Diet Beta Test

Since reading a blog post by Katherine Nilbrink, one of my favorite plant-based nutrition mentors about listening to your body instead of following the latest diet fad, I have become more aware of how certain foods make me feel. I notice how sugar laden food tastes so good in the moment, but within a few minutes of hitting my bloodstream makes me feel sick and weak. I notice how poor eating habits have caused inflammation which has wrecked havoc on my body. It has caused edema, raised my blood pressure to dangerous levels, and created joint pain that includes a frozen shoulder which makes it difficult to do simple things like brush my hair or get money out of the ATM.

Dieting has been on my mind a lot lately. But, my track record with diets are not good. In fact, it's the one thing I think I've failed at the most. There are so many good programs out there, but I usually derail the first week, sometimes the first day.

I have been a fan of Chalene Johnson since I discovered her during my Beachbody days. I love her bubbly personality and she's so fit. She is passionate about helping people live their best life. So, when I saw that she is offering an experimental program where participants create their own diet that got my attention.

The truth is I know what to do. I've studied nutrition and wellness nearly every day of my life since I was 18. I also know that when it comes to our health, we can never learn enough. I always think when I join a "diet" program that I wish they did this or that because then it would be easier to follow. So, now is my chance to put together a program that works for me. I know I could do it on my own, but the accountability and motivation is higher when you surround yourself  with like-minded people. I also like being involved with BETA ground-breaking programs. There is something exciting about being the first to breath life into something that could help hundreds of people. I sure hope it's a first "diet" program I stick with. Why wouldn't it be if I am the one creating it?! I think this will be a fun experiment. I'll let you know how it goes.

The program starts May 1st, so there is still time if you want in! Sign up at dietbetatest.com.

Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail

Fail to plan, plan to fail... that phrase has been playing in my head since talking with my plant-based nutrition coach, Katherine Nilbrink today and then hearing it again on a group coaching call with Chef AJ and John Pierre.

I have posted previously about my resistance to menu planning and meal preparation. It's not something I like to do. However, I understand that it is crucial to success on overcoming junk food addiction.

I rarely watch TV, but my one indulgence is The Voice. I love that show. I love that it gives people an opportunity to pursue their dreams and the chemistry between the coaches is great too. As I was watching tonight, I got to thinking about the people who are most likely to succeed on the show. It is the musicians who have prepared, trained, and planned for their art and opportunities. They practice all the time. It's not a job for them, it's art, it's fun, but it's still a lot of work especially if they make it through on The Voice.

So, it makes sense. If I want to succeed with this wellness journey, I have to do what successful people do and one of the main things they do is PLAN their meals! They do not leave it to chance what they will eat because that leaves too much room for temptation to sneak in from being too hungry. I know this. I just have to do it. Would I get up on The Voice and say, sorry I just didn't plan for success? No! I would do what I need to do to win. I want to apply that same will to my wellness journey.

Chef AJ has a saying that I like. She says, people who are unsuccessful do what's easy, people who are successful do what it takes.

So, I'm off to get some ideas and plan and prep my meal for tomorrow. Do you need some menu plan ideas too? Check out PCRM and PETA. Do you have a good resource for menus? Please share in the comments section.

Kathy
facebook.com/vegformation

Two Grand Food Journal App

Two Grand Food Journal App

I mentioned on previous blog posts that I am following the advice of two plant-based nutrition experts: Katherine Nilbrink and Chef AJ. Chef AJ has an awesome program called Ultimate Weight Loss. She has teamed up with fitness expert John Pierre. Part of Chef AJ's program is a very active Facebook Group. I used to think I could do everything on my own, but after falling down one too many times, I realize how much a community of positive, like-minded people can help support you on your wellness journey.

All three experts advise keeping a food journal. I love to write, but for some reason I find food journaling a chore. However, I LOVE technology, so I was curious if a good food journal exists. I know there is an APP for everything!

In the UWL group I kept seeing people mention Two Grand. At first it wasn't on my radar what it was, but then when John Pierre posted, "I hope you are keeping a food journal," several people responded saying they use TWO GRAND. That prompted me to check it out.

Two Grand is like using Instagram to keep track of your food intake. You simply take a picture of what you are eating. I remember doing that with my camera a few years ago, but Two Grand keeps track of it and you can share it if you want to. You can also set goals, follow your friends, and participate in challenges like "No eating after 8 p.m., 50 pushups, drink 80 oz of water daily," etc.

I'm going to give it a try. You can follow me @Vegformation and I will follow you back!

Kathy G
facebook.com/vegformation

Detox Day 1 of 3

I am working with two top-notch plant-based nutrition coaches: Katherine Nilbrink and Chef AJ. I'll talk more about what I'm doing with Chef AJ's program in a future post. I am working with Katherine one-on-one. I first connected with her when she was the instructor for the T. Colin Campbell Plant-Based Nutrition Certification course  I was taking through eCornell University. That was about three years ago. Katherine has seen how I have struggled to transition to a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle and lose weight. She offered to help me at the beginning of this year. She is working on rolling out a couple new programs that I will share with you when they are ready. You could say I'm her BETA tester. I am more than willing to be the guinea pig for this program because I believe in the whole-food plant-based lifestyle. I want to get healthy and help others along the way.

First up on Katherine's program is a 3-day detox that I have been putting off because I didn't think I would stick with it. I wanted to tie it in with something which turned out to be my birthday. I will turn 52 on Monday, so the days leading up to my birthday is when I decided to do the detox. I want to be able to start a new chapter in my life that is opposite direction of food addiction and leave behind all the baggage that comes with it.

Today is Day 1 of 3 for the Detox. I took the day off work today and stayed in bed as long as I could. I think I was still trying to delay starting the detox program! I just didn't want to have to think about food. I'm tired of it being an issue, which is why I ultimately decided to get up and get on with it.

Surprisingly, I'm not hungry today. No cravings. I drank 32 oz of water with lemon when I got up which is something I do every day anyway. No change there. I waited until I got hungry to have "breakfast" which was late afternoon. I feel pretty good so far. No detox symptoms.

If I complete this detox, which I fully expect to do, it will be the first time in my life that I have completed one. I've tried to do juice fasts a couple times, but barely made it through the first day. I think I made it to the second day once, but it was a struggle.

This detox doesn't feel depriving at all. It also involves other holistic aspects of life beyond food like pampering yourself - that's my kind of detox!

I'm looking forward to this detox because I believe it will pave the way to a life of abundant health and energy that is waiting for me!

Kathy G
facebook.com/vegformation

Here's a delicious looking detox water recipe!

Junk Food Addiction? Just Keep Swimming!

Note from my future fit self: You will get there, just keep swimming! Thank you for not giving up on me!

Now, I could focus on the details of all the negative things I'm going through as I transition away from a junk food addiction and leaning into the plant-based lifestyle. I could list the things I eat that do not serve my body or the greater good or talk about dealing with the fallout of being morbidly obese, but what purpose would that serve?

Or I could focus on the things that are helping pull me out of the pit of despair. Things in the form of books like Unprocessed, The Pillars of Health, Quantum Wellness, and many others that I will write about in upcoming reviews, experts like Chef AJ, John Pierre, Katherine Nilbrink, and Susan Peirce Thompson, and a group of supportive like-minded people who are determined to live their healthiest life.

If by some twist of fate you happen across this blog post and you are struggling with food addiction, my future fit self has a message for you too... Surround yourself with reliable resources and positive people who keep moving forward no matter how many times they fall down. Just keep swimming!

Kathy G
facebook.com/vegformation

Control Your Environment or It Will Control You

"Control your environment or it will control you.' ~ John Pierre

One of the biggest challenges on my wellness journey is my environment. Junk food and processed food are everywhere! It means I have to rely on willpower at all hours of the day and night to not eat cookies, cakes, ice cream, pizza, and other unhealthy foods.

I was watching John Pierre talk on the Ultimate Weight Loss DVDs and what he said made so much sense to me. He said, "Control your environment or it will control you!" He went on to say that we cannot rely on willpower to stay away from processed foods because even just seeing a picture of it can trigger a craving. He shared a lot of great tips on how to avoid tempting junk foods when it's in your environment. I'm going to give them a try this week. I'm sure it's much easier to control what foods are in your environment when it's just you at home, but when you live with people who aren't health conscious and have no desire to be, you have to get creative. I asked my husband to take his cakes and other junk foods to his "Mancave" so it's out of site. Still, there is almost always something in the fridge or cabinets that can sabotage the best made plans. It's a constant effort with lots of refining. Just this morning I gave into a craving when I was making pancakes for everyone else.

I am also going to practice the visualization techniques John Pierre talks about in the Ultimate Weight Loss program. I'm really surprised I haven't thought of it myself before since I teach about vision boarding! He shows us how to take it to the next level. I believe that we need all the resources and support we can get on this journey. I will never give up on my wellness and weight loss goals no matter how many times I fall down.

If you struggle with food addiction and emotional eating like me, I highly recommend that you follow people like John Pierre, Chef AJ, Katherine Nilbrink and Susan Peirce Thompson. They are helping me tremendously!

Kathy G
facebook.com/vegformation

Daily Report

Exercise
50 Squats
30 Minute Walk

Meals
B - Pancakes & Syrup (I know, not nutritious!)
L - 32 oz water, Pretzel Bites
D - 32 oz water, Spaghetti and applesauce

Gratitude
1. I am grateful for the interesting people I met this weekend.
2. I am grateful for this beautiful day.
3. I am grateful for my health.
4. I am grateful for inspiring and giving people of the world.
5. I am grateful for great books people write to help us get healthy and live our best life!

Replenishing Willpower

My plant based nutrition coach sent out her newsletter today inviting her followers to check out her friend and psychologist Susan Peirce Thompson's presentation on the mistakes dieters make. I was very curious about that and followed the link.

Have you ever received information that feels like finding the missing piece to a puzzle? That's what Dr. Thompson's message was like for me. I could especially relate to your message about willpower. Oh how I have struggled with willpower over the years. Feeling like a failure time and time again. I even said it the other day to my coach when I ate a few chips and some pizza rolls after I had committed to eating whole-food, plant-based January 1st - July 4th. I told her lack of planning and follow through with my diet felt like a character flaw. After seeing this video, I get it!

It is such an incredible relief to know that I'm not missing some intelligence gene that is keeping me from losing weight. I have never thought of willpower as something that can be depleted and never dreamed of the simple solutions to replenish it. This information is like hearing the angels sing! I'm so excited to learn more about the psychology behind overeating and get a grip on my wellness journey once and for all.

If you struggle with food addiction and maintaining a healthy weight, I highly recommend you sign up for Dr. Thompson's updates and watch the video below.

Kathy G
facebook.com/vegformationwww.facebook.com/vegformation

Daily Report

Meals
B - Green smoothie
L - Salad, cherry tomatoes, Simdabeweo Salad
D - Skipped - Not hungry

Exercise
50 Squats

Energy
4

Gratitude Journal
Five Things I am Grateful for today...

1. Chef AJ - I love her plant-based abundance approach to optimal health and weight loss. I love that she offers FREE teleclasses every Thursday to help us on our plant-based wellness journey. On the call tonight she is interviewing Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr!

2. My temp job - I've done the same temp job off and on for 10 years. They call me in when they need administrative help. It works for me. It provides income and yet doesn't permanently tie me down so I can pursue my entrepreneurial dreams. The job I'm doing now is in HR and it is usually very quiet so it gives me an opportunity to listen to podcasts while I work. I love that. It's like I'm getting paid to learn! Today I listened to marketing guru Ali Brown, weight loss coach and psychology professor Susan Peirce Thompson and plant-based cardiologist/endurance athlete Dr. Jami Dulaney. 

3. Facebook - Facebook is my social media platform of choice. I use the others too like Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube, but Facebook is the one I connect with the most. I love that they have groups where you can get support, share helpful information, and engage with each other and your mentors. Jim Rohn says you are the average of the 5 people you hang out with. Facebook gives me the opportunity to hang out with people who I admire and aspire to be like such as Louise Hay, Chef AJ, Mimi Kirk, Katherine Nilbrink, Ali Brown, Sandy Krakowski!

4. Fresh Fruit and veggies - I'm so grateful for food that nourishes my body and makes me healthy. It's God's bounty that is full of energy and life that goes into me to share with you!

5. My BFF - We have been friends for over 30 years and can easily reconnect no matter how much time goes by.

Common Denominators

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." ~ Michael Pollen

Raw or cooked? Juice or the whole food? What about oil?

Since becoming vegetarian three years ago, I have studied and followed a lot of plant-based doctors and vegans. Some say you should cook your food and some say you should eat it raw, some say olive oil and coconut oil is good for you, others say no way, some say juicing is the way to go, others say eat the fruit whole... the list of contradictions goes on and on.

Rather than focus on the confusion, I focus on the commonalities. What do they all agree on? Drink lots of water, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens and exercise.

Currently, I am following FullyRawKristina as she does her 21 Day FullyRaw Challenge where she is challenging her followers to eat one fully raw meal a day. That's an easy challenge for me since I usually drink a green smoothie for breakfast or have fresh fruit.

This morning, I'm eating oranges for breakfast. I love the smell when I first peel them. It puts a fresh citrus scent in the air around me which gives me a little boost of energy. It's almost like when you first walk outside on a bright spring day and the feel the warmth of the sun kiss your skin. Yeah baby! That's the life force I'm talking about.

I am also working with Katherine Nilbrink, a plant based nutritionist and holistic health coach, who was my instructor when I took the plant based nutrition certification course at eCornell University a couple years ago. We made a connection and stayed in touch after the course. Katherine has been a big supporter of my plant-based journey and is helping coach me through my transition from a junk food vegetarian to a whole food, plant-based lifestyle.

Katherine supports eating a variety of cooked and raw plant-based foods. Kristina recommends fully raw. Instead of getting bogged down with the differences, I look for what they both say. The common denominators. Katherine recommends eating three meals a day to give your digestive system a chance to do it's job. I notice that when Kristina is doing her "what I eat" videos, she also shows three meals. They both say to drink lemon water first thing in the morning and to exercise. They both also recommend creating a vision board. 

So, that's how I follow two different plant-based lifestyles without getting confused. Nothing is set in stone, we all just have to find the common denominators that works for us!

Kathy
www.facebook.com/vegformation

Do You Talk to Yourself?

I think part of any journey is to expect the unexpected. I expected to come home from work and make something healthy and delicious for dinner by 6 p.m. Instead my husband was waiting for me to take him somewhere, which I was happy to do. Now it's 8 p.m. and I'm famished. This is where I would typically give in to junk food cravings. I got up at 4 a.m. to get a fresh start to my day, prayer, meditation, get my workout in, make my green smoothie, and pack a light lunch before I headed off to work eight hours at a sedentary job, which I am grateful for. So, I'm tired and hungry, not a good combination for staying on track.

This is where determination and positive self-talk comes in:

Healthy Self: Fortunately, there isn't a lot of junk food in the house.

Old Habits Self trying to head Healthy Self off at the pass: I'm thinking a few steamed potatoes and some fruit sounds good.

Healthy Self: It's probably too late to be eating so close to bed time. Are you sure you're not just thirsty or tired?

Old Habits Self seeing the light (or too tired to fight): Good point healthy self, I think I'll drink a tall glass of cold water, go to bed and have the potatoes with some fresh salsa tomorrow for lunch.

Healthy Self: That's my girl. I'm proud of you for listening to me, I mean your body.

Old Habits Self: Ya, ya, maybe I'll put up more of a fight next time.

Healthy Self: Bring it girlfriend. P.S. I love you.

Old Habits Self: You do? I love you too and can't wait to meet you in the flesh someday soon! Thanks for looking out for me.

I didn't have that entire conversation all at once tonight, but it has come to me as I write, so it's what I'm thinking.

My plant-based nutrition coach, Katherine Nilbrink, who I will formally introduce you to in an upcoming blog, said something to me today that I believe triggered my healthy self to speak up! She said to see myself as the person I want to be. What would that person do and say. Well, I just found out. She spoke directly to me and said, you're thirsty, you're tired. You're not famished. In fact, you're not really that hungry at all. Just go to bed and start fresh in the morning.

Call me crazy if you want, but I have been talking to my healthy self a lot lately and see her in my mind's eye. She's healthy, fit, energetic. She has been waiting forever to come out and experience all the adventures and opportunities life has to offer instead of sitting on the sidelines or hiding in plain sight in a morbidly obese body watching life pass by. I am welcoming her with open arms and have only one question for her... What has taken you so long?!

Do you talk to yourself? If so, what do you say? Is it positive and life-affirming? It should be. Why? Because it's a #DayofPositivity. More importantly, because positive self-talk works and so does negative self-talk. The best part? We get to choose with every thought we think!

"Turn up the volume on positive thoughts and delete the negative ones." ~ Niko Everett