I went to the grocery store at noon yesterday to buy a small roasted chicken, an onion, a can of refried beans, and some fresh strawberries and blueberries. Then I went home, sauteed chopped onion in a little bit of olive oil, added half a cup of refried beans, and – when it was nice and hot – put my side dish on a smallish dinner plate alongside fresh berries and four ounces of chicken. I next opened a fresh bottle of refrigerated water and added some cut lemon slices. What a great meal! Certainly I didn’t feel like I “gave up” something better from McDonald’s to “have to eat right” on my diet.
The added spice of the day was making a bowl of chicken for each of my four dogs as a special surprise for them. They actually danced around the counter in anticipation, grinning and yapping. They were mighty glad I came home (versus my more normal routine of hitting a fast food restaurant and eating at my desk at work). I’m shedding the Type-A workaholic routine for awhile to focus on this “Most Improved Executive” contest IB is sponsoring, and my dogs appreciate it.
I haven’t made the appointment with the health club nutritionist yet, but I did commit, a couple weeks ago, to eating ONLY certain foods for the next 30 days. My new diet includes [proteins] turkey, chicken, fish, and eggs; [complex carbs] oatmeal, sweet potato, brown rice cakes, and leafy green vegetables, including asparagus; [simple carbs] berries and apples; and [fats] raw nuts and nut butter – almonds, cashews, walnuts, almond butter, or natural peanut butter. To these foods, I can add beans, which are a great source of protein, carbs, good fats, and fiber (hence the refried beans). I only add enough virgin olive oil to cook a meal without burning it.
This diet is courtesy of Biggest Loser trainer Brett Hoebel, featured May 4 on Dr. Oz’s television program. I have resisted Tivo-ing Dr. Oz lately, since he seems to be hyping a lot of “miracle” supplements (which I do not believe in AT ALL), but I happened to be home when this show aired, and I was attracted to the idea of sensible eating paired with a five-minute cardio workout three times a week, which I intend to start as soon as I get off meds for a lung infection (I can’t breathe; this is my true excuse for not exercising at the moment).
If you want to play along and eat these foods for the next 30 days, too, here’s the bonus: a smoothie every morning that you can also choose to drink, which is made by whirring in a blender:
1/2 cup ice
1 cup water
3/4 cup papaya
3/4 cup pineapple
1/2 pear (sliced)
1 tsp. fresh ginger
1 tbsp. flaxseed (ground)
2 mint leaves
I throw in a few strawberries and blueberries, since I’m not so crazy about citrus-based drinks. I don’t know why you can have the pear, pineapple, and papaya, which isn’t on the official shopping list, but I’m going along with the entire program (“it contains natural digestive enzymes that help to break down hard-to-digest foods,” Hoebel promised) and so I have the smoothie a couple times a week. Not bad. Not great, but nothing to complain about and I don’t get hungry at 10 a.m.
Okay, so I’ve held myself accountable and reported in. Next update is due in three weeks, and by then, I should be caught up with exercise, too … in a perfect world. We’ll see how I do, living in mine.
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