Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Not religious about this diet but

I still limit my sugar intake, still have good fat as main component of my diet, along with veggies or fermented pickles or both. Still very little rice, occasional wheat products (bread or dessert). It's hard to resist the wheat and sugar especially when I see my sons rejoice whenever I announce that I am baking something. Even if I try to explain to them the health benefits of eliminating these in our diet, something about baked goods -- even just the thought of them -- brings euphoria.  Can you see how sugar and wheat can be so addicting?

Anyway, my weight today was 125.6 lbs (has been yo-yoing in the 125-126 in the past few days despite my high sugar intake) and blood sugar was 90.0 despite only an 8-hr fast (I last ate some fatty bone meats/ligaments). Today I even plan on making apple pie (freshly picked apples from yesterday afternoon!).

But I figure it's best to start my mornings with high-fat no-carb meals. then I go through the day feeling less hungry. Having sweets after oily meals is a habit that's hard to break. But when I do, I try to minimize.

I notice that now if I have major wheat and/or sugar intake, I get: diarrhea, worsening of eczema, appearance of some pimple-like rashes on my thighs, joint aches, and WEIGHT GAIN of up to a pound in a day, mostly on my belly.

I have added into my nutrition repertoire beef marrow broth (and the marrow that comes with it). Packed with easily absorbable vitamins (remember the fat-soluble vits A, D, E and K) and minerals leached from the bones/marrow as they were slow cooked for 24-48 hours.

My body is happy.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

4-Day Food Log

just a review...Weight on 7/25 was 127.2 but I had coffee with sugar, and mozarella sticks with flour batter coating.

7/26: Weight was 127.6 (I gained!)
BF: 2 egg-omelet, liempo pieces, tomato salad, 3 sips Kefir milk
L: Beef broth with some meat
S: pork adobo and hard-boiled eggs (in a hurry to get to work)

7/27: Weight was 126.6 lbs (yehey!)
BF: Beef broth + some meat and cabbage; 1 sip kefir milk
L: 3 pcs adobo (had no veggies; I was lazy and did not feel like making a plate of food. I just picked on the leftover adobo)
Snack: 1 small popcorn and 1 small pepsi (a no-no! But we watched Batman...)
S: (McDo; would have been a big no-no because the meat sucks and dressings have high carb) - had Sweet Sesame Ginger Salad with grilled chicken

7/28: Weight was 127 lb (blame the popcorn and pepsi!)
BF: Pork Liver steaks
Snack (during noon time): soft serve ice cream (I just had to make hubby happy)
L: Liver steaks again!
S: (I cooked!) Grilled chicken; pork adobo; salad greens with yogurt dressing.

7/29: Weight was 126.6 (yehey again! lost despite the ice cream)
BF: 2 eggs + tomato-chive salad
L: 2 pcs sausage, some scrambled eggs; salted egg+tomatoes; iceberg salad with yogurt dressing; Kefir milk
S:  Pork Tocino (homemade; had maple syrup and brown sugar, though); stir-fried green beans with caramelized onions
Snack: 1 cup Kefir with 1 tsp honey (a no-no for honey); sugar snap beans; and another no-no -- 1 scoop coffee ice cream on sugar cone (expect weight gain tomorrow)

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

3-day Weight and Food Log

My weight on 7/22 was 126.6 lbs. On 7/23, it was 126.6 even if I had kefir milk and avocado the past day, which had carbs.  So with the amounts I consumed that day, my weight remained steady. If I were to lose weight, I should limit them further.

Foodlog for 7/23 ~
BF:  2 eggs sunny side up + liempo (about 2 oz was all I could eat)
Lunch: Paksiw na tulingan (1 whole) + tomatoes with chives and my patismansiluya + lettuce with yogurt salad dressing
Supper: I cheated here -- It was Cecilia's daughter's 16th birthday and I came to help and also to join the celebration. I munched on a LOT of watermelon and some cantaloupe (sugary), ate 1/4 cup rice (carb), 1/2c pancit (carb), beef with broccoli (flour in sauce), ice cream and cake! I expected a weight gain.

I tried to use up the readily available calories by dancing zumba for about 30 minutes.

Weight on 7/24: 128.8 lbs. I gained 2.2 lbs! Bad....

Foodlog for 7/24:
BF:  dinuguan (1 bowl) and liempo (about 2 oz), chocolate mint tea (chocolate mint came from my garden; it is a variety of mint and has no chocolate)
Lunch: I had a date with Maricor at Starbucks, so I had to get cafe latte with less than 1 packet of sugar (one thing for sure, my taste buds are now more sensitive to that sweet taste).
At about 2pm when I got home, I went to the grocery store and munched on 1 mozarella stick (skimmed milk so low carb), then from the grocery store to home (15 minutes) followed that with late lunch of liempo and lettuce salad with yogurt dressing.
I had to head to Farmington to do a cooking demo to a group of students interested in Asian cuisine. I cooked chicken breast adobo and ginataang fiddleheads. I ate with them so that was my part 1 supper (bitin eh).
Supper part 1: 2 oz chicken breast + 1 cup ginataang fiddleheads. i did have 16 oz lemonade (sugared)
Supper part 2: I ate tinolang manok (3 pieces wings, lots of veggies and about 2 cups broth). Busog.

Weight on 7/25: 127.2 lbs. Despite all that I ate the past day, just by restricting carb/sugar source, I lost 1.6 lbs. I did not even exercise yesterday.

BF: Beef (oxtail) in broth with shredded cabbage (parang beef mami) + 3 sips of milk kefir (still afraid the carb content will make me add weight again).
Lunch:  Tortang talong! (I got two eggplants from my garden today, first harvest!) - made this with 4 eggs and topped with some roast beef deli slices (about 3 oz) just so I could use up what hubby had not consumed after having it for lunch times two days. I could not believe I finished the whole thing. I had 1 fish (leftover paksiw na tulingan which I deep-fried in bacon fat). While I am not supposed to consume processed foods due to their propensity to have sugars, I figured, limiting their amount should be offset by my heavy intake of fat.  We will see tomorrow what my weight will be.
Supper: We ate at Friendly's due to husband feeling the need to eat foods he craves. (I feel guilty!). Had 3 small mozarella sticks (covered with flour); a good serving of salad -- I had Mandarin Chicken Salad with  Sweet Sesame Ginger dressing. .The mandarin oranges, some fried noodles, and the dressing were sweet, so I consumed only half of the dressing, removed most of the noodles. However, I also had a cup of hot brewed coffee to which I added 1 packet of white sugar...oh well...I hope my sugar intake was low enough.
Now as I am typing I am having a cup of herbal tea.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Yogurt Marinade & Yogurt Salad Dressing


 As I was getting used to eating yogurt and realizing that it's tart taste could actually replace my vinegar, I had an epiphany that I would use yogurt as dressing or marinade.
Homemade Yogurt Incubating
Homemade yogurt incubating
in my DIY yogurt maker

After researching a recipe for yogurt salad dressing, I then saw a yogurt marinade recipe, and I thought of using that on salmon (instead of the popular mayonnaise topping on baked salmon). I marinated the salmon for 30 minutes. I shrugged the sugar off since it would be negligible in the final product and replaced it with coconut crystals . It was very good! It's like marinating in vinegar. I liked the slight kick of the chili powder, and surprisingly liked biting into the bits of ginger. I enjoyed this with salad greens with  yogurt dressing.


Other ways to use my
homemade yogurt
MARINADE:
  • 1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • Yogurt-marinated salmon
    Marinating the salmon
    I used this marinade on grilled salmon.

    Then I made a yogurt-lemon salad dressing.

    This dressing was adapted from epicurious. I followed everything except I added more herbs from my garden and I used EVOO instead of avocado or canola oil. I am not ever going to use con-ola oil.

    salmon marinated in yogurt; yogurt dressing on salad
    My plate of salad greens
    with yogurt dressing
    and yogurt-marinated
    salmon
    YOGURT-LEMON SALAD DRESSING
    • 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
    • 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
    • 1 tsp basil
    • 1 tsp chives, snipped
    • 1/4 cup EVOO
    • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
    • 1 garlic clove, pressed
    • Fine sea salt
    This is so wonderful on salads!

    By this time, I have made 3 batches of this dressing. Perfect replacement for the starch-laden vinegary (not good in fighting Candida) and sugary dressings available in the supermarkets.

    Back to Phase 2 diet

    I am saying it is phase 2 because of the dairy...fermented dairy, that is. 


    For 3 days now I have been drinking milk kefir (mixed with about equal amount of raw whole milk).


    Although, if not for the whole raw milk (which I use to rinse the kefir grains with), I am not entirely sure how yogurt (NLY) allowed in phase 1 is different from milk kefir. Both are fermented dairy. Both are whole milk.


    Other than these, no cheating today!

    Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight 7/22: 126.6 lbs     Weight 7/21:  127.4
    Weight Lost: 0.8 lbs  Weight Gained: 0 lb     Net Loss: 4.4 lbs     Net Gain: 0  



    I still don't quite get my weight loss/gain in relation to what I eat. Apparently, what I most recently ate does not reflect right away on fat deposition/weight loss/gain.


    Breakfast:
    Crème fraîche on avocado
    Avocado with homemade
    crème fraîche and raw honey
    Tinolang manok (Gary Taubes in his "Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It" he recommends having 2 cups of broth daily)
    Kefir milk


    Lunch:
    Tinolang manok pa rin
    Avocado with homemade creme fraiche



    Just throw together salad greens, yogurt dressing, and any meat/seafood you want!
    Lettuce salad with yogurt dressing,
    grilled pork belly, shrimps,
    and hard-boiled eggs
    Supper:
    Salad: Lettuce greens (variety) with yogurt dressing, topped with grilled pork liempo, garlic-sauteed shrimps, and hard-boiled egg. (My most satisfying meal)


    This salad is so Harcombe-compatible and very filling!


    Lately I have been reading about the Paleo diet (one of my co-workers lost weight rapidly - 50 pounds in 4 months) doing the Paleo diet. I don't think I can survive in that diet, because I LOVE DAIRY and BREAD! Plus I honestly can't eat much of fruits.  And there are a lot of traditional foods that I believe are good. Processed foods made in the traditional way can be nourishing. I do plan to do more on lacto-fermenting veggies (maybe even fruits?)  They are easy enough to make.  I also will get back to wheat/bread later on when I have reached my target weight. Maybe baking a whole wheat bread using honey or maple syrup or coconut crystals as sweetener every week will be okay...I will have only one slice every time.I do crave breads more than I do sugars or fruits.



    Saturday, July 21, 2012

    A Birthday Party for my Niece...

    Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight 7/21: 127.4 lbs     Weight 7/19:  126.6
    Weight Lost: 0 lbs  Weight Gained: 0.8 lb     Net Loss: 3.6 lbs     Net Gain: 0 


    I guess I will never understand how I gain weight if I try to combine carb and fat meals in a day. I really do much better just sticking to fat meals.


    However, I like the idea of having probiotics in my fermented (cultured) dairy.


    Today is my niece's birthday party. So it is expected that I will have ice cream and a piece of cake.


    Breakfast:
    3-egg omelet with onion and red bell peppers
    1/2 cup kefir milk (sure is an acquired taste!)

    Lunch:
    I hurriedly ate pieces of bacon and scrambled eggs (leftover from those that I prepped for my sons this morning)

    Snack courtesy of the birthday party:
    1 scoop coffee cream ice cream
    1 slice of cake

    Supper (I started to eat...but)
    tinolang manok with sayote, cucumbers, and pepper leaves, some basil.

    I had barely started when hubby told us to get ready for the Batman movie. So I set aside my supper.  Then it turned out that the tickets were sold out. Hubby then wanted to have ice cream at  Gifford's instead, but he made a guilt-trip on me..."You're on a diet."  I said, "that's fine. Let's go have ice cream." So I opted for a single scoop hot fudge sundae with cream and nuts. I was able to finish the cream (it was not too sweet) and was only able to eat half of the ice cream and hot fudge. I could not believe how with those two instances of having to eat sugary stuff, they almost made me sick. I guess I really have purged the sugary cravings now. Bread actually attracts me more, but I try not to bake. Or at least, I will probably bake once every two weeks, maybe...Like how I explained to my older son, sugar is addicting and toxic to the body. But if we assault our body with toxins infrequently, hopefully our bodies will be strong enough to fight the effects and recover quickly.

    Friday, July 20, 2012

    Cheated just a little bit...

    Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight 7/20: 126.6 lbs     Weight 7/19:  126.6
    Weight Lost: 0 lbs  Weight Gained: 0 lb     Net Loss: 4.4 lbs     Net Gain: 0 


    No weight gain despite my donuts yesterday!

    No weight loss, either. :(


    Breakfast (eaten at 8am when I got home from work, before I hit the sack
    chicharon on the way home
    2-egg omelet


    Lunch:
    Kefir milk (very filling!). I ate 1 pc of buttermilk donut.


    Snack:
    1 pc donut


    Later on, while wating for hubby to come home from baling hay, I ate some chicharon with liver pate.


    Supper:
    Beef with reduced red wine and onions
    Salad greens with yogurt dressing.

    Still cheated today...


    Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight 7/19: 126.6 lbs     Weight 7/18:  127.4
    Weight Lost: 0.8 lbs  Weight Gained: 0 lb     Net Loss: 4.4 lbs     Net Gain: 0 


    Gotta work tonight. I woke up at 9am, got a call from work asking me to work tonight, so I agreed, that way I could have Friday off.


    I was surprised when I saw my weigh today, despite eating a lot of freshly made buttermilk donuts last night!


    Breakfast:
    Beef broth with beef (calf muscles), with cabbage shreds as my 'noodles'

    Snack:
    Kefir milk with buttermilk donuts (2 holes and 2 small)

    Lunch (with family, before going to work)
    I served tacos, but for myself, I used 2-egg omelet instead of a taco shell or wrap.
    I also have a cup of coconut water (quite sweet) and a few bites of coconut milk.

    Supper:
    Salad greens with yogurt dressing
    1 tin can of sardines in olive oil

    Snack:
    1 mozarella stick
    1 cup yogurt

    Just another day with some cheating

    Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight 7/18: 127.4 lbs     Weight yesterday:  127.5
    Weight Lost: 0.1 lbs  Weight Gained: 0 lb     Net Loss: 3.6 lbs     Net Gain: 0 

    Dunno how I lost weight when I cheated the past night. It is not 7/20 and I am having a hard time recalling the foods I had. I will try.

    Brunch
    I ate eggs with liver pate

    Snack/Lunch: (eaten around 2pm)
    Kefir milk (my first time!). I rinsed the kefir grains with raw whole milk, so the kefir milk plus milk got to about 1 cup.

    Supper:
    Salmon (grilled, leftover) with salad greens with yogurt dressing.

    Snack: 
    I made buttermilk donuts tonight...had to eat some...okay, I ate a lot!


    Later I had yogurt before bedtime.

    Wednesday, July 18, 2012

    Still trying to stick to phase 1 or 2 but...

    Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight today: 127.5 lbs     Weight yesterday:  129

    Weight Lost: 1.5 lbs  Weight Gained: 1.5 lb     Net Loss: 3.5 lbs     Net Gain: 0 

    I slept kinda restless towards the latter half. I kept pinching my belly thinking I probably overate too much when I had supper at work and a BIG portion of salmon with my salad greens. I knew I ate way more past my satiety point. But by the time I actually woke up and got up, I felt my belly smaller again. Maybe I was dreaming about it being big again. And I was pleasantly surprised to see my weight. I even double check just to make sure it was not being inaccurate.

    Breakfast (which was actually our family's supper at 430pm before I went to work):
    While I served BLT minus the T to my son and hubby, I myself ate leftover zucchini spaghetti with leftover butter-fried chicken (unfortunately this was chicken coated with flour that I prepped for my son and hubby yesterday).  I was hoping the flour was not that much anyway. However, knowing now about sugars (complex or simple) affecting insulin release affecting fat storage, I probably stored fat in that diet. I got hungry by 9pm so I ate my "lunch" at work.

    Lunch:
    Leftover salmon (this was a smaller portion than I had last night) over salad greens (I probably was able to eat 4 cups of greens) topped with yogurt dressing. That dressing seemed tastier!

    Snack (or supper?):
    Now this is where I cheated again. My co-worker was eating PBJ and I just got tempted to prepare one for myself as well. I tried to limit my jam to 1 tbsp, but I know the PB was a no-no for Phase 1 or 2 of Harcombe diet. Anyway, I thought, consider this as cheating then go back to Phase 1.  I figure if I limit my cheats to once every 3 days or every week and try to stick to a phase 1 diet the rest of the time, I probably should still lose some weight. I also had coffee to which I added 2 tsp of coconut crystal, which surprisingly tasted very sweet to me. I probably have heightened my sweet taste sensation due to elimination of sweet foods in my diet. I also added just 1 tsp of cream.  This snack is going to put my insulin to work and will most likely cause fat storage. I will not be surprised to find myself heavier next weighing.

    N.B. I am typing this while at work, and I am trying not to finish the whole cup of coffee.  I am wide awake now...

    Monday, July 16, 2012

    Phase 2 is extension of Phase 1 but...

    with the addition of some foods. I figure, since I crave milk and cheese, etc., I will just try to "continue" Phase 1 but with intermittent inclusion of foods allowed for Phase 2, such as milk and cheese.

    In understanding Phase 2, it is to continue to fight off Candida so I will not have the cravings. It is true that I don't have the cravings anymore, and what makes it difficult is that my family craves these things and is not too receptive of the idea that they will have to miss so much of my baking (they love breads and desserts). also, I have quite a lot of the refined products in my pantry (all purpose flour and sugar) that honestly I don't use much anymore, but I would hate to go to waste. It's not that I have tons of weight to lose anyway. It's the stubborn 10-15 pounds that's remaining. So maybe a healthy dose of anti-Candida foods (like yogurt and fermented dairy products such as creme fraiche) will be enough to ward off any Candida-related symptoms and control cravings. And to effect weight loss still, I will have to minimize my carb intake. so maybe 1 major carb source every few days would suffice.

    Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight today: 129 lbs     Weight yesterday:  128.6

    Weight Lost: 0 lbs  Weight Gained: 0.4 lb     Net Loss: 2.0 lbs     Net Gain: 0 


    Breakfast:  I was too hungry when I woke up!
    2-egg omelet with bacon bits and caramelized onions, with tomato salad
    avocado with creme fraiche and just a tiny amount of raw honey (about 1/2 tsp)

    Snack:
    Chicharon

    Lunch (served as supper to family before I went to work)
    zucchini spaghetti
    butter-fried chicken

    Supper (at work)
    Salad greens with sunflower nuts, hardboiled egg, and a big piece of grilled salmon with yogurt dressing


    I think it will be easier for me to stick to Phase 2 sort of

    Rule of Phase 1: No carbs, no sugar,  no caffeeine, no breads, no milk, no vinegar (like in my pickles). Can only have unlimited good fat (animal fat, olive oil, butter, coconut oil, palm oil), meat, lots of veggies except mushroom and potatoes).  Can have brown rice 50 g per day with or without fat meal.

    Goal of Phase 1: Candida die-off

    Expected Results: Withdrawal symptoms, major cravings

    Unavoidable Results: Weight Loss

    Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight today: 128.6 lbs     Weight yesterday:  129.0

    Weight Lost: 0.4 lbs  Weight Gained: 0 lb     Net Loss: 2.4 lbs     Net Gain: 0 


    I was expecting to gain weight due to what I ate yesterday (the no-nos). But I lost weight and I definitely felt less fat on my belly compared to yesterday.  Maybe the effect of my food intake yesterday will be felt tomorrow.


    But looking back to how much I weighed just before I really started the Harcombe Diet...I remember weighing 138+ lbs that got me panicky...That was about 1 week before I considered this diet, before I read the reviews on amazon.  I panicked because just days prior to that I weighed 137, and prior I was 135...days before...imagine....gaining more and more each day. I panicked that within two days I would hit 140 lbs.  I was not ready to give up eating and give up nutrition. As it turns out with this diet, I did not have to. I just have to know what nutrients to take in more of.  And manipulate their effects on my weight gain/loss by proper combination.


    When did I actually start this diet? It was July 27th when I started limiting my carbs and caffeine to a few tsp of sugar in 1 cup of coffee and 1 soda a day and 1 slice of homemade bread...and in those little changes I lost 2 pounds already. I took the full plunge on July 29th, eating more of fat+protein and eliminating sugar and caffeine totally. I lost an average of 1 pound per day without getting hungry, eating 3 full meals a day, except on that day I had a tummy ache (July 29th) which lasted 1.5 days, so I only had beef broth with meat. My typical meal was fatty meat or eggs with veggies.


    BREKKY: 
    2 eggs, sunny side-up fried in bacon fat
    1/2 cup yoghurt sprinkled with salt

    Realizing that my plain yoghurt is so tangy it could qualify as a dressing instead of having vinegar, I searched for recipes using yoghurt for dressing. I think I will try this Lemon Yoghurt Dressing. I have all ingredients available. Will use this for salad dressing for a change. Maybe my family will like it too. It will be nice to have this creamy dressing without using any carb thickeners.

    LUNCH:
    I was not hungry, but that last strawberry-banana muffin was calling my attention...I thought, it would qualify as low-carb still...so I ate it at around 2pm.

    SUPPER:
    I felt that I had to make a special meal. So I bought two salmon bellies and marinated these in yogurt-lemon-herbs homemade type of dressing (much like marinating in vinegar). Grilled this on a cedar plank. Served with salad greens with cukes and sunflower seeds. I used a yogurt-lemon dressing.

    Then I did a most disgusting thing: I sipped about 1/3 cup of the saccharinely sweet strawberry milkshake that my sons made (I had to dilute with whole milk to lessen the sweetness). I could not really drink much of it. It's a no-no anyway. Cheat again!

    Snack:
    1 hard-boiled egg

    Saturday, July 14, 2012

    Another cheating day...when will I truly come back to Phase 1?

    Rule of Phase 1: No carbs, no sugar,  no caffeeine, no breads, no milk, no vinegar (like in my pickles). Can only have unlimited good fat (animal fat, olive oil, butter, coconut oil, palm oil), meat, lots of veggies except mushroom and potatoes).  Can have brown rice 50 g per day with or without fat meal.

    Goal of Phase 1: Candida die-off

    Expected Results: Withdrawal symptoms, major cravings

    Unavoidable Results: Weight Loss

    Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight today: 129.0 lbs     Weight yesterday:  128.6

    Weight Lost: 0 lbs  Weight Gained: 0 .4 lb     Net Loss: 2 lbs     Net Gain: 0


    ang labo...para konti lang na carb nakain ko, nag-seesaw na naman ako


    Ang hirap pala mag-diet pag summer. Sa init ng panahon, kelangan ko rin ng drinks...milkshakes shared with my family...sa winter na lang kaya ako mag-diet??? Oh well, I will just try to minimize my carb intake.


    BF:
    2-egg omelet with caramelized onions and bacon bits (I used the bacon fat to fry the omelet in)
    tomato salad with chives and patismansiluya


    Snack:
    Too full to eat lunch, but I made strawberry shake for my sons, and since it was a hot day to be working out in the  garden, I could not help but have some (cheating again! How will I lose weight when I do this all the time???)). I had 1/3 c of the strawberry milkshake.


    Lunch:
    A late one. Leftover salmon loaf which I broke into pieces (about 1 oz), 1 whole hard-boiled egg, and salad greens with my patismansiluya dressing.


    Supper:
    Could not help it. Our family ate at a restaurant before watching Spiderman. So, I had broiled salmon with lemon dill sauce (seemed like there was some thickener and/or sugar it it) and 1/3 cup of rice pilaf (not brown rice but at least I ate very little of it).  Non-THD compatible was the two slices of whole wheat bread I had (yummy!) slathered with butter. I did manage to avoid sodas, as I ordered lemonade, which was made sweet, unfortunately. But the best part? I did not feel bloated even after finishing the whole salmon on my plate. Oh, and I did have about 3 pcs of battered deep-fried shrimps I stole from my husband's plate. 

    Hey, it's a weekend. This blog is turning to be a foodlog for me, not necessarily a THD journey.

    But, I always have in the back of my mind the rules of the THD, and that's what keeps me from indulging too much from the no-no's.



    Friday, July 13, 2012

    Back to Phase 1

    Rule of Phase 1: No carbs, no sugar,  no caffeeine, no breads, no milk, no vinegar (like in my pickles). Can only have unlimited good fat (animal fat, olive oil, butter, coconut oil, palm oil), meat, lots of veggies except mushroom and potatoes).  Can have brown rice 50 g per day with or without fat meal.

    Goal of Phase 1: Candida die-off

    Expected Results: Withdrawal symptoms, major cravings

    Unavoidable Results: Weight Loss

    Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight today: 128.6 lbs     Weight yesterday:  129.6

    Weight Lost: 1 lbs  Weight Gained: 0      Net Loss: 2.4 lbs     Net Gain: 0


    The past days that I was supposed to be on Phase 2, I was not really following the rules, often mixing in carb with fat meals.  Or I would sneak in a few carb every now and then. My weight basically plateaued.


    So three days ago I made the decision to start all over again. And on that day, I binged on carbs - bread and ice cream (to please my husband).


    And I started again on Phase 1 two days ago...sort of. Well actually I had some yogurt with strawberries then, but the rest was Harcombe-compatible.
    Salmon Fritters
    Salad greens with tomato salsa


    Yesterday was 100% Harcombe. My usual egg omelet with onions, tomato salad for breakfast, ginisang pechay for lunch, stir-fried chicken with veggies for supper. Chicharon for snacks at work to keep me awake.




    BRUNCH:
    Salmon fritters
    Salad greens with tomato salsa


    SUPPER:
    I cooked sliced ham with potatoes and cabbage for the family. I only got a small piece of that ham (with the fatty layer next to the skin) but I had a bowl also of beef broth with beef meat (from tail part), with shredded cabbage (instead of noodles, so it is like beef ramen without the pasta).


    Cheating: I baked a strawberry-banana-coconut muffin that used coconut crystals (low GI) instead of regular sugar, and I replaced 1/2 c of APF with coconut flour and added  2 more eggs because the coconut flour seemed to absorb to much moisture. I had strawberry-banana jam with 1 piece of strawberry inside the muffin. I baked these mainly for my sons, but since this is my first time experimenting with coconut flour and coconut crystals for baking, I had to try the outcome. It was not disappointing, but I did have a whole muffin. (that would be the equivalent of 20 ml (or roughly 1 T + 1 t) all purpose flour. The coconut flour is made from coconut meat and is more of saturated fat than carb, and has low GI as well, so it is mainly considered low-carb. (At least I really did not have grains). However, I ate the muffin shortly before our supper...so it might have, with the very small amount of carb in it, somehow spiked up my insulin, such that insulin could have started fat storage of my fatty meal....Oh well...


    I also ate a few strawberries. So this day actually almost qualifies as phase 2.