The Sugar Smart Diet: Stop Cravings and Lose Weight While Still Enjoying the Sweets You Love (31 page)

Top
1
⁄
3
cup Dreyer’s/Edy’s Slow Churned chocolate ice cream with 2 teaspoons semisweet chocolate chips and ¼ cup blueberries.

Nutrition per serving:
116 calories, 2 g protein, 21 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 18 g total sugar, 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 28 mg sodium

Heat
1
⁄
3
ounce chopped dark chocolate (70% or more cacao) in the microwave on low until melted. Stir in 2 teaspoons walnuts and 1 tablespoon dried cherries. Spoon onto waxed paper and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, or until hard.

Nutrition per serving:
102 calories, 2 g protein, 11 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 8 g total sugar, 7 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 2 mg sodium

Toss ½ cup sliced strawberries with 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Let sit for at least 10 minutes, then add 2 teaspoons pistachios and 2 teaspoons semisweet chocolate chips. (Note: The balsamic vinegar may be omitted.)

Nutrition per serving:
113 calories, 2 g protein, 19 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 12 g total sugar, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 24 mg sodium

Top 1 graham cracker square with 1 thin square (about
1
⁄
3
ounce) of dark chocolate (70% or more cacao) and 1 marshmallow. Heat in the microwave for 25 seconds, or until the chocolate is slightly melted and the marshmallow is puffy.

Nutrition per serving:
93 calories, <1 g protein, 16 g carbs, <1 g fiber, 10 g total sugar, 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 49 mg sodium

Whisk together ¼ cup part-skim ricotta cheese, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, ground cinnamon to taste, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon sliced almonds.

Nutrition per serving:
114 calories, 7 g protein, 8 g carbs, <1 g fiber, 5 g total sugar, 6 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 78 mg sodium

Top ¼ cup Dreyer’s/Edy’s Slow Churned vanilla or chocolate ice cream with ¼ banana, sliced, and 1 teaspoon chocolate syrup.

Nutrition per serving:
108 calories, 2 g protein, 21 g carbs, <1 g fiber, 15 g total sugar, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 33 mg sodium

Whisk together 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons maple syrup, and ¾ cup fat-free milk (or unsweetened soy milk) until smooth. Add 3 to 4 ice cubes to chill.

Nutrition per serving:
105 calories, 7 g protein, 20 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 19 g total sugar, <1 g fat, <1 g saturated fat, 80 mg sodium

Nutrition per serving:
100 calories, 12 g sugar

Nutrition per serving:
130 calories, 8 g sugar

Nutrition per serving:
125 calories, 6 g sugar

Nutrition per serving:
115 calories, 3 g sugar

Nutrition per serving:
120 calories, 7 g sugar

Nutrition per serving:
70 calories, 6 g sugar

Nutrition per serving:
60 calories, 4 g sugar

Nutrition per serving:
130 calories, 8 g sugar

Nutrition per serving:
106 calories, 9 g sugar

Date:

Today’s intention:

Place an X next to any meals and snacks you ate today.

You can mix and match your meals and snacks from Phases 1, 2, 3, and 4. Boldface indicates an option added in this phase; an asterisk denotes a recipe that can be found in
Chapter 11
.

Hunger level
____

__ Apple-Cinnamon Oats with Walnuts

__ Apricot-Almond Breakfast Wrap

__ Banana Cream Pie Overnight Oats*

__ Blueberry and Honey Yogurt Parfait

__ Breakfast Quesadilla*

__ Canadian Bacon Apple-Cheddar Melt

__ Cashew-Coconut Muesli Yogurt

__ Cinnamon-Apple Breakfast Polenta*

__ Classic Smoked Salmon Bagel

__ Crunchy Almond Yogurt

__ Crustless Mini Broccoli and Cheese Quiche*

__ Loaded Breakfast Potato

__ Mediterranean Scramble

__ Microwave Peanut Butter Oats

__ Mushroom-Quinoa Frittata*

__ Nutty Choco-Banana Oatmeal

__ On-the-Go Breakfast

__ Orange–Vanilla Cream French Toast*

__ PB&J Toast and Café au Lait

__ Peaches ’n’ Cream Waffles

__ Picnic Breakfast

__ Power Granola*

__ Sausage-Potato Hash and Eggs*

__ Spicy Avocado Breakfast Bowl

__ Starbucks Spinach & Feta Breakfast Wrap

__ Strawberry-Coconut Chia Breakfast Pudding*

__ Strawberry-Kiwi Crunch Yogurt

__ Turkey Sausage, Spinach, and Cheddar Wrap

__Whole Wheat Blueberry Protein Pancakes*

Hunger level
____

__ Artisan Bistro Grass-Fed Beef with Mushroom Sauce (Frozen Entrée)

__ Asian Quinoa Salad*

__ Barley Risotto with Chicken and Asparagus*

__ BBQ Tempeh and Corn Tacos

__ Beer BBQ Chicken Thighs with Corn and Tomato Salad*

__ Bento Box

__ Blue Cheese, Walnut, Chicken, and Quinoa Salad

__ Broiled Mustard Salmon with Roasted Broccoli and Quinoa

__ Build-Your-Own Meal

__ Chicken Sausage and Veggie Pita Pizza

__ Chipotle Burrito Bowl

__ Cool Cucumber, Tomato, Black Bean, and Barley Salad

__ Crab Cakes with Garlic Kale*

__ Creamy Ricotta, Basil, and Tomato Penne

__ Crunchy Sesame Chicken and Bulgur Bowl

__ Crunchy Turkey-Pear Salad Sandwich

__ Fast, Hearty Turkey Chili*

__ Fennel Slaw with Salmon and White Beans

__ Fiesta Egg Salad

__ Fish Tacos with Mango-Lime Salsa in Crispy Corn Tortillas*

__ Garlic-y Shrimp ’n’ Grits

__ Grilled Shrimp Salad with Potato, Sunflower Seeds, and Goat Cheese

__ Halibut with Fennel and Citrus Vinaigrette and Roasted Potatoes

__ Hearty Lentil Sauté with Bulgur

__ Loaded Shrimp Fajita Bowl with Brown Rice

__ Orange-Garlic Salmon with Kale and Barley*

__ Outback Steakhouse Victoria’s 6-oz Filet

__ Panera Bread Chopped Chicken Cobb with Avocado

__ Panko-Crusted Chicken Tenders with Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce*

__ Penne with Meatballs*

__ Poached Eggs with Fruity Wheat Berry Salad*

__ Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Pear-Cabbage Medley and Barley*

__ Potato, Pepper, and Chicken Sausage Sauté

__ Roast Beef, Swiss, and Arugula Sandwich

__ Roasted Veggie, Bulgur, and Chickpea Salad with Feta Dressing*

__ Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Butternut Squash and Cauliflower

__ Spinach and Grapefruit Salad with Wheat Berries and Grilled Chicken

__ Starbucks Hearty Veggie & Brown Rice Salad Bowl

__ Steak and Roasted Baby Potatoes and Carrots

__ Sugar Smart Asian Peanut Dressing*

__ Sugar Smart BBQ Sauce*

__ Sugar Smart Marinara Sauce*

__ Sugar Smart Teriyaki Sauce*

__ Tangy Mediterranean Tuna Salad

__ Teriyaki Beef with Broccoli*

__ Turkey Burger with Broccoli–Wheat Berry Toss

__
Turkey, Roasted Pepper, and Avocado Roll-Up with Edamame

__ Turkey-Veggie Lasagna*

__ Vegetarian Stuffed Portobello*

__Whole Wheat Tuna Pasta Salad over Mixed Greens

Hunger level
____

__ Banana-Pineapple Smoothie

__ Crudités and Hummus

__ Fruit and Protein Combo What combo?__________________

__ PB&J Yogurt

__ Turkey and Cheese Wrap

Hunger level
____

__ 16-Ounce Fat-Free Latte

__ Balsamic Strawberries with Pistachios and Chocolate

__ Banana–Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding*

__ Banana-Coconut Roll

__ Banana Split

__ Barnum’s Animals Crackers, 8 pieces

__ Berry-Veggie Smoothie*

__ Blueberry–Double Chocolate Ice Cream

__ Caprese

__ Carr’s Ginger Lemon Cremes, 1 cookie

__ Cashew-Ginger Coconut Muesli

__ Cheesy Popcorn with Almonds

__ Chocolate-Cherry Smoothie*

__ Chocolate-Cherry Walnut Turtle

__ Chocolate Clouds with Berries*

__ Cranberry-Walnut Wild Rice Pilaf*

__ Creamy Dark Chocolate–Banana-Coconut Pudding*

__ Crunchy-Creamy Purple Slaw*

__ Crunchy Roasted Rosemary Chickpeas*

__ Easy Cinnamon-Apple Cobbler*

__ Fruity Trail Mix

__ Hershey’s Kisses, 6

__ Homemade Chocolate Milk

__ Honey Maid Graham Crackers, 2 sheets

__ Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa, 2 squares

__ Lindt Excellence 85% Cocoa, 2 squares

__ Microwave S’more

__ Maple-Almond Ricotta Whip

__ Mini Banana Cream Pie*

__ Mini Berry Turnovers*

__ No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies*

__ Oreos, 2

__ PB Celery and Milk

__ Peachy Ginger All-Fruit Soft Serve*

__ Pear
Wedges with Blue Cheese and Walnuts

__ Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies, 1

__ Pepperidge Farm Nantucket Cookies, 1

__ Pinto Bean Brownies*

__ Pumpkin Pie Trail Mix Popcorn

__ Roasted Fennel with Pine Nuts*

__ Roasted Lemon-Ginger Pears with Pecan Yogurt*

__ Strawberry Cheesecake Bites*

__ Sugar Smart Energy Bars*

__ Tuna-Potato Wrap*

__ Tuna Salad Cucumber Stackers

__ Turkey, Cheese, and Veggies

__Watermelon and Feta Salad*

__ Yogurt-Covered Blueberries*

Additional Foods:

Notes:

Scott and Jessica, who have been married for 21 years, were used to being a team. The Sugar Smart Diet gave them a chance to join forces in a new way, and they discovered that, like most things, getting healthy is easier when you do it together.

In the past, Jessica had lost weight on high-protein diets and point-counting plans, but it was always difficult. “I was in a better frame of mind this time because we were both doing it,” she says. This was particularly helpful when they both had to pass on cake and champagne at several celebrations during the first phases of the plan. “I was more positive instead of being resentful that I was the only one on a diet.”

For Scott, who usually turned to exercise programs like P90X and some portion control to lose weight, this was the first “diet” that he’d ever tried, and he found the support essential. “When you do stuff together, you encourage each other and you’re more accountable,” he says.

The team approach worked well for cooking, too. The Lievendags traded their familiar dishes for new recipes and new foods like quinoa and bulgur. To speed up meal prep, “we tag-teamed it,” says Jessica. Scott did the planning and got dinner started since he often worked from home. Then, he’d text Jessica shopping lists of last-minute items he needed or food for the next day’s meals, and she’d stop at the grocery store on her way home. Now they prepare foods like quinoa ahead of time to have on hand for quick meals. One of their favorites is to stir-fry vegetables and then add quinoa. “It’s like fried rice,” Scott says.

The Sugar Smart Diet helped the whole Lievendag family. “My daughter loves hummus and the other day I noticed that she was eating it with carrots instead pita chips,” says Jessica. Scott has seen a change in their son’s mood. “He’s more compliant when we ask him to do something instead of talking back and having a bad
attitude.” He attributes the improvement to there being fewer sugary snacks in the house.

Scott and Jessica used to skip breakfast and feel famished in the afternoon, but now a hearty, filling breakfast—like the
Loaded Breakfast Potato
, one of Scott’s favorites—is on the menu every morning. The
Bento Box
is Jessica’s go-to for lunch. “It makes eating easier since I have only 10 to 15 minutes between clients to eat,” says Jessica, who is a counselor. “I nibble on it throughout the day.”

Eating more regularly and choosing healthier options has also curbed their post-dinner snacking, which was usually ice cream. Scott is also making better choices when he travels for work. “I’m much more aware of the types of foods I want to eat,” Scott says. “I’m having more salads and fish with vegetables. Before I’d have pizza and sandwiches.”

Along with shedding pounds and inches, Scott lowered his blood pressure a total of 30 points to a very healthy 108/52. And his already healthy fasting glucose level dropped 17 points. “I have more endurance now,” he says. “I shoveled 3 yards of dirt for an hour and a half the other day while I was working in the garden. It was easy, and I didn’t feel sore.”

Jessica, who had previously lost about 6 pounds by increasing her exercise, finally got off her 2-month long plateau. “My clothes are fitting better and that gives me the incentive to keep eating better,” she says. She didn’t even mind that the kids ate the piece of wedding cake that she had been saving in the freezer. “I wouldn’t have eaten it. I didn’t want to ruin what I’d accomplished.”