Another week, another Cheat Day, a few more pounds gone. I weighed in this morning at 2.2 lbs less than than last week; if I can keep losing 1-2 lbs/week, I will be very happy indeed. I did again gain 4 lbs the morning after Cheat Day last week, which means my weight is actually 6.2 lbs less than it was last Sunday morning. Tim Ferriss states on his website (in response to a question) that post-Cheat Day weight gain is not unusual, but that the weight tends to vanish in a few days. That is been my experience to date.
Note in all this that I’m still limited in my physical activity by my high ankle sprain; I’ve been doing no exercising or stretching, and I’ve been doing fewer physical chores than usual (as evidenced by the snow and ice on our front driveway). However, I will likely start going back to the gym on Monday to see if I can swim — or even just walk in the swimming lane — without undue pain.
My cravings are changing, too. Two weeks ago on Cheat Day, I frankly overdid it because I felt a drive to eat things I had wanted all week long. I was a bit more moderate last week (though I did have both a Big Mac and a Quarter Pounder along with my fries between NFL playoff games). While I’ve got a few “nice to haves” on my list for today (a slice of Costco pizza, a trip to a Mexican restaurant, a toasted cheese sandwich), I don’t feel a need to eat everything that I wouldn’t be able to eat otherwise. In other words, the protein/legumes/veggies diet is starting to feel like normal.
Similarly, during-the-week cravings and impulses are becoming more and more muted — in part because of the diet shift, but also because of the Cheat Day exception. I don’t feel deprived that I can’t run through McDonalds or Taco Bell whenever the urge hits me; if anything, I feel a bit liberated and more thoughtful about my eating. And there’s always bacon.
I had to eat out (on business) three days in a row this week and had no problems. Each time, I ordered a salad that came with protein (e.g., cobb salad, salmon salad) and didn’t worry about beans.
By the way, last weekend I grilled up (a) salmon, (b) hamburger patties (88% lean), and (c) boneless pork chops (1″ to 1.5″ thick), all meats purchased at Costco. For the pork chops, I smeared them with a dijon mustard-chopped garlic paste an hour or so before grilling; they have been absolutely wonderful. The salmon I fixed two ways: two large filets on cedar plans with a savory spice rub (a bit of sugar in it, but eh?), and two smaller filets marinated in olive oil, lime juice, salt & pepper and cooked directly on the grill (using a perforated grilling pan). The latter filets were absolutely exquisite; easily the best fish I have ever cooked and some of the best fish I have ever eaten. All future grilled fish will be cooked that way. The meat I cooked last week not only lasted all this week but will last well into next week also (and that’s with my sweet wife, who is not on the FHBD, making use of it as well).
I came up with a new favorite way of fixing the grilled hamburger patties during the week. In a large (non-stick) frying pan, I saute chopped onions and sliced mushrooms (small Portabellos; again, thank you, Costco), usually in butter. I heat up a (cooked) hamburger patty in the microwave, then put it in the frying pan to saute for a bit with the mushrooms and onions, turning it over at least once. I dump it all on a plate, put some beans on the side, and have some green veggies as well.
The pork chops are big enough that just one makes a meal; I usually slice it up and heat it (gently) in the microwave. Tasty Bite Madras Lentils (yes, available at Costco) make a great and easy side dish with the pork chop. I use the salmon largely to make salads for lunch, typically along with drained canned beans. I changed this past week from baby spinach to a chopped lettuce salad mix; I don’t like that nearly as much and will go back to baby spinach. My favorite green veggies are fresh sugar snap peas and steamed frozen peas, though I also keep a small prepackaged veggie tray in the fridge with broccoli.
My one cooking disappointment to date: I made a large batch of chicken legume soup using a dried ‘gourmet bean blend’ (beans, peas, and lentils — bought, yes, at Costco), my own homemade frozen turkey broth, and pieces of (prepacked) grilled chicken. It was decent when first cooked and hot off the stove, though I added rice vinegar and Sriracha chili sauce to punch it up a bit. However, after refrigerating it and then reheating it, one or more of the beans in the blend turned crunchy, which makes it very unappetizing for me.
Finally, my acne rosacea continues to improve. I find this fascinating, since I’ve dealt with this for 15-20 years and for most of that time was taking high doses of tetracycline (1000 mg/day or more ) to control it. I stopped that treatment a few years ago when I discovered — after running out of tetracycline and being unable to refill the prescription for a few weeks — that my nose was now pretty much acting the same with or without the antibiotic. (In fairness, the overall activity of the acne rosacea was down from its peak about 15 years ago, but was still there, still persistent, and still active.) I wasn’t expecting that as a side effect, and I’ll continue to monitor this to be sure it’s not just an unconnected cycle, but it is interesting. ..bruce w..