Processed crap just makes you want more processed crap!

Well the anniversary dinner is over and I thought I could just jump right back on plan.  I always tell myself I should be able to eat the occasional meal off plan and then just get right back on track afterwards.  And in theory, it's true, I should be able to do that.  But in reality, that's not how it works.  Last night we went out for our anniversary, and we had a $100 gift certificate to use.  Sounds like a lot, but this is one of the fancier restaurants in town so it isn't too hard to spend that much even with just the two of us.  I had chosen my meal by viewing their menu online first and I'd entered those nutritional guesstimates into SparkPeople ahead of time, so it was looking like I'd maybe be at about 1800 calories for the day rather than my usual 1550.  Not too bad, right?  Only when we got there of course hubby was determined to spend the entire gift certificate, so of course we had a loaf of hot bread brought out to us first with flavoured dipping oils.  I didn't care for the flavours so I really only ate the bread, but it was really GOOD bread, one of my weaknesses, so we each ate half of it.  I hadn't planned for that.  Read more ...

First day with SparkPeople and I feel really good.

So I've gone and planned my first week with SparkPeople, and it did take a little while to get set up - but that's only because I customized my meals.  They give you free meal plans, and that's great - but they don't have a vegan plan, only vegetarian.  They also have a massive list of foods you can select from, and you can easily swap one food for an equivalent if you don't like it.  I love that feature.  You can also add your own custom foods and recipes, which is fantastic, because products available in Australia aren't always in the main list.  Read more ...

The Bad, The Ugly, and The Good

Lest you think I've got that out of order, I'm not referring to a movie here, but rather my life for the last couple of days.  When last I checked in it was Wednesday and I'd reported being exceptionally hungry, so I ate more portions than I should have (The Bad), but they were at least allowed foods, so I was otherwise on plan.

But come Thursday I got up to make lunch and pulled out the rice and sweet potatoes and just looked at it.  I thought about measuring some out for my meals for the day, and the thought of eating rice one more time literally started to gag me.  Why now? Why was I ok with not only eating these things but having extra portions just yesterday?  Well in truth I've been wanting to eat other things all week, but I haven't given in.  But Thursday I just couldn't bring myself to eat rice any more.  I ate my oats for breakfast and went to work feeling I'd sort out lunch later. Read more ...

I've come to a decision about how to move forward on The Rice Diet

There is a way I can do The Rice Diet and still have my weekend routine with my hubby.  A way I can still eat normally part of the time, but still enjoy the benefits of The Rice Diet as well.

I finished reading the book yesterday - and in it there was a section about making the diet work FOR YOU.  She sited examples of how people have modified it to suit their life so they could stay with it for the long-haul.  Now she was mostly talking about people who were on the maintenance phase (Phase 3).  In one of her examples, she referred to a man with a new girlfriend.  He wanted to be able to take her out on the weekends and not have to worry about what he ate.  So he basically did The Rice Diet during the week, and ate what he wanted on the weekends.  It worked for him.  I think I've found a way I can do that it in the weight loss phase (Phase 2) and still lose weight. Read more ...

I think hubby is tired of me always dieting

It was hard enough on my beloved hubby when I first switched to a plant-based diet because he didn't want to, so we were always cooking our own separate meals, and when we were invited over for dinner with family, they all worried about what they could possibly make that I would eat - either that or there just wasn't anything suitable for me unless I brought something myself.  He saw it as a hassle, I'm sure.  Then of course I'm always on some new diet trying to lose weight - hence my recent Rice Diet attempt.  Today as I mentioned previously I went out to lunch at Subway with him.  We have a normal routine every Saturday where we go out to lunch together.  After lunch we run any errands or do any work around the house that needs doing.  It's just become our Saturday routine, and we were already limited to 3 or 4 places where I could get something vegan.  Now I'm on what is to him some kooky new diet again and can't even go to lunch with him.  He doesn't like it.  Read more ...

Day 12 - very small loss this week

A loss is a loss, right?  I'm only down .2kg (.44 lb) from last week, and I'm trying not to let it bother me but it is.  You know if I'd lost 6 pounds last week and 5 this week, I'd be thrilled -- but losing 13 last week and next to nothing this week feels different somehow.  I guess I'm worried about my longevity on this program because when it stops working, or when I feel like it has anyway, that's when I tend to throw in the towel and give up.  I don't want to give up!  But I also don't want to keep eating the same things every day which are bland and boring, and not be losing weight.  Read more ...

Starting Day 6 on The Rice Diet and I've already lost over 13 pounds!!

Halloween candy is bought -- and put away!

Today I got a supply of Halloween candy in anticipation of actually getting trick-or-treaters this year.  They don't really celebrate Halloween in Australia, but some of the young folk are trying to change that.  Each year they go around and some neighborhoods will hand out treats - many aren't prepared and so they're pulling muesli bars from their pantry to hand out, while others just say 'this ain't America!' and shut the door on them.  A friend at work the other day said she found it all very confusing and they didn't know where to go or how to know if people wanted to participate.  I told them there is actually a system in place back home - at least in Central Wisconsin, where I come from -- if the house has their lights on, they participate.  If not, pass them by.  She thought that a brilliant idea -- hopefully people will catch on here, cuz there's no point bothering people who don't want anything to do with it.  Read more ...

Binge Dreams that Make You Sick?

Have you ever dreamed you ate way too much food, and then woke up actually feeling sick?  I've done that -- in fact, it happened last night.  I wondered why I would dream something like that, and now I think it's subconscious.  Maybe I'm trying to tell myself not to do the pre-diet binge I usually do.  You know -- I'm starting a diet next week, so this is my last chance to have all those favorite foods I shouldn't have.  So I not only have them, I binge on them.  I guess I've been doing that the last week, so whether it's the dream or the reality, I do feel a bit off today.  Read more ...

Could I achieve such dramatic results as these?

As I mentioned in my last post, I'll soon be giving The Rice Diet a try.  There is a lot of information out there on the net about this program, and some success stories as well (some of which are on the website linked to above).

Read More ...