Learning Curve

I read through the 17 Day Diet book and digesting what to do I'm not feeling that this is a diet for me.  I'm all about improving myself but the monotonous meals for 2 of the cycles of each 17 days sounds quite difficult.  I love salad, chicken, turkey and fish, I do and I know I could fix it with spices to alter the flavor day to day but the clincher is how would I feel having yogurt and or eggs for breakfast everyday for that long.  Okay, I do eat steel cut oatmeal everyday right now and I'm never bored with it.  I make a lovely bowl showered with blueberries, add some milk or a blend of almond milk and milk with a sprinkle of my homemade (healthy) granola and voila!  I'm in morning bliss.  Plus I'm sustained all morning with plenty of energy.  Eggs in the morning for me hasn't always felt right.  Later at lunch I love eggs.  Yogurt I enjoy but even with fresh fruit on top, I can't see that I would be happy.  

Why do we get into food ruts?  I don't think I'm in a morning breakfast rut, I just happen to really like my steel cut oatmeal.  What makes me laugh a bit was being in Italy two years ago this October and having a brioche bakery item and a cappuccino every morning which sustained me till lunch.  I lost weight on that trip because we were walking ALL day!  I ate well and splurged!  It was exercise that allowed me that.  Had I not walked I would have put on the extra Italian pounds.  Oh that delicious gelato......

This is my plan and I also see it as a learning curve.  I'm going to begin calorie counting.  I'm not a big calorie counter but I need to know what I am actually putting in and how much I am truly burning off.  Am I eating more than I should or is it not enough moving around?   This will let me see and be accountable for my eating habits.  To just reduce as in the 17 Day Diet will not allow me to return to normal eating.  I think that is where I hit a road block with the book.  He made it clear you would have to continue dieting.  What?  Diet forever?  What happened to learning to eat healthy and right?  Learning to adapt healthy lifestyle with eating.  I like to try new foods.  Even ones that could be not the best foods one should eat.  I don't make them a part of my daily eating but I do like to try them once.  I like cookies but I don't eat them every day or even once a week.  I'm not going to give up foods that may not fit a diet plan for the long run.  Life is too enjoy!  Eating is a pleasure!  Sustaining good habits with food and exercise and still enjoying the pleasures of life make one all over happy.  

Hhhmmm you say.  Does this sound like I can indeed improve if I'm not willing to sacrifice foods?  I don't see it quite that way.  The goal is to improve.  First I need to understand my body better.  How efficiently does it burn the fuel that I add?  And yes, calorie count.  To be accountable for what I am eating.  Guess that means no more dipping into the chocolate chip jar when I want a bit!  I have to say doing the kitchen remodel right now has been good.  All the pantry is in boxes and not easy to get to or fast to plow through.  Even if I wanted to nibble/snack it's hard.  I'm cutting back on bread (I love bread!).  I didn't eat much before but when I do have a slice it will be a hearty grain bread.  I'm cutting out white rice.  When I do have grains it will be the ones I do enjoy thankfully.  I like brown rice, or grain blends, quinoa (especially the red), the stuff with some crunch and flavor.  I know my Love and Ryan love the white rice so if it means I fix two different ones, so be it.  

Today I go to try out Koko Fit.  I'll let you know how that goes.