A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I decided to take a big leap and embark on a new journey together. We were encouraged to give the South Beach Diet a try, by a family member who it has worked extremely well for. I love food, and am not a fan of diets... I would just rather modify a few things, exercise more, and still eat what I love. My husband is a busy guy, though- he's home less than I am, and it's harder for him to find the time to exercise. He has a goal to lose about 40 pounds. I really don't need to lose any weight, but I want to be supportive of my husband, so I agreed to join in the South Beach Diet with him. It won't hurt my feelings if I lose a few pounds in the process.

This diet encourages you to eat high protein, and lots of veggies, while cutting carbs and sugar for the first two weeks. We made our lists of food to buy, worked out some meal plans, and so forth. We have been on this diet for four days, and I can already see my hubby is looking slimmer. I can't really tell much of a difference with myself.  We're making some difficult changes- cutting out bread and pasta, and grains (completely) for two weeks isn't easy, especially for hubby. I am having an equally difficult time cutting out sugar- I have a huge sweet tooth, and you're not supposed to have fruit for the first two weeks of this diet plan. Yikes!

Here are some of the meals we've been having this week...

One of my dinners- Eggplant Stacks and Steamed Broccoli

Dinner- Chicken Breast and Steamed Broccoli

Dinner- Top Sirloin and Zucchini with Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese.

Lunch- Spinach and Cucumber Salad with Light Chicken Salad

For breakfast, we've been having nothing but eggs, and have also had turkey bacon/Canadian bacon, which are allowed in Phase 1. Snacks have been things like 1 serving of approved nuts, celery with natural peanut butter, cottage cheese, string cheese, etc. We have even tried a few approved desserts, which include things like Peanut Butter Delight, Black Bean Brownie Bites, and Ricotta Cheesecake, and we'll be trying some others, as well.

I'm hoping that we can stick it out for these two long weeks, and I'll be looking forward to seeing the results. I'm also looking forward to Phase Two, where we can start adding grains and wheat back into our diets, in moderation- and fruit... I need fruit! You can check out the South Beach Diet for yourself, if you're interested in learning more about it. You can also check out my South Beach Phase 1 Pinboard for recipes.

I am still keeping up with Pilates and Yoga- not daily, but at least 3-4 times a week, which is about all I can manage. I stay active daily, by playing soccer with my 4-year-old. Here's hoping hubby sees the results he's wanting. I love that man.

What steps are you taking toward a healthier lifestyle?