Hi all!

I was wondering if the below menu for one day would be appropriate for phase 2 on SBD? I would really appreciate your imput. Thank you!

Breakfast

1/2 cup of eggwhites
1 slice of whole grain ezekial bread
1 wedge of laughing cow cheese
1 hard boiled egg

Cals - 245 Fat - 7.5 Carbs - 19 Protein - 25

Snack 1

Salad (Lettuce, cucumbers, and 2 tbsp of low fat french dressing)

Cals - 123 Fat - 3 Carbs - 19 Protein - 3

Lunch

Homemade ham and cheese sandwhich (2 slices of whole grain ezekial bread, smoked ham, two wedges of laughing cow cheese)
2 low fat string cheese

Cals - 410 Fat - 13 Carbs - 34 Protein - 36

Snack 2

Orville 100 calorie kettle popcorn

Cals - 100 Fat - 2 Carbs - 24 Protein - 3

Dinner
Grilled Chicken with 2 tbsp of ketchup
1/2 cup of egg whites
1 hardboiled egg
1 slice of whole grain ezekial toast
1 wedge of laughing cow cheese

Cals - 405 Fat - 9 Carbs - 27 Protein - 48

Totals

Cals - 1283 Fat - 35 Carbs - 123 Protein - 114

Percentages Carbs - 38 Fat - 26 Protein - 36

Sorry for such a long post!!

Ooopss I mean input*

Hi, Chelsey! Are you adding South Beach to your calorie counting? That's what I do (although I have been lax about counting calories since I went back to Phase 1). Welcome to this corner of 3fc.

So - one of the best things about SBD is that it makes you get more veggies. The goal is 4.5 cups each day, though many of us struggle to get there - it's a good challenge ... I don't see any veggies in your plan except for lettuce and cucumbers in your snack salad. You should definitely have veggies with lunch and dinner and try to work in veggies with snacks... I do a lot of cut up veggies with hummus to get more veggies. Also for Phase 2, fruit is easier to work in for breakfast, but many here use V-8/vegetable juice with breakfast to slip another veggie serving in.

Check your French salad dressing and ketchup for sugar. It sneaks in many places. For example, recently I bought "plain" soymilk and came to find out later that it was loaded with sugar! Boo. I bought a special No Sugar Added Ketchup and probably there is the same out there for French dressing, but I don't know. Run the ingredients by the group if you have a question about it - they can often find sneaky things to avoid.

While whole grains are definitely allowed on SBD Phase 2, many of us here limit them, as from experience we have found that we don't lose weight when eating too many of them. Sadly, I have found I don't control myself around bread very well. I love it too much apparently... anyway, limiting grain servings is something to consider since you have 4 servings of bread - plus popcorn - in your plan.

Hey, you should check out the thread on meal planning. I made a version of this list years ago in an Excel spreadsheet, to help with planning my days. It was really useful and helped me when I felt stumped.

I hope this all works out for you!! It is a great, healthy way of eating and you'll get lots of encouragement here. Hugs -

Thanks Emma!

I have considered South Beach before because I think their idea is the healthiest lifestyle all all the "diets" and proves to have good results. My french dressing does have sugar in it. However, my ketchup is organic so there is no sugar in it. I will have to find an alternative dressing.

I had a feeling you were going to tell me I was taking in too much bread. I does sound like a lot but at the end of the day its only 120g of carbs! Maybe I could find a better snack than popcorn. Maybe with more protein and veggies. I do need to find a way to get my veggies in. I dont really like the taste of them unless its loaded with butter and salt. Eeek! I do however, love my fruit!

Thank you for your input. I have to agree with everythin you said. I need to plan my meals a little better so I will check out that link. Thanks again!!

I agree with Emma. This diet really is centered around making vegetables a mainstay of the menu. Yours is really lacking in that area. Have you read the book so you understand the plan? I also agree too many grains and lots of cheese. I also have to plug beans & dairy. They're a healthy part of SB too.

I agree with what advice you have gotten so far. I will tell you that personally, I am not a stickler about the sugar in ketchup or marinades. (Don't shoot me chicks!) When I am eating right with everything else, having that little bit does not cause cravings.

For veggies - that may be one of the most consistent positive changes I have made on SB. Given my druthers, I would probably not eat them at all. I have found that almost any veggie tastes better roasted. This afternoon, I will make a huge serving of green beans for a snack. I roast them from frozen, the skinny ones, for a long time, maybe 30 minutes, until some start to crisp up just a bit. I got the idea on here somewhere when there was talk about green bean fries. I also have done the roasted broccoli on here. And I posted a recipe myself about how I roast canned mushrooms for a snack. I have always hated cooked carrots but now love them, also roasted a long time, sliced, with some sugar free maple syrup on top. Experiment. You may be surprised like I was BTW - my husband will now even eat asparagus if I roast it!

This! I roast almost all of my veggies. Buy a head of fresh, then break it up and throw it in at like 400 for 30-40 minutes, turning a few times. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice and it's delish. A teeny tiny bit of Parmesan cheese will also spruce up any veggie

After y'all roast them, do you eat them hot? Or carry them around in baggies and still eat them cold?

I done it both ways. I usually make two trays at a time, so plenty of leftovers. I like to sprinkle seasonings on them as they are roasting. Right now I have onions, cauliflower, zucchini and grape tomatoes in the oven!

I agree w/ the "not enough veggies, too many grains" theme running through the thread. I have always LOVED vegetables, so this plan has been great for me. We bought a large bunch of fresh asparagus at Sams a few weeks ago and roasted it in the over w/ some olive oil and lemon pepper. OMG, it was DELICIOUS!!! I could eat it all day long!!! Also, you can steam cauliflower and then puree it and make "mashed potatoes" out of them. I don't even like cauliflower and I liked the mashed potatoes.

also, popcorn is kind of a no-no...especially kettle corn. it's sweet because of the added sugar.

i agree with the rest of the sentiments. seems like a lot of grains and not a lot of veg. you might find your weight stalling if you start with that many grains per day. might want to add them slowly and see what works best for your body.

also, i'm not sure if anyone else mentioned this, but that is an awful lot of cheese on the menu. not only is it quite a lot of fat and calories (even in the reduced fat stuff, which I tend to avoid because of the gross stuff that is used to replace all that fat), but it might...um...back you up.

just something to consider

Yes I think you are all right. I def. know I need more veggies in my diet. Its so hard for me to give up those precious calories to something I hate. But I will have to just find better ways to make it. I used to love to cook with onion and garlic powder until I found out it made my breath HORRIBLE! So now, I am too scared to use it anymore. Eeekk..I think I am going to experiment one day this weekend and try out a bunch of things. Thanks everyone for your input!

So funny Natasha!! I made a "treat" for my DH and son the other night...I made them REAL mashed potatoes. After eating about half of his, my DH says....I actually like the mashed cauliflower better!!! I said...I thought you didn't like cauliflower....he said...well, I like it mashed I guess. lol What a nut! So, you're NOT alone

I have been loving brocolli tossed with a teaspoon or so of olive oil, and some garlic. Roast it on a cookie sheet, and then sprinkle a little lemon or lime juice on it.