July 15th is my absolute favorite day of the year... mainly because it sports my two favorite numbers in a combination that for once isn't 157. It also, however, is a marker of the midpoint of summer and thereby serves as a nagging reminder that warmer weather has been poking me in the shoulder and saying to come out and play before it has to go away and nap for a while. Now, if I am going to properly celebrate summer, I am going to need to feel comfortable and confident running around half naked in polkadot spandex.
How ever am I going to make that happen!?
Well, it all started with a promise I made to myself mid-March that I would reclaim the body I lost the last time summer went into hiding. It is shameful to admit that I compensated for its company by baking like a fiend and gobbling up tons of sugary sweetness to the point where I cringed every time I stepped onto scale or looked in the mirror while dressing. I began practicing yoga more often, went back to dance, and borrowed a copy of P90X from a friend. I then combined this with eating lighter, better, and more raw. It was a tough ride but brought back my confidence as the pounds began to melt away.
I am happy to admit that of my 20lb goal, I have lost 10 officially, but am disappointed to say that I have been fluctuating between losing and gaining the next 5lbs. Frustrating as that has been, I still have the last 5 after that to lose and am still motivated to do so!
My solution: The 10 day pasta challenge.
The 10 day pasta challenge is my attempt to lower my pasta intake (which is currently about 1/2lb or more per day... yikes!) in hopes that those last few remaining pounds will stop clinging to my tummy and thighs and will take a permanent vacation.
The limit: whatever skinny little noodles fit into the bottom of the bowl of soup I am eating... so basically two ounces or less per two cups of soup.
Okay, Okay. I may be a lady, but for the sake of science and this dieting experiment, I have been fluctuating between 126 and 128lbs for the last two months. My normal diet (which includes 2 visits/week to the diner to satisfy that post-night-shift craving for seasoned waffle fries and a few beers while out with friends) will remain the same aside from the limit on pasta intake and after 10 days (today is day #4) we will see the success of failure of this diet.
Today I am at 128. Six days left!
