Day 21

It's hard to believe that I have been doing this for 3 weeks. (Give or take an occasional cheat day) I should definitely notice a difference. (I do, but not radical) I should be a lot slimmer by now, and I think I know what I am doing wrong. I am not eating enough raw greens. The more raw greens I eat, the more weight I should lose.  I haven't been eating big enough salads. I've also been eating too many soups instead. I really believe if I follow this plan exactly, I will lose weight as well as feel better. Well, following  exactly would mean giving up my morning coffee. It is the one non-caloric pleasure I indulge in every morning, and I'm not convinced it is not healthy. I also refuse to part with it at this time. It's okay though, because even Dr. Furhman understands if you don't want to give it up.

Day 20

I wonder if steel cut oatmeal is more filling than regular oatmeal. This morning I took a walk with my daughter, and we ended up stopping for breakfast at a neighborhood restaurant. I bypassed all of the delicious sounding omelets and freshly baked bread options and went with the steel cut oatmeal and fruit. After only a few bites, I was seriously full. I'm not sure why, that usually never happens. Anyhow, I left most of it in the bowl, and was happy with myself throughout the day. It is good to start the day off right. 

Day 19

I made it through another day. Barely. Today I didn't eat breakfast. I left the house after a couple of cups of coffee, and then visited my mom and had more coffee. By the time I returned home, I was really hungry. First, I had a wedge of fresh pineapple. Then, I made myself a salad with Romaine lettuce and avocado. I was too shaky to make a non-oil dressing, so I just bit the bullet  and added olive oil. It was enough nutrients to get my blood sugar leveled and I started feeling better. Tonight, we went to a movie at 6pm, and didn't end up eating until almost 9:00. Again, I was starving, but I managed to order only a chopped salad with a light citrus vinegarette. What I am most proud of is what I didn't eat! I did not eat the meatball appetizer, and I did NOT eat the hamburger and onion rings that my daughter ordered! I feel like I should get extra credit for the food I passed on!

Day 18

I should be eating throughout the day. Instead, I start with a breakfast of fruit and then I often don't eat again until dinner. If I was eating a turkey sandwich for lunch like I used to, I would probably be eating during the day. It's easy to prepare, easily transportable, and one of my favorite comforting things to eat. I often don't have the desire to stop what I'm doing in the middle of the day to wash and cut vegetables, mix a non-oil dressing in the blender, and sit down and chew on a big bowl of greens. It makes me tired just thinking about it. Today I waited until I was just about starving, and then I had a quick cup of soup. Had I fallen asleep after that I would have been fine. However, a friend asked me over for a chat, and a glass of wine. I've only had a couple of alcohol cheat days, and it is Friday night. So, after one glass turned into two, I came home and binged on raw cashews. At least I wasn't eating Oreos. 19 days, and though not perfect, I am still making healthier choices than before.

 

Day 17

I usually write at the end of the night. Today is a little different. It's about 5:30 and I am so looking forward to dinner. I googled a few recipes today and came up with a zucchini soup by Dr. Fuhrman that looked and sounded so good. I'm simmering the onions, zucchini and garlic now and can't wait to add the other ingredients.

Update: not the best thing I've ever eaten, but it was pretty good.
After simmering the vegetables for about 1/2 hour, I added them to the food processor with 1/4 cup of raw cashews to give it a creamy texture. (No oil) Then, I added a few handfuls of spinach and fresh sweet corn. Thyme, basil and oregano were part of the recipe, but I also added some green Tabasco sauce at the end because it still needed a little something. I'd make it again because it was very satisfying, but it's not something I would make for company.

Day 16

Better choices than the past on Patti's Plate today, but not fitting for a Nutritarian. Today was a special day. My husband and I had an appointment in the San Diego area, so we took the opportunity to visit our son in Carlsbad on the way home. He has been living there on a "student budget" for the past year and was excited to be treated to dinner. He suggested a restaurant that he had been wanting to try and after eating there, I know why. The food was really delicious. I perused the menu for quite some time before deciding on an entree. There were really not a lot of choices for a Nutritarian. I didn't want to make the dinner about me and a sudden dietary change so I did the best I could. I decided not to care at all about oil and I also decided as long as I was staying away from meat, I was still better off than before. I ordered salad with a mushroom, onion, olive appetiser as my entree. Had I just had that, I would have been proud of myself. However, we started the meal with mussels and squid. Although, Ted ate most of it, I definitely ate my share.

Day 15

I made a golden split pea soup in the crock pot on Sunday. I cooked it the entire day, and the peas were still hard by dinner time. I puréed them somewhat and refrigerated them. On Monday I put them back in the crockpot for another day. By dinner, though still not perfect, they were edible. Today, I came home from work, tired and hungry.     Being able to warm the soup in the microwave and produce a hot satisfying bowl within 3 minutes made me realize how important it is to have healthy comforting food easily accessible at all times. If I didn't have it already made I may have been tempted to have a piece of cheese. I knew a stick of celery certainly wasn't going to do the trick. And.....the soup finally tasted good.