One Swim Class Down, Onto The Next!

Finished first phase of proper swim lessons for Triathlon prep. Next session will kick it up a notch and then Wednesday night trainings. It's been such a blessing to have met so many new friends in the class. Even a fellow Iron Girl! This has been one of the best experiences of my life besides my wedding day to my best friend and the births of our two children.

Thank you everyone who made this possible and all those who've been following my journey!♥

Iron Girl, here I come!

A Birthday Dinner

Happy Birthday Daddy! My Husband wanted to grill portabella burgers. Here we have baked potatoes, roasted asparagus and a marinated portabella burger with lettuce, tomatoes and banana peppers. 

Eating all these veggies keeps you full longer, gives you fiber and nutrients your body needs and THIS meal tastes great! Meals MUST have flavor for this girl to eat it. 

Reminder Of The Important Things In Life...

As I talk about trainings and frustrations for simple things, there are dear friends who are going through MUCH worse. Whether their children are fighting illnesses or friends who've lost close relatives it most certainly keeps things in check.

We must live each day as if it were the last, love those around us with all we have and forgive those who've disappointed or hurt us. If not for them, then for US to heal.

If you could please pray for one of my oldest and dearest friends again. She lost her uncle just a week after her dads passing. Last year she said goodbye to her grandmother and her father-in-law. It's such a tough place to be and they're family will need a whole lot of God's strength and encouragement during the grieving process.

Love and hugs to you all! 

It's Official...

I'm Registered For Iron Girl! YAY!!!

A Yummy Snack

Today's snack: Vega Chocolate shake with almond butter, banana and vegan chocolate chips.

Disappointments Happen, But You MUST Listen To Your Body!

A disappointing training is one that never happened.  ((sigh)) 

As I wait for the team of Dr.'s to change things, I had to recover from the last 3 days worth of lows and heart palpitations from what I'm guessing is thyroid medication that needs to be lowered. 

I'm a numbers person however, and I have in my head a time I'd like to reach for my ride in the race in August. I don't want just the numbers but the quality. It means I need to be consistent on the bike and these setbacks make me pretty frustrated and emotional. Not to mention that my coach, husband, and daughter have put a lot of time and support in along with me. Nobody is pressuring me, but I certainly feel the need to do my absolute best. Not just for myself, but all those who have put their love, support and resources into helping me.

I see changes in my body as well as in my overall health, I just want to be sure I keep the right pace.

My Insulin Resistance Isn't So Resistant Anymore!

I've been having some pretty consecutive lows lately. I need to call the Diabetic educator, have labs done and call my PCP so that my medical team is on board with what's going on.

"It seems the longer I eat plant-based and train, the lower my blood sugars go. 70 this morning and 65 a half an hour ago. Of course 80 is normal so these numbers are pretty low. After taking my emergency stash of glucose tabs, I've come to the conclusion that I'm done with the specialist and it's time to come off the insulin pump.

I'm making an appointment with my wonderful PCP to move back to oral meds to help me process the insulin my body produces and maybe for the time being a long lasting insulin to keep sugars level. I think I've hit a goal!

While I'm a bit hesitant to say this, I'm almost in tears to think that I will no longer be wearing my "tail" the insulin pump that hides or drags around with me.

Please pray that the Dr. appointment goes well and that my body will take to the new oral meds prescribed. It's going to take a little bit of trial and error which scares me, but the more I focus on nutrition and exercise, the more likely it will be that I may reverse my type II diabetes altogether. I praise God for every milestone and pray for wisdom and guidance from my GREATEST Physician".

UPDATE:

Holy Cats! The Diabetic Educator cut my long lasting insulin rate on my pump from 3.40 at midnight at 3.30 until 3am and 8am until midnight  3.45 to 1.0 from midnight to 9am and from 9am to midnight 2.0.  My blood sugar STILL just came out at 82 AFTER lunch.  That's normal but shows that the insulin has been pushing me under.  We'll see how the changes work over time but I wean off the insulin pump soon.

Another UPDATE May 1st:  The Diabetic Educator says everything is level right now. She does want me to cut my basil (long lasting insulin) in half during my intense training sessions so I don't bottom out again. I see her at the end of the month when HOPEFULLY, we'll start getting off that pump.  I'll keep an update when I see the PCP shortly!

Sweet Potatoes and Salad For Little Bear And I

Baked sweet potato (mashed with sprout booster for little bear), salad with broccoli sprouts, cucumbers, kalamata olives & tomatoes. Little bear had a cucumber and tomato salad.

‘Biggest Loser’ star presses Waxman on nutrition bills

This is extremely important that our healthcare professionals get training on proper diet and nutrition for their patients. The simplest way to reverse diseases such as heart disease, type II diabetes, cancers, etc. Is through diets high in whole plant-based foods. Prevention goes a LONG way!

"The personal trainer, 40, has penned a letter to Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) asking him to co-sponsor two bills — the Education and Training (EAT) for Health Act (H.R. 4378) and the Expansion of Nutrition’s Role in Curricula and Healthcare (H.R. 4427) — that she says would “increase awareness about the power of healthful eating among our health care providers.” Michaels is from Waxman’s district and writes in the letter that she’s reaching out to him because he had success on other public health initiatives."
"The EAT Act would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidelines for federal agencies to require that their healthcare professionals receive nutrition training, while H.R. 4427 would create a grant program for medical schools to integrate nutrition education into their curricula."


See The Full Article. 

Replacing Processed Junk With Whole Plant-Based Options

I'm trying to replace my processed favorites with something even better. Bye bye pasta! You've been officially replaced with spaghetti squash. This is plant-based WHOLE food and will help me lose pounds quicker. It gives me the feel of pasta without feeling deprived. Happy eating!

Bike Training Brought A New Workout.

What came after my hour bike training. A Monster Walk. (only my bands were lower) It burned. It REALLY burned.

My bike training was at the easiest gear straight away with no real resistance. Or was there Coach? Come to think of it, I was on a different trainer and the lowest gear didn't feel as easy as the other trainer so maybe there was "hidden" resistance I didn't know about?! Hahaha Needless to say, I felt like hurling ON the bike and doing The Monster Walk a couple times with two different bands made me feel the burn.

I didn't like either today, but afterwards I felt great and I'm quite aware of the fact that doing Monster "squats" will burn the heck out of this fat. BURN baby BURN! Get that fat off!! Get outa here FAT! lol

If your looking for me, I'll be the one crashed out on the couch icing my knees. I'm tired. I'm not sure how people do mega marathons or 70.3's. Your all pretty awesome! 

Fill Your Life With Greens!

My favorite Plant-Based Dietitian shares her wealth of information and recipes for fresh leafy greens. I always love her quote, "Let thy leafy greens be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy leafy greens." Take a look at the nutrition packed in greens. Check out her links below!


Leafy green vegetables are extraordinary superfoods loaded with calcium, iron, plant protein, omega-3 fatty acids, eye health-boosting lutein and zeaxanthin, and other potent, disease-fighting phytochemicals, such as indoles, found in the cruciferous class of vegetables (e.g., Brussels sprouts, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, and kale). Another phytochemical found in leafy greens is chlorophyll, the pigment that makes the plants green. This compound oxygenates and alkalizes the blood and is a powerful antioxidant.  Eat leafy greens both cooked and raw, in salads, green juices, green smoothies, stews, casseroles, and/or use them as a bed for whatever else you are serving/eating. Include them in your diet everyday for optimal health...

 *Resources: 
5 Tips for Making a Super Salad from the Veria Living Live segment taped last week 

Good Morning Green Juice on Veria's What Would Julieanna Do? 

Holy Kale 

Long Live The Green Smoothie  

Dreena Burton's Let Them Eat Greens: 

Which One Will YOU Be?

Source: Bayou 95.7

Exercising With Restrictions And Added Weight

The last thing I should ever do is google ailments. lol I left the orthopedic surgeon feeling good. I left the Physical therapist wondering if I'll need a knee replacement for Patella Alta. He made Chondramalsia sound like it was serious stuff but it's a pretty diverse word and an issue that is quite common. Especially for people who are overweight. 

We're stretching and strengthening muscles to build up my knees. While Jamie gets me ready with the pool, aqua running and biking.

Today I did a 4 mile power walk with Leslie Sansone's "Walk Away The Pounds".

If you have exercise restrictions or need to start somewhere, Leslie's 1,2,3,4 or 5 mile workouts are GREAT for rainy or wintery days. They're pretty low impact, work with all levels and create a great sweat.

I did the 4 mile just under and hour with a 20 minute stretch. I feel like I got my exercise in and I know it's burning calories. ESPECIALLY using new muscles as well as the light resistance from the bands.

I encourage you to get out there and start somewhere. Even with restrictions exercise can still be done to aid in weight loss in conjunction with a healthy diet.

Engaging My Potential.

I don't usually like pictures of myself. I tend to hide or "blend" wherever and whenever I can. Today my husband took a picture of me that I really liked.  I suppose this is progress.  I also made my way into a salon to get a cut and style. This picture is pre-haircut. I should say I also avoid salons like the plague too. Looking glamorous is just something that's out of my league.

I MUST say that losing some of this weight has made me feel better about myself. I'm starting to lose that outer shell. Of course this means I can no longer hide.  My hope is that if your seeing this, You'll understand that anything is possible.  Sometimes you just have to come out of hiding and know that getting out of your comfort zone will lead to better things.

Putting "Self" Aside To Serve A Purpose.

When I start to doubt myself or start to focus too much on "ME" or "I", I'm so glad that I find solace in Gods Word. Tonight I came head to head with the things that should be my ultimate focus. None of which has solely to do with ME. As we head into the celebration of Easter when Jesus died and rose again to deliver His people to newfound freedom, I was led to Jesus' first Sermon in Luke 4:14-21.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and the regaining of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

This reminds me that there is a MUCH bigger picture to look at than only outward appearances or self loath/centeredness. God's plan over our lives is a very important one. When I look at all the things that I fear or stress about, it really is minuscule when thinking about Gods purpose for my life. To love Him, to share that love with others, to share the Gospel, to set an example and to just show mercy, grace and forgiveness to the world when I too have been shown the same thing.

It has occurred to me that while sometimes I focus too much on the wrong things, God has blessed me with SO MUCH goodness this year and years past. It only makes sense to remember that my life, my circumstances, my experiences and my testimony are meant to glorify Him and to minister to the hearts of others and NOT for self-addoration.

Tonight as I sat here panicking about "self", I remember someone MUCH greater who was selfless in His own gift to me through sacrificing His life so that many could LIVE. According to His word, The closer I get to Jesus is the closer I get to God. The closer I get to God, is the closer I get to the poor, blind, enslaved, and imprisoned.

I have to be willing to put all selfish and self-centered thoughts aside and be willing to accept the person God created me to be. I often think of Moses and the burning bush. It blesses my heart that we have a "burning bush" next to our sons grave. You see, Moses didn't think He could be used by God. In the end, we know that he most certainly was because GOD gave Him the strength and power to be used.

A friend of ours several years ago used to say: "Lord, bend me, break me and use me". Wouldn't that be great if we all were able to let go of the control and just let God?

This is where I am at spiritually at the moment. I am FAR from perfect and would like to think that for the most part, "what you see is what you get". If your watching me change physically, my intention is to share that there would be none of it without the spiritual aspect. There would be no balance or freedom in my life without Jesus Christ. I am just a ball of clay ready to be molded.

A Lot To Be Grateful For!

I stepped out of my room this morning to find my sweet husband making a vegetable lentil soup that smelled AMAZING. Stepped on the scale to find I'm 2 lbs away from having lost 30 lbs then we went to the Y so I could get my swim lesson in. I had to stop for a moment just to take in how well I'm coming along even with a sprained ankle and how fun it is to have my husband and our daughter along for the ride. I jumped out of the pool and into the sauna to relax a bit and then enjoyed the beautiful sunny ride home where we all had the delicious soup that Doug made.

It's been a very good day indeed! Thank you Lord. 

Inch By Inch

Pretty easy training on the computrainer today. I managed to do 9 miles on the bike in under an hour with a total of 10 miles straight and flat. My coach managed to tell me that it was the goal he had hoped for once I actually got there. I pushed the last few miles a little bit but I'm seeing pretty positive improvement each time. 

On a final note, I walked out of the place and twisted my ankle. I then proceeded to walk like a cool cat to the car when I let out a pretty loud OUCH! Guess who's icing her ankle along with her knees?! Good grief I'm accident/illness prone this year. Hahahaha

It's so warm out, we're grilling veggie goodness!

Portobello mushroom burger marinated and grilled on a sprouted bun, a side salad, sweet potato fries and grilled asparagus.

Finally Some Great News On What's Been An Uphill Battle. Hooray!

We've just come back from Syracuse Orthopedics where I have to give props to Dr. Battaglia who also is quite impressed with my coach Jamie Campbell. 

I got great news and only a small obstacle instead of a big one. It turns out I have some pretty bad inflammation behind both knees. He was pretty impressed with how far I've come and how much pain I pushed through. 

I got a cortisone shot (I feel like a real athlete now), a MONTHS worth of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory to help me get ahead of the pain and physical therapy to help me rebuild my knees to optimal standards.

I can ride for the most part but as far as running goes I'm back to just aqua jogging until my knees get a little bit stronger.

Before he left he said that my coach has been right on with using aqua jogging and he was pretty impressed with the fact that he cared more about overall health than just getting me to the finish line. Which really says a lot about my coach. He's always said he's not doing this just to help me lose the weight. It's a holistic approach to overall wellness that will not just help me lose weight but KEEP it off with lifestyle change. Thanks Jamie!

Finally, before I left the Dr. said "keep up the good work kiddo" for every 10 lbs you lose, your knees get more longevity of use to keep them healthy (I hope I said it right). He said he was proud of me for accomplishing what I set out to do.

Today is the first day I feel CONFIDENT that I will reach my goals. I was concerned about all the obstacles. This latest one is a minor obstacle and I can't WAIT to build these knees to reach a new type of potential that will change the rest of my and my families lives forever. Amazing!

The Starch Solution. Getting Rid Of Inflammation In Your Body.

Doug and I were discussing this book by Dr. McDougall about a month ago. We don't have this book, but I've heard EXCELLENT things about reversing such things as rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, IBS, Crohns Disease and other issues like mine.

I think it's time to take things a step further. I'm going to weed out soy products and gluten. This is going to be interesting since i have wheat products from bread flour to cake flour and whole wheat pastas.

I'm going to see if doing this will officially get rid of inflammation and get rid of illness for good.

So if you are soy free, dairy free AND gluten free, I'd appreciate your go-to recipes please.

Resource & picture courtesy of:  Dr. McDougall's Health & Medical Center

Low Impact For 2-3 Weeks. Alternative Training Schedule To Come.

Well, it looks like the 3rd sinus infection I got two weeks ago has caused quite the ruckus. I have to keep in mind that as a Diabetic life is so much different from that of a healthy persons.

I have multiple infections in and around my mouth, esophagus and intestinal tract. Nothing that anyone can contract of course, but due to a combination of good stress on the body as well as the typical weakening of the immune system that comes with diabetics I have to wait it out and get aggressive.

As I was listening to the bad news, I refused to wallow in the frustration and figure out a new plan for low impact. This of course means I have to closely watch what I eat even on a plant based diet.

What gave me a new perspective was thinking of how much I want to kick this disease where it counts and look back come fall to see how far I've come without quitting. I'll see these moments where I worked hard physically but also fought hard to reverse disease and illness.

Please, if you learn ANYTHING from me let it be that eating what gives you instant gratification isn't always the healthiest choice for you nor will eating to soothe change anything that happens in your life.

We have to be our own advocates, eat healthy, be physical and take charge. I give God all the glory over my life and He has blessed me abundantly. It really is about balance physically, mentally and spiritually.

Hugs and blessings dear friends!

Eat Plant-Based - MAMA Pea's Double Chocolate-Single Chin Brownies

Here is a recipe for a vegan brownie that will satisfy your need for chocolate but still keep you healthy inside and out! They are a rich, dense, fudgy brownie that are not at all like your boxed flakey brands. 

I'm making these babies for my husbands unit at work so the nurses will feel richly blessed and filled throughout their shift. Here's the recipe:  
Mama Pea's Double Chocolate-Single Chin Brownies

• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup organic sugar (I would substitute date paste or date syrup for my family)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a smaller bowl, combine applesauce, sugar and vanilla. Add wet to dry and mix until just combined.  Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into an 8×8 (I  doubled the recipe and used 9x13 and it was fine) pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake for 20 minutes or until brownies are set and edges are coming away from the pan. Let cool before cutting. These are best served warm with a little bit of soy or coconut vanilla ice cream on top. 

Resource: "Peas And Thank You" by Sarah Matheny

New Photos January/February/March 27 lbs down

Yes, I've heard the jokes that I look taller. Hahaha It's the photo. Though maybe my posture has gotten better. I have a terrible sinus infection and cold in this months but you can't seem to tell. That's great!  I'm looking healthier. What an encouragement!