My Plateau Cleanse

Hey guys!
I am still at this plateau, and it sucks. In fact, I'm beginning to gain back some of the weight I have been working so hard to lose. So, I am starting a cleanse diet for this next week. You can supposedly lose 10-20lbs during this week, if you do the diet correctly. I'm going to share the details of this diet for you, in case you want to do the cleanse as well! A note: this is a SAFE diet full of eating nutrient-rich foods, NOT starving yourself. It can be done as much as once per month, and people have used this for decades. My friend who just did this said she was given the details of this by her doctor, and I searched and found it on the myfitnesspal.com website. Anyhoo, enjoy! I'll be posting my results once I am done with this :)

Step One: The Soup

A large part of this diet is eating a soup that you make at the beginning of the week to eat the rest of the week. Here is the recipe:
6 Large Onions
2 Green Peppers
4 Whole tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1 Head of Cabbage
1 Large Stalk of Celery
Any other veggies you'd like could go in there, I am probably going to add garlic and carrots
Season W/ Dry Onion Soup Mix
Water

Chop up all the veggies, put in a large pot with water and seasoning, boil for ten minutes and then simmer until veggies are nice and soft. Put away until needed thru the week.

Step Two: The Diet

Each day of this diet you do something different, and it must be followed correctly.

Day One: The Flush
On this day, you may eat only fruit. I am choosing watermelon and cantaloupe, because they are low calorie and full of water and detoxifying ingredients.  You may NOT eat bananas, save that for later on this week (you'll see why!). Make sure to drink at the very least 8 cups of water. You may also have a bit of the soup today. This day is meant to flush out all of the toxins and get you ready for the week ahead.

Day Two: The Flush (Part II)
On this day, eat only vegetables. These vegetables can be steamed, cooked, or raw. You may not eat corn, peas, and beans as they are higher in calories and you want to lower your calorie intake right now. You MAY have one baked potato in the morning, with just a small dash of salt and butter. Enjoy that potato, because the rest of your day will be leafy greens and low calories. You may also have some of the soup today. Your body will get used to no fat/calories/starches. You will start to notice the weight loss. Remember 8 cups of water!

Day Three: Make It or Break It Day
Combine the previous two days, but no potato. Fruits and vegetables all day, plus the soup. This day will be harder than the last two because you aren't used to this fruit/veggie rich diet and you'll probably have cravings. FIGHT THEM! You got this, and you'll be so proud of yourself once you get past this day. Again, don't forget all the water!

Day Four: Bananas!!!
On this wonderful day, you get to eat as many as 8 bananas! You also get to drink 8 glasses of skim milk. You may also have the soup and water. You can make a banana/milk smoothie, mash up the bananas and eat them like that, or just eat them whole! This will help your sweet tooth cravings.

Day Five: Beef and Veggies (I know, right?)
You can have 10 to 20 ounces of lean beef and six tomatoes on your fifth day. Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water in order to wash away any uric acid in your body. You may also have the soup today. Enjoy your steak!

Day Six: Beef and Veggies (Part II)
Same as yesterday, eat until your heart is content with lean beef and veggies plus the soup. Lots of water is key on this. :)

Day Seven: The Final Day (YOU DID IT!!!)
Today you get to eat brown rice, veggies, unsweetened fruit juice, and finish off that soup (I am sure you just love that soup by now! haha). Don't forget the water, and give yourself a pat on the back. Be proud of yourself!


I'm starting this cleanse tomorrow and I'm a little nervous for a few reasons:

1) I hope I can do it, and not disappoint myself. Sometimes I have trouble committing to certain things.
2) I also have to go to work during this and I don't want to rush to the bathroom to pee because of all the water and water-rich foods I am going to be eating.
3) What if this doesn't actually help my plateau?

I wish everyone the best luck on this, let me know your results!!!

-Laura

My Confidence Boost

Hey guys, it's been a while! I've been so busy between moving a month and a half ago, working full time, and juggling my newly long distance relationship...but I missed posting on here and I finally found a reason to!

I've been stepping on the scale every single day and my weight won't go below 140...it fluctuates between 140-143, no matter HOW diligent I am with my meals every day. I have stayed on a strict 1200 calorie diet (I eat whatever I want, but limit myself to 1200...I can either eat one shitty meal or a few healthy ones...which choice do you think I make? Healthy, of course!), and I have felt pretty down on myself because I feel like I've hit a brick wall and can't get through it.

I went home about a week ago, and people I haven't seen in months have told me that I look great, ask me if I've been losing weight, and calling me "skinny" ... maybe the scale doesn't matter as much as I thought? I know I have a long way to go still, because I am still not happy with the way I look (though I noticed some changes myself) . . . but coming home and having everyone praise my accomplishments was exactly what my soul needed. It motivated me to keep going, to not give up, and to work even harder. I am going to try to exercise a lot more, because I think that will be the thing to get me over my "hump" haha.

Sometimes, all you need is a few kind words to fuel your goals' fire. :) Thank you! <3

A Few Must-Have Apps (that are FREE!)

Hey guys! I know it's been a while since I posted in here, but I've been very busy with my school and work. I kind of lost sight of my goals during the past few months, but these last few weeks I have kicked it up big time...and even brought technology into the mix! The apps I'm going to tell you about today are very handy tools that make weight loss a breeze!

Lose It! (Android and iPhone)

This app is my main app that I use. It gives you a budget on how many calories you have each day based on your height, weight, gender, age, and goals. I'm allowed 1291 calories per day and I have been under every day on my calories. You can track your food, exercise, weight, etc. and it keeps a detailed record for you. Without this app, I would honestly be lost!!! 

RunKeeper

This app uses GPS technology to track your runs, walks, hikes, bike ride, etc. and at the end tells you how fast you went, how far you went, how long it took you, and how many calories burned. It is a great tool to use in conjunction with Lose It, and I use this app any time I run. It also tells you when you beat an old record, which is awesome for motivation! Another thing...it reminds you to work out when you haven't in a couple days, which is awesome. 

Daily Workouts

This app is great for a short workout. You choose your target area that you'd like to work out, the length of workout, and how many times you'd like the workout repeated. It's perfect for busy people like me, and there's even video to go with it that shows you how to do it and how long that particular move lasts. 

 

I hope these three apps help you like they've helped me. I have lost two pounds this week just by being diligent and motivated, and I can't wait until I reach my goal weight! Happy journey, everyone. 

NatureBox.com :)

So I recently saw some advertisements for this thing called Nature Box...you sign up for $20/month (but for every friend you refer, you get $10 knocked off!), and they send you a box of healthy and awesome snacks! You can get a "surprise box" every month or customize it, but I think for now I'll stick with surprises. I got my first box the other day and let me tell you...these snacks are awesome! They don't use HFCS, artificial colors/flavors, and their snacks are all natural. I don't feel guilty when I eat their snacks! I'm totally looking forward to my next box next month!

Also...if anybody wants to try it out...here's a link! (you can cancel at any time!) If you click it and sign up, it helps me out AND gives you a nice little discount!
http://fbuy.me/bNdn

Thanks!
<3 Laura

My New Home Equipment!

So, I've become a little obsessed with online shopping, and I found some awesome things that I've been meaning to buy. I got some resistance tubes and bands, an ab roller, and some inflatable balance discs. All I really need now are some more hand weights (2lb, 5lb, and 10lb), and hopefully a Bosu ball at some point when I can afford it :) Anyways, I'm really excited to have all this fun new stuff...and I'm on my 3rd day in a row working out and I'm watching everything I'm eating (tonight's little snack is some sliced cucumbers with lemon juice squeezed over it...so fresh and yummy). I'm keeping up with my water drinking as well :)

And...as an unrelated (but exciting) note...I'm being promoted to bartender at work!!! So things are really looking up now.

Thanks for reading guys!

Here we go again!

So me and my boyfriend had a serious talk about getting truly healthy last night, and we're going to keep ourselves motivated to eat healthy and exercise daily. Today is Day 1. We even took some more "before" photos! His goal is to get bigger (He's a little skinny, but not too skinny), so he's going to do a lot of strength exercises, while I'm trying to get smaller (by mixing strength and cardio). Let's hope this works this time, I'm glad he is on board with me and my goals, because for a while he'd just order pizzas and of course I'd have a slice (because pizza is awesome). Anyways...since today is my new Day 1, I decided to dust off my Jillian Michaels: 30-Day Shred DVD.
For anybody who claims they don't have enough time to work out, this is the perfect video for you. it's a 20-minute super intense video that combines cardio, strength, and abs. She's really good at keeping you motivated to continue, and there's even a modified version for people who find things difficult to do as beginners (such as pushups). It really is awesome, and you feel great afterwards. For $10, you can seriously change your routine! :)
Also...I've been drinking about ten glasses of water each day, and I made a pitcher of cucumber/lemon water and let it sit overnight and drank most of it this morning...I don't think I'll ever drink soda again (besides, the carbonation drives me nuts!).

Here's a link to the DVD on Amazon, by the way...what have you got to lose? (besides your weight ;) haha)

http://www.amazon.com/Jillian-Michaels-30-Day-Shred/dp/B00127RAJY

Blah!

I've been lacking motivation to work out lately...it's a mixture of my workload both at school and work, and also the weather has been soooo cold, so I haven't really gone to the gym at my school. I've gone a few times with one of my good friends this past month, but let me just say that I can't wait until the weather is nice! I am beginning to get down on myself about things as well...blah. I need somebody to come kick me in the butt and help me get motivated to continue my journey! Any takers? :)

The CURVE!

So I worked out today (pretty hard, mind you) at the school gym today (which literally has everything you could imaging inside) and I ran/walked for the first time on The Curve...it burned 250 calories in 15 minutes, and I didn't run as much as I walked briskly. It's my new bestest friend in the world.

There is no motor and it's amazing. It doesn't make much noise and you can run very quickly on it and it also makes it a little difficult to balance on there, which makes the workout harder. If your gym has one, use it. It is seriously the most fun I've ever had walking or running and leaves you sweaty and exhausted after just a few minutes. LOVE IT!


I got an e-mail from a friend of mine who says she has recently started up her routine because of reading my blog. That seriously makes me very happy, because I'm not writing this just for me. If I'm able to inspire even one person and help them keep motivated, then my job here is worth it. :) Thanks for the motivation for me to keep going as well!


That's all for today guys... :)

Something...different

I'm online a lot (though judging from how often I've been updating this blog you'd think otherwise lol), and I'm getting pretty sick of certain things. What certain things? Well...this, for example:

Stuff like this is damaging. Stuff like this is NOT okay. The girl is absolutely beautiful in both photos. Whoever makes this crap (probably some lonely single teenage guy who has nobody to keep him company other than his raging hormones) needs a reality check.

Women spend billions of dollars per year on cosmetics alone. Why? It's because people convince us that natural beauty is NOT beauty. When people ask me what's wrong or if I'm okay when I don't have makeup on, it makes me feel ugly. Luckily, my boyfriend thinks I'm pretty all the time, which is great.

Makeup is fun, it is a way of expressing myself, and I can accentuate certain features that I like. I don't use it to "cover up my ugly face" or anything like that...but so many people won't even leave the house without caking makeup on their faces in order for society to "accept them."

Posts like the example I used need to just...stop. Everybody is beautiful in their own unique, amazing way. Be proud of who you are, and what you look like. You have one body, respect it. :)

Love you all.

Random Stuff

(Image from Sparkpeople.com)

Are you drinking enough water? I know I'm not! I need to somehow find ways to drink more because honestly, whenever people end up losing a substantial amount of weight, their response to "How did you do it?!" is almost always an answer that ends with "...and I drink TONS of water!"

Now I know that diet/exercise is obviously important factors, but drinking water is THE BEST WAY to get rid of toxins in your body and other built up crap. It's good for everything - liver, kidneys, blood, etc. - and if you were to drink two glasses of water when you wake up (before doing anything else), your body would get rid of most of the toxins built up from the night's sleep.

This is totally a goal for this year for me. I feel like a lot of my problems with lacking energy, sore joints, and frequent headaches are from not drinking enough water (I probably only drink about 2-3 glasses per day...so I need to step it up BIG time).

Onto my next topic...SNACKING!

I have a problem with snacking. I am making lots of healthy meals (which, I will have to show you soon, I've taken pics of nearly everything I cook), but in between those healthy meals I catch myself snacking a lot. I might start taking appetite control stuff soon so that I don't consume those extra calories (I've been looking into ACE dietary supplement, because of its all natural ingredients and multiple success stories). If anybody knows about it, please feel free to comment! :)

Alrighty, that's all for today!