Second Cycle

Today is the second cycle out of four. It is, once again, phase 1. I didn't wake up early enough for breakfast, yet again. For lunch, I had brown rice cereal (grain) with cinnamon and apples (fruit). For snack, kiwi (fruit). For dinner, my grammom is making meatballs (protein) which I love, I'm making quinoa pasta (grain), and zucchini (veggies). I'm going to do some Zumba for about 45 minutes. :)

There isn't much to update, now that the pattern is down. We did make our own spelt bread, so I might post some pictures of that tomorrow.

-Ashley

Day 9, Phase 3

The first cycle through Phase 2 is over. I was doing pretty good, but then I went to a party and didn't really eat much the next day. So, this is the only day this week that I've successfully doing the next phase of the diet.

Time for Phase 3.

During phase 3, you must eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking and eat every three to four hours after that. For breakfast you have a fruit, grain, healthy fat, and a vegetable. You have a healthy fat and veggie for snack. For lunch, a healthy fat, protein, and a vegetable. Then, another snack the same as the last. For dinner, a grain, a protein, a healthy fat, and a vegetable. You can have as many vegetables as you want on this diet. You also need to drink half your body weight in water and are limited to two naturally sweetened (Stevia or Xylitol) drinks, only after the water requirement has been completed.

I woke up very late so I started with lunch; eggs (protein) with mushroom, onion, and zucchini (vegetables), and 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds (fat) sprinkled on top of it. It was actually delicious with the hemp seeds on it and it was very healthy(:

Snack - celery (veggie) and almond butter (healthy fat).

For dinner, I made chicken (protein) breaded in spelt flour (grain) with mixed green veggies and hemp seeds (healthy fats).

Did yoga, feel relaxed.
♥Ashley

Ehhh....

This weekend, I haven't really eaten anything because I went to this party and it was all downhill from there. :P Tomorrow, Sunday, I will be continuing the Fast Metabolism Diet. I swam for like 6 hours yesterday, though, so I guess that's good.

TTYL
Ashley

Day 7, Phase 2

Woke up late again and there were no eggs left so I settled for lunch. I cooked zucchini (veggie) with olive oil, garlic, onions, salt, and pepper and spicy chicken (protein). For snack, carrots (vegetable) and nitrate-free deli meat (protein). For dinner, filet mignon (protein) and spinach (veggie).

Today is one of the hottest days ever! Still, I lifted weights and did some Kinect games with my dad. We might treat ourselves to some Sugar-Free Rita's Water Ice later. TTFN, sorry for the short post.

Stay beautiful(:
-Ashley

Day 6, Phase 2

The first cycle through Phase 1 is over. So far, I've been pretty successful! My only downfall throughout the first 5 days has been that I haven't been exercising like I should. Not to make excuses, but my dad won't do it with me every time I ask. I know I could do it on my own.

Time for Phase 2.

During phase 2, you must eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking and eat every three to four hours after that. For breakfast you have a protein and a vegetable. You have the same for snack and for lunch. Then, for the next snack, protein is the only thing required, but you are allowed to have vegetables. You can have as many vegetables as you want on this diet. For dinner, a protein and a vegetable, as well. You also need to drink half your body weight in water and are limited to two naturally sweetened (Stevia or Xylitol) drinks, only after the water requirement has been completed.

For breakfast, which was at like noon since I'm a sleepyhead, I had an egg-white (protein) omelet with tomato and spinach (vegetable). For snack, a nitrate-free hotdog and carrots.

For dinner, at like 6:30, I cooked salmon (protein) and made cucumber salad (vegetable). I'll have some more carrots around 10 tonight.

I went on the scale and I've lost a pound within the past two days! :)

Lifting weights, then playing something on Kinect.

-Ashley

Day 5, Phase 1

For breakfast, I had a bowl of hot brown rice cereal (grain) with sliced apples (fruit).

For snack, we made a fruit smoothie and added aloe! To read about the benefits of consuming aloe, click here.

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For lunch, a pear (fruit), sprouted-grain tortillas (grain), some steak (protein) , with lettuce and tomato (veggie). For snack, an orange (fruit).

For dinner, wild rice (grain) and an egg white (protein) and tomato and spinach (vegetables) omelet.

It all tastes good and it is that easy to kick-start your metabolism! :) This water requirement is kicking my ass, though! SO MUCH WATERRRR.

Today, I noticed that I'm feeling different and my body feels like it works a tad better. It's been easier to tell when I am full. I am much more full of energy.

I want to work out, but my dad keeps saying "Maybe later." I wish he would be as serious about it as I am.

-Ashley

Day 4, Phase 1

Detox is over and I've already seen results! The reason I know this is that my jean shorts didn't fit before college. I lost enough weight during the school year to fit into the jeans, but snugly. They are verrrry snug after they come out of the dryer. This morning, I put them on fresh from the washroom and they were loose! It felt good.

I went to Torrid and spent a bunch of money on the best clothes ever that I may post pictures of later in the week if it isn't so hot out :) Then, we spent almost $200 on non-processed, organic, whole foods. I'm excited to change my habits and begin to transform the way my body consumes and processes.

Time for Phase 1.

During phase 1, you must eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking and eat every three to four hours after that. For breakfast you have a fruit and grain and a fruit for snack. Then, for lunch, a fruit, a grain, a protein, and a vegetable. Another fruit for snack and then, for dinner, a grain, a protein, and a vegetable. You can have as many vegetables as you want on this diet. You also need to drink half your body weight in water and are limited to two naturally sweetened (Stevia or Xylitol) drinks, only after the water requirement has been completed.

For breakfast, I drank water with a bowl of steel-cut oat cereal (grain) that was spiced up with cinnamon and watermelon (fruit). For snack, I had a yogurt because we bought them before the diet and needed to get rid of them. The problem with that is, no dairy is allowed during the first 28 days. I felt kinda crappy after eating that.

For lunch, I had sliced apples (fruit) with almond butter (protein) on quinoa bread (grain). I'm about to have some carrots (veggie). I've been drinking water all day, but I still have a lot to go.

Before dinner, I cut open an Aloe Vera leaf and got the usable aloe out of it. I haven't tasted it, but I read that it's bitter and basically tastes like crap. So, I'm going to use it in the morning in a blended fruit beverage. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

For dinner, I cooked steak (protein), mixed vegetables, and quinoa (grain). This was my first attempt at cooking and eating quinoa and it was really good. I was surprised that I cooked it right on the first try, too!

I still haven't finished my water requirement...it's hard, but I'm determined!!! I'll probably be up until like 2AM watching movies and, o this program, you have to eat every 3 to 4 hours as long as you are awake so I will probably have an apple later.

It's been a pretty good first day. :)

-Ashley

P.S. Almond butter has changed my life. I'm allergic to peanuts and it was sad to have to give it up when I found out about the allergy. Almond butter tastes even better and is better for you! 

Day 3

I had a weak moment this morning...I had eggs with spinach for breakfast. I'm not sure if that's a setback or not, but the rest of the day, I have been continuing the cleanse.

For lunch, I juiced cucumber, lemon, lime, and  granny smith apple, with a little celery, carrot, and beet. It was very tasty so I had an idea to make chia seeds taste better - instead of mixing them with water, I mixed them with the juice I had made. They taste a lot better that way.

I also made a dressing for dinner later. It's avocado, lime, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and water. It tastes phenomenal and I can't wait to have the salad later.

I'll update again after we finish planning out our week.

Seeya!
-Ashley

The New Day 2

Watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberry juice with a side of Chia seeds. Good for cleansing your body! :)

 CHIA WITH WATER

For lunch - blueberry, strawberry, cranberry smoothie with chia/hemp seeds in it.
Dinner - cucumber salad with onions and sprinkles of chia seeds.

Today was all about the Chia!

Zumba later with my dad, if he stops being a brat. :P

-Ashley♥

Detox: The New Day 1

Today I probably slept in longer than I should have. When I got up, I got to work cleaning and cutting a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. 

For vegetables, I had beets, peppers, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers (my fave!), celery, and carrots. For fruits, I had watermelon, apples, cantaloupe, lemon, lime, blueberries, and pineapple.

The juice from this combination tastes somewhat sweet with a spicy punch when swallowed. It's delicious and I am completely full from one glass. Also, I made a fruit juice from the remaining blueberries, watermelon, and cantaloupe for a snack later. I bet it tastes delicious.

I am not  having any solid foods until Monday and it has already proven difficult. My grandmother is in the kitchen making her mashed potatoes...and they are so good! And I don't get to have any. I need to learn self-control and discipline, sure, but this is a hard test to ace on the first day of a new lifestyle decision! It will be okay, though. I'm going to be strong this time.

I'm going to be planning out my next week's menu and I might do some physical activity today. I'll update later.

:) Ashley

Hungry for Change

I recently watched a health documentary, "Hungry for Change". I approached the movie with high suspicions; Is this just another liar out for my dollar? I didn't want to start a new lifestyle and spend the money on certain this and specific that just to stay the same or even gain.

But, instead of talking about how carbohydrates or fats or another food group isn't good, they included all food groups. They promoted high-nutrient foods and denounced processed foods, especially that contained addicting additives such as MSG. Did you know, to fatten up lab mice and rats, they feed them MSG and the automatically put on weight? Those types of foods work against your body, even when they claim to have healthy benefits.

I used to think organic foods were a scam. I do realize they are expensive...for some reason the bad foods are the affordable and are keeping people fattened up, addictive, and ready for more. This fact has inspired me to look into gardening and farming.

The fact that hit me the hardest is that diet soda has exactly the opposite effect that consumers are looking for and that it actually has unhealthy side effects. More often than not, diet soda will cause a weight gain and making losing harder. The combination of aspartame and caffeine actually kills brain cells. If you have to have soda, you will never lose weight, and I would choose regular from now on.

Besides these insights, they also provided lifestyle advice such as  juicing for detox and other health benefits.

Along with the movie, I have begun reading "The Fast Metabolism Diet". It consists of three phases that cycle through each week. This diet consists of only non-processed foods and does not exclude any nutrient group. Instead, it uses each group and their effects to start making your body work the way it was supposed to and trained not to.

Phase I is where you are able to have a lot of high natural sugar foods and grains. During these two days (Monday and Tuesday, usually) you do cardio and aerobics. This phase helps recover your digestion from all the abuse it has gone through over the years.

Phase II is where you have proteins and high-alkalizing green vegetables. These foods help to unlock your fat stores and put the fat into the bloodstream over the next two days (Wednesday and Thursday). During this phase, weight training is the best course of exercise.

For the next three days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), Phase III requires you to eat healthy fats, certain fruits, veggies, and proteins. During this time, your body is learning to use fat for fuel, burning the fat you just released for two days prior. The activities for this phase should be stress-relieving such as yoga, pilates, or even a massage.

It doesn't exactly sound like a diet! It sounds like a healthy way to eat. Today is July 11th and it is a Thursday. Tomorrow is the Friday I will begin trying to turn my life around; NO EXCUSES.

Another interesting fact I learned through a recent doctor's appointment and information from the book; PCOS = insulin resistance, obviously and Atkins causes insulin resistance which is probably why I've gained so much weight back upon quitting Atkins.

I will be strictly juicing this weekend to prepare myself for Monday, the day I will begin this new lifestyle and test the effectiveness of eating an all-natural and organic diet, nitrate-free with no MSG, in a way that wakes up my digestive track from the long sleep it has endured.

This lifestyle should be healthier for my condition and for my body inside and out.