Dear Diet…..You Will Not Beat Me!

So I finished the first 4 days of the 4 Day Diet….and let’s just say I am calling for a redo.  Yep, I will be starting the first 4 days over today.

Why you ask? Because the weekend was not so great for my diet. Translation: my husband actually had a Saturday off work (which between school fulltime and working 50+ hours a week….this is rare) and we decided to go to P.F. Chang’s to have a nice meal as we hardly go out.  (I wouldn’t change my decision either….it is rare we get Saturdays like this!)

See, last time I did the diet I started on a Monday so the hardest 4 days of the diet would be done during the week as it is always easier for me to maintain my diet during the week instead of on the weekend.  This time, however, I started mid-week so that the day where I was supposed to eat all fruits and veggies was on a Saturday.  Oops, my bad.  This was a bit of a mistake for me.  While the diet provides a good balance of food, the first 4 days are harder and need a little more control and limit what you can eat, especially when eating out.  I am not going to lie, it is hard to have such strict guidelines (I am talking eating approx. 700 calories a day) on the weekend. Nope, it just ain’t going to happen.

So I am calling for a redo and starting the diet today, so that I can do it right.

Now, for the record I did not go crazy and indulge too much this weekend, I just didn’t follow the diet laid out.  I still kept my calories substantially under my recommended caloric intake to lose 1.5 pounds a week.  But the point of the first phase of the diet is to remove any of the added toxins from our bodies that would be in processed foods and sugars while creating more energy through low calorie & high fiber foods.  And while my caloric intakes were very reasonable and I managed to lose 4.2 pounds in 4 days (compared to 6.7 in 4 days the last time), I want to do this diet right.

So, while I still lost weight and am happy about that (even if it is mostly water weight) I am going to give Phase 1 another try.  I really do not want to quit….which is kind of unlike me because usually when I get frustrated I just stop.  But this time, I want to keep going and do it the best I can! Exciting and weird!

But I will be posting a question momentarily about eating out and dieting.  Stay tuned!!!

Back on the Diet Again

So I am back on The 4 Day Diet. (Insert fake shouts of joy followed by slight groans of annoyance.)

My sister and I were on The 4 Day Diet awhile back and I have to say while we were on it, it worked.  And worked well.  During the mere 3 weeks or so we were on it I lost 12 pounds and I kept 9-10 of those off permanently.  I thought the amount and variety of food I got to eat was very reasonable, considering I have yet to find a diet that features mashed potatoes, cheese, pasta, chocolate & Chinese foods as the main foods on the diet.  While in the first 8 days I did eat A LOT of salads, I also ate beans, brown rice, fruits, and started incorporated meat and snacks into my diet.  Because of the types of foods I ate, I felt full and satisfied!  Well except for the few times when we walked and K & I thought the asphalt looked like the top of a brownie….and then we wanted a brownie.  But other than that, we were good!! :)

Of course the diet isn’t easy…..I mean for crying out loud if diets were easy we would ALL be thinner and healthy!  But as diets go, this one works for me and seems to be the most balanced and sensible. Of course the diet is meant to actually get you to lose weight, especially the first 8 days. But it hits on some very important keys to maintaining a healthy diet after you reach your goal weight; which include eating the correct foods, eating the correct portions of those foods, and maintaining a balance between exercise & dieting.  It also hits on the mental blocks that happen with weight – which I majorly suffer from and will post about soon.  It also focuses on incorporating your real life and real foods into your diet and being sensible in your choices.  The idea is that if you know you are going to eat pizza for dinner have a salad for lunch or even have a salad with your dinner or order thin crust instead of thick crust.  Just making sensible choices, eating when your body is hungry, and cutting out extra calories when possible….which can be easier said than done. 

Basically, it is smart and I like that. 

NOW, that doesn’t mean I enjoy being on a diet but if I want to get into that swimsuit next May I need to do it….so I am giving it a shot.  It is actually perfect timing as both T. & K. are gone a few nights each week and there is no reason I can’t make rice and a salad for dinner for just me when I do not have to worry about cooking for others.  You feel less deprived when you are not watching your husband eat taco bell or a piece of cake. (On a side note…I HATE that. I don’t even want that french fry or cookie….but it is there and he has one and then I WANT it. I cave so easily.)

So here I go.  I will be updating after I complete my 4-day phases!  

Challenge Days 9 – 16 / Jenn

So, I haven’t been writing down everything on the blog about the diet because it can be a pain to find time every day to write everything down and I imagine as a reader it is pretty boring to read. However, I have been keeping track in a journal of everything I have been doing the past week.


Here is the run down.

Days 9 – 12 was the Protein Phases and you pretty much eat the same thing every day and work out every day. This phase was designed to give you plenty of energy and smart and healthy foods. The exercise during this phase is 30 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of weights. I did 30 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of pilates because I don’t have weights.

What we ate:
- Coffee
- 2 Scrambled Eggs
- 1 slice turkey bacon (I did not choose to eat that, but we could have)
- A small protein shake of 200 calories or less
- 2 servings of fruit
- 1 cup raw veggies
- 2 servings cooked veggies
- 1 turkey sandwich on wheat bread
- 1 cup beans
- 1 cup brown rice

Kristen and I did the same thing where we had the fruit, veggies, protein shake and a turkey sandwich during the day and had the eggs, beans, rice, and cooked veggies for dinner. It was filling and more than enough to eat during the day. It can be boring having the same thing every day to eat, but this menu was actually good because it satisfied hunger and you didn’t feel too limited. Plus no salad was nice!

On day 12 Terry wanted to get Chinese. Friday night is usually one night where we always order something in and watch TV. My first ordering out challenge….will she take what she learned and be healthy or will she go back to her old habits and get that egg roll. Dun, dun, dun…..

Let it be known, I was good! The nice thing about the Chinese place we go to is that they serve brown rice so I got steamed vegetables with no sauce (added a little of my own soy sauce) with brown rice. It wasn’t too far off from what I was eating during the week anyways. No egg roll and no sauce cut my calories significantly and it was still very tasty!  I may just be getting the hang of this!

There were no real challenges, however after losing so much weight the first week there was no weight loss these 4 days….which I didn’t really expect. I was just happy to stay where I was and I feel better.


Days 13 – 16. Smooth Phase

This is the phase where you start bringing back those foods into your diet that are considered “guilty pleasures”. It is about how to incorporate these foods into your diet correctly and in what amounts. I really thought I would like this phase as the cravings for these types of foods have been high and I was looking forward to having some of my favorite foods…like pizza & pasta! However, after a couple days on it I must say that I am not a fan of this phase smack dab in the middle. Now, in the book he says that after the first two phases you can do any phase or phases you want and in whatever order you want. K & I decided to just follow the diet the way it was in the book. If/when we do this diet again we will have a better idea of what phases work and in what order. For as much as I was looking forward to this phase, I feel it kind of just messed up my flow of my diet. I wasn’t as hungry for these foods as I thought (it really is a mental thing thinking you want these foods) and really I just wanted a salad. Weird, no?! I had a piece of cake on Easter and it was just blah, infact I didn’t even get into my Easter candy on Easter day except for a few starburst jelly beans. What up with that?!

I also think my stomach was in a bit of shock about the foods I was eating and pepto has been my friend the past couple days. I also do not like how every day is different. It is not conducive for buying groceries and stretching out the items in your diet compared to what you spend. For example in the previous phase, I knew I was going to have 4 apples, 4 bananas, 4 cups of rice, 4 cups of beans, 8 eggs, and veggies for those days and I knew how much food to get and I didn’t waste money or food. I planned out my meals easily and had structure….which I liked. But every day during this phase the food is very different and if we buy a pizza we will have leftovers….and I don’t want leftovers because I don’t want to waste food and I don’t want to be tempted. (T. doesn’t eat leftovers so I would be tempted.) When I do this again, I think I would make this my very last phase because it will be a reward for finishing and allow you to buy food accordingly. I just feel blech about the foods I am eating right now and I do not want them. Maybe that is the point!

Now after a few days of a somewhat relaxed diet, I am eager to get back on a stricter diet and finish off the next 12-15 days with a bang! As it stands I would LOVE to lose 10 pounds by my birthday (April 22) to make my weight loss 50 pounds by my 30th! We will see. I am going to work really hard the next couple weeks to see what results I can get.

I also promise I am going to get back to real blogging and tips on this blog.....just been busy :)

Challenge – Day 7 & 8 Jenn (Current Results)

I combined these days as I felt very similar these two days. Last days of Transition phase.


What I ate on Day 7:
Breakfast – 2 cups coffee & 3 tsp creamer (Slept in so didn’t eat breakfast)
Lunch – ½ Turkey Sandwich and 1 apple
Dinner – 3 cups salad with veggies, 4 ounces grilled chicken, 3 tbsp Italian dressing
Snack – 60 baby gold fish & 1 cup strawberries
Water – 6 cups

What I ate on Day 8:
Breakfast – 2 cups coffee & 4 tsp creamer
Mid-morning Snack – ½ cup cottage cheese, ¼ cup blueberries, 5 strawberries
Lunch – ½ Turkey Sandwich and 1 apple
Dinner – 2 cups salad with green peppers, 3 ounces grilled chicken, 3 tbsp Italian dressing, an ounce of cashews, 1 cup black and white beans
Water – 8 cups

Exercise – Day 7 was a Rest Day & Did not work out Day 8 :(

Reaction – Overall, I think this module was harder than the previous. First, this phase fell on the weekend and with the food being as limited as it was you really were just hungry and had to get past any mental stimuli that is usually associated with eating on the weekend. Second, even with the snacks available (which were great) it was not entirely satisfying. You always just wanted something a little more. Also by this point I am sick of salads and beans and really am just craving anything else. I think that is what makes this phase so hard, cravings are kicking in. I am very much looking forward to the next phase which is the Protein Module and contains no salad and will hopefully curve any cravings I am having.

What I liked – I liked the snacks and I like having an idea of what a 150 calorie or less snack was really like. This will really be beneficial in the future. I also was surprised how much meat I probably eat in one portion. 4 ounces of chicken was half a chicken breast! I really need to start having a better idea of exactly how much meat I am eating at one time and try to stay closer to my dietary recommendations and not necessarily eating the portion I am given.

What I didn’t like – The weekend…that was hard. Also, for the record 60 baby goldfish isn’t as many as you think! I could have easily eaten twice as much but I think that is the point, I need to realize what a portion is!

Challenges – Being hungry. Weekend eating.


OVERALL RESULTS:

Total weight lost: 2.2 pounds! This bumps my total weight lost since August 1, 2009 to 41.6 pounds!! I am SO excited about this.

Challenge – Day 6 Jenn

What I ate:

Breakfast – 2 cups coffee w/ 3 tsp creamer and sugar. Snack option: ½ cup cottage cheese, 5 strawberries, and 1 cup blueberries
Lunch –Snack option: 8 saltines and 2 tsp peanut butter, 1 apple, 1 cup carrots
Dinner – 2 cups salad, 4 ounces grilled chicken, 1 cup beans, 3 tbsp Italian dressing
I also snacked on a couple bites of tilapia
Water – 9 cups

Exercise – Walked 4 miles!!!! Post to come about this as it was a big mental and physical accomplishment.

Reaction – I was hungry today. I was home and just wanted to snack and never seemed able to curve this hunger I had. Maybe because I usually snack on the weekends because Terry is in class until 6:30 pm and I snack until I have a meal with Terry after his class. I am pretty sure that even though some was actually hunger, I think some of this was also mental. I also think that if you do not pick snacks that have more carbs you may get hungrier as it is not like the previous phase where we could have rice a few days. Though it is more calories, this phase is not as filling if you choose the wrong snacks.

What I liked – I really liked the snacks. It is nice when you can incorporate things like cottage cheese, peanut butter and crackers back into your diet. I was also super proud of myself of my working out and liked that I accomplished something like that.

What I didn’t like – Being hungry sucks. I also didn’t like when my lovely husband and his brother cooked up crab cakes, had some shrimp and snacked on hostess cakes in the evening while I just sipped on my ice water. I eventually just went to bed because I really just wanted to eat a (or 3) Twinkie…..and I don’t even like Twinkies that much!!!

Challenges – I had two challenges today. First, it was Saturday and I spent most of the day alone and I really wanted to just snack. It is easier to be on a diet when you are at work because you can really watch what you eat, but when you are at home just watching TV that is when the boredom kicks in and the urge to snack kicks in hard core. It was definitely a little harder today. Second, I miss drinking milk. I usually drink a few glasses a day and haven’t had a glass of milk for a week and I miss it horribly. I know I should stick to the diet, but I think a cup of skim milk is necessary and will have to be added to my diet at least every couple days from this point on.

Challenge – Day 5 (Transition) Jenn

What I ate:


Breakfast – 2 cups coffee w/ 3 tsp creamer and sugar. Snack option 1: ½ a 12 grain bagel and 1 ½ tsp light cream cheese. (mmmmmmm)
Lunch –Snack option 2: ½ Turkey sandwich and 1 cup carrots
Mid-afternoon Snack – 1 apple
Dinner – 2 cups salad, 5 ounces tilapia, 1 cup beans, 3 tbsp Italian dressing, 1 cup cabbage soup
Water – 11 cups

Exercise – 40 minutes walking

Reaction – I was happy to start having other foods aka real foods!! Right around the time you start getting bored you get to switch to the next phase which is really nice. However, I think this phase is going to be hard because other than the snacks you have the same thing every day for 4 days.

What I liked – My fish…delicious! I also liked all the 150 calorie or less snack options available. You can pick two each day and there is a huge variety and it is nice to have those options.

What I didn’t like – Salad & beans are going to get old by the end of this phase

Challenges – Nothing really

Challenge – Day 4 (Last Day of Detox Phase) Jenn

YAY…last day of Phase 1! On to the transition phase.


What I ate:
Breakfast – 1 cup coffee w/ 2 tsp creamer and sugar. 1 apple
Lunch – 1 cup brown rice. 2 cups lettuce. 3 ounces cashews. 3 tbsp fat-free Italian dressing.
Mid-afternoon Snack – 1 cup frozen grapes.
Evening Snack – 1 orange
Dinner – 1 cup rice. 1 cup cabbage soup. 1 cup green beans.
Water – 9 cups
Psyllium Husk – 1 ½ tbsp….LAST DAY!

Exercise – 40 minutes walking

Reaction – I felt really good today and am excited that it is the last day of the detox because that means tomorrow I can start adding bread and meat to my diet!! I had plenty of energy today but had one moment of cravings in the evening in between work and dinner. I really just wanted something filling and full of carbs and didn’t care what it was. However after an orange and thinking that I would be eating dinner shortly it passed, sort of.  It really is a mental thing and that is what I am working on!

What I liked – Honestly, that it was the last day. I could maybe go a couple more days and be fine….but I was thrilled that this phase was over.

What I didn’t like – Working out. It was snowing outside and I really was bored working out and don’t think I gave it my all. Just did it to get it over with.

Challenges – Working out.



OVERALL RESULTS:

Total weight lost for phase one: 6.7 pounds!! (I am certain a lot of this is water weight but I was very surprised how much I lost in only FOUR DAYS!) We will see what the next week is like, not expecting anywhere close to the same since so much was lost these 4 days.

Overall Reaction to Phase 1: It was not that bad. Really. Believe me I love food and love to eat, so if this was really that bad I would let you know. Yes you will feel hungry especially if you do not plan your food for the day out so you are eating something every few hours. However, if you plan accordingly, you will have more energy and not be as hungry. So far this is good and between reading the book and writing down my thoughts every day I am starting to see where my flaws with food and exercise lie.  I also like measuring things out as it gives me a better idea of portion sizes.

May I suggest - Stop drinking pop and snacks a week or so before if you do this to help you out! I gave that stuff up for lent but if I had to give all that up at the same time I am sure this would have been a lot harder.

Challenge Day 3 – Jenn

What I Ate:


Breakfast – 1 ½ cups coffee with 2 tsp sugar and 3 tsp creamer. 6 oz non-fat strawberry/banana yogurt
Mid-Morning Snack – 1 Orange
Lunch – 2 cups Salad with ½ cup cucumber and green peppers and ½ cup black and white beans. 3 tablespoons Italian dressing.
Afternoon Snack – Apple
Dinner – 1 cup cabbage soup, 2 cups sautéed spinach, and a ½ cup black and white beans.
Evening Snack – Did not have
Water – 10 cups
Psyllium husk – 1 ½ tablespoons with 1 cup lemon juice and water

Exercise – walked with my sister outside for 40 minutes

My reaction – Still going strong and am surprised at how full I really feel. True, I could and would never carry on with so few calories on a regular basis, but I am seeing what the proper size of food really is and just how much I really need. Again the hardest part in the day is the stretch in between my afternoon snack around 3:30 and about 6:00. Don’t know why this part of the day is the worst, but it is.

What I liked – I got to COOK today! I made a cabbage soup that also had carrots, potatoes and onions in it. It had a ham hock in it as well and actually tasted really good. As someone who loves to cook and finds it relaxing to cook and share dinner with my family, I was bummed Monday and Tuesday that I couldn’t cook (wilting spinach and poaching eggs does not count). So this made my day.

What I didn’t like – Again with the psyllium husk. (one day left) It actually only took me about 10 minutes to drink it today, which was a vast improvement from the 45+ that it took me Monday.

Challenge – Really there was no challenge today. I felt good, the diet was fine and I am eagerly anticipating Friday when I can start having snacks and some meat! Today was a good day.

Challenge – Day 2 / Jenn

What I Ate:


- 1 ½ cups coffee with 2 teaspoons sugar and 3 teaspoons of cream
- Breakfast: I medium apple
- Lunch: 3 cups salad with ¼ cup green peppers and cucumbers with 3 tablespoons low fat Italian dressing
- Afternoon Snack: ½ cup frozen red grapes
- Dinner: 2 Cups sautéed spinach, 1 cup brown rice and 2 poached eggs.
- Evening Snack: ½ cup sliced strawberries
- Water intake: 9 cups of water

Exercise: 40 minutes walking on the treadmill

Reaction: Today was a pretty good day. I seemed to have a lot more energy today and felt really good. I noticed that I am slowing down when I eat because I want to enjoy the food I have and make it feel like it lasts longer. Of course I may not be eating the actual foods I want to eat but I do not feel deprived yet.

What I like: I like that I am measuring everything out and getting a better idea of what the proper portions of something really is. Sometimes the proper portion is actually more than what I thought while other times it is way less. It is a very good lesson for me after I finish this diet. I also like drinking a cup of water before each meal because I feel it helps you not eat as fast and get fuller quicker. I will try to continue this even after I am done with this diet.

What I didn’t like: Right now because my body is readjusting my food intake and looking at food differently I am thinking about food – a lot. Though I am not always hungry I am also not stuffed either, which is actually a very very good thing. However, a couple hours after eating I am thinking and eagerly anticipating my next meal. This is just all a mental thing.

Challenges: Snacks. Plain and simple, I want something salty and crunchy in the evening.

Challenge – Day 1 Jenn

So yesterday was Day 1 of the 4 Day Diet Kristen and I started. Here is how the day went and my thoughts.

Day 1 – Induction Phase (Detox & Cleansing)

What I Ate:
- Breakfast: 1 ½ Cups coffee with 1 teaspoon sugar and 3 teaspoons of creamer. A 6 ounce non-fat strawberry/banana yogurt with ½ cup blueberries.
- Mid-Morning Snack: 1 orange
- Lunch: 2 cups lettuce with ¼ green peppers and ¼ cucumbers. 3 tablespoons reduced fat Italian dressing.
- Mid-Afternoon Snack: 1 apple
- Dinner: 1 ½ cups brown rice, 1 cup mixed black & white beans and 2 cups cooked spinach
- Evening Snack: I actually skipped my evening snack of strawberries because I was full from dinner….WHAT?!?!
- I also drank 7 grams in 1 cup homemade lemonade (aka pure lemons with a tsp of sugar…blech) of Psyllium Husk, which is a very high fiber supplement. GROSS.
- Water intake: Before every meal I had one cup of water. I drank at least10 cups of water today.

Exercise: None

My Reaction: I was surprised just how much food I got to eat and how filling it was, especially dinner. Yes it is a bit boring, a fairly plain salad with no cheese and croutons….what the heck is that about?! Plain rice with beans…where is the hot sauce?! But we are only doing this plan for four days and then on to the next so it really seems very tolerable and not that big of a deal at all especially because if you plan your day out right you are not hungry. If I had to eat the same thing for 2 weeks straight I would go crazy, but that is the beauty of the program you only have to do it for FOUR days!

What I liked: I liked that I actually was full and had energy. The only time I was actually hungry and feeling very tired was between about 4:30-6:00 because my snack was around 3 and we didn’t eat dinner till 7:30, but my delicious psyllium husk around 6:00 filled me up rather quickly. Yuck. I also like that I can choose when and in what order I can eat the foods on the list and made it a point to try to eat every few hours. I like this prgram, alot.  I feel encouraged to keep going....and yes I know I am on day 2 but those first days can be hard.

What I didn’t like: Well first off I HATED the psyllium husk. (DUH) It tasted awful and had a horrible consistency. Here is something about me, there are few foods I hate simply based on taste alone it is the consistency of those foods that really get to me. Everyone asks why I hate fruit filled pies….it is because the consistency of warm jelly like fruit is SO gross to me. Well this stuff just had a horrible jelly like consistency and it took me forever to drink about a cup of this stuff. Granted, I am a bit of a baby but every time I would take a sip I would have to chug water and wait because I thought I would vomit. Kristen on the other hand took it like a champ and it only took her about 10-15 minutes to drink it all. Luckily, we only have 2 more days of this crap, so I think I will be ok. What else was a dislike? Well I am not a fan of drinking nearly black coffee. I like a little coffee with my cream and 2 teaspoons of cream to 1 ½ cups of coffee doesn’t cut it. However, I need the caffeine and I feel with all the fiber I am eating the coffee will help, um, lets just say stimulate the process (heehee) so I feel it is good during this detox phase! Finally I am not feeling the exercising. Yes I just came off the 30 day challenge but I have not worked out for about 9 days and I can tell it in my body. With this program you have to exercise 40 minutes every few days, this is going to be hard for this first week until I get back into the habit.

Challenges: The office ordered pizza for lunch and it smelled delicious. However, I actually didn’t care that I was not eating the pizza and putting something so heavy in my body. It really didn’t bother me at all. However, my husband bringing home Wendy’s for his dinner was VERY hard. It smelled good and of course he got fries…which is my biggest weakness and top guilty pleasure food. I so just wanted one little French fry….but refused temptation. But I am not going to lie, I wanted that damn fry.




Read my sister’s Day 1 thoughts below!!

Challenge 2, Day 1 - Kristen

Yesterday, Monday March 22, was Day 1 of the new fitness challenge.

The Facts:
In the morning I had about a cup and a half of coffee with a teaspoon of sugar, one 6ounce 99% fat free strawberry yogurt, and one medium apple for breakfast. I ate one medium banana for a mid-morning snack. Lunch consisted of two cups of a green garden salad with three tablespoons of non-fat Italian dressing. I ate another medium apple midway through the afternoon. Dinner was one cup of freshly squeezed lemonade, two cups of spinach, one cup of cooked kidney beans, and one and a half cups of cooked brown rice. I had an after-dinner snack of one more medium banana. I broke up my 40 minutes of cardio into 20 minutes of jogging on the treadmill before dinner and 20 minutes of fast walking on the treadmill after dinner.

The Reaction:
When I first saw the list of foods to eat, I remember thinking, "How am I ever going to not be hungry?" This diet tells you the list of foods to eat, but doesn't tell you when; you decide that for yourself. I made the smart decision of making sure I had snacks between meals to keep myself from being hungry. And I gotta tell you, I wasn't hungry.

Well, okaaaaay, I was hungry around 5:00pm. This was the longest stretch of time in the day that I went without food (3:30 to 7:30), and I was feeling it in the middle of my class. Otherwise though, I felt full the entire day.

I found it interesting, too, in how I would actually force myself to eat foods. I was instructed on this day to drink a glass of water before breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which fills up part of your stomach so that you eat less. I drank a glass of water before breakfast, and it took me nearly two hours to finish my yogurt and my apple because of that.

Dinner was surprising. I do not normally like beans. Kidney beans are one of the few beans that I actually like, simply because of its use in New Orleans' style cajun cooking. One and a half cups of brown rice actually took up half the plate! Add the beans and the spinach on top, and I was unable to finish my meal.

Who would have thought that I would be on a diet and actually write the words, "I was unable to finish my meal"?!

The cardio felt really good, too. I was able to find a speed on the treadmill in which I could jog and push myself, but I was just on the brink of feeling pain in my side. So this allowed me to jog for a longer period of time without getting discouraged that I had to slow down.

The Response:
I'm really surprised by the first day. I was surprised how consistently satisfied and nonhungry I was throughout the day. I was surprised by how much food I was actually eating. I was surprised by being able to jog for as long as I did.

I realized how difficult it was though during the afternoon. I stopped by a friend's apartment after work, before my class. Normally on these days, they feed me Ramen. Mmmmmm, sweet delicious Ramen, the staple of a college student's diet. So cheap. So noodly. I love your chicken packet. I miss you.

Then I go on campus. Oh, Starbucks. Oh, a smoothie. A burrito! Sushi! Chicken nuggets! Oh my God... I crave bacon.

And this is where it gets hard.

The emotional cravings I was having hit me like a ton of bricks (and now I have the desire to watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit?). I suddenly wanted to eat everything I could possibly want. All without being a single ounce of hungry. This is something I'm going to need to work on over the next month.

The Conclusion:
I am very excited to continue with this program. I'm enjoying it so far. Peeps... I'm actually enjoying a diet!

Challenge # 2

Ok, so my sister and I are kicking off our second Challenge today and I have to say this one is a bit harder. We are actually doing Dr. Ian Smith’s 4 Day Diet. Now, I have tried a few fad diets in college but I typically avoid them because I do not think they are a balanced way to help with a lifestyle change but rather an unhealthy way to lose weight fast. However, this diet seems different and is not a “crash diet” at all but a comprehensive look into yourself, the foods/portions we eat and the amount of exercise we do and my sister and I really wanted to give it a try.


The idea behind the diet/exercise program is that every 4 days you move to a different phase in the program thus keep your body unable to get use to certain eating habits and foods while also not getting bored of the same diet. (Though I imagine you may get bored of salad as there is a lot of that in this diet!) As someone who gets bored REALLY easily, I like that idea. Plus the diet itself, though strict during the first two phases, is the most reasonable and well-rounded program I have seen. Even during the first phase which is about detoxing, you still have a good amount of food you get to eat.

The phases of the diet are:

1) Induction (Detox/Cleansing)
2) Transition (Reintroducing all food groups)
3) Protein Stretch (Higher protein and cardio)
4) Smooth (Incorporating those “forbidden” foods like pizza and fries into your diet correctly)
5) Push (A stricter eating plan)
6) Pace (A Comfortable eating plan)
7) Vigorous (A way to lose weight faster)

To do this diet/exercise program you must complete the first two phases (8 days) but after that you have the freedom to do the remaining phases in whatever order you want or for as long as you want depending on your weight loss goal. (Though Kristen and I are following it as is for 28 days.) This program has a lot of flexibility and really makes sense, but also is strict enough to hopefully get results as it has laid out meal plans so you are not trying to guess what you should eat next. I enjoy knowing that this is what I am eating today and I don’t have to count calories or figure it out on my own. It just is what it is…so deal with it!!

And for me, the best and most beneficial part of the book is the first half where he talks about the mental blocks to weight loss. He talks about how weight loss is 80% mental and 20% physical and for me, and I know many others, the hardest part is getting past those mental barriers we have created. He has chapters talking about being honest with where you really are with your weight and how you got there, setting realistic goals, motivations, temptations, positive attitudes, eating right and rewarding yourself. There are actually questions you answer in the journal you keep for each of these chapters. It is actually very revealing as even though I knew all these things, just writing them down made me think about all the issues with weight, self-image, and motivation that I have. I know that the ONLY thing stopping me from losing weight is myself and I really need to get past some of these issues I have to move forward.

I am not saying any of this will be easy, but I really want to give it a try for a couple reasons. First I really want to change the way I look at food and maintaining a healthy diet. I know I need stricter portion controls and I need to put more of the right foods into my body and less of the wrong ones. Second I want to prove to myself that I CAN do this. I am able to do anything I set my mind to so this should be no exception. Finally, I obviously want to lose weight and re-kick start my weight loss.

So if anyone is interested in learning more about this diet please let me know. I understand this challenge is not for everyone but it is something that I want to do right now so if you are interested let me know! We keep a journal with all our information, but I was thinking of also putting my daily food intake and exercises on the blog. I think it is good to share. :)

So Kristen and I are going to be posting our results every day or two and also giving you our reactions about the program. Consider it our review on if this program works and the pros and cons to it! I know the blog will mainly be about this for the next month, but I am sure these posts will also give our readers tips and ideas for their own weight loss, diet and exercise programs. We will also be sharing our answers to the journal entries and encourage anyone fighting with losing weight to take the time to answer those questions privately…or publicly if you are so inclined.