Here are the first steps on my weight loss adventure. My goal is to lose 20 pounds total, which means I have 15 more to go. For anyone who is trying to lose weight, I invite you to try some of these and post on your progress. We can do it together! :)
1) I started juicing. We have a nice juicer that has not been put to good use until now. I found a recipe online here for a juice that supposedly boosts weight loss. The recipe is 3 nectarines, a bunch (about 5 stalks) of kale, 1 lemon, 1 apple, and 2 cucumbers. Cucumbers and Kale are vegetables I would not eat regularly, so already I know I am getting more nutrients than I would if I wasn't juicing. I doubled this recipe and filled a pitcher so I have it for a few days. For breakfast I have been drinking one glass and eating some fruit. Another drink I've been sipping on is this recipe. It's not really a "recipe" per say - you slice up half an apple really thin, put this in a pitcher of water with a cinnamon stick and let it refrigerate so the flavors mix together. It tastes like those "spa waters" they give you when you go to a spa - just a hint of flavor. When the water is half gone, fill it up again. You can refill 5 times, then replace the apples and cinnamon stick. It's supposed to boost metabolism.
2) I started taking a daily multi-vitamin for women.
3) I started working out again. I purchased a $5.99 program from this website called "Total Body Transformation Program." I just completed day 4 and in addition to this I have been going to the gym for 35 minutes 4-5x week.
and finally....the hardest part....
4) I started eating healthy again. Ok people - I love food. Seriously, I do. And I love food that is bad for you - french fries, chocolate, candy, etc. I'm surprised I don't weigh more than I do. But I've realized...and I realized this in the past which is what helped me lose 10 pounds to begin with...but food is more important than exercise. Online resources say that weight loss is 30% exercise and 70% what you eat. So...I need to start eating healthy again. The juicing was step one. I also started using our dehydrator and I made homemade fruit roll ups in it the other night. The only ingredients were strawberries and cinnamon so it makes for a great snack! I have also decided I need to stop snacking between meals (or if I do snack I'm trying to stick with fruits, veggies, or anything else that might be considered healthy or less than 150 calories).
Now...here's the kicker....in 4 days I've lost 2 pounds!! Now, I'm sure that's just excess water, bloat, whatever, and I KNOW that I will not drop 15 pounds in 2 weeks, but it's a start and it's encouraging.
In honor of my new weight loss adventure I wanted to post some more healthy recipes. I made a Weight Watchers Broccoli and Cheese Quiche and Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes" for dinner tonight. They were both very good. The Mashed Cauliflower does not pass for potatoes in my opinion, but it was delicious in its own way. The links to the recipes are below the picture.
Weight Watcher Broccoli and Cheese Quiche - (I'm not doing weight watchers, but for those of you who are, it is 6 points per slice).
Mashed Cauliflower
--T
I feel like a lot of people I know are trying to lose weight, which is great because we can all help each other to stay motivated! I was bad on weight watchers this past week but I'm back on track now, still down 3.5 pounds so hopefully I can lose a few more. thanks for the health recipes. I feel like I struggle with breakfast the most, there is no substitute for pancakes!
ReplyDeleteAndrea
How is the juicing going? I tried juicing a while ago and I think our juicer is not very good quality because there was SO much stuff in the garbage bin (not sure what it's really called)afterwards. I felt like I was wasting so much of the veggies and fruit! I would love to get a better juicer because I think it is so healthy.
ReplyDeleteI love reading about what others are doing to get/stay fit and healthy. It helps me keep on track. I've been doing a combination of p90x/insanity and some pilates and I've lost almost 15 pounds since late June. It feels so good!
The first juice I made I really liked (the one I put the link for in the blog post). I tried another juice after that which was mostly carrots, some spinach, an apple, and celery. I did NOT like that one and it hardly made any juice. I had to force myself to drink it every day and I made the recipe 5 times just to get 3 glasses of juice. So, yes, that I felt was a huge waste because like you said a LOT of pulp was left in the garbage can part of it.
ReplyDeleteWe have a very good juicer - I looked at consumer reports and bought one of the better rated ones, so I don't think it's anything you're doing wrong. Not even sure a better juicer would help.
I'm wondering if it's because vegetables aren't as juicy as fruits are. I'm going to juice some more this week and try to stick with mostly fruit recipes.
Congratulations on losing 15 lbs - that's awesome!! It is a great feeling, isn't it? And once you start losing it motivates you to eat better and workout even more (at least for me). Keep up the good work!