Post Reset Day 12 (2/23)

Sun February 23 - Day 12 post Reset

Had a crappy night sleep 3:59 hrs, what was I thinking trying to share the couch with my 5 yr old nephew??? But it was cute that he would reach out and touch to see if I was still there. He is so cute. My knee was killing me all night. I should have just gotten up and grabbed an NSAID but I didn't want to take on an empty stomach. Suffered instead :), I knew it was going to kill from all the running around on my feet cleaning and cooking Fri and Sat and low sleep. Ohh well, such is life so they say.

I had wanted to make a few of my new recipes for Sis but just wasn't able to fit it in. I was able to quickly make a small batch of one of my favorite dishes from the Reset - Zucchini Cashew soup. Of course I didn't have enough zucchs so had to run up to HT and get some. This soup literally can be made in 10 minutes, if you soak the cashews first.. I soaked the cashews over night, quickly chopped up the zucchini and steamed in the microwave 4-5 minutes :), lil S+P, chx broth and other spices. Whip out the immersion blender, zap it up.. VOILA!! Healthy, yummy, creamy soup! One of my favs from the Reset. It freezes very well.
Chet and I first had this on Day 5 of the Reset and have made it a few times. I now make it with less fat by reducing the ratio of zucchini to cashews (1 large or 2 small Zuccs to 1 oz cashews) and add chx broth for additional flavor. Sis liked it and so did BIL. WINNER!! Packed it up and sent it home with her. She also tried my new spice rub that I use to spice the chicken strips and Salmon. She loved that also, so sent her home with a bunch of the chicken pouches and a jar of the rub.

We got them all packed up and on the road by noon. Will be a long trip.. hope the kids don't go too crazy! Miss them already :-(

But good news.. the bathroom demon gave me a small package.. 1.6 lbs down for a total of 48.6 lbs lost since Dec 2.. YEA!!! Getting closer and closer my first BIG goal..

Chet, as expected had a hang over.. Ahh poor baby.. AHH not so much.. He kept complaining that he wanted taco bell. NO WAY in HELL was he going to completely blow it again today.. We decided to make a homemade Burrito bowl instead. Came out really well.. a bit high in cal and fat, but we knew we had room for a high calorie dinner.

Went shopping at Kroger, they have a good selection of Mexican foods. What I didn't know is that they also carry an ok selection of organic/vegan supplies at ~1/2 the price of Whole Foods, Fresh Market and HT. Looks like when we need to stock up on Quinoa, coconut sugar etc, we will go to Kroger first. Good find. They also have a large selection of  organic meat at very reasonable prices. Another winner.. they carry non-homogenized milk for the local dairy.. Perfect for my new Kefir fetish..

Checked in on the Kombucha tea.. not ready yet.. Grrr.. I want some.. Hopefully in the next few days we can bottle it for the secondary.

Ciao ciao!

Breakfast - Coffee, 1/2 Shakeo w 1/2 Kefir, 
Snack -  2 Coffee
Lunch - 4 oz chicken, 1/2 serving Guacamole, 2 Asparagus spears
Dinner - Homemade 'Burrito bowl'

Burrito Bowl

Burrito bowl - 1/2 C Quinoa, 1/2 C FF refried beans, 1 oz queso melted over 4 oz chicken, 1/2 smashed avocado w lime juice, 3 TBS homemade salsa, 2 TBS 2% Greek Yogurt - Totals - 593 Cal 51 Carb 25 Fat 54 Prot 15 Fiber






Noticeable changes 

Med High energy levels all day
BP good - high to mid 80's
Finally got it

Body - Cold but not freezing, great energy, upper back (bra strap area) killing me, knee and feet hurt.
Mind -Tired, sad - my Sister and family left, I miss them already!

Totals for the day - 1,038 Cal 89 Carb 41 Fat 93 Prot 20 Fiber,  60 oz H2O,  48.6 lbs lost
Link data -  3134 Cal burned, 9 min moderate activity, 8619 steps, 3:59 hrs/min sleep

Goals met for the day -  ~1200 cals, oil pulled, 5000+ steps,
Goals not met for the day - Crap job on 100+ H2O, smoked ~ 10 cigs, 30+ min activity, no stretches, crap sleep

TMI - FINALLY!!! 12 days late and very painful, but I finally started my cycle!

New to my Blog?
Follow my Ultimate Reset Journey and quest for better health from the early days (1,2 or 3 weeks ago):

Night Before Prep
Week 1 - Days 1 - 7 Reclaim
Week 2 - Days 8 - 14  Detox
Week 3 - Days 15 - 21 Restore

Post Reset Day 11 (2/22)

Sat Feb 22 - Day 11 post Reset  

YEA Saturday is here and so is Sissy!! I miss her so much.. and the kids (T = 10 yrs, F = 4.5 yrs, P = 6 months). Just want to eat them up. F and P were just here in Jan with Mom and Sis, so there was no shy boy on this quick trip. F was all over Uncle Chet and was running the place in a minute. T hadn't been here in.. I think 3 years, so she was feeling a bit uncomfortable. She is a little shy, plus her tummy was hurting so she wasn't feeling well. Baby P - So freaking cute.. couldn't wait to kiss and love all over him.. He is such a happy baby. Poor Sis had a cold so was a bit under the weather. But that never stops us.. We have to be in the hospital dying before we turn down a good time. Chet and our B-I-L went out to a bar for wings and beer. His first since Friday Jan 17. Will see how he feels in the AM :) I choose to not drink or eat anything not on our plan.. I'll feel good in the AM :)

I don't want to go to sleep.. want to stay up all night yapping.. But not so much.. off to sleep with my lil bud F.

This afternoon I cleaned and did some of the weekly mise en place. Weekly standard 4 and 6 oz packages of cooked chicken strips, cut up broccoli, cauliflower, clean Kale, make 2 C quinoa, 1 C Lentil,  etc. Added to the weekly chore is monitoring the produce so we use up those that need to be used first. Trying to minimize the amount of produce that we throw out each week. We will get maximum use of the weekly produce co-op this year.

Kuddos for ME.. Made French Fries and a Pizza (frozen) for the kids and I didn't touch ANY of it. Some of the sauce got on my finger, as I went to lick it off.. I stopped myself and washed my hands.. Didn't break the plan.. WINNER!!

Ok off to bed!!
Ciao Ciao!!
 
Breakfast - Shakeo, 1 Coffee
Lunch -  1 Coffee,  6 oz Chicken
Snack - 1 C Kefir
Dinner - Veggie Soup, 4 oz Chicken, 1.5 C Roasted Cauliflower

Noticeable changes 
TONS of energy all day
BP good - low 90's mid 80's

Body - EXCITED, Body temp my 'new' normal, feet killing, tired

Mind - Excited to see Sister and the kids.. YEA!!

Totals for the day - 896 Cal 72 Carb 27 Fat 106 Prot 15 Fiber 120 oz H2O
Link data -  3592 Cal burned, 5 min moderate activity, 9461 steps, 5:40 hrs/min sleep

Goals met for the day -  ~1200 cals, 100+ oz H2O, oil pulled, stretches, Almost 10K steps.. HOLY CRAP - Sister needs to come every weekend.., 30+ min activity (not tracked but I was moving), no cheese

Goals not met for the day -  smoked ~ 12 cigs, no 6 hrs sleep


TMI - 11 days late ..  cramps and bloat -grrr!!

New to my Blog?
Follow my Ultimate Reset Journey and quest for better health from the early days (1,2 or 3 weeks ago):

Night Before Prep
Week 1 - Days 1 - 7 Reclaim
Week 2 - Days 8 - 14  Detox
Week 3 - Days 15 - 21 Restore

Post Reset Day 10 (2/21)

Fri Feb 21 - Day 10 post Reset  

YEA it's Friday!! Sister, sister (aka Sissy Puss or Puss) and her family will be here tomorrow night.. So excited to see them even if it is just for a few hours. I want to get a few pictures of me holding the baby - now that I have lost some weight and my face is not as big as it was last month when they was here. Fortunately my family understands that BAD pictures are NOT allowed to be kept nor posted on social media.. We are Kodak kids and value nice pictures. Others not so much..  Sis knew I was not feeling comfortable enough in my appearance to have a face shot with the baby. But I am ready NOW..I'm not kidding myself to think I look 'thin', but I can actually see my chin when I smile now.. So, I'll put makeup on and normal clothes for when they arrive so we can get a few. Early AM when they leave on Sunday will not be my 'prime time' :) Not a morning person..

Chet made fruit for breakfast this am and made me a small plate. What a great guy, at least at this moment.. Haa.. Doing really well staying away from processed foods (hot dogs, lunch meat, pickles), fake sugar (Splenda, Gum, mints), real sugar (only add 1 tsp to each coffee), nitrates (salame, wine) gluten and red meat.

Adding a new Daily Goal Met objective - Maximum 2 oz full fat cheese per day or up to 3 oz of goat, Kefir, 2%/skim cheeses or up to 1 oz full fat cheese and 1 oz low fat cheese
CONFESSION - I am a cheese-aholic.. YES I admit it - for those who know me - I know you are not surprised. The excess fat on my body is from my addiction to cheese and cured salame, ohh and what goes best with those?? Crusty bread or crackers probably came to your head.. NOPE.. Too many years on Atkins.. I eat them straight like a cheese salame sandwich.. but nothing better than a bottle of wine to wash them down.. Why yes I am Italian.. add olives, brine'd and grilled veggies and that is what my body mass has been made of. Dairy Fat, Animal Fat, Nitrates, Fermented Grapes and Salt!! ohh and just a touch of pasta - fresh homemade is my favorite!

I laugh when people say they have 'cottage cheese' thighs.. well mine are made of cheese curds (plain, garlic n chives, buffalo, hot pepper.. hell all of them).. Haa.. OOHHH --- CHEESE CURDS.. so thankful I can't get them here in the south! And glad I didn't grow up in Chet's house as I would have ran, walked or crawled to the farmers market up the street from him.. Fresh apple cider and homemade cheese curds.. Would have been even fatter as a kid! teen! Adult!

Alright enough about my cheese addiction. I went ~4 weeks with no cheese so still a bit obsessed. hence the reason we are NOT following a strict diet - Atkins, South Beach, Paleo, Nutri System, Medi Fast, Jennifer Aniston (heeee)! Once a food becomes forbidden you CRAVE it.. or our case with Atkins, it teaches you very very unhealthy eating habits. Unlimited meat and fat..

BTW - weighed in yesterday and lost another .8 lbs. Better than nothing. Need to up my water..

Time to go clean.. get to see the kids tomorrow.. YEA!! CIAO CIAO!!

Breakfast - Shakeo w/ 1/2 C Kefir, 1 Kiwi, 1/2 Mango, 1/2 Blood Orange, 1 Coffee
Snack -  1 Coffee
Lunch - 4 oz Chicken, 2 asparagus spears,
Snack - Salad w chia seeds, 1 oz goat cheese,  1 Coffee
Dinner - 4 oz Salmon, 3 seared Scallops, 9 asparagus spears

Noticeable changes 
Nervous energy levels all day - Worried that Dad will not be able to take care of my Mom and I might need to pack up and go home.. We shall see.. He better step up!!

Still getting hives/rosacea on my face/neck/back and upper arms.. But just a few in each . I am pretty sure it is the Kefir but not sure if it is the dairy or the mass FRESH probiotics. I am going to stick with it and reassess when I move to coconut milk Kefir

I'm a bit blocked up - need to bring back more veggies, especially greens. They always get me moving.
BP good - low 90's High 80's

Body - My body temp has definitely 'reset' to a more 'normal' body temp, vs the hot mess that I was before

Mind - excited to see my Sister tomorrow.. OYE need to clean.. :-(

Totals for the day - 1,211 Cal 112 Carb 49 Fat 101 Prot 22 Fiber 80 oz H2O, 47 LBS lost
Link data -  2895 Cal burned, 1 min moderate activity, 4484 steps, 8:07 hrs/min sleep

Goals met for the day -  ~1200 cals, oil pulled, stretches,
Goals not met for the day -  need to drink 100+ oz H2O, smoked ~ 18 cigs, 30+ min activity, 5,000+ steps

TMI - 11 days late ..  cramps and bloating from HELL!!

New to my Blog?
Follow my Ultimate Reset Journey and quest for better health from the early days (1,2 or 3 weeks ago):

Night Before Prep Jan 21, 2014
Week 1 - Days 1 - 7 Reclaim
Week 2 - Days 8 - 14  Detox
Week 3 - Days 15 - 21 Restore

Post Reset Day 9 (2/20)

Thurs Feb 20 - Day 9 post Reset  

Not much to say today, well not publicly. Sad for my family who lost a beloved member.
 
Breakfast - Shakeo w/ 1 C Kefir, 1 Coffee
Snack -  1 Coffee
Lunch - 6 oz Chicken, 1 oz Herb Brie, 1 flatbread cracker,
Dinner - 4 oz Salmon, Veggie Soup, 10 asparagus spears

Noticeable changes 
Nervous energy levels all day - Mom going home today
BP good - mid 90's

Body - Body temp is still on the cold side, SAD, craving red meat

Mind - excited to see my Sister on Sat but sad, emotional and missing home

Totals for the day - 1,200 Cal 88 Carb 45 Fat 117 Prot 20 Fiber 80 oz H2O
Link data -  2919 Cal burned, 8 min moderate activity, 5634 steps, 5:00 hrs/min sleep

Goals met for the day -  ~1200 cals, oil pulled, stretches, 5,000+ steps
Goals not met for the day -  need to drink 100+ oz H2O, smoked ~ 18 cigs, 30+ min activity, no 6 hrs sleep


TMI - 9 days late ..  cramps and bloat - want 2 steaks :)

New to my Blog?
Follow my Ultimate Reset Journey and quest for better health from the early days (1,2 or 3 weeks ago):

Night Before Prep
Week 1 - Days 1 - 7 Reclaim
Week 2 - Days 8 - 14  Detox
Week 3 - Days 15 - 21 Restore

Post Reset Day 8 (2/19)

Wed Feb 19 - Day 8 post Reset  

So happy when I woke up to check my Kefir and make a real cup of coffee. Chet was awesome and went to Southern Seasons yesterday and picked me up some REAL flavored decaf coffee. Decaf Dutch Chocolate and Creme Brule.. YES!! Finally have a real recipe - double shot 1/2 decaf, 1/2 caf chocolate coffee, 1 tsp organic coconut sugar and 1 Tbs 1/2 & 1/2. Decadent! I missed you!!
Bonus.. the Kefir grains finally made drinkable Kefir. Strained and started a new batch. Here's to homemade gut/flora cleaner. No more $40 bottles of probiotics. I can't wait to switch from whole milk over to coconut milk. Lower fat, calories and added bonus of the anti fungal etc of coconut. I'm probably a few weeks out, but will enjoy in small quantities.

Received HORRIBLE news today from home. My cousin AKA Aunt passed away suddenly in her sleep. WHAT.. she was only 56 years old.. We were just FBing about her broken foot on Sunday.. OMG!! What the heck is going on? My poor Mom is stuck in the rehab center and I'm sure is going nuts as she was her lil cousin. I feel sick for her 4 children. Poor things..

Extra cheese please! I will eat it and own it! 
Hope Mom will be able to go as I know she will be there no matter what even if they have to put her in a wheel chair.
Not much more to say today!! Very sad.. 

Breakfast - Shakeo, 1 Coffee
Snack -  1 Coffee
Lunch - 4 oz Chicken, Veggie Stir fry, 4 oz Kefir
Snack - 1 oz Herb Brie, 1 flatbread cracker, 9 asparagus spears
Dinner - 4 oz Chicken, Salad w chia and hemp seeds, 4 olives - forgot to add the Kefir curds :-(
Snack - 1 oz Herb Brie, 1 flatbread cracker,

Noticeable changes 

Nervous energy levels all day
BP good - mid 90's to high 80's, spiked mid day

Body - Body temp is still on the cold side, SAD, craving red meat

Mind - excited to see my Sister on Sat - then sad, emotional and missing home

Totals for the day - 1,385 Cal 107 Carb 69 Fat 100 Prot 35 Fiber 108 oz H2O
Link data -  2965 Cal burned, 8 min moderate activity, 7099 steps, 6:11 hrs/min sleep

Goals met for the day -  100+ H2O, oil pulled, stretches, YEA babee 7,000+ steps
Goals not met for the day - ate more than 1 oz of cheese, over 1300 cals, smoked ~ 18 cigs, 30+ min activity,


TMI - 8 days late ..  cramps and bloat - want a steak :)

New to my Blog?
Follow my Ultimate Reset Journey and quest for better health from the early days (1, 2 or 3 weeks ago):

Night Before Prep
Week 1 - Days 1 - 7 Reclaim
Week 2 - Days 8 - 14  Detox
Week 3 - Days 15 - 21 Restore

Post Reset Day 6 and 7 (2/17 and 2/18)

Mon Feb 17 - Day 6 post Reset 

Well, almost a full week post reset still feel great.. But I want coffee.. again not for the caffeine, but the taste.. My mug o java is sooo YUMMY!! Must stay strong and wait at least till tomorrow.. I did brew up 2 cups of loose leaf Chocolate Myan tea. It was a bit strong (no way as strong as I used to brew) so Chet was a dear and went to the store and got me some coconut creamer. It helped, but I was a bit shocked to see that it has the same amount of calories as 1/2 & 1/2, just non dairy. Will see if it works in my coffee.. if not.. 1/2 & 1/2 it will be. I hate the fake FF creamers..
When I woke up this morning I did notice that I had a few little hives on my neck, upper arms and back. Not sure if it is the lobster or not, will need to monitor the shell fish as I add them. So far no issue with Ahi Tuna, Salmon or Scallops. I think we will have lobster again tomorrow night so I will have to check on Wednesday.

I'm getting anxious to get a good batch of Kefir..  The 1 C batch went bad.. I think.. I called Kombucha Kamp, where I purchased the grains, thinking that maybe my grains were bad.  Hannah was so helpful, she advised me that they are working fine and that I should use whole milk vs skim or 2% for a bit until the grains get used to their new 'home'. She also told me to keep the curds as they will be full of probiotics. I keept the curds ~ 3/4 of an oz to add to a salad in a few days.. Trying yet again. Working with 2 Cups of organic whole milk this time. Will see tomorrow..

Over Kefired

 So happy that I pre-made the chicken  strips yesterday. Made making lunch a snap, all measured out in 4 oz (me) and 6 oz (chet) pouches. So moist.. we missed meat, so glad it is back :) Could NEVER be a vegan. I also made a batch of mango, hot pepper Kale chips. OMG.. so good. Once I perfect the recipe I will post directions. - YES, Kale is on the thyroid limit list, I will TRY and practice portion control - especially when coming straight out of the oven. All kidding aside, now that I have cleaned out my system I will be adding some of the thyroid veggies (as I call them), back into my diet in limited quantities.

Mango Kale Chips

Have my NEW supplement ritual down
Wake up - Armour Thyroid 90 mg, wait ~15/20 min then take (1) CoQ10 w/Vit E 100 mg and (1) Biotin 1,000 mcg (need my thick hair back), (1) B12 sub-lingual -  wait a few min for breakfast, drink 20 oz H2O
Pre-Lunch - (1) 5,000 IU RAW D3, (1) Cal-Mag-Vit D3 (167 mg/83 mg/134 mg), (1) Move Free - Glucosimine/Chondroitin/MSM/Hyaluronic acid (500 mg/67 mg/500mg/1.1 mg) - wait ~30 min before lunch, drink 20 oz H2O
Pre-Snack - (1) One a Day multi vit - wait ~30 min before snack, drink 20 oz H2O
Pre-Dinner -  (1) 1000 mg Fish Oil, (1) 5,000 IU RAW D3, (1) Cal-Mag-VitD3 (167 mg/83 mg/134 mg), (2) Move Free - Glucosimine/Chondroitin/MSM/Hyaluronic acid (1000 mg/134 mg/1000mg/2.2 mg) - wait ~30 min before dinner, drink 20 oz H2O
Bedtime - (2 tsp) Natural Calm plus Calcium
I have been asked a few times why I am not taking C, iron or other mineral supplement. My answer is simply this.. we cook on cast iron 3-5x a week (iron), we use only mineralized salts (Himalayan, Hawaiian and Mediterranean Lava, Clay, French Gris, and Celtic Sea - YES I am a salt snob.. :) ), we go through at least 1- 2lb  bag of lemons a week (vit C) and last but not least.. Garlic we go through 5 - 15 bulbs a week, YES bulbs!! Why do you think I wear so much perfume :) Garlic pealing is one of the weekly 'mise en place' activities. Actually Chet is the master garlic peeler. While he watches any one of his shows, he will peel 10 - 15 bulbs weekly. We keep them in a quart canning jar in the fridge for quick use throughout the week. We also 'roast' 1-2 bulbs in water and use these as you would butter, mayo etc. Why YES.. we love 'The Stinking Rose'!


Breakfast - Shakeo, 10 spears of Asparagus
Snack -  Blood Orange
Lunch - 4 oz chicken, 1 oz Herb Brie, 1 flatbread cracker, 1/2 C Quinoa Pilaf
Snack - 1 C Mango Kale chips
Dinner - 5 oz Chicken, Veggie Stir fry
Snack - 2 Chocolate Myan Tea w/1 TBS coconut milk creamer

Noticeable changes 
Knee hamstring and tendons feel great today, I stretched for a good long time
Med energy levels all day - need more sleep I think :)
BP good - mid 90's to high 80's

Body - Body temp is still on the cold side, skin starting to feel less dry, still have some congestion in my ear and nose, great energy, loose flabby fat and skin..

Mind - Clear

Totals for the day - 1,225 Cal 127 Carb 40 Fat 101 Prot 35 Fiber 120 oz H2O
Link data -  2945 Cal burned, 1 min moderate activity, 3188 steps, 5:59 hrs/min sleep

Goals met for the day -  ~1200 cals, 100+ H2O, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches,
Goals not met for the day - smoked ~ 15 cigs, 30+ min activity, 5000+ steps, no 6 hrs of sleep


TMI - 6 days late .. more PMS, cramps and bloat - note I generally have normal cycles that are not bad

Tues Feb 18 - Day 7 post Reset  

4 weeks since I have had a cup of coffee.. broken record. Adding it back today. Difference is I will use 1/2 decaf, 1/2 caf, no splenda - 1/2 stevia packet instead, trying 1Tbs coconut milk creamer. YUK YUK YUK!! Made some for breakfast, had a few sips, then it sat there. Added another 1/2 pack of stevia.. Made it worse. It tastes so bitter.. Not my YUMMY coffee.. Poured it out. I thought that it was the coffee beans - I am used to creme brule or molten chocolate, not French/Italian roast. Ran up to Fresh Market to see what flavors they have there. French Vanilla, I'll try that.. FAIL again.. ran up to HT to see what flavors they had in decaf.. nada, but I picked up some REAL 1/2 & 1/2. Still not MY coffee. Grrr!! Well the bad news about adding coffee back to my diet.. Was up wide awake at 1:30 AM.. Need to increase the decaf vs reg coffee!

Today was bathroom demon day.. lost a few ounces for a grand total of 46.2 pounds lost since December 2nd. Almost at my first BIG goal.. Scale is moving slowly, but no complaints yet.

Breakfast - Shakeo
Snack -  1/2 Coffee #1
Lunch - 4 oz chicken, 1 C left over Veggie Stir Fry
Snack - 1 Sip Coffee #2, 8 oz Coffee #3, 1 C Mango Kale chips, 1 C beet greens
Dinner - Lobster tail dinner same as Sunday w 2 oz Crawfish,

Had to post the pics again.. they are just so tasty!!

Noticeable changes 

Med energy levels all day - still need more sleep :)
BP good - mid 90's to high 80's

Body - Body temp is still on the cold side, skin starting to feel less dry, still have some congestion in my ear and nose, great energy, loose flabby fat and skin..

Mind - Clear, Happy - Mom is doing very well and may go home on Thursday - Stayed up late as a result of the caffeine..

Totals for the day - 1,211 Cal 145 Carb 32 Fat 107 Prot 32 Fiber 96 oz H2O, 46.2 LBS LOST
Link data -  3079 Cal burned, 12 min moderate activity, 7778 steps, 6:09 hrs/min sleep

Goals met for the day -  ~1200 cals, 100+ H2O, oil pulled, stretches, WOW almost 8,000 steps!!
Goals not met for the day - smoked ~ 10 cigs, 30+ min activity,


TMI - 7 days late .. PMS, cramps and bloating - note I generally have normal cycles that are not bad

New to my Blog?
Follow my Ultimate Reset Journey and quest for better health from the early days (1,2 or 3 weeks ago):

Night Before Prep
Week 1 - Days 1 - 7 Reclaim
Week 2 - Days 8 - 14  Detox
Week 3 - Days 15 - 21 Restore

Post reset Day 5 (2/16)

Sun Feb 16 - Day 5 post Reset

Yesterday was Fresh Market Sat special day.. Lobster tails babeee.. Pre reset we would purchase lobster tails when they were on sale (1-2 x/mth). I would poach them in  lemon juice, garlic, butter, white wine and chx broth, then add angle hair pasta, parsley and a ton of parm/asiago/etc cheese. I can only image the calorie/fat content of that wonderful dish. Not that I added that much butter, but paired with a mega pasta serving.. you know where I am going..  Found these pictures on my phone from one of the times I made it.. Ohh soo YUMMY!! An occasional dinner ONLY going forward.
My challenge ... make this dish healthy yet 'Heather-ized'

My strategy - no gluten, low fat and only dairy is butter
Sauce - use only 1 TBS of butter for the whole dish, add more lemon juice and chx broth. I also poached the tail longer in the shell.
Pasta replacement - spaghetti squash, yellow squash, zucchini and Quinoa
Cheese replacement -  Wholegrain Rice Vermicelli - yes seriously.. I DID just say that.. :)

 So what do you think?? It tastes just as good as it looks.. Glad we bought 4 tails so we can have this again sometime this coming week. Very good!!

Tomorrow I will need to monitor to see if I get any breakouts or have issues. I probably shouldn't have added dairy and lobster in the same day.. But you can't have lobster without a touch of butter.. RIGHT??

Speaking of dairy.. first batch of Kefir I had to toss.. so much for not reading directions. Will try again but will use only 1 C milk. 

Breakfast - Shakeo,
Snack -  1 C beet greens, 2 oz leftover Sea Bass
Lunch - 1 serving Guacamole, 2 Romaine lettuce wraps (5 oz chicken, 1 oz goat cheese)
Snack - 5 asparagus spears 
Dinner - 3 Seared scallops, 1 Lobster Tail, Spaghetti squash, 1/2 C Quinoa
Snack - 1/4 C pumpkin seeds

Noticeable changes 
Knee hamstring and tendons feel great today, I stretched for a good long time
Med High energy levels all day
BP good - mid 90's to high 80's

Body - Starting to feel warmer, skin starting to feel better, had some congestion in my ear and nose, great energy, loose flabby fat and skin..
Mind - Clear

Totals for the day - 1,263 Cal 83 Carb 56 Fat 119 Prot 22 Fiber 96 oz H2O
Link data -  2953 Cal burned, 0 min moderate activity, 5576 steps, 8:46 hrs/min sleep

Goals met for the day -  ~1200 cals, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches, 5000+ steps,
Goals not met for the day - Need to keep 100+ H2O, smoked ~ 15 cigs, 30+ min activity



TMI - 5 days late but feel like it will come on any day now. I know that 'diets' cause changes so not worried, but feel the PMS and a bit of bloat

New to my Blog?
Follow my Ultimate Reset Journey and quest for better health from the early days (1,2 or 3 weeks ago):

Night Before Prep
Week 1 - Days 1 - 7 Reclaim
Week 2 - Days 8 - 14  Detox
Week 3 - Days 15 - 21 Restore

Post Reset Day 3 and 4 (2/14 and 2/15)

Happy Valentines Day!! Snow on the ground still but warming up.. The roads are still a bit of a mess, so we decided to walk over to Fresh Market to get fish for dinner. Ahi Tuna and Scallops.. My energy levels are finally getting to a point where I need to start thinking about the workout regimen going forward.

The bike is great to keep me moving while I work..  but I need a better cardio low impact routine. Walking is ok, but due to my bad leg it is actually more hurtful than beneficial as a sole cardio routine. I have a Pilates DVD, but really I would like to start going to class. I love Pilates classes vs at home. Once I perfect my moves I will start going back to the Y. I recently bought the Beachbody Tai Cheng series, which I plan to start the 90 day challenge in a week or so. But again need good cardio.. I've always preferred the GYM, so I guess it's time to get back to the Y and get on the elliptical. I need to reach out to my old trainer to see if she would be willing to work with me maybe 2x a month for right now. Sounds like a plan.. :)


Fri Feb 14 - Day 3 post Reset

Breakfast - Shakeo,
Snack - 1 Kiwi, 1/2 C Pineapple
Lunch - 1 C Veggie Soup, 2 Romaine lettuce wraps with 5.1 oz Chicken breast, 1/2 avocado
Dinner - 1 Tuna Nori roll, 3 seared scallops, 5 asparagus,

Noticeable changes 
Knee hamstring and tendons feel great today - cramps in my legs on our walk - added my mag drink back
Great energy level all day
BP good - mid 90's to high 80's - amazing how the body reacts to a low sodium diet :)


Body - Cold but not freezing, great energy - needed that protein :),
Mind - Clear

Totals for the day - 1,222 Cal 112 Carb 38 Fat 94 Prot 35 Fiber 80 oz H2O  
Link data -  2929 Cal burned, 31 min moderate activity, 6298 steps, 7:09 hrs/min sleep

Goals met for the day -  ~1200 cals, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches, 30 min activity, 5000+ steps,
Goals not met for the day - Need to keep 100+ H2O, smoked ~ 15 cigs,

Sat Feb 15 - Day 4 post Reset

Demon day - lost another few ounces today.. grand total lost since Dec 1 ... 45.6 lbs.. YEA BABEEE!! 11 pounds to my first BIG goal.. Not far now... Today I went and got my first mammogram. TMI ALERT - but that is how I roll :) - Due to the size of my breasts, she took 3 pics a piece flat, then 2 a piece at a 45 degree angle. It wasn't bad, but just uncomfortable standing still so she could get the breast muscle. They will send me the results, or I'll get a call from my Dr to have a consultation.. Not worried as there is no breast cancer in the immediate family. The genes passed on to me are - the Fat, Thyroid and probably Heart gene defects.. Thanks Mom and Dad!! Heee.. :)

Walked up to Fresh Market again today to get dinner.. Sea Bass and Scallops, I also decided that I wanted to get some goat cheese and a small wedge of herb brie. Didn't have it today, but when I am ready I wanted to have some on hand.
PSYCHED -- the Kombucha SCOBY kit and Kefir grains arrived.. Brewed up 2 batches of Kombucha Tea (KT) and 1 batch on Kefir. The KT won't be ready for min 7 days, but the Kefir may only take 24-48 hrs. I can't wait to have my own pro-biotics growing vs spending a fortune on either the bottled or pills. Here's to clean eating and drinking without breaking the bank!!

KT and Kefir

Speaking of clean eating.. Produce box starts up this week.. YEA!! I love getting the fresh local produce. Picked the all organic box for next Friday's delivery.. Just in time.. we are running out of winter squash and  sweet potatoes.








Breakfast - 5 Asparagus, 1 C beet greens
Lunch -  1 Tuna Nori roll, cucumber & tomato salad
Snack - 1 C Veggie Soup, 1 C Quinoa Pilaf
Dinner - 3.5 oz Sea Bass, 3 Seared scallops, 1/2 C Zucchini and cashew soup

Noticeable changes 
Knee hamstring and tendons feel great today - cramps in my legs on our walk - added my mag drink back
Med High energy levels all day
BP good - mid 90's to high 80's - amazing how the body reacts to a low sodium diet :)
TMI - 5 days late but feel like it will come on any day now. I know that 'diets' cause changes so not worried, but feel the PMS and a bit of bloat 

Body - Cold but not freezing, great energy - needed that protein :), loose flabby fat and skin.. YUK.. I hate this part of losing weight..
Mind - Clear

Totals for the day - 1,138 Cal 123 Carb 46 Fat 74 Prot 34 Fiber 96 oz H2O, 45.6 lbs lost
Link data -  3262 Cal burned, 43 min moderate activity, 7430 steps, 7:18 hrs/min sleep

Goals met for the day -  ~1200 cals, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches, 30+ min activity, 5000+ steps,
Goals not met for the day - Need to keep 100+ H2O, smoked ~ 15 cigs,


New to my Blog?
Follow my Ultimate Reset Journey and quest for better health from the early days (1,2 or 3 weeks ago):

Night Before Prep
Week 1 - Days 1 - 7 Reclaim
Week 2 - Days 8 - 14  Detox
Week 3 - Days 15 - 21 Restore

Post Reset Day 1 and 2 (2/12 and 2/13)

For the post reset week(s) I will combine the days where I don't have much to say, but I want to keep posting my totals to keep myself accountable for my goals met and not met. This is a journey so I'll change it up as we go along.

ULTIMATE RESET WEIGH IN TODAY....
Me
19.2 lbs lost since 01.22.14
44.8 lbs lost since 12.01.14 (when I started my 'YOU BETTER WAKE UP' journey.. More on this another day :) There is always a story behind what lit a fire under a person's took us to make drastic changes in their life.. )
Chet
22 lbs lost since 01.22.14

Wed Feb 12 - Day 1 post Reset

Breakfast - Shakeo, 1 Kiwi, 1/2 C Pineapple
Lunch - 1 serving guacamole, 1 C Quinoa Pilaf
Snack - 1 C Zucchini Cashew soup
Dinner - 1 C Quinoa Pilaf, 5 asparagus, 1/2 C Roasted Beets
Noticeable changes 
Knee hamstring and tendons killing today - my electrolytes are low, I can feel it
Good energy level all day but tired at night
BP good - mid 90's
Craving animal protein.. or any non veggie :)No salad for a few days.. just can't do another one right now..

Body - Freezing to the bone, skin is clear, 
Mind - obsessing on when we can have meat.. :)

Totals for the day - 1,033 Cal 131 Carb 44 Fat 42 Prot 38 Fiber 96 oz H2O 19.2 lbs lost  
Link data -  2858 Cal burned, 6 min moderate activity, 4878 steps, 4:52 hrs/min sleep

Goals met for the day -  ~1200 cals, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches,
Goals not met for the day - Need to keep 100+ H2O, smoked ~ 15 cigs, 30 min activity, 5000+ steps, need at least 6 hrs of sleep

Thurs Feb 13 - Day 2 post Reset

It's freezing today still.. So wanted a warm breakfast vs the frozen shakeo.. Yea.. not so much I was starving just an hour later. Now, I did only have 1/2 a serving, but I like my shakes. Been doing them for almost 30 years.. YES.. remember carnation instant breakfast, slim fast.. been doing shakes since before they were 'COOL' and before they cost a fortune!! Why yes, yes if I did eat breakfast it was a shake. Some better than others. I really like the vegan choc Shakeology, it is higher in calorie than most of the protein shakes I've used in the past, but it is sooo good when mixed with either unsweetened almond milk/coconut milk vs water. My next pack is vegan strawberry hope it's just as good, or it will be month of yuk shakes.. :)
So as you see below.. we couldn't wait.. We dove in and had Salmon and Chicken today. I had wanted to wait a full week before introducing fish or chx, but we both are just so tired of only veggies.. 'Where's the BEEF' Haaa.. So I figured instead of really cheating and getting that damn cheese burger pizza that Chet is driving me crazy talking about... let's just bring small portions back into our routine. So we did.. no adverse effects but will need to keep track on how we feel and what if anything could cause bloating or abnormal BM's.

Breakfast - 1/2 C Oatmeal, 1/4 C Blueberries, Flax, 1/2 C Pineapple
Snack - 1 plum
Lunch - 4.5 oz Salmon, 5 asparagus, 1/2 C Roasted Beets
Snack - 1 apple, 1/4 C Pumpkin Seeds, 1/2 pkg Seaweed snack
Dinner - 5.5 oz Chicken Breast, 2 C Veggie Soup

Noticeable changes 
Knee hamstring and tendons feel ok today,so I road the bike for a bit. Still need full range of motion in my bad knee to get the most out of my bike.
Good energy level all day but still tired at night
BP good - mid 90's

Body - Freezing still, skin is clear, feeling satisfied (needed animal protein)
Mind - clear, a bit tired

Totals for the day - 1,106 Cal 100 Carb 37 Fat 90 Prot 29 Fiber 128 oz H2O  
Link data -  2917 Cal burned, 16 min moderate activity, 4761 steps, 9:01 hrs/min sleep

Goals met for the day -  ~1200 cals, 100+ H2O, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches,
Goals not met for the day - smoked ~ 15 cigs, 30 min activity, 5000+ steps


New to my Blog?
Follow my Ultimate Reset Journey and quest for better health from the early days (1,2 or 3 weeks ago):

Night Before Prep
Week 1 - Days 1 - 7 Reclaim
Week 2 - Days 8 - 14  Detox
Week 3 - Days 15 - 21 Restore

Tues Feb 11 DAY 21 Ultimate Reset

Tues Feb 11 DAY 21 Ultimate Reset - Yea the final day!!! OMG we did it.. I did not cheat at all, neither did Chet kinda.. He did have snacks late night but they were approved snack (almonds, pumpkin seeds, grapes, veggies etc). I was very, very diligent to not eat after dinner, except for today of course. I needed that lil bit of Chia to get my calories up  :) Tonight we also brought Quinoa back in for dinner because we needed that extra boost and couldn't do just veggies again tonight. We will be incorporating this into our weekly meals maybe with some added chicken or shrimp. We love it.
Today is the last day of the 4x a day supplement and water ritual.. OMG what will we do with ourselves??? We will need to continue the 20 oz of water before each meal, it really helps get the water in. Guess I can set up my Thyroid when I first get up, then supplements, then multi before lunch and dinner. I think that is a good plan.

Breakfast - 1 Kiwi, 1/2 mango, 3 strawberries
Lunch - 1 serving guacamole, 1 C Beet greens, 1/3 C Veggie Stir Fry
Dinner - 1 C Quinoa Pilaf
Snack - 1/4 C Chia seed pudding (YUMMY)


Noticeable changes 
Knee hamstring and tendons feel good today, but still feeling like my electrolytes are low
Good energy level all day but tired at night
BP good - low 100's to high 90's
Not as hungry today but craving animal protein.. or any non veggie :)

Body - Freezing still, skin is clear, my stomach is shrinking even more YEA!!,
Mind - clear, a bit tired

Totals for the day - 780 Cal 113 Carb 38 Fat 20 Prot 35 Fiber 128 oz H2O
Link data -  2813 Cal burned, 4 min moderate activity, 3406 steps, 6:02 hrs/min sleep

Goals met for the day - 100+ oz H2O, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches,

Goals not met for the day - a bit low on calories, smoked ~ 12 cigs, 30 min activity, 5000+ steps

Mon Feb 10 Day 20 Ultimate Reset

Mon Feb 10 Day 20 Ultimate Reset Day 6 Restore - 1 day left!! Woke up before my alarm and working on a better schedule of getting up early in the AM. If I can get up early and start a work out program that will help me reach my health and wellness goals quicker. That will be my next 21 day personal challenge. I felt great when I woke up, was expecting to be sore from the weekend activities, but I think the NSAID I took yesterday and all the stretching helped to reduce the morning pain I usually feel in my hamstrings.

It is so cold and I really wanted a cup of Java, but not for the caffeine, but the heat and flavor. Miss my mug of Joe, but I am afraid to add it back to my daily routine due to the high acid content. Plus my mug of Joe is loaded with forbidden foods, - 4 shots of Espresso, 2 Tbs of Half and Half and 2 Splenda packets = 54 calories. While not as high as a Starbucks macchiato, mine is still filled with chemicals and fat, I will switch to Stevia in the future or try without, but will need some dairy or coconut/almond milk to add the richness.

Went for a walk before lunch. Looks like I need to up my game -my route around the block used to take me 30 minutes, but today I did it in 18. Moving faster, and with less pain. I wanted to go for a second lap after lunch but it was snow/raining and I was already freezing so we didn't go. Tomorrow I'll add walking up to Davis Dr and back, that should get me the 30 minutes I need.

Doing research on what type of 'diet' we want to follow when we are done with the cleanse. I'm leaning toward no 'formal' diet per say (Atkins, Elimination, Thyroid etc), but pull from my 30+ years of dieting experiences. We need to change our lifestyle and eating style. No more multi portions of cheese, wine, salame, cold cuts, processed foods. I really like 'clean' eating and the planned weekly meals. Prepping on the weekend will help us keep to the goal.  Here is a quick video from Dr Oz on bad gut foods.. Wheat, Corn, SOY, Dairy.
Dr Oz Food Sensitivity episode

Breakfast - 1/2 serving guacamole, 1 Kiwi, 1/2 C pineapple, 1/4 C watermelon
Lunch - Salad, 4 garlic stuffed olives
Snack -1 C Beet Greens
Dinner - 4 & 1/2 slices Organic Smoky Tempeh Strips, 1/2 roasted sweet potato, 1 C spaghetti squash
Snack - 1/2 serving Chia seed pudding (YUMMY)


Noticeable changes 
Knee (hamstring and tendons) are killing today - took an NSAID @ 12 PM
Had some muscle cramping again today, need some Super Mag when this is over 
Good energy level during the day
BP good - low 100's to high 90's
Not as hungry today

Body - Freezing, sore again today NSAID helped, skin is clear, my stomach is shrinking even more YEA!!, can feel my collar bones and OMG I have ribs :) Haa..

Mind - clear, a bit tired

Totals for the day - 874 Cal 115 Carb 40 Fat 29 Prot 36 Fiber 128 oz H2O
Link data -  2915 Cal burned, 18 min moderate activity, 5240 steps, 8:11 hrs/min sleep 16.6 lbs lost

Goals met for the day - 100+ oz H2O, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches, 30 min activity, 5000+ steps
Goals not met for the day - a bit low on calories, smoked ~ 15 cigs, 

Sun Feb 9 Day 19 Ultimate Reset

Sun Feb 9 Day 19 Ultimate Reset Day 5 Restore - 2 DAY LEFT Thank God!!! Woke up early again and down another 1lb + , going to try and stay off the demon till Wednesday when the Reset is over... Speaking of over... we are totally ready to get back to a protein based diet and have a cup of coffee :) Actually it is not that bad and we will probably do this again next year. Plus, we will take many of these new habits with us as a part of our new daily/weekly routine. I'll recap the new changes when I do the reset wrap up.

I decided to add more calories to my diet today to help get the numbers up. Made a Reset approved guacamole to add to breakfast, and had a snack of pumpkin seeds. I know that they are high in fat, but needed to get more calories in.

Walked to Fresh Market to get some carrots for lunch. The damn Link only tracked 29 minutes. OYE I hate this thing, it is pissing me off cuz my heart rate was above zone 3 for most of it. Can't wait to get one with an integrated heart monitor. While stretching I was able to sit straight up without my thighs leaving the mat, or using my arms.. Yea.. my core is getting there.. I love Pilates.. 

Breakfast - 1/2 Serving Guacamole, 1/2C pineapple, 1/4C strawberries, blueberries, 1 Kiwi
Lunch -1 serving Hearty Miso Veg soup (not bad and very filling)

Veggie Miso Soup

Snack -1/4C pumpkin seeds
Dinner - 15 steamed asparagus, 1C beet greens


Noticeable changes 
Knee (hamstring and tendons) are killing today - finally had to take an NSAID @ 9 PM
Had some muscle cramping today, probably low in potassium, mag etc. Will be adding back my Super Mag when this is over 
Good energy level during the day
BP good - low 100's to high 90's
Very hungry and craving anything not a veg. miss Shako and protein (in the am, lunch was very filling)
Got a (few) bouts of very loose BM right after lunch. Not sure if it was the Miso or a veggie, but will watch to see if Miso causes it again. I have not had Miso in over a week.

Body - Cold but not freezing, sore from all the walking yesterday and not stretching NSAID helped, my stomach is shrinking even more YEA!!, can feel my collar bones and OMG I have ribs :) Haa..

Mind - clear, a bit tired

Totals for the day - 715 Cal 70 Carb 42 Fat 28 Prot 26 Fiber 128 oz H2O
Link data -  3125 Cal burned, 29 min moderate activity, 6943 steps, 6:12 hrs/min sleep 16.6 lbs lost

Goals met for the day - 100+ oz H2O, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches, 30 min activity, 5000+ steps
Goals not met for the day - too low on calories, smoked ~ 12 cigs, 

Sat Feb 8 Day 18 Ultimate Reset

Sat Feb 8 Day 18 Ultimate Reset Day 4 Restore - Woke up early after 9:21 hrs of sleep. Weighed in down another lb.. YEA 15.2 lbs down since the start of the Reset.. WHOOT WHOOT.. Will help keep the Swedish meatballs at bay..
Started making lunch and dinner for today's trip to Charlotte. We pushed off by 10:00 am YES we left that early, interesting things happen when you wake up at 5:30 am. We were both FREEZING, had the heated seats on the entire time. We both wanted a coffee really bad, not due to cravings, but habit - road trip = coffee, corn nuts, Kentucky Fried chicken (me) and Taco Bell (Chet). The only time we eat fast food is when we are on the road. Need to change that habit. I drank all my water all day even though we were on the road. Stopped at a rest stop to pee and pushed through getting anything for a snack. I think we stopped 3 times on the way down, and 3 times back. I was going to try and not smoke on the trip, but.. not so much.. I did limit the number of cigs I had.

We both got emotional when we walked into the Kennel Club with all of the beautiful English Labs.. We found the breeders and got to spend some time with some of their dogs. Joe is the dad for many of the girls, and we got so meet one of their hopefuls. She was a 6 months old and just so beautiful and well behaved. I wanted to bring her home with us, she was so perfect. We can't remember her name but we got her picture. We can't wait to get Andromeda (Andy).. The outlook is the June time frame, but there is a VERY VERY small chance that if they do not decide to keep one to breed, they may have one from the January litter. Fingers crossed as that is a better time for us, but if not we are at the top of the list.

This is Joe - The Dad for many of the puppies.

This is the 6 month old Girl.. She won one of the puppy trials (best female in class). She is so freaking beautiful I want to bring her home.. 

 We had such a great time seeing the dogs. As we were leaving we saw a young Black Lab and I just had to pet and play with him. He was so energetic, he gave both Chet and me a huge bear hug. We miss our pups, but excited to get Andy. What we will not miss.... not having the dog hair everywhere.. But it will be worth it once we get her.

When we arrived at IKEA, we sat in the car and ate our snack. We walked all over IKEA for over 3 hours and made it through without getting any snacks, but we wanted some. Got the cabinets for the laundry closet, and a cool glass top desk so I can finally stop using the Kitchen island as an office. Will help with snacking and we can get our island back.

My knee and feet were sore after all the walking, and I'm annoyed that the LINK doesn't track if you push a cart.. GRRR.. I really wanted a NSAID, but we are in the final days and need to push through (give that liver a break). It was also hard driving back 3 hrs with my knee all cramped. Chet buffed it out when we got home and I did my stretches to help relieve the pain and the stiffness.

Breakfast - 1/4 mango, 1/4C strawberries, blueberries, 1 Kiwi
AM snack - green apple
Lunch - 1/2 C Curry cauliflower, 1/4 C roasted sweet potato
Snack - 1/2 Serving Stir Fried Veggies
Dinner - 1/2 Serving Roasted Beets


Noticeable changes 
Good energy level during the day, stayed up late watching movies
Tight chest from the added cigs, coughing up a little bit of thin phlegm, had a sneezing attack, but very thin mucous and cleared right up after the attack
BP was back in the low 100's to high 90's
Very hungry and craving anything not a veg. miss Shako and protein.

Body - Freezing, skin is still dry (getting better as I am lubing up daily), redness has leveled out, my stomach is shrinking even more,

Mind - excited to see the labs, and shopping

Totals for the day - 417 Cal 77 Carb 13 Fat 9 Prot 14 Fiber 128 oz H2O
Link data -  3106 Cal burned, 10 min moderate activity, 5917 steps, 9:21 hrs/min sleep 15.2 lbs lost

Goals met for the day - 100+ oz H2O, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches,
Goals not met for the day - too low on calories, smoked ~ 17 cigs, 30 min activity, no 5000 steps,  

Fri Feb 7 Day 17 Ultimate Reset

Fri Feb 7 Day 17 Ultimate Reset Day 3 Restore - STARVING -- This week is hell week, far too hungry but keeping to the plan. It would be better if I broke out my meals by adding snacks so I don't stretch out my stomach. But the plan calls for no real snacks to give the organs a break. But this is killing us. We both are so freaking hungry and so over this. 4 more days, we can do this!!! It is totally worth it, but this week is HARD!

I made the Roasted Kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin), roasted Brussels and steamed Asparagus for dinner. I added 1tsp of coconut oil per 1/2 Kabocha then put it in the oven for ~35 minutes. It came out horribly dry (I should have steamed it). The flavor was great, but we ended up having to add 1 TBS of coconut spread and a bunch of splashes of veg stock. I didn't even eat 1/2 of the serving because it was so dry and irritated my stomach, didn't eat the asparagus either. Going to bed hungry yet again :) We will make the Kabocha again (cuz I have one more) but will bake it cut side down in some water.

Tomorrow we are going to Charlotte to see the potential parents of our pup. We are on the waiting list and can't wait to get our new girl. We are also stopping at IKEA - Swedish meatballs... YUM.. (@530 Cal, 27g Fat) our favorite when we go there. We CANNOT go in there hungry or off our guard. So to mitigate the chance of breaking our Reset, we are making our entire day of food and bringing it with us.Veggie stir fry, roasted beets, roasted fennel and sweet potato. If we eat lunch on the road and snack before we go in it will help. Stick to the plan.. we can do it.

Breakfast - 1 Kiwi, 1 Plum, 1/4 mango
Lunch - Moroccan carrot Salad (yummy love it), 1/4C collard greens

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Dinner - 1/2 Serving Kabocha Squash


Noticeable changes 
Good energy level during the day, but crash again @ about 9:30 PM
Tight chest from the added cigs, coughing up a little bit of thin phlegm, had a sneezing attack, but very thin mucous and cleared right up after the attack
BP was back in the low 100's
Very hungry and craving anything not a veg. miss Shako and protein.

Body - Cold again, skin is still dry (getting better as I am lubing up daily), redness has leveled out, my stomach is shrinking and feeling full easier, less bloating but still have small lil bloat bouts

Mind - still a bit stressed

Totals for the day - 682 Cal 103 Carb 36 Fat 10 Prot 22 Fiber 128 oz H2O
Link data -  2767 Cal burned, 4 min moderate activity, 3417 steps, 7:26 hrs/min sleep 14.2 lbs lost

Goals met for the day - 100+ oz H2O, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches,
Goals not met for the day - too low on calories, smoked ~ 15 cigs, 30 min activity, no 5000 steps,  

Thurs Feb 6 Day 16 Ultimate Reset

Thurs Feb 6 Day 16 Ultimate Reset Day 2 Restore - Went to bed really hungry last night, but had to weigh in this AM at the primary. Down .8lbs on my scale, and ~20 from the last time I went to her. Got my blood test results back but had already gotten them from the Endocrine. Nothing new to report, except that I will be increasing my Vit D intake to between 5,000 and 10,000 IU. Once the Reset is over this will be easier as the vegan versions have a bunch of other crap in it, and only 1 is pure VD3 and it is only 1,000 in liquid form and costs a fortune. Was a bit anxious at the appointment as I needed to be home pitching to execs, but my boss was able to cover. I really need to learn to let work go.. So hard to do..
Been anxious all day worrying about my Mom and her surgery, and of course my Dad is not good with giving updates etc.. Wish I was there cuz I hate being on the other end of a phone with no info. ARG!!! But got good news late in the day that she did well and they were able to do both knees and the surgery went well. Sister went up and sent me a pic so I could see she was really doing well. I felt better after that. Smoked like a fiend today ~17 today. I need to get a better handle on my stress triggers, but didn't turn to food. So that is a step in the right direction.
 The Restore phase is designed to be a lower protein phase to help relieve the liver of all the processing, but I miss my shakes and protein. This is not sustainable way to low cal and protein. Sticking with the plan, but very unsatisfied with breakfast and dinner. Lunch is great and my typical. Chet made dinner again tonight but I didn't like the lemon pepper kale, so I only ate the cauliflower and then added pumpkin seeds cuz I was hungry. Going to bed hungry again.
Pulled out the Tai Cheng video's and started to read about the program again. Will start the 90 day challenge in about 2 weeks once we are back on a normal protein rich diet. Chet said he wanted to do it with me - here is to more flexibility.

Breakfast - 1/4C Fresh pineapple
Lunch - Salad, 1/4C pumpkin seeds
Dinner - 1/2 Serving Curried Cauliflower, 1/4C pumpkin seeds

Noticeable changes 
Good energy level during the day, but crash @ about 8:30 PM
Tight chest from the added cigs, coughing up a little bit of thin phlegm
BP was a bit high - 130's
Very hungry and craving anything not a veg. Miss my Shako and protein.

Body - Cold again, skin is still dry (getting better as I am lubing up daily), redness has leveled out, my stomach is shrinking and feeling full easier, less bloating but still have small lil bloat bouts

Mind - anxious and stressed

Totals for the day -  663 Cal 46 Carb 47 Fat 25 Prot 17 Fiber 128 oz H2O
Link data -  2792 Cal burned, 4 min moderate activity, 4175 steps, 7:16 hrs/min sleep 14.2 lbs lost

Goals met for the day - 100+ oz H2O, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches,
Goals not met for the day - too low in calories, smoked ~ 17 cigs, 30 min activity, no 5000 steps,  

Wed Feb 5 Day 15 Ultimate Reset

Wed Feb 5 Day 15 Ultimate Reset Day 1 Restore - Woke up after 8:17 hrs of much needed sleep, still a bit groggy but trying to force myself to get up early. Feeling good and enjoying the lack of bloating and puffiness when I wake up. Decided to weigh in today.. YEA YEA YEA.. down 4 lbs. Another reason why not to weigh in daily, it all depends on how much water I drank the night before, if I had a BM, etc. So I will try and weigh in every few days. After weighing in and noticing my skin is starting to sag, I pulled out my full body compression suit. Need to keep the skin tight to help reduce gravity effects :). This is such a pain to wear - especially when you are having to pee every 5 minutes. But wore it all day. I would try and wear it to bed but it is way to hard to get off if I have to pee in the middle of the night. Maybe after losing some more weight and it is easier to get on and off I will wear it at night, and maybe with that cellulite cream and plastic wrap... I am serious, I want to try that cream... Ever since I had that full leg cast back in 87, my right leg is deformed from the way they put on the cast, but it was also on for 3 or 4 months. Not sure I can wear that compression suit 24/7 for a few months..
Chet made the acorn, tahini and coconut milk soup for lunch. So good, but very very high in fat. Not sure we will make this again due to the very high content of fat (22 g). He also made the garlic veggie and killed it. Way over cooked and way too much lemon juice. I didn't eat it all as it tasted like crap. Have to teach him how not to kill veggies. :)
I went to Whole Foods before dinner to get some vegan Vit D.. not a good thing to do when you are starving. I had to stay away from the food bar and the cheese section or I was going to be a goner. I pushed through and didn't buy anything or take any cheese samples.. Cheese.. Cheese.. can't wait to take a bite of cheese. :) It has been 2 weeks since I had cheese.. I miss it. Actually cheese is the only thing I really miss, will just need to exercise portion control when we reintroduce it back into the weekly routine.

Breakfast - 1/4C Fresh pineapple, cantaloupe, blueberries and Strawberries, 1 Kiwi, 1C Beet greens
Lunch - Acorn, tahini and coconut milk soup (YUM but very high in fat), Salad - ginger miso dressing
Dinner - 1/2 Serving Garlic veggies, 1 Roasted sweet potato

Noticeable changes 
Skin is starting to sag, especially upper arms and chin area.. and of course the girls. Time for the compression suit.
BP is coming back down
Very hungry and craving anything not a veg. but my stomach is shrinking and I am not able to eat all of my meal, and trying to not snack.  

Body - A bit normal in heat/cold level, skin is still dry (getting better as I am lubing up daily), redness has leveled out, my stomach is shrinking and feeling full easier,

Mind - forgetful and a bit anxious about my mom's knee surgery tomorrow

Totals for the day -  827 Cal 100 Carb 49 Fat 19 Prot 25 Fiber 128 oz H2O
Link data -  2702 Cal burned, 3 min moderate activity, 2919 steps, 8:17 hrs/min sleep 12.8 lbs lost

Goals met for the day - ~1200 cals, 100+ oz H2O, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches,
Goals not met for the day - smoked ~ 12 cigs, 30 min activity, no 5000 steps,  

Tues Feb 4 Day 14 Ultimate Reset

Tues Feb 4 Day 14 Ultimate Reset Day 7 Detox.. YEA!!! Last night I had a work fire drill so stayed up far to late working on charts for an executive review. Let it Begin.. I only slept 4:29 hrs. I need to keep a handle on this, I can not go back to living on 4 hours of sleep. I am exhausted this morning.. Will be an early to bed night tonight.
I needed to up my calories today, so passed on the salad and went for quinoa and lentils as this is our last day of grains. Tomorrow begins just fruit and vegetables.. Almost done!!! The ritual of supplements then wait 30 min is starting to get annoying.. But it is all worth it, RIGHT??. I'm just grumpy today.. I'm also grumpy because I want to get started on a workout routine, but am just so tired during the week. Need to think about moving my exercise to the AM, then there will be no excuses.. You did it back in HS.. when you would get up at 4 and 5 am to do your aerobics and then jog. Just do IT!! :)

Did some additional research on Thyroid today, am still scratching my head about the comment from my endocrine Dr about foods to and not to eat for Thyroid. He called it all old wives tale from the 60's. Interesting.. But even more interesting is reading this article on Thyroid. I will be monitoring these foods very carefully and adding more seaweed to my weekly diet. Still researching exactly what type of food plan we want to follow after the Reset.
Tai Cheng program arrived tonight will check it out tomorrow.

Breakfast - Shakeo, 1/2C Fresh pineapple and cantaloupe and 1/4C blueberries
Lunch - 1/2 serving quinoa pilaf, and lentil salad
Dinner - 1 Serving Roasted Beets and 1/4 acorn squash with tahini

Roasted Beets and Greens

Noticeable changes 
My knee and back are still sore
BP back down
Sore muscle in my neck and RT arm - went to the chiro and she was not able to release my neck 
No stomach ache after taking Detox - drank it very slow vs gulping it down, plus burping is reduced as I am conscientiously slowly drinking my water as to not gulp air. I think gulping air is causing some of the belching

Body - A bit normal in heat/cold level, skin is still dry (getting better as I am lubing up daily), redness on the face is the same, no noticeable additional break out on my face, tired fell asleep by 8:30 pm, less burping, normal BM :)

Mind - tired and cloudy, grumpy!!

Totals for the day -  1,249 Cal 149 Carb 54 Fat 53 Prot 50 Fiber 128 oz H2O
Link data -  2698 Cal burned, 2 min moderate activity, 2774 steps, 4:29 hrs/min sleep 8.6 lbs lost

Goals met for the day - ~1200 cals, 100+ oz H2O, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches,
Goals not met for the day - smoked ~ 15 cigs, 30 min activity, no 5000 steps,  

Mon Feb 3 Day 13 Ultimate Reset

Mon Feb 3 Day 13 Ultimate Reset Day 6 Detox - Lost .4lbs today.. haaa.. every oz counts :) Chet's down 15 and I am down 8.6, overall good progress. Nothing exciting today busy with work. Rode the bike for 20 min, HR @ 145+ (wish it was integrated with the LINK.. )
Made the roasted beets for dinner.. so YUMMY.. but I LOVE BEETS, Chet actually was pleasantly surprised.. he liked them also..
One more day till Phase 3 :)

Breakfast - Shakeo
Lunch - Salad, 1/4 C pumpkin seeds, 6 olives
Dinner - 1 Serving Roasted Beets


Noticeable changes 
My knee and back are still sore
Sore muscle in my neck and RT arm - chiro time.. 
No stomach ache after taking Detox - drank it very slow vs gulping it down

Body - Still cold, skin is still dry, redness on the face is the same, no noticeable additional break out on my face, good energy but tired by 9 pm, burping, normal BM :)

Mind - clear, but noticing I can't remember things I did just a day ago.. Brain probably needs more glucose :)

Totals for the day -  931 Cal 78 Carb 58 Fat 38 Prot 30 Fiber 128 oz H2O
Link data -  2896 Cal burned, 20 min moderate activity, 4244 steps, 6:17 hrs/min sleep 8.6 lbs lost

Goals met for the day - ~1200 cals, 100+ oz H2O, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches, 20 min bike
Goals not met for the day - smoked ~ 15 cigs, 30 min activity, no 5000 steps,  

Sun Feb 2 Day 12 Ultimate Reset

Sun Feb 2 Day 12 Ultimate Reset Day 5 Detox. Woke up this morning feeling a bit bloated, this is the first time in weeks that I couldn't see the tendons in my hands. I think it is because I didn't drink enough water yesterday. My stomach is still aching and I had a bit of phlegm in the back of my throat and a bit of a coating on the back of my tongue.
Today I decided that I will try and up my movement. It is still freaking freezing out, so I decided to ride the bike. I rode for 30 minutes, keeping my heart rate @ ~140+, then I spent about an hour stretching and doing Tai Cheng. It felt great especially the band stretches. After the work out I synched my LINK and noticed that none of the activity was tracked at all (this started my disillusionment for the LINK..). I have been noticing that it has not been tracking my stretches, but I thought it was because my heart rate was not elevated enough. Well not the case.. The Link does not have a HR monitor, it is algorithm based, it measures/estimates the activity based on the movement of the monitor (worn on LF arm). This also explains why it doesn't track my steps while in the grocery store (pushing a cart so no normal arm movement). I'm a little disappointed that I didn't do more research, as I am a gym and machine exerciser vs a runner. But I love that it tracks my sleep, and the steps that I do take. It looks like the Garmin vivofit might be a good choice. But will do more research. I want a monitor that will track steps, sleep and heart rate for a more accurate energy expended.
It's Super Bowl Sunday and we are knee deep into the Reset. Chet has been bitching all day that he really wants Wings. Well guess what... I want the blue cheese dip for those wings.. We are to far now.. so we just sucked it up :) I did make him the toasted millet that he has been wanting since he saw it on the menu. It was not that great. The menu calls for it just plain.. YUK.. Now, if it were mixed with Quinoa or Lentils in a salad or pilaf, it would work, but plain.. YUK.. I just took one taste and decided no way would I waste 108 cal for 1/2 C. So my calorie count was lower today. I need to work on keeping input ~1200 cals. When we are done with the Reset we need to plan out our meals and do much of the 'mise en place' on the weekend so weekday meals will be quick and easy and less temptation to eat poorly, or a quick pre-made or packaged dinner.


Breakfast - Shakeo, 1/2 C Pineapple
Lunch - Salad
Dinner - 1 Serving Quinoa Lentil Pilaf, 1/4 serving Lentil salad, 1/2 C Collard Greens


Noticeable changes 
My knee and back are still sore
BP still high
No stomach ache after taking Detox - drank it very slow vs gulping it down

Body - Still cold, skin is still dry, redness on the face is the same, no noticeable additional break out on my face, good energy but tired by 9 pm, burping, normal BM :)

Mind - clear, but noticing I can't remember things I did just a day ago.. Brain probably needs more glucose :)

Totals for the day -  958 Cal 115 Carb 37 Fat 45 Prot 50 Fiber 128 oz H2O
Link data -  3046 Cal burned, 17 min moderate activity, 3741 steps, 6:15 hrs/min sleep 8.2 lbs lost

Goals met for the day - ~1200 cals, 100+ oz H2O, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches
Goals not met for the day - smoked ~ 7 cigs, 30 min activity, no 5000 steps,  

Sat Feb 1 Day 11 Ultimate Reset

Sat Feb 1 Day 11 Ultimate Reset Day 4 Detox. 
Good news today.. the bathroom demon (scale) gave me some more good nuggets - another pound down today.. one pound closer..
Chet and I went shopping today for the new washer and dryer and veggies for the week. We packed up lunch and a snack to help keep temptation at bay. Man talk about temptation.. we both pushed through. I RAN past the cheese section so I wouldn't be tempted. Not sure why we go food shopping on Saturday's when they are giving out samples.. not that we eat samples, but just the thought of a non veggie snack sounded good. There was a sample of guacamole and tortilla chips sitting out, Chet leaned over to me and said 'Don't you just want to go over and eat that entire display?' Haa.. he was right.. but good thing for us, avocado is on the Reset, so we each made a faux guacamole for dinner. Healthy choices.. :)
I can't believe that neither one of us has cheated. Now, Chet does snack at night, but he only eats things allowed on the Reset menu, (grapes, pump seeds, almonds etc). Me, I have not eaten after dinner since we started the Reset.

Breakfast - Shakeo, 1/4 C sauteed spinach
Lunch - 1/2 serving Quinoa Pilaf, cucumber & tomato salad
Snack - 1/2 Shakeo, 1/4 serving Lentil salad
Dinner - Stir fry veggies, mashed small avocado


Noticeable changes 
My knee and back are still sore it's raining.. took an Aleve with breakfast- felt so much better..
The tingling in my feet and legs has reduced - not sure if it is the diet or the dry brushing but it feels better YEA!!
BP is high
Bloating attack tonight, still burping a great deal even when all I do is drink water. I'm wondering if I am eating too much fiber?

Body - Still cold today, minor headache (from the plug ins), dry brushed, skin is still dry, redness on the face is the same, no noticeable additional break out on my face, my stomach still hurting after Detox drink, more energy but tired by 9 pm, burping, normal BM

Mind - clear, excited

Totals for the day -  1,304 Cal 129 Carb 69 Fat 57 Prot 53 Fiber 128 oz H2O
Link data -  2952 Cal burned, 19 min moderate activity, 4852 steps, 7:18 hrs/min sleep 8.2 lbs lost

Goals met for the day - ~1200 cals, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, oil pulled, stretches
Goals not met for the day - only 96 oz H2O, smoked ~ 7 cigs, 30 min activity, no 5000 steps, 

Fri Jan 31 Day 10 Ultimate Reset

Fri Jan 31 Day 10 Ultimate Reset Day 3 Detox. Woke up energized and excited for the day, 7:20 hrs of sleep.. WHOOT WHOOT!! Good news today.. the bathroom demon (scale) gave me some good nuggets - 4 lbs lost since Wednesday, 6.6lbs down since the start of the Reset. Hope this is the trend for the rest of the Reset.. Chet is down 11 lbs and he too is feeling the energy. He has been painting and fixing up the laundry closet all week. Yea energy and motivation. 

My stomach has been killing me all day and I can feel my stomach is shrinking so not able to eat all of my food at meals. I was going to add a shakeo to breakfast, but was full after just the 1.5 serving of fruit and 1 serving spinach. Then again at lunch, I made a small salad to go with the Lentil salad I made last night. I ate the Lentil salad and was full. I will need to start having a snack between lunch and dinner to keep my calories at ~1200. Why stretch my tummy with the bulk veggies if I can just spread out the calories. Chet and I were talking about the post Reset diet and how we will do 3 meals and 2 snacks over the day vs all at once. But we will also incorporate the 20 oz H2O prior to each meal and wait 30 minutes. That will help us keep our water intake up and help keep the food intake down.

Chet and I talked about doing this again next year and how this Reset is much better that the 'Fad' cleanses. It is helping us add new foods to our daily routine (Lentils, Quinoa, fruits, etc) and it is a gradual cleanse. Chet even made a comment.. there is no magic get Fit quick pill, you have to work at it.. I almost fell on the floor. Looks like that diabetes scare has really changed his way of thinking about fitness and health. I do have to say, it has been great that he is also doing this with me. We time our supplements together, we make meals together it has been a bonding experience. We have only had to use our 'safe words' a few times over the past 10 days. Amazing considering we both work from home, and we had the craziness of the washer going last week. All is well.. so ciao for now :)

Breakfast - Pineapple, cantaloupe, blueberries and spinach
Lunch - 1/2 Lentil salad
Dinner - 1 cup Quinoa Pilaf

Noticeable changes 
My knee and back are still sore and tight almost took a NSAID
The tingling in my feet and legs has reduced - not sure if it is the diet or the dry brushing but it feels better YEA!!
No bloating attack today, but still burping a great deal even when all I do is drink water.

Body - Still cold today, minor headache (from the plug ins), dry brushed, skin is still dry, redness on the face is the same, no noticeable additional break out on my face, my stomach still hurting after Detox drink, more energy but tired by 9 pm, burping, normal BM

Mind - clear, excited

Totals for the day -  685 Cal 107 Carb 16 Fat 32 Prot 41 Fiber 128 oz H2O
Link data -  2942 Cal burned, 10 min moderate activity, 4418 steps, 7:20 hrs/min sleep 6.6 lbs lost

Goals met for the day - 100 + H2O, no dairy, no cheese, no coffee, no snack, oil pulled, stretches
Goals not met for the day - smoked ~ 5 cigs, 30 min activity, no 5000 steps,cals too low