3 Month Progress - 39lbs gone

-39lbs!
I should be measuring inches in addition to progress on the scale but I was pleasantly surprised to try on a pair of pants I haven't worn in a year and they fit perfectly! Two pairs of pants are now in the trash. Last time I lost the weight (90lbs) I also got rid of my larger size clothes.

What's different this time? I kept the weight off with no problem for almost two years and only had the issue when I started eating sugar again. I now know I can't have sugar, even in what they call "moderation." Maybe sad but I have to value my health more than cookies and cake.

Sugar addiction is far more common that people think. if you binge on carbs with sugar and have yo-yo dieted then this could be your issue.  It's seems a lot easier for an alcoholic to avoid drinking but sugar is literally everywhere and it's what we universally use to "celebrate" special occasions LOL.

Looking forward to more Isagenix Cleanse days this next month :)
 

Penn State Football Coach using Isagenix

Today I saw a post from Eric Coover that included a segment of the Penn State Training Days show. Apparently, the coach is on the 30-day Isagenix program.

Protein shakes are new to athletes LOL. Actually, there are many, many professional athletes using these superior protein shakes.

Fast forward to 12 min / 22 seconds of the show to see the coach talk about his "diet" and "cleansing." The players joke with him about drinking the shakes, can't wait to see his transformation!

It's so easy to eat healthy now...

It is so amazingly easy to pass up cookies, cake, candy and chips now that I have detoxed from

sugar.
NO

willpower needed, thanks goodness! It would be hard to go through life having that internal dialogue with myself every day.

I will weigh myself next Tues. at 3 month mark but my main satisfaction is from knowing I am giving myself the best chance to live a long and healthy life. I did a two-day Isagenix cleanse a few weeks ago and am going to do another this week.

I had to go totally off all sugar and chose to eliminate wheat (see Wheat Belly entry) but most people should be able to try this...
http://www.naturalnews.com/041683_sugar_addiction_breaking_the_habit_sweeteners.html 

2 Months - down 26lbs

Today has been 2 months since I went sugar free and wheat free. I lost 20lbs the first four weeks but only 6 the last four weeks. It seems strange to only six pounds when I am not eating any sugar (or sugar substitutes) and no wheat (except croutons on my salads). Some days I know I am not eating enough - too busy at work - but overall I think I'm eating enough. I am getting a lot of calories anyway from avocados. I eat a whole one on my salads.

IF I was just doing this to lose weight I'd be upset BUT I am really doing this to live a longer, healthier life. I need to fix the damage I've done to my body then eat healthy foods to give myself the best chance to be around a long time!

This next month I need to do a two-day cleanse so my body releases the toxins in my fat cells. I might weigh before and after the cleanse just to see what happens. I am aiming to do it this Thursday and Friday.

Doing great - no sugar or wheat since 5/28/13

I had previously gone without sugar for over two years and it wasn't as hard as it sounds once the cravings are gone. 

Now I have omitted sugar plus wheat and grains (still some legumes). The stuff I've deleted from my diet is white flour, wheat and processed foods so nothing that my body needs. In fact, it's all harmful stuff so I can see a longer, healthy life without it. I just hope I can undo the damage I did over the last 16 months.

This is what I ate today for lunch - so delish! It's just tomato, mozzarella, basil, balsamic vinegar, a little olive oil, Himalayan salt and pepper.

On July 23rd it will be 8 weeks and I'll weigh myself again. I found this cool blog with some great recipes that are sugar and grain free. Lauren is a young woman who was able to heal a bad digestive situation with healthy eating. http://empoweredsustenance.com/



 

Cupcake or Heroin? There's no difference.

This Washington Post article just popped up on one of the news sites today... a new study just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition implies that:

"... the quick spike and subsequent crash in blood sugar that comes after eating highly processed carbs activates reward and addiction centers in the brain."“Refined carbohydrates seem to be able to provoke food cravings many hours after consumption, at least in susceptible people.” I am obviously a "susceptible" person and like other types of addicts, I can't have any of this substance. Just like an alcoholic can't have a drink in moderation, I can't have sugar in moderation. I have finally come to terms with that after gaining a lot of weight back. But the benefits of good health far outweigh the taste.I continue to pass up many chances to eat bread, muffins, cupcakes, etc., on a daily basis. It isn't hard to do once it's out of my system. I just can't even fathom eating sugar again...

But the government says we should eat grains

My very intelligent daughter told me I must eat some grains because they are in the USDA food pyramid - now a food "plate." While it's inconvenient to give up grains (how do you make a sandwich?), I know I'm not losing valuable nutrition or anything good by giving them up.

Dr Mercola recently had a great post entitled :

How Turning the Food Pyramid on Its Head Can Help You “Slim Down Without Trying” link

I asked my daughter to read it so she could understand why I made this choice. I didn't watch the Peter Jennings video but the summary article is excellent!

So as I think about if and when I will let wheat/grains back in my diet, I was excited to find some "no wheat" healthy recipes on this blog. I am going to test this one and report back.