It's NOvember!

You know what that means folks!  Okay, maybe you don't.

Two years ago (2014) I was in the throes of losing the baby weight (yeah, the baby was 2, but who is counting).  I'd lost the same 15 pounds 3 times.  I was steady at losing 2 lbs a month.  For NOvember, I decided to do the following:

1.  Maintain my calories and macros.  For you 21-day fixers, that means the lowest 21-day fix category, aka 2 "yellows" (carbs a day).

2.  Substitute the carbs...NO CHEATS.  It's important to know that I wasn't cheating much (and for the record, you are allowed 3 cheats a week).  I eliminated: wheat, alcohol (wine), sugar, and fried foods.  So no swapping a yellow for wine, chocolate, or tortilla chips.

It's important to note that I wasn't eating MUCH of these already - no more than 4-5 servings a WEEK.  And wheat, while allowed, I got rid of that too.

3.  I didn't sweat the small stuff.  If flour or sugar was an ingredient (to make a roux, or in a dressing or sauce), I didn't sweat it.  I just avoided major sources of it all.  So, no dessert, no pasta, no bread, no flour tortillas, no tortilla chips.

Instead I stuck to potatoes, oats, corn, beans, corn tortillas, sweet potatoes, popcorn, rice, quinoa.

4.  I did allow Stevia in my coffee.


2014 November: down 7 pounds!!
2015 November: down 12 pounds!! (well, actually more like 5, then we all got the stomach flu.  I looked like a deflated balloon).

Fast forward a year later, and I'm about 2 pounds down from 2015 November 1.  So, it looks like while my goal weight might be a few pounds lower than I am right now (2, to be exact), it's MUCH easier to maintain with those extra 2 pounds.


These days, I'm quite happy with my weight, size, and health.  But I'm still doing NOvember because honestly - it makes me feel great.  It gets me out of my eating rut (yes, I do miss pizza!)  It makes me a cheap date for December holiday parties.  And it prevents holiday weight gain.  Let's face it, from mid-October to early-Jan, it's one big eat fest with Halloween candy, fudge,  holiday parties, Thanksgiving, etc.

Some of my friends suggest that maybe I should give myself a "day off" (like Thanksgiving).  Meh, sure I guess, but honestly - I can live without stuffing and rolls if I have mashed potatoes.  It works better for me to just not cheat.  It's ONLY 30 days.  (Truth be told, in 2015 the last month I lived on saltines and applesauce and plain pasta. So technically I didn't make it 30 days.)


ONE MORE THING! I'm giving up some electronics too!  No more games on my tablet, and I'm actively avoiding facebook after I get home.  This whole election is driving me BAT SHIT CRAZY.  I don't want to hear about it.  I don't want to talk about.  No conversation is going to change my mind (I already voted!), and I'm not going to change anyone else's.  I want to go to sleep on November 8 and wake up when it's ALL OVER.

A girl's gotta do what it takes to maintain her sanity.

Today's menu for NOvember 1: (so I can find ideas later!!)
Breakfast: a leftover sausage on a corn tortilla.  A smoothie.
Lunch: salad (lettuce, cucumber, peppers, radishes, feta, olives, sunflower seeds, sun dried tomatoes, dressing), and a sausage.
Snack: veggies and hummus
Dinner: Meatballs, roast cherry tomatoes with white beans, roasted Indian cauliflower

Peace out.