South Beach Diet Diary - Weeks 8 and 9

October is a challenging month for me to make good eating choices. That trend continues. Weeks 8 and 9 I kept telling myself I would return to Phase 1, but somehow that just didn't happen.

Low Carb Lifestyle

Overall, I am eating far fewer carbs than previously and eating far more vegetables. I am conscious of making choices that include carbs and bad fats rather than just stumbling into them as my first choice for a quick snack.

This is a good result of the re-education plan I wanted from the South Beach Diet. That much is working. I have not gone completely off the reservation - pretty much I have no bread, I have some pita chips as a snack, etc.

But Those M&Ms Just Jumped Into My Mouth!

I bought a bag of trick-or-treat size packs of peanut M&Ms. I told myself I would have just one pack a day as a snack treat. But my sad history of impulse control continued and I finished them all off in about three days. OK, that's 2 days longer than I might have in the past. Still, this is not a big "win" for control. On the upside, the SECOND bag I bought remains unopened. But ice cream has snuck its way past my lips several times these two weeks.

Wasabi Peas, Please

New snack item: my walking buddies turned me on to wasabi peas as a snack item. They are OK for Phase 2 of the South Beach Diet. They are dried peas coated with wasabi horseradish. You can only eat one at a time, and there are 60 calories in a half cup, which is about as many as you want to eat in one snack session. High in protein and fiber. We buy them in the bulk food section of the Winco grocery store.

Yuck - Sugar Free Chocolates

I bought a pack of sugar-free mini chocolate bars, including Hershey's and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. They use sugar alcohols, etc. that should have a lower glycemic effect. However, I think they upset my GI tract, a common problem. Also, they just don't taste like the real thing, therefore they don't end my chocolate craving. After sampling a few, I tossed the rest in the trash. The South Beach Diet book does not recommend these sort of products. If you really must have chocolate, it says, have a piece of dark chocolate.

Exercise

I've been faithful to going to my twice-weekly circuit training class. I've ridden my bike twice a week and can see the difference in my quads already. I have been on reduced walking miles since the Portland Marathon, doing a weekly 11 or 12 kilometer walk on Saturday and a shorter 3-4 mile walk on Sunday, plus biking.

Weight

At the end of Week 8 and Week 9, my weight was up a half pound from my low point - not bad at all. I've been maintaining. But I must regroup and rededicate.

Resolve

1. Thou shalt pack thy lunch. Too tempting to have something not on the the plan otherwise. I've been doing fine for breakfast and dinner.
2. Replace peanut M&Ms with wasabi peas.
3. More salads for dinner: my husband likes having a big salad for dinner, it's easy to do and provides some variety from the usual grilled meat and veggies.

Past Weeks

South Beach Diet Diary - Week 1
South Beach Diet Diary - Week 2
South Beach Diet Diary - Week 3 - Starting Phase 2
South Beach Diet Diary - Week 4 with Half-Marathons
South Beach Diet Diary - Week 5 Marathon Training
South Beach Diet Diary - Week 6 and 7 Marathon