DietBet Week 3: Breakfast options, my progress, and more!

I’m a couple days into week 3 and happy that I’ve accomplished over half of the journey already. It’s always hard to start but I’m more than halfway to my goal (I won’t say the exact percentage because at the end I like to keep a little secret).

Here are some good things that have come out of this DietBet:

– I’ve tried two different approaches to breakfast, and am embarking on a third. The whole first week, I had nothing but smoothies for breakfast, and the second week, I had whole fruits and nuts. I can say now with confidence that whole fruits helped fill me up the longest. My favorite breakfasts so far: Cut-up strawberries and kiwis with a site of raw cashews, or berries with plain or vanilla yogurt with a few walnuts. Bananas are also a quick and easy way to fill you up in the morning. This week, I’ll be eating grain-based breakfasts, things like millets, oats, and rice. More to come on that next week.

– I’m eating a lot more fruits and vegetables. I have always been pretty good about getting servings of plants throughout the day, but trying to cut down on gluten and maximize the volume of food on a lower amount of calories has made this transition pretty natural. I love when I get into the “zone” with healthy eating, where I crave apples and bananas instead of hunks of bread with vegan butter or ice cream. It’s a good place to be.

– I’ve gotten over my fear of getting back on my feet. After my foot surgery, I was afraid to exercise again, but now I’m doing yoga and walking my dog on a regular basis, and I’ve even added some more active cardio into the mix in the last week. I’m also participating in an MS Walk near the tail end of my DietBet. If you’d like to donate, please do so to Just Keep Walking.

– I’ve learned that saying “no” isn’t that hard. In order to keep myself on track, I’ve promised myself a couple treats from time to time: For example, I started my day with a latte on Sunday, and bought myself a bar of very dark chocolate that I dispersed throughout last week. Little incentives help me stay strong and keep willpower on the brain when temptation could otherwise sway me to scarf down a bag of chips.

 I’ve got about one and a half weeks to go. Do you think I’ll make it? Cheer me on! I need all the support I can get.