I'm On Day 5!

I'm having a hard time remembering what I ate on day 5 - yesterday. I forgot to write it all down. Hmmm... here's what I do remember...

Lunch - I decided to use 2 oz. of my "lean and green" protein during lunch. I have the Creamy Chicken Soup and added 2 oz. of shredded chicken. A little salt, and I had a meal. Yum!

For one of my snack, I tried another kind of Crunch Bar - Caramel. I liked this one as well. So far, the only Crunch bar I didn't like was the Chocolate Bar.

Oh, I remember what I ate that made me so happy - the Smores Crunch bar. Holy moly! This is my favorite thing in the diet so far. :-)

For dinner, I have some BBQ chicken, diced, on top of a salad. It was very good.

I did drink ALL of my water again. It makes me happy that I am accomplishing that goal. When I started this diet, I really didn't think I would be able to maintain the 118 oz. of water!

Two more days, and I get to weigh in, and talk to Candi, my coach. Can't wait!

Day Four - Take Shape for Life

My forth day on this diet was much better, because I felt better. I had more energy. Again, my biggest challenge was that I started later in the morning than I should have, so I had a hard time getting in all of the food.

Breakfast: I had the Chocolate shake. It was pretty good, and I really like starting the day with a refreshing shake. One of the things that helps the shakes is the kind of ice I have been using. I have some ice from Sonic - the small little chunks. It's pretty easy to get those blended up.

Snack: Wow. Unbelievable - I can't remember what I had. Probably a bar of some kind.

Lunch: I tried the Chili this time. It was pretty yummy. The seasoning was great. Next time I have the Chili, I think I might try putting a tablespoon of salsa mixed in it. I think that would be really good.

Snack: Another bar - the caramel one. These are so easy - just grab one whenever I need to get something quick.

Dinner: I ate with my family. I had put a couple of turkey breasts into the crockpot in the morning, and I measured out 6 oz. The only thing I'm not too sure about, is that these turkey breast were pre-seasoned in the store. I'm not really sure what was used. Hopefully there were no oils. There was no fat on them, so I know they were really lean. We also had French-style green beans. I had about a cup of those, and then a simple side salad (about 1.5 cups) - leafy green lettuce, fresh spinach, tomatoes. I'm really glad I'm able to have tomatoes.

Snack: Because all of my meals were so much later than they should have been, this last snack was around 11:00 pm. That's why I decided on the hot chocolate. It was ok. All by itself, it might not have been great, but I added some cinnamon and some vanilla to it.

I drank all 15 cups of water. I'm really proud of myself for drinking the water each day. I didn't think I could do it. I had a Propel Zero for 24 oz. of the water during the day.

3 days more, and then I get to weigh in. I'm anxious to see if I've lost any weight. I feel like I have, so maybe I'll have good news on Thursday morning!

3rd Day of Take Shape For Life

Yesterday, day three, I didn't feel well. I was tired, sluggish, etc. I was hoping it was just the end of "the first 3 days", and that I'd feel better today. I do.

Yesterday was kind of a hard day, because I didn't eat breakfast as early as I normally do, so it threw me completely off. My menu...

Breakfast: I had the Chocolate Pancakes. They were pretty good, although they were about 1/8" thick, and maybe 2.5" in diameter. :-) There were 3 of them, though, so it was a good mini-meal. I had a small amount of sugar-free maple syrup on them.

I then threw 2 bars into my bag, and headed for my Lifting Hearts board mtg. At the library, during the meeting, I had a Lemon Meringue Bar for my first snack.

Lunch: After the meeting, on the way home, I had a Mint Chocolate Bar.

Snack: Late in the afternoon, I had a Frozen Peanutbutter treat. MMMMMMMM!!!!! I liked that alot, but I think it would be easier to get the ice to the right consistency if I have a better blender.

Dinner was pretty late - around 8:00 (after I finished making my family's dinner)...

I decided to try some Egg Beaters for an omelet tonight. I diced veggies - red and orange bell peppers, mushrooms, and celery. I added Oregano, Basil, Onion Powder, and some Cayenne pepper. I had no idea how the Egg Beaters would cook up - I've never had them before.
Here is what the omelet looked like after I added the veggies...

It was apparent, after about 5 minutes, that they weren't going to do well as an omelet, so I mixed everything together and ended up with scrambled eggs. Two cups of Egg Beaters is a LOT. There was SO much food there, I could hardly finish it. Oh, and I had a side salad as well. It was all very good - especially the peppers - they were very sweet. However... I'm thinking, after eating the Lean and Green meal for 3 days now, most of the time it's WAY too much food - 6 oz. of meat is quite a bit. So, I might cook my meat in the morning, and use some of it during lunch, with my meal replacement. Anyway, here's what the scrambled eggs looked like...

Because I was SO full from dinner, I just couldn't snarf down another meal replacement, so I ended up with only 4 for the day. I know that the problem is that I forget the time, and don't space them out, so I need to try to do better.

Water: I only drank 14 cups, instead of 15. I tried, but I was so full at night, and I didn't drink enough in the morning, that I just couldn't finish. However, I will say that using a 24 oz. Propel Zero is working well - much better than trying to drink it all in regular water - it just gives me a little bit of a break in the middle of the day. I tried another sparkling water, but they kind of make my stomach bloat, so that won't be an everyday thing.

Onward...

Day Two of Take Shape For Life...

Day Two -

Yesterday was my second day, and I wasn't as dizzy as the first day. When I asked Candi (my health coach) about it, she suggested that I drink some Propel Zero - it has electrolytes that will help. She also said that this won't last very long - maybe the first 3 days.

Here was what I ate:

Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal. This tasted pretty good, and I normally like oatmeal, but I think the next time I try it, I'll put just a bit more water in it. The consistancy was kind a thick and sticky. I put some Truvia sweetener on it as well.

Snack: I tried another crunch bar - the lemon meringue one - and I liked this one alot.

Lunch: I had the creamy chicken soup in a mug. This was very good, however, I had to add some salt. I asked Candi if that's ok, and she said yes - most of the meal replacements would taste better with some seasoning.

Snack: For my afternoon snack, I tried the Chili Cheese Puffs. I actually thought these tasted pretty ok. Again, there is a weird underlying taste - probably the soy. But these were seasoned well, and it was fun to munch on them. However, they didn't seem to fill me up like the other food. I was hungry less than 2 hours later.

Dinner: For my Lean and Green meal, I made Italian Shredded Chicken on Lettuce Leaves...

(this looks a lot like yesterday's Balsamic Chicken, but the taste was different - more Italian tasting.)

I measured out 6 oz. of shredded, canned chicken (packed in water) - the kind from Costco. It was almost the entire can. The actual can says there is over 12 oz., but when I measurement the meat, it was around 6.5-7oz. I then diced some tomatoes, cucumbers, and celery and added that to the bowl (it was about 1 3/4 cups worth of veggies). I seasoned it with garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and basil. I added some cayenne pepper as well - that sure added a kick! I also put about a tablespoon of dill pickle relish in. Then, I drizzled 2 tablespoons of Paul Newman's Olive Oil and Vinegar dressing over the top. I mixed it all together. Then, I grabbed 3 large leaves of leafy green lettuce, and stuffed them full of the mixture. I thought it would be like eating a chicken enchilada-type thing, but the leaves didn't hold up. So, I cut them up and just ate it off of the plates. There was a ton of food! I sprinkled some red wine vinegar on it as I ate. YUM!

My last snack of the day was a Chocolate Mint Bar - I think this might be my favorite meal replacement so far. :-)

I, again, drank 118 oz of water. Actually, I mixed it up a little bit - I had 9 cups of water, 3 cups of Propel Zero, and 17 oz. of this yummy sparkling water I found called Cascade Ice. In the 17oz. bottle, there are just 4 calories. It was nice to be able to do something a little bit different than just plain water. I finished the day with another cup of water.

I think I did well yesterday, but the one thing I need to work on is eating my meals every 2.5 hours. I'm not used to eating 6 times a day, and a few times yesterday, I let 4-4.5 hours go between meals. NOT a good idea, if I want to be able to do this.

Take Shape For Life Diet - Kara

This blog has not really been used for what it was meant for. However, I just started a diet, and I'm supposed to keep a journal or blog and because this one is already made, I'm going to use it! YAY!

It's been 3.5 years since my cancer diagnosis, and I've stopped drinking soda, and cut my portion sizes, but it still hasn't help with any weight loss. Bummer. A year ago, I made some plans to take back my health. Part of the plan involved my stomach. Stomachs are difficult to get rid of. And, abdominal fat is lethal, so I had a tummy tuck! Got rid of all that yucky fat, and had my damaged stomach muscles sutured back together. What a relief. After waiting for nearly a year for swelling to go away, I had liposuction done on my stomach to finish up. That was 3 weeks ago.

And now, I've found a medical diet that will help me lose the rest of the weight/inches that I need to. This plan is a little bit drastic, but I'm ready. I'm fed up, I'm tired, and I feel just too much despair that I'll never be able to be healthy again. So... Take Shape For Life - here I come!

So, I started the eating plan (diet is a stupid word - so I'm tricking my body/mind into thinking this isn't one - hah!) yesterday. This plan is LOW carb, HIGH protein, soy-based, LOW glycemic. I have to stay completely away from fruit (too sugary right now), pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, and dairy products. Oh, and right now, I can't have high carb veggies either (like carrots, peas, corn, etc.) Phew! This might be a little bit tough...

I weighed myself (in the morning, before breakfast, naked), and took my measurements. I'm not putting that info here, though. I might reveal it someday, but only when I'm not that size anymore. :-)

Take Shape For Life is a meal replacement - you eat 5 of their meal replacements, and 1 Lean & Green meal that you prepare yourself.

Pros: the meal replacements are easy to prepare, most of them can go into your purse to take with you anywhere (no being caught hungery with nothing but fast food to eat!)

Cons: the meal replacements aren't that great tasting, most have a weird consistency

Yesterday, I ate:
Breakfast - Strawberry Creme Shake (mixed in my Bullet with crushed ice)
Snack - Caramel Nut Bar (this was pretty good - just a hit of cardboard taste, but I'll get used to it)
Lunch - Beef Vegetable Stew (Mmmmmm.... yummy. I was surprised by how good this was. I mean, there was still a weird underlying taste, but it still tasted good. I think the weird taste in everything is soy.)
Snack - Chocolate Crunch Bar (yuck. Nuff' said.)
Dinner - Lean and Green - I marinated 8 oz. of chicken breast in balsamic vinegar with some garlic powder, cracked pepper, and a tiny sprinkle of salt. I then grilled it on my George Forman. It shrunk up - I'm hoping it went to 6 oz., which is what I'm allowed to have, but I forgot to weigh it after it cooked. Geez. I could have 3 servings of veggies, so I chopped up some leafy green lettuce - 1 cup. Put it in a big bowl, along with 1/2 cup of chopped tomato, and 1/2 cup of chopped cucumber. I can use salad dressing, if it's low carb, so I used 2 tablespoons of Paul Newman Light Balsamic dressing (only 2 carbs). Oops. I just realized with the chicken breast, I should have only have 1 healthy fat, not 2. Hmmmm. Oh well - I'll remember next time. I chopped up the chicken breast, and then tossed it all together with the dressing. This is what it looked like...

It was SO good (maybe that's because it was the first "real" food I'd had all day, but still... yummy!)

My late night snack was banana pudding. I like the taste ok, but I really didn't like the consistency. I have to figure out a way to get the lumps out before it sets up (it gets thick REALLY fast). Maybe I'll go and get one of those small hand held blenders - that might work.

So, I stuck to the food plan almost exactly, but my biggest accomplishment for the day is that I drank ALL of the water that I was supposed to. This might not sound like a big deal, but I had to drink 118 oz! That's 15 cups! I was water-logged by the end of the day. I love the water bottles my parents gave me for Christmas - they are 24 oz. and they have a built-in straw, which makes drinking the water so much easier.

By half way through the day, I felt weak and dizzy (I guess this is to be expected for the first 3 days). It felt like I had taken a Percocet, but without the pain relief! Hopefully, after 3 days, I'll start to feel better. It's probably just my body saying "HEY! Where are my carbs and my milk???!!!!"