Days 13 and 14

Well yesterday was my last day (13)of the REALLY strict phase - I made it!!!  Not a morsel passed my lips that was not on the list, and I am now on Day 14, the start of the reintroduction.  Now before I get too excited I have to remind myself that this only means that now I can have all fruits and vegetables (not just what is on the "core" list) and I can add white rice if I want.  This reintroduction phase goes in several steps so I am here for three days.

This is a good thing because:

I had to set out a seminar luncheon today and there was a Greek salad to die for.  Before the participants came in I took a paper cup and took off (carefully rearranging so no one would notice) peppers, tomatoes and red onions.  I was not so careful about taking off the flecks of feta cheese, which I think probably, in total, amounted to about 1/2 tsp.  I got out of there, though, before I was tempted to snitch a sandwich!

Tonight I am meeting with my daughter's mother-in-law to go shopping for shower invitations and to discuss the menu.  We are meeting at the 99 Restaurant.  I checked the menu before suggesting that - they have a grilled salmon with side vegetables (all of which I can eat as of today).  However, I know these chain restaurants get their food already prepared (no matter HOW healthy it looks with their fancy marketing) so I am going to go early as not to embarrass the other woman, and ask them to rinse off the salmon and all the vegetables before cooking them for me.  If this is not possible, I will just do my best and call it a day.  I am not outright eating anything I shouldn't be, and the worst will be if there is some butter on the various items. (Even if you ask for "no butter" that stuff comes frozen like drop-in boil bags already seasoned and buttered, just FYI.)   I am not going to stress about it.  I will just order what looks to be the healthiest meal on the menu. 

I cannot believe I am so far into the program.  Hmm... let me rephrase - I cannot believe I am already into the reintroduction phase, yet it seems like I have been doing this forever, yet only started yesterday. LOL...

I am already starting to stress over what/how I will eat when this program is over.  Like today at the luncheon - I could have inhaled the entire salad and eaten four sandwiches (well I think I could... maybe not...).  And this isn't just because I am on a restricted program - I could eat like this ALL the time. I think what has been easy about following this program is that there are such strict boundaries.  Eat this. Don't eat that.  Eat this.  Don't eat that.  I hate micromanaging - meaning I don't like things with strict meal plans directing every morsel.  But I do like macromanaging - meaning I am okay with general larger boundaries (no gluten, no dairy, etc.).  So my stress is arising from worrying that I will be given TOO much freedom.  I am meeting with the dietitian within a few days of finishing the program so I am sure she will work with me to slowly reintroduce things so I won't be overhwhelmed.  I am also hoping that I will have enough of a jump start with a little bit of weight loss and that I will be motivated to keep on keepin' on.

Well I won't worry now what might be at the end of April.  Let me get through tonight's dinner first!

Miriam

ADDENDUM TO POST:  About an hour after lunch I got such bloating and discomfort in my upper abdomen.  I don't know whether it was the tomatoes, peppers or the bit of dairy I had (I know it wasn't the onions, I had even less of that than the cheese).  And now I have the burpees.  Oh well... I am pretty sure it is the green pepper, but I will also have tomatoes on day that I don't have the pepper and see if those could be the culprit too.  Interesting development ....