I'VE LOST .... 28 POUNDS IN 14 WEEKS!

Braces and the Flu are Contributing Factors for Today's Weigh In

So for the past 2 weeks I have been living off shakes. Not by purely by choice but because I got braces and with that came spacers. Spacers are little white bumps of hard glue or cement that keep any of my molars from touching. Their purpose is to keep my top front teeth from biting the bottom front brackets off when I chew due to my large over bight. However, because of how high the spacers are, I cannot chew anything as none of my teeth touch each other. I've tried, but it consists of me swallowing whole foods which is to say the least, unpleasant.

I have a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch and lots of water during the day. Sometimes I have a shake for a snack as well but my appetite has gone down since this whole spacers fiasco. My biggest concern is that the spacers won't be able to come off at the end of the 4 weeks if my teeth haven't shifted enough and I'll be stuck with not eating for even longer!

I also just finished a terrible bout of the flu which only lasted 24 hours but where I couldn't move or drink without vomiting. It was so sad. 

The reason I told you those 2 things is that they are small but definitely contributing factors. I lost another 5 pounds this week and at this point in the game a person usually loses 1 - 2 pounds per week as I had been doing up until this week. 

My goal weight to reach on this journey of learning to eat right, exercise and get healthy is 130 pounds. I have lost a total of 28 pounds and 14 weeks ago I was 180 pounds. I'm currently weighing in at 152 pounds and I'm so proud of my bodies hard work. 

For exercise I have been doing push ups (I'm up to 20 full body push ups in a row), sit ups, squats (with a weight) and my cardio consists of walks. Nothing too fancy or strenuous, but right now with my food limitations I can't afford to push myself. 

I'm really excited to be weighing in at 152 pounds in such a short time! I can't believe my body has done this all by itself and that by eating the proper foods my body knows what weight it needs and what is excess. 

I'm really excited to continue eating and living the way I want (I still enjoy home made cookies and candies according to the SCD recipes) and having all this extra energy that comes naturally from not carrying around an extra 28 pounds on my body!

So whether you've lost zero pounds because you're just starting, one pound or hundreds of pounds CONGRATULATIONS! Keep up the great work of balancing, eating right, enjoying treats here and there and exercising your way to a healthier, happier, more energetic you! 

6 Feet, 8 Inches at 177 pounds....

What to do When the Disease Seems to be Winning?

When I married the man of my dreams I knew he was sick. I had looked up the disease and had listened to him talk about it. What I didn't comprehend is how stressful it could be as I watched him waste away as I got heavier and heavier.

Ulcerative Colitis is a debilitating disease that strips you of your health and dignity. My husband has it, and I am so proud of the way he handles himself and strives to live as normal of a lifestyle as he can. If any of you know him, you may not know that he is taking a lot of medication or that he's even sick.

When we got married back in 2010 he had no body fat, but lots of nice muscles and so I wasn't concerned about the fact that he was very light in the pounds department for his height. I also didn't put the two together, that if he was doing well then he was closer to 182 lbs and if he was having a relapse that he was hovering at the 177 lbs mark.

Once things got stressful for us (as new marriages often can) he began dropping (stress is a huge trigger for a relapse) and I began gaining. The more he dropped the more anxious I became. When you are 6'8, one hundred and seventy-seven pounds isn't enough weight to keep you going. He was telling me that he was getting tired at work, his legs were giving out - there wasn't any energy left.

When he came home one day and told me about his work-friend's son being on the "Specific Carbohydrate Diet" and that he thought it might work for him I cleared out our old food and went grocery shopping.

A little while ago he had a surgery that enabled the specialist to take pictures of his intestines and take samples as well. The pictures showed intestines, free of inflammation (except one tiny spot that the doctor wasn't worried about) and we are still waiting for the results of the samples.

I'm writing to say that my husband has been following this diet without cheating once for 15 weeks now and he is currently 186 pounds. And that's with him currently not feeling well and thinking he is having a relapse. The book said at about the 3 month mark a relapse is common and that you shouldn't give up.

So here we are at the 3 month mark, my husband is sick but miraculously has also gained weight.

I'm so grateful for this small sign of hope and health!

Don't give up no matter your journey. I'm continuing to lose weight, with God's help my husband will be healed and continue to gain. Whatever you are going through you aren't alone and someone understands!

God Bless,
Laura

COCONUT FLOUR MINT COOKIES

MINT SHORTBREAD

Ingredients:

1 1/4 Cup Coconut Flour
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Pure Mint Extract
1/4 - 1/2 Cup of Honey
1/3 - 1/2 Cup of Butter (Partly Melted - from fridge, 30 sec in microwave)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together (beat the egg first, then add the rest of the wet and last mix in the dry)
Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees
Cool

Enjoy!

It's like a mint short bread - I rolled them into balls and pressed down with a fork the same as I would do for peanut butter cookies. VERY GOOD and doesn't have that almond flavor you can't escape when baking with almond flour.

EGGPLANT NOODLES

EGGPLANT NOODLES ARE YUMMY!

INGREDIENTS:

Eggplant (1-2)

Salt

DIRECTIONS:

Peel your eggplant

Cut length wise (a thicker strip)

Take each piece and cut them into thin strips (noodle size)

Put them in a bowl and sprinkle salt on them

Let them sit (they will sweat) for about 15 minutes

PUT THE NOODLES IN A TEA TOWEL AND SQUEEZE ALL THE REMAINING WATER OUT 

Either you can saute them in coconut oil until they are soft or you can boil them till soft. I sauteed them and haven't tried boiling yet. Saute until the "raw" texture is gone (or for as long as you like).

VEGETABLES:

I made a stir fry of vegetables to go with mine. Broccoli, Kale, Spinach, Red and Yellow Peppers, Mushrooms, Purple Onion,  and if you want some grated Carrot would be nice as well.

SAUCE:

For the sauce I used 1 can of coconut milk (no guar gum), 1 pkg of herbed goat cheese, 1-2 tsp green Thai curry and a little butter. I brought this to a boil and stirred until it was thick and all melted together. Then I mixed my veggies in it (yum yum)!

EGGPLANT LASAGNA

Eggplant Lasagna

Looks Good and Tastes Great!

Ingredients:

Sauce: 1 Can of Tomato Sauce (Crushed Tomato's, Italian)

             6 Fresh Basil Leaves Diced

             S/P to taste

Mix together and set a side

Noodles: 1-2 Large Eggplants; Peel, cut length wise and lay on parchment paper on baking sheet. 

Bake in pre-heated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Cheese Filling: 1/2 - 1 Container of Dry Curd Cottage Cheese

                           1/3 of the Tubes of Goat Cheese (mix well with the dry curd cheese)

                           Spinach (Saute in butter and mix with cheese)

                           1 Yellow Onion (chop, saute with butter and s/p - mix while hot into the cheese mix)

Meat: 4 Chicken Breasts - Flatten with a meat pounder, sprinkle with s/p and crushed garlic

          Fry in Frying Pan

         1 Package of Ground Beef - Fry in Pan with s/p and crushed garlic

** Choose either chicken or beef, don't use both

Layer: Bottom of pan to top layer

Tomato Sauce

Eggplant

Cheese Mix

Meat

Repeat

Very Top Layer Sprinkle some Tomato Sauce and cover with your favorite hard cheese

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes YUMMY!!!

NOTES:

I put a piece of saran wrap over my chicken before I flattened it so that it wouldn't splatter everywhere. You have to pound it pretty hard as you want it quite flat. Don't put holes in it, just flatten it out.

At 28 I Got Braces... WHAT?!

     So I'm 28 years old, and on Monday I got braces put on. At the time I was SO excited, I had been wanting braces for as long as I could remember. Little did I know how AWEFUL they truly are!

Getting them on was the easy part, keeping them on and keeping my sanity, not so easy. The first night I was woken up by severe pain that didn't go away until I had taken 2 ADVIL. I am still taking an ADVIL here or there to either sleep or when it gets really bad in the afternoon. The second day I popped a bracket off of my teeth while brushing (this has proven to be the dentists fault and not my own). However, my dentist has gone on holiday and so I will have a little swinging bracket on the lower front wire that is currently driving me batty, until the 18th of February (please note it's the 6th and this happened on the 5th). To add to the injury my husband thought he would take a stab at taking it off for me, which seemed like a great idea at the time, until I ended up with what I thought was a broken tooth and an injured gum. Luckily for me there was so much glue on my teeth that the force of the tool smashing into my lower teeth cracked it off instead of breaking my tooth which already felt as if someone were breaking them slowly, oh wait that IS what's happening.

To continue with this tirade, I have had spacers put on my lower molars (it's 2 bumps of cemented glue) that do not allow my teeth to touch at any point so that I do not bite off my lower brackets. The problem is that now I cannot chew anything as I do not have any back teeth touching. Did I mention that the spacers will be staying on for a minimum of 4 weeks? And yes, I did call the dentist about each of these issues and am currently stuck with a broken bracket for 2 weeks and not eating for 4.

All of this brings me to a single point. I AM SO GRATEFULL! Strange I know, but I am. I am grateful that I can afford braces even if it's taken me years to get to this point. I am grateful that I have been on this diet for 13 weeks and so I have been eating smaller portions and drinking shakes already. If I had been eating like I was and all of a sudden not been able to eat for 4 weeks, I would have freaked out. I am grateful that my tooth wasn't broken and that I can put wax on the back of the bracket to keep it in place for now. I'm grateful that my teeth hurt, so much that I have to take an ADVIL to sleep because it means my teeth are straightening.

     I am so grateful to be me, to be in the position I am and to be married to the man of my dreams. No, him being sick wasn't part of my dream but I will say this, "Just because the dream isn't 100% according to you (or me) doesn't mean you aren't 'living the dream.'" I am doing what I can to change my husbands health. I have the finances and budget to change our diet and to support him in this new way of eating. Some days it's not easy, but it doesn't matter. I'm grateful no matter what and I'm so thankful!

DINNER IDEAS

Steak - Grilled, fried, add salt and pepper and sauteed mushrooms and onions YUMMY!

Chicken - Make a peanut sauce or honey mustard sauce to compliment this main course. You can BBQ chicken, fry it, bake it or use it in a stir fry, on a pizza or simply by itself.

Fish - Try putting home made mayonnaise on your pan fried fish with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a sprinkle of fresh dill

Roast - This is great by itself. Put it in the slow cooker with some broth, garlic, salt and pepper, cranberries, butter and a couple of bay leaves. Leave it for 8 hours and come home to a dish that will literally fall apart in your mouth!

Chicken Soup from scratch - Chicken stock (pre made by you), salt and pepper, a couple of bay leaves, carrots, celery, sauteed yellow or white onion - all simmered together for 2-4 hours on low. Makes a delicious lunch or light dinner, it's really up to you!

Beef Stew - Pre fry your beef cubes, put them in the slow cooker, add broth, bay leaves, 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, peas, sauteed onions and let it cook for 6-8 hours. Come home to a hearty soup waiting to be served!

Salad (any kind) - There are too many options for salads, it's limitless really. If you need more details or ideas just ask!

Veggies - Grilled, steamed, roasted or baked. Add a little butter and salt and pepper. Melt cheese on top or make a cheese sauce to drizzle over your dish. You can eat them plain, cooked or uncooked, by themselves or in a salad. It's really up to you!

DESSERT:

Frozen yogurt; vanilla, lemon, honey, plain, peppermint, any flavor of your choice. Make a batch of yogurt, add your flavoring, nuts, candy pieces (whatever you want) and put it in your ice cream maker. In about 20 minutes you will have full flavored frozen yogurt with NO preservatives or sugars.

WAFFLEs with yogurt, cinnamon and bananas

Spaghetti Squash and Fish with Home Made TarTar Sauce

Roast before its been cooked

Roast with Cauliflower and Cheese sauce

Stir Fried Veggies

Steak

YOU CAN STILL EAT GOOD FOOD

A SHOUT OUT TO THE KEG

I did it, I went out for dinner again. 

So my friend Stephanie and my sister Margie were headed out this way and stopped by for a quick visit. We got to talking and soon realized that it was getting close to dinner time so either we had move on to dinner or we had to say goodbye. 

None of us wanted our visit to end so we decided to go to the KEG which can be pricey but has food that I can eat. I'm not going to lie, my bill at the end of the night wasn't pretty but the happiness in my heart for eating good food that was within my diet was worth it. 

The evening started with the waiter coming over thinking he had an easy table, three happy women. Boy was he in for a surprise. We were great customers but I had to ask a lot of questions about the food, what was in it, the dressings, the salads, the glazes, the spices, you name it I asked! He was so great about answering all of my questions, finding out the answers to the ones he wasn't sure about and taking my specific food requirements seriously. 

First off I new I wanted steak but the seasoning has gluten in it. I asked if they had any non seasoned steaks and he said they did. My steak was brushed with butter, salted and peppered and grilled to perfection. 

Next I asked about salads. I couldn't have any of the dressings so he brought me balsamic vinegar and oil to pour over my salad. I was able to choose their wedge salad and he brought me half a head of lettuce, the regular toppings, the extra toppings, extra cheese and didn't charge me for any of the extras. 

Third I couldn't have any of the potato side dishes they offer so he piled my dinner plate high with grilled peppers, mushrooms, and asparagus. 

I was so full by the end of it that I brought home 1/3 of the steak and more than half of the vegetables for my husband to eat the next day.

It was a really wonderful experience and I didn't feel at all rude for my specific needs or like I was a burden.

** Make sure you ask what is in each item if you have to! Who knew there would be GLUTEN in steak spices? 

AMAZING RESULTS!

Can Food REALLY Help My Body Heal?

Well, it's Saturday again, February 2, 2013 to be exact and so I had my morning weigh in as usual. I was super excited to see the numbers have once again lowered and I'm currently at 158 lbs! I am so excited to be in the 50's again!

Now a little life update that has me really excited.

My husband and I took a trek to the UBC hospital last week as he had a small surgery scheduled. The results were fantastic! Last time he got results from this surgery about 75% of his intestine were inflamed and he was put on the max dose of his medications. This time he had one small red spot on his intestine that the doctor wasn't concerned about at all and he was told that he could slowly begin to reduce one of his medications. We are still waiting for the biopsy reports to tell us whether he is moving toward recovery or if the disease is laying dormant for now. However if the biopsies are normal then I believe we will be able to also cut down on the really bad medication that he is currently having to take. Now the only thing we have changed is our DIET.

I am so excited about these results and am so happy that we have made this diet change together. I am moving toward better health, more energy and getting my beautiful self back and my husband is being able to take back control of his body, health and moving toward recovery! This was such a great start to my week last week and has given me that extra boost to keep moving forward with this way of preparing food and eating it!

I hope this update encourages you and helps you keep pushing on with your own diet and fitness goals!