second month slump

current weight: 145 pounds-to-go: 10 (5 from original goal) 

i weighed in yesterday and sadly only lost 3 pounds. i attribute this lack of loss to a number of things. namely, this is one of the first times i've actually weighed in exactly ONE week after my previous weigh-in. also. my period. I'M NOT MAKING EXCUSES - IT'S TRUE! Both the doc and his (female) assistant agreed i would have been down at least an additional 3 pounds if i wasn't bloated. thank you, mother nature. h8 you.

i also tried to get the doc's opinion on my new goal weight. when i first started he had said i should get down to 140; i agreed. it's only as of late i've made the decision to stay on the diet until i reach 135. he said, "we'll discuss it when i reach 140" to which i replied, "HOPEFULLY, that will be next week." he responded with what can only be described as the most unenthusiastic high-five ever. 

this second-month slump is really getting to me. not just this weigh-in. overall ... it's getting harder to avoid meeting up with friends because i can't "get drinks" or "grab dinner," i've totally isolated myself lately. as much as this diet is supposed to teach me how to "live with food" i've never felt more controlled by my diet. i have to rush home from work on my fruit/veggies days to ensure i eat on time. i have to schedule my days so i have time to grocery shop every other day. i've also developed an unhealthy relationship with the scale. not sure if that's better or worse than our previous relationship status which was: nonexistent. i hope i don't develop some weird obsessive compulsiveness or eating disorder from this.

MIA

i can't believe i've been so MIA –  i really thought i'd be blogging about all my dietary foodventures. but let's be real. it's easier to complain out-loud to my fiance and friends than in type and i don't see the point in posting pictures of plantain chips and glasses of milk.

anyway. my weigh-in schedule has really veered off course. but hopefully from here on out i will stick to WEEKLY weigh-ins. although going every eight to ten(ish) days seems to work out better in my mind ... and saves moneyy.

in other news. my mom came with me yesterday. i have to admit it's been really difficult dieting in my home environment. i live amongst polar opposites –  my sister who is extremely disciplined and sticks to a calorie restricted diet and then treats herself weekly and my mother who, admittedly has poor eating habits.

i've never wanted to place blame on anyone for my eating habits or my weight. i grew up under pretty interesting circumstances. my dad loved his juicer. we would wake up weekend mornings to the sounds of the blades grinding up fresh and delicious fruit juices. he also tried to get us to drink soy and goat's milk rather than cow's milk. even now that man will steam anything. like. even chicken. that's not to say he like, didn't EVER eat fast food or candy. he did. we just grew up in house that was half organic half convenience aka frozen dinners/take out. and at the grocery store it was never a question of "can we have ice cream?" it was more like "what kind do you want?" growing up, both of my parents were thin so i suppose i never saw a reason to not eat junk food. i, on the other hand, was always overweight (overweight never "obese"). and seeing my twin sister eat the same things i did and be half the size was always, in some subconscious way, upsetting. but honestly, i never lacked confidence. i never "struggled" with my weight despite knowing i could lose a few lbs. i was active, had friends (/boyfriends) and genuinely loved myself for who i was – inside and out.

it wasn't until recently i became aware and thus unhappy with my body. not so coincidentally, it was when i moved back home. being around two people who have such incredibly conflicting food/health ideologies was overwhelming. it was only then i could actually admit to myself i was making excuses. that i knew i wanted to lose weight but was being lazy. and though i don't necessarily wholeheartedly agree with my sister's food philosophy, i most certainly did not agree with my mom's. and so, a little more than a month into me dieting via accuweight loss, my mom decided to come with me. i'm proud of her for realizing it's time for a lifestyle change. especially since her blood pressure is high and she's at risk for developing diabetes. she NEEDS to do this NOW. and hopefully she will be successful!



current weight: 148 pounds-to-go: 13 (8 for original goal)

one month update

so today marks one month of this ridiculousness. i really thought i would have made it a month without cheating but i didn't. however,  i did make it more than a week which is better than the last time i tried! oh. i don't think i ever mentioned i tried this diet before. about two years ago. and i was literally miserable. like crying myself to sleep more times than i'd like to admit. i was only on the diet for 8 days ... whatever, don't judge me!

this time around, i've learned a few things

• preparation is the key to success: planning meals ahead of time for fruit/veggies days has made them much easier. not to mention, i've started to develop a habit of packing fruits/vegetables for lunch during the work week and on weekends ... a habit i intend on keeping once off the diet 
• feeling satisfied: speaking of fruits/vegetables my body has really adjusted to feeling satisfied with just fruits and vegetables. that being said, i still feel miserable on the second dairy day. it is by far the hardest day. like. i feel like crying (as i mentioned above). 

ANYWAYS. still feeling hungry on dairy days is discouraging. i genuinely believed i would not feel "hungry" after a certain point. not the case. additionally, i wish i could start and stick to a workout regime. unfortunately, i have ZERO energy. i mean, who wants to run a mile or swim laps after ingesting 375calories worth of whole milk? 

also, as i approach my goal weight i'm starting to worry about my ability to keep the weight off long-term. cue Jennifer Hudson's new weight watchers commercial. i know and understand this accu-weightloss diet is based in psychiatrics and is trying to break me of my "food addiction" (... i realize putting food addiction in quotes makes it seem like i'm in denial) but honestly. i want to keep the weight off without being anorexic. i sure hope it's possible. 

ONE MONTH weight: 151 pounds-to-go: 16 (11 for original goal of 140)


ps: food i can't wait to eat / recipes i want to try
loaded baked potato soup
avocado pesto pasta from a cozy kitchen
steak and beans taco cups from for the love of cooking
oh. AND sandwiches, pizza and tacos!

weigh in

as i mentioned, i missed last week's weigh in. and despite binging over the weekend (it could have been worse), i weighed in today and lost 4pounds!

current weight: 153 pounds-to-go: 13

i've also come to the realization that i probably should lose more than the original 35pounds. i just don't see myself being happy when i reach 140. i think my new goal will be 135. thoughts?

creamy vegan mushroom soup

today's chilly weather reminded me of the creamy vegan-friendly mushroom soup we had last week. like many people, i prefer to eat non-vegan friendly things because – to me – eating vegan is hard and sort of unnecessary ... so says the person who cannot eat meat, bread, pasta, DAIRY, eggs, starches, legumes, etc. anyways. i had little faith in the idea of a tasty creamy soup without cream or butter or anything.

ingredients

• 12ounces of mushrooms (we used three 4ounce mixed pkg of baby bella, oyster and shiitake) 
• 1 package cauliflower 
• 1 medium sized white onion
• 2 cups of vegetable stock
• Bragg's liquid amino (soy sauce substitute) 
• worcestershire sauce 
• garlic 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard 

how 

• boil cauliflower until very soft; puree with some of the cooking water until completely smooth
• mince garlic and onion; spray pan with PAM, cook until translucent 
• add coarsely chopped mushrooms, cook on medium until the juice in the mushrooms completely evaporate, then begins to caramelize on the bottom of the pot 
• add cauliflower puree, stir and add veggie stock to a slightly water consistency, stir. the soup will thicken as it simmers - if it looks dry, add more stock or water 
• add salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 tsp worcestershire, 1/2 tsp Bragg's to taste – add desired amount of each 
• add 1/2 tbsp of dijon mustard, stir, simmer for at least an hour – taste and re season if necessary
• serve immediately (and with other veggies, if desired)  

makes just enough for two. also note that using 12ounces of mushrooms made the soup VERY chunky ... 8ounces is probably enough! we also topped ours with onion and tomato. 

in other news. i spent the past few days in miami celebrating my sister's bachelorette. if you're thinking i cheated: you are correct. i also missed my weigh in. OH WELL. here's to a successful next week!