It's been a while since I recounted a day of low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) eating. Granted, only an LCHF beginner would find such a post interesting and/or useful, and even that may be wishful thinking on my part, but taking a close look at what I'm doing diet-wise is a major purpose for the blog -- at least from my point of view. If nothing else, writing down what I'm eating makes me pay attention to the process. So here goes. … [Read more...]
Is broccoli low-carb? Compared to what?
Is broccoli low-carb? It depends . . . I haven't written many posts about vegetables over the years. Nuts, yes. Seeds, yes. Even fruits (avocado, blueberries, strawberries and tomatoes). Once in a while, I've put up a photo of a plate with, say, a few green beans and a big juicy steak. But the focus has not been on the beans. The lack of focus on veggies may give readers the false impression that I don't eat many. In fact, I do veggies. Not just lettuce, either, but real, honest-to-gosh, … [Read more...]
Great foods for a low-carb diet (part 6): pecans
The pecan: a low-carb, high-fat powerhouse Move over almonds, get outta here walnuts. When it comes to being a truly great low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) nut, the humble pecan has you both beat. On the key criterion of net-carbs (total carbs minus fiber), a single quarter-cup serving of pecans has only one. That's right. Naturally low-carb pecans (raw) have just one net-carb per serving (4 grams carbs - 3 grams fiber). That's a good start, but not the whole story. Almonds are also … [Read more...]
A new plateau? Not if I can help it!
Yesterday I consumed 2,086 calories, with 69% coming from fat. I had 58 grams of carbs, including 20 grams of fiber, and 113 grams of protein. Overnight and this morning, I went 12 hours without eating. Still, I didn't expect much weight loss, maybe a tenth of a pound. Or I'd at least hold even. Instead, I gained two-tenths of a pound. My weight this morning was 218.2, up from an even 218. Admittedly I didn't do much of anything you could call work or exercise yesterday. But a man of my … [Read more...]
Busting the stall
My visit to the scale this morning (Saturday) showed me weighing an even 218 pounds. That's up two-tenths of a pound since Friday morning, but down 2.2 pounds since Monday morning. I have one more day to go in this "Bust the Stall" week. I guess if I hold even until my end of the week weigh-in on Monday, I can claim success, but I'd sure like to lose another pound. Or two. A number beginning with 216 would be great! Yesterday I consumed 1,939 calories, with 75% coming from fat. Along … [Read more...]
Calculating Skaldeman’s fat burning quotient
When I started this blog many years ago, I was eating a "low-carb" diet. Now I'm eating a "low-carb high-fat (LCHF)" diet. The change in terminology is significant. The goal is not to replace excessive carbohydrate with excessive protein, but with quality fat. I'm trying to get more than 70% of my daily calories from fat. A useful tool for deciding what to eat on an LCHF diet is "Skaldeman's fat burning quotient." The quotient is named after Swedish diet guru Sten Sture Skaldeman, who … [Read more...]
Calories up, fat up — weight down
OK, this is more like it. Yesterday (Monday, July 6) I consumed 2,400 calories, with 73% coming from fat. That's about 800 more calories than I consumed on an average day during the previous week. Today my weight is 219.4 pounds, down eight-tenths of a pound from yesterday. I don’t put much stock in a one-day weight loss. In fact, as a regular reader of this blog knows, I have made a point of NOT weighing in every day. I even have my doubts about a weekly weigh-in. But I am pleased that … [Read more...]
My LCHF week in review: June 21 – 27, 2015
Starting weight = 219.2 lbs. Ending weight = 220.2 lbs. We were at the lake again over the weekend, so I wasn't able to weigh myself until today. I was expecting to have gained a couple pounds. I was snacking more than usual -- including a couple small bowls of (gasp!) ice cream. As the table shows, overall, my carb intake was up, and my fat intake down. The averages are still within the expectations for a LCHF diet, but as I've noted before, averages can be deceiving. And there's no such … [Read more...]
A basic LCHF breakfast: dairy, berries, and nuts
I don't eat a lot of dairy on my low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet, but when I do, it usually takes one of three forms: heavy cream in my coffee, shredded cheese in a recipe or on a salad, or yogurt. Of those forms, cream is the only dairy I ingest on an every day basis. I love freshly brewed coffee with a dollop of rich, organic heavy cream mixed in. (Heavy cream gets almost all of its calories from fat.) As you may have guessed, I'm not lactose-intolerant, and I'm also not a follower of … [Read more...]
It’s time to fix the dietary guidelines
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is age-old advice that's hard to argue with. The problem is, people often disagree about whether a thing is broken or not. That's the case with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, first foisted on American citizens by their federal government in 1980, and since revised every five years. This year will see the release of the next revision. But will it be a fix? Many see the Dietary Guidelines as seriously flawed and in need of fixing. I'm in that camp -- no … [Read more...]