Follow the Abs Diet

You know, a great way to start a diet is to score some wicked food poisoning for 4 days. What a way to detox, too bad I feel like garbage.

I happily followed this diet for a little while last year and I’d like to get back on track. To start, I’ll be reading the book again tonight. It’s a short, quick, engaging read and it’s great for motivation. I know it will be hard to give up all the bad habits I’ve acquired but it’s important if I want to follow a 5k plan, graduate to a half marathon, and finally fit into a size 8.

I realized that I am not putting my best effort into this. I have been eating much better, but I could make improvements. I need to make sure I am eating more of the power foods and keeping track of what I eat throughout the day. I also need to make a few changes with the food. Back to the all natural peanut butter and make sure I am not getting any HFCS in any foods. I need to get over my carb phobia also. Last but not least, and most importantly, I need to get into my excercise routine.

I have been doing well, and I feel good. I took a few days off after Christmas, and I ate chocolate and some other things that I was craving and it made me feel like crap. Yet another reason I want to eat this way. Makes me feel good. Definately healthier and more energetic. 5.9 lbs down in December, which I am definately happy with but I want to do much better in January.

We have been doing the biggest loser at work, which has been great motivation for me. Very hard to do this in December but it does help me get thru the challenges of tamale parties and cookie baking. Anyway, I have been getting better at eating the carbs on this diet. At first it seemed very counter to what I felt worked best for me and I still havent eaten oatmeal for breakfast yet. But I am enjoying the fruit and the ezekial bread. I got really sidetracked the 2nd week by the tamale party, Christmas party, and a day of feeling hungover. LOL But I am back on track again and I like it a lot. I find it easy to use my low-carb cookbooks and even my Rachael Ray cookbooks on this diet, and its working well with the family with just a little tweaking. I feel good, and I feel healthy and light. This is something I could live with for the rest of my life. Sort of a cutesy name, but this is definately not a gimmick diet. Very health oriented.

7:30 am – 1/2 vitamin water (60 cal); Luna Bar (180) =240
10:00 am – 1/4 cup oats(150); 1 banana (105); 1 tbs peanutbutter (100) =355
12 pm – 6 crackers (90) 1/2 can of soup (130) =220
3pm – yogurt (180); whey (100) =280

I’m ~20 lbs over my fighting weight, depending upon when I weigh in, so I really have to buckle down and start working toward this goal.

Today:
8 am – 3/4 a vitamin water (70cal); 1 luna bar (180cal)
10 am – 1/4 c. steel cut oat meal(150); 1/2 scoop of whey (45cal); 1 tsp peanut butter (100cal); 1 whole banana (105); 1 diet soda
1 pm – 1 tomato (22); 1 small can of tuna (70cal); 6 crackers(90 cal); 1 glass of water (with asprin and an airborne)
3 pm – apple (45) Peanutbutter (200)

I have not been giving this my best effort at all. I havent really done enough planning and reading. Its more work than just doing low-carb, which is what I am used to. I am not giving up on this yet though because I do want to TRY this and definately plan on following the excercise program.

I started yesterday, though I can not say that I am being 100 percent correct. Actually I started June 26th and had two days of really good eating, trying to get then hang of it, etc. But I decided I needed to wait for payday before doing another grocery store trip so that was yesterday. I did well yesterday until dinner when I completely forgot what I was doing and mindlessly ate garlic bread. Oh well. Back on track. I am not really counting calories, I should be to say that I am fully following this but I am not really worried about it. My goal really is to eat healthier and to be more fit. I am working the 12 power foods into my daily routine and choosing carbs that are good carbs as opposed to white bread, white rice, etc. I also like eating six small meals a day, keeps my energy levels good. I have a basic idea where I am calorie wise but dont think I will get too into the counting. I go back to day shift tomorrow, and have lots of healthy things to pack I will be adding the excercise phase to this shortly.