South Beach Diet - Week 3

I am frustrated that so far on Phase II I've already gained two pounds. Weight change is supposed to slow down in this phase but I had hoped that the scales would be teetering backwards not forwards. Hopefully this is only the result of normal hormonal fluctations in my body--bloating, water-retention, etc. It isn't helpful for me to get crazy over 1 to 2 pound fluxes. I must keep reminding myself that it is the week-to-week weigh-ins that will tell me the real story.

DAY 18

Morning Weigh-in: -2
Breakfast - Smoked Salmon Frittata (recipe from the book), cantalope, V8 juice.
Mid-Morning Snack - skip
Lunch - skip
Mid-Afternoon Snack - tsp. peanut butter
Supper at Applebee's - bowl of chili, Aztec Chicken Salad, glass of Merlot
Dessert - skip

Neither my husband or I were crazy about the Smoked Salmon Frittata. This is the first disappointment we've had using the recipes in the SBD book. We both like asparagus and salmon but not baked in eggs I guess. We skipped lunch because our breakfast was really a brunch since we slept in late and leisurely read the Sunday paper in bed this morning before I meandered downstairs to the kitchen to fix the frittata.

The menu at Applebee's was a bit challenging but doable. My husband ordered the Sirloin Tips which comes with garlic mashed potatoes. He really loves those potatoes, but sacrificed them for extra vegetables as a substitution. My salad had kernals of corn in it (corn is an outlaw vegetable choice along with carrots, beets, and potatoes), plus the dressing on it was very sweet. If I order it again sometimes I'll remember to order the dressing on the side. No need for the extra sugar when I don't care for sweet dressing anyway. But what is an Aztec salad without corn in it? I ordered the lunch-sized salad rather than the dinner-sized one. After eating the chili, my tummy was satisfied with eating only half the smaller salad anyway. This delighted my husband who took advantage of the extra salad and finished it off. Since we are now in Phase II we are allowed a starch the outlawed corn and the crunchy strips of tortilla chips in the salad was my starch choice. We asked the waitress not to bring us any bread to the table. However she did bring us saltine crackers with the chili. I brought those home to give as treats for our cockatiel, Lover Boy.

DAY 19

Morning Weigh-in: +.5
Breakfast - Grapenuts with blueberries (lactose-free skim milk over cereal)
Mid-Morning Snack - nut cup
Lunch - cheese stick, hummus on Rye Crisp crackers
Mid-Afternoon Snack - Fudge Lite
Supper - Poached salmon, baked sweet potato, cauliflower
Dessert - Banana popsickle

I probably should have had either the cereal or the sweet potato as my carb choice today, not both. However, I'm not going to feel guilty about having them. Somedays you have to bend the rules a bit. The scales haven't been giving me much encouragement to behave myself these past few days. I'm not giving up yet, this diet plan seems to be a healthy one. I'm enjoying my meals and my snacks. I'm also experiencing fewer cravings for my Cherry Coke. I haven't cracked yet, this amazes me since I still have some chilled cans in the basement fridge that I thought might surely tempt me.

DAY 20

Morning Weigh-in: -.5
Breakfast - eggs and bacon, white seedless grapes, V8 juice
Mid-Morning Snack - skip
Lunch - turkey rollup
Mid-Afternoon Snack - small bowl of Grape-nuts
Supper - tomato soup and grilled cheese (non-fat cheddar, seven grain bread, Smart Balance spread)
Dessert - Butterscotch Pudding (sugarfree)

Day 21 and End of Third Week Summary