7-Day Soup Reboot...Results

First, let's back up. I previously shared with you the details of the diet plan and my Day 1.  Not my finest hours, but I did overcome the temptations thrown my way.

So, how did the rest of my week pan out? Did I give in? Did I see results? 

Day 2: Eat all the vegetables and soup that you want (excluding legumes, peas, and corn). For dinner, eat a baked potato with butter. 

I wasn't excited about this day. I have no issue with eating vegetables. However, I seemed to focus on the restrictions again. "How can I eat vegetables without ranch!?!" Obviously, there's many ways to enjoy veggies without dousing them in ranch dressing.

Breakfast:

• Roasted red potatoes, seasoned with salt and pepper.  
• Black coffee 

Lunch:

• Bowl of Soup
• Water

Dinner:

• Baked potato with butter, salt & pepper 
• Mashed yellow squash with green chile 
• Water

Breakfast was very filling and held me over just fine until lunch.  But lunch...that's when I was just done. I didn't want to eat soup again. I'd ate enough the day prior. I was watching the kids make sandwiches and heat up left-overs for their lunch. That's what I wanted. Come on!?! It's day 2 and I'm already sick of this soup? Maybe it was the overload of veggies that day. I ate all that I could of my soup for lunch, then had no desire to snack at all that afternoon. I sipped on water until it was time to make dinner. I actually had looked forward to my baked potato. I was pleasantly surprised that I could enjoy something so basic.

I did handle my workout better on this day compared to the first. I completed 30 minutes of cardio, and my energy levels were normal. 

Day 3:  Eat all the fruits, vegetables and soup that you want (excluding bananas, legumes, peas, and corn). Do NOT eat a baked potato for dinner. 

This day was more bearable. I'm growing used to my reboot (but I still want a cracker, pretzel, popcorn...something!). 

Breakfast:

• bowl of fruit: pineapple, mango, blueberries, and strawberries 
• 2 small potato pancakes (it was only mashed potatoes and green onions, salt and pepper dry seared in a pan)
• black coffee

Lunch: 

• steamed broccoli 
• left-over mashed squash from the night before
• water

Dinner:

• 2 bowls of soup 
• small serving of watermelon 
• water

Things got interesting on Day 3. This was the day I started to experience the effects of eating a diet of roughage for 3 days straight. Things were moving. Actually running...running right through me. I knew to expect this. This isn't a bad thing. I know by this happening that my body is eliminating toxins. This is also the reason why the water is so crucial if you decide to do this reboot.  This will be the part of my week that I keep the play-by-play details to myself. However, this was the only day it occurred.  Things went back to normal the remainder of the week.

For dinner I changed things up. I didn't want the tomato-based soup; gagged at the thought of eating it. I decided to make a soup of beef stock, shiitake mushrooms, spinach and green onion. It was a delicious change. I actually ate 2 full bowls of it. And I had a small bowl of watermelon for dessert. 

My workout was leg day. I completed it without the dragging fatigue that I experienced the first day. 

Day 4: Eat at least 3 bananas today and all the soup you want. You may add a glass of skim milk. 

Okay, I kind of cheated for breakfast. I prefer my bananas to be firm and under ripe if I'm going to eat them straight out of the peel. But the ones I had in my fruit basket had already started to brown. So, I mashed 1 banana with 1 egg, and whisked that with a couple dashes of cinnamon, divided the mixture into my pan and made 2 pancakes. It was so satisfying. My only "cheat" would be the addition of the egg. Lunch and dinner were soup.

Breakfast:

• 2 banana pancakes 
• water 
• black coffee

Lunch:

• Bowl of soup  
• water 
• *snack: 1 banana and bottle of water

Dinner:

• Bowl of soup 
• water 
• 2 banana pancakes

Today was 30-minutes of cardio, which I completed without issues. I had a banana after my workout (I stopped by the store to get some firmer bananas). I didn't have skim milk this day (because I'm not a milk drinker...never have been). 

Day 5: Tomatoes and Protein day. Eat all the soup you want, plus up to 8 tomatoes (canned, fresh, roasted, etc) and protein (boneless/skinless chicken breast, lean beef, or fish). 

MEAT! Marvelous meat! This was the day I'd been looking forward to reaching all week long. I opted for chicken as my choice of protein. My day kept me on the road...all day long. I left my house at 6:30 am and didn't return until 9:30 pm. I had an entire day of traveling, but I knew I could stick to my dietary requirements. 

Breakfast:

• broiled chicken (left over from the kids' dinner the night before)  
• half an apple 
• black coffee 
• *snack: 1 hard boiled egg, plain, and grapes. 

Lunch:

• banana  
• more coffee (remember, I was driving all day)

Dinner: (I stopped at Chili's)

• grilled chicken breast 
• 2 sides of steamed broccoli (plain) 
• tea 
• and again, more coffee

I actually didn't have one sip of soup or a tomato this day because of my travels. And I added in fruit a couple of times.  I did the best that I could even while being behind the wheel all day.

When I did finally get home, I was tired and emotional from a hiccup that occurred during my trip. Yes, I'm a girl...I cry...I let stuff get to me.  Without thought, I went straight to the refrigerator and grabbed a cold piece of pepperoni pizza and devoured it like I was in a pie-eating contest. Then I thought, "What the heck did I just do!?!" I had just fed my emotions with pizza. I'd worked so hard to beat out cravings the past 5 days, and let them get the best of me in a moment of emotional stress. That one piece of pizza made me feel like that scale would jump up to where I'd started. Was my week shot because of this unconscious move?

Day 6: Eat all the soup, veggies, and protein you want today.  

This day would be easy. I was home for the day and could really focus on my diet. See my vitamins? I haven't missed a day of taking them. My week probably would have been more taxing if I wasn't taking my supplements.I'm using: It's Vital Core Nutrition (multivitamin for complete nutrition), ThermoFit (metabolism booster), and Confianza  (for stress management and focus).

Breakfast:

• 3 eggs, scrambled, topped with salsa 
• orange juice

Lunch:

• bowl of soup 
• water 
• *snack: half chicken breast and 1 apple (I know today was suppose to be protein and veggies, but that crisp apple was calling my name)

Dinner:

• Grilled chicken breast
• grilled onions and zucchini 
• Salad with honey vinaigrette
• water

It was late when I went, but I still managed to get in a visit to the gym and it felt great.  I was able to do my strength training session without feeling weak. 

Evenings were another challenge. Normally, I enjoy some sort of dessert after dinner:  ice cream, handful of cookies, cake, brownie, etc.  But none of those things are a part of my allowed food for the day...or week, for that matter. I've done so well, don't I deserve a treat?  Each night I had to talk myself out of my normal sweet treats.  Knowing how I'd feel after indulging was enough to discourage me.  I also realized I'm not a dog, and shouldn't reward myself with a treat for being disciplined in eating healthy. Beside, those treats, while I tell myself they're small, add up to so much more.  And are part of the reason why I needed to do this reboot.

Day 7: Eat all the soup, veggies, and Brown Rice that you want today. 

 I questioned the last day.  I'd spent the previous 6 days avoiding carbs.  A half cup of brown rice has 39 carbs in it.  So, I really didn't want to eat the rice at all.  I felt like it would make me gain weight.  I didn't design this diet (I just modified it, sticking close to the original requirements).  I had to do my research to answer my questions about ending my week with brown rice.  ((Read the benefits here))

Breakfast:

• 2 banana pancakes (there I go swaying from the diet plan) 
• orange juice 
• black coffee

Lunch:

• 1 cup of brown rice with salt 
• 6 roasted cherry tomatoes 
• water 
• *snack: veggie chips and rice cakes, water

Dinner:

• 1 cup of brown rice with salt 
• water
• 2 cups black coffee

By now, I was out of soup and didn't feel like making any more (or eating soup again).  As you can see, I didn't eat soup on the final day.  I was hungry, but also felt like "there was nothing I could eat," so I kept it very basic and bland that day.  I also completed 30 minutes of cardio this day, and felt really good.  

So, what happened after all this?  Well, I lost 5.6 lbs total over the week.  The previous week I was ending my day just above 139 lbs.  I knew before starting this reboot that my weight increase was because I'd been slacking in my healthy diet.  I'd been falling back into my old ways of eating out.  

I learned a few things about myself in just one week.  I learned that food has a strong hold over me.  But there were many times that I was tempted and was able to overcome. Although I felt accomplished this week, I do have the tendency to bend the rules.  No, I didn't follow the plan completely, but I did see results with what I did do.  It was a triumph each morning to step on the scale and see change. 

One thought I want to leave you with:  

We consume food.  It shouldn't consume us.

In my struggles this week to eat what I should vs. what I wanted, it became very clear to me that I have so much more work to do.  Not just for myself and my goals, but for the health of my family.  

I want to hear from you!  Feel welcome to leave your comments and thoughts below.  Would you be interested in changing your eating habits for a week?  Do you need help losing weight and/or increasing your health.  I'm here to help!  Comment below for assistance.