Happy New Year!

Since you asked…maybe you didn’t…maybe you wanted to…maybe only one of you asked…anyway, this is how I lost 15 pounds in the last 15 weeks of 2016.

Note: I’m not a medical professional. AND, this is just what worked for me. You gotta do you.

Note: It wasn’t a pound a week. It was more like…a 1/2 pound the first week, then 1 pound a week for the next six weeks and then 1.5lbs / week…then just 1/2lb / week.

Note: Some weeks it was zero pounds. That’s OK.

Note: I didn’t exercise. I mean, more than normal. I always get in 10k steps per day and do some treadmilling. But besides that – really nothing.

OK, enough of that. Here we go.

Wait. Last warning. It’s really boring. This was the most boring food regimen in the world. I was bored. People I know are bored of it. You’ll be bored.

Breakfast.

FRUIT. Usually just Fruit. Strawberries or Mangos or A Banana or 1/2 a Grapefruit.

Maybe 6 strawberries. Yes, just 6. No scientific reason to the 6 – it’s just that I don’t love strawberries and 6 was all I could take

or

Oatmeal – 1/4 cup dry, microwaved with 1/2 cup of water and a pinch of salt then drizzled with honey – no photo needed. I don’t love oatmeal – but it fills you up and the quick oats are a 2 minute deal in the microwave.

or

Scrambled Eggs

• Two eggs scrambled with 1 tbsp of butter.
• No milk
• Shredded sharp cheddar

Or – Liquids. just Liquids.

Pricey Green Juice or a Vega One Protein Shake

The Green Juice is a product of the juice bar at Equinox – spinach, kale, green apples, green grapes, ginger, fennel, cucumber, celery.

To the French Vanilla Vega One shake I added  (surprise!) 6 small frozen strawberries – you can get bags of them pretty cheap at Whole Foods – the 365 brand – water and a splash of almond milk, if I had some on hand.

Lunch. Every Day. Every damn day.

• Arugula – a healthy handful – I don’t love greens, but I do like Arugula – it’s an angry, bitter green
• Diced chicken breast – about 1/2- 1/3 of a breast
• Diced Cucumber – about 2 inches – I like the English/seedless cucumbers for I am lazy
• Diced Yellow or Orange Pepper – about 1/4 of a pepper – any color would do
• Diced Cheddar Cheese – about 1/3 inch of a 2inch x 2 inch brick – I get the organic Whole Foods cheddar because it’s pretty affordable and has a good shelf life
• 1 TBSP Sunflower Seeds – sometimes raw, unsalted, sometimes roasted, unsalted
• 1 TBSP Slivered Almonds – Whole Foods 365 brand
• 1 TBSP Dried Cranberries minced – for sweetness – these are big in the fall and have a 12 month shelf life – so I bought in bulk at Gourmet Garage
• 1 1/2 TBSP Newman’s Own Lite Italian Dressing

OR

1/2 can of White Meat Tuna in Water with stuff – sometimes Arugula, sliced cherry tomatoes, 1/2 a hard boiled egg, diced cheese, diced cucumber.

Sometimes with 1/2 an Avocado, 1 whole hard boiled egg.

Drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette – again – my go to here is the Whole Foods lite balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Dinner

Protein Plus Vegetables

Swordfish and Something – Avocado or Edamame or Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Or, Chicken and something

Or an Amy’s California Veggie Burger topped with cheese and a side of baked Japanese purple potato fries  – they’re just purple on the outside. But super sweet. Try ’em.

Did I ever go out to eat? You’re wondering. Well, yes I did. I just ordered smarter and ‘on the side’ became my catch phrase. Like these grilled Baja Fish Tacos from Rosa Mexicano – I just had all the sauce on the side and mostly just ate the fish and slaw. Delish.

Did I ever cheat? Well, hells yes – that was the key to my success. Cheat meals. No, I didn’t schedule them – they just happened. Like this – the secret Carbonara Pizza at Nicoletta downtown.

Or these late night Potato Skins at a dive I’d rather not mention – relax, I shared them

Did I ever order in? Yes I did. I just stopped lazy ordering – read – no more eggplant parmesan (OK, maybe I ordered that once) and no more Cheeseburgers..except a few. Mostly, if I ordered in it was sushi…Including Tempura – a little tempura never hurt anyone..

But, for the most part – my meals looked like these:

In no way am I saying that I lost the weight the right way. I just did what worked for me. So Happy 2017. And, remember to always do you.