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!