25 Pounds

So my experiment with Slow Carb dieting has been a modest success so far. I have lost 25 pounds since starting at the end of July. A couple of things that I have learned from Slow Carb.

1.) It works for me. It may not be a long term solution for me, but I don't have any troubles following a Slow Carb diet. Lean protein and veggies with complex carbs provides a decent amount of variety.

2.) You need a cheat every now and then. In the "4 Hour Body" book, he advocates a cheat day. I have not really done that. I have more like a cheat meal. And even the cheat meal is mainly slow carb with a treat thrown in. A burger (no bun) with green beans and fries. The fries are a big cheat. The cheat gives you something to look forward to and it sort of shakes up your body.

3.) I can live without bread. Maybe not in every instance, but bread, pasta and rice are a treat to be enjoyed every so often.

4.) I was never a big dairy man accept for coffee cream and ice cream. I'm still enjoying half and half in my coffee. I've had about 3 servings of ice cream in the last 2 1/2 months. I have a big cheat meal coming up in a few days. I might have ice cream or I might have a variety of little treats.

5.) You cannot really eat slow carb in a fast food setting. As a result, I have only been out to eat a couple of times. Those times were the result of poor planning or just a craving.

The one real drawback of a Slow Carb diet is that it requires prep time and effort. I eat an omelet with veggies or beans everyday. That takes about 1/2 of an hour to make. Kind of puts a dent in the mornings. A couple of tips to shorten the time needed in the mornings. Cook some of the food ahead of time. Turkey bacon has become a staple. It takes about 20 minutes to fry up a package. Usually I cook up a package on a Saturday or Sunday and have bacon for the week. Egg muffins are easy to make. They are easy to store and can be eaten cold or hot.

Salsa is the best. Salsa Verde (Green chili salsa) rocks on eggs and omelets. This isn't Adkins. This is slow carb. Don't eat hot dogs, bologna, fatty fast food meats, etc. Make sure your protein is lean. Learn to like beans. Black beans are easy to spice up with some garlic, cumin and cilantro. Lima beans and green beans with turkey bacon and tomatoes are the bomb.

Drink lots of water. Sometimes you get hungry and sometimes you get a craving for something you shouldn't eat. Drink some water. Fill up on water and soon enough the craving with go away.