It has been a long time since I've updated this blog. The end result of the original iteration of this was me getting down to 225 pounds. That was after starving myself for days on end and being generally unhealthy about the whole thing. Plus, it in no way prepared me for being off the diet.
One failed relationship later and I was heavier than I had ever been (280 lbs). I tried multiple variations on the diet dice, calorie restrictions, workout programs...but none of it was addressing the core problem. Namely, I eat crap. Lots of crap. Cheese fries with bacon, Baconator burgers from Wendys, Double Stackers from Burger King, Loaded meat and extra cheese pizzas, hot wings with blue cheese or ranch, Reece's peanut butter cups...all are so delicious and so horrible for me.
So, it came down to knowing what kind of exercise routine works for me and abandoning that aspect of the die roll. From now on, my dice only inform my diet. I am a couple of weeks into this new program and it seems to be working for me (I am only weighing myself once a week so I can't speak to the weight loss just yet). I just feel like I am expanding my horizons.
If you want to play along at home, here is how you do it...make a list of the six foods that ruin you. For me, they are sweets, sodas, potatoes, meat, cheese and condiments (to include salad dressings used for non-salad purposes). So, each morning, I wake up and roll my dice again. You may see where this is going.
1= No sweets
2= No Soda
3= No potatoes
4= No meat
5= No cheese
6= No Condiments
Now, cutting one of these out everyday isn't going to do anything. One day without sweets is no way to lose weight. So, the second die is rolled for the number of days I will go without these foods. This creates a cumulative effect. For example, this morning, I already knew from previous days I couldn't have soda or meat today. I rolled a 1 and a 2, meaning no sweets for two days. So, today I can't eat any sweets, sodas or meat. It really has helped me get creative as to what I can eat for which meal. Since my usual breakfast is a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit (no go due to the sausage) and a chocolately pretzel Special K car (no go due to the chocolate), I got creative and had a grilled cheese sandwich (which is far fewer calories than my usual breakfast). The past few weeks I have learned to make hummus for myself and tried various vegan recipes on days I couldn't have cheese or meat. Not everything has been delicious but I have at least been branching out.
On the exercise front, I am doing a slow but steady routine. I am doing the good old Couch to 5k program on alternating days (with only a range of 2.5 to 3.5 mph so as not to kill myself). On the other days, I do a 30 minute leisure walk (2.5 mph) as well as weightlifting, modified pushups and situps. On the Couch to 5k days I also do sidebends with weights, stomach crunches and full pushups. This way I am working out my arms and legs every day.
On Sundays, I don't work out and I eat whatever the hell I want. This way, no matter how many days in a row the dice say I can't eat meat (9 days and counting, so far)...I can still look forward to my beloved chicken wings and sausage at least once a week.
If you like challenging your mind to come up with new variations on things you will actually eat and you have about 40 minutes a day to work out...I might recommend this for you.
