Week One Complete!

So, day 7 is complete and I am doing a damn good job. I started at 147.6 on the morning of 1/1/2016. One week later I am down to 145.2. Not all of that is fat loss but it's still very encouraging.

Each day I stuck to 1200 calories. If I exercised I was allowed a little more.

Every morning I would eat 1 cup of shredded wheat with blueberries, raspberries or strawberries only I used unsweetened almond milk instead of cow milk. 1 cup of almond milk is 30 calories. 1 cup of skim milk is about 85 calories. That's 385 calories I am not consuming.

For lunch I would put 2 oz of turkey or chicken into half of a whole grain pita pocket. I'd add lettuce and bell peppers. My snacks were 1% cottage cheese, fruit, string cheese or almonds. I only ate a small amount and only when hungry.

I went out to eat twice this week. On 1/2/16 I went to a steakhouse. I ordered a 6oz sirloin with a side of steamed, dry broccoli (so no butter or oil) and a side salad with no dressing. I drank iced tea. I estimate this meal was less than 600 calories.

The other night my husband took me on a date out for sushi. I ran 3 miles that day so I was still on budget even with a rainbow roll and 6 pieces of salmon sashimi. I also shared a side of edamame with my husband. I estimate that meal was about 640. A high calorie meal but full of nutrition and the run let me afford it!

A few nights we experimented with cauliflower. We did a yellow curry and put it over cauliflower "rice" on Sunday. It was really good!

Yellow Curry

Then on Monday we made burrito bowls using lime cilantro cauliflower rice. It was so delicious. I ate that for dinner for several nights.

Burrito bowl over lime cilantro cauliflower "rice"

On New Years Day we made Skinny Jambalaya. It was so fan-fucking-tastic.

Skinny Jambalaya

As for exercise...I didn't do anything on the 1st or the 2nd of the new year but I was VERY active on the 3rd. I ran 3 miles, did a 30 minute workout including planks, squats, lunges and crunches, I did yard work and I cleaned quite a bit. Monday I woke up so damn sore! Almost everything hurt. Moving hurt. Staying still hurt. I rested Monday to recover. Tuesday evening I did another 3 mile run. I was still sore but it was not bad. Wednesday I did a 45 minute workout. More lunches, squats, planks, burpees, push ups, crunches...all sorts of things. I was quite sore today (especially my quads!) but I did a 4 mile run anyway.

Estimated calories consumed for the week: 8,661
Estimated calories burned from exercise: 1,529
Weight Loss for Week 1: 2.4 lbs

I am well on my way to my goal. I am really loving using cauliflower as a substitute. This weekend we are trying it in a lasagna instead of noodles. I am really looking forward to that!

I don't miss alcohol as much as I thought I would. If I crave a cocktail in the evening I put club soda over ice and splash in some peach nectar. It's about 35 calories for 1/4 a cup of the nectar but that's better than 176 calories in one bottle of my favorite beer or the 200 calories in a gin and tonic or whiskey and coke. Plus, the nectar has some vitamin C.

I do miss coffee but hot tea is also very nice and my stomach has been feeling really good. Less heartburn!

Okay, on to week 2...I am hoping to be down to 143.5 in one week. Let's see if I make it!