# Low Carb Diet ideas?



## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I'm about 2 months in and I'm running out of ideas.

Is popcorn a bad idea? 

I eat corn flour pasta about once Every two weeks.
I'm off the wheat, but will.eat.a.specific bread that is.more seed than flour - rarely

No junk food.


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## 5732 (Jul 30, 2009)

Guinness...low carb and "cures all invalids"


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

What type of foods do you like?

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mud_guy said:


> Guinness...low carb and "cures all invalids"


or look for a rice based beer...not to mention rice based pastas


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## Chitmo (Sep 2, 2013)

You tried using spaghetti sqash as a pasta substitute?


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Popcorn is a really bad idea. Not even close to being a healthy alternative to anything. Spikes blood sugar. Not really nutritious at all. Tastes awesome though!!

Spaghetti Squash is a great idea. Tastes awesome. 

Only idea is to bump up your fat consumption. Avocados, animal fat (grass fed).


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

Speaking of squash, butternut squash makes a nice pasta sauce alt...especially with crushed walnuts


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## Chitmo (Sep 2, 2013)

Scotty said:


> Speaking of squash, butternut squash makes a nice pasta sauce alt...especially with crushed walnuts


Sometimes just slightly warming some quality olive oil with some crushed chili and a little bit of S&P is good too. Most food gets it's taste from the sauce really and making your own ensures that you're not getting a crap ton of preservatives and MSG.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Scotty said:


> What type of foods do you like?
> 
> - - - Updated - - -
> 
> ...


I really do eat just about anything - except sea urchin.

Are the rice based beers that much better in the carb department? Might not hurt to have a few kicking around, if that's the case. I tend to drink wine more than beer in winter.

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I've had it before at a friend's place - he had some crazy bug from overseas where he couldn't have a single carb for around three years. He fell off the wagon a couple of times and had to start fresh. poor sob.

It was very good. I haven't looked into preparing it (seems pretty involved), but it's got to be better than the corn pasta I've been eating.

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Stratin2traynor said:


> Popcorn is a really bad idea. Not even close to being a healthy alternative to anything. Spikes blood sugar. Not really nutritious at all. Tastes awesome though!!
> 
> Spaghetti Squash is a great idea. Tastes awesome.
> 
> Only idea is to bump up your fat consumption. Avocados, animal fat (grass fed).


Dammit, dude. dammit. What if I pop it on the stove? Is it the actual corn that's a problem?

I've certainly up the meat, cheese, nuts, and veggies/fruit.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I'm no expert, but I have been fairly successful in losing a significant amount of weight and keeping it off (four and a half years now).

As most of us know, diet is everything when it comes to managing our weight. You can go to the gym every day and never lose an ounce (for various reasons). It's 70% diet.

That being said, I honestly think pretty much any or at least the vast majority of diets will fail for one simple reason.

They are unsustainable.

I lost approximately 55~60 lbs but I never "went on a diet". Instead, I changed my diet. It was more a matter of "from this day forward" than " I want to accomplish ..... by ......".

The crap I was eating was so bad, it was really a no brainer finding things to reduce or eliminate. The weight came off relatively quickly. Once I got to the stage where was wearing the same size jeans as I did in high school, I figured I should increase my protein and carb intake which I did.

Now I allow myself a tolerance of plus or minus 5 lbs, so that's 180~190.

I feel really good. My blood pressure is now very nicely in the normal range (doc wanted me on pills for life).

The exercise is another thing altogether. Yes weight loss and exercise are connected, but the gym stuff I do for the enjoyment of it.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

In the beer dept. Sleemens has a low carb light beer out called *Sleemens - Clear 2.0

Servings: 355 ml*


Calories83Sodium0 mgTotal Fat0 gPotassium0 mgSaturated0 gTotal Carbs2 gPolyunsaturated0 gDietary Fiber0 gMonounsaturated0 gSugars0 gTrans0 gProtein0 gCholesterol0 mgVitamin A0%Calcium0%Vitamin C0%Iron0%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Some solid experience and advice there Milkman. 

Perfection is not the answer. You should still get to enjoy "forbidden" foods on occasion. I've heard a lot of people refer to the 80/20 rule when it comes to eating. I prefer the to bump it up to 90/10. I would suggest going strict until you reach your goal (not sure what it is - blood panel, weight...??) and then exercise some self-control in the food department. Can't forget the regular exercise part. 

And to answer your question adcandour, from what I've read, there is nothing good about corn. Having said that, I have it on occasion myself.

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adcandour said:


> I really do eat just about anything - except sea urchin.
> 
> Are the rice based beers that much better in the carb department? Might not hurt to have a few kicking around, if that's the case. I tend to drink wine more than beer in winter.


I have to eat gluten-free and have tried a number of rice-based beer. The only one I've really enjoyed is a brand called "Messagere" which I tried one year when I was in Ottawa. I found it to taste a lot like Rickards Red (I miss that one). Of course, they don't have it in BC. All other brands of GF Beer I've tried are too salty. I've since switched to apple cider. Looks like beer and tastes like candy. Yum!


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Milkman said:


> I'm no expert, but I have been fairly successful in losing a significant amount of weight and keeping it off (four and a half years now).
> 
> As most of us know, diet is everything when it comes to managing our weight. You can go to the gym every day and never lose an ounce (for various reasons). It's 70% diet.
> 
> ...



Jesus, that's a lot of weight - more than my kid weighs (and he's a big boy). Congrats.

That's almost exactly what I'm trying to do. I need to bring the weight down and then sustain it. 

I went on an extreme low carb diet for an operation (included no corn, beans, potatoes, etc), and it was tough, but I did it for 3 months and lost 15 lbs. And I couldn't exercise due to 2 hernias, so it was all diet this round.

That was I diet I couldn't do for an extended period of time. 

I know the main thing I need to do once I hit my weight is go easy on the rice and pasta sides. I go over the top for no particular reason and eat passed the point of comfort - every meal. I also eat most of my daily food after 7pm (and eat right up until bed). Waaay to much late snacking.

Now, I am exercising daily as well. It's mainly to be able to keep up with my son as I age.


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## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)

Milkman said:


> That being said, I honestly think pretty much any or at least the vast majority of diets will fail for one simple reason.
> 
> They are unsustainable.


Bingo. This is exactly it. In January 2013, I weighted over 275 lbs. Two years later, I'm at 208 lbs right now. I do exercise a bit (or I did, during the summer) but in my case the major factors were drastically cutting my sugar intake (no more soda, juice, cereals, rarely have dessert), no more snacking in the evening or before going to bed. I have all the fruits and vegetables that I want anytime I feel like it. I did not make any other change to my diet. I still have a slice or two of pizza with friends, still have fries or burgers probably once a week. I'm 45 years old and weight less than I did at age 18. I still hope to lose a bit more weight but will not be too disappointed if my weight stabilizes. I am confident that I will not regain the weight precisely for the reason that you mention. I can easily maintain this diet (or lackthereof) for the rest of my life.

Low-carb diets are the current fad. There are lots of fads in the diet business. People have been eating bread for 30,000 years. Obesity is a recent problem. It came when people started drinking two litres of cola a day.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Stay off the cereals as well for breakfast. Don't be afraid to eat lots of eggs. They are just about a perfect food. Bacon (regular or back bacon) and eggs for breakfast. Just don't cook the bacon so that it is crisp. For snacks eat some cheese or nuts. Almond or peanut butter is a nice snack.


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## Moosehead (Jan 6, 2011)

I tried a spiralizer thingy that turns veggies into psuedo pasta. Works great with zuchinni. In the end it's all about the sauce though. Eating raw foods are different but you just need to find/make a sauce or dip that helps it out a bit.

This summer I grew swiss chard in the garden, never ate it before. Hot damn, its delicious, sauteed or s.teamed and topped with some butter and s&p.

Seafood is a favorite of mine, just about all of it but watch out for where it comes from. Just discovered one of my favorites, smoked oysters are all coming from china now! Like most stuff nowadays, not sure why I was so surprised but it turned me away from eating the rest of the tin.

Hemp seed is a complete protein with all the omega fatty acids. Chia seed is popular. I put a heaping teaspoon of both hemp seed and chia seed in my yogurt in the morning. 

Fruit (and whatever you need to mask with the fruit) smoothies.

I am lucky I have a high metabolism. I love food and try to eat good food but am fortunate that I do not have to stay away from much.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

Steadfastly said:


> Don't be afraid to eat lots of eggs. They are just about a perfect food.


Yeah...if you aren't afraid of elevating your risk of prostate cancer, don't be afraid to eat a lot of eggs.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

smorgdonkey said:


> Yeah...if you aren't afraid of elevating your risk of prostate cancer, don't be afraid to eat a lot of eggs.


is there any evidence to support this?


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Steadfastly said:


> Stay off the cereals as well for breakfast. Don't be afraid to eat lots of eggs. They are just about a perfect food. Bacon (regular or back bacon) and eggs for breakfast. Just don't cook the bacon so that it is crisp. For snacks eat some cheese or nuts. Almond or peanut butter is a nice snack.


I can eat limp bacon, but prefer not to. I love rendering the and collecting the fat.

I once heard (from who knows where) not to eat burned bacon (something to do with cancer, iirc), but I couldn't find anything online to support the claim. Let me know what you know, and I'll make an effort to pull the bacon out early...


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

Stratin2traynor said:


> is there any evidence to support this?


Google will point you to lots of it. I didn't mention the other cancers eggs are linked to but you can find that easily as well. I think that some risks drop if you are getting true free range eggs and if you are extremely active, risks drop again but then, risks of most everything drop if you are extremely active. 

One of the first things that I learned when I was delving into the study of dietetics was that the meat board, dairy board and egg board were very wealthy entities. That's why you see billboards with all of their stuff on it. I love the milk moustache billboards that used to be up with celebs on them sporting the milk moustaches...I recall that at least one of them didn't consume dairy at all and they used some sort of white paint on the lip. Oh well, a celeb doing it for the money - not a rarity.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

If I had to point to a psychological "magic bullet" it would be fish (mostly salmon) and steamed rice in my case.

In a sense, my addictive personality may have helped as I seem to have become addicted to working out.

It seems like a positive addiction.

I've also had to acknowledge that in some ways, my personal changes could be interpreted as a mid life crisis.

I do fit the age group and I can't deny I went out and bought a red sports car. No 20 year old girlfriends though.

Just the positive stuff.

If it's a crisis, it's a good one.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

smorgdonkey said:


> Yeah...if you aren't afraid of elevating your risk of prostate cancer, don't be afraid to eat a lot of eggs.


That's just a misconception started by a few chickens. Everything in moderation.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

smorgdonkey said:


> Google will point you to lots of it. I didn't mention the other cancers eggs are linked to but you can find that easily as well. *I think that some risks drop if you are getting true free range eggs* and if you are extremely active, risks drop again but then, risks of most everything drop if you are extremely active.


No offence but it looks like anyone can be fooled by good marketing techniques. "Free Range Eggs" is another misconception. Even free range chickens need to be controlled or they will be eaten by predators. Once controlled there is not enough bugs, grass etc for all the chickens to eat so they have to be supplemented with feed store food. Also, where do the "Free Range" people get these bugs etc from Nov to March. They can't get them around here and their chickens must be fed feed store food. Marketers can be tricky. Eggs are fine but like everything else, in moderation. . . . and Stead: a lot of eggs, sorry but I don't agree.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

smorgdonkey said:


> Google will point you to lots of it. I didn't mention the other cancers eggs are linked to but you can find that easily as well. I think that some risks drop if you are getting true free range eggs and if you are extremely active, risks drop again but then, risks of most everything drop if you are extremely active.
> 
> One of the first things that I learned when I was delving into the study of dietetics was that the meat board, dairy board and egg board were very wealthy entities. That's why you see billboards with all of their stuff on it. I love the milk moustache billboards that used to be up with celebs on them sporting the milk moustaches...I recall that at least one of them didn't consume dairy at all and they used some sort of white paint on the lip. Oh well, a celeb doing it for the money - not a rarity.


I agree with everything you have said about diet so far, but I thought it was dairy that was the leading contributor to prostate cancer? I do believe that eggs do elevate cancer risks, as it is an animal protien, but I don't think it is a prostate contributor as it does not contain casein like milk products do


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

Chitmo said:


> Sometimes just slightly warming some quality olive oil with some crushed chili and a little bit of S&P is good too. Most food gets it's taste from the sauce really and making your own ensures that you're not getting a crap ton of preservatives and MSG.


Exactly. The canned pasta sauces are loaded with crap, especially the cheap ones which are loaded with corn syrup. 
Corn...an amazing plant. But the downfall of the North American diet. Manufacturers have devised a way to put corn into nearly everything we eat, to a detriment of our health.

Damn that Monsanto...they are killing us for profit. India kicked them out, why cant we?

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adcandour said:


> I really do eat just about anything - except sea urchin.


Look into more Indian & Thai dishes. Does not have to be vegetarian.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

adcandour said:


> I once heard (from who knows where) not to eat burned bacon (something to do with cancer, iirc), but I couldn't find anything online to support the claim. Let me know what you know, and I'll make an effort to pull the bacon out early...


Start with reading the book called The China Study. It discusses research of the world's cancer prone areas, and more specifically, where cancer isn't in the radar. There's an interesting tidbit in this book (iirc) where cancer and heart disease deaths ceased abruptly in Poland during WW2. For the duration of the Nazi occupation, these deaths ceased and it is believed to be because the Nazis took all of the cattle from Poland for the war efforts, leaving the population to adopt a vegetarian diet. as soon as the war was over, the number of cancer & heat disease deaths returned.

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adcandour said:


> I once heard (from who knows where) not to eat burned bacon (something to do with cancer, iirc), but I couldn't find anything online to support the claim. Let me know what you know, and I'll make an effort to pull the bacon out early...


Start with reading the book called The China Study. It discusses research of the world's cancer prone areas, and more specifically, where cancer isn't in the radar. There's an interesting tidbit in this book (iirc) where cancer and heart disease deaths ceased abruptly in Poland during WW2. For the duration of the Nazi occupation, these deaths ceased and it is believed to be because the Nazis took all of the cattle from Poland for the war efforts, leaving the population to adopt a vegetarian diet. as soon as the war was over, the number of cancer & heat disease deaths returned.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

adcandour said:


> I can eat limp bacon, but prefer not to. I love rendering the and collecting the fat.


Good point. Where else can you get the bacon fat for the Spinach Salad?


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Wen I low carbed, I ran out of ideas as well.
and I dont care what anyone says,I was still always hungry.

my diet allowed cheese, most meat products, and lots of veg, but almost no fruit, sugar or grains.
you realize how much sugar and grains have invaded our diet.
honestly,im find even just taking out breads, pasta and French fries, made a big difference.

one thing i discovered was pepperoni chips. You simply get some peperoni slices and fry, bake, microwave them until crispy. Tastes pretty good actually.

also, lettuce wraps. Fry up ground beef, season, spoon into a lettuce leaf as if it were a tortilla, add cheese, sour cream, whatever else you're allowed ie tomatoes.

dont forget, sauces , dips , dressings, etc will mess up your diet as well...ie dips for chicken fingers which are full of sugar. If I m going to cheat on a diet, it wil be on something better that that.


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## Chitmo (Sep 2, 2013)

smorgdonkey said:


> Google will point you to lots of it. I didn't mention the other cancers eggs are linked to but you can find that easily as well. I think that some risks drop if you are getting true free range eggs and if you are extremely active, risks drop again but then, risks of most everything drop if you are extremely active.
> 
> One of the first things that I learned when I was delving into the study of dietetics was that the meat board, dairy board and egg board were very wealthy entities. That's why you see billboards with all of their stuff on it. I love the milk moustache billboards that used to be up with celebs on them sporting the milk moustaches...I recall that at least one of them didn't consume dairy at all and they used some sort of white paint on the lip. Oh well, a celeb doing it for the money - not a rarity.


You can find evidence to support whatever you want to believe on the internet though, I bet I could find you more than one link that will give you evidence that Elvis is still alive or that big foot has a cabin in the Yukon. There is nothing wrong with eating a egg or two for breakfast. Like everything else on the planet though moderation is the key!


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Scotty said:


> Exactly. The canned pasta sauces are loaded with crap, especially the cheap ones which are loaded with corn syrup.
> Corn...an amazing plant. But the downfall of the North American diet. Manufacturers have devised a way to put corn into nearly everything we eat, to a detriment of our health.
> 
> Damn that Monsanto...they are killing us for profit. India kicked them out, why cant we?
> ...


Just do this with caution. The North Americanized versions of these foods , and most Asian foods are delicious but notoriously unhealthy. Pad Thai for example.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

Guitar101 said:


> No offence but it looks like anyone can be fooled by good marketing techniques. "Free Range Eggs" is another misconception. Even free range chickens need to be controlled or they will be eaten by predators. Once controlled there is not enough bugs, grass etc for all the chickens to eat so they have to be supplemented with feed store food. Also, where do the "Free Range" people get these bugs etc from Nov to March. They can't get them around here and their chickens must be fed feed store food. Marketers can be tricky. Eggs are fine but like everything else, in moderation. . . . and Stead: a lot of eggs, sorry but I don't agree.


Well, that's why I said "true free range" which would mean you are raising them yourself or can see the field that they live in. Sometimes the criteria that has to be met to 'qualify' is laughable.



Scotty said:


> I agree with everything you have said about diet so far, but I thought it was dairy that was the leading contributor to prostate cancer? I do believe that eggs do elevate cancer risks, as it is an animal protien, but I don't think it is a prostate contributor as it does not contain casein like milk products do


Not a contributor due to casein (and dairy isn't only a contributor due to casein either, for example: IGF-1 growth factor is identical in humans and bovines & it accelerates the growth of every known cancer) but very little egg consumption has been linked to prostate cancer and bladder cancer as well as colon and rectal cancer. 

In a 1992 analysis of dietary habits, people who consumed just 1.5 eggs per week had nearly five times the risk for colon cancer, compared with those who consumed hardly any (fewer than 11 per year), according to the _International Journal of Cancer_. The World Health Organization analyzed data from 34 countries in 2003 and found that eating eggs is associated with death from colon and rectal cancers. And a 2011 study funded by the National Institutes of Health showed that eating eggs is linked to developing prostate cancer. By consuming 2.5 eggs per week, men increased their risk for a deadly form of prostate cancer by 81 percent, compared with men who consumed less than half an egg per week. Finally, even moderate egg consumption tripled the risk of developing bladder cancer, according to a 2005 study published in _International Urology and Nephrology_.



Chitmo said:


> You can find evidence to support whatever you want to believe on the internet though, I bet I could find you more than one link that will give you evidence that Elvis is still alive or that big foot has a cabin in the Yukon.


You sure can. They key is to make up your mind AFTER you read as much as you can and take into consideration the source & other factors. I lived with a dietician for years and she did about ten times the reading & studying that it would have required for her to get her degree in Nutrition - I learned a lot from that woman. Dropped dairy in a heartbeat.


Chitmo said:


> There is nothing wrong with eating a egg or two for breakfast.


Couple of eggs? Give 'er. The International Journal of Cancer would disagree.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Spam, spam, spam, spam, baked beans, spam, spam, with fried egg on top and spam. If you think there is a wee bit too much carb in the baked beans, then you can leave it out.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Chitmo said:


> You can find evidence to support whatever you want to believe on the internet though, I bet I could find you more than one link that will give you evidence that Elvis is still alive or that big foot has a cabin in the Yukon.


Elvis IS still alive, but other than Mighty Like a Rose, I haven't heard much from him since Watching the Detectives.

How can you not love "she's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake"?

I don't have any updates on Yeti.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Well I eat 21 "free range" eggs per week. I guess we all know how I'm going to die.

I am weary of any study that says "such and such" has been "linked to cancer". To me that translates to "we didn't really find anything but we've spent a lot of money and in order to justify our existence and keep us somewhat employed, we should at the very least post some "link to's". That way, we may get more funding." 

There are some good studies out there but there are a ton of bad studies drawing erroneous conclusions to support a hypothesis. 

My Grandfather ate eggs almost everyday until he died at the age of 95. I'll take my chances.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

To every norm there is an anomaly...you know, smoking isn't bad for you because I heard about a smoker who lived to be 105.

1. Know the info. 

2. Decide if the risk is worth it.

3. Enjoy life.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

Milkman said:


> Elvis IS still alive, but other than Mighty Like a Rose, I haven't heard much from him since Watching the Detectives.
> 
> How can you not love "she's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake"?
> 
> I don't have any updates on Yeti.


Yeti, Big Foot and the Sasquatch met up in a cabin in southern B.C.. They drank a lot of fish beer and had a kid, female. I think the kid now lives with my son in Calgary. As far as "free range" goes it's a new world order thing the same as "organic". Just another way to get more money.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

smorgdonkey said:


> To every norm there is an anomaly...you know, smoking isn't bad for you because I heard about a smoker who lived to be 105.
> 
> 1. Know the info.
> 
> ...


I enjoy my life the way I live it. To me the rest don't matter. But the risk is always worth it. At least I enjoy most of my life. I don't enjoy mowing lawns and shoveling snow and I have to do one of those soon.


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## boyscout (Feb 14, 2009)

You probably don't want to think about the fabulous Five Guys burgers when you're on a diet, but when eating them recently my wife said, "we should be able to make these at home." They taste so great I though for sure there were "secret ingredients" but she was right!

I quickly found the video below, got some medium ground beef, smashed it very thin, and created burger patties that are *good enough to eat by themselves*. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4y22RQH05c

Such a simple thing with such amazing results; they are juicy and bursting with flavor. Make 'em thin and give them a really good sear in a blazing-hot pan. These things with a few fixins and without the bun would be a very satisfying low-carb meal for your diet.

Good luck.


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## Moosehead (Jan 6, 2011)

This is what I was talking about in my previous post. It just happened to be on MSN when I was going to check hotmail.

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/foodanddri...loser-to-nature/ar-AA7SfI0?ocid=mailsignoutmd

And then ther was this one:

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/foodanddri...arb-snack-ideas/ss-BBhxaTm?ocid=mailsignoutmd

I never read through this but hope it helps with some new ideas.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

boyscout said:


> You probably don't want to think about the fabulous Five Guys burgers when you're on a diet, but when eating them recently my wife said, "we should be able to make these at home." They taste so great I though for sure there were "secret ingredients" but she was right!
> 
> I quickly found the video below, got some medium ground beef, smashed it very thin, and created burger patties that are *good enough to eat by themselves*.
> 
> ...


I was wondering what to have as a snack and they're sorta on the way to the bulk food place. I'll take them to go with all the fixings.....and the free fries to keep them and my stomach warm.


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## Option1 (May 26, 2012)

Stratin2traynor said:


> Well I eat 21 "free range" eggs per week. I guess we all know how I'm going to die.
> 
> I am weary of any study that says "such and such" has been "linked to cancer". To me that translates to "we didn't really find anything but we've spent a lot of money and in order to justify our existence and keep us somewhat employed, we should at the very least post some "link to's". That way, we may get more funding."
> 
> ...


I'm weary/wary of any media story that says, "a study has linked such and such to cancer." Usually, the study found no such thing, but did do a statistical analysis that produced a *possible* anomaly, and the people doing the study freely admit that it was most likely an anomaly rather than a true indication of anything definite. The media loves to make mountains out of molehills. The stories are usually more an indicator that some reporter read a scientific paper that they didn't understand, but the minor mention of the anomaly makes good copy.

Neil


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

In honor (or maybe in spite) of this thread, I had breakfast for lunch yesterday, Three eggs over easy, bacon, sausage and brown toast.

Delicious.


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## JHarasym (Mar 27, 2007)

My wife and I started eating according to the book "The Southbeach Diet", which is basically a low carb eating plan. 
It led to permanent changes in our habits, most importantly smaller portions and fewer carbs (not zero). 
It suggests substitutes for many of the foods you need to give up.
The first two weeks are the hard part, but I figured I could endure almost anything for two weeks. 
We are very happy with the results.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

adcandour said:


> I can eat limp bacon, but prefer not to. I love rendering the and collecting the fat.
> 
> I once heard (from who knows where) not to eat burned bacon (something to do with cancer, iirc), but I couldn't find anything online to support the claim. Let me know what you know, and I'll make an effort to pull the bacon out early...


I couldn't remember the chemical but it's the Nitrates and Nitrate compounds that put in bacon and most processed meats. When you burn (as in crisp bacon) those nitrates can cause cancer. If that is a problem, eat back bacon. It's more expensive, of course, but is better for you and most people think it is tastier.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Pea meal is pea meal and bacon is bacon.

Calling Pea meal "bacon" is a little like calling a guitar shaped like a Tele but with two humbuckers, a Tele.

Technically, ok it's bacon, but really I think for most people they're quite different.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Milkman said:


> In honor (or maybe in spite) of this thread, I had breakfast for lunch yesterday, Three eggs over easy, bacon, sausage and brown toast.
> 
> Delicious.


Welcome to the Dark Side. Ya'all come back now, ya hear.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Milkman said:


> Pea meal is pea meal and bacon is bacon.
> 
> Calling Pea meal "bacon" is a little like calling a guitar shaped like a Tele but with two humbuckers, a Tele.
> 
> Technically, ok it's bacon, but really I think for most people they're quite different.


Which came first, the fat sliced stuff or the peameal? And hey, I thought you were technical?:smile-new:


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

JHarasym said:


> My wife and I started eating according to the book "The Southbeach Diet", which is basically a low carb eating plan.
> It led to permanent changes in our habits, most importantly smaller portions and fewer carbs (not zero).
> *It suggests substitutes for many of the foods you need to give up.*
> The first two weeks are the hard part, but I figured I could endure almost anything for two weeks.
> We are very happy with the results.


That is pretty much the goal. Just ways of satisfying myself while avoiding the major culprits.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Steadfastly said:


> Which came first, the fat sliced stuff or the peameal? And hey, I thought you were technical?:smile-new:


I have no idea which came first. I only know that if you put peameal and bacon on my plate, they aren't the same to me. I do like pea meal but.....

I'm only as technical as I need to be.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Steadfastly said:


> I couldn't remember the chemical but it's the Nitrates and Nitrate compounds that put in bacon and most processed meats. When you burn (as in crisp bacon) those nitrates can cause cancer. If that is a problem, eat back bacon. It's more expensive, of course, but is better for you and most people think it is tastier.


Phewf, I grab amazing quality bacon from a place called Kloster's in Newmarket - I think everything he has is free of that stuff.


However, those $1 packs of bacon that are mostly fat I buy for rendering. Still, I rarely burn my bacon. Is crispy equivalent to burnt? Or, are the blackened parts burnt? I don't know. I just love my bacon.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Milkman said:


> Pea meal is pea meal and bacon is bacon.
> 
> Calling Pea meal "bacon" is a little like calling a guitar shaped like a Tele but with two humbuckers, a Tele.
> 
> Technically, ok it's bacon, but really I think for most people they're quite different.


Agreed. Two totally different animals in my opinion....wait a minute..


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Milkman said:


> I have no idea which came first. I only know that if you put peameal and bacon on my plate, they aren't the same to me. I do like pea meal but.....
> 
> I'm only as technical as I need to be.


I agree. Peameal (back/Canadian) bacon is a lot more like ham than bacon s'far as I'm concerned and no where near the same meat.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

nkjanssen said:


> Download the "MyFitnessPal" app for your phone and monitor your weight and everything you eat for a couple of weeks. You might find that just paying attention like that suddenly makes you more mindful of what you're eating and that, in and of itself, changes your eating habits into something more sensible AND sustainable.


I downloaded something from my samsung that's free. It's actually super cool. I just keep forgetting to use it.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

allthumbs56 said:


> I agree. Peameal (back/Canadian) bacon is a lot more like ham than bacon s'far as I'm concerned and no where near the same meat.


Your right about that. Peameal bacon is really cured boneless pork loin rolled in corn meal.

y coated in dried and ground yellow peas


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Guitar101 said:


> Your right about that. Peameal bacon is really cured boneless pork loin rolled in corn meal.
> 
> y coated in dried and ground yellow peas


Maybe it's the other way around. Boneless pork loin is really Peameal bacon without the corn meal.:smile-new:


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Steadfastly said:


> Maybe it's the other way around. Boneless pork loin is really Peameal bacon without the corn meal.:smile-new:


Maybe, but it's still not really bacon.

They should have made them change it to bakon (a la spam).


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## johnnyshaka (Nov 2, 2014)

I've lost 30 lbs (gained a few lbs back over the last month with the Xmas holidays and my 40th bday going on) over the last year and a half primarily by watching what I eat. I don't want to call it a "diet" because I'm not really following any particular plan but instead paying attention to my calorie intake. Using the "MyFitnessPal" app is a great way to do that.

The app will give you a good idea of how many calories you should be consuming depending on how active you are as well as your current health. Obviously, consult a physician if you have any questions about what your calorie intake should be but if you're being truly honest with yourself you could and should probably cut some of your calorie intake...or at least make better use of your calories! 

Before heading down this road I did a little research because I'm a rather picky eater and I wanted to make sure I had a plan of attack and assembled a decent arsenal of food options that I both liked and knew I could have around all the time. I think having the "good" food readily available is really important...like spending a few minutes to chop up celery, carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers and having them in the fridge takes the excuses out of not packing healthy snacks for lunch/dinner. I always have frozen veggies and fruit in case we run out of the fresh stuff for whatever reason, again, no excuses. Bottom line is I know I need to make the decisions as easy as possible (i.e. have the good stuff ready to go) so I can make the right decisions as often as possible.

Portion size was another issue and while I bought a food scale to help with that I realized pretty quickly that an appropriate portion size was usually close to half of what I use to take so after a short time I ditched the scale and used common sense...take half of what I use to take...lol. Controlling the portions led to not eating until I was stuffed but if I still felt hungry that an extra serving of veggies was the answer, not another steak. 

I like to cook and in another life maybe that's a profession I would pursue but the way my household works now (wife and two little girls) I don't have a ton of time to cook nearly as often as I'd like nor are my kids as open to eating a lot of the stuff my wife and I would like to eat so we have to consider that when prepping for meals. For the most part we like to cook as many meals from scratch as we can and I think that's an important step in all of this...when you know what's in your food (because you prepared from start to finish) then you know what's good for you and what isn't.

Along with the better food choices I also made an effort to exercise more. I play hockey at least once a week and sometimes more but also started walking as often as I could...whether it be a walk before breakfast/after supper or walking to and from work (I live 2 km from my office). I didn't want to go the gym/working out path because I knew it would be tough to maintain because we're just so busy and the extra cost just wasn't worth it in my eyes so figured I'd go the "free" route and it's worked really well. Although, the cold winter months aren't ideal for 5 km walks after supper but taking the kids to the outdoor rink, tobogganing, or even shoveling snow all count as some form of exercise and I take advantage of those activities when I can.

Bottom line is I make my calories count. No more pop (that's been an easy one for me which surprised me, TBH), minimal amount of junk food like chips (that's probably the toughest one), and make sure I offset any calories above and beyond my daily allowance with exercise even if that means doing pushups/situps/etc... for half an hour after getting home from a few beers with the guys after work. Knowing that there are consequences for going over your calorie allowance really makes you think twice about ordering those wings or having that extra beer.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

When you're just making the first steps from couch potato to....well whatever is one step better, it's shockingly easy to identify the low hanging fruit.

Yes, pop is a huge one. So is beer, fast food, sweets.

Knowing what you have to do is a no brainer. Making it happen takes something more.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

You made a lot of good points but



johnnyshaka said:


> extra beer.


there is no such thing as extra beer.


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## johnnyshaka (Nov 2, 2014)

Milkman said:


> Knowing what you have to do is a no brainer. Making it happen takes something more.


100% correct!

What did it for me was a buddy who I hadn't seen in years and saw what he had done to lose nearly 100 lbs in less than a year...he looked great and what he did looked and sounded really doable.

Not sure why his transformation made things click for me because we all see that kind of stuff on TV/internet everyday, but it did.

Seeing results rather quickly helped as well...then it turns into a game of sorts...how much can I lose this week or how many kms can I walk this week...I was quite surprised at how powerful that little bit of competitiveness was for me.

I realize everybody has different triggers and I'm no different. I spent the better part of my 20's and 30's at least 50 lbs overweight full well knowing that I ate too much junk and didn't exercise enough but for whatever reason I finally decided to put that knowledge to good use.

Here's the blog of the buddy that made things click for me: http://fattofitat44.blogspot.ca/

I didn't follow exactly what he did but followed the basic premise...eat responsibly and exercise more...that's it.


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## johnnyshaka (Nov 2, 2014)

smorgdonkey said:


> there is no such thing as extra beer.


You're right...I could probably benefit from the pushups and situps I make myself do after "another" beer after work!!


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

My neighbour is younger than me and starting up his snowblower...there is only about 3 inches of snow on the ground. There are lessons in even the simplest things.


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## johnnyshaka (Nov 2, 2014)

smorgdonkey said:


> My neighbour is younger than me and starting up his snowblower...there is only about 3 inches of snow on the ground. There are lessons in even the simplest things.


Haha...exactly!

A few years ago my neighbour would offer to clean up my driveway with his snowblower and I'd always say yes...not anymore!!


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## Chitmo (Sep 2, 2013)

smorgdonkey said:


> My neighbour is younger than me and starting up his snowblower...there is only about 3 inches of snow on the ground. There are lessons in even the simplest things.


Today? There was barely any snow! I am a big fan of having a snow blower and I am all about it at 5am when I need to get to work but there are times whens it's really not needed!


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

deleted sksajdc


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

smorgdonkey said:


> You made a lot of good points but
> 
> 
> 
> there is no such thing as extra beer.


Yes there is. 

Sometimes after my boss pi**es me off the point where I usually have an extra beer to forget about it. Sometimes an extra, extra, extra beer


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## johnnyshaka (Nov 2, 2014)

Somebody at work was talking about this:

http://www.soylent.me

Quick and dirty...it's meal replacement via a shake...every meal, every day...shake, shake, shake.

Could you do it?


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

johnnyshaka said:


> Somebody at work was talking about this:
> 
> http://www.soylent.me
> 
> ...


I could do it.

I wouldn't do it though, for many reasons, one being that it is soy based which I do not think is a great foundation for our diet. It is ok to have some but as the cornerstone of the diet? No. I think that if one were to take that on, it would be better as a replacement for a percentage of their food intake rather than a complete replacement. 

I also don't think that it is a long term solution so one would have to transition back to a normal diet somewhere down the line.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

smorgdonkey said:


> I could do it.
> 
> I wouldn't do it though, for many reasons, one being that it is soy based which I do not think is a great foundation for our diet. It is ok to have some but as the cornerstone of the diet? No. I think that if one were to take that on, it would be better as a replacement for a percentage of their food intake rather than a complete replacement.
> 
> I also don't think that it is a long term solution so one would have to transition back to a normal diet somewhere down the line.


I'm not sure how much credibility I would give this, but I was told Soy is not good for men of middle age in relation to maintaining testosterone levels.


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## johnnyshaka (Nov 2, 2014)

I am in no way an advocate for Soylent or any meal replacement product but despite being called "Soylent" I don't think soy is a major component as it's listed 5th last in the dictionary sized list of ingredients:

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/04...iles_Complete-Soylent-Nutrition-Facts-1p3.pdf


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

Milkman said:


> I'm not sure how much credibility I would give this, but I was told Soy is not good for men of middle age in relation to maintaining testosterone levels.


It is true. It elevates estrogens (top of my head...I don't recall) so men can get typical feminine fat deposits as a side-effect, among other things.

- - - Updated - - -



johnnyshaka said:


> I am in no way an advocate for Soylent or any meal replacement product but despite being called "Soylent" I don't think soy is a major component as it's listed 5th last in the dictionary sized list of ingredients:
> 
> http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/04...iles_Complete-Soylent-Nutrition-Facts-1p3.pdf


That is indeed odd.


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## dodgechargerfan (Mar 22, 2006)

My wife has a home based business selling a product line that includes a protein shake in which the protein is derived from peas instead of soy.
The company has a document about the concerns of soy and while it does serve to promote their own product, it does point out that it's not soy in general but soy that is frown and processed in a particular way.

I won't post a link because I don't want to spam you guys, but it's an interesting read and the shakes are really good because the protein powder is just part of it, the rest of the shake is real food like fruit or vegetables. 
When she does a demonstration of the shake powder, she serves it mixed with just water. It tastes pretty good. The pitch is that I you only use water, that's the worst it will ever taste. Most people say it tastes fine.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

dodgechargerfan said:


> My wife has a home based business selling a product line that includes a protein shake in which the protein is derived from peas instead of soy.
> _*The company has a document about the concerns of soy and while it does serve to promote their own product, it does point out that it's not soy in general but soy that is frown and processed in a particular way.*_


I have a friend who is very well read on the subject and she told me the same thing. She basically said anything that is heated and its original form was processed into another form (i.e. solid to a liquid) to avoid it because its internal properties end up being changed.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Why are you on a low carb diet? Your own inclination or doctor's orders?

How many grams of carbs are you supposed to have?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

This is me in about 2005 at about 235 Lbs. I think I maxed out at more than 245 but I'm not sure.


And now, at 185.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Looking good.

Your strat horn thanks you...


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

johnnyshaka said:


> I didn't follow exactly what he did but followed the basic premise...eat responsibly and exercise more...that's it.


That's it in a nutshell! Common sense! Too many people though are looking for an easy way out. There is NONE!

Plain and simple: Calorie deficit = weight loss! It doesn't get any simpler than that!


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Milkman said:


> This is me in about 2005 at about 235 Lbs. I think I maxed out at more than 245 but I'm not sure.
> 
> 
> And now, at 185.


Hmmm, I noticed at 245, you had a smile on your face. I wonder if there's a connection.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

johnnyshaka said:


> I am in no way an advocate for Soylent or any meal replacement product but despite being called "Soylent" I don't think soy is a major component as it's listed 5th last in the dictionary sized list of ingredients:
> 
> http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/04...iles_Complete-Soylent-Nutrition-Facts-1p3.pdf


Soylent....as in soylent green? Nope, soy is definitely not one of the major components.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Guitar101 said:


> Hmmm, I noticed at 245, you had a smile on your face. I wonder if there's a connection.


That wasn't a smile. It was gas.


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## bscott (Mar 3, 2008)

I ditched low carb in favour of low glicemic carbs. Beans, sweet potatoes, sqaushes. Do a search on low glicemic index. It may help rather than low quantity "white" carbs which are high in the glycemic index. I trained last summer for a 100K in one day bike ride for MS. Sweet potatoes made the biggest difference in my diet. Not a big portion would provide plenty of fuel for my muscles and is low on the glycemic index - the rate at which your body converts food (carbs) to sugar. Anything white , including ALL rice is high on the index. Low index leaves you fuller longer and provides fuel for your body longer.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

bscott said:


> I ditched low carb in favour of low glicemic carbs. Beans, sweet potatoes, sqaushes. Do a search on low glicemic index. It may help rather than low quantity "white" carbs which are high in the glycemic index. I trained last summer for a 100K in one day bike ride for MS. Sweet potatoes made the biggest difference in my diet. Not a big portion would provide plenty of fuel for my muscles and is low on the glycemic index - the rate at which your body converts food (carbs) to sugar. Anything white , including ALL rice is high on the index. Low index leaves you fuller longer and provides fuel for your body longer.


I would have to agree with you 100%!

I eat beans, legumes and nothing white. I try to eat the most brightly colored vegetables like orange and red peppers. Sweet potatoes is one of my favorites. I just nuke them and add a bit of S & P. Green beans, chick peas and black and kidney beans are a great source of fibre and nutrients. They fill you up definitely. They are the best choice for your source of carbs. If I eat bread it's usually whole grain or 12 grain bread. I might eat 1 piece of bread a week. Usually with some peanut butter and raspberry jam. That's a treat for me. Try to eat a pure as you can. Without any additives and all that crap that your body doesn't need.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

bscott said:


> I ditched low carb in favour of low glicemic carbs. Beans, sweet potatoes, sqaushes. Do a search on low glicemic index. It may help rather than low quantity "white" carbs which are high in the glycemic index. I trained last summer for a 100K in one day bike ride for MS. Sweet potatoes made the biggest difference in my diet. Not a big portion would provide plenty of fuel for my muscles and is low on the glycemic index - the rate at which your body converts food (carbs) to sugar. Anything white , including ALL rice is high on the index. Low index leaves you fuller longer and provides fuel for your body longer.



When you say all rice - does that include all the browns and wilds?

Also, I tried looking at glycemic index charts, but don't have a frame of reference other than 'the closer to zero, the better'. Is there a specific resource you recommend?

Edit: I just downloaded a really helpful app called My GI - who the hell knew cooked beets are a no-no?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

It doesn't have to be so complicated.

We may be over analyzing things a bit.

I understand that everyone has to figure out the way that works for them, but you don't have to get all scientific and anal about losing weight.

It's really much simpler than that.

Eat less, move more. Yes eating better is critical, but you really don't need a slide rule and calculater to know where to make improvements.

At least it was obvious to me, but maybe my habits were worse than others.

The trick is seldom knowing what to do. It's finding the will to make it so.


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## Judas68fr (Feb 5, 2013)

About 10 years ago I had to loose weight (I had put on almost 20kg in 3 months due to a cortisone based treatment). Because I have a Crohn disease, I didn't want to go on a specific diet (people having this disease know how tough it is to find a diet that works and ables you to live a normal life). What I did was lowering my salt consumption (500mg a day) and I started to run. Lost 20kg in about 6 months, and today I'm even 10kg lighter, and my weight is really stable. You really get used to eating less salt, and it's not bad for your health (I don't say stop eating salt, you need some!). Don't replace it by a substitute. You'll learn the real taste of ingredients (french fries are delicious without salt). People are eating way too much salt! 

I think it's better to bring as much variety in your diet as possible, cook as much as possible (to have as much control as possible on what ends up in your plate), and buy quality ingredients. I go even a bit further and almost always buy local fresh food (meat, vegetables, fruits). Better for the environment, and when you go to local farmer's markets you can talk with people and they are not afraid to tell you how they do things. You don't really need strawberries in January in Canada...


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Judas68fr said:


> About 10 years ago I had to loose weight (I had put on almost 20kg in 3 months due to a cortisone based treatment). Because I have a Crohn disease, I didn't want to go on a specific diet (people having this disease know how tough it is to find a diet that works and ables you to live a normal life). What I did was lowering my salt consumption (500mg a day) and I started to run. Lost 20kg in about 6 months, and today I'm even 10kg lighter, and my weight is really stable. You really get used to eating less salt, and it's not bad for your health (I don't say stop eating salt, you need some!). Don't replace it by a substitute. You'll learn the real taste of ingredients (french fries are delicious without salt). People are eating way too much salt!
> 
> I think it's better to bring as much variety in your diet as possible, cook as much as possible (to have as much control as possible on what ends up in your plate), and buy quality ingredients. I go even a bit further and almost always buy local fresh food (meat, vegetables, fruits). Better for the environment, and when you go to local farmer's markets you can talk with people and they are not afraid to tell you how they do things. You don't really need strawberries in January in Canada...


This makes sense. I also reduced salt, to the point where I use much less than before when cooking and certainly never have a salt shaker on the table.
Growing up, "pass the salt please" was often heard at our dinner table.
That's what I mean about it being simpler than we tend to make it.

Congrats on your success.


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