Strict Week and the Four Lists

I have divided my program into two disciplines:  the four lists and strict week.
The four lists are from Alton Brown's program detailing what I can and can not eat on a daily and weekly basis.  While that sounds restrictive it is kind of a fun challenge to try and include every item each day. 
The lists are as follows:

Daily:
fruit, whole grains, leafy greens, nuts, carrots, and green tea

3 Times a Week:
oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines etc), yogurt, broccoli, sweet potato, avocado

1 Time a Week:
red meat, pasta, dessert, alcohol

NEVER:
fast food, soda, processed meals, canned soups, "diet" anything

I like this approach because it is both a challenge and fun to follow.  It leaves room for a bit of naughty while building good habits towards healthy eating.  That being said I need to be honest in saying that if I fall off the wagon I will fall hard.  This is where Strict Week comes in.
Strict Week is my own invention.  I have done a number of fasts and cleanses and basically come to one conclusion: the common denominator in any cleanse diet is to cut out all dairy, sugar, and gluten as these are the three most inflammatory substances in our diet.  Strangely they are also the most common, which is probably why people are just getting fatter all the time. 
I have just started my "renovation" so I am beginning with Strict Week just to get the ball rolling.  Of course I am also following the four lists so when this week is over it will feel like a big treat to only be doing the lists.  I have vowed that if ever I fall off the wagon I am immediately launched into a Strict Week to get myself back on track.

Here is the beginning...

Today is a good day to start.
I am writing a blog... something I never expected to do, to be honest.  However, I have decided to take a page out of  Julie Powell's (Julie and Julia) book and do this to keep myself on track and accountable to more than my own guilt.
My son is eight weeks old today.  I have given myself these eight weeks to rebound from pregnancy, to get the hang of having a newborn around the house, and not to set any limitations on myself in the interest of "keeping it simple".  Now I feel like I have gotten my groove and I am ready to start looking after myself.
It has been a goal of mine for a long time to get back down to what used to be my ideal weight.  At 6 feet tall my "ideal weight" according to the fitness books is around 160 lbs.  I have only been that weight once in my adult life and it was incredibly hard to maintain.  So I have made my goal to be 170 lbs.  My default weight for years was 170 lbs and I think it is a good and realistic goal for the time being.  (That being said, I would not complain if I made it healthily down to 160).  So now I really have my work cut out for me.  I am currently sitting at about 220 lbs.
 My first checkpoint will be to get to my pre-pregnancy weight of 200 lbs by August 20th for my friend's wedding.  Next, I want to be able to fit into my wedding dress by my anniversary on October 6th.  I want to reach my goal by the time I go back to work on March 15th.
So how am I going to accomplish this?  I have very little time to myself as I am caring for a baby and a busy toddler as well as running a household.  It is enough that I am taking the time to write in this blog.  My options for exercise are very limited at least until my son starts solid food.  I will walk every day and push "The Leviathan" around (our big heavy double stroller), and I will try to get a swim and a few aerobics classes in here and there to start.  In the fall I will try to take a more structured fitness regimen but for the moment I will just do what I can.
My main objective at this moment is to get my diet in order.  I like food too much to go on a "diet" diet so instead I am opting for a sensible and maintainable solution.  I came across an episode of "Good Eats" on YouTube called "Live and Let Diet".  The host Alton Brown showed how he managed to drop 50 lbs in 9 months by just altering the way he ate.  I was inspired by his technique and I plan to use it to see if I can drop my own 50 lbs.
Wish me luck!