Showing posts with label low sugar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label low sugar. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Time to Heal

I am not even sure where to start to catch you up on my last few months. It's been sort of a whirlwind. I'm sorry I didn't post at all while going through things.

My craziness really started the beginning of May. After joining Weight Watchers, and loving the program, I knew it was time to start working out again. I was not in the mood for the gym one morning so I went for a walk. I decided to head to a field/park near my home and follow that path. It was a beautiful day.

nature walks for your health
Pictures from my walk
It was such a beautiful day to go out for a feel good walk

I was enjoying the sun, the breeze, and my music. I was on my way back when I came around the corner and a giant, horse sized Great Dane and it's owner appeared.  I usually love dogs and have never been afraid but something about this dog threw me a little. I decided to walk very far off the path and out the dogs way. Well he had a different idea in mind. Within seconds he broke away from his owner (a very small women who could barely hold him any way) and came at me. Next thing I know he is latched onto my arm. I wish I could tell you what I did next to get away, but I don't remember. The next thing I remember is being halfway down the path looking at my arm bleeding and trying to get even further away from the beast. The owner's daughter came over to help. I called my parents to come and get me from the park, luckily they live nearby. I had to walk all the way across a big field holding my arm. The owner's daughter, while very nice, told me this isn't the first time they have had problems with the dog and think it might be inbred. I couldn't believe it. Why would they bring him to a park, why?!?!  My parent's arrived and helped me clean up the area the best they could. I gave a report to the police officer and off I went to the emergency room with my parents. They cleaned me up, gave me massive dose antibiotics and said yup that will probably scar.

Watch out for dogs on your walk
My mom took this picture of me in the emergency room
Somehow she had me laughing and smiling

I spent the rest of the day being cheered up by my truly amazing, wonderful, and loving family. My nieces checking on me and doing my hair. My mom and sister helping me with my bandages. My dad making me smile being silly. I love them so much. I spent the rest of the weekend trying to change my bandage with one arm and taking it easy. In addition, to my family, the wonderful man in my life checked on me constantly and sent me cute photos of him and his son to cheer me up.

family fun
To help me not be afraid of walking outdoors, they somehow talked me into going for a walk.
We had a blast playing in the fields behind my parent's house

Family is important
Kaitlyn always knows how to cheer me up

As the month went on I started to heal a little more, still a little cautious of the outdoor walks I stuck with the treadmill. I was losing weight on Weight Watchers and enjoying, but then I started really changing the way I had eaten for the last year. Instead of healthy non-processed foods, I found myself eating more processed foods. Instead of gluten free I ate lots of products with gluten. I didn't notice not feeling well so I thought it was okay. But then life happened, I started going to more summer parties, I started eating more desserts, I ate doritos like it was my job, I went on vacation with my man and his family and ate lots and lots of fried food. Somehow I had spiraled into a whirlwind of processed food, sugar, carbs, and fried yuck! But hey I felt fine, so it must be okay...until it wasn't!

summer vacation food
Just a few of my many indulgences...
don't be fooled by the s'more picture, I had many more than just one

One day I woke up and my tongue was swollen and painful, the side of my stomach hurt a little, and the pain in my mouth made me cry. I couldn't eat or drink, and was barely able to speak without pain. At my mom's suggestion I found a wonderful ENT Dr. who diagnosed my mouth infection.  It appears the very high dose of antibiotics I was on for the dog bite, combined with all the bad food, set my body into a tailspin of bad. While on the outside it appeared the different bad food wasn't bothering me, on the inside was an entirely different situation.

So where does that leave me....well I have spent the last 2 weeks living off bone broth, chicken soup, organic greek yogurt, and caulimash (mashed cauliflower). I am resetting my poor screwed up digestive system and healing the mouth infection at the same time. It's amazing that the less you eat the less you need. I do miss solid foods and flavors, but if this is what my body needs right now to get back on track, then that's what I am going to do.


healthy healing broth
Bone broth. I must admit it tastes really good
and even better, I made it, talk about feeling proud

Greek yogurt probiotic
All natural! It doesn't sound as exciting as other flavors but I actually really enjoy it
Even when I can eat other things I will continue with this yogurt.


I know it will take time before I am 100%, but I will get there. I will learn along the way and remember the horrible pain of what I went through and never repeat my mistakes again. I am so thankful for the support system I have. My family and the wonderful man in my life helped me through it all. My poor mom, getting text msgs from me about feeling miserable and encouraging me nonstop to push through it, and helping me come up with a plan of attack every step of the way. My man, who loves to cook, wanted to make me something I could eat. He made the most delicious batch of caulimash I have ever tasted!!! Instead of being cranky that I can't enjoy his foods, he told me to just keep finding recipes that I can eat and enjoy and be healthy and he will make them for me. My coworkers checked on me constantly while I was out and sent me funny emails and texts to keep me smiling. My wonderful boss let me pick up work and work from home so I wouldn't fall behind.


Whole Foods Side dish
Caulimash!!  He made it so delicious I now crave it.
I keep trying, but so far it doesn't comes out the same when I make it

I've been given the chance to help myself, to move forward and be a healthier better version of me and I will not take this opportunity for granted! This is no longer just about weight loss, it's about my future and my health.

After a rough month it was time for some much needed fun!
Mini golf last weekend



Saturday, December 6, 2014

On a Quest for Protein

One of the biggest things I have come realize is the large role food plays in our daily lives. I don't just mean because it tastes good or stops your stomach from grumbling during a meeting. I have noticed how certain foods make me feel. Some fuel me for a workout while others make me want to take a nap. Finding the right food for me to eat before working out has become a large part of my journey. I have discovered some really good food options, check out my chicken in a can blog post for that delicious option, I absolutely love eating that on just my cardio days. On days when I train with Mark I am really pushing myself and started feeling like I need a little something extra. I asked around the gym and found a lot of people drink protein shakes or eat protein bars. The next time I was good shopping I checked some labels and was bummed. A lot of them are FULL of carbohydrates, high calories, made with soy, gluten, tons of sugar, and not what I wanted. There goes that idea I thought, until one day on twitter someone mentioned QuestBars. I decided to check them out and was very pleasantly surprised.


Pre-workout food option
My favorite flavor of QuestBar
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

The QuestBars weren't full of sugar at all, low in calories, gluten free, low in carbs, not full of so many crazy ingredients that I can't even pronounce. I was excited, but thought how good could these taste. I found out they sell them at the GNC down the street and off I went. I picked up a bunch of different flavors like, chocolate chip cookie dough, cookies and cream, white chocolate raspberry, and apple pie. These are just a few of the flavors they offer. The next day before my workout with Mark I ate the chocolate chip cookie dough bar. I loved that I was able to eat it in the car on the way to the gym, my meeting ran late and I wouldn't have had time to sit down with a fork and eat anything else.  So how did it taste you ask?  DELICIOUS!!!!  I loved it. Perfect texture, perfect flavor, didn't leave a weird after taste or leave me craving for more sugar or bad stuff.  Now the big question...how did it hold up against a Mark workout? PERFECT!  I was well fueled throughout the workout and even earned the nickname tiny beast.  I now have a bar before every workout.


Healthy gym snack
There are so many different delicious flavors for you to choose from
Trust me you won't get bored!

I tried most of the other flavors and have to say the chocolate chip cookie dough and cookies and cream bars are my favorite. I buy them by the box at GNC. I have also used them as a dessert substitute. There aren't many desserts I can enjoy these days without feeling yucky after or guilty. One night after having dinner with my family I felt a little blah because I wanted the dessert, but knew I would regret it. I remembered I had a bar stashed in my purse so I took it out and got to enjoy dessert with everyone else without feeling guilty. I wouldn't recommend doing that all the time as the bars are high in protein, but for the occasional treat with friends and family I say indulge and have fun.


Protein bar for the gym
The box description talked me into giving them a try
so very glad I did

For more information about the Quest bars and ingredients check out the Quest website at http://www.questnutrition.com/ingredients/

Disclaimer:  I am in no way affiliated with Quest. I just love their product and wanted to share my new favorite find!!