The Immediate Meltdown

Saturday. Beautiful morning in NYC. Today I want cleanse my insides, so it's fruits, nuts, salads and water all day. So I started off with 45 minutes of a brisk walk with the boys after I woke up and only had a bowl of strawberries. Wasn't really hungry. Berries were sweet and I added slice almonds. Yum. Then 4 hours later, still wasn't very hungry. Had an apple and a kiwi little bit of tuna salad to get a bit of protein. Off to a good start.


My next door neighbor invited me over for a little cocktail party. Hmm. Cocktails?? On a diet? First thought is that drinking is probably NOT a great idea tonight. But that's cool. So by 4pm, I left out to get my hair done. Sitting under the dryer, I became very very hungry. I had to stop by the liquor store to get a bottle of wine for tonight's host. So I thought I'd probably want to at least have a glass of wine, but I'd have to line my stomach to make sure to not get twisted over one glass of Riesling. PLUS there were the inevitable horduves and I didn't want to be hungry around the Gouda tray. So what was I going to eat? What's close and quick AND HEALTHY?

At 7pm, I stopped off at the Chinese food spot with FULL intentions of ordering a steamed broccoli and chicken. And what happened next is inexplicable.

Without stuttering, I ordered a pint of pork fried rice and an egg roll. The few minutes that it took to make are a blur, obviously for convenience of escaping the guilt. Took it home and chowed down. Okay, I'm lying when I say I wasn't thinking about it...I was screaming at myself inside of my head. WHAT AM I DOING??????? AND WHY????? STOP IT!!!!!

And I did stop...after polishing off the egg roll and two bowls of the PFR. It was over. Okay, so now the real pain begins...two hours from now I'm expected to squeeze into my skinny jeans that had lost that title 7 pounds ago. So, I dug around the pantie drawer and pulled out what was to be the death of what could have been a lovely evening. My SPANX. (for those of you that don't know what SPANX are, let me enlighten you...they are a brand of a whole line of "pull-it-together spandex underwear that was endorsed by Queen Oprah) Typically, SPANX are a life and wardrobe saver, but tonight, under my already too tight skinny jeans...not a good look or feel.

To the untrained, I looked great. But the truth was I was sooooo freakin' FULL, UNCOMFORTABLE and TIGHT. I snatched a few bites and had one drink. Thank God the neighbor was literally next door. I stayed for about two hours and came home to let it all hang out.


Exhale.


SUNDAY MORNING
Let's start again. Two scrambled eggs and a piece of whole grain toast...I'm off to church. A nice lunch with broiled bass and salad plus two power walks with the dogs later, I'm back on track.

I have to remember the end goal! Creative visualization truly helps...visualize, visualize...

Out the gate...

...and I'm already late. Woke up late so I didn't make it to the gym until 12, but I got there.
I prayed a lot through the day, asking God to keep me serious and on track.

For my first of four meals, at 10am, I made scrambled eggs (cooked with Butter Pam) and a piece of whole grain toast. Drank a liter of water before and another during the workout.

@ the Gym - just getting back into so I didn't push myself. There were no classes during the time I was there so I worked out by myself...30 minutes on the treadmill averaging 4.3 alternating between walking and jogging. Stretched well and hit the circuit training area. 2 reps of 15 @ 20lbs. for everything legs and arms related for now. Stretched and came home. I'm going back tomorrow. Just for cardio or maybe I'll make it to a class.

Meal # 2 - @ 2:30pm Pan fried fresh shrimp in olive oil, garlic & pepper sprinkled with walnut pieces & organic raspberry vinegarette on a bed of greens. A side of sliced cucumber with spicy hummus, followed by a glass of water made the meal light but almost filling. I still had the urge to feel "full" so I found myself in the roasted peanut bag, grabbing a handful. STOP IT. I'm NOT supposed to feel FULL. Okay. Stop eating. Please.

Another glass of water. I'm okay now.

Meal #3 - @ 6:00 - broiled sea bass with a side of asparagus, mushrooms, red peppers & egg plant stir fried in garlic, olive oil & pepper. I'll admit the eggplant and mushrooms were a little blan, but the asparagus roasted in then oven just long enough to stayed a little crunchy and the fish was excellent. Not ready to break away from frying up stuff, so stirfrys will stay.

Between meals, now I'm up to another liter of water, that's my 64 oz.

Meal #4 @ 10pm - tuna salad (Starkist in water, celery, scallions, black pepper, in low fat mayo with Omega oils + a little wasabi for a kick). Another side of cucumbers a spicy hummus.


I LOVE calorie-count.com. Breaks down your calorie intake and very easy to use. Here's what today looked like logged on to the site:

So today added up to 1426 calories. I wasn't really hungry by the third meal and by the forth, I'm eating well but in a small portion.





Don't worry if you think that's not healthy. The site gave me a grade of an A on nutrition:

And with the calories I burned at the gym and on the dog walks:


The total calories count drops to 926 calories. What?? Hold on, I gotta pee again...ok I'm back.
So now what?? Less than 1000 calories burned and I'm not even hungry. I have lots of energy. Hmm. This is when I'd probably allow myself to make up for the calories I lost by screwing it up and eating something that's 500 calories. But that would be so stupid and I;m not even hungry. It would be thoughtless eating, which I am moving away from.

Good job today. What's in store for tomorrow? The 10:30 body conditioning class? I'm sore now from the little stuff I lifted today. The gym is brand new but they only have ONE studio for classes. The 10:30 is probably crowded and it leads right into Hatha yoga @ 11:30, same studio. If I get in on the 10:30, I'll have an automatic space for the yoga. Ok, that's the plan. We're good.

Thank you Lord for this blessed day that brought about a renewed sense of control and a stronger spirit. I feel peaceful. I know my body is my temple, it the only one you've given me. I am working on it with your guidance as the ultimate trainer and nutritionist, blessing my every movement and mouthful. I look forward to continuing this pathway should you bless me with another day.

Amen

All Dressed in Black

Miss Mary Mack

I absolutely love that rhyme. A hand clapping, paddy-cake game could certainly fill up time back in the day. Back when my free-time was not seen as much as a commodity as it is now.

So what do I do with my free time now?

I still work, I walk my dogs, I snack, I pretend to begin a work out program, I work, I eat, I hang out with the my girlfriends, I work, I sleep, I snack, I brainstorm the Big Idea, I munch. I go out on dinner dates. Not to mention the holiday feasts and libations, the boy and I are on indefinite hiatus, and the winter has me moving less. The perfect storm leading to tight jeans, but not in a good way.

Hmm.

Who is Mary Mack?
Why is she all dressed in black?
Is it because she's 15 pounds heavier than she wants to be and thinks dark colors hide it?
Well, if that's true, then call me Mary. Not Miss, but Ms.
I've been draping myself in black sweatpants, dark jeans, dark turtle necks and sweaters for the last two months. The silver buttons have actually drawn attention to my ass, so I've removed them.
This summer I was only 8 pounds over my ideal weight.
Now I've lost control by picking up an additional 7. I actually feel physically uncomfortable.
I want to safely lose these 15 and move into a pair of white leather pants by February 21, which is my birthday. It's a short term goal that I intend to use to get me on the long term path to healthy living.

This blog puts me on blast and on notice. It will serve as a chronicle of my journey. Friends and loved ones are welcomed to add personal comments.

I can't comment with detail on my personal life so early in this published blog. Not even sure how much I will share going forward, but my intent is to open up and out more by documenting my resolution. Not a New Year resolution, just RESOLVE over all. Starting with shedding these unwanted lbs.



TWO DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS
I came back today from going home to see my family. Home cooking was everywhere I turned. I began eating Friday night and stopped on Wednesday night. I'm still full and I stopped eating 1.5 days ago. Deep fried Turkey infused with Creole seasonings, mac & cheese, sweet potatoes, collard greens, potato salad, green beans, dressin' with gravy, German chocolate cake, Aunt Shirley's pineapple cheesecake, chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies, etc. etc. etc.
You know, I don't recall anywhere in the Bible when people stuffed themselves until they were uncomfortable, all in the name of Jesus.

When I came back to NYC, I was not proud of myself. I know WHAT to do, it's just a matter of getting back on the right track. I KNOW it will make me feel better and will not only have a lasting effect on my body, but mobilize my spirit and brainpower.

OK, SO...

First and foremost, I must re-engage my workout.

EXERCISING
At a minimum, TWO 30 MINUTE WALKS are a MUST. I already accomplish that with the dogs, but I've hit a ceiling. It's time to kick it up a notch. Use the gym membership I signed up two months ago. (TWO BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE). I'm starting tomorrow morning @ 10:30 for a Pilate class and work in a little cardio on the side. I have to work this gym membership into my routine at least a few times a week.

DIETING
I considered fasting, since I am off for another 5 days. But no, too drastic. Ah but alas, their WILL be some sort of crash diet to jump start this weight loss program.

Ok, so there are three ways to skin this fat...

I'm going to start with the...

THE JUST SAY NO DIET

NO FRUIT OR VEGGIE JUICES
NO DAIRY
NO BREAD BEYOND BREAKFAST
NO SUGAR
NO CARBS BEYOND 3pm
NO ALCOHOL

PROTEIN & CARB PORTIONS NO BIGGER THAN MY PALM
SALAD OR VEG CAN BE TWICE THE SIZE OF MY PALM


Then I'm easing into...

THE NO WHITE DIET
I've actually witnessed this on a couple of friends and it works. Basically, you just stop eating food with sugar, white flour (pasta, bread, cake, donuts, etc), white rice, and white potatoes and anything with milk. This effectively cuts back on the carbohydrate in a diet, especially the high glycemic types. But there are also white foods, such as tofu, cauliflower, and onions, that are low in carbs and good for me too.

FAT BURN DIET
Lastly, I intend to manipulate which types of calories will actually enter my body at each meal. The three types of calories are:
1) Protein
2) Carbohydrates
3) Fat

It's not necessary to worry about manipulating the fat calories...it's the PROTEIN and CARBS that require special attention.

I've heard that you should eat 6 small meals, evenly spread through out the day. But the manipulation diet dictates only 4 meals per day, and each meal should be at least 3 but no more than 4 hours apart CONSISTENTLY. (that word alone scares me). One of the meals will be late in the evening, which will prevent late night junk food cravings. If I stick to this, craving won't be a problem. However, if the craving overcomes me, I can only eat FRUIT.

All of this means it will be best that I prepare my meals from home. Restaurants tend to give too large of portions and I'll be tempted to finish the whole thing.

OK, so this is how it goes...

Day 1: Eat 3 carb meals and 1 carb/protein mixed meal
Day 2: Eat 3 carb meals and 1 protein meal
Day 3: Eat 2 carb meals and 2 protein meals
Day 4: Eat 1 carb meal and 3 protein meals
Day 5: Eat 1 carb/protein mixed meal and 3 protein meals
Day 6: Eat 1 carb meal and 3 protein meals
Day 7: Eat 2 carb meals and 2 protein meals
Day 8: Eat 3 carb meals and 1 protein meal
Day 9: Eat 3 carb meals and 1 carb/protein mixed meal
Day 10: Repeat cycle starting from Day 1.

SELF REMINDERS
DRINK WATER - 8 glasses a day. Did you know that if you don't drink enough water, you'll retain water?? Your body will hold on to it's water if it isn't getting enough.
NEVER STUFF MYSELF FULL. Always leave myself wanting a little bit more.

Here are the top 10 Foods to Avoid
1) Pizza
2) French Fries
3) Potato Chips (even low cal)
4) Anything fried or breaded
5) Sweet breakfast cereals
6) Soda
7) Cake and desserts (even fat free)
8) Chocolate of any kind (even fat free)
9) Over eating bread (eat only whole grain and only in the AM)
10) Creamy salad dressings (especially those with sugar or fructose corn syrup)


Slow but steady. I'm doing this. I'm sticking by it...wanna do it with me?? Come on...I know at least a few of you with birthdays within the next 60 days...