Pizza and Clean Eating?

First blog since completion of the Ultimate Reset. And I can honestly say that the advantages of
eating clean are continuing to reveal themselves. The past few days have not been a leap back into bad eating habits, just the opposite. My eating habits overall have become geared towards clean eating; however, there were a few times I added "white" carbs or sugar. I could almost immediately feel a physical difference. And gained back some weight. Lesson - if my goal is to continue to lose weight and gain a healthier lifestyle, then I must stick to the clean eating. Any deviation will need to wait for the time when my weight goals have been achieved.

On the positive, I am able to exercise again, and it feels fabulous. I am using Chalean Extreme for weights and CIZE for cardio. Am also continuing to prep food for the week and discovering new clean recipes. Yesterday I used the embedded video to make quinoa pizza crust. Quite tasty.

Gluten-free or not, this crunchy quinoa crust is out-of-this world delicious and completely guilt-free: http://trib.al/WGapgel
Posted by Cooking Light magazine on Monday, July 13, 2015

Finished But Not Final!

Day 22 of the 21 day Ultimate Reset! And my body truly feels reset and refreshed. What a wonderful experience: one that will impact me for the rest of my life. My results took me to the third shelf (picture at left) during the 21 days. But I'm not done. I really have 30 more to lose. So I'm looking to move beyond the bottom shelf (imagine the second and fourth shelves combined). Knowing that accountability is my friend, I am going to continue blogging (ups and downs/good and bad/ positives and negatives until I hit my goal weight loss. A second form of accountability will be our BB coach group for the month of August. I am committing to 31 days of the 21 Day Fix workout, continued clean eating, and drinking Shakeology and checking in daily to comment and support many of the other coaches on our Beachbody Arete Team. Of course, I will be incorporating CIZE as well! Can't wait to get started! May even dance some this evening. Going to begin exercising with Fix and Engergize in the morning. The Recharge should be here soon. Will drink that before going to bed.

Reset Results:
  LOST -
     Weight loss - 15 pounds
      Hips - 5 inches
      Waist - 4 inches
        Overall - 20 inches
       A sluggish, foggy feeling
        The need and desire for napping
         The heaviness and digestive issues accompanying weight gain and poor eating


   GAINED -
       Confidence in ability to make commitment and follow through (this has not always been the case)
       Desire to eat cleaner
        Ability to enjoy vegetables and fruits with recipes to give variety and taste
         Desire for water more than any other drink - a love for water and its effects on the body
        A healthy system

         A feeling of energy, well being, and focus - a desire to keep these feelings strong

Helped my daughter move this weekend. The energy and ability to work for long periods of time - invigorating! The ability to go to sleep later and still be up early - exciting!
 
Until tomorrow and my August challenge.

Ready to take on a challenge of your own? Here's a possibility -

Future Days

Ultimate Reset - Day 19, Phase 3

Tempeh is marinating - Baked Tempeh for dinner (recipe at end of blog entry). Thinking some curried cauliflower and one other veggie as well. It is what I don't automatically think about for dinner that highlights the change most - not fast food, bread, white pasta, white rice etc. (I am still nurturing a desire for dark chocolate and Justin's peanut butter). I am amazed by the number of nut and seed butters available. I am amazed by the number of tasty healthy recipes I never took the time to try.

At one point this afternoon, I thought I needed a nap, but once I got around to it - NOPE. Not tired! Such a wonderful feeling for someone who used to spend many hours a day napping, especially on weekends. Parts of my life definitely suffered for it (especially grad school reading). The changes I am experiencing are giving me something infinitely more valuable

than being "skinny." Time.  More time awake, more time feeling healthy, more time feeling positive, more time with family, more time on study, more time focusing, When I am tempted to eat something that taps my system of my energy, I just need to remind myself of how wonderful it feels NOT to
crash from a sugar high.

So now I begin concentrating on the days beyond the Ultimate Reset. I am not yet where I want to be and am sure the pounds won't drop as quickly after Saturday. But I have a plan to keep myself heading in the right direction.

*My coach accountability group (checking in daily and supporting others as well)
*BB's new Energize to support morning workouts
*BB's 21 Day Fix for daily exercise (and it's only 30 minutes each day)
*BB's new Restore to drink in the evening before bed (helps sleep, muscle recovery, and curbs the appetite
*CIZE to dance several days after school (hoping some colleagues will join me)
*Shakeology daily (meal replacement or snack)
*LOTS and lots of water (should drink half your body weight in ounces daily)

But most IMPORTANTLY, I will create a schedule of meals each week, plan accordingly for shopping, and prep food on the weekend so that lack of time in the evenings or at school won't become the enemy. The best way to avoid eating what I shouldn't is to always have something I should. And it can still be tasty!

Two more days!

Until tomorrow ~

BAKED TEMPEH
(makes 1 serving)

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
1½ tsp. sesame oil
1½ tsp. 100% pure organic maple syrup
½ clove garlic, chopped
4 oz. tempeh, cut into ½-inch strips

Directions
Combine vinegar, Bragg Liquid Aminos, oil, maple syrup, and garlic in a small bowl; mix well.
Place marinade in a shallow dish; place tempeh in dish and turn several times to coat well on all sides. Marinate for 1 hour, covered, in refrigerator, turning once after 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn over and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until golden brown.

"Water, Water Everywhere"

Ultimate Reset - Phase 3, Day 17

Waiting on the squash to finish. Tonight's dinner along with green beans. Last night's dinner is pictured on the left. Curried cauliflower. Delicious. Cauliflower is easily becoming one of my favorite vegetables - so much that can be done with it. Going to try pizza with cauliflower crust when Reset is finished. See end of blog for curry recipe.

Two days of in-service (today and tomorrow). A little tougher following the regimen (supplements and all), but it was doable. And  I was able to avoid all of the chocolate on our table (for me that is BIG). Also, stuck to a salad at lunch. Vegan Shakeology for a snack. Took my gallon jug of mineralized water with me to school and kept refilling my smaller jug, so I managed to keep my water intake up. Will do the same thing again tomorrow.

Felt good all day. Upbeat and energetic. I did come home and take a nap for about an hour and half. Until I started the Reset, I would have trouble sleeping at night and that was after I finally managed to fall asleep. Lately, I lay down thinking, "Here, we go," feeling as if I am once more going to have difficulty again, and the next moment, I'm waking up. So many positive changes. I keep having to remind myself that I have not had refined carbs, meat, or dairy for almost two weeks. The Reset ends on Saturday - final results on Sunday. My CIZE dvd's (Shaun T) came today. Will start using them next week! Can't wait.

Until tomorrow ~

CURRIED CAULIFLOWER
(makes 1 serving)

Ingredients
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ to 1 tsp. curry powder
½ medium head cauliflower, stems removed, trimmed into large florets
¼ tsp. Himalayan salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Heat oil in small skillet over medium-low heat. Add curry powder; cook, stirring constantly, for 15 to 30 seconds, or until fragrant, taking care not to burn. Remove from heat.
Combine cauliflower and curry mixture in glass baking dish. Add salt (if desired); mix well.
Bake, stirring gently 2 to 3 times, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender.

Something New

Salmon, asparagus, potatoes

Ultimate Reset Phase 1, Day 6 

Hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of week 1-phase 1. Tonight's meal was one I would never have considered eating before. I am not a fish fan. The smell alone makes me nauseous. But I know it is a strong nutritional resource, and it is one of the meals on the Reset. Therefore, I decided to try. Thankfully, my "home chef" cooked it in such a way that was light and tasty. No fish smell or taste at all!

Turbo Jam 

The week has actually progressed very well, Some participants indicate that they experience hunger during this time. I have not. Thankful for that. And instead of dreaming about sugar and carbs, I actually dreamed about jogging last night. Never thought I would say this, but I am looking forward to getting back to exercising. Have decided to start with Turbo Jam and the new CIZE coming out in a few days. (I love to dance - have never been able to stand still when music is playing!) May start some Tai Chen tomorrow. 

Still feeling a bit tired. So hard to explain the sensation: low energy - yet bursts of energy. The nutrition guide indicated that this Reset will affect both psyche and body. It's true. On the first few days, I was pretty emotional; today I feel a calm, a peace. I no longer get heartburn. Before, sleeping on my side, I would wake up with numbness in my shoulder and arm - NO MORE! I guess with less weight (and I have lost quite a bit at this point), there is less pressure on the limb. At least that is the only explanation I can think of. 

I can honestly say my eating habits are changing and will continue to change from this point forward. I can truly say that I am utilizing a clean eating diet! No worries, cheat meals will happen, but they definitely won't be the norm.