Day 2 - Early Success

Day 2 started off with a strong, early success.  I lost 2.5 pounds and am down to 245.5 - only 55.5 to go. 

Last night's dinner was fantastic.  We had pork tenderloin, seasoned with a South-American blend of seasoning, accompanied by quinoa - which is an ancient grain credited to the Incas.  The quinoa was lightly seasoned and had a robust, almost nutty flavor that complimented the pork.  For a vegetable, we had yellow squash roasted in a basting of garlic, shallot, rosemary and extra virgin olive oil.  I have never been a fan of squash, in general.  However, I took back 51 years of complaining about it last night - I ate it all and wanted more.

The dinner recipe is from the first day of Wave II of the Sonoma Diet and can be found in that book. 

Lunch, yesterday, was also very good - black bean soup and a spinach vinaigrette.

The reason I like this particular eating plan is that the recipes taste as if you are eating out at a five star restaurant.  This gives you the treat of new food tastes, as well as imparting real pleasure into the meal.  We had a nice glass of wine with the meal, also part of the program, which added to the overall ambiance.

Going shopping for the fresh ingredients is also a part of the fun experience.  In fact, the whole ritual makes the meal special, and helps me keep on the diet.  I must also add that Karen is an outstanding cook, so God bless the hands that made the food.

For exercise, I swam for about twenty minutes.  That doesn't sound like much, but I'm in such lousy shape that it was not easy for me.  I raised my heart-rate for twenty minutes, and I could feel the laps taxing my muscles.  I'm generally swim freestyle at a moderate pace, and I mix in some back stroke and some breaststroke.  I'm working on technique, stretching my stroke, and moving through the water as efficiently as possible.  I'm not ready yet for butterfly - but who is?

I also stayed away from the television all day yesterday, until just before bed.  I was a lot more productive with my time.  Karen and I went shopping together.  My son and I worked on the bonus room, and I helped Karen get a lot of things put away in the attic, which made the house neater and more organized.  Having those tasks behind me made me feel less stressed, as well.  I also took the time to work on two projects for friends.  These had been hanging over my head for some time.  Getting them done also lowered my stress level.

So, all in all, a very positive first day.