I’m pleased to report that I made it through my intensive 3-day diet and even more pleased that it’s over! I have to admit that it was very hard, especially in the beginning. Here’s a recap:

Day 1:

The worst, by far! Abruptly quitting caffeine caused a splitting headache and I felt irritable without coffee/soda. (I guess that’s why they call it a junk food addiction.) I drank only water with lemon and ate salad and veggie soup. Even though it was New Year’s Eve, I felt so tired and out of sorts, I went to bed early and missed the ball drop.

Day 2:

I woke up on New Year’s Day feeling slightly better, which I attribute to extra sleep and time for the cravings to subside. I still wanted my junk food/drinks, but not every minute like the previous day. I ate a sweet potato for breakfast and lunch (weird, I know), because I read cinnamon can be a sugar replacement and 2 big bowls of salad. To keep my mind off food, I colored my hair, did my nails, and took a long bath—basically pampering myself with a home spa day.

Day 3:

By Saturday, I was starting to see results (less bloating). A friend called and invited me to lunch at her house. After hearing the menu—3 cheese lasagna, garlic bread, brownies!—I had to decline. We discussed my diet at length and she was so supportive and encouraging. She recommended watching a documentary called Hungry for Change and I’m so glad I did. It was informative and inspiring.

Aftermath:

Today is day 5 and while the official diet has ended, I continue to be careful with my food choices. I have not touched a bite of dessert, but I did start drinking coffee again (unsweetened). Lots of fresh veggies and 1-2 servings of fresh fruit remain a priority, along with drinking water and using less salt. The plan is to add in lean protein, moderate amounts of carbs, and some healthy fats (nuts, salmon, avocado) while making treats an occasional thing (no more than once a week, probably only on Shabbos).

If you’re dieting, I’d love to hear about it.

Confession: Since Thanksgiving, I have been pigging out big time! I know this is typical for the holidays, but eating so much extra fat and sugar has left me feeling terrible (bloated and lethargic, mainly). According to the scale, I haven’t gained any weight, yet I feel squishy all over and very puffy in the tummy.

For our New Year’s Eve celebration, we had planned on ordering deep dish takeout from UNO’s and also having cookie dough ice cream. While I’m craving this food like crazy, I absolutely must put my foot down—not tomorrow, not next week, today.

It’s going to be a new year and I want to focus on being healthy. That means no more soda and sweet coffee drinks, no more desserts, no more chicken/turkey with skin on, just no more crap!

Instead, I will be focusing on whole foods like soup, salad, fresh fruit/veggie snacks, and lots of water, along with remembering to take my vitamins daily and getting to sleep on time. All of the bad stuff has been cleared from the fridge and I replaced it with 5 pre-made salad kits. (When I’m too hungry/tired and need to grab something now, there won’t be any excuses since it’s already waiting!)

For the next 3 days, I’m doing a strict vegetarian cleanse. Yes, it will be rough, but I’m hoping that once the bad food habits have been broken, the cravings will settle down in time. If I’m extra cranky, you’ll know why. Wish me luck!

Anyone else struggling to quit junk food? Let me know so we can encourage each other, complain, swap stories, etc!

I’ll be the first to admit I sometimes get stuck in a cooking rut, making the same dishes over and over. While that’s easy and practical, it can be dull! I love to look at other people’s recipes on their blogs and pin boards, adding them to my “Have to Cook Eventually” file. Well, today is that day! Here are two recipes for a nice soup & salad meal that I’ve been wanting to try:

Jalapeno Soup

Chicken, avocado, and spicy peppers? Sounds delicious to me! I found this unique recipe on Imperfectly Frugally—a blog I LOVE that’s full of good tips, frugality, and recipes.

I like that this recipe is basic and can be made simply or added onto. I’m probably going to incorporate some onion and garlic and maybe some frozen corn too, depending on my mood. Either way, it should be really good.

Museum Pasta Salad

A gorgeous mix of farfalle, Mandarin oranges, and chicken, courtesy of The Prudent Homemaker. This blog is known for incredible pictures, a desert garden, and a remarkable series called “Eat for 40 Cents a Day.”

I have learned so many money-saving and sewing tips here and I love reading everyone’s “Frugal Accomplishment” comments.

In addition to the soup and salad, croissants will be on the menu. (These were part of a gift basket and oh my, they’re tasty! I love them with butter/jam for breakfast. Very high in calories and fat due the butter content, but nice for a special treat.)

What’s cooking in your kitchen?     

Chicken has a reputation for stretching, but just how long can it last? According to some people, a rubber-like 5 meals or more! While I’ve never found that to be realistic—a cup of meat isn’t much, after all—3 meals is definitely doable if the meat is shredded.

I know that if I served whole pieces, a chicken would be only one dinner for my family. Instead, I shred the meat and turn it into different dishes, adding sides like bread and salad to make it more filling.

A rotisserie can be used if you’re short on time, but I like to roast a fresh chicken. Look for something around 7-lbs, or cook two smaller birds at once. When it’s fully cooked and cooled, shred the meat and separate into white and dark. It should yield approximately 6 cups of cooked meat with skin and bones removed.

I’d much rather eat white meat than dark, but if it’s mixed with a lot of other flavors, I don’t mind it as much (think chili, spicy sauce, etc.)

Here are some of my favorite recipes to use:

Chicken Stir fry

BBQ Chicken Sliders

Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad

Chicken Burrito Bowls

Santa Fe Chicken

Sometimes I will make 3 dinners and other times I’ll do two chicken dinners plus the chicken salad for lunch. Beyond that, it’s just too much of the same (we do like variety around here)!

In addition to saving money, cooking/serving chicken this way also saves time, enabling me to do more things outside the kitchen.

What’s your favorite “rubber chicken” meal?