Let's just agree to disagree whether the source of calories makes a big difference in healthy weight loss.

 

Much better. How attached are you to having a glass of milk every morning? Are you a coffee drinker? My breakfast beverage is some freshly brewed, high quality coffee with some coconut oil and grassfed butter whisked in. The combination of caffeine, MCT's, and high quality fat is awesome. Tastes fantastic too.

Quality matters for the bacon -- I'm a fan of Oscar Meyer Select. I was surprised since it's Oscar Meyer, but it's actually really good.

Oh, and save your bacon grease for cooking other things. Keep a jar of it.

No problem here, though some healthy fat would be better. Eat half an avocado or something. It's an awesome snack or side dish. Just cut it in half, salt lightly, and scoop it out with a spoon. Organic avocados are more expensive, but in my experience, it's worth it as they stay ripe longer so you don't end up throwing as many out.

Perfect, just go light on the honey.

Looks good, though I'd say that there's no reason to avoid good-quality red meat. The fats will be better than poultry. If steak is too expensive/inconvenient, just get some good ground beef and fry up a few hamburger steaks in real fats (bacon grease, grassfed butter, etc.).

Also, what kind of salad dressing? I'd avoid any store-bought creamy dressings (which sucks, I know -- I love ranch dressing) because of the processed oils. EVOO and balsamic vinegar is the best here.

Yup.



Seriously, if you can make this change, you'll probably feel a little down for 2 or 3 days, and then you're going to start feeling really good. Then we'll get you tinkering with the details of your diet, adding some fermented foods and cramming as many coconut products into your diet as we can.

 

not a fan of shakes as meals.

This I can do but I will probably vary the snack quite a bit between different fruits and yogurt.

While this sounds good this is the kind of meal I was trying to avoid because I will not stick to making this. You are introducing a lot of different ingredients That are not staples and while none of this is particularly hard to make I would have to store a lot of different ingredients. I buy in bulk and I have limited space so this probably will not work.

I like this meal.

Love dark chocolate...not so much red wine. I like white but it does not have the same health benefits. I'll just drink a hoppy beer.

My main priority is keeping the meals as simple as possible. The more ingredients that are common between meals the easier and cheaper it is for me.

 

Noooooo!

 

I am not overly attached to milk and I love coffee especially a good quality bean. I need a good coffee maker though because that is really what makes the difference. I like drinking milk because it tastes good and it is an easy way for me to keep it in the house for cooking without wasting any when it goes bad if I do not use it.

I will keep quality in mind and I already save the grease.

I realized after reading it that there was not enough fat in the meals.

I love a good steak so this is no problem.

I like a large variety of dressings. I heard it was easy to make your own balsamic dressings with quality ingredients. I might try this.


Sounds like a plan. I love coconut.

 

Beer is something that is not going away. I love craft beer. I do not drink a lot of it but it is one of life's pleasures for me.

 

Why not? Beer is just a type of wine, the same as mead is a type of wine. The base carbohydrate being fermented is just different.

 

red wine instead of white wine because white wine is more acidic and detrimental to digestive health - the same way that tomatoes are acidic...BUT - everyone is different. The tomatoes/white wine may not be an issue. Similarly, your dark chocolate shouldn't be any higher than 65% cacao - or else it too becomes too acidic. I wouldn't recommend beer except to have a bottle or two on the weekends.

For dinner, make a double batch of salad / steamed veggies / etc., and take the extra serving with you for part of your lunch the next day.

The part about feeling like **** for 2-3 days is absolutely spot-on. You'll probably have headaches, be tired/worn out, feel generally like crap. Just remember, drink plenty of water, get plenty of rest, and don't work out for those 2-3 days.

 

I understand, I've got plenty of my own "less-than-healthy" cheats. The main thing is just to be in control of it so you don't sabotage your own goals.

One thing that might help minimize the detrimental effects of beer would be to consume it after a hard workout. More of the carbs will go toward restoring glycogen in your muscles instead of being stored as body fat.

 

I am a fan of trader joes centercut. Its free from nitrates or nitrites and I also can its grease for later use. Also cheaper than oscar meyer select and I think it tastes better too. If you like bacon I highly recommend giving it a shot if you have not. Since I only eat bacon once a week I am pretty particular ;-)

 

Because fermented grains still suck, fermented fruit are awesome.

Definitive Guide to Alcohol on a Low Carb Diet | Mark's Daily Apple

Have not heard this before and I'm curious about it -- I've always heard the opposite, in fact: look for at least 85% cacao to avoid added sugars and soy lecithin in most chocolates.

 

No Trader Joe's down here.

But we are getting a Whole Foods in a few months.

I wouldn't be too worried about the nitrate/nitrite thing, however.

 

Ok so lets say you're going to go with one of these mild keto diets.

What do the meals look like if you only have 1/2 an hour in the morning to prepare food (breakfast and lunch) and to eat. And only have an hour for food prep and eating around 5:30. You also like to buy in bulk.

 

Get less sleep. More time for food prep

Seriously though you have to cook in bulk. This is what I use to do. So say you don't have time except on Sunday. You cook your meals for the entire week on Sunday and then reheat in a small toaster oven.

 

I wish, I really push the limits at 4-6 hours a night as it is. I wish I could do food prep at work when I actually have time. How well does re-heating a fried egg work?

 

Honestly reheating most food in a toaster oven is not bad. If you have to use a microwave... you're gonna have a bad time.

 

Hard boiled eggs.

 

I'd also be worried about the retrogradation of the lethicin in the egg that was stored in the fridge for a while... Wait a second I've kept home made potato salad for over a week before. Making a whole weeks worth of breakfast might just work. Or I could just boil them.

 

you could also invest in a vacuum sealer so that your food cannot react with the air. My mom had one. It is boss.

 

Primal Breakfast Recipes | Mark's Daily Apple

Primal Breakfast Casserole | Mark's Daily Apple

Sausage & Egg Breakfast Bites | Mark's Daily Apple