Preferred menu for me

I

By the third month, I can say that Ive tried a lot of combinations and techniques to keep the menu fresh and exciting.

A little review - for your benefit.

MONTH ONE: Going for gold (in one shopping trip)

I think as an overall reflection on the first few weeks on the diet, I was, well, a little overzealous.

In my defence though, that is true to my nature. I will always plunge in the deep end or dedicate myself to something 110%. I zealously scrutinize and memorize the entire program, and try to reap the full benefits as soon as possible. Its like learning a federal policy authority...okay, Im a little hellbent on policy. I digress...

For the first three weeks, I would lovingly choose a wide variety of meats from the list: a little lean beef, the full three servings of bison, chicken, turkey and some of the PC honey maple turkey slices. I had the full allowable. While I love caribou, its a little difficult to source. Plus, Id rather leave the precious little that might make its way into urban Ottawa for my Inuit friends to enjoy.

Back to the meat. I cut and measured them into the appropriate 2 oz or 3 oz portions for a total of 7 oz daily.

Given that its important to have your meals ready to go, to keep the protein moving and blood sugar levels steady, I lovingly placed all the meat on a broiling rack and individually spiced each piece. I had some with garlic, salt and pepper; mustard, the tomato-cum-sauce paste mix, Pataks tandoori, yellow curry and myriad other spices to keep my interest peaked. Once everything was cooked, I would try to remember which was a 2 oz piece versus 3 oz piece, and grouped 7 oz worth into little Ziploc baggies for freezing and later heating and use. Im sure I messed that up, not figuring on the fact that it would shrink and all become tiny pebble-sized morsels by the time they were cooked.

As for fruits, I was selecting and preparing portions from the full range available. I had strawberries, canteloupe, oranges, grapefruit and applesauce. It was exhausting to prepare them all, so I ended up buying small containers of pre-cut fruits. Plus, I didnt find I liked the variety. I realized that I dont eat that many fruits regularly, so I honed in apples and applesauce and grapefruit, and those became my staples. I only eat them in the morning anyway, so that was easy to "streamline."

The vegetables were just as complex as my meat and fruit scheme.

I purchased the full range of available veggies from the list immediately once I started the program. Yes, even fiddleheads... Now who the hell even eats fiddleheads, and what dark cavernous corner of a swamp do these things come from?! Strange organic matter...and no matter what you try to spice it up with, you can never get them to taste good. You can never seem to rinse all the dirt out of them either. Strike - off the list.

I remember coming home and single-handedly commandeering the fridge with all the vegetables I had. Everything fresh of course, but until I realized that I could only eat 16oz worth in total per day, I realized I had over-purchased.

I was using veggies in everything, but it was so time consuming and labour intensive to have to prep everything I was using for every meal, that my hunger completely took over.

I was having salads with chopped veggies on top; veggies in omelettes; crudite veggies for lunch; boiled or roasted veggies for supper. Everything was taking so much longer to prepare - and I was starving.

So, I spent an evening, bought a plastic container with removable compartments and a lid, and took all my vegetables that were bursting out of my fridge, and cut them all up. Radishes, cucumbers, plum and tiny tomatoes, my green onions, celery, spinach, bok choy, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower...even the dreaded fiddleheads.

I had it all.


I had initiative and energy.

I had it down to an art.

I had enough food for an army.

I had hard rock morsels of dry meat...yum...

Lesson Learned: It was exhausting....though did yield a full 20 lbs loss in 4 weeks. Food was certainly diverse and flavourful, but meat lacked freshness. Two fruits were honed in as my favs and staples, and remain the key for me.


MONTH TWO: Settling for bronze

After the meat experience, I was drawn to experiment with egg whites for my protein. If I couldnt prepare in advance meat that I could just reheat without fearing I would choke, Id try an alternate protein method.

First I made egg white omelettes. It was alright, loaded with veggies and spices, but a little labour intensive at times. Plus, I didnt want to eat eggs at every meal. I had hardboiled eggs (sans the "sun" as my son calls it); egg white omelettes; egg mixed with wheat bran and fruit/Splenda for mini morning muffins; eggs topped with salsa for a Mexican flavour, or eggs with the fat free cheese slathered over top. By the second week I didnt see my ketosis running any higher, and I was really getting sick of eggs...

So by week 8, I went back to the meat apportioning-pre-cooking method. Adios my Mexican eggs. Instead, I went eastern.

I LOVE tandoori/curry spices. If I could eat butter chicken and NAN all day I would. So I was very surprised to see a recipe in the Dr. B. recipe book and tried it. It was great!! I used the Aylmers stewed tomatoes, peppers, green onion, chicken and loaded up the curry, coriander, allspice and pepper. Eureka - I found my new fav dish!

I cut up enough ingredients to bag and freeze 3-4 days worth.

All was good until the doctor said - only eat tomatoes and peppers in moderation. Sure, now he tells me. I had enough of the mix for lunch and supper meals to set up my own curry IV drip.

Back to the drawing board...

The pre-cutting veggies idea was working for me. I could just grab a handful (measure of course) but got the hang of how much I needed for the week.

So in my bi-weekly scoping of the grocery store aisles, I came across an amazing, though environmentally dubious, invention called the Ziploc steamer bags. Well - this might work to speed up my meal prep!

Seven bags in a package lets you throw any imaginable combination in the bag, including spices. After 2-3 mins, your veggies are steamed to perfection and lightly spiced. Yahoo!


MONTH THREE: Dissing Mother Earth in search of fast and fresh living

Im actually paring down a little on my protein. More by choice than anything. I was finding that by eating the full 7 oz per day, I wasnt really losing that much. Incremental progress. So I experimented.

In week 9 I ate 2 oz at breakfast, then another 3 oz at lunch, and only veggies and a bread for supper. I did not feel any hungrier; no weakness, light headedness, etc. What did happen though was that my ketosis burn was consistent and never dropped. A full 2 (++) burn. With 7 oz I would only be a trace or 1 (+). I feel better and am burning a half pound consistently per day.

And what I am eating for meat you may ask? Chicken mainly - and yes - a few eggs again. I had worked in turkey, but unless its a Christmas turkey dripping with butter and sage, thyme and stuffing, I can do without it.

As for my veggies? The steamer bags it is for me.

I buy two packs: 14 bags in total for a weeks worth of lunch and supper veggies. I then cut and wash the following:

3 zucinni (small) cut in half for six portions
2 large bundles of asparagus (cut tips to half stock)
1 box of cherry tomatoes
1 bag of small bok choy (baby size)
1 large green pepper
1 head of cauliflower (small)
1 head of broccoli (small)
1 bunch of green onions (left whole)

Once I cut everything up and leave in fairly large sizes, I add a little bit of everything into one bag, up to 8 oz. I add coarse pepper, and if I want, some curry or tandoori, fresh chopped garlic or other spices to preference. Or, I leave them unsullied and pure, in case I want to throw them on a salad. Not friggin likely though...Ive come to realize that I just dont like salad that much. That was probably my first private "ah-ha" moment on the diet, and realized that I just prefer rough cut steamed veggies or crudite more than anything else.

So thats what I do now.

I can still use the mix for a stir fry, broil, steam or raw crudite, and the mix is diverse and as varied as I want it.

Now all I need to do is pull a bag from the fridge and its ready to go.

Im also using them for meat as well - separately from the veggies of course. While I dont prepackage the meat and let it sit for several days until I use it, Ill rinse the meat, weigh it, season it and pop it in the microwave bag. Its fast and fresh for breakfast and lunch, and with the steam approach, its tender and moist.

I have found my technology, quick pace and fav foods that I now know work for me.

I have found flavour, diversity, ease and freshness.

I have found it through technology.

So, while Im not religious, I could see my diet confessional going something like this:

"Please forgive me Mother Earth for I have sinned...it has been 4 hours since my last confession - at least since my last protein installment.

I have replaced 45 lbs of flab on my body with an equal amount of guilt for my contribution to burgeoning landfills due to the bags Im using.

However, I am bringing my own plastic food tray and stainlees steel utensils to work...!"


Ill go prostrate myself now to the landfill gods....

Related Posts by Categories