Pictures of results so far

Okay, so I promised before and after pictures and I'm happy with the changes.  Smaller belly for sure!  :)


Before



After- 11 lbs off and 2 inches off waist, 1 inch off hips

Results/Lunch

So it’s been a few days since I blogged, but I had a big test, and have another two tests left so you’ll have to bear with me.  I also haven’t had a chance to get my husband to take an after picture, so that’ll have to wait a little too.

Yesterday I spent a lot of time making two broths for cooking that is healthier for us (lower sodium than store bought) and for sure safe for Mr. Eli.   I made roasted mushroom broth and veggie broth which I’ve made before.  Both recipes are from the Better Homes Cookbook, and I’ve frozen them to use over time. 

No exciting new recipes, but I’m mainly just doing seasoned fish or chicken breast and veggies.  Today’s lunch for Eli and I is southwest chicken breast, brown rice (made in my veggie broth instead of water- yummy!), and steamed asparagus.  Yum Yum!

My 10 day advocare results are as followed:  Lost 11 lbs total, 2 inches off of belly at belly button, 1 and ½ inch off from under my mom roll!, 1 inch off my hips, and at least 2 inches off my chest (wasn’t an original measurement so I don’t know for sure).  So a total of 6 and ½ inches from what I started and since then I’ve lost another half an inch off my belly!  I’m so happy with the products and it jump starting my attitude and weight loss.  Having success right away is an amazing way to start a program because otherwise you just work for months with no big results (which is what has happened before).  If you are interested in the products my friend Ty who recommended it and had great success is also a distributor.  Her website is here: https://www.advocare.com/120311897

My new diet now includes one freebie a night.  Last night I ate part of a KitKat and it just didn’t seem the same…weird but good.  Not craving that one anymore!  J  I’m planning on making some special potatoes the next time we’re all together for dinner as my cheating food for the day, and I’m looking forward to potatoes as I haven’t had one for almost 3 weeks now!  Going good and very happy!

Talapia

So last night we ate the Talapia...yuck.  Of course I have yet to eat Talapia not drenched in tartar sauce that I like.  Lyle and both kids loved it, but I wouldn't eat it.

I brushed the fish with olive oil, and put southwestern seasoning, cumin and cinnamon on it.  I don't know why, I just started putting stuff on it.  Along the side we had baked sweet potatoes. 

A good thing I made yesterday was a veggie rice soup.  I took carrots, celery and broccoli and boiled in water with some bullion cubes (Eli wouldn't be able to eat with bullion because it has wheat,  but I could have used chicken or veggie stock and he could).  I made brown rice in another pan and when the veggies had just a little crunch left I added the rice and enjoyed.  It was yummy!  Only problem was sodium content would have been through the roof.  I'm thinking I can make it very low sodium with a homemade veggie stock that I made before going through the cookbook for Eli!  Definately a must do again!  I could also add some chicken breast!

I have been doing twice a day workouts so today I did Zumba this morning, and will probably do my treadmill this evening.  I'm going to try to contain myself from weighing again until day 10 because I don't want to start obsessing about every pound!   Tonight is some kind of chicken dish with broccoli probably, maybe cauliflower, who knows?!

Eating Out

So.  Eating out on my diet plan probably isn't recommended, just because it's hard and you don't know how they prepare food.  Well Lyle promised Ella they could go get "Mickey mouse pancakes" at a local restaurant after dance, so off we went.  While we were waiting for our food, it made me think about how on this diet it's a little easier, but not much, than trying to find something Eli can eat.   I ended up with a side salad and small cup of vegetable beef soup.  Some of the vegetables in the soup I wasn't "supposed" to eat- corn, and the beef in it probably wasn't lean, but I can get away with cheating.  Poor Eli can't. 
So what do we do for Eli?  Well it depends. 
We absolutely LOVE Disney, for many reasons, but one is because whenever you make reservations and mark that you have allergies the chef will come to your table and prepare a special meal for the person with allergies.  Last year Eli wouldn't eat much but got several types of food for the first time ever.   This year we're very excited to go because he wants to eat stuff, we just can't let him.  So this will be a great experience for him!
Now that Eli can eat lettuce and likes it, we can go to places with salad bars and not have to bring much food.  Veggies and fruits on salad bars save us from having to bring those to restaurants and we've started frequenting places with that option a little more.  Just having a salad on the menu doesn't always guarantee it's safe- Fazoli's has cheese on theirs if  you don't specially order it and make sure they make a fresh one, not just try to take off the cheese (that happened to me once and there was still cheese in it).  These places we still take meat options for Eli, because you never know about marinades or some lunch meats have beef even if it doesn't sound like it should (pork hot dogs usually have beef).
 For unknown restaurants or places like we went last night, we just pack a meal.  Last night Lyle opened a can of tuna (which I thought was weird), and took a cup of peas and mandarin oranges.  We buy both fruit and veggie cups from the store for occasions.  Meat we more frequently take is turkey pepperoni, ham or turkey slices, or turkey hot dogs. 
Many restaurants have awesome menus to help you decide about allergies, so make sure you ask.  TGI-Fridays and O-Charlie's comes to mind right away.  Italian restaurants are also making special gluten free menus, but that doesn't help us a lot because of the soy allergy.  If they marinade their meat, I assume it has soy even if they don't know for sure.
Packing is easiest for us, but my biggest concern is once he gets bigger if someone will complain.  Of course we just won't eat there if they can't accommodate my son.  End of story!

Day 5 and Southwest Chicken

Today is Day 5 of my Advocare 10 day program.  I ran on the treadmill yesterday for 55 minutes doing a “cardio burn” program, and today did the same thing but 45 minutes.  I also did some light weight work and some AB reps.  Out of curiosity I checked my weight and measurements because I stepped on the scale last night and was pleasantly surprised.  Well, doing my “official” way to do my weight, I am down 8 lbs, and have an inch off my belly and ¾ of an inch off my hips!  YAY!  Awesome!

So last night I made a yummy, healthy family dinner.  We had garlic green beans, southwest chicken, and brown rice (for Eli, Ella, and I).

The garlic green beans are fresh green beans sautéed in a little olive oil with garlic.  That’s it.  Simple and we all like it.

The southwest chicken was chicken breasts, baked in a little olive oil and I seasoned both side with a very little salt and lots of pepper and Pampered Chef’s Southwest seasoning.  Very yummy and easy again. 

Brown rice was brown rice, and I made it right this time instead of soggy!  J  Tonight I’m thawing Tilapia and will need to experiment with seasoning to find a way I may like it. 

My goal is to have a BMI either normal or close to normal by the time I turn 30 (May 27^th).  And it would just be a shame to have to buy a new wardrobe for Florida this year! 

Cheater Cheater

So, since I'm being honest enough to post a picture....I did cheat on day 2, which really just hurts myself.   Not big cheats at least!  I had a deviled egg, which the egg part is okay, the mayo is bad!  And I also had a small piece of ham which is not a low fat meat.   These are both things that are okay AFTER day 10.  Once again, what kind of dummy starts this right before Easter?  Oh yeah, someone so busy she forgot about Easter!  haha!
Hopefully for day 3 I'll be good...even though that means missing my grandpa's Easter rolls. :(

New Plan, New Goals, Here's to a new me!

So I haven’t blogged for a long time.  Mostly because the purpose of this blog was me cooking things that Eli, with many allergies, and the whole family could eat.  At first this was a very overwhelming task, but as we have learned it is the most basic meals that Eli can eat and enjoy.  This includes chicken, turkey, fish and pork prepared in almost any way as long as we don’t use normal vegetable oil and seasoned any way, and fruits and vegetables.  Casseroles are out, but these are usually calorie and salt packed meals that most everyone should avoid.

A few months ago, Lyle cut his finger and ended up in the emergency room for stitches (nothing earth shattering in our world), but his blood pressure was through the roof!  200s/100s!  I have had people having heart attacks with better blood pressure.  I rechecked it at home a few days later and it was still 170s/90s, which is no good at all.  Since then he has been going to the gym 4-5 days a week and eating healthier with more fruits and vegetables, less snack food, and less beer!   His blood pressure is now down to 120s/60s and improves every time I check it, so he’s making his goals and has lost about 15 pounds.

Why do I share this?  Because my weight and health overall isn’t the best either and I’m taking the initiative to start a new diet and exercise and decided to blog about it.  That’s why!  And the greatest thing is almost all of the foods on my diet Eli can also have!  I can have eggs, which he can’t, and some nuts for snacks.  One great example is I made salmon on Friday for lunch, brushed with just enough olive oil to not stick, seasoned with salt and pepper and some fresh lemon juice squeezed on top.  This was served with a spring green salad with low calorie vinaigrette and brown rice. 

So this will now be a combination blog of my hopeful weight loss and diet, and the simple but tasteful recipes I come up with that Eli and I can eat together!

For the first 10 days I’m following a herbal cleanse that a childhood friend recommended and worked for her (she’s lost about 20 pounds!) and I hope it helps me jump start my program also!  So it is a little more restrictive than what my continued diet will be, but that just pushes me to make what I can eat a little more flavor filled without extra calories or fat!  Here’s a picture of the products:

And I’m going to be super duper brave and post before pictures, with the determination that after pictures will be better.  Please don’t mind my messy house. 

So, Day one is over, Day 2 is half done and I’m thinking- Who’s the idiot who started this right before Easter holidays?!  Haha!  Have a happy one!