The Struggle Is Real

   Starting another round of 21 Day Fix this week.  I am down 6-8 lbs depending on the day my weight has been fluctuating.   I have been stuck at my current weight for a couple of weeks and I am ready to recommit to the program that helped me lose 9 lbs in 21 days the last time I did it.

   I have been up and down with my Crohn's symptoms and recently spoke with my Gastroenterologist about starting Remicade.  I am excited, scared, and hopeful that this in combination with my Imuran will improve my symptoms.

   I just placed my order for some new Erin Condren planner stickers from Etsy.  I will post pictures when they come in.  I will be using them to organize my daily life and Beachbody business.  

  I will be posting on my blog at least once a week to do updates on my weight loss progress.  If you are interested in home workouts and an accountability group full of positive strong women send me an email at kristenslosingit@gmail.com

Before and after from my first round :)

Week 1 weight loss results!

Week 1 of the 21 day fix DONE!!!  I lost 5.1 lbs and -8 inches! I am so full from all the food I have been eating throughout the day.  You really can eat more if you choose clean whole foods.  The portion control containers are great and take the guess work out of meal prep.  I also enjoy not counting calories.  The workouts are quick at 30 minutes but give you an excellent calorie burn.

I have included a collage of some of the meals I have been having while on the 21 Day Fix.  I have even saved money on groceries because I can buy everything at Trader Joe's.

If you are interested in joining our next challenge group starting the end if April leave your email below and I can send you more information.

Getting back on track after hospitalization

I am on day 3 of my new workout program and meal plan.  I feel sore but really happy that I am able to workout and incorporate some healthy food options that I was unable to tolerate only a couple weeks ago.  It amazing how the human body can transform with correct nutrition and exercise.  I have experienced it myself with losing 40lbs before my Crohns diagnosis and hospitalization.  After being in the hospital for 5 days out of work for a month and taking large amounts of steroids, my body needed a jump start.  My muscle tone that I had worked hard on developing is gone, the steroids have me puffed up like a marshmallow, and I was advised by doctors to eat a low residue diet which is basically white bread, white pasta, white crackers, cheese and a few other carbohydrate and fat rich foods.  To say that I was excited to eat fruit, yogurt and vegetables is an understatement.
Now on day 3 of the 21 Day Fix my clothes are fitting again, my face is slimming out and I'm saying peace out to my double chin :)  The workouts are short (30 mins) and they have modified options which I use because I need to build back up to where I once was.  I look forward to being able to run 3.5 miles a couple times a week again and go to a spinning class!  I know my body needed the rest and recovery from everything that happened, and now my body needs to be healthy weight wise.  I will continue to update on my health and fitness progress, and would love to know if you have any experience with weight loss helping you control your chronic illness symptoms.  Thanks for stopping by. ~ Kristen

SCD yogurt

(My Yogourmet yogurt maker, I found mine on Amazon)

I made my first batch of SCD yogurt over a week ago and have already dug into the second batch!  This yogurt is everything they say it is and more.  You have to make it at home as the fermentation process takes over 24 hours to ensure the lactose is completely removed.  The finished product is thick, creamy with a slight tangy flavor.  Its great with yogurt and nuts, even a little honey.  The best part 1 cup of SCD yogurt has over 700 billion cultures (those good bacteria you want to live in you intestines).  My Crohns symptoms have improved significantly with the addition of SCD yogurt to my diet.  I highly recommend you try it if you suffer from Crohns, Ulcerative Colitis, IBS or other digestive issues. The recipe I used can be found HERE.

(My finished SCD yogurt, isn't it beautiful?? )

Cashew Cream

As I mentioned in my last post I have a new love/addiction to cashew cream and lucky for me there are many SCD friendly recipes online and on Pinterest!

The photo above is my own of strawberries smothered in fresh cashew cream, it tastes like a desert which is something I miss since I cannot tolerate a lot of sweets.  

Recipe for cashew cream:

2 cups raw whole cashews soaked overnight in water cover and keep in refrigerator

drain cashews and place in blender (high powered blenders tend to work best for a smooth consistency)

add enough filtered water to cover cashews approximately 1 inch

BLEND!!! Until smooth or desired consistency. You can add less or more water depending on desired thickness.

DONE

You can add maple syrup, honey, or stevia, and vanilla extract to sweeten/ flavor.  I added vanilla extract to mine to keep it SCD legal.

Pour over fresh fruit, top a waffle, add to fruit smoothies...the options are endless :)

Now for something even more AMAZING!!!

Key lime cashew cream pie with almond meal crust and whipped coconut milk

The photo above is my version of a "nailed it"

Can you guess which pie is my creation? LOL!  Can't tell? I don't blame you they look pretty much identical :)  The BEAUTIFUL photo on the left is from Baker Bettie who I was lucky enough to stumble upon her inspiring food blog through Pinterest, the photo on the right is my less glamorous, but none the less very delicious attempt.

This recipe is so easy and the finished product is refreshing and light.  I will be making another pie the second we finish this first one.  I made this SCD friendly by using honey as my sweetener of choice.

For the recipe click here.

And for more inspiring recipes visit:

www.bakerbettie.com

Specific Carbohydrate Diet

One of my awesome Aunts sent me this book when I got my Crohns diagnosis.  For those who don't know the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or SCD is a very restrictive diet that through cutting out certain starches, grains, processed foods, dairy, and many other items is supposed to help heal many intestinal ailments.  You can find a list of "legal" and "illegal" foods on their website www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info

I have slowly been cutting out gluten and dairy.  Trips to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods to stock up on legal food items have become a 2-3x a week occurrence.  I recently discovered cashew cream, and have developed a full fledge addiction.  I love it on strawberries and found the most incredible recipe for key lime cashew cream pie with whipped coconut milk.  I'll post pictures of my finished product with a link to the recipe on Saturday this week.

My Crohns symptoms have been improving recently and I cannot wait to start tapering off this prednisone.  I have only gained 3-5 pounds depending on the day, but my clothing is tight from all the swelling :(  I'm hoping if its just water weight I'll be able to lose the bloat quickly as I finish my prednisone in a couple of weeks. 

I haven't worked out in almost a month and have put as a goal for next week to go to the gym at least 2x for 30 minutes.  I hope that with the iron infusions I'll be getting weekly for the next 8 weeks my energy level will increase and I can get back to my workout DVDs and maybe even some spinning classes.

Hope you're having a great week!

I be up in my home just working on my fitness!

I have struggled for years trying to make/ find time to get to the gym.  I enjoy classes more than using cardio machines or nautilus equipment.  With my schedule at the hospital I work long days and a lot of overtime on the weekends. Classes at my local gym never fit my schedule so when I did get to the gym I would have no idea what to do.  I would run/ jog on the treadmill and use the nautilus machines but I never really enjoyed it and my results were minimal.  I recently discovered some before and after transformations of people who did workout programs at home and they are incredible!  I bit the bullet and ordered this program through Beachbody and will be starting a hybrid program of Turbofire and LMPump.  Progress photos, my meal plan and measurements to come so stay tuned :)

I go nuts for almond butter!

Does anyone else get excited when they find a delicious healthy food item??? I love Justin's Maple Almond Butter and when I saw this sitting on the shelf at the health food store I had to contain my excitement so I wouldn't startle the shopper next to me with my shriek of delight....I'm not exaggerating....not even a little.  Almond and vanilla, two of my favorite flavors combined in one heavenly nut butter.  Its almost too good to be true!  I like to spread almond butter on a slice of Ezekiel bread.  It is delicious and filling.  What is one of your favorite healthy food finds???