218.2 – Starting Week 4

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Hard to believe that its been almost 4 weeks! Thus far I’ve lost a total of 16.5 pounds and I feel great. While I can certainly see a little difference in terms of how I look — but the most impressive difference for me is the way I feel.

With the extra weight and I am sure some inflammation gone, going up and down stairs is easier, My back feels notably better and while I haven’t yet mastered the “Get enough rest” thing – the quality of the sleep I do get is MUCH better.

I don’t know about everyone else…but is it crazy that even with this success, I still wish the weight would come off at the rate in which it seems to pile on? I almost feel guilty that I have some anxiety around wanting to rush the process along. I feel simultaneously happy that my weight has consistently gone in the “right” direction for 4 consecutive weeks and yet I must admit that I was a little disappointed when I got on the scale this morning and had only lost 1 pound instead of 3! Ughh!

But for now…I am going to fight off a sheer lack of patience by concentrating on some of the amazing dishes I am now exploring as a result of this blog and my sister’s Soul30 Journey.

I’d love to hear from others who are on this journey. What strategies are you using to get to or maintain your optimal weight? How do you stay motivated to stick with it? Until next week!

219.9 – Starting Week 3

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Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today is MLK Day – so I thought it fitting to start off this post with a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. As I look at the many things that matter to me, there are a few I want to focus on in 2019. First, is good health – for me and for my family. In the past couple of years, my dad has had some close calls and it called into sharp relief how important health really is. So I am speaking out about how we nourish our bodies and our souls. No more taking it for granted! I am also not mad that the hard work is paying off and I am a full 14 pounds lighter than when I started.

I am having fun getting reacquainted with healthy cooking and having fun trying to recreate some of the recipes from my travels. Which brings me to another focus area for 2019. Given today’s political climate, it is more important than ever that we celebrate the many cultures that make up the very fabric of this great nation and beyond. I am overwhelmed at how fortunate we are to live amongst friends who come to this country from every corner of the world. We can not afford to be silent about the tremendous impact people from all backgrounds have had on our country. We must celebrate and support each other. kickass Culture Food will connect through food, fitness and health.

I’ll end the way I began with a quote from King.

“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”

Let’s communicate!

223.7 – Off to a great start

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Today I start week 2 at 223.7 pounds. I lost 10.3 pounds, so I am pumped!! In all fairness…we all know that the first week is typically water weight…but I am conveniently ignoring that for the moment because it makes be feel great to get a good jumpstart!

This week the focus will be on creating meals and recipes that are convenient, don’t take all day to make and won’t trash my diet! I have yet to sit down and create a full week menu…but baby steps, right?

So this week…I’m going to wing it. However, as I plan for each night – I’m going to take 10 extra minutes to build that day’s menu on next week’s calendar. My friend Alex allowed me to borrow is keto book – so my hope is to get some ideas from there and experiment with dishes from the book that are similar to the dishes I’ve experienced in some of the places I’ve travelled.

Much success to everyone this week. Time to kick ass!

234.7…Oh My!

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This post could have stopped at the picture and the title! That said — I am amped to jump-start healthy eating and engaging in other cultures in the process. My personal weight loss goal for 2019 is to lose 90 to 95 pounds before we ring in the new year of 2020. So, what’s the plan exactly? The plan is to adhere to a diet that I’ve pieced together from a number of well-known weight loss philosophies. Like Atkins, I am drastically lowering my carb intake and upping the protein. From the Whole30 my goal is to rid my body of inflammation by ditching the dairy, soy, legumes. However, no nuts are allowed on the Whole 30 — and for me…that’s a no can do. I love macadamia nuts — which are also high in good fats…so they stay. For those familiar with the Mediterranean diet, this is very similar — besides the fruit — which goes because of the high sugar content. I am looking forward, however, to potentially reintroduce melons and berries in the summertime in moderation.

Each Monday, I’ll be uploading a blog post describing my journey thus far. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE comment below. This is meant to be a community of people who are on a journey toward optimal weight, better health and vitality. This is the place to lift each other up, share stories, trade recipes and celebrate who we are in every moment along the way.

I imagine that like me…lots of us have been here before. Ready to start anew…and PISSED that there is even a necessity to start anew. A number of years ago – I was in this very spot. I buckled down much like I am doing now and I lost 100 pounds. I kept it off for over 5 years. Then, things changed…new career path, lots of traveling, lots of eating out without working out, and a move back home. The move home — was probably the hardest. I very quickly fell back into old patterns of doing things — including a diet that was sugar laden, fried and by all accounts a fantastically yummy but weight E X P L O D I N G way of eating. I remember saying to myself I would NEVER be fat again. and I remember the day that it was undeniable that I had broken that promise to myself. !@#((U@!!

So today we start again. Ready to kickass? Let’s do this!!

Eating Out and Success.

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The Soul30 Journey is more than just white knuckling your way through the Whole30 Reset!  It’s strutting through it with a community of multicultural, food loving, health and wellness seeking soulsters!  (think the George Jefferson Strut) being able to eat out at some of your favorite restaurants is a must!  That’s why we have asked some of our favorite soulster restaurants to add a Soul30 meal/item to their menu’s.   We were met with a very positive response and are hosting our first pop-up at Pimento Jamaican Kitchen this week! Together we determined a Soul30 compliant meal that everyone can eat! 

Most of the time, we are not so lucky to have chefs and restaurants intentionally adding Whole30 items to their menus, finding ourselves trying to figure it out for ourselves, asking a bunch of questions and being that pain in the ass (PITA) that keeps asking the server to modify your meal.  Well, I say be that pain and make sure they get it right.   Here are 5 tips to a successful restaurant trip:

  1. Call the restaurant in advance if time permits to ask the Chef if they can prepare one of your favorite dishes Whole30 style.
  2. Research your favorite 5, “go to” restaurants to suggest as options that you know, in advance,  serve Whole30 friendly meals.  Google, “farm to table restaurants” or “Paleo restaurants” “healthy restaurants” “keto restaurants” or simply call your favorites and offer to help them create something to add to the menu like we are doing on our Soul30 Journey.
  3. Don’t worry about being that PITA!  Go ahead, PITA away, ask as many questions as you need to ensure you get a meal that complies with the program. By now, lots of servers and Chef’s alike are familiar with the Whole30 and will likely be able to modify a meal relatively easy for you.
  4. When in doubt, order a grilled meat—salmon, chicken, shrimp, beef, steak.  Just make sure they don’t use a rub that uses any type of sugar—most don’t.
  5. Enjoy the company you are in!  Reach deep into your soul and remind yourself that the Soul30 Journey is about resonating LOVE for yourself by ensuring that you are treating yourself like the important soulster that you are and LOVING and enjoying the people you are with.   It’s a journey, enjoy it.