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!

Is Cauliflower the New Kale?

I love cauliflower. It's almost as versatile as potatoes! You can eat it raw, steam it, bake it, roast it, fry it grill it, mash it... You can even make into buffalo wings, popcorn, pizza crust, and cheese! Below are links to a few of my favorite cauliflower recipes. What is your favorite way to eat cauliflower? 

Cauliflower Cheese

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2013/05/cheesy-cauliflower-sauce.html

Cauliflower Alfredo

http://ohsheglows.com/2014/01/20/caul-power-fettuccine-alfredo-vegan

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

http://simpleveganblog.com/cauliflower-pizza-crust-vegan-gluten-free

Cauliflower Kettle Corn

http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/2014/01/healthy-cauliflower-popcorn-kettle-corn

Kathy G

facebook.com/vegformation 

Daily Report

Meals

B - oatmeal with apples, cinnamon and raisins

L - tofu with beans, rice, onions, mushrooms, salsa, five tortilla chips

Mid-afternoon Snack - orange

D - stuffed portobello mushrooms, spinach and mango salad, banana cacao smoothie

Exercise 

50 squats

50 overhead presses with dumbbells

Energy level

4

Gratitude Journal

Five Things I'm Grateful for...

1. I am grateful for feeling the dopamine "feel good" rush from life and exercise rather than from food!

2. I am grateful that I wake up in time to see the sun rise.

3. I am grateful for tomorrow because even though it's not promised to us, it is full of hope and opportunity.

4. I am grateful for the educators of the world because through them we can grow stronger in mind, body and spirit.

5. I am grateful that my granddaughter's surgery for a deviated septum went well and that she is making a speedy recovery. 

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.

Money and Food

Right now I'm stressed to the max about money. I wish I could feel ok about money so I could attract it to me, but I hate money. Hate that everything comes down to money including health care and the food industry. Don't get me started on those two topics! 

It's easy to say it's not about money when you aren't worried about your mortgage or taxes or utilities or food in your fridge. I want to escape this feeling of worry and anxiety. The problem is my escape has always been food! How do I deal with this flood of emotions without giving in to cravings? I wish there was an easy answer. It feels like I'm in a rowboat in The Perfect Storm! 

Oh wait, I just realized I haven't eaten breakfast yet. Food to the rescue! I wish it didn't have to be like that, but it's amazing how much better I feel just eating a banana and some blueberries. It's an instant mood lifter getting that sugar rush to my brain. Saved from drowning one banana at a time! 

Well, here it is a couple hours later and I ran across a Dave Ramsey video. I think God is trying to tell me something. Dave talks about creating a budget. Just a few days ago I heard a similar speech about menu planning from my plant based nutrition coach. I'm starting to see a pattern here! 

I am even less inclined to create a budget than a meal plan. Fail to plan, plan to fail. Those words are ringing in my ears. Write it down, make it happen. That's my new mantra and it's rattling around in my mind too! 

So, it all becomes a matter of choice. Will I continue to worry and stress about money and food or will I do what I do best, WRITE it down! 

---------

It is now the next day and the stress of yesterday is gone, thank goodness. The best part is I stuck to my plan and didn't eat junk food or binge eat! That's a big win in my books. 

Now that I have calmed down, I realize that I don't hate money. I appreciate what it can do for people. I just don't like what it does to people. 

I almost talked myself out of posting this but I know that the things we hesitate to talk about are the things people can most relate to and can be helped by. So, once again I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and putting it out there. 

If you stress eat because of money worries or haven't had much success with wellness and weight loss, maybe something you discover here will help you on your journey. I don't know about you, but I need all the help I can get when it comes to money and food! 

Kathy G

Facebook.com/vegformation 

This isn't the Dave Ramsey video I watched, but it's the same concept and he even says some of the same things. If you want me to post the video I watched comment below and I will find it! 

http://youtu.be/VzfhKEMWuCY

Daily Report

Gratitude 

1. Clothes that fit.

2. God

3. Dave Ramsey

4. Katherine Nilbrink 

5. Dr. Catey - a dentist who volunteers to provide dental care at the local Bridges to Health Clinic for people who can't afford to go to the dentist. Where would we be without caring and generous in the world. Very grateful for people who care. 

Meals 

B - 32 oz water with lemon, Orange & Banana

L - 20 oz water, Celery & PB, Salad w/salsa

D - 32 oz water, Simdabewea Salad 

Exercise 

50 squats 

Energy Level = 3 

Are You Ready to Roar?

Have you ever listened to the words of Katy Perry's song Roar? She says, "I am the eye of the tiger, a fighter, a dancer through the fire, I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar!" I love empowering songs like that. That's why I love music and personal growth books so much, they inspire you to keep fighting the good fight and keep on keeping on no matter what. 

Speaking of fighting the good fight and keeping on no matter what, I am issuing a challenge to myself and invite you to join me. 

I have a sedentary job where I sit for 8 hours a day. Then I often go home and sit another 2-4 hours to write, sometimes longer if I'm working on my website or other online projects (or distractions like email links and Facebook). That's a lot of sitting! I used to not want to sit in wide chairs because I was convinced the wider the chair, the wider my butt became! 

So, I am trying to come up with creative ways to incorporate movement and exercise into my day. One idea is 50 squats a day no matter what. I started doing it yesterday. My plan is to make it as automatic as brushing my teeth. I may add more squats and other exercises as I go along, maybe see how many I can do in a day, that would be a fun challenge. I remember doing so many squats and lunges one time that it was hard to sit on the toilet for a week! As long as my knees cooperate, I'm doing it. Want to join me? 50 squats a day no matter what! 

Kathy G

facebook.com/vegformation 

Daily Report

Exercise - 50 squats done! 

Meals 

B - 32 oz water with lemon, blueberries and a banana 

L - 20 oz water,  Subway Veggie Delight Salad 

D - 32 oz water, Steamed broccoli & rice 

Energy = 4

(On a 1-10 scale) 

Gratitude Journal 

1. Time - Time can be my best friend or worst enemy depending on how I manage it.

2. Income - My husband hasn't worked since a devastating fire we had last August that burned our home and business to the ground. Money has been tight, but fortunately I have an extended temp job that is holding us over. My goal is to make a living online so I can be anywhere and still conduct business. I would LOVE to blog for a living and help people from the beach or some cafe in Paris! 

3. My awesome grandchildren - They are one of the main reasons I am on this plant based journey. I want to set a positive example for them and do fun active things with them like flying kites, hiking, traveling, and other fun adventures. That all takes energy to do! 

4. My mom - She is there for me. It's comforting to know someone supports you and your dreams and goals. My mom is my biggest fan and cheerleader. She has a young spirit, great sense of humor and easy smile. We have gone through a lot together and made it to the other side stronger, wiser, bolder, and more courageous. Thanks mom! I love you. ❤️

5. My God-given gifts - It has taken me many years to realize that God gave me the gift of writing to inspire people. I wasted so much time on self-limiting beliefs, such as feeling inferior, inadequate, and comparing myself to the "real" writers of the world, that years have flown by like a super sonic jet with stories untold and songs unsung. It is time to soar like the eagle I am (Oak Hill EAGLE '81 alum). Like Katy Perry, it's the half time performance of a lifetime and you're gonna hear me roar! 

http://youtu.be/CevxZvSJLk8

The Game Plan

If you fail to plan, you are still planning. It's called the failure plan! That's the overall message I got from my holistic health coach today. She didn't say it exactly like that, but that's the inference I took away and it really made an impact. 

With all my years of studying personal development, I should clearly understand that if you want to succeed at anything you have to make a plan and then work that plan! 

So why am I so resistant to making a meal plan and sticking with it?! My whatever you want whenever you want it eating plan is obviously not working or I wouldn't be morbidly obese! 

I can see victory stretched out before me, it is so close I can smell it, taste it, feel it, but yet there is an invisible barrier in the form of resistance that has permeated not only my diet but every aspect of my life. Regardless of the obstacles, I am no longer willing to accept mediocrity! I challenge myself to rise up against my past and my fears to become the person God is urging me to be.

I feel this war going on inside me where part of me just wants to go with the flow, not caring about the consequences. The other side knows there is so much more to life when you step outside your comfort zone and when you take care of yourself. Sometimes you have to fight for your freedom, stand up for yourself to yourself.

It's not the menu plan that I resist, I think it's conformity which is something I have rebelled against my entire life. The challenge is to realize that structure and follow through will help me. My plant-based nutrition coach has given me a menu plan but I have subconsciously resisted following it and I haven't followed my own menu plan either. I say I want to be successful with this transition, but my actions have not been consistent with success.

"Rules" have always had to be on my terms or I would rebel and get away from the rule maker as fast as I can. I remember playing a game of Red Rover with my cousins when I was 9 or 10. I didn't feel like they were playing fair, so I refused to play. That's when my older cousin turned to the other kids and angrily yelled, "It has to be Kathy's way or she won't play!" Funny that memory comes to mind as I'm trying to sort through my feelings about menu planning. I have always wanted to be in control of anything that affects my life. I suspect it stems from feeling like I had no control of my life when I was a child.

What I failed to see is that by not controlling my eating plan, I lose control of my health and of my destiny. I will be 52 this month and am quickly realizing that this is a pivotal time in my life. It's the third quarter and the opponent who has come in the form of inconsistency has dominated this game. I will not give up, especially when I know that I can easily win by simply following the game plan! 

Kathy G

facebook.com/vegformation

Daily Report

I am grateful for...

1. My plant-based nutrition coach, Katherine Nilbrink for giving me some much needed tough love and guidance.

2. Clarity on my plant-based journey.

3. Wisdom to listen to wise council.

4. God's grace and forgiveness 

5. Today - I appreciate today and being in this moment.

Meals 

B - 32 oz Water, orange

L - 20 oz water, can of Popeye spinach, banana, a few walnuts, raisins, dark chocolate chips 

D - Carrots with pine nut hummus, steamed potatoes 

Energy Level on a scale of 1-10

3

The Power of Inertia

This video is fascinating. It shows the power of inertia to effect massive change. One tiny decision to stop eating meat or starting exercising or any positive things we choose to do can change everything and usually does.

Kathy G
www.facebook.com/vegformation


Daily Report

Five Things I am Grateful for:
1. My family who is always there for me.
2. Faith - I don't know how I would get through life without God to lean on.
3. Free will - We get to choose our destiny with every thought we think and every deed we do
4. Technology - That enables me to share my thoughts with you!
5. Plant-based mentors who are helping save our health and the world!

Meals
B - 32 oz water with ACV (apple cider vinegar), Orange
L - Baked potato and spinach
D - Steamed veggies

Had some chips and horehound herb candy. Not on the plan!

Energy Level
2 - Hibernation mode!

Progress
Down 5 lbs!