Dallas-Mavs.com Biggest Loser

[Flacolaco]

What's the availability of edamamememmeeemame like? (take that Firefox, and your precious spell check)

Can you get them fresh anywhere? I've never noticed the frozen bags, but I guess I wasn't looking.

[Jbrjo]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

What's the availability of edamamememmeeemame like? (take that Firefox, and your precious spell check)

Can you get them fresh anywhere? I've never noticed the frozen bags, but I guess I wasn't looking.

I can usually find it in the part of the produce section (of grocery stores) where stuff like fresh herbs and spices, hot and bell peppers, asian sides, tofu and the like are located.

[ShaggyDirk]

I just eat a of Reese's Butter Cups.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

What's the availability of edamamememmeeemame like? (take that Firefox, and your precious spell check)

Can you get them fresh anywhere? I've never noticed the frozen bags, but I guess I wasn't looking.

just try your local grocery store. they are gaining popularity in the U.S. I've only had them frozen, and they are good. I have never seen them fresh like fresh green beans. I've bought them at costco too.

Not sure if dallas has "whole foods", its a grocery store we have here. its all heath and natural and stuff. But even our local store called Giant or Safeway, carries edamame.

[u2sarajevo]

Originally Posted by MavsX

just try your local grocery store. they are gaining popularity in the U.S. I've only had them frozen, and they are good. I have never seen them fresh like fresh green beans. I've bought them at costco too.

Not sure if dallas has "whole foods", its a grocery store we have here. its all heath and natural and stuff. But even our local store called Giant or Safeway, carries edamame.

Just FYI.... Whole Foods started in Austin. So we have those here. Although not nearly enough of them.

Thank God for Sprouts and Central Market.

[Big Boy Laroux]

good lord, i love whole foods. I'd imagine if i were single i'd love it more (they have TONS of meals at the ready in these food bars all over the store - seafood, meat dishes, salads, etc.).

[Flacolaco]

Yes I'm glad I'm moving within range of a Sprouts.

[Male30Dan]

My meals, keeping in mind I am always low-carb eating, are the following:

BREAKFAST OPTIONS:

*Ham and cheese - I buy a good ham and slice a couple of pieces of that and a couple of pieces of pepper jack cheese. 0 carbs.

*Bacon wraps w/cheese - I buy the low-carb tortillas that have 3 carbs per and I buy the already done bacon and put some of the pepper jack cheese on it. 1 wrap = 3 carbs.

*Beef Jerky - You get the idea. Just over 1 carb for the kind of Jerky I purchase, (Robertsons beef jerky).

*Fried Eggs and bacon - Ahh, the ol standard. I just use this little machine we have that makes two eggs without any grease but makes them like a fried egg such that the white is solid and yellow is runny, (over easy), and use the already cooked bacon and yummy. 1 carb for 2 eggs and bacon.

*Pickles - Yes, I know. Most of you think I am insane. One of the top things in my diet is pickles. I love them and they are good for my diet. I will, as I actually did today, make a bowl of sliced pickles and eat it for breakfast. 0 carbs for the HEB brand sliced pickles.

__________

LUNCH:

*I don't eat lunch.

__________

DINNER:

*Gumbo - My wife makes this delicious gumbo type soup that I have had the past two nights, (she makes a hug pot of it). It has pieces of Italian Sausage, Chicken, Shrimp, and Scallops for meat and Okra, Onion, Tomatoes, and Red/Yellow Bell Pepper for veggies. Base of chicken broth and when it all comes together with a large helping of cayenne pepper in my bowl it is simply delicious. It really is one of my favorite meals to eat. Suprisingly it only has 12 carbs for a large bowl full and when I eat this I typically eat no carbs for the day prior and I can have a large bowl and maybe a third of a bowl for seconds.

*Wings w/side salad - I buy the HEB low carb wings that are like 2.5 carbs for 10 wings and I will eat that with a side salad (just lettuce, cucumbers, a couple of small tomatoes, and the Bacon Ranch w/1 carb per tablespoon). ~8 carbs for everything.

*Hamburger Goulash - Wife frys hamburger meat and puts enchilada sauce, bell peppers, lettuce, cheese, and salsa and I apply my favorite hot sauce and eat with a low carb tortilla or two. 15 carbs for 2 tortillas and filling (again, I eat really low carb that day if I know I am having this).

*Fried Chicken - We bought a special breading at netrition.com that allows you to basically make a fried chicken breast, (or fried anything that large or smaller), for roughly 3 carbs. A standard fried breast with flour would be like 20 carbs, (my entire daily allowance of carbs), so it helps. It isn't quite as good, but still very tasty to get the breading. I typically eat that with green beans and a side salad. ~12 carbs.

*Large Salad - I eat a lot of these and they are just large bowls of salad for my entire dinner and they will have tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, lettuce, bacon bits, cheese, bacon ranch, and either grilled chicken or shrimp. ~14 carbs.

*Enchiladas - I get this occassionally as a plate of them and one side is right at 20 carbs. Using the 3 net carb tortillas I mentioned above she will make 3 of those with meat, cheese, and low-carb enchillada sauce and bakes them next to her standard enchiladas for her. They are delicious and I think as good or better than hers with standard tortillas, standard sauce, etc... 20 carbs for 3 enchiladas and a side salad.

*Chicken Breast from Chilis - I get this a lot too and it is the Monterrey Chicken from Chilis if anyone is familiar. I just grill a chicken breast and put cheese and bacon on top and eat with green beans and brocolli or a side salad.

__________

SNACKS:

*Pickles - As mentioned above, I love them and they have 0 carbs from HEB.

*Beef Jerky - Again, as mentioned above very tasty with right at a carb for a serving. Robertsons Jerky is out of Salado but is sold in many places. VERY good.

*Almonds - The Jalapeno almonds are a favorite of mine but a rare treat. 3 carbs per serving.



As you can see most of the things I eat are probably not considered low carb to you. Fried Chicken, Gumbo, Enchiladas, etc... But with the right ingredients you can eat low-carb without it being just MEAT, MEAT, MEAT, MEAT, MEAT, EGGS, EGGS, EGGS, EGGS, EGGS. I have lost now 16 lbs. in 3 weeks by basically doing a little jogging and eating the meals above. 226 and I WILL be 210 by 2/13!!!

By the way, if anyone is interested in low-carb, you can get the motherload of recipes for free from the following website:

Some of the recipes sound strange but most are delicious. Take it from me, this stuff CONSISTENTLY works.

[Big Boy Laroux]

Dan likes-a the spicy food!

i'm a louisiana boy originally (middle and high school and my parents still live there), so i love it, too.

[Flacolaco]

Good info Dan, thanks for sharing.

I love Pickles too.

No lunch? good for you, I couldn't handle it.

If I didn't have lunch to look forward to every day, I would kill myself.

[Big Boy Laroux]

well, you always hear that eating three meals a day (and even snacking in between) is better for you, as opposed to skipping meals and eating more in one sitting.

[Flacolaco]

Breakfast and I don't get together quite as often as we should.

[vmac]

I'm 5'10 and about 170 but have close to 26% body fat. My heart rate is ridiculously high when I work out, so I try not to over exert myself. I try to eat healthy and I don't even look that fat (waist is only 33-34)

Should I be concerned?

[mary]

Thanks for the recipe link dan...i'm always looking for those. I'm definitely always looking for a good soup recipe.

I'm going to try this one tonight.

BEEFY-MUSHROOM SOUP
2 pounds ground beef
1 small onion, chopped, 2 1/2 ounces
1 clove garlic, minced
16 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
15 ounces canned pumpkin *
14 ounce can beef broth or 2 cups homemade beef broth
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
1-2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
In a 6-8 quart pot, brown the ground beef along with the onion, mushrooms and garlic; drain the fat. If using canned broth, add water to make 2 cups. Add the pumpkin to the ground beef mixture; blend well then add the broth and bouillon. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes. Add the cream and wine or water; simmer 10-15 minutes longer. Adjust the seasoning, if needed.
Makes about 8 cups or eight 1-cup servings
Can be frozen but the mushrooms may get a little rubbery
* It seems to make a difference what brand of pumpkin you use. The second time I made this, I used a store brand of pumpkin and the soup didn't turn out nearly as thick. I stirred in about 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum to get the right consistency. I suspect that the cheaper brand of pumpkin had more water in it than Libby's.
Per Cup: 302 Calories; 19g Fat; 23g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs




http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/beefy_mushroom_soup.html

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

Good info Dan, thanks for sharing.

I love Pickles too.

No lunch? good for you, I couldn't handle it.

If I didn't have lunch to look forward to every day, I would kill myself.

You should probably still kill yourself though.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by vmac

I'm 5'10 and about 170 but have close to 26% body fat. My heart rate is ridiculously high when I work out, so I try not to over exert myself. I try to eat healthy and I don't even look that fat (waist is only 33-34)

Should I be concerned?

i doubt you're 26% body fat is accurate. In fact, unless your body has no bones in it, and you are one giant blob rolling on the ground, i don't think its possible to be 5'10",170 lbs, and 26 % body fat.

[Flacolaco]

Originally Posted by mary

Thanks for the recipe link dan...i'm always looking for those. I'm definitely always looking for a good soup recipe.

I'm going to try this one tonight.

[FONT=arial][SIZE=3]BEEFY-MUSHROOM SOUP
2 pounds ground beef
1 small onion, chopped, 2 1/2 ounces
1 clove garlic, minced
16 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
15 ounces canned pumpkin *
.
.
.
.



http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/beefy_mushroom_soup.html

That sounds good.

I make a big pot of soup every sunday night to take for lunches during the week. Usually something very vegetable heavy. I would add celery and perhaps carrots to that soup if I were making it.

I've never heard of the pumpkin part. Let me know how that turns out.

[mary]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

That sounds good.

I make a big pot of soup every sunday night to take for lunches during the week. Usually something very vegetable heavy. I would add celery and perhaps carrots to that soup if I were making it.

I've never heard of the pumpkin part. Let me know how that turns out.

I enjoy making soup more than anything else. I've never used pumpkin as a savory ingredient, but I'm going to give it a shot.

[mary]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

That sounds good.

I make a big pot of soup every sunday night to take for lunches during the week. Usually something very vegetable heavy. I would add celery and perhaps carrots to that soup if I were making it.

I've never heard of the pumpkin part. Let me know how that turns out.

It was pretty good. I was apprehensive about dumping a can of pumpkin into a perfectly good pot of food, but I'll be damned if it didn't work out. An extra teaspoon of bouillon granules eliminates any pumpkin aftertaste. I also added carrots (but not celery). Thanks for the suggestion.

[Flacolaco]

Cool Mary, thanks.

I'll have to try it.

There is no food (other than mexican food) that I love more than soup.

[chumdawg]

I'm curious what is the idea behind a low-carb diet? How is this supposed to help you lose weight--and more importantly, is it just a short-term fix? This isn't something you should sustain long-term, is it?

[u2sarajevo]

Originally Posted by chumdawg

I'm curious what is the idea behind a low-carb diet? How is this supposed to help you lose weight--and more importantly, is it just a short-term fix? This isn't something you should sustain long-term, is it?

The premise is that your body is forced to utilize stored fats for energy. This is called ketosis. It's why low-carb dieters will buy keto sticks to test their urine to see how much ketones they are spilling.

I have no clue what the long term effects are of such a diet. I would imagine that there have been studies done on that (where is one of Doc's students when you need one).

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by chumdawg

I'm curious what is the idea behind a low-carb diet? How is this supposed to help you lose weight--and more importantly, is it just a short-term fix? This isn't something you should sustain long-term, is it?

Forget low-carb diets - it's just a marketing scheme to sell low-carb food products...

This link is all you need to shed those unwanted pounds! (it works for Hollywood celebrities & supermodels anyway...)

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by u2sarajevo

The premise is that your body is forced to utilize stored fats for energy. This is called ketosis. It's why low-carb dieters will buy keto sticks to test their urine to see how much ketones they are spilling.

I have no clue what the long term effects are of such a diet. I would imagine that there have been studies done on that (where is one of Doc's students when you need one).

There is a guy at my office is who is doing the low carb thing. He's been doing it for like a year now. He said he has lost about 40 pounds. He also says he plans to never stop doing a "low carb" lifestyle. He doesn't work out at all by the way. He is just lazy. I don't know what to tell him, i'm sure it can't be healthy.

[Male30Dan]

Originally Posted by u2sarajevo

The premise is that your body is forced to utilize stored fats for energy. This is called ketosis. It's why low-carb dieters will buy keto sticks to test their urine to see how much ketones they are spilling.

I have no clue what the long term effects are of such a diet. I would imagine that there have been studies done on that (where is one of Doc's students when you need one).

Yes on the first two sentences, no on the next one, (at least not me).

Regarding long term effects, I bet I eat a more balanced diet than most of you do. I eat a TON of vegetables with my meats and I eat bread sometimes, (I forgot to put sandwich down but Mrs. Bairds makes a 5.5 carb per slice bread that was good enough to make my wife start using it). So I get dairy - cheese, bread - sandwich, meat - all sorts, veggies - all sorts, and I take a vitamin that fills in for the fruits and where I lose other things from the diet.

Betcha I eat better than quite a few of you yet my diet is considered severly unhealthy.

Blah...

Bottom line Chum... If you don't believe in it - try it. The weight flies off. The biggest problem with the diet is that after you get to where you want to be you start allowing yourself to have things you have missed and it just spirals down hill for me from there. I eat way too many things that are way too bad for me and soon, (3 months or so), I am nearing the weight I started from.

With that said, that is MY crutch to lose, and is not an issue with the diet. I just have to be stronger. The way the diet is intended is to slowly allow more and more carbs per day until you max out at, (and I really don't know - I would have to go watch the video again to see for sure), at around 80 carbs per day or so. With 80 carbs you can have a friggin baked potato and chips for a snack and still be ok. So I mean if you did it the way the program was designed you would keep the weight off because it would be a life change. On the link I sent just read her about you and you will see what I mean.

My biggest problem is that I never add carbs to my diet therefore I never get the foods I want until I am off. My mind is ON/OFF, not ON/ON+5 CARBS/ON+20 CARBS/etc... I am going to try the latter this time after hitting my weight goal.

The overall design is to find the carb level that you can eat at and maintain your weight. Once you find that you stay there and you can pretty much have everything you want while being smart and having portion control and never gain weight.

Bottom line, the damn diet works. It helped me lose over 50 lbs. and will help me lose 30 or so over the past month and next month.

[Male30Dan]

Originally Posted by mary

Thanks for the recipe link dan...i'm always looking for those. I'm definitely always looking for a good soup recipe.

I'm going to try this one tonight.

BEEFY-MUSHROOM SOUP
2 pounds ground beef
1 small onion, chopped, 2 1/2 ounces
1 clove garlic, minced
16 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
15 ounces canned pumpkin *
14 ounce can beef broth or 2 cups homemade beef broth
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
1-2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
In a 6-8 quart pot, brown the ground beef along with the onion, mushrooms and garlic; drain the fat. If using canned broth, add water to make 2 cups. Add the pumpkin to the ground beef mixture; blend well then add the broth and bouillon. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes. Add the cream and wine or water; simmer 10-15 minutes longer. Adjust the seasoning, if needed.
Makes about 8 cups or eight 1-cup servings
Can be frozen but the mushrooms may get a little rubbery
* It seems to make a difference what brand of pumpkin you use. The second time I made this, I used a store brand of pumpkin and the soup didn't turn out nearly as thick. I stirred in about 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum to get the right consistency. I suspect that the cheaper brand of pumpkin had more water in it than Libby's.
Per Cup: 302 Calories; 19g Fat; 23g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs




http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/beefy_mushroom_soup.html

You are welcome. Keep in mind that these are ALL low-carb recipes so if you aren't following that diet feel free to add things to make it taste "better", although they taste great to me this way and are healthier.

[Male30Dan]

Originally Posted by Big Boy Laroux

Dan likes-a the spicy food!

i'm a louisiana boy originally (middle and high school and my parents still live there), so i love it, too.

Favorite flavor = hot.

I have literally freaked out the Thai food guys as I get it hotter than they eat it. I eat with 20 *s at many Thai restaurants, (menu typically goes to 4/5). I use cayenne pepper like most people use pepper. I have honestly only once met something too hot to eat and that was some weird ornamental pepper from Wal-Mart. I honestly don't think they were meant to be edible - much hotter than a habanero.

Of course I have never tried the Guinness book hottest pepper - the Bhut Jolokia, so who knows...

[Evilmav2]

Update: I rolled the heck out of my left ankle playing basketball this morning, so I'm pretty darned discouraged because I probably won't be able to seriously work out for the next 4-5 days. That's the damned thing about playing ball with me. Whenever I play pick-up games on a near daily basis, I do tend to trim down and get pretty darned quick, but whenever I really get quick and start jumping higher around the rim my ankles always end up having dreadful problems... Maybe it's finally time to start wearing the old man, heavy duty ankle braces that I've always known I would probably be doomed to wear... Regardless of that though, it now looks like I probably won't be getting down to the 225 lb range that I was hoping for this week (I weighed 228 on the scales yesterday)...

[Big Boy Laroux]

Originally Posted by Evilmav2

Update: I rolled the heck out of my left ankle playing basketball this morning, so I'm pretty darned discouraged because I probably won't be able to seriously work out for the next 4-5 days. That's the damned thing about playing ball with me. Whenever I play pick-up games on a near daily basis, I do tend to trim down and get pretty darned quick, but whenever I really get quick and start jumping higher around the rim my ankles always end up having dreadful problems... Maybe it's finally time to start wearing the old man, heavy duty ankle braces that I've always known I would probably be doomed to wear... Regardless of that though, it now looks like I probably won't be getting down to the 225 lb range that I was hoping for this week (I weighed 228 on the scales yesterday)...

Evil, it seems that I ONLY get hurt playing pickup. When I'm playing in competetive leagues against players my own level, i don't get hurt.

it's when i'm playing pickup, and jump for a rebound, and the random pickup guys i'm playing with are just standing under the goal looking up - that's when i always seem to land on someone else's foot and roll my ankle pretty.

And i've been wearing ankle braces since i got out of college (had my ankles taped by the trainer when i was in college). I don't wear the super duty air-cast type. But the ones i wear are light (and fit into the shoe), yet still offer really good support. i'd hate to think where i would be if i wasn't wearing them when i landed on someone's foot... I actually got mine at a medical supply store. They're the ASO ankle braces - i'm pretty sure you can get them online.

yep, a quick google search showed me they're sold many places online.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by Evilmav2

Update: I rolled the heck out of my left ankle playing basketball this morning, so I'm pretty darned discouraged because I probably won't be able to seriously work out for the next 4-5 days. That's the damned thing about playing ball with me. Whenever I play pick-up games on a near daily basis, I do tend to trim down and get pretty darned quick, but whenever I really get quick and start jumping higher around the rim my ankles always end up having dreadful problems... Maybe it's finally time to start wearing the old man, heavy duty ankle braces that I've always known I would probably be doomed to wear... Regardless of that though, it now looks like I probably won't be getting down to the 225 lb range that I was hoping for this week (I weighed 228 on the scales yesterday)...

sucks man. You should send an email to dirk and find out where he got his rubber ankles.

[Evilmav2]

Originally Posted by Big Boy Laroux

it's when i'm playing pickup, and jump for a rebound, and the random pickup guys i'm playing with are just standing under the goal looking up - that's when i always seem to land on someone else's foot and roll my ankle pretty.

That's pretty much exactly how I rolled my ankle this morning, and exactly how I've rolled my ankle many, many times over the years...

I will say that as as satisfying as it feels to be able to elevate over other players for rebounds (something I would almost certainly have some severe difficulties doing if I was playing against a 6-8, former college player monster like yourself ), and similarly, as helpful as that leaping ability can be in creating good offensive looks (and even when I was younger, I've never had the greatest vertical leap in the world, but when I'm in shape I've never been bad), that elevation leaves your body exposed to ankle injuries as well as cheap shots from overly competitive pickup-types... Almost makes a fellow want to play with a little more earth-bound Elton Brand style in his game, as opposed to a possibly more injury-exposed, 1991-era, sky-walker Laettner-style...

[Big Boy Laroux]

ha ha ha ha. that well-known skywalker, Christian Laettner.

yeah, i've tried to not go all-out when i play pick-up, and take it easy. but then the natural competitiveness takes over, and it's difficult to hold back. I don't want to just sit back and take jumpers.

but i would highly recommend those braces, evil. you should check em out.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

What's the availability of edamamememmeeemame like? (take that Firefox, and your precious spell check)

Can you get them fresh anywhere? I've never noticed the frozen bags, but I guess I wasn't looking.

any luck finding these beans?

[Flacolaco]

Haven't tried yet. We do all of our shopping on Saturdays.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

Haven't tried yet. We do all of our shopping on Saturdays.

don't forget salt. they need salt.

[Smiles]

Great thread! Thanks to all of you for sharing this aspect of your lives. It's very motivational. May I join in?

Evil, what a tough break to get injured and possibly miss a few days of workouts. 32 yrs is in no way OLD, btw! <ehem>

Thanks for that equation, BBL! I haven't had my % measured in years.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by Smiles

Great thread! Thanks to all of you for sharing this aspect of your lives. It's very motivational. May I join in?

Evil, what a tough break to get injured and possibly miss a few days of workouts. 32 yrs is in no way OLD, btw! <ehem>

Thanks for that equation, BBL! I haven't had my % measured in years.

You're In.

[Ummmmm Ok]

Originally Posted by Ummmmm Ok

Age: 29
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 205 lbs. (3 months ago I was 334)
Body Fat % - Don't know
Waist - 36" (3 months ago I was about to go to a 40")
Wish me luck.

well I am down to 201. Trying so hard to get to 199. Haven't been that weight since my senior year in HS

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by Ummmmm Ok

well I am down to 201. Trying so hard to get to 199. Haven't been that weight since my senior year in HS

WAIT WAIT WAIT!

You weighed 334 pounds 3 months ago!? and you now weight 201? how in the hell did you lose 133 pounds in 3 months?

Unless you just took a dump and lost it all then, is that possible or healthy!? how do you feel? congrats though. Surgery? atkins? lippo? lose a leg?...or two? give birth to a couple of midgets?

[Dirkgreatness]

I'm officially gonna start my diet and work out to get buff.... i'll start tomorrow.... no nvm.... i start on saturday.