username79
Distinguished Member
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- Apr 1, 2007
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I've been on what I consider a healthy lifestyle (new year's resolution) since Jan 1st. When I started out I resolved to keep track of results and expenses. The idea: 1) Only "whole" foods. Fresh seafood and beef. Fresh vegetables and fruits. 2) No processed or prepared foods. No high fructose corn syrup. No artificial flavors. 3) Everything prepared fresh daily. Minimal cooking oil if necessary and then only olive oil. No leftovers. Nothing frozen. 4) No added salt. Flavor from fresh herbs and spices. 5) No farmed fish. Only wild caught fish. Organic foods where possible especially when conventional variety is notorious for being pesticide laden, etc. 6) No supplements. All nutrition comes from carefully selected foods. Meet caloric intake needed for muscle growth with adequate protein from consuming fish and lean meats. Focus on eating the "world's healthiest foods." Today's example: Breakfast: Fresh papaya blended with lemon, kefir, and skim milk Fresh ground cinnamon stick into french pressed coffee Hard boiled extra large organic brown egg Lunch: Grilled Chilean Sea Bass. Crushed pepper, lemon juice, shallots, chopped garlic, fresh basil, rosemary, dill. Dinner: 3/4lb Prime filet, fresh ground pepper and pureed blackberries and raspberries into "sauce", sliced raw heirloom tomato, blanched head of broccoli Snacks: Strawberries throughout the day. This is a function of Whole Foods now selling a 4lb tub for $8. I drink approx 1-1.5 gallons of water a day. Exercise: I run 5 miles every other day I go on 15-20 mile hikes once or twice a week I kayak or bike several hours a week I do a general variation of the 5x5 program. My weights went up on this diet. Results via professional measurement: I am 6'2". Genetic mesomorph. I began at 180lbs and 10% body fat. (1/1/2010) I am now 159lbs and 5.7% body fat. (4/15/2010) I have visible striations and a well defined "eight pack." My back looks like something in a magazine (sorry for lack of a better description.) The muscles ripple when I move. I can stick my thumb between my abs. My lifts have gone up in the gym but not greatly. I would not say that I am particularly strong. For example, on bench I can currently do 205x5 with good form. I would like to be able to rep 225 but doubt I will get there without eating a lot more calories. Costs: Determined via credit cards records into Excel. Cost on average was $32.70/day for myself. As of now I have spent $3466 on food at grocery stores, farmers and seafood markets YTD not including eating out on occasion and having people over. I've found cooking at least twice a day and going for food every day to be time consuming but rewarding. I have developed interesting relationships with local merchants. Thoughts: I plan to continue. I feel the "healthiest" I have ever felt in my life. Also, looking in the mirror is very rewarding. I am somewhat amazed by the amount of definition I have obtained. It is hard to describe, but I feel very light on my feet. I have never been this light but muscled before. Feels good. I can make things that I find delicious without using any salt or added fats. I previously did not own any non stick cookware but now find it to be necessary. I had expensive stainless and copper pieces that I bought for appearance and have now given away. After cooking twice a day for months I've come to the conclusion that "high end" cookware is bullshit and a waste of money. Check out the Ikea Favorit line. The 11" frying pan is better than anything All Clad makes for a fraction of the cost. I bought a bunch of "healthy" cookbooks initially. Things came out tasting quite bland. I then adapted the healthy methods to say, Alfred Portale's Gotham Cookbook. Great improvement. Highly recommend his books. I can make a healthy shrimp risotto variety that tastes very close to what I've had at Gotham. A great way to make fish is to cut off a foot long aluminum foil sheet. Cut lemon into thin slices and reserve juice. Use lemon slices as platform. Put fish on top of platform. Add cracked pepper and fresh herbs. Fold aluminum foil around fish to make pouch. Add lemon juice. Close pouch. Cook in a hot pan. The lemon juice will effectively steam the fish. The lemon slices suspend the fish and thus negate the use of any oil. The result is delicious, the fish falls off the fork, and there is probably no healthier way to cook it. This is my go to quick lunch prep for King Salmon, Sea Bass, and Halibut.