Health Journey: Food Part 1

I have decided to share my health story for all to read. I just feel led to do this. If I could provide encouragement or help to anyone, well then...that would be the purpose of this story.

I know it will bore some, so when you see the title, then you can skip these posts. 

It will be a long post and at first few pictures, but I promise I am going to break the stories down and add pictures.

Starting with FOOD

Since the beginning of November, I changed my eating habits pretty drastically and to say I am a healthier person is truly an understatement.

Her is my disclosure statement: this is my story, so it may be totally ridiculous to you, but remember I am off of RA meds and down 25 pounds...

Yes, you saw that...25 pounds.

My weight this morning was 125.2.

Almost another marker to my goal weight of 115.

I am hoping I will be there by November. Nice and slow with healthy and no pain along the way.

Page from one of my notebooks.

I basically have three notebooks that my doctor has provided me with to take on this journey.

A journey is just what this is... 

I didn't get to 150 pounds (remember I am 5'3" stretching and small boned), 

pain and inflammation everyday, 

and a general lethargic feeling that I fought daily OVERNIGHT.

One notebook was the detox notebook, and I believe that truly was the beginning and NECESSARY!

The next notebook is of general guidelines for healthy living. Two sections are food related. I truly can't absorb all of the information quickly. 

Your protein, fiber, and fat must always be greater than your carbs for weight loss.

What I mean by that is that I can read it all I want, but this is a LIFESTYLE change. I had heard that term and read it so many times without really fully understanding it until I started this JOURNEY in November. 

I refer to this notebook weekly now, trying to pick out one new thing to try and put into practice. You can not do it all at once. I focused on food first, and I still am reading and trying new things each week.

I am beginning to put so many other things into practice. I remember when I first went to Dr. Pelaez, I just wanted him to give me everything at once and just make it all happen immediately. I now understand his method and his thinking, and I will be forever grateful to this man even if I have to go back on medicine at some point.

He is an amazing man. He believes wholeheartedly in what he is doing and has really taken a risk. I shared last week how every patient I have met in there has said the same thing I am saying. He was the head of a major neurology department. I think he was making pretty good money:) He may do well at this, but I am sure it will be a slow sell for awhile as insurance pays nothing on this type of visit.

The third notebook contains my lifelong eating plan.

To start this off, I am going to share some typical meals.

This is hard, because what I want to do is pop everything I have learned into one post. 

You would stop reading this immediately, so slow and steady will be these posts.

To start my day, I get up to feed the dogs. I take my thyroid medication with a quick sip of water, and lay out my morning supplements (more about those later).

I then make a 10 ounce glass of warm water with half of a lemon squeezed into it. I drink this and then it is off to do a few house chores, pick up my granddog that I babysit everyday, and then I try to hit the gym three days a week.

The water deal was during my detox, but you know Susan Lucci drinks this all during her day and look at her.

Back home to do my Bible study. I usually prepare my breakfast and then eat it as I am studying. That however is not his recommendation. You are supposed to stop and eat and then move on, but this is working for me.

Here are some typical breakfast choices. 

On one day, I might eat spinach, apple, and walnuts. 

It was the last of my nuts, so they were crumbly.

The spinach is a kind of new thing, but I learned to love it. Y'all may remember during the detox I couldn't stomach that green drink, so I ate a bowl of spinach and kale in place of it. I think Olive Oyl and Popoye knew what they were talking about. 

It is a superfood.

Y'all this is such a life change. I am a grits, eggs, biscuit, bacon loving kind of girl. I mean after all I was born and raised in the south. Of course, when I worked at early start schools, I ate something quick...cereal, maybe a bowl of grits and a piece of toast, and one day a week a doughnut.

Sunday mornings usually found Hubby and I at the Waffle House.

Only one Waffle House visit since November.

Another day, would be two scrambled eggs and maybe an apple.

Another day, cereals with almond or coconut milk. I am not a milk drinker, so both of these have been fine to me. Hubby hates both!

I have tried the Gluten Free Cheerios, Nature's Path corn flakes sweetened with fruit juice, and the latest that I shared the other day, Arrow's Mill maple buckwheat flakes. I always add fruit to these (mostly banana).

I have only had to add sugar to the Cheerios and that was a natural sweetener that I used.

I am a very plain eater, but there are tons of gluten free cereals out there that would probably appeal to others, but I am probably one of the pickiest eaters you will ever meet.

Gluten Free is good for me! More on that later as well.

Once a week or every two weeks, I will eat a bowl of grits. I have tried these new grits and they are ok. The secret to grits is cooking them long and low heat...let those babies simmer and add butter.

They don't look as good as my other grits, but the taste is good.

This is my new butter.

That is my breakfast. I am slowly adding to it.

One more tidbit...all of this is pricier and I will do a whole post on that at some point, but I am learning tips.

Walnuts on the nut aisle are outrageously priced, so I use the ones on the baking aisle. Still pricey, but worth it for my health.

Like I said, this is so hard, because stopping and putting this in bite sized pieces is not me, but I will share more as time goes on.

A busy Saturday is about to get started,

Sandy