Yesterday was the last day of the challenge…sort of. Though my trainer did challenge me to 10 days, I’m planning on keeping this going as much as possible. 🙂 I will be eating pretty clean but will incorporate Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and of course, beer back into my diet, but all in moderation. I’m going to rid myself of the sugary “fat-free”, “low-fat”, “100 calorie” snacks that I’ve been consuming for years. I haven’t eaten these items, or any processed sugar for 11 days now and I really don’t miss them. I haven’t had one sugar craving since starting the challenge. I’m pleasantly surprised.

So how much weight total did I lose during the challenge? My starting weight on Monday was 146lbs. Today (11 days later) I weigh 139.4lbs. That’s almost 7lbs in 11 days!!! Please remember that these results ARE NOT TYPICAL!!! I went at my own pace and having once been a vegetarian and Weight Watchers member, this challenge came a lot easier for me. My experience as a vegetarian and from Weight Watchers came in very handy. I was strict in what I are and drank. NO processed food, NO processed sugar, NO alcohol. I didn’t cheat once and for that I’m truly proud of myself! I feel lighter physically and emotionally. My workouts are much easier and more energetic. My mood is much more positive.

This challenge taught me quite a bit. I was reminded of the importance of eating small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals. I ate heavier during the day and a bit lighter at night. I was reminded of the importance of hydration. Just water all day long not only flushed out my system but it also helped with my energy levels. I learned that my eating natural sugar that’s found in fruit and veggies, that my sweet tooth is almost nonexistent. I learned to trust my hunger signals and eat when I was hungry, and pass when I wasn’t. I learned I’m stronger than I usually give myself credit for.

What’s next? I continue on my journey by “keeping to the code.” I plan to change this challenge into a permanent lifestyle. My journey is faaaaarrrrr from over. I have said in previous posts, my journey will never end. I need to stick with this lifestyle until I take my last breath (which will hopefully be when I’m 110yrs old!).

****AGAIN, IF YOU PLAN ON TRYING THIS CHALLENGE OR ANY DIET CHANGE, PLEASE TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR FIRST!!!****

Liz

I have to be honest and admit that last night I was a bit lazy. I didn’t blog about the day, I didn’t go to the gym, and I was too lazy to bake a chicken breast for dinner. What a slacker! I did go for my walk at lunch and racked up over 7,000 steps for the day. I ate pretty well yesterday up until dinner. Again, because I didn’t feel like baking or cooking, I just ate a few veggies and nuts here and there. Not the best choice I could have made, but I didn’t cheat on the challenge. I just hunkered down at home and started a new sewing project.

Today was much better. I went for my walk, ate my fruits, veggies, and ate a grilled chicken breast from the cafeteria downstairs. I took a nice run at the gym after work, and I currently have two chicken breasts baking in the oven as I’m typing this. I will have one for dinner and one for lunch tomorrow.

Oh, by the way…I’m down another 1.2lbs! That’s a total of 6lbs in 9 days! I’m very proud of my progress and I want to keep going with the challenge even when my ten days (tomorrow) is over. As I typed a couple of days ago I do want to stick with as much of this eating lifestyle as possible. I will slowly introduce a few things back into my day here and there, but I will NOT go back to the eating habits I had before this challenge!

My mood has changed for the better too! I wake up in a great mood every day. I may be groggy here and there, but I have a happiness and excitement that I haven’t felt in quite some time. It’s amazing how much processed sugar and preservatives can alter just about every aspect of your being. I feel lighter, cleaner, healthier, and much happier. My goal weight is finally in my sight and I won’t turn back now!

Liz

Still didn’t sleep that great but it was better than the night before. This morning I didn’t have time to sleep in because it was training day. I fixed hubby and myself some scrambled eggs and I had a banana on the side. A “cup of Joe” helped wake me up and then off I went to meet with my trainer. Right away she noticed how “trim” (her words) I look. I smiled through my entire workout!! I let her know that I plan on continuing with the new lifestyle change once the challenge is done, just not as extreme. For the most part the challenge is easier than I thought it would be. But I would like to slowly incorporate a couple of things back into my diet. She understood and agreed.

Lunch consisted of a love iceberg lettuce salad with grilled chicken breast, oil and red wine vinegar, and unsweetened iced tea. But dinner was truly the best! I bought gorgeous beef skewers with bell peppers and onions. We brushed a little extra virgin olive oil on them and then used a garlic seasoning. We threw them on the grill and they turned out amazing!! My trainer sent me more skewer recipes and I can’t wait to give them a go.

I’m so grateful to my trainer for throwing this challenge at me. To be honest, I would not have done it on my own. Though I know that this is the right lifestyle for me, I was kind of hoping (as many of us do) that if I just worked out and watched what I ate I would lose weight and be healthy. I was partially correct. Yes, we need to watch what we eat but what we eat needs to actually be fresh, clean, and healthy. I’ve said it a few time on this blog – just because the label says “low-calorie”. “100 calorie”, “low-fat”, etc, does NOT mean it is good for you. We need to make smarter choices. Fresher choices. Healthier choices. The weight loss will come.

Liz

Today was a bit of a challenge to say the least. Woke up after a horrible night of sleep feeling groggy and worn down. My allergies got the best of me last night so sleep was not to be had. It was an especially challenging day when it came to food.

I had errands to run in the morning so hubby and I went to one of our favorite brewery/restaurants for breakfast. Their breakfast menu is amazing…if you’re not on a no sugar/no alcohol challenge. MY choices were extremely limited. But I’m determined to make this work and not fall out of the challenge so I ordered what was available: 2 eggs over easy and a bowl of fresh fruit. Hubby had an amazing breakfast burrito and a pint and I ordered unsweetened iced tea. It wasn’t much but got me through until lunch. Unfortunately, I was really hungry withing 2hrs.

Lunch was a bit better. Again, not a lot of choices but I still made it work. Hubby was still full from his breakfast so I was the only one eating. By this time I was starving. Luckily, the brewery we visited has a gorgeous veggie platter with house-made humus. I had another iced tea and enjoyed my veggies and hummus. Then we drove home and took a much-needed nap! Dinner was much easier. I ran to the grocery store, bought a lovely rotisserie chicken and enjoyed about 3oz with some brown rice. Aaahhh, Feeling much better.

Though my day was challenging I’m very proud of myself for sticking to this plan and making the best choices I could. It would have been the easiest thing in the work for me to have had the french toast for breakfast or the pulled pork sandwich for lunch. Instead I made wise choices and feel accomplished. I knew this challenge was going to be tough but I’m proud of myself for hanging in their. I WILL complete this challenge, and then some. My goal is to incorporate as much of this plan into my lifestyle as possible. Now let’s hope I sleep better tonight.

Liz

Another night of deep sleep! Still wasn’t long enough (about 6hrs) but it still felt pretty good. I felt so good that I stepped on the scale again…down to 141.2! That’s another 1.4lbs gone! Now remember, these results are NOT typical. If you choose to try this challenge or change your eating habits, do not expect the same results. You may lose more, you may lose less. But talk to your doctor or health expert before you try it.

Some fresh fruit was waiting for me for breakfast along with a lovely cup of coffee with half & half. So far, so good. I’m half-way done with the challenge, but I don’t think I’m going to stop after day 10. I really enjoy eating “clean” and intend on making this a permanent change. I will still have some “unclean” products like yogurt and, of course, beer. After all, I DO also write a beer blog. But in moderation, it’s not a bad thing.

On that note, let’s talk about beer for a second.  When I posted on my regular Facebook page that I was going to avoid beer for 10 days, I got the usual lovingly smart-ass comments from my friends. I could visualize them grabbing their chests and gasping for air at the shock of it. Kind of like some relatives did when we announced we didn’t want children. I can’t say that I blame my friends for their reactions. I do post various photos of the different craft beers that I’m trying and writing about. So it may seem like chugging pints is the only outside-of-work activity that I have. They could not believe that I can actually live without beer! Yes, yes I can. Why? Because it’s all about moderation. I don’t drink beer at all during the week. On the weekends it’s usually 1-2 pints on Saturday, and 1-2 pints on Sunday. I admit of course there are weekends where I overindulge a bit, but it’s not a regular habit. I know the calorie content of beer and try to keep it in proportion with my activity level and meals for the day. The reason by I bring this up is because the common misconception is that in order to be healthy one has to give up all “sinful” food and drink items. NOT TRUE! THE KEY IS MODERATION!!! In fact, my pal David is a six-time Diamond Award winning Weight Watcher lead. He lost over 106lbs on Weight Watchers and has kept it off for many years…he’s also an award winning craft beer home brewer and President of his local home brewers club.

You don’t have to give up the items you love and enjoy in order to be healthy. Just don’t overdo it. Part of the journey is understanding what your limits are. Anything in moderation is fine! Just know what you are eating and/or drinking and adjust accordingly. Keeping yourself in check is key. Log everything you eat and drink and you will learn when a little treat won’t kill the journey. Again, it’s a journey. One that will never end for me.

So, all of this being said we are approaching the weekend. I plan on making some great food choices and working on my activity level. I’m trying to get my hubby to try the challenge for just 5 days. He’s not quite on board yet but I’m determined to change his mind. I discussed this with my trainer and she recommended skewers. Why didn’t I think of that?!?!?!?  She sent me some great skewer ideas on Pinterest and I’m really looking forward to trying them out! I will keep you posted!

Liz

Day 4 started off great! Got one of the best night of sleep I have had in quite some time. So go, in fact, that it was hard to drag myself out of bed! Looking forward to tonight’s slumber. I walked another couple of laps around my office building during lunch break and ate a yummy lunch of grilled chicken breast and cucumbers. I enjoyed one of my new favorite snacks: almond butter and celery. It satisfies my afternoon tummy grumble, and makes me smile.

Dinner was a bit of a challenge tonight. Hubby baked chili lime wings.The aroma was wonderful and for the first time since this challenge, I was a bit jealous. I wasn’t as prepared for dinner as I thought and only had some brown rice and fruits & veggies in the kitchen. The easiest thing in the world would have been for me to give in a have a couple of wings…BUT ID DIDN’T. I am determined to stick with the challenge so I had a cup of brown spruced up with some lemon pepper herbs and then some grapes and a banana for a snack. I feel much better and I’m very proud! Looks like I need to go grocery shopping again tomorrow. 🙂

I did not go to the gym tonight, but that’s OK. Chores around the house and catching up on some blogging took priority. The gym will be there tomorrow and I will work out like a boss!

Overall, I’m pretty excited about my progress thus far. It IS only the fourth day, but I feel energized, my pants are getting baggier by the day, and best of all I can’t stop smiling! My mood is a lot more sunnier than it has been the past few months. Maybe it is all in my head. But I will take it!

Liz

Day 2 of the challenge and I feel pretty darn good! I slept very well last night. Better than I have in quite some time. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have so much processed sugar in my system. My hubby thinks it’s all in my head. Hey, if it means I get better sleep then I’ll take it!

I got up this morning and prepped my food for the day:

BREAKFAST: coffee w/creamer (I still need to work on a better creamer alternative), watermelon and banana.

LUNCH: rotisserie  chicken, brown rice, and sliced avocado

SNACKS:  celery w/almond butter (yum!), banana, hard-boiled egg.

I mentioned the coffee creamer. Now, I love coffee. What I really mean to say is I REALLY LOVE COFFEE. Luckily, coffee is all natural and actually has health benefits (yay!). The creamer is the struggle. I’ve been using Fat Free Coffee Mate creamer for years. If you read the nutritional value on the bottle is says “Sugars 0g”. BUT, read the ingredients: “WATER, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN AND/OR COTTONSEED OIL**, AND LESS THAN 2% OF SUGAR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM CASEINATE (A MILK DERIVATIVE)***, COLOR ADDED”. I don’t know what half of that stuff is! So I talked with my trainer and a few friends who are into the “clean eating” lifestyle. They all agree that half & half, 1% milk, or almond milk are excellent alternatives. Guess I’m hitting the store again on the way home from the gym tonight. 🙂

I’m trying to fit in more activity during the day. My job is a desk job and requires me being at my desk for most of my shift. I don’t move around nearly as much as I should but I’m determined to change that. So, I ate my lunch in between phone calls and during my 45min lunch break today I took a nice walk around my building. I was able to complete two lapse in 30min. It felt good to get out and walk off some of the stress that comes with my job, and I’m already half-way to my 10,000 step goal for the day. The only downside? Now I’m sweaty at work. Ick.

Had one of my best runs tonight. My trainer started me on walking for 1min 30sec @ 3.5mph and then run for 1min 30sec @ 6mph. She also wanted me to shorten my run time from 50min down to 30min. It was a great challenge and I feel pretty amazing!

Dinner tonight was a green salad with fresh tomato, avocado, grilled chicken breast, and salsa in place of salad dressing. It was awesome!! Very fresh tasting with a bit of zip!

I have to say, for it only being day 2 of this challenge, I’m pretty optimistic, excited, and energized. I truly needed this challenge to get me back into the mental groove of my journey. I knew there would be ups and downs, but it’s part of the process. I’m feeling pretty good!

Liz

******BEFORE STARTING ANY DIET OR EXERCISE PROGRAM, ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR OR PERSONAL TRAINER!! I’M SERIOUS!!!!!!*******

If you read my Facebook page yesterday you know that my personal trainer has laid down the gauntlet. The challenge: To go the next 10 days avoiding all processed sugar and all alcohol. So why the challenge? To be honest, I’ve gained six pounds and now weigh 146lbs! My snacking, laziness, and lack of enthusiasm over the last few moths has finally caught up to me. The weight that took so long for me to lose came back with a vengeance. Six pounds may not sound like a lot, but it’s very upsetting and eye-opening to me. My trainer understands my goals, knows my limitations, and is aware of my struggles. So she challenged me! I fully accept the challenge. After all, I used to be a vegetarian. How hard can this be? Eeeessshhhh!

Now, the alcohol is going to be easy peasy to avoid. It’s the sugar that has me worried. I can eat fruits, veggies, lean meats, just a basic “clean” diet. But when you start to read labels it really hits you how much processed, added sugar we actually consume in a day. A ton!!!! When I sat down and went through what I usually eat during the day, a majority of my meals and snacks are all processed crap. Yuck! So, I’ve been spending a lot of time on the internet looking for alternatives for dressings, sauces, etc. Again, very eye-opening. I’m going grocery shopping tonight for the week and I’m fully prepared to be shocked and amazed. This is going to be interesting.

I started my morning a bit hungry. I enjoyed a banana before I left for work. Once at work,  I had my coffee with fat-free non-dairy creamer (no added sugar)  and headed down in the cafeteria. I looked around trying to decide what would be the safest thing for me to eat. Donuts, pastries, and French toast stared me in the face, but I’m determined to make the “no processed sugar” thing work. I chose two eggs over easy and a small glob of hash browns. It may not have been the smartest choice I could have made, but I wasn’t really as prepared as I should have been. But at least there was no processed sugar, just a bit more oil than what I would have liked. Oh, well. I have the rest of the day to make it right.

Lunch wasn’t really that challenging. I usually eat a salad of some sort for lunch so my only issue was what to put on it instead of the usual thick dressings I pour on. I thought about Dijon mustard but decided against it after looking up the nutritional value. There is .17gms of sugar in Dijon. That doesn’t sound like very much but, again, I’m determined to do this right.  A “clean” eating co-worker of mine suggested salsa instead of dressing. Splendid idea! No added sugar, it’s all natural, and gives an added zip. Unfortunately, there was no salsa to be found in the cafeteria. So instead, I settled with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Again, no added sugar. Hooray!

After work I went grocery shopping. Looking at the labels of the items I used to buy was shocking! SUGAR! IN EVERYTHING!!! I never really paid attention to the sugar content in the meal bars, juices, and frozen meals I was consuming. I know it seems like a no brainer, but we have been tricked into thinking that because something is packaged as “low-calorie” or “diet” means that it’s actually good for you. Guess what? IT’S NOT! So I made my mental notes and I picked out some gorgeous fruits and veggies, some lean chicken (pre-cut and packaged) and some all-natural condiments like almond butter and salsa. I’m set for the rest of the week!

It was actually quite nice shopping. Picking out fruits and veggies brought me back to my vegetarian days. It was like meeting an old friend. A bit melodramatic maybe, it’s just grocery shopping after all, but it felt natural and I enjoyed it. This challenge may not be as hard as I thought.

Liz

Woke up this morning feeling pretty motivated!

It’s no secret that the last two months have been a bit challenging for me both physically and emotionally. The loss of two grandmother’s in one week, the loss of mental and physical motivation, kidney stones, muscle spasm/pinched nerve in my neck & back, and a recent bought with the plague have all triggered bad habits. OK, it was the flu, but it felt like the plague. Needless to say my various “issues” has cut into my gym time, quality of my workouts, and left me feeling a bit drained. Oh, and I gained a few pounds. BBBOOOO!!!!!! Now, I could have sat around and cried tales of woe and let that icky self-talk get to me…but I didn’t. Instead, I  have been using the physical aches, pains, sneezes and coughs as an opportunity to listen to my body for once and take note of what it needs. I want so badly to progress with my workouts that I sometimes put my physical well-being on the back burner. Isn’t that ironic? If something hurts, I try to push through it. If I’m exhausted, I force myself to run. So, instead of “pushing through the pain” I took it a bit easier or just avoided a particular workout for a day or so. If I was psychically tired, I rested or did a lower impact workout. The only time I avoided the gym all together was on the days where I may have been contagious. While I admire those hard-core gym frequenters that can hit the gym 7 days a week and run 15 miles while wearing a leg cast (slight exaggeration), I have to be honest with myself and stop trying to push myself further than necessary. I’m not the young spring chicken I once was and I’m not as physically strong as the others, but I aspire to be. I’m nowhere near where I would like to be weight wise or strength wise. But I’m not going to risk further injury or illness in order to achieve my fitness goals. I will get there.

As for the emotional struggles, I’m getting through them just fine. 🙂 Life moves forward and you either have to move with it or be left behind! I started to beat myself up a bit over gaining a few extra pounds. But, as I have said in the past, my inner pin-up has a way of reminding me where I am, where I have been, and where I can go. She ALWAYS knows what I need and when I need it! I was walking up the flights of stairs at work carrying my purse and my lunch bag. My lunch bag when full weighs about 10lbs. My purse weighs maybe 5lbs. As I was stomping up the stairs I was reminded by my inner pin-up that the extra weight of both of my bags is just below the weight I have lost. I suddenly felt really empowered. Instead of pouting over a few pounds, I was proud of how far I had come. It hit me that I used to carry that extra weight around because it was physically attached to me. NOW I carry it around voluntarily! How awesome is that?!?!?!

So to the few pounds, the illnesses and injuries, and dramas that have crept up on me the last few months, you will not break me!!! I will shed you and the other 20lbs left to lose and will do so looking ahead. You are merely challenges and tests. I will surpass the challenges and pass the tests. Just try to stop me! I DARE you!

Liz