January ETL - Nutritarian New Year!

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Replies

  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    Hi Carla! Nice to see you. Sounds like you're off to a great start. I too, like to cook a batch of something that will last me a few days. Lately, I've been experimenting with throwing different combos of greens, beans and other veggies into a pot, changing up the spices. A few combos have been amazingly good... too bad I never think to write down what I'm throwing into the pot so I can make it again lol.

    Lisa, I've always heard that drinking water can help with hunger, never thought about it for cravings. I don't often crave sugar, I wonder if it would work for pretzels.

    Karrie, I agree. When I'm tired my resistance to cravings is low, my body wants food for the energy.

    With this my last day of the first week, I'm down 5 pounds. Yay! I'm in one of my very sane modes, where food isn't calling to me. I have been doing one thing that is not on the 6 week plan... adding a scoop of Raw Fit powder to a morning smoothie made with water, greens, a tablespoon of chia seeds, and half a cup of frozen mixed berries. I had never tried Raw Fit before although I've tried several other vegan protein supplements. I am not sure if it is just mind over matter or what, but I do feel like the Raw Fit has sort of magically blocked all my cravings. I literally don't think about food all day at work, and that is where my stress eating really took over. It's a bit pricey, but less than I was spending on junky snacks I'm thinking.
  • whats_her_name
    whats_her_name Posts: 716 Member
    Sounds like we're having a strong New Year - hopefully we can keep this momentum going for awhile!! :smile:

    I just did the CIZE video for the first time yesterday with my son. It was a lot of fun. And not too hard to keep up. My son was so cute - he kept looking at me and saying "way to go, mom!". My little cheerleader. :wink: We're going to do the videos every day after school this week. Should be fun.
  • whats_her_name
    whats_her_name Posts: 716 Member
    It was definitely a good workout, though - I don't want to make it sound like it was too easy. We had to stop for frequent water breaks and to catch our breath every once in a while, but it was also lots of fun.
  • liapr
    liapr Posts: 648 Member
    Yay, welcome back Carla!! Glad to hear you're doing so well :) My gosh, it makes such a different having my husband along for the ETL ride than trying to do it myself (and being tempted by someone else in the house). I am on day 11 I guess? Wow that seems kind of amazing. Still drooling over chocolate when I see someone eating it though lol.

    Karrie, that's what I had heard about Cize. Maybe I'll think about ordering it too. I wasn't sure if it would be boring after you've done the video once or twice though? But the dancing looks fun and not that easy for sure. Great that you've got your kids into exercising with you

    Mihani, glad you have found something working for you!! Congrats on the 5 lbs, that's such an awesome start and so nice to have that loss under your belt :)

    Sloth, congrats on the binge-free streak! That's great :)

    Lisa, any tips for making crock pot recipes a little more interesting?! I find my come out tasting pretty bland...

    We had a nice quiet weekend mostly indoors due to the rain but we did another big food prep on Sunday. Ready for the week and starting off with a green smoothie for breakfast and 10-spice veggie soup (OSG) for lunch. It is amazing how much better you feel in other aspects while eating well...
  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,331 Member
    Successfully completed my first week! Down 7.7 lbs.

    To be honest, it is still hard to think that I'll always have to eat this way. I know I need to in order to avoid the cravings and weight gain, but it just too overwhelming to think of 'forever' right now. I'm taking it one day at a time.

    Lia, glad your husband is along for the ride, too! Congrats on day 11! For me it is pastries rather than chocolate and that's all I can say on it now because I'm already salivating lol

    Lisa, I'm with Lia in hoping you have some suggestions to perk up the crock pot meals...I made the Dr. Fuhrman mushroom chili and wasn't super excited to eat it haha! I added some lime to my bowl and then gave in and added some salt which helped quite a bit. I enjoy quilting too, btw.

    Hi Mihani, I liked all of the recipes you recommended in the past, so if you do happen to remember some of those good spice, bean and veggies combos, let me know :) Grats on the 5 lbs!

    This weekend, aside from making up large batches of healthy meals, my husband and I were like sloths (Hi Sloth3toes!) and played video games all weekend. We gave ourselves a pass since it's our first week back on track.
  • tdh1991
    tdh1991 Posts: 511 Member
    Congrats to everyone starting off strong in the New Year. I seem to keep gaining and losing the same 5 lbs. I do really well with portion control then get so hungry I overeat.
    OH well today is a new day.
    I am off to Florida to visit my parents on Thursday.

    Everyone have a great day.
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    liapr wrote: »

    Mihani, glad you have found something working for you!! Congrats on the 5 lbs, that's such an awesome start and so nice to have that loss out from under your belt :)

    FIFY

    This weekend, aside from making up large batches of healthy meals, my husband and I were like sloths (Hi Sloth3toes!) and played video games all weekend. We gave ourselves a pass since it's our first week back on track.

    Everyone should try a little 'sloth time.' :)

  • liapr
    liapr Posts: 648 Member
    LOL thanks @Sloth for the correction. Much better.

    Carla, I feel like we are pretty similar with this. For now, I am just thinking "til the end of January and then we will see" because I know if I think of too long, I will give up too easily. I am hoping that all the nice feelings of eating well and feeling better will spur me on after that. I also know that this is the best thing for me but it does seem overwhelming to acknowledge that I will need to limit myself a while.

    I am already having some trouble with cravings and really trying to refocus my thinking to "this is all the stuff ETL gives to me" versus "i am missing out on all these things" so I don't binge. Terri, I'm also fighting the hunger big time some days!! Hang in there :) You are still one of our ETL role models :)

    Today, I made a rice dish with some slices of roasted sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and some almonds (sprinkled with dried basil and a bit of sea salt). It was really yummy and so simple too.

  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    Carla, 7.7 pounds... woohoo! Excellent work.

    Terri, it was 4 degrees this morning, I am very envious of your Florida plans lol.

    Lia, I really like that idea of thinking "this is what I can have" rather than focusing on "this is what I can't have" ... it definitely helps to keep a positive spin on it.

    Hanging in there. A couple little slips this week, but didn't let it spiral and today was good. I am allowing myself non-dairy yogurt which is not on the 6 week plan, but some yogurt and a nice crisp apple pretty much satisfies any hunger/cravings that I may have and that appears to be my secret weapon of the week!
  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,331 Member
    Today I went out for a walk with my parents along the ocean. We stopped in at a coffee shop and I had my herbal tea while they had cheesy bread twists and raspberry chocolate scones. I didn't even cry ;)

    I made Smoky Split Pea Green Lentil Soup (Appetite for Reduction) for the first time today for lunch and I'm happy to add it to my list of recipes. It was easy to do and has a different flavor from all of the other stews we've been eating lately. I meant to use split peas as called for in the recipe, but forgot to pick them up. I like the lentils in there anyway, just had to cook them for longer. Very smoky flavor.

    Week 2 is going pretty well for the most part. I can't say I'm loving the food, but I'm just not making it the focus of my day like it used to be. One thing I do look forward to eating is fresh strawberries and blueberries with a tablespoon of chopped walnuts on top. Yum!

    Mihani, I've been enjoying the great crisp apples that are available right now too! What kind of non dairy yogurt do you get?

    Hope everyone is continuing to have a good week!
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    Hey Carla... that is awesome going to the coffee shop and not indulging. Excellent! I am eating a lot of honeycrisp apples right now. I usually get gala, but I've been mixing it up with honeycrisp and small granny smith which aren't as puckery-face as the big ones. I like the Silk brand yogurt, but I don't want to overdo the soy yogurt so I'm mixing it up with So Delicious (coconut milk) brand. They even have a greek yogurt style now, which is so good. I slice up an apple and dip it, or I'll add a small amount of chopped walnuts to the yogurt. It's so good. Really feels like a treat.

    I love smoked paprika. I've made that split pea soup, glad you mentioned it I will have to make it again. I also use liquid smoke in a lot of lentil and split pea dishes. It's vegan and adds such a great smoky flavor. This is another recipe I plan to try soon... plantpoweredkitchen.com/recipes/french-lentil-soup/

  • whats_her_name
    whats_her_name Posts: 716 Member
    Happy Friday!!

    I had a cheat day earlier in the week, sort of. By which I mean that I ate a bag of chips. My TOM told me to do it. :wink:

    But that's pretty darn good for being more than 2 weeks into juicing. And then I hopped right back onto the wagon the very next morning. I did gain 2 lbs (mostly the salt, I think), but I'm back down this morning and tomorrow should be back to losing again. (totally worth it!!)

    I leave for my brother's wedding a week from today. :smile:
  • liapr
    liapr Posts: 648 Member
    Today was weigh in day and I was down a whopping 0.5lbs, for a total of 6.5lbs. I know the first week is always the most significant, but I was really hoping for more than 0.5. Oh well, all I can do is be patient and keep on going. I think I need to cut back on my grains; I think a lot of you here have had more success with that too.

    I've never tried the liquid smoke but I keep seeing it pop up in recipes. What areas of the grocery store would you usually find it? I'll have to try that recipe, Carla. Today is coffee and treats day at our small office; I bought myself a coconut-milk latte and treats for the office that I'm staying away from miraculously! It is certainly easier this second week than it was the first week. I feel more relaxed about it anyway.

    Tomorrow we are going axe-throwing for my best friend's 30th birthday. I'm going to eat before I go because the only food available is pizza and wings. Fortunately, I don't have the slightest temptation to eat cheesy pizza.
  • liapr
    liapr Posts: 648 Member
    Mihani wrote: »
    This is another recipe I plan to try soon... plantpoweredkitchen.com/recipes/french-lentil-soup/

    Mmmmm that looks delicious!

  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    Lia, axe-throwing? That sounds awesome, and scary lol. Liquid smoke is usually in with the A-1 and barbecue sauces and such at my grocery. There are different kinds but some say they are vegan. I don't know if they all are. Half a pound is half a pound, well done! The 2nd week is always a lower loss after that big whoosh in the beginning. You'll probably see a bigger loss in the 3rd week.

    Karrie, you're doing great! Getting back on the wagon after a cheat is always hard, but you did it!
  • whats_her_name
    whats_her_name Posts: 716 Member
    I don't know why it's all clicking together this time, but I'm just gonna go with it...

    T minus 4 days until we leave for the wedding. Then I have 3 weeks to lose as much weight as possible before we leave for Mexico... it's definitely a good time for me to be able to stay focused!! :smiley:
  • liapr
    liapr Posts: 648 Member
    thanks Mihani, I was thinking/hoping that that was true; I remember that too. I have no option but to stick with it and see where it takes me. It's nice that this 3rd week doesn't really feel like "trying" as much as the first week did. More natural all ready. What a change from 2 years ago when I tried it without any background or knowing what I was doing or cooking!

    Woohoo, Karrie, that is such a good feeling. I find January is extra helpful for that focus.

    I spent about 4 hours yesterday cooking and meal prepping. I made a bunch of stuff; we actually have TOO MUCH food for the week! But it's all super healthy so I think that's okay.

    I made coconut curried lentil soup, swiss chard/potato/navy bean stew, happy herbivore's sweet potato & kale lasagna wheels, and happy herbivore's "unfried" rice (basically rice with garlic, diced zucchini, carrot, peas, corn, and some soy sauce or gf tamari).
  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,331 Member
    Karrie, nothing like having a trip that involves wearing a swimsuit to motivate! Sounds like you are rocking it!

    Wow, Lia, I'm jealous of all that yummy sounding food! The lasagna wheels sound amazing, are they much work?

    I lost 1.2 lbs this last week. Not as much as I'd hoped, but week 2 seems to always be on the low side. This weekend I made a miso and veggie broth based soup with broccoli, carrots, leeks, tofu and mushrooms. It is a little high in sodium, which is something I'm definitely watching but not being super strict about for now. Also on the menu this coming week is Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry. Lots of lentils recently!

    I'm still loving the combo of fresh strawberries, blueberries and walnuts. The only downside is that organic fresh berries are outrageously expensive where I am right now. Looking forward to them being in season again!

    My husband and I are putting our house on the market this spring and looking to buy some property. We want to have more privacy and space for a veggie garden and fruit trees. We're hoping that having some land to take care of will get us out of the house and in better shape in a productive sort of way. The biggest issue we're running into is finding a place with enough acreage that still has good internet access for work.
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    Lia all that stuff sounds delicious!

    Karrie, I'm so impressed with your commitment!

    Carla that sounds wonderful, I miss living in the country. Sometimes... not in the winter so much!

    I slipped a bit this weekend, but back on track today. Can't let it snowball.

    I'm really inspired by everyone's success and determination this month!
  • jdeatsveggies
    jdeatsveggies Posts: 10 Member
    I am a vegan since 11-1-11. I was in this group before, but quit My Fitness Pal for awhile because I didn't like the new format. But, I'm going to start again with the 6-week plan because I have gained about 5.5 lbs back and it's time to get on the ball!
    I can't remember what my user name was before. (Senior moment)
    Joan