Monday, May 30, 2011

The Dark Days

Since Thursday Mansfield has been dark- no power that is. We had a ridiculous storm the killed the power straight through the weekend until Sunday. I would have posted earlier today but each day seems crazier than the last.

Anyhow with this power outage came some horrible diet challenges which I managed to do OK on mostly, but I did cheat on my diet a little- sometimes out of necessity, and occasionally out of boredom. This happened because I had to go out to eat a lot- you can only order a chicken salad so many times before wanting to kill yourself.

Some good ideas for eating out are:
Ordering a Chicken stirfry- asking for no rice and extra veggies instead
Ordering a Salad that has some fruit on it
Order grilled chicken with steamed veggies and a side salad
Order a salad but add things like grilled onions or mushrooms to help mix it up- add some salsa.
and always order water as your drink! 

I really managed to do pretty well with all the eating out that was done. It wasn't really until today that I cheated badly. I was taken out to lunch today and the place we went had a limited menu due to the power outage. I ordered a turkey club and it came with fries- I ate most of the sandwich and some of the fries. And then this evening I was invited over a professors house to have dinner and the last thing i was going to do was be picky about my food. I still managed to avoid having any chips- only a very small helping of pasta and indulging more in the fruit and cold veggie soup. It is true that I should have avoided the toasted marshmallows- but they wanted to take a picture of us all holding them and stuff- so I didn't refuse.   

I am mostly proud of not going too crazy cheating this weekend... but I know I have some making up to do. The next few days are gonna be intense- and absolutely no more eating out until I absolutely have to.

On the plus side I weighed myself this weekend and I did manage to lose 2.5 lbs. which brought me into the 60s. However after this weekend I might have put it back on.

Here is to not giving up, to facing real life, to trying my hardest, and to still achieving success. Mark my words- the past few days will not ruin the progress I have made and will not affect future habits- I had a taste of the bad foods- and they simply aren't worth putting the weight back on.

Fellow dieters-- hang in there we can do this together!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Day 6- Late Start

 Breakfast today was sooo yummy- diet or not try this recipe! 

Breakfast:
Omelet with Salsa and Fat Free Sour Cream
Strawberries

Snack:
Yogurt
Apple

Dinner:
Turkey Burger
Fat Free Feta
Tomato Slice
Salad with Peter's Salad Dressing (Oil, Red Wine Ving, Bals. Ving, Season Salt, Natures seasoning)
Green Tea
 The Turkey Burger was absolutely amazing- I seasoned the meat with garlic powder, pepper, and season salt. I cooked it on this little George Foreman grill- and it really was sensational! 

Yesterday was day 6- I thought I did pretty well. It was a lazy sorta day, I woke up late and my breakfast sorta served as both breakfast and lunch. I was excited all day for tomorrow (which is today) because it would be day 7 and I officially made it through one week! Also I knew it meant checking my weight and measurements.

One Week Update!

Personal Information: 

((Day 1))
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 177
Bust: 41 1/2 in
Waist: 34 1/2 in
Hips: 44 in

((Day 7))
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 171 
Bust: 39 1/2 in
Waist: 33 in
Hips: 43 in

This means in 6 days total I have lost 6lbs and at least an inch off those 3 measurements! 
Right now it doesn't really feel like I am much lighter- but I notice my clothes don't feel really tight- and I have been feeling a lot healthier lately- more overall energy- etc. 
I am very excited that I have lost this much weight in one week- My first marker for weight goals is on my Birthday (June 14) and my goal was to be 162 by then. That mean's I have about 21 days and less than 10 lbs to go! I think with this diet my goal will be totally obtainable... maybe I can even weigh less then.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Day 5- Did you say I can eat chips?

Today was another challenge day for me. I had to face the church potluck... you know the one where every member of the church makes a varied type of casserole or fatty dessert. Nothing- and I mean nothing is healthy about those lunches.

Breakfast:
hard boiled egg
1/2 grapefruit

So for lunch I figured they might have some salad and fruit at the church, but to play it safe I decided to bring the fixings for my own salad including my own fat free dressing. Thank goodness I brought food- the only "healthy" thing they had was pineapple- which was very sweet, and may have had sugar on it. I avoided all the food and ate my own lunch. I was faced with explaining my diet to the table of people I sat with- but most of them were supportive or told me about their own current diets. I even offered my extra salad to the other ladies dieting- however no one took it- they stuck with tiny portions of casseroles and pasta salads.

Lunch:
Salad- many types of chopped up veggies
Italian (Fat free) dressing
hard boiled egg chopped into salad
sprinkle of fat free cheddar cheese

The next part of my day was spent with my friend Danielle. We actually talked a lot about healthy eating and exchanged some recipes. She gave me a brilliant idea for a snack i tried later that evening.

Afternoon Snacks:
Green Tea
Yogurt
Apple

I drove back to Mansfield feeling amazed I had made it through the weekend at home without cheating at all!
When I got home my friend Josh wanted to meet up for some dinner. I was trying to figure out what I could make that someone not dieting might enjoy. I ended up doing some sauteed veggies and chicken with a little FF cheese sprinkled on. He wasn't a huge veggie fan so I put them all on my plate and he picked out some of what he wanted. Also he made some pasta to bolster up his meal- best part was we both thought our meals were delicious and we were able to eat together!

Dinner:
Chicken (seasoned)
FF cheddar cheese
Veggies- mushroom, onion, tomato, peppers, broccoli, carrots, (and maybe one or two more)
 Snack:
Kale Chips (one stalk)

Later that night I was getting the munchies again and decided to try out my friend Danielle's recommendation. Using Kale to make chips- Kale is this very green leafy veggie- that is full of fiber- but pretty 'serious' tasting.
 You take the green leafy part of the kale and cut it off the stalk. Then cut or rip it into chip sized pieces.
Spray a cookie sheet with veg. spray, and spread out the kale. Spray another layer of veg oil over top and salt or season as you please.
Cook at 350 degrees until they are crispy. I checked the crispy-ness by poking a fork at them. Took a little over 5 minutes or so. Remove from tray and eat!

They really are surprisingly good- it reminded me of a cross between a chip and popcorn- but either way it was salty and delicious. (I have not researched how cooking kale changes it's nutritional value).

A good recipe I found online uses olive oil instead. But it seems fairly flexible. Also A huge bunch of Kale at Walmart cost me 98 cents. So if you are dieting and craving a salty snack- try this. It is pretty tasty and won't make your waistline mad.

Tomorrow will be back to normal in Mansfield- but I am sure everyday will hold it's challenges!
 

 

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Day 4- The BBQ Challenge!

Today was day 4 of my diet. I thought first off I should report some wonderful news. As of yesterday morning my current weight is at 172.5 - yep I have already lost 4.5 lbs in a few short days. Now to you skeptics who say this is false- I mean I checked it on three scales because I didn't believe it and it is indeed true. Also I have explored the idea of this being "water weight" that came off... and to those people who think that, I say-- you know weight is weight. Also this diet is designed to get rid of the water weight first- at any rate, so far so good!

Ok as I said in my previous post today's challenge was facing the graduation party BBQ. I know in past dieting times of my life a party like this was the perfect excuse to cheat and eat something not within my diet. I would use excuses like, "well the only option is a cheeseburger or hot dog- I had to have at least one", or "It would be rude if I didn't partake in a piece of cake to celebrate my friend's accomplishment."So as you can imagine I was terrified about facing the party pressures of staying on track with my diet. Here is how I combatted the BBQ Blues:

1. I contacted the hostess about the menu a day prior to the party, she knew my dietary restrictions and let me know what would be available to me. (she even offered me things that weren't up for grabs with the other party guests... like green tea, a turkey burger, and fat-free yogurt).

2. I followed the book's advice about social gatherings and ate before I went. I ate my lunch right before leaving- and although it was a small lunch it totally did the trick for BBQ part 1. (the BBQ lasted from 2-11pm).

3. I came home for dinner. There were enough people at her party that it was reasonable to excuse myself for an hour or two to come home and make food here. Although I could have asked for a plain turkey burger and some raw veggies I knew I could fill up better at home.

4. I saved my sweet snacks. I saved up 1 yogurt and fruit for when I returned to the party after dinner. I knew I would have to face sweet treats served in the evening, and if I had a replacement dessert it would be ok. I ended up eating a really yummy yogurt at the campfire while everyone made smores- it's true I totally wanted a smore, but the yogurt helped me not give in, but not feel left out from the social eating.

I felt totally successful after today considering I handled the BBQ flawlessly and even dealt with some peer pressure to indulge in a smore. When I came home I snacked on a few strawberries and told my mom about my accomplishments today. Also I discovered one major benefit to an outdoor BBQ on a warm day--- I ended up drinking 12 servings of water! (which isn't only a good health practice for being in the sun, but helped me feel refreshed and full throughout the day).

Here was my menu for today:

Breakfast:
1/2 grapefruit
yogurt

Lunch:
Green Tea
2 Hard boiled eggs
cucumbers
carrots
peppers

Dinner:
Seasoned Chicken
Iceberg Lettuce(as a wrap)
Cooked Veggies- broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peppers, garlic, onions, etc.
Fat-Free Cheddar Cheese
Fat-Free Sour Cream
Salsa

Party Snacks:
Carrots w/ Mango Salsa (I could try the hostess' homemade salsa w/o using chips)
Green Tea
Yogurt
Strawberries

Incase you were wondering how lettuce can work as a wrap- here is how!
1. Get your supplies ready

2. Load up your leaf with the fillings (place in center)

3. Wrap it up and eat just as though it is a tortilla shell. 
**It gets pretty messy at the end- but is worth it**

Tomorrow's challenge: church potluck... guess who is bringing her own lunch? :)

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Day 3- Pizza Night....

Today was my third day of dieting. I started off strong today by trying a new breakfast recipe!

Breakfast:
The Greek Egg Scramble-
4 egg whites, Fat-Free Feta, Onions, Tomato, Salt, Pepper. Whisk together and cook :) very delicious


Now this afternoon was a little interesting- I had to do lunch on the road. I drove to Lockport today and left at 11ish- right before prime lunch time. I wasn't sure what to do- considering I hadn't cooked chicken or prepared anything ahead of time- so I followed the books advice. If you have to skip a meal- skip it. Instead I had some of my healthy snacks on the road.
Snacks:
2 apples
yogurt

These sorta acted as my lunch- and altho I was craving something a little less sweet I just sucked it up- it was one day.

Dinner presented a challenge today too- Friday is Pizza Night in my family- and I never eat pizza at school- so I always look forward to friday's at home. However I was dreading dinner time. I didn't know if a plate of veggies could make me happy while I watched everyone sink their teeth into pizza and wings.

Dinner:
seasoned chicken breast
generous salad

Turns out, once again, my dinner was wonderful. I used some simeon's seasoning on the chicken- and then used a family salad dressing recipe for my salad- lucky me that all the ingredients in it are diet approved! Either way I sat next to my sister eating dinner- and as she ate her pizza she looked over and said "that chicken looks amazing, I wish I was eating that." HAHA that was a triumphant diet success for me! I made someone envious of my delicious diet food.. while they were eating the food I was craving. Either way I ate every bite of my dinner and once I was eating it I really could have cared less about the pizza. :D these are wonderful signs!

Tonight my friend Ryan came over to hang out- and we were trying to find something to do. First drive-in, or ice cream, or stay home? We nixed the drive-in because it was getting too late- and lucky for me by the time he got here it was too late to get ice cream too. (my plan was to do frozen yogurt- but I am glad I didn't have to execute it).

Since I had already spent an hour fantasizing about whether or not I could eat frozen yogurt- I had a really massive craving for it. I had an idea and decided I would try freezing one of my yogurts- I had one serving left after all. So I looked up some helpful online advice and decided to put the yogurt in a tupperware container in the freezer- and to stir it about every 20 minutes. I left it in there for about 3 hours stirring it occasionally and it turned out so well!
The picture doesn't do it justice!

Today was very successful- I even drank all 8 of my waters! I feel fabulous! :) Now onto the next challenge... a graduation BBQ ... big challenge indeed! 

Friday, May 20, 2011

Day 2-the swing of things

yesterday was my second day- and I forgot to leave a post. Here was my day in food-

Breakfast:
2 eggs, pan fried
apple
green tea

Lunch:
Yogurt
Salad

Snacks:
yogurt
strawberries

Dinner:
green tea
Chicken with peppers/onions/mushrooms and a bit of fat-free cheddar
carrots and cucumbers on the side
Dinner was again, especially delicious! 
I almost drank all of my waters- made it to 7, I am pretty determined to do 8 from now on! 
Basically nothing new to report. I did go shopping today and bought tons of yummy healthy food- like the fat free cheese! And some more veggies and things to bolster up the meals. Does anyone know any healthy fish based recipes? I don't ever eat fish but I was considering trying it- any thoughts let me know. Also I bought ground turkey- sounds like an adventure to me. I watched one of my friends eat this amazing looking cookie and had to shield my eyes. haha oh the joys of dieting. I am really looking forward to the long term pay offs. 

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Day 1- Withdrawl Already?

Today was my first day of dieting, as many of you know who read my previous post. I woke up this morning with so much excitement to begin this journey of getting healthy. I have marked the days on my calendar for cycle 1 and am trying to decide what the best before and after outfit to use is.

Here is what I ate today:
Morning- Hot water with 1/2 Lemon
Breakfast- Apple and Yogurt, Green Tea
Lunch- Omelet with peppers, tomato and spinach.
Afternoon- Green Tea at Night and Day
Dinner- Chicken and peppers, salad. Oil used in cooking and on salad. Green Tea.
Snacks: Strawberries, yogurt.
The only thing I didn't do today is reach all of my water intake... tomorrow I will need to drink more earlier! I only made it to 6 glasses! 
Also I took 2 walks today and filled my exercise quota :)

To be perfectly honest I thought my excitement and fire for this new project would help me whip through the day, and it got me through the morning and almost all the way to my late lunch. The afternoon slump is when my stomach really started craving bread- and cheese- and pasta- and rice- and anything that I can't eat. I was feeling a little tired and hungry all afternoon but I treated myself later to a nice hearty dinner, which turned out to be extra delicious!
Turns out eating healthy can still taste good- it will just take more planning. :)The rest of the night was OK, but I know this is going to be hard. I look around and watch everyone eating ice cream or soda or pasta- or go to Night and Day and realize the only thing I can get is Green Tea. :/ I know I can do this- I just will really miss my carbs!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

17 is my favorite number!

Every year I reach a point where I feel fed up with myself. I feel fed up with my weight, with my health, with my exercising abilities, and I just get so sick of my jeans being too tight. I was on the look out for good ideas or programs that I could try to help me kick start some weight loss while remaining healthy.
I considered doing Weight Watchers again, as it had worked pretty well for me in the past- however it costs about $20 every month, which as a looking-for-employment-broke-college-kid I cannot afford. I recently saw my Aunt Sarah over my first week of summer break, and noticed that she looked particularly thin and healthy! I asked her how she managed to lose weight so well- and keep it off. This is when i heard of the 17 Day Diet. She explained a little of what it was but I was sold on the fact that she lost 15lbs in the first 17 days! I was thinking if I could lose 15lbs in roughly 2 weeks I would feel so much better about myself- and would be way more inspired to continue eating healthy and losing weight.
I ordered the book off amazon for $12 used and it certainly is like new. I read through the first 3 or 4 chapters yesterday and got a good grasp of how it works. His idea is 'anyone can do something for 17 days'.

Yes the diet is called the 17 day diet- however it isn't exactly only 17 days. It is completed in a total of 68 days- just over two months. The diet however is done in four 17 day cycles, and as far as I understand once you reach your goal weight you can skip right to step 4 maintenance. So if you don't have much to lose you may only need 2 of the cycles. I predict I will need all four.
The cycles are:
1. accelerate
2. activate
3. achieve
4. arrive

Each cycle is different and you can eat a different list of foods, to help you not get bored with the diet.

Today I am beginning cycle 1- accelerate. Accelerate is the "rapid weight loss portion which helps flush sugar and fat storage from your system."

Here is what I can eat each day:
Lean Proteins: unlimited
includes: Salmon, Sole, Flounder, Catfish, Tilapia, Canned light tuna, Chicken Breast, Turkey Breast, Ground Lean Turkey, Eggs( 2 Eggs= 1 serving) or Egg Whites (4 Egg Whites= 1 serving). 
Cleansing Veggies: unlimited
includes: Artichoke(hearts and leaves), Broccoli, Asparagus, Brussels Sprouts, Bell Peppers(all colors), Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Lettuce, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Mushrooms, Okra, Garlic, Onions, Green Beans, Parsley, Green Leafy Veggies, Scallions, Spinach, Tomatoes, Kale, Leeks, Watercress. 
Probiotic Foods: 2 servings
includes: Yogurt (greek, plain, sugar-free fruit flavored, and low fat), Kefir, Low-fat acidophilus milk, Yakult, Breakstone LiveActive Cottage Cheese, Reduced salt miso dissolved in low fat, low sodium broth, Tempeh, Sauerkraut, Kimchi.  
Low-Sugar Fruit: 2 servings
includes: Apples, Berries, Grapefruit, Oranges, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Prickly Pear Cactus, Prunes, Red Grapes. 
Friendly Fats: 2 servings
includes: Olive Oil and Flaxseed Oil.
Condiments: in moderation
includes: Salsa, low-carb marinara sauce, lite soy sauce, low-carb ketchup, fat-free sour cream, low-fat low soduim broth, Truvia (sugar sub.), sugar-free jam and jellies, vegetable cooking spray, fat-free cheeses(Parmesan), fat-free salad dressing, salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard, herbs and spices. 
Water: 8 servings a day (8oz)
does not include: teas, or coffees although they contain water. Green tea is the recommended beverage aside from water. 


It's true after looking at the list I have a lot of options for foods and there are several I need to research to figure out what they are or how you cook it. :) looks like a 17 day adventure to me.

The book also recommends at least two sessions of 17 minute workouts each day. They sell a DVD workout plan too, but in order to save money I am taking his suggestion of brisk walking, jogging, or running, and other cardio. 

If you are considering doing this diet I highly recommend buying the book used. It is cheap- and really jam packed with helpful dieting tips, sample menus options, recipes, and tons of really good health information presented in a way that "normal people" can comprehend.

Personal Info:
So I am just going to suck it up and tell the whole online world my personal information.
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 177 (I have a horribly inaccurate scale but it's the best I can do)
Bust: 41 1/2 in
Waist: 34 1/2 in
Hips: 44 in

Long Term Goal Weight: 130 (the book recommends 125 for my height- but I think 130 would be a good milestone!)

This means overall I have 47lbs to lose. 17 Day Diet here I come- I am expecting results!(obviously not 47lbs in 17 days though)
I will take a Before picture, and then every 17 days I will take a progress picture. Hopefully at the end I will look like a new person!

(Hopefully I will be able to post about my day everyday- or at least every other day... Stay tuned for thin Danielle!)