Weighing in with Elizabeth: Coming Back Down to Earth (or Illinois)

Good morning, good morning!

Today I am reflecting on being back from my spring break trip to Europe. I had an amazing time, and I ate everything I’d been dreaming of. (See: my first éclair in Paris after getting off the plane.) I don’t regret enjoying myself last week, but I really am ready to have a schedule again. 

Yesterday I went to the gym (my jetlag hadn’t caught up with me yet… can’t say the same right now, sadly) and fell back on an old routine on the elliptical. Working out with Jillian just seemed too much for me right off the bat. But tomorrow, when I’m back in fighting spirits, I’m going to tackle something hard. I need to sweat!

More than the exercise, though, I’m realizing that I need to learn to focus on my food. I haven’t lost 65 pounds without knowing how to count calories, but I still know so little about what foods I should be eating to tone, to slim, and to feel good. That’s where the Jump Start dietcomes in — though I can’t cook (and that’s starting to be the bane of my existence) I need to start following the list of good/not so good foods. I’m going to post them here as a reminder to myself!
 
22 fat burners
All vegetables
Avocados
Black olives
Coffee
Cold-water fish and shellfish without mercury, such as halibut, wild salmon, sardines, shrimp, tilapia and trout
Dark chocolate
Fresh fruit such as apples, citrus fruit and pomegranates (but see “11 to avoid”)
Fresh herbs and spices
Low-sodium beans
Mushrooms
Natural sweeteners such as agave, maple syrup, raw honey, Truvia and Xylitol
Nuts and seeds
Onions
Organic Greek yogurt or kefir
Russet and sweet potatoes
Sea vegetables such as arame, nori and sea palm
So Delicious coconut milk
Squash such as spaghetti and pumpkin
Tea
Tomatoes
Whey protein powder
Whole grains such as barley, oats, quinoa and whole-wheat bread
Whole organic eggs, fortified with omega-3 fatty acids
 
11 to avoid
Bamboo shoots
Butter, shortening
Dried fruit such as dried apples or apricots
Granulated sugar
Millet
Noniodized sea or kosher salt
Peanuts, pine nuts
Processed foods with artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, butylated hydroxytoluene, trans fats, MSG or high-fructose corn syrup
Processed soy
Swordfish, shark
White flour
 
5 to use in moderation
Alcohol (two glasses wine per week, max)
Full-fat cow cheese and dairy products (not including Greek yogurt)
Oils (Olive and coconut are the healthiest options.)
Table salt
Tuna
 
So, there are my lists. Now it’s breakfast time. What do I have in my room? Wheat bread, peanut butter, low-fat yogurt, granola. Just the barest essentials because I haven’t really shopped since I’ve been back. I think, given what SELF says, I’m going to go yogurt & granola. As good as the wheat bread is (and it’s that super seedy, nutty kind of wheat), I don’t think my processed Jiffy peanut butter is right for the job. I may have to make the leap into organic peanut butter. New things! New challenges! The name of the game is fat burning. I’ll keep you updated!
 
Feel-Good Tip of the Week
Make a Chicago bucket list – that’s what I’m doing this week. I don’t have class on Fridays (YES.) so I want to really take advantage of my time and our location. Now that it’s spring quarter, it’ll be nice to have a project to tackle that’s not diet-y.