4 Sneaky Food Ingredients that Cause Major Health Problems

Eating healthier has turned me into a major label reader. This is somewhat of a blessing and a curse. Im learning day by day that there are some scary things in our food that we dont even realize are there. And some of these things we hear about on the news but dont really care because the food just tastes too good to give up.

From me to you, this is my honest warning about four pretty common ingredients that may be approved by the FDA in small doses, but appear in our food way more frequently that wed assume making us more susceptible to some of the major side effects.

High Fructose Corn Syrup
High fructose corn syrup is used in place of a more expensive ingredient called cane sugar. Cane sugar is sugar in its natural form. the HFCS industry leads us to believe that because it comes from corn, it is totally safe and even somewhat natural. Wrong. Your body doesnt process HFCS  the same way it would process cane sugar. In short, cane sugar takes time to break down and digest meaning it affects your body slower. HFCS doesnt require digestion so it hits your blood stream more quickly causing spikes in insulin levels and a more rapidly occurring process of fat storage. HFCS can also cause increased appetite, fatty liver disease and diabetes. The Huffington Post has a really in depth article on HFCS that is worth the read.

Foods to look out for: Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Oreos, Miracle Whip, and even Vicks Nyquil Cough medicine. Click here for a more complete list.

Brominated Vegetable Oil
This ingredient is made up of bromine which is used as a flame retardant. Its most commonly used in citrus beverage to keep the flavors from separating. So if you drink a lot of Mountain Dew or Diet Mountain Dew you are at risk for something called Bromide Dominance. This is when the bromine builds up in your tissue and prevents iodine metabolism. Iodine deficiency increases risks of breast, thyroid, ovary and prostate cancer. There are several blogs out there with more information on the risks of BVO and why companies use it.

Foods to look out for: Mountain Dew of most varieties

Monosodium Glutamate 
MSG literally acts like a drug in your brain. The purpose of MSG is to boost the flavor of food, but it doesnt actually do anything to the actual flavor. The work of MSG is done in the brain. It triggers your brain to release dopamine which in turn increases your enjoyment of the food. The affects are eerily similar to the temporary high of a drug addict. Subsequently, MSG is highly addictive and leads to overeating. MSG is in a lot of processed and packaged foods. Because so many processed foods are made of cheap ingredients, manufacturers use MSG to make the cheaper product taste good when in reality, the only reason we think it tastes good is because a chemical is forcing our brains to relate the release of dopamine to eating cheap foods. FoodMatters.tv has written some very compelling articles on MSG that will definitely change the way you think about processed foods.

Foods to look out for: Cup-o-Noodles, Hidden Valley Ranch products, Pringles. Click here for a more complete list.

Aspartame
What if I told you that you were drinking the feces of one of the deadliest bacteria in the world? I bet youd put your drink down and run to the nearest toilet to puke. Well, if you drink or eat things with aspartame, you are. Recently, the patent for aspartame was released to the public and it confirms that aspartame is made by taking the feces of genetically modified E. Coli bacteria and soaking it in methanol. The process is shocking and unnerving. As if the thought of drinking E. Coli pooh doesnt turn your stomach enough, consider the side effects of aspartame poisoning which include joint pain, menstrual cycle irregularities, seizures, migraines and more.

Foods to look out for: Chewing gum such as Extra, Yogurts including brands like Dannon, Diet sodas and more. 

Do you read ingredient labels when you shop? If not it may be time to start. After doing the research on these ingredients I am convinced that soda is entirely out of my diet. Its becoming more and more obvious that packaged foods are less food and more chemicals. The reasoning behind eating clean and making treats from scratch is becoming stronger and stronger in my mind.

Does this make you want to give up some of those process snacks? If so, which ones?

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Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies Second Attempt

I am a sucker for a chewy peanut butter cookie, and with fall on the way all I want to do is bake! Well... As much as I love baking delicious treats, my waistline doesnt. Instead of avoiding baking all together, Ive decided to try and make low carb alternatives to my favorite fall goodies. So, first up: Peanut Butter Cookies!

Just as a disclaimer, this is my second attempt at these cookies. The first one was using coconut flour and honey instead of flour and sugar. The cookies were wayyyy dry and had a very different texture.  I didnt do a blog on those because I felt like there had to be a better recipe, I just needed to figure it out. So,  the recipe Im sharing today is my second attempt. This one is flour-less and uses stevia as the sweetener (the only stevia I like is Trulicious. No gross after

taste and its blended with monk fruit!)

This one is MUCH better than the coconut flour recipe, but if you want to try the coconut flour

recipe, just post a comment and Ill give it to ya. Im still working on perfecting my recipe, but this is a good start. :) They are kind of dry and crumbly, but the flavor is awesome!!!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup Trulicious powdered stevia
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Mix ingredients together in a bowl. At first your dough is going to be runny, just keep mixing. Its going to stiffen right up. If youre not worried about eating a little bit of raw eggs, taste the batter to make sure it tastes sweet enough. If not, add a little more Trulicious. Roll the dough into melon baller sized balls and flatten with your fingers on the cookie sheet. I got about 24 cookies out of my batch. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet.

Pro tips: Dont store cookies in a Ziplock bag, lay them flat in a container. :) These little guys crumble pretty easily. Also, try sprinkling additional Trulicious on top of the cookies before you put them in the oven.

Nutritional Info:
These are actually a healthy option when you need your peanut butter cookie fix. One cookie has 127 calories, 3 net carbs and nearly 6 grams of protein (this is based on a batch of about 24 cookies).

These cookies are much better than my first attempt, but hopefully next time I make them I can figure out a way to make them a little more moist (sorry for using the M word). If you have any suggestions on how I can do that, feel free to post them in the comment section! Happy baking everyone!

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A Life Lost

I was trying to think of what to write today, as I havent been writing too much lately, and today at my Grief Works group, I got the inspiration.

Weve begun the task in our group of taking turns sharing. Each week, 4 of our group share about the person they lost. Today one of the ladies shared about her husband who passed away about a month before Barry. They had been married for 51 years. 51 years.

As she was sharing her story, I couldnt help but start crying. In fact, most of us cried while everyone else was sharing. Next week is my turn, so I need to prepare some stuff and get pictures/mementos ready as well.

Why did I start crying? Because the life that I was supposed to have is lost. A Life, Lost.

I grieve not only for Barry, but for the life that I was supposed to have. I was so lucky to have 11 years of him in my life, to love him for that long, but how I long for forever.

I dont deserve this life that I have now. How is it fair that the life I was supposed to have has been ripped from my clutches and tossed aside? The dreams that we had as a couple, for our family and our future and ourselves, have been LOST. They will never come to fruition. I will never get that 51 year anniversary with the love of my life.

Barry and I had our challenges in our marriage, as every couple does. We had the ups and downs emotionally, financially etc etc, but through it all, we still loved each other. We always stuck by each other, no matter what the difficulty we were faced with. We had the perfect marriage. We complimented each other so well, we were best friends, and we loved each other with our whole being.

Im angry that Ive lost my life. Everything that I planned on, is gone, is lost. What am I supposed to do now? I feel lost myself! I dont know what to do with my self. The only plans I have right now are to buy a home, and to go back to work or school once A is in school full time in 3 years. But what about after that?

How do I pick up the pieces and move forward?

There was no thought in my mind that Barry wouldnt get better. His death was not a possibility in my mind. I figured that we would get through this as best as we could, we would pick up the pieces and manage, and life would move on despite this little hiccup. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that when I brought him to the hospital on the night of October 5th that he would NEVER come home. Well wait, he DID come home. He came home in a wooden box, cradled in my arms, on October 15th. And now he sits on my dresser in my bedroom, watching over me as I sleep every night.

I wonder if I had the chance to prepare for this new life, if it would have made things easier? if Barry had cancer or some other terminal disease, would I have been able to contemplate this new life I would have? I dont know what I would prefer: Him being sick for a very long time and knowing the inevitable, or what I was given with him dying unexpectedly. I dont know, I just dont know. Its almost like the analogy about love. Is it better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all?

There will never be the travelling that we dreamed of together. Well never get to enjoy our grandchildren together. He will miss the major milestones like A starting kindergarten, learning how to ride a bike, read, tie her shoes. Hell miss the 13th birthdays. The 18th Birthdays. Hell miss the kids going off to college, graduating, getting married, them having babies, and us becoming grandparents. Hell miss it all. This life, it is LOST.

I dont know how to pick up the pieces. I dont know how to move forward with this new life when all I have known is OUR life. Now I have MY life.

I am grieving a life, lost.

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Low Carb Zucchini Boat Recipe

I went to my parents house yesterday and they have so much zucchini from the garden, and the tomatoes are coming on too! I wanted to help use some of it up, so I made us these low carb zucchini boats. They are delicious and easy to make. Heres how:

Ingredients
2 medium zucchini, cut long ways in half
1 lb lean ground beef
2 tomatoes, diced
1 green bell pepper,  diced
2 cloves garlic, diced and separated in half
1/2 tablespoon dried onion
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3/4 cup shredded cheese (optional), separated in half

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and set aside.

Use a metal spoon to scrape the center pulp out of the zucchini halves. leave about a 1/4 of an inch worth of zucchini in the peel, dont scrape too far through! Set the boats and pulp aside, youll use them later.

In a pan, combine ground beef, tomato, green pepper, one clove of garlic, dried onion, oregano and Italian seasoning. Brown ground beef completely. Add half of the shredded cheese to your ground beef and combine.

In a blender or a food processor, blend zucchini pulp and garlic together until it is a smooth texture. Pour pulp into hamburger mixture and mix well.

Place boats on lined cookie sheet and spoon mixture into each one. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

Each boat counts as one serving, this recipe makes four servings.

This recipes is low in carbohydrates. The sugars are primarily coming from your vegetables. If you are looking to cut down on the fat, eliminate the cheese and switch to ground lean chicken, turkey or your favorite vegetarian crumbles. 

Have you ever tried zucchini boats? What do you fill yours with? 

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Time To Give Credit Where Its Due

I was pondering this morning, and realized I havent done a thank you post since Thanksgiving I think. A LOT has changed in our lives since then, and I just feel that maybe its time for me to say thank you again to all the important friends I have in my life.

I wanted to do individual thank yous to everyone, and even wrote out paragraphs to everyone, but I found it was just too much to write, and too emotional to do so. So I will make a list, and hopefully theyre all reading this...and if not, they know how I feel. A thousand hugs and thank yous could not express my happiness at having you all in my life. I love all of you!!

*Jason and Lindsay

*Sara

*Rebecca

*Christy

*Johanna

*Mimi, Monica, Connie and all the other ladies from Mops that came and helped me clean and unpack

*All of my awesome twitter friends, especially Rachel who ran the London Marathon, and ran a mile in Barrys memory. That made me cry. And Ian too, who is a fellow widowed single parent, and knows what its like.

In other news, yesterday I took the spawn to a summer camp orientation/interview. Its through the Jamie Moyer foundation, and is called Camp Erin. Its geared specifically towards children that have, or are, experienced a significant loss in their life like that of a parent or sibling. Its a bit of a lengthy application process, and we wont find out for a good month, but I am pretty confident that the three olders will get in. It is just for a weekend in June, two nights only, but they will have so much fun.

Yesterday as I was driving them there, I got a little teary eyed. Thinking to myself, why do I have to do this? Bring my kids to a summer camp for Grieving Kids? WTF? how is that even fair to us? It isnt FAIR. Not one bit. I dont see why my kids have to grow up without their daddy, why they have to go to a summer camp because their daddy is dead.

And then I got a little angry at Barry. Because if he hadnt died, I wouldnt be in this situation. I wouldnt have had to take the kids out of school early to drive 45 minutes to Tacoma so they could have this opportunity. Its all his fault. I know he tried his damnedest to stay a live, I know that b/c I saw the look in his eyes, but he STILL DIED! He LEFT us. He put us in this situation, and I am so mad about it. I cant do anything about my life because he died, and no matter how much I want to go back and change what happened, I cant. Its infuriating, heart breaking, maddening. I hate this. And for the rest of our lives, we are going to have to deal with this heartbreak. Sometimes I just want to yell and scream at him for leaving us, and I have done that already. Maybe I need to do it again. Or get some aggression out again, something like that.

Barry knows Im angry, and I think hes OK with that. I know he didnt want to leave us, and if he were in my situation, Id expect him to be angry too. Anger is a perfectly normal part of grief, and I need people to know that sometimes Im going to fucking hate Barrys guts because of what he did to us. Right now Im angry and sad because I dont want us to be in this situation.

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Valentines Day Mish Mash and A Year of Memories Feb 14th 2000

First off, life has been incredibly busy this past week, so blogging has been put on the back burner for me. And it wont be slowing down anytime soon at all, so my blogging might be sparse, at best, for who knows how long.

I dont really have much to write about for my "A Year of Memories" post today. Barry and I celebrated our first valentines day together as a couple, a married couple too, in 2000. He SPOILED me that day! I can remember most of what I got too, I was quite the lucky girl ;o) We had a DVD player at the time, but no VCR, so Barry actually went to the Power Zone (electronics store on the Army Base) and bought me a VCR and "Muppets from Space" on VHS. hahaha. We only got rid of that movie a few years back and replaced it with the DVD finally. Barry loved that movie, and quite often we would quote our favorite line from it. "The Goat?", "NO! THE REMOTE!!!" lol It makes me smile, because I can hear us doing it in my head.

I was also treated to a bottle of "Angel" perfume by Thierry Mugler, a card, and a large stuffed red Bull from TY...basically a giant beanie baby which I still have to this day. It looks brand new, and I had it on my bed last night as I slept. The perfume is long gone of course, because after I got it, I got pregnant shortly after. The scent was much too strong for me while I was pregnant, and I couldnt stand it for years after that. Recently I just bought myself another bottle as a Valentines Day present from Barry. And I love the scent now, it brings me back to him. In fact, I think it was April of 2000, Barry went on a field exercise and had me send some stuff for him with someone that was back in the rear, and was going up for a visit. I wrote him a letter, and kissed it with lipstick, and also sprayed it with "Angel". To keep the letter safe, I tucked it into a James Beard cookbook that he had also asked for. To this day, the letter still resides in the cookbook, covered in red kisses, and still faintly smelling of Angel, even 10 years later. Ill always keep it like that.

You know whats kind of funny, this past week I feel like Ive been getting messages from Barry. Just random things here and there. Perhaps it is him telling me that everything will be ok, that he is ok. I dont know what they mean, but I do believe its him.

Last night, while I was on my way home from Tacoma, I passed a Giltner truck. Barry drove for Giltner, and I have only seen them twice since he died. It makes me smile, I feel like there is a tie to him then, just even to get a glimpse of a Giltner truck. Today when the kids and I went to Ikea, I passed a VW Scirocco. For those of you who dont know what that is, obviously it is a car, but an older one. It was Barrys car when I got to Germany, and we drove it for a few months till we bought a "new to us" SUV (Suzuki JLX that we ADORED). Anyway, this car picked me up at the airport when I came to Germany, it took us to France, we drove it on our wedding day etc etc. Lots of good memories with that car. It was hideous though, just FUGLY! haha. We called it "The Rat". I havent seen one in years, and today, I just had to smile again seeing it as I drove past it. I was laughing and remembering as I pointed it out to the kids as it passed us.

And then the last one today was in the restaurant with the kids. We were given a Red Robin gift card when Barry was in the hospital, and we finally put it to use today. We enjoyed a really good meal, and as we left, I took A to the bathroom as we had a long drive home. I passed by a woman that had the name "BARRY" written on the back of her sweatshirt. Perhaps it didnt mean anything at all, but I keep getting reminders of him. That is three in less than 24 hours! I like to think of them all as friendly reminders of Barry.

I have some more exciting news to share, but that will have to be left for later! Look for a new post in a day or two!!

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Life After HCG Countdown to the Dirty Dash

I have been running 5Ks like crazy these passed few weeks trying to get ready for The Dirty Dash. I am so excited to run the fall Utah race this Saturday! As weird as it may sound, the Dirty Dash is kind of near and dear to my heart.

You see, this muddy race has been a big part of my weight loss journey. On my very first day of the HCG Diet, I did The Dirty Dash for the first time. At 285 pounds, I stumbled through mud until I finished. It was insanely hard (you can read about that here).

Then in the Fall, after losing 60 pounds, I ran the Dirty Dash again. It was still hard, but a little easier (the blog for that race can be found here).

 Spring 2013 rolled around and I was 100 pounds down. I did it again.

Typically I get to do the race with the staff here at HCGDiet.com, but they decided not to do it this year, but thanks to the amazing Dirty Dash staff, I am so excited to say that my roommate and I will be running the race together!

The Dirty Dash was something I never imagined myself doing. What started out as an obligatory work event turned into an incredible self-realization: My body can do hard things. And trust me, when you are trying to lose weight, there is nothing more powerful than this realization.

 Losing weight is difficult, and while we are transforming physically, a lot of the roadblocks we encounter are mental ones. Its important to be able to remind yourself that your body is more than capable of pushing its limits, you just have to convince your mind first. The Dirty Dash is like my annual reminder of this. Each year it gets a little bit easier and I can do  more and more of the obstacles.

So, to you dear reader, remember that. Your body can do hard things. If you are trying to lose weight and trying to stay motivated, put your trust in yourself and decide that you are going to push your limits. Maybe your powerful reminder wont come from running muddy races, but there is something out there that will help you realize how much potential you actually have. Get out there and find it.

When Saturday rolls around Ill be the same weight I was last time I raced the Dirty Dash, but this time, I know I will be able to run faster and conquer the obstacles with a lot more confidence. Ive put a lot of hard work into running and a large part of my motivation for doing that has been the Dirty Dash! Ill post pictures as soon as I have them. Dont forget to find something that motivates you to push your limits. Go out and try something new!

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Life Got Away From Me Again

I remember when the grief was still so raw, so fresh, that I was blogging practically every day for the first couple months. And gradually it has become more and more sporadic, especially at times like this when we are settling into our new house and trying to find ourselves here.

Instead of sitting inside at my computer, I find myself outside talking to my neighbors. Or unpacking a box. Or doing my nails, which I have started enjoying again. Or cleaning my kitchen. Or doing a huge shopping trip at Ikea, which I did today and got everything I needed, except for the two bar stools which I forgot, and a lamp.

I just havent made the time for blogging lately. Id say sorry, but you know what, Im not really. Sometimes I just dont want to write, and I just want to live, and be happy and do normal things and not have to grieve all the time.

Speaking of grieving and being happy, the word is spreading like wildfire throughout the neighborhood that I am a widow. Thats ok, because I started it. I didnt want people to think I was this divorced mom of four. So Ive told whomever Ive met so far.

Yesterday evening before grief support, I was over at Brendas getting our home owners association paperwork, and we got to talking about Barry a bit. She started laughing really awkwardly and asked me why I was so happy. WHAT?!?!?!? Yes, she asked me why I seemed so happy, and THEN proceeded to ask me if he was abusive because I seemed so happy he was gone. What the fuck!

Obviously people dont know what to say when they feel awkward about something, because not that long ago, someone else asked me how my husband was killed? Again, WHAT THE FUCK? He wasnt killed, he DIED IN MY ARMS IN THE HOSPITAL. He died, he wasnt killed. Its called a THESAURUS people, learn how to use one.

Anyway, back to Brenda. I was a bit put off, obviously, as anyone would be, but I swallowed my irritability, and explained to her why I am the way I am. Because I have no choice. Really, I am what other people would deem "happy" because I have four children that need me and rely on me. I explained to her that I grieve every single day, but my time comes in the evening after the kids go to bed, thats when I cry most of the time. I explained that he was the best, most wonderful husband I ever could have asked for, that he provided well, that he was the best daddy every, and that we loved him and missed him so much. And then I also explained that when he was alive, he was a truck driver, which is why I know how to go about day to day life without him. Because really, this is all we have known for 8 years. Yep, he started trucking in April 2002, when I was just a few months pregnant with our now 7.5 year old.

After hearing my explanation, I think she understood a bit better, but Im sure its still hard for the majority of people to grasp how I am able to keep a smile on my face. Barry would tell me "Buck up Joanna, stop whining and get on with your life and take care of the kids!", and thats just what I have done. Only a few choice people really see the real Joanna, the one who is grieving every single day, and those are a few of my close friends and my immediate family. Only they have seen me break down, and throw temper tantrums and cry and scream and sit in the cold in my van by myself on Christmas day night. Perhaps Barrys job was a blessing in disguise, because it prepared me for this.

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Low Carb Cheesy Cauliflower Bread Sticks

Bread. The heavens supervised its creation, and just when we think it cant get any better, top it with cheese and BOOOOOM. Love. 

As heavenly and lovely as bread sticks are,the carbs are a little too much sometimes. 

Ive heard about cauliflower bread, but Ive been hesitant to try it - mostly because Im lazy and it seems time consuming. However, the other night I was desperately craving some cheese bread dipped in marinara, I had three different kinds of cheese in the fridge and a head of cauliflower. Maybe it was a sign, or maybe I was just hungry enough to work through my laziness... Whatever it was, I tried a recipe for cheesy cauliflower bread sticks and it was everything I hoped and dreamed it would be.

Cheesy Cauliflower Bread Sticks

1 large head cauliflower
4 eggs 

2 cups mozzarella, shredded

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp Italian seasoning
Topping: 

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Parmesan shredded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Chop cauliflower into medium sized florets. Rice cauliflower (place in a blender or a food processor and use a low-medium speed or a chop setting). Your cauliflower should look like rice, and not have any large pieces in it. Remove from food processor and place in a microwave safe dish. Cover and microwave for 10 minutes. Add eggs, 2 cups mozzarella, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Mix well using a fork.

You Might Also Enjoy: Low Carb Pumpkin Fluff

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. I was out of parchment paper so I used aluminum foil. I was still able to get remove them, but it was kind of tough. Spread mixture onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, top with additional mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan, and bake for another 5 minutes. 

Slice with a pizza cutter and serve with warm tomato sauce or marinara.

This makes about 6 servings of 2 bread sticks each. Calories: 297, Net Carbs: 7 grams, Protein: 26 grams

I had leftovers and I was kind of nervous to reheat them, but they were actually even better reheated. I just laid them flat side by side and microwaved them for about a minute and a half. They were awesome! 

Recipe adapted from jcooks.com

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Life After the HCG Diet Race for the Cure 2014

This weekend, I had the opportunity to run the Race for the Cure with my best friend and my stepdad. The race is only a 5K (which is great because Im totally not a distance runner... yet, and Im not all that fast.). I did this race last year when I first started running. During the 2013 Race for the Cure my 5K time was 42 minutes. I was unable to run the whole thing, but I was pleased that I finished.

This year I went in with the goal to run the whole thing and beat 37 minutes. In the last couple months, Ive been pretty consistent with running. I started increasing my distance to the point that I could run/jog a 5K. Once I knew I could do it, I tried my best to set goals to get faster. I started at 40 minutes, went down to 39, the 38, then about 37:30. And then.... I plateaued. Despite my consistency, I just couldnt break that 37 minute mark. As discouraging as it was, I kept running. The weather got warmer and I started running at work on lunch breaks, up hills, down hills, and all around trails.

When race day rolled around on Saturday, I was optimistic that it was going to be a fun run. And IT WAS! My friend Brice and my stepdad are much faster than me, but I was able to run with Brice for about the first mile. The whole race I was feeling pretty good. When I completed my second mile, I was surprised to find out that my time was only 22 something. That meant that I was on track to beat 37 minutes! This helped me relax a little bit more and just enjoy the last mile. I crossed the finish line at 35:24! My fastest 5K time EVER. It was an incredibly motivating experience. Im so glad that I didnt quit when I plateaued. I just kept running even though I felt like I wasnt seeing the results I was hoping for. :) I am so happy with my progress. The experience was motivating enough to help me realize that my hard work really is paying off. I surprise myself all the time at what Im able to accomplish when I just hang in a little longer.

Running has been a tremendous blessing for me as Ive been trying to maintain my weight loss. Now that Ive surpassed a 5K, I want to work on training for a 10K :) Theres an awesome race coming up in July!

When you lose weight, I cant stress how important it is to find something you love doing, whether its at the gym, on the trail, on a field or in a studio, GET MOVING. :)

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Life After the HCG Diet Whats to Eat

Life is kinda strange now that Ive finished all of my phases for my final round of the HCG Diet. While Im not holding myself to a strict list of very specific foods like I did on Phases 2 & 3, I still try to be pretty cautious of what I eat.

I realize what Im about to write may seem like bad news for some, but its true: Even after doing the maintenance phase, I still dont tolerate carbohydrates well. Its just a fact of life. I seem to do fine with more complex carbs like wheat bread and quinoa. However,  I cant eat rolls from Texas Roadhouse without seeing a slight gain the next day.

Basically Im learning that what I once that was normal (enriched, white flour) isnt normal when it comes to my body. My brain thinks its normal because thats what the American culture has taught me. So when I do eat carb-o-loaded foods, my mind registers this as fitting in with the culture I was raised with, but my body registers those tiny carbs as enemy invaders that need to be put into maximum security fat cells.

Bummer.

Im learning to live with this. And while I still allow myself to have the occasional candy bar or the occasional bag of baked chips Ive developed somewhat of a post-HCG eating routine that is helping me maintain.

Heres my diet on a regular clean-eating day:

Breakfast
Apple

Snack
Carrots

Lunch
Protein shake
- 2 scoops Triumph Slim
- 1 frozen banana
- 2 T. peanut butter
- Spinach
- Ice & water

Snack
Zucchini

Dinner
Grilled Chicken, Green Peppers & Onion
Salsa
Avocado

So if you noticed from the list above, I dont eat a lot of diary or a lot of grains. Before I started my weight loss journey, I used to drink a lot of milk and load almost every dish with cheese. But when I started counting calories, I realized that the amount of calories dairy adds isnt worth it. I try to eat six servings of veggies each day and a few servings of fruits. I stick mostly to chicken and protein powder because they are pretty lean and easy to prepare when Im short on time!

 When I follow the diet above I do really, really well maintaining my weight loss. Even if I slip up and eat junk for a day or two, getting back on this system usually helps me drop any weight I may have gained.

Now for a short little update on my goals: I want to lose about 30 more pounds but Im hesitant to do the HCG Diet yet. I dont think Im in the right mind frame mentally. Im not sure if I will do another round, but as of right now Im going to do form healthy eating and exercise habits before I worry too much about losing weight. I try to maintain a weight of 185 pounds but I give myself about 5 pounds of breathing room. So far Ive been able to stay within that threshold and Im looking to continue that streak! It feels amazing.

Are you nervous for life after the HCG Diet?

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Life Update Balancing Life for Better Health

Life has this way of pulling you into chaos. When this happens, you hang on for dear life and pray you make it through.

Ive realized lately that I havent been very personal on here lately, mostly because Ive had some big things to handle recently and I tend to withdraw from friends, family, and readers when that happens.

Whenever I feel stressed, its usually because there is an imbalance in my life. My physical, mental, and emotional health are all very important to me. Usually when something goes amiss in one of those aspects, the other ones fall apart too. You cannot be healthy if any of those things are lacking. Its no surprise that as I started to get overwhelmed, I started to put on a few pounds here and there. Im not yet where I want to be because Ive been neglecting myself, and so I have made it a goal to refocus myself in every aspect of my life. So, just to catch everyone up... Heres what Im working on:

Physical

FitBit Fun! I got a fit bit a few weeks ago and its been so fun competing with my friends to get all my 10,000 steps in. :) I got the FitBit Zip on sale at Best Buy and its been an interesting challenge trying to move more on days when Im not scheduled to run! Each day I have the goal to hit 10,000 steps.

Speaking of Running... Last month I did phenomenal with my running. Each week I set up a schedule on Mondays and would make sure I stuck to that schedule. Three weeks ago, I finished a run and was having a really hard time breathing. A day later it was much worse and I went into see a doctor after having a really bad panic attack that led to a fit of coughing that I was not able to catch my breath from. I was having chest pain and felt terrible. Turned out I had a breathing virus causing inflammation in my lungs, and a fever of 103! I did a breathing treatment, was put on steroids and an inhaler, and told I needed to take a little break from running. That little break turned into about two weeks. The first week doctors orders, the second week being terrified that I wouldnt be able to finish a run without having an asthma attack. This week I am putting that fear aside and going for a good run tonight! :) My goal is to get my mileage up to 15 miles per week with my average mile time being 10:30. Im not a very fast runner, but I am enjoying celebrating the little victories of getting my mileage up and my pace down! Im also working toward increasing my long runs to 6.2 miles. Once I have my mileage up, Im going to work on my speed. Id like to be able to run a mile and a half in 11:56. 

As far as my diet goes, I am trying to cut out all candy this week. I am also trying to stick to 1300 calories M-F, 1500 calories Sat & Sun.. My focus is on eating balanced meals. Low carb during the week, and still being mindful during the weekends, trying to only eat whole grains. Woohoo. Ive been trying to take my focus off the number on the scale and instead focus on how well Im sticking to the goals above. If I do all these things above, I know my weight will be fine.

Mental

I am trying to take control of my life by taking control of my thoughts. I realized that Ive lost sight of some of the things I really enjoy just because Ive been too unmotivated to put the effort into keeping up with them. One of my goals to improve my mental healthy is to things that I dont want to do if I know they will improve or contribute to my life. So that pile of laundry that is sitting in my room, Im going to fold it. And that blog Ive been wanting to start, Im going to start it. That phone call Ive been needing to make, Im going to make it. Those articles and documentaries Ive been meaning to read, Im going to read them. One of my greatest fears in life is becoming stagnant. I dont want to settle. I want to progress. Progressing means overcoming yourself mentally and learning to push through the lazy thoughts that are holding you back. And thats exactly what I plan to do.

Emotional

Emotionally, Ive been having a difficult time. Going through a breakup basically destroys your confidence, then add all the other pressures of life onto that, and it becomes really easy to feel negative. Emotionally, Im trying to come to terms with the fact that being alone doesnt mean you have to feel lonely. My happiness is not dependent upon another person. Ive made a goal to be productive with my alone time instead of trying to escape it by making plans, spending all night on social media. Im also working on serving others to feel more confident about myself. I know that I have a lot to offer this world, and that thought is empowering, but if I never take opportunities to help others, I dont feel like Im living up to my full potential.

Remember that no matter how hectic your life gets, you still are capable of rising above all of the things that try to hold you down. Your life is in your hands. Your happiness is solely dependent upon how you react to situations. Are you going to be a victim in the your own story? Or are you going to be a hero? Its your choice. Ive made mine.

What are some of your goals?

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