Going for broke (healthy eating thread)

[timbo_93631]

I'm gonna give a disclaimer and just say that I am a lunatic permaculture based gardener.  We eat as much of our own produce here as possible, and grow it to be as nutrient dense as possible too.  We are raising our own animals as garden helpers, and to eat, and are trying to get to a place where we only eat homegrown meat that is slaughtered and butchered here and produce grown here. 

I'd encourage you to consider that most  grocery store produce is really pretty empty in terms of nutrients.  It doesn't matter if it is conventional or organic, the soils most store food are grown in are basically dead, and low nutrient.  They will be fertilized to feed them instead of getting nutrients from the soil.  If you can find a local CSA or Farmers market with growers that are working from a living soil/permaculture approach I think you'll find it a ton easier to live on the diet you are considering.  Also whatever you can grow yourself is always a great plan.  Now is the perfect time to start preparing beds for spring planting in healthy living soil.

Are you claiming that typical store produce has less nutrients than reported, or that the reported numbers are correct, but could be more nutritious with healthier soil?

. The latter.  Whatever is on a label is an average based on sampling of the produce and analysis of the samples.  The point is, in any farming or gardening where tilling is employed you have total breakdown of the soil biology.  This means the soil has less available nutrients and less delivery mechanisms for the plants to absorb nutrients, so fertilization has be done at the root zone or through foliar feeding.  Growing this way is merely using the soil as a growing medium, not as the food source for the plants. If you want nutrient dense produce you need to try and increase the carbon content of your soil, always keep it covered by a mulch of some sort, and try to disturb the soil as little as possible.  You basically want to feed the dirt until it isn't hungry anymore, then your produce will go nuts in terms of size, flavor, and nutrient density.  You can look into Paul Gautschi, his back to Eden gardening methods are based on some Japanese research fro the 60's.  I think he doesn't quite stress the importance of composted chicken litter when using wood chips, and that you can have huge problems with fire ants and weeds using them in the south.  I follow JM Fortier's no till system, combined with the chicken and pig grazingnprsctic s that Joel Salatin uses.  The Charles Dowding's no dig methodology is my end goal for making new beds, but it requires more compost than I am making. 

[peAk]

I'm a firm believer in cutting out the carbs/sugar.

Whether it's Paleo, Keto, Primitive, Atkins, etc.

It's just what makes sense, it's what's natural. These processed foods and refined carbs are what has made us fat, lazy, and disease prone. All you have to do is quit sugar/carbs for a a day to realize how addicted you are to them. It's insane.

...and of course these desk jobs and lack of exercise doesnt help.

[madbean]

I'm a firm believer in cutting out the carbs/sugar.

Whether it's Paleo, Keto, Primitive, Atkins, etc.

It's just what makes sense, it's what's natural. These processed foods and refined carbs are what has made us fat, lazy, and disease prone. All you have to do is quit sugar/carbs for a a day to realize how addicted you are to them. It's insane.

...and of course these desk jobs and lack of exercise doesnt help.

Wait, wait. Are you saying...now, lemme see if I have this right...you're saying the SuperSonicChocolateRectumBlaster I have every day before bed is the problem? It's got milk in it and shit. I thought it was like, health food.

[peAk]

I'm a firm believer in cutting out the carbs/sugar.

Whether it's Paleo, Keto, Primitive, Atkins, etc.

It's just what makes sense, it's what's natural. These processed foods and refined carbs are what has made us fat, lazy, and disease prone. All you have to do is quit sugar/carbs for a a day to realize how addicted you are to them. It's insane.

...and of course these desk jobs and lack of exercise doesnt help.

Wait, wait. Are you saying...now, lemme see if I have this right...you're saying the SuperSonicChocolateRectumBlaster I have every day before bed is the problem? It's got milk in it and shit. I thought it was like, health food.

If you like your rectum blasted before bed, I ain't here to judge.

[madbean]

Something I discovered tonight: baked potato with just Habenero-based hot sauce is god-tier food!

[alanp]

Don't get why people think vegan is a bad word. Don't knock it until you've tried it guys.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6589687/Vegans-storm-ethical-grocery-store-protest-hurl-abuse-customers-staff.html

It's chiefly nutters like this who give vegans a bad name.

[matmosphere]

Don't get why people think vegan is a bad word. Don't knock it until you've tried it guys.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6589687/Vegans-storm-ethical-grocery-store-protest-hurl-abuse-customers-staff.html

It's chiefly nutters like this who give vegans a bad name.

Smiths' fans. I never got it either.

[sonarchotic]

I've exercised regularly for years but never made much consistent headway with weight loss... Last summer I started working for an agency that helps farmers be better environmental stewards. The work includes working at a lot of concentrated animal feed operations or CAFO's. The conditions the animals lived in combined with the environmental impact of their production, and the impact of eating the products of that process on my health was enough to finally drive me to go vegan. I was considering just going vegetarian until I worked at a couple mega-dairies and that broke me of my commitment to cheese... It was a bit of an adjustment at first but I got used to it. It forced me to cook more, eat out less, and eat less processed food. I've continued to work out about 5 days a week, mostly running, and I've managed to drop weight and keep it off like never before.

As far as meat goes, I don't have much of a problem with wild game as long as it's sustainably hunted. I used to farm and raise my own animals on a small scale, kill, and butcher them.  I do think that small scale production can be a better life for the animals and a lesser impact on the environment as well as better quality/healthier meat. I have decided for simplicity's sake to just not eat animal products (except small production honey). I am seeing and feeling the health benefits of going vegan so I'll just stick with it. It's also nice to know that my actions and ethics are finally aligned on the issue after many years of wrestling with whether or not to eat meat. Good luck and health to you and I hope your efforts are successful!

[madbean]

Week 1 update: This week was all about "shocking" my system. I eliminated most of the foods I normally eat. Diet was a lot potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit and greens. I'm not sure what my caloric intake was but I'm guessing around 1200/day. I'm also following the "16/8" rule. This is where you contain your eating to one 8 hour window and intermittent fast between dinner and your next meal.

Overall, I feel great. Lots of energy, mental acuity, etc. I could feel the effects within a couple of days from starting. Next week I will start increasing the greens and allow more variety of foods. I have definitely been hungry but it's been mild most of the time. I think the potatoes go a long way to keeping hunger pangs from getting out of control.

Weight lost: 7lbs (I was actually -9lbs yesterday!) This is pretty aggressive and I'm going to try and keep it to 3 to 4lbs/week.

My road map: 12 weeks of 3-4lbs a week. Feb 1st: quit smoking (again). Feb 15th: quit alcohol for 30 days. Goal weight: 215lbs. Second goal weight: 200lbs but then put on maybe 10lbs of muscle (minor sick gains, brah). At 210lbs I'll still be "overweight" but I also have a pretty bulky frame and frankly, I think it's a reasonable goal for now.

[madbean]

Week 2 update: I did very well this week. Still eating lots of potatoes but I introduced lots more fruit and salads. I gave myself one cheat with a foo-foo bullshit Starbucks coffee. It was nice, but I didn't have a big craving to satisfy. I also learned that cacao powder makes me violently sick. Really a surprise because I never get ill from food. So, scratch that off the list!

Weight lost so far: 11lbs. I'm right on target for my 12 week goal. I'm seeing the changes - maybe an inch or so gone from the waist, face and arms thinning up a bit. Energy level is also very good. In another week or two I'll be able to put on my old jeans, haha.

[Mich P]

Wish you the best and necessary courage needed for...
Mich P.

[madbean]

One month update:
Weight loss seems to have stalled out. I haven't lost any appreciable amount in the last 10 days despite sticking to the diet and eliminating alcohol on top of that. It's a bit frustrating. I'm going to give it one more week and if the needle doesn't move I may add low carb to the mix.

[somnif]

One month update:
Weight loss seems to have stalled out. I haven't lost any appreciable amount in the last 10 days despite sticking to the diet and eliminating alcohol on top of that. It's a bit frustrating. I'm going to give it one more week and if the needle doesn't move I may add low carb to the mix.

"Plateau"-ing is pretty common from what I've found. I was stuck at about 210 for 2 months before I started dropping again, no idea why. More or less the same food intake, more or less the same amount of physical activity, my body just decided to be lazy for a bit.

[Rockhorst]

A steady weight loss of no more than 1 kg a week is 'healthy'. I can't diet for shit. I need to do sports with it, but I find less and less time (and motivation) to get into it. I have a racing bike and I should start somewhere this month for cycling to work in the spring (30 km one way). Hoping to drop 10 kg again this summer.

Anyway, that plateau is nothing to worry about. You went down fast, maybe too fast, initially. Your changing your lifestyle, takes time. Think about how it makes you feel better, that's the important part for now.

[peAk]

Brian,

I got back on low carb/fasting diet about the same time your diet started and I dropped about roughly the same as you have. I have kind of stalled, too.

It is what it is. We are paying for our sins. We can't expect it to fall off as easy as it is to "fall on". Those first few weeks are always awesome because the (water) weight gives us those big numbers but those are always short-lived.

Just got to keep on keepin on!