Virgin Diet: Week 1 Recap

I started the 3 week Virgin Diet on Monday, January 5th. That day I weighed 159.3. Today, 1 week later, I weigh 149.1. I have lost 10.1 lbs in 7 days! The book says "Lose up to 7 lbs in 7 days", so I'm ahead of the game. I've been tracking on MFP and, based on my calorie deficit, I should've lost about 1-2 lbs this week. I followed the diet pretty much to a T...a protein shake for breakfast and lunch, and a dinner of protein, vegetables, healthy fats, and usually a sweet potato. I also have an orange for a snack (a snack is optional). I know that a large portion of the weight is water, but my feeling is that that is water weight/bloat that I put on over the holidays. It's part of the reason that none of my pants fit, and I felt sluggish and horrible. That weight came on, and needed to come off! I wore regular jeans (not stretchy) yesterday, for the first time in I can't remember how long. It felt great!

I don't think I would recommend this diet to someone just starting on their weight-loss journey, as it's very drastic. But for someone on maintenance who has gained a bit, or who's in the middle of their journey and needs to break a plateau, I think it's worth trying. Also, if you feel that you may have negative reactions to certain food groups, I think an elimination diet, with the reintroductions after, is a great way to learn about what your body can and can't tolerate. I have found this much easier than the Whole30, and I'm less neurotic. Last night I had brown rice sushi, and one of the rolls had something crunchy in it...maybe something fried...oh well. On Friday night I took Mady to Applebee's and had steak, veggies and sweet potato fries. Did I ask if they used corn oil to fry? Nope, didn't want to know! I'm doing the best I can, and it's more than good enough!

Week 2, which starts today, I can either continue with 2 shakes and a meal or cut back to just a shake for breakfast. That is the plan, although, as usual, I have to go grocery shopping, and was running late for work, so I just made 2 shakes to bring with me. Honestly, when I'm working, shakes work well for me. I don't get a lunch break, so I eat in between patients. If I microwave something, by the time I eat it, it's usually cold, and I'm shoveling it in. Sipping on a shake while I write up charts works really well for my lifestyle. I plan to continue with shakes for breakfast for the most part. I'm not much of a breakfast person, and these shakes get me a lot of nutrients, are easy to drink in the car on my way to work (I tend to eat breakfast very late), and keep me full for a few hours...unlike a bagel.

I've let my exercise slack a bit over the past week...I was sick, and felt like I needed to get well, and sleep as much as I could. I went back to yoga yesterday morning for the first time in a few weeks. It was hard, but felt great! The weather today is horrible, so I used my recumbent bike, and tomorrow I plan on running at the gym...first run since my 5k on New Year's Day 😳

Overall, I feel good, lighter, and in control. We'll see what the next 2 weeks bring, but for me, feeling like I'm in control of my eating is almost more important than what the scale says. As an aside, I'm listening to the audiobook "The Orphan Train", and LOVE it...highly recommend!