moving on - back to swell challenge #16

When I started The Full Plate Blog six years ago my goal was to combine my personal chef experience/make-ahead meal expertise to help busy moms prepare nutritious meals, quickly and easily. 

Marooned at home while my youngest was napping 2x/day, the blog was a fabulous creative outlet-- a free way of sharing my recipes with friends near and far.

Right from the get-go, this blog gave me a sense of purpose beyond what I viewed as my first priority: being a balanced and happy mom. Then over the years, the blog took off. It won multiple awards (that pat on the back a SAHM rarely gets), garnered a bigger and bigger audience (which was wildly exciting), and offered an opportunity to work with brands I admire (even if it usually was more work...for free).  I became known as "the mom with that food blog". And to a point, that was awesome. Especially at cocktail parties, since I had a quick, cool answer to "what do you do all day?"

But there comes a time when something that was such a big part of your life ceases to fulfill you in the same way that it once did. And you know, deep down, when it's time to move on.

The Back to Swell Challenges I posed this month have amplified my desire to identify what is most important to me as a mom, wife and friend, and invest my time in those areas. When I first started the blog, it seemed I had endless amounts of unstructured time to fill and years to spend with my children, but now I can count on one hand the number of years before my oldest heads to college.

There's a book I read last year, by Greg McKeown, called Essentialism, and the over-arching questions/ideas he poses, have stuck with me:

"Is this the most important thing I should be doing with my time and resources right now?"

"Stop celebrating being busy. Focusing on essentials is a choice. Your choice."

"Do less, but better."

"In order to live a life without regret you need to identify what matters and invest your time and energy in that."

"Social media is a burden b/c we always know what others are doing, so the 'shoulds' are amplified."

"If you don't know what the end game is you will waste time trying to look good for other people."

And the kicker:

"Sunk costs/time make it harder to walk away and focus on the present." 

 

As my boys have grown, I've grown alongside them. I have come to appreciate that nourishing my family also means setting the example of being a parent that takes the time to nourish herself-- of course by preparing delicious meals to share-- but also by prioritizing how I spend my free hours.  

There is no "good time" to stop blogging. I could always come up with a reason why I should keep it going. But now is as good a time as any for me to relish the blog's success and make a conscious decision to be more present in my off-line life.

And so, I am embarking on Back to Swell Challenge #16: 

Leave the party while you’re still having fun.

I hope you have enjoyed our time together. I wish you and your family a healthy, happy and peaceful holiday season together.
Cheers to what's next.
    - Eila

Back to Swell Challenge #3: make a plan to meet a friend for a walk

This post contains affiliate links.

Challenge #3 is to make a plan to meet a friend for a walk on 

either Wednesday, Thursday and/or Friday of this week

Once you've asked a friend and have a plan, leave a comment below to be entered in this week's drawing for a "birthday" present. Two more options for bonus entries: take a pic of you and your friend out walking, use the hastag #backtoswell and tag @swellmom on Instagram, and/or leave a comment on the daily challenge post over on the FB page.

If we pass out on our walks, please introduce yourself!

Just joining the Back to Swell Challenge now:
Challenge #1: get outside
Challenge #2: pick a book

For Challenge #2, I went for a long walk with my friend, Dawn, from No Kidding Nutrition, and picked two books (overachiever that I am, ha). I went to our local bookstore to peruse their recs, picking out what promises to be a light, fun read by foodie legend, Ruth Reichl, but they didn't have the second title I'd been wanting to read so I bought one locally and ordered the other off Amazon. Here are my amazon affiliate links for both books, in case they've piqued your interest:
Ruth Reichl's "Delicious" 
Rachel Macy Stafford's "Hands Free Life"

Back to Swell Challenge #2: pick a book

Back to Swell Challenge #2: keep up with your :30 walk outside, and pick a book you're going to read in November

Hope everyone had a fabulous walk yesterday! Sometime just pulling myself away from the laundry, computer and errands, even if just for :30, makes a total difference. I thoroughly enjoyed a long hoof around town yesterday with a dear college friend, and today I am meeting up with my friend, Dawn, who runs No Kidding Nutrition.

As for the book, I can't wait to cull through the stack on my bedside table or treat myself to a new book from our bookstore in town.

Don't think you have enough quiet minutes in your day to actually read this month? Here's another option: a friend recently turned me on to Overdrive, which allows me to check out audio books from my local library, download them to my iphone, and listen to them as I walk. Awesome.

Once you've selected the book you're going to read and gone for your walk, leave a comment below to be entered in this week's drawing for a "birthday" present. Bonus entry if you show me you're also keeping Challenge #1 up. Two more options for bonus entries: take a pic of your book, hashtag it #backtoswell and tag @swellmom on Instagram, and/or leave a comment on the daily challenge post over on the FB page.

Just joining me? Here's the scoop on the November Back to Swell Challenge.

November "Back to Swell" Challenge

Today is the first Monday in November, which also happens to be my birthday month. So, for these first few weeks, I have fifteen special challenge for myself-- and any of you who would like to join me. {Yes, there will be parties and presents involved!}

Rather than get caught up in the frenzy of upcoming holidays, or wallowing in the grays that keep springing out of my head, I'm putting a little spring in my step, and making the first half of November a "Back To Swell" Challenge. I'd love for all of you busy moms to join me.

Here's how it will work:

• There will be 15 Back-to-Swell Challenges posted here on the blog between now - November 20th. If you complete the challenge, leave a comment on that blog post, post a pic of you doing the challenge using the #backtoswell hashtag and tag @swellmom on Instagram and/or leave a comment on that day's Challenge on the Meals in a Snap Facebook page.
• I will randomly award a few little "birthday presents" to those moms who are getting themselves Back to Swell. Win-win-- not only will you be taking even better care of yourself, you'll also have a chance to win a little pressie. 

Let's begin!

The Challenge for Monday, November 2 is to take a walk outside for at least :30 minutes.

Remember, comment below once you've done it. Tag a pic of your walk on Instagram #backtoswell or show me a pic from your walk on the Day 1 Challenge over on the Facebook page. 

winning at losing -- the friendly weight-loss competition

If you've been following me on Facebook you know that I just wrapped up Week 3 of an 8-week weight-loss competition* I have going with 10 mom friends. And {drum roll}-- for the second week in a row-- I am in the lead, based upon % of weight lost.

So what's working?

First and foremost, for me, it's my fitbit.

Far from deprivation, my eating has been some combination of what I learned during the 10-day detox {though I no longer need to follow it to a "t"}, Bittman's VB6 {though I didn't realize I was eating this way until a friend mentioned it… more veggies = always a good goal} and Eating Rules' October Unprocessed Challenge. Food-wise, I took the pressure off myself to be perfect. Instead, I make an effort to crowd out the bad with good. I allow myself treats, and have enjoyed several meals out {with delicious beverages}... but I also log everything I eat-- both the good and the bad-- into the food journal on my fitbit dashboard. It is powerful for me to understand where I stand, and what exercise would have to happen to balance out that next glass of wine, or dessert, so I can make choices.

While I am by no means perfect, generally speaking, I feed my family well. But for me, exercise was the piece that was apparently missing. I always assumed that whatever walk I took, tennis I played, or time I spent on the elliptical was enough. But I had no way of really knowing how much I was doing. Did it matter?

Plus, I felt like the last thing I needed was another reason to be online. But then I trusted a few friends who swore their fitbits were helping them get where they wanted to be.

Worth a shot.

So, I strapped a fitbit on, committed to taking at least 10,000 steps/day, and from Week 1 it had me swooning {and losing weight}. I began to understand-- in concrete terms-- how much I needed to move if I was going to eat x, y, or z. I'm never going to give up on real, delicious food. I enjoy eating, and I have a family that needs to be nourished each day. But now that I better understand the role movement plays, I am encouraged and empowered to move more. It's simple math, not rocket science.

And I am surrounded by friends doing the same. We see the steps each other is taking and challenge each other to garner more.

My kids know that badgering me to use the iPad will now, more often than not, be met with an idea to get outside and go someplace on foot.

I still love a good book by the fire, a lunch date within a friend, and the laundry isn't going to fold itself… but these days, all that happens after I meet my daily Fitbit goal. I'm hooked.

See the small product that made a huge difference in my fitness journey.

*Since many of you have asked, here are the details on our friendly weight-loss competition:

• We have 11 moms participating, all friends and friends of friends;
• We each put $100 into the pot, making our 1st place prize $600 and our 2nd place prize $500;
• Since everyone came into the competition with a different amount they'd like to lose, you win based upon your % of weight-lost compared to your starting weight {vs absolute lbs, inches, etc};
• We chose to do the competition for 8 weeks in hopes that real, lasting change could occur;
• On day 1, we all went to one participant's house and got on her scale, which became each person's starting weight;
• Each Monday, participants weigh themselves at home {using their own scales} and email their weight to the spreadsheet keeper before 10am. Once all weights are tallied, the spreadsheet keeper emails current rankings out to the group {just %, weights are kept private} so everyone has an idea of how they're doing relative to the group;
• After 8 weeks, we'll regroup live at the original scale we used, and there will undoubtedly be a lot of hooting and hollering as the winners are announced!!!

Please note that this post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the full plate blog. 

{the scale winked at me after} days 8, 9 and 10 of the Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox

As I write this post on Day 10 {!!!} of Dr. Hyman's 10-Day Detox, it's the second snow day of the week for my children. And did I mention today is Wednesday?

When I was chosen to review this detox for Dr. Hyman, I was thrilled because as many of you know, I was at a low point. My goal in participating was two-fold. First, and personally, I had decided that I needed to figure out someway {any way!} to get myself out of this awful FLC {"feels like crap"} rut. Second, as a popular parenting and food blogger, I was curious to see if the program was actually something busy parents can-- and should-- do, if they too were FLC. {Based upon all of the calls and emails I received after writing that zinger of a post, I knew I was not alone.} 

I had confidence that any changes I made would be helpful to me, and I knew that if I set my mind to it, I could do anything for 10-days. But the broader questions remained-- why was this detox different than any other I'd done in the past? Would I see results? Was it family-friendly? And what would make it sustainable?

I've shared a lot of the nitty gritty with you along the way, so if you're just joining me now, I encourage you to start at the beginning:

• Pre-Detox {the hideous photo post}
• Day 1 {I made it through...}
• Day 2 {was a valley}
• Day 3 {my energy is coming back}
• Day 4 {oh, Day 4, I had such a crush on you}
• Days 5, 6 and 7 {I took the detox on the road}

And now, here I am, having just wrapped up Days 8, 9 and 10. So back to those burning questions:

• Yes, this detox is different than any I've done in the past.  
• Yes, I absolutely saw-- and felt-- results. {More on that in a minute.}
• Yes, if you put your mind to it, this program is absolutely family-friendly. But, yes, it takes planning, a little creativity, and a will to make it work within your normal family responsibilities. And no, I was not sitting around "just detoxing" those 10 days!! This 10-day detox included my normal volunteer/kiddo chauffeuring/social/household/and blog commitments plus two major winter storms {translation: snow days from school}, a lunch out with a cookbook author I admire, a family ski trip, and a Superbowl party!! It wasn't a breeze, but the fact that by Day 3 I felt like a better version of myself is what sustained me to stay on track and participate fully, no matter what was thrown my way. 
• Yes, it's sustainable. Or, here as I write on Day 10, it feels that it will be. One thing to note is that, yes, you can just do it for 10-days, and you will reap benefits if you do it exactly as Dr. Hyman has it laid it out… but I think when you get to Day 10 and you're feeling so good, you'll be hard-pressed to just revert to old habits. You'll think first before popping your children's pizza crust in your mouth. Or ordering dessert. Or book-ending every single day with coffee and wine. I've begun to plan future meals around ones that were hits during the prior 10 days. I am looking at a calendar and figuring out when I want to reintroduce dairy and gluten {via a methodical process Dr. Hyman and his team taught me of seeing if/how they affect me}. And I'm excited to try the recipes we didn't have a chance to make during the detox, because they all sound so good. {If that isn't a testament to crowding out the "bad" with good, I don't know what is!} So, the truth is, when you get to Day 10, you don't want to lose that feeling, so it really can become longer than a 10-day project if you assume the way you feel today is your new "normal". 

And while I know some of you are here for the food porn, I know that a lot of you who cheered me on after the honest pre-detox post are wondering if it was worth it?

If you're here for the food, you can thank my trusty iPhone for, top to bottom:

• Almond-Strawberry Smoothie
• A family snow day lunch of a big salad for all and Whole Foods' pizza for the kids
• My take on Day 8's dinner, which was supposed to be Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto…but since we went straight from skiing to a Superbowl party, then woke up snowed in Monday morning, I used the extra Asian-Chicken I'd made to go on salads, and just put a dollop of the pesto on top with frozen spinach on the base, which was perfect
• Day 9's Steamed Cod with Ginger and Scallions with Asparagus and Shitakes {since I couldn't find snapper as everyone was racing around preparing for the next snowstorm}
• Today's snowstorm/school snow day lunch {are you seeing a theme with the big salad and pizza as a quick lunch that works for all of us?}
• And, last but not least, Day 10's dinner of Grilled Tofu with Cilantro Pesto {unfortunately the only meal out of the 10 days that my husband and kids did not care for… so much for ending on a high note, meal-wise!}

But, even if I walk around with a glow, tell all of my friends how amazing I feel, and go on and on about how delicious and satisfying the meals were, I know that the burning question really is, did I lose weight?

Yes. I lost 5 lbs these 10 days. I also lost 1" in my waist, 1" in my hips and 1.5" in my thigh. {I have two thighs but only measured one.} Part of the journaling you do during the detoxes includes tracking changes daily. {I skipped Days 6 and 7 because we were skiing… and while I was dedicated, I wasn't going to lug a scale along with ski equipment for four people.}

So back to the 5 lb drop. As you can imagine, that jump start to getting back to my ideal weight was awesome. It feels good to be back in control, and heading in the right direction. My ideal weight no longer just seems like some "pre-kid notion". But as I sat on today's conference call with one of Dr. Hyman's expert RDs, and a life coach from The Handel Group, who we had daily access to for the 10-days, I thought about all of the other good things that came out of this 10-day detox because I am celebrating them just as much:

• My skin in clear {and several people have told me "it glows"}.
• My belly is flatter. {I didn't say "flat", I said flatter… I am a work in progress.}
• I am in a rhythm of getting the kids fed and off to school in a relaxed manner, and then working out before making my morning smoothie. {This routine ensures that my workout doesn't fall prey to anything else that comes up later in the day.}
• I feel much more positive and happy. {I joke that someone is blown sunshine up my backside.}
• I am sleeping soundly. {This is a biggie. I cannot remember the last time I slept soundly, before this detox.}
• I am learning to take breaks in my day to relax. {The nightly Detox Baths were what I'd call "forced relaxation"… this is an area that I'm working on.}
• I am more clear-thinking, and through the journaling exercises that are a part of the detox, feel more in control to evaluate the choices I make in all areas of my life.

So, on the eve of Day 10, I'll leave it at that. Any questions about my experience, feel free to leave a comment here, or on the Facebook page for the full plate blog and/or swellmom. I would love to see some of my friends and readers embark on this 10-day gift to yourself, and come out the other side feeling this good.

Take me to the transition post… I want to know how you're feeling a few weeks after the 10 days!

Note: I was given an advance copy of The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox, and given the opportunity to participate in daily calls with Dr. Hyman, and/or an RD from Dr. Hyman's staff, and a life coach from The Handel Group, as part of my chance to review the book. I was not compensated in any other way for participating in the program, and all opinions are my own. The above links will take you to Amazon. When you click, it takes you to their website, and anything you purchase there will help support swellmom and the full plate blog. Thanks in advance for the support. 

{I was ready for} Days 5, 6, and 7 of the Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox

I started writing this post on Friday, then decided to do a little digital detox as well. But the post that was in my draft folder started with, "Day 5 is even better. I am full of energy, and feel like I can take on the world."

So, I'm back, and it's Day 8!! And it's funny, the time has truly flown. I'm actually a little bit sad that the official 10 days ends mid-week, because I never thought that I could 'heal' my body this quickly, and I am excited to keep going. I mean, don't get me wrong-- I am thrilled I feel so good. But I also wonder what will happen after the 10 days are up, since this has been such a clear way of enacting change?

Someone on the full plate blog's Facebook page today asked "So, you've been pleased...satisfied. Timing and cost of preparation. Are you allowed to disclose this?"  And my answer is a resounding "yes!". Yes, I am pleased. Yes, I am definitely satisfied. But I'd also answer an honest "yes" to the amount of time required to really commit and do the 10 days. And, yes, real food costs more than processed food. Pathetically, that's a fact. As for what I'm allowed to disclose, I can tell you anything I want about this program. I'm not being paid to endorse it, I was simply given an opportunity to participate fully in it and review it. From Dr. Hyman's standpoint, I'm sure he and his team hope the experience would be successful and that I'd write nice things about it to spread the word! Well, they hit the jackpot with this mom because I feel amazing, and am now a firm believer that it is possible to completely change the way one feels, and in turn, hopefully set the course for continued health, weight management, and positive outlook long after the 10 days are up.

I want to share a bunch of photos with you all {food porn if you will}, but first, if you're just joining me and would like to catch up on the other 10 days to date, here are the links:

Pre-Detox 

Day 1 

Day 2

Day 3 

Day 4 

OK, so last weekend we were heading out of town as a family… and I can assure you that after turning that corner between Days 1 and 2, starting to feel better Day 3, and then feeling GREAT on Days 4 and 5, the last thing I wanted to do was undo all of the hard work I'd put into following Dr. Hyman's plan to a t.    

So, I woke up Friday morning with a plan. I laid out all of the Friday, Saturday, Sunday recipes and started cooking. The smoothies, which took me several minutes to make at the beginning of the detox {since I was constantly glancing back and forth to the recipe}, were now becoming more rote. I made two big containers of them to tote on our trip.

Lunches were at the ready, since I had made big batches of the Green Goddess Broccoli-Arugula Soup and the Chicken Soup for the Cause earlier in the week. While I knew I could opt for a salad + protein instead, knowing these were on hand {and were delicious} alleviated any chance of me getting to lunchtime and just grabbing whatever was around because I suddenly found myself hungry.  

So, all I had to do was quickly whip up the three dinners, and I'd be able to stick to my {delicious} detox all weekend away. 

Friday {Day 5}'s, choices were Herb-Crusted Chicken Breast with Roasted Garlic or a Roasted Cod with Fennel and Leeks. The latter recipe sounded delicious, with fennel, leeks, garlic, tomatoes, herbs and kalamata olives… but we were going to be eating in shifts on Friday, so I decided the chicken recipe would be a better bet. 

Once roasted, the chicken was served over a bed of asparagus and wilted greens. Everyone in my family loved this recipe. You're seeing one of my children's plates above. I don't normally cut my husband's food up for him…

Saturday {Day 6}'s choices were Baked Cod with Olive and Caper Pesto or Almond-Flax Crusted Chicken. Again, while the cod recipe sounded delicious and easy, I opted for the chicken one, since my children are not big fish eaters {yet}… and there's nothing that makes a vacation weekend come to a screeching halt faster than when you have to become a short-order cook.

I thought I snapped a photo of my plate, that was loaded up with the delicious veggies and some of the chicken {that I think is my favorite recipe so far-- soooo good!!}, but apparently I just took two different pics of the plates that included Seeds of Change Seven Whole Grains blend. Oh well, use your imagination, close one eye, or hold your hand over the pilaf, if you want to know what my plate of deliciousness looked like.

Anyway, that recipe was another hit. {Even if nothing else were to come out of this detox, I'd have a bunch of fabulous new recipes that my family has loved!! But fortunately, that's not the only upside of these 10 days. It might have been a post-workout high, but I think my scale winked at me this morning.}

OK, so back to the recipes. Last but not least, we were going to be rolling home just in time to go to a Superbowl Party. Yes, I am doing this detox right.smack.dab.in.the.middle.of.Superbowl.eating. And I know what you are thinking… you're thinking that maybe I was feeling so good that I'd just have one little pig in a blanket. Maybe one itty bitty rib. Maybe just a corner of a brownie. 

Don't get me wrong-- my weekend was full of temptations. Who wouldn't want a nice glass of red while sitting by the fire after a full day of skiing?

And the cupcakes I picked up as a treat for the kids? Oh look! They are gluten-free! Maybe I could have one! {Hello "health halo"…}

But no, not during the 10 days. These 10 days were really about clearing the decks and only filling my body with simple, nourishing foods. A chance to re-set cravings, and re-prioritize what I put into my body. Does that mean that I'll never have a cupcake? No. But 10 days of not having sugar, dairy, gluten, caffeine, or alcohol, really makes a difference in how I feel, and so I'll probably be more mindful when making food choices after these 10 days. And you guys have seen what I can have. When I reminded myself of all of that goodness, and how good I feel eating this way, I was able to feel satisfied with what I was enjoying.  

So back to that Superbowl issue though! Because, yes, it's an "issue" if you love food, and you know the party you're going to is going to have really good food, just not food that's detox-friendly…. 

Sunday {Day 7/Superbowl}'s choices were: Roast Chicken Breast with Rosemary or Beef with Bok Choy. Two out of the four of us love beef, but again, I was weighing outside factors into my menu planning… and knowing I was going to be adding my dish to a smorgasbord of Superbowl fare, including beef chili, I opted for chicken. Again.

I marinated the chicken on Friday and roasted it, along with a big sheet of organic tomatoes, zucchini and onions, just before we left town. 

When we got home, all I had to do was slice the chicken breast, fan it around the veggies and off we went to the Super bowl party! Oh, I also brought along a container of the Tahini Dip and Spinach-Walnut Pesto I made on Day 1 so others could try them. 

And this is what I feasted on at the Superbowl party. Yes, I skipped the beer, wine, delicious chili with all the fixins, and gooey brownies. But I enjoyed a fabulous plate of food, and went to sleep content in the knowledge that these 10 days are truly a gift I am giving myself. 

Take me to Days 8, 9 and 10. I want to know how it ended!

Note: I was given an advance copy of The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox, and given the opportunity to participate in daily calls with Dr. Hyman, and/or an RD from Dr. Hyman's staff, and a life coach from The Handel Group, as part of my chance to review the book. I was not compensated in any other way for participating in the program, and all opinions are my own. The above links will take you to Amazon. When you click, it takes you to their website, and anything you purchase there will help support swellmom and the full plate blog. Thanks in advance for the support.