My Low-Carb diet log

[Rasputin]

I am posting my typical meals here for those who are curious as to what a person who eats low-carb typically takes in. As I mentioned in my earlier thread, right now I am on a cutting phase while I try to lose the last bit of subcutaneous belly fat left over from my big weight loss last year, but that will only be for a few weeks. As such, I will post the meals themselves and also mention the protein drinks that I make for 2-3 times a day consumption right now.

Let's start off with what I made for the kids this morning for breakfast. They are ages 3.5 and 2. I supplement their LC meals with regular fruit and whole milk throughout the day, so their carb count is higher than mine while they are still growing.

Today, they shared a Bistro Sensations Chicken Sausage with smoked mozzarella and artichoke and garlic, sliced up and fried in butter with green bell pepper and onion.

http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/bistro-sensations/chicken-sausage-smoked-mozzarella-with-artichoke-and-garlic

Dessert for them this morning is fresh honeydew melon.

I had a shake made with 3 scoops of Designer Whey Strawberry protein powder, about 3 tbsp of heavy cream, about a cup of Sobe Lifewater Black and Blue Berry (0 cal), 2/3c of frozen unsweetened blackberries, and ice.

[karateguy]

Great job! Keep it up

[Rasputin]

I ended up making another shake last night after getting back from jujutsu while the wife and I sat and watched Heroes on DVD.

Dinner last night was a salad w/fresh bleu cheese crumbles, romaine & grape tomatoes, and buttermilk ranch dressing. Along with that I had about 14 oz of ribeye steak from the grill and a few pieces of fried cheese. I didn't make the dinner this time so I didn't prepare a vegetable.

Today, my daughter asked for a cheeseburger for breakfast before school, so I fried her up one of the Sam's Bacon Cheddar Black Angus 1/3 lb burgers with a slice of Am. cheese on top, plus a dot of ketchup on each bite. She shared it with her brother. They also shared a YoBaby organic full-fat banana yogurt smoothie mixed in with their milk.

I made another berry shake for myself, with frozen raspberries this time, for breakfast. I added in some potassium and salt, especially since I am drinking two of my meals each day.

I'm down to 203 today. I think the bit on my belly should be gone by the time I hit 195, which seems odd, as I am lighter and yet stronger now than I was when I graduated High School. I can only assume that I have less muscle on my destroyed side, especially my leg, than I did back then. Only so much you can do when the nerves are smashed and the tendons to the hamstring aren't all there.

I still wow them in the gym when I do my sets of 305 lbs on the leg extension. They have started blaming it on the TKR. What fools these mortals be.

[Rasputin]

Dinner tonight was a couple of Delmonico steaks, some broccoli & green beans sauteed in a tablespoon of butter with Am. cheese melted on top, and the cheese from a slice of Whole Foods pizza.

The wife, knowing it was my carb up day tomorrow, came home from Whole Foods bearing all kinds of enticing treats, but she didn't know I was planning on going without tomorrow due to my current cutting phase. Now I have all these goodies that won't last till next weekend, like Berry Chantilly cake (Gabriel's birthday today), and a watermelon, and a cheese & cracker assortment to be had with some Asti Spumante.

Might just have to humor her and have some wine, cheese & crackers tonight. Oh well. Marital Harmony trumps belly fat.

[Rasputin]

Managed to squeak by with some cheeses, two crackers, two glasses of Asti Spumante, and about a cup and a half of green grapes with a couple of fresh strawberries mixed in. Not too bad. Skipped the night's protein shake to make up for it.

Now to see if I have my carb-up day tomorrow as usual or I manage to skip it this week. 203 is encouraging. 195 is calling me.

[De_Franza]

at the risk of sounding ignant, (sic) this is like the Atkins diet? or Atkins is the most popular of this type?

My understanding is to reduce carbs to near zero for a while so that body burns the stored fats (i.e. beer gut) and then add carbs back slowly so you find the equilibrium point?

somthing like that, probably oversimplified?

and no, I havn't waded thru the other thread yet. :D

[David Craik]

Various controvesies and points of contention aside, I think that we as a species have reached a pretty sorry state of affairs when we as a whole don't even know what we are supposed to eat. We pore over studies and literature, measure calories, carbs, and lipoproteins, and deconstruct substances biochemically to try and figure out what even the stupidest creature on earth already knows. On matters gastronomic, we seem to be dumber than bacteria. The very intellect which has made us capable of engineering food and sending men to the moon has made us so diet-ignorant and sedentary that we don't even know what to put in our guts anymore without a calorie counter, a manual, Weight Watchers 'exchanges' or a working knowledge of the Krebs Cycle. I wonder what other creatures would keep a 'diet log' if they were capable of doing so?

It would actually be pretty funny if it weren't so sad. And this is 'evolution'? Or 'devolution'?

Sorry, just an aside, didn't mean to hijack the thread.

[Rasputin]

It's OK. Yes, it does suck. Trying to reverse-engineer it as best we can right now.

It is close to the original Atkins in that it is a very low-carb diet, but Atkins placed a lot more emphasis on testing for ketosis with dip sticks, whereas if you are getting an adequate but not overwhelming amount of fat in your diet you may not spill a detectable amount of ketones in your urine--you will burn them all up for fuel.

Protein Power is the closest plan to what I am doing.

http://www.amazon.com/Protein-Power-Lifeplan-Michael-Eades/dp/0446678678/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253384744&sr=8-2

Wade through the other thread. :D

[Rasputin]

Shake for breakfast, shake for lunch.

Some cheeses left over from last night--brie, cheddar, a couple of others.

For dinner, I ate some sausage, steak, cheeseburgers (without the bun), chicken legs. Drank a couple of Sobe LC lifewaters.

Mmmm. Brisket turned into fajitas for tomorrow. I can smell it cooking right now.

[David Craik]

David, is your workout routine different now than before you started the diet a year ago or so? And do you think the increased creatine found in your diet has had a direct effect on the size and definition of your muscles?

[Rasputin]

David, is your workout routine different now than before you started the diet a year ago or so? And do you think the increased creatine found in your diet has had a direct effect on the size and definition of your muscles?

If anything, my intensity is lower now than it was a year ago when I was eating carbs, but for reasons unrelated to my diet.

My left proximal head of my biceps is tracking out of its channel due to the many surgeries I have had on my left upper arm, and it is clicking and popping when I do the bench press exercises, at least for the past couple of months. Normally I did 3 sets of 305 lbs on the straight bench machine, 3x6x305 on the incline bench, plus some dumbbell exercises (fly, press, etc) to work on my stabilizers. However, my left shoulder is clicking and popping so much that I have had to cut the weights back to only 250 or so. After talking with my Orthopod, I am creeping them back up once again.

Also, I had to take it easy for a few weeks because I strained an abdominal while demonstrating kesa gatame. That brought my weights down for a while, too.

When I am trying to push past a plateau, I supplement with creatine powder 4x a week. I do notice a slight difference on the last rep of each set--enough to keep it up. It does raise my weight slightly from the increased water retention.

I have also noticed that I stop losing weight if I add my 20 mins in on the elliptical 3x a week. When I stop doing that, I start losing again. It's the weirdest thing. I haven't done it for a few weeks now and the scale started dropping once more.

[Rasputin]

A peanut butter chocolate shake for breakfast

3 scoops of chocolate whey protein, 3 tbsp heavy cream, 5g leucine, and water for lunch

Shredded Brisket, green bell peppers & onions, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream for main course for dinner

Green beans with toasted slivered almonds in a beef base cream sauce on the side.

[Rasputin]

Pretty much the same for today, with fried fresh cheese substituted for the green beans.

Kids had almonds & dried blueberries for snack, fried egg with cheese for breakfast, honeydew melon after eggs. They all had birthday cake after dinner, but I didn't. I froze my portion for Saturday.

[Rasputin]

Two peanut butter chocolate shakes today, followed by Shredded brisket fried up with broccoli, green beans and a few slices of American Cheese thrown on top for dinner.

[Nick L.]

Have you tried the grape seed oil yet?

[Rasputin]

Nope, not yet. I'm making a salad tomorrow night--maybe I will make a vinaigrette with it.

[Rasputin]

Well, today was far too hectic for me to run out and pick up grapeseed oil.

So, it was back to Ranch dressing with bleu cheese crumbles in our salad, with cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, sauteed mushrooms, and pickled artichoke hearts.

We also had more of the leftover brisket, shredded and crisped up over high heat and served with some sour cream on the side.

I didn't know we had a few bags of green beans in the freezer already, so I bought more the other day. We'll be having green beans for a while :D

So, again, green beans with toasted almonds in a pink peppercorn beef cream sauce.

Two protein shakes today.

The yolk with a little Am. cheese on it from my daughter's breakfast. She has taken a dislike to the yolk for some reason lately, so I am left to gobble it up for her.

The plan for dinner tomorrow is some smoked pork chops, either grilled or fried in some butter. We'll see how things develop.

The problem is that my wife is a supertaster, and so she is very sensitive to strong flavors. On a low-carb plan she doesn't have a lot of options (Potatoes and bread were her staple foods before). She doesn't eat any raw vegetables. No broccoli/cabbage/kale, no peppers, minimum of garlic and onions, no squashes or melons, no eggplant, no tomatoes (except in sauce or ketchup). No turnips.

Oh well.

[Jay Bell]

Why raw veggies?

[Cliff Hargrave]

I have a question David, why do you feel the need to take so many protein shakes when your diet is so rich in protein? You are not a body builder and your protein requirement cannot be anywhere near what you are taking in.

Is it just the convenience and "treat" aspect of it?

I had a student that was an all natural body builder and he used a keto diet during his cutting phase. He had problems with the shakes and when he cut them out and went all food, he cut up real fast.

[Rasputin]

I have a question David, why do you feel the need to take so many protein shakes when your diet is so rich in protein? You are not a body builder and your protein requirement cannot be anywhere near what you are taking in.

Is it just the convenience and "treat" aspect of it?

I had a student that was an all natural body builder and he used a keto diet during his cutting phase. He had problems with the shakes and when he cut them out and went all food, he cut up real fast.

Good question, Cliff.

Carbs are already cut about as close as possible. They aren't functioning as an energy source as I am only getting like 20 or less a day.

During the cutting phase, fat is also lowered throughout the day (compared to my normal amount of 60% or so Kcal from fat).

Your body still has an absolute need for Glucose, even after ketone bodies are created to take the place of many of them. In the absence of carbs, glucose is created from proteins through gluconeogenesis. The first place the body looks for this protein is from the diet. If adequate levels of protein are eaten, and enough Leucine (a BCAA) is present, the body won't need to scavenge from muscle stores to provide this glucose.

So, in addition to the amount of Leucine in my Designer Whey protein powder, I add 5g to each drink.

The plan actually calls for 3 protein drinks a day and one LC meal at dinner, but I am only drinking two.

If I cut back on the protein, I would probably lose fat more quickly, it is true, but I would also lose muscle mass, and I don't want that to happen at all.

You're right, though, I am taking in much more protein than a person would normally require. It's by design--I am burning some of it for energy. When the pocket of fat on my belly left over from my weight loss is all gone, I will go back to 10% carbs 60% fat 30% protein, all real food. Probably take another month or so.



Why raw veggies?

She has GERD and IBS as well as being a supertaster. I know, right? Raw vegetables irritate her stomach, and lettuce tastes like dirt to her (she also has texture issues).

It's as wonderful as it sounds.

[Jay Bell]

She has GERD and IBS as well as being a supertaster. I know, right? Raw vegetables irritate her stomach, and lettuce tastes like dirt to her (she also has texture issues).

It's as wonderful as it sounds.

Sure...reason I was asking is raw veggies irritate the GI tract of most people. Was just wondering why that was mentioned.

[Rasputin]

Had a little bit of watermelon this morning after cutting some up for the kids. Maybe 1/2c. Hope its still good on Saturday.

[Rasputin]

Was just wondering why that was mentioned.

I was lamenting. When I was growing up, my grandfather kept a garden in our backyard. Typical Italian garden: peppers, tomatoes, green onions, sweet peas, cucumbers, eggplants, parsley & celery, the occasional ear of corn. There was nothing better than going out on a warm Summer morning and picking a pepper, or a tomato as big as my two fists, putting some salt on it, and eating it right there. Or sitting down to a paper garbage bag filled with peas in the pod, and shelling & eating them while watching Saturday morning cartoons.

[Rasputin]

Trish went to a retirement party for dinner, so I passed on the smoked pork chops (one of her favorites) and instead made burgers, broccoli and salad.

The salad was romaine, grape tomatoes, pickled artichoke hearts, sauteed mushrooms, bleu cheese crumbles, mini baby mozzarella cheeses, and buttermilk ranch dressing.

[Rasputin]

Someone posted a recipe for a grain-free cauliflower pizza crust. I have not yet tried it but it does sound interesting. I've experimented with making breads from egg and cheese before so I know it can be done.

http://www.gofrolic.org/gofrolic/food_blog/Entries/2008/10/4_Cauliflower_Crust_Pizza%3A_All_local_and_gluten-free.html

[Rasputin]

Tonight we had slow-cooked pork ribs with Corky's dry rub, green beans almondine, broccoli with cheese, and a salad.

Lots of leftover ribs--we will be eating off them for a few days.

The rack on the left is just coated with Corky's. The one on the right is for the wife, who is allergic to peppers. I started by dusting them with garlic and onion powder and a light amount of salt. After about 5 hours of cooking at 200 I mixed up a paste of spicy brown mustard, a little bit of molasses, and some cider vinegar and spread it on. I finished cooking for another hour at 200 and then about 15 minutes at 400 or so.

[Rasputin]

Back from the protein shakes 2x day, lost approx. 5 lbs, lifts are back to what they were before I cut them back for my shoulder.

Anyway...

On Wednesday night, I served lambburgers (no bun):

(all amounts are approx)

2.5 lbs Ground lamb
2 tbsp goat cheese (chevre)
1/2 medium white onion, chopped fine
salt & fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp sherry
1 tsp powdered rosemary
1 tbsp room temp butter

Mixed together

Cooked over charcoal and mesquite chips until well done (I didn't grind the lamb myself, so not taking any chances)

It was pure awesomeness.



Last night, I experimented with a meatloaf made with grated carrots instead of breadcrumbs. It turned out reasonably well, although I might have to put in some coconut flour next time to add body.

3-4 lbs 80% lean ground chuck
4 large peeled carrots (run through the Salad Shooter on grate)
2 envelopes Beefy Onion Lipton soup mix (some carbs, but not much per serving)
2 tbsp garlic
1/2c shredded Parmesan cheese
4 eggs
Heinz Carb-One Ketchup (http://www.low-carb.com/heonecake.html)
The wife wanted me to put in some Worchestershire sauce, but I forgot.

Mix everything except for the ketchup. Form into a loaf and put into the baking pan. Coat the top with the ketchup. Bake at 350 for around 2 hrs or until the center reaches 160.

More experimentation is needed, because I didn't put a thermometer into it until it was over 170 degrees and it turned out a little dry and firm, but still damn good.


This weekend I would be making bratwurst and sauerkraut if I had not spaced while at Target and forgotten to put it in the cart. I am a bit tired after 45 mins in the gym and an hour and a half of jujutsu, especially after 11 hours of child-wrangling, in case you couldn't tell.

[Rasputin]

Nothing to eat from ~5pm yesterday until 12:15 today. Intermittent Fasting FTW.

Lunch today was slices of leftover meatloaf, fried to a crisp surface in butter and with sour cream spread on top. 1c of black seedless grapes. Mmmmm.

[Rasputin]

As mentioned above, I took two packs of fresh pork bratwurst and fried them without their skins until browned all over, then I dumped in a jar of Klaussen sauerkraut, brought it back to a simmer, then covered it and let it go over very low heat for 4 hours.

So delicious.

[Rasputin]

Winn-Dixie had a sale on Beef Short Ribs (2-for-1) last night, so I picked up four packs of them on the way home from jujutsu.

Last night before going off to bed, I browned them in their own fat on all sides, then poured in about 2 cups of red wine, a large yellow onion (chopped), some powdered bay leaf, ground pink pepper, and chopped garlic. I brought it to a slow simmer for a couple of hours then I put it in the oven at ~225 all night long.

Now I am going to take out the bones and put it in the fridge. Tonight, we will have it for dinner. Cooking it so low and slow for that long breaks all the tough collagen down into gelatin, and when it reheats some of it will stay as gelatin, keeping it moist and tender.

[Rasputin]

This morning I weighed myself at 199.8 lbs. First time below 200 lbs since 11th grade.

For breakfast, I had 3 scrambled eggs in butter with American cheese on top, followed by leftover flank steak cut up and sauteed with mushrooms in butter, and 4 large strawberries for dessert.

Couple of times during the day I found myself hungry, so I put half a scoop of chocolate protein powder in about 1/3c heavy cream and savored it with great pleasure.

Dinner tonight will be broiled wild-caught flounder with lemon, butter and herbs, and some sort of veggie (TBA).

Strength is still rising, as evidenced by my performance in the weight room. If only my shoulder was up to the weights my muscles are capable of lifting.

[Rasputin]

The crust needs a bit more experimentation, but it really turned out well. I ended up using:

4 tbsp coconut flour
2 eggs
2 c mashed cooked cauliflower
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
provolone cheese
1/3 lb deli ham

I mixed them together and formed it on a round nonstick pizza baking sheet. I baked it at 500 deg. for about 10 minutes, until it was lightly browned on top. I brushed it with olive oil and then covered the top with tomato sauce (9g carb per 1/2 c) and put it back in the oven for about 5 mins to warm and partially dry the sauce.

Next, I covered with a few slices of provolone cheese and then the mozzarella, followed by the chopped up ham. I put it back in the oven until the top got crispy and browned (maybe 10 more minutes).

It was WAY more filling than a normal pizza. I ate about 1/4 of it and was quite happily satisfied. It's 6 hours later and I am STILL satisfied. The kids all ate all theirs, even Trish ate it (and she HATES all broccoli/cabbage/cauliflower).

Now to figure out how to make it chewier.

[Rasputin]

I tell you, it was so good I could hardly stop myself from eating it.

1 lb frozen broccoli florets
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1 c coconut milk
1 tsp chicken base
salt & pepper to taste

I melted the butter in my frypan and then dumped in the broccoli. Once it was sizzling nicely I added the garlic and fried it all until the garlic began popping; about 3 minutes.

I sprinkled on the curry powder and stirred until the curry began to brown, maybe another 5 minutes, then I added the coconut milk and chicken base and stirred on high for about 3 minutes. I then covered the pan and turned the heat way down. It took about 10 more minutes for the broccoli to soften and meld all the flavors together.

Carbs? Almost none. Tons of wonderful, healthy saturated MCTs. Delicious doesn't even begin to encompass the flavor. My kids licked their plates clean. I served it alongside baked chicken leg quarters seasoned with onion powder, lemon pepper, and poultry seasoning and baked at 250 for hours until they were crispy.

[Nick L.]

Add some crumbled bacon and cook in some diced chicken tenders, that curry sounds delicious.

I made a "all meat" pizza, I pounded out two chicken breast (bnls/sknls) into about 1/4" with the tenderizing hammer. Cooked them in a frying pan with a little bacon grease, salt, Italian seasoning and minced garlic I used the bacon press to keep them nice and thin while they cooked, so they wouldn't shrink back up. The chicken breast served as my pizza crust, I topped them with pepperoni (the real stuff), crumbled bacon, pizza sauce and fresh mozzerella. Cooked them in the oven at 450deg. for about 10 minutes, then turned the broiler on for about 2-3 minutes, watch them close. Each chicken breast made a personal sized pizza crust. I ate both, mmmhmm!

Dave, my next attempt will be a brownie and nuts crusted cheesecake, carb free. Consider this a challenge................

[Rasputin]

The other day, I took a 5 lb boneless chuck roast and sealed it in a Foodsaver bag with 1/2 a bag of Lipton Onion Soup mix and some fresh grated black pepper. I placed it into my Sous Vide Supreme at 132 degrees and let it work its magic for 48 hours.

This morning I placed it, bag and all, in the fridge to cool off. Tonight, right before dinner, I removed the juices from the bag and placed them into some reduced red wine to make a gravy, then I placed the cold roast under the broiler until it was a deep brown (about 15 minutes).

The result? Medium rare from edge to edge, with a crisp brown crust, and all the fat and collagen softened and delicious. It had the consistency of prime rib, but for under $2 a lb.

I served it with whipped cauliflower (whipped like potatoes, with butter and parmesan cheese added) and fresh spinach sauteed in butter and chicken base.

Dessert was some Breyer's chocolate LC Ice Cream with whipped cream on top, along with a handful of fresh blueberries.