What I Eat and What I Don't

A lot of people have asked me this question, especially in the last month or so because, finally, you can really see the belly disappearing and now it's a lot more real to a lot more people.

I do get a little tired of repeating myself but the short answer to "What do you eat?" is simply meats and vegetables and nothing else.

Well, that means different things to different people, so here is what I eat in a typical week (and there is *slightly* more to it than "meats and vegetables":

Meats:

Chicken (about twice a week)

• Boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Wings (not battered or breaded... deep fried is OK)
• Self-prepared roasted chicken
• Pre-prepared rotisserie chicken from BJs Wholesale

Beef (about twice a week)

• Burgers
• Meatballs
• Meat Loaf
• Sirloin steak
• London Broil
• Round, Chuck or Sirloin roast
• Polska Kielbasa (once a month)

Fish (about once a week)

• Pan-grilled tilapia
• Grilled, baked or broiled salmon

Pork (usually once a week)

• Boneless pork loin (roast or cutlets)
• Pork Belly (slow-cooked for pulled pork, about once a month)
• Bacon (once a week max)
• Italian sausage (maybe twice a month)

Lamb

• Lamb leg or roast on occasion (due to cost - I would be eating this at least once a week otherwise)

Vegetables

• Asparagus
• Fresh spinach
• Brussels sprouts
• Broccoli
• Zucchini
• Butternut squash
• Spaghetti Squash
• Carrots
• Celery
• White and yellow onion
• Green bell pepper
• turnips
• chives
• lettuce
• Cucumbers
• mushrooms
• Assorted fresh herbs

Fruits and Grains

• Whole Kernel Corn
• Tomatoes
• Lemons and limes (for flavoring drinks)

Prepared Foods (used sparingly)

• Banquet breakfast sausage (I've discovered these have a lot of soy so I've backed off on them a bit - but they don't impede my progress so I give myself a pass on them - soy is NOT good for weight loss so use at your discretion)
• Rotisserie chicken from BJs - condiments are allowed so seasoned chicken should be OK. It's also cheaper than buying raw. Go figure.
• Frozen organic broccoli florets
• Frozen organic whole kernel corn
• Dill pickles (on rare occasion)

Condiments

• Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce (the least carbs of any brand I've found)
• Hunts Ketchup
• Yellow and spicy brown mustard
• Whole, real mayonnaise
• Worcestershire sauce
• Steak sauce
• Kosher salt
• black pepper
• assorted spices and seasonings
• Grated parmesan cheese (sparingly)
• Salted Butter
• Olive Oil
• Red wine vinegar
• White vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar

Drinks

• Coffee
• Tea
• Water
• Seltzer
• 1% Milk
• Vodka (occasionally)

What I DON'T Eat

This should be pretty obvious but just for clarification (becuase I know *some* of it might seem strange)

Nothing sweet - That means no fruit, no desserts, no candy, no nothing flavored with sugar or artificial sweeteners with the exception of a couple condiments like ketchup.

No bread, pastry, or pasta

No sweetened drinks - Seltzer with lime is the only diet soda I will every drink again

No beer, wine or other alcohol except Vodka. Ask Julie Kibe why Vodka is OK and nothing else is. I haven't a clue. I'm not a fan of vodka so I just plain don't drink right now. Actually, the answer for beer is pretty simple since it's basically liquid bread and most liquor is VERY fattening but so is Vodka so... I dunno...

That is just about everything I eat (and don't eat) on a regular basis and I'm losing a LOT of weight sticking to those foods. How much of each should you be eating? That's up to you. Use your condiments with discretion, eat all the protein you want, eat veggies and proteins at the same time or eat the veggies last, don't eat more veggies than protein. No, it's not easy, but it is VERY simple.