Friday, June 7, 2013
It Starts With Food - Day 4
After going to bed so late last night, stressed to say the least, the sleep quality was not high quality! I am tired. I am blah. I am excited. I am stressed. The UC is acting up. I am sure that has to deal with the stress and the coffee. I have stayed away from the spicy foods for the most part in order to give it time to really heal. Meds should be here today! Meds should be here today. I think that will help me to get over this hump. Still taking prednisone. I have been taking in the interim while out of Asacol (Delzicol).
I need to eat breakfast, though I need some time to get up and going. Maybe after huddle is over? Maybe after I get through a whole water? Maybe I am just not hungry after all? Am I starting to see a decrease in my cravings? I was able to manage the resistance of the pizza temptation last night even when Cara REALLY wanted it.
Well around 10am I needed something light in my stomach and I was not really feeling the eggs this am. So I grabbed a small bowl of cantaloupe and a handful of black olives and almonds. That will at least tide me over until lunch and was a healthy compromise I think. I know the goal is to get the proper ratio of protein, fat, veggies, and fruits at every meal but this is really taking a toll on me with all the protein. I am not used to this much meat. I actually miss my morning bowl of quinoa with peanut butter and banana and cinnamon or oatmeal with apple and cinnamon and a little brown sugar. Again, learning new habits. I will keep reminding myself of this until I'm sick of it.
Lunch I wanted Chinese after Cara had been talking about it. Cut up broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, black olives, onion, tomato, green beans, and some chicken. Sauteed those with a few splashes of tamari and some cracked black pepper. Pretty good. Mmm.. Side of cantaloupe.
I just cant beat the cravings today! 90 minutes after eating a large plate I am hungry! So I am munching on some almonds and water.
AND......I......BROKE!!!! Under the stress of interviewing for this job and the stress my body was going through I couldn't think clearly. I wasn't me and that just wasn't going to work! So I asked Cara is she wanted to go get Mexican. So we went and it was delightful Chips and salsa, "Mexican Chili", 3 soft tacos. DELICIOUSO!!! I enjoyed it tremendously! The gas later was rough but I felt so much better!
Working through my presentation with Cara being more than supportive I just couldn't break the mental frustration! I got angry! I just needed to go to sleep and reset. So once the presentation was done and clothes were ironed and I was set out and ready for the big day....sleep was had!
I need to eat breakfast, though I need some time to get up and going. Maybe after huddle is over? Maybe after I get through a whole water? Maybe I am just not hungry after all? Am I starting to see a decrease in my cravings? I was able to manage the resistance of the pizza temptation last night even when Cara REALLY wanted it.
Well around 10am I needed something light in my stomach and I was not really feeling the eggs this am. So I grabbed a small bowl of cantaloupe and a handful of black olives and almonds. That will at least tide me over until lunch and was a healthy compromise I think. I know the goal is to get the proper ratio of protein, fat, veggies, and fruits at every meal but this is really taking a toll on me with all the protein. I am not used to this much meat. I actually miss my morning bowl of quinoa with peanut butter and banana and cinnamon or oatmeal with apple and cinnamon and a little brown sugar. Again, learning new habits. I will keep reminding myself of this until I'm sick of it.
Lunch I wanted Chinese after Cara had been talking about it. Cut up broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, black olives, onion, tomato, green beans, and some chicken. Sauteed those with a few splashes of tamari and some cracked black pepper. Pretty good. Mmm.. Side of cantaloupe.
I just cant beat the cravings today! 90 minutes after eating a large plate I am hungry! So I am munching on some almonds and water.
AND......I......BROKE!!!! Under the stress of interviewing for this job and the stress my body was going through I couldn't think clearly. I wasn't me and that just wasn't going to work! So I asked Cara is she wanted to go get Mexican. So we went and it was delightful Chips and salsa, "Mexican Chili", 3 soft tacos. DELICIOUSO!!! I enjoyed it tremendously! The gas later was rough but I felt so much better!
Working through my presentation with Cara being more than supportive I just couldn't break the mental frustration! I got angry! I just needed to go to sleep and reset. So once the presentation was done and clothes were ironed and I was set out and ready for the big day....sleep was had!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
It Starts With Food - Day 3
This morning I was able to get out of bed again with out feeling too sluggish. I did have to take about 5 minutes to get adjusted to the light and I think I looked like a zombie walking into my wife in the bathroom.
This morning started off feeling pretty hectic when trying to decide the lunch for my wife. Breakfast and lunch made and ready in 20 minutes. It felt like a marathon but thinking back on it now it actually isn't bad at all. We are just a lazy society. Myself included. Were breaking habits here. Keep telling yourself that until you buy into it.
Her breakfast included 3 eggs, green onion, kale, tomato, s&p, scrambled in a bit of olive oil. Her lunch I was actually pretty excited about. Chunks of chicken breast sauteed with garlic, mushrooms, cashews, and olive oil. With a side of steamed green beans. Smelled fantastic even at 7:30 am.
All of this was done in 20 minutes. 20 MINUTES? So much better than grabbing a pop-tart and running on nothing all morning. Anyways moving along to me.
I had some phone calls and work was hectic so I was unable to get to breakfast until almost 9:30. I decided to try the brown eggs that we bought. What is the difference? Do they taste different? Will I like them? Who knows? I'm in a trial mood so lets go for it.
Cracked those bad boys into a bowl and whipped up an omelet of broccoli, mushrooms, tomato, green onion, garlic, cilantro. Topped that with some leftover guacamole from the other night and a few pieces of that cantaloupe I cut up last night.
I am feeling pretty good but I think my body is getting used to the even larger increase of veggies as my back is hurting slightly. There is also the excitement that I had a great interview last night and the company would like for me to prepare a presentation and come back on Friday. I haven't been this excited and optimistic in a while. My boss is on board with me doing whatever is best for myself and I have my ever loving and supportive wife who has the excitement of her new job starting in the next few weeks. Needless to say this is a very exciting time of change in the McKenna household.
Time to go fix a cup of tea and get back to work.....
Now back from a long commercial break, or from working on pulling a file that wont come because the system isn't configured to work with Mac's. Grrr. Anyways....LUNCH!
Today I decided to use number two of the leftover avocados that I bought last weekend. (Maybe I should have started with one or two! oops! I'm sure my brilliant wife would have suggested that. I learned!) So I sliced up a whole avocado and topped with diced tomato, diced onions, cilantro, black olives, lime juice, olive oil, s&p and let that sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes. I also heated up some of the leftover ground turkey and kale curry bites from yesterdays lunch and tossed some cantaloupe on my plate. . Man, I have been missing out with the avocados. I don't know why I had such an aversion to them? Maybe I have just grown up?
I've got a craving for something other than water. I need something other than water. I am sure it is the sugar craving sneaking up but I am craving flavor. I may blend up some fruit in the Vitamix and make a smoothie or add to some sparkling water. I also have this nagging itch for pizza, warm crusty bread fresh from the over dipped in olive oil and spices! OK, STOP!!!!
I've read that 7-9 days is where the cravings stop. That is only 4-6 more days!
This morning started off feeling pretty hectic when trying to decide the lunch for my wife. Breakfast and lunch made and ready in 20 minutes. It felt like a marathon but thinking back on it now it actually isn't bad at all. We are just a lazy society. Myself included. Were breaking habits here. Keep telling yourself that until you buy into it.
Her breakfast included 3 eggs, green onion, kale, tomato, s&p, scrambled in a bit of olive oil. Her lunch I was actually pretty excited about. Chunks of chicken breast sauteed with garlic, mushrooms, cashews, and olive oil. With a side of steamed green beans. Smelled fantastic even at 7:30 am.
All of this was done in 20 minutes. 20 MINUTES? So much better than grabbing a pop-tart and running on nothing all morning. Anyways moving along to me.
I had some phone calls and work was hectic so I was unable to get to breakfast until almost 9:30. I decided to try the brown eggs that we bought. What is the difference? Do they taste different? Will I like them? Who knows? I'm in a trial mood so lets go for it.
Cracked those bad boys into a bowl and whipped up an omelet of broccoli, mushrooms, tomato, green onion, garlic, cilantro. Topped that with some leftover guacamole from the other night and a few pieces of that cantaloupe I cut up last night.
I am feeling pretty good but I think my body is getting used to the even larger increase of veggies as my back is hurting slightly. There is also the excitement that I had a great interview last night and the company would like for me to prepare a presentation and come back on Friday. I haven't been this excited and optimistic in a while. My boss is on board with me doing whatever is best for myself and I have my ever loving and supportive wife who has the excitement of her new job starting in the next few weeks. Needless to say this is a very exciting time of change in the McKenna household.
Time to go fix a cup of tea and get back to work.....
Now back from a long commercial break, or from working on pulling a file that wont come because the system isn't configured to work with Mac's. Grrr. Anyways....LUNCH!
Today I decided to use number two of the leftover avocados that I bought last weekend. (Maybe I should have started with one or two! oops! I'm sure my brilliant wife would have suggested that. I learned!) So I sliced up a whole avocado and topped with diced tomato, diced onions, cilantro, black olives, lime juice, olive oil, s&p and let that sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes. I also heated up some of the leftover ground turkey and kale curry bites from yesterdays lunch and tossed some cantaloupe on my plate. . Man, I have been missing out with the avocados. I don't know why I had such an aversion to them? Maybe I have just grown up?
I've got a craving for something other than water. I need something other than water. I am sure it is the sugar craving sneaking up but I am craving flavor. I may blend up some fruit in the Vitamix and make a smoothie or add to some sparkling water. I also have this nagging itch for pizza, warm crusty bread fresh from the over dipped in olive oil and spices! OK, STOP!!!!
I've read that 7-9 days is where the cravings stop. That is only 4-6 more days!
Well about 2:30 hit and even with te excitement, I broke down and made a small pot of coffee. Usually I press a cup or two but as my father-in-law had just been here a week ago, the pot was still not back in storage. So I tried some of this ground coffee/chickory root from Cafè Du Mondè that I picked up a few months back on a trip to New Orleans. It's good. It's dark. It's different! Good still but I added a splash of almond milk to give it the creaminess. Now instead of my nap at 5, I should be ready to plow through and make this presentation ready for Friday morning. Did I mention that getting feedback from my wife is gonna be major awesomeness? She has a way with words! We're a killer team!
What a productive night. Cara got home and we discussed our days and appts. We then talked about the home buying process making sure that we were both on the same page and came to the agreement that we are ready to start interviewing realtors. We discussed the finances and such that we would be getting into and the possible timeline, apt lease extension and such. Now we were both ready to sit and veg, though I had this presentation to work on so we made dinner. I made a cast iron steak, guac salad (same as lunch, though half this time),some broccoli and a sliced mushroom in the pan with the steak, with a side of cantaloupe.
Now it was time for me to work and for the misses to, ahem, fall asleep for the night. After all, it has been a long and exciting couple of past weeks. .So I worked on this presentation making it more than it is and harder then it is until about 1:30 am. Still incomplete, feeling slightly defeated. God will work it out. There is nothing more that I can stress about or do for it besides putting it into a presentation and giving my best.
So for the night I am done. I will go rest and I will finish it tomorrow. Another day.
What a productive night. Cara got home and we discussed our days and appts. We then talked about the home buying process making sure that we were both on the same page and came to the agreement that we are ready to start interviewing realtors. We discussed the finances and such that we would be getting into and the possible timeline, apt lease extension and such. Now we were both ready to sit and veg, though I had this presentation to work on so we made dinner. I made a cast iron steak, guac salad (same as lunch, though half this time),some broccoli and a sliced mushroom in the pan with the steak, with a side of cantaloupe.
Now it was time for me to work and for the misses to, ahem, fall asleep for the night. After all, it has been a long and exciting couple of past weeks. .So I worked on this presentation making it more than it is and harder then it is until about 1:30 am. Still incomplete, feeling slightly defeated. God will work it out. There is nothing more that I can stress about or do for it besides putting it into a presentation and giving my best.
So for the night I am done. I will go rest and I will finish it tomorrow. Another day.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
It Starts With Food - Day 2
Woke up today without feeling sluggish. I could have gone for a cup of coffee but with the recent flare up I think it best to hold off for at least a week before indulging. Water is not a problem to get down normally but I do feel that I am drinking more steadily through out the day instead of just gulping it down a few times. Coincidence? Only time will tell.
There is also the adrenaline of the job prospects knocking on my door. The thought of us finally being able to move forward and enjoy our jobs and to buy a house. Life is good. GOD is good!
My wife wanted to make a smoothie for breakfast and we made a little too much so I had some of that. We were out of our normal mix of morning smoothie ingredients so we improvised by using strawberries, cucumber, kale, and banana. That was not cutting it so I ate the other half of a banana from our smoothie as well as 2 eggs with a few black olives and diced tomatoes.
For lunch I made some ground turkey and kale curry bites. Also had a small salad of field greens, 1/4 cucumber, a handful of carrots, a roma tomato, and a few black olives, drizzled with a little olive oil and balsamic.
I had an interview today so I didn't get home until later than I would have liked to eat so I was pretty hungry as I was preparing dinner. Cooked up a sirloin steak via cast iron and over (BRILLIANT & DELICIOUS STEAK!) , sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, I roasted a smaller sweet potato (olive oil, s&p, garlic powder, 425 for 20 minutes.) and steamed some fresh green beans for the wife.
A few hours after eating dinner I had a craving for something and just couldnt shake it. I am sure it is the habit of having an after dinner snack or sweet that I am trying to kill early on. So I cut up a HUGE cantaloupe that I had gotten and ate a few roasted and salted almonds. Continued to drink a fair amount of water and I was good to go.
Going to get better each day. This is a process and bad habits don't change over night.
Tomorrow is a new day.
My wife wanted to make a smoothie for breakfast and we made a little too much so I had some of that. We were out of our normal mix of morning smoothie ingredients so we improvised by using strawberries, cucumber, kale, and banana. That was not cutting it so I ate the other half of a banana from our smoothie as well as 2 eggs with a few black olives and diced tomatoes.
For lunch I made some ground turkey and kale curry bites. Also had a small salad of field greens, 1/4 cucumber, a handful of carrots, a roma tomato, and a few black olives, drizzled with a little olive oil and balsamic.
I had an interview today so I didn't get home until later than I would have liked to eat so I was pretty hungry as I was preparing dinner. Cooked up a sirloin steak via cast iron and over (BRILLIANT & DELICIOUS STEAK!) , sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, I roasted a smaller sweet potato (olive oil, s&p, garlic powder, 425 for 20 minutes.) and steamed some fresh green beans for the wife.
A few hours after eating dinner I had a craving for something and just couldnt shake it. I am sure it is the habit of having an after dinner snack or sweet that I am trying to kill early on. So I cut up a HUGE cantaloupe that I had gotten and ate a few roasted and salted almonds. Continued to drink a fair amount of water and I was good to go.
Going to get better each day. This is a process and bad habits don't change over night.
Tomorrow is a new day.
Monday, June 3, 2013
It Starts With Food - Day 1
Today we embarked on a journey to better health by starting the Whole30 program. 30 days eating a clean paleo diet. A palm sized amount of protein, a thumb sized portion of fat, and fille the rest of your plate with veggies. You can include a palm sized portion of fruit if you desire.
In April of this year my wife and I did the "Quantum Wellness Cleanse". 21 days with out sugar, animal products, gluten, caffeine, or alcohol. I felt a little better but there was nothing in it for me in terms of digestive health and the pain of ulcerative colitis. Though I know that my wife liked it better as it was no meat. At this point I am trying to find what works for me and kind of feel like I am dragging her in 1000 directions to find that "good-fit". You can read about it here: http://ourquestforsuccess.blogspot.com/2013/04/21-day-cleanse.html
Yesterday was an awful flare day full of agonizing pain in the abdomen and back. I laid on the floor with a heating pad tossing and turning and sleeping to just make it through. I ate some saltine crackers, plain rice, and later in the day some sweet potato hash and eggs for dinner.
Today I woke up feeling better than yesterday. Still achey and tired but better. I weighed to see if there is any difference between the start and finish of this process at 199.0 lbs. Breakfast was leftover sweet potato hash with kale, eggs, and black olives. Lunch was field greens, with black olives and steak sauteed with olive oil, s&p, and balsamic vinegar. Dinner was chicken (marinated and sauteed with fresh cilantro, diced jalapeno, olive oil, s&p, lime juice), kale, onions, tomato. With a side salad of field greens topped with homemade guacamole (1 avocado, thin slice of white onion, 1/2 jalapeno, 1/2 roma tomato, lime juice, s&p) some baby carrots and sliced cucumber.
I have and do not feel bloated or stuffed. I am satisfied and probably still have eaten more than I should. I will work on cutting back the portions as the days and weeks come. I will hold off on working out for a few days and maybe even a week as I am out of meds and dont want to push my body after that horrific flare.
Our meat is not completely following the guidelines as the steak and hamburger are from Sam's Club but it is a start. You can only cut out so much at a time and the cost to buy grass and grain fed meats is crazy.
http://whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Meal-Planning-Template.pdfwhole9life.com/book/ISWF-Meal-Planning-Template.pdf
Bring it on. How hard can 30 days be?
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