Day 14

Still plugging along! Just went food shopping. If it's possible, my food bill actually went down by buying real foods instead of prepackaged ones! Real fruit; real veges; real meats and fish and poultry. I didn't buy one item that's a premade- prepackaged food and my bill was about 20 bucks smaller. If nothing else, that will keep me on the diet!
Still biting my nails over the weigh-in. It's in 7 more days and I am DYING to know if and how much I lost. My pants do not feel a size smaller, but then I buy everything too big anyway, so I can't really tell. SInce I have no butt to speak of, it's basically a crack down the middle of my back, they still hang in that general area like always. I don't FEEL as fat, so that's something. Not as bloated and gross. I think even 5 pounds can do that to you, tho, I'll take 5 pounds. Hell, Ill take anything that's a loss!
Going to make FoodLOversFatLoss sloppy joes for dinner. La loves sj's, so if he likes it, you know it's a keep and I'll put the recipe below. I've been reading my daily health blurbs and they've been pretty inspirational, so I'm gonna keep 'em, annotated here.
Of to exercise. 12 minutes of cardio today.
Yippie! ( sarcasm alert.)

Restaurant trips

Day 13 and I'm still alive and kicking! Today's audio tips were about eating out and staying on the plan - something I think I know a lot about!! Robert's tips were the one's I've been doing for years: half the plate when it comes and plan on taking it home with you; plan ahead for what you think you want; don't over eat. Some of the new tips I learned were to ask the waiter for how the food was prepared. For instance, I never knew that grilled chicken - which is supposed to be healthy and really is - is usually brushed with real butter before grilling in restaurants to give it that nice golden brown look when it comes to the table. Hidden calories and fats. And always ask for a salad undressed, dressing on the side, because a restaurants' "serving" is usually not a tablespoon, the correct proportion, but in reality 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Loads of extra calories and fat. And watch the saltiness of the food. The more salt that the food is cooked in, the more your tastebuds are stimulated and the more you want to eat. The biggest one, which I have never done, is to order your dessert but to take it home with you. When you are full from eating your foodloversplate, to tag on another half meal ( which most restaurant desserts are the size of) is damaging to your metabolism. It actually slows it down. It's better to bring the dessert home and eat it 2-3 after your restaurant meal. If you can't do that, eat it for your snack the next day.

That one was an eye opener and one I will have to do.

Off to Hades, Inc. Turkey for lunch today. Yummie!

Half way there!

Today is day 12 of my program - half way through the induction phase. It's 530 am and I am sitting here, typing and watching the infomercial for FOODLOVERSFATLOSS. It continues to motivate me like no program ever has. Weight Watchers was great for me in the day, but the restrictions on points values was too difficult for me to cope with over the long term. The wonderful part of this program - well, to be honest it's all wonderful - but the really great part for me is that it it has a long term program to actually love with for the rest of your life. Foodaholics like myself do not like to feel deprived and that's what every diet plan I've ever done - including the Medical fast after Erin was born - had done: deprive me. I've eaten mac and cheese, stew, salmon, turkey, all normal foods in normal amounts. Plus veges galore, salad and I can even have desserts if I want. This is the way I want to be the rest of my life: satisfied and eating normally. Last night we went to a beautiful wedding. I didn't eat much, which was a really different thing for me when at a social event - but I didn't feel deprived. I actually felt in control for maybe the first time in my life when at an event.

Who could ask for more than that?

Sick!

Sorry I haven't blogged in a few. I've been Ill once again - this time with an intestinal bug unrelated to the diet!! I was dining al desko the other day at work and suddenly felt really weak. Feeling lousy since then, but still following the diet plan. Today is day 11 and I am supposed to go food shopping today according to the plan. I have this big long HEALTHY list of foods to look for and buy and with recipe card floating around in the kitchen for all of them. This has actually been a relly good expereince because I can cook again - something I really haven't been doing for a while. ANd we're eating healthy all the time, which of course is good in itself.
SO I did the 12 minute sof cardio the other day and felt like jello the next morning: wiggly and wobbly. Tells you how out of shape I really am! I'm supposed to do 12 again this am and probably will, in between house cleaning and laundry. But I'm sure I won't be as tuned into it as I ws the other day before the belly bug hit.
ANd not weighing myself is KILLING ME!! OF every rule/part of this plan, this is the one that I am having the hardest time sticking to - I am, mind you - but it is a struggle every day not to hop on my scale. I tried hiding the bloody thing so I wouldn't even see it and be tempted, but that didn't work either. Oh well. 10 more days and I can see what my body has been doing.
Prayer helps.
Just not enough!!

exercise

Today I am supposed to incorporate 12 minutes of cardio into my busy daily schedule - sarcasm alert! I hate to exercise. Walking is about as vigorous as I get. The program has a 12 minute cd for a cardio workout, so I think I'm going to do that. As much as I hate it!

The diet part of the program is going well. I'm eating every 2-3 hrs, drinking upwards of 12 glasses of water daily, and eating 3 foodloversfat plates per day. I wake up ravenous - which the program tells you you should - so at least I'm doing that correctly. I just wish I could weigh myself. I can never tell just by looking at myself if I've lost any weight or not. The scale really is part of a food addiction, isn't it? Maybe this will be a good thing. Not knowing if I am losing will keep me honest. In the past if I'd lost a few pounds, that would give me a license to eat junk. Not knowing what I weight might be good because if I don't know, I won't sabotage myself and my loss potential. That Robert Ferguson is one smart dude! Method to the madness!

Had the best macaroni and cheese last night from the diet. Look below for the recipe. La liked it too, so you know, if El Exehente likes it, it must be good!

Wish me luck with exercising. I need it!

one week down!

Today is day seven of my FoodLoversFatLost program and I'm feeling great. Unfortunately, according to rule/day 5 I am not allowed to weigh myself so I really don't know if I've lost any more weight. I can't weight myself until day 22. Bummerville. But I do feel a little lighter. Is this real loss or just a psychological Jedi mind trick I'm playing on myself?? Who knows. Anyway, I haven't cheated yet and don't plan on doing so. I'm exercising when I can and being good. Having a tv in the basement helps TREMENDOUSLY! Thanks, La.

Pretty soon I know I'm going to have to deal with the reasons I overeat so often in this blog. I don't think I have the guts to put them down on cyberpaper yet. Maybe after I see some loss results I'll feel more confident to jot them down.Hopefully.

Keep me honest, friends. Keep reading, maybe write me. Anything to keep me honest.

No weighing!

So day 5 of this program is on, and the audio cd this morning tells me that I can't weight myself anymore until the end of the 21 day induction phase. Are you kidding me??!! I weigh myself 2-3 times a day! Not to be able to do it for another few weeks is going to TORTURE . Egads! I'm trying to psyche myself up for this, but of all the rules so far - and they've been fine and easy so far - this one is definitely going to be the hardest to perform. I'd rather give up Ring Dings ( which I have!) for life, or be told I can never drink real soda again ( which I can't!) than be told not to weigh myself for multiple weeks. Arghhh!!
SO that little pound count-downer at the left of this page is going to sit immobile for a while, folks. Sorry. Gotta follow THE RULES. Posting here will keep my honest. Otherwise I'd say hey, no way and be on that scale every 6-8 hrs. That really is a little much, now that I think of it. A little obsessive. COmpulsive, even. Maybe a touch psychotic.
Okay. Enough about the scale.
Shit.