Today has been much harder to stick with the low-calorie plan. Yesterday I felt like I was hungry all day, but the hunger level was manageable. I can’t say the same for today. I decided to try starting my day with scrambled eggs and sausage to get in some protein. Halfway to work, I was so hungry, I stopped for a smoothie, which got my calorie counts up even higher. I allowed myself a few *small* splurges…like 4 Cheetos.
Today I’ve been trying to make up for my hunger by drinking LOTS of water. I’d logged 60oz of water by 11am, and by 8 pm I was at over 130oz. I’ve been using Mio water enhancer drops to make it a little more interesting. And I’ve got bags of pebble ice from Sonic both at home and work so it’s nice and chilly.
- 2 scrambled eggs and 2 links of sausage – 260 cal
- 24oz fresh peach smoothie – 330 cal (half in morning, half in afternoon)
- string cheese – 80 cal
- dried apple rings – 70 cal
- 5 Quaker multigrain fiber crisps – 40 cal
- 10 pickles – 10 cal
- 4 Cheetos – 32 cal
- Can of light chicken veggie soup – 160 cal
- Sugar-free strawberry Jell-o – 10 cal
- TOTAL – 992
Wow, that sounds hard! That sounds like a very hard diet to keep up long term. How long do you have to do it? If I eat less than 1500 calories a day I am usually hungry all day.
Only until next Wednesday. I’ll be having surgery next Thursday, after which I will be eating much less for a while.
My (unsolicited, I know!) advice would be to spread it out a little bit more, and watch the caloric density of things, like 3 large apples = the smoothie but would keep you fuller longer and drinking is not as satisfying as crunching on something. Celery + a 35 calorie wedge of laughing cow cheese would be a great swap for the 4 Cheetos, and again keep you a lot more full. I promise, I know celery is NOT Cheetos but starting to learn to kill the beast of “head hunger” now will be a whole lot easier than in a couple of weeks when eating a Cheeto will make you violently ill but you want it so badly you actually cry about a Cheeto. Changing your relationship with food isn’t going to be easy, but the sooner you can look at a bad-for-you food and think “Oh, hi, Oreo… I’ve loved you all these years but the fact of the matter is you want to KILL me.” The better.
Hahaha I KNEW someone would trash talk me for having the Cheetos. My husband was eating them next to me on the couch, and after he gave me a cheesy kiss, I just had to have a few. I’ve been wanting to eat apples, but since I had some major oral surgery 10 days ago, it still hurts to eat them. But excuses, excuses…I should be cutting them up.
Part of the problem has been that I need to go grocery shopping, but I have been feeling so overwhelmed by what I can’t eat that I’m not ready to face it. I sent Rosie to the store with her friends today (2 blocks away) to pick up canned green beans and sugar-free jello.
I wasn’t trash talking… I just promise it only gets harder. Saying “No” when you have a choice is good prep for being more emotionally okay with “No” when you no longer have one.
Nicole, I am so proud of you! I really feel inspired to start counting the calories and being more proactive about my health and weight. I wish you the best of luck and can’t wait to hear all about it! I hope you come out of this feeling like a brand new woman with your health restored!!! Best of luck!
What a great blog