The Revolving Diet

Billionaire Diet Summary

The Billionaire Diet, pretty well laid out. Plus, down 1.7 pounds for the week.

This diet has several things going for it.  If you like to cook, you are in luck!  Plenty of recipes to choose from for each meal that allows for meals that aren't your run of the mill basics.  If you like to mix it up - you can and I did.  I took advantage of being able to just stick to the calories outlined for the Dedicated Diet System Plan and incorporate foods I haven't had in a while and things I like.  If you like convenience there are two ways to go - I used frozen entrees two days for lunch (Lean Cuisine) and I doubled recipes that afforded me leftovers.

There were plenty of recipes I did not make and just reading them my mouth is watering and I may have to mix them into upcoming diets: Breakfast Banana Split, Egg White Crepes with Strawberries and Cream, Mango Avacado Salad, Red Bean and Rice Soup, Scallops and Asparagus over Pasta, Apple Glazed Pork Chops, Chicken Stroganoff with Sweet Peas and Mushrooms...and many more.

The easiet part of this diet is that you can choose to go just by recipes listed or mix in other meals staying within the calorie limits for each meal.

As far as cost the program is $47 and you can get it immediately off the internet and print it.  The food cost was not too bad. I didn't buy any weird foods that i do not noramlly keep in the house or buy on a regular basis.  I substituted Flank Steak (a more expensive steak) for a lesser cut and being that I marinated it, the steak was not tough. This is a plan ahead diet in the sense that you can double a few of the recipes and have ready to go when you do not feel like cooking (like at the end of a work week and you just want to put your feet up and veg).

Chef Jeff's website also offers more recipes that can be incorporated into the diet and he does answer all emails: http://mydietchef.com/

Another plus to this diet is once you reach your goal - - - there are (10) recipes included that are the top favored receipes.  You are given these recipes with the purchase of the program and it is recommended that you not make until you get to your weight goals....but the World's Best Cheesecake Recipe is one I think I might make to bring to a picnic before the summer is over. It is stated that Chef Jeff thinks it's better than Cheesecake Factory's Cheesecakes.....I'll let you know if/when I make it!

So would I do this diet again.  Yes.  I lost weight and I was satisfied. 

As I have said before, everyone is different and not all diets work for all people.  We all trial and error on diets until we find the one that is "IT".  No diet is going to allow you to drop the 25+ pounds in the first week, that you gained in the last years + time.  But finding a diet that can meet the needs to what you personally can stick with in order to drop the 25+ pounds - if you found that, you found gold!

*** DO NOT DO ANY DIET WITHOUT FIRST TALKING WITH YOUR DOCTOR ***

Day 206.2 ~ 8/14/11

Quiet, lazy, rainy day Sunday inside.  My exercise routine for a bright and early long morning walk was interrupted by the down pour of rain. I utilized my basement stairs doing a few rounds going up and down them and while watching a little morning TV, I worked my arms, did leg lifts, sit ups and basic moving around to get the heart going.   

Other than that just gearing up for the week ahead and looking forward to another productive week!

Today's Meals:

Breakfast: 2 cup of cheerios mixed with 1¼ cups of skim milk

Lunch: 1 Tablespoon peanut butter and 1 Tablespoon low sugar grape jelly on 2 slices Pepperidge Farm low carb/calorie Oatmeal bread

Snack: 1 cup cantaloupe

Dinner: Meatloaf Muffin, 1/2 cup white rice, 1/2 cup steamed carrots

I had found the Meatloaf Muffin Recipe while looking for an idea of what to do with ground beef and how I could fit it into today's 400 calorie dinner...I found this: http://www.food.com/recipe/meatloaf-muffins-individual-mini-meat-loaves-109637

What a great idea, this is one of those hearty, homestyle recipes that can be made into individual servings and frozen for another meal.  Most important, easy to make and very good!  Plus, double recipe and have them ready to go for several meals.

Meatloaf Muffins Recipe 

• • 1/2 lb ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes or 3 tablespoons chopped onions
  • 1/2 teaspoon watkins meat magic flavor enhancer
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or 1/2 cup crushed crackers
  • 1 eggs, beaten
  • 2 ounces tomato sauce (optional)
  • 2 ounces cheese, shredded ( 1/2 cup) (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
3. Generously fill each section of the muffin tin with meat mixture.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes and serve.

Recipe makes 4 muffins at 202.5 calories per meatloaf muffin.

Have you got yourself prepared for the coming week?  Snacks put in little baggies/tupperware so they are easy to grab instead of grabbing for something fattening?  Clothes laid out so that you are not running around like a chicken without a head trying to rush and get out the door? Pre-planned your workouts for the week (how are you getting it in??).

If you were able to get some "ME" time in...good for you - everyone needs that time to recharge our bodies.  Stress is the worse thing for your health and a diet.

Have a WONDERFUL night! 

Keep your POSITIVE ATTITUDE and your MOTIVATION in HIGH GEAR!

 

Day 205.2 ~ 8/13/11

Got up early and got MOVING!  An early morning walk and then an hour of retail therapy. Shoe shopping in my case.  Met a girl from work, we share a love of shoes, who convinced me that Macy's was having an awesome sale today and we should check out these shoes we have been eyeing since the beginning of summer.  The shoes we had been eyeing were these impossibly high Guess pumps that cost anywhere from $89-$120.  They were marked down to $44.50, plus 20% off and I had a $25 gift certificate for Macy's from Christmas that I was holding onto for a "weight loss treat".  We were so excited in our shoe Utopia that disappointment was not an option.  We tried on the shoes in our respected sizes and they did not fit, too big.  Proceeded with a smaller size, they did not have them in her size and in mine, they could only find one shoe. ONE.SHOE.  We searched every sale rack for the match - no go. Disappointment was edging in until I saw these:

 
They are Jessica Simpson brand shoes (who would of thought??) I had heard of her amazingly lucratiive fashion business, but I really never paid attention to her actual clothing line or shoes.  They are incredibly high and comfortable.  Looking at them you would not think so - but they are and they make my short legs look VERY.VERY.LONG.  Making the one part of my body that actually looks thinner, look even more thinner. Now if I could find something for the waist area, I would not need to diet anymore!!

They ended up costing me $22 after my gift certificate and discount - not a bad shopping day (hour)!!

Today went as well as this past week.  Sticking with the Billionaire diet has not been hard.  You can incorporate things you like or go straight with the recipes for each meal as outlined in the diet.  Today I went with a recipe from the plan for each meal:

Breakfast: Pear Breakfast Crisp (this would be a good dessert too)

Lunch: Billionaire BLT

Snack:  1/2 cubed cantelope

Dinner: Citrus Steak with Fennel Potatoes

 Pear Breakfast Crisp Recipe

3/4 cup Hone Bunches of Oats cereal

1 cop pears, sliced

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 oz vanilla nonfat yogurt

 Toss pear, cereal and yogurt together.  Place in souffle cup or small oven safe bowl coated with cooking spray. Top with crumbled brown sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until crisp.

 BLT (listed as a breakfast item...but it's one of my favorite go-to lunches)
2 slices bread toasted

3 slices tomato

2 tablespoon light mayo (I used 1 tablespoon regular mayo)

2 leafs Boston lettuce (I used 2 slices iceberg lettuce)

2 slice turkey bacon (surprisingly, not bad)

dash black pepper

 Toast bread, spread mayo and layer your other ingredients sprinkle with pepper

 Citrus Flank Steak over Fennel Potatoes Recipe

10 oz Flank Steak (I used beef round sirloin tip steaks, a little cheaper than flank steak)

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

2 ablespoon orange juice

1 tabelspoon lime juice

 Chop garlic in food processor/blender, add orange juice and lime juice.  Pour over steaks and let marinate in refrigerator for 2-3 hours.  Grill on outside grill or on an grill pan, cook 3 minutes each side or to your own desired temperature. Slice steak on an angle. Serve with Fennel potatoes. Serves 2

 Fennel Potatoes

2 cups potatoes

1 bulb of fennel (I used 1 teaspoon dried fennel)

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup 1% milk

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

 Boil potatoes like you would for making regular mashed potatoes. Trim the fronds and the root from the fennel and chop the bulb with tender stalks, steam or microwave the fennel for about 10 minutes until just about tender,, do not overcook.

Mash cooked potatoes un a large bowl.  Puree the fennel with the chicken stock and add to potatoes. Stir in the milk, season with salt & pepper to your own taste. Whisk in the olive oil until they are soft and fluffy. Serves 2

 Wonderful day and looking forward to a relaxing night. Didn't get to see Planet of the Apes...but that's okay.  Sometimes what we plan does not work out and you just have to go with the flow! Being able to not stress about the little things makes the day much more enjoyable!

Have a GREAT NIGHT!!

Day 204.2 ~ 8/12/11

Computer is fixed....for now.  I am holding back until I know for sure it's fixed, with  my extensive background in computer engineering and being a computer expert (I am blowing a horn that I do not own)....There are things I do very well, computers are not one of them.  But I have a computer that is working and that is all I can ask for, for now...thanks hubby!!

  As you saw yesterday I took advantage of going by calories only and fitting 300 calories into breakfast and 400 calories for lunch using convenient items.  It can be done.  Mixing it up and going for something that uses little to no real thought.  Of  course today's weight, I am the same, as the McDonalds and Lean Cuisine type items  usually have more sodium than if you make something from scratch.  Plus making it for yourself you can always make extra and have for another day.

 Breakfast: Sundried Tomato & Turkey Sausage Breakfast Pizza (re-do of Monday's breakfast...this was a good one)

Lunch: Lean Cuisine Chicken Club sandwich (they were on sale....)

Snack: 1 banana

Dinner:  Crab Cakes(left overs), 1 cup string beans with almond slivers

Today, I received the session information for kickboxing and it seems there will be more than 2-3 weeks off...next class starts 9/27...I have got to get more exercise in, I think I can actually feel my ass getting bigger.  I have been hovering over the same weight (lose a few, gain a few) for a while now - I made plans to start at least meeting for a walk two days a week with a fellow kickboxer - we start next week.  Only one work out with Leslie Sansone this week and I feel sluggish.  Not from the food, just from not doing much exercise.  Goal for tomorrow and Sunday is to get out and get two good long walks in.

The work week is over!!   I hope your week went well and you got through it without any major slides off the diet.

Have a wonderful night, make sure to schedule time for yourself.  It's okay to do things with the kids and the wife or hubby...but you need your own time to think about how you are and how you are feeling regarding the goals you set for yourself.  If you don't put that time aside, you won't take care of you.  You won't be putting time into what you want for yourself.

You can't take care of everyone and let yourself go.  DO IT FOR YOURSELF!

Have a SUPER night!!

Day 203.2 ~ 8/11/11

Another day of computer issues....so very quick update tonight!  Hubby is going to add more memory, do some computer stuff and hopefully that will take care of the issues!

Breakfast:  McDonald's Egg McMuffin (300 calories)

Lunch: Lean Cuisine Chicken Club Panini (360 calories), 1/2 cup raw baby carrots (30 calories)

Dinner: 1 Porck Chop with Mustard Sauce (360 calories), 3/4 cup mixed steamed broccoli & cauliflower (50 calories)

Snack: 2 No Sugar Added Fudgesicles

Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce Recipe (I split recipe & made for 2)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• (4) 1 inch thick boneless pork chops (about 1-1/2 pounds)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 shallots, chopped fine
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (I used dried)

Heat oven to 400° F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a baking sheet and roast until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the shallots and 1 tablespoon of the oil to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine to the skillet and simmer until reduced by half. Add the cream and simmer until the sauce just thickens. Stir in the mustard. Top the pork with the sauce and tarragon.

Porck Chops were moist and a nice change.  I usually tend to stick with chicken and fish while dieting...but like they say "Pork is the other White Meat" and this recipe was delicious!  Sorry no picture...in the mess of my computer room with computer apart.

Blog partially written at work (earlier today)....balance (now) being written on my laptop.  Gotta go help hubby get the house computer working...talk to you all tomorrow!

I hope your day went well and you were able to take advantange of some fairly decent weather and got outside and got MOVING!  No matter how much you have to lose and every little bit helps! 

If you are limited - - move our arms, put some jammin' music on and shake that upper body...just give yourself the chance to feel good!! If you can't move your upper body then just sit in a chair and do small leg lifts...it all helps!

Have a WONDERFUL night!

We are able because we think we are able.

Day 202.2 ~ 8/10/11

I am having some computer issues tonight...I've already written today's post twice and lost it so if I seem more mixed up than usual - that's my excuse and I am sticking with it. I do not know how I missed my 100 calories snack yesterday - but today is not an issue with getting it in.

 Today's Meal's

 Breakfast: 2 slices cinnamon toast again (so good had to do it again)

 Snack: 1 Nature Valley Granola Bar

 Lunch: Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad (Recipe Below)

 Dinner: Steak Kabobs with Rice (from recipes...see notes below)

 Tomato & Goat Cheese Salad with Bacon Dressing

1 whole heirloom tomato

1 cup raw spinach

2 oz Goat Cheese (I used fat free Feta Cheese)

2 slices bacon

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

dash kosher salt

dash pepper

1 teaspoon green onion

 Slice tomato and arrange on plate.  Add onion goat cheese and spinach, Cook bacon until crisp, saving 1 teaspoon of bacon drippings.  Mix bacon drippings, vinegar, honey, salt & pepper and whisk together.  Add bacon and pour over salad.

 

Steak Kabobs Recipe

I bought mine at the grocery store (took the easy way out) - they included red onion, peppers and tomatoes.  Marinated for about 2 hours in italian dressing.  Hubby threw on the grill and dinner was served over 1 cup brown rice.

 

Ingredients if making on your own

6 oz beef top sirloin

1 green pepper, cut in big chunks

1 medium onion, cut in big chunks

1 cup mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup brown rice, cooked

 

Cube steak and marinate in 2 tablespoons light italian dressing for 1 hour in refrigerator or overnight. Using sturdy wooden skewers alternate each of your veggies with the steak cubes.  Grill and serve over brown rice.  Serves 2.

 

One thing I'd like to add about the 100 calorie snacks.  There are plenty of options for snacks.  You can go healthy or you can use the 100 calories snack to cave into something you have been craving.  The problem with caving is - WATCH THE PORTIONS.  For instance 5 Nabisco Nilla Wafers come in about 100 calories, well you are going to have to buy a box.  Ask yourself will you stop at 5??  It's easy to say I know I can stop at 5...BUT they are so small, 1 or 2 more won't hurt me.

 

Be smart when bringing a deeply desired food item into the house...you can do it and then throw out the rest -or- just not tempt yourself with something you know from past expereince you had no problem polishing off the box, carton, etc....We have all done it and we have all regretted it.

 

I hope things are BRIGHT and SUNNY on your sie of this blog!

 

Have an AWESOME night!!!

 

The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.

Day 201.2 ~ 8/9/11

DO.NOT.RENT.....ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES....it has got to be the WORST movie I have ever seen (and for reference....I have seen A LOT of bad movies). I'll just give you the basics...it's a 1978 movie based on tomatoes (for the most part real tomatoes and a few big fake tomatoes...with no teeth or claws) on a rampage that are eventually taken down by a song "Puberty Love" and at the end the camera focuses on a carrot coming out of the ground saying  "All right, you guys. They're gone now."  It was so bad, I forwarded through the majority of the last half of the movie to get to the end. The tomatoes taken down by the song reminded me of MARS ATTACKS when the martians are taken down by the Slim Whitman song "Indian Love Call". At least MARS ATTACKS was good (in a cult movie, campy way).

Today's Meals:

Breakfast: 2 slices Cinnamon Bread toasted , 1 tablespoon butter (recipe calls for 2 tblspn light margarine), 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Lunch: (leftover from yesterday) Chicken Fajita, 1 small apple (no more mango chili) - I had made extra so that there would be lunch for today.

Dinner:  1 Freshly made Crab Cakes (see pic) - real crab, some spices and some veggies, no bread added, lightly pan seared in 2 tablespoons olive oil ,1 of the 4 crab cakes split into 2 is a serving. Since hubby picked them up and it is a bit out of the way where we get them, so he got enough for another day this week

 

Dinner was awesome.  My crab cakes have no bread or bread crumbs - pure crab meat. There is a recipe within the Billionaires system (but it's one of the Top 10 Recipes...not part of diet - but a BONUS part of program offered) 

Since I blew off doing any form of exercise last night, I am going to work out tonight.  Toss up between a 3 mile walk with Leslie Sansone -or- a try out of P90 Beachbody dvd's, I purchased several years ago and never opened.  If I can con hubby in doing it with me - then it will be P90.  Otherwise a 3 mile walk with Leslie.

I would prefer to do nothing,it's like I have a pardon from the exercise warden (less the unattractive monitoring ankle bracelet),  since kickboxing ended and doesn't restart for a few weeks and not having to run home, get changed and run back out to make class - I would much prefer to go home throw on pj's  and veg.   Being completely honest.....(and wishing this was completely realistic)- I would love to go out, order several desserts and be handed a spoon to indulge along with a glass (ok a few) of wine....my head is swimming with this thought....holding off until next vacation (I hope I can hold out!!!)

I hope your day was GREAT!!!

No one can treat you as good as you can.  Be kind to yourself, your mind and body and your mind and body will treat you well back.

Day 200.2 ~ 8/8/11

While this diet does not have specific meals  laid out for each meal, it does offer a good amount of recipes for each meal, that you can pick and choose from.  From what I can see so far, these recipes can be made fairly quickly and the two I made today were very tasty. The breakfast pizza was something different and very filling (I may have to have this a few times this week).

 Today’s Meals

 Breakfast: Sundried Tomato & Turkey Sausage Breakfast Pizza (Recipe Below)

Lunch: Grilled Chicken Salad (6 oz chicken breast, 2 cups mixed salad greens, 1 plum tomato, 1 tablespoon red onion, ½ sliced cucumber)

Dinner: Chicken Fajitas with Chili Mango (Recipe Below)

Snack: 2 Fudgesicles No Sugar Added Fudge Pops (80 calories)

 Sundried Tomato and Sausage Breakfast Pizza  

1 large WW Pita

1 link turkey sausage

2 chopped sundried tomatoes (oil packed)

5 cherry tomatoes halved

1 large egg

¼ cup mozzarella

 Place pita on pan, rub a small amount of oil from sundried tomatoes on pita. Scramble egg and cook sausage, Crumble sausage and sprinkle egg on top of pita. Top with sundried tomatoes, tomatoes and mozzarella.  Bake at 350 degrees until cheese melts

 Chicken Fajitas with Chili Mango

4 oz chicken breast

½ cup bell pepper

¼ mushrooms

½ cup onion

T tsp canola oil

Dash of salt

Dash of cumin

1 medium WW tortilla

1 mango

¼ tsp chili powder

 Sauté sliced chicken breast and veggies in oil, season with salt and cumin, Once cooked placed inside tortilla. Serve 1 slice mango with chili powder.

 Mango with chili powder was different.  I have only ever had mango two ways, in it’s natural state and blended into some type of frosty creamy drink (a too many calorie drink).  The chili on it gave it another dimension , such  a simple addition gave it a WOW unexpected flavor.

 I am full, not overly stuffed and I feel like I treated myself today. So I would have to say this diet is off to a good start!

 As far as exercise goes…..I pulled out my Leslie Sansone 3 mile walking DVD and didn't do it......I got..... (you are gonna be shaking your heads)............

......................ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES on DVD from the library..I love the really bad B movies!!!  So bad movie night wins over exercise....there's always tomorrow!

  I hope your day went well!

 Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.