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.