So this year the only ones attending will be my immediate family. I am not one to cook great amounts of food so this should be perfect. Also, because I get to cook it, it can be done the way that I want it done. I can include the foods that I want. Not that I will alienate those that aren’t following the South Beach Diet Plan but I can be creative with some new and different side items of traditional ones that I have updated and made healthy.
I will be ordering a Honey Baked Ham, which I will personally be cutting that wonderful famous Honey Baked skin. This really makes no difference to me. I never cared either way about sugar crusted skin anyway.
I will make real mashed potatoes for the non participants. I will also be making the South Beach Mashed Potatoes for myself and anyone who wants to step outside the box a bit. I will have green beans, peas, sweet potato fries and salad for the vegetables.
The stuffing which was last years favorite dish I made. This dish was polished off way before the regular white bread stuffing. This will show itself again this year sure to be the winner : Turkey Sausage and Pear Stuffing. I will however omit the pears. Its just never been my thing to include fruit in my stuffing.
Dessert will be another favorite from last year : Pumpkin Pie (Phase 2). This is a great recipe I think for all pies and I think that you can actually taste the flavor of the pie without the overbearing taste of a “bready” crust. My son and I could not leave this thing alone last year. Too good to believe that it is actually “better for you”.
The Appetizers will include a veggie tray with lots of extras for refills and a dozen deviled eggs. My brother will be helping by bringing the rolls the others cannot live without and some Pinor Noir to accompany our meal. I am really looking forward to this Thanksgiving and it will be tough to keep the cost down. I dont think it will be too much of a problem with our neighborhood 99 Cent Store.
Hopefully you will let me know how your Thanksgiving goes with your family as you try to swap out some of your family favorites with some healthful options that can be just as tasty if not more.

This week in making my plans for the next weeks meals I began to consult my new South Beach Diet Recharged book for new recipies. I was kinda uneasy about trying them out with my family but I pleaded with them to try something new. Heck! If they didnt like them than we never had to make them again. So I will post these meals this week for your review and pictures. First one that I have made tonight for sunday night dinner was the Homestyle Turkey Meatloaf with Mushrooms and White Beans. This is a Phase 1 Meal. I paired mine with broccoi. Here is a picture of the one I made. My husband said it was “Ok”, but kept adding more Tabasco. So maybe a little kick would be good on the flavor. My son however loved it and he LOVES meatloaf. Being the creature of habit that he is though he did add Ketchup, which by the way is not South Beach Diet friendly. But, we pick our battles. I thought it was wonderful as I said before I deffinately recommend this recipie.

Home-style Turkey Meatloaf With Mushrooms and White Beans (Phase 1)

Serves 6

Description
This healthy alternative to typical meatloaf adds white beans for a delicious high-fiber twist. Serve extra Dijon mustard on the side; it lends a satisfying, piquant flavor element.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 75 minutes

Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/4 pounds extra-lean ground turkey
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped parsley
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard plus extra for serving

Instructions
Heat the oven to 375° F. Lightly coat an 8- by 4- by 2 1/2 –inch metal or glass loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, thyme, cayenne, paprika, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and mushrooms are incorporated, about 5 minutes longer. Add beans and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine cooled bean mixture, turkey, eggs, parsley, and 2 teaspoons of the Worcestershire sauce. Mix well with wet hands to combine. Form into a loaf and place into the prepared pan.

Stir together mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce and set aside.

Bake meatloaf on the middle rack of the oven for 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven and brush with the reserved Worcestershire mixture. Return to the oven and continue baking 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until a thermometer inserted into meatloaf registers 170 ° F. Let meatloaf stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with additional Dijon mustard.

Nutritional Information
205 calories
5 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
15 g carbohydrate
30 g protein
4 g fiber
549 mg sodium

This recipe is from Dr. Agatston’s new book, The South Beach Diet Supercharged. For more information, click here.

So I have been feeling sick. I believe it’s what’s “going around” so they say. I have a mild sore throat and cough. I don’t think I can swallow my normal lettuce and vegetable based diet. I can just imagine trying to swallow that stuff and it just wouldn’t be pretty. So last night I googled around and found a recipie for an Egg Drop Soup. This seemed really easy to make too, since being sick your energy is low as well. I used 2 cups of chicken broth and 2 med eggs. I seasoned with salt & peper. Combine all these ingredients and bring to a boil, stiring all the while. This will give you the fluffy scrambled eggs you’re looking for. Well, let me tell you it was fantastic. Since begining this diet I just assumed a chicken soup was out of the question. The warmth of this soup soothed my thoat and my desire for the chicken noodle soup I have come to enjoy on sick days. So eat up my sick lettuce heads! Feel better soon!

Eating healthfully can be expensive. The good news, however, is that with some careful planning, you can easily follow the South Beach Diet and enjoy the foods you love without breaking your budget. Here are five ways to cut down on spending at the grocery store:

South Beach Diet Daily Dish Email October 19.

 

So if you’re like me I look forward to Halloween every year.  I really miss the little Twix bars.  But in the 2 years that I have been on the South Beach Diet Plan I have had to adjust myself.  I dont really even look at the stuff that I find in my son’s trick or treat bag, except to check for random “contraband”.  I have learned to eat a nutitious dinner before we go out that night.  This keeps my blood sugar stable and helps to control the need for anything else.  One year the candy in his bag did strike me and I did indulge in a Hershey’s Special Dark Mini.  If you are on phase 2 or 3 I believe that this is an acceptable treat.  The South Beach Diet email this week did list a few things that you could partake in:

Individual packages of no-trans-fats “fish” crackers or animal crackers
Sugar-free lollipops or gum
Small bags of trans-fat-free popcorn
Individual boxes of raisins

These things can also be handed out to the kids for a healthy  alternative to the sugary sweets they are usually given. 

So be safe out there and have a healthy happy Halloween my little lettuceheads!!!!

So today I have been having cravings.  Weird for me I know but I have been wanting something, chocolate, ice cream something.  So today I went searching through my cupboards looking for what I had to make something “friendly” for me to eat.  I decided to quickly make a batch of the flourless sugar free oatmeal cookies. Here is the link below:

Try this recipe. Love this one. It was quick and easy. Problem solved and craving gone.

Growing up I was a bigger kid as you can see from the photo below.  Because I had this eating addiction so young, I would hide what I was eating.  I loved anything frozen.  Especially Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies and Hostess Snowballs and Twinkies.  I couldn’t imagine eating these things now.  When I am alone at home now, which is allot, I would be lying to say that I don’t think about it.  I am human.  I know all too well how wonderful these foods that are so bad for us taste.  I enjoy weird things now.  I smell birthday cake.  I looooove birthday cake.  My sister in law kindly jokes about how doing this will scare the children.  I caught myself this weekend at a roller skating party breathing in a few deep breaths of my sons piece of the ice cream cake that he was given.  Will things ever become stressful for me in my personal life that I will just figure, to heck with it and reach for that Flake chocolate bar that has been sitting in my freezer.  I wont get rid of it but I also wont eat it.  Trust me my brother is hovering like a vulcher waiting for me to hand it over or disclose where I have been hiding it this whole time.  Who knows if it is even good.  I find myself now sometimes overindulging in a couple things but those things are on Dr. Agaston’s approved list.  I am also guilty of having my nightly frozen ricotta cheese when I am not even hungry.  But my family and ice cream go way back.  I dont think we know how to make a single or double scoop bowl.  We are only able to prepare moutain ice cream bowls.  I associate ice cream and fast food with a comfort zone that was enforced by both sides of my family.  Like I said, I dont ever partake anymore but I do hold those memories close to my heart.  This idea sickens me that I think this way.  I hate to associate my life with food when I fight so much to preach otherwise.

Like any alcoholic or drug addict I will always be just one Whoopie Pie away from losing it.  Maybe that it a good thing.  Sort of like when I quit smoking and I kept the patch on as sort of a security blanket.  I guess we all use what we can.  Whatever works right?

This Christmas I have plane tickets to go to St.Louis to see my family.  I am really excited.  Also, my baby sister is getting married while I am there too.  I love my family I do and I cannot wait to see them.  I am sure that I will be blogging abut the eating challenges I am sure I will encounter along the way.  It will be a struggle I assure you.

 

I took my son to the doctor today.  It was scheduled as a basic checkup and flu shot.  He has not been to the doctor since since starting school, he is 9 now.  I am blessed that my son doesn’t get sick and we haven’t had any emergencies.  So today I pick my son up early from school and went for the appointment.  The nurse weighed my son and marked his height, 91lbs. and 4′7″ tall.  I thought that this was perfect.  All this time I thought that my son was a little heavy, but I was relieved now.  Then the doctor came in.  The went through the routine and then it came to question time.  So I asked, “How is my son on height and weight?”  I was told, “well, he’s a little on the heavy side.”  This made my heart sink.  I don’t want my son to go through what I did.  His doctor basically said what we all know, watch fried foods, increase vegetables and make sure that he is getting at least 30 minutes of activity a day.  Whats weird is that I have been trying to start this with him lately already.  I explained that I eat by the South Beach Diet Plan already.  I have already begun to limit his potatoes, switch his rice from white to brown and increase the amount of vegetables he eats.  I was told that this was great and that we were already on our way.  Great!

After getting home, I googled South Beach Diet Plan for children.  This is what I found:

South Beach Diet A to Z: Kids on the South Beach Diet

Kids on the South Beach Diet
Before putting your child on the South Beach Diet, be sure to talk to your pediatrician who can tell you your child’s ideal weight. She may want to look at the diet if she is not familiar with it.

If she says it’s ok, Dr. Agatston says kids should do Phase 2 of the diet. Be sure your child’s meal plans include extra calcium from dairy foods. Adding several servings of low-fat dairy products is important for a growing kid’s health. Low-fat milk, cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt are all excellent choices.

Please note that pre-teens and teenagers should also refrain from doing Phase 1 of this diet and instead follow Phase 2.

Jennifer R. Scott
Weight Loss Guide About.com

This makes allot of sense to me.  Now we can make our meals for our whole family.  We no longer have to make one meal for the kids and one meal for us.  I will try to add within the next few days some kid friendly recipes for you on the Recipe page.  Welcome to a whole new phase, South Beach for Kids!

 

 

Last night I was speaking with a friend and they called someone I love and care about a “fat ass”. I really hate name calling especially by people who have no idea what they are talking about. This person has never been big and nobody in their familyhas been big.  There is so much that you must live with being bigger.  There are  insecurities, promising to quit eating so much, trying to wear clothes that I thought fit and then crying when I cannot get them on. I was teased and made fun of by my brother for so long. Now everytime I look in the mirror I see that girl.  I remember a time in particular wanting to wear this mini skirt and I couldn’t zip it up. I cried and got a really wide belt of my mothers to make a sort of makeshift girdle. It didn’t work. I remeber wearing the baggiest of t-shirts and wanting to wear more. I was ashamed. I tried to diet. It didn’t work. When I was younger family members would make comments, not including my brother. I would cry and swear that I would lose the weight. It never happened.  It took a long time to find out what I should do.  I have tried pills, starving, and alot of other diets.  I have always worked out but I liked to eat too much.  I had to find a way to change  my eating habits for life. 

A few years ago I began to develop stomach pains.  They were horrible and crippling pains.  I started to look at what I was eating.  This is how I stumbled on the South Beach Diet Plan.  I was eating so much, more than I had in a long time.  To my surprise the pain went away.  I never did find out what it was but its gone now. 

Now that I am older I still see that chubby girl above and its hard not to.  It is a health problem.  It should be treated as such.  Those that are alcoholics, smokers and drug addicts think that they have a higher ground but it is the same.  Food is an addiction for some.  I hope that those of you out there that struggle everyday with a food addiction will find relief.  I know that I am not a doctor but I want to preach healthy eating.  Remove your scale and begin to base your happiness on how you feel.  When you begin eating healthy you will begin to feel better.  Promise.

✦I have so much to write about. I have begun to add for you the food lists and sample menus for the phases of the south beach diet plan. I hope this will help a bit, as the other site did not have that drawn out for you.✦phase one is basically the strictest detox phase. within the 2 weeks you will try to reduce your cravings for sugars. in this 2weeks you will cut out all alcohol, breads, rice, potatoes and sugar. I know that it sounds daunting but believe me you will feel so much better. I actually loved phase 1 and find myself going back to it alot. you can do this. there are alot of foods and great recipies that can be made with the approved foods listed on this phase. during this phase it is reported that you can lose. between 8-10lbs. who doesn’t love that? what’s great is that you will never feel hungry and unsatisfied. snacks are mandatory and for good reason. Controling your blod sugar will help you stay on track and not feel famished and aarving like most diets do. The whole thing is to never be hungry. vegetables are unlimited. I even find myself now rarely craving carbs and really enjoying the amount of veggies. please feel free to begin your journey with me and start feeling better almost immediately. if you’re interested on keeping you resluts with me please email me on the site or @ saveabun@hotmail.com. I would love to track your progress an also allow others to see that this can be done. I look forward to hearing from you!