I am Sick Again

I am sick again, this is the second time in one month. It is not as bad as the first time but I have a fever and that is bad enough. Due to the fact that I am sick my cravings are non existent, it has been easy to follow ETL like this. The thought of cheesy greasy foods make me feel sick.

Yesterday I finished my bridal registry with my mother, it was fun, I am so excited about the things I got. Anyway here was my menu yesterday

Breakfast- 2 slices of Ezekiel sprouted grain bread with mashed banana and apricot fruit spread, Brazil nuts, chamomile tea

lunch- portabello mushroom stew with added spinach

dinner- black bean soup with half a sandwich on whole grain bread with raw veggies and hummus; half a chocochip cookie; fruit and veggie smoothie/blended salad

today:

Breakfast- 2 slices of sprouted grain bread with apricot fruit spread, Brazil nuts, vanilla hazelnut tea

lunch- Italian stew with spinach; honeydew melon; kiwi

dinner- blended salad with kale, collards, strawberries, cherries, raw cashews, flax seeds, oat milk, 2 dates, cocoa powder, goji berries; herbal tea

I have not thought about Pizza Hut breadsticks once today, this is the first in a long time. Also I am still off caffeine and I did not add salt to any of my meals today, the Italian Stew I ate had no salt in it other then the little bit of low sodium veggie broth I used in making it also maybe there was a little in the tomato paste I used. I enjoyed it without the salt, this is another first. I hope I can continue on this track. Thanks to all of you at the forums.

White Flour and Salt = the arch enemy

I had a really bad cravings day yesterday, all I could think about was cheese and bread. It was scary, I felt like a true addict must feel. So today I took ETL down a notch so that I would not fall off the wagon again like yesterday and eat a bagel with strawberry cream cheese and a piece of tirimisu. For breakfast I had soaked oatmeal in soy milk with goji berries, walnuts and banana. For lunch I had the portebello mushroom stew I made the other night but I added some ditilini pasta and it went down so much easier. Yesterday I tried eating it without pasta and I could not do it, I ended up eating a bagel because of that. For the rest of the way is a workout quads and biceps for dinner I am having a mini pizza on WW pita with broccoli, onions and mushrooms, tomatoes and a little soy cheese. Then I will have a smoothie with fruit and veggies. I am going to a friends house tonight and there will be wine and junk (poisonous foods) foods, none for me, though it will be tough because I am still sick and very tired. I need strength, I need will power. Help me stay away from cheese, white flour, and salt.

I thank all of the people at Dr. Furhman's forum for all of the support they have given me since I started, if it were not for them I can't say where I would be healthwise. I really want to give up all white foods and start working out. It would be such a blessing to not crave these foods anymore and instead crave excercise.

ETL ing it!

I am still on ETL, I am still having cravings and I still miss cheese. But on a positive note I have not had coffee since last Weds, I think I am off it. I am feeling okay too, no bad withdrawls like before, I think switching to black tea really worked, thanks Dr. McDougall. Also I have been doing some cooking to keep this interesting. On Saturday I made a blueberry spice dressing which was made out of frozen blueberries blended with cashew butter, spicy pecan vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and pom juice, it was delicious. I made a salad with this dressing and added some clementine slices, raw pistachios, and sesame seeds. Then I made a blow of water sauteed/steamed collards with garlic, paprika, pepper, ginger, onion flake, Chinese five spice, poultry seasoning, Bragg's, lemon, sprinkled with lightly toasted sesame seeds. Then I added some chicpeas and heated them through, this was also delicious.

I then proceeded to go to the gym and begin my workout I promised to begin. It was nice, I was so happy to get back into it again, also it helped that the gym was very quiet.

But then I went to the North End for dinner at Strega and I totally splurged, I ate a lot of cheesy food and white flour that night oh yeah and oil, it was all so good. Also there was wine involved. Then on Sunday I did not workout and I ate pizza with the cheese. It was all very bad.

On Monday I worked out and had a perfect ETL day listen to this:

breakfast- oatmeal soaked in almond/soy milk with goji berries, walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, date sugar; clementines; ginger tea

lunch- green salad with carrots and tons of garbanzo beans, I made a dressing out of red wine vinegar, spicy brown mustard, onion powder, black pepper (tons). This was also really good.

Dinner- Lara bar; mushroom stew with portebellos, baby white mushrooms, spinach, green beans, white beans, red beans, onions, garlic, tomato paste, 1 "beef" bouillon, vegizest, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, marjoram, red pepper flake, parsley, red bell pepper; smoothie with kale, collards, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, goji berries, cocoa powder, 2 dates, hempseed, pom juice, soymilk.

I also am amazed that my cough is coming back, it is painful to cough, I can't believe it. I may have to get some more rest. We will see what happens...................

Day 2

This is the longest I have gone without caffeine in a long time. I have been caffeine free for two whole days and it has not been painful. Usually when I try to give up coffee I get terrible headaches and a bad attitude. This time has been easier, think it is because I weened myself down to a cup every other day and then I switched to black tea, which is just not as stimulating. Now I am onto herbal tea, I have been drinking about 3 cups of it a day, my favorite is ginger tea. I am so proud of myself for not feeling like I may snap due to lack of caffeine.

Anyway, ETL has been going okay. My cravings are so unbearable, the are a force of their own. I keep thinking about pizza, asiago cheese bagel from Panera, and cheese croissants from DD's, do you think I miss cheese or what. I changed my diet to meat free and dairy free back in Sept 2006 and I still think and fantasize about cheese every single day, does it every go away? I still miss cheese in my salads, I used to be able to down a huge salad and enjoy because I would put feta, cheddar, or blue cheese on it and it would taste so good. Without the cheese I have to gag down a salad, I am just wondering when I will get used to it. I guess I have to admit when I go out to eat on Sat. nights I will cheat and have a little cheese, maybe that is why I can't get over my addiction. But anyway ETL is great other then the cravings I have been dealing with.

yesterday menu:

Breakfast- oatmeal, 2 clementines, banana, oatmeal, ginger tea

some chocolates left over from Valentines day

lunch- Italian stew

whoops, yogurt covered pretzels

dinner- pita pizza with broccoli, mushrooms, onions, garlic and a salad. Green smoothie.

today menu:

breakfast- oatmeal, 2 clementines, pecans, ginger tea

chocolate a little piece

lunch- Italian stew with steamed spinach

dinner- I am not sure yet which could spell trouble, I will try to eat ETL but Friday and Sat nights are the toughest.

also I have a workout plan all mapped out I will start this tomorrow, Amanda take note:

Saturday
chest workout

Sunday
shoulders and hamstrings

Monday
triceps and quads

Thurs
back and biceps

each of these days I will do 20-30 minutes cardio, I will start with walking on an incline. I really want to do this. I am hoping it will raise my energy level and help with my insane appetite.

Here They Come!

This has happened to me before, after about a week of ETL I start getting rabid cravings. They get so bad that they actually scare me. I feel as though I have no control over the food I crave, especially when it is a sesame bagel with strawberry cream cheese and all I have to do is walk a few steps across the street to get it. Also I am trying to kick caffeine, which also sparks intense cravings. OHHHHH, what I would not do for an ice coffee with cream and a sesame bagel with strawberry cream cheese or/and a croissant with cheese. Ok this is tough. Also I brought in a salad today for lunch which is usually tough for me to eat. I wonder if this will ever go away.

Last night in class I was good and got a salad for dinner, I even brought some dressing I made at home, so there was no fat or salt in the salad. BUT then I proceeded to eat an almond croissant from Whole Foods, I don't know why I did it. It tasted so good but as soon as I was done I was so mad at myself, all I could think about was the croissant for the rest of the night. Why do we do this to ourselves, why do we do things that we don't want to do or things that we know are bad for us. I really need to read The Pleasure Trap, but I still have not gotten around to buying it. That will be the next book I purchase.

Here is my plan for today and I know this will be tough for me:

Breakfast- 2 clementines, banana, oats, almond milk, ginger tea, pecans

Lunch- salad with tomato, green bell pepper, avocado, red onion, tomato roasted red pepper dressing with garbanzo beans and pine nuts.

Dinner- I am not sure yet, maybe eggplant. Green smoothie

Wish me luck today, all I can think about is junk food today.

I think I am liking ETL

I am on a road to recovery from SAD diet. I am working on ETL meals more and more, I am really enjoying them as well. This weekend I made the mishmash salad which has romaine, mixed greens, clementine pieces, strawberry slices, dried cherries, dried apricots, goji berries and walnuts. I made an orange cashew dressing to go over it and it was very good. Then I made Nicole's Italian Stew without the Boca sausage on Sunday. I used unsalted beans and tomatoes the only salt was the low sodium veggie broth I used. I really love salt and I feel eating without it is pointless.

Last night I made burritos with these fat free sprouted whole wheat tortillas I found at the Co-op last week, they are called Fat Flush and they were great. Also I made black beans with a sauce made of red onion, garlic, spinach, jalapeno pepper, green bell pepper, tomato, cilantro, chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, marjoram, cumin, lime, pepper, paprika. I simmered the beans in this sauce for an hour and then I made re fried beans with Bearitos seasoning, I did not eat much of this because of the sodium, but it was so good. I added some chopped avocado to the tops of the burritos. Also I had steamed kale with cashew cream sauce, this was pretty good but needed salt, I did not add any. Then after all that I had my green smoothie with collards and kale and goji berries, this was very good. I tried adding broccoli sprouts to my smoothie over the weekend and it tasted horrible, maybe I just put to many in.

I have class tonight so I will have to wing it for dinner. I may have a green smoothie before I go to class that way I can just get a small salad at Whole Foods for dinner and maybe a coffee. I am telling you giving up alcohol, caffeine, and salt are the hardest things for me. For now I am just going to greatly reduce my intake and from there I will see what happens. Also I am down to 119 lbs, this is the lowest I have been in a longtime, I may try for 115 but nothing lower then that.

my plan today:
Breakfast- 2 clementines, oats soaked in almond milk with banana, 1 small cup of coffee

lunch- Italian stew with added spinach, kiwi, ginger tea

dinner- green smoothie and salad, maybe a coffee during class.

also I must work on getting come cooked greens in each day also a difficult part for me.

Sweet Potato

Last night was my first ETL dinner back on plan. I made a sweet potato, I was not that hungry. I steamed a sweet potato and stirred in some OJ, soy milk, dates, date sugar, walnuts, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, it was so good. I could not get over how perfect it tasted, then I followed that with a green smoothie made of, kale, collards, strawberries, cherries, 1 date, goji berries, oat milk, flax seed. I have to keep in mind that I must take this very slow and that is exactly what I am doing.

I am going to make and Italian Stew either tonight or Sunday, I am leaving the Boca sausage out even though it adds great flavor. Tomorrow I am going to make Dr. Fuhrman's Mishmash Salad with orange cashew dressing, this sounds really good, I really hope I like it. I have to be the pickiest eater in the universe.

here is my meal plan today
Breakfast- oats soaked in oat milk with banana and pecans, black tea

lunch- garden veggie soup from Panera with a whole grain roll, ginger tea

dinner- I will either eat Italian stew if I make it tonight or I will get a rice and bean burrito with guacamole, hot sauce, salsa. I am not sure because I already ate the high sodium soup from Panera so I would rather eat something I make with less sodium. We will see how the rest of the day goes. Also I have to stop at Whole Foods and pick up some supplies to make this soup and salad for the weekend. I will gauge my mood by how aggravating the trip to Whole Foods is then I will decide if I will make the soup tonight or not. ETL is so difficult on weekends, lets see how I do.

Green Smoothies and Ginger Tea

Well I am now considering Eat To Live again. I am so all over the place aren't I? Anyway I am attempting to get back on the ETL wagon. I am nervous about it, I was so miserable at the end of December with this damn diet. I have forgotten all of the bad and can only think of the good. I think I am going to slowing get back into the diet, I am not going pure perfection as I did in the past. I am not cutting out salt yet, that will come later. Also I will have two servings of grain instead of one to start out and see where that takes me. I will eat oatmeal for breakfast and a grain with dinner, I think that will work better with my body. Also on ETL you can adjust to what suits you, as I am not trying to lose any weight.

I am going to look over the recipe sections again and make one or two new ones a week, I will not try to tackle the whole recipe section in one night and overwhelm myself as I did before. I will take it very slow and 100% ETL is my long term goal. My mini goal for now is no white flour, no white sugar, tons of fruit and vegetables, no animal fat, no dairy, less grains, more veggies. I second mini goal is to grow to love vegetables the same way I love bread and pasta now.

Today's plan so far is:

raw oats with unsweetened soy milk, banana, clementine

ginger tea

sweet potato with pineapple, orange juice, dates

green smoothie

I have not been hungry at all lately I think it is because I have been sick, my appetite is gone, which is a good thing. I am trying to skip lunch so I can feel true hunger by dinner time and see what that feels like.

Don't worry Dr. McDougall I may be back, you are my second fave DR.

McDougall and Fuhrman

HI all,

I know it has been awhile but I have been so confused for the past month and a half. I had been doing ETL and I was failing miserably and switched to the all American SAD diet for Christmas and the holidays. I ate Alfredo sauces, white pasta, cake, pudding, beer, wine, scotch, Chinese food, cheeses, no meat but plenty of the dairy shit. Then I began to realize I was falling off the wagon. I tried to go back to 100% ETL but failed and ended up hating Dr. Fuhrman for it. So as a result I switched to McDougall plan, which is wonderful and easier than ETL. I am doing great on it and it fits perfectly into my lifestyle. My cravings have even subsided. SO I will continue with McDougall program, but Dr. Fuhrman also has some wonderful, smart points as well that I will add into in order to moderate my McDougall plan. Flax, raw nuts, seeds, and tons of greens. Oh and I never stopped the blended salads, I love those.

I am basically trying to end my addictions to food, I want to be healthy and energetic on most days and I want to look good as I age. That being said I am going to use Dr. McDougall's program as a main gauge or outline for my meal plans with Dr. Fuhrman's extra points as modifications to my main eating plan. They are both such great plans for different reasons. I like that Dr. Fuhrman pushed more veggies on me otherwise I may be tempted to skimp on them. Dr. McDougall wants us to eat grains as the main part of the meal which is great for me because it satisfies my appetite. Dr. Fuhrman and Dr. McDougall do see eye to eye on many points, it seems they articulate the points differently. One major difference is that Dr. McDougall firmly believes that white potatoes and nutritious whereas Fuhrman thinks they are a waste of calories. I love potatoes and I think they are very nutritious, I am glad to base my meals around them, basing my meals around them also helps me to get all of my veggies in. I have a very hard time eating veggies plain, I need the starch under them.

So I have been sick for the past 3 days and I am dying to go grocery shopping at Wild Oats or Whole Foods and restock my pantry. I am so low on everything I need to put a good healthy meal together. I think I will do this today after work. Fresh kale, collards, spinach, romaine, tomatoes, avocado etc etc etc etc etc..............................................................