Eating Like A Rabbit

I'm going on my "rabbit" diet for a couple of reasons.  First, I have not yet sustainably achieved my 10% weight loss  and five servings of vegetable or fruit per day from my  2008 New Year's resolutions.  Although I have hit the target weight at least three times, I have invariably gained at least 2.5% back each time.  Also, I have not been able to sustain five servings of vegetables or fruit per day.   Second, I've decided to make a diligent attempt to lower my cholesterol and triglycerides through diet and not drugs.

I know I can do it since I've done both before.   While we were living in Japan, using my "rabbit" diet, I was able to lose 24% of my weight and get both my cholesterol and triglycerides into acceptable ranges.  However, I was only able to maintain these levels for about a year since I returned to the U.S. soon afterwards.

Here's what I'm doing

• Salads - I'm eating one large and one medium salad per day.  The large salad is about 2-3 servings of vegetables and the medium salad is about 1-2 servings.  When I took a gourmet cooking class, I learned the secret to a good salad is to have lots of ingredients that are chopped finely and then tossed with a dressing.
• Vegetables/Fruit - I'm eating at least 2-3 servings of other vegetables and fruits, mostly I've been preparing our daughter's lunch for the past month and that's what she mainly eats.
• Breads -  I've cut back to 4 slices of sprouted grain breads or rice bread.  For a while, I cut breads completely from my diet, but I decided to add breads back when I cut back on meat.
• Meat - I've cut way back on the red meat, perhaps only 4 servings per week instead of 2 servings per day.   I'm trying to move mainly to fish, specifically wild Atlantic salmon.  OK, I know that rabbits, except those in Monty Python movies, don't eat meat or fish. 

The results so far have been good.   When I just cut out bread, I was able to reduce my triglycerides to an acceptable level.  However, there was no change to my cholesterol since I was still eating red meat.   Since starting the the other three parts of the diet, I've lost about 4% of my pre-retirement weight and am now have lost 11% versus the 10% target.

I'm looking forward to my next doctor's visit in three months to see the impact on the cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

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This is not financial or health advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

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