April 30, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

7:30AM
Atkins bar

7:30PM
20-ounce Porterhouse steak

NOTE: Met up with a couple in Fort Lauderdale, FL who appreciate my work prior to getting on the Low-Carb Cruise.

April 29, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

8:30AM
QuestBar

12:00PM
Hamburger patty with American cheese and bacon, tomato, pickle, and mayo, mashed cauliflower with butter, QuestBar

4:30PM
Atkins bar

6:30PM
BBQ Chicken breast, zucchini with butter, sweet potato fries, QuestBar

NOTE: Preparing to leave on the Low-Carb Cruise.

April 28, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

11:45AM
Chicken breast with tomato slices and lemon Parmesan cream sauce, bread, sweet potato fries, roasted zucchini with butter, QuestBar

4:45PM
QuestBar

7:00PM
2-hour competitive volleyball

9:30PM
BBQ Chicken breast, bread, sweet potato fries, QuestBar

NOTE: After a week of slightly higher carbs than I would normally consume, the verdict is in on this strategy for trying to shed pounds--it doesn't work for me! My body is super-sensitive to carbohydrates and keeping them limited is just a smart idea. My weight went back up to 257.4 and I'm leaving on the Low-Carb Cruise this weekend and gone all next week. I'll update my menus blog when I return on May 9, 2011 and start back into my normal routine again! SEE YA THEN!

April 27, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

8:30AM
QuestBar

2:30PM
BBQ Chicken breast, bread, sweet potato fries, mashed cauliflower with butter, Atkins bar

8:15PM
Tilapia topped with Parmesan cream sauce, spinach, red peppers, bacon, crab meat, herbs and spices, bread, mashed cauliflower with butter, and sweet potato fries

NOTE: It was another day of my slightly higher-carb eating this week as a test. The results coming tomorrow!

April 26, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

10:00AM
60-minute Namaste yoga

12:15PM
Chicken breast with mushrooms and spicy Parmesan cream sauce, sweet potato fries, roasted zucchini with butter

4:15PM
QuestBar

7:45PM
Chicken breast with tomato slices and lemon Parmesan cream sauce, sweet potato fries, roasted zucchini with butter, Atkins bar

NOTE: I was in the mood for chicken today and enjoyed a couple of variations on it. While chicken is lower in fat than most protein sources, it's pretty easy to add high-fat ingredients to it to balance out the protein/fat ratio to make it a high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb meal. Butter is your friend.

April 25, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

1:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed beef burger with 1 ounce cheddar cheese, 2 slices bacon, tomato, pickles, mayo, and sweet potato fries

3:30PM
Atkins bar

7:00PM
60-minute competitive volleyball

8:30PM
Tilapia topped with Parmesan cream sauce, spinach, red peppers, bacon, crab meat, herbs and spices, bread, spaghetti squash with butter, and sweet potato fries

NOTE: I got to be on local television again today for a regular segment I'm invited to be a part of called "The Main Event" from the popular weeknight show "Scene On 7" on the CBS-TV affiliate in Greenville/Spartanburg, SC. They know I blog about diet and health, but the show focuses on the hot topics in the news...rarely any related to diet, fitness and health. Oh well, I always appreciate the exposure in my local area and it's always a load of fun. It's preparing me for someday when I'll have my own "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" television show! HA--a man can dream, can't he?

After the taping of that show was finished, we met up with one of my readers who lives in Greenville, SC and what a delight it was getting to know her. Christine and I had a fabulous meal with her from a restaurant that uses locally-sourced foods and it was so delicious. She talked about how my work has changed her life so much because of all the people she has learned more about through my podcast interviews and the information I share on my blog. I sometimes forget there are real people on the other side of this computer who are reading and listening to what I post, so these encounters with real people hammer home that I need to keep doing what I'm doing. And I will.

April 24, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

7:30AM
4 pastured eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with 2 oz mozzarella cheese

11:45AM
1/4 pound hamburger with American cheese, pickle, mustard and mayo, sweet potato fries, and spinach/salad greens with eggs, bacon, cheese, sunflower seeds, bacon, dried cranberries, and Ranch dressing, QuestBar

4:30PM
Atkins bar

8:45PM
3 pastured eggs cooked in 1 Tbs organic ghee with 1 ounce American cheese

NOTE: One week from today I'll be getting on a big boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with well over 100 of my low-carb friends both virtually and in real life. It's gonna be such an amazing time and I can't wait! Christine and I have been looking forward to this for a long time. I'll have so much to get done this week before I leave, but it'll all be worth it.

April 23, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

8:30AM
4 pastured eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with 2 oz mozzarella cheese

9:00AM
3-hour youth soccer refereeing

12:30PM
8 ounce hamburger patty with 1 oz cheddar cheese, 2 slices bacon, tomato, pickle and 2 Tbs mayo, meatless chili, bread, QuestBar

7:30PM
QuestBar

NOTE: We started back youth soccer season today with the Upward league at my church. I love refereeing and soccer is probably the most running and talking. The ball can change directions quickly and I'm constantly moving throughout the game while yelling "Out on White...Orange throw in!" or "Goal kick Orange...White move to midfield!" Volunteering this way not only makes me feel like I'm making a difference in the lives of those kids, but it gives me quite the workout, too!

April 22, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

1:00PM
8 ounce hamburger patty with 1 oz cheddar cheese, 2 slices bacon, tomato, pickle and 2 Tbs mayo, meatless chili, bread

4:30PM
Yes! To Cookies and QuestBar

NOTE: For the weekend, I'll likely relax my IF for a few days and get back to it on Monday leading up to the Low-Carb Cruise coming May 1-7, 2011!

April 21, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

8:35AM
4 pastured eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with 2 ounces mozzarella cheese

10:00AM
60-minute Pilates/yoga

12:30PM
8 ounce hamburger patty with 1 oz cheddar cheese, 2 slices bacon, tomato, pickle and 2 Tbs mayo, meatless chili, bread, QuestBar

NOTE: After my weeklong fast last week and reintroducing food to my diet again, my weight stayed pretty steady. I was only up slightly which surprised me since I fully expected the loss I experienced while eating no food to come back. I'm happy to see the results and look forward to continuing this journey.

April 20, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

12:00PM
4 pastured eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with 2 ounces mozzarella cheese, QuestBar

2:30PM
Strawberry-Banana Blitz Yes! To Cookies

7:45PM
45-minute basketball with the neighborhood kids

NOTE: I got so caught up in working today that I "forgot" to eat a second meal within the 5-hour window...so I just skipped it for today. I thought about trying to nibble on a little something after getting home from church choir practice, but I resisted the urge. The fast last week taught me how to resist succumbing to eating just because I missed a meal. It's not the end of the world if I don't eat one meal. By the way, here's my blog post recap of how the one-week fasting experience went for me with all the lessons I garnered from doing it. I think I'll be trying it again in the future. Just not real soon! :)

April 19, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

10:00AM
60-minute Namaste yoga

11:45AM
4 pastured eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with 2 ounces mozzarella cheese, sugar-free chocolate almond bark

2:30PM
Strawberry-Banana Blitz Yes! To Cookies

4:30PM
4 pastured eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with 2 ounces mozzarella cheese, Atkins bar

NOTE: Since coming off of my one-week fast from last week, I've tried to get into the habit of engaging in deliberate daily intermittent fasting for around 19 hours a day. That means I'm given about a 5-hour window to consume the food I want and need in a day's time and so far so good. I used to think this was difficult to accomplish, but once you've gone without food for an extended period, this is literally nothing. And I'm purposely adding in the low-carb snacks and treats I enjoy along with the foods that are the staples of my low-carb lifestyle: eggs, coconut oil, cheese, beef, etc. Will the IF be enough to keep the fat loss happening? We shall see.

April 18, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

11:30AM
8-ounce hamburger patty with 1 ounce cheddar cheese, tomato slice, pickles and 1 Tbs mayo, QuestBar

1:45PM
Strawberry-Banana Blitz Yes! To Cookies

4:30PM
4 pastured eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil, sugar-free chocolate almond bark

7:00PM
60-minute competitive volleyball

NOTE: Now that my one-week fasting experiment is finished, I'm going to attempt to engage in some deliberate daily intermittent fasting where I'm consuming all of my meals within a five-hour window. Since I went seven days in a row without food, how hard can it be to engage in a fasting state for 19 hours? That used to seem so crazy in my mind to go without eating that long, but I've personally seen the benefits of it. Keep in mind, if the hunger is too much for me to bear then I will be eating. But I've gotten a pretty good gauge of what real hunger is now after my fast. I'm still working through in my head about what I'm going to write about my 7-day fast and will post it hopefully by the end of the week. There's just so much to share!

April 17, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

2:00PM
QuestBar and Atkins Bar

2:30PM
4 pastured eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil, bark of sugar-free chocolate almond bark

8:30PM
Beanless chili with bread and butter, sweet potato with butter, cinnamon and Splenda

NOTE: Today is the day my fast ended and it was a little sooner than expected. I went to church this morning feeling fine and during the service it hit me--CRASH! I could tell my blood sugar had dropped and I was feeling woozy, achy, wobbly on my feet...I needed to eat! When we got home from the service I checked my blood sugar and it was 53. I lied to attempting to rest until it was around 4PM so I could eat, but I couldn't make it that long. I told Christine around 2PM, "it's time I break the fast!" She agreed.

I started off by eating a couple of protein bars and within just a few minutes I could feel the energy coming back into my body and I had this insatiable desire to just keep eating and eating. I pulled out the skillet and cooked some eggs in coconut oil and recorded the following video of how Day 7 of my fast went and the breaking of the fast:


http://youtu.be/Ef8CuA6ZsQs

So that's it! I lost 13 pounds during the fast, but as you know that's not why I did it. I don't expect all that weight to stay off by the time I weigh in on Friday...but hopefully most of it will. You'll notice I had a bit of a splurge meal this evening consuming foods that are higher in carbohydrate than I would normally eat and I did that by design. It's been a week since I've had ANY food, so I wanted to make sure I replenish glycogen stores to get my body ready and used to eating again. Sure, I could have chosen better food options, but this is what I wanted. And I ate it with a big smile on my face, too! I was also gonna consume a hamburger patty for more fat and protein, but I got full. SURPRISE SURPRISE!

I've learned so much from this experience and I look forward to sharing about it in a blog post at my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog soon. THANKS for following my fasting journey this past week!

April 16, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

9:00AM
Chicken bouillon broth

2:00PM
Chicken bouillon broth

4:30PM
30-minute basketball with the neighbor's kid

NOTE: I can't believe I've made it six days without eating anything at all. When I first heard about doing a one-week fast a couple of years ago, I thought the idea was virtually impossible--especially for an ardent food lover like me! But with just hours to go before hitting my goal of 7 days without sustenance, I'm here to tell you I'm so glad I did this. I've learned so much from this experience, some of which I probably don't even realize just yet. I plan on blogging about this sometime soon but I am looking forward to having some eggs cooked in coconut oil come Sunday night. Here's a video of how Day 6 of my fast went:


http://youtu.be/ow9oH1ULfIw

April 15, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

8:30AM
Chicken bouillon broth

12:30PM
Chicken bouillon broth

4:30PM
Chicken bouillon broth

5:30PM
30-minute basketball with the neighbor's kid

NOTE: I'm inching closer to making it for the entire week of my fasting experiment. It's been MUCH better the past couple of days and I can see the finish line in sight. Here's a video of how Day 5 of my fast went:


http://youtu.be/2ZFkWm4Ns_M

April 14, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

8:00AM
Chicken bouillon broth

10:00AM
Cardi-yo-lates (10 minute brisk walking, 50 minutes of Pilates/yoga)

12:30PM
Chicken bouillon broth

4:00PM
Chicken bouillon broth

7:00PM
90-minute competitive volleyball

NOTE: After four days of being in a completely fasted state with no food at all, I FINALLY felt amazing today. You'll hear exactly how it went in today's video below but it was much better than it has been for the first three days. I had heard people say that getting past Day 3 was the key and it seems they're right. In fact, I exercised not just once but TWICE today doing Pilates and volleyball as I normally do on Thursdays. Pretty awesome! With just three days left in this fasting experiment, I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel and believe I can make it. We'll see. Here's a video of how Day 4 of my fast went:


http://youtu.be/U2mhqcvZfJE

Today is my regular weigh-in day at my menus blog and some people have asked me how much weight I've lost while fasting. I've said it many times before but it bears repeating--I'm NOT doing the fast to lose weight. Obviously not eating any food will produce weight loss that can come from a variety of sources. If I happen to shed a few pounds on the scale in the process of fasting, then so be it. And that is what has happened as I'm down to 252.3...about five pounds since my last weigh-in a week ago. When I break the fast on Sunday night, I fully expect to see a possible rebound weight gain even if it is only slightly. I'm putting together a strategy right now to keep that from happening and we'll see how it goes. THANKS for following my journey this week!

April 13, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

2:30PM
Chicken bouillon broth

8:00PM
Chicken bouillon broth

NOTE: I started having headaches and feeling fatugued today, so I added chicken bouillon broth to my fast today. Surprisingly, it worked well. And it tasted amazing too despite being nothing more than salty flavored water. Here's a video of how Day 3 of my fast went:


http://youtu.be/SgqeeUVSOEc

April 12, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

10:00AM
60-minute Namaste yoga

7:00PM
20-minute basketball with the neighborhood kids

NOTE: The response to my non-caloric liquid only fast that began Sunday night has been huge on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, here at my menus blog and at my Livin' La Vida Low-Carb blog where I posted about it today. Here's video of how Day 2 of my fast went featuring my wife Christine expressing her concerns about my fast:


http://youtu.be/AFDcbZRLSow

April 11, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

7:15PM
120-minute competitive volleyball

NOTE: It's started! This was the first day of my fasting experiment. I'm attempting to go at least a week without any food. It'll be a challenge for sure, but I'm ready for It. I've decided to videotape how it's going each day. Here's Day 1 of my fast:


http://youtu.be/J26xgVfcssc

April 10, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

7:30AM
Eggs with cheese and salsa, sausage and bacon

3:45PM
A variety of meat offerings at Fogo de Chao

NOTE: Today was my last meal and testament so to speak since I'm beginning my quest to do at least a one-week fast this coming up week. When the low-carb science conference was over at noon today, I had the chance to meet up with some of my readers in the Baltimore area at a nice Brazilian BBQ place called Fogo de Chao. And CHOW down is what I did on everything meaty I could find there. It was a great way to fuel up one last time before the fast. I'll be sharing my thoughts about the fast on my menus blog...so this blog won't go dormant for a week! LOL! We'll see what happens.

April 9, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

8:30AM
Vanilla Almond Quest Bar

12:30PM
Sirloin steak and broccoli with butter

8:00PM
Lamb shank and asparagus with butter

NOTE: Got up at 4:45AM this morning to get on a flight to Baltimore, MD for a big low-carb science conference there. We had a nice low-carb lunch, heard some amazing lectures and then had another power-packed protein-o-licious meal for supper! So much incredible information about the role ketones play in our health--makes me glad I'm livin' la vida low-carb!

April 8, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

9:00AM
Vanilla Almond Quest Bar

1:15PM
Lasagna, salad and breadsticks, Vanilla Almond Quest Bar

8:30PM
1/2 pound hamburger patty with cheddar cheese, bacon, pickle, tomato, beanless chili and mayo, 1/2 ChocoPerfection dark chocolate bar

NOTE: Christine wanted to go to Olive Garden for lunch today and with all the shots she's been giving herself for our upcoming embryo adoption transfer, I didn't think it was an unreasonable request considering her sacrifice in this process. The fact is she doesn't really bring up going to places like that too often anymore because she's seeing the benefits of low-carb living the vast majority of the time on her weight and health. So it was a bit "off plan" for lunch today--but I never really look at my menus that way. The plan is really living life without putting obsessive labels on food. Anyone who reads my menus blog knows I stay pretty darn low-carb most of the time. It may not be the kind of low-carb diet everyone eats, but it's the way I eat. I've never pretended it to be anything more than that. I like the results on my health eating the way I do produces and nothing could ever convince me otherwise that what I'm doing is what's right for me.

April 7, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

10:00AM
60-minute Cardi-yo-lates (10-minute brisk walking, 50-minute Pilates/yoga)

1:15PM
1/2 pound beef burger patty with cheddar and American cheese, tomato, pickle, mayo, bread, sweet potato with butter, cinnamon and 1 packet of Splenda, Vanilla Almond Quest Bar

7:00PM
180-minute competitive volleyball

10:15PM
Vanilla Almond Quest Bar and ChocoPerfection dark chocolate bar

NOTE: Leading up to my dive into a full-fledged fast beginning on Monday, I've been eating a little more (and doing a little more exercise) than normal. I don't know why I have chosen to make these changes--but they've happened. I rocked out three hours of volleyball this evening, but I also ate more food than I typically do. The result on the scale over the past week was a gain of a little more than a pound...but I'm not sweating it. I'm looking forward to whatever lessons I'm going to learn from the fasting beginning on Monday. I'm heading off to a conference this weekend in Baltimore, Maryland--can't wait!

April 6, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

9:45AM
Vanilla Almond Quest Bar

1:45PM
1/4 pound hamburger with American cheese, pickle, mustard and mayo, 1/4 cup spaghetti squash with 1 Tbs butter, and spinach/salad greens with eggs, bacon, cheese, sunflower seeds, bacon, dried cranberries, and Ranch dressing, Vanilla Almond Quest Bar

8:45PM
Vanilla Almond Quest Bar

NOTE: We got some disappointing news today about our embryo adoption--Christine's estrogen levels are too elevated for us to do the transfer at the end of the month now. It's pushed back to mid-May when the transfer will take place which means she'll be doing shots TWO WEEKS longer than expected. The good news is she won't have the embryos in her when we go on the Low-Carb Cruise May 1-7th now. Here's a video we did about this new turn of events in our pursuit of having a baby:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LZChha_yUw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LZChha_yUw

We know God is in control and that everything happens for a purpose and a reason that goes beyond our human thinking. THANK YOU for all the prayers and support through this process for us.

April 5, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

10:00AM
60-minute Namaste yoga

12:45PM
4 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs butter, Atkins bar

5:30PM
Parmesan and mozzarella cheese on grilled chicken, sweet potato with cinnamon, butter and Splenda, beanless chili, Vanilla Almond Quest Bar

6:30PM
60-minute basketball with the neighbor's kid

NOTE: I'm thinking more and more seriously about doing that extended period of fasting beginning on Monday next week after I return home from my trip to Baltimore this weekend. It's been an idea I've been wanting to do for a while, so why not give it a go to see how I do with it. I think I'd do fine on a water/no food fast, but I wonder if doing coconut oil would be even MORE beneficial? Anyone want to chime in with the pros and cons of doing a pure fast vs. one that includes coconut oil or some other form of sustenance?

April 4, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

11:30AM
1/4 pound hamburger with American cheese, pickle, mustard and mayo, 1/4 cup mashed cauliflower with 1 Tbs butter, and spinach/salad greens with eggs, bacon, cheese, sunflower seeds, bacon, dried cranberries, and Ranch dressing, Atkins bar

7:15PM
75-minute competitive volleyball

9:30PM
1/2 rack of BBQ ribs, 1/4 cup mashed cauliflower with 1 Tbs butter, 1/4 cup sugar snap peas with 1 Tbs butter

NOTE: THANKS to everyone who offered up advice about the pain in my left foot that I think was plantar fasciitis. While I could still feel it somewhat today, the pain subsided greatly--well enough for me to play volleyball on it tonight with no problems. It's very odd to say the least. If I don't feel that sensation again soon it won't hurt my feelings.

April 3, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

9:00AM
Atkins bar

1:15PM
1/2 pound beef burger patty with cheddar and American cheese, tomato, pickle, mayo, bread, sweet potato with butter, cinnamon and 1 packet of Splenda, Atkins bar

10:15PM
4 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with American cheese, Vanilla Almond Quest Bar

NOTE: When I was playing basketball yesterday, I started to feel a strange sensation along the underside of my left foot near the heel. It was like somebody was pressing a tack into my foot! OUCH! By the time the game was finished, I was practically limping from the pain. When I got inside the house and Christine saw me limping, I described the pain to her. She said it sounded like plantar fasciitis--looking it up online, that sure seems to be what it is. When I woke up this morning to go to church and took my first step on the ground, I could DEFINITELY feel it. Standing in the choir loft was difficult and painful, but I pushed through it. As the day progressed, I felt the pain subside enough so I could at least walk without limping. This is some crazy stuff. Does this mean I'm getting old now? I don't even turn 40 until December!

April 2, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

11:45AM
Vanilla Almond Quest Bar

4:45PM
Parmesan/mozzarella grilled chicken breasts and beanless chili, bread, Atkins bar

6:00PM
75-minute basketball with the neighborhood kids

10:00PM
Mozzarella cheese fried in coconut oil with pepperoni

NOTE: I enjoy getting outside and shooting some hoops with the neighborhood kids. It gives me some good exercise and the kids love it that an adult gives them attention. Sadly, some kids in my neighborhood don't get hardly attention at home, so Christine and I have tried to step into that role. Maybe in some small way investing in playing basketball from time to time with them will show them that somebody really does care about them. That's the hope.

April 1, 2011 Low-Carb Menu

1:30PM
1/2 pound beef burger patty with cheddar cheese, bacon, tomato, pickle, mayo and beanless chili, bread, Atkins bar

8:15PM
4 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with mozzarella cheese, Vanilla Almond Quest Bar

NOTE: Fridays have become increasingly busy for me lately. Maybe it's the thought of getting everything finished up at the end of the week. Or perhaps it's just working hard all week catches up to me by week's end. I just love my weekends. :)