As I’ve watched my weight creep higher and higher since this past summer, I finally decided to do something about it after the holidays. My biggest problem seems to be that I’m always hungry, whether I’m hungry or not. If there is food in the house, I will find it, and since I’m the one who buys the groceries and puts them away, food is not hard to find.
In order to break the cycle of eating all day long, I decided to drink a glass of Trader Joe’s low-sodium vegetable juice whenever I thought about stuffing my mouth at times other than breakfast, lunch and dinner. I make healthy meals, so proper meal times are not the problem. Drinking the juice would fill me up and stave off my food craving.
I weighed myself before I started the TJVJD so I would have a baseline. The first day was a little rocky, but I was determined. I did add just a little protein with the juice because I know an all-juice diet is unhealthy and protein is important. I’m not an idiot. The tortilla chips were, of course, whole grain, and the refried black beans with melted cheese provided complementary protein. Do you realize how healthy nachos really are? And the jalapeños added even more vegetables on top of TJ’s juice.
Making it through the first day is always hard. The next day was easier. No nachos this time, but do you realize how good salami and cheese is with Trader Joe’s vegetable juice? That mid-morning snack got me through until lunch time. Trail mix and TJ’s juice got me through until dinner.
Day three was even easier, though I have to say that drinking all that vegetable juice can be a little hard on the stomach. No worries, though. Trader Joe’s has these delicious ginger cookies. Ginger is excellent for digestion. And the fact that these little gems are covered in dark chocolate adds another layer of healthfulness because dark chocolate is full of antioxidants.
I’m really enjoying this diet, but apparently I need to work a little harder at it. I got on the scale this morning, and I was shocked. Who knew you could gain so much weight by drinking vegetable juice? Amazing!
Coming East 
I have missed your writing so much! This was so funny. I loved this!
My methods of losing weight tend towards the comical, unfortunately.
I was taking this seriously and ready to head to Trader Joe’s! Then I started thinking you were delusional or needed weight control counseling. And then it slowly dawned on me you were jesting. You WERE jesting weren’t you? HILARIOUS!
I never jest, Dor.
So relate to this! Just started the Bulletproof Diet. We’ll see how long this will last!! Went to Costco to get a new blender for the “Bulletproof Coffee” and walked out with a way more expensive VitaMIx. (My friend swears I will be able to fall in love with a household appliance). It never ends, does it?!!!!
I am on my second VitaMix. I gave they old stainless steel to one of my kids. You will love it–if you use it! I even use it to grind wheat berries and rye berries into flour to make my bread.
You got me again as you have a way of doing, but then…duh, it hit me…nah, no way can you have that good a time dieting. Very funny.
My next diet is going to be the bacon diet…
Too, too funny! I would have taken notes on this diet, but my system is sensitive to the acid in tomatoes (boo ~ and in this case YEAH!!).
Just stock up on those dark chocolate-covered ginger cookies, Carol. If the tomatoes are still a problem, just cut out the juice and do a straight ginger cookie diet.
You should have your own column in the newspaper. I think I’ll stay away from the TJVJD. Isn’t that a disease?
It is in my house!
Drinking vegetable juice and eating healthy food, so we gain some weight. I don’t see anything wrong with it. 🙂 I eat too much nuts. I did not know 100 grams of nuts have 400 calories, geee, I just put 1,000 calories….
I’ve had a long love affair with food, Amy. Now it’s turning on me after all these years.
The food industry is making food taste even better with lots of varieties, like WF, Costo… But, you go to Y to workout regularly. 🙂
You would think that would help, but what you eat and how much seems to be the weight gain culprit.
“Oh, a new diet to try!” says the woman who is reading this and laughing out loud while eating the last couple handfuls of creme de menthe baking chips left over from Christmas because, really, there’s only a few and what kind of recipe could you possible use them in with only a portion of a bag left? I love rationalizing my food and it sounds like I’m in great company!! 😀
Haha! I totally understand, Mama. I never have enough chocolate chips to make Toll House cookies because they are so good on their own.
Thanks for my morning laugh! Last year I read an article about how eating nuts could help you lose weight, so I stocked up, and every time I thought about cookies, or chips, or chocolate, I had a (small-ish) handful of nuts instead. Not only was I surprised by how quickly $20 worth of mixed nuts could disappear, but I gained 3 pounds in under a month (when I did a little more research, I discovered that 100 grams of nuts have about 400 calories in them. YIKES – I was eating my total calories per day in nuts alone!) Now I snack on 35 calorie ‘dessert flavored’ yogurts (and limit myself to one a day).
Yes, it’s amazing how even good things can be bad things.
Oh, darn, I thought you’d really come up with a new weight loss plan!
I’m still working on it, Dianna. I’ll find something else. I refuse to give up, no matter how fat it makes me.
I love it, Susan. I am laughing hard. Now I have to go find some food… 😉 Helen
I shouldn’t have written this at lunch time, Helen. Now I’m headed to the fridge.
Just finished my lunch. When I started heating the food, I looked at the clock. “Gee, I can’t believe I am getting lunch ready one hour before my normal lunch time,” I said to my husband. Of course, I know exactly why… 😉 Helen
Consider it a snack. Now go make your lunch.