10 lbs in 10 weeks...

who starts a diet a week before Thanksgiving... ME. probably not the wisest timing here, but if i put this off any longer... i will never start. sooooo... david and i wrote out our meal plans. we calculated our specific calorie intake to consume for the weight loss we want to accomplish, and we hit up trader joes to buy a boatload of fresh, organic, and healthy food. believe it or not, when seriously dieting the healthy way, and sticking to it, its amazing how much great food you can eat. we journal EVERY single thing that goes in our mouth, even if it's a stick of gum. if we are doing this, we will do it right.

A FEW THINGS I WILL PASS ON TO MY READERS IF YOU WANT TO START A CALORIE DIET
- download myfitnesspal on your home computer and your phone and let the games begin. this is the easiest and most convenient way that i have found to journal my eating. www.myfitnesspal.com
- the more you exercise, the more you can eat. when i walk my dogs, i burn 142 calories, which allows me to ingest that much more calories. one yoga class burns 192, and that is just a basic yoga. power flow or bikram yoga will burn double that!
-  choose the foods you eat wisely... purchase snacks that you really want... even if it is a small dark chocolate. some of my favorite snacks so far has been any piece of fruit i feel like eating, especially pears with brie cheese (so so so good), spicy hummus with baby carrots, chobani greek yogurt with pomegranite, and 100 calorie popcorn.
- find things you love that are nearly calorie free, and indulge! every day, i award myself with a steaming hot cup of my favorite teavana teas. ZERO CALORIES!!!!! i can add a packet of splenda for another ZERO calories, or a tsp of agave nectar for 30 calories. teavana tea comes in SO many different flavors and they are all natural. of all their products that i have tried, i have NEVER been disappointed. mate is my favorite, followed by white! teavana.com

I will leave you with a few of the food pictures we have taken along the way...
Dinners -

margarita pizza with whole wheat crust, 2 slices - 460 cal

grilled sirloin cubes with mushrooms, risotta and beans, 675 cal

 

 

fajitas with brown rice and queso, 600 cal

Creamy Chicken and Noodles, 559 cal

 

 

Eggplant Parmesan with whole wheat spaghetti, 649 cal

for those who say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day... i will have to agree. i have never been much of a breakfast person, until recently. oatmeal is probably one of the greatest foods ever, and i have came across a GENIUS way to make it! overnight oatmeal has been the name given for this invention, and it speaks for itself. you make it at night, and it's ready for you the next morning! my favorite so far goes something like this: steel cut oats or 10 grain cereal, agave nectar, soy or almond milk, a pinch of cinnamon, some almonds and blueberries... mix that up in a bowl and stick it in the fridge... and there ya go! some mornings i have it cold, others i add another splash of soy milk and heat it up... SO DELISH! here are some breakfast shots of our meals -

overnight oatmeal, 300 cal

egg whites with parmesan and salsa and a clementine, 96 cal

egg whites with salsa, half grapefruit, bread round with boysenberry preserves 202 cal

and now for the lunches...

tukey lettuce wrap and roasted red pepper and tomato soup, 376 cal

steak caesar salad 319 cal

lettuce wraps may sound gross at first, i know they did to me, but once i tried them, it's almost better than bread! the best i have had yet is tuna or chicken salad on romaine leafs... really really good!
we shall soon see if i reach my goal!