We are due for a shopping trip and I’m realizing the value of keeping food out of the house that doesn’t help you stick to your goals. We are out of a lot of my prime suspect snackable ingredients. It’s kept me out of trouble the last couple of days. One of my big snacking temptations is anything that is quick and easy to prepare.

Now if it’s vegetables or occasionally cut fruit (like last night’s yummy fruit bowl of blueberries and honeydew), that’s one thing… but have you noticed that most easily prepared foods are nearly nutritionless, processed, simple carbohydrates? Our bodies just don’t need those foods.

Okay, time for breakfast – more from me soon!

Weight: 248
Height: 5′8″
BMI: 39

Measurements

Neck: 14.5
Bicep: 15.5
Forearm: 11.5
Chest: 48 (-1″)
Waist: 47 (-2″)
Hips: 50 (-1″)
Thigh: 28 (-.5″)
Calf: 18.5 (-.5″)

This numbers check-in is a good example of why you can’t just trust your scale as a measure of your progress. The scale shows me at the same weight as my July 26th check-in. However, and it’s a big however! I’ve lost inches! An accumulated total of 5 inches! That’s some progress!

I need to remind and encourage myself of that because I want to see the scale numbers drop and I want my self-portrait updates to inspire me. And it doesn’t. I’ll be honest, it takes some discipline and determination to post these photos. I’m embarrassed of my size. But my embarrassment is outweighed by my commitment to have this be a journey to optimal health and fitness. Every day, every number, every picture is a part of that journey.

So, I was spoiled by a very good breakfast this morning. Quinoa flakes with ground chia seeds, fresh blueberries, bananas, sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of agave syrup and vanilla hempmilk. Sounds complicated as I type it out… but it was easy and yummy. Double bonus! – Amira loved hers too.

In all my reading, raw foods is something I haven’t delved into much. I’m just beginning to learn more about it’s benefits now. One of my breakfast recipes is perfect for raw diets though:

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• 4 cups rolled grains – my current blend has been 1 cup oats, 1 cup triticale, 1 cup wheat, and 1 cup rye. You can also use spelt, hulled buckwheat, hulled barley, etc. as well.
• 2 cups oat bran
• 1 cup sunflower seeds – I grind them, but you can put them in whole if desired
• 1 cup raw, unsalted nuts – I use raw almonds. I use slivered almonds and chop them up a little further.
• 1 cup lecithin granules
• 1/2 cup flax seed – I grind them, again, you could use them whole
• 1/2-3/4 cup chia seeds, ground
• 1 cup milk thistle seeds – ground
• 1-2 cups dried fruit, I’ve used goji berries (whole or ground), dried cherries, apples, apricots, raisins, etc. – You can use whatever dried fruit appeals.

Mix, then store in the refrigerator.

TO SERVE: Soak in milk* for 15-30 minutes before eating. Sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar.

(*You can use milk, soymilk, nutmilk, or water. We use hempmilk (a mixture of chocolate and vanilla flavors.)

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Paul & I both like this breakfast – it’s filling and leaves you feeling energized through the day. I need to come up with a grain combination that is gluten/wheat-free for Amira. I’ll have to experiment with that.

All in all, good day.

Hi everyone!  Wow, keeping up my dailies has been more of a challenge than I expected. I blinked and missed 3 days. My body has felt a little rugged the last few days. Not in a sick with a bug kind of a way… but in manner that I would guess is getting rid of toxins. This morning is the first morning that I started to feel that my body was clearing the crud and starting with a fresher, cleaner slate. I have to say, it does feel good.

So far, I haven’t worked any sort of focused exercise into my daily routine. That’s coming right up.

Here’s to moving forward step by step.

(This update is for yesterday, August 1)

I’m getting into a groove with my food choices. The thing I’ve noticed is that, for me, it takes a little bit to get into the mindset. It has taken me less time than in the past, about a week, but I still wasn’t able to jump in on the first day at a 100%.

All of us have “that point” where our commitments suddenly feel less important than what we feel like at that moment. I have two times for that: 1) beginning the implementation of that commitment, and 2) about 4 weeks into it… I’ll suddenly “grow tired” of doing what I committed to and want to “treat” myself because I’ve been good and I “deserve” it. While giving yourself treats on rare occasions is perfectly appropriate, for me, it can be the beginning of the end. Some people have addictive personalities and I believe I’m one of them, at least in a fashion. When I splurge, especially with something like sweets, I have a difficult time keeping it in moderation. Although it sounds like one, sugar addiction is no joke. In fact, I’ll share more about sugar addiction in the next post.

Last note for this update, as a fruit lover, summertime is a GOOD time to live in the Pacific Northwest. Snack this morning: the most amazing organic local cherries. Heaven!