What Went Wrong?

Excuse, excuse... blah, blah... excuse.

I think that pretty much sums it up. It's hard to differentiate between reasons and excuses, but the crux of the matter is that I didn't have the will power or the mindset. I know this because I have done the fat-smash diet in the past and have been wildly successful. I am taking full responsibility for not succeeding this time, but I think there are two main factors that contributed to my demise: 1. My results weren't good enough. 2. "Events" kept popping up.

I think at the peak of my weight loss I was down 6 pounds. Which is great, but I didn't stay there. My plateau was interminable. Which was actually really deflating. I have been reading another book (wait for it) that has talked about the importance of your self-image and how it affects your behavior. When you are doing well, you want to keep going. If you feel good, you want to stay that way. You eat better, you dress better, you exercise more. If you're feeling crappy, you act accordingly. Sort of a "what's the pooint?" mentality. This is particularly true for me personally. As soon as I get off track and the scale shows me numbers I don't like, I start thinking, "Oh well," "Whatever," "What's the point?" I go off the deep end. I start eating worse (much worse.) Completely avoid the gym. Stop getting on the scale altogether. And then it's a downward spiral into a pit of despair (right now.)

See, the fact that I was trying so hard and not being wildly successful made me want to stop trying. And then I had vacations, and birthdays, and friends visiting... all giving me totally legit excuses to eat and drink my face off, which would've been hard to resist even in the full swing of my diet, but in my current "whatever, I suck anyway" state of mind was less roadblock than invitation.

As I said, excuse, excuse... blah, blah... excuse.

The end result is I am now heavier than I was when I was sufficiently horrified enough to start the Fat Smash Diet in the first place. Awesome.

So what do I do?

I've deliberated over this for awhile (aka bought myself some more time of eating whatever I wanted.) I've thought about going back to the Fat Smash, but I have done it so many times now, I ultimately decided it was time for something new. Something different to try and spruce this whole diet thing up. I was inexorably drawn to the health section of the library the other day, and randomly pulled out a book called the, "Flat Belly Diet!" exclamation point! On impulse I checked it out along with my romance novel and the book, "Wicked." Since then I've been doing some reading and I am intrigued. Their base research revolves around monounsaturated fatty acids (they call them MUFAs), which are clinally proven to help get rid of belly fat. MUFAs are found in things like nuts, oils, avocados, dark chocolate... they give you a complete list in their book. The basic premise is to eat four 400 calorie meals a day, with a MUFA included in every meal (ie 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips or 2 TBSPs almonds.) They give you a ton of recipes that are very specific, including brands where necessary, and also give you meal replacement options for if you are short on time (like which LUNA bars you can eat and which MUFA to pair it with). Of course there is a 4-day jumpstart "anti-bloat" plan to start the whole thing off, but it really doesn't seem that bad. Oh, and exercise isn't necessary, but they give you an exercise plan if you'd like to speed up your results. So yeah, that is the Flat Belly Diet. I'm thinking of giving it a go. I mean, what do I have to lose except weight?

Still Alive

Yes, I'm still alive. My blog has obviously been suffering some serious neglect (as have my 14 readers, I'm sure), so I apologize to everyone that I have been MIA. I'm not going to make excuses, I'm just lazy. Oh, and I recently purchased a Harry Potter video game that has taken up most of my free time. Sorry.

Can't say that I've followed Phase 2 to a tee so far, but I haven't strayed abominably. (Oh, except for those 2 cannolis I had last night, but holy CANNOLI were they good.) After not getting on the scale in quite some time, I weighed in this morning at 150. I couldn't take a picture because Steve has my camera, but that is the truth. So considering that I've been naughty, I am pleased with that. Obviously, not even close to my goal. But since I've ALSO been slacking on the gym, it is better than I deserve.

I'm considering going back to Phase 1 and starting over, thus allowing all the people who have claimed they want to do it with me to actually jump on the bandwagon. The only problem is, I don't really have a good time. I'm supposed to cook a big Italian dinner with some friends on Thursday and I'm in charge of dessert (hence the cannolis). Then Saturday I'm going to help some other friends celebrate the non-fasting part of Yom Kippur. Next thing you know, I'm in Cook's Forest next week, where it's written into the contract that you have to eat bacon for breakfast. And then I'm off on vacation! I suppose I could make an effort to eat super healthy on vacation, of course allowing for lots of crab and lobster drenched in butter as I'll be in the Outer Banks. Though, if my memory serves me correctly, that particular delicacy wasn't on the approved list in the detox phase.

So I'm not sure how I'm going to plow ahead, but plow ahead I will. Many of you have asked me for the chili recipe, and since apparently my blog links are really hard to recognize, I decided to just post it. Here it is, what got me through phase 1!

FAT SMASH CHILI
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 whole peppers, diced (red, green, or yellow)
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium sized onion)
2 cloves minced garlic (1 tsp of the stuff in a jar)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
1 can (15 oz) chili beans in sauce, do not drain
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, do not drain (see if you can find zesty chili style)
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained (or get the big can of Rotel tomatoes & chilies)
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce (see if you can find the Italian seasoned)
1 pkg (12 oz.) of some kind of meatless meat, found in the vegan section (ground burger or crumbles)
-----
1 Tbsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp. ground cumin OR get one package of chili seasoning mix in your baking needs aisle based on the level of spiciness you prefer. You can always add more chili powder/cumin if you like it spicier/smokier and I like to add a dash of cinnamon to my chili to give it a masked sweetness.

Saute the peppers, onions, and garlic in the oil (in your actual chili pot) until the onions are transparent and start to smell pungent (at least 3 minutes). Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (try not to let it stick to the bottom). When you can wait not longer... indulge.

We put some hot sauce on ours cause it was pretty mild, and I've melted the Veggie Shreds cheese on top (both cheddar and mootz flavors, and both were delicious) before I realized we're not technically supposed to have even soy based cheese in Phase 1. Well, oops. Might sound weird, but if you're looking for more toppings, trying getting fat free plain yogurt, it is a remarkable substitute for sour cream (I've used it in sauces), just make sure it's room temp! Cold just tastes a little more like yogurt.

So there you have it, folks. The no longer secret chili recipe of the century. I actually made some with extra lean ground turkey in phase 2 and I botched the proportions, so I'm going to have to try again. (Still delicious, though.) One last note, I threw in some of the fake bacon once too, and it doesn't add anything. It's a weird texture and I don't like it. So that's all for now! Maybe I will blog more later, we shall see. I have to admit, I'd feel a little weird contributing to a diet blog after I've made an Italian Wedding Cake. (Wish me luck on that, by the way, it looks super complicated!)

Blog Fail

So I haven't posted in a few days, and honestly it's because I have been really, really frustrated and I wanted to keep this blog positive for those (no one) at home who are trying to diet. But I guess neglecting to write about the bad things takes away from the authenticity of my "diet journey" so I'm sucking it up and writing again. I hope you're happy.

My weight has fluctuated a ton this weekend, getting up as high as 150.5 at one point (which is another reason I didn't want to post), but this morning I weighed in at...

...149. I can't be upset with that, seeing as how I've had a cheat-filled weekend. First there was the picnic on Thursdy, then I celebrated my promotion with 3 glasses of wine on Friday. Saturday there was a BBQ at work, and I definitely partook of more than 3-4 oz of steak. And yesterday I spent the majority of my day baking a peach cobbler and a peach-a-berry pie. They were both delicious and probably not pictures I should be posting on a diet blog, but I was proud of them so I put them up anyways. So there. Oh, I gave the majority of both desserts away, but I did sample one piece from each. What can ya do?

Moving forward I'm going to stick to phase 2 as much as I can, but I'm going to make small allowances for cheating, mostly revolving around bread. For instance, yesterday I tried Trader Joe's Chicken-less Pulled Chicken (basically fake bbq chicken) and ate it with a whole wheat hamburger bun that I spread a little Balade Light Butter on and then broiled so it was nice and crisp. Very good, not quite as good as pulled pork, but still good and very filling. It was a great, easy meal and I'm going to eat it more often dog-gone-it! I've also been out of my mind craving crab cakes, so today I'm going to try a version based on zucchini instead of crab. But they still involve bread crumbs (which aren't allowed)... again, small allowances. I will post the recipe and pictures later if they turn out well. Hope everyone is having a great Labor Day Weekend!

ESPN the Picnic

First and foremost I have to admit that I was amazed -- amazed -- at how many people have stopped me to tell me they enjoy my blog. Really? I honestly did not even realize people were reading it. Now I feel a little bit of pressure to be funnier or funny. In all seriousness though, thank you, to everyone who has expressed positive sentiments about this thing. It is the only reason I am writing tonight. Fact.

So, the picnic. Let's start with the positives: I won the water race competition, where you shoot a water gun at a target and make your light rise up a pole. And I got a surprisingly cute stuffed white tiger that Sivillo named, "Dinunzio" but that really should've just been named, "Indy's snack for later." I also enjoyed riding roller coasters and seeing people I don't normally see (because I'm typically anti-social). The not-so-positives? One of the coasters made me feel nauseous and gave me a headache, and I stepped outside the fat smash phase 2 boundaries just slightly, if you consider pole vaulting across restrictive lines slight. (Two "pole" references in one paragraph... too much?) I mean, I was really hungry and walked into a giant BBQ, but at first I actually did alright. I got creative and combined the sloppy joes with the bbq chicken, essentially taking the skin off the chicken and shredding it and putting it on a tortilla with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and light ranch dressing. It. Was. So. Good. And the only thing I wasn't supposed to have was the tortilla. But then I was thirsty, and there is free food and drink throughout this whole thing mind you, so I got a glass of white wine and combined it with some Sierra Mist to make an exceptionally girly-but-refreshing wine spritzer. And then I got a cookie. A delicious M&M, chocolate chip cookie. Boy do I love M&Ms. These were regular, but peanut butter are my favorite. Though I haven't tried the coconut, and people are RAVING about the pretzel kind. Which ones are your favorite? You should sample them ALL and then tell me. (Well, those who aren't dieting.) In any case, I didn't feel so bad after that. But then Steve got french fries and I had one, and then he got chicken tenders and I had three large bites. And I felt bad after that. Mostly, I blame Steve (psyche, I should've been strong enough to resist) because I really wasn't hungry at that point, and it was late in the night and it was fried and so good and damn. The diet blog's first curse word.

In any case, now it is way past my bed time and I didn't work out today and I'm feeling disappointed. But it was my celebration day, so at least I didn't go off the deep end. I mean, boy did I want some fried dough and a churro. Well, it is what it is. Not looking forward to weighing in tomorrow, but I am looking forward to watching the TV I missed tonight (ie the Eagles last preseason game and the Jersey Shore.) Goodnight!

Moving Past the Detox

I finished off Day 10 with a little celebratory cheat. I wanted a Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate with Almonds bar, but they didn't have them at the gas station to which I had driven. And since I was too lazy to drive a mile down the road to an actual grocery store, I had to reassess my options. I came face to face with something I hadn't seen since college, and that was Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches (compliments of Tracy stocking our freezer with them freshman year). I remembered them being delicious, so I decided to go for one of those instead. Also, I did a little research, and the Skinny Cow delectable treat had 140 calories and 1.5 grams of fat versus the Hershey's delectable treat that had 190 calories and 14 grams of fat. My memory served me well. The Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich was awesome, didn't taste low fat at all, and I felt much better about my choice. Plus, I conquered the treadmill AND the elliptical today. So there. Still waiting on my wine.

As promised here is the list of foods that are allowed on Phase 2 of the Fat Smash diet:
• all fresh fruits in any quantity
• all vegetables in any quantity, except white or red potatoes; vegetables should be raw or lightly cooked (steamed or grilled)
• one-half avocado
• one cup daily of fresh-squeezed—not canned—fruit or vegetable juice
• one and one half cup daily of cooked unsweetened oatmeal, grits, farina, or cream of wheat
• one and one-half cups of unsweetened cold cereal such as shredded wheat
• up to four egg whites daily
• one whole egg daily
• any dried beans such as lentils or chickpeas
• 2 cups daily of cooked brown rice
• tofu
• a maxiumum of two tablespoons per day of tahini (sesame paste)
• 2 cups daily of low-fat or nonfat milk or soy milk
• 6 oz (170 g) of low-fat yogurt, maximum of 12 oz (340 g) daily
• a maximum of two pickles per day
• one-two teaspoons of low-fat virgin olive oil for grilling vegetables
• low-fat dressing, no more than three tablespoons per salad
• hot-air popcorn without butter or margarine
• 2 cups daily of unsweetened decaffeinated herbal or green tea
• 3–4 oz (85-110 g) daily of lean meat, turkey, chicken, or fish (no pork)
• 1 oz (28 g) of cheese
• 2 teaspoons of peanut butter
• up to four teaspoons of sugar or artificial sweetener or one tablespoon of honey per day
• up to two teaspoons of salt per day and unlimited herbs and spices
• unlimited water

So basically, the new editions are 3-4 oz of meat, one whole egg, half an avocado, some cheese, some peanut butter, more sweetener, cold cereal blah blah you can read. You're also supposed to bump up the aerobic exercise 10% to 35 minutes daily, 5 times a week and this phase lasts for 3 weeks (rounds out the month after the 9 day detox). I would feel a little better if there was some allotment of chocolate and wine allowed, but as there is not I am finding it hard to get excited and/or motivated for this phase. Still, gotta lose 10 pounds for the blog and 12.5 for my own personal goal, so 4 and 6.5 left respectively. Ugh.

Finito (sort of) aka Day 10

Congratulations! This would be the official weigh in after the 9 day detox and supposedly the first time we stepped on the scale since day 1. How did I do?

Well, it looks like I lost 6 pounds! But the scale was on drugs this morning and was reporting all kinds of weights, even as high as 150. So this was the one I got most consistently, but I can't feel great about it, because in the back of my head I'm thinking: what if I really weigh 150? No use torturing myself, though. Just gotta keep plugging ahead. Congrats again to Tracy and Steve who I think were the only other 2 fat smashers to make it the whole way. If anyone else would like to jump on board for phase 2 which will be a little easier, climb on! Coming soon to a blog near you. Gotta go to work, but I will post the phase 2 allowed food list later today. Good job!

Day 9!

Congrats to all (1) of you who have made it this far! Sorry for no post/picture this morning, Stevie had a little trouble with his eyeball and we had to make a visit to urgent care. Corneal abrasion, folks, but he'll be alright. Just gets an excuse to lay around in the dark and whine for a few days, which is totally justified based on the pain he's going through. Hang in there, Stevie.

In happier news, I was back down to 149 this morning. I was hoping I would drop a whole pound what with the way the elliptical kicked my bum yesterday, but I'll take a half pound. As long as I didn't gain or stay stagnant, that is the worst feeling. But worth fighting through! I guess these last 4 1/2 (7) pounds aren't going to go easy.

That being said, I feel very happy with how these 9 days have gone. As of today I have lost five and a half pounds, and I think it's for real. I don't think it's water weight. I've changed my exercise habits (actually exercising), and my eating habits, and I've developed a good support system full of people encouraging me to keep going. I am going to tack on one extra day, not because I feel like I've cheated, but because I want to be on the same schedule with Steve, and then I'm going to have a little celebration day on Thursday at the ESPN picnic. I'm not sure what I'm going to let myself eat first! Who am I kidding? It will be chocolate. And wine. But dark chocolate and only 1 glass of wine.

After that I'm actually thinking about moving on to Phase 2 of the Fat Smash diet, but it doesn't allow for a whole lot more food. Yet this whole blog is supposed to be about how to lose 10 pounds, not five and a half, so I can't stop now. I will post the additions to our allowed foods list tomorrow and you guys can let me know what you think. Congrats to those who have just hours remaining in their detox :)

The Plateau (Day 8)

This is getting annoying. To do so well so fast and then stall is very deflating (again, probably why he didn't want us weighing ourselves every day.) Luckily, Dr. Ian Smith actually addresses this in his book. He says that all sustained weight-loss efforts are beset at times with periods of seemingly inexplicable failure and stagnation. This, he explains, is a vestige of the periods of famine that often faced our distant ancestors. A plateau represents a manifestation of the body’s preventive defense against starvation.

Well that's fantastic, what should I do? The strategy that Dr. Smith suggests to break through a weight-loss plateau is varying the nutrition and/or fitness routine slightly. For example, increasing the duration of exercise by 10%, or focusing on another type of cardiovascular exercise than the one usually engaged in, can both fool the body into dropping its overprotective defenses against starvation and help dieters move past even the most stubborn plateaus.

So there we have it, folks. Maybe it's not scale goblins like I originally thought, maybe instead my body's being smart and I have to trick it back into being dumb again (much preferred). So today I'm going to go to the gym and hit the elliptical instead of dancing around my living room. I will also concentrate on eating more of the foods I've been skipping over during this diet (like salad and rice) and see where that takes me.

I feel better having a plan, but if I don't lose 5 more pounds by tomorrow, I'm going to add an extra day (kidding)... (sort of).

I Got Cocky (aka Day 7)

So I guess this is why Dr. Ian Smith didn't want you to weigh in every day. I gained a half a pound and I am feeling super depressed. Yesterday was my first fat smash day that I didn't have to work, and the way I see it, I did three things wrong.

1- I didn't eat enough. I was out and about doing stuff, and I had what could barely constitute as 3 meals, let alone 5 with snacking.

2- I didn't work out. I mean, I was outside all day at the park and at a pond with my dog, but he did the swimming, not me. And we threw the football around, but that wasn't much running. If I sweat, it was only because it was hot.

3- I accidentally cheated, and did it at the worst time of day. Steve and I went BACK to the grocery store (anyone else think this diet is getting expensive?) and found the wonderful brand of BOCA that produces more fake meats (in the frozen section.) We saw fake chicken for the first time, and Steve wanted to get it (obviously), so we threw it in the cart and planned on making it for dinner. Little did we realize at the time that it was breaded fake chicken, which is not on the diet. Since we were starving and were all out of chili, we decided to go for it anyway. Let me tell you, it was delicious. Steve sauteed some onions, peppers, and mushrooms, cut up some fresh tomatoes and lettuce, and we used 2 patties each like a sandwich and it was heaven. That's when I started to feel really guilty. And it was for dinner! Not a lot of time to digest. So I am very sorry, I didn't realize and I feel very bad. Obviously I am paying for it today.

That being said, I am trying not to get too down. I'm going to make a very conscious effort today to fix all of the things I did wrong yesterday. Depending on how I do, I may or may not add an extra day onto the end of the detox phase (to make it 10 days total.) How is everybody else doing?

Day 6

BOOM!

I don't know how many people are actually following this thing through, but holy cannoli! I hope your results are as good as mine. As you can see it is Day 6 and I've lost 5 1/2 pounds. I feel GREAT and I've finally dropped back under 150. And to be honest, this hasn't even felt hard for me to do, and I think it's because of the beans! The chili has really kept me full and given me something to look forward to eating the last couple days for lunch, and it's making getting through the day super easy. I always have food on hand (here's a shout out to the people at work who read this and make fun of me) and some days it's honestly hard to force myself to eat it because I'm so full. But I haven't felt hungry!

I've taken to eating my larger meals (chili) earlier in the day (lunch) so that my body has time to digest it all, and then having an egg white omelet or rice and veggies for dinner. Obviously, so far so good! I didn't make the apple crisp last night cause I was helping my friend move (which, since I broke a sweat carrying boxes and such up and down stairs, I am counting as my 30 minutes of cardio). But it's in the oven now and I'll let you know how it turns out.

Good luck getting through the weekend. Things are going so well for me, I don't even feel tempted to break this! Ok, time to watch the Eagles game I recorded from last night. Nobody tell me anything!

Day 5

Sorry for not posting last night, I got caught up in making sweet potatoe fries because, well, that's how I am! You've probably figured that out by now. They took forever to make, but I think they're going to be a PERFECT snack. I bought 3 lbs of sweet potatoes, peeled them, and cut them into matchsticks (that's what took so long), tossed them in a little olive oil and garlic salt, put them on a baking sheet and let them go for about 20 minutes at 450. Yum :) And check this out:

BOOM! Another pound :) So that's a total of 4 since Monday. I can already feel the difference and I feel so much better! So going to attempt an apple crisp tonight to celebrate the weekend. Happy dieting!

Day 4

No time... But look! Lost a pound and a half :) Good luck today, everyone! Will post more later.

Strength!

I was faced with the ultimate temptation today... and I passed! My boyfriend (Steve) and his family came to ESPN to see a SportsNation show and wanted to go out to dinner afterwards. Of course we went to my favorite pizza place where they make the most amazing pomegranate mojitos of all time, oh AND they have eggplant fries (just basically fried goodness oozing everywhere). So what did I do? I ordered a house salad with oil and vinegar dressing on the side. I ordered it with grilled shrimp (no butter) because, as my friend Tracy says: I didn't want to cheat, but I couldn't just order a house salad, so I opted for the lowest calorie, lowest fat item and shrimp is 80 calories and 1 gram of fat for 4 ounces. So while I didn't stick 100% to the diet, I found this to be a "one time only" cheat so I could succssfully eat dinner with my boyfriend's parents without looking like an anorexic child. Also, I only ate 3 shrimp, so even though I technically broke the diet, I am still really proud of myself. OH! OH! AND we went to Rita's afterwards and I didn't get anything. So yes, I am proud.

Didn't get a chance to work out tonight because Steve's family hung out for a bit after dinner and then I had some phone calls that I couldn't screen. So this counts as one of my days off. Hope everyone else is doing well! Good Night, Moon.

Day 3

Running late this morning, gotta get right to business.

Another half a pound down! Still felt like I was way too full after that chili, so I'm thinking of eating the "bigger" meals earlier in the day. Trying the portabella burger today, stay tuned! Good luck.

Day 2 Notes

Lots of things to say today!

First of all... hummus? Had a discussion with tbo5 (Tracy) as to whether or not we think hummus is allowed, and we both agreed we believe it is. Fantastic news! Hummus is made out of chickpeas, and has a minimal amount of oil, so throw it on your list. Just check the labels to try and find the kind that is lowest in fat and calories. I've already indulged in some celery dipped in hummus, and it's the perfect snack to hold me over when I'm really hungry and in the process of cooking. Which leads me to my second point...

Did I mention I have a cooking problem? It is honestly hard for me to go a day without making something creative. And today was such a rainy, drab, chilly day I thought, why don't I try chili?! And believe you me when I say that there is a fat smash friendly chili recipe out there. And it is FRIENDLY. Had to go back to the store to get some of the ingredients, but here it is. I obviously didn't eat it with sour cream or any of that, but I did find a section in my grocery store that had a lot of vegan substitute foods which is where I got the veggie-meat and also some imitation soy-based cheddar cheese! It didn't take long to make, and it came out very delicious. Highly recommended.

Speaking of recipes, I came across another list of our diet friendly concoctions at the fat smash forum. Looks like there is some good stuff in there, so check it out! One of the things I read about is called a portabella burger and it's made by this company called VeggiePatch. Apparently it helps satisfy your meat cravings because it looks (and tastes?) like a regular burger, but is actually made from, you guessed it, mushrooms! Anyway, I picked up a pack of garlic ones and I'll let you know how they turn out. Oh right, my soup, I was supposed to share about that... well, that didn't turn out so well. I probably messed it up somehow, but the chili is much, much better. Promise (keeping my fingers crossed you didn't try the soup).

Hmm, other than that I did 3 on demand work outs tonight that may or may not have included Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett's Best Booty Bonus. But even combined I didn't feel like they were as tough as the 10 lb slim down. Maybe because they were more muscular based and less cardio? Anyway, that on top of how good and filling the chili was... I dunno. I sort of feel like I cheated? I mean, I know I didn't, but I feel so full and happy! Not like I'm dieting. I guess the scale will tell tomorrow...

Day 2

Ok, for some reason my computer and camera are being super weird and not letting me rotate this picture. But you get the general idea -- 1 pound less! Great way to get psyched for Day 2... bring on the oatmeal!

Day 1 in the Books

I am currently sitting on my living room floor, sweating, because I found a 26 minute on demand work out called, "10 pound slim down." I mean, right!? I did the lower body and am really glad I did, because the way things played out today I was going to use this as one of my two "off days" and pass on the exercise. But instead, here I am, sweating and watching the Always Sunny in Philadelphia happy hour. It's the episode where Mac and Dennis break up. Nice.

I have also discovered that I have a problem. I have an insatiable desire to cook. To cook and to create. With our somewhat limited options, I decided to try and make this lima bean soup recipe, tweaking it a little to make it fat smash friendly. Currently still simmering, but I'll let you know how it turns out!

I think overall Day 1 went pretty smoothly. I felt like I ate a ton, but it was all healthy stuff. And at no point did I feel like I was hungry and couldn't manage it. There were some commercials I found annoying AND a box of XL candy bars for sale outside of the studio today, but I resisted. Bam, back on you, calories.

Crap, gotta go get my soup. Hope everybody else had a good Day 1!

Almost Forgot...

The last minute additions! Welcome Phil, GeorgeChedid, and GiveMeAJobESPN (ha!).

Also forgot to stress the importance of drinking water. A ton of it. Constantly. Get my drift? I would invest in a water bottle. Personally, I have a 32 oz Nalgene, and my goal is to drink 4 of them a day! Happy chugging.

Did I say 10 Pounds?

Yeesh, that "indulge yourself" weekend was no joke, huh? We can still figure out how long it takes to lose 10 pounds in a healthy way, but my unofficial goal (that I guess is now my official goal) was to get to 143. And without me being man enough to say my current weight outloud, you can see I've got a ways to go.

But at least we're finally doing something about it! So far today I woke up at 6:30 to get my quick 30 minutes of exercise in and ended up dicing peppers, tomatoes, and onions instead. So I'm still going to have to work out when I get home. I did have a delicious egg white omelet for breakfast though! Although, important lesson: 4 cups of egg whites a day is a LOT. I used a cup and a half for my omelet and it's like a hungry man flapjack... in other words, it's HUGE. So I went back and did a little research, turns out my source was wrong! You can have the whites of up to 4 eggs daily, not 4 cups of egg whites (big, big difference.) The whites of 4 eggs is approximately 3/4 of a cup for those at home who just buy the actual whites.... which is, yes, half of what I just ate for breakfast. Oops. Fantastic way to start the diet! In other news, exercise is 30 minutes, 5 times a week. So at least I just discovered two days off!

Well, I hope everybody else's weigh in/morning has gone better than mine so far. I have tons of fruit, 2 packets of oatmeal, tea, and some raisins to bring with me to work for lunch & snacking. Let me know how you're doing!

HAPPY DAY 1 :)

The Last Supper

First and foremost I'd like to welcome Ash8710 to the team! Happy to have you.

Secondly, I learned a very important lesson today: 2 things you love don't necessarily mix. For instance, I love summer rain, and I love grocery shopping. But grocery shopping in the summer rain SUCKS. That being said, it can still yield some pretty good results.

Yum.

Steve and I spent about $37 each which seems pretty reasonable for all that food. We immediately cut up the watermelon, pineapple, and strawberries so that we won't have to worry about it tomorrow when we're hungry. Here's a friendly tip, if you have an egg slicer, it's a really easy way to cut strawberries! Just cut off the green tops, pop them in individually, and you have really even, painless slices :) So I mixed up the pineapple, blue berries, and pretty strawberry slices to form a very aesthetetically pleasing fruit salad. Try not to be jealous.

Anyway, back to business. Since there isn't a whole lot of food on our "allowed" list, it's really important to handle this diet correctly. We HAVE to make sure we're eating pretty much constantly. I believe the book says 5 meals a day with frequent snacking in between. Basically, you should have food on hand at all times and should try not to let yourself get hungry. It's also really important to make sure you get enough protein. So eat your beans! And your egg whites. And don't forget, 30 minutes of exercise a day. Even if you have to run up and down your staircase 20 times, try to get it in.

That should be all. Tomorrow morning is the initial weigh in... and I'm thinking about a "before" picture, but I'm not sure I could handle that (or post it.) But we'll deal with that tomorrow! Enjoy your last evening, kids. Have some popcorn. Last question, do you think "true blood" would be on our allowed list? Suck on that one.

Success!

Welp, obviously not a whole lot in the fridge that's compliant with Fat Smashing. All the "naughty" stuff is on the bottom. Now I get to go buy all the good stuff!! Did a little research and found a great website that has a bunch of Fat Smash Diet-friendly recipes listed by Phase (remember, we're starting at Phase 1.) That should help a lot when you're getting cravings and need to get creative.

I would also like to officially welcome 2 more fat smashers to the team: ashwynkoop and jonandrews13! Glad to have you guys. Hope your fridge looks as good as mine :)

Now, off to the grocery store to buy some... tofu.

Step 2: Prepare for Battle

TheKevinStewart, MontyB1976, nbadraftblog, gbbloom, DanOMidwest, Draino3112, tb05, jeffyork85, stevebraband, and sammer.time have all agreed to partake in this madness! Now that I have my army assembled, it's time to strategize.

Today is the last day to indulge by eating whatever you want. I certainly took advantage of that yesterday, and I definitely will again today. But we've also gotta get ready for tomorrow. My plan is to clean house: trash all the stuff that is off limits (and will go bad in the next 9 days), and hide the rest. Out of sight, out of mind... right? I have a perfect track record when it comes to resisting all temptations that I'm not actually faced with. But in 4 days if I'm hungry, and I'm staring down a sumptuous wedge of brie cheese... well, let's just say I'm a lot more likely to succeed if I'm staring down some iceberg lettuce instead. So I'm cleaning out the fridge!

Because it looks like this.

Then I'll tackle the pantry, and tuck all the disallowed foods into what I call the "Naughty Drawer." And I will duct tape it closed. Trust me, it's safer that way.

After that comes the fun part... restocking the shelves with all of the healthy stuff that will be our sustenance for the next 9 days. Boy, do I love grocery shopping. And there's still plenty of time to jump on this bandwagon for anybody looking to lose a little weight. There's power in numbers people!

Step 1: Pick a Diet

Because I've had success with it in the past, I've decided I am going to do the Fat Smash Diet. (But since that website isn't terribly specific, you can find out more information about it here if you're curious.) Essentially, it is a 90-day diet that is broken down into 4 stages. The first stage, the detox, is 9 days of pure misery. This is what you're allowed to eat:

-Fruit in any quantity
-Veggies in any quantity except:
-No white potatoes
-No avocados
-Chickpeas
-Beans
-Tofu
-Lentils
-Brown rice, two cups of cooked rice per day
-Skim milk, two cups per day
-Water
-Oatmeal, one cup per day
-Herbs and spices
-Low fat yogurt, 6 oz., two times per day
-Egg whites, Four cups per day
-Herbal tea, two cups per day
-Low fat dressing, No more than three tablespoons per salad
-Low fat virgin olive oil, one or two teaspoons if grilling veggies

And that's it. You may notice there was no cheese or chocolate on that list, which make up 2/3 of my essential food groups (steak is the other one... wait, that's not on the list either!) As I said, 9 days of pure misery. But as the name infers, it's intended as a detox phase that, paired with 30 minutes of exercise a day, should jump start you on the path to a more healthy lifestyle. After the 9 days are up, you can add more food to your list, but we'll get there when we get there.

Ways I'm already planning to cheat? There are a few. You're supposed to weigh in on Day 1 and then stay away from the scale until Day 10. I can tell you right now, that is not happening. I will be weighing in every morning because I feel like it will help me stay motivated. I'm also planning a celebratory Day 10 that should coincide nicely with the ESPN Family Picnic on Sept. 2nd, since, as you may have also noticed, alcohol is notoriously absent from that list, and I am not passing up an opportunity for free beer and roller coasters.

Other than that I will follow this plan to the tee. If you feel like you could lose 10 pounds and want to try this with me, let me know! Always easier when you have other people supporting you (and suffering with you, but let's try to be optimistic). I've already coerced 2 other people to embark on this journey with me, and our plan is to start on Monday, August 23rd. So you've got some time to think about it :)

The Scale Doesn't Lie

Have you ever stepped on a scale and thought to yourself,

"Oh. Crap."

Well, that happened to me yesterday. As a person whose weight fluctuates constantly, it's easy to dismiss a steady inscrease in poundage. I noticed it, but decided it wasn't that big of a deal. Instead, I set a horrific number in my head as the point-of-no-return. I swore to myself, swore, that if I were ever to hit that number I would have to take some drastic action. Yes, that happened yesterday.

It's not that I am grossly fat, I am simply overweight. Specifically, I am a solid 10 pounds over what I was weighing in a year ago. Plus, I'm not in shape. I'm not "fit," or "toned," or any of those other words people with already good bodies use to differentiate between themselves. So, something has to be done.

A diet blog? Really? The last time I tried blogging was in 2008 and I managed 4 posts and 1 follower. (Thanks, Matt McCarty.) And I am aware that there are 17 million diet blogs already out there. But this is me being smart. The scale doesn't lie, and having to put those numbers down in writing makes me accountable to, well, myself and whoever else I can get to read this.

So, I'm dieting. But a diet isn't just a decision, it's a change of lifestyle, and that takes some preparation. First I have to form a plan of attack. Then I've got some chocolate chip cookies to finish.