The Four Letter Word Least Preferred: Diet: January 2012

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Wave Two Dinner!

Ahh, wave two feels like such an abundance of food at meals. Alas, I still end up hungry at 9:30...

In any case, here's what I ate for dinner yesterday-- pork tenderloin, quinoa pilaf, and roasted squash. Mm mmm!

Monday, January 23, 2012

Beginning Wave Two

So, Wave One brought the shedding of 6 lbs. Then, a weekend of booze and brunch. Now, I'm a bit heavier on the scale. Still, I'm hoping/assuming I'm just retaining water and/or approaching delicate feminine times.

In any case, today I revisited Wave One, and tomorrow, I will begin on Wave Two. You can find my first few days mapped out below.

Day One: Tuesday
B: Cereal and milk
L: Chicken black bean wrap
    Spinach salad with vinaigrette and sundried tomatoes, 1 tbsp. walnuts, 1 tsbp. cheese
    1 cup berries
D: Latin Spiced Pork Tenderloin
    Toasted Quinoa Pilaf
Roasted Zucchini
½ cup tier two fruit
S: 22 almonds
    1 red bell pepper

Day Two: Wednesday
B: Steel-cut oatmeal and milk
L: Birthday lunch at work-- but I’ll be good!
D: Chicken with Serranos (adapted from this Shrimp with Serranos recipe)
    Southwestern Grain Medley
    1 cup salad greens w/ vinaigrette and 1 tbsp. goat cheese
S: 1 cup baby carrots
    1 The Laughing Cow Light Babybel

Day Three: Thursday
B: 2 eggs, 1 slice whole wheat toast
L: Sonoma Salad with Tomatoes and Feta
Fresh tier two fruit of choice
    1 serving whole grain crackers
D: Chicken with Serranos (adapted from this Shrimp with Serranos recipe)
    Southwestern Grain Medley
    1 cup salad greens w/ vinaigrette and 1 tbsp. goat cheese
S: 2 tbsp. yogurt & cucumber sauce spread w/ wheat crackers and wave one veggies
  ¼ cup peanuts

Day Four: Friday
B: Steel-cut oatmeal and milk
L: Chicken and black bean wrap
   1 cup salad greens w/ vinaigrette and 1 tbsp. goat cheese
    Fresh fruit
D: with friends

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Wave One, Day Seven

As of this morning, I've lost five pounds.

Over the last couple of days, I've spent far less time being very hungry.

This is why I love the Sonoma Diet, and this brutal wave one. It teaches you that you have enormous reserves of willpower (see Day Two, the macaron incident); it reminds you that being hungry is not something that requires emergency intervention (though it may cause a few fights); and finally, it works. I've lost five pounds. In less than a week. Now, I know I won't lose much more weight in next few days, and I might even hit a plateau, but having these solid initial results will, I hope, carry me through to the finish line: 10 more pounds, 7 more weeks.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Wave One, Day Five, and I'm an idiot

So, it turns out, my old meal plan featured Saturday... twice! Which means that Wave One ends on Wednesday, not Thursday.

And because I have a dinner with friends on Sunday where I will surely not remain at all close to the parameters of Wave One, and because I have an old friend visiting next weekend, I will go ahead and do one more day of Wave One. Sigh.

But I can do it!

The revised meal plan, beginning with tomorrow, is below.

Day Six: Saturday

B: Whole grain cereal w/ fat-free milk
L: Steak and Blue Cheese Wrap
D: Tandoori Chicken
        Roasted Eggplant Salad
S: 28 peanuts
½ cup tomatoes

Day Seven: Sunday
B: Whole grain cereal w/ fat-free milk
L: Grilled Asparagus Salad
7 Kashi crackers
D: Non-diet dinner with friends. So shoot me.
S: 1 cucumber, sliced
1 cup raw bell pepper strips

Day Eight: Monday
B: Spanish Eggs
L:      Mediterranean Tabbouleh Salad w/ Chicken
D: Beef and Mushroom Kabobs
Spinach Salad
S: 11 almonds
cucumber slices w/ Laughing Cow Babybel

Day Nine: Tuesday
B: 2 scrambled eggs w/ 1 slice toast
L: Birthday lunch at work-- but I promise to order a salad.
D: Mediterranean Tabbouleh Salad w/ Chicken
S: ½ cup tomatoes
1 cucumber

Day Ten: Wednesday
B:        Cereal
L:        Spinach and lentil salad with toasted walnuts
D:       Szechuan Chicken (modified from this Sonoma Diet Szechaun shrimp recipe)
S:       1 cucumber, sliced
1 Laughing Cow Babybel
14 peanuts

Day Eleven: Thursday (OK, so, technically there is no day eleven on Wave One, but since I will have one non-diet dinner on Sunday, and a friend is visiting starting Thursday night, I figure I better get in an extra day of wholesome goodness)
B:     Spanish Eggs
L:      Spinach and lentil salad with toasted walnuts
D:     Sicilian Tuna Steak
        Spinach Salad
S:      14 peanuts
        1 red bell pepper

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Wave One, Day Four

I am not starving!

Granted, I have eaten a handful of tomatoes and half a Babybel Light beyond the meal plan. I also didn't go to the gym today, since I had a couple of appointments. Still, I am not starving.

And, I weigh less now. Four pounds less. Ten more pounds doesn't feel so out of reach. This is why I like the Sonoma Diet, and can soldier through the misery of wave one.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Wave One, Day Three

Sorry, folks, my phone was dead come time for dinner picture.

Alas, tandoori chicken, roasted eggplant salad. Pretty ugly, really, since the yogurt marinade on the chicken blackens instantly and eggplant, while beautiful on the outside, is not so lovely after roasting.

I am still so hungry. I don't remember being this hungry the last time I did wave one. But I have been ravenous since 5 pm, even though I've had dinner, a cucumber, a couple of handfuls of grape tomatoes (not on the meal plan, but they are on the all-you-can-eat list), and 28 peanuts (I doubled my daily allotment! I had to).

To be sure, wave one is a very restricted diet-- about 1100-1300 calories a day for women. That isn't much, but nor is it so very little. When I did wave one before, I weighed 20 lbs more than I do right now. So, what's different now?

I have two ideas: One, I exercise a lot more, at least lately. I've been to the gym or to a yoga class almost every day this year. Two, I take thyroid medication that controls my metabolism. I'm not sure exactly what that means for dieting, but it wouldn't surprise me if it had some affect.

So, strategies for survival-- and not making Bill hate me. First, eat more of the all-you-can-eat vegetables. If that doesn't work, up my nut consumption?

Also, I used my willpower again today, when my colleague came into my office to offer me a piece of dark chocolate.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Wave One, Day Two

Oh my god, I am so fucking hungry. Yeah, that was my dinner, and yeah, it wasn't so little, really, but man, I am hungry. And you know, it was a damn tasty dinner. I even had my favorite Sonoma Diet wrap recipe--steak and blue cheese-- for lunch. Yum!

But you know what I didn't have? Anything off the table of cupcakes and pink macarons and enormous cookies at the lecture I went to today at work. Yes, today I went to a meeting with fucking giant pink macarons. How often do you think that happens to me? NEVER. I have not once, until today, gone to a meeting with macarons. Is there justice in this world?*

Alas, I used my willpower. And then I used my willpower to go to the gym and run three miles. And then I came home and made dinner, though not without snarking at Bill. Let it be known that I get a little bit cranky when hungry. And I'm still fucking hungry, and I've eaten my fucking cucumber, so there will be no more snacks for me this evening. All I can look forward to is a cup of sleepytime tea. :(

*Rhetorical question. There is obviously no justice in this world (the macaron incident is just the tip of the iceberg!).

Monday, January 9, 2012

Wave One, Day One

Well, I have nearly survived day one of wave one. Above, you'll see pictured my dinner this evening-- marinated flank steak (actually, London broil), and broccoli with goat cheese and roasted red peppers. Yum!

Granted, my dinner took up about half a salad plate, and it took me... oh, about 30 seconds to eat... and sure, I'm still a little hungry. But hey, I still have 28 peanuts to eat!!! I bet you are jealous.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

And back to you, Sonoma Diet.

Ahh, internet, I must report to you my failures. My 20 lbs of failure. OK, or maybe just 15. Yes, let's say Fifteen lbs of failure, for the sake of alliteration.

Yes, internet, in the past two years I have gained about 15 lbs. Or 17. Or 20. Yes, that does mean that I have successfully kept off almost 20 pounds since my pre-Sonoma Diet high, so, in that sense, success!

But at this particular juncture, I cannot fit into my favorite jeans. They fit me throughout graduate school, when I was 5-10 lbs heavier than I was in November 2009. Alas, with May's thyroidectomy, the fall's round-the-clock work schedule, and the resulting 10 lbs, I was forced to retire several pairs of pants.

This is unacceptable. Especially as my wedding approaches-- it is now less than six months away.

So, the Sonoma Diet must begin again. And not some half-assed Sonoma Diet flirtation, no, it is time for a full-blown Sonoma Diet affair.

And thus, tomorrow, Wave One begins. Ten days of healthy eating-- with no booze. And no fruit. And, oh my god, no wine.

I can, however, do it. I've made my meal plan, picking and choosing my favorite and/or most convenient meals from Wave One, and frankly, it looks delicious, if rather spare.

Below, the meal plan:

Day One: Monday

B: 2 scrambled eggs w/ 1 slice toast

L: Chicken and Black Bean Wrap

Spinach Salad

D: Marinated flank steak

Sauteed Broccoli w/ roasted peppers and goat cheese

S: ½ cup tomatoes

28 peanuts

Day Two: Tuesday

B: 2 scrambled eggs w/ 1 slice toast

L: Steak and Blue Cheese Wrap