Engine 2 28-Day Challenge-Day 1-Mind over matter!
It’s almost 3pm on Monday January 16th. What this means is that it’s the first day of my Engine2 28-Day Challenge and I’m starving!
Rip’s Big Bowl, wasn’t big enough for me this morning, but I knew the transition would be hard. Maybe it’s not so much a hunger issue but more of a mental issue.
You see, food is delicious and I LOVE to eat. I can eat all day every day. Of course I pride myself on eating healthy throughout the day but still, I eat ALL DAY!
I guess my biggest challenge going into this well “challenge” will be accepting that someone else or more so “this diet” is telling me what I can and cannot eat! Ugh the nerve!
Isn’t it funny that, I can spend my days chomping down delicious raw veggies, raw fruits and nuts and not have a problem with not eating the “bad” stuff, but the minute I put myself on a diet where there are restrictions, all I want is what I can’t have! Anyone else feel this way or am I just being a brat?
On the other hand, I’m looking forward to experimenting with some of the E2 approved foods. There are a lot of recipes to choose from via the book and the website, but honestly I work best with what I know.
As I have been preparing for this diet, I find myself looking at the shopping lists and looking at the recipes and circle the things I am familiar with and LOVE to eat!
From there I’m making my list of what to buy and possible recipes to make. For instance, I instantly went to the “Comfort dinners” section because I figured I’d get the most out of those foods and yup, some of my favorites were there. Let’s look at the Shepherd’s Pie. What a delicious recipe! Unfortunately I don’t use a lot of the “Vegetarian or Vegan meat crumbles” so I substitute it with whole wheat couscous!
Whole wheat couscous takes minutes to prepare and can be introduced into just about any dish! It’s basically semolina rolled very small and tightly to form a grain-like texture, so it will absorb any flavors you add to it! So once you get it cooked, just add your favorite all purpose seasonings to it that are of course E2 approved and add it to your Shepherd’s Pie! YUM. This will defiantly reduce some calories and fat from the dish and so you’ll get to enjoy MORE!
Going into this diet or any diet for that matter is never easy. We all feel like we’re missing all the wonderful things we “used” to like to eat, but that’s where we’re wrong. Try what I am doing and see if it works for you. Find things you’re used to and like that are “accidently” E2 approved (meaning they fall under the E2 guidelines but are not necessarily in the book) and get creative with your meals! Nobody is saying we can’t enjoy what we’re eating or enjoy cooking! Who knows, we might even find some new delicious recipes that we’ll continue to make in the future!
Day 1 and I’m feeling pretty confident and excited about taking on the challenge. Good bye hunger, Hello, delicious healthy foods! If you need some help with recipes or just need a guided hand, please feel free to comment and respond! We’d love to hear from all our E2 challengers! Good Luck!
Diona
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Well, I made it through day one too! I think I did well. I wasn’t hungry at all, and I enjoyed the food. I didn’t do any of the recipes yet. I had a lot of HSH stuff, which was different since I normally cook 80-90% of my food. The only issue really was that even though I got lots of fruits and vegetables and some nuts and seeds, it still felt like I was eating a TON of starches. Before, I was using oil for roasting and sauteeing, and fewer of the starches, so that may be it. Tomorrow I will probably try adding more vegetables.
I tend to stay away from starches too and use a lot more veggies! The great thing about adding more veggies to the diet, is that you can EAT MORE! You’ll feel full, but won’t get that bloating feeling from all the starches. I don’t really like using all the pasta either, even if it is the Whole Wheat pasta, so I’m trying to get creative with that too. Keep it up and keep us posted!