Okay, I am going to try and keep on blogging while I am on a tough diet. I don’t intend to post all low-calorie, low-fat meal alternatives…that is just too boring. I don’t see this as a permanent lifestyle change, more like temporary torture. While I fully understand the need to just eat less and exercise more, the reality is I do have to go into some self-deprivation mode to achieve the desired results. But I have about a 60 day period within which to get back in shape. And there is a reason for the 60 day deadline, details coming up very soon…
My starting weight is 190 pounds. I am trying to get that down to 175 pounds by the end of October or thereabouts – the ideal recommended weight for my height and age according to my doctor. To do that, I am pursuing a modified lower carbohydrate diet. To give you a flavor of what I am going to eat (but not necessarily write about) – think fruit smoothies with all the fiber and no added sugar, low-fat milkshakes with whey, lots of green salads, dark green vegetables, lean meat sandwiches on whole grain bread, brown instead of white rice, no desserts after today, no chocolate, little or no alcohol, lots of water, lots of fish, lots of steaming rather than frying, my homemade granola, lots of eggs, nuts, legumes and vegetables… In the photo above is another Marketman experiment. A Blackberry and Whey smoothie. In a blender add some ice cubes, thawed frozen blackberries, low fat milk, whey powder, and blitz until done. If you are picky about the seeds, strain this and you will get the most intensely purple and seedless smoothie!
On the exercise front, I will try to work out at least twice a week, go for a brisk walk twice a week and if really driven, play one or two hours of real singles tennis. An occasional swim, once a week 8-10 kilometer bike ride and I should do okay, no? I often find that my exercise plans are waylaid by other commitments, so I just have to set my own priorities more firmly now… I am posting my plans so that the knowledge that all of you know them will make me more motivated to actually do them. I would take a photo of my mid-section before and after but frankly, I think that would be bordering on gross and a real appetite suppressant for readers… Wish me luck and if all goes well, you may even be able to see if I actually achieved my goal!
35 Responses
I have been trying to lose at least 5lbs too. Maybe your diet blog is good timing, will try out your diet menus. Good luck.
Yes, tell us what you eat each day so we can follow your diet and lose weight with you. Para hindi ka nag-iisa.
You can achieve your goals. The words are “DETERMINATION,” “MOTIVATION,” “DISCIPLINE” and “SUCCESS.” Eat a lot of foods rich in fiber, you feel full. Add oatmeal in your diet too. Try Pilates exercises to firm/tone you up and yoga. You do not need to leave your house doing these exercises. The more muscles you build, the more carbs they eat! Glad to hear from you again.
I wish you well in the diet/exercise. It’s hard, but not impossible, you have our full support. I just read an email that okra is a great vegetable full of fiber and helps digestion. Maybe you can look into all the variations to cook a healthy okra meal.
If you stick to your plan, I think you can achieve your goal within 2 months.
Or why don’t you start with the Atkins no carbo for 6 weeks? I always lose about 15 pounds with the 6-weeks no carbo diet but unfortunately, get them all back once I start eating my usual diet.
Goodluck!
Good luck Marketman. I hope you will have the willpower and determination to follow this through. I myself have to go on a diet and start exercising too. All the homemade ice cream I experimented on this summer is showing its damage already.
Yes, good luck, MM! I’ve done the SBD and a year later, have kept the weight off. Just so you don’t get too sugar-deprived, sugar-free desserts (gelatin, dark chocolate, ice cream, etc.) are actually allowed and helped keep me from backsliding cos I still got my sweet fix. I prepared my own tapa and barbecue using sugar substitute, salad dressing using tofu, etc. Was dizzying the first week (no carbs kasi) but since I enjoyed the challenge of preparing appropriate meals, I got through.
So, stick to the diet but don’t deprive yourself too much of the good eats. (SBD allows cheating…take it from me. I cheated a bit and still lost weight)
Again, I sincerely hope you attain your weightloss target.
good luck, MM! kaya mo yan. tama si CecileJ, don’t cut out the dessert completely para di ka feeling-deprived.
btw, have you tried the newly available Hersheys and Ghirardelli extra dark chocolate bars sa Rustans Supermarket? pucha, ang sarap. one small dark chocolate square a day will do to keep ’em sweet cravings at bay.
good luck MM! btw, where can one buy whole grain bread in manila?
hi MM! i am, too, trying to lose weight and trying to tone up. if you’re enrolled at a gym, why not try spinning/cosmic cycling? guaranteed to lose 500-1000 kcal per session. i’ve lost 5lbs already and i still eat the same amount but avoiding the fatty stuff, although i indulge myself with a cheeseburger every now and then, plus, i’ve gained muscles. :)
good luck in your diet! :)
JOIN AKO JAN!!!!!!
hchie, good luck with your diet as well. CWID, I will chronicle some of the stuff, but will keep posting high calorie stuff as well… Maria Clara, will try hard…but forget Pilates, my wife does it and I know I would be the loudest grunter around not to mention expletives targetted at the instructor! Mila, funny you should mention okra, I was deliberating last Saturday buying some but didn’t know what to do with it except gumbo… Rob and sylvia, many thanks… geez, I feel like I have an incredible cheering squad! CecileJ, yes I will have an occasional cheat sweet. awi, I have to hit Rustan’s but after reading lori’s (Dessertcomes first) post on the chocolate there, I am worried I will lose control… mojito drinker, I just bought a whole grain bread at Le Coeur de France but I am not impressed, it doesn’t seem authentic. I have bought whole grain breads at the Peninsula bakeshop as well. Mandy, spinning sounds to energetic for me. I amean I once fainted on a treadmill at the doctor’s office and flew off and flattened this tiny nurse who wouldn’t believe I was faint-prone. Izang, good luck!
good luck, MM while you’re at it, how about posting a before an after look? kahit body shot lang… ;)
Looking forward to more entries on the diet and some of your ideas to get me through my deprivation as i am trying to loose some weight too. I find that the more often I visit your blog, the more weight I put on! And since I visit at least once a day..well, you can only guess how much I have to loose!What can I say, you just inspire me to eat and cook! Breakfast I find is the toughest meal for me since I have read when following a low carb-low GI diet you are not suppose to have too many fruits. Have been making my granola without the honey or dried fruit for breakfast. And omelettes with three eggwhites and one yolk. Rustan’s has not had any fresh berries for the past two days.. bummer. At least I have held on to some cash.. at P325 a basket, that lasts about 60 seconds with me , its getting to be quite expensive!
Bay leaf, I thought about the photo, but decided against it. Too much information, if you ask me! And yipes, permanent record on the web? No way… Heehee. Alicia, nothing replaces fresh strawberries, but I buy the frozen ones when I find them and use them in low fat milk shakes with whey, they taste pretty good. Yes, South Beach does not allow fruit but I eat fruit anyway. Strawberries, grapes, apples are pretty low glycemic rating compared to other fruits…
You go MM! rah! rah! rah!
Go, go, MM…we can do it! Yey! Kaya na sa Bol-anon!
Go MM! I do hope you get to stick to your diet/exercise plans. Goodluck!
I’ve made plans to start working out too. I will start boxing again this Sept; I used to do pilates, yoga and bellydancing but I haven’t been active the previous quarter so I decided to give boxing another try.
Game! I’ve started my low fat, low salt diet just last Friday. I need to lose about 25 pounds, not necessarily in 60 days though that would be good. I still have to look for a good source of brown or red rice. My stomach can’t really digest the brown very well. I find myself feeling nauseous after eating it. I actually prefer red rice.
Hi Marketman. Just two comments.
First, spinning works! But if you faint easily, never mind. He he.
Second, what to do with okra? Eating it just plain boiled works for me. :)
Good luck!!! Oh boy do I know how that feels…I have been on a diet since the day I was born! :(
I’m excited to know the reason for the 60 day deadline! Do you have a photo shoot? Woohoo!
Cheerleaders have arrived! Thanks. Maddie, I have a couple of earlier posts on different rice varieties, please check archives… fabian, will try some okra recipes in the future, joey, no nothing so billboard show your belly button type thingee…you’ll read about it soon enough!
for sure you’ll make it MM! we’re here to support your diet plan. another tip, eat spicy food that’s good for metabolism, especially if you eat chillies. well 50 grams of dark or plain chocolate a day is not taboo.it helps to lower your blood pressure:))))cheers…..
Go go MM. I know you can do it.
I think I will start exercising and dieting, as well. Inggit ako sa iyo. I have to lose 20 lbs to achieve my ideal weight. And very effective sa akin ang brisk walking since di ako pwede sa taebo, aerobics, pilates because of my hypertension.
Go! MM!!!
good move. but i think if you’re planing to exercise you’re really going to need carbs lest you want to pass out while whacking a tennis ball. but you’re right; you just need to modify your carbs. basically just remove all stuff refined (enriched wheat flour, hydrogenated oils, simple sugars, anything white) and you’ll be fine. vegies and whole grains are better slow burn carbs and can help tame those snacking demons brought on by sugar level crashes. i eat a big bowl of a mixture of rolled oats (not instant because its semi-refined!) and oat bran everyday and it tides me till lunch! it also “pushes out” the bad stuff. cleans your arteries pretty good. some people say eating eggs in the morning curbs your desire for fat the rest of the day. basically, you dont really have to feel deprived while losing weight. i’ve taken out the most refined stuff i could…of course i still eat rice, dessert, fried stuff sometimes…but its just portion control i guess. i still love eating. i must’ve done something right as i’ve lost 20 pounds since april. and a tip, if you’re pressed for time to exercise, 10-12 mins of skipping rope burns more calories than 30mins-hour on the treadmill
You go, MM!
But lemme tell you, it is not so much the diet that will make you lose the weight. It’s the EXERCISE! So don’t be too hard on yourself sa eating part; but be very, very strict and dedicated doing your exercises. Because no matter how much calories you put in, as long as you burn it off [better if your burn off more than you put in], you will be amazed to see yourself losing the pounds.
I’ll be cheering you on in your progress, MM.
YOU CAN DO IT! DO IT!
Tried to send this by email, hope this works on the comment section:
—– Original Message —–
Here’s something new… for those suffering with constipation
A guy has been suffering from constipation for the past 20 years and
recently from acid reflux. He didn’t realize that the treatment could be
so simple — OKRA! He started eating okra within the last 2 months and
since then have never taken medication again. All he did was consume 6
pieces of OKRA everyday. He’s now regular and his blood sugar has dropped
from 135 to 98, with his cholesterol and acid reflux also under control.
University of Illinois
“Okra is a powerhouse of valuable nutrients, nearly half of which is soluble fiber in the form of gums and pectins. Soluble fiber helps tolower serum cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease. The other
half is insoluble fiber which helps to keep the intestinal tract healthy,
decreasing the risk of some forms of cancer, especially colo-rectal
cancer. Nearly 10% of the recommended levels of vitamin B6 and folic acid
is also present in a half cup of cooked okra.
Okra is a rich source of many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin B6 and
folic acid. He got the following numbers from the University of
Illinois Extension Okra Page. Please check there for more details.
Okra Nutrition (half-cup cooked okra)
* Calories = 25
* Dietary Fiber = 2 grams
* Protein = 1.5 grams
* Carbohydrates = 5.8 grams
* Vita! min A = 460 IU
* Vitamin C = 13 mg
* Folic acid = 36.5 micrograms
* Calcium = 50 mg
* Iron = 0.4 mg
* Potassium = 256 mg
* Magnesium = 46 mg
These numbers should be used as a guideline only, and if you are on a
medically-restricted diet please consult your physician and/or dietician. Ms Sylvia W. Zook, Ph.D.(nutritionist) has very kindly provided the following thought-provoking comments on the many benefits of this versatile vegetable. They are well worth reading.
1. The superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilize blood sugar as it
curbs the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.
2. Okra’s mucilage not only binds cholesterol but bile acid carrying
toxins dumped into it by the filtering liver. But it doesn’t stop there…
3. Many alternative health practitioners believe all disease begins in the
colon. The okra fiber, absorbing water and ensuring bulk in stools, helps prevent constipation.
Fiber in general is helpful for this but okra is one of the best, along with ground flax seed and psyllium. Unlike harsh wheat bran, which can irritate or injure the intestinal tract, okra’s mucilage soothes, and okra
facilitates elimination more comfortably by its slippery characteristic many people abhor. In other words, this incredibly valuable vegetable not only binds excess cholesterol and toxins (in bile acids) which cause numerous health problems, if not evacuated, but also assures their easy passage from the the body.
The veggie is completely non-toxic, non-habit forming (except for the many
who greatly enjoy eating it), has no adverse side effects, is full of
nutrients, and is economically within reach of most.
4. Further contributing to the health of the intestinal tract, okra fiber (as well as flax and psyllium) has no equal among fibers for feeding the good bacteria (probiotics).
5.To retain most of okra’s nutrients and self-digesting enzymes, it
should be cooked as little as possible, e.g. with low heat or lightly
steamed. Some eat it raw.
MM, what dow whey powder do to the smoothie?
GO,MM!! Love that drink or any other smoothies,love low-fat yoghurt smoothies,it’s actually a meal on it’s own plus all the other healthy goodies in it. I have this as a meal especially after gorging on rich party foods.It’s almost like detoxing,but sort of in a yummy way.
Good read on “ökra”,Mila. Thanks for sharing!
hello marketman,
i am also overweight and would like to start my diet with this blackberry & whey smoothies. Now, we dont where where to get the whey powder. Could you please tell us where you got it?
thanks, Isa
issa, chocolate as a treat is good… and I think we can afford to “cheat” once in a while; I love chillies too… anonymous paul, thanks for those tips and yes, I tried skipping rope but it is too coordinated for me…:) ENYA, I never had to exercise earlier in life, i was too thin… but now I am making up for it! Mila, not sure what’s up with my email but thanks for the OKRA heads up. Will have to look at that slimy maligned vegetable closer in the near future. Corrrine, the whey powder is high protein so your shake is packed with muscle building capability. Linda, with all the fruit in Australia, your smoothies must be great! isabella, whey powder can be purchased at health food stores or supplements stores. I have to admit I was wary of supplements for the longest time but I read up on natural whey and was convinced. I add just a little to my shakes with the intention of helping to build muscles in my 40’s!!!
And the reason for the 60-day deadline is…? An eyeball? :-)
if you need a recipe for whole grain bread, i have LOTS of yummy ones. just holler.
Fruit Magic has a very yummy Nutty Oaty Shake — it’s not always on the menu, but available if you ask. It has banana, peanuts, oats and whey. It also contains sugar syrup, but you can ask them not to put it. I used to drink this after the gym and it would be enough for a light lunch. Unfortunately, Fruit Magic’s no longer in that building. Another drink that helps me diet is Netle’s 0% Fat Yogurt Drink. It’s low-carb and sugar-free, yet actually tastes good. My favorite flavor’s mango, but the strawberry and kiwi-apple aren’t bad either. It’s a super-quick, healthy breakfast.