Day 25 - The Long Road

It's so great when you can look back and see how far you've come! Yes, we have 5 more days left on the detox and hopefully we'll only get more results in weight loss over the next 5 days and beyond. But tonight was a good night for me to look back at some photos over the last couple years and see how far I've come to my goals since then!

In the year of 2010, I picked up running (or jogging), and I was able to get down to my 'ideal' weight over the course of that summer. I hated running at first. But I stuck with it (mainly due to Nick's encouragement and his initiative in signing us up for a 5K which I had never done), and eventually it was something I wanted to do! I felt great and, in my opinion, I looked great! I tried on all the clothes that I had 'grown out of' and some of them were too big. I tried on my wedding dress, and it was TOO BIG! Wow...I thought I would never fit into my wedding dress again...Anyway, all that to say, I was in great shape for me!

(At a 5K race with my friend, Mindy, in June 2010.)

Then we found out we were pregnant in fall of 2010, and I was thrilled to be going into a pregnancy in the 'best shape of my life!' However, at around 12 weeks along, we found out I had miscarried. Let's just say that was such a difficult time in my life that I didn't care too much about running or any other sort of exercise for a while. So I began putting on weight. I didn't care. 

Then we moved half way across the country, only about 3 months following the miscarriage, far from family and many friends. Still going through emotions over the miscarriage and trying to adjust to a new area and home where we didn't really know anyone nor how to get to and fro, we naturally ate out a lot and treated ourselves to Sonic Happy Hour all the time. Who wants to cook when it's a challenge to even find the right box that has your recipe books or your pots and pans? Anyway, all this led to putting on even more weight.

So going into my pregnancy with Isaac, I was about 20-30 lbs heavier than I wanted to be. But at that point, I was just so happy to be pregnant that I didn't care. And since I was already 20-30 lbs heavier (and I know this is bad logic, but...), I decided that I wouldn't care what I ate while I was pregnant. It wasn't healthy, I know. But I was fearful of losing another baby, and food (especially sugar) made me feel good! (I didn't cry over too many 'silly' things when I was pregnant, but I will not forget the time when I cried because we got the to mail just 5 minutes late. The officer was locking the doors as we pulled into our parking spot, and I burst into tears because I couldn't get an Auntie Anne's pretzel with cheese!) My thought process was, "I'll just lose it all AFTER I have Isaac..." Bad philosophy, I know...

(8-months pregnant - about 1 month before Isaac was born!)

Nick wanted me to stand here for my pic so I could see 'how skinny' I was by comparison. (I allowed very few pics taken of my while I was pregnant. I was embarrassed by my weight.)

(At my baby shower in April 2012.)

Anyway, I had Isaac, and I got gall stones 2 months later and ended up in the hospital for a week. Even though nursing Isaac helped burn calories and I had obvious lost some weight during his first 2 months, recovering from my hospital visit delayed my process of getting into shape. But after my post-op appointment following my gall bladder surgery a couple more weeks of 'taking it easy', I began running again and was determined more than ever to get back into shape! But I wasn't losing weight fast enough...

Since July of last year, I've lost a total of about 15 lbs. And I have lost almost 10 of those lbs. just within the last 25 days of our 30-day detox!

(July 20, 2012)

(Taken today, April 7, 2013)

(July 27, 2012)

(Today, April 7, 2013)

To reach my total weight loss goal, I still have around another 15 lbs. to lose (or until I can fit into my 'skinny' pants...lol). But doing this 30-day detox has really given me a jump-start to that total goal! I feel great!  And I'm excited about finishing up this detox and the journey beyond the detox! 

Day 24 - A good problem to have

I woke up with a lot on my mind this morning, and I certainly wasn't thinking very clearly when I was giving Nick a much needed haircut! Usually, I can carry on a conversation with him while I'm cutting his hair, but this morning I had to keep asking, "Did I do this section?" and  "Did I already cut over here?" I need to start writing down my 'to-do's' again because keeping all of them in my head just isn't cutting it these days!

Nick and Isaac went for a hike after lunch which gave me the freedom to go shopping without toting along a baby! And I certainly needed to get a few new tops as I seem to be in between sizes now. I'd still like to lose a little more weight so I can fit into some smaller shirts I have in my wardrobe. However, I don't have very many tops that fit great right now. They either seem a bit too big or still a bit too snug...(I had really put on the weight over the last 2 years!)

So I went by the ARC and found some things, thankfully! Having to shop for smaller clothes is always a good problem to have! I was also able to find some clothes for Isaac as well since we don't have too many outfits in his current size. In addition to shopping at the ARC, I also went to Target, DSW Shoes, Once Upon A Child, and Hobby Lobby...Let's just say it was a BUSY afternoon for me!

Nick and Isaac returned home shortly after I did, and we had a taco salad for dinner. Now it's time to relax with a cup of hot tea! Only 6 days left, and it's going to fly by!

Day 23 - Enjoying the detox!

Down to exactly 1 week left on the detox! And honestly, I think I could continue living this way if I needed to do so. At least I won't be intimidated about detoxifying if we ever decide to do it again! Doing a detox for 30 days is truly empowering! I've learned so much about myself, my attitude, my emotions, how my mind works, and how much perseverance builds character! It's also been wonderful to work together with Nick through this whole ordeal! I'm sure we've grown closer through it!

Well, today was a beautiful day! It was bright, sunny, and warm! Isaac and I went to the zoo with a friend, and being in the sun left a little pink on my skin. Come to think of it, I didn't have a single craving for a frappuccino or a cherry limeade today! That popcorn at the zoo did smell amazing....the buttery part of the popcorn....the smell was enticing, but it was nothing once we were away from the smell!

We were so busy, I didn't have much time to fret over the detox. I packed a lunch for Isaac, and for myself, I brought a bunch of sliced veggies (cucumber, red and yellow peppers, and carrots) and some fruit (bananas and clementines) and a few gluten-free tortilla chips. And I was surprised that my lunch of fruit and veggies really filled me up good!

We got home from the zoo, and we only had a couple hours before Nick would get home from work. So I worked on getting the roasted sweet potatoes and roasted veggies for dinner ready.  When Nick got home, he grilled some chicken breasts with the spicy dry rub recipe we found a couple weeks ago. And so we had one of favorite 'detox' meals tonight! Yum! Really...I can't eat that delicious and flavorful chicken without feeling very happy!

Now to finish up with one more week! Actually, the detox isn't weighing on my mind anymore...it's coming up with my plan for easing our way off the detox! I'm not worried. I just feel like we've now experienced living on both sides of the extreme. We've gone through phases where we've eaten fast food every other day and now to eating healthy meals at home (on the detox) almost every day. I only want to find the balance between living a healthy lifestyle and being able to indulge in a little every now and then.

A 'balanced' lifestyle is the challenge, but it isn't impossible!

Day 22 - Temptation denied!

I made a pie tonight. It wasn't for us. It was for my brother-in-law. I hope it turned out yummy because I will not being enjoying a single bite of it! 

On day 1, 2, or 3 of this detox, I'm not sure I could have controlled myself from sampling it. But tonight, on Day 22, knowing how close we are to wrapping this detox up, it was fairly easy to bake a delicious pie and give it completely away. 

Nick's total weight loss = 11 lbs.

My total weight loss = 8 lbs. 

Would we really want to give in now? No way! Self-control is a quality that is best learned through practice. I don't normally put myself in a position to face off with temptation, but tonight was a worthy cause. And I stared temptation in the face and denied it! Booyah!

Day 21 = 3 weeks completed!

Today closed out week 3 for us! That means 1 WEEK MORE + 2 Days! Is next Friday really our last day? Wow!

So my clothes have been fitting more loosely! It's fantastic! The other day, I wore a pair of jeans that I haven't worn in almost 2 years! I'm able to fit in to clothes that moved out to Colorado from Michigan with us that I haven't fit in since we moved!

Today I ran 3 miles in 31 minutes at the gym and I climbed 36 floors of stairs on the StairMaster in 10 minutes. When we came home, I hopped in the shower after transferring Isaac from his carseat to his crib. He usually falls asleep in the car on the way home from the Y.

I've gotten used to him sleeping about 2 hours in the morning which gives me plenty of time to shower and then have a little quiet to myself before Isaac wakes up for lunch. Today that didn't happen. He was crying when I came out of the shower. Well...turns out he's teething again! I know he's been working on his top teeth for a while, and for weeks we've been saying they're about ready to break through. Hasn't happened yet.

Isaac has been sleeping really well at night, but today was a rough one. He was very crabby! So we'll see how he sleeps tonight. It could be a difficult night...

Made chili for dinner, and I was too lazy to take a pic of it. It's one of our favorite chili recipes and is also detox-friendly! However, today I substituted ground turkey for the ground beef, and that worked out great!

Nick was so kind to help put a salad together to go with dinner and cut up some carrots and oranges. He even cleaned up after dinner which was an added bonus!

Tomorrow is 'weigh in' day for us! So stay tuned and look for tomorrow's post where I will reveal our weight loss results after 3 full weeks!

Day 20 - Lessons Learned

Wow! Day 20 is here! Time is really flying now and this detox will be over in a snap! We're still looking forward to adding dairy, gluten, coffee, and a little sugar back in to our diet, but it isn't very difficult to avoid those things these days.

I find it's when I allow myself to get hungry that I really crave the things I'm not suppose to have! Isn't that funny? You'd think I'd just be hungry enough to eat anything, but it's when I have an uncomfortable rumbling in my tummy that I want cookies or a big juicy hamburger!

So if I feel a little bit of hunger come on, I try to drink a bottle of water or eat a piece of fruit or some carrots or cucumbers and that really helps. But if I try to ignore my hunger, I get really grumpy and throw a little pity party for myself because I can't have a cookie.

Something else I've noticed too and I don't know if it's just me or if there is something to this....but I have noticed it's on warmer sunny days that I desire sweets. Any thoughts? I haven't figured that one out yet! Or maybe... it's because I like to get out and about on those sunshiny days, and when I'm out and about I like to 'treat' myself to things like Auntie Anne's pretzels, a Sonic cherry limeade during Happy Hour, some fro yo from Yo Yogurt, or a frappuccino from Starbucks. Yeah. I think I've just had a breakthrough!

When it's cold, I just want to stay home. And since we've removed any temptations from our sight and reach here, it's really easy to avoid giving in while at home. So when we've finished our detox, I'm going to have to really take this to heart and make sure I don't splurge on the calories and spur of the moment 'treats' because it is only going to get warmer and warmer as we go into summer.

Today was a cold day, and I think it helped make this day on the detox pretty easy! And being cold, it was also a good day to try another new recipe: Black Bean Vegetable Soup. 10 more days to go!

Day 19 - Beginning the week with a BANG!

I really didn't want to go to the Y when I woke up this morning. We had such a busy weekend, and I just wanted a day to relax. But Nick put a little pressure on me and asked me if I would later regret not going. So I went. And I'm so glad I did!

Today, I ran 4 miles! Yes, that's right - 4 MILES! And I didn't walk at all until after I had run those 4 miles. I was ready to be done after 3 miles, but I so wanted to reach a new 'milestone'...ha ha (pun intended)! I did slow my pace a bit after 3 miles, then I sped up as I was feeling comfortable. It felt so GOOD!

After finishing my run, I was on such a high! I felt like I could conquer the world! But then it didn't take long until I was ready to crash. The rest of the day has been a challenge because I've been so tired.

One important lesson to take away from detoxifying and trying to lose weight...it's a LOT harder to lose weight than it is to gain weight! Hopefully I'll be thinking about this after another 11 days and when I want to take a big bite out of a chocolate chunk cookie!

So I tried a new recipe tonight in the crockpot called Winter Squash and White Bean Stew and it actually turned out really good! It had a nice sweet flavor to it, but no sugar in it! Nick and I both thought it was a keeper. As Nick said, "I'd give it 2 smiley faces out of 3" on the smiley face scale. So we'll probably have this again sometime.

So with a 4-mile run this morning and a new recipe for dinner this evening, I'd say I've started this week with a BANG! Hopefully I won't wear myself out before Friday...