The Proof is in the Pudding

Since my last post, I've lost 3 more lbs. (6 total now) and have been feeling really good. The headaches are finally gone and I'm beginning to feel the results a tiny bit with the reward of looser pants and more energy. I just wanted to clear the air here and say that I am no longer doing the cleanse diet - I only lasted 3 days on it and felt horrible. Besides, this is a marathon, not a sprint...so why should I feel crappy...even for 7 days? If you have been following and reading my previous posts, you know that I have been eating balanced meals of protein, veggies and fruit. And that's about it.

As I said in my last post, I've been really bad about writing things down recently but I'll try to recap my diet these past few days. Monday I skipped breakfast, not intentionally, but because I was busy and preoccupied. I'm sure I had coffee although I seriously can't recall at this point. Monday for lunch I ate a half of a turkey sandwich with a schmear of mayo and a slice of Swiss cheese and a tangerine. That night for dinner I had a salad with a chicken breast, red peppers, cherry tomatoes, a small amount of shredded cheddar and light Italian dressing. After dinner my sweet tooth was really aching (even more than usual). I desperately wanted a bite of my son's dessert - Snack Pack chocolate pudding. I may even be guilty of licking the lid when I opened it for him. Yes, I'm aware that people everywhere do this but they are not in my unfortunate, non-dessert-eating shoes. When he didn't finish it, I was sooooo tempted to take the last three bites...but I did not. Not sure where my strength came from...probably knowing that I'd have to confess my sin here.

Tuesday I had a pear and a banana for breakfast, along with my coffee (and coffee mate), and a whole wheat turkey pita with a slice of Swiss cheese for lunch. I also had a La Croix sparkling water with natural lemon flavor. It's no diet coke but I'm missing that less and less every day. For a snack I had string cheese. Last night when I got home I was starving. I fell ever-so-slightly off the wagon. As I was searching for something to feed my kiddo for dinner, I caught sight of several off-limit items in my pantry ~ a box of Triscuits, a box of Kraft mac and cheese, a month-old Hershey bar...I knew that I had to eat something healthy right then or I'd make a bad decision. I was not in the mood for lettuce (yet again) and the chicken breasts my husband grilled especially for me the night before did not look appealing at all. This is where my best laid plans went slightly awry. I ate about 10 Pepperidge Farm BAKED Parmesan crackers (the serving size was 20 if that makes you feel any better - it certainly does me) and 2 frozen chicken taquitos (not THAT bad...we were out of light sour cream and salsa). Like I said, it could've been worse. I could've eaten that Hershey bar.

Today I had half a plum for breakfast (it wasn't great) and a cup of coffee with coffee mate and Splenda. I gave up Splenda a couple of months before I even started this diet in lieu of real sugar, which I heard is healthier. I'm back on it now...at least for the time being. You see, coffee is like my dessert at this point and I need it sweet, thus the CM and Splenda. It's the only thing keeping me sane. I had a chicken breast for lunch today with a bunch of cherry tomatoes and some red peppers (raw). I topped the veggies with light Italian dressing. I also had a club soda from downstairs. Although I'm not satisfied (one of my friends just came over and was talking about having a piece of chocolate out of some random co-worker's drawer), I'm full. I think this is an important distinction, especially for a dieter. Sometimes you just WANT to eat. It's a complicated tug of war between the brain and the stomach. I don't pretend to understand all the physiological nuances of why we want certain foods when, but I do know that changing your way of thinking about food is critical. Food is fuel...nothing more. In many cultures, and America is no exception, food is made and eaten for enjoyment. And for all the people around the world who cook healthy foods, there are three times as many who cook with cream and butter. Maybe this is where our big problem (pun intended) with obesity stems from. When we can start thinking more about food as sustainment and not as a hobby or entertainment, we will go a long way towards eliminating obesity in this country and all the health problems associated with it.