A Little Wiggle Room

If you can believe it, we will soon be entering our third week of the TTP! Several participants have come to me panicked because they didn't follow the plan to the letter, or they were sharing how difficult it was to follow it to the letter. Well, please let me reassure you that there is some wiggle room in this plan, which is another reason i like it. Before i go any further, please do NOT TAKE THIS AS LICENSE TO GO COMPLETELY OFF COURSE AND THEREFORE NOT GET TO YOUR DESTINATION. If you are anything like me, i get an inch, i take a yard. That is not what this is about. What i am saying is that by now you should be familiar enough with the rules to make a few educated guesses and choices.

For example, in the plan's shopping guide, it lists low fat, low sugar soups and Kashi Go Lean Cereal, yet no where in the menus do i see either of those listed. So that to me means yes, it is okay to substitute that cereal for another one. That also means that it is up to me (and it will be the rest of your days) to read the labels on prepared soups and choose those that fit the bill. I would probably eat those soups only in place of one of the recipe soups she lists if i did not have time to make it. But in a pinch, i would say it would be fine to substitute those soups for something other main dish on the menu. Just stick to the portion she suggests. I recently bought at Trader Joes (a store i highly recommend you visit for lower priced natural and organic items)butternut squash soup. It had all natural ingredients i could pronounce, i think 1G of sugar, and 2 G of protein. It is in a carton so you just pour your portion in a pot, heat it up, done. It was the only carton of soup i could find there without sugar in the ingredient line up, so always check. Trader Joe's also has an all natural refrigerated low fat, low sugar cilantro dressing that i use when i need a little flavor let's say on chicken or whatever. it is really good, and i think fully acceptable for this plan.

So speaking of a little wiggle room, I have been doing really well. I have followed the plan closely these last few days. And i have seen results (one pound more off today, and a flatter stomach, always very motivating to any of us child bearers). Today was a crazy day for me, so my breakfast was by the book, but i knew it would be hard to follow it exactly because i was going to be out all day. I SHOULD HAVE PACKED MY LUNCH, I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT, but no time, had to run. So i grabbed an apple.

THE OLD VICKI would have drove through wendy's and gotten a spicy chicken (fried with ranch, cheese on white torilla) snack wrap and a diet lemonade (wendy's no longer carries that lemonade, so it would have been a diet coke). The new vicki ate her apple, and drank a bottle of water. Went about the errands, and then hunger struck.. panic. I was at Sam's where the pizza is good and cheap.. They even have a veggie one which cons you into thinking your are doing something healthy (in my opionion, it just adds more calories)and they had sample food stations everywhere! I felt like there was a conspiracy out to get me, "Come here, wanna try this CHOCOLATE COVERED CARAMEL APPLE LITTLE GIRL........"

NO.

AND THAT IS HOW IT WENT. i HAD TO GET something so i bought hoummous (which i needed anyway) and i bought whole wheat rolls. In the car i had one roll with 2-3T of Hoummous. and a whole bottle of water, the big ones. Surprisingly the plan lists houmous as the source of protein yet there is only 2g (i have noticed this in the past, even if you make it yourself). But i survived the unprepared shopping trip.

LESSON: IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN, YOU PLAN TO FAIL.

But i didn't so i was happy. When i got home at 3:30 i had lunch (!) which was 1.5 cups of butternut squash soup and a glass of pomegranate kefir (11G protein!!)

When i got home there was a nice cheeseburger waiting for me (well meaning husband). I almost talked myself into having half of it (it was small) but i had grilled chicken ALREADY PREPARED AND WAITING IN A ZIP LOCK, SEE THE CONNECTION) so i had that instead.

LESSON: WHEN YOU COOK, COOK EXTRA AND FREEZE IT. MAKE A BATCH OF GRLLED CHICK FOR EXAMPLE AND YOU CAN TAKE OUT ONE A DAY IN THE A.M. AND YOU WILL HAVE IT WHEN YOU NEED IT.

I have alot more to say, but it is late,and they say lack of sleep contributes to belly fat, so i will stop here. Next time i will write more about wiggle room and how i think 8 weeks is a long time and you need to allow yourself maybe a treat a week. If it is planned (and not an impulsive binge) i think it could be a great addition so you don't feel so deprived!