Diet and exercise updates
7 Apr
From now on, this blog will contain almost weekly updates on how I am eating, what I’m eating and what I’m doing in the way of exercise. I need to do this so that I stay motivated and maybe these will be used for futur reference.
Last time I made a reference to how I was eating was in my last post. I told you about my carb cravings. I regret to inform you, they have not magically disappeared. They have gone through a makeover though. The cravings aren’t for sweets that much anymore, but for starch, like a baked potato. Haven’t had one yet. I’m keeping it for a special occasion. (Ok anyone normal reading that last line must think I’m a nutcase…anyway)
My latest dietary/culinary fantasy is a baked potato topped with lots of butter, sour cream, scalions, bacon bits and maybe some cheese accompanied by a thick ribeye and fried onions. Ha! I sound like Matt Stone and his HIGH EVERYTHING DIET. Or wait a minute….I sound like Grandpa&Grandma! They ate potatoes and were thin… Does that mean I can too?
You know…sometimes I have my doubts about Very Low Carb. SShHHhhh!! Don’t tell anyone. I don’t want to be treated like some dietary apostate…I’m just keepin’ my head open to new ideas here.
So…getting back to my food log, this is what I’ve been typically eating in the last few days:
Breakfast: 4 eggs, 15 pepperoni slices, bag of spinach, coffee with tablespoon of 35% cream
Lunch: Beef Curry, coconut milk and cabbage, water
Dinner: 2 ground lamb patties, 3 chicken thighs, carrots, handful of almonds, 2 pieces of Lindt 90% chocolate
I eat like a lumberjack on most days, and yet I always feel hungry…
Exercise: 2 sessions of sprints and walking everyday at least 30 min.
WHY AM I ALWAYS HUNGRY?????
Congrats on adding meal plan and exercise regimen to your blog… I am a big fan of this… I know it helped me.
One thing I have learned, is that we are all different. For me, Very Low Carb has been a huge benefit for me (a diabetic)…. I no longer crave carbs at all. That can be partly due to my association of high carb foods with “needles and drugs”.
It is great to see you incorporate sprints into your routine in addition to the walking.
I wish I could help on why you are always hungry… if I am hungry I eat protein and fats….that and HWC in my coffee, keep me sated.
All the best!
Hunger means you need something. Maybe you need to eat more. Have you tried adding more fat? A big salad with your dinner and/or lunch?
If it’s just carbs you’re hungry for, try glutamine and/or 5HTP.
Another alternative is intermittant fasting. Twice a week or so at random intervals, eat dinner then fast until dinner the next day, for ex. The next day eat more to make up for it.
Hmmm, as to hunger. With all that protein, it doesn’t look like you’re taking in much good saturated fat, though it’s hard to tell without amounts and weights of your meals. Your high-fat fantasy was my first clue, though:
“…(baked potato) topped with lots of butter, sour cream, (scalions), bacon bits and maybe some cheese accompanied by a thick ribeye and fried (onions).”
I find most people who are ravenously hungry or have serious carb cravings really want fat. Do you use FitDay? I find I eat less if I have at least 65% fat per day… that might help you too.
Last thought, chromium picolinate and magnesium supplements really helped my carb craving when I first started lowcarbing.
Hope this helps!
Instead of the baked potato, try Just Like Stuffed Baked Potatoes http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/just_like_stuffed_baked_potatoes.html
That may allow you to get over your craving without sabotaging your LC efforts.
I can’t tell from your post, but it’s possible you are eating too much protein and not enough fat. Excess protein can be converted to glucose by the liver and then stored as fat, and I imagine the elevated insulin (triggered by the glucose manufactured by gluconeogenesis) could keep you feeling hungry. Just a thought.
Good luck and keep experimenting. The only way you can fail is if you quit.
Wow, you eat like a horse! You are seriously hungry that often? Even with the high amounts of fat you consume?