I can’t believe it really did work! 7 days in and everything went way better than expected. Sure it is not a shock that a published plan like this worked but that it worked for me is where I am surprised that it really did work. Every previous plan I have ever done I have had sugar withdrawals, headaches, difficultly sticking to the plan, and so many other things that got in my way of success. Day 7 and I already can see myself doing this for the long haul. I can see myself reaching my goal and switching to the maintenance lifestyle plan.
Current Weight (CW): 320
Starting Weight (SW): 330
Goal Weight (GW): 190
I am down 10 pounds and I had to step on the scale twice because I didn’t believe it. I had a busy week and even though I stuck to my Bright Lines from BLE it did not go as I planned.
My Food Log:
Day 2
I learned a few things this day. For breakfast, extra milk in your oatmeal makes soup but peanut butter and oatmeal are delicious. Having leftovers makes lunches very easy and adding cream cheese to my berries was a nice change especially since they were very tart. Dinner was tossed together and having zoodles in my freezer made it quick to make.
- Breakfast: 4oz Oatmilk, 1oz peanut butter, 1oz oatmeal, 6oz berries
- Lunch: 4oz pulled pork, 6oz roasted veggies, 4oz apple. 2oz berries, 1oz cream cheese
- Dinner: 4oz sausage, 5oz zoodles, 3oz marinara, 8oz salad, 1oz hummus, .25 cheese, .5oz balsamic vinegar
Pro Tip: Having measured out lunch serving leftovers in mason jars was a lifesaver for later on.
Day 3
Now I am sensitive to wheat so I eat gluten-free but wanted to try bread since Ezekiel bread was on plan. Since it was sprouted wheat I wondered if I would react the same way. Well, I did so that was the first and last day I had it. My husband got to enjoy the rest of the loaf but it was very delicious. Lunch I was on the go so I packed everything up and ate as I drove around doing my errands. Not ideal but was great to have a plan while out and about. Dinner I had a meeting so Eggplant Parmesan from the BLE Cookbook* was perfect. I made them in individual glass cups so I had all the perfect portions and just adjust the cooking time.
- Breakfast: 1egg, 1oz milk in coffee, 3oz yogurt, 1 piece Ezekiel bread, 6oz berries,
- Lunch: 2oz hummus, 3oz veggie sticks, 6oz grapes, 3oz cole slaw, .5oz mayo, .25oz mustard,
- Dinner: 6oz veggies, 2oz ground beef, 2oz cheese, 8oz veggies
Day 4
I planned dinner in advance using this “Very Veggie Chili” that came from the Bright Line Eating Cookbook*. I made the protein and veggies separately and measured everything out. If you don’t like spicy this is an excellent chili. Since I have been eating what most call Sonoran Mexican food most of my life I would change all the spices to my go-to chili seasoning* to match my personal preference.
- Breakfast: 2 eggs, 4oz potatoes, 6oz berries, 1oz salsa
- Lunch: 4oz pulled pork, 6oz veggies, 6oz fruit salad, 2oz avocado
- Dinner: 3oz beans, 2oz ground beef, 8oz veggies, 2oz avocado, 6oz salad, 2oz salsa
Day 5
Breakfast and lunch were easy as you can see from my photos and log. Dinner was a different story. I had a craft night planned with my church and it was potluck style. Luckily, my friend who is also doing BLE was attending and we came up with a plan. We brought healthy BLE foods for the potluck and we portioned out our part before we got there. These bento boxes* were very handy for food on the run.
- Breakfast: 4oz cottage cheese, 6oz berries, 4oz potatoes
- Lunch: Very Veggie Chili, 4oz ground beef and beans, 6oz veggies, 6oz peach, and grapes,
- Dinner: 2oz chicken, 2oz hummus, 14oz veggies, 2oz guacamole,
Day 6
This day was a tempting day because we went to a movie. I brought sparkling water which I made with my Soda Stream* and didn’t touch the popcorn that others enjoyed. Dinner was the first day I didn’t stick close to my plan. It was game day and last minute after the movie we were invited to my older sister April’s to watch the football game. Luckily I bought my travel scale* and had it ready. At the grocery store, I grabbed a salad, grilled veggie kit, and hamburgers. Dinner was a very delicious salad. I added mustard, ketchup, and my fat serving mayo. Even though this wasn’t my plan I was able to make it work. I realized then I could go to a restaurant or have my plans change and still make it a BLE meal. Why was this so easy? It really did work.
- Breakfast: 3oz yogurt, 6oz berries, 1oz rice cakes, 1oz peanut butter
- Lunch: 4oz pulled pork, 2oz guacamole, 6oz salad, 6oz peach, and grapes,
- Dinner: 4oz hamburger, 8oz salad, 1oz mayo, 1oz ketchup,1oz mustard, 6oz grilled veggies
Pro Tip: When fruit doesn’t quite make 6oz add grapes or berries.
Day 7
Lunch for this day was a nice change. I was low on fruit and searched the BLE support and found it was okay to swap out my fruit for a veggie. I figure on occasion this isn’t a bad idea. Mexican cauliflower casserole with guacamole was a delicious addition to my day. For dinner, I made broccoli cheese soup and this fell into the more isn’t better category. I made my family broccoli soup and I cooked up mine in a separate pot. I add extra broth so it would be a little bit more food. While the soup was delicious it was too much. Just because you can add some of those free condiments like broth doesn’t mean you should add the whole serving.
- Breakfast: 4oz cottage cheese, 1oz rice cakes, 6oz apple
- Lunch: 4oz hamburger, 12oz veggies (cauliflower rice, corn), 2oz guacamole,
- Dinner: 4oz pulled pork, 1oz cheese, 5oz riced broccoli, 1oz onion, 8oz broth, 8oz salad, 1oz mustard, 1oz balsamic vinegar
Pro Tip: Just because we have free foods/condiments doesn’t mean you need them or need to use the full serving.
It really did work
Week 1 was a complete success, it really did work. My 3 big takeaways, are having friends doing this with you really helps. Just having that sounding board to share accountability but your struggles as well. Be real with these people. It will be the best thing you do. Stay plugged into the community and the videos. Reading the success of others, the struggles, and getting all the extra tips will make any program easier and help you stay focused. Finally, when you find the right equation plus are mentally ready to take it on everything will click. I know I am only 1 week in but it just felt so simple this week and I am so glad it really did work. Ready for week 2, bring it!
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