Day 8 - New Diet. You're Kidding. Right?

Patrick sent us an email summarizing what we should have taken away from last week’s half-portion diet. Of the three typical responses, I hit two:

· Hey, I was probably eating too much.

· Hey, I never thought so much about what I was eating.

The restrictions on this (an following) week’s diet are not too much of a surprise. I don’t have a huge sweet tooth (but do need to sweeten my morning oatmeal), but I’m going to miss salt. Sigh. I expect my taste buds will adapt.

But as to how much we’re to eat …

These numbers did not seem intimidating until I actually put together my first breakfast.

You’ve GOT to be kidding me.

Breakfast

1 bowl of steel-cut oatmeal (cooked in apple cider for sweetness and to use it up) with half the milk

1 fried egg

Bell peppers sautéed with cayenne and paprika – and half an avocado because I didn’t have any other vegetables prepared and used up my bell pepper

½ the milk

Wow, that’s an impressive amount of food – easily 3x what I normally eat. Because I was running late, I wolfed down my breakfast and headed to work.

And then got progressively more uncomfortable as my stomach got around to letting my head know how much I’d eaten … and how unhappy it was. I felt a bit ill. The morning snack? Didn’t happen. I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to finish my lunch.

And did I?

Nope. No way.

Lunch

Arugula, half-avocado, tuna, and bread

I had maybe a little more than half my lunch before I just couldn’t bring myself to eat any more. My Friday workouts are in the evening, because I’m out late Thursday nights – So perhaps I’ll be better able to manage this meal plan after a hard work out – or after I’ve made a meal plan as opposed to trying to eat out of my fridge. But right now … No way. I still ate more than I feel comfortable eating. Blech. I’m looking forward to digesting what I was able to eat and work out.

Mid-afternoon snack?

Didn't happen. I didn't want to throw up during my workout

The workout went pretty well, and while I like the pick-me-up in the evening, I wish I'd had the time in the morning. Since Patrick said the jump-roping was meant to be all in a row ... I gave it my best shot, but my lungs just aren't there right now. That and my arches began to cramp up. The inclined pull-ups will have to be a no go until either I find some place in the neighborhood where I can do them, or Patrick suggests a work-around.

Dinner

Quinoa cooked in vegetable stock with a spoonful of Thai green curry and a few stalks of lemongrass

steamed Tilapia

Avocado and cabbage.

Nearly finished. But I wanted to stop after it was 1/3 eaten.

Evening snack?

I don’t think so. I’m going to have a hard time with this one, as I get home between 5 and 6 and go to bed at around 8 …. (I get up at about 4 – I’m a morning person, what can I say?) I may have to start taking my dinner to work so I can eat it before I go home ...

I’m going to bed now – I’m getting up at 3 for a 6 hour drive up to Boston to visit my folks, who aren’t doing so well. I’ll try to manage this diet the best I can in the next day or two but may just stick to shunning the things I ought to shun.

I should be able to manage most of the work outs, with the possible exception of the incline pull-ups.