Day 6 of the Sin City Diet

I am proud and a little astonished to announce that I am 10 pounds lighter as of this morning!!! I'm past the crazy carb and sugar cravings and feel really, really good. Next week marks the beginning of workout time ( I waited until I felt good and alert... Atkins can put you in a sort of funk with flu-like symptoms, ie. sore muscles, fatigue, headaches) and I'm excited and motivated to get up and get moving and watch that scale move! Going to aim for 30-45 minutes on the treadmill followed by 10 minutes of push-ups, crunches, planks, squats and arm workouts with weights. I'm debating staying on Induction (the most restrictive and weight-loss rewarding stage of the diet) for an additional 2 weeks, so 4 weeks total just to see how much I can lose before switching over to the easier, and higher carbs allowed per day stage right before we leave for Vegas. Wish me LUCK!

Day 2 of the Sin City Diet

So far, granted we're still very early in the game, I feel pretty good and the scale showed a 2 pound drop this morning! It's probably just water weight but it's a start. The last time I did Atkins I was much more haphazard about it and pretty much winged it without really researching the diet and reading the book. I was still able to drop a bit of weight but the food just felt so heavy since I was basically only eating protein (no healthy green veggie carbs like the book stresses) and bogging my system down. This time I've read the material and have been pre-packing my meals the night before so I don't really have to think once I get to work, I just grab my pre-made meal or snack and munch away. I also decided that I wasn't going to fill my daily protein allowance with red meat like I did last time. I don't eat much red meat normally so no sense in forcing myself to eat something all the time that I don't like very much :) I stocked up at Costco this weekend on lean ground turkey and salmon and am on the hunt today at Trader Joe's for nitrite-free lunch meat to fill any gaps while at work. I'm also picking and choosing my full fat condiments carefully since I'd rather get my fats from avocados, olive oil and fatty fish than from butter and full fat mayo. My only full fat total indulgence is Philly cream cheese since I adore it and usually only buy the low fat or fat free version... I'm going to get my butt back on the treadmill tonight and try to incorporate a 30-45 minute walk in every day for the first 2 weeks and then kick it up to a jog for the following weeks.

My menu for today:

* Breakfast *
2 scrambled eggs with mushrooms, spinach, and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese

* Snack 1*
1 cup of English cucumber rounds & cream cheese

* Lunch *
4 oz. Baked salmon with lemon pepper, & asparagus

* Snack 2 *
Mini Tillamook "Tilla-Moo" cheddar cheese, broccoli florets & blue cheese dip

* Dinner *
Roasted chicken breast, sauteed spinach w/ garlic & lemon juice

All in all sounds super yummy, totally satisfying and crave-worthy :)

I HATE diets...

I may hate them, but I definitely need to be on one right now... The winter is always time for tons of baked goodies from the oven, thick sauces and gravies and everything comfort. This equates to an additional poundage that starts to make me feel like I'm dragging and drowning in my skin by almost spring. One of my very good friends is getting married in Vegas in May and I need a solid kick in the ass to fit into my lovely dress and feel comfortable rockin' it in Sin City. So, effective tomorrow morning, I'm officially on Atkins Induction for the next 2 weeks, maybe longer. The last time I followed the diet I wasn't really committed to it but was still able to lose about 15 pounds. This time, I've planned ahead, purchased all of my lean proteins and healthy green veggies and am going to see this through to the day we leave for Vegas. Don't get me wrong, I want to be leaner and firmer but mainly I just want to feel good in my skin. I'm not a girl obsessed with the scale nor do I really care how others see me, but I feel slow and self-conscious and I don't like it. Cheers to lean protein and healthy vegetarian carbs and a little less wiggle!