Past the Plateau

Cycle One is OVER- onto cycle 2

2011-04-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

I officially lost 8.4 pounds in 17 days. And a few inches. I am very excited for cycle 2. Enjoyed some oatmeal and hummus and a glass of wine today. That is a win-win-win :)

I don't know if I'll be writing as much for cycle 2. Maybe when I have a really great day or try a really great recipe.

Todays Meal Plan:
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Snack: Fruit
Lunch: Tuna
Snack: Veggies & Spinach & Artichoke hummus
Dinner: Spicy mexican chicken and "rice"

Recipes:
Spinach Artichoke Hummus : http://gimmesomeoven.com/spinach-artichoke-hummus/

For the chicken and rice I just grilled up some shredded chicken, pepperes, and onions, with ms. dash chipotle, lime juice, and and some garlic. Then to make the cauliflower rice
1. Cut up 1/2 cauliflower head stems and all
2. Put in processor or blender
3. Place in microwave safe bowl with a looselyfitted cover & cook for 2 minutes
5 In a non stick pan, spray with Pam and saute, stay nearby to watch and respray as needed. You can make this any flavor/variety you want. Garlic, mexican, indian, etc. I used the same seasonings as the chicken mixture, onion powder, & chili powder.

Combine the rice and chicken mixtures. I added a little bit of cheese and a dollop of sour cream and mixed together.

SO GOOD & Filling.

Day 17!

2011-04-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

Wow. I made it! Tomorrow I will weigh and measure. Can you feel the suspense?
Yesterday was bootcamp. Love the burn! I am really hoping I lost more inches then pounds since I've really been toning up. Today I am going shopping for a dress for an event this weekend and I can't wait :) I hope I can see some changes in my body (specifically my belly haha) But before that my husband and I are going to go on a bike ride to enjoy this beautiful weather :)

Meal Plan Tuesday:
Breakfast- Hard boiled eggs, coffee, 1/2 grape fruit
AM Snack- Smoothie
Lunch- Turkey, veggies
PM Snack- veggies
Dinner- Meatballs & green beans

Meal Plan Wednesday
Breakfast- Egg white omelet, coffee, 1/2 grape fruit
AM Snack- Grapes
Lunch- Salad
PM Snack- Veggies
Dinner- Haven't decided, either spicy Mexican chicken or cauliflower pizza.

The only changes to my diet I am making for cycle 2 is that i plan to eat oat meal for breakfast every other day, and I am going to have hummus with my veggies every other day. That is it. So it won't be so different, just more of the same.

It's the final countdown!

2011-04-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

It's the last week! I can hardly believe it. I will say, for this most part, this has been ridiculously easy. I am working 1/2 as hard and having way better results. On top of that, when working out, I feel so much better. My body feels so much better without all the processed junk in in. AKA I'm a happy girl :) I am excited for cycle 2. Wine, oatmeal, & hummus!

Meal Plan
-Breakfast: Egg white scramble & coffee
-AM Snack: Apple
-Lunch: Salmon & green beans
-PM Snack: Cottage cheese & peaches
-Dinner: Asian chicken salad

Busy weekend = no blogging

2011-04-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy but very exciting and productive weekend. Saturday my husband and I spent HOURS doing spring cleaning. I was a sweaty smelly mess so I'm counting it as my exercise for the day. haha. 4-6 hours of cleaning has to equate to more then 17 minutes of walking. Then I babysat- thrilling.

Saturdays Meal Plan
-Breakfast: Egg white scramble and fruit salad
-AM Snack: Apple
-Lunch: Ginger soy salmon and asparagus
-PM Snack: Cottage cheese
-Dinner: Turkey burgers and egg plant chips

Today was a great day! It was 80 degrees and so beautiful! I wore shorts and tank top and flip flops. Heaven <3 My husband and I slept in and then went on an 13 (yes I said 13) mile bike ride! I am not going to lie, by mile 9 i really started to feel the fatigue but I made it the full 13. Then we had a date night and went to see Aurthur. One of the best weekends in awhile :) Really enjoyable, relaxing, and productive.

Sunday Meal Plan
-Brunch: Mock "french toast", orange, and coffee
-Snack: Yogurt
-Dinner: Parmesan chicken with green beans

Mock French Toast
Now this is no where near the consistency of french toast- i do not want to mislead you, but it has the flavor. Nice way to get that sweetness and it is also packed with protein.
-Heat oven to 400 (I used a toaster oven)
-Mix 1/2 c yogurt, 2 eggs (preferably egg whites), sweetener-vanilla-& cinnamon to taste. (I also added some low carb syrup right into the mix)
- bake in a small square dish until golden brown and enjoy!

Pizza Night!

2011-04-08T18:11:00.000-07:00

Yeah, you heard me right. I said PIZZA NIGHT! Now don't get your panties in a bunch, but do get excited. Because it is legal! The crust is made of cauliflower! What an invention. With aunt flo in town it was JUST the treat I needed! I hope you try this, and love it like I did! Happy weekend everyone.

Cauliflower Pizza (makes a small pizza. about a 8 inch square for me)
Ingredients
-1/2 head of fresh cauliflower
-1/2 c egg whites
-Low fat or fat free mozzarella cheese.
-Garlic-minced (optional)
-Lowest carb marinara sauce you can find
-Toppings of of your choice!

Preheat oven to 450
Roughly chop 1/2 a head of fresh cauliflower
Place in blender or preferable food processor until finely chopped.
Place in a microwave safe bowl with some minced garlic (optional) and loosely cover. Microwave 3 minutes until soft.
Mix in 1/2 c egg whites and 1/3 c of cheese.
Spread mixture onto greased baking sheet (you can use pam or evoo if you need your healthy fat serving still)
Cook until it appears to be your desired texture and color.
Pull out, add sauce, cheese and toppings (I used spinach, turkey sausage crumbles, banana peppers, green peppers, and chopped onions. It was GREAT).

This is definitely going in my favorites file! I would eat this any cycle! Sometimes it feels good to feel "naughty"- especially if you aren't really! :)

7 Days Left :)

2011-04-07T11:14:00.000-07:00

Today is boot camp day again. I really love this class, especially since two friends do it with me. Ladies- I hope you can find some sort of class like this. It's all women, we listen to high intensity songs and do circuit training. I love, love, love it! It is SO nice out side again! I am hoping this sun sticks around (you never know here in Ohio!) My husband and i love riding bikes together.

Speaking of, I just wanted to take a special moment to give honorable mention to my better half. He has always been the kind of person who can eat whatever he wants and just does not gain a pound... EVER! He has eaten an entire bag of peanut butter cups in a weekend. I'm pretty sure I would be 1 if not 2 pant sizes bigger if I ever did that. haha. Since we started living together, he has really struggled with getting used to my cooking. I have always cooked healthy. Whole grains, fresh produce, low fat, etc. He is usually very picky, and when he doesn't complain he still makes a face like a little kid who you are forcing to eat their veggies or they can't have ice cream. Still 4 years later, he makes comments every time we go to the grocery like "I'm not eating that". Sometimes It is hard, but for the most part I'm used to it, and for the most part, he sucks it up and eats it since he can't cook. 0:)

However, I had a heart to heart with him before I started this diet and told him I just could NOT do this unless he was supportive. And he has been nothing but wonderfully supportive. He has yet to make one peep about how he misses his pasta or pizza. He still eats things sometimes that make it hard but he tries to stay away from me when he does :) I am very lucky to have such an understanding, supportive, and loving husband. I hope everyone else has a great support system too.

Today's Meal Plan
-Breakfast: Egg white omelet, fruit salad
-AM Snack: Iced Coffee
-Lunch: Turkey & veggies
-PM Snack: Yogurt & fruit
-Dinner: Lettuce wraps

Yay, tomorrow is Friday! Happy weekend everyone!

What a beautiful day!

2011-04-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

Today... is a beautiful day! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and I am loving my life on the 17 day diet.

I survived a lunch date at the mall. Temptation was every where and my friend had plenty of things that were no-nos, and I resisted. When I started to get hungry again I made a point to leave, just in case the hungry monster took over. I hope the rest of you are exercising just as strong will power.

I will say I am really excited for the next cycle. It will be nice to be able to make some more recipes and enjoy a few healthy carbs here and there. But I'm not there yet, so I'll try not get too far ahead of myself.

I am so sore from boot camp yesterday, but I am going to enjoy this wonderful day with my husband on a bike ride this after noon. <3

Today's Meal Plan

-Breakfast: Iced coffee & fruit salad

-Lunch: Chipotle (Chicken, veggies, tomato salsa, and lettuce)

-PM Snack: Yogurt and strawberry

-Dinner: Left over meat balls with eggplant "chips"

Eggplant Chips

First let me preface by saying that you should totally invest in a misto. I use this beautiful little baby all the time and I just love it! I also want to preface this with the fact that I was not blessed with the gift of patience. Some recipes I have seen take 2 hours on a low temperature- I just don't have that kind of time! So this is your recipe if you want a quicker (maybe not AS chip like- but will still hit the spot) kind of recipe.

-Preheat oven to 400

-First I lined a pan with foil because well- who likes doing unnecessary dishes? 0:)
-I used my misto to spray the foil and make a nice thin coating then you can add the seasonings you wish. I used garlic pepper and a little bit of spicy. You can really take this anywhere (salt & vinegar, bbq, if you can even find a low carb cheddar spice you could make your own Doritos!)
-Slice eggplant as thin as you can. I then sliced it into quarters- but you can do it however you like.
-Lay them down and gently rub into the spice/oil mixture.
-Repeat the original process for the top of the eggplant (oil + seasoning) be careful not to over season! We're talking a very light sprinkle here.

-Bake until the edges start to curl up (about 5 minutes) flip, and remove after another 5 or when they are to your crispy liking.

These are totally the definition of win-win. Fills that salty crispy void while still providing a serving of veggies. I hope you enjoy :)

Is there really only 8 days left?

2011-04-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

Wow, after today there is only 8 days left! I cannot believe it. Well, actually, I have a really hard time starting things mid week. I need sunday to shop and plan things out. So I will be extending the first cycle through sunday.

Today was better for me. I hope for everyone else too!

Meal Plan
-Breakfast: VEGGIE (Not turkey) sausage, and hard boiled egg whites.
-AM Snack: Smoothie
-Lunch: Left over tilapia (sans the lasagna filling since I discovered it was not on plan), peaches with cottage cheese
-PM Snack: Broccoli & Cauliflower
-Dinner: Turkey meatballs & Parmesan green beans.
This is really one of my favorites so far. It just tasted better every time. So good and filling :) See previous entry for recipe.

I'm excited for a lunch and shopping date with a good friend tomorrow. Hope everyone is having a good week. Stay positive!

Today Sucks

2011-04-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

Starting 2 hours before my alarm was supposed to go off- my day started on a bad note. My dog had an "accident" not but 15 minutes after my husband walked her before he left for work. Then when I finally fall back to sleep I wake up and our cat had puked all over our pillows! To top it off I have been backed up for two days, and was really hoping for some progress in that department this morning but no such luck. Also, with this PMS situation I didn't want to eat ANYTHING. For a good 2 hours I didn't eat anything. Then to top off my bad eating day, my boss asked me to stay an hour and a half late, and then I had to stop at the grocery store. So I didn't even get home until nearly 4.

The bad luck continues. Apparently my grocer stopped carrying my beloved walden farms! I have already checked 2 other groceries for wider selections and couldn't find it at either of those - so I guess I am going to have to start ordering it online. I am heart broken for sure. Then of course it starts POURING down rain on my way out. By the time I got to my house and brought the groceries in, I was literally dripping wet. Like I took a shower in my clothes. Hoping to shake off all this ho-hum from today and have a great tomorrow!

Today's "meal plan"
-Breakfast/AM Snack: Iced coffee, hard boiled eggs, orange
-Lunch/PM Snack: 2 Turkey dogs, Greek yogurt mixed with 1t cocoa poweder, 1t vanilla, 1t truvia, and a few slices of strawberries.
-Dinner: BBQ chicken salad

Hope everyone had a better today then I did, and a great week!

Sunday Funday (more like lazy day)

2011-04-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

Soooo yesterday didn't go quite as planned. That horrible terrible one eyed evil premenstrual monster arrived. So I had a terrible migraine. Tried to nap it off, and failed. Then I didn't feel like chipotle for dinner so we went out. I am very proud of myself for resiting all the temptations there, i even asked for no croutons on my salad! However today I feel super bloated which sucks. Between that PMM and the assumed salt in my food last night I might as well be able to lift off and float away! I only have to make it through one more weekend on this cycle! Hooray! Tomorrow starts a new week. Can't believe I lost 5 pounds this week without hardly trying.

Todays meal plan:
-Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs & fruit salad

-Lunch: Parmesan crusted tilapia & tomatoes on a bed of lasagna filling.

-Snack: Apple

-Dinner: Bqq chicken with steamed vegetables

Recipes

Lettuce Wraps

-Browned some chopped onions, pinch of red pepper, minced garlic, shredded carrots, and red bell peppers. Set Aside.

- Cook 1/2 pound of chicken and then cut into shreds.
- Mix it all together and add splashes of lime juice, ginger, and soy sauce.
- Spoon generously into whole iceberg lettuce leaves, roll up taco style & enjoy

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
-First make the base. I mixed 1/2 c cottage cheese, cooked spinach (amount depends on your preference), 1 can diced tomatoes, and 1/4 c tomato sauce. Heat just before oven is done and use about 1/2 of the mixture as a base for your meal on your plate.

-Slice 1-2 tomatoes horizontally.
-Mix 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese with 2 tsp paprika & 2 tsp parsley.

- Spray a coating of EVOO on sliced tomatoes and thawed tilapia fillets.
- Add the cheese mixture to both- coating the fish and just sprinkling the tomatoes.
-Cook on 350 for 10 minutes or until done. Enjoy!

I think I'll make that filling again with ground turkey. It would be yummy!

Have a good week!

Day 6 - Weekend Day 1

2011-04-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

So... bad news in lala land! Last night I read the rest of the book, about the other cycles.

Not sure if i addressed this, but this program is actually 3 differently "cycles" of 17 days- each increasing in liberation. Then after you have reached your "goal weight" it is followed a 4th program that you will ideally stay on indefinitely- forever- to help you maintain.

Anyway, In the literature for cycle one he gives you food lists. I had assumed they were suggestions, because in the text is says "try to avoid" such&such. It does not say at all costs! So I realized I had been eating some things not designed for this level of the program, and I only realized it because they are "introduced" in the later cycles. Oopsie poopsie! Things include: corn (as my doubt previously mentioned), kiwi, mango, avocado, turkey sausage, not sure if that is it but I can't think of anything else). I am still loosing a pound a day (yeah I weighed again this morning, I am weak I know), so I do not really feel the need to start omitting this stuff now. If my progress slows down before the next time I go grocery shopping I will. I just wanted to let anyone who might be following this rather then buying the book (I'm cheap too, I get it, but seriously you should buy the book!) know that you should not eat those things. NaughtyNaughty.

Anyway- today is filled with some excitement and some reservation. For one, I woke up way too early- and considering we have plans til real late (2am), a little part of me is wondering how I'm going to make it through. Maybe a nap will be involved? Hmmm.

Anyway, my husband and i are going on 2 dates! Yay! Our day date is the movies- do you know why I'm scared now? I cannot have even one single milk dud, nor a diet soda. This is going to be a doozey! Plus we all know my husband will Mr. Snackysnacker himself. Wompwomp. Oh well, I can do it! I might sneak in some fruit salad or something. But still- it won't last me long. Oh well. Then tonight we are going to chipotle and then bowling! (PS I'm counting this as my exercise, it's like 3 or so hours, so I think it counts for my 17 minute requirement). Tomorrow isn't a huge day so should be right back on track. Just have to get through today! I can do that. I can totally do that.... right.

Meal Plan
-Breakfast: Egg white omelet (with salsa, green peppers, onion, a little red fat cheese, and turkey sausage), ice coffee
-Snack: Fruit Salad
-Lunch: Asian Lettuce Wraps (post recipe later, probably tomorrow), apple
-Snack: Veggies
-Dinner: Chipotle (Chicken, fajita veggies, lettuce, salsa, and lime wedges)

Have a good weekend <3

Day 5, down 4 pounds!

2011-04-01T17:29:00.000-07:00

So, since I weigh in the morning I am technically down 4 pounds in four full days of the diet! A pound a day?!?! It seems too good to be true, just hoping I don't hit another plateau!

Not a whole lot of writing for me tonight! Had lots of drama because I got a flat tire and after that was taken care of my car wouldn't start! So after that I didn't feel like cooking at all, and since there aren't many (if ANY) carb free take out options I decided it was left overs night! I'm really trying to talk some of my other friends into this eating plan. It's the best pre-swimsuit season diet ever! haha

Meal Plan
-Breakfast: Coffee, 2 hard boiled eggs
-Snack: Smoothie
-Lunch: Leftover taco salad & 1/2 grapefruit
-Snack: Veggies
-Dinner: Left over meatballs & green beans

Tomorrow is Saturday and I am beyond nervous! I really don't wanna botch this! We will be out and about running errands and doing this and that so it will be harder I think. Although we already have chipotle planned for dinner (yum!) and I can totally eat there on the plan! (no beans or rice is all) HOORAY!

Also, I know some days I have forgotten to mention it but I have done a MINIMUM of 30 minutes of exercise every single day. Tues & Thurs I did 45 and today I did over an hour of walking with the boy I watch. Just so you know, you still have to do the work! :) <3

12 days left!

Day 4

2011-03-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today I feel great, I know it may all be in my head but I feel like I look a little slimmer. Tighter. Probably just the loss of water weight/bloating but I like it :) Tomorrow is the big weigh day. Any votes on how much you think I've lost? Oh wait, thats right, no one comments, oh well! I'm hoping for a 4 or 5. Maybe just 4, a pound a day is huge!

Today is better body bootcamp again grumblegrumblegrumble. Can you tell I'm not excited? It is actually a pretty enjoyable class usually. It's just really hard to get through with no energy, cause you know carbs:body fuel:automobile. It will be worth it in the end I'm sure.

No complicated recipes today!

Meal Plan
-Breakfast: Egg white omelet, 1 c fruit salad, Iced mocha <3 (once again I used a syrup from the Walden Farms line. Sugar, fat, calorie, and carb free!) Egg white omelet filling included chopped tricolored peppers, onion, turkey sausage, and 1/4 c low fat cheese. I couldn't even finish this meal it was filling, but it was sooo good I really wanted to. Now this meal has a TON of servings of EVERYthing this diet requires. 1-2 servings of protein, 1 serving fruit, 1 serving probiotic, 1 serving veggies! Basically it's a keeper.
-Snack: Apple
-Lunch: Left over salmon & asparagus from yesterday
-Snack: Greek Yogurt with truvia and cinnamon
-Dinner: Taco salad (sans the chips of course!)

After today it's the weekend, I am a littler apprehensive about that. You know the weekends is usually a more loose time during dieting. But I will be strong! Only 2 weeks left!

Day 3 & feeling good

2011-03-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

Today I slept in, and it was niiiiiiiiiice! Although, it has kind of messed up my eating schedule. Oh well. I don't have many thoughts today. I feel good, I feel full, I feel like I can do this. 17 days still feels long, but it feels more then doable.

-Breakfast: I made a smoothie for breakfast. 1 serving frozen fruit, 1 serving yogurt, and 1 c of ice green tea. It was good! :) You can use any type of frozen fruit you want as long as it is unsweetened.
-Lunch: For lunch I made my own recipe (and I highly recommend it!) Ginger-Soy Salmon & Asparagus
-Snack: Cottage cheese & peaches

-Dinner: Lettuce Wraps (I will post this recipe later after I try it with any tweaks)

Recipes

Ginger Soy Salmon
- 4 fillets of fresh salmon. No skins.
- Make a sauce by wiskings 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce, 1 large clove of garlic minced, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1-2 teaspoons of truvia, and just a splash of lime juice. Brush the mixture onto both sides of the fillets. You are more then welcome to let it marinade for 1 hour up to over night. I didn't have the time so I just threw it in the pan, and it was fine.

-Heat 1 tablespoon of EVOO in a large skillet, add the fillets. Cook about 3 minutes both sides. But just watch it, over cooked fish is no bueno!

I also brushed a little bit of the sauce onto the asparagus before broiling it. Nice touch if I do say so myself.

I'd love to know if anyone ever makes any of these recipes and what you think about them!

**End of the day update**

So I am a huge dummie and I forgot to thaw chicken for dinner tonight. What a do-do-bird. So instead I grilled up some turkey burgers (sans the buns obviously). Topped with low fat cheese, tomatoes, and grilled onions. I also grilled up some corn on the cob. Now I know, I know corn is carby. But in my defense, it isn't explicitly forbidden in the book so I am assuming it is allowed, within reason. Plus I was good all day and only had one snack so I say it's fine. :) 14 days to go! Can't wait to report scale progress on friday!

Day 2 - I think I can, I think I can

2011-03-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

Today started off great. I couldn't help but weigh. Self control isn't my strong suit (shut up- I know what you're thinking- how am I going to get through this with no self control?)

mindovermattermindovermattermindovermatter

Anyway, I'm officially -1.2 lbs. So that was a good start to the day. I had breakfast, packed my lunch, and went to work. I was full past my scheduled snack time! Another promising sign, until the dreaded 3 pm hunger pains kicked in, made worse by the endless boredom I was suffering from. I had already eaten my packed food, so I was just stuck. To add insult to injury I had my "better body bootcamp" looming over my head. (It's a camp my personal trainer does. If you're in the Columbus area I highly recommend you check her out here!) If I could barely get through 30 minutes of light/moderate cardio yesterday how in the hell was I going to 'power through' 45 minutes of high intensity circuit training today? Jesus take the wheel. But I made it through, a little light headed and nauseous, but no causalities overall.

Bottom line is- I made it through the day just fine. Hungrier then yesterday (probably my fault for packing only soup for lunch), but fine. I have yet to "crave" anything carb-y. If they are right in front of my face- it sucks. Let's be honest. But I've yet to just be sitting there thinking "God, I would kill for a sandwich"! Let's hope it doesn't hit me hard later on. Tomorrow is day 3! 15 days to go...

Today's Food Plan & Recipe
-Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 c fresh fruit salad, and my beloved ice coffee (really needed it today!)
-AM Snack: Greek yogurt with sugar free raspberry preserves mixed in.
-Lunch: Spicy vegetable soup & 1/2 grapefruit
-PM Snack: Broccoli & Cauliflower with ff Italian dressing
-Dinner: Buffalo chicken with celery

Can I just say dinner was SO good?! Wish I made more! The recipe again called for frying, and I just couldn't do it! It feels so wrong! So here is my tweaked modification. Also, see the amazing ranch I use here. No fat, carbs, sodium, calories, no nothing! Check your grocers health food aisle. Also- in finding this link, I discovered they now have a caramel sauce!

0 cal and carb caramel + ice coffee = <3

Buffalo Chicken

-Cut 1lb chicken into bite sizes or strips.
- Mix 3 tbls each of ranch and hot sauce. Marinate for at least an hour.
-Heat a small amount of olive oil or non cook spray. Sautee chicken strips (discard extra marinade). Simmer until cooked through.
-Serve with celery sticks and dipping ranch.

The 17 day diet- day 1

2011-03-28T04:47:00.000-07:00

So I woke up feeling SO READY to get this show on the road! Okay. Let's not pretend I'm not terrified of blowing this... carbs are the building blocks of my food pyramid just like everyone else, so I feel a little destined to fail at this cold turkey thing. But he book also says "Anyone cant do anything for 17 days". I'm not so sure I agree with that, I can think of plenty of things that I just could not do for 17 consecutive days, but we will pretend he is right, and I can indeed do this.

Last night I made 9 daily meal plans, I printed two copies so I have 18 days total. I mapped everything out and cut them into daily sheets, and then I went grocery shopping. I had to go to a separate store to get the special milk, annoying, but I'm glad I found it. Then I did a bunch of prep. I made pitchers of iced green tea and coffee, made fruit salad, measured out some snacks etc. So now each morning I just pick out a 'daily sheet' and I will know exactly what to eat all day and a lot of it will all ready be ready to go! Plan ahead or plan to fail right? Lets hope!

This morning I weighed myself. 182.2. I am pretty embarrassed to actually admit my number and I want all 3 of you who read this (haha) to know that I am only disclosing this with the full anticipation and trust that it will be very different in 17 days. I will weigh again Friday morning.

Today my diet will consist of:
-Breakfast: 4 egg whites, 2 turkey sausage links, and an iced coffee.
(I had planned a serving of fruit for breakfast too but I feel pretty content at the moment. So I'll push that to snack or lunch time).
-Lunch: Salad with grilled chicken and lots of veggies.
(I found this amazing gluten free ranch- no carbs! Hooray!)
-Dinner: Turkey meat balls with low carb pasta sauce with parmesan green beans. I will also eat two servings of fruit, and another of probiotic at some point.

After work I will work out out on the elliptical for 30 minutes. The book says I only need to do 17, but I just cant imagine only doing 17 minutes! Going from 60+ to 17... yeah right. We will see how it goes. I feel pretty good right now but there's a good 15 hours left in my day and then another 400 or so after that! So here goes nothing. Fingers crossed.

**End of the day update**

To sum up my day I have felt, queasy, light headed, tired, energized, hungry, & stuffed. Super straight forward right?

In the morning my stomach felt a little weird- I'm assuming because it isn't used to the probiotics. It wore off pretty quickly though. I got a little light headed after doing my work out, I'm guessing that is why they don't recommend too much exercise. I haven't really missed carbs per say. At least not as far as meal time goes. I didn't miss carbs from any of my 3 meals but I do miss them in the sense of snacks. I would have given anything for a granola bar at about 3 pm today! But alas I stayed strong and munched on some veggies instead.

Dinner was delicious! I found the recipe here, great resource if you're thinking of trying. I served the meat balls with fresh cut and cooked green beans sprinkled with a little bit of garlic salt & low fat parmesan cheese.

Turkey Meatballs
-Mix 1 lb ground turkey with .5-1 tsp each (to taste) of oregano, basil, garlic, parsley, 1 egg, 3 oz low carb tomato sauce, 1/4 cup low fat parmesan cheese and finely chopped onions. Shape into balls with generous rounded tablespoons. Should make about 24.
-Heat 2 TB EVOO in sear pan on med high heat.
- Add meat balls and sear about 2 minutes each side.

-Drizzle with more low carb tomato sauce and parmesean.

*Now I know it seems quite counter intuitive to be essentially "frying" up some food when you're on a "diet". It actually really bothered me. But you need to get in a serving of 'healthy' fat so this is how I'm doing it. To even lessen my fat intake though I laid them out on a paper towel covered plate rather then a bare plate.

Seriously, it was delicious- try it even if you're not on this diet. So that concludes day 1! I don't feel totally excited for the other 16, but I don't feel dreadful or defeated either. And I guess that is good enough for me. :)

So long carbs- It's been real!

2011-03-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

2008 was a big year for me. My best friend, aunt, and personal role model got married to her beautiful wife thanks to California’s brief moment of mercy on the LGBT community. It was the most beautiful and perfect ceremony in a gorgeous outdoor garden. The next month my boyfriend of 2.5 years proposed! When the pictures from my aunts wedding came in I was mortified. I mean don’t get me wrong no one here is trying to pretend that I haven’t struggled with weight my whole life. I know I’m not a little girl… but I didn’t realize I had gotten THAT big! (They say love makes you fat but jeeze- I mean is this really necessary?) The idea that I’m supposed to get married with THAT body though… WHAT a JOKE! There is NO way I was going to let that happen! So, I began my weight loss journey, in true chubby girl fashion … after the holidays.

I lost about 20 pounds on my own. The old fashioned way- no gimmicks. After that I found, via a bridal website, a personal trainer who did a “Bridal Bootcamp”. I had been wanting to switch up my work out routine and this seemed perfect! I lost another 20 pounds and an amazing 10 inches! The weight lifting really helped transform my body, really tightened everything up. So much so that when I went for my 2^nd to last fitting my dress was too big! My bodice was boned so there was no altering it- especially in the limited amount of time before the wedding. My seamstress actually scolded me and told me I better go home and “eat some ice cream!” So needless to say I tried to just maintain my 40 pound weight loss.

The rest of my story is nothing but yo-yos and plateaus! We went to Vegas for my bachelorette party (best experience EVER!) so that was a setback. Alcohol is never a good thing on a diet. Then we went to Mexico on our honeymoon and of course my weight was the last thing on my mind. All that was on my mind was champagne, good food, and relaxing with my brand new hubby! By the end of all this I was probably 10 pounds up again. I got back on track and lost the 10 pounds again. Then things went south with my job. It was beyond terrible. I was so stressed and was having mental and emotional break downs every other day. Eventually I quit, and was then fired in a big dramatic loud emotional drawn out ridiculous show. After that I spiraled downward again (what a train wreck- I know). I went up a good 10 pounds again. This brings us back to the holidays! So again, after the holiday season, I buckled down again with every intention of achieving success!

This brings us to now. I worked off those 10 pounds easy in about 2 months. Ever since then the scale will NOT move! I assumed I had reached a plateau, so I more than doubled my exercise. I did weight training twice a week, cycling or running for an hour 2-4 days a week, or a combo in the gym of cycling, running, and elliptical. 1500 calories a day and NO alcohol *which was really hard for me*. So I waited, and worked hard, for over a month, and still ZERO, NOTHING, NADA, ZILCH! I am so frustrated I could pull my hair out. It’s not like I don’t have plenty more to lose! I could easily lose another 30+ pounds and still not look anorexic.

So... I’m going out on a limb and trying something dramatic. I have never in my life tried any fad diets, read any diet books, or gone for the easy way out. But my trainer told me about the 17 day diet. I know that I have a very close, intimate, and committed relationship with carbs- and that needs to change. I will have a HUGE learning curve to adjust that relationship, but I need to shock my body and wake it up! I need to do something different because I’m so stuck in a rut! So this is my journey through the trials of this 17 day diet! I will post the recipes I use and I will report my progress on the scale every 4 days, except for the last measure which will be 5 days.

I start tomorrow, here we go, wish me luck!