Len Lanetti
Cleared for Takeoff
This is aviation related as it relates to the useful load of my aircraft! :<)
Karen (wife) and I started the South Beach diet earlier this week.
Some of the main points of the diet are no carbohydrates during the first two weeks, processed foods are forbidden and you have a steady diet of mostly high protein foods and fibers for main meals and small snacks. The idea is that you keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel throughout the day. That is about the best I can do to condense the diet book into a few sentences. :<)
The diet was created by a heart doctor who wanted to create a healthy diet for his older patients.
So far I would say I've not been hungry at any point since starting the diet. I have not felt the need to run to the cafeteria for my normal mid morning and mid afternoon snacks. Based on reading the book and practicing the diet for a few days I do agree with the metabolism science that is the basis for the diet.
In general the diet requires more food preparation work compared to the meals we were eating in the past. Pre processed foods are not a part of the diet and so pretty much Karen is making everything from scratch. All the food I've eaten so far has been good (thankfully Karen is a very good cook). Breakfast has consisted of eggs cooked various ways with vegetables (sometimes with Canadian bacon on the side). Cheese is very prominent as both a snack and a desert (whipped ricotta with cinnamon, vanilla extract, almonds,... takes a little getting used to but very tasty as long as you are not comparing it to three scoops of your favorite ice creams topped with chocolate sauce). Sugar free jello is another desert item. Dinner so far has been chicken or fish (grilled salmon the other night was very good) with lots of vegetables. Actually, you are pretty much allowed to eat as much of this stuff as you want.
For dinner it is a little odd not having potato, rice, corn and/or bread on my plate. Last night the spot for the potato was taken up by a broiled tomato topped with cheese. While I miss eating the carbs I do enjoy eating the foods that are part of the diet. Truth is I used to eat the foods that are part of the diet plus all the carbs {duh - think there might have been a reason the middle of me was getting bigger - :<) }.
Note as the kids (David 9 - Matthew 8) are very active kids and not overweight in any way they continue with what they've always been eating (note that we've pretty much always limited their junk food intake - sure they get some chips and soda but not a steady diet of that type of stuff).
During the summer I did cut back on my overall food intake by reducing portion size and I did drop 10 pounds. So at the start of the diet I was 165 (ie down from 175 at the start of the summer). I have not weighed myself since the day we've started the diet but I do "feel" a difference. According to the book I should loose between 8 and 15 pounds in the first two weeks. I would like to be at 150 at the end of the two weeks with my ultimate goal being somewhere between 135 and 145. I do think I will need to add a formal exercise routine to get down closer to 135. Note that at 5 feet 5 inches I think these weights are good for my height (and good for long term Mooney retention).
Len
Karen (wife) and I started the South Beach diet earlier this week.
Some of the main points of the diet are no carbohydrates during the first two weeks, processed foods are forbidden and you have a steady diet of mostly high protein foods and fibers for main meals and small snacks. The idea is that you keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel throughout the day. That is about the best I can do to condense the diet book into a few sentences. :<)
The diet was created by a heart doctor who wanted to create a healthy diet for his older patients.
So far I would say I've not been hungry at any point since starting the diet. I have not felt the need to run to the cafeteria for my normal mid morning and mid afternoon snacks. Based on reading the book and practicing the diet for a few days I do agree with the metabolism science that is the basis for the diet.
In general the diet requires more food preparation work compared to the meals we were eating in the past. Pre processed foods are not a part of the diet and so pretty much Karen is making everything from scratch. All the food I've eaten so far has been good (thankfully Karen is a very good cook). Breakfast has consisted of eggs cooked various ways with vegetables (sometimes with Canadian bacon on the side). Cheese is very prominent as both a snack and a desert (whipped ricotta with cinnamon, vanilla extract, almonds,... takes a little getting used to but very tasty as long as you are not comparing it to three scoops of your favorite ice creams topped with chocolate sauce). Sugar free jello is another desert item. Dinner so far has been chicken or fish (grilled salmon the other night was very good) with lots of vegetables. Actually, you are pretty much allowed to eat as much of this stuff as you want.
For dinner it is a little odd not having potato, rice, corn and/or bread on my plate. Last night the spot for the potato was taken up by a broiled tomato topped with cheese. While I miss eating the carbs I do enjoy eating the foods that are part of the diet. Truth is I used to eat the foods that are part of the diet plus all the carbs {duh - think there might have been a reason the middle of me was getting bigger - :<) }.
Note as the kids (David 9 - Matthew 8) are very active kids and not overweight in any way they continue with what they've always been eating (note that we've pretty much always limited their junk food intake - sure they get some chips and soda but not a steady diet of that type of stuff).
During the summer I did cut back on my overall food intake by reducing portion size and I did drop 10 pounds. So at the start of the diet I was 165 (ie down from 175 at the start of the summer). I have not weighed myself since the day we've started the diet but I do "feel" a difference. According to the book I should loose between 8 and 15 pounds in the first two weeks. I would like to be at 150 at the end of the two weeks with my ultimate goal being somewhere between 135 and 145. I do think I will need to add a formal exercise routine to get down closer to 135. Note that at 5 feet 5 inches I think these weights are good for my height (and good for long term Mooney retention).
Len
