Diet secrets - Part Four and Last ?

Looking at the stats of the blog, it seems that the weekly change killed my audience ;) or maybe no one is interested by my diet "secrets". Weird, that changed the way I see food, and the world through it, and my life by consequence. Maybe it is a beaten path. 

Anyway, after this series, I may revisit this blog and the content.

Right now, the cruising comes back in my mind with a vengeance, as summer approach and the boat is not selling. Interesting times....

Well, back to our subject for today. Here is my new toy:

I used a plastic mixer for the last 4 months. 

Those days are over !

Ok, at this point, you should now HOW MUCH you should eat. To loose weight, to maintain weight. 

But, WHAT should you eat ? 

It is not a secret. Any food will due the trick, if you are counting calories. But if you want to control hunger, and stay healthy on smaller portions, get all your vitamins, etc.. It is a little trickier. Only one thing comes in mind :  Food high in nutrient. Nutrient quality is a concept that still eludes me, at least from a scientific perspective, but all athletes and nutritionist seem to agree:

  - Vegetables

  - Nuts

  - Fruits

  - Raw food (cooking at high temperature kills nutrients)

  - Lean meat

  - Whole grains and whole grain flour derivative

And ...

  - Avoid processed food

  - Avoid fatty, salty, sugary process food.

  - Avoid junk fast processed food.

If you google 'PaleoDiet', you should get the rational behind this.

But myself, do I follow a Paleo Diet ? Not really. 

First, they ban grains derivative (pasta, rice, bread), mostly because the ratio between calories and weight/quantity is too high from our appetite regulation. But, because it is processed food, too. First hand processed, still. 

And second, for personal reasons, I am targeting more a Vegan diet, even if I don't mind some fish, if raised in a sustainability way (And a good steak once in a while, usually at the restaurant.This makes me be quiet about my rant on non vegan diets - I still enjoy a good juicy steack time to time. Poor cow.) 

What would the vegan version of the paleo-diet ? Proteins from alga and wheat, vitamins from complements if you are too lazy to really pay attention to that.(which is tricky on a vegan diet).

The super secret of my super pseudo-vegan diet ?

Vega, a ready to be mixed vegan powder with tons of vitamins, omega-3 and what ever you need, and your daily proteins as well. With a banana and some almond milk, you are talking around 300-400 calories for a lunch. Enough to carry me until the 3-4PM snack.

Two minutes to prepare, one minute to eat

Why it saved my diet ?

 - Easy to prepare, relatively cheap (3$ the meal, I think) and complete. During a usual work week, I am too lazy, or too focused on my job to prepare a real lunch. Ends up usually to eat crappy food, not fulfilling, low energy, bad quality and usually more expansive.

 - Easy to eat. I can pre-made it, and take it anywhere. During the week-end, I realized my eating habits and need  (12PM sharp), did not meet the one from my wife and kid (1PM to 3PM, when ever needed, when possible), which usually ended to see me super hungry, in a bad moon and over compensating during a late lunch. Eating on a fixed schedule is one of the factor of a successful diet.

 - Fulfilling and rich in vitamins and proteins. As I said before, on a vegan diet, vitamins and supplements are the real issue. You got them all in one serving.

Eating lunch at the beach

Then, what is a typical daily menu ?

- 300-400 calories > 1 cup of cereals with almond milk.

- 100-200 calories > 1 snack : fruits, half avocado

- 300-400 calories > Vega lunch, cookie for dessert or piece of chocolate

- 200 Calories        > 3pm Snack. Chocolate proteins bar, fruits, nuts

- 200-400 Calories > Coconut water after exercise, Nuts, carrots, Raw vegetable, protein bar if starving

- 300-600 Calories > typical family Dinner, could start with Soup, Nuts, glass of wine, Salad, sone tuna or egg, Salmon on toasts, or Pasta, Ice cream for dessert, or chocolate cookies, Cheese too. Anything in a reasonable quantities, following servings, and healthy if possible. 

You see ? not too hard.

And too close this subject, you may ask ... Do you still count calories ?

I would say, No, because I have another secret...

Eat when you are hungry. 

Think about it, and think about it more. And realize everything that this encompass. That mean , you need to welcome hunger. you need to wait for it. you need to let it grow.If you combine this with the obvious rules:

Eat healthy. Eat slowly and small portions.

Then, you should not gain weight. Ever. Trust your body. And if you are exercising in top of that, you will lose weight. Your body needs to lose weight to perform at a decent level. Until you reach your Fitness level, when your performance and your needs stabilize, and your weight as well. But at this point, you will know more things than me on a healthy and successful diet.

As I said before, a successful diet is a diet that you do not need anymore. 

A successful diet is a healthy lifestyle.

I will not be presumptuous, and tell you my lifestyle is healthy yet, but, looking at all those years before, I feel way better. Isn't it what matters after all ?