Lisa's Journal (Life on the "Beach" - Part 2 all the way to goal!)

[ZerasPride]

December 23, 2003 (Tuesday) Day 23 on the Beach or This compliment thing is getting hard!

How do you handle the compliments you start to recieve from people? I have such a long way to go that when someone compliments on me on my loss so far, I get nervous. Someone said my pants are starting to get baggy. Someone else said that my face and neck are slimming and they can tell. Others look but don't say anything specific but you can see it register in their eyes. I think I must be losing quite a few inches as well as the 16 or so pounds for it to be so noticable. I really do feel like I want to run and hide from the attention. It's not much, but way more than I am used to getting.

I'm making this entry short and sweet today but may come back to add a bit more later on. I do want to add that I am trying not to let the scale dictate my mood. I have had such a lilt in my step the past two days because I weighed myself (again) and I had lost another pound. I kept thinking how I would feel about myself and my new way of eating if I had not lost this additional pound or how will I feel if I do not register a loss at the end of the week. There are so many positives and weight loss is just one of the them so I am going to try not to let the scale dictate who I am.

Food:
B: 1/2 bowl Bran Flakes cereal with 2% milk and 3 slices of bacon
S: 7 whole almonds
L: Chef Salad with lf ranch dressing
S: chicken and cheese roll-up
D: grilled sirloin cheeseburger on a bed of lettuce, tomato, mayo with 2 slices of bacon, a diet Pepsi and a sf fudgesicle for dessert

Exercise/Water Gauge:
I rode my bike for 30 minutes this morning and on the water scale I would say it was a 6.0 day. Not bad!

The ice cream in my freezer was calling my name after dinner but I have resolved to only have 1 serving (1/2 cup) twice a week so I have to wait until Friday night for it. I am also looking forward to the next week because I am trying some new lc recipes including Gooey Mexican Beef Casserole, Fried Fish cooked in canola oil and I'm going to be real daring and try one of the lc cheesecake recipes using splenda. I'll let you all know how these new meals and treats turn out.

I hope everyone has a good afternoon!

 

[ZerasPride]

December 24, 2003 (Wednesday) Day 24 on the Beach or Noticing more subtle changes!

I was getting off the couch and realized I didn't need to brace myself on the arm of the sofa to get up; also I can walk up the stairs to our townhouse without being out of breath; my shoes fit better and my clothes are getting loose; I can wear the smallest size underwear I have and last but not least I am so proud of this one - I was in a hurry to get dressed for work and I grabbed a pair of pantyhose that I know were too small. I bought them a long time ago from Lane Bryant. They are the smallest size and I couldn't even get them all the way up my legs before so I just threw them in the drawer. Low and behold, I could actually wear them, pretty comfortably!! I can't believe I'm wearing the smallest sized pantyhose from the big girl shop!! I wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

I must be losing inches as well as pounds. I worked out using the Firm videos for six months. Of course I didn't change my eating habits but I worked out hard. I lost quite a few inches but no weight and I certainly couldn't fit into those pantyhose but thanks to a modest work out routine and the SBD, I can! Weight loss can be such an up and down rollercoaster ride that I want to make sure I document even the subtle changes I am noticing so that when I hit a stall, it won't throw me for a loop.

Food:
B: 1/2 bowl of Bran Flakes cereal with 3 slices of bacon
S: 7 whole almonds
L: grilled cheeseburger on a bed of lettuce, tomato, mayo and 2 slices of bacon and a diet Pepsi
S: ff chocolate jello pudding cup
D: grilled chicken breast and salad with lf ranch dressing and I skipped dessert - I didn't need it!

Exercise/Water Gauge:
I rode my bike for 20 minutes and on the water scale I'd give it a 6.5. Pretty good considering I worked 1/2 a day.

That's a wrap for Wednesday. Going to Mom's on Thursday for dinner. She's so sweet and made certain dishes just for me and DH. I have no intentions of touching any of the carbs that will be on her dinner table and she total understands. It helps when people in your life support your decisions and don't try to sabotage your efforts. We can lose or even maintain despite all the foods around us that we can't have. Let's concentrate on what we can enjoy. Have a good day everyone!

 

[ZerasPride]

December 25, 2003 (Thursday) Day 25 on the Beach or Get Back Evil Chocolate Cake!

Tried a new recipe for brunch for me and DH for mock french toast. It was so good! I am really loving this way of life with all the yummy foods we can eat. DH was suitably impressed with our breakfast too.

Spent part of the day at my mom's house and she made sure she had some deviled eggs and vegetables for me and DH so we appreciated it. I was blind sided by the double fudge chocolate cake which smelled fresh from the bakery. I countered it with a promise to myself to have a 1/2 cup of ice cream when I got home (and I did). I am so proud of me and DH that we avoided all the carb-ladden food at dinner and frankly neither of us wanted any of it.

Food:
Brunch: Mock French Toast with sugar free syrup and 3 sausage patties
Snack: 5 whole almonds
Dinner: 1 slice of ham, 5 deviled eggs and some collard greens with 1/2 cup of Breyers no sugar added ice cream

Exercise/Water:
I did the FIRM cardio videotape for 30 minutes. I'm going to try to use the tape every other day, we'll see. Water was about a 5.0 today.

That's a wrap for Thursday. It was nice having a day off and visiting with my family. A day away from work is always appreciated. I can't believe it has been almost one month since DH and I started this journey! One of my favorite things to do now instead of jumping on and off the scale is to try on smaller sized clothes in my closet and I am happy that many things actually fit! Not quite comfortably in most cases but a lot of the items are either size 22 or 20 and I haven't been able to wear either of those sizes in years. I do hope to make my first major goal of onederland by July 1 and I think it's within reach!

I hope everyone has a good evening.

 

[littleducksmom]

lisa,

wow!!!!!!!wow!!!!!...........i super impressed on your choices yesterday..........totally amazing...........you have totally got the right mindset, my friend...........

great water consumption too!!!!!!!

i have lots of size 18/20 clothes that i would be glad to send ya if you need to them to get thru those middle stages.

you dont know how proud i am of you!!!!!!!

 

[Castillo Mom]

Hi Lisa! You're doing a wonderful job! That no sugar added ice cream is a lifesaver, isn't it? Truly a treat, especially when you've been out somewhere and passed on something tempting knowing that you have something delicious AND low carb waiting for you at home. You should be proud. I probably won't check in until Monday, gotta hit the mall for the sales you know. Have a great weekend!

 

[ZerasPride]

December 26, 2003 (Friday) Day 26 on the Beach or Fried Fish Anyone?

Thanks so much for the encouragement Deb and Lisa! I really appreciate it. Deb, I just might take you up on that offer in a few months because I definitely can't afford to buy new clothes, especially right now. Fortunately, I have kept many of my clothes over the years in smaller sizes (just couldn't throw my precious things away) so I might be all set but your offer is so gracious and kind!!!! Lisa, was that you I saw on the evening news with a full cart at the Walmart store?

I tried another new recipe for fried fish and it turned out very good. Even DS thought the fish was good. I coated the fish with parmeasan cheese after soaking the pieces in milk and eggs and we had cole slaw sweetened with splenda. I love cooking low carb!

B: Mock french toast and 3 pieces of sausage with 1/2 glass of 2% milk
S: 7 whole almonds
L: 2 slices of deli chicken and cheese
D: fried fish (cooked in canola oil) and cole slaw with a diet Pepsi and no dessert but plenty of water

Exercise/Water:
20 minutes on the exercise bike and about 6.0 on the water. Went to the bathroom almost every hour on the hour or so it seemed so will try to cut down on the water late at night.

That's a wrap for Friday. I hope everyone was able to handle their social eating situations in a good way. This has not been an easy past few days for anyone concerned with maintaining or losing weight but when you have as much to take off as me, you become focused. It's either all or nothing with me, which usually is not a good thing, but it seems to be this time around.

Here's to taking off MORE in 2004!!!!!

 

[littleducksmom]

lisa.........i am glad you are in that "ALL" phase now.........the offer stands on the clothes.......just holler if i can help.

that fish sounds absolutely delicious, what kind of fish did you use?

great job with the exercise and h2o again......i hate that late nite bathroom stuff....i try to not drink much after 7pm.

 

[ZerasPride]

Deb, thanks again for your generous offer. I will definitely holler if I need anything. You are a sweetie!

I used perch, my favorite fish. It was a bit more messy than using corn meal which is what I usually coat my fish with but it was very tasty. Give it a try.

I made a mexican hamburger casserole that my husband really liked for dinner tonight. I thought it was just okay but he loved it. I also just baked my first ever lc cheesecake. Plus I made my own homemade strawberry topping to go on top made with splenda. We're eating it tomorrow night with dinner. Did I mention how much I love cooking and eating this lc food? Have a good evening!

 

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, you are so inspiring to me!! Your enthusiasm is contagious, girlfriend, and that's just what I need right now as I try to get back in the groove!

Please post some of your really good recipes on the Eating Healthy recipe area of WISH, so I can get out of the boring rut I'm in with my food. I need to try some new recipes!

I second Deb's idea - I try not to drink much after 7 PM. It really cuts down on those night-time trips to the bathroom.

You should be very proud of you! You're truly living healthy, helping your DH do the same, and setting such a great example for your DS. Way to go!!

 

[LAinSEA]

Your fish recipe sounds great - just like at the fancy restaurants!

-Laurie

 

[Strings]

Lisa, all I can say is wow! You are doing so well. I'm very impressed. I'm going to try out your fish recipe for dinner tommorrow.
Beth

 

[ZerasPride]

Thanks Beth, Laurie and Doe for checking on me! I can't take the credit for any of the recipes I've been making. I've gotten them all from the lowcarbfriends.com website. So far everything we have tried has been either pretty good or excellent! It certainly makes it easier to make this "diet" a way of life when the food is so delicious. Can't wait to taste that cheesecake tonight, I hope I'm not setting myself up to be disappointed. I've never made a cheesecake before. DH thinks I'm becoming a real chef. I have to admit I love cooking now and couldn't stand to even be in the kitchen before we started SBD.

Today was weigh in and day and I am happy to report I have lost another 2.5 pounds so that's a total of 19 pounds since 12/01/03! I can't believe I can eat all this great food and still lose weight! I do work out everyday and I try to drink a ton of water so I know that helps but I am so glad I found South Beach or that it found me. Whichever, it doesn't matter to me, I feel so on fire and full of conviction right now for this lifestyle. I know I'll have my down times but I'm going to ride this wave of optimism until it runs out! If my humble example can help anyone then I am grateful for this site in being able to post my experiences so far. I have so far to go and am trying to concentrate on one day and one pound at a time and not think too much about how much I have to lose, that would definitely put a damper on things for me. But concentrating on the good foods, exercising each day and drinking my water each day makes the journey seem bearable and of course having you all here to cheer me on as I cheer you on is invaluable.

I know 2004 will be our year ladies! Let's do this "thing" together!!!!!

 

[ZerasPride]

December 27, 2003 (Saturday) Day 27 on the Beach or It just brings out the chef in me!

I truly do love cooking since starting SBD. If anyone is looking for some yummie ideas for lc eating, you can check out the lowcarbfriends.com recipe board. There are some wonderful recipes on that site!

I've tried and truly enjoyed the mock french toast and fried fish. DH loves the gooey mexican hamburger casserole. I made my first ever homemade lc cheesecake last night and even made my own strawberry topping with splenda and frozen strawberries. It will be Sunday night's dessert.

We went to the movies and saw Cheaper by the Dozen. It was cute. DH and I shared a bag of popcorn. I was so proud when I asked for it without butter the way I see skinny women doing all the time as I would roll my eyes and ask for extra butter on mine making sure they would put the butter in the middle and on top. Or as my mother would also say, keep pumping in the butter until I tell you to stop! Anyways, I had my ICBINB spray in my purse and it was a perfectly acceptable substitute on popcorn. I almost didn't even notice the difference!

Food:
B: 1/2 bowl of oatmeal sweetened with splenda and 3 slices of bacon
S: 7 whole almonds
L: toppings from pizza and a salad with lf ranch dressing
S: real popcorn from the movies!
D: gooey mexican hamburger casserole and a diet Pepsi with 1/4 cup of Breyers no sugar added ice cream for dessert

Exercise/Water Gauge:
25 minutes on exercise bike and water was a 6.0 - drank too much late at night to make up for little consumption during the day. Trying to improve on that so I don't have to spend half the night in the bathroom .

That's a wrap for Saturday. I hope everyone has a good evening and as we look to a new year we can set reachable goals for ourselves and be here to support each other every step of the way. Now I'm off to check the journals of some of my WISH pals!

 

[ZerasPride]

December 28, 2003 (Sunday) Day 28 on the Beach or I like what the scale is saying!

Lost another 2.5 pounds this week for a total of 19 pounds in 4 weeks. I am very happy with this way of eating and even happier with the weight that I am taking off. I have also tried some yummy new lc recipes out on my family and for the most part, we have enjoyed everything. We were a little disappointed in the cheesecake though. The consistency was off a bit and the bottom tasted like tin (from the pan). I will try another cheesecake recipe down the line but it won't be for a while. DH and I have come to the conclusion that we'd rather eat our no sugar added ice cream for now. But I did get a recipe for brownies and another for fudge and will probably try one of them next week.

Food:
B: 1/2 bowl of whole grain cereal with 2% milk and 3 slices of bacon
S: 3 grilled hot dogs and some popcorn with a diet Pepsi
D: several slices of ham (thin slices), collard greens and 3 deviled eggs with a slice of strawberry cheesecake for dessert

Exercise/Water Gauge:
I did the FIRM ab scuplt tape and boy was it hard. I did make it through the entire 25 minutes though so I'm proud of myself for that. Water was okay today, about 5.0. Not too bad considering I was home most of the day.

That's a wrap for Sunday. I can't believe today completes our 4th week on the Beach. People are really starting to notice me and DH's loss which is both exciting and scary at the same time. I do feel this is the first time in my life I am trying to take this weight off for me and maybe that's why I am having some success. I hope by this time next year to be able to say I have stuck with the program and have lost the weight I wanted to lose. I hope the same for everyone of my WISH buddies on this same journey with me. Much success!

 

[Strings]

Lisa,

I was disappointed in the cheesecake on Christmas as well. I used parchment paper, so it didn't taste funny. Mine was bitter. I did the marbled mocha. I would add more splenda and divinci and decrease the coffee on that one. Oh well, you've got to try. I'll probably try again the end of Jan for my b-day. I have to agree that Firm tape is very tough. Good for you getting through it. CONGRATULATIONS on the weight loss.
Beth

 

[littleducksmom]

woohoo on your pounds lost this week!!!!!!!!! i'll be with ya this year on your journey....... 4 weeks down........fabulous!!!!

i made a cheesecake too when i was doing atkins and it is still in my freezer except for the small amt i tried. mine tasted too sour for me and had that tin taste too.........i am sure i will just throw the thing away soon.

 

[lulu201]

Hi, Lisa! Just wanted to drop by and say hi. Congratulations on your amazing success with South Beach! You have so much to be proud of. . .what a wonderful place to be at the beginning of a brand new year!

Keep up the awesome and inspiring work!

Erin

 

[ZerasPride]

Thanks so much for the support guys. It is humbly appreciated as always!

Beth and littleducksmom - you guys don't know how relieved I am to hear that your cheesecakes were pretty bad too! I thought it was me. I consider myself somewhat of a lc chef now and I was so disappointed. We are going to finish it, as a matter of fact, we don't have much left so I guess I'll force another piece down my throat after dinner just so we can be done with the nasty thing.

Erin - thanks for your continued support. It's so nice to be able to start a new year, not with another resolution to lose weight but to have accomplished some weight loss already.

I know in 2004 we each will be successful - first because we have the determination and second because we have each other! Have a good evening gals!

 

[Castillo Mom]

Lisa 19 pounds gone! Woohoo!
I'm so proud of you! What an amazing job you're doing and all in only one month. Where has the time gone? It feels like just last week you joined us at WISH, and voila, you're a pro now well on your way to meeting goal. Boy, I sure did have a lot of catching up to do reading your journal. Sorry to hear about the cheesecake. I was looking forward to your saying that it was delicious. You said it tasted like tin, so the recipe didn't call for like a graham cracker crust or something similar? I'm tempted to order this recipe book I found on the web. I can't remember the name of the author, but it's this lady who's supposed to be an expert at low carb recipes. I'll have to search for it again. Hey, I love your catch phrase, " Lose more in 2004." I'm going to keep repeating it to myself! Well, gotta go, I still have an hour to go here at work and I have some reports to finish up. Have a good evening!

 

[ZerasPride]

December 29, 2003 (Monday) Day 29 on the Beach or I thought you guys didn't like my nasty cheesecake?

I am happy to report that the nasty cheesecake is dead. Yep, we "killed" it. There is not even a trace left! I don't think my family hated it as much as they said they did. I will probably try making another lc cheesecake again. I have another recipe but first, I've got my eye on the Decadent Fudge Brownies for Sunday dessert. Did I mention how much I love lc cooking? I will let you all know how the lc brownies turn out.

Lisa - I think I know the lady you are talking about who wrote that cookbook. Isn't her name Dana Carpenter? I would like to order her cookbook too. But I like things simple. When recipes start to talk about pulverizing ingredients in food processors and needing soy or almond flour and water baths, I quickly lose interest. But who knows, she may have some yummy recipes. Please let me know if you buy her book, okay?

I can't believe it has been a month since DH and I started this journey. My sister told me the other day that my jeans were so baggy on me that it would be no time before I needed a new pair. It was a nice complement to receive. I think we are losing many inches along with the pounds. But frankly, I don't care how the weights goes, as long as it does keep going away!!!

Food:
B: 1/2 bowl of whole grain flakes with 2% milk and 3 slices of bacon
S: forgot to eat one in the morning but had an early lunch
L: Grilled sirloin cheeseburger with a salad and lf ranch dressing
S: ff jello pudding cup
D: Ham, greens and 4 deviled eggs and the last of the "nasty" strawberry cheesecake for dessert

Exercise/Water Gauge:
Rode my exercise bike for 7 miles (30 minutes) and water level was approximately 5.0. Not to bad but could have done a lot better with the water. TOM is here this week so I've been feeling a bit sluggish but this feeling should go away by the end of the week. I am going to make sure I get in lots of water over the next few days because I don't want any funny stuff with the scale on Sunday when I weigh in.

That's a wrap for Monday. I hope now the merrymaking festivities are just about over, things can get back to normal and we all won't have to fight off social situations where there are all sorts of tempting foods.

Lisa - thanks for keeping up with reading my journal. I appreciate your comments as always. I can't believe I have come to rely on this forum so much in the past month. I hope my journey and story can and will help someone else out there. Have a good evening.

Okay everyone, let's concentrate on losing more in 2004!!!!!