May 15: Day 4

I.                        AM.        CRANKY.

I am feeling viciously crabby today, I gotta warn you.

Luckily, no one is home to endure my ire.  I took most of it out on my unsuspecting lawnmower, as I cut the grass that can be seen from the street.  Another small portion of rage was given to the television for having nothing on that I wanted to watch.  If no one actually calls and talks to me today, the world should all survive.

Generally I am bitchy, but not this bitchy.  The reason for this?  I did not take anything for the cramps, because I read that can delay the onset of the big event, the starting of your period.  I really just want to get it over with, particularly before the goal of next weekend.

Anyhow, back to the important stuff of the day: how is the diet going?

Very well, despite the fact I'm not really seeing it on the scale.  I chalk that up to the onset of my monthly PMS bloating and general ickiness.  On the bright side, as several wise friends pointed out, I am usually up three or four pounds by now, so I'm fairly happy to be remaining the same-ish.

Today, I am actually not really hungry.  It's the first day I have not ravenously scarfed down all that was on my list of foods to eat today. I actually left some veggies out of dinner because I have to get one more protein serving in and I want to be able to do so.

Horror of all horrors, I got up this morning and was out of egg whites! I started off the day on the wrong foot by having to go to the grocery store hungry and un-caffeinated.  Once I was there, I found a brand of egg whites that had 0g carbs - the ones I've been eating had 2 g.  I got enough to last 6 days.  Each little carton is one breakfast serving for me.  I was in a mushroom mood, and since I discovered I don't have to limit my veggies like I had been I made a delicious omelet brimming with mushrooms and a sprinkle of cheddar.

For lunch I made another batch of chicken chop suey.  Not because it's so good, although it is, but because bean sprouts go bad very quickly.

After lunch I took the dog for a walk and then did the much-despised yard work.

For supper I had a treat - something besides CHICKEN!

I had  a 95% lean patty of ground beef, seasoned with Montreal Steak spice and some extra cracked pepper.  I added some sliced mushrooms and a little bit of onion.  If felt positively decadent to eat something besides chicken for supper.

For an evening snack I planned an experiment.  A diet root beer protein float.. It's insanely rich tasting and dessert like and only 2 g of carbs.  It has absolutely made my day complete.

Out of all of my Rapid Fat Loss  plan creations thus far, this is my masterpiece!

Tomorrow, I have even more cleaning, laundry etc.  It just never ends, since we keep on living, eating and wearing clothing.

I was thinking today, as much as I complain about cleaning and yard work, etc., I am really blessed and fortunate to have all that I do.  I love my kids, my little home and  my orange car.  My life is very full of the things that are important to me.  Some people would probably look at our humble lifestyle and feel sorry for us, but we never go without anything we need, and quite often, also have the things that we want as well.  If you have gratitude for what you have, you don't seem to miss the things you don't have.

May 14: Day 3

Today I found out a wonderful thing.  I discovered I am able to eat more veggies than I have been eating.  That means that hunger is a thing of the past - well sort of.  If I don't have to be quite as miserly with the veggies I think I will feel a lot more energetic.

I had no headaches today and wasn't fuzzy headed anymore.  I wouldn't exactly say I was a bundle of energy but I wasn't ready to collapse on the couch either.

Here is the scary part: I have cramps.  I didn't think too much about having my period ,and all the cravings that go with it, on this plan.  Other people live through it, so I'm sure I will too.  Maybe I can time a free meal with the advent.

Today's food intake went well.  I cooked some chicken breast this morning, weighed it on the scale and portioned it out into single servings.  In those single serving containers, I also put the veggies that were planned with that meal.  The kids are away at Dad's this weekend, so it will be far easier to stick to things with only myself to prepare food for.  I'll have to go to the store tomorrow to get stuff for my free meal, veggies, and egg whites. I'm running out quickly!

Breakfast, as always, was an omelet.  The flavor of the day was mushroom and garlic, with a tiny sprinkle of cheddar.

I had some leftover chicken chop suey - just as good this time around - I will make more tomorrow. 

In the afternoon I was on the go, so I snacked on cold chicken breast and sliced cucumber. (No photo - you all know what those two things look like!)

Supper was great.  I had chicken (big shock) and steamed asparagus, seasoned with lemon juice, garlic, and cracked black pepper.  It was sort of like a pasta dish without the pasta. (I'm a glass half full kind of girl!)

I ate a whole cucumber for a snack throughout the day - it was wonderful!

Some of you may remember the Mother's Day project that the girls and I did.  I wanted to show the before and after results of that.

Plans for the weekend are to stay on track with the diet, and to get the laundry and the spring cleaning done!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

May 13: Day 2 of RFL

You know, it's a good thing I'm not doing this for fun.

Cause it's not. Not at all fun.  I suppose I've derived some minor joy out of creating interesting tasty food within a new set of rules - I always enjoy that.

Last night, I wanted to throw my TV out the window.  The thrice-damned fast food commercials just about killed me.  Finally I began muting them and pointedly looking away to read a book during the commercials.  As you might surmise, since you are reading this post, I lived, and the TV also remained intact.

But now, on Day 2, I have a pounding, blinding headache.  I am flaky - when I made my daughter's breakfast this morning I put the milk in the pantry and the cereal in the fridge. People have to repeat things to me twice to allow me time to comprehend the meaning.

However, I am confident that this will pass.  I spent hours on the Body Recomposition site and forum, and ascertained all of these things are normal. (Cool, I'm normal!).  It is my body beginning ketosis, that elusive fat burning state that I yearn to be in.

I made a couple of changes today.  I had a couple of diet soda pops, which have not crossed my lips in more than 6 months.  They were somehow more satiating than the water I have been drinking, the caffeine gave me a little boost, and the bubbly drinks soothed the savage beast of my sweet tooth. Next, I broke the day up into 4 meals instead of three.  I didn't have the same gnawing hunger I had yesterday.

I tried to remain creative with the food.

This morning I made an omelet with egg whites, low fat cheddar and steamed broccoli.  It was a nice looking omelet so I took a picture of it.

Since I was babysitting today, I packed a cooler for lunch. I tossed grilled chicken breast with steamed green and yellow beans, sea salt and Mrs. Dash. I made a big serving and divided it into two meals.

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I ended up leaving babysitting early because my poor daughter re-injured her fractured arm and had to get it re-casted.  That is when I enjoyed my Diet Dr. Pepper, while we were waiting.  There were donuts and all sorts of stuff, but the soda pop kept me on the straight and narrow.  A little RFL victory today.

Finally, supper was kind of a masterpiece.  I made a version of chicken cop suey.  I used the ever-present grilled chicken, sliced thin, a bag of coleslaw mix (that way I did not have to chop up the cabbage) and a big handful of bean sprouts.  I seasoned the whole thing with soy sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and ginger powder.  It tasted pretty close to the stuff you might get at a Chinese take out place.  Note the steam coming off it in the photo!

This was divine!  My daughter loved it too, although she had the added bonus of ice cream and fruit, glorious fruit afterwards.

The neatest thing about this plan, is that when you order the book, there is an online calculator you can access.  You plug in your numbers, and it spits out the answers.  It tells you how many grams of protein you need, how to divide it up over X number of meals, and what supplements are necessary to keep you healthy.  So when I decided to switch from 3 meals a day to 4, I changed my info on the calculator and everything was changed for me in the blink of an eye.  Because there are so many variables that affect these numbers, it's really nice to have the online calculator to do it for you.

This isn't the easiest diet I've ever stuck to, by any stretch, but it's the simplest to use.  Let me clarify that.  It's not easy because it's restrictive and you are darned hungry. It's simple because there are basic rules to follow.  There is no gray area to confuse you..  The numbers are provided for you, totally customized. You just have to read it, shore up your determination, and do it.

I was a half pound lighter on the scale this morning.  That sure brought a smile to my face!  Seeing results like that will get me through the tough spots.

I expect to feel better tomorrow, and every day as time goes on.  As my body gets used to this, I will adjust and learn to handle it better.

For more information on this plan, check out the book, The Rapid Fat Loss Handbook., by Lyle McDonald.

Tomorrow is a long day babysitting so I will need to take 3 meals with me.  I'll do some pondering over breakfast while I decide what to bring.  I will be back tomorrow to post cool stuff about this experience.

May 12: Day 1 of RFL ~ Starting Point

So, today I began my rapid fat loss plan

.  So far it hasn't been that bad.  I was getting a little nervous because it's very restrictive but I survived thus far.

Here is my before pic in the lime green dress.  I promise to wear shoes to the church.

Weight: 185
Height: 5'8"
Bust: 41
Waist: 32
Hips: 40






For breakfast I had egg whites scrambled with tomatoes, peppers and onions and topped with a little cheese (fat free).  I also stirred in some salsa for extra flavor.  I didn't take pics of that, because everyone knows what scrambled eggs look like.

For lunch, I had Mexican chicken topped with salsa and steamed yellow beans with Mrs. Dash. Very good, and I felt satisfied.

For a snack this afternoon I had some sliced cucumber.

For supper, the kids are having homemade pizza.  Not the easiest thing to be around but I've come up with a solution.  I sliced a cooked chicken breast thinly and horizontally and topped it like a pizza.  It got me through smelling the yummy homemade pizza crust and was actually quite tasty.

I'm going to start cooking dinner a little bit late so I can get through the night without dying of starvation.

I caught myself making excuses recently, which isn't like me.

I'm just going to wait until I'm not spending the day babysitting at my friend's house every day.
I've been using that as an excuse to eat junk this week.  My best friend had major surgery this week, and she has a newborn and an 18 month old, so obviously, help is needed.  People brought over food and I said to myself I was obligated to eat it to be polite.  Please.  I wanted to eat it because it looked good. So today, I packed my cooler, as though I was going to work.  I took everything I need to keep me on track today: lunch, water and a snack.  Excuse busted.

I'll just keep doing what I've been doing a little longer - it's bound to work eventually.  Really?  It's been five months, and it hasn't worked, so why did I magically think it would suddenly just start working? Magic? I need to make a change. I've waited five months.  That is long enough. Excuse busted.

I'll wait until after my period.  That's ten more days.  Do I want ten days of results under my belt or ten days of waiting. Excuse busted.

I'm making homemade pizza tomorrow for the kids - I'll start after that.  Suck it up woman, you are on a diet.  For two weeks you can live without pizza.  I could come up with something wonderful I want to eat everyday and put this off until Kingdom come.  Excuse busted.


The time for excuses is over.  Now, it's time for action and a change.

I'll be back tomorrow with the results of day two.

May 11: Go Hard or Go Home

Okay, bloggie friends.  It is crunch time.  My stupid plateau remains unbroken.  I'm breaking out the big guns.

Why?

Because in two weeks, my little girl is being baptized and I have a lime green sleeveless dress to wear.  (This picture is really similar to the dress I bought.  Sadly that is NOT me in the photo)

Because in two weeks, I will be in a bunch of photos with my buff bodybuilder ex husband because of said baptism and I do not want to look like a lime green whale for all future generations to see in those photos.

Because in two weeks, friends and my ex's family will all descend on my house for a party for my little girl after said baptism.

Because in two weeks, I don't want to be still cursing this plateau!

I am 20 pounds away from my initial goal.  I really thought I'd be there by the baptism.  Obviously I won't be.  But I'm going to get as much off me as I can between now and then.

How?

Another book by Lyle McDonald.  The Rapid Fat Loss Handbook.

I recently reviewed McDonald's Guide to Flexible Dieting. and recommend it thoroughly.  It is a very reasonable approach and I recommend it to everyone.

I'm not going to review this next approach until I have tried it for a couple of weeks.  I will however, journal my two week effort before the baptism.  Photos, measurements, eats - the whole nine yards.

This diet is a protein sparing modified fast.  (PSMF).  That means the diet consists of low fat protein and fibrous, non-starchy veggies and a handful of vitamin and mineral supplements.  It's not going to be easy or fun, but if I can give birth to two 8 pound babies without drugs, I can do anything.  A nice benefit is that you get a "free" meal or off-plan meal - whatever you'd like to call it, two times per week.  I think that will make it easier to stick to the bare bones days in between.

This diet, by the way, is indicated for the short term.  It's not the kind of thing you could do for a year to take off 100 pounds (or that is my understanding so far.)  For more information, check out the link above.


When?

I'm starting tomorrow.  I've gotten the supplements and enough chicken to feed a small army for a month.  Tonight, I'm going to have a piece of cheesy garlic bread and a piece of cake.



The payoff for sticking with it?

Non-embarrassing pictures and a new pair of shoes to go with my dress.

So, it's crunch time. It's time to go hard or go home.

See you tomorrow with lime green dress pics, weight, and measurements, as well as the results of day one.

May 9: My Exciting Mother's Day

Do you ever take a long hard look at yourself and realize you aren't very exciting?

Today, for Mother's Day, my primary wish was for assistance in revamping my dining room set.  I decided to spend $40 on supplies instead of spending $40 taking us out to eat an unhealthy meal.

After church, the girls and I painted the table, the leaves, the buffet and the china cabinet.  I have this awesome 30s or 40s dining room set that I have been wanting to "funkify" for a long time.  So now, the whole thing is a nice matte black.  Next week I am going to get an elaborate black and white patterned wallpaper for the inside of the china cabinet, and eventually I am going to get the chair cushions recovered in zebra print.

The kids were reluctant but I guilted them into it because it's Mother's Day.  Guilt can be a beautiful thing.

My 14 year old is making me dinner tonight.  I requested burgers,salad and ice cream. 

This way I can have my yummy "craving" meal and not totally break the calorie bank. Cheeseburgers are my absolute favorite junk food, and making them it home, they don't have to be so "junky." We are having them with extra lean ground beef and whole wheat buns. Total yumminess.





I hope everyone's Mother's Day is as nice as mine has been!

May 9: Happy Mother's Day