Well, its been a little while since posting. Ive been busy - trying to adjust to Maintenance.
I must admit, Ive been creating my own mini-maintenance plan. Its a little mix of Bernstein, the Alkaline/Acid diet, portion control (1200 to 1400 calories) and a little of me (which is more like the deviant naughty side...)
So far over the last two weeks Im maintaining 141 lbs (give or take.)
What I keep having to remind myself is to maintain some of the Bernstein principles - protein every 4 hours to maintain blood sugar levels, and load up on vegetables. However, Im testing the Maintenance theory with a blend of my own food "allowables."
Heres the skinny, as it were....
Protein
Im starting to explore some of the other protein options that I didnt use much during the strict diet, but probably could have. Im making protein smoothies (using Bernstein Vanilla protein shakes and fresh or frozen strawberries, etc.) but also adding some healthy supplements such as Vegas Whole Food Smoothie Infusion, Natures Plus Spiru-tein, Salba and Udos Omega 3,6,9 Oil for added nutritional oomf.
While Im still apportioning my meat into 2.5 or 3 oz portions, I find I can only eat meat twice a day (lunch and supper) so I use protein options like the shakes or egg whites for my bran muffins in the morning. Its a nice new change, which makes me feel like Im branching out.
Im probably only barely reaching the 8 oz minimum that Maintenance requires, but Im not going to load up on huge pieces of meat - it would be too much and would definitely make me constipated. Im mixing a good blend of meat, egg whites (or 4 whole eggs per week) and whey protein from supplements or bars. I picked up a box of Bernsteins chocolate/peanut butter bars, so when I feel like a sweet-infusion, Ill grab one of those.
Breads
Im into the second week so I can start to switch up one of my two allowable breads for cereal. Since Im trying to follow the Alkaline/Acid approach and keep my fibre high, Ive opted for All-Bran Original which Im quite liking! the taste is good, and with a small bowl in the morning, Im more than filled for the morning. Add some fruit and Im all set!
Ive also strayed from Betty Lite bread
and trying Essene bread (otherwise known as Ezekial bread) found in freezers in health food stores. Its the healthiest bread you can get, like a hearty seed bread, and is great toasted with your favourite topping. I still use my Becel spray, but have pushed the envelope a few times to use peanut butter (1 tbsp) or even almond butter (fattening!) just for some good healthy fats. My family is liking essene bread too (sprouted grain bread/gluten free) so this is a nice switch for all of us! I still have my Ancient Grains crackers, melba toast and old Strict diet standbys for lunches, but Im trying to integrate my own choices for maintenance. Like popcorn. Oh yeah...and almonds. Just dont tell the clinic....!
Vegetables
I must say, that while we have unlimited quantity allowance under Maintenance for vegetables, I think the Strict diet just "veggied" me out. And I love veggies! However, Ive been neglecting my intake. What Ive opted to do instead of my Ziploc 8 oz pre-cut selections is Ive taken a cue from the health blogs and created my homegrown "green drinks." The magic en
ergy cure-all drinks. Dont know what that is? Its easy. Take every living green thing that lives in your fridge (no, not the bacteria - just the leafy veggies...) such as that big box of organic salad that youll never finish; celery; parsley; broccoli - anything really, and stuff them in a blender. Add a good 4 cups of water and "liquify." Et voila! Your green drink.
People swear by the concoction, and I must say, if youre feeling peckish or want a different vegetable substitute, make yourself a batch of this vitamin cocktail and youre set!
Just dont add leeks...gives it a really onion-y flavour. A little off-putting for colleagues at work.
Fruit
Im more daring with fruits now than I was on the Strict diet. I stayed pretty close to apples and applesauce during weight loss, or grapefruit. Im still using applesauce and making my fruit muffins most mornings, but now Im using more frozen fruits for smoothies. But not mangoes - woo there Nelly - not so fast! You still have to hold back on the sugars.
For the first week you have to drop down to only 1 fruit, so its not really a big deal for me.
I could substitute my lonely little fruit for 6 oz of unsweetened fruit juice, but....naw...I like the fibre.
Dairy
We can now start introducing 2 oz of hard cheese per day, or fat free yogurt and a little bit of butter. Ive had a couple of slices of cheese, and bought some yogurt for my smoothie fest, but Ive been pretty careful on the dairy. I have, though, used 6 oz of skim milk (outside the 1 teaspoon allowed in Week 1 of maintenance) for a smoothie. Sue me.
Other "Stuff"
(Forgive me Father Bernstein for I have sinned....)
Okay - now the really sexy juicy story begins. During my two-week romp with Mr. Maintenance, Ive put on my little devil horns, still rocked my new lingerie, but flirted with danger. So far, I havent gone to weight-gain hell, so I thinking Im holding my own in this tango with the little chocolate devil.
While Im trying to take notes from the alkaline/acid diet whereby all refined sugar is "poison", I do find myself sneaking quick indulgences of the sweet kind. One biscotti here - one cookie there. A fundraising 360 calorie chocolate/almond bar... What was I thinking! The whole bar. Im definitely going to hell....
While I kick myself soundly in the a$ for that blunder (which was precipitated by literally falling asleep at my desk while enduring a two hour teleconference for work and required a quick energy blast) I do reconcile these lapses of nutritional judgment by the fact that the rest of my daily intake was an "A" in nutritional value. With Caloriecount.com as my witness and daily confessional, I do try my best.
Little Rules
While Im not sticking to the Maintenance diet as strictly as the Bernstein bible dictates, I am following the basic tenets.
1) Portion control and food choices in moderation. If I have chocolate one day, Ill stay away for a few days and having something else, like some popcorn or some other treat.
2) I havent pushed the ultimate boundary of wine. Alcohol is still a no-no, so while the Alkaline/Acid diet allows for 4 oz max. of high quality red wine per day, Im not going there just yet. I want to give myself a month testing my own food intake (since it changes daily right now) before introducing that little indulgence.
3) Im still taking the vitamins and potassium daily, though when youre no longer in ketosis, you drop down to 1 potassium total per day. No numbness, headaches or tingling, so I must be okay. I only go in once a week (Tuesdays) for my Vitamin B shot, so thats nice.
4) I havent been tracking my food (except my real diet on Caloriecount.com) so I will rot in hell for the falsified diet sheet I submit at the clinic. Well, its not REALLY as bad as I make it out to be. I just neglect to add that one indulgent slip I seem to make on a daily basis. Im just expediting the inevitable reintroduction of foods that we get to at week 12... just a few months earlier! I always was a bit of an overachiever. Plus, I sleep with a clear conscious knowing that I do track my real intake, for all the salt and sugar blunders, to keep me grounded.
| Tue, Sep 15 2009 | Grade | Grams | Cals | ||
| | Breakfast | ||||
  | Dairyland Skim Milk Fat Free |  | A | 142 | 52 |
| Strawberries | | A | 72 | 23 |
| Lemons | | A | 212 | 62 |
| Spelt Ancient Grain Bread | | B- | 40 | 120 |
| Jam, Red Raspberry - Fat-Free | | | 100 | 48 |
| Strawberry Spiru Tein Whey Shake | | A | 35 | 100 |
| Mixed Berries - Frozen Fruit | | A- | 140 | 70 |
| | Lunch | ||||
| Pro Performance Pro Crunch Lite Peanut Butter Cup | | C+ | 42 | 168 |
| | Dinner | ||||
| Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted 100% Whole Grain Flourless Bread | | B+ | 100 | 80 |
| Radishes | | A | 4 | 1 |
| Squash, Summer, Zucchini, Includes Skin | | A | 90 | 14 |
| Veal, Loin | | B | 85 | 149 |
| Peppers, Sweet, Red | | A | 34 | 10 |
| | Snacks | ||||
| Apples | | A | 152 | 75 |
| Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted 100% Whole Grain Flourless Bread | | B+ | 100 | 80 |
| Becel Topping and Cooking Spray | | | 10 | 0 |
| Almonds | | B+ | 27 | 155 |
| Total Calories Consumed | 1,205 | ||||
| Thu, Sep 17 2009 | Grade | Grams | Cals | ||
| | Breakfast | ||||
| Organics Applesauce Unsweetened | | A | 125 | 59 |
| Wheat Bran | | A | 16 | 30 |
| Canteloupe Melon | | A | 100 | 32 |
| Egg, White | | A | 74 | 36 |
| | Lunch | ||||
| Pork, Fresh, Loin, Tenderloin | | A- | 85 | 122 |
| Squash, Summer, Zucchini, Includes Skin | | A | 90 | 14 |
| Asparagus | | A | 90 | 20 |
| Peppers, Sweet, Red | | A | 34 | 10 |
| Organics Applesauce Unsweetened | | A | 125 | 59 |
| | Snacks | ||||
| Almonds | | A | 27 | 155 |
| Cookies, Oatmeal, Prepared From Recipe - With Raisins | | B- | 57 | 248 |
| Milk Chocolate Almond Bar - Chocolate Bars | | C | 66 | 330 |
| Total Calories Consumed | 1,114 | ||||
| Fri, Sep 18 2009 | Grade | Grams | Cals | ||
| Cream of Chicken Soup - Condensed Soup | | B- | 28 | 27 |
| | Breakfast | ||||
| Pork, Fresh, Loin, Tenderloin | | A- | 85 | 122 |
| All Bran | | A | 50 | 130 |
| Dairyland Skim Milk Fat Free | | A | 142 | 52 |
| Organics Applesauce Unsweetened | | A | 125 | 59 |
| | Lunch | ||||
| Pho Noodle Bowl - w/ Chicken Soup Base | | C | 300 | 402 |
| | Dinner | ||||
| Asparagus | | A | 90 | 20 |
| Squash, Summer, Zucchini, Includes Skin | | A | 90 | 14 |
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