When your body says "no, no"...

Well, after a short hiatus for my birthday, I am back at the PINK workout and diet (Phase I). Today is technically Day 4 (I didn't count the days I was "off"). In two of the four days of the workout I have experienced horrible... and I mean horrible... Hypoglycemia. Oh, yeah. My body is saying a big NO! to this expenditure of energy. Had to get on the phone with Mom last night trying to figure out where the problem is... she has been a nurse longer than I've been alive, so I figure she'd have an idea. And it would appear that I am going into the workouts with a negative calorie count and low blood sugar. Workouts just perpetuate the problem, for which no amount of shake or food can fix. Ended up drinking a glass of ice water last night with two heaping spoonfuls of sugar. Was instantly better! We've since decided to modify the PINK diet to allow me more carbs, especially the fast kind. This morning I had another glass of sugar water before I worked out, and I am not at all sick. YAY!

As for yummy foods, here is my new fave "go to" salad... I totally stole it from Mom, who stole it from dozens of other people and places that make it (it's the Waldorf). But, Mom makes it the best:

Bake some boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the oven -- salt and pepper to taste.
Combine with red grapes, celery, red onion, and toasted walnuts. Add low fat mayo, but not a ton!
Salt and pepper a bit more for flavor.

I ate mine on a bed of Romaine with avocado and green apple slices. DELISH!!

Double OWWWWW!!!

Day 3 of Stage 1... I can barely sit down... my arms are in a state of revolt. And now my butt hurts. Damn these workouts! Muscles are breaking down and sucking in water, so now I am a little puffy and a pound heavier on the scale. Thanks, Erica, for giving me the 411 on what the body does when lifting weights. For a second this morning I thought this diet wasn't working. But, I push on...

Dinner last night was delish! I made a spicy turkey burger (use Mrs. Dash chipotle and hot seasonings) with grilled peppers and brown rice. Add two heaping tablespoons of salsa, and devour. YUM!

OWWWWWCH!!!

Alright, Day 2 of Stage 1 and I want to die. My arms and legs are about to stage a revolt. Two workouts down, 19 to go... and then 4 days off until the next, more intense stage. I know it will get "easier" because my muscles will get stronger, but for now I am going to whine like a little baby. IT HURTS! The workout this morning nearly killed me... I never had much arm strength, and the first 20 minutes was all about working the "push" muscles of the arms and legs. Let's just say my triceps are about to jump up and scatter. I could barely wash my hair afterward.

For dinner last night I had this plate of beautifulness:

Here's what I did:

Soak your chicken (about 4 oz) in unsweet almond milk while you prep the "batter" which consists of almond meal and Mrs. Dash's lemon pepper. I added a little red pepper for heat. Brown in a skillet with a little extra virgin olive oil to prevent as much sticking as possible. Finish in the oven. Comes out super, super juicy!

Next, the side dishes. Saute onion, fresh green beans, and garlic in a non-stick skillet. I added a tsp olive oil and cooking spray to prevent burning. Flavor with sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and fresh lemon juice. And of course, have some Granny Smith apple slices for dessert.

WOW! I am back...

So, it has been far too long since my last post. Sorry about that... kind of got a little sidetracked with the dozens of daily back and forth emails with schools in New Mexico for my research. Whoa! Life is crazy sometimes.

Anyway, the reset is done. Erica and I both survived the 14-day crunch. We got to eat a real breakfast this morning! HOORAY! I had one egg and a bowl of grits. AMAZING... but man am I full. It's awesome, although I now have to workout when I get home. Luckily mom and dad mailed be free weights and lifting gloves for my birthday, so I am ready to go. Phase I of the P.I.N.K is 21 days of 40 minute workouts 7 days a week. Let's see how it impacts the scale, but so far I am down 8.6 lbs, so I am not going to complain.

A great dinner recipe (as Allison requested!) the other night is Asian inspired stir-fry of yellow bell pepper, onion, broccoli, and chicken (which I marinated in garlic and lemon juice for an hour before cooking). Add a splash of low-sodium soy sauce or any other low-everything sauce, cook over the stove until veggies are tender and chicken is done. Poor into a bowl and devour. It is filling and yummy -- no rice required unless you want it!

It looks gross, but tastes great!

Day 9, feeling great... my sweater is a little bigger and so are my jeans. Hooray! I am staring at my morning shake while writing today's post, and there is no doubt that it looks like green algae... it is a brownish green color that is so entirely unattractive. But, it tastes amazing! The combo of unsweetened almond milk, golden beets, banana, spinach, hemp protein, strawberries, pineapple (from a bag of tropical fruit), and lime juice is just divine. I have taken to the philosophy of really learning to love these shakes. It is not just about guzzling them down to get it over with. I let each sip linger on my tongue so my taste buds and brain learn to acknowledge these flavors as something good... as something worth craving. I am retraining my senses to love what they once detested. And it is working. These shakes taste better with each passing day. No longer do I long for a chocolate croissant or french fries. I saw a picture of lettuce the other day and thought to myself, wow, that looks yummy! Lettuce! Wow! And I started salivating over the salad bar when looking at restaurant websites for the upcoming birthday weekend (can't wait to spend time with my best gals!). For me, the PINK Method is more than a transformation of my weight and figure... it is a transformation of my relationship to food. I used to eat for the sake of eating, or in celebration, or in most cases stress. But I refuse to be like that anymore. That is not to say I am cured, because I am not. I know I could just as easily slip back into my old ways just as easily as I now embrace a new path. I am going to take it one day at a time, one pound at a time, and one sip at a time.

Another day, another shake!

Day 8 and life is holding steady. Not bad for a Wednesday! And I have nothing new really to add except for the fact that it took almost 2 HOURS to drink this morning's shake... it was super thick and creamy, and I am totally full at 10AM, which means I won't be ravenous and ready to eat my own fingers come lunchtime. Here's what I did:

1 1/2 cups unsweet almond milk
2 scoops no carb vanilla whey protein
Handful spinach
1 cup berries (blue, black, rasp)
1 cup tropical fruit (pineapple, peach, strawberry)

Lunch today is 2 oz chicken, 1 cup brown rice, 1 cup cooked broccoli with a splash of low sodium soy sauce. Should be tasty! (I hope!)

Day 7... The Adventure Continues!

"The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel, and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results." - A.R.

Well, here we are at Day 7, halfway through the reset period of the PINK Method. I am down another 2 pounds bringing my first week total to 6.8 pounds. Feeling great! I slept for 10 hours last night, too, which is essential. Diets don't work if you don't get sleep... gotta give the body time to heal and flush out all the nasty bits.

Last night for dinner I made a garlic and herb turkey burger with smothered balsamic onions and a bowl of peas. DELICIOUS! All I did for the onions was add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar halfway through the cooking process, and they were super yummy.

And today's menu is pretty stacked, as I have to be on campus until almost 9PM. I made two chipotle turkey burgers, a salad, and more peas. That will cover me for lunch and dinner. It took about 20 minutes to prepare this morning. Super quick!

As for the morning shake:

1 1/2 cups unsweet almond milk
1 banana
Handful spinach
1/2 golden beet
3/4 scoop no carb whey protein
1 Tablespoon hemp protein
1 prune
1 cup frozen tropical fruit

Greek Yogurt... Like Sour Cream?

It is Day 6, and I am down 4.8 pounds. Feeling great... my tights are already starting to slip off, so I have to walk around and hike them back up every couple of minutes. Pretty awesomely hilarious! It feels wonderful waking up each morning, getting ready for the day, making my shake and lunch, and having a few minutes to watch the news. I am very relaxed and hardly stressed. I am busy, very busy, but my body feels like it can handle it. Strange feeling. I love it!

Last night, Erica and I watched movies and made fajitas: 8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, 2 peppers, and an onion. Cook all together with Mrs. Dash's chipotle seasoning and the juice of one lime. AMAZING! Serve with salsa and low-fat Greek yogurt. For the record, I had heard people say that Greek yogurt was good and that it tasted a little like sour cream. I was skeptical. But, I am a convert. It is creamy wonderfulness.

As for the morning shake, I decided to do a little experimenting: 1 1/4 cups unsweet almond milk, 1 banana, 1 scoop no carb vanilla whey protein, handful of spinach, and 1 cup mixed berries (black, blue, and rasp). Blend to dark purple deliciousness!

Today's new discovery --- Tazo Vanilla Rooibos tea. At first sniff it smells like cough syrup, but it is delicious. It's got apple, cinnamon, peach, and vanilla notes. Add a couple drops of vanilla stevia for sweetness, and enjoy. YUM!

Surviving the first weekend...

Well, it is Day 5, and I am down 4 pounds. Feeling great! I went out to dinner on Friday night with friends for Mexican, and I had chicken and steak fajitas. No tortillas. No sour cream. No cheese. Just a sizzling plate of protein and veggies. It was delicious!

On Saturday, Erica and I ventured to the "nice" grocery store in search of golden beets. Allison recommends them because they taste less "dirty"... and let me tell you, she is a GENIUS! Here they are in all their non-staining glory!

For Saturday night dinner and movies, us gals made salad (romaine, heirloom tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and low-fat vinaigrette) and grilled pork chops! YUM!

This morning I made P.I.N.K's Shake #2:

1 1/2 cups unsweet almond milk
Handful fresh spinach
1/2 small beet
1 carrot
2 prunes
2 cups sliced frozen strawberries (or 10 whole)
2 Tbs. organic hemp powder

I highly recommend 2-3 drops of liquid stevia next time, as this shake didn't have much flavor. And, it's green. I mean, really green... it takes a little getting used to!

Overall, the first five days have been great. No more headaches. No real cravings. Way less puffy-ness. Bought my yoga mat today, and am getting my free weights in a few days. Nine more days of the reset and then Phase I begins. YAY!

Hello, beets, nice to meet you finally

Well, it is Day 3, and I just had to get on the scale to see what's what with this diet. I am DOWN 2.8 pounds... whether that is water weight or any other weight, it means little to me as long as it is going away! I woke up this morning completely energized, which is a rarity in my life, so it feels good. I decided to go with the uber-veggie-fruit smoothie for breakfast today, P.I.N.K. Dring #3, which includes the following:

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 banana
10 whole frozen strawberries (or, as Erica and I estimated, 2 cups of sliced frozen strawberries)
Handful fresh spinach
1 small fresh beet cubed
3 drops liquid stevia
2 Tbs hemp protein

Here it is pre-blending...

 Now getting ready to add the strawberries...

Alright, so none of these ingredients are foreign to me except beets. Ick, beets. That's how I always felt about the bloody wonder that seems to turn everything it touches red... including my teeth and tongue! My mom loves beets. My friend Greg loves beets. A lot of people I know love beets. But up until today I had never in my life believed I would like them. I mean, come on, I am a peas/corn kind of girl who's biggest veggie adventure had as of late been loving brussel sprouts. But, alas, I am living in the now. So, I embraced the beet. And, I am happy to report, that this shake is delicious. It is a fruity, earthy, stomach filling extravaganza! I highly recommend. As for eating beets in any other form, well, we shall see... stay tuned. For lunch today: turkey burger with a spinach and pepper salad, balsamic vinegar for the dressing. And of course, water... lots and lots of water.

Time to start...

I am inspired by my cousin, Allison, to begin blogging about my experiences with food. I began the P.I.N.K. Method yesterday. I know many of you out there can relate to the ups and downs of dieting in America -- we are all professionals. It's too bad we don't get paid for all the trouble. I love coffee... and not just any ole' hot cup. I am talking coffee with lots of cream, sugar, and most definitely chocolate/mocha. I love carbs. I think we all do. And salt. Lots of salt. As a member of the hypo-thyroid disease family (there are millions of us out there) it is almost a minute-by-minute struggle not to want to lick a block of salt or reach for some kind of salty cracker, pasta, or otherwise unhealthy carb. I've done every diet there is: Blood Type, Weight Watchers, Atkins, and a few others I can't even remember the names of right now. I am also on year three (anniversary in May) of having a gastric band. No, not bypass... just the band, which did wonders the first year, but a combination of grad school/long days of sitting and unhealthy eating choices have led me back to reality. And, so, after watching an episode of Dr. Phil (yes, of course!) over the holiday break with my mom, I came to embrace the P.I.N.K. Method that embraces the veggie/lean protein approach to eating with exercise. Seems pretty basic, right?

Well, I am on Day 2 of the "reset" phase of the diet. 12 more days to go. I am on the diet with my two best friends and my mom. Erica and I both had withdrawal symptoms yesterday -- bad, bad headaches, jitters, and the occasional bad mood swing. It is crazy sometimes to think about my body throwing a tantrum like a two-year-old because I am denying it carbs and sugar. But today has been a better day than yesterday. I had my breakfast shake (almond milk, whey protein, and fruit). I have discovered the joys of hemp protein and liquid Stevia. Stay tuned tomorrow for what that shake looks like!

Anyway, this is my blog about what it's like to live in the P.I.N.K., which stands for Power, Intensity, Nutrition, and Kardio. It is going to be great, and hard, and every emotion in-between.

And one final note about this diet -- drinking water -- I hate water. But, then again, all I ever really drank before was coffee... lots of it... so this water thing is totally new. But I can already tell a difference in my skin. Cheers to H2O!