First Breakfast!

Ahhh, eggs! Finally!  I thought I would miss sweets the most, but I was surprised that my most desired food turned out to be EGGS!  I think my body wanted more protein.  

My first meal after finishing these 6 week food plan:

A spinach and mushroom omelet, with celery, carrots, cantaloupe, and blueberries.  Very healthy, and filling! 

So glad I can eat eggs again! 

Week 6 Weight Results

Starting weight: 214.8

Week 1 weight: 207.2

Weight lost: 7.6 lbs

Week 2 weight: 204.2
Weight lost: 3 lbs

Week 3 weight: 199.6
Weight lost: 4.6 lbs

Week 4 weight: 197.6
Weight lost: 2 lbs

Week 5 weight: 193.0
Weight lost: 4.6 lbs

Week 6 weight: 188.8
Weight lost: 4.2 lbs

Total weight lost: 26.0 lbs

Wow, 26 pounds in 6 weeks?!?! I never thought I would lose this much in such a short amount of time.  I didn't have to starve myself, or spend hours working out.  This was definitely worth dealing with those restrictions for 6 weeks!!!!  And I can officially say that all the baby weight from baby #3 is GONE!

Now, on to the rest of it! This was just the thing I needed to get me motivated.  :)

Week 6 Thoughts.

Wow, I can't believe I'm sitting here at the end of week 6.

This week was kind of blah-ish, honestly.  I wasn't excited to try new things like in previous weeks, I just wanted to get through to the end.

But I do feel proud, I can't believe I actually made it through!

My favorite food this past week: Chunky Sweet Potato Stew

My least favorite food this past week: Quinoa Mango Salad

Now all that's left, is the weigh in.  I'm excited to see what the final number will be!

Final Dinner.

This was the Too-Busy-To-Cook Vegetable Bean Soup, and the last dinner option I had left.  

And no, it didn't taste any better after being frozen.  ;)

Soon.

Soon, my pretties.

Soon.

Quinoa Mango Salad

Quinoa Mango Salad

I was excited to try this because the other mango recipe I tried (three bean mango salad) was delicious.  Mango isn't my favorite thing, but it's growing on me. 

I think I added too much basil, however, because that's all I tasted with this. 

The first time I tried it, I had to choke it down.  The second time, I added some lemon, and still had to choke it down.  The third time, I added strawberries, and it was OK, but still not good.

I'm embarrassed to say that I threw it away :/  I won't be trying this again.

It's About Time!

Hey, look what I started reading today! ;)

Week 6, Day 4, DONE!  Only THREE DAYS LEFT!!!!!

Antioxidant-Rich Breakfast Bars

Antioxidant-Rich Breakfast Bars

I like to have some grains in the morning with my smoothie, because it helps keep me full until lunch.  Since my muffins didn't turn out well the secomd time I made them, I needed something different. 

I found a recipe for breakfast bars in the ETL cookbook, and thought they might work.  These breakfast bars are easy to make, and are a nice addition to my smoothie in the morning! 

Spicy Thai Braised Kale and Tofu

Spicy Thai and Braised Kale and Tofu

This was my first dish with tofu.  I was anxious for something different, and this was definitely... different.  

Honestly, I can't say that I liked it very much.

I topped my salad with it, which didn't make it any better. 

It made for a pretty meal, at least!

But no... I don't plan on making it again.  :)

Week 6, Day 2 - Review

Ahhhhhhh!!! The last week!!!!!

I had my food ideas for this week well in advance.  I am so ready to be done! I'm glad I'm doing this, but ready to be off the restrictions.

Nothing new for breakfast this week.  I'm just going for easy here, and holding out for some EGGS ;)

Breakfast

-Smoothies
-Oatmeal
-Antioxidant-Rich Breakfast Bars

Lunch/Dinner

-Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili
-Chunky Sweet Potato Stew
-Quinoa Mango Salad
-Quinoa and Black Beans

Looks similar to last week, but only because I was a slacker and didn't make all the things I wanted to, haha.   If I don't have enough, I also saved some stuff in the freezer from the previous weeks.  I need to make another batch of the breakfast bars, but other than that, I am totally covered for this week.

I hope the rest of this week flies by!

Fridge Space! (or lack thereof)

This is what my fridge has looked like for the majority of the past 5 weeks:

With all the fruits and vegetable I need, and then add to that cooking additional meals for 4 other people... yes, it takes up a TON of space.  If our entire family were eating this way, I'd either have to shop every other day, or get a second fridge!

Craziness. 

Week 5 Weight Results

Starting weight: 214.8 

Week 1 weight: 207.2

Weight lost: 7.6 lbs

Week 2 weight: 204.2

Weight lost: 3 lbs

Week 3 weight: 199.6

Weight lost: 4.6 lbs

Week 4 weight: 197.6

Weight lost: 2 lbs

Week 5 weight: 193.0

Weight lost: 4.6 lbs

Total weight lost: 21.8 lbs

Dr. Fuhrman says you'll lose at least 20 pounds in 6 weeks, and that was true for me! :)

Excited to see what this last week brings! (and to eat eggs again ;) )

(AND, I haven't seen 200.anything for over a week! Hope to never see a 2 in front of my weight again.)

Week 5 Thoughts.

Woohoo, Week 5 is DONE!!!!  I am relieved that I only have ONE WEEK left!  If you ever want time to slow down, do this 6 week food plan.  This has been the longest 5 weeks ever, and I've waited through a 15 month deployment.

All the dishes ETL produces really irritated me this week.  I guess spending all this time in the kitchen is getting to me.  Since I make separate meals for my family, I end up with a lot of dishes.  And I don't like washing dishes. (To add to that, our dishwasher is acting up, and someone is coming to look at it tomorrow.  I hope I don't lose my dishwasher!!)

I'm so proud of myself for making it this far.  This whole time I've been thinking "What if I don't finish??" and I've been hesitant to share this blog with many people because of it.  Whenever I tell people that I'm on this diet, people can't believe it.  But honestly, anyone can do this, if they want to.

My favorite food this past week: Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

My least favorite food this past week: Spicy Thai Braised Kale and Tofu (never again)

Alright, Week 6...

Quinoa and Black Beans

Quinoa and Black Beans

I made this recipe long before I ever started this 6 week plan.  It was my first venture into quinoa! :)

I left the oil out to keep it ETL compliant.  But you won't miss it, it's sooooo good.  Even my husband likes it.

I've probably made this 3 times during the 6 weeks. Mixed with some greens, it makes a simple, and tasty, lunch!

Dinner on the Go.

I had an odd dinner tonight, but when you're gone from 5-8 in the evening, it makes eating dinner difficult.  I didn't feel like dealing with heating up chili, so I kept it simple.

Not the best meal, but I didn't indulge in the tacos, pizza, or sweets we had at small group for dinner.
So I'll call that a win.

Single Digits!!!!

9 DAYS LEFT!!!!!!!!

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

I loved the mushroom chili I made a few weeks ago, so I was eager to try this one. 

I think I like the mushroom chili better, but this chili is really good, too.  I don't care for butternut squash by itself, and I blended this chili to get rid of the huge chunks. 

Another great, and healthy, recipe! :) 

One Month's Progress...

Pretty cool!!!!

Creamy Tomato Soup

Creamy Tomato Soup

The blog I got this from boasts that this soup is 41 calories per serving.  However, I think it is more like 70, but hey, it's low in calories either way.

It's easy and quick to make, and you can eat a huge bowl (or the entire pot!) without doing much damage.

I didn't feel the need to blend this soup, and topped my salad with it a few times.

Yum!

Week 5, Day 3 - Review

I'm a little late on my game plan this week.  Not sure what's wrong, except maybe I'm just over all this food preparation.

Adding a new item to breakfast this week, besides smoothies and oatmeal.

Breakfast

-Antioxidant-Rich Breakfast Bars

Lunch/Dinner

-Spicy Thai Braised Kale and Tofu
-Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili
-Quinoa Mango Salad
-Chunky Sweet Potato Stew

Thankfully, I already made the tofu dish (not a fan, but I'm eating it), and I had some mushroom chili left from last week.  However, I REALLY need to do some cooking tomorrow!

Berry Explosion Muffins

Berry Explosion Muffins

These muffins were one of the first things I made at the beginning of this 6 week plan.  I hadn't found almond flour (my Walmart actually carries it, and I'm sure natural stores do as well), and I ended up using whole wheat flour instead. 

They were OK, but my kids didn't like them.  They froze well, and heated up in the microwave nicely.  They made a nice addition to my smoothie and raw veggies in the morning.

I made them again last week, with the almond flour, but I didn't like them much.  I think I should have froze them soon after, because they soured in the bag I had them in, and I had to throw them out.  :(  It hurts a lot more to throw stuff out when it's expensive, and time-consuming, to make!  

I would make these again, but I'm not sure I'd use the almond flour.  And I'd definitely put them in the freezer that first day!

Week 4 Weight Results

Starting weight: 214.8

Week 1 weight: 207.2
Weight lost: 7.6 lbs

Week 2 weight: 204.2
Weight lost: 3 lbs

Week 3 weight: 199.6
Weight lost: 4.6 lbs

Week 4 weight: 197.6 lbs

Weight lost: 2 lbs

Total weight lost: 17.2 lbs

Can't believe I'm down 17.2 pounds!!! Woohoo!!! :)

Temptations All Around!

Like I said in my cauliflower pizza crust post, J requested pizza on Superbowl Sunday.  He also wanted cupcakes.  And cookies.  (I felt bad because I wanted him to stay home, and he said he missed out on all these treats by staying home, haha!)

I decided to be nice, and made the requests. 

mmmm, pizza...

sweet yummy cupcakes...

ahhhhh, cookies...

(for the record, making all of these sweets with some frozen pizza is not the norm in our house!)

I'm surprised by how little I was tempted by all these goodies in my house.  Actually, I've been surprised by my commitment this entire time.  So many people say "Oh, I couldn't do that."  That was me before I started this. 

And I'm more than happy to be proving myself wrong. 

Vegan Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I love pizza.  So when J requested pizza for Superbowl Sunday (even though we don't want the Superbowl), I wanted some pizza, too!  

I found this cauliflower crust recipe that looked promising, and decided to try it:

Vegan Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Needless to say, my crust did not turn out well.

It still tasted good, and I didn't want to waste it, so I threw it in a dish.

I sauteed some mushrooms, onions, garlic, and spinach...

Covered the crust with some organic tomato paste...

Put on my toppings, and popped it in the oven.

And it was delicious!!!!  I ate that entire dish by myself!  I plan on trying it again soon.  Maybe I'll get it right next time.

Week 4 Thoughts.

Yes! Week 4 is over, which means I am on the other side of this thing!  I'm glad I'm doing it, but I will not be sad to be done in 2 weeks.

Besides being tired of salad, this week went really well.  Honestly, it's been easy.  Sure, I wanted some REAL pizza, with cheese and meat today.  And a cookie would have been nice, but eh... not worth losing all that I've accomplished in 4 weeks. 

Excited to weigh in tomorrow, woohoo!!!

My favorite food this week: Vegan Pizza

My least favorite food this week: Too-Busy-To-Cook Vegetable Bean Soup

The Ugly Side of Eat to Live.

Every day, I make 2 things for each meal;  One for me, that is ETL compliant, and then something for everyone else.  Obviously, this makes a ton of dishes.

Today was a ridiculously busy day.  I try to stay caught up through out the day, but today, there wasn't any time for it. 

My kitchen was spotless this morning, save for the clean dishes on the right side of the sink.  At the end of the day, my kitchen looked like this:

AHHHHHHHH!!!!

45 minutes later...

Man, I have a ton of dishes to put away in the morning. 

Too-Busy-To-Cook Vegetable Bean Soup

I was excited to try this recipe, because it was easy, and had lots of vegetables.  Perfect, right?

Ha, NO.  This is the first thing I made that I was not a fan of.  Of course, I still ate it all (minus a serving I froze), but I don't think I'll be making it again.  

Too-Busy-To-Cook Vegetable Bean Soup

(I blended it up, it was too chunky for me)

Blech.

Cravings.

It seems like every day I have an intense craving for something.

Today, it's MEXICAN FOOD.

A bowl of queso and some chips sounds absolutely divine right now.

This 6 week plan is extremely restrictive, but that's why it's only for 6 weeks.  I say only, but this has been the longest 6 weeks ever, haha!

I've come way too far to turn back now, there's no way I'm messing up my progress for a few minutes of chips and cheese dip.  It just wouldn't be worth it.

26 days down, 16 to go.

EGGS.

I'm having an intense craving for eggs today.  FEED ME EGGS!!!!

I think my body is ready for easier, and more fulfilling sources of protein...

Nonetheless, we trudge on.

Week 4, Day 4.  DONE.  17 days to go!!

I think eggs will be one of the first things I eat.  I miss eggs.

Quick Corn and Bean Medley

(I can't find a recipe to link to, and I don't feel right about copying the recipe out of the book)

Quick Corn and Bean Medley

I picked this recipe because it was easy, and because it can be cooked in a crock pot.  

Like the other soups/stews I've tried, I prefer a creamy soup, so I blended it up. 

I know it looks gross, but it's actually quite yummy.  Even my 14 month old was chowing down on it.

It makes a lot, which is nice because I can eat on it throughout the week.  I've made this twice now, and have enjoyed it both times.  A quick and easy dinner!

I want a snack.

For some reason, I find myself really wanting an after dinner snack tonight.  I'm feeling something crunchy...

However, I will not.

Week 4, Day 2... DONE.

Week 3 Weight Results

Starting weight: 214.8

Week 1 weight: 207.2
Weight lost: 7.6 lbs

Week 2 weight: 204.2
Weight lost: 3 lbs

Week 3 weight: 199.6
Weight lost: 4.6 lbs 

Total Weight Lost: 15.2 lbs

ONEDERLAND!!!!!! I haven't seen this number since I was pregnant with DD2, so maybe a year and a half ago? If not longer.  It feels good to be making real progress again after a tough year.  Hopefully, I can say good-bye to the 200's FOREVER.

I'm not really seeing a difference yet as far as my clothes fitting, but it's only been 3 weeks.  Maybe by the end of this I'll have dropped down a size? We shall see!

Week 3 Thoughts.

Wow, I am officially half way!!!!

Week 3 flew by.  Besides my hunger issue yesterday, this week went extremely well.  I am confident in my meal preparation, and I start each week out with a plan.  This is easier than I thought it would be.

I can't wait to weigh in tomorrow, I'm hoping I might venture back into ONEDERLAND!!!!!

My favorite food this week: Chocolate Cherry Smoothie (ETL Cookbook)

My least favorite food this week: no complaints, I liked everything!

Bad Evening.

This evening was awful.

The worst thing about this food plan is the preparation that has to go into the meals.  I have it down to a science at this point, and I try to have what I can prepared ahead of time.  However, lunch takes the longest out of all my meals.  It takes at least 15 minutes, and sometimes even 30 minutes, to get lunch ready.

Today ended up being extremely busy.  We were out all morning, and by the time I got everyone else lunch, and then got my lunch together, I didn't have time to eat all of it.  :/  I had to run DD1 somewhere, and I ran out of time.  I need at least 15 minutes to eat lunch, and it didn't work out that way.

We also had something in the evening, and that's where I had another issue.  The second worst thing about this food plan is the whole "no snacks" thing.  I usually eat dinner around 6, but we had to be somewhere at 5.  I would have had to eat dinner at 430, which is too early for me when I can't have a snack later.

Around 7, I was HUNGRY.  It doesn't help that I had tacos, pizza, and desserts in my face.  My stomach was aching. It was churning, and screaming,

I ended up eating a little after 8, but I felt horrible.  I didn't feel back to normal again until 930.

Hopefully, I won't have another day like this, because when you can't eat something "real quick" or even have a snack, you're bound to run into some issues.

Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

(I can't find a recipe to link to, and I don't feel right about copying the recipe out of the book)

Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

Smoothies have been a staple for me since this diet started.  They are easy to make, sweet, and very filling.  

The unsweetened cocoa in this smoothie makes for a bitter taste at first, but as I had more of it, I didn't notice it anymore.

And it's a pretty color, too! :)

Flying by!

Wow, Week 3 is seriously flying by!

J is eating potato chips across the room, and while I would love to have some, I really don't feel an overwhelming desire for any.  Before I started this, I wanted to

I want some dairy.  And meat.  And brownies.  And cookies. And...

*ahem*

However, I am determined to get through this challenge, so I know I don't need  any of those things.

I'm wholeheartedly surprised at how easy this has been.  I thought avoiding sweets and snacks would be horribly difficult, but it hasn't been.  The hardest part has been eating so many vegetables, haha.  When these 6 weeks are up, am I going to even want to eat vegetables?  ;)  I am so burnt out on salad, but I just keep cutting it up, and mixing it with something yummy.

Week 3, Day 3, DONE!

Chunky Sweet Potato Stew

(I can't find a recipe to link to, and I don't feel right about copying the recipe out of the book)

Chunky Sweet Potato Stew

I love sweet potatoes, so I was excited to try this stew. 

But really, I don't like chunky stews, I wanted something creamy.  Like with the other soups I made, I got out my handy dandy immersion blender, and turned it into this:

Yes, much better!

I really liked it!  This is something I plan on making again.  It's supposed to make 2 servings, so I put half of the pot in my bowl. I ended up putting some back though, I just couldn't finish it all.  It's always nice to get an extra serving out of a meal!

Week 3, Day 1 - Review

Yesterday I spent a lot of time in the kitchen, and I'm glad I did.  Now I don't have to do any other cooking this week.

Lunch/Dinner

-Three Bean Mango Salad
-Quick Corn and Bean Medley
-Chunky Sweet Potato Stew
-Chickpea Salad

I've made all of these before, except for the Chunky Sweet Potato Stew.  It was pretty good, and very filling.

Breakfast has been the same.  A smoothie and raw veggies, or oatmeal with raw veggies.  I'll have to try something new this week.

Week 2 Weight Results

Starting Weight: 214.8 lbs

Week 1 Weight: 207.2 lbs
Weight Lost: 7.6 lbs

Week 2 Weight: 204.2 lbs
Weight Lost: 3 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 10.6 lbs

Not as impressive as Week 1, but I still think 3 pounds is a great loss for a week.  Maybe I'll have a big loss next week, and find myself in the 100's?????

Week 2 Thoughts.

YES! 2 WEEKS DOWN!! 1/3 of the way through!

Week 2 was definitely harder than Week 1.  With Week 1, it was all new, and kind of exciting, but with Week 2, no, over it.  Days 3 and 4 were brutal to get through.  I honestly just wanted to quit, but I kept on with it.

I'm glad I stuck with it.  I feel like I got all the kinks out, and eating on this plan seems like second nature to me now.

My favorite food this week: Crock Pot Mushroom Chili (ETL Cookbook)

My least favorite food this week: Some organic celery I purchased that tasted like it soaked in a chemical bath.

14 days down 28 to go...

Crock Pot Mushroom Chili

Crock Pot Mushroom Chili

At first, I was afraid to do any of the actual meals (long/weird ingredient list), but this one jumped out at me.  Chili? Yes, please!

It was extremely easy to throw together in the crock pot, despite the million ingredients.  I have to be honest though, when I opened the crock pot up and saw this, I wasn't quite sure about it.  I'm not a chunky chili person.

Thankfully, I have a handy immersion blender, and this is what I ended up with:

The entire downstairs smelled like chili.  I just threw some crackers and cheese in the bowl... HA, NOT!

Actually, I cooked a plate of veggies, and added some fruit, and called it a meal.  I would even cut up some greens and mix it in there, if needed

This was surprisingly delicious! I will definitely be making this again.  A nice change from salad, that's for sure.