Day 11 - feels so weird to type that!

I'm not happy to be back at work today, let's just start there :-)

Today for lunch I had ground turkey, grilled green peppers and red onion, with a few springs of asparagus topped with fresh salsa. Delicious.

Dinner tonight will likely be something with spinach, as I have a huge bag of it and it's not depleting despite having already made 3 salads with it! I have some chicken that needs to get grilled, but might end up just eating a frittata with egg whites.

After work, I need to pick up apples for the week (I have one peeled everyday around 3pm), along with some non-fat yogurt, which I've been using a dollop of as a salad dressing.

Since I haven't been having the Melba toasts at all lately (the fruit fills me up just fine and the toasts are quite bland), I enjoyed 1 small glass of red wine last night. I figured since there aren't really added sugars or starches, the antioxidants wouldn't be too bad for me. I've had a little trouble sleeping after this weekend, and wanted to relax sans NyQuil. I didn't have any repercussions such as diarrhea or an upset stomach and today I zipped up a miniskirt with no problems. I will  head to the gym after dinner for some light cardio, however.

Some menu items that I would like to try this week:
-Melba toasts topped with strawberries (apparently tastes like a strawberry shortcake, which I doubt is possible...but when you aren't eating sweets, anything like that sounds good!)
-Apples microwaved with stevia and cinnamon (apparently tastes like apple pie...see above logic)
-Big, sliced tomatoes done up like a caprese without the mozzarella (I miss cheese so much!)

Day 10 (TEN?!)

Pic from last night, just for fun! Went to The Hood Internet (google them!!) and felt like a million bucks. Slim, trim, energized. Was not intimidated in the least to put on these skin-tight pants or show off my arms/back in the halter I'm wearing.

So I've been receiving some nice notes from friends and fans lately, and I really appreciate it. It helps me stay accountable, knowing that if I slip, I will let down not just myself -- but the many others who are counting on me to deliver the scoop and show some results that are worth it!

Look, by day-10, it's safe to say that following this plan is now a habit for me. I no longer think about food in the abusive way I used to: wolfing down my lunch while thinking about what I was going to gorge on for dinner. I am not passing a pizza place thinking I have to stop and order a slice (or 2 if that is the daily special!). Sure, I still think of cheeseburgers, pizza, and enchiladas  fondly and miss them, but my mind has been switched entirely when it comes to food - at least while I'm on this plan.

My body has also adjusted to smaller portions. I rarely feel hungry, weak, or shaky believe it or not. It feels good to be eating the way your body really wants you to, and needs you to. I'm also sure that I've lowered my bad cholesterol which is also an added bonus.

My biggest advice is to do whatever you can to plow through the first 2-3 days of the 500 calories. It will be hard, it will shock your system, you will likely have physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms related to food (which is so crazy, but true), but if you can get through that....you will coast through the rest of this plan. Promise!

Let me know if you have any questions...here to help.

Day 9 - Not Sucking It In & No Pooch!

Okay, maybe just a little one :-) But this is NOTHING compared to what I started with, and I know it will be all gone when I'm done with my drops cycle. Plus, for everyone who knows me, I've always had a butt, but even that has slimmed down quite a bit! Feeling great.

So glad I slept through the night last night with no more leg cramps, I was contemplating stopping the drops if I had a repeat of the tingly/numb feeling. All good there, back to no side effects to report.

Just a note on what I had last night: 100 g of tofu fried in a little bit of soy sauce. It was pretty good! I cut some more tofu up and sprinkled it in my salad for lunch today. It's a good option for vegetarians, even though I do eat (and love) meat.

Tonight, I'm thinking turkey burger with a little bit of salsa and asparagus?

Here's to kicking off another great week on the program!