7 pounds to go!

Well, I must admit, I returned to the strict diet. I don't think I was quite ready for the Maintenance Program. Not that I didn't welcome the additional foods I could reintegrate, but I wasn't pleased with myself that I wasn't at my goal weight of 140. 

So, I returned to the strict diet to lose the last 10 pounds and go from there. 

POST SCRIPT: It's funny too. Last week I just had the ravenous cravings for chocolate and sweets, and what came along? My period. I never have cravings for sweets, and haven't felt the need to eat them while on the strict diet before, but all of sudden it was like an all-consuming need to eat chocolate. Then came Aunt Flo. A coincidence? I think not. One thing I've learned on the diet is that your body tells you what it needs, and when it needs it, and signals the onset of things before you even realize it. Iron, chocolate, salt - when you're menstruating, your body sends some interesting signals to the brain. I just substituted chocolate cupcakes with the Dr. Bernstein Protein Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bar = 1P to satisfy my craving. 

I'm now down to 146.8 lbs as of Friday, so only 7 more to go! The nice thing about the Bernstein program is that it is focussed on your needs, so I had no problem going in on Tuesday (for the Maintenance check-in) to report that I wanted to come back on Strict on Wednesday. 

Seamless - no issues - and totally supportive when I expressed that I want to be at 140 before I start. 

This time, once I use up my credits to the end of 140 lbs, I'll be better prepared to do Maintenance on my own. I can always pop in for a month of maintenance at $150 if I feel I need it. 

 * * * New Clothes As a treat to myself, I received in the mail some clothes I ordered. A bad idea usually, since you never quite know if the fit is going to be right, but I took the plunge anyway with the end-of-season sales. 

JCrew was my shop of choice, and I picked up some lovely items. I'll take pictures shortly, but suffice to say the lovely Jackie O-style silk and summer sheath dresses are to die for! I will still get them slightly altered (straps as usual) and I'll need to find those weird bras that are necessary for low-back revealing dresses, but a small inconvenience for my new look. 

I also got my new size 10 pants altered a little (waist was a little too big) so I'm ready for work on Monday! 

Body Wrap I also spent the morning on Friday at a local spa getting an Anti-Aging Body Wrap. If you haven't tried it yet, it's quite an experience. You're mummified (except your face) and through a series of apparatus and vitamin and mineral treatments, your lymphatic system excretes toxins and excess water from your body, resulting in some minimal inch loss and health benefits. Of course they discuss the homeopathic diet alternatives, mainly the Alkaline/Acid Diet, and the evils of sugar, etc. As I reviewed their espoused diet 70 Alkaline/30 Acidic approach, it looks quite similar to the Bernstein approach. The key is to focus on the fruits and vegetables, and balance the protein, while removing the over-acidic foods that are so prevalent in our North American diet. 

I'm going to take some time today to deconstruct the Strict Diet (my food selections) within the Alkaline/Acid framework and Calorie framework, to see where I sit. I think it will help me gauge when I start Maintenance, of what I'm reintroducing to balance the calories and nutrients and have a bit of a roadmap for myself. The nice thing about the Alkaline/Acid framework is that it allows for 4oz of "good quality red wine" daily. Sign me up for that!