Day 2: The Truth Comes Out

Ok so apparently my willpower was not as strong as I had hoped. *insert sheepish grin here* I couldn't stick to it today. It wasn't because it tasted bad because I still think that the leeks tasted good, but it was boring after eating and drinking the same thing the day before. It was the monotony that I couldn't take. As a result, I caved today, but I still did be careful with what I ate, practicing portion control just like is recommended. More specifically, what I did was weigh everything that I ate and nothing over 4-6 oz per meal total. Mireille mentioned that less than half a pound or 8 oz should be enough to satisfy and anything more was considered overeating. As a result, I ate breakfast which totaled out to be 5.8 oz, lunch was 5oz, and dinner was 6oz. What was even better about these meals though was that I ate what I wanted to and it made me happy! Here was my day:

Breakfast:

Cream drop biscuits

Strawberries cooked in butter and some brown sugar

Creme fraiche mixed into the strawberry concoction

Lunch:

Creamy broccoli cheese soup

Cream drop biscuits

Dinner:

Homemade macaroni and cheese

More cream drop biscuits (LOVE those things)

Things like biscuits are on my list of offenders, BUT in my defense, Mireille does not advocate just giving up offenders cold turkey because it can be difficult. Normally, I would have eaten 3-4 biscuits every time I ate. Instead, I limited myself to 2 at breakfast, 1 at lunch, and 1 at dinner. This is huge for me even though it might not sound like much to others, but I'm pretty proud of myself! Over time, I hope to bring down my offender count even more for things like biscuits as well as other offenders like pastries. My biggest offenders fall in the bread way of things - biscuits, pastries, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, biscotti, danishes, doughnuts...anything like that is what makes up my list of offenders. In any event, I thought I did pretty good today. I do not anticipate a full 2 lbs lost as of tomorrow due to only managing to do the leek soup for one day, but perhaps I'll end up with something positive either way tomorrow! Here is hoping and I will be sure to update some time tomorrow with whatever happens!!

Day 1: Not doing too bad so far :)

Today is day 1 taking in the leek soup as recommended. Not doing too badly at all although I do feel tired. The only reason I am tired is because all I've had is leek soup as my source of nutrition, but that is to be expected. I've had 3 cups of soup today and eaten 1 of the leeks. I will say it is amazing how intensely you become attuned to the food that exists out in the world when you do this. I went out of the house this morning to run some errands thinking that if I could stay away from being home, it would be easier not to eat something I'm not supposed to today. If anything it was harder. There is so much temptation out there between drive thru this and drive thru that. It was absolutely crazy! I stayed strong though and did not have anything. I have not cheated today and have no intention of cheating tomorrow either. The reality is that it is not that hard, but you really should make sure you have an easy kind of weekend when you do this. I am definitely tired...there is no doubt. I can push through it though! I know I can! It is about 4pm now and there are only a few hours left before bedtime. 2 more cups of soup today and possibly one more leek when I get hungry is all I have left for today. Tomorrow night, I get to eat food...I wonder what I'll eat?

The Night Before...

Ok, so for those of you who have surely heard of French Women Don't Get Fat and for those of you that haven't, this is going to be a blog/personal diary of how this will be incorporated into my daily life. Truthfully, the core concept behind this book is moderation is key and enjoy what you eat, even if it means having a glass of wine or champagne at every meal. My question is can you spoil yourself and still not get fat? In response, I have prepped the Magical Leek Soup that Mireille Guiliano recommends to kick off the first weekend. I cheated a little (if you can call it cheating) and had a small cup with one of the leeks tonight for dinner to see what it would taste like. Personally, I really liked it. I put a cup's worth of the broth into a mug and drank it with a little salt and little pepper. I then scooped one leek out and put some olive oil and a little salt/pepper and it was quite good. I was pleasantly surprised considering the way that I have seen so many people report the Magical Leek Soup as being less than enjoyable. She does not say forget about the salt and pepper, but says to use it sparingly. It really kicks it up a notch! Here is the recipe in case anyone else is interested in giving it a shot. I start with the official Magical Leek jump start tomorrow! Here we go!

MAGICAL LEEK SOUP (Broth)
Serves 1 for the weekend
Ingredients
2 pounds leeks
1. Clean the leeks and rinse well to get rid of sand and soil. Cut off the ends of the dark green parts, leaving all the white parts plus a suggestion of pale green. (Reserve the extra greens for soup stock.)
2. Put the leeks in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes. Pour off the liquid and reserve. Place the leeks in a bowl.
The juice is to be drunk (reheated or at room temperature to taste) every 2 to 3 hours, 1 cup at a time. For meals, or whenever hungry, have some of the leeks themselves, 1/2 cup at a time. Drizzle with a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season sparingly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if you wish.
This will be your nourishment for both days, until Sunday dinner, when you can have a small piece of meat or fish (4 to 6 ounces -- don't lose that scale yet!), with 2 vegetables, steamed with a bit of butter or olive oil, and a piece of fruit.