Day 18 ~ 1500 Calories

Wow day 18! I am at a standstill on my weight (130.6 this morning ~ a total of 8.2 lbs)...However, I am getting stronger (the classes this week were much easier than when I started three weeks ago), so weight gain has to be contributing to the plateaued weight, right?? :)

When I started this book on Jan. 26th, I bought a lot of groceries & told everyone that the up front cost ended up being more than I anticipated - however, I had to sway from doing every day as the book suggests because I still have so much extra food from week one & two. If you flip to the specific day I am on in the book, my daily meals will not be the same. I have had to alternate days just to get rid of all the extra produce, pitas, veggies, etc. that was required for the first two weeks. I have been lucky that although the upfront cost was pricey, I haven't had to buy too many groceries (besides milk, bananas, and apples that everyone eats) in the past 12 days!

Breakfast (455): Day 10 in the pocket guide ~ 1 cup kashi cereal (120) with one cup fat-free milk (80), 2 tbsp dried cranberries (75), and 2 tbsp hazelnuts (180). It also calls for an orange, but my hazelnuts & cranberries are too high in calories to eat anything else this morning!

Lunch (285): Day 2 in the p.g. ~ 2 slices deli chicken (60) on 2 slices whole wheat bread (150 - I got the whole wheat sara lee bread, but am getting the 45 calorie sara lee loaf today) with 1/4 sliced avocado (70) & 2 slices lettuce (4).

Snack (160): One string cheese (80) & 12 almonds (80)

Dinner (600 estimate): Steve took us to Spin Pizza! It was sooo good! We ordered the PINACI E AGLIO (Spinach & Garlic) pizza: Baby spinach, roasted garlic, fresh mozzarella, & toasted pinenuts. I have no idea the total calories I consumed, but I do know that I didn't feel totally stuffed after we were done (like you do after eating most pizzas). The crust was light but white - they don't offer wheat crust. I am just going to guess I consumed 600.

Activity: Aerobics class was too packed so I did 25 minutes on the elliptical machine (it said I burned 200 calories and I have never counted how many calories I am burning daily, so that was interesting), ran 1/2 mile on the track that goes around the gym, did 10 minute abs (I sneaked back into the last 10 minutes of the aerobics class), and one hour of yoga.

Tip of the day: Allow some small treats in your diet, after all it is a lifetime plan. If you deprive yourself then you will lose motivation.

To promise not to do a thing is the surest way in the world to make a body want to go and do that very thing. ~Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1876