Boo for the Holidays, Yay for Renewed Motivation!

I love the holidays.  I love the lights.  I love the festivies.  I love the food.....especially the three cheese macaroni and cheese, the potatoes and green beans that have been steeping in ham juice all day.....the amazing desserts.  Nothing says holidays like adding 15 or so lbs to your rear sector.  And this holiday was like all the others.  I overindulged and underexercised.  I lazed around.  And I LOVED it. 

But then I realized something.  If I did the same thing every year for four years, I would be close to 60 lbs heavier than I am right now!  SIXTY POUNDS!  That's TWO of my daughter!  And that just ain't happenin'.

So I resolved to restart a program that I did when I was in graduate school before I became pregnant with my daughter.  I lost about 18lbs in 8 weeks and felt AMAZING.  Why did I get away from it?  Oh yeah, because I was told to eat more when I was pregnant and that full fat was better and then I lost control and never went back.  So, yesterday (before the start of the new year....I mean, why wait) I decided to restart this program.  It focuses on a balanaced diet with reduced calories and exercise.  I like it because it is a true outline and there are no gray areas where I can "cheat". 

Here's how it works:
I am allowed a certain number of fats, meats, dairy, grains, fruits, and vegetables a day.  And I HAVE to eat those required amounts.  This is great because it cuts down on the fatty, snacky food, but I am still full from the amount of fruits and vegetables I get.  On the 1200 calorie plan (which I was on before) I was allowed 3 fats, 3 meats, 2 dairy, 3.5 grains, 3 fruits, and 4 vegetables.  This is actually a lot when you consider portions allowed.

Now for the fats, of course the portion sizes are tiny.  1 tsp of mayonnaise or 8 olives or 2 tbsp of lowfat/fat free dressing are what I usually look at.  A 3oz portion of meat counts as one serving.  A 1 oz block of cheese (my greatest sacrifice) or 1 cup of lowfat yogurt count as a dairy serving.  One half cup of Kashi cereal, a whole wheat tortilla, 1/2 cup of whole wheat pasta, or 2 slices of whole wheat 50 calorie bread counts as a grain serving.  For fruits, one medium of just about anything is a serving.  And for veggies, 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked veggies count as a serving.  So really when you look at it.  You're still getting quite a bit of food.

Let's look at what I had yesterday to see how it all plays out:

	EatRight Food Groups (X = 1 serving)
	Fats	Meat	Diary	Grains/ Starch	Fruits	Vegs
Breakfast: Yogurt Cereal	3	3	2	3.5	3	4
Yogurt			X
Kashi				X
Lunch: Salmon Salad
Spinach						XX
Mushroom						1/2X
Cucumber						1/2X
Dressing	XX
Salmon		X
Dinner: Baked Chicken and Vegetables
Chicken		XX
Green Beans (1/2 cup)						X
Potato (3/4 cup)				1.5X
Cottage Cheese (3/4 cup)			X
Banana					X
Snack:
Banana					XX
Popcorn				X
Chocolate	X

Now you are supposed to plan out the whole day/week beforehand but I did not do that yesterday.  Therefore when I got to dinner, I still had a TON of food to eat!  6 oz of chicken, potatoes, green beans, cottage cheese, and a banana!  Today will be better in the planning! 

I am not going to weigh myself until Saturday.  I do not want to get discouraged part way through the week so I think it is just better to wait.  Today is looking awesome though....sitting here with a bowl of yogurt and kashi and a banana.  I have great plans for an awesome salad for lunch.  And then tonight:  CHICKEN ENCHILADAS!  (Made the new way, of course!)  I'll let you know how those taste next time!