Dabbling in Dieting: Return of the Veggies

I've never missed something as much as I missed vegetables last week. Holy cow! I was having salad dreams.

Yesterday vegetables returned to my life and I am SO happy about it. I celebrated by having a small salad at lunch and another at dinner. And by snacking on sugarsnap peas and sauteing mushrooms for a side.
(*As I'm writing this, I realize that "peas of any kind" are still on the no-no list. Oops.*)

For dinner last night I simply made up some salmon like I did last week and then sauteed the mushrooms in the Walden Farms Balsamic Vinaigrette that I bought this weekend. I did use too much dressing for the amount of mushrooms - but it was still tasty on the salmon. I do have to say - for fat, sugar, carb, calorie and gluten free -- both Walden Farms dressings I purchased are quite tasty. There's a slight aftertaste I can't *quite* identify - but it's not overpowering and the dressings themselves are good. (They aren't as good as a thick Blue Cheese dressing - which is admittedly my favorite - but they're better than almost every other fat free dressing I've ever tried.)

One thing I did yesterday that I've decided I need to be careful of in the future: eating lots of cheese sticks for snacks. I think that's probably a dangerous habit to get into. While I did find 5% milkfat mozzarella sticks, there are probably much better choices for a snack. BUT that the last one (cheesestick #3) I had before we left the house for a concert kept me from breaking down and getting a bowl of potato chips. I might miss potatoes more than anything. Either that or black beans. I LOVE potatoes (I'll eat them raw, fried, baked, boiled - you name it) and actually still have part of a small bag we purchased before the diet that I will likely need to throw away - and seeing them and the bags of potato chips in the cupboard is a bit difficult. Seriously - I think if I slip during Phase 2 it'll be for something made out of potatoes.

Anyone else have a weakness food right now?

One mental set back - my weight loss has slowed WAY down. However, when I picked up the Dukan book at Target and read part of it (get ready for an overshare...), it does say that you should avoid starting the diet within a week or so of your period. Mine started today. So I'm blaming the hormones for my minimal weight loss over the past few days. Well, that and the fact that I've been a tired, lazy bum and failed to exercise for four days in a row.

The not exercising HAS changed despite the fact that I am EXHAUSTED from those previously mentioned hormones. Yesterday I did manage to get up a little early to work in an abs yoga workout (15 minute yoga dvd). Today I was too tired to do that - BUT this afternoon I got an overwhelming urge to go for a run (WHAT?!) - so I went for a short run after I changed. I logged 1.5 miles in 30 minutes. AND I did it with only 3 walking breaks! That's quite an accomplishment because I have never, ever claimed to be a runner. And even when I was "training" for a 5K last spring/summer I took way more than 3 breaks every time I ran (although, I was running double the distance). Despite that, I'm proud of myself for resisting the urge to sit on the couch and watch tv and actually going out to run.

Speaking of running - I've decided to run the Madison Race for a Cure on June 4. Any locals who want to join me are more than welcome!! :) My friend Trevor says he'll run with me (he's been running like a fool lately and did a race up north this past weekend) - and for that I will be forever grateful! It's kind of depressing to sign up for a race and not know if you'll have any friends there to start with or know will be cheering for you at the finish line. (I'm usually behind everyone I know when I run - I'm uber-slow.) If we get a group going we might even start a "team" to raise a little more money for Komen.

Well, I should start prepping some stuff to eat tomorrow/later in the week. And make some dinner even though I'm (surprisingly) not hungry at all.

Until next time - happy dieting/exercising/dabbling... :)