Thursday

1130 am:  Juice: 1 romaine + 2 lemons + 1 cucumber + 1 apple with 1/4 c. egg beater + 1 tbsp jalepeno cream cheese + 1 morningstar patty

240pm: 1 beyond burger patty + 1 c. swiss chard + 1 c. cucumber

630pm: Teriyaki chickn strips + 1 c. broccoli

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Morning weigh in: 371, well that's a disappointment

Finally got results, no blood clot! Leg is swollen worse today and hurting. Dr said to elevate, stay cool, lay off the pedaling for a few days, and no salt.

Wednesday

830am: 2 slices dry bread (to take pills with)

1pm: Impossible whopper with mustard, pickle

7pm: 1 slice cheese pizza + 3 c. watermelon

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morning weigh in: 370.4

Got up this morning and had to call my Dr. I have swelling at the back of my right leg and it's painful to touch. He sent me for a venous duplex to check for a blood clot. Feeling alot of anxiety today. Sick after lunch. That was the worst burger I ever ate for lunch in Salem. Didn't feel like eating dinner, but finally ate around 7. Nauseous all day.

Tuesday

1130am: 1/4 c. egg beaters +1 morningstar soysage patty + 1 tbsp.jalepeno cream cheese

145pm: 2 gherkin pickles + 2 c. steamed zucchini w/ 1/2 c. sun-dried tomato sauce

3pm:3 c. watermelon

635pm: 1 spicy black bean patty + 2 c. cabbage w/ 1/4 c. alfredo sauce + 1/4 pita

835pm:2 peaches + 3 small plums

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morning weigh in: 370
pedaling: 35 minutes

Holy crap was I hungry today! I decided to eat some food instead of juicing this morning.

Review of the last week

Well, it's Monday again and I just survived a week of this new lifestyle. It's not really a diet as much as a new beginning, a new way of looking at me and my food choices. I started out last Monday quite depressed. I put so much hope and faith in the medical community and when it crashed down around me, it was quite profound. I hope I can look back and say this was a good thing.

My food choices? well, I went with what I felt was right this week. Did I eat a donut and a slice of pizza this week? yes, I did. This has to be realistic. Now eating that every day or every other day would be an issue for me, but I don't see an issue with a treat here and there. This is life. This is real life. This is MY life. And my choices, good or bad. I stuck to 1200 calories a day with under 30 grams of fat a day which is my goal.....and I ate as many fruits and vegetables as I could and tried to eliminate as much processed food as I could. It was a great start. I hope this week gets even better.

My weight? Yes, the scales came down. I also went back to wearing my compression stockings every single day and the swelling has greatly decreased. It's great to be able to be able to walk normally without all the pain and swelling! I know a lot of the weight change is water weight. That's ok. At least the number is coming down. When I saw 385 and could barely walk with the swelling, I was SCARED. Today I weighed in at 371.

Am I losing weight or losing water? At this point, does it matter? I was in physical pain because of the swelling. You know, I lost over 150 lbs a few years ago with the keto diet. I thought it was great that I could eat "rich" food and lose weight. I didn't really feel deprived. But I did. I'm a vegetarian at heart and I really missed the vegetables! all vegetables AND all fruits! I've tried and tried to get back on keto several times, but it's just not sustainable for me anymore. And quite honestly, I never thought eating 90 grams of fat a day could be healthy in the long run, even if I was losing weight. I still contribute my strokes to the high fat diet. I believe truly we aren't meant to eat that way. There's a reason I believe in the vegetarian lifestyle and it's all based around good health. I've never eaten as many vegetables and fruits as I have in the past week AND cut the fat down. I strive to eat less fat...it is a conscious decision. And I've been rewarded with a lower number on the scale and less swelling. My fasting blood sugars bounce between 120-140 in the mornings.

There seems to be two extremes out there in diet land. One group believes that fat is the real issue and the other group believes that carbs are the real issue. And they both have "studies" to prove their point. I'm kind of in the middle. Carbs ( like potatoes) are not good for me. I have to really limit those because they jack up my blood sugars and I cannot lose weight eating them regularly or "normally", but I also believe high fat is an issue too. Yeah, I lost a ton of weight on keto, but where did it get me? Until you've lost sensations in one side of your body and have slurred speech, you'll never understand why I truly believe it's unhealthy in the long run. I am a fortunate one who has recovered well, but I live in fear of a major stroke that leaves me paralyzed and unable to communicate. My biggest risk factors right now is the high blood pressure which I control with medicine (and diet) and my weight. My weight has got to go. I don't care if I only lose 100 more lbs, it still reduces my risk. That's my number one goal.

Monday

1145am:   Juice: 1 romaine lettuce + 1 apple + 1 cucumber + 2 lemons

145pm: 2 slices rye bread + 3 slices tofurkey deli slices + 1 slice pepper jack + mustard + 2 plums + 1 peach

620pm:1 beyond burger patty on bun w/mustard + 6 cauliflower tots + 1 c. cucumber

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morning weigh in : 371

35 min. pedaling

Sunday

1130am: Juice: 1 romaine lettuce + 1 cucumber + 1 apple + 2 lemons

330pm:  2 c. boiled cabbage + 2 roasted corn on cob + 2 corn muffins w/1 tbsp butter

415pm: 2 c.watermelon

630pm: 1 c. navy bean soup + 1 corn muffin w/ 1/2 tbsp. butter

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Morning weigh in: 371.8

35 min. pedaling

the weekend!!!!!

1130am:  Juice: 1 bunch kale + 1 lime + 1 romaine lettuce + 1 apple + 1 cucumber + 2 lemons

1pm: 8 oz. raspberries

230pm: 2 c. steamed yellow squash + 1/4 c. sun-dried tomato sauce + 1 slice french bread cheese pizza

445pm: 2 cheddar sticks

710pm: 2 c. steamed zucchini + 1 c. hormel vegetarian chili w/beans + 1/2 oz. shredded cheese

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morning weigh in: 372

Friday....yay

1030am:   Juice:  1 lime + 1 romaine lettuce + 1 lemon + 1 apple + 1 cucumber

1240pm: 2 c. yellow squash  + 1/2 c. sun-dried tomato sauce + 1 apricot + 1 plum

5pm: Impossible whopper (mustard/pickle/onion)

8pm: 1 blueberry cake donut + large hot black tea

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morning weigh in: 373.6

thursday

1145am:  Juice:  2 small zucchini + 1 lime + 1 head romaine lettuce + 1 lemon + 1 cucumber + 1 apricot

230pm: 1 beyond meat burger patty + 2 c. red chard steamed + 1 apricot + 1 plum

6pm: 1 black bean wrap, fresco style (taco bell)

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morning weigh in: 376.4

wednesday

1115am:  Juice: 1 lime + 1 head romaine lettuce + 1 cucumber + 1 apple + 1 lemon

130pm:  1 Morningstar Prime griller patty + 1 c. fresh green beans + 1 cheddar cheese stick

340pm:  4 small plums

630pm: 2 c. steamed yellow squash + 1/2 c. morningstar crumbles + 1/2 c. prego smart (light) sauce + diced green pepper & onion; 2 c. watermelon

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morning weigh in: 376.8

Tuesday

9:20am:   Juice: 1 lime + 1 head romaine lettuce + 1 apple + 1 lemon + 1 cucumber + 1 carrot

130pm: 2 slices sourdough bread + 1 slice swiss cheese + 3 slices tofurkey deli slices + mustard

630pm: Impossible whopper (mayo/pickle/onion)

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morning weigh in: 377..6