South Beach Diet 2012

Last year I went on the South Beach Diet in order to lose some weight. I was at a place where my eating was a little out of control and I needed to decide whether to buy new clothes in bigger sizes or go on a serious diet. I lost 12 lbs! Most of that I kept off all year, but around the holidays some of it was creeping back on.

I decided to start the SBD again in January. It really does amaze me how quickly my body loses the carb-cravings! I feel healthier, slimmer and proud of myself for exercising a little (okay, a LOT) of self-control.

Phase One is the hardest. It's two weeks of no sugar, fruit, breads, and limited vegetables. Basically a lot of eggs, cheese and meat. I was thrilled to find Kalyn's Kitchen, a food blog with tons of phase one recipes. Most of my recipes come from her site.

Last year, I posted some of my favorite recipes that came out of phase one. Here's my list from this year:

Breakfast:
Breakfast Crepes with Ricotta Cocoa Filling
Zucchini Frittata Ricotta
Egg Muffins with Ham, Cheese and Green Pepper

Main Dishes:
Chicken, Black Bean and Cilantro Soup
Grilled Zucchini and Sausage Kabobs
Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps

Salad
Homemade Sugar-free Greek Salad Dressing
Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps

Snacks/Desserts:
Peanut Butter Muffins
Jelled Ricotta Pudding