Trying to eat unprocessed in a processed world

[fitoverforty]

Thought I would start a journal on diet "journey". It's been ongoing for a while, just haven't ever committed to recording it faithfully and being more accountable.
So here goes...
goal is 30 lbs. by the end of August - which is about 16 weeks. That's 1.875 lbs. a week, which may sound pretty easy..but trust me, it isn't for me. I know I have to be very vigilant and strict to achieve this goal, so I'm hoping for some great ideas, support, tips, etc. from all of you Shapefitters out there.

Diet will be mostly unprocessed, lean meats, fruits, veggies.
Monday:
Breakfast: Choc. protein shake, 1/2 green apple sliced w/all nat. pb (2 tbsp)
snack: small palm full of almonds, pecans, peanuts
Lunch: roasted chicken breast salad w/iceburg lettuce and baby spinach, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, homemade dressing (EVOO, garlic, basil, oregano)
snack: same as above
Dinner: sauteed mushroom, onion, green pepper w/roasted chicken breast
after workout: choc. protein shake, & snack listed above

Tuesday:
Breakfast: same as Monday
Lunch: same as Monday lunch except added green pepper, and 1/2 avocado sliced. Homemade dressing was the same except I added 1 tsp Roasted Red bellpepper/Chipotle Spread
snack: half a biscuit (not good.....didn't eat enough at lunch and made a bad choice....good news is I stopped at half and threw it away)
Dinner: tuna (can) w/small salad of spinach, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, mushrooms, onion
snack: small palmful mixed nuts, 1/2 cup of chocolate almond milk

So far, I'm struggling with feeling hungry....it takes a while for body to readjust to living without processed foods. I'm having serious pb&j sandwich withdrawals!, miss chips - but obviously those are keeping me from progressing, so they have to go. I may have them on "cheat" meal on Friday. I just have to be careful that cheat meal doesn't become a "cheat weekend"

exercise journal is in the "workout journal" section - "Work in Progress - Fit over Forty" - u can't miss it....it's the one with 196 pages.... ..told ya it's been going on for a while....

[musculArgirl2]

You can do it Lynne! 30 pounds doesn't sound so bad when you break it down to a weekly goal of less than 2 pounds a week.

[Boss Man]

Diet will be mostly unprocessed, lean meats, fruits, veggies.

Looking at this, it's only about half not most of it, the rest is "other stuff". Just being pedantic, not critical

Monday:
Breakfast: Choc. protein shake, 1/2 green apple sliced w/all nat. pb (2 tbsp)
snack: small palm full of almonds, pecans, peanuts
Lunch: roasted chicken breast salad w/iceburg lettuce and baby spinach, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, homemade dressing (EVOO, garlic, basil, oregano)
snack: same as above
Dinner: sauteed mushroom, onion, green pepper w/roasted chicken breast
after workout: choc. protein shake, & snack listed above

You'll be fine. GOOD LUCK to you .

[fitoverforty]

You can do it Lynne! 30 pounds doesn't sound so bad when you break it down to a weekly goal of less than 2 pounds a week.

Thanks Becky! I'm sure some weeks will be more and some will be less, but gotta start somewhere.

You'll be fine.

Thanks Bossman! I hope so.
I think I need to add more veggies.

Wednesday:
Breakfast: 2 slices bacon, 1/2 apple w/nat. pb
Lunch: Egg White sandwich on WW w/green bell pepper, onion, spinach, tbsp chipotle sauce (Subway sandwich) and a pack of sliced apples (instead of chips)
snack: mixed nuts, raisins
Dinner: Grilled chicken breast w/mushrooms, Red bell pepper, green pepper, onion and a steamed sweet potato w/cinnamon and 1 packet of Sugar in the Raw.

Eating lunch at Subway today was a challenge. I decided on egg white omelette instead of sliced deli meats hoping to cut down on sodium. It was actually really good! Next time I might even have them just make the omelette folded over with all the fresh veggies inside and use the egg white as the "bread" - cut out the wheat bread entirely.

friend sat across from me and had jalepeno chips.....while I ate apple slices. but she ran 20.5 miles on saturday .....I figure she can eat whatever she wants.

[fitoverforty]

Didn't make the baked sweet potato - didn't need it. This was delicious. Nothing from a can or a box! Yay.
Grilled chicken breast, mushrooms, spinach, green & red pepper, onion, chopped garlic.

[musculArgirl2]

looks good Lynne!

Have you ever got their veggie sub at subway lynne? I usualy add light mayo and your choice if you want to add cheese. It's really good! just another althernative if you don't want to order the lunch meats. I've never tried their breakfast subs yet. I need to try them! Your egg white sandwhich sounds good.

[fitoverforty]

Haven't tried the veggie sub yet. Sounds like a good option too.

weighed this morning: lost 4.6 lbs. since Monday! okay....I know most of that is water, salt and toxins leaving body...but it still feels good to see that lower number.
Sad to say I weighed Monday it was 166. up 9 lbs from December's lowest weight of 157.
This morning was 161.6

[musculArgirl2]

You will get down there and again and surpass it.

You make me want to post in journal diet as well which i may do. I'm not as strict but i'm trying once again.

Those veggie subs are good. That's all i order at subway so i recommend them highly. mom likes oil and mayo on it. i get just light mayo.

[fitoverforty]

Won't even discuss this weekends diet.....epic fail. rewarded myself too much for 5k victory.

Monday 5.21.12
breakfast: 1/2 gr. apple w/pb, handful nuts
lunch: roasted chicken breast, steamed carrot, cauliflower
snack: raisin, almond, peanut, pumpkin seed mix (handful)
dinner: sauteed onion, mushroom, gr. pepper, gr. onion, spinach & shrimp / steamed veggies or sweet potato
snack: protein shake

[musculArgirl2]

Won't even discuss this weekends diet.....epic fail. rewarded myself too much for 5k victory.

I know how you feel. mom keeps tell me just eat in moderation but i'm starting to think moderation doesn't exist for me. I almost always eat too much when i eat food i know is unhealthy for me. Just get right back on track, no worries!

[fitoverforty]

thanks Becky, but I need to learn how to change thinking - what kind of "reward" is crappy food that is clogging up arteries and adding cellulite to thighs and stomach. Why, oh why can't brussell sprouts taste as good as chocolate?
I can read articles all day long about healthy eating, I can download or print out all the recipes in the world, I can tape motivational posters on every wall in house...but if I can't control what goes in mouth, then all of that is useless. It might look good, and give me a false sense of protection, but it all comes down to one thing, and I know it. What I eat, and how much of it.
I could try to get all scientific or philosophical about what might be causing me to over eat, what emotional issues I'm dealing with (Lord knows I've had enough crap happen to me in life) but I should be able to control these things better - especially when I KNOW what the outcome will be. It's a vicious circle I want to get off.

I work too hard to "reward" body with saturated fatty, sugar laden foods.
I'm not saying entire weekend was a lard fest....I'm just saying that I made some bad choices, overate and ate late at night, you know all the usual things that derail a diet. I kept saying to myself that it was just this one last treat - no more..but just like I predicted.... Friday cheat meal turned into an all weekender. geez...

[Boss Man]

Motivational posters in your house are all good and well and they can help, but one of the best kinds of motivational literature you can have, are things that use negative wording.

Imagine having things with wording on like DON'T MAKE THE WRONG CHOICES, or THINK BEFORE YOU CHOOSE and have these things in important places, like a fridge door and cupboard doors, where you keep food and drink.

This is you giving yourself written reminders, to be more mindful about what you eat and drink.

You could do this with shopping lists, so you write stuff like that at the top of lists, so you're able to remember to make the right choices, because you are constantly reading reminders not to screw up, when you keep checking your list, so your mind and then hands are hopefully not wandering towards the wrong choices.

This becomes almost a form of self nagging, but behind it is the context of, "it's for own good"; even if it makes you feel about 6 years old.

This might seem like a logical step, in overcoming something you know is still getting in the way of your progress.

[fitoverforty]

Need to get back to posting meals. So here goes:

Breakfast:
Protein shake: 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder, 1/2 cup unsweetned almond milk, 1/2 cup water, 2 strawberries, 2 peach slices, half banana.
(normally i also put baby spinach and all nat. pb - but I forgot this morning in rush to get ready for work)
Snack: handful of trail mix (Raisins, cashews, almonds, sunflower seed, pumpkin seed, peanuts)
Lunch: chicken salad sandwich with baby spinach OR pb & jelly sandwich on ww sandwich rounds w/10 grapes.
Snack: ?
Post workout: vanilla protein shake w/half banana
Dinner: steamed sweet potato w/2 tsp butter OR 2 tbsp. Plain greek yogurt. Salad w/sliced avocado, sliced strawberries, a little of the above mentioned trail mix. Homemade dressing w/greek yogurt, eevo, garlic, seasonings.

That's the plan. Now, I just need to stick to it - no diversions, no cheats. ...I can do this....

[musculArgirl2]

. Now, I just need to stick to it - no diversions, no cheats. ...I can do this....

You can do it Lynne!! Just stay prepared and have the meals ready.

[Boss Man]

You can stick to the plan with no diversions, if you can just nail down what the "?" snack is meant to be. Assuming that is, you don't already know what it's meant to be, but in your ever advancing years you forgot .