Very first "30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge" Starts tomorrow November 1, 2012!!

The very first "30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge" starts tomorrow, November 1, 2012! I hope that you will join me. Who knows, we may be able to avoid packing on the typical holiday pounds!

The "30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge" was created to help me learn to make exercising daily second nature, just as eating lots of veggies is now a breeze thanks to the Whole30. I realized many people may be in the same boat as I am and need a starting point, a goal that is achievable. I hope you will find the "30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge" to be just that.

The Rules...

Do at least 10 minutes of exercise a day, preferably working up to 30-45 minutes a day (or more) doing any kind of activity you like, such as yoga, walking, biking, dancing, running...etc. You may divide the time up through out the day, but you run the risk of forgetting...so don't forget!

Exercise each day for 30 days in a row. This will give you the repetition that will help you make exercising a new beneficial habit which is the goal we are striving for.

Now get up and move! You can do it!

Here is the link to my Facebook page dedicated to the "30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge" https://www.facebook.com/30DayGetUpAndMoveChallenge

Post 21 Day Sugar Detox Photos

Here are the newest photos post detox, I am wearing the same top as before and my make-up is the same except I swiped on some pink lip balm. The jeans I am wearing are different, they are a size smaller than the ones I am wearing in the first pictures...yay! My sweet, supportive husband took these pictures for me.

Before: April 3, 2012

After: April 25, 2012

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

I can't really see much of a difference, but that is OK, it's only been three weeks, I can't expect major changes to take place in such a short time. What is important is I feel healthier and have more energy than before.

I visited my doctor today to get a blood test request to have my thyroid checked, I am pretty sure it's high right now meaning my thyroid medication will have to be lowered if I am correct. I really hope so, I would love to heal my thyroid if possible and not be reliant on any medicine. I have already lowered it from 150 mg to 130 mg, ( the doctor lowered it according to blood test results) and hope the doc will lower it more, pray for me! While I was at the doctor's office he mentioned to me about the HCG Diet, is anyone familiar with it? He told me (I think this is what he said, I'm deaf remember) that it is a hormone that mimics pregnancy in the body which makes fat burn faster. I told him I would do some research on it, but I'm not sure if it sounds like anything I want to do. I have been focusing on lifestyle changes, making slow, but significant progress in my eating habits and the foods I eat. I imagine if I don't make those fundamental changes, I would start gaining weight after going off the HCG Diet once I reached my goal weight. Still I will keep an open mind :)

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Steph

Day 15 of Sugar Detox and More...

Day 15 of the 21 Day Sugar Detox is almost at an end, I have one more week to go and I'm very happy! I don't plan to go on a sugar binge as soon as the detox is over, that would just undo all my hard work and be  plain stupid. I can honestly say I am a sugar addict, the last two weeks have made that abundantly clear to me, I was in denial thinking I was being healthy eating unrefined sugars, while healthier, they are still sugar and too much is not good. It's been a daily struggle trying to squelch my cravings, but I can honestly say it's getting easier now. My cravings are no longer the "frantic" type, but more the "secure" type, meaning I still crave sugary foods, but I know I can have some soon if I want and it's OK...does that make sense? :)

My goal for after I finish this 21 Day Sugar Detox is to do many of these detoxes this year, I'm thinking every other month or so. I need to conquer my inner sugar monster! Also I plan to have sweets on Fridays which is our family night for playing games and staying up late ( a perfect day for something sweet for the whole family) and on special occasions, not every day or almost every day as I was doing before.

Some things I have noticed in the last two weeks is my taste buds are more sensitive, simple foods taste delicious just as they are. I'm not as tired as I usually am, and that is big for me. I have also dropped another pound too, not too shabby!

Everyone is healing from the emotional and for Eric and Eilan, the physical trauma of the car accident. We have chosen to let it draw us closer to God and rely on him more than ever.

Here are some pictures of today's happenings...

My handsome Kade working hard on his school work.

Oops, I'm caught, the camera flash gave me away :)

Eilan and Aiden enjoying the sunshine and perfect weather during a break from their school work.

Our tomato plants, are planted!

My handsome Aiden showing me a trick he can do.

A delicious pizza made with a quinoa crust. I will post more on this later.

Homemade meat spaghetti sauce on sauteed yellow squash ribbons...so good and yellow squash does not have the bitterness that zucchini does.

Have you ever given up sugar? I'd love to hear about it.

Steph

Sugar Detox Progress (or lack of)

Last week started off well, I felt so steady, I did have some sugar cravings, but I was able to handle them fairly easily...until the car accident. My husband and daughter were in a car accident on Wednesday evening coming home from church, they were hit from the side by a driver who ran a red light. God was merciful and protected them and brought them back home safely to us! We have been praising and thanking the Lord since then, and treasuring every moment we have together. It is sad how easy we can take simple blessings for granted!

Despite all the happenings of last week, I remained sugar free (even though I wanted to rip through a tub of rocky road ice cream) up until yesterday. We had a birthday potluck at a church friends house between services and the sweet, young man of the house made a gluten free chocolate cake for me and another friend who are gluten free. It was the first time he had ever made anything gluten free, I just could not say no to his wonderfully, kind gesture so I had some...and it was gooood! Then things kinda spiraled out of control on the sugar thing, I had reasoned to myself, well since I have had some, why not live it up today and just get back on the wagon tomorrow. So I did, I had a mocha frap from Starbucks...venti, I also had some rocky road ice cream that I had been dreaming about all week along with some more chocolate cake that I took home. I don't know if my taste buds are changing but the mocha frap did not taste as good, let's hope for changing taste buds :)

It's Monday, I'm back on the wagon and being good again, but still having cravings and dreaming about rocky road ice cream and Christopher's gluten free chocolate cake. Will I make it through the next two weeks? I honestly don't know, but I will take it one day at a time and rely on the Lord for strength. What is encouraging is that before I went on my sugar binge, I was starting to see some benefits to my health and I had dropped a pound, therefore I will persevere to the end!

How was your week?

Steph

21 Day Sugar Detox Pictures

As promised, here are the starting pictures of me on Day 2 of the 21 Day Sugar Detox. I am pretty embarrassed to put these up, but I am curious to see the end result pictures and compare them. I fully expect to look radiant!

I ate some delicious Mini Egg Pizza Muffins from Paleo Parents new book "Eat Like a Dinosaur". Made plenty so I have breakfast already made for tomorrow!

I did have some cravings for something sweet so I made some coconut biscuits from the 21 Day Sugar Detox program recipes. Slathered on some grassfed butter and they filled me right up, cravings were gone.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Steph

Starting a 21 Day Sugar Detox today!

The team at Balanced Bites are kicking off a new 21 Day Sugar Detox today and I'm joining them!

I'm looking forward to giving my body the chance to do a little "spring cleaning", I know I will feel much better when it's over. If you would like to join too, head over to their blog for more information.

I'll post my "starting" picture tomorrow and an "after" picture when I complete the 21 days. I am curious to see if there will be a visible difference in my appearance, I am expecting to feel better at least :)


Oh, and after a year of being away, I'm baaaaack!
Steph