Canadian Bacon, Eh? Confessions of a Canuck Beach-bum...

[vancouverAJ]

I didn't jump on this South Beach Diet bandwagon lose too much weight, although weight loss is one of my main reasons. I did it to maintain optimum health, lower my chances of getting diabetes since it runs rampant in my family and get rid of my bad eating habits [which I didn't have too much of to begin with, but still just want to get it out of my system completely].

I’m sort of disappointed because I’ve been on phase 1 for about a month already (I kept falling off on the weekends and getting back on the following Monday and yes, I know that one should never stay on this phase for a long time…yaddah yaddah…I read it all in the forums so I know better now) but I haven’t lost more than a pound…IF that. I weigh myself every day (yes, I know I need to stop with that insanity) and find that I’m not losing anything. Sometimes I’m gaining. UGH. I know there are a ton of posts that this Phase is NOT the weight loss phase despite what the book says, but the last time I was on the SB I lost a lot the. I was down to 103, possibly 102 and for some reason now, I can’t go below 106.6, 106.2 if I’m lucky. I’ve hit 105.8 a few times, but that never lasted. My goal weight and where I’m most comfortable is 100 however 104-105 will be ok too. I dunno it’s just frustrating.

Anyway, I know I shouldn’t be weighing myself every day, I shouldn’t have stayed on Phase 1 so long (I’m not going to be anymore as I’m onto Phase 2 tomorrow) but that’s where I’m stubborn. I’m very excited to get to Phase 2 as my body has been telling me IT WANTS FRUIT & WHOLE GRAIN GOODNESS. Heh.

The things I’ve been feeling lately aren’t all mental. A lot of it is physical. I feel fatter, like I jiggle and or I’m swollen. Ridiculous, but hell, it’s what I feel. I took my measurements the other day and once I get at least 3 weeks into Phase 2, I’ll take my measurements again to see if I’ve made any progress.

What coerced me to start writing now? I guess after keeping this all inside, with really no one to talk to about it, I’ve decided to write it out and possibly help myself to some journal therapy.

Anyway, food wise my meals generally consist of the following. I typically have the same breakfast almost every day until I get tired of it and need a bit of a change but there’s always eggs & a V8.

B:
2 eggs (1 real, 1 egg beaters) poached
2 slices of Canadian Bacon
1 Tbsp cheese or half a string cheese mixed into eggs
1 SF Redbull (which is equivalent to one cup of coffee)

S:
Cheese stick & 1 cup of veggies
4 almonds & 4 Cashews (I love nuts, so I try to spread out the servings throughout the day so I don’t have the temptation to overeat any)

L: (today)
Grilled chicken tenderloins (three) with salsa & mushrooms (grilled in olive oil)
¼ cup veggies (broccoli & cauliflower)

S:
¾ cup NF plain yogurt with a tsp of SF Jell-O powder mixed in
1 cup of veggies with some hummus

D: (tonight)
Grilled Mahi-Mahi with a bit of S&P & some olive oil
2 cups of veggies

S:
Ricotta Crème (with 1 tbsp SF syrup & a packet of Splenda)

I don’t have the same thing EVERY DAY, God forbid I’d go nuts, but it’s pretty similar with the exception of lunch and dinner.

On another note, I noticed while being on this WOE (yes, it’s a WAY OF EATING or rather the way I see it now, a WAY OF LIFE…I don’t care if the word DIET is in there), I’ve been spending more money on groceries. I’m always making a trip to the grocery store for yogurt, ricotta, veggies and such and even though I’m spending a bit, I think it’s worth it. Granted, I’ve learned where the better deals are & Costco is my best friend. Heh. But seriously, I feel great (maybe not today since it’s getting rather close to my time of the month sorry TMI) and I just wish I could see the results on the scale. *sigh*

Anyway, not to fret, I’ll be on Phase 2 tomorrow adding an apple to a meal every day and then moving on from there. I can’t wait til I can get my cereal & or oatmeal again. I love it!! I miss my Shredded wheat & Fiber One!!!!!

*ahem*

For my own personal reference since I can't post three links on my signature (i wanna post my journal in there!)...here are the P1 & P2 foods ALLOWED...

PHASE 1 FOODS

BEEF Lean cuts, such as:
Bottom Round
Eye of Round
Flank Steak
Ground beef:
# Extra Lean (96/4)
# Lean (92/8 )
# Sirloin (90/10)
London Broil
Pastrami, lean
Sirloin Steak
T-bone
Tenderloin
Top Loin
Top Round
* Lean meat has, per 100 gram portion, 10 grams or less of total fat and 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat.

POULTRY (SKINLESS)
Cornish hen
Low-fat turkey sausage (3-6 grams of fat per 60 gram serving) can be eaten as an occasional treat (approximately once/week)
Turkey bacon (2 slices per day)
Turkey and chicken breast

SEAFOOD
All types of fish and shellfish
Water-packed tuna and other canned fish
Salmon roe
Sashimi

PORK
Boiled ham
Canadian bacon
Loin
Tenderloin

VEAL
Chop
Cutlet, leg
Top round

LAMB (Remove all visible fat)
Center Cut
Chop
Loin

LUNCHMEAT
Fat-free or low-fat only
Boiled ham
Deli sliced turkey breast
Steamship roast beef
Smoked ham

MEAT SUBSTITUTES (SOY BASED)
Unless otherwise stated, look for products that have 6 grams of fat or less per 2-3 ounce serving
Bacon - Limit to 2 slices per day
Burger
Chicken, unbreaded
Hot Dogs
Sausage Patties and Links - Limit 1 patty or 2 links per day
Seiten
Soy Crumbles - 1/4 cup (2 oz) suggested serving
Soy Nuts - 1/4 cup for a protein snack is suggested serving
Tempeh 1/4 cup suggested serving
Tofu All varieties, 1/2 cup suggested serving
Yuba (Bean Curd or Sheet)

CHEESE (FAT-FREE OR LOW-FAT)
Look for varieties that have 6 grams of fat or less/ounce
American
Cheddar
Cottage cheese, 1-2% or fat-free
Cream cheese substitute, dairy-free
Feta
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Part-skim Ricotta
Part-skim String
Provolone
Swiss

EGGS
The use of whole eggs is not limited unless otherwise directed by your doctor. Use egg whites and egg substitute as desired.

MILK/DAIRY
(2 cups allowed daily, including yogurt)
Low-fat milk (fat-free and 1%)
Fat-free 1/2 & 1/2 (less than 2 tablespoons)
Low-fat plain, vanilla, or sucralose-containing soy milk (4 grams of fat or less per 8 ounce serving). Be sure the product does not contain high fructose corn syrup
1% or fat-free buttermilk
Fat-free plain yogurt

BEANS/LEGUMES
(Start with 1/3 - 1/2 cup serving)
Adzuki Beans
Black Beans
Black-eyed peas
Broad Beans
Butter Beans
Cannellini Beans
Chickpeas or Garbanzo
Edamame
Great Northern Beans
Italian Beans
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Lima Beans
Mung Beans
Navy Beans
Pigeon Peas
Pinto Beans
Soy Beans
Split Peas
White Beans

VEGETABLES
(May use fresh, frozen or canned without added sugar)
Artichokes
Arugula
Asparagus
Broccoli
Bok Choy
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Capers
Cauliflower
Celery
Chayote
Chicory
Collard Greens
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Endive
Fennel
Garlic
Green Beans
Hearts of palm
Jicama
Kale
Leeks
Lettuce (All varieties)
Mushrooms (All varieties)
Mustard Greens
Nopales
Okra
Onions
Parsley
Peppers (All varieties)
Pickles - Dill or artificially sweetened
Radicchio
Radishes (All varieties)
Rhubarb
Sauerkraut
Scallions
Sea Vegetables
Snap Peas
Snow peas
Spinach
Sprouts
Squash, Spaghetti
Squash, Summer
# Yellow
# Zucchini
Swiss Chard
Tomato
Tomato Juice
Turnip Greens
Vegetable Juice Cocktail
Water Chestnuts
Watercress
Wax Beans
Zucchini

NUTS AND SEEDS
(Limit to one serving per day as specified. Dry roasted recommended.)
Almonds - 15
Brazil Nuts - 4
Cashews - 15
Flax Seed - 3 TBS (1 oz)
Macadamia - 8
Peanut Butter, Natural, and other nut butters - 2 TBS
Peanuts, 20 small (May use dry roasted or boiled)
Pecans - 15
Pine Nuts (Pignolia) - 1 ounce
Pistachios - 30
Pumpkin Seeds - 3 TBS (1 oz)
Sesame Seeds - 3 TBS (1 oz)
Soy Nuts - 1/4 cup
Sunflower Seeds - 3 TBS (1 oz)
Walnuts - 15

FATS/OILS
The following monounsaturated oils are recommended to be consumed daily:
Oil, canola
Oil, olive
Other Oil Choices that may be chosen (Polyunsaturated or a blend of Monounsaturated):
Corn
Enova
Flax
Grapeseed
Peanut
Safflower
Sesame
Soybean
Sunflower
Other Fat Choices:
Avocado - 1/3 whole = 1 TBS oil
Guacamole - 1/2 cup = 1 TBS oil
Margarine - Chose those that do not contain Trans Fatty Acids such as Fleishmann's Premium Olive Oil or Smart Balance
Mayonnaise - Regular - 1 TBS
Mayonnaise - Low Fat - 2 TBS (avoid varieties made with high fructose corn syrup)
Olives (Green or Ripe) 15 = 1/2 TBS oil
Salad Dressing - 2 TBS. Use those that contain 3 grams of sugar or less per 2 TBS. Best choices contain canola or olive oil. Low carb salad dressings may also be used if they meet these guidelines.

SEASONINGS AND CONDIMENTS
All spices that contain no added sugar
Broth
Espresso powder
Extracts (almond, vanilla, or others)
Horseradish sauce
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray
Lemon Juice
Lime Juice
Pepper (black, cayenne, red, white)
Salsa (check labels for added sugar)
Use the following toppings and sauces sparingly (check labels for added sugar and MSG)
Cream Cheese, fat-free or light - 2 TBS
Hot Sauce
Low carb condiments, as long as they meet South Beach guidelines (have no added fat and are sugar-free/contain no added sugar)
Miso - 1/2 TBS
Shoyu - 1/2 TBS
Sour Cream, light and reduced-fat - 2 TBS
Soy Sauce - 1/2 TBS
Steak Sauce - 1/2 TBS
Tamari
Worcestershire Sauce - 1 TBS
Whipped Topping, Light or Fat-Free - 2 TBS


SWEET TREATS (Limit to 75 calories per day)
Sweet treats are items that contain sugar alcohols, such as:
Candies, hard, sugar-free
Chocolate powder, no-added-sugar
Cocoa powder, baking type
Fudgsicles, no sugar added
Gelatin, sugar-free
Gum, sugar-free
James and jellies, sugar-free
Popsicles, sugar-free
Syrups, sugar-free
Some Sugar Free Products may be made with sugar alcohols (isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol or xylitol) and are permitted on the SBD. They may have associated side effects of GI distress (abdominal pain, diarrhea & gas) if consumed in excessive amounts.

SUGAR SUBSTITUTES
Acesulfame K
Fructose (needs to be counted as Sweet Treats, Caloric Limit)
Nutrasweet (Equal)
Saccharin (Sweet & Low)
Sucralose (Splenda)

BEVERAGES
Decaf Coffee and Tea
Diet, decaffeinated, sugar-free sodas and drinks
Herbal teas (peppermint, chamomile, etc.)
Milk (1% or fat-free) and soymilk (low-fat plain). See MILK/DAIRY.
Sugar-free powdered drink mixes
Vegetable Juice
Note: caffeinated coffee or diet sodas with caffeine added are allowed, but limited to 1 - 2 servings per day

PHASE 2 FOODS You can enjoy all of the foods allowed in Phase 1 as well as those listed below. Foods you can reintroduce to your diet

BEEF
All hot dogs (beef, pork, poultry, soy) can be enjoyed occasionally (once/week) if they are at least 97% fat free (contain 3-6 grams of fat/serving).

FRUIT (Start with one daily serving, gradually increase to 3 total servings daily)
Apples - 1 small or 5 dried rings
Apricots - 4 fresh or 7 dried
Banana, medium-sized (4 oz.)
Berries, all - 3/4 cup
Cactus Pear Fruit (Prickly Pear)
Cantaloupe - 1/4, or 1 cup diced
Cherries - 12
Grapefruit - 1/2
Grapes - 15
Kiwi - 1
Mangoes - 1/2 medium (4 oz.)
Oranges - 1 medium
Papaya - 1 small (4 oz.)
Peaches - 1 medium
Pears - 1 medium
Plantain
Plums - 2
Prunes - 4

MILK/DAIRY
(2-3 cups allowed daily, including yogurt)
Yogurt - artificially sweetened non-fat flavored yogurt (limit to 4 ounces daily and avoid varieties that contain high fructose corn syrup)

STARCHES (Start with one daily serving, gradually increase to 3 total servings daily.) Unless otherwise stated, choose whole grain products that have 3 grams of fiber or more per ounce.

Bagels, small, whole grain - 1/2, or 1 oz.
Barley - 1/2 cup
Bread
- homemade breads using whole grains (buckwheat, whole wheat, spelt, whole oats, bran, rye)
- multigrain
- oat and bran
- rye
- sourdough (may be used, but whole grain is the best choice)
- sprouted grain
- whole wheat
Buckwheat
Calabaza (considered a starchy vegetable; count as a starch/grain serving)
Cassava (considered a starchy vegetable; count as a starch/grain serving)
Cereal
Hot - 1/3 -1/2 cup, uncooked. Choose whole grain and slow-cooking varieties (no instant types).
Cold - 30 grams/1 ounce/3/4 cup. Varieties with 3.0 - 4.9 grams are “good” sources of fiber. “High” fiber cereals have 5.0 grams of fiber or more per serving. Choose a cereal with enough fiber to be at least on the upper end of “good,” and make sure it has less than 8 grams of sugar per serving.
Cereal (OLD Guideline)
- Choose whole grain and slow-cooking varieties (no instant types) with 6-8 grams of fiber or more per serving
- Hot- 1/3-1/2 cup, uncooked
- Cold - 30 grams/1 ounce/3/4 cup
Couscous, whole-wheat or Israeli - 1/2 cup cooked
Crackers, whole grain with 3 grams of fiber or more per ounce and no trans fats
English muffins, whole grain - 1/2, or 1 oz.
(most contain 2.5 grams of fiber per half a muffin—varieties varieties with 3 grams of fiber are the best choice.)
Green Peas - 1/2 cup (considered a starchy vegetable; count as a starch/grain serving)
Muffins, bran - 1 small, homemade sugar-free (no raisins)
Pasta
Whole wheat is best choice - 1/2 cup cooked (3 grams of fiber or more per 1/2 cup)
Soy is second best choice - 1/2 cup cooked (3 grams of fiber or more per 1/2 cup)
Pita - 1/2, or 1 oz.
- stone-ground
- whole wheat
- (most contain 2.5 grams of fiber—varieties with 3 grams of fiber are the best choice.)
Popcorn - 3 cups popped
- Air popped
- Microwave, plain, no trans fats
- Cooked stove-top with canola oil
Potato, sweet, small (considered a starchy vegetable; count as a starch/grain serving)
Pumpkin (considered a starchy vegetable; count as a starch/grain serving)
Quinoa, 1/2 cup cooked
Rice - 1/2 cup cooked
- basmati
- brown
- converted or parboiled
- wild
Rice noodles
Soba noodles
Taro (considered a starchy vegetable; count as a starch/grain serving)
Tortillas, 100% whole grain, 3 grams of fiber or more per ounce, no trans fats
Winter squash (considered a starchy vegetable; count as a starch/grain serving)
Yams, small (considered a starchy vegetable; count as a starch/grain serving)

VEGETABLES
Carrots

OCCASIONAL TREATS
Chocolate (sparingly)
- bittersweet
- semisweet

SWEET TREATS
Pudding, fat-free and sugar-free (1 serving per day)

BEVERAGES
Wine (1 - 2 glasses daily with or after meals)

[vancouverAJ]

Oh fruit, oh whole wheat bread, oh shredded wheat & fiber one...HOW I'VE MISSED YOU ALL!!!

Don't worry, I'm not gonna go all ravenous and eat everything at once. I'm gonna be 'smart' about adding back the 'carbs'.

Tomorrow this is what my meal plan will look like:

B:
2 eggs (1 real, 1 egg beater) poached
2 slices canadian bacon
V8
SF redbull [OR 1 cup coffee with a kiss of skim milk & a tab of SF syrup]
*edit* a small serving of chocolate black bean brownie

S:
cheese stick
1 cup of veggies (tomatoes, sugar snap peas & cucumbers)
8 nuts (almonds & cashews)

L:
grilled ahi tuna
1 cup veggies
1 apple

S:
1/2 cup FF yogurt with SF jello powder
1 cup veggies (same as above)
8 nuts (almonds & cashews)

D:
Grilled turkey breast with SB BBQ Sauce
Grilled veggies (asparagus & green beans)
desert (maybe) SF Jello with tsp whip cream

S:
Ricotta Creme

[vancouverAJ]

Here we go....day one of phase 2. I'm semi-excited because I get to have fruit again. YIPEE! But i'm also scared that i'm gonna gain weight. ahhhh. bad bad.

I'm trying to come to an agreement with myself in that I should NOT weigh myself every day, but only once a week. That way, I can really see the progress. And, like I said, I'll start measuring myself once every three weeks while on phase 2 and compare it to when I was on phase 1. God help me, I hope I see some GOOD CHANGES.

That being said, my next weigh in date should be August 29th and my measurement date should be September 12.

[vancouverAJ]

Hmmm...so I'm told that my snacks are too big. I suppose so, but really, when am I supposed to be putting in my veggies if I can't eat so much in one sitting? I like to spread out my food throughout the day as much as I can, but maybe I'll put in 1/2 a cup or less for my snack instead of 1 cup.

Maybe I'm wrong in assuming that I"m supposed to be having all these foods at once when in reality, since I can't even eat that much and I hate the feeling of being full, I should eat what is p1-p2 legal and not worry so much about getting in ALL my servings. Eat what I only want and need. Maybe that's why the scale hasn't budged.

man, i thought i was doing well too.

[mom2three]

You obviously don't have much weight to lose, so your body may be hanging on to it! Play around with your food and see if it helps. Try reducing your snacks a bit, or watch your sodium intake - how about water??? you don't mention it and if you aren't drinking it or getting it all in, that may be the solution right there. Water is so critical - it is amazing how much difference it can make!

Hang in there and good job - getting healthy is really what it is all about anyway!

[vancouverAJ]

oh, i get tons and tons of water. about 3 litres a day...somedays more, somedays less depending on how my body is.

i think my snacks are a bit much, but i'm not quite sure where to reduce? the veggies? i'm thinking the nuts??

thank you, by the way =) your advice is much appreciated!! and definitely agree...it's all about getting HEALTHY...not bone skinny! =)

[vancouverAJ]

alright, let's see how this will affect my appetite tomorrow. here's my meal plan...

B:
2 eggs (1 real, 1 egg beater)
2 slices canadian bacon
V8
SF redbull
1/2 cup non-fat latte

S:
1 LF cheese stick OR 8 nuts
1/2 cup veggies

L:
grilled turkey breast (cooked in olive oil, with some white balsamic vinegar, salt free seasons & curry powder)
1.5 cup veggies
1 apple

S:
1/2 cup veggies
1tbs hummus

D:
grilled mahi mahi (cooked in olive oil & lemon & pepper)
1.5 cup veggies

If i'm hungry still...
S: 1 serving of black bean brownie

and of course...WATER WATER WATER!!!

=)

[vancouverAJ]

alright...so day two. here goes....

so far, at 830am, i'm ok. my mouth is a bit dry and i'm gonna get some water..but i'm just waiting for the bottle to chill in the fridge.

not hungry either...hopefully not til lunch.

this is where i'm somewhat confused.

what determines hunger? is that when my stomach is growling like a mother?

as far as cravings go? i'm pretty good. i think what is hard is that when i go to starbucks and i see those LF apricot blueberry muffins, i still want one soooooo bad. would that be considered a craving? ahh..i dunno.

[LegalBeagle]

You can eat all the veggies you want. I don't think your snacks look too big, FWIW.

The minimum required amounts of veggies are a half cup at breakfast and at least 2 cups at each of lunch and dinner.

[vancouverAJ]

ahhh well that helps. seeing as though i don't really eat the SOLID form of veggies at breakfast, i guess the 1/2 cup serving at each snack period is ok. just gotta make sure i'm not eating too many calories too...and as far as my V8 it's half a can of the 11.5 oz...so 5.75 oz at breakfast

[vancouverAJ]

so last night, my best friend sent me some pics from my last trip home and i got really sad.

i was nice and thin back then and that's how i want to be. it sucks because then, i wasn't really on any diet. i mean, i was on the SB but not following it strictly. i actually had just come off it. but yah, i watched what i ate and everything. i dunno, before, when i WASN'T on the SB, i was nice and skinny. i ate a lot of low fat foods and watched my calories. now that i'm on this WOE after i went on the SB a while ago then fell off and went back to my LF eating, i'm a bit chunkier and i'm not liking it. urgh. it's really frustrating and almost depressing to think that i never worked at it much and yet i was thin. now here i am, working on it, trying to lose what i gained and nothing.

i'm sad i wanna be really skinny again. =(.

on a somewhat brighter note, despite my rampant urges to weigh myself this morning, i held back. i will NOT weigh myself til next monday (8/28)

let's just see how long i can really keep off the scale.

i'm gonna be really sad if it goes up. =(

[lorka150]

hey vanAJ,
i understand how you feel, looking at old photos. if you found that calorie counting worked better, why don't you combine your 'methods'? this 'diet' allows for such flexibility - basically giving you the freedom for anything with some learning tools.

good luck.

[vancouverAJ]

thanks lorka....i was actually gonna start doing that =) makes absolute sense as this diet is not 'eat til youre full' and even though it says don't count calories, we still have to in a way...woo

thank you =)


on another note...happy at that...

i just bought a brand new [kitcheaid kfp750b] food processor!!!

im very excited to use it as i have quite a few things i'm ready to make esp. now that i'm on p2.

YAY!

[mom2three]

Honey I'm worried about your body image. Unless you are only 2 foot tall, there is no way you can be 'chunky' at 106 pounds. Please try to concentrate on how healthy you are feeling and how good you are being to yourself!!

[vancouverAJ]

aww thanks for your concern, but by chunky i meant flabby. i need to firm up. as for healthy, yah, i'm definitely all about being healthy. =)