Sorry Y'all

I know, I've been missing. I've had a lot on my mind lately.I'm still trying to keep up with logging everything and I'm still trying to be extra cautious of everything I consume,but it's very frustrating to keep going and going when it seems like the results are so minimal that they aren't even noticeable.

Monday Night

I ate a lot of processed crap today because we hadn't been grocery shopping yet and that's what was in the house. I guess we should have purged the cabinets when we started buying fresh food so that we wouldn't be tempted to head for "just whatever" when we should really just go to the grocery. I bought a few things tonight and will finish up grocery shopping in the morning. I'm also undertaking a new schedule and some unforeseen issues kept me going later than I intended for tonight. So, I'm going to bed. Tomorrow starts a trial of a new schedule and new menu plan. We'll see how it all goes.

We are celebrating Lisa's birthday next Monday. Any great ideas???

Day 35

Seems Like a celebratory Landmark or something. It wasn't a terrible travesty for a Sunday Funday.However, I found myself completely unableto sleep last night and so I see about 4 of the screens in front of me. I'm gonna fill my water bottle one more time and call it a night right here at dusk. Sweet dreams, y'all!

Groceries

Are y'all anxious yet? I really need to go shopping. I'm hoping that I can remember to take pictures so that I can take y'all with me this week.

Day 34

Meal #1
3 eggs scrambled
1 oz extra sharp cheddar
1 cup watermelon

Meal #2
1 oz mozzarella
4 oz honey roasted peanuts

Meal #3
3 oz baked chicken tenderloins
sliced green apple

Meal #4
Chicken Quesadilla

Meal #5
Totino's Frozen pizza w/ extra mozzarella
coke
twix

Day 33

It's Friday! Well, actually, Friday is over. I'm very tired, I just wanted to make sure I loaded my meals for the day before I went to bed. Love y'all!

Meal #1
apple
1 oz mozzarella
3oz baked chicken tenderloins

Meal #2
1 cup grapes
1 hard boiled egg (white only)

Meal #3
12 Water Crackers
1 cup bruschetta

Meal #4
Sub sandwich with Turkey, pesto mayo, mozzarella, spinach, & roasted red peppers
ruffles potato chips

Meal #5
1 Package Pasta Roni (garlic & olive oil vermicelli)
1/2 20oz Coke

I went to the gym late last night and spent about 35 minutes with some of the weight machines. I'm really trying to increase my upper body strength. I have powerful legs, but my upper body is pretty weak comparatively. I also need to consume more water, but I did have 2 24oz bottles today.

Day 32

Is it strange that I'm keeping up with the number of days that I'm enduring this self inflicted attempt at self discipline? I've made myself a new weekly schedule. I'll see how it works out. I'm gonna attempt to put it into place a week from Sunday. Does anybody have any experience with Yoga? Y'all let me hear from you.

Meal #1
2 slices double fiber wheat toast
tsp light duke's mayo
1 slice provolone
3 scrambled eggs
2 cups diced watermelon

Meal #2
3 oz baked chicken tenderloins
1 hard boiled egg

Meal #3
1/2 tbsp peanut butter
slice of coconut cake

Meal #4
8 oz grilled salmon filet
1/2 cheese grits w/ shrimp gravy
carrots & asparagus

Meal #5
twix bar
1/2 20 oz Coke

Meal #6
2 scrambled eggs with cheese
grilled biscuit with strawberry jam
waffle w/ syrup

Day 31

I'm not happy at the moment. I don't know why. I want chocolate. I want to cry. I want everything in sight. I'm sure I'm eating to numb a pain that I can't find the source of. I did ok today in spite of that I think.

Meal #1
hard boiled egg
caramel corn rice cake

Meal #2
corn dog
individual 4in pizza
1/2 cup pasta salad
4 oz lemonade

Meal #3
caramel corn rice cake (that's the last of those...YAY!)
5 oz baked chicken
1 cup grapes
1 oz mozzarella

Meal #4
whole sliced apple
laughing cow light garlic & herb

Meal #5
chicken burrito meal from taco bell
2 soft beef tacos


This was no where near an ideal day for me. I feel like I'm way off my center.

DAY 30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe it's been 30 days. I'm not exactly super excited about what has happenned over the last 30 days, but at least I'm learning some things. You'll begin to see some subtle changes here in the coming weeks as a result of what I'm learning. (I promise, I WILL post those pictures eventually.) As for today,well, it was pretty typical, except I missed making breakfast at home.

Meal #1
Arby's Regular Roast Beef Sandwich

Meal #2
1 cup seeded red globe grapes
1 hard boiled egg

Meal #3
4 oz baked chicken tenderloin
whole sliced apple
1 hard boiled egg
laughing cow light garlic & herb

Meal #4
Two Soft Tacos (employee cafeteria)
Nachos (3 from Ross's plate)
6 oz pink lemonade

Meal #5
1 hard boiled egg
1oz mozzarella
2 oz baked chicken tenderloins

Meal #6
Jumbo Fried Chicken Sandwich
glazed lemon filled Krispy kreme donut

I'm busy making plans for some summer fun with my awesome roommate & friend Lisa. Y'all this girl is still packing my meals for me every morning. She's the bombdiggitysmackmackdaddy!

Another Rainy Monday

I stayed  up WAY too late last night and ended up wasting the morning recovering. (Sleeping IN) Lisa & I ran & picked up just a few items for meals this week. I cooked a DELICIOUS meal for us to share earlier and I'm ending my night with a really yummy plate of pick ups! Somebody just make the scale start heading south!!

Meal #1
2 eggs scrambled
1/2 oz cheddar
2 slices double fiber wheat bread
1 cup grapes

Meal#2
Grande Skinny Hazelnut Latte

Meal #3
hard boiled egg white
sliced apple
laughing cow light garlic & herb
1 tbsp peanut butter

Meal #4
Soft Serve ice cream cone

Meal #5
Garlic & Olive oil Chicken Vermicelli
2 1/2 cups sautee'd yellow squash

Meal #6
1 1/2 cups grapes
1 oz mozzarella
2 1/3 cups kettle corn
2 oz honey roasted peanuts

Yummy day!!

Happy Mother's Day!

I really wanted to go home today and see my own Mama, but that didn't work out for me, so I stayed home and piddled around. Lisa and I did venture over to the Charleston Bakery for brunch and out again for dinner. I took a long relaxing nap in between. I hope you all had a wonderful mother's day.

Sunday's Menu

Meal #1
bacon, egg, & swiss on an everything bagel
rasberry hibiscus tea

Meal #2
brocolli cheese soup w/ saltines
pulled pork barbecue sandwich

Meal #3
Venti Chocolate Cookie Crumble Frappucino (Starbucks)

I'm pretty happy. It was Sunday Funday and also my free day. I got barbecue AND starbucks in the same afternoon. I'm a happy camper. I really can't wait to get back into my routine. I want to see the scales moving downward and so far that's not really happenning. See y'all tomorrow!

Catching Up

Sorry I missed y'all yesterday. There's nothing too exciting to share, so I'll just share the menu (I forgot my lunch bag ='( )

Saturday's Menu

Meal #1
2 Burger King double cheeseburgers

Meal #2
2 20 oz coca cola's

Meal #3
chicken & cheese quesadilla

Meal #4
Breakfast All Star (Waffle House)
-waffle w/ sugar free syrup
-grits w/ cheese
-bacon
-2 eggs scrambled w/ cheese


I know...awful. Somebody help me, please.

Finally Recovering

Thank the Lord! I'm not quite 100% yet, but at least I can sit in a chair and can walk with minimal discomfort. Hoping to be much better tomorrow. My regular foods were a bit off today and I don't really know why, but I was still within my calorie goal, so I'll just go with it. I'm still trying to get more water in. I didn't consume nearly enough today or yesterday. I didn't really sleep well last night and so I missed my regular first meal. Ugh, anyway. Hoping things get back to normal ASAP.

Meal #1
1 cup grapes
1 oz mozzarella

Meal #2
Grande Chocolate Cookie Crumble Frappucino (Starbucks)

Meal #3
slice of pizza
whole sliced apple
laughing cow light garlic & herb
hard boiled egg white

Meal #4
2 oz baked chicken tenderloins
2 1/3 cups Angie's kettle corn

Meal #5
1/2 bottle coke
frozen pizza
1/4 cup mozzarella shredded

Pain Sucks

I'm still in too much pain for long posts here, but I'm committed to sharing every day whether it's good or bad. Somebody pray this pain subsides so I can get back to my normal routine! I'm gonna leave today's menu, then I'm back to the floor for more stretching!

Meal #1
2 scrambled eggs
2 slices double fiber wheat bread
1/2 oz cheddar

Meal #2
1 cup grapes
1 oz mozzarella
2 oz grilled chicken tenderloins

Meal #3
1 oz honey roasted peanuts

Meal #4
Grilled chicken & cheddar quesadilla (hotel restaurant)

Meal #5
double cheeseburger
waffle w/ sugar free syrup

I didn't consume anywhere near enough water today. Ugh. I'm working on making up for that now. Y'all have a good night.

I missed you guys...

I missed being here yesterday. I was home, but I hurt my back on Sunday and spent most of the day either in bed asleep or lying on the floor begging for some relief. It's a little bit better today, but I don't think I'm gonna be able to sit in this chair for very long, so I'll leave today's menu and catch up with y'all tomorrow. Hopefully, I will be able to focus on something other than pain tomorrow.

Meal #1
3 whole scrambled eggs
2 slices double fiber wheat bread

Meal #2
1 cup kettle corn
whole sliced apple
1 oz cheddar cheese

Meal #3
2 oz baked chicken tenderloin
1 cup grapes

Meal #4
hard boiled egg
1 cup grapes
2 oz baked chicken tenderloin

Meal #5
Fried boneless chicken breast sandwich on white bread
side of french fries

I may have a little something else before bed, but likely, it will be just water for the rest of the night. Hope to catch up again tomorrow.

Grocery Shopping - Postponed til Next Week

Guess who forgot to take pictures along the way this afternoon? That would be this girl. Oh, well. It was a small shopping trip anyway. We stopped at Veggie Bin & Publix just to replenish a few things. Next week will probably be a heftier trip.
Something popped in my lower back when I was leaning in to the cheese cooler at Publix. Y'all say a prayer that it was just a joint popping and that it will feel better after while. Right now, it's giving me a little bit of a fit.
I DID just finish the menus for this coming week, so those will be ready for y'all soon. Does anyone else plan the week of meals ahead of time? I've never done it before, but it seems to be working for me so far.

I'm so sleepy, I think it's time for a Sunday evening nap!

Happy International Eat Whatever You Want Day!!

Sunday brunch!

Lisa had something called "the mess". My ham salad on everything bagel was already fully consumed before I remembered to take pictures. Delicious day at The Early Bird Diner!

Day 20

It's the end of a wild week. Tomorrow, I'm gonna take y'all grocery shopping with me. You'll see why it's such an event around here. We LOVE buying groceries. I just got back from the gym with Lisa. I was craving a hamburger and had calories to consume, so we went to the Hardee's drive-thru at 2:30 in the morning. On that note..here's today's consumption:

Meal #1
1/2 Green Smoothie
Hard boiled egg white only

2 slices Natur's Own Double Fiber Wheat Bread
2 scrambled eggs
2 slices hickory smoked ham
No Sugar Added Fudgesicle

Meal #2
1 cup kettle corn
2 oz deli sliced chicken
1 oz mozzarella
diet coke
Dunkin' Donuts Toasted Coconut cake donut

Meal #3
1/2 cup boiled green peanuts

Meal #4
apple
1 cup strawberries
5 chocolate creme mints

Meal #5
1 oz mozzarella
2 hard boiled egg whites only
1 oz honey roasted peanuts

Meal #6
2 double cheeseburgers from Hardee's

I ate a lot of eggs today. I also ate a lot of junk food, drank 11 glasses of water, and went to the gym and had a good workout. I don't feel like it was a terrible day, though I don't think it's the way every day should end. Tomorrow is Sunday and I've decided that I like my schedule and will probably still indulge for Sunday, though maybe not as much as the usual.

Can't wait to take y'all shopping with me tomorrow! Sweet dreams!

Day 20! Part 1

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I'm back into my normal routine with all my foods prepacked & prepared for me for the day. Normally, we go a little wild on Sunday, but after this week, I think we've decided to try and keep it under control tomorrow.

Flying High

Check out the views from the SkyWheel at Myrtle Beach!

Day 19 - Still on the Road

I woke up in the hotel this morning around 6:30 and COULD NOT go back to sleep. So as soon as the pool opened, I went downstairs and started swimming laps. I had forgotten what hard work that can be! But, it felt amazing! My food for the day was definitely out of the ordinary for the general pattern we've been following here the last few weeks, but I am sure it will get back to normal tomorrow.

Meal #1
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
2 hard boiled egg whites only

Meal #2
(breakfast buffet in the hotel)
2 cups corn flakes
1 carton lowfat white milk
4 slices bacon
4 sausage links
scoop of scrambled eggs
1/2 cup grapes
1/2 cup breakfast potatos
coffee w/ cream & splenda

Meal #3
Landshark Bar & Grill (Margaritaville)
Chicken Caprese Panini
Diet Coke

Meal #4
(Senor Tequila~ Happy Cinco de Mayo)
Grilled chicken quesadilla
chips & salsa
queso dip
Diet Coke

I didn't have enough water. I can really feel that tonight. Also, I should have had my 6 small meals instead of these much larger ones. Oh, well. We're still learning here and I'm not all about total deprivation. Love y'all!

Yesterday was Day 18, I think

It's really hard to keep up with this when I'm not at home! I don't know what's benefitting some of you and what's not, but I did want to go ahead and share yesterday's rundown.

Meal #1
1 cup sliced peaches
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 oz mozzarella
1 scrambled egg

Meal #2
1 cup sliced pears
whole sliced apple
2 oz deli sliced chicken

1/2 Tall Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappucino (Starbucks!)

Meal #3
1 oz mozzarella
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 cup sliced strawberries

Meal #4
Rice Krispie Treat
2 1/3 cups Angie's Artisan Treats Classic Kettle Corn

Meal #5
N'awlins Chicken at Carolina Roadhouse (Myrtle Beach)

Meal #6
Mushroom Swiss Bacon Burger
French Fries

Can y'all tell I've been out of town? Ugh. I'm ready to get things back to normal. We did spend over 2 hours on our feet and dancing at that concert though!! It was SO much fun!

Concerts!

Lots of time on the road today! This was the payoff! Great music, good friends, sweet times!!

We saw Brinley Addington & Chris Young at Myrtle Beach House of Blues.

CONCERT DAY!!!

Lisa and I are preparing to leave Charleston and drive up to Myrtle Beach for a concert tonight at House of Blues! We're SO excited! She is, of course, in the kitchen packing up all of our food! I NEED to be stricter. We did measurements today and I didn't like them.
Also, I was just informed that we need groceries!! Next trip, y'all are going with us!

Day 17? sTranGe Day

I went to work later than usual. I ate out twice. I'm sleepy way before normal. I'm off the next two days. Things just feel a little strange. Y'all want the run down?

(After last night's workout)
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
laughing cow light garlic & herb
whole sliced apple
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Meal #1
Applebee's Fiesta Lime Chicken (NO MEXIRANCH, NO CHEESE)
extra cilantro, extra pico de gallo

Meal #2
1 cup sliced strawberries
2 1/3 cups Angie's Artisan Treat's Classic Kettle Corn
1 hard boiled egg

Meal #3
2 oz deli sliced chicken
caramel corn rice cake
whole sliced apple
slice of coconut cake (employee cafeteria temptations)

Meal #4
2 oz deli sliced chicken
laughing cow light creamy swiss
1 oz mozzarella

Meal #5
Applebee's Under 500 Steak & Shrimp
came with a few red potatoes & a grilled portabello mushroom cap filled with creamed spinach

This was a really delicious day and I can't quite figure out why I feel like I ate so much yet I still have calories I could consume before bed unless it's because of last nights late night in the gym. Oh, well. I was hoping to break in my new kicks at the gym tonight, but it will just have to wait because I am ready for sleep!

NEW KICKS

Applebee's & Planet Fitness

I'm not the world's biggest fan of Applebee's. But, I'll give them this: They are probably the EASIEST place to eat smart if you're eating out. And, even some of their higher calorie dishes can be made smart with just a few modifications. SO....Way to Go Applebee's!

It's gonna be a good day. I don't have to go in to work until 5pm and then I'm off for the next two days because Lisa and I are heading up to House of Blues in Myrtle Beach to see Chris Young!! (Also, my new shoes are suppossed to be delivered today!!)

Hopefully, Lisa and I can get ourselves together after work and head over to the gym. Yay PLANET FITNESS for being available 24 Hours a Day for those of us that can't get there when the rest of the world is there.

May Day/Day 15

I was exhausted today after the weekend of playing with my nieces, visiting with my family, traveling, and eating a horrible diet. Lisa and I went to the gym last night and I did 1/2 an hour on the treadmill. It's not much, but I'm determined to get moving. It's 174 days, not quite 6 months, to the Color Run in Nashville, TN. We're registering for that as soon as registration opens and I want to be ready to go. As soon as I finish up here, I'm heading over to the gym for Day 1 of Week 1 in the couch to 5k program. I'll let you know how it goes. I also opened up an account at Active.com to give myself some other goals to work towards. I hope it's as useful as it looks like it has potential to be. Ok, here goes my favorite part!

(after last night's walk)
1 slice honey wheat light bread
2 large strawberries
2 tablespoons pb2

Meal #1
hard boiled egg
green smoothie
1/4 cup grapes

Meal #2
whole sliced apple
laughing cow light creamy swiss
caramel corn rice cake

Meal #3
2 oz deli sliced chicken
1 large hard boiled egg white
1/2 cup spaghetti with tomato sauce (employee cafeteria)

Meal #4
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 oz mozzarella
2 1/3 cups Angie's Artisan Treats Classic Kettle Corn

Meal #5
Jimmy John's Country Club on French Bread (no tomato)

Meal #6
2 whole yellow squash sautee'd with cooking spray only

I hope everyone is encouraged that this is something that we can all do. We might have to do it all our own way, but we can make it work for us.

Home again

We're back in Charleston after spending the night at my Mama's house. I'm a little swollen from traveling and being a little off the plan. We had lunch today at the Beacon Drive-In. That's not exactly weight loss friendly. I also drank sugary drinks today. I still kept up with all of it and I will still share it with you. Lisa and I are planning to head over to the gym for a walk in a little while and I just finished planning out the menus for the rest of this week. I also decided that once I finish the package of deli chicken in the refrigerator, I won't be buying anymore. I need to replace processed foods with fresher whole foods. That also means the rice cakes are going away, too. I'll replace the deli chicken with baked chicken tenderloins I will make here at home and the rice cakes will be replaced by fruits & more popcorn for now.

Meal #1
whole sliced apple
2 scrambled eggs
1 oz mozzarella

Meal #2
rice cake

Meal #3
Fried Flounder Sandwich
Sweet Tea
Cabbage Slaw

Meal #4
1 cup grapes
1 wedge laughing cow light swiss
2 1/3 cups kettle corn

Meal #5
2 hard boiled egg whites
2 1/3 cups kettle corn
1 tbsp peanut butter
1.5 oz sliced chicken
1/2 oz mozzarella

Meal #6
Hamburger with Chili & Mayo
Coke
1/2 cup pistachios

I've already consumed about 5 cups of water and am working on another 32 oz bottle. Maybe the outlook will be a bit brighter tomorrow.

Sunday splurges

I had an insane food day with my family today. I'm also trying to post via iPhone app. Ugh! Ready to start again tomorrow!

Tucked in

Safely at my mama's house.

Squeezing in a Blog Post

We're about to hit the road and head for my Mama's house, but I couldn't let y'all down and leave out today's menus. I told you I went to Waffle House super late last night, so you'll see that counted as meal #1 for me today. I did that because I tried to make up for it today. I just don't want to leave anything out.

Meal #1
Double Angus Cheeseburger (Waffle House)
Waffle w/ Sugar free syrup

Meal #2
1 scrambled egg
1 cup grapes

Meal #3
caramel corn rice cake
2 oz deli sliced chicken
1 oz mozzarella

Meal #4
whole sliced apple
1 oz mozzarella
2 hard boiled eggs
2 oz deli sliced turkey

Meal #5
2 oz deli sliced chicken
1 cup grapes

Meal #6
Teriyaki Chicken
2 Vegetable Spring Rolls
(this is coming from my favorite Chinese restaurant)

I compensated for last night's Waffle House binge last night that I had enough calories left at the end of the day to order a smart dish from my favorite Chinese place. I also consumed at least 12 glasses of water today AND saw the scale slip down one more pound.

I feel better than I have in a long time. My pants won't stay up. I had to buy new shoes for work because mine were flopping off my feet! I'm not sure how the posts will work out tomorrow, but at a minimum, I will get you a menu late tomorrow night. Maybe it will be a day for picture posts!

My Love Affair...

with Squash! I love the stuff. Squash soup. Stewed squash. Fried squash. SQUASH CASSEROLE!! Grilled squash. Baked squash. Squash and Zucchini. Sautee'd squash. I love the stuff. I used to check the menu of a local restaurant in my hometown before I would go to make sure that the squash casserole was on the menu. It made the whole trip ten times better. I can't remember a time when I turned the stuff down. It's my favorite vegetable.

Can't you tell? It's on the menu EVERY day it seems. When I was cutting up my two yellow squash earlier I couldn't help but think about the fact that I had looked forward to my squash all day long. I couldn't wait to get home to eat it. Just the thought of it prevented a haphazard swing through a fast food drive-thru on the way home from work. (I'm blaming the Waffle House thing on the Jimmy John's I had earlier in the evening.)

Does anybody have an awesome squash recipe?

I've just been tossing them in a sautee' pan and adding a dash of salt when they're done. It's great like that, but I'd love to shake it up a little bit.

Day 12

If any of you are following me on My Fitness Pal, you've already seen that I ordered a sub sandwich from Jimmy John's today. Was it worth it? Yes and No. Yes, it was very very very delicious. It tasted so good it made my mouth tingle. No, it wasn't worth the nearly 800 calories I spent on that one meal and no, it wasn't a good idea for my plan in the long run. I was too hungry later. And we ended up at Waffle House. You'll see that on tomorrow's menu because it was after 1:00a.m. and that's where I felt like adding it.

Here's the Friday breakdown:

Meal #1
2 eggs scrambled
1/2 cup grapes

Meal #2
2 oz deli sliced chicken
1 oz mozzarella
1 hard boiled egg

Meal #3
Jimmy John's Country Club on French Bread

Meal #4
2 oz deli sliced chicken
1 oz mozzarella
1 cup Angie's Artisan Treats Classic Kettle Corn
1/2 cup grapes

Meal #5
whole sliced apple
1 tbsp peanut butter

Meal #6
2 whole yellow squash sautee'd (just cooking spray this time)

In other news, I ordered new running shoes today and the new bathing suit I ordered arrived in the mail today. I'm excited about the new shoes. My sister says they're amazing. They're expensive if nothing else.
Also, we're going to my Mama's house tomorrow night after work and staying til sometime Monday. Sunday is my splurge day, so that shouldn't be much of an issue and Lisa has agreed to pack my cooler for Monday's meals. I suppose my biggest concern is travel tomorrow night. I usually drink soda when I travel. Maybe I'll make a pot of coffee and mix us up some yummy coffee drinks for the road while she's packing our coolers. I'm also a little concerned about next Thursday and Friday. We're going to House of Blues in Myrtle Beach to see a concert and spending the night. I know we'll be fine, it will just require some extra planning on my part.

Popular menu items

Are y'all glad it's Friday?

Day 11

It's been one of those days. You know the ones. Everything is fine. Until it's time to go home. It was one of the most uneventful days ever. Everybody was in their place. All operations were running smoothly. No one was complaining about things we couldn't change. Then it all went haywire right at quitting time. The server for the computer system is about to be completely kaput. It's driving us all crazy. But, we're all doing our share of helping it limp along until we can do something about it. Tonight, it decided that it wanted special attention, so I was sitting on the phone with technical support until after midnight. Finally, I was free to go home.

Or so I thought, I got about a minute away from the hotel and got a phone call about a key to a door that until tonight I had been led to believe did not exist! Needless to say, I went back to investigate and after a good 45 minutes of guesswork, was able to finally solve the puzzle...and actually leave to drive home.

Let's get to the good stuff. I know, I know, it's time for the menu. But first, let me tell you how awesome Lisa is.

On nights like this, I want comfort food. I want scrambled eggs & cheese with grits & toast and coca-cola. So I asked Lisa if she wanted to meet me at the Waffle House. She said she wanted to but shouldn't. I said I shouldn't but I wanted to and I was starving. Know what she did?? She volunteered to finish preparing my night time meal at home! She sautee'd my squash for me and put it in the oven to keep it warm. She kept me from doing something I would have immediately regretted. And that was some darn good squash!!

Alright, menu time.

Meal #1
1 cup grapes
2 eggs scrambled
1 oz mozzarella

Meal #2
caramel corn rice cake
2 oz deli sliced chicken
1/2 sliced apple
1 oz mozzarella

Meal #3
1/2 sliced apple
1 cup grapes
1 tbsp peanut butter

Meal #4
2 cups mixed greens
1 slice onion
1/8 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz deli sliced turkey
2 tbsp Kraft Free French dressing

Meal #5
1 orange
2 oz deli sliced chicken
1 cup Angie's Artisan Treats kettle corn
2 hard boiled eggs

Meal #6
4 oz baked chicken tenderloins
2 whole yellow squash sautee'd in
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I managed to consume 12 whole glasses of water today. That is a lot. But, it's a lot closer to what I'm actually suppossed to be consuming that what I've been getting.

I had every intention of heading to the gym after work to start my c25k program. Unfortunately, all of the hoopla at work derailed that plan. I will get there eventually.

The infamous lunch bag

And my trusty water bottle!

Day 10

We made a big dinner at home tonight, but all that sautee'ing & such caused the house to get hazy, so we opened the back door. Charlie slipped past us and we had to go retrieve him. He is incredibly curious about what might be outside, but since he's never been an outside cat, he freaks out once he gets out there. I've got the scratch marks on my arm today to prove it. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed preparing and sharing that meal. My cooler looked pretty much like it always does, except that Lisa and I both took an unplanned day off work to handle a few things and we packed our salads rather than using what's usually available at work.

Meal #1
1/2 Green Smoothie
hard boiled egg

Meal #2
1/2 green smoothie

Meal #3
caramel corn rice cake
whole sliced apple
2 oz deli sliced chicken

Meal #4
1 oz mozzarella
2 oz deli sliced chicken
2 1/3 cups kettle corn
1 cup grapes

Meal #5
2 cups mixed greens
2 oz deli sliced chicken
1/4 cup cherry tomatos
1 oz cheddar
1 stalk celery chopped
1/8 cup sliced mushrooms
1 slice onion
2 tbsp Kraft Free French dressing

Meal #6
8 Large boiled shrimp
2 whole sautee'd squash
1/2 cup roasted brussels sprouts
1/4 cup sautee'd mushrooms
2 cornbread muffins

I'm going to probably eat a No Sugar Added Fudgesicle before I call it a night.

How are y'all doing? Is anyone else on the plan?

Maintaining Motivation

I know that the health I need is within my grasp. I know that I am the only one who can go after it. I can't send someone on an errand to bring back my health. I enjoy the food I'm eating every day and I'm not really craving anything else. I'm just a little ...depressed? I wish I had done this years ago. I'm having some trouble staying focused on the fact that I can't change the past, I can only prepare for the future and live in the present.

It helps that I'm tweaking the menu almost every day, but giving it a good clean up at the end of each week. I'm also ready to add some exercise to my daily routine.

The secret to making the smoothies go down fast & easy?  CILANTRO and plenty of blend time. Any questions?

Day 9

I can't believe how fast time is flying by. I'm so grateful for Lisa and all the help she is to me on this journey.

We did NOT do our first day run this morning because I woke up feeling disgusting. This is probably my body screaming at me for eating pork fat at supper last night. No worries, though, I'm right back on track today.

Happy Eating Friends!

Meal #1
2 eggs scrambled
1/2 oz cheddar
1/2 cup grapes

Meal #2
whole sliced apple
laughing cow light garlic & herb
2 oz deli sliced chicken

Meal #3
rice cake
salad at work including:
mixed greens
1/8 cup shredded cheddar
slice red onion
4 oz deli sliced turkey
2 tbsp Kraft Free French

Meal #4
orange
2 1/3 cups Angie's kettle corn
laughing cow light swiss
2 oz deli sliced chicken

Meal #5
1/2 cup california pistachios

Meal #6
4 oz baked chicken tenderloins
2 whole squash sautee'd
1/2 cup orange sherbert

It's been a delicious day!

Day 8 (Did I miss Day 7?)

It's Monday. I'm off work on Mondays. Lisa's friends Phyllis & Justin & their little girl Lilliana were here to visit with us today and we spent the entire day "playing" in Charleston. Lisa DID pack my lunch bag for me and thankfully, I took it along for the day, but I had a HUGE supper.  Things should be back to normal tomorrow with the work week starting up again. I am absolutely EXHAUSTED! We're also suppossed to start the c25k training in the morning. It's gonna be interesting to see how that works out. I'll update you all tomorrow.

OH! And, since I officially weigh in on Mondays...I'm at 274...6lbs down from last Monday!

Sunday Funday

What a great day it's been! Lisa, Susan, and I went to High Cotton for brunch! SO YUMMY! As always! Sunday is my splurge day and splurge I did. I had no idea how to "count" what I ate, but I did at least attempt to log it all in.

I'm suppossed to start training for the 5k tomorrow. I'm super excited about that, too, the more I think about it. I've also made myself a list of prizes to give myself as I accomplish little and BIG goals. The first one comes at 10lbs. I get new running shorts! I'll give a full report of where I stand aiming toward that goal tomorrow. I'll reveal the rewards a little later.

We also did our beginning of the week shopping today to pick up fresh fruits & veggies & more deli chicken & mozzarella. I've got some prep work to do for dinners in a little while and I've got laundry going now.

Those of you who have voiced your support this week, I thank you. I need a cheering squad and you guys are awesome!

Day 6

Well, today was the end of my first working week on the plan. It was also the second full day with no carbonated beverages. I'm not off caffeine, but definitely, no more soda. Next week, along with starting my walking challenge, I'm gonna start training for an easy 5k. It's meant for fun, not speed, but I want to be in good shape to do it. It's planned for the fall and I'm excited about it. I'll share details later. Check out http://www.c25k.com/ if you hate exercise as much as I do. Looks like a good program for beginners.

I know, I know. It's time for today's menu.

Meal #1
1/4 sliced peaches (NO SUGAR ADDED)
2 eggs scrambled
1/2 oz mozzarella

Meal #2
Fudgesicle-No Sugar Added
Rice Cake
orange
1/2 oz cheddar
2 oz deli sliced chicken

Meal #3
"chef" salad (from employee cafeteria)
3 cups mixed greens
1 slice onion
1/8 cup shredded cheddar
4 oz deli sliced turkey breast
2 tbsp Kraft Free French dressing

Meal #4
1/2 cup sliced pears (NO SUGAR ADDED)
apple
2 oz deli sliced chicken
1 cup Angie's Kettle Corn
1 tbsp peanut butter

Meal #5
1 oz cheddar
3 oz baby carrots

Meal #6
2 grilled pork chops
2 scrambled eggs
coffee w/ 1 creamer & splenda

Tonight, I'm working on next week's meal plan to reduce the sugar a little bit. I'm also developing some rewards for myself for some specific milestones. I'll share all that once I've gotten it all worked out. I loved being able to log onto My Fitness Pal today and see that I'd come through an entire week with disciplined habits. I'm looking forward to adding some exercise next week.

Tomorrow is Sunday. That's splurge day. We have reservations at High Cotton for brunch. I can't wait. It's gonna be amazing.

Facing the Truth

The truth is, I'm too big. The truth is, I don't like to look at ALL the numbers. The truth is, I'm lazy. The truth is, I had to say NO to going out for food & drinks this week and I didn't like it. Monday is coming fast and I'm not in the habit of taking these daily walks. I'll start logging my steps, too.

I finally went and posted all of Monday's measurements on MyFitnessPal. I will keep up with this better. I also loaded my pictures onto my hard drive so that I can share them with you eventually. I plan to take them every Monday with all the measurements.

I added some new friends on MyFitnessPal. My sister included. That was encouraging.

I'm going to my Mama's next weekend. I need to call her and make sure that she understands that I can't be off the plan for more than one meal. I know she'll be supportive, I just don't want to be a pain.

I'm nervous about tomorrow being unstructured. It's my "free" day, but I'm planning to keep the freedom to a single meal splurge. I will probably compensate for it throughout the day. We have reservations for brunch at High Cotton. If I'm only gonna eat in a restaurant once a week, that's the place I want to be!

Alright y'all! Here we go with the last day of the first fully structured week. I'll check in with a menu here tonight.

Day 5

The mysterious lunchbox..Haha! It's like people have never seen anyone bring their own food to work. Oh well! Mine was stuffed with all kinds of yummy goodness today!

Meal #1
New green smoothie (info is in previous post)
hard boiled egg

Meal #2
1oz pretzels
1 cup canteloupe
2 oz deli sliced chicken

Meal #3
"chef" salad (from employee cafeteria)
3 cups mixed greens
slice of red onion
1/8 cup shredded cheddar
4 oz deli turkey
2 tbsp Kraft Free French dressing (I finally got smart & took my own bottle of dressing for my at work salad.)

Meal #4
1 cup angie's artisan treats classic kettle corn
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 cup diced pineapple
1 fried chicken tender (these were in the cafeteria and just smelled so good i couldn't resist just a bite)

Meal #5
2 oz deli sliced chicken
1/2 oz cheddar
1 oz mozzarella

Meal #6
4 oz baked chicken tenders
2 whole yellow squash sautee'd in
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sliced peaches (NO SUGAR ADDED)

I've also had lots and lots of water today and NO SODA!!! I had a vague headache around 5pm, but it quickly passed without medication OR soda. I was pretty proud of myself about that.

The walking challenge starts Monday. I'm pretty excited about that. Susan brought me a pedometer today. I just have to figure out how to set it so that it measures properly. My friends are the greatest cheering squad a girl could ask for.

I'm going to bed early, y'all! Sweet dreams!

Posting Twice a Day?

Well, that seems to be the pattern. No guarantee that I'll keep it up, but for now, I wake up with fresh thoughts and when I come back at night, it's more about all the yummy food I've been munching on all day long.

I'm joining a walking challenge April 23-June 4 to see how many miles I can log in that amount of time. No other pressure, just sheer distance. This should be fun. It will also, hopefully, kickstart some exercise for me. I hate exercise. I need to get up and go to water fitness, too. For now, I'll focus on one thing at a time.

I just finished making my breakfast. If you're keeping up, you might notice a pattern of a green smoothie every other morning. Today's is different though. And DELICIOUS I might add. It's got 2 packed cups of fresh spinach, about 20 sprigs of fresh cilantro, a cup of canteloupe, 1/2 cup pineapple, a banana, 6 oz dannon light & fit peach yogurt, 6 oz silk unsweetened original almond milk, and about 15 ice cubes (ice maker size). I thought my original was good, this is awesome.

I'm a firm believer that food is medicine. We have to put good medicine in for good results (fat loss, steady blood sugar levels, lowered cholesterol levels, diabetes prevention, etc). For the first time in my life, I'm trying to be healthy for me and my future. It's not about what anyone is expecting of me or for some kind of reward. It might take a long time, but it's nothing compared to the quality of life that will come from the hard work.

Y'all have a good day! Let me hear your story. Why are you working so hard?

Day 4

I know I posted an update this morning, but I've made a promise to keep my menus posted here and I intend to do just that. Plus, I've got a few things to say anyway.

Lisa cut up a fresh pineapple tonight and I'm excited about having some tomorrow in my pack. I'm also interested to see how my smoothie is going to turn out since I intend to use canteloupe in place of the strawberries I normally use. The ones I bought on Sunday had to be thrown out on Tuesday because they were already molded! How annoying!!

I love it when I walk into work with my big ol' lunch bag and everybody wants to know what's in it and when they see it, they want to share it!! Here we go with what was in there today!!

Meal #1
2 scrambled eggs (just some cooking spray in the pan)
1 oz mozzarella

Meal #2
1oz pretzels
1/2 oz cheddar cheese
2 oz deli sliced chicken

Meal #3
whole sliced apple
1tbsp peanut butter
"chef" salad (from the employee cafeteria)
3 cups mixed greens
slice red onion
1/8 cup shredded cheddar
2 oz deli turkey breast
2 tbsp ranch dressing

I also had a slice of quiche in the cafeteria...yummy, but not on the plan.

Meal #4
1 &1/2 cups canteloupe
1/2 cup sliced pears (NO SUGAR ADDED)
1 cup Angie's Artisan Treats classic kettle corn

Meal #5
1oz cheddar cheese
2oz deli sliced chicken
whole orange
caramel corn rice cake

Meal #6
There isn't one today. I didn't feel like I could eat another bite so I didn't. I am at least finishing up my 8th or 10th cup of water. I did have just one fountain diet coke this afternoon. I will break this soda habit. I promise.

LISA IS AWESOME. LISA IS AWESOME. LISA IS AWESOME. I just can't say it loud enough or enough times to get this point across. She's in the kitchen right now packing our lunches for tomorrow. She will be the reason I succeed on this journey. Did I mention that Lisa is awesome?

Mid Week Replenishment

So, we're going through groceries much faster than I ever expected, so a round of shops was in order. I got up early (if you can call 8:30 early) and Lisa and I headed out with our lists in hand. Of course when we pulled into the Publix parking lot it started to pour buckets of cold water from the sky so we shopped cold and wet!

10 lbs of chicken tenderloins, more apples, grapes, quinoa, brown rice, lots more squash, more spinach....the list goes on. I couldn't believe how much food we actually need when we're eating at home.

We have a plan to inventory the cabinets, freezer, and refrigerator over the weekend and make a master grocery list so that we know what we have plenty of and what we're going to want to replenish quickly. All this because as soon as we returned from THREE shops, there were already items for a new list.

WE GOT NEW KNIVES!! Our knives were awful. They wouldn't cut hot butter. So we invested in several..including one of those fancy ceramic ones and new cutting boards, too, so that we can do meat and produce on seperate boards.

I also replaced my cold travel cup at a price I do not wish to remember and got a new lunch bag...a larger one so that I don't have to cram my food into the tiny 6 pack cooler I used the first few days this week.

I gotta go to work soon, so I'll be checking back in with y'all later tonight to share the menu and any other thoughts I come up with. OH, and welcome to any of you who've come here from my community over at MyFitnessPal!

Day 3

I'm tired and ready for bed. But, part of this plan, is to make sure I've opened every opportunity to be successful and, for me, that means, keeping this blog up to date on a daily basis so that I have to be honest about what's really happenning every day. So, here I am again.

If I haven't said it 14 times already. Lisa is AMAZING. Her willingness to love me by taking on the task of preparing my food every day is above and beyond anything I could expect from a friend. I am preparing most of my food for Meal #1 and Meal #6, but anything that has to be portioned from a larger stash, she's doing it for me. She's cooking chicken tenderloins so that they're available to be quickly reheated and there's brown rice in the refrigerator that she's already prepared so that a few minutes with the skillet is all I need to get my last meal prepared. I need an amazing way to repay her for being so awesome.

Are y'all ready for day 3's menu? Here we go again!

Meal #1

hard boiled egg

green smoothie (the recipe for this is in day 1's post)

Meal #2

NO SUGAR ADDED Fudgesicle

green smoothie

Meal #3

"serving" of salted pretzels (i think it's 1 oz, Lisa does all the portioning for me)

1/2 green apple

1 tbsp peanut butter

Meal #4

"chef" salad I made in the cafeteria at work that included:

3 cups mixed greens

3 oz deli sliced turkey

hard boiled egg

1 slice red onion

1/8 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp honey mustard

2tbsp ranch dressing

Meal #5

1/2 cup sliced peaches

1 orange

1 wedge laughing cow light garlic & herb

1 cup Angie's Artisan Treats classic kettle corn

Meal #6

1 cup brown rice

3/4 cup sliced carrots

1 whole sautee'd yellow squash

3 oz grilled chicken tenderloins

2 cups strawberries

1 cup Angie's Artisan Treats classic kettle corn

I feel like I ate like a little piggy today. I also consumed a very large amount of water and only about 1/2 the amount of diet coke that I had yesterday. I need to come off of that stuff completely.

I'm gonna try to start taking some pictures of the products I'm using and especially of these gorgeous nighttime meals! We'll start with tonight's dinner! (Um, ok, so, this photo is actually at the top of this post. I'm not extremely expert on "blogger", so, that's where it's staying for now. Also, adding the photo REALLY screwed up the formatting in this post and I had to go back and "repair" it. Any ideas about that?)

We're getting up earlier than usual tomorrow to run a few errands. We're in dire need of a new cutting board (Lisa dropped ours behind the stove...we aren't sure how to retrieve it.) We also need sharp knives and to replenish some of the items we're going through quickly.

Oh, and my traveling cup got broken today (I need this for that second smoothie!) and my lunch bag is a little on the small side, so maybe I'll replace those, too.

Ok, it's time for bed. See y'all here tomorrow night!

Not Carved in Stone

I have no idea how well this will work. It looks nutritious on paper. It seems to be enough food to get me through the day. I'm starting this journey at 280 lbs. I've been heavier...by about 10 lbs...several years ago. I'm thankful I never passed that 300 mark, but I'm terrified that I will spend a lifetime battling health problems related to my weight if I don't get it under control right now. I'm just a normal, busy, single adult. I don't like to exercise, even though I know I should do it. I have a gym membership, but I rarely use it. I need encouragement to exercise even a little bit.
I just wanted to be clear that is not an exact science. I am hoping it will work. Based on all of my reading and research, it should work. I may be constantly adjusting it. That's one reason why I haven't posted a weeks worth of menus. I'm wide open for comments and suggestions. Please, just don't be mean. If you can't say something positive, I'd rather you save your rant for somewhere else. I need encouragement, not criticism.
The journey has just begun. Let's keep moving. Who knows what tomorrow may hold?

Day 2

Today was my first day at work with my new plan. It seemed to work out just fine. Here's the menu.

Meal #1
scrambled egg
1 slice honey wheat toast
1 wedge laughing cow lite creamy swiss
1/2 cup sliced pears (Del Monte NO SUGAR ADDED)

Meal #2
whole orange
rice cake
1 oz mozzarella

Meal #3
whole sliced apple
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 cup sliced peaches

Meal #4
2 oz sliced deli chicken
1 oz cheddar cheese
1 cup Angie's Kettle Corn

Meal #5
3 cups mixed greens
5 grilled large shrimp
1/2 tsp champagne vinaigrette salad dressing (I'm not even sure it was that much...just dipped the fork about every 3d bite.)

Meal #6
1 block chicken flavored ramen
3 oz grilled chicken
1 cup sliced carrots

I got a little hungry between meals 5 & 6, but it wasn't terrible. That was also the longest stretch between meals and it was almost 3 1/2 hours. I also consumed a LOT of water today. Something like 70 oz, then I had a 16oz diet coke. This is a lot more liquid than I am used to consuming.

In case I didn't mention it. Lisa is awesome. She packs all of this up for me in the morning and makes it EASY for me to pass up any other ideas about a meal. It's a plethora of snacks right at my fingertips!

The Grocery Shopping

I said I'd mention the FOUR grocery stores later. Well, here's your later. I had a list...and a willingness to spend a frugal amount of cash on groceries. So, we ended up at FOUR seperate establishments to purchase groceries for the week. Publix was the big stop, because believe it or not, they had the best sale prices for fresh food! Then a quick stop into Food Lion (which we could have skipped, but the canned veggies WERE cheaper here). Another quick stop in at Bi-Lo, they were cheapest for canned fruit. And a stop at Costco for Popcorn. I know...seems excessive, but this stuff really is amazing. Want to see my grocery list? I'll share it.

Groceries

Almond Milk (Unsweetened)
Mozzarella cheese (look for the stuff that's around 70 calories per oz)
Light Yogurt (Dannon Light& Fit in the 4 packs seems to be the most economical)
fresh strawberries
mixed greens
fresh spinach
canned peaches (Del Monte NO SUGAR ADDED)
canned pears (Del Monte NO SUGAR ADDED)
apples
peanut butter
cheddar cheese
orange sherbert
baby carrots
Fudgesicles (NO SUGAR ADDED)
Deli sliced Turkey or Chicken
Frozen chicken tenders
cilantro (to add to the mixed greens if you like it)
canned sliced carrots
canned french style green beans
Angie's Kettle Corn
pretzels
rice cakes
grapes
bananas
eggs
Nature's Own Honey Wheat 40 calorie bread ( I didn't like the 9-grain as much.)
brown rice
Kraft Free French dressing
Kraft Free Catalina dressing

I also take a multivitamin (VitaFustion MultiVites Gummies) and a B12 supplement just for good measure.

I'm suppossed to be drinking 96 oz of water a day. I'm used to drinking a lot of diet coke. I recommend the crystal light flavor packets if you're not a huge water fan.

Day 1 (Yesterday)

I spent the day playing taxi driver for a friend. It was a good way to start the program since I was away from home all day. Lisa packed my little cooler and I was on my way.

Meal #1
hard boiled egg
1/2 of my green smoothie* (I'll add this recipe at the end. It's delicious.)

Meal #2
2 oz sliced deli chicken (I got the Publix brand rotiserrie style.)
1/2 oz sliced cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sliced pears (Del Monte NO SUGAR ADDED)

Meal #3
whole sliced apple
1 tbsp Peter Pan Peanut Butter

Meal #4
1/2 of my green smoothie
1 cup Angie's Kettle Corn (they sell this stuff at Costco, check their website for other retailers)

Meal #5
whole orange
1 oz cheddar cheese

Meal #6
uh...I had a bojangles cajun filet biscuit...but...that was NOT on the plan
I was SUPPOSSED to have:

3oz grilled chicken tenders
1/2 cup cooked carrots
1/2 cup green beans
1 cup brown rice
2 cups of mixed greens
2 tbsp Kraft Free French dressing

I will try to do better today. There was no excuse for my grabbing a biscuit instead of drinking some more water and waiting til I got home for my dinner. I would have had more food and less guilt.

MY GREEN SMOOTHIE

2 cups fresh spinach
1 medium banana, sliced
4 large or 6 medium or 8 small strawberries, sliced
1 6 oz container light yogurt (I used peach, it's also good with strawberry banana, coconut, cherry...pick your favorite, just make sure it's light.)
6 oz ( I just fill the empty yogurt container) Silk Unsweetened Original Almond Milk

Blend this until smooth, then add about 8 or 10 ice cubes and blend again. YUMMY!!

Prep Work

I can do this. Now what?

I wrote menus. I'm suppossed to eat something every 2-3 hours (this amounts to 5 small meals in a day) and then eat a larger meal at some point, too. I'm trying to keep the smaller meals to around 200 calories (maybe a little less) and the larger meal around 500. This puts me somewhere between 1200 and 1500 calories every day. Don't worry, I won't starve. There's a lot of food in that bag every morning.

Speaking of that bag, I have the most amazing roommate and old friend in the history of such folks. She asked if she could do anything to help. Could she help? How was anything she did going to make this any easier for me? Indeed, she could. First, she did all the measurements for me that I wanted to keep track of. (I'll share those some other time.) Then, she took pictures. Yes, there are now photos of me in just shorts and a bra. I'm fat. They're scary. I'll share those later, too, maybe after there's noticable difference and I can post more than one set. Even more than that, though, she agreed to pack my food for the day. Every day. The measuring, the slicing and dicing, the packing. The hard part. The part where I could cheat myself or nibble while I was working at it. She does it for me. There is no temptation for me to add an extra ounce or an extra teaspoon. This woman deserves a medal for her awesomeness.

Let me guess? Now, you're wanting to know what's on those menus? That's coming up next.

Beginning the Journey

I have PCOS. If you don't know what that is and want to know more, you can google it and there will be more information than you will ever be able to finish reading. The bottom line for me and relative to this journey, though, is that it is very very easy to gain weight and nearly impossible to lose weight. I've been on every "normal" diet known to man and generally I will lose 5 pounds and not another ounce. I've done Atkins, Weight Watchers, South Beach, Calorie Count, Slim-Fast, and even the old school plan of a 2000 calorie day. Nothing happenned. Nothing.

So, in light of all this, I thought I would try medi-fast. Sounds like a good idea, right? WRONG. First of all, it's insanely expensive. (Who can afford to pay $16 a box for cereal bars?) Second of all, the plan keeps a person to around 900 calories a day. I'm pretty sure that I would become the meanest person ever on 900 calories a day...especially if it consists of nothing but, let's face it, chocolate milk and meal bars or cereal bars or whatever they are. (Let's forget the fact that I heard it all tastes disgusting and I need to actually like the food I'm eating if I can't have much of it anyway.)

So, I did research. I read diet plans. I crunched numbers. I debated spending ungodly amounts of money on terrible food. Then, out of nowhere, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I can do this. I can plan my own diet. I can restrict my own calories. I can make sure I am getting adequate nutrition. I can buy regular food from a regular grocery store (or 4, I'll get to that a little later).

Are y'all ready? Here we go.