********************
Breakfast: small can of V-8; two veggie to-go quiches
Lunch: potato gnocchi with stewed tomatoes; really large wild mushrooms salad; whole grain hearth roll dipped in a little olive oil; iced tea; espresso [restaurant meal]
Dinner: tossed salad with cashews and olives; medium cup of vegetable soup; diet kiwi-strawberry Snapple
Exercise: none
********************
So how do you determine how many calories you burn a day? If you want to be accurate, you have to be anal. In other words, do what I do: spend about a month writing down every single thing you eat, in correct portions, and use a website like fitday.com or foodcount.com (in addition to the nutrition panels on any prepared foods you eat) to calculate calories. Sometimes you'll have to estimate, but these resources will give you the information you need to be pretty precise in your guesses.
Before you start, weigh yourself first thing in the morning. At the end of the month, weigh yourself again, first thing in the morning. (Better still, weigh yourself every day at the same time of the day for the first three or four days, and average that number to get your "starting weight" value. Do the same at the end of the month for your "ending weight.") When the month is up, if you gained no weight at all, then add up all the calories you ate that month, and divide this by the number of days in the month. That's how many calories you can eat a day and neither gain nor lose. If you lost weight during the month, then add up all the calories you ate, subtract 3500 calories for every pound you lost, divide the total by the number of days, and *that's* your number. If you gained, do the same thing, but add 3500 calories for every pound.
Doing this takes a commitment of about 15 minutes every day to record your diet in a spreadsheet program (like Excel or Lotus), and look up the calories in the food you eat. A lot of people don't want to spend fifteen minutes a day to obsess over what they stick in their mouths. I can't say I blame them. I'd be lying if I tried to pretend it isn't a pain to keep track. However, it's the only thing that is 100% accurate for *you*.
What about rules of thumb? Here's one: for a moderately active, medium-framed young man, who spends at least a few hours a day moving around rather than sitting on his duff in front of a desk or on a couch, multiply bodyweight in pounds by 15. This is the number of calories he can eat each day and not gain weight. So, a 150 lb. man can eat 150 X 15 or 2225 calories a day. Approximately. *Very* approximately.
What if you are not a man? More/less active? Older? Big boned or small framed? Heavily muscled, or the kind of person who gets sand kicked in his face at the beach? All of these things are going to shift that rule of thumb around. Sometimes a lot. But you need precision, you say! Here's one thing you can do: go to this website and input the variables it asks for. You will get two numbers. One is your "B.E.E." or "basal energy expenditure," and will be very low. This is the number that you need to stay alive, basically. If you eat something, you burn calories digesting. If you talk or even think hard, you are going to burn a few calories. Certainly if you walk around, clean house, run to the bus, do wind sprints, etc., you burn even more. The B.E.E. is your absolute baseline energy expenditure needed to keep you alive (and not even alive and awake. Note there is no difference in B.E.E. between those who are bedridden, versus those who are "ambulatory." When they say "basal," they really mean "basal.")
So how much do you burn above your B.E.E.? Well, that's extremely variable, and almost entirely determined by your lifestyle. Find any one of the innumerable sites out there, like this one, that tell you how many calories you will burn doing various daily activities and exercises. These aren't perfect, because, for instance, a 200-pound person burns more in an hour of running than a 100-pound person. But it's better than nothing.
However,even if you carefully calculate the calories you burn every hour of the day, and add that to your B.E.E., you still are not going to get an accurate daily caloric value for you. Specifically, the number you calculate will still be too low. Remember, you use up calories digesting food, and talking and gesticulating and using your noggin, and laughing and kicking your leg absent-mindedly while you sit at a desk. The calories you burn doing these things are going to be very, very hard to calculate--not only because I don't know where you'd find a place that tells you what the average person burns doing these things, but because you probably don't even notice you are doing most of them. To make matters worse, on any given day, your activities are going to vary a lot. You'd have to calculate these numbers over the course of at least a week, and then average.
Now, the final insult: the B.E.E. is just a numerical formula based on what *typical* people of a given height, weight, age and gender burn. If you are more naturally heavily-muscled or heavy-boned than the typical person, for instance, the B.E.E. isn't even going to be the ideal starting point for you to add your lifestyle-calories to.
Can't we just rely on the second number the website calculator gives us, the "Caloric Requirement"?, you may ask. Look, we're trying to be accurate here! Work with me! Seriously, that number strikes me as low, except for an almost completely sedentary person. And again, it's a number meant for an average person--and pretty much nobody is the average person. Certainly not you or me!
What it all comes down to is this: daily caloric requirements are incredibly variable. The number of factors that goes into determining them make even the most sophisticated calculators out there woefully inadequate for anyone seeking a little precision. If it's precision you're after, you really are stuck with my month-long-food-diary technique. (And even that should be redone every couple of years, or with any major lifestyle change, like starting up an exercise routine or changing jobs or having kids.) On the other hand, do you really need precision? Eat until you're full, and then stop. Eat healthy food. Don't count calories. Don't obsess.
Leave that to me.
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Phase 2, Day 24
********************
Breakfast: forgot to eat it and now I'm STARVING
Lunch: big tofu stir-fry; diet Snapple iced green tea (love this stuff!!) [from Food Court]
Dinner: roasted vegetables with lettuce and tomatoes and a packet each of mayo & mustard; a navel orange; one HUGE chocolate chip cookie; diet coke [catered boxed dinner]
Exercise: none
********************
Went to a Broadway show tonight, and had a boxed dinner on the bus. With a delectable, enormous, chocolate chip cookie. I didn't eat the bread on the roasted veggie sandwich, though. All told, it was a super low-calorie day, which I didn't quite realize until I toted it all up. Missing breakfast was big. No wonder I was so hungry when I went to bed.
Thumbs up on the show: Wicked. Highly entertaining!
Breakfast: forgot to eat it and now I'm STARVING
Lunch: big tofu stir-fry; diet Snapple iced green tea (love this stuff!!) [from Food Court]
Dinner: roasted vegetables with lettuce and tomatoes and a packet each of mayo & mustard; a navel orange; one HUGE chocolate chip cookie; diet coke [catered boxed dinner]
Exercise: none
********************
Went to a Broadway show tonight, and had a boxed dinner on the bus. With a delectable, enormous, chocolate chip cookie. I didn't eat the bread on the roasted veggie sandwich, though. All told, it was a super low-calorie day, which I didn't quite realize until I toted it all up. Missing breakfast was big. No wonder I was so hungry when I went to bed.
Thumbs up on the show: Wicked. Highly entertaining!
Monday, March 29, 2004
Phase 2, Day 23
********************
Breakfast: soymilk smoothie with strawberries, blueberries and flax seed meal
Lunch: stir-fry (they were out of tofu--all veggies); diet cran-raspberry Snapple [from Food Court]
Midafternoon snack: small can V-8; 1 T almond butter
Dinner: roasted vegetables and pesto sandwich with whole grain bread; small Jamaican bean soup; diet Snapple lime green tea [from Food Court]
Exercise: none
********************
Was definitely hungry a lot today. Never panicky-hungry, but low-grade hungry for sure. Losing the first seven pounds was easy, but I'm now getting to the point where if I lose more, it will definitely be below what my body normally is. I don't expect my body will take this without a fight...
Breakfast: soymilk smoothie with strawberries, blueberries and flax seed meal
Lunch: stir-fry (they were out of tofu--all veggies); diet cran-raspberry Snapple [from Food Court]
Midafternoon snack: small can V-8; 1 T almond butter
Dinner: roasted vegetables and pesto sandwich with whole grain bread; small Jamaican bean soup; diet Snapple lime green tea [from Food Court]
Exercise: none
********************
Was definitely hungry a lot today. Never panicky-hungry, but low-grade hungry for sure. Losing the first seven pounds was easy, but I'm now getting to the point where if I lose more, it will definitely be below what my body normally is. I don't expect my body will take this without a fight...
Sunday, March 28, 2004
Phase 2, Day 22
********************
Breakfast: strawberry/banana/soymilk smoothie with hemp oil; mug of green tea
Lunch: salad of mixed greens, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, red bell pepper, pistachios and olive oil/balsamic vinegar
Midafternoon snack: glass of V-8
Dinner: panang curry (Taste of Thai sauce with veggies and tofu); 1 c brown rice; 4 frozen veggie dumplings; diet Snapple lime iced tea
Exercise: none
********************
A friend gave me a bunch of hand-me-downs, including a pair of jeans that are Gap size 4s. They fit. :)
It amazes me how quickly I'm downshifting through jeans sizes. Basically, I've gone down two sizes by losing 7-8 pounds. Is every four pounds really a size? I guess it makes sense; if I were 20 pounds heavier, or 147 pounds, I would be a size 12. And if I were 167 pounds, I'd be a size 16. Etc. It's just that four pounds seems so insubstantial. I mean, I lose or gain four pounds at the drop of a hat. I guess this explains why I need fifty million articles in clothing in as many sizes, to ensure that on any given day I actually have something that fits.
Breakfast: strawberry/banana/soymilk smoothie with hemp oil; mug of green tea
Lunch: salad of mixed greens, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, red bell pepper, pistachios and olive oil/balsamic vinegar
Midafternoon snack: glass of V-8
Dinner: panang curry (Taste of Thai sauce with veggies and tofu); 1 c brown rice; 4 frozen veggie dumplings; diet Snapple lime iced tea
Exercise: none
********************
A friend gave me a bunch of hand-me-downs, including a pair of jeans that are Gap size 4s. They fit. :)
It amazes me how quickly I'm downshifting through jeans sizes. Basically, I've gone down two sizes by losing 7-8 pounds. Is every four pounds really a size? I guess it makes sense; if I were 20 pounds heavier, or 147 pounds, I would be a size 12. And if I were 167 pounds, I'd be a size 16. Etc. It's just that four pounds seems so insubstantial. I mean, I lose or gain four pounds at the drop of a hat. I guess this explains why I need fifty million articles in clothing in as many sizes, to ensure that on any given day I actually have something that fits.
Saturday, March 27, 2004
Phase 2, Day 21
------------------------------------
Weight/Measurements:
Weight: 127 pounds
Bodyfat: 26%
Waist, holding in stomach like I normally do: 27.5 inches
Waist, letting it all hang out: 28.5
Waist around my belly button, holding in stomach like I normally do: 31.5
Waist around my belly button, letting it all hang out: 32
Hips: 37
Chest: 30
Bust: 36.5
Thighs: R21.5, L20.5
------------------------------------
Weight: 134 -- 131 -- 129 -- 130 -- 127.5 -- 127
Bodyfat: 29% -- 29% -- 27% -- 28% -- 27.5% -- 26%
Waist, sucking in: 28.5 -- 28.5 -- 28.5 -- 28 -- 27.5 -- 27.5
Waist, hanging out: 30 -- 29.5 -- 29 -- 29 -- 28.5 -- 28.5
Belly, sucking in: 32 -- 31.5 -- 31.5 -- 31.5 -- 31.5 -- 31.5
Belly, hanging out : 34 -- 33.5 -- 33 -- 33.5 -- 32.5 -- 32
Hips: 38 -- 37 -- 37 -- 37 -- 37 -- 37
Chest: 32 -- 31 -- 31 -- 31 -- 30.5 -- 30
Bust: 38.5 -- 38 -- 37 -- 37 -- 37 -- 36.5
Thighs: R22/L21 -- R22/L21 -- R21.5/L21 -- R22/L21 -- R21.5/L21 -- R21.5/L20.5
------------------------------------
My scale records me as down seven pounds in the five weeks on the diet. That's almost a pound and a half a week, which I think is pretty durn good. Sure, I'd *prefer* two pounds a week, but given how lazy I am about exercising I can't expect better than what I'm getting.
I find it bizarre that both my largest and my smallest loss has been measured around my belly button. Not sucking in my stomach, I have dropped a full two inches in that area. But sucking in, I've lost just half an inch.
I know that all abdominal fat is not the same: the stuff over the muscles, the soft squishy stuff, is not the abdominal fat we've all been warned about it. When doctors talk about deadly abdominal fat, they're talking about fat *inside* the abdominal cavity, crowding around all the organs. This fat feels hard, because it's held in by muscle. Ever notice that most men who have "beer bellies," have really hard stomachs? Their bellies don't really get smaller when lying on their backs, for instance, and they can't be cinched with a belt? Most women with bellies, on the other hand, have "jelly bellies." It's usually a fairly discrete pouch, kind of lying there on top of the lower torso. It moves around, can be cinched with a belt, and is very soft.
This is just a guess, but: I think I am losing the hard, internal fat first, and the jelly belly is hanging on. Supposedy, the internal fat *is* supposed to be easier to lose. Would this explain why sucking in hasn't really improved, while my fat-in-repose has shrunk? Or would it be the opposite; so that I'm losing jelly and keeping the hard fat? At any rate, whichever is the case, I'm sure I'm disproportionately losing one kind of fat over the other.
********************
Breakfast: 1 perfectly ripe pear with cashew-macadamia nut butter. Mmmmmm.....
Lunch: 3 T hummus; White Wave Thai baked tofu; diet Snapple lime green tea
Dinner: 1 c green beans dressed with Trader Joe's olive tapenade; 1 medium artichoke with vegannaise/hot mustard dipping sauce; fake meatloaf; 1/2 c mashed potatoes made with soymilk and nutritional yeast (not SBD, but tasty, I didn't have much, and how can you have meatloaf without mashed potatoes?); glass of red wine
Exercise: 3.5 mile run
********************
Weight/Measurements:
Weight: 127 pounds
Bodyfat: 26%
Waist, holding in stomach like I normally do: 27.5 inches
Waist, letting it all hang out: 28.5
Waist around my belly button, holding in stomach like I normally do: 31.5
Waist around my belly button, letting it all hang out: 32
Hips: 37
Chest: 30
Bust: 36.5
Thighs: R21.5, L20.5
------------------------------------
Weight: 134 -- 131 -- 129 -- 130 -- 127.5 -- 127
Bodyfat: 29% -- 29% -- 27% -- 28% -- 27.5% -- 26%
Waist, sucking in: 28.5 -- 28.5 -- 28.5 -- 28 -- 27.5 -- 27.5
Waist, hanging out: 30 -- 29.5 -- 29 -- 29 -- 28.5 -- 28.5
Belly, sucking in: 32 -- 31.5 -- 31.5 -- 31.5 -- 31.5 -- 31.5
Belly, hanging out : 34 -- 33.5 -- 33 -- 33.5 -- 32.5 -- 32
Hips: 38 -- 37 -- 37 -- 37 -- 37 -- 37
Chest: 32 -- 31 -- 31 -- 31 -- 30.5 -- 30
Bust: 38.5 -- 38 -- 37 -- 37 -- 37 -- 36.5
Thighs: R22/L21 -- R22/L21 -- R21.5/L21 -- R22/L21 -- R21.5/L21 -- R21.5/L20.5
------------------------------------
My scale records me as down seven pounds in the five weeks on the diet. That's almost a pound and a half a week, which I think is pretty durn good. Sure, I'd *prefer* two pounds a week, but given how lazy I am about exercising I can't expect better than what I'm getting.
I find it bizarre that both my largest and my smallest loss has been measured around my belly button. Not sucking in my stomach, I have dropped a full two inches in that area. But sucking in, I've lost just half an inch.
I know that all abdominal fat is not the same: the stuff over the muscles, the soft squishy stuff, is not the abdominal fat we've all been warned about it. When doctors talk about deadly abdominal fat, they're talking about fat *inside* the abdominal cavity, crowding around all the organs. This fat feels hard, because it's held in by muscle. Ever notice that most men who have "beer bellies," have really hard stomachs? Their bellies don't really get smaller when lying on their backs, for instance, and they can't be cinched with a belt? Most women with bellies, on the other hand, have "jelly bellies." It's usually a fairly discrete pouch, kind of lying there on top of the lower torso. It moves around, can be cinched with a belt, and is very soft.
This is just a guess, but: I think I am losing the hard, internal fat first, and the jelly belly is hanging on. Supposedy, the internal fat *is* supposed to be easier to lose. Would this explain why sucking in hasn't really improved, while my fat-in-repose has shrunk? Or would it be the opposite; so that I'm losing jelly and keeping the hard fat? At any rate, whichever is the case, I'm sure I'm disproportionately losing one kind of fat over the other.
********************
Breakfast: 1 perfectly ripe pear with cashew-macadamia nut butter. Mmmmmm.....
Lunch: 3 T hummus; White Wave Thai baked tofu; diet Snapple lime green tea
Dinner: 1 c green beans dressed with Trader Joe's olive tapenade; 1 medium artichoke with vegannaise/hot mustard dipping sauce; fake meatloaf; 1/2 c mashed potatoes made with soymilk and nutritional yeast (not SBD, but tasty, I didn't have much, and how can you have meatloaf without mashed potatoes?); glass of red wine
Exercise: 3.5 mile run
********************
Friday, March 26, 2004
Phase 2, Day 20
********************
Breakfast: 1/2 whole wheat bagel with almond-butter/flax meal spread; mug of black tea
Midmorning snack: cup of tomato soup with a dollop of hemp oil
Lunch: 1/2 ww bagel with hummus and tomatoes; 1/2 pummelo; diet Snapple lime green tea
Midafternoon snack: 3 oz baked asian tofu from Trader Joe's
Dinner: chili with TVP; wedge of cornbread
Exercise: none
********************
Tomorrow I weigh/measure. My five week calorie deficit is about 26,500. So tomorrow, the scale should read about 126.5, give or take a pound. The chili I made tonight was pretty salty, though; I'll possibly be retaining a bit more than usual in water. Chili has become a real staple of my diet, replacing spaghetti-and-fake-meatballs as the quick, easy, tasty thing I make at least once a week. It's extremely filling, and chock full of good SBD stuff like beans and tomatoes. It's the perfect vegan SBD meal!
Breakfast: 1/2 whole wheat bagel with almond-butter/flax meal spread; mug of black tea
Midmorning snack: cup of tomato soup with a dollop of hemp oil
Lunch: 1/2 ww bagel with hummus and tomatoes; 1/2 pummelo; diet Snapple lime green tea
Midafternoon snack: 3 oz baked asian tofu from Trader Joe's
Dinner: chili with TVP; wedge of cornbread
Exercise: none
********************
Tomorrow I weigh/measure. My five week calorie deficit is about 26,500. So tomorrow, the scale should read about 126.5, give or take a pound. The chili I made tonight was pretty salty, though; I'll possibly be retaining a bit more than usual in water. Chili has become a real staple of my diet, replacing spaghetti-and-fake-meatballs as the quick, easy, tasty thing I make at least once a week. It's extremely filling, and chock full of good SBD stuff like beans and tomatoes. It's the perfect vegan SBD meal!
Thursday, March 25, 2004
Phase 2, Day 19
********************
Breakfast: hot coffee with whole milk; 2 c cantaloupe chunks
Lunch: 1/2 c peas and corn; 1/2 c cucumber and tomato chunks; 1/2 c shredded summer squash; small piece of baked plantain; 1/2 c of some obscure rice salad thingie; diet lime-flavored Coke [from Food Court]
Dinner: 1 c tomato soup; 2 c brussels sprouts with potato gnocchi; 1 c summer squash; diet Snapple lime green tea [from Food Court]
Late night snack: 1/2 of a pummelo
Exercise: none
********************
This is the second day in a row I have eaten to the point of discomfort. It's these brussels sprouts with gnocchi -- I just can't stop eating it!
Breakfast: hot coffee with whole milk; 2 c cantaloupe chunks
Lunch: 1/2 c peas and corn; 1/2 c cucumber and tomato chunks; 1/2 c shredded summer squash; small piece of baked plantain; 1/2 c of some obscure rice salad thingie; diet lime-flavored Coke [from Food Court]
Dinner: 1 c tomato soup; 2 c brussels sprouts with potato gnocchi; 1 c summer squash; diet Snapple lime green tea [from Food Court]
Late night snack: 1/2 of a pummelo
Exercise: none
********************
This is the second day in a row I have eaten to the point of discomfort. It's these brussels sprouts with gnocchi -- I just can't stop eating it!
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Phase 2, Day 18
********************
Breakfast: 1/2 low-carb bagel (by my best estimate, made of sawdust instead of flour) spread with almond butter; mug of hot coffee with silk creamer
Lunch: asparagus; sauteed mushrooms with bell pepper; sauteed broccoli with garlic; seeded cracker; sweet potatoes; cup of cheap espresso with a little milk to (unsuccessfully) cut the bitterness [from Food Court]
Afternoon snack: an orange and a can of diet Dr. Pepper
Dinner: brussels sprouts with potato gnocchi; small order tofu stir-fry; diet green tea Snapple [from Food Court]
Exercise: none
********************
In a comment (yay! comments!), Walnut asked me how I manage such exotic lunch salads. The answer is: I don't make them. We have a nice place here that sells prepared foods by weight, and many of them are vegan and SBD-appropriate. I eat there almost every weekday. You can get as much or as little as you want, and I usually mix-and-match a few bites of lots of different stuff. These kinds of places aren't as hard to find as you might think. Very nice grocery stores often have great salad bars that are far more than just limp-lettuce-and-tomatoes. Finding such a place makes your life as a vegan *much* more pleasant.
Anyway, so as not to fool anyone into thinking that in order to eat vegan-SBD one must have all the time in the world to prepare bizarre dishes, I'm going to indicate on my daily food lists those meals I didn't prepare for myself.
Breakfast: 1/2 low-carb bagel (by my best estimate, made of sawdust instead of flour) spread with almond butter; mug of hot coffee with silk creamer
Lunch: asparagus; sauteed mushrooms with bell pepper; sauteed broccoli with garlic; seeded cracker; sweet potatoes; cup of cheap espresso with a little milk to (unsuccessfully) cut the bitterness [from Food Court]
Afternoon snack: an orange and a can of diet Dr. Pepper
Dinner: brussels sprouts with potato gnocchi; small order tofu stir-fry; diet green tea Snapple [from Food Court]
Exercise: none
********************
In a comment (yay! comments!), Walnut asked me how I manage such exotic lunch salads. The answer is: I don't make them. We have a nice place here that sells prepared foods by weight, and many of them are vegan and SBD-appropriate. I eat there almost every weekday. You can get as much or as little as you want, and I usually mix-and-match a few bites of lots of different stuff. These kinds of places aren't as hard to find as you might think. Very nice grocery stores often have great salad bars that are far more than just limp-lettuce-and-tomatoes. Finding such a place makes your life as a vegan *much* more pleasant.
Anyway, so as not to fool anyone into thinking that in order to eat vegan-SBD one must have all the time in the world to prepare bizarre dishes, I'm going to indicate on my daily food lists those meals I didn't prepare for myself.
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Phase 2, Days 16 and 17
Day 16
********************
Breakfast: 1 slice ancient grain bread with almond butter-flax meal spread
Midmorning snack: can of V-8
Lunch: yellow and red beet salad; middle eastern dips (hummus & baba ghanoush) with ciabatta and a little olive oil [restaurant meal]
Midafternoon snack: coffee with soymilk
Dinner: mixed greens salad with a little bit of apple; rice pilaf, mixed vegetables and an eggplant-squash torte; fresh fruit plate for dessert [restaurant meal]
Exercise: none
********************
Whoops! Forgot to record. Very busy day; two fancy meals in a row. The white bread was not SBD, of course... but this restaurant literally had nothing else. The meal as a whole was very low GI, though, so I'm not worrying about it. I wasn't able to exercise last night, and won't be able to tomorrow, either. At some point, I need to get back in the habit. It's just a matter of making it routine.
Day 17
********************
Breakfast: can of V-8; 2 small chocolate easter eggs from Holland; mug of green tea. (The candy was a gift. I ate two and wisely put the rest in the secretarial pool; they were all gone by the next day, thank God.)
Lunch: jalapeno cornbread with bean salad; black bean soup with a heavily-seeded cracker; a couple bites of beet/yellow bell pepper salad; large hot coffee [eaten at Food Court]
Midafternoon snack: 3 miniature plums; 1/2 oz. pecans
Dinner: hot dog bun filled with sauerkraut and hot mustard; bag of chips; large diet coke [eaten at hockey arena]
Exercise: only vicariously
********************
Went to a hockey game at Madison Square Garden last night, and had a voucher for a free hotdog, soda and bag of chips. I'm a sucker for a freebie! By far, this is the worst thing I've eaten on the diet. (And I came *this close* to buying a big cup of fries with ketchup. The only thing that stopped me is that the person I went to the game with is also on this diet.) I was hoping they'd have veggie dogs. Believe it or not, some professional sports venues do. The woman behind the counter, God bless her, didn't even blink when I asked for a hot dog with sauerkraut, hold the hotdog.
********************
Breakfast: 1 slice ancient grain bread with almond butter-flax meal spread
Midmorning snack: can of V-8
Lunch: yellow and red beet salad; middle eastern dips (hummus & baba ghanoush) with ciabatta and a little olive oil [restaurant meal]
Midafternoon snack: coffee with soymilk
Dinner: mixed greens salad with a little bit of apple; rice pilaf, mixed vegetables and an eggplant-squash torte; fresh fruit plate for dessert [restaurant meal]
Exercise: none
********************
Whoops! Forgot to record. Very busy day; two fancy meals in a row. The white bread was not SBD, of course... but this restaurant literally had nothing else. The meal as a whole was very low GI, though, so I'm not worrying about it. I wasn't able to exercise last night, and won't be able to tomorrow, either. At some point, I need to get back in the habit. It's just a matter of making it routine.
Day 17
********************
Breakfast: can of V-8; 2 small chocolate easter eggs from Holland; mug of green tea. (The candy was a gift. I ate two and wisely put the rest in the secretarial pool; they were all gone by the next day, thank God.)
Lunch: jalapeno cornbread with bean salad; black bean soup with a heavily-seeded cracker; a couple bites of beet/yellow bell pepper salad; large hot coffee [eaten at Food Court]
Midafternoon snack: 3 miniature plums; 1/2 oz. pecans
Dinner: hot dog bun filled with sauerkraut and hot mustard; bag of chips; large diet coke [eaten at hockey arena]
Exercise: only vicariously
********************
Went to a hockey game at Madison Square Garden last night, and had a voucher for a free hotdog, soda and bag of chips. I'm a sucker for a freebie! By far, this is the worst thing I've eaten on the diet. (And I came *this close* to buying a big cup of fries with ketchup. The only thing that stopped me is that the person I went to the game with is also on this diet.) I was hoping they'd have veggie dogs. Believe it or not, some professional sports venues do. The woman behind the counter, God bless her, didn't even blink when I asked for a hot dog with sauerkraut, hold the hotdog.
Sunday, March 21, 2004
Phase 2, Day 16
********************
Breakfast: Gardenburger flamegrilled patty with guac; mug of black tea
Lunch: lentil stew with 1 T hemp oil; mug of green tea
Dinner: chickpeas with spinach; 2 papadum; glass of white wine
Exercise: none
********************
Tonight was the first time I've had booze on this diet. Like the first time I had sweets, it was disappointing. Maybe, of course, the wine was crap. Given that my boyfriend and I balk at spending more than five bucks a bottle, this wouldn't be surprising. But maybe I'm just losing my taste for the rotten things I used to eat without thinking.
I was idly thinking today, "I only have to be on this diet for another six weeks!" when suddenly, I realized I'm not sure what it will mean for me *not* to be on this diet. I mean, I'll eat more calories, certainly. Probably, this will mean I'll eat one or even two additional "meals" a day (like a protein shake after running). But I've really adapted to not having carbs be the centerpiece of my meals. For instance, I can't imagine eating the dish I made tonight with more than the 1/2 c brown rice I served it over. And I can no longer imagine enjoying eating to the point where I'm uncomfortably stuffed. I guess I can imagine indulging in the occasional dessert, or beer, or mashed potatoes. But right now, at this very moment, none of those sound especially appealing. Meaning I simply don't feel like I'm on a diet right now. I just feel like I'm eating the way I want to be eating. Amazing, huh?
Breakfast: Gardenburger flamegrilled patty with guac; mug of black tea
Lunch: lentil stew with 1 T hemp oil; mug of green tea
Dinner: chickpeas with spinach; 2 papadum; glass of white wine
Exercise: none
********************
Tonight was the first time I've had booze on this diet. Like the first time I had sweets, it was disappointing. Maybe, of course, the wine was crap. Given that my boyfriend and I balk at spending more than five bucks a bottle, this wouldn't be surprising. But maybe I'm just losing my taste for the rotten things I used to eat without thinking.
I was idly thinking today, "I only have to be on this diet for another six weeks!" when suddenly, I realized I'm not sure what it will mean for me *not* to be on this diet. I mean, I'll eat more calories, certainly. Probably, this will mean I'll eat one or even two additional "meals" a day (like a protein shake after running). But I've really adapted to not having carbs be the centerpiece of my meals. For instance, I can't imagine eating the dish I made tonight with more than the 1/2 c brown rice I served it over. And I can no longer imagine enjoying eating to the point where I'm uncomfortably stuffed. I guess I can imagine indulging in the occasional dessert, or beer, or mashed potatoes. But right now, at this very moment, none of those sound especially appealing. Meaning I simply don't feel like I'm on a diet right now. I just feel like I'm eating the way I want to be eating. Amazing, huh?
Saturday, March 20, 2004
Phase 2, Day 15
------------------------------------
Weight/Measurements:
Weight: 127.5 pounds
Bodyfat: 27.5%
Waist, holding in stomach like I normally do: 27.5 inches
Waist, letting it all hang out: 28.5
Waist around my belly button, holding in stomach like I normally do: 31.5
Waist around my belly button, letting it all hang out: 32.5
Hips: 37
Chest: 30.5
Bust: 37
Thighs: R21.5, L21
------------------------------------
Weight: 134 -- 131 -- 129 -- 130 -- 127.5
Bodyfat: 29% -- 29% -- 27% -- 28% -- 27.5%
Waist, sucking in: 28.5 -- 28.5 -- 28.5 -- 28 -- 27.5
Waist, hanging out: 30 -- 29.5 -- 29 -- 29 -- 28.5
Belly, sucking in: 32 -- 31.5 -- 31.5 -- 31.5 -- 31.5
Belly, hanging out : 34 -- 33.5 -- 33 -- 33.5 -- 32.5
Hips: 38 -- 37 -- 37 -- 37 -- 37
Chest: 32 -- 31 -- 31 -- 31 -- 30.5
Bust: 38.5 -- 38 -- 37 -- 37 -- 37
Thighs: R22/L21 -- R22/L21 -- R21.5/L21 -- R22/L21 -- R21.5/L21
Slowly, slowly, we get there. Looks like I definitely added back water at the beginning of Phase II when I added back in carbs, making it look like I'd hit a plateau (or even gained!) when in fact I was still losing fat. Now I'm down a grand total of about six pounds in one month, give or take, which is where I expected to be: 56000 maintenance calories - 34300 calories actually eaten = 21700 calorie deficit. 21700/3500 calories in a pound = 6.2 pounds. Math is fun!
My two biggest drops have been in my boobs (but it looks like it's levelled off), and in my tummy. I hope *everything* starts coming off my belly now. I never can find clothes that fit my waist if they fit my butt and thighs, unless I buy boy's clothes. I'm sick of boy's jeans! I want a girly shape! And I'm tired of looking like a marsupial! At this rate, I should hit my goal of 120 in about another six weeks. Easily doable; I enjoy the way I eat on this diet.
********************
Breakfast: 1/2 ww bagel with almond butter/flax meal spread; mug of black tea
Lunch: lentil stew with 1 T of hemp oil
Snack: 1 disappointingly underripe plum; glass of diet Dr. Pepper
Dinner: fall pasta (whole wheat spiral pasta tossed with various sauteed fall veggies like eggplant, swiss chard, wild mushrooms & artichoke hearts); medium piece of a sourdough baguette
Late night snack: Gardenburger fake sausage patty with guacamole
Exercise: 30 minutes on the elliptical
********************
Weight/Measurements:
Weight: 127.5 pounds
Bodyfat: 27.5%
Waist, holding in stomach like I normally do: 27.5 inches
Waist, letting it all hang out: 28.5
Waist around my belly button, holding in stomach like I normally do: 31.5
Waist around my belly button, letting it all hang out: 32.5
Hips: 37
Chest: 30.5
Bust: 37
Thighs: R21.5, L21
------------------------------------
Weight: 134 -- 131 -- 129 -- 130 -- 127.5
Bodyfat: 29% -- 29% -- 27% -- 28% -- 27.5%
Waist, sucking in: 28.5 -- 28.5 -- 28.5 -- 28 -- 27.5
Waist, hanging out: 30 -- 29.5 -- 29 -- 29 -- 28.5
Belly, sucking in: 32 -- 31.5 -- 31.5 -- 31.5 -- 31.5
Belly, hanging out : 34 -- 33.5 -- 33 -- 33.5 -- 32.5
Hips: 38 -- 37 -- 37 -- 37 -- 37
Chest: 32 -- 31 -- 31 -- 31 -- 30.5
Bust: 38.5 -- 38 -- 37 -- 37 -- 37
Thighs: R22/L21 -- R22/L21 -- R21.5/L21 -- R22/L21 -- R21.5/L21
Slowly, slowly, we get there. Looks like I definitely added back water at the beginning of Phase II when I added back in carbs, making it look like I'd hit a plateau (or even gained!) when in fact I was still losing fat. Now I'm down a grand total of about six pounds in one month, give or take, which is where I expected to be: 56000 maintenance calories - 34300 calories actually eaten = 21700 calorie deficit. 21700/3500 calories in a pound = 6.2 pounds. Math is fun!
My two biggest drops have been in my boobs (but it looks like it's levelled off), and in my tummy. I hope *everything* starts coming off my belly now. I never can find clothes that fit my waist if they fit my butt and thighs, unless I buy boy's clothes. I'm sick of boy's jeans! I want a girly shape! And I'm tired of looking like a marsupial! At this rate, I should hit my goal of 120 in about another six weeks. Easily doable; I enjoy the way I eat on this diet.
********************
Breakfast: 1/2 ww bagel with almond butter/flax meal spread; mug of black tea
Lunch: lentil stew with 1 T of hemp oil
Snack: 1 disappointingly underripe plum; glass of diet Dr. Pepper
Dinner: fall pasta (whole wheat spiral pasta tossed with various sauteed fall veggies like eggplant, swiss chard, wild mushrooms & artichoke hearts); medium piece of a sourdough baguette
Late night snack: Gardenburger fake sausage patty with guacamole
Exercise: 30 minutes on the elliptical
********************
Friday, March 19, 2004
Phase II, Day 14
********************
Breakfast: 1/2 ww bagel with almond butter/flax meal spread
Lunch: leftover chili mixed with 1 T hemp oil
Dinner: a couple of slices of ancient grain bread; big bowl of lentil stew
Exercise: none
********************
I spoke too soon on that cold. I spent all of today snuffly and a little headachy, and figured it wasn't a good idea to try to do any exercise.
So tomorrow I weigh and measure again. For the full four weeks of this diet, my calorie calculations predict that I should have lost 5.5 to 6 pounds so far, from my starting weight of 134 pounds. That means the scale should read 128 tomorrow, give or take a pound for measurement error/water weight.
One thing I should point out is that I don't think anyone else doing this diet as a vegan (or not as a vegan, for that matter) needs to worry about counting calories as I have been doing. I've been doing so myself only because I wanted to test out this diet in a systematic and objective way. I think if you eat "on plan" (namely, avoiding all refined carbohydrates and being a little judicious with things like whole grain breads/pastas and fruits), don't eat past satisfying your hunger, and (at least early in the diet) make sure that you are eating often enough to avoid dips in blood sugar, you shouldn't need to keep track of calories at all. You'll eat about 1200 or so calories a day, without having to worry about exact measurements. (Some people, especially heavier people or men, will eat more, because they will have bigger appetites to match their larger bodyweights/muscle mass, but you get the idea.) In fact, the SBD diet book explicitly states that you should not have to count calories, and I agree with that.
Breakfast: 1/2 ww bagel with almond butter/flax meal spread
Lunch: leftover chili mixed with 1 T hemp oil
Dinner: a couple of slices of ancient grain bread; big bowl of lentil stew
Exercise: none
********************
I spoke too soon on that cold. I spent all of today snuffly and a little headachy, and figured it wasn't a good idea to try to do any exercise.
So tomorrow I weigh and measure again. For the full four weeks of this diet, my calorie calculations predict that I should have lost 5.5 to 6 pounds so far, from my starting weight of 134 pounds. That means the scale should read 128 tomorrow, give or take a pound for measurement error/water weight.
One thing I should point out is that I don't think anyone else doing this diet as a vegan (or not as a vegan, for that matter) needs to worry about counting calories as I have been doing. I've been doing so myself only because I wanted to test out this diet in a systematic and objective way. I think if you eat "on plan" (namely, avoiding all refined carbohydrates and being a little judicious with things like whole grain breads/pastas and fruits), don't eat past satisfying your hunger, and (at least early in the diet) make sure that you are eating often enough to avoid dips in blood sugar, you shouldn't need to keep track of calories at all. You'll eat about 1200 or so calories a day, without having to worry about exact measurements. (Some people, especially heavier people or men, will eat more, because they will have bigger appetites to match their larger bodyweights/muscle mass, but you get the idea.) In fact, the SBD diet book explicitly states that you should not have to count calories, and I agree with that.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
Phase II, Day 13
********************
Breakfast: 1/2 ww bagel with almond butter/flax meal spread; mug of black tea
Lunch (spaced over a couple hours): 3 oz baked asian tofu; large carrot with hummus; mug of green tea
Midafternoon snack: lemon poppyseed Clif bar (all Clif bars and Luna bars are vegan, and delicious. They are sugary, though, and not really appropriate for SBD, despite their high protein and fiber content)
Dinner: bowl of chili (made differently than before: I used pinto beans, and added cubed winter squash); wedge of cornbread
Exercise: 30 minutes on the elliptical
********************
I have definitely become more sensitive to sweet tastes. I had always heard people refer to carrots as "sweet," but I never understood it. Carrot juice, maybe yes, but carrots? Yet the carrot I had today, the first time I've had an unadulterated carrot since starting this diet, had the most delicious sweet flavor. And it was an *old carrot*. I bought it just before I started the diet!
Today was a roller-coaster-y day. I didn't get the job I interviewed for in Chicago, but they offered me a similar one (maybe even a better one? I haven't quite figured it out/decided) at the same place. I *think* I'm going to take it...
Breakfast: 1/2 ww bagel with almond butter/flax meal spread; mug of black tea
Lunch (spaced over a couple hours): 3 oz baked asian tofu; large carrot with hummus; mug of green tea
Midafternoon snack: lemon poppyseed Clif bar (all Clif bars and Luna bars are vegan, and delicious. They are sugary, though, and not really appropriate for SBD, despite their high protein and fiber content)
Dinner: bowl of chili (made differently than before: I used pinto beans, and added cubed winter squash); wedge of cornbread
Exercise: 30 minutes on the elliptical
********************
I have definitely become more sensitive to sweet tastes. I had always heard people refer to carrots as "sweet," but I never understood it. Carrot juice, maybe yes, but carrots? Yet the carrot I had today, the first time I've had an unadulterated carrot since starting this diet, had the most delicious sweet flavor. And it was an *old carrot*. I bought it just before I started the diet!
Today was a roller-coaster-y day. I didn't get the job I interviewed for in Chicago, but they offered me a similar one (maybe even a better one? I haven't quite figured it out/decided) at the same place. I *think* I'm going to take it...
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Phase II, Day 12
********************
Breakfast: 1/2 whole wheat bagel with almond butter/flax meal spread; mug of black tea
Midmorning snack: a couple stalks of celery with hummus
Lunch: baby lettuce salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, walnuts & hemp oil
Dinner: thai green curry with veggies and tofu, plus 1/2 c brown rice; 2 small vegetable dumplings (dumplings were from frozen, from an asian food market)
Late night snack: half an ounce of pecans
Exercise: 30 minutes on elliptical
********************
My energy seems to have fully returned (both from early stages of the SBD, and from my brief cold), so I'm going to try ramping back up the exercise a bit. I read over how much I'd exercised over the last month, and it was pretty appalling. So I went 30 minutes on the elliptical this evening.
I also started my period today. I didn't have any of my usual warning signs that it was coming: tender breasts, bloated feeling, etc. And my cramps were even milder than usual. Could be a fluke, but it *could* be related to the lower sugar levels in my blood. I have no idea how, but I've heard such reports from other people on this diet.
Breakfast: 1/2 whole wheat bagel with almond butter/flax meal spread; mug of black tea
Midmorning snack: a couple stalks of celery with hummus
Lunch: baby lettuce salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, walnuts & hemp oil
Dinner: thai green curry with veggies and tofu, plus 1/2 c brown rice; 2 small vegetable dumplings (dumplings were from frozen, from an asian food market)
Late night snack: half an ounce of pecans
Exercise: 30 minutes on elliptical
********************
My energy seems to have fully returned (both from early stages of the SBD, and from my brief cold), so I'm going to try ramping back up the exercise a bit. I read over how much I'd exercised over the last month, and it was pretty appalling. So I went 30 minutes on the elliptical this evening.
I also started my period today. I didn't have any of my usual warning signs that it was coming: tender breasts, bloated feeling, etc. And my cramps were even milder than usual. Could be a fluke, but it *could* be related to the lower sugar levels in my blood. I have no idea how, but I've heard such reports from other people on this diet.
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
Phase II, Day 11
********************
Breakfast: blueberry-orange, soy protein & flax meal smoothie
Lunch: baby-lettuces salad with red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, walnuts, chick peas, cucumber & hemp oil
Mid-afternoon snack: V-8; hummus; 3 oz. Thai smoked tofu
Dinner: Gardenburger flame-grilled hamburger patty with guacamole
Exercise: None
********************
My sore throat is mostly gone, and I don't seem to have other lingering cold symptoms. Looks like I dodged a bullet, thanks to so many zinc lozenges the skin of the roof of my mouth has shredded.
Want some inspiration to move yo' body? Read this article from Harvard Magazine. It is the best thing I've read in a long time to explain the dangers of sloth. The SBD's health benefit comes mostly from its effect on stabilizing blood sugar. This article explains in detail how the body processes sugar (including starches like white pasta and potatoes) from our diets, and how exercise improves that processing. (Warning: don't try to access the .pdf file. It seems to paralyze the web browser.)
Breakfast: blueberry-orange, soy protein & flax meal smoothie
Lunch: baby-lettuces salad with red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, walnuts, chick peas, cucumber & hemp oil
Mid-afternoon snack: V-8; hummus; 3 oz. Thai smoked tofu
Dinner: Gardenburger flame-grilled hamburger patty with guacamole
Exercise: None
********************
My sore throat is mostly gone, and I don't seem to have other lingering cold symptoms. Looks like I dodged a bullet, thanks to so many zinc lozenges the skin of the roof of my mouth has shredded.
Want some inspiration to move yo' body? Read this article from Harvard Magazine. It is the best thing I've read in a long time to explain the dangers of sloth. The SBD's health benefit comes mostly from its effect on stabilizing blood sugar. This article explains in detail how the body processes sugar (including starches like white pasta and potatoes) from our diets, and how exercise improves that processing. (Warning: don't try to access the .pdf file. It seems to paralyze the web browser.)
Monday, March 15, 2004
Phase II, Day 10
********************
Breakfast: slice of multigrain toast with almond butter/flax meal mix; mug of herbal throat tea with slippery elm
Lunch: blueberry-orange soy protein shake with flax meal
Dinner: large globe artichoke with veganaisse-mustard sauce
Late night snack: Mexican hot chocolate
Late, late night snack: Gardenburger fake sausage patty with guacamole
Exercise: none
********************
Still have a sore throat, so have been eating zinc lozenges all day. They have sugar, but oh, well.
Breakfast: slice of multigrain toast with almond butter/flax meal mix; mug of herbal throat tea with slippery elm
Lunch: blueberry-orange soy protein shake with flax meal
Dinner: large globe artichoke with veganaisse-mustard sauce
Late night snack: Mexican hot chocolate
Late, late night snack: Gardenburger fake sausage patty with guacamole
Exercise: none
********************
Still have a sore throat, so have been eating zinc lozenges all day. They have sugar, but oh, well.
Sunday, March 14, 2004
Phase II, Day 9
********************
Breakfast: 1/2 whole wheat bagel with almond butter mixed with 1 T ground flax seed (this was surprisingly tasty); mug of green tea
Lunch: field greens salad with red & yellow bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, walnuts and hemp oil
Dinner: orange-blueberry smoothie with soy protein and ground flax seed
Late night snack: 1/2 ww bagel with flamegrilled gardenburger, topped with vegannaise and hot mustard; V-8
Late, late night snack: 3 sugar-free popsicles, in an attempt to freeze my throat
Exercise: none
********************
For the past week, I've had an extremely-low grade runny nose. It was so low-grade, and so unaccompanied by any other symptoms, that I figured it was an allergy, and a mild one at that. But today I have a full-fledged sore throat. Often these things go away in a day or two with me, so we'll see what tomorrow brings. But alas, I guess the vegan South Beach way of eating is not a miracle cure (or prevention) for the common cold!
Breakfast: 1/2 whole wheat bagel with almond butter mixed with 1 T ground flax seed (this was surprisingly tasty); mug of green tea
Lunch: field greens salad with red & yellow bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, walnuts and hemp oil
Dinner: orange-blueberry smoothie with soy protein and ground flax seed
Late night snack: 1/2 ww bagel with flamegrilled gardenburger, topped with vegannaise and hot mustard; V-8
Late, late night snack: 3 sugar-free popsicles, in an attempt to freeze my throat
Exercise: none
********************
For the past week, I've had an extremely-low grade runny nose. It was so low-grade, and so unaccompanied by any other symptoms, that I figured it was an allergy, and a mild one at that. But today I have a full-fledged sore throat. Often these things go away in a day or two with me, so we'll see what tomorrow brings. But alas, I guess the vegan South Beach way of eating is not a miracle cure (or prevention) for the common cold!
Saturday, March 13, 2004
Phase II, Day 8
------------------------------------
Weight/Measurements:
Weight: 130 pounds
Bodyfat: 28.0%
Waist, holding in stomach like I normally do: 28 inches
Waist, letting it all hang out: 29
Waist around my belly button, holding in stomach like I normally do: 31.5
Waist around my belly button, letting it all hang out: 32.5
Hips: 37
Chest: 31
Bust: 37
Thighs: R22, L21
------------------------------------
Weight: 134 131 129 130
Bodyfat: 29% 29% 27% 28%
Waist, sucking in: 28.5 28.5 28.5 28
Waist, hanging out: 30 29.5 29 29
Belly, sucking in: 32 31.5 31.5 31.5
Belly, hanging out : 34 33.5 33 33.5
Hips: 38 37 37 37
Chest: 32 31 31 31
Bust: 38.5 38 37 37
Thighs: R22/L21 R22/L21 R21.5/L21 R22/L21
So my guess is that I lost a pound of fat (as my calories would indicate), but gained back those mystery two pounds I had lost in the first two weeks--meaning they were, in fact, water after all. This leaves me with a net "gain" of 1 fake pound. The measurements are more consistent with a one pound fat loss than a one pound gain; that is, a tiny shred off my waist. (Of course, I also added a shred to my belly, but I'm going with measurement error, probably from last week, on that one. Also, my right thigh is back to its freakish disproportion. How will I hold my head up in public?)
Over the course of three weeks, I have eaten about 26,000 calories. My maintenance calories for this time period, at a generous allowance of 14,000 calories a week (or 2000 a day) would have been 42,000 calories, leaving a deficit of about 16,000 calories. This translates to about 4.5 pounds of fat. It's also possible that I'm being too generous with the maintenance calories, and 1900 a day is more like it. If so, my loss should have been more like 4 pounds, not 4-and-a-half. Either way, this is pretty well reflected on my scale.
Why does Dr. Agatson, the author of the SBD, tell people they will lose 8-13 pounds in the first two weeks? It's true that some people, particularly obese people, might normally eat somewhere on the order of 3000 calories a day. A 200 pound woman, for instance, would need about 3000 calories a day just to maintain her weight. For them, the first two weeks of this diet, where they're eating about 1000-1200 calories a day (and I've seen dozens of people's Phase I daily menus that reflect just this), they will indeed lose 8 pounds. They will probably also lose about 5 pounds of water, if my experience is typical. At my body weight of about 134 pounds, I lost about 2-2.5 pounds of water. Someone double my body weight would likely lose double the water. Even someone much less heavy than that, but whose diet is largely comprised of carbs, will lose 5 pounds of water weight from the purging of glycogen from the tissues in the first two weeks on the diet. I'm sure this is where Dr. Agatson gets his 8-13 pound figure, a number he does not explain.
He then says that in Phase II of the diet, you will lose more like 1 to 2 pounds a week. Again, this is consistent with the calorie recommendations of the diet. Starting in Phase II, you are adding back in carbs, and calories. Instead of eating 1000 calories a day, an obese person will probably go back to eating 2000. (And again, this is consistent with the meal plans I see real people describing online). This means your weight loss, from calories alone, will drop to about 2 pounds a week (if you don't "cheat"): 1000 calories deficit a day = 7000 calories or 2 pounds of fat a week.
But what about all that water? As you add back in carbs, your body will start storing glycogen again. Dr. Agatson says that typically, people "plateau" in the first week or two of Phase II. This is real smoke-and-mirrors: you should be gaining back a couple of pounds of water as you add more carbs back in (like I did), but still be losing a couple of pounds of fat. Thus, what looks like a "plateau" is merely the water gain netting out the fat loss. So why describe it as a plateau? Because it enables him to tell people they can "lose" 13 pounds (implying, "of fat") in the first two weeks.
Is this a disservice to people? Yes and no. I saw one woman on one of the SBD boards I frequent who was ecstatic to have lost 10 pounds in a week, and then literally despondent when she quickly gained back 5. So despondent, in fact, that she went nuts with girl scout cookies, cried uncontrollably, and had to have her medications increased by her doctor. She is obviously an extreme example, but I read all the time about people on this diet who spazz out about "gaining" a pound or two. It can be extremely demotivating if you don't know it's just an illusion. I regularly read about these surprise gains leading people to food binges and depression.
On the other hand, this diet is a very good, healthy way of eating. It *does* result in weight loss, slowly, but the loss is impressively painless. How many people would never try it at all if Dr. Agatson marketed it by saying, "You will lose 1-2 pounds a week just like every other restricted calorie diet in the world, but I promise you you'll be healthier and not hungry and your cardiac profile will dramatically improve." It's not nearly as sexy. In fact, *I* would not have done it without the miracle promise of 8-13 pounds, even though I didn't believe it. But I thought, "Hey, what if? How bad can it be for two weeks, and what if a miracle occurs and I achieve my goal weight in just that short time period?" The payoff was worth the low odds of it actually occurring, and in the meantime, I learned through doing that unlike with other restricted calorie diets, I could easily maintain this one for the full two months or so that it will take to lose my 15 pounds.
********************
Breakfast: 1/2 multigrain bagel with almond butter
Snack: cucumber slices with black-eyed pea spread
Lunch: Gardenburger flame-grilled hamburger patty (better than the other kind I was eating!) on 1/2 multigrain bagel, with veganaisse and hot mustard
Afternoon snack: 1/2 c hot coffee; field green salad with cucumbers, red and yellow bell peppers, hemp oil and balsamic vinegar
Dinner: 3 oz Thai smoked tofu from Trader Joe's; 6 papadum; V-8
Exercise: none
********************
My skin has been so dry lately, that I've decided to start adding in vegan sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, after someone on an SBD board I visit reminded me that they are very good for the skin. There are basically two vegan sources: flax seed, and hemp seed. The flax seed oil is richer in Omega-3s than hemp, but isn't as tasty. I figure I'll use the hemp oil in place of olive oil wherever I can, and add ground flax meal wherever I think I can get away with not actually tasting it. I wonder if my skin is dry because of *this* diet, or would it be dry for *any* diet? I don't diet all that often, so I can't remember if this is a feature of reducing calories generally. Of course, it could also just be the radiators, but I don't really think so. I'm pretty sure the timing of the problem tracks to my starting the SBD. I was moved to do something about it when my boyfriend said something about it while touching the skin on my back. Gack!
Weight/Measurements:
Weight: 130 pounds
Bodyfat: 28.0%
Waist, holding in stomach like I normally do: 28 inches
Waist, letting it all hang out: 29
Waist around my belly button, holding in stomach like I normally do: 31.5
Waist around my belly button, letting it all hang out: 32.5
Hips: 37
Chest: 31
Bust: 37
Thighs: R22, L21
------------------------------------
Weight: 134 131 129 130
Bodyfat: 29% 29% 27% 28%
Waist, sucking in: 28.5 28.5 28.5 28
Waist, hanging out: 30 29.5 29 29
Belly, sucking in: 32 31.5 31.5 31.5
Belly, hanging out : 34 33.5 33 33.5
Hips: 38 37 37 37
Chest: 32 31 31 31
Bust: 38.5 38 37 37
Thighs: R22/L21 R22/L21 R21.5/L21 R22/L21
So my guess is that I lost a pound of fat (as my calories would indicate), but gained back those mystery two pounds I had lost in the first two weeks--meaning they were, in fact, water after all. This leaves me with a net "gain" of 1 fake pound. The measurements are more consistent with a one pound fat loss than a one pound gain; that is, a tiny shred off my waist. (Of course, I also added a shred to my belly, but I'm going with measurement error, probably from last week, on that one. Also, my right thigh is back to its freakish disproportion. How will I hold my head up in public?)
Over the course of three weeks, I have eaten about 26,000 calories. My maintenance calories for this time period, at a generous allowance of 14,000 calories a week (or 2000 a day) would have been 42,000 calories, leaving a deficit of about 16,000 calories. This translates to about 4.5 pounds of fat. It's also possible that I'm being too generous with the maintenance calories, and 1900 a day is more like it. If so, my loss should have been more like 4 pounds, not 4-and-a-half. Either way, this is pretty well reflected on my scale.
Why does Dr. Agatson, the author of the SBD, tell people they will lose 8-13 pounds in the first two weeks? It's true that some people, particularly obese people, might normally eat somewhere on the order of 3000 calories a day. A 200 pound woman, for instance, would need about 3000 calories a day just to maintain her weight. For them, the first two weeks of this diet, where they're eating about 1000-1200 calories a day (and I've seen dozens of people's Phase I daily menus that reflect just this), they will indeed lose 8 pounds. They will probably also lose about 5 pounds of water, if my experience is typical. At my body weight of about 134 pounds, I lost about 2-2.5 pounds of water. Someone double my body weight would likely lose double the water. Even someone much less heavy than that, but whose diet is largely comprised of carbs, will lose 5 pounds of water weight from the purging of glycogen from the tissues in the first two weeks on the diet. I'm sure this is where Dr. Agatson gets his 8-13 pound figure, a number he does not explain.
He then says that in Phase II of the diet, you will lose more like 1 to 2 pounds a week. Again, this is consistent with the calorie recommendations of the diet. Starting in Phase II, you are adding back in carbs, and calories. Instead of eating 1000 calories a day, an obese person will probably go back to eating 2000. (And again, this is consistent with the meal plans I see real people describing online). This means your weight loss, from calories alone, will drop to about 2 pounds a week (if you don't "cheat"): 1000 calories deficit a day = 7000 calories or 2 pounds of fat a week.
But what about all that water? As you add back in carbs, your body will start storing glycogen again. Dr. Agatson says that typically, people "plateau" in the first week or two of Phase II. This is real smoke-and-mirrors: you should be gaining back a couple of pounds of water as you add more carbs back in (like I did), but still be losing a couple of pounds of fat. Thus, what looks like a "plateau" is merely the water gain netting out the fat loss. So why describe it as a plateau? Because it enables him to tell people they can "lose" 13 pounds (implying, "of fat") in the first two weeks.
Is this a disservice to people? Yes and no. I saw one woman on one of the SBD boards I frequent who was ecstatic to have lost 10 pounds in a week, and then literally despondent when she quickly gained back 5. So despondent, in fact, that she went nuts with girl scout cookies, cried uncontrollably, and had to have her medications increased by her doctor. She is obviously an extreme example, but I read all the time about people on this diet who spazz out about "gaining" a pound or two. It can be extremely demotivating if you don't know it's just an illusion. I regularly read about these surprise gains leading people to food binges and depression.
On the other hand, this diet is a very good, healthy way of eating. It *does* result in weight loss, slowly, but the loss is impressively painless. How many people would never try it at all if Dr. Agatson marketed it by saying, "You will lose 1-2 pounds a week just like every other restricted calorie diet in the world, but I promise you you'll be healthier and not hungry and your cardiac profile will dramatically improve." It's not nearly as sexy. In fact, *I* would not have done it without the miracle promise of 8-13 pounds, even though I didn't believe it. But I thought, "Hey, what if? How bad can it be for two weeks, and what if a miracle occurs and I achieve my goal weight in just that short time period?" The payoff was worth the low odds of it actually occurring, and in the meantime, I learned through doing that unlike with other restricted calorie diets, I could easily maintain this one for the full two months or so that it will take to lose my 15 pounds.
********************
Breakfast: 1/2 multigrain bagel with almond butter
Snack: cucumber slices with black-eyed pea spread
Lunch: Gardenburger flame-grilled hamburger patty (better than the other kind I was eating!) on 1/2 multigrain bagel, with veganaisse and hot mustard
Afternoon snack: 1/2 c hot coffee; field green salad with cucumbers, red and yellow bell peppers, hemp oil and balsamic vinegar
Dinner: 3 oz Thai smoked tofu from Trader Joe's; 6 papadum; V-8
Exercise: none
********************
My skin has been so dry lately, that I've decided to start adding in vegan sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, after someone on an SBD board I visit reminded me that they are very good for the skin. There are basically two vegan sources: flax seed, and hemp seed. The flax seed oil is richer in Omega-3s than hemp, but isn't as tasty. I figure I'll use the hemp oil in place of olive oil wherever I can, and add ground flax meal wherever I think I can get away with not actually tasting it. I wonder if my skin is dry because of *this* diet, or would it be dry for *any* diet? I don't diet all that often, so I can't remember if this is a feature of reducing calories generally. Of course, it could also just be the radiators, but I don't really think so. I'm pretty sure the timing of the problem tracks to my starting the SBD. I was moved to do something about it when my boyfriend said something about it while touching the skin on my back. Gack!
Friday, March 12, 2004
Phase II, Day 7
********************
Breakfast: Gardenburger sausage patty with guac; V-8; mug of green tea
Lunch: greens with some kind of mystery salad dressing; green beans; wild rice pilaf; focaccia (pretty sure it was white flour); diet Snapple [catered meal]
"Snack": Diet Dr. Pepper
Dinner: Gardenburger hamburger patty with guac; V-8
Late night snack: 4 papadum
Exercise: none
********************
I'll be weighing and measuring again tomorrow. I'm not expecting much; I don't feel thinner (the size sixes are just as tight as last Saturday), and by my calorie calculations, I should have lost only *about* a pound. Those crazy carbs really do add up fast, mostly because it's so easy to eat so many of them. They just plain don't fill you up like the proteins and fats do, and as a result, adding them back to my diet has resulted in my eating a good 300-600 more calories each day since starting Phase II.
I'm also struck, though, by how often I have been in the position to turn down sweets since starting the SBD. They are abolutely ubiquitous, and because I'm keeping track now, I'm realizing how many more calories I *would* have eaten over the last three weeks, just from sweets alone. The answer is thousands. I'd never realized before what a large percentage of my diet sweets are. Hopefully, my newfound awareness and vigilance won't wear off over time, even after I reach my goal weight.
Breakfast: Gardenburger sausage patty with guac; V-8; mug of green tea
Lunch: greens with some kind of mystery salad dressing; green beans; wild rice pilaf; focaccia (pretty sure it was white flour); diet Snapple [catered meal]
"Snack": Diet Dr. Pepper
Dinner: Gardenburger hamburger patty with guac; V-8
Late night snack: 4 papadum
Exercise: none
********************
I'll be weighing and measuring again tomorrow. I'm not expecting much; I don't feel thinner (the size sixes are just as tight as last Saturday), and by my calorie calculations, I should have lost only *about* a pound. Those crazy carbs really do add up fast, mostly because it's so easy to eat so many of them. They just plain don't fill you up like the proteins and fats do, and as a result, adding them back to my diet has resulted in my eating a good 300-600 more calories each day since starting Phase II.
I'm also struck, though, by how often I have been in the position to turn down sweets since starting the SBD. They are abolutely ubiquitous, and because I'm keeping track now, I'm realizing how many more calories I *would* have eaten over the last three weeks, just from sweets alone. The answer is thousands. I'd never realized before what a large percentage of my diet sweets are. Hopefully, my newfound awareness and vigilance won't wear off over time, even after I reach my goal weight.
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Phase II, Day 6
********************
Breakfast: Gardenburger patty with guac; V-8; thick slice of whole wheat bread dipped in olive oil; coffee with fake cream & splenda
Midmorning snack: slice of raisin bread with Neufchatel and sugarless jam; cup of hot tea (tea and bread with jam -- how very British!) [catered meal]
Lunch: 3/4 of a "low carb" bagel (kinda icky); "al fresco" (meaning no cheese) pintos from Taco Bell; can of diet Dr. Pepper
Midafternoon snack: 4 brazil nuts
Dinner: the rest of the bagel (toasting it doesn't make it any tastier); a couple thick slices whole wheat toast with olive oil; cucumbers and black-eyed-pea dip; a gardenburger hamburger patty with guacamole
Late night snack: 2 papadum
Exercise: none
********************
I'm getting a little out of hand with the cheese. Even though I'm not eating much at a time, I'm often failing to resist it when it's sitting there. Maybe tomorrow I'll calculate what percentage of my diet has been dairy these last three weeks.
[Much later: I did this, and found out it was about 5%. Not bad, but could obviously be better. Like 0%, say.]
Breakfast: Gardenburger patty with guac; V-8; thick slice of whole wheat bread dipped in olive oil; coffee with fake cream & splenda
Midmorning snack: slice of raisin bread with Neufchatel and sugarless jam; cup of hot tea (tea and bread with jam -- how very British!) [catered meal]
Lunch: 3/4 of a "low carb" bagel (kinda icky); "al fresco" (meaning no cheese) pintos from Taco Bell; can of diet Dr. Pepper
Midafternoon snack: 4 brazil nuts
Dinner: the rest of the bagel (toasting it doesn't make it any tastier); a couple thick slices whole wheat toast with olive oil; cucumbers and black-eyed-pea dip; a gardenburger hamburger patty with guacamole
Late night snack: 2 papadum
Exercise: none
********************
I'm getting a little out of hand with the cheese. Even though I'm not eating much at a time, I'm often failing to resist it when it's sitting there. Maybe tomorrow I'll calculate what percentage of my diet has been dairy these last three weeks.
[Much later: I did this, and found out it was about 5%. Not bad, but could obviously be better. Like 0%, say.]
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Phase II, Day 5
********************
Breakfast: (the last of the) eggless eggsalad; V-8
Midmorning snack: mug of green tea; pear
Lunch: tomato & fresh mozz sandwich with 1/3 of the (white) bread removed; about a 1/4 of a (white) pita hummus roll-up; half a cup of steamed vegetables, a few pieces of cut fruit (kiwi, orange); 3 dark chocolate covered strawberries [catered meal]
Midafternoon snack: 3 brazil nuts
Dinner: tofu stir-fry [from Food Court]
Late night snack: a couple thick slices whole wheat bread dipped in olive oil
Exercise: none
********************
I think today was the first day I ate gen-yoo-ine sweets (dark chocolate covered strawberries.) Worth the calories!! Or at least they should have been. Now that I think of it, in retrospect, and to be very, very honest... they weren't all that tasty. Now the important question: is it because they were lame chocolate covered strawberries, have I lost my taste for delicious desserts, or are chocolate covered strawberries never all that great (because I actually can't remember)?
Breakfast: (the last of the) eggless eggsalad; V-8
Midmorning snack: mug of green tea; pear
Lunch: tomato & fresh mozz sandwich with 1/3 of the (white) bread removed; about a 1/4 of a (white) pita hummus roll-up; half a cup of steamed vegetables, a few pieces of cut fruit (kiwi, orange); 3 dark chocolate covered strawberries [catered meal]
Midafternoon snack: 3 brazil nuts
Dinner: tofu stir-fry [from Food Court]
Late night snack: a couple thick slices whole wheat bread dipped in olive oil
Exercise: none
********************
I think today was the first day I ate gen-yoo-ine sweets (dark chocolate covered strawberries.) Worth the calories!! Or at least they should have been. Now that I think of it, in retrospect, and to be very, very honest... they weren't all that tasty. Now the important question: is it because they were lame chocolate covered strawberries, have I lost my taste for delicious desserts, or are chocolate covered strawberries never all that great (because I actually can't remember)?
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
Phase II, Day 4
********************
Breakfast: eggless eggsalad; V-8; mug of green tea
Lunch: 1 c tomato florentine soup; 1/2 c white bean chili; 1/2 c roasted root vegetables (mostly turnips--I think that's what they were--and carrots) [from Food Court]
Midafternoon snack: V-8; mug of herbal tea
Dinner: tofu stir-fry with cashews, broccoli, etc. [from Food Court]
Late snack: 6 papadums
Exercise: none
********************
Interestingly, I don't seem to be adding many carbs back on Phase II. I guess I got used to eating the other way. I should probably be more careful, especially when it comes to grains. Conventional wisdom has it that you need grains to complement legumes in order to make complete proteins. Doesn't have to be every meal, but you should be getting some at some point... I wonder if this is why my skin has been kind of dry?
Breakfast: eggless eggsalad; V-8; mug of green tea
Lunch: 1 c tomato florentine soup; 1/2 c white bean chili; 1/2 c roasted root vegetables (mostly turnips--I think that's what they were--and carrots) [from Food Court]
Midafternoon snack: V-8; mug of herbal tea
Dinner: tofu stir-fry with cashews, broccoli, etc. [from Food Court]
Late snack: 6 papadums
Exercise: none
********************
Interestingly, I don't seem to be adding many carbs back on Phase II. I guess I got used to eating the other way. I should probably be more careful, especially when it comes to grains. Conventional wisdom has it that you need grains to complement legumes in order to make complete proteins. Doesn't have to be every meal, but you should be getting some at some point... I wonder if this is why my skin has been kind of dry?
Monday, March 08, 2004
Phase II, Day 3
********************
Breakfast: V-8; eggless eggsalad
Lunch: 1/2 c bulghur-heavy tabouli; 1/2 c fava bean salad; V-8 [from local Greek lunch joint]
Midafternoon snack: 1/2 c tabouli and 1/2 c fava bean salad (leftovers); herbal tea
Snack: 4 brazil nuts, 1 T almond butter
Dinner: Indian restaurant eggplant dish (bhartha), 1/2 a very large whole wheat flat bread, 2 or 3 chickpea flour vegetable fritters with dipping sauces [from an Indian restaurant, obviously]
Exercise: none
********************
This has been a heavy-eating day, and I was hungry for most of it. I'm not detecting a pattern in days when I can never seem to fill up, and days where I'm not hungry and don't think about food all the time. (Maybe it has something to do with the damp and cold, which it was today?) The good thing is, even on days where I eat more than "normal" on this diet, I still am hitting below the 1800-or-so maintenance amount. I have to say I'm looking forward to getting to eat 1800 calories a day, every day, again, though... One more month! (I hope.)
Breakfast: V-8; eggless eggsalad
Lunch: 1/2 c bulghur-heavy tabouli; 1/2 c fava bean salad; V-8 [from local Greek lunch joint]
Midafternoon snack: 1/2 c tabouli and 1/2 c fava bean salad (leftovers); herbal tea
Snack: 4 brazil nuts, 1 T almond butter
Dinner: Indian restaurant eggplant dish (bhartha), 1/2 a very large whole wheat flat bread, 2 or 3 chickpea flour vegetable fritters with dipping sauces [from an Indian restaurant, obviously]
Exercise: none
********************
This has been a heavy-eating day, and I was hungry for most of it. I'm not detecting a pattern in days when I can never seem to fill up, and days where I'm not hungry and don't think about food all the time. (Maybe it has something to do with the damp and cold, which it was today?) The good thing is, even on days where I eat more than "normal" on this diet, I still am hitting below the 1800-or-so maintenance amount. I have to say I'm looking forward to getting to eat 1800 calories a day, every day, again, though... One more month! (I hope.)
Sunday, March 07, 2004
Phase II, Day 2
********************
Breakfast: 1/2 multigrain bagel with 1/2 T almond butter
Lunch: multigrain bagel and half a large orange; diet Dr. Pepper
Snacks: bites of eggless eggsalad I was making (basically, tofu, vegannaise and a grocery store mix), and bites of a soup I made out of yesterday's leftover roasted vegetables with sundried tomato pesto (basically, just add about a cup of soymilk, some water, and puree. Tastes nice hot or cold.) I'll eat these throughout the week next week.
Dinner: Chickpeas with spinach
Exercise: none
********************
Went a bit nuts on the carbs early in the day (so am depriving myself of delicious brown rice with my dinner). But I was at a road race with my boyfriend (I didn't have enough energy to compete myself!) and at a road race, that's what you get. Carbs, carbs 'n' more carbs. I stayed away from the juices and white flour bagels, though!
Breakfast: 1/2 multigrain bagel with 1/2 T almond butter
Lunch: multigrain bagel and half a large orange; diet Dr. Pepper
Snacks: bites of eggless eggsalad I was making (basically, tofu, vegannaise and a grocery store mix), and bites of a soup I made out of yesterday's leftover roasted vegetables with sundried tomato pesto (basically, just add about a cup of soymilk, some water, and puree. Tastes nice hot or cold.) I'll eat these throughout the week next week.
Dinner: Chickpeas with spinach
Exercise: none
********************
Went a bit nuts on the carbs early in the day (so am depriving myself of delicious brown rice with my dinner). But I was at a road race with my boyfriend (I didn't have enough energy to compete myself!) and at a road race, that's what you get. Carbs, carbs 'n' more carbs. I stayed away from the juices and white flour bagels, though!
Saturday, March 06, 2004
Phase II, Day 1
------------------------------------
Weight/Measurements:
Weight: 129 pounds
Bodyfat: 27.0%
Waist, holding in stomach like I normally do: 28.5 inches
Waist, letting it all hang out: 29
Waist around my belly button, holding in stomach like I normally do: 31.5
Waist around my belly button, letting it all hang out: 33
Hips: 37
Chest: 31
Bust: 37
Thighs: R21.5, L21
------------------------------------
I believe a table is in order (sorry it's messy; I can't figure out how to insert a *real* table):
Weight: 134 131 129
Bodyfat: 0.29 0.29 0.27
Waist, sucking in: 28.5 28.5 28.5
Waist, hanging out: 30 29.5 29
Belly, sucking in: 32 31.5 31.5
Belly, hanging out : 34 33.5 33
Hips: 38 37 37
Chest: 32 31 31
Bust: 38.5 38 37
Thighs: R22/L21 R22/L21 R21.5/L21
That's right, friends and neighbors, the two pounds I lost last week came off my boobs and my right thigh. And a damn good thing, because I was *really* self conscious about the asymmetry. I'm pretty sure I heard people laughing and joking about it one day on the train. Interestingly, I also lost a half an inch in the middle of "noneffort" girth. By this I mean that sucking in my stomach measured the same, but when I'm not trying, I lost a half an inch. That's actually good (I think), because I'd rather not have to try so hard to look thin. But I can't figure out why, physiologically, things would work this way. Am I squooshing all the fat down to my hips when I suck in, or something?
Okay, so for what it's worth: In two weeks I ate round about 16,500 calories. Normally, in that two week period, I'd have eaten approximately 27,500. So, I had a deficit of 11,000 calories. Since a pound is 3500 calories, this computes to about three pounds. I actually lost, though, *five* pounds. Is the difference the magical edge that the South Beach Diet has over the laws of thermodynamics? In all sincerity, I dunno. Two pounds is well within the margin of error for my body weight. It's also a reasonable amount to have lost as water weight, given the amount of glycogen I purged from my muscles. And I might also have calculated my caloric intake over the past two weeks, or my typical weekly intake, incorrectly. But when I look at inches lost, it seems like five pounds to me.
We'll see what happens over the course of the next few weeks--where I get to eat GRAINS! FRUIT! again. (As I write this, I'm happily munching on a half a multi-grain bagel with 1/2 T almond butter, mmmm....) At an aggressive rate of two pounds a week, I should reach my goal of 120 pounds in about a month. And since I've got my simple(r) carbs back, it should be easier to get back to my running. I'm not sure how often I'll record my food, like I've done in the last two weeks. I wanted to be really careful in Phase I, in order to give the diet a fair shot and be able to evaluate it precisely. I'll probably be equally careful in Phase II for the first week or so, just to make sure that reintroducing grains and fruits doesn't make me go bonkers with the calories.
********************
Breakfast: 1/2 multigrain bagel with 1/2 T almond butter; mug of black tea
Lunch: salad with avocado, cucumber & grape tomatoes; 2 papadum; Diet Dr. Pepper
Snack: orange sugar-free popsicle. Didn't taste like an orange, but did taste like Tang. Is Tang food?
Snack: cucumbers with this bean dip I threw together from last night's leftovers
Post-run snack: 1/2 multigrain bagel with 1/2 T almond butter
Snack: cherry (or should I say "cherry") sugar-free popsicle. Actually, this flavor tastes the most like its eponymous fruit.
Dinner: roasted eggplant and red peppers with sundried tomato pesto ; diet Dr. Pepper
Exercise: two-mile run
********************
I've decided I'll always eat one of my simpler carbs after a run. Today, I could barely manage two miles. I sure hope that as Phase II progresses, I'll be able to ramp that back up...
Weight/Measurements:
Weight: 129 pounds
Bodyfat: 27.0%
Waist, holding in stomach like I normally do: 28.5 inches
Waist, letting it all hang out: 29
Waist around my belly button, holding in stomach like I normally do: 31.5
Waist around my belly button, letting it all hang out: 33
Hips: 37
Chest: 31
Bust: 37
Thighs: R21.5, L21
------------------------------------
I believe a table is in order (sorry it's messy; I can't figure out how to insert a *real* table):
Weight: 134 131 129
Bodyfat: 0.29 0.29 0.27
Waist, sucking in: 28.5 28.5 28.5
Waist, hanging out: 30 29.5 29
Belly, sucking in: 32 31.5 31.5
Belly, hanging out : 34 33.5 33
Hips: 38 37 37
Chest: 32 31 31
Bust: 38.5 38 37
Thighs: R22/L21 R22/L21 R21.5/L21
That's right, friends and neighbors, the two pounds I lost last week came off my boobs and my right thigh. And a damn good thing, because I was *really* self conscious about the asymmetry. I'm pretty sure I heard people laughing and joking about it one day on the train. Interestingly, I also lost a half an inch in the middle of "noneffort" girth. By this I mean that sucking in my stomach measured the same, but when I'm not trying, I lost a half an inch. That's actually good (I think), because I'd rather not have to try so hard to look thin. But I can't figure out why, physiologically, things would work this way. Am I squooshing all the fat down to my hips when I suck in, or something?
Okay, so for what it's worth: In two weeks I ate round about 16,500 calories. Normally, in that two week period, I'd have eaten approximately 27,500. So, I had a deficit of 11,000 calories. Since a pound is 3500 calories, this computes to about three pounds. I actually lost, though, *five* pounds. Is the difference the magical edge that the South Beach Diet has over the laws of thermodynamics? In all sincerity, I dunno. Two pounds is well within the margin of error for my body weight. It's also a reasonable amount to have lost as water weight, given the amount of glycogen I purged from my muscles. And I might also have calculated my caloric intake over the past two weeks, or my typical weekly intake, incorrectly. But when I look at inches lost, it seems like five pounds to me.
We'll see what happens over the course of the next few weeks--where I get to eat GRAINS! FRUIT! again. (As I write this, I'm happily munching on a half a multi-grain bagel with 1/2 T almond butter, mmmm....) At an aggressive rate of two pounds a week, I should reach my goal of 120 pounds in about a month. And since I've got my simple(r) carbs back, it should be easier to get back to my running. I'm not sure how often I'll record my food, like I've done in the last two weeks. I wanted to be really careful in Phase I, in order to give the diet a fair shot and be able to evaluate it precisely. I'll probably be equally careful in Phase II for the first week or so, just to make sure that reintroducing grains and fruits doesn't make me go bonkers with the calories.
********************
Breakfast: 1/2 multigrain bagel with 1/2 T almond butter; mug of black tea
Lunch: salad with avocado, cucumber & grape tomatoes; 2 papadum; Diet Dr. Pepper
Snack: orange sugar-free popsicle. Didn't taste like an orange, but did taste like Tang. Is Tang food?
Snack: cucumbers with this bean dip I threw together from last night's leftovers
Post-run snack: 1/2 multigrain bagel with 1/2 T almond butter
Snack: cherry (or should I say "cherry") sugar-free popsicle. Actually, this flavor tastes the most like its eponymous fruit.
Dinner: roasted eggplant and red peppers with sundried tomato pesto ; diet Dr. Pepper
Exercise: two-mile run
********************
I've decided I'll always eat one of my simpler carbs after a run. Today, I could barely manage two miles. I sure hope that as Phase II progresses, I'll be able to ramp that back up...
Friday, March 05, 2004
Phase I, Day 14
********************
Breakfast: vegan asparagus-spinach quiche; mug of black tea
Midmorning snack: celery with modified hummus; diet Dr. Pepper
Lunch: 1/4 c pecans; mug Mexican hot cocoa (reduced Splenda to 2 packets and it still tasted a bit too sweet)
Midafternoon snack: spring green salad with avocado, tomato and cucumber
Dinner: big meal of felafel (from a box) and salad with tahini dressing, and ful mohammas
Exercise: none
********************
My LAST DAY ON PHASE I!!! Hooray!!
I topped it off with a big ol' dinner. The boxed felafel wasn't very good; the texture is so much better when you make it from scratch. But it sure is a pain to make it that way, when boxed is good enough.
I'm feeling a bit bloated, and have for the last couple of days. It will be interesting to see what I weigh/measure tomorrow morning.
Breakfast: vegan asparagus-spinach quiche; mug of black tea
Midmorning snack: celery with modified hummus; diet Dr. Pepper
Lunch: 1/4 c pecans; mug Mexican hot cocoa (reduced Splenda to 2 packets and it still tasted a bit too sweet)
Midafternoon snack: spring green salad with avocado, tomato and cucumber
Dinner: big meal of felafel (from a box) and salad with tahini dressing, and ful mohammas
Exercise: none
********************
My LAST DAY ON PHASE I!!! Hooray!!
I topped it off with a big ol' dinner. The boxed felafel wasn't very good; the texture is so much better when you make it from scratch. But it sure is a pain to make it that way, when boxed is good enough.
I'm feeling a bit bloated, and have for the last couple of days. It will be interesting to see what I weigh/measure tomorrow morning.
Thursday, March 04, 2004
Phase I, Day 13
********************
Breakfast: mug of mexican hot chocolate (unpleasantly sweet; I think I have become inured to sweetness)
Snack: V-8
Snack: guacamole
Snack: 1 T cashew-macadamia nut butter
Snack: 2 papadum
Snack: 1/2 veggie quiche (prepared the same as the to-go cups, but put into a pie plate and served in wedges. Also, I subbed asparagus for the bell pepper)
Snack: 2 T hummus with celery
Dinner: thai green curry (basically, lite coconut milk and prepared green curry paste with a little Splenda, lots of veggies, and pressed tofu)
Snack: 1 T almond butter
Exercise: none
********************
As you can see, I was all about the snacks today. I never felt like I filled up, and I just wanted to eat all day. In fact I STILL want to eat. I drank a lot of Dr. Pepper in between snacks (probably two cans worth over the course of the day.) I was also cold all day; it's rainy and unpleasant here. I have to say I'm really glad that tomorrow is my last day of Phase I. I really miss whole grain breads, fruit/protein shakes, brown rice...
On the bright side, my six 6 jeans kinda-sorta fit today. Still tight, but five pounds and they would be perfect.
Breakfast: mug of mexican hot chocolate (unpleasantly sweet; I think I have become inured to sweetness)
Snack: V-8
Snack: guacamole
Snack: 1 T cashew-macadamia nut butter
Snack: 2 papadum
Snack: 1/2 veggie quiche (prepared the same as the to-go cups, but put into a pie plate and served in wedges. Also, I subbed asparagus for the bell pepper)
Snack: 2 T hummus with celery
Dinner: thai green curry (basically, lite coconut milk and prepared green curry paste with a little Splenda, lots of veggies, and pressed tofu)
Snack: 1 T almond butter
Exercise: none
********************
As you can see, I was all about the snacks today. I never felt like I filled up, and I just wanted to eat all day. In fact I STILL want to eat. I drank a lot of Dr. Pepper in between snacks (probably two cans worth over the course of the day.) I was also cold all day; it's rainy and unpleasant here. I have to say I'm really glad that tomorrow is my last day of Phase I. I really miss whole grain breads, fruit/protein shakes, brown rice...
On the bright side, my six 6 jeans kinda-sorta fit today. Still tight, but five pounds and they would be perfect.
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
Phase I, Day 12
********************
Breakfast: 1/4 c pistachios; mug of black tea
Midmorning snack: Gardenburger breakfast patty with guacamole
Lunch: 2 Gardenburger breakfast patties with guac; can of V-8; 2 papadum; mug of green tea
Midafternoon snack: healthy spoonful of cashew-macadamia nut butter
Dinner: bowlful of chili with LOTS of chipotle peppers and guacamole; diet Dr. Pepper
Exercise: none
********************
Papadum, in case you don't know, are absolutely delicious mung bean flour crackers. You buy them from an Indian food/spice store, or sometimes Asian food stores or especially well-stocked supermarkets with international sections. The most expensive ones are called Maj. Chutney's or something, which are made in England. But there are much cheaper ones made in India that are just as good--look for a really creepy looking little boy in a turban and a nightmarish rabbit on the package. I don't know *why* they sell their products with these trademarks, but at any rate it makes them easy to identify. The easiest way to prepare them is to crumple up a paper towel, then un-crumple it. Spray the papadum with a little oil on both sides, then place it on the crumply paper towel in the microwave. Nuke it for about a minute. These are addictive. I eat one while the other is cooking. They have about 25 calories apiece, when prepared this way. They could easily take the place of chips for dipping, too, though I don't generally use them for that.
Breakfast: 1/4 c pistachios; mug of black tea
Midmorning snack: Gardenburger breakfast patty with guacamole
Lunch: 2 Gardenburger breakfast patties with guac; can of V-8; 2 papadum; mug of green tea
Midafternoon snack: healthy spoonful of cashew-macadamia nut butter
Dinner: bowlful of chili with LOTS of chipotle peppers and guacamole; diet Dr. Pepper
Exercise: none
********************
Papadum, in case you don't know, are absolutely delicious mung bean flour crackers. You buy them from an Indian food/spice store, or sometimes Asian food stores or especially well-stocked supermarkets with international sections. The most expensive ones are called Maj. Chutney's or something, which are made in England. But there are much cheaper ones made in India that are just as good--look for a really creepy looking little boy in a turban and a nightmarish rabbit on the package. I don't know *why* they sell their products with these trademarks, but at any rate it makes them easy to identify. The easiest way to prepare them is to crumple up a paper towel, then un-crumple it. Spray the papadum with a little oil on both sides, then place it on the crumply paper towel in the microwave. Nuke it for about a minute. These are addictive. I eat one while the other is cooking. They have about 25 calories apiece, when prepared this way. They could easily take the place of chips for dipping, too, though I don't generally use them for that.
Phase I, Day 11
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Breakfast: can of V-8; 1/4 c pistachios
Lunch: big serving of pecan-crusted salmon with lots of cooked mixed vegetables on the side; spinach salad with pears and sugared pecans; one bite of a breaded fried green tomato [restaurant meal]
Midafternoon snack: 1/4 c pecans; cup of black tea
Dinner: tuna salad with spring greens; a small handful of purple grapes; one piece of olive ciabatta [airport food from food court]
Midnight snack: celery with modified hummus
Exercise: none
********************
Today was hell. I was travelling in cabs and planes for much of the day, and interviewing for the rest. Lunch was at a cajun fish restaurant; dinner was the best I could do at the airport (sorry, fishies!). I hope no vegan who reads this concludes, from my meals, that it is impossible or frankly even hard to maintain one's veganism on this diet. The answer is that it is not--as long as you have access to a kitchen or at least a well-stocked grocery store, rather than being forced to eat in restaurants and hotels and airports.
Breakfast: can of V-8; 1/4 c pistachios
Lunch: big serving of pecan-crusted salmon with lots of cooked mixed vegetables on the side; spinach salad with pears and sugared pecans; one bite of a breaded fried green tomato [restaurant meal]
Midafternoon snack: 1/4 c pecans; cup of black tea
Dinner: tuna salad with spring greens; a small handful of purple grapes; one piece of olive ciabatta [airport food from food court]
Midnight snack: celery with modified hummus
Exercise: none
********************
Today was hell. I was travelling in cabs and planes for much of the day, and interviewing for the rest. Lunch was at a cajun fish restaurant; dinner was the best I could do at the airport (sorry, fishies!). I hope no vegan who reads this concludes, from my meals, that it is impossible or frankly even hard to maintain one's veganism on this diet. The answer is that it is not--as long as you have access to a kitchen or at least a well-stocked grocery store, rather than being forced to eat in restaurants and hotels and airports.
Monday, March 01, 2004
Phase I, Day 10
********************
Breakfast: V-8
Midmorning "snack": can of diet coke, cup of coffee with fake cream and equal
Lunch: plain green salad with raspberry (?) vinaigrette [catered meal]
Midafternoon snack: baba ghanoush with dill pickles
Dinner: tapas meal -- lots of little things like asparagus and mushrooms and stuff (plus a little goat cheese. Sorry, goats!); decaf espresso [restaurant meal]
Late night snack: more baba ghanoush and pickles; 1/4 c pecans
Exercise: 45 minutes on the treadmill
********************
Bizzy bizzy day -- I'm surprised I did as well as I did on both the vegan and SBD elements of my diet. I guess the raspberry vinaigrette was a no-no, but it was that or eat dry lettuce. I'm not that much of a masochist. And, I ate some goat cheese (about 2 T worth) for dinner. I easily resisted cookies at lunch, and rich desserts at dinner, though. I should have been ravenous, but I honestly wasn't tempted. I think that once one gets into the habit of resisting temptation, it really becomes second nature, and you eventually don't experience things as tempting in the first place.
I knew this trip was going to be hard on my veganism, and it has been. The world is ready and willing to adapt to vegetarians, but vegans are a different thing altogether. Not that I'm complaining--you really can't expect people to cater to you when your diet is *that* unusual. And being a vegan who doesn't eat grains or fruit... forget it. I could have had a perfectly lovely lunch, in fact, of rice and beans, salad, and lots of fresh fruit. Perfectly healthy, perfectly tasty, perfectly vegan... but still not allowed on the SBD. Oh, well. I hope my freakish eating habits didn't make me look bad; I tried to be as light hearted about them as possible and laugh at myself.
I'm going to go for a run on the hotel gym's treadmill, then will take a nice, long sauna. Tomorrow I have more interviews, two more restaurant meals to survive, and then I head home, to collapse and obsess over whether and when I hear back about this job...
Breakfast: V-8
Midmorning "snack": can of diet coke, cup of coffee with fake cream and equal
Lunch: plain green salad with raspberry (?) vinaigrette [catered meal]
Midafternoon snack: baba ghanoush with dill pickles
Dinner: tapas meal -- lots of little things like asparagus and mushrooms and stuff (plus a little goat cheese. Sorry, goats!); decaf espresso [restaurant meal]
Late night snack: more baba ghanoush and pickles; 1/4 c pecans
Exercise: 45 minutes on the treadmill
********************
Bizzy bizzy day -- I'm surprised I did as well as I did on both the vegan and SBD elements of my diet. I guess the raspberry vinaigrette was a no-no, but it was that or eat dry lettuce. I'm not that much of a masochist. And, I ate some goat cheese (about 2 T worth) for dinner. I easily resisted cookies at lunch, and rich desserts at dinner, though. I should have been ravenous, but I honestly wasn't tempted. I think that once one gets into the habit of resisting temptation, it really becomes second nature, and you eventually don't experience things as tempting in the first place.
I knew this trip was going to be hard on my veganism, and it has been. The world is ready and willing to adapt to vegetarians, but vegans are a different thing altogether. Not that I'm complaining--you really can't expect people to cater to you when your diet is *that* unusual. And being a vegan who doesn't eat grains or fruit... forget it. I could have had a perfectly lovely lunch, in fact, of rice and beans, salad, and lots of fresh fruit. Perfectly healthy, perfectly tasty, perfectly vegan... but still not allowed on the SBD. Oh, well. I hope my freakish eating habits didn't make me look bad; I tried to be as light hearted about them as possible and laugh at myself.
I'm going to go for a run on the hotel gym's treadmill, then will take a nice, long sauna. Tomorrow I have more interviews, two more restaurant meals to survive, and then I head home, to collapse and obsess over whether and when I hear back about this job...
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