The boy and I have been dieting and working out for a few weeks. We’ve both already lost weight and I’m feeling stronger but that isn’t really making the transition much easier. It’s great to step on the scale and see weight loss or to notice new muscle striations in my arms. It sucks to feel hungry or tired or crave candy.

We work out 5-6 times a week, for me a combination of cardio/weights at Bally’s and classes at Flirty Girl Fitness. Flirty Girl classes are surprisingly hard. I haven’t taken any of the pole/stripper-robics type classes. I have taken classes that involve circuit training, lots of sit ups with medicine balls and step ups onto chairs. (That last one practically killed me.)

On the diet side, I’m aiming for about 1200 calories a day.  At first, that sounded too low so I was eating more around 1500 and not losing. I can go down to about 800 a day but then I’m cranky, hungry and so bored with salad.  I used FitDay to figure out what I could eat in my calorie range. I don’t keep track of my food daily but it was helpful when I was starting to figure out just how much I can eat.

I think the biggest changes have been sweets and liquor. I eat a lot of fruit so I still get sugar but no candy at the movies, funnel cake at the street fair, cupcakes just because it’s someone birthday at work. And I haven’t had a drink since we started. I’m usually a juice and liquor mixed drink person, so my drinks aren’t as fatty as beer but aren’t as low cal as diet coke and liquor. I don’t drink carbonated things so I have to find something I can have other than liquor on the rocks. I’m not that hardcore.

So some foods that have kept me from going crazy with soo many boring salads and wraps:

Chicken salad with tofu herb dressing
I made the dressing seperately and use it like a salad dressing. I’m new to tofu so I don’t know how to cook with it but this recipe just requires food processing or blending. The dressing is creamy like a ranch dressing.

Banana “ice cream”
Peel and freeze a banana. Blend or food process it. Refreeze if its gooey. Add nuts or berries as toppings if you like.

Egg whites
Egg white scrambles for breakfast! Throw in whatever veggies you like.

Sugar free jello
Makes you feel like you’re eating something

Not that those foods completely keep me from going crazy and wanting to eat Zingers but they help :)

So I’m on my way to being a contractual therapist. I joined the NASW and applied for liability insurance through NASW. I had to clarify a few details with the insurance company about my FT job and my contractual position. It appears that if you work in a clinical position and as a contractual therapist, you are not eligible for part time insurance, even if you do not need insurance for your clinical position. I don’t work in a clinical position, so I am elgible for part time insurance which ended up being pretty cheap.

I keep checking out empty office space around my apartment. I can’t help but to think ahead to having the holistic wellness center I’ve wanted since getting my MSW. I know there are lots of steps in between like starting as a contractual therapist, getting expereince as an intern/LCSW supervisor and learning more about running a small business.