Monday, March 10th - Starting that Diet Tomorrow

A couple of weeks ago, I signed up for a 21 day trial of a book from Men's Health called The Metabolism Advantage, and it came in the mail last Thursday. I'm not a big fan of structured diets, because I think they often limit you, deprive you, or are so expensive to maintain that you're probably going flip it off and eat a Ho-Ho anyway. When I first dropped my weight and got into shape, the Atkins Diet was the really popular thing at the time, but I really wasn't interested in a life without carbs. So, I devised a plan for myself that was very high in protein, which lead to lower intake of carbs in pursuit of attaining my goal of 250 grams of protein a day. Yeah, that's a lot, and when you have to reach that goal, you naturally avoid things with a lot of carbs.

I stayed on that plan for quite some time, dutifully eating probably enough boneless, skinless chicken breast to make those fowl shake with fear if I ever bothered to go into the Chicken Barn at the State Fair. I really had no problem with the repetition because you can pretty much flavor chicken anyway you want (mmmm...tastes like chicken), but it seemed that whenever I tried to deviate off the plan, I would instantaneously gain. It really sucked, and when I began the downward spiral to where I am now, I pretty much completely chucked the things that worked for the tried and true (and complete failure inducing) method of eating less, which I think really did a number on my metabolism, because I actually continued to gain while eating less. Figure that frustrating tidbit out....

So anyway, back to The Metabolism Advantage. I had actually flirted with a Men's Health program before called The Abs Diet, and when I started packing on the pounds after a week, I quickly went off of that one. So, I was a bit leery about this new one. I figured I could take a look at it, and then if I didn't think it was possible, at least I wouldn't be stuck with the book after 21 days. The good thing about it is that my current routine (when I'm doing it) wasn't really too far from what the plan asks you to do. Obviously, my slackerness at the gym had to stop, which is why I got 4 days in last week and why I was up at 5am today. I also needed to stop being a typical male who avoids cardio, or using the excuse, "Well, once it gets warm I'll ride my bike" (which is true, but that doesn't mean I can't fight instinct to insulate in the winter). As for the food, it is structured, with you pretty much eating every two hours, but I wasn't too far off that to begin with. It is also A LOT more food than I normally eat. So, I'm hoping it works as it is intended.

This week I am following the plan to the letter, even down to the recipes that they suggest. My main point in doing this is to get a look at the plan from the inside out, and then see if there are ways I can save money through bulk purchases or just cheaper alternatives. I spent most of the day on Saturday tracking down all of the ingredients on the list provided in the book, and lets just say I spent exponentially more than what I normally spend at the store. I actually spent more in a week than I would on a normal two weeks on my old plan. That is obviously not something I can maintain, and thankfully, I can already see ways to save. Really, the big difference from what I had been doing is that I wasn't getting nearly enough vegetables and fruit in my diet. That is something I can change pretty easily. Though, I have to say my midmorning snack is staring at my on my desk, and I'm just not sure how it is going to be. While I had a nice spinach, olive, and goat cheese omelet and oatmeal with mixed berries for breakfast (more carbs after your workout than at dinner...flip that if you workout in the evening), this shake is made up of protein powder, fat free yogurt, oats, flax seed, one entire apple, and mixed nuts. Oh, and I threw some spinach in there, because the recipe called for a product called Green+, which is like a protein powder but only it is vegetables. I ordered it from Amazon this weekend, and since I didn't have it, I figured I needed to replace the veggies with something. Sound appetizing? Well...let's take the plunge....hmmm....surprisingly good. It kinda tastes like apple sauce. I think I'll add more cinnamon next time...

While there are some weird things that I would probably never buy normally (oat bran, wheat bran, quinoa, and OLIVES [bleh]), I can't say that a lot of the additions seem unreasonable. I'm just not going to be able to afford to follow the recipes they outline without looking at some alternatives, specifically making large batches at a time. The shakes are by far the biggest addition that I will not be able to deviate from much, and I'm okay with that, as long as I get a chance to make them the day before.

Wish me luck! I'm two months out from my birthday, and I really want to be looking better than I do now. Luckily, the plan is 8 weeks. So, I'll hopefully see some good results by then.

Oh, if anyone has a coupon for Fish Oil tablets, please mail it to me. You have to pop those like you're Courtney Love on a bender.