Cook once a week, Eat once a day

[VJG1977]

<p class="MsoNormal">I normally cook only one day a week and only eat one meal a day between 5 &amp; 7pm.&nbsp; I go shopping on Saturday and cook on Sunday.&nbsp; &nbsp;Seems like this should be ideal for a van dweller.&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have gotten into the habit of cooking enough on Sunday for the rest of the week.&nbsp; During the week I just use the microwave to reheat stuff.&nbsp; This isn’t carved in stone, some nights I’ll cook an omelet and use whatever meat I cooked on Sunday.</p> How I came to eat like this is that I am diabetic and researched diets for a very long time. You can google intermittent fasting or Fast Five diet.&nbsp; Jan 1^st 2011, I was on 50 units a day of insulin and the max dosage of two other pills.&nbsp; I started a very low carbohydrate diet and went to one meal a day.&nbsp;&nbsp; Within a week I had stopped all the insulin.&nbsp; Within a month I had cut my pills in half. &nbsp;My A1c went from 9.2 to 5.6 and my all my lipid profile numbers moved into the excellent range. &nbsp;I eat only meat, eggs, butter and cheese. I do use onion, garlic, celery and sugar free pickles as condiments.&nbsp; My doctor cannot believe my numbers, better than since I was 18.&nbsp;

 

[yesican]

<p>I worked with a woman who was also IDDM and she would eat one meal a day (same food as yours except she'd have low carb veggies too).&nbsp; Hers was in the morning and then she would have her glucerna shake in the eve for her supper.&nbsp; She was skinny as a rail.&nbsp; She also walked 4-10 miles per day. She had numerous hypoglycemic incidents during work.&nbsp; Do you consume any other calories during the day?</p>

 

[thinker]

how's your cholesterol?

 

[VJG1977]

<p>I worked with a woman who was also IDDM and she would eat one meal a day (same food as yours except she'd have low carb veggies too).&nbsp; Hers was in the morning and then she would have her glucerna shake in the eve for her supper.&nbsp; She was skinny as a rail.&nbsp; She also walked 4-10 miles per day. She had numerous hypoglycemic incidents during work.&nbsp; Do you consume any other calories during the day?</p>

<div><br></div><div>Normally I get up around 3:30 am and have black coffee in the morning. &nbsp;In the morning at work I'll have a couple cups of herbal tea. I get off work at 4:30 pm and eat from 5 to 7 pm. &nbsp;I aim for 1400 to 1700 calories with a ratio of 80% fat 20%&nbsp;protein. &nbsp;Usually end up at around 75% fat 20% protein and 5% carbs. &nbsp;Monday through Friday I rarely eat anything else. &nbsp;If I have some work function that includes a meal I will eat a steak. &nbsp;I have only had low blood sugar 3 or 4 times since eating this way. &nbsp;</div>

 

[VJG1977]

how's your cholesterol?

<div><br></div><div><div>Great, it is lower than it was when I was in my 20's and ran 5 to 10 miles a day.</div></div><div><br></div>

 

[yesican]

<p style="margin: 0px;">Your diet does seem ideal VJG.&nbsp; Unfortunately, most people eat not only for nutrition but out of pleasure and socially.&nbsp; If we could get past that, we'd all be healthy.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">With that said, do you miss pleasure foods?</p>

 

[VJG1977]

<p style="margin: 0px;">Your diet does seem ideal VJG.&nbsp; Unfortunately, most people eat not only for nutrition but out of pleasure and socially.&nbsp; If we could get past that, we'd all be healthy.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">With that said, do you miss pleasure foods?</p>

<div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">I do not miss pleasure foods because I truly enjoy my meals.&nbsp; Yesterday I baked a ham and a sugar free egg custard.&nbsp; A couple of nights this week I’ll fix one of my favorite meals, a ham, cheese and onion omelet.&nbsp; Saturday I’ll make ham salad with any leftover ham.&nbsp; Next week looks like my homemade chicken salad that I eat on barbeque pork rinds.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In my first post the point I was trying to make is that there are other options than the three meals a day routine.&nbsp; Cooked food keeps longer without freezing.&nbsp; I’ve had meat spoil in the refrigerator so now I cook it all within a couple of days. &nbsp;I was thinking that those living out of a cooler could buy meat and cook it that day. &nbsp;The cooked meat stored in the cooler with frozen veggies would keep well. As the veggies thaw you could warm the meat while you cook a side dish.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;When we eat and how often is more culture than biology.&nbsp; From the diet forums I’m on, I learned that a healthy adult could live well on a variety of diets. &nbsp;There are countless diets out there and they all have their advocates.&nbsp; Some people had a hard time shifting to one meal a day.&nbsp; Some had to ease into it by eating breakfast later and later each day until they were only eating twice a day then once a day. I was lucky, went straight to one meal a day and after the first week I’ve never felt hungry.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p></div>

 

[yesican]

<p>What diet forums do you follow?&nbsp; Paleo diet?</p>

 

[SoulRaven]

Sounds great if living in a stick and brick, how big is your fridge and whats the watts on your micro... you seem to be a diabetic by choice, meaning adjusting your diet and losing weight works, not so for insulin dependent diabetics... It is not the diet for us, it is the pancreas that is letting use down by not regulating sugars... Diabetics need to eat 5 small meals a day to keep their sugar up, but also regulate the sugar so they dont crash or get to high... It is a daily battle and not close to your situation...<br><br>As of now there is no cure for Diabetes, one can only manage it and this advise will seriously endanger your life if you are type II...<br><br>

 

[VJG1977]

<p>What diet forums do you follow?&nbsp; Paleo diet?</p>

<div><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">I now follow a very low carbohydrate diet plan.&nbsp; Many forums out there but I usually go to <a href="http://forum.lowcarber.org/index.php?" target="_blank">http://forum.lowcarber.org/index.php?</a> </span></div>

 

[VJG1977]

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt">I apologize to the forum for going off topic and will get back on topic after this post.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt">&nbsp; </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt">Sorry I took so long to respond to your reply, hectic week at work.&nbsp; I’ll try to address your concerns in order.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">

Sounds great if living in a stick and brick, how big is your fridge and whats the watts on your micro... <br> <br>

</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt">The food I eat in one week: fits on one shelf in the&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 13px; ">fridge</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">, can be cooked in one pan or pot and can be stored at refrigerator temperature.&nbsp; Meals could be reheated in any wattage microwave or reheated with a camp stove.&nbsp; Being just a little bit obsessive compulsive, I’ll track my meals for the next month, to prove to myself that they could be prepared in a car, van or rv.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">

you seem to be a diabetic by choice, meaning adjusting your diet and losing weight works, not so for insulin dependent diabetics... It is not the diet for us, it is the pancreas that is letting use down by not regulating sugars... Diabetics need to eat 5 small meals a day to keep their sugar up, but also regulate the sugar so they dont crash or get to high... It is a daily battle and not close to your situation...<br> <br> As of now there is no cure for Diabetes, one can only manage it and this advise will seriously endanger your life if you are type II...<br> <br>

</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt">The phrase “</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">diabetic by choice” disturbed me for some time.&nbsp; I certainly did not choose to be diabetic, nor did my father, sister or brother.&nbsp; Every doctor I have talked to and every web site I’ve seen advise that weight lose and exercise help to control blood sugar for both type 1 and 2 diabetics.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt">You made a valid point about the danger for diabetics that change their diet and I should have prefaced my post with a warning for any diabetic to consult their doctor before changing diet, exercise or medication.&nbsp; Also they should test their blood sugar often.&nbsp; While I was adjusting my diet I tested before each meal as well as 1 and 2 hours after.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt">With that said, I believe that <b>Individuals </b>should take responsibility for their own health care.&nbsp; From your post I assume you are a type 1 diabetic that follows the American Diabetes Associations recommendations.&nbsp; If this works for you great, it did not work for me.&nbsp; </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt">Being a type 2 diabetic, my comments reference my personal experience and address only those with type 2 diabetes.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">

</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">“</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">Diabetics need to eat 5 small meals a day to keep their sugar up”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">

</span></p> <span style="font-size: 10pt; ">Every time we eat our blood sugar rises to a peak about 2 hours after we start the meal, then drops.&nbsp; Eating 5 times a day my blood sugar readings looked like a roller coaster.&nbsp; Taking medicine to lower blood sugar and then having to eat more carbs to raise it just seemed wrong to me.&nbsp;&nbsp; My brother is on a fast acting Insulin.&nbsp; He looks at the carbs in each meal and takes enough insulin to balance out the carbs.&nbsp; So, the more carbs in a meal, the more insulin he takes.&nbsp; Seemed to me it would be simpler to cut the carbs.&nbsp; A lot of others agree. I did the research and made the decision to go on a very low carb diet.&nbsp; I let the results speak for themselves, it works for me. &nbsp;</span><div><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">The point of my first post was that, there are options to cooking 3 &nbsp;meals a day. &nbsp;Again&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 13px; ">I apologize to the forum for going off topic. &nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 13px; "><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 13px; ">Could we have a forum that deals with health care while rv living?</span></div>

 

[VJG1977]

<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial">This is one of the meals that I cook on Sunday and eat all week.&nbsp; <span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; ">Oriental Beef</span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial">3 lbs ground beef</span></p><p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; ">2 Tbs. sesame oil</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial;background:white">½<span class="apple-converted-space"> tsp Toasted sesame seed</span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial;background:white">1 tablespoon minced garlic</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial">1 medium onion diced<br> <span style="background:white">½ -cup soy sauce<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></span><br> <span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background:white">¼</span></span><span style="background:white"> cup granulated Splenda</span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial;background:white">½ tsp Ground ginger</span><span style="font-family:Arial"><br> <span style="background:white">Black pepper<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;&amp; Crushed red pepper flakes to taste</span></span><br> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br> <!--[endif]--><span style="background:white"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial;background:white">Optional</span><span style="font-family:Arial"><br> <span style="background:white">4 green onions, chopped</span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial;background:white">4 stalks celery diced or sliced</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial;background:white">Grated cauliflower (rice size) low carb substitute for rice</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial;background:white">Shredded cabbage </span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial;background:white">Kimchee</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial;background:white">Brown ground beef in sesame oil and drain off some of the fat.&nbsp; Add rest of ingredients and reduce heat.&nbsp; Cook on low till you get tired of waiting.&nbsp; Serve with kimchee.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial">Reheat each night; a couple of nights I’ll top it with a couple of eggs beaten and fried like an omelet.&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial">Being on a very low carb diet I do not add any of the optional veggies.&nbsp; If going for low carb add one or more of the optional veggies.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <span style="font-family: Arial; ">For a single meal cut back to 1 lb of ground beef and reduce other ingredients.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>

 

[yesican]

<p>Sounds good...even though I don't know what kimchee is...guess I'll have to look it up.&nbsp; Thanks for the recipe!!!</p>

 

[sl1966]

Kimchi is a Korean delicacy. Basically it's fermented veggies. Like Sauerkraut, only spicier.<div><br></div>

 

[yesican]

<p>Well...in that case...yuk!&nbsp; Thanks for the warning...Never been a sauerkraut fan.&nbsp;&nbsp; Grandma use to ferment that crapt in the crocks down the basement.&nbsp; Yuk!</p>

 

[angeli]

Your post on this diet disturbed me for some time.&nbsp; And I also apologize if this is too far off the subject.&nbsp; <br><br>Your brain and nervous system need carbs to function.&nbsp; You cannot completely eliminate them because you would die.<br><br>The foods you mention eating are very hard for the body to digest.&nbsp; It may be that the weight loss you talk about is working as the Atkins diet worked: Great for immediate loss but not a diet for long term survival.<br><br>I don't mean to disrespect your choices at all.&nbsp; And if it is working for you now, great.&nbsp; But there are a lot of reasons why the diet you just advocated is an extremely unhealthy one for people long term.&nbsp; As well as for diabetics short term.<br><br>The most healthy recommends that I've seen (and I'm a Type II) are a diet based upon plant foods and whole foods: lots of green leafy veggies, whole fruit, lots of beans and legumes, nuts and seed, and a moderate amount of complex carbs.&nbsp; <br><br>Not all carbs shoot the blood sugar sky high.&nbsp; You would have to look at the glycemic index to see which the bad ones are.&nbsp; If your intake of carbs is primarily in simple form like breads, muffins, white rice, and other highly processed foods, then yes your blood sugar would look like a roller coaster if you ate 5 times a day.<br><br>The main problem that I see with the diet you mention is that seems to be completely devoid of the majority of nutrients that we need to survive: mostly the nutrients, minerals and vitamins that exist in plant foods.&nbsp; The American Diabetic Association and associated groups go so far as to recommend a vegetarian or even a vegan diet for diabetics.<br><br>80% fat may indeed have helped you lose weight, and I'm glad that you are healthy now, (congrats!) but I urge you to reconsider this as a lifetime choice.<br><br>Lastly, the diet you recommend is far from green.&nbsp; I'm not sure of the actual statistics (they are easily found as they are published in lots of places), but it takes the food for a large number of people to feed one cow.&nbsp; Additionally, corporate farms for cattle and fowl pollute the environment, use vast resources, and give back a limited supply of product.&nbsp; In other words, they take a lot or scarce resources from us, and give back very little, poisoning the planet as they go.&nbsp; <br><br>And then there are the ethics of the mistreatment of animals to consider.&nbsp; I'm not talking about humane or small family farms, or even hunting, but of the corporate farm, and the effects of a totally animal protein diet on the environment.&nbsp; That is as anti-green as it gets.<br><br>OK, I'll shut up now!&nbsp; thanks for your patience with my response.<br><br><br><br>

 

[owl]

<P>&nbsp;&nbsp; Diet is a matter of personal choice. Although our current government seems hell bent on intruding&nbsp;in that part of our life also. VJG1977, I find your approach to eating fascinating. Do you find it requires a lot of discipline? What about variety? I find myself getting into ruts with my food choices. If I'm reading you right you've been on this diet for over a year? Do you see any personal downside? Thanks</P>

 

[owl]

<P>Another aside, the human body functions perfectly without the ingestion of any carbs. Your body manufactures what minimal amounts of carbs it needs from protein you ingest. The incredible amount of carbs in the typical N. American diet contributes to the obesity problem so evident all around us.</P>

 

[VJG1977]

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; Diet is a matter of personal choice. Although our current government seems hell bent on intruding&nbsp;in that part of our life also. VJG1977, I find your approach to eating fascinating. Do you find it requires a lot of discipline? What about variety? I find myself getting into ruts with my food choices. If I'm reading you right you've been on this diet for over a year? Do you see any personal downside? Thanks</p>

<div><p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Verdana; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; ">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;When I stopped taking insulin after only a week of eating this way, it took me very little discipline.&nbsp; This is called a ketogenic low-carbohydrate</span><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family: Arial;background:white"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; ">diet. In the absence of carbs the liver converts fat into ketone bodies.&nbsp; The body burns these ketone bodies in place of carbohydrates.&nbsp; For most people it takes a couple of weeks to adapt.&nbsp; Last year I lost 40 lbs, hope to lose another 30 lbs this year.&nbsp; I should be able to cut out all of my blood sugar meds.</span></p> <span style="font-family: Verdana; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I do eat from all three-food groups; pork, poultry and beef.&nbsp; I started eating like this Jan 1^st 2011.&nbsp; No real downside, friends and family may think I’m crazy but they have seen the results and have quit pushing me to eat otherwise. &nbsp;When I eat out I usually get a steak or omelet.&nbsp; If you had a friend that had a food allergy would you push them to have a few bites it couldn’t hurt?&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"> &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div>

 

[VJG1977]

<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana; background:white">My meals for this week will be my homemade chicken salad.&nbsp; This also has the advantage that you do not have to reheat anything.&nbsp; I like mine on Bar-B-Que pork rinds</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana; background:white">Chicken Salad,</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; ">3 lbs chicken</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana; background:white">6 stalks celery</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana; background:white">1 qt chicken stock or broth</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana; background:white">½ cup diced sweet pickles</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana; background:white">¼ cup diced red onion</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana; background:white">¼ tsp celery seed</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana; background:white">salt, pepper to taste</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Arial">mayo, I don’t measure just add till it has the right consistency</span><span style="font-family: Arial; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <span style="font-family: Arial; ">I get whatever chicken is on sale and boil it in broth with the tops from the celery.&nbsp; I like a real smooth creamy salad, almost a <em><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; font-style: normal; ">pâté.&nbsp; After the chicken comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 3 hours.&nbsp; If you like a chunky salad reduce cooking time.&nbsp; During the last half hour of cooking dice the celery, onion and pickles.&nbsp; I pull out the chicken and when cool enough to touch, shred it by hand.&nbsp; Add the rest of the ingredients and chill.&nbsp; I use sugar free pickles and mayo, you can of course substitute dill pickles or add nuts, grapes, diced bell pepper…</span></em></span>