Onward!

My 28 Days of Being Fabulous didn't get off to a great start. I must have bumped my alarm clock's alarm button while moving it before bed last night, because it didn't go off. Instead of waking at 5:15 (time to walk dogs and then walk me, with the obligatory cup of coffee and a shower) I was awakened by Murphy's persistent squeaking at 6:30. He remains my most reliable alarm clock ever, even at 14. 6:30 is a fine wake-up time if I have no desire to exercise or write anything before work. So no, I didn't bounce out of bed before the crack of dawn to put in three miles and a nice session of stretching and planks.

I did feel weirdly cheery and energized, and decided that my next audiobook should reinforce my positive energy. Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition has been sitting in my audiobook library for a few weeks. It was an impulse purchase, because I've already read enough about the whole food plant based diet to be a believer, but seriously, I'm already blown away, and find it as interesting as a well written history book. (I realize that this has cemented my nerd image even more thoroughly, but whatever, I'm old, I'm a nerd, I'm an Old Nerd.) I know this book has been around a while and got rave reviews, but I just wasn't in the mood for anything science-y, so I put it off. It's actually not dry at all, and fascinating!

It is also the first day I can honestly say I've stayed around my 1200 calorie target: the calorie range that everybody from Weight Watchers to Lose It! to every advice article written about weight loss for "women of a certain age" says is ideal. I ate more fruit than usual, and far, far fewer snacks. I still allow myself my unwinding wine while making dinner (a delicious Creamy Dijon Pasta recipe from Everyday Happy Herbivore) but have noted that after a day of healthier food and fewer calories, it takes, shall we say, less wine to unwind. Truly, I'm a little buzzed right now. Duly noted, and also a positive development, because wine calories are purely empty calories, and if less wine gets me just as "unwound," this is a very healthy development.

Re the pasta dish: I noted the tip about adding asparagus and tomatoes, and now have a HUGE pasta dish for lunch tomorrow. The recipe makes two servings, each less than 300 calories, and the portions are very, very generous, especially when you throw in asparagus and tomatoes. If you think low calorie meals mean polishing off tiny portions and still feeling hungry and deprived, you really need to try this way instead.