Day 2 on the diet!
Switching gears from my usual topics, I promised a few of my good friends to post updates on how my diet is going. I have never had success with any type of structured eating plan or diet. If I have to think about what I'm going to eat too much or a lot of planning is required, I think about food more than ever and the feelings of deprivation overwhelm me. So I have always just tried to control my portions, eat what I want and exercise four to six days a week. If I over-indulge, I try to compensate right away and my body has always cooperated. However, I allowed myself to put on five pounds this summer and I have been really struggling to get it off in spite of upping my exercise and eating as I always have. I'm sure this is age related. What isn't? Right?
We went to Louisville this past weekend. John's Aunt and Uncle were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. I was telling my sister in law what a hard time I was having with my weight and she started telling me about the South Beach Diet. She had just lost twelve pounds on it and said it wasn't that hard. She told me to get the book and I was at first reluctant because of my past failures to follow any diet. But she said this magic sentence: "On this diet, the first thing you lose is belly fat." And I was interested. I gain weight pretty evenly, but where it bothers me the most is in my tummy. I can't stand to wear anything that's the least bit snug around my waist.
I know South Beach has been around for years. But it's new to me. I didn't even know what kind of diet it was. So I got the book and started reading it Monday. I went grocery shopping with my list of foods I can have the first two weeks. And my last meal was an egg sandwich for dinner Monday night, since I knew I couldn't have bread for two weeks. Sourdough bread dipped in olive oil is one of my favorite snacks. That will be the hardest thing to live without; much more than sweets.
I made it through Day One! That's big for me. And I ate my allowed foods while I served a baked potato bar for our group last night. The first day was surprisingly easy. I never felt deprived or hungry until almost bedtime. Between 9:00 and 10:00 I felt a little unsatisfied and like I wanted something not on my list. But I didn't have to feel that way long.
This morning, I couldn't wait to get on the scale. I know you're not really supposed to weigh every day, but I do. And I won't stop because I'm on a diet. I know it's mostly water, but I lost THREE POUNDS the first day. That's big time motivation for me to continue. I only want to lose a total of eight pounds. So I don't know that I will stay on the strict phase for the entire 14 days. But I think this way of eating will be my new strategy to recover from weight gain. And after reading how my body responds to eating too much of certain foods (mainly sugar and bad carbs), I think I will make different choices even when I'm not trying to lose. I'm extremely interested in health and fitness and have enjoyed reading Dr. Agatston's explanation of how food affects blood chemistry as well as weight.
The real challenge will come over the weekend. We normally go out to dinner on Saturday nights and I tend to devour the bread basket. Sunday we have a Titan's game and the only allowable thing I can eat there are peanuts and a diet coke. I have no idea if I will be tempted to take a day off (especially if all five pounds are gone by then) or if I will be even more motivated by seeing the pounds drop off. I'll have to wait and see.
We went to Louisville this past weekend. John's Aunt and Uncle were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. I was telling my sister in law what a hard time I was having with my weight and she started telling me about the South Beach Diet. She had just lost twelve pounds on it and said it wasn't that hard. She told me to get the book and I was at first reluctant because of my past failures to follow any diet. But she said this magic sentence: "On this diet, the first thing you lose is belly fat." And I was interested. I gain weight pretty evenly, but where it bothers me the most is in my tummy. I can't stand to wear anything that's the least bit snug around my waist.
I know South Beach has been around for years. But it's new to me. I didn't even know what kind of diet it was. So I got the book and started reading it Monday. I went grocery shopping with my list of foods I can have the first two weeks. And my last meal was an egg sandwich for dinner Monday night, since I knew I couldn't have bread for two weeks. Sourdough bread dipped in olive oil is one of my favorite snacks. That will be the hardest thing to live without; much more than sweets.
I made it through Day One! That's big for me. And I ate my allowed foods while I served a baked potato bar for our group last night. The first day was surprisingly easy. I never felt deprived or hungry until almost bedtime. Between 9:00 and 10:00 I felt a little unsatisfied and like I wanted something not on my list. But I didn't have to feel that way long.
This morning, I couldn't wait to get on the scale. I know you're not really supposed to weigh every day, but I do. And I won't stop because I'm on a diet. I know it's mostly water, but I lost THREE POUNDS the first day. That's big time motivation for me to continue. I only want to lose a total of eight pounds. So I don't know that I will stay on the strict phase for the entire 14 days. But I think this way of eating will be my new strategy to recover from weight gain. And after reading how my body responds to eating too much of certain foods (mainly sugar and bad carbs), I think I will make different choices even when I'm not trying to lose. I'm extremely interested in health and fitness and have enjoyed reading Dr. Agatston's explanation of how food affects blood chemistry as well as weight.
The real challenge will come over the weekend. We normally go out to dinner on Saturday nights and I tend to devour the bread basket. Sunday we have a Titan's game and the only allowable thing I can eat there are peanuts and a diet coke. I have no idea if I will be tempted to take a day off (especially if all five pounds are gone by then) or if I will be even more motivated by seeing the pounds drop off. I'll have to wait and see.
Comments
The bread part killed me.
tt