No, not an animorph…

I’m a mesomorph. Apparently, it’s a body type.

The  mesomorph body type is naturally athletic and both gains and loses weight relatively easily. I took this quiz and it told me all that. The test is obviously imprecise, unscientific, and mostly meant to be a guideline in weight loss. In truth, I think I’m somewhere between a mesomorph and an endomorph.

I had a doctor’s appointment the other day and I found out I lost 8 pounds. Huzzah! Clothes that were previously tight are now very comfortable or even loose now. However, like most women, I still have “problem areas” that refuse to budge. For me, these areas are my arms and tummy. So while other parts of my body have become leaner and toned, there are still some parts that remain stubbornly squishy.

Well, after reading up on mesomorphs, I found out that its hard for me to get skinny due to a large amount of dense muscle. Interesting. I have actually always wondered about that. In order to lose weight, mesomorphs are advised to:

• Eat three meals per day. They should be smaller than usual. Check.
• Avoid fatty foods such as red meat and of course, white carbohydrates (sugar and flour). Check.
• Consume balanced meals consisting of lean proteins (chicken, eggs) and complex carbohydrates (vegetables). Check (though admittedly I could eat more veggies).
• Snacks such as fruit, almonds, and yogurt are appropriate. Check.

It’s funny how I figured all this stuff out on my own. Validation is always a good thing, I guess.

Anyway, since I have a low tolerance for the repetition of no- and low-carb recipes, I am constantly searching for new ideas. Flax meal bread, no crust pizza, miracle noodles, and ricotta pie got old quick.

If you’re like me, I’d recommend stocking the following items at all times since they are the building blocks of interesting no- and low-carb meals:

• Avocados
• Eggs
• Mozzarella cheese
• Plain Greek yogurt
• Grape tomatoes
• A sweet fruit such as watermelon or red seedless grapes
• Lean proteins such as chicken
• Olive oil
• Low fat milk
• Cereal (I prefer Honey Bunches of Oats)
• Onions
• Mushrooms

Currently, my favorite meals are:

• Baked eggs and salsa. So quick, delicious, and satisfying. This recipe is extremely versatile. I put ham in the ramekins today and made ham and eggs cups. ST ate it all up. I was inspired by Chrissy Teigen’s recipe here.

• Roast chicken with avocados and hot sauce. ST and I picked up a whole roast chicken from a local Peruvian restaurant for $9 during one of our long walks. We also got some avocados (the perfect side dish) and bananas (the perfect dessert). Put it all together and you have one very filling meal. I’m going to try this recipe and cook a whole chicken in the crock pot.

• Cereal and milk. A good standby for a sweet fix. This is perhaps the one thing I can eat over and over again.

At week four of the diet, I have lots of energy and have been pretty active. ST and I have been going to the gym at least twice per week and I’ve been going on long walks with both ST and Helene. I could maximize my weight loss by cutting out all carbs (fruits and cereal) and increasing my gym time to 4-5 times per week. I don’t think that would be manageable for me though. I have a fierce sweet tooth that is nigh on impossible to ignore. I need fruits and cereal, as they are my only form of sweets. As for increasing gym time, I’m working on it. Aren’t we all?

How’s your summer going?