Hello out there. It's been a bit since I have posted because living life can be darn time consuming! :) So the end of March is marking the end of the first quarter of 2011. I have tried many things in the first three months of my weight loss journey. Some are failures (don't even get me started on that coconut water!) and some have worked. First let me update you on my weight loss. I have lost 18 pounds since January 3rd. Most recently I lost 5 pounds in one week. I realize that is too much too fast but I'll tell you how I did it. I challenged myself to a week with no refined sugars. Talk about hard! Evidentally carbohydrates are the only things that we absolutely do not need in our diets in order to survive. So I ate lean meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and some dairy products like cheese and yogurt. Most of us are addicted to sugar so the fact that I had no crackers, bread, pasta, candy, chocolate, soda, and what ever else is considered a bad carb was a challenge for sure. However, I felt better and looked better than I have in awhile. I honestly could not believe how much energy I had. No more sugar laden afternoon snacks for me! I didn't realize that the sugar I was eating for a burst of energy was actually draining me of energy. Refined sugars spike your blood sugar quickly and then when your blood sugar plummets, the lasting effects are felt for hours making you feel energyless and tired. Doctor Oz says to make a trail mix out of hemp seed, unsweetened coconut flakes, and dark chocolate chips for an afternoon boost that won't make you feel lathargic. I have not tried this and I'm not sure about that hemp seed (does it come from the canabis plant??). Bascially Doctor Oz says the remember the 3's when eating to produce lasting energy through the day. Eat every three hours and when you eat remember to eat a fat, a protein, and a carb (like veggies and fruit...not the the bad ones). These three things combined keep your blood sugar flowing a steady level with no spikes or valleys. I challenge everyone to try to go without refined sugars for a week and see how you feel. I promise you will feel so much better. So then why do I turn around the next week and consume Dr. Pepper and marshmallow filled chocolate eggs way before Easter? I guess the simple answer is I am addicted to sugar. Sugar addiction has to be one of the hardest addictions to overcome. Only because sugar is widely available in a range of products. It's easy for the addict to get a fix and it's legal. But not to worry, I rebounded the following week and got my eating back under control. I haven't had any sugary substances for over a week now and once again I'm feeling better. I went grocery shopping yesterday and I was so proud of myself when I looked into the cart. Lots of veggies, fruit, some meats, some cheese, 1% milk, nuts, whole wheat bread, and skinny cow ice cream sandwiches (hey it could be worse). In the past, I use to spend $300 for a 2 week period on groceries. Cutting out all the processed foods has reduced my grocery bill by $100. So you can eat healthy for cheaper than eating badly. The problem is cutting out the processed foods and refined sugars. I won't lie, it's hard, but I have so much to live for and I don't want to be diagnosed with diabetes that runs through my bloodline. I don't want to miss the opportunity to shape and mold my children and see them become the successful, good people I know they will be. Just recently I have learned that I can change. As difficult as it may be at times all I have to do is look at my children and my husband. I have been wallowing in negativity and what happened in my childhood too long. I have finally made peace with the past and I am finally allowing myself to be happy, to be positive, and to know it's okay if I'm at peace with the past. Eventually we have to learn to let go of whatever haunts us before we destroy ourselves. So with that I want to pass on some information that may be helpful. I ran across a couple of articles that were interesting and I will post the links here for your reading enjoyment. The first one is the Best Superfoods for Weight Loss which includes black beans, strawberries, and oats...yummy! This is a great article. You can find it at www.bit.ly/gm1Mci. The next article is diabetic friendly recipes which proves not all low-carb recipes are tasteless. Some of the recipes include Applesauce Pancakes, Blueberry Muffins, and Veggie Tostadas. All twenty recipes look appetizing to me! Check out these recipes at www.bit.ly/fOYcsQ. Thanks for reading. I will try to post more often! God bless and wish me luck!! :)
Tracie
