Let's Assess The Damage...

Okay, so I've got two weeks down on this new eating plan. It's time to step back and take a look at everything, good and bad, and find out what's working and what's not...

I admit, the first week was pretty tough to stick to. Writing down everything that was going on and having Charlie do the program with me has REALLY helped a lot. I did awesome the first week and I lost 11 pounds total!

This week has actually been easier in terms of what I'm eating. The hardest part has been drinking enough water and exercising. I was down one pound this week, which is good considering that the weight loss will slow down when you start eating like a normal person again. I was prepared for that and I'm proud of that one pound. But a check today shows that it has come back to haunt me, and I'm pretty sure it's because of the water. I haven't had enough water in the last two or three days. I'm pretty sure that pound has come from water retention because I'm not drinking enough. I don't feel very good today either. Almost like I spent last night partying it up or something. Which tells me that I'm dehydrated. I HAVE to drink more water this week.

The other thing I need to do this week is exercise more. Last week, I should have started incorporating more exercise into my routine. I didn't actually do any of that though. The weather has been too nasty to get out and walk. I haven't done pilates or kickboxing. My friend Niki invited me to her Zumba class. I can't go tonight but I might be able to take her up on it later this week. That sounds like a fun way to get in some active time.

One other thing that happened in week 2 is that my days got out of order. I misread the meal schedule and put a baseline day where a carb-down day should have gone. I have GOT to pay more attention to detail.

Last week was pretty hectic. There were a lot of things going on that caused some serious stress. I worked two extra days, tried to catch up on household chores, and read a hellish 40 page chapter for my human development class because I've got a quiz today. I don't think I really knew how badly that stress was going to affect me. It's not a good excuse, but at least it's an explanation. This week, I need to make sure I'm managing my time effectively, and I'm not afraid to ask for help with some stuff. Sometimes I just feel like I need to do everything or else I'm not successful. I know that's not true and I have an awesome support system that will help me out. I'm not really sure why I feel that way though. But I need to get past it and maximize what time is available in my schedule and use the help that's available to me.

This is week 3's schedule looks like:

Monday - Baseline
Tuesday - Carb-down
Wednesday - Carb-up
Thursday - Baseline
Friday - Carb-down
Saturday - Carb-up
Sunday - Baseline

Remember, Baseline means two healthy starches in two separate meals before 3 pm. Carb-down means one healthy starch with a protein before 3 pm. Carb-up day (affectionately referred to as my cheater day) means that the last two meals of the day can be sweets, fruits, or not-so-goo-for-you starches. Last week I celebrated my first Cheater day by having pizza :-)

I'm determined to make this week the best one yet! I'm going to manage my schedule better and stick to the plan hardcore!