Menu for Today

Here is what I ate today

Breakfast (BF)
Oh Yeah Almond Fudge Browning Protein bar

Lunch (LP/FC/NC)
Grilled Bologna and Cheese sandwich

• Oscar Myer 98% fat free Bologna
  


• Kraft Fat-Free Sharp Cheddar Cheese Single


• Nature's Own Double Fibre Wheat Bread


• Crisco Butter 0 Calorie spray

Soy Chips

Snack
Special K Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Meal Bar (180 Calories)

Supper (LP/FC)
Wendy's Chili over a salad

96 oz water

A Hot Snack

Don't lick this snack unless you want a hot tongue! However, these are really good and spice. Based on my calculations, they squeak in the approved snack category:

Wasabi Peas
Serving Size: 1/3 cup
110 Calories
2g Fat
15g Impact Carbs
5g Protein

You can have about 1/2 cup and still come in under 200 calories!

These are available at Wal-Mart

Crutons!

Nature's Own Double Fibre Wheat Bread is a fibrous carb. It is great as toast or to substitute as a bun for a grilled chicken sandwich. However, there are a couple other ways to expand the use of your double fibre bread. The following is one way.

Salad Croutons

• First, cut the bread slices into cubes
  





• Second, put the bread slices on a cookie sheet and coat with garlic, onion power, basil and any spice (or no spice) of your choice





• Third, spray with 0 calorie butter cooking spray





• Fourth, bake in oven on 225 degrees for 20-30 minutes until bread is dried out

Enjoy and handful of your newly created croutons on your next salad!

Menu for Today

The following is what I ate today. Hopefully, it can help you in your meal selection.

Breakfast (LP/LP)
1 Protein Shake (Oh Yeah! Vanilla Creme 12 oz)
1/2 c egg beaters

Lunch (FP/FC/NC)
Restaurant: Chick-fil-A

• Chargrilled Chicken salad with fat free Honey Mustard Dressing (used sparingly)
  

Snack
Atkins Chocolate Coconut Bar

Supper (LP/FC/NC)
Breaded Tilapia filet (4 oz) and Blackened filet (4 oz)
Cali flower with Kraft fat Free Single Sharp Cheddar Cheese Slice
2 Strawberrys dipped in Walden Farms Chocolate Dip

96oz of water

Menu for tommorrow

In addition to the individual food items, I am going to attempt to put a daily menu together each Monday. Beside each day, I am adding the combination of the meal.

Here is the menu for today.

Breakfast (FP/FC)
2 eggs
2 Double Fibre Wheat Bread toasted
Water

Lunch (LP/FC)
Grilled Chicken cut into strips
Sauteed Green Peppers, Mushrooms and onion (sparingly)
Spinach
2 Extreme Fibre Tortillas
Make 2 wraps out of the above

Snack
Atkins Peanut Butter cups (1 pkg)
(If you exercise for 30 minutes, you can have 2 snacks!)

Supper (LP/FC/NC)
Blackened Tilopia (1 filet)
Brocolli (1 cup)
Sweet Potato (small)

Extra
Sugar-Free Jello

French Toast

This is a combination of a Fatty Protein (whole eggs) and a Fibrous Carb (Double Fibre Wheat Bread). The diagram to the right reflects this combination.

There are a couple of ways to make french toast that are both legal and will leave you satisfied. In this post, I will present one way.



1 egg (or 2)
Vanilla flavoring
Cinnamon
Water
2 pieces of Nature's Own Double Fibre Wheat Bread

Dip bread in mixture and cook in 0 calorie butter flavored cooking spray

Cover with Ms. Butter's Worth Sugar Free Syrup
Add a dulop of Low-fat Cool Whip

Enjoy with a big glass of ice cold water or coffee

A Deep Fried Snack

Deep Fried Foods are generally a "no-no" because they are coated in flour (which is a refined carb which stops fat burn and stores fat) and because of the extra fat content which is added to food due to the deep frying. However, there is a way you can have fried food and still lose weight! So if you are preacher, which is what I am, and you like fried chicken you can have it!!

First, you will need MCT oil. MCT stands for Medium Chain Triglycerides. According to one product description "MCT oil is more readily broken down and is absorbed differently than other types of fat. It requires fewer enzymes and bile acids for digestion, so it can provide or supplement dietary fat and calories in patients who might otherwise have compromised nutrition. One tablespoon of MCT oil provides 115 calories." MCT can be quickly accessed for fuel by your body.

Next, you will need an extreme fibre tortilla like Ole Extreme Fibre Tortilla (plain).
Cut the tortilla into triangles

Third, put MCT oil in pan and fry the tortilla triangles. NOTE: MCT oil has a low flash point so don't let it get too hot. If it starts smoking too much, remove from heat. Fry the tortillas until they are golden brown

Fourth, place tortillas on plate and spread a thin layer of peanut butter on them. NOTE: you need the peanut butter for protein. Without the protein, this is NOT a snack. It will have too many calories to qualify as an extra.

Fifth, pour Sugar Free Syrup on them.



Enjoy!!

My Weight Loss Journey

For years I have struggled with my weight. I have an "apple" body which means I collect most of my weight in the stomach area. For a number of years I have felt increasingly self-conscious of my weight for several reasons: 1. My wife is a personal trainer and has managed to stay fit and trim for a number of years; 2. As a communicator of the Gospel, I have felt embarrassed at my increasing size; and 3. I felt that I should look trim since I was in the martial arts yet I was not.

I tried a few diets like Atkins and South Beach. I had moderate success on both. I liked South Beach the best and lost about 10lbs on it, but I went back to my old habits when the Holidays (Thanksgiving) hit.

Admittedly, I am at the beginning of my journey, but a couple of months ago I attended a class taught by a friend on weight loss. (Click HERE for the link to the material and HERE for the Facebook page.) For years my weight stayed around 188lbs but now I was topping the scales at 190- 193lbs! The old 188lbs was looking good! When he began his class, I was ready to make a change and the class seemed to be the perfect opportunity.

The class was on Thursday, Feb. 10. I weighed in at home at 190lbs with a 41.5" waist, 42.5"hips and 22.5" thighs. I am 5'10" high and medium build. After attending the first session, I decided I was going to give the plan a try. The next day February 11, my sister's birthday, I began my weight loss journey.

Now, two-and-a-half months later, I have lost 24 lbs! My current measurements are: 37.5" waist, 39.0" hips, and 19.25" thighs! My cloths are all too big!

I will write about my journey in future blogs; however, the purpose of this blog is to share with people what I eat. I have had people to say that the diet (I don't like that word, this is a lifestyle change!) is too complicated or too restrictive, but it is not! Since I love to be creative, I am constantly looking for new ways to cook food and new dishes. Please note, I am not a chef! However, hopefully this blog will help others discover that this lifestyle change is VERY doable, sustainable and enjoyable.