Casting A New Die(t)

I am two weeks into a new diet I promised to give 28 days. January is months away so I like to think I’m ahead of the curve.

The diet is hard to describe without giving away the name, which I don’t want to do because I don’t want to promote that kind of thing here, but I’ll give it a shot.

It’s low-carb, but not no-carb. I can have carbs! Not all day, or even every day, but I can have them. Fewer carbs mean more protein. All the protein. Cheese. Nuts. Peanut butter. Yogurt with fat in it. Just no added sugar. It’s kind of like Keto, but not. I can have fruit, including bananas, but they’re treated like carbs; I don’t get to them all day, or even every day, The same for certain veg. I’ve never been sadder that tomatoes are considered a fruit. Sigh.

No coffee, but I had cut way back on that already anyway, so giving it up was not a huge deal. The same with soda pop. I had cut way back, so not drinking diet soda anymore wasn’t as huge a deal as it would have been, say, several years ago. I drink carbonated water instead. And I can still have tea (hot or iced), but it has to be sweetened with stevia. In addition, there are protein shakes twice a day as well as a somewhat hard-to-follow schedule of supplements.

I started the program because I needed a kick in the pants. I’m a long-time member of WW and have only seen the number on the scale inching upward for not just months, but years. Yes, years. Like I said, I needed a kick in the pants. No coincidence, I started this program the day after my birthday. I have a big one coming up next year and wanted to have a handle on this body before then. Not a love handle–you know what I mean.

One day 21 and 28 I get a cheat meal. Not a cheat day. A cheat meal. Preferably lunch, but it could be dinner. I’m trying to decide what I’m really in the mood for as day 21 is now less than a week away. Pizza? French fries? Ice cream? All three in one meal? I could do it, but I would like to think I’ve learned something here and can hold myself back.

This whole process was made simpler by the fact that my kids were out of town when I started this. I’ve gotten into a rhythm that my making them lunch won’t affect now that they’re back.

Results. There have been a few. I’ve lost about 3 pounds and 8 inches. Having kept my expectations low, this is great. They recommend taking before and after photos and tracking your measurements as well as weight through the process, which I grudgingly have done, but I’m glad I did. My everyday clothes fit better, but having solid numbers for comparison is nice.

I’m not sure if I’ll continue with this exact program after the 28 days are over, but every time I try something new, I try to learn from it.

In the meantime, I have plenty to keep me going; the new season of Mindhunter, getting my t-shirt quilt together and editing my YA Fantasy. Lots to do.

Thanks for reading.