Day 14 - $1 30 day challenge - Reflections

Breakfast I had a Greek yogurt and fruit bowl on the go. 

Lunch I had the leftover chicken tortilla less soup. 

The Crock-Pot recipes kind of threw me for a loop in this week's menu. I really had a block when it came to doing those recipes. I still managed to do some recipes. Maybe I will get the Crock-Pot going Sunday and I can finish those recipes. In the Facebook group I heard the avacado chicken salad was really good. 

Today after work I didn't know what I would do for dinner. I went to the grocery store to get some things for shavout - feast of weeks. We decided we would cook out, so I got some steaks and vegetables. 

Since I had those edamame yesterday I was thinking about sushi. And we often have sushi of Friday night. I decided to get a sushi burrito. I thought it would be okay if I made it with brown rice, which they had. And I tried to pick a sauce that didn't have sugar. I got it with tuna, carrot, cucumber, and avacado, with ginger dressing. It was good but not amazing. A little underwhelming. And I still felt a little hungry. 

I went to another grocery store, because I felt like I needed something more stuff that I didn't get it at the last store. I bought some more fruit and Greek yogurt. And looked at their heat up meals. I decided on an Indian chickpea dish. When I got home to make it though, I realized it had mango powder in it and I am allergic to mango. Even though it smelled really good I didn't want to risk it. So I ate hummus with baby bell peppers instead. 

While I was shopping at the grocery store I was reflecting on this lifestyle change. As I went through the isles and didn't buy candy or other unhealthy things, I was proud. I have stopped drinking sugary drinks and stopped eating candy and stopped eating gluten. That is a big deal. 

Although I wasn't in the mind set to work out today I was happy with the diet changes I have made and that is a big accomplishment in itself. 

Day 13 - $1 30 day challenge

(Thursday)

Breakfast was fruit, I didn't have anything prepared in advance. I could have had the spaghetti squash hashbrowns but I didn't have time to cook it. And I got hungry pretty early because I only had fruit. 

Lunch was left over spaghetti squash casserole. It was really good. 

On my way home from work I was craving edamame. So I got some. I thought it would be okay, it's healthy. 

Dinner I made chicken tortilla-less soup. It called for crock pot, but I don't have time for that. So I just threw everything in a pot and cooked it till the chicken shredded. 

It was really good. 

I was eating a mandrin and thought it would taste great with the Greek yogurt. So good like cream cicle. Next time I want to try it frozen so it will be even more like cream cicle. 

I made a strawberry and chocolate protein shake. I don't know why I kept snacking all night. But at least it's not snacking on candy.

No I didn't exercise today... More reflections on how I am processing that and the adjustment to the diet in the next post. 

Day 11 - $1 30 day challenge

(Wednesday) I wanted to get in the mind frame that I was going to cook and exercise today because I didn't the day before. I got my dinner ready. Spaghetti squash pizza casserole. I cooked half a spaghetti squash in the microwave for 15 min and then put together with the casserole ingredients into the oven. 

While it was baking I did my exercises. I did day 9 exercises because I was behind. It was drop squats, side to side pushups, plank tuck jumps, and high knee runs; you were to do them for 20/25-15-10 and go back up. I only did 20-15-10. I haven't gotten to the place where I can push myself hard core. It's enough just to get it done. I felt good that I had cooked and done my exercises today though. It ready does take some mental preparation. You have to think ok I'm going to get home and get dinner ready and exercise.

Surprisingly I didn't miss the cheese in this dish like I thought I would. I thought how can it be called pizza without cheese. But the eggs in it added a creaminess. 

Breakfast was chia pudding made with almond milk and blueberries. I enjoyed eating this. Next time I think I will add less almond milk. 

Lunch I had leftover sweet potato quinoa bake. I couldn't get much of it down. Later in the day I snacked on bean chips, which are gluten free and high protein from the vending machine. 

Day 10 - $1 30 day challenge

(Tuesday) I woke up really late. My clothes didn't get fully dried. For breakfast I was supposed to have the left over vegetables with an egg. I didn't have much time so I just cracked two eggs on to of the vegetables and threw it in the microwave. It was actually really good. I had to cook it a little longer at work. But I ate it at my desk. 

It was really filling and I ate late, so I wasn't very hungry for lunch. Lunch was leftover salmon and a cliantro lime dressing salad with tomatoes and avacado. 

When I got home I ate some berries and Greek yogurt. It was soo good. 

After relaxing, I realized I had a head ache. It was getting late and I still hadn't exercised or cooked dinner. I wasn't feeling too hungry anyways. With my head ache I didn't feel like exercising. I decided to eat hummus with baby bell peppers and unsweetened peanut butter with apple slices. I got chia pudding ready for breakfast. 

Goals for tomorrow, plan a time to exercise and cook dinner. 

Day 9 - $1 30 day challenge

 Monday (day 9) was Memorial Day.   I took the day off and went up to my friends house for a birthday gathering. For breakfast I had the chocolate covered strawberries protein smoothie. I didn't have any ripe or frozen bananas though. 

For lunch I took my leftover sweet potato quinoa bowl. I was good to bring my own food. Even though my friends are super healthy. They ate vegan einkorn flour pizzas.  They had a bunch of different vegetables on it. For dessert they had einkorn flour pumpkin muffins. And because they were sweetened with only some honey and the eikorn supposedly doesn't act like gluten I ate one. 

Then we played games. Before lunch they showed me their sewing studio and garden. It was really good seeing them, it has been a while. 

I started getting a headache towards the end of my visit. I took a ubrevly. I usually get head aches when I am on my period, which I was. It was still hurting me as I was on the road so I stopped to get something to drink and take some ibuprofen.

I found this neat unsweetened tea. 

 I tried eating some nuts, but stopped because I was getting nausea. I took a nausea medicine, and thankfully I didn't throw up while I was driving. I think the combo ubrevly and ibuprofen worked because by time I was home the headache was better. 

I had a video chat with my extended family and then got dinner ready. Week 2 starts out with crock pot recipes, and I didn't have time for that, so I made the salmon dish that was scheduled for the end of the week.  It was baked salmon and roasted vegetables seasoned with paprika and garlic. 

I was surprised how much flavor was in it with only paprika and garlic and salt and pepper. It was really good. 

I saved one serving for breakfast and lunch the next day. 

It was so late when we had dinner I didn't feel like exercising. I should have done it before I left for the day. I just need to plan better next time. Gotta fit the exercise into my schedule. 

Day 8 - $1 $30 challenge

Saturday night (day 7) I made poached eggs for dinner because I didn't feel like eating the left over Mexican pasta and I didn't have the ingredients for the meal that was scheduled. The poached eggs were really good though. I cooked them perfect.  I seasoned them generously with salt pepper and paprika. 

Day 8 Sunday I ordered my week 2 groceries on insta cart from Aldi. While I was waiting on those to be delivered I did my exercises. It was abs parymid. I did really well. I did the whole parymid not just the evens. And only one modification. 

Then I went to get a couple of things they didn't have at Aldi and look for protein powder. I didn't like the ones they had a Walmart market. They all had artificial sweeteners and added vitamins. I didn't want anything extra. GNC was closed, so I went to Sprouts. And they had a really good selection. I found one for only $18 for a smaller container (I didn't want a big one) and it was sweetened with stevia and no added vitamins. They also had another brand that was another good option. 

Dinner was a quinoa baked in the oven with sweet potatoes, ground turkey, black beans with mexican type spices. It was really good. 

Day 7 - $1 30 Day Challenge - Snacks

Today I'm going to talk about snacks. There is an approved food list that gives you some ideas for snacks. Things I have been snacking on:

• Greek yogurt fixed with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey, or with cinnamon and vainalla extract (pictured 1st below).  This is Soo good both ways. It is like a treat. 
• Nuts such as raw unsalted almomds, walnuts and pecans. My favorite is pecan. 
• Hummus with vegetables for dipping (Pictured middle). I love hummus. I'm used to eating it with a bread product so it is an adjustment to eat it with vegetables. I've tried it with raw zucchini, raw carrots, celery, and bell pepper, and grape tomatoes. I think I like the bell pepper and tomatoes the best. 
• Fresh fruit such as berries, apple, banana or orange 
• Unsweetened peanut butter try it with apples or celery. I think apples are best. Check out this brand I found at Kroger. No added ingredients. And it doesn't need to be stored in fridge (picture bottom below)

*BONUS SNACKS I discovered later in the challenge, links to those posts below* 

• Strawberry Milkshake/Soft Serve Ice Cream see bottom

• Mandrin Orange and Cream see bottom

• Chocolate Greek Yogurt Pudding

Today was the Sabbath, a day of rest, so I won't be doing the workouts today. I heard there is a break in exercises on day 8 so I'll catch up on that day. 

Dinner is sweet potato, black bean and turkey bake. The store was out of sweet potatoes, so I'll have to see if I can go to the store to make it, but I can't go to the store til sundown, so I might just eat another leftover Mexican casserole for dinner today instead tomorrow when it islis scheduled for lunch.  

Day 6 - $1 30 Day Challenge

Day 6 started out great. I woke up at 7 no snooze needed. I was up. Usually I press snooze for an hour, so this is amazing. I had time to watch good mythical morning and eat breakfast leisurely.

 I made breakfast the night before. Scrambled eggs bell pepper, onion and ground turkey, topped with cheese and hot sauce. 

I was out the door by 8am. It has been so long since I have been to work at 8:30 my ideal arrival time. And I was on track. But I realized when I got to the red light before the interstate, I forgot my lunch. Thankfully I wasn't too far away, so I turned around to get it. I only arrived a few minutes after 8:30.

Yesterday I talked to my psychiatrist. She is holistic, which basically means she considers the mind, body, and spirit, and looks at other factors rather than just mental health but also physical health. She has been trying to get me to start a gluten free diet and exercise for months, so she was happy I was on this plan. 

Overall my mental health has been pretty stable lately, my only complaint has been my waking up late and migraine and vomiting side effects. But I have really noticed my waking up has been better since starting this diet. And my energy has been good too, which I will talk about more. 

It was a very busy day at work. BTW I am a Activites Manager at a nursing home. We were getting ready for family visit parade drive by. A way for families to see their residents safely from a distance, since we are isolatting during covid. 

After the morning meeting, my yard signs were ready for pick up from fedex, perfect timing. When I got back we put out the signs and pinwheels. After making a couple of signs for residents to hold, it was time for lunch. It was left over sausage and veggies. I ate quickly. It is so much easier to bring my lunch than drive to go. No more late lunch breaks (I only get 30min).

Now it was time for the parade. 2nd floor was up first. It was a big crowd. Everyone worked as a team to get the residents outside and navigate the cars. My boss said I did an excellent job.  The 3rd floor was next, which was a smaller group. But it was really moving to see a trach patient on oxygen out to visit his family. Last was the 4th floor, the largest crowd. The cars were lined up in the parking lot and down the street. There was one point where they were stuck. But we got it moving and Miranda and Janice did a great job of directing traffic. It was so fun. Some people decorated their cars, and brought dogs. 

I could have never done this event without the support of the other staff members. It was a big undertaking. It took a lot of planning, and a lot of just making it work at show time. Every step was truly a team effort to get it together. It was a special moment for a lot of family members who hadn't seen their family in months. 

I was standing on my feet all day, just going, going, going. So I was ready to go home and rest. I did rest some, but I knew I needed to cook dinner and exercise before sundown. I was so sticky and dirty from being outside all day. 

Dinner was Mexican pasta casserole. I got dinner together which required boiling water for pasta and saute peppers. Then add the turkey meat which I had already cooked, and simmer in taco seasoning. Then into the oven to bake with the sauce and cheese. 

While it baked I did my exercises which was a parymid of x dots, burpes, quick feet and mountain climbers. I did 10-8-6-2. It wasn't terrible; I have improved. I did use modifications. Some exercises were easier than others. Then I took my much needed shower. 

I ate dinner when I got out of the shower. I served it with salsa and Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream). The Greek yogurt was great, tastes just like sour cream. 

The pasta was made out of chickpeas. It wasn't terrible, but not great.  The noodles had a rough texture similar to wheat, but not like other gluten free pasta that is gummy. The meal over all was pretty good. It was very filling.

It was a very big accomplishment to get everything I did done. After a long day at work, I still managed to cook and exercise. Amazing. 

*Note I bought the wrong week meal plan so it may be different than the challenge. I think this meal plan is from the welcome package 

Day 5 - $1 30 day challenge

Day 5 was the same meals as day 4. Chocolate protein pancakes, tuna salad, and roasted vegetables with chicken sausage. It was pretty easy as far as the meals, I didn't have to really cook. I did cook for the following breakfast. 

I am still drinking the detox drink every morning.  Here is a picture of it. I dont think I posted a picture of it yet. It has lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, sea salt and green tea. 

Lunch was a little bit hard to eat. It was the tuna salad with Greek yogurt and lemon and olive oil. I think I added too much lemon and Greek yogurt. 

Day 5 workout went much better. It was a pyramid of: walking plank, squat squat jump, bomber pushups, and toe touch sit ups. I did 10-8-6-2 with a couple modifications. I completed them fully, which was better than yesterday. The squat squat jumps were the easiest. I wore my new leggings. I really liked them, very comfortable. 

I've been doing pretty good drinking enough water. I'm supposed to drink have my body weight in ounces. I have also been drinking hint flavored water and unsweetened flavored tea. I am used to drinking sugary soda and sweet tea, so these alternatives have been helping me enjoy what I drink without the sugar. 

This brand is really good Tejava, makes you not miss the sugar. 

Hint flavored water is really good. The fruit flavor makes it seem sweet even though there is no sweeteners. 

Unsweetened matcha green tea found by the sushi. 

Jasmine green tea is so flavorful, you don't miss the sugar. Tastes floral. 

At the end of the day I prepared my breakfast for the next few days. Ground turkey, bell pepper and onion, and eggs.

*Had some technical difficulty posting this one so it's late...pictures wouldn't load as well. 

* I bought the wrong week meal plan, so it is different than the 30 day challenge. I think this week was from the empowered welcome pack

Day 4 - $1 30 day challenge

First day off detox first day exercising.

Today started out good. I woke up early like 7am I had time to take a shower and leisurely eat breakfast. Breakfast was banana chocolate protein pancakes. It did cause me to throw up. Maybe because it was expired protein powder. It tasted good though. I topped it with melted dark chocolate chips. I eat it again tomorrow, so hopefully I don't have the same reaction. 

Lunch was tuna salad which I ate with walnuts. I wasn't that hungry, breakfast filled me up. But it was okay because a serving was half of what was made. I think I added too much lemon or Greek yogurt. It was a little runny. I also eat that again tomorrow for lunch. 

Work was pretty busy. When I got home I visited with my husband. It was nice that he was home when I got there.

I decided to do my exercises before dinner. It was the first day of exercises. I wasn't sure how I would do. It was a pyramid of exercises. So you do each 10 times then each 9 -8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. The exercises were Jack push up, legs in back out, prayer cross, and ball ups. 

They were really hard. I had to do them with modifications and I only made it to 7. I was struggling. I am happy that I did them though. 

I realized when I was getting ready for dinner that I shopped for the wrong week.  I think I shopped for the welcome package meal plan. Oh well. I'm just going to continue on this plan and maybe do week 1 last or next I'm not sure. 

Dinner was sheet pan roasted vegetables with chicken sausage served with cauliflower rice. I borrowed my moms oven because I only have a toaster oven. Pictured before baking.

 I wasn't sure which chicken sausage to get most of them had added cheese or apples. I got this one because it didn't have a munch of added chemicals.

I'm not sure about this shelf cauliflower. I might try frozen next time. I just have a small freezer. It was better when I added salt and olive oil and garlic. 

Dinner was good, a lot of different textures. I actually made something similar prior to diet. 

Prior to going to bed I threw away a bunch of trash around the house. Its nice to have the energy to do house work. I hope this continues and I make a habit of doing housework more frequently. 

Day 3 - Last day of detox - $1 30 day Challenge

I woke up a little bit earlier than the day before but not ideal. I got my smoothie ready with pineapple, avocado, and kale among other things. 

Lunch was a kale and parsley salad with red and yellow bell pepper, carrot shavings, walnuts and blueberries. The fruit was a nice addition. It had a Balsmic vinegerette, with lemon and honey. It was pretty tart. It was a lot to eat. I had some left over. Which I ate as a snack later. 

Pictured from top to bottom dinner, lunch, breakfast.

After a brief respite when I got home I got the spaghetti squash ready. Put it in the oven and went to the grocery store for week 1 groceries. It had to cook for an hour. I was able to fit half in my tiny oven. I got a little charred being so close to the burner, but it worked okay. 

I saved the pumpkin seeds for roasting. My trick is to boil the for 10 min in salty water and bake for 10 - 20 min at 400 temp.

Dinner was the spaghetti squash with kale/spinach and broccoli sautéed in garlic and olive oil. My husband ate it as well, I just cooked him a big piece of salmon in addition. He liked it. He also ate day two dinner. 

It was pretty late when I got my breakfast and lunch prepared for the next day. I was asleep about 11:30 pm. 

I am happy I am done with the detox. Day 4 is when I start exercises 

I checked my weight before bed and was down 5lbs. I checked it again in the morning and was down 8.5lbs. And I lost about inch thtoughout my body measurements. This is really exciting. I am truly amazed that I list this much in 3 days. Excited for more to come. 

Day 2 - $1 30 day Challenge

Day started off pressing snooze. Even though I woke up late I still drank my detox drink and made my smoothie. Including getting dressed it took about 15/20 min, not bad. I remembered to grab my lunch I had prepared last night as I was out the door. Got in the car and realized I forgot to shave 😬, no time, keep rollin. 

I started to get hungry around 11:30, but usually have lunch at 12, so I stuck it out. I didn't want to eat too early, because I would need to last until 5 when I get off. 

Lunch was a spinach salad with red bell pepper, tomatoes, and avacado with the same dressing as yesterday's lunch. I enjoyed the red this time. Nice juicy pop to the grape tomatoes. I took a nausea medicine just in case. 

I drank a lot of water thoughout the day. We have a really nice machine that has crunchy ice and cold water, so that helps me drink water. We are supposed to drink half our body weight in ounces. 

About 2pm I felt a headache. I took my new migraine medicine (ubrevly). And two hours later my head was still hurting so I took another dose. As I was leaving for work I had to throw up 😩. Thankfully I made it to the bathroom in time. This was a really bad headache. I drove home quickly and got straight in the shower. It felt really good. And helped. 

After a couple of hours of resting, my head still hurt, so I called the doctor on call for advice. He said I could take my ritzapram and or ibuprofen. I took the ritzapram and a nausea medicine. I still threw up though. Then I took ibuprofen. After awhile I was feeling better. 

At 10pm I started Day 2 dinner which is roasted vegetables. I couldn't find my sweet potato I bought. Maybe I left some groceries at the store, because my lime was missing too. Thankfully my mom (neighbor) had one I could borrow. 

Ate dinner and Hubby even ate it with me. Got lunch ready for tomorrow. In bed at midnight. It was a rough day, but I did it. I was #Determined2bDetermined.  

Day 1 - $1 30 day challenge

Today I started day 1 of the 3 day detox in the 30 day challenge. I started the day of good. I woke up pretty early and drank the detox drink which has apple cider vinegar, lemon, green tea, and a little salt. It was bitter, but I got it down. I drank it cold. After that I got my smoothie ready. I am using a blender that the previous tenant left in the apartment. I was worried it wouldn't fare well with the greens and frozen veggies, but with a little stir it got it done pretty good. I also have an inexpensive small blender but I didn't think it would fit the 2cups of kale. Here is a picture of the smoothie: 

After breakfast I got dressed and took my before pictures. I wore a tight shirt and tight pants. Wow I have a lot of improvement. 

After awhile I did my baseline exercises. Which was push ups, squats, quick feet, and mountain climbers. Do each for 1 min and count how many you did. I was pretty winded after. It was harder than you would think. 

Lunch was a salad with spinach, broccoli, green bell pepper, and zucchini. With a homemade dressing. It was an avacado, cliantro, lime dressing. I know I bought a lime, but I couldn't find it anywhere. I even looked it my car. So that was really frustrating. I ended up borrowing one from my neighbor. It was probably the healthiest, most green meal I have ever eaten. It was a really large portion too. See below. 

I am prone to vommiting lately, so I went to take a nausea medicine. My doctor also recommend I take a probiotic. So I wanted to get back to taking them. I made the mistake of taking the probiotic before the nausea medicine kicked in. And it triggered me to throw up 🤮😩. I didn't give up though. After I felt better and ate some more and I was okay. There was still some left but I was pretty hungry after doing some errands, so I finished it later. 

The family was cutting down some trees in the backyard so I helped out. I got hungry again, probably because of the vommiting. So I ate some plain Greek yogurt with 1/2 tsp of honey, pinch of celyon cinnamon and a dash of vanilla extract. Plain greek yogurt with 1/2 tsp of raw honey is on the approved snack list. It was very good. Nice and creamy.

Before dinner on an empty stomach I drank the detox drink. I tried it warm this time. I drank it really slow. I'm not sure if I like it better hot or cold. 

Dinner was raw spiralized zucchini and carrot with sliced red pepper and chia seeds. With a homemade dressing that had avacado, ginger, and cayenne pepper and lemon.  The dressing was very tasty.  The spiralizer didn't work with the carrot which was frustrating. Next time I'll use a grater. Over all dinner was good. See below. 

I finished up the day by preparing the salad lunch for tommorow for work. Breakfast is a smoothie, so I'll just have to throw that together quick because I usually don't have much time. I can't really prep it. 

I am happy with how day 1 went. Excited for day 2, I hear the dinner is really good on day 2. 

30 day Challenge Start

Tomorrow I start the beginning of the $1 30 day challenge, beginning with the 3 day detox. If you are interested in joining click this link $1 30 day challenge.

The 30 day challenge is a meal plan and exercise plan for 30 days and if you want to continue you can sign up for a monthly subscription. 

I stood on the scale and was shocked,  I stepped on a second time to recheck in disbelief. I took my measurements. And tomorrow I will do the baseline exercises. There is a lot of room for progress, and I really want to make a change. 

I am at my heaviest weight. I have been this weight before. It is horrible, because I carry all my weight in my belly, so many people ask me if I am pregnant. 

I had my last meal before the diet, and I feel bloted, so I feel ready to start the detox, so I can feel better. 

Things I will have to overcome:

• Drinking soda and sugary drinks
• Eating candy and sweets
• Preparing food - I usually order something to go for lunch at work and have very little time in the mornings 
• Motivation to exercise

Some health challenges I face that affects my weight: Thyroid, PCOS, Bipolar and the side effects of meds. 

I bought the groceries for the detox Friday. 

Tomorrow (Sunday) starts the detox, I have the detox drink made in the fridge. I am glad the first day isn't a work day, so I can get acclimated. The morning starts with a smoothie, lunch is a salad with homemade dressing, and dinner is a raw zoodle bowl. I even bought a spiralizer to make it. 

There is a fb group for support which has been helpful. 

This blog has always been about being determined2bdetermined (my user name), which is to say you have to try to try I suppose. Its about motivating yourself. It's about finding the excitement in the mundane, because things like diet and exercise are hard but it helps to get excited about what is hard. 

Read my first blog post here for more about the theme of this blog.  Kindling the fire of existence  Here is a quote: 

Motivation is hard to come by. It is my motto of the season to find excitement in the mundane. This is the only way I believe I can conjure up some motivation to do all the things I need to do for a better life but don't want to do. It is about convincing myself that I want this. I am not determined, but I want to be. I want to be determined, I want to be consistent. I need to be

I will try to post regularly with my progress. 

*I did check with my doctor before starting, which is recommend.