My A.D.D. Diet

6 months. 6 diets. 2013.

[bgdiets]

If I’m Really Gonna Do This

It’s been a year since I started involving myself with BeachBody workouts. I did the 21 day fix, joined a local frisbee league, and eventually introduced myself to PiYo. I’ve finally committed to Shakeology- their superfood protein shake enough to want to actually get the discount as a coach. 

But I am nowhere near being a coach for others. I need consistency in my life. I need to see change. I will consider trying to coach people if it happens naturally. I know that my lifestyle and the things I’ve learned over the past 4 years have rubbed off on others. And I’m not about to change that! I don’t want to! 

But I’ve been struggling with depression for the better part of the past 2 years. I need good habits formed in order to kick the melancholy and laziness. I’m tired and often feeling negative. 

I have goals, though.

I want to have curvature in my arms. I want a flat belly. I don’t even need abs. I just want the donut that is my waist to melt away. So here’s what I think I’m going to try and make habit over the next 6 weeks:

Eat breakfast. Sleep well at night.  Get my pre-noon sunshine. Cut out sugar and dairy. Read more.  Workout consistently. Play my uke more.

I’m going to track my progress here, but just for me. Not for anyone else. 

YOU CAN DO THIS, BRIDGET! 

[bgdiets]

Long Time, No Diet

I read this quote recently about how people shouldn’t go on diets, they should make lifestyle changes. And I agree. But I’m not your inspirational health guru. The reason I agree is because when I did this “A.D.D. Diet” 3 years ago, it changed my lifestyle. I made a habit of grocery shopping for healthy food. Buying junk/processed food is an intentional choice on my part nowadays. Even what I read about healthy eating and nutrition sits with me and affects my habits. 

Again and again it amazes me that truly everything that our bodies need to function, heal, and grow comes from the earth. God gave it all it to us! We made the rest- and most of that stuff can really mess us up...but who doesn’t love a really good cheeseburger, am I right?

What I learned near the end of my 6 month nutritional journey and I have proven true ever since is that our bodies need to detox before we can really see true results. The most delicious thing to us is the worst for us- sugar! 

Since I returned from China in July, I have had very little appetite for anything in particular. I do, of course, get hungry, but I haven’t had cravings quite the same way I used to. Add a season of being depressed to the mix, and what has resulted is a very lazy Bridget, who doesn’t really care what she eats. I’ve been a sad puppy. 

So. Here we are again at a New Year, 2 months into my #GoldenYear, and I am making a commitment because I really want to see a change. This time though, I’m going sugar-free and dairy free. I want to make a point of eating lots of fruit and vegetables and good protein. To go hand-in-hand with my detox, I will be exercising for a half hour+ 6 days a week. 

I prefer to be self-motivated so I will be going through a 30 day series of yoga videos online, and a set of four Blogilates 30 days workouts- Abs, Butt, Thigh, and Arms. I am also going to try and go running once a week because I want to be able to jog 5k straight, without stopping. 

And come March, I’m going vegan to support my roommate who has been vegetarian for a few months, and wants to see if the full switch to vegan is the right choice for her health. You all know me, I love those temporary challenges! I just have a feeling that when March is over, I will be feeling more myself than ever before! 

And that’s what this whole thing is all about- my mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health. I don’t know what it’s going to take to get me out of my slump of sadness I’ve been in for the past several months. So I am willing to try something really hard to get into the eating lifestyle and the shape that I have always longed to be in. I know that food and exercise can naturally improve health and mood, so I am excited to see where this leads me. 

And I’m really hoping to become the #goldenBG I’ve always wanted to be. =)

Expect more blog posts about my journey. The writing helps. 

Anyone wanna join me?

[bgdiets]

How to Eat Healthy With a Busy Lifestyle

If anyone knows busy, it's me. 

Maybe. 

I take that back, sort of, considering I have a really odd lifestyle in general, doing college ministry and all. 

However, my 3 jobs keep me pretty busy. I still function within the context of a college schedule because I work with college students. I feel like I'm being redundant. 

To the food part. 

A lot of my meetings and small groups and ministry happens in the evenings. I would say 2 or three evenings a week are filled with responsibility (that I love), so dinner becomes a thing that I eat hastily, or skip altogether. And because these events keep me out late, I tend to stay up late, causing me to want every ounce of sleep in the morning before I have to be somewhere, so I have formed a bad habit of skipping breakfast.

*GASP*

And lunch means nothing to me, but usually I'm hungry so at least I bring food along, grab food to go, or eat a late one.

All in all, I would say I'm a terrible eater when it comes to 3 meals a day because of my crazy odd schedule.

Anyway, when you chose to eat healthy, you naturally become more intentional about getting the right amount of food each day, at the right times. Your body needs it! So here are some tips I've picked up along the way:

Grab and Go: If you don't have time to prepare breakfast, then make sure you have fruit! I love a good apple on my drive to work. Or pear. Or grapes. Or strawberries. I know that breakfast is so important because it jumpstarts your metabolism for the day, ensuring that you will be hungry a few hours later for lunch. Grab a pack of peanuts for a mid-morning snack!

Lunch: Always pack a lunch. Don't give yourself the option to buy food while you're out. And again, lunch doesn't need to be a big affair. Make yourself a good sandwich with lots of spinach on it. OR a spinach salad and bring some balsamic vinegar in a tiny tupperware to add in when it's lunch time. Other lunch time faves of mine are: carrots, cucumbers, hummus, tortilla chips, a piece of fruit, assorted nuts, or a leftover meal to heat up from the night before. Eat it while it's fresh!

Cook Cook Cook! My dad always says, "You make time for what you want to make time for," and he's totally right! If you REALLY want to eat healthy, I suggest just starting by eating at home. Cook! You're going to naturally make healthier food at home than that fast stuff restaurants pump out for you in 20 minutes or less. Plus, if you have leftovers, THAT IS WONDERFUL! And if you're one of those people that "doesn't eat leftovers," YOU ARE TERRIBLE. Go to therapy.

Shop the way you wish you ate: This month, I bought a bunch of protein and fruits and veggies, with a few garnishes (coconut milk and salsas) to help me along the way. Nothing more. No sugar. No dairy. No grains. NONE.

And lastly,

Learn to say no: Trust me, after a while it gets easier. Learn to give yourself pep talks. Mine sound like this, "Bridget, do you remember Skinny BG? She misses you! You remember your bank account? It loves when you don't eat out. So does your body. Remember sugar and how it did nothing good for you except momentary happiness? YOU CAN DO THIS BG. YOU ROCK. YOU WANT THIS MORE THAN THAT JIMMY JOHNS SUB. YOU WANT TO LIVE A LONG LIFE. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, AND CAN DO ALL THINGS!" 

Sorry. Got carried away.

But, I just want to say, you make time for what you want to make time for. There are ways that you can prepare for busy weeks, have the people around you help you out, even if it is just to remind you, and maybe take time to write a blog about it! That helps me! And the more you say no, the  easier it gets to live without the things your body is addicted to! 

Cheers and good luck!

[bgdiets]

Treat Yo'self

So, I technically started and didn't start my diet. 

I have been sad, and I decided to treat myself. So I bought myself my favorite flowers, my favorite drink (AZ Iced Tea), and my favorite sandwich from Jimmy Johns. 

I will resume my diet tomorrow.

No shame here. 

[bgdiets]

Here we go again!

No sugar, no dairy, no grains until the 24th.

18 days. No big.

Except that I will mostly be eating fruit, vegetables, and meat. But I don't mind. It's a new fun challenge!

Let's back up for a second though.

For the past five days, I ate relatively normally. I had sugar (but not like I used to...), I had a cheeseburger and a big chipotle burrito, and a milkshake! People asked me, "how's sugar?!" and I answered, "It's good, but I can't handle a whole lot of it." I found myself having a hard time with sodas, getting full faster, and not craving some of my favorite sweets. My mindset was still with that last week of no sugar- not wanting it anymore. And my body didn't really want it either. 

So the only two things I REALLY enjoyed were iced coffee and my piña colada lollipops. And what a relief that is! I just made my grocery list for the next two weeks, and I'm excited! It's going to be an adventure figuring out how to eat only meat and veggies, with the schedule I have. But I believe in myself. And, I want to be able to lose more weight. My clothes already fit better, and I want to keep it up!

Another goal I have is to exercise at least every other day, if not everyday of this next 2 and a half weeks. 

COME ON BRIDGET, YOU CAN DO IT!!!

[bgdiets]

I've Nearly Made It!

I have 20 minutes before I will indulge in a little sugar-spree. And then eat like normal for a few days before I put myself under an even more intense 2 (ish) weeks of food-fasting. I'm excited.

But for now, I can celebrate.

I lost nearly 6 pounds off of sugar this month. My hope is that in the next 5 weeks I lose another 6. It's SO POSSIBLE! 

I also feel great. My cravings are basically gone, I'm sure my palate is used to natural and more savory flavors now. I think I've prepared my body to lose more weight next month.

But don't worry everyone, I won't go crazy these next few days. I'm not going to gain the 6 pounds back. No way no how! 

My favorite sugar substitute was having a piece of toast with organic peanut butter and organic honey on it. But, I got sick of that fast. This month I didn't totally avoid sugars found in things like sauces, salsa, and carbs. But I will make sure to on my next diet.

Sugar free. Dairy free. Grain-free (avoiding carbs).

So this is essentially going to be a lot of meat and veggies. I wonder how my body will do on enough meat/protein to sustain me! I think I'm going to try and exercise more this next month too. 

I've got the diet thing down. When I really want to do it, I can easily set my mind to it and get healthy! But it's not the same for exercising. So, I'm going to try and make it a more regular thing!

Starting tomorrow with my roommate Megan's hip hop dance exercise class.

=)

Thanks for following this journey with me everyone! It ain't ova! 

(I think I will continue to blog about my health adventures until the New Year. That's when I hope to feel my best!)

[bgdiets]

This is what you do when you're craving a dessert, even 29 days into no sugar September. You make a creamy berry smoothie. :)

[bgdiets]

Some things that helped today.

I know my brain is addicted to sugar. Even after three weeks, there is a battle in my brain, sending signals to my body that cries out for my sugar fix. In the last few years, there have been a lot of studies toward the war against sugar. I do believe that cutting out table sugars and added sugars can significantly increase my health.

As I grow increasingly more aware of what food does to my body, my conviction to eat healthier grows as well. I know that after this month is over, and even after October, I will be onto another life changing path, one with less sugar. Slowly but surely, I will train my body to be used to a very limited amount of sugar.

While I'm still here, only 3 weeks into my sugar fast, I have to do things to help my pitiful addicted self. One thing I did was chew gum. When I have a cleansed palate, it helps me not want to wash my mouth with sweet creamy goodness. Another tip I've heard before and works on me is to light a sugary smelling candle. I have this pumpkin-y vanilla one that is so delicious to just smell.

Oh yes. And I got back on the scale today. I've lost 5 pounds! I can tell in my core, and I'm hopeful to lose another five in the next month! Woop!

Here's a video that helped me understand more about sugar's toxicity. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/is-sugar-toxic/

[bgdiets]

What do you do on Day 20 of No Sugar September?

I say no. 

To everything. To my cravings. To my desires to cheat, even just a tiny tiny bit. I start collecting things for my sugar days coming up. I incentivize my obedience to the no sugar thing. In a little over 2 weeks, I will have had my pick me up, and then started (very seriously), my no sugar/dairy/carbs for most of October. 

WOO.

But I also let myself dream a little:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/sarahjampel/classy-no-bake-desserts#4cszx8d

Check it. 

[bgdiets]

Okay, I take that back.

Yesterday, I wrote that my appetite was waning, but I actually think that it was because I didn't kickstart my metabolism with a good breakfast. I had a little fruit, but not a ton. 

This morning, I had a pear and then scrambled eggs with salsa on a bed of spinach. And I was hungry at the normal times and I ate well! 

...So I celebrated Friday with a Hawaiian pizza. Haha. I promise (myself) that I will be eating better and better and better! The past few nights I've been staying up late reading amazing books and I have to wake up early, so I have been lacking those crucial REM cycles and healing sleep hours. So I think I have a mild cold, not to mention my sunburn from doing outreach out in the sun on campus. I don't need to list my other justifications. This is why I do my own diet. Because I do what I want. And I won't feel bad about it.

Plus, I felt/looked thinner today. My roommate Megan even verbalized what I hoped was true! 

I'll weigh in on Monday. =) 12 days in! These days are slipping by. I can't believe I've made it this far. I've only had like 3 not super serious thoughts to give up or cheat today. And obviously I didn't!

WOOOOO! Skinny BG, here she comes! 

[bgdiets]

Appetite Disappearing

The craziest thing about today was that I didn't eat a lot at all. And I wasn't dying. I didn't eat the most amazing foods, but I liked today. 

I really think in the next week I am going to start to see results! Yay for no sugar! Soon to cut out carbs...

Guys! This works. 

I still wish I could eat powdered donuts. But I'm okay. The more days my mind is away from sugar, the easier it is to say no. 

That's all I have to say today. 

[bgdiets]

Day 10 over and done

I have made my way into the double digits! I have survived 10 days without sugar.

I keep getting this question, with an air of skepticism: "But you're not cutting out all sugar, are you? Because isn't there sugar in everything?"

No. And yes. 

No in the literal sense that no, there are plenty of foods without sugar. And yes, it feels like there is sugar in EVERYTHING. I wrote a post about this back during my A.D.D. diet here. The last 2 years of my life have been full of nutritional learning. Honestly, because of it, I have been called a foodie before, which is sort of funny to me. But it's also true. If you told 2011 Bridget about Future Bridget, she would laugh. And eat a nutella crepe. 

So here's a little food knowledge.

Food without sugar: Meat Dairy Veggies Nuts

Food with sugar: Grains and rice (because they are carbohydrates, which are basically complex sugars) Fruit (Both of the above have natural sugar in them and I am pro natural sugar) And then basically everything else has added sugar including most loaves of bread, pasta sauces, and all the obvious things. Check your labels!

So here's my plan: For the rest of the month I am going to avoid added sugars. I will eat lots of fruit, a little bit of bread, maybe have some organic honey, and definitely rice.  The first weekend of October I'm taking a break. I need a morale boost. I'm expecting my palate to be cleansed. Then, I will resume no sugar, and add no dairy or grains to my diet. I was originally going to do gluten-free vegan, but I decided I want to try and do more of a whole foods thing and ditch beans and rice and have lots of chicken, fish, and vegetables to eat. I might be even more strict on the way I limit sugar. We'll see. And on October 25th, I will be having my birthday weekend. And as much of everything as I please.  After that, I will probably lay off dairy and maybe sugar until after a wedding I'm in 2 weeks later, but I can handle it. I think I'm going to really enjoy this semester!

This wouldn't be called my A.D.D. Diet if I didn't change it up every now and then! I'll let you guys know my progress after 14 days, weight wise. 

[bgdiets]

What do you do when you’re hungry for sweets but staying away from sugar? Eat a giant sweet potato!!! I woke up this morning feeling like my stomach is tighter. So that’s cool! 9 days down! Can we believe it? :)

[bgdiets]

Feeling Discouraged

It's only been five full days but it feels like a lifetime. And the funny thing is, I haven't been completely without sugar. You see, I've written about this before, but there's sugar in everything. It's as if one point in time the food industry decided they all needed to put sugar in their products. I blame Mary Poppins. 

A lot of sauces have sugar in them and breads and carbs not only have sugar, but convert to a form of sugar in our bodies. So I've been eating those things from my pantry in these first few days. I'm poor. I can't and will not throw away food. 

The reason I'm discouraged though, is because I have seen no change. I stepped on the scale last night and was 142lbs. I guess on an upside, I'm not gaining weight! For the last couple days too, I've been feeling tired and unmotivated. Remember that exercise program I told you about? I've only done one of the days, and I really liked it. But I'm so bad at getting myself to exercise. And I want to make the most of this next month.

Reality: It's only been 5 days. When you detoxify your body of a harmful substance, it takes time to see a difference! I think in a couple weeks I will be slimming down and feeling natural energy. As for now, I'm having caffeine headaches and feeling tired. 

But just to encourage my sugar fast, here are some benefits of cutting out sugar:

- I'm saving money everyday from not buying sugary drinks (which was a daily thing, trust me) and sugary snacks. - I'm teaching my body not to rely on sugar for energy or where I get my dopamine output. - I will be losing weight and feeling better in a couple weeks' time- the wait is worth it! - I'm giving my body a better chance of losing weight- when you detox, basically a gross layer of yuck melts away from your fat, leaving it available to dissolve with good diet and exercise. - I'm lowering the risk of diabetes, heart disease, obesity (obviously), and tooth and gum disease! - Another cool thing is that I've been feeling full faster. Normally it doesn't take much to fill me up, but now it's taking even less each meal! And I know that's a good sign. My brain and my stomach are working together.

All that said, I know that what I have put in for these last few days has been totally worth it. My body knows better than I do that good things are afoot on the inside. It just takes a while to see it on the outside!

If you read this, you should pray for me. I really want the next two months to change my mindset, heal my body, and heal my heart. I want to lose weight, feel great, and feel accomplished! Thanks!

[bgdiets]

News! (No I didn't lose weight...yet)

Day 3 of my Sugar Free month has come to a close and I am actually happy with my eating habits today! I went (unintentionally) vegetarian! #noregrets

And now, I will share my day with you, in meals:

Breakfast (I am proud I actually had one!): - Rice Chex with Almond Milk

Lunch: - Chipotle Sofritas Burrito (I couldn't finish it, I never can...). But it was my first time trying Sofritas- the new tofu option- and I was satisfied. 

Afternoon fruit smoothie Fun fact! I am a smoothie queen. I have years and years of professional smoothie making experience. 

Dinner: By this time, I wasn't super hungry. The first half of my day really drained me, oddly enough (I blame the sun), so I didn't feel super hungry. I ate cucumbers with balsamic vinegar, one of my favorite snacks. Then I made guacamole from my last, perfectly ripe avocado. And corn chips for that, of course!

And that's it. Doesn't seem like a whole lot, but I'm small as it is, so it doesn't take much to fill me up. It's just my constant desire to be drinking an iced coffee or AZ iced tea or a Vanilla Coke that does me wrong. 

Tomorrow, I'm going to talk about the benefits of cutting out sugar on a personal level and health level.

Current weight: Guess what? 143lbs.  How long is this gonna take, Body!? Probably 2 weeks, is my guess. 

Oh! And I forgot the actual news! I got a free 30 day trial (via Hulu) on this website called Daily Burn that customizes workouts according to your skill level in exercise. And you can even pick the amount of time you work out for! So for the next 28 days I'm doing different 30 minute workouts! It's free! I might as well take advantage! This is going to make exercising so much more motivating for me! And you know me, I love things in 30 day increments!  

So many exclamations! I will leave on this note: taking control of my diet and health again is really good for me. I naturally fall into better rhythms of sleep, taking care of myself, and meeting other personal goals. It rocks. Woohoo self-care!

[bgdiets]

No sugar September 2nd. I went out and got ingredients for Chauna Masala, a vegetarian Indian dish with spinach and chickpeas. I was inspired by one of my British friends. And now I have delicious Indian spices! I also got sugar free gum to ease my brain and mouth into a sugar free existence. I’m really trying, guys! Current weight: 142 lbs. (it’s not odd to fluctuate between a few pounds everyday). I will see a difference when I’ve lost more than 5 pounds.

[bgdiets]

Happy Labor Day!

Sad no sugar day!

So I'm going to do something brave on this no sugar journey this month. I'm going to post my weight everyday in hopes that the # will decrease as time goes on. It will be a motivator for me to work hard! 

I have a hard time exercising. Chalk it up to being out of shape, or mild asthma, I just never made a good habit of it growing up. Also, I don't like to exercise unless it's fun. And right now, I can't afford any classes or memberships. If I could, I would be at yoga multiple times a week, same for climbing. Maybe someday.

I just can't settle for eating easy any longer! I need to honor my love for cooking, my love for eating healthy, and my love for FEELING healthy! I get closer to God doing all of those things! So, expect these blogs almost daily! I need a way to process this hard/scary/exciting challenge! 

I think my whole life is going to take a habit makeover. I will have to plan my time accordingly. I know that the healthier I feel, the more I will want to exercise and vice versa.

Here's my plan: No Sugar September and then in October I am going Gluten-free Vegan. I will reiterate my beliefs about GF diet: I don't do it because gluten is inherently bad (it isn't), it's just a great way to stave off carbs! (So I will be skipping out on bread, desserts, and pasta.) I'm going to take that first weekend in October off, I'll probably extend my sugar challenge to the 5th at LEAST, and then really start my GF vegan eating October 5th-24th. Because then it's my birthday weekend! My hope is that by then I will have lost at least 10 pounds. Well actually, I'm going to shoot for 15. Unless I gain a bunch of muscle weight. Which could be likely. 

So here I go! Writing about this makes it so much better!

Current weight: 143lbs. GASP! She couldn't be! I am.