Without Having Cheated

Day 4 Breakfast Menu:
2 to 4 scrambled eggs, slice of ham, fruit

I woke up this lovely morning at 7:00am. Is it just me? Or do I have an extra amount of energy? I stepped on the scale and it said I was 5 pounds lighter. Do mine eyes deceive me? Was it just water weight? I don't know, but it was exciting! I've lost 5 pounds in 4 days JUST by changing my diet. Imagine when I start incorporating exercise!! And I mean real exercise...

I needed to go buy breakfast ingredients, so I walked to Ralphs - Ok, that was a lie. I drove to Ralphs and bought a fresh medley of fruit and a ham steak slice from the meat section, gluten free.

I went home and scrambled only 2 eggs. I'm telling you, it's a LOT of food! No photos to share, as I was distracted, but just imagine scrambled eggs, a slice of ham, and a cup of fruit. Mmmmmmmm the fruit was soooo gooooood!!

As I got dressed to begin my day, my jeans actually slid on with ease. No jumping, no wiggling into them, and my muffin top has lessened. I'll call it a mini muffin top...barely visible. When I bought these jeans, they were a little snug but they were Hudson jeans on sale for 60 bucks! I seldom buy designer anything, but that day I couldn't say no to the deal, even though I didn't fit in them. AND I now owned my first pair of Hudson jeans!
Day 4 and still going strong. And I haven't even cheated, not once!!

Dinner Divine

Day 3 Dinner Menu: Crock-Pot Pork Loin, tomato sauce, zucchini, chopped cauliflower, basil.

So the recipe called for 3 pounds of Pork Loin...I bought 2. Hello! I'm small!! I knew the left overs would be for lunch the next day, but 3 pounds was still way too much food.

Since I don't own a crock pot, I decided to take a large pot, pour in the tomato sauce, and arrange the pork loin and ingredients in it, and simmer it for 3 hours. Somtimes you just have to improvise...

I thought it looked really pretty, lol...I was still surprised that there was no salt anywhere in the recipe!! But I was so hungry after 2 boring meals, I didn't even care.

It doesn't look like much, but let me tell you, it was AMAZING!!!!!! And no salt was needed, there was so much flavor from the tomato, basil, and veggies. YUM YUM! This meal definitely made up for the first 2.

As far as exercise goes, it said Day 3 was a sort of "rest day" and after that I stopped reading. LMAO!!

Oh! I almost forgot to mention my trip to the grocery store to buy these ingredients: I just so happened to be passing by the bakery...yes, just PASSING by...and I was greeted with the most amazing aroma:::FRESHLY BAKED BREAD!! Mmmmmmmmmm I've never smelled anything more amazing. The sweet, sweet, buttery sweet goodness...I thought I was in heaven. I sure do love my bread.

Day 1 would have been nice to have had an In-n-Out cheeseburger somewhere in there...and after dinner tonight (Day 3), well, I would have killed for some ice cream.

Boring Breakfast, Now Boring Lunch

Day 3 Lunch Menu:

6.5 oz tuna, 3-4 cups cabbage, and 1 TBSP toasted sesame oil

BORING!!

Ok, I am VERY grateful to have had the means to purchase a can of tuna and a bag of shredded cabbage, but I'm still hungry!! And for a snack it says "Leftover tuna salad" but I'm not in the mood. (Please remember I mentioned that it's "that time" and I am especially moody.)

All I can say is that I am very excited for dinner!!

I don't know if I am imagining things, or if it is in fact possible to already notice a difference, but I FEEL leaner. Again, I'm not trying to necessarily lose weight, I mainly want to get HEALTHY...but I wouldn't mind getting rid of this muffin top! (Trust me, clothes can be be deceiving. It's pretty easy to "tuck" fat...hahaha yikes!) I FEEL better, too! So I'm very curious about this Paleo phenomenon.

Anyway, I didn't have any toasted sesame oil and found it asinine to buy an entire bottle for 1 tablespoon, so I used olive oil instead. Is it dinner time yet??

Boring Breakfast

Day 3 Breakfast Menu:

Leftover chicken with salsa, 1/2 avocado

I woke up this morning at 8am. Again, I got to sleep in, woo!! I layed in bed for 2 hours before getting up. I took a shower, blow-dryed my hair, and got dressed. I didn't sit down to eat leftovers until almost 11am. So I was hungry!! (Bad Diana!!) I didn't take a pic as it wasn't that exciting...I had a few green beans left and I didn't have any salsa. I also didn't have an avocado - I was a bit unprepared this morning - so it was just some chicken and green beans. Can we say BORING????!!!! Ok, grateful to have food in my belly, it was just boring...

Improvising Never Hurts

Day 2 Menu: Rotisserie Chicken and Steamed Broccoli

I happened to have some leftover chicken from Day 1, so instead of going out to buy a rotisserie chicken, I googled "rotisserie chicken" to see exactly what makes a chicken a rotisserie chicken. I took notes from the first recipe I came across from foodnetwork.com and it said that all you do is rub the chicken with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Well, I didn't have a whole chicken, just a chicken breast...so I rubbed it with oil and seasoned it with pepper and sea salt. Since I was at work, I was a little limited on supplies (even though we have a full kitchen! Awesome!) I found a mini George Forman grill in one of the cabinets. I threw the chicken breast on the grill and since I had an excess amount of green beans, I decided to steam those instead of buying broccoli. (I'll eat broccoli next chance I get...Not to mention, I'm on a budget!!)

I must say dinner was good, but nothing remarkable. The best part was when my friend Gaby came by and picked me up on my break for coffee at Starbucks. Yes, I had 2 Americano's in 1 day. Only this time I had a Grande! Grande's are reserved for special occasions ;)

Here is a snapshot of what my dinner looked like:::

Like I said, nothing fancy...

I'm being honest when I say I didn't do Day 2's workout. Don't judge, just go with it...I have a full schedule and am always running around (ok, ok, I'm making excuses...but it's TRUE!!) I'll get on a set schedule and be more focused soon enough. But I must say, not too shabby! I'm doing great and feel great!!

La La La La Lunch!!

Day 2 Lunch Menu: Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, and condiments of your choice over 1-2 Burger Patties (beef or turkey), Orange, Almonds

I felt like having turkey patties as opposed to having beef. I eat a lot of beef as it is, so thought it would be a good switch.

I didn't want any lettuce. I never put lettuce on my burgers or sandwiches..I sauteed the onions so my breath wouldn't be so offensive. After all, I did have to work today! I ended up putting 2 patties on 1 plate with the onions, and slicing the tomato and orange on another. I'm starting to wonder why I eat everything separate? Although, taking a bite of turkey, then a bite of an orange really brought out the flavor.

The recipe called for 1 pound of turkey. Once again, I could only eat half. It also said to make it very simple, with no spices, but if we wanted to we were able to do so. I didn't put any salt, but doused it with oregano and some cumin.

I forgot to mention earlier that we are allowed snacks in between lunch and dinner, but I've been so full from these generous portions, I haven't had the need to snack! I'm ready to prep dinner!!

Salmon for Breakfast??

Day 2: Tuesday December 21, 2010

Breakfast menu: Leftover salmon and walnuts

I have never in my life fathomed eating salmon for breakfast. Breakfast!! Eggs, cereal, bacon, sausage, pancakes, french toast, hash browns, yes. But salmon? Oh man, salmon was SO not my idea of breakfast!!

I heated the oven to 300 degrees and stuck my salmon in for about 5 minutes. (I don't believe in microwaves...When I lived at home with Mom and Dad, my momma refused to have a microwave in her kitchen...not because we couldn't afford it, but rather because she is a wise woman. I'm not going to elaborate - google microwave and do your homework.

I woke up this morning with the same headache from last night. Was it the salmon? Am I dehydrated? Was it all my bitching and complaining? Or was it because tonight is a full moon and my "dot" was going to start today? Yes, that's right, I always get my "dot" on the day of full moons. ALWAYS. Catch my drift? Or should I say "flow?" Talk about being in tune with the moon! LOL. Ok, maybe that's TMI.

I guess salmon for breakfast wasn't so bad...I continued to pick off the rosemary and bones, as well as peel off the skin. I've never been a fan of walnuts, so I skipped nuts completely.

As a treat, I stopped at Starbucks and got a Tall Americano. That's right, espresso with water. No milk, no cream, no sugar. And it wasn't half bad!! This put a smile on my face. Coffee has a way of doing that...

Day 2, so far, so good...

Today's workout is to walk, swim, or ride a bike for 10 to 30 minutes.
1. I don't own a bike
2. I no longer have access to a pool (I sound like such a sad case)

I guess I will be walking...And since it is pouring rain in LA, it will have to be indoors. It's a good thing I carry my workout shoes in my trunk. See you soon for lunch!!

Damn, It Feels Good to be a Gangsta!!

Well, it looks like I survived Day 1. I had a "foochi face" the entire time I was prepping dinner. (For those of you who don't know what a foochi face is, it's also known as a "cara de caca" or in simpler terms, the expression you would make if you were sniffing shit.)

Fixing salmon was a first for me...and I was totally grossed out. It was fishy, slimy, and just downright nasty. I don't care, call me a snob if you will. The only salmon I've ever handled is salmon sushi.

Yes, I bitched the entire time I was making my grilled salmon and roasted green beans. It helped me get through it, believe it or not, and even helped me feel better. I remember being a kid, a teenager, and even a young adult, coming home to my momma's kitchen only to get an uppercut to my nose by the stench of salmon in the oven. At that time, I detested salmon and everything about it. The smell, the texture, the taste, the bones, the disgusting scaly skin that you had to peel off before eating, and above all, the damn dill that she used to season it with (sorry, Momma!). Whenever she'd cook salmon, I'd fix me a PB & J while muttering under my breath and I'd lock myself in my room and would eat alone (sorry again, Momma). To this day, I can't be anywhere near dill.

Needless to say, I was less than enthused to be making salmon for dinner. On the other hand, I love green beans, but I must say, I could have done without the olive oil that the cookbook said to toss it in. Shoot, I could have eaten them raw!!

Besides the grilled salmon with chopped pecans and rosemary and 1 pound (ONE POUND!!) of roasted green beans with thyme, the menu also included a side salad. Ummm...yeah right. As it was, lunch was too much food!! I decided to omit the side salad. And btw, I didn't even eat half a pound of green beans!! One thing I'm learning about this diet, I will never go hungry...

By the time I sat down and started eating this yummy, scrump-diddly-umptious meal (did you catch the sarcasm?) I was irritated and grossed out. I found myself picking out bone after friggin' bone, and also pulling off the rosemary twigs. Dagnabit, I should have bought ground or powdered rosemary. Halfway through dinner I got a pounding headache and just wanted to sleep!! I was on my dinner break from work though...

As SOON as I got off work, I made a B-Line to my apartment and passed out on my bed, fully clothed. Shower? Nope! Brush my teeth? Uh-uh. Put on my jammies? Hell no! The only thing I did manage to do was take out my contacts and kick off my knee-high rain boots. I was much too tired to blog last night...and I even fell asleep with my phone in my hand.

As far as exercise for Day 1, here is what I was SUPPOSED to do:::

Circuit Workout (What the hell does that even mean?)
*Walk 200-400 meters
*Rest 1 minute
*5-10 perfect squats
*Rest 1 minute
*5-10 push-ups
*Rest 1 minute
*5-10 body rows
*Rest 1 minute
*Walk 200-400 meters

All I have to say about that is PFFFFFFFFFF and PFFFFFFFFF!!

Here is my version:::

Dee Workout
*I walked 200-400 meters at Whole Foods searching for all the food
*I rested when I was deciding on a tomato (Hot House? Roma? On the vine?)
*I squatted when I was looking at spices
*I rested as I waited for the butcher to weigh and wrap my salmon and chicken
*I didn't do any push-ups, but who cares?
*Body rows? Yikes!! I just might have to join a gym...or just jump in my imaginary canoe and row as I cruise my imaginary lake...Ugh. Day 1 wasn't so bad afterall...just my attitude.

In-n-Out on My Mind

I was at Whole Foods this morning shopping for the things I would need for my lunch and dinner. I already FELT healthy just being in there. I usually get my groceries from Trader Joe's because it's a little nicer on the wallet, but I felt the urge to get my stuff from Whole Foods. What the hell, it's Monday!! (That makes absolutely no sense at all.)

I went around and gathered the stuff I would need...man, it's just so much easier pulling in to an In-n-Out drive thru with a ready-made meal rather than having to hunt around a grocery store, only to then have to go home and cook! (Fat person get out of my head!!)

For lunch I would be having a Chicken Fajita salad, and for dinner, Grilled Salmon and roasted green beans. For the first time in my life I bought Coconut Oil. Coconut oil? The closest I had ever come to using coconut oil is the Hawaiin Tropic coconut oil I use to tan...(Sorry, Momma...I know how much you abhor the thought of me baking in the sun). The Grilled Salmon recipe that would be for dinner called for Coconut Oil...so in the basket it went.

I posted a pic of the lunch prep...and a picture of what the final salad looked like. My momma's came out better. I checked out her post before I posted mine. It said to serve on 2 plates, and like a dope, I must have missed the part where it instructed to add the chicken mix on top...whatever, it still tasted great. I don't like wilted lettuce anyhow. And may I add that NO WHERE in the recipe was lime!! Most of my meals MUST be accompanied by lemon or lime. Grrrrrrrr...

It was a generous portion, so I couldn't finish it. A couple hours went by and here I am eating the rest of it. My dinner break isn't until 7:30 anyway, so from that time until I'm done cooking the salmon, I'll be hungry again. I'm always hungry. Phew! 2 meals down, 1 to go...

And here it is...

And here it is...Week 1, Day 1. Monday's breakfast menu is 2 to 4 poached eggs, almonds, and a small piece of fruit or berries. I opted for an apple and bought a small bag of raw almonds. Instead of poaching my eggs, I decided I would boil them. I had 4 boiled eggs, no yolk. (No thank you!) I can't eat the yolk of a boiled egg. It's too chalky for my liking and always gets stuck halfway down. (If you just had a perverted thought, leave my blog immediately! You're on the wrong site.) I don't mind poached eggs, but I don't have a poacher, or even a ladle to do it myself, one by one. And even if I did have a metal ladle, I most likely would have still boiled them since poaching them is too time consuming. I'm not lazy, I swear.

I have a confession to make:::Since I knew last night was my last night before this challenge, I had Thai for dinner. That's not really the bad part. For dessert, I ordered fried vanilla ice cream (Ok, now I'm grossed out now that I just admitted it) and banana-stuffed egg rolls. Gag me, but it was sooooooo good. It was like a funnel cake!! Ok, in my own defense, the last time I went to Magic Mountain, or Universal Studios, or one of those theme parks, I DID NOT have funnel cake. And EVERYONE knows that you can't leave a theme park without having had a funnel cake. Much like, "Nobody leaves here without singing the blues" from the 80s film Adventures in Babysitting. It's a known fact, trust me. (Trust me!)

After dinner, I was really thirsty. Damn salty food!! So I went to Ralphs to get something to drink. I figured I would kill 2 birds with one stone and get at least my breakfast stuff as well as a drink. I got a bottle of water, but I got in line and those friggin' fridges that are strategically placed by the checkstands with all those sodas got my attention. I had my eye on a Welch's strawberry soda...oh man, it was all over...I got back into my car and chugged it down. Fat ass. By the time I got home I wasn't feeling so well. What does that tell you?

Anyway, I jumped out of bed at 9am this morning. I finally got to sleep in! For those of you that know me, you know that my days usually begin at 2:30am, as my shift starts at 3:30am. And no, I don't work on any corners so keep your comments to yourself. So I slept in, felt refreshed and excited to start! Breakfast wasn't bad at all and I felt full...

I'll keep you posted as the day continues...

Allow Me to Introduce Myself...

So here I am at a cafe in Encino having TEA (fresh mint leaves to be precise) with my best friend who is visting from Chicago. I want to introduce myself to you guys and put a photo so you can get a visual. This is me...I couldn't help but laugh as my friend Rana rolled her eyes and made fun of me. I'm used to it...

My name is Diana and I am 29 years old. I could go on forever talking about myself (hahaha) so I'll just leave you with a pic and my age.

As far as weight goes, I'll post that as well later...Truth be told, I have to go buy a scale after I finish my tea.

This morning I took my "Before" photos in my chones (that's slang for underwear) but I will post those at the end of the 30 days...YIKES!!

Making Out My Grocery List

So here I am on Sunday evening...making out my list for the ingredients I will need for Day 1. I am super excited and ready to take it on! I ate one of my favorites for dinner, Thai...and am ready to kiss it all goodbye in the name of a healthy me! See you all tomorrow, bright and early and healthy!!

Mom and Daughter Step Up to the Challenge...

When recently confiding in a friend about some health issues a family member was going through, he recommended a book titled, "The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet," by Robb Wolf. He swears by it, and told me that his mother lost 13 pounds by following the diet, without even working out. I was intrigued, so I told my mother about it. My mom also expressed interest right away and the next day drove nearly an hour to the nearest town (she is retired and lives in a small town) to go pick up two copies, one for me and one for her. Barnes n Noble only had one copy left, so she even drove to two different stores. My mom is so cute. She always means business. So we both sat down and began reading this book while we sipped on hot green tea as the rain poured down. We LOL'd here and there because Robb Wolf's style of writing is hilarious. On the cover of the book, it reads: Transform your life in 30 days! Lose weight. Get fit. Reverse disease.

I fell in love instantly because I have been lugging around an extra 15 pounds for the past 2 years. I blame it on a break up from the love of my life. I was in the best shape of my life in 2008, and when he left me...food was my best friend, the gym and exercise became my enemy, and 15 pounds and 2 years later, I have had enough!!

My mom had this grand idea to challenge ourselves and see what results we could get in 30 days. In the few pages I have read, it says to take photos to compare and see the progress. I will follow all directions, and update this blog every step of the way. I am excited to take on this challenge, and even more excited that I have the support of my mother (even though we live 2 hours apart). We are in this together and will motivate and help one another via email, text, phone calls, and of course, our blogs.

You can check out my momma's blog for her side of this 30-day challenge:::
http://letstalkpaleo.blogspot.com/

The challenge commences Monday December 20, 2010. WISH US LUCK!!