The diet...

So I got to the point, I think every woman does, where I was dreadfully unhappy with my shape. Well except those naturally thin woman, that no one can stand. I had one say once "I don't like to eat, I eat because I have to." What?? Are you kidding me? In a world full of hot fudge sundaes and fine wine and smoked gouda and sushi and chicago style pizza and filet mignon and scallops newburg and belgian white ale, you, you, you don't like to e..e..e..eat??

I love great food. Occasionally I love bad food like a Filet-O-Fish with fries, pigs in a blanket and yes twinkies, NOM NOM NOM.

I also love great beer, great wine and occasional rum drink.

I wouldn't say I'm fat. (picture to the right is current) but I like to be about 20 pounds thinner than I am.

OK, so there's a few contributing factors to my current state.

1) I quit smoking, so yeah yeah, that was like 3 years ago, but over the course of three years an oral fixation for ciggies turns to an oral fixation for food. I'm proud of myself for this one but I think I've traded one bad habit for another.

2) I'm a good cook :) I love to cook, and my boyfriend likes a nice hot meal on the table. Suit, right? Anyway now instead of living off of cheese quesadillas like I did when I was single I'm making pot roasts, and sausage/peppers/onions and chicken parmesan.

3) Wine is tasty and it makes me happy.

4) I work from home and the fridge is always RIGHT THERE. Anytime, day or night my fave yummies are in arms reach. NOM NOM NOM.

So now I'm like greeeat. What do I do? I don't want to pick up a nasty old ciggie-butt, I don't want quit cooking great meals, so I guess I have to change my ways and start cooking better. I came up with a diet plan which I hope will work. I'm already 6 pounds down and I'm 5 days in soo... hopefully.

Week One: Raw-Living-Organic-Vegan

No meat, no dairy, no bread, no potatoes, no rice, no processed foods, no soda, very little cooked food, no chocolate, no booze. I'm also passing on corn, because of the starch. So what am I living on?

Uncooked fruits and vegetables, mostly. I tried to stay true to the raw thing but found spaghetti squash with marinara is a staple. I'm also living on avocados, tomatoes, green tea, spinach, salads, nuts, seeds, squash, and a fresh squeezed juice mix of grapefruit and orange juice. I included coffee because, hey, one vice at a time, right?

Nichole, Kim, Tanya, me and Laura at the party

Lessons learned: Spaghetti Squash is awesome. So are dried plantains. You can live on avocado. Soy milk is actually just as good as low fat moo in coffee. Tofurkey is so bad I spit it back into my napkin. Where on earth did they get the idea that that stuff resembled turkey in any way shape or form??? The soy cheese isn't so bad but Tofurkey is in the top 3 nasty foods I've ever eaten. (Brussel Spouts shall forever reign supreme in that arena).

I miss bread and wine more than anything else. If I fall of the wagon it's going to be in a heap of Malbec and Baguette.

Week two I add in lean chicken, rice, very limited white wine (I've decide one bottle for the whole week), sashimi grade tuna, fish, low fat milk- I know a whole bottle of wine?? That's like 400-500 calories!! So what?! I will sacrifice as much as I have to to get it, and isn't that what it's about? Lifestyle? Choices? Good choices? Tradeoffs?

Week 3 - I will be adding lean beef, red wine, low fat cheese and eggs and possibly limited amounts of whole grain pasta.

Week 4 - the naughtys! Butter, sugar, liquor, pork and cheese come back in, and as with everything on this diet, in moderation

Week 5 - Life resumes 20 pounds thinner.

I naturally eat less in the summer so hopefully the food temptation will ease up a bit. Wish me luck!

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Week two commences!

Sitting here with a glass of chardonnay 50/50 mixed with club soda. And it is YUMMMMMAY. LOL. I poured half a glass so I could have my other half at poker tonight, which I hope I win because healthy food is expensive.

Marinating some chicken breast for dinner. Have some long grain and wild rice too. Ready for a "pig out" Funny a few weeks ago I would have considered this meal healthy and minimal. After a week of what my brother calls "whole foods vegan" it seems like a feast. Poor Mike, he's been living on cereal and Mac-n-cheese becasue it's all he knows how to make. I did unselfishly make Pork Teryaki for him last night (I didn't even taste test, yay for me) and bought bratwurst, ham sandwich fixins and other goodies for him to live on while I'm dieting.

So he grabs an avacado out of a dish yesterday and says "What is this? A dinousaur egg?" I love my Mike, he's funny.

(tto be continued..)