I'm officially half the person I used to be!

The upper left corner was in 2009 when I got my workout buddy, the lower right corner is Nov., 2013

As of today I have lost 201 pounds!  I'm excited but sometimes it's hard for me to believe.  I think the one thing that I am so thankful for Weight Watchers teaching me, is to take it 5 pounds at a time.  When I first started WW January, 2011 I never thought I would be able to lose the weight.  My heaviest weight was 421 pounds.  When I started with WW I had lost some on my own and was down to 393.  I needed WW at the time for the support and like I said to focus on small goals instead of the big picture.

Since WW, I've gone on quite a journey of transformation.  By the end of 2011 I decided to go vegetarian.  I was never really 100% on it though.  I never really had a hard time giving up meat because I always had severe allergic reactions to meat.  So that was kind of a no brainer.

The following year I decided to take it a step further and go vegan.  OMG that was hard!  Cheese was the hardest to give up.  I put cheese on everything, including salads and veggies.

Then sometime in 2012 I discovered Dr. Fuhrman and the nutritarian lifestyle.  I tried it for awhile but never really could commit 100% for more than 2 weeks.  I always felt deprived.

In the summer of 2013 I found Julie Marie and www.protectivediet.com and never looked back.  I'm not going to lie and say that detoxing from sugar, oil, nuts, etc was easy because it was not.  But by this time I had decided to commit to myself to stick with it for 30 days and see what happens.  I felt so proud of myself after the 30 days and having lost 16 pounds that month that I decided to keep going.  It's only been about 4-5 months (can't remember exact day I started) since I've been 100% completely free of meat, dairy, sugar, oil, and nuts.  I know I'll be able to continue this for the rest of my life.

I feel so much better now since I have more energy and less headaches.  I don't take any medications at all.  I have been able to reverse GERD, Sleep Apnea, Depression, Migraines, and painful PMS.  I'm still working on arthritis but I have no doubt it will resolve itself in time.

I am so looking forward to turning 40 next year because I will be the healthiest and slimmest I've ever been.  I want to encourage all of you reading this to jump on board with www.protectivediet.com.  You won't regret it and I guarantee you will be able to maintain this lifestyle with ease.  And best of all, without taking diet supplements!

Best of health to you all!

6 months on Protective Diet:)

I have been on Protective Diet for 6 months Nov 8th and I thought I should say something about that:) I have not blogged in a while because life gets in the way! I will try to be better at it!

I am so amazed by PD everyday! The food is amazing and for once in my life my weight is not Yo-Yoing! If you have ever tried to loose weight you understand! Not only have I become heart attack proof I am loosing weight! I just got my blood work back a few days ago and all my tests were better than ever.  So I know everything I am putting into my body is healthy that is such a awesome feeling:)  Another thing I really contribute to PD is my confidence has increased so much.  Knowing I could do something and stick with it just amazes me.  Usually diets always made me feel like a failure because I could never stick with them but not PD! It has given me the confidence to do even more things in my life.  I don't know if that is weird to some people but when you are told you are stupid and can't do anything you tend to believe it.  You live that way because you begin to believe it.  When I say PD has changed my life I am meaning it and not just in my eating.  Julie is doing amazing things and trying to help so many people.  I am so blessed to be able to call her a friend!  I also appreciate my bff Denise because she has been such a great support! I don't know if I could of done it without her! She was supportive before she even started PD:) So glad we are doing PD together now:)

Julie started doing Live video lessons! Last night was a great class with lots of information to help me even go further in this journey! I am so glad she has started this now:) There is a small fee but worth it! I don't want to think about how much money I have spent on books and diet plans! Never again:) I found my lifestyle for the rest of my life:) I feel like if I can do it anybody can do it! So when I say PD has changed my life now you know how:)

Now I know what you are saying I can't do that! My family won't eat that.  Guess what my family does not do it either.  I had to plan ahead and make my meals for the week on Sundays.  As long as I do that I am good.  Even now I know how long certain foods take to cook so I may wait and cook something during the week.   I still cook for my family:) Last night I made meatloaf, potatoes, corn and mac and cheese.  I didn't touch any of it.  Also so many of the meals are cheap! You can make a huge crock pot of different kinds of beans and freeze them.  You can also do that with rice and other cheap things you can buy in bulk.  Most of the the stuff that is pricey you don't use a whole lot of anyway.  So it does not seem like you have this huge grocery bill.  I think the first time I went to the store probably was the only time I spent quite a bit.  I was trying to buy everything and a lot of it..lol  I am just saying it is very doable.  I committed to 30 days and it was a challenge.  There is so much food I said no to.  However when that 30 days was up it was not so bad so I continued.  60 days later I was like this is easy how am I still doing it.  Now we are at 6 months still in awe about it and wonder if its to good to be true.  However I have the labs, I am loosing weight and I have never felt better:) So no its not to good to be true, its just true:)

Cold Ranch Veggie Pasta Salad

Cold Ranch Veggie Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound of Pasta of choice (Rice elbow pasta pictured)

1 english cucumber (finely chopped)

1 red bell pepper (finely chopped)

1 orange bell pepper (finely chopped)

1 yellow bell pepper (finely chopped)

1 purple onion (finely chopped)

1 carton grape tomatoes (cut in half)

1 cup carrots (finely chopped)

4 celery stalks (finely chopped)

4 green onions (finely chopped)

2 Tbs fresh parsley (freeze dried will work)

2 Tbs fresh chives (freeze dried will work)

Creamy Ranch Dressing  

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions and rinse well in cold water, let drain.

Chop up all the veggies and mix in a bowl.  Add the pasta and mix.  Pour the dressing over and stir until well combined.  It might seem like a lot of dressing but it thickens up as it chills.  Refrigerate and serve cold.

Veggie Foil Packs and Cucumber Salad

I was so in love with the veggie packs I made when I went camping a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to create it at home in the oven.  I never really got that great smoky flavor you get when it's over a fire and have tried twice now.  Don't get me wrong, it's still good and I don't mind eating my mistakes! lol  I still have a huge bowl of veggies to make more packs and will keep playing with temperatures and update this when I have perfected it.  But here is what I have so far:

You can use any veggies you like but I used:

• sliced zucchini
• sliced yellow squash
• fine green beans
• asparagus
• onions
• garlic
• carrots
• celery
• mushrooms
• potatoes
• few sprinkles of liquid smoke (to taste)

I found the zucchini and squash already sliced and on sale at Meijer.  I cut everything up and put it in a big bowl.  I add the potatoes and mushrooms to the foil packet on the day I'm going to cook it so it doesn't spoil.  Once everything is on the foil (use non-stick) add your seasonings.  I used black pepper and Original Herbamare but you can use whatever you like.  

Fold the foil packet up into a pouch and place directly onto the oven rack which has been preheated to 350 degrees.  Mine took about an hour and then I let it broil on high for 20 minutes.  You will need to check yours and possibly flip the packet over at 30 minutes, the times will vary depending on how thick you cut your veggies.

I've always loved German Cucumber Salad but when I stopped eating dairy and meat products I had to stop making it because I used Hellman's mayo.  Well thanks to Protective Diet I am able to make the cucumber salad again using Julie's recipe for House mayo.  Here is how I made mine:

2 english cucumbers (thinly sliced with a mandolin)

3 TBS of House mayo

1/2 tsp mustard

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 TBS Bragg's amino acids (or Tamari)

Fresh or dried dill weed to taste (I like a lot)

It's always a good idea to slice the cucumber and sprinkle with salt and let it sit in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.  This helps pull out the water so you can drain it off before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Mix everything up and adjust to your taste and eat!  This was better the second day after all the flavors blended together.

Don't you miss it?

One of the things I hear a lot from people that I tell I no longer eat meat, dairy, sugar & oil is...don't you miss it?  Don't you miss steak?  Don't you miss cheese?  Don't you miss cheesecake?  They say, "I don't know how you do it and I could NEVER give that up!"

Believe me when I say, I said the exact same thing when it was proposed to me!  So I understand.  But I can honestly say I do not miss it!

How can I say that you might ask?  What I don't miss is the burning lava that would come up in my throat and take my breath away (despite the numerous meds I was taking to prevent it).  I don't miss waking up at 3 am with hives and horrible cramping and diarrhea.  I don't miss the constant diarrhea and fear that I wouldn't make it to the bathroom in time!  I don't miss the debilitating migraines that seriously had me contemplating suicide at one point because the pain was so unbearable!

NO I don't miss eating a Standard American Diet (S.A.D.).  You don't realize how bad you feel until you begin to feel good.  The realization for me one day was that I didn't feel anything and it kind of surprised me.  One day I thought, wow I don't hurt and it felt wonderful!  I felt so light and clear headed and full of energy.  Now that I would miss!

I don't feel like I have sacrificed anything when I have gained so much.  The cool thing is...You can do it to!  I don't care what physical problems you have, I guarantee you that if you stop eating S.A.D. and start eating a whole foods plant-based diet, your problems will improve with time!

Plant Strong Camping

I am on a mission now to do all the things that I couldn't do or at least couldn't do comfortably while I was morbidly obese.  Camping was one of the things on my list.

I love being in nature.  It gives me so much joy and peace.  If someone would have asked me to go camping back when I weighed 400+ pounds I would have thought about how miserable I would be and immediately decline.

It was so nice this weekend being able to comfortably sit in a lawn chair.  If you are not overweight then you won't understand the issues people who are obese deal with.  Like the horrible chafing between your legs because of the constant rubbing.  Add the heat and humidity to that and it makes for one miserable summer!

I was a little worried going camping because I wasn't sure what I was going to eat and I didn't want to be tempted to eat the junk that other people brought.

I make it harder than it has to be sometimes though.  The easiest thing I made was the hobo packets and I would have been happy eating that every single day.

My veggie hobo packet had yellow potatoes, green beans, zucchini, squash, onion, mushroom, garlic, and seasonings.  Wrap it in grilling foil and throw it on the fire until the potatoes are tender.  It was delicious!

For breakfast I enjoyed my green tea and fruit.  I brought steel cut oats but didn't end up eating them.  

I also had homemade tortilla chips, guacfauxmole, and veggies with hummus.

I'm not going to lie, when the guys were making their pizza hot pockets over the fire I was drooling a little bit.  However, now I am able to think beyond that initial moment when I think it will taste so good and consider what eating that will do to my mind and body.  

I know that I have a food addiction and taking one bite of the old junk food will trigger a downward spiral for me.  I choose to avoid it all together so I don't ruin all the hard work and progress I've achieved so far.  

Plus I had to remind myself that if I were still eating the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) I would not be camping this weekend.  I'm able to do so much more now that I've focused on eating fuel for my body instead of eating for my taste buds.

I will definitely go camping again and next time I hope to add more activities like horseback riding, kayaking, tubing, etc.  Being able to enjoy life and not being stuck on the couch is a better reward for me than any donut, cookie, or chips!  I used to spend my weekends on the couch watching movies and eating crap.  

Not anymore!  I refuse to waste this precious life that God gave me.

Beauty from Ashes

Many years ago someone prayed over me and whispered in my ear "They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting for the Lord for the display of His glory."  The person was encouraging me to step into the will of God.  I was so depressed at the time about my situation and about how fat I let myself get.  So when I heard this, immediately I thought, no way.  I don't know why it's so easy for us to accept negative rather than positive feedback.

Even though I dismissed it at the time, it never really left me.  Every now and then that verse would pop into my head.  I looked it up and started dwelling more on it.  When I think of a mature oak tree I think of something solid.  Something that cannot be swayed with deep roots.  

That gave me a lot of hope actually.  When this person spoke this over me I was in deep despair about the choices I've made in life.  I never felt worthy of love because of the sexual abuse I suffered growing up as a child, which was a huge contributing factor to why I treated my body so terribly.  Even to just write these words is somewhat terrifying but I feel like I'm led to write it because there is freedom in speaking it out loud.  I feel like I wallow in shame when I hide it and keep it to myself, which I have done for many years.  But the shame is what has led me to make poor choices in life and then lead to even more regret.  

This verse is so comforting to me in so many ways.  I know that God doesn't want me to despair and that He wants to give me beauty for my ashes.  Knowing it and feeling/experiencing it are two different things though.  I'm 39 years old and am just now getting to the point where I want to embrace the spirit of overcoming and not be ashamed of my past.  I've spent too many years in despair and now want to live in the Joy of the Lord.

I want to encourage anyone out there suffering with the shame of sexual abuse that God can heal you.  You don't have to carry the shame with you.  Give it to God and let Him work on you from the inside out!  You are worthy of love and He has a much bigger plan for your life than drowning in despair.  What do you have to lose? 

Embrace where you are at

I often find myself looking back on my past and feeling regretful.  Lately a thought pops in my head about how much I'm enjoying my life now that I've lost a huge amount of weight and feel so much healthier.

However, the very next thought is usually about all those wasted years and how I wish I would've changed so many years ago instead of lingering in the idea that I couldn't change.

Then I see pictures/quotes like this one on Facebook and sometimes I swear God is on my news feed! :)  

I guess I want to encourage anyone out there who feels like they can't change or that it would be too hard or that it would take too long, to start now where you are at with what you have.  If you have a desire to change at all, start now! Don't wait until Monday or the beginning of the month or even tomorrow...start right now!  I don't regret anything on my journey.  I know I had to take that journey to get the determination I have now to continue on my path to optimal wellness.

I'm so thankful for the people God has put into my life along the way who have inspired me and encouraged me to continue growing.  I hope I can repay that and inspire/encourage others as well.  

Then & Now

I never really looked forward to birthdays because I really didn't have much to celebrate.  My life was increasingly becoming more and more miserable the more weight I gained.  I was suffering from intense GERD, almost daily migraines, and very depressed among other things.

Even more than the weight loss, I am really proud of the results and changes in my lab work!

                           2011                                             2013
Weight:                  344                                            239
Total Cholesterol:   192                                            137
HDL:                       39                                              34
LDL:                      123                                              88
Trigylcerides:          152                                              75
Blood Pressure:      139/92                                       122/70

I always heard that since I don't eat meat or dairy that my B12 and D levels would be low and I would have to supplement.  I did for awhile but haven't taken any in about 6 months.  Those levels are both within normal range too!

So there you have it, proof that eating a whole foods, plant-based diet works and if I can do it anyone can do it! What are you waiting for?

When citizens are aroused enough to demand reform!

A river of waste   This documentary made me angry!  For a lot of reasons but mostly because I feel so stupid.  I bought into all the lies the government and meat/dairy industry tossed my way.

I think it is absolutely abhorrent that our government chooses to protect businesses for the sake of money instead of protecting the people (especially innocent children).

We can no longer trust the government to do the right thing for us.   Not that we really ever could, but now my eyes are open!  We have to take a stand for ourselves and our families.  The quote that stuck in my head the most from the A river of waste documentary was, "When citizens are aroused enough to demand reform".

What is it going to take for everyone to demand better from the supposedly "Land of the free"?  If this is the land of the free and a democracy where my voice counts, then I demand clean food, clean water, and clean air.

I'm not clear yet on how to deal with this problem effectively.  I will do the best I can though and hope that everyone jumps on board!  If we all voted with our forks and our ballots then change can happen!

We do have a voice and a choice.  We do not have to continue being programmed (brainwashed) by the large food industries.

Day 51 on Protective Diet

I know it has been a while since I have blogged! Seems like life can get so busy sometimes! The past few weeks have been really busy because I have been working extra hours! So I have had to adjust the way I prepare things so I am not tempted to go off my plan:)

I started out 243. 2 and I weighed this morning I was 221 :) That is 22.2 lbs lost! I am super excited! I am just in awe all the time! I eat until I am full! Sometimes I will admit I am stuffed! There are a few times I felt like I over ate on potato wedges or the potato salad.  I even ate a frosty one night and was really stuffed after eating it.  Both times I was like great I will probably gain weight.  I got on the scale and lost weight.  My mind just does not comprehend how this is happening. 

I have not ate sugar, oil, processed food, dairy or meat in 51 days! I feel amazing! I feel satisfied! I finally feel that I am actually going to make it to my goal weight.  That freaking excites me to no end.  www.protectivediet.com is a great site! I will promote it until the day I die..lol  Why? Because it works!!! I am living proof of that! The recipes are amazing! Right now I am loving her Caesar Salad recipe! Love that salad! It is so easy to make!

I also found a new favorite! I am not a big fan of kale! However this was amazing! I took the sauce from Fat Free Fredo Sauce and added kale! I could eat this everyday its so good!

My other snack I eat a lot is potato wedges with this ketchup recipe! Yum!

All the food in this plan is amazing and Julie the creator of www.protectivediet.com is always working on new recipes to add to her website!

So yes 51 days 22.2 lbs lost! Yep I think I found what I have been looking for:)

Day 30! WOOHOO!!!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Garden Pasta Salad



Garlic Greens

I am officially on day 30:) These are some of the recipes I made this past week! They were all very good! I really enjoyed the Garlic Greens more than I thought I would.  It was so satisfying and I loved it just felt good on my belly. 

The past 30 days have been pretty amazing! I learned a lot about myself.  For example I CAN do something I put my mind to.  I can eat healthy and do it around a family who eats a Standard American Diet on a daily basis.  I am not going to lie and say I didn't struggle at all! There were plenty of times I had opportunity to choose something bad but I didn't.  I didn't because of all the support I have around me! My Zumba girls are amazing! They are so encouraging and supportive! Julie the creator of www.protectivediet.com has been a wonderful source of support and joy! I am so thankful she created recipes that I can actually make and they satisfy me. 

I really feel like I can do this for the rest of my life! This is how I want to be:) I can't see me ever driving through a fast food place to get a hamburger:( Never again going to order Chinese takeout:)  haha If you know me at all you know Chinese was a big source of my emotional eating.   I felt addicted to that and sugar! I am not saying I won't have more challenges a head of me.  I am saying though I can choose to remember all the hard work I have put into having a plant based lifestyle! I can choose to remember that there is plenty of outs when offered something bad.  You can so no:)  You can choose to eat better!  It really just depends where you are at in your life. 

I just got to the point in my life that I was sick and tired of the yo-yo dieting! I am sick of being Fat! I knew I had to either do it or not.  So one day I just said yes I am going to do it for 30 days and see what happens.  What happened is I feel like www.protectivediet.com gave me a chance and changed my life. 

I also want my BFFF Denise to know that I love her and all her support! I am so happy we are in the same place right now in our lives!

If you want a change and you are sick of being where you are at! Why not try Protective Diet for 30 days like I did.  The website is very informative and if you have questions you can ask right on the site.  If you have any questions how I started I be happy to share them! If you have any questions at all please comment:)  If you enjoy the blog and would like me to continue to write let me know that as well:)

(doing Happy Dance on day 30)

Road Trip

In the past when I would plan for a road trip part of the planning was to find what places I could eat at.  I always got excited because I could eat something "good" that I wouldn't normally be able to get where I live.  The first thing that comes to mind is Dunkin Donuts or Jack in the box.

This time I thought about eating out and even searched online but thought it would be too difficult to stay on the plan.  So I decided to pack what I needed so I wouldn't have to stop and by junk.

I used up all my fresh food in the fridge so it wouldn't spoil before I got back.  I packed two salads (w/homemade dressing), 2 green smoothies, homemade potato wedges, carrot sticks, and leftover soup with some roasted vegetables added.  I also had a bag of air popped popcorn.  

I only had to stop to fill up on gas and use the restroom.  I never even had to go into a store.  Which is good for me because I probably would have bought candy, chips and chocolate to munch on while I was driving to keep me awake.

I was hoping to find a rest area but there weren't any on the road I was on so I decided to stop at Cracker Barrel.  They had a pretty big lawn so we sat out on the picnic blanket I brought.  Charlie ate his dinner and I ate my salad.  We did get some pretty funny looks, but oh well.  

I was pretty proud of myself for sticking with the plan.  Sticking with it at my parent's house will be a little more difficult but I am committed to it!  

To good to be true disease!

I think it is so funny how I have been following www.protectivediet.com for almost 3 weeks now and I am still asking questions like when do I stop eating the potatoes and the pasta? Do I need to cut back so I can loose weight?  While I was talking to Julie she said I had the to good to be true disease! That was brilliant! So very true as well! Every time I lost weight in the past its because I had to restrict what I was eating! Never did I eat all that I wanted and be full.  I was always hungry and counting every calorie.  I love that I am not doing this anymore!

I am a little obsessive with the scale to! I feel like I need to get on it every morning to track my progress! If you know me I have had issues with this in the past! I get a little crazy:) So far though the scale keeps going down so its been a good feeling:) :)

I went and bought a dress for my daughters graduation tomorrow! I don't know if I like it.  It is weird I have never bought a dress before and liked it! Is that weird? Does anyone else go through this? I buy clothes mainly because I have to wear them.   I never have enjoyed shopping because every time I went nothing fit right or looked good! I usually have to take someone with me because I don't really know if something looks good! So this dress probably makes me look a little older which don't bother me I am a mom of a 18 year old.  There was not a whole lot to choose from in my size!  However what I was super excited about is how close I was to a size smaller than I have ever been! yes it was a little tight and I would not wear it but I could soon:) That made me feel pretty good!  But this is the dress in the picture I ended up buying. What do you think???

I made creamy potato and kale soup tonight for dinner! It is one of my favorite soups.  I really enjoy it! I thinking about making a frosty tonight but not sure yet! I hope you all have a great weekend!

Loaded Nachos Night!

I decided last night I wanted a little snack and the loaded nachos looked good to me.  So I decided to make some crispy corn tortilla chips,guac faux mole, and no fat not yo cheeze sauce!  Can I just say wow:) I am loving all this food still! Seriously guys I am not getting paid to promote protective diet.  This is truly how I am feeling and this stuff is really good!

Here it is all together! Yum! I think it be neat to use the no fat not yo cheeze sauce for some other things to! My mind is creating some things:)!! I think it is just because its so darn good I want to eat it a bunch..haha  I am thankful I have had this stuff because I have been working longer days so I don't have as much time to prepare.  This really didn't take me long! I baked the tortillas for 30 mins and while they were baking I make the other stuff! So in 30 mins I had a meal and it will last 3 days at least.  Not bad if I do say so myself:) I still have not had sugar, processed food, dairy, meat or oil:) I am feeling pretty good! Talk to you guys soon:)

What a weekend!

I started out my weekend making breaded mushrooms and onion rings! If you are wanting some snack foods though this would be the recipe! The funny part is I also made creamy ranch dressingand in the recipe it says 2 teaspoons of garlic. I put 2 1/2 Tablespoons in it..haha  I ate it with the mushrooms and onion rings but wow yeah I don't think I can finish it.  Anyway it was pretty funny I thought! I knew as soon as I did it.  My husband knew I ate the garlic as well:) So that was my Friday:)

I had to start preparing for my daughter's (Taylor) open house.  I knew I was going to have hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and cake! I was not to worried but I knew I needed to make a couple recipes so I didn't want all the bad stuff at the open house.  I ended up making creamy mustard herb potato salad which was soooo awesome!  I made it twice in a week..haha

I also made black bean and corn summer salad and pita chips.  I could eat this everyday! I loved how refreshing it was and so easy to make! The pita chips just topped it off.  I could eat it with a spoon or with the chips.  I really liked it and I felt like I could eat a lot of it.    The people who tried both recipes at the open house seemed to like them.  My daughter liked them as well:)

Today I am on my third week! I started out 243.2 and I am 232.6 this morning which is 10.6 lbs in 2 weeks.  I am pretty excited actually if you think about it I have been eating potato salad, chili, pita chips, breaded mushrooms and onion rings! I have been eating frosty's and chia seed pudding! I mean WOW! I have ate lasagna, fat free fredo with noodles, pita pizzas and potatoes.  I have not wanted anything I have not went to bed hungry.  I feel totally satisfied eating any recipe off of www.protectivediet.com. I am still in shock and really believe for the first time I could actually loose weight and keep it off.

 If you are a yo-yo dieter like I have always been you get to a point where you don't even want to try anymore.  Yeah you can loose weight but keeping it off is the worst.  When you go back to eating like you did it never fails you gain weight.  I feel like though eating off of protective diet I am already eating like I want and I feel like I am cheating sometimes..lol  The food is good and satisfying I am not looking to do something else.  I am loosing weight while doing it.   I know 232 is still high for people but I have not been this weight for years.   My highest ever was 296 and that was a few years ago.  I always got stuck about 260 and would try another diet get to 250 be excited then couldn't stick with it because it was to hard and would eventually binge on something.  Then gain 10 to 15 lbs! To me this is a dream come true being able to eat, be satisfied and loose weight. 

I want to shout it off the roof tops! I just know many of my friends struggle with stupid weight! There is a answer! I am willing to get together and make some stuff for you if you want to try some something! Today everyone is having their cookouts and family time! Enjoy it but know you don't have to eat the way you do! There are easy alternative ways go to www.protectivediet.com and look up some recipes.  Read some of her articles on there! All good information:) I think I am going to go make me a frosty:)

12 days into it:)

I made this potato salad last night and it was freaking awesome! I am just blown away each time I try a new recipe.  There have been a few I was like I am not so sure I am going to like this.  However I love them just about every time.  It feels so good to be able to eat stuff and loose weight.   I also made the roasted broccoli with lemon to go with it! It was pretty yummie to but I like broccoli already so that was no surprise:)

This weekend is my daughters open house I will be doing it cookout style! I will have hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and a graduation cake:)  I also will have veggie tray with the creamy ranch dressing as a dip! I am making the potato salad and black bean and corn summer salad for people like me that don't want to eat the junk:) This is a emotional time as well I was a emotional eater my whole life! My baby girl is graduating and she is growing up.  For once though I feel like I am in a great place.  I have been through a lot the past couple years. ( I know a lot of people have) I am just happy! I have joy and I thank God for that!  I also thank God for helping me find www.protectivediet.com. I think God knew what I needed and put the people in my life that would encourage and help me.  He is pretty cool that way:) Life is good! 

I encourage you if you have not tried any recipes from www.protectivediet.com go and try something! You don't have to go full time right away! Try some recipes that is what I did at first.  When I realized everything I was trying I liked a lot, I made the decision to go all in!    

Still in awe!!

I am happy to announce my first week on the new way of eating 6.4 lbs gone:) Super excited!

I had some fat free fredo sauce for dinner Monday night and it was good:) I enjoyed it and even felt like I was eating something bad because it tasted so good.  Before when I would eat pasta I would always over eat and feel bloated.  The next day it was a easy 5 lb gain.  I ate this though and had that same thought in my head and stopped!  Then I ate a little more:)  Not feeling bloated or gaining a bunch of weight.  I am still amazed everyday when I eat until I am full! Then I snack on some potatoes, frosty and I am satisfied.  This is the first time I am not stressing over things.   I still plan but I am not sitting here starving counting down the minutes to my next meal.  If you have this problem you totally understand how great it would feel not to do that! I am telling you it does! 

There was a couple times as well that I enjoyed chia seed chocolate pudding.  Oh man it was so good! My kids love it to.  When I wanted something sweet or a snack I enjoyed one of these.

I want to talk about Julie the creator of protective diet!  She is so encouraging! Every time I have talked to her she is so positive and helps me.  She does personal coaching! look under coaching on her site. We all know its hard to do any kind of lifestyle change if you don't have people in your life that support you.  Sadly many of us have people who try to sabotage us more so then help.  It is just so nice to have Julie to talk to and ask questions.  Plus again you have all the recipes for free.  I don't know I just feel like I am very blessed.   Not only is she just super sweet but she is very knowledgeable.   She knows her stuff! I have learned a lot from her already! 

 

I have tried every diet out there! No kidding! I struggle still at times.  I think its more out of bad habits then anything else.  I use to everyday come home get a tortilla shell. I would spread peanut butter and chocolate chips on it and roll it up.  It was my sweet thing that I LOVED!  One of the hardest things to give up until I decided I was done.  I got sick of getting up in the morning and thinking about that snack and couldn't wait to have it.  It was so satisfying for that few minutes.  There were time I ate two of them then I would skip dinner.  I guess my point is I don't want to be controlled by food anymore.   I want to eat for health.  I want what goes into my body to be healthy and giving life to it.  I don't want to waste it on stupid calories anymore.    I am 36 years old.  I have been overweight for 30 of those years.  30 years obese!!!  I just don't want to go another day like the last 30 years have been.  So I decided to change and found protective diet and something clicked for the first time in 30 years.  I hope that you go to this site and something clicks for you to.  Just read some of the information Julie has.  Really good stuff on there!  Once a week try one of her recipes and see if you like them.  I recommend creamy potato and kale soup.  It was so good and my daughter loved it to.   Go for it whats stopping you?

 

Thanks to all you who read this! It is awesome to have so much support and encouragement!



Week 1 coming to a close:)

Sorry it has been a few days since I have blogged and tomorrow will be officially a week without oil, sugar, meat, dairy or processed foods! For the most part it has been awesome! I did have a few headaches but nothing I couldn't not get through.  I learned something really good this week about myself. If I plan well for things then I get to eat healthy and avoid the bad stuff.  I weighed myself this morning and I lost at least 5 lbs! That is exciting as well! However I don't officially weigh until tomorrow so we will see.

I thought I would tell you guys to that in addition to eating this way I do exercise.  I do Zumba at least 5 days a week and I am doing couch to 5k apps.   I do walk as well but just when I can.  I love Zumba and there are so many encouraging people that it is nice to have that support system.

Last night I made crispy corn tortilla chips and today decided to make veggie chili to go with it.  I cut it all up and put it into my pot man did it smell so good!

 

 

After it was done cooking I used Julie's jar method and now they are cooling down to room temperature.  On a side note the middle jar is the pasta sauce I use for the lasagna last week.  It had no oil or sugar in it and its awesome! Loved it! I wanted to make it again but thought I need to try new things I can always go back:)

 

I think I am going to make the strawberry poppy seed dressing again.  It is really good and my friend at work likes it a lot to.  So I usually take it in for both of us:) I have not decided on the other recipe I am going to make yet.  I am torn but when I do I will show you guys!  Just super excited about this plan! If you are looking to eat healthier check out www.protectdiet.com you will love it!

In shock!!

This is what my version of garlic greens and cheezy scalloped potatoes look like! I am excited to try the greens because I am one who has not ate much greens! Yeah I would eat salad but not much kale, rainbow swiss chard those things were foreign to me. 

I just got done eating it and I am so surprised that I didn't have to force myself to eat the greens! I am really in shock! They were great! I enjoyed them and can totally see me eating them a few times a week! www.protectivediet.com has totally changed me for the better!

Through Thick and Hopefully Thin!

2011, 2012, 2013

I've known Kristie since I moved here to Indiana almost 13 years ago.  We have been through a lot together but the one constant struggle for both of us was our weight.

I'm so proud of us both that we have finally gotten to a point in our lives where we are focused on getting healthy instead of just doing whatever to lose the weight and get skinny.

It would have been so easy to give up and just not even try and believe me we did at one time or another.  Actually we just took breaks.  It was weird how we rarely were in the same place at the same time.

One of us would be doing well with our goals and losing weight and the other seemed to be struggling. I guess God had things planned that way so we could support each other and encourage each other to keep fighting.

It's exciting now that both of us are on the same page at the same time with plant-based, no oil, no sugar, eating.

I'm excited to see what this year brings and know that we will touch a lot of lives with all the years of experience of battling but learning how to overcome!

Getting through your obstacles

I work in a surgery department and a rep brought in food for everyone! There were huge chocolate chip cookie (which I could eat a bunch normally) They had brownies (which use to be one of my favorites)! There was also grilled chicken salad and different pasta things! Chicken and noodles and rolls were there! This rep went all out!  Every time I have been on a diet this would ruin it! When someone brought in free food and it be yummie treats I always gave in! It was a weakness especially sugar!

I can proudly say today I resisted was not even really tempted.  I mean yeah I looked at it and for a moment I wanted it! Old habits die hard for sure.  I guess it really is your mind set! I just decided I wanted to eat for health.  I feel so good eating healthy and I don't want to feel bad anymore. I don't want to feel guilty after eating some food.  I don't want to eat in hiding anymore because people who are over weight they do.  I know because I use to do it.  In the past I would of ate the food and on my way home I would of stopped back in the break room and picked up another cookie or two. 

a few hours later.....

I just got done cooking meat in the crock pot for my family to eat beef and noodles tonight! I had to stop myself because out of habit I use to eat it because it was so tender and juicy I loved it.  Again though I guess I have not told myself I can't have these things! I told myself I don't want them! Right now that is working!  I am praying that will continue:) I will be honest there is a piece of me that still thinks I might go back! I get the negative thoughts about how I can't do it its not possible!I do fight that daily! Just like any other habit it needs to change.  I am not giving up though! I am going to win and be healthy and have tons of energy! That's my light at the end of the tunnel:)

Enjoying Day 2

I made Pita Pizza last night for dinner! It was yummie and I enjoyed one for breakfast this morning as well:) They were super easy to make!  The pita bread crust was amazing! crunchy! Can't wait to make some pita chips!
Yesterday I did weigh myself and I guess my official start weight is 243.2  I gained 3 lbs somehow:) Oh well not worried about it! All it can do now is come off! 

For lunch today I am eating Poppy Seed Dressing with spinach! I love this dressing I add a drop of stevia to the dressing just because sometimes my strawberries are not to sweet yet.  I am also going to add some blueberries today!

For dinner I am having leftover Lasagna! So I am set today:)

I am loving the process and excited to change my lifestyle! I am experiencing withdrawals though! It is ok I am getting through it! Whatever I go through will be soooo worth the reward! Never give up!

Preparation

I started out today preparing for the next few days! I started here making Pita Bread recipe hereand I kind of have to laugh at myself because I have never had my oven as high as 500 degrees before lets just say make sure your oven is clean.  If not your smoke detector may go off a few times. haha  Also my Pita pockets were not as pretty as Julie Marie's! However they tasted fantastic! I loved them! I kinda ate one for lunch and stuffed it with a mixture I made long ago with beans, corn, tomatoes in the crock pot! Next time I will plan a little better add lettuce and tomato. I made them though and I was quite proud of myself.  Tomorrow I plan on making the Pita Pizza Recipe! I am looking forward to it and eating some for breakfast the next day.  

Tomorrow morning I am eating steel cut oats either with blueberries or a banana. I have not decided!

I made this Lasagna today as well! I split it up into three servings and I am going to eat it for lunch everyday! I have some other ideas for the rest of the week as well! I also cut up some yellow potatoes and baked them just in case I need a snack!  I am super duper excited to start this plan tomorrow! Say goodbye to Sugar, Oil, Meat, Dairy and Processed Foods!  Say hello to better health and a better me:)

This is me!

Hi, this is me:) On the left I was 296.6 lbs on the right I was 252 lbs!  I was pretty proud of myself because I have lost 44.6 lbs right! Well not really I had lost this weight and gained it my entire life! It was always about being prettier, skinny and not feeling embarrassed about my life.  I wanted to go to the mall and be able to buy a cute outfit! I am just being real! My weight loss didn't become about health until I reached the 296.6 the last time.  Which was January 2012 when I decided to start a biggest loser competition at my work.

 Don't get me wrong I am proud of the loss but I never really got under 250 lbs but probably once in all my ups and downs!  Today when I weighed myself I was 242.  The reason I want to tell you this is because I am sick of being ashamed and truthfully I don't plan on staying here anymore so it will be the LAST time I say it as well! As you can see though I have a lot more weight to loose! 

The big eye opener for me was in October 2012 when my mom passed away from Colon Cancer:(  What hit me hard was knowing it could of been prevented with diet! Everything I have read about how food the right food fights against cancer.  Not just colon cancer but other cancers as well.  If we all ate this way how much more healthier would the world be?  It just opened my eyes and I wanted to know more!

I decided to loose weight and did it by counting calories and exercising which is a good way! However I still ate meat, sugar, dairy and oils.  I truly believe that the reason people Yo-Yo so much with their weight is because of their addiction to Sugar and processed foods! I mean that's all we think about.  What are we eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Where can I get some chocolate, cake or chips.  If you have ate or are eating SAD then you know what I am talking about.    All I know every time I have tried to loose weight I was hungry all the time.  I would go and buy the carrots and stay away from potatoes.  I definitely would not eat pasta.  I told myself I could not control myself I would eat to much.  Now I know yeah with the sauce and the hamburger it was way bad for you. I can eat the food on Protective Diet!

I don't remember if I was looking on the Internet one day but I found Dr Fuhrman and what he said was sooooo interesting! Eat For Health! Wow ok sounds good I must look more into this! So I have found other blogs and watched movies about plant based diets.  Still though I couldn't do it long term! I try and try so hard and eventually I gave up.  Then one day I found a site called Plantpurity.com I was like wow this site is cool! I was not sure about the recipes but for a couple of months I would try a recipe here and there.  I liked everything I was trying:)  So that brings me to about a week or so ago.  I just figured what am I waiting for?  Do I want to be fat forever? Do I want to be unhealthy? I just asked myself what do you want Kristie?  As I was thinking about that question I thought about a lot of stuff! I don't want to be unhealthy! I want to feel comfortable in my own skin.  I want to run a 5k. I am just sick of being fat! So I decided then what is stopping you! My first thought was money.  My family isn't going to eat this way how am I going to afford it.  I realized on www.protectivediet.com her recipes are NOT expensive! I realized one of her meals would last me a few days! So I don't have to cook everyday! So then I decided why don't I blog about it. Hahaha Be real with people about how it is! 

The past two days I have ate off the site! I also have had a sugar free vanilla iced coffee from McDonald's this morning! (which I may add was my last one forever) I drink Lipton tea flavors that you put in your water! Not a lot but when I get sick of water its a nice change.  I will have to stop that for sure but other than that I ate the food!  I made golden yellow potatoes cut them in half added seasonings and baked them.  I figured I am snacker I need snacks.   Well I ate a half of one for breakfast this morning.  I was not hungry. (which is weird for me)  Also I had a spinach salad with strawberry dressing and strawberries.  I could not finish it.  Again that is strange for me.  As I type my stomach is growling so maybe I am finally hungry and I will go eat.   I guess my point is I made the potatoes but have not used them to snack yet because I have not been hungry.  I decided to eat them for breakfast so I don't waste them.  (oh and by the way my kids love them) So I am just excited to change my lifestyle and not be hungry all the time!

Saturday I am going to whole foods to get my groceries! I am still trying to decide what I want to make first.  There are so many and I want to make them all:)  I do need to stock up on stuff that I can't find near where I live.  I don't have a lot of money to just go buy bulk anything.  This will be interesting regardless and I am excited to go all in! 

Changing For The Better!

 

 

This is what I made for dinner tonight! I used Rice noodles instead of rice! It was good! I got the recipe and for the next month all my recipes from www.protectivediet.com! I love this site and it has a lot of great recipes! The one I made tonight you can get here http://protectivediet.com/chinese-take-in.html.  I am not big on spicy so usually if a recipe calls for something spicy I don't use it.  I sometimes skip the salt in recipes to. 

 

 

I am excited to share with you that I am going to change my lifestyle once and for all! I am sick of being fat! I am sick of craving sugar! Just once I would love to go past a bakery and not dream how I would buy a whole cake! Then I would go to the corner of the room and eat it in secret!  I don't want to eat anything in secret.  You know if your doing it in secret something is not right! I want to be proud of my health and proud of what I am eating!  I talked to the creator of the website Protective diet the other day! Her name is Julie and she was so inspiring and encouraging! I look forward to talking to her more and getting to know her! Read her inspiring story http://protectivediet.com/my-journey. You may have to sign up to see the recipes but it is free! Soooo worth it!  I am offically taking Sugar, Oil, Nuts, Dairy and Meat out of my diet Monday! I pretty much have for the most part already!  (Just in the last few days)  This isn't easy but I am so ready to do it! I hope you continue reading and going through this journey with me! I will blog before Monday about where I am at! You can actually read some of previous blogs and see not long ago I was in a rut.  Check out the sites and tell me what you think!

One of my inspirations

I came across a website a while back called plantpurity.com! It was neat because Julie Marie had a ton of recipes on her site.  Not only that if I had a question she would answer me!  I have made several of her dishes and they were yummie! I am excited to make some more of them to.  Her diet has no oils, sugars, dairy, or meat!   Just reading her story inspires me and when I go to her site I get excited about stuff all over again..haha  So if you get a chance check her out! She has changed this up a bit and now is protective diet! 

I really want to be free of my sugar addiction:(!!  I am sick of craving chocolate everyday or sugar! She recommends you going cold turkey for a month! If you do so she says things like lettuce start to taste sweet because your taste buds change.  I would not know because I usually don't make it a day without some kind of sugar in my diet.  Anyway if anyone is interested and would like to start this journey with me comment below! I would love to be able to encourage each other and inspire each other to get healthy.

Yummie Oatmeal Bars!

I decided this week I wanted a goal to eat the least amount of processed stuff I could! So I decided to make these Yummie Oatmeal Bars! I had a recipe from a long time ago but couldn't find it and really forgot so I had to make up my own. 

Yummie Oatmeal Bars

9 Cups of Old Fashion Oats
2-16 oz of fresh Strawberries
3 Very Ripe Bananas
1 1/4 Cup of Organic Unsweetened Coconut Shredded
2 Cups Unsweetened Apple Sauce

I mashed the strawberries and banana together real good.  Then I added it to the Oats.  Then added all the rest of the ingredients! I lined a cookie sheet with parliament paper and spread the mixture on the paper! (note it all didn't fit I had to get another small dish to put the rest of mixture in.) Bake for 30 mins on 350 degrees.  It makes 26 bars and according to my fitness pal 160 calories!  Enjoy

I also made some Vegan Ranch Dressing! It was so good as well! I got it from Denise and forget where she got it.  I changed a couple of things but this is how I made it today! I figure it up to be 49 calories for 1/2 cup that is way better for you then regular ranch!

Ranch Dressing

(makes a little over 2 cups)

12 oz (1 package) Mori-Nu lite silken-firm tofu

3/4 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder

1 tsp dry dill

1/3 cup water, or more or less depending on desired thickness

scant 2 T apple-cider vinegar

1 and 1/2 vegetable broth cubes

2 T fat free milk

Throw all the ingredients in your vitamix or high speed blender and enjoy

 

I think I am ready for the week! I am excited!

Envisions

Can you envision yourself where you want to be?  I can!  I think envisioning myself at my goal weight keeps me motivated to persist through all of the cravings.  By the time I'm 40 (a lil over a year away), I picture myself to be a picture of health!  I envision a glowing, youthful face and me standing tall and proud.  It's not about reaching a certain number on the scale for me but about having the energy to do whatever I want to do and not having pain to deal with every day!

I'm reading the Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates and I've been stopped on page 79 for a couple days now.  I keep re-reading it and be like oh I already read this but then say wow that's really good and then read it again!  Lol Come on, I'm not the only one who does this am I?

Anyway page 79 says, "Beginning the diet is similar to climbing a mountain.  When you're at the bottom, at the first step, you can't see the health, happiness, and prosperity that may await you at the top.  But as you progress up the mountain, the top reveals itself more and more...when you master the principles of the diet, you'll be at the top of the mountain--vital, knowledgeable, and healthy.

That's why it is important to use your inherent ability to envision yourself in perfect, glowing health, radiating positive energy, feeling strong...Just remember how beautiful the world looks from the top of a mountain."

So can you see yourself at the top of the mountain, "radiating positive energy and feeling strong"?  I can and I imagine it to be a wonderful feeling!

Keep climbing!