The best thing about changing to a healthy lifestyle instead of a ‘diet’ is that it is not the least bit boring and there is SO much to learn about new recipes, new ingredients and yourself. It is fabulous not to be scared to be hungry – sounds weird but when I used to ‘diet’ I was always worried I would get hungry. Ridiculous! Now if I’m hungry I eat – what a revelation. I am actually hungry now so I’m about to have some avocado. I was hungry this morning so I had my Saturday Acai Bowl and for lunch when I was hungry I had chicken, avocado, red onion, lettuce and mixed greens, cherry tomatoes and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. You know….people have been doing this for years …..And yet I have to relearn it – how ridiculous. But better late than never.
This week I decided I needed to increase my vegetable intake and started having a smoothie each morning. I felt I needed to change it up from the oats, fruit, milk and water which had served its purpose every morning for 11 weeks – and I wanted to start adding lots of vitamins and minerals into my breakfast. These smoothie recipes are amazingly healthy, really filling, so tasty and I felt it would give me an extra boost and tide me over easily to lunch time.
However…..and this is why you MUST get yourself checked before you start anything new – which I had – I started getting palpitations or heart flutters by about day 4. Initially I thought it might have been stress, then maybe coffee withdrawals, then too little water – now I find it’s because I dropped my morning carbs – the oats – and replaced it with a smoothie. Because I had changed my lifestyle so drastically over the past 11 weeks and replaced my normal high carb, high fat, high sugar diet of 20 years with fresh fruit, salad, veges, seeds, pulses, good oil, nuts and meat – I needed the oats to balance my blood sugar. So although I was eating about 2-3 serves of fruit a day, it is primarily simple sugars glucose and fructose and my body needed the oats. I got advice, I am back on the oats, I still want to incorporate the smoothies but it might have to be later in the day and later as a ‘boost’ rather than a replacement. So THAT is why, again, you must know what you are doing. Just a note…..the smoothies were actually incredibly healthy, delicious and so full of goodness.
I use my Nutri-Bullet at least once a day, sometimes twice and I have added a juicer to the kitchen bench for a quick carrot or vegetable juice to replace the tea when I need a bit more oomph. I made another batch of bliss balls this week-end for the coming week and oh they are yum. There are SO many recipes out there to choose from – these had cocao, coconut oil, chia seeds, soaked dates, almond meal, coconut and I added sultanas afterwards.
I am down another kilo over the past fortnight as I didn’t weigh in last week so that is 12.5 kilos to date, but I feel this week I have turned a corner. I feel good and I feel slimmer. I know I have so far to go but I can really notice the difference now – around my face, waist, and sadly….. my chest, so my tops are now fitting me again, even getting too big. Walking, lifting and housework have become a breeze and a fun challenge instead of terrifying me. I reflected this week on how 6 months ago when I first walked up a particular road, it was an effort and actually made me so nervous because I knew I would be puffing and panting and embarrassed. Now it’s so easy – walking is again a pleasure. Today I walked up some steps – only about 2 flights – and I reflected again how I hated to walk up them 3 months ago as I wouldn’t be able to get my breath at the top – i would look up and know I was going to be embarrassed and try to cover it up. Just astonishing. And I didn’t consider myself BIG – I was DELUSIONAL!
My daily intake this week has been a smoothie each week-day morning and an Acai Bowl Saturday and Sunday. Lunch each day has been a big salad with chicken, roasted sweet potato, pumpkin or veges, always avocado, coriander, red onion, lots of greens and cherry tomatoes and I prefer it without dressing or just balsamic. Dinners have been whatever everyone else was having but only a tiny bowl. I continue to have at least 2 litres of water a day and always take it with me along with an apple in my bag and a few almonds just in case I get hungry.
I have had only a few coffees again this week – one long black with a dash of milk, one almond milk cappuccino which was ok, and a couple of instant coffees which weren’t. I am enjoying nice teas the most, but usually I drink water. I had a few red wines on Thursday night which were delicious and a couple of glasses of bubbles with lunch yesterday. While I could have had anything, I chose the roasted vegetables, with watercress and Cajun chicken and it was divine and I didn’t feel too full afterwards. I actually said on the way that if I wasn’t choosing healthy, I would definitely have chosen a big bowl of creamy pasta with garlic bread as I would have in the past.
Again, the most exciting thing is to wake up each day and know that I am now doing something about my health and my weight and being able to look at all the beautiful people and think – well I am doing something to get there too. The learning curve is truly exciting – there is so much info out there by very clever people – and as long as I keep prepared, keep my house full of healthy fresh food, take a great healthy lunch I know I will succeed. My little hiccup this week was interesting and disappointing but again a learning curve which shows me I have a long way to go on this journey.
Have a great week, enjoy your health, smile lots and see you next week. Lee x
