Monthly Archives: June 2014

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)