Monday, January 31, 2011

Day 19 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

Day 19 was uneventful.  Total weight loss is holding at 13 pounds.  I will check again in the morning, but I don't expect much movement.  I was super tired today.  I was up all night with one child with a stomach virus and the other with a head cold.  Didn't get much sleep, so it was extra hard to run on a calorie deficiency today.  The last week of the Diet is tough as portions are cut down further to maximize the weight loss.  I didn't have it in me to maintain the cuts of week three.  So I went back to week two's menu.  In addition, I cheated a bit this afternoon and had some popcorn.  I needed it at the time, but it made me more tired and slowed my workout down this evening.  Its okay, I don't feel bad.  I learned awhile back that it is OK to slow down once in awhile - so I did.  I've got two more days to go and plan to resume the week three portions tomorrow after I get some much needed sleep tonight (I hope).

Despite being tired and slow today, I did feel different.  I know I look different.  Everyone can see it, my clothes are loose, but today I felt it.  I felt more solid and strong.  Everyone wants to be thin.  Me included.  However, what I learned is that there is a difference between thin and lean.  I am starting to feel comfortable in my own skin now.  This is how you are suppose to feel.  I want to maintain this feeling.  For this reason, I am really looking forward to Mike's new book Living Lean.   

Lesson learned on Day 19:  There is a difference between thin and lean.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Days 16-18 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

Well last Thursday I left off preparing myself to stray from the Diet, as a family emergency forced me to go out of town.  I was sad because I was doing relatively well and knew that I could have made it to the end.  But in light of a long round-trip car ride, hospital visits and the care of five children, I came to grips with the fact that the weekend meals would probably consist mostly of fast food.  Shortly after my last post on Thursday night, I received a message from Mike Dolce  He told me to rise to the challenge and find a way to stay on track by using strength from within.  First and foremost, I was incredibly flattered that he took the time out of his busy day to contact me.  Secondly and most importantly, in the short time it took him to send me a message,  he restored my faith and confidence that I could follow this through despite a challenging circumstance.

I knew I was not going to be able to food shop and prepare a lot of special meals for myself while taking care of the kids and making my way back and forth to the hospital.  So in the morning, as I was packing the kids some snacks for the ride up to Boston, I looked around the kitchen and grabbed what I could to help me stay on track.  I got a bag, emptied the fruit bowl, grabbed my multi grain bread, a bag of spinach, a large handful of green tea bags, my package of cranberries and threw a case of water into the car.  I was packing stuff for the kids, why couldn't I do the same for myself?  We made the trip in record time and arrived at my sister's house without having stopped at a McDonald's or a Dunkin Donuts.  The kids ran wild for a few hours and then dinner was upon us.  How do you feed five children quickly?  Pizza.  However, I only ordered enough pizza to feed the kids and ordered a salad with grilled chicken for myself.  When it arrive I started making plans for the morning.  I grabbed a Ziploc bag and removed the raw onions and green peppers from the salad.  My plan was to save them for the morning, as this would keep me from having to stop at the supermarket.  Everyone had dinner, luckily there was no left over pizza to even tempt me and everyone was off to bed.

I managed to get through dinner and off to the hospital without a break in the Diet.  The next morning I woke up early and got through my breakfast before the kids got up.  My parents had eggs and dried spices in the house, so with that, plus the veggies I saved from the night before, I was able to make a Dolce breakfast.  By the time the kids got up I had already eaten and was not hungry when the pancakes and sausage hit the table.  I took the opportunity to go shower while the grandparents supervised breakfast.  The day went on much the same and dinner consisted of a spinach salad with tuna.  Tuna was not ideal, as I needed some mayo to eat it, but I swear I only used a little, plus it was the only fish available in my parents house.  I had to improvise.  Later that evening, after everyone was asleep and hospital visits were over, I settled down to watch Strikeforce.  Normally this type of event would be watched with friends, beer and junk foods.  But since I was in a house full of children and geriatrics, it was just me, showtime, a cup of green tea and some dried cranberries.  Not the same, but at least I was relaxing and didn't miss Strikeforce.  This morning Dunkin Donuts was on the menu for breakfast as we had to get on the road early to get back to NJ.  It was not problem, as I already figured out how to avoid breakfast with the kids the day before. 

I did not manage to fit in any exercise while in Boston - how could I?  But I did workout this evening now that I am home.  No exercise, but also no happy meals, no pizza, no donuts, no chicken nuggets and no Chinese food.  Not bad.  I didn't have any major weight loss, as exercise is key, but I am down 1 more pound.  That totals 13 lbs in 18 days.  Three days left and my plan is to see it to the end.

Thank you Mike Dolce for keeping me on tract.  I have been critical of the plan for average people due to my assumption of professional athletes being supported by trainers and chefs.  Whereas I am left on my own to make it through.  I was wrong.  I found support where I never expected to find it.  It came in the form of a tweet.  It was short and to the point, but it carried the strength of Mike Dolce with it, which was exactly the motivation I needed to make it work.

Lesson learned Days 16-18:  The Diet can work despite a changing environment.  If your situation changes - change with it.  Use what you have learned about portion size and nutrition and adjust your course.  Don't make excuses to fail!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Day 15 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

Day 15, down 12 lbs.  Feeling good, but disappointed at the same time.  Unfortunately, an unexpected family emergency has created the need for me to go out of town.  I will be spending the next three days back and forth to the hospital and caring for five children.  This will make it very difficult to maintain the Diet.  I will do my best to make good choices, but this will be a challenge to cook for myself or make time to exercise.   

I have spent the last 15 days taking care of myself, but now it is time for me to take care of others, which by default puts me last.  Familiar territory.  I have spent the past decade taking a back seat to everyone and everything else.  It felt good to take care of myself for a change and I will miss the internal happiness it gave me, but changes present themselves and we no choice but to face them

Hopefully I will be able to resume the Diet when I get back and finish the last few days strong.  Not sure what effect this will have on the results, but that was the point of this whole experiment.  How a regular everyday person fared on the Dolce Diet.  I person not surrounded by chefs, nutritionists and trainers.  A person with an everyday life.  A life that presents us with changes.  How we deal with those changes are what's important.  What we say is one thing, what we do is another.  Our actions are what defines us. 

Lesson learned on Day 15:  Think carefully about your choices amidst a challenge.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Day 14 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

Day 14 was uneventful.  I have formed some good habits and they are now part of everyday.  At breakfast this morning, I realized after 2 weeks free of sweets, fats and chemicals, I no longer crave them and I have a new appreciation for the foods I do eat.  I never realized how good a glass of orange juice could taste.  Either I retrained my taste buds or I've gone nuts, but my juice was delicious this morning.  Now this was not fresh squeezed OJ just picked from a Florida grove - it was Tropicana from the supermarket. The natural sugars of the juice are really much better than any high fructose drink I can think of.  Versus white bread, whole grain breads have great textures especially when they are baked this flax seeds or oatmeal.  And who new I would love raw spinach so much.  I have eaten more spinach in these past two weeks than I have my entire life.  That is sad.  These are some of my new favorite things. 

Everywhere I go, I now notice the food choices of other people.  I noticed at work that one of the people that made fun of the Diet was eating a Lean Cuisine meal.  Honestly, it was a tiny portion, smelled gross and came packaged with a million preservatives - not to mention it was run through the microwave.  She looked miserable eating it, but I didn't say a word.  My lunch, which comprised of a spinach salad with chicken grilled with onions and a few hot cherry peppers, was about triple the amount of food and tasted fantastic.  I actually got compliments from people when they smelled the chicken being heated and when they saw the vibrant colors of my lunch.  The person that mocked me seems to have gained the 10 lbs that I lost and is tyring to lose the weight with silly prepackaged diet meals.  The best part was that 30 minutes later when I walked by I saw that Lean Cuisine meal being chase with TWO pieces of pizza.  That was awesome!  Not only was that crap consumed in an effort to loose weight, but it was so unsatisfying she ended up eating two slices of pizza anyway.  So all that diet meal did was add to her calorie intake.

Mike Dolce has made me realize that for true permanent weight loss there are no secret pills, or meal replacements shake or pre-package home delivered dinners than can compare to the results of balanced nutrition.  Really it is common sense. Unprocessed, raw wholesome foods free of chemicals and preservatives are the way to go.  Couple that with just a little physical activity and Voila.  That's the magic people are look for - but it has been there in front of them all along.

Less learned on Day 14:  Common Sense: Nothing compares to balanced nutrition for good health and weight management.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Day 13 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

Day 13: Total weight loss - 10 lbs. I messed up in the beginnning of the Diet by not adjusting the food level fast enough for my size and activity level.  I also had a small mishap on the weekend when I veered off the Diet and caved to some weaknesses.  I think if I had not done those things, my weight loss would have been greater.  With only 8 days left I really have to stay on schedule now.  I suppose I could stay on the plan longer, but that would defeat the point of my 21 day experiment.  Anyway, thus far, despite my set backs I am please with my results and people are starting to really take notice.  Today especially, I got a lot of comments that I was looking good, I was looking strong and several people told me that there was something different about my face and eyes.  Of course my face looks different - it is thinner.  But I think the change in my eyes is satisfaction.  Satisfaction that the Diet works, satisfaction that I am sticking with it and satisfaction that all the people that told me I was being ridiculous are eating their words now!  That feels good.

Being down 10 lbs means I succeed in jump starting my metabolism, as I moved off the 9 lb plateau on which I was stuck  However, it was not without pain.  I spent most of today hungry.  I had to cut my calorie intake, which made me hungry faster.  However, I manage to fight of the hunger with small snacks every 3 to 4 hours.  Every time I felt real hunger I had something to eat.  By the time dinner came around I was OK and my body was adjusting to the new schedule.  I also had a long day at work and was feeling tired so I only worked out for 45 minutes tonight.  I am going to try to go to bed early tonight and just recover.  I have worked myself hard over the past 13 days and it is wearing on me.  I know I could have pushed through the pain tonight and exercised longer or ate every 5 hours instead of 3, but I have learned to listen to my body.  If it is telling you that it is hungry; feed it (something good of course).  If your muscles are weak (as opposed to sore); let them rest.  If you are thirsty; by all means drink something - as the feeling of thirst means you are already too late and are probably dehydrating.  If you are slepy, go to bed early.  There is no shame is getting some rest.  The recovery does much more for me that completely draining and exhausting myself, as the problems will only compound the next day. 

Lesson learned on Day 13: Listen to your body.   

Monday, January 24, 2011

Day 12 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

Day 12: Recovered from the weekend's little faux pas, I am back on track with the Diet.  Although, I have to say that I am frustrated because my total weight loss is holding steady at 9 lbs.  I know that having a few drinks over the weekend could not possibly be the cause of the stall to my weight loss, as I worked out extra hard.  I thought I had been doing everything right, and then realized my mistake.  I have been skipping snacks recently in an effort to further reduce calorie in-take. MISTAKE.  My body went longer in between meals, which I believe caused my metabolism to slow down.  Not only have I been giving my body less calories and burning energy at a high rate from the Diet, but now I was starving it of its periodic snacks that stimulated my metabolic rate.  Therefore in order to protect itself, my body began conserving what it could.  Hence my plateau.  Dumb!  I thought I was being smart about skipping the snacks, but it has screwed me up. 

I will have to jump start my weight loss again.  I will have to lower my overall calorie in-take again, but must keep eating every few hours to stimulate my metabolism.  That should create an energy imbalance and the pounds should start coming off again.  I am not despairing yet, as I think I understand the reason for this problem and am prepared to correct it. 

I am a little over half way through the diet.  If I can loose another 9 lbs that would total near 20 lbs.  I never expected to loose 30 lbs, so if I came in somewhere between 15 lbs and 20 lbs of "real" weight loss, I will be very please with myself. 

Lesson learned on Day 12:  Avoid plateaus by stimulating metabolism every few hours.  Do not let your body starve because it will protect itself by storing whatever it can.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Day 11 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

Day 11 - Woke up with a killer headache and the guilt from last night's decision was weighing on me.  I've made my apologies and repented for my sins, as I put in a double workout and got back on the Diet.  Last night I promised I wouldn't be mad about my decision, but I was anyway.  But then I thought, I'm not a professional athlete.  I don't have a deadline by which I have to cut my weight.  I'm a regular person, making a valid effort to try this.  So I messed up.  So what.  That is what "Do Overs" are for.  Kids say it all the time.  When ever they mess up they yell "Do Over!".  They have the right idea, why get upset with myself?  I'm calling a "Do Over!".

I started fresh this morning. If I have to put in an extra day on the Diet then so be it.  It'll be like yesterday didn't happen, except for the fact that weight loss has plateaued today - Gee I wonder why?  Binge drinking is not conducive to weight loss. Oh well - I'll weigh in again in the morning and see where I am.

Lesson learned on Day 11:  If you fall, don't waste time pouting about it - pick yourself up and start over again.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Day 10 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

 OK..... so Day 10 started great, but ended badly.   I swore when I started this blog that I would be honest about my actions and results, so that any regular, everyday person wanting to try the Diet would know the real challenges ahead when attempting it.  I am sorry to say that I succumbed to the the urge to have a drink.  OK not just one drink, but a few.  I didn't finish the bottle if that is any consolation, but 1 drink turned into 2 and so on...... I am actually having a glass as I write this post.  Anyway, I was smart enough not to have beer.  Once the decision was made to give in, the battle became the decision between Goose (my old love) straight up or a glass of wine.  The Goose would obviously make me feel the best, the quickest, but the wine could be savored over time.  So as not to have sex with an ex, I avoided the Goose and went with the wine.  I knew I was doing something wrong, I looked everywhere for some support to do the right thing, but I am surrounded by unsupportive people. 

Sometimes our sense can influences the strongest minds to do the wrong thing.  I was cooking dinner for the family, Ultimate Submissions was on the TV, favorite songs were playing, I couldn't stay strong.  I feel a little guilty...well a lot guilty, but then again I promised I would not beat myself up over falters.  I blasted a tweet looking for anyone to say "stay strong-don't do it" but it never came.  So, since I am my own worst enemy.... I caved.  Trying to find the positive in the situation, I can say that although I caved on the alcohol, I stayed strong on the food.  I did not eat any crap!  Didn't even cross my mind. 

The only good thing I can say is that not having drank for awhile and weighing a lot less than the last time I drank heavy - I got buzzed faster.  That's a good thing - less calories for me to consume.  Anyway, I apologize to the Diet for the violation, but the offense was really against myself.  I have taken one step backwards, but will try to make it up tomorrow and take two steps forward.  I will double my workout time - do one in the morning and one in the evening. 

As I began writing this post, I was upset with myself, but now that I finish I am not really upset.  I was hoping Mike Dolce would blast out a tweet saying "No Fightergirl53 don't do it".  But that never came and since I am human, it happened.  Think about all the professional athletes that do the Diet. They have people cooking their meals, they have Mike Dolce himself there for them - coaching them all the way.  I am here, 30 something years old, with three kids, mountains of laundry, dishes, the stresses of everyday life and no one to say "stay strong".  I'm human and won't be sorry for that.  What I will do.....is come back stronger tomorrow.    

Lesson learned on Day 10: No matter how strong you think you've become, you still have weaknesses.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Day 9 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

Fairly ordinary day.  I am officially unaffected by being on a "diet".  I no longer focus on the finish line.  I no longer count down the days until the diet is over.  I no longer stress about getting in a workout before the end of the day. You know what that means?  It means I have successfully made a change.  The "Diet" has just become an ordinary part of my day.  I don't run to the Dolce bible every moment.  I know what I should be eating and when I should be eating it.  My body tells me.  I make sure to get dinner eaten by 6 so I can effectively work out at 8.  Then I can shower, decompress, have my post workout snack and relax.

Do you know how I know a change has been made?  I realized it tonight at dinner.  While on the diet you are allowed a free meal occasionally (more like a cheat meal).  I choose tonight.  Nothing special going on, just felt like having some carbs.  My free meal consisted of few ounces of very lean steak, broccoli and brown rice.  What?  Brown rice?  Was that my carb of choice?  At the beginning of the diet, I thought about using my free meals for pizza, Italian food, maybe Mexican...... Instead my treat was brown rice.  Really?  The thought of rich, or greasy or cheesy food nauseated me.  I don't recognize myself anymore both in appearance and in behavior.

Don't get me wrong, I will indulge in beer and nachos again, but it will really only be when the mood strikes and in the right situations - probably when I am gathered with good friends and watching UFC 126.  That is a few days after I finish my three week test.  When I see Mike Dolce on TV at the weigh-in with Vitor Belfort, I will raise my glass to him.  He has taught me that a "diet" doesn't really have to be a temporary torture period.  It can be a permanent lifestyle change.

Lesson learned on Day 9:  Diets don't work - lifestyle changes do.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Day 8 of the Dolce Diet Experiement

Day 8 - humming along.  Down another pound this morning.  This is real weight loss - not water!  I am drinking so much water that it is impossible for me to be dehydrated!  I am working out harder everyday.  I am sore at night, but my recovery time seems to be half of what it used to be.  Before, after a tough day of training, I would be sore for two days.  Now, I go to bed sore and tired, and wake up pain free and rejuvenated.  Also, not sure if it is my imagination, but my muscles are building faster.  The right balance of nutrients are feeding everything perfectly.  Best part about the diet is I no longer dread meals.  In the beginning, I would start thinking ahead to what I had to eat for dinner and how I would be disappointed and long for something else.  Not anymore.  My body now wants the fuel.  I don't really crave crap anymore.  I look forward to the rush of energy the food combos give me.  That rush is so much more powerful than the pleasure of one taste or flavor.  I am becoming more and more organized and I stick to a schedule. 

I also now focus on small goals-one thing at a time.  I no longer obsess about what is waiting for me ahead.  The end is not the primary objective - I now focus on the journey.  If I keep focusing on the next step rather than step 472 then everything becomes simple.  Everyday I manage to these small goals.  Today I went running for the first time in a long time.  I had become addicted to kickboxing and the elliptical machine so, running was never on the agenda.  So having not done it in awhile I was not sure what I could do.  I know I have good stamina as I survive my kickboxing trainer who takes me past the point of exhaustion.  However, I make it because he is forcing me, pushing me, encouraging me, not letting me quit. Here I was on my own.  I am not normally good at pushing myself.  I made a best guess at how far I thought I could go, then set my goal.  My goal was to go an extra mile longer than I thought I could go - push through the pain on my own.  I did it!  One mile at a time.  I didn't focus on the total that I needed to go, I just took one step at a time.  Strangely, I was stronger and faster than I thought I would be and although tired, I reached my goal of an extra mile.  I am learning not to be so hard on myself.  Learning not to make a huge insurmountable task as my goal.  My goal is not to lose 30 lbs in 3 weeks.  I have said that from the beginning, but in the back of my head, I stressed about it.  Worried about what failure would do.  But now I can really say that it is not my goal.  I have little daily goals and the weight loss will come on its own as a result of the accomplishment of all the little goals.


Lesson learned on Day 8:  Set small attainable goals for yourself - you are sure to succeed.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Day 7 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

Thank you Mike Dolce!!!  Day 7 of the Dolce Diet and I am down 6 lbs.  Incredible! 6 lbs in 7 days.  I honestly never thought it possible - and really it was so easy.  Once I got past the emotional nonsense of the first few days, the rest has been a breeze.  Looking back, the pain of the first few days was certainly well worth these results!  No doubt I will be following this out for the next two weeks. 

Unfortunately from Day 1, I have been dealing with unsupportive people that tell me that I am being ridiculous, that the diet won't work and that I should quit.  Sadly some of these people are family and friends.  Aren't family and friends suppose to be supportive?  Aren't they suppose to encourage you and love you even when you fail.  They are not suppose to encourage you to quit and certainly not be happy when you hit rock bottom.  It has bothered me quite a bit this week and contributed to my desire to quit early on, but I am glad I did not listen to them and persevered.  I am my own worst enemy - I don't need any more foes.  Especially not people I trusted; people I thought loved me.  No matter - I am determined to prove everyone wrong.  Including myself, as in the beginning I was skeptical, and really I didn't think the Diet would actually work for me. 

Now that a week has passed and there has been noticeable differences, the remarks from these ignorant people have changed from "you're being ridiculous" and "the diet won't work" to "it's only water loss" and "the weight will come right back".  I can't understand. With the proof in front of them, they still don't want to 1) congratulate me 2) recognize that the diet works or 3) encourage me to keep up the good work.  Today I actually had someone say to me "oh, you're too good for lunch?" when I chose my home lunch over lunch provided by my office.  Hmmmmmm....well let's think about that.  If by lunch, you mean the Italian subs, chips, soda and cookies, then yes, I am too good for that.  Yes, I do deserve better than that. And yes I will eat better than that.  And if you all want to hate me for it, then go ahead.  Enjoy your artery clogging, cellulite forming lunches and your little jokes about my organic baby spinach, 'cause guess what?  It will get less and less funny each day that you see me improving.

Over the course of this past week I have learned to tune these people out. I have even stopped trying to educate them on the important lessons I am taking away from this experience.  They want to know my "secret" - like I found some magic weight loss pill or some dumb infomercial piece of equipemnt.  They will not except the answer of balanced nutrition and good old fashion sweat.  No matter what I say they aren't going to hear me - they are only go to hate on me some more.  One of my favorite sayings has always been "you can fix ugly, you can fix fat, but you can't fix stupid".  And stupid is what these people are being.  So, now I just laugh off what the french fry eating, donut gulping haters say.  As a matter of fact, I use it as fuel to my fire.  It makes me work even harder, as I know my success is eating them alive. 

Lesson learned on Day 7:  Dismiss all the haters - use their negativity as motivation to succeed!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Day 6 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

Day 6 was good, but not without challenges.  I usually find being at work is easier than being at home, as I am not surrounded by foods that I shouldn't be eating.  However, today I had an all day meeting for which lunch was brought in.  Lunch actually arrived 30 minutes before the break and was set up in the boardroom with us.  Of all things...Pizza.  Honestly couldn't they have ordered tuna sandwiches or chicken salad.  Anything other than pizza.  Pizza and I recently broke up and I really wasn't ready to face it just yet.  So there I was trying to focus on the presentation the whole time smelling temptation.  I spent those next 30 minutes mentally rationalizing why it would be OK for me to have some. 

I decided that I deserved a treat and promised myself I would have just one slice.  The meeting broke and I happily went over to the lunch spread.  At the last moment, I thought "why do I deserve a treat?" 2 lbs? Is that what I am celebrating?  What the hell was I thinking - that does not warrant a reward, plus I already celebrated with a chocolate chip muffin yesterday.  I was falling back into old habits.  I thought about the promise I made to myself, grabbed a bottle of water, went downstairs to my desk and took out the lunch from home that I had prepared.  Really, is a slice of pizza worth giving up all my hard work?  I ended up eating my homemade lunch at my desk, while the others socialized in the boardroom.  I removed myself from the temptation and remained Dolce Diet complaint.  I was pleased with my decision and rejoined the group after lunch.  An assortment of cookies and sweets were brought in later in the afternoon, but I ran downstairs, under the guise of a bathroom break and inhaled the snack that I packed.  I returned to the meeting unaffected by cookies.

I am getting a little better at resisting temptation.  I am hoping that at some point I won't be affected by them at all, but until then......Lesson learned on Day 6: Remove yourself from temptation.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Day 5 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

Well I am happy to say the I did not quit.  I woke up this morning still discouraged and convinced that I would be terribly disappointed at weigh-in, but I stepped on the scale anyway.  To my surprise I was down 2 lbs.  Okay....so I had a moment of weakness yesterday - it nearly got the best of me, but luckily I hung in there.  Don't get me wrong - I still want to quit.  There is something so easy about slipping back into old habits, but I re-promised myself that I would give this a valid try. 

Pleased with my progress and with new found faith in the Dolce Diet, I celebrated this small success with one of my free meals of the week and had a much needed comfort food - a chocolate chip muffin.  The better choice would have been a piece of pizza, or some steak or yolk in my eggs, but since I am still early in the process, I needed an old favorite (chocolate) to give me a much needed mental boost. I immediately got back on the diet confident that this can work and went about my day.  I am relieved to get back to work tomorrow as a 3 day weekend does not help a dieting person.  It is much better to be trapped in the office with no access to junk.  I am sure I will have a few more set-backs before the process is finished, but I know now that I can withstand them.  I have to keep reminding myself that  my original goal was not to loose 30 lbs in 3 weeks.  It was to feel better and develop some healthy habits.  If I loose some weight along the way then that is an added bonus. 

Lesson learned on day 5: My will to succeed is stronger than my desire to quit.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Day 4 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

How to sum up day 4: Discouraged..... I am convinced that things don't work universally for everyone no matter how good the plan may be.  The plan seems perfect, but why do I feel like it is not working?  Before I ventured into this experiment I watched what I ate and exercised regularly - I was doing just fine.  I watched what I ate, but didn't deprive myself of anything.  I ate my favorite things (in moderation of course) and indulge in alcohol and sweets when the urge struck.  I certainly wasn't gaining weight & actually dropped a pound or two here and there.  I thought if I committed to this plan it would jump start me in getting off the last few pounds I wanted to loose.  For four full days I have stuck to the plan and increased the number of days that I exercise, yet I feel heavier.  I certainly don't look any lighter and I don't feel any different.  My plan is to get on the scale in the morning, but I have to say that I am not optimistic.

From what I read, people are posting typical results ranging from 5-7 pounds of weight loss in the first 10 days.  That is at a minimum 1/2 per day.  If that is the case, I should be down 2 lbs.  Tomorrow morning will be the test, but I am afraid that if I have not lost any weight or heaven forbid have gained weight (which I suspect - a woman knows her own body), I may not have the strength to continue.  Why torture myself for nothing especially since I was doing just fine before the diet.  I want to give it a valid attempt, but I also don't need any unnecessary stress in my life.  Tomorrow will be the test.

Lesson Learned on Day 4: Don't judge yourself by other's results.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Day 3 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

Day 3 is almost over - I just have a workout and snack to go.  Things are much better today.  I stayed on top of the meals and eliminated a snack. On the weekends, I sleep later so my meals are bunched closer together.  No need to add calories at snack time when I am not hungry.  I am feeling good physically, but  am definitely short tempered today.  I nearly snapped in a parking lot this afternoon when some ignorant, entitled, snot of a woman started honking her horn.  I am normally hot headed, but today I needed every once of control not to put the car in park, get out and set her straight.  I am obviously not eating the comfort foods that I once relied upon as stress reliever and am still at the point where I would kill for a piece of chocolate.  I just saw a Kit Kat commercial and had to shut the TV off and come upstairs.  We have some in the house so I didn't need any added encouragement to have one!  It is sad when you realize that food can have that kind of power over you.  I am actually embarrassed that that feel like chocolate can make me feel better.  I am hoping the desire for these types of treats dwindles as the days go by.

I have been fearing the weekend and today turn out to be a big test, which I am proud to say that I passed.  Breakfast is big in my house.  On the weekends I make breakfast for everyone and we sit around in our pj's enjoy a lazy morning.  Today was bacon and homemade waffles.  To my surprise I did not sneak one piece-even when no one was looking.  I made every one's breakfast first and when they were busy eating I prepared mine.  They were finished by the time I sat down to eat and I was left alone with the left overs.  I did not feel the urge to take any, which was surprising to me.  Cravings are getting easier, but are definitely not gone.

I have not gotten on the scale yet.  I'm afraid, as I actually feel heavier.  Other people tell me that they would be on the scale everyday.  I am nervous that if I get on the scale and have not made any progress that the discouragement will be too much to handle and I will quit.  So to prevent an early forfeit, I am going to postpone a weigh in for a few more days.  Once I am feeling less vulnerable to quitting, I will weigh in. 

Lesson learned on Day 3:  Food is fuel for the body not an emotional crutch.  This is a hard lesson to learn, as I still feel like a beer and some nachos would make me happy.  The only good thing is I realize now that I do rely on food emotionally and I am gaining the power to stop.    

Friday, January 14, 2011

Day 2 of the Dolce Diet Experiment

Day 2 turned out to be better in some ways, but worse in others.  The food that I ate actually tasted a lot better today.  Either I am getting better or more inventive at cooking or I am getting used to the flavors.  That was the good part.  The bad part was that I learned, the hard way, not to skip meals.  Being a mom makes it hard to follow any diet, especially one that wants you to eat at certain times.  An unexpected trip the doctor's with my son screwed up the day.  Not only was I unable to eat my lunch, but I failed to pack my afternoon snack.  Crap. 

The snacks really help get you through the day, but the meals are essential.  I left the house at lunch time to take one child to dance class.  My plan was to eat lunch a little late when I got back, but the unscheduled doctor's appointment prevented that.  Of course since the doctor's appointment was jammed into a weird part of the day, I had to go right from there to school to pick up my other daughter.  So I went from dance lessons, to the doctor's office and then to school.  Approximately 3 hours had passed from when I should have had lunch and worse it was time for snack and I did not bring it.  Normally I would have no problem skipping a meal or going all day without eating, but not today.  I was very hungry and becoming tired.  Between the doctor's and school pickup I found myself closing my eyes at traffic lights.  Once at school I was actually sleeping in the parking lot.  Good thing the dismissal bell was loud enough to wake me.  I could barely move.  I got the kids home and quickly inhaled a small snack and began to prepare the lunch that I missed.  I made lunch and ate it, but it was too late.  The effects of no food, took its toll.  I climbed into bed and fell fast asleep.  Hours later I dragged myself out of bed to make the kids dinner.  I am still exhausted as my body has not caught up from hitting rock bottom.  I have since had my dinner, but am still feeling off.  I am extremely thirsty and still tired.  I am not sure if I will be able to get through my workout tonight, which is the most disappointing part because I exercise every night.  I will wait until 8 to decide on working out or not.  Normally, even tired I would push myself to exercise, but am thinking twice after my body's response today.  If I don't exercise, I will try not to beat myself up over the blunder today, will go to bed early and have a do-over in the morning.

Day 2 got mixed reviews - I managed not to cheat and buy some crappy food on the road and I learned (painfully) to be prepared.  You can NOT skip meals on this plan.  The food is so targeted at fueling your body at particular times that there is nothing in reserve for when you run out. 

Lesson learned on Day 2:  Do not skip meals!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Day 1 of the Dolce Experiment

Got up early and began learning my new routine.  Things were a little crazy first thing this morning as I am a working mom of three.  Had to get up earlier than normal, but once I got moving everything fell into place. It actually felt nice to do something for myself for a change rather than taking care of everyone else and being left with no time for me.  So there I was alone and happily enjoying breakfast.  I packed up my lunch and snacks threw my book in my bag and continued on with my day.  The morning went along surprising well.  By going to bed early and having breakfast I was already off to a good start.  Now I had already prepared people I knew that I was starting a new diet and asked that they cut me a break if I was a little more grumpy than normal.  Diets always make you miserable and grumpy-especially on the first day. 

At work, I found myself remaining calm despite the crappy day I was having and I was extremely focused.  Was it the new diet or was it all in my head?  Friends think it was in my head, but I remained convinced it was the new combination of foods that I was eating. 

The day went on fine, although I had to watch the clock alot as I am not used to paying attention to the times at which I eat.  Got through dinner and then began feeling a bit sick.  Not sure if it was the new foods, my body missing the old foods, stress from the idea of being on a diet or just a detox from a day of cleansing.  I laid down for awhile worrying if I was going to be able to get through kickboxing later in the evening.  I rested for awhile and went off to class.  Shockingly, I have never felt so good in class.  Either the trainer was going easy on me, or the diet was really helping my performance.  Even now as I sit here, my muscles are not aching.  Everything feels good.  I pulled through class with no problems and even felt like I could go on for another hour or so. 

I would categorize Day 1 as a success.  I learned today that change is not as hard as I thought it was.  I will sleep good tonight and start again fresh tomorrow. Although I am left with the feeling that pain is coming.  I dread the physical, emotional and mental pain that is coming as the first few days pass.  So long as I can pull through the weekend without slipping, I think this will be successful.  With my trainer working my body from the outside-in and the Dolce Diet working my body from the inside-out; I can't fail.

Why the Dolce Diet?

I recently began kickboxing training.  I love the class and it has made a huge difference in my life.  In a few short months I managed to lose 25 lbs and have become much stronger.  This was done with little care for what I ate and no real change to my lifestyle.  The first 25 lbs came off easily, but the last few pounds are much harder to get rid of.  Being a Mixed Martial Arts fan, I have seen Mike Dolce on multiple occasions standing beside some of the most well known names in MMA.  His personal plan has helped these fighters to meet fight weights, but in a way that was easier and healthier than traditional weight cutting.  The plan describes how he personally lost 28 lbs in 21 days.  Clearly, he is a professional athlete and was under the supervision of trainers and doctors during his diet. 

I am not a professional athlete. I am just a regular normal everyday person that is looking for a way to make some healthy changes to my life.  If I was able to 25 lbs by just adding kickboxing training to my life, think about how much more successful I could be if a reworked my diet.  This is why I chose the Dolce Diet.  It is suppose to boost your burn and at the same time it maximizes your build. 

I was very curious how the Diet work, but honestly it is one of the best kept secrets out there.  There is really not a lot of research one can do to see what the plan is all about.  Since the only documented cases available for review were all professional athletes, I was concerned that this would not be appropriate for a regular person.  However, curiosity won out and I decided to take a chance and purchase the book.

Skeptical and doubtful, I read through the book the day I got it. Surprisingly my first reaction was "I can do this!". So I the following day I went through my re-education on food shopping and prepared mentally to take on the task.  I my goal is not to loose 30 lbs in 3 weeks.  I just want to see if I can stick to the plan, train myself to eat right and get rid of some bad habits. 

So I had to say some painful goodbyes.  Beer, Grey Goose and pizza were probably the hardest ones to let go, but it had to be done.  We had some good times together, and I hope to see them again soon, but we can't be friends for awhile.  Who knows when we do meet again, they may not even recognize me. 

With all my goodbyes taken care of and my commitment to this engaged....today was Day 1.