Diet Debates

I don't like the word diet because of the connotations it has, but I suppose I am on one, to a certain extent, and it also does apply to the idea of what one eats as a whole, so there you go.

I was going to post a weigh-in update, but I realized that certain hormonal changes have it out of whack this entire week. So my initial "starting weight" might not be all that accurate either. Well, we'll stick with it for now. Fluctuations or not, the scale showed about 2 pounds, which is a respectable number for a week. It's the recommended one, as I recall. I was rather hoping for a few more, but if I can keep that rate for the rest of the summer I'll be in pretty shape indeed.

Having my beans and cheese each morning for breakfast is proving quite easy. How often do we really change up our breakfast routines, anyway? We generally go for the same thing each morning, so it's been pretty easy to stick with it this past week. Aside from having to keep a much larger stash of beans in the house than before (much cheaper than sugary cereal- bonus), it's going to be pretty easy. I'm trying to ease off on how much cheese I put on top, though. Cougar Gold is a little pricey! And I haven't checked, but I very much doubt that it is a low-fat cheese, as preferred under the Five-Factor Diet. As mentioned before, I am not sticking exclusively to this diet while I'm in weight-loss mode, but I can see it being a major part of the rest of my life, for life-long maintenance of what I plan to achieve this summer.

I do still find myself attracted to many grain options right now, however. These are perfectly fine under the 5-Factor alone, but bump up against the no-grain parameters designed for quicker shedding of weight. I'm currently debating the merits of sticking with non-grain/starch snacks, or going with Five-Factor low-calorie, whole grain and protein ones. My current thought is a compromise. One compromise might be to go with the 5-Factor option most days, and once or twice a week decide to really kill it for a day and cut out the grains (before dinner- I'm leaving dinner as a healthy and portion controlled but open meal). Another option is to simply impose a before-noon rule. No starch or grains before noon, then continue on with healthy and portion controlled and Five-Factor Friendly.

Right now, the biggest temptation is granola and muesli. I've discovered a love for non-fat Greek yogurt (vanilla bean- I still can't abide plain yogurt) in this past week that I never knew existed. I sort of liked it before, but now I'm eating it daily and actually orchestrated an otherwise unnecessary grocery run yesterday because I ran out. Now I'm stocked for at least... a week. If I don't start doubling up some days. It's wonderful on its own, but I'm so intrigued by mixing in Kashi Go Lean Crunch, or even getting fancy and making my own granola a la Oh She Glows. I keep remembering a little snippet of an interview with Peter Jackson. For those of you who don't know, he is no longer the lovable puff-ball of the Lord of the Rings DVD special features. He got healthy! When asked about it, he said "I just got tired of being overweight and unfit, so I changed my diet from hamburgers to yoghurt and muesli and it seems to work." 


Well, Superfit later today (sadly, no Zumba until Saturday- note to self: wear sunscreen this time), so the next few hours will be spent on my writing goal (and very likely the White Collar marathon on USA) instead. 

Incorporating the 5-Factor Diet

Finally getting back to Superfit today, and I am so excited! I think that's a good sign, don't you?

I was poking around some nutrition and fitness sites today, and ended up looking into the  The 5-Factor Diet of Harley Pasternak. I have no intention of going whole-hog with it, but he gives a very good blueprint for a healthy lifestyle. Under the 5-Factor, each meal should have five components:

1. A lean protein. As I am vegetarian, this will come in forms like quinoa, tofu, legumes, and non-fat dairy rather than chicken, turkey, and seafood. 
2. A low-GI carbohydrate, or complex carbohydrate. Brown rice, vegetables, etc.
3. Fiber. For me, this will generally be a side-effect of my protein and carb choices, like the beans, veggies, and whole grains.
4. A healthy fat. Olive oil, almonds (actually, he says to avoid nuts, but that's mainly when he is talking about using them as a protein source), etc.
5. Sugar-free beverage. Basically, water or tea. A diet soda or flavored water if you are feeling adventurous. 

I'm not going to go with the "Use 5 ingredients" and "Prepare in 5 minutes or less" deals, because... well, I don't want to. I'm not doing the full 5-Factor plan, so why bother? And there's also some deal where you do it for 5 weeks. Pish tosh. This seems like a good set of guidelines to make sure I'm eating healthily so I can get down in weight and improve my cardio endurance and whatnot. It both fits into all of the meals I have come up with for when I am on super-natural kicks (like the quinoa and bean burritos I am obsessed with), and for when I am feeling a bit more indulgent (like the whole wheat tortellini w/ olive oil and parmesan I had for lunch). It acknowledges that protein is important for building muscle (which I constantly work on), and carbs for running (the point of this blog). Fiber is key for overall health, and counting fiber rather than calories is something I've already been working on as it is. And of course, the body actually does need fat to function properly. 

I've come up with a list of various foods and snacks that I already do that fall within these guidelines, and I imagine that by simply adding a handful of almonds or some Triscuits and homemade hummus as a side, I can modify several more. It seems like a good way to make sure I'm getting everything I need, and also to make smarter choices and still feel special.