Tag: healthy | Baby Doodah!

Getting Started with No Sugar, No Grains

Posted on February 3 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

Preparing to follow the No Sugar, No Grains lifestyle (NSNG) should be fun and exciting! I want to share our process for getting started, in hopes that it will make your transition easier and more effective.

So, you’ve been giving the idea of eating better some real thought. You’ve come across NSNG and it sounds like something you could really excel at and even enjoy! But you’re unsure how to get started because your house is currently full of food filled with sugar and grains. Have no fear! I’m going to provide you some tips on how to get focused on your goals, clear your kitchen and re-stock, without breaking the budget.

Getting Started

It’s important to have a good foundation set-up for yourself before you begin the No Sugar, No Grains lifestyle. If you leave your kitchen full of the tempting food that you’re now going to be avoiding, it will make this lifestyle even tougher.

My advice? Get rid of anything that you can’t eat (except for those items that your children may be eating). Give it away, you don’t need to throw it out. A food kitchen likely won’t take opened food, but a friend might. Ask around, there’s likely someone who will be interested in those cheez-its you’ve been hoarding.

The reason cleaning out the kitchen is so important, is because when you’re hungry and you stroll into the kitchen, you’re likely going to reach for the first thing you see, or something that you can grab quick. When we’re hungry our resolve to eat the right foods weakens, if your kitchen is free of them – then you have no choice but to go for that delicious Honeycrisp apple, instead of the Reese’s Peanut Butter cup.

You may be wondering whether it is worth changing your habits to eat this way, right?!

For me, it has been absolutely worth it! I am losing weight and not starving. I am NOT obsessing over calories, or points – I don’t worry about when my next meal is (because I never feel hungry).

One other reason you might consider making the switch… My body feels AMAZING! My brain is clear, I can think easier and come to solutions faster and my body doesn’t ache like it once did, when it was full of gluten. I’m telling you, it is SO worth it!

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again… nothing will happen if you don’t make the switch, you’ll likely continue living your life quite happily – but by switching you may find that you feel 10 times better, and that you don’t even miss the sugar or grains.

How We Did It

We certainly don’t know everything, but I wanted to share how we went about adopting this lifestyle, in hopes that you may benefit from our experiences.

Seamus and I had heard of NSNG from a radio show we listened to. At first we were skeptical, we felt like there was no way we would do it. I mean, when you think, no more brownies, or no more crusty bread with your pasta, it can feel a little overwhelming. However, one day after Seamus had a particularly sucky week and couldn’t concentrate, he decided to give NSNG a try.

Sidenote: You will hear a lot about all the problems that gluten can cause in your body. It’s true! That’s part of why your mental clarity returns when you stop eating it.

Within a month of starting, not only was he thinking clearer, Seamus had lost 20 lbs with little effort, other than changing his diet. He’s kept losing, and now my husband, who is 6’5″ weighs 182 lbs (and trust me, he is not starving). This lifestyle really works!

After seeing his success, I was instantly motivated to give it a try. I attempted a start on several different occasions, but always quit by lunch time. Why? I wasn’t prepared, my house was full of the foods that I couldn’t eat, and my willpower to avoid them was weak. But then the new year rolled around and I decided to make a change, and to challenge myself.

On January 1st I made the choice to be dedicated to the NSNG way of life for 31 days. It was enough time to see how I would feel, and short enough where my mind didn’t start to panic about the change. My 31 days are now over, and I have no plans on stopping. I still feel great, and I’m losing weight (I’ve lost 8 lbs in 4 weeks). Why stop!?

What’s unique about NSNG?

We’ve been told for SO long that fat is bad, that it’s the enemy and that we should avoid it. But, my husband is living proof that fat isn’t bad – sugar and grains are.

Implenting NSNG is simple. Just stop eating sugar, substitute sugars and grains and you’re locked and loaded. But, of course it is more complicated than that, you have a brain who is addicted to sugar and believes that without grains (specifically pasta or bread) you’ll never make it. I’m here to tell you, you don’t need bread – with the amount of healthy fats that you’re allowed to eat, you won’t miss it.

Still Struggling to Get Started? Here are Some Easy Actionable Steps for You to Follow

Clear the cupboards. Go through your cupboards and get rid of everything that contains a sugar or a grain. No, you don’t need to throw it away – donate it or give it to a family / friend who has not adopted the NSNG lifestyle.
Meal plan. Before you go shopping to restock those now empty cupboards, spend time making a meal plan (you can see my tips on making one by clicking on the link).
Eat breakfast / lunch, before shopping. Make a shopping list and eat breakfast / lunch before heading out the door, you never want to shop on an empty stomach.
Stick to the list. Seriously! At least for the first few weeks, buy exactly what you wrote down. Your resolve may not be strong enough to say no to the junk, otherwise.
Food prep is key. Spend some time prepping what you can, cutting veggies, washing fruit – making certain meals ahead of time.
Eat the fat. Eat lots of yummy fat and protein and don’t let yourself get too hungry so you begin craving foods you shouldn’t eat. The one thing this does not mean is, eating fast food. You want fats that do not include grains or sugars!
Allow for imperfection. This one is HUGE! Don’t beat yourself up if you have a cookie at the company pot luck, or if you need to grab something on the run and you have a bun from a burger. This is life, it is going to happen – what is important is that you cut grains and sugars out of your life for the majority of the time.

How Do I Know this Will Work?

As I mentioned earlier, Seamus has lost 65 lbs simply by following the NSNG lifestyle. I can’t even attribute much of it to exercise, because he injured his back and hasn’t been able to run since August. He’s just followed NSNG, walked and has lost the weight.

If you’re interested in learning more about NSNG, or are maybe want to start following this lifestyle, Vinnie Tortorich has a book, Fitness Confidential and a self-titled podcast. There’s a wealth of information, all stuff I’ve personally benefited from!

I plan on sharing more about NSNG around these parts, possibly even recipes so be on the lookout for those!

Your turn!

Have you tried any diets and failed?

What’s your favorite way to eat healthy and lose weight? Have you ever thought about eating a diet high in fat and protein, in order to lose weight?

What other questions do YOU have about this way of life?

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Filed Under: All About Me, Food & Recipes

A Day in the Life – healthy choices

Posted on August 24 by Jillian416 • 2 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BalanceRewards #CollectiveBias

It can be really hard to get motivated to workout, eat healthy or get enough steps in each day. I am constantly looking for new and fun ways to keep myself motivated. A huge motivator for me has always been rewards, I love rewarding myself and I love being rewarded via contests or competitions. I just love the thrill of competing! Today I’ve found a new way to keep myself motivated, and I’m VERY excited to share it with you!!

If you’ve ever shopped at Walgreens you know their customer loyalty program is called Balance Rewards. With Balance Rewards you earn points for everyday purchases you make, as well as setting up some prescriptions for auto-refill, getting certain immunizations and NOW for setting goals, taking steps, losing weight, maintaining your weight and taking your measurements, through their healthy choices program.

THIS. IS. HUGE.

Walgreens Balance Rewards work up to be essentially free items. Those points that you earn eventually turn into rewards that can be used to purchase items. That means that when you walk, weigh-in or track some of the other items in Walgreens healthy choices program, you’re earning points that will eventually be used for stuff you need. So awesome!!

My Day in the Life with healthy choices

The moment I heard about this app, I downloaded it and began using it. The first thing I did was set up some goals, I went with basic ones, like hitting 10,000 steps a day and losing 25 lbs within 3 months. I wanted to make sure my goals were achievable and fun to meet. Your options for goals are limitless, so no matter what you’re trying to achieve you can work towards it with the help of the healthy choices program.

Every morning I open the app, enter my weight (and earn my points), enter the hours that I slept the previous night (you do not earn points for entering your sleep) and then head to make my coffee.

While at work, I try to ensure that I’m getting up from my desk every hour to hour and a half to take a quick walk around the building. My steps add up quickly, which all get entered into the Walgreens app at the end of the day, to earn more points!! I love it, I’m constantly looking for new ways to get my steps in. So, I’ll march while I’m folding laundry or while Emmett is playing in his sand box, I’ll take laps around our yard, anything to add them up!

However, in addition to my walking, I’m also doing a PiYO workout. I’m loving it, but some of the moves are pretty intense and require you to bend or move into positions that my body is not quite ready for. So what did I do? I went to Walgreens and got myself a yoga block. Yep! Walgreens sure does carry these, and it was super affordable, too. In fact, I don’t know if you’re aware, but Walgreens has an entire section dedicated to diet & nutrition.

Since I’ve been doing my PiYO with the yoga block, I’m able to get into deeper stretches and put myself into positions, I couldn’t get to before. My posture is better, and my form and alignment are getting more and more accurate. I love the way I feel! I feel like I’m doing so much good for my body.

And, you guessed it! I add my PiYO workout into my Walgreens Balance Rewards app and earn even more rewards that will go towards stuff I need around the house. My workouts are going to save us money!! How can I say no to that??

One last thing I want to mention, and for me, it’s a big one! You can link your RunKeeper account with the healthy choices program. That means, that any workout you complete with RunKeeper is then communicated with Walgreens earning you more points.

So here’s my recommendation: Work to get healthy, eat better, exercise hard, and download the Walgreens app and sign-up for the healthy choices program. I’m pretty sure earning points towards items you need is enough motivation to get you up and out the door, or up and on the treadmill. Do it! Go now! 🙂

Your turn!!

What are your favorite ways to get yourself motivated to workout?

When you download the Walgreens app, please share how much you LOVE it, in the comments below!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BalanceRewards #CollectiveBias Thank you for helping to support my family.

Filed Under: All About Me, Food & Fitness, Reviews

30 Paleo Breakfast Ideas

Posted on March 10 by Jillian416 • 4 Comments

On the Hunt for some Paleo Breakfast Ideas

I think the meal that I struggle the most with when transitioning to healthy eating is breakfast. First off, I just love breakfast, eggs fill me up like nothing else I’ve ever eaten, and a good piece of toast with butter and jelly will make even the gloomiest day seem a bit brighter. But even more than that, eggs taste delicious!

I know what you’re thinking, Jillian, eggs are Paleo so what are you going on about? Well, I love having my eggs with some form of bread, or bagel and those are definitively NOT Paleo. And every week when grocery shopping comes around, I add the same things to the list for breakfast that I always do, eggs, Wegmans everything bagel and American cheese slices. I stick with what works, and that egg sandwich has been keeping me full for a couple years now. But, I really REALLY want to eat better so I decided to look around for some breakfast ideas that include egg, or other options that will keep me full.

Here’s what I came up with:

My Favorite Paleo Breakfast Ideas

Bacon and Heirloom Tomato Frittata with Basil
I am a huge fan of eggs for breakfast, and this would be a great recipe to make on weekends or to make ahead and prepackage for the week.
Paleo Whoolly Mammoth Oatmeal
Oatmeal!? I know! I was surprised too, but Paleo Fuel and Fire has it figured out. I love love LOVE oatmeal for breakfast (not as much as eggs, but still a lot), and this looks pretty good. Something I could probably whip up ahead of time and then throw in the frying pan before leaving for work.
Banana Bites
Okay, seriously, such a brilliant idea. Mornings for a lot of people are rushed but all you need to do is slice up a banana and smother it with almond butter and put another slice of banana on top. Perfection!
Banana Nut Porridge
I love oatmeal, love it like there’s no tomorrow, but unfortunately if you choose to follow a Paleo lifestyle oatmeal is not an acceptable option. This is where those alternatives come in, and this one looks awesome!
Banana Walnut Muffins
I love all things banana! Banana bread and muffins are a primary love of mine. These look like a phenomenal option to fulfill those banana cravings.
Best Paleo Pancakes
Pancakes can be Paleo! This makes me happy, check out this light and fluffy option by Girl Gone Country.
Breakfast Biscuit Sandwiches
I often enjoy egg sandwiches for breakfast, and when I’m being really strict and sticking to a Paleo diet, I miss them a lot. This recipe has you make Paleo biscuits and the other items are already Paleo, perfect.
Paleo Breakfast Casserole
I’ve personally made this recipe and I really REALLY like it. My only tip would be to ensure you cut the sweet potatoes into very small cubes or the whole thing tastes like a sweet potato. If you don’t mind that, then go with larger chunks.
Brussel Sprout Breakfast Hash with Bacon & Apples
Oh my goodness! This look simply amazing! I love sweet and savory together so this would be the perfect breakfast for me.
Churro Waffles
Topped with coconut sugar and cinnamon, these are sure to be a winner at your next breakfast party!
Coconut Porridge
Another delicious oatmeal-like option. Yum yum yum!
Eggs with Avocado and Salsa
Sure this might be a pretty straight forward example of a breakfast, but that’s the beauty of it. You don’t need fancy things in order to make a yummy and filling breakfast.
Everyday Paleo Crap Cake Eggs Benedict
Okay, raise your hand if you love eggs benedict. Is it raised? Mine too! I love it and this is the perfect example of how a recipe can be delicious and Paleo.
French Toast with Grilled Bananas
Here we have bananas again. Something about bananas makes them very breakfast friendly. Check out this yummy looking french toast recipe.
Green and White Omelette
Another great one that is pretty quick to make for those busy workday mornings.
Onion Frittata Recipe
I love onions and I love eggs, so what better than a frittata recipe with both of those items in it? Sign me up!
Orange Dark Chocolate Chip Scones
When I found this recipe, I’m pretty sure I dribbled on my keyboard. These sound amazing! Nothing something I would necessarily eat for breakfast every morning, but would be good for a pot luck breakfast.
Paleo Almond Honey Granola
I absolutely love the idea of making this ahead of time and packing it up for snacks all week long.
Paleo Breakfast Burritos
So good, so simple and perfect for breakfast! A great idea to make really quickly in the morning before heading out the door.
Breakfast Cookie Granola
Another granola recipe, but this one has almond or sunflower seed butter in it. Sounds really delicious!
Paleo Cinnamon Rolls
OMG! Who doesn’t love cinnamon rolls on Sunday mornings?? We used to have them all the time, with our Sunday brunch. I want to run and make these now!
Paleo Cinnamon Square Crunch Cereal
Oh yes, you read that right, CEREAL! I love love love cereal but avoid it a lot of the time because it is so full of sugars and other additives, but not this one. This is homemade through and through. I’ll likely be giving this a try very soon!
Paleo Oatmeal
Another oatmeal recipe, and you may very well be sick of seeing them, but they all sound so good that I wanted to be sure to share as many as possible with you.
Poached Eggs with Tomato, Avocado and Basil
Genius and something so simple to throw together. Use the tomatoes as your toast and layer with the avocado, salt, pepper and basil. Mmmm
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
One of my favorite things to order when going through a drive-thru for my morning coffee is a chocolate chip muffin. Now I can just make these, saving the money and the calories!
Strawberry, Spinach and Almond Butter Smoothie
On days when I just don’t feel like eating, I can usually stomach a smoothie. This one sounds like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and like it would be amazing!
Weekend Paleo Breafast Bowl
Om nom nom – This recipe is full of veggies and topped with eggs for some hardcore protein.
Paleo Breakfast Biscuit Sandwich
The maple dijon bacon alone, in this recipe makes me yell about the delicious food from the rooftops.
Coffee Cake Banana Bread
Oh my goodness! This looks like something I could eat in one sitting, so I probably shouldn’t make it, but you should and then bring me ONE slice. 🙂
Paleo Breakfast Bars
Super simple to throw together and make ahead, so that you can grab and go in the mornings when you have no time.

There you have it, my list of favorite Paleo breakfast ideas that I’ve found around the web.

Your turn!

What are some of your favorite Paleo, or healthy breakfasts?

Filed Under: All About Me, Food & Recipes

Guest Post: Traveling With a Loving, Happy Family

Posted on July 22 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

I’d like to introduce Kendra Thornton, she will be doing some guest posts on my blog from time to time. Kendra is a travel advocate, TV spokesperson, PR businesswoman, proud wife and mama of 3. She’s a long time travel expert who has been packing her bags and traveling the world since she was 3 months old! She’s found her utmost desire in life is right in her own home. She has mixed her excitement for travel by bringing the taste of authentic cuisine to her own home with some of her unique recipes and sharing some of her personal traveling tips. You can follow Kendra on Twitter here or visit her website Thorton Public Relations.

I love my family, and I love to travel, but I will be the first to admit that the two do not always go together at first glance! When you are trying to make the plane while hauling a crying toddler or you need to deal with another chorus of “are we there yet?” from the back of the car, you may want to tear out your hair, but listen to these tips instead!

Tip 1: Eat Before the Amusement Park

Everyone knows that the food at the amusement park is terribly expensive, and on top of that, it is not good for you. Take a moment to eat a good breakfast before you go in. To prevent nausea, leave the fast rides for later in the day and spend the morning seeing the sights and opting for the smaller, slower rides. This ensures that you can see the park without worrying about finding food that your child needs to eat.

I use Gogobot to always check their reviews for family-friendly hotels. When we went to Florida, I scanned through their list of Orlando hotels and found a great spot that had both a quiet hours policy at night and a free continental breakfast for kids.

Tip 2: Buy Some Bottles of Water at the Airport

Children can get dehydrated and cranky about it without even knowing, and this can be a problem on the flights. If you are getting ready to board a long flight, make sure that you pick up a few bottles of water at the airport after you go through security. This can help ensure that you and your family are comfortable during the flight.

[photo credit]

Tip 3: Wash Your Hands, A Lot!

When you go traveling, you are going to be confronted with a lot of germs that are foreign to you. Teach your kids to keep their hands away from their faces, and encourage them to wash their hands whenever they get a chance to. Bring along a bit of lotion to prevent chapped skin, but washing your hands with antibacterial soap can keep everyone much healthier. There was an SCA survey conducted that found 40% of adults do not wash their hands after sneezing, coughing and leaving restrooms!

Tip 4: Audio Books

If you have a lot of driving or dead time to deal with, make sure that you download some audio books onto your phone, your media player or your iPad. An audio book will not trigger any sort of nausea or headache from the motion of the car, and you will discover that it can help your children stay entertained for hours.

Tip 5: Consider a Red Eye Flight

Red eye flights may seem a little extreme, but they can be fantastic for your kids. Keep your kids up until the flight is ready to take off; in many cases, they’ll love the late night treat! Then they can sleep through the discomfort of the flight and they will wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when you get to your location.

Traveling with kids can be a little trying, but the memories that you make are typically worth it! Take a moment to think about what you need to do to keep your family happy!

Filed Under: Family, Guest Posts, Traveling

A Trip to Rochester and Other Friday Happenings

Posted on July 19 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

TGIF!

Am I right?

I really can’t complain, it’s been a pretty awesome week but I’m perpetually happy for Fridays and weekends with my family. Today started out bright and early because I needed to head out to Rochester for work. My company has offices across New York State, and today I provided some training to staff in our Rochester office.

I never mind my Rochester trips because I always get to see people I don’t see often enough, being in a new place (even if I’ve been there before) is always fun and their cafeteria is amazeballs! They have loads of options but not all of them healthy, however their salad bar is to die for. Don’t believe me, see below…

I think my favorite part about it is the different colored tongs, they each mean something different. Green means to eat liberally, yellow says that you can enjoy that option moderately and red is to use sparingly. I realize that most people can probably go to a salad bar and know which options fall into which category without color coded tongs but, now everyone can! As tempting as the sandwich bar was, I stuck with the salad bar and ended up with an absolutely delicious mix.

I filled my plate with romaine lettuce, baby spinach, shredded carrots, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken, black olives, raw sunflower seeds and a sprinkle of bleu cheese, for dressing I used olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Om nom nom!

My training went really well, which made me happy. As I was walking out of the computer room I noticed what an amazing view this building has, check it out.

That’s the Genesee River!

It’s probably a good thing I’m not based in Rochester or I’d be distracted by this view daily.

We don’t yet have a Trader Joe’s in Buffalo, so about once a month we try to make a trip. Since I was already out that way I decided to make a quick trip on the way home and grab some of our favorites, I sadly forgot to take pictures of any of my purchases. Sure I could pull it all back out but I just don’t have it in my tonight, sorry! Suffice to say, I had a full cart and now we have a full fridge and freezer.

After my stop to Trader Joe’s I snagged up Emmett from day care and we were on our way home. So. Much. Driving!

Once home, Seamus made us an extra yummy dinner with another one of my farmer’s market finds.

The noodles are from a little locally owned business called The Pasta Peddler, his pasta is drool-worthy! I’m embarrassed to admit this but I never realized that pasta could come flavored, I always just assumed it was plain or whole-wheat, but The Pasta Peddler has so many different flavors. In the picture you see garlic and herb and I would definitely recommend them to anyone! If you’re in or around the Buffalo area or want to have some shipped to you, I recommend you do so.

The garlic bread is just from Wegmans, but it’s really really good!

And finally, my boy and I were feeling silly while we waited for dinner to finish up.

How can you not love him?

How was your Friday? Any fun plans for the weekend?

Filed Under: Daily Updates, Food & Fitness, Food & Recipes

30 Day Vegan Challenge – Week 3

Posted on July 5 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

Wooo… Has it really only been 3 weeks?!

So I’m going to be brutally honest right now and tell you how much I really REALLY miss eggs! It’s not even that I’m craving them, I just miss the convenience and ease of them. They were my breakfast of choice almost every morning and could be enjoyed a million different ways so I never got bored. Being unable to eat them has been super tough! I’ve come up with a bunch of different breakfast ideas and they all taste good, but none seem to satisfy me like eggs did. Two eggs in the morning, scrambled, hard boiled, sunny side up or poached, and I felt nice and full until at least 9 (I typically eat breakfast around 5 am), when I’d have my smoothie. Finding something that works as well has eggs has been a challenge all on its own.

[source]

For those of you who have been vegan for an extended period of time or those of you who never were into eggs to begin with, you likely won’t understand my lament, but eggs are seriously such a perfect breakfast (or any meal) food.

Overall, the challenge is going pretty well. My meals still remain vegan but I have a mental battle with myself before almost every meal, where I have to convince myself to eat the vegan meal I brought and not go out to get something. I realize this is perfectly normal and this wouldn’t be considered a challenge if it were easy but still I want to share my struggles with my readers. I want them to understand what I am really going through (mainly mentally) so that they don’t assume this is a cake walk for me.

I have found and eaten so many different foods, items that I never would have even thought to eat, not because they grossed me out or seemed unappealing, I just found no reason to eat them. This has been a huge benefit of going vegan. I’ve also found that I am eating so much healthier even though I am struggling. The foods that I am eating overall are so much better for me and mostly veggies that my body has to be happy. I won’t lie and say I haven’t eaten some convenience vegan foods, but the majority of the foods I eat are whole, nutrient dense foods and that feels good. I want to overcome my crap eating so that my son is raised in a house where healthy foods are the norm and junk is a very rare occurrence.

[source]

You’re probably wondering whether my cravings have subsided for junk food. In a word, no. As I mentioned earlier, I miss eggs terribly. It hasn’t bothered me not having cheese or meat, but what I am still craving is the greasy food of McDonald’s or Burger King. I was really hoping that those would go away. Maybe they will in the last week?? Here’s hoping!

As I embark on my final days of this vegan challenge, I want to let you know that I will be giving it my absolute all. I want to finish off with a bang, knowing I tried my best and made a concerted effort.

Has anyone been inspired to try something new recently?

Filed Under: 30 Day Vegan Challenge, Food & Fitness, Food & Recipes

30 Day Vegan Challenge – Week 2

Posted on June 27 by Jillian416 • 2 Comments

(This is almost a week late, life has been crazy!)

I’ve made it through the second week of vegan eating!

I’ve definitely had my ups and downs with my menu but overall the transition hasn’t been that difficult. Admittedly, I’ve slipped a couple times and had eggs, dairy and meat, but the large majority of my meals were completely vegan.

My biggest challenge has not been finding vegan foods that I enjoy; the biggest hurdle has been fighting the cravings. I (sadly) love junk food, chips, cookies, fast food, pizza, you name it, it has been part of my diet. Every time I get in my car, I have to fight the desire to stop and fill myself up with that junk. I know that might seem silly to some, you’re thinking, make the decision skip to unhealthy foods and stick to that decision, but for some reason my brain doesn’t work that way. It is a constant struggle.

Israeli couscous, red pepper, raw pistachios, shallots and tofu… pure deliciousness in a bowl

I want to conquer this, which is part of why I started the challenge. I’ve tried a million different methods and still I struggle. I don’t blame those other programs, the problem absolutely lies within me but I can’t seem to conquer my junk food fetish, while still eating it. Because of that I decided that cutting it out completely was the best decision.

Honestly, it has been going pretty well. Within the first week, I lost a ton of weight, my pants were fitting better and my rings were swirling around my finger again. It was likely all water weight, but it felt good to feel more comfortable in my skin. Then mid-way through the second week, the cravings were hitting me hard and I hit a bump and stumbled a bit. I didn’t let it stop me though, I got right back on track and am proud to admit that I am still following the vegan challenge.

I’m considering expanding the challenge a few days, for each of the days that I ate “off plan.” At this point it would an additional 4 days, tacked onto the end. I see no reason not to, so right here and now I am making the decision to continue on after the original 30. The original 30 would have ended on July 9th, but that instead will be expanded to July 13th.

You’re probably wondering how I’ve been feeling, whether I have felt more energy or if my mood has changed. I am more than happy to report that when I follow a vegan diet very strictly, I feel so much more energy. I don’t feel like I’m crashing mid-day or like my blood sugar is going haywire, I feel good! At this point, I don’t know whether that’s because of the vegan diet or just eating healthier, but either way, I am enjoying the additional bursts of energy.

What changes have you made to your diet lately?

Filed Under: 30 Day Vegan Challenge, Food & Recipes