Diet Journal: Week 1 – I decided to write a bit about my “dietary regimen change”, “diet reboot” or whatever nice phrase you want to use for not eating stuff I crave and forcing myself to appreciate and feel blessed to be able to afford tasty, healthy, local food!

The boys have been reading lots of Garfield cartoon books at the library and they thought it was hilarious to point to one that said, “Diet is just die with a t!” HA HA HA, very funny boys. I had to point out that I wasn’t dieting. I was making healthier food choices for myself so that I would be in my ideal weight to height ratio, which is proven to reduce and prevent illness and disease. Sounds pretty good when I say it like that. I didn’t mention that I was also trying to fit into my cutest summer clothes.

Another way to make myself feel better about my dietary changes is playing a game that I like to call “I hate that!” I play it when I want to eat something I know I shouldn’t. It goes like this – I have a running list in my head of all the things I do not like to eat and glory in the fact that I am not having to eat them. Here’s my list of things I dislike to eat, actually hate to eat to the point of gagging, you get my drift… no need to get graphic: mussels, oysters, clams, littlenecks, wasabi, horseradish, rye, caraway seeds, coriander, sauerkraut, fatty, half cooked meat, beets, brussels sprouts, store bought cookies, cakes with that fake white frosting, rehydrated, powdered milk, most canned soups, white bread and that famous French meal where you eat the baby bird, bones and all, ugh.

This game is fun. I highly recommend it the next time you are having to eat another salad or something else instead the bacon, cheeseburger you think you can’t live another meal without. It sure works for me. It is like another game I play about cleaning – I chant to myself – “I get to clean the bathroom because I own a bathroom. Lucky me!” Repeat as often as necessary.

Lastly, good news, I have lost 4.3 lbs. Nice job, I say to myself, with honestly, very little exercise. I have played basketball, run around a water park with the boys and cleaned the cottage. I want to encourage all of you out there who look at a diet and cringe. It is hard, there are times I want to devour the chocolate stash I brought from VA with me but every morning I weight myself and the scale says that what I am doing is working. I still eat all day long, it seems. I make sure I don’t get hungry and I focus on having fun with the boys.

I am looking forward to week 2 and some new recipes to change things up! I am not near trying on my old summer things but I am considering returning a few new things I bought and getting my normal size! Hum…

Breakfast: coffee with soy creamer, Super Greens smoothie (see day 4 for recipe)

Lunch: Turkey club salad (see day 6 for recipe)

Snack: Only 8 – a kiddie size, soft serve, non-fat frozen yogurt from a local ice cream place

Dinner: two fish tacos from one of our favorite places in Bristol, of all things, a tiny Mexican restaurant called Nacho Mammas. I did not eat the tortillas, just the filling. The grilled fish was caught locally and was yummy!

Dessert: Tall soy latte at Starbucks and a handful of raw almonds while waiting at the airport for an hour for Zack to return from his baseball tournament.