Less numbers, more feeling.

So, apparently, I am not good at this posting every day thing.  I suck at it.  So, I'll post when I post.  And, I can't seem to keep a diet diary....so, yeah.

BUT, I feel good.  Yesterday, for the first time, I got on the scale and when it shot a number at me that I didn't like, I didn't care.  Because, I could FEEL that I had lost weight.  And, for the very first time in my life, I really didn't care about the number.  I mean, I've lost two pounds, so that's great, but I wanted to see more movement.  I guess I got spoiled earlier on, when I had more to lose.

Nonetheless, it made me smile, because I know that a scale is really not a great thing to attach yourself to.  Numbers fluctuate, muscle is gained, water is held, etc.  So, I feel the change, and that's even better than a huge drop on the scale.

I've been eating only the following things:

Egg whites
Oatmeal
Prunes
Reduced Fat Triscuits
Almonds
Pears
Bananas
Granola
Almond Milk
Chicken Breast
Broccoli
Cauliflower
COFFEE

I think that's it.  Again, the rule is, "Is it good?  Otherwise, no."  It's amazing what two days of that kind of diet will do.  I felt bloating disappear and I have less of a muffin top in my favorite tight jeans.  Good stuff.  My body treats me better when I treat it better, and all of those weight loss cliches.

Thanksgiving is coming up, and I don't plan to hold back.

Life is simply too short to pass on mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.

Diet Diary and Food Stuff

I'm going to be horrible at this food diary thing, but let me try to cover today.

Reduced Fat Triscuits - One of the few processed items I allow myself, because they only use three ingredients: Wheat, Oil and Salt.  So, I'm down.  And, they're tasty and satisfy cravings for chips, which I get a lot.  I've had about a handful of these today.

Prunes - I LOVE PRUNES AND I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY.  Seriously, these are one of my diet secrets.  Total fiber overload, satisfies my sweet tooth, and fills me up quickly and for a long time.  I'll eat about 10-12 of these today.

Chicken - I'm making some chicken tenderloins right now to have in the fridge for quick snacking and meals.  I coat them, lightly, with ollive oil and then just give them some sea salt and black pepper.  I try to use olive oil for certain items, even when I don't necessarily have to, because I tend to forget to eat fat.  It's easy to do that and go all OMG VEGGIES, but then I feel like crap and realize that I've had little to no fat for days.  That's as bad as eating too much fat, so I like to use the olive oil just in case I forget to fit fat in somewhere else.

More Chicken - I also like to dump a large can of chicken in a bowl, add a few tablespoons of 2% Greek yogurt (Fage is the only brand you should ever be considering) and then spice it all up with Tapatio hot sauce, which I love because it reminds me of a kicked up worcestershire sauce.  It would be great as a chicken salad sandwich, but I'm not doing breads right now, so I just eat it out of the bowl.  I am a person who is kinda crazy about mayo, sour cream, and all things cream based, so the healthy yogurt is an awesome substitute for the less healthy other options.  One large can will last a few days after I've made the salad, and it's good to have in there to grab a bite or two of as a snack.  I've got an ulcer, and at the slightest hint of hunger, I get pretty serious pain.  Eating makes it better, immediately.  So, I know that I'm likely to grab something quickly, out of anguish, and I'd rather have this healthy thing waiting for me when I need to.

Broccoli/Cauliflower - Had 1 1/2 cups, lightly steamed, and again drizzled very lightly with olive oil for flavor.

I've had two cups of coffee in the past 24 hours, and I used random seasonal creamers.  Because, I don't fuck with my coffee.  I also drink diet soda (Caffeine Free Diet Coke) and I know I shouldn't, but I do.  Period.  I'm okay with that for now, but I'm looking to cut it out soon.

I'll probably have a handful of grapes or a pear later, but that's about it for today.  I honestly have no idea what kind of calories I worked with today, because it was a weird day, and I was up all night, and I just didn't feel like counting.  I just listened to my body.

And, tomorrow, I start the shakes again.  Been trying to hydrate all day, because I'm dehydrated, and the green concoction can really mess ya up if you're not hydrated.

But, like I've said, all it really comes down to is one question.  "Is this good for me?"  If the answer is no, don't buy it/eat it/order it/look at it.

On Maintaining, Inspiration and Getting Back Into It.

So, I've just been maintaining.  It hasn't been too horrible, I have to admit.  I've been eating pretty much anything I want (seriously) and staying right around 160.  I fluctuate into the lower 150's and up to about 163, but that's it.  Just maintaining.  And, it's good to know that I can and that my metabolism can keep up with me when I eat ridiculously.

But, I have also kept up on the exercise, which is really the key.  I still put on my headphones and go nuts for two hours a day or more, and it's still just as enjoyable, a year later.  Pretty sure I could never get on a boring treadmill ever again.

But, I have a December wedding in Miami to attend, and I'd like to lose some more.

So, here I go again.  One of my friends asked me to post a diet diary, so I'm going to try that out, at least for a week.  I start tomorrow.  I picked up some HealthForce Warrior Food (protein) and some HealthForce Greens superfood and I loaded up on granola and lots of veggies and fruit.  It'll be a pretty strict diet, but I'm really curious to see what I can do if I really bust my ass and try to lose a lot.

So, here goes nothing. :)  I'll start the diet diary tomorrow!