Week 2 of The Plan is still going well. I was worried that I'd be hitting the ravenous part of my diet changes, but so far so good (knock on wood). You know how it goes. You cut back your calories by eating the portions you are actually supposed to be eating and for the first few weeks you feel like you are starving all the time. At least I do. Although, as I read what I just wrote, maybe I'm doing okay because I'm eating as I should be -- in other words, I'm not cutting my calories drastically or otherwise in order to lose weight, I'm just eating what I was supposed to in the first place. Maybe that is the trick?
Either way, I've noticed that the quality of the food I eat definitely makes a difference. The Plan calls for consuming an average of 1800 calories per day. As I add exercise back in, that may need to be adjusted but that's where I am at this week. Now, I could eat 1800 calories of pizza (it'd probably take what, three slices?) or even peanut butter cups (8.57 regular sized packages of Reese's, in case you were wondering) but obviously I'd be starving pretty quick because what else would I eat the rest of the day? That's where quality comes in versus quantity. My hunger is better satisfied if my meal is comprised of, for example, 800 calories of chicken breast, pasta, peas, and a salad as opposed to, say, an 800 calorie double cheeseburger with bacon. They are equal in calories but not in what they are. Kind of like the old trick about which will fall faster, 10 pounds of marbles or 10 pounds of feathers?
Monday evening I planned my calories to include a treat of two peanut butter cups and a glass of milk. I'd had a working lunch so I'd ended up with a turkey club sandwich (including bacon and I'm sure real mayo), real potato chips (as in, not baked) and a (big) cookie. On the whole, about 300 more calories than my usual lunch. Dinner was a chicken caesar salad, and then my treat. Funny thing was, after about the first bite of peanut butter cup it just didn't taste all that good. The milk was much better. In retrospect, I would have been happier with something like a single dark chocolate kiss and then glass of milk.
So yesterday I just wasn't all that hungry all day (stupid sinuses AGAIN) and ended up with the potential for a lot of calories left on the table (so to speak). I thought hmmm, maybe I can have extra peas and extra mac & cheese -- because when you're not feeling great you want to eat stuff you like and I didn't feel like any other sides than those (I had chicken breast for my protein). I sat down and calculated the calories of what I wanted to eat, and was still only at 1677 for the day. And I felt satisfied after eating, not overly full (even despite the extra mac & cheese, it was really yummy with the peas mixed in), and good for the rest of the evening.
To keep experimenting with this in actual practice, today in my lunch I have not only a sandwich (I made this fabulous turkey salad sandwich filling), carrots, and a fruit like I normally do but I doubled the amount of fruit. I figure if I fill up with that, more bulk than calories, I should be golden until at least my afternoon snack -- the latter of which I haven't even been hungry for in recent days. I would have added more carrots too, but there are only so many I can take in one sitting.
And the result of all of this so far? Well, as I've mentioned many, many times previously I believe my scale is playing games with me (it's an evil scale) so I'm still weighing myself every day mainly for the amusement factor. I just know I'm going to catch my scale messing with its own calibration, I just know it! But so far I'm down a pound since Monday. Evil, evil scale!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful week -- we're halfway to the weekend! -- even if you have horrible weather as we do here in Cilleyland. However, it is supposed to get nicer as we approach the weekend. So far, I have zero plans for the long weekend. I can't decide if I like that idea (sleep!!) or if I should go find something to do. I'm sure I'll end up at work at some point over the weekend; my best friend L turns 40 in early June and I am taking some time off to throw her a birthday party so I have to get far enough ahead that my boss doesn't blow a gasket when he figures out I'll be gone for four days. Then again, that could be kind of fun. Muwahahahahahaha!!
Cheers,
the CilleyGirl
That is what we should do.... go on a pizza diet!!! :)
ReplyDeleteI've actually lost pounds in the past on a pizza and BBQ wings diet. True story! All I can figure is I must have been eating waaaay more calories for dinners then than compared to the pizza (thin crust with ham, mushrooms and pineapple) and wings. Or else I was just so stressed (which is why I was stopping at Domino's almost every night on my way home from work) that I was burning a crazy amount of calories.
ReplyDelete