60 Days: A Tribute to Deliciousness

Oh for crying out loud....everything I said yesterday about "finding my peace" was total crap.

Calories consumed: 988
Exercise: 90 minutes; walking 3.5 mph on average (that's really brisk!)
Weight: 131.8 again (same as yesterday, -6.2 overall)

60 days left!  Gosh that's soon. And with time ticking away, my body appears to want to cling to 131.8 as if its life depended on it.  It's been 4 days, people! 4 days and no downward movement.  With only 8 weeks to go until the wedding I am going to have to ramp it up if I want to be lithe and svelte in time for the deadline.  And it is imperative that I reach my goal of 120 by the deadline because otherwise my father does not have to reimburse me for Lucy and Ricky as per this bet. AND it's even more imperative that I reach 129.8 by Sunday because my skinny clothes still don't fit and I really don't want to wear the velour tracksuit.

I think that to have a chance in hell at succeeding at this diet, the trick is to find stuff that I can eat that I truly love and enjoy having.  If I have to turn to disgusting "diet foods" every time my friends or family get to enjoy something that is off-limits, it only breeds resentment for the diet. But I can't resent my diet...I must love my diet (otherwise, I won't want to stand by it).

So with no further adieu I'd like to present my Tribute to Deliciousness

1. Spicy Tuna Avocado Roll with Brown Rice (duh) 

What a power player.  This roll has it all: whole grains in the brown rice, lean protein, "the good fats" in the avocado, and, of course, a touch of decadent spicy mayo.  According to my laboratory-frog project that I referenced earlier, the entire roll contains about 400 calories. That's generally a little higher than I care to go in one meal--I like to leave plenty of room for snacks--but it's so tasty that it makes me feel like I'm having a real treat. So bring it on.

2) Michelina's.  ANYTHING by Michelina's. 

I owe this to one of my best friends and bridesmaids who turned me onto Michelina Lean Gourmet.  When it comes to convenient, pre-portioned meals say goodbye to Smart Ones, Lean Cuisines, Healthy Choice Meals, and the rest of them: Michelina's is the only way to go.  At about a dollar a box they are easily the cheapest thing in the Tribute to Deliciousness.  They also manage to accomplish what none of the other, more expensive "convenience meal" manufacturers manage to do: include chicken that doesn't inevitably have weird, grizzly bits mixed in.   Michelina's has a Lean Gourmet line that is lower calorie and fat than the regular stuff, but even the regular ones still usually average around 320 calories each.  Yum. 

3. Artichokes

You can't really top a 60 calorie snack that easily takes 30 minutes to eat.  Each of these little guys is low calorie and packed with fiber (which is great for keeping things "moving along" so to speak).  I like to top mine with 10 calorie Maple Grove Farms Fat Free Caesar.  

4. Pictsweet Edamame Steamables 

God I love edamame.  Add a little sea salt and what a tasty and filling snack. I actually make a full meal out of this stuff.  It has a ton of fiber and protein. The entire bag (which is a crap-load of edamame) clocks in at about 275 calories (I know this because I emailed Pictsweet's customer service people because the label can be a bit confusing). 

5. Cheez-Its. 

Okay, okay. Cheez Its aren't particularly interesting (or even particularly healthy) in their own right.  But as I mentioned in the first blog ever, I have this "thing" for cheese.  I can't get enough. Unfortunately cheese is not particularly filling and can be incredibly fattening so I like to munch on Cheez Its when I crave something cheesy because it is the lesser of two evils. 

Anyway. Those are the foods that are getting me through the storm right now.  Feel free to comment below with anything healthy and deliciously awesome that you recommend.