Keeeeeep Going..

I'm pleased to say that since I have been adhering 90/10 to the diet, that I have actually dropped about 2 pounds over the past couple of weeks.  I'm displeased that I don't suddenly overnight look Ryan Reynolds ripped because of it. 

Ah, well.  Takes time.  Patience is key.

As far as the diet itself goes, I have found that a half of a large sweet potato does the trick.  I just cut it into 1.5" pieces and steam the pieces either by themselves or with a handful of broccoli for about as long as it takes to cook my steak.  And no, I'm not eating red meat every night, but I do eat it probably 3-5 times a week. 

Lunch is probably the most challenging since it has to be prepared in advance.  But here's my method for cooking the chicken:

Items required..

1.  Thermometer with alarm (cheap)
2.  Cookie sheet
3.  Aluminum foil
4.  Onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and cayenne powder if you're feeling frisky
5.  Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Set the oven to 350F and hit preheat.  Place a sheet of foil on the cookie sheet (for easy cleanup) and lay out your breasts flat.  I cook up to three at a time, as any more than that can sometimes get wasted.  Apply however much of the seasonings to the chicken as you think you might like.  Set the temperature on the thermometer to 165F, turn on the alarm, and stick the probe into the middle of the thickest piece of chicken.  Slide the whole thing into the oven and wait for the alarm to go off when the interior temp reaches 165.  If you are brave and like a juicier chicken breast, you can set it for 155 or 160. When the alarm goes off, I pull the whole thing out of the oven and cut up the one I want and put it in a tupperware container so I don't have to cut it up later when I'm out in the field working.  Refrigerate the rest.  I usually do this right after I finish breakfast.

It's important to me to treat my food as fundamentally as important to my health and well-being as shelter and other basic needs.  Therefore my mindset is that I eat for my body, because it will make my body feel good, and not for my mouth.  My tastebuds are only one tiny part of me and even though they are directly linked to feelings of satisfaction and pleasure, I have to be sure that what passes over them is also good for the rest of me.  This is quite simply the hardest part of all of these programs, whether it's basic bodybuilding, P90X, Jenny Craig or anything else.  Oh, and it's very important that the clean stuff I do eat tastes really good, otherwise I'll never stick to the program.

1.  I choose not to use food as a reward. 
2.  I choose not to use food as a salve for my ego or emotions. 
3.  I choose not to use food to make me feel better because I'm having a bad day.

Consistently eating a clean, balanced diet makes all the difference in the world for the way I feel physically, mentally, and emotionally.  It really does.  Even when I'm not working out, if I stick to a clean diet, my weight doesn't yo-yo and I always feel better than if I just can't keep out of the drive thru or eat one big unhealthy meal a day.  I would never suggest not eating pizza or ribs or fried chicken or double cheeseburgers again, but just every once and while on a special occasion. 

Ultimately, I believe that if I can conquer the diet and keep it consistently clean and balanced all year long, that all the rest of this is easy. 

Keep going, people.

Comments

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