Big Daddy D's LowCarbohydrate.BlogSpot.com

On-line Low Carb Shopping Kicks A$$

2011-06-01T10:47:00.002-04:00

This morning I made another netrition.com order. I love this place. It's easy to find good diet foods and vitamins on this website. And, it sure beats running around to 3 or 4 grocery stores to find everything I need. And, no matter how much you order, you have a small fixed shipping cost that is offset in my state by not having to pay sales tax. Today, I bought vitamins, sweetener, and sugar free adult beverage mixers.

First and foremost, the reason for my order was to get some more Baja Bob's drink mixers. I don't know of anywhere else to buy low-carb sugar free mixes to make Margaritas and other frozen beverages. Honestly, the Baja Bob's original margaritas taste better than most high-carb sugary margarita mixes. You'd never know it was diet. The powdered version is much cheaper than by the liter and I actually like better because I can mix it a bit stronger and keep the drink nice and thick with ice.

While on the netrition website, I also searched for liquid sucralose and found it. I can't wait to try the EZ Sweetz and hope it is as good as the sweetzfree that I usually buy on line elsewhere. I'll let you guys know how it is once I try it.

And finally, I am buying 3 different types of Biotin. My children have a biotinidaise deficiency and must take this daily. I purchased tablets, capsules, and lozenges. If they can swallow them easily, I will come back for more. Netrition has many other vitamins for sale. I suggest you try chromium to help your body burn fat.

Today's order:

Qty   SKU           Description
3       177-0007   Baja Bob's Original Margarita Powdered
                           Mix 1 packet / $3.99
1       177-0008   Baja Bob's Wild Strawberry Margarita
                            Powdered Mix 1 packet / $3.99
1       177-0015   Baja Bob's Tropical Trouble Hurricane
                           Mix 1 liter / $5.99
2       520-0001   EZ-Sweetz Liquid Sucralose 0.5 oz / $6.99
1       64-0008     Nature's Way Biotin, 1000 mcg 100
                            lozenges / $5.49
1       69-0966     Natrol Biotin, 10,000mcg - Maximum
                            Strength 100 tablets / $6.49
1       153-0207   NOW Biotin, 5000mcg 60 capsules / $5.49

Itemized Subtotal $53.40
Shipping - UPS Ground $4.95
Grand total is $58.35

Big Daddy D's Low Carb Cookbook is now available!

2011-01-21T23:27:00.001-05:00

My low carb cookbook is now available! This is simply a collection of the fantastic delicious and healthy recipes from this website in a handy book format that you can keep in your kitchen. CLICK HERE to access the online store. This book will also soon be available on Amazon.com, other online retailers, and possibly some retail stores.

Big Daddy D's Low Carb Cookbook

Since August of 2006 Daron Rainer has been the author of the weight loss blog "Big Daddy D's lowcarbohydrate.blogspot.com". He is neither a dietitian nor a doctor. In fact, his only credentials are that he lost 85 pounds and loves to cook. For several years, Big Daddy D has experimented in his kitchen finding ways to make everything he craves but in a low-carb way. The recipes in this cookbook are reprinted from his blog and include various comments from his blog readers. Whether you are trying to lose weight or are diabetic, this book will bring you comfort.

Publication Date: Jan 22 2011
ISBN/EAN13: 1456546570 / 9781456546571
Page Count: 150
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 6" x 9"
Language: English
Color: Black and White
Related Categories: Cooking / Health & Healing / Weight Control

Coming soon: Big Daddy D's Low Carb Cookbook

2011-01-13T16:28:00.000-05:00

Hello all. I just wanted to let you know that I will soon be publishing all of my recipes in a cookbook. This is pretty much a reprint of the recipes on this blog put into a handy book format that you can keep in your kitchen or personal library for reference. It should be available in a week or two. I will post a link here once I have reviewed the proofs and released it for production.

Mediterranean Chicken with Yogurt Sauce - 3 net carbs per serving

2011-01-08T00:01:00.005-05:00

I am almost ashamed to admit that I am no longer following a low-carbohydrate lifestyle. However, there are many things I cook such as this that are low-carb and as such I thought I'd share it with you.

My wife and I recently moved from Lexington to Northern Kentucky, just outside of Cincinnati. One of our favorite restaurants that we are leaving behind is called Oasis which is considered Mediterranean but is more precisely Lebanese. Since we will no longer be able to eat there weekly, I decided to learn how to cook some of our favorite Mediterranean dishes. This recipe is my take on the yogurt chicken which is one of my favorites from Oasis. The aroma as it cooks is absolutely to die for.

6 servings at about 3 net carbs per serving.
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
6 boneless chicken breasts

Instructions:
Whisk together yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and garlic salt. For marinade, put half of yogurt mixture in another bowl.  To marinade, add in cumin and chili powder then whisk. The remaining yogurt mixture (without the cumin and chili powder) is a sauce which will be used later.

Coat chicken with marinade and let set for at least 20 minutes.

Grill chicken for about 8 or 9 minutes on each side over medium heat. During the winter, you can grill on a "George Foreman" type grill (adjust cooking time accordingly). I often use a cast iron grill over my stove top.

Microwave sauce for one minute so that it is at room temperature or slightly warm. The idea here is to simply keep the sauce from being cold.

Plate chicken and spoon yogurt sauce over top.

Serving Suggestions: If you can afford the carbs, serve over a bed of rice or moc-rice. Garnish with parsley and chives mixed with a small amount of olive oil. This main course goes excellent with my thintoush Mediterranean salad.

Mediterranean Salad - 4 net carbs per serving

2011-01-06T09:20:00.000-05:00

My wife and I love Mediterranean foods. One of my favorite dishes is fattoush salad. It is pronounced "fat-toosh" which sounds an awful lot like the word fat "tush" (ie. fat buttocks). What gives fattoush it's name is the pieces of crispy baked pita chips mixed into the salad. The veggie ingredients vary from recipe to recipe but the dressing remains roughly the same. So, here is my version of a thintoush salad. You can leave out the pita or try the other options I offer you.

4 servings at 4 net carbs per serving.

Salad Ingredients:
2 cups Romain lettuce
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tomato
2 cucumbers
3 green onions
1/4 cup fresh parsley

Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sumac (a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern spice)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Instructions:
Chop up salad ingredients and put in bowl. Mix together dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and toss salad.

Optionally: If your diet can afford it add 1 cup toasted pita or pita chips (about 20 net carbs). If not, you can make your own by deep frying low carb tortillas, low carb pita, or low carb flatout (carbs vary). Or, for the lowest carbs, simply eat the salad without the fattoush (pita chips).

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Cheesecake

2010-11-02T08:55:00.001-04:00

The holidays are almost here. Thanksgiving is a time with many temptations. But if you are the one cooking it can still be fulfilling AND low carb. Click here for my pumpkin cheesecake recipe. It's even better than pumpkin pie.

I posted this recipe many years ago. At the time, I called for a crust. I no longer use crusts on my cheesecakes. Sometimes I just grease the pan and dump in the filling. Other times, I grease and coat with a dusting of ground almonds. Either way, it's fabulous.

Falling off...

2010-05-10T11:18:00.000-04:00

Why is it that I find it so hard to not fall off the wagon? And then once off, it is so easy to find excuses to stay off. About a month ago, when my son was born, I was very short on sleep and spending most waking hours around the hospital. I was very tired and low on energy which means my body was craving energy dense high carb foods. Plus for convenience sake, I was stuck with mostly fast-food restaraunts as options. A salad from McDonalds just didn't seem to be what my body wanted. So, I slipped. I ran over to Rally's and bought a burger and fries. But, I didn't stop there. I thought to myself, "hey, you already gave in... why not grab a candy bar from the gift shop? Maybe 2 of them." I told myself that I'd go back on the diet once I got the family home. But, I didn't follow through.

You know, the low-carb diet is not bad at all. And as long as I don't have many carbs in my system, my body usually doesn't crave sweets nor breads. So, why is it so hard to get back up there, on the wagon. How come it's so easy to push it off to anohter day? Next month, I will be spending some time in Mexico. Now, instead of going back on the diet, I'm telling myself, "when you return from Mexico, you should go back on the diet.". Why is it that I tell myself to wait when I know it's best for me to change my habits now? Even if it was too difficult to do low-carb abroad, I could squeeze in a few more weeks of low-carb before I go. It's hard to understand the inner workings of my mind. Why is the short term small high from carbs such a powerful de-motivating factor?

Luckily, even off-the-band-wagon, I haven't gained back much weight. But I haven't been losing fat either. Thanfully, I have had some physical activity from planting my vegitable garden as well as other yard. Without this, I'm not sure if I'd have gained more weight.

For now, no promises on when I will return. I might find motivation here in the next few days or I may just return to the lifestyle when I return to the country after 2-3 weeks in Pueblo, Mexico. I'm just not sure yet. Pathetic, huh?

On a side-note: A couple of days ago, I bought Wii Fit Plus to replace my old classic Wii fit. And, I'm happy to say that even with clothing on, I am still under the 330 pound weight limit. I'm not much into the exercise routines but find the balance games to be fun. My 4 year old son likes to play them with me.

How Many Calories Do You Burn a Day Breastfeeding?

2010-04-02T19:27:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting in my wife's post-partem hospital room watching her breastfeed while I serf the net. I'm pondering how many calories are "burned" by breastfeeding. And, after a quick web search, I found the answer.

Breastfeeding burns an average of 500 calories a day with the typical range to be from 200 to 600 calories burned a day. It's estimated that the production of one ounce of breast milk burns 20 calories.

This is according to eHow.com: How Many Calories Do You Burn a Day Breastfeeding? eHow.com .

Big Daddy is Having Another Baby

2010-03-30T13:00:00.000-04:00

Tonight, I take my wife to the hospital and in the morning they induce labor. This will be my second son. The first is almost 4 years old. You can read more on The Expecting Father blog.

Little Known Ways to Prevent Diabetes with Fitness

2010-03-25T09:52:00.001-04:00

Reprinted with permission of author Su Rollins who writes for hypoglycemic diet plan, her personal hobby blog focused on tips to prevent and cure hypoglycemia using the right diet and nutrition.

What effect does exercise have on glucose levels?

It is quite easy to manage diabetes when you incorporate a program for exercise in your daily routine. Such exercises have been shown to have positive effects for people who are suffering from diabetes, especially those who have low glucose levels. One example is exercise being able to channel muscle energy, convert it into glucose and then using that glucose as fuel. At the start of it, the body will just use the glucose that has been converted into glycogen from one’s muscles. Glucose is also found in your bloodstream. If you maintain a long term exercise program, it is highly likely that the levels of your blood glucose will not dip. Also, glucogen and other hormones found in your body will also be released. These hormones and glucogen work together and break down all of the liver’s stored fat and then converting such stored fat into more glucose. It is best that you engage in exercise frequently, because your body will improve. It will develop a sensitivity to insulin, as well as help you gain better control of the body’s glycemic index.

Why is the effect of exercise on glucose levels important to those with type 2 diabetes?

Exercise, as mentioned before, has an effect on the levels of glucose. This is important for people who have type 2 diabetes. Many studies show that diabetes patients have better control of their glycemic when they exercise regularly. Those who do not have a regular exercise regimen are not better off. With exercise, your insulin sensitivity improves. This translates to having to use fewer medicines in order to have control over one’s blood sugar levels. Sometimes, people who have type 2 diabetes are somewhat at risk of hypoglycemia, which is exercise-induced. This is during and also after exercise. Then again, there are also some patients who have poor control of their diabetes and are also high risk for hyperglycemia.

Should patients with type 2 diabetes exercise more often or differently than otherwise healthy people?

There are, of course, people who become at risk for hypoglycemia due to the combined effects of their diabetes and engaging in high stress exercise. This happens during exercise and after it, too. If you think about it though, people can also be at risk for hyperglycemia simply for having poor control over their diabetes. Therefore, the leaders in this field recommend engaging in moderate exercise for a minimum of 2 hours and 30 minutes, or 90 minutes if they want to do vigorous exercise.

What type of exercise is best for type 2 diabetes patients?

In light of this, the frequency of the routine is more important that the kinds of exercise one engages in. There are many researches wherein an abundance of benefits result from both weight training as well as aerobic activity.

When should patients be discouraged from exercising?

There are times when you one shouldn’t exercise, especially if you are at risk for cardiac conditions .It is best to start slowly and tentatively just to be safe.

About the Author - Su Rollins writes for hypoglycemic diet plan , her personal hobby blog focused on tips to prevent and cure hypoglycemia using the right diet and nutrition.

Netrition Order - Product Reviews

2010-03-22T09:57:00.000-04:00

Recently, I posted about a Netrition order in which I purchased several items I'd not tried before. Below is my opinion of these products:

153-0114 NOW Almond Flour, Unblanched 10 oz. $4.69 - Pretty much your typical unblanched almond meal. Because it's unblanched, it's a darker color. The bag is somewhat smaller than I am used to but the price per ounce is quite a bit lower than many other brands.

394-0047 Walden Farms Syrup, Blueberry 12 fl oz $3.79 - This is pretty good. It tastes like real blueberries. Mixed in Hood Calorie Countdown milk and it tastes a bit like the milk in the bottom of a cereal bowl where real blueberry's had been added. It would make an awesome pancake syrup. Other than this, I can't think of many uses.

230-0008 Bob's Red Mill Low Carb Bread Mix 1 lb. $4.39 - It's just okay. As with many low-carb breads, there is a mild displeasing after taste. It's not bad but it's not great.

230-0009 Bob's Red Mill Low Carb Baking Mix 1 lb. $4.39 - This has pretty much the same ingredients as the bread mix. I've not tried it yet but expect it to taste about the same.

443-0001 Toufayan Bakeries Low Carb Pita Bread 6 pack $$3.09 - These are a bit thicker and more bready than Joseph's Pita but not as big of round. They have a very subtle soy-like taste but it's not overpowering. While I do like them, I think I still like Joseph's brand pita better. It's really just a question of do you like your pita soft and bread-like or thin and more tortilla like. If you like it bready then this pita is for you.

464-0004 Joseph's Middle East Bakery Reduced Carb/Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Tortillas 6 tortillas $2.79 - A bit on the rubbery side. I still prefer the Mission brand low-carb tortillas even though they have a higher carb count.

464-0005 Joseph's Middle East Bakery Reduced Carb/Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Lavash Bread 4 square breads $2.99 - The sheets of Lavash were stuck together. I had a very difficult time pulling them apart without tearing. If they didn't stick together so bad, I think I'd prefer these over just about any low-carb tortillas. But due to their being hard to pull apart, I will not buy again.

Crustless Ground Turkey Quiche - 2 net carbs per serving

2010-03-15T22:00:00.002-04:00

My wife made this easy quiche for dinner tonight and it was terrific. We made it with ground turkey but I imagine it would be equally good with ground beef or sausage.

Servings: 8 @ 2 net carbs each.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground turkey
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar
4 eggs
1/2 cup mayonaise
salt & pepper
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Brown meat in skillet. Transfer to 10 inch pie pan. Sprinkle with onion and cheddar cheese. Beat eggs with mayonaise, salt & pepper, and evaoporated milk. Pour over meat in pie pan. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Making another Netrition order...

2010-03-12T13:25:00.000-05:00

I just placed a new Netrition order. The $4.95 for shipping is not much different than the sales tax that I would have had to pay if I bought at the local grocery store. I can honestly only say good things about Netrition. The delivery is fast and everything has always arrived fresh. I am telling you about it and I advertise for them because I like their company and want to share it with you.

These are items I like and have bought before:

177-0005 Baja Bob's Loco Lemon Sweet-n-Sour Mix 1 liter $5.99 (Yes, I still drink alcohol)
230-0001 Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour 1 lb. $8.99 (many uses)
394-0048 Walden Farms Syrup, Strawberry 12 fl oz $3.79 (yummy in Hood Calorie Countdown milk)
464-0001 Joseph's Middle East Bakery Reduced Carb/Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Pita Bread 6 pack $2.99 (Awesome! We can hold our food again!)
89-0959 Atkins Nutritionals Ready-to-Drink Shakes, Cafe Caramel Shake, 11 oz 4 pack $6.99 (Quick breakfast for the road)

These are items I am buying for the first time. I'll be sure to let everyone know if they are any good:

153-0114 NOW Almond Flour, Unblanched 10 oz. $4.69
394-0047 Walden Farms Syrup, Blueberry 12 fl oz $3.79
230-0008 Bob's Red Mill Low Carb Bread Mix 1 lb. $4.39
230-0009 Bob's Red Mill Low Carb Baking Mix 1 lb. $4.39
443-0001 Toufayan Bakeries Low Carb Pita Bread 6 pack $$3.09
464-0004 Joseph's Middle East Bakery Reduced Carb/Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Tortillas 6 tortillas $2.79
464-0005 Joseph's Middle East Bakery Reduced Carb/Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Lavash Bread 4 square breads $2.99

Weight, it's not really a stall... again!

2010-03-12T11:45:00.000-05:00

Once again, over the last two weeks, I have experienced no significant weight loss. But, the waist-line keeps getting smaller. Ketosis sticks are still showing moderate levels so I know I'm burning fat. If I were to only be watching the scale, I would be very frustrated right now. Lesson for my readers: measure progress in inches, not pounds.

A few foods I like...

2010-02-25T21:24:00.000-05:00

These are some of my favorite foods right now...

Joseph's Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Flour Pita Bread. I stumbled across this at my local Walmart. It's only 4 net carbs per piece. I can toss them in a toaster and they crisp up enough to use in dips. They have pockets which I can stuff with sandwich fillings. Yesterday, I fixed some with chicken salad.

Ocean Spray diet blueberry-pomegranate. Ocean Spray has recently come out with several additions to their diet juice line. Most have about 2 or 3 net carbs per 8 oz. serving. My favorite is the blueberry-pomegranate. This definitely satisfies my cravings for fruit juice.

Mission cab-balance tortillas. There are many different sizes. The ones that I buy have only 7 net carbs per tortilla. This is much higher than other low-carb tortillas but they taste so much better. My wife and I actually like them better than real tortillas because they don't split or crack when you pack them too full.

Lose weight in two weeks!

2010-02-25T19:19:00.000-05:00

My 3 year old son Skylar has been exposed to too many commercials about dieting. This morning at breakfast, he was eating Special K cereal and said, "If I eat this I will lose weight in two weeks!"

Please excuse my bitch session

2010-02-19T12:20:00.002-05:00

Right now, I'm insanely busy. My wife is pregnant. The baby is due mid April but we may take him out a bit early. So at home we are getting the house ready. My home office has moved into the master bedroom. The 3 year old has moved into my office and we are trying to turn his old room into a nursury. My 3 bedroom, 2200 square foot house once seemed enormous to me but now seems way too small. I'm thinking of buying my parent's house in Cincinnati when they move into a new house that they are currently building. In the meantime, at work my 5 year information systems project is coming to a head with our first North American implementation going live next week at one manufacturing plant in Mexico and one in Indiana. My company originally asked me to be in Mexico the entire month of March, which I refused. I absolutely will not be out of the country during my wife's 3rd tri-mester. At the same time, we are preparing to role the new systems out in 6 more plants in July. So, I am on the road more than ever. After July, I don't have any idea what I'll be doing at work. My project will be done. They want me to either work in California or Canada both of which would suck as I'd only be home on the weekends. I'm sick of being on the road. Anybody know of any good paying ERP or logistics jobs in Cincinatti?

I'll be working from home next week and in Indiana the following week. When I return, they will make a decision on when to induce labor on my wife. And I am taking off a week whenever the baby is born.... plus it'll be hard for the company to get me out of my home office for a while.

But anway, the point I am trying to make is that my life is crazy busy right now. I've got more work on my plate than any normal person plus more than I can get done at home on the weekends.

And throughout all of this, I am dieting. With all of this stress, I wonder if I'd be losing weight even if I wasn't "on a diet". I lost a little over 3 pounds this week. At this rate, I'm guessing that I can reach my target weight in six to nine months... just a little too late to wear a speedo at the beach this summer (yeah, right!).

Weight, it's not really a stall.

2010-02-12T08:20:00.000-05:00

Today is the second Friday in a row that I weighed 315 pounds. But, I'm not worried. It's not really a stall. My waist and hips are both an inch smaller than they were last week. And, for the first time in a long while, I checked my urine with a ketosis stick. It measured 1.5, meaning that I have small amounts of ketones in my urine. The positive ketone reading proves that my body is indeed still burning fat.

"What the heck is going on?", you may ask. Obviously I am losing fat. My lean body weight calculation says that I have gained 4 pounds of non-fat. So, I am either gaining muscle, retaining water, or have former food sitting in my digestive track. I'd like to believe that I have gained muscle. It is unlikely because I've had little to no exercise. But then again, I could be gaining muscle due to increased protein intake. However most likely, it is because I ate some salty pistachio nuts last night as a snack. The salt is probably causing my body to hold onto water.

My advise to my readers is: Don't trust the scale. Measure your success in inches not pounds.

Blogs that I Follow

2010-02-07T09:41:00.000-05:00

For those of you looking for good low-carb blogs to follow, I have a companion feeds site:

http://lowcarbblogs.blogspot.com/

Here you will find a list of blogs with links to their most recent posts by topic. If any of you know of any good low-carb blogs that I'm not aware of, please respond to this post with their links so that I can add them.

Recipe List for Feed Readers

2010-02-06T09:08:00.004-05:00

Since many of my readers are looking at my feeds rather than this website, I thought it would be good to occasionally post my recipe list.

Cooking Measeument Conversions

Recipes - Main Course

Recipes - Breakfast

Recipes - Appetizers and Salads

Recipes - Breads

Recipes - Desserts

Recipes - Beverages

Progress Report

2010-02-05T08:31:00.000-05:00

I am happy to report that I can now play with my Wii fit without first taking off my clothing (Wii balance boards have a 330 pound weight limit). In about a month, I have lost over twenty pounds. For the first 3 weeks, I lost between 4 & 5 pounds per week. During the 4th and 5th week, progress has slowed resulting in under 2 pounds lost per week. I had hoped that having 1 carb up day per week would prevent this slow-down but it apparently hasn't. My calculated lean body weight has dropped about one pound which means there has been no real muscle loss. My waist and hip measurements haven't changed much in the last two weeks but I can see a big difference in my face and neck. So, because I am making progress and have not plateaued, I will continue with my current strategy.

For those of you who are new to this blog, my current strategy is to keep meals under 15 net carbs. Snacks under 10 net carbs and not within an hour of a meal or another snack. The idea is not to limit daily carb intake but to avoid blood sugar spikes. Essentially, I'm using low-carb to control my glycemic load. Also, I am taking 1 day off of the diet per week in hopes that it will prevent my body from going into starvation/conservation mode thereby avoiding plateaus.

Cheese Crisps - about a 1/2 carb each

2010-01-27T10:38:00.000-05:00

Last night, I was experimenting with making cheese crisps. These are snacks similar to crackers or tortilla chips made out of cheese. They're quite simple to make. I tried three kinds last night: American cheese (the real stuff, not cheese "food"), cheddar cheese, and pepper jack cheese "food". The American cheese slices I cut into 16 squares a little less than an inch across. The other cheeses I just sliced thinly off the end of the block. All three turned out with very different textures. The American cheese crisps were the most crunchy and reminded me a little of tortilla chips. The cheddar ones were a bit greasy with little bubble holes in them but still yummy. The pepper jack cheese "food" turned out with a similar texture to a saltine cracker. I will continue to experiment with different types of cheese and share the results on my blog.

As I was munching on these this morning during work, I was thinking about my crunchy taco recipe. For the tacos, I told everyone to use cheddar. After last night's experiment with cheese crisps, I think I'm going to try tacos with American cheese next time. On a side-note, I just received a blog comment this morning from someone talking about cheese crisps and taco shells. Isn't it awesome how life is full of little synchronicities like this?

Cheese Crisp Recipe

Servings: As many as you want. Check the cheese package for carb counts.

Ingredients
Cheese (American, Cheddar, Pepper Jack, you name it)
Optional Spices (salt, garlic powder, chili powder, etc.)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheet with silicon mat or parchment paper. Do not grease.
Cut cheese into desired size squares as 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Depending on the type of cheese you use, they may spread out or hold form. American and cheddar will come out much larger with rounded edges even if cut into squares. Some "un-real" cheese "foods" will hold their shape.
If using spices, mix spices and toss cheese in them. Or, sprinkle on just before baking.
Spread squares out on lined cookie sheet.
Bake for about 8 minutes. Cheese will crispen up as it cools. After cooling, if rubbery then put back in the oven for another 2 minutes.
Serve with dips, salsa, or enjoy plain.

Valentines Day Gift Idea

2010-01-23T00:01:00.009-05:00

If your lover is on a low-carb diet, I have the perfect idea for a Valentines day gift. Instead of a box of chocolates, give a netrition low carb gift box. These gift boxes contain a variety of sugar free candy, low carb snacks, and baking mixes. Now they can indulge in yummie comfort foods without cheating!

Eating Stella Style

2010-01-12T16:39:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, in preparation to my starting my low-carb regiment, I picked up another low-carb cookbook. I've tried six recipes out of it and must tell you that "Eating Stella Style" is the best low-carb cookbook I've come across. Just about every recipe looks great. The following is a summary of what I have tried so far from the book.

Some of the successes are:

Easy Tzatziki Sauce - a simple Greek cucumber cream sauce that is out of this world!
Pork Souvlaki - marinated pork kabob (excellent with the Tzatziki sauce).
Crazy Egg Meatloaf - meatloaf with a twist... it's stuffed with whole boiled eggs.
Breadless Bread Pudding - This was a quite tasty dessert. I think next time I will top it with blueberries or strawberries with whipped cream. To me, it was nothing like bread pudding. Really it's just a cheesecake with ricotta instead of cream cheese. This is a traditional way to make cheesecakes in many cultures however very different from the cheese cake that you see in the United States.

Failures:

Baked Zucchini Fries - This recipe is the only one so far that didn't work for me. I didn't think it'd turn out right but thought it was worth trying. The spices were overpowering and the "fries" never got crisp. Even with the ends burnt the were soggy and floppy. I'm not sure where I went wrong but don't plan on trying this one again.

Even though the Zucchini fries didn't work, the rest of the recipes all look spectacular. So far, 80% of what I've tried has been great. It's by far my favorite low-carb cookbook.

Today is a "Carb Up" Day

2010-01-10T16:48:00.000-05:00

I have lost 12 pounds in a little over a week. Today is my first "carb-up" day. My strategy of including "carb-up" days is very contraversial. Most of my readers don't think "carb-up" days are helpful. But by occasionally increasing carb intake, I am attempting to keep my metabolism from adjusting to the low-carb diet. I am taking 4 days off each month, typically 1 day per week. It was hard to take myself off the low-carb today as I've been on a great ketosis streak and have had few cravings for carby foods. But I do believe that it is good to break the rapid weight loss streak as it should help sustain weight loss and avoid plataues over the long run. Also, having floating "carb-up" days as part of my official plan allows me to eat the foods I am craving without feeling like a failure. So, today I had pizza for lunch... one of my favorite foods and I have no reason to feel guilty. It's all part of the weight loss strategy. Tomorrow, I'm back to low-carb with only 3 more "carb-up" days available this month. It will take me 2-3 days to get back into ketosis which is where the pounds fall off very quickly. But it's worth it to protect my metabolism and to allow me to feel "normal" once in a while.

Status Update: End of Week 1

2010-01-08T08:58:00.000-05:00

This week has gone pretty good. I have lost 9 pounds, some of which I am sure is just water. My waist has shrunk by 2 inches and my hips by 1 inch. I feel good. Other than a little sledding in the park, I have had almost no exercise. The only vitamins I am taking are potassium and chromium.

Key Measurements:

Weight: 327 pounds
Waist: Sucked in 52 inches, relaxed 55 inches, puffed out 57 inches.
Hips: 54 inches

Key Calculations:

Body Fat: 36.37%
Lean Weight 208.8 pounds (estimated)
Pounds Lost: 9
Pounds to left to lose: 92

Day 5

2010-01-05T12:12:00.000-05:00

It is the 5th day of the year and also the 5th day into my low-carb adventure. I'm in Nashville, Tennessee this week. For lunch yesterday, I at a Chili Relleno and Juevos con Chorizo (Eggs with Chorizo sausage) at a restaraunt called Las Palmas. For dinner we went to the Long Horn steakhouse where I had a salad, sauteed mushrooms, and grilled Salmon. Today, for breakfast, I choked down Drury Hotel scrambled eggs & sausage patties (tastes like it must contain lots of soy). It's almost lunch time and I think we're going out for buffalo wings. For snacking, I bought a 6 oz. can of Blue Diamond brand Bold Jalapeno Smokehouse Almonds which taste awesome. Everything is going great except that I woke up yesterday with ketosis breath. I had forgotten about this nasty side effect of rapid weight loss. I know the bad breath can be improved by drinking lots of water to flush out ketones. Regardless, I still bought a pack of sugar free chewing gum.

Egg Salad for Sand-which - 1 net carb per serving

2010-01-05T12:00:00.001-05:00

Here is a very low-carb, simple sand-which that I grew up on. The recipe below is for two but you could make one big sand-which out of it. I usually put this on low-carb bread which has six net carbs per slice but I suppose it could be served in other ways such as on a bed of lettuce.

Servings: 2 at about 1 net carb each.

Ingredients

3 boiled eggs
2 T. green onion
1 T. yellow mustard
2 T. Mayonnaise
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Instructions

Boil eggs: Place eggs in sauce pan with cold water. Put on burner at high heat until water begins to boil. Cook an additional 15 minutes. Place pan in sink and run cold water into it until eggs are cool enough to handle.
Peal eggs and place in bowl. With a fork, mash up eggs. Mixed in diced green onion, mustard, mayo, salt, and pepper.

New Years Resolution: Lose 100 pounds!

2010-01-02T15:23:00.004-05:00

Yes, I am back.... up to 336 pounds that is. This is exactly what I weighed when I started this blog and a low-carb diet back in 2006. It is a tie with my previous all-time high. I am very angry with myself for gaining back 85 pounds. Why has it been so easy to put off starting a diet? It was always, "well I'll begin next month" or "I'll begin after the holidays". Well, the holidays have passed and I'm out of excuses to wait. Besides, the new year is a fabulous time to start something new. My New Year's resolution is to lose 100 pounds. This may sound extreme, but I know it is possible.

For those of you who are new to my blog... you need to understand some of my key obstacles. My job is the biggest problem. I travel a great deal and am gone usually 3 to 4 nights a week. Most of the time, I am staying in Nashville, Tennessee. The hours at the Tennessee office are 7:30 to 6:30 PM. My co-workers typically meet up at the hotel lobby around 7:00 PM to head out to dinner. Considering that Nashville is on Central time and my home clock is Eastern, this is more like heading out to eat at 8:00 PM. Which puts me back in the hotel around 10:00 PM or so just in time to get ready for bed. Eating late and going straight to bed is a definite recipe for gaining weight. Also, because I'm traveling, I can't cook and must dine out. On top of this, I often find myself traveling overseas. When dining in other countries, I find it difficult to ask for details of how food is prepared and in places like France, they frown on making substitutions or changes to their menu items. When at home in Lexington, Kentucky, life is much easier on the diet. But my wife is now pregnant and therefore is reluctant (rightly so) to join me on my diet. Our 3 year old son and her may wind up eating different food than me or at least supplementing it with breads and other carby things that I can't eat. This makes it impossibly to empty the house of temptations. Medically speaking, I am obese and have sleep apnea but am otherwise healthy.

My stats as of January 1st, 2010:

Weight: 336 Pounds
Waist: Sucked in 54 inches, Relaxed 57, Puffed out 57.5
Hips: 55
Thigh: Left 34.5, Right 35
Calf: Left 20, Right 21
Bicep: Left 18, Right 19
Forearm: Left 14, Right 14
Neck: 19
Chest: 51.5
Wrist: 7.5

Calculations:

BMI: 48
% Body Fat 39.2
Lean Weight 204 Pounds
Pounds of Fat: 132
Target Weight (15% body fat): 235 Pounds
Pounds to lose: 101

I am now on day 2 of my journey toward losing over 100 pounds. Yesterday, I woke up late and had a ham and cheese omelet with low carb toast. For dinner, I had a large green salad topped with a big portion of chicken salad (like you put on sandwiches. Today, I had for breakfast bacon and eggs and a piece of low-carb toast. For dinner, I've started a big batch of PJ's Divine Chili Verde. This is a wonderful slow-cooked spicy soup made with pork and tomatillos. I highly recommend you check out the recipe on the Divine Low Carb blog (thedivinelowcarb.blogspot.com). I had bought a gigantic pork loin to make the soup and am marinating the rest of it for tomorrow's kabobs.

My strategy this time is as follows. Keep all meals less than 15 net carbs. I can have snacks under 10 net carbs as long as they aren't within one our of a meal or another snack. Also, I will have 4 "carb up days" per month AKA cheat days. Typically these will be 1 day per week but I will let them float and cluster if need be. These days off the diet serve two purposes. One, to keep my metabolism up and prevent my body from conserving energy or going into starvation mode. And two, I can strategically use these days for special occasions such as birthdays vacations, etc. without feeling as if my will power wasn't strong enough. This keeps me in a positive frame of mind and gives me something to look forward to. My favorite carby foods are not out completely but are allowed only on these special "carb up" days. The downside to this is that a "carb up" day will kick my body out of ketosis (fat burning mode). Whenever ketosis is broken, it will take three or four days for me to get back into ketosis. So I might not see those whopping 20 pound per month losses that are common in the first couple months of low-carbing. But in the long term, I think this plan will prevent my body from trying to conserve energy and will therefore result in more weight loss for the long run. I will explain my theory on weight loss in more detail in a future post.

New Year Resolutions

2009-12-13T20:11:00.001-05:00

I hear many people say that they don't make New Year's resolutions simply because so many people half heartedly do so and fail. Well, I can tell you that my first successful attempt to lose weight was begun at the start of a new Year. This was about 10 years ago when I lost 65 pounds doing low carb. This was well before I started this blog in 2006. But why wait until January 1st? Well, at least the temptations of the holidays will be behind me. And, the new year symbolizes new beginnings. Who could ask for a better time to start than a new year?

I'm beginning to feel fat again. I've gained back most of what I lost in 2006 and 2007. I can blame a lot of things. But really I should just blame myself. Yes, it's hard to avoid temptations. But, I really need to treat my weight problem as what it is, a medical problem requiring a special diet. There is little difference between my obesity and a diabetes. Carbs can a fat man just as it can kill a diabetic. Both ailments are a slow death that affects the body in many ways. I can only hope that my New Year's resolution isn't just another means to delay the inevitable. But I like the symbolism of a new beginning at the start of a new year. So, I'm going to announce my resolution early. I will get back into shape and live a long life, participating in the lives of my children and future grandchildren.

This blog proved invaluable to me in my weight loss of 2006-2007. It brought me in touch with many good people who gave me support and great ideas. And so, once again, I will be sharing my progress and my recipes on line. Wish me luck. I'm shooting for a 100 pound weight loss this time. And I plan to keep it off.

SCAM: Seattle's HCG Diet Weight Loss Center

2009-09-20T10:50:00.002-04:00

I received an e-mail from a fellow diet blogger about a website who has stolen our before & after pictures claiming that we used their program to lose our weight. This is a scam. We did not use HCG (human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) and never will. I lost my weight using a low carbohydrate diet. There were no magic pills that allowed me to miraculously lose weight.

I have not yet contacted this website. I'd prefer first to get input from my readers as to the best course of action. It's not just about removing my picture. I am more concerned with shutting down a fraudulent company who is preying on those of us who are looking desperately to lose weight. I am sure that there are many laws being broken beyond just violating my photo rights.

A Woman's World (Episode 11 - Jeans)

2009-08-27T15:55:00.001-04:00

This is so my wife and I.

Obese People Have Severe Brain Degeneration

2009-08-26T10:27:00.000-04:00

My father sent me an e-mail today with a link to this article:

Obese People Have 'Severe Brain Degeneration' - Yahoo! News: "A new study finds obese people have 8 percent less brain tissue than normal-weight individuals. Their brains look 16 years older than the brains of lean individuals,
researchers said today."

I'm sure he means well and hopes that this will give me incentive to re-lose my weight. But somehow it comes across as being a bit insulting.

A Riddle

2009-08-20T13:36:00.001-04:00

There is a clerk at the butcher shop. He is five feet ten inches tall, wears size 13 sneakers, and his waist is 48 inches. He has a wife and 2 kids. What does he weigh?

Diet and Fitness Advertisements

2009-07-26T12:00:00.000-04:00

I was curious what sort of funny weight loss and fitness advertisements I could find on the net... So, after a quick google images search, here is what I found.

And, finally here is a diet that I haven't tried.... SMOKING! Do you think that these retro ads are real?

Fiber One Yogurt Commercial

2009-07-25T19:31:00.001-04:00

I saw this commercial on TV earlier today. It really cracked me up. Apparently the bigger your accessories the smaller you look.

Reflections on Gaining it Back

2009-07-20T12:04:00.005-04:00

Over two years have passed since I lost 85 pounds and then went off low-carb. Regardless of diet, I did pretty good at first in keeping the pounds off. This was mostly due to excessive walking during the six months last year that I spent working in Paris, France. But after returning home to a mostly sedentary lifestyle, my weight began creeping up again. I have now re-gained about 70 of the 85 pounds that were lost. However, the weight is not distributed the same as before. My pant size is up to a 48 but the last time I weighed this much my pants were size 54. I have not calculated my percent body fat recently but am certain that I am more muscular than I was a few years ago. This may be due to lugging around a 3 year old child.

I wonder how clearly I see myself. It's hard to be objective when looking in the mirror or at photographs. I know that I am a bit larger than most men but don't think that I am sloppy fat. What scares me is that I often see people who I think are enormous only to find out that they weigh less than me or have smaller pant sizes. The other day, an enormous co-worker was telling me that he didn't need a seat belt extender on airplanes. This shocked me as he looks huge and is even taller than me. Granted, he doesn't have much of a butt. This makes me wonder if I am seeing myself clearly. My calves and thighs are big and strong. I have always had a bigger than average butt. I think that most of the people who look really fat appear this way because they have skinny legs, fat necks, and/or fat faces. But, maybe I do look as fat as I am. Maybe I am simply not able to see myself clearly and objectively. Yeah, I'm fat. I'd like to think I'm football player lineman fat. But do I really look as fat as other people my size? I don't think so.

Why did I allow myself to gain back this much weight? Unlike the last time I weighed over 300 pounds, I currently feel great. My feet and back don't hurt. I don't tire out as quickly when I go on long walks. Overall, I don't feel bad. I actually feel pretty good both physically and emotionally. I'm comfortable. But at the same time, I know that I'm now on the cusp of having major health problems. Also, I admit it, I am fat mostly because I love food. When not kept in check by a structured diet, I eat much more carbohydrates than is healthy. And, the more carbs I eat the more carbs I crave. On top of this, I spend 12 days on the road each month. On these trips, I work late then eat late, then go straight to bed without any real exercise.

What sort of exercise am I getting? I'm not the type to go to a gym. I find the monotony excruciatingly boring. On travel days, I get virtually no excise. When at home, I have started finding more constructive alternative forms of exercrise. Much of this revolves around yard-work. I'm working on building wooden borders around our flower beds. This entails digging and sawing and hammering. I hand-plowed my tomato garden. I'm going to build a shed and have begun digging out the side of a hill to make a flat area for it to sit. I'm moving dirt by hand to fix irrigation problems. Soon, I'm going to dig up a row of Hollies to make room for new landscape plants.

When will I get serious again about losing weight? Many of you are probably thinking that I should start this vary minute. I find it hard to just jump right into a diet and stick with it. Instead, I think it's easier when I plan ahead. I'm going out of town labor day weekend and will begin when I return. This will give me time to get my head together as well as to clear out most of the unhealthy foods in my kitchen.

What will be the diet strategy this time? The last time that I did straight low-carb, each month, I lost half of what I did the previous month. While I lost a great deal of weight, it became quite frustrating after my body metabolism adjusted to the diet. At that time, I experimented with carb cycling without exercise. This seemed to break my stall but after a few months my metabolism seemed to adjust and the weigh loss slowed to a halt again. This time, my intention is start with a cycling program from day 1. The thought is that it might prevent my metabolism from adjusting. The plan is to do low carb 5 days followed by my eating anything I desire 2 days. This will allow for me to be "normal" on weekends. I expect the initial weight loss to be less than it would be doing straight low carb but my hypothesis is that I will not plateau. If after a couple of months it looks like the carb cycling is not working then I'll switch to straight low-carb with maybe one floating "cheat day" each month (to use on birthdays and special occasions). I expect to take about nine months to get close to my ideal body weight. Afterwhich, I do not have a good strategy to keep it off besides to stick with the low-carb lifestyle.

A call for yellow squash recipes

2009-06-29T13:23:00.002-04:00

Regarding gardening, it's not too late to get one started! And, it doesn't really take up that much space. My garden is only 10x16 feet and contains yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and parsley. Many people even grow veggies in flower pots on apartment balconies. Fresh veggies from a garden blow away those you buy at the grocery store. Garden veggies are not just fresher but tend to also have much better flavor than store bought.

Like every year, I have planted a small garden with every inch jam packed with veggies. And, like always, I try to plant at least one thing that I've never tried to grow before. This year's experimental veggie is two small mounds of yellow squash. Today, I went to check my garden and picked an entire grocery bag full of yellow squash. It looks like the squash is going to grow fast and produce much more than I could possibly eat. Yellow squash is very low in net carbohydrates. If any of you have good uses for it or would mind sharing recipes, please post comments and share with us!

Grilled Romaine with Ceasar-Cado Dressing - 6 net carbs

2009-06-29T13:10:00.001-04:00

My wife is a big fan of Rachael Ray. This recipe was pulled from Rachael Ray's web site. I've never thought of grilling lettuce before, but absolutely love the grilled flavor. The dressing also is to die for.

I'm estimated 6 net carbs to be on the safe side. I wasn't really certain about the net carb count on romaine lettuce hearts so I used the count for a whole head. The hearts are smaller so the real count might be a little lower.

Grilled Romaine with Caesar-cado Dressing

Makes 4 servings at about 6 net carbs per serving.

Ingredients:

1 avocado pitted (6.7 net carbs)
Juice of 2 lemons (8.5 net carbs)
2 tsp. anchovy paste (0 net carbs)
2 cloves garlic chopped/pressed (0.2 net carbs)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (less than 1 net carb)
salt & pepper to taste (0 net carbs)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (0 net carbs)
2 romaine hearts split lengthwise half way through core. (about 10 net carbs?)

non-stick cooking spray

Instructions:

Pre-heat grill to med-high.
In food processor, combine all ingredients except lettuce and olive oil. Pulse to chop everything. Then turn on high and add olive oil until thick dressing forms.
Dry romaine heads. Spray cut sides with cooking oil. Grill cut-side down until marked (about 2 minutes).
Serve romaine topped with Caesar-cado dressing.

Rachael Ray recommends serving with Tequila-Lime Chicken with tex-Mex-chimi-Chop. This is also a good recipe that is relatively low in carbs.

Garlic Relish Sauce

2009-03-06T08:21:00.003-05:00

Last month, my wife and I were eating dinner at a local Nicaraguan restaurant (Nicholasville, Kentucky). It's a very unusual scene with formal white table cloths snuggled away in a run-down but fully functional gas station. While the surreal setting is a bit unorthodox, the food is spectacular. The dishes they serve have substantial meat portions along with slaw plus some delicious non-carb-friendly sides like fried plantains. Along with the food they serve a garlic relish sauce that is out of this world. When I was eating the sauce, I kept thinking that I'd had it somewhere... and then I remembered several years ago eating at San Francisco's Stinking Rose restaurant. The Stinking Rose is probably one of my all-time favorite restaurants. And, yes they serve the same garlic relish! This stuff is awesome with beef. Your carb-loving family and guests will enjoy putting it on their baguettes or other crusty breads. The possibilities for this stuff is endless. If refrigerated, this should keep at least a couple of weeks. I'd recommend keeping some on hand at all times to liven up your own creations.

This entire recipe has about 15 net carbs but the number of servings is so high that the net carbs per serving must be near zero.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of parsley chopped (Italian or curly)
1/4 c. chopped fresh garlic
2 T. white vinegar
1 t. salt
olive oil, enough to cover

Instructions:
If you use a food processor to chop the garlic and parsley, pulse chop the garlic first then add the parsley and don't over-do it! Then, mix parsley, garlic, salt, and vinegar. Add enough oil to cover. Stir. The longer it sits the stronger it gets. Refrigerate left-over.

Update on Making Diet Soda Pop

2009-02-18T18:11:00.003-05:00

My wife and I are still avidly making our own diet soda pop.... we buy the carbonation and mixes from Soda-Club. The diet cola with Splenda is, in our opinions, far superior to diet Coke and diet Pepsi. The diet orange is awesome too. It's great that we can adjust the mix up or down to suit our tastes. I know it's not cheap to buy the equipment, but after the initial investment, it's much cheaper than buying soda at the stores. And, it's easier than lugging tons of cans and bottles of liquid home from the store. If any of you try it out, please come back and post your comments here.

Progress Slows... Taking breaks when sick...

2009-02-18T18:01:00.003-05:00

My initial method this time was: Keep each meal to less than 15 net carbs with snacks of under 15 net carbs no closer than one hour to a meal or another snack. It resulted in a quick 30 pound loss followed by a plateau. I know that your body can not easily store fat if there is a shortage of carbohydrates, regardless of calorie intake. Some people claim that you need a calorie deficit to lose weight. There may be some truth in this however, I didn't have a deficit during the initial weight loss yet it still worked. But, alas, my body has apparently adapted and as usual, weight loss slows to a crawl. I'm sure that I can lose more weight but I have accepted that it will likely be a long drawn out time period. It's so frustrating how easy we can gain weight when it is so hard to take off!

I had planned on taking Valentines day off of the diet... And come V-Day, I came down with a really bad cold. I've been fighting it for the last 4 days. During this time, I thought it might be wise to ease off the low-carb diet so that my body would be sure to get adequate nutrients, calories, and vitamins to fight off the cold. I'm feeling somewhat better today... if I'm 90% tomorrow, I go back onto the low-carb diet. Either way, I should be back in the swing of things this coming weekend...

Wii Fit

2009-02-04T22:24:00.002-05:00

I bought a Wii fit for my wife for Christmas. My two year old is actually pretty good at some of the games on it. While the hand-held controls are a bit difficult for him to manage, he took right to the pad. I also bought the Jillian Michaels disk for it. This is a fitness program by one of the Biggest Loser winners. Both the Jillian disk and the Wii fit disk are actually kind of fun to play with. I don't use either one regularly... I'm not home enough to do anything on a regular schedule.

Warning... maximum weight is 330 pounds. This is with clothing. So, if you're on the edge be prepared for it to sometimes let you play and sometimes tell you that you're too fat. Also, regardless of your weight, the Wii fit disk makes an annoying sound whenever you step on that sounds like it's saying "ouch". The noise, while funny, gets on my nerves.

Life

2009-02-04T22:07:00.004-05:00

Last week was to be my only full week at home for January and most of February. There was an ice storm early in the week that brought down trees everywhere. Some 600,000 Kentuckians were left without power including my house. After a couple of days, we had to set everything from my fridge and freezer outside to stay cool. The frozen meats all thawed and the other stuff froze. I took the family to my parents house which is an hour and a half away. I worked from their house part of the week. Saturday we returned home... still no power. I had some really good exercise sawing up the large tree that fell in my front yard. My wife took our meat and the kid to her parent's house, about 2 hours away, where she remains. I spent Saturday night on the sleeper sofa in front of the fireplace and left for Nashville the next day. I can't imagine how the pioneers dealt with not having electricity. I now realize how for granted we take it. I'll be heading home tomorrow and will finish cutting up my trees this weekend. Everything's been so hectic lately that I haven't even thought about jumping onto a scale in over a month. I have absolutely no idea how much or how little I have lost recently. But, I have actually pretty much stuck with low-carb throughout all of it.

Making my own soda pop

2009-01-30T22:54:00.005-05:00

My wife and I recently bought a soda machine from Soda-Club. It came with a variety of flavored syrups. The diet pops are all flavored with Splenda (sucralose). Which is awesome, because I don't think that aspartame and other sweeteners are very healthy. The flavors that we've tried so far have no "diet" after taste. The cola is great but my favorite is the grapefruit seltzer. When I worked in Paris France, I used to drink non-diet Schwepps sparkling grapefruit. Until now, I've found nothing similar available in the United States. And, I am extremely happy to have finally found a diet equivalent that doesn't even taste like diet! I never knew that pop could taste so fresh. The cost of carbonation and their syrups runs about 18 cents per liter. Soon, my wife and I are going to start experimenting with making flavors from scratch (ginger ale, etc.). My two year old son told me this morning that I need to make his Mom some tea pop because he knows that she loves tea. I think we'll give it a shot and see what happens.

What I'm doing now...

2009-01-18T13:44:00.004-05:00

Just a quick FYI.... I've lost about 30 pounds and 4 inches around my waist since Thanksgiving (about 2 months). My "fat" clothes are once again too loose and I need to break out my box of skinny clothes again.

Here's what I'm doing: I'm not strictly following anyone else's program. I'm no longer looking at total carbs per day. Instead I'm just trying to keep each meal to less than 15 net carbs with snacks of under 15 net carbs no closer than one hour to a meal or another snack. Essentially I'm trying to avoid insulin spikes that cause the body to store fat. To my surprise, this has allowed me to stay in ketosis most of the time. I used to think that if I went over a total of 45 net carbs in a day that I'd quit losing weight. But now I'm finding that I can go higher as long as I spread it out.

As for vitamins, this time, I'm not taking lots of expensive vitamins. The only ones I am taking are potassium and chromium.

Also, I'm planning to take 2 days off of the diet per month. This allowed for me to partake in my brother's family's traditional Bulgarian Christmas Eve vegetarian dinner. I'm off again this weekend and enjoyed a smoothie made with frozen plums that I picked from my own back yard last summer. It seems that I crave fruits more than junk food. The re-feeds I think are good to replenish vitamins & muscle glycogen stores as well as to prevent my metabolism from slowing.

So far, this strategy has been working well.

Almond Macaroons - 1 net carb per cookie

2009-01-18T13:18:00.006-05:00

This is an original. I simply modified my coconut macaroon cookie recipe.

Makes 30 cookies at about 1 net carbs each.

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 T. amaretto
1/2 t. sweetzfree (or 2 Splenda Quick Packs)
2 c. almond meal

Instructions:
In mixing bowl beat on high all ingredients except the almond meal. A whisk attachment on your mixer will make this go much faster. Whisk on high until thick enough for peaks to form. Very gently fold in almond meal until just barely mixed. Drop spoonfulls onto cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

El Rey del Cabrito in Monterrey

2009-01-13T15:43:00.004-05:00

Here's the pictures from the restaraunt "El Rey del Cabrito" (The goat king) in Monterrey Mexico. This place could easily be featured on Andrew Zimmerman's TV show, Bizarre Foods. The specialty is baby goats.

Low Carbing in Mexico (Days 2 & 3)

2009-01-07T22:00:00.002-05:00

Last night, we had a wonderful low-carb meal at one of the most famous restaurants in Monterrey, El Rey del Cabrito (The Goat King). This restaurant's speciality is cabrito (baby goat). And yes, we ate baby goat. It was greasy and flavorful, like a cross between lamb and pork. There were essentially no side dishes, just a plate of peppers and a few garnishes of boiled broccoli and cauliflower... As an appetizer before the goat, we had "dried shredded meat" (apparently beef). This restaurant is a low-carber's dream. My camera batteries were dead but co-workers took pictures. The staff let us into the kitchen and my buddies took a wonderful picture of myself surrounded by baby goats on sticks roasting over open coals. I'll post the pictures once I get copies.

Breakfast at the hotel was eggs with warm spicy salsa and a small side of refried beans.

Lunch today, at the office was a large hamburger. I gave away the fries and stripped away the bun. There was plenty of meat, avocado, and cheese to keep me happy.

It is currently after 9:00 PM and we haven't left the office. Yes, I'm posting from work as my ability to attention in the meeting is beginning to wane. They ordered pizza. The only non-pizza items were salads. A no-no in Mexico. But, everyone assured me that Monterrey food and water is not as risky as other parts of Mexico and that eating their lettuce wasn't all that dangerous. So, I ordered a chicken Caesar salad. About half way through the salad, I found a rat turd. Argh!!! This sucks. I just hope I don't get sick. I didn't make a scene... I just quietly threw my salad in the trash and ate the cheese off of a few slices of pizza.

It's past 10:00 PM my home time. I'm ready to get the heck out of here but it looks like we may be here for a while...

I'll be going home tomorrow arriving on the last plane into Lexington, Kentucky. I'd love to see more of Monterrey but am getting rather tired of the conference room inside the plant.

Low Carbing in Mexico

2009-01-06T20:53:00.002-05:00

I am in Monterrey, Mexico this week. I've not yet had time to see much of the city, but from what I've seen so far, it looks like a U.S. city. The hotels near the office are all U.S. chains. Just next door to my hotel is a Chili's and a 7-11 gas station. The company doesn't require armored cars here as they do in most of Mexico. The people are friendly and it feels much safer than Tijuana did a couple of months ago.

Even while traveling, I'm sticking with my low-carb plan. The folks here at the office were great and took my diet into consideration before ordering lunch for everybody. Today, for lunch we had steak, guacamole, pork rinds, and fondido (cheese w/ chorizo sausage). Tonight, they say that we are going out for an authentic dinner at some place that specializes in goats. I have to say that I've never eaten a goat. I wonder if it is going to taste like lamb?

Last night for dinner, I had steak, chicken, sausage, fondito, guacamole, hot peppers, and a side salad that was substituted for a potato. About half way through the meal, I remembered that I was in Mexico and shouldn't be drinking from a glass with ice cubes nor eating leafy veggies. I've always been taught that in Mexico you should only eat vegetables that need to be pealed. Hopefully I won't get sick. I caught Monazuma's Revenge about 10 years ago in Mexico City and it sucks to be spewing out of both ends simultaneously. The Mexicans I was eating with claim that it's not risky to eat and drink in Monterrey but I'm not sure if to believe them as they're not susceptible to the same bacteria as we gringos.

On another note, just before leaving, I made an experimental batch of cookies that turned out awesome! They're almond macaroons with less than one carb per cookie. I brought some with me to eat on the plane. I'll post the recipe soon after returning home... promise.

An Update

2008-12-31T23:33:00.000-05:00

Sorry for not posting much recently. I've been extremely busy, working long hours and traveling most of the time. I thought I'd have two weeks at home over the holidays but due to a death in the family, I've been on the road and away from the Internet. Next week, I'll be in Mexico, working long hours. I'll try to post when I find time.

Regardless of the turmoil, I've managed to stay on my plan for the most part. I had planned on taking off Christmas Eve and Christmas but started off the diet the day before Christmas Eve. But, I've now stuck with it even though I've been visiting family and eating meals (or portions of meals) that I had no control over the content. This evening, after a funeral, my Grandparents ordered Kentucky Fried Chicken and I went out instead. There was enough people there that I don't think they were put off by my leaving early.

I'm spending New Years Even with my brother's family at a hotel. We're calling it a New Years Eve swim party because all of our kids are currently playing in the pool (I'm in the lobby typing this). My wife just called asking where the heck I'm at... so I guess I need to wrap this up.

Anyhow, around Christmas, I weighed myself and had lost 18 pounds. I'm at a sickening 293, far above what I weighed a year ago. This time I'll need to focus on establishing a workable maintenance plan.

Regardless, I'd like to wish all of my readers a happy new year! And, I look forward to meeting all of the new folks who's new years resolution is to lose weight.

Eggnog - 8 net carbs per serving

2008-12-20T16:42:00.003-05:00

The holiday season is here. One of my family's traditions was always to have eggnog on Christmas Eve. I mixed up a batch last night to try my hand at making a low-carb version. I must say that I like it as much as the high-carb version.

5 servings @ 8 net carbs each.

Ingredients:
4 cups Hood Calorie Countdown Dairy Beverage
1 cup heavy whipping cream (not whipped)
1 cup equivalent to sugar (I used 1/4 t. Sweetzfree)
7 large egg yokes
1 T. vanilla
Nutmeg (optional)

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to saucepan on medium high. Whisk (or use beaters) while cooking, making sure to keep it moving so as to not scorch the bottom for 7 to 10 minutes until thickened. To see if it is done, insert a spoon and if a thin film sticks to the spoon, it is ready. Remove from heat and continue whisking occasionally as it cools. Then chill in refrigerator for 8 hours or more. If desired, after cooling, add alcohol. Serve with a little nutmeg sprinkled on top.

Pumpkin Soup - 8 net carbs per serving

2008-12-13T23:40:00.004-05:00

This recipe for Pumpkin Soup was pulled from "Winsor Pilates Low-Carb Cookbook". My wife and I made it for dinner tonight and it was great.

4 servings @ 8 net carbs each.

Ingredients:
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cilantro
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth (I used water & bullion)
1/2 cup water
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. garlic powder (I used diced garlic)
1/8 t. ground red pepper
Additional sour cream (optional)

Instructions:
In food processor or blender process green chilies, cilantro, and sour cream.
In sauce pan, combine all other ingredients and bring to boil. Add 1/2 the sour cream and green chili mixture. Reduce heat to medium and simmer at least five minutes. Stir occasionally.
Pour into bowls and top each with small dollops of remaining green chilies and additional sour cream.

Coconut Battered Shrimp - 0 net carbs

2008-12-13T23:25:00.002-05:00

Lightly battered coconut shrimp is easy and has virtually no net carbs.

Ingredients:
Aloha Nu Coconut Flour
Egg
Raw shrimp, pealed and de-veined
Salt
Vegetable Oil (or other)

Instructions:
Heat oil in fryer or sauce pan (Med. High). In a bowl, beat egg. Put coconut flour in another bowl. Dip shrimp in egg then into coconut flour. Fry until golden brown. Salt to taste.

Dining Out on Low Carb

2008-12-12T15:00:00.004-05:00

Eating on the road seems to be one of my major themes. At least for the next year it will be mostly U.S. domestic travel rather than international. I'm spending about 75% of my time right now living in a hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. As such, I eat out most of the time. Lunch is extremely difficult as most of my co-workers would be happy at Taco Bell or McDonalds. So, I wind up being the difficult one with only about 3 local options that are guaranteed not to talk long. Option 1 is Chicago Gyros which has an incredible amount of mystery meat on top of a salad. Option 2 is a Chinese buffet where I tend toward the broccoli and meat stir-fry the carb count of which I haven't got a clue. And Option 3 is Bar-B-Cutie which has an awesome selection and is fast. I'd like to see Bar-B-Cutie franchises spread as it's economical and filling even on low-carb. I think it'd go over in just about any part of the country.

Dinner presents many more options. The only annoying part is that I have to look picky and negotiate lots of substitutions. For example, asking "what can I substitute for my bread, and potato?". Whenever you ask for substitutions, expect either the waiter or the cook to screw it up.

More than anything, after being on low-carb again for just under two weeks, I am already getting really sick and tired of salads. Argh! But there are often no other options at some restaurants.

Another peeve is company functions where I have very limited choices. 2 nights ago, I was at such an event. We had apostatizes including fried cheese, nachos, fried mushrooms, etc. This was followed by a variety of sandwiches with fresh fried potato chips. And that was followed by dessert. So, I had to hang around all evening immediately following work pretending not to be starving watching everyone else eat and guzzle beer as I slowly picked the breading off my cheese sticks and then ate a slice of lunch meat off my sandwich and finally watched everyone eat the decedent desserts.

On the bright side... Last night, upon returning to Lexington, my wife and I went to a pizza and pasta place called Puccinni's Smiling Teeth. Puccinni's has a small low-carb section on their menu with two dishes that are so incredibly delicious and filling that I could go back and eat there every day.

chicken torino chicken breasts with pesto, bubbling Monterrey jack, toasted pecans &
bacon, sautéed mushrooms 10.95
baked roman holiday two chicken breasts capped
with thin canadian ham, alfredo sauce, provolone & bacon 11.50

Locations are in Indianapolis, West Lafayette Indiana, Lexington Kentucky, Louisville Kentucky, and Bucceto's in Bloomington Indiana.

Sausage and Sauerkraut - 5 net carbs per serving

2008-12-06T17:25:00.006-05:00

Tonight for dinner, I fixed up a batch of sausage and sauerkraut. It's extremely easy to make and also low carb. The actual carb counts will vary depending on the brand of sausage and sauerkraut that you choose. Proportions are up to you.

Ingredients:
kielbasa sausage
sauerkraut

Instructions:
Cut up sausage into slices no more than one inch thick. Brown in a skillet on medium high, turning as necessary. Once sausage is browned on both sides, add sauerkraut. Turn heat down to medium and cook, stirring occasionally until heated through.

Progress Report

2008-12-06T17:14:00.003-05:00

Well, it's only day six of being back to low-carb. When I started, I was up to 311.6 pounds... This morning, I weighed only 301. I'm sure that some but not all is water weight. Either way, it's a good ego boost that will help keep me going. As long as I see progress, it's easy to stick with the low-carb life. It's after six months or so when the weight loss slows down that it becomes very frustrating.

I'm so angry with myself for having gained back so much of the 85 pounds that I lost (now over a year ago). While eating carbs, I was keeping it off pretty good while walking around Paris, France. But when I returned home in July the pounds started adding up really fast. My diet was horrendous. The more carbs that I ate, the more carbs that I craved. The funny thing is that if I keep my carbs extremely low for at least a few days then all of the carb cravings go away.

My wife made some excellent spinach & feta quiche the other day. She started with a base recipe from a diet book and made it better. I'll try to post her recipe and maybe some pictures within the next few weeks.

I'm back!

2008-11-30T16:29:00.002-05:00

During the year plus that I've been off track, I have gained quite a bit of weight back. A couple of weeks ago, I had to break out the box of fat clothes. I've not been on a scale recently but suspect that I've gained back 50 of the 85 pounds that I had lost. I'll weigh in the morning so that I have a good morning weight to baseline my progress against.

I'm determined to stick the low-carb lifestyle until I reach my ideal body fat percentage. I did extremely well when I first began my blog, a couple of years ago. I lost eighty five pounds in about a year. And, like so many other people, I failed to stick with a good maintenance plan. The longer I was off of the low-carb bandwagon, the more carbs I let creep back into my diet. And, the more carbs that I eat the more carbs I crave. It's a vicious cycle that I need to break.

I've been wanting to start back for a few weeks but waited until after returning from visiting extended family. During our trip, we stayed at my 85 year old grandparents' house. It seemed too difficult to explain my special dietary needs.

Now that I'm back, I'm as determined as ever to lose the pounds. I'm not sure if I'm going to go back to carb-cycling or if to just allow 2 floating days off as I did at first, last time. Right now, I think I'll take two days off in December (Christmas Eve and Christmas day).

I think my wife may join me in the diet. And, if she does, I'm wondering what to do with all of the high-carb foods that have found their way back into our kitchen cabinets. Do we give it to charity or keep it for "diet vacations" or scheduled carb-up days?

Sleeping my way thin...

2008-10-29T17:00:00.000-04:00

A few months ago, I went in for a routine doctor's visit. I mentioned that my wife said I sometimes stop breathing in my sleep. He suggested that I do a sleep study. I did the study a few weeks ago. Today, I went to the neurologist so that she could tell me about the findings. I stopped breathing for more than 10 seconds 82 times per hour and I had virtually no REM sleep. This is a condition called sleep apnea. The neurologist suggested that my sleep apnea might be a contributing factor to my weight problem. She says that the body only releases certain hormones during REM sleep. The lack of some of these hormones she says could cause weight gain.

After a quick search on the Internet, I've learned the following:

Obesity is a major factor in sleep apnea. But, while significant weight loss may improve obstructive sleep apnea, it usually won't eliminate it completely. It is more likely that sleep apnea contributes to obesity which then makes the sleeping disorder worse.
Sleep deprivation results in lower activity levels.
Low energy causes cravings for high energy foods.
Sleep deprivation causes lower levels of the hormone leptin which suppresses appetite. It also causes higher levels of grehlin which causes cravings for more food intake.

See these articles:

Article: Short Sleep Duration Is Associated with Reduced Leptin, Elevated
Ghrelin, and Increased Body Mass Index)
About.com article: a recent study from Turkey now indicates that people suffering from sleep apnea have a higher level of leptin than is considered normal. This may cause an inability to
control appetite and weight.

And to think, all along, I had thought I simply wasn't a morning person. I had no idea that the quality of my sleep was so bad. Nor did I associate poor sleep with weight gain. But, it makes sense. When I feel low on energy during the day, that is when I reach for an energy boosting high-carb snack! And, since I feel somewhat tired all of the time, my metabolism is likely much slower than other people's. I can't say that sleep apnea is absolutely what made me fat, but I can now see that it was a contributing factor.

So what can be done about it? Treatment of sleep apnea usually involves the following:

Medications to stimulate the respiratory center of the brain to keep you breathing while asleep.
Masks (CPAP) that force your airway to stay open, thereby allowing you to breath.
Mandible (jaw) positioning devices that help reposition the tongue to help prevent the airway obstruction.
Surgery to relieve any obstructions. My doctor says that 9 out of 10 patients she has seen who tried surgery still had symptoms afterwards.
Weight reduction (over 95% of individuals suffering from sleep apnea are obese). Weight may contribute but likely is not the root cause.

I'm opting for #2 (CPAP mask) & #5 (weight loss). Not only am I going to sleep my way thin, but I'm also going back on low-carb after Thanksgiving.

Home Made Soda Pop Results

2008-10-11T19:02:00.002-04:00

It's been almost two weeks since I mixed up some old fashioned ginger ale. There has now been ample time for the yeast to eat up the sugar which causes natural carbonation. I made 2 batches. One with a full load of sugar and one with just barely enough sugar for the yeast to eat plus some sucralose. The sugar one was in a two liter bottle. The low sugar version was split into two one liter bottles. And here's the results....

The control with a full load of sugar did not carbonate. The bottle is still flimsy.

However, one of the two low-sugar bottles did carbonate. The bottle felt hard and when pouring it into a glass, it had fizz. The other low-sugar bottle is still flat. The fizzy one tastes a little off. I'm thinking it might be mildly alcoholic. I'm not sure if it's a healthy drink so I'll probably not consume any more than a swallow.

I had suspected that if anything carbonated it would have been the full sugar version. I can't figure out why one low-sugar bottle became carbonated and the other did not. When funneling the mixtures into bottles, I filtered it. I did this so that I wouldn't have lemon pulp and ginger shavings in the beverage. But, I wonder if the filter didn't take out some of the yeast. This might explain the inconsistent results.

So, in short the experiment failed. If I want to make my own low-carb carbonated beverages, I think that I should stick with the modern method of using a soda fountain or soda siphon. The modern method of forcing carbon into the drink seems much safer than fermenting.

If any of you have made your own diet soda pop, I'd love to hear your stories and get some advice.

Soda Pop Fermentation & Carbs

2008-09-29T17:27:00.004-04:00

I am experimenting with making my own old fashioned diet soda pop. I have not tried my first batch yet. So, if you duplicate my experiment, I can't be held responsible if it bombs. I'm sharing the experimental recipe in hopes of getting help calculating the net carbs.

Old fashioned soda pop is carbonated naturally via fermenting sugars rather than carbon infusion. To cause carbonation, my experimental base recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of white granular sugar (about 24 carbohydrates), just enough to allow the yeast to work. Carbonation happens as the yeast breaks down the sugars. So, I can't help but wonder, how many of the carbohydrates will be consumed by the fermenting yeast? Any science buffs out there want to tackle this for me?

Here the recipe I am going to try:

1/2 gallon water (zero carbs)
1/2 teaspoon concentrated liquid sucralose (equiv. to 2 cups sugar, zero carbs)
2 tablespoons white granulated sugar (24 carbs from sugar, needed for fermentation)
4 tablespoons ginger (4 carbs from sugar)
Juice from 1/2 a lemon (2 carbs from sugar)

Boil the ingredients above. Then mix in the following:

1/2 gallon water, room temp. (zero carbs)
1/8 t. active dry yeast (0.1 carbs from sugar)

Bottle (in plastic) and let sit at room temperature for one week.

The total recipe has about 30 carbs from sugar. But after fermenting, the carb count should be much lower. I suspect it may be near zero but am not sure how to verify this hypothesis. Is there any one out there who is good at chemistry and wouldn't mind tackling this question for me?

Of course, I could get my pop down to nearly zero carbs by forgetting about fermenting yeast and going out to buy an expensive soda siphon with expensive carbon chargers. But where's the fun and money savings in that?

Note added Oct. 11, 2008: The experiment failed. Read the results by clicking this link.

A year off track...

2008-09-23T14:06:00.007-04:00

In August of 2006, I started doing the low-carb thing. And, I was quite successful. I stuck with it for a year and lost 85 pounds. However, the longer I was on the diet, the slower the progress seemed. For a while, I tried carb cycling. It too worked well at first but then my metabolism adjusted and progress slowed to a halt again. I wasn't gaining weight, but I wasn't losing any either. Being that I felt pretty good physically, it was oh-so easy to slide farther and farther away from a healthy lifestyle. It has been about a year since I basically gave up low-carb.

Statistics:

On 08/13/2006, I weighed: 336
On 07/08/2007 my weight was: 251
In 329 days, I lost: 85
My goal is to weigh: 236 (top of healthy % body fat range)
At a low weight, I was 15 pounds from my goal weight.

During the first few months off of the diet, I gained a whopping 20 pounds. However, I then began working 50% of my time in Paris, France. In Paris, I ate everything that looked good but I was forced to walk 4 to 10 miles a day. Each 2 week trip, I'd lose 5 to 10 pounds. Then, I'd come back home to Kentucky for a couple of weeks and gain it all back. As of July, my business travel to France has ended. And, I have since been gaining at an alarming rate. I'm now up to 288 pounds, 37 more pounds than I weighed a year ago.

My feet are now starting to hurt sometimes. Yesterday, I realized that the clothing purchased this year is starting to get snug. I'm horrified by the idea of pulling a box of my "fat clothes" out of the attic. It'd almost be easier to just buy more clothes. Buying new clothes would be a form of denial. I could do so due to things wearing out and lie to myself about getting fat again.

It sounds so simple to just go back on the diet. But, why is it so hard? I can think of a hundred pathetic reasons to wait before getting back on a diet. For example:

I should wait until after the holidays.
I should eat all of the carby foods in my house so that they don't go to waste.
I need my wife to go on the diet with me or else I'll be too tempted to cheat.
I like sweet things.
I like baking breads and preparing carby foods.
Carby foods are so much easier to make.
Carby foods are so much cheaper.
....

I could keep going but the reasons get more pathetic as the list grows. I realize that I have a problem. I know that I am addicted to carbs. The more carbs I eat, the more I crave. The more I crave, the more I eat. It's a vicious cycle. The irony is that I know when I remove virtually all carbs from my diet that the cravings mostly go away. So, why is it so hard to make the leap?

Great Recipes

2008-07-21T22:35:00.001-04:00

I'm not positive what attracts my readers... my recipes or my posts... or a little of both. But for those of you who haven't noticed, I have keep my recipe list at the right side of this screen. If you try some of these, I would love for you to come back and comment. Any feedback or suggestions for improvements or variations are greatly appreciated.

The Best of June

2008-06-30T08:33:00.003-04:00

This month, I have been traveling extensively. I worked a few days in Nashville and three weeks in France. I brought my family to France with me. So, during the day I worked and during the evenings I was a tour guide. As a result, I've not read all of the posts on each of my favorite low-carb blogs. Of what I have read, my favorite posts for June were...

All About Carbohydrate and Calorie Cycling & A Few Abs Articles To Boot on Kudos for Low Carb. Carol pulls together numerous articles on carb-cycling.
Country Biscuits w/ White Gravy .... MLBF heads South on Mr. Low Body Fat's Blog. MLBF discusses travel issues ranging from airplane seatbelts to sampling regional foods.
The American Way on The Bionic Broad's Low-Carb Blog. Ever notice how unhealthy everyone looks during their rush-hour commute?
Reasons Dieters Get Stuck & Solutions - Number 2: Low Carb Verses Low Fat, Part 2 on Kudos for Low-Carb. Carol says, "I really cannot help but notice that the majority of low carbohydrate dieters I come in contact with say that they rarely or never reach goal." She discusses some potential causes and solutions.
Is Your Low-Carb Honeymoon Over? on The Lighter Side of Low-Carb. Cleochatra discusses the frustration of long term low-carbing.

The Best of May

2008-06-03T08:42:00.002-04:00

Here's a list of blog posts that I enjoyed reading in May....

Low-carb and calories on Health and Nutrition by Michael R. Eades, M.D. Dr. Mike explains why we often plateau after several months of successful low-carbing.
Is it the Carbs... Or the Calories on Kickin' Carb Clutter. Vickie comments on Dr. Mike Eades' blog post on low-carb and calories. Do calories really make all the difference or does the metabolism's "adaptation" kick in or both?
Nothing is Certain - Of This I am Sure on Low Carb Confidential. We low carbers might feel a bit alone in the world, but maybe it’s because we know we have to question everything - we have to think, and thinking is something most people avoid as much as possible.
Sugar Addiction on Johnny Bowden's blog. This article discusses the reality of sugar addiction.
I Found Gold on The Divine Low Carb. PJ says, "I have learned so, so much from low-carbing. Ironically, only some of the things I've learned have much to do with the carb count of foods."
Zucchini Quiche... on Oh.2.B.Fit. Niki gives us a great summer recipe. I always plant zucchini in my garden and am anticipating another huge crop this year! I'm always looking for more recipes! You can't beat this low-carb veggie.
Coca-Cola and Cargill Announce New All-Natural Sweetener on Healthy Low-Carb Living. Carol discusses a new breed of sweeteners: stevia, truvia, and rebiana.
Another 33 Fabulously Fun Low-Carb Blogs on Livin' La Vida Low-Carb. Jimmy tells us about several low-carb blogs. Most appear to be fairly new.
Who says Low Carb Doesn't Work? on Low Carb Lollygagging. Another success story.
No Sweets for the Sweet from The Bionic Broad's Low-Carb Blog. A brief discussion on her personal experience regarding the lack of sugar cravings while low-carbing.

Jicama Hash Browns - 5 net carbs

2008-05-30T15:56:00.004-04:00

My wife and I both love jicama hashbrowns! These taste a bit sweeter than potato hashbrowns but are equally good if not better.

Makes two servings at 5 net carbs per serving.

Ingredients:

Splash of oil
2 cups coarsely grated jicama
1 t. dried onion flakes (optional, add one net carb)
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Grate jicama on a coarse cheese shredder. Heat oil in skillet on medium high. Add jicama and optional onion flakes. When brown, put them on paper towels then sprinkled with salt. Perfect side item for breakfast or dinner.

Living Comfortably

2008-05-28T15:07:00.002-04:00

As I said in my last post, I decided to take a few days away from my diet until I was over my illness. And, after a few days, I got over my illness. But, I didn't return to my l0w-carb diet. Hopefully, I'll be on track again soon.

The first year of doing low-carb, I stayed very focused and lost 85 pounds. For the last six months or so, I've been alternating on and off plan. I gained some weight back. And, I lost most of it, again. But, I find it increasingly hard to stick with a plan. Why? I think it's because I am comfortable with my size. When I was 85 pounds heavier, I had back and foot pains and would tire very quickly. Now, I feel pretty good. Without weight related health problems, I have a hard time staying loyal to my diet plan. I don't think that there is anything wrong with the way I have conducted myself over the last six months. I just have to be very careful not to slide too far down the slippery slope of gluttony that resulted in my gaining so much in the first place. The real goal was to feel better. And, I do feel much better. Yes, I'm still obese. But, I'm no longer morbidly obese! I'm at a point where my body is happy.

So... this week, I'm off plan. But, I don't plan on straying too far away. I'm not sure when I'll be back on track. While off plan, I continue reading about low-carb and will keep posting. Even off plan, I'm conscious of what I consume and continue to eat some of my favorite low-carb dishes. I will likely return to the full blown low-carb lifestyle when my weight pops up another ten pounds, or I start feeling fat, or when my wife decides to diet again.

I have also picked up a couple books on glacemic load diets. All low carb diets are low glacemic diets but not all low glacemic diets are necessarily low-carb. As far as I can tell, a low glacemic load diets (such as the popular nutrisystem) will prevent fat storage but might not result in rapid fat loss. I'm not one to jump into something until I have studied it thoroughly and come up with a plan. After I finish studying this subject, I may give it a whirl. If nothing else, it might be a good maintenance plan. Perhaps beginning in August?

Sick

2008-05-13T03:14:00.002-04:00

I've been sick for a few days. And, I thought that perhaps it would help to allow some carbs back into my diet as they are quick to digest and provide lots of energy. I'm not going hog wild. Breakfast is sugar-free oatmeal. Other recent meals were steak w/ sweet potato, cheeseburger w/ fries, and chicken noodle soup. I'm really not sure what is best when your feeling ill... I suspect that the body will tell you what it needs in times like this. I'll probably go back to low-carb in a few more days once I am back to feeling myself again.

Also, just as an FYI -- I arrived in France yesterday. The weather is great here. I will be here two weeks followed by two weeks at home. Then, I return for almost three weeks in June. However, in June I will bring my 2 year old son, my wife, and my wife's 15 year old sister. That should be my last trip to France for a while. From July onward, I'll likely be spending a few days a week in Nashville, Tennessee instead. I can't wait! It will be so nice to once again have every weekend with my family! It will also be much easier to stick with low-carb when I can read every word on the menus and communicate requests for substitutions...

Low-Carb Cookbooks

2008-05-07T09:19:00.003-04:00

I am always looking for good low-carb recipes. I thought it would be interesting to find out what cookbooks my readers like best. So, please comment! My personal favorite low-carb cookbook is The Low-Carb Cookbook: The Complete Guide to the Healthy Low-Carbohydrate Lifestyle by Fran Mccullough. Most of the foods are quite easy to prepare. The book was published over ten years ago, so there are now better sweeteners that you can substitute. While I've not tried every recipe, I've yet to find one that I didn't like.

Gardening

2008-05-06T11:16:00.005-04:00

My garden space is very small. I have one patch that is 10 ft. x 20 ft. And another small flowerbed that is about 6 ft. x 6ft.

Last night, I planted most of my garden. I still haven't done my spinach, radishes, nor cucumbers. I'll hopefully get these down today or tomorrow. What I have planted to far is the following:

1 Stevia
8 varieties of tomatoes... 3 better boys, 2 lemon boys (my favorite), 1 brandywine, 1 100-cherry, 1 roma, 1 rainbow, 1 Cherokee purple, 1 mariglobe (unsure what this is).
10 different pepper plants ranging from sweet to extra hot.
2 basil plants. 1 mound of zucchini
9 broccoli plants.
Parsley (came back from last year).

In addition, I have some mystery squash that came up on their own. These are either pumpkins or cushaws resulting from my dumping last fall's yard decorations.

And, I also have several fruit trees and some grapes in my back yard. Sadly, these aren't low-carb.

The spinach, stevia, and broccoli are an experiment. I've never tried to grow any of these before. I'm especially curious about the stevia. I'm not sure what it's like fresh nor exactly what to do with it afterwards. I planted just one but am not sure if it will be enough. If anyone knows of any recipes for fresh stevia, please let me know!

The basil is a companion crop to the tomatoes. Once the basil begins flowering, it'll drive off most of the insects that eat tomatoes. This means I will most likely not have to use any pesticides! I' also putting down newspapers on the ground throughout the garden. This will hold in moisture and keep out the weeds. To make it look nicer, I'll put straw on top of the newspaper.

And, because I'm traveling so much this year, I bought a twenty dollar timer for the water hoses... Hopefully I can keep everything alive even though I'll be gone several two week stretches.

The Best of April

2008-05-01T10:04:00.004-04:00

What do you do when you run out of ideas for your blog? Well, you can always comment on everyone else's. So, I have decided to start compiling a monthly list of my favorite posts (or podcasts) from other people's weight loss blogs. My choices are based on my personal whims and interests. Hopefully some of you will find them equally interesting.

The best of April:

Unforseen Consequences of a Low Carb Diet from Wifezilla's Way -- Social and marital issues related to dining with friends and family.
Crazy Uncle Larry from Low Carb Confidential. Do you think of yourself as a crackpot? As crackpots go, we low carbers ... do stand out in a crowd, especially if we are at an event where food is being served - then it’s hard to hide.
What Does Your Body Fat Percentage Mean? from Kudos for Low Carb. Knowing your body fat percentage is an important key to health.
Stepping Into the Pasture, My First Encounter with Graze Anatomy from Low Carb Confidential. Apparently grass fed livestock has more nutrients than grain fed. I'd always grown up hearing how much better grain fed was. Once again, what we "know" is turned upside down.
Cheat Day #2 from Kudos for Low Carb. Carol discusses her attempt at the "Cheat to Lose Diet". I really need to read this book. It reminds me a bit of the carb cycling experiments that my wife and I did last summer.
Week#44: Down by another -2 lbs. for a total of -100 lbs. from Brian Cormier's LowcarbDude.com (that's 45 kilograms to you non-Americans). Does low carb work? Enough said! Congratulations dude.
What Should We Change? from Hold the Toast Press. Dana discusses how critics often call low-carb a "fad diet".
The Drinking Man's Diet from Low Carb Confidential. Discussion about a low carb diet book that pre-dates Atkins.
Stop this Crazy Merry-Go-Round or Hold My Hair Back from The Lighter Side of Low-Carb. This is a huge hodge-podge post. The best parts begin at the title "I am saying Goodbye to Atkins". Cleochatra describes Dr. Thompson's Low Glycemic Plan. She peaked my interest... So, I went right out and bought Dr. Thompson's book. Now, she recants in another post and goes back to Atkins! But really, doesn't low-carb imply a low glycemic load anyway?
Drs. Mike and Mary Dan Eades Podcast Interview Part 1 (Episode 133) from The Livin La Vida Low-Carb Show. Topics include the Drs. Eades new book, middle age weight loss, fat vs. protein, and resistance training.

Lowrey's Bacon Curls Microwave Pork Rinds

2008-04-28T13:35:00.006-04:00

I like to share with my readers whenever I find an exceptional product that fits well in a low-carb lifestyle. And, I feel that Lowrey's Bacon Curls Microwave Pork Rinds are simply fabulous.

Have you ever had fresh pork rinds right out of the fryer? Microwave pork rinds are pretty close. They are substantially better than anything you'll find in your grocery store next to the potato chips.

These are packaged much like microwave popcorn. When you cook it, they puff up and the bag inflates. I'm not a huge pork rind fan, but I love these. They simply taste so much better freshly cooked. If you like pork rinds, you'll love these. If you don't like pork rinds, I think there is a good chance that you will like these anyway. There are two kinds, original and spicy. I like the spicy best.

Nutrition Info:

Amount Per Serving:
Serving Size: 1/2 oz (14g), Servings Per Container: 3.5
Total Calories 60
Calories From Fat 15

Total Fat 2 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g

Cholesterol 5 mg
Sodium 350 mg

Total Carbohydrates less than 1 g

The following are links to these products on Netrition.com. Netrition is my favorite place to buy low-carb products. The shipping is fast and inexpensive. In my state (Kentucky), I don't have to pay sales tax on most mail orders. The money that I save on taxes is always more than enough to cover the shipping. I have been extremely pleased with their customer service and total order lead time.

Lowrey's Bacon Curls Microwave Pork Rinds, Original

Lowrey's Bacon Curls Microwave Pork Rinds, Hot & Spicy

If you have tried these, please post comments to share your opinion.

Status Update

2008-04-28T13:12:00.002-04:00

During my first three weeks back on the plan, I lost ten pounds. Both my waist and hips now measure one inch less. However, I'm still about twenty pounds more than I was before I went off the plan six months ago.

Now, when I say "back on plan", it isn't totally true. I have had a few days off plan during these three weeks. I went off for three days in Munich and again for my son's 2nd birthday party. Special occasions are my weakness. I tell myself that if I'm in it for the long hall and that if it is truly a lifestyle change then special occasions must have a place. It's far too easy to label a day as special and throw the plan out the window. Obviously, the days off haven't hurt too much. I'm ecstatic about my recent success and am glad that these "days off" didn't result in falling entirely off the wagon. But it's always difficult to snap back.

Eating & Drinking in Germany

2008-04-21T06:45:00.003-04:00

This last weekend, I was in Munich, Germany. Compared to France, Germany is low-carb heaven! The Germans have very large meat portions and many low carb veggies to choose from. On Friday night, we had crispy roasted suckling pig with sauerkraut. It tasted even better than it sounds.

Unfortunately, my will was weak. My suckling pig came with a side of two large potato dumplings. I'd never seen dumplings like these. They weren't at all like gnocchi as they were about four inches long. And, I gave in. Not only did I eat the dumplings but allowed my co-workers to talk me into trying some authentic Bavarian apple strudle.

Saturday, I had a single slice of pizza, a small portion of speitzl, and way too many huge beers along with a few shots of jegermeister. I don't think I've had that much to drink since I was in college.

Sunday, I had pizza, a sandwich, and ice cream. So, from a diet perspective, this weekend was a total bust. But, today I'm back on the wagon here in Paris. Next weekend I'll be home and we're having my son's second birthday party. I plan to take off that day and enjoy some cake and ice cream with our guests.

Regardless, I will have been on-plan all but 3 days during a 3 week period. Plus we've been doing an insane amount of walking. So, I am almost certain that I will have experienced decent weight loss. We'll find out Saturday morning during my next weigh in.

What have I been eating?

2008-04-16T12:15:00.004-04:00

I've been in Paris and back on my diet now for one and a half weeks. I didn't bring ketostix with me but know I am losing weight as I have that nasty ketosis breath and stinky piss. I know it's hard to believe, but I even feel like my pants are already looser and my stomach doesn't seem to look as big. It will be very interesting to weigh-in and measure when I get home.

Doing low-carb on the road is hard. Doing it in France, on the road, is even harder. Some of you may be wondering what I've found to eat.... and whether I've been exercising.

Breakfast:

Most mornings, I use the hotel microwave to make scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon. I brought some low-carb wraps from home that I occasionally use to make quesadillas.

Lunch:

On weekdays, I eat in the company cafeteria. It's not too hard because you can see what you are getting before you put it on the tray. They usually have extremely large portions of green beans, cauliflower, and other veggies. Typically I also have a side salad and/or strawberries. Meats are often way undercooked, even cold in the middle. I'm starting to get used to eating things extremely rare, something I never do at home. The portions are also typically quite small. Often, I ask them to double it. The meat selection changes daily but usually consists steak, veal, fish, and duck. I indulge in the rich sauces but not in the potatoes, breads, and desserts. So, regardless of what happens at dinner, I've had at least one really hearty meal about 1:00 in the afternoon.

Dinner:

Dinner is difficult. Most meals have a small meat portion and large sides mostly of french fries, potatoes, or pasta. I don't speak French yet so I am unable to ask for substitutions. But, I have found a few really good dishes at an Italian restaurant. My favorite is veal topped with ham & cheese in a brothy sauce with a side of the best dang green beans I've ever eaten. It seems that the veal portions are usually larger than (adult) beef portions. About 2 miles away (30 minute walk), there is a restaurant with German sausages and sour kraut. This week, I have had fish about every other day. There's also many shwarma (chawarma, gyros, donar kabob) shops around. I like the shwarmas even though most are bit gristly and fatty. I know of only one that has really good quality lean meat but I can't eat half the meal as it is accompanied with french fries and couscous. Last night, I had veal smothered in cheese ontop a bed of pan fried potatoes and mushrooms (I ate around potatoes). I've drunk some beer and wine, but not gone way overboard.

Snacks:

I brought from home beef jerky and slimjims. From a local grocery, I bought some small individually wrapped cheese (babybell) and various salted nuts. And, I bought some (almost bitter) dark chocolate (3-6 net carbs per square). I munch on the snacks in-between meals throughout the day. Having low carb snacks on hand really makes it easier as I don't allow myself to get hungry.

Exercise:

I don't go out of my way to exercise. But in Paris walking is an essential means of transportation. This week, I've been wearing my pedometer. I have ranged between 4 and 7 miles of walking per day. But, I'm sure that I've done much more on some previous stays here.

France and the Super-Thin Body Image

2008-04-11T11:10:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's news had two interesting articles about body image in France. As my regular readers know, I have been working 50% of my time in France and 50% at home in the United States. While working in France, I have noticed how extremely thin the average French person is and how being overweight comes with far greater stigma than at home.

The first article describes how the French government is trying to pass a new law to punish those people or organizations that help to propagate unhealthy body images, .i.e. encouraging anorexia (Telegraph.co.uk). And, the second is that top organizations representing the French fashion industry and media outlets have signed a "charter of good conduct" about the use of top model body images to stave off growing concerns about anorexia (ABC news).

The new law:

The draft law, to be debated next week, proposes up to three years in jail and a ... fine if the incitement provoked the death of an anorexia sufferer. Incitement alone would carry two years in jail.

While not seeking to target bona fide dieting, the law would punish any encouragement to make "people deprive themselves of food in order to get excessively thin", or that constituted an "open apology of anorexia".

The fashion industry & Media "Charter of Good Conduct":

The signers pledge "not to accept using pictures of people, in particular youth, which could contribute to [or] promote a model of extreme thinness." Those who signed the charter commit to "heighten public awareness about the acceptance of physical diversity.

While I do encourage achieving a healthy weight, I am often flabbergasted by overly thin people starving themselves to get thinner. Anorexia is a real problem. I suggest that my readers calculate their body fat percentage and only diet if they are within or above a healthy range for their gender. Instructions for calculating percentage of body fat can be found here:

http://lowcarbohydrate.blogspot.com/2007/01/calculating-percent-body-fat.html

Regardless of the health implications of the above articles, I am very pleased to see the fashion industry and media moving away from the typical over-thin standard for models. To me, most female supermodels look bony and unattractive. I like women with nice curves and who are at least a little soft to the touch. And, I sincerely hope that both the French legislation and the "charter of good conduct" successfully change our global society sees as beautiful.

Almost Planting Time

2008-04-11T11:00:00.000-04:00

Spring is here and it's almost time to start planting our vegetable gardens! I wanted to get this post up a month before planting so that I might stir up some discussion. I'm looking for some ideas as to what I should grow this summer. Especially of interest are low to semi-low carb veggies that taste substantially better home grown, are expensive to buy at the grocery store, or are extremely prolific.

I usually grow a variety of tomatoes. My favorites are better boys and lemon boys. These are not very low-carb but can be eaten in moderation. Typically, we also plant various peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, and asparagus.

Last year, we grew tomatillos which were very tasty. Another year, we tried brussell sprouts with great success. But what do you do with a bumper crop of brussel sprouts?!?!

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I live in Kentucky so most things will grow okay but not Jicamas nor tropical plants.

Oh the Horror! Andouillette Sausage

2008-04-08T07:06:00.002-04:00

I have arrived in Paris on business and am determined to do low-carb even while abroad. Today, in the office cafeteria, I carefully selected a low-carb meal consisting of a large salad, green & yellow wax beans, and two plump sausages. The sausages looked like good 'ol German brats. But, when I cut into one, it crumbled into a pile of greasy, gristly chunks. I didn't know that this, andouillette sausage, was made of pig stomachs and colons. I ate two bites and couldn't handle any more of it. I simply ate my beans and salad while trying not to breath the sausage's feces aroma. Yes, that's right, it literally smells like shit. I suppose this is because it is made out of intestines. I just hope that it doesn' t make me sick. Apparently this dish is very popular in France and considered a local specialty. Lesson learned: don't eat sausage in France!

Back on Track and Going to Paris

2008-04-05T22:58:00.001-04:00

I just got home from a Caribbean cruise during which time, I gained back additional weight. Tomorrow, I return to Paris. I'll be there three weeks this month. When I get there on Monday, I will also go back to a low carb lifestyle. I know it will be tough as I am not always certain what I am ordering in restaurants. But, I'm going to give it a shot. This time, I'm bringing some food with me. I've got several packages of pre-cooked bacon that I can quickly nuke. I'm also bringing some flat-out wraps to make quesadillas out of. For an evening snack, I've got a can of boiled peanuts. And, I've got slim jims and jerky for mid-afternoon snacks.

Because we eat a late lunch, a good low-carb breakfast will be critical. Unlike at home, I can't make low-carb cheesecake. My hotel has a small fridge and microwave. So, upon arrival, I plan to hit the local franpree market and buy some eggs, cheese, and Pepsi max. I'll be nuking up some pre-cooked bacon and omelets. It shouldn't take very long to whip up this breakfast.

Lunch on work days won't be too rough as it is a cafeteria and you simply put what you want to eat on your lunch tray. Dinner is my main concern. I know the basic food words but typically don't know enough French to understand how the food will be prepared. But, I think I'll be able to manage.

My weight is now up to 284 pounds. This means that while off the diet plan, I have gained back 33 pounds of the 85 that I had lost. As soon as I get some time, I'll create a new spreadsheet for sharing my progress. However, unlike before, I will not be able to post my weight and measurements at regular intervals. Tonight before I go to bed, I'll measure my waste & hips (a much better indicator of progress than weight loss).

French Crepes - 0.5 net carbs each

2008-03-26T08:13:00.005-04:00

It has been a while since I have posted a recipe. Having been working a great deal in France lately, I am learning to appreciate different styles of cooking. The French tend to add flavor with fats and rich sauces rather than spices. I've really come to enjoy these sauces. Their desserts have amazing textures but are typically not very sweet. And their version of fast food is often a filled crepe.

In France, there are many crepe restaurants and street vendors. It is amazing how many different kinds of desserts and sandwiches the French make with crepes. Before spending time in France, I had thought of crepes as a breakfast food to be eaten like a pancake. I have come to find that crepes are not just for breakfast and are not always sweet. Some toppings are added after the crepes are cooked, some are added just after flipping the crepe. For example, after flipping, they sometimes spread a thin layer of raw egg topped with cheese and ham. The toppings heat as the second side of the crepe cooks. The filled crepes are then usually folded in half and then the corners brought in making a triangular "sandwich" that is easy to carry. Unlike the French crepes, mine are made with protein powder and therefore very low in carbs.

Servings: 8 crepes at 0.5 net carbs each. Be sure to add carbs for fillings.

Ingredients:

4 eggs
2 egg whites
1 T. water
4 oz. cream cheese (nuke 1 min. to soften)
3 T. soy protein powder (plain)
1/2 t. baking powder
Butter for pan.

Instructions:

Whisk the eggs and water by hand. Add cream cheese. Whisk. It may have little clumps, this is okay. Add soy protein powder and baking powder. Whisk until well blended. Using an electric mixer or over whisking may produce foam that is undesirable.
Heat skillet on medium low setting. Add butter and swirl around until melted and coating the pan evenly.
For my carb count, each crepe consists of 3 T. of batter. Pour into pan in a spiral motion, starting from the middle, working your way out. If necessary, use a spoon, spatula or squeegee to spread out more evenly. The entire crepe should be 8 inches in diameter. You can use more batter to make larger just be sure to adjust the carb count accordingly.
Cook until edges start looking dry and crepe is firm enough to flip. If desired, toppings can be added now. Cook on other side for a few seconds then remove from pan.
Repeat steps 3 to 4 until all batter is used up.

Airplane Food

2008-03-17T15:12:00.004-04:00

Recently, I have been flying across the Atlantic Ocean two times per month. I thought that I'd be smart and request diabetic meals. My expectation was that these meals would be low carb. I was wrong. In fact, I'm not even convinced that the "diabetic" meals are lower in sugar than the regular meals. These meals typically come with a very small portion of meat on top of rice. On the side is bread, crackers, cheese, salad, and fruit. One time the fruit was strawberries and blueberries which is good. But more often it is grapes and cantaloupe which is bad. My last "diabetic" breakfast consisted of a bagel, "low sugar" jelly, cantaloupe, and orange juice. The "normal" breakfast would have been almost the same except with a croissant and regular jelly.

Status Update, Nutrisystem, & Low Carb on the Go

2008-03-17T14:38:00.005-04:00

Status Update: During my one year of sticking with low carb, I lost 85 pounds. I was down to 251 pounds, only 15 pounds away from my original goal. I have been off of the "diet" now for nearly six months. And, I have re-gained 24 pounds. I still feel so much better than I did prior to the weight loss. But, something must be done before I get too fat and start feeling pains associated with severe obesity.

When I went off of the "diet", I promised myself that I'd return to it when I gained more than 25 pounds back. And, I am now only one pound away from this "upper limit". So, here's the plan... When I return from my cruise in early April, I will go back to watching what I eat. I am committing to stick with a dietary plan at least until I am within my ideal weight range based on my gender and percentage of body fat. This will likely mean a minimum of six more months of dieting. I am not yet sure what I will do for maintenance once the goal is reached.

Nutrisystem: My wife is considering trying Nutrisystem. From what I have read, I think it looks like a very good diet. Nutrisystem is based on the glycemic index which measures how fast carbohydrates enter the bloodstream. The basic idea is to avoid insulin spikes. In this way, it is very similar to low carb diets. However, this is much more complex than simply counting net carbs. And, there is no extensive guide book in which to look up the glycemic index for most foods. Therefore, to follow the Nutrisystem diet, you must purchase Nutrisystem meals. And, we're not sure what to expect in the quality, taste, and size of these meals. If my wife goes onto Nutrisystem, I am hoping to try it with her when I am in town. Unfortunately, I will be working in Paris, France 50-75% over the next several months. This makes doing straight Nutrisystem nearly impossible.

Low Carb on the Go: On travel days, I plan to stick with the Protein Power Plan. During this time, I will be staying in a hotel which has a small dorm style fridge and a microwave. This presents a challenge. I need to find low carb breakfast foods that I can be eat cold or cook in a microwave. The ingredients must also be easy to buy in France. Short of cold cheese and poached eggs, I have no ideas. Another challenge will be that I dine out with co-workers in the evening. But, since I don't speak French, I often don't know exactly what I am ordering. And, it's hard to ask for substitutions when you can't communicate well. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Still too fat...

2008-02-25T14:00:00.002-05:00

I was looking through a list of excursions for our upcoming cruise. The side trip that caught my eye was horse back riding on the beach. At the end of the excursion description it lists weight requirements. You must be under 240 pounds to ride the horses. Crap! Even after shedding all of this weight, I'm still too fat to ride a horse. I know that I am still a bit overweight, but I feel great. This is just one more sign that I need to get my act together and get back to a healthy lifestyle.

Still off of the Band Wagon, in Paris Again

2008-02-15T17:14:00.003-05:00

I'm in Paris again this week and next. I've been ill the last couple of days. I slept for nearly 18 hours last night, skipping work today. I hope I'm better tomorrow as I'd hate to be ill on the weekend. I've started a travel blog (thepangeaproject.blogspot.com) if anyone is interested. If I make it downtown this weekend, I'll post some more pictures.

I'm still off of the band wagon. Last time I was in Paris, I walked so much that I lost a few pounds even while eating poorly. I'd hoped to do the same this time. In the 3 weeks between trips however, I gained back those three pounds and then some. This while walking 2 to 4 miles per day. I just don't think 2 to 4 miles compares to what I must be walking in Europe. I brought a pedometer this time but keep forgetting to wear it.

And, to my disappointment, I've got a swollen spot now where a stretch mark is growing again! How the heck can my skin be stretching so soon after shedding 85 pounds. I feel like my skin is loose, it shouldn't be growing new stretch marks even if I put back on a few pounds. Oh well. Maybe this will open my eyes and get me motivated again. But, I can think of 1000 reasons not to go back on the diet (er lifestyle?). Top of the list is that I'm taking my wife on a Caribbean cruise at the end of March. She's thinking about dieting to look better at the beach and I'm thinking about not dieting as I'd be too tempted to break it when they offer me an all you can eat midnight buffet. Am I terrible or what?

I have a year plus of being loyal to the low carb lifestyle. I've come up with some exceptional recipes. I've found that low carb while dining in France is do-able. But, now that I no longer feel aches and pains in my body I find it so hard to get back on plan. The goal was to be healthier not to be skinny. But if I don't get back on plan, I risk sliding...

Something to exercise?

2008-01-23T09:01:00.000-05:00

I got sent home from France one week early. During my two weeks working in Paris, I was bad and ate dessert at both lunch and dinner. Yet, I still managed to lose a few pounds. What's the deal? I suspect it is due to excessive walking. European cities are set up for pedestrians. In America, we drive everywhere and walk very little. I think that this may be a very significant cause of obesity in America. I attribute this walking to my weight loss. Since I will be in Paris for 2 to 3 weeks per month for the next six months or so, I think that I may try doing low-carb at home but not in Europe (starting in February).

Another bright note: Two years ago, the airplane seat belts were too short and I always had to ask for an extender. Now, not only do the belts fit but there is some slack length to spare. This kind of reminder is nice because it's easy to forget just how fat I was before doing low carb. Without such reminders, I might grow too complacent and slide back into plumpness.

Food Pyramid

2008-01-16T08:06:00.000-05:00

At dinner last night, one of my co-workers made an interesting comment. He said that the U.S. food pyramid was exactly the diet that we feed to livestock to make them fat....

In Paris

2008-01-13T14:05:00.000-05:00

I have been in Paris for a week now. With all the walking I am doing, I'm likely to be losing weight even without dieting. I've kept a keen eye on available foods and menus. It looks like doing low carb here would be easier than eating out at home. Meats and veggies are plentiful. The only down side is that you constantly pass little bakeries that display fantastic looking pastries in their store windows. But even the desserts are not as sweet as at home.

Since arriving, I have also noticed that there seem to be almost no fat Parisians. Everyone's extremely thin. I'm not yet sure if it is because they eat a big lunch and small dinner, their overall diet, or that they do much more walking than we Americans. I went shopping the other day and couldn't find any shirts big enough to fit me. At home, I wear mostly 2XL but sometimes now XL's are big enough. But here, a 2XL seems to be the size of an XL and most are a bit snug on me.

But, it's not just the Parisians that are thin. I am here on business accompanied by about 100 fellow travelers from all corners of the world. Of the 100 probably only three of us are overweight and these three are, you guessed it, Americans. Even most of the people with just a few extra pounds are Americans. I wonder why Americans are so fat? Is it mostly due to diet or lifestyle? Oh well. I'm going to continue observing and see what I can learn.

Junk Food Junkies

2008-01-03T12:05:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, my wife and I were watching a show on MTV about people going to drug rehab. Two junkies in a row were getting high "one last time" on their way to rehab. My wife commented on how they were doomed to fail because they didn't have the right attitude from the beginning... They all wanted one last binge before giving up their vice.

My wife and I aren't much better. We too are "junkies" but with an addiction to junk food. More than once, we have begun a diet by binging "on last time". We love our vices so much that we try to get in as much pleasure as possible before finally letting go. And, doing so does in fact mean that we are not necessarily serious and committed to our goal.

It's extremely difficult to quit being a junk food "junkie" when you are surrounded by temptation. Even though it is hard, with drugs you can move to a new town and surround yourself by new acquaintances thereby avoiding temptations. But with foods, it's always there, an arm's length away. You can empty your house of junk food but you are still bombarded with advertisements and cleverly located comfort foods next to just about every cash register anywhere. There's no getting away from the temptation. Perhaps we need a rehab established for junk food addicts? This would be a controlled environment free of all temptation... a "fat camp" for adults... And, if only insurance would pay the bill as they sometimes do for other forms of rehabilitation....

Learning from our mistakes...

2007-12-28T09:58:00.001-05:00

I haven't even left for France yet and have already gained back about 20 pounds. I know it's not just water weight because my paints are a little bit tighter. Of course, I have not been eating responsibly. There has been way too much candy this holiday season. It seems that the more carbs that I eat, the more that I crave. It's a vicious cycle that makes it difficult to keep my eating under control.

Next week, I leave for Paris. I will be there for 3 weeks after which I will come home for about a week and return for another 3 weeks. It is possible that I may have to be there 2 or 3 weeks a month until June. I can't afford to keep regaining weight and feel I need to soon shift back to a low carb lifestyle. I'm targeting February as the next start-up date.

I am sure many of you are asking why wait... besides self indulgence, I do have a reason that I feel is legit. Since I have never been outside of the Charles Chagall airport, I'm not sure what to expect from French restaurants. During my first trip, ordering will likely be guess work. I'm going to take the first 3 week stretch and enjoy sampling the local cuisine while also getting to understand the common ingredients and side dishes. By the time I return, I will have had time to learn food names and develop a strategy for low carb eating in France.

My wife and I have been discussing general diet strategies. We have decided to both return to the Protein Power Plan rather than carb cycling. However, we will allow 2 floating cheat days per month. This is what we did the first six months of so of our low-carb "diet" and it worked quite well for us. We hope to begin again sometime in February. So, during my home weeks from February forward, I will be experimenting in my own kitchen and begin posting recipes again. Perhaps even throwing in some low carb versions of French foods that I sample during my working abroad.

Another six months to a year from now, when we finally reach our ideal weights, we'll need a much better maintenance plan than quitting cold-turkey. This last month has proven that cod-turkey is dangerous. Since I find it difficult to cut back a little, I'm afraid that the typical maintenance plan won't work for me. I need to develop a maintenance plan that fits my craving patterns. I'm thinking about perhaps carb cycling for maintenance. The reason for this is that I have no problem going from high carb to very low carb. But I have a terrible time dealing with medium carb as it sets off my cravings.

It's been over a year now...

2007-11-29T10:11:00.000-05:00

My wife and I have been working on weight loss for over a year now. Long walks, even several miles, no longer winds me. My feet don't hurt. My ankles no longer swell. I no longer have as much trouble with my lower back. I'm no longer tired all of the time. I feel great! Unfortunately, without the aches and pains to remind me, it becomes increasingly difficult to stick with a diet plan. As I approach my goal weight, I find it easier and easier to make excuses to take extra days off of the plan. So, for the last several months, I have perhaps only spent 60-70% of my days doing low carb. As a result, my weight has fluctuated within a ten pound range. The lower end is still 15 pounds away from my original goal of losing 100 pounds (or 18% body fat). I weigh about 260 right now.

My work is picking up this winter. I am told that I must work 3 weeks a month in Paris, France. This intensive travel is fairly certain for January and February but could run through June. I know that in France, I will be doing tons of walking. While there, I'd like to be able to sample and enjoy their local foods. Plus, I'm not sure how easily I would be able to dine out low carb there. I don't know the language and many meals will probably be the result of my guessing at what the menu means. Therefore, I have decided to drop the low-carb "lifestyle" for a while.

I am going to try to eat "normal" food but not binge. I'll commit to doing at least one weigh-in per month each time that I am home in Kentucky. After my first 3 week trip, I should have a better handle on the French foods that I can eat. If my weight has gone up too much (say 20 pounds?) then I will go back on the low carb diet, likely Protein Power Plan rather than carb cycling.

For the near future, I will still be reading various low carb forums. And, I may post occasionally about my status. It is highly likely that I will return to the low carb way of eating. So, I may be back here in a few months actively posting again. In the mean time, I wish you all luck in your personal diet adventures. I have grown vary fond of many fellow weight-loss bloggers. I almost feel like friends with some even though we've never met. I absolutely love the support and camaraderie that the online low carb community has provided. I seriously doubt that I would have lost 80 pounds without this support. Thanks!

Au revoir pour maintenant,
Big Daddy D

Where to buy low carb products online

2007-11-20T13:15:00.000-05:00

I have been shopping at Netrition.com for about a year now. And, I have been occasionally bragging on their products and sometimes linking to their site to help fellow low-carbers find hard-to-get items. Without netrition.com, I would be running all over town trying to pick up key low-carb ingredients that are stocked in one local grocery store but not the others. Also, where I live, I don't have to pay any sales tax on my netrition.com purchases. The savings on taxes alone usually covers their low shipping charges.

Well, it finally dawned on me that I should sign up for their affiliates program. As long as I'm sending them all of this business, I might as well get a cut, right? I don't know many of you noticed last month's addition of netrition.com advertisements on the side bar and bottom of my blog. I put them to the side and bottom so that they wouldn't be obtrusive. This month, I earned a whopping $7, nearly twice what I made from google ads in over a year! I'm telling you this because I don't want you to think that I am making a living from blogging. I place a high value on integrity and honesty. If I say something positive about a product, it is because I believe what I am saying. It is not that I am being paid to do so.

Regardless of my affiliation with netrition.com, I will continue to selflessly promote other products and services that I like even if there is no profit in it for me. This is because I feel that too many good low carb products have failed simply because nobody knew about them in time.

Today, I went back through all of my recipes and added links to netrition.com for hard to find ingredients. This is partly in hopes of gaining some profit and partly to make it easier for my readers to find these items.

The following is a list of ingredients from my recipes that I have added links to. Many of these items are indispensable in a low-carb kitchen. I hope you give them a try.

Carbquik - low carb baking mix similar to bisquik.
Almond Meal - great tasting flour.
Hazelnut Meal - another great tasting flour.
Aloha Nu Coconut Flour - this ingredient has tons of potential but is a bit tricky to work with. I'd like to see more people to experiment with coconut flour.
Flax Meal - flax is all the rage right now.
Vital wheat gluton - I consider this a great alternative to flour. But some people have trouble digesting it properly and others have allergies.
Soy Protein Powder (soy isolate)- Great substitute for flour. Plain has little to no flavor.
Soy Flour - This is simply ground soy beans. It works well as a flour replacement but has a funky soy taste that I consider too overpowering for most recipes.
Xanthan gum - Seems to work good making cookies chewie and not crumbly. Some people use to thicken liquids. I'm still experimenting with this ingredient.
Splenda Quick Pack - one packet = 1 cup of sugar. This form of splenda does not contain fillers and therefore is much lower in carbs than granular splenda.
Da Vinci Syrups - the low carb syrups offer a wide variety of flavors. Online low carbers can't seem to get enough of these.
Carb Counter brownie mix - pretty good low carb brownies.
Cinnamunch - Cinnamon pork rinds. These remind me of Taca Bell's cinnamon twists.
Walden Farms Chocolate Syrup - a little watery but better than no chocolate.
Heinz Ketchup reduced sugar or one carb - "one carb" and "reduced sugar" are different names for the same product.
Baja Bob's Sugar Free Margaritas and other mixers - Now tequila makes her clothes fall off in more ways than one.

Hot Chocolate - 5 net carbs per serving

2007-11-19T09:10:00.001-05:00

As the days get colder, we need something warm and comforting. Hot chocolate can do the trick. I have found a way to make hot chocolate that is much easier even than the powdered mixes that I grew up on. Simply take one cup of Hood Calorie Countdown Chocolate Dairy Beverage in a coffee cup. Microwave on high for one and a half minutes. Top with unsweetened whipped cream. Yum.

What's for Dinner?

2007-11-16T13:41:00.000-05:00

Last night, my wife Brandi and I made chicken tenders using Brandi's breading. They were excellent. This breading is good and is liked by even non-low-carbers. With it, we made mashed Foetatoes. Then, we topped it all with Campbell's brand cream gravy which has surprisingly few carbs.

I found the foetatos recipe online. It called for mashed up cauliflower with butter and cream cheese plus xanthan gum. We made a huge batch. The xanthan gum ruined it. Yes, the mixture thickened up nicely but it had an odd gummy consistency. We ended up throwing most of it out. I think if we make fake mashed potatoes again, we'll leave the xanthan gum out and live with slightly soggy mashers. Have any of you found a decent substitution for mashed potatoes?

Also, I'd be interested in hearing about my reader's experiences using xanthan and guar gums. Have you tried using xanthan gum as either a thickener or to duplicate the texture and bonding power of sugar?

Calculating Net Carbs

2007-11-09T16:05:00.000-05:00

I received the following e-mail:

I was wanting to know how you calculate a recipe that has carbs. Is there a place that you site you can go type in a recipe and have it calculate the carbs, fats, calories etc..? I have enjoyed your Blog. Thank you for your help...

I have heard many people say that they use recipe net carb calculators. I tried one a while back but found that many of my ingredients were not in their database. This made the tool useless to me. Perhaps our readers have had better luck and can share their experiences with us. I typically look up each ingredient and do my own math.

There are tons of good carbohydrate and fiber reference books that you can purchase at just about any bookstore. Just about any one will do that lists both carbohydrates and fiber. Some, such as the protein power guide simplifies this by listing "ECC" which is another way of saying "net carbs". I use these books when on the road. But, at home, I use calorieking.com to look up nutritional information. Calorieking.com has information about fresh foods, commercial products, and even many popular restaurant's menu items.

Regardless of where you look up the nutritional information, you are going to have to do some math! Because the serving size may not be in the units of measure that you are using, you will have to learn cooking measurement conversions!

I calculate net carbs by taking the total carbohydrates minus fiber minus 1/2 of carbs from sugar alcohols.

Dietary fiber is the indigestible portion of plant foods that move food through the digestive system. Some people call it "nature's broom". Humans, unlike cattle can not metabolize the energy bound up in fiber. This is why cows can survive on eating grass but we can't. And, because our bodies can not utilize this energy, those of us doing a low carbohydrate diets do not need to count fiber because we can't burn fiber for energy.

Sugar alcohols (also known asa polyol, polyhydric alcohol, or polyalcohol) are often used as artificial sweeteners. Your body can metabolize 1/3 to 1/2 of the carbohydrates from sugar alcohols. This is why I count half of these carbohydrates when calculating net carbs. Unfortunately, most packages for foods containing sugar alcohols make very low net carb claims by not counting any of the carbohydrates. I guarantee you that if you eat a substantial amount of sugar alcohols, you will not lose weight regardless of the net carb claims on the package. For this reason, always do your own math! Usually, but not always, sugar alcohols are listed on the dietary label under the heading "carbohydrates", just below the fiber. But sometimes, you only know that it is used if you read the actual ingredients. If you calculate the carbs based on the nutrition panal and it doesn't match the net carb claim on the front of the package, 9 times out of 10, you'll find sugar alcohols in the ingredients. Sugar Alcohols can also have laxative effects and cause excessive farting in some individuals. The following are some common sugar alcohols:

Glycol
Glycerol (glycerine)
Erythritol
Arabitol
Xylitol
Mannitol
Sorbitol
Isomalt
Maltitol
Lactitol

Some "Atkins" products also contain something called "polydextrose". This is some sort of soluble fiber. I am not sure how much of this can be metabolized. Perhaps another reader can comment. I usually play it safe by ignoring the package claim about polydextrose not affecting blood sugar levels.

The following is a simple example, Bob's Red Mill Hazelnut Meal/Flour. The total carbs are 5 minus the 3 fiber equals 2 net carbs per serving (5 - 3).

Serving Size: 1/4 Cup (28g)
Servings Per Container: 14
Amount Per Serving:
Total Carbohydrates 5 g
Dietary Fiber 3 g
Sugars 1 g

Ingredients: Hazelnuts.

The following is an example with sugar alcohols listed on the nutritional panel. This is from a label on Chocolate Dreams and Wishes Dark Chocolate Cups with Coconut. The total carbs of 16 minus 8 fiber and minus 1/2 of 6 sugar alcohols equals 5 net carbs (16 - 8 - 3).

Serving Size: (28)g, 1oz, (1/2 Cluster)
Servings Per Container: 2

Total Carbohydrates 16 g
Dietary Fiber 8 g
Sugars 0 g
Sugar Alcohols (Polyols) 6 g

Ingredients: Chocolate Liquor, Inulin, Erythritol, Cocoa Butter, Desiccated coconut, Milk Fat, Soya Lecithin (an emulsifier), Acesulfame-K, Artificial Flavors and Sucralose.

The following is an example that even I need help on. This is from the label on Atkins NutritionalsAdvantage Bars, Caramel Chocolate Peanut Nougat. The front of the package claims only 2 net carbs. I calculate it as 8. And, it claims 0 sugar alcohols but clearly contains glycerine which is a sugar alcohol.

Total Carbohydrates 17 g
Dietary Fiber 9 g
Sugars 1 g
Sugar Alcohols (Polyols) 0 g

**Polydextrose and glycerine, while included in the 'Calories' count, have been omitted from the 'Total Carb' count as their impact on blood sugar/insulin levels is negligible.
Ingredients: Protein blend (whey protein isolate, soy protein isolate, hydrolyzed collagen), polydextrose, glycerin, peanuts, palm kernel and palm oil, inulin, cocoa powder (processed with alkali), natural and artificial flavors, coconut oil, non fat dry milk, butter, soy lecithin, salt, citric acid, sucralose, acesulfame potassium. Vitamins and Minerals blend: Calcium (tricalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate), Magnesium (magnesium oxide),Vitamin A (vitamin a palmitate),Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate), Vitamin B-1 (thiamine mononitrate),Vitamin B-2, (riboflavin), Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), Vitamin B-12(cyanocobalamin), Vitamin E (DL Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate), vitamin B-3 (niacinamide), biotin, pantothenic acid (d-calcium pantothenate), zinc (zinc oxide), folic acid, chromium (chromium chelate), vitamin K, (phytonadione), selenium (sodium selenite).

Write-Up on 'Weight Loss Tips' Website

2007-11-07T16:58:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, I was asked to complete a survey for http://www.wltips.com/. My story can be found here, listed under "General Weight Loss". I appreciate their interest in me and hope it brings additional readers to my site. I also hope it inspires more people to try carb cycling so that we'll gain better knowledge of this weight loss strategy. Please check out their website and read the other success stories that they have gathered.

Status Update

2007-11-02T11:05:00.000-04:00

After another 2 weeks off plan, I had regained a whopping 15 pounds! 3 days into low-carb resulted in a loss of 10 pounds. Now, I know that this weight loss is too rapid to include much fat. I can only assume that the primary difference is either water or how much food was in my digestive track. So, while I can't say that I have just lost 10 pounds of fat, I also can not say that I had gained 15 pounds of fat while off plan!

Today, the beginning of day 5, I weighed 260 pounds. This is still about 9 pounds more than I weighed 3 months ago. But, over the last three months, I only completed one full 11 day carb-down. So, it's not surprising. Regardless, I still weigh 76 pounds less than I weighed when I started on a low-carb plan. And, I am finally back on track.

Nutrition Label on "Diet" Orange Crush

2007-10-31T11:58:00.001-04:00

I am sitting at my desk, on a business conference call... I pop open a can of diet orange crush. Mmmm, it tastes pretty good. I had not yet tried this particular diet beverage. As my mind wonders away from the conference call, I turn my can and begin reading the label. Crap! Total carbs = 5. I then scan the ingredients. Number two on the ingredients list is "high fructose corn syrup". How in the heck did a "diet" beverage end up with HFCS? I have become so accustomed to picking up diet drinks under the assumption that they were sugar-free. I should have taken the time to read the label at the grocery store.

Hamburger Buns - 0.4 net carbs

2007-10-31T09:42:00.000-04:00

This recipe is not a "Big Daddy" original. I got it from Cleochatra of cleotratra.blogspot.com. She called them "Atkins Revolution Rolls". Does anyone know if this is truly an original Atkins recipe or has the name "Atkins" simply been attached due to their being low-carb?

Cleochatra states the net carbs as 0.7 per round. I calculate this to be 0.4 per round. The difference in carbs is probably due to my using sweetzfree instead of splenda. If using as a hamburger bun, you'd use two (0.8 net carbs). Her version simply called for a "pinch" of cream of tartar. I used 1/4 t. and it worked well.

Now... about taste and texture. While these taste pretty good, they are a bit too light and fluffy. They also make a sort of quiet squishy noise when you bite into them. Regardless, they are a nice change from other low carb bread recipes that tend to be either heavy or have a funky after taste. I personally prefer these over any other low carb hamburger buns that I have tried. I'd give it a 6 on a scale from 1 to 10.

Ingredients:

3 T. cream cheese
dash of salt
1 t. equiv. to sugar (I used 1 drop sweetzfree)
3 eggs
1/4 t. cream of tartar

Instructions:

You will need two mixing bowls, a cookie sheet, and some parchment paper. Put cream cheese in first bowl and nuke for 30 seconds to soften. Add salt and sweetener to cream cheese. Separate eggs, putting egg yokes in with cream cheese and egg whites into the second bowl. Whisk the egg yoke mixture and set aside.

Add cream of tartar to egg whites. With an electric mixer (easiest with whisk attachment), whip until stiff. The whites should form a peak when you pull the mixer out.

By hand, gently fold egg yoke mixture into egg whites. Be careful not to break down the egg whites.

Place parchment paper onto cookie sheet to prevent sticking. Spoon mixture onto cookie sheet, making six mounds. Flatten each slightly to resemble a hamburger bun size and shape.

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 300 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Cooking Low Carb Comfort Foods

2007-10-31T08:53:00.000-04:00

Last night, I was in a cooking mood. I made my favorite, Cinnamon Flax Muffins (2.5 net carbs). Having some of these on hand really helps satisfy cravings for starchy snack-cakes. If you haven't tried them, you don't know what you are missing.

I also tried a new way to make hamburger buns. We used a recipe from cleochatra of cleotratra.blogspot.com. She calls them Atkins Revolution Rolls. She says that she got it from www.low-carb-diet-recipes.com. Due to the name, I doubt that the latter is the original source either. I will make another post with my version of the recipe. It's mostly egg-whites and is extremely light and fluffy. When eating them, my wife made two comments... the first comment was that if we added sweetener, it would make a good strawberry shortcake base... and second, that they were kind of like ladyfingers.

Hmmm, I thought... ladyfingers are used in tiramisu. I then broke out a few cookbooks, looking at lady finger and tiramisu recipes. Sure enough, the recipe is surprisingly similar to ladyfingers. As for the tiramisu, I am not sure if I can make a custard without sugar. But, I found one recipe that calls for instant pudding instead of custard. This substitution also cuts down substantially on the prep time. The custard (or pudding) is then mixed with whipping cream and cheese. Layers are created with a sprinkling of instant coffee, etc. I have written up my version of low-carb tiramisu on paper. As soon as I have a little time to experiment, I'm going to give it a shot. My gut tells me that it will be superb! If it is as good as I think, I will post the recipe here. So, keep an eye on my site for my low carb tiramisu!

I'm back...

2007-10-29T14:22:00.000-04:00

While off the diet, the most interesting phenomena is that the more carbs that I eat, the more that I crave. When you have a craving, you would suspect that once you ate it that you'd be satisfied... but it doesn't work this way with me... I simply crave more. It's a vicious cycle that I need to come to terms with when I finally reach my goal weight.

My weight has really shot up the last 2 weeks... I'm shocked by the weight that I have gained in a very short time period. So... it's back to low-carb.

I've not yet made up my mind about future "carb up" days. I know we'll work Thanksgiving Day in there but am uncertain of whether or not I'll return to the every-other weekend off the diet. I'm leaning toward 2 or 3 floating days per month. The carb cycling worked great the first few months. For me, it seems that my body (or metabolism) takes about 3 months to find a balance. This means that it is extremely hard to make any long-term plan work well continuously. I find that I need to keep shaking things up to make the diet keep working. I'm not sure of the best approach for continued weight loss. I'm sure that exercise would help but I'm not willing to take that step just yet. With regards to cycling or planned cheat days, my wife and I will have to discuss and agree on an approach that we can both live with...

BTW, I'm in town this week, so keep an eye open for new recipes...