Day 10 - Eating Like a Dog

I am eating like my dog, which is actually a good thing. Napoleon has severe skin allergies so I only feed him duck and potatoes, unless I run out of food, then I boil rice, chicken and carrots for him. I would never give him chocolate, processed foods, pizza, booze, ice cream, or coffee. So why do I feed myself that?

I am eating cleaner than ever and today when Napoleon came begging for food, I realized I could actually share my baked chicken and yam with him.

Yesterday, I cheated with a quarter of a cantaloupe and 12 cashews. If it's not part of my meal plan it could throw off my body's ph balance or whatever Glen, my nutrition coach, keeps telling me. The first few days I was always full, dreading my next meal, but now I am getting hungrier. Because I am gaining muscle, my metabolism is picking up therefore I need more calories to maintain my weight. Since I am trying to get smaller, I am going to be in a constant state of hunger.

This morning I tried kale juice again, but I added lemon juice and an apple instead of beet root, which made it absolutely delicious. I can't wait to have it again, but I will need to save it for my second meal of the day. I feel hungry sooner in the day if I don't eat rice for my first meal.

Larissa, my workout buddy, and I focused on legs and shoulders today. I was exhausted afterward, but I knew I needed the cardio. The minimum I allow myself is 5 sprints, so I gave myself shorter rest periods to get through it.

Legs 4 sets of 15 reps, 3 different exercises.
Shoulders 4 sets of 12-15 reps, 2 different exercise.
Cardio: 1 min at 6mph, 1 min at 9.0 mph for 5 rounds.
 

At noon, I went to Aha Yoga. After class, I was so hungry I ran to Corsagna Deli to get a tuna salad packed with veggies. The plan was to go home and eat it, but I never made it. I plopped down on a small table with two chairs in front of the tiny shop and dug in.

This skinny brunette asked if she could share the space, and I just nodded as I stuffed a fork full of tuna and broccoli in my mouth. She slowly unwrapped a panini, oozing with mozzarella and a small bag of kettle chips. I started imagining what I would eat after the competition. Larissa and I already decided on an entire box of Ghiradelli chocolate chip brownies and Haagen-Daz ice cream, 3 different flavors. We said that would be our only bad food, but now I am envisioning melted cheese; melted cheese on pizza, in between toast, on tortilla chips, on soup, on a fork. In other news, my husband had pizza for dinner tonight while I chomped down on spaghetti squash and steak, again.


Glen called to see how the diet was coming along. I told him about my Texas troubles and he offered me a few alternatives. My new emergency food is 3-4 oz  of sodium, oil, and preservative free tuna or chicken, 2 rice cakes, and a few almonds. Why didn't he tell me this before the trip?

On a side note, I do feel amazing on this diet. Muscles are starting to show, my energy is at an all time high, and my skin is glowing. I remember when I would eat a burger, then crash immediately after. Your body reacts to what you eat, if you poison it you will feel drowsy or crave sugar because you've thrown of your balance.I think next week I will start posting photos of my progress.

Oh! Julia Walsh, an editor at PopSugar, wrote this amazing article about me: http://sf.popsugar.com/Linda-Niazi-AllyBod-Training-BodyLabSF-Cow-Hollow-18995807