90 Day Paleo Food Challenge - Results

Time for another update, I am a week late on posting! Last Monday was my 90 weigh in and results day and I am still losing weight and inches.  I cannot say enough about pushing through each day and sticking with your meal plans as much as you can at this point. Below are my results from Day 1 to Day 90

 

My pictures are getting harder to see on my post, so next check-in I will post my beginning picture and current weigh in. I also think I need to go back to the white background so you can see better changes. I will adjust that for next time.But, I must say as I take this journey weight loss is great, but my main overall goal was to feel better. And I have achieved that pretty well. I still have more energy than I have in a long time and my Endocrinologist appointment went well.


My doctor says my nodules and goiter are shrinking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (!!!!!!!!!) I knew they felt better but, I was amazed they were down in just around 60 Days of medication and my diet and exercise plan. I did not get the full measurement written down. But, right lobe is down from 6.6cm to 4.2cm and left lobe is down from 5.8cm to 4.0cm. This a big deal because I am more comfortable during the day and I don't think about my goiter. Also, the nodule on the left is no longer there upon exam and the right side is down too. Also, my doctor does confirm I have Hashimoto's so it is good to finally have a name to call my issues. I have felt like that fit for my problems, even though my blood work is not off the charts. We increased my Tirosint to 50mcg daily and I will recheck my bloodwork in 1 month.

Also, one thing I did not share in my beginning 30 Day post but I want to share this now. I was pre-Diabetic for a few years before I found this plan. No matter what I tried I could not get my A1C down. I was only 0.1 above the normal range at 5.7, but it bugged me and scared me. 3 weeks on this plan and my A1C dropped to 4.8. You can make the change you just have to want to change.


 One note about the past 30 days, I have had 3-4 meals not on my plan (Eeek! I am not afraid to admit when I am weak). And it went ok for me, I did have some side effects. My heart rate increased twice and my thyroid was tender each time. But, no real anxiety or flushing issues. I did not feel the need to eat whatever all the time after some cheat meals. I can still tell that bad foods do not fuel my body well or fill me up. It was in social situations where I was unprepared with my own food. Still no coffee though, I am determined to stay away no matter how tempting. Because I still see issues and will continue to push forward towards the 6 month mark for total reintroducing food groups. As I go into the Thanksgiving holiday I plan on being strong and sticking to the diet plan.


This has been a long journey for over 5 years. But, I am here to say this plan can help you. Do your research for your issues. And please if you ever want help or just someone to talk to I am here for you. Stay strong and know that you are worth being fixed and 

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Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe

 

Fall is here and our family is enjoy the fall season of fresh vegetables that are available. Also, the weather and the fall foliage is beautiful this year in East Tennessee. This was our drive through the mountains this weekend. Where we live the colors are spectacular this year. I hope you have great fall foliage you are enjoying too. (Don't worry my hubby was driving!).

One of my new favorite finds is the Acorn Squash. I walked into Whole Foods one day and they had a huge display of Butternut and Acorn squash for sale. My first instinct was to grab the Butternut, but I decided instead to grab 2 Acorn squash to try. I figured I could stuff them with something tasty for an easy dinner. The one thing was I didn't really pick up extra ingredients for the "stuffed" portion of the recipe. That led to an interesting first try at Stuffed Acorn Squash.

I will share two versions of this recipe, the more put together ingredients recipe and my use what was in the fridge leftover version. Both were very tasty and delicious. This is an easy go to meal for the middle of a busy week. For the apples in this recipe I used a small apple called a Lady Apple. They reminded me of a less bitter/tart McIntosh. I think that any fall apple will go well with this recipe, but I would not recommend a sweet apple. Also a few things to clear up on this recipe and AIP eating. You want to watch out for nightshades in your sausage that you choose. Most store brand sausages add spices and red pepper to their mix for flavor and you want to avoid these. I purchase a local source that I have double checked for their ingredients. When in doubt just make your own or ask the company or source for help with the ingredients. Also, I have come to find out pepper is not allowed on the AIP list of ingredients. This is new for me and I am making the change to this recipe and my food list I have provided in the past. I enjoy that fellow AIP followers are helping me out on my journey, thanks!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

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Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2 medium Acorn Squash
• 1/2 pound Sausage (pork or beef and nightshade free)
• 1/4 cup Onion, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 small apple, cored and chopped
• salt and garlic to taste, or other approved AIP spices

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF

2. Cut Squash in half and remove seeds.

3. Drizzle your favorite Paleo oil and seasoning on the squash and place on a baking sheet.

4. Bake for 40 minutes, checking about 20-30 minutes to make sure it is not overcooking.

You want it to be tender, but still hold its shape.

5. Cook your pork or beef sausage and drain all but 1-2 tablespoons of fat from the pan.

6. Chop your stuffing ingredients and heat the drippings pan over a medium heat.

7. Add onion and celery to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft.

8. Now, add in your apple and cook for 2-3 minutes.

9. Add back in your sausage and cook for 1-2 minutes and stirring well.

10. Season with salt and garlic or other AIP spices and mix well.

11. Place large spoonfuls in each section of your squash. They will be full and almost overflowing.

12. Place the stuffed squash back in the oven and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

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Here is the printable version Stuffed Acorn Squash

Here is my leftovers = tasty stuffed acorn squash recipe.I had broccoli left over from a few nights before and the artichoke hearts were Trader Joe's frozen brand.

 

Stuffed Acorn Squash II

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

6075500

Ingredients

• 2 acorn squash
• 1/2 pound sausage (pork or beef and nightshade free)
• 1/2 cup precooked broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 cup thawed artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
• salt and garlic to taste, or other approved AIP spices

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF

2. Cut Squash in half and remove seeds.

3. Drizzle your favorite Paleo oil and seasoning on the squash and place on a baking sheet.

4. Bake for 40 minutes, checking about 20-30 minutes to make sure it is not overcooking.

You want it to be tender, but still hold its shape.

5. Cook your pork or beef sausage and drain all but 1-2 tablespoons of fat from the pan.

6. Thaw frozen artichoke hearts and roughly chop.

7. Heat the drippings pan over a medium heat.

8. Add back in your sausage and add the artichoke hearts and broccoli and cook for 1-2 minutes.

9. Season with salt and garlic or other AIP spices and mix well.

10. Place large spoonfuls in each section of your squash. They will be full and almost overflowing.

11. Place the stuffed squash back in the oven and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Powered by Recipage

Here is the printable version Stuffed Acorn Squash II

Why am I posting the 2nd version I made? I wanted to show you how versatile the acorn squash are. I think any type of ground style protein and veggies will work well with the stuffed acorn squash. I really liked my leftover version, while my husband said both were good but he preferred the more planned out recipe. Either way enjoy cooking and eating your acorn squash!

This recipe is featured on Phoenix Helix Roundtable 

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21 Day Fix Review - Paleo

My Review of 21 Day Fix is finally here. I am Calling it the 21 Day Fix Paleo Version. I did the 21 Day Fix Program from 8/24 to 9/7. During this time I also started my Paleo Food Challenge. For my meal plan I used the Paleo List I have provided before, with a few changes for the container categories. Before starting, I had been struggling with losing weight and gaining muscle. But, with my dietary changes and the workouts I have been able to see changes in both.

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My story and journey, so far

My story and journey so far: Getting healthy and healing my thyroid

 My journey towards being healthy started 5 years ago. But, I have spent a lot of time over the past 5-6 months trying to figure out what was wrong with me even more. After weaning my son from breastfeeding I felt like my body was out of control. I have dealt with thyroid nodules and goiter starting in 2009. By 2011 after being on levothyroxine and having scans and various blood work done I was still feeling the same and gaining weight slowly each month. My mother made a suggestion that I try to eliminate soy from my diet. I thought it can't hurt right?

After just ten days of the elimination diet I was feeling better and my goiter and nodules felt smaller. My endocrinologist check up proved that this was working and we made a plan to stick with soy excluded from my diet and no medication at that time.

The following symptoms disappeared or decreased with a no soy diet:

• Thyroid nodules and goiter
• flushing episodes during strenuous activity
• Increased heart rate
• Mood swings
• Brain Fog
• Painful menstrual cycles
• Insomnia 

This worked pretty well for awhile. I did not deal with these issues, unless I strayed from my diet. My goiter and nodules were gone and things were pretty good. I still struggled with weight loss, but I was happier not having the above symptoms.

After being pregnant and then weaning things changed. I noticed in April that my goiter and nodules were back even with my soy free diet and fairly healthy exercise regimen. I was still hovering over the same weight range and I could tell I just didn't feel well. The goiter and nodules would were decreasing and increasing in size throughout the day and causing pain and pressure on my throat. I decided to eliminate gluten from my diet.

I did notice a difference within a few days. I lost 4-5 pounds pretty quickly and I felt an overall body change. I did not feel bloated and my overall body did not feel as inflamed and irritated as it had. I decided that I must commit to 6 days a week on exercising. If I am doing a program with 7 days of workouts I double up on one day a week. I tried the gluten free diet for 3 months and then decided to eliminate other possible irritants from my diet. I am now soy, gluten, nut, and bean free. I am not dairy free yet, but it is mostly eliminated from my diet. I have seen an overall success in decreasing my current symptoms.

• Fatigue
• Cold Intolerance
• Difficulty losing weight
• Thyroid nodule and goiter
• Muscle cramps and weakness
• Irritability
• Brain Fog
• Decreased appetite
• Hoarseness/trouble speaking loudly

As of this week, I was able to see my Endocrinologist after a three month waiting period. After my appointment she agrees that I could have auto immune issues with my thyroid. Hashimoto's is the name of the auto immune thyroid issues. I will labs and tests done soon to help confirm and discuss further treatments. I am sharing my journey in this blog to help others that are lost on their health journey and possible thyroid issues. Unfortunately, some medical professionals are not aware or up to date on thyroid health. Hopefully they don't mean to overlook our issues, or brush it off  that we probably aren't eating and exercising properly. I know for myself  I was down to eating 400-500 calories a day because food seemed to trigger my problems even more. I had my family doctor and OB/GYN not really sure how to help me or guide me and said just exercise more and eat more vegetables. I look at those moments know and just think that was the only thing they knew to say to help me. I also knew they weren't the right doctor to help in getting me healthier. Don't ever give up if you know something is wrong and keep fighting for help.

I am waiting to have blood work and a thyroid ultrasound done soon. My Endocrinologist agrees that I should avoid my dietary food triggers and work on adding in more calories to make sure I am eating enough. I range around 1000-1200 calories lately and find it hard to eat that much some days. I would like to be closer to 1500 a day for optimal health and helping in weight loss. My doctor said sometimes if you eat below a certain amount you may shut off your metabolism and not lose weight.

I am excited to change my blog around to incorporate more recipes, tips, guides, and still fitness and mommy information. I am here to help others in this journey of health and wellness whether you have certain health issues or not. I am focused on getting better and sharing what I have learned along the way. I hope my journey and story can help someone else and let them know they are not alone.

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