Skinny Jeans

In reference to my last post I have had a few questions about the diet Brian and I have been on. I think I mentioned it before, but we have been following the diet plan in a book called "Protein Power" written by Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades.

This diet is similar to Adkins or South Beach except there are no phases or allowances for good carbs/bad carbs. A carbohydrate is a carbohydrate, wether it is a bean or a teaspoon of sugar.

The book is very in-depth about why you gain weight as you age and how your body treats insulin as a hormone. It was very enlightening and made me realize why I couldn't loose baby weight just be doing pilates once a week or walking for exercise.

Overall it has been fairly simple. We allow ourselves about ten carbs per meal and consistently see results if we stick to it. It is not easy to eat out, which is usually a benefit. Who needs processed food anyway? And we eat pretty healthy, lots of fresh greens, LOTS of protein, no sugar and no white flour. And no potatoes. And no fun. Just kidding. The negatives become pretty obvious after the first few days: all that protein. I have never eaten so much meat in my life. And I really missed fruit for a while. AND it is expensive. Rice and beans is one of the cheapest meals around.

An average menu for one day:
Breakfast
Two scrambled eggs with cheese on top (I add half and half to the eggs to make them creamier), a meat like bacon or sausage, coffee with half and half
Lunch
Chicken salad on spinach leaves
Dinner
Grilled meat with steamed broccoli
Snacks
almonds or pecans (roasted and salted and yummy)
pickles
cheese
chicken wings

There are many low-carb breads now so we also make open-faced sandwiches or make pizza on flat-bread. Brian like to make sausage, egg and cheese wraps and keep them in the freezer for a quick breakfast when he leaves early to go play basketball. There are also recipes in the book that have given us inspiration when we tire of eating the same things.

I love how this diet has taken away the crazy feeling I would get when I didn't eat. I feel better than I have in years and know that even when I eat chocolate cake for Abby's birthday I can go right back on the diet the next day. We didn't consult a doctor but we did read the book the doctors wrote.