Ok, I started this blog a while ago with the intention to do a "cabbage soup" diet. Which crash and burned about as fast as it started. The cabbage soup was disgusting, and I honestly HATE dieting. 

I had been over in France doing missionary work for the LDS church.Walked a lot, got lost a lot, and walked a lot more. And actually ended up losing about 35 pounds. (While eating plenty of French pastries)

I had to come home early from my mission because of an old injury that is giving me problems. So, I gained back that 35 in about 1/4 of the amount of time it took me to lose those pounds. Being non-weight bearing for a good amount of time, I was feeling sorry for myself and decided to eat my sorrows away. 

Then I found Pinterest, and saw all the completely awesome fitness posts

such as:

 and:

After looking at quotes and pictures such as these for the past couple weeks, I woke up on Monday morning and thought, today, I'm not going to eat any bread, or sugar. Not to mention I'm feeling pretty good, I think I'll work out a little bit. 45 minutes later I was done with a few a pretty intense cardio and core strengthening exercises. Tuesday (today) I woke up and thought, today, i'm not going to eat any bread or sugar. Did a few core strengthening exercises because I wanted to. This was not pre-meditated, It was spontaneous, and because that's the type of person I am, that is why this is lasting longer then any other thing I have done.

Not because someone told me I needed to.

Because I am sick of looking in the mirror and not being happy with what I see back

Because I'm not dieting, I'm eating healthy. 

Because I want to feel good about myself

Because I can

I have pinterest to thank for this. 

Consider this Day 2

Starting early!

Well, I've decided to start my cabbage diet tomorrow. Time's a wasting! For some reason I thought that Christmas and New Years were a little closer together. But the whole week in between is going by FAR FAR to slow. I don't want to waste any more time "preparing" for this cleansing. That's a WASTE of time! I've decided to call this a cleansing instead of a diet. Because it's not really a diet, it is more of a cleansing. So off to the grocery store I go!
I saw on this thing on TV that told me what the celebs do when trying to lose weight, keep it off or to curb your appetite, eat boiled egg whites. so I tried it, it's pretty nifty! you cut the egg in half and take the yoke out (once it's boiled. otherwise it would be pretty messy and kind of disgusting..) and use one half of the egg white as your snack! pretty cool!
Ok off to the grocery store I go!

It's Christmas Day!!

With only 6 days left until my diet begins, I am still excited to start it! I have to keep on looking at the diet plan in order to keep my interest. I'm anxious because I really do want to do this, but I'm beginning to get discouraged. For one, my family is not being very supportive, my family does not eat healthy. My mom does not want to buy fresh fruits and veggies, or even the cabbage I need for the MAIN meal in this diet. I would go buy them myself, but I'm running extremely low on funds.

I don't have a job even though I have been looking religiously. I can't begin to think of how many places I have applied to, or how many follow up phone calls I have made, just to be shot down for the umpteenth time, But I am keeping my head high! I have the blessing of temporarily living with my family, free of rent, food costs, and utility bills. I could not ask for a better living situation, a room to myself, food constantly being in the fridge (can be a bad temptation at times!), and more importantly, a BATHROOM to myself! It's fabulous!

Now, I feel the desire to document what I am getting myself into with this Cabbage Diet.
It's a 7 day, strenuous, low-fat, HIGH fiber diet that is supposed to help kick start a healthy life style.
So here is the Cabbage soup recipe

Cabbage Soup Recipe

• 6 large green onions
• 2 green peppers
• 1 or 2 cans of tomatoes (diced or whole)
• 3 Carrots
• 1 Container (10 oz. or so) Mushrooms
• 1 bunch of celery
• half a head of cabbage
• 1 package Lipton soup mix
• 1 or 2 cubes of bouillon (optional)
• 1 48oz can V8 juice (optional)
• Season to taste with salt, pepper, parsley, curry, garlic powder, etc.

Directions:

Slice green onions, put in a pot and start to saute with cooking spray.

Cut green pepper stem end off and cut in half, take the seeds and membrane out. Cut the green-pepper into bite size pieces and add to pot.

Take the outer leafs layers off the cabbage, cut into bite size pieces, add to pot.

Clean carrots, cut into bite size pieces, and add to pot.

Slice mushrooms into thick slices, add to pot.

If you would like a spicy soup, add a small amount of curry or cayenne pepper now.

You can use beef or chicken bouillon cubes for seasonings. These have all the salt and flavors you will need.

Use about 12 cups of water (or 8 cups and the V8 juice), cover and put heat on low. Let soup cook for a long time - two hours works well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

It actually sounds pretty good. My mom used to fix corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day, in honor of our Irish roots. I loved the boiled cabbage so this cabbage soup hopefully wont be to bad!

This is the 7 day diet plan

This diet should only be followed for 7 days at a time, with at least two weeks in between.

Day One:
Fruit: Eat all of the fruit you want (except bananas). Eat only your soup and the fruit for the first day. For drinks- unsweetened teas, cranberry juice and water.

Day Two:
Vegetables: Eat until you are stuffed will all fresh, raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. Try to eat leafy green vegetables and stay away from dry beans, peas and corn. Eat all the vegetables you want along with your soup. At dinner, reward yourself with a big baked potato with butter. Do not eat fruit today.

Day Three:
Mix Days One and Two: Eat all the soup, fruits and vegetables you want. No Baked Potato.

Day Four:
Bananas and Skim Milk: Eat as many as eight bananas and drink as many glasses of skim milk as you would like on this day, along with your soup. This day is supposed to lessen your desire for sweets.

Day Five:
Beef And Tomatos: Ten to twenty ounces of beef and up to six fresh tomtoes. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water this day to wash the uric acid from your body. Eat your soup at least once this day. You may eat broiled or baked chicken instead of beef (but absolutely no skin-on chicken). If you prefer, you can substitute broiled fish for the beef one one of the beef days (but not both).

Day Six:
Beef and Vegetables: Eat to your heart's content of beef and vegetables this day. You can even have 2 or 3 steaks if you like, with leafy green vegetables. No Baked Potato. Eat your soup at least once.

Day Seven:
Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juices and vegetables: Again stuff, stuff, stuff yourself. Be sure to eat your soup at least once this day.

It seems pretty easy, but from everyone's responses to the diet, it looks easy, but is EXTREMELY difficult and the soup gets bland.

But now, reading over it again I'm excited to start it!

Leave your comments, suggestions or questions!

Happy Holidays

I have started this blog to track my progress on this exciting journey I am about to embark on!
I am attempting to eat healthier in 2011. By doing this, I am going to start with the Cabbage Diet.
It's 7 days of cabbage, cabbage, cabbage!
It's bound to get old yes, it's going to be bland, I know! But I want to do this for ME. Not because I am dating someone, or because I have a big event coming up.
It's because my pants are getting to tight and I really don't want to go buy new ones, especially if they would be a size larger. I mean, who would??
Now, I'm not starting this cabbage diet until the beginning of the year. January 1st 2011, the holidays are just around the corner and I don't want to be stuck eating cabbage soup and fruit on Christmas Day when there is a nice juicy ham on the table in front of me.
So, Starting January 1st 2011 I will start the Cabbage Diet.
7 days of LOTS of fruit, veggies, and of course CABBAGE.
Now, what to do before then? That's where I need help. I am SO very determined to do this diet, but I don't want to prepare my self to much. What can I do to keep the motivation for 8 days?
Wish me luck!