7 Days

If you ever want to try something, a life change, but you're not sure... try it for 7 days. If it's excrutiating, you'll know what you're up against, but what if it isn't. You might be worrying and doubting your resolve for nothing.

7 DAYS

Seven Days

Four changes, times seven days. Just an experiment.

I became a vegetarian on January 1, 2011, which thus far has been a great experience. Very little going without, with lots of new things introduced into my daily diet. So now that I am comfortable in my new meat-free skin, I need to step it up a little, thanks to mother nature and old man Winter. They are quite a couple!

Four changes; no salt, no butter, no caffeine & more water.
Seven days from today, Wednesday to Wednesday.

(1)Wednesday
Food:
Chocolate chip cookie (I know, but it was early, before I decided to start this. It could have been worse!)
One fried egg with asparagus and mushrooms
Coffee (ok, I haven’t purchased decaf yet, so day one is tainted.)

Creamy Garlic shells
Garlic bread (no butter!!)

(Dinner at Brandon’s)
Spinach/Mushroom Quesadilla (taco size)
Spanish rice

1c smoothie

Zero exercise (s)

(2)Thursday
Oatmeal, w/ cranberries, brown sugar & Brummel & Brown
**Brummel & Brown is a butter-like yogurt, low fat & calorie, zero cholesterol. This is the only butter we use period, but I am still thinking of it as butter and using very little, none when possible.

Coffee

Fettucine Alfredo w/Asparagus

Banana

6 cc cookies, Ugh! Big glass of water

(3)Friday Cookies?
Coffee (Decaf from here on out)
Egg white omelette (spinach, asparagus, cheese, calamata olives)

Dry cereal

Grilled Cheese

Soup

(4)Saturday
Omelette, spinach, olive, sun dried tomatoes, Mushrooms
Coffee

Rice & broccoli

Battered eggplant, rotini, bread
Wine

(5) Sunday
Coffee

Drunk Mushroom Sandwich

Peyton ‘Chopped’ penne pasta with squash

Sm peanut butter milkshake

(6) Monday
Coffee
Fried egg on Pumpernickel

Cherilyn Omelette

Drunk Mushroom Sandwich

*Carb Coma!* Ugh! I deserve no dinner. **Butter**

Diet Lasagna Meal (no meat)
Vegetarian Chili


(7) Tuesday
Coffee & Oatmeal

French Fries & Mashed Potatoes(picking off kids’ plates)

Taco Bell B/C burrito with sour cream

Rice Noodles and veggies

Bowl of frosted flakes

Final Weight, Morning after Day 7
So, complete with cookies and cereal, Taco Bell and no exercise… didn’t do great on the water… but I drink a lot of coffee.
5 pounds lost in 1 week. Not too shabby.

Did I get headaches from the Coffee? One, first day, none since.
Did I miss salt, butter, etc.? Well, yes, butter, so I cheated, on Carb Coma day, with Brummel&Brown. Still Lost.
Do I feel Great? Cleansed? Healthier? I feel good, like I lost 5 pounds. Nothing more.

Could the five pounds have come off, for any other reason? Well, maybe, but what would that reason be? I will go another week, without a log, just without the fab four and see what happens!

P.S. I am decaf for good in my kitchen. Why not?

Vegetarian... It's No Big Deal! ~

I grew up in a steakhouse. I mean that. My mother was a waitress, my grandmother was a waitress and eventually, I was a hostess. I had birthday parties there, I did my homework at a back table, I rolled silverware and I drank more Shirley Temples than milk.

We at the fat. Our dogs expected t-bones every night. I grew up in a steakhouse.

Last October I turned thirty-five and like every woman I know, I am always thinking about losing weight, exercising, getting back to my high school size once and for all. I'm not losing the battle, but I'm not winning either.

I have had friends in the past who were vegetarian and a cousin, who is more like a sister , has been recruiting for years. They slay me. Or they did. This year, 2011, just over five weeks ago, I went Vegetarian. You know, resolutions and all.

Yes, my boyfriend happens to be a vegetarian and we eat together, cook together, so it seemed like it was time. A vegetarian man? I know. He even drives a truck and watches football. Who knew?

So I'm five weeks in, I feel great, I'm losing weight. Despite the cheese and pasta and tortillas and did I mention cheese, oh, yes... and plenty of vegetables! I'm learning about awesome vegetables I never knew existed! I'm losing weight. Even after a blizzard has kept me from the track.

Most importantly, no cravings, no regrets, I haven't once stared longingly at a cheeseburger. Our kids eat meat, our kitchens aren't empty. We eat out. I've never felt the tug. Even I'm surprised. In the beginning it was more of an effort, not out of hunger, but out of habit. What to buy, where to shop, being wary of soups and mixes with beef or chicken base. But that didn't take long. I am eating things now I would have never touched when "dieting" and loving the things I've missed. What I don't miss... is the meat. :)