Would you believe I completely spaced blogging yesterday? Actually taking into account what happened yesterday, I do believe it. Let's just say Tuesday wasn't the best day in the world, both personally and professionally, and leave it at that.
I'm happy to report the detox symptoms are on their way out the door, and I'm back to losing weight. Monday was still pretty shaky and weak feeling, with Tuesday seeing a sudden attack of nausea right after lunch that lasted close to four hours. Let me tell you, the nausea was NOT fun. I was literally sitting at my desk, my head in my hands, fighting that trip down the hallway to puke. If I have any choice at all, I'll avoid puking in a public restroom. That's just...nasty.
Tuesday night - VLCD 6 - I was feeling much better. I had my go to meal of cabbage and beef, and some strawberries, and downed a whole additional liter of water. I was feeling pretty strong, and able to hold a decent conversation without drifting and losing concentration.
This morning I woke up feeling great again. My hunger pangs didn't kick in until about half way to work, and by then I'd already been able to take my first set of drops so it only lasted for a few minutes. I was starving around 10, and water just wasn't cutting it so I had my strawberries early. Lunch was romaine lettuce, chicken, and a dressing made from Frank's Sauce and mustard, which was delicious. About two thirty I realized I was starving again, and after calculating my total calorie intake so far (110+40+15=165) I wasn't surprised, so I snacked on my melba.
That was thankfully enough to get me to my next set of drops, the last of my second liter of water, and home to relax. Dinner tonight was the VLCD safe eggs - one whole egg, three egg whites - with some more Frank's, an apple and a plate full of radishes. All very very satisfying, and filling. Which is where the guilt sets in.
I've been reading back over the book again and looking at the directions, and it occurs to me that while you're not anywhere near as restricted as I'd initially thought, there's still a level of abstinence that is required. I'm concerned that my constant intake of hot sauce, and now the eggs, will cause me to 'cheat' unintentionally, and I'll have to start the 21 days on drops all over again. I'm already 7 days into the damn thing, I don't wanna start over again. Technically I haven't gone off the diet, everything I've eaten has been within protocol, and I haven't even maxed out my calorie count, despite permission to do so. I've also avoided the broth, surprisingly enough, and I'm not feeling weak from the loss.
I guess, in my head, I'm worried that I've messed up somewhere and cheated. Even though everything I'm doing is VLCD approved. I made lunch for tomorrow - cabbage and beef, as I haven't had it for lunch yet, and I'm just not prepared for another salad - and I left out the hot sauce in the initial cook. I did sprinkle some on top, but not too much. And I'll have another apple for lunch, with either strawberries or a grapefruit for dinner, which will help me feel less guilty, I hope.
On a more personal note, I had my first true 'test' on the diet. I was so exhausted and weak from the nausea yesterday that when I got home the idea of cooking myself dinner, let alone BF and his dad dinner, was sending me over the edge into emotional temper tantrums. I ended up talking BF into ordering pizza, which is one of my chief food weaknesses. Bf and his dad ate their pizza at the same table as me, seeing as how we were playing Hearts, and I was...FINE!!! No temptation, no hunger pangs, no desire to eat the pizza. The beef and cabbage helped TONS which is one of the reasons I went with it, but I was also feeling strong enough that the desire to eat it was very minimal. It was a huge success for me, one that I'm quite proud of ^_^
To date, I've lost 10.4 pounds, and I'm ecstatic about it. I know the stalls and slow downs in loss are headed my way in the next week, which is why I'm considering weighing myself every other day instead of every day. I'm still feeling guilty, but hopefully I'll overcome that soon. I think I'm entering the more stable phase of the protocol, where I feel good, am able to walk an hour a day, and still function. I'm excited that I only have two more weeks to go, and then I start the transition into Maintenance, which means avocados!!
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
VLCD Day 1, It's HOW Expensive??, and Expectations
As I sit here typing this, I'm slowly winding down my first day on the VLCD diet of 500 calories. It's been an enlightening day, lemme tell ya.
I guess when I started researching this, I really was picturing those gourmet plates at the five star restaurants that are, like, $45 a pop, with five little crackers, some pate, and a pretty little green onion for garnish. In today's world, serving sizes are completely obscure, and it's easy to think you're eating a single serving, when you're really devouring a whole week's worth. I'd gotten so used to eating a full plate, and thinking it was normal and okay, that the idea of a meal under 250 calories was beyond my comprehension.
I wish I'd taken a picture of my lunch yesterday when I made it, but it hadn't occurred to me that I'd want to photo document this whole shindig. After shopping yesterday for all my personal care products, and the food I'd need for dinner, I was pretty fed up with the expenses I'd already shelled out to date. $200+ for the product and kit, another $80 for the scales, tape measure, and binder, and then another $80 for the personal care products and food. I was frustrated, until I started weighing out my food.
The two main staples of the VLCD are chicken breast and lean ground beef. I bought two pounds of ground beef, and two packages of Foster Farms chicken breast, four pieces to a pack. The allowed portioning for the protein is 100 grams. A single chicken breast is just shy of 200 grams!! In the two packs of chicken breast I purchased, I now have enough chicken for sixteen meals! And the ground beef - one pound equals out to just shy of 600 grams. That's almost six meals. So now I've got twelve meals' worth of beef, and sixteen meals' worth of chicken. All for about twenty bucks. Now that I know, I kinda feel like I should smack myself ^_^
I made my lunch yesterday, and was beyond surprised when I cut up my asparagus. The portion sizing for the stalks is two cups, raw. I pulled out two stalks figuring that'd be at least half a cup. Nope. Needed fifteen stalks, I think was the final count. I ended up boiling the the asparagus in water, then draining the water, added the chicken, some oregano, and sauteed the mix in a little bit of water until the chicken was cooked all the way through. Between the 100 grams of chicken, the two cups of asparagus, an apple, and two pieces of melba, I was beyond full at lunch time. Took me almost an hour and a half to get through the entire meal, and even then I didn't finish the whole apple. It was a giddy feeling that I absolutely loved!
Tonight was the real challenge though. I had to make dinner for myself and BF, and seeing as how I wasn't prepared for the calorie counting, dinner was on a pretty limited ingredient list.
Basically, you have to make sure that between the two meals you spread out 500 calories. It's not as simple as eating the same thing for lunch and dinner. You have to make sure that what you eat doesn't go over the 500, which I wasn't prepared for. Dinner for me ended up being 100g of lean ground beef seasoned with cumin, a pinch of curry, and garlic powder, over two cups of raw lettuce, five wedges of grapefruit, and a single melba round. It didn't look like much, but it's definitely a decent amount of food.
BF's dinner was a bit harder. I ended up doubling the ground beef, added a whole egg, 1/2 cup red onion, parm cheese, worchestershire sauce, and tapatio. He ate his 'burgers' in two hollowed out steak rolls, with shredded cheese, ketschup, mustard, and some pickles on the side. After he was done making his plate, it was as big as our normal dinner sizes. I felt immensely better knowing that he would have plenty to eat and I'd still be able to make my dinners without conflict. The hardest part for me? Resisting the snacking. I'm so used to eating on the stray piece of veggie, or tasting the meat after it's been cooked. A piece of BF's burger fell back in the pan and before I realized what I was doing, I'd snagged it. I have a feeling most of this will be all habit, and the rest will be easier.
BF liked his dinner for the most part. He said it was a little weird, but I saw that coming, what with the no oils or fats or anything remotely close to unhealthy being in the meat itself. He was full, and I'm still snacking on my grapefruit, so all told, it's been a very successful dinner. I even made my lunch for tomorrow so I'm good to go. And after working out the portion sizes, I'm realizing I'll be saving waaaay more money than I spent to get this all started. Again, with the smacking.
I think the most eye opening aspect of today was the expectation, and the failure to meet it. I'd gone into this expecting this to be hard, and feel like I was in severe starvation mode all day, every day for the next month. Instead, I'm fighting my normal hunger pangs, with no intense spikes, and I'm completely satisfied after each meal. I doubt, in a week, if I'll feel the same way about being satisfied, but the hunger's just not there. I am feeling more and more confident that I'll be able to pull this off, seeing as how I'm already three days into the drops and I'm learning, and staying open, to the possibilities. I'm excited for what's to come, and I don't know that I've ever been able to say, or feel, that way about a diet or weight loss. Ever.
I guess when I started researching this, I really was picturing those gourmet plates at the five star restaurants that are, like, $45 a pop, with five little crackers, some pate, and a pretty little green onion for garnish. In today's world, serving sizes are completely obscure, and it's easy to think you're eating a single serving, when you're really devouring a whole week's worth. I'd gotten so used to eating a full plate, and thinking it was normal and okay, that the idea of a meal under 250 calories was beyond my comprehension.
I wish I'd taken a picture of my lunch yesterday when I made it, but it hadn't occurred to me that I'd want to photo document this whole shindig. After shopping yesterday for all my personal care products, and the food I'd need for dinner, I was pretty fed up with the expenses I'd already shelled out to date. $200+ for the product and kit, another $80 for the scales, tape measure, and binder, and then another $80 for the personal care products and food. I was frustrated, until I started weighing out my food.
The two main staples of the VLCD are chicken breast and lean ground beef. I bought two pounds of ground beef, and two packages of Foster Farms chicken breast, four pieces to a pack. The allowed portioning for the protein is 100 grams. A single chicken breast is just shy of 200 grams!! In the two packs of chicken breast I purchased, I now have enough chicken for sixteen meals! And the ground beef - one pound equals out to just shy of 600 grams. That's almost six meals. So now I've got twelve meals' worth of beef, and sixteen meals' worth of chicken. All for about twenty bucks. Now that I know, I kinda feel like I should smack myself ^_^
I made my lunch yesterday, and was beyond surprised when I cut up my asparagus. The portion sizing for the stalks is two cups, raw. I pulled out two stalks figuring that'd be at least half a cup. Nope. Needed fifteen stalks, I think was the final count. I ended up boiling the the asparagus in water, then draining the water, added the chicken, some oregano, and sauteed the mix in a little bit of water until the chicken was cooked all the way through. Between the 100 grams of chicken, the two cups of asparagus, an apple, and two pieces of melba, I was beyond full at lunch time. Took me almost an hour and a half to get through the entire meal, and even then I didn't finish the whole apple. It was a giddy feeling that I absolutely loved!
Tonight was the real challenge though. I had to make dinner for myself and BF, and seeing as how I wasn't prepared for the calorie counting, dinner was on a pretty limited ingredient list.
Basically, you have to make sure that between the two meals you spread out 500 calories. It's not as simple as eating the same thing for lunch and dinner. You have to make sure that what you eat doesn't go over the 500, which I wasn't prepared for. Dinner for me ended up being 100g of lean ground beef seasoned with cumin, a pinch of curry, and garlic powder, over two cups of raw lettuce, five wedges of grapefruit, and a single melba round. It didn't look like much, but it's definitely a decent amount of food.
BF's dinner was a bit harder. I ended up doubling the ground beef, added a whole egg, 1/2 cup red onion, parm cheese, worchestershire sauce, and tapatio. He ate his 'burgers' in two hollowed out steak rolls, with shredded cheese, ketschup, mustard, and some pickles on the side. After he was done making his plate, it was as big as our normal dinner sizes. I felt immensely better knowing that he would have plenty to eat and I'd still be able to make my dinners without conflict. The hardest part for me? Resisting the snacking. I'm so used to eating on the stray piece of veggie, or tasting the meat after it's been cooked. A piece of BF's burger fell back in the pan and before I realized what I was doing, I'd snagged it. I have a feeling most of this will be all habit, and the rest will be easier.
BF liked his dinner for the most part. He said it was a little weird, but I saw that coming, what with the no oils or fats or anything remotely close to unhealthy being in the meat itself. He was full, and I'm still snacking on my grapefruit, so all told, it's been a very successful dinner. I even made my lunch for tomorrow so I'm good to go. And after working out the portion sizes, I'm realizing I'll be saving waaaay more money than I spent to get this all started. Again, with the smacking.
I think the most eye opening aspect of today was the expectation, and the failure to meet it. I'd gone into this expecting this to be hard, and feel like I was in severe starvation mode all day, every day for the next month. Instead, I'm fighting my normal hunger pangs, with no intense spikes, and I'm completely satisfied after each meal. I doubt, in a week, if I'll feel the same way about being satisfied, but the hunger's just not there. I am feeling more and more confident that I'll be able to pull this off, seeing as how I'm already three days into the drops and I'm learning, and staying open, to the possibilities. I'm excited for what's to come, and I don't know that I've ever been able to say, or feel, that way about a diet or weight loss. Ever.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Random Recipe: Initiation!
So I love to cook. It's a slowly developing hobby, mainly arising from the need to eat, and a boyfriend who can't open a can of biscuits (loooong story). I guess that makes it part survival tactic, and part artistic joy. Recipes excite me - just ask boyfriend...he was slightly scared and worried for my sanity when the first issue of Food Network arrived this month - and inspire me to try new things, which is a trait I've been trying to foster. Kills two birds with one stone, yes? Yesss. ^_^
I am also, an email junkie. Newsletters are my favorite. A steady email that I receive every week (or day, in some cases) that funnels new ideas to me is a must. I'm signed up for Campbells, Betty Crocker, SparkPeople...it goes on. I'll spare you the details. Sadly, I've been so busy with other aspects of life *smacks life, stop being so busy!* that I haven't been able to pay proper attention to my newsletters. I know, it's sad. But! But, I have vowed to do better. From here on out, I am going to try a random, brand new recipe every week. I have no clue where it will come from, what the main ingredient is, or what part of the day it will be. Which, honestly, I think is why this will be so much fun. My boyfriend may not appreciate this new plan, but hey. I'm the cook here, not him. So he'll deal. Heh. Heheh. Heheheheheh!
Every weekend, I sit down and plan out my meals for the week to come. Then I build my grocery list. Usually, I plan the menu myself. Sometimes, boyfriend will chime in with a particular request. Now, I'm going to add Random Recipe to the menu. This should be fun!
It's a good thing that I'm a decent cook. And it's a good thing that I'm not so crazy adventurous that I'll try something completely off the wall that could potentially gross out boyfriend. That being said though, I am bound to try something that's not my norm. So, in an effort to keep my writing, since that's my goal, I'm going to share with this insanely curious *snort* world my adventures with Random Recipe every week. Be scared people! Very scared!
I am also, an email junkie. Newsletters are my favorite. A steady email that I receive every week (or day, in some cases) that funnels new ideas to me is a must. I'm signed up for Campbells, Betty Crocker, SparkPeople...it goes on. I'll spare you the details. Sadly, I've been so busy with other aspects of life *smacks life, stop being so busy!* that I haven't been able to pay proper attention to my newsletters. I know, it's sad. But! But, I have vowed to do better. From here on out, I am going to try a random, brand new recipe every week. I have no clue where it will come from, what the main ingredient is, or what part of the day it will be. Which, honestly, I think is why this will be so much fun. My boyfriend may not appreciate this new plan, but hey. I'm the cook here, not him. So he'll deal. Heh. Heheh. Heheheheheh!
Every weekend, I sit down and plan out my meals for the week to come. Then I build my grocery list. Usually, I plan the menu myself. Sometimes, boyfriend will chime in with a particular request. Now, I'm going to add Random Recipe to the menu. This should be fun!
It's a good thing that I'm a decent cook. And it's a good thing that I'm not so crazy adventurous that I'll try something completely off the wall that could potentially gross out boyfriend. That being said though, I am bound to try something that's not my norm. So, in an effort to keep my writing, since that's my goal, I'm going to share with this insanely curious *snort* world my adventures with Random Recipe every week. Be scared people! Very scared!
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