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Ok guys, I can not believe that I am almost a third of the way into my 30-day commitment!  Nine days and still going strong. Truthfully writing daily updates here is part of what’s kept me going.  I guess in a way it’s a form of accountability.  Plus I’ve got a few people who comment regularly and are giving me suggestions and encouragement which is really appreciated!  (Thanks guys!)

As I was walking the other day, I started to consider if I should change the format of my posts about my 30-Day Plan.  I thought about whether or not I should put more or less photos, whether I should make my posts shorter and less detailed, and even whether I should post a question asking what people would like to see more (or less) of.  But then, I quickly realized that pleasing other people is not the reason for this blog.  Sure, I want people to read it, and comment and share their support and suggestions.  But if they don’t that’s okay too.  Because the purpose of writing about my weight loss journey is partly to inspire others, but more importantly, to keep myself accountable.  With that being said, here’s Day 9.

Breakfast: Surprise!  I tried something different for breakfast today!  Instead of my usual turkey bacon and fried egg, I was really craving toast so I made one slice of multigrain toast and had 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter on it.  I had 1/3 cup of vanilla yogurt on the side. I was a little surprised to find that this breakfast actually held me over for about four hours before I started feeling hungry for lunch.  Looks like I may have another safe option on the days when I don’t feel like bacon and eggs.

Workout 1:  I only did one workout today which was a Zumba class at my gym.  It was pretty cardio intensive and I had a very good sweat going by the time it was done!  What I enjoy about Zumba though is the great music and the fact that you get to dance!  The routines are fairly easy to pick up because the choreography is simple and repetitive.  If you’ve never tried Zumba and enjoy dancing, I highly recommend It! This 50-minute workout earned me 7 WW activity points!

Lunch: When I got home from the gym, I was actually craving my typical lunch of turkey burger, feta cheese, and sautéed veggies.  I still can not get over how delicious this simple and healthy meal is!  I followed it with another giant piece of juicy and sweet watermelon, and some more water.

It was a rainy afternoon so I spent most of it on the couch reading (FYI: The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis is a truly enjoyable and entertaining fictional read about life in Canadian politics!) While I read, I enjoyed a coffee with 5 tablespoons of French-vanilla cream.  Yes I know, 5 tablespoons is a lot of cream but I figured since I was only at 9 points after lunch, I could spare five more for the simple pleasure of a deliciously sweet coffee.

Dinner: I finally used up the last of my chicken tonight and made another Chicken Taco Salad (same as before: mixed greens, romaine, peppers, onions, chicken, shredded cheddar, a few flavoured tortilla chips, and a bit of light Italian dressing).  It was a bigger portion than usual tonight so it came in at about 10 points instead of 7.  That still put me at 24 points so I decided to indulge my chocolate craving after dinner with 1/2 cup chocolate frozen yogurt.

 

It’s now nearly 9 p.m and I’ve still got 2 WW points left to reach my target for the day.  I am not sure yet what I will have for a snack – I am thinking maybe a few almonds.  In the meantime, I am still continuing to prepare for this weekend’s camping trip (I head out tomorrow night).  I’m planning on bringing my usual foods:  eggs, turkey bacon, coffee, loads of water, turkey burgers, chicken, diced vegetables, mixed greens and lettuce, watermelon and am going to throw in some treats like Quaker Mini Crisspie rice cakes and Breton BBQ cracker chips (I’m hoping the latter two will help me overcome the temptation to eat chips which I know will be on hand!) I’ve also saved all my bonus points so I might be able to indulge in a cheat meal or two, like pancakes or a hotdog cooked on the fire!  I also plan to bring my food journal with me – writing everything down not only helps to keep track of my daily points but also helps me to make better decisions about what I am eating.   Finally, I hope to be a little more active this weekend than I normally am when I go camping.  The park I am going to has lots of interesting hiking trails and a great beach so I’ll make efforts to get some activity in as well.  Finally, I’m most looking forward to being with my family and enjoying the great outdoors! (I will update the blog when I get home to let you know how it all went!)

9 days down, 21 to go!