Finding My Groove
I’ve heard (read?) Averie talk about her groove many times. She’s found hers. According the veggie-lovin’ yogi, it has taken years of trial and error to do so. But, the health and vitality must be worth it in the end.
My journey has been a wild ride in terms of diet and exercise…all over the place:
2005: I went vegan! I subsisted mainly on lentils, beans, rice and LOTS of processed soy products 
My exercise was lots of cardio twice some days!
2006: I got engaged and moved in with an omnivore who loved meat. I veered away from veganism and transitioned to an omnivorous diet including greasy guy food aka ribs, pizza, wings, cheesy anything. It was easier to eat what he ate. At first, we exercised together lifting and doing cardio at the gym. Then, we both stopped caring. I began drinking ridiculous amounts of wine from the vineyard close to my home.
2007: I became pregnant and healthified my diet again. I including lots more produce. I couldn’t eat pizza or the like due to heartburn. But, I still ate McDonald’s (gasp!) and powdered donuts (not together) a few times per week.
2008: I gave birth to a healthy baby girl and immediately increased my fresh produce intake. I went back to the gym doing only cardio 3 weeks after delivery. I continued to do cardio 3-5 days a week for about 6 months. I breast fed for 6 months. I was still eating omnivorously. I was unaware of the horrors of factory farming, processed foods and so on. Soon, I went back to school and aqcuired a huge amount of stress. I “had no time for exercise”.I subsisted on almost 300 ounces (yes, three hundred!) of black tea and diet pseudo foods.
2009: I began doing a little yoga and running outside and on a treadmill. I learned about factory farming, conventional produce, processed pseudo foods, deceptive marketing….ah! I cut back on tea, increased my water intake and cut out the pseudo foods. I ate a lot of ”natural” cereal, organic dairy (Greek yogurt) and organic poultry as well as fruits and lots of veggies.
2010: Although my running had increased to 5-6 miles 5 days a week I was not at a healthy weight for me. I disovored that after a healthy weight gain, my weight went over my healthy weight due to some poor eating habits. I had been eating the bulk of my calories in the evening right before bed. Lots of nut butter, cereal and dairy before bed was not helpful. I started to eat 3 whole bag of steamed veggies and lots of tuna and chicken each day. I was still addicted to artificial sweetener. I did P90X and ended up gaining weight! I was bummed out. I felt that I may never reach the level of health that I desired.
2010: I was fed up with no results from my workouts. (Read: lovehandles and muffin top) Although, I was convinced I may never get to the physical level which I desired, I contacted Alyson as a last resort. I expressed my concern about my rollercoaster of health. I was pleasantly surprised that she offered no diet plan. She encouraged me to listen to my body and add to my diet rather than subract from it. She also helped me with a workout routine that included resistance and cardio.
I was able to eliminate caffeine and artificial sweetener within 3 months! I cut out dairy to see what would happen and it made a world of difference. I discovered how much better I felt on a minimally-processed, vegan diet. Then, I began to play with raw food. I decided to see if I could stay raw for a day. .. and I did! So, I figured I would try a week. That turned into a month! I have now been raw for one month!
The first few days of raw eating, I gave myself permission to eat what sounded good as long as it was raw. My diet was pretty high in fat. But, I actually lost weight! Then I noticed that I was consuming a lot more fruit and a lot less fat. I felt good, but I would wake up hungry at 1:00am. Not good. So, I thought what about more protein? I started to increase my protein in the evening with nutritional yeast and minimal amounts of raw nuts. That did not help the hunger pangs.
So, now…I am still searching for the combination that works for me. I love fruit. I could eat it all day everyday. But, the body needs variety. Greens are nutrition powerhouses. I include spinach or kale everyday. But, I am still finding my groove.
I decided to experiment with different processed and cooked foods to find my balance.
I ate two low-carb torilla with some rice cheese to make a quesadilla one night and the first half of the quesadilla tasted divine but then it began to taste like chemicals to me When I read the ingredients on the tortillas, I understood why.
I felt horrible the next day! My stomach hurt. My head hurt. Nothing sounded appetizing.
I tried natural roasted PB the next night and had similar results.
However, when I tried organic canned pinto beans with nutritional yeast, I didn’t feel bad at all!
So, I am actually 98 percent raw most days since the only “unraw” thing I consume is decaf americano with stevia and salad dressing .
Other days I would say I’m about 75 percent raw due to cooked beans (which is one of my top 5 favorite foods!)
I actually haven’t had the desire to eat any more cooked food than that.
Anyone care to share tips on finding your groove?
Yes, I have lost weight since I began working with Alyson. My highest weight the week I began working with Alyson was 132. But, I’m pretty sure there were a few pounds of water there. I now weigh about 121-122. Due to the water, it’s not a full 10 pounds. Yet, I am still much closer to my goal! Plus, I’m only half-way through the six months of health coaching that Alyson offers.
More importantly, I feel much more at peace with food.
Through Integrative Nutrition I have learned to listen to my body and integrate my knowledge of nutrition in ways that work with my body.
I HAVE STOPPED COUNTING CALORIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I never ever in my wildest dreams thought that would happen.
I never thought I would feel able to healthfully (yes it is a word) 
accomplish my goal weight of 115
I never thought I could eliminate caffeine and artificial sweetener.
I never thought I would feel this good.
Never say never.
I will do a before and after post in a few months when my Nourished Life journey is completed.
In other WBL news: I went grocery shopping by myself for the first time in forever!!
Snuffy requested Donuts and Candy from Whole Foods 
(WF Apple Braid)
I made Averie’s balls using carob powder and a mixture of cashews, walnuts and almonds
and more of Ani’s Donuts
Then something horrible happened…
My ghetto blender and my 10 month old food processor both died!
The horror!
Time to start saving for a Vita.
Snuffy and I also made Double Chocolate Cookies
I used a recipe in Veganomicon as a guide
Since I have been eating high-raw, I have gone through LOTS of produce…
Blueberries, Bananas, Almond Butter, Cinnamon and Almond Milk
Pink Lady Apple, “raw” AB and Cinnamon
That’s only the tip of the iceberg.
One huge benefit of transitioning to raw is that Snuffy is eating a lot more raw fruits and veggies too.
Childhood Obesity is an issue close to my heart and I encourage other parents to lead by example
Our children will be ready to leave home ….
and make their own decisions
…before we know it!
I can’t believe how much she has grown!
I’m getting older as well…
I will be 25 on Sunday!
I am absolutely not where I thought I would be at 25 but at least I have my lovely little girl to show for my time on this planet
Hi sweets!
So good to “hear” from ya! I was wondering where you’ve been, but it sounds like you’ve been finding your way through your healthy-living journey and now at a happy place. I’m so so so happy for you! I enjoyed reading this honest and truthful post so much. Each one of us is different and we all respond to foods differently, but I, too, believe if we all just LISTEN to our bodies, it will tell us what it, specifically, needs.
If I weren’t doing this competition, I’d really love to experiment and try high raw, vegan food, just because it is so foreign to me. I’d like to see how it makes my own body feel, although I don’t think I’d ever want to eliminate anything entirely from my body, seeing as how it responds very well to lean meats and dairy. But, it would be interesting to expand my horizons, in a sense, and eat more produce and fruit than I do now.
I’m really excited to hear how things continue to go with Alyson! You’re awesome! HUGS!
I’m glad to hear you’ve found what’s worked for you! I feel my best with less fruit and carbs and more fats and protein, but I know everyone is different and that’s what’s beautiful about everyone’s bodies! You are looking fabulous
And snuffy is getting so big!
I loved reading this! I remember reading just 6 months ago and you were struggling–now look at you, that’s great!
It does take time and experimentation to find your groove…but you are right, its important!
So what exactly does alyson do for you besides workotus?
I’m so glad you have “found your groove.” Happy early Birthday! Snuffy is beautiful!
You go girl! I used to be a artificial sweetener and fat free addict. I was shocked at how quickly I was able to eliminate these things from my life and never look back! If you’d told my former self I’d stop drinking diet soda, I would’ve laughed in your face!
Your daughter is beautiful!!
I was just wondering if she ever questions why you may not eat the same food she does? How will you approach the topic of dieting with her?
Congrats on finding what works for you!
I’m def in a rut. I work out and weight train. I’m 5″4″ at 105 pounds. I know I probably need to gain some weight to be healthy but I’m so afraid I’ll pack on the weight if I give up my cardio. Yet, I really want to tone and sculpt my legs more. The whole nutrition thing is so hard finding the right balance. I’ve upped my calories to 2500-2700 a day and I’m just so scared I’m going to gain too much weight if I cut out my cardio.
The only thing that is obviously different between her diet and mine is dairy which doesn’t present itself too often. As far as treats like candy and donuts, she doesn’t have them often and doesn’t notice that I don’t. Most other things we eat are similar: Almond Butter, Fresh Fruit and Veggies, Beans, Hummus. If I make a whole wheat pizza or the like she is unconcerned about whether I eat some. As she grows older I will explain what prompted me to eat a vegan diet. I have already talked with her a little bit about happy animals at happy farms even though she is just two. I also let her know the health aspects as much as I can on a toddler’s level. Ex: “Bananas help our muscles work. Carrots help our eyes. Avocado gives us smooth skin.” As far as raw food, I plan to include my health reasons more as she grows older. I hope she never feels the need to go on an unhealthy diet but since she is growing up in America that may be inevitable. I want her to concentrate more on what her body can do than how it looks example: “You can run fast and jump high. You can slide into home plate and ski down snowy slopes” My hope is that staying active and keeping a kitchen stocked with whole, natural healthfulfoods will keep her body healthy and balanced. I know that there will be overnights with pizza and candy but I want her to learn to listen to her own body and make her own decisions.
Me too! I was a diet soda addict for sure!
She has a 6 month program. It covers different nutritional aspects. There is an Integrative Nutrition book that explains the program. If I have a concern or bump in the road she works as a health coach to help rectify the issue. We work on everything from sleep to stress relief, digestive health to self care. It’s a lot of finding out what works with one’s own body. She sent me a huge box of things to help with relaxation and self care as well as a cookbook and nutrition info. The workouts were a very small part of the program. We have bi-weekly meetings over the phone about different health and wellness related topics. She also sent a CD containing literature and information related to each topic we go over. It has been quite an eye-opening experience so far and I’m only halfway through!
Hey J,
Thanks for sharing your journey about finding your groove. I’ll have to do that someday soon on my blog…great idea! I feel like I’ve come a long way too in the past few years, I remember back in high school I didn’t care about the food I ate, then the “diet craze” hit and I ate nothing but slimfast and protein bars. Then I saw Supersize Me and it really made me start thinking about the food I ate, from there I cut out fast food and red meat. Then I moved onto whole, organic foods and before I knew it, I was vegan! I’ve been lucky that my hubby has been there through it all and supported me in these dietary changes! We have fun laughing and looking back at the times we used to order KFC and ate Hamburger Helper- oh boy!
By the way, I love how your hair color has changed over the past few years, I was bleach blonde from high school until just this past spring and then I took a turn for the dark too. I knew I wanted to get pregnant soon and I didn’t want to have to keep having my roots touched up with toxic hair color month after month, so I went to a medium brown (which is my natural color) and now I just get a few small blonde highlights every 2 months, which I love because it doesn’t even touch my scalp. Rock on brunettes!
Glad to hear raw food is going good for you! ( :
If only Mallard was as health-conscious as your hubby lol. I was blonde from age 14 to 23. My friends in HS thought it was natural bc I got my roots done every 3 weeks. My mom had a salon so she did my hair until I moved at age 20. Then, I realized how expensive it was and everyone who did it here made it too brassy or light. So, eventually I went back to my natural which I thought was much lighter. It’s nice to know I don’t have to spend $150 on hair care each month! I would love to see a post on AGL about your nutrition journey!
Wow – you’ve been on quite a food journey! I too decided to give raw a try, and ended up loving it. I’m not 100% raw, more like 70%. I find I just feel better if I eat raw during the day and have way more energy to chase my kids. Still, I enjoy cooked foods and have some most evenings. It’s funny watching how my cravings have changed as I’ve moved to eating mostly raw vegan. Foods I used to like just don’t taste good anymore.
As for feeding kids, it gets tougher as they get older and they see their friends eating things. I try to make all the meals at home really healthy, but, at the same time, let them have ‘junk’ occasionally (like this weekend when their grandparents took them for Happy Meals) so they don’t have a deprived mentality and go crazy on bad foods when I’m not around.
Happy Belated Birthday!
Happy Bday!
Sorry it took me so long to get over here…my Google Reader has been acting up and ill spare you the deets but yeah, I’m here now
Ok so happy you have found your groove and have gone from dairy and nut butter before bed and 300 oz of tea and gaining weight on p90x to where you’re at now….amazing transformation!
So happy that you have done what you have wanted to do, you’ve done it health-fully (I like your word
) and that you’re on track for a lifetime of health! No one can subsist on some of these dietary paths long terms, but yours, yes, it’s awesome you’re doing something for the long haul, not a short term fix.
Being raw…yes, I eat mostly raw foods. I dont ever obsess if I cook something or if something has cooked ingredients in it. I eat food as close to it’s natural state as possible so that would mean edamame…that’s been cooked. Or beans…that have been cooked. But my veggies, fruits, are raw when possible/practical.
Thanks for the linkage and the ball recipes…glad you’re enjoying
xoxo
Wow! You are stunning!I think you looked good at all those weights!
And put health before weight!
The weight will do its own thing and perfection is not possible!
Just do whats best for you and good job on being an example to your daughter! She’s adorable!
hey girl! GREAT blog..your blog kicks my blogs ass!!!
can’t wait to read more!
xo
M