Misc

Yes, One of Those Articles

August 24, 2020, at 09:23 PMerika

So, just like 60% of the ads on the internet, I too have lost X libs in Y days. Its amazing! Though in this case, I'm trying to do so in a healthy, sustainable way. Some motivations include:

  • I'll have more money if I spend less on food (take away, general groceries, etc)
  • I'll have more energy to play with dog if I eat a healthy amount of healthy food (also no sugar, no/low gluten/dairy)
  • And all the other standard reasons for striving for a healthy weight...

For me, its helpful to lower the number of options - less decisions, makes it easier to choose well, both in the grocery store, and at home with what's around the house. Since I'm single, I only have my food floating around; and only purchase food for myself, not others which might involve unhealthy temptations (including cereal. Oh delicious, delicious cereal). There's an article somewhere of a fellow who was determined to get down to a healthy weight, and ate fish plus veggies at lunch, and chicken plus veggies at dinner, for months, and it worked for him. So healthy, repetitive meals are do-able.

Yes, one needs to make sure there's sufficient nutrients and variation to get all our dietary requirements; and most importantly, yes it needs to be interesting enough that I'm inspired/excited to eat it, yet not so interesting that I binge it and am left with nothing except take out to order...

So, what is this secret routine I'm currently using you ask? Well, its still under development, but my current approach is:

Breakfast

  • 1/4 c. steel cut oats
  • 1 tbsp super grains mix from Quakers
  • 1 tbsp chopped walnuts (nuts, and their oils, are healthy in small quantities)
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds (amongst other things, helps regulate blood sugar)
  • 2/3 c. boiling water

Let soak 1 hour. Cover and let soak overnight.

  • Add one egg

Microwave for 2.5 minutes, and let stand 30min.

  • Add salt (iodine is good for you), pepper to taste
  • Add banana OR other piece of fruit (eg. wild blueberries, sliced apple).

Variations

  • Add spices, eg. cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, etc.

OR

  • Add two types of fruit (don't do always)

OR

  • Add another egg, skip the fruit (and add later), add some baking soda and/or baking powder, mix together, and cook like pancakes. Add maple syrup (not healthy, but *sigh*) and/or fruit.

Lunch

Open faced sandwich:

  • 1 slice whole wheat, multi-grain sourdough bread (slows digestion, including sugars to bloodstream)

OR

  • 2 slices pumpernickel bread (lower calorie, also sourdough-based)
  • mustard
  • 1/4 avocado sliced/mashed (healthy oils)
  • 1/3 to 1/2 tomato OR beets - sliced
  • small handful kale-salad mix
  • 2-3 slices of: smoked salmon OR ham OR sliced beef OR sliced turkey etc. (unprocessed sliced meat, eg. no salami) (protein)
Plus:
  • 1 cup eating veggies (snap peas, cauliflower florets, baby carrots, etc.)
  • 1 apple or equivalent fruit (eg. pear, peach; not banana)

Variations

  • Add sliced pickles
  • 1 square/slice quality cheese (calcium, but raises cholesterol)

Dinner

In advance (eg. on the weekend), cook, and mix together in a large bowl:

  • 1 cup dried brown basmati rice, cooked (feeling of fullness)
  • 1 tin kidney beans (slows digestion, evens out blood sugar, feeling of fullness)
  • 1 tin black beans
  • 1 pound shredded meat: eg. ground beef OR pork OR turkey OR white fish (protein)
  • 1 diced onion

Plus - A mix of veggies/spices to make a genre of flavour. For example:

  • Mexican: Add corn, chopped bell pepper, sliced olives; top with salsa
  • Pub: mushrooms, peas/corn or zucchini or eggplant
  • Biryani-style: ??? veggies, garam masala
  • Mediterranean: minced garlic, olives, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, diced artichokes, eggplant,
  • Oriental: mushrooms, baby corn, sliced cooked bok choy, ???
  • etc.

Then each evening, dish out a normal-sized bowl of the mixture. Heat up if desired.

Variations

  • Add tumeric (anti-inflamatory)
  • Cook up an egg with the above (watch cholesterol though; recommended 1 egg max. per day)

Snacks

  • B12 gummy vitamin + general gummy multivitamin (helps top up vitamins)
  • Continuously top up lemon-flavoured large water bottle
  • Green tea

Plus 1-2 of the following (daily calorie counting dependent):

  • Wholesome high-veggie content soup (low/no salt; low/no sugar; low calorie)
  • 2 cups mixed fruit + banana
  • 1 slice whole wheat multi-grain sourdough bread + peanut butter (protein for craving, whole wheat for feeling full)
  • 1 cup greek yogurt blended with 12g melted 100% chocolate or cherries

Exercise

  • Monday to Friday:
    • 45 minutes elliptical (on holidays, see below instead)
    • Morning dog walk; evening dog walk
  • Once a week: 45min swim (arms, core; helps with ear wax too)
  • Twice a week: 5km run
  • Saturday: 10km run OR 60 minutes elliptical OR 1 hour swim (easier without covid restrictions) + dog walk
  • Sunday: hike or cross country ski with elevation OR 60 minutes elliptical + dog walk

Variations

  • 45 minute of "activity" on Nintendo's Ring Fit game
  • Somehow I need to incorporate weights. Still working on that.

Additional

I'm also using a calorie counter on my phone to track how much I'm going over or under for the day which helps. I'm using a weight training app to record how often I'm out for a run/on the elliptical, and also Strava to record where I go/how far I go for my runs and hikes. Lastly, I weigh myself almost daily to make sure it corresponds to weight loss.

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