2010 Food Journal

* (5/11) Like the basic plan I was following I also stopped tracking my food.  It was knowledge that was extremely helpful to have but the whole process was too time consuming to make it a true life-style change.  I’m glad I did it for a while, as I learned a lot and now have a good list of meals to choose from that I know are good for me, but it became an obsession, was always on my mind, and made food too much of an issue in my life.  I will keep this page, however, as it was an important step in my life’s journey.

After 4 weeks of faithfully following my new healthy lifestyle I decided to start tracking my daily menus.  After only 4 weeks my taste buds had dramatically changed and are now satisfied by flavors that never would have pleased them in the past!  I even discovered that FRUIT really can feel like a dessert!  In the past, I always rolled my eyes at that claim but now I’m a believer!  Apples, Strawberries, Cantaloupes, and even Ruby Red Grapefruit cups are something I really look forward to now.  I don’t really miss the sugary and salty foods too much - what I do miss are the textures of those yummys (brownies, bagels, caramels etc…).  On the other hand – on certain days - roasted sweet potatoes are almost orgasmic…

As a quick recap, I’m following the 6-Week Body Makeover which is “basically”:

• Low Fat /Low Carb – with some fruit and some complex carbs
• No added Salt, Fat, or Sugar (during week 8 I started to add SMALL amounts of healthy olive oil back into some meals)
• No Dairy (10 weeks in I added one 6 oz.Chobani yogurt a day)
• Eating small meals/snacks every 2-3 hours… 5-6 times a day
• Proteins: Lean Chicken, Turkey Breast, Tuna, Salmon, Shrimp, Soy products
• All the Veggies I want, including veggie burgers and the like
• Drinking water, water, and more water (lots of Powerade Zero, Vitamin Water Zero, and Splenda-sweetened Iced Tea)
• Taking some recommended supplements (multi vitamin, calcium with vitamin D, green tea, chia seeds, ground flax, metamucil/fiber sure)
• My personal choice: No Pop, Caffeine, Red Meat or Pork (I’ll start adding small amounts of these after 14 weeks)
• My personal choice: Try to avoid eating out and NO FAST FOOD – none, zero, zilch, goose egg
• During week 10 I decided to focus on adding more fiber to my meals and trying to get my intake up to 40 grams a day
• During week 10 I also decided to make Monday’s Meatless

(* Note:  I didn’t jump in immediately and do everything on this list – it took about 2 1/2 weeks until I made all of those dietary changes):

February 1st – 7th (Weeks 4 thru 5)
February 8th – 15th (Weeks 5 thru 6)
February 16th – 22nd (Weeks 6 thru 7)
February 23rd – March 1st (Weeks 7 thru 8 )
March 2nd – 8th (Weeks 8 thru 9)
March 9th – 15th (Weeks 9 thru 10)
March 16th – 22nd (Weeks 10 thru 11)
March 23rd – 29th (Weeks 11 thru 12)
March 30th – April 5th (Weeks 12 thru 13)
April 6th – April 12th (Weeks 13 thru 14)
April 13th – April 19th (Weeks 14 thru 15)