Had a lifetime “first” today: I drank 64 oz of water. : ) YEAY me. Each day is so different….some days it’s so easy to eat healthy food and exercise, then the very next day it’s the hardest thing in the world. Go figure. This variability has taught me to stay humble and focused, even during successful times.
Today is Day 2 of 28 in my South Beach Diet, Phase 1. Yesterday, I spent 3 hours (yes, HOURS) planning 2 weeks worth of low-meat, high protein, high fiber, low fat, almost no eggs, limited dairy, no refined carbs, virtually no fruit ::gasps for air:: meals. Then, since these meals aren’t easily or affordably available to buy, I spent another hour doing food prep (chopping veggies & mixing up a Shrimp-Avocado-Edamame Salad). I’ve identified that I MUST have a specific dinner plan or meal prepared for when I get home, otherwise, I gorge on refined carbs or graze WAY too many calories, or eat too many sweets.
So, today I ate my painstakingly planned, small meals every 2-3 hours and drank about 12 oz of water every time I ate. It worked out really well today…I wasn’t racing to the bathroom or feeling that horrible, sloshy sensation that occurs when I drink too much water in one sitting.
I have to admit, I’m pretty skeptical about the positive effects of drinking so much water….I mean, if I needed that much water, wouldn’t I be thirstier? But anyway, I *did* notice something interesting today that I think was related to my increased water consumption and to my high protein, etc. diet. 1) I had more sustained energy. Amazingly, I never “crashed” today, and I ALWAYS crash between 2-3 PM and am usually very tired around dinner time too. 2) While I was working out, I had amazing endurance. I did a 1 hour Yoga class and 30 minutes of sustained cardio workout (heartrate at 150, for a total of 350 calories burned on the elliptical machine), and I never felt sick, weak, or headachy. I also still have tons of energy at 10 PM.
One awesome side benefit of doing a yoga class before my cardio workout was that I was so focused on my breath and on the music I was listening to that I didn’t notice anything else….and because I wasn’t thinking about my discomfort, but just on how to keep my breathing even and consistent, I ended up setting an ideal, sustainable pace for myself which ultimately ended up being more effective than straining for a few minutes to maintain a really fast pace, then slowing down too much and losing (not “loosing”, people! Sorry, pet peeve) momentum. We’ll see how tomorrow goes. ::fingers crossed::
For anyone interested, today’s menu was:
8 AM–1/2 cup of lowfat kefir (tastes WAY better @ room temperature than it does cold!!)
10 AM, 1/4 cup Valdosta Pecan Mix (from Sahale)
Noon, 6 pieces of edamame-vegetable shu mai (Trader Joe’s freezer section)
2 PM, 1/2 cup (yeah, I cheated and ate some extra–should’ve been 1/4 cup) Dauphine Walnut Mix (from Sahale)
4 PM, 3 lowfat, turkey sausage links
7 PM, Shrimp-Avocado-Edamame salad (made with Trader Joe’s Soycutash blend instead of plain edamame).
It was a little high-fat for South Beach Phase 1, but I think that I got some high quality protein and nutrients from the wide variety of foods that I consumed.
Stars, Camouflage, a Dash of Sparkle 
Hey, your menu sounds yummy! You’re so right – some days healthy living is easy, and some days it is so hard to stay focused on goals! I find winter time hardest to stay on track – it gets so cold and snowy that running outside is hard on my throat, and sometimes even driving to the gym on snowy roads seems like too much trouble. These days I’m trying to get to the gym at least three days a week, but in summer it’s so easy to exercise every day! Please keep posting your menus if you have time… I’m looking for high-fiber, high-protein food inspiration. I’m actually trying to be a vegetarian right now, which is super challenging because my husband is a vegetable-hater and a total carnivore.
Thanks so much, Sarah. I really enjoy reading about your menu experiments too! That’s a tough situation: I’ve copped out and simply resorted to making/buying entirely different stuff for the carnivorous, carb-loving Wunderhusband. I love spicy, vegetarian food and it just doesn’t do much for him. One thing we do (luckily) agree on is salads–I make some ROCKIN’ salad’s, and he’ll enjoy one every now and then. We also both love sushi and salmon, so I can sometimes do some salmon fillet and steam some rice for him and some veggies for me. Let me know what vegetarian recipes you discover! I’m always on the hunt for new ones. :)