Day one
After the usual grim breakfast I decided to try a more fruit-based lunch. The problem is that this diet swings from one extreme to the other: you either get a salad bigger than the bottoms you are trying to lose (I am hoping to divest myself of at least one extra bottom) or a mean portion of fruit. I was hungry soon after lunch and snacking. Supper was a lovely bake of salmon, broccoli and cauliflower in a light cheese sauce. Having to work late was my excuse for the slice of toast with jam and butter, but I really have no excuse for rediscovering the bitter chocolate in the back of the cupboard.
Day two
Am forcing myself to eat nasty sliced chicken and, once it has gone, never will it darken my fridge again. Under huge time pressure, so had one slice of bread sandwich for lunch. Was out for a meeting so missed my snack and had cold roast chicken and fruit for supper.
Day three
This diet is not office-friendly. I had to spend God knows how long preparing food to take to work because there is nothing Zone-friendly in the real world. I made a huge mixed salad with chicken and avocado, plus two pieces of fruit for lunch and a snack. I've gone back to salad because I've been hungry on more fruit-based lunches, but I'm also sick of food that takes nearly an hour to eat. Actually I'm just sick of food and have lost all interest in eating. Maybe that is the diet's hidden agenda: make food such a chore that you want nothing to do with it.
Day four
Got all mixed up at breakfast because I didn't have enough time to prepare all the necessary food and eat it, so had to take two meals and a snack to the office. Ended up with porridge, but no protein, for breakfast and cottage cheese with pineapple and cardboard cheddar for lunch. Snack is yet more chicken, yet another satsuma and even more bloody nuts. Zzzzzz. At this rate I won't want any supper. Went for an after-work drink and got hammered on two glasses of wine. I couldn't resist the lure of the takeaway and had the healthiest thing I could think of: a chicken strip and salad wrap. Inhaled it on the train and unfortunately gave in to temptation at home: a one slice, two-hotdog and cheese sandwich.
Day five
Had to rope my husband into food preparation this morning - the whole thing is just too time-consuming. I spend so long preparing food that I have no time to eat it. Porridge again, with a lump of cheese and a handful of raw cauliflower - like you do. Another enormous salad for lunch, but not enough carbs. I've run out of fruit, but couldn't trust myself to leave the office because I'm sure that I'd make the Tasmanian devil look well mannered if I were let loose in a shop of any description. I'm hungry and headachy two hours after lunch. Went out again after work and suffered the same fate, pissed on three glasses of wine so had a takeaway. I don't eat junk this often and almost never eat McDonalds; what is happening to me?
Day six
Hangovers and the Zone don't mix. I tried a bowl of porridge, but felt too crap to face cooking protein or eating cottage cheese or tofu. I really wanted a full English, so I had one for lunch, vowing that I would eat a Zone supper. Sadly, I have less willpower than Elvis in an ice-cream factory. Chicken, chips and ciabatta followed and another promise to self to get back into the Zone tomorrow.
Day seven
I grilled some bacon and made a forest fruits, tofu and yoghurt smoothie for breakfast – bad idea, as two hours later I was still trying to finish it. I had a Zone lunch, then I weighed myself. I appear to have only lost 1lb and in a fit of pique decided the only answer was to share a big bag of Kettle Chips, a tub of Ben & Jerry's and a Snickers with my husband. Now I'm acting like a real dieter.
