Rozey Thorn Trees

 Well, I did it! I made it all the way through a whole month on my WFPB SOS-Free diet! I’ve lost 18 lbs! That’s about.6 lbs per day on average! I celebrated by taking my 8-year-old with me to play disc golf with a friend. It was a fun game even though I lost 2 discs. We went to a nice restaurant for food afterwards that serves vegan cuisine. Unfortunately nothing on the menu was SOS-Free. That’s alright. I expected that would be a problem so I had eaten dinner before going out. My friend ordered himself a beer which I would have gladly ordered for myself not that long ago. Not a problem. I’m focused on my health to not worry about it. Here’s to another month of healthy living!

 Chapter five of  Fiber Fueled is about easing bloating, gas, cramps, and altered bowels. I’m glad it’s addressing this topic because I have noticed that my digestion has been evolving over the past month. Before May 1st, I had been taking antacids almost every night to counteract my heartburn from overeating. Since my diet change to WFPB, I haven’t needed the antacids even one time. I had also struggled with regularity problems. I’m doing much better but I still struggle with gas and some constipation. The author suggests seeing one’s doctor to address this in case waste has compacted in my intestines. I should have mentioned my problem to m doctor in February. I’ll bring it up when I see him in June if there’s still any issue. Well, I missed dinner tonight because of running errands. I snacked on my dried mango slices and fruit and nut mix. I may regret my mango munchies in the morning.

 A diversity of fruits and vegetables is fundamental for optimal fiber fueled gut health according to Will Bulsiewicz in his book Fiber Fueled . 30+ different types per week is what research has shown to be optimal. I pulled out my Fitness Pal app to count the variety of plant based foods I have consumed this past week: oh yeah. I’m definitely over 30 types, which confirms that I’m a diverse eater as I suspected because I load up my meals with a delicious mix every meal. 

 I read that I shouldn’t be surprised if my family is influenced in healthy ways to eat like me. I find that to be true in many ways. In my car my kids were helping themselves to my bag of raw no-salt mix of fruit and nuts snack and my big family sized bag of dried mango slices. I was tempted to say “mine!” But, of course, I shared. I’m taking note of what they will and won’t eat. I’m surprised that they don’t prefer apples unless they’re pre-cut with peanut butter or even bananas unless there’s nothing else to snack on. Even more, it’s rare to see them eating vegetables! 🥗 But if they’re washed and cut and convenient to snack on, I’ll see my kids snacking on veggies too. I went out of the way today to take the girls to a park to play while I got some steps in. What a good workout! I think I’ll add this to my weekly routine!

 After the Memorial Day parade  we hung out at a friends house with a few other guests of theirs. The conversation was fun. When we got into restaurants I couldn’t help but bring up my diet. I think I may have made the hosts self-conscious that I didn’t have much to snack on. In hindsight I should have read the room better and kept it to myself. Not a big deal; it just wasn’t the conversation fuel that I had hoped it would be. Good to know! Today I added a set of body measurements to MyFitness Pal app. I’m disappointed that my numbers haven’t budged much even though three weeks have passed since my last measurements!  No loss in my neck, chest, and waist  No loss in my upper arms, calves, and ankles On the bright side: -.5” from my hips  -1.7” from my forearms  -5.5” from my thighs! I remember Noom teaching me to track my daily weight but to spread out body measurements because it takes time to see significant change there for many people.  Okay. I’ll weight. I’ve got time.

 I tried two new foods today: Jicama and Taro Root. I like them both.  The jicama is like a cross between a potato, apple, and water chestnut. You can eat it raw or cooked. It’s crisp and crunchy and has a slightly sweet taste. It’s very good with salads. No one else in my family liked them though. I really like the taro root. The packaging says to prepare it like a potato. I think it’s like a cross between a potato and a yucca root. I peeled it and air fried it. Very good! 

 During my walks yesterday and today, I started listening to the audiobook  Fiber Fueled : The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome (2020). I’m very intrigued to hear Will Bulsiewicz’s story of how he can’t believe how little training he received in medical school about the vital importance of healthy eating, particularly a plant-based diet. Chapter lays out a fascinating history of  the microbial ecosystem that exists in our gut and throughout our bodies and how closely tied it is to our overall health and wellbeing. I’m looking forward to learning more over the next two weeks.

I ate lunch with Grandma today at her senior living community. I ate the house salad no dressing, and about a a cup and a half of cooked California blend of vegetables without salt. Black coffee and a couple glasses of water. And for dessert — an orange and an apple to go. The elderly ladies around the dining hall table weren’t quite sure what to make of it. Many questions for me. My favorite moment was when the server gave my plate of cooked veggies to grandma. The perplexed look she gave me and the server was priceless. I said, “Uh, I think you got my plate, Grandma.” The ladies got a great of laugh out of that. In the end, I made them feel better to know that I typically eat a lot more calories than that at meals. 

 I finished reading Eric O’Grey’s book Walking with Peety. I recommend it. I have been inspired by him to not only keep on going with my WFPB SOS-Free diet and to learn to cook impressive meals that look and taste amazing, but also to start jogging and appreciate dogs more. My two criticisms of the book is that I feel he gave a bit too much information about a couple of his relationships with women in a couple of chapters. Also I wished he had published his favorite recipes. Maybe he has them online I’ll need to look. 

 ChatGPT recommends reading the following books regarding leadership development in business and in life:  “These books offer a mix of leadership principles, practical strategies for team cohesion, and insights into safety and efficiency that can help foster a strong working environment tailored to the needs of a blue-collar, service-oriented, and regulated industry.…. “Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win” by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin -  “Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders” by L. David Marquet  “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable” by Patrick Lencioni  “Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t” by Simon Sinek “The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right” by Atul Gawande “Safety at the Sharp End: A Guide to Non-Technical Skills” by Rhona Flin, Paul O’Connor, and Margaret Crichton  “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” by Daniel H. Pink  I listened to number seven first.

Do I miss processed food? Of course I do. Do I miss added salt, oils, and sugar? Absolutely! Enough to o cheat on my commitment to WFPB SOS-Free living? Not a chance! I’ve grown very fond of my freedom from debating with myself whether to buy or not to buy processed foods for myself, or to eat or not to eat of anything that others are enjoying. Actually, I’m hanging in on there and enjoying it! My latest favorite topping is jalapeño pepper! I love it! I know my heat limits at least. It’s added a nice flavorful dimension to my rice bowls.

 Today I read about Eric O’Grey picking up jogging with his dog Peety. He had already lost 130 lbs in 6 months with a WFPB diet and by walking Peety everyday. His doctor encouraged him to take up a physical fitness program with a group of people, like a Zoomba class. He researched his options and decided to join a running club. Like him, I don’t prefer to run but I can try it. I committed to jog 1/3 of a mile everyday up and down my long driveway to check the mail, instead of getting it when  drive by the mail box. I did it! I’m a little out of breath. But I’m good with it. 

 

 We had an allergy alert in our area today. In my rush to get my daughter out the door to her soccer game on time, I quickly grabbed an allergy pill that I could find in a short notice. An hour later, I became sleepy. So sleepy I laid down in the grass and took a nap during her game.  Back at home, I took a long nap after lunch. The net helped a little, but not nearly enough. I had low energy and no desire to get long list of housework done. I also had increased cravings and I ate 1000 more calories than I usually do. That’s what I get for not checking to make sure the pill I took was the non-drowsy kind!

 It was a good day. We officially filled up our 1.3 gallon kitchen scrap bin and mixed our greens with leaves, paper, water and microbial compost starter, and spun it in our compost tumbler. My daughters got to assist me with the process too.  They had noticed that the house smelled kind of stinky and wanted to know why. I couldn’t smell anything, but when I stepped out of the house and walked back in, I smelled it. Laura definitely smelled it. Oh yeah, it was leftover black eyed peas I found last night in the back corner of the fridge in a plastic container. Gross. The smell escaped the bin when I just recently added scraps to it. I let my 7 and 8 year olds postpone bedtime to help me christen our new compost tumbler by spinning it after a mixed up the greens and browns.  I love the feeling of recycling food that’s gone “bad” (it’ll actually be very good to the plants that will grow from it someday.)

Over the holidays last Christmas, I reached 255 lbs. More than that according to the doctor’s weight scale. (I hate the doctor’s weight scale. I’m dressed for goodness sake.) For my New Year’s resolution and with much encouragement from my dad, I put time and effort into a spreadsheet at the beginning of the year to schedule a weight loss goal of 2 lbs a week over 52 weeks to get close to my recommended BMI weight (Yes, I know BMI is a poor standard to go by, but who am I kidding, reaching 160 lbs. is ridiculous to think possible from where I’m sitting.) I failed quickly at my New Year’s resolution diet plan, as I suspected I would considerably how I fail all my diets every year and have done for decades.  I lost no more than 2.8 pounds. Fast forward to my Fruitive Challenge: it’s been two weeks since I started it on May 1st and I’ve lost over 12 pounds! I’m getting my hope back! In 2021 I got as low as 235 lbs. I’m confident I can pass that in the next week. After that my next major m

 I set up a brand new compost bin tumbler. I’m looking forward to making my own fresh compost for the vegetable garden that Laura’s been working on. I also bought a kitchen countertop bin for food scraps to toss into my tumbler. I’m learning a lot: Greens to Browns ratio of 1:3 Greens are fruit and vegetables that the microbes get to break down Browns are dry leaves, straw, paper, and wood chips to keep the greens from becoming too wet and smelly  Avocado shells and orange peels take longer to decompose, so blend them up first or just toss them in the regular waste bin Banana peels are a rich source of nutrients for the soil but I should chop them up first so they decompose faster  I should take care to wash fruit and veggies well if they come from the grocery store to minimize pesticides leaching into my compost  I bought compost starter to add to each layer of scraps I put into the tumbler  In a month or so my first batch will be ready!

 I unintentionally fasted through lunch today. My huge 1,000 calorie breakfast carried me through the day. I forgot to bring lunch with me. When I got home for dinner I was ready to eat! I have never enjoyed spinach salad like I have with this WFPB SOS-Free diet. I mix in tasty salad toppings: peanuts, rice, chopped celery with almond butter, nutritional yeast, mini-peppers, garbanzo beans, blueberries, balsamic vinegar, and some spicy chili flakes, black pepper, and garlic powder. I loved it! Variety is key so I change it up the toppings day by day. Today I read two good ideas in Walking with Peety:  “Eat the rainbow” (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet) — I got red through blue today Make curry rice: I’ll have to research Indian recipes and confirm it’s SOS-free.

 My steps have increased from 3,700 in 2019 when I first bought my iPhone to a ceiling of 7,000 steps since 2022.  This month of May, it’s up a thousand more steps! That’s because I’m spending more time doing yard work this spring.  Gregg is encouraging me to purchase body weights to wear while walking in order to build up strength and stamina: a weight vest, ankle and wrist weights too. I’ll need to research brands, costs, and recommended weight amounts first. 

 We gave Laura the afternoon to herself and visited Great Grandma. Then we brought home Thai food: Pho soup, Tom-Ka soup, spring rolls, rice, shrimp, and tofu, with Moose Tracks ice cream and mango sorbet for dessert! Of course, I behaved and ate my own WFPB SOS-Free food ☺️, but I know how much I would have enjoyed eating the special Mother’s Day meal. It’s a good thing I made an amazing crockpot of veggie stew yesterday that filled me up. Thanks Chat GPT for the recipe: Certainly! Transforming the carrot and potato stew recipe to be made in a crockpot is straightforward. Cooking in a crockpot generally involves a longer, slower cooking process, which can wonderfully enhance the flavors. Here’s how to make the Carrot and Potato Stew using a crockpot: ### Ingredients: - **Carrots**: About 1 pound, peeled and sliced into rounds or half-moons. - **Potatoes**: 1 pound, peeled and cubed. - **Wild Onions (substitute for regular onions)**: 1/3 to 1/2 cup, chopped. - **Garlic**: 4 cloves, min

 I started reading Eric O’Grey’s book Walking with Peety: The Dog Who Saved My Life . I’m invested! He begins with a story about Peety protecting him from an attack. The next chapter describes his low point at age 51 (my age) when he is told by a doctor to lose weight or he will die within 5 years. After a particularly embarrassing event he experienced, he finds a nutritionist who recommends a WFPB diet plus buying a dog to be his companion along his new weight loss and whole health. I was tempted to keep reading! Tomorrow, l’ll pick back up.

 I asked my brother Gregg for advice for what to do when fruit and vegetables start to turn. He said his family likes to freeze them and use them for smoothies. Of course! Great idea! So basic, but not to me. I have yet to male frozen smoothies yet. I did make a tasty strawberry banana drink a couple of days ago then freeze the leftovers into a popsicle mold. But that’s not a smoothie.  I washed my raspberries and blueberries to freeze. I’ll look up a smoothie recipe tomorrow that includes a coconut cream from a can that I haven’t opened.  I washed and cut up my romaine lettuce, steamed broccoli, and prepared mini peppers for lunch tomorrow too.  I air fried a large sweet potato with avocado for dinner today. Wow! I didn’t expect it to be so naturally sweet! I look forward to eating that meal again soon.

 I have used My Fitness Pal app for over 5 years to track my multiple attempts to lose weight. I reviewed the data today. The app let me zoom out to see five years worth of peaks and valleys. I noticed that my diets tend to start in the summer then I give up in the fall. I peak at Christmas and then slope down some as New Year’s Resolution season starts. This year is no different except the fact that I called my healthy brother to help me out and coach me for a year. It seems to be working so far!

 A former student of mine posted a photo on FB of a hamburger. I like that I could appreciate it without salivating and suppressing stomach pangs. I’m surprised at how I’ve had to deal with little temptation to break my WFPB SOS-Free diet this first week. My past diets over many years were fraught with hunger pain and cravings for food I was not eating. I was miserable.  Now, I’m simply not miserable! I’m impressed at how good I’ve felt overall despite a few slight struggles I’ve had adjusting on occasion, like feeling very gassy after eating my undercooked black beans. Nonetheless, I haven’t taken antacids at night at all since May 1st. That’s a big improvement to me. Gregg asked me to reflect a bit on why I think my cravings have been manageable: He sufficiently prepped me with what to fill my fridge and pantry with the first week. For example, I’m enjoying the healthy food options (fresh strawberry banana smoothies are delicious!) I look forward to checking off my daily goals list a

 I met up by phone with a couple friends last night and had fun comparing diets. I have never been so amused to listen to everyone’s opinion about protein (meat vs soy), or whether coffee is an inflammatory substance, and the proper form when doing pull ups, amongst other things.  We’ve been lifelong friends so it’s great to find something we all have in common. They’ll be a fine health support group to continue talking about these life choices together as different as are diets may be: one who is omnivorous but has a disciplined diet and exercise system, one who eats no meat, but eats primarily dairy and vegetables, and me with my WFPB SOS-Free diet.  I appreciate the health  food ideas exchanged: Nutritional yeast flakes are very good to season your food with and Mokkarella Style Shreds, for example.

 

Conan O’Brian: I made this terrible mistake. Someone had mentioned food and what they eat and I said, “Well, what I do now is I two meals a day. I have like a shake at eleven and I put a lot of spinach in it. Then I try to have a meal early like at five.” As I’m finishing saying it, I see Marty staring at me the way a shark stares at a canned ham. And he looks at me and he says, “You know, when other people discuss the details of their diet, … it’s boring. But not YOU!… Steve: My wife has a very wise [thing] about talking about what you’re allowed to eat. She says, “You’re allowed to talk about what you do eat, but you’re not allowed to talk about what you don’t eat.” Conan: That’s very good!… Marty: That’s very good…It’s like with me beans. I - Don’t - Eat - Beans! (Laughter) - Conan O’Brian,  Steve Martin, and Martin Short , Aug 21, 2013 I laughed when I heard this anecdote because I think about diet and nutrition constantly and will talk about it with anyone. Maybe I’ll keep my diet

 I’m impressed with James Clear’s Atomic Habits ! It’s core message is that consistent quality incremental changes each day to improve myself in each area of my life will increase the likelihood of compounding success.  The author has inspired me several times with inspiring stories, tricks, and tips to exchanging bad habits for good ones. I can tell this has been true for me this week as I have continued my new Fruitive Challenge journey eating healthy food.  Hear are key points from the first half of the book that I’ve jotted down this week: Focus on quality systems that will support my end goals because having quality goals isn’t enough if I don’t have a Quality system in place to get me there I like the example of struggling to keep a clean house. Instead of scrambling to clear the clutter the day before guests arrive, create a system you can live by that diminishes the need to deep clean Include Happiness in your system setup instead of relying on goal achievement to become truly

I felt really low energy by 6:00 pm today. I realized I’m averaging 1,300 calories not including calories burned off from exercise. I’m going to think about how to improve that. Gregg recommends that I eat a big breakfast tomorrow morning. I’ve been using  My Fitness Pal  to track my calories, nutrition, water consumption, weight, and exercise each day. It’s not required for me to do this for my diet, but I enjoy the routine and find the data very helpful. Okay. Feeling low energy by 6:00 pm. I realized I’m averaging 1,300 calories not including exercise burn off. I’m going to think about how to improve that . I missed my morning brush-floss time because I ate breakfast in the car then forgot about my check list commitment to brush teeth and floss every morning to build up good dental hygiene habits. Atomic Habits gave me a good idea to make new good habits easy and obvious to achieve.  I’ll plan to keep a second dental kit in my car to remind me the next time I eat on the run.  I’m pr

 Hi, I’m back. I made it. Day two of my new WFPB diet, without any accidental eating incident like yesterday’s wayward macadamia nuts. Strangely enough, I haven’t experienced any energy deficiency, dizziness, sugar cravings, or hangry episodes worth mentioning. I overheard my 12 year old caution her siblings to beware that I might be a grouchy bear at times because of this diet but don’t take it personally. I appreciate her sensitivity. Hearing her say that is a good reminder to monitor my emotions during this adjustment period to my diet. I want it to be a positive experience for everyone who has to interact with me. Unfortunately, I missed dinner time because of my packed schedule. I simply forgot. My carrots I snacked on this afternoon seemed to hold me over well enough.  I’m worried the coffee (no cream no sugar!) I drank after 6:00 pm will keep me up late tonight and disrupt my sleep schedule. I don’t want to skip any more dinners.  My 8-year old daughter handed me a ripe banana s

I’m excited to begin my Fruitive Challenge today! It’s a big leap of faith because I had never imagined myself committing to a 100% Whole Foods Plant Based diet! But here I am doing it. I thank my brother Gregg for recruiting and motivating me to give it a try. He’s been eating this way for several years now and he looks much healthier than I do. Here he is advertising his restaurant, Fruitive , on Instagram. Here’s the catch though, for the first two months of the diet, I’m also committed to eating SOS free diet, which means no added salt, oils, or sugar in the food I consume. I have been pretty worried about that part of the plan because I love my salt, oil, and sugar, but I have to say that I had a really good first day of it. I ate fresh fruit for breakfast, rice and salad for lunch, and a rice and beans bowl for dinner. The trick for me is to add a variety of no salt seasonings to taste and to toss in a mix of vegetables including avocado. I had one mishap worth mentioning though