Day 1

First Day. Happy New Year! But like I said, this is NOT about resolutions. OK. Here's what we know: I weighed in on December 31, 2009 at 278 lbs., using my father's bathroom scale--I was out of town visiting. I anticipated a challenge since we were planning a big family dinner, scheduled for 3:00pm. I had already planned to get in my 5 daily fruits and 4 daily veggies by going to the store the day before. I picked fruit that I liked (and could eat lots of) for breakfast and got creative with the veggies by selecting some soup for lunch. In addition to the soup, I had a couple of small, lean turkey sliders (no cheese) with mustard. Filling! By the time the big dinner started (more like 4:00pm), I was feeling good and ready to eat. My wonderful sister made two huge pots of black-eyed peas with greens: no meat, but loads of protein. Outstanding! I had a bowl of this with a healthy portion of fresh green beans, very tiny portions of dressing, sweet potatoes, and just enough baked chicken to complete my 6 0z meat limit for the day. Thankfully, I avoided the outstanding Red Velvet Cake, made by my wonderful wife, and the cookies, and apple pie. But I didn't have to do without sweets! My father made a low-fat rice pudding that provided the perfect food counterbalance for the meal. Feeling good!