Last week’s report felt so lackluster that I had to compensate a bit by adding this picture of New York City to the post (if you’re reading this on a reader, it might not show up – click over to the blog).

It’s a sadly grainy picture, huh? I think it’s time for a new camera. Add it to the list of new things that I desperately need. Needing new things used to be so fun. As a kid, it was like unscheduled Christmas, even if what you needed was boring, like glasses, or new shoes. As an adult, needing new things is just another chunk out of the old bank account.

Ok, so I still like buying shoes. I just bought a pair, in fact. Black patent leather classic pumps from Lane Bryant. I had no idea Lane Bryant even sold shoes until fairly recently. When I took these to the checkout counter, the sales girl told me that they’d started making them for the same reasons as in the movie Kinky Boots. I looked this up when I got home, and was a bit chagrined. I just bought the shoes because they were cute.

Ah well.

On to the report. This week’s report is a bit odd, since I’ve decided to add in a book review that is also a diet report, so I’ve cut out some of the categories.

Mood: I feel like a swirled beverage, or an about-to-be blended soup; something with many components that is on the verge of coming together.  Going to New York City always fills the creative well, and my brain is bubbling with ideas, which is my favorite state of mind. There’s a tingling in my fingers and a fizzing in my bones, and it’s just a matter of channeling it all properly.

Wearing: I bought a Burberry scarf, and it looks terrible on me. I love, love, love the Burberry plaid, but try as I might, khaki/tan is NOT my color, and I just end up looking seasick. Fortunately it’s cashmere, and really warm, so until I give it away, it’ll at least keep me toasty. This is good, because lately my office is essentially a fridge. Other than the scarf, I’ve got my standard uniform of gray cardigan, black tank, black trousers. Snooze fest.

Listening to: I stumbled across Chat – French musician, sweet but not twee, perfect for a Saturday afternoon, and I don’t understand a blessed word. Here’s hoping she’s not inciting to bigotry and violence. (Once again, I’m afraid you’ll have to click over to the blog to listen).

Reading: The 4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferris – an impulse buy on the flight home, and it’s… very much a guy’s book. There are lots of statistics about how to lift more weights, and an entire chapter on improving your batting average. However, the diet plan works like a freaking charm. It’s the easiest diet I’ve ever tried, and I lost four pounds in four days without being hungry once. Don’t bother reading the book, or you’ll just be turned off by his dude-ness. I’ll sum it up for you: eat protein, veggies and legumes at every meal. Shoot for 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal, eat within 30 minutes of waking up, and avoid fruit and dairy. I ignored the no-fruit directive and ate like this:

Here’s the thing, I have the attention span of a gnat when it comes to diets and I’ve never lasted for more than a week on anything. If my blood sugar drops at all, motivation goes right out the window, and I just want a piece of toast with lots of butter – immediately.  As the years have passed, I’ve realized that I have to counteract my lack of will power and make meal choices before I get hungry so that when it gets to that point, I basically already have dinner made for me. This involved a lot of putting meat in the crockpot to cook before I left for work, premade salad mixes from Costco (yes, I used the dressing), and canned beans.

Will it work long term? I don’t know – he allows for a cheat day, which I found to be awesome, and it didn’t effect my loss, but also kind of threw me off track. I really liked that I didn’t get hungry, and my energy levels were immediately through the roof. I never knew how crucial protein was to clear thinking and blood sugar regulation. I mean… I knew, but putting it into practice was eye opening. I didn’t get sick of beans, which was surprising. My two favorite meals turned out to be the most simple: roast chicken on mixed greens with beans, and taco salad (no tortillas, no cheese) with lots of avocado. My least favorite meal was a Thai curry. It was incredibly delicious, but without rice, you can’t eat to saturation point without the flavor becoming overwhelming.

Here’s my menu for this week (for breakfast I have the same thing every day – eggs, beans, salsa, and for lunch I have leftovers from the previous night).

If I stick with it, can I expect to lose 4 pounds a week until I’m able to slip into size 6 jeans? I doubt it. However, I’m fine with anything that leads to a consistent downward trajectory. Keep in mind that I’m quite heavy, and my exercise is limited to sliding across frozen parking lots on the way to my car. But, I’ll keep you updated and start adding “Pounds lost” to the weekly report. In fact…

Pounds lost: 4

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