Last night I made dinner for my mom's b'day. SB dinner, non-SB dessert. I made a pumpkin pudding, in other words, a pumpkin pie w/o a crust. With sugar. I ate it. With coffee. And then was HIGH AS A KITE off the caffeine & sugar, then got home, crashed & burned, and felt TOTALLY LIKE CRAP. Really, I did. I could feel my blood sugar rise and fall, rise and fall. It was so tasty but totally not worth it. If it hadn't been her b'day I might have attempted it w/Splenda, but I had already taken away her crust; I didn't want to ruin the filling.
Today:
Breakfast: Eggbeaters omelet with 1T. leftover crab/pepper/onion saute and 1 T. spinach., coffee, spicy :) V-8
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
08/30/05 - Keepin' It Real on Mom's Birthday
:( No one has been commenting lately... is anybody out there?
Wouldn't be the first time I'm talking to myself.
First, let me reach around and pat myself on the back for overcoming a HUGE obstacle yesterday. I went to Safeway (grocery) to pick up a few things, and I was getting pretty hungry, and EVERYTHING was looking good. Then I passed the blasted Starbucks kiosk inside the store, and I nearly lost it. As some know, I have a major problem with that Chantico Drinking Chocolate, particularly when I am PMS'ing as I was yesterday (and still am). I also really like their chai. A lot. But I was nearly drooling all over the kiosk about the Chantico.
Well kids, what did I do, you ask? I got a decaf herbal tea and put some Splenda in it, got in the checkout line as quickly as possible and drove home. GO ME!
And to make myself feel better, I will now depict in horrifically graphic nutritional terms just what I missed:
Holy Bejeezus, that's more calories than the huge and delicious Greek Salad I had for lunch today!
Also, I need to get this out there, so I can read it again and again and again, whenever I need to:
I MUST DO THIS. I must be strong. I must have willpower. Nothing is ever going to taste as good or make me feel as good as I will feel when I look in the mirror and can see the visible weight loss. Every good thing I eat is a step in the right direction. Every bad thing I eat is, while not the end of the world, pushing me one step back, and pushing me that much closer to the edge of the wagon. I will not fall off the wagon. Even if I have to cling to the side of the wagon and get dragged for miles, while drinking a Tazo tea with Splenda, I will not let go.
Ok, back to your regularly scheduled boring diet diary.
Breakfast: Omelet - egg replacer, mushrooms, onions, wee bit LF cheddar
Snack: Cheese stick (I was too lazy to make anything)
Lunch: SB Greek Salad (DELICIOUS!) and SF jello (red)
Snack: We'll see. Soon.
Dinner: It's my mom's b'day, so I'm cooking her dinner. The dinner itself will follow SB guidelines, the dessert will not.
Grilled Salmon, Green Beans, stuffed mushrooms, small side salad
(and, for J and Dad, new red potatoes)
Dessert: My mom's FAVORITE dessert in the world is her pumpkin pie (her recipe only) so I'm making pumpkin pudding. Same recipe, no crust. But I'm leaving the sugar in the pudding. My god people, it's her BIRTHDAY!
ETA: This is the sugar/fat-free Ranch dressing - not too bad!
Wouldn't be the first time I'm talking to myself.
First, let me reach around and pat myself on the back for overcoming a HUGE obstacle yesterday. I went to Safeway (grocery) to pick up a few things, and I was getting pretty hungry, and EVERYTHING was looking good. Then I passed the blasted Starbucks kiosk inside the store, and I nearly lost it. As some know, I have a major problem with that Chantico Drinking Chocolate, particularly when I am PMS'ing as I was yesterday (and still am). I also really like their chai. A lot. But I was nearly drooling all over the kiosk about the Chantico.
Well kids, what did I do, you ask? I got a decaf herbal tea and put some Splenda in it, got in the checkout line as quickly as possible and drove home. GO ME!
And to make myself feel better, I will now depict in horrifically graphic nutritional terms just what I missed:
Serving Size 6 fl. oz.
Chantico Drinking Chocolate - 6 oz.
Amt Per Serving
Calories 390
Fat Calories 190
Total Fat (g) 21
Saturated Fat (g) 10
Cholesterol (mg) 25
Sodium (mg) 105
Total Carbohydrates (g) 51
Fiber (g) 6
Sugars (g) 40
Protein (g) 11
Vitamin A 6%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 25%
Iron 30%
Holy Bejeezus, that's more calories than the huge and delicious Greek Salad I had for lunch today!
Also, I need to get this out there, so I can read it again and again and again, whenever I need to:
I MUST DO THIS. I must be strong. I must have willpower. Nothing is ever going to taste as good or make me feel as good as I will feel when I look in the mirror and can see the visible weight loss. Every good thing I eat is a step in the right direction. Every bad thing I eat is, while not the end of the world, pushing me one step back, and pushing me that much closer to the edge of the wagon. I will not fall off the wagon. Even if I have to cling to the side of the wagon and get dragged for miles, while drinking a Tazo tea with Splenda, I will not let go.
Ok, back to your regularly scheduled boring diet diary.
Breakfast: Omelet - egg replacer, mushrooms, onions, wee bit LF cheddar
Snack: Cheese stick (I was too lazy to make anything)
Lunch: SB Greek Salad (DELICIOUS!) and SF jello (red)
Snack: We'll see. Soon.
Dinner: It's my mom's b'day, so I'm cooking her dinner. The dinner itself will follow SB guidelines, the dessert will not.
Grilled Salmon, Green Beans, stuffed mushrooms, small side salad
(and, for J and Dad, new red potatoes)
Dessert: My mom's FAVORITE dessert in the world is her pumpkin pie (her recipe only) so I'm making pumpkin pudding. Same recipe, no crust. But I'm leaving the sugar in the pudding. My god people, it's her BIRTHDAY!
ETA: This is the sugar/fat-free Ranch dressing - not too bad!
Monday, August 29, 2005
A Brief Overview...
First off, Blogger is all wonky today, so I'm going to avoid using the "bold" or "italic" functions or anything else like that. If it goes back to normal, I'll go back and bold stuff later.
A few people had asked me for thoughts and information so far on the SBD. I'm going to write a little new stuff and also pull some info out of an email I sent a friend, so, friend, ignore the repetition:
The jist of it is for the first 2 weeks (phase one) you basically cut out ALL carbs & sugars, which, sadly, includes fruit.
This is the official SBD site site, but unless you're a member, you can't access that much. I find this site to be much better and it's fPhase One is v. low on carbs and sugars. And that includes anything that's high on the glycemic index, some of which might surprise you. Also, it's v. important that you eat 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. Honestly, there have been very few times when I've been overly hungry, and most (not all - check my blog) of the food is pretty good!
Here is a list of ok foods for Phase One. After 2 weeks, you move onto Phase 2 and start introducing more carbs (whole grains, some fruit, etc.) back into your diet.
WHO SHOULD TRY THE SBD (If they want to!)
People who:
- like to cook
- like cheese
- people with blood sugar problems
WHO SHOULD NOT TRY THE SBD:
People who:
- refuse to eat breakfast (you really have to)
- absolutely hate or are allergic to eggs
- rely on pre-made, pre-packaged foods
- are not willing to put some time into food preparation and menu planning. (I think overall, with the menu planning and once-per-week shopping trip, it actually saves time, but there is some time involved in the cooking. But don't let that stop you!)
I'm not gonna lie; it HAS to be easier to do the SBD when your S.O./roommate/whoever is living with you is on it too. There have been a few times (like the glorious rice incident) when I almost pounced on J b/c he was eating something I wanted. Last night he was eating my fat-free pringles that I made him take away from me. I was sitting next to him, listening to him crunch them as we watched "Romancing the Stone" and I realized that not only was my mouth watering, but I was also grinding my teeth.
It has helped to go on the SBD with my mom/co-worker, but in a way it's a total pain. As I've said, the deal is that she makes breakfast, I make lunch. But she won't let me just take my breakfast up to my desk and get to work. Noooo, she wants to sit downstairs and EAT TOGETHER. Which is great, except my dad/boss is starting to bug me to come in a half hour earlier so that we can do this breakfast thing. And he is not being very supportive in other ways, for example, every time I put the box of donuts away, I come back to the kitchen (home office) and they're sitting out again. Ditto the cookies, bread, etc. AND he's been coming down to lunch JUST LATE ENOUGH that my mom makes him a sandwich - folks, this woman does NOT need to be making anyone toast! I do love my father but he's always been sort of a bastard when it comes to supporting (my mom) during diets. But he's always good at criticizing her weight!
Some other things I've found to help:
- I personally have found that although you're not required to follow the menu given for Phase One in the book, it has helped me to do so. The changes I've made have been for ease of leftovers, ie., scheduling the steak salad the day after the steak dinner. I've also modified a few recipes so that I am eating, for example, the same dish but with a fish that I prefer to the one given. No biggie.
- Wash and cut all your celery into sticks and put them in a tupperware full of water in the fridge. They'll last a week, easy! I also chop just a few peppers and stick them in a baggie - they don't stay good quite as long. Ditto on the lettuce - wash the whole head when you get it. They make these green stay-fresh bags that are great for keeping food fresh; I'll try to find a link.
- Explain to your S.O./roommate/etc. that the diet food is for the people on the diet. That Laughing Cow cheese is expensive and is not for your man.
- Go over the week's menu w/your S.O./roommate/etc., particularly the dinners, and ask them what they'd like to add to their meal to make it good for them. I bought a bag of heat-n-serve whole wheat dinner rolls for J; he can just stick one in the oven to accompany his meal. Potatoes are also a safe bet and can be bought singly and microwaved (make sure to poke them!)
- When you feel the craving for something naughty, eat something else. Even if you've already had a snack. Have something, a few pieces of celery, a string cheese, along with a big glass of water, to subside that craving before it grows too great to handle. Better to eat an extra SBD snack than to eat something totally not on your diet.
- Experiment with the ricotta cremes. Artificial flavorings (the ones they sell in the spice aisle, by the vanilla extract?) are my BEST FRIENDS. They make all different kinds.
- Make sure you eat ALL your meals and snacks whenever possible. Apparently, that's how the diet works!
More later.... comments welcome!
A few people had asked me for thoughts and information so far on the SBD. I'm going to write a little new stuff and also pull some info out of an email I sent a friend, so, friend, ignore the repetition:
The jist of it is for the first 2 weeks (phase one) you basically cut out ALL carbs & sugars, which, sadly, includes fruit.
This is the official SBD site site, but unless you're a member, you can't access that much. I find this site to be much better and it's fPhase One is v. low on carbs and sugars. And that includes anything that's high on the glycemic index, some of which might surprise you. Also, it's v. important that you eat 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. Honestly, there have been very few times when I've been overly hungry, and most (not all - check my blog) of the food is pretty good!
Here is a list of ok foods for Phase One. After 2 weeks, you move onto Phase 2 and start introducing more carbs (whole grains, some fruit, etc.) back into your diet.
WHO SHOULD TRY THE SBD (If they want to!)
People who:
- like to cook
- like cheese
- people with blood sugar problems
WHO SHOULD NOT TRY THE SBD:
People who:
- refuse to eat breakfast (you really have to)
- absolutely hate or are allergic to eggs
- rely on pre-made, pre-packaged foods
- are not willing to put some time into food preparation and menu planning. (I think overall, with the menu planning and once-per-week shopping trip, it actually saves time, but there is some time involved in the cooking. But don't let that stop you!)
I'm not gonna lie; it HAS to be easier to do the SBD when your S.O./roommate/whoever is living with you is on it too. There have been a few times (like the glorious rice incident) when I almost pounced on J b/c he was eating something I wanted. Last night he was eating my fat-free pringles that I made him take away from me. I was sitting next to him, listening to him crunch them as we watched "Romancing the Stone" and I realized that not only was my mouth watering, but I was also grinding my teeth.
It has helped to go on the SBD with my mom/co-worker, but in a way it's a total pain. As I've said, the deal is that she makes breakfast, I make lunch. But she won't let me just take my breakfast up to my desk and get to work. Noooo, she wants to sit downstairs and EAT TOGETHER. Which is great, except my dad/boss is starting to bug me to come in a half hour earlier so that we can do this breakfast thing. And he is not being very supportive in other ways, for example, every time I put the box of donuts away, I come back to the kitchen (home office) and they're sitting out again. Ditto the cookies, bread, etc. AND he's been coming down to lunch JUST LATE ENOUGH that my mom makes him a sandwich - folks, this woman does NOT need to be making anyone toast! I do love my father but he's always been sort of a bastard when it comes to supporting (my mom) during diets. But he's always good at criticizing her weight!
Some other things I've found to help:
- I personally have found that although you're not required to follow the menu given for Phase One in the book, it has helped me to do so. The changes I've made have been for ease of leftovers, ie., scheduling the steak salad the day after the steak dinner. I've also modified a few recipes so that I am eating, for example, the same dish but with a fish that I prefer to the one given. No biggie.
- Wash and cut all your celery into sticks and put them in a tupperware full of water in the fridge. They'll last a week, easy! I also chop just a few peppers and stick them in a baggie - they don't stay good quite as long. Ditto on the lettuce - wash the whole head when you get it. They make these green stay-fresh bags that are great for keeping food fresh; I'll try to find a link.
- Explain to your S.O./roommate/etc. that the diet food is for the people on the diet. That Laughing Cow cheese is expensive and is not for your man.
- Go over the week's menu w/your S.O./roommate/etc., particularly the dinners, and ask them what they'd like to add to their meal to make it good for them. I bought a bag of heat-n-serve whole wheat dinner rolls for J; he can just stick one in the oven to accompany his meal. Potatoes are also a safe bet and can be bought singly and microwaved (make sure to poke them!)
- When you feel the craving for something naughty, eat something else. Even if you've already had a snack. Have something, a few pieces of celery, a string cheese, along with a big glass of water, to subside that craving before it grows too great to handle. Better to eat an extra SBD snack than to eat something totally not on your diet.
- Experiment with the ricotta cremes. Artificial flavorings (the ones they sell in the spice aisle, by the vanilla extract?) are my BEST FRIENDS. They make all different kinds.
- Make sure you eat ALL your meals and snacks whenever possible. Apparently, that's how the diet works!
More later.... comments welcome!
WEEK TWO! DAY ONE (STILL PHASE ONE)
Those tickers suck.
Current weight: 205
DOWN 7 POUNDS IN 7 DAYS!!! GO ME!!!
(and Mom is down ten! Go Mom!!!)
And that's without ANY exercise - beyond the manual labor of cleaning, gardening, and, of course, cooking, which I did all weekend. In a week or two, when the weather cools down a little and I have a bit more free time (leaving this weekend for my cousin's wedding in NC) I'm either going to join the gym again or SOMETHING.
I can't even remember what I ate this weekend.....
Friday night: Crab Fest!!! WOOHOO!!! Crabs, a few shrimp, and 1/2 Caesar Salad. And a Diet Pepsi. And then LOTS of water when I got home - v. salty dinner!
Saturday:
Brunch: (woke up too late to really cram in 5 sit-downs w/food)
Current weight: 205
DOWN 7 POUNDS IN 7 DAYS!!! GO ME!!!
(and Mom is down ten! Go Mom!!!)
And that's without ANY exercise - beyond the manual labor of cleaning, gardening, and, of course, cooking, which I did all weekend. In a week or two, when the weather cools down a little and I have a bit more free time (leaving this weekend for my cousin's wedding in NC) I'm either going to join the gym again or SOMETHING.
I can't even remember what I ate this weekend.....
Friday night: Crab Fest!!! WOOHOO!!! Crabs, a few shrimp, and 1/2 Caesar Salad. And a Diet Pepsi. And then LOTS of water when I got home - v. salty dinner!
Saturday:
Brunch: (woke up too late to really cram in 5 sit-downs w/food)
- Omelet w/asparagus, 1/2 tsp. of ricotta, and a few shavings of low-fat cheddar
- 2 cups of coffee w/minimal sugar (@ 1/2 tsp. each)
- Lots of water
- cheese stick
- Diet Pepsi
1st (before grocery shopping):
2nd (after shopping trip):