Got a Chance to Go Hardcore - AMAZING!

My husband and I have gotten more and more healthy over the years. Once we realized we weren't teenagers anymore and cholesterol was a thing, we made some seriously good changes. When we both got disabled and couldn't workout, we tried to eat healthy for most meals and started watching our portions. When we were able to workout again and weren't so poor that all we could afford was free loaves of bread, hot dogs, spaghetti, and ramen; we worked with the South Beach Diet and Nutrisystem to develop a healthier way of life in general and got really serious about our portions. 

We've both wanted for years to go hardcore with eating well and working out, but haven't had the time, energy, organization, time management, or discipline to do it. Now that my husband's better and we've got our previously chaotic schedule and sleep nicely managed, we've gotten on top of housework and jobs. We got a chance to rise above survival mode and focus more on what we wanted. Thanks to food stamps we're able to do this - and since we've already been able to get ourselves off food stamps once, we're looking forward to being able to work more and get off of them again.

So the road of transformation for these butterflies has been:

1. Sleep 8 hours per night, at the same time every night, and no naps. Period. (Hardest thing I've ever done in my life btw). Do this one 100% unless you're sick - no cheating.
2. No caffeine. (Or alcohol, smoking, or drugs, if that's something you do).
3. Drink a gallon of water a day. 
4. Walk 10 minutes every day except Sunday (or whichever day you prefer). Grocery shopping and stuff does not count - even if you're on your feet for 4 hours in the store, doing dishes, cooking, or going back and forth to the laundry room. I am using an elliptical instead of a treadmill cuz it works more and it's easier on my joints.
5. After 2 weeks walk 20 minutes a day. 
6. After 2 weeks walk 30 minutes a day. I hike once a week in place of this on a fairly serious hiking trail that's not flat. Add in gym machines or dumbbells to target strength training if you want.

1. Start to follow the strict meal plan. See below. (My husband did say this was harder than quitting smoking). 
2. Now branch out. At this point Scott has started running again like he used to a few years ago. He spends 45 minutes a day on cardio and alternates walking with sets of running. He's also training with a body builder for specific muscle development. I chose to continue to focus on weight loss and a couple machines to tone my arms and get stronger in general. I'm hiking for an hour some days, starting to practice rock-climbing again (though I'm starting completely from scratch on that since I haven't been able to do it since I got sick at age 16), and am able to do fast bursts mixed with steady speed on the elliptical on the days I do that. 

Yes, it's hard. No, it's not always fun. No, I did not think it was actually possible with our conditions. I saw all the motivational posters that said things like "If you don't reach your goal then you're just making excuses". I would say to myself, "Well we want to do better, and we're trying, but people with disabilities have some real limitations. Someone with M.S. crumpled in a wheelchair will probably never run a marathon. Maybe they could workout and try super hard and use their arms again or something, but there's a line." I had dreams that someday my husband would get better than he was and I would get well enough to at least rock-climb again, but it was so far off I couldn't imagine it. I literally did not believe I could function at work without a Monster or sleep normally. So I decided to do my best and go as far as I possibly could, and God showed me there's a lot more possible than I could have imagined. We found out we could do it; even when I'm on my period, even when we both got sick for 2 weeks with a cold, and while increasing the days I was going to work (every day I was scheduled so far this month!!!) 

I feel stronger than I've felt in 10 years. When you experience what people call "runner's high" you actually start to crave it - even though you know it'll make you sore. I've lost 15 lbs. in just the last couple months. Our lives have become structured, disciplined, and boring, and we absolutely love it. It feels amazing to do what we've wanted to for so long and be proud of ourselves and each other. And the better we get, the more exciting our lives will be as we get even more opportunities to do normal things like go out to dinner; go on a camping trip; have a video game night with new friends from work; go to a concert; take a trip... 

Meal Plan
We found a plan from this guy's site for the basic structure, consulted our Dr., a couple body builders, and a friend who doesn't workout to get huge but is very healthy with his working out and eating. After tweaking it and experimenting with a schedule that works for us, we came up with this:

Portions:

• The whole meal is the size of your fist. We're going pretty strict to make sure we lose weight so we're kind of hungry all day, but it doesn't take long for your stomach to shrink and get used to it - especially when you're drinking a gallon of water a day. Just think about all those people who get that surgery that makes their stomach smaller or the band - ALL they do is force themselves to eat smaller portions and people lose tons of weight. If you can have self-control this will go far all by itself - no surgery needed. (Later if you get really into bodybuilding or super hardcore physical training there are formulas to follow with carbs and proteins, but it's very high-level). 

Food:

• The bodybuilder whose site we based this on says no oil, (obviously no butter), and no sugar. We had to make a couple slight adjustments - oatmeal tastes like feet without a little brown sugar, and for the potatoes and chicken we use a little bit of extra virgin olive oil right before we broil it or it dries up like sand - but we stopped marinating everything in oil overnight or sautéing. I also have a tootsie roll once in a while and diet hot chocolate to handle chocolate cravings. I can live with those adjustments. 
• We've eaten the same meal every day for years - usually for every meal until it's gone - so this isn't that big a deal for us. To make sure you don't get sick of it, spices are your friend. Also see below for changing things up for one meal on your day off. 

(Smokehouse Maple, Montreal Steak, Steakhouse Onion Burger, Montreal Chicken, Worcestershire Pub Burger, Roasted Garlic & Herb. The spice specifies if it's best on chicken, steak, fish, etc. All are super tasty. For the sweet potatoes I taped the seasoning packet's label onto an empty spice shaker and just use that: it's McCormick Produce Partners Roasted Italian Herb Potatoes. OMG so good). 

Schedule: 

• You eat several very small meals a day and one snack to improve your metabolism. The kind of meal you eat at a certain time is important because certain meats give you the right protein before or after a workout, and certain carbs like the oatmeal take a long time to digest so they keep you full and shouldn't be eaten right before bed or anything. 
• This is a tough schedule to get used to, but you can make it flexible around work hours, errands, appointments, etc. *Disclaimer: we don't have kids. I have no idea how you'd manage this with kids. I'll find something to link you people later lol. Worst case, if you don't have time for a meal, throw a Clif bar in your bag and it only takes a couple minutes to eat; has about the same amount of calories, fiber, and protein as a meal would; 1/2 is plenty filling once you're used to these portions; and they're $1 each. Also, every one I've had is freaking delicious and gives me a chocolate fix. :) A smoothie with protein powder in it is also a great option - but a Clif bar is infinitely easier. 

Our Schedule:

*Rice is cooked normally without chicken stock with only sea salt and pepper to taste. Broccoli is cheaper and easier if you buy a few heads of it fresh and snap off a branch for each meal with sea salt and pepper. You don't need to steam it cuz a minute in the microwave softens it a bit, but it's never soggy and lasts a long time.

*Mine has to be a little different due to work, so my version is in red when it's different.

• Wake up at 10:30 am.

• 11 am - We share the egg white of a hard boiled egg and a serving of oatmeal. (Our serving to share is 1/4 c. oatmeal, a little over 1/3 c. water, 1 tbsp. brown sugar, a couple shakes sea salt). 

• 1:30 pm - Steak, brown rice. 

• 3:30 pm - Tilapia, sweet potatoes, broccoli. 

(Workout 4 - 5:30pm)

• (5:30, smaller than normal portion)

          6 pm - Steak, brown rice, broccoli.

• (6:30 pm - Apple and small portion trail mix - see below for details)

          7:30 pm - Chicken, sweet potatoes, broccoli.

• (8 pm - break at work so 1/2 Clif bar since I only get 10 minutes)

          9:30 pm - Fish, brown rice.

• 10:30 pm - lunch at work, 30 minutes, alternate fish and chicken, broccoli)

          11:30 pm - Chicken, broccoli. (We couldn't afford steak 3x/day).

• 12:30 am - Snack. I have 1/2 a Clif bar or a smoothie with some diet hot chocolate; he has honey roasted almonds or an apple with some sugar-free apple cider. 

• 1:30 pm - Be in bed trying to fall asleep by 2 am at the latest. 

*Trail Mix: Since I can't have caffeine I found the rumor that an apple wakes you up more than coffee is true for me, so before work I have an apple with a container of trail mix. This wakes me up, keeps me full, gives me protein, and has some dark chocolate chips and dried fruit for energy (also: chocolate. duh.) I mix together dried fruit, almonds, cashews, peanuts, raisins, dates, sunflower seeds, and the dark chocolate chips - making sure nothing is salted and is natural. This also helps me not eat peanut butter (reduced fat or otherwise) with my apple, as I got in the habit of doing and became quickly addicted lol. This way has a lot less calories and fat.

Some suggested a "cheat day" once a week where you eat whatever you want, but workout really hard to work it all off. I know personally that if I do a cheat day, I don't do well with it and even wound up with an eating disorder once. I want to be a human and enjoy life a bit as I go, but work really hard the majority of the time to reach my goals. For me it works to have a yummy Lean Cuisine meal, or something small around 300 calories from fast food, instead of one of the scheduled meals every Sunday, and if my boss buys my team free pizza at work, or someone has a giant cake with "Help Yourself" written on it in the breakroom, I can have 2-3 bites and be happy. My boss can laugh at me while I take the knife out of my lunchbag and literally cut a strip out of a piece of pizza and give the rest to a coworker. It was heaven in my mouth. Who cares if I use my lunchbag fork and scoop a bite of solid frosting left when someone cut a piece of cake? That's the only part I want anyway, and if I don't have at least one bite of it I might kill people and eat the entire thing by myself in the parking lot. I know these things about myself, lol.

My husband wanted to do 100%, but started to go crazy with the cravings. After 3 weeks he got the lowest-calorie sour candy he could find, and physically rations himself with some honey roasted peanuts when he feels like he needs more protein or something to snack on. Most of his meals were healthy before but he definitely did some snacking: keep in mind this man went straight from eating 1/2 a bag of BBQ chips with 1/2 a jar of Spinach Artichoke dip in one sitting - pretty much every other day - during a movie or show. I found out these crazy looking Veggie Chips are actually super delicious and satisfying for snacking if you need something. I promise: they don't taste like styrofoam.

Once you get yourself on a treadmill you'll figure out how ridiculous it is just to burn 100 calories. It's discouraging when you know the point is "work off more than you put in", and realize you aren't able to work off that many calories every single day. We've decided this is as strict on the meal plan as is possible for us to live, and the gym has become a part of our lives for 1 1/2 hours every day. It's a way of life. We may not lose weight quite as fast as we would if we were perfect, but we are working incredibly hard, and we are seeing results. And with results like this we will get to our goal weight and strength, and we'll be used to this lifestyle so it will be natural to keep it once we're "allowed" to have more unhealthy meals. In the meantime, it's definitely worth it.

What's Actually Nutritious?!

There are many different ways to eat depending on your goals. Some try to maximize nutritional value. Some are working out and need carbohydrates and protein to fuel them. Some need to lose as much weight as possible without starving. 

I've researched many diets and found a few basics in common. I've often found eggs to be a great example of this conundrum. Some people say never eat them because they're bad for your cholesterol. Some say definitely eat them since they're high in protein. Some say eat only the whites. Some say the whites have no nutritional value so don't bother. Some say eat them because they're low in fat. 

I recently had a friend explain his diet and exercise regimen (both of which are hardcore). He mentioned that bread is useless - including whole/multi grain and wheat - and has no nutritional value. I had gathered that if you're going to eat bread, multigrain is the healthiest, and it's good for fiber. Beyond that, it got me thinking. I was surprised with what I found. 

So yeah, not what I thought. Also, since fiber is found in beans and lots of vegetables you can't really use that excuse much, can you? Now I always felt the all-or-nothing (Atkins for example) approach to 'no bread' was not good. I am also absolutely in love with bread, so I tried not to eat it much, but if I did I went with multigrain. Brown rice is almost the same. People have looked at Asian nations and realized they mostly eat rice, fish, and veggies, and are generally less overweight than Americans. Since lean meats like chicken, fish, and pork are not super filling, I've noticed putting them with brown rice instead of multigrain bread for a panini or something is much more satisfying. Now I'm wondering if I can do better and limit it quite a bit more. When you're watching your portions you need to make the most of what's actually on your plate.

Here's an example of a 90 day program that's more what he eats:

This is similar to the phases of the South Beach Diet I've mentioned before, but takes you in a very different direction. The South Beach Diet is more of a lifestyle change to get you eating fresh and eating right; showing you how to eat for the rest of your life. This is more about building yourself physically as well with rigorous exercise to become an athlete.

Here's a menu I found that's a good example of both:

Look at the note at the end: they say if you're hungry, add more calories. Nutrisystem says if you're hungry eat more vegetables. Someone trying to lose weight eats as little calories as possible in the smallest portion... 

So you still need to choose your priorities/goals with your eating and exercise. :)

This plan also mentions adjusting your carbs; athletes will actually need the right kind of carbs, whereas someone losing weight wants to avoid them more and watch the glycemic index. Basically it depends how you want your carbs to break down and fuel your system and what you want them to do to your blood sugar.

Personally I'm still wanting to lose weight and I can't exercise much since I'm disabled, so I really want to watch my calories and carbs. My husband wants to exercise more so he is going to want a lot of protein. 

Here's a breakdown of how we're narrowing our focus, with the 90 day first phase guide in mind and following the South Beach Diet example:

Grains and Starches to Be Avoided

• Any food made partly or completely with white flour, or any baked good made with  for example cookies, cakes, pies
• White pasta
• White rice
• Corn in any form (1 serving corn as a vegetable allowed “rarely” – every 2-3 months)
• Potatoes in any form
• Parsnips
• Beets
• Cereals not included above
• Pizza
• Rice Cakes

Fish and Seafood

All fish and seafood are fine, but nothing breaded or deep-fried. Canned tuna should be packed in water.

Poultry

• Chicken or Turkey: White meat 
• Turkey bacon or low fat sausage OK in moderation
• Cornish Hen
• Always remove skin
• Nothing breaded
• No goose or duck

Ground Meat:

• Ground sirloin
• Ground beef with less than 10-percent fat

Cuts from the short loin (called various name in various places):

• Short Loin
• Tenderloin Roast
• T-Bone steak
• Porterhouse Steak
• Tenderloin Steak
• Filet Mignon
• Fillet Steak
• Top Loin Steak
• Strip Steak
• Kansas City Steak
• New York Strip Steak
• Hotel-Style Steak
• Sirloin Strip Steak
• Club Steak
• Country Club Steak
• Delmonico Steak
• Shell Steak

Cuts from the Sirloin, which can be called:

• Tri-Tip
• Sirloin Steak
• Top Sirloin
• Coulotte Steak
• Cap Steak
• Round-Bone Steak
• Beef Loin
• Flap Steak
• Flap Meat

Cuts from the Round, which can be called:

• Bottom Round
• Top Round
• Eye (of the) Round
• Round Tip Roast
• Rump Roast
• Round Tip Steak
• Ball Tip Steak
• Beef Sirloin Tip Steak
• Breakfast Steak
• Knuckle Steak
• Sandwich Steak
• Minute Steak
• Round Steak

Other Acceptable Beef Cuts:

• Flank Steak
• London Broil

Pork: Acceptable List

• Boiled ham
• Tenderlion
• Loin
• Lean, well-trimmed chops
• Canadian bacon

Lamb

• Leg of lamb, well-trimmed of fat

Veal

• Top Round
• Leg cutlet
• Chop

Lunch Meats

Lunch Meats should be sugar-free and low in fat. Deli turkey is a good choice.

Other Acceptable Protein Sources

• Eggs
• Tofu
• Seitan
• Tempeh
• Beans
• Low fat meat substitutes

Fruit

Basics:

1. Berries - Berries are, in general, the fruits lowest in sugar -- and also among the highest in antioxidants and other nutrients.

2. Summer Fruits - Melons, peaches, nectarines, and apricots are next in sugar-order.

3. Winter Fruits - Apples, pears, and citrus fruit are moderate in sugars.

4. Tropical Fruits - Pineapple, pomegranates, mangoes, bananas, and fresh figs are high in sugar (guava and papaya are lower than the others).

5. Dried Fruit - Dates, raisins, apricots, prunes, figs, and most other dried fruits are extremely high in sugar. Dried cranberries and blueberries would be lower, except that a lot of sugar is usually added to combat the tartness. Dehydrated or freeze-dried berries and summer fruits, when you can find them, are a good alternative to dried.

Specific:

Low to Medium Sugar

• Small Amounts of Lemon or Lime
• Rhubarb
• Raspberries 
• Blackberries
• Cranberries
• Strawberries
• Casaba Melon
• Papaya
• Watermelon
• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupes
• Honeydew melons
• Apples
• Guavas 
• Apricots
• Grapefruit

High Sugar, Avoid:

• Plum
• Oranges
• Kiwifruit
• Pears
• Pineapple
• Tangerines
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Pomegranates
• Mangos
• Figs
• Bananas
• Dried Fruit, such as dates, raisins, dried apricots, and prunes

Low-Carb Vegetables

This list is roughly arranged from lowest to highest carbohydrate counts, but all are non-starchy and generally low in carbohydrates. Exact carb count depends on serving size. 

• Sprouts, alfalfa and other small seeds (sprouted legumes have more carb)
• Greens – lettuce, spinach, chard, etc.
• Hearty Greens - collards, mustard greens, kale, etc.
• Radicchio and endive count as greens
• Herbs - parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary, thyme, etc.
• Bok Choy
• Bamboo Shoots
• Celery
• Radishes
• Sea Vegetables (Nori, etc)
• Mushrooms
• Cabbage (or sauerkraut)
• Jicama
• Avocado
• Asparagus
• Okra
• Cucumbers (or pickles without added sugars)
• Green Beans and Wax Beans
• Fennel
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Peppers
• Green Bell Peppers
• Red Bell Peppers
• Jalapeno Peppers
• Summer Squash
• Zuchinni
• Brussels Sprouts
• Scallions or green onions
• Snow Peas/Snap Peas/Pea Pods
• Tomatoes
• Eggplant
• Tomatillos
• Artichokes
• Turnips
• Pumpkin
• Rutabagas
• Spaghetti Squash
• Celery Root (Celeriac)
• Carrots
• Onions
• Leeks

Dairy

2-3 cups daily of any of the following are allowed:

• Milk (fat-free and 1%)
• 1% or fat-free buttermilk
• Low fat goat's milk
• Soy Milk - Low-fat plain, vanilla, or sucralose-containing soy milk (4 grams of fat or less per cup)
• Fat-free plain yogurt
• Small amounts of fat free or reduced fat sour cream
• Nonfat plain kefir
• Fat free or low fat evaporated milk (NOT condensed milk)
• Fat free powdered milk or buttermilk

All cheeses should be fat-free or low fat varieties, having no more than six grams of fat per ounce. 

• American
• Cheddar
• Cottage cheese (2% fat or less)
• Cream cheese, fat-free or low-fat
• Cream cheese substitute, dairy-free
• Feta
• Mozzarella
• Parmesan
• Provolone
• Ricotta (part skim)
• String Cheese
• Swiss

Beans 

Note that in general canned beans tend to raise blood sugar more than beans which you soak and cook yourself. 

• Adzuki Beans
• Black Beans
• Black-eyed peas
• Broad Beans (Fava Beans)
• Butter Beans
• Calico Beans
• Cannellini Beans
• Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
• Edamame
• Great Northern Beans
• Italian Beans
• Kidney Beans
• Lentils
• Lima Beans
• Mung Beans
• Navy Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Soy Beans
• Split Peas
• White Beans

Avoid: Beans canned with sugar or lard.

Nuts 

Nuts are allowed in limited quantities. Dry roasted are recommended. 

• Almonds - 15
• Brazil Nuts - 4
• Cashews - 15
• Hazelnuts (Filberts) - 25
• Macadamia - 8
• Peanuts (boiled is fine) - 20 small
• Pecans - 15
• Pistachios - 30
• Walnuts - 15
• Nut butters, including peanut butter - 2 Tablespoons

Seeds

Serving size is one ounce. For most seeds, an ounce is about 3 tablespoons, with a couple of exceptions:

• Flax Seed - 3 Tablespoons
• Pine Nuts (Pignolia) 3-4 Tablespoons, depending on size
• Pumpkin Seeds - 3 Tablespoons
• Sesame Seeds - 3 Tablespoons
• Soy "Nuts" (roasted soy kernels) - 1/4 cup
• Sunflower Seeds - 3 Tablespoons

Sources of Oils Most Encouraged

• Olive Oil
• Canola Oil
• Olives
• Avocados
• Walnuts and walnut oil
• Sources of fish oil, such as salmon
• Flax seeds and flax seed oil
• Cooking Sprays

Acceptable Sauces/Condiments

• Tomato-based sauces such as marinara, pasta sauce, and pizza sauce with no added sugar
• Pesto
• Peanut sauce, if without sugars
• Clam sauces, white or red
• Au jus
• Mustard (except sweetened mustards, especially honey mustard)
• Cider and wine vinegars
• Most bottled hot sauces (such as Tabasco)
• Most salsas
• Soy sauce or tamari
• Mayonnaise –look especially for brands high in monounsaturated fat (example: Saffola)
• Sugar-free salad dressings, preferably brands high in monounsaturated fat, such as olive oil (check labels carefully)
• Capers
• Horseradish
• Pesto
• Herbs and spices (but watch for mixtures with added sugars)
• Lemon or lime juice (1 gram of carb per tablespoon)
• Extracts (vanilla, lemon, almond, etc.)
• Broth or bouillon
• Low-carb ketchup
• Dill pickle relish
• Mt. Olive sugar-free sweet pickle relish
• Sugar-free salad dressings
• Low carb jams and preserves (check labels)

Beverages

• Water should be the main beverage
• Nothing sweetened with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, etc. 
• Limit caffeinated beverages to 1-2 per day
• Carbonated diet beverages in moderation (and caffeinated sodas, mainly "non-decaf" colas, included in the 1-2 daily serving limit)
• Tomato Juice
• Vegetable Cocktail Juice, such as V8
• Milk, within limits
• Sparkling mineral water or selzer (unsweetened)
• Club Soda
• Tea without sugar (hot or iced), 1-2 cups daily
• Decaf Tea, sugar free
• Non-carbonated diet beverages, including sugar-free powdered mixes

*My husband and I almost never drink coffee or alcohol, so I didn't bother including those. Obviously keep your coffee from being sweetened too much, watch caffeine, and dry wine with a meal in moderation is ok. If you want to drink almost anything from Starbucks or 4 sweet mixed drinks at a party, then you haven't been paying attention.

Sweets 

Limited to a total of 75 calories. Artificial sweeteners are also acceptable.

• Candies - sugar-free hard candies only
• Chocolate powder - no added sugar
• Cocoa powder, unsweetened baking type
• Fudge pops, no sugar added
• Gelatin - sugar-free
• Gum - sugar-free
• Jams and jellies - sugar-free
• Popsicles - sugar-free
• Syrups - sugar-free
• Occasional small amounts of dark semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• Occasional serving of pudding - fat-free and sugar-free