I had a lot of folks here and on Crackbook compliment my ability to make resolutions or goals and stick to them. I wanted to share with you my method of doing so.
Want to know the reason that most people cannot stick to goals or resolutions? It’s because the 
goals/resolutions are not specific enough.
For example:
I resolve to lose weight.
That’s pretty open-ended, right? I mean, how do you know if/when you are successful?
Or:
I am going to be more organized.
Really? That’s great, but you forgot to say HOW you were going to do that.
Any time you tackle a project, it’s best to break it down into smaller, bite-sized tasks. This will allow you to feel accomplished along the way, with even minimal effort.
One way to do this is to make sure that you are setting SMART goals:
S – Specific (could also be significant, stretching)
M – Measurable (could also be meaningful, memorable, motivating)
A – Attainable (could also be achievable, action plans, accountability)
R – Relevant (could also be realistic, reasonable, rewarding)
T – Time-bound (could also be timely, tangible, thoughtful)
So let’s put those concepts into play:
Again, you don’t want to just make a general statement. If you want to lose weight, that’s great, but how about instead:
- I resolve to cut out dessert during the week.
- This year I am going to walk a mile three times per week.
- This year I am going to add one green veggie to each meal.
Those things will definitely help you lose inches and pounds and they are SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, RELEVANT and TIME-BOUND.
We all want to lose 10 lbs by tomorrow, but it’s not realistic, nor ATTAINABLE in that time period. Be realistic about what you can accomplish in a specific amount of time.
If you want to take it down even further, commit to doing it just for a week or a month. For example:
- During January, I resolve to walk a mile three times per week.
- During February, I resolve to walk a mile 4 times per week.
It’s easy to “fool” yourself into a habit if you think you only have to do it for so long.
When I first tried to give up ice cream, I set a goal of only eating it every other day, rather than being able to have it every day. Then I dropped it back to only once during the week and once on the weekends.
Most of us did not go straight from being born to walking. There are some folks out there who skipped crawling altogether, but the majority of us had to crawl before we could walk, and walk before we could run. We didn’t learn how to ride a bike without training wheels.
Be patient with yourself. While some folks have said it takes 21 days to make or break a habit, I have found that it takes a good 5-6 weeks for me to do so. It could be because I’m stubborn or maybe those folks were not quite right about the 21 days. Either way, I have learned to give myself the time to make the changes.
Some folks have added an E and an R to the end of SMART, for SMARTER
S – Specific (could also be significant, stretching)
M – Measurable (could also be meaningful, memorable, motivating)
A – Attainable (could also be achievable, action plans, accountability)
R – Relevant (could also be realistic, reasonable, rewarding)
T – Time-bound (could also be timely, tangible, thoughtful)
E – Evaluate
R – Re-evaluate (could also be reassess, revisit)
I’m a firm believer EVALUATING and REVISITING my goals. I try to do it at least once per quarter, if not more often. That shows me where I need to adjust a behavior in order to meet the goal – or it might be that I’ve finished that goal and I need to set more. Just because January 1 only comes once a year, it doesn’t mean you can only set goals or resolutions then. You could try doing it every three months or every six months as well.
I recommend writing out your goals, whether it’s in a notebook that only you see or on a blog for the world to see. Any time you write out a goal, it makes it REAL. It becomes a promise to yourself. Otherwise, it’s just a “someday” idea floating around in your head that only shows up in your daydreams.
When you write out your goals, make sure that you write out the steps that will get you there. For example:
I want to write a book.
That’s overwhelming to anyone. That may be your ultimate goal, but how will you get there?
- I will write an outline of the first three chapters of my book by March 31, 2010.
- I will complete the writing of the first chapter by April 30, 2010.
Please feel free to use this simple document to help you set up your goals.
Hope that this helps you in your goal/resolution setting. I’ll be back with mine for 2010 tomorrow.
Gena of Choosing Raw did a guest post on Averie’s blog, Love Veggies and Yoga. It was incredibly insightful about combining foods and such.
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Hey everyone!
What an honor it is to be posting here for Averie, who has wowed me with her support, her deep and insightful commentary on my blog, and her incredible outreach to the blog community this year. Thank you, Averie, for having me as a guest!
As a nutritionist and a raw foods coach, I focus on helping clients find better health and cleaner diets through the addition of more raw, plant based foods. All nutritionists have specialties, and mine has quickly become helping clients to enhance digestive health.
This is a deeply personal mission for me: you see, I suffered from acute IBS-C for more than a decade of my life. I know all too well how blasé and vague the typical medical advice for these conditions (“take Metamucil,” “stress less”) can be. While I’m aware that there are many fine gastroenterologists out there – and I’ve had the fortune of meeting a few – I also know that many GIs fail to see diet as the primary cause of this country’s widespread array of digestive disorders. And this is a huge oversight. The food we eat (and how we eat it) is the root cause of most digestive distress. So it behooves us all, especially those of us who are prone to digestive ailments, to pay attention to our dietary habits.
On that note, I’d like to share with you my top five tips for eating for digestive health:
1) Ditch the Dairy
That’s right, my friends. The single best thing you can do for your bellies is to get rid of mucous-forming, gas-producing, lactose-laden, and (often) hormone-infused bovine dairy. If you have any GI sensitivity (and even if you don’t), dairy is almost positively likely to exacerbate and irritate your system. In fact, giving up dairy was the single most decisive step I took towards overcoming IBS. Many clients report to me that they feel the most sudden and noticeable improvements in health when they give up dairy—more, even, than they do when they give up meat or make a transition to more raw foods.
Don’t take my word for it. Go dairy free for one month, and witness the amazing changes in your digestive health (not to mention allergy, sinuses, and energy levels)!
2) Combine Foods Properly
Never heard of food combining? Well, you’re in luck. If you have trouble with digestion or bloating, food combining is about to change your life. The basic idea is this: there are several major food groups, and they all take different amounts of time to digest. Eat them separately, and they’ll digest most efficiently and without discomfort. Eat food groups that take different amounts of time to digest together, though, and you’re likely to experience gas and bloating, as the quick-digesting food ferments behind the slow-digesting food.
Google food combining, and you’ll find all sorts of complex and impenetrable charts online. Ignore them! The best way to imagine food combining is just to imagine simple eating—don’t obey the standard advice, which is to “balance” your plates with one of each food group at each meal. Instead, eat a few things at a time. You can find a really easy primer here (http://www.choosingraw.com/question-of-the-week-food-combining/) on my blog. And don’t worry if you don’t combine in earnest right away: simply avoiding eating starches and proteins together will afford you great relief!
3) Stop Guzzling Water at Mealtime
Hey, you. You there, with the 20 oz water bottle and the salad. Put the water down. Yeah, you heard me.
Chugging water along with food is one of the worst things you can do for your digestive health. Why? Water dilutes the acids and enzymes that our stomach uses to properly digest food. Drink too much water while you’re eating, and you deprive your system of the tools it needs to break down and assimilate nutrients. The result? Partially digested food, bloating, and improper breakdown of proteins and other nutrients.
The solution? It’s totally fine to sip a reasonable amount of water with your meals. But be moderate! If you’re thirsty, focus instead on drinking water between meals, when your body isn’t actively at work on the early stages of food digestion. Your tummy will be thankful.
4) Chew
No piece of advice could be more simple or more crucial for digestive health. When we don’t chew our food, our bodies go into overtime trying to break it down properly. Our teeth are there for a reason, my friends! Chew your food carefully. No, you needn’t each bit at least forty times, or whatever the prevailing wisdom is: if you do that, your dinner dates are likely to a cab home while you’re still working on your appetizer. But do pay attention to how carefully you chew your food, and don’t gulp it all down too quickly: part of recognizing feelings of satiety is eating slowly enough to tune into your own sensations of fullness as you eat.
5) Eat Light to Heavy
One of the more common misconceptions out there is that we’re meant to eat heavily in the morning, and lighter as the day goes on. (You know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and so on, and so forth.) This idea, sadly, often appeals to women who want some sort of proof that they’ve “burned off” all of the food they’ve eaten in the morning by the time they go to bed. But the truth is that, when we wake up, our bodies are still in healing mode: they’re still working on the assimilation and elimination of the food we ate yesterday. Throwing a big meal in our systems interrupts that process, and deprives us of the chance to assimilate and eliminate fully.
Furthermore, we tend to forget that digestion is hard work for our bodies. And it’s especially hard when our bodies are trying to do other activities: exercise, say, or heavy cognitive thought; managing stress, or any kind of physical exertion. What happens when you eat a ginormous lunch? 2 p.m. coma at your desk. Why? That’s digestion, sapping your body of energy and resources to do other things, like respond to deadlines, hit the gym for a quickie workout, or even think straight.
The key is to eat heavy or hard to digest foods later in the day. No, this does not mean skipping breakfast, or lunch, or depriving yourself to the point of starvation at night! There’s no reason to take the “light to heavy” dictum to an extreme. It simply means focusing on a simple breakfast, like fruit or smoothies or sprouted bread, a quick exit, easy to digest lunch (like a big salad), and to eat anything heavier or more difficult to digest at night, when your body will have a whole ten hours or so to digest and assimilate the food. You’ll wake up refreshed and beautifully nourished!
I hope these tips offer you some insight into the magical world of GI care. Certainly, it’s not an easy world to navigate, especially for women, whose digestive systems are on the sensitive side. For more guidance, please check out my blog Choosing Raw (www.choosingraw.com). In the meantime, eat thoughtfully, with pleasure, and be well!
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I really loved Tip #5, as I am often in the position of eating lightly during the day and eating a heavy meal at night. Since Future Hubby doesn’t eat much during the day, he makes us a huge meal for dinner.
In Tip #2, she references her own blog about food combining.
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Question of the Week: Food Combining
Jul 6th, 2009 by Gena.
Happy post-holiday Monday, people! Hope you’re all managing to keep your spirits up.
So I’d been saving this QOW for a week when I’d have a little more time to explore it. But in light of Ms. Gliding Calm’s question about food combining in the comments section of my last post, not to mention the tons of questions I’ve been getting about it via email, it seems like it’s time. The original prompt for this question came from the lovely Shelby, who asked me to elaborate quite a while ago. She wrote,
“I’m confused about the food combining though…maybe you should do a post on it?!”
Well, Shelby, here we go: my basic food combining primer! I’m going to crib a bit from my Digestive Health and Cleansing 101 tab, which gives a fairly decent baseline explanation, and add a few points that I think will be helpful for you guys.
First, though, I should answer a question which is probably on most of your minds: why combine in the first place?
Here’s the answer: different food groups take different amounts of time to digest. Meats take about eight hours; fruit takes about thirty minutes. The basic idea behind food combining is that we ought to eat foods that take a similar amount of digestive transit time together, rather than mixing foods that digest quickly with foods that digest slowly. We also tend to believe that eating a diet of mostly quickly digestible foods will ensure efficient and seamless digestion.
Why? Your digestive system is smart; it knows how to distinguish between foods that will take a while and foods that won’t. But there’s a slight hiccup here: when your body takes in heavy, slow-digesting food along with light, quick digesting food—especially if you eat light food after heavy—it’ll make the slow-digesting food its priority, and it will immediately devote its resources to breaking that food down. In so doing, it will forget about the lighter food. So if you eat a bowl of berries after a piece of chicken or a slice of steak, your body will get busy digesting the protein. The berries – which should, in theory, pass through your system in half an hour or so – will go undigested behind the denser food.
My friend Gil likes to equate this scenario to putting a Mack Truck in front of a sports car on a one lane highway: the Mack Truck will amble along slowly, and the sports car—which is, after all, designed for great speed—will try angrily to pass by. So too with the fruit: as it waits to be digested, it—or any light food stuck behind a heavy and slowly-digesting food—will start to ferment. And what happens when something ferments? It emits gas. Big time. Ever eat fruit after a meal and watched your belly bloat up like a balloon? You were probably wondering why—after all, isn’t fruit a “healthy” dessert? This is why–the fruit is healthy, but if you eat something so light and so cleansing after or alongside something dense and slow-digesting, it’s likely to cause more harm than good, at least with regards to your belly.
The trick to avoiding these situations is to eat foods with different transit times separately. It’s a mind-boggling concept at first, mostly because it’s so foreign to anyone coming from a mainstream nutritional paradigm. Starting from childhood, we’re inundated with the idea of a “balanced plate”—the notion that a health meal must include a whole grain, a protein, a vegetable, a dairy source, and so on. The notion of simplicity—of eating foods in singular and simple combinations—is entirely foreign to us.
As always, I’m not here to convert anyone. If eating complex combinations of food groups is working for you, that is terrific! Enjoy it. But I can speak to the fact that many women I know–acquaintances, clients, friends, colleagues, and family–suffer from persistently compromised digestion, whether that’s bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, IBS, acid reflux, or other. And as someone who suffered from IBS herself, I can tell you that it’s not something any of you should have to accept–nor should you feel that taking some Metamucil (which is what doctors always told me to do) is the only course of action. Food combining, even when followed loosely, can be helpful for those of you who have sensitive digestive systems.
So let’s demystify it. Here is how food combining works:
There are four major food groups that shouldn’t be mixed with each other. These are starches (which include bread, root vegetables like sweet potatoes or winter squash, grains, avocados, and coconuts), flesh (which includes fish and dairy), nuts and dried fruits, and fruit. You want to avoid eating these groups together—fleshes with nuts, starches with fruit, and so on. Vegetables and sea veggies, meanwhile, are neutral, so they can be eaten with any of the other food groups. Same with most condiments: honey, agave, vinegar, nama shoyu, etc. And same, fortunately, with dark chocolate: you can enjoy it with any food group!
Sound easy? It is! There’s only one more rule: try to eat fruits on their own, and on an empty stomach. If you like fruit for dessert, this rule stinks. But think back to that one-lane highway, guys, and you’ll be reminded of why eating fruit after a heavy meal is a lousy idea.
I know, I know. At this point, you’re probably sitting at your computer aghast, thinking, “What? This chick is telling me that I can’t have string cheese with crackers? Granola with yogurt? Almond butter with toast?! Say it ain’t so!”
And I get it, guys. For most newcomers, food combining feels intimidating and restrictive. Which is why I always am sure to a) offer it as an option to clients—I say, “Are you interested in hearing about food combining? If so, great!” and b) remind clients that it’s OK to combine imperfectly for a while. As you get used to food combining, you’ll most likely find that it’s easier than you thought it was, and you’ll be so euphoric at how gas and bloat-free you feel—not to mention how regular you suddenly are, if you’ve had constipation in the past—that you’ll be delighted to combine forevermore. But everyone—even longterm raw foodists—can afford to miscombine here and there. Believe me when I say it won’t be the end of the world! Many raw foodists do not honor combining, and they feel fine: as with all matters of diet, the choice to honor food combining is totally personal.
So how does it all work? The idea is to simply stick within food groups at eat meal. If you want avocados with your lunchtime salad, you want to eat them with veggies and other starches. So you could add grains, beans, legumes, or root vegetables to the salad, too; you could have a slice of sprouted bread alongside, if you like. If, on the other hand, you have a big salad with raw nuts for lunch, eat it with a Larabar or some dried fruit, or a nut-based salad dressing (such as tahini dressing). But the trick is not to combine starches with nuts, so don’t eat your avocado or sweet potato along with a Larabar. Likewise, if you have fish for dinner, try to avoid eating it with a grain. And if you have roast vegetables with melted goat’s cheese, try not to sprinkle it with nuts.
How long after a meal do you have to wait to switch food groups? Again, this depends on the person, but you should be totally fine if you wait 3-4 hours. So if you have a big lunchtime salad with avocado at noon, you want to wait until 3 pm or so to have a Larabar snack. If you have a salad with goat cheese at dinner, you want to wait at least three hours before you have a nighttime treat of dates and peanut butter. If you have a sprouted bread sandwich at lunch, you want to wait at least 3-4 hours before you broil salmon for dinner. But if you do have salmon, you can feel free to have it alongside some steamed veggies with raw goat’s cheese, and if you have some baked acorn squash at night, you’re free to stuff it with some millet or quinoa. Get the idea?
When I first introduce a client to food combining, I like to leave it at that. But I have been getting a ton of questions from some of you who have already read up on combining and want to know about specifics or exceptions, of which there are a few.
So here we go:
•Bananas are a bit denser than other fruits, which means they can combine with starches or nuts and dried fruits. (This means it’s cool to have banana with almond butter or dates.)
•Avocados combine with fruit and dried fruit. I love—and will soon be posting my recipe for—mango and avocado salad, so I’m pretty psyched about this fact.
•Beans. There are a few reasons that most of us find beans hard to digest: one is that we lack the enzyme needed to break beans down (this is where Beano comes in). But the main reason is that beans are inherently both protein and starch: they are nature’s own little food miscombination. Don’t fret, though: the fact that they aren’t well combined shouldn’t freak you out too much. Most people find, and I agree, that beans and legumes can combine quite safely as a starch. So you can go ahead and eat them with roots, avocados, or grains.
So, is food combining for you? Well, if you have a sensitive digestive system or a history of IBS, I’d say it might be. Forget raw foods: combining properly may be enough to give you tremendous and permanent relief. I was shocked at the difference that food combining made for me, and I’m guessing you might be too. This also goes for any of you who have sensitive tummies: if you’re prone to gas, or bloating, or constipation, or if you suffer from the post-meal belly bloat (that swollen abdomen that so many ladies can relate to, and hate), this could really help. Again, you don’t have to go whole hog. In fact, avoiding the most problematic combination, which is meats with starches (sorry guys, no mashed potatoes with your steak) might make a serious difference.
As always, though, I encourage you to take food combining with a big grain of salt. If you think it’s for you, do your best to combine well. But you certainly shouldn’t be freaking out about getting it “right” — instead, I like to tell clients who are new to raw that the best way to approach food combining is simply to envision yourself eating simple meals. Rather than trying to stuff each plate with each food group, minimize the number of food groups you’re eating. And you should also feel free to pick and choose certain “miscombinations” that you refuse to give up! Example? I really like raw almond butter on sprouted toast. I don’t eat it all that often, but when I do, I refuse to panic about mixing nuts with starch: it ain’t gonna kill me. In fact, I try to miscombine every now and then, simply so that my body doesn’t get too highly sensitive to combinations: truth be told, there will be times in my life (traveling, restaurant meals, dinner parties) where perfectly combined plates won’t be an option, and I like to be prepared for those occasions. The priority is to eat healthy foods, period: how we combine them is secondary.
Think I’m full of s**t? I don’t blame you, my dears. There are many who dismiss combining as unnecessary. Then again, there are many—and I’m one of them—who will basically tell you that combining changed their life. If you think I’m bonkers, but I’ve managed to make you curious, then try it. Even for a couple of days. If you have improvement in gas, constipation, or bloating, that is terrific! Keep it up. If you don’t see a difference, or if you find that it’s just too much of a pain in the a**, then don’t sweat it. Keep doing what works for you — different strokes for different folks 
I hope this was a helpful answer, Ms. Shelby. And to all of you who were curious, I hope this offers some clarity. Remember, my raw adventurers: relax. I’ve gotten some emails from folks who are worried that they’re combining incorrectly, and I cannot repeat this enough: the raw lifestyle is meant to be liberating. Not imprisoning. We want to focus on simplicity and freedom, not stress. So if food combining—or the thought of it—freaks you out, take a deep breath, and take it s-l-o-w-l-y. You don’t have to dive in all at once, and you don’t have to be perfect. The idea is to give the whole approach a shot. And, as always, to have fun!
Finally: I’ve been getting so many smart, sweet, and inspiring questions from you guys! But I’m afraid I may not always be able to respond to multi-part or highly personalized questions: I can’t answer the former without taking time away from my clients, who’ve got to be my priority, and I can’t address the latter without a deep sense of your history and what you’re eating. So I apologize for anything I can’t respond to in depth–as for the short queries, keep ‘em coming
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I’m definitely going to try this and see what happens.
For more about food combining and digestive health in general, be sure to visit Gena’s blog, especially her Digestive Health/Cleansing 101 tab.
I finally had my chance to try this tonight:
Let’s compare the nutritional value with Kraft’s Ranch Dressing:
|
2 tbsp |
Bolthouse |
Kraft |
| Calories | 80 | 120 |
| Calories from Fat | 70 | 110 |
| Total Fat (g) | 7.5 | 12 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 5 | 0 |
| Sodium (mg) | 290 | 370 |
| Carbs (g) | 3 | 3 |
| Sugar (g) | 2 | 2 |
| Protein (g) | 1 | 0 |
| Calcium (%) | 4 | o |
Also, the ingredient list on the Bolthouse Farms dressing was easy to read. It’s HFCS free as well as gluten free.
The Kraft Ranch had lots of scary things in it that I try not to put into my body anymore.
I really liked the taste – it was a bit tangier/less sweet than regular ranch, but otherwise I thought it was good. Future Hubby enjoyed it as well, so two thumbs up!
~ George Bernard Shaw
It’s time to review 2009.
Reflections on…
First off, I had my LASIK surgery in January and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever 
made. I love being able to wake up and see. My eyes just feel so much healthier in general, as I am not putting (and leaving) in a foreign object. Big yay on that one!!
This is the first year in a long time where I have joined a gym and stayed committed (although had some weeks off here and there). I am still committed to going to the gym and working out. I have gone down a size or two in my clothing and am proud of that.
I also worked on my emotional eating issues. I think I finally have an understanding of how my mind works in relation to food and I am developing a much healthier relationship with food.
Emotionally, I am in a great place. I still have my bouts with depression, especially with the whole job situation. But they are fewer and farther between. I am feeling really good about where I am right now.
2009’s Milestones
1. I removed all soda pop from my diet and switched to water only. Okay, I will admit that I have had a soda pop here and there, but usually it just reminds me of why I gave it up to begin with.
2. I have reduced and nearly eliminated all visits to fast food restaurants. The only times I’ve gone have been because of poor planning on my part and being hungry enough to need to hit one of those places. For the most part though, I think about it – I tell myself I can go – and then I come home and eat something here instead.
3. I stopped purchasing ice cream and I severely limited it in my diet. Now I will go weeks or even a month without it, when before I was eating it every day. And I mean, a pint of Graeter’s every day.
4. I was able to get myself off of my prescribed sleeping drug, which has really helped my overall health. I am not as sluggish as I was.
5. I explored many different types of snacks, and learned about processed vs. whole foods.
6. I started drinking Green Monsters and increased my fruit and veggie intake by doing so.
7. I completely changed my relationship with food. I learned to love certain foods that I had never envisioned eating before.
8. I took responsibility for my body and realized that it is part of me – not just something that moves me from place to place.
9. I joined WeighWatchers and remain committed to going to the meetings for the emotional support through my addiction to food.
In general
Life is pretty darn great. I am truly blessed. Just about every corner of my world is pretty happy. All I need is a job to make it complete right now.
I’m kidding, of course, but I will tell you that I am glad to be home again and committed to eating cleanly again. I allowed myself two days of indulgence while at my mom’s, although my true indulgence was my mom’s chocolate chip cookies. I made sure that I had my fill and then some, but I also knew I was going to leave whatever was left there. I was not going to bring them back with us so that I could continue to eat them.
They were delicious, but oh, did I pay for them. Once you’ve stopped eating crap, your body is so much better off. I was just reading Lyn’s post from Escape from Obesity about how eating that junk makes you feel as though you have the flu:
For the past few days I have been all kinds of off-plan, eating cookies, candy, potatoes, white bread, and cheese. No exercise, either… too busy, too full of food. But I noticed something. I got some comments and emails that mentioned how eating healthy supports the body, but when we eat junk, underlying and/or chronic conditions can come out as "sickness." I thought, ok, maybe. Well, the other day I decided I would eat a couple of healthy meals between all the junk. I had a nice veggie/Egg Beater breakfast, some Clementines, green tea. I had a healthy lunch. I was feeling great: energized, positive, light, healthy. Around 2pm I decided to have a cookie. I sat down and ate a homemade frosted sugar cookie… then another… then a piece of fudge. Within 20 minutes I felt like my "flu" was returning! My sinuses were congested, I was developing a headache, I felt tired and sick. I decided it was no coincidence. I think the sugar crap does a number on my body and my well-being.
Yup, I did that to myself as well. I knew it going in, but it didn’t stop me. Ahhh, the conundrum of being an addict. A few moments of pleasure in exchange for days of feeling ill. I stupidly left some of my favorite “detoxing” tools at my mom’s:
Bolthouse Farms Perfectly Protein Soy Beverage, Purely Chocolate
15.2 fl. oz.
Product Details:
Since 1915. Soy protein 19 g per bottle. 100% natural. Heart healthy (25 grams of soy protein daily, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. A serving of chocolate soy has 10 g of soy protein). Dairy free. Feel good about what’s in this bottle. Our Perfectly Protein Purely Chocolate blends Brazilian cocoa with our advanced soy protein, noted for its superior taste and nutrition. The result is a better chocolate experience that’s also better for you. Soy protein 19 g per bottle. Protein & Amino Acids: Each Perfectly Protein beverage provides 18 amino acids. The cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems use amino acids as essential building blocks required to grow, repair and maintain your body. Bolthouse Farms is a 4th generation farm located in California’s fertile San Joaquin Valley. For more than 90 years we have been growing and harvesting premium, fresh product. Our juices, crafted from the finest fruits, vegetables and other 100% natural ingredients, are a nutritious and delicious expression of our continued commitment to responsible farming and natural health. Low fat. Gluten free; no preservatives; no artificial colors; no artificial flavors; no genetically modified ingredients. Flash pasteurized and cold-filled for quality. Product of USA.
Ingredients:
Soymilk, Apple Juice from Concentrate (Water and Apple Juice Concentrate), Soy Protein Isolate, Natural Flavors, Cocoa, Calcium (Tricalcium Phosphate), Salt, Carrageenan, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin A (Vitamin A Palmitate), Vitamin D (Ergocalciferol), Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin).
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 8 fl. oz. (240mL)
Amount per Serving
Calories 150
Calories from Fat 20
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2g
3%
Saturated Fat 0g
0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 200mg
8%
Total Carbohydrate 26g
9%
Dietary Fiber 2g
8%
Sugars 20g
Protein 10g
20%
Vitamin A
10%
Vitamin C
2%
Calcium
35%
Iron
10%
Vitamin D
35%
Riboflavin (B2)
35%
Vitamin B12
20%
Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 12.0% Carbs 69.3%
Protein 26.7%
Actually, I left two bottles of this at my mom’s. I’m going to have to see if I can get out and get some tomorrow. I love to use this as lighter fare, because it fills me up and gives me great nutrients, but is still light on my stomach.
One of the things I’m going to continue to focus on in the new year (and for the rest of my life) is controlling myself. It’s funny how all of the weight-loss bloggers go through the same issues at the same time. Jen of Prior Fat Girl recently posted about this:
And then I had a thought this morning…maybe I’ve been controlling the wrong thing. You see, for two+ years, I have been controlling (or attempting to) control my environment. No junk food in the house, bringing my food with me every day, writing everything down, only going certain places, etc.
Maybe instead, I should be controlling my response to the environment. I’ve gotten to a point in my journey where I cannot live out of a frozen meal anymore. I need to continue to figure out the psychological side of my journey!
So now, even more then ever…I am realizing it is not about how I control my environment, but it is about my response to the environment.
Amen to that!! I also loved the comment a reader left for her:
My old habit was to eat the
chocolate and say "I deserve it".
My new habit is to dump in
the trash and say "I deserve it".
Now, I don’t think that you should dump every single food in your house. I think that Jen has it right when she says that we need to learn to control our responses to foods, not necessarily the food itself. No, what stood out for me about the comment her reader left was how you should approach the control of the response as a gift to yourself, not a punishment.
Anyway, I am pushing fluids hard, so that I can get these toxins out of my body posthaste.
I have to say that this was probably my best Christmas yet. Both Mom and Future Hubby loved their presents. Mom was thrilled, because unlike at least two of my siblings, I had not given her gift cards – I had thought out what she probably really wanted. Not that there’s anything wrong with gift cards – I love them!! (Especially from my family, as they don’t seem to know me well enough to to get me what I want.) But you have to admit, it is always sweeter and more special when someone has paid attention to you and knows you well enough to know what gifts you would love.
However, my mom also almost cried, as I didn’t have any gifts to open. She stopped buying for me when I started dating Future Hubby. I said that was absolutely fine – I’m 37 and I don’t need to have my mom, on her fixed income, buy me presents. As for Future Hubby– he had taken me away how many times over the last 4 months AND paid to fix Glinda when she was down. That is quite enough for me. He didn’t want me to buy him anything, as I am currently on a fixed income myself, but I can’t stand the idea of someone I love not having things to open on Christmas Day.
I was very happy to play Santa Claus to my mom and Future Hubby. It made for a perfect holiday. 
Unfortunately, Future Hubby had horrible nightmares while we were away, especially last night. He was crying out, flailing, and snoring all night. I didn’t get any sleep at all. Blech. He was up and at ‘em at 9am and ready to leave. No time even for breakfast, lol!
Today we’ve just relaxed and Future Hubby made more of his now-famous French onion soup from scratch. It was very tasty.
I hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed time with those whom you love and who love you.
~ Donald E. Westlake
As I posted on Crackbook:
Merry Christmas, dear friends. Thank you for all of your wonderful gifts to me this year: laughter, encouragement, prayers, love, support. Those truly ARE the gifts that keep on giving. Finally, thank you to all of our armed service folks, many of whom are away from their families today, for their dedication to our… protection. And to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, gave the greatest gift, we salute you.
I hope that all of you are somewhere you are loved – be it your own home, a family member’s home or a friend’s home.
I hope that you remember that not all gifts come in boxes with bows. Many have to be believed to be seen.
I hope that you remember that the joy of giving always outweighs the joy of receiving. Always.
What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace. ~ Agnes M. Pharo
Wishing you and yours the best holiday yet.
I had another lazy day today, only getting out to visit with Miss Andie at Tehku Tea Company. These folks are just so nice. I had an iced Pomegranate tea with a Cha-Cha Chicken sammich. OMG – Soooo good!!
That Andie-girl, I tell you, she is so good to me. She gave me some goodness out of her own kitchen – Reindeer Crunch, Chocolate Chocolate Chip Stout cookies, and the new love of my life, Peppermint Bark. I am embarrassed to admit it, but I have already devoured the Peppermint Bark. I let Future Hubby have one tiny little piece, but the rest was mine (Andie, he loved it as well.)
When I arrived home, Future Hubby had set the stage for a romantic evening. He had candles going, music playing in the background and dinner was cooking. He made a rump roast with mashed potatoes and mixed veggies. It was very yummy.
Later we sat with the house lights off, just light from the fire and our Christmas trees glowing softly. We snuggled on the couch and just talked about how much we loved each other. Ahhhhh, yes, it gets quite sickening around here sometimes. As I remind my friends – Future Hubby and I have only been together for a little over 18 months; we don’t hate each other yet.
Tomorrow we’ll be up early to pack up and head to my mom’s for the holiday. My mom wasn’t going to make chocolate chip cookies for me, but you know what? I can live with eating them over the two days we’re going to be there. Life will go on. I’ve been really great with my calories this week, so I’m not worried.
Here are my food numbers for today:
Actual/Goal:
- Calories: 1713/2000 – Yippee!
- Fat (g): 58/65 – Woot woot!!
- Cholesterol (mg):235/300 – Amen!!
- Sodium (mg): 2018/2400 – Awesome!!
- Total Carbs (g): 155/130 – I’ll take it!!
- Fiber (g): 15/35 – Boooooo
- Sugar (g): 103/35 – Better than yesterday
- Protein (g): 55/136 –Blech
- Vitamin A (%): 188/100
- Vitamin C (%): 51/100
- Calcium (%): 92/100
- Iron (%): 40/100
WW Points: 37/42
I’m totally calling success on this one. I think it was a great day overall!! Woot woot!!
If you are traveling tomorrow, please be safe!
I always wait until the last minute to do my Christmas shopping. Why?
- Because I am not buying for children (all of my nieces and nephews are between the ages of 30 and 15), I don’t have to worry about missing out on the “hot toy” of the season.
- The closer you get to the holidays, the better the deals (usually). The retailers are getting desperate and they need to move that inventory.
- I don’t have to ship my presents anywhere, so I don’t have to do the shopping early enough to accommodate shipping deadlines.
Obviously, this system can’t work for everyone, but it does for me. I set out this morning with a goal of hitting two stores: TJ Maxx and Target.
My first stop was at TJ Maxx. I wanted to get Future Hubby some sweatshirts, long-sleeved t-shirts, and short-sleeved t-shirts. He has some that he has worn since before I’ve known him and they are getting threadbare. Plus, his company is no longer giving them a clothing allowance, so he has to provide his own clothes for work now. The tees and sweatshirts will work for that as well.
Now, you KNOW I didn’t go to TJ Maxx for him and yet ignore the handbags. But I showed remarkable restraint, as TJ Maxx had a large collection of Kate Spade, Dooney & Burke, and B. Makowsky bags. However, I was there to shop for Future Hubby, not me.
Unfortunately, TJ Maxx did not have a great selection of shirts that Future Hubby would like. For one thing, he does not follow sports (which is a plus in my book.) And none of the other stuff was his style, either.
What I really wanted to get him was a selection of t-shirts from Glenn Beck and the NRA. But they were at least $20 a piece and I wanted to get him more than 3 items. So, I said goodbye to Kate Spade (for now) and moseyed on to Target.
At Target I found a ton of stuff for Future Hubby, including two movies he has been wanting:
The only thing I couldn’t get him was the one thing that he specifically asked for:
Believe it or not, Target was sold out of this. I had no idea anyone wanted one anymore. But that’s okay, I can get it for him next week and call it a late present.
Then I looked for things for my mom. I ended up getting her:
And this:
Mom spends a lot of time sewing, so she enjoys listening to music on her boombox (yup, no iPod for that girl). And she’s a big fan of Baldacci. When she’s not sewing, she’s reading. She only has the TV on for company.
So, including travel time, I was finished in two hours. I also picked up a bunch of household stuff at Target – cat food, litter, laundry detergent, etc.
After that, I headed over to Whole Foods for a few groceries. And then it was back home to wrap my presents.
Now, I should tell you, I am the worst wrapper in the entire world. I can take a perfectly lovely box and wrapping paper and make it look like crap in less than 60 seconds. I usually pull the paper so hard that the corners of the boxes burst through. Yeah, I’m classy like that. However, gift bags are a huge help.
This morning I was out of stuff for breakfast, so I pulled into Starbucks to get a Vivanno. The line was crazy-long, so I opted to go to McDonald’s instead and had two hash browns. I was feeling devilish and was going to go back there for lunch, but by the time I finished shopping and went to Whole Foods, I was just as happy to go home and eat what I had there. Yay me!
Here’s my food recap:
Actual/Goal:
- Calories: 2160/2000 – Yippee!
- Fat (g): 67/65 – Woot woot!!
- Cholesterol (mg):79/300 – Amen!!
- Sodium (mg): 3175/2400 – eh….
- Total Carbs (g): 309/130 – Yikes!!
- Fiber (g): 33/35 – Yay!!!
- Sugar (g): 143/35 – hmmm…
- Protein (g): 95/136 –Not tooooo bad
- Vitamin A (%): 88/100
- Vitamin C (%): 181/100
- Calcium (%): 207/100
- Iron (%): 98/100
WW Points: 42/42
I would call that a pretty darn good day!! Woot woot!!
Hope that all of you are having a wonderful day!
Imagine every day to be the last of a life surrounded with hopes, cares, anger and fear. The hours that come unexpectedly will be much the more grateful.
~ Horace
I thought about going to the gym today. I thought long and hard about it. But then these 
things entered into my mind:
1. Today and tomorrow are my last days to myself until next Monday. Future Hubby worked today and will work tomorrow, then off until next Monday. Thursday we leave for my mom’s and then we head back here on Saturday.
2. I am a person who needs a certain amount of time to herself.
3. The house needed to be picked up, dishes needed to be wrangled into and out of the dishwasher, laundry needed to be washed, dried and folded.
4. All of those things in #3 make Future Hubby happy.
5. So I took a Me day and stayed home to spend time alone AND get things done. Which made both Future Hubby and me happy.
Tomorrow morning I plan on leaving the house very early to start and finish my Christmas shopping. Yes, I always wait until the last minute. No, they are never out of what I need. I plan everything and know exactly what I’m getting. It will take two stores and about two hours.
Okay, on to the foods:
Actual/Goal:
- Calories: 1943/2000 – Yippee!
- Fat (g): 90/65 – I can live with it
- Cholesterol (mg):843/300 – Three eggs today
- Sodium (mg): 2222/2400 – Woot woot!!
- Total Carbs (g): 179/130 – I’ll take it!!
- Fiber (g): 16/35 – Ummm, that is so not good!
- Sugar (g): 88/35 – Better than yesterday
- Protein (g): 113/136 – Woot woot!!
- Vitamin A (%): 122/100
- Vitamin C (%): 154/100
- Calcium (%): 61/100
- Iron (%): 64/100
WW Points: 46/42
Fairly good day, I think. I was still not very hungry, but I ended up eating a couple of my Amazing Grass bars which gave me some more nutrients.
How about you? Are you finished with your shopping yet?
Life is like a library owned by the author. In it are a few books which he wrote himself, but most of them were written for him.
~ Harry Emerson Fosdick
Lazy, lazy and yes, lazy. That has been my whole weekend. The snow makes me want to stay in and snuggle. Thankfully, Future Hubby has been feeling the same way and we had many enjoyable hours of snuggling this weekend. I love to cuddle.
Tomorrow I plan on going back to the gym. I am going to hit it Monday and Wednesday for sure, then possibly Saturday after we get back from my mom’s.
All of this lying around has made me lose my appetite. I looked at my calorie count for today and realized that I needed to try a bit harder. I’m just not hungry. But I forced down a few more calories.
Actual/Goal:
- Calories: 2038/2000 – Yippee!
- Fat (g): 66/65 – <Faints from shock>
- Cholesterol (mg): 395/300 – Not too bad
- Sodium (mg): 3003/2400 – Yikes!
- Total Carbs (g): 226/130 – FAIL
- Fiber (g): 12/35 – Ummm, that is so not good!
- Sugar (g): 116/35 – Hmmmm
- Protein (g): 60/136 – Not so good!!
- Vitamin A (%): 42/100
- Vitamin C (%): 59/100
- Calcium (%): 60/100
- Iron (%): 40/100
WW Points: 40/42
Eh. Tomorrow I’ll be back to normal, or, if not tomorrow, then Tuesday, which is grocery shopping day.
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
