Postpartum Shape-Up Week 1: I Guess I Am Following a Real Diet

Last week, I set some basic goals to help me on my way to a healthier and less smooshy post-baby body. I cut out the snacking and sweets and focused instead on eating three square meals of healthy food.

Sounds pretty pretty simple, right? Almost like common sense, right?

Well, I've recently discovered that some clever person has actually trademarked a diet program that advocates almost exactly what I'm doing. It's called the "No S Diet." There are just three simple rules, and one exception:

• No Snacks
• No Sweets
• No Seconds
• EXCEPT (Sometimes) on days that start with S (Saturday, Sunday and Special days)

I've basically been following this exact diet for the past week. My plan has a couple of extra S's, though (chalk it up to newbie eagerness):

• No Simple Starches (white potatoes, white rice, white flour, etc.)
• No Sh%$ (crappy, processed foods)

I also didn't break from the plan on the weekend, even though that's allowed on the official No S Diet. For now, I'm trying to save the sugar, seconds and snacks for special treats and occasions when I'll really enjoy them. I can't say that I'll continue to be as disciplined as I've been so far, but I really needed a good first week to keep me motivated. Here's an example of what I've been eating (Sunday's log):

• Breakfast: Two eggs scrambled with goat cheese, lettuce salad with olive oil and vinegar, plain whole milk yogurt mixed with diced grapefruit and apples, coffee with cream
• Lunch: Bowl of homemade beef stew, lettuce salad with olive oil and vinegar, Wasa crispbread topped with butter, whole milk yogurt mixed with blueberries and dried mango
• Dinner: Marinated chicken breast, half a cooked sweet potato topped with butter, lettuce salad with oil and vinegar dressing, whole milk yogurt mixed with diced grapefruit and apples

Most days were a variation on this theme. Sometimes the salad had some cheese on it. Sometimes I crumbled up some Wasa crispbread "croutons" on top. You get the idea.

So far, so good. I feel motivated and, surprisingly, I'm not starving between meals. I think I had conditioned myself to think that snacks (and several spoonfulls of peanutbutter with chocolate chips) were a necessary part of my day. But I'm finding that if I eat a balanced meal with foods that have staying power (i.e., not low fat or high sugar foods), I can hold off until my next meal without a problem.

This week, my goal is simply to stay on track with my new eating habits despite the fact that I'm starting back at work part-time. (I'll let you know how it goes...) If I can make it successfully through the emotional week ahead, then I'll think about adding in some exercise. Maybe. ;)

Current Weight (taken morning of 1/24/11):

149.2!

It's hard for me to believe that I actually lost more than six pounds this week... Is that really possible?!