The Vegetarian Life

Greetings! 

Happy Friday!

Last week I decided to eat absolutely NO MEAT!! It's a big deal folks! I'm a total meat eater. I'm talking about I could have only a meal that consists of meat (and most likely cheese) and be just fine. Every now and then though I believe that we must push ourselves past our comfort zone. It allows you to grow and learn many things about yourself as I did this past week.

So you ask, why did I decide to ditch the meat AND for only one week? 
To be honest I've been fed up with trying to eat healthy and just wanted to commit to eating healthy! I chose to do only one week, because quite frankly it seemed like a lot and I couldn't imagine going longer!

What was it like and what did you learn?
When I went grocery shopping to prepare for this meatless week, I actually became very panicked. Even though I had a list of what I wanted,  it still felt like ALL MEALS EVER MADE required meat! It was almost like I was afraid I would starve to death if I didn't have meat, which of course I know isn't true...  At the time though it was a #shitjustgotreal moment. Lol!  In all actuality, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I'm a total emotional eater, so when I'm stressed out I just want a warm fuzzy hug and a nice juicy burger with cheese and bacon! Of course when I was having a hard or long day,  the first thing I wanted to do was comfort myself with a savory treat, but I didn't. For the most part I didn't even miss the meat. What this showed me was that even if from time to time I get frustrated with my weight journey, I do actually have willpower and commitment power. That in itself is priceless. Now, when I'm struggling I think back to that week and I know that I can have good eating habits, because I proved it!

What kind of foods did you eat?
Well breakfast was easy. Bowl up some cereal or some oatmeal and call it one. Lunch was somewhat difficult if I didn't have meatless leftovers and sometimes I just didn't feel like having leftovers. On those days I went to Subway and got the veggie patty (which is actually very good) sub and some chips. Having the chips made it feel like a normal meal. Here are some of my lunches:

For dinner The Boo and I made spaghetti with bell peppers, onion, and zucchini. Before last week I would've sworn up and down that I didn't like zucchini, but now we've become fast friends.

We also made pizza which was fun! We got some pizza dough from Publix and smashed it down with our hands. I sauteed some bell peppers and onion and sprinkled them all over the sauce. Then topped that off with baby spinach leaves, Basil, oregano, S&P, and lots of cheese!
So.Freaking.Good.

The best meal though were the veggie enchiladas with fajita rice! I found the recipe on none other than Pinterest! Isn't Pinterest amazing for food ideas? I've pinned so many and cooked none until now. I went in search for a zucchini recipe and found it that way. The green chili sauce is what you'll see in the blender below. It had just the right amount of spiciness! 

Speaking of Pinterest, I'm totally going to do a Food Challenge in the month of June. One new recipe per week and I'm thinking maybe have some kind of theme. Wanna join me?? :)


So those were my foods for the week! All in all I felt a lot lighter and did't feel the need to eat as much. I'm thinking that I will plan more meatless meals from now on and I will definitely have that veggie patty again from Subway. Are you a vegetarian or vegan? What recipes do you like? Do you have any struggles or miss meat?? Let me know!

Ciao!

Weekly Wishes #8

Greetings!

Its that time again for weekly wishes! Did you set any goals for last week? If so, how did they go? Are you just joining me? Let me explain what happens for Weekly Wishes..

The Happenings: You share your weekly, monthly, or yearly goals/wishes/achievements and you get to be a part of this big group of people that are doing the same thing. Yay! Wanna join in? Check out The Nectar Collective.

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Well friends I don't know about you, but I'm off to a stellar start for the week. Not for any particular reason. I just feel good, rested, and in a fairly cheerful mood! Well no, I take that back... I'm really geeked, because although it seemed like it took foreverrrrrrrrrr, I finally have my new domain name up and running!!! (Thank to hubby to be!) YAY! I was Life Happens and now I'm A. Sparkle Says! Go ahead and take a look at the address bar and you'll see it. :) I'm chair dancing as we speak.. So without further ado..

Last Weeks Wishes

* No meat for one week - I did it!! I really really did it! This is a total big deal for me. Never did I think I could go even one day without meat and I did a week! I learned a big lesson in doing this that I didn't expect at all. It's like facing a fear and ripping it to shreds! It feels damn good I tell ya! More info on the next blog post about this.

* Focus on Etsy shop - Totally did this one too. I've rearranged and set things up the way I need them and I'm ready to start setting up sales with coupon codes. Anyone else ready for Mother's Day? Oddly enough, I now have been commissioned to make two sets of hats ands baby booties. I'm excited to get started. More updates to come on this later as well. 


This Weeks Wishes


* Start the Purge Process - For whatever reason I've felt the need to look through my stuff and get rid of all the things I don't need. I'm feeling a little cramped and that makes me anxious, so it's time to get this done. I'll start with at least 5 things, but the overall goal is to get rid of at least 100 items.


* Revamp the blog - I'd really like to find another template and change up some of my pages. So be on the look out for a new look. :)


* Weight Train & Exercise - I gotta put this one back on the list since I've fallen off. It seems like everyone around me is losing weight and getting in shape. It's mosdef time for me to get back on my grind, especially since Summer is fast approaching.



Welp, that's it friends! What are your wishes and goals this week? :)

Ciao! 



Weighting In: Health vs. Weight-Loss

Greetings!

As always, it seems to be that I've found a new book to read. Nevermind the fact that I currently have at least five other books that I'm in the middle of. I really should add 'Finish a freakin book' to my Weekly Wishes next week! Ha!

I was watching Oprah Prime and she had Sharon Stone and Cameron Diaz on there talking about getting older. Did you watch it too? I loved it. Why? I'm 32 and I'm seeing little signs of age and I don't like it! I just gotta tell ya that getting older is no joke!

No one tells you that you will start to get rogue old lady chin hairs like your 5th grade teacher had, or that after the age of 25 you.will.never.get.rest.ever.again., or that you can't stay up 24 hrs without feeling like death warmed over the next day. You have to take care of yourself, which brings me to the new book I'm reading.. See how that went full circle? ;) I'm talking about The Body Book, by Cameron Diaz.

Here's the thing about me and my weight-loss journey.. (and I'm gonna be really honest here) I simply want to lose weight so that I can wear the clothes that fit my personality and NOT clothes for an 85 year old woman that likes to wear tiny flower prints, boxy shirts, and sweats and/or wind suits all the time. (No offense to older ladies out there) I want to be able to shop in more than 3 major stores for 'somewhat' stylish clothes. And let's not forget the benefit of not being discriminated against for not being skinny. Maybe you're thinking that the last statement is a little dramatic, but I've experienced it myself at my own job. People are a lot nicer to me, men AND women when they notice I'm losing weight. It's crazy!

I digress though...

 

So the book talks a lot about eating "whole foods" or foods sustained by mother earth. That means no foods with preservatives and definitely no fast foods! (perish the thought!!) Her whole angle in the book is to be healthy. I can dig it. Although, I must say that it's much easier to grab the hamburger helper box and throw some ground turkey in it and call it one than to go to the grocery and buy all the many ingredients it's gonna take to replicate and cook that meal. I figure it's a baby steps kind of thing. Maybe cook one major whole food meal on the weekend when I can enjoy taking my time and not have to rush. 

She talks about how to take care your body and skin and all that jazz too, but I haven't gotten to that point in the book yet. I like this book and it's making a lot of sense so far. So, good people of the land, do you eat for taste, to be healthy, or to just lose weight??

Oh by the way..... and this blew my mind.. It also says that just because you are overweight, doesn't mean that you can't be malnourished. Whaaaaa? I know! The gist is that if you're not feeding your body real nutrients (or eating empty calories) then you can be malnourished. Bam! Did you know this little fact? Let me know!

Ciao!

Weighing In..

Greetings!

 

I haven’t written a post about how the weight-loss was going in a while so I figured it was about time! If you’ve been following along, then you know that I’ve been reading Eat Q, by Dr Susan Albers. I was trying to go the whole ‘no dieting’ and ‘eating mindfully’ route and was getting frustrated. So after a while I was like, ‘Hm.. this crap doesn't work!’ and I put the book down and haven’t picked it back up.

After much thought though I realized that I was doing what I always do. Read half of something, get bored, and go off and do my own thing. What I started doing was going back to what had worked for me previously in losing weight and that was doing my Leslie Sanstone workout dvd and counting calories. I’ve also started taking some supplements, where I hadn’t before. I wanted to do something I knew would work, because eating all willy-nilly and trying to be mindful wasn’t doing it for me! I’ve only been doing this for a week and so far I’ve lost four pounds! Yay, for me! ::: fist pump ::: Can I just say that four pounds makes a huge difference in how your clothes fit..

So while I was doing this, this past week I realized that I had learned something from Eat Q after all and it was helping me to make better food choices and handle my cravings in a different way than I had before. Now when I was tempted by a muffin in the break room or I wanted a Baconator combo from Wendy’s, I knew that I wanted it and I accepted that. Then I thought about my end goal and it helped me to not act on my craving. Or if I really wanted it, I would ‘budget’ my calories throughout the day, so that I could splurge later.

All in all I’m pleased with combining the powers of my old methods and the new methods of Eat Q. I will continue to read the book that way I’m fully informed and know the process in it’s entirety and then maybe someday soon, I will be able to stop counting calories and just naturally make good food choices.

Anyone else in the fight with me?

Ciao!

 

A. Sparkle

Weight-Loss Wednesday #3

Greetings... 

I hope everyone has had a great week so far! Mine is moving right along and I'm just waiting on Fridaaaaay to get here soon! I'm super excited to be going to the Honda Battle of the Bands here in Atlanta, GA! I haven't been in quite a few years and although my glorious Alma Mater will not be there this time, it will not stop me from wearing my sweatshirt and representing them in their absence!

So I've been going with the whole concept of not 'dieting' or counting calories, because the book called Eat Q recommends not to. A world without dieting?!? Yes I know. The whole idea is that you want to live life like...... well normal I guess. I don't know what most thin/skinny people do, but I'm sure they don't always go around counting every little calorie they put into their mouth, right? At least I hope not.. In any case, that's not how I want to live my life. I just want to know what I should and shouldn't eat, make sure it still tastes good, and doesn't require for me to starve myself and deny my body of nutrients. So with that being said I thought I'd share more tips on what the book says that can also help in the mental warfare that occurs when choosing what to eat and when to stop eating.

P.A.U.S.E 

Perceive * Recognize that this is the moment you chose what you’re going to eat

Allow * At least 10 mins for that thought to sink in

Understand * what your feelings are in the moment and why as well as pay attention to your body                               language (i.e slumped shoulders, clenched fists)

Stay * In the moment and lean into the feelings instead of away from them

Entertain * the options you have to either stop eating or keep eating

This method was probably created for me. I find that I have the mindset of needing to finish everything on my plate, so as not to be wasteful. I hate wasting food. Whenever I'm leaving food to be thrown away, I hear that little voice in my head that says, 'Um, what are you doing? Don't you know there is someone starving somewhere right now?!? You better eat it!' Then I feel guilty for not eating it, but then if I eat it I feel guilty for getting full. Oh what a catch twenty-two! Guilt is a sneaky little unwanted mistress, no? 

The great thing about reading this book is that it’s forcing me to become aware of my habits, that way I can stop them. Such as, it just now occurred to me today that I've been treating eating healthier like a job. I can generally do great for breakfast and throughout the day at work, but as soon as I get home I feel like I'm finally on my own time and I can do what I want. I stop drinking water or anything for that fact when I get home and I tend to have a bigger portion of food for dinner. Now that I know that I can watch for that! 

Okay, that’s all for now. Give me your thoughts on the P.a.u.s.e. method and tell me about your struggles or successes! Until next week..

Ciao!

 

 A. Sparkle

Weight-Loss Wednesday: on Thursday

Greetings...

So it’s time for what I’ve decided to be our weekly update. Last week I told you that I was reading Eat Q by Susan Albers, PSY. D. and have been learning about that method. I like the idea of it all, but it’s definitely harder than I expected. When is anything dealing with changing how you think about things not hard though? I’m still in for the ride. Anyway, I’m learning a lot about myself and my eating habits. It raises a lot of questions about why you crave certain things, what specifically you normally go to for good eats and are they comforting. Speaking of comfort foods…. You know how when you’ve had a really crappy day and you need that piece of chocolate/bag of chips to calm you down and make everything right in the world again like RIGHT NOW or you’ll implode? Well it does comfort you….. but studies show that that only works for three minutes… 

Three Minutes!?!

Crazy right? Also.. did you know that when you eat, it causes dopamine (the pleasure hormone) to be released in the body. Every wonder why the act of eating in general feels good? That’s why!

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So here is the core method so far: The Eat Method

 Step 1) Embrace your feelings - in other words identify how you're feeling whether it be angry, sad, happy, excited, etc.

Step 2) Accept Your Feelings - The author says that you have to live with how you feel. Don't try to distract yourself from the feeling because, when you ignore your emotions you end up eating mindlessly. When you eat mindlessly you aren't thinking about what you're eating, how much of it you eat, or if there will be a consequence in the end. 

Step 3) Turn to Positive Ways to Manage Your Feelings - She says that you can do so by talking to a friend about what's going on in your life, taking a brisk walk, writing in a journal, meditating, just anything really to help you unwind from life's woe's.

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So what's happened since last we talked? Last week was good. I struggled to up my liquid intake, but I did it. I’m not one of those people that has to be drinking something all the time or even with my meal. I can go hours without one drop of anything and be fine. Between water and tea I generally hit 6-8 cups on the daily depending on the day. I hadn’t cooked in quite some time and so last week, I made taco soup which is healthy and oh so good and Hamburger Helper was thrown in the mix as well and made with ground turkey. I felt good about last week. I identified, accepted, and managed even though I stressed.

This week is a different story. I’ve been in misery mode where everything is annoying and it all started out with catching a stupid cold. I was tired of being sick, I just wanted to breathe, I was super exhausted, stressed out from work and I was craving yummy horribly unhealthy foods. It’s amazing the effects being tired has on your body. Apparently when you’re tired, you crave sugary & salty foods and I can attest to that! 

I have an intense need for salty foods when I’m stressed and so wanting immediate relief from the ‘pain’ I got some fast food. It wasn’t even worth it though, because the food was lousy for the most part. I totally didn't accept how I was feeling. I just wanted the bad feelings to go away and so I comforted myself with food, which ended up not being comforting at all. Well... let me not lie. It was some comfort. For about three minutes! ;) Can I just say how weird it is to know that you're eating mindlessly, while your doing it? At least I can recognize it, right?

Having a cold was awful and being stressed out from work was no fun, but the thing that threw me off my game was being tired. I couldn't remember things and I didn't want to think hard about anything at all. This weeks lesson: Get enough sleep at all cost!! So that's my journey so far. Share with me what you think of the Eat Method. Sound good or like a bunch of baloney? What are your struggles or successes? I'll be here. Let me know. :)

Ciao!

A. Sparkle