Day 21 - not bad, but not following. . .

So, let's start with the numbers:

Weight: 170 - Total loss 9lbs
Belly (the largest part around my mid area): 37.5 - total loss 1.5"
Waist (the real waist line): 32" - total loss 2"
Hips (including the butt): 39.75" - total loss 2.25"
Left Thigh: 23.75" - total loss .25"
Right Thigh: 23.5" - total loss .5"
Bust (the below part): 34.75" - total loss .25
Boobs: 40" - total loss 1.5"
Left Arm: 13" - total loss .5"
Right Arm: 13.25" - total loss .5

Total inches = 9.25
Total lbs = 9


I'm kind of impressed with a few things about the diet, about my progress, and about what I've learned both about food and about myself.

Here's the deal.  The first week and a half I found myself thinking about food ALL THE TIME.  I had never been good at staying on a diet where I didn't like the food.  Here's the thing about this one.  I really like the food, but I had never really cooked anything like this stuff, so I spend a TON of time looking at the recipes and trying to figure out what I was going to eat.  It became overwhelming AND distracting to nearly everything else I was doing.

So, I have stuck to a few guiding principles of this diet and stopped following it like a religion where I strictly only eat what they have in the book.  Here are those guiding principles.

Move (yes, Scott you are right) and move more than you did before.  And I really like moving.  I like working out.  I have walked to work every day for the last three weeks except for 2 days (and that's because it was blowing rain sideways AND I was late.  But really, I have actually worked out 6 days a week at home for at least 10 - 15 minutes.  That's all the work out in the book really calls for (in addition to your walking).  And it's getting easier.  If there is ONE THING you should learn about any exercise program is that IT WILL GET EASIER.  So, it's okay if you don't do every thing the first week or even the second or third week.  It gets easier.  In fact, I've decided to change it up and do another kind of work out.  I like it.

Drink water - I never used to do this.  I makes you pee a heck of a lot more, but it really really helps in your ability to not be hungry.  And GUESS WHAT - it's good for your skin and your body.  I found that I really enjoyed drinking sassy water.  And making sassy water.  So, I drink it a lot more.  This helps you lose weight.

Portion control - it took two weeks for me to understand how much food was the right amount and caloric makeup (about 400 calories 4x a day).  It also too about 2 weeks for my enlarged stomach (our stomachs get stretched when we eat the HUGE amounts of food we have become accustom to) to get used to having smaller food.  This one is a no-brainer (yes Scott, again, you were right eat less).

EAT SLOWLY - so, I didn't actually do what they tell you in the book.  They tell you to not multi-task when you're eating.  Just focus on the eating part.  But if any of you know me (even a little), I pretty much cannot survive without multi-tasking (even as we speak, I'm watching television, writing, and have had a few side conversations with Mikal).  But I do savor the food more.  And if you eat more slowly, your mind can catch up with you and remind you that you're not hungry after the portion of food you've allotted.

So, I can safely say that this is working for me.  It really is.  I haven't really given up beer or wine or scotch or even ice cream when I want it.  It's about the choices I make about HOW MUCH, HOW FAST, WHETHER I MOVE MORE and NOT FEELING GUILTY for not following the diet exactly.   I mean, really - I've lost 9lbs in 21 days.  Pretty good.  And to be honest, I'm not even trying that hard.  I know that if I wanted to try harder, I'd work out more and plan better about my meals.  But the book preaches about stuff having to work for you.  And I'm learning.  I'll be happy with how this turns out in the remaining 11 days.  I may even try harder in the next 11 days.

Here's the cool news - my size 10 jeans are fitting a bit better.  Mikal has told me (without provocation) that he can tell on my hips and arms that I've lost some weight.  A person at work has mentioned it as well.  My nylons fit better around my thighs (I now know why larger people don't wear skirts - the rub of the thighs is AWFUL).

I look at the scale and it hovers at the 170 mark.  If next week I make it UNDER that tick mark on the scale - I'll be really really happy.  I feel better, I feel happier, and my clothes aren't uncomfortable anymore.  And I think I'll extend it beyond the 32 days.  I'll be doing this for the next couple of months and then I think I'll be where I want to be. . . back where I was a year ago.  Not a lofty goal - achievable.  Another thing I've learned. . . things are achievable.

Day 5 - finally some food

So, today I got to eat the following:

Toast with cashew butter (that I made myself!  like peanut butter, but with cashews) and raisins.

A turkey bacon cranberry cheese muffin sandwich with cashews -- this is so yum I want to eat it all the time.

Black bean dip with cheese, cumin, garlic and olive oil (again, that I made myself) and carrots to dip in it.

Pepperoni pizza and wine.

Okay - so a couple of things about this.  You should hear the inflection in my voice when I say "I made it myself".  There is a little head swagger that goes along with it.  Why?  Because it tastes so yummy.  I didn't finish all of the black bean dip stuff, but mostly because I was embroiled in a work thing.  I had to even bring it to my meeting to eat and I felt like a fool because I was eating in front of senior management.  But whatever, have to stay on the diet, right?

Again, I felt hungry after the breakfast, but that might be because I SCARFED it down before my first meeting rather than taking time out.  I mean I did take 6 whole minutes to eat it.  There is something to be said for enjoying food.  I was hungry when I went to eat the bean dip, but that's mostly because it was TIME to eat.  I was about a half hour late to eating (outside the 4 hours), so, I'll let that one pass.

I was NOT hungry however the entire time before the pizza.  Which is pretty cool considering I didn't eat all of the bean dip.  And, speaking of the pizza.  I had to improvise with some of the ingredients because my grocer didn't have some of the things on the list.  So, I've had to improvise a bit, but I'm sticking to the amount of calories in each meal.  I did have two glasses of wine with dinner, which is NOT part of the calories allotted.  But I've been really working on working out, so I don't feel badly about that.  And the book says that you can have alcohol in moderation AND if you account for it in the caloric intake of your day.  So, I did.  Besides, I'm going to be working out Saturday and Sunday in the gym.  So, I'm not going to take ANY guilt at all about this.

Day six has some other interesting food, so, we'll see how that goes.  I'm airing all my secrets about the things that I'm NOT doing that the book says to do, but I think I'm pretty proud of myself for sticking to the caloric intake and the exercise regime.  I did watch tv last night while I was eating the pizza, but I took more time out than normal to chew each piece.  And it kind of makes a difference.  The only part I don't like about that taking longer thing is the way the consistency of the food feels.  It's really mushy.  Now, I know that's the way it's supposed to be, but it takes some getting used to.  I'm a person who works at a million miles an hour as a pace, so it's hard for me to slow down.  But I think I'm trying.

Off to another successful day!

Day 2 - it sucked

So, day two wasn't as good as day one.  Mostly because I'm not exactly following all advice.  What that means is that I'm not stopping and eating my meals without interruption.  I eat at my desk.  Other than that - I'm totally following the exercise and food diet part, just not the psychological stuff. . . well, at least not all of it.

I know, I know, tell me to follow the advice. . . but I have a lot of work.  But to be honest, I think it makes me take longer to actually finish my meal.

The other thing- again, I didn't exactly finish all of the food again.  Really it was only the sunflower seeds. I toasted them this time so they were much better to eat, but I tell you, it's really hard to each 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds.

I wasn't exactly hungry after the food, so that's good.  But I did want to eat before I needed to at 11am.  So, that was a bit hard.  And I didn't like the food for the day.  Here's what I ate

Pineapple smoothy - yuk and I won't be doing it again
pineapple pieces
rice krispies
skim milk
steamed carrots (I ate them cold b/c I ate them at my desk and they tasted what I imagine baby food tasting like, so they weren't my favorite)
tuna - plain - tuna plain is hard to swallow
string cheese (high light of the day)
mushrooms sauteed
turkey cutlets
brown rice (not a fan, but I'm following it)
sassy water - I actually really like this.

So, all in all, I didn't like the pineapple, the brown rice, the tuna, and the steamed carrots.  So it was not a good day.  Today is going to be better because I get to have raisins and potatoes.

Only two days of the bad time to go.  So, what did I do tonight to prepare?  I spent the time watching NCIS while reading the recipes for what I get to eat starting Friday.  I wrote down the 12 meals I get to eat for the three days after these first four hellish day.  It was kind of fun.  I put together all the like meals so the shopping would be consolidated.  It should be good to eat, I think. . .. so I'm telling myself it'll be worth it.

About exercise?  I did the metabolism work out, then walked 1.5 miles to work.  Then, the elevators didn't work, so I climbed 11 flights of stairs.  . . . I took the bus home rather than walking.  My legs hurt! So, I'm still on track.  I'm following the plan (except for that "take time out for meals" part.  I can't imagine that is going to make a huge difference.  I might start to when I get to have better tasting food.  I'll let you know.

Thanks for all the support and sarcastic comments.  I love it.  It keeps me honest.