Day 191 - A Long Silence and Diets

I don't think I've gone this long without blogging since I've started. Not sure. But I've been crazy busy. When I got back San Jose, CA I hit the ground running at work getting ready for enrollment for IJS to begin. It began yesterday and PayPal, our payment provider, wouldn't let anyone pay for their courses. So yesterday was a day of panic for me but God quickly reminded me He pre-ordained this to happen before the beginning of time and I simply needed to ask for His wisdom on what to do. The problem has been solved today, thankfully.

I've been on a new "diet." I hate calling it that although it calls itself that. It's called The Flat Belly Diet. The editor-in-chief of Prevention magazine put it out a few years ago and I heard about it through Kami who had heard about from a friend Kellyanne. And now Martin and I are doing it. I was VERY sceptical at first. I imagined a diet book with a hot pink cover and a stupid blonde on the front in a stupid bikini and it told you that you had to eat grapefruit and drink water with hot sauce in it. But Kami quickly assured me it was legit.

I bought the quick reference guide (hooray for tiny books!) and the cookbook on amazon.com for about $18.00 total (but not before previewing the book on Amazon - I sound like I'm promoting Amazon), got it two days later - it was at my door step when I got home from California.

Here's the gist: belly fat is bad, bad, bad. It causes diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. It takes monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and puts them in every meal then combined with lean meats, fruits, veggies and healthy carbs you've got yourself a smaller belly!

Well what has MUFAs in them? I had no idea a couple of weeks ago. They are oils, nuts, avocados, and wait for it, wait for it - dark chocolate! That's right folks - chocolate.

Martin and I have been doing the 32 day plan and we are on the second week and love it. We eat four meals a day, no meal is over 400 calories, we eat less than 5 grams of saturated fats a day, and eat a MUFA at every meal. It gives you a shopping list for every week and the items that you should have left over from the week or weeks before are italicized so you don't buy them again. It also gives you alternatives if you don't like something or can't get a certain item.

Here's the kicker - we don't have cravings. It's so weird. I don't feel like I'm depriving myself and I'm not hungry. Now, I'm only in my second week but this is usually the time that if I don't get a Snickers bar soon I'm going to hurt someone. I think it's because we get yummy meals (snacks) like - a whole grain waffle with a quarter cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips on top in the oven then a cup of fresh strawberries poured over it. Who needs a Snickers?

Martin has been trying new things and I'm very proud of him. He's been more adventurous than me (what can I say - I hate sweet guacamole - give me spicy and I'll be fine but NOT sweet!). He told me he might try some stuff with mayonnaise in it. I'm not going to force the issue but hey - we might have a convert (although it's canola oil mayo but still).

I'm not going to weigh until the 32 days is over. I'll let you know. I can tell my clothes are loose and that's enough for me at this point.

It's a good lifestyle adapter. I like that. And August is the perfect month to try it because all the fruit and veggies are fresh and (sadly, more important to me) cheaper!

Okay, that's all for now. I've got to get back to work. SO much to do and if I don't do it here, I do it at home.