Dinner, Day Eleven

• 2 oz chicken breast with 4 tbsp breadcrumbs and 1 tsp rosemary
• couscous
• 2 cups Romaine lettuce
• 2 tbsp fat-free Italian dressing
• 1/2 cup canned sliced peaches

I had actually attempted to microwave a baked potato because I didn't think I could take any more "healthy fries." Unfortunately I entered the wrong time, started a fire, and filled the apartment with smoke. Whoops! Rather scared, I went with some cold already-cooked couscous instead.

The chicken was delicious but it seemed like the breading could have been crispier somehow. I ate this meal very late at night, and I was exhausted preparing it. I kept thinking I should have gone with my instinct to prepare another dish of the stir-fry I had enjoyed so much for lunch.

Lunch, Day Twelve

• 2 tbsp uncooked brown rice, cooked
• 3-1/2 oz lean pork
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• fresh broccoli
• garlic
• teriyaki sauce
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple

Mmmm pork stir-fry! Love it! I didn't have the green beans it called for, but I actually preferred the broccoli. I made the rice wrong, so it was a bit... chewy, but still a delicious meal.

Snack, Day Twelve

• 2 chocolate rice cakes
• 1 tbsp Smart Balance peanut butter

Ahhh my old stand-by... I chose this snack again out of laziness - I kept putting off going to the store until late in the evening, at which point I asked my boyfriend to go for me because I was tired. I was probably tired because I hadn't eaten since the morning and had been on my feet working hard all day.

This is another bad habit of mine - I wear myself down to utter exhaustion, at which point instead of eating something healthy and satisfying, I make lousy decisions and pig out. I was happy to at least have today's version of laziness come in opting for food I had instead of say, ordering wontons from the Chinese place.

Breakfast, Day Twelve

• 1 oz Total
• 1/2 oz whole almonds
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 1 tbsp wheat germ
• 1/2 cup skim milk

After yesterday's bender, I was resolved to stick to the diet today. I haven't really succumbed to temptation thusfar - not even a spare sip of milk or an extra pat of butter - so I decided not to chastize myself too horribly and just make forward progress.

I didn't realize until just now that I actually could have had 1-1/2 cups skim milk. Whoops. I used my fruit of choice in the raisins, which improved the cereal, but left me a little hungry. I may stick with more substantial fruits in the future that are more filling for their calories, sugar etc.

Dinner, Day Eleven

As previously stated, I went to a family dinner party in the evening. I had all intents for a modest meal, and even had whiskey on the rocks with water instead of a mixed drink when I learned they didn't have any diet soda at the bar.

However, a few whiskeys in, my judgment began faltering. I ate a bunch of the hors d'oeuvres, including a few shrimp, 1 stuffed mushroom, some Portuguese sausage, and a bunch of fried calamari with marinara sauce. I barely touched my salad, and as I continued drinking, also began having glasses of sangria (ugh).

For dinner, I had veal marsala, which I'm sure was not even remotely healthy, but I did not help matters by excluding the side of vegetables which came with it. I continued drinking too much, and while I definitely had a wonderful time, I know I did damage to my diet efforts.

On the way home I seriously compromised the diet endeavor when I drunkenly picked up two Krispie Kreme doughnuts at a rest stop. My boyfriend cautioned me that whereas one may have been permissible, two was definitely over-the-top. I know that I make ridiculous food choices when intoxicated, and all things considered, this is better than I usually do (let's order pizza! let's get Philly cheesesteaks! let's go to the all-night fried chicken place on the corner and get eight fried things and a pint of ice cream!). Still not a proud moment. I don't like throwing myself so completely out of control, and I was definitely embarrassingly drunk by the end of the evening. Very very irresponsible.

Lunch, Day Eleven

• 2 whole wheat mini-pitas
• 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 2 tbsp walnuts
• 2-1/2 tbsp wheat germ
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple

The diet actually called for 2/3 cup of cottage cheese, but my boyfriend had been snacking on the cottage cheese and there was not enough for both of us to have sandwiches. I was mildly annoyed at yet again being thwarted from my diet with his snacking, but I didn't feel deprived or anything, just mildly irritated (I was having a busy day).

The strawberries maybe didn't go as well as I think they were supposed to with the more savory cheese and walnut flavors, but they were okay.

I did not have a snack today because I was going to a big family party in the evening and knew I would most likely overindulge.

Breakfast, Day Ten

• 1 oz oatmeal
• 1/2 tbsp raisins
• 1-1/2 tbsp walnuts
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1 oz low-fat cheddar cheese
• 1 apple

It actually called for 2 oz of cheese, but I didn't want to eat that much shredded cheese - I kept wishing I'd gone to buy a brick of cheese to have one nice satisfying 2-oz slice... but ah well. The oatmeal was not as flavorful as I'd hoped, and I suspect I've been spoiled by packets of raisin spice instant oatmeal. It was good, though, and satisfying.

Dinner, Day Nine

• 1/2 eggplant, sliced and breaded
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce
• 4 tbsp parmesan cheese
• 1 oz whole wheat vermicelli
• 1 plum

I was so beyond excited when I saw eggplant parmiagana as the meal... but something in the execution was just off. I had to add bread crumbs to even partially cover all the eggplant, and I foolishly left the purple peel on the slices, so they were kind of chewy and unpleasant. It was also rather bitter, I suspect from the shortened cooking time. I know I've complained about the preparation time in many a post, but when it comes to something like eggplant parmiagiana, I'm willing to wait!

I kept wishing I'd gone with my first instinct to skip the bread crumbs, sautee the eggplant, and serve it with sauce over the pasta. That might have been a lot better.

I should not be so hard on this recipe, though, as I've been very tired and cranky all evening and burnt my finger taking it out of the oven...which I shouldn't really hold against it.

Tomorrow night I'm seeing my parents and extended family for a party... and I worry that it will be difficult to find healthful choices at the restaurant we're going to. This diet also doesn't seem to provide any options for a glass of wine or champagne, and so I worry that I will off-set the progress I've made thusfar should I indulge. We'll see how I do I guess.

Lunch, Day Nine

• tuna cakes made with 3 oz tuna, red bell pepper, onion, breadcrumbs, cilantro, cayenne red pepper, egg, lemon juice, and 1/2 tomato on top
• couscous
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced
• 5 whole almonds
• 2 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
• 1/2 tomato
• 2 tbsp fat-free Italian dressing

This was an enormous amount of food and took a lot of time to prepare. The cakes were okay, but didn't seem to benefit from the half hour of refrigeration they required, as they still fell apart some in the skillet.

The salad was fantastic, and I was surprised with how well the strawberries went with the spinach and dressing. The cucumber I'd added, since it was threatening to go bad in the fridge and I seemed to remember them being calorically negligible.

Snack, Day Nine

• whole wheat English muffin
• 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
• 2/3 tbsp Smuckers sugar-free strawberry preserves

Apart from the bad photograph, this was kind of a forgettable snack. The taste was fine, especially since I toasted the muffin, but it was basically PB&J, and I was kind of tired of that. Quick to prepare, though, so I'll remember it if I'm in a pinch.

Breakfast, Day Nine

• egg and cheese on a whole wheat bagel
• medium coffee with skim milk & Splenda

This was my first breakfast out, and my boyfriend was craving Dunkin Donuts. The meal substitution actually called for the sandwich to be on a biscuit, but they didn't have any (this has been happening a lot lately).

It was tasty, and I was especially happy to have the coffee, though admittedly kind of take-it-or-leave-it as far as not being the amazing treat we were expecting. Still quite good though and a relief that I can stick to my diet while eating out.

Dinner, Day Eight

• "Korean noodles" made with boiled chicken, mushrooms, scallions, onion, carrot, celery, and a sauce made with garlic, low-sodium soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and a dash of olive oil, over 1-1/2 oz whole-wheat vermicelli
• 1 plum

When I saw the word "noodles," my heart skipped a beat - I love pasta so much!!! This dish was a perfect melding of flavors and textures and I loved it. The plum went especially well.

My boyfriend did not care for so many vegetables similar to the lunch meal, though I didn't really mind. I was happy I didn't have to eat salad with this meal.

The food today was great... though in the interest of full disclosure... I have to admit that both the boyfriend and I have been extremely gassy all day. It is possible that some of the vegetables are causing it, or it could be the Black Cherry Vanilla Diet Coke we've been drinking (I used to have a similar reaction to their Lemon-flavored Diet Coke way back when). Maybe it's the raisins? I dunno. Good thing we both have a sense of humor about it!

Lunch, Day Eight

• "turkey stew" made with 2.5 oz ground turkey breast, rolled into balls, garlic, carrot, onion, potato, celery, fresh cilantro, low-sodium chicken broth, parsley, basil, oregano, sage, poultry seasoning, and black pepper
• 2 cups Romaine lettuce
• 2 tbsp fat-free Italian dressing
• 1/2 cup canned peach slices

This was preparation-intense, though I enjoyed it. The taste was kind of bland, and it desperately needed salt, which I felt guilty for adding at the end. I had used low-sodium chicken broth instead of the vegetable broth called for (the store didn't have any), which I think effected the taste, as well as obviously making it more of a soup than a stew. With the salt added, though, it was quite tasty.

This recipe actually made more than I could fit in the bowl - there was about another 1/4 cup or so that I had after finishing this big bowlful. I'm still pretty amazed at the serving sizes they give on this stuff - is this really eating healthy??

Snack, Day Eight

• apple, baked with:
• 1 tbsp Smart Balance trans-fat-free all-natural peanut butter
• 1 tbsp raisins

The recipe called for eating the apple raw and stuffed, but I thought it would be a nice treat to bake it, recalling the baked apples my mother used to make for desserts when I was a kid. Both my boyfriend and I absolutely loved this, even though the peanut butter was a little bland.

Breakfast, Day Eight

• 1 oz Total
• 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
• 1.5 oz raisins
• 1 cup skim milk
• 2 slices whole wheat toast
• 1 tbsp Smuckers sugar-free strawberry preserves

I thought I was oh-so-clever using my "fruit of choice" as the raisins in the cereal... until I later read that a serving size for raisins is much smaller than one of those little boxes. Whoops.

Weigh In, Week Two

Success! I've lost six pounds.

I'm sure a lot of it is water weight or just body fluctuations, but hey I'll take it!

Dinner, Day Seven

• black bean and carrot pate (made with 1/2 cup black beans, 1 onion & 4 carrots, seasoned with cumin
• 1 whole wheat pita, cut into chips and lightly salted
• 2 cups salad greens with 2 tbsp fat-free Italian dressing
• 1.5 oz box of raisins

I had a different meal scheduled, but as I've mentioned, I had switched things around to avoid going to the store (still a little annoyed at myself for that) and make preparation easier.

I chose this black bean pate because I'd enjoyed it so much earlier this week, and I was particularly looking forward to the tortilla chips. Little did I know until preparation was well under way that my boyfriend had eaten the last of the chips already. Whoops.

I realized that it is a challenge to live with another person and try to control your diet. In the past both of us have eaten ingredients that the other intended in a dish and when faced with modifying the dish or ordering take-out, we'd go for the take-out. This time around, I'm really glad for his support and I can tell he's enjoying this mutual self-control that comes with me no longer asking if he'd walk to the store and pick up some Dulce de Leche ice cream or cookies or mumbling "Wanna order pizza?" when I don't feel like cooking.

The bright side was that this gave me the chance to figure out how to make pita chips, which are much healthier than the tortilla chips I had anyway, so that was good. Now when I host a party, I'll have no problem supplying healthy alternatives to greasy potato chips. ;-)

When I finished this meal I realized that it was the last of the week. I've meticulously stuck to my diet plan, following all the instructions in preparing healthful foods. I'm getting more and more used to cooking and beginning to understand the common things I did that made my dishes too fatty or salty or just grotesquely unhealthy in the past. By making simple changes, I can feel a huge difference in my energy and I don't have the sick bloated feeling of a diet loaded with preservatives and sodium, nor the guilt of absolutely pigging out on delivery food. That in and of itself is a huge accomplishment, and I have to admit, I'm proud of myself - I wasn't even tempted to stray from the diet.

I'm looking forward to my first weigh-in tomorrow morning - let's hope I've made good progress!

Lunch, Day Seven

• pork stir-fry made with 3-1/2 oz. lean pork, 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery, 1-1/2 cups green beans, garlic & teriyaki sauce
• 1/4 cup brown rice
• 1/2 cup fruit cocktail

This was actually scheduled as my evening meal, but I bumped it ahead of the "afternoon" meal so I could have it with my boyfriend. We both enjoyed this dish immensely and agreed that we would eat it even if we weren't dieting.

I've been on a very strange schedule lately because of school and projects that are looming, so when I say "lunch," I'm actually eating it usually in the early evening, and the dinner is usually in the late evening, like 11pm or midnight (or even later). I wonder if this has any negative metabolic effects, especially in light of that old wives' tale that you will gain weight if you eat meals late at night or close to bed time. Generally speaking though, I'm up several more hours after the second meal, so it's not like I'm just wolfing food and going to bed.

I would like to get my sleep together because I do know that that effects the body's ability to function properly and that poor sleep is just as depleting (if not moreso) than poor nutrition.

At least I've curbed late-night bingeing, right?

Snack, Day Seven

• 1 slice whole wheat bread
• 2 oz deli sliced roast beef
• 1/2 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise

Really loving these half-sandwiches... though I worry that I'm making them because I'm too lazy to prepare anything else, or in today's case, reluctant to go to the store. I keep changing the meal selections to suit what ingredients I have, which I suppose is okay, but I had wanted to try more recipes and it doesn't seem like a good way of doing that if I'm always eating the same thing. Ah well.

Breakfast, Day Seven

• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• 1 tbsp Skippy Natural peanut butter
• 1 tbsp Smuckers sugar-free strawberry preserves
• 1/2 oz whole almonds
• 1 apple

I had Crystal Light iced tea to drink. This made me really happy because I used to make toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as a child. The nuts and apple somehow added to the school-lunch feel.

I was ridiculously tired this morning (having pulled an all-nighter for school), so I was glad for the protein and extended energy of this meal.

Dinner, Day Six

• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/4 medium onion
• 3/4 cups sliced zucchini
• 2/3 cups pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• cumin, garlic powder, chili powder
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 flour tortilla
• 1 oz. low-fat cheddar cheese
• 1 apple

This was very tasty and satisfying. I added garlic and the cheese, which was not originally called for (but how can you have Mexican flavors without cheese?). My boyfriend loved it too and we both thought it was a particularly well-suited combination of flavors.

I'm feeling really good about this diet again and thinking that I need to try out recipes and find a couple favorites to start using as staples. I'm getting more used to preparing the meals, which is a very good feeling - I can actually see myself keeping this up for a year or more.

On that note, if I am able to lose 2 pounds a week (as is recommended), it will take me about 1 year and 1 month to lose all the weight I have to lose... which would be about late March 2007. Of course I know that I will not always lose 2 pounds a week, particularly if I don't step up the exercise, but I'm prepared for a long commitment. What's more though, it will really show even if I've just lost 40-50 pounds. I just learned of a wedding coming up in October, and I was genuinely excited to think that I'll have lost a significant amount of weight by then and it will be apparent to my friends. For once in a long time, I'm looking forward to dress shopping, particularly when I know I have almost eight months to prepare.

Oh man and tank-tops and bikinis in summer 2007! That will be really really nice.

Lunch, Day Six

"Southwestern Beef Salad"

• 2 cups mixed salad greens
• 1/3 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tomato
• 1/4 cup peeled and chopped avocado
• 1/2 small red onion
• 3 oz. deli-sliced roast beef
• 2 tbsp fat-free Italian dressing
• 3 tbsp salsa
• 1 apple

This was truly a staggering amount of food, and I struggled to finish. The red onions got pretty intense, so I ended up not finishing some of them. I particularly enjoyed the salsa and avocado with the roast beef - fantastic!

Snack, Day Six

• 2 oz. Healthy Choice chicken breast
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 slice whole wheat bread

Loving these half sandwiches! Kept me going until late afternoon.

Breakfast, Day Six

• 1 slice whole wheat toast
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 2-1/2 tbsp wheat germ
• 1 tbsp whole almonds (not pictured)
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup juice-packed fruit cocktail

I was in a huge rush today, and this worked out perfectly. The cottage cheese on toast was a little weird - maybe I would have preferred it on the side - but it was good. Lots of dairy in the morning... but it kept me satisfied and functioning all morning, so it was great.

Dinner, Day Five

• steak fajitas made with 2-1/2 oz. loin cut beef, onion, red pepper, garlic powder, 1 oz. shredded cheddar low-fat cheese on 1 flour tortilla
• 2 cups salad greens with 2 tbsp fat-free Italian dressing
• 1/2 cup juice-packed fruit cocktail

This was surprisingly easy to make and tasted great - I will definitely remember this recipe.

I loved the food all day today and noticed that I have increasing energy each day, which is a wonderful benefit of actually getting all the right nutrients and eschewing all the garbage that usually courses through my system. Hooray!

Lunch, Day Five

• 3-1/2 oz. chicken breast, marinated and broiled
• 2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
• "healthy fries" (1 potato sliced and baked with Mrs Dash seasoning)
• 1 cup salad greens with 1 tbsp fat-free Italian dressing
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple

The chicken was absolutely delicious. Loved this meal!

Snack, Day Five

Roast Beef half sandwich (made with 1 slice whole wheat bread, 2 oz. roast beef, 1/2 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise).

Most days it seems to work out to eat the snack before class and the afternoon meal when I get back.

Breakfast, Day Five

• 1 oz Total cereal
• 1 tbsp wheat germ
• 1/2 oz almonds
• 1-1/2 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple

Delicious and simple, which was good because I was in a hurry.

Dinner, Day Four

• "Triple Vegetable bake" made with 1 potato, 4 oz mushrooms, 1/2 onion, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, parsley, and a touch of parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup green beans
• 1/2 cup pineapple

I'm mildly confused about how this was triple vegetable, but it was pretty tasty.

I think I may not have thickened it enough, as it was kind of watery - I guess I was expecting a texture more like au gratin potatoes or lasagna. It still tasted great though.

Mostly I was amazed that there was so much food to eat... and that it would even help me lose weight! What a treat!

Lunch, Day Four

• tuna salad with tomato in a whole wheat pita
• 2 C salad greens with 2 tbsp fat-free Italian dressing
• 1/2 cup fruit cocktail
• 1 graham cracker

I had Crystal Light peach iced tea to drink.

I guess it's pretty obvious that I was repeating the meals I'd enjoyed today. This one was very good, and when I made it for my boyfriend, he enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Snack, Day Four

2 chocolate rice cakes with peanut butter.

Today I had the snack again before the afternoon meal, as I'd had a late breakfast. I chose this snack because I've been dreaming about it since the last time, and again, it did not disappoint!

Breakfast, Day Four

• whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup fruit cocktail

I enjoyed this breakfast so much on the first day that I decided to have it again, complete with green tea to drink. And it was, again, delicious!

Dinner, Day Three

• tuna salad with tomato in a whole wheat pita
• 1 cup salad greens & celery spears with 2 tbsp fat-free Ranch dressing
• 1/2 C pineapple
• 2 graham crackers

Another spectacular meal. I feel like I'm pigging out for having this much food at once, but the variety of flavors makes it so interesting and enjoyable.

And my God do I love graham crackers!

Today was a fantastic food day... I wish I'd made time to exercise though.

Lunch, Day Three

• 3-1/2 oz broiled steak rubbed with black pepper and garlic powder
• 1 cup steamed broccoli tossed with soy sauce
• "healthy fries" (1 sliced potato baked with Mrs Dash seasoning)
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
• 2 graham crackers

Oh man. This may have been my favorite meal thusfar. Absolutely fantastic!

Snack, Day Three

Half sandwich made with 2 slices whole wheat bread, Dijon mustard, and 2 oz Healthy Choice chicken breast.

I know the photo is not good, but I absolutely looooved this sandwich. I ate it instead of the afternoon meal before going to do my presentation and wasn't even remotely hungry - I felt like it was such a treat to eat that much chicken in the middle of the day.

Breakfast, Day Three

• 1 oz cold cereal with 1 C skim milk
• 2 slices whole wheat toast with 1 tbsp Smuckers sugar-free strawberry preserves
• 1 apple

I had Diet Dr Pepper to drink and was kind of scattered trying to get a presentation together for school.

Dinner, Day Two

• 3-1/2 oz. broiled steak, marinated with garlic, balsamic vinegar, oregano, black pepper & olive oil
• "healthy fries" - 1 potato baked with Mrs Dash seasoning
• 1 C salad greens with 1 tbsp fat-free Italian dressing
• 1/2 C crushed pineapple packed in juice

I had more Diet Dr Pepper to drink.

I've been in a sort of pissy mood because of a project I'm working on and an impending presentation I have to give tomorrow... so I wasn't really as patient with food preparation as I maybe should have been.

The cooking spray I used on the potatoes started smoking a bit and set off our smoke detector several times. Not realizing it was the spray, I used the same baking sheet to broil the steak, causing even more smoke and a much more urgent alarm. Fortunately for the second portion I realized what was going on and used aluminum foil instead... but as I scrubbed the burnt-up pan with much aggravation, I negelected the steak and overcooked it some.

I was getting kind of annoyed with the amount of ingredients I had to purchase, as well as my repeated burning of food or sloppy preparations. I'm certain that my irritability was more to do with this project than the cooking.

I also found myself wanting to eat to procrastinate work, which is a dangerous tendency of mine. Particularly after having tortilla chips at lunch, I found myself wanting to snack on them later, but I resisted and waited until my assigned snack instead.

Snack, Day Two

• 1/4 C low-fat cottage cheese
• 5 unsalted Saltine crackers
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped walnuts

At first I thought this was a kind of odd combination, but ultimately I enjoyed it. The tomato I did not like, but I suspect it was to do with this season's lousy tomatoes moreso than a problem with the flavor combination.

Lunch, Day Two

• Black bean, carrot & onion pate flavored with cumin
• 1 oz. tortilla chips
• 2 C salad greens with 2 tbsp fat-free Italian dressing
• 1 apple

I had Diet Dr Pepper to drink.

I felt this was a bit excessive in preparation required... I had to actually steam 4 baby carrots, then bust out the food processor to combine them with the black beans (which I had to rinse), adding both eventually to onion which I had to sautee... as I've said, I'm not used to this much cooking, but boy do I resent having to learn to use the steamer for 4 baby carrots!

In the end, though, it was so delicious I no longer minded. The chips were an especially great treat!

Breakfast, Day Two

• Scrambled egg whites with red pepper, onion & low-fat Cheddar cheese (was supposed to be an omelet)
• 1 slice whole wheat toast
• 1/2 C canned fruit cocktail
• 1 C skim milk

I accidentally overcooked the egg whites, I think because of the pan I used, so it was impossible to fold the omelet over properly. Nevertheless it was delicious, and I especially liked drinking milk with breakfast.

Dinner, Day One

• baked mahi mahi
• "healthy fries" (1 potato sliced, sprinkled with Mrs Dash seasoning, baked)
• 1 C salad greens with 1 tbsp fat free Ranch dressing
• apple

To drink I had more Crystal Light peach iced tea.

The food for today was fantastic and I couldn't be happier with it. It was a little bit time consuming to prepare all of these items, considering I usually make maybe one dish a day, but all in all the time spent was highly worth it.

I haven't felt hungry to speak of all day, and in fact at times it's felt like an effort to finish all the food. I'm already feeling refreshed and looking forward to the cleansing effect of all this healthy food on my body.

My neck and shoulders are a little sore from the yoga, which is making me aware of just how badly I've let myself go... but I look forward to being able to move and use my body to its fullest with time and practice.

Snack, Day One

Chocolate rice cakes with 1 tbsp peanut butter, mug of chamomile tea.

This was my favorite thing I've eaten so far - absolutely fantastic! I would eat this as a snack even if I weren't on a diet, and that's saying a lot.

Lunch, Day One

• Curry Brown Rice and Egg Salad (with broccoli, walnuts, dijon mustard, Miracle Whip instead of yogurt)
• 1 cup salad greens drizzled with balsamic vinegar with 1 chopped tomato.
• pear

This sounded strange to me... but once all the flavors came together, it was surprisingly tasty and I enjoyed it immensely. I had Crystal Light peach iced tea to drink.

Exercise, Day One

Lilias! New Yoga - Target Toning for Beginners

35 min - arms & abs upper body workout

I didn't realize how inflexible and weak I've become... yikes.

Breakfast, Day One

This was a delicious way to start off right.

• Thomas' Light multi-grain English muffin with 1-1/2 tbsp Skippy Natural peanut butter
• 1/2 C low-fat cottage cheese
• 3/4 C fruit cocktail packed in juice

To drink, I had a mug of green tea sweetened with Splenda.

The Beginning

Today I was confronted with the drastic nature of my need to lose weight.

I am 5'4" and weigh 202 pounds. I am 24 years old, and my BMI is 34, which puts me in the "high risk" category for heart disease and other health complications. I have elevated cholesterol, exercise-induced asthma, frequent insomnia, and a host of emotional and mental health problems. For at least the past seven years, I have struggled with some combination of bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety/panic disorders, and I know my poor state of health contributes to these problems.

I want to lose 80 pounds, for a target weight of 120 pounds. I want to develop lean muscle mass, cardiovascular health, improved sleep, and an overall healthier lifestyle and outlook.

Through the discipline of this project, I hope to alleviate some of the social anxiety I experience, as well as improve my personal body image and sense of well-being.

Put simply, I'm tired of feeling fat and lazy and hating myself for it, and it's time to do something about it.

I intend to post regularly, with photographs and descriptions of my meal plan, records of exercise and activity, and my thoughts and feelings about the process. Once a week, I will weigh in and post a photograph of the scale, as well as an update on my progress.