Here I am 9 weeks into my weight loss journey and it happened...I had a gain today at my Weight Watchers meeting. When I stepped onto the scale I had a feeling that it wasn't going to be a good week, but when they told me I had gained 2 pounds my tummy did a little flip flop and I felt disappointed. During the meeting I sat and reflected on all the things that were off for me during the week. One, I re-injured my knee on a Tuesday. Which meant I have been swollen and pretty limited to what I can do. For the most part I have been simply icing and resting with the hope I would have a speedy recovery. But here it is Sunday and I am still having a hard time getting around. This has been hard for me.
Without my activity I noticed that I also started to eat some junk food. Even though I am following a vegan/plant based diet, there are still things you can eat that are both vegan and unhealthy. I overdid it with some tortilla chips one night, and started to cook with more salt than I normally do. After I left the meeting though I decided to turn all of my negative thoughts into positive ones. First off, overall I am eating far more healthier food that I ever have in the past. Secondly, I have been more active as of late, and this injury is only a minor set back. I focused on the progress that I have made, and stopped thinking about the gain.
I am committed to this journey, and will do whatever what I need to in order to be successful. We all have setbacks, the true test is how you recover from them. I am not going to throw in the towel, instead I will stay determined and look for the bright future ahead of me.
Tags: Wellness
I continue on my track to become a vegan. Like I have mentioned before I am note sure if this is a forever thing, or just something I will be doing for a bit. I have to admit though I am feeling better than I have in years. Not only do I feel better, but I also look better. My skin is radiating and totally cleared up. I really do think that eliminating dairy and focusing on a plant based diet is allowing me to look and feel healthier.
I still am attending my Weight Watcher meetings, and every week that goes by I am having a loss. I continue to watch my daily point allowance, and with eating more plant based I stay fuller longer without using a great deal of points.
I started today off with my green smoothie. In this one I mixed 1 cup of almond milk, a handful of organic kale, 1 frozen banana, a few ice cubes, and 2 dates. All blended together this creates a creamy, sweet, morning cup of delciousness!
Since trying to incorporate my lifestyle toward a vegan diet, I have had to find substitutes to some of my favorite things. Daiya is a nice dairy free substitute for cheese. I like to use this on burritos, and even salads at times. Ezekiel makes a fantastic tortilla. These are hearty, and healthy and are only 4 WW points.
I love taking these tortilla wraps and simply adding smashed kidney and garbanzo beans. I then top it all off with diced veggies. I am telling you, MAKE THIS! It will leave you filled, satisfied, and for only 5 WW points it is a great meal to incorporate into your weekly diet :)
Tags: Recipes
With a week of being vegan under my belt I wanted to share some of my favorite meals that I have recently been enjoying. While being on the Weight Watchers plan I have realized that I can eat a vegan lifestyle all way enjoying the benefits of WW.
Two items that I am really loving right now is Ezekiel Bread and Sprouted Tortilla Wraps. The bread is 4 WW points for 2 slices, and the tortilla is 4 points for the entire wrap.
These products are very tasty, healthy, and incredibly filling. For the bread I like to toast it up in the morning, add a bit of my Trader Joe Beet Hummus, organic baby spinach, and fresh sliced tomatoes from my garden. This entire breakfast sandwich is 5 WW points and it definitely keeps me full.
Some time for lunch I like to take the Ezekiel tortillas and create a veggie wrap. Again for the base I normally start with a low fat hummus, and then I pile on the veggies. This whole meal is also a whopping 5 WW points. It leaves you feeling full, and light on your feet.
Eating vegan has been alot easier than I thought it would be. I was inspired to try this way of eating after watching Forks Over Knives, and I must say I really am feeling fantastic day after day. I can't say this is a forever change, but I can say I am committed to this now, and I will see where it takes me...
Tags: Recipes
I have been on Weight Watchers for a little over 1 month and I feel great. I am feeling positive about my progress so far. Not so much with my weight loss, but more so with the healthy habits I have incorporated into my daily life.
One of the greatest things I have incorporated is simply eating more of a plant based diet. Recently I have felt incredibly turned off by beef and chicken so I wanted to see if I could go without it for awhile. I figured since I was giving up meat for a bit I also wanted to eliminate dairy. It's been about 1 week without any meats and dairy in my diet and I feel fantastic.
I still am getting in a good amount of protein by eating beans, and quinoa which surprisingly has a whopping 24 grams of protein per cup. There are so many delicious ways to eat without incorporating meat and dairy into our meals.
Tonight for dairy I was craving a salad, and because I wanted it to be a bit more hearty I added some organic tofu. I grilled the tofu in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and added some cumin, turmeric, and garlic powder. Once this was done I simply threw it on top of my salad. I love beets, and found a beet hummus at Trader Joes. It is so incredibly tasty and so low in points if you are following the Weight Watchers Plan. I sprinkled a little bit of balsamic vinegar on top and let me tell you this salad will not disappoint. For about 7 WW points you are left feeling satisfied, and healthy. Give this a try and I am telling you it won't
disappoint.
I finally received my summer 2015 FabFitFun box, and I LOVE it! In this seasons box there were great items that I am looking forward to using and wearing.
The grand total for the items in the box is listed as $275.00. Some of the items included a: Wren 14kt gold and black sapphire necklace, wireless speakers, roll on perfume, hair product, Tarte full sized lip gloss, konjac cleansing sponge, nail wraps, a jump rope, headspace gift card, and moisturizer.
This is my second FabFitFun Box and I am as equally pleased with this box as I was the Spring 2015 box. There are items in the box that I feel like I can give as gifts or keep for myself. The items are fun, and allow you to try new brands you may normally be unaware of.
Plus everyone loves getting goodies in the mail:) Look into this company and get your very own FabFitFun box soon!
I came across another interesting plus size clothing subscription recently that I wanted to try. Gwynnie Bee is a clothing rental subscription service that caters to women sizes 10–32. You're able to browse there abundant clothing choices on their website and create your own online closet of clothes that you would like shipped to you.
Once you receive your shipment, you are able to then wear these new clothes for as long as your like. Then when you are ready for new garments you simply ship the clothes back and continue to receive new items from your pre-selected online closet.
Some of the clothing brands available are: BB Dakota, Adrianna Papell, City Chic, Evans, FTF, IGIGI, Karen Kane, and Kyionna. There is a great deal of options in regards to colors, styles, and fabrics. I received my first box today, with a total of 3 garments. I stuck to only tops, and all three are cuter in person than I thought they would be.
What I like about this subscription box, is now I am able to keep a constant flow of new clothes in my regular wardrobe. It's exciting to try new things on for some time, without the commitment of purchasing an item forever. There are various monthly price plans you can choose from, and right now Gwynnie Bee is offering a free 30 day trial which is what I am doing.
If you are bored with your current clothing options and looking to spice things up a bit, give this company a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Tags: Fashion
I love starting the day off with a smoothie. There are so many different variations of smoothies you can make and I really love to experiment. I recently had bought a few too many avocados so I decided to see what I could create with them.
Coconut milk is a staple in my home. I typically look for organic coconut milk stored in BPA free cans. Natural Directions is a brand I have been using for some time. There coconut milk is organic, kosher, unsweetened, and packed in a can with BPA free lining.
In every smoothie I make I find ways I can incorporate kale. Kale has so many nutritional benefits that wherever you can add it into your diet, so so!
For this smoothie I used the following ingredients:
1/3 Cup Coconut Milk (4 weight watcher points)
1/2 Avocado (4 weight watcher points)
1 Frozen Banana
2 handfuls Kale
1 Cup of Ice
1 Cup of water or Almond Milk up to you
Stevia (optional)
I throw all of this into my Vitamix and blend away. The end result, a creamy delicious light green cup of nutrition!
If you are following the Weight Watcher program this is an 8 point smoothie. I know that seems like alot, but these are all good fats and honestly this smoothie will keep you feeling surprisingly full for several hours.
Give this smoothie a try. You will find yourself in love with the taste of this healthy, sweet smoothie.
Tags: Recipes
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