So I had mostly been following the guidelines outlined in the book, Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, for the past week and it's been a positive experience thus far. I really love the idea in the book, and it is the first diet / nutrition book I've read that actually seems very simple, logical, healthy, and realistic. I had sort of restarted last week Sunday, August 4th, and stayed on track about 90% of the week. I followed the guidelines of eating mostly both raw and steamed vegetables, fruit, and beans / legumes. Friday night I fell a little off track, but I got right back on the wagon the next day. By the middle of the week, I was already noticing that I was less hungry and wasn't craving junk food.
Since August 1st, I've lost about 5-7 pounds (some of that may have been water weight, making the starting weight higher, or water weight in pounds lost). I've noticed a huge difference with almost zero cravings for sweets, the thought of it didn't even interest me. I feel like I've also been sleeping better the past week. I'm definitely motivated to keep going and follow this through for the six weeks, which is perfect timing since I will be leaving for vacation at the end of the six weeks. For the first time in a while, I'm feeling excited about making changes and seeing the results.
In case you're wondering, these are the guidelines for the six week plan:
Eat unlimited amounts of:
- vegetables (with an emphasis on raw veggies, and on steamed green vegetables (kale, swiss chard, collards, broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, etc.)). Daily goal is 1 lb. raw veggies, and 1 lb. cooked
- Beans and legumes. Daily goal is 1 cup
- Fresh fruits
Off Limits:
-dairy products
-animal products
-snacks
-fruit juice
-oils
(Limited items include everything else: nuts and seeds, avocados, whole grains, etc.)
Eat unlimited amounts of:
- vegetables (with an emphasis on raw veggies, and on steamed green vegetables (kale, swiss chard, collards, broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, etc.)). Daily goal is 1 lb. raw veggies, and 1 lb. cooked
- Beans and legumes. Daily goal is 1 cup
- Fresh fruits
Off Limits:
-dairy products
-animal products
-snacks
-fruit juice
-oils
(Limited items include everything else: nuts and seeds, avocados, whole grains, etc.)
The first week I followed the food guidelines, but was having some snacks, or eating late at night. My goal for this week is to push towards reaching the goal of no snacking. The challenge I have is that I don't work from an office, I'm on the go all day, driving around the entire county, so I have no access to a microwave to heat foods or a refrigerator. I've been packing food with me in a big cooler bag and ice packs; I guess that's one downside to my job.
Things are finally feeling like they are settling down a bit, after all of the chaos in July. As for exercise, I have so far worked out 4 or 5 times at the gym I joined on August 1. Last week I went Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, and would wake up around 5:15 - 5:30AM; I felt awesome after my workouts. I intended to go Tuesday and Thursday as well, but found I was too tired and needed the sleep. I'm still working to fit in more resistance training, and work my way over to a yoga class, but I suppose one thing at a time.
I have a good feeling that this will finally be those positive changes I've been hoping to make for so long, I really feel like I can do this! :) I'm not setting any calorie limitations, not counting, not going crazy planning out every meal, and not worrying about the numbers. I know if I continue what I'm doing, I will lose weight without worrying about it. According to an ideal weight formula (which I find to be realistic and accurate), my ideal weight should be about 99-100 pounds. Here is how it is calculated:
Women: approximately 95 pounds for the first five feet of height and then four pounds for every inch thereafter
Men: approximately 105 pounds for the first five feet of height and then five pounds for every inch thereafter
I know that's just an ideal, but I think that is a reasonable goal for myself. When I was just a pound or two above this weight, I felt great and looked the best I ever have. But I know to not set rigid deadlines or expectations.
Women: approximately 95 pounds for the first five feet of height and then four pounds for every inch thereafter
Men: approximately 105 pounds for the first five feet of height and then five pounds for every inch thereafter
I know that's just an ideal, but I think that is a reasonable goal for myself. When I was just a pound or two above this weight, I felt great and looked the best I ever have. But I know to not set rigid deadlines or expectations.