So busy!

I have pictures to post but I have been sick and very, very tired. Between subbing and working on my school work, I am EXHAUSTED. Add in a sinus infection and you have a zombie.

I am still doing well on my plant-based diet. It really has been so much easier than I thought it would be. I was one of those "I loooooove cheese!!!" people so I thought I would be craving it like crazy. Not the case. I don't even want the vegan cheese.

Hubby is still enjoying his dairy but I can tell he is not enjoying it like he used to.

I LOVE the vegan raviolis I found at Whole Foods. So happy to have an easy go-to for the busy days (aka almost every day).

In the previous post I included a picture of some purchases. The tofurky pizzas were for my hubby. He loved the italian sausage pizza. The cheese pizza is still in the freezer.

LOVE Amy's meals. So many to choose from. So many delicious options.

I am down 8 lbs now. I want to keep this going. Maybe I can drop at least 10 more by next month. We shall see.

Vegan goodies

31 days down and going strong.

I've enjoyed finding new treats. More about these later.

Planning

I have been doing well on this vegan diet. It is going MUCH better than I thought it would. The Reese's pb cups my husband bought have been staring at me but I've stayed strong. :-)

I lost momentum and have not been using as much fresh produce as I did the first two weeks.

Today I wasn't feeling very well and haven't had much of an appetite.

Fruit salad has been an easy go-to for when I don't feel like preparing anything and/or I don't have an appetite. In fact, I am about to go get some watermelon now.

I need to plan better - I think that is the key.

Pizza. It's What's for Dinner.

I picked up an Amy's pizza today. Not just any pizza but the VEGAN Margherita pizza with Daiya Cheeze. 

I was not sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. The pizza had the wonderful flavor of the other Amy's pizzas that I have loved.

What was missing was a weird flavor from the Daiya Shreds. I had a bad experience (tasted horrible) with a cheese alternative years ago - I am still paranoid when trying non-dairy cheeses. Daiya comes through!


I added some Daiya Pepperjack and Red Pepper Flakes


I am a happy camper!

Need names for my dishes

I keep making different dishes using whatever we happen to have on hand. DH said I should name them so he can request them again later. :-p

This is one I made last week.

Started with green pepper, onion, and broccoli stalks


Kept the tops aside to add in later


Added carrots, celery, and jalapeño


Prepared some gardein Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n


Added broccoli tops, kale, chopped clementines, and clementine juice


Almost ready


Topped with the chick'n


It was delicious. I didn't cook the veggies for very long so they were still crunchy.

Day 19

19 days into my vegan diet and so far it is going great.

I meant to post more often but between subbing and school work, I've been sidetracked.

I've impressed myself with my motivation and willpower so far. I've packed healthy lunches and snacks for when I am away. It really helps!

Down 6 lbs so far. I was hoping for 10 but I will take 6. I hope I can meet my goal of 25lbs by the middle of March.

One challenge was going to eat with my parents. We went to Bahama Breeze. I usually get a Grilled Portabella & Veggie sandwich but I was not sure how the bread was made and it usually comes with cheese so I went for something else.

I asked the waitress about the White Bean Hummus. She actually went to the manager and the manager came to the table with the list of ingredients. I was slightly embarrassed but impressed at the same time. I thought it was nice of them to care to that extent (rather than a quick yes or no answer).

I ended up eating the White Bean Hummus with fresh veggie sticks, a tomato salad (tomatoes and balsamic vinegar), and some fresh salsa. It was delicious.

Today has been an off day for me. Not feeling very well - tired and sluggish. I still managed to make dinner for us. It was great - very starchy but great.


Veggies, Quinoa & Wild Rice, and raw walnuts.


I made Chipotle Lime Crispy Fingers for DH. He loved it!


I have had no urge to eat non-vegan food. I am very happy and excited.

What I've been eating...

I've been meaning to post but with school back in session - I am sure you know how it goes. Life gets busy.

This will probably not be in any specific order but this is what I've been eating. 

Tofu, veggies, and herbs. I keep making variations of this dish and I LOVE it. Warm, tasty, nutritious - LOVE!

McDougall's Miso Soup

Irish Oatmeal, almonds, raw cashews, raisins, cinnamon, and natural peanut butter. Next time I will not overcook it and I will add apple chunks. 

This was tonight's dinner. Another variation of the dish I keep making. Kale, peppers, onion, carrots, black-eyed peas, and some green olives just for fun (ok, sodium). 

I went to a festival the other day. I wasn't planning on eating there but you know how it is, once you smell the food....

Veggie Rolls

My worst decision was the Asian Eggplant with White Rice. I have no idea what is in the sauce, so quite possibly NOT vegan. Then there is the white rice.... :-( 

I am trying to make as many good decisions as I can and not let the occasional bad decision keep me down. 

I have not had soda in over a week. I have been drinking tons of water and I am craving water over any other beverage. 

I've been up and down in weight. I think this has to do with many factors. Calorie counting might be in my near future. 

Healthy Dinners

I've been making some tasty dinners which also happen to be healthy. I am down 4 lbs and I hope the weight continues to drop.

Tomorrow will be an early day, as in I have to be out the door at 7am. Breakfast will probably be oatmeal with fresh fruit topping.

I made a fruit salad last night. It made for a great dessert and a great breakfast and snack today. I added a bunch of fruit tonight so we have plenty for tomorrow.

The good news is that we didn't waste very much produce. One of the avocados missed it by a day :-( and I cannot figure out when a mango is ripe. I need a mango class.

I've found that I really like kale.

For tonight's dinner I wasn't sure what I wanted to make. I had three sweet potatoes so I figured those would be good. Then I remembered the box of the quinoa grain mix that I bought last week. I decided to make some black beans and when I was trying to figure out what to pair them with, I remembered I had some frozen veggies.

So, this was dinner tonight.


There are leftovers too. Yum!

I've been trying to cook enough to have leftovers from each meal. Makes it easier for lunch or a snack the next day.

I love cooking. It is the prep and clean up that kills me. My back starts hurting like crazy when I chop for too long.

My husband has been struggling with trying out the vegan diet. He went to the store the other day and brought back burritos that contained cheese, coleslaw, and bread. I am not sure if this is something he will do long term but he seems like he wants to try. He has been drinking the Odwalla and Bolthouse farm fruit superfood/juice/smoothies like crazy.

Once I get my sleep schedule back in order, I hope I have more energy and feel rested in the morning.

FOOD!

I ended my fast tonight. I snuck a few bites while chopping my veggies but I didn't eat my meal until 7pm.

I made sautéed peppers, onions, garlic, zucchini, tomatoes, parsley, spinach, and tofu. It was DELICIOUS!

Later, I had a handful of raw cashews and a glass of Bolthouse Vanilla Chai Tea.

I've been working on my school work tonight, trying to get a good start to the week.

Hopefully, I can get to sleep early tonight and get an early start to the day tomorrow.

Again, I have pics to post. I will get it figured out soon.

Juice Time! Day 3

Almost 2pm and I've only had water today. I've lost my appetite for juice. 

I had half of an orange last night. 

I don't feel bad for "breaking" my juice fast with fruits or veggies. The olives and okra pickles might have been a bad idea but I am ok with my choices. 

I tried something I never thought I would. I am going to end my fast this evening. 

I haven't stepped foot in my kitchen all morning. I drank all my water but haven't wanted to refill my bottle. My stomach is growling. 

Thinking about what I want to eat tonight. I am sick of looking at produce. 

My break from school is over. 

Just a few more hours until a delicious dinner. Maybe I will be able to write a better post after eating some FOOD.

Why?

Why did I think doing juices for 3-days would be fun? Not enjoying the choice right now. The idea of drinking again juice makes me nauseous.

Maybe I need to do one with just fruits.

All the avocados are ripe right now. I think they will be overripe by the time I can eat them. Hubby doesn't like them.

I keep thinking of all the things I can cook.

If anything, I think this has made the transition much easier. I will be happy to eat solids. Who cares about cheese?

Juice Time! Day 2

This has been quite a day. Woke up with a headache that hung around until around 7pm.

I wanted to post pics with my post but I am having technical difficulties. So, I will hopefully add pics later.

Surprisingly, I was not hungry when I woke up this morning. I had a bit of juice leftover from the midnight snack so I had that around 11am and made some more.

I added a pear to this one. I was going to add mango but it wasn't ripe enough. :-(

During a weak moment I ate an okra pickle and 4 green olives....and a couple of bites of watermelon.

Later I had another moment involving a few pieces of watermelon, a spoon, and my mouth. I guess I really needed it because my headache went away afterward.

Perhaps I am not built for fasting. I've always said I wasn't. I am going to try one more day but I cannot wait to eat solids again.

I think I will be encouraged to make better choices than I would have had I not done this cleanse.

I've had a lot of water today. Since I was feeling so junky and sick of blending stuff, we went to the store and picked up some Odwalla and Bolthouse juices.

I also had a glass of water with some raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar.

Hopefully the rest of the night and tomorrow will go well.

Until then....

Midnight Snack

I was very sleepy around 8pm, which was good since my sleep schedule has been off. I crawled into bed with my tablet and played games while my husband watched a movie. He is usually sleeping by this time but apparently the time off has done him well. When he was done watching his movie he offered to watch Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead with me. I'd started it earlier and he was intrigued.

I was not expecting the documentary to be as inspiring as it was. I felt so drawn to Phil's story. I don't want to give spoilers to anyone who hasn't seen it (not that I have many people reading this blog in the first place).

If you have not seen it yet, be sure to watch it soon.

My husband was so inspired by the movie - he agreed to really do this vegan thing with me and asked me to make him some "juice" (I don't have a juicer so it is more of a "smoothie").

I was very hungry at this point so I made us a middle of the night snack.

Kale, Parsley, Coconut Juice, Coconut Water, Lime Juice, Banana, Pineapple



(the black spot is an ice cube)



I think I have overdone it on the bananas today. We are gonna go to the store tomorrow to scope out more produce - and maybe even a juicer!

p.s. I weighed myself when I woke up on Jan 1st. 245lbs. Can't wait to start shedding these excess pounds.

Juice Time! Day 1

Breakfast:

Pineapple, spinach, kale, parsley, banana, and lime juice. (all fresh)

Tall glass for me, little glass for my husband. 

I used the blender cleaning trick I saw on Pinterest to clean this guy up. (water & soap in blender, blend away, rinse)

Lunch:

For lunch I had carrot orange juice, spinach, avocado, banana, and lemon juice. It was good but a little bitter.




I think this pic is funny because the background looks fake.



This actually kept me full for awhile. I've noticed that when I get hungry, I get hungry fast!

Dinner:

Coconut juice, avocado, banana, kale, and pineapple. This one is great (still drinking away). A little too thick but I am too tired to change it. It looks like a shamrock shake but tastes fruity.









Hopefully this last one along with plenty of water will keep me full. I snuck a couple bits of avocado and banana while preparing the drinks and it was very tempting to keep eating regular food.

I want to continue the juice cleanse as is because I want to see the changes.

I've had about 36 oz of water today. Some with lemon, some without. I've been very tired today, more than usual. Not sure if it is because of all the extra time in the kitchen or what.

Fasting

I am getting a little freaked out about this juice fast. Is it a fast or a cleanse or are they the same? Nonetheless, I am so curious to see how my body will react to this 3-day juice fest. I am hoping my body appreciates it and gives positive results.

I've got to get to sleep soon. I think I will get my breakfast juice ingredients prepped.