Something New

I have been reading how food can affect (or is it effect) your mood in Jillian Micheals "The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook." I have to say I have never really gave much thought to it, except when it came to chocolate and coffee, which are too things that made me very happy. However, I will say that since I have changed what I eat my mood has improved for the most part. There are alot of other things to factor in too, like the additional exercise that I am doing, the 7 hours a night of sleep I am getting, and the gallons of water I am drinking. But it has really got me thinking about the cause and effect relationship between what we eat and how we feel.
According to this book the following foods improve mood: Vitamin B, Chicken, Turkey, Beef, tuna, eggs, fortified cereals, and grains; omega 3: salmon, herring, mackerel (yuck!), white fish, walnuts and flax. So the next time that you are feeling blue try eating some of these foods to see if it helps.
Also last weekend when I was complaining about the ugly weather that we were having on Saturay, my friend, Rolly, told me to look beyond the clouds to the sunshine. That the sun was shining just above those clouds and to think about that. I thought that it was a cool way to look at it. (Tried it out on today cloudy weather and I will have say...easier said than done :). )

Great Dinner!

Just want to share a great receipe that I tried out tonight. It was sooooo good! And for those in Taitung, you can buy all the ingredients,except the bean (I don't know what they are in English much less Chinese)locally. If you try it. let me know. :)

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/paprika_shrimp_green_bean_saute.html

Two weeks (finished)

Well what I am doing is working so far. This morning DAY 15 I am down 7.3 lbs. Really happy with this number... actually it twice what I thought I would lose by this time. However the last three days I just haven't wanted to exercise. It is really tough. I made it through only half of the yoga routine then gave up. I think it has a little to do with the weather. We have been having rainy, cold, gray, ugly days here. I so need another sunny day at the beach. I can't explain why but the beach on a sunny day always makes me feel better. Praying for sun soon.

Need New Recipes

So I have been doing really well on the eating healthy part thanks to my new slow cooker. However I have been eating the same 3 or 4 things for dinner for the last two weeks. I know that is going to get old really fast. I tried a new recipe for Chicken Divan but it didn't turn out very good. I think there is no way to exchange wheat flour for all-purpose flour and it still taste ok. Here's what I have been eating... would love some other recipes to mix things up. If you are not in Taiwan remember that I live in a more remote area that might not have really specific ingredients. Thanks.

Breakfast
Option 1 fruit, yogurt and muesli cereal.
Option 2 egg whites, cheese and salsa breakfast burrito
Option 3 Oatmeal with fruit

Lunch
Option 1 the bbq pulled chicken on homemade wheat bread and fruit
Option 2 bean, cheese and salsa burrito with fruit

Dinner
Option 1 Sauteed chicken or fish with seasoning, a vegetable, fruit
Option 2 Pumpkin and Carrot Soup with Lunch option 1
Option 3 salad from BaiLiXiang (herb restaurant)

Snacks
Carrots, celery, soybeans etc.
fruit with spoon full of peanut butter
Nuts

Week Two

I think this is Day 11. So good so far. I am down 5.9 lbs. I have a goal of 2 lbs a week, which I am told is a healthy goal. First week you lose more because of water weight. I know I am ahead of schedule but I hope that I will still be on track after I start to platue.
Things that have changed...
1. What I eat: I traded my breakfast of SouBing Jia Dan (Egg sandwich on flaking type of bread) for a serving of fruit (normally a banana),a cup of plain yogurt and muesli cereal. Lunch I traded a p&j sandwich and Cheetos for homemade bean and cheese burrito with fresh salsa and a serving of fruit. I traded my snack of chocolate for an apple with a spoonful of peanut butter. Dinner I traded pasta or rice dishes for salad or fish or chicken with vegtables and fruit for dessert.
It hasn't been easy. The first 3-4 days I felt irritated and tired. But about the one week mark I started to notice getting full faster and not as many temptations to eat bad things. I took out all rice, pasta, (mostly all bread: still eat some organic wheat bread.) refined sugar and caffeine (mostly). I have a cup of coffee every once in a while but with low-fat milk only.
2. Drink more water I am not at huge water person. I like juice, but since I read you should eat your fruit not drink it I have changed to water. I bought a new water bottle for motivation. I am getting better at it and I really am begining to see the benefits.
3. Exercise: Before I was playing soccer 2-3 nights a week and that was about it. Now I play soccer 3-4 nights a week, do a yoga meltdown video 3-4 nights a week, swim at the local pool 1-2 days a week (hopefully more when the weater warms up) and get out and do something active on the weekends such as I went surfing last Saturday and Sunday I climbed all over the mountain/hill that's in the middle of our city. (I pretended that I was on Survivor and was doing a challenge where you have to run to the different platforms (which are up and down lots of wooden steps.)) Whatever works right?

Gotta Start Somewhere

After losing weight 2 1/2 years ago I never thought I would be at the weight that I am at now. It's fustrating, depressing and down right just not healthy.
So I woke up today and said, "This is the day." I whipped out a book that had been collecting dust on the shelf, Jillian Micheal's Master your Metabolism, and started reading. I took all the unhealthy food out of my house and bought a journal, a slow cooker and a new water bottle. Haha!!! I was READY!!!
In Jillian's book she talks about making goals for yourself. So here are some of mine. Obviously I want to lose weight. I want to feel more confident. I want to be healthy in all aspects of my life; emotionally, physically, spiritually. I want to be able to play soccer and surfing well. I want to learn how to dance. (That's my something new goal. haha).
I am doing this blog more for myself than for anything else. I place to share what I am learning along the way. I place to vent my struggles and a place to document my progress. (Yes, I am confident that I will suceed!)
So here we go! If you are reading this please pray for the strenght to make right choices everyday!

This is me today: April 9, 2011