Day 35: Weigh In

I weighed in today. With all the overages in my points this past 5 days, I'm surprised I made any headway. I lost a pound since last Monday. That means if I don't waste all my splurge points, I'll probably be doing much better! I'll try eating a little smarter on WW, without focusing on getting into Ketosis just yet, and see how continuing to eat regular food affects my weight.

PROGRESS: 281 lb, down from 282 last weigh in.

EXERCISE 1/30: Weights and 30min jogging in place with weights yesterday. Walked the dogs outside and all around the yard in the bright sunshine!

EXERCISE TODAY: 30 minutes of jogging in place with weights!

GOALS: Eat regular WWPoints (no Atkins yet) and see how this works. Exercise daily. Avoid overages in points. Use splurge points only if necessary!

Day 34: Exercise, Ahoy!

I'm going to break into the exercise routine I posted at the beginning of this blog. I've got some weight lifting to do first. Weights will be a good warmup for aerobics, right?

PROGRESS: Used all but one of my remaining splurge points yesterday. This is only day 5 of WW Points, but I'm moving my official "starting" day to Monday, the same day I will weigh in.

UPDATE 4:23pm: I just finished 30 minutes of jogging in place with a couple 3lb hand weights and plenty o' jogging-induced arm movement. Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern made it happen without boredom. (Exercise+Entertainment= Angela's best idea ever!) On to the strength training!

Day 33: Points, Points, Everywhere!

I've eaten some un-Atkins-y products the last couple days. I've not felt sick yet, but I am keeping track of what I eat. I just don't think my body knows what to do with itself just yet! Some good news: my mom is starting WW with me. :) Not many people are willing to do Atkins with me, but apparently WW is a more plausible way to go. Yay support!

Yesterday, I stayed well within my points range, eating Jell-O, olives, a cheeseburger, and a couple bowls of cereal (each with a couple 1 cup servings) with milk (for dinner). I measured everything like a good girl and had to guess a little with the burger. I was sick of cereal by evening's end and couldn't eat enough to reach my points quota. I still had six points left! I will pretend, then, that I underestimated the burger and my remaining points are taken up by the difference.

I'm heading out to stock up on Weight Watchers meals, maybe. Maybe not. I find it just as easy to make some tuna salad, or to bake some chicken that'll last a couple days of eating right. Plus I'm cheap, and money is a commodity in short supply right now.

Day 32: Staying within the Points

The secret to staying within your Weight Watchers/Atkins Diet Points Allotment is... bein' a big girl who gets a lot of points! I failed to stay within the allowance yesterday, but the weekly splurge points saved my butt. As long as I hover around more protein and less carbs, I'll make it.

I'm still scared of how the scale will react to my diet-jostling this week, but we'll see on Monday! I expect a fluctuation; I just hope it's a loss rather than a gain.

PROGRESS: Food diary is time-consuming, but serving its purpose of training me to pay attention to what and how much I eat, and how it affects my body. I'm recording points and balances, and still meeting internal resistance to making the diet more Atkins-y-- mainly because I haven't just cooked these past couple days!

NOTE: The reason I feel so good on a high protein diet is that my blood-glucose level doesn't drop drastically if I take too long to eat my next meal. (The sudden dizziness, weakness and a need to eat instantly are characteristics of a borderline diabetic, I think.) I don't like being the crazy-woman-gotta-eat-now lady!

Day 31: The Revised Plan

I've devised a Weight Watchers Point System/Atkins Diet fusion. I'm going to rely heavily on lean protein, non-starchy vegetables, broth-based soups. I'll still avoid most types of carbohydrates except for the occasional chocolate ice cream or the rice in some sushi. (I can't fathom another chum bucket experience!)

So what's changing?

First off, I'll be writing down and assigning a point value to everything I eat. A food diary will allow force me to plan and chart reasons for my progress more efficiently. And there's room to flex the plan if needed without going overboard. But WWPoints rely in portion control, too. Not something Atkins dieters worry about regarding protein! When I lose weight, I lose points.

Second, I may be in a less hardcore state of ketosis during this diet. I'm hoping that if I stick with the lean proteins instead of high-fat portions, I'll still slip into ketosis without too much of a headache. So I'll get the structure of WW Points with the effects of Atkins' ketosis. (And with ketosis comes a loss of the "crazy-lady-eating-everything" appetite.) Atkins fixes an imbalance with another imbalance for the first couple of weeks, and then basically turns into the diet I'll be enjoying.

Third, I'll have some support from a couple friends who will do WW with me (Ryan just got recruited alongside Melody!). Not the big meetings. Goodness no! Just the system and the exercising will be plenty.

Day 30 was my first day and I made it through with 3 points to spare! :) But I get 35 points, which is a lot. It helps that lean meat, eggs and veggies (Atkins diet staples) have low point values while carb-based foods have higher point values.

When I sleep and get up... I'll do it again. I'll weigh myself Monday to see if I make any progress. I'll also check for ketosis to see if I'm right about that. I'm feeling more confident in my ability to manage this diet. I don't feel like it'll get away from me if I slip up for a second. And that's good for more than my health!

Day 29: Insomnia

Couldn't sleep last night... or rather this morning! I almost decided to pull an all-nighter and just keep going all day today. I just felt energized after a creative revelation. We'll see where it takes me! I also didn't eat until way too late. But today, I've got enough eggs, bacon and chicken to gag a vegan (sorry, vegans!) and I intend to make a good Atkins reboot!

I'm studying some Weight Watchers points guides and noticed that an Atkins-y diet doesn't use that many points if you stay on the lean-meat side. I may transition to that diet, but only after Atkins reaches a plateau. Or I may calculate points that I use on the Atkins diet and use their system anyway. That may help me control portions a bit more efficiently.

Day 28: Off

Well, I've not been completely back on track since my "cheat day." The reasons are various. I'll try harder when I wake up tomorrow/today!

Day 27: Ugh!

I chose yesterday as my monthly cheat day. Lunch was Chicken Lo Mein, Miso Soup and a Dragon Roll. Dinner was McDonald's chicken nuggets with ranch and honey mustard and a large Sweet Tea. Dessert was... double fudge ice cream with M&Ms (bad choice of a mix-in) from the Marble Slab Creamery. The way-too-big lunch meal was all right but kinda "meh!" for a cheat day meal. And the nuggets weren't the be-all-and-end-all either. The ice cream was what I really craved. And it's okay to indulge that monthly. :-D

As this mostly day-long regimen departure nearly killed me, I have decided that my next cheat day will involve a cheat meal and/or a cheat dessert, both in small, craving-satisfying portions. My body reminded me in no uncertain terms that going overboard-- even on a cheat day-- is a terrible decision.

I'll be back on track with my Atkins Diet starting today. I think I'll go with lean meats for a couple days, or even just eggs and Jell-O. No veggies or anything, just so my stomach will settle. My next cheat day will be between February 22 and the end of that month. I've got a whole month of focus and progress.

Next Tuesday, I'll start my exercise regimen nice and slowly. I also want to start an early-up schedule for my health, productivity and sanity because sloth is a sin and my lazy butt isn't getting anything done.

PROGRESS: Stalled slightly due to over-exuberant cheating. Ketosis should be easy to rev back up. I feel much better (and worse...ugh!) after getting the cheat-day out of my system. :) Not touching the scale until Monday, by which time progress should be underway again.

Day 26: Potential Diet Disaster

Planning a road trip today. I'll try really hard to eat Atkins-y things, but I can't promise that tempura bananas won't lure me away for my once-per-thirty-days cheat.

Yesterday was a rough day. I had some stress and craved the comfort foods. Oddly enough, one of the sources of stress, traveling in the snow because Brandon had to go to the hospital (he's okay!), I actually didn't get the chance to indulge myself. I ate scrambled eggs, chicken, a Jell-O, and chicken-- not in that order.

PROGRESS: I lost 2 more pounds since my last weigh-in, all thanks to the diuretic effect of Atkins. After this Monday, that effect will wear off some and I'll be digging more into fat reserves instead. If I cheat on the diet today, I'll dive right into Induction for a few extra days to counteract it. And it'll give my body a good jolt. I now weigh 282, for a total loss of 9 lb.

Day 25: Week Two of Atkins Induction

Today is the first day I've been hungry since last week. That means that my carbs from yesterday were too high. I wouldn't say I've broken ketosis, but it also may have something to do with the time... It's after 2pm and I haven't eaten! I might as well shoot my diet in the side to bleed out alone in a dark alley of Adipose City!

Baked chicken, here I come!

Day 24: Back in the Habit

I managed to eat a perfectly good Atkins-friendly meal at Huddle House yesterday. I looked on in some measure of sorrow as Brandon ate the gravy and biscuit that I usually prefer. But I survived. And the meal ended up cheaper! I had some carbs by way of miso soup and seaweed, a couple of Slim Jims (don't hate!), and a couple pieces of sausage with my Huddle House meal. I also had some onions and dill cubes in my tuna salad dinner.

I'm a creature of few habits, good or bad. I bite my nails when I'm stressed (yuck!) but I multitask better when stressed. I don't always floss, but I do brush my teeth! :) I'm honest and blunt, but I can be tactful about it. I don't always wear socks in winter, and often wear Crocs in the snow. I rarely buy shirts with long sleeves for winter, but I sometimes wear a coat when it's really cold.

And now that I'm doing my Health Overhaul, I've got to weigh myself at regular intervals and take vitamins (still haven't). The eating part is easy. It's all about not buying stuff I can't eat and prepping food in advance that I can eat. And if I weigh myself every day, I should develop the habit quickly. (Check!) But this vitamin thing... I don't know how to convince the underdeveloped "habit-forming center" of my brain that it's necessary given a diet lacking in certain vitamins and minerals.

I usually remember to do something if I place it in my path. That way, I trip over it and can't ignore it. Maybe a large bottle of fish oil capsules underfoot will give me the jolt I need. Or the twisted ankle I don't need. Ah, habits! How you clothe the nuns and foil my health plans! :)

Day 22: Back on the Scales!

I said I didn't want to touch the scales until I was a few days back on track, but I weighed in anyway. It is Monday, after all. And nothing motivates like checking progress, negative or positive. My apparent overload of carbs the other day apparently didn't stop my ketosis as much as I figured it would. I still lost 2 pounds since then! This is the end of Week 1 of Atkins Induction. I'm doing two more weeks of Induction.

I'm worried because my Induction water-weight loss is over in as little as 5-8 pounds. Then my "instant results" will drop off to a normal amount per week. But the good news is that the "normal amount" will be pure fat! I'm considering staying on a mostly Induction-style diet, which is fairly safe if a little boring, through the majority of my process. That way I can have a day that spikes in good carbs (like Sonny's BBQ!) if I need to, and it won't affect ketosis as much. And on my monthly "cheat" day, it's easier to jump back into Induction to jostle my metabolism around.

I may even be a good girl and weigh myself daily. *sigh*

PROGRESS: A total of 7 pounds lost as of today! That puts me down to 284. I've also lost an inch off my waist.

GOAL: 2 More Weeks Induction. Start Exercise This Week. Monitor Weight and Energy Level.

Day 21: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Thank you, Clint Eastwood and Angel Eyes and... The Ugly (?) for today's Health Overhaul inspiration.

GOOD: Appetite Suppression. Easily Followed Diet Instructions. Quick Results. Running Water, Some of Which Can Be Hot. Exercise in the Form of Housecleaning. Self-Imposed Exile. Feeling Confident and Productive and Inspired. Sunshine!

BAD: Slight Aspartame Allergy combined with Sugar-Free Jello and Two Sprite Zeros-- Careful! Banana Splits and Hot Fudge Sundaes being distributed en masse at Bingo, within eyeshot of an Atkins Dieter, so that I both smell like smoke AND have ice cream cravings at the end of the night.

UGLY: Eating Too Many Carbs When In Ketosis! Not Drinking Enough Water on Atkins Diet! Aspartame Headache and Constricting Throat!

PROGRESS: I feel kinda blah! in the stomach today. And I have a headache. As a chunky chick, I rarely get to say this... I forgot to eat this morning. So this may be headache material, since skipping a meal is the only thing that gives me a headache on this diet. I'm planning hamburger patties with mayo for lunch. Perhaps some onion. Perhaps a Jell-O. Yum-- sinew, hoof and skin byproducts!

Day 20: Embrace Cabin Fever

Snow happened and kept me from going anywhere for quite a while. For the past couple of days and today, I have expressed my freedom from cabin fever by grocery shopping and trying to eat carefully at restaurants. Nigiri sushi (body didn't like), Sonny's BBQ (I ate no sauce, but too many yummy veggies), and McDonald's (the throw-away-the-bun thing doesn't work if the sandwiches are loaded with ketchup, onions and cheese, but I did it anyway!) are going to be the downfall of my diet. It's happened before.

I'm sure that Mom's dogs are very thankful for the buns, though.

I'm okay with some cabin fever again. My self-imposed exile will keep me focused on work and diet for a while. At least until I can stop looking longingly when someone carts several banana splits and hot fudge sundaes past my nose...

I've heard that many dieters set up a "cheat day" so they can eat one or two meals (or three meals) that are a departure from the proposed diet, once a week or once a month. I'll think about that one, perhaps every thirty days. But I'm afraid of a relapse.

I'm also interested in trying the Weight Watchers Point System as my "Plateau Breaker Diet." It works well and is relatively easy. I failed that one because I let the variety get out of hand and didn't keep good records-- which is why it's harder for me to mess up the Atkins diet. (Suppressed appetite and no low blood sugar are good Atkins diet attributes. My body doesn't crash!)

Just a gross note: I ended my evening with snacks of cheddar pork rinds and sugar-free strawberry Jell-O.

PROGRESS:
1. Still chugging along on the Atkins diet. I may have indulged in too many carbs today, given the cheese on my hamburgers-- and unknown additives. But I'm hanging in there!
2. I've decided that ketosis kicks in better using lean meats that I prepare at home. There're no surprises!
3. I want to make it through the Induction diet with next to no vegetables for a higher initial ketosis rate.
3. I'm not touching a scale until I take a few days to realign my metabolism and purge some adipose tissue! Self-imposed exile, initiated!

Day 19: Chum Bucket

Well, when Dr. Atkins permitted fish on the diet, I don't know if he had a particular affinity for raw fish. I'll just say that a certain professional (my favorite, in fact!) presented to me a certain platter of various nigiri sushi pieces that could have been prettier and more appetizing-looking. But instead, I felt like I was perusing ye olde chum bucket. Don't get me wrong... it didn't smell fishy. Quite the contrary. Good nigiri does not have a smell. It just had a look. I pawned off the random orange slices and maraschino cherries that are not Atkins-approved and ate clear soup, salad, and 14 pieces of raw fish.

Now I didn't blink with the first 10 or so dangly, cold pieces. My favorite warmish piece, I should have saved for last. A huge chunk of eel with sauce tasted sooo good! I did stare at the last two pieces, white tuna and red tuna, and suddenly felt a bit too full. :) But for the price, I would eat those things! Looks like my carb content of the meal rested solely in the mayo-based salad dressing (mixed with crack, I think... but I abstained from overindulging) and the sauce on the one piece of eel. And a little bit of soy sauce and a smaller amount of pickled ginger.

I've made it sound like I've not had sushi, but I've had so much of the stuff and loved it. But in smaller quantities, mixed with other sides and main courses. For plain raw fish, I love white tuna best. And for the various rice-filled sushi I love, I cannot eat them due to carb content. I'm not excited to dive into another chum bucket anytime soon, though. I'll do a more selective plate next time.

PROGRESS: I'm down to 286. Bye-bye some water weight. Ketosis has a nice diuretic effect. (TMI, I know.) Most of my cravings are suppressed. I don't want caffeine, sugar or starchy snacks like chips. (I haven't really seen chocolate, so I can't say I'm over that! I won't buy any, though...) I don't have any withdrawal headaches. After Wednesday, I wasn't really drained of energy anymore. I'm drinking a whole lot of water and haven't been taking my vitamins. I'm starting to feel better!

Day 16: Update!

The diet's going great. Baked chicken for brunch and scrambled eggs for a snack. I'm loading up on plenty of water. I'll be a good girl and take the nasty dirt-tasting vitamins before dinner. (My Achilles' heel, even when I'm making the best diet progress, is continuing to take vitamins!)

Now, there is a particular Ryan friend I have who has decided to make a butter cake with buttercream frosting. He's a professional Atkins-diet saboteur. I'm not all that enticed by his attempt. Take that, Ryan! Now a chocolate cake... That would be mean!

I've got the Atkins Induction diet fuzzies...  I feel satiated with the food, but my body's running out of it's carb stash. I've found that it feels kinda like medicine-head when I have a cold. It'll be over by tomorrow or Thursday for sure. Ketosis, here I come!

DAY 16: Refreshed!!!

Feelin' much better. Now for short-term Goal Number 1, as posted in my first Health Overhaul blog entry:

WEIGHT GOAL 1: 260 by 3-17-11
EATING GOAL 1: ATKINS INDUCTION DIET (Meat, fish, vegetables, water, and vitamins)

Thirty-one pounds lost in 3 months isn't bad for an obese person on a controlled eating program. Looking back at my math, I realize that this is a very reasonable goal for me. I'll lose an average of 2.5 lb a week or less. The first two weeks will see my most significant initial drop because of shedding water weight, so the later low numbers will even out.

Around January 25 (DAY 30) will mark the end of the two-week-drain cycle that the Induction causes, correcting one imbalance with another. The good news is that, with the fleeting exception of my recent miraculously-found chocolate stash, I have been free of caffeine for... well, I forgot how long it has been. 

PREP: I baked and lightly seasoned 5lb of chicken. I have veggies in the freezer, ready for sautee or steam treatments. I have plenty of bottled water and a vitamin stash that Richard Simmons would find impressive.

WHY: Losing 10% of my total weight lowers my risk of heart disease, diabetes and other things significantly. (30lb loss is just over 10% of my total weight, right?) I don't do statistics, but it'll be a great start. Not dying or having to live with disease is as good a reason as any. Feeling better and having the glow of good health are good...

SUPERFICIAL WHY: But daily, I'm going to need more than the lofty "Live Longer" mentality. There are also superficial reasons, and I'll man up and admit them. As an artist, I do like to observe things, after all.

1) I'd like to be a woman who doesn't have a gut. :) Lookin' slightly or heavily pregnant is not pleasant if you're not.
2) I'd like my thighs not to rub together when I walk! I would save pants AND therefore money...
3) If I ever have to wear formals again, I'd like to wear a size that doesn't have double digits and start with a 2. A flattering, non-cube silhouette, if you will! :)
4) Prepare for the worst nerd reason ever... I want to have a greater, more flattering range of costumes for Halloween, Cons and Ren Faire.

There! You managed to drag the REAL, root reason behind my body overhaul! Other than the obvious health reasons in which I sincerely believe... it all boils down to the Creative within me. And it's no coincidence that my last goal winds down in mid-September. I need plenty of time before Halloween to costume the new me! :-D

Day 13: A Break from Beating Myself Up

Apparently, my last couple of days saw me going a bit crazy. These things do happen, periodically. ;-) I'm still feeling a little psychotic right now. The fact that Shiva-Kitty insists on climbing my shoulder and wallowing on me when I'm trying to work doesn't bode well for her safety. But that's just empty venting-threats and cat-flinging...

After taking a couple days to think about what's "wrong" with my Health Overhaul plan and, ultimately, myself, I realized that my current stress level is competing with my resolve to do things. Shutting down doesn't accomplish much, and I'm going to cultivate a less whiny attitude for times when I don't meet goals. Thanks to Rebekah and Angela, who saw through my sarcasm into my frustrated panic, I think I know how to deal with my inner critic. :)

Things that I know: Lifestyle changes don't happen in just 13 days. 91 pounds of weight loss needs to be broken down into increments that I can achieve in the short term. My attitude is directly related to and interchangeable with my success. *deep breath and sigh* And... repeat! :)

GOAL: To view my progress and process in a positive light and take a long break from beating myself up.

Day 11: The Reasons We Fail

I would like to pretend that I've made this weight loss goal as a New Year's Resolution that can easily be cast aside and broken. I made the goal at an unfortunate time of year in which the assumption is that I don't mean it. The truth is that I really don't want to die from something as stupid and "curable" as obesity. I'd like to avoid diabetes and heart disease, pain and immobility, and the terrifying haul-her-out-with-a-crane morbidity that I have not only seen in the media but witnessed in my life.

Although I'm failing miserably this instant, I'm insert-cliche-here ASAP.

I admit that I'm probably in the middle of an overly-dramatic hormone spike right now, but I'm dead serious. I don't care what it takes, and I won't rule out even surgery if it comes to that.  I'll not post daily goals for tomorrow, because it seems like that sets me up to fail. I'll just let you know what I actually do to further my goal each day. If I do nothing, I won't post.

REASONS WE FAIL (Feel free to comment and add to the list)
1. I haven't kept easily-accessed, healthy food on hand. Fast food is eeeeevil!
2. I haven't maintained a good sleep-cycle. Sleeping late and staying up late waste so much of my day.
3. Unsupportive family and friends :-P' ' ' You know who you are, well-loved saboteurs!
4. I plan everything and do nothing.
5. I start feeling overwhelmed, and choose an escape for my sanity, which is apparently not exercise and eating right. And I give up. Willpower degradation, if you will. :(
6. I have a horrible time developing ingrained routines. What I could do with a grain of OCD or anorexia!

So there it is, most of my "funk" has been purged in writing. Now, I'll let it go and see what tomorrow brings!

Days 9 and 10: On Having Tons of Goals

I honestly haven't asked much of myself lately. Just planning a business, doing product development, writing another novel and participating in my own personal Health Overhaul. But silly life does get in the way...

I spent the productive part of yesterday in the unemployment office, which is both a humbling and frustrating experience. Having decided that my nerves and day were shot, I spent the evening making a logo for a friend while watching Family Guy's It's a Trap! Then I sanded doll parts while staring in an otherwise unproductive stupor while watching Dragonball Z Kai. (The other unproductive part of my day involved ignoring my well-intentioned alarms, allowing me to oversleep by way too long and start my UI paperwork very late in the morning, setting me back a few hours for making it to the OET office, which is a nightmare anytime after 8:30am.)

On many of my good, unobstructed days, I have wasted so much time that I'm embarrassed to add it up. On a yesterday-type day, I decided that tomorrow (today) and thereafter would find me extremely stingy with my time. I don't think I'm asking too much just to do the things I mentioned in the first paragraph. As in many pursuits, just hauling my butt to the desk, or sewing table, or weights is all I need.

So, I'm just gonna save time by posting this to the Novelist blog, and get crackin'!

GOAL: Day 1 Weights, Plus Abs
GOAL: TONS OF WRITING!

Day 8: Weigh In!

I started at 291 lb, and now I'm 290! It's a fluke, given the relative failure of last week, but I'll take it and run with it! (And it's scary as a woman to be posting such things! *sigh*) I think I've moved beyond my Pepsi headache, which is good! Over the next two or three more strict eating days, I'll move into the low-carb fog. My body'll ache because it NEEDS carbs and it doesn't WANT to burn my fat. I may get cranky, so look out loved ones! (Tama SMASH carb-lovin' saboteurs!)

Then I'll feel great. And I'll have some water-weight loss to bolster my confidence in this whole dieting thing.

Today will be the day of goals:

1. Day 1 Exercise Routine, 2 or 3 sets
2. Ease Into Diet
3. Begin Vitamin Intake (blech!)
4. Maybe do a Body Test on the Wii to make sure my weight is right...

Day 7: Cutting the Crap

I've spent the last couple days screwing up my plans and letting things go by the wayside in the interest of various distractions. Going into Week Two, I'm done with distractions. Since tomorrow is Monday, and I will be repeating my exercise routine from Day 1, it'll be a new day for eating right again!

The only thing I've truly accomplished among my goals from the last two days and today is that I haven't had a Pepsi! Caffeine headache continues... I stared longingly at a Pepsi today, though. Ryan dutifully told me no, as instructed, and I diverted my attention to water.

I'll be able to set up an intelligent and productive schedule tomorrow, and accomplish all the wonderful things I have in mind.

GOAL: Exercise will follow Day 1, Diet will be "Eat Meat and No Carbs, except Some Leftover Chocolate." I need to be in ketosis by January 11, when I'll start a special diet with Susan and her family for a few weeks.  And I'll weigh in tomorrow morning!

Day 6: Officially Underway

I'm starting to cut out empty food carbs today. I may not accomplish an all-meat day, or anything that ambitious, but I'll try. I'm also restarting my caffeine-deficient headache today. That should be over in a couple days. When I quit several things cold-turkey (ha! I joke about my breakfast!), I fail horribly to achieve my goals. So I'm cutting caffeine, sugar drinks and starchy vegetables today, bread tomorrow, chocolate-based snacks by Monday (*sigh*), and should be on an all-protein Induction by mid-week.

CONFESSIONAL: If I allow myself a cheat on this diet, it will probably be chocolate! In hot-chocolate form, or in some yummy solid form. I'm going to try to get a small stock of very dark chocolate to serve this need. The caffeine level won't be high enough to mess with my metabolism. It'll be better for me and won't impact my blood sugar level as much!

GOAL: FULL EXERCISE ROUTINES, at least one set each, and AEROBICS of some type. CUT CAFFEINE, SUGAR DRINKS, STARCHY VEGETABLES!