South Beach Diet – Phase 1, Day 2

I woke up and weighed myself and I lost 1 lb in a day!! I know, I know, that is just normal fluctuations, but I sure was glad that it was fluctuating in the right direction. I started the day with a decaf like yesterday, but the headache started from the morning itself. After a particularly painful meeting after lunch, the headache got so bad, I was craving caffeine!

After I did a bit of research online, a lot of websites mentioned that two cups of coffee/tea a day is okay, as long as it is followed by lots of water. So I had my first full-caf coffee at 2pm, and it was bliss! Headache went away in a matter of minutes! This is the first lapse and it just took barely two days. But I hope the coffee is not going to reverse the effects, I can’t survive without it!  I am planning to start the day with a coffee and have another one in the afternoon from tomorrow.

Breakfast

• A 2 egg spinach and cheese frittata with a slice of Canadian bacon

Recipe: Wash 1 cup of spinach thoroughly and drain. Place in a Microwave safe bowl with the water from the washing still clinging to the leaves. Microwave covered for 90 seconds. Remove and squeeze the excess water out. Chop finely.  Beat the eggs, and add the spinach, 2 tbsp cheese, red chili flakes and salt to taste. Add ½ tsp olive oil to a non-stick pan and pour the egg mixture after the oil is hot.  Cook for 2 minutes till the bottom is set. Place in the top rack of the oven on hi-broil setting and heat for 2 minutes or till the top is set and the cheese is melted. Remove and have warm. 
Note: Frittata is easier to make with at least 4 eggs. I doubled the quantity mentioned above and made a 4 egg frittata since it was breakfast for 2.

• 1 cup decaf coffee

Mid-morning Snack

• 4 skewers of mini caprese salad 

Recipe : Mix ¼ tsp balsamic vinegar, ¼ tsp extra virgin olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste in a small container. Add 4 cherry tomatoes, 4 small cubes of skimmed mozzarella cheese and 4 basil leaves and shake well to get the dressing all over. Make 4 skewers by threading 1 cheese block, 1 basil leaf and a tomato each on cocktail picks or tooth picks.

Lunch

• Leftover chicken kabobs from last night. Recipe below. 
• Stir fried broccoli with onions, garlic and red chili flakes

Recipe: Wash the broccoli florets and microwave high for 90 seconds. Heat oil and add thinly sliced onions, thinly sliced garlic and sauté till soft. Add red chili flakes and salt to taste. Add the broccoli and mix well to combine. Sauté on high heat for a minute.

Evening snack

• 15 almonds
• 1 cup regular coffee, black

Dinner

• 1 mini cucumber
• Broiled Catfish in a red chili powder + coriander + cumin + lime juice marinade
• Spinach and Mozzarella stuffed mushroom caps

Recipe: Remove the stems from the mushrooms and keep aside. Steam the mushroom caps till most of the moisture is gone. Saute the mushroom caps in a bit of oilve oil, season with salt and pepper. Remove the mushrooms, and saute the spinach leaves with some garlic and red chili flakes and salt in the same pan till well wilted. Stuff the mushroom caps with the sauteed spinach. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and keep under a high broiler for 2 minutes. Serve hot.

This day was much easier, especially after I had that coffee.

Spicy Chicken Kabobs

These are all quick fix recipes, so no measurements. Just use the amount of ingredients according to taste.

Cut boneless skinless chicken breast into bite sized cubes. Make a marinade by grinding onions, green chilies, coriander powder, fat free yogurt and salt. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. Thread on skewers.

Bake in a 375F oven for about 35 minutes. Turn the skewers and brush with leftover marinade half-way through.

Target Weight Loss	17.5lb
Days on Diet	1
lbs lost so far	1
lbs to go	16.5

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Category: Phase 1