I've been following the Sonoma Diet for only a couple of days. Because I am lazy, I decided to follow the meal plans almost exactly for Wave 1. I am so happy to report that my husband loves the lunches and dinners I've prepared so far. Last night my sister had dinner with us and she was amazed at how good dinner was (the marinated flank steak).

This does not seem like a diet to me. The food is wonderful, the portions are pretty generous, and I have not been too hungry over the past couple of days. I figure the hunger is due to sugar cravings, which should go away soon. This reminds me of how I used to cook before I became so busy with work. Hmmm, I was thin then, too.

We made the marinated Flank steak last night as well. Hubby almost licked the plate. LOL What side dishes did you do?

I made the sauteed broccoli, roasted peppers, and goat cheese. I also baked two yams, one for my husband and one for my sister. My husband didn't even eat his because he gobbled up the steak and all the veggies!

Thats wonderful, thanks for sharing your good news

can you do that? add things to the meal plans? I am not sure that I am doing this right because I am hungry. I have the book. I am following the meal plans given because I was under the assumption that the specific combinations of food were important. Help!

You don't have to follow the exact meal plans, as long as you choose foods from the right lists. It doesn't require any combinations of specific foods, just the ratio of grains to veggies to protein to fruits (if in wave 2). It doesn't matter which foods you eat with what, just that they are on the list.

Is that what you meant?

yes, that is what I needed to know - so it is not the individual food combinations, it is the food TYPE combinations. If I go by the plate rule, i can add to the menu plan if it fits on the plate and is on the wave 1 list - right?

Right It sounds pretty easy, once you have the list and get used to the plates. The possibilities are endless! They are going to release a Sonoma Diet cookbook later in the year, that will be helpful.

This is my first day. I make the flank steak and it was fantastic. I hope most of her recipes are as good--it will sure make it a lot easier to get my family to accept this change of life!


So far so good. I wish there were more vegetable recipes.

Am glad to hear you are liking this diet, I am interested in starting it too but it will take me up to 20days to get it sent to Australia from Amazon books and i am wondering what you ate for breakfast? I suppose anything listed on the wave one foods would do ? I would like to get started monday if you can reply by then thanks Shirley in Sydney

I haven't been too adventurous with breakfast. Like Gina mentioned, whole-grain high-fiber cereal (1 cup) with skim milk (1 cup). Or a 7" plate with 75% protein, such as two eggs, and 25% whole grain, such as a slice of toast. Sometimes I add vegetables with the eggs, but to keep from overfilling the plate, I skip the toast. I also eat protein pancakes; I posted the recipe on another thread in this forum.

Edited to add the recipe:
For Wave 1 you should not add any sweetener.

Thanks for the answers about breakfasts. I like pancakes so will try that recipe too. Good luck everyone Shirley

So far ALL of her recipies are excellent. I've made the pork loin with ratatouille and my husband HATES squash but he couldn't get enough of that...next day I rolled the left overs up in a wrap! Last night I made the easy basalmic chicken. Also very very good!

so do I! (hey does trying to type with a five month old's help count for a workout? )

Went to work out tonight and hubby asked me to bring him pizza home!!! Yikes the little Italian place in the shopping center where the gym is makes the best pizza...what's a girl to do....I went to the grocery store in that same shopping center and got me a green pepper and a portabello (mmmmmmm) and some of the laughing cow cheese I have never tried (light swiss) and broiled my pepper strips and mushroom and had one of the little cheese triangles--it was excellent--almost didn't miss having a piece of that pizza...had oatmeal with light vanilla soymilk for breakfast and a lean cuisine and a mandarin orange cup for lunch--using up my healthy stuff that doesn't quite fit Sonoma until I finish the book--should be ready to start Sonoma full on this weekend...