Diet Update: 9/07/13

I'm not sure that this post will attract many readers, because to date my last update hasn't attracted much notice. I don't watch The Biggest Loser (I have a niece whom is very active and loves the show), but I know the highlight of the episodes is the big reveal of weight loss between episodes. I don't intend my updates to be simply a chronology of weight loss; I'll probably jot down a few miscellaneous shopping tips and notes over the interim.

I did lose another 2 pounds over the past week which basically tops 30 pounds since a first doctor's visit about 7 months back earlier this year. I'm actually a half-pound up over my weekly/annual low about 4 days back. I'm now maintaining a daily spreadsheet; one of the reasons I'm doing this is a matter of discipline: I am less likely to cheat, knowing it may show up on my next weigh-in. Quite often the weight chart is more a downside zigzag: after plateauing for about a week, you weigh yourself and find you've dropped 2-3 pounds. I've even seen this drop continue for 2-3 days. But then you get the demoralizing dead cat bounce in water gain (say, 2 or 3 pounds) as your body resets your equilibrium. That's why many diet gurus advise against weighing yourself daily. But I have 2 math degrees and have done some applied statistical research:  I love numbers. Even now, I'm interested in comparing against my last sustained diet a decade ago. I realize now that I'm older, my metabolism has slowed somewhat.

I was shopping in Sam's Club today, mostly for some produce, but my latest thing has been scrambling eggs and some veggies in olive oil (which is high in monounsaturated fats); I just found on a website cooking eggs in olive oil has been a staple in the Mediterranean region for years. Over the past week, I also came across a health email that extolled the virtues of other oils, particularly sunflower and safflower. Sam's Club sells a number of olive oils, which I was scanning when I ran across an oil blend called LifeOil, a blend of the 3 above-cited oils. I do almost no frying (beyond burgers in my Foreman grill), but I'm willing to test the blend.

Another item I unexpectedly came across: a 2-dozen pack of cage-free Amish eggs. Warning: these are pricier than your typical eggs; in part, I want to see if the taste lives up to the hype. (Generally, I'm a skeptic when it comes to organic, non-GMO, and/or other natural foods, i.e., I'm not sure that the purported health benefit is worth the extra costs.) I consider eggs such a nutritional powerhouse, they're in my daily diet and the cage-free bundle is worth a try.

Another tip: Sam's Club sells a big bag mix of fresh broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. (I could do without the carrots; the other two are low-carb staples.) I often purchase low-calorie Walden Farms salad dressings to dip the veggies; right now I'm enjoying their chipotle ranch flavor. Among other Internet vendors, Netrition carries a variety of Walden Farms and other low-carb brands at competitive prices and reasonable shipping charges.