This Amazing Soup

So, about two weeks ago when I was plowing through my Gourmet Nutrition and Eating for Life cookbooks for ways to revamp my eating, I came across this recipe for Pea Soup. Now, having tried a really good, fresh pea soup once before in my life, I knew that if it is made right then pea soup is awesome. So I tried the Gourmet Nutrition version, and fell utterly in love with it. It's quick and easy after the first time you make it, so long as you have some chicken thawed (and even if you don't, it's a great non-protein-ated main or side dish). Mmm. I drool thinking about it. Well, the reason I talk about it right now is because it's cold outside, and I'm fighting a cold right now. And, well, I don't have any peas left, but I did have a few green beans, an onion, some leftover vegetable broth, pepper, and cumin. I threw them together, and basically, I've just eaten a whole onion. It took literally less than 20 minutes. I had two scrambled eggs (scrambled with cottage cheese rather than milk) with it for protein. The cumin and pepper were nice for the sinus stuff. I'm on a no carb day, so this soup was pretty much perfect. Snack was a banana nut bar (Gourmet Nutrition recipe, made with mostly walnut meal-carbs are not negligible, but under 15 grams per bar) and breakfast was eggs with cottage cheese.

I don't know if I'll do a workout today. This isn't one of those colds where you're stuffed up and foggy but still able to operate, this is one that is leaving my throat feeling like it's gone through a meat grinder and my lungs feeling like I'm not getting enough oxygen. Ew. Yesterday's workout was a wash, because by the time I had time for it, I was feeling like this. Tuesday's workout happened and was great.

So, today marks exactly 4 weeks since I started this part of my journey. It's time to look back, measure things out, and re-set course, if necessary. It's actually a bit amazing to me how quickly these four weeks have gone.

Food is STILL mostly hit, but not at 90-100% compliance. I'm eating tons better than I was only four weeks ago, to be completely honest. If I'm looking at myself on the continuum, I went from blue on the left side of middle to being on the right side and fairly high up there, but not yet in the red-hot-streaming portion. More like orange-turning-to-red. And results have shown that (there, but not as high as I'd like them to be).

I'm a lot better off- my skin cleared up (no more breakouts, and I was starting to feel like a teenager again with those), my outlook on life improved, my workouts improved, and my clothes are fitting or starting to fit again. Official weight 162 down to 157 lb, bodyfat percentage from 29% down to 26%, BMI from Overweight to Normal, waist down from 33 to 30 inches. Not bad for four weeks, if you ask me. This month may not have been the month where I fit into those 10's, but honestly, did I believe I would do that anyway? That would be a lot to expect from 4 weeks. Expect it I did, in order to push myself out of the lazy state I felt I was in and into a place where I felt really challenged. So, knowing what I did this four weeks, I believe I can kick everything up a notch for February. This is where the re-set course comes in. I averaged about 3-4 hard workouts per week. Not bad, but not where I want to be. So, the minimum goal becomes 5 workouts per week, shoot-for-the-stars goal becomes 6 times per week, 2x per day at least 2 times per week. I do that last part to really challenge myself and get my ass into gear, rather than creating an attitude of defeatism. I tend to expect a lot from myself.

As for nutrition, I'm going to continue with the carb cycling and refine it as much as possible. I'm starting to get some real cravings for wheat-containing foods, but I'm going to continue to stay away from them (that and it mostly happens on no-carb days). I think doing that may have been a rather large part of my success this past month, along with the reduction in calories that comes from really kicking the veggies in. I may need to allow myself a change in plans for March (*ahem*-cereal, please!), but we'll see.

I generally tell clients that the first four weeks are the hardest. That's where you're learning new habits, junking old ones, feeling completely out of whack and out of your comfort zone. So, the feeling of knocking myself against a brick wall should be diminishing. It better be.

So, anyway, here are the measurements:
Weight: 157
Bodyfat: 18 mm
R. Arm: 12.5
Bra: 32.5
Waist: 30
Hips: 40.75
Glutes: 36.5
R. Thigh: 23.5

The clicker (bodyfat caliper) gyrated between 16 mm and 22 mm today, first time I've seen 16 mm! The most regular number I got was 18 mm, so that's what I took. The only number in measurements that changed was waist. That takes me down 3 inches in the last four weeks. At my smallest waist size, I was at 28 inches. That gives me another 2 inches to go. The most interesting thing is, when I look at my measurements from that point, there really wasn't much difference. An inch and a half in the thigh, 3/4 inch in the arm. It was the hips where there was the most difference: 5 inches! So that means I just need to really get my butt in gear (literally).

So, there's the wrap-up of Month One, and the outlook for Month Two, both realistic and out of this world. February, here I come!