Thursday, July 09, 2009

South Beach: Day 3

Two of the saddest words in the English language: lean protein. 

Breakfast: lean protein. Lunch: lean protein. Want a snack? Sure, here's some lean protein. I grilled the prescribed chicken breast for dinner last night and almost gagged when I tried to eat it. I tossed the meat with lettuce and mixed with roasted eggplant to disguise its lean protein nature, but finally had to throw it out. The South Beach Diet is like Bread and Jam for Frances, but with chicken breasts and reduced-fat cheese. I never feel hungry, but am always slightly queasy. 

What I really miss is fruit. Bing cherries with burgundy flesh, crisp and super-cold from the refrigerator. Or a peach. Have not had a peach yet this year. Or some blueberries. Or a Santa Rosa plum. Even a banana.

When I say I find this interesting, I'm not kidding. I think it's fascinating to see what happens when you radically change your diet, if only for a week. You think about everything differently.

In other news, there is no other news. Just lonely toil and dismal diet. Maybe today I'll go see Bruno, read Mark Sanford's love letters, and inspect the bee hives. Then I'll have something to say.

10 comments:

  1. I actually burst into tears once at the prospect of eating only steamed broccoli and chicken breast the rest of my life (I think I was reading Women's Health at the time). I've done that Phase 1 South Beach thing a couple of times. Depressing but effective. Beware the 4pm brain dead/headache thing, it kicked in for me around day four.

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  2. The four saddest words are boneless, skinless chicken breast. How I hate it, and don't even have a bad diet to blame. How people can eat this over and over again, prepared six ways to hell and back, I'll never know. How about salmon or eggs, for god's sake?

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  3. I couldn't do a diet that excluded fruit. It's a sacrilege to live in California and not eat fresh fruit!

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  4. Denise, you are so right - boneless, skinless chicken breasts are the saddest thing on the planet. My ex boyfriend grew up eating them, and would always complain when I served chicken on the bone because it was "so hard to eat." Maybe it's harder, but it actually tastes like chicken!

    It is a difficult time of year to not eat fruit. There's so much good stuff out in the markets now. But you're right - changing you eating habits for a week can be really eye opening, and refreshing. And at the very least, you'll really appreciate fruit when you can eat it again.

    -Jenna

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  5. I found it confusing that SB recommends lean meat like that b/c the low fat component had no basis in its theory of nutrition which is quite similar to Atkins (i.e. lower simple carbs) I generally ignored the low fat component of the diet. it worked well for me

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  6. this certainly is a far cry from the days when you were reviewing "Fat" and "Milk".
    who has kidnapped the tipsy we love?
    and does the world really need that much less of tipsy?

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  7. I am with all of you on the lack of fruit thing. I have 2 cherries trees in my backyard and have been picking, pitting, canning, and freezing for 2 weeks now. Not one of those sweet, juicy and ripe bing cherries have crossed my lips. How dismal.

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  8. gaylec, that breaks my heart. I hope you'll be out of the "strict" phase in time to eat some cherries. Really, this diet should be done in January when there's nothing to miss but tangerines.

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  9. How can you not love boneless, skinless chicken breast. I use them all the time. My favorite is to pound them thin and roll up with boursin cheese and spinach. sear on all sides and finish in the oven -YUM. Its all in how you approach them and get creative!

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  10. Margaret -- I love chicken breasts when they're doctored up, but in the so-called "strict phase" of South Beach you are supposed to grill or bake them with very little adornment. I have not found them delightful. Also, the more lean protein you eat the more repulsed you become by lean protein in all its guises. Including, shockingly to me, sashimi.

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