I just got done reading a post on Tim Ferriss’ blog. If you don’t know who Tim Ferriss is, he’s the author of the 4-Hour Work Week, a book I highly recommend. Anyway, he conducted a post in which Dr. Michael Eades, an obesity treatment doctor, compared two different dietary studies and how they apply to losing weight.
You can read it for yourself here. I recommend reading some of the comments, too.
Well, it was not necessarily the middle of the week. Let me explain. Today was that day. Whenever I make a positive change, there comes a day (usually around day 4 or 5) that it is just hard. It is that day when my mind starts playing tricks and my body follows suit. I was hungry today! Really hungry! I wanted to eat and eat. It was interesting though. Instead of panicking and having an overload of negative self talk, I just allowed it be what it was. In the past I would have over binged on food, then said, "Well that’s that! I might as well eat whatever I want. I’ll worry about eating healthy later."
I have learned by now through past experiences to not give up. This is not all or nothing! I will eat better tomorrow. This is life. If I see this as just a diet, that is temporary. I don’t want to see me getting healthier again and losing weight as temporary. This is a permanent change I am making here. I may change my approach or strategy, but I am no giving up. No towel to be thrown in here!
What I Ate
I have to admit I am embarrassed to share this, but I know if I were reading it, I would want to know. I seriously decided earlier this evening that I wasn’t going to write out what I ate. As I write this post though, I know I should. I’m just going to list today’s food. It won’t necessarily be in order.
My regular oatmeal breakfast 3 oranges A small handful of pecans 1/2 avocado Chic-fil-a chicken sandwich Side salad w/low fat honey mustard Popcorn with olive oil and sea salt Chocolate chips Raw cheese 1 cup brown rice cooked in chicken broth and water, sea salt and pepper. Served with a little butter Organic cookies and vanilla soy milk 2 McDonald’s ice cream cones ("shame, shame" I say as I shake my head!)
Total Points: 52 Ouch!!! Used 10 Flex Points Total Flex Points used for the week: 21/35
What Tomorrow Will Bring
I am looking forward to tomorrow. I know that I will feel great that I did not give up. I will focus on the changes I have made and look forward to finishing up the week on the Flex Plan. I also look forward to the Core Plan. I weighted in last Wednesday night. I started the Flex Plan on Thursday morning. I will weigh in this Thursday night for week one. I am switching meetings. My mother in law is joining me, so I’ll be attending with her.
Breakfast: 2 cups oatmeal with 2 tbsp. raw agave and 1/2 cup organic, wild blueberries.
Mid-morning Snack: an orange and raw cheese
Lunch: garden veggie soup, and about 2/3 avocado,
Afternoon Snack: an omelet with 3 eggs made in coconut oil, mushrooms and spinach, salsa
Dinner (I snacked) :popcorn with butter, chocolate chips, an orange, 2 servings organic cookies dipped in vanilla soymilk
Total Points: 42 (exact amount allowed)
Thoughts
Today was good. I was actually happy it was Sunday because we don’t go out on Sundays and that meant no ice cream cone. I wanted a reason to stay home and not have that treat. I ate pretty healthy and snacked when I felt I needed to. I’m starting to get a feel for how much food is allowed with my alloted points. I’m curious to see how much I lose in a week eating this many points.
Plan
I plan to switch to the Core Plan next week (week 2) to compare the two plans Weight Watcher’s offers. I am excited to do this. The Flex (points) Plan is great because it’s so flexible, which I needed right now. The Core Plan is just simply healthier I think. Week 3, I am going to switch back to the Flex Plan and add in exercise. I will also see after this first week if I need to adjust my points. Then week 4 I will go back on the Core Plan with exercise. I can not wait to see the results.
Today was pretty good. I like our usual breakfast. The oatmeal is filling and according to our friend Ryan, via his wife Staci (can’t wait until he gets his site up), it is the best grain in that it contains a lot of magnesium and helps to heal the gut. When I was in Utah visiting my great friend Staci, she made oatmeal every morning and served it with blueberries. I picked up this good habit from her and we have been making it every morning since then. I use raw agave (love this stuff and got the idea to use it on oatmeal from her as well) instead of brown sugar. I also like that I get a serving of antioxidant-rich blueberries every morning. It’s just a great breakfast! So, I at least start every morning "on the right foot".
Going Out To Eat
We went to Chompie’s today for my brother’s birthday. If you want to have a heart attack, that is your restaurant! Even the "healthy" choices were full of unneeded calories. I attempted to eat a vegetarian sandwich. It was made up of 3 layers. So, I took off one piece of bread and attempted to make it a normal sandwich. After the first bite, I realized I was going to drown in veggie cream cheese. After 5 minutes of trying to scrape enough cream cheese of, I gave up and pushed it away. It would not my my choice for a Weight Watcher friendly place to dine. Yes, there was a fruit platter and we ordered it, but it left much to be wanted. It wasn’t that great. The desserts are so full of crap that is what they taste like…crap! Sorry, but it’s true.
If you are going to be watching calories or doing points, then I’d go to a much friendlier place to eat. The Dining Out Companion that WW has made is helpful. If you find yourself needing to eat out, then you can quickly look up the lower point options.
I also made the soup again today and enjoyed that. I wonder what I’ll replace that with when I get sick of it. Maybe a different soup or bowls of fruit or veggies. Having a low calorie/low point snack around helps a lot. I fill up on healthy foods while not over eating.
What I Ate
I’m going to break down my points today for you. I mean, that is what Weight Watcher’s Flex Plan is about, eating and keeping track of points, right?
Breakfast: 2 cups oatmeal- 4 points 1 tablespoon raw agave nectar- 1 point 1/2 cup wild organic blueberries- 0 points
Mid-morning Snack (this was Chompie’s): 1/2 small bagel with butter- 5 points 2/3 cup home fries- 5 points Lunch at Home: a little over 1 cup of home made fried rice: 8 points an orange: 1 points one of grandma Ellen’s rolls: 4 points (honestly, this is a guess)
Afternoon Snack: another roll: 4 points a banana: 1 point a McDonald’s ice cream cone: 3 points
Dinner at Home: the garden veggie soup: 0 points blueberries and blackberries: 1 point one more roll: 4 points
Total points: 41 points 1 under my allowed points.
Overview So Far
I did pretty well today. I liked that I have the soup at 0 points and then can have my points to eat a roll with it. That works out great! I am liking that I am more aware of what I am eating and that I am being more accountable and responsible. I got so used to just eating whatever I wanted while I was pregnant. When I was pregnant with my second child, Trent, it was opposite. It was like an automatic portion control set into my body. That was wonderful. During this last pregnancy though, I ate a ton! Literally! I would go out to eat and order an appetizer, 2 meals and dessert, just for me. I didn’t think twice about it or feel bad about it either. I thought it would subside after I had her, but once my milk came in and I was fully nursing it continued.
I also notice that I am becoming more health conscious again. I am stopping to think about what I’m eating; what it’s made up of and if there is anything harmful in it. I might still eat it, but hey, I’m starting to care again.
So, today was interesting. I went over my points, but I was able to recognize why. For one, I didn’t have the soup today. That was such a great help. I became really hungry before lunch and ended up making home made cheese quesadillas. While they were darn tasty, the were not filling. After that I went on a serious carb craving binge. It could have been worse, but I noticed I just was not satisfied.
What I Ate
Breakfast: 2 cups oatmeal with 1 tbsp raw agave and 1/2 cup organic wild blueberries Morning Snack: banana, orange and 1/2 avocado Lunch: 2 tortillas with raw cheese and salsa Snack: hot chocolate with whipped cream, 1 roll (Grandma Ellen made rolls and brought them over…dangerous!), Air popped popcorn w/2 tbsp organic butter Dinner: 1/2 serving of Chic-fil-a chicken*, small fries, few sips lemonade, my McDonald’s ice cream cone Snack: an orange
Total points today was actually 52! I went 10 over. I have spent 10/35 of my extra free points for the week.
*This is the first time I have eaten chicken in months. I go through spurts of no chicken, because I read about how nasty it is processed, then I’ll give in and eat it for a while. When I am eating meat I really try to eat it from local farms where I know they are raised, what they are fed and how they are killed. I guess it makes me feel better.
What’s Up For Tomorrow
Make the soup! Seriously, I need the soup. OK, this is starting to remind me of Seinfeld. "NO SOUP FOR YOU!" I fell better having the treats when I’m eating more fruits and veggies, plus they fill me up and are low in calories.
Weight Watchers seems to knock ya for higher fat, but I like fat, especially when it comes from raw dairy. I’m gonna focus on eating good fats and protein. We’ll see how it goes.
