Monthly Archives: April 2013

Paleo Diet Challenges

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Having been on the Paleo Diet for a while now, I have made note of changes in my digestion. At first, I wasn’t able to put my finger on the cause and effect until I did some research. I began having changes in my, uh – output. I have always been fairly regular but after started on the Paleo diet, changes to my bowels began to change. It went from one extreme to the other. And then there’s (pardon me) the gas. What had I gotten myself into?

I began doing some online research and came up with some really good information on the Paleo Digest. I was having all the symptoms – bloating, gas, and the other stuff too. The article offers some helpful advice. I was starting to have acid reflux. That was the simple fix. My doctor prescribed an acid reducer. The other stuff took a while to figure out. I added a probiotic and over the course of a couple of weeks I began seeing things return to normal.

There is a wealth of information on this subject on this site plus information that may apply to you if you experience other issues. I don’t plan on giving up eating the Paleo Diet food I get from CustomFit Meals but now I know how to manage things. The dramatic change in my eating habits really set my digestive track in a spin. But eating well has its own rewards.

Now that I am taking a probiotic and the acid reducer, I am feeling better after I eat. I am certain things will balance out after my body fully adjusts and heals itself from all the damage that was caused by my earlier poor eating habits.

Each day things get a little better. I am hoping this all leads to a slimmer, healthier me for the rest of  my life.

Getting Fit is Hard Work

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Let me say it again – getting fit is a LOT of hard work! I’ve moved up to Level 4 of Jillian Michaels’ iFit program. I didn’t think I was going to make it but I pushed through my rough patch – and I made it. Day 1 of this level and it didn’t defeat me. It may not look like much, but it kicked my butt.

Finished Level 4

I rewarded myself with one fo the meals that I really like – the Supreme Pizza Bowl. It had the flavor of a sausage pizza. The “pasta” is zucchini and yellow squash with all the right spices to fool the palate into thinking it was pizza without the crust.

Supreme Pizza Bowl

I was going to take a picture of the Spaghetti Bolognese before I ate it yesterday. But once I heated it up the aroma captured my appetite. It was delicious. I am very happy with the “pasta” meals. I had no idea that I liked zucchini and squash prepared this way that made me forget it’s a healthy meal.

Tomorrow is day 2 of Level 4. I’m sure I will still feel that I want to stop when it gets too hard but I’ll never get anywhere if I do. I have to do the hard work to get fit. I should make a sign and post it over the treadmill – Getting Fit is Hard Work! So get to it. I know that’s why I “gave up” so many times before. I don’t mind hard work but exercising takes so long to build up to being fit. It take so little time to lose it and so much time to get it back. This time, I’m not letting myself give up.

 

Cheese Bacon Frittata from CustomFit Meals

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Cheese Bacon Frittata

The Cheese and Bacon Frittata was this morning’s breakfast. Lots of real eggs cooked firm (I hate watery eggs) with bacon throughout the portion. Now that’s a big breakfast. I actually had trouble finishing it because the portion is quite generous. The CustomFit Meals write-up states: “This delicious breakfast frittata consists of seasoned chicken eggs, red and green peppers, and sautéed leeks.  Baked together, then topped with crispy bacon and cherry tomatoes, this dish has everything you need to get your day started off right.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Since it’s the weekend, technically I don’t eat the CustomFit Meals but I had this one from yesterday when I “skipped” my regular breakfast and opted for something else. Eating these meals isn’t a “diet” it’s just eating the right food. So I had the CustomFit breakfast and then for lunch…

My in-laws brought over steamed crabs. I do like seafood. But I noticed something different about my eating habit. I stopped when I no longer felt hungry. I wasn’t full but I was satisfied. I guess this good eating is starting to pay off in other ways too. Before, I would have eaten as many crabs as I possibly could stuff into my face without thinking. Now I can pace myself and stop when I don’t need to eat any more.

Funny thing – when you’re not so focused on food, you begin to notice other things more. I love my in-laws but they can make me laugh at their interactions. When my father-in-law asks my mother-in-law a question, he expects a direct answer. Ask a yes or no question, he expects a yes or no answer. But women don’t generally think in yes or no, “black and white” responses. Women speak for clarity; men speak for brevity.©

It is a general statement. I’m not trying to be sexist but I have seen this before. Ask a woman “Did you (insert direct question here)?” The answer will not be yes or no. The answer will be “I did (this or that)” – to offer the man with more information that the yes or no answer would give. It is just a fundamental difference between men and women (generally speaking).

So what does that have to do with weight loss? I can eat the same food as my husband, exercise, and not cheat with the wrong foods and I won’t lose a pound. He can eat the meals, exercise, and cheat when he wants, within reason, and lose 10 pounds. Men and women are just different – mentally and physically. It’s a fact that I have to live with and accept.

Accept but I don’t have to like it…

 

CustomFit Meals Everywhere

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Wow – I hadn’t thought about it but where do you store 30 CustomFit Meals? My husband and I both are on the CustomFit Meal plan – 3 meals a day, 5 days a week. It made cleaning out the refrigerator a necessity. Planning meals will be easy.

First, purging the refrigerator of all the “junk” we had eaten in the past. Out goes the “fried” chicken. No more sodas, “energy bars” or anything that isn’t on the Paleo diet. That made room for the CustomFit Meals. I keep a spreadsheet with who ordered what so I can easily go through the meals and separate them. I put my husband’s initials on his and my initials on the others. Simple.

They are easy enough to carry in their plastic containers. I have a small refrigerator at work that I can store food for the day. I generally eat breakfast right after I get to work, so I place my lunch in the fridge and get breakfast warmed up in the microwave. Easy to store, easy to reheat. I’m going to like not having to cook or even think of what to make for a meal.

My husband has been going to the CrossFit gym and eating the CustomFit Meals. He has lost about 10 pounds. Men! How easily they lose weight compared to women. He is younger than I am so that makes a difference but it’s frustrating for me no less. I’m happy for him and the changes are noticeable.  Now it’s my turn!

Next, I’m going to post pictures of the meals to show you how they look and give you my review of taste and quality. I like my food – uh, you know that already.

Finally, I need to make sure that I keep motivated eating someone else’s cooking. It was okay when I was eating one meal a day but now three a day will test my ability to avoid cravings.

Weight Loss and Stress

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This has been a very stressful period for me. There are so many things going on that trying to achieve a weight loss when I am stressed out seems like an impossible task. But I am going to persevere. I’ve adopted some strategies to help me through this rough patch.

First, I don’t eat alone. If I am at work, I make certain that I eat with someone. Eating in front of someone makes me more conscious of how much I’m eating. Plus, I tend to eat more slowly if I am engaged in conversation. Making lunchtime more relaxing, rather than wolfing down my lunch at my desk, eases my digestion. The days I have eaten at my desk I almost always continue to read my email or do something while eating. That’s just not good way to nourish myself or take a breather from the workday.

When things get really tough, I used to head for the snacks. Now, I take a walk; even if I just go outside and walk between buildings, it helps me release some steam. One thing that has really helped is eating the right food – I don’t get hungry between meals. I recognize now when I give into emotional eating. I feel fine for a bit and then, if I’ve had something sugary, I can feel the crash a lot more easily than before.

I continue to eat my CustomFit Meals. I can choose to eat something else if I want but the meals satisfy my hunger and keep me full longer. It helps me feel that I have enough fuel to do my exercises too. Now, it’s time to step up the workout routines. Even though it’s been weeks that I have been on level 1, I hesitated to raise the intensity until I didn’t feel worn out completely after a session. The time has come to move to level 2.

Time to check out Jillian’s programs and move up.

Taking a Night Off

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It’s been a long week and I have had my ups and downs. The weather today is overcast and rainy and yes, I’m not feeling like doing anything. Tonight I’m going to take a break.  I spent a good part of the day in a car traveling for work. The rain made traffic even worse than usual. I think that made me very sluggish.

But I did eat my CustomFit Meals today. The Chicken Alfredo was suprisingly good. I say surprising because when I think of Alfredo sauce, I imagine butter and creamy sauce. The sauce tasted exactly like Alfredo sauce. I prefer the chicken in their meals. It is cooked perfectly and has lots of flavor. What is also surprising is that the “spaghetti” squash makes you forget that you’re not eating pasta. I really like this one.

Later I had Chicken Tetrazinni. I’m not overly familiar with tetrazinni in other applications so I don’t have any comparison. But I really enjoyed this one too. Again, I find the chicken to be among the best of all of the CustomFit products. I will definitely order both of these again.

I think every once in a while I need a break from the rigidity of exercise and dieting. Instead of giving into food cravings, I took a nap. The rest actually made me feel better. To keep that relaxed feeling going, since it is already late evening, I’m going to forego the exercise. I’ll get back on track tomorrow.

I like the weekends to get me back to activity. Getting out of the daily work routine feels good and I feel open to other types of physical activity. If the weather is good, I’ll work in the garden. The stretching, weeding, and generally moving in ways I don’t doing the week will be a good workout.

Off to grab a good book and relax. Work to be done tomorrow.

And the Weight Loss Total is…

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Two pounds. Okay, so it’s not much but at least it’s moving in the right direction. I have had so many days with not a budge, that having a total weight loss of two pounds is worth noting.

I did my floor exercises today and worked out my legs until they burned. It wasn’t pleasant but it had to be done. My legs now feel like jello. It’s odd that when I walk on the treadmill, my legs don’t get tired. I get out of breath and my hips seems to take the brunt of the pain. I still don’t have endurance but I do go the distance.

For lunch I had the Chicken Pot Pie but it wasn’t like any Chicken Pot Pie I’ve ever had before. I’m not saying it didn’t taste good but it didn’t satisfy my “pot pie” need. For dinner I had Chicken Taco Bowl. Now that’s quite tasty. I will definitely order that again from CustomFit Meals. Tonight is another pick up date for the remaining meals of the week. My husband picks them up from the gym and brings them home. It’s almost like getting presents for me.

I have to make notes to remember who ordered what each week. My husband and I have different tastes. He likes spicy food with a punch. I like milder food with good flavors from the ingredients, not the spices. It’s more important now since I have been diagnosed with acid reflux. I’m on medicine to control it but I bet if I lose this weight I won’t need it anymore. I’m sure if I make my weight loss goal – remember there are no numbers – I will be able to stop taking blood pressure medicine too.

Looking forward to more weight loss…

 

We’re Committed to a Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo Diet

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We made the commitment to go all the way – three meals a day – with a gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo diet. Both my husband and I are making the change to CustomFit Meals. It only makes sense if one of us is going to make a change we both should to support each other.

Out of the house goes the chips, krispies treats, and anything else that is going to distract us from healthy eating and get that weight down. My husband is the salty snacker. He loves the chips and crackers. I’m the sweet snacker. Give me chocolate, ice cream, and anything sweet. If we don’t have the food here to tempt us, then we are more likely to succeed.

Tonight, I had the Chicken Taco Bowl. Lots of shredded chicken with tangy salsa over red rice and crunchy cabbage. I’m a person who doesn’t eat spicy food. This has a bite to it, but not too much. If I felt I was getting too much heat, I scraped off the salsa. The chicken and cabbage we delicious. I wanted to heat up the chicken but not the cabbage so I lightly heated the chicken just to remove the coldness. But I really liked the cabbage cold with the chicken. It had a nice contrast.

I did hit the treadmill. I had the uphill climb tonight. It really kicked my butt. Walking uphill is hard enough. Walking uphill on a treadmill that changes speed is harder and a bit tricky. I did have to hold on to the arm rails when I was at the peak of the pitch but I completed the distance.

I need to change-up my iFit routine with Jillian Michaels. I really believe she must be the toughest trainer around. I can feel the “burn” just doing these workouts on the treadmill.

Looking forward to tomorrow’s gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo diet meal that is going to help me lose this weight.

If you want to try CustomFit Meals, use discount code "angelaatkins" for 10% off your first order.

CustomFit Meals – Discount Code Included

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I found it. The food that I have been looking for to help me win my battle with weight. It’s CustomFit Meals. I have tried it and meets the criteria – has to taste good and be good to eat. I have my husband to thank for this great find. The gym where he works out is associated with CustomFit Meals. I thought the food was just for weight lifters or hard body types. Was I ever wrong!

Today, I had the “Spaghetti & Meatballs” – sweet potato “noodles” never tasted so good. Honestly, I am not a sweet potato fan but I really enjoyed this combination. The meatballs were real beef. No fat or greasy drippings in the food. Just a great flavor combined in tomato sauce. Wow, I’m starting to sound like a commercial.

I was so impressed with the food that I contacted CustomFit and asked them about their philosophy. All of their food is gluten-free. That’s the first big plus for me. They’re also dairy-free. That’s a big plus for anyone who has allergies. They follow the paleo diet (eat like a caveman philosophy). Healthy food that tastes good – check!

What I was more than pleased about is CustomFit Meals offered any reader who orders through this site – use my name (“angelaatkins“) in the discount code box – a 10% discount on the first order. How’s that for a company who believes in their food. I can’t wait to see how much weight I lose just eating their food.

The best part of their food is that it’s fresh. Chefs make it twice a week and ship to the local CrossFit gym locations. Pick up is so easy. Prepay and all you have to do is swing by and pick it up on your way home from work or stop by in the morning and have it for lunch that day. We pick up on Mondays and Thursdays.

I’ll be totally honest about what I like and how it works. Now let’s see if the weight comes off…

And the weight loss is…

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A half a pound. That’s right. Not even a full pound. All I can think is I am an older woman (as much as I hate to believe it), my metabolism is slower, my hormones are what they used to be and the body doesn’t work as well as it did in my 20’s or 30’s. But this is ridiculous.

So I’m trying a detox diet to get rid of all of the toxins built up in my system. I’m going totally gluten free, no processed sugars, no whole grains, and no red meat. I’ve ordered gluten free oatmeal, coconut milk, chia seeds, and coconut oil. I’m going to try two weeks of this detox to see if I can kick start the weight loss. No eggs or coffee for breakfast. Lean protein – chicken or fish – for main meals. No processed sugar of any kind. Protein bars are a joke for someone like me. They are for real athletes who need large amounts of carbs to keep them moving.

I will share recipes when I find good ones. They have to taste good – that’s the first criteria. If I won’t eat them, then I won’t recommend them to anyone else. Plus I need to satisfy my sweet tooth in one way or another. I did find a one ingredient “soft ice cream” recipe that is really good. I had never tried this before but some friends recommended it.

Peel a banana, cut it into rings, and freeze for a couple of hours. Place the frozen banana rings in a blender or food processor and blend the heck out of them. When they are the consistency of soft ice cream, you’ve got dessert. The first time I tried it I was surprised. The consistency was right and if you like bananas, and I do, it’s a great substitute for soft ice cream.

Detox starts in a day, more to come.