Category Archives: Blog Posts

Women’s Gluten-Free Health Summit

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Here’s one series I am sure not going to miss – The Women’s Gluten-Free Health Summit starting, September 8-12, 2014. This FREE ONLINE event brings over 18 gluten-free health experts who will offer the most up-to-date information on thriving with gluten sensitivity. They will take  the complexity of gluten sensitivity and break it parts to give you clear information and easy steps to feel better.
Women's Gluten-Free Health Summit

Every day, new speakers’ topics will be available. You literally can attend all the events from the comfort of your own home or even on the go at the times that work for you.
Register for the summit now!

Special Edition: The Photos

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Today, I finally made it to a total of 30 pounds lost! That’s 30 pounds in 25 weeks. Even thought it seemed longer! I said I would post the before or after pictures so here they are as promised.

compare

Wow, looking at my picture from 2012 (on the left) makes me wonder how I got to that point. It’s insidious how weight can creep up on you and barely know it’s happening if you’re not paying attention. I’m thankful that I’m now paying close attention. I still see areas to improve upon but it’s a huge change. Understanding how to eat properly will make it so much easier to keep my weight in check. Plus I feel so much better. Now, I am ready to get back to exercising.

I understand that I need to change my thinking of exercise than before. Just walking on the treadmill will only do so much. I need to keep challenging my body to reshape it. Losing weight is only one piece of the picture. I need to maintain my health long-term. Eating whole foods, exercising, drinking plenty of water, sleeping well, and being positive will bring this all together.

I’m looking forward to the future!

Top 10 Snacks for Ongoing Weight Loss

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Eating the right foods can become a bit dull if you don’t spice it up with some indulgences. But that doesn’t mean eating sugar-laden foods or unhealthy snacks. Since I have eaten whole foods my taste buds have become readjusted. I no longer crave sweet, sugary desserts. I can enjoy just a taste of something less sweet or even savory to satisfy that snacking urge I get now and then.

Here’s a list of the top 10 foods best for snacking while trying to keep on track to lose weight.

  1. An ounce of raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, any nuts except peanuts or pistachios)
  2. Raw veggies with humus
  3. Half of an avocado
  4. Two hard-boiled eggs
  5. Two ounces of sliced or cubed cheeses
  6. Leftover proteins topped with a little mustard (chicken, turkey, beef)
  7. One piece fruit that is low on the glycemic index (berries are a good option)
  8. Pork rinds (for the crunchy chip lovers)
  9. Cashew and date rolls (recipe in a earlier post)
  10. And my favorite – two pieces of dark chocolate (70% or higher dark cocoa)

No matter what you decide to snack on keep in mind that a snack is not a regular meal. It’s an occasional treat. It’s all too easy to fall back into the comfort of eating extra food. If you’re not hungry, don’t eat. Drink a glass of water. If you get hungry right before bed, then one of these snacks is a good choice for you.

I eat two cashew date rolls about an hour before bedtime to make certain that my blood sugar doesn’t drop in the middle of the night. It took me a while to figure out why I was waking up around 2 am every night. By adding that little treat before bedtime, I sleep all night without interruption.

More tips to come in later posts…

7 Steps To A Better Me

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I am two pounds away from my goal and I think I’ve hit a plateau. I’ve tried shaking up my diet by adding new foods, then trying to restrict things for a day or two, just to fool the metabolism. There’s no fooling Mother Nature, as they say. But the good news is that my body is actively working to reduce my size. I have lost another 7 inches overall. That keeps me focused. I may not see the scale move, but I can see that I need to go shopping!

My husband and I took measurements today. He has lost about 16  pounds without even trying to lose weight. He’s just eating what I am. He is now working on getting fit using weights. I think it’s time for me to do some more weight-bearing exercises. I can see that even if the weight is coming off, the flab can still remain. I want to tone and tighten. Not looking for a major buff appearance. HAHA – like that would happen.

Time now to complete the picture. I’ve been working on my inner self while trying to make he outer self appear smaller. Here’s the philosophy I’ve adopted:

Inner Self
If I can handle those seven things, I should be doing fine. I’ve taken control of my weight, the rest should be a piece of cake (must be gluten-free). I must be overworked today because I am extremely punny.

So much to do to prepare for my new career. I’ve got a web site being built, content being written, and I’m studying, studying, studying. I want to help as many people as I can to feel better about themselves like I do now. It’s an amazing transformation and it feels great!

 

 

Eating While Traveling

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Recently, my husband and I were traveling internationally and had a wait to board the plane. We decided to eat lunch before the flight because there would be no in-flight food. The only options for food in the airport were American fast food chains. Trying to pick the best of the worst food, I chose Wendy’s. I figured a salad and water would be my best choice.

Before ordering I had no idea what the ingredients were in the food. Man, I was I surprised. My salad had apples and pecans in it. The ingredients on the pecan packet listed sugar as the second ingredient.  I asked for a plain balsamic vinaigrette and received a packet of fat-free raspberry vinaigrette.  Here are the labels:
Marzetti Fat Free Raspberry Vinaigrette
Fat Free Dressing
As you probably know, I am not a fan of fat-free products. But when you are in a foreign country, you can’t always get what you want. I might as well had dessert – 11 grams of sugar in this little packet of dressing. Needless to say, I only used about a tablespoon of it for a little added flavor.

There were two types of water on the menu board – plain and strawberry. I don’t know what I was thinking that a fruit-flavored water would be just flavored and not juice! wendys_strawwaterfront wendys_strawwaterAgain, sugar is the second ingredient then juice, juice, and more juice! I should have skipped this all together but I must admit, I drank the whole thing since I was thirsty.

So my salad wasn’t the worst choice I could have made but I certainly didn’t get what I’d hope to get. Sugary pecans, sweetened dressing, and sugar-flavored water made my meal less than healthy. I survived but lesson learned. I guess I could have asked ahead of time what would be available at the airport or gotten an Internet connection and looked up the nutrition information on the chain’s web site. But vacation means giving yourself a break. I didn’t gain weight and continued losing when I got home.

I’m now two and a half pounds away from my initial goal. I’m very excited. Plus, I’m in nutrition class to begin my new career. At least I know how to make good choices in bad situations.

26 Pounds Lost in 20 Weeks

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That’s the official count – I’ve lost 26 pounds in the last 20 weeks. I feel  like I have discovered a hidden treasure. Eating has never been so easy for me than it is now. I have tried every conventional diet with the same results. Lose a few pounds and then gain it right back and more when you stop eating that way. That’s no way to live. Eating for a lifetime is the right way.

It has been such an amazing journey.  It has been such a life transforming event that I’ve enrolled in nutrition school to get my certification. I want to help others learn this process and make their lives better. I feel better than I have in a long time. I’ve started weaning myself off my medications. My blood pressure was down to 103/70. I don’t need medicine anymore if I can sustain that type of pressure.

I have contacted a close friend who is a chef. We’re going to partner to bring new, whole food recipes to people. This is going to be exciting for me. I can’t wait to set up a web site and begin doling out information to help folks like me.

I haven’t forgotten that I said I would post a picture. I’m still 5 pounds away from my goal. When I hit it, I will post those pictures. It’s hard to looks at them now, realizing how heavy and unhealthy I was. It’s taken years for me to get the right “prescription” for health and I did it on my own!

More than anything, this has been an empowering journey. Learning how to heal my gut, lose weight, and keep it off has been so satisfying that I never want to go back to the way things were before. This time I know I can keep the weight off and feel better every day.

Keep an eye out for the upcoming pictures – and soon, a new website.

Successfully Managing Food on Vacation

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I did it! I managed to go on vacation at a all-inclusive foreign resort and gain only 1 pound in eight days. I proved to myself that I have changed my eating habits permanently. I ate all the great food that I wanted but avoided all the things that I knew would be my downfall.

All week, I didn’t have desserts because they were mostly cakes and since I don’t eat grains, they were easy to avoid. On Friday there were chocolate covered strawberries. I let myself enjoy the sweet taste of fresh strawberries and some high quality dark chocolate. I even found it easy to eat just a couple and not eat as many as possible, like I would have in the past.

There was so much good food to choose from that I didn’t feel that I was missing out. I skipped the pasta and crepe stations and headed to the roast beef carving station. I ate three lobster tails one night! There were great choices of vegetables and salads. I never went hungry. Plus, I was pleasantly surprised that the kitchen staff were aware of Celiac Disease and would guide me away from food that was made with flours.

I’ve been working on increasing my knowledge in nutrition and overall health. I’m listening to webinars and reading as much as I can get my hands on food as medicine. I’ve realized my personal journey has brought me to the decision that I want to be a nutrition coach. I’d like to help people find their optimal nutritional formula. Since everyone is unique, it will be a personal journey for every person. I’d like to help guide people so they don’t have to go through the painful process of self discovery and take years to finally get there.

I’ll be posting along the path to my new career. I hope you join me.

Getting Close to My Goal

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Every day brings me a little closer to my goal of losing 30 pounds. I’ve lost 21.5 pounds now and not stopping until I reach my goal. I am so happy that I finally figured out the food combinations that work for me – and what doesn’t work. Here’s the list of food that I have eliminated to burn fat to lose weight:

  • All grains
  • Limited dairy – I only eat a small amount of cheese
  • No peanuts, pistachios, or legumes
  • No soy or soy products
  • No sugar or artificial sweeteners, except stevia
  • No processed foods of any kind

When I say no grains, I mean none. I am not eating anything that could be made into a cereal – wheat, rye, barley, corn, rice, oatmeal, etc. This may not be permanent but I won’t go back to eating foods with gluten because of the Celiac Disease. I can tell my insides are healing because I don’t feel bloated after I eat, no gassiness or other issues.

I thought giving up sugar would be difficult. But I managed to ease myself out of the hold it held on me. At first, I was making low carb desserts to get me through the transition, using stevia as the sweetener. After about a month, I was able to give up the desserts. Now I eat a simple snack when I want something like a sweet treat – cashews and dates. Here’s how I make them:

  1. Take 1 cup of cashews and chop them up in a food processor. Set aside.
  2. Remove the pits from 9 dates and chop them up in a food processor until they look like a lump.
  3. Add the cashews to the dates in the processor and pulse them until they are thoroughly mixed.
  4. Using a small cookie scoop, make small cashew date balls. Refrigerate.

Once you are free of the sugar addiction – and I know I was addicted – this treat will be all the sweetness you need. I eat two for a snack and feel satisfied. As I get closer to my goal, I know I can’t afford to let up on the good nutritional habits I’ve developed. I’m never going back to being fat!

Don’t Rush Progress

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I finally reached the 20 pound milestone. I was feeling quite good about it and started to add in more foods. But you can’t rush progress. I have been steadily losing weight as I ate a limited about of carbs. My eagerness to eat different foods got the best of me. I added in fruits – more than one at a time.  The good news is that I didn’t gain weight. The reality is that I stopped losing weight. So for about a week or so, I enjoyed morning smoothies with strawberries, bananas, grapes, dates, whatever I had on hand. They were delicious.

There is nothing wrong with eating fruit. But if you are trying to lose weight, there has to be a limit. I exceeded that limit. Strawberries are a good start since an average one has 1 gram of carbs. But a cup and half for a smoothie may be a bit too much for me at this time. Since I didn’t gain any weight, I don’t feel it was a bad investment. I know now that when I do reach my weight loss goal, I can have fruits and be able to maintain my weight.

I’ve gotten a better understanding of the foods that work well for my body. I have gone completely grain free since my diagnosis of Celiac’s Disease. No wheat, rye, barley, or any other grain, including corn and legumes. I’ve limited my dairy intake, mostly because of the gas and bloating issue. I do still cook with a limited amount of creams and cheeses. There’s no soy, sugar or sugar substitutes except stevia. Although I eat nuts, I do not include peanuts because they are a legume and not a nut.

Although The Thyroid Summit is over you can still get a copy of the material presented. One tidbit I want to share is about sleep. I have had interrupted sleep lately and couldn’t figure out what was wrong.  During Dr. Teitelbaum’s presentation, he commented that if you are waking up in the middle of the night for no clear reason, you may be having a drop in blood sugar. He suggested eating a handful of almonds before going to bed.  What a simple solution! It has helped me get a better night’s sleep. Let me know if you try it and your results.

Inches Coming Off

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The tangible sign that weight is coming off is not only the number on the scale but the number of inches lost. I was amazed to see that not only have I lost 19 pounds but I have lost a total of 14.35 inches. (Yes, I am going to measure into the hundredths!)

I feel so empowered that I have learned what I need to do to help my body shed the excess fat. It may not work for everyone but it is working for me. Here’s a sample day of meals:

Breakfast: Strawberry, banana, avocado smoothie with almond milk and chia seeds

Lunch: Chicken marinated in homemade barbecue sauce, asparagus

Dinner: Meatloaf (ground beef and lamb) with chopped peppers, Brussels sprouts cooked in bacon, glazed carrots

My husband and I cook once a week and make 28 meals that we package and store for lunches and dinners. It take a couple of hours but we are getting more efficient. We plan out meals so we use the oven for multiple dishes. The best thing we put in out kitchen when we had our house built was a steam oven. Vegetables taste so much better when they are steamed. Plus they don’t get the nutrients cooked out them.

We’ve started purchasing organic meats and dairy. It costs more but we’re saving by not buying the junk food. And the most important thing of all – I’ve cut out sugar altogether. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. After the first week, I no longer craved the food that I was clearly addicted to – ice cream, chocolate, all sweets! For me, that is the key. Without sugar, I’m not feeding the fat me. My body is able to naturally burn fat, slowly but surely. It’s like the light bulb went on inside my head and said you have kept yourself fat by eating the wrong things!

Now that I know what I should and shouldn’t eat, I can focus on building my body back up. I’ve started working on the Dr. Oz Transform Me. It’s starts very slowly which is very important for someone like me who is very out of shape. Try it – it’s easier than you think!

Reminder – The Thyroid Summit is currently airing (June 2-9, 2014)