The Pre-Christmas Push

Well, after a bit of a break from calorie counting and dieting for the last couple of weeks I am getting back on track. This morning, I weighed in at 180, for a total loss of 11 pounds. I also am proud to say that I got my period for the first time in five years without taking birth control pills to force it (which also explains the break from the diet – insane cravings for the last two weeks). It seems like calorie reduction and replacing refined carbohydrates with whole grains is working fairly well.

My plan now is to calorie count and work hard at loosing weight from now until December 24th. For the first week, I’ll aim for 1500 calories per day. The second, I’ll drop to 1400 calories and the third to 1350. Then, from the 24th to the 2nd, I’ll take a break and aim for 2000 calories per day and then start up again in the New Year until I head to Mexico on February 2nd. My goal is to get on the plane weighing 160 pounds.

It seems like my body can only handle a calorie deficit for three to four weeks before needing to return to a break-even point with calories for a while. It’s slower but it seems to be what my body wants to do. And, let’s face it, I didn’t get to weigh 191 pounds over night. It’s okay if it takes me a while to loose and if this is what I need to do to stay the course, so be it. Perhaps later my body will decide something else is better and I’ll modify at that time.

So, the plan for today is as follows:
9:00: 1 percent milk, multivitamin and folic acid
11:00: Source yogurt and a whole wheat muffin
1:00: Chicken and wild rice soup
3:30: Whole wheat muffin
4:30: Source yogurt
6:00: Roasted potatoes, mixed greens with pecans in an apricot vinaigrette and chicken with an apricot and white wine reduction
8:00: TREAT: Cookie and tea while out for coffee

Calories for the day come in around 1500.