The Plan

It's simple: diet and exercise. Crazy, right? I won't be using any pills, supplements, or plastic surgery...at least not yet.

The Diet: Fiber and protein are my best friends. Rudi's Organic Double Fiber Bread is a great source of fiber and protein without feeling guilty for eating bread. With 6 grams of protein and only 1 gram of fat and 90 calories per slice, this bread is not only healthy, kosher, and organic, it's also delicious! Another important diet plan is to cut out all dairy and pasta, and try to stay away from processed foods.

Keeping kosher means there's a great trick to keep me away from dairy. I keep chicken breast in the fridge and when I'm feeling the intense desire to down a bowl of mac n' cheese, I take a bite of chicken. You see, when you keep kosher, you can't mix meat and dairy. But you also have to wait a certain number of hours after eating meat before you can eat dairy. I think I'll reserve dairy for my non-fat breakfast yogurt. This is going to be tough, by the way, because I LOVE CHEESE! It really is a delight.

The Exercise: I've been attending a kickboxing class in Northgate at a gym called MKG Seattle. They offer 10-week intense group training sessions. The classes are 4 days a week plus a bonus class on Saturday that I can't attend because I keep Shabbat. They are an hour long and by the end of each class you should be dripping with sweat. Two days a week you learn how to kickbox and do tons of cardio. And two days a week is strength training mixed with cardio. It's amazing and the trainers are excited to be there. Even though it's a group class, it feels like you're getting a personal training session. I recently started at 163 and managed to get down to 157 in 7 weeks of the class. 6 pounds may not sound like a lot, but it was definitely a struggle for me. However, I've lost two inches off my waist, another two off my hips, and another two off my thighs. My arms, though, got bigger! I guess all that boxing builds up some pretty big muscles.

I'm going to have to add more exercise to my routine to double my weight-loss. If I can lose 6 pounds in 7 weeks of kickboxing without being serious about my diet, then my new short-term goal (as part of my 40-pound long-term goal) is to lose 12 pounds in the next 7 weeks and get down to 145 pounds. That's 12 pounds by April 26th! Treadmill, old friend, you will be following my kickboxing class on rainy days. Seward Park Loop, your two-and-a-half mile run will be perfect for sunny days, especially if I add extra miles by walking there and back.

Looking forward to my first self-imposed weigh-in next Monday!