My 'Plan' for Thanksgiving

Three weeks after starting on Lyn-Genet Recitas' "The Plan," I am seven pounds lighter. I haven't had a slice of bread or any dairy in that time, and ate red meat only once. It's been primarily veggies, veggies and seafood.

BUT, I've enjoyed dark chocolate, vino, goat cheese and feta (love my cheeses!). And I haven't had to exercise like a maniac to see progress.

All in all, I'd say that 'The Plan' is a way of eating that I can stick to. Sure, I miss enjoying the savory chili with cheese my family had for dinner last night, but I don't miss the depressing flab that gathered around my middle. I'd love to indulge in a big ol' bowl of mashed potatoes, but I also love being able to easily button my jeans and once again wear clothes that had been gathering dust in my closet.

So, with Thanksgiving upon us, I am thankful for learning how to eat to manage my weight at this point in life. I am so thankful for my wonderful Mr., my beautiful boys and my stepkids. My friends, of course, and my supportive, loving family. I am endlessly grateful that those nearest and dearest to me are healthy and financially secure.

And to those of you who read my blog, thank you. It's so nice knowing that you're out there.

Taking off for a few days, so until next time ... choose happy.

Designer Duds and Diet Dilemmas

I love the idea of a great bargain. So, whenever I hear about one of those discount designer shopping websites, I sign up. Everyday, Designer Apparel.com (www.designerapparel.com) sends me alerts about beautiful clothes and accessories that are marked down. But here's the thing, I have no idea how I would actually look in any of these clothes. I don't try on designer apparel at the store which I suppose would be pretty critical to knowing what size I should order and whether or not I even like how the designer's clothes look on me.

Maybe it's just the idea that those things are somehow within reach. Thoughts?

Re: The Plan, I'm still sticking with it. I've hit a pretty significant plateau and am thinking it might be time to just induge in a big ol' plate of nachos and throw back a few beers. One day at a time....

Until next time, choose happy.

The Food Burglars

For a change, this post is not about me and my issues/struggles with food. Nope, it's about how, after a nutritionally balanced and usually hearty meal, the five boys (plus one lovable husband) in my house still gorge themselves on evening chow.

Example: last night's dinner was poached chicken on pasta with parmesan and roasted butternut squash. We finished eating at about 7:30ish. I came downstairs this morning and found:

- 2 empty salsa jars in recycling
- 1 empty bag of corn chips
- empty cookie jar (had just been re-filled with an entire box)
- empty 1/2 gallon ice cream container

And that's just the stuff that made it to the garbage/recycling. I'm afraid to see what got left behind in the basement.

However, I can report that the Honey Crisp apples, cut-up strawberries and baby carrots were exactly where I left them. :)

So it goes, and we choose happy.....

A brief pause

After another raucus dinner (pulled pork - yum), I needed to get away from my 6 men. I asked for 15 minutes to myself. Within 5 minutes there was a knock at the door.

Son: Mom, Mom are you in there?
Me: no answer
Son: Mom are you in there? Can you just answer a quick question?
Me: Yes.
Son: Do ketchup and mustard mixed together make relish?

My answer was "No" but what I was thinking was "Are you kidding me?"

Ah, parenthood.

Plateaus

It's been a few days so a quick update on The Plan (www.neighborhoodholistic.com) and my experience after 14 days ...

The good news is, I've definitely lost about 5 pounds. The not as great news is that it's the same 5 pounds I lost during week 1. Per Lyn-Genet, it's not uncommon to plateau during week 2 but it sure makes it a helluva lot harder to stay on the plan. That said, having to report in daily with weight and questions makes it hard to cheat; I feel very accountable. This coming week I start my own menu planning. Crossing fingers that a few more lbs. will drop off.

Otherwise, it's been a week of bouncing back from a whole lot of upset & drama. I think I've hit my annual limit for taking s***. I'd like to say that I managed my emotions with grace, but that would be a whopper of a lie. I blew my stack, cried, sulked and even did a little stomping. A GNO (girls' night out) last night helped blow off the residual ickyness.  And today I sent chocolate chip cookies to my big boy at college; that made me feel better somehow.

More to come .... stay happy.

Thud

That big noise you just heard may be me falling off of The Plan wagon. After a listless workout this morning, I feel thisclose to wolfing down a big ol' turkey with cheese on sourdough. Ohhhh..... just writing it is making my mouth water.

I'm trying to hold steady, though. Please send willpower my way!

Balancing and the Scale

Those of you near NY's Harlem, I envy you.  You have access to Lyn-Genet Recita's Neighborhood Holistic health center (www.neighborhoodholistic.com). Recita's eating program, The Plan, has been amazing thus far. I've lost 5.5 pounds in one week without feeling deprived. I could comfortably socialize -- yes, I drank wine! -- and order off the menu at an Italian restaurant. Brilliance!


I have to say that it's been a long time since I've felt sexy, but having that weight come off, without extra workouts, has been a huge boost. Yes, I eat a lot of greens, but tonight's dinner also included chicken breast and butternut squash with butter and cinnamon. Tasty. It's a relief to actually know what foods I can enjoy without bloating up.


In other news, trying to find the balance between my needs and those of the ones I love. Quality relationships are hard to find, nurturing them takes work. 


Until next time, choose happy.

Am I Having a Mid-Life Crisis?

Laying in bed last night, I realized that in the past several months I have:
- lightened my hair twice
- straightened my hair
- flipped repeated through Allure magazine to find out the best anti-aging products
- started using Latisse (www.latisse.com) to enhance my eyelashes
- considered a breast lift
- ruminated about the possibility of chucking my career to attempt writing full-time
- dedicated myself to The Plan to drop unwanted extra lbs.

If I were a guy and had created a similar list, the only thing missing would be a new sports car -- clear signs of the much-maligned mid-life crisis.

This attention to how I look is a recent evolution for me; I was always the woman wearing sweat pants and no makeup. Of course, I'd gussy up to go out, but I could pretty much get away with little attention to face and hair for a long time. No longer.

I'm still sorting out how I feel about all of this -- is it just a normal progression that comes with aging? Late-blooming vanity run amuck? Much ado about nothing?

Re: the Plan, all is well. Switched things up a little with meals but it didn't seem to impact my weight LOSS! Even snuck in a few sips of red wine last night. It's sooo nice to really fit into my jeans. Five days, nearly 5 pounds - I'll take it!

Onward and downward

Hallelujah! The scale moved and in the right direction for a change! Added chicken for dinner last night and got rice with goat cheese the night before, so it's no longer totally a bird food diet. Lyn-Genet and her able assistant Maggie are wonderfully responsive to questions, which is greatly appreciated. The Mr. said I look slimmer; I can't really see it but I do love that he said it. He's a smart man.

In other news ... one of my high school senior sons is flip-flopping like a hotcake on the griddle re: what kind of colleges he wants to apply to. It's exhausting and I'm trying to take a big step back and let him guide this ship from here on out.

Had a little chat with my stepson David who, as you may recall, is very social but doesn't really understand the boundaries of privacy. Complicated, because (despite this blog) I'm a pretty private person. David will tell anyone and everyone what's happening in our home -- when we go out, medical issues, new purchases, what I'm making for dinner. It's disconcerting when people I don't know repeat things about my life that they've learned through David. So, I told David that what happens in our home is only for those who live in it to know about. Fingers crossed that he "gets" it.

Until tomorrow, choose happy.

Day 2

Second day on The Plan started with a whimper. My weight was a little up. When I reported in to Lyn-Genet (www.lyn-genet.com), she asked if I'd had enough water on day 1. Wow, can she call it. I was, in fact, a little shy of my recommended water intake. Per Lyn-Genet, for every two glasses of water you don't drink, you hold onto 1/2 pound of weight.  So, in addition to following The Plan for day 2 (although I did eat an extra 1/2 apple for snack), I pounded the water. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

More college apps sent today and the stress levels are starting to recede, thankfully. A few more to go and then we sit and wait for acceptance letters. Cuz that won't be stressful at all.

Until tomorrow, choose happy.