Slow learner...

I am going to call myself out... yep sure am!!! I am a creature of habit, and a slow learner when it comes to weight loss. Or maybe I should give myself a little credit and say 'slow changer'. Because over the years I have learned a lot and know a lot about weight loss. Its just whether I choose to do it and for how long... story of my life really. I have yo yo ed with weight loss probably since 6th grade, sad I know. This time around I am hell bent on it sticking. I am not looking for a diet plan. But a lifestyle plan. I want to change the way I eat and stay changed. This all going along with my RAW way of eating. I have been doing lots of research and I mostly find that as long as you are eating 75% raw, you will reap the amazing benefits that it provides. I think part of the reason that appeals to me, is that anytime I have limited myself to one way of eating, I end up failing. I get bored. At this point I am not willing to give up meat 100%, do I eat a ton of it? No. But to say I am never going to again would defeat the purpose of a balanced lifestyle, one of options, I don't know about you, but for me I need a day every so often that I spurge and have cafe rio, or that huge piece of chocolate cake, tho in reality ice cream is my downfall. The more and more that I look into this new way of eating, the more I find that there are alternatives to my favorite foods that are healthy. After trying the green smoothie which had chard and Spirulina. Two things I have never tried before and loved it. I still can't remember how to spell that crazy S word and have to look it up every time. But it is a form of algae. I know that the more and more I get into this the better and better I am going to feel. I have decided that the best way for me to do this is to a little slower pace. Do all of my breakfasts raw, with as much lunch as I can, once comfortable, always have those two raw, and then start slowly incorporating dinner to all raw too, with a few meals a week having "cheat foods" like cafe rio or whatever it is. I work at Zupas as most of you know, and their salads are pretty good for this anyways, so I know I will continue to eat there anyways, their food is amazingly fresh and will always be yummy! Their soups is another item that I would never be able to give up! Its too good!! So bottom line, I am taking things one step at a time, so that I am learning every little inch of this new lifestyle, I want to do it right, so that it will become part of me, I want it to be second nature, be known as that crazy girl who eats raw, makes her own almond milk, her own food, maybe ill start groaning my own sprouts. But hey I will be skinny and healthy and feel fantastic!!

Green Smoothie!

First Green Smoothie= Total success!! It was fabulous!! Way yummy!! And my Ninja blender: fantastic!! Love it!! The recipe I used was 4 char leafs, 1 cup strawberries, 2 frozen bananas, and 1 tablespoon of Spirulina. It also calls for half water, but I didn't use any. Just depends on how thick you want your smoothie. It made a lot tho, so I will probably start halfing my recipes. I like a smaller size shake for breakfast. For some reason I can't get my pictures to get from my phone to my computer, so once I figure that out, I will post some. :-)

New Girl

It it's been about a year and a half since my divorce. I know the big bad D word! It was one of those things that had to happen, as much as I wish it could have been different. But a little history I guess, I was in a relationship for about 7 years in those years I ballooned up to about 265pds. I only tell you this now, because I am no longer at that weight. After everything was final I felt I needed a change, and like most women I felt weight was what I could control the best, not that I had done a good job until then. In the past I had tried everything: Jenny Craig, Atkins Diet, South Beach diet, diet pills. Weight watchers. I'm sure I am missing one or two. I finally decided to try Medifast... and it worked. I dropped about 70 pounds in about 4 months I believe! Crazy huh? But amazing! The only side effect was I lost so fast my body freaked out and my hair started falling out. Which let me tell you I had a FREAK OUT!! I got if figured out and now my hair is just fine. But it made me lose focus on the diet plan, I was worried to go full force into it again. So I slacked off and gained a bit back, I am no where near what I was, but still at the point where I think, am I ever going to be as skinny as I want? Am I always going to be doing this yo yo dieting, which is SO unhealthy?? Its totally frustrating! I kinda was doing weight watchers again... which does work, just not as fast as I would like. Typical Tantine, always wanting instant results. Losing the original 70 was a huge esteem builder, I came alive again, I found me again. Ask my family, they were afraid they had lost me there for a minute. You are probably asking why is she sharing all of this? Well I have been at the bottom, I have been huge and depressed and unhappy, if sharing my experiences with just one person and it helps... why not? SO... here I am again deciding what I want to do with me, how to be healthy, how to get into amazing shape... My sister Julie (Well sister in law, but who counts) is gone to a eating style that one would consider flexatarian, maybe her word, I dunno. But she eats mostly raw, while still finding balance because like me she still wants to eat meat and junk now and again. I have been reading up on this raw style, and it intrigues me quite a bit. Hence I have decided that I am going to slowly transition into trying this way of eating. Tomorrow will be my official first green smoothie. I haven't figured out all of the kinks yet... obviously. Nor know exactly what to expect, basically I am going to take it one day at a time, keep you up to date with me, and see how it goes, I will be posting lots of pictures, some before and after of course after. And many recipes hopefully not so many that fail.

Until Tomorrow...