Sounds like a very well though out plan Pooka, I'm sure you'll do great with it. I'm not a big into variety in my diet, I eat the same thing for a while and then I get sick of it and move onto something else, so it doesn't seem too restrictive to me at all.

Good luck!

Maybe take progress pictures?

Oh, and I cut out all "fast food" & started eating salads 3x a week for lunch instead. Mine was certainly not the most well thought out plan, but it worked.

Again - good luck!

Good luck Pooka! You should know best what'll work for you - hugs and good luck atcha!

Oh, my god, you sound exactly like me, and I think I am going to be on the exact same journey very soon -- when I get my next A1C back. :thepain:

I wish you major mojo luck in this, lady. Use Flint for support, use us -- use whatever resources you have to. :fingerx:

Go for it, Pooka! also try biking in the evenings occassionally. i know it's hot there, but when i start walking programs, I soon find I get bored with the same old route -biking will take you further. If you don't already have one, look around for a trailer and/or a tag-a-long for the kids.

also, youmentioned workout time = TV time. you can combine the two ;)

Good Luck!

We just discussed that yesterday... don't have bikes yet... I have to teach Flint how to ride first... I think having the trailer would simplify it for him.

Yes... I can run in place with the Wii while watching a show... not my favorite method though... if I'm watching something... I'm just needing total down time...

More power to you! Restrictive diets of any kind get a lot easier over time. Stick with it, and soon you will be wondering how you ever thought it was hard.

you can get some decent growed-up trikes these days.

My ceramics teacher is a bike nut. He reckons best way to learn is to take the pedals off and just scoot it down a slight hill until you can easily pick both feet up and not fall off. Should take maybe 30 minutes. You can get really nice bikes free on the curb round here -and trailers occassionally. Keep your eye out!

The nice thing about this diet... if you want to call it that... is that you find yourself making better decisions all around... like cutting out white flour and sugar in the kids diets to start, started my compost pile today, ridding out the house of unneeded clutter...

I will have Flint take before pics today when he gets home... that is a good idea. As much as I dread seeing pictures of myself head to toe. The biggest issue I have with them is well... my own vanity I suppose... I just don't recognize the image as myself... that just isn't me...

I'm going to put a wanted post on Freecycle for some bikes and a trailer... I’ll check Craig’s list too.

Smelling the kid’s food is a temptation, but as long as I don't stick it in my mouth I seem to be ok with it. I ate a bite of Kashi's new Honey Sunshine cereal and immediately was overcome by a sneezing fit.

Really the hardest part is the 2ndround… it is just plain vile, but I know it is an important part… I’m probably going to have to chill the water first. We normally store our reverse osmosis water in a ceramic dispenser… so it is room temp… but imagine drinking watered down pickle juice with a heaping tsp of dried ginger and you have a feel for the nastiness of it… that’s about as good a description as possible without making you taste it.

*grins* that's exactly how I eat :P

@ Pooka: your ex sounds like he needs several hearty slaps; preferably with a large piece of wood.

I think your plan sounds really good. Yeah, it's restrictive, but you said yourself that's just whilst you reprogramme your relationship with food. Quite aside from the weight loss, the move away from processed to fresh and raw foods is going to make you a damn sight healthier.

I wish you all the best and I have every faith you'll get where you want to be. You've always struck me as a strong person.

My only warning to you is that you may find the sudden increase of fibre in your diet a little overloading. It's something I was warned about when I tried a similar change in diet a few years ago. Doesn't mean you shouldn't go for it. Just saying keep an eye on possible symptoms and you can respond accordingly. Not all fresh foods are high in fibre, so if you find it's affecting you adversely, worth having some low fibre alternatives to jump to. Also worth considering something like Complan (meal replacement drinks) once a day or once every other day to ensure balanced nutrition intake (once you've finished the detox part of the plan)

Chances are though, given the timescales that you won't need that. I can however heartily recommend them as very filling: and they help change food relationships because you drink them: really is just like food for fuel, rather than food for taste/joy of eating.

Anyway: good luck with it honey. Let us know how it goes!

[eta] that manna bread sounds delicious!

I still don't understand what it's for exactly, but rather than putting the jar in the refrigerator and going to bed, etc. which results in you not drinking it at all, may I suggest my realistic approach: cut the water to 8 oz. and the powders to 1/4 tsp--and then just chug it. At least I'm getting some of it, and getting it over with. Very important is that any program be based on something you are actually going to do.

Better yet, cut the water to 1 oz., throw it back like the nastiest shot you've had since the cheap booze college days, and then chase it with the rest of the water. The water's important, but there's no reason it all has to taste like ass. It's all going to get mixed up and properly diluted in your stomach anyway.

Clod, you're a genius.

Touche...

I did that once... but cutting the water back is a good idea... I'll try the same amount of herbs though...

If I only used an ounce we'd be looking at a sludge... a totally unguzzable sludge....

The herbs are to help with water retention, fat disolving, blood pressure and cholesterol lowering, artery cleaning, calcium deposit desolving, eyesight and respiratory system improvement... and... it thins the blood so that should help our electric bill too.

Says who they do those things.