Sugar Free [Lucky Me]

I love cookies and I LOVE candy. Every day at 2:30pm I dig into my desk supply of sweets or go scrounging for them in others' offices. I eat my fair share whenever it is available at gatherings, and I bake and bring goodies into the office to share regularly.

Towards the end of the year after three holiday-related work parties, a few of my coworkers talked about taking a break from sugar in the New Year. I made fun of them at the time ("I'm not going to be a slave to diets!" I said), but when I got home from a Christmas trip home—aka family food fest 2013—and was so over cookies I thought I might give them up for good, I decided I could make it through a sugar fast. Not permanently, mind you, just for 21 days—the supposed length of time that it takes to break a craving (though 6-8 weeks is recommended to make it a long-term habit).

I started doing some research, found some sugar detox plans but they were all paleo-ish (NOT for me. I love bread and cheese), so I decided to just make my own personal rules that involved significant changes, but were still doable.

My 21 Day Sugar Detox Rules

21 days eating no foods with sugar in the ingredients, no fake sugars, and no alcohol. (honey, maple syrup are allowed in small portions)

This commitment inadvertently cut about half of the carbs from my diet because it meant almost no bread, no bagels or sweet breads and no cereal. Needless to say, one day into the experiment I was kicking myself (and others, if you must know). Have you ever tried drastically cutting carbs? It makes you light-headed and nauseated and stabby and pretty unpleasant to be around.

It's Friday, and I'm currently halfway through Day Five. I think I've made it through the "I hate everyone" portion of the diet, but I'm still sleepier than normal and feel hunger pangs more frequently than I used to. I chew on dried coconut chips when I want chocolate and I eat a tablespoon of almond butter while my husband wine in the evenings. It kind of sucks, but I'm doing it. And that's more than I can say about any health-related effort from the past.

Follow me on Instagram to see what I've been eating this week!





The main less I've learned so far is the impact of making good snack choices. Other than breakfast, my main meals haven't changed much. But now that I know I can't go get a pastry from Starbucks at 10am, I have to plan to pack a hard-boiled egg and cashews and hummus. And then they're right at my desk and they taste yummy and I think—how has it taken me this long to eat good snacks? Intentionality people.

I hope that at the end of this "detox", whether it turns out to be 7 days or the whole 21, I will have learned that enjoying treats is wonderful, they just cannot be a part of my daily snacking habits. I've already learning that making intentional snack choices takes only maybe five minutes a day. (much less scary than I imagined it to be!)

In case you're interested, here are a few resources I looked to for inspiration:

Meg Fee's series on giving up sugar
The 21 Day Sugar Detox (too extreme for me! but some helpful tips)
Is Sugar Toxic? (NY Times)

I'm feeling a little silly doing this detox and talking about it, since I don't usually subscribe to the strict healthy eating, paleo, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free stuff, nor have I ever been particularly healthy in my life, but I guess we can all make healthier choices, right? Have you made any changes recently? Wish me luck!

Fast, healthy and affordable lunches

Ok, so I know that post title might sound too good to be true. I've spent years of my life stressing out at 7:25am trying to throw something together for lunch that day. You know, that perennial problem of a full refrigerator, but nothing to eat.

I'm not saying I'm super [lunch] girl, here to save you, but I have picked up a few tips and ideas - mostly from people more awesome than me - to share. Hopefully this will inspire you to plan your breakfasts, snacks and lunches (and dinners) better for minimal stress, and maximum health!


love my Built NY lunch bag!*

Since I started tracking my calorie intake and exercise on MyFitnessPal, I can tell I've been somewhat more intentional about what I eat. But I still haven't lost more than a pound, and I frequently find myself getting stuck on days when coworkers bring in cookies, cake and bagels, because I haven't brought enough food to work to resist indulging. I realized that I conveniently forgot to record a lot of these little indulgences, which is why I ended up continually under my calorie count on paper, but in real life haven't seen the evidence.

So it is time to kick my booty into gear. Now my goal is 200-250 calorie mini-meals 5 or 6 times a day. This is surprisingly less difficult than I thought it would be. Here is an online journal of what I have bought and eaten during the day over a week's-ish time. (what's bolded are my favorites)

Grocery Store
eggs $4
bagged salad $2
fresh fruit (whatever is on sale) $5
Bolthouse greek yogurt ranch dressing $3 (45 calories for 2 tbsp, AND protein!)
shredded rotisserie chicken, or pre-grilled chicken breasts $6
roasted almonds $4 (I love the sea salt and vinegar flavor)
dark chocolate $3 (Trader Joe's has great options for dark chocolate covered-just about anything you can think of. currently eating dark chocolate covered pretzel thins)
hummus $3

Costco (bulk)
Crudites $10 (lasts two people for 1 week of  daily snacks)
Organic apple packs $7
Frozen mixed fruit $5
Kashi: Go Lean Crunch $5
Greek Yogurt $7
Pico de gallo $4


Pulled from my pantry
whole wheat bread
almond butter or natural peanut butter
honey
chocolate syrup
Tortilla chips



Monday
Breakfast: greek yogurt, honey, Kashi go lean crunch, 203 calories
Mid-morning snack: 1/3 c of roast almonds with dark chocolate m&ms, 215 calories
Lunch: 1/3 bagged salad, 1/2 c. chicken, yogurt ranch dressing, 180 calories
Afternoon snack: Rainier cherries, cookie, 150 calories



Tuesday
Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs (or hard boiled made the night before), coffee with cream, 190 calories
Mid-morning snack: apple slices, 1 tbsp almond butter mixed with 1 tsp cookie butter, 225 calories
Lunch: Chips and pico de gallo, crudites with ranch dressing, 250 calories
Afternoon snack: 1/2 c. Kashi go lean crunch 96 calories



Wednesday
Breakfast: 2 slices whole wheat toast with almond butter, 260 calories
Mid-morning snack: 1/2 c. greek yogurt with  1 tbsp chocolate syrup, 140 calories
Lunch: leftover pork tenderloin with mango salsa, coconut rice and asparagus 260 calories
Afternoon snack: crudites with hummus 110 calories



Thursday
Breakfast: fruit smoothie (frozen fruit, greek yogurt, orange juice or milk, protein powder)
Mid-morning snack: Kashi Go Lean crunch, 96 calories
Lunch: grilled chicken on salad, fresh fruit 175 calories
Afternoon snack: chips and pico de gallo 160 calories



Friday
Breakfast: Special K with Red Berries, 2% milk, 219 calories
Mid-Morning Snack: apples slices with almond butter and honey, 253 calories
Lunch: leftover pollo asada with rice, pico de gallo and chips 300 calories
Afternoon Snack: crudites with ranch 80 calories


Total spent = $71

But almost all of these ingredients will last me for 2 weeks +. So it's about $35/week or $7 a day for breakfast, lunch and snacks.



Total time prepping = 1 minute each day

I love storing individual serving of Greek yogurt, fruit or veggies in these Weck glass jars* E got me for Christmas. I reuse the same bags to store chips, cherries, etc so I don't get tempted to eat more than one serving. I leave the bagged salad, roast chicken, dressing, almond butter, almonds and chocolate at work so I don't have to pack it every day.

Despite the fact that my lunch prep is quick now, it does take some time to plan, purchase groceries and get things together at the beginning of the week. But by figuring out what kinds of things I can eat and packaging them up the night before, I just grab two containers and/or bags of whatever food I've gotten ready, and stuff it in my lunch bag, and I'm off!

Obviously, the calorie count isn't going to apply to everyone - this is just what works best for me right now. But however much you eat, it is important to take time eating! Since your body doesn't register that your stomach is full for 20 minutes, I stretch out my lunch break to be eating for that full amount of time. If you have to eat fast, another trick is to eat as much as you know you should, and if you feel hungry, resist eating more for 30 minutes. If you're still feeling hungry then, you can find another light snack. But more often than not, you won't be!

*affiliate links

Getting back on it (again and again and again)

I waited about 5 weeks before blogging about this as not to jinx it, but I have finally started exercising again, and attempting to get my life on the healthy train.



E and I lost some weight about a year and a half ago and it was great to shed the first year of marriage weight, but I didn't form any good habits. I thought briefly about it again during WeVerb11. The pounds, and lethargy crept back up on me.

I used to run (a little) in college but for some reason the motivation hasn't been there the last 3 years. Every few months I would block out an entire evening and try running. (on that note - why does it always feel like it takes SO long to work out - get changed, download a podcast to my ipod, run, then stretch and shower after)?

On the occasion I could actually psych myself up enough to go, I would usually start too fast, feel awful, start walking, complain about all sorts of pain because my form was so bad, get home and collapse on the floor, defeated. This experience would prevent me from working out again for the next 4-6 months.
I also get discouraged when I don't quickly lose weight (after only moderate 2 workouts in one week), so I would quit.

I wanted to get started running this time around because I wanted to lose weight. But more than five weeks into relatively regular running, I haven't lost anything (I keep losing a pound and gaining it back the next week) but I still feel good about what I'm doing. My habits are barely forming and they're pretty minimal at this point, but just the fact that I can make myself get out the door a couple times a week and break a sweat feels like a real accomplishment. I don't think I can say I enjoy it yet, but I never regret it after I go.

I wish I could say what it was that finally pushed me out the door after years of excuses (I always look for inspiration from other people doing what I wish I was!) I don't know what finally motivated me, but here are at least a few things that contributed.

MyFitnessPal.com has been enormously helpful in allowing me to track progress and my calorie intake and burn everyday. (You can follow me there at Latte_Love)

I got new Nike Dri-fit tempo running shorts and a compression sports bra and love them.

I also follow some really inspirational blog friends, particularly Laura, Monica and Callie

WEVerb11: Thrive

Somewhere around this time last year, E and I started talking seriously about some practical changes in our lives for our health and wellbeing. We had both changed out lifestyles quite a bit after we got married -  gaining weight, and not exercising at all - and we generally felt physically poor. I was, without realizing it, cooking lots of carb heavy, cheese laden, meat dishes that were packing on the calories. We spent more time at home and greatly decreased our physical activity.

So, right after the holidays (how cliche!) we started on a plan. I would cook healthier, purchase more produce and make more fresh food. I blogged out about the plan as motivation.

Things were going really well for the first month. We felt somewhat better (Admittedly, the working out was much harder for me to start, and I didn't do much). But we has both lost some weight and were fitting into old 'skinny' clothes, which was encouraging. I wrote an update about how things were going with some renewed/modified goals. We were doing well.

And then things kind of stalled; life got busier and our progress slowed down. It was harder for me to be motivated when I stopped losing a pound a week. I didn't step up to the next level, I gave up.

We went to Italy. We had a busy fall where I traveled, E was in night classes, and I did very little healthy cooking. And we both stopped working out. While we haven't gained the weight back, we will soon if we don't change something, again. I'm still 7 pesky pounds from my goal weight and far, far, far from where I'd like to be endurance-wise and generally feeling healthy. I have felt pretty terrible for the last few months-weak and tired. My immune system must be much weaker too as it took me two and half weeks to get past a cold which took E four days to recover from.

E and I haven't talked specifically about a plan for this year, but we do know we have a plan to get back to, soon! Generally I hope to do better at meal planning to buy fresh food that doesn't go bad. I need to come up with a workout plan that fits for me (i.e. not in the morning, and not running outside because its dark when I get home from work), even if it's not as intense as it could be. I tend to set really high goals and then give up because I cant meet them, rather than setting small realistic goals and building up. Hopefully we'll get a chance to work on this over the holidays and get started again.

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Along with other friends, I'm participating in #WEverb11, organized by Kim. I'm excited to reflect on this last year and look forward to what's ahead. We'd love to have you join us!

The 12th prompt is: Thrive. What was your healthiest habit of 2011? What would you like to change or do differently in 2012?

Easter weekend

Thanks for all your excitement and well wishes about our plans for the summer. It hardly seems real, but we're leaving in 5 weeks!

You will be hearing much more from about the trip as we figure out our living situation there, what sites we'll get to see, and how in the world I will pack clothes for 4 days in NYC and then 4 weeks in Italy, all in one suitcase.

In the meantime, Easter weekend! This weekend was a time for us to reflect on Christ's sacrificial atonement for us, and his Resurrection that gives us life. It's the most meaningful event of the year for us as Christians.

On Saturday we went to see The Pageant of our Lord. It was a production of living art, in the style of the Pageant of the Masters.

Essentially actors create famous art pieces (in this case, religious-themed) on stage, holding their poses perfectly still for 2-4 minutes. The art was really stunning. (E kept hoping they would move or blink!) it made me all the more excited to see The Last Supper painting again in Milan.

We finished the evening off with wine tasting and totally indulgent Italian fare

On Easter my in-laws had a hodge-podge of people over for Easter, mostly friends whose family is far away.

I made the vegetables (including an incredible broccoli casserole recipe by Paula Deen.) and a carrot cake for desert.

I over-ate and have to admit my disappointment when I checked the scale. I now have 8 total pounds to lose...by Italy? I'd settle for 5 in 5 weeks, but it's going to take a lot more work.

Shortly after this post I hit a wall (which proves to me that I never should have had those first 7 lbs!). It's gotten harder to lose, and harder to motivate myself.

[despite the loss of momentum, we are starting to see noticeable progress--and others are as well! We're also maintaining it, a total of 20 combined lbs...and counting!]

Migraines

I'm one of the 28 million (!) migraine sufferers. Are you?

http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/guide/migraines-headaches-overview

My mom suffers from them, and so does her mom (but both of my little sisters lucked out).

My mom warned me when I started on the pill, of the risk of increased migraines. She had to quit taking it a few months in when she realized what a migraine trigger it was. Of course I was in denial (different people! different triggers!), and for a while, my migraines seemed to be the same. I got 2-3 a month in college and I was getting them about once a week in varying degrees for the first year after I started the pill.

Then they gradually increased, and lasted longer. (36-48 hours) I had to start taking time off work--half days & sometimes full days--because I just couldn't function. I felt helpless, and wimpy. Especially because it's hard to get E (or anyone) to understand the debilitating nature of a migraine. The blurred vision, nausea, and sound/light sensitivity were difficult to explain.

For about a year and half I toughed it out, but we finally decided I should quit. things have gradually improved over the last four months.

Although I still get a migraine like clockwork the day before Aunt Flo comes for a visit and when I'm really stressed, I've learned how to manage them as well as possible.

Sometimes meds prove necessary (usually Excedrin with a LOT of water), but my preferred method of migraine treating involves a hot rice pack on my neck (or a hot bath), and a cool cloth over my eyes while lying down. Then I ask E to rub my neck and shoulders, and sleep for 1-3 hours.

If I'm not home & without medicine, caffeine can help a little.

Despite years of warnings, I always ignored my mother's good advice to catch headaches early. One of my biggest problems was thinking a nagging headache would eventually go away. for me, they always turned into a migraine, and by then it was too late to treat.

Are you a migraine sufferer? How do you treat?

Update: A Healthy New Year

After the holidays, I reported that E and I had talked about some lifestyle changes.

I wanted to share our progress and hope we can keep making small improvements.

Our original goals were:

1. no red meat
2. chicken and/or fish 1-2 times a week
3. mostly vegetarian
4. Give up alcohol
5. Start walking for exercise

We quickly realized how unrealistic it was for our lifestyle to make commitments to skip red meat altogether. We were invited over to a friend's house and served tri-tip, then nothing sounded better than a fast food burger when we were dealing with our house disaster.

What we were able to do is not purchase any red meat from the store, or eat it at home. Success!

We ate fish/chicken 2-3 times a week and I made a few new vegetarian recipes:

(clockwise, from top left: Grilled swordfish, taco soup, vegetarian spinach lasagna, spaghetti squash) We also ate stuffed peppers, veg. stir fry, and a lot of salads I didn't photograph.

With alcohol we had the same problem as red meat--we avoided it when it wasn't awkward to refuse (of course, I made exceptions when Kim was visiting). I would say we cut back 75%. We haven't had wine or cocktails at home, maybe just 1 beer (also the weekend of our house disaster).

I also joined Jenna's That Weight Loss Challenge (#TWLC) to motivate myself to better watch what I eat, and how I use my calories. Using the challenge site, Daily Burn, I calculate the nutritional value of all the food I eat. I can see much more clearly the impact of my many empty carbs consumed every day.

On a regular day I eat 1/4 the protein I should and almost 3x the carbs. Some slight adjustments and I'm currently eating about 1/2 the protein I should, and only about 2x the carbs. (baby steps!)

This morning I stepped on the scale and couldn't believe my eyes. I've lost 5 lbs in the last 10 days! It seemed really fast, especially since my total goal is 15 lbs, but I haven't really changed how much eat, just what I eat. Like Jenna says, calories are like money. When you use them responsibly, you can occasionally splurge.

scale photo day 1 and day 11

*ps. it takes some guts to show the world my actual weight. I realize this is really low for some people, but my weight goals are really realistic for my situation. Please be gentle in your comments about it!

Working out has been the worst part (as expected). I've gone on two walk/runs on my own and about three good hikes (5+ miles on hilly terrain). I've started listening to podcasts or books while walking/running and I'm feeling much more motivated to keep going because I hate to quit before the program or chapter is finished.

So there's my 6-week progress report. I'm going to share a few of my favorite recipes (including an awesome breakfast smoothie) soon.

If you have any current food/weight/fitness goals--how are you doing?

A Healthy New Year

I have always disliked the cliche of the new year's resolution, and especially the let down feeling when goals aren't accomplished.

But at the same time, there's a reason why a new year is a great time for resolutions...it is a fresh start.

After several months of our closet selection getting smaller (due to fewer clothes fitting us well), and really gorging the last few weeks over the holidays, E and I were feeling bloated, lazy and discouraged. (not to mention last week I weighed myself for the first time in a year and almost fell off the scale.)

wedding shower, about 2 years & 25(total) lbs ago

We chatted on our plane ride back home about what we could realistically do to change things, and how we would stick to the plans. Not just to lose weight, but to be in better overall health.

us now (we used this photo on our christmas postcard)

This month we decided to start with eliminating red meat and having chicken or fish only 1-2 times a week, eating better breakfasts, and giving up alcohol.

I'm going to try cut down on dairy and starches in my cooking (butter is sooo hard for me to give up!) But Pioneer Woman and I are going to have to take a break.

We are also going to begin walking 30-60 minutes a day. It will be a time to unwind, but still get our bodies moving. I want to start slow, because running can be really stressful for me.) E is going to pick up a little more in preparation for a backpacking trip next month.

I'm really excited about getting started on this plan, but also nervous that we'll drift from it as the excitement peters out. I would love to hear how you stay motivated to be healthy--and please feel free to share your favorite vegetarian recipes!