JayLoss

Tasty Paleo Salad

Posted on14. Jan, 2012 by Jay.

I’m not a big salad guy, but this was tasty!

It’s baby spinach with walnuts, sesame seeds, chicken, raspberries, mushrooms and olive oil! It was really, really good! I estimate the calorie amount to be 500 calories due to the walnuts, oil and chicken.

So I’m 100% with the Paleo diet now. I’m not doing it to lose weight (I’ve lost enough weight), I’m doing it because it’s healthy.

Without knowing it, I was pretty close to eating Paleo already, I just had to cut out all the bad carbs and start eating more vegetables. The biggest challenge so far was figuring out what I could eat. I’m so used to eating lots of carbs, cheese and other dairy.

Luckily for me I love a challenge! I found alternatives to eating carbs, I snack on almonds, boiled eggs, walnuts, fruits and vegetables now. I don’t crave simple carbs anymore, I still crave cheese but maybe that will pass.

If I were to say to myself 3 years ago that today I wouldn’t be drinking soda anymore or eating chips, I wouldn’t believe it. Not only that but I stay away from artificial flavors, dairy, food coloring, etc. I pretty much drink nothing but water. I’m a health nut!

It’s been a LONG process.. I didn’t just say one day I’m eating healthy and that was that.. it took years..

The first and best thing I did was cut out all soda. After that and with a restricted calorie diet I started losing weight.

Then I introduce more fruits and vegetables into my diet, slowly eating better.

Then I decided to stay away from caffeine, food coloring and artificial flavorings. Mostly because it made me feel bad mentally and physically.

Over a period of years I’m eating healthier until I reach Paleo without really trying.

What is the Paleo Diet? 

Here are a few basics..

Q: So what shouldn’t I eat?

A: Stop eating these foods:

• everything made from grains like wheat, corn, rice, barley and oats: this includes all baked goods (bread, crackers, muffins, cookies, etc.), pasta, and breaded/fried items
• sugar in all forms except whole fruit
• vegetable and seed oils like corn oil, canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower/safflower oil, etc.
• legumes (beans, peanuts)

Q: What should I eat?

A: DO eat these foods:

• lots of animal foods: meat, eggs, fish/seafood
• lots of vegetables
• nuts/seeds. The following nuts should be consumed in moderation due to their relatively high omega-6 fat content: walnuts, cashews, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts etc. Coconut is much lower in omega-6 fats and is rich in saturated fats and can/should be consumed more frequently than the above nuts. Remember that peanuts are legumes, not nuts, and are even more concentrated in omega-6 fats and antinutrient lectins.
• fruits (in moderation if trying to lose weight; lower-sugar varieties like berries are a good choice over high-sugar fruits like grapes, bananas, or oranges.)
• for cooking fats, use animal fats like lard, bacon fat, beef tallow, butter, olive oil, palm oil, or coconut oil.

Optional, depending on your tolerances:

• dairy (fermented dairy such as yogurt and kefir and raw dairy are preferred over pasteurized dairy products such as cow’s milk)
• starchy root vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes (Note: Again, concentrated carbohydrate sources can inhibit weight loss. If you are working out and need to supplement calories or carbs, eat these starchy foods according to your needs.) Remove and discard peels of tubers to avoid concentrated antinutrient sources

More about the Paleo Diet

What do you think about the Paleo diet? Is it something you’re interested in or something you’re already doing? 

Jay,

Current Weight: 181lbs.
Calories Per Day: 2500

Blog Starting Weight: 268 lbs.
My Heaviest Weight: 336 lbs.
Blog Starting Date: Nov 2009

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The Hard Rock’s Chocolate Shake

Posted on21. Dec, 2011 by Jay.

Emm.. Tasty! Food Wednesday! 

The Hard Rock’s chocolate shake, topped with whipped cream is extremely thick. It had generious amounts of chocolate ice cream, but it wasn’t mixed well. And it was too think to drink.

Hard Rock’s THICK SHAKES & MALTS

Your choice of vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
Put it in a souvenir 23 oz. Hurricane glass or 20 oz.
Pilsner and keep the glass (additional fee).

CALORIE FACTS!

None, I couldn’t find calorie information anywhere. Not even on their website.

Calorie Estimation: 1,600

For some people that’s their calorie intake!

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Craving Pizza!

Posted on09. Nov, 2011 by Jay.

I really feel like ordering a large pizza right now and just pigging out.

It’s been one of those gloomy/boring days where nothing really gets done and you just feel unmotivated. I just got back from an uplifting drive around the block but other then that I didn’t do much today.

Yesterday on the other hand I had new wood floors installed in my office. And I’m getting a new desk tomorrow or the next day which I’m excited to setup.

For whatever reason whenever I have a stressful/busy day, the next day I don’t feel like doing anything productive.

Maybe I’m just in the habit of chilling out after a stressful/busy day. Usually the stressful/busy days are on a Saturday and I relax and do nothing on Sundays.

I think my mind is just playing games with me.

Oh well, I’m not going to buy a pizza. I feel better and more motivated just by writing about it.

For those of you who wanted to see a delicious pizza.. enjoy!

Jay,

Current Weight: 191lbs.
Calories Per Day: 2000
Current Body Fat: 14%

Blog Starting Weight: 268 lbs.
My Heaviest Weight: 336 lbs.
Blog Starting Date: Nov 2009

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Snacking the Right Way 2

Posted on03. Nov, 2011 by Jay.

I wrote a post last year about snacking (Snacking the Right Way) which basically included a lot of 100-calorie snacks with very little nutritional value.

These days I moved away from the empty 100-calorie snacks, to wholesome and fulfilling 200-calorie snacks for the most part.

I ordered a couple boxes of KIND bars from Amazon the past week, these are great little snacks. I especially like the coconut bars. I highly recommend them.

KIND is a brand of all-natural, whole nut and fruit bars made from ingredients you can see and pronounce, and it’s also a movement that gives new purpose to snacking. All KIND bars are all-natural, gluten free, and kosher while delivering the benefits of essential vitamins and nutrients such as fiber, calcium, omega-3s, protein, and antioxidants

I’m a huge Nature Valley fan! When I stopped eating all those other 100-calorie snacks, Nature Valley is the only snack I still eat at least once every other day. They’re very filling, they taste great and they’re good for you.

I quit the chips!

Something I used to snack on all the time, chips, more specifically Frito’s.

I quit snacking on chips because I found myself going through a large bag in just a few days. Now when I feel like snacking on something, instead I grab some grapes or one of the above 200-calorie snacks.

I find that I snack 3-4 times a day sometimes. I eat all day long compared to most people. I don’t eat large meals. Instead I just have small meals throughout the day.

It keeps my metabolism running strong and I’m never hungry.

That’s how I snack!

Jay,
Current Weight: 191lbs.
Calories Per Day: 2000
Current Body Fat: 14%

Blog Starting Weight: 268 lbs.
My Heaviest Weight: 336 lbs.
Blog Starting Date: Nov 2009

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How Many Calories in Grapes

Posted on01. Nov, 2011 by Jay.

I eat a lot of grapes, it’s my new snack food. They’re sweet tasting, portable and they contain a lot of antioxidants. So how many calories are in grapes?

Doing some quick research it seems about 100 calories per cup! It’s more then I thought they would have but it’s still not that bad considering grapes are so good for you.

1. Grapes are Good Sources of Vitamins
2. Grapes are Rich in Essential Minerals
3. Grapes are Good for Your Heart Health
4. Grapes Help Prevent Cancer Formation
5. Grapes Aid the Digestive System Due to their Anti-microbial Properties

Thanks to presence of antioxidant compounds in grapes, it helps bind free radicals in the body. These free radicals or “oxidants” are responsible for instigating cancer formation in various organs of the body. It has been studied that drinking red wine can reduce the risk of lung cancer by 13%, owing to high concentration of antioxidants like resveratrol. You can get the same benefit from eating purple grapes on daily basis, if you don’t want to drink red wine.

I’ve come to realize that the simplest foods, the foods grown naturally and not man made are the best foods you can eat. Think about it, certain plants are alive today only because of animal pollination. One of the ways these plants pollinate is by offering edible fruits and other foods to entice animals to pollinate their flowers. The plants that offered the best food lived on while plants that didn’t offer anything special died off. It’s mother nature.

Anyway, let mother nature work for you.

Grapes for the win!

Jay,
Current Weight: 190lbs.
Calories Per Day: 2000
Current Body Fat: 14%

Blog Starting Weight: 268 lbs.
My Heaviest Weight: 336 lbs.
Blog Starting Date: Nov 2009

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Losing 10 Pounds

Posted on17. Oct, 2011 by Jay.

For some reason I’m finding it very difficult to lose 10 pounds.

I’m currently at 190 pounds, with a goal weight of 180 pounds. My eating has been erratic to say the least, some days are better then others. However I’m working out 3-5 times a week. I can’t seem to get below 190 pounds. It’s been like this for a few weeks now.

I’m not hungry, I think I have just been making bad food decisions. For example I told myself after writing a blog post I could go get some Mexican food, the restaurant I was planning to go to tends to pile on the good stuff, if you know what I mean.

I think a better idea is to just eat some chicken breast with brown rice! I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

That’s the plan.

Jay,

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The Unrelenting Craving for More

Posted on21. Aug, 2011 by Jay.

Imagine having a strong craving for your favorite food in the world, maybe it’s chocolate ice cream, a big bag of Doritos or even pizza. This is no regular craving that you can put off either. Imagine the strongest craving for food you’ve ever had in your lifetime and then multiple that by five! You can’t say no to the craving, your life revolves around trying to satisfy this deep hunger at all costs.

Now imagine caving into this hunger and stuffing your face to no end. You eat until your gut is hurting with pain. A craving so powerful that you forget about your goals and continue eating because no matter how much you eat, you hunger for more.

Has anyone else felt this way before? 

I had an advantage with my weight loss from around 200 pounds to my goal weight of 170 pounds. I was on Adderall (an ADHD drug), and one of the side effects of Adderall is that it’s a strong appetite suppressant.

Coming off that drug a month ago I lost that advantage and the hunger I described above took hold of me for a period of time. I was able to eat whatever I wanted before because Adderall kept me in check not allowing me to go overboard. However off the drug I feel it’s A LOT harder to stay disciplined and to say I’m full.

Before I would have to force myself to eat, I kept a log to make sure I ate every few hours. Now things are flipped the other way around. I keeping a log to make sure I don’t eat too many calories in a day same as before I started taking Adderall.

I’ve experienced both worlds in being constantly hungry and never hungry. It was fun being that person who wasn’t hungry every hour of the day. I learned to cope with it very well and when I did feel like having a high calorie snack I could eat without feeling bad about it. Now I feel like that craving for that favorite snack is happening all day long.

I’m a little concerned in the short run but I know in the long run I will be back to structured and healthy eating  habit. Going back on Adderall is not an option either. I have replaced Adderall with amino acids and vitamins and mentally I feel better then ever.

In the short run I’ve gained a little weight, I’m currently 191 pounds and slowly inching higher unfortunately. I feel I may reach 200 lbs before taking charge once again and settling at 180 pounds.

The good news is I’m working out more these days, I’m actually in my garage working out and writing this at the same time.

Hopefully I can get my food cravings in check sooner rather then later.

Food Cravings & What they Mean

Do you crave foods sometimes? What do you do to get passed it? I find if I focus on eating high protein foods, I get plenty of exercise and if I stay away from sweets I can do okay. The moment I get near sweets (chocolate), my mind craves more.

Jay,
Current Weight: 191 lbs.

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And I’m Feeling Goood.. Aminos & Vitamins

Posted on30. Jul, 2011 by Jay.

A comfy chair, the perfect temperature and the morning sun rising in the background. I’m feeling good!

The Four Things Any Fit Guy Should Take

1. Plenty of Vitamin D. 5-10k IU per day. Cholecalceferol. You want Vitamin D3, it aids in the absorption of calcium. It improves mood, helps prevent cancer. It’s a great immune booster, antioxidant and it increases attention.

2. Tons of Fish Oil (6-10 grams per day, pharmaceutical grade)

3. Vitamin C (Three grames a day minimum). It’s the anti-stress vitamin. It’s a powerful antioxidant, it helps you absorb amino acids.

4. Magnesium. Most americans are magnesium deficient. You’ll find magnesium in nuts, Americans don’t eat nuts. It helps you produce energy, not die from heart attacks, improves mood. Eat your magnesium! Avoid magnesium that you can’t absort, thats magnesium oxide. You can’t obsorb it. You want Magnesium Citrate. Get a capsule not a tablet. Capsules dissolve Tablets do not. Eat it everyday! It also helps with weight loss, increased concentration and it helps relax you.

I take all the above as well as zinc sulfate (for general health), L-Tyrosine (focus, energy, mood), L-Phenylalanine (focus, memory and energy) DMG (muscle stamina, mental function), Chromium Picolinate (Energy, Curbs Carbs Craving) and L-Tryptophan (promotes sleep and calm).

And guess what? I feel good!

Jay,
Current Weight: 183 lbs.
Body-Fat: 13%

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Side Effects of Food – EMM, Butter!

Posted on02. Jul, 2011 by Jay.

It seems certain foods effect me more mentally and physically when I’m not as well rested. I notice when I have a good nights sleep, I’m talking 8 to 10 hours in a night, certain foods which would usually wreck any other day for me, won’t effect me as much.

For example milk any other day would increases my ADHD symptions dramatically, but if I had a good nights sleep the day before, it’s effects are not as sever. Another example is butter, I literally get a sort of head rush and then tired after eating anything with excess butter in it. And for an hours afterwards it’s very difficult to focus on anything.

I read all sorts of explanations about this, from gallstones to just being allergic to dairy. People who lose weight quickly with low calorie diets have a 50% chance of getting gallstones. I hope that’s not the case for me, I sometimes eat other fatty foods and it doesn’t mess with me as much as butter does.

Anyhow, reading more into how certain foods can effect a person, I found this great little website that explains some side-effects of different foods among other cool tidbits of information.

29 Side Effects of Foods

For me I need to stay away from the sleepy foods when I’m not well rested, that seems obvious.

Some listed sleep foods are:

• Dairy products: cottage cheese, cheese, milk
• Soy products: soy milk, tofu, soybean nuts
• Honey
• Almonds
• Banana
• Poultry
• Whole grains
• Beans
• Rice
• Oatmeal
• …

And the foods that can cause Migraine & Headaches:

• Beer
• Red wine
• Aged cheese[20] – Swiss, Blue cheese, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Stilton, Parmesan
• Chocolate (high content of phenylethylamine)
• Ice cream, milk
• Citrus fruits – lemons, grapefruits, oranges
• Bananas, figs, raisins, papayas, avocados (especially if overripe)
• Chicken liver
• Herring
• Vinegar and pickled food
• …

Some of the big no-nos for me are milk, butter, aspartame, nitrite containing foods and really fatty foods. I can pretty much eat anything else in moderation. Anything in excess and it starts to effect me. So that’s the word of the day kids, moderation!

Jay,
Current Weight: 182 lbs.
Body-Fat: 13%

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Bread Makes You FAT?

Posted on02. Jun, 2011 by Jay.

I was watching “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” tonight, from the parts I’ve seen, it looks pretty good.

Anyhow, I have a little snippet for you, APPARENTLY bread makes you FAT!

I have a bad habit of eating a lot of carbs late at night and I know it’s not good to do but I have been doing it anyway. Well really, I eat a lot of carbs in general. This is after losing all my weight and holding at around 180 pounds for the past 6 months.

My current weight is 185 pounds. It’s higher then I would like, due to all the extra carbs I have been eating, so like chocolate, I think cutting off carbs after a certain time of the day is in order. By the way, I have not eating ANY chocolate at all since writing my last post. I craved it for a few days but after that, I was okay.

So I’ll cut back on the carbs for a week or two and see if I can get back down to 180 pounds. Surprisingly my body fat percentages has gone down to 13% from 14% a couple weeks ago. I exercise 4-6 times a week, mostly focusing on weight lifting. I take mega man vitamins and drink a gainer protein shake everyday. I’m much more strict in when I exercise, what body parts I work and making sure I have my protein intake.

It’s getting serious.

Cheers,
Jay

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