I started on Monday, June 19th.
My first day was a challenge, and had it's ups and downs, but I feel like all and all it was a success:joy:
I started out making 2 scrambled eggs, a slice of low fat american cheese and a slice of boiled ham, cut up. I topped that with sugar free salsa. It was good.

I became hungry for my snack earlier than usual so started grazing on one serving of saltless mixed nuts and that tied me over til lunch.

I honestly can't remember for the life of me, what the heck I ate for lunch yesterday!! Isn't that terrible?! :Bang: But I know I did good, eating something healthy from our list of allowed foods. Duh!

It was like torture in the mid afternoon because I took my girls to the beach, along with their sweet treats...I brought some string cheese for me. Even though I was having massive cravings, I held strong and drank water and did not cave but I did eat 2 string cheeses. It was so funny because I opened a juice box for my daughter and habitually sucked up the first gulp before I handed it to her. Immediately I realized what I had done and before swallowing it, spit it out onto the sand. My 3 year old thought this was some kind of game, and mimicked me, spitting some of hers out as well. LOL!

My biggest mistake yesterday was not being prepared. I didn't make it to the store to buy dinner ingredients until almost 6pm, and by then I was starved and my blood sugar was really low. I could have curled up right there on the supermarket floor and had myself a nice little nap. hehe. But I plugged along, trying to find items on my list. Many things were difficult to find, and I was reading lots of labels, so I didn't even make it home until after 7pm. I stayed strong and without cheating, prepared dinner:
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2 chicken breast, cut up and sauteed in 2 tbs. olive oil with onions, zucchini, and mushrooms. Then I poured some sugar free spaghetti sauce over and topped that with some low fat mozarella. It was awesomely delicious. My husband even dug it. We had salads on the side with Romaine lettuce, leaf Spinach, cucumber, and onion but we were too full to eat all of it. Oh, and I put some kidney beans on my salad, and that was really disgusting. I'm trying to figure how I'm going to eat the beans that are recommended, but that wasn't it. Yuck. But the main dish rocked and we were stuffed.
Later on, I had a massive craving for chocolate. I remembered that I had some Sugar free/Fat free chocolate flavored Jello pudding in the cupboard and made that for the family. Is this allowed??? I didn't care, I ate a serving. Unfortunately, I blew it and made it with 2% milk. That was probably the worst mistake I made all day. But the fam loved it and didn't even know it was sugarless.
Today I started out with the idea I would have some sugarless nonfat yogurt and after one taste (blech) went with a one egg scramble, mushrooms, onions with 2 strips of Turkey bacon topped with a little low fat cheddar. Guess I'll hold on to that yogurt for recipes because I thought it was disgusting by itself.
I didn't do any excersize yesterday other than cleaning my house and grocery shopping so today I'm going to do some cardio and abs (I do at-home videos).
I also want to note that I'm going to be praying daily asking for God's help to keep me on track.
Keeping my eyes on the prize!:Boxing:
Dawn
Oh, PS> I bought some of that sugar free flavored coffee creamer. Can some one tell me if it's allowed? I am really hooked on the fat free hazelnut, but alas, it has sugar..It's no biggie to use the sugar free, or even if it's not allowed, that's ok too because I tried it this morning and it wasn't that great anyway.
The big question is... can I survive without my fat free hazelnut creamer in the morning??

Last night I had a massive craving for sweets, and in the midst of it, my daughters put on one of their favorite videos, Strawberry Shortcake. I was about to loose it, as the cute little berries sang a sweet little song about cupcakes. It went something like this "Sweet and gooey, rich and chewy..yum yum Chocolate goodness, fluffy cupcakes, yummy cupcakes cupcakes, CUPCAKES!!" It was shear torture. I grabbed some nuts and ran for cover. I probably ate too many of them, but considering the alternative, I think I did ok.

Yesterday for BFast:
One egg, scrambled with a little cheddar, mushrooms and onions
2 slices of turkey bacon (LOVING THAT!!)
tasted the nonfat yogurt, still don't like it

Snack:Snap Peas, about 20

Lunch: Leftover wonderful dinner from the night before, perfect.

*hunger*
Took along time for me to find a snack that sounded good today so I referenced my South Beach Diet book, (I found it! yay)
Made Cilantro Mayo, spread on a lettuce leaf with a peice of ham and red bell pepper
This was *alright*, I wasn't crazy about it, but it did the trick

Made the Marinated Flank Steak recipe out of the SB Diet book for dinner.
This rocked. Made rice for my hubby, but I didn't eat one bite of that.He loved the steak too. We accompanied it with the Roasted Veggie recipe, which was nummy.
The only downfall I'm experiencing with the meals, is that I'm not taking into consideration the time it takes to prepare everything and by the time we ate, once again, it was almost 8pm and I was starved.
I think I may be overeating because I'm so hungry by the time we eat because I'm feeling very bloated. But someone said that passes, I hope so. I'm wondering if it's because I'm not use to eating so much meat and cheese.

I am not happy about the amount of time I'm spending in the kitchen when I have sooooo many other things that need to get done.

This morning I had a 2 egg omelette with 2 strips of turkey bacon, mushrooms and onions, and salsa on the side. Two cups of coffee, caffeinated,with SF FF creamer. I am hungry already, and forgot to bring a snack to work. I will be home at 11 and eat lunch a little early.
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Today I'm going to try to get out to the store again, to get a few more things for the diet. I really need more dessert choices. I'm going to get some ricotta, to make those ricotta deserts that sound disgusting to me but that everyone insists are quite good.

I took my measurements yesterday since I forgot to on Sunday before I began, and it was depressing 41, 36, 40. Ugh. In high school I was 36, 27, 35

I did ab excersizes for about 20 minutes yesterday but that's all the time I had, so I never did get a good workout in. Today is crazy busy so I won't be working out today. But there's always tomorrow, *echo* tomorrow, tomorrow...LOL Oh, and I am going to the public beach today, with my 8 year old's class. Won't be wearing a swimsuit, that's for sure!

Keeping my eyes on the prize!
Dawn

OH yes to be in highschool shape again, wouldn't that be grand.
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My measurments are 35, 25.5, 38. I want to get my hips back down to 35 like they were in highschool as well. It's so hard, my upper body is so tiny and my butt and hips are so big, well at least I think they are, everyone else insists they look great. So anyway, I need to loose 3 inches off my hips and I would be soooooooooo happy with my body.

Any suggestions on getting slim hips? I got them down to 35 a couple years ago when I was training for a competition, by working out like mad and eating all healthy food and staying at a low cal low fat diet.

I'm so scared of when I have kids, I won't have the time to workout and stay in shape like I do now, but I know it's possible I see tons of women that are in great shape and have 3kids.

Dawn you are doing so well! What videos do you do? I love the Tae Bo 8 minute workout (which is actually 13 minutes!) on my really busy days. I am trying to get myself up at 5:30 to run or workout - it is a struggle, but I feel so much better when I do it! Keep up the good work, and remeber, your girls can have nuts and string cheese along with you - it's great for them too! And water or juice in sippy/straw cups - you'll be less tempted to sip!

Keep up the good work!
Amy

Girlfriend, every woman on here would love to have your measurements! But I know, everyone's battle is different. I do not know about getting slim hips, squats maybe? Bicycle? That would be my guess. Kids, yes they make working out a challenge, but anything is possible if you put your mind to it. My 3 year old likes to "ride me" when I'm doing my floor excersizes! LOL

Hi Amy
I have been doing the Crunch fitness series forever, even before I was married. The newest one I have is called "Boot Camp" and incorporates the use of hand weights. I have used this one called Washboard Abs (which I have never even come close to LOL) since before I was married (almost 10 years ago!) and it's barely viewable anymore! But it gives me a good workout.
I would love to try Tai Bo. I'm going to look into getting it. I need something new.
You get up at 5:30 to workout??!! You truly inspire me! I complain about having to wake at 6 to be at work by 7.
About the nuts and string cheese, I am already bored with them!
I'm going to buy some celery and all natural PB today, and I guess some more nuts. *sigh* And more water! Must remember that! Thanks.
This is going to be a loooong 2 weeks!

Well hopefully after I do decide to have kids. I will still be able to get up at 5:30 to workout that way I can get it done before they even get out of bed. I will be a stay at home mom when that time does come, so hopefull they will nap during the day and I can workout while they are napping.

I used to work out during nap (I am taking classes on-line right now) or take them running/cycling with me (but its now 110 here - augh) so 5:30 am is all I am left with - I complain a lot, but with my i pod and the quite, I love it once I get going. My fave snack right now is carb concious vanilla creme yogurt and chopped walnuts - very yummy! And I keep no sugar added fudgesicles for the chocolate cravings! Keep it up - the result are worth it!

Amy

Oh, and check out e bay for the tae bo videos!

Wow 110, where do you live? IT's like 90 here today it feels like a sauna out there, very humid, ick.

I am planning on not having any kids until im 30, how old were you when you had yours? I am 27 right now so 3 more years to go :Clap:

Oh duh you must live in Tahoe. As for the sugar free instant pudding, it's not allowed on Phase 1. I made the same mistake and ate it like a whole week on Phase 1 so I stayed on Phase 1 a week longer although it didn't cause me to loose anymore weight. I think Phase 1 is strictly for getting rid of your cravings, it sure did work for me.

Although now that im on phase II, I have noticed I am so much hungrier, on Phase 1 I had to remind myself to eat on some days cause I just wasn't hungry.

HOw many days have you been on PHase 1 now? Have you lost any weight?