Day Nine

Happy Tuesday, friends! Tonight my friend and I made vegan pizzas. What a delicious meal! The main ingredients are artichokes and olives, with other veggie toppings. Check out the recipe at this link. Last night I went to Yogalates (yoga + pilates) at 24 Hour Fitness. Wow, what a workout! I've done regular yoga and hot yoga before, but never Yogalates. I felt so relaxed and rejuvenated after the class. I decided to switch to Yogalates on Mondays instead of Cycling Boot Camp so I can stretch and elongate my muscles. The teacher was pretty good, but she went through the motions too fast. I got my blood test results back today. Besides having slightly high cholesterol, I am very healthy. My doctor wants me to start taking Vitamin D supplements since Seattle lacks in that department. I will go back before my cruise in April for follow up blood tests to track my progress. Also, I'm going to blog every other night from now on. It will give me a chance to share more recipes and highlights from my journey in bigger posts. I hope everyone is ready for leap day tomorrow! :)

Day Seven

I watched "Food, Inc." today. All I can say is WOW.

Unlike "Forks Over Knives" (that discusses specific food choices and our health), "Food, Inc." discusses where our food comes from and how genetically altered most of it is. It made me realize that I might not ever eat meat again, and I would be ok with that. I'd rather be healthy and eat fresh foods than eat meat from animals that are corn-fed and can't even walk. I highly recommend that movie to anyone who is doubting what I am doing - it will change your life.

On a lighter note ... I feel very confident going into this week. I made a batch of veggie fried rice and steamed broccoli/cauliflower for my lunch tomorrow. I have a few new meal ideas that I will share with you the day I make them :)

Also, I'm heading down to San Francisco this coming weekend to see my friends from Accenture training almost a year and a half ago. I'm really looking forward to reconnecting with them and experiencing all the vegan options SF has to offer. If anyone had any recommendations of places to go while I'm down there, please reach out and let me know.

Day Six

Good evening friends! I'm writing to you from Whidbey Island :) I'm spending the night at my friend's cabin for a birthday party. There is a lot of meat, dairy, and sweets here, but I've resisted it all! I brought my own salad and veggies for dinner, and I have microwavable rice for breakfast. It's nice to have supportive friends who understand how important this change is for me.

I had a nice workout this morning - 50 minutes of cardio in the morning after I woke up. Working out in the morning is nice because you get it done for the day, but there's no way I could do it on weekdays.

So far I've lost 5 lbs this week, and I hope to continue losing weight at this rate until I'm down to my goal weight.   Have a great night everyone, and stay safe this weekend! :)

Day Five

Today was a rough day. I learned the hard lesson of how ignorant people can be towards people who weren't born in America.

But in regards to food ... I had a delicious rice bowl at Chipotle for lunch! Brown rice, black beans, pico de gallo, and corn salsa. Very filling and delicious.

I was definitely feeling the dessert cravings tonight. I know that cheating with what I eat will only hurt me in the end, so I am staying strong.  But man, I could go for some chocolate right now ;)

Thank goodness it's Friday night - I can't wait to sleep in tomorrow morning!

Day Four

Good evening friends! Today has been a great day.  I woke up full of energy and started my day with some oatmeal. For lunch, I had leftover lentil/kale soup, and sushi for dinner.

I discovered today that my caloric intake is pretty low compared to how much I'm working out. I'm eating anywhere between 600-1000 cals a day, and burning the same amount at the gym in the evenings.  I might have to up my daily caloric intake if my weight begins dropping too rapidly.  So far I've lost about a pound a day since I've started, but I will continue to monitor my progress so I don't risk my health. I haven't felt weak or unusually tired, so I'm happy about that.

At the gym tonight I did a bunch of 'moves' on the TRX machine. If you've never seen or used this, you should definitely check it out. You hold on to straps hanging from a big metal A-frame, and use your body weight to do anything from push-ups, squats, pull ups, and lunges. Here's what a typical TRX looks like:

Tomorrow is Friday - the start to my first weekend on this diet. I'm confident that I have the will power not to give in to late night junk food. I've enjoyed sharing my new lifestyle with coworkers, family, and friends, and I hope to inspire at least one person to analyze their own lifestyle and become healthy from the inside, out too :)

Day Three

Today I discovered the awesome-ness of cumin! A former coworker gave me a recipe for lentil/kale/onion/tomato soup, and I added a bunch of cumin and it tasted like beef soup! I'm glad I can get the enjoyment of beef flavoring without the actual meat. I made enough soup for 3 meals so I'm excited to enjoy it again tomorrow.

I also had my physical and blood tests today with Dr. Pam. She is a very young, yet knowledgable preventitive medicine doctor. She examined me and took blood. I should hear back in a few days about the results. She also encouraged me to have heart tests done since my mom had a heart attack at age 50 with no warning signs. Unfortunately these tests are not covered by insurance so I would have to pay a couple hundred dollars out of pocket. I'll decide once I get the results from the basic blood tests.

Since Monday I've lost 2 lbs already! I feel really great, I'm full of energy, and I am never staving like I thought I would be on this diet. Thank you to all my family and friends who are encouraging me and giving me recipe ideas :)

Day Two

I've made it two days so far! Today was a challenge because of all of the candy and treats people bring in at work. I was strong and resisted them all :) I ate fruit when I had a sugar craving instead.

My lunch consisted of butternut squash ravioli and almond milk. It was my first time trying both of these and I was pleasantly surprised. I will definitely be buying more for my future lunches.

I went to Cedar's with a good friend for dinner and chose the vegetable curry with basmati rice. Definitely not the same as chicken curry, but it was still yummy. Maybe next time I'll branch out and try a new Indian vegetarian option. My appetite is shrinking because I'm eating more filling foods, which is really good for me considering I'm usually hungry 24/7.

Also, I donated blood today and made my 8th overall donation, earning me a 1 gallon pin. I've been wanting this pin since I was a child and my Girl Scout leader had them on her vest.

Tomorrow I go in for blood tests and a physical so I can accurately measure my progress from the inside.

Day One

Good evening, friends! Today is Day One of my new lifestyle! This evening I went to Cycling Boot Camp at 24 Hour Fitness, and after I went to QFC and purchased $55 worth of fresh fruits and veggies.  The first day is always the easiest, and I'm ready to hit this head on.  I threw away all of the dairy and desserts in my fridge and cupboards to reduce temptation to cheat. 

On Wednesday, I am having a full physical done including blood tests, body measurements, blood pressure, etc. I will go in again before my cruise on April 1st to see how much progress I've made.

Friends, please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.  This is a drastic lifestyle change and I need all of the support and encouragement I can get.