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Originally Posted by alessa
Warrior, I wanted to say thanks for sharing this valuable information as I was away from this site for a few days.
If you don't mind a detailed question about diet, what other veggies would you include on low-carb days beyond broccoli (and I am assuming spinach, asparagus, leafy greens)? Of course, not carrots or potatoes, but what about summer squash like zucchini and yellow squash? I cannot seem to find consistent nutritional info on those. I get a little sick of broccoli and find it sometimes, um, hard to digest in great amounts.
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There are lots of low-carb choices. Basically, you want to stick to green leafy veggies, but you can get away with some tomatos or zucchini... as these are mostly water. I wouldn't go near squash or anything related to pumpkin.
If you really want to know if your diet is on target, get some KetoStix from the pharmacist. They are a cheap way to measure ketones in the urine... but have a short shelf life - so use them for a few weeks then discard the rest since their accuracy becomes exceedingly less reliable. Going low carb, you should hit Ketosis within 24 hours after an evening refeed - or within 48 hours after a full carb load, or after eating a mixed diet for awhile. If you can't hit Ketosis, something in your diet might be refilling glycogen.
Aside from meats, chicken, seafood and eggs - I tend to eat lots of salads mixed with lemon and olive oil. A salad a do enjoy is a mix of chopped cabbage, fennel, onion and tomato mixed with lemon and olive oil... pepper and salt as needed. I usually fry my meats with suff like green peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, zuccinni - even some mozarella cheese (typically zero carbs) on top is prefectly fine.
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Originally Posted by alessa
By the way, I recently tried casein protein (instead of whey) for shakes at night and really like it. I find it lasts much longer, although whey seems to be the gold standard.
Thanks again! Amazing progress!
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You'll do fine with either... whey is the standard after training, but casein (or a mix of casein and whey) is thought to be better as a general meal replacement.
Just remember, it's okay to feel hungry. Your body is going to send signals to increase your hunger when you are effectively mobilizing fats - it doen't like the idea of getting lean... it's only interested in survival, not cosmetics. Interestingly, you can view hunger as a positive state for your body to be in... there are studies on fasting that show natural reductions in tumors and disease through brief periods of fasting. The typical human in today's world is constantly digesting foods - allowing your body to divert its attention away from heavy digestive processes can help improve your health, by allowing greater attention on repair processes. Seriously, the studies are out there.
BTW - when I need something to munch on (such as between lunch and a late dinner), I grab some nuts (pistacios, almonds, cashews,) which do provide some statiety... dietary fats are ketogenic and required when you are eating low carb... just don't go overboard on the nuts as they are calorie dense (salty varieties are easier to overeat). My portions of nuts are the first thing I start to cut back as the diet progresses.