-18

I have lost 18 pounds to date in my journey to get at a healthy weight for having a child. I spent a good portion of my weekend researching the next step. As mentioned previously, my next check up with my doctor (well the NP) is in october. I know my goal weight by then and I would also like to be ready to start trying again by august or september. I think I am going to set up a plan for continuing the tests that Dr. G suggested at our intial visit. I have been avoiding some of these tests because they can be painful and insurance will not always cover them. Since I did not have luck on four cycles of clomid.. It is time to keep going and find out WHY. John is also going to have to undergo some testing so if his test show no concern on his end, it will be time to continue. All I will do until October is keep losing this weight. See where I am and then discuss options. I also try to stay positive and still say WHEN and not IF. I like looking at paint colors and names and I enjoy watching documentaries about natural child birth. I try to not get to obsessed but I have been bordering that line a lot lately. We will just see over the next few months.

kitchen staples

So friends have asked me to start posting reciepes. Well before I do that I am going to post some staples that help me get through day to day. I posted a link previously to Mama Natural's video she said change your fat... and listed a few fats. One was butter, preferably from a farm with no horemones, preservatives, addatives etc. Currently I use Oberweiss. She also mentioned coconut oil. I tried it first on bread baking(coating the pans) then i started adding it to food. I am a believer and it doesn't taste coconutty if you get the right kinds.

We recently started with oberwiess milk delievery. Nothing is going to make me feel more like Donna Reed than having a milk man. So what if my milk man comes so early I will never meet him. I know he is bringing me a milk free of horemones and preservatives. And I imagine he is wearing an all white ensemble and a cute hat. I also might not be wearing a cute frock and usually run out to the porch in my underpants and wet hair hoping my nosey neighbor isn't catching a glimpse. But it is my slice of the past and the milk is damn tasty.

While discussing milk I might add another staple in the fridge is almond milk. We mix it up with the almond milk. Sometimes we have three cartons in the fridge at once. Tonight I made omelets with unsweetened (35 calories per serving) and John prefers vanilla or chocolate. Mostly this is the liquid base of the smoothies. I'll add a couple new smoothie reciepes on sometime.

Speaking of smoothies I went into detail the benefits of kale in a previous post I also add kale as a filler to other meals. Stir fry, omelets, soups. I have this rule that every big meal has to to have a large serving of greens. Kale or Spinach mostly.

I often add kale or spinach to my newest obsession quinoa. This grain is filling and soooo much better for you then rice or pasta. I am still experimenting but here is some benefits. ■Complete protein. Quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles. ■Magnesium helps relax your muscles and blood vessels and effects blood pressure. Quinoa contains high levels of this vital nutrient. ■Fiber. Quinoa is a wonderful way to ensure that you consume valuable fiber that eases elimination and tones your colon. ■Manganese and copper. Quinoa is a good source of these minerals that act as antioxidants in your body to get rid of dangerous cancer and disease-causing substances. Right now I just cook it per the directions and add spices and the kale or spinach or instead of rice use it for my thai/stirfry dishes. I am also a fan of brown rice pasta. The benefits are not as great but it taste a heck of a lot better than whole wheat pasta and is better for you.

My quick go to dinner when John wants to eat something gross like buffalo chicken legs is throwing a chicken sausage on the grill. These are increasing in popularity and many brands are available. My favorite brands are al fresca, aidells, and meijer even has a line of them. Just make sure it is all natural and always check the ingredients. My favorite flavor are sundried tomato, spinach and mozerella, and the very best is aidells bacon pineapple. I will eat them like a hot dog (unbunned) or chop them up and sautee' with veggies. These can get pricey but at meijer there is usually a brand on sale.

BACON. John Sivak is bacon's #1 fan and in an attempt to eat out less and not buy gross lunch meat I have found a place in our home for it. John uses it for homemade pizza instead of pepperoni and we found a brand that is not full of nitrates. Nitrates are not good in pregnancy and are said to be cancer causing. Nitrates aren't completly bad. Nitrates are most abundant in vegetables but paired with vitamin c they are a-okay. But eat too much cold cuts/hot dogs/bacon you are in big trouble. We found a nitrate free natural brand of bacon. We usually have a bacon meal a week or add it sparingly to salads. DO NOT BUY THIS BRAND AT COUNTY MARKET it is over 6.00. Meijer has this brand for less than 4.00 which is pretty typical for any bacon. DO NOT eat turkey bacon it is worse for you than regular bacon.. more processed and more sodium.

This is not a big suprise but Greek Yogurt is amazing. 36% of your protein with only 120 calories? SOLD. I like to make dips (with fresh herbs like dill and cucumber dip) with it and this can be spread on a sandwich. You can do lots more than make smoothies or parfaits. Greek Yogurt is amazing. Gyros, Uncle Jesse, and now healthy yogurt.. them greeks are pretty amazing.

Support? Group.

So I have been trying not to bore people or annoy people with my pregnancy woes. It does make people uncomfortable and it is hard to understand. Have more sex, lift your legs up, have more sex.... It's not always that easy. So I went to the message boards on the bump. Posted a little post about my history. Then I explained my diet strategy..... And the attacks began.
One member told me to go to a fertility doctor Right away. Another told me that I didn't know what I was doing that this group was for people wanting to ..., then spat off gobs of abbreviations I had to look up in their extensive glossary, and an organic banana would not help me. I guess I should have known the first post I read was about how many of these women block their pregnant facebook friends.
First of all, I believe in the healing power of food and health. I would rather first go to a chiropractor and get my body adjusted or have acupuncture than go on shots or continue on clomid which made me nuts! I'm not there yet. I'm not giving up on myself and my body. I see room for improvement and if that doesn't work I'll go further, when it is time. What I need now is support. I might need someone out there to give me some advice, a hug, or just listen to me when I'm frustrated. I don't want to be a part of a woe is me, jealousy, bitter "community". I'm doing well being positive, maybe it is all those organic bananas.

A day with my hubs

My husband is doing a fab job being more natural. He has gone from 3 or more diet cokes daily to 1 this entire week. He drinks water, almond milk, and even fresh squeezed juice (picture below).
We also incorporate foods he loves more naturally. Yesterday John made an organic pizza crust and sauce. Made the best pizza ever.

We hit up the farmers market and meijer today. I was getting my yogurt and John said he wanted some honey Greek yogurt. I was baffled and full of glee. But due to a sale they were out so I made a special trip to target's grocery area and a pack was on sale there. This is amazing. Thanks goes to our friend Megan Francis for bringing strawberries and Greek honey yogurt to the last gathering. John still tries to sneak an occasional pastry into the cart but when he told me yesterday he didn't get pepperoni for his pizza because he couldn't find any without nitrates... I knew there was a new man before my eyes.

Inspiration

Why did I start this healthy diet. I prescribed to this video blog and was very inspired. I agree with her on a lot of things. I saw this particular video and felt it summed up exactly what I was already doing and she puts it better than I ever will. Mama Natural
It is great advice in short clips. Enjoy!

Setting the goal/smoothies

I made my next appt to see my obgyn. I really want to be ready to start hardcore trying after this appt. My goal is to be at wedding weight by then. I have lost 14 pounds so far by still being laid up with my back and relatively inactive.
Starting next week I will ......
Eat less cheese.. Buying this yummy organic or farm cheese is hard to stay away from.
Track calories
Walk on all my breaks
Do home workouts

The 27th we join the YMCA! I will begin morning and night exercising along with my break walks.

I am so motivated. I wasn't even this hardcore for my wedding, and I was hardcore! I guess it is because the reward is so much more than a wedding dress... It is for a family.

Food pic of day, my daily smoothie. I use organic yogurt, fruits usually vary but I try to add blueberries (they are high in antioxidants, help with brain power, proven to help with belly fat and help prevent and aid in the cure of cancer! Also they help with depression... Truely a good mood food) I also add a leafy green. The picture shows spinach but I prefer kale. (kale is said to be the healthiest of all veggies. Rich in vitamins and high in minerals such as iron and magnesium. Kale is a good source of fiber, great for heart health, and a healthy source of calcium.) Plus when added to my smoothies it is tasteless and low in calories. I've read that by emerging blueberries and kale with milk they lose some of their nutrients. Well, I use an unsweetened almond milk just for peace of mind and added protein. I also use frozen fruit so I don't have to add ice and thus a richer flavor. Yum, and since I've started with smoothies my need for coffee is less severe. Days I skip I don't even get headaches.

How far is too far?

Well I already bake our bread and we make our own sauces BBQ, marinara, steak, and salsa, etc so we are going to the next step... We are going to start preserving the farmers market goods. I am going to make strawberry preserves, peaches, salsa, catsup, and fresh tomato marinara.

Tomorrow we receive our first oberweiess delivery. This is just till we find a local farm for butter.

Here are some healthy meals of the midweek. I love caesar salads so I made a chicken caesar pita and tomato soup, under 500 calories.

This week in food....

Well I must say John and I are doing great with everything. We only spent 56 in groceries this week. Most of the goodies came from the produce area of Meijer. We only needed our usual staples from the farmers market (tomatoes and basil). I started going to Johns rehearsal this week and that made things complicated as I had to eat a can of soup one night. Nothing bad in the soup but it made me feel sad. We also had a horrible experience with grass fed steaks. Gag. I'll have to research this more. Here are some highlights. I am 12lbs down. This weeks homemade bread was from fresh milled wheat bread from my old co workers stand at farmers market. It made a delicious organic honey wheat bread.

Week one

I have one week under my belt of healthy eating. I haven't taken any measurements but I feel good. Here is a breakdown of what, and why I am trying to accomplish.
1. No alcohol
2. No processed food
3. Mostly organic or local food
4. Keeping calories low by increasing fruit/vegetable consumption not by eating "light" "diet" products.
5. No sugar substitutes

Many know that I lost lots of weight before. However, I consumed lots of sugar free products and processed foods. Clearly, this was not the way for me to lose the weight.

I made a commitment to bake my own breads, go to the farmers market weekly and purchase local produce, dairy, and meat and cook or prepare my meals at home.

My back pain is getting better but still present. I want to begin walking next week.

I have been very enthusiastic and when I want something I think of a goal so much bigger than the way I look or feel.

Here is my favorite meal to make this week. Sprouted grain spinach, Black beans, fajita quesadilla with homemade guacamole and pico de gallo.