In terms of "diets", the 20/20 program actually hasn't been that bad. In fact, as I've progressed, I've learned to make adjustments to my cooking style, using old recipes and finding new ones. We all know just how picky I am with food - it's all about quality ingredients and what tastes good - and I've succeeded in maintaining my standards. I've learned a ton about nutrition and how to cook food that is healthier. It's not that my cooking wasn't unhealthy to begin with, but I needed to make small changes, moving the dial about 20 degrees. (Although it's fair to point out that if I cooked as healthy as I thought, I wouldn't be doing 20/20).
I fully admit, food wise, the first few weeks on the program were rough. I cried regularly, had to work at home a few days just because I couldn't bear to face seeing anyone else. I also had to decline a few invitations to foodie events. The food situation was just not optimal. An elimination diet, I spent a week eating large amounts of protein and berries. Theoretically, I was also supposed to drink special protein shakes with every meal, but alas, I was part of the small percentage that got violently ill from the protein shakes, so my life was all protein, all berries. I won't go into some of the gruesome details, and while I was satiated and did drop a significant amount, I don't ever want to repeat this part of the diet. My energy levels were low, I almost passed out at the gym and my hands were tingly. And the hardest part: walking through the farmer's market, seeing all of the beautiful produce and just being sad. So sad.
One week in, most vegetables came back in (starchy vegetables, like winter squash, corn and potatoes, weren't allowed until recently). That was a happy, happy day.
In subsequent weeks, other things have been added: dairy (non-fat Greek yogurt rocks, pineapple and cottage cheese is a treat, and the quality of the non-fat/low-fat cheeses has improved substantially since I worked in the deli in the early 1990s); fruit; legumes (mmmm, hummus!); grains (of the whole variety, like steel-cut oats, whole wheat couscous, quinoa, brown rice); and most recently, bread (whole wheat, of course, and here's to Dave's bread, which I loved even before I discovered that it's good for you). At this stage, I'm really only missing chocolate and wine (you know which one I miss the most of the two).
As each food has been added, I've had to figure out how it makes me feel. Luckily, nothing has made me sick. And I've discovered a few things. Dairy makes me hungry, thus explaining how I can't stop myself once I've started snacking on cheese. So, if I do yogurt for breakfast, I need to add some form of protein. And speaking of protein, I've found that eating protein in the morning helps curb hunger throughout the day. I eat a lot of egg whites. The jury is still out on bread - I have a feeling that it may be a trigger food, i.e., something that inhibits weight loss.
I cook a ton, I plan ahead: it's a constant balancing act. I need to maintain a set number of calories, and that requires making some big choices each day, ensuring that I get the proper balance of protein, carbs and fat (which, I've learned, should be a balance for each meal). So for example, if I want to treat myself to t-bone steak for dinner (allowed), I need to keep my calories down at lunch and breakfast. If I make a sandwich for lunch (bread is pretty high caloric), I consume fewer calories for breakfast and dinner. I can either have grains or legumes, so if I eat oatmeal for breakfast, no snacking on hummus with my carrots when I make dinner. I meal track (hurrah for iPhone apps, LoseIt is pretty good), not only looking at calories, but trying my best to maintain the correct protein to carbs to fat ratios.
And I experiment. Some meals have been downright boring - turkey cutlets are just uninspiring. And I've done my best to avoid the ultra-boring chicken breasts, an amazing feat. I've also begun to tinker with recipes, making adjustments to cut the fat, substituting ingredients. There's a ton of play with many recipes, and it's fun to experiment. And the farmer's market: I've always been willing to try new stuff, and this new lifestyle has pushed me to try even more. It's fun...and delicious.
That romanesco? I steamed with some chicken broth, then served with a reduced balsamic vinegar. Fabulous!
And for show, a few other dishes that I've recently feasted on.
First up, Lebanese Style Stuffed Eggplant, courtesy Smitten Kitchen. My adjustments: left out the pine nuts, used about one tablespoon of olive oil to saute the onions and substituted bison for ground lamb and brown basmati rice for the jasmine rice. So delicious, and happily still snacking on leftovers. Oh, and speaking of bison, I've discovered that it's a pretty tasty meat.
Next, roasted turkey breast (deboned, brined and then grilled), baked squash, beets and black quinoa (there's also red quinoa, and the very traditional and much more available white varietal). Another delicious meal, with enough leftovers for turkey sandwiches and dinners.
And finally, another one of my farmer's market favorites: purple carrots. Sweet, crunchy, they taste just like carrots should taste.
