Back-to-school can sure keep you busy. We've had several parent information meetings in the evenings and running around getting new shoes, etc. on the weekends. Kids sure keep you on your toes!
Made it through Thanksgiving without completely overdoing it and didn't gain (permanently) anything back. We only had one big dinner (ham, mashed potatoes, gravy -- oh, my!), but it was a three day weekend for me, and I never do well in the eating department when I'm home for extended periods -- get so wrapped up in household projects that eating becomes secondary -- and I wonder why I get headaches. We had pizza on Friday, burritos on Saturday -- both standard weekend fare around here, but I totally neglected lunch, snacks and water consumption -- and I will admit to consuming entirely too much coffee and alcohol through the course of the week. Not good...
I have to admit that this has become typical weekend behaviour for me, so I obviously still have some bad habits to break. In the last month I've been to a couple of social functions and have also met some friends for breakfast or dinner; for the most part I've made good choices. But when you're at a baby shower and people show up with homemade samosas, deep fried wontons and cake, well -- you can hardly blame me for indulging...
When I got to Cycle 4, I thought I would stick to Cycle 1 through the week and then do the "strategic cheating" on the weekend. Breakfasts have been easy to regulate, but it has been harder than I thought it would be to stay on top of lunch and dinner -- starchy foods are such a temptation for me. I compromised and followed Cycle 3 as closely as possible and tried very hard to limit carb consumption to early in the day. I haven't always been successful, but this new lifestyle is still a work in progress and is getting easier -- though I still struggle with choosing salad over starch...
For the most part, my bad behaviour hasn't really had much of an affect on me -- only a couple of pounds back and I've endured a few nights of really bad sleep, but those had as much to do with the boy's attitude and crap as any bad eating that went on. Plus, I was sick for two weeks, so food wasn't really something I was interested in and sleep was elusive...
Here is a short article about how eating certain foods can improve your sleep -- very informative: Eat to Sleep Well. Some of the foods allowed in Cycle 1 are specifically mentioned as being good for promoting sleep.
This link will take you to a really yummy recipe for oatmeal -- it's going into my holiday repertoire of recipes and will be a standard for Thanksgiving breakfasts for years to come (though my boys didn't really care for it): Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal. It's ideal for Cycle 2 breakfasts and reheats well...
I am a big slow cooker fan. It's such a great way to have a delicious, hot meal waiting for you when you get home from the daily grind. My work schedule isn't very convenient for cooking proper evening meals, so I am trying to make a point of using both of my larger crock pots every week so that we eat at a decent time through the week -- I'm not terribly consistent, but am getting better at planning. My favourite cookbooks for this purpose are from the Company's Coming series and one of our favourite fall recipes is a squash soup. This recipe came from their website and is very similar to the one I do -- also great for Cycle 2 meals: Spiced Squash and Apple Soup.
These recipe links are also listed at the bottom under Recipes.
17 Day Diet News:
- My friend did amazing with her project! She is getting more sleep in one night than she was getting in a week prior to starting the diet -- she is so excited and I'm so happy that she is getting the results she wanted. She's lost enough inches that she needs to buy new clothes now -- happy, happy days for her!
- Another friend has read through the book and tried out Cycle 1 but just isn't ready to commit yet. To her I say -- when you're ready, it will work for you!
Why am I back? It's time to pre-diet! Yes, Christmas is coming and that means lots of yummy temptations. Thanksgiving was one thing -- just one day of delicious foods. The Christmas season is something else altogether -- I have a weakness for shortbread and fruitcake and mashed potatoes or stuffing with gravy. It's going to be everywhere -- including my house because it's my turn to host dinner.
Anyway, I'm back to Cycle 2 tomorrow. There's enough time to get through Cycle 2 (and 3 if needed) before the holiday food madness starts. My hope is to be better about fitting some exercise in this time around as well. So, weigh-in #1 will be tomorrow morning and a little goal setting will happen in the evening.
