Day Five

This morning was difficult because I overslept and had an early class. It was very tempting to say heck with the diet and just grab a stack of graham crackers. Luckily my boyfriend made me cereal while I was in the shower, and I was able to start off on the right track throughout an otherwise pretty busy day.

Breakfast

• whole grain Total with skim milk (not pictured)
• almonds
• low-fat cottage cheese (not pictured)
• green grapes

I only had cereal before class, so by the time I got home at 1, I was feeling really hungry. I ate the cottage cheese out of the container with a spoon (heh, sorry no photo), but once that crazy initial wave of hunger was sated, I took my time munching the almonds and grapes while I did some work.

Lunch

• Asian beef with broccoli, garlic & yellow peppers in teriyaki sauce over white rice
• fresh herb salad with creamy Parmesan dressing
• sliced kiwi

This was a second portion of last night's dinner that I'd prepared knowing I wouldn't have time to cook lunch today. The peppers were vastly better reheated - so much softer and more flavorful. As with my breakfast, my lunch was also piecemeal (ha) - I ate the beef dish around 1:30 but didn't get to the salad and fruit until 8pm. While I had a lot of appetite when I got back, I didn't feel quite so famished as I had in the morning.

Snack

• reduced-fat Triscuits with spicy hummus
• baby carrots

This is a fast favorite around here - now that my boyfriend has discovered the joy of the spicy hummus, it's a bit tricky keeping it in supply.

Dinner

• fajita made with ground turkey breast, onions, garlic, yellow pepper, pickled jalapeños, salsa, low-fat cheese in a flour tortilla with fresh cilantro on top
• fresh herb salad with creamy Parmesan dressing
• sliced kiwi

My boyfriend helped cook this meal and it was absolutely fantastic. The jalapeños gave it an awesome kick, and the flavors melded beautifully.

I've enjoyed cooking some of these dinners for both of us - it makes it much easier to stick to the diet when we're eating the same thing, together. He modifies the dishes obviously and has other things during the rest of the day, but it's very nice to enjoy dinners together when we can.

I just realized that I've been on the diet almost a week already. It's really been quite painless. I only exercised once (so far), though even if I don't immediately drop the poundage it feels good to be back to getting balanced nutrition and working toward a healthy lifestyle. I have a good feeling about this time.