THE VIRGIN DIET DAY 5

Yesterday, I completed Day 5 of The Virgin Diet.

MY SYMPTOMS

• Abdominal cramping - Yes, sometimes, even after just drinking water in the morning
• Acne - Yes
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose - Yes, but improving
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - Yes, the latter, even sometimes right after eating  or drinking water
• Fatigue - Yes, especially in the afternoon
• Food cravings - No
• Gas and bloating - Not really
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - No (yesterday was 88 an hour and a half after eating dinner)
• Inability to lose weight - No - Did not weigh this morning, but lost 2.2 pounds in the first 4 days - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 145.6? - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 9.6 more pounds.  Can still button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".
• Insomnia - No
• Joint pain - Yes, but greatly improved
• Muscle pain  - Yes, but improving
• Nausea - Yes, sometimes after eating or drinking water

WHAT I AM EATING

I normally eat like this:

135g fat (78%)
57g protein
28g carbs

Yesterday, I ate like this:

137g fat (67%)
91g protein
64g carbs

I had shakes for breakfast and lunch that were comprised of coconut milk, water, non-dairy protein powder, ground flax seed, raw greens, frozen berries and a few drops of Stevia.  I also had 2 tsp. of cod liver oil in the breakfast shake.

For dinner, I had a slow cooked chicken thigh, a serving of steamed broccoli with coconut oil and sea salt and 1.5 oz. almonds.

I ate breakfast at 7 am, lunch at 2 pm and dinner at 6:30 pm.  I did not feel like snacking after dinner.

I drank 72 oz. of water, but never within an hour before eating or an hour after eating, in order to not dilute my stomach acid.

OUT OF TOWN AND OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE

Currently, from Saturday through Monday, I am acting as caregiver to a terminally ill friend.  I left my house yesterday morning fully armed with all the ingredients for my shakes, including my blender and digital kitchen scale.  I also brought a bag of almonds, a jar of Bubbies sauerkraut and two avocados. I walked in with two grocery bags full of stuff, packed with ice packs, due to the 2.5 hour drive to get here.

One of the reasons I have gained weight in the past couple of months is because I have been coming here three days every other weekend.  While I have been here, I have had to eat what was served me, and often it contained carbs and lots of them.  I also was eating things that I had a choice about, like raisins and ice cream.  It is very stressful here, due to the seriousness of my friends illness, and I just did not feel right not eating what was offered me, and I was so stressed that I was craving carbs and giving in to those cravings.

Also, I felt that it was "small" of me to be thinking about my little weight problems when I was in the home of a dying person.  My problems seem small in comparison, and I was feeling selfish for caring about my weight.  But then, when I got home, I would start caring again, especially when I got on the scale and realized that I was gaining 2-3 pounds every other weekend and could not take it back off before it was time to come here again.  So I would come here the next time, resolving to do better, but then do badly again because my weight problem is not important in the face of my friends suffering.  It was a vicious circle of weight gain, guilt and grief.

But, this time, I brought stuff to make shakes for breakfast and lunch, and I cooked enough chicken thighs that I can just serve myself one of those for dinner each night along with whatever veggies I can scrounge up out of my friends freezer.  And as far as the off-limits carbs available here, I will just not eat them this time, which is easier to do when I know that if I ate them, I would ruin this experiment and also have to confess that fact to you!

Because I am here without my own bathroom scale, I will have to wait until Wednesday morning to weigh in.  I will be traveling on Tuesday morning, after breakfast, and I dont like to weigh unless it is first thing in the morning before eating.  Until then, I will just have to use my "measurement shorts" to track my progress while I am here.  Yes, I brought the shorts with me!

If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

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THE VIRGIN DIET DAY 9

Yesterday, I completed Day 9 of The Virgin Diet.

MY SYMPTOMS

• Acne - No
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose - Yes, but improving
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - Yes, but only right after my breakfast shake.  Hmmm...
• Fatigue - No
• Food cravings - No
• Gas and bloating - No
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - Almost 100 at the beginning of the day, but back below 90 by the end of the day, after decreasing protein and carbs and increasing fat.
• Inability to lose weight - No - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 145.8 - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 9.8 more pounds.  Can still button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".  Lost 1 pound yesterday for a total of 2 pounds in 9 days.
• Insomnia - Yes - Woke up in the night one time and had trouble going back to sleep
• Joint pain - Yes, but somewhat improved
• Limp, lackluster hair - Yes
• Muscle pain  - Yes, but improving
• Nausea - No
• Swollen fingers - Yes - Having trouble getting my rings off in the morning

WHAT I AM EATING

I normally eat like this:

135g fat (78%)
57g protein
28g carbs

Yesterday, I ate like this:

146g fat (75%)
68g protein
42g carbs

I had a shake for breakfast that was comprised of coconut milk, water, non-dairy protein powder, ground flax seed, raw greens, frozen berries, a few drops of Stevia and 2 tsp. of cod liver oil.

I worked all day yesterday and skipped lunch.  For dinner, I had pan-crumbled-fried lean ground beef with coconut oil, seasoned with sea salt, garlic powder and onion powder, cabbage and onion pan fried in coconut oil and bacon grease with sea salt, half of a medium avocado and half of a small, raw carrot.

I ate breakfast at 7:30 am and dinner at 7 pm.

I drank 72 oz. of water, but never within an hour before eating or an hour after eating, in order to not dilute my stomach acid.

 GOING BACK TO HIGH FAT, MODERATE PROTEIN AND VERY LOW CARB

After breakfast yesterday, I decided to go back to the way I was eating before while still staying away from eggs, dairy, grains, peanuts, soy, corn and sugar, including artificial sweeteners.  I was a little over my goal food for the day, but I still lost one pound, and my blood sugar returned to the 80s by the end of the day, even two hours after eating dinner.  This morning, it was 82.

If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

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THE VIRGIN DIET DAY 2

Yesterday, I completed Day 2 of The Virgin Diet.

• The arthritis pain in my right hand has diminished slightly, as has the pain in my left foot.
• I was not hungry until time  to eat, and even then, it was very mild.
• I had energy and did not feel sleepy in the middle of the day.
• My blood sugar was 85 an hour and a half after eating.
• I did not have a great day in the bathroom.  Lots of activity, but mostly very loose.
• I slept through the night.
• I went to bed at 10:00 last night and woke up to the alarm this morning at 4:15 feeling refreshed and ready to start my day, and I was not starving when I woke up.
• I lost 0.8 pounds yesterday for a total loss of 1.4 pounds in 2 days.  To get back to my goal weight, I need to lose 10.4 more pounds.

Starting weight - 147.8
Current weight - 146.4
Goal weight - 136

Every time I start something new, I usually take all my measurements and keep detailed charts of my progress.  This time, I am going to try to be a little less intense about it.  I will weigh in the morning, and not take my measurements.  What I will do to track my body size is this:  I found a size 10 pair of shorts in my closet that I have not worn in a while because they are old and worn out looking.  But they will make a great low-tech measuring tool.  Right now, I can get them on, but I cannot button them.  If all goes as planned, by the time I reach my goal, they should be able to be buttoned and also be a little loose.

I normally eat like this:

135g fat (78%)
57g protein
28g carbs

Yesterday, I ate like this:

129g fat (59%)
133g protein
69g carbs

I am a little concerned about the amount of protein I am eating, but I am losing weight, so I will try not to worry about it unless I stop losing weight.

I had shakes for breakfast and lunch that were comprised of coconut milk, water, non-dairy protein powder, ground flax seed, raw kale, frozen strawberries and a few drops of Stevia.  I am totally used to the taste and I look forward to my shakes.

For dinner, I had a grilled pork chop with sea salt and garlic powder, and roasted asparagus with sea salt and a little bit of coconut oil, and two slices of bacon.

Giving up butter has been hard.  I used to put butter on everything, and now I am at a loss for what kind of healthy fat to add to my meat and veggies.  I thought about bacon grease, but it turned out that my husband THREW IT AWAY when we moved to our new house last week.  I asked him what he was thinking.  He does not know.  Sheesh.  So I fried up a couple of slices of bacon, ate the bacon and saved the grease for meat and veggie toppings.

Yesterday, I ate breakfast at 7 am, lunch at 1:30 pm and dinner at 7 pm.  I did not feel like snacking after dinner.

I drank 72 oz. of water, but never within an hour before eating or an hour after eating, in order to not dilute my stomach acid.

If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE VIRGIN DIET DAY 3

Yesterday, I completed Day 3 of The Virgin Diet.

• The arthritis pain in my right hand has diminished greatly, as has the pain in my left foot.
• Due to poor planning, I ate breakfast at 5 am and then did not eat lunch until 2 pm.  I was starving.  I will plan better in the future.
• I lost energy and had to take a nap after eating lunch in the middle of the day.
• I did not check my blood glucose, but since I did nothing different, I assume it was good.
• I had a better day in the bathroom.  Almost normal.
• I went to bed at 10:00 last night, slept through the night and woke up to the alarm this morning at 4:30 feeling tired.  I was not starving when I woke up.
• I gained 0.6 pounds yesterday for a total loss of 0.8 pounds in 3 days.  To get back to my goal weight, I need to lose 11 more pounds.
• I could almost button my "measurement shorts" even though the scale said I gained weight.
• There is one symptom that I forgot to mention that I have, which JJ mentions in her book:  My hair has gotten thin and lifeless.  It just hangs there and looks bad.  I am hoping this will improve, as JJ says it should!

Starting weight - 147.8
Current weight - 147
Goal weight - 136

I normally eat like this:

135g fat (78%)
57g protein
28g carbs

Yesterday, I ate like this:

142g fat (65%)
96g protein
78g carbs

One of the requirements of this protocol is that you journal everything, including what you eat, what you felt like, how your symptoms are, how your elimination is, how your sleep is, etc.  So Im going to use this blog as a way to keep track.  If your find this helpful, great.  If you are totally bored by it and want to make a snarky comment, please keep it to yourself and just stop reading.  I say this due to some snarky comments I got the last time I was blogging.  Anyway, on to my journaling...

I had shakes for breakfast and lunch that were comprised of coconut milk, water, non-dairy protein powder, ground flax seed, raw kale, frozen berries and a few drops of Stevia.  At lunch time, I also had one once of almonds.

For dinner, I had a quarter of a large can of wild caught canned salmon, onion and morel mushrooms sauteed in coconut oil and sea salt and a small serving of Bubbies Sauerkraut.  I eat Bubbies because it is prepared using traditional methods, unlike the sauerkraut that you normally get at the store.  I am going to try to eat a little each day in an attempt at getting fermented foods into my regular diet.  I would love to try making my own, but Im a little intimidated.  Some day...

Yesterday, I broke down and bought a bottle of Carlson Norwegian Cod Liver Oil.  I will take 2 tsp. per day.  It has a slight lemon flavor and is not nasty to take.  Read about the benefits of cod liver oil here.

I ate breakfast at 5 am, lunch at 2 pm and dinner at 7 pm.  I did not feel like snacking after dinner.

I drank 72 oz. of water, but never within an hour before eating or an hour after eating, in order to not dilute my stomach acid.

Yesterday, I roasted a Pine Manor Farms organic chicken that I bought at Whole Foods Market.  I really need to find a source of chicken and eggs (hopefully) that have not been fed soy.  The chicken package said that it was fed an all-vegetable diet, non-GMO, etc., but it did NOT say that it was not fed soy.  I wrote to the company to find out and Im waiting to hear back from them.  Everywhere I look, the chickens are fed soy.  Ugh.

After the chicken is eaten, I will be making bone broth from the carcass, using this new method I found.  Ill let you know how it turns out.  Bone broth is very healing to the gut and I would like to arrange my life and habits to include always having homemade bone broth on hand to drink every day.  

If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE VIRGIN DIET DAY 1

Yesterday, I completed Day 1 of The Virgin Diet.  It went well for the following reasons:

• I enjoyed the shakes I had for breakfast and lunch.  It was nice not to worry about what to eat for a change!
• I was not starving all day like I have been lately, even though I have been eating high fat.
• I had energy and did not feel sleepy in the middle of the day like I have been lately.
• My blood sugar was 84 an hour and a half after eating.
• I had normal elimination for a change.
• I slept through the night for a change.
• I woke up this morning at 6:30 feeling refreshed and ready to start my day, and I was not starving when I woke up.  Lately, I have been so hungry that I would feel real hunger pangs even in the middle of the night. 
• I lost 0.6 pounds yesterday.  To get back to my goal weight, I need to lose 11.8 more pounds.

I normally eat like this:

135g fat (78%)
57g protein
28g carbs

But yesterday, I ate like this:

114g fat (57%)
102g protein
89g carbs

I had a shake for breakfast and lunch that was comprised of coconut milk, water, non-dairy protein powder, ground flax seed, raw kale, frozen blueberries and a few drops of Stevia.  All that made around 16 fluid oz. of shake and it took more than a few minutes to drink it!  The first one I made was tolerable, but the next one I found easy to drink and somewhat tasty.

JJs plan is that you eat three meals per day.  The first one needs to be within one hour after rising, and the other two need to be 4-6 hours apart, with no snacks.  The last meal of the day should be no closer to bedtime than 2-3 hours.  Yesterday, I ate breakfast at 8 am, lunch at 2 pm and dinner at 7 pm.  For a change, I also did not feel like snacking after dinner.

Part of this process is making sure that you have good digestion by not diluting your stomach acid at meal times so that you can properly digest your food.  An hour before eating, I drink 16 oz. of water, then nothing while I am eating, then wait for an hour after eating to drink another 8 oz.  I like this better than trying to remember to drink water all day.

All in all, not a bad start.  In a few days, I will be traveling out of town to take care of a sick friend for the weekend, and I am a little concerned that I will need to be doing this while I am there.  But journaling here always helps to keep me on track, so I think I will do okay.

If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE MODIFIED VIRGIN DIET DAY 21

Yesterday, I completed Day 21 of my modified version of The Virgin Diet. 

MY SYMPTOMS

• Acne - No
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose - No
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - No, not since stopping the shakes
• Fatigue - Yes - In the afternoons on the days I work
• Food cravings - No
• Gas and bloating - No
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - No
• Inability to lose weight - No - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 144.8 - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 8.8 more pounds.  Can button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".  Weight stayed the same yesterday for a total of 3 pounds in 21 days.
• Insomnia - No
• Joint pain - No
• Thinning, limp, lackluster hair - Yes
• Muscle pain  - No
• Nausea - No
• Swollen fingers - No

MY MENU

Yesterday, I ate this:

129g fat (77%)
66g protein
21g carbs


MY EXERCISE

I took a 2-mile walk after dinner.


THREE WEEK SUMMARY

Yesterday was the last of the 21 days of elimination.  My symptoms are improved, as you can see above.  I have lost a total of 3 pounds this past 3 weeks.  It would be fun if it was more, but Ill take it.  Today I start a week of eating eggs for four days in a row.  I have really missed eggs.  I am hoping that I dont have a resurgence of symptoms, because that will mean that I am intolerant of eggs and will only get to eat them occasionally or not at all, heaven forbid!


If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can click on the link at the beginning of this post or you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE MODIFIED VIRGIN DIET DAY 10

Yesterday, I completed Day 10 of The Virgin Diet.  Or is it really The Virgin Diet?  Read on...

MY SYMPTOMS

• Acne -Yes - One new zit
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose - Yes, but improving
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - Yes, but only right after my breakfast shake
• Fatigue - No
• Food cravings - No
• Gas and bloating - No
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - No - In the low to mid 80s all day, even after eating
• Inability to lose weight - No - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 145.2 - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 9.2 more pounds.  Can still button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".  Lost 0.6 pounds yesterday for a total of 2.6 pounds in 10 days.
• Insomnia - Yes - Woke up in the night one time and had trouble going back to sleep
• Joint pain - Yes, but somewhat improved
• Limp, lackluster hair - Yes
• Muscle pain  - No
• Nausea - No
• Swollen fingers - Yes - Having trouble getting my rings off in the morning

WHAT I AM EATING

Yesterday, I ate like this, which was right on target:

133g fat (78%)
57g protein
28g carbs

For breakfast at 5:00 am, I had a shake that was comprised of coconut milk, water, non-dairy protein powder, raw greens, frozen berries, a few drops of Stevia and 2 tsp. of cod liver oil.  I cut out the flax seed.

For lunch at 11:30 am, I had my Sunrise Cocktail, which was comprised of MCT oil, olive oil, lemon juice and a few drops of Stevia.

For afternoon snack at 4:00 pm, I had a couple of thick slices of cooked bacon and a bit of Bubbies sauerkraut.

For dinner at 7:00 pm, I had pan-crumbled-fried lean ground beef, mushrooms and onions with coconut oil, bacon grease and sea salt.  For dessert, I had a little bit of canned pumpkin with cinnamon and Stevia.

I drank 72 oz. of water, but never within an hour before eating or an hour after eating, in order to not dilute my stomach acid.

IS IT STILL THE VIRGIN DIET IF I DONT FOLLOW THE RULES?

I started out wanting to do the diet exactly as written, but a couple of things made me change my mind.

The first thing is that the shakes were giving me diarrhea.  Within a few minutes of drinking a shake in the morning and at midday, I would be running to the bathroom.  And even though I ate a "real food" dinner, I would still be in trouble after that, multiple times per day.  Cutting down to only one shake per day helped, but I was still having an attack every morning.

One of the things that The Virgin Diet is supposed to do is to get you back to normal so that you can tell if you start having symptoms again after trying the foods that you had eliminated for three weeks.  Well, its been ten days, and I am still running to the bathroom.  How will I know if eggs, for instance, are giving me the trots if I already have them from the shakes?

This morning, I tried a shake without the greens to see if it made a difference.  It did not.  Within 30 minutes of eating, I made my usual dash to the can.

The second thing that made me change my mind about doing the plan to the letter was the fact that the amount of protein and carbs I was eating was elevating my blood glucose.  My normal BG, fasting or postprandial, is in the low to mid 80s.  Not too long after starting The Virgin Diet as written, with higher protein and carbs than I am used to, it started creeping up until it was in the high 90s.  There was one time it was in the low 100s, if memory serves.

So I decided to continue the elimination part of the diet, but changed my fat, protein and carbs back to the way I was eating when I was in Nutritional Ketosis.

One of the reasons I wanted to try it as written was that the book says that the real reason people cant lose weight is food intolerences.  I thought it might be possible that, if I got rid of any intolerences I had, I might be able to eat a little more protein and carbs without gaining weight again.  Eating more is always good, in my book!  But I stopped eating the high FI foods, and still did not really lose weight until I cut back on the protein and carbs.  In all fairness, I did lose the first couple if days, but it came right back a few days later.

MY MODIFICATIONS TO THE VIRGIN DIET

1. I am going to ditch the shakes altogether.  I am going to JERF (Just Eat Real Food) for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Yes, it will be more labor intensive than throwing together a shake, but I will make up for it by not spending a good portion of my time each day in the bathroom.  The downside of this decision is that I spent around $30 for the protein powder and only used half of it.  Sigh.

2. I am going to eat for Nutritional Ketosis, just like I used to the last time I was doing well and maintaining my goal weight.  I will eat high fat, moderate protein and very low carb.

I think that by making these two modifications, I will still be following the "spirit" of the diet and find out if I have any food intolerances.  So, off I go.  Tomorrow morning, I will not be having a shake.

If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can click on the link at the beginning of this post or you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE MODIFIED VIRGIN DIET DAY 15

Yesterday, I completed Day 15 of my modified version of The Virgin Diet. 

MY SYMPTOMS

• Acne - Yes - One new zit
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose - No
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - No, not since stopping the shakes
• Fatigue - Yes - In the afternoons on the days I work
• Food cravings - No
• Gas and bloating - No
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - No
• Inability to lose weight - No - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 144.8 - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 8.8 more pounds.  Can button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".  Lost 1.2 pounds yesterday for a total of 3 pounds in 15 days.
• Insomnia - No
• Joint pain - No
• Limp, lackluster hair - Yes
• Muscle pain  - No
• Nausea - No
• Swollen fingers - Yes - Having trouble getting my rings off in the morning

WHAT I AM EATING 

Yesterday, I ate this:

140g fat (79%)
57g protein
28g carbs

I ate breakfast at 9:00 am.  I had a cup of my homemade chicken bone broth with sea salt and gelatin, a couple of ounces of cooked pork chop with coconut oil, sea salt and garlic powder, a raw carrot and my special Sunrise Cocktail made of olive oil, MCT oil, cod liver oil, lemon juice and Stevia.

I ate lunch at 1:00 pm.  I had some more pork chop and a bowl of homemade guacamole.

I had a snack at 4:00 pm.  It was a new recipe for a Fat Bomb.  It was really good!

I had dinner at 7:00 pm.  I finished the last of the pork chop with olive oil, sea salt and garlic powder, and some roasted asparagus with my homemade mayo and sea salt, and some Bubbies sauerkraut.

I drank 72 oz. of water, but never within an hour before eating or an hour after eating, in order to not dilute my stomach acid.

If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can click on the link at the beginning of this post or you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE MODIFIED VIRGIN DIET EGG CHALLENGE DAY 4

Yesterday, I challenged eggs for the fourth day in a row on my modified version of The Virgin Diet. 

MY SYMPTOMS

• Acne - No
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose -No
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - Yes, in response to coconut oil (I think)
• Fatigue -No
• Food cravings -Yes
• Gas and bloating - Yes, coconut oil (I think) and eating out
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - No
• Inability to lose weight - No - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 143.4 - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 7.4 more pounds.  Can button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".  Lost 0 pounds yesterday for a total of 4.4 pounds in 25 days.
• Insomnia - Yes - Woke up in the middle of the night and had a hard time getting back to sleep
• Joint pain - No
• Thinning, limp, lackluster hair -No
• Muscle pain  - No
• Nausea -No
• Swollen fingers - No

MY MENU

Yesterday, I ate bacon and eggs for breakfast.  I cooked the eggs in a tablespoon of coconut oil, and within 30 minutes, I was in the bathroom with bad diarrhea.  I would love to think it was not because of the eggs, but because of the coconut oil, in light of the fact that I got sick the day before right after eating coconut milk for breakfast.

I went out to eat at a family party yesterday, so I did not track my food.  The meal was chips and salsa, then tacos, then cake, cookies and brownies for dessert. 

Here is what I ate: 2 servings of taco meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream and guacamole. One large serving of mixed fruit with no sauce. A little bit more guacamole and a little bit of hummus. Water to drink. I did not eat bad carbs, but what I did eat, I ate a little too much of, and spent several minutes in the bathroom with horrible diarrhea. There must have been something in one of the foods that I am sensitive to. All in all, aside from eating the fruit, I think I did pretty well.

Here is what I did not eat: Hard taco shells, soft taco shells, refried beans, Spanish rice, chips and salsa, canned soda, cake, cookies and brownies.

Here is why I am still disappointed with my choices yesterday: I ate too much taco salad. I am on an elimination diet and I am not supposed to be eating ANY dairy, and I had sour cream and cheese. I am also eating very low carb, and Im sure the fruit, even though it had no sauce, probably tripled the amount of carbs I was supposed to eat today. Also, I do not eat legumes at all, and I had hummus.

I noticed that what I did eat made me crave overeating in general. After eating the first serving of taco salad, I went for more, realized as I sat down that my eyes were bigger than my stomach, I was already full, but I ate it anyway, because I felt like a binge was coming on. After eating that, I kept drifting back to the buffet to get a little bit of this and a little bit of that, even though I was uncomfortably full already. I really found it hard to just stop eating. What made me finally stop was that we left the party. And now I am home, I feel sick and full, my stomach is bloated, and all I can think about is finding something to eat. Sigh.   


EGG CHALLENGE

Yesterday was my last day of eating eggs.  For the next three days, I am back to my total elimination diet as it was in the first three weeks.


MY EXERCISE

 None.


MY BODY COMPOSITION

Since starting this diet, my body fat has gone down from 37.6% to 35.9%.  That means that I have lost 4.1 pounds of body fat and 0.3 pounds of lean mass.  To get to my goal of 136 pounds with 30% body fat, I need to lose 10.7 more pounds of body fat and I need to gain 3.3 pounds of lean mass.


If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can click on the link at the beginning of this post or you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE MODIFIED VIRGIN DAY 18

Yesterday, I completed Day 18 of my modified version of The Virgin Diet. 

MY SYMPTOMS

• Acne - No
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose - No
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - No, not since stopping the shakes
• Fatigue - Yes - In the afternoons on the days I work
• Food cravings - No
• Gas and bloating - No
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - No
• Inability to lose weight - No - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 143.8 - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 7.8 more pounds.  Can button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".  Weight stayed the same yesterday for a total of 4 pounds in 18 days.
• Insomnia - Yes - Did not sleep very well last night.  Kept waking up.
• Joint pain - No
• Thinning, limp, lackluster hair - Yes
• Muscle pain  - No
• Nausea - No
• Swollen fingers - No

MY MENU

Yesterday, I ate this:

140g fat (80%)
58g protein
23g carbs

I ate breakfast at 5:00 am.  I had a cup of my homemade beef bone broth with sea salt and gelatin.

I ate a snack at 10:00 am.  I had  my special Sunrise Cocktail made of olive oil, MCT oil, cod liver oil, lemon juice and Stevia.

I ate lunch at 2:30 pm.  I had a can of wild-caught sardines in olive oil and lemon, and canned pumpkin with coconut mild, cinnamon, nutmeg and Stevia.

I had dinner at 7:00 pm. I had 3 thick slices of bacon, and a salad made of grape tomatoes, avocado, my homemade mayo and sea salt.

I drank 72 oz. of water, but never within an hour before eating or an hour after eating, in order to not dilute my stomach acid.


MY EXERCISE

I took a 2-mile walk after dinner.


If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can click on the link at the beginning of this post or you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE MODIFIED VIRGIN DIET EGG CHALLENGE DAY 5

Yesterday, I stopped eating eggs for the first of three days in a row on my modified version of The Virgin Diet. 

MY SYMPTOMS

• Acne -Yes - One new zit
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose -No
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - No
• Fatigue - No
• Food cravings - No
• Gas and bloating - No
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - No
• Inability to lose weight - No - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 142.4 - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 6.4 more pounds.  Can button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".  Lost 1 pound yesterday for a total of 5.4 pounds in 26 days.  Thats an average of 1.5 pounds per week.
• Insomnia - No
• Joint pain - No
• Thinning, limp, lackluster hair - No
• Muscle pain  - No
• Nausea - No
• Swollen fingers - No

MY MENU

Yesterday,  I ate this:

124g fat (75%)
73g protein
21g carbs

For breakfast, I ate bacon and my Sunrise Cocktail.

For lunch, I ate homemade beef bone broth with gelatin and a protein shake with strawberries.  I thought I would try using some of that pea protein powder that I thought was giving me diarrhea.  It did not bother me, so I think it must have been the coconut milk all along.

For dinner, I had a ground beef patty and roasted kale.

For a snack later (I had company), I had a fat bomb and celery with cream cheese, and right before bed, I had one very small square of 70% dark chocolate.

By the way, my company was all eating ice cream sandwiches for dessert, and I did not have one.  So very proud of myself.  And since consequently losing a pound yesterday, Im really glad that I did not succumb.


EGG CHALLENGE

Yesterday was my first day of no eggs.  Two more days of this, and I start challenging dairy.


MY EXERCISE

 I took a one mile walk.


MY BODY COMPOSITION

Since starting this diet, my body fat has gone down from 37.6% to 35.4%.  That means that I have lost 5.2 pounds of body fat and 0.2 pounds of lean mass.  To get to my goal of 136 pounds with 30% body fat, I need to lose 9.6 more pounds of body fat and I need to gain 3.2 pounds of lean mass.


If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can click on the link at the beginning of this post or you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE VIRGIN DIET DAY 8

Yesterday, I completed Day 8 of The Virgin Diet.  I was traveling yesterday, so there is no Day 7 post.

MY SYMPTOMS

• Acne - No
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose - Yes, but improving
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - No, for the past two days, seriously approaching normal
• Fatigue - Yes, especially in the afternoon
• Food cravings - No
• Gas and bloating - No
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - A little bit - This morning was 90 before eating
• Inability to lose weight - Yes - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 146.8 - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 11 more pounds.  Can still button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".  Gained 1.2 pounds in the past few days.
• Insomnia - No
• Joint pain - Yes, but somewhat improved
• Limp, lackluster hair - Yes
• Muscle pain  - Yes, but improving
• Nausea - No
• Swollen fingers - Yes - Having trouble getting my rings off

WHAT I AM EATING

I normally eat like this:

135g fat (78%)
57g protein
28g carbs

Yesterday, I ate like this:

137g fat (63%)
123g protein
58g carbs

I had a shake for breakfast that was comprised of coconut milk, water, non-dairy protein powder, ground flax seed, raw greens, frozen berries and a few drops of Stevia.  I also had 2 tsp. of cod liver oil in the breakfast shake.

I had the same thing for lunch and dinner:  Skinless chicken breast with olive oil and sea salt, coleslaw made with cabbage, avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, lime juice, raw garlic, onion powder and Stevia, and canned pumpkin with cinnamon, nutmeg and Stevia.

I ate breakfast at 6:30 am, lunch at 12 pm and dinner at 7 pm.

I drank 72 oz. of water, but never within an hour before eating or an hour after eating, in order to not dilute my stomach acid.

 TOO MUCH PROTEIN AND CARBS?

When I started this last week, I said that if my blood sugar went up, I would stop.  And, sure enough, my blood sugar is sneaking up again and I am slowly gaining weight, and I know it is because of the extra protein and carbs I have been eating.  I am still interested in seeing if I have food intolerances, so I am going to continue with the plan making a few modifications instead of stopping the plan outright.  I figured it was worth a try to see if I could take the higher protein and carbs, but I guess my question has been answered.  Oh, well...

I will do the plan except for limiting my protein and carbs to my previous amounts.  I may take out the flax altogether.  Not sure about that one.  Limiting my protein and carbs should bring my blood glucose back down again.

If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE MODIFIED VIRGIN DIET EGG CHALLENGE DAY 2

Yesterday, I challenged eggs for the second day in a row on my modified version of The Virgin Diet. 

MY SYMPTOMS

• Acne -Yes - One new zit
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose -Yes, very slight
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - No
• Fatigue -Yes, in the middle of the day, because I had to get up for work at 4 am
• Food cravings - No
• Gas and bloating - No
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - No
• Inability to lose weight - No - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 144.4 - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 8.4 more pounds.  Can button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".  Lost 0.4 pounds yesterday for a total of 3.4 pounds in 23 days.
• Insomnia - Yes - Woke up in the middle of the night and had a hard time getting back to sleep
• Joint pain - No
• Thinning, limp, lackluster hair -No
• Muscle pain  -Yes, because I went for miles-long walks two days in a row and hurt my calf
• Nausea - No
• Swollen fingers - No

MY MENU

Yesterday, I ate this:

121g fat (76%)
70g protein
17g carbs

I did lose weight yesterday even though I increased protein by about 12%, so I am going to keep my macronutrient level where it is now.  My ketone strips should arrive in about a week.


EGG CHALLENGE

For lunch yesterday, I ate three eggs again.  Yummy!  So far, the only thing I notice is that I got a zit and a little bit of a stuffy nose.  Does this mean that Im intolerant of eggs?  Im not sure if what is happening shows a slight intolerance or not.  I did have a little insomnia last night, but I think it was due to the "warm flushes" I have been having lately.  I will have eggs again today and tomorrow, and then not have them for the next three days after that, and track any symptoms that I might have.


MY EXERCISE

None.


If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can click on the link at the beginning of this post or you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE MODIFIED VIRGIN DIET EGG CHALLENGE DAY 3

Yesterday, I challenged eggs for the third day in a row on my modified version of The Virgin Diet. 

MY SYMPTOMS

• Acne - No
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose -No
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - Yes, in response to coconut milk
• Fatigue -Yes, in the middle of the day, because I had to get up for work at 4 am
• Food cravings - No
• Gas and bloating - Yes, due to coconut milk
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - No
• Inability to lose weight - No - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 143.4 - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 7.4 more pounds.  Can button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".  Lost 1 pound yesterday for a total of 4.4 pounds in 24 days.
• Insomnia - Yes - Woke up in the middle of the night and had a hard time getting back to sleep
• Joint pain - No
• Thinning, limp, lackluster hair -No
• Muscle pain  -Yes, because I went for miles-long walks two days in a row and hurt my calf
• Nausea -Yes, due to coconut milk
• Swollen fingers - No

MY MENU

Yesterday, I ate this:

117g fat (74%)
73g protein
20g carbs

For breakfast yesterday at 5 am, I decided to have some coconut milk with cocoa, cinnamon and Stevia.  I had not taken more than two sips and I started feeling really sick to my stomach.  I spent the next couple of hours belching a lot (this is unusual for me) and then had diarrhea.

I have had coconut milk in the past and did not remember ever having this happen before.  Then, I thought about it...  When I first started The Virgin Diet, I saw that the shakes were giving me really bad diarrhea.  I blamed the protein mix and stopped having the shakes.  Now I am wondering if it was the 1/2 cup of coconut milk that I was having as part of the shake.  I might have a little bit of shake some time today and see if it upsets my stomach.  Its not that I want to go back to shakes, but I would like to see if I should be avoiding coconut milk.


EGG CHALLENGE

For lunch yesterday, I ate three eggs again.  I did have a little insomnia last night, but I think it was due to the "warm flushes" I have been having lately.  I will have eggs again today, and then not have them for the next three days after that, and track any symptoms that I might have.


MY EXERCISE

None.


If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can click on the link at the beginning of this post or you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE MODIFIED VIRGIN DIET DAY 11

Yesterday, I completed Day 11 my modified version of The Virgin Diet. 

MY SYMPTOMS

• Acne - No - No new zits
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose - No
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - Yes - The latter, twice yesterday
• Fatigue -Yes - Had to take an afternoon nap after getting up for work at 4:15 am
• Food cravings - No
• Gas and bloating - No
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - No - 90 after dinner - A little higher than I like, but still OK
• Inability to lose weight - No - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 144.8 - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 8.8 more pounds.  Can button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".  Lost 0.4 pounds yesterday for a total of 3 pounds in 11 days.
• Insomnia - Yes - Woke up in the night one time and had trouble going back to sleep
• Joint pain - No
• Limp, lackluster hair - Yes
• Muscle pain  - No
• Nausea - No
• Swollen fingers - Yes - Having trouble getting my rings off in the morning

WHAT I AM EATING

Yesterday, I ate like this, which was right on target:

136g fat (78%)
61g protein
28g carbs

For breakfast at 5:00 am, I had a shake that was comprised of coconut milk, water, non-dairy protein powder, frozen berries, a few drops of Stevia and 2 tsp. of cod liver oil.

For snack at 11:30 am, I had my Sunrise Cocktail, which was comprised of MCT oil, olive oil, lemon juice and a few drops of Stevia.

For lunch at 2:00 pm, I had a couple of thick slices of cooked bacon, a bit of Bubbies sauerkraut and a cup of the homemade chicken bone broth that I started the day before in the slow cooker.

For dinner at 6:00 pm, I had a half of a can of wild caught sardines in lemon oil, half of a large, sweet red bell pepper and a cup of Mexican Hot Chocolate from the Fat Fast Cookbook (shameless plug).

I drank 72 oz. of water, but never within an hour before eating or an hour after eating, in order to not dilute my stomach acid.

If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can click on the link at the beginning of this post or you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE MODIFIED VIRGIN DIET THE END OF THE EGG CHALLENGE

Yesterday, I ended the egg challenge portion of my modified version of The Virgin Diet. 

MY SYMPTOMS

• Acne -Yes - One new zit
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose -No
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - No
• Fatigue - No
• Food cravings - No
• Gas and bloating - No
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - No
• Inability to lose weight - No - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 142.4 - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 6.4 more pounds.  Can button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".  Lost 1 pound yesterday for a total of 5.4 pounds in 28 days.  Thats an average of 1.4 pounds per week.
• Insomnia - Yes, sometimes
• Joint pain - No
• Thinning, limp, lackluster hair - No
• Muscle pain  - No
• Nausea - No
• Swollen fingers - No

EGG CHALLENGE RESULTS

In case you are just tuning in, I spent the first four weeks of this diet eliminated all of the following:  eggs, dairy, soy, gluten, peanuts, corn and sugar, including artificial sweeteners.  To be more exact, the only things I actually gave up were eggs and dairy, because the other things have not been a normal part of my diet for years.

I tracked my symptoms during that four week period.  I started out having to write "Yes" next to each of the symptoms I listed above.  As you can see, they now mostly say "No".  For week five, I ate eggs for four days in a row and then got back off them for the next three days, and during this week, I have been paying attention to my symptoms.

Basically, I dont think that I have a problem with eggs, based on my symptoms.  But something is a problem, because giving everything up improved my symptoms of inflammation.

For this coming week, I am back off of eggs and I will be challenging dairy.  I will eat dairy every day for the next four days, then stop for the three days after that, and I will be paying attention to my sypmtoms.


MY EXERCISE

 I got no exercise in the past two days.


MY BODY COMPOSITION

Since starting this diet, my body fat has gone down from 37.6% to 35.4%.  That means that I have lost 5.2 pounds of body fat and 0.2 pounds of lean mass.  To get to my goal of 136 pounds with 30% body fat, I need to lose 9.6 more pounds of body fat and I need to gain 3.2 pounds of lean mass.


NUTRITIONAL KETOSIS

This morning, I received my blood ketone test strips, and I tested my blood for both ketones and glucose.  My blood glucose was 89 an hour after eating, which is only a tiny bit high, 83 being my goal.  My ketones were only 0.5, which is a little disappointing.  The last time I was doing this, my average was 1.8 and I was losing weight.  So, for today, I am lowering my protein by a couple of grams to see if that will help.  If it doesnt, I will lower it a little bit more each day until I get my ketone level back up.


If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can click on the link at the beginning of this post or you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE MODIFIED VIRGIN DIET DAY 16

Yesterday, I completed Day 16 of my modified version of The Virgin Diet. 

MY SYMPTOMS

• Acne - Yes - One new zit
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose - No
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - No, not since stopping the shakes
• Fatigue - Yes - In the afternoons on the days I work
• Food cravings - No
• Gas and bloating - No
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - No
• Inability to lose weight - No - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 143.8 - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 7.8 more pounds.  Can button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".  Lost 1 pound yesterday for a total of 4 pounds in 15 days.
• Insomnia - Yes - Did not sleep at all last night.  Literally was watching the clock all night
• Joint pain - Yes - Slight
• Thinning, limp, lackluster hair - Yes
• Muscle pain  - No
• Nausea - No
• Swollen fingers - No

MY MENU

Yesterday, I ate this:

136g fat (78%)
56g protein
28g carbs

I ate breakfast at 9:00 am.  I had a cup of my homemade beef bone broth with sea salt and gelatin.

I ate lunch at 12:00 pm.  I had some beef hash made with slow-cooked beef shank, coconut oil, carrots, onions, sea salt and garlic powder, and my special Sunrise Cocktail made of olive oil, MCT oil, cod liver oil, lemon juice and Stevia.

I had a snack at 4:00 pm.  I had a half container of fermented coconut milk (coconut yogurt).  Too sweet, and I wont buy it again.

I had dinner at 7:00 pm. I had a can of wild caught sardines in olive oil and lemon with some of my homemade mayo, and sauteed kale and garlic in coconut oil with sea salt.

I drank 72 oz. of water, but never within an hour before eating or an hour after eating, in order to not dilute my stomach acid.


MY EXERCISE

After not doing any exercising or even walking for the past several months, I have suddenly been getting the urge to go for walks.  Maybe it is because I am in nutritional ketosis again.  Maybe it is because I just moved and my new neighborhood is beautiful and I want to look at it.  Whatever the reason is, Im happy to say I have been taking a 1-2 mile walk for the past few days, and really enjoying it and not feeling so much like a slug. 

Ive even been thinking about started my weight lifting again.  I stopped that in early 2011 due to a torn rotator cuff.  The only reason I hesitate is because I am off my testosterone implant, and I know that it will be impossible to build any muscle if I am not producing any testosterone.  Im thinking that I want to call my bioidentical hormone replacement doctor and see if I can get back on, and then I can start lifting again.  I need to work on my body composition.

I did some measurements the other day just to be able to check on my body fat, and its not good - back up to 37.2% body fat.  So, even though I have less than 8 pounds to lose on the scale, I probably have twice that amount of body fat to lose and several pounds of muscle to put back on.


If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can click on the link at the beginning of this post or you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

THE VIRGIN DIET DAY 4

Yesterday, I completed Day 4 of The Virgin Diet.

• The arthritis pain in my right hand has diminished greatly, as has the pain in my left foot.
• I eliminated my breakfast almost immediately after eating it, and had a couple more loose eliminations later in the day. 
• I ate lunch at work today, and I had an odd experience:  The minute I put a bite of roasted chicken in my mouth, I felt nauseated.  Really nauseated.  I only ate half of the chicken in my lunch because of that feeling.  I ate my vegetables and pumpkin and started to feel better.
• I lost energy and had to take a nap after eating lunch in the middle of the day.  Is this because of the new way I am eating, or because I am having to get up before dawn?
• I did not have abdominal pain, bloating or a dash to the bathroom after lunch or dinner.
• My blood glucose was 84 an hour and a half after eating dinner.
• I went to bed at 9:30 last night, slept through the night and woke up without an alarm this morning at 6:30 feeling refreshed.  I was not starving when I woke up.
• I lost 1.4 pounds yesterday for a total loss of 2.2 pounds in 4 days.  To get back to my goal weight, I need to lose 9.6 more pounds.
• I buttoned my "measurement shorts" this morning and there is a very slight "muffin top".

Starting weight - 147.8
Current weight - 145.6
Goal weight - 136

I normally eat like this:

135g fat (78%)
57g protein
28g carbs

Yesterday, I ate like this:

132g fat (68%)
82g protein
58g carbs

I had a shake for breakfast that was comprised of coconut milk, water, non-dairy protein powder, ground flax seed, raw kale, frozen blueberries and a few drops of Stevia.  I also had 2 tsp. of cod liver oil.

I changed the quantity of some of the ingredients of my shake because I had gained some weight the day before:  Due to the high amount of protein I was eating, I cut the protein powder down by 10%, and because of the "bathroom distress" and the fact that I have had a very small amount of fiber for the past year and I think it is a problem, I cut the flax seed by 40%.  Because I am a little nervous about going so high with the carbs, I cut the berries by 20%.  I will keep my shakes at this level and see how I do for a few days.

For lunch, I had a roasted chicken thigh, steamed spinach with coconut oil and sea salt and canned pumpkin with cinnamon and Stevia. 

For dinner, I had a roasted chicken leg, a really large bowl of coleslaw made of cabbage, MCT oil, olive oil, crushed garlic, onion powder, lime juice, Stevia and avocado.  I also had 1/2 oz. almonds.

I ate breakfast at 5 am, lunch at 11:30 am and dinner at 6:30 pm.  I did not feel like snacking after dinner.

I drank 72 oz. of water, but never within an hour before eating or an hour after eating, in order to not dilute my stomach acid.

If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

Read More..

FOOD INTOLERANCE THE VIRGIN DIET

Well, Im going to try something a little different.  If it raises my blood sugar, I will be stopping pretty quickly.  I heard of a new book by JJ Virgin, called "The Virgin Diet."  It is about food intolerances, and the whole tenet of the book is that intolerance to certain foods are the real reason for weight gain.  Obviously, I think that is a little simplistic, but I dont want to throw the baby out with the bath water just yet.



According to JJ, the seven foods that are the most likely to cause weight gain and other health problems are:

Gluten
Soy
Dairy
Eggs
Corn
Peanuts
Sugar (including Artificial Sweeteners)

If you are intolerant of any of these foods, going through a three-week trial elimination of them should make you feel better and lose weight.  After three weeks, you should try adding them back in to see if your symptoms return.  JJ does give her opinion that you should probably stay away from  some of these foods forever, in particular, gluten, believing that it is not safe for humans in general.

I have looked at what JJ says to eat, and it is relatively low carb by common standards (around 100 grams per day), but higher carb than what I am used to.  The fat is a little lower than my current way of eating and the protein is a little higher.  All in all, I see it as a healthy way to eat, but it remains to be seen if it will work for me.

SO WHY AM I DOING IT?

I heard a podcast about it, and some people that I admire have advocated it, such as Mark Hyman, Suzanne Somers and Jonny Bowden.  When I listened to the symptoms of food intolerance (FI), I saw myself.  Plus, I have been under a great deal of stress lately and have gained ten pounds in the past month or so.  I can put on five pounds in just a couple of days, and that should not be normal.  According to JJ, this could be a sign that something, or more than one thing, that I am eating is causing problems for me.

There is a long list of symptoms of FI, and these particular ones are the ones I have seen in myself:

Abdominal cramping
Acne
Arthritis
Chronic mucus/stuffy nose
Constipation and/or diarrhea
Fatigue
Food cravings
Gas and bloating
Headaches
Inability to lose weight
Joint pain
Muscle pain

Out of the 24 symptoms, I have 12.  So maybe I am on to something here.

Even though I have stuck with the high fat, moderate protein and extremely low carb way of eating, I have started to have food cravings that have been impossible to manage.  Is this due to stress?  I dont know.  Possibly.  It could also be that, due to the way I have been eating, I have had a lot more eggs and dairy than I used to and I may have become intolerant of them and intolerance will cause cravings.  I guess Ill find out.

Of course, many people reading the book will have a tough time implementing the guidelines required.  If you are eating the Standard American Diet of high, processed carbs and low fat, this will be a big change.  Probably the hardest thing to do is to give up your one million daily servings of "healthy, whole grains."  In my case, I do not eat grains at all, so that one is easy.  I also do not eat any soy, corn, peanuts or sugar.  I do have Stevia for a sweetener, but it is allowed on this program in small amounts, as is xylitol, a natural sugar alcohol.

So, basically, what I am giving up is eggs and dairy.  Before today, my diet was heavy in eggs (at least 2 per day, and sometimes more), sour cream, cream cheese and lots of butter every day.  JJ does allow ghee (butter with the casein removed), but I dont care for ghee, so I will just have coconut oil instead of butter.

The program calls for three meals a day (a snack is allowed, but discouraged), of which one or two are a special shake.  The meals you eat are comprised of clean, lean proteins, healthy fats, high fiber, low glycemic carbs, nonstarchy vegetables and nuts.

The shake is made of non-dairy protein powder, fiber (flax, chia or hemp), organic berries, coconut milk and green leafy veggies.  I added a few drops of Stevia to improve the taste.  Yes, I did have a shake this morning, and it was quite filling and not totally disgusting, but also not yummy.  An hour and a half after I drank it, I tested my blood glucose and it was only 84.  So there was no blood sugar spike like I expected.

Although JJ does not recommend tracking food, I am of a data-collecting bent, and I put the shake into my spreadsheet and found that it contained:

44.6 grams fat
33.1 grams protein
31.5 grams carbs

Right off the bat, that is more carbs than I usually eat in a day, and that is only breakfast, so I am nervous.  I will have another shake at lunch, because I am way busy today and will not have time to cook something.  So just in breakfast and lunch, I will have 63 grams of carbs.  Plus, the amount of protein I usually eat is around 57 grams per day.  Just breakfast and lunch today will yield 66 grams of protein.

Another part of the program is that the protein you eat needs to be grass fed/finished, pastured, hormone and antibiotic free, etc.  So its more expensive.

MY CONCERNS

I am concerned that eating around 100 grams of carbs each day will be more than I can tolerate.

I am concerned that eating around 100 grams of protein each day will be too much and that a portion of it will be converted to glucose, which will cause blood sugar elevations and weight gain.

I am concerned that I will not be getting enough fat.

I am concerned that a part of the diet is so-called "safe starches", which I have not tolerated well in the past.

I am concerned that  leaving Nutritional Ketosis will cause weight gain.

However, I am willing to try doing all of these things and hoping for the best.  If it is a disaster, I can always do an about face and go back to what I was doing before.  Anyway, off I go on this new experiment.  What if it turns out that I have an egg or dairy intolerance?  That will be a bummer.  But JJ does say in her book that once your gut has been healed, you may be able to begin eating some of those foods in moderation again.  If you try it and it causes symptoms, wait another six months and try again.  It may be that I will not be off of them for life.  Hope springs eternal!  Wish me luck!

Read More..

THE MODIFIED VIRGIN DIET EGG CHALLENGE DAY 1

Yesterday, I challenged eggs for the first time on my modified version of The Virgin Diet. 

MY SYMPTOMS

• Acne - No
• Chronic mucus/stuffy nose - No
• Constipation and/or diarrhea - No
• Fatigue - No
• Food cravings - No
• Gas and bloating - Yes, in response to protein powder
• Headaches - No
• High blood glucose - No
• Inability to lose weight - No - Starting weight 147.8 - Current weight 144.8 - Goal weight 136 - To get back to goal, need to lose 8.8 more pounds.  Can button "measurement shorts" with a slight "muffin top".  Lost 1 pound yesterday for a total of 3 pounds in 22 days.
• Insomnia - No
• Joint pain - No
• Thinning, limp, lackluster hair -No
• Muscle pain  -Yes, because I went for miles-long walks two days in a row and hurt my calf
• Nausea - No
• Swollen fingers - No

MY MENU

Yesterday, I ate this:

120g fat (75%)
72g protein
18g carbs

Im trying something a little different with my macronutrient breakdown.  I looked back at my menus for the summer of 2009, when I first started to lose weight.  At that time, I was eating more like this:

108g fat (67%)
90g protein
27g carbs

I ordered some more blood ketone testing strips, and I want to see if I can eat a little bit more protein and still stay in ketosis.  Although I have not been testing, Im sure that I have been in ketosis this past three weeks, but its hard (as I have whined about before) to eat so little protein that I can only eat two meals a day to avoid getting only a few bites with each of three meals.

Anyway, until the strips arrive in the next 7-10 days, I am going to increase the protein a little bit and reduce the fat and carbs a little bit and see if I continue to lose weight.


EGG CHALLENGE

For lunch yesterday, I ate three scrambled eggs with onions and coconut oil.  What a delight to get to eat eggs again!  The challenge is to eat eggs once a day for four days in a row and track my symptoms.  So how did I do?

I really enjoyed my eggs and I did not notice any symptoms of intolerance.  However, after dinner, I was short just a little bit of protein, so I had 7 teaspoons of protein powder mixed with a little water.  Within 20-30 minutes, I experienced very sharp stomach pain for several minutes, and then it stopped.  I had forgotten that I used to have these pains on a regular basis.  The pain was so bad that I was a little doubled over!  I will stay away from that protein powder from now on.


MY EXERCISE

None.


BODY COMPOSITION

When I started this experiment, I weighed 147.8 pounds with 37.6% body fat, which comes out to 55.6 pounds of body fat and 92.2 pounds of lean mass.  This morning, I weighed 144.8 with 36% body fat, which comes out to 52.1 pounds of body fat and 92.7 pounds of lean mass. 

So, even though I have only lost 3 pounds according to the scale, I have actually lost 3.5 pounds of body fat and gained 0.5 pounds of lean mass.

To reach my goal of 136 pounds with 30% body fat, I need to lose another 11.3 pounds of body fat and gain another 2.5 pounds of lean mass.


If you are interested in getting a short synopsis of how this plan works, you can click on the link at the beginning of this post or you can listen to Jimmy Moore interviewing JJ Virgin by clicking here.

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