Friday, January 29, 2010

Calorie Restriction Paleo and metabolism

What is a "want to be skinny lady" to do.
I am stuck at 134 and can't get off.  I have decided to try and raise my metabolism again. I did it last year and was able to lose 10 pounds pretty fast so I am up for it again.
Last year I didn't eat brown rice or dried beans which I will be this time. I need to up the calories by about 400 a day, now that doesn't sound like much, but for me it is. I am not hungry at 1000 to1100 calories. Well maybe if I stay up past 1A.M.
I am used to eating just 2 meals with a snack usually an apple around noon so adding 1/2 cup of brown rice and 1/4 cup navy beans instead of the apple. I want them for the protein. I won't be having any fruit during the day.  Fixing my metabolism will require me to eat more often so I plan on eating half the rice and beans and saving half for the second feeding,. (sounds like a rancher).
Dinner will be my usual great stuff, grass fed beef, organic chicken and wild caught salmon with my favorite veggies. I will up the veggie portion to 3 or 4 cups.  I also like to have raw veggies but I am a seasonal eater and just can't eat raw during the winter, I know weird.
To fill out the rest of the day with calories I will have one  or two omega 3 eggs, fried in a very small bit of butter and later, 2 cups of blueberries with 1/4 cup raspberries for dessert. I really look forward to this treat.

I read that Stevia can spike sugar cravings. I am convinced that is exactly what happened to me last fall. Eating candy which lead to the mild depression which lead to a weight gain. I even stopped working out which changed my body shape.
I am going to work out again starting Feb 1. I am sorta looking forward to it. I refuse to eat more to compensate for the calories used to work out. That is one of the reasons I want my weight and eating under control before I go.
My new plan will be not exactly CR because I can't keep my calories 20% less. In fact I want them to be 20% higher than my BMR. To check your BMR multiply your weight by 10. I want to be 120 so my BMR is 1200. I need 1200 calories a day just so my body can function. I want to consume 1400 to 1500. Wow, that sounds like a lot. I hope I can do it. I will know when my metabolism has improved. I should lose weight again.
I refuse to over eat anything. I will still use the cronOmeter and weigh my food to be sure I am not overeating.  
As far as Paleo is concerned eating brown rice and beans makes perfect sense to me. Hunter gathers must have eaten them. They really are a very nutritious food. I didn't realize I missed them for the past 2 years.
I have switched to the Omega 3 eggs. They are great I can't tell the difference so I have to rely on what I have read about them.
I have found a new source for my free range beef. I hope to buy enough for 6 months soon.  Everybody that eats beef should look for a local rancher or butcher for their own source for grass fed beef.  We enjoy beef about 2 times a week.

Tomorrow is the big day, we are getting the 2 kitties. Everything is ready for them.
They will be eating Organic cat food made with brown rice. No grains for my kitties. This way they shouldn't have the weight and health problems most cats have from eating processed grains in their food.
I am wanting to get them some probiotics too. Anything to keep them healthy. I am pretty sure Tally's health problems was from his cat food. It is hard on me now that I have educated myself about cat foods. Just knowing we might have fed him better makes a huge lump in my chest and many tears.
Such guilt.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Calorie Restriction, Paleo continued

I am in the middle of doing The UltraSimpleDiet. It is a diet from Dr. Mark Hyman. I am eating brown rice and navy beans twice a day about 1 cup each, salmon and chicken once a week, a rice protein shake with seeds and cherry juice for breakfast and a great veggie broth.
I had decided that getting rid of allergens and inflammation right now was a good thing. It has been. I lost 2 pounds, this tells me that I wasn't inflamed much if any. I don't know about allergies to food but I do know a runny nose is gone. I didn't have it all day, mostly a few hours in the morning.  It has been completely gone for a few days. Now I can go back to my regular Paleo and CR diet to see if it comes back. Then I should know what food is causing it.
I read that brown rice and beans are not on the Paleo list of foods. Well guess what, they are going to be on my Paleo list. There are plenty of foods that are on that list that I will never eat. I can't see what is wrong with brown rice and dried beans. What it does for me is allow me meatless meals. I really want a few meatless meals each week. I also find it easy to take 1/2 cup of rice and beans to work. Now I don't have to take cottage cheese which I never like doing in the first place. I really wanted to get completely away from all milk products and now I will.
This past week I stuck with CR while doing this simple diet. It was very easy to do, much easier than with the foods I had been eating. My calories for each day have been around 1000. I hadn't been able to keep them below 1200 for a very long time. Since I am such an old lady I am not supposed to be eating more than 1400 a day to maintain my weight at 130. So at 1000 I am OK and on CR.  I want to weigh 120, it is a better CR weight for me and I do have a small frame, I am 5ft. 6.
I sure cut back on the blueberries. From about 2 1/2 cup a day to 1 cup a week.
I need to figure out a new meal plan once I am finished with the UltraSimpleDiet. The plan is to go right into the UltraMaintenceDiet. Dr. Hyman doesn't suggest counting calories but just how can I not. I gotta, it is me. So I will eat some of the foods he suggests and still keep my calories low.
I bet he wouldn't agree with me..
My weight today, 134.8 and I am back in one pair of size 2 jeans. They must be a big 2, I sure don't fit in my skinny jeans size 2 yet. I will get there again, I am just a few pounds away.

Kitty Update
We finally found an American Shorthair in fact we have decided to buy 2 of the little beauties, both boys. One is a white, silver, the other is a Classic Silver Tabby exactly like Tally.
In fact he is a decedent of Tally's daddy, Maverick.  We were thrilled when the breeder told us that. We pick them up at the San Jose cat show this Sat. They are coming to the show from Oregon.
The Greek is getting all ready. He has two of everything.
So far we think their names will be Jake and Gus. We will see when we first see them.
We are so ready for these two little kitties.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Calorie Restriction, Paleo diet plan for the week

I have been asked to make a post about what I eat on the Paleo, CR and Raw food diet. It is very simple, plain cooking and eating raw. This is a typical week.
Breakfast:
  • 2 tbs. flax seeds
  • 2 tbs. pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tbs. sunflower seeds 
  • 1/2 cup organic unpasteurized orange juice
Grind the raw, unsalted seeds in a coffee mill, add to the orange juice or any unsweetened juice. This mixture is thick if you want to drink it, as I do, add some hot water about 1/4 cup of less. This breakfast is about 400 calories. It is a complete omega 3 and 6 food source.

Lunch:
  • 1/2 cup Organic 2% Cottage Cheese
  • Or
  • left over protein chicken, beef or fish 3-4 oz.

Dinner:
  • 4-6 oz lean Organic protein, chicken, beef, or fish.
  • Raw spinach with olive oil and red wine vinegar.
  • Roasted or steamed veggies with Olive Oil and sea salt.

Dessert:
  • 1-2 cups frozen Organic Blueberries
  • 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
  • Stevia to sweeten

Drinks:
  • Flavored green teas all day long
Extra's:

  • I take supplements to fill out my daily needs.
  • I track my nutrients with the cronOmeter
  • I weigh myself everyday.
  • I journal everyday.
Condiments:
  • Horseradish
  • Organic ketchup
  • Olive Oil
  • Lemon
  • Butter, very little.
  • Lots of spices
  • Stevia
This typical food diary, for me, is about 1100 calories and full of nutrition. I am seldom is ever hungry or thirsty. I drink tea for a water source and get the rest from my food choices.
If I am wanting something to eat after 7 I will make it raw celery with a bit of sea salt. yea, I know salt is bad, so is plain celery to me.

This weekly food plan intentionally low in carbs from fruit. If you can handle the extra carbs and calories eat an apple Organic of course.  You could also add  a few eggs  a week.

Supplements:
I take several for various reasons, below are what I think are important.
  • Vitamin D 3 5000 IU
  • Probioatic
  • Vitamin C
  • Calcium
I find I get close to and sometimes over all the Vitamin B's from my food choices, I have it on hand if I want to take a B complex.

My new supplement is Glucomannan, it is a fiber that completely fills me for most of the day. Since it is a fiber you know what else it does. I highly recommend it if you want to feel satisfied for several hours a day or night. I haven't tried it at night yet. If you want to buy it online PM me. I will send a link.  macomarell@gmail.com

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Calorie Restriction with Low Carb

I had another good day with my CR low carb plan. I always took an apple for my lunch at work, today it was a bit of cottage cheese and a ground beef patty. Perfect lunch for me.

I walked into the house later than usual and was pretty darn sleepy and hungry, the darn Greek had some yukky white bread on the counter, he had eaten almost the entire loaf, so I cut myself a small piece. It tasted just awful. I loved it because it did taste awful, so bad that I didn't want anymore of it. I added it to my daily food intake, it didn't cause any damage.
We had Grilled Halibut with raw spinach for dinner. Yum.
I seem to be always hungry after a fish dinner, so I had blueberries, just one cup. I am so much better with measuring again. It did pump up the carbs and sugar but I am still pretty low at 30g in sugar for today.
I was 137.2 this A.M. Yea
I thought the gain might come off pretty fast because of the type of crap I was eating.
Sugar

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Calorie Restriction

I am happy to say I am back weighing and measuring and counting calories. It was very easy to do, I have no idea why I was putting it off for a few months.
I have decided to really try hard at keeping my protein high while keeping carbs and sugars low. Today I did really great 1015 calories, 99g protein, 43g carbs and 22 g sugar.
The only way I can keep the carbs and sugar down is to stop eating apples. I need the 1/2 cup fresh Orange juice for my seed breakfast. I mix two tablespoons  flax, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds that I grind in my handy coffee grinder. This mixture is packed with nutrition that starts my day. It is also packed with calories, about 450 of them.
I usually get a bit hungry around 1, that is when I go for the apple. I am going to try a full cup of 2% organic cottage cheese instead. Of course this is my winter food, summer is always more green stuff.
It worked just great today, kept me full until dinner time.
I had a top sirloin steak and roasted broccoli for dinner, a full day of nutritious food and only 1015 calories.
I didn't miss the blueberries and raspberries until around 11pm, far to late to eat anything. I never eat past 7 or try my best not to.
If I manage this again tomorrow I will be thrilled.
I finally weighed myself. I am 139.4. Yikes. That is a 12 pound gain. It will be gone in 3 months, the same amount of time it took me to gain it.
I need to weigh 120 for my height which is 5ft 6in. I did the test for frame size, I am small framed. I had no idea I have a small frame, guess it was hidden under all that fat. Now I know why I always felt fat at 135, I was, I am.