Semester work-out and diet plans

Since I left Florida, I have not been very good to my body! On Saturday [travel day] I ate a pastry for breakfast and then went to a sushi buffet with my sister for lunch/dinner (SO MUCH SUSHI!!!). On Sunday, I had a lazy day and ate pancakes, bacon, chips, and pizza. I feel gross thinking about it.

I have also not exercised.

Curses, real life!

So here's the plan. I've finally mapped out my semester's schedule and have 3 time slots per week to go to the gym. Which isn't as fabulous as my summer or Florida regimen, but is definitely better than what I did last semester. When I go to the gym, I am going to continue to do the elliptical and the treadmill, hopefully working my way down to a 9 minute mile!

Additionally, I am going to be on a diet. Some of my friends are on a 4 Hour Body diet and have had amazing results - losing around 10 pounds in 2 weeks (crazy!). I am not going to put the same extreme restrictions on my diet, but I realize my current diet needs modifying. Over the school year, I eat one big meal a day and then have a few snacks. This isn't healthy.

Here's my adapted diet:

- High protein
- Lots of greens
- No breads of any kind
- No pasta or chips or pizza or bagels or cookies or any simple carbs
- No soda
- Little dairy intake (low fat, low sodium only)
- No eating after 8 p.m.
- Make sure to eat 2-3 meals a day
- Do not drink my calories (ie, limit sugary, high-calorie drinks)

The 4 Hour Body asks suggests giving up dairy, but I'm not going to. I plan on having low-fat yogurts for breakfast because I don't have a kitchen and am at the mercy of the Sodexo gods. My fridge is going to be stocked with lunch meats, hummus, veggies, fruit, yogurt, and cheese.

I started today and here is my menu:

Food for thought

Lunch: salad with cherries, walnuts, chicken and poppyseed dressing, bottle of seltzer

Dinner: spinach with barbecue chicken, avocado, tomatoes, corn, and black beans

Like the 4 Hour Body diet, I am allowing myself one cheat day per week - which means that I can eat whatever I want.

I realize that this is going to be an extremely hard diet to follow, since I can't cook for myself. Most of my meals come from the cafeteria, and who knows WHAT is in that food? For lunch, I am going to eat mostly deli meats with a side salad, but I'm worried that I am going to get bored with the offerings.

We'll see how it goes!

I am going to continue to update every day if I can and am going to do a weigh-in every week. I'm simultaneously optimistic and realistic, but I think this is going to be good for me. As long as I can stick with it...