How it all began

This first post is very long. It will take you from the beginning conception up through yesterday June 26th. Enjoy...

Tuesday April 22, 2008 Phase One Day 1:
Last Friday night Stephen was on a campout with the Young Men so Sonnet and I were out and about together. We decided on a double feature – one movie @ the plaza and another @ Edwards. We had a little time between show times so we wandered around the shops @ Edwards. Russo’s Books looked good so we stopped in for a browse. The first book I picked up had us laughing out loud so we decided to get it. It is called Neris and India’s Idiot-Proof Diet. The authors are India Knight and Neris Thomas. The next two days we were mesmerized and took turns reading out to each other. The authors, India & Neris, became our new best friends and this diet adventure is a result of our time together with them through the printed word.

The battle of the bulge has been a life long skirmish for me. At times I came off the victor and sadly, other times bitterly defeated. In the course of reading together Sonnet and I have decided to mutually pledge ourselves to one another in this new endeavor. As ? said, “Once more into the breech”.

Today is D-day. The first two weeks are called phase one and food is somewhat limited as dictated by India & Neris (hereafter know as I&N). First thing was to take the prescribed supplements and get started downing the 8 glasses of water, at a minimum, each day. I woke up with a definite plan for breakfast. It wasn’t so different really as I love cottage cheese. Usually I like it with pears but fruit is off limits in phase one so I had it with a tomato instead. After breakfast I was off to a funeral all morning then straight to the office. I did not take any food with me and by 2:00 I left a little hungry as I headed for the store to grocery shop. Albertsons chicken breasts are a favorite and totally OK in phase one. I picked up the chicken and anticipated scarfing it down as soon as I got home.

So far today I have gone to the bathroom a lot because of all the water. All in all I feel great and have not had any real cravings or food-stress moments. Tonight Sonnet comes over and we do the official measurement taking – that sounds like a good time. The I&N regiment combines exercise with diet so following the tape measure party we are off for a walk.

I am excited at the prospect for myself and Sonnet. Weight has always been a concern in my life. I desire to be healthy, physically active and attractive. I also desire the pleasure of food and social eating. There in lie the axis and the war rages on. So, once more into the breech indeed and may we both come off victorious!

Wednesday April 23, 2008 Phase One Day 2:
Good Morning! Supplements are down the hatch already as well as two bottles of water. Another breakfast of cottage cheese and tomato. Sonnet says my 6 bottles of 16oz water is not enough so I will add two more bottles today.

Our office is going out to lunch for administrative assistants’ day which is just a fancy title for secretaries’ day. I have ordered a steak salad but will have to forgo the bread and dessert. I am committed so I don’t think it will be a problem.

So the office luncheon was delicious. My salad was perfect with many yummy veggies in it that gave me some good cooking ideas. I left the bread untouched and there was no dessert – Yea!

Now that I am home again my normal routine would be to have a snack of some kind. Anything would do – could be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a bowl of Cheerios. Man that sounds good – nothing like a bowl of Cheerios. The snack thought had its compelling moment, but when I went outside to the pond and saw India & Neris it totally faded. As it happened, Sonnet & I bought two beautiful new fan tailed gold fish the morning after we bought the book. Approximately 8” and 10” respectively, they are white, black and orange freckled. As an ever present reminder of our life style change the fish became the authors’ namesakes. I decided to name the longer of the two for the taller India. The smaller one with more orange color has become Neris, the shorter redhead.

Ever in my thoughts and more of a motivator than fish is Sonnet of course. I do not want to be untrue to our bargain. Minimizing our compact I could say, “It’s just a little Cheerios snack.” But in the context of synergy I need only look to others who have been consistent in their commitment, devotion and example to a principle for me in my life. It then becomes very clear what my choices must be.

Another delicious dinner. Tonight we broiled chicken then added a garnish of red & green peppers, green onion and garlic. I tossed a salad and was delighted to find Newman’s Own Light Italian Dressing does not list sugar as an ingredient. Great find. After dinner Sonnet and I took a twenty-five minute walk. We cut it short because she is coming down sick –stuffy nose and a very sore throat.

I have one more bottle of water to drink this evening which shouldn’t be a problem. Not feeling hungry at all.

Thursday April 24, 2008 Phase One Day 3:
Today I had my first meltdown. It was a small one but it was a moment none the less. The day began just great. I ate eggs & bacon and loved every bite. My schedule included a funeral that morning then straight to the office. Because of the funeral I did not plan or prepare a lunch before I left the house – big mistake. I have found that planning is the most important part of self control for me, and let’s face it; losing weight is simply a matter of self control. I do think there is a psychology involved. There are valid behaviors to analyze such as why we eat, what we eat, when we do or, what we first learned at home about weight, self concept and indulgence. I was enlightened a bit about my own patterns while reading those topics in the book. However, baring no deep seeded psychological damage or extreme physical defect, controlling our weight always comes back to, at least for me, self control.

Back to my meltdown. It happened in the grocery store. I stopped in at the grocery store to pick up something to eat at the office. This was the first day I would be at work over the lunch hour and I wanted to be prepared. I wandered around for 15 minutes and it seemed all I could find were things I could not eat. I wanted fruit. I wanted bread. I wanted to go pick up a grilled chicken salad from Zorba’s with lots of Ranch dressing, not to mention my favorite part, the toasted flat bread that comes with it! I thought, “Why am I doing this anyway?” I stopped myself. “No, Sonnet and I are in this together” I reminded, then delightfully rationalized that “Sonnet would never know.” “But I would and that wouldn’t be right.”

I am happy to report the moment passed and self control had the last word. I picked up salad makings, some chicken and headed for work. Lunch was yummy. I was not hungry all afternoon. Hooray for small successes!

For dinner Sonnet & I cooked Shepherds Pie from the book recipe – Outstanding! Who would have thought cauliflower could be a potato substitute. Well done I&N! We continue to walk in the evenings.

Friday April 25, 2008 Phase One Day 4:
Sore knees this morning. Nothing to do with the diet. I have arthritis and sometimes they hurt. More so now that I am walking more often. I walk three mornings a week with my girl friends and have now added an additional afternoon walk with Sonnet. I am not complaining at all. I enjoy our walks and for me the time together to support our common goal is very sustaining. I just hurt that’s all. Today I am going to suggest we change it up and do a fitness ball workout. I have a DVD and two balls here at the house. I do not think I am up to another walk today.

I suggested a different workout to Sonnet omitting my knee pain. She opted for the walk but suggested a shorter one today – OK by me. I did just fine. Amazing what a couple Aleve will do for you.

Food today was good but not very much. Eggs & Bacon for breakfast and a small helping of leftover shepherds pie for lunch. I was bemoaning the fact that I wasn’t very inspired to eat when my selection is so limited. Sonnet reminded me that I should make sure I include enough vegetables. They keep it interesting. Speaking of Sonnet, she made the most beautiful dinner tonight. “It’s all about presentation’, she says. I broiled steaks and steamed an artichoke but there is when my help ended. Sonnet made an avocado sauce of avocado, sour cream, water & onion salt. She got out pretty plates and drizzled sauce as a base then added a thin blanket of grilled onions. The steaks were placed on top of the onions then covered lightly with a mixture of minced green & red bell peppers and garlic. As crown she topped them with a few more onions and small avocado wedges. A light drizzle of avocado sauce finished the look. To complete the plate Sonnet accented with tomato and avocado wedges. It was beautiful – very gourmet. The best part was that it tasted as wonderful as it looked.

Saturday April 26, 2008 Phase One Day 5:
Day 5:….. Now what was that journal entry I&N used in the book….….. oh yes I remember, “Day 5: We felt really, really, crappy. We felt like Mrs. Crappy from Crapville, Crapland, United Crapdom”.
Sonnet and I both felt bad today. I attributed it to the steak I ate the night before (which was beautiful and delicious). I thought perhaps the cumulative heavy doses of meat and fat were too much for my system. I could only face one tomato for breakfast. I felt uncomfortable in my back and very tired.

In spite of it all we followed the books advice to not neglect our appearance. A trip to the plaza had been planned the day before so we forged ahead. I had an appointment for a free facial and Sonnet had an appointment at the Este Lauder counter for a makeover. It was fun and we learned a lot. Lunch was a trip to Bakers Square where we enjoyed a salad and salmon. It was great to substitute double veggies’ for the rice. A nice surprise was to find an olive oil vinaigrette dressing served with the salad (I had my Newman’s Own in my purse just in case.) A roll was brought out with both our meals but we told the waitress we were dieting and asked that she take them away.

Even though we perked up a little from the food we decided to go home and take naps. I couldn’t face dinner so I had a boiled egg, a couple almonds and a piece of cheese. I did make sure I drank all my water even though I didn’t have much of an appetite. While they were eating I read out loud to Stephen & Sonnet from the book for moral support. Went to bed because I was just too tired and uncomfortable to stay awake. Sorry no exercise today.

Sunday April 27, 2008 Phase One Day 6:
Feel so much better I can’t believe it. To quote I&N, “Day 6: Fan-flippin’-tastic!” I guess I am text-book because I do feel better today. Had a tomato for breakfast then was out the door to Church. I spoke in Sacrament today so I was very glad I woke up feeling normal. When I got home I put on a stew. Lots of cubed steak, cabbage, broccoli, petite onions, diced tomato and Italian seasonings simmering in a vegetable broth. It filled the house with heavenly aroma all afternoon. For lunch I had a simple salad with chicken, feta cheese, and a few almonds topped with Newman’s Own.

Have visiting teaching appointments tonight so Sonnet & I will walk around 8:00. I recognize it is Sunday but feel an evening stroll, not a power walk, will be appropriate. It is warm today so I am glad we will be going when the sun is down.

For dinner we had stew. It was as delicious as it smelled. While I was VT’ing Sonnet made some egg & sausage muffins using the book’s recipe. I tried one when I got home but was disappointed. They are just OK. A little too light and airy for my taste. She substituted ‘egg beaters’ for half the eggs which might have had something to do with the fluffiness. I have a feeling they could really be spruced up with peppers, onion and even spinach.

Monday April 28, 2008 Phase One Day 7:
This is the first day of health week at school so after my morning 3 mile walk with my friends I was off to work. I grabbed a cold leftover egg muffin from the frig and was out the door. I planned ahead and took a boiled egg, some almonds and stew for lunch and snacks at the office. They kept me satisfied all day. I was on the go and ended up working 9 hours. By the time I was on my way home I wasn’t looking forward to the bike ride Stephen & I had planned.

I did not think I had the energy, you know, the kind you get from good old fashioned starchy carbs, to handle the exertion. I called Steph with the update and he ended up heading out on his own. By the time I got home he was gone. It had been 5 hours since I had last eaten so I popped one of the leftover muffins into the microwave covered in diced peppers and onion – just as I suspected – more like it. I added to it a boiled egg and almonds. Which by the way are becoming my favorite snack. My almonds of choice are smoked flavor and I limit myself to 2 or 3 at a time. After some food I felt better and ended up getting on my bike and taking Stephen’s route in reverse ran into him. We had a nice ride.

I had a simple dinner of stew and feel quite satisfied.

Tuesday April 29, 2008 Phase One Day 8:
I was so excited to reach this day. The very cool thing about today was that it was weigh & measure day. We both dropped inches here and there. Sonnet lost 7 lb and I lost 6lb. Bravo! Another perk for today is that we can add ‘Splenda’ or fake sugar to our diet if we needed to. Pleased to think I could occasionally have Jell-O now made me happy. This has been a long week for me. The eating regiment is ever on the mind. The selection is limited and getting monotonous. Don’t get me wrong, I am very glad to be doing it, it’s just that the experience is not without challenges.

Today eggs and bacon for breakfast. A nice salad and leftover stew for lunch and for dinner I made shepherds pie again. This time I put the whole 3 lbs of meat the recipe calls for. Both Sonnet and I agree it is too heavy and will cut it back to 2 lbs next time.

We read from the book the pages Phase 1: Day 8 – 11. It is nice to read together and stop to discuss points and hear one another’s take on diet issues. After reading we were off for a short walk.

Wednesday April 30, 2008 Phase One Day 9:
This morning I told my walking friends Rinez & Jami that I do not feel as strong as I use to. Jami & I use to lead the pack. Sometimes getting out ahead and doubling back to resume walking with the group, then going forward again. These days I struggle just to keep up with what I know is a slightly slower pace. One thing that might influence this is my absence from the twice a week step class I had been attending. I haven’t been doing step for five months now. Maybe that’s it – maybe not.

I will be interested to see how introducing fruit back into my diet will affect this. One observation I have made is that; I&N were, percentage wise, more over weight than me and their activity levels were much lower than mine. Also I was not as addicted and saturated with sugar as they were. I’m wondering if the severity of this carb cutback is contributing to the strength drain I feel. I am not necessarily sleepy or even what you would call tired. More like sluggish and heavy if that makes sense.

Oh well, breakfast was cottage cheese and a tomato. I packed a lunch of salad and leftover shepherd’s pie to eat at work. I’m going to take some cheese for a snack. Speaking of work I had better get ready and go.

Worked late then straight to a concert for a visiting BYU choir. They were fabulous! Had no dinner but did not feel hungry until I got home around 9:45. Just gobbled up a bowl of Shepherds pie –boy I am glad I made a big pan of it.

Thursday May 1, 2008 Phase One Day 10:
Great day! I have no idea if I felt sluggish today or not because I didn’t have time to feel anything. This week is health week for the school district and today is family fitness night. On the run all day! Good breakfast of eggs & bacon, salad for lunch and another bowl of shepherds pie for dinner. So much running around I am sure an exercise walk equivalent was accomplished. Saw Sonnet tonight and I noticed a marked difference. Her neck/jowl area is thinner, her chest seems flatter and her pants were hanging loosely. Isn’t it funny how one day it seems you can just wake up and have changed.


Friday May 2, 2008 Phase One Day 11:
Movie Day! A normal movie day consists of totally munching out with my friends as we visit and watch a movie. Knowing this I was prepared. First, in my prayers that morning I asked to be strengthened in my resolve. I actually stopped in the prayer to say, “not to help me not eat or decide if I can have a little of this or that, because I have already decided not to have those things. Just please help me strengthen my resolve not to have those things”. Does that make sense? It did to me. I do not need to anguish every day over whether or not to eat the wrong thing. I have already decided I will not –what I need to do is be strong in that decision and go forward.

I had some cottage cheese before I went and took some almonds and a tomato with me. When I got there it was great not to feel anxiety about eating. I found I was not tempted by the buffet and happy to snack on almonds. Of course I could not find the tomato in my purse so I had more almonds than I should but that’s OK. I rushed off to work after movie day and did not get home until 5:00. I was hungry! Stephen & I went out to Outback for dinner where I had a Queensland salad. It was yummy. I walked with my friends that morning so I was finished for the day.

Saturday May 3, 2008 Phase One Day 12:
Slept in, how wonderful. Stephen planned to work in the side yard cleaning out junk and hauling a load to the dump. I decided to work on the backyard. First thing I made an egg, bacon, lettuce & tomato on toast for him and an egg, bacon & tomato in a lettuce wrap for me. Very tasty! Right after breakfast I was outside. Boy I worked hard. I had sod to cut and move and bricks to haul. If I do not get a walk in today I will still have worked out. Maybe even harder that I usually do. Who needs a gym membership when you have yard work to do! It took me hours and finally at 2:00 I came in for a salad. The yard looks beautiful. It is extremely satisfying. Snacked on chicken, Jell-O and a piece of cheese for dinner. I say snacked because I had it sitting on the couch while watching a movie. Should have had it at the table.

Sonnet dropped by so I asked her how she was doing. I asked if she felt deprived at all. To which she answered, “being deprived does not apply. Someone is deprived when they are going without something because of circumstances out of their control. Like a famine and there is no food available or if you are poor and cannot afford food. This word does not apply to me because I am not deprived I have simply made a choice.” She added, “I don’t think I am sacrificing either. A sacrifice is something you usually do for someone else. This is a choice I am making for me. People make choices every day.” Very insightful I thought. I chimed in, “Like choosing to wear modest clothing, you don’t feel deprived or feel you are sacrificing all the skimpy clothes. You simply are making a choice how you will dress.” I like her observation.

Sunday May 4, 2008 Phase One Day 13:
Today is weigh and measure day because I will be out of town on Tuesday. It is also Fast-Sunday so no breakfast or lunch. I lost 4 pounds and continue to lose fractions of inches. For dinner I tried my hand at cooking cod. It turned out OK but nothing special. French style beans with bacon and almonds as well as salad and asparagus filled me up quite nicely. After a Sunday walk I topped off the evening with a piece of cheese.

Sonnet & I read from the book. Big News – we were all prepared to enter phase two on Tuesday. I couldn’t wait to eat oatmeal and fruit and chocolate! Then those two women we thought were our friends, namely I&N, lowered the boom. It seems you can only move on to phase two if you are within 15 pounds of your goal. What! They admit some people stay in phase one for weeks and sometimes months! I can’t believe it. I am within range but Sonnet said she can commit to another week. Wow. I admire her more every day. I hope she has some good results this coming week. Then I think I will advise her to go on to phase two. I think we need the fruit and grains. I do think it wise that I&N advise you to add only one new food addition a week. This prevents one from going crazy and binging on several of the foods that caused the trouble in the first place. Also, portion control and infrequency, not frequency is recommended for the new foods. In order to not sabotage the weight loss it is critical there be an increase in exercise. This makes the addition of fruits and grains healthy and not harmful to the fat burning trend. Somewhat challenging news but we are up to the challenge.

Monday May 5, 2008 Phase One Day 14:
From the frying pan to the fire! This week I am in Monterey with Stephen. Monterey! What comes to mind….oh, let’s see….clam chowder in a bread bowl, ice cream, chocolates (and I don’t mean only the approved dark chocolate). Vacation is truly a difficult time to be on a strict diet. Today I had cottage cheese and tomato for breakfast. I had a boiled egg and piece of cheese on the drive up. So far so good.

Stephen and I checked in and started off on foot for Fisherman’s Wharf. This is where the trial begins. I was planning on a wonderful salad for lunch. Couldn’t wait and was feeling quite confident but salads were hard to come be. Oh sure, if you wanted a shrimp salad or crab salad or any other kind of sea creature salad there was no problem. However, I am not a big fan of those so I thought I’d just look for a steak of some kind. No problem if you want a salmon steak or halibut steak or shark steak! Finally we found a nice top sirloin that didn’t cost $30.00. Low and behold I was able to substitute the rice for a garden salad (yea). It turned out great.

I have had a bit of a meltdown as I try and reconcile my choices for this week. I can’t wait for tomorrow when I shall add berries and summer fruit as my first additional food. I think it will really help.

Tuesday May 6, 2008 Phase Two Day 15:
Fruit glorious fruit! Today I had fruit and it was wonderful. I found a nut mix with berries and cherries that is very good. Fruit eating started rather hastily first thing this morning. I couldn’t believe I did not wake up until 8:27 – yikes – I planned to be at the gym for a 9:15 class. Scrambling into my gym clothes I threw down a boiled egg, piece of cheese and a hand full of my fruit trail mix then flew out the door. Thankfully the sports center in Monterey is only a quick walk into town.

The first class I tried was called Muscle Strength. Soon discovered I don’t have any muscle strength as the class nearly did me in. I loved it! Fifteen minutes after it ended I couldn’t resist another class called Zumba. Great fun. Its dance, dance, dance Latin style which means lots for shaking your booty and constant movement. Both classes were wonderfully exhausting especially considering my skimpy breakfast. It really did not provide for such exertion. Oh well, I lived through it. Next I was to meet Steph for a bike ride. He was just finishing class so we met downtown and I told him I could not do anything else until I got some food in me. The Marriott café had delicious flame broiled chicken breast, avocado, tomato, feta cheese and red onion lettuce wraps. They were fabulous and just hit the spot. In no time we were on our way pedaling along the coast. Our route included scenic highway 1, parts of Carmel’s 17 mile drive that wound through the golf courses at Pebble Beach. I definitely got in my exercise quota for today.

After a shower we headed downtown again to peruse the street fair. It was a delight to be able to sample a raspberry here and a peach slice there. Ah, glorious fruit. I bought a peach for tomorrow and some strawberries to snack on over the next few days. For dinner we found a tempting bistro and I ate a scrumptious steak salad. Wonderful day!



Wednesday May 7, 2008 Phase Two Day 16:
One juicy peach, one boiled egg and a hand full of fruit mix – that’s what I call a good breakfast. Today I was off to shop at Cannery Row. My mission was to find a birthday gift for Alexis. Cool with a chilly breeze in the morning, the day turned out to be a beautifully sunny noon. Shopping was relaxed. Stephen ended up free for lunch so we hit the road to Pacific Grove to a local eatery I scoped out earlier. A Tri-Tip Caesar salad made me happy. I did tell Steph that today I might want a treat. I wasn’t sure what but I wanted something.

Sonnet and I talked about this before I left. She reminded me that in phase two an occasional fall off the wagon was life and would not require a direct, do not pass go, trip to ‘phase one’ jail. By the time we reached our next stop, Carmel, I was ready. My decadence of choice, what else…chocolate. I was looking for a See’s or Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Carmel was a bust. Very cute with many expensive shops but no chocolate – tragic. We made our way down the highway to a recommended shop. Stephen got a double scoop of Rocky Road on a sugar cone. Don’t ask me what came over me but I thought I’d ‘be good’. Note to self…when you want a treat, get a treat or you will be sorry! I picked out one piece of sugar free toffee and one piece of dark chocolate covered caramel. Yuck. Both were sorely lacking. I decided to march back to the shop and get a scoop of cookie dough ice cream. Now we’re talking.

Dinner was back at a favorite Monterey restaurant. Stephen and I split a steak dinner. A cup of luscious cream lemon chicken soup was delivered with two spoons. Already in the ‘off the wagon state of mind’ I had the tasty bread that came with it. We each had a dinner salad but I was too full to eat mine. The cruddy chocolate and yummy ice cream cone had definitely made an impact on my appetite. When the steak and potato were served and split I ate and enjoyed. It felt good to walk around the wharf after dinner.

Stephen bought a piece of German Chocolate cake to go because he heard me admire it when we came in. Now back at the hotel room I have had some but will throw out the rest. I can’t wait for tomorrow morning to eat my peach, boiled egg and trail mix. I also plan to take in a couple classes at the gym. What I learned - Had I had one or two pieces of GOOD chocolate when I reached for it, I would have been satisfied and that would have been an end to the treat. I know my stomach will appreciate a better decision next time.

Thursday May 8, 2008 Phase Two Day 17:
You do not want to know ………………………………………………..………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. really….……………………...……… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………. actually it wasn’t that bad ……………………………but then again ……………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………. Ok, it started out fine with nuts and fruit for breakfast. We walked around the wharf and headed to our 11:00 sailing appointment. The skipper was a no show so we scheduled a trip at 2:00 with another company. No problem. We took a walk then went to the Marriott for a lunch of lettuce wraps. Excellent – still on track. Our sailing trip was wonderful. I enjoyed it very much but the day was overcast and cold. Stephen got chilled to the bone. When we arrived at the dock he was freezing so we went straight to Rosine’s to get warm. Having had scrumptious soups there twice we were confident whatever soup was served today would do to trick. Hot chocolates to start with followed by chili taco soup and we were warm all over. Had Stephen not been so cold I don’t think we would have sought shelter and comfort food, but once we did I totally let go and joined him. Back at the hotel we stopped in the lobby to rent a movie and just happened upon a batch of brownies. See, I told you did not want to know. Ya, I had a couple and a couple of Rolo’s on the desk and some sugar free dove chocolate as we snuggled up for the movie and a nap. I know, a definite low point.

The dinner dance was next on the agenda. Lettuce wedge salad, filet mignon, asparagus and fish followed by a slice of apple pie made for delicious dinner. Not too bad except for the pie. We danced the night away to 50’s music which I thought was pretty good exercise.

Friday May 9, 2008 Phase Two Day 18:
Back in the saddle again. Strawberries and nuts for breakfast and I was out the door for two classes at the sports center. I feel great! I kept up in the step which was very challenging and had a good time shaking it in the Zumba class again.

Heading for LA we drove a long scenic drive down the coast. I snacked on fruit and nut mix then we finally stopped for lunch at the Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo. I enjoyed a cob salad but it was too big to finish. Back in the car and straight on to Santa Monica. For dinner we grabbed a light chicken and veggie plate before catching the new movie Speed Racer.

Saturday May 10, 2008 Phase Two Day 19:
After our stake temple session we will be headed home. It has been an incredibly relaxing week away with Stephen. I have thoroughly enjoyed the solo down time to play at the sports center or meander through shops. Our time together talking, biking, sailing, eating, shopping, reading or just riding silently in the car has all been rejuvenating.

As far as the diet goes, I will be interested to see if there was any progress this week. We started the day in the temple cafeteria eating eggs, bacon and a peach. After the session we headed home. In the car I snacked on two boiled eggs, an apricot and a hand full of fruit nut mix. Blake and Sara came up for Mother’s Day so we went out to dinner at Outback. Yes, I had my favorite, a Queensland salad. No real exercise today.

Sunday May 11, 2008 Phase Two Day 20:
Mother’s Day. Yummy breakfast in bed delivered by Sonnet, Blake & Sara and of course my sweet lov’in man. Dinner was a lovely, roast and veggies. Sugar free pudding for dessert. Evening stroll with Sonnet.

Monday May 12, 2008 Phase Two Day 21:
Morning walk w/ friends. Lunch at the Red Pepper with Walkie-Talkies, woops. Weigh in day – inches were down a little but no weight loss this week – Wonder why!!!


Tuesday May 13, 2008 Phase Two Day 22:
Back on the wagon. Cottage cheese for breakfast. Chicken salad from Zorba’s for lunch. Fruit nut mix for a snack and delicious lettuce wraps for dinner. I diced chicken and sautéed it in light olive oil with a dab of garlic. I added minced red & green bell pepper and onion. Seasoned with fajita seasoning and red & green salsa it cooked up very moist. One scoop of the mix sprinkled with cilantro and juiced with lime wrapped up in a crisp lettuce leaf and voila! Cantaloupe and strawberries were just the right finish. A long walk with Sonnet left us sweaty and feeling good.

The only bad thing tonight was the sugar free Dove chocolates. While folding laundry late in the evening I finished the bag. I am glad they are gone. Not a good idea to have them around. On the up side I drank all my water today. Yea.


Wednesday May 14, 2008 Phase Two Day 23:
OK, back to basics. Morning walk w/ friends. Supplements down, one water down and I’m on my way to the kitchen for breakfast. Cottage cheese and cantaloupe by the pond sounds perfect. I’m taking leftover soup from Sonnet. She made an Italian Wedding type soup. I think she began with vegetable broth and added stewed tomatoes, celery onion, cabbage, broccoli and sausage. I think she blended in cream because it is not clear yet not heavy at all. Very good. I had a light snack of fruit nut mix. Light dinner of egg & bacon lettuce wraps, yummy.

Looking ahead to Friday I could be in trouble. I have just spent an hour at the fabric store selecting cute chocolates and ice cream print fabric. For what you might ask? Well Friday there will be an ice cream social at work to celebrate about five people’s B-days. I found darling fabric complete with pink rick-rack and pom-pom trim for a table cloth. It will be adorable. I am really going to have to prepare mentally, make a plan and set a limit before then so I won’t completely blow it.

Thursday May 15, 2008 Phase Two Day 24:
Getting hot today, 98 degrees – yuck. Slept in then ate Cottage cheese this morning. Off to work with a baggie of fruit nut mix for mid morning. Busy at noon then on to a dentist appointment. Had a root extraction and came home with gauze packed into a hole in my mouth. Sipped on water until about 5:30 when I spied some Jell-O in the frig. I slurped that down easily. Didn’t really want to chew so I had some sugar free hot chocolate. Later Sonnet came by with a roasted chicken. I enjoyed a few pieces of tender chicken that did not bother my mouth at all. No walking today.

This just in - terrible news - the favorite fruit nut mix I have loved so this passed week is full of sugar! Arug! I can’t believe it. I brought the container home from Monterey so I could search for it or ask for it at a local store. While examining the container I read the ingredients and to my shock and amazement sugar was listed with every berry. Who would have thought? I assumed when it said almonds and berries it contained almonds and berries! Just goes to show you that I&N were right when they advised us to become label Nazis and read everything. I have consumed almost two containers over the last week and a half – no wonder my last weigh in was awful. I was sabotaging myself and did not even know it.


Friday May 16, 2008 Phase Two Day 25:
So, are you dying to know….did she or didn’t she over indulge in ice cream utopia? No, I did not. The day started with cottage cheese and cantaloupe. It continued busy as we had an immunization clinic at school. Lots of kids to round up and vaccinate. We managed to get them all by noon so Wanda (our school nurse) took the whole crew to lunch. The Knotty Pine serves a filling Cob salad which I heartily enjoyed. I ran back to the district office to decorate the lounge. Just as I’d hoped the table cloth was a hit. Our entire office joined in the relaxed social atmosphere. I had a spoonful of Mocha Almond Fudge and Strawberry Swirl. Soooooo good. Talked and laughed then went back for another scoop of Mocha.

After work Stephen & I cooked the meat and chopped the veggies for Sonnet’s Bunco dinner. Stephen was then off to Aaronic Priesthood commemoration father-son overnighter. Light dinner of Jello. Did treat myself to a piece of Shannon Ricks home made wheat bread that she brought over to Stephen the day before. It was so good to taste bread again. Home alone I finished my last quilt for the stake RS service project. It was very hot today, 103 degrees. I was glad I walked with friends in the morning because there was no going outside tonight.

Saturday May 17, 2008 Phase Two Day 26:
Last night after Bunco Sonnet came over to bring back dishes and leftovers. She ended up staying so we got up this morning and went out for a walk. It was 9:30 before we got out and by then it was already hot. Sonnet became overheated causing an asthma/nausea episode when we were out in the foothills. I had to hurry ahead home to bring the car back for her. We determined the heat combined with nothing to eat before we headed out added up to meltdown. After a cold shower cooled her down, we ate eggs and ham.

She and I read an interesting article in a magazine about metabolic rate and strength training for mussel building. Tips for a more productive workout leading to healthier weight loss and toning were helpful. Lunch was leftover taco salad and jello.

The ward had a Luau social so dinner was chicken hay stacks. I omitted the rice base and crunchy noodles but the basic chicken and veggies were very satisfying. One slice of watermelon served as dessert.

Sunday May 18, 2008 Phase Two Day 27:
Welcome, welcome Sabbath morning, now we rest from every care… Water and supplements down, one piece of cheese and I was off to church. Our choir sang today – they are so wonderful. OK, came home and snacked on nuts, a little left over meat from the taco salad yesterday and half a nectarine. All this was while I was fixing lasagna. The book suggested a recipe with cabbage instead of lasagna noodles. Cool idea. I layered the pan with cabbage then spread a layer of ricotta cheese. I browned hamburger, onions, tomato paste and a bunch of seasonings together and dabbed that on next. Another layer of each was topped by cheddar cheese. It was pretty good but we all determined that next time add more cabbage and top with motsarella cheese instead of cheddar. The lasagna was served with a salad. Everyone seemed satisfied. After the YSA fireside Sonnet came back over and we took our Sunday evening stroll.

Monday May 19, 2008 Phase Two Day 28:
Walked with friends this am. Cottage cheese, cantaloupe and one apricot – nice summer breakfast. I will head out to work and plan on getting a grilled chicken salad from Zorba’s today for lunch. There will be leftover ice cream in the freezer at work but I am not interested. I am trying to keep it pretty strict.

So, there was more than left over ice cream, there also was a decadent looking cream filled cake in honor of classified staff – that’s me! Don’t worry, I had already decided not to have ice cream so I was not tempted by the cake. Tonight Stephen & I went to a scout court of honor to watch a few boys we served as merit badge counselors for get their awards. It was a smorgasbord dinner but I found salad, one rib and deep pit beef to eat, water to drink and no dessert.

Tomorrow I get to add another thing from the phase two list into my diet. So far I have added fruit and chocolate. Still deciding what it will be…...hummm……

Tuesday May 20, 2008 Phase Two Day 29:
Cottage cheese and an apricot for breakfast. Jello for lunch. Can you tell is it a weigh in day? I don’t want to eat a lot before I weigh.

What a bummer! I have been really good and have only dropped two pounds. I have a couple theories on the subject: 1) I am within ten pounds of my goal so the weight should come off slower and 2) I have not changed up my exercise in months. Just walking is not going to get the job done. Although I have lost 6.75 inches overall and Sonnet has lost 8 inches. Cool.

Sonnet & I decided to try a sculpt with weights class at 24 hour fitness today. It was an awesome weight training class. I know I will be sore tomorrow but it will be so worth it. The class is offered Tuesday and Thursday and we plan to get on board. I am very happy especially considering the poor progress I made this week. I need a change.

Oh, dinner was leftover lasagna and salad with one sugar free hot chocolate packet eaten dry. Hey, it’s one of me favorite snacks – don’t knock it until you try it.

Wednesday May 21, 2008 Phase Two Day 30:
Boy am I pooped. That class yesterday sure took it out of me. Oh well, no time for whining. This morning I made eggs, bacon and cantaloupe for Stephen & me for breakfast. Once he was out the door for work I busied myself around the house. There was laundry and gardening and I even tried my hand at home made soup. How does this sound: Chicken broth, chicken, onion, celery, Italian seasonings and lemon juice. Let that boil then simmer for a hour. Errands with a quick stop at work interrupted my creation for a couple of hours. While at work I had a piece of quiche – pretty good, nothing special. Back at home I wanted to thicken my soup so I cooked and puréed a cauliflower in a small amount of cream. That did the trick. The soup was good but a little lacking so I added red bell pepper. Perfect.

Sonnet came over and we headed out for a long walk. Stephen & I had Soup for dinner. I needed some pathway rocks for the back yard so we went to Home Depot. After another hour of gardening and working on the path I called it a day.

Never did declare that I want to add plain yogurt as my food of choice this week. Sounds like it will lend itself nicely to fruit smoothies. Better get to the store for ingredients so I can start experimenting.

Thursday May 22, 2008 Phase Two Day 31:
I just have one question – what puts the smooth in smoothie? This morning I had a hair appointment early so I was out the door with supplements, water, cottage cheese and an apricot down the hatch. On the way home I stopped at the store for groceries. I had about 45 minutes before needing to leave for a meeting in Visalia. Perfect – just enough time to make a smoothie for the trip. Let’s see, strawberries, blackberries, plain yogurt, vanilla soy milk and ice. Sounded right. Blend, blend, blend and voila…..woops, kind of tart. Add a little Splenda…..better, but still lacking in body. More like a slushy than a smoothie. Perhaps a banana – can’t have bananas….hmmmm…….no clue……..wait, how about sugar free vanilla pudding. No way, now I’m veering more toward a dessert. There is always the recipe book I guess. Now there’s a novel idea. Suffice it to say I drank part of it and put the rest in the freezer. Maybe I’ll eat it tomorrow as a slushy. Although, I have to ask myself, what is the big deal about smoothies? Are they supposed to make you feel like you are having a dessert? Should I make it with protein power to be a power shake? I just wanted a cool refreshing filling fruit dish to beat the summer heat. I will check out some recipes tomorrow.

So after a small portion of the fruit concoction was downed I hastily ate some chicken in a lettuce wrap and got on the road by 11:30. I did take one piece of dark chocolate, which is allowed, for a treat in the car. At the meeting there was a nice spread of cookies and pastries and fruit on the counter, not to mention an individual bag of trail mix (complete with M&M’s) right at my chair on top of the agenda! You know what, I didn’t care. I put it aside and enjoyed the meeting for the meetings sake. However on the way home, now about 3:30, I was ready for something. The plan for the day was to meet Stephen & Sonnet at 24 Hour Fitness @ 5:30 on my way back to town for another strength training class. I thought I’d be really hungry if I waited until after class (6:30) to eat so I opened the trail mix. Don’t panic, I ate the almonds and peanuts and left the rest. Incredible. I impress myself sometimes.

Yea, the class killed Steph but Sonnet & I made it through. When we got home I fixed the most delicious pork chops. Just seasoned them with Pappy’s seasoning and fried them in a skillet. I seared them real good first then covered the pan and kept adding bits of water to keep them from burning and steamy plump. When they were cooked thoroughly I removed the chops and into the juice stirred plain yogurt, a little cream and a pinch of corn starch to make gravy. I couldn’t believe how yummy it was. Heated leftover soup and a serving of sliced strawberries (Stephen’s with cool whip and mine without) made for a very satisfying dinner.

Friday May 23, 2008 Phase Two Day 32:
Walked w/ friends. Cottage cheese and cantaloupe then went right into work. Had lunch at the office of leftover soup, a boiled egg and my frozen not-so smoothie. Stayed in the office this afternoon then headed home to catch an early showing of the new Indiana Jones movie. It was alright. Dinner was a yummy Queensland salad from, you guessed it, the Outback. I did have a piece of bread with dinner, but just one. For dessert I had a piece of dark chocolate at home, yummmmmmm.


Saturday May 24, 2008 Phase Two Day 33:
Today Ammon, Aaron and I cleaned up the Friebel’s rental trailer house backyard. Oh my…it took all day. I got up early and had eggs, bacon and cantaloupe to get me started. Worked all morning including a trip to the dump then left the boys working and jammed home to clean up and go to Hart Park for the Blake family reunion for lunch. Steph, Sonnet & I stayed about an hour and visited with the old folks. I ate a bit of ham, chicken, green beans, salad and treated myself to a piece of carrot cake. I had to try it because I brought it. It was OK but not really moist enough. I used a carrot cake mix, one can of pumpkin, ½ cup each of coconut, raisins, drained crushed pineapple, walnuts then 2 eggs and a little water. It was covered in cream cheese frosting which always helps. Next time I think I will put the whole can of pineapple with juice in, 1 cup coconut, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup walnuts, and forget the eggs. I think that will give me the moisture I prefer.

I hurried back to the trailer house in time to take the boys to the dump then headed back to finish up the job with one last load to the dump. It looks so much better and I feel great. Had a snack of cheese and cantaloupe then a salad with chicken chunks for dinner.

Tonight we go to Larsen’s for games. I am sure they will have snacks but I am not that interested. For this diet we weigh in once a week but I still weigh every morning. It is a little perplexing that I have not moved down the scale this week. I haven’t been overdoing so I’m not sure what the deal is. Probably just need a day or two more and it will drop. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

Totally blew it at Larsen’s….I don’t want to talk about it.

Sunday May 25, 2008 Phase Two Day 34:
A bad hair morning setting me behind schedule necessitated I grab a quick piece of cheese rolled up in turkey as breakfast. Finally I was up and out and on my way to church. Church was great. Our choir sang so beautifully. Home again; I saw five pieces of delicious carrot cake leftover from yesterday. Self, I said to myself, if you don’t get rid of this you could easily sit down and eat them all. So I was out the door again. Two went to Doug and Rinez, one to my Mom and another to Taunie. I did save one for Stephen that he appreciated very much. For lunch/dinner we ate lettuce wraps. Pork chops, avocado and a diced salsa of red & green peppers, red onion, tomatoes, and cilantro with lime tasted great. Light but filling meal.

Sonnet & I read from the book and I got slammed on my plateau theory. I&N made it very clear it is not a plateau I am experiencing just out and out cheating. Ouch! The truth hurts but I had to admit I cheat way too much. I have the mind set that in phase two I can have a treat or go off diet once in a while. Well for me that once in a while turned out to be almost every day here and there. Just one bit of something here and just a little piece of something there. It was a good reading and we made some reassessments and recommitments. Water is an issue for both of us. We have not been drinking as we should and will do better. We took out Sunday evening stroll.

Blake and Sara rolled in tonight and of course we gathered in the kitchen. Earlier I made up sugar free chocolate pudding that was way too accessible and inviting. Closer inspection reveled corn starch – boo. I also broke out the nuts and had too many. The good news is they are gone and I won’t buy them again. I do have a bag of plain almonds for cooking that do not have salt yet satisfy the craving for crunch. The last thing I snacked on was a piece of cheese.

Monday May 26, 2008 Phase Two Day 35:
Steph & Blake were up and off to the driving range this morning. So there I was all cozy, snuggled up and snoozing when Sonnet bursts into the room. “Look at me”, she says, “This is skinny Tiffany’s jacket”. Sonnet was wearing a jacket Tiffany gave her, one that she could never fit in to. Then she peels it off to sport a size – get this – MEDIUM shirt. She looks fantastic. Her chest appears smaller. She pulls up her shirt and says she is wearing a different style bra that she hadn’t previously fit into. Just yesterday we were reading in I&N about getting fitted for a bra. I was going to call some of the department stores today to see if anyone offered this service. Guess we don’t need to do that now. They were right – it makes all the difference. I leave tomorrow for Virginia so we planned to weigh & measure today. I hopped up out of bed and hit the scale. Yea! Down another 2.5 pounds. Sonnet was down 4.75 pounds. Measuring revealed losses in inches. Hurray, hurray!
The guys got home so we all went downstairs to the kitchen to have eggs, bacon cantaloupe and toast (not us). Sara, Sonnet & I are going out maternity clothes shopping with a stop at Barnes and Noble upon Sonnet’s request. I imagine we will stop for lunch somewhere. Dinner will be the Memorial Day BBQ at the Ricks house. My assignment is fruit so I’ll make sure we have plenty of berries and melon to eat.

Very successful BBQ. Meat and fruit – wonderful. Passed on the German chocolate and Banana cakes. While everyone was sitting around visiting and going back for seconds and thirds I suggested we break out the dominos. Good Idea! We played and had a great time. I was busy playing so I did not have to fight the buffet nibbling temptation.

Sonnet & I pealed off to take a power walk to finish off the day. Later we all settled into watch a movie Blake picked out. I had dry sugar free hot chocolate mix during the movie.

Tuesday May 27, 2008 Phase Two Day 36:
Today I fly to see Tiffany. I started the morning with cottage cheese & cantaloupe. Wanda has been trying to take me out to lunch for months so today is the day. We went to the bistro. They serve an all right Cobb salad. I did have a roll with it. I came home and had half of the last sugar free chocolate pudding. Don’t know what the airport will bring but I will make the best choices I can.

I arrived safe and sound. This is what I have to report from the trip: I fixed two baggies of eight almonds and a piece of dark chocolate. I had one on the bus ride to the airport. Took a long walk all around the airport to help pass the time and to get some exercise before settling in for the plain ride. One of the restaurants at the Bradley terminal served a good Cobb salad, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Flew all night. Had the second baggie of nuts and chocolate somewhere in the night.


Wednesday May 28, 2008 Phase Two Day 37:
Beautiful day! Tiffany and the kids picked me up and we were on our way. I had picked up some sugar free chocolate covered peanuts at the airport so we munched on them then stopped for lunch. I had a good chicken salad and took my supplements. It took us forever to get home but we made it. Later I ate a turkey & Swiss sandwich with lettuce tomato and red onion. I took off the bread and it was great.

Thursday May 29, 2008 Phase Two Day 38:
Eggs for breakfast – yummy. Tried my hand a t smoothies again today. I know I am not suppose to have bananas but Tiff said a banana might help, so, this is what I did. Started with strawberries and one banana then added some frozen peaches – I know sounds weird. Blend in some plain yogurt. The yogurt was bitter and the strawberries tart so the banana did make it tolerable. The frozen peaches helped thicken it up but it still was lacking. Tiff said she use to make it with flavored yogurt which I imagine would help a lot. Of course I am not suppose to have flavored yogurt because of the sugar, but then again I had already blown it with the banana. I think smoothies are out of the picture for me for a while. Maybe later I can try one made with on e of those small ‘Fit & Light’ 60 calorie yogurts that are so tasty.

No real dinner just some left over small pieces of turkey burger patties and some sugar free ‘Dove’ chocolate pieces. I did make that carrot cake with pumpkin, nuts, raisins and pineapple for Tiff. She liked it. Tomorrow we will go about giving it away. With twicw the pineapple, it is sweet and very moist. I had one piece.


Friday May 30, 2008 Phase Two Day 39:
Today I go with Jared on his field trip. Should be fun. Started out good with cottage cheese and cantaloupe for breakfast. Lunch on Jared’s field trip was not too damaging. Orange slices, carrot slices, a hot dog (I removed the bun) and one cookie. I should have given it away but I didn’t. At home I snacked on almonds.

Sitting overnight the cake became a little soggy. I guess adding the whole can of crushed pineapple with the juice was too much. Soggy as it was we were not confident giving it out to friends so we picked at it a bit then I jus threw it out.

We all went to Frank’s Hot Dog stand for dinner. The kids always love to go there and it is one of our special trips. I ordered a chicken salad sandwich. Again, I just removed the bread and ate it lettuce wrap style. When I got home I was unsatisfied and restless.

The day I arrived Tiffany mentioned she was planning on making one of our favorite things - a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting eaten with vanilla ice cream. She said today was the day. She and & were going to SVU for a musical production that evening so we made it before we went and you know it – it was waiting for us when we returned.

We stayed up watching movies and eating cake and ice cream. I feel like such a looser. I want to eat healthy and I do pretty well then I’ll just let totally go. It is harder to maintain when out of my surroundings and own kitchen. I think it will be better when I get back home and into my own routine. Maybe I am just kidding myself….I hope not. Sure hope Sonnet is doing better than I am.

Wednesday June 4, 2008 Phase Two Day 44:
That was the last thing I wrote in Virginia. Check out today’s date. It has been five days since the last entry. Now I am home and back on my own. So, will it be better in my own surroundings and kitchen with my own routine? Well, so far so good. This morning after sleeping in – sorry no walking with friends because I did not get to bed until about 1:00am - I left for a dentist appointment. When I got home I was hungry.

What to eat, what to eat? Luckily there was food in the frig. Shannon Rock brought chicken and ribs over the other day and there were leftovers. I had mostly chicken. I also snatched a few almonds and dark chocolate. Later I wanted a snack so I cut up some cantaloupe and strawberries. I had a piece of deli sliced turkey with the fruit just for some protein.

Stephen’s family begins to arrive tomorrow for a family reunion this weekend. I made a trip to the store and stocked up on good food. No real need to buy treats – just good California fruit, a pot of soup and plenty of eggs and bacon for breakfast. I am brewing a big pot of cabbage soup to graze on when the first wave arrives. It will be delicious and I will simple forgo the sourdough bread that they will surly gobble up. Tonight for dinner I just had a salad with leftover chicken. Later I had a snack of almonds and chocolate. Busied myself with cleaning all evening. A lot to do before the guests come.


Thursday June 5, 2008 Phase Two Day 45:
More cleaning is on the schedule for today. I’ll begin the day with supplements, cottage cheese and cantaloupe. Busy, busy, busy…..the house looks great. I had a mid morning snack of almonds and chocolate. Lunch – hungry. What is it about smoothies? I know I said I was going to lay off them until later but I tried again today and - Voila, success! Start with six strawberries, add frozen peaches a little soy milk, plain yogurt and finally…..OK, I am not suppose to have flavored yogurt but it was only one of those little 60 calorie ‘Fit & Light’ ones so I thought it wouldn’t be that bad. It was smooth and creamy and made for a great lunch. I added a handful of peanuts & almonds as a chaser to satisfy that need to crunch.

Rick, Connie & Jeremy should roll in about 6:30. I plan to go to the gym class @ 5:30 but Stephen will be here to greet them. I will put out the pot of soup before I go so it will be ready when they get here.

So I go to the gym – I do not understand how a tiny little thing like our instructor can be so vicious. I am soooooo wiped out. She is amazing. My mussels were burning. I came home starving! The soup took forever to heat up. I must have had 3 or 4 strawberries, a boiled egg, 3 handfuls of peanuts and a piece of cheese just waiting. I tried to make the soup like they have it at the Basque restaurants, with pinto beans and salsa. It was pretty good. I told Stephen I have cravings for bread. I want the sourdough bread with the soup. I want a tuna sandwich. I would love peanut butter toast.

I did OK until our family arrived. Well… I went back for more soup and this time I had two pieces of bread with it. What can I say.

Wednesday June 11, 2008 Phase Two Day 51:
Check out the date. OK, so it has almost been a week. I could not keep up the journaling while all the family was here. There were too many late nights and visiting. Overall, it has been a wonderful reunion with Stephen’s family. One hundred and eight people in all spanning five generations – wow. Fourteen under my roof alone. We put Stephen’s Dad on a plane this morning and now the house is back to just the two of us…..heaven.

As far as food went, I did not even try to stick to the limited diet. I ate what was served and then some. Now that we have the house and our lives back, I am very happy to get with the program. I got to thinking, of the author duo and remembered that India was the faithful dieter. Always sticking to the plan and seeing progress. Neris cheats here and there and then lies about her cheating. With Sonnet and & I, Sonnet mirrors the faithful India. Just yesterday, I spoke with her while she is out east with Tiffany. Sonnet reports she is still eating right; her only struggle is to get her daily walks in. Way to go Sonnet! I, on the other hand, chose miserably while I was with Tiff in Virginia, and then again while the family reunion was on.

I went out to the pond and had a good talk with our fish India and Neris. India was swimming with the others just as visible as can be and I thought, “That’s right India, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Neris you fake, where are you?” I had to walk across the bridge to find Neris hiding in the rocks. “You can’t hide from me Neris, you chicken come out here”. She swam out and I was reminded that the fish would always be there in that pond either a pleasure to behold or a reminder of weakness and self-indulgence.

I admit I find it hard to maintain while special events are happening and even the book talks about the dangers of self-sabotage during festivities. I am glad the company (complete with cooking and hostessing duties) is over. I think I am actually ready to get back to my step class tomorrow morning. That will be a good way to start the day as well as kick-start my resolve.

Thursday June 12, 2008 Phase Two Day 52:
Yes! I did it! I actually got out of bed and went to step class. It felt so good. Supplements down the hatch and now I am on my way downstairs for breakfast. Eggs and bacon ought to do nicely. A Zorba’s salad sound like a good choice for lunch at the office.

When Stephen & I got home we had a salad with tri tip for dinner. I sat down and was engrossed in a movie – ‘One Night with the King’ when Stephen calls from the other room, “It’s 5:00”. Yea I know, time to go to the gym for weight lift class. So the movie was turned off and off I went. I love this class. Barbells and hand weights and lots of pain. Well, not really lots of pain but defiantly some pain followed by sore mussels the next couple of days.

When I returned from class he was gone to meetings and I settled back into my movie. I had a dry hot chocolate packet for a snack as I watched.

Friday June 13, 2008 Phase Two Day 53:
Walked with Jamie this am. Everyone else we out of town or otherwise occupied. Think I’ll go downstairs and have some breakfast. Not sure what. Wanda and I have a lunch date scheduled – the Roadhouse I think. I have every confidence they will offer yummy salads. Tonight Stephen & I are going to the show to see ’The Hulk’. We will probably eat off the pot of soup in the frig for dinner before we go.

I feel somewhat sluggish again. Really hard to get up this morning and now that I am back from my walk and showered, I just want to lay around. We will see what the day brings.

Once I got to work I became more energized. Pretty much on the go so I did not think about how I felt. As far as eating, it went just as I thought with only one bad addition. When we got home from the show, Stephen went to the freezer and dished up the last of the ice cream into two bowls. Boy, it was tasty and now it is gone.

Saturday June 14, 2008 Phase Two Day 54:
Stephen & I could not believe how long we slept in! Last night we decided to go on a bike ride when we woke up but set an alarm for 7:30 just in case. Although we went to bed about 11:30 neither of us stirred all night and were deep asleep still when the alarm went off. We had intended to get out in the cool of the morning but slept right through it. Moving slowly we got ourselves dressed and out the door by 8:15 - Bike ride this morning! Feeling so pooped when I woke up, I decided to eat some turkey, a couple bites of cottage cheese and a bowl of Cheerios for energy. I figured I burn it off quick enough. It did not take long to surmise I was not in it for the long haul this morning. No way. I made it down to the end of Panorama and told Stephen to go ahead. I worry he does not get in a good ride with me because I am so much slower. He went on and I turned back for home. It was a good little jaunt for me for my first time in the saddle since Monterey.

Let’s see, what will today bring. Well I will go with my Mom to visit my nephew Jamie today for his B-day. Stephen has to perform a wedding @ 3:00 then we will attend the reception @ 6:00. As soon as we can slip out we will go over to the Neville’s house for their annual party. All of these events will have lots of food. I cannot believe how often food is intertwined with my schedule and social calendar. It sure makes it increasingly difficult to demonstrate self-restraint. I wish I had an eating disorder that made food detestable and thoroughly unappealing. Baring none I will do the best I can.

I did great. Jamie’s B-day – no problem. I had no cake or Cool-Aid. Stephen did a wonderful job at the wedding and then we went out to Sizzler where I had a steak, green beans and salad bar. We were off to the reception where we congratulated the couple, mingled around the room for a short time then left. The demands of the day combined with 99 degree heat helped us decide to opted out of the Neville’s backyard party. They usually have a hundred people so we would not be missed.

Sunday June 15, 2008 Phase Two Day 55:
Father’s Day! Prepared a delicious breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice and cantaloupe for Stephen. We ate together out by the pond. I enjoyed everything minus the toast and juice.

The Pitts spoke in church, the primary children sang and a small group of fathers and their daughters sang ‘Speak to me Gently’. It was a beautiful meeting. In addition, it was the first time in years Stephen & I rode to church together. He did not have early meetings or any interviews scheduled following church so we went and came home together. For supper he had his leftover steak from Sizzler and a nice salad. I fixed a salad with leftover tri-tip. We were both satisfied. Cheyenne came over later that evening and I made small peach smoothies. They were so good. We also had a cup of soup. No real exercise today.

Monday June 16, 2008 Phase Two Day 56:
Stephen up and out the door at 5:00 for a ride – good for him. I walked with friends at 6:00. Boy I had a big breakfast: three eggs, three pieces of bacon and cantaloupe. I was so full. Should really cut that down to two eggs and bacon. Kept busy with chores around the house and by 12:30 decided to make a peach smoothie for lunch. I really have it down now. It is so easy – just blend frozen fruit, one small ‘Light & Fit’ flavored yogurt and some soy milk. It is that easy. I felt like chewing so I had a cup of soup. I know that doesn’t sound much like something to chew on but all the veggies and meat make it so. In preparation for dinner, I took some chicken out of the freezer. All I need now is a recipe for it.

Recipe: Sprinkle chicken breasts with Pappy’s seasoning and brown in buttery frying pan. Cover. When sealed on both sides add red bell pepper and sliced onions to the pan. Sautee. Add chicken broth and reduce heat to simmer. This plumps up the chicken with moisture and makes a little sauce. Yummy! We had chicken, soup and salad.

Tuesday June 17, 2008 Phase Two Day 57:
To the gym at 5:30 for step class. Ate cottage cheeses and cantaloupe for breakfast. Stayed home and puttered around the house all morning, you know, simple chores. At noon, I met walkie-talkies. We lunched at the Elephant Bar. I had them try chicken lettuce wraps for an appetizer. It was a hit. I got the tri-tip with a salad substituted for the potato. Skipping dessert was not an option as far as Taunie was concerned. I shared a delicious Mocha ice cream pie with Gaye while Jami & Taunie had an ice cream cookie sandwich. We talked for hours. I had time for a few errands before Stephen got home. I was so full I told him he was on his own for dinner. Later Cheyenne came over and we shared a small strawberry smoothie. (I prefer the peach).
Wednesday June 18, 2008 Phase Two Day 58:
Tiffany’s 28th birthday. The girls are still at Thad’s house in Missouri. It is two hours earlier there but of course Sonnet called then went into Tiffany’s room at 6:00, woke her up and put the phone to her ear. You guessed it, we sang her awake as is our tradition. Naturally we went right back to sleep Zzzzzzz. When I did get up it was to go walking. I got home and started working on my blog – trying to get that up and running. Did not stop for a breakfast of cottage cheese and cantaloupe until 10:45 – not a good thing. Those computers just suck you in for hours.

Boy scouts are coming in a while but I think I have time to peal and freeze some peaches Stephen brought home yesterday. I just love it when the farmers in his water district give him fresh fruit and veggies. You know, of course, what this means…..peach smoothies tonight!

Late breakfast means late lunch. By the time the boy scouts left I was starving.

Thursday June 19, 2008 Phase Two Day 59:
Step class at 5:30 came mighty early because I went to bed really late. But, I was good and dragged myself up for step class. Breakfast was a yummy plate of eggs, bacon and cantaloupe. For lunch I ate the leftover chicken with onion and bell pepper garnish. The afternoon got busy with errands. Stephen & I finished just before time to go to weight lift class. Taunie was coming over after that to watch a movie so I gobbled down a boiled egg and a piece of tri-tip. When she arrived I made peach smoothies to enjoy during the movie.

Sonnet flew home tonight, yea. She looks great! Now we can get back to cooking experiments.

Friday June 20, 2008 Phase Two Day 60:
Up and out early for a walk with friends. Yummy breakfast with Sonnet this morning of eggs, bacon and fruit. We tried a new melon from the farmers. It is a mild cantaloupe, bright yellow on the outside and white on the inside. I had a business lunch at the Knotty Pine. Their Cobb salad is quite good.

Stephen & I are on our way to the temple tonight so I imagine we will eat at the cafeteria. I’ll let you know when I return. Yes, nothing like custard at the LA temple cafeteria. It is the best! Any meal at the temple cafeteria is all about the custard but just to round things out I had a salad to go with it. Stephen ordered prime rib dinner and split the meat with me. After dinner we did an endowment session and were back to our temple apartment by 7:45. So nice to have an early evening. We spent about an hour and a half reading put loud a book we began on the way down. I ate a nectarine during the read.

Saturday June 21, 2008 Phase Two Day 61:
Slept in a bit because we were not due in the temple until 9:15. At the apartment we ate a nectarine and almonds for breakfast. We were able to get many family file sealing done. It was wonderful. At 11:30 we headed to the cafeteria for lunch. Custard was accompanied but a salad and chicken coir don blue.

Part way through the sealings I began to feel ill. It was very warm in the room and I got a little nauseas. Then again at lunch my stomach was off. This afternoon and into the evening I was hesitant to eat anything. You know when your stomach is tender you become afraid to put anything in it that might make it worse. Usually I reach for ice cream or some other comfort food but that would have been a bad decision.

I went to my Mom’s house to visit and play cards. I returned home around eight and by then I was really hungry. I took a chance on a boiled egg. A little later I had a piece of cheese. Tomorrow I hope to be back to normal.

Sunday June 22, 2008 Phase Two Day 62:
Man, I have to get to this daily. When I neglect an entry, I cannot remember everything. Let’s see…Some quick cantaloupe and cottage cheese before church. I sang in a trio today and I think it went well. After church I was hungry for tuna. Stopped by the Rick’s to borrow some celery then went home and made a mix of tuna, green onion and celery. Ate it in a lettuce wrap. Had a smoothie to top it off. Later that night I fried hamburger, taco seasoning, red & green bell pepper and onion. Drizzled lemon juice from two lemons over the combination. Sonnet was over so she joined us for lettuce wraps with this warm and delicious concoction topped with green taco sauce, tomatoes and cheese. Yummmm. Doug and Rinez came over of drop off their guinea pig for while they are away at a family reunion. I served up peach smoothies and they were a hit.

Sonnet came back from the Rick’s with Shannon & Cheryl Rock in toe for get me for our event stroll.

Monday June 23, 2008 Phase Two Day 63:
Started the day walking with friends. Rinez asked me to tell them her green beans were on and that we should come and harvest then so they do not go to waste while she is away. After my walk I went to her house and got some. Should be nice for dinner. I made bacon, eggs and cantaloupe for breakfast. Sonnet came over so we ran errands. We were out of a couple of the supplements, so a trip to the health food store was in order. We picked up some soy flour and flax meal. Some of the recipes called for them and we are anxious to experiment. The first one we tried was a total bust. Very simple, two eggs, some baking power, butter and flax. Stir and nuke. While it had the consistence of bread, it was gross tasting. Too eggie, yet there was more……I don’t know how to explain it – yuck seems to sum it up. Sonnet tried a small piece with tuna and pickles on it. It was OK because tuna and pickles are such strong tastes they tend to overpower the bread (I use that term loosely). We tossed it and will make improvements.

The grocery store was our last errand and we picked up a chicken from the rotisserie. Lunch was chicken. I made Sonnet my yummy peach smoothie. She had not had one yet. They were very good. She did suggest I be careful about having on every day. It is a lot of fruit. I think I should be able to have one every day. It is the equivalent of about three or four fruit servings. Put that together with one ‘fit & light 60 calorie yogurt and some soymilk and there you have it. Good to hear and be aware of. I will make sure I limit myself to no more than one a day.

Tomorrow we weigh in – dun ta dun dun. We shall see. Dinner was a small salad and Rinez’s green beans.

Tuesday June 24, 2008 Phase Two Day 64:
Big day today. Step class first thing. Sonnet & I are going to meet Blake & Sara in Tulare to drop off a few things and have lunch. We have weight lift class at 4:30 and then I have to take Mom to a concert at Wesley Methodist this evening. Should be a good day.

Step class was a challenge today for some reason but I made it through. And let me just say again that gardening is just as much a workout. I cleared the front flower bed when I got home. All that bending and lifting really gets me.

Sonnet came over and we weighed in – Yea, another pound down. Sonnet lost three more. We lost inches and fractions of inches all over. For breakfast, I had a boiled egg. We tried some tuna mix on a piece of cheese. That is a nice variation. I broke out one of my whole-wheat crackers and topped it with some tuna as well – winner. Now we are off to meet Blake & Sara.

Lunch at Chili’s was delicious. I had a modified Southwest chicken salad. First the southwest salad comes with fired chicken in top but I saw a grilled Mesquite chicken and asked them to substitute it for the fried. Next, it came with corn salsa and I asked them to hold that. Perfect. The chicken had a little kick to it with a hint of lime. It was served with an avocado dressing on the side. Wonderful. We had a nice visit and got back home with about 45 minutes to spare before our weight lift class. Loved it as usual but I can sure feel it in the arms. After class I had another 45 minutes before I was due to pick up Mom for the concert. Not to hungry before the concert, I waited until I got home to have a boiled egg, piece of cheese and half an apricot. I will confess, I had planned to suggest to Mom we stop in at Rite Aid for an ice cream. She is always up for that. Better judgment won out though and I did not bring it up. Going off should be the exception to the rule and I find myself choosing more carefully when and for what I indulge. I really want to keep going.

Wednesday June 25, 2008 Phase Two Day 65:
Good Morning….whoever! A bite of cottage cheese and I was out the door to walk with friends. Then a couple slices of cantaloupe and I was on the way to pick up Gaye and go to Jami’s. By the time I got home at 11:00 I was hungry! Great find – the whole-wheat crackers we picked up at the store are fabulous! They are ‘ak-mak brand, whole of the wheat stone ground sesame cracker’ – I know, I had never heard of them either. Found them at the end of the cookie/cracker aisle by the fancy crackers. I had them with tuna, green onion, celery and cheese on top. So nice to crunch away. Having something to crunch will be a welcome variety to my menu. For example, as I was mixing the tuna I grabbed a handful of peanuts, then another handful. Bad. I like to crunch salty things and hopefully with these crackers about I will have an alternative to the fatty nuts that always seen to handy.

Jocelyn Delgado is coming over any minute to help me with my blog. Cannot wait to learn more and get mine up and running. I will serve peach smoothies to enjoy while we work………(work, work, work)…………..Wow, I learned so much. I am almost ready to let people know my address in the land of blog. Originally, I wanted the blog to be a place where I could keep this fit journal – you know like a tab or link. I surely did not want to post every daily entry; I mean, talk about boring reading. This journal is supposed to be an accountability tool for me. But as we were working I came to understand, while I could make a label to archive entries, they must first be posted. I don’t know…to even consider it I would first have to get Sonnet’s permission since this is a joint endeavor and she is mentioned so much. There is another option. I could start a separate blog just for the journal. Then set it up as a link from my blog. That way it would be accessible through a link click. Yea, I am likening this idea. We’ll see.

Sonnet came over just before Jocelyn left. I fixed her a smoothie per her request. Very good even thought I had my doubts. I used nectarines that had been cut, blended and frozen the day before. We only had boysenberry yogurt so that is what she got. I was pleasantly surprised at the fresh taste. Fruit blends worked. The plums picked a few days ago I boiled and pitted then placed in baggies in the freezer for future smoothies.

Tonight I want to try a new recipe from Rachael Ray cooking magazine. I ripped out a few that looked good. Well scratch that new recipe idea. I ended up not cooking. Steph called on the way home and said he was good (meaning not ready for a meal) and would just grab something if he got hungry later. He ended up with leftover tuna. I know this because I went downstairs to snack on a bit of tuna with my wonderful crackers myself and found it eaten. Oh well, I reached for some turkey and cheese to top the crackers and they worked equally as well. Stephen saw the tasty little appetizers and decided to make some and join me by the pond.

After shopping I came home at snacked while putting away the groceries. Let’s see…I had a cracker, some peanuts and a handful of chocolate chips.

Thursday June 26, 2008 Phase Two Day 66:
At 5:28 I rolled over, looked at the clock and deduced the alarm had not been turned on – we overslept. That means no step class this morning. Oh well, my weight lift class this afternoon will kill me enough. Supplements, a boiled egg and slice of cantaloupe are in the tummy and my day begins. It is cool and beautiful this morning.

I have been up at the computer most of the morning. I wanted to play around with setting up the separate blog for this journaling. Like all computer projects, they suck you into a black hole-time warp and before you know it hours have flown by. After the computer, I made a carrot cake. I am still trying to perfect my recipe and have great hopes for this one. When the laundry was folded, it was about time to eat a chicken salad for lunch. I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that all the chocolate chips are gone – the bad news is that I ate them, about two handfuls. According to I&N dark chocolate is legal so technically I am OK, but let’s just say I am glad they are gone. Later I made a plum smoothie from the fresh picked plums. It was alright but not my favorite.

In about 45 minutes I go to meet Stephen for an appointment then on to the gym for my class. Will probably just have a light something when we get home…………..The gym was good but Sonnet got light headed and had to stop. Turned out she hadn’t eaten since breakfast because she felt puny all day. She came over and we had crackers with turkey and cheese or tuna. We shared the other half of my plum smoothie from earlier and I gobbled a handful of nuts. I feel very full.