I. Hate. Math.

And dieting/exercise involves lots of math. It's not just the calorie-counting either. It's the number of daily meals. The fiber grams, protein grams, fat grams, sodium content, sugar. The heart rate formula. Cups of water. The number of reps, sets. The body fat percentage... The pounds on the scale. I'm always seeing numbers, and it really never ends. And it's probably the part of dieting that makes it so dreadful for me.

But I will do lots of math for about 6 months until I reach goal. Maybe I'll even get good at math (!!). And then I can take it a bit easier.

In the meantime, you'll see lots of numbers here (and surely, any of my math involved will be speckled with lots of errors)...

Let's start with the number 1500...
5 meals a day. 300 calories per meal.

People have been asking, so here it is-- an example of my daily menu:

MEAL 1: (aka breakfast) Steel-cut oats with cinnamon and a touch of honey. (I should be having more protein in this meal, but unless I am having eggs-- which i get sick of every morning-- I find it hard to. Greek yogurt (one that is low in sugar and high in protein) might be okay, I have been meaning to check with my broth--errr, nutritionist).

MEAL 2: half a whole wheat pita with protein (Boar's Head low-sodium turkey from the deli is best) and I stuff it with any veggies that fit... spinach, broccoli sprouts, etc. Mustard too. Yum.
To make it to 300 calories, I also get a handful of veggies on the side. I like baby carrots-- easy to eat and I love the crunch.

MEAL 3: grilled chicken breast and half a sweet potato. Side of steamed broccoli.

MEAL 4: Protein Shake: if I am having it after a work out, whey protein, add carbs (i.e. a banana). If I'm having it as a last meal before bed, Casein, mixed with flaxseed oil.

MEAL 5: Salad and tuna (canned in water): My favorite salad contents are spinach, lettuce, beets, garbanzo beans, edamame (soy beans)... Sky's the limit on veggies-- just don't overdo it on the high-calorie veggies, spec legumes like garbanzo and soy beans. Add 2 tablespoons of homemade dressing (you can also replace the olive oil with flaxseed oil).

I also drink a gallon of water a day. I keep a gallon container at my desk at work to monitor my intake. The only other liquid I consume is TEA. Lots of green tea. I try to drink it between every meal.

My daily menu changes, of course, I try to keep it varied because I do get sick of foods easily. I try to keep fats separate from carbs, but every meal should have protein.

And that's pretty much it-- For Phase 1, that is... More on the number of phases to come... Yay Math!