Skip to main content

Progress continues on slow carb diet

Nearly a month later, I have lost more weight, although the weight loss has slowed. Down to 211 pounds as of this morning. Again, not depriving myself, eating healthy, plenty of energy, and the fat is slowly melting away.

Cravings have also melted away, for the most part. I wouldn't mind a little artisan sourdough bread, I really miss my own baking, but I don't CRAVE it, and I don't crave sweets or alcohol, either. Just happily living on my own stored body fat like a bear in winter.

People are commenting on the difference in my appearance, and I can see it too. My pants are baggy, and I will soon need to punch more holes in my belt or buy a new one.

What's exciting is that I can LIVE this way, it will be no hardship for me to stay on this diet for several more months, if I choose to. In fact, I may well just stick with this diet for life, with a few modifications. Because I FEEL better. Part of that's due to carrying around 30 fewer pounds than I was, but there's certainly more than that.

Every Saturday is a misbehavior day in which I can eat whatever I want. I don't go nuts, but I will have a burrito, a sandwich, pasta, etc. The thing is, I feel the impact almost immediately. And it's not a good feeling. A load of simple carbs makes me feel "fuzzy,"sluggish and out of it within minutes. Weirdly, I have noticed that I undergo a depressive mood swing after carbing up that can last as long as two days. That sucks, and it leads me to wonder how much unhappiness in my life has been fallout from carb-induced mood swings. Not that I have led a terrible life, by any means, life has actually been pretty OK over all, but there have been speed bumps.

So while the misbehavior is part of the diet, and a relief from the monotony, it's not a huge treat for me. More like a mixed blessing. You can read my older posts to get a picture of the particulars of the diet and how it works.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chicos and Beans!

Chicos and Beans, Ese! They go together like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. But what ARE they, and why are they so good? Chicos are as far as I know an ingredient peculiar to northeastern New Mexico. Chicos are sweet corn which is roasted in an outdoor wood-fired adobe oven called an Horno (pronounced or-no, as rhyming with “porno,” but don't make that association with the older generation.) The result is that the corn is preserved, but it keeps its sweetness and the sugars in the corn are caramelized, resulting in a wonderful, distinctive flavor. It is best to buy them from someone who has roasted them, as one never really knows how old the ones in the stores may be. Just like beans, if they are more than a year old, you have to cook them forever to make them tender. The classic winter repast of chicos and beans is about the sweetness of the ingredients and how they harmonize with each other. The chicos provide the sweetness of roasted corn, the smoked ham hocks provide the swe...
3 comments
Read more

Green Chile Hummus

A couple of days ago, I bought a couple of bags of lentils and a lemon at our local supermarket. The cashier asked me if I use lemon in my lentils, and actually, I sometimes do, but I told her that the lemon was for my hummus. She asked me what that was, as she had never heard of such a thing. And since the mission of this blog is to introduce local folks to foods unfamiliar to them, I am going to talk about hummus, and share the best hummus recipe ever. Hummus is a delicious Middle Eastern appetizer, a healthy and immensely flavorful dip that will make you ashamed that you ever served the ranch dressing or onion soup mix sour cream dips to people you actually like. Hummus is a puree of garbanzo beans, tahini (sesame seed paste)garlic and lemon juice. Healthy and pure heaven in your mouth. But being me, I was recently making hummus for a party and I asked myself, "How could I make this even better, and maybe put a New Mexico spin on it?" I did so by adding locally grown,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Oregano de la Sierra

One of the culinary herbs peculiar to this region is Oregano de la Sierra. It is used in place of oregano in the local cuisine. It is not oregano. The latin name for this plant is Monarda Menthefolium, and it is a variety of bee balm. It does have a flavor reminiscent of oregano with a bit of mint. It is a beautiful plant. It is normally foraged in the mountainous areas, hence its name, which translates as "oregano of the mountains."Those who enjoy word play will note that the word "oregano" itself derives from the Greek "ganos" meaning brightness or ornament, and "oros" meaning mountains. So cross-culturally, "oregano de la sierra" means "ornament of the mountains of the mountains." The photo at right is of oregano de la sierra growing in my back yard. It is drought-hardy and likes filtered shade. As you may guess, being a bee balm, bees love it, so it doesn't just feed you, it feeds our little friends as well. If you wan...
Post a Comment
Read more