2 eggs cooked with butter and cheddar cheese
12:45PM
2 eggs cooked with butter and cheddar cheese
3:30PM
2 eggs cooked with butter, sour cream, and cheddar cheese
7:45PM
3 eggs cooked with butter and cheddar cheese
EGGS CONSUMED: 9
DIET SODAS: 0 (ZERO!!!) DAY 6 DIET SODA FREE!!!
NOTE: It's now day 18 of my eggfest and I switched up my egg meals just slightly today for the following calories: 9 eggs (720 calories) with 6 tablespoons of butter (600 calories), 6 ounces of cheddar cheese (540 calories), and 2 Tbs sour cream (60 calories) for a total of 1920 calories. I had some sour cream in the refrigerator today and decided to cook it with some of my eggs, but it didn't work out so well. One thing I have done in the past with my eggs is to put some salsa on top with some sour cream on the side for a sorta Southwest flair. Bobby Flay would be so proud! Maybe I'll add salsa at some point, but I'm not quite ready for that yet.
I also upped the cheese and lowered the butter slightly just playing around a little. Beginning tomorrow I will probably add one extra egg to each meal and cut the butter down to 1 tablespoon per meal. It's not that I fear the butter in any way, but just trying to get my protein level up a little more. After all, I'm a big guy and I want to make sure I'm getting an appropriate amount of protein for my bodily needs. Calories will still fall in at around 2,000/day and I'm not at all bored or tired of eggs as I approach three weeks on this plan. I know, it's hard to believe, but I'm still LOVING this eggfest!!!
Yesterday I shared an e-mail from a reader who said my eggfest idea was crazy and he saw my response to this notion. Today I got a follow-up e-mail from him with several more questions and my responses to them:
You've lost weight before and regained, so why do you think it will be different this time?
It's always a journey trying to find what will work for you and this eggfest is a part of that journey. You and others critical of my menus act as if the weight gain that has happened to me over the past couple of years is somehow my fault. It is not. I've been extremely good eating low-carb, but I now realize that for me I have to keep carbs very low if I hope to see the weight go down and stay down. The key point is I never stop trying to find the answer for me and can only do that if I constantly try things to make it happen.
And why would you view losing 20 pounds in two weeks as healthy and sustainable? I wouldn't.
Quite frankly, I don't really care what you think. This is my life, my body, my health. As I've stated many times in various posts about my weight gain, my health has been spectacular through it all. HDL up, trigs down, LDL particle size the large, fluffy kind, heart scan score of zero, etc. The fact that the eggfest has produced a 20-pound weight loss for me so quickly is simply an indicator that I'm moving back in the right direction again with the weight aspect of this equation. Is the weight loss sustainable? You bet it is and the lessons I'm learning from this experience (i.e. giving up diet soda, no longer relying on artificial sweeteners, not having the sweet cravings, and more!) have been an invaluable part of my continuing education.
It doesn't seem like you are thinking clearly about this. But do whatever you like.
I've never thought more clearly in my entire low-carb life. I will indeed do what I think is best for me and would only ask people like yourself to respect my decision. You don't have to do this, but it's what I feel is the right thing for Jimmy Moore.
I was just trying help, but apparently you already have all the answers.
Now there's no need to be smug and condescending about it, man. Why do you have to go and pitch a hissy fit because I don't bow down to you and agree to follow whatever plan YOU say is best? I'm doing this for me and I've never pretended to "have all the answers" as you claim. I'm simply learning what works for me and sharing those experiences with my readers. There's nothing wrong with that at all.
Not everyone is bellyaching over this eggfest like that guy--here's what a doctor wrote on my Facebook page:
I'm a doctor and have been eating nearly zero carb (meat, cheese, eggs) for 8 months now to control my Type 2 diabetes. My labs normalized completely within 5 weeks of starting and have stayed here. I haven't died yet, and I don't think Jimmy will either! In the long run, I think zero or very low-carb works best if the diet is primarily meat. At least that is what there is evidence for so far. I'm sure Jimmy will eventually move in that direction. In the meantime, his current diet is better than 99.9% of the population. We all should be a bit more critical of our OWN diets, and less of those belonging to others. Jimmy, your eggfest is inspiring. Thanks for keeping us all updated on your progress. It takes courage to share something that personal with the world. Way to go! I wish you continued success.
THANK YOU! To her point about moving towards a more meat-based diet, that's the next goal. I've decided that I will continue on with the eggfest until Saturday, April 10, 2010 during my evening meal where I will break it. I'm meeting up with my low-carb peeps in the Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina area that day at a restaurant called California Dreaming (details coming soon!) and will make that my first non-egg meal in over a month. Thereafter I'll be having some grass-fed beef with my eggs and butter and slowly make the transition to that for a while before maybe adding in some green leafy veggies. But I'm not in any hurry to move too quickly with this so that I don't trigger those desires for diet soda or other artificially sweetened stuff that I know my body doesn't need. I'm choosing to do this and it's making me healthier than I ever thought possible.
Here are two egg pictures for you today to put a great big smile on your face! ENJOY!
18 comments:
Jimmy,
I can't help but think that part of the reason you put weight back was because for a time you were relying quite heavily on low carb breads and pasta, which either might not have been as low carb as they claimed, or because you have bacteria in your gut that's very good at breaking down cellulose and you were assimilating ALL the carbs (or nearly), not just the net carbs...
Now that you're sticking to real food, you might get different results.
I don't really understand people who take other people's diets so personally.
I have a friend who is vegan, and before I figured out that I have a gluten allergy, I tried a vegan diet to see if it would help heal my health issues. It didn't, obviously. I gained 15 pounds and was miserable with a capital M.
I've since found what works for me (lots of healthy fats, animal protein, and carbs mainly from vegetable sources) and I feel great, but it seems my friend is almost angry at me for not getting better on a vegan diet and instead healing and thriving on a low-carb, grain-free way of life.
It's not like I'm trying to force my diet on her, she can eat and avoid whatever she likes. I don't care.
But why take so personally something that has absolutely ZERO effect on your life? I don't get it.
I'm glad you're having success!
- Beth
Isn't that so strange, Beth? If how I'm eating isn't bothering anyone else, why would anyone care what I eat? Never understood that one either. :)
You're probably right, Sylvie. But I cannot overemphasize how this eggfest has helped to take away the cravings for those other foods I used to consume on my low-carb diet. I mean diet soda was what I drank along with my water and I've been able to put them down no problems whatsoever. If I knew it was gonna be as simple as getting real food in my body at every meal to make that happen, I would have done it a long time ago.
Hi again.
The cravings were probably feeding themselves as you tried to relieve them with sweet tasting food, even if sugarfree.
Besides, were you really addicted to the diet sodas or more likely to the caffeine therein?
Hello again, Jimmy,
I'm only basing this on my own egg'perience and take it for what its worth. I do better not eating red meat for some reason. Not that I don't enjoy and hunk of steak but my body thanks me for not eating it. The meat I do consume is chicken, turkey, lamb, tuna, sardines, salmon, white fish, and occasionally pork (not ham or bacon).
You never know what additives they place into ham and bacon nowadays and I play it safe that way.
Eventually, I will add small amounts of low-carb veggies into my evening meals and go from there.
Everyone's metabolism is different. What works for one will not work for all. I do know that what I'm doing now is placing myself back on track. It doesn't feel like I'm depriving myself at all.
Keep up the good work!
Lora
Jimmy!
Yay for giving up the diet sodas!! I know it is very hard to do. My husband used to drink diet pepsi all the time, then he switched to sprite zero thinking it was a little better for him. (it's just as bad... it just looks more innocent lol) He recently gave up soda for lent, and I hope it "sticks" for him. Those diet drinks are bad news. Again congrats on your weight loss and being artifical sweetner free. You are an inspiration for all of us low-carbers:0)
THANKS so much, Pepper! I'm grateful for this eggfest because for the first time in my life I haven't had the desire for anything sweet, especially my formerly beloved diet soda. This experience has been worth it all if this becomes a permanent habit in my life--and I fully intend for it to be!
Lora, that's a great lesson. The goal isn't to emulate what Jimmy Moore is doing. It's about finding your own way to make this work for you and do it. I never would have believed something as simple as this would have such a transforming effect on me mentally and physically like this eggfest. But it's happening and I'm happy to have you all along with me on this journey. Best wishes to you as you continue down this path!
Right again, Sylvie! The more I fed that sweet addiction habit, the more I wanted something sweet. I would never touch sugar, but I was willingly putting artificial sweeteners and even stevia in my body with the questionable effects those were having on my insulin levels. It's been quite the experience getting rid of them. The same goes for the diet soda, although mine were decaffeinated, so it wasn't the caffeine. TOTALLY about the sweet taste.
Jimmy, I just think that this is 'easy' or 'more smple' for you because you are ready! I think it is a matter of making a decision, and although we might have known for a long time we should do something...we have to KNOW it is time!
I think you didn't feel much ill effect as you have been low carb all along, although you had sweet treats on your low carb plan. I also think that your excellent loss can only be motivating! And while I have watched your blog, you re definitely a creature of habit.
I have always known that I do best when my choices are very limited, so that is why I am doing eggs, meat, and cheese now. So keep it up.
Hi Jimmy,
Could we have a couple of photographs of these eggs (on the plate, ready to go.)
Granny, perhaps that is part of it. And maybe the past few years of my low-carb life have prepared me for this day. I probably could have made the transition sooner, but now is the time. Kinda like my decision to start low-carb in 2004...it was just the right timing. Yes, I'm a BIG TIME creature of habit which is what has made the eggfest so successful for me...I could eat them all the time--AND AM RIGHT NOW! LOL!
THANKS Neil! I was thinking of taking some YouTube video and/or pics of my egg meals, but I thought it would be boring just looking at...well, eggs. But I'll see what I can do. :D
I'm sure the full effect of quitting sodas and artificial sweeteners will take years to manifest themselves, so in addition to the weight loss, you have improved metabolic health to look forward to.
I second kettlebellove's opinion...really weird how people take other people's diets as personal insults. Don't let it bug you.
Mark, I agree. And I expect it, too. :)
As for people scrutinizing my diet, I find it mildly amusing and a great source of entertainment in my day. LOL! :D
I like how you responded. Way to go, keep it up.
I like your beard, I just saw it. Nice.
Blessings to Christine.
THANKS so much, Debra! I did the beard thing last year, but Christine doesn't like it too much. So I chopped it off...she loves my baby face. :)
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