Happy Holidays and a Merry Five Pounds

Yep, in one measly week I have gained five whopping pounds. 5. Ugh. Three turkey dinners, a spread of hors d'oeuvres on Christmas Eve, a few (dozen) too many Christmas cookies and chocolates, wine and lots of it, two restaurant meals (definitely didn't order salad), two fast-food meals (definitely didn't order salad) and plenty of snacking in between. I should not be surprised.

Unfortunately, the holidays are not even over yet and I am NOT missing out on New Year's Eve, no siree!

South Beach Phase 1, here I come again! (Well, in a few more days.) I am armed with two new cookbooks from Mom & Dad - The SBD Quick & Easy Cookbook and The SBD Parties & Holiday Cookbook. I'm determined to shed the holiday bulge (plus 1 lb, which would take me to 175) by the end of January and then I will be back on track!

At least I had a great Christmas! We spent lots of time with our familes and friends, ate tons of yummy food (obviously), went skating at Nathan Phillips Square and put in some solid couch time watchng Season 2 of Grey's Anatomy on DVD. Oh, and lots of fantastic presents! I got an Ipod Nano from the hubby, which makes running on the treadmill tons more enjoyable. Seriously, it makes a difference. It works especially well with the tunes from my new Taylor Hicks CD!

Speaking of running, I have gone to the gym 4 times in the past week (not bad for holidays, eh?) I am now able to go 30 minutes straight at an average speed of 5.5 mph and I'm not even gasping for air! I treated myself to some new ("proper") running shoes and pants (I was getting some serious thigh-burn from the shorts) so I am offically a runner!

That's all for now. Happy New Year and I'll see you on the other side!

Last Post Before The Holidays Officially Begin

Well, I've been on the South Beach Diet for 5 weeks now with only a few confessions. I've earned some indulgences over the next few days, right?

I just have to remember, everything in moderation. I'd like to come out of this without gaining 5 lbs! I'm going to try to exercise every day and only eat the things I really, really want.

Wish me luck!

No Damage Done

I stepped on the scale this morning and weighed 176.2, so now I don't feel so bad about Sunday!

I ran on the treadmill for 25 minutes yesterday at at average speed of 5.5 mph, plus 10 minutes of walking. My legs are sore this morning, but running is so satisfying! My goal is to run 5 km in half an hour, which would be 6 mph. We'll see how long that takes!

We also went to the mall last night and I bought the Fat-Burning Kickboxing for Dummies DVD to try at home. It looks like a good workout and most importantly, FUN!

I'm going for my annual Christmas lunch with a co-worker today (Kelsey's) and I will try to be good, but no guarantees. :)

One and a half days of work til Christmas Vacation!

-----------------------------------

Update - 1:52 p.m.

Forgive me, for I have sinned.

-Smirnoff Ice
-Club wrap
-millions of french fries
-caramel ice cream bar

I am soooooo full. Someone is going to have to roll me home.

3 Turkey Dinners

As of yesterday, we have THREE turkey dinners with all the fixins' planned for the holidays: Saturday with my Mother-in-Law, Monday with my family and Tuesday with my Brother- and Sister-in-Law and their family. Oh boy! I have come to the realization that I will definitely be starting phase one again in the new year. I have to enjoy Christmas and that is just not possible without a lot of food!

Today and yesterday I have been really good. I licked the spoon a few times while I was making homemade peanut butter cups yesterday, but considering how yummy they are, I'm just pleased that I didn't eat the whole batch.

My blog title is appropriate today!

CHEATER, CHEATER, COMPULSIVE EATER! Yep, that's me. Do I ever have some confessions today!

Yesterday we had a delicious lunch at Mom & Dad's. Started off with some homemade sweet-roasted (read: sugar-coated) nuts. Lunch was a salad with apples, walnuts, bacon and maple-flavoured dressing (yum). The main-course consisted of stick-to-your-ribs ribs, pear-blue-cheese-stuffed pork tenderloin, roasted potates and SBD roasted veggies. So at least something was diet-friendly! I only ate a little of everything, but it added up to a lot. Then came dessert. While I turned down apple crisp, I did have a scoop of ice cream and two Christmas cookies (from last weekend's baking escapades).

The good news is, I opted for water and caffeine-free Diet Coke and passed on the wine.

But then came the evening. Before bed I had two pieces of toast and FOUR (yes, four!) pieces of Poppy Love (lemon poppy loaf from Eat, Shrink & Be Merry) that I had in the freezer. To avoid another incident like that, it's going in the garbage when I get home! It wasn't even that good after being frozen. Oh, and then I had my regular SBD fudgsicle-PB-whip dessert.

And so ends my shameful Sunday of Confessions.

I am going to be super good today, tomorrow and Wednesday. I'll be mostly good on Thursday, but may indulge a little when my co-worker and I go for our annual pre-Christmas Kelsey's lunch. And Friday, the bosses are hosting a small 'wine and cheese' before the holidays, but I'll only have a little!

It's almost Christmas!!!!!

One more thing: I weighed 176 on Saturday, only 10 lbs more than my hubby! Now THAT is a feat in itself. Hopefully I didn't totally destroy that yesterday.

Sick :(

It's been a busy few days!

Yesterday was my company Christmas party. I felt sick all day, but some toast and Pepto Bismol finally seemed to help a little and I was okay by Party Time! (Phew!) I indulged in lots of wine, a yummy dinner and cheesecake for dessert. Everything was so good! I didn't even feel guilty. Yay me! Unfortunately, I am not feeling so hot today. It's 4:00 and all I have eaten all day is two pieces of toast. I must have a bug or something.

To make yesterday more interesting, our car died. Three trips to Canadian tire, a few phone calls to our mechanic and a $260 tow later, we discovered that it just needed a new battery. We didn't have time to pick up the car last night, but thankfully, a co-worker gave us a ride to the party and the bosses paid for a cab home. Mark was pretty pleased that he didn't have to be DD afterall!

Not much else to report. I have been staying on track, other than the past couple days. We just went grocery shopping and stocked up on healthy stuff to get me through the next 7 days til Christmas. I'm hoping to lose these 2 lbs. I'm stuck at 177.

Oh, I started running on Thursday! I went to the gym and did my usual 30 minutes of cardio on the arc trainer. For some reason, I decided to jump on the treadmill and walked for 10 minutes. I must have been feeling brave, because I cranked it up to 6 miles per hour and jogged for 10 minutes. I'll try going on the treadmill first next time and see how long I can go. Mark runs regularly and I'd like to be able to join him once my gym membership expres in the Spring.

A Deal With The Devil

The good news is, I went to the gym!

The bad news is, I ate the rest of my dark chocolate bar before dinner and two slices of whole grain toast after the gym.

I'm telling you, if there's chocolate or bread in the house, it doesn't stand a chance. I'm not buying bread after this week. I think I'll buy pitas to eat with my lunch salads instead, avoiding the whole late-night-bread-eating business. And no more chocolate for me until Christmas! Well, except for that dark chocolate Cadbury Thins bar in the fridge.

An update on what I'm eating these days: I am back on the quiche cups for breakfast and avoiding grains except for my toast episodes in the evenings. I'm still on one serving of fruit per day and completely avoiding sugar except for the dark chocolate allowance.

I'm holding strong at 177. I have a little over two weeks to lose those pesky 2 pounds, but that includes Christmas. Do you think I can do it?

I have a deal with myself that if I stick to the Diet, I'm allowed to cheat at my Christmas party on Friday (wine and dessert, but I will NOT go overboard) and on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I'm terrified that I will gain 5 lbs, but I have to live a little!

Stinkin' Holiday Yummies

'Tis the season!

I have come to the realization that every day for the next 8 days I will come to work and find the kitchen full of cookies and loaves, chocolates and honey-roasted peanuts. So generous of our clients to send treats during the holidays.... *grumble, grumble* Just for spite, I'm bringing in a tray of veggies and dip tomorrow!

Thus far I haven't taken even a nibble of these holiday treats so here's hoping I can keep it up til the end of next week!

Yesterday I mentioned the cookies that Mom and I were baking all day Sunday. Here are just a few:

15 grapes

A serving of grapes according to SBD is 15. Do you know what 15 grapes looks like? Not very much! That's like one mouthful! Anyway, I just ate my fruit quota for the day - 15 grapes. I'm not ready to advance to two servings of fruit yet; I'm taking it very slow.

Now for my weekend confessions!! (You know, I named my blog "Confessions of a Beach Bum" because I was sure I'd have pages and pages of confessions on a daily basis. I have actually been doing alright, haven't I?)

Anyway...

I ate that salad from the caterers late Friday afternoon and then I was busy shopping with Mom (found a great purple top for the party!), doing laundry and grocery shopping. Suddenly it was 10 pm and I was HUNGRY. I ended up having two slices of whole grain toast with Olive Oil Becel. So, I exceeded my grain allowance for Friday, but it was soooooo good.

On Saturday we had eggs for brekkie and then Christmas shopped all day. At the end of six gruelling hours, we stopped at Quizno's and I had a warm caesar salad which was very disappointing. I made Mark promise not to let me pay $8 for a 'fast-food' salad again. I picked up a Lindt dark chocolate bar at the mall and ate a few pieces (less than a serving - only about a fifth of the bar) while wrapping presents. I don't even like dark chocolate, but it was sensational. Chicken parm (no pasta) for din-din.

Sunday ... baked all day with Mom. The kitchen was full to the brim with cookies. I only had a few nibbles along the way, not even an entire cookie. But then I got home to unload my share and ate a chunk of Toblerone fudge. BAD! (But totally worth the guilt.) Didn't really eat lunch on Sunday (just snacked on cheese, turkey, pickles, celery) and had a chicken fajita salad for dinner.

On Saturday I was a little over 177 lbs. My first goal is to be 175 by New Year's. My next goal is 160 by Leanna's wedding in May. I can do it!!

TGIF!

First, Happy Birthday to one of my South Beach Buddies on WB, Cheryl!

By the time we had dinner last night, Quizno's was closed. I was still too lazy to think about cooking and I knew we were out of salad, so we hit the McDonald's drive-thru. Don't worry, I had a salad - a soggy salad mostly made up of the hard white pieces of iceberg lettuce, some rotton cherry tomatoes and dried up chicken breast. Yuck.

I did make it to the gym last night and burned 400 calories on the arc trainer. After more than a week off, it was exhausting. I think I am going to look for a workout DVD for at home. I need to workout more.

Weighed in this morning at 178.6, only 0.4 less than Sunday. Meh. But at least I didn't gain! I am aiming for 175 by January 1st.

I'm sitting in my office basking in the aroma of fresh bagels right now. I miss bagels! I brought a pork chop and peppers for lunch (cooked in oil, light soy sauce and garlic) so hopefully it will fill me up enough that the catered lunch at 3:30 won't be torture to avoid.* Tonight Mom and I are going to the mall on a mission for a new top for my Christmas party and I'm thinking I'll grab a chicken souvlaki salad from the Greek place in the food court.

That's it for this Friday. We still don't have internet at our new apartment, so I'll be back on Monday...


*3:07 pm update - turns out I didn't have to completely avoid the lunch. It was a buffet feast catered by www.peterandpauls.com and luckily for me, there was a delicious Greek salad, on which I am currently feasting. I also grabbed a Diet Coke. Of course, the ginormous sandwiches on foccacia looked much better and don't even get me started on the chocolate-covered strawberries... but at least there was something edible for a committed South Beacher like me!

I cheated!

There was a minor incident with a Wendy's chicken finger and some honey last night.... but it was only one bite. And it was a YUMMY bite.

We didn't make it to the gym last night and I'll spare you the various lame excuses that I have. Haven't been to the gym in well over a week. Yikes. Mark and I did get our for a brisk (and snowy) walk around the neighbourhood, so at least I got some exercise.

I've decided that I get to weigh myself tomorrow, five days since the last time. Hopefully I will have some good news tomorrow... I could use the motivation to get through yet another bagel day. Plus, one of our clients is treating the company to catered lunch tomorrow, so I know there will be tons of yummies that I can't even touch.

Anyway!

Dinner last night was 'mock chicken parmesan' which basically consisted of a chicken breast lightly coated in egg white, then parmesan, basil & oregano, browned in oil for a few minutes per side, then baked with tomato sauce. Would have been better over a mound of pasta, but it was good nonetheless!

Tonight I am going to the gym (for real this time!) and we are going to visit Sarah, Colin and Baby Connor (yay!). We need groceries so we will probably just stop and grab something on the way home - maybe a Quizno's salad.

I'll leave you with an idea of what 27 lbs looks like on me.

Here is a highly unflattering photo from January and one taken yesterday. Yeah baby!

Three whole weeks!

I have been on the Diet for three weeks now!

These past few days I have been feeling a little 'blocked up' if you know what I mean. It feels like there's some extra 'stuff' sitting in my abdomen that just doesn't want to go anywhere. It must be from the cereal and berries, so I'm hoping my system adjusts because I was feeling great the first two weeks.

Not much else to report today. I ended up waiting until we got home from the hospital last night (9:30-ish) to eat dinner so I whipped up a salad and, of course, had my dessert.

We are supposed to go to the gym tonight, but there have been some complications (my shoes being left at home, for example) so we'll see. It's a lot tougher getting to the gym when it's not across the street or even in the same town.

Introducing Connor!

Our friends Sarah and Colin welcomed their baby boy Connor Gregory into the world yesterday evening. Mommy and Baby were both doing great and Connor is perfect!

Congratulations Sarah and Colin! We are so happy for you. We're in love with Connor already!

Here he is!



Proud Mommy & Daddy:

What's this I hear? I can eat CHOCOLATE?

Apparently, yes, I can eat dark chocolate as a 'sweet treat' in Phase 2. Guess what I'm buying this weekend! I don't usually like dark chocolate, but dark chocolate is better than NO chocolate.

Today has been pretty much the same as yesterday - cereal, green tea, salad, yogourt and berries.

Dinner is up in the air because we are heading to the hospital after work... Sarah is in labour!!!! YAY!

Monday blahs...

Monday sucks.

Not much to report since yesterday. I avoided the scale this morning, so yay me! I'll try to hold out til Friday.

Knowing that I was having cereal for breakfast literally got me out of bed this morning. Mmmmmm! I didn't even like cereal that much before SBD, but it's so much yummier than eggs!

I was just browsing the SBD Forum for a different chicken recipe for dinner. Here's what I'm having:

Chicken with Feta, Basil and Balsamic Vinegar (P1)

2 whole chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
8-10 garlic cloves
10-14 basil leaves
10 ounces of reduced fat feta
2 Tbsps + 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter substitute
Salt and pepper

Cut the chicken breasts in half. Brush them with 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cook in a skillet for 6 minutes on each side, until they are cooked through.

Meanwhile, chop the garlic. Brown it in a skillet with 2 Tbsp of olive oil. In a bowl, combine the browned garlic & its cooking oil with the feta. Chop the basil leaves and add them in. Add 2 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Mash with a fork.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. When the chicken is done, remove to an oven-safe dish. Spoon the cheese mixture onto each breast. Stick in the oven to melt the cheese while you make the sauce.

Return the pan that you cooked the chicken in to the stove. Don't clean it first, you want the flavor of the chicken. Add 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar and cook on medium heat until it reduces by about half. Then, add the butter and turn off the heat. Swirl the butter till it melts. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve. Enjoy!

Can't wait to try it!

The Husband and I are going ice skating again tonight at 9, after we visit our friends at the hospital (baby on the way so soon!)... and that is all for today.

Day 18 ... long time, no update!

I'm back after a brief hiatus. We moved over the weekend and we have finally settled into our new home. It's... cozy. The main living area and kitchen/dining room are actually very spacious, but we are severely lacking in storage space. We no longer have the luxury of a second bedroom, two storage rooms or even a linen closet. We will also miss our bath tub and oven. Can you believe it? No oven! There are perks to our new apartment - it's in a nice neighbourhood, minutes from the mall (yay shopping!); it's an above-ground basement and our door opens to the backyard, which backs on to the golf course; we get tons of light; the kitchen is huge; we get way more channels than we had when we were paying for our own cable. Most of all, we are saving tons of money for our new house, which closes next December!

Anyway, about the Diet... today is Day 18. Thursday and Friday were tough because we were in the middle of moving and I actually didn't eat enough, but I managed not to cheat! We unpacked and got groceries yesterday so I have been able to get back into a routine with my meals and snacks. I have introduced cereal for breakfast and I'm loving that! I chose All Bran Honey Nut Flavour, which has 11 g of fibre and 8 g of sugar per serving, acceptable on SBD.

Instead of cereal this morning, I had "mock pancakes" made with eggs, ricotta cheese, sweetener and cinnamon. Topped with no-sugar-added syrup, they were very similar to regular pancakes and pretty darn good.

I almost forgot!! I weighed in this morning at 179 lbs!!! I have lost 11 lbs on the Diet so far, and 27 lbs this year. Woohoo!!

Berries!!!

Quizno's was a success. As much as I wanted to take a huge bite out of Mark's Carbonara sub, I devoured my Turkey, Ranch & Swiss salad and it was actually pretty good. The Diet Coke I had with it was the best part, however. I used to have at least one a day and lots more on weekends, but I have only had two since starting the Diet. It was a nice treat!

So guess what!! I'm eating BERRIES!!!

Today is day 1 of phase 2. I started off the same as every day with quiche cups, tomatoes & cucumbers and green tea. I didn't bring any fruit with me and I really, really wanted some so I asked a co-worked to drive me across the street to the grocery store. (I would have walked, but it's pouring!) I picked up some fat-free, no-sugar-added yogourt and a pint of big, juicy raspberries. I mixed about 10 berries in a cup of yogourt and it was delicious! I'm about to wash it down with a big salad.

Tonight we are moving right after work so I won't really have time to eat dinner until super late. I packed 2 extra quiche cups, turkey slices and a cheesestring for this afternoon, so hopefully that will keep the hunger at bay.

I may not be online for a few days, but I promise to stay on track!

Day 14

Well, I weighed 182 this morning. Stupid scale. I hope it doesn't 'accidentally' get thrown off the truck during the move... Seriously, though, I need to stop pathologically weighing myself. I'm going to try to weigh myself once a week in Phase 2. I haven't made it to the gym since Thursday so I'm sure that's why I have not lost any more. I'll get my butt back in gear next week!

So Phase 2, it starts TOMORROW!!

I don't know what the next couple days are going to be like with the move, but I probably won't get to the grocery store which means I probably won't have any fruit! I may end up on P1 for an extra couple days til we settle in to the new apartment.

Our kitchen is all packed up so tonight we are eating out. I'm thinking Quizno's - their salads look good. I just have to check the sugar content in the dressings. (It is going to be so hard not ordering a big, juice mesquite chicken sub!) Other than that, today's menu is pretty much the same as yesterday's, with an added cheesestring and turkey slices with my lunch salad.

2nd last day of phase 1

I'm hungry today! I was famished most of the morning and afternoon and nothing was doing anything for me. I can't wait to get home and have dinner.

Last night I had a Chapman's no-sugar-added popsicle. These things are so good. I don't think I'm really supposed to have them because they contain sugar alcohols - so technically it's a 'sweet treat' on SBD, I believe. Anyway, they're only 25 calories each so I know they won't sabotage my diet!

Today's menu was:

B: surprise, surprise: quiche cups, cucumber & tomato slices... also 2 slices of chicken bacon
S: f-f, n-s-a vanilla yogourt, green tea
L: garden salad w/ Renée's ranch
S: celery w/ Laughing Cow
D: butterfly pork chops, glazed veggies (this is my new fave - veggies cooked in a little oil in the pan, add a dash of balsamic vinegar and a packet of sweetener. mmmm!)
D: take a guess! I swear, sometimes thinking about dessert gets me through the day!

So we survived skating last night and I am actually the one who ended up injured. What kind of moron wears ankle socks with hockey skates? Yep... me! My skates left some bruises on my ankles, but it doesn't hurt much today. Mark was ecstatic to be back on the ice. We had fun.

Tonight we are cleaning and packing for the big move on Thursday... oh joy!

Day Eleven Already!

This has been way easier than I thought. Way.

I'm hardly craving anything. I don't seem to be craving sugar or breads at all! I'm actually nervous to introduce sugar back into my diet, but I know I have to.

I stuck to the Diet all weekend - no cheats! This morning I weighed 181.6. Not bad! 0.6 more lbs and I have lost 25 this year. Woohoo!

Here's what I'm eating today:
B: quiche cups, tomato & cucumber slices
S: f-f, n-s-a yogourt + green tea
L: SBD-friendly meatballs and tomato sauce, garden salad w/ Renée's balsamic vinaigrette
S: part-skim cheesestring (that reminds me, I still have to eat it!)
D: steak, salad, veggies
D: my fave - fudgsicle-PB-whip!

Mark and I are going skating tonight for the first tme since he broke his knee on the ice 8 weeks ago. This time, he's wearing knee pads.

I'll leave you with a couple cute pics of my gorgeous niece taken yesterday. She is too sweet!

Bagel Day

TGIF!

As I mentioned last Friday, it's Bagel Day at work. The kitchen was full of gigantic kosher bagels in all their doughy goodness, but I resisted the temptation for the second Friday in a row! I'm getting good at that!

Oh, I have a minor confession. I ate two sugar-free fudgsicles last night. Bad me! But I still think I did okay, considering it wad day one of (sorry for the TMI) my period.

Went to the gym again last night, which makes three times this week and Saturday will be the fourth. Yay!

Today's Meals:

B: take a wild guess! SBD quiche cups, tomato & cucumber slices
S: cheesestring, green tea
L: garden salad w/ almond slivers and Renée's ranch
S: chopped feta and baby tomatoes
D: feta chicken (recipe posted Wednesday) because it was so good I can't wait any longer to have it again + whatever vegetables I can find in the fridge to roast or steam.
D: sugar-free fudgsicle (only one, I promise!)

We need to get grocieries tonight. The fridge is almost bare! I can't believe I went through that many vegetables in a week and a day!

On an un-SBD-related note, it seems that our friend Sarah will be having her baby any day now! (at least, we hope so) And it's about damn time! (just kidding) We can't wait to meet the little one! Here's hoping for a smooth (and quick!) delivery!

Day EIGHT

And just like that, I'm half way through Phase 1! Can you believe it? I can't!

Being a scale-a-holic, I'm tempted to weigh myself again, but I'm trying to wait another day or so. And the scale better smile at me when I finally get on it!

So I have survived the first half of phase 1. I was doing some reading on phase 2 yesterday and as it turns out, I don't have a whole lot to look forward to. For the first week, I can add one fruit per day. Whoopee! The second week, I continue to have one fruit per day and add one serving of grains per day. And it continues, adding one per week until I am having three servings of fruit per day and three servings of grains per day. If I make the transition any faster than that, I will undo all the progress I made in phase 1. And that scares the hell out of me, especially with Christmas looming in the very near future.

Yesterday's feta chicken was sooooooooooooooo good! My favourite meal so far! The roasted veggies were delish too. I'm having those again tonight.

What else is on the menu today?

B: usual, 2 quiche cups, tomato & cucumber slices, green tea
S: celery w/ Laughing Cow
L: garden salad w/ 1/2 chicken breast, feta, Renée's Balsamic Vinaigrette
S: cheesestring, 2 slices of turkey
D: Savoury Chicken Sauté (SBD cookbook - recipe to follow later) and more roasted veggies (recipe posted yesterday)
D: sugar-free Jello or a fudgsicle. No Cool Whip left. :(

Going to the gym again tonight and then I HAVE TO PACK. We are moving in one measly week (which I could not be happier about, by the way). Of course, I'll be watching Grey's Anatomy tonight too! And this weekend, between packing and cleaning, I am going to start watching season 2. So much catching up to do! I can't believe I missed out on this show for so long.

That's it for now!


Updated Nov. 24 with recipe:

"Savory Chicken Sauté"

2 tbsp e.v.o.o.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1/2 C fat-free chicken broth
pinch salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté chicken breasts in oil for 4 minutes, then turn them over and add onion. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, rosemary and broth. Cover and cook until onion is tender-crips, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Soul Patrol!

We interrupt our regularly scheduled blogging for an important announcement!!!

Taylor is back!!!

He sang the national anthem for the big Nascar race on Sunday and presented an award at the AMA's last night!

So much more to come:

Christmas in Rockefellar Centre Tree-Lighting: November 29th
Leno: December 1st
Good Morning America: December 5th
Regis & Kelly: December 6th
The View: December 11th
The Megan Mullaly Show AND Martha Stewart: December 13th
The Early Show: December 14th

Not to mention his debut album hitting stores December 12th!

I'm sorry, I'm excited. SOOOOO excited!

SOUL PATROL!!!

I cheated!

I ate too many nuts yesterday!! I had almonds in the morning so I was supposed to have Jello and cool whip for dessert, but I couldn't resist the chocolatey-peanut buttery goodness of my fudgsicle-PB-whip, so I ended up having two nut servings. Tsk, tsk! I really need to come up with an alternative non-nut crunchy snack.

I also didn't eat enough dinner yesterday. I had to eat something quickly because we were heading out so I had 2 breakfast quiches and a few slices of turkey. By the time we got home, I didn't feel like salad or cooking anything so I just had dessert. Not the greatest dinner, but at least I didn't cheat!

So the next couple days will probably be challenging due to a certain monthy visitor, if you know what I mean. Normally I would make myself feel better by devouring entire boxes of Kraft Dinner, heaping bowls of chocolate ice cream, Quarter-Pounders from McDonald's and all sorts of other yummy stuff. Hopefully I won't kill my husband! I am going to the gym tonight and surprisingly, that usually makes me feel better, so let's hope so.

I'm not going to weigh myself again until my visitor is gone because I feel bloated (although, not as much as I normally would be).

The plan for today is:

B: usual, 2 quiche cups, cucumber & tomato slices
S: lemon-ginseng, honey green tea, cheesestring
L: garden salad with 1/2 chicken breast and Renée's ranch
S: celery with Laughing Cow
D: baked feta chicken (recipe below), SBD Oven Roasted Vegetables (recipe below)
D: I'm going to try to have Jello w/ cool whip, but I will probably end up having a fudgsicle-PB-whip :)

Baked Feta Chicken (thanks to brooke16 on WB)

skinless, boneless chicken breast(s)
lemon juice
salt and pepper
crumbled feta cheese
chopped tomato
chopped red pepper
chopped basil

Lay chicken in baking tray. Add a dahs of lemon juice and salt & pepper. Crumble feta over top, sprinkle with basil and add chopped tomatoes and peppers. Bake at 375 F for 35 minutes.

(I can't wait to try this!)

"Oven Roasted Vegetables"

1 medium zucchini
1 medium summer squash (I couldn't find one)
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium yellow bell pepper
1 lb fresh asparagus
1 red onion
3 tbsp e.v.o.o.
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 450 F. Cut all veggies into bite-size pieces. Place veggies in large roasting pan. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and mix to coat. Spread in a single layer and roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are lightly browned and tender.

Plateau

I'm a little bummed today because the scale has been stuck at 184 since Sunday. I know plateaus are always normal, so hopefully I'll be down some more over the next couple days. It's much more fun to wake up and discover that I lost another pound!

So I went to the gym with Mom last night and had a good workout. I wish I had one of these machines at home. I could easily do it every day. The hard part is getting to the gym. And it's going to be even harder when we move to the next town at the end of the month. My membership at this gym goes til April so I will have to try to keep going regularly until then.

I tried a chickpea recipe from Cheryl (prairie_girl) yesterday - can of chickpeas rinsed and drained, tossed in olive oil and seasoning, then baked. I liked the taste, but I am not a fan of the texture of chickpeas. I'm way too picky. I gave the batch to Mom and she seems to love them. I have to try to find another crunchy, salty snack that does not involve nuts. I have to save my daily nut allowance for my fudgsicle-PB-whip, which I can't hav today because I had almonds. Boo!

Tonight I am making a lemon-poppy loaf for my boss. He has a very important exam for his professional designation on Thursday and I want to send him a little something tomorrow. I can't believe I am going to make this (I love it!) and I don't get to have any.

Anyway, the plan for today is as follows:

B: 2 yummy quiches, cucumber & celery slices
S: ginseng-lemon-honey green tea, 15 almonds
L: Caesar salad (Renée's) with 2 slices of chicken bacon and some part-skim mozzarella
S: part-skim cheesestring, 3 slices of lean turkey
D: ???
We are heading to our brother- and sister-in-law's right after work so I won't really have time to prepare anything and I certainly won't be eating what everyone else is having (spaghetti!). I'll probably try to eat a quick snack and have my dinner when we get home.

That's all for today...

You know what? It's getting easier.

It really is. I'm not as hungry and I am learning to love the foods I am allowed to eat. The cravings are actually not that bad (anymore). Hopefully it will only get easier over the next 9 days and I will be ready for Phase 2 next Thursday. I hope to stick to phase 2 as much as possible through December (but who am I kidding? It's Christmas and I will be cheating!) and start with Phase 1 again in the new year, even if only for a week.

I would really like to weigh 160 lbs by summer. That gives me about 7 months to lose 24 lbs. Totally doable!

Check out my ticker. I weighed 206 (my heaviest) back in January.



What's on the menu today?

B: Delicious new and improved quiches (recipe below), sliced cucumbers & tomato
S: celery w/ Laughing Cow cheese
L: garden salad w/ pork and l-f feta, Renée's balsamic vinaigrette
S: cheesestring and a few slices of lean ham
D: more leftover sage and rosemary pork, steamed broccoli and roasted peppers
D: fudgsicle-PB-whip -> sooo good! way better than the sugar-free Jello I had last night!

Going to the gym tonight, too!

On with Day 5!

Oops, almost forgot the recipe!

Yummy Breakfast Quiche

1-1/2 cups diced veggies - green pepper, celery, red onion, mushroom, etc.
1-1/2 cups lite sharp cheddar
4 oz canadian bacon or ham, diced
8 eggs
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cook bacon in non stick pan until slightly browned. Mix in with remaining ingredients.
Divide equally into 12 large non-stick muffin tins that have been sprayed with a non-stick spray (for insurance). Divide into the 12 tins. Bake for 30 minutes.

These are so yummy!

4 days in and still kicking!

Day 4! This morning I weighed in at 184.2! :)

Yesterday was great! The food was delicious and I wasn't as hungry as the first few days. I even went to the gym for a 30 minute intense workout on the Arc Trainer. I love this machine! I can burn 500 calories in half an hour compared to 300 on the elliptical. Look at this beauty:

(That's me on the machine. Haha! Yeah right.)

Other than that, I had a lazy day on the couch and watched Grey's Anatomy and Cinderella Man with my hubby.

We are going to the grocery store today to pick up a few things - I want to try an alternate quiche recipe (NO SPINACH) and a chick pea snack recipe that prairie_girl shared on WB and I need a few ingredients.

We are also picking up a few things for a care package we are sending to Afghanistan. Canada Post announced recently that they will ship packages to soldiers over seas free of charge through the holidays. The catch is, the packages have to be addressed to specific soldiers. With some help of girls on WB, we have accumulated a list and organized an Adopt-a-Soldier program. We're sending things like magazines, puzzle books, toiletries and of course Christmas goodies!

Today is the Santa Claus Parade in Toronto. Did I miss something? It's parade time already?! Christmas sure has crept up on me this year - probably because we are moving on December 1st and our dear friends are expecting a baby any day now. That's about all I am thinking about these days!

Speaking of moving, I have to get some packing done today. Good times!

Before I go, the meal plan for today is:

B: 2 scrambled eggs, cucumber slices & baby tomatoes, tea w/ sweetener & skim milk

S: 15 almonds, green tea

L: Caesar salad w/ Renée's dressing and chicken bacon

S: cheesestring

D: leftover sage and rosemary pork, steamed broccoli and roasted peppers

D: sugar-free jello w/ lite Cool Whip

...

Update (8:07 p.m.)

Minor change of plans for today... I skipped lunch (OOPS!) and ate my Caesar salad with a chicken breast (no bacon) for dinner. We watched football with friends this afternoon and I resisted wine, a turkey dinner AND dessert. Yay me! Now it's time for JELLO!

Hey Sarah... is it baby time? ;)

Day Three!

So I have survived two days! I stuck to the plan yesterday except for a part-skim cheesestring after dinner. I woke up feeling way more energetic this morning than yesterday morning. Probably because I didn't go to the gym last night AND I got to sleep in this morning.

And the best part is, I weighed in at 185.6 this morning! Woohoo!

So here is my plan for today:

B: tea w/ skim milk & sweetener, omelet with peppers and reduced-fat cheese, 2 slices chicken bacon, cucumber slices
S: celery w/ reduced-fat Laughing Cow cheese
L: Balsamic Tomto and Mozzarella Salad (recipe below)
S: part-skim cheesestring and baby dill pickles
D: Sage and Rosemary Pork with Glazed Bell Peppers and Snow Peas (recipes below)
D: fudgsicle-PB-whip :)

"Balsamic Tomato and Mozzarella Salad"

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp flaxseed oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 large red bell peppers, halved and seeded
2 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2" thick slices
2 oz fresh mozza cheese, cut into 4 slices
1/2 C. fress basil, julienned

Preheat broiler and coat broiler pan with cooking spray.
In a cup, whisk together vineger, oils, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Place bell peppers, skin side up, on prepared pan. Broil without turning for 10 minutes or until skins are blistered and blackened. Place peppers in a bag and seal for 10 minutes.
Peel skin from peppers and discard. Cut peppers into 1/2" wide strips.
Arrange tomato slices on plate. Place cheese slices over tomatoes. Scatter pepper strips and sprinkle with basil. Drizzle dressing over salad and let tand for 15 minutes to allow flavours to blend.

"Sage and Rosemary Pork"

Filling:
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1-1/2 tbsp chopped fresh sage or thyme leaves
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Pork Loin
1 boneless centre loin pork roast - about 2 lbs
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin oilive oil
Fresh sage leaves and rosemary sprigs for garnish

To make filling, combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Butterfly the pork loin. Sprinle top side with half of salt and pepper. Spread filling evenly across the loin, leaving a 1/2" border along the edge.
Beginning at the opposite edge, roll the loin up to wrap the filing. Tie the loin every 1-1/2" to hold the shape.
Rub loin with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on roasting pan and roast for 1 hour or until roast is 155 F.

"Glazed Bell Peppers and Snow Peas"

3 cups snow peas, trimmed
2 tbsp water
1/3 C. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar substitute
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large red bell pepper, cut in to short strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Place snow peas in water in large microwaveavle bowl. Cover with vented plastic wrap and m/w on high for 5 minuts, stopping to stir after 3. Drain.
Bring vinegar and sugar sub. to a boil in a smal saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for abourt 3 minutes or until the mixture is reduced to 2 tbsp. Remove from heat.
Warm oil in large non-stick skillet. Add bell pepper and garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add snow peas, salt, pepper and binegar glaze. Toss to mix.

Mmmmmmm!


And now I am going to make my tea and brekkie and watch the rest of Grey's Anatomy season one. I love Saturday!

Alert! Alert! Mom is cheating!

She is having a glass of wine as we speak!!!

That's it, I'm going to have a cheeseburger.

Just kidding. :)

I survived day one!

I managed to stick to the plan yesterday and even worked out for half an hour. I munched on some pickles and downed two glasses of Crystal Light after the gym, which gave me just eneough energy to watch The O.C. and crawl into bed.

Overall, it wasn't quite as hard as I expected, but I was hungry pretty much all day.

I weighed in this morning at 188.4, which is pretty disappointing since I weighed 182 a few weeks ago. I know I've been eating too much junk, so it's not a huge surprise. Hopefully that number will start to drop... and soon!

I am completely exhausted today and actually feel kind of sick to my stomach. I am starving but food is not appealing to me at all - at least not the foods I am allowed to eat! I sure could go for a bagel! I could hardly hold my head up most of the morning, but I can finally feel my energy level increasing little by little. Many people told me that days two and three are the toughest, so hopefully they are right and it will start to get easier next week.

Here is the plan for today:

B: omelet, raw veggies (I could only stomach a couple pieces of cucumber and some baby tomatoes)
S: 15 almonds
L: California Wraps (recipe below) and raw veggies with hummus
S: celery w/ reduced-fat Laughing Cow cheese, 3 baby dill pickles
D: leftover Balsamic Chicken and Sesame-Ginger Asparagus (recipe below)
D: same as yesterday ~ it was so good!

"California Wrap"

1 leaf red or green lettuce
1 slice turkey breast
1 slice ham
1 thin slice tomato
1 thin slice avocado
1 tsp lime juice
1 leaf watercress or arugula
1 tbsp sugar-free Ranch dressing (I'm using Renée's)

Fan the lettuce on a plate and top with turkey, ham and tomato.
In a small bowl, combine avocado and lime juice, then spoon over tomato.
Top with watercress or arugula, roll up and secure with a toothpick.

"Sesame-Ginger Asparagus"

1-1/2 lbs thin asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 2" pieces
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1 tbsp lighte soy sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds

Bring 1/4" water to a boil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add asparagus and return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp. Drain and cool briefly under cold running water. Wipe skillet dry.
Heat conaol oil in same skillet over high heat. Add asparagus, ginger, soy sauce and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil and sesame seeds.

Well this is just cruel!

Day 1 of Phase 1

I got to work and there was a huge chocolate bar broken into pieces on the counter. I put my lunch in the fridge and walked away, thinking no sweat! No more than 15 minutes later, I found out that the bosses are ordering pizza for everyone for lunch today. Pizza. Today. This is so unfair!

My plan for today is:

B: 2 vegetable quiche cups (recipe below), 2 slices of chicken bacon, raw veggies (peppers & cucumbers)
S: 15 almonds
L: garden salad w/ l-f feta and Renée's raspberry vinaigrette, deli-sliced fat-free ham on the side
S: celery w/ l-f Laughing Cow cheese
D: Balsamic Chicken (recipe below) w/ steamed broccoli
D: melted sugar-free mini fudgsicle with 1 tbsp natural PB and 1 tbsp light Cool Whip

Unfortunately, the vegetable quiche cups are disgusting. I gagged one down, but I will not be eating those again. I think I only like spinach in the form of 4-cheese spinach dip. :) I will probably switch to omelets for brekkie. But I did enjoy the chicken bacon and raw veggies!

Here are the recipes:

"Vegetable Quiche Cups To Go"

1 pkg frozen spinach
3/4 C liquid egg sub (I used 2 eggs)
3/4 C shredded reduced-fat cheese
1/4 C diced peppers
1/4 C diced onions
3 drops hot pepper sauce (I omitted)

Microwave spinach on high for 2-1/2 minutes. Drain excess liquid.
Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups and spray cups with cooking spray.
Combine eggs, cheese, peppers, onions and spinach in a bowl. Mix well.
Divide evenly among muffin cups and bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.

"Balsamic Chicken"

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1-1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-5 tbsp white wine (optional - I omitted)
1/4 C balsamic vinegar

Rinse chicken and pat dry.
Combine rosemary, garlic, pepper and salt in a bowl and mix well. Drizzle chicken with the oil and rub with spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 450 F. Spray roasting pan with cooking spray. Place chicken in pan and bake for 10 minutes. Turn chicken over. If drippings begin to stick to pan, stir in 3-4 tbsp water or white wine.
Bake about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. If pan is dry, stir in 1-2 tbsp water or white wine to loosen drippings.
Drizzle vinegar over chicken and transfer to plates. Stir the liquid in the pan and drizzle over chicken.

...

Update! (2:15 p.m.)

So I survived the morning and lunch. My salad was good and filling enough with the ham slices on the side. I'm not crazy about Renée's raspberry dressing. I expected it to be sensational, but Kraft's is better and it's half the price! Figures!

I'm about to feast on celery and cheese. Hopefully that will keep me satisfied til dinner (yeah right).

Seriously, though, this is not too bad so far. And that says a lot since everyone around me has been feasting on pizza all afternoon and I can STILL smell it. Mmmm. Pizza.

Hangin' in there, Mom?

The last supper... and it was free!

Mark and I went out for dinner tonight, partly because we haven't been on a "date" in months and partly because I wanted a feast before the Diet! So we went to Jack Astor's and had our usual garlic pan bread with cheese and parmesan chicken bowtie pasta, followed by delicious pecan cheesecake for dessert. Mmmmm! The best part is, it was all free! We were seated at 6:00 and by 6:20, nobody had even taken our drink orders. I asked for a manager who promptly announced that our meal would be on the house. Sweet!

And now I am stuffed.

Last day of bad carbs

Well, this is it! I'm actually relieved to be starting the Diet tomorrow. I have completely lost control of my eating and I need to whip myself back into shape. I hope it's not as hard as I think it's going to be.

Mark and I went grocery shopping last night and loaded the kitchen with veggies, eggs, reduced-fat cheeses, Renée's salad dressings, sugar-free fudgsicles, almonds, Crystal Light ... and the list goes on!

I don't believe I mentioned before that my Mom will be doing this with me. Mom, just so you know, if you cheat, I will be reporting it to the world on my blog! :)

Wish me luck and I will be sure to check in tomorrow with a Day 1 report!

Just a couple more days of freedom

I have been thoroughly indulging in carbs since I decided to go on the Diet. My body is in for a shock come Thursday! Since Friday, I have eaten everything from spaghetti to Cadbury Mini Eggs, and everything in between.

I have finalized my week one meal plan and shopping list and I'm set to hit the grocery store tomorrow.

Check it out:

Day 1 (Thursday)

Breakfast -
(2) Vegetable Quiche Cups (SBD cookbook)

Lunch -
Garden salad w/ low-fat feta cheese and Renée's Balsamic or Ravin' Raspberry Vinaigrette
Low-fat deli sliced turkey breast

Dinner -
Balsamic Chicken (SBD cookbook)
Steamed Broccoli

Day 2 (Friday)

Breakfast -
(2) Vegetable Quiche Cups

Lunch -
California Wraps (SBD cookbook)

Dinner -
Leftover Balsamic Chicken
Sesame Ginger Asparagus (SBD cookbook)

Day 3 (Saturday)

Breakfast -
2-egg Omelet with spinach and red pepper, reduced fat cheese

Lunch -
Caesar Salad w/ crumbled bacon and Renee's Caesar dressing

Dinner -
Balsamic Tomato and Mozzarella Salad (SBD cookbook)

Day 4 (Sunday)

Breakfast -
2-egg Omelet with spinach and red pepper, reduced fat cheese

Lunch -
Garden salad w/ low-fat feta cheese and Renée's Balsamic or Ravin' Raspberry Vinaigrette
Low-fat deli sliced turkey breast

Dinner -
Sage and Rosemary Pork (SBD cookbook)
Glazed Bell Peppers and Snow Peas (SBD cookbook)

Day 5 (Monday)

Breakfast -
(2) Vegetable Quiche Cups

Lunch -
Garden salad w/ low-fat feta cheese and Renée's Balsamic or Ravin' Raspberry Vinaigrette
Low-fat deli sliced turkey breast

Dinner -
Leftover Sage and Rosemary Pork
Leftover Glazed Bell Peppers and Snow Peas

Day 6 (Tuesday)

Breakfast -
(2) Vegetable Quiche Cups

Lunch -
Caesar Salad w/ crumbled bacon and Renee's Caesar dressing

Dinner -
Garlic and Soy Grilled Pork Chops (SBD cookbook)
Oven Roasted Vegetables (SBD cookbook)

Day 7 (Wednesday)

Breakfast -
(2) Vegetable Quiche Cups

Lunch -
California Wraps

Dinner -
Leftover Garlic and Soy Grilled Pork Chops
Leftover Oven Roasted Vegetables

Snacks are required mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Most of my snacks will be one of the following: 15 almonds, celery with Laughing Cow light cheese spread, veggies with hummus or a part-skim cheesestring.

Dessert is recommended after dinner. The SBD cookbook offers several variations of something they call Ricotta Crème, which is basically ricotta cheese with artificial sweetener and either lemon, almond or mocha flavouring. (Gag!) Thankfully, a lovely lady on WB shared a much more appealing dessert consisting of a melted sugar-free fudgsicle, a tablespoon of light Cool Whip and a tablespoon of natural peanut butter. That sounds much better to me!

My best find so far is Renée's salad dressings, which have 0 or 1 gram of carbs per serving. Even the vinaigrettes have 3 or less per serving, which is allowed on the Diet. Phew! http://www.renees.com/products.asp

So far I am most worried about finding the time and energy to prepare everything (KD is so easy!) and still get to the gym AND prepare for a big move at the end of the month. Time management will be key!

Introduction

I have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember.

At 13 I weighed almost 200 pounds. The summer after grade 9 (14-years-old) I starved myself and lost more than 50 pounds in a few short months. Miraculously, I didn't end up in the hospital. I finally saw a doctor and nutritionst when I was 15 and managed to lose a few more pounds over several months, in a much healthier manner; a nutritious diet and exercise.

At 16, I met my husband and quickly fell in love! As usually happens with relationships, I became "comfortable" and gradually gained back 10 pounds or so. At 17, I went away for a summer course in Quebec and lost it all and more, again with the starvation technique. When I came home, I was the skinniest I can remember being, probably weighing about 130 pounds.

Over the next few years, I gained a whopping 70 pounds +. All I know is that when my husband proposed (I was 20), I weighed more than 200 pounds again. Between our engagement (June 2003) and wedding (September 2005) I went on a series of "fad" diets. I even tried the soup diet! (I made my friends and family vow to slap me if I ever consider that again!) I'd lose 10 pounds, then gain them back (and more) over and over again. The most success I had was from September 2004 to Christmas 2004 when I lost about 30 pounds and was down to a reasonable 175. Unfortunately, I gained about 15 back before our wedding. The wedding came and went and by January 2006, I weighed 200 pounds again. I joined a gym with my Mom and took on a healthy eating regimen based on the Podleski sisters' books Looney Spoons, Crazy Plates and Eat, Shrink & Be Merry. I have slacked off in the nutrition department in recent months, but I have consistently gone to the gym 3-5 days a week since January and have lost about 20 pounds. I am currently hovering a little over 180 and have been for a couple months.

What else can I tell you about myself? I am now 24, married but no children (yet). I'm about 5'8" and like I said, hovering just over 180 pounds. I am not happy with my weight and I really feel like I need to try something new. Inspired by some friends from the Weddingbells Health message boards, I borrowed the South Beach Diet books and read them (almost) cover-to-cover. I think this might work for me.

Why have I decided to keep a 'blog of my experience? Mostly because I think it will keep me accountable and therefore motivated to stick to it. Plus, I've always wanted to start a 'blog and never had a good enough reason. :) From time to time, I'll probably share non-SBD tidbits from my life. I'd like to think there is more to my life than this Diet!

Well, here goes nothing! I start next Thursday, November 16th so stay tuned!