Nom, nom, nom...It's Monday, I'm in Love

Two words....ALMOND MILK

I have had almond milk in the past, but this time it's different. Previously, we have actually made Almond milk before and it was fairly easy. My previous complaint of the past would be that it wasn't very thick or creamy, watery even. However, Silk's Almond Milk is quite creamy. I chose to buy it at the grocery store because it had less sugar than regular milk. Well, let me tell you Almond Milk in protein shakes is AMAZING!!! It's a little more expensive, but definitely worth it! 

If you haven't tried Almond Milk, I strongly suggest it! It comes in Plain, Vanilla, Chocolate, and Light flavors. I really like the Light flavor because it is creamy but not super flavored. Also, with the "flavors" comes more sugar..no thanks! Anyway, give it a try...you might just like it ;)

xoxo,
Suzie

The Weekend!! A test to my commitment...

Today at about noon, I will be picking my husband up from work and heading to my hometown. We live about 350 miles away or so, a good 6 1/2 hour drive. We plan on visiting with family tonight, picking up a bridesmaid dress tomorrow morning (hopefully it fits), going to a Bachelorette party tomorrow evening, and then coming home Sunday morning. It is going to be very busy!! I am a little nervous about this trip because we are notoriously bad for eating crappy food on travel.  There have been times in the past when we have been on a good solid role and completely broke on travel. 

I feel confident that we will be able to stick to the diet because I am thinking ahead this time!!! This is how:

1)We are packing our lunch and snacks to eat in the car. This way we are not in the situation - We are wicked hungry and just want to find something resembling food...

2) I have agreed to be a D.D. . By choosing to be the DD, I will not be tempted to drink any alcoholic drinks. We all know how high in calories these are, plus it dehydrates your body!

3)Packing a simple breakfast. We are bringing protein powder to mix with water or milk for an easy breakfast on travel. My parents always have cereal or bagels, not exactly friendly to my low carb lifestyle.

4) Bring a bread alternative. We will be packing a lowcarb wrap for lunches with my parents. This way we will be able to join them for a lunch that meets our needs.

5)Telling the people around us that we are making healthier choices. I plan on telling my parents that we are low carbing so that we can have a dinner option for us. Also, I called the restaurant the the Bachelorette party had to figure out a head of time what would be okay for me to eat...or if I should eat ahead of time.

When you travel, the key is truly to think ahead. Consider what things are points of struggle for you and take steps to make sure they don't happen ahead of time. The last thing you want to do is try and figure this out with a bunch of hungry people around you! And you certainly don't want to break your progress!!!

I will let you know how it goes! Wish me luck. :)

xoxo
Suzie

Whew, Today was a Doosy

I woke up this morning to a slight annoyance. Apparently, my scale wasn't weighing correctly because the battery was going. My husband replaced the battery and put it down for me try. The end result was that I actually weighed 301.8. I was so annoyed. My husband reassured me that that just means that my initial weight was higher and I am still making progress. Even though he was right, I was still very frustrated! I think part of my frustration is that I want to see more progress then what I am... I know I need to be patient, but I am just so over being like this. 

Second annoyance for the day? The Stove in my home is shot! It broke out of no where and is going to take a couple of days  to be fixed. This made dinner really difficult because I had bought frozen veggies for steaming. Luckily, we do have a George Foreman which is great for grilling chicken. It just seemed like it was a test to see how we would respond to problems. Normally, my husband and I would have gone out to get dinner. Instead we went to the grocery store and got salad stuff. The salad was great, by the way. 

I guess in some ways today was really important in proving my commitment to my new lifestyle. Even though I felt frustrated and slightly overwhelmed, I still took 2 walks and made great healthy choices. This was really a circumstance where I could have easily reverted back to my old behavior. Honestly, I even though I felt frustrated it never came into consciousnesses that I could just go eat out. I have tried to loose weight in the past but always failed. For some reason this time feels different. I feel 100 percent committed to this, a feeling I have never felt before.

I hope you all stick out your journey. It might be hard right now, but it will get easier and you will be better for it! I urge you to wear your journey on your sleeve! I find that having this blog and having a twitter, helps me to feel more supported. Whether or not people actually read this or care, it's knowing that it is out there keeps me honest with my behavior. Ultimately, people who have a weight problem, like me, are fighting a host of problems: a food addiction, genetics, and changing your body's chemistry/metabolism. 

Good Luck Friends!

xoxo

Suzie

Tuesday's Love

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead !This documentary is a riveting story about Joe Cross, a man suffering from obesity and an auto immune disease. Fed up with taking multiple prescriptions, he embarks on a juicing journey for 60 days. In his journey, he drinks juice made from micro-nutrient rich food.  He ends up loosing more than 70 pounds, going off his medicines, and inspiring many others along the way.  I found this documentary to be very motivating. I am learning that losing weight is much more than controlling what we eat but changing your lifestyle. If you are looking for an inspiring story to help keep you motivated in journey. Check it out! Love, love, love!

xoxo
Suzie

Pleasant Surprise!

This morning started just as any other- The alarm goes off and I poke my husband groggily saying, "Snooze it! Please..." After two sets of "snooze"ing, I stumbled out of bed and made my way to the bathroom. Just as any other morning, I stepped on the scale...and so a number. I was a little confused and stepped  off it, rubbing my eyes. I stepped back on it again, getting the same number. I tried a third time just to make sure.  The scale read 301.6 :) YAY. I am attributing  the 1+ loss in a day to two main factors. The first thing being that I am finally off my monthly gift and I recently stopped taking a medication that has been known to make you gain weight. I am hoping I continue to loose a little bit at a time! Hopefully tomorrow is 301. :D

.6 down! Little Victories, my friends!

In two days I have lost .6 pounds! That means that as of today I am 303 even!!! I am so excited to see the number slowly going down! I hope to be under 300 by the end of July. I think this is a more than attainable goal. 

Anyway, my total weight loss as of two weeks low carbing is  3 pounds! I know that might not seem like a big feet to some, but I am ecstatic! Go ME!!! 

To my fellow low carbers- Great work, keep it up!!!!

xoxo
Suzie

Monday's Love

On Monday, July 11th, I am loving....

1001 Low Carb Recipes , My new cookbook! My husband and I discovered this treasure at our local book store. It's written by Dana Carpender and has tons of yummy recipes.  The recipes are divided by ingredient: poultry, fish, etc. The recipes are very easy and incredibly tasty! We made a chicken recipe and it only took about 20 minutes or so. My husband LOVED it!!! IF you are on the low carb diet, this book is a must! Variety is truly the key to success!!!

xoxo
Suzie