Quick update

I continued TFD for June and July and lost 7 more pounds! I am still working out 1-3 times per week doing Zumba. I notice the more I workout the more I lose even if I cheat on the plan. So I try to get those workouts in as much as possible. 

TFD made some changes to their program so I've been taking a break from them. The changes were basically instead of having new options for meals everyday they give you new options once a week. The variety was one of the things I really loved about that plan and I tried to stick it out but ultimately I didn't like the new plan. I know they probably had to do it to save money so I don't hold it against them :-) I still have some days left so I will be starting back up next month. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue once my days run out though. It's not like I could do it forever anyway so that may be the kick in the pants that I needed. 

Also while I'm taking a break I'm doing The Daniel Fast. If you haven't heard of it it's a biblical based fast and there's a lot of info on the web about it. While it is spiritual an added benefit is losing weight. I've lost 7 lbs and I'm on day 18. It's pretty hard for me to do this but it's an easy sacrifice considering what God did :-) Anyway since this is a weight loss entry I figured I'd mention it because total I've lost 24 lbs so far. 

I'll keep updating until I reach my goal of 50. Originally I wanted to reach this goal by August for my 35th bday but that didn't happen obviously! But I look and feel so much better then I did when I started. My clothes fit better and I can now fit all of my pre pregnancy clothes!  It's taking a lot longer then I expected but it doesn't even bother me because I keep moving forward and 20 lbs makes a big difference! Now I plan to lose the rest of the weight by the end of this year. 

TFD Update

I am still going strong on TFD, I have had some setbacks and successes and I'm still on the road to weight loss. I'm happy to report I have hit the 10 lb mark!! I'm so excited about that. I've never stuck to a plan this long before and it is really paying off. 

My major setback was not being strict with my diet after a few weeks on the increased calorie plan. I had some wiggle room before but once I increased my calories I needed to be perfect in order to lose weight instead of maintain my current weight. I realized I needed to decrease the calories after a few weeks because my stomach was shrinking, yay!! I was all of a sudden feeling stuffed after my meals, and even with that feeling I just couldn't believe I could actually go back to the lower calories because of my starvation feelings in the beginning. But I guess what I read was true, you do adjust to the calories. I finally bit the bullet and reduced the calories and I haven't been hungry at all. I still have my sweet cravings but I'm never starving. Super happy about that! 

I've been on the lower cal plan almost 2 weeks now and it's already kicking me back into gear. I also started working out. I do an aerobics class 3 times per week, I'm going to keep that up for June and add strength workouts in July. I'm taking it slow and giving myself time to adjust to each change so that I don't burn myself out and quit like I've done so many times in the past. When I first started the classes about a month ago I was so tired for the entire next day. But I've finally gotten to the point where I can workout and not feel exhausted for the next 24 hours, thank God! Oh and I was also super hungry after the classes too which has finally leveled out. I gave in to many cravings those days so that hindered my weight loss as well. But with each setback I didn't give up. I didn't give myself the option to pig out and start over either. I just kept moving forward. 

So anyway, on the some new foods I've tried and some updates on a few old ones. I'm still loving the food. It's nice to try something new once and a while but still have my favorites I can look forward to eating each day. 

Salmon Burger on Whole Wheat Bun with Yellow Tomato, Lettuce, & Dill Aioli. Really good, moist salmon burger and delicious aioli. Adding this to my regular rotation. 

Breakfast Pizza with Scrambled Egg, Turkey Sausage and Cheddar Cheese on Whole Wheat Pita. This was a fun breakfast. I think they use fat free cheese because I promise you it doesn't taste like anything. I added some jelly and it was a good breakfast thanks to the delicious sausage. 

Hoisin Glazed Turkey and Quinoa Meatloafwith Mexican Quinoa and Water Chestnut and Brussels Sprout Puree. I think I love anything sweet, with that being said, the meatloaf was great. I didn't love the brussels sprout puree but the quinoa was cool.

Chicken and Waffles with Honey Hot Sauce. Well I had to report on this because they changed the sauce this time and it was really good, I think they took my advice and used red hot instead of tabasco. I almost threw it out but I could smell the red hot in it (so sad, lol) so I tried it and while I still used regular syrup on my waffles I loved it as a dipping sauce for the chicken, yummy!!! 

Caramelized Onion and Pancetta Stuffed Lavosh with Mango Chutney. I was really looking forward to this meal but it was super duper salty this time for some reason. Someone must've messed up because no one could like anything that salty. I've had it again since this time and it was back to normal. I was so disappointed this day though :-(

Asian Style Brocco-Slaw with Shredded Turkey. This was good snack, I liked having the noodles in it, it really made it feel like a mini-meal. 

Cherry and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies. Not a fan, I didn't taste any peanut butter and the consistency wasn't pleasant either. I'll pass on these next time. 

Pumpkin Apple Quinoa Oatmeal. I didn't even warm these oatmeal balls up because the look just threw me off, I tasted it and I didn't like it, I'm also not a fan of pumpkin just to be fair. 

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake with Maraschino Cherries and Pecans. I loved how it came in a muffin shape this time, it tasted better too. Hopefully this is the new way I'll be receiving this dessert. 

Cajun Rubbed Grilled Skirt Steak with Southwestern Corn Saute and Sun-Dried Tomato Couscous. I don't remember how I felt about this meal but heres a pic in case anyone is interested. 

Asian Flank Steak on Whole Wheat Roll with Szechuan Style Slaw and Peanut Sauce. I will use my famous line for this one. I didn't expect to like this but it was really good! I'm not a steak person so I just got this to try it, well I stick by my other famous line, peanut sauce makes everything better! The slaw was really good too, it was spicy and the sauce was sweet so it was a nice contrast. The bread was thick, nice and soft just how I like it. 

Walnut Crusted Chicken Apricot Rouladewith Pesto Butternut Squash Puree and Sauteed Cabbage with Tart Cherries and Apples. This was a really good meal. I've had the chicken before and while I still think it needs more filling it was still good. But what surprised me was the butternut squash, adding that pesto made it sooo good. From now on whenever something has pesto I will be trying it. 

First Month Recap - The Fresh Diet

Well the 31 day diet has come to an end and it went by faster then I expected. My weight is still the same as it was a few days ago which means I've lost 7 lbs on the plan. (Once I remove my braids I will update this post to let you know if they made a difference or not). Most recommendations for safe and long term weight loss in 1-2 pounds a week so I'm doing great in that department. I have been wanting to lose weight since my son was born and thanks to TFD it's finally happening.

I am so thrilled with the plan that I am doing another month! I have noticed a change in my energy and my overall health since starting. I no longer have to take a nap just to make it through the day. My skin has stopped breaking out. And I feel better about myself knowing that I am working towards my goal. 

I would have liked to lose at least 10 lbs during my 31 days so I must admit that bummed me out a little. I increased my calorie intake and didn't start working out so I think that hindered my weight loss. I did want to take most of this month to just focus on eating because it was such a huge change and challenge for me. And taking small steps is better for me than doing everything at once. I guess its pros and cons to my decisions. The end result is 7 lbs closer to my goal so I am not complaining. 

I won't continue to blog daily (since only my mom is reading anyway, lol) but I will update weekly in case anyone finds this blog and is wondering about TFD. This blog has also been a big help to me, one reason is because I forget what meals I liked sometimes, lol. 

The Fresh Diet - Day 31 (Last Day of plan)

Sweet Potato Ginger Pancakes with Fresh Tangerine and Chicken Apple Sausage. This is a breakfast I look forward to and love!

Chicken Quesadilla with Pepper-Jack Cheese & Mango Salsa. I've had this snack before and really enjoy it. 

Hard Boiled Egg Salad with Shredded Carrots, Wax Beans, Grape Tomato, Boston Lettuce and Radicchio Mix with Thousand Island Dressing. The last time I had this salad it didn't fill me up but this time I was more then satisfied. I also love thousand island dressing and most places don't even carry it anymore. I'm happy I gave it another shot. 

Greek Style Meatballs with Feta Cheese, Mint, Parsley and Roasted Bell Pepperwith Whole Wheat Potato Gnocchi Arrabiata and Grilled Asparagus. I love these meatballs and this gnocchi! I always look forward to this meal!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. Finishing on a high note, my favorite cheesecake! Look at all those yummy chocolate chips on the bottom, I could eat this everyday. 

The Fresh Diet - Day 30

Caramelized Onion & Parmesan Cheese Omelet with Turkey Bacon & Seven Grain Toast. I don't have a pic this time but I've had this before and it was really really good, its on my favorites list. 

Grilled Canadian Bacon Over Baby Arugula with Fresh Honeydew & Toasted Pine Nuts. I've also had this one before, its a good refreshing snack, this time they forgot my pine nuts though which I was looking forward to. Not a big deal though. 

Roasted Turkey and Green Bean Wrap with Honey Dijon. Another favorite of mine. The sweetness of those cranberries, the crunch of the green beans and then the honey dijon keeps me looking forward to this lunch. 

Grilled Chicken Breast with Raspberry Chipotle Saucewith Spinach Couscous and Oregano Broccoli Mash. This was ok, I would order it again because nothing was wrong with it. I wouldn't order the broccoli mash though, I think I prefer my broccoli whole, it was too mushy for me.

Raspberry Cheesecake. This was better this time then the last time I had it. I actually loved it this time so I'm happy I ordered it again. 

Week 4 recap

I have completed four weeks on TFD and I am feeling so good about myself! I weighed myself today and *gasp* I hadn't lost any weight. I was really shocked because I felt like I had lost at least 1-2 pounds. I think the problem is that I got a new hairstyle (box braids) and they weigh A LOT! Unfortunately I can't figure out if they truly make a difference until I take them out which won't be for at least a month. So until then I'm stuck wondering. I did eat junk food once this week for dinner but I can't imagine that would've made a huge difference. Especially considering I was sick for a few days and gave a lot of my food to my mom.

I am really excited to report that this is the first week I've been able to fit into my wedding ring and band (that's what makes me suspicious about the lack of weight loss on the scale). My weight had not allowed me to wear them together for some time now. It felt so good to wear them and not feel like my circulation was being cut off, lol. 

I haven't started working out yet because I got sick so that will be my goal for next week once I'm back to 100%. I won't push myself too hard because I still have a 1 year old to run after and he doesn't understand sick days, lol. 

I have a few days left until my 31 days are up and I will do a final weigh in at that point. 

I am still loving all the food and I'm so happy I made the decision to start and stick to it.  

The Fresh Diet - Day 29

Tart Lemon Basil and Raspberry Corn Cakes with Pomegranate Syrup and Chicken Apple Sausage. Good as always. 

Zahtar Spiced Nuts. This was something new for me, I don't know what Zahtar spices are but what I tasted was a slightly sweet glaze on the nuts that I liked. I also liked that there were a mixture of nuts like walnut and macadamia.  

White Albacore Tuna Salad Sandwich in a Whole Wheat Pita with Lettuce and Tomato. I don't have a pic of this one because I didn't eat it. I wanted to skip a meal anyway since I ate at the game last night and once I saw this one it worked out. The tuna was really watery in the container and just turned me off. My mom said I could've just mixed it and it would've been fine. Maybe it's me being sick but it just wasn't appetizing to me so I passed on it. 

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken with Bamboo Shoots and Broccoli Bitswith Southwestern Corn Saute and Red Bell Pepper Orzo. I've had this once before and it was really good, TFD is making me a lover of orzo which I'd never had before I started this plan. The corn is always good and this chicken is very flavorful.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, I will never pass up these when they are offered. So sweet and moist and chewy. Wish I had some right now to eat after looking at this picture!