Thursday 8/9:

Today I thought I’d try splitting the morning into a 1 block snack then 3 block meal…since I can only eat pretty much right when I get up/get out of the shower in the morning, or in the car (hard to eat a bowl of mush in the car).  The last thing I want right when I wake up at 5:30 or 6am is food, so…this seemed to work better.

1 block snack (6am)
-2 oz ricotta
-1 mutanteously-huge kiwi, peeled/chopped
-equivalent of 3 almonds, sliced (trader joe’s does that part, I am not that coordinated)

3 block meal (god bless the full grill in the cafeteria!) (9am)
-2 egg omlette
-1 ozish of mixed cheese (probably cheddar/mozzerella) on top
-1/4 cup or so of bell peppers mixed in
-1 small tortilla
-9 almonds

3 block lunch (12:30pm)
-1 grilled chicken kabob
(yes, real chicken. I decided to mix in a carnivorous meal about every other day to see if it makes a major enough difference…we’ll see) from the farmers’ market
-mixed greens (about two handfuls) with a smattering of chopped tomatoes
-2 dollops of hummus
-light brush of olive oil in the salad and obviously, the hummus

Not bad for an eating-out lunch…

2 block snack (4:00pm)
-2 cups of the best farmers’ market strawberries evarrrrrr
-6 almonds
-(I forgot to buy the feta that would go here on the way out of the market…doh!)

2 block dinner (10:30pm)
-will undoubtedly involve some protein, some carby stuff, and some fats.

Wednesday, 8/8:

Cheat day.

I don’t usually like these to coincide with rest days but it just worked out that way. (read: one of our vendors showed up with everything bagels and it was on.)

Tuesday 8/7:

Today I ate food. The end.

Ok ok, I had the 2 block ricotta thing at 6am and again at 9am (go team), the big usual zone-tastic 3 block salad thing at 12:30pm, 3 small pretzels, 3 almonds and forgot the protein part for the afternoon 1 block snack, and the meatlofy dinner (3 block remix—replacing peppers w/black beans because my stomach ixnayed anything produce-fiberous-y).

It was exhausting, so now I’ll sleep.

Parting thought: I really don’t understand how people can hate tofu. It’s so unassuming and f’n yummy. Said co-worker, looking at my salad as I put dressing on it in the kitchen: “THAT LOOKS SO GOOD, what’s the brown herby stuff?”  Colleen: “herbed tofu! mmm”  Co-worker: “OH. Nevermind then.”

Poor tofu.

Sunday 8/5:

8:30am, 2 blocks:
1 hardboiled egg
1 oz cheese
1 apple
6 almonds

12:00pm, 2 blocks
Zone bar in the car post-workout to quell low blood sugar road rage

2:00 pm, 3 blocks
3 “chicken” strips
Crap-ton of romaine/spinach mix, 1 red pepper, handful of dried cherries, 2 tsp greek vinagrette
1 tsp crunchy peanut butter

8:00 pm, ~4 blocks
4.5 oz “meatloaf”
1 large roasted red pepper
2 tsp crunchy peanut butter

Total: 11 blocks

Monday 8/6:

8:00 am, 2 blocks
Balance “Bare” bar (in car)

I fully intended to eat another 2 block “breakfast”...then couldn’t get to the kitchen all morning.

1:00 pm, 3 blocks
2 hardboiled eggs
1 oz herbed tofu
1 oz feta cheese
crap ton romaine/spinach mix
1 cup peppers
handful dried cranberries
“low fat” ranch dressing (I counted this as three fat blocks b/c I’m sure it’s evilbad, being the cafeteria salad bar and all)

Again…couldn’t leave the desk area all afternoon. Time to take Jennifer F’s advice and create the mini-fridge in my cube with the freezer pack!

7:00 pm, 2 blocks
4 oz ricotta cheese
2 cups strawberries
6 almonds

sooooo good but…*whorf!* (see workout log)

10:00 pm
I now need to eat a 4 block dinner but I’m not hungry yet…which I find to be a bad sign. Hmm.
Regardless, I think it will be my “meatloaf” meal from last night.

Alright, due to 2 weeks of new job desk-sharing hell and my brother visiting, I had to step out of the Zone for a bit (though I did try to stick to the general idea as much as I could meanwhile) but I got back on track yesterday.

Saturday 8/4:

-Zone bar (2 blocks)

(go to Petranek, get ass handed to me by Helen)

-2 eggs scrambled, 3 oz of feta, 1 red pepper, 1/4 cup black beans, 1 cup strawberries, 1 corn tortillia, 2 tsp PB (4 blocks)

(feel much better about ass due to re-introduction of carbs into system)

-1 hard-boiled egg , 1 oz cheese (1 incomplete block b/c I wasn’t paying attention…brain said “it’s all protein so I’m good right?!”)

-frozen Zone spinach and cheese pizza (~4 blocks)

Total: 11 blocks

For the record, that pizza is really good if you can get past the fact that the spinach tastes like seaweed. So weird.

3 block dinner (tossed together in one big bowl of awesome):

—1 sundried tomato/basil tofu “sausage”
—mad salad greens (*6* cups of romaine is a block? that’s insane/hilarious) (“mad” is my very technical and scientific increment of measurement)
—1/4 cup roasted red peppers
—1/4 cup strawberries
—1 oz/slice yogurt cheese (torn up into the salad)
—1 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

...I would also just like to share that I’d smack someone’s mama for some peanut butter or hot chocolate or something filling right now.

Alright, time to start drinking the kool-aid. My first attempt at a Zone meal…

2 block lunch:
1 serving Meatless “Meatlballs”
1 cup edamame
3/4s cup roasted red pepper slices
2 tbsp balsamic vinegrette (“sauce”)
small handful of sliced almonds

I have a feeling the Zone is going to make me wish there was a tofu and produce delivery service—may have to get on the grocery-delivery train. Anyone that has advice for doing this as a vegetarian, feel free to holler at me.

I’ll post the rest of the day’s food if I can scrounge up something other than ramen or oatmeal in my barren kitchen…