Dieting, oh no!

Not an uncommon revelation - a new year arrives, and maybe we should start a diet.

While weight loss is my primary goal, I don't think I have too much to lose - likely 11 lbs at the worst end of the scale 5-8lbs is likely a more appropriate number to bring me back to my previously set goal. It will keep me in size 8, which for my height, frame and hip diametre is appropriate. I have to remember I weighed more than I do now than when I got married, and certainly weighed more than when I got pregnant with Kate. Somehow, I ended up weighing less than 130lbs after four kids, so have put on many pounds since I went back to work 18 months ago. I need to arrest the gain.

My secondary goal, but I think ultimately much more important, is to improve the whole family's eating habits - less processed foods, less highly processed carbs and more veggies and fibre. Not a bad goal ever. I am also absolutely sick of food court food - it is expensive, fatty, and not very tasty. To buy decent food, like a simple salad, is just over the top expensive. Thus, we are changing the ways in this house. The diet of choice - South Beach.

Jim and I start on Monday. The phase I effort will be interesting. I can give up fruit and I can give up bread, but wine will be a huge challenge, especially after the holiday habits. [I have drawn the line, I won't give up caffeinated coffee - I don't drink it with sugar now, so just low fat milk will be easy.] I am suppose to be writing out our menus for the first week so we can get the shopping done tomorrow. We got a new egg poacher (silliest machine ever!) for Xmas so we can have poached eggs and peameal (not Canadian) bacon almost every day. I am curious to try some sort of almond tofu shake (yikes).

The kidlets don't eat with us now (something I don't like at all, but is best for the family dynamics as I get home to late) so they won't even notice the difference (but do get to nibble rice from the new rice cooker, also an Xmas gift).

I am excited. I am excited to drop processed white bread for all of us and eat less prepared crap (a little bit left to go - junk cereals are almost gone). I am ecstatic to hopefully avoid food courts. I am curious once we are on Phase II and ultimately Phase III (I think less than 6 weeks off) how much of our changed eating habits will impact the kidlets. Andrew is utterly terrified of most veggies and can't stand any spec of stuff in bread that doesn't look like white bread. The others will likely be more flexible.

Off to menu out the week. Hoping by telling the blog of the impending diet, that we might just stick to it!