Sunday, April 2, 2006

South Beach Diet Day 14 - End of Phase One!!!

It's hard to believe, but it's over. I must admit, I'm not as happy as I could be. I only lost 5 pound in two weeks. I only cheated yesterday (we went to a movie and I couldn't remember if popcorn was allowed - I assume not, but we needed a snack so we bought - a real rip off, I might add - a package of Twizzlers and guiltily ate 3 pieces each and then threw the package away so we wouldn't be tempted - I'm digressing and this is the longest sentence in history!). We did however probably have larger portions than is recommended on the South Beach Diet, but we certainly eliminated all our favorite things - chocolate, cookies, bread, bread, bread and potatoes. So I was hoping I'd lose more than 5 pounds - especially since the next phase is supposed to take longer to lose weight. Remember, I'm a sprinter and get bored easily on top of that!

Anyway, last night's dinner was delicious and I thought I'd share.

Two huge and beautiful artichokes called to me in the grocery store. I couldn't resist them! My mouth was watering for steamed artichokes vinaigrette.....

Doesn't that look delicious? And all part of the diet - no cheating required! We actually didn't eat very much of it because the main course was truly calling to us....

....teriyaki flank steak (from my cookbook Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories - Recipes to Warm the Heart, mostly SBD friendly), mashed cauliflower and spinach stuffed portobello mushrooms. It was sooo good we ate more than we should have - probably why I only lost 5 pounds!


Recipes

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on finishing phase 1! :) Your dinner looked wonderful (especially the lovely artichoke)...hang in there! :)

~moe~ said...

You don't know me, but I stumbled on your site a few weeks go as I was looking for recipes. Anyway, congrats on making it through Phase 1! That's the toughest part. I'm on day 245 of South Beach. I didn't lose a lot the first couple weeks either, but I was told by their online support team that Phase 2 is when you are supposed to lose the most, and that was accurate in my case. I ended losing 20 pounds in about 3 months (going up and down slightly throughout) and have maintained that pretty well, even with cheating. I understand getting bored easily, but keep up the great work! Oh and sugar free twizzlers and chocolate are yummy and can get you over those cravings - just watch portions for your digestive system. :)

Ruth Daniels said...

Joey - thanks for the encouragement and ..yes the artichoke is delicious.

Moe - thanks for words of inspiration.

GracieLou said...

Hey... this is another comment from someone you don't know, but I read your blog! (yes I know, I'm one of those awful lurkers!) I just wanted to encourage you... as a chronic dieter I understand how much work it is to watch your diet constantly. But it is rewarding... and five pounds makes a difference, so keep at it! I read somewhere once that "anyone who undertakes sustained, intelligent weight loss deserves our utmost respect. It's a whole lot harder than it looks." So, be encouraged! p.s. I really enjoy your recipes :)

Ruth Daniels said...

Gracie Lou, thanks for dropping by and for the words of encouragement about the diet. I need to hear voices from outside my head to keep me motivated. The ones inside my head sometimes are discouraging.

Erin Eats said...

Yes, 5 pounds in two weeks is great progress! Congrats on making it to phase 2.

Cyndi said...

Congrats on finishing phase 1. I just posted a sugarless chocolate dessert, in case you're allowed to have something like that. Hang in there!

Joycelyn said...

hi ruth, congratulations! (5 lbs in 2 weeks is plenty if you ask me) those artichokes look so gorgeous i want to cry (sadly, they are not a vegetable that's readily available here)

s'kat said...

Way to go, Ruth! Phase two will be a breeze, compared to what you've been through. Don't forget to amp up your physical activity!

The artichokes look good, but I know the real star of the show was that yummy teriyaki steak!

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