Phase 2 begins! I thought about staying on Phase 1 of the diet, but I wanted to avoid anything resembling compulsivity. I wanted to make sure I was creating an environment of lifestyle changes and not take the chance of getting burned out on Phase 1 and gorging myself or something like that.

To that end, I started letting myself have some whole grains. And lo, they were good. I had some fruit, and where before I never found them sweet and didn’t particularly like them, I found them very sweet now, and lo, they were good too!

I also started exercising, making use of a 1-hour "yogalates" DVD which combines Yoga and Pilates. I’d never used it before, but like it. It’s amazing what a great workout you can get while just laying down and sitting down! Wow! I managed to do it 3 times this week.

On Tuesday, EDH asked how my diet was going. With a white bag in his hand. I asked why, and found out he had gotten me something from the bakery. But while he got everyone else danishes, he got me a small European-style torte, filled with custard and topped with fresh fruit and a glaze that the person assured him was not sugar. Knowing how not-sweet European stuff is, I decided I would have it. I couldn’t believe how sweet it tasted! It was like heaven. I even had him take a bite, because I couldn’t imagine that my taste buds were so reformed. He said it was a little sweeter than authentic Euro pastries, but not too much. WOW! I couldn’t believe it.

I kept eyeing his danish, though. It was a cheese danish, but also with apples and apple-strudel-stuff on top. And I do love all of the above! And had never seen them all together like that! So, acting in moderation, I told him I’d like a taste. I took a small piece equaling about two bites. It was really good too. But then a few minutes later, whoa. Sugar rush. And lo, it was not good! It was a very bad high. I was running for the V8 stash I’ve got under my desk, and a piece of the light string cheese I keep in the fridge. Anything at all to taper off that surge.

But while it was awful, I was also loving it. Not because of the way it felt, I never want to feel that again! I loved it because it showed me that my body chemistry really had been reset! My body proved that it is functioning properly again, and is stable. And for that I am inexplicably grateful. And I now know just how evil those things are, that I thought were so harmless before. To imagine that just a couple weeks I would have downed a whole one of those things, and then washed it down with a Pepsi, and possibly soon have been snacking on something else still… it’s amazing how you can not even realize how lost you are sometimes.

I tried eating some Whole Wheat Ritz as a snack later in the week, but it just was not cutting it! I didn’t even like them anymore, and put them away for the kids after just a few, getting myself some V8.

Friday I had a Chicken Portobella sandwich on a whole wheat bun from Applebee’s for lunch. And then I had some dumpling soup made with whole wheat flour at night. I knew I pushed it too far and needed to cut back. But our After-Church potluck on Saturday was a potato bar. I managed to just have 1 (with butter and sour cream), but then also couldn’t resist the banana cream pie someone had brought. Or the mint chocolate chip pie. I knew that wasn’t good either. No surprise- I needed a long nap that afternoon. Thankfully, I started feeling right again last night. I was afraid I’d be in for another week of stabilizing again.

Whereas I had not lost anything the whole second week on the diet, I lost 2 pounds by the middle of this week. Unfortunately 1 of them came back after the inappropriate feasting of Friday and especially Saturday. But I’m grateful that it’s only 1, and am back on track today. I don’t want to feel that way. I don’t want to not feel that way! I don’t want to become so desensitized and dependent again on sugar. I want to feel it if I’ve gone too far. And I want to feel good. So this week I’m heading backwards a little bit. I may have some whole grains and fruits, especially going out today with my mom for Mother’s Day, but I’m going to make sure it is extremely little if I have any at all for this coming week.

If you recall, I forgot to measure myself last week. I was very pleasantly surprised with this week’s measurements.

Stats are as follows (I’m 5′9"):

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 11th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Posted in: South Beach Diet.

Note: Newbies' posts will be held for approval.