Day 25 ~ 30 Day Vegan Cleanse

~ Day 25 ~ 

And today, friends, was not a great day.  It was a weird day - I did not feel well in the morning, so I didn't eat anything until the afternoon, at which point I was really hungry and ate too much.  Moving on...

So - in order to squelch my frustration of how today played out, I will post dinner...

I made some seriously good vegan nachos tonight!!!

1/2 bag of salt free, organic Blue Corn tortilla chips
1/3 package of tempeh with flax

1/4 packet Trader Joe's taco seasoning (dry)
1/2 cup water
sliced red onion

sliced yellow & orange peppers
1/2 cup Amy's brand organic refried black beans
2 T Wayfare brand Mexi-Cheddar "cheese" sauce

I heated the refried beans and added them to the chips on a baking sheet.  I sauteed the onions and peppers in a little bit of olive oil.  While those were sauteeing, I added the taco seasoning (and I only used 1/4 packet because that stuff packs a punch, for real!) and water - whisked it until mixed, then added the tempeh to the mixing bowl.  Once the tempeh was covered with the taco seasoning, I added that mixture to the onions & peppers on the stove.  I let it all cook together for a few minutes then removed from the heat.  I used a slotted spoon so any liquid would remain in the pan and not go on the nachos.  I added the onions, peppers and tempeh to the nachos and topped it with the "cheese" sauce.  Baked at 400 for about 8 minutes and added chopped lettuce.  Voila!  :o)

Day 24 ~ 30 Day Vegan Cleanse

~ Day 24 ~ 

Today was a FUN day!  There was no school (in-service day for teachers) so the girls and I had a lot of fun.  I started the morning by making "Puffins" for the girls.  Ashelyn named them Puffins because they are pancakes made in muffin molds ("P" for pancake and "uffin" for muffin).  All I did was mix up a double batch of pancake mix, added about 1/3 cup organic pureed pumpkin, a sprinkle of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice and about 1/4 cup non-dairy mini chocolate chips, then I sprinkled pink decorative sugar on top before baking.  I divided this mixture between a mini muffin pan (made 12 mini muffins) and 9 heart shaped cupcake molds.  Baked the mini muffins at 375 for 12 minutes and the heart shaped muffins at 375 for 25 minutes.  They LOVED them!  We also did a craft, watched a movie, read books, played princesses...it was a fun day - all in our pajamas!

Ashelyn calls them "Puffins" ~ so cute!

My breakfast this morning was savory and REALLY good, not to mention pretty pleasing to the eye.  I made 1/4 cup steel cut oats with 1/2 cup water.  While that was cooking, I sauteed chopped red onion, sweet potato (diced very small) and zucchini (diced small) in evoo with herbs.  I also chopped one kale leaf and added that to the pan for a minute.  When the veggies were cooked, I tossed them into the steel cut oats and mixed it, then topped with a sprinkle of organic mixed herbs.

Breakfast - so bright and colorful first thing in the morning.

Today was a much needed rest day from Insanity.  I did want to do a little something so I ran up and down the stairs ten times.  Sounds kind of odd - but let me tell you by the 8th time up I was panting and my quads were screaming.  Haha!

Food for the day:

Breakfast: 1/4 cup steel cut oats; sauteed onion, sweet potato. zucchini & kale in evoo with herbs
Snack: Kale crisps

Lunch: tomato & onion salad with Braggs vinaigrette; brown rice wrap with 1/2 cup organic refried black beans, 1T Wayfare "mexi-cheddar cheese", lettuce & sprouts
Snack: kale crisps
Dinner: chopped veggie salad w/Braggs vinaigrette, lentil black olive burger and kale crisp crumbs (yes, I will not waste crumbs so I put them on my salad); bowl of curried cauliflower soup
Snack: Larabar (Carrot Cake)

Lunch ~ brown rice wrap and tomato & onion salad

Making the curried cauliflower soup - sauteing apples, onions, garlic & curry powder

Added the veggie broth and cauliflower - then simmered, covered.

Dinner - salad with lentil olive burger on top and curried cauliflower soup.

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This is the program that helped me get to where I am today in terms of my fitness and muscle definition.

I love this program because the workouts are **SHORTER** than P90X (I love P90X, don't get me wrong, but I am a busy Mommy and sometimes I need shorter workouts).  Most of the workouts are around 35 minutes or less and the cardio are only slightly longer, but under 45 minutes.

Another thing I really like about this program is that Chalene will have us working our legs and arms at the same time - so we'll do squats while doing a shoulder press or bicep curls.  It's an incredible full body workout which consists of three phases: a Burn circuit, a Puch circuit and a Lean circuit.  There are also cardio workouts that are included in the weekly rotation.  

This entire 90 day fitness program can be completed with a set of resistance bands, or with dumbbells.

The basis of ChaLEAN Extreme is "Muscle Burns Fat".  The more muscle we build (and you *WILL* build muscle with this program), the more fat we burn, the more defined we become, and our metabolism shoots upwards as well. 

Along with the workout programs, you will get:
~ an Audio CD from Chalene which provides her incredible motivational tips
~ a DVD with lots of good kitchen tips
~ a Nutritional guide to help plan meals during the program
~ program Guidebook
~ toning band
~ resistance band
~ body fat tester.

I started recommeding this program to many of my Mommy friends and I have heard many very positive testimonials! 

ChaLEAN Extreme and the deluxe upgrades are on sale until January 31st.  This is the BEST time to take advantage of these workouts as we will likely not see a sale on this program again this year.

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Day 23 ~ 30 Day Vegan Cleanse

~ Day 23 ~ 

7 more days?  Really - that's it?  What's next?
Guess you'll have to stay tuned!

Get ready for a little TMI.  I definitely ate too much yesterday so I am a bit bloated today.  In addition, my stomach feels distressed.  I'll stop there.  I am just really uncomfortable today.  Not sure what other diet changes I should be making in order to alleviate some of the stomach distress - I cut out most pasta last week, aside from brown rice - maybe I had too much rice because I did have several brown rice cakes with nut butter last week, as well as quite a few meals with cooked brown rice.

I need to do some meal planning this week so I can see what I have in front of me - and then find balance by adding in salads and more veggies, both raw and cooked.  If you have any suggestions for me, please send them my way!

I am still working my way through a range of emotions which change day by day.  One day I will feel incredible, happy, positive and energetic.  Other days I feel moody, irritable and somewhat frustrated.  I doubt much of that is related to the cleanse...but it affects the food decisions I make each day.  One more reason for meal planning - to take the thought and emotion out of eating.

Okay - well, that was not the most positive post from me today.
Onto the food for the day...

Breakfast ~ sweet potato mash with chopped apple, raw pecans and cinnamon
Lunch ~ Protein shake: 10 oz unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, 2T vanilla hemp powder, 1 tsp maca powder, 1/2 cup frozen cherries, large handful raw baby spinach; kale crisps
Snack ~ chopped lettuce topped with chopped veggies, 1/2T vegenaise, 1T raw pumpkin seeds; Brad's raw roasted red pepper chips
Dinner ~ lentil black olive burger served over chopped lettuce with 1/2T Wayfare "cheddar cheese", leftover brussels sprouts with "cheese" sauce, leftover red skinned mashed potatoes
Snack ~ Larabar (carrot cake) Oh how I have missed you!!
Water ~ 100 oz

Workout ~ Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Pictures of the Lentil & Black Olive burgers:

Getting ready to make the burgers.

The veggies are sauteed & pureed with the lentils; olives added.

Recipe made 6 burgers; after baking in over for 30 minutes.

Dinner ~ YUMM-O!!

Day 22 ~ 30 Day Vegan Cleanse

~ Day 22 ~

Today was a tougher day.  Started out great but because I was running errands all morning and into early afternoon, I didn't eat a lot during the day...so, naturally, I was really hungry at night.  Ah well, tomorrow I will work on balance.  Hey, at least I stuck with my goal of not having any Larabars this week!  Although, I did eat after 8 PM a few nights (like tonight).

I took Lexi for a ride out to Wegmans today (LOVE that place!!!)  She was super excited because they were serving cake in the lobby so she got to have a small piece.  We drove out there to meet Brad & Jaime from Brad's Raw Chips.  Brad is the creator of the kale crisps that I talk about nonstop (yes, I do have a love affair with those crisps).  Please visit his site to learn more about him and why he created these raw food snacks.  He's a really great guy and his products ROCK.  Brad's Raw Chips  His products can be found locally at Wegmans, Whole Foods, The Health Concern (Towson) and My Organic Market (Jessup).  It was really nice to talk with Brad & Jaime.  I hope to be able to help them promote their products here in Maryland.

After we left Wegmans, we rushed home, dropped off some groceries (and more Brad's kale crisps) and then ran to soccer practice.  Lexi had a lot of fun today.  I really wish I had her energy sometimes.  She's such a happy, enthusiastic little girl.

I switched up my workout today.  I was supposed to do Insanity Cardio Power & Resistance but I opted for Insanity Upper Body Weight Training.  Only Shaun T can take something like upper body resistance and make it so freakin' hard - with cardio added in.  I really think he might be trying to kill me.  After all, he said it himself..."My goal is not to kill you.  My goal is for you to kill yourself."  Whew!

Here's my food for the day...
Breakfast ~ chopped veggies, 1/2 cup brown rice, 1T vegenaise
Snack ~ kale crisps, celery sticks, 10 raw almonds
Snack ~ Protein shake: 12 oz. unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, 2 handfuls spinach, 2T vanilla hemp powder, 1.5 tsp maca powder
Snack ~ Kale crisps
Dinner ~ (big dinner!) steamed brussels sprouts & braised balsamic asparagus both with "cheddar cheese" sauce; mashed red potatoes with nutritional yeast, veggie broth and herbs; 1/2 cup brown rice with tamari, mushrooms, and onions.
Snack ~ granola, strawberries, cherries and Almond Breeze

Breakfast

Dinner ~ YUM!!  :o)

Day 21 ~ 30 Day Vegan Cleanse

~ Day 21 ~

Today was MASSIVE SNACK ATTACK!!

Seriously.  It has to be these workouts.  Well, and part mental too I'm sure...but geesh,  I was eating ALL day today!  I think I ate more than an athletic teenage boy would.  I had been holding that bag of gluten free granola in the pantry for a few weeks - unopened.  But, today I opened it and added it to fruit and unsweetened vanilla almond milk...and let me tell you, after three weeks of no sweets, this was like dessert to me.  It was AWESOME!


I really have nothing else to report today - except it's cold...Brr!

Get ready for this - no doubt this is my biggest eating day since starting the cleanse 21 days ago...

Breakfast ~ 1/2 cup brown rice, 1/3 cup chick peas, chopped veggies, 1T vegenaise, sprinkle of 21 seasoning salute from Trader Joe's.
Snack ~ Protein Shake: 10 oz unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, 2 handfuls baby spinach, 1/2 cup frozen cherries, 1.5 tsp maca powder, 2T vanilla hemp powder
Lunch ~ sweet potato tempeh stew, kale crisps
Snack ~ kale crisps, roasted red pepper crisps w/Wayfare "cheddar" spread
Snack ~ 1/3 cup Udi's gluten free granola, blueberries, strawberries, cherries and a splash of Almond Breeze.
Dinner ~ Mashed sweet potato, 1/2 chopped apple, raw cashews & cinnamon
Snack ~ 2 brown rice cakes with 2T natural peanut butter
Workout ~ Insanity Cardio Recovery
Water ~ 100 oz.

Whew - that's a LOT of food!!  Too much, actually.  Tomorrow, I need to reel it in with the food and step up my workout, for sure.

It's a fun change to have veggies for breakfast!

Protein shake!

SO GOOD!!  YUM!  :o)

Day 20 ~ 30 Day Vegan Cleanse

Day 20!  Really?  Already?

Today was more sunshine & butterflies.  I woke up feeling happy, positive and refreshed.  I have been sleeping much better since starting the cleanse.  I heard that might happen and I was skeptical.  One more good reason to keep going!

Everyone was still sleeping when I woke up, so I came downstairs, made the girls' lunch & snacks, had my hot lemon water...and while I was drinking that, I looked out the window and watched the sunrise while reflecting on how blessed I am to have such a wonderful network of family, friends and acquaintances who push me to be a better me.  I have made great strides this month, not just in terms of my nutrition but also personally.  I am calming down, becoming more aware of those around me, becoming more patient, and am appreciating those I love...much more now than I was before.  My girls have noticed a positive change in mommy's attitude too.  It's really an incredible feeling.

When I looked in the mirror this morning, bedhead and all, I was surprised and really very happy with the person I saw looking back at me.  At first, I didn't quite recognize myself.  My skin is looking smoother and my eyes are clearer & brighter.   My body is looking leaner and much less jiggly.  Best of all, though, is I look HAPPIER.  You know when you can look at a person and even though they have a neutral expression on their face, you can still sense their mood?  I could see happiness radiating from me.  This, my friends, is HUGE. 

Not a great eating day.  I was REALLY hungry again (Insanity will do that).  I had too much peanut butter and too many kale crisps so I need to make sure tomorrow is more balanced.

Breakfast: Gluten Free waffle with 1T natural Peanut Butter and 2 sliced strawberries
Snack: Protein shake ~ 10 oz. unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, 1/2 cup frozen cherries, 2T vanilla hemp powder, 1.5 tsp maca powder, 2 handfuls spinach
Lunch: Chopped veggie salad with 1T Braggs vinaigrette and chick pea burger
Snack: Kale crisps (a lot!)
Dinner: baked sweet potato, plain
Post workout: 8 oz Kombucha
Snack: 2 brown rice cakes w/1.5T natural peanut butter

Water: 130+ oz
Workouts: Insanity Cardio Abs & TurboKick class (484 calories burned during class)

Sorry, no pictures today.  Tomorrow....for sure.  :o)

Day 19 ~ 30 Day Vegan Cleanse

~ Day 19 ~

I can't believe the cleanse is going to be coming to an end soon.  Well, not that soon...but soon enough that it's starting to weigh on my mind a bit.  I have been spending quite a bit of time thinking about what I will do next.  Will I begin to add in foods that I have been avoiding all month?  Gluten?  Dairy?  Chocolate?  Shakeology?  Will I continue on with what I am doing right now - while still avoiding things that other vegans eat (i.e. not restricted from the cleanse)?  I guess it's been weighing more heavily on my brain than I thought, because last night I had some pretty strange dreams.  One of my goals this week was to not have any Larabars.  In my dream, I went on a food binge and I ate a Larabar...then another...then a muffin...then chocolate..and who knows what else.  I woke up this morning wondering at first if I really had a Larabar...then feeling frustrated that I dreamed about all of that food.  I suppose that's to be expected when a person goes from eating a diet which includes sugar and refined & processed foods to whole, clean foods.  I do miss some of these foods, but I think it's more subconscious than anything right now...although ask me later and I might get cranky with you and tell you I want chocolate.

Lexi came bouncing out of school today talking about Pizza Night.  Yikes, what's this all about?  She told me she had a sticker and a note because it was Family Pizza Night.  Sure enough, in her folder was a flier for a school fundraiser at Pizza Hut tonight.  And, because the flier is not enough, they stuck stickers on the kids' shirts.  Really.  How I am supposed to try and talk a 5 year old out of Family Pizza Night? ARGH!  I ordered for carry out - at least that way I could avoid the restaurant.  But the second I walked into the store, my stomach growled and I wanted pizza - like REALLY wanted pizza.  Then, I had to smell it in the car the whole way home.  And I could picture myself EATING that pizza.  But, I came home, got the kids some fruits & veggies - which they had to eat before their pizza.  Then I asked Josh to please give them the pizza after I left the kitchen.  I went downstairs and did my Insanity workout - then the pizza cravings were totally gone.  Whew!  Saved by Insanity.

A funny thing happened this morning.  I opted for the mashed sweet potato and apple with cinnamon for breakfast and because I had the maple syrup out for my girls' pancakes, I drizzled a small amount onto my mash.  It was maybe a teaspoon.  The first taste was odd.  It was almost like a foreign substance - sounds weird, right?  As a sugar fiend, it was really interesting for me to taste the syrup and think "whoa, that's strong!"  That gives me hope that once I complete this cleanse and continue on with whatever nutritional plan I choose to follow - and at some point allow myself to have foods with sugar (whether it be an alternative like sucanat, turbinado, etc or straight up sugar) that I will reel it in big time and only have a very small amount (or decide to have none at all) instead of going off on some crazy sugar binge.

Well - that was an interesting blog post today, wasn't it.  Pretty introspective, I guess!

My food today:

Breakfast ~ Mashed sweet potato with 1/2 chopped apple and a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of maple syrup

Lunch ~ chopped veggies (radish, celery, cuke, peppers) and 1/4 cup chick peas with 1T vegenaise and 1T raw pumpkin seeds; chick pea veggie burger over chopped lettuce

Snack ~ Kale crisps

Dinner ~ Salad with 1T Braggs vinaigrette, 2 bowls of Sweet Potato Tempeh stew
Snack ~ 2 organic brown rice cakes with 1.5T raw almond butter

Water ~125+ oz.

Workout ~Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Pictures...just a few of my meals...

Breakfast mash

Lunch - this was SO good!

Dinner! :o)

Day 18 ~ 30 Day Vegan Cleanse

~ Day 18 ~

Today was a day so struggle - both mental and physical in terms of hunger, and some soreness as well.  I felt hungry ALL day long.  I drank water, did other things to distract myself, but the physical hunger was also very apparent today.  I ended up snacking - and I should have made a few better choices, but overall, it was still a good day.

My lower back is hurting a bit from the ab workouts over the past few days.  Ordinarily I would run for the Excedrin Back & Body, but I am not taking anything OTC these days with the cleanse.  I really should be dong some extra stretching or Yoga.

I have been very cold recently.  I know it's winter, and each winter the cold seems to affect me a little bit more.  I layer myself every day - and at night it's fleece pajama pants, two shirts, a sweatshirt or bathrobe and fleece socks or my Uggs.  I sleep with most of that on - well, not the Uggs - and sometimes even the bathrobe or sweatshirt.  One night last week I touched Josh's arm and my hand was so cold it woke him from sleeping.  "But, Debi" you might say, "At least you're not in CT where it's even colder!"  I know, I know.  But, it makes me feel a LOT better to know that some of this extreme cold I am feeling is normal in terms of this cleanse.  Here's what Missy posted when I asked her about this extreme cold feeling (others in our group have been experiencing it as well): "Coldness on a cleanse: This process of eating lighter, clean burning foods is an instant detox even without fasting or any other cleansing. Your blood thickens during detoxification, which causes lymph and blood circulation to decrease.  As well, your body is able to direct more energy to healing when your diet isn’t clogging it up. The body heals from the inside out, which means that internal organs will have increased circulation and oxygen, while the extremities will actually receive less blood flow" Hence, Icy hands and feet!  Relaxing at night in warm jammies with a mug of hot lemon water is soothing and makes me feel very comfortable prior to going to bed.  It's been helping me with that cold feeling.

Here's my food for the day:
Breakfast ~ 1/4 cup steel cut oats, splash of unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, 2T organic pumpkin puree, sprinkle of cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice, drizzle of agave
Snack ~1/2 apple with 1T raw almond butter
Lunch ~ chick pea veggie burger, chopped veggies with 1T vegenaise & 1T raw pumpkin seeds; kale crisps
Snack ~ more kale crisps - another love affair day - I was snacking on these all afternoon!
Dinner ~ salad with 1T Braggs vinaigrette; 2 bowls Sweet Potato Tempeh Stew (recipe from Missy @ Karma Chow)
Water ~ 125+ oz
Workout ~ Insanity Fit Test #2

I posted my Fit Test results on my Fit & Healthy Mommy Facebook page, but here are my numbers again.  Fit test #1 Jan 3rd (first set of numbers) & Fit test #2 Jan 18th (second set of numbers):
1. Switch Kicks: 42 ~ 53 (+9)
2. Power Jacks: 53 ~ 54 (+1)
3. Power Knees: 62 ~ 75 (+13)
4. Power Jumps: 40 ~ 40 (no change)
5. Globe Jumps: 9 ~ 9 (no change)
6. Suicide Jumps: 16 ~ 20 (+4)
7. Push-up Jacks: 15 ~ 24 (+9)
8. Low Plank Oblique: 55 ~ 60 (+5)

And, the pictures!

The ingredients for the Sweet Potato Tempeh Stew

After sauteing and adding everything to the crockpot

Ready to eat!  It was FANTASTIC!  :o)

Day 17 ~ 30 Day Vegan Cleanse

~ Day 17 ~

Today's been interesting.  I am feeling quite moody and impatient.

I'm not sure why I feel like this today.

I took Lexi & Ashelyn to the movies this morning and we had a really nice time, just the three of us.  It was nice because I popped the popcorn at home, in the microwave in a brown paper bag - with no oil, butter or salt.  I made bags for each of the girls.  I also gave them some pretzels and Trader Joe's organic juice boxes.  They thought nothing of passing by the concession stand when we walked into the theater.  Take that movie popcorn!!  We had a healthy alternative and probably saved $15 or more.  I brought cut up veggies and hummus - although I did have popcorn with the girls too (maybe about a cup and a half or so).  We had a great time, the three of us.  Maybe because I am moody today, or just because I'm a sap,I was in tears at the end of the movie.  It's okay to laugh at me if you'd like.

Today was my rest day but I figured since tomorrow is my Fit Test #2 and yesterday I changed my workout to a 21 minutes Insanity Fast & Furious instead of the 35 minute Pure Cardio plus 16 minute Cardio Abs....so today, I did Fast & Furious again, plus Cardio Abs.  I also ended up doing a very short lifting circuit - biceps, triceps and chest.

I tried a new protein powder today, coupled with a Greens formula.  Um...it was...interesting. Not great...and I am going to have to rework that concoction.  My usual hemp powder is much better.

Here's my food for today:
Breakfast ~ 1/2 acorn squash stuffed with mushroom/onion/celery/garlic & almonds
Snack ~ carrots. celery, cucumber & hummus; approx. 1.5 cups air popped popcorn (plain)
Snack ~ Protein shake: 8 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond breeze, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 tsp maca powder, 2T greens powder, 1/2 cup frozen cherries and large handful baby spinach
Dinner ~ salad with 1T Braggs vinaigrette; chopped salad w/1T vegenaise; leftover tahini kale; chick pea burger
Snack ~ 1/2 apple with 1T raw almond butter
Water ~ 115 oz
Workout ~ Insanity Fast & Furious and Cardio Abs

Recipe and pictures for the Karma Chow Veggie Burgers courtesy of Melissa Costello and as shared in Tony Horton's new book Bring It.  I cut this recipe in half to make 4 burgers.  The recipe below makes 8 burgers.

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
1/2 red onion, cut into chunks
4T fresh cilantro (I used fresh basil because I am not a cilantro fan)
1 cup baby spinach
sea salt & ground black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
2T tomato paste
1 can (15 oz) chick peas - drained and rinsed well (no salt or low sodium is best!)
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 cups whole wheat or gluten free bread crumbs (I used brown rice bread crumbs)
1-2T evoo

In food processor, pulse bell pepper, onion, cilantro and spinach until well combined, but don't puree.  Transfer to a mixing bowl.  Stir in salt & pepper, chili powder and tomato paste.  Back to food processor, add chick peas and rice and pulse (don't puree).  Add to he other mixture.  Add bread crumbs and mix well, using hand to combine and form into patties.  Heat patties on grill or in frying pan (with the evoo) and cook until golden brown - only a few minutes on each side.  Serve right away.

I loved how these were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  They were absolutely fantastic and I am excited to have three more for the rest of the week.


Pictures:

The protein shake - it was too thick, and kind of icky.

First step of the Veggie Burger recipe - pulse the veggies

Here's what they look like after pulsing in the blender.

Here are the formed burgers prior to cooking.

Dinner!  chopped veggies w/vegenaise, creamy tahini kale
and the veggie burger.  YUM!!  :o)

Day 16 ~ 30 Day Vegan Cleanse

~ Day 16 ~

I have decided to set a few goals for this week.  Here's what I'd like to attain - and then see how I feel once the week is through.

~ No Larabars this week - not one!
~ Limit brown rice pasta to once or twice - no more than that
~ No eating after 8 PM.  If I feel hungry, I will have lemon water or tea.
~ More greens (spinach, kale, etc) and more whole grains and beans (instead of the pasta)
~ Protein shake every day (with spinach)

I am bloated today - must be from the excess brown rice pasta last week (and hormones).  I still feel good though...and although I felt a little more impatient than usual, I think that's hormones as well.  Always fun being a woman.  You never know what you're gonna get.  Haha!!  I'm also still very sore from yesterday's workout with Tony Horton.  My abs have not been worked like that in a LONG time.  (Goes to show I need to add in a lot more ab work...and start making sure I am contracting my core during my Insanity workouts).  I have not done that many push-ups since my last P90X workouts, many months ago.  So, I reawakened a lot of muscles that had kind of gone dormant for a few months.  I am now really looking forward to jumping into a round of P90X following this round of Insanity.  I am pushing through with Insanity, but I really do love my resistance with weights.  I am going to try to add a little bit in this coming week.  I am not up to doing a whole P90X workout yet while doing Insanity, but even if I can get in 15 or 20 minutes of free weights a few days a week, I'll feel better about that.  I should go back up and add that to my goals, but I don't want to put too much pressure on myself.

Food for the day:

Breakfast ~ Gluten free waffle with 1T raw almond butter and 2 sliced strawberries

Snack ~ Protein shake: 8 oz unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, 2T vanilla hemp protein, 2 handfuls raw baby spinach, 1/2 cup frozen cherries, 1 tsp maca powder, 1/2T chia seeds
Lunch ~ Chopped veggies (cuke, radish, carrot, celery, red onion, peppers) with 1T vegenaise and 1T raw pumpkin seeds
Pre-workout ~ 8 oz Kombucha
Post-workout ~ 8 oz. Kombucha

Dinner ~ salad with 1T Braggs vinaigrette; half baked acorn squash stuffed with: onion, mushroom, garlic, celery & almonds, topped with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast; creamy tahini kale with toasted sesame seeds
Water: 100+ oz (I lost track)
Workout: still really sore from yesterday so I opted for Shaun T's Fast & Furious.  Not the workout I was supposed to do today, but at least I did one - and it's still Insanity, so it's not cheating.

Only one picture today!
This is from dinner - the stuffed acorn squash and creamy tahini kale (I only ate half of the kale and saved the rest for tomorrow)

Day 15 ~ 30 Day Vegan Cleanse & TONY HORTON!

~ Day 15 ~

THE HALF WAY POINT!!!

Oh goodness folks, sit back, grab a cup of tea and get ready for a novel.

Today was a FANTASTIC day!  I don't even know where to start.  First, I am super excited to have made it 15 days without any compulsive eating issues or consuming thoughts about specific foods.  That's HUGE for me.  I have been feeling absolutely awesome for the past few days.  My mind is clearer, I feel happier and less overwhelmed...and really just much more relaxed.  Looking at my food journal the past few days, I could definitely be eating a little less. I am eating more, but it's not like I am eating a few doughnuts or muffins or cookies.  I had a little too much brown rice pasta with nutritional yeast "cheese" sauce last night and tonight.   I don't think that'll do me in.

I planned on today being a long day, but it turns out it wasn't so long after all.  I did plan well though.  I brought breakfast in the car (I know, I know..."No more eating in the car, Debi!").  I thought I was running late.  I packed my lunch, tea, water and snacks.  I did not want to end up starving with limited food options (for my cleanse) available to me.  My friend Mary and I arrived in VA early so we talked with a few other Beachbody coaches until it was time to go into the ballroom.  There were at least 200 hundred people packed into the room to workout with Tony Horton...maybe more.  It was awesome to feel the energy...the enthusiasm and the excitement from everyone in the room.  When Tony first came out, I was instantly star struck - I mean, seriously...this is the man who got me started on this whole transformation and journey that I am on.  Because of his program and his motivation, I did P90X (June 2009) when I had never really worked out (other than running) before.  There he was - right in front of me.  But honestly, after a few minutes, he was acting as goofy as he does in his workout videos and he had everyone laughing and feeling comfortable doing goofy things too.  I felt like I have known him forever.

The workout was fantastic.  I wore my Bodybugg to see what my calorie burn would be (it was 536).  We did U-C-M-L (upper body, cardio, middle-abs and lower).  It was NO joke.  I was grunting and sweating...along with 200 other people.  We rocked that workout!

Mary & I ran to the bathroom after the workout and by the time we got back into the ballroom for the book signing, we were at the end of the line.  A line of around 300 people.  YIKES!!!  While signing books and posing for pictures with people, Tony would periodically call people from the back of the line up to the table.  After a few folks headed up there when he called "I'll take the two at the end of the line"...soon we were the last two in line...so next time we heard him say it, Mary & I got to hop right on up to the table to have our books signed and take pictures.  It was awesome.  We could have been there all day, but instead we were in and out. Thanks, Tony!  Although we were loving having a day without hearing "Mommy!  Mommy!"  haha!

I met a lot of great and fun people today...got to hang with a great friend...and, you know...the best part...got to meet TONY HORTON! 

Do you even care about what I ate today after all of this fun stuff?

Well, here it is anyway...
Breakfast ~ Mashed sweet potato with 1/2 chopped apple, chopped raw cashews and cinnamon
Late morning ~ 8 oz Kombucha after workout
Lunch ~ chopped veggie salad with 1/2 cup white beans, 1T raw pumpkin seeds, 1T vegenaise
Snack ~ brown rice cake with 1T raw almond butter
Snack ~ kale crisps
Dinner ~ Salad with 1T Braggs vinaigrette, 1/2 baked delicata squash, 2 bowls of the vegan Mac & "cheese" (yes, 2 bowls...I was SO hungry....again!)
Snack ~ Larabar (Pecan Pie)

Water ~ upwards of 140 oz.
Workout ~ As much as I hoped I might still do my Insanity tonight because I didn't want to miss a day in the program - much less a day in week 2 - I was way too sore after the group workout today.  So, I missed my first day of Insanity.

And - the best part, although you have probably already seen my photo albums on Facebook...

Deb & Mary ~ pre-workout

Fierce!

Yeah, this girl can kick high!

Deb & Mary ~ post-workout X Style

Strike a pose...do I always stand like this?  Yeesh!

Deb meets Tony Horton ~ awesome!!

Day 14 ~ 30 day vegan challenge

~ Day 14 ~

I'll save most of my posting for tomorrow.  Tomorrow is a big day!!  First, the halfway point milestone of this cleanse (YAY, YAY, YAY) combined with a trip to Virginia with my friend Mary...I'll have a lot to talk about.  Since I will be gone for a large part of the day, I packed all of my food - bean & veggie salad; a rice cake and 1T raw almond butter; a Larabar...all things that I can easily grab and eat during the day.  Look for that post tomorrow night!

Today was also great.  I felt awesome - again.  I think this is becoming the norm for me.  Letting go of the negativity in my life....feeling controlled by food, feeling overwhelmed and frustrated with volunteer activities, feeling pulled is many different directions...it's uplifting, positive and freeing.  I feel like a new person.  I felt so energetic today that I contemplated an additional workout, but I had to reel it in and remind myself that if I overdo it, it will not help me at all.  Two tough workouts yesterday and one (possibly two) tomorrow...today I stuck with Insanity Cardio Recovery.  I was pretty hungry today and I did eat quite a bit more than I normally would, but I needed it after the calorie burn yesterday...although it was still more than necessary.  I am a bit bloated, but without the sluggish feeling that comes after a sugar rush and crash. 

My day in food!

Breakfast ~ Mashed sweet potato, 1/2 chopped apple, 12 raw pecans& cinnamon
Snack ~ Protein shake: 8 oz unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, 2 handfuls spinach, 1/2 cup frozen cherries, 2T vanilla hemp protein powder, 1/2T chia seeds, 1tsp maca powder
Lunch ~ Kale crisps; chopped veggie salad w/1T Braggs vinaigrette and 1T raw pumpkin seeds and mock tuna salad (made with chick peas).
Snack ~ brown rice cake with 1T raw almond butter, more kale crisps ( I have a love affair with these things)
Dinner ~ salad w/1T Braggs vinaigrette; 2 bowls of vegan mac & "cheese" (yeesh!)
Workout ~ Insanity Cardio Recovery
Water ~ 115 oz.

And....the pictures.  Just a couple because tomorrow will probably be overload.

My new additions to the protein shake.  Looks icky...but tastes good!

Vegan mac & "cheese" made with brown rice pasta

And just for a little cuteness.  My little, middle girl.  :o)

Day 13 ~ 30 Day Vegan Cleanse

~ Day 13 ~

I will start off by saying - WHOA!  Crazy energy today!!  I love it.  Today is a day when I *needed* crazy energy between my Insanity workout and TurboKick class.  I feel really good today.  I'm not tired, and I am not sore when I am resting.  I feel relaxed and very positive.  I am looking forward to many more days like today.

First, I will say that I had my first (and hopefully only) slip-up today.  I had a dentist appointment at 5 PM and TurboKick at 7 PM so I did not have time to plan or prepare anything for dinner.  In retrospect, I really could have made a quick bean salad and packed it with me to have in the car.  However, I grabbed a ProBar and ran out the door.  While eating it, in the car (gasp!! I said I would not do that anymore), in the dark...All of a sudden I tasted....ugh...CHOCOLATE!  Yeesh - there was unsweetened dark chocolate in the bar - a Berry & nut bar - and I had no idea until I started eating it.  I was really hungry so I finished it...and it was pretty spectacular...but nonetheless, I had some chocolate.  That was a one-time oops, and I plan to not have any more of those while on the cleanse.

I tried Kombucha tea for the first time tonight.  My first sip I was skeptical, but by the end of it, I thought it was pretty good - and I feel like it really helped me through my TurboKick class.  It gave me a great natural energy.

I wore my Bodybugg just for this afternoon and tonight.  I have not been wearing it because one of my big goals is to not count calories anymore...but I wanted to see what the calorie burn would be between my two workouts.  From 1:30 PM through 10:00 PM, I burned almost 2500 calories.  I broke it down according to time and here's what the two separate workouts came out to:
Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit ~ 356 calories burned
TurboKick class ~ 584 calories burned
This proves that I work MUCH harder in a class with people, feeding off of the enthusiasm and excitement.  I love that!!

The best compliment of the night: "You have NOT had three kids!"
(Thank YOU!) If she had seen me two years ago, she'd have known.

Okay, here's the day in food:
Breakfast ~ mashed sweet potato with 3/4 of a small apple, chopped and chopped raw pecans, with a sprinkle of cinnamon (heavenly!!)
Snack ~ Protein shake: 8 oz unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, 2T vanilla hemp protein powder, 2 handfuls spinach, 1/2 cup frozen cherries
Lunch ~ chopped veggie salad w/1T Braggs vinaigrette, 1T raw pumpkin seeds & big scoop of the mock-tuna salad (with chick peas)
Dinner ~ ProBar & 8 oz Kombucha tea
Snack ~ Kale chips & Raw Revolution bar (mini) Spirulina & cashew
Water ~ I lost track - but I am pretty sure it was over 125 oz.
Workouts ~ see above

And just a couple of pictures...

Breakfast - YUMMMMM!

Lunch!

Accountability picture ~ following Insanity workout
(good thing it wasn't following the TK workout - I was drenched!)

Day 12 ~ 30 Day Vegan Cleanse

~ Day 12 ~

Well, I don't really have a whole lot to report today.  Lexi had a 2 hour delay  this morning so we all went outside and played in the snow.  Fun!  The girls had a great time.  What a fun way to start the morning.  I got a lot done around the house which made me feel like I didn't waste so much time today - score!

I felt really hungry this afternoon and evening, so I snacked a little more than usual...but it was on kale chips, so fairly guilt free.  Otherwise, I feel great!!

My day in food:
Breakfast ~ 1/2 cup steel cut oats, splash of unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, 8 raw almonds, strawberries, blueberries and cinnamon.
Lunch ~ chopped veggies salad with 1T Braggs vinaigrette and mock "tuna" salad (made with chick peas)
Snack ~ Brown rice cake with 1T raw almond butter & kale crisps
Snack ~ more kale crisps (those things are so good!)
Dinner ~ salad with 1T Braggs vinaigrette; 1/2 delicata squash stuffed with leftovers from last night (brown rice pasta w/veggies and nutritional yeast).

Here are the pictures!!

Breakfast - steel cut oats with almonds & berries

Lunch ~ chopped salad with mock "tuna" salad

Dinner ~ delicata squash  with brown rice pasta & veggies

Accountability picture ~ following Insanity Pure Cardio