back to phase 1...

I had a really hard time sticking to the SBD in Florida. There's tons of fresh seafood and some great produce. Unfortunately, a lot of the restaurants around my BF's parents' house fry their fish. On night we did find a place that had a blackened seafood platter. The fish and seafood were great! But, it was served with fries, hush puppies, and a really small side salad. I ordered an extra side -- veggie of the day -- it was corn. So, once I accepted the fact that I was on vacation and that I would do damage control once I got home, I just enjoyed myself and made the best choices that I could...I also figured ice cream was necessary since it was so hot.

Well, I got home last night and this morning I got on the scale. I gained back 2.5 pounds, putting me at 135.5. So, I'm going to go back to phase 1 for a few days. Depending on how that goes, I might stay on until next week. Today, I'm pulling the book back off the shelf. I'm going to do some meal planning for the week and will probably stop for groceries on the way home from work.

no loss...

Well, I didn't loose any weight this week. I'm holding steady at 133. So, the good news is that I haven't gained back any weight!

I'm going down to Florida for the weekend to see my BF's parents. I'm going to try do my best to stick to the diet, but it is vacation after all. I did plan ahead for the plane ride today. I packed dinner and a snack for both of us. That way I won't have to eat the airport/plane food. Also, my BF's mom is usually fairly health conscious when it comes to cooking...Hey, she could even let me do some of the cooking if she wants a break.

When I get back I will probably head back to phase 1 for a few days. The idea of doing that seems weird since I've hardly added any starches or fruit to my daily routine. However, if I gain any weight back I will definitely cut them out for a few days.

compressed...

I got an okay to switch to an alternative work schedule! Starting in August, I'm going to have every other Friday off. Of course I'll have to work 9-hour days, but the trade off will definitely be worth it.

baby steps...

My BF and I went to a homebuying fair over the weekend. I have been thinking of getting my own home/condo for a little over a year now. Pretty much since we moved in together. It was at that point that I realized that I hadn't really been able to decorate my own dwelling the way that I want. My last apartment had cinderblock walls that and I never put in the effort to drill anchors to hang things. In our current apartment, the landlord has made it clear that he doesn't want us to paint (even though he didn't even clean the place before we moved in).

BF has been scared by the fact that I want to buy a place. He thinks that there is no way that we could afford it. He also has grandiose dreams of moving out of the DC area. Well, the fair settled a lot of that. Even though I've been telling him a lot of good information, he never fully believed me. Well, hearing it from an impartial source has sealed the deal. Also, we both got our credit scores and his wasn't as "bad" as he thought. Actually, his score is pretty good!

So, once we get back from out trip to Florida, we're going to really get this ball rolling!

i wasn't prepared for this...

I hadn't been thinking about this because I didn't really expect that I would loose weight this quickly -- not that 8.5 lbs in 6 weeks is all that fast. But I'm finding that clothes are really starting to hang off of me. For some items this is good. I don't feel constricted. But then there are some items that I've tried on and gotten kind of freaked out.

For example, I bought a pair of jeans in April while I was on vacation. It was before I even though of going on South beach and I was around 142 lbs at that point. I had to try on 8 pairs of jeans before finding the perfect pair...you know, not so tight that I felt self-conscious wearing them but just tight enough to look good. Well, I'm wearing those jeans today and I needed to put a belt on. They still look good but just not the same fit as in April.

I know that tons of girls would die for this problem...heck, even I'm really excited. I just never thought about the fact that I'm going to need to start buying new clothes.

i'm a looser...

It's day 18 of phase 2...I got on the scale this morning and shining back at me was 133.0! I then got off the scale and did a little happy dance. I've made it past the half way mark.

I also had someone at work notice that I had lost weight. I don't really make a huge deal out of being on a diet. It's not that I'm ashamed, but I just don't want to deal with people asking question or looking down their noses because I decided to go on South Beach. Since, I have always brought my lunch and still do, people don't really notice that I'm eating differently. At the same time, it was nice to be paid a complement.

I'm also really excited because I'm going to visit my BF's family in Florida next week. I haven't been to a beach (or in a swimsuit) since high school. So, I went and bought a suit last week. I didn't buy anthing that great because I think I really need a swimsuit. Well, I've lost 2.5lbs since I bought the suit and all of my clothes have been hanging a little more. So, I think I'll be a bit more comfortable wearing it.

phase 2, day 15...

It has been a very slow week. I'm only down half a pound since last Monday. I know I should be happy to have lost anything, but it's a little discouraging.

My period started this weekend, and I think that has a lot to do with it. I've been feeling bloated and tired...not really wanting to do anything. Also, I really craved salty snacks this weekend. Unfortunately, I gave in. On Saturday, we had our friend Matt over so I made some guacamole. Well, at first I told myself that I would just have a few tortilla chips. That turned into a good ol' face full of chips. It's not that I couldn't stop myself...I just enjoyed them so much I wanted more. The next day I was still craving something crunchy but I put my foot down.

All in all, I'm happy to see that I'm down to 135.5 -- 6lbs woohoo! But, I've got to dig my heels in a little more in the next couple of weeks.

almost time for the weekend...

This has seemed like the longest week...even though it was a short one. I am really looking forward to just wasting away another weekend. All I want to do this weekend is knit and grill. If I'm feeling adventurous, maybe I'll go play some pinball.

I'm still not able to concentrate very well and I'm starting to think that it's because I haven't been sleeping very well. Hopefully I can catch up on some sleep tonight and have a bit of energy for the weekend.

phase 2, day 10...

Over the holiday weekend, I took some liberties with the phase 2 food list. I drank way too many beers. I love this diet but I just can't give up the experience of a icy cold beer on a hot DC night. I know that if I cut out beer all together it would be really easy to drop pounds, but I need to keep some things that really bring me pleasure.

I weighed in Monday morning...136 lbs! That's down 1.5 lbs from the week before. I guess it's true that some people tend to loose faster in the 2nd phase. I'm trying to incorporate one starch and one serving of fruit each day. It seems to be working alright so far.

Unfortunately I didn't have much luck yesterday. I had half a cup of brown rice with chili for lunch and about an hour later I felt really run down and tired. Then I ate half an apple along with a tbsp of peanut butter for my afternoon snack. And, about half an hour later I felt like I wanted something to eat. So, I'm going to have to watch out for these foods. Perhaps I'm not ready for apples yet.

can't seem to concentrate...

So, I'm 10 days into the second phase of the SBD, and feel like I have a lot more energy. The only problem is that I can't seem to concentrate on any one thing long enough to get it done. Last night, I was working on packing my lunch for today. In the middle of that project I went into the living room and watched a little TV. Half an hour later I realized that I still needed to finish putting together the salad that I had started.

Now, I'm at work and can't get into anything I need to get done before the end of the week. Perhaps it's just an ill effect of the long weekend.

just like old times...

Last night, I went to good ol' Ft. Reno to see Ted Leo. Seeing teens hanging out took me back to the days when I spent ever Monday and Thursday there during summer. They weren't all there to see the band, but to see friends and try to look cool...kind of like a lot of the nights I went there to hang out. In some ways it's like any other high school scene: which girls have the right clothes and hair?; do you think that guy notices me?; what's she doing here? And I used to play the game a little bit. I used to think that my friends were super-cool and could run the place (or at least our little territory).

But, the cool part really was the music. I got to hear a ton of cool, young local talent start out. It was the first place that I heard Trans Am, Velocity Girl, Unrest, and Ted Leo's former band -- Chisel. (Ah 1993 was a very good year for music in DC). The set that TL played last night really took me back. It was upbeat pop that really rocked. It made you want to jump around and bob your head...because, as my BF says, no one in DC dances. Although that may be true, DC kids (young and old) really know how to support the local scene...

phase 2, day 4...

Just a quick update. I've a few bad days. Although I have enjoyed adding back a few foods--blueberries, oatmeal, yogurt--I hadn't seen any difference in weight. So, I made yesterday a fairly strict day with no "starches" and just one serving of fruit. It paid off! This morning when I got on the scale it read 136.5! Today's breakfast was Kashi Heart to Heart cereal with fresh blueberries. I'm going to try to make it through the rest of the day with all phase 1 foods.

I also started taking walks again. I'm aiming for a basic 30 minutes a day. I'm also going to start throwing the Pilates routine back in the mix.