The Wedding Diet and a Random Tidbit

I am on a very strict wedding diet.  I am only eating air.  And apples and chicken.  I kid.  I kid.

True story, one time in college,  I did vow to eat only apples and chicken.  That lasted all of two days.

So...back to my wedding diet!  I am actually not doing the standard starving for a year to fit into a dream dress that many of my clients like do to.  Hell, I even did it myself a few years ago to look hot at Sissy's wedding.  In terms of a really severe diet, OY!  I am too old.  I am too tired.  My vanity has taken a back seat to more important things like health and happiness.

Now, now, I am still a little bit vain.  You can take the girl out of Chicago, but you can't take Chicago out of the girl and man, ladies are TINY there! I zipped up my fair share of negative zeros on many Saturday mornings in the Windy City.

I just want to look at my wedding photos years from now and see the best version of me.  NOT the skinniest version of me, but a me that is healthy, happy and extremely comfortable in my own skin.  The reality is that some pounds will need to be shed to make me feel rocking, but it doesn't have to be anything crazy drastic.  I look better a little soft anyway.

So, what have I been eating?  The answer is a lot of the same thing.

I am the type of person that can eat the same thing over and over again if I LOVE what I am eating.  As a binge eater, my central issue with my eating is that I eat for entertainment or to quell my nervous feelings.  If I do not give myself too many food options, it helps me control my food decisions.

Once a week, I go to the grocery store AND Costco and buy lots of good stuff.  My typical shopping list includes tons of fruits and veggies, lean proteins, cheese and a few sweet treats.  I also put at least one thing in the cart that I don't eat a lot, but that I like.  This week I picked up some artichokes.  I always have fun choosing this item. I call it my random tidbit, even though it isn't really random or a tidbit.  I scamper away from the cart and tell Crush, "I am off to find my RANDOM TIDBIT!!!!" and then when I come back to put it in the cart, I always make a huge production out of it (booty shake dance accompanied by jazz hands and then a exaggerated shimmy while I reveal the "tidbit") because I am really not the biggest loser in the world and I get SUPER EXCITED about food.  Sad, but true.

Here is an example of a day in my life in terms of eating -

BREAKFAST:
- Iced Coffee (I make it myself and ice my hot coffee and add 2 TSP of sugar and 2 TBSP of cream)
- 3 Turkey Sausage Links
- Cheese Egg White Omelet (I make my egg whites in a non-stick pan and add 1 slice of white American cheese, I use 6 TBSPs of egg whites)
- 1 Apple

LUNCH:
- 1 Turkey and Cheese Sandwich on a Sandwich Flat (3 ounces of honey turkey, 1 TBSP mayo, 1 slice of white American cheese)
- I cup of Baby Carrots, 1/2 Sliced Cucumber and 2 TBSP Hummus
- 1 Single Serve Bag of Veggie Straws
- 1 Apple with 1 TBSP Peanut Butter

DINNER:
- GIANT salad = Romaine lettuce, 10 cherry tomatoes, 1/4 of an avocado, 1/2 of a sliced cucumber, 1/10 of a diced onion, 1/4 of a diced apple,  1 TBSP almonds, 1 TBSP raisins, 1/4 cup feta cheese, 1/2 cup diced grilled chicken breast, 2 TBSP balsamic vinaigrette
- 1 Steamed Artichoke with 1 TBSP melted butter
- 1 cup of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate (Milk Chocolate variety made with water)
- 1 Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich

SNACK:
1 Single Serve Bag of Veggie Straws

I am working out 5-6 times a week and I am aiming to eat between 1,700 - 2,000 calories a day.  I find that this menu works because I need real butter, cream and sugar in my diet to feel satisfied.  I also need some snacks (Veggie Straws) and sweets (hot chocolate and Skinny Cows) to feel like I am not going down the diet drain.

I have completely given up soda (both diet and regular) and I drink about 30 ounces of water during a spinning class and then 30 - 40 of ounces of seltzer water during the day.  I was raised on milk and juice (they thought juice was healthy in the early 80's, right?!), so I never developed a real taste for water, so I am doing the best I can with it!  Seltzer helps me a bunch.

Next week, I will have a new menu to eat.  But for now, the one I am eating is doing to trick!  It is way better than JUST apples and chicken.