Focusing on the past and the future!

let me explain....i'm focusing on the "past" so i can to enjoy the 15 pounds i lost since i started in november. i know, it's not as fast as i'd want it either but instead of thinking that way, i have to focus on how much i lost. i'm 15 pounds lighter and i feel sooo much better! so i have 15 to go...that's the other focus, the "future", the goal. focus on the prize: in a few months i'll be 30 pounds lighter.

there's lots of temptations along the way. like yesterday, i succumbed to cheese and frozen yogurt. why? cause it was there. i was at a storysalon event reading my pieces and they had wine and cheese...i mean, good cheese. then hank went next door and bought a huge cup of frozen yogurt @ froyolife...and i had no choice but to steal some...ok, a lot. so today, i'll work out a little harder and hope those extra calories get burned instead of settling on my thighs, like they usually do.

live and learn, right?. my relationship with food will always be dysfunctional, all i can do is forgive myself, move on and focus on my good choices.

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA AREVALO SAYS...(foodconsultant@yahoo.com)

Grapes: “Provides a quick boost of energy. Helps in anemia and blood disorders. Improves the complexion.”

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

“Resistance. Don’t surrender to your fears. Be a fighter."

Ron Ball

HEALTHY RECIPES

Olive Tapenade

½ cup black olives

½ cup green olives

1 clove garlic

1 tsp lemon juice

2 TBSP olive oil

Blackpepper TT

Put in blender and chop into small chucks.

Chocolate Dream

1 whole Coconut Water

1 whole coconut meat

½ TBSP Raw cacao powder

handful of romaine lettuce/spinach

cinnamon TT

dash sea salt

Blend and enjoy!

Can you live on 1200 calories a day??!!

no, you can't! i've been cheating so much last week, i should be arrested. i'm lusting after brownies, pasta and cheesecake. i feel like i'm losing my willpower! i think it's been 3 1/2 months and only 14 lbs, so i'm feeling like i'm losing too slowly. i wanna throw it all away and eat the way i WANT to. but then i think of the consequences and it's not worth it. people think i eat a lot but i raised my calories to 1500 last week and i gained .7lbs. that's so unfair!! i have to come to terms that that's my reality and i have to work WITH it not against it.

• “Acceptance. Don’t waste your life trying to change the impossible.”

-Ron Ball

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA AREVALO SAYS (foodconsultant@yahoo.com)

Ginger Root: “Reduces congestion and mucus production. Inhibits the formation of blood clots and lowers LDL cholesterol.”

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

HEALTHY RECIPE OF THE DAY:

Wheat-free Noodles

Mung Bean Noodles

Broccoli, steamed

Red Bell Pepper, finely diced

Carrots, grated

1 TBSP Nama Shoyu, soy sauce

1/2 TBSP Olive oil

Optional: Top with cilantro, ginger, cabbage.

Mix and enjoy!

I succumbed to temptation. So sue me.

ok, i committed jenny craig crime! i succumbed to temptation....in other words: i cheated!! you know what? it happens for the same reasons people cheat in a committed relationship. i got tired of eating the same foods week after week, same taste, same routine....*yawn*. the moral of this unfortunate event is: boredom can lead to cheating. so when it comes to food, this is what we all need to do: start having more fun with what we can eat to avoid eating what we shouldn't eat. this also applies to relationships: spice it up and keep it fun.

who knew food and sex were so connected?

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA AREVALO SAYS: (foodcoonsultant@yahoo.com)

#1: Garlic Cloves: “Fights infections and reduces LDL cholesterol. Is a good liver and bile cleanser.”

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

“Your feelings are not a reflection of your reality."

Ron Ball

MORE FOOD RECIPES:

Raw Corn Chowder Soup:

2 ½ cups coconut water

2 cups sweet raw corn (from cob)

1 small carrot

1 celery stalk

1 clove garlic

1/3 yellow onion

2 tsp thyme

½ TBSP olive oil

Sea Salt TT

Blend veggies, then spices and enjoy!

The infamous PLATEAU...get me outta here!!!!

ok, so i reached that stupid PLATEAU....it's your body's way of saying "wait, i've been losing lots of lbs, let me recover!" in the midst of my plateau, i had an accident (i'm ok, no worries). the whiplash got me resting and not working out...so my plateau lingered for a MONTH!!! but i'm proud to say i broke the darn thing by exercising ie increasing aerobic exercise by hiking and doing interval training on the eliptical. the moral of this blog is....

when you reach a plateau,

don't despair,

you'll get our of there

with exercise and small portions.

Don't pig out and be cautious,

keep in mind your goal.

You'll soon be on a roll

and start losing some more!

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA AREVALO SAYS: (foodconsultant@yahoo.com)

Figs: Beneficial in gout and rheumatism. Helpful for constipation and inability to gain weight. Helpful for cases of low blood pressure. Highest sugar content of common fruits, and so may be best avoided by those with blood sugar problems.

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

“Continually support yourself with the right language. Reinforce you dreams with positive words. Don’t say ‘try.’

-Ron Ball

MORE FOOD RECIPES:

Walnut Paté

3 cups soaked walnuts

¼ cup Nama Shoyu Soy Sauce

2 celery salks

2 carrots

2 scallons

Cilantro, handful

Cumin TT

Blend and enjoy with anything!

Live in the moment & enjoy every bite!

Ok, the title says it! i'm a planner and a worrier so i often forget to live in the moment. this also applies to my relationship with food! i think about what i ate, what i'll eat and about all the bad, yummy things i'd love to eat...instead of enjoying what's in front of me, right NOW. you're wondering how the heck i learned this lesson, right? well, jenny craig made me! her meals sound amazing: cajun chicken with rice, lentils with beef, tortellini.....the catch is...portions are tiny. even a mouse would be bitching about eating jc portions. but instead of wasting my time bitching about what i DON'T have in front of me (ie a huge portion), i decided that my only option to stick to this plan was to ENJOY what i DO have in front of me. who would have thought that my eating habits would teach me about my life habits??....i know, i'm a smart girl. ;)

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA AREVALO SAYS: (foodconsultant@yahoo.com)

Fennel: Calming effect on digestion stimulates gastric secretions and reduces intestinal cramps. Reduces intestinal gas, flatulence and bloating.

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

“Settle and know your work/business/idea is a good thing worth building. Don’t be stubborn. Win your emotional battle.”

-Ron Ball

RECIPE OF THE DAY:

Warm Smoothie:

1 cup pure water

½ cup almonds, soaked

Bunch of greens

1 ripe banana

TT Nutmeg

TT Allspice………. blend!

SNACK IDEAS:

Dips:

Stabilizer	Crunchy Fiber	Sprouted Grains			Crackers
½ cup:	Lots:	1 or 2:			10-12:
Almond butter	+ Celery/Apple/Jicama	or	+ Sprouted bread/tortilla	or		+ Organic rice crackers
Guacamole	+ Lettuce/Collards/Radishes	or	+ Sprouted tortilla	or		+ Leaf’s Corn Chips
Hummus	+ Celery/Zucchini	or	+ Sprouted tortilla	or		+ Mary’s Gone Crackers
Leaf’s Cashew Kreme Cheese	+ carrots/yams	or	+ Sprouted bread/ tortilla	or		+ Leaf’s Kale Chips

Forgive yourself and move on!

alright! i'm still losing on jenny craig. i feel so much better and more energetic! it takes a lot of willpower to stick to it and not stray....i went to a very lavish bar mitzvah and kind of strayed....but was it worth it though? yes and no. yes, it was fun to eat different food. no, it wasn't fun to see the scale go up an lb the next day. the good news is i didn't get discouraged when i saw the scale go up an lb. next day, i went back on jc and never looked back.

if you stray from your weight loss program, forgive yourself and move forward! that's the lesson of the week for me. :)

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA AREVALO SAYS: (foodconsultant@yahoo.com)

Dates: Valuable in cases of low blood pressure, nervous states and anemia. Excellent for nursing mothers.

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

“Make a chart. Or a plan. Keep track. Have a success chart. Know and visualize that you’re going to succeed on purpose.”

-Ron Ball

EMBRACING WHOLE FOODS:

Cereal:

Fiber	Liquid	Stabilizer
½- 1 ⅔cup:	TT:	Optional:
365 High Fiber Organic Cereal and/or Eziekel Original Cereal (sprinkle with cinnamon)	Nutmylk… . or Coconut water …. or water (sweeten with stevia or crystals)	Top with small handful of nuts for a quick breakfast meal

You gotta be choosy!

i had some digestive issues the last couples of days so i was off jenny craig. i was afraid i'd start picking foods that would make me gain weight and find "medical excuses" for my culinary sins! i wanted to have frozen yogurt soooo bad...after all it coats the stomach and helps you with heartburn, right. i'm proud to say, i resisted the temptation. then it dawned on me that i FINALLY understood that it's not about "dieting", it's about smart food choices. so let's be choosy on the way to a healthy lifestyle!

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA SAYS:

FOOD OF THE DAY:

Dates: Valuable in cases of low blood pressure, nervous states and anemia. Excellent for nursing mothers.

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Make a chart. Or a plan. Keep track. Have a success chart. Know and visualize that you’re going to succeed on purpose.”

-Ron Ball

MORE SALADS....

Large salad: Chop lettuce, Thinly slice fennel and radishes. Grate beets, turnips, zucchini and ginger. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and dandelion or chicory or sorrel. Miz 1/2 TBSP olive oil and 1 TBSP Nama Shoyu (Soy sauce)