Benefits of Beans – How to Lose 5lbs Over the Weekend
While Still Having a Huge Meal on Friday Night!
Good Morning All.
How was your weekend?
Mine was perplexing to say the least.
I started the weekend at 202.5lbs and pretty much as soon as dinner started, could not resist the temptation of hot chicken soup and fresh bread.
And once I had the bread, I was pretty much off to the races.
During the day on friday, I really did not have enough food, so by the time dinner rolled around, I was famished.
After the soup and bread, pasta and another entree came along with four non dairy ice cream bars.
By the time I was done with dinner, I am sure that I put on another 3 or 4 pounds.
Yes, I was quite full and sure that I would be 210 by today, Monday.
So how is it possible that this morning, on the same scale, I was 207.5lbs?
Late Friday evening, I remembered a book that I had been reading called the 4 hour body by Tim Ferris.
What he describes inside is very consistent with Hashi Mashi, with a few distinctions.
During my Hashi Mashi protocol of dropping 75lbs over 9 months, I ate fruit liberally as well as nuts.
And of course vegetables, beans, especially hummus and some protein.
Tim says that in fact, the fructose of fruit is not a friend in weight loss and nuts have to be used very sparingly due to their high calorie count per nut.
Not only that, but he claims that over the course of a month, it is possible to lose 20 pounds of fat by limiting carbs to beans and vegetables and complementing with protein.
And on top of that, he says that you should even make sure to take an entire day off and eat whatever you want and it will aid in your body recomposition by increasing your metabolism.
And last but not least, he has no problem with canned beans which would be great for me as I have no clue how to make them from scratch.
Hmm. Here I was late friday evening and thinking that either I will continue the rest of the weekend as started, and conclude it at 205 or 210 pounds.
Or, I can try adjusting what I know as Hashi Mashi to exclude fruits and too many nuts.
So, the basic program is very familiar to me in cutting out bread, pasta, rice and I figured why not consider my Friday evening over feeding to be my no holds barred meal and start fresh the next day.
Saturday and Sunday I had pretty much the following meals:
Breakfast
1/2 can of Goya Red Beans in Sauce.
A couple of eggs
Vegetables like spinach, garlic, onion, pepper
Lunch
1/2 can of Goya Red Beans, yes, I like those the best, but I can be talked into using Black Beans as well.
Spinach
Vegetable soup
veggie burger
2 slices applegate roasted turkey breast.
Dinner
1/2 can of Goya Red Beans
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Salmon
Tomato and Cucumber salad with olives, pickles
Some cottage cheese cause I was still hungry.
After Dinner
A glass of dry red wine
Other than the wine, just drank cold water throughout the day, maybe about 8 cups.
By sunday evening, I tell you that I could feel my body tightening up in terms of feeling less bloated.
I felt leaner and did not want to weigh myself because I was concerned that if I had gone up, I would feel disappointed.
I held off on weighing myself till this morning.
Lo and behold I am 5lbs lighter than when I started out on friday, and that is even with a multiple course sumptuous meal on friday evening.
Besides having no bread, pasta or rice, I had no fruit and essentially no nuts.
To say that I am both surprised and shocked is an understatement.
Beyond the pretty fast changes that I am feeling and welcome, this style of eating would be a boon for being able to be able to navigate social situations without any worries of packing on too many pounds.
If in fact, you can get leaner over the weekend, even while enjoying a social meal without restrictions and rules, how great is that?
Well, time for me to get to the gym, do some deadlifts, static holds and a mile on the elliptical and buy a few more cans of Goya Beans!
Here is an article from https://joybauer.com which extols the health benefits of beans:
Health Benefits of Beans
The old children's rhyme was right: beans ARE good for your heart. So are lentils and other nutritious legumes, which are great sources of vegetarian protein and high-quality carbohydrates. (The other part of that rhyme was right, too!)
Food cures, Health benefits of food, beans
Beans, lentils and other nutritious legumes are the best sources of lean vegetarian protein. Legumes are made up of high-quality carbohydrates that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They tend to be notably high in soluble fiber, folate, magnesium, iron, and potassium. These heart-healthy nutrients help lower cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure, and they can reduce your risk of coronary artery disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Soluble fiber, in particular, keeps you feeling fuller for longer, so it’s a good tool for weight loss. Many studies suggest that folate can improve mood and memory. Magnesium prevents migraine headaches and works with potassium to help lower high blood pressure.
Some legumes contain additional nutrients, such as zinc or vitamin B6. Zinc is a mineral that contributes to tissue growth and repair; it helps keep your skin and hair healthy. This mineral is also found in the retina of the eye, where it helps fend off macular degeneration. Vitamin B6 protects against age-related memory decline and also maintains healthy hair.
Beans and other legumes offer many health benefits, but some people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are especially sensitive to the fiber in legumes, and experience discomfort after eating them. So if you suffer from IBS and they’re problematic, you’ll want to limit them in your diet.
Most beans are high in soluble fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium, and protein. Common varieties of beans include black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, navy beans, pinto beans, white beans, soybeans (edamame), and garbanzo beans (chickpeas).
Black beans pack in a good amount of protein, soluble fiber, folate, iron, potassium, and other heart-healthy nutrients. They are also rich in magnesium, so they can help ward off migraine headaches.
In addition to their other heart-healthy nutrients, kidney beans contain vitamin C, an antioxidant that is responsible for the production of collagen, a component of cartilage. This vitamin helps prevent and manage arthritis and contributes to healthy skin and hair. Vitamin C has also been shown to help reduce the risk and progression of macular degeneration. Kidney beans also contain niacin, a B vitamin that may prevent cataracts. And like black beans, they are rich in magnesium, so they may have additional health benefits for people who suffer from migraines.
Garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas) and lima beans are high in zinc. Besides zinc, garbanzo beans contain migraine-fighting magnesium, vitamin B6, and they’re exceptionally high in folate.
Since white beans are a good nondairy source of calcium, they can help maintain strong bones and fight PMS symptoms. They’re also rich in quercetin, an anti-inflammatory antioxidant that helps prevent and manage arthritis and guard against memory loss.
Lentils, split peas, black-eyed peas, and most other legumes are high in soluble fiber, lean protein, folate, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Lentils also contain vitamin B6, and they’re especially high in iron and folate. Lentils, black-eyed peas, and split peas are all rich in zinc, as well as potassium, a mineral that helps manage blood pressure and prevent osteoporosis.
Some of the best food sources of legumes are black beans, navy beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white beans, lima beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), split peas, lentils, soybeans (edamame), and black-eyed peas.
Zehhu, That's it.
Ben Isaac is the author of