Primary Days 7-19

Hello there! Just a little update on the progress, everything is going wonderfully! I have missed a few days here and there of workouts due to my schedule (which should NOT be an excuse), but I am feeling wonderful! I have also had two days of cheating which I am completely comfortable with and haven't felt guilty about - but it really just depends on YOU. If you feel like cheating is a slippery slope then I wouldn't do it, but for me I can have a little treat on a Saturday and go without for another two weeks and be fine. The food options are much more open now on the Primary phase. I love the shirataki noodles, and highly recommend them! I have lost another 4 pounds...so go me! 

Primary Days 3-6

So a little update about my progress: I have lost another 2.5 pounds! Very very excited about this! I believe that this happened due to the hard workouts I've been doing the last 6 days. My diet has stayed pretty much true to the books examples of what you can eat each day. I've just realized that it's just easier to follow exact recipes and ideas than try to come up with my own plans. 


If you want to know how the workouts are...oh let me tell you. I ALREADY feel stronger, slimmer, more toned, and unbelievable. The ONLY downside to the workouts are how sore you'll feel. I mean REALLY sore. I don't believe that their videos have enough warming up. I feel like they kind of just throw you into the moves pretty quickly which bothers me a bit - but it's all paid off! All of my hard work is starting to show itself on my body, and man am I appreciative! The "kardio" section of the first video kicks my butt the most. How were the videos for you when you first started them? 


I will admit to cheating...here and there...but not with sweets or bread. Just with cream and a tad of sugar in my coffee. I just prefer the taste much more than the black coffee. I am still liking the third pink drink, and I took a photo of all of the ingredients which I use if you are curious. 

Hope your day 20 is fabulous!

Primary Days 1-2

Hello there! So I started the Pink Primary phase and couldn't be more excited about it! Yesterday I got my butt kicked during the workouts. I did the Kardio and Yoga and the Kardio really killed my thighs. It's just another reason why I am doing this in the first place! My body is screaming to be healthy and fit! Yesterday for breakfast I had a slice of sprouted toast and two egg whites. For lunch I had some shredded chicken with a bit of curry on top. And for dinner I had some delicious pesto chicken on top of a bed of greens. I didn't drink a pink drink because I was smoothie-d out! Today instead of a smoothie I will make a juice in my juicer after my workout with some celery, apple, beet, spinach, and cucumber. 


I hope your Pink Primary phase is going wonderfully!

Last Day of Reset (Day 14 Breakfast)

Yay for me! Can't wait to have a nice slice of sprouted bread tomorrow. Here is my breakfast for today, I also had the pink drink #3.

Reset Day 13 Dinner

Tonight's dinner was another slam dunk! I made some homemade pesto vinaigrette:

2 T. Store Bought Pesto

2 T. Olive Oil

1 T. Vinegar

1 T. Lime Juice 

The vinaigrette went over a big bed of leafy greens

I also marinated a 1 pound flat iron steak for my honey and I. I baked it on my cast iron grill at 350 degrees for 12 minutes and it was heavenly. The marinade consisted of liquid aminos, minced garlic, minced onion, and some salt and pepper. 

We also grilled some fresh purple asparagus with some pepper and garlic powder

Reset Day 13

I'm not drinking enough water! It was my goal for this week and I am still not following through and in turn - I'm not losing the weight I was when I WAS drinking enough water. Oh shame on me! Well today I had the pink smoothie #3 again, and later on in the morning I had a black coffee. 


For lunch I haven't been very hungry so I juiced some veggies: beet, celery, carrot, spinach and one apple. It's freaking delicious! It's like a little dessert in my mouth as we speak. For dinner I am having a marinated flat iron steak with a green salad. Tomorrow marks my last day on reset which, to tell you the truth, I CAN'T WAIT FOR! 


Things to look forward to: fruit, bread, hot cereals, cold cereals, shirataki noodles, etc. 

It may look yucky...but trust me, it's not.

Reset Days 10-12

I have been at a pretty stagnant plateau for the last couple of days with no weight loss. I am not quite sure what's going on, but I haven't changed my diet at all. Maybe my body has become used to this food routine. I am thinking of moving to the pink primary to get my body excited again and losing weight. 

I am kind of at a loss right now with no one to really talk to about it, so I will check out the Pink Method forums on their website and see what other people are saying. 

This morning (day 12) I had a pink drink for breakfast and for lunch I am thinking of having some tuna salad on top of a salad. Yum.

Reset Day 9 Dinner

Last night I made a delicious meal and I just wanted to share! I seasoned two chicken breasts with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and paprika. Then I put them into a cast iron pan and baked it for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. I don't think I have ever made such juicy and delicious chicken breast before! I think it may be due to the baking in cast iron, but I'm not sure. 


I decided that I was craving mashed potatoes, and because the Pink Method Reset doesn't allow potatoes I made a recipe for Cauliflower Mash instead - And I highly recommend it!!! My family loved it!!! I cut up one large head of cauliflower and boiled it for 10 minutes. I grilled some onions and a few tablespoons of ham in a separate pan. Drain the cauliflower and add to kitchen aide/vitamix/etc. Add the grilled onions and ham to the blended cauliflower mixture. Add some cut chives, Himalayan salt, pepper, and two cloves of garlic and serve warm. 

And I drank over 90 ounces which was my goal! It was really hot here in Oregon yesterday, so I felt like I needed more water than usual. But yay for reaching my goals!

You know what is really motivating!?!?

THE BIGGEST LOSER on NBC.com!!! I've been addicted the last week to watching it. I'm already on episode 10 on season 13. I highly recommend this show instead of something like America's Next Top Model because I have so much in common with these emotional eaters! Anyways, you can find it here: www.nbc.com. 

Reset Day 9 Recap Over the Weekend

Hello! It was a wonderful weekend with friends and family and healthy eating! I went to a few restaurants to eat over the weekend and made some hard choices, but the choices were very thought out and healthy! I had a hardwood grilled salad with grilled chicken and a side of salad dressing. For breakfast one morning I met with my family and switched my breakfast and lunch. So for breakfast I had two scrambled eggs with veggie sausage and for lunch I had my pink drink smoothie. Funny thing was that I was full after eating half of my tiny breakfast - so my appetite and stomach have definitely shrunk! 


One downside of the weekend was that I wasn't drinking enough water and so my goal for this week is to drink a minimum of 90 ounces each day. Every day that I drink enough water I feel great by the end of the day and I show weight loss in the morning. 


I am so proud of myself for these last 9 days. I have this insane motivation and I am not going to stop going! I feel amazing, I am looking better, my face is thinning out, my clothes are a bit loose - and this is all proving to be worth it. I am learning to eat slowly, savor my meals instead of scarfing it all down. 

Reset Day 5

Today has been a very busy and odd day for my diet wise...I've had a lot of school, studying, dentist appointments for my daughter and I, etc. so eating was sorta the last thing on my mind. 


For breakfast I had the pink drink #3 (of course). For lunch I had one scrambled egg with bell peppers, onion and diced ham, and shame on me - I didn't have any dinner. I know that was a mistake, but it was 9:30 pm by the time I had a minute to eat and I felt like it was too late. I didn't want to have a late night dinner because I felt like it would mess my body time clock off. So no dinner...and I am pretty starving right now considering the lack of calories I had today, which was probably under 600. Big mistake. Tomorrow I'll do better and make sure to eat all three meals + veggie snacks of course! 


I have felt great today overall, lots of energy throughout the day, kind of a body high in the morning! When I walk a lot, especially at school, my body feels so weak - almost a dizzy feeling. This is most likely due to lack of calories - but not lack of water! Man, I have drank SO much water these last 5 days! Now I see through my results of weight loss this week that water is a HUGE contributing factor to losing weight and losing weight on The Pink Method. 

PROGRESS

Reset Day 1 4/15 = 182.1 

Reset Day 2 4/16 = 180.2 (-1.9 lbs)

Reset Day 3 4/17 = 178.5 (-1.7 lbs)

Reset Day 4 4/18 = 174.2 (-4.3 lbs)

Reset Day 5 4/19 = 172.0 (-2.2 lbs) 

Primary Day 20 5/4 = 169.5 (-2.5 lbs)

Total weight lost = 12.6 lbs from starting weight

Whooooo hoooooo!

Reset Day 4 Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Hello again! Didn't post yesterday, but thought I would post what I ate and felt for yesterday anyways. For breakfast I had the pink smoothie #3 (which I think I will be sticking to), for lunch I had egg salad on cucumbers, and for dinner I had steak with asparagus and grilled onions. I am definitely sick of eating egg salad so today I will have to mix things up with a salad and tuna or something along those lines. I felt great today, and had a lot of energy and motivation. It is still hard to pass up baked goods, bread, and peanut butter I am dying for! But as the days go by I feel less tempted and more excited to get my body back and to be healthy. Hope your day 4 of reset was a good one!

Reset Day 3 Dinner

Oh baby! Dinner was freaking amazing. I am a mushroom lover at heart, so I grilled some mushrooms with some fresh garlic, salt, and pepper. Then I grilled a 4 oz. piece of steak with the same ingredients and man oh man! Definitely didn't feel as if I was starving myself at all today. I feel great!

Sooo this might be TMI after all of this food talk - but the craziest thing ever for me is how clear my urine is after drinking so much water these past 3 days!!! I think I have been dehydrated my whole life! Anyways, yay for clear urine!

What does 1 pound of fat look like?

I saw this on Pinterest and it kind of made my day. This will be a good reminder not to get down on myself when I've only lost a pound in a week. I still can't believe that this is what ONE measly little pound looks like! I'd love to have at least 50 of those off my body!

Reset Day 3 Lunch

Today I decided to make some more egg salad and cucumber, same recipe as yesterday. I stopped by Starbucks again today and got another americano, but this time I used unsweetened almond milk instead of rice milk - and the almond milk really made the coffee taste bitter. Not good at all. Does anyone have good ideas for coffee??

Cookie Challenge Completed!

I am so proud of myself! This is a first in the books of Sarah. I didn't lick a spoon, take a bite, or eat a chocolate chip...nothing! It took so much will power - these cookies are ridiculously good...beware! I know it probably isn't the best idea to post a cookie recipe on a diet blog, but I think you'll thank me when you are in good shape and need a treat! Here it is: 

Sarah's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (Not Pink Method Approved!)

1 can pumpkin

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups chocolate chips (I use the miniature ones)

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

Combine first four ingredients. In a separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add to first ingredients. Dissolve baking soda with milk in a separate small cup and add to previous mixture. Now add the vanilla and chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for approximately 10 minutes. Bake time may depend on elevation and other factors. 

Reset Day 3 Breakfast

This morning is Day 3 and I feel much better and motivated now that I have made it a few days without cheating! I made the pink drink #3 again - I guess I am a little monotonous in the food department. My daughter has been having a breakfast smoothie with me the last three mornings, she likes to be just like mommy. So I've been making her a strawberry banana smoothie and she loves them! 


Today I will stumble across my first challenge since I've started this Pink Method...I am making pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for my daughters preschool...and they happen to be my favorite cookies ever. So my goal is to not even lick the spoon, not even lick my fingers - just get them baked and to the school as soon as I can. Wish me luck!

PROGRESS

So my weight has been fluctuating a lot the last 3 days due to drinking so much water, constipation, etc. Yesterday I drank the most water I've ever drank and I felt so good by the end of the day - although I did have to pee every 30 minutes or so. 

Starting Weight 4/15 = 182.1

Reset Day 2 4/16 = 180.2 (-1.9 lbs)

Reset Day 3 4/17 = 178.5 (-1.7 lbs)

Reset Day 2 Dinner

So dinner plans changed and I decided to make some egg salad. I added some mayo, Himalayan salt, pepper, and dill to it which was perfect! I cut up some thick slices of cucumber and topped it with the egg salad. Boyfriend tried it and he said that it was amazing - so I know this meal will be a keeper for sure. I think egg salad feels like a comfort food, so maybe on those days where I feel like I need a treat I can make this.  

Ahhhhh Coffee!

My day has officially gotten so much better! I stopped by Starbucks while I was on errands with my daughter and got a grande americano with no cream or sugar. I brought it home and added a few tablespoons of rice milk and 4 drops of stevia - and after I got acclimated to it (the bitterness) it was great! I may have to make this my little treat everyday, something to look forward to! 

Reset Day 2 Lunch

Just made some yummy lunch which consisted of ground turkey, bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, and garlic. I added a bit of liquid aminos to it which gave it a soy sauce taste. 

I have a pretty mild headache right now due to no caffeine, but I'm making it through! Cravings right now are for peanut butter and chocolate chips. 

Reset Day 2 Breakfast

Good morning! For breakfast I had the pink drink #3 again because it is so delicious! I checked the Pink Method website for calories and saw that drink #3 was also the highest of the three calorie wise - maybe that is why it's so good!? I am feeling somewhat antsy to start the workouts, but I know that since the caloric intake is so low it wouldn't be wise to burn even more calories.


For lunch I will be having the same thing as yesterday because the ground turkey is fresh and already defrosted. I think it is wise to plan your meals in advance so that you know what meats you either need to buy from the store or which meats to take out from the freezer and put into the fridge. I think that meal planning helps mentally - if you have your meals already planned there is less wiggle room to overeat or eat junk. For dinner we are having steaks with cauliflower mashed potatoes. I will give the recipe if they turn out as well as I am hoping. 


As of now I am feeling great, although this no cream/sugar with coffee is seriously killing me! I am having no cravings for junk, and that is something to celebrate! 

Reset Day 1 Lunch & Dinner

The smoothie kept me filled until lunch which was a really nice surprise (I was assuming I'd be starved by then). So when lunch came around I decided to make 4 oz. of ground turkey, grilled bell peppers, and mushrooms with a side salad called the Rainbow Salad which had 2 cups of spinach, carrots, cucumbers, and 2 tablespoons of Bragg Sesame Ginger salad dressing.

This lunch was seriously delicious, especially the salad dressing! It was not only delicious, but extremely filling. This may be my go to meal for those days where I am feeling starved! One downside to this day 1 reset would be my pounding headache from lack of my daily Starbucks coffee. I am considering just drinking it black with a bit of stevia and rice milk, but I guessing it won't taste too well (at least compared to a caramel macchiato)! And one more thing would be my cravings for something ridiculously sweet like a fudge brownie with chocolate frosting, or maybe even a PB and J would do. I know these cravings will subside eventually, but for now I just need to focus on other things. How was your first day on the reset?

Dinner was great, I baked some wild king salmon with one tablespoon of mayonnaise and steamed some broccoli with some garlic salt. Both were so yummy! 

Freeze Your Vegetables & Fruits

Yesterday while grocery shopping at Whole Foods I realized how many vegetables I will be buying from now on, the list looked something like this: 

1. Spinach
2. Red, green, yellow bell peppers
3. Carrots
4. Mushrooms
5. Cucumber
6. Broccoli
7. Cauliflower
8. Garlic
9. Onion
10. Ginger
11. Lettuce
12. Kale
13. Asparagus
14. Green Beans
15. Brussel Sprouts
16. Beets 

When I got home I found that fitting all of this produce into the fridge was nearly impossible, so I found an easy and convenient way of storing your produce without it going bad! Chop it up! I filled four gallon sized bags and one sandwich sized bag with the following: Beets and bananas for the smoothies, and cauliflower, broccoli, and bell peppers. 

Reset Day 1 Breakfast

Hello! I've officially started the Pink method as of today at 8 am. Last night was my last hoorah with this poblano pepper & bacon burger

and let me tell you - it was delicious! Total sabotage, but delicious. So this morning my 5 year-old daughter and I woke up and made our smoothies, she wanted a strawberry and banana smoothie and I chose the 3rd pink drink. This pink drink has strawberries, banana, beet, spinach, coconut milk, hemp protein powder and liquid stevia. It is so yummy! It's not Jamba Juice yummy, but pretty dang close! It made a huge amount of juice - nearly two entire glasses of smoothie, so I'm sure it will take at least an hour to drink. 

(Mine is on the left)

So I would totally recommend purchasing a Magic Bullet if you don't already have a blender of some sort. Four of the cups come with handles which is convenient for bringing to work/school, etc. 

Well Hello There!

Hello my fellow struggling women! I am a mid-twenties girl and I have struggled with my weight for the last nearly ten years. I have a very busy life which includes a lot of at home work, full-time schooling, a 5 year old child, and a boyfriend who is going to apply the same dietary changes but with no moderation in quantities.


I will be blogging photos of the meals I make with recipes, my weight-loss, before and after photos, and my overall opinions on this diet otherwise known as The Pink Method. If you are not familiar with this diet, it is a lifestyle change with fitness and good nutrition. It is 82 days long and divided into 4 phases. I will go into more detail as I start this program. 


Thanks for reading, and wish me luck (I start on Sunday). 


Sarah