I have been making progress on my journey to better health. I am still striving to lose more weight but have been making great progress. 12 lbs. down and 20 to go. Praise God for His faithfulness, without Him I could not do this!
So, here's what I have been doing in an effort to lose weight....
* I quit eating sugar. Except for natural sugars like honey, agave or pure maple syrup. And I use those VERY sparingly.
*I cut down my food portions.
*I cut way back on bread. I rarely eat bread now, I used to eat it very often but now not so much.
* I quit eating packaged and processed foods and junk foods. I stick to whole foods, foods in their natural state as much as I can. Shop a lot at Sprouts, buy organic, etc.
*I gave up whole milk for almond milk. which has not only helped me lose weight but has also helped my allergies a lot! Dairy is really bad for any type of allergies.
*I don't eat any artificial foods (fat free, low fat, artificial sweetened, trrans fats, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, etc.)
*For cooking I only use real butter or olive oil or coconut oil.
*I only drink water or herb tea. No sodas or sweet drinks. Wine on a very rare occasion. Almond milk. Coconut water.
*I only eat beef about once a month.
* I don't eat pork.
*I take Extra Virgin Coconut Oil daily. 1 Tbsp. in the morning in oatmeal or in a green smoothie. There are two excellent books on the benefits of coconut oil for weight loss and health in general. "Eat Fat, Lose Fat" by Sally Fallon and "The Coconut Oil Miracle" by Bruce Fife. Also, www.nourishingtraditions.com.
*More recently I have been trying to transition myself onto a "high raw" diet (50% or more raw foods on a daily basis). That, I think, has been the biggest contributing factor to my loss and especially my increased energy and overall well being. I found a lot of great info on-line about this kind of a diet/eating lifestyle. A good place to start is to Google Phillip McKlusky and Angela Stokes-Monarch.
*I've been drinking green smoothies for breakfast most days, which seem to keep me full till past lunch time. I can give you recipes if you are interested, they are awesome and easy and very filling.
*I have been working out 3 - 5 days a week, 30 minutes to an hour each time. Walking, doing the Gazelle Glider, workout DVDs,... This has really helped boost my metabolism.
*I drink a lot of water.
*I try to eat dinner before 6 pm.
*I don't take any prescription or over the counter medication unless absolutely necessary.
*I take a few supplements (Fish oil, Vitamin C, Bioflavinoinds, Probiotics, B-12)
*I eat three meals and two very light snacks (usually fruit or nuts and raisins or a few corn chips and salsa). For breakfast if I don't do the smoothie I will have a bowl of oatmeal with the coconut oil mixed in, lightly sweetened with honey and stir in some pecans, coconut and ground flax seed. Or an omelet with spinach, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and a little cheese topped with salsa. For lunch I do a salad with turkey or tuna or chicken and a little cheese and a few crackers on the side. Or maybe a raw soup or fruit salad or raw cereal. For dinner it varies but I try to stick to one serving of each item on an average sized plate (1/4 grain, 1/4 meat (chicken or turkey or bison or fish), 1/4 fruit and as many vegetables as I want) This portioning of the plate came from The Sonoma Diet and seems to work well.
Now, I do have to say I have not been perfect in sticking to this plan. I would say I eat this way about 85 - 90% of the time. There are days when we are super busy and eat out and I do the best I can on those days... or then there are the days when the hormonal cravings hit at certain times of the month and I give in and eat late at night or eat something sweet. But in general this is what I do and it has been working!
So, here's what I have been doing in an effort to lose weight....
* I quit eating sugar. Except for natural sugars like honey, agave or pure maple syrup. And I use those VERY sparingly.
*I cut down my food portions.
*I cut way back on bread. I rarely eat bread now, I used to eat it very often but now not so much.
* I quit eating packaged and processed foods and junk foods. I stick to whole foods, foods in their natural state as much as I can. Shop a lot at Sprouts, buy organic, etc.
*I gave up whole milk for almond milk. which has not only helped me lose weight but has also helped my allergies a lot! Dairy is really bad for any type of allergies.
*I don't eat any artificial foods (fat free, low fat, artificial sweetened, trrans fats, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, etc.)
*For cooking I only use real butter or olive oil or coconut oil.
*I only drink water or herb tea. No sodas or sweet drinks. Wine on a very rare occasion. Almond milk. Coconut water.
*I only eat beef about once a month.
* I don't eat pork.
*I take Extra Virgin Coconut Oil daily. 1 Tbsp. in the morning in oatmeal or in a green smoothie. There are two excellent books on the benefits of coconut oil for weight loss and health in general. "Eat Fat, Lose Fat" by Sally Fallon and "The Coconut Oil Miracle" by Bruce Fife. Also, www.nourishingtraditions.com.
*More recently I have been trying to transition myself onto a "high raw" diet (50% or more raw foods on a daily basis). That, I think, has been the biggest contributing factor to my loss and especially my increased energy and overall well being. I found a lot of great info on-line about this kind of a diet/eating lifestyle. A good place to start is to Google Phillip McKlusky and Angela Stokes-Monarch.
*I've been drinking green smoothies for breakfast most days, which seem to keep me full till past lunch time. I can give you recipes if you are interested, they are awesome and easy and very filling.
*I have been working out 3 - 5 days a week, 30 minutes to an hour each time. Walking, doing the Gazelle Glider, workout DVDs,... This has really helped boost my metabolism.
*I drink a lot of water.
*I try to eat dinner before 6 pm.
*I don't take any prescription or over the counter medication unless absolutely necessary.
*I take a few supplements (Fish oil, Vitamin C, Bioflavinoinds, Probiotics, B-12)
*I eat three meals and two very light snacks (usually fruit or nuts and raisins or a few corn chips and salsa). For breakfast if I don't do the smoothie I will have a bowl of oatmeal with the coconut oil mixed in, lightly sweetened with honey and stir in some pecans, coconut and ground flax seed. Or an omelet with spinach, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and a little cheese topped with salsa. For lunch I do a salad with turkey or tuna or chicken and a little cheese and a few crackers on the side. Or maybe a raw soup or fruit salad or raw cereal. For dinner it varies but I try to stick to one serving of each item on an average sized plate (1/4 grain, 1/4 meat (chicken or turkey or bison or fish), 1/4 fruit and as many vegetables as I want) This portioning of the plate came from The Sonoma Diet and seems to work well.
Now, I do have to say I have not been perfect in sticking to this plan. I would say I eat this way about 85 - 90% of the time. There are days when we are super busy and eat out and I do the best I can on those days... or then there are the days when the hormonal cravings hit at certain times of the month and I give in and eat late at night or eat something sweet. But in general this is what I do and it has been working!
