All posts for the month June, 2012

Shhh…. Don’t Tell Him That It’s Healthy

I’m Back!  I had SO much fun being at girls camp last week, but to say I’m happy to be home and trying to get back into my routine would be an understatement.

One thing that I am trying to do this week is DETOX.  I failed to mention last week that the theme of our camp was “Candy Land”.  There was candy everywhere!  Anyone who knows me knows that I have a MAJOR sweet tooth.  Chocolate and ice cream are two of my biggest problem foods. When I got home on Saturday I felt sluggish, dirty, and tired, and I’m sure the crappy eating was one of the bigger issues for having those feelings.

On Sunday I sat down and made a diet detox plan for the week and I am forcing myself to stick with it so that I will feel better.  Even after only two days of getting some real greens in me and no sugar I feel about 80% better.

I also splurged this week and had Kombucha make a come back!

My body is in some serious need of getting the bad out and the good in.

I also made a Sam’s Club run this week and stocked up on fresh fruit.  I may have gone a little crazy and I now cant fit anything in my fridge, it is PACKED.

This morning while reading blogs I came across a recipe from my favorite Vegan website Oh She Glows I may be a little obsessed with her recipes.  It was for a jam, and coincidentally I had just ran out of jam, and had all of the ingredients on hand, shocker.

Try this recipe now: Magical Blueberry Vanilla Chia Seed Jam

IMG_1224

Photo Credit is of course to Angela over at Oh She Glows since she is a FAR better photographer than I, and I don’t want to disrespect her recipe!

The hub’s loves jams and jellies so when I told him that I found an easy jam recipe he was in full support of me using some of our overly stocked fruit to make this Magical Blueberry Vanilla Chia Seed Jam.  The even better thing is that it is actually a HEALTHY jam.  Why I never thought of Chia seeds for a jam recipe is beyond me.  I have been learning so much about plant-based cooking that one day I might just venture out and start trying to create some of my own recipes.  But until then Oh She Glows is my top go to for delicious & quick vegan meals.

But don’t tell my husband that it’s healthy, k?

4 Comments
by Shrinking Carrie on June 26, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Blogs to Read, Candy, Challenges, Diet, Energy, Kombucha, Link Love, Meal Planning, Plant Based Diet, Vegan

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on June 26, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/06/26/shhh-dont-tell-him-that-its-healthy/

Happy Blogaversary to Me!!!

Yesterday was my 1 year BLOGGING ANNIVERSARY!  I had grand plans to re-cap my last year of blogging and all that has gone on in my life, but then my Lazy Type-A personality kicked in, and I just plain didn’t want to go through all of my old posts.

Here are some things that have happened in the last year:

  • Lost 30 pounds
  • Completed the weight lifting program New Rules of Lifting for Women
  • Got into weight lifting for the first time in my life
  • Fit into my first pair of designer jeans that had been sitting in my closet since post-pregnancy
  • Participated in the Vegan Kick Start Program…. TWICE
  • Walked a 5K (one day I will RUN a 5K)
  • Made exercise a regularity in my life
  • Kept on plugging away at my blog for added motivation

I can’t help but think that I should have been farther along by this time, but I also have to remember that everyone goes at there own pace, and I have definitely learned a lot on this journey.  I still struggle to find balance in my life right now and have had a problem with the “all or nothing” attitude.

I made my Get to Fifty in Sixty goal in April, and it is very clear that I will not be getting to a 50 pound loss by July 4th.

Ack!  This is a celebration of 1 whole year of blogging and all I can talk about is how disappointed in myself I am!  Get over it Carrie!  Jump past this hurdle and break the 30 pounds loss mark already!  Or as Nike so plainly puts it: JUST DO IT! 

There are a couple of things going on this week:

1. My mom and niece are coming into town until Saturday.  They are actually coming into town so that they can watch my little lady Hanna while I am going to:

2. GIRLS CAMP! I won’t be able to enjoy their company too long since I am heading “off the grid” to our church’s girl’s camp. For those of you who don’t know what Girl’s Camp is, it’s basically camping for 4 days with the 12-17 year old girls in my church.  I’m really excited, it’s going to be a LOT of fun, and will help me to get to know some of the people in my church since we are still fairly new.

Since I will be in an area where there is no cell phone service I won’t be back to blogging until next week, and hopefully the 5 mile hike I get to go on will help me to work off all of the junk food that will be accompanying us on this trip.  I am going to try my hardest to eat the fruits and healthier food that they will be supplying for us.

So wish me luck, I am off to the mountains to spend some much-needed time in the peaceful outdoors.  Next week I will come back renewed and ready to get back on my journey!

I know I have shown these in the past, but in case you are a new reader here are progress photo’s from my beginning weight of 284 pounds to my current weight of 254.2.

To be honest, I may have just needed that extra boost today from these photo’s!  It definitely did the trick!

I hope everyone has a great week, and I will catch up with you all on Monday!

7 Comments
by Shrinking Carrie on June 18, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Anniversary

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on June 18, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/06/18/happy-blogaversary-to-me/

WIAW: Top 10 Favorite Healthy Snacks

Since this month is all about snacks I thought I would combine my love of lists and snacks in a top 10 countdown.  The thing is that I try NOT to snack.  I know there are a lot of people out there that would argue eating 6 small meals a day is the way to lose weight, but for me it just turns into an eating frenzy.

I eat by the clock.  In case you don’t know what that means It means you eat at the same time everyday.  Breakfast at 8, Lunch at 12:30, Snack at 3, and dinner at 5:30, then the kitchen is closed.

Thank you to Jenn over at Peas and Crayons for hosting this fun blog event every week, and helping me think of yummy snacks to fill my afternoon with!

10. Green Smoothies with lots of Kale

9. Broccoli and “Cheeze”.  I like to make a big batch of Vegan Cheeze sauce and dip raw broccoli in it.  Better than ranch dressing!

8.Larabar! Any Flavor.

7. Any and all kinds of fruit

6.  Kombucha, one of my favorites that I don’t get to enjoy that often anymore.

5. Smashed avocado and blue chips

4. Chobani.  I eat yogurt on occasion, but not very often.

3. Carrots and Hummus, or any veggie in hummus.

2. Ok, so not so good for you Peanut Butter Captain Crunch with vanilla soy milk.

1. PEANUT BUTTER or any kind of nut butter for that matter.  On anything.  I only eat it about once a week now, but my daughter eats PB everyday (since she is tiny and needs to gain weight.  

I hope that some of you were able to get some ideas for snacks, and I can’t wait to check out what everybody else snacks on!

Are you a Snacker?

Anything on my list tickle your fancy?

5 Comments
by Shrinking Carrie on June 13, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in WIAW

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on June 13, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/06/13/wiaw-top-10-favorite-healthy-snacks/

Lazy Type-A

Sweat It Out:
50 minute walk that burned 600 calories according to Bodybugg

I am what you would call the “Lazy Type-A” personality (I may have just made that up.  ok, yes, I did just make that up).  I love tracking things.  Food, exercise, menstrual cycle, finances, basically anything that happens on a regular basis.

The only problem is that I like to track it when it is convenient for me.  Take finances and bills.  I have a spreadsheet and a binder all organized by bills and such, but I only update it every 3 months.  It turns into a day long process and then I vow to do better the next month and the cycle starts all over.  In three months time I will be looking at a stack of envelopes that need to be filed, and hopefully there is not a bill in there that I forgot to pay.

One thing that I have been diligent at tracking this year is my womanly cycle, and for good reason.  Once a month I feel like the world is falling apart, I can’t stop eating, and I feel like I am losing my mind.  The feeling goes away a week later when mother nature comes around, and I feel stupid for spending so much time in trying to figure out what was wrong with me for the past week.

It was no different when I started eating on Saturday and couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t stop.  I looked at my daily chart over on Ova Ova (a fabulous website that helps you to keep track of your daily temperature, menstrual cycle, and fertile days) and saw that it is about a week until mother nature, and it all clicked.

Side note:  I have started tracking on Ova Ova to have a better understanding of my cycle every month so that when we start trying for another baby in January it will (hopefully) help us to get pregnant quicker.  

Long post short: It has really helped me to NOT get frustrated at this time of the month by recognizing what is behind the eating.  Once you realize the reasoning you can start fix behaviors.

After 3 days of “period eating”, I told myself that I would get back on track today no matter what I had to do.  I already let nature take 3 days away from me, and decided today that it will not take the rest of my week away!

Last thing

When I went out for my daily walk with Hanna this morning I started listening to a book on tape by AJ Jacobs titled “Drop Dead Healthy”.  It has been so good so far, that I was a little disappointed to have to stop listening to it when I came home.  I may even have to do gym session #2 in the afternoon just so I can listen to it more!

Do you have a lazy type-A personality like me?

Do you ever listen to books on tape?

5 Comments
by Shrinking Carrie on June 12, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on June 12, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/06/12/lazy-type-a/

Like A Hamster on a Wheel

In all honesty, these past 3 weeks have been trying.  I have tracked food consistently, exercised, drank tons of water, and alas I got on the scale and I was up 2 pounds.  Granted, I have had some pretty horrendous stomach issues this week that finally seem to be subsiding after changing up my diet.

I can count 3 days (out of the last 3 weeks) that I have gone over my caloric intake, and it wasn’t by a crazy amount.  Every week when I get on the scale I tell myself that I won’t get discouraged and that if I keep plugging away the weight will eventually HAVE to come off, right?  Apparently, this does not seem to be true in my case.

This past week I had a Dr.’s appt. that I was forced to make because they would not refill my thyroid medication until it got checked.  Little did I know that this was a blessing in disguise.

I got a call from my Doctor letting me know that my medication needs to be increased!  Great news!  He also said, and I quote “this increase in dosage should help to speed up your metabolism, and get you back on track”.

Needless to say I was ecstatic when I got off the phone.

Tomorrow I start taking my new dosage of thyroid hormone, and I’m hoping that combined with my diet and exercise that I have been so diligent with, I will start to see some positive results!

Have a happy weekend!  I know I will!

3 Comments
by Shrinking Carrie on June 8, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Thyroid

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on June 8, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/06/08/like-a-hamster-on-a-wheel/

Dr’s and Sports Bra’s. They Make a Difference!

Sweat it Out:
50 minute hilly walk
Foam rolling and stretching

Foam rolling was SO necessary today.  Every time I go to sit down my legs SCREAM at me.  Who says you can’t get a good strength training session at home?

I got a lot of great feedback when I posted this picture on Facebook last nigh:

And yes, it tasted as delicious as it looked.  I tried something last night that I have never tried before: Roasting chickpeas.  This will definitely be something I will be doing again.

I used a recipe from Mama Pea, and the roasted chickpeas are a great base for any toppings you desire.  I used tomatoes, black olives, and avocado on top of the roasted chickpeas and bib lettuce.  They were kind of like taco’s, so yummy.

Dinner had to come together quickly because I had a Dr.’s appt yesterday to get my Thyroid checked.  I can’t remember the last time I had it tested and although I think it will be about the same it’s good to have it tested.

I also had an interesting talk with the Dr about how my thyroid effects weight loss.  He said that as long as I am taking my thyroid replacement hormone I should have no problems.  He also said that I shouldn’t rely on my pill to make me lose weight.  I made sure to clarify to him that I in no way expect there to be a “magic pill” that will shed all of my weight I need to lose, and I know the only way to lose it is with hard work, dedication, diet, and exercise.

He then told me that he could not tell me how happy it made him that I made that statement because a lot of his patients who need to lose weight never make that realization.  I love when I make my Dr. happy!

Getting the Support you need

Finally!  The sports bra’s that I ordered online have gotten sorted out, and I have the right sizes!  The number one thing I realize when getting a new SB is how bad the old one was.  It inspired me so much that I broke down and bought new regular bra’s as well.  I am like a new woman.

I have worked out the last couple of days with the new SB and I have nothing but good things to say about it.  For me, being plus sized, finding a bra is one of the hardest things about being overweight.  You can’t just go to your nearest Victoria’s Secret and pick a bra out of the bin box at their semi-annual sale.  I am also pretty chesty and have come to the conclusion that I will NEVER be able to wear the cute little spaghetti strap yoga bras that offer no support.  Even regular Nike sports bra’s create the super attractive “uniboob” that makes it fun to workout with.  The hub’s went running with me about a week ago and after seeing how unsupportive my bra was, he was very supportive about getting me a new one.

Ok, enough about my chest.  If you are plus-sized and want a good supportive bra I bought this one from the Lane Bryant website:

Click Pic to go to website

It was made for Lane Bryant by Reebok, and it has a great lift and separate feature, and feels more like a regular bra than a constrictive sports bra.

Welp, that’s all I got for you guys today!  Have a great Thursday!

What feature do you look for in a good sports bra?

Ever tried roasting chickpeas?

 

7 Comments
by Shrinking Carrie on June 7, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on June 7, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/06/07/drs-and-sports-bras-they-make-a-difference/

WIAW: The Star of the Show

First day back to plant-based eating and I can already tell a difference!  Although my stomach is not 100% yet, I can feel that by the end of this week it should be back on track.

Let’s get right into What I Ate Wednesday!  A big shout out to Jenn over at Peas and Crayons for hosting this blogging event every week!  It is so much fun being able to look through everyone’s eats and gather ideas for your own meals.

It looks like for the month of June there is a focus of sensible snacking.  I only eat 1 snack a day (anymore and I just can’t stop eating).  I will be sure to document all of those fun snacks and have a variety of foods to show case for next week.  One thing about WIAW is that I hate posting the same thing week after week, and it forces me to put some much-needed variety in my diet.

Nothing new for the first 3 meals of the day:

  • Breakfast: Kashi Go Lean with Soy Milk and Fresh Strawberries
  • Lunch: Hummus wrap with Banzo’s Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, sliced Roma tomato, 1/4 of an avocado, and salt and pepper wrapped in a La Tortilla Factory Low Carb, High Fiber tortilla.  On the side was 1/2 cup red grapes, and a serving of baby carrots.  I could eat this lunch EVERYDAY.  I know everyone goes on and on about Sabra Hummus, but Banzo’s is where it’s at.  Too bad they are a Colorado company and I don’t think they are anywhere outside of us.  If they are check them out, they are the BEST!
  • Snack: I tried to get the biggest bang for my buck protein wise, but still wanted low-calorie so I combined unsweetened almond milk, Olympian Labs Pea Protein (vanilla), 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, and a hearty helping of kale.  It came out under 300 calories and satisfied me until 6:00 when I had dinner.

The Star of the Show

I will say that Dinner was the Cat’s Pajama’s yesterday and trumped all of my other eats for the day.  If you have read my blog for even the shortest amount of time you will see that since the beginning of this year I have adapted a mostly plant-based diet (I’ve been waffling lately, but I cannot deny that I just feel better when I eat this way).  Since then I have used Oh She Glows recipes almost daily, and I have yet to try one that has steered me in the wrong direction.  Her recipe’s are usually quick and easy, and taste delicious so it was no surprise that the recipe I tried last night was out of this world.

Easy Avocado Lime Black Bean Salad

I had to switch out a couple of things (like purple onion instead of shallots), but this dinner was filling, and delicious.  The lime, cilantro, and cumin packed a flavorful punch, and I enjoyed every bite!  I have some in the fridge for leftovers, and lunch may come early today.

I like avocado on everything, can you believe that before I met my husband I hated it?!  Do you love avocado?

Have you ever tried an Oh She Glows recipe? I’m obsessed.  She is the first site I go to when meal planning for the week.

Happy Wednesday!

2 Comments
by Shrinking Carrie on June 6, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Plant Based Diet, WIAW

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on June 6, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/06/06/wiaw-the-star-of-the-show/

Weight Loss Killer

Sweat it Out:
50 Minute Hilly Walk
20 Minute Strength Training
650 calories burned, according to Bodybugg

I miss when I use to start every post with what my workout was for the day, so let it be said “sweat it out” is back on the books!  This is the first time I have worked out in about 4 days and in all honesty it is because I have been having some stomach issues lately.

Ya, it’s going to be one of those post’s again!  If you are a new reader I will warn you that through the years I have become increasingly obsessed with BM’s.  I have had an inconsistency of them my entire life which has left me asking everyone and their dog about how frequently they use the bathroom to try to get some idea of what the norm is.

The thing is, for me at least, not going to the bathroom on a regular basis is a weight loss killer.  My weight can fluctuate up to 3 pounds if I have not been going as often as I should.  The food goes in, and nothing comes out.  Sometimes even for days at a time.

Odd thing is that when I was doing a plant-based diet I went everyday, and I felt that lightness and emptiness that I should feel on a daily basis.  I don’t know if it was because I was drinking Kombucha almost everyday (which has a TON of probiotics in it for healthy digestion) or it was all the fruits and vegetables I was eating.  I’m sure it was a combination of the two.

Three weeks ago I started eating dairy and meat again and there are a few things that I have noticed:

  • Inconsistent bowel movements (obviously)
  • Horrible sleep patterns (waking up more frequently, feeling hot, waking up several times a night
  • Low energy
  • Skin breakouts, like GINORMOUS zits all over my chin, so gross!

So here I am again, trying to make some changes to my diet…..again.  I want to do what is going to work best for my body and my weight loss, and I am tired of having a bloated stomach, and having inconsistent patterns in my digestion.  The hub’s has agreed that I should go back to plant-based, and with his blessing it’s ON.

On a lighter note, I will be happy to see my grocery bill go down (yes, I said DOWN).  Whenever we are eating vegan my grocery bill is almost non-existent.  Fruits, veggies, and beans etc., are cheap my friends!

The one thing I will be doing this go around is counting and measuring.  If I can keep my calories to 1400 and get some kind of workout in everyday, I think the scale will show it.

Wish me luck, and for some smooooth results (sorry, I couldn’t resist)!

Anyone else out there obsessed with people’s pooping schedules?

Ever seen the series Downton Abbey? The hub’s and I cannot stop watching it!  Every evening after we put the babe’s to bed we watch an episode, and I am LOVING it!

8 Comments
by Shrinking Carrie on June 5, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Kombucha, Plant Based Diet, Vegan

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on June 5, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/06/05/weight-loss-killer/

Like Sands Through the Hour Glass….

Woke up this morning super anxious for my weigh-in.  Jumped on the scale and I couldn’t believe the number I saw!!!!!  I got off waited for it to zero out, and then stepped on it again just to make sure I wasn’t going crazy.  Different number.  Higher number.  Stand still number.  Then just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke I waited for it to zero out again and then tried one last time.  Another different number.  Womp, womp.  Batteries are going and I obviously can’t trust any 3 of those numbers it gave me (or I’m choosing not to, because in all honesty I would pick the first one which had me 4 pounds down, but I won’t).

To be fair to myself I will get new batteries this weekend and try again next Friday.

What HAS been working this past week

I tracked.  I tracked like it was my job, and I think the pay off will be good (if I could ever get my sale to work!).  You know that you’re doing a good job weighing and measuring your food when the top rack of your dishwasher is filled with measuring cups.

I decreased my exercise.  I’m really trying to focus on my eating right now, so I’ve been doing a lot more walks, and a lot less time heavy cardio.  Not to mention my knee is still hurting a bit and I don’t want to injure myself by doing my running program right now.  I’ve been burning about 400 calories with exercise and trying to keep my calories 1200-1400.  I’ve been doing this for the past few days, and I’m not getting those crazy hunger pangs like I’m going to die of starvation.

What I need to work on in June

More water.

Being more consistent with staying in my calorie range.  This past week I have stayed on track for a whole 7 days.  I tracked, I stayed within a reasonable goal of my calories, and I didn’t have a cheat-a-thon like I usually do after I weigh in.  It is like a vicious cycle that starts after weigh in day.  Friday-Sunday I just eat what I want.  In order to lose weight I have to be consistent and eat healthy 7 days a week.  Adhere to the 90/10 rule.  The cupcakes this week for my birthday  were definitely in the 10% and the rest of the week I was very in control of all my meals.  If I am consistent, I will lose.

More vegetables.  Since I started eating meat again my greens have gone down quite a bit.  I gotta get those back!

Take my Thyroid pill everyday.  Yes, I did go two whole weeks without my medication and after only taking it the last couple of days I feel like a new person.  Without my pill I feel tired and rundown, not to mention my metabolism is slower than tar when I haven’t taken it.

I’m really trying to simplify my healthy lifestyle.  Move more, stay within my calories, track, and then do it all over again the next day.

I will also be doing Photo a Day for June on Instagram.  If you want to be friends my user name is carrieseals96.  here is my photo for June 1st:

Morning

This is the view I look at in the morning when I’m eating breakfast.

What is a goal that you have for June?

Are you on Instagram?  Have you participated in Photo a Day yet?  Are you doing it in June?

1 Comment
by Shrinking Carrie on June 1, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Cheat Day, Photo A Day June, Weigh in

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on June 1, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/06/01/like-sands-through-the-hour-glass/

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