I went through a few different fonts to try to figure out what I wanted for this new look. Last week, I spent a day randomly setting up a new theme, and I had to design my own header, so I tested a bunch of fonts out. The one below was my favorite, but the built-in fonts clashed with it. Then a bunch of things were broken or in need of customization, so Husband came to my rescue.
Basically, this is my reboot. I plan to post recipes on Mondays and Fridays, and I’ll try to do a personal post on Wednesdays as a check-in (an alternate meaning to “Wednesday Weigh-In”–a weigh-in about life!), but I’m not going to promise that. As people always remind me, I have a lot of things going on. LOL. I have tons of books and stories to write. I have lots of journals (<– new website I also put together!!) to publish. And I have clients to edit for. Among other things like being a wife, a pet mom, a stepmom, a vegan activist, and a friend.
So here we go! I’m ready to post the recipes I’ve been making in the last year, and I can’t wait to try new ones. I’m not huge at creating them myself (though I do that too!), so I take inspiration from recipes I find and give credit where it’s due after I switch out ingredients to make it my own. There are so many incredible food blogs out here already, and I’m happy to send traffic there way when their work is amazing. So I’m looking forward to that! If you have anything you want me to try, leave a comment below and I’ll give it a shot. Until then!
Cravings and Bingeing
When talking with a friend today, I realized that I really don’t crave things anymore. I don’t think, “Oh man, I’d KILL for a Snickers bar!” or “Wow, I could really go for some barbeque potato chips!” I don’t even really think, “Goodness, a mango sounds really good right now!” It’s rare that I actually crave something. When I do eat something that has ingredients I don’t normally eat, I can tell the difference in feeling when I eat it. I literally can’t stop eating things with added ingredients in them. It’s scary when you think about it. Yikes. Do yourself a favor – eat natural, real foods.
Breakfast:
- Green smoothie – bananas, spinach, water, hemp protein powder
- I swear this must be keeping me fuller longer. Blech.
Snack:
- 4 cups red seedless grapes
Lunch:
- 6 smallish bananas
Snack:
- 2 1/2 cups whole sweet cherries
Dinner:
- 2 portobello caps with mashed potatoes, corn, Daiya “cheese,” and broccoli (recipe on Monday)
Calories: Unsure
Colors: Green, yellow, red, orange, purple, brown
Water: 150 oz
Exercise: Light stretching, work
Sunshine: 60 mins in the car
Sleep: 8 hours
Grateful for: My husband – he made dinner and it was ready when I got home from work. <3
I’m starting to realize all the different restrictions I’ve put on myself that seem like a little too much. I don’t really worry about what I’m eating because I stick to mostly raw and fresh produce. But that’s still really restrictive. In my house it’s fine because I don’t have anything that I need to say no to. But at lunch today, I just wanted everyone’s food! I don’t know if this is a phase, but everyone else’s food looked so good. I didn’t actually want to eat it when I thought about it, but it was more than bananas. So when I came home to dinner, I was so happy. However, I think it made me eat more than I really needed. I’m still pretty full, and I ate an hour and a half ago. That was a little unnecessary.
So was this my first binge? There wasn’t anything terrible in it. It was all vegan, though I would have said no to the “cheese” if I’d known. It was all pretty good. Felt like comfort food. Which is, I’m sure, why I ate more than I needed to. Oh well. Getting my walk and run on tomorrow since it’s a day off from my part-time job.
Wednesday Weigh-In
Spent the evening with my grandma last night, so I didn’t get to post. Here’s all the food I ate yesterday and an update on my weight. It’s weird. Tuesday I saw 113.6, an all-time low. And then this morning I saw 115.4, so I’m off the scale until next Wednesday. I don’t need to be on it!! LOL! Expect a video tonight. Keep the video ideas coming. I’m looking to make a couple more today. Let me know!
Breakfast:
- 6-banana smoothie
Snack:
- Green juice with blended cantaloupe
- 4 smallish bananas
Lunch:
- Green juice with blended cantaloupe
- Maifun noodles with broccoli, cabbage, and carrot in a ginger/soy sauce
Snack:
- 2 1/2 cups green seedless grapes
Dinner:
- 3 baked potatoes (small amount of EVOO and sea salt) with Simply Heinz ketchup
Calories: Not sure
Colors: Yellow, green, orange, brown, red
Water: 130 oz
Exercise: Light stretching
Sunshine: 60 mins in the car
Sleep:7.5 hours
I received a lot of (unwanted) attention at work. I’m pretty sure one of my next videos will be all of the things I’ve heard, that have been said to my face, about this diet and its effects. I think that will be an interesting one. Haha. Anyway, I’ll talk more tonight about the stuff going on. Have a great day!
Wednesday Weigh-in – Late!
Wednesday is date night in Kampmeier house. So I’m getting everything ready this morning. Hopefully you all had a wonderful day yesterday. I’m glad I remember my weigh-in weight from yesterday because this morning (which I shouldn’t have checked) is decidedly NOT the same. Stress is no good on the body, folks. NO GOOD.
Breakfast:
- Cantaloupe milk – 1 whole cantaloupe blended
Snack:
- 4 rice cakes with natural PB (literally JUST roasted peanuts) and honey
Lunch:
- 3 3/4 cups red seedless grapes
Snack:
- 3/4 lb strawberries
Dinner:
- Pad Thai noodles with broccoli, carrots, and a honey/ginger/soy sauce. Recipe is here.
Calories: Unsure.
Colors: Orange, brown, red, green
Water: 140 oz
Exercise: Work.
Sunshine: 15 minutes
Sleep: 7 hours.
I’ve been SO ridiculously stressed out. I’m trying to calm myself down, but I’m feeling more and more symptoms of stress. I need to learn to let go. There aren’t enough hours in a day to get everything done, but that’s why we’ll have tomorrow, right? This is a pretty rough period, but it’s not even that bad! I’ll figure it all out. :o) I hope you’re all doing well.
A message to my friends – Please do not hesitate to ask me about this lifestyle. I am still hearing and seeing people talk about counting calories, starving themselves, doing ridiculous workouts, etc. It doesn’t have to be that way, and I’d love to show you how and why. I will not come to you about it because that’s not my place. If the conversation about food and diet starts, sure, I’ll talk. But you have to be ready for some changes. Come talk with me. What’s the worst that can happen? :o)
Wednesday Weigh-in – Bloated!
One of the best things you can do for yourself is set a goal. It can be big or small, and you can have multiple ones at the same time. Setting small goals will keep you on track. Aim for one raw meal a day at the beginning. Or set out to try new foods each week to find more you can add to your diet. You can have a reward system if it’ll help you motivate you, but don’t make food the reward. If you have to, make it a raw recipe if you can. But don’t be too hard on yourself if you fail and just don’t succeed. We all make mistakes and can’t do it all. Go slow and you’ll be more likely to keep these new healthy habits.
Breakfast:
- 6 banana smoothie with water, chia seeds, and cinnamon = 700 calories
Snack:
- 7 bananas (5 small, 2 large) = 500 calories
Lunch:
- 2 baked potatoes with homemade salsa = 325 calories
Snack:
- 3 cups watermelon = 135 calories
Dinner:
- Eggplant and brown rice pasta with homemade marinara = 450 calories
Calories: 2205
Colors: Yellow, black, brown, red, green, white
Water: 200 oz
Exercise: 1 cycle of each of these and C25K – W1D2
Sunshine: 15 minutes
Sleep: 7 hours
I think my weight is up because I’ve been eating salt a lot this week. It’s that time of the month, and I’m super puffy and bloated. Plus, I ate that pizza twice in a week. Either way, I’m still eating salt in the food my husband makes for me, but I’ve upped my water intake (as you can see). Either that will flush me out or bloat me more with water retention. I guess we’ll find out! I’m working out now, so that’ll help either way. Sweating lots here in the 111 degree heat, too!
Either way, this is my first period without my birth control pills. Josh got fixed 6 months ago, so I finally was able to quit taking them. I can SO tell the difference at this point. It’s unfortunate, but if I keep as raw as possible, that should ease the situation. I’ve noticed that much – WAY easier cramps, lighter flow, etc etc. This has been quite an experience, so I’m glad to see how the pills were working. Hopefully the food will help. I’ll make that my new goal – raw for easier periods. It can happen!
Wednesday Weigh-In: Inspirational Friends
While taking a break at work today, I checked my phone to find this amazing message from an incredible friend doing a juice fast:
I woke up this morning SIX lbs lighter! I have never lost that much in only 3 days! Wow!!! And I feel fantastic! I wake up with energy and sleep better. I’m so moving to a raw diet after I’m done with this. I love it! Thanks for all your inspiration and sharing wonderful videos (Freelee and Fully Raw)!
There are many reasons why I love this. First of all, she’s thriving on a juice fast. She’s cleaning out all the built up gunk in her body, seeing awesome changes, and feeling healthier. She’s also thinking about moving on to raw foods when she’s finished because she’s feels so good. I’m telling you, the feelings are contagious, and once you catch it, you don’t want to let go! Plus, she’s inspired by my blog and what I share with you all. I’m so happy to be that person because I love feeling healthy and spreading the good fortune I’ve been blessed with. You are all so amazing and inspiring to me! It continues to drive my healthy journey as well, so thank you! <3 <3
Breakfast:
- Smoothie (the usual) = 650 calories
Snack:
- 4 cups red seedless grapes = 240 calories
Lunch:
- 3 baked potatoes with salt = 525 calories
Snack:
- 3 peaches = 150 calories
Dinner:
- Probably some peaches. Add another 250-300 calories. See note at bottom for the reason for this.
Calories: 1845?
Colors: Yellow, brown, black, red, orange
Water: 135 oz
Exercise:
Sunshine:
Sleep: 7.5 hours
So… are you noticing what I’m noticing? My weight isn’t going up from eating all of these calories!! Hmm. Makes you think, doesn’t it? *wink*
Note: Wednesday nights are date nights here in this house. Tonight’s date night plan is to check out Goodwill and go for a swim. No phones, no computers, no separate activities on Wednesday nights. So I’ll catch you all tomorrow. <3
Wednesday Weigh-In: Changes
I’ve experienced many changes since I’ve started this diet. Some people can see; others they can’t. The ones you can see are weight loss, positive attitude, and clearer skin. People can’t see the energy I feel, the lack of fatigue, and the way I don’t have that heavy, full stomach feeling. No one sees how the cramps during my period have gone from debilitating to so mild I barely notice the one that occurs. Only my husband has really noticed the fact that my PMDD has pretty much disappeared. Sure, I have bad days. I get in some bad moods, but they aren’t part of mood swings because of the food. My relationship with food has changed. I eat until I am satisfied because that’s all my body needs. I eat a variety of foods that keep me running, and I feel wonderful. It’s made a huge difference in my life.
Breakfast:
- 4 cups red seedless grapes = 480 calories
- 3 celery stalks and 2 tbsp natural peanut butter = 280 calories
- 2 small baked potatoes (with sea salt and EVOO) with cheddar cheese = 650 calories
- 3/4 lb strawberries and 6 oz blueberries = 200 calories
- Most of a small avocado = 250 calories
Wednesday Weigh-In – Don’t Juice Mustard Greens
I’ve decided that Wednesdays will be weigh-in days. Weighing myself daily for this blog will make it a habit, and it’s one I’ve already worked to break. I stress in real-life conversations that we shouldn’t worry about weight. It’s only part of the picture. As we all know, muscle weighs more than fat does, so if you’re fit, chances are you’ll weigh more. So get off the scale, folks. It only serves to make us more paranoid about our body images, and we all know we don’t need any more issues.
- Banana Smoothie (4 large bananas, 1 C water, 1 tbsp chia seeds, ice) = 500 calories
- 5 yellow mangoes = 525 calories
- Baked potato with EVOO and salt = 300 calories
- 1/2 C homemade salsa = 35 calories
- 1/4 C roasted peanuts, unsalted = 160 calories
- 1 lb strawberries = 120 calories
- Tried to make juice. Gross.
- 1 large Granny Smith apple = 120 calories
- Raw brownie = 75 calories
