ Aspartame

Today's toxin has had me in mourning. Aspartame is one of the unhealthiest additives out there. Before I started eating clean I was drinking nearly 2 litres of Diet Coke per day, along with eating artificially sweetened yogurt and other treats in an effort to control my weight. Since I reached well over 200 pounds, obviously it wasn't working.

Aspartame is made of 3 ingredients: methanol, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine. Each of these chemicals on their own is considered toxic. When heated past 86*F the methanol turns into formaldehyde, and then formic acid. This causes "metabolic acidosis" which can mimic the symptoms of MS. The formic acid is stored in the fatty tissues of the body. The name brand sweetener, Nutrasweet has been linked to over 90 side effects, including dizziness, headaches and weight gain.

Let's look at the individual ingredients.

Methanol: Methanol is alcohol obtained from wood. It is used to make formaldehyde, solvents, and windshield washer fluid ( the non-freezing type used in the winter.) On it's own, methanol is highly toxic. Consuming as little as 10 mL, causes permanent blindness through destruction of the optic nerve and as little as 30 mL can be lethal.

Aspartic Acid: Aspartic Acid is an amino acid. Isolated amino acids can be damaging to the brain. Some studios have shown that aspartic acid consumption caused lesions or "holes" in the brains of laboratory rats. This acid breaks down into many different toxic by-products. It is classified as excitotoxin, which is a neurotoxin. This chemical has been linked to brain tumors.

Phenylalanine: Research in 1976 confirmed that cancer could not live without phenylalanine. That did not stop the FDA from allowing it, in combination with other ingredients to be allowed in our food in the form of aspartame. This chemical is also an isolated amino acid. 50% of the chemical makeup of aspartame is phenylalanine. This amino acid can be especially harmful for diabetics of for people suffering from a disease called PKU (Phenylketonuria). This chemical has also been strongly linked to brain cancer.

Another issue with artificial sweeteners that is currently being studied is it's link to weight GAIN. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar. As opposed to satisfying a consumer's sweet tooth, it can actually trigger the person to eat more, as the body searches for the sugar and carbohydrates it has been tricked into thinking it has already consumed. These sweet taste of these amino acids cause the body's cells to store carbs and fat,which signals the body to consume more of those items.

In conclusion, the calories you save by consuming a diet soda will likely be added right back into your diet once the cravings triggered in your brain hit. The toxins you are consuming have all individually been linked to cancer. There is no reason to believe that they become safer in combination with one another.

My personal experience was this: I stopped drinking Diet Coke cold turkey on Dec. 1, 2009. I had headaches for the first couple of days, but once they went away I had no further problems. I suffer from some arthritis joint pain, which has lessened dramatically since I removed artificial sweeteners from my diet. I no longer crave Diet Coke, and suspect if I had a sip of it now I would find it sickeningly sweet.

Artificial sweeteners have no place in a clean eating lifestyle. Sweeten with honey, maple syrup or organic unprocessed sugar instead.

Jan. 15: Some more GB&U

GB&U - good, bad and ugly. That has been my promise all along - to bring you the whole thing. So today is decidedly UGLY. I am going through some rough stuff personally, as many of you know. My business is undergoing some major changes. I am closing the retail location and moving the stock to the house. The business will shift from retail to wholesale and most of the selling will be done online. We will also continue with the birthday parties, my favorite part of the business. I'll post a link to the website once I have it up and running. How fun is it to go to a little girl's birthday party several times a week!?! As positive as some of the changes are, it was still a sad day, packing up the contents of my beautiful bead store.

Throughout this whole changeover, I have been fairly well in control of the eating. Today, though, not so much. I just had kind of a "screw it" attitude about food today and it shows!

M1: ww toast, nat. pb, apple
......and then it all went to heck on a greased slide....
I ordered a turkey club on brown bread from the local diner. On the plus side, it was real turkey, not lunch meat, and I threw away the middle piece of bread and the processed cheese. I ate about 10-15 of the french fries that it came with and it looked like they had not been touched - it honestly came with about 10 servings of fries! On the negative side, well, those 10-15 fries. It had mayo on it, which I wiped off the best I could, and the bacon, yes the bacon. I ate 3/4 of my sandwich.
M3: Coffee with skim milk and organic cane sugar
M4: Also not great! The kids helped out and I took them to Harvey's for dinner. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich combo with a salad and water. I got a whole wheat bun, but it didn't appeal, so I pitched most of it and just ate the chicken. I was not very hungry, so I brought the salad home and put it in the fridge for tomorrow.

As you can see, there was a total lack of produce today. My stomach was rolling after that lunch and I had to pop Tums to settle it down. I would have been much better served to have eaten something clean for better energy today.

Like I have said before though, what makes me a clean eater and a healthy person is the fact that tomorrow morning, I'm going to get up and have my toast, pb and apple. I'm not going to say "Forget it, I've blown the weekend - I'll just go out for bacon and eggs!" I'm going to get right back on the plan that has been so successful for me thus far. I will be in control of my food, even if it seems like there is nothing else in my life I can be in control of right now. Tomorrow I will pack my cooler bag that has not left my side since I bought it, and I will be right back on the horse.

I want to thank you all for the kind words of support that you leave, and for the fact that you read my blog so regularly. It really helps to keep me accountable to know that you guys are reading and learning as I learn. The way I am able to own up to my mistakes here in Cyberland is by acknowledging that we all do it. I think that it is important to show our humanity and by openly admitting to my mistakes, and discussing what I have learned from them, perhaps one person will look at this and think, "Okay, if Daisy can eat everything in sight and start right back up again, so can I." One meal or one bad day does not destroy all your hard work. I am certain that although my day was unhealthy, it doesn't undo the 6 weeks of hard work I have put in or the pounds that I have lost.

I'm not going to keep the bad streak going, because that is how you fail. You succeed by looking at your mistakes and then putting them behind you. And since I intend to be a Success Story, that is exactly what I am going to do!

Jan.8 - Toxin of the Day: Microwave Popcorn

Microwave popcorn is a "guilt free" staple of dieters far and wide. Sure it is low calorie, but as we all know, "low calorie" and "good for you" are not always riding in the same car.

Let's examine the ingredients in a popular brand of microwave popcorn that you can find on the shelves of any grocery store in North America.

Ingredients: popping corn, palm oil, salt, potassium chloride, natural and artificial flavors, butter (Cream and annato), color added, freshness preserved by TBHQ and Citric Acid

Okay, the first three ingredients I understand. I can picture them in my head. I might actually use those ingredients in making my popcorn at home. But what are those other ingredients?

Potassium Chloride: According to Wikipedia, the number one use is for fertilizer. Mmmm. It is also used to melt ice in commercial "sidewalk salt" and for a little bit more fun, it is used as part of the chemical compound used in lethal injections to carry out the death sentence. Wow. Could you pass me some of that?

Natural and Artificial Flavors: Natural flavors are derived in some way from organic things, but not necessarily the organic item it is supposed to taste like. Artificial flavors are synthetic and if they make up less than a certain percentage of the ingredients then the manufacturer is not required by the FDA to distinguish the chemicals used to produce those flavors. So basically, your guess is as good as mine as to what this popcorn contains.

Annato: A naturally occurring food coloring, Annato is the only natural food colouring linked to allergic reactions. This is what gives the popcorn it's yellow "buttery" color.

TBHQ: That is the short way of saying tertiary butylhydroquionine. I'm not sure how to say it the long way, but I don't blame them for abbreviating it. This is added to stabilize the oils used in the popcorn. This chemical has been proven to cause precancerous stomach tumors in lab animals, and long term exposure is said to cause other cancers as well. TBHQ is also used to stabilize explosives and make varnish.

Citric Acid: That's just vitamin C, is the common refrain. True. However the commercial citric acid used as a food stabilizer is obtained by growing mold in scrap molasses. I'd frankly prefer to get my vitamin C from eating an orange. Other uses for citric acid include delaying drying time for cement, developing film and making explosives.

Let's make our paper bag popcorn tonight instead, shall we? http://afuturesuccessstory.blogspot.com/2010/01/jan-3-clean-junk.html

Have a squeaky clean day!

Daisy

Jan. 7: Little Victories

It's really important to celebrate the little victories. An entire year of little victories can lead to a whole pile of pounds lost and health gained. Too often we beat ourselves up for the mistakes we make and not often enough do we congratulate ourselves on the things we do right.

I wanted to take some time today to reflect on some clean eating victories I have had over the past month and a half:

* I haven't had even a sip of Diet Coke since Nov. 30
* I didn't use the holidays as an excuse to eat with abandon
* I lost one pound the week of Christmas
* I lost one pound the week of New Year's
* My "cheat" meals are getting healthier every time
* I don't crave sugar anymore
* I have started working out again
* I no longer enjoy eating out - I prefer my homemade clean food
* I have not caved to emotional eating during a very stressful time in my personal life
* I am able to limit myself to a couple of bites of a cookie or other unhealthy treat without feeling deprived
* I carry a water bottle around with my constantly

I feel like clean eating is now my habit, where before going through the drive thru was my habit. I love the health and vibrancy I get from eating clean. All of these baby steps over the past 5 weeks have led to a weight loss of 13 pounds. I feel more motivated than ever to keep it up. I now celebrate saying "No thank you" when someone offers me a bite of something that isn't good for me. I celebrate getting through a bad day without reaching for the Oreos. A cheat has gone from a triple cheese burger, fries and a Frosty to a slice of thin crust chicken and veggie pizza.

Make sure to look at the little picture on your journey too. Celebrate every single one of those little victories that you achieve on your way to a healthier self.

I have had kind of a rotten week personally this week. I have had financial issues, arguments with my daughter, problems with my ex and trouble with my business. I feel a sense of accomplishment that I have not caved to emotional eating throughout this week. My food hasn't been perfect. In fact, strangely I have to force myself to eat, which has never happened before. So I have had less food than scheduled and the intake of fruits and veggies has been low. I also have to work on getting my water consumption up and this week's workouts have gone by the wayside.

All of that aside, I lost 2 pounds and I ate clean, so I'm claiming this week as a victory.

Today's food (don't expect a lot -I had a meeting that ran late and the microwave melted a baggie on my Brussels sprouts )

m1: whole wheat toast, natural peanut butter ( in the car on the way to meeting)
m2: chicken breast, apple
m3: trail mix
m4: tostada w/refried beans and chicken or beef, veggies, jalapeno relish
m5: popcorn or fruit

Cheers to all of our little victories!

Daisy

Jan. 5: A Little Cheese with My Whine

Today has really been a mixed bag. I have to whine a little. My 14 year old is staging a rebellion about the food and she really has me worried. She refuses to eat breakfast unless I buy commercial bagels and sugar-y cereal. Nope, not gonna happen. So then she starves until lunch and buys (with her own money) pizza and fries at school. I don't want to see her end up killing her metabolism out of spite!!!

Just so you know, when trying to change the kids over the course doesn't always flow smoothly. I'd hate for you guys to think that it's always sunshine and roses here. I'm sure things will even out shortly but it makes me feel so badly when she refuses to take suggestions from me.

This was also a stressful day at work. I did my financial statements and ew. Not quite what it needs to be! I have a few ideas to bring in some more money; it's just hard to see the numbers in black (red) and white!

To ice today's beautiful cake, I forgot to put the chili in the crockpot this morning!!! So dinner time rolled around with no dinner.

There's a bright side of this coin of a day though! I'm comparing this to what would have happened before Clean Eating took over my kitchen. I did not go through McDonald's drive thru, I did not order pizza, nor did I eat chips, dip, and ice cream for dinner. I went to the fridge and pulled out last nights leftover roast beef, some crusty bakery fresh dinner rolls and a container of freshly made fruit salad. We had roast beef and cheese sandwiches on dinner rolls (I just had one) and fruit salad for supper. It was great and I feel like a success.

Today's Eats:

M1: whole grain toast, natural pb, apple
M2: roast beef, brussel sprouts, 1/2 whole wheat dinner roll
M3: lasagna ( fairly clean except for the white pasta - homemade by someone else - everything is from scratch)
M4: trail mix
M5: roast beef and NZ cheddar sandwich, dinner roll, fruit salad
M6: brown bag popcorn

A bit high on the carbs today but all in all, not a weight gain day and fairly clean - and great for such a stressful day.

Jan. 2 - Today's food

I'll tell ya, school cannot start soon enough for me! I have had so much trouble getting a workout in over the holidays! Thank goodness I can get back into a routine on Monday!

Another fact that makes me happy: Tosca Reno says in her books that success is 80% diet! At least that I can be in control of, if not my current workout schedule.

Here is what today's food looked like:

M1: whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter, apple, iced latte
M2: chicken breast w/ brown rice and salsa, cherry tomatoes
M3: Trail mix
M4: Stir fry with chicken breast, broccoli, cabbage, and carrot, homemade honey garlic stir fry sauce, brown rice
M5: Popcorn w/ olive oil and sea salt (the kids are eating the last of the chips and I am dying for salty bad food!)

Tomorrow is going to be kind of crazy. My dearest friend is in the hospital so we are going to travel to the US to see her. We'll eat after church and then go. I'm going to take some trail mix for in the car but we will definitely be having at least one meal out. I'm going to keep it as clean as possible but I don't know what is near the hospital, so I can't plan ahead. Wish me luck!

Jan. 1 - My Pantry - Phase 1, GB&U

GB&U meaning Good, Bad and Ugly. Today I did Phase 1 of cleaning up the pantry. I am lucky enough to have a big bright walk-in pantry, but danger was lurking within. I got rid of the stuff that would tempt me, and left some items that I will just phase out as the kids eat them.

Top shelf: White sugar ( I decided to keep that bag for the occasions that we do bake-sale goodies for the school, etc.), aside from that the top shelf is storage for jars and containers, etc.
2nd shelf down: Some of this stuff is naughty. I had recently purchased a bunch of Nutrigrain stuff for the kids. I will dole it out in Lunchboxes until it is done. My steel-cut oats, box of sweetener for a diabetic friend, cornmeal, boxed potatoes (they will probably go during phase 2)8 boxes of whole grain, natural pasta
3rd shelf down: Green bin is baking items like, powder, soda, etc., box of granola bars (not clean),lentils, clean tomato sauce, water packed tuna, homemade spaghetti sauce canned last summer, whole wheat flour, pumpkin soup (not clean - kids will eat it one night when I work late) mixer, clean crackers
4th shelf down: natural pb (not opened yet), another bag of oats, can of chicken soup, (not clean)12 cans of beans, mixed grain oatmeal, canned pasta (not clean - for kids lunches), the last microwave popcorn we will ever buy, my beloved crockpot.
Bottom shelf is storage for baggies, foil, etc.

This is the stuff going to the food bank: 4 cans of cream of mushroom soup, 2 jars of jelly, 3 cans of baked beans, white pasta lasagna noodles.

In analysis, I know this can still improve. Like I mentioned before, I'm not in a financial position to just toss everything. I know the un-Clean stuff that remains will not tempt me. I'm planning another Clean-up in one month, and anything remaining will be donated.

Little steps all the way to a healthy home and family!!!

Jan. 1, 2010 - Happy Clean Year!

I always feel the itch of anticipation on January 1st. It is the day of the year that anything seems possible. I feel like I can make big changes on this day.

This year is different. This year, I did not wait for a particular day to change my life. I decided in one emotionally-wrought moment that life was going to change and I was going to be the force to make it happen.

I am going into this year with my fresh start already begun. My resolve is even stronger than when I began this lifestyle. I feel like a different person than I was just one short month ago.

So first: Results from the previous month:

STARTING WEIGHT: 210

ENDING WEIGHT: 199

CHEST: -2 inches

WAIST: -2.5 inches

HIPS: -3.5

~The jeans I was bursting out of fit me comfortably now and I don't have to do gymnastics maneuvers to get them up.

~ My depression and anxiety has greatly improved.

~ I am making good food choices because I want to, not because I have to.

~ I began an exercise program and am sticking with it.

~ I feel great - high energy, less tummy problems, and fewer aches and pains in my joints.

~ I submitted a magazine article.

I feel great when I look back on the previous month. I know there will be setbacks but I feel better equipped to handle them. The biggest difference between this and the million other times I have tried to diet is that I have been journaling. I am learning about myself and the connections I have made with food. I know now WHY I am fat, with a deeper understanding than "I eat too much."

I'm not making a big pile of resolutions this year. My only one is to set frequent goals. Achievement through small steps is lot easier than looking at the big picture - I still have 35 pounds to go.

So this week's goals:

1.)Continue working on the current article I am researching.

2.) Find some part time employment to help ends meet during the slow time of year at the store.

3.) Work on my patience - count to 10 before speaking.

4.) Keep it clean this week despite some personal issues that are going on - bingeing will NOT make me feel better.

5.) Clean out my pantry.

6.) Work on my fitness room.

JANUARY'S Goals:

1.) Submit at least one article

2.) Blog daily

3.) Lose 6-8 pounds

4.) Get fitness room up and running - I'll post pics - hold me to it, everyone!

5.) Continue converting my kids to the Eat-Clean lifestyle.

I'd love to hear your goals too!

What do you guys have planned?

Dec 31 - Bring on 2010!!!

I'm ready!!! This past year was not a good one for our family. The next one is going to be my best, healthiest year ever. Tomorrow I am writing a detailed plan, but for today I'd like to publish my general goals for the year:

1.) Break things down week by week - each week I am going to make a list of mini goals to help me get to my bigger goals. Expect that list on Sunday of each week
2.) Keep eating clean - that is the best thing that has ever happened to me
3.) Help my kids embrace a clean lifestyle - one of my kids could be a bit healthier and I know this is the road for her if I can get her on board
4.) Get my finances in order - I've gone into massive debt to open my store - I need to come up with some additional income to pay off debt and get out from under some of it
5.) Submit a minimum of one magazine article per month - I always said I wanted to be a writer and had some success in the past but this year I am going to make that dream a reality. This is going to be the year that I can say I am a freelance writer.
6.) Continue this blog - writing down my failures and successes helps me more than I ever thought it would. It keeps me accountable and helps me not to make the same mistakes over and over
7.) Embrace fitness! I want to get back to the point where my body craves activity. I was there just a year and a half ago. I know I can get that feeling again.
8.) Incorporate activity into our family life - This year I want us to have active weekends: the indoor water parks (all those stairs), hiking, white water rafting, swimming, indoor rock walls, museums and nature centers. Ontario is full of all sorts of wonderful active things I can do with my kids!
9.) Become more active in our church community - We joined a church in August after my father passed away - it was the last thing he asked of me. He was so wise. I feel happy and recharged every Sunday. I want to incorporate that into my daily life a little more by becoming more active in the community. I'm considering home visits or something along those lines.


So there is the outline! This is my new life. Tomorrow, while all the kids are sleeping I'm going to put it in the format of a business plan - my new LIFE PLAN!!!!

Dec. 30 - the Eats!

I almost forgot to list my food today! Well, had I listed it earlier it would have changed so that's probably a good thing. We had unexpected guests for dinner so I had to throw some stuff together that was less than clean. But, you'll see - I think I did pretty well and the leftovers will be great for our party tomorrow:

M1: WW toast, all natural pb, apple
M2: turkey breast burger on 1/2 whole wheat bun, baby carrots
M3: roasted turkey, roasted potatoes, green beans
M4: Trail mix
M5: Angus meatballs (frozen but no crud except excess salt) cooked in commercial honey garlic sauce (loaded with sugar - I let mine drip as well as possible), brown rice that I had made on the weekend, baby carrots and cherry tomatoes, 5 potato chips
M6: orange

Now the really cool thing about that meal # 5: I put everything out buffet style, and also on the buffet was dip made with onion soup mix (I tasted it to make sure the proportions were right and that was it!), fudge, and Christmas cookies. The kids had orange pop and I wasn't even tempted! The chips would have called out to me until I ate them so I had a small sampling. The dessert was not even tempting. And now I'm good, I'm happy and I have a feeling of accomplishment.

Tomorrow is all about the resolutions - and some party prep!

Dec. 30: My Kids and Clean Eating

One of my priorities this year is changing the family diet. I want my kids eating clean also. We are having a last hurrah New Years Eve party, during which the residual junk in our house will be eaten or disposed off. Then that's it - I won't be replacing that junk with more junk.

At this point I would say my girls, ages 14 and 9, are eating about a 75% clean diet. There is still a little junk in my house. I have an evil plan to bring my kids over to the clean side, and here it is:

1.) I'm gradually making the switch. I've mentioned on my blog before that I did not do the big purge recommended in Tosca's Eat Clean Diet Recharged. http://eatcleandiet.com/splash/recharged/recharged_holder.html I think purging the house is a splendid idea in a perfect world, but as mine is imperfect I chose to go a different route. I purged my major temptations: chips, ice cream and cookies, and left the rest for the kids to thin down. This makes the changes more gradual. When the Skippy is gone, the only peanut butter option is my clean, all natural peanut butter. When the ketchup is gone it will be replaced either with the homemade version in the Eat Clean Diet for Family and Kids http://www.eatcleandiet.com/about_the_diet/the_books.aspx#The+Eat-Clean+Diet+for+Family+and+Kidsor with something organic and sugar free. The last lunch meat I ever intend to purchase was packed in a lunch box 2 weeks ago, and that has been replaced with thinly sliced turkey and chicken that I cooked myself. There are still some lunchbox goodies like Rice Krispie treats and Jello pudding cups. They will gradually be parceled out when school starts back up, mixed in with some homemade healthy muffins, bars and cookies. I feel that this method will forestall a potential mutiny!
2.) There is nothing else to eat. I am positive their sense of self-preservation will kick in long before starvation prevails, leaving them crawling weakly towards the pantry in search of a Twinkie. They may grumble and gripe, but they will eat an apple, some nuts or some tzatziki and pita chips before dying.
3.) Food is constantly prepped and ready to grab. It would rock their little fast-food worlds if they were required to prepare it as well as eat it. So when I come home from the grocery store I wash the fruit and put it in bowls on the counter or fridge. Veggies are sliced if they are to be eaten raw. There are jars of nuts, trail mix, and clean granola on the counter. Clean crackers and cheese are available. Pitas and tomato sauce are available for mini pizzas, and leftovers are immediately packaged in single serving containers for easy reheating, in the dire situation that a meal might be required.
4.) Clean up old favorites. I have come up with clean versions of many of their favorite "dirty" foods. Some of these are through recipes from clean eating books and websites. Others are trial, error and experimentation. A week's dinners might include:

Turkey burgers on whole wheat natural buns

Sweet potato fries

Steamed veggies

Chicken and broccoli stir fry with honey garlic sauce

"Fried" brown rice

Turkey tacos

with spinach, tomato,and low fat cheese

Guacamole

"Refried" beans

Whole wheat spaghetti

Turkey and spinach meatballs

Clean marinara sauce

Roasted chicken breasts

Roasted veggies: White potato, sweet potato, carrots, and cauliflower

Homemade pizza topped with

herbed tomato paste

grilled chicken and veggies

mix of feta and low fat mozzarella

There are a lot of recipes I am dying to throw into the mix from my Family and Kids Cook book that I just haven't gotten to yet.

And here is a quick list of the things I don't do.

1.) I don't restrict them when we are out. I hope that in time they will naturally make better choices.

2.) I don't preach to them about how "clean" something is.

3.) I don't cave on requests for "just this once" bringing unhealthy food into the house.

4.) I don't force them to have a completely clean menu on special occasions like birthday dinners, holiday meals and parties.

I'm seeing some progress. We have had a dozen cookies sitting in a canister on the counter since Christmas. There are 10 left but the fruit drawer is quickly depleting. When Dad took them to Wendy's last week my youngest ordered Mandarin Oranges for her side instead of french fries (yes, they are loaded with sugar but her head was in the right place.) My oldest has been looking through my cookbooks and Clean Eating Magazine http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/minisite/ce_index.htm and experimenting with some recipes. She was responsible for some spectacular sweet potato fries with dinner last night! By summer I expect to have more progress to report.

As I make these foods over the next week I will post some photos and some recipes.

Have a squeaky clean day!

Daisy