Mangos!

       I'm 8 weeks into plant based eating and 4 weeks into running! I can see and feel the difference, I'm down 20lbs so far, weighing in at 188lbs, (18lbs away from the weight I was when I started dating my Husband but after I reach 170, I've got 20 more pounds to go!) I feel so much better, I'm sleeping better, I have more energy, my stomach is flatter, not flat but flatter. My legs are thinning out and I can feel the muscle a little bit easier when flexing. I don't have as much pudge in the way! ;) ok, not that my pudge was THAT bad, but it's totally different when you're the one carrying it around.  And my asthma hasn't been too bad this time around, not like the many times I've tried to get back into running in the past and never got very far or stayed with it for very long because my asthma was acting up. It's so much more encouraging and enjoyable to go out and exercise when I'm making progress each time I do.

      I'm able to jog for 1+ miles at one time, then I switch back and forth between walking and jogging but never walking more than 1/4 mile or jogging less than 1/4 mile at a time in between (I have a handy app on my phone that tracks me on my runs). I'll reach that 5k in no time! I honestly think that without a plant based, whole foods lifestyle that I wouldn't be able to do so well in running. I'm trying to get out 4-5 days a week. Mon, Weds, Fri, I try to get out in the morning while the Hubs is getting ready for work. I'm more diligent about getting out early when I know it's going to rain (or is raining). otherwise I get a bit more sleep and put the kiddos in the jogging stroller after breakfast and head out. (yeah, ....I still don't have the jogging stroller rain cover made, but we won't talk about that!) and I go early Saturday morning before the kids are up. I also try to squeeze in a walk/jog on Tues or Thurs but that doesn't always happen.

      I'm eating a wide variety of fruits and veggies, I cannot get enough MANGOS! They are just so delicious! I'll start cutting one up and before I can even get any of it on my plate I've eaten almost the entire thing. They kids are lucky if they even get some. I went to Costco last night and they had 9 of them to a box. Yeah, um, 2 are already gone! along with some strawberries and cherries I bought while there. I need to get better about eating my leafy greens though, it's not that I don't like them but salads get boring after awhile! I really like almond milk and soy milk to, never thought I'd be one to drink non dairy milk!

       I bought 4 plant based cook books and just received "My beef with meat" in the mail yesterday. I'm looking forward to reading it (and many more books from the plant based experts). It also has recipes in the back of the book along with the "Engine 2 diet" book I bought and read. I really enjoy cooking plant based. I never thought I could be even a vegetarian, never the less, a Vegan, having these recipes makes it so much easier to eat right and prepare tasty food! I like looking at a recipe and thinking I just need to do this, this and this and it's plant based! I still make non-plant based foods for my family and others. I still enjoy cake decorating but it's a bit more challenging when I don't know if something tastes good. Good thing for a wonderful Hubby who enjoys being my cooking and baking guinea  pig!

As usual I talk/type too much! TTFN!