Yeah Baby! 4 Pounds!!

Woo Hoo!!!! Finally! Some weight loss! And not just some - 4 lbs to be exact! I know you always lose more the first couple of weeks on a diet because your body is detoxing and getting rid of excess water, but I'll take it! What a way to start off. It hasn't been the easiest week, but I have changed my perspective and I take one day at a time. I don't think about not eating some foods forever, but rather - I think how I'm not going to eat that today. It works for me. I makes things feel much less overwhelming.  I have also really drastically changed my diet. I am still eating some meat and dairy, but my diet has a more vegetarian focus. And not a macaroni and cheese vegetarian, a veggies and tofu vegetarian. I am also buying organic so I can avoid hormones or antibiotics in my food. I mean, if you have to take hormones or steroids for a medical condition, weight gain is usually a prominent side effect. So I am postulating that if there are all kinds of hormones in the food we eat - well then maybe that adds to our weight problems as well.

So you may ask - Tell me ex-hot-pocketer - what exactly are you eating????  Well, one of my favorite things to make is my "Big Salad". It's fresh and homemade, but it's like Sanda Lee semi-homemade easy. Here's what's in it:

Start with a 4 Qt Bowl
*Fill it with organic salad greens (aka the pre-washed box or bag from the grocery store)
*Slice about 5 strawberries and add to lettuce. You can really put as many strawberries as you want, cause lets be honest - strawberries didn't get us fat). You can of course use blueberries or peaches or apples - whatever fruit floats your boat - but my salad included strawberries.
*Add one-third cup dried cranberries. This is one serving - about 130 calories
*Add one-quarter cup chopped pecans (you can buy them that way - no actual chopping necessary) - about 210 calories (you can also use walnuts if not a pecan fan)
*Add 3 Tbs Poppy Seed Dressing. I use Brianna's (its on that "special" salad dressing shelf). All natural and DE-LIC-IOUS! The Poppy Seed dressing is key here - it makes the salad. 240 calories

Mix it all up in the big bowl. If you can add, you know that comes out to 580 calories. So lets say its 600 with the lettuce and strawberries. This salad is at least 2 servings. So you can separate it out into containers and have a 200-300 calorie serving. Or serve it to the family for dinner. Everyone I have made this for LOVES it! And if you feel like there is a little something missing, you can put some parmesan shavings on top. But don't go crazy - cause cheese IS what made us fat!

I am also eating great convenience food like Amy's and Indian foods from Deep Foods (to be highlighted in a future post) and yogurt and tons of veggies (I had stuffed zucchini and red peppers this weekend). I am also adding tofu to meals to cut down on the meat consumed or replacing the meat with it all together. Give the extra firm stuff a chance. Really - it can be good! Especially in a stir fry or added to something flavorful. Tofu takes on the flavors of everything its cooked with and provides protein. Really, honestly, its not bad!

Oh, and I didn't have a drop of alcohol all week. No red wine or anything. And I'm not even shaking! LOL I even feel better. I do still need that cup of coffee in the morning, but baby steps.

Thanks for checking in. Please feel free to leave comments or add me to the blogs you follow. All the encouragement I can get will help me along the way. I don't want to disappoint any of you!