I am going to critique the diet you posted, and I am sure that you as a trainer will already know most of what I'm saying, but I'll post the more obvious bits so that it can be a more informative post for everyone.
I would work harder on the diet.
The diet you describe here is really clean, which is great, but this is not enough food. If you follow it as listed below you will be getting approx. 1000 cal/day, which is too low to burn fat. You will burn your muscle first with your calories that low because your body thinks you're starving. It will hold onto the fat as the best source of energy and burn the muscles you are working so hard to develop. Not the way to achieve physical fitness.
I am curious about what your diet was like when you were vegetarian. I only ask because I know many vegans AND vegetarians, and none of them have ever had a problem with their menses (not saying it doesn't happen, I just have never seen it- plus I am sure that there are any numer of factors that also could have caused it). Disruption of your cycle is something that I have generally seen/heard of when calories are kept far too low over an extended period of time. I don't know how you were eating at that point and so can't say what caused it, but I did find that aspect of your post a bit worrying.
Another reason to increase your caloric intake- if you are working hard in the gym then you need adequate nutrition to fuel those workouts. For your height if you are working out regularly I would add at least 500 calories to that diet. Best way to find out your exact nutritional needs of course is to find out your resting metabolic rate. THere are plenty of calculators online that can help you. Once you know how many calories your body needs to perform basic functions it will be easier to decide how many calories are appropriate for you.
In terms of eating to exercise, I saw my best results when I supplemented with protein. I saw AMAZING progress in terms of strength for myself when I increased my protein intake to 1g/lb of bodyweight per day. I supplemented with whey generally after my workouts on lifting days, and in the evenings before bed other times. I also was on a high fiber diet (varied between 30 and 45g per day), so would eat a lot of fiber one cereal, at least 5 servings of veggies per day, a TON of brown rice and veggies.
Another suggestion on my part is to eat smaller meals more frequently (5-6 times a day). It is easier to follow a WOE when you eat several times a day- you can make good choices because you are never starving and you dont make food choices purely out of hunger.
The diet below also seems to lack somewhat in variety/detail. You want to east Kashi or a smoothie every day? Salad every day?? Maybe you can do that for an extended period of time, but it would be rough, and in the long term might contribute to you giving up on your WOE.
You might want to start considering more things that you can get that are easy to cook, or viable options in fast food (I buy a lot of sauteed veggies at the chinese food store without rice, or go to Micky D's for a grilled chicken sandwich plain, or even a piece of fried chicken without the skin and some steamed veggies). Another good thing to have is substitutes. Instead of ice cream have frozen yogurt, instead of potato chips try some flavored soy chips. Know your weaknesses and find ways to appease them before you go out of control! Some people can be a little bad, and some can't- know what you can stand in terms of eating well. I know that for me, if I give in to a craving it is MUCH harder to resist. I can't have just one cookie at a time. Or worse, I might have one today but on the next day when I remember how good that one was, I'll have four. *sigh* In other words, be prepared for the bad times as much as possible!
I hope this helped!! Good luck!
Quote:
Originally posted by Prissfit1908
Here we are all over again. The new year is upon us and with it, plans for a better and no doubt thinner 2004. This is my official boarding date onto the proverbial bandwagon.  For those of you who couldn't care less about my desire to get in shape and lose weight, stop reading now. For any of you who want to do this with me, please let me know! I could really use some partners in crime! 
Here are my stats, ladies: 5'8", 155 lbs. I am a certified personal trainer, so there really is no excuse for me to be as out of shape as I am.
My goals: I want to increase my endurance and improve my all around physical fitness. I also want to eat fewer refined foods, drink more water and eat more fruits and vegetables. I don't feel the desire to take meat out of my diet at this time. I was a vegetarian for a year and my menses stopped...  Not the WOE for me...
My plan: I have a nice gym in my apartment building, so I will make more use of it. I also have Winsor Pilates DVD's which are wonderful. I will go to the gym at least 5 days per week and do 30-45 minutes of cardio (treadmill/recumbent bike/eliptical). I will also do 30-45 minutes of weight training Mon.-Sat. Sunday will be a freebie. 
Nutrition: I will have a fruit/soy milk smoothie for breakfast (accompanied with a bowl Kashi if I'm very hungry). For lunch and dinner, I will stick with green salads with lean protein tossed in. No iceberg lettuce here, folks. The protein will come from lean cuts of chicken, fish or beef. I will use olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dressing. I may also consider having a small about of carbs (brown rice), lean protein and green/yellow vegetables for dinner. Water, water and more water. I find that lemon juice helps me drink as much water as I need to. I will nix the diet soda that I currently consume too much of. I had been taking a multivitamin pack daily, but I sort of fell off. I will begin taking vitamins again.
So, what do you guys think? Is anyone down with the cause?  I could use any positive words you guys could offer up!
Thanks everyone!
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