I just saw a turkey meatloaf recipe on my NYTimes cooking feed this week…H’s palate would send off an alarm if I even used 10% turkey! - 
Too bad, a good slice of meatloaf can be tasty!
“Excess calories, regardless of the source get stored as fat and cause weight gain.”
And it is very easy to overeat your needed caloric intake with pure simple carbs (think sodas and candy that are loaded with calories, have zero protein or fat and yet leave you feeling hungry). It is not so easy to do with protein in its pure form or with pure fats (ever tried to drink olive oil? 
). So yes, for the majority of folks, the simplistic thinking that “white carbs are evil” is a good strategy.
Good summary, Michael. Wish it could be shared more widely…
MOfWC, amen.
Good luck with that 10 miler. It is just a weekend long run with a sweatshirt waiting for you at the end, isn’t it?
^^ That’s what I was thinking - bunny stuff for you MOWC!!! 
MOWC, like Bunsen said - a long run with a warm hoodie at the end. Sounds perfect!
I love meatloaf. You can make a delicious turkey meatloaf with a spinach filling - so tasty. I’ll have to dig my recipe out because now I want it.
Michael, the best part of your post - you give the perfect example of practicing what you preach!
Bunsen, I agree. But those who tout low carb don’t limit it to a condemnation of processed carbs with added sugars. They demonize carbs, period. I’ve have no problem with those use the visual of “white carbs” to identify carbs to be avoided. It’s an easy, convenient cue. And yes, empty refined sugars/carbs like soda and candy do leave you feeling hungry (and diet drinks with artificial sweeteners do create cravings for more sugar.) There is the flip side though that you can easily overeat foods with fats as you eschew carbs. High fat content steaks in large servings, nut butters and nuts are just some examples of ways that you can go way over board without realizing it. Two tablespoons of organic pure peanut butter with nothing but peanuts and salt is 200 calories. An ounce of cashews is 180. I could graze all day on cashews and eat 1000 calories of “healthy” fats. I could easily use 4 tablespoons of peanut butter in a sandwich with an Ezekial Muffin and a banana with a glass of 1% milk and have an 800 calorie lunch. For me, my mantra has been “mindful eating” which includes not just what I’m eating but how much of it.
The big problem is that a lot of folks get tired of doing the calorie math… People look for easy solutions, and mindful eating requires some discipline.
That is Mr. Sabaray’s problem - well, one of them - overeating good fats. Yes, raw nuts are a good choice - but too many raw nuts are not a good choice!
The one thing I do notice is if I choose a higher fat product - milk is a good example - I am quickly satisfied with a smaller quantity.
sabaray, and it’s a meal with 60 gms of carbs, 51 gms of protein and 10 gms of fat and 520 calories. Breakfast was an toasted sandwich of Ezekial muffin, 3 Applegate chicken sausage patties, 2 slices of Sargento reduced fat cheddar, and spinach with a glass of 1% milk. 584 calories, 49 gms of carbs, 45 gms of protein, and 25 gms of fat. Had a mid morning snack of a Quest Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar. 160 calories, 25 gms of carbs, 20 gms of protein and 5 of fat. 134 gms of carbs so far with a late afternoon snack and dinner yet to come with about 1100 calories left to use. Love those carbs (and protein and fat)!!
Dang it, MK saw me eating that apple and fresh churned chunky PB for breakfast this morning…I SWEAR I didn’t eat 4 tablespoons!!!
Yeah, the calorie math can be daunting and frustrating for many. Hence systems like weight watchers. Or the USDA’s use of hand, palm, thumb etc to estimate portion sizes. I admit, I am very focused on knowing exactly what I’m eating 98% of the time. It doesn’t stop me, though, from being less measured in social milieus. I just don’t sweat it because I purposefully limit or avoid added sugars and refined flours even then and also know that the remaining 98% of the time I’m very much on track. Of course, in 2 weeks, at my daughter’s wedding, all bets are off :D.
This is true, but one thing I have found is at least starting and exposing yourself to it is much better than not trying at all.
I go on and off on calorie counting, but through learning what typical meals look like and what foods contribute an ‘x’ amount of calories to my meal, I am able to better assess what foods I should go for or turn away from to yield a somewhat healthy meal.
Your body is pretty good at doing what it does. You don’t have to eat healthy 100% of the time. Some meals are better than others. Some days are better than others. It balances itself out.
As I’ve gotten older, my body unfortunately does not balance out as it used to - so I do eat a lot of the same foods over and over because it works and I’m not constantly calculating calories, ratios etc.
5 easy miles with strides this morning - glad to have that out of the way. Big walk with the pups followed - they’re now resting up for their next one - I can hear sabapup snoring from the other room! 48 degrees but still 100% humidity - misty and foggy. Not my favorite for visibility, but a nice temp!
45 minutes on the Cybex Arc this morning. There will be a pup walk later and also some vacuuming …
I eat the same breakfast almost every day – an egg substitute omelet with veggies & feta and some fresh fruit on the side. It’s quick, easy, and I know exactly what I’m getting for calories. Plus, I never get tired of the taste. We hardly ever have desserts (sweets) in the house – although I did make H an apple pie the other day. It’s pretty easy for me to stay away from it. I’m also good about avoiding most white flour carbs. Roasted, salted almonds are a whole other story though – healthy but lots of calories.
I eat the same breakfast every day…egg white and veggie sausage patty sandwich on 100 calorie whole grain English muffin. 300 calories. Mid morning I have a banana or apple or grapes. The English muffin is the only “bread” that I eat.
I hiked 9 miles yesterday. My calf is a bit sore.
Niquii, good for you. I suspect that you have willpower of above average strength, plus, you are a little yonger. These two factors work to one’s advantage.
Going cold turkey when it comes to “white death” is hard, but if one can manage to hang on to a diet free of junk long enough, it will become not a diet but a lifestyle. And by “diet” I do not mean some wacky eating pattern or total avoidance of a single nutrient group, be it fat or carbs.
Yoga challenge–2 days down (Slow Flow and Root to Rise classes–love that name (Root to Rise) for a 60 minute instead of 1 hr and 15 min heated flow class). 23 to go.
Same breakfast every day: Omlette–egg whites (1/4c) and 1egg with green pepper and onions (sautee pepper/onions in 1T EVOO). Coffee (decafe) with light cream (1t). I measure dairy–it is too easy for me to add more if I dont; I limit dairy to my morning meal.
It has returned to being hot here again, but it shouldn’t last too long. It got up to 85 yesterday and this morning was 63 at 6am.
Breakfast is same most days- plain nonfat Greek yogurt (about 4 TBSPs), a couple TBSPs of nothing added peanut butter, a squirt of honey and a big sprinkle of Grape Nuts for crunch. I’ve gotten to where I crave this combination. In winter I also have a half grapefruit and in summer half of a large peach.
I also eat the same stuff for breakfast:
Version A: two eggs (HB, sunnyside, or scrambled), cup of berries, small cup of yogurt, tiny slice of toast, coffee with 2% milk.
Version B: 2 Kodiak cakes pancakes with berries and yogurt, coffee
Version C; a bowl of Coach’s Oats oatmeal made with 2% milk and a dollop of butter (no sweeteners), cup of berries, small cup of yogurt, coffee
On the weekends, we go all out - I make omelet instead of plain eggs and add some Canadian bacon.