I'm an Astronaut!

Well...not exactly...but the food sure looks like it!

On my orientation day with my coach, one of the first things she said to me was, "you're going to be eating food that looks like it was made for astronauts." I laughed along with her, and after the hour long intro, I walked out of there with a HUGE bag full of Ideal Protein silvery looking food packages. 3...2...1... Blast OFF!

When I first started it was hard to know what I'd feel like eatting, since I had no idea what the inside of the packages would turn out to be as I experimented.

To be honest, some of the foods are not bad at all. For example, I love the spicy flavour of the Southwest Cheese Curls, and I don't mind the maple oatmeal in the morning for breakfast. I've gotten used to, and even enjoy the chocolate pudding. The ready made vanilla drink is absolutely delicious poured over a Doppio and ice.

The part that I have fun with is creating my evening protein in new and exciting ways, and once in awhile treating myself to a "fattier" protein, such as a sausage on the BBQ.

I'm loving turnips! I had no clue they could be such a great alternative to potatos. I even slice them like fries and throw them on parchment paper and put them in the oven with a tiny amount of olive oil and spicy paprika.

I've made these spicy burgers that I top with sugarless salsa, and eat on top of a bed of romaine lettuce.

For a treat on Sunday this week I had my big protein meal at lunch after church. My husband took me out to Korean BBQ and I enjoyed the pickled turnips, the kimchi, sliced beef, pork and chicken.
When I got home I made myself some more veggies to snack on so that I met my 4 cup quota of veggies for the day.

Going back to the whole astronaut thing, ...some days on this diet, I totally feel like I am on another planet. I count the days, the weeks, the hours until I can reach my destination. I celebrate the victories, but quickly critique how far I have left to go. I have dreams about dieting, and meeting with my coach. I dream of failing, giving up, and disappointing those around me. I dream I'm pregnant, and I have to quit the diet. I dream of playing basketball again and jumping around like I did at 14, full of energy, tight skin, long fingered but comfortable in my own awkward 14 year old way.

Sometimes it doesn't feel real. I take my foster kids out for lunch and watch them eat the burger, the fries, the soft serve icecream, as I wait 10 minutes longer for the place to make my salad, without feta, without croutons, without dressing. I feel like I'm the alien.

Even though I may be in outer space for now, maybe my time as an astronaut will teach me something, inspire me, encourage me, test my patience, test my strength, make me rely on God. That's truly what it's doing. I can't believe I've made it this far --over 50 days, without cheating, without caving, without giving up. Yes, I've cried a few (okay more then a few) tears, I've sniffed the bag of cheese, I've heard my tummy grumble at the smell of garlic bread, I've craved a summer icecream or freezie, and I've longed for this period in my life to end.

But what have I gained!
Love for others, compassion and new realizations (more on that later), support from my family, weekly accountability, appreciation for what I can have (ice water with lemons!, fish, chocolate flavoured things, fresh produce etc. etc. etc. ). I am truly blessed. I can't complain about the things I can't have right now, I must remind myself that truly we are blessed to have clean running water that is drinkable --imagine some of our own First Nation communities STILL do not have potable water --here in our own nation!

I have access to so many veggies and choices!

So here's to enjoying the view while I'm an "Astronaut", and here's to the anticipation of making it back to Earth, sometime...somewhere, I can make it.

"Competence means keeping your head in a crisis, sticking with a task even when it seems hopeless, and improvising good solutions to tough problems when every second counts. It encompasses ingenuity, determination and being prepared for anything." (Chris Hadfield, astronaut)

The Lasagna Struggle

Last night was my husband's birthday. He requested a delicious lasagna.

I spent an hour or more making a delicious lasagna, grating mounds of cheese, and simultaneously making some delicious looking chilli for camping thus weekend. . . and I didn't take a bite.

I haven't struggled that much in a while. I think what made it worse was because I didn't have time to make something equivalently delicious for my dinner.

So this morning I took the time to take another picture. ..download a comparison app and encourage myself with the gains I've made.

I love cooking delicious foods. . . I think  it should be a love language.  I know it speaks to my husband ;).

Ideal Protein - Progress Pictures

So far the progress is amazing. However I personally can't see much of a difference from these pictures. I read somewhere that it takes at least 6 weeks for you to see a difference.

At least I'm fitting Into some older pants. Nice to rediscover some of my favorite jeans!

Day 1 - 280
Day 27 - 266

My IP coach is away right now so I don't really know what my numbers are.

I'm on Day 34. I'll be honest. This journey is hard. I made chocolate chip cookies for my husband's softball game. It took conscious effort not to lick my fingers or the spoon. And then there was the birthday mississippi mud cake that I made for my sisters birthday this week,and my husband's birthday this week. I miss baking and creating, so I was glad to have occasion for doing so, but oh man I wish I could sample the things I'm making!

Looking forward to camping this weekend, great thing is that camp food for the most part fits with the diet! add a few extra cups of veggies and eat lots of meat. 

Until next time.

Blame the Thyroid?

When I returned to Canada 10 years ago, I was 17 years old. I went from eating a healthy Mediterranean diet, to working with youth and eating fast food 3+ times a week. Needless to say, I gained quite a bit of weight at that time. Then I did weight watchers and I feel I reached a healthy goal weight.

Skip over a couple of years where I was pretty much the same, a little on the heavier side, but nothing to worry over.

Two years ago I went to visit my doctor for an annual medical. I asked him if he'd check my thyroid levels and told him about my frustration with weight gain. He did check, and then told me that my levels were a little "Higher then normal", but nothing to be treated with medication.

Two years went by, I got married, bought a house and tried to cook healthy meals and work out regularly. I even went back to weight watchers. I struggled. I lost maybe 5 lbs and then nothing much more than that. I even was going to a personal trainer once a week to motivate my activity level. I loved the training sessions, but I was not seeing any changes to my body weight.

A couple months ago I went back to my doctor for a medical and we were chatting and basically I bawled my eyes out at the office. I sat there as I told my doctor that I did not know what else to do to change. I also told him I was feeling down emotionally, always crying and feeling exhausted, and not wanting to get out of bed in the morning. He told me he would check my blood levels again and then asked me if I had ever considered Bariatric surgery - because I might just qualify for the provincially funded one.

I gasped.

"What?" "Isn't there something else we can do before that ?" "would you support me if I tried a diet like Ideal Protein or Dr. B's?"

My doctor to my surprise said that he definitely would support me if I chose to try one of those methods first before the surgery. I booked a follow up appointment and walked out in a daze to tell my husband the news.

My husband was not a fan of the surgery at all. Almost daily since we got married he has always said to me, "I love you, just the way you are." After a few long conversations, some tears, and some much needed hugs, we decided that we could afford to try something new. I decided that I wanted to wait until I found the results of the blood tests before starting anything new.

Couple weeks later I was back at the doctors office, reading Reader's Digest, and swinging my legs under the chair, playing Candy Crush on my phone. The nurse called me into a room where I waited some more.

The doctor checked my blood work when he came in after I asked him if he had the results. He told me that my blood pressure was too high, and that also my thyroid levels had spiked. He moved on to another conversation, and at the end of the 5 minute appointment I did not know what had happened. I asked him if he was going to treat it, and he said , "yup, I already printed the prescription, make sure to take it in the morning before food with a large glass of water"

I'm not blaming the thyroid. Yes it probably didn't help, but I also think I haven't treated my body in the kindest way. It seems my body is more sensitive to what I eat then it may be for others. My do I love good food. I'm kinda a foodie that way. I love to create new dishes, and try creating alternate cultural dishes...come over some time for a butter chicken and Naan. Or my Red or Green Chicken Curry dish.

See what I mean?

My creativity has meant I inhale more calories then I should. Now is the time to reclaim the body God made for me and to treat it with respect. I won't give up creating new foods, but I need to be more aware what my body needs as fuel, instead of just feeding it delicious flavours!

Letting Go of "I will Never go on a Diet"

Since I was young, I've always said to myself,  .'I am never going on a diet.' Not that I have anything against diets...it was more of a rebellion against conforming to the societal perfect body image,or family pressures, or the fear that I'd do it and then  yo-yo.

So I've spent the last 10 Years trying to be healthy... and work on my self image by being comfortable with myself no matter what size.

I never did get there however. I won't begin to tell you how many nights I've cried myself to sleep, angry that I don't fit into my family's body types, sad that I am not at a healthy BMI and discouraged that my exercise plan with personal trainer and attending Weight watchers wasn't working.

When I started Ideal Protein , I was quite discouraged that I had caved and started a 'diet'. However, I am proud that i  found something that is helping me reach my goals and I do enjoy meeting with my coach on a weekly basis one on one.

I was sad at first that I broke my stance. But after 10 years, I have changed my mind. Sometimes a diet is helpful. The strict nature can be helpful boundaries and the results and support Encourage me to keep going even on those hot summer days when I'd really like an ice cream.

Ideal Protein

I'm starting this blog a little later then I should have. . . I've just completed 30 days on Ideal Protein. According to my coach I have lost 17lbs since I started. Today she challenged me to start a blog to document some of the foods I'm eatting, the challenges I face and the non scale victories!

Here is a little sneak peak of some of the yummy things I've made since starting this lifestyle RESET.