Well, I did weigh in on Tuesday, as promised. BUT, I don't accept what the scale says. Pretty sure that was all water weight. It put me at 181. However, this morning, after getting back into the healthier routine at home, I weighed in at 177.8, so let's go with that, shall we?
Anyway - body feels 'tighter' and clothes are looser (??? - 'more loose'???), so I'm feeling good about the last 14 days. I'll take it as a good start. Groceries are already bought for the next few days and I am eager to lose these last 25-30 lbs. I think I will make Thanksgiving my goal for the scale to say, "Hello, Erin, how are you? Did you know you weigh 150 healthy pounds today? That's right, 150." I might just get down on the floor and kiss that scale when it says that to me! And that is really saying something, because in my opinion mouths and feet do not mix!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Day 11 to The End
Well, Days 11 and 12 went off without a hitch, except for one thing --- I was preparing for our trip over the holiday weekend and I didn't get a lot of sleep on Night 12. As you many recall, I was already pretty sleep deprived going into Day 12, so the 4am bedtime did not help anything when Day 13 rolled around. Actually, Day 13 wasn't the problem, but Night 12 kinda was. About 12:30/1 am I was furiously working on a photography project that would be due just 24 hrs after we returned from our trip + trying to get things packed for our trip + working on another art project that had to be done before our trip! Hubby was trying to be helpful, giving some criticism/advice to my work, or something, I don't exactly remember, and I went into SERIOUS rage mode. I ended up telling him to just leave me alone, stop talking to me, because I needed to focus and get my work done.
I continued to stay on my diet for Day 13, even though we were on the road (I packed fruits and veggies and nuts for the road.)
Day 14 was cheat day. I didn't cheat at breakfast, though, because I knew I would be cheating at breakfast on Day 15, as we had something special planned.
I don't know what I weighed in at on Day 14, because I didn't have access to scales. I will weigh in tomorrow morning for the most accurate I can possibly be about it.
I have continued my healthy eating habits the last couple of days, but had an unexpected cheat dinner on Day 15, where I definitely indulged way too much. I woke up in the middle of the night with stomach cramps and sweating!
So, technically, today is Day 16. I will show y'all a pic of tomorrow's weigh-in, which will officially end this blog.
BUT ---Fear not. I will begin anew with, "Sticking to it --- the diet after the diet." --- this new blog will include weekly check-ins to share recipes, weight loss goals achieved (or not), and all the perils and pitfalls of trying to live healthy in a very unhealthy world.
I continued to stay on my diet for Day 13, even though we were on the road (I packed fruits and veggies and nuts for the road.)
Day 14 was cheat day. I didn't cheat at breakfast, though, because I knew I would be cheating at breakfast on Day 15, as we had something special planned.
I don't know what I weighed in at on Day 14, because I didn't have access to scales. I will weigh in tomorrow morning for the most accurate I can possibly be about it.
I have continued my healthy eating habits the last couple of days, but had an unexpected cheat dinner on Day 15, where I definitely indulged way too much. I woke up in the middle of the night with stomach cramps and sweating!
So, technically, today is Day 16. I will show y'all a pic of tomorrow's weigh-in, which will officially end this blog.
BUT ---Fear not. I will begin anew with, "Sticking to it --- the diet after the diet." --- this new blog will include weekly check-ins to share recipes, weight loss goals achieved (or not), and all the perils and pitfalls of trying to live healthy in a very unhealthy world.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Day 10 - Busy Girl!
Welllll. . . I kinda missed a meal - the "post-workout" smoothie. But I don't really care, because I was just soooo busy! Besides, I didn't work out anyway. I don't like that. I intended to, but never got around to it. Not great. I WILL do it tonight, though.
Anyway, I kind of have a good excuse. I e-mailed the owner of a local coffee shop about diisplaying my photography! This is something I have been meaning to do for a very long time and have either been too scared or too lazy to do it. So, I am quite proud of myself today.
BUT, it kind of took forever to get my stuff to the lady! I finally ended up loading it on to Flickr. Here's the link, if you're interested.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/erinvolker/sets/
Sleep is still somewhat frustrating, even with the tryptophan. I've woken up around 1:30 the last two nights and had a hard time falling back asleep. Wah-wah.
Argument/Discussions/Disagreements with Hubby continue to be productive and are not escalating to screaming matches! Yay! That's the best news of all! (Same with my students - not letting little things turn into big things.
btw --- wearing my 'skinny' jeans today! And I don't really have belly hangover - even when sitting! Sweet!
Anyway, I kind of have a good excuse. I e-mailed the owner of a local coffee shop about diisplaying my photography! This is something I have been meaning to do for a very long time and have either been too scared or too lazy to do it. So, I am quite proud of myself today.
BUT, it kind of took forever to get my stuff to the lady! I finally ended up loading it on to Flickr. Here's the link, if you're interested.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/erinvolker/sets/
Sleep is still somewhat frustrating, even with the tryptophan. I've woken up around 1:30 the last two nights and had a hard time falling back asleep. Wah-wah.
Argument/Discussions/Disagreements with Hubby continue to be productive and are not escalating to screaming matches! Yay! That's the best news of all! (Same with my students - not letting little things turn into big things.
btw --- wearing my 'skinny' jeans today! And I don't really have belly hangover - even when sitting! Sweet!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Days 8 and 9 - a migraine comes on.
I should let you know --- menu-wise, Days 8-13 are almost identical to Days 1-6. The only difference I've seen is a few strawberries introduced at the end of this week.
Day 8 - uneventful. The day after the birthday celebration, we hadn't gotten to bed until after 3 am, which is rather late for us. Breakfast didn't happen 'til noon, so I cheated a little --- had a slice of toast and butter with breakfast. But then I skipped the two snacks that day. so I figure it sorta evened out.
I do think the tryptophan is helping with sleep, though; maybe too much.
Day 9 - all meals went just fine until the end of the day. I developed a headache around 6/6:30 that wouldn't go away. By the time I had convinced myself to try and eat something at 7:30, it had become a full-blown migraine. I was too nauseous to eat. I got the food out of the fridge, but just put it right back. Just looking at it was turning my stomach. Went to bed and stayed there the rest of the night. Hubby made me take migraine medicine at 9:30, but I still didn't get out of bed. So, I missed my workout too. :-(
Day 8 - uneventful. The day after the birthday celebration, we hadn't gotten to bed until after 3 am, which is rather late for us. Breakfast didn't happen 'til noon, so I cheated a little --- had a slice of toast and butter with breakfast. But then I skipped the two snacks that day. so I figure it sorta evened out.
I do think the tryptophan is helping with sleep, though; maybe too much.
Day 9 - all meals went just fine until the end of the day. I developed a headache around 6/6:30 that wouldn't go away. By the time I had convinced myself to try and eat something at 7:30, it had become a full-blown migraine. I was too nauseous to eat. I got the food out of the fridge, but just put it right back. Just looking at it was turning my stomach. Went to bed and stayed there the rest of the night. Hubby made me take migraine medicine at 9:30, but I still didn't get out of bed. So, I missed my workout too. :-(
"Cheat" Day
So, once a week I am allowed a "cheat" day. This means I can have whatever I want, within moderation.
I had been looking forward to this all week, of course.
What had I been looking forward to most? Fuzzy's breakfast tacos!!!
Maybe I had never actually had these before and only seen them on the menu, because they were not as scrumptious as I had built them up to be. I had two --- one chorizo, egg and cheese; the other the same + potato. I've had this sort of thing before, but it just didn't taste that great this time. Hot sauce helped, but not enough.
The other thing I had been craving was a Double Chocolate Cheesecake slice from Barnes and Noble cafe. I didn't end up getting that.
Instead, because cheat day is not just about me, but also about my husband (He is really trying to stay on the diet --- it's more difficult for him because he's not home as much as I am this summer.) we had Smoothie King for lunch. He got his usual full sugar large Angel Food smoothie. I got a small "skinny" (sugarfree, I think, is what that means) Chocolate Peanut Power Plus (I think that's the name --- chocolate, pb, and banana). That was pretty yummy and I suppose it satisfied my chocolate craving.
We had a friend's birthday celebration to go to, so the rest of the night wasn't really about our cravings or choices so much. We ate at Babe's Chicken Dinner restaurant. I had a little bit of the salad (NOTHING nutritious about this salad), a thigh of hickory smoked chicken and a leg of fried chicken, just a little bit of corn and mashed potatoes with gravy, and a biscuit with butter and molasses (not much molasses) and a Diet Dr. Pepper to drink.
Of course, birthday cake was served, so I also had a slice of that. Yummy!
Afterward we went over to their house to continue the celebration and I had another Diet Dr. Pepper and a couple pieces of licorice.
All in all, I would say it was pretty successful, and this is what I learned from "Cheat" Day:
*Not everything you crave is really as yummy as it is cracked up to be. Listen to your tastebuds.
*It's nice to have a cheat day fall on a day when people expect you to be part of the food celebration.
*I really do like Diet Dr. Pepper, but I wish that waitress would have brought me a water when my glass was empty.
*Even when you're cheating, you can still be healthier than you would be if you weren't even thinking about your diet. I ate smaller portions and still took a lot of care to avoid sugar, for the most part.
I had been looking forward to this all week, of course.
What had I been looking forward to most? Fuzzy's breakfast tacos!!!
Maybe I had never actually had these before and only seen them on the menu, because they were not as scrumptious as I had built them up to be. I had two --- one chorizo, egg and cheese; the other the same + potato. I've had this sort of thing before, but it just didn't taste that great this time. Hot sauce helped, but not enough.
The other thing I had been craving was a Double Chocolate Cheesecake slice from Barnes and Noble cafe. I didn't end up getting that.
Instead, because cheat day is not just about me, but also about my husband (He is really trying to stay on the diet --- it's more difficult for him because he's not home as much as I am this summer.) we had Smoothie King for lunch. He got his usual full sugar large Angel Food smoothie. I got a small "skinny" (sugarfree, I think, is what that means) Chocolate Peanut Power Plus (I think that's the name --- chocolate, pb, and banana). That was pretty yummy and I suppose it satisfied my chocolate craving.
We had a friend's birthday celebration to go to, so the rest of the night wasn't really about our cravings or choices so much. We ate at Babe's Chicken Dinner restaurant. I had a little bit of the salad (NOTHING nutritious about this salad), a thigh of hickory smoked chicken and a leg of fried chicken, just a little bit of corn and mashed potatoes with gravy, and a biscuit with butter and molasses (not much molasses) and a Diet Dr. Pepper to drink.
Of course, birthday cake was served, so I also had a slice of that. Yummy!
Afterward we went over to their house to continue the celebration and I had another Diet Dr. Pepper and a couple pieces of licorice.
All in all, I would say it was pretty successful, and this is what I learned from "Cheat" Day:
*Not everything you crave is really as yummy as it is cracked up to be. Listen to your tastebuds.
*It's nice to have a cheat day fall on a day when people expect you to be part of the food celebration.
*I really do like Diet Dr. Pepper, but I wish that waitress would have brought me a water when my glass was empty.
*Even when you're cheating, you can still be healthier than you would be if you weren't even thinking about your diet. I ate smaller portions and still took a lot of care to avoid sugar, for the most part.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Hello! Did you miss me???
So, obviously, this post is going to cover Days 4,5, and 6.
Let me first tell you this:
Emotional drama on Days 4 and 5. Crying, getting upset over stupid stuff. Thursday night (Day 5) was really bad --- cried and cried and cried, almost cried myself to sleep. Hubby tried and tried and tried, but I still cried and cried and cried. It's almost laughable now, 36 hours later, but it wasn't funny at the time. In fact, I remember being pretty angry, "Why does it have to be like this? I have to watch what I eat so closely, take supplements, exercise, meditate/pray/whatever you want to call it, and I STILL end up like this? Then other people eat whatever they want, never exercise, and don't have a spiritual bone in their body and they're just happy as turtledoves!" I felt like I must have done something pretty horrific in another lifetime to end up with this fate.
Of course, I got over it.
And the thing I didn't mention in all of that is behavioral modification therapy. Basicallying, you have to re-train yourself on how to react to things that can trigger your depression or rage or anxiety or whatever your neurosis happens to be. Yeah, well, therapy costs money, so that's gonna have to wait. Oh well.
Let me next tell you this:
I started my supplement regimen, coincidentally, on Day 4. I spent about $50 at Vitamin Shoppe on the following:
Fish Oil capsules
L-Glutamine
Biotin
Acidophilus
and I already had Centrum Mulitvitamin/Multimineral and Tryptophan at home.
I take one of each of everything but the tryptophan with breakfast in the morning. The tryptophan I take three of at bedtime. It's supposed to help with sleep. I only took it for the first time last night, so I can't really say for sure if it's a cure for my sleeplessness, especially since last night I went to bed at 1 and didn't get up 'til 9, which is what my body seems to naturally prefer vs. 10pm and and 6:30.
Okay, onto the food:
I will share some pics, since I don't really want to go through EVERY LITTLE THING I had to eat over the last 3 days.
This sandwich was rough - no dressing of any kind. D-RY! Also, I learned a valuable lesson this week: you MUST toast spelt bread. It tastes waaaaay better and it doesn't fall apart when you make a sandwich.
Isn't this pretty? Tomatoes from the Farmer's Market are soooooo much better than even the best tomatoes at the best grocery stores!
Like I said before, toasted is much better. I couldn't even wait to take a pic! I had to get a bite! Very yummy, indeed.
Yet another delicious meal. That is chicken off of a rotisserie chicken from the store, in case you're wondering. I lightly salted the cauliflower and ate half the avocado quarter with salt and the other half without.
Spaghetti squash! A little crunchy, but still good. Maybe I didn't cook it long enough?
Mmmmmm. . . Mahi-Mahi! I couldn't even eat the salad, I was so full!
Pretty yummy! And I got to eat 2 hardboiled eggs with it as well!
And now. . . the best for last. . .
THAT WAS MY NAKED WEIGH-IN THIS MORNING!!! I LOST 3 LBS! WOOHOOOOO!!!!
Let me first tell you this:
Emotional drama on Days 4 and 5. Crying, getting upset over stupid stuff. Thursday night (Day 5) was really bad --- cried and cried and cried, almost cried myself to sleep. Hubby tried and tried and tried, but I still cried and cried and cried. It's almost laughable now, 36 hours later, but it wasn't funny at the time. In fact, I remember being pretty angry, "Why does it have to be like this? I have to watch what I eat so closely, take supplements, exercise, meditate/pray/whatever you want to call it, and I STILL end up like this? Then other people eat whatever they want, never exercise, and don't have a spiritual bone in their body and they're just happy as turtledoves!" I felt like I must have done something pretty horrific in another lifetime to end up with this fate.
Of course, I got over it.
And the thing I didn't mention in all of that is behavioral modification therapy. Basicallying, you have to re-train yourself on how to react to things that can trigger your depression or rage or anxiety or whatever your neurosis happens to be. Yeah, well, therapy costs money, so that's gonna have to wait. Oh well.
Let me next tell you this:
I started my supplement regimen, coincidentally, on Day 4. I spent about $50 at Vitamin Shoppe on the following:
Fish Oil capsules
L-Glutamine
Biotin
Acidophilus
and I already had Centrum Mulitvitamin/Multimineral and Tryptophan at home.
I take one of each of everything but the tryptophan with breakfast in the morning. The tryptophan I take three of at bedtime. It's supposed to help with sleep. I only took it for the first time last night, so I can't really say for sure if it's a cure for my sleeplessness, especially since last night I went to bed at 1 and didn't get up 'til 9, which is what my body seems to naturally prefer vs. 10pm and and 6:30.
Okay, onto the food:
I will share some pics, since I don't really want to go through EVERY LITTLE THING I had to eat over the last 3 days.
Isn't this pretty? Tomatoes from the Farmer's Market are soooooo much better than even the best tomatoes at the best grocery stores!
Yet another delicious meal. That is chicken off of a rotisserie chicken from the store, in case you're wondering. I lightly salted the cauliflower and ate half the avocado quarter with salt and the other half without.
Spaghetti squash! A little crunchy, but still good. Maybe I didn't cook it long enough?
And now. . . the best for last. . .
THAT WAS MY NAKED WEIGH-IN THIS MORNING!!! I LOST 3 LBS! WOOHOOOOO!!!!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Day 3 - tired, but not beaten
The good news is:
Absolutely no 'cheating' today!
Before I really get to talking to you about food, though, I would just like to share some mood info with y'all. (I mean, this IS why we're here, right?)
So, I had a bit of sleeplessness again last night, for just a couple of hours; BUT, if you will recall, I was already a bit sleep-deprived from Sunday night. So, this morning when my husband literally EXPLODES out of bed in a bad mood, complaining about 3 or 4 things at once. . . I was rather shocked at myself (and I think he was too) that I did not explode right back at him and therefore ruin our morning. He stayed in a bad mood for a while, Folks. I mean, he wasn't exactly mad at me, just annoyed with the world. (He is trying to diet and exercise, but doesn't really like these meals I'm making and is not too strict with himself. He's mainly just seeing what effect cutting caffeine and sugar will do for him.)
Okay, so that's one point so far for "Stability" and zero points for "Rage or Depression". Yay!
Next, at school (I'm a teacher), one of my students was pretty sleep-deprived and grumpy. The others weren't exactly enthusiastic about my plans (even though I was offering them a math game vs. "yet another worksheet"). BUT, I did not get upset. I kind of joked around with them about it, but I never got upset, not even internally. Even when Sleepy tried to get a little extra attention and be dramatic. I calmly told her what was acceptable and ignored her while she pouted about it. She rallied, got herself back into the game (with a sort of enthusiasm, actually) and we all had a bit of a joke about her temper. (Poor thing - wish I could help her with her diet/ sleep routine. I'm sure she needs it.)
So, where are we, TWO points on the board for Stability and Rage is still at zero. Yup, I think so!
NEXT --- You know how I told you I was mucho tired, right? Well, normally, I would just come home and sleep and not care what was happening in the world outside. BUT, today, I was really motivated to get a healthy night's sleep (I just feel, well, sort of more capable of being RATIONAL.) so I went for a hot, sweaty walk outdoors when I got home, right past the Farmer's Market, where I picked up a few fresh veggies. Sooooo. . . score one for Not Depressed!
Well, the rest of the day has been a little groggy still, but I've managed to keep moving. The food was de-lish! Here are some pics for you:
Breakfast - okay, that was not so great. Dry tomato bacon sandwich. Bread is just really hard to eat that way! Well, this bread was (Spelt) --- too dry and crumbly. My usual Oatnut bread was really calling my name, I can assure you!
Snack --- some cashews. Didn't have Brazil or Macadamia nuts.
Lunch - OHMIGAWD THIS WAS SOOOOOO GOOD!
At first I thought it wouldn't be 'interesting' enough for my palette because it was so green. To me, variety in color = yummy. But, oh was I wrong!
Ingredients: Spinach, celery, cucumber, avocado, green apple, turkey breast. Dressed with a little olive oil and apple cider vinegar.
Snack --- yummy banana protein shake. I added a Tbsp of ground flax seed, some cinnamon, and a tsp of sugar free caramel syrup
Dinner --- Also most incredibly, edibly de-freakin-lish-is!
Anywayyyy --- 4 oz. turkey bacon, sauteed with mushrooms and onions, served over spinach sauteed in 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Sooooo good! With meals like these, who needs cheat days???
So, just a couple more quick things to share with you. . .
First of all, I thought you might want a glimpse of the fridge:
Notice: tons and tons of veggies, lots of meat and eggs, but no cheese, no sweets, no milk. The red stuff is SF Strawberry Lemonade for the Hub.
Maybe if you're good I'll show you my pantry tomorrow!
Okay, hate to leave you with this, but we'd better get a "before" pic in, before it's too late! This was taken after breakfast this morning:
Hope that doesn't give you nightmares!
I'm off to relax myself in a nice tub of bath salts and crawl into bed. Whew! Can't believe I didn't crash today! HUGE SUCCESS!
Absolutely no 'cheating' today!
Before I really get to talking to you about food, though, I would just like to share some mood info with y'all. (I mean, this IS why we're here, right?)
So, I had a bit of sleeplessness again last night, for just a couple of hours; BUT, if you will recall, I was already a bit sleep-deprived from Sunday night. So, this morning when my husband literally EXPLODES out of bed in a bad mood, complaining about 3 or 4 things at once. . . I was rather shocked at myself (and I think he was too) that I did not explode right back at him and therefore ruin our morning. He stayed in a bad mood for a while, Folks. I mean, he wasn't exactly mad at me, just annoyed with the world. (He is trying to diet and exercise, but doesn't really like these meals I'm making and is not too strict with himself. He's mainly just seeing what effect cutting caffeine and sugar will do for him.)
Okay, so that's one point so far for "Stability" and zero points for "Rage or Depression". Yay!
Next, at school (I'm a teacher), one of my students was pretty sleep-deprived and grumpy. The others weren't exactly enthusiastic about my plans (even though I was offering them a math game vs. "yet another worksheet"). BUT, I did not get upset. I kind of joked around with them about it, but I never got upset, not even internally. Even when Sleepy tried to get a little extra attention and be dramatic. I calmly told her what was acceptable and ignored her while she pouted about it. She rallied, got herself back into the game (with a sort of enthusiasm, actually) and we all had a bit of a joke about her temper. (Poor thing - wish I could help her with her diet/ sleep routine. I'm sure she needs it.)
So, where are we, TWO points on the board for Stability and Rage is still at zero. Yup, I think so!
NEXT --- You know how I told you I was mucho tired, right? Well, normally, I would just come home and sleep and not care what was happening in the world outside. BUT, today, I was really motivated to get a healthy night's sleep (I just feel, well, sort of more capable of being RATIONAL.) so I went for a hot, sweaty walk outdoors when I got home, right past the Farmer's Market, where I picked up a few fresh veggies. Sooooo. . . score one for Not Depressed!
Well, the rest of the day has been a little groggy still, but I've managed to keep moving. The food was de-lish! Here are some pics for you:
Breakfast - okay, that was not so great. Dry tomato bacon sandwich. Bread is just really hard to eat that way! Well, this bread was (Spelt) --- too dry and crumbly. My usual Oatnut bread was really calling my name, I can assure you!
Snack --- some cashews. Didn't have Brazil or Macadamia nuts.
Lunch - OHMIGAWD THIS WAS SOOOOOO GOOD!
At first I thought it wouldn't be 'interesting' enough for my palette because it was so green. To me, variety in color = yummy. But, oh was I wrong!
Ingredients: Spinach, celery, cucumber, avocado, green apple, turkey breast. Dressed with a little olive oil and apple cider vinegar.
Snack --- yummy banana protein shake. I added a Tbsp of ground flax seed, some cinnamon, and a tsp of sugar free caramel syrup
Dinner --- Also most incredibly, edibly de-freakin-lish-is!
Anywayyyy --- 4 oz. turkey bacon, sauteed with mushrooms and onions, served over spinach sauteed in 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Sooooo good! With meals like these, who needs cheat days???
So, just a couple more quick things to share with you. . .
First of all, I thought you might want a glimpse of the fridge:
Maybe if you're good I'll show you my pantry tomorrow!
Okay, hate to leave you with this, but we'd better get a "before" pic in, before it's too late! This was taken after breakfast this morning:
I'm off to relax myself in a nice tub of bath salts and crawl into bed. Whew! Can't believe I didn't crash today! HUGE SUCCESS!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Day 2, Part Deux, I begin to 'cheat'
Okay, first of all, just so you know, I am not following this 100%; maybe 95?
I've already admitted to the Fuzzy's meat this morning. Well, speaking of meat, I also did not buy all "grassfed" meat, as Isabel highly suggests. I did buy Jennie-O turkey products and the beef was "organic", whatever that means for beef.
The next cheat has to do with my morning snack. You know how I said it was pb and carrots? Yeah, well, it was kinda supposed to be walnut butter. I didn't have walnut butter, but what I did have was an unopened jar of "The Bee's Knees" pb. You can guess what is in this pb besides peanut butter. Here's a hint: "bzzzzzz". Yeah, honey. And evaporated cane juice. But no hydrogenated oils! And no high fructose corn syrup! And I only had 2 Tbsp!
Anyway, let's move on. . .
Lunch - repeat of last night's dinner, but this time I doubled the batch because I had a friend over and I just put everything on the stove in a covered pot over medium-low heat for about an hour and a half. I liked last night's version better. Of course, it might have had something to do with the lemon juice too. Last night I used the juice of a whole lemon for half of what I cooked today, but today I still only used the juice of one lemon. I think lemon, garlic, onions, celery, but especially lemon, is a good substitute for salt. (By the way, this is not a 'cheating' story. I ate only my portion and refrigerated the other half.)
Now, I don't know if you would really call this cheating, but I'll tell you about it anyway:
First of all, I told you I had a friend over today, right? Well, we swam for about 45 min. (leisurely, not lap-ily), so chalk a point up for me, would ya?
Anyway, we were talking about the "no caffeine" thing and I explained that the caffeinated drinks A) messed with my circadian rhythms and B) were located generally in places that also offer sweets. So, she suggested decaf coffee. Yes, good idea. So, even though I was a little concerned about venturing off to Starbucks on Day 2, I suggested we go. This is what I ordered:
Grande Iced Decaf Americano with sugar free caramel syrup.
Now, I'm sure that syrup has got some naughty, unnatural ingredients, BUT, that stuff was good! And, actually, kind of satisfying to a sugar addict like myself. And, I think I learned a trick. . . If I take a friend with me to hold me accountable, I might be less likely to get a pastry.
My friend and I actually talked a lot about this diet. (She's very interested in and knowledgeable about nutrition.) We talked quite a bit about the "cheat days" you are allowed, according to this diet, and whether I would ever eat sugar again. I told her maybe I would try to schedule my sugar days so that I wouldn't start getting into the habit of allowing myself small bits of sugar all the time, which is kind of where I was recently.
So, anyway, here's the last bit of 'cheating' --- you be the judge:
My 'post-workout' snack was supposed to be half a tomato and 5 egg whites made into some version of egg salad and eaten on spelt bread (you are also allowed rye or sprouted whole grain). Wellllll. . . instead of 5 egg whites, I kinda used 3 eggs and 3 egg whites. I'm sorry, there was just no way I was gonna be able to live with plain 'ol boiled egg whites! The sixth egg was a mistake, though. I didn't realize I had boiled 7 eggs and I was leaving one in its shell, because 6-1=5. Of course, 7-1=6, but, uh, yeah, you have to be able to count. Duh. Anyway, I loaded that stuff with Mrs. Dash, once I ran out of bread (the bread had plenty of flavor) and even still had to add a tiny bit of salt to finish it off. Not bad, with the salt. Maybe next time I will just cook the tomatoes in the eggs and have a fried egg sandwich. And only use 4 eggs; one whole and 3 egg whites. 1+3=4 Now let's just hope I remember how to count!
:-)
I'm off to prepare dinner.
I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.
btw--- I have been a little sleepy today, but not too bad. I think having company kept me distracted enough that I didn't fall into the temptation to nap. Honestly, I kind of want to skip dinner and just go to bed soon. Have you ever been on a diet that made you feel like THAT???
Emotion-wise, everything has been "hunky-dory"! No mood swings or depression or fatigue or headaches since Saturday! Cool!
I've already admitted to the Fuzzy's meat this morning. Well, speaking of meat, I also did not buy all "grassfed" meat, as Isabel highly suggests. I did buy Jennie-O turkey products and the beef was "organic", whatever that means for beef.
The next cheat has to do with my morning snack. You know how I said it was pb and carrots? Yeah, well, it was kinda supposed to be walnut butter. I didn't have walnut butter, but what I did have was an unopened jar of "The Bee's Knees" pb. You can guess what is in this pb besides peanut butter. Here's a hint: "bzzzzzz". Yeah, honey. And evaporated cane juice. But no hydrogenated oils! And no high fructose corn syrup! And I only had 2 Tbsp!
Anyway, let's move on. . .
Lunch - repeat of last night's dinner, but this time I doubled the batch because I had a friend over and I just put everything on the stove in a covered pot over medium-low heat for about an hour and a half. I liked last night's version better. Of course, it might have had something to do with the lemon juice too. Last night I used the juice of a whole lemon for half of what I cooked today, but today I still only used the juice of one lemon. I think lemon, garlic, onions, celery, but especially lemon, is a good substitute for salt. (By the way, this is not a 'cheating' story. I ate only my portion and refrigerated the other half.)
Now, I don't know if you would really call this cheating, but I'll tell you about it anyway:
First of all, I told you I had a friend over today, right? Well, we swam for about 45 min. (leisurely, not lap-ily), so chalk a point up for me, would ya?
Anyway, we were talking about the "no caffeine" thing and I explained that the caffeinated drinks A) messed with my circadian rhythms and B) were located generally in places that also offer sweets. So, she suggested decaf coffee. Yes, good idea. So, even though I was a little concerned about venturing off to Starbucks on Day 2, I suggested we go. This is what I ordered:
Grande Iced Decaf Americano with sugar free caramel syrup.
Now, I'm sure that syrup has got some naughty, unnatural ingredients, BUT, that stuff was good! And, actually, kind of satisfying to a sugar addict like myself. And, I think I learned a trick. . . If I take a friend with me to hold me accountable, I might be less likely to get a pastry.
My friend and I actually talked a lot about this diet. (She's very interested in and knowledgeable about nutrition.) We talked quite a bit about the "cheat days" you are allowed, according to this diet, and whether I would ever eat sugar again. I told her maybe I would try to schedule my sugar days so that I wouldn't start getting into the habit of allowing myself small bits of sugar all the time, which is kind of where I was recently.
So, anyway, here's the last bit of 'cheating' --- you be the judge:
My 'post-workout' snack was supposed to be half a tomato and 5 egg whites made into some version of egg salad and eaten on spelt bread (you are also allowed rye or sprouted whole grain). Wellllll. . . instead of 5 egg whites, I kinda used 3 eggs and 3 egg whites. I'm sorry, there was just no way I was gonna be able to live with plain 'ol boiled egg whites! The sixth egg was a mistake, though. I didn't realize I had boiled 7 eggs and I was leaving one in its shell, because 6-1=5. Of course, 7-1=6, but, uh, yeah, you have to be able to count. Duh. Anyway, I loaded that stuff with Mrs. Dash, once I ran out of bread (the bread had plenty of flavor) and even still had to add a tiny bit of salt to finish it off. Not bad, with the salt. Maybe next time I will just cook the tomatoes in the eggs and have a fried egg sandwich. And only use 4 eggs; one whole and 3 egg whites. 1+3=4 Now let's just hope I remember how to count!
:-)
I'm off to prepare dinner.
I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.
btw--- I have been a little sleepy today, but not too bad. I think having company kept me distracted enough that I didn't fall into the temptation to nap. Honestly, I kind of want to skip dinner and just go to bed soon. Have you ever been on a diet that made you feel like THAT???
Emotion-wise, everything has been "hunky-dory"! No mood swings or depression or fatigue or headaches since Saturday! Cool!
Day 2 - Part I
Okay, so the alarm went off at 5:30 and I immediately began kicking myself for staying up so late! (I think maybe it was about 11 when I went to bed.) On top of that, I don't think I fell right to sleep. So, I didn't do the walking like I had planned to. I think I dragged myself up out of the bed around 5:45. I know you're not supposed to weigh yourself everyday, but. . .I did. 181.4, it said this morning. Perhaps it was a good thing I did, because that was kind of encouraging. I went out to the LR in my pajamas and did a little bit of arm work - some tricep kickbacks and some bicep curls. I also dryer-ironed my clothes for the day (grrrr. . . hate having to look 'professional') and got my breakfast ready. I didn't eat what was on the menu for today, but I think I had a decent substitute. I had about 4-5 oz. of "Fuzzy's" shredded beef with pico. If you don't know Fuzzy's, it's an incredible taco shop! I was supposed to eat chicken sausage with grilled onions and peppers, but I had the Fuzzy's leftover from Saturday. C'est la vie. I drank a full bottle of water (in case you're wondering, "Yes, I do feel guilty about all of these bottles. Plus, I know bottled water is not the healthiest. I'll deal with that problem later; one thing at a time." AND. . . I had to take a look at my multivitamin. Mom was telling me yesterday to be sure and take one that had all the minerals in it too. Well, lucky enough, this one does! Now, I don't know if it has enough of the minerals, but it did list Chromium, which she said was a big deal. Apparently most of us are chromium deficient and don't even know it! Well, time to wrap this up for now, so let me conclude by saying I am halfway through my second bottle of water for the day and I've packed another bottle of water plus my snack to eat at 9:30 (9 baby carrots and 2 Tbsp of peanut butter ---- soooo looking forward to that!)
Okay, au revoir! (I am also learning French this summer. Although, my husband would probably tell you I haven't studied nearly enough. And he would be correct. Note to self --- make French study a priority tonight. Do you hear that, Hubby?)
See y'all later! (That's Texan for, "Au revoir!")
Okay, au revoir! (I am also learning French this summer. Although, my husband would probably tell you I haven't studied nearly enough. And he would be correct. Note to self --- make French study a priority tonight. Do you hear that, Hubby?)
See y'all later! (That's Texan for, "Au revoir!")
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Day 1
I should let you know. . . about 60 hours before I began this diet, I had technically already begun a diet that is probably the most important step of all --- no sugar, no caffeine, and LOTS of water! I had a lot of fatigue and some headaches at first, but today was awesome - I got up around 9:30, made and ate breakfast by 10:30, (we'll get to that in a moment), and cleaned house until about 2:30. After that my husband and I went for a leisurely swim, I took a shower, and this is the first that I've really sat down all day, except for meals. And it's 6 pm! Woohoo!
Okay so breakfast was a yummy 2-egg spinach omelet (cooked in 2 tbsp of olive oil) and served over slices from half a tomato. I seasoned the omelet in the pan with a little bit of salt and pepper, but I am also trying to watch my sodium, so I used Mrs. Dash at the table. It was fantastic! And, I have to say, pretty satisfying in terms of quantity. Isabel recommends eating the entire egg, not just the egg whites, in case you were wondering. I also took a daily multivitamin with my meal.
Here's a pic:
I tried to space my meals out evenly, so the next meal was at 1:00, a snack of slivered almonds. I think I was supposed to eat 20-24 whole almonds, but slivered was what I already had, so I just went with those. They tasted so good! I can't exactly say they were sweet, but I ate them ravenously, as if they were a candy bar, and really tasted every bit! I also drank a full bottle of water (16 oz) as I ate them. (They can dry the mouth a little if you don't hydrate.)
At this point you might be wondering, "Just how big is this chick?" Well, my 'naked' weigh-in this morning put me right at 182, but here's the weigh-in pic from when I realized y'all might kinda want to know my size. I had already had breakfast, 3or 4 bottles of water, and the almonds by the time I took this, though. The scale puts me at 183.2 by that time.
Make a salad out of those ingredients. I used abut 3 celery sticks. You can also use bell peppers and cucumbers, if you like. I can't eat bell peppers because they give me indigestion, and the cucumbers at the store were too soft, so I didn't buy any. Use only 2 tsp of olive oil, but all the vinegar you want. (I would suggest maybe 8 tsp? You only use half a cup of the garbanzo beans. Put the rest in the fridge. Also, the two small cups are salmon, if you can't tell. You're only supposed to have 4 oz. So, since they come in 2.8 oz packages, I used 1 and a half packages and refrigerated the rest. Again, I used Mrs. Dash at the table. Yummy!
I don't have pics of the "post-workout" meal, but it was pretty yummy - cauliflower, turkey breast, and sweet potato. Well, the cauliflower and turkey breast were yummy. I didn't plan ahead and the sweet potato is still cooking. I'll eat it soon. Probably with cinnamon. NO BUTTER! NO BROWN SUGAR! ESPECIALLY no brown sugar! Eventually, when my mood and weight are regulated, I might try a little vanilla Stevia and some crushed pecans and a Tbsp of REAL butter (don't use the fake junk) on top, with the cinnamon. But, for today, it's just cinnamon.
That's the half of a sweet potato with cinnamon! Gotta say, not always my favorite vegetable. I was imagining it with butter and pecans, but it still wasn't terrible just plain with cinnamon. Kind of a treat, like one of those so-called nutrition bars that you don't LOVE, but it's better than nothing. Just kinda takes the edge off.
I gotta tell ya, by this point, I was pretty stuffed.
But, there was one more meal to be eaten:
Man, this was YUMMY! Best thing I ate all day, actually. And I get to have it for lunch again tomorrow! I should have prepared more, but I forgot. Plus, Isabel says not to microwave, so, might as well prepare it twice anyway.
4 oz. ground beef; about 6 baby carrots, thinly sliced; 2 celery stalks, sliced; 2 slices of onion, diced; 1 tomato, diced; juice of one lemon; 2 Tbsp olive oil
I heated the olive oil in med to med-high heat, then added all the veggies except the tomatoes. I covered those and let them cook while I cut up the tomato and juiced the lemon. Then I added the beef and covered again. After about a minute, I added the tomatoes, covered again, and turned down the heat to med-lo. I cooked for a minute or two longer, then poured into a bowl and poured the lemon juice on top. Sooooo yummy! Basically, a lemony chili. No salt needed!
So, now I've brushed my teeth, got my jammies on, and I'm ready to watch a bit of TV with Hubby before going to bed. Tomorrow I plan to get up at 5:30 am, do about 15-20 minutes of walking, and have breakfast around 6 am. See you then!
Okay so breakfast was a yummy 2-egg spinach omelet (cooked in 2 tbsp of olive oil) and served over slices from half a tomato. I seasoned the omelet in the pan with a little bit of salt and pepper, but I am also trying to watch my sodium, so I used Mrs. Dash at the table. It was fantastic! And, I have to say, pretty satisfying in terms of quantity. Isabel recommends eating the entire egg, not just the egg whites, in case you were wondering. I also took a daily multivitamin with my meal.
Here's a pic:
I tried to space my meals out evenly, so the next meal was at 1:00, a snack of slivered almonds. I think I was supposed to eat 20-24 whole almonds, but slivered was what I already had, so I just went with those. They tasted so good! I can't exactly say they were sweet, but I ate them ravenously, as if they were a candy bar, and really tasted every bit! I also drank a full bottle of water (16 oz) as I ate them. (They can dry the mouth a little if you don't hydrate.)
At this point you might be wondering, "Just how big is this chick?" Well, my 'naked' weigh-in this morning put me right at 182, but here's the weigh-in pic from when I realized y'all might kinda want to know my size. I had already had breakfast, 3or 4 bottles of water, and the almonds by the time I took this, though. The scale puts me at 183.2 by that time.
Size-wise, I am an easy 14, a snug 12, on the bottom. (Definite pear-shape --- think J-Lo) On top I am a 34D with a noticeable waist. The belly has definitely gotten much bigger in the last 10 years ( yay, 30s!), but it's not tooooo bad. My actual waist measures 33". (As we all know, the real "belly" part, the intestines, are much bigger, but I don't know how big, because I didn't take that measurement.) My butt and hips are at 47".
So, it's 6pm, and I've told you how the day shaped up. The only thing I forgot to show you was lunch.
I don't have pics of the "post-workout" meal, but it was pretty yummy - cauliflower, turkey breast, and sweet potato. Well, the cauliflower and turkey breast were yummy. I didn't plan ahead and the sweet potato is still cooking. I'll eat it soon. Probably with cinnamon. NO BUTTER! NO BROWN SUGAR! ESPECIALLY no brown sugar! Eventually, when my mood and weight are regulated, I might try a little vanilla Stevia and some crushed pecans and a Tbsp of REAL butter (don't use the fake junk) on top, with the cinnamon. But, for today, it's just cinnamon.
I gotta tell ya, by this point, I was pretty stuffed.
But, there was one more meal to be eaten:
Man, this was YUMMY! Best thing I ate all day, actually. And I get to have it for lunch again tomorrow! I should have prepared more, but I forgot. Plus, Isabel says not to microwave, so, might as well prepare it twice anyway.
4 oz. ground beef; about 6 baby carrots, thinly sliced; 2 celery stalks, sliced; 2 slices of onion, diced; 1 tomato, diced; juice of one lemon; 2 Tbsp olive oil
I heated the olive oil in med to med-high heat, then added all the veggies except the tomatoes. I covered those and let them cook while I cut up the tomato and juiced the lemon. Then I added the beef and covered again. After about a minute, I added the tomatoes, covered again, and turned down the heat to med-lo. I cooked for a minute or two longer, then poured into a bowl and poured the lemon juice on top. Sooooo yummy! Basically, a lemony chili. No salt needed!
So, now I've brushed my teeth, got my jammies on, and I'm ready to watch a bit of TV with Hubby before going to bed. Tomorrow I plan to get up at 5:30 am, do about 15-20 minutes of walking, and have breakfast around 6 am. See you then!
Intro - What I'm doing and why I'm doing it.
What I am doing:
Going on a diet, adhering to the Flat Belly Solution 14 Day guide.
Why I am doing it:
A) This may surprise you. . . My main goal here is not to lose weight. I will consider losing weight a very happy side effect of going on this diet. I am a self-diagnosed depressive, or perhaps a manic-depressive. I have mood swings and my "downs" are really, really down. When I get upset it is very difficult for me to not move into rage or tears. Once I am there, I am almost rendered immobile. I am doing this diet as part of a holistic process to transform my life. I have been like this almost as long as I can remember, but especially since about age 12. My mother has sought a holistic approach to her very similar temperament and has been very satisfied with the results. So, I thought I would give it a try too. I had already bought "The Flat Belly Solution" --- it's the same as the one in those internet ads (Isabel de los Rios, I think, is the author). So, I thought, "Well, a lot of what Mom is saying about sugar addiction (I'm also a sugar addict.) and liver function is the same as what Isabel was saying, so maybe I should just try this for now." (I'm a little leery of just going to an MD and gettin' some drugs.) I also intend to go to a specialist and see if there is a regimen of supplements I should be taking. But that's later. . .
B) As I said above, it would be nice to lose some weight.
So, just so you understand the objective and the plan. . .
Objective --- Get emotions under control.
Sub-objective --- Feel better physically.
Sub-objective --- Lose weight.
The plan ----
*14 days of Flat Belly diet (according to 14 day manual with pre-designed meals and shopping lists.)
*see a naturopathic physician and see what else I need to be doing (supplements?, etc.) (Oh, God, please
don't say, "colon cleanse"!)
*exercise and stretch (the latter may be more important than the former, ie. yoga)
*incorporate more positivity into my life
*see a counselor/therapist about behavioral modification thereapy
All of the above are very important, according to just about every book on dieting and depression that I have ever read. So, at the grand ol' age of 37, perhaps it is time to listen to some advice.
Wish me luck!
Going on a diet, adhering to the Flat Belly Solution 14 Day guide.
Why I am doing it:
A) This may surprise you. . . My main goal here is not to lose weight. I will consider losing weight a very happy side effect of going on this diet. I am a self-diagnosed depressive, or perhaps a manic-depressive. I have mood swings and my "downs" are really, really down. When I get upset it is very difficult for me to not move into rage or tears. Once I am there, I am almost rendered immobile. I am doing this diet as part of a holistic process to transform my life. I have been like this almost as long as I can remember, but especially since about age 12. My mother has sought a holistic approach to her very similar temperament and has been very satisfied with the results. So, I thought I would give it a try too. I had already bought "The Flat Belly Solution" --- it's the same as the one in those internet ads (Isabel de los Rios, I think, is the author). So, I thought, "Well, a lot of what Mom is saying about sugar addiction (I'm also a sugar addict.) and liver function is the same as what Isabel was saying, so maybe I should just try this for now." (I'm a little leery of just going to an MD and gettin' some drugs.) I also intend to go to a specialist and see if there is a regimen of supplements I should be taking. But that's later. . .
B) As I said above, it would be nice to lose some weight.
So, just so you understand the objective and the plan. . .
Objective --- Get emotions under control.
Sub-objective --- Feel better physically.
Sub-objective --- Lose weight.
The plan ----
*14 days of Flat Belly diet (according to 14 day manual with pre-designed meals and shopping lists.)
*see a naturopathic physician and see what else I need to be doing (supplements?, etc.) (Oh, God, please
don't say, "colon cleanse"!)
*exercise and stretch (the latter may be more important than the former, ie. yoga)
*incorporate more positivity into my life
*see a counselor/therapist about behavioral modification thereapy
All of the above are very important, according to just about every book on dieting and depression that I have ever read. So, at the grand ol' age of 37, perhaps it is time to listen to some advice.
Wish me luck!
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