The 11 Day Diet: Day Four

On Saturday, the Lumberjack and I started the "11 Day Diet." Actually, it seems to be more of a cleanse/metabolism re-setter, and we're sticking to it so far. Today is day four, and we haven't cheated yet.

Mostly, the diet consists of lean proteins, almost no carbs, and under-10-calorie drinks. We've been eating a lot of deli meats and eggs. And, while I haven't necessarily been hungry, I do find myself wanting certain foods (even those I know I don't love), just because I suddenly can't have them!

The toughest day so far was day 2, which was all fruits except for one sandwich. Surviving on all three meals of fruit during the day is tough! We planned it so that the fruit day would fall on a Sunday, so that we wouldn't be drained while at our jobs. It was tough, but we did it. The good news is we're in the clear until Saturday, which is vegetable day (yuck!).

I had read about this diet online and when Whitney over at The Glamorous Life of a Housewife blogged about her success, I had to try it.

So far, it seems to be working. The Lumberjack and I have both lost between 1 and 1 1/2 pounds per day, so far. The goal is to lose 10 pounds in a week, 15 if we're lucky.

For anyone that's interested, here are the meals and rules:

Day 1
Meal 1: scrambled eggs, low-fat milk
Meal 2: cashews, cottage cheese, banana milk shake
Meal 3: turkey slices, ham slices, fresh grapefruit
Meal 4: walnuts, pastrami slices, garden salad

Day 2
Meals 1,2,3: Fresh fruit only (oranges, pears, apples, grapes, peaches, plums, strawberries, kiwis, grapefruit)
Meal 4: deli meat sandwich (only one)

Day 3
Meal 1: cottage cheese, scrambled eggs
Meal 2: sausage links, regular cheese slices
Meal 3: shrimp, hard boiled eggs
Meal 4: chicken, cashews, bowl of oatmeal

Day 4
Meal 1: pastrami, sausage links
Meal 2: low fat milk, turkey slices
Meal 3: shrimp, regular cheese slices
Meal 4: ham slices, walnuts, frozen yogurt

Day 5
Meal 1: orange pineapple smoothie, apple
Meal 2: cashews, cottage cheese
Meal 3: hard boiled eggs, chicken
Meal 4: scrambled eggs, low-fat milk

Day 6
Meal 1: bowl of green beans, fresh pears
Meal 2: walnuts, pastrami slices
Meal 3: turkey slices, ham slices, bowl of pinto beans
Meal 4: bowl of green vegetables, fruit salad dessert

Day 7
Meal 1: sausage links, regular cheese slices
Meal 2: shrimp, hard boiled eggs
Meal 3: chicken, cashews, bowl of mixed vegetables
Meal 4: cottage cheese, scrambled eggs

Day 8
Today is a day of vegetables and salad only. This means that all 4 meals must consist of only vegetables or salad and nothing else. You’ll be eating 4 meals, but you must choose foods from the list below only:
Lettuce, onions, celery, carrots, pinto beans, sprouts, spinach, broccoli, zucchini, squash, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans
You may top each meal with only ONE of the following 2 items (not both): 1 ounce of grated cheese or 3 teaspoons of low-calorie salad dressing.

Day 9
Meal 1: oranges, banana milk shake
Meal 2: grapefruit, garden salad
Meal 3: low-fat milk, turkey slices
Meal 4: ham slices, walnuts

Day 10
Meal 1: fresh apples, orange pineapple smoothie
Meal 2: cheese slices, shrimp
Meal 3: bowl of oatmeal, frozen yogurt
Meal 4: pastrami, sausage links

Day 11
Meal 1: scrambled eggs, low-fat milk
Meal 2: cashews, cottage cheese
Meal 3: green beans, pears
Meal 4: hard boiled eggs, chicken, bowl of pinto beans

Diet Rules:
1. You may eat your four daily meals in any order.
2. You must eat all four meals on the day they are scheduled. This means you can’t move a meal from day 5 to day 10.
3. Follow the 11 day menu for 11 days, then you may take 3 cheat days where you can eat anything you want for 3 days. After the three day period, you can either follow this menu again or generate a new menu at www.fatloss4idiots.com. The site has a cost , but you can pick and choose your menu based on foods that you like.
4. You must wait at least 2 ½ hours between each meal.
5. You may drink the following beverages: any diet soda, iced tea with lemon, coffee (must have less than 10 calories per glass), water, any low-calorie drink (with less than 10 calories per glass). These drinks may be consumed as often as you like each day, with no limit.
6. You must drink at least 8 – 8 ounce glasses of water per day, and they must be spaced throughout the day.
7. These condiments may be used on any meal: lemon juice, ketchup, barbecue sauce, salsa, salt, pepper, mustard, seasoning salts.
8. There is no limit on portions. You should eat until you feel satisfied but never stuff yourself full.
9. For each meal, you may eat any combination of the foods. You may eat all or just 1 of the foods listed.


Food Explanations:
1. Banana Milkshake - Add the following ingredients in a blender: 1 large frozen banana (cut into chunks), 4-8 oz nonfat milk, 2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract, splenda for sweetener
2. Garden Salad – This means a salad made with vegetables only (potatoes and corn not allowed) – you may have 3 teaspoons of low cal salad dressing (we used that spray dressing).
3. Frozen Yogurt – normal frozen yogurt, the kind that looks like ice cream (no toppings)
4. Oatmeal – instant/flavored oatmeal (no extra sugar)
5. Orange Pineapple Smoothie – Add the following ingredients in a blender: 4-6 oz orange juice, 1 cup of nonfat milk, ½ banana, 4 ice cubes, pineapple chunks, 2 tablespoons vanilla extract, splenda
6. Fruit Salad Dessert – mix the following ingredients: fat free cool whip, your choice of fruit
7. Bowl of Mixed vegetables – no potatoes or corn
8. Deli Meat Sandwich – Make the sandwich from the following ingredients: 2 normal slices of bread, any deli style meat, your choice of allowable condiment, lettuce, tomatoes, onions (optional)

Flank Steak and Spicy Garlic Potatoes

In our home, Sunday night is steak night.

A great cut, which is less expensive than, say, New York strips, is a flank steak. Marinated properly, this cut is tender, juicy, and full of flavor. I generally switch between my favorite two marinades: Italian and Teriyaki.

And they're more simple than they sound. For both, I place the steak in a gallon-size Ziploc. For Italian, I add one to two cups (depending on the size of the steak) of Italian salad dressing into the bag. For Teriyaki, I add one to two cups of Teriyaki sauce. Marinate in the fridge for 6 to 24 hours before grilling.

While the Lumberjack does the grilling, I make the sides. Last night, I made my own recipe of Spicy Garlic Potatoes. Since there's only two of us, I started with 4 baking-sized Russet potatoes. I peeled them, cut them into quarters and added them into a pot of simmering water. Once they were soft, after about 30 minutes, I tosses them into my KitchenAid mixer, along with 1/8 cup of half and half, 1/8 cup of low-fat milk, 2 tablespoons of sour cream, and one stick of butter. For the spicy garlic part, I added in "Kay's Spicy Garlic Seasoning," a mixture she brought back from Big Creek. I suspect it's seasoning salt, cayenne pepper and some garlic power, along with some pepper. I added about 1 1/2 teaspoons of seasoning, mixed well, and served hot. Delish!

I would offer pictures, but it's tough to get a picture of a steak before the Lumberjack has made his move. When there's steak up for grabs, he doesn't wait for cameras and food arranging and blog preparation.

Spicy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
4-5 medium Russet potatoes
1/8 cup half and half
1/8 cup milk
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons of spicy garlic seasoning

Banana Bread: Breakfast OR Dessert

Last night, when I got home from work, I noticed four over-ripe bananas sitting on top of my fridge. They were much too ripe to eat by themselves, but I knew they'd be just perfect for banana bread.

At my bridal shower, right before the Lumberjack and I got married, I was given a perfect banana bread recipe from a family friend. It's moist, simple, and delicious.

Ingredients

3 to 4 over-ripe bananas

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup of nuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mash bananas in bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients. Bake in two to three mini-loaf pans for 30 to 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when you test it.

Serve warm for breakfast by itself.

But, since I made the banana bread after dinner, I was hankering for a little dessert. I served the bread warm, right out of the oven, and topped it with a scoop of slow-churned Butter Pecan ice cream. Since I hadn't added nuts to the banana bread recipe, the nuts in the ice cream were a perfect complement. It was scrumptious. So much, in fact, that may need to have it for dessert again tonight!

Chicken Pot Pie

There's something about Chicken Pot Pie that I love. Between the tender chicken, the rich sauce and the flaky dough, I'm in food heaven.

The only times I used to eat pot pie before this recipe were either at Marie Calenders or if I picked up a pre-made one from Costco. But, with this recipe, I can make Chicken Pot Pie anytime I want, and not feel guilty about it either.

To make this recipe, you will need:

1 package pie crusts (2 crusts)
2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups chopped, cooked vegetables

2 cups (packed) shredded cooked chicken

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Start by preheating the oven to 450 degrees. Unroll one pie crust into a glass pie dish. I use the kind in the refrigerated section with the cookie and pastry doughs. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until the crust is brown.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add cooked vegetables. I prefer only carrots and peas, but you can use celery, onions, Lima beans, corn or basically any vegetables you have in your freezer. Stir for one minute.Next, add the shredded chicken. You can use chicken from a rotisserie style chicken from the grocery store, or you can bake two medium-sized chicken breasts and shred them. I normally bake two chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper, for 45 minutes at 350 degrees the night before. Stir chicken and vegetable mixture for one more minute.Next, add 3 tablespoons of flour and salt/pepper to taste. Stir until flour in incorporated.Then, turn up skillet heat to medium-high and add 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth.Stir constantly and allow sauce to thicken.Once sauce has thickened, pour the chicken and vegetable mixture into your already-baked pie crust.Place the second pie crust on top.

Crimp the edges and cut about four slits in the top to allow the steam to escape.
Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top crust is golden brown. 

Yum!