GM Diet: Day 6

I started the day off so well! Except I hadn't lost a pound, i think I may have hit a plateau, I need to change something to get it moving. And then, it was my friend's 21st birthday....and I definitely cheated. But with great results!

So I started my morning off with black coffee with Truvia, and then an egg white omelet with green peppers and green onions.
I stayed pretty full until lunch, where I had 3 pieces of leftover london broil, and a cup of sautéed green beans. I worked at the office job till 5 and then headed to the bar where I bartend every now and then.
There is where I broke my diet. I had about 3 ounces of steak, but two tortillas for dinner.

And then it went all downhill from there. My friend got a party bus for his birthday. Needless to say, I had a couple of drinks. And then ate half a Philly cheese steak around 4am.

It's now the day later, and I've woken up (around 12:30.. :/ ) and I didn't gain a pound. I'm thinking it's because of all the movement at the bar, and dancing at the clubs.

But this is where I end my diet. Now time for just healthy eating. I have a lot of ideas up my sleeve, will post recipes later :)

The "truth" on Almond Milk.

I've been doing a little research on Almond milk and non-dairy milk alternatives. I dislike milk as many of you might have read.. so i wanted to see if it'd be a better alternative.

I worked at a health food store for about a year, and people used to rave about this stuff, that it's so much better for you, and how it tastes delicious. I can vouch for the latter. But for the first part...

I found out that switching to Almond milk or other milk alternative drinks, could be adding up to 30 calories per cup to your daily diet. If you drink a cup every day, it can add up to 3 extra pounds a year. While i've read that Almond milk contains higher levels of antioxidants, it has less protein that regular milk, and milk has more bone-healthy calcium.

Now, there's quite a bit of different milks we can compare it too. Comparing to Skim or 1% milk, i'd say regular milk is better than the milk alternatives. But when comparing it to whole milk...I'd say, bring on the Almond/Rice/Alternative milk! Whole cow's milk contains a lot more calories and fat than almond milk. 

So be careful when you're switching to a milk alternative. If you're lactose-intolerant,  try a lactose-free low fat milk milk like Organic Valley's or Liddels. Some can be found at your local Publix, or try stores like Chuck's Natural Food Marketplace (If you're in the Tampa area), or a large chain store like Whole Foods!

I'd love to get opinions on this too, if you've been drinking milk alternatives for years and have had no side effects, please let me know! 

GM Diet: Day 5

Hope lots of people have made it this far!

So today was beef (or lean protein) and tomato day. This is the day i've been looking forward to the most because I finally got to eat meat! The tomato part wasn't so bad, I like tomatoes, but after two, I had had enough.

So I got up this morning and weighed myself. Lost only one pound. At first, I was disappointed. But then i thought...hey, i'm much further than I was yesterday! So i've lost ten pounds in five days...i think i can live with that.

I started off with a breakfast at 7:45am of two egg whites scrambled with diced tomatoes. A little bland, but good! That kept me full until about 12:30 surprisingly. I had packed a lunch of a burger patty and two tomatoes chopped up with a little garlic, basil, and balsamic vinegar. I couldn't even finish it, ate about 3/4 of my burger and one tomato, then wasn't hungry until dinner time. 

I kind of cheated and had a couple of C's homemade cheese sticks at around 6. He dips mozzarella sticks in egg and then breads it with Panko crumbs and bakes it for about 5 minutes...soooooo good!

At 8 we ate London Broil that I made ( C is so happy that i'm back to eating meat!) and I roasted tomatoes in the oven with a little olive oil and garlic and pepper. 

I also drank 14 cups of water today, sipping on my 15th as we speak. They say it's really important to drink more water than normal, helps rid of the sudden intake of uric acid, and also, keeps you feeling full!

I can tell things have changed though. I feel different when full, like satisfied, but not super stuffed. And I left my coffee at home today, and I don't have a headache and had plenty of energy! Usually I get really tired at work around 2pm, and today I just kept going. It was great.

Looking forward to tomorrow, because tomorrow is back to normal eating, just beef (or lean proteins) and vegetables. C barely ever eats carbs, so we tend to only eat meat and veggies, unless I make couscous or sneak in some croissant rolls from Publix. Probably why this diet has been a lot easier for me than most, because I don't eat a lot of carbs as it is!

Good luck to all of you doing this GM diet. Just think...day 5...only two days to go, you can make it!

Zucchini Pizza

I absolutely love pizza. The thought of pulling a slice from the pan with gooey cheese melting everywhere makes my mouth water! But one slice of my favorite Papa John's pizza is 310 calories each...and i never stop at once slice. So here's an alternative!

Zucchini Pizza

-1 large Zucchini, sliced into about 3/4"-1" slices

-Tomato Sauce (check out these homemade sauce recipes!)

-Mozzarella Cheese

-Turkey Pepperoni (or switch it out for mushrooms, sausage, or whatever you like on your pizza)

Now you can broil or grill these. I'd suggest grilling them, but a lot of people in apartments like me don't have access to one. 

Step One: Oil the zucchini slices, and broil/grill these fr about 5-7 minutes, keep an eye on them though. You want them to be tender, but not soggy and able to fall apart. 

Step Two: Spoon a little tomato sauce on top. Not too much, leave a little space around the edges. 

Step Three: Add the cheese and pepperoni/topping of your choice

Step Four: Stick back under the broiler or on the grill for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown.

Step Five: Enjoy!


Calories: About 40 calories each. The worst thing on these pizzas is going to be the cheese. Try to go for a part skim milk mozzarella, the soft kind is better than the hard cheese in blocks. 


I got this recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen, I love her recipe site.

5 Healthy and Yummy Alternative Snacks!

I often get cravings for random things during the day, especially when i'm sitting at my desk at the office. And there's always something bad to snack on there, candies, cookies, and more. So i've got a list of some good things for you...when you're craving the bad!

1. You're craving Candy: 

Try: A handful of grapes. Your blood sugar is dropping. These will help put those cravings to a rest.

2. You're craving Salty Snacks like Potato Chips:

Try: Pickles or pretzels. You may find you crave this after workouts or any sweaty activity...sodium is released in your sweat! These snacks have just enough sodium (especially the pickles) and help you shave off calories. 

3. You're craving Carbonated Drinks:

Try: Greek Yogurt. I know, sounds weird...but you're body is craving calcium when you feel the need to sip on a soda pop. Greek Yogurt provides that calcium...and try the Chobani Greek Yogurt. It has lots of different flavors, and they're delicious.

4. You're craving Bread:

Try: Brazil Nuts. Your body is craving a boost of energy. These nuts are not only high in protein, but will give your body a jump start to get your butt back in gear. Try a handful the next time you get sluggish one afternoon, I promise, it'll work!

5. You're Craving Cookies:

Try: Rice Cakes with Peanut Butter. Your body is just craving more sugar! Rice cakes are low calorie and low fat snacks...stick to plain flavors, and just a bit of peanut butter to make them taste better and give you a bit of protein and energy. 

GM Diet: Day 4

Sooo happy, I woke up four pounds lighter this morning :) Make that 9 pounds i've lost in four days!!!!


Today went by really easily. No headache, no stomach ache, no cravings. I made a shake using two bananas, milk, and ice for breakfast at 9, and a glass of milk. I was full and didn't think about eating till around 1, when I had another banana. Today I stayed pretty busy at work though, probably helped get my mind off the diet.


Around 4:30 I had another banana. I drank the ten cups of water while I was at work, which kept me feeling full as well. Then for dinner, I had about a cup of frozen vanilla yogurt and bananas, I just couldn't do the milk anymore, this morning was enough. I'm pretty sure I'm lactose intolerant too, and it made my stomach hurt. But so did the frozen yogurt. But I'm full now, and I might have a banana later tonight, but otherwise, I'm done for today.


I had soo much energy though. I woke up, weighed myself, then went to the gym for about 30 minutes. I forgot to drink coffee today, and didn't even realize.

When I got home, my puppy, Diesel, and I went for a 40 minute walk. He's so cute :)

I'm excited to have meat and lean proteins tomorrow!! Have to make my lunch tonight, for tomorrow. It'll be hard not to take a bite...but i'll refrain. Looking forward to the scale tomorrow morning!

Baked Cinnamon Bananas

So, disregarding the chocolate and toppings in this picture if you're on GM Diet Day 4 like me, i found this excellent healthy recipe to spice up those boring bananas.


1 Ripe Banana, peeled and sliced lengthwise
Lemon Juice
2 tsp. Honey
Ground Cinnamon

Line toaster oven tray with nonstick aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 350°F.Lightly brush banana halves with lemon juice. Place cut sides up on toaster tray.Spoon honey over banana halves and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; cut into 1-inch pieces.To keep it healthy still, adding some dark chocolate morsels would be great. Add them in on the last five minutes to get them to melt on the banana...Enjoy!

Avocado Smoothie

For a healthy, creamy refreshing wake up...try an avocado smoothie!

This smoothie consists of:

1/2 Avocado

1/2 banana

Half an orange or fresh 100% orange juice

Ice

It's sooo good, and good for you! The best thing is...it's great for those of you on the 3rd day of the GM diet. Only fruits and veggies!

GM Diet: Day 3

Today went so much smoother than yesterday. And i woke up and had lost two more pounds! No headache, no stomach ache, just plenty of energy, and that's before my cup of black coffee (which i've been sprinkling with Truvia).


I started the day off with fresh strawberries and kiwi at 8:30am, and then felt pretty full afterwards. Around 12pm I had some melon, and I was so full I didn't even eat my veggies i'd brought. Around 3:30pm I shared some grapes with some coworkers.


For dinner, I had corn on the cob, and then made my smoothie! It was so good, I froze half an orange, put in half a mango, two strawberries, ice, and a little 100% cranberry juice.


Around 10pm I felt a little empty so I had about a cup of plain popcorn. In the end i'd have to say it was a pretty great healthy day! Wasn't tempted to cheat at all, and I had a lot of energy!


I'm a little nervous about tomorrow though. Only bananas and milk. And I HATE milk, i think it's so gross. But i've got some ideas in mind, and I know I'll be happy once I wake up and check that scale ;)

Orange Smoothie

I'm on Day three right now of the GM Diet and wanted to find a yummy dessert. So i'm going to make an orange smoothie, consisting of:

1/2 Orange, chilled.

1/2 Mango, chilled

Juice Squeezed from an orange
Ice.

Of course I'll mix and match as I go, maybe add in a strawberry or two. But sounds delicious, and still on the fruit diet day :)

Seaweed Wraps: All Vegetables!

For those of you trying out the GM diet and are on day 2/3, or those who just want to try out something new and healthy... I present to you, Seaweed wraps!

I got this off of Carole Frenche's Blog and have to try it. All she uses is chopped cabbage, zucchini, carrots, beets, sprouts, avocado, and cucumber. I'd probably switch out some stuff, like get rid of the beets altogether, and maybe add fresh green beans or asparagus or something yummy to give it more of a crunch. 

Looks simple enough, and sticks to the "Only Veggie" rule for day 2 and 3!

GM Diet: Day 2

Let me tell you this...this had better be worth it!

Ok, i'm a little dramatic. But I can already tell it's worth it. I woke up this morning 3 pounds lighter! Of course I know, a lot of it is water weight, but man it felt good standing on that scale this morning. It felt a lot better than last night, I woke up at 4am with sharp pains in my stomach!

So today was vegetable day. Veggies only. And the potato in the morning.
I'm not a potato fan, but I can stand sweet potatoes, so i ate one of those this morning with a tiny bit of butter. It felt good sinking my teeth into something substantial, I'll tell you that.

I felt full until I went into work around 12, but i had come prepared. I brought a lunch of pan-cooked green beans and a bag of carrots to snack on all day. I was snacking on those carrots quite a lot though, I couldn't get to the point of full. And i'm having to go to the restroom so much because of all of this water i'm drinking, the other employees must think I have a problem.

When I got home tonight, I was doing ok, but I could not wait to eat. I fixed myself and C some veggie fajitas, (beef on the side for him), check it out. It was quite delicious!

A couple of hours later...omgoodness I have the WORST headache ever. And the pains in my stomach were stabbing. I just came from C's office area, where he told me, after I let him know multiple times that I was dying and he assured me that I wasn't, that I just have the Carb Flu, and It will go away with time.

I thought he had just made it up. But then I looked it up. It's legit, here's a link on it: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/low-carb-flu/#axzz1qLRwWOox

So now i'm going to go drink some more water, take some tylenol, and go enjoy my new favorite show, Smash!

**Don't get discouraged on your second day, I've read that the second day is the hardest! Don't give up :) **

GM Diet: Day 1.

So I went shopping this morning for the entire week of this diet. I was pretty excited, my cart was full of bright colors, and I could just see the pounds melting off in my head. I'm thinking this should be a breeze...I absolutely LOVE fruits, I could eat them all the time.


I started off breakfast with a couple of strawberries and some cantaloupe. For lunch I had a bowl of the GM Cabbage soup they have us make, it actually wasn't bad at all, I added fresh seasonings and mushrooms to the soup ingredients they gave. No salt though, which sucks, because I could eat salt on everything and anything.


By like 2pm, I felt like i HAD to eat again, I was so hungry. So i ate a little more cantaloupe. Then C and I went kayaking out on this river, it was gorgeous! I got some sun, exercise, and it kept my mind off the fact that I wanted some chicken or food of substance badly.


Around 6:30pm, I ate some MORE cantaloupe, the soup, and then for dessert I had more strawberries. I also drank way more than 10 cups of water, I was so thirsty!


It's the end of the night now though, and I've got a pretty bad headache, and my stomach is killing me. I'm going to drink some more water and take some tylenol and then try to catch some Z's...


All in all, it was a pretty good day. I was tempted to cheat a bunch, but I didn't once, not even when C ate peanut butter right in front of me (it smelled sooooo good)!


Hope you've had just as good luck on your first day :)

Starting the GM Diet: Losing 10-17 pounds!

So I found this diet on Pinterest.com (in LOVE with this site). It's called the GM diet, and I thought it'd be an excellent way to start this track. It's supposed to help cleanse your system, give you an abundance of energy (from fat) and help you get over your cravings for sweets and carbohydrates...plus it's stated that you can lose 10-17 pounds on this, and it's got great reviews!


After doing a little more research, and making sure it wasn't a fad diet and people weren't getting hurt from it...I decided to go for it! So this morning I woke up, went to the grocery store, and bought all of the stuff I needed for the week. Here's the actual diet plan: 


During the first seven days you must abstain from all alcohol
You must drink 10 glasses of water each day

Day One All fruits except bananas. Your first day will consist of all the fruits you want. It is strongly suggested that you consume lots of melons the first day. Especially watermelon and a loupe. If you limit your fruit consumption to melons, your chances of losing three lbs. on first day are very good.

Day Two All vegetables. You are encouraged to eat until you are stuffed with all the raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. There is no limit on the amount or type. For your complex carbohydrate, you will start day two with a large baked potato for breakfast. You may top the potato with one pat of butter.

Day Three A mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice. Any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today.

Day Four Bananas and milk. Today you will eat as many as eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk. This will be combined with the special soup which may be eaten in limited quantities.

Day Five Today is feast day. You will eat beef and tomatoes. Eat two 10 oz. portions of lean beef. Hamburger is OK. Combine this with six whole tomatoes. On day five you must increase your water intake by one quart. This is to cleanse your system of the uric acid you will be producing.

Day Six Beef and vegetables. Today you may eat an unlimited amount of beef and vegetables. Eat to your hearts content.

Day Seven Today your food intake will consist of brown rice, fruit juices and all the vegetables you care to consume.

Tomorrow morning you will be 10-17 lbs. lighter than one week ago. If you desire further weight loss, repeat the program again. You may repeat this program as often as you like, however, it is suggested that you are allowed two glasses of white wine in addition to the instructions on the program. You may substitute champagne for white wine. Under no circumstances are you to drink any other alcoholic beverages with the exception of beer which is allowed. Any liquor (bourbon,vodka, rum) is forbidden. Cream drinks are especially forbidden. You may have an occasional cordial such as creme de menthe or schnapps, but you must always limit yourself to two drinks. If you wine, drink only wine that day. If you have beer, drink only beer that day, etc. Alcohol adds empty calories to your diet. However, after the first week it will help your digestion and settle your stomach.

G.M.’S Wonder Soup

The following soup is intended as a supplement to your diet. It can be eaten any time of the day in virtually unlimited quantities. You are encouraged to consume large quantities of this soup.

28 oz, Water, 6 Large Onions, 2 Green Peppers, Whole Tomatoes (fresh or canned), 1 Head Cabbage, 1 Bunch Celery, 4 Envelopes Lipton Onion Soup Mix, Herbs and Flavouring as desired.

Additional Comments

Vegetables as may be taken in the form of a salad if desired. No dressing except malt, white or wine vinegar, squeezed lemon, garlic, herbs. No more than one tea spoon of oil.

You have been given a recipe for the WONDER SOUP which can be eaten in unlimited quantities. This soup is a supplement while you are on the program and it should be a pleasure to eat. Not everyone likes cabbage, green peppers, calory etc. This recipe is not inflexible. You may substitute vegetables according to your taste. You may add any vegetables you like: asparagus, peas, corn, turnips, green beans, cauliflower, etc. Try to stay away from beans (lima, pinto, kidney, etc.), however, because they tend to be high in calories even though they are very good for you.

Beverages you may consume while on the program :

   1. Water (flavoured with lemon/lime if desired).
   2. Club Soda is OK.
   3. Black Coffee. No cream or cream substitute. No sugar or sweetness.
   4. Black Tea = Herb or Leaf.
   5. Absolutely nothing else except the fruit juices which are part of day seven. No fruit juices before day seven.

How and Why It Works

Day One you are preparing your system for the upcoming programme. Your only source of nutrition is fresh or canned fruits. Fruits are nature’s perfect food. They provide everything you could possibly want to sustain life except total balance and variety.

Day Two starts with a fix of complex carbo-hydrates coupled with an oil dose. This is taken in the morning for energy and balance. The rest of day two consists of vegetables which are virtually calorie free and provide essential nutrients and fibre.

Day Three eliminates the potato because you get your carbohydrates from the fruits. You system is now prepared to start burning excess pounds. You will still have cravings which should start to diminish by day four.

Day Four, bananas, milk and soup sound the strangest and least desirable. You’re in for a surprise. You probably will not eat all the bananas allowed. But they are there for the potassium you have lost and the sodium you may have missed the past three days. You will notice a definite loss of desire for sweets. You will be surprised how easy this day will go.

Day Five, Beef and tomatoes. The beef is for iron and proteins, the tomatoes are for digestion and fibre. Lots and lots of water purifies your system. You should notice colourless urine today. Your allowance calls for the equivalent of five “quarter ponders”. Do not feel you have to eat all this beef. You must eat the six tomatoes.

Day Six is similar to day five, Iron and proteins from beef, Vitamins and fibre from vegetables. By now your system is in a total weight loss inclination. There should be a noticeable difference in the way you look today, compared to day one.

Day Seven finished off the program like a good cigar used to finish off Victorian meals, except much healthier. You have your system under control and it should thank you for the flushing and cleaning you just gave it.

A little about..ME.

My name's Jessica. And this is intended to be a blog about getting to a point in life where you are living healthy...and loving yourself! Which is where I got the title from, if you couldn't tell.

So a little about my life. I'm a 22 year old college student. I'm 6' tall, and while i'm not model skinny...or near it...i do really like my body. It could always use a little improvement here and there, a bit of toning, but I've got great curves!


I stay pretty busy between school and working two jobs. I've found that lately, that's been my excuse for not taking care of myself as good as I should be. Then i think back, and realize that there's ALWAYS been some kind of excuse. I've worked as a server/bartender since 2008, which means a lot of movement. I could get away with eating the occasional (or weekly) chicken parmesan pasta covered in creamy heaps of parmesan sauce and marinara with breaded chicken, because I kept it off by moving a LOT. Now I work in an office, and all the sitting around has made me have to start eating a lot better!

Don't get me wrong, I do eat pretty well for a college student. It's definitely been influenced upon me though, I didn't just choose to. In 2008, i met my soulmate (we'll call him C from now on). In 2009 we moved in together...and then I started eating FRESH veggies. Before then, veggies were just fine out of the can...or barely eaten at all. I cooked a lot, but it usually included a good portion of pasta or rice or even macaroni and cheese.


While I've started eating better, I ate that way because that's how C ate, and I knew it was better for me than what i was eating. But now, after reevaluating my diet and health life AGAIN, I've come to realize...that it isn't a whole lot better than before. 


So I have decided to start over again. This blog will be about my journey towards developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle!