It's weird doing X Stretch in the middle of the week. I was up at 4 AM (yes, that's a 4) and tossed and turned, then finally got up and got it out of the way. My son did not have a fever when I woke up and he came out to keep me company halfway through the dvd. He proceeded to bug the crap out of me for 27 minutes. His fever did come back several hours later, so he's going to be home again tomorrow. I'm ready to pack him up in a box with air holes and send him to live with his Nanna in New York.
I've been talking to friends about what eating plan I should follow. I'm a big advocate of most of them, and I truly believe it comes down to what works for the individual. My biggest complaint with any plan is the restriction. Atkins is too low carb for me. Most other plans are too low fat for me. Or too low calorie. Regardless of the plan, I find myself obsessing about getting everything to fit properly. Do you know that before I started P90X, I calculated - to the gram - how much apple I could eat with my cottage cheese before my work outs? An 86 gram apple gave me exactly half a serving of fruit. This allowed me to have another half a serving of fruit later in the day. What if I wanted the whole apple? Or the whole banana? It didn't fit.
Anyway, Weight Watchers is one I was considering. It's sensible and many, many people have great success with it. I was concerned though, that it might not be enough calories for me. I have no idea about the points to calorie conversion, and people say that's part of the beauty of it - don't worry about calories, just eat your points. Maybe I could learn to do that, but I think in terms of calories for right now and it's hard to change that mindset. And of course, I still believe a protein-dominant diet is best for me. I also like moderate fat intake. I like cheese now and then, you know? I like vegetables. In fact that was one of my main beefs with the P90X plan - it didn't allow enough vegetables. But as I stated in the comments of my last blog, I don't want to find myself hungry and having to "settle" for vegetables just because I don't have any points left for the day.
I used to think I needed to have a plan. Maybe the best option for me is to NOT follow a plan. Over the summer, I was very laid back. I did not binge as much as I have in the first 4 weeks of P90X, that's for sure. I ate what I wanted, when I wanted it. I was happy and satisfied. Sure, I only lost half a pound in 2 months, but that's okay. I think I can make that same method work for weight loss. To be honest, I don't think my diet, overall, is that bad. Yes, the veggies have been lacking the last few weeks but that changes today. Aside from the binges, I've made good choices. And I honestly think the restrictive diet caused the binges. I'm sure of it. I hate being told I can't eat something. So no more can't!
One thing I posted in my comments for yesterday's blog that I wanted to repost here:
It doesn't matter what "rules" I have for food. I'm impulsive and emotional, and that's never going to change. Having rules makes feel weak and out of control. Without rules, I don't have to feel guilty for breaking them. When I break rules, it makes me want to throw in the towel. I'm very big on "Oh, I ate something I shouldn't have - might as well blow off the rest of the day." Or "I ate so much, I might as well keep going." This has always been my issue.
I was all set to eat a healthy chicken and vegetables dinner, then I watched the season finale of Hung (if you've never heard of it, it's about a guy with a very big wiener who becomes a professional wiener-user to make money after his house burns down), and I could not shake the craving for hot dogs. And you have to have mac & cheese with hot dogs. All I had was some deluxe shells & cheese, which tastes like total crap. I took one bite and decided I didn't really want it. I'd called my husband to bring home some hot dogs (I asked for some bigger ones that fit right in the bun) and some whole wheat buns. He brings home these monster quarter pound freaking hot dogs and regular buns. I was pissed. He insisted there were NO whole wheat buns anywhere in the store. Apparently, I need to spell everything out for him, or do it all myself. Even for hot dogs and buns, I have standards. So I told him I wasn't eating it. The he got pissed and said he wasn't eating. Screw him then. I threw the mac & cheese in the garbage. I don't give a crap if he starves, and now I'm too pissed off to eat because he's a freaking idiot. WHO THE HELL EATS A 250 CALORIE, QUARTER POUND FRAKKING HOT DOG WHEN THEY ARE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT???? I could have cut it in half, but at that point, I had no appetite at all because he doesn't have an ounce of common sense.
For a few days, I'm going to track my points as well, out of curiosity.
6:50 AM - apple & cottage cheese w/ cinnamon & Splenda [4 pts]
10:50 AM - whole wheat toast, omelet w/ onion, green pepper & picante sauce [5 pts]
1:45 PM - catfish, green pepper slices & baby carrots [3 pts]
2:40 PM - yogurt [2 pts]
5:45 PM - baby carrots & banana [1 pt]
Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.
Calories - 1132
Carbs - 156 (21 fiber)
Protein - 91
Fat - 22
C/P/F Ratio - 52.8/30.5/16.7
16 points
Obviously, not a good food day.
