osum

That's "awesome" to those who can't a decipher phonetic typing by a 6 year old.

We made it Wake Forest, NC !

Been here as a family for a total of 4 1/2 days and what a whirl wind it has been. After closing the sale on our home in Colorado, overseeing the packers and the truck loaders ( two entirely different beasts unto themselves) and spending 2 lonely days down at the in laws, I threw my seasoned traveling children on a one way - 2 stop flight to the Raleigh airport only to be greeted by a relaxed and oh so happy husband who took both boys up and into his arms in reunion. Roman could not talk fast enough to catch daddy up on all his news.

DAD!IfinishedKindergarten-andlostaTooth-and-hadagoingawayParty!!!!!!!

My Father in law Jon was there to greet us at our rental home, my car safely delivered, beer fully stocked in the fridge and a his calm relaxed happy + helpful demeanor.

Since receiving shipment of our household move on Tues:
partially unpacking in an attempt to make a cozy home- think, basic furniture, clothes, toys, food, technology. and are essentially living in a sea of boxes.

Made an offer on a home- with an anticipated closing date on Aug 15

Registered Roman for school- he started July 11th as a first grader in a year round elementary school

Visited the local YMCA- nice place!

Caught fireflies, collected sticks, and helped repair a neighborhood creek bridge that was washed out in a recent storm.

Roman typed out his first e-mail to a BFF back in CO, I believe he sums it up best with
"i have a riley good house for rent it has a forest buy it firefly's are thare and osum sticks and a cool shool your frnd roman "

He's No Fool

Happy 39th Birthday Aaron!!!!

We met just past his 29th birthday and I threw him his 30th birthday party.... so I guess it's fair to say we have know each other 10 years at this point! ...wow the time Is a flyin'!

Here's to you!

We love you Aaron, Happy Birthday!!!!

Best dad ever, so patient, caring and energetic! You've got 2 boys that love you more than legos, cars, and mac- n -cheese, you are the spark that keeps the family going, we are lost without you!

We love you, you are amazing!

xoxoxoxoxox!!!!

It's not about winning. It's about fixing what's broken.-Bob Harper

Our 28 day Engine 2 Diet Challenge is drawing to a close.

But in all honesty I have lost track of what "day" I'm on, I don't feel like I am on a depriving diet to be endured for x amount of time. I feel like this is just the beginning of the undertaking of a healthier and happier lifestyle. It has not been a race to the finish, nor a competition with myself, or with my husband or other E2 participants. It has been more like a transformation and an awakening for me, I am finding out that yes, even I have weaknesses, ( sugar! ) yes, even I have imbalances,( too much caffeine!) and I have health concerns to address. But I am working towards fixing them, one plant based meal at a time. I'm fixing what's broken.

Yet, to say I am on a diet, kinda makes my eye twitch, since I have never, in fact been on any rigorous or strict diet. I have struggled with my weight only post pregnancy. This was the very first, all encumbering diet that I have ever tried. I have sampled and researched elements of Weight Watchers, South Beach and closely followed advice and recipes from Biggest Loser cookbooks, and Jillian Michael's "Making the Cut, ( notice the Bob Harper quote for my title- not a coincidence ...I'm a big BL fan). I am generally a "do what I want" kind of person and could easily slip back into giving in to cravings, or haphazardly using too much salt, oil, butters and sugar. Somehow the E2 immersion has resonated with me and felt right for my body. One of my husbands co-workers has just started the diet and she wrote me to say it struck a chord with her as well, and is going great.

So far, by mid -week 4, I'm 5 pounds lighter. The weight loss was gradual and I think I have reached a set point where I can maintain. That’s the “diet” side of the equation. The other side is the lifestyle change; I feel 10 years younger, and because I work out so much, I am a lot less scrawny than I was 10 years ago. I have been able to fully maintain my workout routines on this diet, and have felt waves of great energy. I have a renewed interest and appreciation for proper meal planning, for the local and seasonal produce offerings, and for cooking from scratch.

My wonderfully supportive and enthusiastic husband just reported that he thinks this diet has “made him smarter”, that he operates much more clear headed at work. He marvels at the colors and texture coming forth on some of our meals, and told me I am “becoming quite an excellent cook”- which means a lot coming from him- this said after a ridiculously simple but hearty meal of an almond carrot soup, simple side salad, and a generous plate of roasted asparagus and red bell peppers served over quinoa with a sprinkling of toasted almonds and tamari sauce. Never mind the simplicity….hearing that I am a good cook always means a lot. We have started exploring Indian cooking and went on huge shopping spree at a little Indian super market in Boulder. I might take an Indian cooking class from a near by Indian food caterer Royal Bengal Kitchen and a vegetarian cooking class at the Culinary School of the Rockies and of course there is that knife skills class I still desperately need!

While I was working on this blog post today this message landed in my inbox from my friend and neighbor Melanie

"I'm really proud of you for sticking with this and doing so with gusto, suddenly an all vegan diet lifestyle doesn’t sound so dire, it looks gourmet and delish" .

Having support and interest from others is always helpful when trying to " what's broken" for yourself. And while I am deeply aware of conflicts and struggles I may face trying to eat vegan/ E2 for the long run, I am willing to try to overcome the hurdles. I am willing to be gentle and patient with myself and to work on eating: Mindfully. Creatively. Balanced.

Closing in on Week 1 of the E2 28 day Diet Challenge

Top 10 things I have learned so far.

1.
Advance planning is mission crucial.

Make a big batch of your favorite grain to add to bean and greens as you see fit. Know what recipes you want to try for the week before you go to the store. Pack you own lunch,& snacks when you are on the go. Resign to making more than 1 trip to the store in a week unless you have giant produce crispers!

2.
Darn you alluring frozen pizza aisle!

There are very few "short cuts". Frozen, pre-made/ processed/ vegan is high in fat and sodium ( even the organic and natural brands are salt licks).Fresh is best, and more often less expensive.

3.
I consult a variety of sources for info. and recipes.

Of course I digest the info in the Engine 2 diet book , in addition to Whole Foods resources, a vegan iPhone app, vegan/ vegetarian blogs and the following books, Skinny Bitch & You Are What You Eat

4.
Even cutting makes for even cooking

I am seriously considering taking a knife skills course.Turns I am not a very organized veggie slicer / dicer and my hand cramps after prepping a double batch of veggie chili. With 2 little kids running around during meal prep I need to get the job done. quickly and safely.

5.
Pomegranate seeds rock!

Try them on the Rips big bowl cereal, over spinach salad and even over guacamole.

6.
Menus and waiters are our friend.

While dining out, the challenge is not at all finding the meat and dairy free choice, the challenge is mostly avoiding the excess oil and sodium

7.
I don't find Vegan cheese very... how shall I say it....delightful.

Also, it's high in fat, has a strange smell, and does not melt. And this makes me sad.

8.
I'm excited to make dinner and pack lunches now.

I don't dread it anymore. I'm not bored, and I don't have any caloric / fat intake "guilt". I'm excited to either try a new recipe, or re-invent an old favorite.

9.
Eating a plant based fiber rich diet is ridiculously filling,

I have found digestive enzymes work magic! So does water. I drink lots of water.

10.
E2 is a great bonding experience.

It's great to have a partner in crime for this challenge, which is quickly not at all feeling like a challenge and just a healthy living M.O.

Fiber-licious

+

=

Nothing a little extra digestive enzymes taken before each meal can't take care of ;)

Find out who your " fans" are

Go team E2!


Find out who your "fans" are.

Step one: Commit to going on a 28 day vegan, low oil, low sugar and no processed foods diet.

Step two: Share your commitment, excitement, the research behind the diet and even meals with others.

Step three: Sit back in astonishment as you begin get such responses as "I feel sorry for you", "Vegans all get B12 deficiency disease " and an ever so sarcastic "Good Luck with that! ".

Step four: Relish and try to focus on the positive responses such as "you are an inspiration", "I know it will be hard but you can do it!" and " Please share recipes!!!"

Today is the Official Day One of the Engine2 challenge that me and Aaron are participating in through the Boulder Valley YMCA and Boulder Whole Foods. However we have been adapting our diet for a several days now, meal planning, stocking up of healthy grains, beans, and nuts. We are also figuring out and discussing what the challenges are going to be when dining out, while traveling and how to avoid the office junk food hour.

Half way thru day one and so far so good, no real issues on my end. Started the day with a high fiber, whole grain cereal with fruit and rice milk , tangerines for snack, apple and almond butter for post workout snack followed by a rice protein and berry smoothie with added flax, and coconut kefir for lunch. For dinner I am making a huge veggie, tofu, spelt noodle lasagne.

Good luck to all my fellow E2 participants!

Dear Dairy;

Dear Dairy,

Oh dairy, where to begin. Thursday I finished off the last of my non fat greek yogurt mixed with berries and granola and I thought I might just have to lick the bowl clean had I not been in a public place! I do so love you in my coffee, over my cereal, swirled decadently over deserts, and shoved mindlessly in my mouth as am appetizer. I like to stack you on my sandwich, sprinkle you over pasta and scramble the bejeezers out of you for breakfast. That being said, I must take a break from you. I must start thinking of you as liquid meat. I must consider the ramification of your decadence on my arteries, err, my thighs too? I'm starting a 28 day diet challenge called Engine2. At it's roots it is a vegan diet with the additional exclusion of all oils, refined sugar and processed food. Meals will be low fat, low sodium, oil free, high fiber, plant, bean and whole grain based. I can do without meat, that I have done before and have been doing off and on since high school, I admit I need to curb sugar and oils, but dairy, oh my how can I ever say good bye?

To start with, my dairy will now have to be "alternative" I'm stocked up on coconut milk creamer, oat milk, rice milk and almond milk, all unsweetened. For recipes requiring cream or egg, I can substitute a with an alternative creamer, applesauce or blended tofu.
They have not quite prefected vegan cheese or soy yogurts yet so I might just do without for the next 4 weeks. I am willing to experiment if the going gets tough.

So you see dairy, I'm in it to see how this might make a difference in my overall well being.I'm doing it for an overall mind body challenge and I'm being told by my nutritionist that I may notice less bloat, less post nasal drip if I take a break from you. Just know that you will be in my thoughts often, if not constantly.