Sunday, June 29, 2008

Bloody HELL this is HARD!!!

I cannot, in recent memory, recall having SO many social obligations. This weekend was very, very tough. I had two parties to attend, and ate everything they served, including cake. I find myself feeling bloated, depressed, and disappointed. Rationally, I know that tomorrow is another day, and that I can just pick up where I left off and start Ricing again. But, I was making such good progress. And I was feeling so good. And I was exercising every day. But not this weekend. How easily I am derailed.

On a more positive note, I have been logging all of my intake. Because the Rice Diet is so spartan, I have a whole raft of calories in my "bank". So, even with all of the extra calories I consumed this weekend, I still have a nice balance to the positive. This means that I have not done irreparable damage to my extended plan, and can still conceivably achieve my ultimate goal. That is, IF I get back on track!

I am still trying for 21 consecutive clean eating Rice days. The fourth is on Friday, so I don't think this week will be good either. However, I have volunteered to bring fresh fruit salad to our outing, so there is little excuse to quit the program for lack of a suitable option. I can just bring the rice with me. Not sure I am up for that kind of scrutiny from my husband's family. But since we see them so seldom, I am also not sure I really give a rat's ass WHAT they think!!! I'll really have to steel my resolve to eat the way I feel I must in order to withstand the temptation. What will probably happen, is that I will crumble in my resolve the second we arrive, and I will just try to limit the damage. So much for 21 clean days.......

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Diet Power!!!

I just downloaded a two week trial package from Diet Power.com and have watched all of the tutorials and logged my foods for today. It also allowed me to log my intended foods for tomorrow as well as my exercise. What a powerful tool! It minds not only your input, but your output, your water intake, your nutrient quotient, and calorie deficit/excess for each day. Seems like a lot of work, but could become pretty routine over time. I'm not sure I want to buy the program yet, but I plan to utilize the tool over the next two weeks to see how difficult it is to use. I also want to watch what it has to say about my nutrition. It will be interesting to see what is has to say about my weight loss goals (and how long it may take me to reach them).

I think this program may be a good tool to keep me accountable for what I plan to eat, and then what I actually consume. Sort of like O/A?

It's getting pretty late, so I'd better turn in for the night. After all, sleep is a very important component in this whole equation.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

When life gets in the way......

It's amazing how many social situations come up when you're trying to work a new program! I can sometimes go MONTHS without a single social obligation. But, just let me try to start a diet -- and WHAM! -- several invitations per WEEK!!!

I must say that my mind has been in a good place in spite of the various outings that I have had since becoming a "Ricer". When I have a situation that is not "Rice friendly", I just eat what is served, and go back to Ricing at the next meal. I simply refuse to give up on this new plan. But I am realistic enough to know that it is nearly impossible to follow Phase I in social situations. So, I just try to stay sane around the non-Rice foods, and pick up where I left off the next day.

The only really negative thing that has happened is that I tend to hold fluid for a day or two following the non-Rice meal. I find it a little disappointing to break Phase I for any reason, because I wanted to see just how effective this plan would be for me. And, I had planned to do a solid three weeks on Phase I. So far, this Phase has been broken three times! Not that I've gone crazy or anything, it just messes with the whole induction to the dieta.

I kind of have a plan in the back of my head to keep up with Phase I until I finally add up 21 consecutive days. No breaks, no cheats. Wonder how long that will take? My son's birthday party is tomorrow, and the 4th of July is only 13 days away, which will mean another break! I hope I can get a solid 21 days by the end of summer break!

Should be an interesting summer! Happy solstice to you! Is anyone else in a radical place like me?

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

One week down.......forever to go!

One week into the Rice Diet, and I'm feeling pretty good! I've dumped ten ugly pounds (of mostly water) and have reigned in my appetite. There has only been one occasion where I could not eat "on plan" and I chose to have a simple grilled chicken salad with some dried fruit and nuts. I must say that it was one of the most delicious salads I have had in some time.

Because I have been eating nothing but fruit and rice, my taste buds seem to have been "re-booted". When that first bite of grilled chicken and salad hit my mouth -- POW!!! Did that ever taste good! It was so satisfying, and stayed with me for a very long time (mostly thanks to the nuts and protein). Today, it was back to rice and fruit, and did not seem overly difficult.

Tomorrow night, I must attend a function for one of my children which will include dinner. They are having grilled chicken and baked potatoes, so as long as I take off the skin, and eat the potato "naked", I should be alright. Hopefully, there won't be any desserts to tempt me!

Friday, June 13, 2008

This is harder than I thought.....

So, for those of you who read me out in blogosphere, you know that I have been fooling with the Rice Diet for a couple of weeks now. School has been out for a week, and I haven't had any planned outings which would be impossible to follow this new way of eating. I've been eating rice and fruit for the past four days, and I feel just exhausted. I think that all of the illness from the past school term have really taken a toll on me.

A little back-up in history for the uninitiated.......My first grade class was especially challenging in the health department this year. Before Thanksgiving, I had six major respiratory infections. The "cold machine" was out of commission for a while, but fired back up by March. Luckily, I only caught one cold between Christmas and Easter, but did manage to get a rip-roaring vomiting illness. April ended on a high note with Fifth disease burning through my classroom like the plague (again, I avoided this little slice of heaven). May marked the final death knell with a massive outbreak of respiratory infections, capped by several cases of pneumonia. Unfortunately, I got the last round of plague, and have been fighting my way back for the last twelve days! My head was so congested that I actually perforated my right eardrum!

Now, back to the Rice Diet. I ordered two books about this diet back in April or May, and read them as soon as they arrived. The premise of the diet is very, very good! Detox your system from all of the salt/sugar/crap that you have been eating. Then re-learn how to eat in a moderate, healthful way. Well, that sounds just like peaches and cream, doesn't it? What they don't tell you is how bloody awful you feel while all the salt/sugar/crap that your have been eating makes its way out of your bloated over-fed body!

I have felt like sleeping constantly for the past two days! Some of that may be the residual effects from the cold, but mostly it is from the nature of the foods I have been consuming. You know -- salty/sweet/fatty/salty/sweet/fatty and the cycle could go on endlessly if I didn't try to nip it NOW!!! I also think it's my t/o/m so the binging and bloating are par for the course.

This actually is a very simple, clean way of eating. It totally derails the love affair I have with food. There is no room for guessing, and it is very regimented in what is allowed at this stage of the diet. Literally, all I am allowed to eat is fruit, rice, and rice equivalents. This is especially hard because I still must cook for the rest of my family. There has been some unrest among the natives. Eldest child thinks I am "starving" myself. (I put the kibosh to that one by giving her a large fruit salad, and some brown basmati rice, and she was very satisfied. So no more talk of starving.)

I am dumping fluid like Niagara Falls, and already feel "lighter" despite t/o/m. The food is very basic, but since breaking the salty/sweet/fatty cycle, I find that it is very tasty. It will be interesting to see just how long I can continue this phase of the diet. My plan is to try for at least three weeks. I've made it four days so far, and feel pretty confident right now. We'll see at the end of this first week how I feel about continuing on!