I've been struggling with my weight and with weight loss for about 7 years to the point that I want to change doctors. If I hear him scold me for being overweight one more time, I'm going to scream.
I finally had to be real, I'm a glutton. Not in the obvious way, but in the lonely and secret times. I'm trying to fill a void that only God can fill. I was catching myself more going for the carbs when I was stressed or depressed; like some drug to calm me. Physiologically it works, but only for a short time. It never fills the emptiness that enslaves, leaves me ashamed and feeling hopeless.
For the last few years I've been asking for God's help. I'm so tired of Weight Watchers, Atkins, etc. which I've done a number of times. I've had a measure of success, but I would end up gaining the weight back and then some over a period of time. I also believe it has messed up my metabolism from my constant yo-yo dieting.
Just a side note, I found through research that diets may work for a time, but if you're not getting at least your Basal Metabolic Rate BMR (Minimal amount of calories to keep your organs functioning normally aka. the amount doctors calculate if you were in a coma), you can trigger a starvation response and ultimately starve weight loss.
Anyways, back to the cute skinny lady I go to church with; she told me about the green smoothie. She encouraged me just to start with that and my cravings will decrease and my energy will increase.
The next Monday, I went to the market, and bought all the stuff and started my morning smoothie routine. I was surprised how good they were. You don't taste the greens because they are masked by the fruit. However, one of biggest personality flaws is I never finish what I start, so my smoothie swaging mornings faded. When I grew tired of blending, cutting, buying all the stuff, I slowly gave up.
A few months later, I did some research on the internet on diets. It seems the fad is raw food and...blending green smoothies! There was a 21 day green smoothie challenge, and I read and watched some of the video blogs of personal testimonies of the abundant amount of energy these people had.
At that point, I was in bed for 6 weeks prior recovering from pneumonia, so I had to do something to regain my strength. I decided I was going to give these green smoothies another try, and I was going to do it for at least 21 days.
The results were amazing! I feel so good and I'm addicted to them now. I've been doing my morning "cocktails" for more than three months. There was a day or two when I couldn't get to the store and buy my fix. Honestly, I did not notice a surge of energy when I started the challenge, because it happened gradually. However, when I miss a day of drinking my "Shrek Drink" (As my kids call it), I notice a huge difference in my lack of stamina.
In the fall, I planted a winter garden of spinach, chard, collards, beets, and lettuce. Now I no longer have an excuse for not drinking smoothies every day. Not to mention, I'm getting fresh raw organic leafy veggies straight out of my backyard which is even more nutritious.
I now exercise daily, because my energy is elevated due to my nutrition increase. There are no gimmicks, no fad diets, just pure nutrition and all of my daily fruit and vegetable requirements in one glass at only about 180 calories!
We're in the Christmas season, and there is cream cheese frosting in the refrigerator right now as I type, which was a big temptation for me. In the past, I would sneak a spoonful of it until the entire tub was gone. I wouldn't admit that before, because I would be so disgusted with myself. Who does that? Yuck!!
Now I have no desire to get in to that nasty stuff, because my sweet cravings have pretty much disappeared. Don't get me wrong, I still eat sweets, but my intake is more controlled. This will be the first Christmas of frosted cookies in 2 years now that I've conquered frosting phobia.
I'm determined next year to be my year of weight loss. I've already lost a few pounds just drinking smoothies every day. I'm ready to take my diet and exercise to another level. I haven't been dieting and I've only been exercising by walking with my friend for a year about 4 times a week.
I'm going to work harder at eating better and increasing my exercise to 6 days a week. I went out to run the other day, and I thought I was going to die of a heart attack and my legs felt like they were going to explode. I'm not going to let that stop me. I'm going to be a runner this year. It's always been my dream and only I, with God's, help can make it happen.
Well, it's out there. If you are stumbling on this blog, maybe you can join me. We can keep each other accountable! I believe the reason diets are unsuccessful for the most part is we are not fueling our bodies with enough nutrition to maintain energy and kill cravings. Just by drinking these fresh tasting smoothes, I believe I'm well on the way.
The Basic Green Smoothie
3-4 handfuls of leafy greens
1 banana
1-2 cups of frozen or fresh fruit of your choice
water enough to blend
I add the greens first with a little bit of water to make it smooth, then I add the rest of the ingredients with all the water. Enjoy.
Here is more information and inspiration on the Green Smoothie! Also, she uses a high powered blender, so if you only have a cheap Walmart version like I do, it will do.
Note: You can calculate your BMR and use the Harris Benedict Formula:
To determine your total daily calorie needs to maintain your current weight, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor.. Once you figure this formula, subract calorie intake by diet and/or exercise, but never go below your BMR.
1. If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : BMR x 1.2
2. If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : BMR x 1.375
3. If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : BMR x 1.55
4. If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : BMR x 1.725
5. If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : BMR x 1.9
