Cricket's Journal

Cricket · Mon May 24, 2004 2:44 pm

Here I am starting Day 8 of Phase 1. This is amazing, given my track record!

Someone on the board said that they had not weighed themselves during Phase 1. Can’t remember who it was to credit, but thank you! I’m really curious about the weight I hope I've lost, but I also don’t want to de-motivate myself so instead of weighing I thought I’d mark my first week by starting my journal. Usually I see that the weight isn’t going quick enough and give up.

I guess I’m what you’d call the proverbial “yo-yo”. Up and down and further up the scale. Eating when I’m angry, eating when I’m happy, eating when I’m bored, eating when I’m stressed. On and on. Any reason or none. Stuffing my face when I don’t even really want the food. What’s funny is that I think of myself as pretty much together in the other areas of my life; not superwoman, but at least in control. I even managed to quit smoking 6 years ago, which was no mean feat, but I go gaga over a toasted cheese sandwich. :roll:

I’ve tried just about every diet known to man and some that I’ve made up myself. The fact that I need to lose at least 84 pounds is testimony to the fact that I have not made any of them last the distance. I take full responsibility, but now I’ve gotta make something work in the long term.

I’m like the invisible woman on my doctor’s list. Generally I’m healthy and I exercise regularly, but I felt really yucky recently and went to the doc. She did blood tests and discovered I’m hovering on the edge of Type-2 diabetes and am insulin resistant. Guess age is catching up with me (I’ll be 50 this year) so it’s time to make some serious changes.

For the past few weeks I’ve been lurking around the board while I prepared to start the SBD. Everyone here is pretty incredible; a terrific bunch of supportive, motivational people. I finally took the plunge on the 17th of May and want to thank you all for helping to keep me on track for the past week (and the weeks to come!).

Here’s the catch-up listing for my week’s meals:

17 May 2004 – Day 1

3 lean beef roll-ups (each w/salad & a laughing cow light triangle)

Omelette, 2 eggs, ½ red pepper, 2 mushrooms, 2 smoked turkey rashers, 1 oz grated low fat cheese

7 cherry tomatoes sliced with 4oz VFF cottage cheese

4oz steak burger, steamed broccoli,1 laughing cow triangle melted over broccoli

2ltrs water (about 70oz),1 black regular coffee,1 red bush tea

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18 May 2004 – Day 2

3 pork loin roll-ups (slices of loin rolled up around salad & 1 teas. Boursin light garlic/herb cheese)

Warm Turkey/Avocado Salad – 4oz roast turkey breast, 5 cherry tomatoes, 1/2 pack ruby salad mix (.9 carbs, 9 cals), 1/3 haas avocado, 2 TBLS Newman’s Own Italian Vinaigrette (no sugar in ingredients)
1 serving SF jelly w/2 large spoons organic natural LF bio-yoghurt

2 hard boiled eggs

Beachy bunless bacon cheeseburger (4oz minced steak, 2 smoked turkey bacon rashers, 1oz grated LF cheese, 1TBLS Old El Paso hot salsa (no sugar or fat in ingredients))
steamed broccoli
steamed asparagus
Benecol olive spread (cholesterol lowering spread) – 1 serving on veg.

3 Twinings Lotus w/orange green tea, 2ltrs water

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19 May 2004 – Day 3

Kitchen sink omelette (2 lg eggs, 2 oz LF Cheese, 2 mushrooms, 2 smoked turkey rashers, ½ red pepper, ½ sm. onion, 1/3 avocado, 1TBLS salsa)

3 pork loin roll-ups (as above)

Cold Turkey Salad – 5oz turkey, 10 cherry toms, 1/2pack ruby salad mix, 1 TBLS pumpkin seeds, 2TBLS Newman’s

1 large Hard Boiled Egg

SF Jelly w/2 dollops LF natural yoghurt

2.5ltr water (about 88oz), 4 green tea

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20 May 2004 – Day 4

3 pork loin rolls (see above)

3 lean beef rolls each w/ 1oz LF Mozzarella

4oz Steak burger
1oz LF grated cheese
1TBLS salsa
2 chestnut mushrooms

SF jelly w/large dollop LF natural yoghurt

2ltrs water (about 70oz), 3 green tea

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21 May 2004 – Day 5

Mushroom/Cheese Omelette (2 lg. eggs, 1oz LF cheese, 2 chestnut mushrooms, 1tsp Benecol olive spread, shake Tabasco, salt/pepper.)

Ham salad (6oz lean M&S ham, mixed salad leaves w/cucumber & radishes, 5 cherry toms, 1 TBLS pumpkin seeds, 2 TBLS Newman’s Own)

8oz Grilled Steakburgers w/ green onions
Steamed sugar snap peas w/mushrooms & green onions & 1 teas. Benecol olive spread

2ltr water (about 70oz), 2 green tea

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
22 May 2004 – Day 6

4 oz steak burger

Cheesy Tom Omelette (2 lg. eggs, 2 chestnut mushrooms, 1 green onion, 5 cherry tomatoes, 1 oz grated LF cheese, 2 slices cured loin, shake of Tabasco)
3 lean beef rollups (each rolled around 1 laughing cow light triangle)

1 barbequed beef stick (hot not sweet)
1 barbequed smoked mackerel filet
Barbequed pork tenderloin (cut 1” thick medallions. Marinate in lemon, lt soy sauce, Chinese five spice powder, crushed garlic clove, shake of Tabasco, ground pepper. Thread onto skewers with peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc. ummmm. Would have been nice with meat baked, covered without the veg, but with some sesame seeds and served with roasted veg.)

2.5 ltr water (about 88oz), 1 regular black coffee (My first Saturday - weekend weakness!)

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23 May 2004 – Day 7

Cinnabon adaptation attempt 1 (4oz 2% cottage cheese, 1 teas splenda, ¼ teas vanilla, 2 eggs – Result: Needs Work! but I ate it anyway)

3 slices lean beef

4 slices lean pork loin

4oz lean roast beef, steamed green cabbage and turnips, 1 teas Benecol

3ltrs water, 3 green tea

Cricket · Tue May 25, 2004 10:06 am

24 May 2004 – Day 8

The first day of my second week of Phase 1 went OK. All in all it was a pretty uneventful day. I went to the store and got a few fresh bits, some turkey and asparagus and more green tea and fizzy water, which takes the place of my daily glass of inkahol (as ds calls it), at least for Phase 1. Also got some more bark mulch for the garden and couldn’t resist 3 clematis plants. I saw an effect with clematis growing through conifers that I want to re-create.

Experimented with a one pot turkey thing. Maybe I was just hungry, but I found it delicious! That was followed by a lemon-lime fluffy thing that I shouldn’t have made because I could have happily eaten all of it just telling myself that I was “testing the consistency”. I’m gonna have to be careful – just because it’s “legal” doesn’t mean I can just eat massive amounts. Maybe if I try to ensure I have set times to eat I can stop the picking that I can feel myself starting to do already.

Any suggestions for stopping “grazing” on the legal stuff welcome!

B: Went shopping

L: Large green salad w/6oz chicken breast, 1 teas pumpkin seeds, 4 cherry tomatoes, ½ small avocado, 2 TBLS Newman’s

AS: 4oz lean roast beef slices, 2TBLS Light Philly cream cheese

D: 1 pot Mediterranean Style Turkey Breast

½ onion sliced into rings
6oz turkey breast steak or split filet
4 asparagus spears, trimmed
3oz broccoli spears
4-5 cherry tomatoes
2oz grated LF mozzarella
1-2 cloves garlic, depending on taste
½ - 1 teaspoon oregano
6 fresh basil leaves
salt/pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
non-stick spray (ICBINB or Fry Light Olive)

Spray small oven-proof dish w/non-stick spray. Place onion rings in dish, put turkey on rings, season turkey w/salt & pepper, a sprinkle of oregano and the crushed garlic. Put a couple of the asparagus spears in the pan on either side of the turkey. Slice the broccoli spears in half lengthwise and place on the turkey. Slice the tomatoes and place on the broccoli. Place the basil on top of the tomatoes. Cover the tomatoes, etc with the grated cheese. Sprinkle the remaining oregano and some salt/pepper. Cover the dish and bake at 175 degrees C/ 350 F 30 - 40 minutes or until done. Drain if necessary. Sprinkle w/lemon juice just before serving.

Dessert: Dangerous Lemon/Lime Fluff

1 pack lemon & lime flavour SF jelly/Jello (or lemon or lime)
4oz Philly light cream cheese, softened
½ 150 gm pot/2.5oz Greek 0% fat yoghurt
2 teaspoons Splenda
1-2 teaspoons grated lemon &/or lime zest (optional)

Make up the jelly/Jello in a large bowl and put in fridge. Mix cream cheese, yoghurt, Splenda and zest (if using) together. Combine cream cheese mix with jelly/Jello until thoroughly blended. Whip with hand mixer until frothy. Refrigerate. Keep an eye on the mix and when partially set, but not firm whip mix with hand mixer. Do mixing process again more before pudding is fully set.

2.5ltrs water, 3 green tea

Cricket · Wed May 26, 2004 6:37 am

25 May 2004 – Day 9

Today was the first day that I forgot to eat. Ha. If anyone had told me that was possible for me, I don’t think I’d have believed it. My BF says that she forgets to eat, but she’s half the size of me.

I went for a lovely walk and was a bit late going because I had a hard time dragging myself out of bed. I had a delicious omelette kind of late too. I was starving by the time I ate it – probably about 11am. Then I wasn’t hungry until I had the tuna at 3ish. Don’t think I should do that again if at all possible. Other people on the board have said that any loss can slow because of starvation mode or as I read from some doctor somewhere, the “thrifty gene” that means I would survive in cave man days with little available food, but causes me not to lose weight now because my body thinks it’s time to conserve the blubber.

Anyway, clothes feel looser, tomorrow’s another day and I must shop for the long weekend. Looking forward to Monday when I can weigh and see what has happened in Phase 1 (and a glass of wine to celebrate. Yeah, baby!!!!!)

B: Bacon & cheese omelette

MS: None

L: Tuna Salad (6.5oz tuna steak/brine, mixed leaves, ¼ cucumber, which I will pay for later, 2 TBLS Newman’s, 1 TBLS pumpkin seeds

Later: Some Lemon/Lime fluff

Qwill · Wed May 26, 2004 12:58 pm

Welcome to the Beach Cricket.

I keyed in our you journal because my 7 year old dd is named Cricket. Birth Certificate and all. It sounds like you are doing great.
This is a way of life not a diet and you can do this for the rest of your life and stay healthy and slim.

Have a Splenda Day on the Beach!

Wrennly · Wed May 26, 2004 3:07 pm

Cricket,
Thanks for dropping by my journal yesterday. I thought I would drop by yours. I really appreciate the encouraging comments you made. I need all the encouragement I can get!
Just like you, I too have a history of eating for comfort, fun, stress or just because I'm bored. I have always been a little overweight and I am so glad I have found this diet. I really feel like this new way of eating can be for the rest of my life.
Best wishes for your continued success!

Cricket · Wed May 26, 2004 9:22 pm

26 May – Day 10

Off to the big city tomorrow for a meeting so I thought I’d better do today’s entry before bed. Not looking forward to tomorrow. Out of the house at 6am, not back until 9.30pm and lunch will be vast amounts of nothing SBD-friendly. I plan to stop on the way and get a salad to take with me. I’m sure that’s what my boss will be doing as she’s on a modified Atkins. I’ve been bending her ear about SBD, but she’s already lost 42 pounds and wouldn’t change for anything (even though what she’s doing is very close to Phase 1)

Thanks for stopping by my journal Qwill & Wrennly and for the welcome and kind words. Although the majority of the board members are pretty far flung I think we're all in the unique position of doing something very difficult together. It gives us the opportunity for quite a rare understanding about what each other's going through. It really floats my boat to read of everyone's successes and I'm really looking forward to following both of yours!

I went shopping today. Tomatoes were looking pretty tasty so I bought lots. I’ve got the dreaded fizzy water so I guess my evening’s drink is sorted out for the next couple of days. I hate going out over long weekends and am furious with myself when I forget something and have to. I’d still have Friday, but everyone else will be out shopping like there’s going to be no food on Tuesday.

I did it again today with my meals, partially because I was shopping. I had a bit more than yesterday though. Tomorrow’s going to be bad too. Oh well, just going to have to cope.

My day:

Late morning: 3 pieces of pork loin each w/ 1 teas. Boursin light cheese

Early afternoon: 1 sm. piece of experimental hazelnut cheesecake (Ugh –this needs work too. The best thing about it was the texture, getting close to a real baked cheesecake. Made with stevia and DaVinci SF syrup. The flavour would gag a maggot though so I didn’t eat much!)

Mid afternoon: 2 pieces of pork loin each w/1 triangle laughing cow light

Supper: Darlene’s chicken/bacon/broccoli thingy. Very tasty and sure hit the spot! I went a little mad with the cayenne though.

3ltrs water, 2 black decaf, 2 green tea

Off to bed or I'll be dragging at the awful hour I have to get up tomorrow.

plainjane · Wed May 26, 2004 9:33 pm

Hi Cricket!

I had to respond in your journal because my step-dad says "inkahol" all the time and I've never heard it from anyone else! Funny that!

Your dangerous Lemon/Lime Fluff sounds good - might have to give it a whirl! I'm having difficulty staying away from the ff/sf chocolate pudding, so this might be a good substitute.

I always used to say that you'd have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat - but I'm right there with ya now. What a weird feeling!

Wishing you continued success!! :D

Cricket · Fri May 28, 2004 11:23 am

27 May – Day 11

Well I just about managed to have an OK-but-almost-veggie-less day today. I was out all day. It’s pretty clear to me that sticking to SBD while travelling around is going to be a big challenge. I took some beef roll-ups with me, but otherwise didn’t plan it very well.

I had breakfast on the train; very nice. Then I stopped and got an Atkins salad from Boot’s for lunch. Turns out the lunch that the meeting organisers had booked was a sit-down in the dining room of the hotel and not the tatty plate of sandwiches I was worried about. The sit-down was even worse, with hot & cold dishes. The hot consisted of rice, fried fish cakes, sliced fatty pork covered with gravy, etc.The cold were all dripping with mayonnaise and raisins and potatoes and sweet corn. I ate the Atkins salad anyway. I plopped it out onto a nice china plate and when the others protested I told them the hotel food looked like crap and I had been recently diagnosed as a diabetic.

The meeting was scheduled to last from 1 – 5pm, but I thought we’d have all lost the will to live before 5. Sure enough the meeting finished at 4, but I needed to see someone afterwards. We finished at 4:30 and someone else asked to see me so I didn’t get a train home until 6pm. No snack, no nothing. I couldn’t even get a cup of decaf so I had a regular coffee and boy was THAT a mistake – my stomach started rumbling and I thought I’d cave and do something really bad. I was salivating like crazy, but resisted the pretzels and cookies on the train. Didn’t get home until 9:15pm. Then since I’d got up at 4.30am I was whacked. I had a couple of beef rollups & water and went to bed.

Thanks for stopping by plainjane. Don't know where ds picked up "inkahol". He's just one of those naturally funny kids (yeah! recently married "kid", but they always are kids), a real showman. Does magic tricks and is happy to get up in clubs and do stand up comedy <shudder>. On the Fluff stuff, I don't know how intense you like things to taste, but next time I'm going to put a coupld of drops of lemon extract into it because I've decided it isn't intense enough for me. Otherwise it's soooo refreshing. I love it and can't wait to put a few berries on it and try some different flavours. Wishing you every success!

My Day:

scrambled eggs, smoked salmon

Atkins Chicken/Bacon salad w/lettuce and 3 cherry tomatoes (should have been 4, but one went flying off my plate!).

3 beef rollups each w/1triangle laughing cow light

2ltr water, 3 decafs, 1 regular black coffee

Darlene · Fri May 28, 2004 12:14 pm

WOW you did sooo great on what would have been an extremely hard day for anyone! You should be so proud of yourself!!!!! Im glad you at least managed to find something to eat!!!! LOL

Cricket · Sat May 29, 2004 8:25 am

28 May – Day 12

Home today & no shopping to do, thank goodness! I can get some more veggies inside me and flush out any lasting effects from that coffee yesterday. Wonder why real coffee does that to me and decaf has no effect?

Got up about 6am and went for my walk. Long weekend coming so the rain will start today. Thought I’d get a jump on it. Busy all day with emails to sort out from being away and both phones going at once until noon-ish.

Guess the world snuck off for the long weekend at lunchtime because pm was pretty quite until that dang cat brought in another live mouse or something about mouse size. I’m beginning to think the cat flap was the worst idea I’ve ever come up with. Not only do the squirrels come in it, but the blasted cat brings in lizards, mice, voles and birds – mostly alive. I can usually deal with them if he’s rung their bell beforehand and the birds aren’t a problem so far, but more and more lately he brings in something that shoots off and I can’t find it again. It makes me feel really bad because I’ve got this terrified wild thing in my house and the cat’s going nuts trying to get it. Even he gives up after a while. I had to empty out the drinks cabinet to retrieve the last lizard. I only knew where it was because DH kept an eye on it for me. It left its little tail wiggling on the floor too EEEEWWWWWWWW! It’s not like I even wanted a cat. I got this travelling job and didn’t want anything – I’d had dogs, but they got old and I had to have the last one, my beloved Labrador, put down a year and a half ago. Six months later in walks this cat. Darn thing’s 3 feet long and as big around as a barrel. My brother keeps sending me pictures of black panthers and telling me that’s what the cat’s going to look like when it’s full grown. Everyone who knows me knows I’m animal-stupid enough to take a panther in if it needed a bed, some food and a scratch behind the ears LOL.

Thanks for stopping by, Darlene, and for your encouraging words. They help me keep on keepin' on :)

Anyway not a bad day for the beach, despite the rain (which did begin in the late afternoon and will probably continue now till Monday evening :( )

B: 2 egg omelette w/grated LF cheese
S: Not hungry
L: Big Chicken salad w/5 Cherry tomatoes, 1TBLS pumpkin seeds and 2TBLS Newman’s
S: Not hungry
D: Crustless Pizza, Mexican style w/avocado, tomatoes, onions, 2 TBL salsa (yummmmmm – lots left for lunch tomorrow)

Wrennly · Sun May 30, 2004 12:57 am

Cricket, it really sounds like you are doing great on SB. Kodos on eating right while you were at your meeting. That took some willpower.

Just call me a whimp, but I would have to permanently close that cat door. That would just freak me out to much wondering what creatures where running through my house that I am not aware of.

Keep up the good work!

Wrenn

kelsey · Sun May 30, 2004 5:00 am

Wow you are doing great, keep up the good work. Your kitty must like you real well to bring all his prize catches to you. I remember years and years ago I was 19 and a movie called willard came out about rats. I had a room upstairs at my grandmothers and just that day Im looking in the mirror and these beady eyes are looking through a hole in chimney in my room. I screamed bloody murder, told granma a rat was upstairs.
A fast call to my uncle. It was a squirrel not a rat and I scared it so bad it went back out the chimney. See a mouse Im on a chair. Screaming.
But had a hamster and could hold it. It got out one day and when I found him he was so fat in front I wasnt sure it was him. He had put a bunch of yarn in his cheeks. And please dont let a cricket even think of looking at me. I run the other way. But dont think Im afraid of this cricket here.
Kelsey

Cricket · Sun May 30, 2004 8:08 am

29 May – Day 13

Rain, rain, rain!!! – so no walk this morning. Rain stopped me from getting any gardening done either. DH away on business so am on my own for the first weekend in a couple of years! Just did the usual stuff inside – cleaning, laundry (UGH).

Later in the day I got out my Walk Away the Pounds (WATP) DVD’s and did the 3 mile. I was in a bit of sweat after that. Anyone else doing WATP? I love them! I usually try to do one if the weather’s bad. I’m thinking that when I’m home I might try to increase my exercise by going for my morning walk, but doing a WATP workout in the afternoon. I’m sure the WATP workout is much better exercise than my walk, pleasant though the walk is. I know the walk outside is pretty brisk – I’ve clocked it at about 5.5 mph and some is uphill. I nearly killed my friend – a smoker – doing it one morning. I slowed down a lot, but even though she’s not overweight at all she was gasping for breath. I still don’t get the upper body stuff in there though. See how I feel, but it would be a good idea.

Hi Wrenn & Kelsey. Thanks for stopping by. I must admit, I'm freaked out about the cat bringing stuff in alive. I'm not sure whether I'm more upset by the thought of things running around or of having them die and decomposing in some place I can't get to. I've put down some mouse traps, but I'm not sure what I'll do if I hear one snap. Think I might call an exterminator after the holiday and ask some questions. I remember Willard, but I didn't see it. I used to sleepwalk and have terrible recurring nightmares so anything like a horror film was pretty much off limits. Your experience with the squirrel sounds very nightmare-making, Kelsey. There was also Ben, wasn't there? Much as I love animals, I can't tell you how off-putting I find rats. A neighbour of ours had geese once and they didn't store the food too well and it brought rats in. I wouldn't even go outside at night because I was afraid I'd see them running around. Yuck, Yuck, Yuck!!! Don't know why though - they're probably just squirrels without the fluffy tail.

Yesterday’s drinks: 3 black decaf, 2 green tea, 3lrs water

B: Ham & cheese omelette w/mushrooms (2 eggs)
S: Too full
L: Left over Crustless Mexican Pizza w/large green salad & 2TBLS salsa
S: Too full
D: Chicken breast almandine

1 skinless chicken breast
½ chopped onion, sugar snap peas, sliced or chopped mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli (I used these, but you can use your taste & imagination)
2 teas. light soy sauce
1 TBLS water
Hot pepper flakes, pepper, salt to taste
15 blanched almonds
2 teas. non-trans fatty margarine (I use Benecol)
ICBINB/Fry light spray

Spray a small oven-proof dish with the ICBINB/Fry Light. Layer veg in the pan, place chicken breast on top. Pour on the water/soy sauce mix. Cover and bake in a 175C/350F oven, basting with the juices once or twice until done. While chicken is cooking, sliver the almonds with a knife. Heat margarine on top of the stove and add the almonds. Toast almonds until golden, which happens really quick so don’t leave them alone. Put chicken & veg on a plate with a bit of juice. Sprinkle on almonds/margarine mix.

No dessert – too full.

3ltrs water, 4 black decaf, 2 green tea

plainjane · Sun May 30, 2004 2:15 pm

Hi Cricket!

How long does your WATP video run? I've been looking for a good exercise video, and hoping to find something that's under an hour long, since my day is busy enough chasing two kids around. At least they don't bring in live animals though - yet! :wink:

I'm a softie for animals too - you must have a hard time of it when your cat brings in creatures who are still terrified! I remember a couple of years back I woke up one morning and came downstairs to the kitchen to find a bird sitting on the floor. No idea how he got in, but boy did it give me a fright! Just opened the door wide and stepped away, and off he went. Like you, rats just give me the willies. Bats too. *shudder*

Anyway, hope you're enjoying your long weekend!

kelsey · Sun May 30, 2004 5:09 pm

I lived in a house that had slugs outside. Luckily I never went out in night but in the morning there would be that silver stuff everywhere even on top of the dog. One day I left door open and there were 2 on my kitchen floor. They were as big as a mouse. And I could swear they looked at me with beady eyes. I hated my house after that did not live there much longer. Luckily my friends husband came over and took them outside.
Found out house didnt have plumbing from the bathtub so under house was very wet. And i did see Ben too but I thrive on fright just hate bugs and rodents. i call my dog chigger though. Your menus sound so good .
Kelsey

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