Eat to Live Days 37-42

First of all, I have to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone for your really kind comments and congratulations on my last post. I will be starting my new job in Waterloo two weeks from today... eep! In those two weeks, I have to find a place to live, move, finish out the semester at my current job... and probably a million other things. I am feeling slightly anxious about it, but I'm mostly really, really excited. Andrea commented: "It'll be awesome for you to settle into some real routine and stability after this crazy year you've had." I couldn't agree more! This past year has been the most difficult year of my life. I'm excited for a change of scenery, a new routine, and a fresh start. :)

I spent the long weekend at my family's cottage. I can't lie, it was a challenge sticking to my eating plan up there. Usually, I eat whatever I want at the cottage. I just HAVE to go get an ice cream cone in town, or stop at the chip wagon at every opportunity, because it just feels so cottagey and fun... but thankfully, this weekend I didn't do either of those things.

I even managed to get something healthy at a fast-food place on the drive up! We stopped at a Harvey's/Swiss Chalet, and I got a baked potato, garden salad without dressing, and steamed vegetables.

While at the cottage, I managed to snap a couple of pics of my meals:

A toasted avocado and tomato sandwich with a spinach & berry smoothie (doesn't everyone bring a blender to the cottage?).

Oatmeal with natural peanut butter.

Sweet potato fries, salad, and a corn-black bean-onion-tomato creation.

All in all, I'm very pleased with how I did this weekend. And.... I finished the 6 weeks! I survived!! I brought my scale along for my final weigh-in:

Starting Weight: 262.7 pounds
Week 1 Weight: 255.9 pounds
Week 2 Weight: 251.0 pounds
Week 3 Weight: 246.8 pounds
Week 4 Weight: 245.1 pounds
Week 5 Weight: 243 pounds
Final Weight: 238.9 pounds

I am THRILLED, guys. In 6 weeks, I lost 23.8 pounds. I am almost fitting into clothes that I was wearing in... December (I gained this weight quite quickly, haha).

I should mention that I did not follow the plan in the Eat to Live book perfectly. I might go into more detail on this in a future post. But essentially, I avoided meat, dairy, sugar, oil, and processed food. I did not restrict starches as much as the book suggests (or at all, really).

Today was my first restriction-free day. Did I go crazy? No! My plan for the immediate future is to eat almost like how I was eating for the 6 weeks. I may have animal products 2-3 times a week, and I will definitely have big splurges from time to time. But I really need to make those splurges rare. I  don't want to count calories or points, so I'm not going to for now. I will keep weighing myself, and reassess my eating plan as necessary.

Lately, I feel very aware that every bit of food I put in my mouth makes a difference. I have gotten used to looking at ingredients on everything, packing my lunch every day, and eating whole foods. I'm hoping these habits stick. We shall see!

I definitely want to keep blogging, too. The next few weeks will be hectic, with the move and the new job. But I will do my best to keep you all updated!

Bye for now!

Exciting times ahead!

We interrupt our regular scheduled programming (blurry pictures of plant-based, oil-free food) for the following news: I got the job in Waterloo! I have no doubt it is largely in part to all the good vibes sent out by my wonderful readers and friends. :)

This means that I am now frantically trying to find an apartment (I'll be starting work in two weeks or so). I don't think it will be too hard - there are two universities and a college in Waterloo, so lots of housing to be found.

I am honestly so, so, SO ecstatic that I got the job. I can't remember the last time I was this happy and excited. I have NEVER had a permanent, full-time job before. I am used to living paycheque to paycheque (or OSAP installment to OSAP installment), and I hope I can finally make a realistic budget and start paying off my student debt. Plus, I think I'll love the job. I'll be working at a university where I used to be a student. I used to work in the math department as an undergraduate TA, and now I'll be coordinating the math labs and TAs. :)

In other news, I am going up to the cottage tonight for the long weekend. I haven't been up to my family's cottage all summer, and this might be my only chance. I'm going to do a lot of knitting, sleeping, and relaxing. However, this means I will not be able to blog again until Monday or Tuesday... and, for those of you keeping track, this Sunday is the last day of my 6-week Eat to Live challenge!

I will find a way to stay on track while at the cottage, and report back to you when I return. I am also packing the scale for my final weigh-in on Monday morning...

I have to finish packing and head out, but I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!