First off, yup, I've gained back 3 pounds since my last post 2 weeks ago. Hmmm--now that I've written that, think there could be any correlation? My guess is there's no cause-and-effect relationship between lack of posts and weight gain, but rather a tendency to avoid blogging when I'm not "doing my best work", shall we say.
Excuse #1: Work has been hell for the past couple of weeks--overwhelmed, with stress level through the roof.
Excuse #2: Had a huge fight with a family member that upset me for days.
But those are just that--EXCUSES. Truth is, I just decided to eat a lot of pizza and ice cream over the last couple of weeks. I didn't want to; I tried not to; but I fell back into my old pattern of cravings, night eating, etc, and just went with it. Probably I just felt sorry for myself and said to heck with it.
I also tried something else that probably wasn't wise during this time. I tried a "diet", I guess you could say--the "Fast Diet". The one where you eat 500 calories on Monday and Thursday, and eat "normally" on the other 5 days. My not-even-fat cousin is doing this and has lost 24 lbs in about the same time I've been working at this. So I thought I'd mix it up a bit and give that a shot, along with 'Blasting.
You're supposed to eat a HEALTHY 500 calories on those days. Cousin K has things like pepper strips, a small piece of chicken, carrots, a light yogurt, etc.
I basically white-knuckled it through the first Monday, but I didn't make wise choices. I think I had a cup of hot chocolate with spray whipped cream and a cup of hot cider for the first 2 "meals" of the day. Then I ate way too many pumpkin seeds (those suckers have a lot of calories!)
So I was at about 600 calories by the time hubby went to bed that evening. And then ...? Out came that damned Friendly's chocolate almond chip ice cream--AND I sat down with THE CONTAINER.
So my foray into the "Fast Diet" did nothing for me except remind me that I'm not good at that kind of restriction--especially when I'm already stressed. (Ahem--isn't that 4-letter word "d-i-e-t" right in the name of that plan, anyway? Shouldn't that have been a tipoff--hmmmmmm?)
I didn't even try to do it on Thursday.
Anyway, that gives you an idea of how the past 2 weeks has gone. Pizza, ice cream, Halloween candy. Although I *am* pleased that I (a) only bought one bag of candy for Halloween; (b) left it in the cupboard out of sight until it was time for goblins to start knocking; and (c) only succumbed to it THAT night. I had just a few pieces--could have been worse!--but that helped me get where I am today, which is back up 3 pounds from my low.
It occurs to me that 218 was a mere 2 lbs away from a full TEN PERCENT of my original body weight. I was t-h-i-s c-l-o-s-e!
But that's ok. I also did my second official, timed 5K walk today. That inspired me to get going again.
More on that tomorrow. :-)
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Day 76 - Still Going Strong (218)
Yesterday I walked a little over 3 miles, from my house to my mom's. It took me 65 minutes.
I had done that same walk back in July, and it took 90 minutes!
Wow--that's a 25-minute reduction in total time in 3 months! Whoo hoo!
I've signed up for another 5K walk taking place on 11/2/13. That's why I wanted to do this little test again. If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you already know that I did my first 5K walk, put on by the "Biggest Loser" organization, back in July 2013. That was about 2 weeks before I decided to get my act together and try to get healthier.
Walking to Mom's one time the weekend before the July walk was pretty much all the training I did for that first one, believe it or not. And the night before the walk, using the excuse that I needed to "carbo load", I actually ATE AN ENTIRE PINT OF BEN & JERRY'S! Sheesh. I knew it was stupid; but I wanted to do it, so I did. Lucky I was able to drag myself around Killington Mountain for 3.2 miles after that.
That also helps explain why I look like a small buffalo in the photos from that walk. :-) See my blog posts from August for those photos.
Anyway, here's what I saw on the scale THIS morning ... [drum roll, please ...] :
That's right--I'm now down 22 pounds in just 76 days! It's kinda hard to believe, but I'm THRILLED.
I had done that same walk back in July, and it took 90 minutes!
Wow--that's a 25-minute reduction in total time in 3 months! Whoo hoo!
I've signed up for another 5K walk taking place on 11/2/13. That's why I wanted to do this little test again. If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you already know that I did my first 5K walk, put on by the "Biggest Loser" organization, back in July 2013. That was about 2 weeks before I decided to get my act together and try to get healthier.
Walking to Mom's one time the weekend before the July walk was pretty much all the training I did for that first one, believe it or not. And the night before the walk, using the excuse that I needed to "carbo load", I actually ATE AN ENTIRE PINT OF BEN & JERRY'S! Sheesh. I knew it was stupid; but I wanted to do it, so I did. Lucky I was able to drag myself around Killington Mountain for 3.2 miles after that.
That also helps explain why I look like a small buffalo in the photos from that walk. :-) See my blog posts from August for those photos.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Day 71 - Bread and Salt Bombs - Ugh.
Last night I saw a container of noodle soup that I'd made for my husband while he was sick over the weekend still sitting in our fridge as I was poking around looking for dinner.
So as to "not waste it", I decided that instead of 'blasting my dinner, I'd have some of that soup--AND a couple slices of a nice Tuscan Boule (that's a fancy bread, in case you didn't recognize it) with butter.
UGH!
That was a typical meal for me in the recent past, except that often instead of a slice or two of bread, I'd have the whole loaf. After all, they're small. :-)
I need to remember the next time I have such a brilliant idea how GROSS I'll feel afterward. I can't believe how many years I spent eating like that, yet not making the connection between that and my huge, bloated belly, my aching joints, and the fact that I usually felt like a piece of crap in general. Actually, I think I just didn't *want* to make that connection. Eating that crap was my solace after a stressful day at work. Whenever anything was eating me, I'd eat crap.
This morning, I woke up with a salt/bread hangover. I didn't even pig out--I had one bowl of that (nasty, salty, packaged, processed-beyond-belief) noodle soup and just the 2 slices of bread. And I felt ok about it because I *planned* consciously to eat it, and I ate normal portions. But that didn't matter--I still felt awful afterward and this morning.
I guess I've started training this ol' bod to crave better treatment. That's a big victory!
I got up today determined to (a) remember this lesson, and (b) go right back to eating the GOOD stuff. So here's what I made for breakfast:
Recipe:
This was the first time I've used Chlorella. My sister recommended it after reading about its benefits. Just 1 teaspoon is all you need.
After that great start, I had 2 slices of turkey breast on half a flax whole wheat lavash bread spread with avocado for lunch. I snacked on pumpkin seeds.
Then for dinner I made an orange-themed 'Blast that I'd looked forward all day. I had visions of creamsicles dancing in my head. I put in:
The end result was very pretty, but still nothing to write home about. I guess if I hadn't been expecting it to be sweet, I would have liked it better. But I still drank it--it was just palatable enough to escape the label "Nasty Blast" that my sisters and I have come up with to describe our "mistakes"!
So as to "not waste it", I decided that instead of 'blasting my dinner, I'd have some of that soup--AND a couple slices of a nice Tuscan Boule (that's a fancy bread, in case you didn't recognize it) with butter.
UGH!
That was a typical meal for me in the recent past, except that often instead of a slice or two of bread, I'd have the whole loaf. After all, they're small. :-)
I need to remember the next time I have such a brilliant idea how GROSS I'll feel afterward. I can't believe how many years I spent eating like that, yet not making the connection between that and my huge, bloated belly, my aching joints, and the fact that I usually felt like a piece of crap in general. Actually, I think I just didn't *want* to make that connection. Eating that crap was my solace after a stressful day at work. Whenever anything was eating me, I'd eat crap.
This morning, I woke up with a salt/bread hangover. I didn't even pig out--I had one bowl of that (nasty, salty, packaged, processed-beyond-belief) noodle soup and just the 2 slices of bread. And I felt ok about it because I *planned* consciously to eat it, and I ate normal portions. But that didn't matter--I still felt awful afterward and this morning.
I guess I've started training this ol' bod to crave better treatment. That's a big victory!
I got up today determined to (a) remember this lesson, and (b) go right back to eating the GOOD stuff. So here's what I made for breakfast:
 |
| Mmmmmmm ... chock-full o' goodness! |
 |
| Isn't it beautiful before it blends? |
 | |||
| The end result |
- Spinach - 1 C
- Cherry tomatoes - 8
- Zucchini - 4 slices
- Orange - 1/2
- Bartlett pear (1)
- Pineapple - 1 spear
- Sunflower seeds - 1T
- Chlorella - 1/2 t
- Apple juice to max line
- Frozen red grapes just to make it colder
This was the first time I've used Chlorella. My sister recommended it after reading about its benefits. Just 1 teaspoon is all you need.
After that great start, I had 2 slices of turkey breast on half a flax whole wheat lavash bread spread with avocado for lunch. I snacked on pumpkin seeds.
Then for dinner I made an orange-themed 'Blast that I'd looked forward all day. I had visions of creamsicles dancing in my head. I put in:
- Oikos Orange Greek Yogurt
- 1 orange
- 1/2 orange bell pepper
- 5 grape tomatoes
- Baby carrots
- 1 spear pineapple
- 1/2 T maca powder
- Almond milk, unsweetened, to the Max line
The end result was very pretty, but still nothing to write home about. I guess if I hadn't been expecting it to be sweet, I would have liked it better. But I still drank it--it was just palatable enough to escape the label "Nasty Blast" that my sisters and I have come up with to describe our "mistakes"!
Day 70 - It's a Family Affair!
Now that my family has seen and heard about the results I'm getting by "Blasting" for the past 70 days, this has become a real family affair!
I'm thrilled that all 3 of my sisters now have NutriBullets--and our 80-year-old mother is showing interest as well. Oh, and one of my bros-in-law is also enjoying NutriBlasting right along with us. Gotta love that!
We all have health challenges. One sister has rheumatoid arthritis; one has narcolepsy and weight issues; and the third has thyroid issues, balance issues, and weight issues. I personally suffer from insomnia and have been on an anti-depressant of one sort or another for most of the past 30+ years. Mom has many of the issues that come with aging, plus she struggles with her weight, too.
It's been a blast [pun intended] comparing notes on what we're making, exchanging ideas about how to make our 'Blasts better, and learning about even more good stuff to put in them to help with inflammation, sleep, moodiness, etc.
One HUGE development in my own health, which I attribute at least in part to the fact that I'm now eating as though I *believe* the adage that "food is medicine", is that I stopped taking my antidepressant exactly 10 days ago. So far, so good!! I never thought I'd be able to do that; I've tried in the past but never been able to continue for more than a few days.
Soon I'll be like the people in the NutriBullet infomercial talking about what great changes this sweet little machine made in their lives!
Today I made another beautiful NutriBlast:
I'm thrilled that all 3 of my sisters now have NutriBullets--and our 80-year-old mother is showing interest as well. Oh, and one of my bros-in-law is also enjoying NutriBlasting right along with us. Gotta love that!
We all have health challenges. One sister has rheumatoid arthritis; one has narcolepsy and weight issues; and the third has thyroid issues, balance issues, and weight issues. I personally suffer from insomnia and have been on an anti-depressant of one sort or another for most of the past 30+ years. Mom has many of the issues that come with aging, plus she struggles with her weight, too.
It's been a blast [pun intended] comparing notes on what we're making, exchanging ideas about how to make our 'Blasts better, and learning about even more good stuff to put in them to help with inflammation, sleep, moodiness, etc.
One HUGE development in my own health, which I attribute at least in part to the fact that I'm now eating as though I *believe* the adage that "food is medicine", is that I stopped taking my antidepressant exactly 10 days ago. So far, so good!! I never thought I'd be able to do that; I've tried in the past but never been able to continue for more than a few days.
Soon I'll be like the people in the NutriBullet infomercial talking about what great changes this sweet little machine made in their lives!
Today I made another beautiful NutriBlast:
I found some flaxseed in my cupboard, so I added some of that for the first time. Other ingredients were:
- Spinach
- Cherry tomatoes
- Pineapple
- Plum
- Orange
- Frozen grapes
- Apple juice
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Day 68 - Made It Into the 'Teens!! (219.5)
I nearly fell over when I got on the scale this morning and saw this!:
Sorry to show you my feet again--and so BIG--but WHOO HOO!!!!! This is crazy! I honestly wasn't sure I'd ever see the teens again when I started NutriBlasting.
I'm sure glad I took that leap of faith and kept going.
Hope this inspires you to keep going, too. :-)
Today's morning 'Blast:
Sorry to show you my feet again--and so BIG--but WHOO HOO!!!!! This is crazy! I honestly wasn't sure I'd ever see the teens again when I started NutriBlasting.
I'm sure glad I took that leap of faith and kept going.
Hope this inspires you to keep going, too. :-)
Today's morning 'Blast:
- Spinach
- Whole pear
- Pineapple - 3 spears
- Grape tomatoes - 5
- Baby carrots - 5
- Frozen grapes - 8
- Hemp seed - 1T
- Apple juice to the Max line
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Day 65 - 19 Pounds Down! (221)
I was thrilled to see THIS on my scale this morning!
It actually even said 220 the first time I got on. Of course, I didn't believe that, so I did it several more times and it stuck at 221. I can live with that. :-)
That is 8% of my body weight down from my start just 65 days ago!
I'm not doing anything much different--still just 'Blasting as much as possible and walking as much as I can. Work is crazy busy right now, so I don't have time (or correction--I don't MAKE time) for as long walks as I have in the past, but you do what you can, right? Gotta make your fitness routine fit into your life, so ... c'est la vie.
Today I made one ugly-looking NutriBlast for breakfast. It's the first time I've ever added spinach to one of my yogurt-based 'Blasts. Usually I do what I call either a "veggie-based" one, which is at least 3 vegetables--always with either spinach or kale as the main ingredient--and a fruit or two for sweetness, or a "yogurt-based" one, which is mainly Greek yogurt with lots of fruits added.
Today's NutriBlast contained this:
![]()
But it was gooooooooooooooooooood.
I have more news about other family members joining me in a quest for better health, but I need to work. So I'll write more about that tomorrow.
Happy 'Blasting, everybody! (and please feel free to leave a comment anytime if you enjoy my posts).
It actually even said 220 the first time I got on. Of course, I didn't believe that, so I did it several more times and it stuck at 221. I can live with that. :-)
That is 8% of my body weight down from my start just 65 days ago!
I'm not doing anything much different--still just 'Blasting as much as possible and walking as much as I can. Work is crazy busy right now, so I don't have time (or correction--I don't MAKE time) for as long walks as I have in the past, but you do what you can, right? Gotta make your fitness routine fit into your life, so ... c'est la vie.
Today I made one ugly-looking NutriBlast for breakfast. It's the first time I've ever added spinach to one of my yogurt-based 'Blasts. Usually I do what I call either a "veggie-based" one, which is at least 3 vegetables--always with either spinach or kale as the main ingredient--and a fruit or two for sweetness, or a "yogurt-based" one, which is mainly Greek yogurt with lots of fruits added.
Today's NutriBlast contained this:
- 1/2 C Greek yogurt - vanilla & plain mixed in equal parts, to cut the sugar
- 1/2 large Mac apple
- 1 spear fresh pineapple
- 1 large handful baby spinach
- 10 frozen black grapes
- Almond milk (unsweetened) to Max line
But it was gooooooooooooooooooood.
I have more news about other family members joining me in a quest for better health, but I need to work. So I'll write more about that tomorrow.
Happy 'Blasting, everybody! (and please feel free to leave a comment anytime if you enjoy my posts).
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Day 54 - Walking Lots and Eating Well (223.5)
Not a lot new to report today, except that it's Day 54 and I'm now down a total of 16.5 pounds--yippee!!! I'm trying not to focus on the weight loss, but it sure is exciting when it happens.
Did I mention that I went a little insane a few days ago and spent all day eating pumpkin cupcakes?
Yup. I made a batch of a really simple 2-ingredient recipe for pumpkin muffins I found on Facebook, "for my husband", because he likes baked goods for breakfast. (Have I also mentioned he weighs about 85 lbs less than me? Fathead.) Anyway, this time he didn't want any for some reason. So he left the whole batch sitting there for ME to face when I got up the next morning.
Despite my best intentions, I ate those stupid things ALL DAY LONG, one after the other--until I'd consumed TEN OF 'EM! I was finally able to force myself to squish the very last one into smithereens and bury it in the wastebasket.
By the end of the day, I felt horrible and shaky because I'd eaten nothing but sugar and carbs all day. That'll teach me. AND the next morning, I had gained 2.5 lbs, back up to 228.
Since then, I've been more determined than ever to CUT THE CRAP and get back to what worked for me when I first started down this path.
And it worked--ta daaaa!! Today, the scale said 223.5. :-)
So here's an example of how I've eaten since The Great Pumpkin Cupcake Debacle:
This baby contains:
Oh--and to top it off, I have 6,752 steps on my FitBit right now. And today's not quite over!
Did I mention that I went a little insane a few days ago and spent all day eating pumpkin cupcakes?
Yup. I made a batch of a really simple 2-ingredient recipe for pumpkin muffins I found on Facebook, "for my husband", because he likes baked goods for breakfast. (Have I also mentioned he weighs about 85 lbs less than me? Fathead.) Anyway, this time he didn't want any for some reason. So he left the whole batch sitting there for ME to face when I got up the next morning.
Despite my best intentions, I ate those stupid things ALL DAY LONG, one after the other--until I'd consumed TEN OF 'EM! I was finally able to force myself to squish the very last one into smithereens and bury it in the wastebasket.
By the end of the day, I felt horrible and shaky because I'd eaten nothing but sugar and carbs all day. That'll teach me. AND the next morning, I had gained 2.5 lbs, back up to 228.
Since then, I've been more determined than ever to CUT THE CRAP and get back to what worked for me when I first started down this path.
And it worked--ta daaaa!! Today, the scale said 223.5. :-)
So here's an example of how I've eaten since The Great Pumpkin Cupcake Debacle:
- Spinach
- Cherry tomatoes
- Baby carrots
- Half a green pepper
- Fresh pineapple
- Frozen blueberries
- Apple juice for blending
Oh--and to top it off, I have 6,752 steps on my FitBit right now. And today's not quite over!
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Day 50 - 15 Pounds Down (225)!
I haven't blogged in awhile because honestly, things are becoming more routine. My NutriBlasts tend to have combos of the same basic set of ingredients in them most days. When you find what works, don't mess with it, right?
Here's today's:
Not a great photo, but it contained:
Yesterday's had spinach, a whole cucumber, broccoli, bell pepper, orange, and pineapple. Mmmmmm.
I am now down a total of 15 lbs from my starting weight of 240. That 15 lbs in 50 days. I'll take it!
I did realize something last night, though. I've gotten a little complacent again. I've started eating with my husband at dinnertime--including dessert, usually. I have way less for a meal than I used to, yes. But I realized that I can't afford to eat like I'm on maintenance until I *am* on maintenance. In other words, bread and butter, or apple pie, or ice cream, etc, every evening is NOT going to get me where I want to be.
So today I told my husband this (not that he understands--he weighs 140 lbs soaking wet and never gains unless he drinks too much beer) and refocused on eating veggies and fruits and a little protein.
This morning I had that marvelous NutriBlast. Lunch was a bag of Green Giant Veggies in Cheese Sauce--only 135 calories in the whole huge bag. Dinner was a big bowl of squash and some red grapes. Now I'm snacking on walnuts with Ghirardelli 70% Dark Chocolate Chips mixed in. And I'm getting ready to put the bag away--now! :-)
There's been a piece of fabulous apple/craisin pie sitting in the microwave allllllll day. When Mom stopped in to visit, I gave her half of it and saved the other half for DH's dessert. He had ice cream instead, so it's still in there. And it's gonna STAY in there!
Because I'm determined.
And why bust my butt taking a good long walk or two every day if I'm gonna come home and stuff my piehole with pie? (I've reached 5K steps on my FitBit on at least 7 out of the last 10 days--whoo hoo!)
Onward ...
Here's today's:
Not a great photo, but it contained:
- Spinach
- Fresh pineapple chunks
- Honeydew melon
- Red grapes
- Orange
- Hemp seeds
- Enough apple juice to blend (NutriBullet requires liquid to generate its "cyclonic action")
Yesterday's had spinach, a whole cucumber, broccoli, bell pepper, orange, and pineapple. Mmmmmm.
I am now down a total of 15 lbs from my starting weight of 240. That 15 lbs in 50 days. I'll take it!
I did realize something last night, though. I've gotten a little complacent again. I've started eating with my husband at dinnertime--including dessert, usually. I have way less for a meal than I used to, yes. But I realized that I can't afford to eat like I'm on maintenance until I *am* on maintenance. In other words, bread and butter, or apple pie, or ice cream, etc, every evening is NOT going to get me where I want to be.
So today I told my husband this (not that he understands--he weighs 140 lbs soaking wet and never gains unless he drinks too much beer) and refocused on eating veggies and fruits and a little protein.
This morning I had that marvelous NutriBlast. Lunch was a bag of Green Giant Veggies in Cheese Sauce--only 135 calories in the whole huge bag. Dinner was a big bowl of squash and some red grapes. Now I'm snacking on walnuts with Ghirardelli 70% Dark Chocolate Chips mixed in. And I'm getting ready to put the bag away--now! :-)
There's been a piece of fabulous apple/craisin pie sitting in the microwave allllllll day. When Mom stopped in to visit, I gave her half of it and saved the other half for DH's dessert. He had ice cream instead, so it's still in there. And it's gonna STAY in there!
Because I'm determined.
And why bust my butt taking a good long walk or two every day if I'm gonna come home and stuff my piehole with pie? (I've reached 5K steps on my FitBit on at least 7 out of the last 10 days--whoo hoo!)
Onward ...
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Day 40 - A Walk and a Weigh-In (226)
Today I started the day feeling really lazy because I slept in until 11:30 AM and missed out on a chance to walk with my friends Andie and CK again. Sheesh. My sisters have probably all been up about 6 hours by the time I got up--they all have half their day in already!
But oh well. That's what I did. Got to sleep til I'm "done"--that's how I do it. I know if I get up while I'm still feeling sleepy, I won't have a very active day.
But once I got up, I got busy. First, I weighed myself.
Here's what I saw:
(I cut my feet out of the photo this time cuz I need a pedi, ha ha--can't post feet photos without "happy toes"!)
So yeah, that's 14 lbs in 40 days!! Whoo hoo! I'm pretty thrilled. It's SO nice to see that if I just keep doing what I'm doing, all this flab IS going to come off. And I AM going to keep doing what I'm doing.
After that exciting weigh-in, I was extra-motivated. So I had a hard boiled egg and a banana, and then I went for a walk.
I walked for just 30 minutes and did just under 2 miles--probably 1.9. Whoo hoo again!! That's a huge increase in pace from what I did in the 5K on July 28th. That day, we walked 3.2 miles in just over 90 minutes--so just under 30-minute miles. Today's pace was nearly TWICE as fast! (I had some good fast music pumping on my iPod and walked to the beat as much as I could--songs like "Boom Boom Pow" and "Baby Got Back"--I'm sure that helped a lot.) On the way back, I wound down with some good ol' days stuff, like--ready for this?--Bobby Sherman and the Partridge Family! Ah, memories ...
I didn't have a single NutriBlast today. I had a small bowl of DH's homemade shepard's pie for dinner and some hummus and red peppers for "dessert".
Tonight I bought a bag of apples to make my hubby an apple pie, with Craisins, the way he likes it. And I realized as I was cutting up the apples that I don't have a single qualm about having this pie around this time. I know I can handle it (well, as long as we keep it in the microwave or the oven--somewhere besides sitting out on the counter where I can cut off a sliver every time I walk by--I haven't changed THAT much yet. ;-))
So that's today's report. Forty days--I haven't stuck with something this long in ages. It feels good.
But oh well. That's what I did. Got to sleep til I'm "done"--that's how I do it. I know if I get up while I'm still feeling sleepy, I won't have a very active day.
But once I got up, I got busy. First, I weighed myself.
Here's what I saw:
(I cut my feet out of the photo this time cuz I need a pedi, ha ha--can't post feet photos without "happy toes"!)
So yeah, that's 14 lbs in 40 days!! Whoo hoo! I'm pretty thrilled. It's SO nice to see that if I just keep doing what I'm doing, all this flab IS going to come off. And I AM going to keep doing what I'm doing.
After that exciting weigh-in, I was extra-motivated. So I had a hard boiled egg and a banana, and then I went for a walk.
I walked for just 30 minutes and did just under 2 miles--probably 1.9. Whoo hoo again!! That's a huge increase in pace from what I did in the 5K on July 28th. That day, we walked 3.2 miles in just over 90 minutes--so just under 30-minute miles. Today's pace was nearly TWICE as fast! (I had some good fast music pumping on my iPod and walked to the beat as much as I could--songs like "Boom Boom Pow" and "Baby Got Back"--I'm sure that helped a lot.) On the way back, I wound down with some good ol' days stuff, like--ready for this?--Bobby Sherman and the Partridge Family! Ah, memories ...
I didn't have a single NutriBlast today. I had a small bowl of DH's homemade shepard's pie for dinner and some hummus and red peppers for "dessert".
Tonight I bought a bag of apples to make my hubby an apple pie, with Craisins, the way he likes it. And I realized as I was cutting up the apples that I don't have a single qualm about having this pie around this time. I know I can handle it (well, as long as we keep it in the microwave or the oven--somewhere besides sitting out on the counter where I can cut off a sliver every time I walk by--I haven't changed THAT much yet. ;-))
So that's today's report. Forty days--I haven't stuck with something this long in ages. It feels good.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Day 39 - Still 'Blasting, Waiting for More Weight Loss
This is Day 39 of my adventure in becoming healthier with my NutriBullet.
I haven't lost any weight for what feels like a long time. But that's ok, because I'm 100% positive that I'm getting a whole lot healthier INside. Bet my cholesterol isn't 261 anymore!
Today I made a breakfast 'Blast that had FOUR veggies and just ONE fruit in it--wow. I'm getting this! (That doesn't count the apple juice that I use as my primary liquid, of course.)
Here's what this morning's contained:
They all pretty much look the same now, so I'm not taking photos of every single one anymore. Here's what they usually look like when they're ready to drink--not appetizing to the eyes, but so good!
I had my husband drill a hole in the top of one of the 2 caps that came with the NutriBullet so I could put a straw in it but still keep it covered, for "drinking &" driving. (One day I took a nasty "monster vomit"-looking drink like this out to my BMW to drink on the way to work. Since the bottom of the cup is pretty big, it didn't fit tightly into the cupholder. So of course, I knocked it over before I even got out of our driveway!!) That was NOT pretty. So the straw hole makes a huge difference. I contacted NutriBullet and told them I had an excellent suggestion for an improvement to their product. Haven't heard anything back from them yet [surprise].
Yesterday and the day before I *did* get photos of my smoothies. One was all Greek yogurt and fruit; that one came out really pretty pink when it was done. It had 1C yogurt (half vanilla and half plain, to cut down the sugar content); 4 chunks of fresh pineapple; 1C of fresh strawberries; and about 6 frozen black grapes.
Wednesday (Day 37)'s was similar to today's but had more fruit: spinach, carrots, orange, pineapple, frozen black grapes, hemp seeds, and apple juice.
My sister Gail bought me a huge tub of black grapes from Costco. Last night I pulled most of them off the stems, washed 'em, and put them on a cookie sheet in the freezer overnight, to freeze individually.
Now I have a nice big bag full of frozen grapes that I can just pour a bunch out of each morning to cool my NutriBlast and add some nice sweetness to it.
I haven't lost any weight for what feels like a long time. But that's ok, because I'm 100% positive that I'm getting a whole lot healthier INside. Bet my cholesterol isn't 261 anymore!
Today I made a breakfast 'Blast that had FOUR veggies and just ONE fruit in it--wow. I'm getting this! (That doesn't count the apple juice that I use as my primary liquid, of course.)
Here's what this morning's contained:
- 2 big handfuls of spinach
- 10 sweet petites carrots
- Sliced zucchini (about 1.5")
- 1/4 large red bell pepper
- Frozen black grapes
- 1 T hemp seeds (for protein)
- 1/2C apple juice
They all pretty much look the same now, so I'm not taking photos of every single one anymore. Here's what they usually look like when they're ready to drink--not appetizing to the eyes, but so good!
Yesterday and the day before I *did* get photos of my smoothies. One was all Greek yogurt and fruit; that one came out really pretty pink when it was done. It had 1C yogurt (half vanilla and half plain, to cut down the sugar content); 4 chunks of fresh pineapple; 1C of fresh strawberries; and about 6 frozen black grapes.
Wednesday (Day 37)'s was similar to today's but had more fruit: spinach, carrots, orange, pineapple, frozen black grapes, hemp seeds, and apple juice.
My sister Gail bought me a huge tub of black grapes from Costco. Last night I pulled most of them off the stems, washed 'em, and put them on a cookie sheet in the freezer overnight, to freeze individually.
Now I have a nice big bag full of frozen grapes that I can just pour a bunch out of each morning to cool my NutriBlast and add some nice sweetness to it.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Day 36 - Freggie Blast for Brunch (228.5)
I got up REALLY late today, so I had "brunch" rather than breakfast. :-) Here's what I made:
Recipe:
Big handful of baby spinach
10-12 "sweet petites" carrots
8-10 slices of zucchini
1/4 navel orange
~20 frozen green grapes
1T hemp seeds
~1/2C apple juice
As usual, it looked pretty bad but tasted really good. Putting in the frozen grapes, and so many, made a HUGE difference in how easy it was to drink--making them colder is a LOT better. I have to go put some more grapes in the freezer now!
Also, usually I leave my 'Blasts on the base, blending, for maybe a minute. It occurred to me that doing that whips a lot of air into em, making them sort of frothy. So today I only blended it for about 15 seconds--long enough to see everything liquefied--and it went down a little easier. It was thinner--not foamy or frothy like a McDonalds milkshake.
Still learning new things about how to make NutriBlasting better!
Big handful of baby spinach
10-12 "sweet petites" carrots
8-10 slices of zucchini
1/4 navel orange
~20 frozen green grapes
1T hemp seeds
~1/2C apple juice
As usual, it looked pretty bad but tasted really good. Putting in the frozen grapes, and so many, made a HUGE difference in how easy it was to drink--making them colder is a LOT better. I have to go put some more grapes in the freezer now!
Also, usually I leave my 'Blasts on the base, blending, for maybe a minute. It occurred to me that doing that whips a lot of air into em, making them sort of frothy. So today I only blended it for about 15 seconds--long enough to see everything liquefied--and it went down a little easier. It was thinner--not foamy or frothy like a McDonalds milkshake.
Still learning new things about how to make NutriBlasting better!
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Day 35 - Back from Another Little Break
This past Thursday-Saturday I took my mom to her 62nd high school reunion. It was a little over 4 hours from home, so we got a hotel for the 2 nights.
I decided not to bring my NutriBullet and just to see if I could "eat normally" on my own.
On the way down, we stopped for dinner at Wendy's. I had a chicken patty on flatbread with a spicy sauce; I thought that would be a healthier choice for me than a burger, because fast food burgers set off all kinds of cravings for me. Turns out it had just 30 calories less than the 1/4-lb burgers Mom and Gail had, but it seemed healthier. (And I had no fries and no Frosty).
The 2nd day, I had a Kind bar for breakfast and some grapes and peanuts to snack on while Mom and Gail were at the reunion.
That night we went out to dinner at a nice restaurant. I ordered baked haddock and rice pilaf with a salad to start. I had 2 small slices of homemade bread with butter before the food came and ordered tea to drink. I put real sugar in the tea because I'm avoiding all fake sweeteners now. We had no dessert. I considered this meal a victory--much better choices than I'd have made in the past.
The last morning, we went driving around in Maine shopping a bit. We stopped at a candy store called Yummies that advertised "10,000 pounds of candy on display". I got out of there with just a small bag of chocolate-covered sunflower seeds. Mom bought a bunch of saltwater taffy. I had her throw in some extra chocolate ones, which I ate on the way back to the hotel.
Then on our way home, we stopped for pizza. I hadn't had any pizza in a few weeks and really felt like some. But Mom, Gail and I split a 12-inch (small) pizza--and it was GOOD! We felt good about limiting ourselves that way. And none of us bought any of the AMAZING looking pastries in that place ourselves. (We did bring my brother home a whoopie pie that was about 8" across, though!)
Finally, when we were just 1.5 hours away from home on Saturday evening, we stopped at Friendly's. I planned to have a Jim Dandy, which is one of their biggest sundaes. It normally has 5 scoops of ice cream, but they're smaller than the normal "scoop". I asked for "just 4" scoops. And then I enjoyed the HECK out of that thing!
I see a bit of a pattern here, similar to when we went to Maine for vacation a few weeks ago. I do very well at the beginning and then get more relaxed toward the end. I think that may be because I *am* on vacation, and I figure if I make good choices 80% of the time, it's okay if I have a few treats toward the end.
Oh--almost forgot. Gail and I made a real effort to get steps in even while we were away. We went out one evening after dinner and walked loops around the hotel parking lot to crank up our step counts. And I walked the parking lots at both Wendy's and the pizza stop, too. That's all new behavior.
I've finally gotten to the point where sitting still for too long makes me a little crazy--I feel the NEED to get up and walk. That's exciting!!
I gained 1 lb over the trip. I expected the gain to be a bit higher, so I was pleased with that. Need to work toward gaining NOTHING on vacation.
Today I had a NutriBlast with 4 veggies and 2 fruits plus apple juice for breakfast. I had another one with Greek yogurt, almond milk, fresh strawberries, orange, and grapes in the afternoon. In between I went grocery shopping. I was hungry while shopping so I had a banana. My husband ordered a pizza for his dinner. It had just green peppers and mushrooms on it. I didn't plan to have any, but I ended up having a tiny slice--just one! And tonight for a snack I had a few more of those pita crackers--probably 2 servings, which is 12 crackers. All in all, it was a successful day.
Tomorrow I plan to work at my office so I can go to the gym (gym and office share a parking lot).
Have a good week, everybody!
I decided not to bring my NutriBullet and just to see if I could "eat normally" on my own.
On the way down, we stopped for dinner at Wendy's. I had a chicken patty on flatbread with a spicy sauce; I thought that would be a healthier choice for me than a burger, because fast food burgers set off all kinds of cravings for me. Turns out it had just 30 calories less than the 1/4-lb burgers Mom and Gail had, but it seemed healthier. (And I had no fries and no Frosty).
The 2nd day, I had a Kind bar for breakfast and some grapes and peanuts to snack on while Mom and Gail were at the reunion.
That night we went out to dinner at a nice restaurant. I ordered baked haddock and rice pilaf with a salad to start. I had 2 small slices of homemade bread with butter before the food came and ordered tea to drink. I put real sugar in the tea because I'm avoiding all fake sweeteners now. We had no dessert. I considered this meal a victory--much better choices than I'd have made in the past.
The last morning, we went driving around in Maine shopping a bit. We stopped at a candy store called Yummies that advertised "10,000 pounds of candy on display". I got out of there with just a small bag of chocolate-covered sunflower seeds. Mom bought a bunch of saltwater taffy. I had her throw in some extra chocolate ones, which I ate on the way back to the hotel.
Then on our way home, we stopped for pizza. I hadn't had any pizza in a few weeks and really felt like some. But Mom, Gail and I split a 12-inch (small) pizza--and it was GOOD! We felt good about limiting ourselves that way. And none of us bought any of the AMAZING looking pastries in that place ourselves. (We did bring my brother home a whoopie pie that was about 8" across, though!)
Finally, when we were just 1.5 hours away from home on Saturday evening, we stopped at Friendly's. I planned to have a Jim Dandy, which is one of their biggest sundaes. It normally has 5 scoops of ice cream, but they're smaller than the normal "scoop". I asked for "just 4" scoops. And then I enjoyed the HECK out of that thing!
I see a bit of a pattern here, similar to when we went to Maine for vacation a few weeks ago. I do very well at the beginning and then get more relaxed toward the end. I think that may be because I *am* on vacation, and I figure if I make good choices 80% of the time, it's okay if I have a few treats toward the end.
Oh--almost forgot. Gail and I made a real effort to get steps in even while we were away. We went out one evening after dinner and walked loops around the hotel parking lot to crank up our step counts. And I walked the parking lots at both Wendy's and the pizza stop, too. That's all new behavior.
I've finally gotten to the point where sitting still for too long makes me a little crazy--I feel the NEED to get up and walk. That's exciting!!
I gained 1 lb over the trip. I expected the gain to be a bit higher, so I was pleased with that. Need to work toward gaining NOTHING on vacation.
Today I had a NutriBlast with 4 veggies and 2 fruits plus apple juice for breakfast. I had another one with Greek yogurt, almond milk, fresh strawberries, orange, and grapes in the afternoon. In between I went grocery shopping. I was hungry while shopping so I had a banana. My husband ordered a pizza for his dinner. It had just green peppers and mushrooms on it. I didn't plan to have any, but I ended up having a tiny slice--just one! And tonight for a snack I had a few more of those pita crackers--probably 2 servings, which is 12 crackers. All in all, it was a successful day.
Tomorrow I plan to work at my office so I can go to the gym (gym and office share a parking lot).
Have a good week, everybody!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Days 29 and 30 - Superfood Smoothie and Breakfast Blast (227)
Today is September 3, 2013. I guess I forgot to post yesterday, what with all the excitement over weighing in at 227!! That made my total loss 13 lbs in 30 days. Wow. Can't really believe it. :-)
I did not get a photo of myself (well, my FEET) on the scale at 227, but I'll do another weigh-in in a few days and show ya.
Yesterday I went with all "superfoods" and very simple -- 1/2 C vanilla Greek yogurt, 2 handfuls of baby spinach, and most of a pint of blueberries (they'd been in the fridge for about a week, so once I picked out the yucky ones, there was probably about 1C left, ha ha):
The rest of yesterday was a Kind bar (dark chocolate cherry cashew); about 1.5 C of spaghetti with my husband's homemade sauce, made with tomatoes he grew himself; lots of grapes; and 4 pita crackers. Those are something new from Keebler that I spotted while grocery shopping.
Speaking of shopping, I should take a picture of my cart nowadays when I'm done. It's full of produce and greek yogurt and almond milk and lovely healthy things! Once again, makes me feel virtuous. :-) Actually, though, I DO feel really good seeing it, when I used to bring home bags of Dove chocolate pieces and big loaves of bread to snarf down with lots of butter and stuff like that.
Today for breakfast I had another nice fresh-tasting NutriBlast with 3 veggies and 3 fruits--no yogurt this time. It looked like baby diaper contents afterward, but it was still delicious. My friend Lois inspired me to put in stuff like carrots and oranges. The orange makes it very "summery".
Recipe:
I did not get a photo of myself (well, my FEET) on the scale at 227, but I'll do another weigh-in in a few days and show ya.
Yesterday I went with all "superfoods" and very simple -- 1/2 C vanilla Greek yogurt, 2 handfuls of baby spinach, and most of a pint of blueberries (they'd been in the fridge for about a week, so once I picked out the yucky ones, there was probably about 1C left, ha ha):
Speaking of shopping, I should take a picture of my cart nowadays when I'm done. It's full of produce and greek yogurt and almond milk and lovely healthy things! Once again, makes me feel virtuous. :-) Actually, though, I DO feel really good seeing it, when I used to bring home bags of Dove chocolate pieces and big loaves of bread to snarf down with lots of butter and stuff like that.
Today for breakfast I had another nice fresh-tasting NutriBlast with 3 veggies and 3 fruits--no yogurt this time. It looked like baby diaper contents afterward, but it was still delicious. My friend Lois inspired me to put in stuff like carrots and oranges. The orange makes it very "summery".
Recipe:
- 4 chunks fresh pineapple
- 1/2 navel orange
- Lots of "Sweet Petites" carrots
- 1/2 Granny Smith apple
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1T hemp seeds
- ~1/2C apple juice
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Day 28 - A Hike, and a Surprise! (230)
Last night I went for a hike--my first in probably 25 years. It was a small, local mountain called Eagle Mountain, here in Milton, Vermont. It's only .6 mile to the top, but still--it was a HIKE, and I DID IT! It was either that or spend a nice afternoon on the last weekend of summer sitting on the couch. It was #1 of my list of things I wanted to accomplish this weekend--and we did it. (My DH and "his" dog Bruce came along.)
I couldn't believe my eyes this morning when I got on the scale. You ready?
Drum roll, please ...
I couldn't believe my eyes this morning when I got on the scale. You ready?
Drum roll, please ...
I HAVE LOST 10 POUNDS IN 28 DAYS!!!
It's SO encouraging to see the scale going down, and it hasn't even been too painful.
Two-twenties, here we come!
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Day 27 - Pretty Green NutriBlast I Found On Pinterest
Today is Day 27 since I started using my NutriBullet. I've probably had 1 or more NutriBlasts on 22 of those 27 days--maybe more. I'm getting my money's worth out of it!
This week I found a couple of recipes on Pinterest that looked good, so today I tried one of those. It called for a full cup of yogurt and a whole apple, but I barely had room for what I put in it. I didn't add any extra liquid this time--it just had the 1/2 C yogurt and the juice from the fruits.
It was EXCELLENT and even LOOKED tasty!
Recipe:
This week I found a couple of recipes on Pinterest that looked good, so today I tried one of those. It called for a full cup of yogurt and a whole apple, but I barely had room for what I put in it. I didn't add any extra liquid this time--it just had the 1/2 C yogurt and the juice from the fruits.
It was EXCELLENT and even LOOKED tasty!
Recipe:
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
- 1 small banana
- 1/2 Granny Smith apple
- 1/2 large navel orange
- 1/2 C vanilla Greek yogurt
Last night I also tried a healthy cookie recipe I found online. These are "guilt-free treat" cookies. I think they'd be a really good breakfast-on-the-go because of what's in them:
Recipe:
- 3 mashed ripe bananas
- 1/3 C applesauce
- 2 C oats (I used good ol' Quaker Oats Quick Cooking Oatmeal)
- 1/4 C almond milk (I used unsweetened, but I think sweetened would have been better)
- 1/2 C walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 C raisins
- 1 t vanilla
- 1 t cinnamon
- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
The walnuts were my own addition. There were no instructions as to how much to put in each cookie or whether to grease the cookie sheet, but I can tell you--DO grease the cookie sheet! And I used a good heaping tablespoon or more of batter for each one. They didn't spread out a BIT.
The cookies aren't as good as, say, Toll House chocolate chip cookies, but they were decent. I ate three. :-) Like I said, I used unsweetened almond milk, but I think they'd be better if I'd used sweetened. They needed just a tiny bit more sweetness. They could also use a bit more spice, I think, if you're good at doctoring things up. Maybe some nutmeg--would that go with the rest of the recipe?
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Day 24 - WEIGH-IN (233)
I'm still here and still making/drinking my NutriBlasts! Work has gotten crazy busy again. When that happens, I take my photos, but I don't always get around to doing personal stuff online.
So here we are, on Day 24 of my NutriBullet "adventure".
Here was today's weigh-in -- I'm now 7 lbs down!
Nice feet, eh? :-) Sorry--hope you're not eating YOUR breakfast when you're reading this, ha ha.
Today I had (speaking of feet) a podiatrist appointment so I didn't make a morning NutriBlast. Then I had to go to the office, so I didn't make an afternoon one. I ended up going to Subway for a turkey and avocado/lettuce/tomato on flatbread and a bottle of water. That was good, right? Same thing I might have eaten at home.
Then tonight I got home late, so I just had a Lean Cuisine--turkey and green beans. Only 200 calories. It was surprisingly tasty.
I haven't been depriving myself completely of treats, either. Mid-afternoon today I took 2 Hershey's Nuggets out of the candy bowl at the receptionist's desk at the office. A couple days this week I've also had a small piece of my husband's birthday cakeS (yup--he had 2!) One was the black forest cake he asked me to make. The other was a scrumptious homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting that my sister Gail made for him. I stayed out of the carrot cake until today. The black forest cake I had for the past 2 nights--but only a sliver. A "normal" serving, if you will--not the 1/4 or 1/2 cake I might have eaten a month or so ago.
Progress, not perfection!
Earlier this week, I had a couple of successes and one semi-failure in the NutriBlast department.
On Sunday (Day 21) I was leaving on a 2-hour drive to visit DH's family. That didn't mess me up, though; I still made a fabulous smoothie to take on the road:
It was 1C of vanilla greek yogurt; 1/2C frozen blueberries; and a whole bunch of black grapes. I decided in the spirit of making this a lifestyle I could stick with to switch from plain to flavored (aka sweetened) Greek yogurt. It's still way healthier than something I would have had for breakfast in the past, and since I'm trying to have the fruity smoothies only about every 3rd day, how much can it hurt? Right?
I love drinking the pretty ones.
At my brother- and sister-in-laws', we had appetizers and dinner. Usually when we go there I CHOW on plenty of salty crackers and/or chips and as much dip as I can pack onto them. This time I had 5 tiny pita chips, each one topped with a smear of pesto and a roasted red pepper.
Dinner was really healthy: roast chicken, boiled carrots, steamed green beans, about 3/4C of mashed potatoes (another one of my red light foods), and one slice of canned cranberry sauce, with water to drink. I had just one helping and was very satisfied. No rolls; no dessert; no coffee loaded with cream and sugar after dinner.
Full Disclosure: On the way home from that visit, we passed the only A&W root beer stand left in Vermont--you know, the old-fashioned ones where they come out to your car with a tray, and you get root beer in one of those thick, frosty mugs. So we stopped. I felt like having a creemee but they didn't have creemee, so I ordered a small root beer float with 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream. DH ordered an entire cheeseburger basket with onion rings. I helped him out by eating just 4 onion rings. I was pretty proud of myself for making it out of there with just that. :-) It's another sign of growth--but the good kind!
On Monday (Day 22) I wanted to get back on the veggie wagon. So that morning's drink had 5 veggies and only a little bit of fruit in it. I drank half of it and put the other half in the fridge for the next day But to be honest, I couldn't drink the 2nd half--it just wasn't very good. I tried too hard by putting such a high percentage of veggies in it, and that just didn't work. Here's what it looked like "under construction":
Recipe:
2C kale
Zucchini slices
Cucumber slices
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 tomato (small)
3 pineapple chunks
A few frozen blueberries
Plain almond milk to Max line (this was the OTHER big mistake in this drink--shoulda gone with apple juice for sweetness).
It looked so ugly after I mixed it up that I didn't even bother with a photo. It was another tan sludge. Not appetizing in the least, I have to admit.
So here we are, on Day 24 of my NutriBullet "adventure".
Here was today's weigh-in -- I'm now 7 lbs down!
Today I had (speaking of feet) a podiatrist appointment so I didn't make a morning NutriBlast. Then I had to go to the office, so I didn't make an afternoon one. I ended up going to Subway for a turkey and avocado/lettuce/tomato on flatbread and a bottle of water. That was good, right? Same thing I might have eaten at home.
Then tonight I got home late, so I just had a Lean Cuisine--turkey and green beans. Only 200 calories. It was surprisingly tasty.
I haven't been depriving myself completely of treats, either. Mid-afternoon today I took 2 Hershey's Nuggets out of the candy bowl at the receptionist's desk at the office. A couple days this week I've also had a small piece of my husband's birthday cakeS (yup--he had 2!) One was the black forest cake he asked me to make. The other was a scrumptious homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting that my sister Gail made for him. I stayed out of the carrot cake until today. The black forest cake I had for the past 2 nights--but only a sliver. A "normal" serving, if you will--not the 1/4 or 1/2 cake I might have eaten a month or so ago.
Progress, not perfection!
Earlier this week, I had a couple of successes and one semi-failure in the NutriBlast department.
On Sunday (Day 21) I was leaving on a 2-hour drive to visit DH's family. That didn't mess me up, though; I still made a fabulous smoothie to take on the road:
I love drinking the pretty ones.
At my brother- and sister-in-laws', we had appetizers and dinner. Usually when we go there I CHOW on plenty of salty crackers and/or chips and as much dip as I can pack onto them. This time I had 5 tiny pita chips, each one topped with a smear of pesto and a roasted red pepper.
Dinner was really healthy: roast chicken, boiled carrots, steamed green beans, about 3/4C of mashed potatoes (another one of my red light foods), and one slice of canned cranberry sauce, with water to drink. I had just one helping and was very satisfied. No rolls; no dessert; no coffee loaded with cream and sugar after dinner.
Full Disclosure: On the way home from that visit, we passed the only A&W root beer stand left in Vermont--you know, the old-fashioned ones where they come out to your car with a tray, and you get root beer in one of those thick, frosty mugs. So we stopped. I felt like having a creemee but they didn't have creemee, so I ordered a small root beer float with 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream. DH ordered an entire cheeseburger basket with onion rings. I helped him out by eating just 4 onion rings. I was pretty proud of myself for making it out of there with just that. :-) It's another sign of growth--but the good kind!
On Monday (Day 22) I wanted to get back on the veggie wagon. So that morning's drink had 5 veggies and only a little bit of fruit in it. I drank half of it and put the other half in the fridge for the next day But to be honest, I couldn't drink the 2nd half--it just wasn't very good. I tried too hard by putting such a high percentage of veggies in it, and that just didn't work. Here's what it looked like "under construction":
2C kale
Zucchini slices
Cucumber slices
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 tomato (small)
3 pineapple chunks
A few frozen blueberries
Plain almond milk to Max line (this was the OTHER big mistake in this drink--shoulda gone with apple juice for sweetness).
It looked so ugly after I mixed it up that I didn't even bother with a photo. It was another tan sludge. Not appetizing in the least, I have to admit.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Day 20 - Still 'Blasting - Just Need to Catch Up!
I haven't posted for a couple of days, but I've still been 'Blasting and taking pictures of my creations!
On Thursday (Day 18), I just felt like a simple, fruity drink for breakfast. So here's what I had:
It was pretty before and almost tasty-looking after--and oh, SO good!
When I make the fruity yogurt-based drinks, I usually make them in the smaller NutriBullet cup. I just don't feel right having a huge glass when it has no veggies in it.
On Friday (Day 19), I was kinda late for work--one of the rare days I went to the office instead of working from home--so I fell back on yogurt and fruit again.
Here was that day's NutriBlast:
Recipe:
Today (Day 20) I got back to loading my drink with as many veggies as possible.
A co-worker had brought in some kale to share, so I made my first NutriBlast with kale. I'd never eaten kale before; I tasted a piece in the grocery store once, and it was bitter and peppery and awful. But the home-grown kale was pretty bland, so I thought I'd try it instead of spinach, which is hard for me to use up before it goes bad.
As you can see, it started out beautiful again; then got a little nastier as it mixed; and then was REAL ugly when finished. But as usual, it tasted very good--I was a good girl and drank every drop. :-)
Recipe:
Kale - ~1 C
Zucchini slices
Cucumber slices
Red pepper, 1/2 medium
Pineapple - 4 large chunks
Grapes, 10 black
A few almonds
Maca powder - ~1 t.
Apple juice - to Max line
On Thursday (Day 18), I just felt like a simple, fruity drink for breakfast. So here's what I had:
- 1 C Greek yogurt, plain
- 1/2 can peaches in their own juice
- 1/2 C almond milk, plain
It was pretty before and almost tasty-looking after--and oh, SO good!
When I make the fruity yogurt-based drinks, I usually make them in the smaller NutriBullet cup. I just don't feel right having a huge glass when it has no veggies in it.
On Friday (Day 19), I was kinda late for work--one of the rare days I went to the office instead of working from home--so I fell back on yogurt and fruit again.
Here was that day's NutriBlast:
Recipe:
- 15 black grapes
- 1/2 yellow delicious apple
- 1T chia seeds
- 1 C plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
- A few frozen blueberries to make it colder
Today (Day 20) I got back to loading my drink with as many veggies as possible.
A co-worker had brought in some kale to share, so I made my first NutriBlast with kale. I'd never eaten kale before; I tasted a piece in the grocery store once, and it was bitter and peppery and awful. But the home-grown kale was pretty bland, so I thought I'd try it instead of spinach, which is hard for me to use up before it goes bad.
As you can see, it started out beautiful again; then got a little nastier as it mixed; and then was REAL ugly when finished. But as usual, it tasted very good--I was a good girl and drank every drop. :-)
Recipe:
Kale - ~1 C
Zucchini slices
Cucumber slices
Red pepper, 1/2 medium
Pineapple - 4 large chunks
Grapes, 10 black
A few almonds
Maca powder - ~1 t.
Apple juice - to Max line
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Day 17 - Two NutriBlasts -- Freggie, and Yogurt-y
This morning's NutriBlast had so much freggie goodness, it made me feel almost virtuous:
- Spinach - 2 C
- Apple - 1/4 yellow delicious
- Zucchini - 1/3 small
- Cucumber - 1/3 small
- Pineapple - 1/2 C, fresh
- Blueberries - a few frozen
- Almonds - 6-10
- Maca powder - 1 t
- Apple juice - ~1/2 C
I didn't bother taking a photo afterward because I've realized that if they contain spinach, they all kinda look the same after blending--like dark greenish-brown sludge. If you want to see, look at a few of my earlier posts. :-)
But once again, it was very tasty--and filling. I drank the whole thing, no problem.
Later in the day, I made a pretty purplish fruit & yogurt 'Blast:
- 1 C Greek yogurt, plain
- 1/2 C frozen blueberries
- 15 black grapes
- Almond milk (plain) to the Max line
It was creamy, frothy, and delicious!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Day 16 - Yummy Yogurt-Based Breakfast Blast
I worked at my office today instead of from home, so I made a quick yogurt-based 'Blast for breakfast. It was yummy--just 1C plain Greek yogurt; a few cubes of fresh pineapple; a handful of black grapes; and a few frozen blueberries:
The fruit I added made it sweet enough that I didn't mind that it was plain yogurt instead of vanilla.
Besides this today, I had a turkey/avocado sandwich on 1 whole wheat lavash bread; a plum; and a Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew Kind bar. Those Kind bars are really good.
I have about 4K steps on my FitBit right now. Think I'll go head out and see if I can get it up to 5K before bedtime!
The fruit I added made it sweet enough that I didn't mind that it was plain yogurt instead of vanilla.
Besides this today, I had a turkey/avocado sandwich on 1 whole wheat lavash bread; a plum; and a Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew Kind bar. Those Kind bars are really good.
I have about 4K steps on my FitBit right now. Think I'll go head out and see if I can get it up to 5K before bedtime!
Monday, August 19, 2013
Day 15 - WEIGH-IN (235.5)
Well, I did very well with my eating over vacation and got in lots of steps on my FitBit. Heck, I had over 7,000 steps yesterday!
Unfortunately, I stupidly hit a bag of Wavy Lays Low Salt potato chips right before bed--the night before weigh in--sigh. Succumbed to an old habit and took the bag right into bed with me and ate mindlessly while I watched some stupid crap on TV. What was I thinking?!?!?
Here's the result:
So I'm 1.5 lbs higher than last week. But that's ok--I won't let it discourage me. I'm still down 4.5 from where I started, and today is a new day/week/opportunity to do better. Progress, not perfection, right?
Here's the result:
So I'm 1.5 lbs higher than last week. But that's ok--I won't let it discourage me. I'm still down 4.5 from where I started, and today is a new day/week/opportunity to do better. Progress, not perfection, right?
This morning's 'Blast should be called "Summer Sludge", cuz that's what it looks like. Tastes good, though--at least I was able to finish it. (No Rainbow Slaw in this one, ha ha--I'm back to spinach!)
Contents:
- Spinach - 1C
- Red pepper - 1/2 medium
- Zucchini - 1/3 large
- Apple - 1/2 large (yellow delicious)
- Black grapes - 15
- Blueberries, frozen - ~1/4 C (added just to make the finished drink colder)
- Almonds - 15
- Maca powder - 1-1/2 tsp (for protein)
- Apple juice - ~1/2 C
See why I called it "Summer Sludge"? (It was quite a bit darker in person than it looks here:)
Day 14 (8/14/13) - My First Undrinkable NutriBlast
Today I made the first NutriBlast that I couldn't finish, although I gave it the ol' college try and drank more than half before dumping the rest down the drain.
Instead of using spinach as the base, I used something called "Rainbow Slaw". Thought it'd be a good way to get in 4 veggies for the price of one. It contained mostly cabbage (ugh), plus some carrots and broccoli. I thought the other stuff in it would hide the taste of the cabbage, but no dice.
Contents:
Instead of using spinach as the base, I used something called "Rainbow Slaw". Thought it'd be a good way to get in 4 veggies for the price of one. It contained mostly cabbage (ugh), plus some carrots and broccoli. I thought the other stuff in it would hide the taste of the cabbage, but no dice.
Contents:
- Rainbow Slaw
- Red pepper - 1/2 large
- Cucumber - 1/2 small
- Blueberries, frozen - ~1/4 C
- Almonds - ~10
- Maca powder - 1 T
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