Diet blogging - more info

It appears TokenWoman and I have more in common than both just being absolutely fabulous - we're both doing the Tony Ferguson diet.

The basics are that you have a meal replacement shake for breakfast and lunch, a piece of low GI fruit for morning tea and afternoon tea, a certain amount of protein at dinner, at least 2 litres of water a day and as much as of the selected salads and veggies as you like . There are also certain bonuses you are allowed, such as a certain number of particular sweets, as much diet jelly as you like (no go for the vegan) and the ability to swap a piece of fruit for a portion of one of their chocolate bars or a glass of dry white wine. And no caffeine.

First things first - the reason for my lack of specifics in the last post. My old boss has been doing this for a few months and dropped almost 15 kilos - we both saw it advertised around Chirstmas time but it was a no go for me, being dairy based shakes. Earlier this year she advised that they were brining out soy shakes and after many weeks of nagging them and emailing them and dropping into the storefronts, I was finally able to go down and register with dadsy for my soy shakes. They ran us through the program (paying specific attention to what I could and couldn't eat as a vegan) and sent us on our way.

It wasn't until I got home that, after seeing them advertised as 'low lactose' shakes, I saw that the shake contained milk protein. I was gutted. And you can imagine what type of state I was in - ready to finally start (being urged on by seeing I am borderline overweight and that my 'perimeter' is a number that is higher than the number that indicates increased health risks and potential diabetes) and not being able to start.

Finally, I got more answers via email and the forum (which is a hellmaze absolutely COVERED in flashing jpgs, half-nekkid pics, charts and figures) that the product is produced on the same equipment as the non-soy shakes (machinery washed in between) so the product is the same as those 'may contain traces of dairy' products. Which I am fine with. Any vegan police wanna take it up with me, go find something better to do with your time.

So anyway, I'm doing okay. Both of my choices of shake flavor are good (not totally awesome, but good) and I'm enjoying my allocated sweets.

I can't say I'm enjoying the fibre powder because something about psylium husks sets my gag reflex to high - the only way I'm managing it is by using less water in my lunch shake and eating it like a cold custard. Which, again, isn't totally awesome (I always HATED custard!) but at least it's better than 'drinking' it. I should point out that the fibre isn't a necessary part of the diet, but I'm not a very, erm, 'regular' lass, so I figure I should take all the help I can get. There's also chromium tablets for 'taking the edge off' which I have one a day of but fear getting addicted to because it has a hardcore name and anything that 'takes the edge off' sounds totally addictive.

I haven't felt too much an urge for potato chips - I'm begining to realise they're not an 'everyday' food (as stupid as that sounds). However, the less we linger on thinking about hot turkish bread coated in nuttelex, the better.

I am enjoying eating so many fruits and veggies - more in the last 3 days than what I've had in the last 3 months, I'm sure. And yes, I realise that that is a really bad thing, but I'm choosing to look forward and look at it as a really good thing. According to The Hun, the stirfry I knocked up the other night was one of the best meals I've ever cooked - I guess I've tortured him enough with my dodgy excuses for dinners and it's about time he got to eat healthy again (he bulks his meals up with rice and bread. And cornetto's!).

So whilst I have my concerns about maintaining weightloss at the end of this (as with every diet), I do think that this is a step in the right direction - learning to appreciate a good nutritious meal, rather than craving the one that is high fat and high carb because 'I deserve it'. What I deserve is to reward my body by keeping it in good shape.

However - the detox? Is killing me. Caffeine must have me good and firm because I spend a lot of time feeling queasy, feeling fatigued, hot flushy and a constant headache (this proddly helps explain my lack of wanting chips or redeye - I just couldn't stomach it!). I left uni early yesterday for a half hour nap and left work at 3:30 today for a 2 hour sleep, just to try to be rid of this headache - I've had 6 nurofen today, of which 2 were migraine strength - it's still here.

Hopefully I'm in ketosis soon and my body stops being such a b!tch about it all.

First weigh in on Saturday *fingers crossed*

I promise to come up with something not diet related before then! Stick with me, buddies!