Gaining Muscle and Losing Fat (2015)

For some reason, you're making my milkshakes seem unexciting.

 

Well, if it will makes you feel better, my first meal today will be whey protein (40grams), maybe some low sodium V8 (6 fl oz), and pure pressed pomegranate juice (6 fl oz). Been mostly eating egg whites and protein drinks, and some fruit since Monday...but this weekend? Something going over the coals...probably catfish or salmon. Don't do beef as much as I used to. I like bison for burgers on occasion, though. And chicken is good on occasion. Skinless chicken breast are good for the grill. I use a little olive oil, dill, salt, pepper, basil, garlic salt on those. I also use basil on salmon, but not catfish.

Regarding catfish, I catch them at local ponds, and clean them myself. Ends up coming in between 3 and 4 bucks a pound clean. They charge by the fresh caught weight....about 2 bucks a pound. Most places will clean them for you, but cost goes up considerably, and they waste too much meat, IMO. Salmon is cost prohibitive, so it's more of a luxury.

Unfortunately, farm raised fish has different omega profiles than wild fish of the same species because of the diets they are fed. That said, I like the lower fat qualities of fish, and know the ponds I fish are clean, and not contaminated with pesticides.

 

That's your first meal of the day? Well, at least you have the weekend to look forward to. You obviously know your way around a grill.

You can make egg whites quite edible by sautéing onions and peppers, adding cooked brown rice with a bit of tomatoes and roasted garlic seasoning and ground black pepper, scrambling it all up and then sprinkling a bit of balsamic vinegar on it. As you might have guessed, I'm pretty much a slouch in the kitchen, but I've had people try this and we still remained friends.

 

Those sound pretty good!

I've been staying with the protein for my first meal since I started this 16/8 because it will get into my system faster. An hour or two later I'll eat some left over meat or fish. I actually cook enough during the weekend to have at least 1 3oz serving a day for at least the better part of the week. I use the grill on Sat, Sun, and sometimes during the week, but I've been pretty serious about this diet, so limiting the amount of use. I tend to blow my macros on grill days.

Incidentally, I despise meat cooked in a microwave (except hot dogs, which I almost never eat after reading the labels:eek, and I'm not a big fan of cooking in my oven. The only meat I ever fry is bison burger. Roasting is OK once in a while. When I cook over coal, I keep my grill high enough off the coals to reduce the inherent long term health problems that come from charred food. I don't let that happen. I never char my food (except by accident, which occasionally occurs when wine or beer are on the menu.) When I reheat fish or meat in the microwave, I use the lowest power setting so I can heat it up without cooking it further. Depending on how you store left overs, they can still taste remarkably close to the day you cooked them, especially if you use the low power to warm them back up.

 

I just read the ingredients! I hope they have it at my local Publix. That's where I've been getting the other sprouted bread. Of course, you realize I'm going to toast it...lightly. But I may also try it with a little peanut butter on it. What was the almond spread you mentioned? I may want to give that a try, too.

 

Yes, the ingredients sold me, but wait until you try it. I like peanut butter but, for me, it doesn't compare to almond butter. I buy the Walmart brand. The only ingredient is almonds. It has a bit of a sweet taste and I suspected it might have some added sugar, so I called the company and was assured that only almonds are in the jar. I also occasionally buy a store brand from Loblaw's, a chain here in Canada. Their store brand, President's Choice, also lists almonds as the only ingredient, and it also tastes a bit sweet. I called that company as well and was told the same thing. I know that might seem a bit over the top, but I like to be sure of what I'm eating when I do so with regularity. Set it and forget it.

The only thing is that the almond butter is not hydrogenated, which is a good thing, and so the oil separates. Therefore, you have to stir it good and hard for a few minutes when you first open the jar. (Consider that a work set; good for the metabolism.) After that, only an occasional shallow stir or two, if that, is enough for consistency. Nutritionally, it might have a bit less protein than peanut butter, but it has much more vitamin E. As for taste, there is no comparison in my opinion.

Regarding your other post, I should point out that I only eat meat a couple of times a week or so and in small quantities of 4 or 5 ounces. Chicken breast either once or twice. Salmon not less than once. Very lean beef every 3 or 4 weeks. I'm trying to curb meat consumption, relying on lentils, beans and so on, as well as my homemade milkshakes, which account for 2 of my daily 4 or 5 small "meals." Oh, and egg whites at least twice a week (with an occasional yolk thrown in from time to time when no one is looking). That represents the key protein components of my diet. Of course there's also lot of vegetables and salads and brown rice and fruits and nuts and seeds and so on, as I'm sure is the case with you.

Question: How do you exceed your macros on grill days?

 

I just eat more..2 or 3 toasts, which increases the olive oil, 6 to 9 oz of fish, or chicken, 2 instead of 1 potato, add corn sometimes this time of year, and beer or wine, which can wreck a tight calorie count quickly. I also like to sip anejo tequila w chicken for some reason. In a nutshell, I tend to just eat more on those days, and sometimes skip the calorie spread sheet all together. They could be called cheat days, even though I try to stay in my window... or it could be called lack of discipline.

I do the same with my eggs that you do regarding an occasional yolk. Once in while I'll have 5 whites and 1 yolk. Most times I'll have 6 whites...make omelets with them some times, but I like egg whites plain (cooked, of course) by themselves. I've always loved egg whites as far back as I can remember. Sometimes I'll make scrambles for me and my wife. I'll use1 yolk with 8 or 9 whites. I noticed ever since that if I eat scrambled eggs that don't have the yolk removed, they test funny to me...just heavier or something. With one yolk, they seem light and fluffy(ier).

I'm glad to see I'm not alone in my often disbelief regarding sugar in products. I called Gallo to ask if they were adding sugar to the wine they make that I drink occasionally. They assured me that they do not.

Here's some more menu. I just had a salad, which contained:

3 cups lettuce, 1tbl unsalted sunflower seeds, 1tlb chia seeds, 1tbl ground flax seed, 1oz radish, 1oz brussel sprouts(raw,), 1oz carrot (raw), 1oz green onion, 1 oz tomato, 1 hard boiled egg with yolk removed, 1/2 avocado, a couple garlic croutons, 1tbl extra virgin olive oil, a dab of 0 fat ranch and a dab of 0 fat thousand island. I also added two ounce of low fat ham cubes.

Speaking of ham, do you know of anyone who produces low fat without so much sodium? The sodium is ridiculous. I like to put them in omelets and salads, though chicken is good in salad. I'm close to removing ham because of the sodium. Almost eat none, and told my wife not to buy anymore. The turkey stuff has just as much sodium.

Regarding nuts: I like the almonds, but most other nuts I stopped buying because once I opened the can I can't stop eating them. Especially my favorite: cashews. I buy brazil nuts, and roast them myself. I can then control how much sodium goes on them, but there is also a failsafe for my uncontrolled desire to eat them all at one time. They have so much selenium in them, that it's recommended to never eat more than 2 or 3 in a single day. I like them a lot, but best time to buy them is after Christmas. They go on sale then. Sometimes I don't even see them rest of the year, and prior to that they can be very pricey. They freeze quite well.

Do you ever catch your fish, and if so, what kind do you like?

 

I don't eat processed meat because of the sodium content. I try to avoid processed foods in general. No, I don't catch my fish and only ever did so as a kid. I pretty much only have salmon these days. I used to eat more sole, but bigger fish tend to have higher concentrations of mercury and sole doesn't have omega-3.

I try to avoid bingeing because it makes me feel quite guilty afterwards. Therefore my forays over the line are very modest and I've adapted to that. I weigh myself twice a day: when I get up and when I turn in. I also pay close attention to how snug my pants feel in the waist. The moment anything is askew I start taking remedial action the next day. Like very tight stops, small pills are easier to swallows.

As long as you're on the right trajectory, then by all means you ought to continue. But I think your body is retaliating on the weekends for the punishment you dole out during the week. That's why I try to avoid extreme measures and prefer a more even keel. To each his own, eh?

 

Even cardboard can taste good with almond butter spread on top. But you might have to toast the cardboard lightly first.

Kidding aside, it looks good, but you really need to give the Genesis bread a try if you haven't already done so. I promise you won't regret it. The seeds give it a fuller taste than what you get from just a grain bread.