Greetings Readers

This blog is a response to the numerous questions I have received regarding my new diet.  On January 16th, 2011 I began the "slow carb" diet while having lunch at a Mexican restaurant.  The results have been awesome--I have lost at least 20 lbs...but it's really closer to 30 lbs.  (I did not weigh until a few weeks into the diet, but I feel comfortable claiming I started the diet at 275 lbs.  Today I weighed 246.8 lbs!)

There are four basic rules to this diet:

1. Do not eat any "white" carbs such as potatoes, pasta, rice, bread, etc.  
2. Eat the same  meals over and over.
3. Do not drink calories.
4. Take one cheat day a week.

Overall, I have to say this diet has been really easy.  I still eat most of the foods that I like:  jerk chicken and pork, hamburger steak, sausage, lots of salads, vegetables, beans and lentils.  I has been very easy to stock my kitchen with the right foods; my freezer and fridge are exploding with food.  

There are some wrinkles to this diet that shock many people.  First, I do not eat fruit except for on my cheat day which is on Saturday.  Second, I do not eat many foods that I used to consider "healthy."  For example, I used to eat a lot of oatmeal, brown rice and brown pasta...those days are done!  I now refer to my previous gut as my "oatmeal-brown-rice gut."  Many people assumed that I drank a lot of beer to develop such a stomach, but the truth is that I was not a big beer drinker.  (I do confess that I do love the taste of beer!  Unfortunately, it makes me feel bloated, so I probably drank about 4-6 beers a month.)  Third, I eat more meat and fat than most people consider healthy.  Fourth, I do not eat or drink any dairy products at all.  My daily meals look something like this:

• Breakfast:  2 fried eggs fried in butter, lentils, and spinach.
• Lunch:  grilled pork or chicken, black beans and vegetables or salad.
• Dinner:  salad with grilled pork or chicken with a substantial dollop of hummus.
• Snacks:  ham rolls, peanuts or almonds  

There have a number of surprising results from my dietary changes:

1. I seldom feel hungry between meals; consequently, I eat few snacks.
2. I no longer have the strong urge to take a nap after lunch.
3. My running has improved dramatically due to my lower weight and better nutrition.  I can easily run distances of 5 to 8 miles at my slow but steady pace.
4. My time in the kitchen has been reduced dramatically.  I usually grill lots of meats on Sunday evening and use it all week long.  I use the grilled chicken to make great salads, grilled pork and beef with beans are very common at lunch and dinner, and I usually make a batch of split pea soup and fresh hummus.  By batching my cooking, I really minimize my time in the kitchen.
5. The costs of the foods I eat are also minimal.  Foods like beans, lentils, pork steaks, vegetables and salad fixings are more than reasonably priced.   

I hope you find this post useful.  Feel free to ask me questions about my experience with this diet.