Jan. 17 - Another Little Victory

I've written before about celebrating the little victories. I have one that I'd like to post today!

According to my BMI, as of today, I am no longer obese! I am merely overweight!!!! I know, it sounds kind of silly to celebrate being overweight, but I want to enjoy each step towards my goal. I refuse to be one of those people who is not happy until I get to my goal. I want to embrace this process and learn from it!

I've done lots of plotting and planning today. This week I am going to start working out for real. I have been giving it some half hearted effort but I want to go all the way with it. I've been searching around for inspiration and will start tomorrow. I'm going to start out doing body-weight exercises and cardio.

Then next month, assuming I am gainfully employed by then, I will use my tax return and pay for a full year's membership at a nearby gym. If it's paid for I am cutting out one of my most oft-used excuses (I don't have the money). The other excuse (I don't have time)will be out the window since they have classes from 6:15 in the morning until 7:30 at night. I can't wait! I am going to spend the rest of this month learning some of the movements and increasing my cardiovascular endurance so I don't feel like an idiot when I start at the gym. (and that polishes off excuse #3!)


Today's eats:
M1: ww toast w/ natural pb, apple
M2: 2 tacos filled w. bbq beef, lettuce and tomato
M3: hm iced latte
M4: thin crust pizza w/ chicken, mushroom and onion
M5: apple

Some reader questions:
Q: How do you put the ovoo on the popcorn so the parmesan sticks?
A: I spray it on with a spritzer bottle. I put the popcorn in a big Tupperware container with lid. Once I have sprayed the ovoo and sprinkled the parmesan on top, I put the lid on and shake it up.
Q: How do you do the bbq beef in the crockpot?
A: I will post the recipe below
Q: Could you do sucralose as a toxin of the day!
A: Definitely - look for it tomorrow!

Crockpot BBQ Beef

Beef Roast ( I used chuck shoulder roast)

1 cup of crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup of white vinegar

1/2 cup honey

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce

garlic powder and onion powder to taste

1/2 tsp dry mustard

You can also use a low or no sugar bottled bbq sauce for this

Spritz the inside of the crockpot with ovoo spray for easier cleanup. Put roast in crock pot. Mix all ingredients except roast in a bowl, then pour over the roast. Cook this in the crock pot on low for 8-9 hours for best results. If you don't have all day, you can cook it on high for 4 - 4 1/2 hours. When done, take the roast out and shred it using two forks. Return the roast to the sauce and stir well.

You can eat this on whole wheat buns or just as a protein serving. It also makes great taco, pita or wrap filling. Yesterday I topped a ww pita with it, then added mushrooms, hot peppers and onions and topped with cheese for a yummy gourmet pita pizza. Leftovers can also be mixed with pinto beans, jalapenos, chili powder and tomato juice for a spicy sweet chili.

Have a great day! Hope your weekend went well!

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. 14: Toxin of the Day ~ Taco Smell "Beef"

Today's toxin isn't necessarily a toxin per se; it's just gross. Has anybody seen the advertisement for Taco Smell's Drive Thru Diet? They are proposing that you can order off their "Fresco" menu and lose weight. The "Fresco"menu is the same ingredients minus sour cream and cheese and is 20 calories less than the regular menu. They are suggesting that eating from their drive thru is part of a healthy lifestyle.

I did a little research to see what is actually IN the Taco Smell taco. The beef is Grade "E" which is the lowest grade of meat allowed to be sold for human consumption. Anything lower than Grade "E" is turned into pet food. Meat that is graded "E" is from an animal more than 8 years old.

I always wondered why I had to run to the bathroom for the rest of the day after consuming Taco Smell food back when I ate fast food. Now I know! If I were ever in a pinch and had absolutely NOTHING else as an option, I think I would opt for a bean burrito. I know for sure that meat will never cross my lips again!

I'm really outraged that the advertisers are allowed to promote this as a healthy option. It targets the uneducated and the young. An average teen would believe every word of the advertisement. You might try to explain to her that "lower in calorie"does not mean "healthy" but kids especially believe what they hear on TV. The website even has a person they claim is a registered dietician who has sold her soul to the devil, claiming that this is a great option for the average American. The health industry will have to work hard to undo the damage done by this commercial.

Jan. 13: Under the weather

Short and sweet today. I'm under the weather with a bit of a stomach flu. I started to research a toxin of the day but grossed myself out - that stuff really is nasty! I'll be back tomorrow!

Jan. 12: Eats for the past few days

I haven't written anything personal for a few days. Life has been pretty high stress for me lately. I am re-vamping my business and searching for employment, all at the same time. There have been so many things going on that I haven't had the heart to write about it.

I realized last night though, that writing about it is my therapy. It is what helps me to deal with stress and sort things out. I also think that sometimes, seeing my stress and the insights I gain from writing it out, might help some of you. If there was someone who was about to throw their hands up in the air and say, "I give up! I quit! There is too much going on for me to keep up this Clean Eating stuff!" perhaps reading what I have to say could help, even just a little. So I'll put it out there for you.

Business has been poor. I went to see a consultant last week. He recommended that I close my bead store and focus on the aspects of the business that are successful, namely, the Internet and the birthday parties. He also supported the idea of me seeking full time employment.

Financially we are in a pickle. Car payment is late, mortgage payment is just barely on time, and I only have the money to make one more payment. Because I hoard food, my pantry and freezers are full of good clean staples, so I am able to keep the grocery bills down. I've sent out more than 40 resumes in the past few days, begun cleaning out what was to be my workout room for make space for inventory, and worked on my new website.

My daughter and I have been battling each other lately, as moms and teen-aged girls are prone to doing. My ex has gotten involved as a mediator between us, which while necessary, is still darned annoying.

It has just seemed like there is no respite for all that is going on.

In the old days, this would have sent me scurrying off to Wendy's in search of a comforting triple cheeseburger and fries. For some reason, I have been forcing myself to choke down food during this time. In a way it comforts me because I feel like this is a further sign that I am conquering emotional eating. I also know that I have to eat more to keep my metabolism quick and healthy.

Here is the food for the past few two days:

Sat:
M1: Tuna and crackers w/ a little light mayo (must get rid of the mayo - note to self)
M2: Salad w/ the rest of the can of tuna, Newman's OV dressing, watermelon chunks
M3:Popcorn with Parmesan
M4: Trail Mix
M5: Taco salad made w/ greens and leftover chili

Sun:
M1: Whole grain cranberry English muffin, nat pb, 1/2 apple
M2: Turkey chili, Kashi crackers
M3:Shepherds pie made with ground turkey, potatoes, carrots, peas and corn
M4: a few bite of popcorn

Mon:
M1: 1 slice toast w/ nat pb
M2:Chicken breast w/ steamed veggies
M3: WW spaghetti, turkey meatballs, clean marinara sauce
M4: WW cranberry English muffin, butter, cinnamon and honey

Today is looking way better
M1: The last delicious English muffin, nat pb, pear
M2: Refried beans (fat free), tomatilla salsa, multigrain tortilla chips
M3: Trail mix
M4: Pita pizza w/ g. turkey, mushrooms and onion, fresh organic mozzarella
M5: Fruit or popcorn

So I am definitely getting back on track. For exercise, I went for a walk in the woods w/ DD9 and the dog on Saturday - we tramped through a foot of snow for about 30-40 minutes - it felt great. Monday I carried 1700 (yep - you read that right) 1700 books from the upstairs room down to the main floor. I felt like that was quite a substantial work out.

Things get better - they always do, and I feel good about keeping the food clean, even if it hasn't been perfectly on track. That is something I never could have done 2 months ago so I feel like I am growing as a person even while I am shrinking (in the waist);)

Have a squeaky clean day!