The scale moved downward again today, enough so that I can report another pound lost, totaling 12 pounds lost.
I'm very pleased with this progress. The last time I lost weight--13 pounds total--it took me two years. It was a real struggle. Why the weight is moving now I'm not sure. Maybe it's the B vitamins from the nutritional yeast I consume daily? Or the addition of iodine via the sea vegetables I mix in with my sea salt? Or the reduction of fat overall due to some fat free substitutes? I doubt it's the fiber though the fiber does help me stay full--it's a real aid to prevent overeating and being satisfied with smaller amounts of food.
Speaking of fiber--yesterday after lunch I got hungry for a snack. Wanting a low calorie very filling snack and having some coleslaw mix (the bagged kind) on hand gave me the brilliant (not) idea of having some raw cabbage instead of fruit or a Fiber One bar (which I was out of). I mixed about 2 cups of the slaw mix with some very low fat mayonnaise, a little yogurt, lots of garlic and onion powder, and some salt and pepper--all tossed together. I must say it tasted really good. So--take this away--eat cabbage for a mid-
afternoon snack. It'll fill you up but won't fill you out.
We had taco salad for supper last night and I threw in a handful of slaw mix (unadorned) with my salad--it supplied extra chew and crunch, was way more filling and added very few calories. Plus, cabbage is a one of those eat often healthy foods. I omitted the cheese on my taco salad but I swear-- those cabbage shreds did look like shredded Monterrey jack cheese. It's pretty easy to fool yourself like that especially when your taco salad is loaded up with other stuff--tomatoes, onion, corn, pinto beans, cooked ground turkey, low fat sour cream and low fat dressing.
The past couple of nights I have been hungry when I've gone to bed so I must be eating under my caloric need--which is good and creates that deficit necessary to lose weight. Most days I eat around 1350 calories give or take. Last time I dieted (to lose the 13 pounds) I was allowing myself to eat 1600 calories a day. I really didn't think an additional 250 calorie deficit would make that much difference but evidently it does--coupled with reducing total fat intake by using some fat-free products. Mind, I do eat some good fat daily but small amounts. Nut butters, olive oil and avocado are some of my good fat sources, as well as nuts themselves...of late it's walnuts and almond slices, usually eaten in my yogurt and oatmeal.
So, that's all for now. I hope I can keep this up--the loss part that is. My way of eating I intend to do 'forever'. Whether I will continue to lose weight remains to be seen. Theoretically I should, but real life and theory don't always coincide, do they.