Getting back on the wagon with chicken soup

Lately, I feel the need to get back on the diet I was on when I lost all that weight.  Because I've been bad.  This summer, I ate all kinds of things and gained 5 pounds.  Not too bad, right?  Well, then some friends of mine came over for a girlie weekend and I ate everything bad for four straight days and gained 8 more pounds.  Seriously!  EIGHT pounds in four days?!?  That's just not right!  It's not like I was stuffing my face either.  I just ate unhealthy things at every meal for four days.  It's crazy how my body puts on weight all at once like that.  On the plus side, my body also loses weight all at once like that too.  I just need to get in the zone.  Since that weekend, I have not gained any more weight, but I have not lost any either. 

Everybody is different, but I cannot lose weight as long as I eat sugar and grains.  Even if I consume very few calories.  (crazy, right?)  It was almost a year ago that I went on a modified Candida Diet and lost 30 pounds.  I ate mostly meat and veggies.  No fruit, vinegar, or sugar, and very limited starches.  (Like 1/2 cup of rice per day at the most.)  This week, I'm getting back with the program.  To kick start it all off, I'm going to eat NO grains at all.  Then, I'll add 1/2 of rice per day next week.  I will post what I eat every day just to prove it can be done.  To add a further challenge, I must avoid nuts because I have discovered that they make my migraines worse.  (There goes my favorite snack food!)

Today being Sunday, I thought I'd make a big pot of chicken soup for lunches this week.  It's a good, filling, yet healthy meal that you can make and freeze in individual tupperwares.  Just as convenient as a processed TV dinner, but way more delicious and healthy!  Here's how I make it:

Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
whatever chicken parts you want   (I use 2 legs and 2 thighs b/c I think it makes a better-tasting soup)
1 or 2 carrots, sliced
1 or 2 celery ribs, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
thyme to taste
salt to taste
here's the cool part:  You know those veggies that you have in your fridge that are about to go bad?  The ones you bought with every intention of eating them but it just didn't happen?  Chuck 'em in the soup! 

Directions:
Put everything in a big pot.  Pour enough water in to cover.  Simmer for 1 hour over medium  heat.  Cool, strain, then cut the chicken off the bone into bite-sized chucks.  Remove bay leaf.

It's nice to have this soup on hand for a quick meal or snack when you need it.