Day 11 Getting Out Of My Comfort Zone

I figure there is no better way to feel better about your eating the day before than to start the day with a green smoothie.  It is loaded with a ton of vitamins and while I wouldn't be caught dead eating salad in the morning...this is a way for me to do just that.  It tastes freaking delicious. 

Today I made it my mission to get back to trying new foods.  If you have noticed in this blog I keep mentioning that I should have picked up a sweet potato, or it would have been better if I ate a  sweet potato.  The truth is that I have never tried a sweet potato until today.  This is one of those foods I have been reading rave reviews about.  How they are so delicious no matter how you fix them and on and on.  I have to tell you I wish somewhere in there someone would have mentioned that sweet REALLY means sweet.  The one I made I seasoned with a little bit of butter and cinnamon.  It was a popular combination I had come across all over the internet.  I was not impressed.  I made sure to eat at least a quarter of it, to say I truly gave it a good taste, but to me it tasted too sweet.  It was like when I used to come across a wine that was entirely too sweet for my taste.  I preferred it dry like the Sahara Desert.  So my question to all you is what are your recipes that cut down on the sweet taste.

I also tried sugar snap peas with my son after dinner, they are one of his favorites, and I see why.  I am sure you all are starting to see a theme here...I have not tried a TON of foods that are everyday staples for most people.  I think that is one of things I am finding most exciting about all of this, I am stepping outside of my comfort zone in so many ways.  

My phobia of trying new foods has always been something I felt embarrassed and ashamed about.   Putting it all out here for you guys to read is really helping me to not feel that way anymore, and the more food I try the less I am afraid to try the next thing.  It is also exciting because while I am not loving everything I try, I am finding new foods that I think are AMAZING.  I think my favorite so far is Red Peppers,  I had them before in sauces but I had never had them raw and now that is my favorite snack!

I am also trying new recipes and exploring new ways to do things which is really exciting to me.  It may sound silly but before yesterday I didn't know that you could make vegetables in the steaming basket of the rice maker at the same time as making rice.  I was talking with my brother, about vegetables and learned that, which is something I never would have known before.  

While I am having my ups and downs going through this like James Taylor says in Secret O' Life "it's just a lovely ride."

Progress: Back on track and feeling good

Notes: Research different seasonings for the sweet potato

Day 10 my first cheat and what led me there

Today I think I want to talk about how stress can affect eating habits.  I wasn't sure whether or not  to talk about this.  Then I figured that there isn't much point in doing this blog if I am not going to be honest about the mistakes, slip ups, and missteps I have and then for me to take the time to pinpoint what happened.

Some mornings are harder than others to get ready.  When I get out of the shower I often wait as long as possible to go to the mirror to do my hair.  I can be in the best mood ever and moments later be moved to tears trying to cover the increasingly large bald patch in the front of my head.  I am still amazed after dealing with this for months on end how devastating it can feel.

If I have a bad morning this is definitely something that causes stress for me. Today was a bad morning for me.  I got up and stuck to the routine I have had going.  All the while in a pretty damn good mood.  The warm weather makes me truly giddy.  After I got out of the shower I avoided the mirror and continued doing all the things I needed to do.  Eventually there was no more waiting I had to get ready to go see my grandma. I needed to get my hair in place.

It was bad, no matter which way I tried to part my hair a bald spot was showing. Unfortunately I have two very larger spots and then tons of dime to quarter size patches...as I got increasingly aggravated I thought about chucking the brush at the mirror, a common thought on mornings like these, but as usual I didn't. Eventually I  got the spots all covered.  Not all mornings are that bad...sometimes it just falls perfect in a matter of seconds and I don't get worked up at all.  If there is an upside to dealing with this all these months it is that the impact in the morning doesn't last nearly as long as it used to. I was pretty frustrated but a minute later I had put it out of my head and got on with my day.  Even chatted on the phone while I finished getting ready.

I went to see my grandma at the home and then stopped at the store to pick up a chicken and some odds and ends.  While there, the hubby and I were talking about what a nice day it was and how we could use the grill and cook burgers.  So we planned that, and I bought potatoes to make fries.  I was at the store and should have bought a sweet potato for myself while I was there but I didn't.  I was thinking I could come up with something at home.  Looking back at the moment though I can't help but think that my tumultuous morning routine may have been a factor.

When I got back home I still kept with my normal routine, making choices to eat healthy.  I ate my ham and a ton of red peppers at lunch.  I also was able to go outside for a nice brisk walk!!

 When my son got home, I chose a healthy snack for myself while getting him his.  In my mind I was still having an internal struggle.  As my other two came home from school I was met with a stressful phone call.  One of those calls that brings a situation where you can't reason with a person and there is truly nothing you can do to put a positive spin on it.  I think this was the tipping point for me.

  I took the time to peel the potatoes and cut them myself all the while thinking you shouldn't be having this.  As I put them into the fryer while my husband was outside cooking I still continued to tell myself I didn't need them, I wasn't going to have them.  Even as we sat down to dinner, I was trying to  tell myself I wasn't going to eat them.

As I looked at my dinner, my burger with no bun I then justified it to myself, you know how we do that..."I am not having a bun, I am being good about that so I can have fries."   I did not go crazy, I did not eat very many but I was surprised to find that they didn't taste very good and they definitely didn't set well in my stomach.  I felt a mixture of guilt and just plain nausea from eating the greasy food.

I keep wishing I had baked the fries.  If I had baked them I would not have felt bad about it at all.  It was the fact that I fried them and that after all my reading I think I am gleaning understanding about what that fried food does to your body.

I realize that was a bit in depth to go about a handful of fries, but I really want this blog to be about the journey I am on and I feel like this was the most honest way to go about it.

Progress: Feel more motivated than ever after my first nasty slip up
Also I was proud of my exercise portion of the day
Notes: No more deep frying oven fries only! Also get myself some sweet potatoes already.

Day 9 I love the sun!

Boy, I don't know about the rest of you but Daylight Savings didn't hit me on Sunday but it sure did a number on me yesterday morning.  I was trying so hard to get motivated but I was dragging.  I had my normal lemon water..and then 2 count them 2 cups of coffee.  I don't love using coffee as a crutch but some mornings there is just no other option.

The sun was out though.  It was a beautiful day, the most beautiful day we have had around here in quite some time.  That had me motivated even if I was dragging a little.  By ten I had done two loads of laundry, all the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.  Then I made crockpot Pasta E Fagioli Soup.  I just didn't add the pasta to mine.  Next time I make it I am not going to used the canned kidney beans I am going to try the bag kind I figure there will be less preservatives that way.  I also edited out the V-8 juice because I was out of it but to be honest I couldn't notice so I will probably edit that out permanently.

 I could not stand to be stuck inside on such a beautiful day.  I went out to the stores and  picked up the kitchen sheers I wanted.  I also stopped at  Aldis to get some fruit.  I was pleasantly surprised at the price.  It was so much cheaper than what I have been playing.  It looks really good too, I will have to keep that in mind when I am in town.

I had mentioned that I wanted to start reading hard copies of books. When I got home I had won a Goodreads Firstread.  It is a book called Never Smile at Strangers by Jennifer Jaynes.  So far it is decent although I notice she does a ridiculous amount of describing people smoking, which I find irritating as a former smoker.

I have been using my Fitbit to keep track of my walking, I was a bit lazy last week due to adjusting to all of this.  I was happy by the end of the day that I had gone over my goal and done over 5 miles.  I am hoping as the weather changes I can keep adding to my goal.

Progress:  Still going strong
Notes: Look into preparing beans from a can so I am not using canned goods, on that note look into canning tomatoes.

Day 8 Lazy Sunday

I am happy to report that today was a non-event kind of day.  I spent time visiting my grandma in the home and then hit the store.  When I came home I tried some new recipes and was happy to see how much less stressful they were when I wasn't making them starving to death.   They were both very tasty and I also learned a little bit from each of them, this type of cooking is different for me so there is a bit of a learning curve.    I did teach myself how to debone a chicken thigh and I felt like I did a pretty good job for never doing it before.  It did make me decide that I need to get a good pair of kitchen shears though.

I am excited to get through this change of daylight savings and have longer daylight in the evenings.  It means spring is coming and I am hoping I can get outside and soak up some sun.  I also plan to have the family walking together after dinner to get us all moving.  

I am really excited because I have a couple tools coming that I think will help make my meal discoveries more exciting.  I purchased the Ninja Kitchen System 1100 from Kohls which was a great deal because I also used the code SHOWERS30 to get 30 % off. I can't wait to see what it can do.  I have never used a food processor, it should be an adventure in itself.

 I also purchased a food scale because I have been noticing a lot of the baking recipes with almond flour and tapioca starch are more precise than simply using cup measurements.  I figure the better tools I have to help me be successful on this journey the better chance I have of sticking with it.

I think tomorrow I am going to try a carrot chip recipe a friend sent to me.  I need something to snack on, I would love to hear your favorite healthy snack!

Progress: Still going strong
Notes: Don't forget the Kitchen Shears!

Day 7 the completion of week 1

I was a little nervous about getting through the day if I am honest.  We had a surprise birthday party for a wonderful friend of ours to attend yesterday.  Birthdays are a cause for celebration but this was my first party to attend since trying to make these changes in my diet so I had a bit of anxiety.  I didn't know what kind of food to expect there so I had made up in my mind that if need be to go ahead and cheat.

I was sure to stick with the way I have been eating here at the house before we went. We arrived at the party and to my relief there were great proteins for me to eat.  I filled up on those and had a couple of salt potatoes.  I was so happy that I was able to say after I left the party that I had made it through my first week. 

 I had not had prepackaged food, with the exception of seasonings.  I avoided sugar successfully and drastically cut down on my coffee intake.  I tried a bunch of new foods, some I hated and some I absolutely loved.  I did not eat any M&Ms.  I helped my family make healthier choices with some of their meals.  All and all not bad for the first week.

That being said, I thought I might do a little recap of the changes I have been noticing so far.  My hair is still falling out at basically the same rate, so no change on that end but I do still have a lot of new growth and for that I am grateful and hopeful.  I went through a few rough patches but overall I think I am adjusting okay.  I LOVE LEMON WATER!  okay I know I have said that so many times but it is so good and gives me such a refreshed feeling each morning.  I have found that I am sleeping best when I am exercise, this weekend I didn't get as much in as I would have liked and I am have had a harder time sleeping.  I have also find that the more time I spend exploring new recipes the more I feel like I want to try new things.  I think I am overcoming my phobia which is an unexpected plus to this whole journey.

Another great unexpected change is that I am gaining confidence in myself that I haven't had in a long time.  I have also noticed that I seem to be thinking clearer here at the end of the week than I was when I started this whole thing.  I thank you guys for the positive comments and suggestions on facebook they have really been inspiring and helped me stay the course.  

Progress: Week one in the rear view mirror.

Notes:  I am having such a good time researching recipes that I think maybe after I get the hang of this I might want to try figuring out some of my own.

Day 6 Keep it simple stupid

Sometimes I over think things and over complicate them.  I am all for trying new recipes but maybe I shouldn't have tried them at dinner time.  Perhaps after one failed and I was already frustrated beyond belief, I should have given it a rest for the night.  Try, try again.  A friend suggested I try the recipes in the day when the kids are at school and the hubby is at work. I think that might be my best bet, no pressure.

That being said I did learn some valuable lessons from my catastrophic meal on Thursday.  After talking with people who have substituted veggies for pasta I learned that I should have let the zucchini cook longer and that it is almost translucent when it is ready to eat.  I also found out zucchini is not my only option, spaghetti squash is also an option.  Even though I had such a bad experience I am all for trying it again to see if I had it right and just don't like the flavor or if it was that the zucchini didn't have time to absorb the flavors I was cooking with.  I also am going to give the spaghetti squash to see if I like it better.    

Today I kept it simple.  Started with my Lemon water because I LOVE IT!!  I had myself a smoothie for breakfast.  Later in the morning I had a cup of coffee.  I brought myself a simple snack when I went to see Jane fore lunch.  Made myself a filling easy lunch using left overs from a dinner earlier in the week.  Dinner was garlic herb chicken, which was great because I used fresh herbs for the first time.  I also made baked potato and mixed vegetables.  I should have made a sweet potato but I needed to feel normal for a day which I did, I felt completely normal and I stuck to my plan.

Tomorrow if I make it through, will be a week since I have had any processed food.  This is foreign to me but I am proud of myself.  I am taking steps to be a healthier person that a year ago I would not have imagined myself capable.

Progress: Made it through day 6!
Notes:  Remember to keep it simple stupid :)

Day 5 One Step Forward Two Steps Back

It started off a decent enough day.  My husband was off from work so we had time to hang out together in the morning, he went with me on a hunt for ingredients for some meals I wanted to try.  If there is an upside to this day it is that I have an extremely supported husband.  

We had lunch together which was awesome. I even ate mushrooms which is another new thing for me! Then we just spent some time hanging out, it was a nice afternoon.  It was around 3:30 when everything started to fall apart.  

The first thing that happened was that I noticed that I bought cucumbers instead of zucchini for my fake vegetable spaghetti.  I didn't make a big deal about  it, I hopped in the car and ran to the store. I wound up grabbing some more peppers, green beans, and more cashews.  I wish I had used my brain and found something easy in case this great plan of mine did not turn out.

When I got home I got the family's version of what I was having ready because I wanted to have fun with what I my recipe.  (Man was I in for a let down.)  Once they were fed I started in on mine.  I used the slicer and my vegetable pasta came out amazing.  The picture above shows how it came out.  This tool works amazing, which is the only good thing I have to say about my dinner experience tonight.  

After I had my veggies ready to go I sauteed them in the pan with some olive oil and garlic, when they felt tender I added my sauce to it.  My guess is, I didn't cook this right, but the other problem I had with it was the flavor.  

Now let me be really real with you guys here, my entire life I have struggled with trying new things and have never been a big vegetable eater, but I have grown mountains in the last couple of years. That being said, this was a harder experience then I anticipated.  

How bad can this be I thought....I took a bite, it was disgusting to my pallet, I did not like the texture or the flavor.  I think that I didn't let the "pasta" cook long enough and maybe I didn't let the flavors combine enough, because it tasted like three separate ingredients that didn't belong together.

So my dinner was awful and repulsive enough to me that I could not finish it, although I did try 4 different bites hoping for a different experience.  (Should have stopped at one)

Now for those of you keeping track, I have now prepared and cooked 2 meals and still have not had a meal.  I was getting really grumpy about it so I made a couple slices of bacon, had a handful of nuts and some raisins.  Not really my idea of a dinner but I had not prepared a  back up plan.  I knew I was making something that I might not enjoy and had nothing easy just in case...this was a bad move.

A bit later when I was still hungry and still frustrated I told my husband I was going to attempt to make a recipe for 3 ingredient naan bread I had seen. I had purchased the Tapioca starch, Almond flour, and coconut milk earlier in the day so why not.  Probably my next bad move as I was already in a less then stellar mood.

 I started and knew I was in trouble the second I opened up the coconut milk, the smell reminded me of my mom's suntan oil growing up.  I feared it would be like the coconut rum back in college, something I would not be able to stomach.  I continued on, and when I got frustrated my husband took over flipping these breads as they are like making pancakes and I stink at flipping pancakes on a good day.  After that we popped them in the oven, when it was done I took a bite and sure enough I felt like I was eating suntan oil.  It did not stop me from eating a piece anyhow because I was just so freaking hungry.

My frustration peaked at that point and I sat on the couch sort of miserable.  My wonderful husband offered to make me popcorn in our air popper.  I ate it like it was my job, it was filling and at that point I was ready for bed.

I am typing this in the morning again.  It seems I can't bring myself to recap on the terrible days.  The good news is I woke up with an idea to substitute almond milk for the coconut milk.  Which seems like a pretty simple idea now that I am not over tired, angry, and hungry.

Progress:  I made it through this day by the skin of my teeth

Notes: Always have a back up plan when trying new recipes!