Recipe: Cacao-Chia Energy Balls

I've battled hunger, I've battle fatigue and I've battled those persistent cravings. My main craving is like clockwork... every day, after a workout, after I have eaten my lunch - I get this major hankering for something sweet. I almost always want chocolate, and this doesn't go away easily with a simple apple or glass of water. Sooner or later I end up caving, getting some sort of sugary treat or drink, and then there is the inevitable sugar crash. So I decided to do some research to see if there were any healthy options out there that would satisfy the craving, and I hit the jackpot.

I found the perfect recipe, and just finished making them.

I had to try one once they were done being rolled into balls. They are AMAZING. This is a recipe I am going to rely on for years. I just have a feeling.

;)

DETOX: Day 15 update

It has been one hell of a roller coaster, this detox thing. I made it exactly 14 days without even wavering off the program. So far I've lost a total of 7 lbs, and a few inches off my waist... But last night, I did waver..... I had a MEAL for dinner.

However, I don't plan on quitting all together. It was a special night, and I went to have a nice meal - one of my favorite things in the world: Pumpkin Curry. Yes, I'm aware it wasn't the healthiest thing in the world to eat after a detox, BUT it was a far cry from terrible for me. After all, I did still order brown rice (always) instead of white, and it only had a little bit of cream in it.

How I felt after eating it: Extremely full, even though I ate about 1/2 of what I would have normally, so I can definitely tell my stomach has shrunk. I didn't feel sick, my stomach didn't hurt... nothing felt out of the ordinary.... so maybe I didn't waver too far off my path. Food for thought.

I juiced again this morning. I wanted to try to stick to the healthy morning regime. I think that is where a lot of my calories come from. I used to eat a smoothie with protein powder - probably totaling something around 300 calories, then I'd also have 2 eggs - another 160 calories and a good amount of fat, and i'd snack on nuts before boot camp..... so before lunch that was probably an average of 600 calories.... and that doesn't include my sugary 290 calorie coffee drink. Hmmm...
Come to think of it, if I compare that to what I'm doing now: A large fresh juice blend from 2 apples, 1 lemon, a little bit of ginger, 1 cucumber and a few stalks of celery - probably at most 100 calories. Then about an hour after I drink that, I have some tea.... no sweetener. 0 Cals. At 10:00 I have an apple with sunflower seed butter for energy before boot camp - about 275 calories.

Morning totals before detox: 600 cals
Morning totals after detox: 375 cals

Calories saved with new regime: 225
Calories per week saved: 1575

Yikes. Thats pretty good. I really need to try my very hardest to stick to this morning regime. If I look at that from a monthly perspective, thats almost 2 pounds saved per month. What a concept.

ANYWAY....

Goals for the remaining week, stick to the program as best as I can. Follow the elimination diet as much as possible for as long as possible, and TRY WITH ALL MY MIGHT to keep making smoothies and/or soups for dinners -  and at a reasonable hour.

Let's see 10 lbs lost!!!

DETOX: Day 8

It's been a few days since my last detox update. Thought I'd report on the progress....

I'll admit, the weekend was really hard. Old traditions die hard folks.... First thing that entered my groggy Saturday morning head was... mmmmmmmmm what to have for breakfast.

.... Then I came to and realized, nope.... juice. 

I recovered from that initial disappointment, and went to a vegan restaurant for lunch with some friends who are also detoxing with me. I actually enjoyed {no lie} my kale salad with carrots avocado and walnuts, with a cacao and almond milk "shake" YUM. {stick together if you're detoxing, folks. It really helps.} All in all, I survived the weekend without cheating. I've yet to fall off the wagon, 8 days in. I'm pretty proud! 

In other news, I weighed myself on Sunday. 6 lbs down.

That's my biggest achievement so far. I really hope it continues to drop.... I could use another 14 lbs to fall off.... but that's just being a little optimistic. HEHE

Other changes of note: 

• I'm on NO meds, other than my inhaler. Allergy pills have not been taken for 8 days, and I feel fine without them. I'm also off the pill because I wasn't thrilled with the idea of all of those hormones and other toxins being pumped into my body on the daily... and it feels good to be free of them.

• My skin is more supple. I suffer from dry skin and right now is the worst time of year for my skin, and somehow it's doing quite well. Especially in my face. My face is actually dewy.... in a good way. Not oily. Just even and calm. Calm seems to be the best word to describe it.

• Energy is still low for workouts. I've found that eating an apple with the BEST BUTTER is my saving grace..... allow me to clarify:
The BEST BUTTER is also known as SUNFLOWER SEED BUTTER. 

The best stuff on earth. Better than almond butter. Just try it and you'll see. {on this cleanse you can't eat peanuts because of some sort of fungus that grows naturally on them that causes tummy trouble if you're cleansing.}

New exciting discovery: CLEAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

At night I am supposed to drink a smoothie for dinner.... or I have the option to make a healthy soup, it just has to be the same consistency of a smoothie. So I found this recipe and I've got to say, it's better than most restaurants. I'm not kidding. 

{I added 1/2 sweet onion to add a little extra flavor}

I made enough that I get to have it again tonight.
Ask me if I am excited about that.

Why YES. YES I AM.

hahahaha

And...... that's it for Day 8.

Body Image

In the past few days I've noticed a lot of people writing on their blogs about body image. Women, of course. Beautiful women who are uncomfortable in a body I am trying to obtain... isn't that silly?

Aren't we all just so silly?

I read these posts shaking my head.... How can these women think they're undesirable, overweight, chubby, too big for a bikini - or the worst one - dreading having to wear the "mom suit" at the beach. That one hits me on a personal level.... because I'm not a mom, but I cover my body with what these women deem a "mom suit" - they are afraid of looking like me.

ouch.

Talk about a sucker punch to my ego - not that it was their intention, but what I dont think women realize is that if they are in the "normal" weight range on those god-awful BMI charts, they have absolutely nothing to complain about. (fun fact: I am in the morbidly obese range because of my height, yet I am capable of 5K mud runs, swimming and boot camp workouts 4-5 days a week - those BMI charts are bullshit) These women don't see that they are completely normal, beautiful in fact, and that they should rock the hell out of that bikini, and nobody is going to judge them otherwise.

I see this pattern, mainly in the naturally thin women. These women had it easy growing up. They could eat all they wanted and not gain an ounce, while chubby-little-mess Erin had to sit in the corner wishing she could have that ice cream they were eating. I've never been thin, I've been unhealthy trying to be thin, but it's just not in the cards for me, and I get that. But when these bloggers type their woes on their blogs about their struggles with the 15 lbs they can't seem to shed to get back to their High School weight (are you effing kidding me?), I have little pity for them. I have been eating salads my whole adult life to look like these women do AT THEIR HEAVIEST, and they don't see that their insecurities hurt other people. Love your body, please.

I just wish this body image pandemic would be laid to rest. I know it will be an ongoing struggle, with fashion and advertising rubbing skinny 15 year olds in our faces the rest of our lives, but can we at least try? Can we just love our bodies for as long as they answer to us and give us what we ask? Movement, life, the ability to run, swim, hike, surf, play sports.....

Is it too much to ask for that?