Wow, that lunch looks delicious! The salad looks so fresh and crisp.

We ended up at the cantina a couple blocks from the office for lunch, had two vegan soft tacos. They are small, but definitely not 6 week plan adherent with the vegan aioli. Further proof that if I'm going to stick with this I have to eat homemade. I just have to avoid dining out until the 6 weeks is up. I think I only have one other thing coming up the end of July but it's a potluck and I can bring an ETL friendly dish to share. And fortunately it was only 1:00, my friend had a long drive back to Pennsylvania, and I had to get back to the office, so no margarita temptation lol.

Didn't visit my friend in the hospital because she was released this morning. I'll go visit her at home in a couple days. She's exhausted and not up for company at home right this second, quite understandably.

Other than that I had a big bowl of steamed broccoli and a little cantaloupe for breakfast. Dinner will be steamed collards and eggplant and water sauteed mushrooms with black beans, lemon juice and balsamic glaze. I realized last night that I could spin my steamed greens in the salad spinner to reduce the water. I have tried patting them dry and squeezing, and just doesn't seem to do the trick just makes them clumpy.

I vow the rest of July will be 100% compliant! I am down 3 pounds the first week, which is great considering I had already lost 11 doing E2. I am excited to see where I am at the end of the 6 weeks and want to be sure I don't stray again.

I agree with Carla that I am finding everything tastier this round. Maybe we've learned a thing or two after all this time!

Carla, I tried to find a specific reference to tahini not being allowed in the book and online and couldn't... not sure why I have it in my head it's not allowed. I think it wouldn't be allowed because the sesame seeds are roasted and he says eat nuts/seeds raw because roasting alters the beneficial fats. I don't think the amount you are eating is going to make a difference if it's just part of your nuts/seeds serving for the day. The hummus recipes he has use raw sesame seeds rather than tahini. A quick look found some raw tahini brands and recipes though, so maybe your tahini uses raw not roasted sesame seeds.

Hi Sabine! Long time no see. I haven't heard of that recipe, do you have a link for it?

I don't want to go to go work today. I planned to work from home but we have a client coming in at 9:00 and my boss wants me there. I am going to leave about noon though. I will be in the office tomorrow (the holiday) but I'll have the place to myself and I can get a lot more done when nobody is there bugging me.

Woohoo Carla!!! 5 pounds is awesome!!! You are rocking it. I am definitely seeing my clothes fit better and even getting loose, but I’m not into a smaller size yet. I was getting ready to burst out of this size though lol. Plus I haven’t been getting any exercise, quite sedentary in fact, sitting at my desk all day every day. I know I need to get back to walking and a moderate amount of strengthening exercises to see real changes in my body.

I do miss that strong confident feeling that comes with doing strength training. I never lifted heavy or anything, but a fair amount of work with dumbbells, half-*kitten* pushups, etc. At least I’ve continued with 15 or 20 minutes of very basic yoga in the evenings. I’m not trying to do much, just rotating through a few poses and stretches. That’s enough for now. My muscles scream in protest just doing that with my total lack of flexibility right now!

The yarn is BEAUTIFUL. So fun!

B – steamed broccoli, some cantaloupe/strawberries/blueberries
L – nothing yet, going to eat a big salad with romaine, power greens, salsa, black beans, steamed broccoli
D – think I’ll indulge my potato craving with a baked Idaho, side of collards, mushrooms, and eggplant tossed with a mixture of balsamic and dijon. I’m totally digging the steamed eggplant. And I’m going to make a pot of lentils. I just boil them with whatever spices appeal at the moment and they go with everything.

P.S. Carla did you share the chickpea patties recipe?

Okay, I keep reading about carrot dogs. I’m going to give them a try this weekend. There are lots of versions but this one sounded good… the maple syrup wouldn’t be compliant though now I think of it… darn it! Oh well, after the 6 weeks I am trying these! Or I'll look for a recipe that fits the 6 week guidelines.

http://www.brandnewvegan.com/recipes/smoky-vegan-carrot-dogs

Hiya jrunion! Glad to see you jumped into the monthly thread. This is a small, but supportive and fun group of people. Good for you with the workouts. I really need to get back to regular exercise. I’m so lazy when I get home from work.

I am really not sure whether the strict 6 week plan would be recommended while you are nursing. I did read that you should up the fats (nuts/seeds/avocados) and probably you’d want to up the whole grains a bit too, get enough calories to keep you going. More the life plan while you are still nursing. If the protein shake is helping though that’s great! Lia has a new baby too!

Now I wonder why we say “new baby” … as opposed to what? Old baby?

Carla, I’m still drinking some coffee. I tend not to have any on weekends. I don’t normally make coffee at home since I’m always busy getting ready to get out the door, and when I go to the office weekends I usually don’t make it. My boss always has it ready for me during the week, and will even go fill my cup and bring it to me if I don’t, so it makes it harder to avoid. If I tell him I’m off coffee he won’t though. I just need to make up my mind! I have cut down a lot. One or two cups not helping my boss polish off the first pot and he’s making another one before 9 a.m. lol

There were a lot of fireworks here too. Poor pup was scaredy dog.

I definitely want to try those chickpea burgers soon!

B – steamed broccoli, shredded wheat with strawberries and a splash of oat milk
L – salad with power greens, steamed kale and broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, lentils, salsa, a clementine
D – going to be a repeat of the bowl with power greens, sweet potato, ‘shrooms, lentils, balsamic glaze

Totally grooving on balsamic glaze. Adds so much flavor with just a little drizzle.

I have been having headaches and just feeling all around blah though, this has nothing to do with doing the 6 week plan, I was feeling like this before. It has just been an awful spring/summer for allergies and sinuses. Plus work stress and my tooth has been hurty a lot more lately. Almost starting to look forward to the impending root canal.

That's funny Carla, I don't know if we talked about them. They are the latest craze on the E2 FB group. Lots of different recipes floating around. A lot of people make them in a skillet or broil them. I do have a Foreman grill too, maybe I'll dig it out and try 'em on that. I need to get a grill pan one of these days. I got rid of my propane grill some years ago too. I hadn't used it in a couple years and when I decided to grill a basket of veggies one day and uncovered it, I discovered chipmunks had made nests in it!

Those burgers look awesome, bookmarked.

I have a full blown cold. Woke up in the middle of the night coughing and head all stuffed up. I think my body has been fighting it all week and finally lost the battle. I slept in, went to the office for about 6 hours, came home early. Going to eat a little something and go to bed. Thinking of maybe making a pot of the On the Mend Red Lentil Kale Soup from OSG. That stuff does make me feel better, and it doesn't take long to make. I don't have any fresh kale or spinach for it, but I have plenty of power greens. I can throw a couple big handfuls of that in there, or use frozen kale, pretty sure I have a couple bags stashed.

Not as good a day as usual... had an upset stomach. Probably the dayquil shots did that.

B - a little bit of oatmeal, didn't taste good with this cold and put it away for tomorrow
L - ate a bit of my salad, then a bunch of crackers lol
D - soup if I get off my duff and make it

Soup turned out good. I ended up with power greens since my frozen kale was "best by" about a year ago. It probably would still be okay but thought it would make the soup watery. I need to do an overhaul of my freezers and throw out some stuff. I slept about 12 hours off and on, feeling a bit better. Going to run to the grocery and get that out of the way so I can prep tonight or tomorrow. Then working from home today so I can go back to bed as needed.

Getting back to the Y is awesome Lia!

Can't wait to see your latest yarn creation Carla. I love the Ezekiel bread too.

Nice when you have leftovers and don't have to fuss over cooking for a day or two (or 3 or 4!!!) ... caught an awesome price on organic store-brand chickpeas and black beans this morning, 4 cans for $3. Got 8 of each. I feel your pain on the freezer lol. I have the small freezer that's part of the fridge, then a small chest freezer. The chest freezer tends to get things piled on it too. There are no flat surfaces in my house that aren't covered in books, pots and pans that haven't found their way back into the cabinets yet, cookbooks and printed recipes and (mostly expired) coupons, etc.

Especially the books. Good grief I have a lot of books and I got rid of probably 10 boxes worth a few years ago! I have trouble parting with them. If I enjoyed them it's like tossing away an old friend. The kindle helped a lot, at least it has kept most of my latest acquisitions from piling up more.

Feeling quite a bit better. Slept more today. Cough is mostly gone just still really congested and tired.

B - toast and some blueberries
L - soup, always tastes better the second day
D - probably more soup, and maybe a baked potato with some steamed broccoli

I think I will plan to overhaul both freezers on Tuesday night, since garbage collection is Wednesday.