From Scratch

The mere thought of “practicing” for a diet sounds crazy, but when I decided to try this diet I knew I’d need a practice day or two to try to sort it out. All we have to go by, until someone writes the inevitable book and gets rich, is the study methodology - 1,240 calories per day, about half of them for breakfast. Low-carb after that with lunch smaller than breakfast and dinner smaller than lunch.

When I wrote about this diet, I mentioned in comments that I suspected finding the time to both prepare and eat such a big breakfast could be a challenge. It certainly is, at least for me, and I have the added challenge of not being one who can eat first thing in the morning, even if my stomach’s rumbling. Eating this way took planning.

Before I go any further, I should say I did not try this for fun, out of curiosity or for vanity. I need to lose weight. In the past year I’ve gained probably twenty pounds, partly because of this blog but also because of factors beyond my control. But I do control what goes into my mouth and when, and I’m going to continue this diet for two simple reasons: I feel healthier following it and, more important, it works.

At the outset, my planning was woefully inadequate. I had no idea what I’d need — still a sketchy aspect of this diet — so all I bought specifically for the diet were a small bottle of orange juice and a small loaf of Italian bread, each slice no larger than a piece of Melba toast.

Day One

That first morning I didn’t so much make breakfast as just try to come up with 600+ calories. Relying on portion and nutritional information on packages and guesstimating each slice of that little bread at 50 calories, I first had a sandwich with 1 tablespoon each of peanut butter and jam, washed down by 7 ounces of orange juice and my ever-present black coffee. That took me to 355 calories and it’s a good thing I had plenty left to use because I was still hungry. So I had two slices of bacon, two more little slices of bread and two ounces of 1% milk — all that was left in the jug — giving me a grand total of 575 calories. I was full and saved my extra calories for some cut-up fruit, eaten as a snack.

Snacks are not mentioned in the study but sometimes I need them so I am having them, but never after dinner, with calories saved from the three meals.

I had a green salad with tuna for lunch that day and by 4 PM I was as hungry as I’ve ever been, even on fast days. I’d have eaten a newspaper — fiber! — if I could have. I toughed it out till about 6:30 then spent my whopping 250 calories left on a couple ounces of chicken. That was it. That was dinner. Prisoners ate better that night. And I was still starving. So I ate more. Wouldn’t you?

Day Two

Then I planned for Day Two, a key aspect being to get up two hours early. Yes, two hours. Remember, I can’t eat right away. If you can, you won’t need nearly as much time as I do. My new routine has evolved into something like this: Get up, have a cup of coffee. Have another cup of coffee. Think about breakfast. Take a shower. Have phase one of breakfast. Do my hair and makeup. Drink some more coffee. Have phase two of breakfast.

The second morning’s breakfast was much more satisying than the first. In fact, it’s become my favorite combo. For phase one, a bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal (1/2 cup oats, 1 cup water, a pinch of salt, microwaved on 50% power for 5 - 6 minutes) topped with a sprinkle of good-for-us cinnamon and a splash of 1% or skim milk. Old-fashioned rolled oats do well in the nuker; instant or quick oats are inedible no matter how they’re prepared. Save them for meatloaf binder.

Phase two was a 2-egg omelette made of Egg Beaters with Yolks, two crumbled strips of bacon and 2 tablespoons of grated cheddar. I do not eat bacon every day; I was using up what’s on hand. I use mushrooms in omelettes in its place or bits of leftover protein. I had one slice of that little bread, toasted, on the side. I was stuffed on a grand total of 530 calories and saved my 7 ounces of orange juice (105 calories) for a snack.

That breakfast not only filled me up but gave me long-lasting energy. I did not have the hunger pangs of the day before and another good idea was moving the green salad from lunch to dinner. I use very little oil in the dressing and use mushrooms, sliced cukes and either some shredded cheese or a few chopped cashews or peanuts to round things out.

The glass of wine I used to enjoy with dinner is history and I don’t really miss it. Besides, I don’t have a clue what to pair with baby greens.

Results

How much have I lost in a week? I don’t know. I tend to obsess over numbers on the scale so I don’t use one. I can say my rings fit better and so do my tops — don’t I always lose it there first? — and my cheekbones are prominent again. I’ve always drunk a lot of water and still do and I’m sure some of the initial loss is water weight, as with most diets.

But here’s my goal: to get back into a favorite pair of pants that fit fine at Christmas. I’ll post updates every week or two and tell you which recipes I’ve used. Many on this site are ideal for diets but while I’ve been feeling my way, I’ve stuck to very basic, easily-calculable meals. If you find this in the future, via search engines, you can just click the ‘big breakfast diet’ tag at the bottom of this post to see all.

I can tell you this, though. I have a new appreciation for how much food 600 calories can be when chosen well and for the adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

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