As I sit here enjoying my lunch (1.5 ounces cooked chicken breast, 1 cup of brown rice, 3 ounces of lowfat plain yogurt), it occurs to me that I definitely need to take this “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle” book I’ve been reading with a grain of salt. As it were.
As I read this morning all about fats and carbs and what to eat and what to “never” eat, I got this sinking feeling. Cut out butter altogether? Don’t eat cheese? Avoid animal fats, YET eat lots of animal protein? DON’T EAT CHEESE??
Where is the joy in a life of chicken breast, brown rice, and steamed broccoli? Don’t get me wrong, I love all three of those foods. But I’m not keen on depriving myself of some of the greatest culinary joys the world has to offer, just for the sake of ripped abs. Maybe this book was written for obese people, who should yes go on a strict program like that for awhile. Or for bodybuilders, who should do the same. But me, who wants to lose 15 pounds? I am not giving up butter, dude. Especially not for a lousy spray-on substitute.
I am still eating 5 small meals a day and tracking calories. Not eating lots of sweets, etc. Exercising daily. But I’m not going on some training diet. That’s all.
ONLY 15 pounds? You want to eat butter and still have 2 pounds a week come off? heh. It ain’t gonna happen. You don’t have to give up anything, you can still have a “free meal” or two a week where you eat whatever you want. But you are on a DIET. To lose weight.
I think many people are confused and think that exercise alone will solve their weight problem. It won’t. Butter and cheese are almost pure fat (animal fat, the bad cholesterol kind) and have little nutritional value (some cheeses *are* high in calcium and protein). If you want to include those things in your daily total you won’t be able to fit them in. You can look at it as only a temporary thing, such as 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks. Honestly you will still see some progress but it won’t be as fast.
I dont take any book at 100% face value. But I know what works and what doesn’t. I think its great that you are taking in some of the ideas, but perhaps eating the way you do has gotten you where you are? We need to change our patterns if we want to change how we are.
What the hell do you need butter for anyway? Seriously. You don’t put it on sandwiches like they do in england, do you?
I knew you would have something to say! Like I said, I am still cutting calories and exercising daily and watching what I eat. But I like flavor in my food, and fat = flavor. I know, I know, it’s only temporary, until I reach my goal weight. Then what? Go back up to that maintenance level every day, or stay below it?
I sometimes cook and bake with butter, that’s about all I use it for. No, I don’t put it on sandwiches, ew.
I’m wary of seeing foods as “bad” and developing that type of “relationship” with food, where guilt comes into the picture, etc. I can’t stand it when I hear my friends say they were “bad” and had dessert or something. Or they were “good” and only had a salad. You know? You’re not good or bad for those things, you’re just making choices for that particular meal, IMO.
I think the 5-small-meals-per-day thing is ALREADY having an effect on me, btw. I have tons of energy.