by AnnetteW » Fri Jun 12, 2020 7:12 am
June start weight - 156
June 12 - 154 (down 2 lbs)
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. I do this occasionally, most the time I just plate my meal
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert. I've definitely paid attention to at least 50% veggies, except for breakfast.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them. This has been fine. I have no added sugars, I think I had honey a few times earlier in the week with my oats, but that is now gone. I've been eating a different cereal in the morning the past few days and salt doesn't feel necessary (as opposed to oats that taste like glue without salt)
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). Check!!!
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).I went back to a bit of soymilk in my coffee for now and 1 T of ground flax/chia in my morning cereal. I'm fine with this at this time.
6. Eliminate any added oil.Check !!!!
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e., bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit. I had a couple chunks of my delicious homemade sourdough bread one day, and corn tortillas, that's it
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).No alcohol, YES!!!
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.I'm trying to eat a bit smaller meals to feel hungry, and doing well. I'm starting to get a bit of hunger before dinner now.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).Daily 3 mile walks and have started back to weight workouts
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I did track calories for a week or so, and was probably around 1300-1600. I definitely flushed out some fluid, my stomach got flatter. My bowels/gut finally feel normalized again, but I had to add in my bit of flax/chia and a small amount of acacia fiber. I also will start adding a bit of wheat bran to my morning cereal. I tend towards loose stools and the fiber helps me with that.
A few days I had a bit too much fruit in the house and overate on that...but seriously, it's summertime and fruit is delicious.
I'm feeling good and back on track. At this time I will keep my 1/2 cup of soymilk in my diet (in coffee and cereal total for the day). I had no other nuts/seeds, no alcohol...I feel good about my choices. I will never be a diet perfectionist. The moment I try is when I mess up.
Goals for this upcoming week are to really focus on my hunger signals and to continue with exercise, start adding a bit more stretching in also.