Day 41... 23.8 to go (down 16 lbs)
Same as it ever was... I've now spent one full week at the same weight. Not up, not down... just the same. I had a long, hard look at last week today, and realized that I only had 2 workouts, and that's 3 down from my norm. So perhpas I'm not actually plateau-ed as much as just not quite on my game.
Tomorrow is the end of the 6-week period I committed to for this change. I'm going to keep going. I feel healthier than I have in a long time, and even though I'm sure I'll be lucky to lose even a 1/2 lb a week moving forward, I have a great start. :)
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Day 35
5 weeks... 23.8 to go; down 16 lbs. :-)
I've had a strange eating day -- Garlic & Herb Couscous with fresh corn, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms for breakfast and lunch. I ate the entire batch I cooked (must've been hungrier than I thought).
For dinner, I"m going to have a salad -- I feel the need, the need for green.
I've had a strange eating day -- Garlic & Herb Couscous with fresh corn, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms for breakfast and lunch. I ate the entire batch I cooked (must've been hungrier than I thought).
For dinner, I"m going to have a salad -- I feel the need, the need for green.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Day 34 -- 25.4 to go (down 14.4 lbs)
Almost five weeks in, and continuing to make slow and steady progress.
Two things I learned this week:
1 - my period is entirely different on this diet. I'll spare the gorry details, but far, far easier.
2 - my workouts really are quite impactful. While I started today down 14.4 lbs, after eating breakfast (oatmeal and a fresh peach) and then spending an hour with Michael & Company, when I jumped on the scale post-workout, I was down 15.4. And that's with soaking wet hair!
Two things I learned this week:
1 - my period is entirely different on this diet. I'll spare the gorry details, but far, far easier.
2 - my workouts really are quite impactful. While I started today down 14.4 lbs, after eating breakfast (oatmeal and a fresh peach) and then spending an hour with Michael & Company, when I jumped on the scale post-workout, I was down 15.4. And that's with soaking wet hair!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The Last Heart Attack
Day 28. 26.6 to go (down 13.2 lbs)
Yesterday I spent the day on Vashon Island, with the O'Shea-Millinovich family and their assorted friends. It was a great day, beautiful, peaceful and warm out on the water. Of course, gatherings with my neighborhood crew typically include an absolutely alarming amount of food, and despite Megan's pleas to keep it to a minimum, the meat offerings included: 2 different kinds of sausages, 2 different kinds of steaks, 2 racks of ribs, fresh salmon steaks, and hot dogs. There were 10 of us out at the cabin. 10 of us, and I'm not eating meat.
We also had appetizers and compliments to the meal, including hummus & crackers & carrots, strawberries & peaches, guacamole with corn chips, and bruschetta. I did fully enjoy the fresh guac, and the tomato conconction that went with the bruschetta was also very good (sans bread).
I brought 2 portobello mushrooms that were delicious cooked on the grill, and a giant bowl of brown rice. :)
Among the group yesterday was Megan's spin class instructor. When I turned down M&M's and various other snacky foods, mentioning that I'm following a vegan, no gluten, no refined sugar diet -- she actually walked out of the cabin, saying over her shoulder, "I can't even listen to this. I'm a professional in the industry and what you're doing is not sustainable." To say I was shocked is an understatement.
Why does everyone in the world think they're an expert on EVERYTHING? I am a gracious enough guest to not have an argument about the merits verses detriments of a vegan diet, particularly with someone who is so quickly irritated by the mention of it. But to say it didn't bug me is absolutely untrue.
Tonight I caught a piece on CNN with Dr. Sanjay Gupta called, "The Last Heart Attack." Among the things the piece espouses is a diet not dissimilar to the one I'm currently on... advocated by Dean Ornish (highlighted in the piece), who wrote the book several years ago called, "Reversing Heart Disease."
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/25/becoming-heart-attack-proof/
One of the subjects of the piece is President Clinton, who after having a quadruple bypass heart surgury went on to have a stent put in (not uncommon in cardiac patients) and experienced significant lethargy as he went about his rather hectic schedule post-Presidency. After Ornish reached out to him to say that whatever he was doing clearly wasn't working, Clinton adopted his vegan-based diet 2 years ago. He allows himself "one bite" of turkey on Thanksgiving, but is otherwise completely vegan now (with very little oil as well).
Clinton has lost 24 lbs since adopting the diet, while maintaining his excercise regimen.
So I thought it was very interesting for numerous reasons, but the thing that stuck with me most? Sub-Sarahan African culture follows a vegan diet... and heart disease is virtually non-existent in their culture. I think that's amazing.
And not to further incent Megan's instructor, but clearly they (and President Clinton, and Dean Ornish, and tens of thousands of other people) are able to sustain it just fine, thank you very much.
Yesterday I spent the day on Vashon Island, with the O'Shea-Millinovich family and their assorted friends. It was a great day, beautiful, peaceful and warm out on the water. Of course, gatherings with my neighborhood crew typically include an absolutely alarming amount of food, and despite Megan's pleas to keep it to a minimum, the meat offerings included: 2 different kinds of sausages, 2 different kinds of steaks, 2 racks of ribs, fresh salmon steaks, and hot dogs. There were 10 of us out at the cabin. 10 of us, and I'm not eating meat.
We also had appetizers and compliments to the meal, including hummus & crackers & carrots, strawberries & peaches, guacamole with corn chips, and bruschetta. I did fully enjoy the fresh guac, and the tomato conconction that went with the bruschetta was also very good (sans bread).
I brought 2 portobello mushrooms that were delicious cooked on the grill, and a giant bowl of brown rice. :)
Among the group yesterday was Megan's spin class instructor. When I turned down M&M's and various other snacky foods, mentioning that I'm following a vegan, no gluten, no refined sugar diet -- she actually walked out of the cabin, saying over her shoulder, "I can't even listen to this. I'm a professional in the industry and what you're doing is not sustainable." To say I was shocked is an understatement.
Why does everyone in the world think they're an expert on EVERYTHING? I am a gracious enough guest to not have an argument about the merits verses detriments of a vegan diet, particularly with someone who is so quickly irritated by the mention of it. But to say it didn't bug me is absolutely untrue.
Tonight I caught a piece on CNN with Dr. Sanjay Gupta called, "The Last Heart Attack." Among the things the piece espouses is a diet not dissimilar to the one I'm currently on... advocated by Dean Ornish (highlighted in the piece), who wrote the book several years ago called, "Reversing Heart Disease."
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/25/becoming-heart-attack-proof/
One of the subjects of the piece is President Clinton, who after having a quadruple bypass heart surgury went on to have a stent put in (not uncommon in cardiac patients) and experienced significant lethargy as he went about his rather hectic schedule post-Presidency. After Ornish reached out to him to say that whatever he was doing clearly wasn't working, Clinton adopted his vegan-based diet 2 years ago. He allows himself "one bite" of turkey on Thanksgiving, but is otherwise completely vegan now (with very little oil as well).
Clinton has lost 24 lbs since adopting the diet, while maintaining his excercise regimen.
So I thought it was very interesting for numerous reasons, but the thing that stuck with me most? Sub-Sarahan African culture follows a vegan diet... and heart disease is virtually non-existent in their culture. I think that's amazing.
And not to further incent Megan's instructor, but clearly they (and President Clinton, and Dean Ornish, and tens of thousands of other people) are able to sustain it just fine, thank you very much.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
More of the Same
Day 25. 28 to go (still).
Yesterday I was up 1.2 lbs (salt). Today I'm back to my low (so far). I've learned that salt and sugar are really NOT my friends. Salt seems to cause me to hang on to EVERYTHING I eat, even though what I'm eating is well within the bounds of this diet; sugar meakes my stomach hurt -- even when it's natural sugar (like the gluten-free, vegan cookie I had this afternoon).
I'm also trying to kick the diet coke habit... I wish I didn't love the fizzy stuff so much. I'm down to no more than 1 can per day. I think once I make it to the end of week 6, that will be next off the list.
If I lose a lb a week between now and the end of the year, I'll be within 10 lbs of my goal weight.
Yesterday I was up 1.2 lbs (salt). Today I'm back to my low (so far). I've learned that salt and sugar are really NOT my friends. Salt seems to cause me to hang on to EVERYTHING I eat, even though what I'm eating is well within the bounds of this diet; sugar meakes my stomach hurt -- even when it's natural sugar (like the gluten-free, vegan cookie I had this afternoon).
I'm also trying to kick the diet coke habit... I wish I didn't love the fizzy stuff so much. I'm down to no more than 1 can per day. I think once I make it to the end of week 6, that will be next off the list.
If I lose a lb a week between now and the end of the year, I'll be within 10 lbs of my goal weight.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
3 Week Checkup
Day 23 - 28 to go (down 11.8 lbs)
The scale was kind to me post-Texas. I'm down 1.2 lbs from Saturday.
I've had a strange eating day. I ate dry corn chex for breakfast; lunch was Pad See Ew with mixed vegetables (and no egg); I had french fries with Tara at our meeting this afternoon; and brown rice with hummus and cherry tomatoes for dinner. Not sure how all of that will affect the scale tomorrow -- my stomach was not happy post-french fries, though.
The scale was kind to me post-Texas. I'm down 1.2 lbs from Saturday.
I've had a strange eating day. I ate dry corn chex for breakfast; lunch was Pad See Ew with mixed vegetables (and no egg); I had french fries with Tara at our meeting this afternoon; and brown rice with hummus and cherry tomatoes for dinner. Not sure how all of that will affect the scale tomorrow -- my stomach was not happy post-french fries, though.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Being a Vegan in Texas
I'm sitting in George Bush International Airport in Houston, on my way home from Austin. I've had an interesting food weekend, including 2 "cheats" while I was away.
When I travelled in on Saturday morning, I managed to find vegan, no-gluten, no refined sugar energy bars in the magazine shop at the airport. Who knew? That and a banana were breakfast. I had a very bland spinach salad at the airport in Denver for lunch, and an avacado with tomato when I finally got to Mike's house.
The dinner party at Mike and Ben's house was really, really fun... and I managed to NOT eat any of the food cooked on teh grill. I had a huge, delicious salad. But then the wheels fell off the cart. Ben had bought a giant carrot cake for the evening, and after watching EVERYONE else eat it, I also had a piece. A Texas-sized piece (although my state of Texas was half the size they were serving up for everyone else). I love carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, it was truly outstanding.
What I found interesting, though, is that I woke up with an absolutely horrendous headache on Sunday morning. Absolutely head-splitting. I read in the Alicia Silverstone book that it can be an offshoot of eating sugary food after abstaining for a while... really? It's only been 3 weeks! I will definitely put me off sugar for a while though.
We spent Sunday morning on the Lake waterskiing. I had a peach for breakfast, and was starving by the time we made it to fabulous Tex-Mex for lunch. I indulged in chips & salsa (how could I have known that tortilla chips do not have gluten?) and a corn flour tortilla stuffed with roasted mushrooms and red peppers. Delicious. And on-diet!
I met Scott and Renee at her storage place in the afternoon, and hoofed boxes and bags up 2 flights of stairs in 107 degree heat. I have NEVER sweated like I did yesterday afternoon - not even in my most difficult workouts with Michael. Renee's dorm room is small and cozy, and she is in love with it. I think Scott wishes it was bigger - he's worried about how she's going to fit all of her things in. Renee was confident, though, and happy to be getting settled in. She truly LOVES school.
We went to her favorite sushi place for an early dinner, where Renee and I shared a bowl of edenmame and 3 roles. The roles had tuna, white rice and spicy mayo... none of which is on my diet. And my stomach really, really, really hurt for a while post-dinner. We walked all over campus so that Renee could show me her school -- such a beautiful campus. More sweating, and then I was off for the night.
This morning at the airport I'm back on track. I had another vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar free energy bar with a banana for breakfast. I had steamed veggies and rice noodles for lunch, and am not happily sipping away on an all-fruit smoothy while I wait for my flight to Seattle.
I'm anxious to see how this weekend affects the scale... but will have to wait to the morning to find out. 3 weeks down; 3 to go... though truthfully I'm already feeling like I'll stay with this beyond the 6-weeks I committed to. I just feel that good. :)
When I travelled in on Saturday morning, I managed to find vegan, no-gluten, no refined sugar energy bars in the magazine shop at the airport. Who knew? That and a banana were breakfast. I had a very bland spinach salad at the airport in Denver for lunch, and an avacado with tomato when I finally got to Mike's house.
The dinner party at Mike and Ben's house was really, really fun... and I managed to NOT eat any of the food cooked on teh grill. I had a huge, delicious salad. But then the wheels fell off the cart. Ben had bought a giant carrot cake for the evening, and after watching EVERYONE else eat it, I also had a piece. A Texas-sized piece (although my state of Texas was half the size they were serving up for everyone else). I love carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, it was truly outstanding.
What I found interesting, though, is that I woke up with an absolutely horrendous headache on Sunday morning. Absolutely head-splitting. I read in the Alicia Silverstone book that it can be an offshoot of eating sugary food after abstaining for a while... really? It's only been 3 weeks! I will definitely put me off sugar for a while though.
We spent Sunday morning on the Lake waterskiing. I had a peach for breakfast, and was starving by the time we made it to fabulous Tex-Mex for lunch. I indulged in chips & salsa (how could I have known that tortilla chips do not have gluten?) and a corn flour tortilla stuffed with roasted mushrooms and red peppers. Delicious. And on-diet!
I met Scott and Renee at her storage place in the afternoon, and hoofed boxes and bags up 2 flights of stairs in 107 degree heat. I have NEVER sweated like I did yesterday afternoon - not even in my most difficult workouts with Michael. Renee's dorm room is small and cozy, and she is in love with it. I think Scott wishes it was bigger - he's worried about how she's going to fit all of her things in. Renee was confident, though, and happy to be getting settled in. She truly LOVES school.
We went to her favorite sushi place for an early dinner, where Renee and I shared a bowl of edenmame and 3 roles. The roles had tuna, white rice and spicy mayo... none of which is on my diet. And my stomach really, really, really hurt for a while post-dinner. We walked all over campus so that Renee could show me her school -- such a beautiful campus. More sweating, and then I was off for the night.
This morning at the airport I'm back on track. I had another vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar free energy bar with a banana for breakfast. I had steamed veggies and rice noodles for lunch, and am not happily sipping away on an all-fruit smoothy while I wait for my flight to Seattle.
I'm anxious to see how this weekend affects the scale... but will have to wait to the morning to find out. 3 weeks down; 3 to go... though truthfully I'm already feeling like I'll stay with this beyond the 6-weeks I committed to. I just feel that good. :)
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Steady State
Day 18 - 29.2 to go (down 10.6 lbs)
Under the 10lb mark! Perhaps my weekend in the Texas heat will help me sweat it down a bit further. :)
Under the 10lb mark! Perhaps my weekend in the Texas heat will help me sweat it down a bit further. :)
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Cravings
Day 17 - 30.2 to go (down 9.6)
I fully intended to crave sugar, bread and cheese - and discovered tonight that I'm craving completely other things. Tonight, post-workout, for example -- the only thing I wanted was tomatos and avacado. It's a strange dinner, and yet I am completely sated.
Breakfast today was also odd... I forgot to take it with me, so I had carrot sticks and hummus that I had in the fridge at work.
Lunch -- Thai food. The King & I was so accommodating: rice noodles with steamed veggies in veggie broth. It had tons of garlic, and was absolutely delicious. I think the rice noodles were processed rather than brown-rice, but I'm gonna let that one slide for the day.
Hoping to be under 30 lbs to go by tomorrow morning. :)
I fully intended to crave sugar, bread and cheese - and discovered tonight that I'm craving completely other things. Tonight, post-workout, for example -- the only thing I wanted was tomatos and avacado. It's a strange dinner, and yet I am completely sated.
Breakfast today was also odd... I forgot to take it with me, so I had carrot sticks and hummus that I had in the fridge at work.
Lunch -- Thai food. The King & I was so accommodating: rice noodles with steamed veggies in veggie broth. It had tons of garlic, and was absolutely delicious. I think the rice noodles were processed rather than brown-rice, but I'm gonna let that one slide for the day.
Hoping to be under 30 lbs to go by tomorrow morning. :)
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Salt
Day 16. 32 lbs to go (down 7.8 overall / up 2 since yesterday)
Salt may be the death of me yet. Limited it today; hope to see a scale recovery tomorrow.
Salt may be the death of me yet. Limited it today; hope to see a scale recovery tomorrow.
Monday, August 15, 2011
A Fortnight
Day 15. 30 lbs to go (9.8 down)
I had hoped to be down an even 10 lbs at the end of 2 weeks, but am happy that the scale's still heading in the direction I want it to.
Breakfast was a banana and a V8. I also ate part of the lunch I brought -- leftover quinua pasta with tomatoes and mushrooms. I learned today that I should cook Quinua pasta a bit longer so that when eaten cold it's not so crunchy. It was perfect when still warm, though.
Also learned that I cannot even consider eating Ramen, no matter how fancy the container and label that comes with it. I threw it away at lunch... just WAY too salty. Lunch was instead four brown rice cakes, with peanut butter and a V8. Not my finest culinary experience.
Dinner was the rest of the leftover pasta, with an avacado. Avacado makes EVERYTHING taste better.
Now I'm off to the gym... hopefully Michael will go (relatively) easy on me. :-)
I had hoped to be down an even 10 lbs at the end of 2 weeks, but am happy that the scale's still heading in the direction I want it to.
Breakfast was a banana and a V8. I also ate part of the lunch I brought -- leftover quinua pasta with tomatoes and mushrooms. I learned today that I should cook Quinua pasta a bit longer so that when eaten cold it's not so crunchy. It was perfect when still warm, though.
Also learned that I cannot even consider eating Ramen, no matter how fancy the container and label that comes with it. I threw it away at lunch... just WAY too salty. Lunch was instead four brown rice cakes, with peanut butter and a V8. Not my finest culinary experience.
Dinner was the rest of the leftover pasta, with an avacado. Avacado makes EVERYTHING taste better.
Now I'm off to the gym... hopefully Michael will go (relatively) easy on me. :-)
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Fridge Makeover
Day 14 - 30.2 to go; Down 9.6 lbs
I discovered that the QFC in UVillage has an entire aisle dedicated to gluten-free food today. While a good bit of it is chock full o' sugar (and therefore off limits for me)... I did manage to find 3 different kinds of brown rice pasta and a marinara sauce without any sugar. I'm getting better at spending enough time in the store to actually read labels and find things that work for this type of diet.
I was struck with something when I got home: my refrigerator and pantry look entirely different -- just in the space of 2 weeks. The fridge is full of fresh foods -- fruits, veggies, and containers of food that I actually cooked at home. When the O'Shea-Milinovich's return from Orcas Island, I'm going to take them all of things that remain that are off limits to me now. While I'm not tempted by any of them, I also don't want to be wasteful and see things spoil that could have been used.
The pantry is also different -- but needs a bit more work in terms of getting rid of the things that I will no longer eat. Those too can find a home with the neighbors.
One more thing I've figured out: low-sodium popcorn still has too much salt in it to eat it late at night and not have it have an impact on my weight the next day. While I'm excited that I can no longer plow through an entire bag of it (in fact, I've been working on this one bag since a week ago Friday), it's something that doesn't necessarily make my body happy.
So today...
Breakfast -- Rice flour bagel with peanut butter.
Lunch -- brown rice, hummus & avacado
Dinner -- portabello mushroom on the grill, with fresh veggies & rice flour pasta.
Yummy!
I discovered that the QFC in UVillage has an entire aisle dedicated to gluten-free food today. While a good bit of it is chock full o' sugar (and therefore off limits for me)... I did manage to find 3 different kinds of brown rice pasta and a marinara sauce without any sugar. I'm getting better at spending enough time in the store to actually read labels and find things that work for this type of diet.
I was struck with something when I got home: my refrigerator and pantry look entirely different -- just in the space of 2 weeks. The fridge is full of fresh foods -- fruits, veggies, and containers of food that I actually cooked at home. When the O'Shea-Milinovich's return from Orcas Island, I'm going to take them all of things that remain that are off limits to me now. While I'm not tempted by any of them, I also don't want to be wasteful and see things spoil that could have been used.
The pantry is also different -- but needs a bit more work in terms of getting rid of the things that I will no longer eat. Those too can find a home with the neighbors.
One more thing I've figured out: low-sodium popcorn still has too much salt in it to eat it late at night and not have it have an impact on my weight the next day. While I'm excited that I can no longer plow through an entire bag of it (in fact, I've been working on this one bag since a week ago Friday), it's something that doesn't necessarily make my body happy.
So today...
Breakfast -- Rice flour bagel with peanut butter.
Lunch -- brown rice, hummus & avacado
Dinner -- portabello mushroom on the grill, with fresh veggies & rice flour pasta.
Yummy!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Back on Track
Day 12: 31 to go (down 8.8)
Everything readjusted this morning, and I'm back on track. Is it wrong that my goal is to see that I'm down a full 10 lbs on Monday morning (2 weeks into this)? I'm losing around .4 per day this week -- so it probably *is* unrealistic... but a girl can hope.
Breakfast - homemade granola (oh so good!)
Lunch - brown rice & veggies in peanut sauce. I literally sort of cleaned the sauce off each vegetable before eating them. Thai food was probably a poor choice.
Dinner - 1 cup of brown rice, 1/2 cup of roasted corn, 1/4 of a sweet potato, and 1/8 cup of hummus.
I'm still amazed at how FULL I am all the time eating this way. I know it's the fiber, but I'm literally stunned when I find I can't finish 1/4 of a sweet potato because I'm too full. I've also now moved over to eating off of the anique Lennox china. The British plate size is literally a bit smaller than the salad plates from the dishes I bought out of college.
Everything readjusted this morning, and I'm back on track. Is it wrong that my goal is to see that I'm down a full 10 lbs on Monday morning (2 weeks into this)? I'm losing around .4 per day this week -- so it probably *is* unrealistic... but a girl can hope.
Breakfast - homemade granola (oh so good!)
Lunch - brown rice & veggies in peanut sauce. I literally sort of cleaned the sauce off each vegetable before eating them. Thai food was probably a poor choice.
Dinner - 1 cup of brown rice, 1/2 cup of roasted corn, 1/4 of a sweet potato, and 1/8 cup of hummus.
I'm still amazed at how FULL I am all the time eating this way. I know it's the fiber, but I'm literally stunned when I find I can't finish 1/4 of a sweet potato because I'm too full. I've also now moved over to eating off of the anique Lennox china. The British plate size is literally a bit smaller than the salad plates from the dishes I bought out of college.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
2 Steps Up; 1 Step Back
Day 9: 31.8 to go (down 8 lbs)
Day 10: 34 to go (down 5.8 lbs)
Last night I ventured out with friends for Italian food. I was VERY pleasantly surprised that they had several things on the menu that work with my no meat, no dairy, no gluten, no refined sugar self. So I had their fresh roasted corn & cherry tomato salad (no dressing on it, and it was DELICIOUS) and their rice flour pasta with cherry tomatoes adn calamata olives. Honestly, it was fabulous.
So the good news is that I stayed on plan; the bad news was the scale this morning -- by which I completely mortified. I think there were 3 things working against me: we ate dinner sometime close to 9:30 or 10:00pm (I never eat that late); the main course while on plan was chock full o' salt; and I ended up getting only about 4.5 hours of sleep. I fully suspect that tomorrow the scale will show that I'm back down again.
But just in case, I've spent today trying to correct course.
I had oatmeal with sliced almonds for breakfast, and a banana.
After meeting with my boss for my 1:1 meeting, I dropped my car off for service and walked home (1.5 miles).
For lunch I had a cup of leftover brown rice and 2 cups of leftover vegetable stew from the weekend.
I waled back to the service place this afternoon (1.5 miles) to pick up my car, and drove it straight to the gym for 35 minutes of cardio. It must have worked, because I came home completely drenched.
For dinner, I'm going to fire up the grill again and roast a bunch of veggies that I picked up this week: white corn, yams, red & yellow peppers, and whatever else is in there. I'm finding that if I cook up a lot -- and make a giant pot of brown rice, I eat it pretty consistently throughout the week and don't have to worry about it later.
Fingers crossed that tomorrow the scale heads down again.
Day 10: 34 to go (down 5.8 lbs)
Last night I ventured out with friends for Italian food. I was VERY pleasantly surprised that they had several things on the menu that work with my no meat, no dairy, no gluten, no refined sugar self. So I had their fresh roasted corn & cherry tomato salad (no dressing on it, and it was DELICIOUS) and their rice flour pasta with cherry tomatoes adn calamata olives. Honestly, it was fabulous.
So the good news is that I stayed on plan; the bad news was the scale this morning -- by which I completely mortified. I think there were 3 things working against me: we ate dinner sometime close to 9:30 or 10:00pm (I never eat that late); the main course while on plan was chock full o' salt; and I ended up getting only about 4.5 hours of sleep. I fully suspect that tomorrow the scale will show that I'm back down again.
But just in case, I've spent today trying to correct course.
I had oatmeal with sliced almonds for breakfast, and a banana.
After meeting with my boss for my 1:1 meeting, I dropped my car off for service and walked home (1.5 miles).
For lunch I had a cup of leftover brown rice and 2 cups of leftover vegetable stew from the weekend.
I waled back to the service place this afternoon (1.5 miles) to pick up my car, and drove it straight to the gym for 35 minutes of cardio. It must have worked, because I came home completely drenched.
For dinner, I'm going to fire up the grill again and roast a bunch of veggies that I picked up this week: white corn, yams, red & yellow peppers, and whatever else is in there. I'm finding that if I cook up a lot -- and make a giant pot of brown rice, I eat it pretty consistently throughout the week and don't have to worry about it later.
Fingers crossed that tomorrow the scale heads down again.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Slowing Progress & Baggy Pants
Day 8 - 32.4 lbs to go (down 7.4)
Is feels inevitable and yet disappointing that the progress appears to have slowed this morning. Only .2 down from yesterday, and yet... I do understand that I'm still headed in the right direction, and that during this experiment I'm likely to have days -- even perhaps strung together -- when I will not lose anything at all (and God forbid, perhaps could even gain an ounce or two here and there).
I ate lunch at Purple Cafe, which I love, love, love... and when they didn't have anything I could eat I cobbled together a salad for lunch with bits and pieces of different offerings. It was quite yummy.
An apple with peanut butter for a mid-afternoon snack.
Veggie, brown-rice sushi for dinner and a banana... and I'm good for the night. Fully sated.
On the clothing front, I get less puffy with every day that passes. I wore my (relatively) new black capri trousers to work today. I was able to put them on without unbuttoning or unzipping them, and by the time I'd driven to work they were quite baggy. I'm going to try putting them in the dryer after the next wash to see if they'll shrink up a bit... definitely not sad about it, though, if they have to shuflfe off to GoodWill.
Is feels inevitable and yet disappointing that the progress appears to have slowed this morning. Only .2 down from yesterday, and yet... I do understand that I'm still headed in the right direction, and that during this experiment I'm likely to have days -- even perhaps strung together -- when I will not lose anything at all (and God forbid, perhaps could even gain an ounce or two here and there).
I ate lunch at Purple Cafe, which I love, love, love... and when they didn't have anything I could eat I cobbled together a salad for lunch with bits and pieces of different offerings. It was quite yummy.
An apple with peanut butter for a mid-afternoon snack.
Veggie, brown-rice sushi for dinner and a banana... and I'm good for the night. Fully sated.
On the clothing front, I get less puffy with every day that passes. I wore my (relatively) new black capri trousers to work today. I was able to put them on without unbuttoning or unzipping them, and by the time I'd driven to work they were quite baggy. I'm going to try putting them in the dryer after the next wash to see if they'll shrink up a bit... definitely not sad about it, though, if they have to shuflfe off to GoodWill.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Week 2
Day 8 - 32.6 to go (7.2 down)
Seems like it's working.
Tonight after my workout I had a rice-flour bagel with peanut butter. Honestly? It was like very dry toast with peanut butter. I enjoyed every bite.
Seems like it's working.
Tonight after my workout I had a rice-flour bagel with peanut butter. Honestly? It was like very dry toast with peanut butter. I enjoyed every bite.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Day 6
Day 6. 33.2 lbs to go (down 6.6)
Breakfast out with my friend Jessica this morning. And while I really, really, really wanted the french toast with fresh apricots, I had steel cut oats with 1/2 and apple and 1/2 a banana. The french toast looked and smelled AMAZING, though.
I snacked throughout the day (some rice with hummus, an apple, a peach) and also ate the last 7/8 of the cookie I didn't like yesterday. Turns out I still eat things out of boredom that I'm not actually all that into. I won't be buying more of them, though, so it should be okay.
For dinner I had more of the sweet potato I cooked the other night - still delicious, but day 3 of it may have put me off it for a bit. I feel overly full, and am glad that I'm not craving anything else.
Breakfast out with my friend Jessica this morning. And while I really, really, really wanted the french toast with fresh apricots, I had steel cut oats with 1/2 and apple and 1/2 a banana. The french toast looked and smelled AMAZING, though.
I snacked throughout the day (some rice with hummus, an apple, a peach) and also ate the last 7/8 of the cookie I didn't like yesterday. Turns out I still eat things out of boredom that I'm not actually all that into. I won't be buying more of them, though, so it should be okay.
For dinner I had more of the sweet potato I cooked the other night - still delicious, but day 3 of it may have put me off it for a bit. I feel overly full, and am glad that I'm not craving anything else.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Groceries & Other Saturday Fun
Day 6 - 34.2 pounds to go (down 5.6)
I'm still reading the book, but have a bit more insight into the types of things I can eat, so after a 75 minute workout with Michael this morning, I spent almost an hour looking for things in the Metropolitan Market I've never payed any attention to whatsoever.
$112 later, here's what I carried out:
In the meantime, today's meals:
Breakfast: 1 cup of brown rice, 1/8 cup hummus, two vegetable sausage patties, and some grapes
Lunch: Brown rice and reheated sweet potatoes... and probably one of these yummy chocolate treats
Dinner... I'm thinking of putting together a crock pot full of veggies and making a stew.
Yummy stuff! :-)
So a bit of an update... I have now tried the Flying Apron gluten-free, vegan, organic chocolate chip cookie... and I did NOT care for it. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's entirely too sweet. I ate MAYBE 1/8 of the cookie, and will not be finishing it. Is it wrong that it makes me happy when I find something I really don't care for? I now know that tofu and chococate chip cookies will not make it back onto the grocery list.
I'm still reading the book, but have a bit more insight into the types of things I can eat, so after a 75 minute workout with Michael this morning, I spent almost an hour looking for things in the Metropolitan Market I've never payed any attention to whatsoever.
$112 later, here's what I carried out:
- Organic veggies (green cabbage, white onion, carrots, yellow and orange peppers, avacado, yams)
- Organic fruit (apples, peaches)
- Bagels (gluten-free, vegan)
- Giant tub of brown rice
- Brown Rice Flower
- Organic Olive Oil
- Sweet Potato Chips (gluten free, vegan)
- Rice Noodle Soup Bowls (hot n' sour and vegetable)
- Canned mushrooms
- Canned hearts of palm
- Fresh salsa
- Erin's All Natural Low-Saturated Fat, Low-Salt popcorn
- Organic Mochi Sweet Rice Cakes
- Organ, vegan, gluten-free chocolate chip cookie (Flying Apron makes them)
- Hummus in two different varieties
- Rice Dream Mint Pie (non-dairy, rice-based, oatmeal cookies dipped in chocolate)
In the meantime, today's meals:
Breakfast: 1 cup of brown rice, 1/8 cup hummus, two vegetable sausage patties, and some grapes
Lunch: Brown rice and reheated sweet potatoes... and probably one of these yummy chocolate treats
Dinner... I'm thinking of putting together a crock pot full of veggies and making a stew.
Yummy stuff! :-)
So a bit of an update... I have now tried the Flying Apron gluten-free, vegan, organic chocolate chip cookie... and I did NOT care for it. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's entirely too sweet. I ate MAYBE 1/8 of the cookie, and will not be finishing it. Is it wrong that it makes me happy when I find something I really don't care for? I now know that tofu and chococate chip cookies will not make it back onto the grocery list.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Learning to Cook
Day 5. 34.8 pounds to go (5 lbs down)
Breakfast: V8, grapes & an apple with peanut butter.
Lunch: spinach salad with mandarin oranges, walnuts & dried cherries
Dinner: Brown rice, hummus and 1/2 of a baked sweet potato
I'm full. Very, very, very full -- and ironically I'm eating MUCH less food than I was consuming before embarking on this experiment. Must be all that fiber.
I hate that I don't know how to cook, and yet I really don't see the point in learning how to cook elaborate dishes when the only one I'm feeding is me. I could probably get away with some form of pre-prepared food at Whole Paycheck or PCC, but the idea of it is just so unappealing. So tonight, I cooked. To be fair, I'm not sure you could call it cooking, but at one point it actually did entail gettng out the Betty Crocker volume.
Brown rice took 55 minutes total... literally just rice, water and some sea salt... and it took 55 minutes. I will say this, though. Brown rice is delicious. I'm not sure why I ever ate the white stuff to begin with. The cookbook came out to figure out how to bake the sweet potatoes. It's actually kind of sad that I needed a cookbook to tell me that I should puncture them with a fork, wrap them in aluminium foil, and throw them in a 425 degree oven for 40 - 50 minutes... but whatever. Had I not read it, I would have left out the puncturing with fork part and perhaps had exploded sweet potatoes.
I did the potatoes on my grill outside, which is is hooked up to the gas line for the house. It's such an efficient way to cook, and it also ensures that my un-air-conditioned house does not heat up. The sweet potato (with literally nothing on it) was delicious right off the grill -- can't imagine why I'm just learning about this at 42.
Breakfast: V8, grapes & an apple with peanut butter.
Lunch: spinach salad with mandarin oranges, walnuts & dried cherries
Dinner: Brown rice, hummus and 1/2 of a baked sweet potato
I'm full. Very, very, very full -- and ironically I'm eating MUCH less food than I was consuming before embarking on this experiment. Must be all that fiber.
I hate that I don't know how to cook, and yet I really don't see the point in learning how to cook elaborate dishes when the only one I'm feeding is me. I could probably get away with some form of pre-prepared food at Whole Paycheck or PCC, but the idea of it is just so unappealing. So tonight, I cooked. To be fair, I'm not sure you could call it cooking, but at one point it actually did entail gettng out the Betty Crocker volume.
Brown rice took 55 minutes total... literally just rice, water and some sea salt... and it took 55 minutes. I will say this, though. Brown rice is delicious. I'm not sure why I ever ate the white stuff to begin with. The cookbook came out to figure out how to bake the sweet potatoes. It's actually kind of sad that I needed a cookbook to tell me that I should puncture them with a fork, wrap them in aluminium foil, and throw them in a 425 degree oven for 40 - 50 minutes... but whatever. Had I not read it, I would have left out the puncturing with fork part and perhaps had exploded sweet potatoes.
I did the potatoes on my grill outside, which is is hooked up to the gas line for the house. It's such an efficient way to cook, and it also ensures that my un-air-conditioned house does not heat up. The sweet potato (with literally nothing on it) was delicious right off the grill -- can't imagine why I'm just learning about this at 42.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Indian Food
Day 4. 35.2 pounds to go (down 4.6)
The scale did not disappoint this morning, and even though I know in my heart of hearts that this is the "water weight" loss portion of the experiment, it's still thrilling to get on the scale and see it going in the right direction. Yesterday's diet and the 65 minutes of sadistic Michael later... and the scale actually showed something for the effort. I'm pleased.
Food was easier today. Breakfast - hummus & carrots, v8 juice, green grapes.
Lunch - green apple with peanut butter
Dinner - hummus & carrots, brown rice, roasted root vegetables & a glass of white wine.
It kind of broke my heart to go to Taste of India (TOI), and NOT eat the butter chicken. And not eat Nan. I thought Indian would be a great choice because there's so much good vegetarian food (hello?! Aloo Gabi?!), but really not so much. Turns out almost everything has either cream in it (most of the curries) or cheese... and of course the Nan is chock full o' gluten. I will say this though: the roasted root vegetables (from the tandori oven) were AMAZING. And I'm super full - boarding on uncomfortably full - tonight, though I did not eat all of the brown rice. There are worse nights out, but I think until I figure out the gluten thing, Indian might also be off the menu.
I can't really avoid eating out -- tonight's dinner was a work dinner, the 4th work-related meal of the week. I need to have a few go-to things I can get when I eat out... and I have a feeling that amounts to a whole lot of green salads in my near future.
The scale did not disappoint this morning, and even though I know in my heart of hearts that this is the "water weight" loss portion of the experiment, it's still thrilling to get on the scale and see it going in the right direction. Yesterday's diet and the 65 minutes of sadistic Michael later... and the scale actually showed something for the effort. I'm pleased.
Food was easier today. Breakfast - hummus & carrots, v8 juice, green grapes.
Lunch - green apple with peanut butter
Dinner - hummus & carrots, brown rice, roasted root vegetables & a glass of white wine.
It kind of broke my heart to go to Taste of India (TOI), and NOT eat the butter chicken. And not eat Nan. I thought Indian would be a great choice because there's so much good vegetarian food (hello?! Aloo Gabi?!), but really not so much. Turns out almost everything has either cream in it (most of the curries) or cheese... and of course the Nan is chock full o' gluten. I will say this though: the roasted root vegetables (from the tandori oven) were AMAZING. And I'm super full - boarding on uncomfortably full - tonight, though I did not eat all of the brown rice. There are worse nights out, but I think until I figure out the gluten thing, Indian might also be off the menu.
I can't really avoid eating out -- tonight's dinner was a work dinner, the 4th work-related meal of the week. I need to have a few go-to things I can get when I eat out... and I have a feeling that amounts to a whole lot of green salads in my near future.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Here's a thought: Finish the Book
Day 3. 37.4 lbs to go.
Up .4 this morning, and I'm uncertain if it was perhaps the 5 oz of salted nuts I had at 9:30 last night, or if it was that beer I had (chock full o' gluten), or if it was... oh, heck. I don't know. It's only been 3 days.
I think I need to finish the book and figure out a better way to do this. It's entirely like me to jump in before I have all of the information, and I'm wholly unarmed for the no gluten, no refined sugar part of this experiment. The vegan thing I get, and can do it... but the rest is more... challenging. I need to get through the rest of the reading and on to the receipes... because it's going to be a long, LONG six weeks if I don't get more creative. To wit, today's menu:
Breakfast... chex cereal with soy milk. Some fresh fruit.
Lunch... harder. Eating out is hard. I love sushi, and clearly the white rice and fish are right out. I had a cucumber salad, steamed vegetables with tofu, and brown rice. Turns out I still don't like tofu. I don't think I'm going to change my mind on that.
Dinner. Ugh. I had to get to the gym, and had very little time. An avocado, hummus and carrots, and a handful of cherries. Not exactly the most well-rounded meal.
And then the workout. Oh my, Michael can be so sadistic. But it felt good to sweat, and it will probably feel good on the scale in the morning. I'm just guessing.
Up .4 this morning, and I'm uncertain if it was perhaps the 5 oz of salted nuts I had at 9:30 last night, or if it was that beer I had (chock full o' gluten), or if it was... oh, heck. I don't know. It's only been 3 days.
I think I need to finish the book and figure out a better way to do this. It's entirely like me to jump in before I have all of the information, and I'm wholly unarmed for the no gluten, no refined sugar part of this experiment. The vegan thing I get, and can do it... but the rest is more... challenging. I need to get through the rest of the reading and on to the receipes... because it's going to be a long, LONG six weeks if I don't get more creative. To wit, today's menu:
Breakfast... chex cereal with soy milk. Some fresh fruit.
Lunch... harder. Eating out is hard. I love sushi, and clearly the white rice and fish are right out. I had a cucumber salad, steamed vegetables with tofu, and brown rice. Turns out I still don't like tofu. I don't think I'm going to change my mind on that.
Dinner. Ugh. I had to get to the gym, and had very little time. An avocado, hummus and carrots, and a handful of cherries. Not exactly the most well-rounded meal.
And then the workout. Oh my, Michael can be so sadistic. But it felt good to sweat, and it will probably feel good on the scale in the morning. I'm just guessing.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Of Beer and Gluten and Early Slip-Ups
Day 2. 37 lbs to go.
I stared at the scale this morning and couldn't figure out how it could read almost 3 pounds lighter on just day 2 of this experiment. I think it comes down to salt... or lack thereof in this case.
The food so far isn't so hard to figure out. I had delicious vietnamese food for lunch, every last bite if it fitting well within the plan. I wasn't even able to finish all if it. Dinner was more difficult, picking through the available options at the leadership meeting - catered BBQ. I figured that out too, though.
So on the not-so-successful front today? I was talking with Teresa and explaining my experiment to her, when she pointed at the beer in my hand and said, "beer has gluten." Having wrapped my head around hops and barley, it completely escaped me that beer has wheat. Wheat = Gluten. I somehow thought I'd be further along before I slipped up.
Teresa assures me that there are folks out there who make gluten free beer. Of course there are... it's Seattle!
I stared at the scale this morning and couldn't figure out how it could read almost 3 pounds lighter on just day 2 of this experiment. I think it comes down to salt... or lack thereof in this case.
The food so far isn't so hard to figure out. I had delicious vietnamese food for lunch, every last bite if it fitting well within the plan. I wasn't even able to finish all if it. Dinner was more difficult, picking through the available options at the leadership meeting - catered BBQ. I figured that out too, though.
So on the not-so-successful front today? I was talking with Teresa and explaining my experiment to her, when she pointed at the beer in my hand and said, "beer has gluten." Having wrapped my head around hops and barley, it completely escaped me that beer has wheat. Wheat = Gluten. I somehow thought I'd be further along before I slipped up.
Teresa assures me that there are folks out there who make gluten free beer. Of course there are... it's Seattle!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Moderation in Nothing
It's our family motto: moderation in nothing. It applies to so many things I've jumped into head first in this life. In my crafty phase, I didn't just make a quilt, I made a quilt that had 99 pieces per 12 inch square (25 in all) for a friend's wedding. My first road race when I started running was a 20-miler. I impulse bought my first "real" car, and just 2 months later my first home. Moderation in nothing.
The thing about our motto, though... well, it can kinda come back and bite me in the butt. The quilt I made for Annie & Kevin as a wedding gift? It took 4 months of sewing every single day. When it was completed, I hated all things "crafty", and I have not sewed a single stitch since. Next year they will have been married for 20 years.
My first road race was the Old Town 20-miler. It was supposed to be the Marine Corps Marathon 4 weeks later, but I got spooked by the 13,000 people who would be running it and decided that perhaps I should dip my foot in the water before I was on the road with that many other crazies. It taught me where my wall is: 18 miles. At 18 miles in the Old Town 20-miler, I begged my friend Patricia to go get the car and drive me home. She made me walk in. At 18 miles in the Marine Corp Marathon 4 weeks later, I stood in front of the Jefferson Memorial bent in half. When a very kind, very young Marine tapped me on the shoulder to see if I was okay, I stood up too quickly and threw up... all over that poor kid's shoes. Moderation in nothing, indeed.
My first "real" car is sitting in the driveway of my rented home in Seattle. It's 11 years old now, and because I don't want a car payment I very well may drive it until the wheels fall off. The first home, when I sold it, paid for graduate school. Not all things that I jump into head first are necessarily bad things.
Two and half years ago, having started running again at 40, joined Weight Watchers, and lost 43 pounds. I diligently went to meetings, counted points, and logged lots and lots of lots of miles running around Green Lake. And then it just... stopped. My weight has fluctuated roughly 5 pounds in any direction since then, no matter what I do. I hired a trainer who I've seen 3 days a week for the last 18 months; I rejoined Weight Watchers; I joined Cross Fit (and kept my trainer on the side); I got mono and didn't work out for 3 months; I ate whatever I wanted on my Hawiaan vacation... and the damn scale refuses to budge. It's absolutely maddening.
So today I started into my next great experiment with moderation in nothing. I'm going to RE-TRY vegetarianism for the 2nd time in my life. The difference? Well, let's talk about the first time.
The first time I decided to be a vegetarian, I was in my mid-20's, running 40 miles a week, going to 5 Jazzercise classes a week, and no matter what I did -- the scale would not budge. I read a diet book by Dean Ornish about reversing heart disease through a strict vegetarian diet -- and then I took the good doctor's advice and one-upped him. I went completely vegan, and refused to eat anything with countable fat. I dropped about 40 pounds in 3 months to the lowest weight I've been in my adult life. I was at 15% body fat, and not only owned, but could proudly wear the ugliest pair of size 4 pink shorts you've ever seen in your life. My doctor told me I was too thin, and I was COMPLETELY elated. ("A little louder, and into this microphone, please?!")
I was a very unhealthy vegan for the 4 1/2 years that I maintained it. I didn't eat enough protein, and stuck mostly to vegetables, avoiding fruit. I didn't care for tofu, and got kinda sick of eating beans & rice after a while. I got addicted to hummus & pita, white rice, and eventually fried vegetables. I started to gain back the weight I'd lost. I stopped running. I surpassed the weight I'd lost. Then I decided it must be the whole "vegan thing" and started reintroducing meat. It took me a year. I told people I started eating meat again because I got hungry, but the truth was that I'd just been really, really bored with the diet. That was 14 years ago.
What's different this time? Well... a lot, and then really not much at all. I am the fittest I've been in a decade, and yet I am 39.8 pounds more than I'd like to be carrying around. Like all those years ago in my 20's, the amount of excercise I'm getting does not seem to have any impact on my weight whatsoever, though I have seen my proportions change. I've been following the Weight Watchers diet for the past 2.5 years, and as far as I can tell -- I have the maintenance phase down pat.
So the experiment this time... keeping in mind that our family's motto is "moderation in nothing"... 6 weeks of a strict vegan diet. No meat, no dairy, no gluten, and no refined sugar. That leaves fruit, vegetables, whole grains, tofu, tempeh, oils and probably a bunch of stuff I've not yet discovered. Why six weeks? I'm not sure I can commit to 3 months. And our annual corporate getaway is 6 weeks away. I've got a pretty little hot pink dress (a size 12, not 4) that I'd like to wear.
So it's day 1. I've made it through the day without eating meat, dairy, gluten or refined sugar. I spent $19.18 at Whole Paycheck during my lunch hour at the salad bar and on guilt-free, gluten free, refined sugar free brownie bits. I grocery shopped on the way home and bought my first 1/2 gallon of soy milk (nope, I didn't drink it when I was a vegan before). I loaded up on fresh veggies, fruit, steel cut oats, whole grain rice and red beans. And tofu and tempeh, though it remains to be seen whether or not it will actually be consumed.
How do I feel? Honestly, I'm not sure. Fine I guess. I've learned a few things:
- Gardenburgers have mozzarella cheese in them. They were the one thing I thought I could could eat out of my freezer... turns out, not so much.
- Guilt-free brownie bits are remarkably similar to the brownies my Mom made for my 25th birthday that were sweetened with baby food plums and completely off limits to everyone else in my family. They were delicious, and lasted a week. These will also last a week -- they're so sweet that one has to eat them in moderation (ironic, I know).
- I'm already cranky. I'm hoping that as I level out over the next few days and figure out a better plan for food (and learn how to cook it), that will go away.
And I'm not giving up caffeine. For now.
39.8 pounds to go.
The thing about our motto, though... well, it can kinda come back and bite me in the butt. The quilt I made for Annie & Kevin as a wedding gift? It took 4 months of sewing every single day. When it was completed, I hated all things "crafty", and I have not sewed a single stitch since. Next year they will have been married for 20 years.
My first road race was the Old Town 20-miler. It was supposed to be the Marine Corps Marathon 4 weeks later, but I got spooked by the 13,000 people who would be running it and decided that perhaps I should dip my foot in the water before I was on the road with that many other crazies. It taught me where my wall is: 18 miles. At 18 miles in the Old Town 20-miler, I begged my friend Patricia to go get the car and drive me home. She made me walk in. At 18 miles in the Marine Corp Marathon 4 weeks later, I stood in front of the Jefferson Memorial bent in half. When a very kind, very young Marine tapped me on the shoulder to see if I was okay, I stood up too quickly and threw up... all over that poor kid's shoes. Moderation in nothing, indeed.
My first "real" car is sitting in the driveway of my rented home in Seattle. It's 11 years old now, and because I don't want a car payment I very well may drive it until the wheels fall off. The first home, when I sold it, paid for graduate school. Not all things that I jump into head first are necessarily bad things.
Two and half years ago, having started running again at 40, joined Weight Watchers, and lost 43 pounds. I diligently went to meetings, counted points, and logged lots and lots of lots of miles running around Green Lake. And then it just... stopped. My weight has fluctuated roughly 5 pounds in any direction since then, no matter what I do. I hired a trainer who I've seen 3 days a week for the last 18 months; I rejoined Weight Watchers; I joined Cross Fit (and kept my trainer on the side); I got mono and didn't work out for 3 months; I ate whatever I wanted on my Hawiaan vacation... and the damn scale refuses to budge. It's absolutely maddening.
So today I started into my next great experiment with moderation in nothing. I'm going to RE-TRY vegetarianism for the 2nd time in my life. The difference? Well, let's talk about the first time.
The first time I decided to be a vegetarian, I was in my mid-20's, running 40 miles a week, going to 5 Jazzercise classes a week, and no matter what I did -- the scale would not budge. I read a diet book by Dean Ornish about reversing heart disease through a strict vegetarian diet -- and then I took the good doctor's advice and one-upped him. I went completely vegan, and refused to eat anything with countable fat. I dropped about 40 pounds in 3 months to the lowest weight I've been in my adult life. I was at 15% body fat, and not only owned, but could proudly wear the ugliest pair of size 4 pink shorts you've ever seen in your life. My doctor told me I was too thin, and I was COMPLETELY elated. ("A little louder, and into this microphone, please?!")
I was a very unhealthy vegan for the 4 1/2 years that I maintained it. I didn't eat enough protein, and stuck mostly to vegetables, avoiding fruit. I didn't care for tofu, and got kinda sick of eating beans & rice after a while. I got addicted to hummus & pita, white rice, and eventually fried vegetables. I started to gain back the weight I'd lost. I stopped running. I surpassed the weight I'd lost. Then I decided it must be the whole "vegan thing" and started reintroducing meat. It took me a year. I told people I started eating meat again because I got hungry, but the truth was that I'd just been really, really bored with the diet. That was 14 years ago.
What's different this time? Well... a lot, and then really not much at all. I am the fittest I've been in a decade, and yet I am 39.8 pounds more than I'd like to be carrying around. Like all those years ago in my 20's, the amount of excercise I'm getting does not seem to have any impact on my weight whatsoever, though I have seen my proportions change. I've been following the Weight Watchers diet for the past 2.5 years, and as far as I can tell -- I have the maintenance phase down pat.
So the experiment this time... keeping in mind that our family's motto is "moderation in nothing"... 6 weeks of a strict vegan diet. No meat, no dairy, no gluten, and no refined sugar. That leaves fruit, vegetables, whole grains, tofu, tempeh, oils and probably a bunch of stuff I've not yet discovered. Why six weeks? I'm not sure I can commit to 3 months. And our annual corporate getaway is 6 weeks away. I've got a pretty little hot pink dress (a size 12, not 4) that I'd like to wear.
So it's day 1. I've made it through the day without eating meat, dairy, gluten or refined sugar. I spent $19.18 at Whole Paycheck during my lunch hour at the salad bar and on guilt-free, gluten free, refined sugar free brownie bits. I grocery shopped on the way home and bought my first 1/2 gallon of soy milk (nope, I didn't drink it when I was a vegan before). I loaded up on fresh veggies, fruit, steel cut oats, whole grain rice and red beans. And tofu and tempeh, though it remains to be seen whether or not it will actually be consumed.
How do I feel? Honestly, I'm not sure. Fine I guess. I've learned a few things:
- Gardenburgers have mozzarella cheese in them. They were the one thing I thought I could could eat out of my freezer... turns out, not so much.
- Guilt-free brownie bits are remarkably similar to the brownies my Mom made for my 25th birthday that were sweetened with baby food plums and completely off limits to everyone else in my family. They were delicious, and lasted a week. These will also last a week -- they're so sweet that one has to eat them in moderation (ironic, I know).
- I'm already cranky. I'm hoping that as I level out over the next few days and figure out a better plan for food (and learn how to cook it), that will go away.
And I'm not giving up caffeine. For now.
39.8 pounds to go.
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