End of week 2.

This morning at 10:30 on the nose I reported in for my week 2 weight in and to pick up food for week 3.

This is what it looks like going down the hallway to the Clinical Research Center at UT/Methodist Hospital.  I sort of feel like I am walking down the hallway on the training facility set for the Bourne movies. Long...dark...quiet.....hallway. I fully expect Pamela Landy to pop out at any minute.

I am proud to report that this week I lost 6 pounds.  That was a joyful victory after what seemed like a long week. Next Tuesday, I go in for blood work (sigh), what's called a meal tolerance test.  That means is that they take blood at -30, 0, 30, 60, 90 minutes. What that translates to is a long morning in a hospital bed.  But, if it means I'll have a smaller hinny when it is over, sign me up! (Oh wait, I did.)
It is times like this when I have to remember that I am getting free food and a nutritionist for 6 months!  In my mind somehow that evens out.

My nutritionist, Kristin, took this photo today before I left.  I suppose that I need to have some sort of documentation of what I looked like when this all began.  I wore this dress the day I did the initial weigh in and now have it in my crazy mind that I need to wear it for every weigh in for the next six months.  It is going to get a little cold come January, I suppose a sweater and leggings will have to be added while in transport but for sure not for the scale! This is science people,  I have to keep it constant.

So, would you like to see what I eat? Many of you have messaged me to see what in the world I'm eating.  Many, like you, and like my mother are very curious to see what comes home with me after I weigh in.  So, here it is!

This is what my food looks like when I pick it up at the hospital.  

In these two large cooler bags is my food for 7 days...it's like Christmas morning!

Many of my dinner entrees are "Zone" brand.  You can go on-line to see where they are distributed (in what store) in your area. I like most of them, all of these are ones I like and recommend.  Not pictured, Boca nuggets, they are delicious.  Come to find out, they're even vegan! Fooled me!

I eat 2 cups of these veggies per day.  This brand available at Target. 

I have these little baggies of plain almonds all over the place.  Remember in The Devil Wears Prada in the opening scene when KT Tunstall is singing "Suddenly I See" and Andy is getting ready for work...it goes to a clip with one of the Runway girls putting almonds into a small jar.  I always thought that was weird...until now.  Here I am with almonds in baggies in 10 and 15 count all over the kitchen.  

Perhaps I should have taken that cue 4 years ago. 

One might think that Slim Fast is strictly a breakfast/lunch food.  Well in this diet plan, it is my before bed snack.  High Protein Slim Fast, available at most food chains.  The yogurt is one of my breakfast options, I eat 2 of them for breakfast often paired with almonds or 3 pieces Canadian bacon. 

Special K cereal, naturally it is also of the high protein persuasion and the Canadian Bacon.  

Both breakfast options.  The Zone bars are my in between meals snacks.  Unfortunately I am chained to the 3 flavors pictured.   They are available at Target and come in a variety of flavors, 

but for the sake of science I will only get to eat these 3. 

This milk is AWESOME.  It goes with my cereal.  I lap every particle up as though I'm a kitten. An interesting fact about this milk is that it doesn't have to be refrigerated until you want to use it. It is available at the grocery store in the organic section.  I've often seen if 10/$10.  

I've passed these little guys by I don't know how many times thinking that they were to small to do anybody any good.  Once again, I should have taken their product placement cue when I passed by it in the grocery store.  These things are great.  An excellent option on the go, or to add with your breakfast meal.  A very good balance of something sweet, right when you need it. 

Drum rollllll....please!

This is my very favorite of my "diet" food.  These are available at Whole Foods and are amazing.  The Canadian has been such a trooper through this diet.  So I went and picked up some extra boxes of these so we could at least eat the same thing together (precisely 3 times per week).  The sad part is that when I get to eat mine, it is just the fish and the whole wheat bun. Nothing as fancy as they've pictured.  The good news is that I'm afraid all that other jazz would actually foul it up.  They are AMAZING.  We grill them outside, 3-4 minutes per side, depending on what kind of grill you're working with.
Y-U-M!!!!  I'm always really excited for my fish days, I've found myself planning for when they
will be during the week. 

Now, you might be wondering, how do I know when to eat each item and on what day.  That's where the handy, dandy nutritionist comes in.  Based on my resting metabolic rate (one of the test they do) they determine how many calories my body can burn on it's own without any extra exercise.  That is how they determine how many calories I can eat per day.  Another test that was done was a "dexa" bone scan. WOW, that was really cool. I got to see all of my skeleton and the "extras" that surround it.  The "extras" as I affectionately refer to them, is what we're working on reducing in the process of this diet. 

Lastly, during the blood work they do a meal tolerance test.  This shows how you blood sugar reacts to food consumption, and now, to controlled food consumption.  

When I pick up my food each week, Kristin (the nutritionist) gives me a booklet all spelled out as to what I am to eat each day.  All of the caloric content matches what my body is able to burn through my resting metabolic rate.  

Exercise is not recommended other than what you normally do, in my case for a while that's been a whole lot of nothing other than my stint with Bikram back in the spring.  and my periodic visits to the church parish life center.  The study wants to determine how the food changes your composition, not the exercise.  

As I've grown more aware of my food consumption and am re learning some of these concepts about eating I'm already starting to fret about what I'll do come the end of the 26th week. I asked Kristin about it today...her reply was along the lines of we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  A gentle reminder that we are still 24 weeks away! 

Week 3, bring...it...on!