Thursday, June 13, 2013

Early Morning Starbucks Trip Perusing Their Low Carb Options

I ducked into Starbucks this am to check out what they had to offer as compared to Coffee Bean yesterday for us Low Carb Lovers. Obviously Starbucks offers all of the same coffee options with sugar free and skinny options readily available.  You can jump online and see exactly what the definition of "skinny" is in Starbucks lingo I found this NY Times article that did a pretty good job of breaking down what you are ordering.  http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/the-skinny-at-starbucks/
They offer a similar selection of Yogurts and such and you can always revert back to almonds when your at a complete loss.  What I found most interesting at Starbucks however were The Bistro Boxes.  It looks like they come in 3 different types, Protein, Chicken and Hummus, and Cheese and Fruit.  I have to say that they all looked quite delicious and very fresh.  I opted for The Chicken and Hummus and it was really quite good.  The only  part of it I didn't eat was the wheat pita but I was actually satisfied with the chicken, hummus, cucumbers, and tomatoes.  Its not really a meal substitute but hits the spot if your in a rush and need something to carry you over for an hour or two. 
On another note the Starbucks I was in this am was one of the newer expanded models and it was beautiful.  Well hope everyone has a wonderful day, and happy dieting!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Mendocino Farms for my Low Carb Lunch Today

I just finished up my cardio session on an empty stomach of course.  I am looking at my calendar and noticing that I have a lunch meeting today at Mendocino Farms.  I have not been there in quite some time so I checked out there menu to see what they had in the way of low carb offerings.  I remember the last time I went there I had The Market Roasted Vegetable Salad which was amazing.  It seems that they have a couple of very interesting seasonal specials and I am going to have to go with the Wheatberry Kale Caesar.  If you have not tried this place it is definitely worth the visit.  They offer a very clean, well appointed environment, friendly servers, and excellent dining options.  I give it the Low Car Stamp Of Approval!

Here is a quick link to the Mendocino Farms Menu so you can take a look.http://mendocinofarms.com/menu/

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Stout Burgers and Beers Skinny Style and Branch Chain Amino Acid Supplimentation.

Spent the whole day running around working on the Santa Monica Stout location.  Im starting to get excited about the prospect of getting Skinny Style Stout at three different locations.  People always say to me, Is it hard owning restaurants and staying on a diet?  I actually feel owning restaurants gives me a real dieting advantage as I can walk into them and get creative with the chefs (within reason), so having 3 different cities covered, Hollywood, Studio City, and Santa Monica I truly have no excuse for slacking.  With that being said the ever present threat of bread pudding does present a clear and present danger but I have been able to resist its allure at least for the most part.

I just added Branch Chain Amino Acids to my diet on the advice of a friend who told me it will help with my energy levels especially during the low carb week days.  I feel like not only did it add to my energy levels but it also seems to be assisting in my recovery process and helping to keep my strength up during the week.  I did some research online and it seems that BCAA's are one of the few supplements that everyone can agree on as invaluable to the growth and maintenance of lean tissue. BCAA's   One of these days I am going to make good on my threats of taking some pics of myself so I can see how things are progressing.  In the meantime, happy dieting drink plenty of water and don't forget your early morning cardio!

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Greek Yogurt Cardio on an Empty Stomach and Arrhythmia's

I know the title of this post is a little bizarre but it will all make sense, its basically just what I feel like talking about tonight.  I started the day again with cardio on an empty stomach.  It definitely takes a little while to get going on the treadmill when your on low carbs. I took some L-Carnitine which I have been doing a lot of research on and seems to be a very beneficial supplement I feel like it gives me a little energy. L-Carnitine Info.
The morning coffee helps but every time I drink it I feel like it make my arrhythmia more pronounced.  (FYI in case I didn't mention it on prior posts I have a heart arrhythmia that they detected about two years ago, that's the reason I don't take any of the strong fat burners and usually limit my coffee intake to decaffeinated.
So after my morning cardio I have started to mix Greek Yogurt with almond butter and chocolate protein powder.  Make sure you get the no sugar added type yogurt there is a lot of honey and fruit flavored varieties.  I like the Fage non-fat brand.  It tastes great and is the lowest in sugar that I have found so far.
Im still working on opening up Stout Burgers and Beers in Santa Monica.  It has taken almost 2 years to finish but it is finally coming to an end.  Then I will have three locations to get Stout Skinny Style Low carb salads ;)
Oh and on a final note my partner bought me one of those Verismo Starbuck machines.  I bought a ton of the decaf pods and the milk pods.  Its really pretty amazing the latte's out of it taste almost as good as from the store bought. 
Okay everyone happy dieting go get some Fage and try it with Almond butter and chocolate protein powder!

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Does cardio on an empty stomach increase weight loss?

So summer is upon us and a question I always get from people looking to drop some quick weight is when should I do cardio? And should I do it on an empty stomach?  I have always wondered what the true benefit to cardio on an empty stomach is and also would following a low carb diet change in any way the effects.
I know from personal experience that I get quicker results when I run to the treadmill first thing in the am and get my cardio on.  The thing that confuses me is I have quite a few friends some of which are in incredible shape that tell me it doesn't make a difference and that they actually prefer cardio in the middle of the day as they feel their energy levels are higher.
I found this article which I thought was very well thought out and had some science behind it (just enough for me to understand).  Essentially it says that while you may burn more fat during exercise if you do it in a fasted condition (empty stomach) you may actually burn less fat the rest of the day than had you done cardio with 0.8g/kg of glucose or fructose consumed 1 hour prior to the exercise.  Cardio on an empty stomach
I also found this very interesting thread on bodybuilding.com which is a site that I really like to cruise through as the threads are usually well written and responded to in a meaningful and often helpful manner.  Empty Stomach Cardio?
I think the key here is to try it out both ways and see what works best for you.  If your keeping your diet in check, and throwing in some cardio I don't think you can do wrong whether your doing it at 7am or 12 midnight. Let me know your thoughts and what your reaction has been.  Thanks for reading and happy dieting!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Back to Posting on The Cheat Day Diet

So as much as I haven't been posting lately I have continued the diet and maintained what I consider to be a pretty healthy weight.  I was 198.6 pounds tonight which is about 2 pounds more than I weighed this time last year.  I would like to think that the 2 pounds is muscle and that I have actually lost body fat by following The Cheat Day Diet for the last year.

I have been keeping an eye on people who are following some form of The Cheat Day Diet and it seems that every other day there is another celebrity or successful dieter extolling the virtues of a modified low carb diet.  In the last year I have found some great new restaurants that have wonderful low carb options, opened a Stout Burgers or two and recently finished a Scottish pub named Morrison.

Ill be sure to fill you guys in on all the new happenings and also find more links and articles referencing The Cheat Day Diet.  In the interim take a look at this new one from Jennifer Aniston about how she maintains that killer body.  Jennifer Aniston Diet

Have a great night and happy dieting!