Tag Archives: South Beach Diet

Ok, Week Three- LOOK OUT.

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Well, week two had the biggest eating day of the year smack in the middle of it. So I cannot be pleased enough to report that I made any progress at all! Nothing gets me off track like leftover pie, but even that didn’t stand in my way! Once again, my biggest loss was around my midsection, which is great, since my waist/hip ratio has been indicating that I “may be at increased risk for diabetes, heart disease…” and a bunch of other things that really bring you down so I’m skipping them. But my point is, that measurement is headed in a healthy direction right now- AWESOME. Because I’d really like to skip all those things and just stick with “healthy.”

Sorry, no funny face today… maybe next week.

Monday Progress Report:

I feel like I should specify here that I’m tracking my TOTAL progress. So when I say + or -, I mean vs. day 1, not since my last progress report. It helps me to keep the big picture in mind, so I don’t get discouraged on weeks where progress is smaller.

Day: 15
The scale has moved: -7 lbs
The inches have changed: -8 inches
I feel: Pumped up. Really, really pumped up. And I can feel less strain on my knees, even when I’m carrying my GIANT BABY. (Seriously, he’s really big.) Ready to kick week three WHERE IT HURTS!
I’ve walked: 19.16 miles and counting!

See? Really big.

What about you? How did you do this week? Are you ready to join us? YES WE CAN!

PS- thanks to my friend Casey for passing on some pants that don’t fit her any more, or I’d still be in my room, looking for something to wear. I don’t keep stuff that doesn’t fit me any more… More on that later.

Salad is TOO kid food

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Ian has a rabid penchant for “kid food” which does get indulged just a wee bit too often. But there are bright spots, and one of them is that he likes salad. He declared my favorite vinaigrette “disgusting” (then ate a whole bowl, but never mind) so tonight I made him a yogurt dressing (no sugar!) which he also declared “disgusting.” Keeghan ate the leftovers with a spoon, though, so we have a 50% approval rating- higher if you count my vote.

No- sugar added yogurt dressing

1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon mild table mustard
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar

Mix well. Thin with a little milk, as needed.

My salad had chicken breast seasoned with lemon pepper and basil, heirloom tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and capers on a bed of romaine lettuce. I find it helps me not to get tired of salad when I cook the chicken right before I eat it, do I’ve been doing one boneless, skinless breast at a time in my Round Covered Baker. (that’s a Pampered Chef product, but I imagine any stoneware casserole would work.)

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Steak Salad

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So, you remember when the Werewolf Fetus turned me, right? Well my love affair with red meat hasn’t abated and neither has his. (Yeah, okay, even the 8 year vegetarian in me thinks watching him wave a piece of steak in the air while yelling “MEAT!” is pretty dang funny.) Apparently some of us were just born to love meat and there isn’t much more to say. Anyway, we all know good steak is hard on the budget, but not when you know the secret to turning the cheap cuts into the best steak you’ve ever eaten.

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The day I found this recipe, I got very excited. You need to plan ahead a little more than doing them the “ordinary” way, but lean, cheap flank steak turns into a meat lover’s dream with this method. It’s so incredibly flavorful that eating it cold as a salad is still amazing. It is tender. It is juicy. It is out of this world. I made the salad with 7 ounces of steak, half a vine ripened tomato, and a bed of romaine lettuce. Add two tablespoons of your favorite dressing and you have the best lunch ever.

So here’s a quick recap of the steak recipe:

Approximately 1.75 lbs of flank steak
2 teaspoons of kosher salt (can’t use fine grained table salt for this)
Garlic powder
Your favorite steak seasoning blend or rub (I like Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning or a little fresh ginger grated over top in addition to garlic powder and black pepper.)

  1. Salt each side of the raw steak with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Sprinkle liberally with garlic powder. Let it stand one hour per inch of thickness of the steak. (In other words, a 1 1/2 inch thick steak would stand 90 minutes.) There seems to be some flexibility in your time frame, but I haven’t pushed it too far either way.
  2. Rinse well. I mean, REALLY REALLY WELL. I thought I had rinsed well the first time and… let’s just say it’s a good thing I like salt. Then pat dry with a flour sack or other towel that doesn’t have a lot of lint.
  3. Broil or grill to your preferred doneness. We’ve run the gamut and find that the steak is at its juiciest and most tender when prepared medium or medium rare, but, to each their own.
  4. Enjoy half for dinner. Save half so you can enjoy the world’s best lunch tomorrow. Slice into strips when cool.