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. 

The Missing Piece

Everything else comes first - exercise last. We say that the other activities must be completed - we owe that time to someone or something else - and exercise is - well - hard. This is me for sure! So many irons in the fire, so much other responsibility. However, I am trying diligently to change my mindset. To realize that exercise is hard, but it is worth the difficulty. This is the only body I will ever have, and it is my responsibility to take care of it or face the consequences - and those consequences are not pretty - and dealing with them will be a whole other kind of hard.

Yet knowing what needs to be done and actually doing it are much different. So I had to find a way to make it work for me. Some people just go for it. Some people even enjoy the exercise (I do once it is done - and not because it is over, but because I feel so good). But I tend to put it off to another time, then another, then another - eating as well - oh, I don't put off eating - I put off eating meals that will fuel my body with needed nutrients. If bread and chocolate had all of our daily vitamins - I would be Hercules - well maybe Xena.

My dilemma, then, became how to motivate myself to act in a manner that would build me up both physically and mentally - that would keep me on track - not perfectly - but heading daily in the right direction.  Challenge groups and coaching groups! For me, the answer.

I began with the challenge groups - and even then I struggled - but I trudged on. I finally realized that is isn't about not struggling, it is about perseverance - not giving up. That every step I took in the right direction would eventually lead me to a healthier and happier place. The real beauty of these groups (which is the main reason I became a coach - lifetime accountability) is that my struggle affirms someone else's struggle and together with many others we journey, building one another up with encouragement and understanding along the way. We stumble - we fall - one challenger put it well when when she commented about not only falling off the horse, but tumblig down the hill as well.

We are better together - and I am better because I am not only looking out for myself but others. And if we stroll together day by day and pound by pound - we will eventually find ourselves running and wondering at which point the actual change took place.

In his book The Compound Effect,  Darren Hardy states, "The Compound Effect is the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small, smart choices. What's most interesting about this process to me is that, even though the results are massive, the steps, in the moment, don't feel significant....What most people don't realize is that these small seemingly insignificant steps completed consistently over time will create a radical difference."

 It is the small steps, the consistent steps, the turtle steps that will eventually allow for finishing the race. And those of us working together may not all cross the finish line at the same time, but we will cross, while continuing to cheer one another on along the way.