DAY 40 AND BEYOND!

We've made it to the finish line! I am so proud of each and every one of you who have stayed strong and changed your life for the better. Even if you messed up from time to time, or didn't quite finish the course like you wanted to, you have discovered and begun integrating healthy eating choices into your overall lifestyle - choices that will become an integral part of who you are, if you'll allow them to.

Remember, these 40 days have been a launching pad. This has not been a mere diet that can now end; it has been the set up for a lifetime of wise eating. As we transition off of the actual 40 day plan, always remember that you owe it to yourself to treat your body with the respect it deserves. It is your temple. The rules and accountability may be gone, but our individual commitment to living our best life is not.

A good goal is to live on the Maker's plan around 90% of the time. This allows for fun splurges and for moderate eating of the foods you just hate to give up. If you stay focused 90% of the time, you won't recreate the addictions we broke in Phase I and you'll be able to feel the joy of exercising control over your food choices rather than allowing your food to control you. Don't forget those detox days! Be careful not to let yourself slide back to the other side!

You all are an inspiration. Thank you so much for taking this journey. Your commitment to yourself and to everyone else on the team has changed you and each of us for the better.

Now go out there and live your best life - guide others down the path - represent the excellence we were created to reflect! Seal the principles you've learned over the last 40 days into your mind and make a decision to continue walking through 2010 feeling and looking better than ever before!

Much love,
Jen

Jen - Day 38/39

Wednesday -
B - EZ Cereal topped with berries
L - Hummus with EZ pita, grapes
D - Veggie spaghetti over spelt noodles
S - Smoothie

Thursday -
B - Oatmeal (traditional oats - not instant) topped with berries
L - Leftover veggie spaghetti over spelt noodles, smoothie
D - Veggie sausage links with sweet potato and black beans
S - Spicy tuna roll (brown rice)

Brian 38/39

We're almost there...
B-grapefruit and ez cereal w berries
L- spinach quiche w/ greens
D- vegetables & tomato sauce over spelt pasta

B-grapefruit and 3 eggs
L-smoothie and leftover spelt pasta & sauce
S-sushi roll w/brown rice
D-veggie links (very good) with sweet potato fries and black beans

I've loved this healthy eating...I can tell I've lost some mid section weight, had more energy, clearer skin, and slept deeper.
Thanks to you all for the accountability.
Do your best to eat like this 90% of the time...if you feel you've slumped, decide to do two weeks of phase one multiple times throughout the year.
Love you all! :-)
B

Kim - Day 38

Day 38
B-Ez cereal with strawberries & almonds (little honey added)
L- hamburger steak with onions & stir fry veggies
D- Egg salad on Ez bread
S - almonds

Jen - Day 37

B - EZ cereal topped/coconut milk topped with strawberries, blueberries and banana
L - EZ pita with hummus and pickles
D - Veggie curry over brown rice, spicy tuna roll, edamame
S - Berry smoothie

Kim, the coconut milk is in the refrigerator section (with soy milk/reg milk/etc). The brand is actually called "So Delicious." We buy the unsweetened. Glad you found the cereal!

Kim - Day 36 & 37

Hey Jen - I found thie Ez cereal this afternoon...looking forward to it for breakfast. Is the coconut milk found in the refrigerator section? (I don't think it's the can? )
Day 36 - B - Ez toast w/almond butter & raspberry spread
L- veggie minestrone & carrots
D- stirfry chicken in coconut oil & veggies -red pepper, broccoli & asparagus & brown
rice
S - almonds

Day 37- B- Ez bread w/almond butter & fruit spread
L- Lentil soup & carrot sticks
D- hamburger steak w/onions & mushrooms & steamed greenbeans
S - almonds

Jen - Day 36

Hi Team -

Alex, welcome back to the blog! Missed you over the last week. Glad you are feeling better!
Kim, so good to hear your thoughts on the experience. You hit the nail on the head - it's all about setting up for a healthy year. We have launched out of the 2010 starting gate ready to treat our bodies well throughout the year. BTW - when you can make it to Whole Foods, definitely pick up the EZ cereal and coconut milk. It's my new favorite thing. (The cereal is a complete protein!)

Here's my day yesterday -

B - EZ cereal topped with berries and a banana
L - Black bean veggie burger, spaghetti squash and a side salad
D - Veggie stir fry with teriyaki tempeh over lentils
S - A few grapes
E - 2.5 miles on treadmill. Felt great!

Hope you all are having a good week, so far. We are bracing for the first big snowstorm of the season here in NYC (well, the first that we will be here for, anyway). By this time tomorrow, we should have over a foot :)

Keep enjoying these last few days, team. Finish strong!
xo-j

Brian - 35/36

It's all downhill from here....well, at least for next 4 days.
Super Bowl Sunday
Brunch -Grapefruit and poached eggs over steamed spinach w side salad
Snack-smoothie
Dinner - Healthiest super bowl snacks I could find - strawberries, grapes, bananas, kiwi, pineapple, carrots, ez pitas, hummus, chili, buffalo wing (not the fried kind)
B- banana, ez cereal w cocunut milk with berries
L- salmon w steamed veggies and brown rice
D-veggie stir fry w tempeh over lentils
Exercise- 25 minutes on teadmill and weights - yeah
Good week, all.
B

Kim - Day 34 & 35

Hey Jen & team! As always this has been very encouraging. I haven't done as well as I would have liked (due to a very busy season of life). However, I am excited about staying on a healthy plan for the year. I am glad you encouraged us again at the beginning of the year. My body definitely is craving whole & healthy food! : ) I feel great when I am eating right & drug down when I am not. It seems we all want to feel great. : ) My weekend was challenging & I didn't do well but I find myself just getting back up. I love what Proverbs 24:16 says, "For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity."

Day 34 - B- EZ bread with almond butter & raspberry fruit spread
L- chicken taco salad - lettuce, grilled chicken, beans, tomato & cheese
D- spaghetti with whole grain pasta

Day 35- B-Ez bread w/almond butter & raspberry fruit
L- veggie chili & half baked potato with veggies
D-chicken fingers, buffalo chicken dip, carrots, celery, strawberries & blueberries
(friends invited us for Super Bowl -ate too much...even had a choc.mint cookie : (
We live in a smaller town so it is time for me to travel back to Greenville to pick up some of my favorites at Whole Foods but it will be another week before I can go. the coconut milk with Ez cereal sounds great & I would love the sweet potato chili recipe!

Hello Again! Alex Day 35/36

Hi Everyone, Was off line for a bit due to some necessary healing! Anyway, I know it's the last few days, but I figured, it's still worth it to get back on the saddle. I've been doing pretty well overall but definitely missed the structure and accountability of blogging and community :-). Feeling stronger these days, praise God.

Day 35

B - 2 slices millet toast w/organic rasberry jam, coconut milk w/raw cacao

S - Orange

L - Codfish, quinoa, kale

D - Take-out indian - rice and lentil pancake with veggies, rice and veggies

Day 36 so far

B - 2 slices millet toast, peanut butter, asian pear, tea

Jen - Day 34/35

Hey Team!

Hope you all have had a great LAST weekend of our 40 days. Here's my weekend:

Saturday...
B - Oatmeal topped with berries
L - Hummus with EZ bread and carrots
D - Sweet potato chili (So good! Thanks Melissa!)
S - Berry smoothie

Sunday...
B - Apple with almond butter
L - Oatmeal and pineapple/kiwi/banana/strawberry/cantaloupe mix
D - Hummus with EZ pitas, carrots and cucumber slices
S - Berry smoothie

Well, here's to the kick off of our last full 5-day week. I am so proud of you all! Let's finish strong!! Would love to hear your testimonies/thoughts over the next five days of the changes you've seen in your body throughout the course of our journey together. Let's celebrate!

xo-j

Brian - 32/33

Hi Team...I'm disappointed as somehow the snow completely missed us. :(
B - 2 eggs and grapefruit
L - vegetable soup & turkey reuben minus bread
D- spicy tuna sushi w/ brown rice and sauteed broc

B- berry smoothie and apple
L- spinach salad w grilled chic and all the phase one fixins + oil vin
D- thai chicken larb and lamb maseman curry - yum

we're trying out the sweet potato chili tonight :) (it's been smelling good all day)
B

Kim - Day 33

B - Ez toast with almond butter & raspberry all fruit
L- grilled chicken minis (not bread) from O'charley's, side salad, sweet potato fries
D- tenderloin with fresh mushrooms, napa cabbage salad with sunflower seeds, & sauteed zuchinni & squash & sweet potato

Jen - Day 33

B - EZ cereal topped with berries
L - Grilled goat cheese/roasted red pepper/pickle sandwich on EZ bread
D - Chilean sea bass with zucchini, carrots and brown rice
S - Berry/peach smoothie and popcorn

Jen - Day 32

Hey Team -

Happy Friday to you all! Yesterday looked like this for me:

B - Berry/banana/peach/spinach smoothie
L - Real oatmeal topped with strawberries, raspberries and blackberries
D - Spicy tuna roll (brown rice), salad and sauteed broccoli
S - Apple with almond butter and frozen leftover smoothie

xo-j

Kim - Day 32

B- Ez bread with almond butter & raspberry all fruit
L-salad with fresh parmesan & beef filet with balsamic & sweet potato fries
D- small scoop of chicken salad

Kim - Day 31

B - Ez bread with almond butter & a little all fruit raspberry spread
L-collards, potatoes, slaw, & pintos
D - whole grain noodles with spaghetti sauce
S- opps - small amount of popcorn at movie

Diane - Day 31

The days sure are flying by!!

B - berry smoothie
S - almonds
L - small salad, carrots and celery with almond butter
S - orange
D - beef stew with carrots, celery, green beans and some potatoes, berries with almonds

Keep up the good work and have a blessed day!

Brian - 30/31

Hey Team-
Loving Phase 3...hope you all are well. Just 8 more days until you can pat yourself on the back and begin a new lifestyle. :-)
B - apple/banana
L - turkey/chees/lettuce rollups with carrots and broc
S - strawberries and pineapple
D - leftover veggie lasagna and curry

B - apple/banana
L - grilled chicken, cole slaw, salad
S - strawberries andpineapple
D - spelt pasta with veggie tomato sauce...sooo good
Bye!
B

Jen - Day 31

Hey Team -

Happy Wednesday. Hope you are all enjoying the first few days of Phase III. Here's my day:

B - Sprouted Ezekiel cereal with coconut milk, topped with strawberries, banana and blueberries
L - Grilled goat cheese sandwich on Ezekiel bread with Omega-3 mayo, mustard and pickles. (Sooo good :)
D - Veggie spaghetti (sauce with squash, zucchini, red pepper and mushrooms) over a few spelt noodles
S - Berry/spinach smoothie

Still praying for us all! You guys rock!
xo-j

Kim -Day 30

Okay... I got a little confused about the days. However, I think that yesterday was day 30 - Tuesday.
B- Low sodium Ezekiel bread with almond butter & a little raspberry fruit spread
L- asian salad- including lettuce, napa cabbage, carrots, , grilled chicken & ginger ving.
D- hamburger pattie with goat cheese & steamed greenbeans
S- Ezekiel bread with almond butter

Diane - the past few days

Boy, I go from bad to worse about posting although I have been very faithful to my eating plan.

Saturday -
B - scrambled eggs with turkey bacon, 1/2 grapefruit
S - almonds, orange
D - chili, salad, fresh fruit

Sunday -
B - 2 eggs, turkey bacon, 1/2 grapefruit
S - orange, almonds
D - roast beef, turnip greens, green beans, tossed salad, fruit salad

Monday -
B - berry smoothie
L - vegetable soup
S - orange, almonds
D - grilled chicken, salad, steamed carrots, broccoli, pepper, onions

Tuesday -
B - berry smoothie
L - carrots and celery with almond butter
S - almonds
D - spaghetti with spaghetti squash, salad, fresh berries with almonds

I am looking forward to adding a few new things with Phase 3! It's wonderful to see that everyone is still on board! God bless!!

Melisssa G - Day 29 & 30

Hi Guys - Can I just say how much I love the EZ bread and wraps? Playing catch up with Mon/Tues combined since it was basically the same.

B - Coconut milk smoothie w/ greens, Coffee w/ coconut milk cream
L - same
D- Veggie Beef Stew, salad, EZ bread
S- apples, raw almonds, grapes & some yummy Cranberry Pumpkin Cornbread

Looking forward to cooking on Phase 3 and trying to come up with some Super Bowl party recipes to not blow my plan. We're also in for another round of winter mix so we'll be homebound .... again!

Stay focused ... we're in the home stretch. Praying for you all - have a great hump day!

Jen - Day 30

Hey Guys -

B - Sprouted Ezekiel cereal (coconut milk) topped with banana, blueberries and strawberries
L - Berry/spinach smoothie
D - Leftover veggie lasagna with eggplant "noodles"
S - Leftover penang curry veggies over brown rice

C'mon ya'll... Stay strong! We are in the home stretch! 9 more days till the "BEYOND..." :)
xo-j

Jen and Brian - Day 29

Hi Team -

Well I have to say: I absolutely love Phase III. Toasted Ezekiel bread and hummus have never tasted so good :) Brian and I were both working from home today and ate identically, so again I'll condense:

B - Sprouted cereal (Ezekiel) with coconut milk, topped with banana and blueberries
L - The aforementioned hummus and EZ bread
D - Spicy tuna roll with brown rice, penang veggie curry over brown rice
S - Berry/peach/spinach smoothie

Hope you all have enjoyed the first day of the final Phase! You should be very proud. Only 10 more days till the finish line!!
xo-j

Kim - Day 25,26,27, 28 & 29

Woa...what happened I didn't realize that I missed so many days...I will try to remember. : )

Day 25 -
B-strawberries, almonds with goat milk yogurt & honey
L-omelet with spinach, turkey bacon & Swiss cheese
D-baked salmon & salad
S - almonds

Day 26
B- blueberries, almonds & goat milk yogurt with honey
L-chicken salad & spring mix
D-strawberries & almonds

Day 27
B - strawberries & goat milk yogurt,honey & walnuts
L- Big salad with carrots, eggs, fresh mozzerella in balsamic vinegar, chicken salad
D- 2 pieces of Ezekiel bread (to settle an upset tummy) Sorry...I know it was a little early!

Melissa G - Days 26 & 27

Hey everyone ... hope you're all warm and safe. Looks like we're in for more here in the WNC mountains. Ah, gotta love, love, love these mountains! Didn't feel well this weekend, maybe a tummy bug from Emma's school. My whole weekend was as broth and fruit for the most part with a small hamburger no bun last night. Hopefully I'll feel better as the week progresses and have some yummy phase 3 foods to list!

Happy Monday ... praying for you all!

Brian - Day 27 28

HELLO PHASE 3! Hi all, hope you had a nice frigid weekend.
Brunch - 3 eggs and fresh berries
S - carrots/raw seaweed herb chips (they were actually very good)
D - vegetable curry

B- 2 eggs
L - salad w carrots egg beans mush oil vin
D - the "famous" eggplant zuc squash mushroom pepper raw sheep milk cheese "lasagna" (AMAZING!)

I'm stepping up the exercise down the final stretch.
B