I celebrated Mother’s Day with the women in my family today. It was a lovely afternoon. And since we were downtown, we decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and walked around the River Valley.

I was not dressed for the walk. I’m not big into wearing dresses so I had worn black dress pants, a blouse and my black comfy shoes. Plus dresses never really fit me right. I’m in between sizes right now. I’ve dropped some weight in recent months but not nearly enough.

Ten years ago, I had dropped seventy pounds and kept it off for three years. A blown out knee while hiking resulted in gaining sixty of those pounds back over a couple of years. I gained even more pounds when I got sick a couple of years ago.

I’ve been working hard to lose the pounds but it is seemingly taking forever.

My brother in law commented at how much weight I had lost when I saw him at Easter. I didn’t think it had been that much. Until I measured myself. I had dropped nearly five inches all around.

But I still have a lot more to go.

A hormonal disorder, age, genetics and bad knees really makes it difficult to lose the pounds now. When I was in my thirties, it was much easier. Now I need to really watch what I eat and take it slower.

How have I lost the weight so far? Painfully, slowly. Really freaking slowly.

I’ve had some success recently with a high protein and moderately low carb diet.

What does that mean? It means that while I watch what I eat, I can still enjoy the foods I love in moderation. Things like bread, cereals, fruit, and treats every now and then.

Bread is my number one weakness. But I’ve cut back to every other day instead of having bread twice a day.

Here is what a typical day looks like. Keep in mind that meals vary from day to day.

Breakfast Options 

All breakfast options typically include one or two cups of coffee and a bottle of water

• 1 cup of low fat yogurt, fruit (berries), granola or Special K cereal
• 1 piece of bread (whole wheat if you’re watching calories), with peanut butter and a glass of milk, banana on the side
• 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 piece of fruit
• 1 granola bar or protein bar (watch the calories and sodium intake)

Lunch Options

For drinks I typically drink bottled water. Sometimes I go for diet soda if I’m having a craving for bubbles. 

• Tuna or egg sandwich on whole wheat bread, 1 or 2 pieces of fruit
• 1.5 cups of raw veggies, 2 pieces of cheese (packaged kind), 1 hard-boiled egg
• 2.0 cups of salad (I love tomato-cucumber salad, it’s my favorite), with fruit or yogurt on the side
• Frozen smart meal – again this will depend on what I eat the rest of the day

Dinner Options

Dinner is where I make sure to have a good sized portion of protein. Fish, chicken, pork are all things that I try to keep on hand. Drinks are either water, one cup of coffee, or a diet soda if I didn’t have one at lunch. I try and mix it up.

• Roast chicken with the skin removed, brown rice and a serving of veggies
• Grilled salmon served with rice or a side of salad
• A variety of meal sized salads with a serving of protein. I also adore avocado and sometimes when lazy, just chop one up, add a bit of salt and pepper and eat it with a hard boiled egg.
• Other times I just munch on slices of meat, raw veggies and low fat cheese. Goat cheese is really great too.

Drinks

I gave up sugary pop. The only time I really have sugar in my diet is with my morning coffee which I cut back to a maximum of two cups a day. Sometimes I cave and drink diet pepsi which is like my crack. I know, I know. It’s just as terrible for you. But juice, while tasty, has so much sugar and empty calories. Sometimes I will brew herbal tea and chill it in the fridge. Green tea, black tea, ginger tea and lemon tea all taste great cold. It’s also fantastic for skin. Every now and then I’ll buy a jug of Clamato juice and that helps me get my fill of veggies for the day.

Water is important for weight loss. It also helps to flush out toxins and clear up your skin. Here are some other drinks that I enjoy every now and then.

• Coffee (black is best for weight loss)
• Green tea, black tea, chamomile tea (caffeine free teas)
• Tomato Juice
• Sparkling Water (lemon)
• Diet soda on occasion
• Glass of wine (special occasions) – red is good for the heart

Snacks

Snacks vary from day to day depending on how active I’ve been and how hungry I am. Some days I eat more than others. Some days, not so much.

• Cottage cheese with crackers
• Apple slices and peanut butter
• Avocado and a hard-boiled egg
• A cup of fruit (berries)
• Rice cakes or rice chips (low calorie)
• Low fat yogurt with a dash of dark cocoa to give it that chocolaty flavour
• Freshly made popcorn with a dash of salt and margarine

Blog Updates & Progress Reports

Now that I have more time to devote to cooking and healthy eating, I hope to post my progress and update this blog often. I’ll share new recipes and exercise routines with you. This is my focus. My goal. I need to get back into shape and to get healthy – before the end of summer.

I hope you’ll join me for the ride.