Make sure your rye bread is 100% rye bread, because most rye breads actually list wheat as their number one ingredient, then rye, though they still call it rye bread.
Let's talk food...
- Thread starter pitbullmamaliz
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Make sure your rye bread is 100% rye bread, because most rye breads actually list wheat as their number one ingredient, then rye, though they still call it rye bread.
some rambling thoughts, things I think about ....
The first thing to do when trying to lose fat (as opposed to weight, which is irrelevant) is throw away anything that says "Fat Free", "Sugar Free" or "Diet" on the label. And don't buy them anymore. All of those things throw a curve ball at the metabolism and result in hunger pangs later on. Put a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar in your coffee, for example, to take the bitter edge off and give a hint of sweetness if you need it, but don't use artifical sweetener of any kind (including Stevia).
Stop using the word "carbohydrate" and think "sugar" instead. Count the calories in the carbohydrates (aka sugar) that you eat, and look into how long it takes to burn that amount of calories through exercise - probably a LOT longer than you think. Make a pact with yourself that you'll only eat sugar (aka bread, pasta, gummi bears, Twinkies, they're all the same) before you exercise and exercise enough to burn at least 80% of those calories.
The first thing to do when trying to lose fat (as opposed to weight, which is irrelevant) is throw away anything that says "Fat Free", "Sugar Free" or "Diet" on the label. And don't buy them anymore. All of those things throw a curve ball at the metabolism and result in hunger pangs later on. Put a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar in your coffee, for example, to take the bitter edge off and give a hint of sweetness if you need it, but don't use artifical sweetener of any kind (including Stevia).
Stop using the word "carbohydrate" and think "sugar" instead. Count the calories in the carbohydrates (aka sugar) that you eat, and look into how long it takes to burn that amount of calories through exercise - probably a LOT longer than you think. Make a pact with yourself that you'll only eat sugar (aka bread, pasta, gummi bears, Twinkies, they're all the same) before you exercise and exercise enough to burn at least 80% of those calories.
interesting thoughts Willie, I tend to go for the carbs after exercise to try and replace those glycogens I've just used.
NickW
Guest
Willie, you just stated how I feel nearly exactly. I use local raw honey instead of sugar in my coffee, but I only do that for one cup and then my second cup is black.
Yep, that's what I tell people all the time -"that potato is a mound of sugar, that corn is a mound of sugar, that banana is a mound of sugar". Twinkies don't count though. To me...lol.
NickW
Guest
Jen, I don't compare fruits or potatoes to the sugars from refined foods like breads, pastas, etc... I'm not saying they don't have sugars but for some reason they sure don't effect me the same way as breads and pastas... I don't really believe there is anything wrong with potatoes either, in moderation that is. The problem lies with how MUCH we consume and how we alter them, loaded mashed potatoes, french fries, etc...
nor do fig rolls
I really don't like potatoes at all, much prefer baked sweet potatoes
Short answer:
Yes, I suggest you finish the 5K before you transition to a primal diet. In fact, try to block out a few weeks to transition to primal during a time where you're not making important decisions, operating heavy machinery or making other significant life changes. I'm not joking. The low-carb flu can be very disruptive for a short time but after that it's SOOOOO worth it! I also suggest that when you're ready to switch you commit to a full 30-day trial.
Long answer:
I've shared this before, but here it is again:
For more info on the Primal Blueprint go here -- http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-primal-blueprint
For more than a decade prior to 2011 we had been following Dr. Andrew Weil's diet advice: avoid processed foods, focus on organics, mostly vegetarian, lots of whole grains, low to moderate fat intake. Really healthy, right? During that time I could lose weight whenever I wanted by counting and restricting calories, but I'd slowly gain it back as soon as I stopped logging my foods.
Come Jan 2011 I had put on some weight after a long, stressful project at work. It was time to start logging and restricting calories again so I could lose the extra pounds. Since I was going to focus on my eating habits anyway I decided this would be a good time to experiment with a primal diet. I had been reading about it and was curious. The plan was to try it for a month not restricting calories, keep an eye on my cholesterol levels, body fat and weight, and then switch back to my usual diet and count calories to lose weight.
Well, it's been over a year and a half and I'm still eating a primal diet. The first few weeks were tough for me with the low-carb flu but everything after that has been a breeze. By the end of my one month trial my results were so stunning that my husband decided to give it a try. He quickly became a convert, too. After I got past the low-carb flu my appetite and hunger cues changed so significantly that it was easy to lose weight without even trying. I dropped 20 pounds in the first 3 months, haven't gained back a pound and haven't had to plan or log my meals to lose or maintain. I never get that "shaky" hungry feeling I used to get. I feel way more satisfied after a primal meal than I ever did on my previous diet. I don't get food cravings the way I used to. I literally can eat all I want of really delicious, rich, filling foods and still lose weight. I know it sounds too good to be true but it's no lie.
Another interesting thing is that I now eat MORE vegetables on a primal diet than I did when I was eating a mostly vegetarian diet. I traded in my grains for a mix of meat and more veggies, so it's a net increase in veggies from my previous eating. And I went from typically getting <30% of my calories from fat to getting >50% of my calories from fat, but my lipid panel improved in all areas (lower total cholesterol, lower LDL, higher HDL, lower triglycerides). The same is all true for my husband.
Here's a picture of us from last month (June 2012).
Both my husband and I continue to maintain/lose weight, improve muscle tone, feel great, have more energy and improve our overall health. And we manage all of this without any special planning, meal logging or use of will-power. With my previous eating habits I would certainly gain weight if I went on vacation or went on a business trip or worked through a period of long hours for a stressful project at work. Well, over the last year I've done all of those things without gaining a pound without any effort and without feeling deprived.
I can't say this is the right eating plan for everyone nor that everyone will have similar results. It's certainly worth a 30-day experiment to see if it's right for you. Oh, and you may be one of the lucky ones like my husband and only have a mild case of the low-carb flu lasting a day or two. But it's best if you prepare yourself for a case like mine that lasts a couple of weeks during which time you get a ticket for running a red light. (Red light? There was a red light there?)
Good luck with the 5K and with your diet changes!
Peace,
Karen
Yes, I suggest you finish the 5K before you transition to a primal diet. In fact, try to block out a few weeks to transition to primal during a time where you're not making important decisions, operating heavy machinery or making other significant life changes. I'm not joking. The low-carb flu can be very disruptive for a short time but after that it's SOOOOO worth it! I also suggest that when you're ready to switch you commit to a full 30-day trial.
Long answer:
I've shared this before, but here it is again:
For more info on the Primal Blueprint go here -- http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-primal-blueprint
For more than a decade prior to 2011 we had been following Dr. Andrew Weil's diet advice: avoid processed foods, focus on organics, mostly vegetarian, lots of whole grains, low to moderate fat intake. Really healthy, right? During that time I could lose weight whenever I wanted by counting and restricting calories, but I'd slowly gain it back as soon as I stopped logging my foods.
Come Jan 2011 I had put on some weight after a long, stressful project at work. It was time to start logging and restricting calories again so I could lose the extra pounds. Since I was going to focus on my eating habits anyway I decided this would be a good time to experiment with a primal diet. I had been reading about it and was curious. The plan was to try it for a month not restricting calories, keep an eye on my cholesterol levels, body fat and weight, and then switch back to my usual diet and count calories to lose weight.
Well, it's been over a year and a half and I'm still eating a primal diet. The first few weeks were tough for me with the low-carb flu but everything after that has been a breeze. By the end of my one month trial my results were so stunning that my husband decided to give it a try. He quickly became a convert, too. After I got past the low-carb flu my appetite and hunger cues changed so significantly that it was easy to lose weight without even trying. I dropped 20 pounds in the first 3 months, haven't gained back a pound and haven't had to plan or log my meals to lose or maintain. I never get that "shaky" hungry feeling I used to get. I feel way more satisfied after a primal meal than I ever did on my previous diet. I don't get food cravings the way I used to. I literally can eat all I want of really delicious, rich, filling foods and still lose weight. I know it sounds too good to be true but it's no lie.
Another interesting thing is that I now eat MORE vegetables on a primal diet than I did when I was eating a mostly vegetarian diet. I traded in my grains for a mix of meat and more veggies, so it's a net increase in veggies from my previous eating. And I went from typically getting <30% of my calories from fat to getting >50% of my calories from fat, but my lipid panel improved in all areas (lower total cholesterol, lower LDL, higher HDL, lower triglycerides). The same is all true for my husband.
Here's a picture of us from last month (June 2012).
Both my husband and I continue to maintain/lose weight, improve muscle tone, feel great, have more energy and improve our overall health. And we manage all of this without any special planning, meal logging or use of will-power. With my previous eating habits I would certainly gain weight if I went on vacation or went on a business trip or worked through a period of long hours for a stressful project at work. Well, over the last year I've done all of those things without gaining a pound without any effort and without feeling deprived.
I can't say this is the right eating plan for everyone nor that everyone will have similar results. It's certainly worth a 30-day experiment to see if it's right for you. Oh, and you may be one of the lucky ones like my husband and only have a mild case of the low-carb flu lasting a day or two. But it's best if you prepare yourself for a case like mine that lasts a couple of weeks during which time you get a ticket for running a red light. (Red light? There was a red light there?)
Good luck with the 5K and with your diet changes!
Peace,
Karen
Mostly agree with what everyone else said, even though some of it's contradictory.
1.) Processed / altered / junk food is right out. No boxed snacks, no "low fat" yoghurt, etc.
2.) Chuck the grains unless you use a lot of energy throughout the day. Most of us desk jockeys who work out for an hour a day or less don't need these easy carbs.
3.) Fill up on raw fruits and veggies. These are carbs too, but it's hard to get fat on carrots, apples, and cauliflower.
4.) Get a complete protein once or twice a day, most important in the morning
5.) No sweets, or very little--I have some sugar in my espresso and that's it.
6.) No alcohol, or very little--1 or 2 drinks a day.
7.) Limited dairy, always whole product with no added crap.
8.) No unfermented soy.
9.) Stay properly hydrated.
10.) Exercise an hour a day. If you're running 20 minutes a day, make sure to walk or do weights or something the other 40. I don't think the old 30-minutes-a-day rule is enough for most people, unless you doing HIIT stuff.
Finally, weight loss can be extra complicated for women, so take whatever a man says about diet with a grain of salt. If you go to a poor country, you'll see the men are often very thin while the women are plump, but they're all eating the same high-carb, low-protein diet, and are all physically active. I've lost more than 30 pounds over the last year, but my diet hasn't changed. It's all because I've been working out more consistently. I don't know if this would be possible for a lot of women--some dietary changes might be key.
The first month or two of eating a leaner, rawer, wholer diet might be hard, but after a while it will become difficult to eat crap. It will feel like a rock in your stomach. Also, as a corollary to what Jen says, I often judge my diet by farts. If I'm not farting, I assume I'm eating the right thing. If you get DOW Chemical farts, you've definitely eaten something that's giving your digestive track a hard time.
My main frustration is watching my kids slowly get hooked on American crap. My daughter would always ask for fruit when she woke up, but the last two mornings she's been asking for grandma and grandpa's Chez-its. And don't get me started on what our day care considers healthy. Almost makes me what to join a commune.
1.) Processed / altered / junk food is right out. No boxed snacks, no "low fat" yoghurt, etc.
2.) Chuck the grains unless you use a lot of energy throughout the day. Most of us desk jockeys who work out for an hour a day or less don't need these easy carbs.
3.) Fill up on raw fruits and veggies. These are carbs too, but it's hard to get fat on carrots, apples, and cauliflower.
4.) Get a complete protein once or twice a day, most important in the morning
5.) No sweets, or very little--I have some sugar in my espresso and that's it.
6.) No alcohol, or very little--1 or 2 drinks a day.
7.) Limited dairy, always whole product with no added crap.
8.) No unfermented soy.
9.) Stay properly hydrated.
10.) Exercise an hour a day. If you're running 20 minutes a day, make sure to walk or do weights or something the other 40. I don't think the old 30-minutes-a-day rule is enough for most people, unless you doing HIIT stuff.
Finally, weight loss can be extra complicated for women, so take whatever a man says about diet with a grain of salt. If you go to a poor country, you'll see the men are often very thin while the women are plump, but they're all eating the same high-carb, low-protein diet, and are all physically active. I've lost more than 30 pounds over the last year, but my diet hasn't changed. It's all because I've been working out more consistently. I don't know if this would be possible for a lot of women--some dietary changes might be key.
The first month or two of eating a leaner, rawer, wholer diet might be hard, but after a while it will become difficult to eat crap. It will feel like a rock in your stomach. Also, as a corollary to what Jen says, I often judge my diet by farts. If I'm not farting, I assume I'm eating the right thing. If you get DOW Chemical farts, you've definitely eaten something that's giving your digestive track a hard time.
My main frustration is watching my kids slowly get hooked on American crap. My daughter would always ask for fruit when she woke up, but the last two mornings she's been asking for grandma and grandpa's Chez-its. And don't get me started on what our day care considers healthy. Almost makes me what to join a commune.
I read somewhere that sweet potatoes are just about the most nutritious thing you can eat. Kind of like swimming being just about the best overall exercise you can do. So maybe we need a swimming and sweet potatoes health plan. Can someone prep the infomericals?
are you sure that wasn't one of those "alternative lifestyle" websites where you were swimming in mashed sweet potato? I know the kinds of thing you Minnesotans get up to.
Bare Lee,
I have totally found this to be true, also!!! Lol.
"The first month or two of eating a leaner, rawer, wholer diet might be hard, but after a while it will become difficult to eat crap. It will feel like a rock in your stomach. Also, as a corollary to what Jen says, I often judge my diet by farts. If I'm not farting, I assume I'm eating the right thing. If you get DOW Chemical farts, you've definitely eaten something that's giving your digestive track a hard time."
I have totally found this to be true, also!!! Lol.
"The first month or two of eating a leaner, rawer, wholer diet might be hard, but after a while it will become difficult to eat crap. It will feel like a rock in your stomach. Also, as a corollary to what Jen says, I often judge my diet by farts. If I'm not farting, I assume I'm eating the right thing. If you get DOW Chemical farts, you've definitely eaten something that's giving your digestive track a hard time."
If I were to offer any advice it would be to start with a food journal. Write down every bite that passes your lips. From there you can see where maybe you can adjust with healthier choices. Try to choose clean foods, the less processed the better. If you prepare your own food you will know what goes on it. Stay away from evil whites (white flour, sugar, and salt). Lastly, eat more often, five to six small meals. Try for every three hours.
But all the men are strong; all the women are good-looking; and all the children are above average
I would say go paleo and really stick to it as best you can. For losing the weight track your food intake and limit the amount of calories as well but mainly try to eat less than 100g of carbs a day.
I've been paleo since about February and have dropped from 215 to 163. Diet is most important for losing weight so like I said stick to it.
Also about training and the "carb flu" its not a huge deal just walk if you dont feel like running but it doesn't last too long. Once you get through that you will notice more consistent energy and quicker recovery from high intensity work due to the better metabolism.
That's a great start!
I can't say that you'll undergo the same changes. However, as someone who went from 230+ to 160's and finally maintaining it, I can say that my tastes and cravings have changed. Also, my body tends to reject overeating now by feeling really sick, so I don't tend to do that so much anymore.
Yah, it's a virtuous circle isn't it? The healthier you are, the easier it becomes to behave healthily.
