Monday, April 25, 2011

Day 12:

So this weekend that did not happen was definitely not full of burgers and french fries and cake. Though I must say that my mom made a concerted effort to not have carbs in the house.

But now that it's over, I'm happily jumping back onto the no carb wagon.

Food for thought

Breakfast: 100 calorie yogurt

Snack: petite carrots; bottle of water

Lunch:

Dinner: will be trying out a Pepper-jack grilled chicken with succotash recipe from food network. I'm pretty pumped that grilling season is upon us! Gives me a lot more options for meat & veggies :)

I am going to have my third weigh-in tomorrow, and I must say that I'm not really looking forward to it. I'm having a fat day today and just don't feel good about my body. I know that I absolutely need to start complimenting my diet with exercise, but I just don't have time, dammit!

Next up: going for my first bike ride of the season! It will be magical!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Day 11: eff the wagon

So my Thursday shaped up pretty well, diet-wise.

This weekend, on the other hand, is going to be a hot mess. I'm going to just pretend it never happened. Thus I say: F*** THE WAGON! Imma eat flan.

Food for thought

Breakfast: yogurt

Lunch: low fat ham, string cheese, carrots

Snack: handful of almonds

Dinner: I made this Spicy Cashew, Celery & Shrimp stirfry and it was OMG good. Seriously. We ate all of it. Seltzer; 1/3 of a Hershey's bar; one white Russian.

I also forgot to weigh-in this morning...whoops. However, I must report that my jeans are feeling a bit more comfortable than they were when I first started this thing. Of course, that comfort will soon end with Easter weekend on the horizon. I will do another weigh-in on Monday morning. Or Tuesday morning. We'll see.

One of my coworkers is starting The 17 Day Diet, and I must say I'm a little skeptical. Though she claims that she will lose up to 10 pounds in 2 weeks. (Is that even healthy?). The diet seems VERY limiting. It pretty much lays out your daily menu. Not for me.

I tried to look up "no-carb" recipes with no luck. Instead, I started researching low carb recipes on foodnetwork.com (my heart's home!) and have found quite a few that are actually no carb (like the one we had last night). I'll keep posting them as we try them!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Day 10: annnd off the wagon

No, this is not a seesaw. This is my life. Up and down with this diet like there is no tomorrow. And I'm not proud of it.

One thing I've definitely noticed is that my sugar crazings have skyrocketed. I've never had much of a sweet tooth, but since I've been (trying) to cut carbs, I just feel like I need a sugar cap at the end of every meal. I've been having super cravings for chocolate and ice cream and other such goodies. I'm going to guess that it's because carbs traditionally have a bit of sugar in them, so cutting that out of my diet also cuts a significant portion of sugar from my diet. Makes sense, no?

I took both of my weekly cheats today. Too bad. I was doing so well yesterday and up until 6 p.m. today...

Food for thought

Breakfast: 100 calorie yogurt; 1 cup of almonds

Lunch: seltzer; one cup of black quinoa with peppers and onions in a citrus zest; one cup of kale soup

Dinner: feta, spinach & black bean quesadilla; chips & guacamole

After dinner: one sugar cookie; one chocolate chip cookie; one bottle of low calorie Gatorade

So I was doing pretty well until the evening time. Being around people who aren't on the diet is bad for my diet. I'm pretty good when I'm by myself regulating my own meals or with someone who keeps me in check. But it's really hard to resist when someone tempts me with a trip to a restaurant...because we all know that I'm a social being straight to the core. And let's just be honest: I. love. food. Which is why this is hard.

Which is why I have to try harder.

Tomorrow is a new day...

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Day 9: back on the wagon

If I were on the Oregon Trail and had been kicked off for overindulgence of rations, here is the day where I run after the wagon, catch up, and jump back on.

Food for thought/p>

Breakfast: green tea; light red velvet cake yogurt

Lunch: spinach salad with tomato, mozzarella, grilled zucchini, carrots, bacon bits; water bottle

Dinner: deli turkey; carrots; seltzer

And, in the spirit of Medieval Sims (which I will be obsessively playing whilst on duty tonight): HUZZAH!

Days 7&8: Off the wagon

If I were on the Oregon Trail, I would have been left behind at a trading post for having eaten more than my fair share of rations.

Luckily, I am not on the Oregon Trail and the only person I have to answer to is myself. And myself loves chocolate. And carbs. Womp womp.

Anyway, I took my cheat day on Sunday and cheat I did! Here's the delicious breakdown: Breakfast: chocolate pudding; seltzer

Dinner: wild mushroom burger; french fries; two pieces of bread; red velvet cream cheese cheesecake (all eaten at the Cheesecake Factory...YUM!)

After all of that gorging, I wasn't surprised (though still horrified) when I stepped on a scale the next morning and it read 159...meaning that I've actually gained weight since I started this whole thing. Lamesauce.

Anyway, I'd like to believe that I somewhat redeemed myself yesterday by getting back on track.

Food for thought

Breakfast: seltzer; almonds

Lunch: seltzer; string cheese; deli turkey

Dinner: spinach salad with barbecue chicken, black beans, peppers, onions, avocado, tomato, and bleu cheese; seltzer; half of a Hershey's bar

After dinner: 1.5 white russians

Okay, maybe not. However, when I stepped on the scale this morning, I was back down to 157. Meaning that so far this whole thing has been pretty much a wash. Let's hope I'm on track for the rest of this week!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Day 6: first weigh-in

I had my first weigh-in today and it wasn't exciting but it wasn't terribly disappointing either. I weighed in at 156.2 - which is 1.8lb less than last time I weighed myself. It's also the same weight I thought I was originally. Whatever. By next week, I'm hoping to be down to 154. Of course, next weekend is Easter, so my diet will be shot to hell! But still. Even if I didn't lose any weight, I'm content with knowing that I have been eating healthier and making smarter decisions.

Food for Thought

Breakfast: matzo-brie; turkey bacon; coffee

Lunch: two slices of American cheese; 2 slices of turkey; water; half of a Hershey's bar

Dinner: 3 slices of chourico & onion pizza

Carb fail.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Day 5: the day before judgment day

I'm going to do my first weigh-in since Tuesday morning tomorrow (Saturday) morning. I have no clue which way the scale is going to lean this week. I have been doing a pretty damn good job with this diet and it bums me out that I don't feel any different. I'm hoping that I will have lost at least 3 pounds to keep myself feeling motivated. Not that I'm going to stop sticking to the diet if I didn't lose anything. But still. I need some positive reinforcement here, body!

In any event, I am going to take my second cheat today because we are having a going away party for my supervisor in the Housing Office. Hello, bagel! I will enjoy you greatly.

Food for thought

Breakfast: 100 calorie vanilla yogurt & mixed in "good health energy" (blend of soy nuts, cranberries, almonds & pumpkin kernels)

Party foods: asiago bagel w/ cream cheese; coffee

Lunch: half of an onion bagel w/ cream cheese; carrot sticks

Dinner: chicken breast stuffed with portabello mushrooms, spinach, & goat cheese; brussel sprouts; probably some wine

I will update tomorrow after my weigh in! O_o Wish me luck!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Day 4

I've been cooped up in an office all day, so I haven't had the opportunity to cheat or even think about cheating. However, I'm on duty tonight unitl 1 a.m....and that's about the time that the cravings set in.

I took one cheat last night with Diet Pepsi. Curse you, beautiful brown, sparkling beverage! Afterwards, I felt bloated and gross. I must say that despite having followed this diet for the last 4 days, I don't see or feel any improvement in my body. Granted I haven't done a weigh-in and won't be doing one until tomorrow. But I feel like I saw some pretty quick results last time I started this diet. If I don't see any results by next week, I am going to feel pretty discouraged!

Food for thought

Breakfast: omelette with bacon, cheese, mushrooms, peppers, onions, spinach; cranberry juice

Lunch: almonds; carrots; water

Snack: strawberry real fruit bar

Dinner[anticipated]: deli turkey & mozzarella cheese stick

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Day 3: planning ahead

Three days in and the going is good. Or something.

I found this gem of a list: The 20 Worst Foods in America. Truly terrifying. I definitely know of a few things I will not be ordering in the near future. Some of it is no surprise, but who would think that a seemingly harmless salad could hide so much atrociousness behind its leafy green exterior?

I haven't really been tempted to cheat yet, so that's nice. I'm kind of enjoying the diet for the time being, though I miss french fries already. In the life of a normal person, french fries would not be readily available anytime you walk into your meal facility. In my life, there are vats of delicious golden french fries basking in the warm and inviting glow of a heat lamp begging me to eat them. But I will resist, friends. I may opt for a banana. At least they're in the same color family.

Food for thought

Breakfast: a fat free apple turnover-flavored yogurt

Lunch: kale soup!!!!, garden salad, green tea with mint

Dinner: bag of almonds, a strawberry real fruit bar

Staff snack: dark chocolate dipped oranges & strawberries

I'm not sure if it's sad or good that I am able to write out everything that I'm going to eat for the day before the day actually happens. I think it's somewhat healthy to plan ahead - and this diet definitely requires me to do so. I have to know what I'll be able to eat at Res so I don't end up eating crap because I can't think of anything I want. And because I won't be going back to my room until about 10 p.m., I certainly have to plan ahead with some portable snacks to sustain me.

Speaking of planning, I am going to plan on doing a fifteen minute workouts every night once I get back to my room. I know it's not much, but it's all I've got to give for the time being and something is better than nothing. Even just getting my heart -rate up a bit should be beneficial in some capacity. Here are the videos I'm going to use (they're ones that I did over the summer, as well): 10 minute cardio kickboxing, 5 minute cardio workout.

Also, here's a 15 minute desk workout for funsies. Might have to start doing this while I'm at the housing office. Maybe time will go by faster.

I'm also getting back into the habit of taking multi-vits, conveniently in a delicious gummy form.

All in all, things are looking up. Except for my weight. That best be looking down. Way down.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Diet overview

I'm not technically following the 4 Hour Body diet nor am I sticking to the ever-popular Atkins diet. This diet is one that I have designed myself that is a hybrid of a bunch of different diets. It's a diet that works for me because I know the types of foods that I tend to consume / am drawn to. I also know the substitutes I can make in my diet that work for me.

Here are my weaknesses: bread, fried things, pasta, desserts, late night snacking, chips, soda, dressings/dips, going out to eat

I do not eat enough: vegetables, fruit, water

Here is the plan:
- no carbs
- cut down on sugar
- no soda (not even diet. farewell, diet pepsi. you shall be missed!)
- more mid-day snacking
- less late-night snacking
- 2 cheats per week
- 1 full cheat day per week (no bingeing!)
- ...and continue until graduation / until I get into a regular exercise routine

Here are the things I am cutting from my diet until I reach 150 (or less!)
- all breads, breading, grains etc
- pasta
- rice
- potatoes/potato products
- cakes / cookies / most desserts
- fried anything
- soda
- chips / pretzels / crackers / snack foods
- anything with dough / yeast-based
- beer

Here are things that will be staples in my diet:
- yogurt
- string cheese
- almonds
- deli meat (preferably turkey)
- high-protein salads
- peanut butter
- grab 'n'go veggies (carrots, celery, tomatoes)
- berries
- beans (lentils, red beans, black beans, chickpeas)
- tofu
- grapes
- tea / coffee
- seltzer (substitute for soda)

Have any recipes that you think will work for me? Send 'em my way!

I'll keep posting any recipes that I use / useful websites that I find.

I know I've said it before, but...

...140 lb, here I come!

Day 2: food for thought

So despite a carb-less day/night, the scale read 158.2 lb this morning. I'm just going to pretend that never happened...

Aside from this disappointment, today has been pretty much smooth sailing in the diet department. My one complaint is that the salads here are super salty. I've experimented with different dressings (today is Lite Red Wine Vinaigrette) and haven't found anything that satisfied me. I am also trying to stay away from the Portabello mushroom salad option because their mushrooms seems like they are literally stewed in salt water, but they didn't have any tomato mozzarella salads today. Lame.

Food for thought

Breakfast: 100 yogurt, 1 stick of mozzarella string cheese, 1 cup of green tea

Snack: raw almonds

Late lunch: spinach salad with portabello mushrooms, grilled zucchini & peppers, carrot strips, bacon bits, and lite red wine vinaigrette

Pre-class perk: iced latte w/ soy milk & sugar

On-duty perk: medium coconut-mocha coffee (black)

Yep, I skipped dinner. I didn't really feel hungry until about 1 a.m....and there was no way I was going to give in to cravings only to go to bed and let it all sit in my gut. I think I definitely consumed enough calories for the day, but I don't think that I should have had two coffees and I do think that I should have some carrots or something after class.

However, I was still able to stay within the parameters of the diet...and that's what I care about the most. The coffee intake was a fluke because I typically drink plain tea instead. But when you know you're facing a 3.5 hour long class as well as a late late night after having been up since 6 a.m., I'm going to go ahead and say that it's entirely justifiable for me to want a little caffeinated pick me up!

Monday, April 11, 2011

OMG - time to brush off the cobwebs!

Ok, people. This is for real.


Last week I stepped on the scale and it read 158 and I was like "Uh uh, girlfriend. This is not happening."

I have been eating a lot. Going out to eat a lot. Not exercising at all. And I feel (and probably look) wretched.

Since then, I have managed to get down to a solid 156, but I will not be happy until those 6 pounds are gone and I can begin my journey to 140.

So. Drastic times call for drastic measures. I do not realistically have time to workout for the next few weeks. Graduation is only 1.5 months away and I have a lot of things to do. I am getting my bike back on Easter weekend and will hopefully be able to get back in the saddle (literally), but it seems as though my diet is the easiest thing to control for the time being and it doesn't interfere with my productivity.

That being said, I am jumping back in to the no-carb lifestyle. I will allow myself two cheats a week and one full cheat day. I will stay on this diet until I am back down to 150. By that time, I will hopefully be closer to holding a normal schedule and not running around like crazy between all of my jobs and obligations. I cannot wait to graduate so I can finally regulate my schedule and actually get to the gym. I also look forward to all of the students moving out of school so I can have my private gym facility once again. <3 the summer.

Food for thought

Breakfast/Lunch [didn't eat til 1]: 100 calorie yogurt (raspberry cheesecake); popcorn green tea with honey

Snack: grapes, 1 hershey's chocolate bar

Dinner: barbecued chinese chicken lettuce wraps (link to the Rachael Ray recipe) YUMMM; one glass of cab sauv



Off to a good start...let's see how I do once I have to go back to school for the rest of the week...