Category Archives: Vacation

REVERSE DIET – WEEK 6 RECAP

Week 6 Collage Reverse Diet FitquestmomWeek 1 11.2.15 FitQuestAt the very top you will see my Week 6 Reverse Diet progress pictures (nice tan, huh?) as compared to Week 1 (directly below that set of pictures).

Date:  12/7/15

Height: 5’8 3/4″

Weight: 127.4 this morning (129.4 at my week 5 recap / 134.8lb at end of cut).

Gosh darn-it, my weight is down.  When I got back from Mexico I was 129.6 and then…I was back in the ER on Saturday for an IV and another slew of tests.  The good news is that my Serum CK is now 68 and totally normal, so I am over the Rhabdo, but I now have a kidney infection and another infection (It’s a girl thing…awesome).  I hate taking antibiotics and try to do everything I can to stay off of them, but I am sure glad they exist when I truly NEED them and this is one of those times.

I definitely do not want to lose any more weight, which is why I have increased my calories at a faster rate than I usually do…again.

Week 6Last Week of CUT Macros:

Monday -Thursday & Saturday 1555 calories 125C / 140P / 55F

Friday 1792 calories 190C / 150P / 48F (heaviest weight lifting day)

Sunday 1562 calories 106C / 145P / 62F (rest day)

Week 6’s Macros:

Monday -Thursday & Saturday 1778 calories 175C / 130P / 62F

Friday 1986 calories 240C / 135P / 54F (Refeed day)

Sunday 1752 calories 155C / 130P / 68F (Rest day)

Week 7’s Macros:

Monday -Thursday & Saturday 1836 calories 185C / 130P / 64F

Friday 2046 calories 255C / 135P / 54F (Refeed day)

Sunday 1810 calories 165C / 130P / 70F (Rest day)

TOTAL MACRO INCREASES TO DATE:

Monday -Thursday & Saturday +281 calories +60C / -10P / +9F

Friday +254 calories +65C / -15P / +6F (Refeed day.  Not lifting now, but keeping this higher cal day.)

Sunday +248 calories +61C / -15P / +8F (rest day)

Week 6 12.7.15 reverse Diet Fitquestmom (1)Workout Plan:

I was able to workout at our resort gym 4 of the days when we were in Mexico.  I took it REALLY easy and did about 30 minutes of walking at an incline and followed that by 30 minutes of light weights or band work.  Nothing strenuous.

I will not be working out until I am well.

Comments:

We had a great time in Cabo, Mexico.  It was fun for my husband and I to go on vacation with just the two of us (though I LOVE going on vacation with our kiddos).  He had some great rounds of golf and I was able to relax.

Mexico Cabo Reverse Diet Fitquestmom (2)I even managed to win a jump rope contest!  I won a round of margaritas for our table, so that was fun.  The man pictured with me won the push-up contest.  You’ve gotta love the fact that the oldest woman (me) and the oldest man (him) won both competitions!!!

[wpvideo Pvp6nx2i]

The day before we left I went on a long walk on the beach and that was just what I needed.  You can’t take the California out of the girl…the beach will always have a huge place in my heart.

Mexico Cabo Reverse Diet Fitquestmom (1)

Now we are home and I am ready to let these two antibiotics keep doing their thing.  I think I am about DONE being sick.  Hopefully I just got it all out of the way for a very long time.

______________________________

Click HERE to see the weekly logs of my 8 Weeks to 40 Cut

Click HERE to see the recap of Week 1 of my Reverse Diet

Click HERE to see the recap of Week 2 of my Reverse Diet

Click HERE to see the recap of Week 3 & 4 of my Reverse Diet

Click HERE to see the recap of Week 5 of my Reverse Diet

Click HERE to see the recap of Week 7 of my Reverse Diet

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Filed under Education, IIFYM and Macros, Nutrition, Reverse Dieting, Vacation, Weight Issues

End of Summer, Grain-Free?, & BIG NEWS!!!

It has been a busy few weeks.  The kids and I made the trek up to my parent’s house in Santa Cruz for our Nana and Papa time.  We had a lot of fun at the Boardwalk, exploring new beaches, and hiking to the amazing natural pool pictured above (It is called the Garden of Eden).

We also took a ride on the Roaring Camp Railroad which I hadn’t done in years.  The picture below is of my kiddos and parents on the railroad.

We headed from my parent’s house straight over to my sister and brother-in-law’s house near Tahoe for some serious cousin time before the school year and crazy schedules began.

We had a fantastic time and capped it all off with some tubing on Lake Tahoe (That’s my sister and I below…we screamed like little girls!) before making the LONG roadtrip home (It was so worth it).

Prior to going on the trip I had just finished my 80-10-10 trial and was all gung-ho to continue eating grain-free.  I managed to do so through our stay at my parent’s house and then began eating grains at my sister’s house.  Guess what…I felt great!  No bloating, no problems.  I did remain gluten-free though.  Maybe my body just needed a reset and the 80/10/10 did that for me.

Bottom line, I plan on eating what feels right (vegan and gluten-free…with the exception of some egg whites from time to time), and I will play the grain thing by ear.  I don’t feel like restricting myself or labeling myself grain-free.  When I want them and they digest well, I will have them.

AND now the BIG NEWS.  We have a new member of our family.

Meet “Dug.”

Could my kids possibly be MORE excited???  To be fair, my grin was just as big.

Dug will be 11 weeks old on Wednesday and is seriously the cutest Goldendoodle we have ever seen (Think we are biased???)

We are so in love and thrilled that he is rounding out our family.

Off to potty-train…

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Filed under Grains, Vacation

INDOOR CAMPING SURPRISE

A few weekends ago my husband was slated to be out of town and I wanted to do something fun and out of the ordinary with the kids.  I teased them about it all week telling them that I was planning something special for Friday night.  Every day they asked me for clues, but I was like a vault and wouldn’t cave.

I grew-up camping with my family most weekends.  I can’t even count the number of times I was dropped off at school on a Monday morning on the way home from a camping trip…trailer in tow.  I loved camping as a kid, minus the HUGE fear of wild animals that I still carry with me (snakes top the list and my fear of mountain lions keeps me from “off the beaten path” trails).  Camping as a child instilled in me a massive appreciation of and for nature.  While I now prefer a cabin to a tent (showers and comfy beds rule!), I will ALWAYS love the great outdoors.

My daughter has been begging to go camping and my son loves all things camping, dirt biking, and “manly,” so I knew he would love what I had in store for them.  I spent all morning Friday preparing for indoor camping.  The kids were thrilled to come home from school and see my son’s tent set-up in the living room along with all the fixings for gluten-free smores.

The kids roasted dinner on a stick and then after going on a “hike” around the neighborhood (purely to distract them from the smores for a little bit…didn’t work…the whole hike they asked when we could turn around and go home to roast the mallows), we went home and finally roasted those marshmallows. Since we did not have any gluten-free graham crackers on hand and also because I generally don’t like the GF version you can buy in stores (they are too crumbly and more importantly too processed), I made my Chewy Chocolate Brownie Cakes (click HERE for the recipe) and made them about 1/3 of the normal thickness.  Next time I am going to try and make them even thinner…more like the thickness of a true graham cracker.  They were an absolute hit.

On our way back home to roast the mallows we also got a call from my husband letting us know that work commitments were keeping him home.  Yay for us that we got to have our daddy home too!

The night was capped-off with a viewing of Ghostbusters II in the tent and then sleeping in the tent for my son and I.  My daughter prefers sleeping alone, so we set-up her little sleeping bag on a special camping bed I made right outside the tent.

What fun surprises do you plan for your little ones?  I’d love to hear your ideas because this time together is so precious…

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Filed under Cake, Dessert, Events, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Recipes, Vacation, Vegan, Vegetarian

PLEASE SUPPORT – Will Travel For Vegan Food

I first heard about Will Travel For Vegan Food through Chic Vegan, and I remember being awed by the creator’s vision.  Basically, Kristen has plans to spend a year traveling the US while eating at all of the vegan restaurants in our great nation.  What a great idea!!!

I for one would love to take her out for a meal when she hits California.  Please consider supporting Kristen on her amazing journey…click here to pledge.

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Have you ever had an idea that seems a little crazy, far-fetched but absolutely awesome? Did this idea keep you up at night and wake you early in the morning? You’d do almost anything to make this idea a reality but it seemed to be just out of reach…in SOME way?

Well, I have one of those ideas. Some people tell me it’s crazy. But I think it’s undeniably awesome.

My name is Kristin I am a food and travel enthusiast. And when I say I love food I mean, really love food. I take pictures of it when I go out to eat  and when I’m cooking at home. Anyway, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to combine these two passions while also helping others. And I’ve finally found a way.

A few months ago I decided that I’m going to celebrate 5 years of being vegan with a road trip. An EPIC road trip.

I’m selling ALL of my crap and hittin’ the road for a 1 year long, food focused road trip across the country.

The plan is to attempt to eat at all of the 100% vegan restaurant in every major US city.

I‘ll be writing and video blogging about the journey, every step of the way, writing food reviews, interviewing restaurant owners, other vegan business owners, and volunteering at farm sanctuaries and other animal rescues, as well.

The goal is to help spread awareness about veganism and all of the amazing restaurants and other vegan businesses throughout the country.

The journey is schedule to end on October 28th, 2012 – which is my 30th birthday – with an over the top charity party dedicated to raise money for an animal sanctuary. I’m hoping that my road trip will stir up enough attention so that by the end, we’ll have a big bash to celebrate veganism, the animals, the environment, and our health!

But I need your help. In order to pursue this crazy dream I quit my full-time, 9-5. I’m still doing some freelance work but I’ve come to realize that this 365 day journey will require more funding so that I can safely make my way across the country.

I’ve already heard from a few folks who’ve said that this a journey they’ve dreamed of taking. Well, if you’re one of those people, don’t hesitate… because, if you back my trip by donating through Kickstarter, I’ll happily take you along on the journey with me. Literally!

And I’ve got a few other things in store for my backers, including home cooked meals, by yours truly; sponsorship listings my website, and more.

If you know of others who might be interested in supporter this journey, please help spread the word by posting this project to Facebook and Twitter.

“If you want it badly enough, and are willing to make some changes in your life to cause it to happen, you too can take over the world…or do anything else you really to do. The only things you’ll need to give up are assumptions, expectations, and the comfort zone that holds you back from greatness.” – Chris Guillebeau.

I’ve set the goal at $9,682 because a few generous people have already made donations to the trip on their own, so I’ve subtracted those donations from the original goal.

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Filed under Restaurants, Vacation, Vegan, Vegetarian

A VERY VEGAN (and Gluten-Free) DISNEY CRUISE

The picture of my son above should have a caption reading, “Dreams really do come true” OR “I succeeded…hinting and mentioning something for 2 years straight eventually wears-down the parents!!!”

My family and I just returned from an amazing vacation to Florida and the Bahamas.  So, brace yourselves…the slide show follows…

I never imaged that I would go on a Disney Cruise, or any cruise for that matter, but after two years of begging by my son who knew every bit of trivia about the Disney Dream (his knowledge base is actually quite impressive…he would absolutely ACE the entire Jeopardy category if there was one), we caved and boy am I glad that we did.  My kids are now 10 and almost 6, which made this vacation so memorable since my son is still young enough the enjoy Disney and my daughter is now old enough to remember and appreciate the vacation.  Disney also does a fantastic job planning activities for all ages.  My daughter really liked the pirate theme one of the days (she is currently OBSESSED with Jake and the Neverland Pirates).  Do you like her pirate face?

One concern I had about being on a cruise ship was food.  Would they be able to cater to my daughter’s food allergies (dairy, egg, and gluten)?  Would I have anything to eat?  I knew there was a salad bar, so I was prepared to eat salad the entire time if need be.  Let me tell ya…I need not have spent a minute worrying about it.  Disney was abso-fricken-lutely amazing when it came to our food limitations!!!  Everyone in the dining room was so knowledgeable about food allergies and since our waiters followed us every night to each restaurant, there was no need to re-tell our story every meal.  My daughter was given anything and everything she could have wanted.  They prepared her special dairy, egg, and gluten-free pancakes whenever she wanted them, served her rice milk ice cream at dessert, and even had gluten-free bread rolls at the ready.  All of this despite the fact that I NEVER gave them a heads-up about her issues prior to the cruise.  They were crazy accommodating.  I’d say the biggest disapointment was the fact that the self-serve ice cream bar on the top deck did not have a dairy-free option.  I had to consciously steer her away from it because she REALLY wanted some.  It would have been nice for them to have some sorbet in the line-up.

Disney has their own island in the Bahamas called Castaway Cay (see pictures above).  The night before we docked there our head waiter, Simone (from Italy) , asked us if we would like to have them send some food to the island for her lunch.  We told them that pasta would be fine, but when I went to the restaurant and asked Simone for her meal, he presented me with three separate meals for her and said, “We want to make sure she is happy with her meal and has a choice.  Oftentimes children change their minds.”  She had pasta with tomato sauce, a hamburger on a gluten-free bun (she does eat meat on occasion), and a tray of sides.  They also sent the most gorgeous fruit platter for me since they knew I eat a plant-based diet.  It was HUGE and had watermelon, honeydew, cherries, grapes, pineapple, and raspberries.  I was blown away with their service.  I wish I had pictures of the dishes for you, but we had some camera trouble that day.

I had wonderful vegan options to choose from at every meal whether it was a buffet, in a dining hall, or at their swankier restaurants.  This is a picture of the appetizer I had on the first night (straight off the menu).

The second or third night (It is already a blur) my husband and I made reservations to go to Palo for dinner.  As I looked over the menu they had a fancy baked casserole with beans and veggies that I thought I would have.  When I asked the server to prepare it without dairy she took my order and I thought that was what I would be having.  A few minutes later the Maître d’ came out and told me that the chef would like to prepare me a vegan meal from appetizer through dessert and asked me if I that would be agreeable with me.  I was so excited that the chef would go to the trouble of doing that and of course gave my blessing.  If I had only known how wonderful it would be, I would have bolted to the cabin to grab my camera.  It is a crime that I am not able to show you what the chef created for me.  It was honestly the best vegan meal I have ever had.  We started with a huge antipasto platter and I was then given an appetizer with three separate vegan terrines that were so tasty…how the chef prepared this all so quickly I have no idea!  My entree was braised mushrooms with greens and a vegan mushroom cream sauce and my dessert was lime sorbet and strawberry basil sorbet with berries on the side.  Ah-may-zing!  I am still so impressed as I sit here and write about it over a week after I had the meal.

We were also able to spend a day in Nassau at the Atlantis Resort (pictures above).  And yet again, I was able to find a vegan option in the form of a wrap (not gluten-free).  That was a very fun day of water-parking it.  And to prove the fact that we do live in a very small world, as I was walking back up to the place we ordered our lunch (to get ketchup for my son), I ran into a family from my son’s school!  They are such great people and huge supporters of our community through their two local businesses, Swirlz (self-serve froyo ALWAYS with a sorbet option…yay!), and Juice-It-Up (where I can always go for a quick carrot juice).  And…oh my goodness it can rain in the Bahamas!  We got DRENCHED walking back to the ship.  A rain gutter in the terminal building even came crashing down as we were walking back because the rain was coming down so hard.  Somehow I don’t think my mother-in-law’s trash bag helped her much!  Note to self…white dresses become REALLY see-through when wet!

I so highly recommend this cruise.  We all had such a great time and made memories that will last a lifetime.

After the cruise we opted to stay in Orlando for 5 more days and hit the theme parks.  We started with Disney’s Blizzard Beach (where they made me an off-menu veggie burger!), then went to Epcot (where I had a wonderful grilled veggie pita), and we ended on a high note by going to Universal’s Islands of Adventure where my daughter thought she’d died and gone to heaven in Dr. Suess Land …

…and my son and I completely geeked-out in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter… UNBELIEVABLE!!!  I am still giddy when I think about walking through Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, drinking Butterbeer (dairy and gluten-free…bonus!), eating at the Three Broomsticks (not as vegan friendly, but corn and fruit did the trick on a hot day), buying my son a wand at Olivander’s Wand Shop, walking through Zonkos, and my son buying a chocolate frog at Honeydukes.  JK Rowling really and truly brought her books to life.  Phenomenal!

There was so much to do in Orlando that we barely touched upon everything.  In our down time (what down time?), we also did miniature golf, went go karting, and my mother-in-law did some expert shopping at the outlets.

I guess that means we will need to make another trip…although next time I say we do it during a different season…holy humidity Batman!

For more tips on gluten-free cruising, please go to http://www.celiac.com/blogs/54/The-First-Day-of-Your-Gluten-Free-Cruise.html (NOTE – this link is to a gluten-free article and is not a vegan article)

 

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Filed under Gluten Free, Product Reviews, Services, Vacation, Vegan, Vegetarian