By Jill Sandberg
First of all I’d like to say thanks to Brandi at DietsInReview.com for asking me if I’d like to participate in the Blogging It Off Challenge. I think she knew I was struggling to lose some weight and needed a push. I’d also say thanks to the team at Digest Diet. They’ve really done an excellent job in creating an easy-to-use diet that has made me a believer.
OK, so the final day of the 21 day Digest Diet was here. I was dreading this weigh-in a bit because I went out to eat twice this weekend. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised when I stripped down to weigh myself (yea – you know you do this too), I had lost a total of 10 pounds in 21 days. *golf clap* *taking a bow*
Of course the majority of this came from the first 4-7 days. Going to a low-sodium / low-carb diet flushed out all the excess water weight I was carrying.
As with any diet, it’s always encouraging seeing numbers being quickly shed. This is the major selling point for us to continue on the diet. The true test is if it’s feasible to continue to lose while still enjoying the diet.
The Digest Diet was fairly simple and enjoyable. I am not a big breakfast eater so the shakes were perfect for me. I will probably use them as my go-to breakfast from now on. The quinoa was also a favorite for breakfast. Once I made one batch, it was easy to grab another day. The Spiced Winter Squash and the Kale & Chickpea soups were both my favorites for dinner. I loved how easy it was to make and to then just have to reheat for the next night’s meal. No worrying about making different meals for every night, which was nice and made the diet much more affordable.
All of the chicken recipes were easy to make and really delicious. The turkey burger is a staple at our house so it was nice to see that in the recipes. Sadly, I only got through a small portion of the recipes. I can’t wait to continue going through the recipes and finding new favorites.
As far as the exercises go, I really think this is what kept my energy up and got me through the first few caffeine-free days. My friend is trying to lose weight as well, so I had a partner to workout with, which made a huge difference. Accountability was definitely the key to success there. If it weren’t for Jennifer asking me when I wanted to workout everyday, I’d still be on the couch sipping a peanut butter banana smoothie.
Another upside? I went from 3 cups of coffee a day to 1 non-fat chai latte a week as a treat. I didn’t realize the world could exist without caffeine.
The only downside was I knew that I would be dieting during the high holy days. If you know or want to know anything about Jews, it should be that we celebrate everything with food. Everything. So maybe if I had stuck to the diet every meal I would have lost more, but sometimes life gets in the way. Oh, and I missed crunchy food. Fresh bell peppers don’t quite take away that chips and salsa or popcorn craving.
As I’ve said before, I’m going to stick to the diet for another 19 days. I’m wearing a fabulous ball gown in a wedding and I want to look my best for my friends getting married. I also plan on continuing The Digest Diet through the rest of the year, and probably even further. I’ve felt better eating this way than I have in a long time. I want to continue and hopefully get back down to the size four pairs of jeans that are sitting in my closet mocking me. Maybe by new years…who knows!
See how Jill got started in 41 Days to Say Yes to the Dress: Blogging it Off with The Digest Diet and follow her entire Digest Diet experience.
You can read all of her updates here each week, and follow Tweets on #DigestDiet. As well, everyone will be posting to the Digest Diet Facebook page.