vacation

*sigh* I feel gross. We went on vacation this week and there was very little I could do to eat even semi-clean. I ate fruits and veggies every day and stuck to lean meat and whole grains when possible. I did have some wine (which I planned to) and a little rum and diet coke. Those were my planned indulgences that won't happen again for some time. Sugar is another story. It got progressively harder each day as I ate more food that contained it. I just hope I don't have to go through the yucky withdrawal feeling over the next couple days.

It's gonna be hard to get back into the swing of things, but I figure I'll start with breakfast and progress from there. I may have gained a pound or two this week, but maybe not. Overall the damage was minimal and my vacation was lots of fun and very worth it.

more cooking fun

I tried the soup today. I skimped on some of the veggies I'm not too fond of and accidentally forgot the garlic. It was a LOT of work (lots of stuff to peel and chop) and kinda spicy. It made plenty of soup though! I may use this for a winter recipe and reduce the spices a little.

I ran outside today - talk about hot! I did intervals, but did run/walk instead of the usual run/jog that I do on the treadmill. I'm still building my outside endurance. I entertain the idea of running a race in the next year or two.

My husband might be joining the military. We'll know more Tuesday after the ASVAB. If he does, I plan to work while he's at Basic and AIT. We'll be able to save a chunk of money and I plan to use a little to outfit my kitchen a bit better. That way I won't feel so limited in the recipes I make! I need a new skillet (my biggest one is just trashed) another pot (the one I have is bent) and some other helpful items.

I made one of my planned meals this evening. Mexican beans and rice on whole wheat tortillas. It was pretty good! I had a rough start because I had to send Sean back to the store for a couple items and Shannon was super whiny while I was trying to cook. She was tired and apparently hungry. She liked my dinner, too. At least, she loved the beans.

My kitchen is not set up how I like it. I have a lot of floor space, but very little counter space. I have no dishwasher (another woe of mine) so the counter is taken up by my dish drainer, the microwave and the range. I had to use the table to cut stuff up (reminder: I also need a cutting board...) and leaning over wasn't fun. Couple that with Shannon's fussiness and being a little unprepared and tired from being gone all day and I was frustrated. BUT it was good and there are plenty of leftovers for tomorrow, so no worries for lunch and stuff. I like knowing I have almost all of my meals taken care of for tomorrow.

I got some almond butter today, too! I love dipping apples in it. Yum.

progress

So, first off I've lost four pounds since last Wednesday! Yay! I don't know if it's noticeable yet, but I can definitely tell a difference. It feels pretty good!

I tried making bread again and it looked great at first. Unfortunately it fell during it's last few minutes in the oven. Boooo. Kneading it in the bread machine seemed to help though. I'll get it eventually.

I have two new recipes I'm going to try sometime within the next week. I'm starting pretty simple with a stew and then Mexican beans and rice. My biggest frustration is that I have to buy so many ingredients that I don't have, but I know it'll benefit me in the long run because then I WILL have them for future recipes.

I've added some weights back into my workout. I do what I can at home for that since my Y time is usually limited.

I've really noticed how good I feel lately, too. The fake low blood sugar feeling is gone and I'm satisfied with the food I eat. I know I'm eating much less than I was before, but since I'm keeping my sugar stable (a problem before!) I don't get so hungry unless I wait too long. One more pound and I'll see my first goal.

weekend

*whew* I am tired!

Weekends have always been the hardest for me, as I'm sure they are for a lot of people. Routine is always my safety. I was interested to see how this weekend would go while trying to avoid most processed foods. Overall it wasn't too bad. I got way too hungry yesterday afternoon after working out earlier and ate too much at dinner (O'Charley's). But I avoided the rolls! Haha. We went to my parents this afternoon, so I didn't have great options there, but I avoided all the sugary stuff.

I ate some of my bread for breakfast and lunch today. It's definitely delicious, but I'll try to get it lighter and fluffier next time, if possible, so it'll be better for sandwiches. I cooked up some chicken (in olive oil) for dinner tonight and made some extra for my lunch tomorrow. Part of my difficulty as I've mentioned before is planning ahead. Even if I can stay a day or two ahead of myself it will help so I never get trapped by being hungry with nothing at home - something that's happened far too frequently since Shannon was born.

Overall the weekend wasn't too bad. I'm planning a chocolate indulgence sometime over the next couple days. I figure my body will be craving it for various reasons! :-p Planned indulgence is another tactic I plan on using. If I know I have a future thing to look forward to, I usually do much better in whatever I'm trying to do - food related or not. :-)

I started doing running intervals now. I have been doing them on the elliptical, but it's too easy to slack without even knowing it. I switched to the treadmill because I HAVE to go the speed I set. It was challenging and I liked it.

My new favorite breakfast is plain oatmeal with apples and cinnamon! All real stuff. :-) I just wish my favorite fruits were always in season!

Bread - first attempt

I'm not really sure how the bread turned out. It tastes good (Shannon LOVES it), but it's a little doughy/spongy inside. I'm letting one loaf cook a bit more to see if that makes a difference, but otherwise I'll have to figure out if I need to adjust how I made it. I might let my bread maker knead it next time and let it rise longer. Not bad for my first time I suppose. I followed the recipe exactly, but I don't think it allows enough rising time. But that's my inexperienced opinion!

mind over matter

I have to decided to start a blog centered around trying to eat clean. I figured it would help me track progress and get questions answered as I go. The layout and looks sucks for now, but I wanted to go ahead and start it. I'll work on the aesthetics later.

Eating clean is something I've considered on and off, but never gave myself the push to do it. I tend to not start things for fear I won't keep it up or will fail. This definitely doesn't make much sense. Something just clicked a few days ago and I knew I wanted to change how I thought about food. I haven't wanted to give stuff up or change habits because the former is hard and the latter is difficult. But if I think about eating to power my body and give it what it NEEDS rather than what I WANT, it's remarkably easier. I've been barely tempted by sugar since I started and not because my taste buds haven't wanted it or because my body wasn't complaining. I just have the mental desire to actually change how I eat.

My biggest challenges are planning ahead and branching out with a limited pantry. I have always avoided meal planning. It's a bit odd actually since planning and list-making is practically a hobby of mine in other things. I feel so intimidated by my lack of knowledge and experience in planning, shopping, cooking and budgeting for it all that I just avoid it. I've started by going with some basics that I like and can do easily. Chicken, brown rice, veggies, sandwiches, fruit and eggs. I switched from regular cereal to plain oatmeal and have pretty much stopped eating anything that has sugar added. Let me tell you it is CRAZY how much sugar there is in everything. I really didn't think I ate that much until I cut it. My body has definitely complained and I lived with a fake low blood sugar feeling for a couple days. I still need to find another bread option. I'm actually going to attempt to make some tomorrow. If it turns out well then I'll try to do it once a week or so.

I'm really kind of impressed with how well I've done so far. My husband remarked today that my skin looks brighter and healthier. He actually asked if I was wearing make-up, lol. I told him I figure it's just the changes I've already made in my diet! Pretty impressive. I hope to see some weight loss soon as well. I'd like to lose 5-10 pounds - maybe as much as 15. We'll see though. That was part of my motivation as well. I carry my weight well, but I notice it and I'm concerned about gaining more with future pregnancies and just as life goes on. My latest way of thinking is that I'm tired of life happening to me instead of the other way around. My husband and I are trying to change things in many areas and clean eating is just one for me.