Transition Week One, AKA Chicken Week!

June 26, 2009

For those of you who don’t follow me on Facebook, then you’ve yet to experience the joy that is Anita’s nightly chicken photo. As I mentioned in my last post D and I have begun the first of four weeks of transition from the full liquid fast into a full food plan. This is week one and so we have four shakes a day (down from five) plus 3 ounces of chicken every night for dinner. Due to a combination of creativity and insanity I’m doing “theme dinners” to make that teeny weeny bit of protein feel more like an actual meal and besides, pretty food is more satisfying since eating is more than about chewing and swallowing but about smelling, looking, tasting, touching, texture, color, etc. Below are the photos from the first three days. The first night was a Southwestern theme with a chili pepper and lime dry rub, the second night was South of the Border that included a dusting of cumin, smoked paprika, and 1/4 cup of salsa verde, and tonight was Asian night with teriyaki chicken skewers prepared in soy sauce, Splenda, lemon juice and garlic. (We’re able to use all spices, a very few condiments such as yellow mustard, salsa, but no added fats with the exception of spray Pam.) You will note a quite happy Anita and D enjoying their banquets in the last two photos. Click on any image to see a larger one. Come on. You know you want to.

I can tell you truthfully that after months of no solid food, the chicken not only tastes incredible but 3 ounces is unbelievably satisfying. I push away from the table content. Weird. In the past, eating a 6-8 ounce steak with all the fixings is what I considered a real meal and it seems most Americans aren’t all that different from me. If you travel to any other country, the protein/meat is almost treated as a side dish with vegetables and grains making up the bulk of the meal. In America it’s all about the protein and far more than our bodies need which touches on a couple of the main changes I’m going to be making as I move forward toward coming up with a lifelong way of eating that maintains my body weight and provides optimum health.

• Less food in general.
• 6 small meals instead of 3 big meals that blur together with snacks and nibbling.
• Move protein from center stage in place of grains and veggies.

Posted in Liquid Fast, Weight Loss