Dropping Sizes and My Wedding Ring

It's really hard to see that I've lost weight. Sure I've seen the pounds drop on the scale, but to me, I'm the same old Ashlyn. I guess I was waiting for an "A HA!" moment when I would look in the mirror and see a 5'10 women with a nice waist line and defined shoulders (what ever that looks like). Surprise! That hasn't happened but I have noticed a few changes and that makes me feel so ecstatic and proud. Mom and I went shopping yesterday and I reached for the the same size that I used to wear. My mom grabbed some smaller sizes "just in case". To my surprise I dropped three sizes!! Not 5'10 yet though...

Another thing besides my size that is dropping, is my wedding ring. It slips right off my finger, which is a new thing because when we got married it was a little tight!

Here is a recipe that I can't wait to try, because I can have Carrots, but not potatoes or sweet potatoes.

Source: (http://change-it-work-it-feel-it.tumblr.com/post/25651494096/carrot-fries)

My Joys for today:

• Getting new clothes for School! "(Thanks mom for your help and listening to my constant whining of "Does this fit me right?" "What matches this?" "Is this my waist?")
• Although today is my last day, I've spent a wonderful two weeks with my parents!

This Picture is for them!

• I get to see Prince Charming tomorrow!

What are your Joys for today? Leave me a comment!

Hugs!

Ashlyn

Shake #56... and Passion Fruit Tea

Today my shakes tastes blah! I've calculated that I've had over 56 of the same shakes. So every morning when I'm drinking my "Wendy's frosty" I just think of the reasons my shakes are great:

• I don't have to think or make of something "healthy" to eat. All the vitamins and nutrients are there.
• They make my stomach feel great! I had a lot of stomach problems before I started this diet.
• They are "chocolate" flavored... If you close your eyes, and concentrate really hard you can ALMOST taste a Wendy's frosty.
• They keep me full until lunch or my next shake, how ever I plan it out. One of my problems pre-diet was that I was hungry ALL the time, and I was hungry for anything sweet.

Now for a few things that brings me Joy today.

I've never liked tea, but I had Starbucks Passion Fruit Tea without the sweetener, and I LOVED it. So I bought a box of Tazo Passion Tea and made it at home. I think I nailed it! 

1. Boil 4 cups of water.
2. After the water starts to boil pull it off the stove
3. Seep the tea for about five minutes
4. Pour over a tall glass of ice, put a lid on it and shake. Shake, Shake, Shake it like a Polaroid picture !
5. Drink!

Found this Recipe for Turkey Stuffed Vegetables!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/turkey-stuffed-vegetables-recipe/index.html

If I took out the milk, egg, and bread crumbs I would have a PD diet ready recipe that would sure be different then my grilled meat and vegetables every night!

Hugs!

Ashlyn

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In New Jesey

I've been in New Jersey for the past week and a half, and to say it has been challenging is to say the least! I love being with my mom and dad, but being on my diet takes some of the fun out of things. Our family loves food.

• We socialize around food...
• We travel around food...
• We eat when we are bored...
• We eat when we are not bored...

Are you starting to see why this trip could be challenging? My family has been very supportive, such as my mom buying and cooking dinners I can eat, and my dad getting me a water bottle during his soda run. But that doesn't mean they stop eating "delicious" foods. I didn't realize how much I plan my life around food until I suddenly can't! I've been good and only had something I shouldn't of had once.

(Me in Carlo's Bakery!)

DUN DUN DUN...

The Cheat.

I love to bake cakes, which I guess is sort of ironic for someone who can't eat them. My hero is Buddy, the Cake Boss. Imagine my delight when I found out that they built a Carlo's Bakery just minutes from dad's house. I JUST HAD TO GO! So I did. I got a chocolate fudge cupcake and ate half of it. Was I supposed to have it? No. Did it taste good? Yes. Is it worth throwing my health away so I can eat one every day? NO! Even though I felt a little guilty, I'm happy I got to have a taste of Carlo's. 

How It All Started...

Once upon a time there was a very happy, unhealthy princess who LOVED chocolate. Then the princess started to feel tired, ALL THE TIME! Ok I'll stop with the princess shenanigans but there is not yet a Disney princess to get any sort of common ailment. Back to the story, my name is Ashlyn and I love chocolate. In 2011-2012 I realized that I was exhausted all the time. I would get up at seven, go to bed at nine and still be tired in the morning! Some weeks I would take a nap every day. I knew something was wrong with me so in January 2013, my family practice doctor ran blood tests on me. One of the tests she ran was called an A1C1 Test. It is a test that can give a person an average of their blood sugar over three months. Mine said that I was .1 point away from being Diabetic. She said that I was in the range doctors referred to as Pre-Diabetic. After looking on the Internet, I realized there is not a lot of information out on Pre-Diabetes or PD. My doctor told me that I needed to eat better and exercise. The tool she gave me.... A food pyramid, which was no help at all! So I went home, lived my life like I always did consuming mass amounts of chocolate, still continued to be tired, and didn't exercise because of it. At the end of the school year I decided to take control of my life. I didn't want diabetes; I was tired of being tired. So I made an appointment with a naturopathic doctor with the plan to get healthy by any means necessary. 

In May of 2013 I met with the naturopathic doctor. She told me that if I was willing to change my life style that I could reverse my pre-diabetes. The Plan was drastic and was going to be hard but I was willing to do ANYthing to become healthy again. On May 31, I began Phase 1.

• MediClear SGS Shakes to replace two meals a day. (This shake is full of nutrients and vitamins, it is also a detox which I needed because I had a super fatty liver as result of the PD)
• 1 meal of lean meat and vegetables prepared anyway. 
• Snack, if needed of vegetables, and every so often, and apple.

I've been on Phase one for a month and have two more weeks to go. I've given up chocolate, dairy, carbs,  and fruit, but I've gained so much. 

1. Energy! I'm a night owl again! No more going to bed at nine, and I wake up feeling refreshed.
2. Weight loss! Being a few pounds outside of my ideal BMI I was thrilled to find out that I've lost 10 pounds. 
3. Exercise! I used to not have enough energy to even think about walking around the block and when I did it took everything out of me!

But this is just the beginning. It is a battle everyday to make the right choices. It is also a battle to not step on the scale every day and just look at this process from a vain standpoint. I might never be able to eat chocolate every day again, but I will be alive and healthy. And chocolate is not that great anyways right.... ok I just lied, but being able to be there for the ones I love is just as sweet.